Changing It Up With MTT Grinding

I decided that I was pretty much done for the month after attempting, and failing, to RUSH out 36k hands in 3 days, so on Monday I thought I would see what it was like to play MTTs all day across a full schedule. I decided that I would do it across FT and Stars and would limit my buyins to between $1 - $11. I started at noon and registered for all the tournaments I felt were +ev for me, with the final tournament starting at 4pm. In total I played 26 tournaments with buyins totaling $198. I decided to include my spreadsheet of the action, as you can see I made one final table and had 7 cashes although was unable to turn some big stacks into final table stacks. It was slightly disappointing but I think I will try to do this 3-4 times a month in an effort to break up the normal cash grind.

$1050 River Series Event

Not a whole lot to comment about on this one sadly. We started with 214 runners but with only 5000 chips and 30 minute blinds the structure required a double up in the first couple of levels. Sadly the cards didn't cooperate and spots just didn't come up where I could steal / resteal effectively.

Got it in pre with QTs v AJo for 8BB and although i flopped a FD with a gutter and turned a pair it wasn't to be and I hit the rail in level 6.

Online poker has been less than stealer this last week but thats really down to me not being focused and playing anywhere near my 'A' game. Its doubtful that I have even reached my 'C' game lately. Hopefully things will change this weekend as I have to put a load of hands in to hit 100k for the month.

Good luck at the tables.

$330 Winstar and Ugh Rush Poker

Just as I tell you on Sunday that I feel my poker is in a good spot, I'm going to tell you on Wednesday that my game has gone backward a little. I played the $330 buyin for the Winstar "River" Series on Monday and thought that I played reasonably well. I misplayed a hand in the first level but managed to put that behind me, win a couple of races, and make myself healthy again. I went card dead probably at the most important time of the tournament and couple this with the fact that I had a very good internet pro on my right opening and 3betting every hand that having cards was a priority. Sadly they didnt come and when I got my 12bbs in with AKs v QQ in a 3bet pot preflop, that was all she wrote.

Online has been poor for me too the last few days. I ran well below EV on Tuesday and today was just a non-starter. Just as I said I dont want to judge my results when I was on a heater of sorts, I also dont want to judge them now. Hopefully things settle into a nice happy medium and I can start September fresh and ready to go.

Weight loss took a step back the last two days but I am looking to turn that around and have it be a blip rather than a crater.

Playing live tonight in my normal Wednesday game and then am playing the $1050 Winstar event Friday.

Good luck at the tables.

Long Weekend...Little Results

I managed to play a decent amount of volume this weekend but couldn't really get much going at the tables. I played about 5500 hands on Saturday and was down $20 for the day. Every time I thought I was about to get on something of a rush I kept getting hit with nasty rivers. I didn't play my A game for the day, I was something around a C but it should of been enough that I could of grinded out a small profit.

This morning I woke up at 6am and hit the tables but gave away two stacks in very easy straight forward I'm beat spots and managed to finish 1500 hands, +$100. I wont be at the tables much tomorrow as I am playing in the opening $330 event at Winstar. The small events all lead up to the $2100 Main Event that luckily I have already locked up a seat for. My hopes of getting a career best month at the tables have gone as I haven't played enough but my game is still in a good spot

Long may it continue.

$18k Guarantee Final Table Score

Just managed to finish second in the $26 18k Guarantee on Full Tilt. I only played the tournament because I had to finish my cash hands for the day. Always good when you get a $2700 boost to the bankroll from an MTT.

Time for a well deserved sleep if you ask me.

Keep on keeping on!

Just a little update mid-month on my progress. Both at the tables and away from the tables, things have been going great. My game feels like its been the best it has been in over 2 years and I get up each day expecting to crush the tables, which is something that I had been missing. As I've said before, I'm really hesitant to confirm the changes have made the difference because of the sample size but in the weeks to come id like to confirm this is the case.

The weight loss has also started to happen. In the first two weeks of August, I have managed to lose 12lbs. Its great when you get on a scale and you get to see the results of your hard work. I know in the beginning that it will be easy and it will become harder and harder but I'm inspired to put in the hard work.

Lastly, I've started to get back into the coaching and I'm loving it. With the trip to Vegas, I had to cut down on the number of sessions I could do, but now I'm back home I've got the coaching bug. Managed to do a session with a new student looking to crack $10nl and I think that with a session or two he will be crushing it. If anyone is looking for a session, please get in touch. Also a big shout out to Mpethybridge over at 2+2, who is an amazing poker mind and does a great job with database analysis. He has a website that is worth a look: http://mpethypoker.com/

Good luck at the tables.

Going Through Changes - Eminem Inspired

As I've previously mentioned in my blog, there are a lot of changes going on currently with me. I've been working hard on my game at the tables and also working on my life away from the tables by changing my diet and lifestyle as a whole.

Well today is the start of week two. First week, I started to eat correctly, I think that in the first seven days of August that I ate more fruit than I have in the rest of 2010 combined. But to be honest, I felt great doing it and didn't once crave a soda or some crap food. Sure I ate Subway twice in the week, but going from a foot long on white with a soda to a six inch on wheat with a water is proof that changes are happening.

At the tables, my game has been going through changes too. These are inspired by working with others and I really think that the results at the end of the month will speak for themselves. I felt I was a good player before the changes, I'm hoping by the end that I will be a more well rounded player. I don't want to talk too much about the changes in my game for fear that its purely sample size and not a result of better play etc, so I will refrain from passing judgment on that for a few more weeks. I do want to add that I've started marking and reviewing hands once a week with a couple of players whose game I really respect and I came out of the review session with new ideas and lines that I'm excited to build on in the coming weeks.

Now onto the blog title. With it being the second week, I've decided to start to do some exercise as well and as I was logging a session this afternoon, the games turned bad and I wanted to utilize my time better so I decided to go for a walk. Whilst it seemed like a good idea at the time, halfway through the 4-5 mile walk, I felt like a complete idiot. The temperature says its 98 degrees but that its supposed to feel like 104. Let me tell you it felt like 110 to me. Then as I'm making my turn at the halfway point, Going Through Changes hits my Ipod and its at this time that I realize the title of the song epitomizes my current state. I've got to make these changes to come out the other side a better person and player.

Good luck at the tables.

July Review

I feel like its necessary to post my results for July, purely if for continuity purposes only. I knew that with being in Vegas for half of the month, that my online play would suffer and therefore I had no goals or aims for the month and just accepted that whatever happened, happened and I would deal with getting back to the grind hard in August. I got back from Vegas July 18th but had family in town from England for the final two weeks of the month, which required a lot of time away from the tables. You really cant put a price on spending time with family and friends, so whatever money I did lose by not playing I'm sure was worth it.

Total from all things poker related: $2720

It wasn't too bad considering that it was only half of my normal volume. Things obviously will be different this coming month as I am now on the stake, meaning a portion of profits will be shipped away. I only hope I am able to make more from the stake at $100nl than I did from $50nl on my own money. I'm confident that this will be the case but only time will tell.

Lastly on a personal note, August 1st starts my ten month journey into getting healthy. Those people that have known me for a long time know that since becoming involved in poker my weight has increased dramatically. I topped the scales in Vegas at 327lbs and made a bet with guys in the house that I will be able to weigh in at 220lbs by June 1st 2011. Can I make it ? I'm really not sure of that answer but I know that I need to try, not only for the nice prop bet but to get myself back in acceptable shape. I wont be spending too much time talking about weight but I will update probably once a month with my progress, both good and bad.

Good luck at the tables.