Friday 18 March 2011

Respect the regulars

Check out this theoretical ten man sit n go table. These players including myself are winning regulars on the Maui Jackpot trail who I come across a lot at the times I play. As I try to get my game back together it is useful to look at all these players progress charts to see that none have avoided downswings along the way. My aim now in the final week or so of March is to get my game back on track and have a positive end to the month. What has happened has happened. I can only do this by playing well and avoiding mistakes (this is really hard to do I have found when you are on a losing run). I do not try to dodge these players as I largely understand their play at each phase of the game. Having said that it would not be ideal to play in a game with more than a couple of these winners.
 
UsernameGames PlayedAv. ProfitAv. StakeAv. ROITotal ProfitFormAbility /100NetworkFilter
DieGrinder         1,111$0.24  $5  4%$264  Super TiltN/AiPokerYear2011 S5-5 Jackpot x
Donseng         563$0.91  $5  15%$512  TiltN/AiPokerYear2011 S5-5 Jackpot x
HeartGreen         671$0.29  $5  5%$194  -N/AiPokerYear2011 S5-5 Jackpot x
KarenMudi         243$0.93  $5  16%$227  -N/AiPokerYear2011 S5-5 Jackpot x
Kartajana         534$0.58  $5  10%$311  -N/AiPokerYear2011 S5-5 Jackpot x
Mixa08         1,518$0.05  $5  1%$72  -N/AiPokerYear2011 S5-5 Jackpot x
MrKrakatoa         538$0.25  $5  4%$137  -N/AiPokerYear2011 S5-5 Jackpot x
ottoskorzeny         625$0.46  $5  8%$285  -N/AiPokerYear2011 S5-5 Jackpot x
petrovna1957         586$0.09  $5  2%$54  -N/AiPokerYear2011 S5-5 Jackpot x
xxShitOutxx         3,293$0.42  $5  7%$1,372  -N/AiPokerYear2011 S5-5 Jackpot x
 
Respect and good luck to you regulars (just not on my table please).

Sunday 13 March 2011

Boost From Pokerstars Cash

While I try to get my Maui Challenge back on track following a recent downswing I can take heart from a decent cash on Pokerstars. Whilst 80% of my poker is centered on the Maui Sit N Gos I do play some games on Full Tilt and Pokerstars. Full Tilt has gone well this year but I have had a nightmare on Stars until this game. My previously absent luck has been stored up my the kind folks at Pokerstars to help me come second in this multi-table sit n go from having almost no chips. This is a decent cash for me and puts me nicely ahead overall in March to date. Hopefully it will boost my overall poker confidence for the Maui games.
 
 
PokerStars Tournament #373938888, No Limit Hold'em
Buy-In: $11.00/$1.00 USD
180 players
Total Prize Pool: $1980.00 USD
Tournament started 2011/03/11 18:37:47 ET
Tournament finished 2011/03/11 20:34:43 ET
  1: kolll77 (Ukraine), $594.00 (30%)
  2: Kartajana (United Kingdom), $396.00 (20%)
  3: besoccer10 (United States), $235.62 (11.9%)
  4: Gimmidaloot7 (Canada), $158.40 (8%)
  5: waslander (Netherlands), $128.70 (6.5%)
  6: gutu47 (Spain), $99.00 (5%)
  7: 6daxtilos (Cyprus), $69.30 (3.5%)
  8: leoninas (Argentina), $51.48 (2.6%)
  9: mata070 (United States), $33.66 (1.7%)

Despite numerous elements of good luck throughout, including at the final table where the pay jumps got bigger and bigger I still ended the game annoyed at not winning having had a dominant chip lead heads up at one stage.
 
On reflection I am very happy with second having subsequently noted the number of winning players at the final table. Well done me and congrats to kolll77.

Saturday 5 March 2011

Early March Downswing!

Variance has hit my Maui Challenge in the first few days of March. Variance has led to tilt. Variance and tilt have catapulted me on a five day downswing. Only Poker can see you win 57 days out of 59 only to lose for 5 consecutive days. My own fault though. A run of bad luck is always around the corner in poker. How you handle it defines your overall success. So what you can only win one in five coin tosses and it seems your opponents mistakes are rewarded not punished. If you continue to make the right decisions the good times will return soon. It is statistically inevitable. I am not a machine though and emotions have led me to play poorly in response to my misfortune. On day five I resolved to be totally focused and have a winning session. Things were going well until a further set of unlucky, cruel and downright ridiculous hands led me to cash only once in six games. An extra unplanned session followed (in which I was tilted, tired and tetchy - even bemoaning my bad luck in the chat box with comments like "one-outer!" and "come on!").
I am guilty of the following:
Tilting in the face of a run of bad luck
Playing when far too tired and ill
Being distracted by Pokerstars qualifiers for the Sunday Million
Being over confident
Believing my poker challenge is more important than it is

I am hoping this blog will help rid me of my tilt infection
Here endeth my confession...............

Kartajana         461$0.9  $5  15%$414  TiltN/AiPokerYear2011

Tonight I play well, smile when luck conspires against me and maybe just maybe have a winning session based on focused good play...... I bloody hope so anyway.

Tuesday 1 March 2011

February Result: +$470 YTD: +$735

The positives from February are that I won my first $200 consolation bonus and continued at a good rate per game despite a late month dip (no doubt caused by my jackpot near miss). Overall my total profit year to date is now $735 for my Maui Challenge which is slightly ahead of schedule. On a more negative note I failed to improve the number of games played in the month, though quality is better than quantity I guess.

Kartajana         430$1.24  $5  21%$535  -N/AiPokerYear2011 x


Thanks to those who voted in my poll.

The challenge continues!