$40 to $500 - Week 1 Results

Evening my pretty little Pistons, how the hell are you? I trust that you are all well and that the sub zero conditions (For the UK readers anyway, and the Europeans on the whole at the min) aren’t getting you down.

I’m off work for 11 days now, perfect timing for -10C temps, snow and the country grinding to a complete halt. Still, I don’t need to get up in a morning, or stress about deadlines, or shave, or get dressed so it’s all good.

So how’s this week been pokerwise for me? Well, how do I put this? It’s not been the best, and I’ll leave it at that. I’ll post the graph below so you can see what I mean. I’ve managed to put in some decent volume but that’s the only upside to this week. I’m seeing it as a transitional period. Yeah, a transitional period, that’s a much better way of saying that it’s been a massive struggle, I’ve played really dumb in a number of spots and that I need to concentrate more!

It’s fair to say I’ve not been fully focussed when playing. I’ve been on my phone, checking out websites, watching TV and it’s affected me. When I review my sessions I haven’t found one hand that I couldn’t have played better (that I have lost). I’ve not even started looking at if I am maximizing value when I do have the nuts yet but I imagine I am. I need to shut a few leaks out of my game and quickly. The good thing is I’ve managed to isolate them and I know exactly what I’m doing wrong in a certain spot. Hopefully with a bit of work it will become unconscious knowledge quickly and then I can move on to fixing other leaks in my micro game.

The first leak is that I’m calling off too easily. There are a ton of passive players at the micros, and I mean a ton. I need to remember sometimes that if they are showing aggression then their range becomes so narrow that I will need a lot to beat it. Lets take this hand for example.

PokerStars - $0.02 NL (9 max) - Holdem - 8 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 3: http://www.pokertracker.com

MP: $3.09
MP+1: $4.30
Hero (CO): $2.00
BTN: $5.00
SB: $1.01
BB: $2.00
UTG: $3.16
UTG+1: $2.08

SB posts SB $0.01, BB posts BB $0.02

Pre Flop: ($0.03) Hero has Js Jc

fold, fold, MP calls $0.02, fold, Hero raises to $0.08, fold, fold, fold, MP calls $0.06

Flop: ($0.19, 2 players) 9c Ts 8c
MP checks, Hero bets $0.18, MP calls $0.18

Turn: ($0.55, 2 players) 5h
MP checks, Hero bets $0.46, MP calls $0.46

River: ($1.47, 2 players) 9d
MP checks, Hero bets $1.28 and is all-in, MP calls $1.28

I really should have gotten away from this when I didn’t spike my set. Villain was running 42/9/1. Come the turn, what am I beating? It’s a good board to C bet but I think I maybe prefer a raise there and then I can get away when he comes over the top or just a fold on the turn. I’m not beating his hand there. Here’s another example

PokerStars - $0.02 NL (9 max) - Holdem - 8 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 3: http://www.pokertracker.com

UTG+1: $2.50
MP: $1.24
MP+1: $0.80
CO: $2.25
Hero (BTN): $2.00
SB: $2.24
BB: $3.71
UTG: $0.88

SB posts SB $0.01, BB posts BB $0.02

Pre Flop: ($0.03) Hero has Th 8h

fold, UTG+1 calls $0.02, MP calls $0.02, fold, CO calls $0.02, Hero calls $0.02, fold, BB checks

Flop: ($0.11, 5 players) Qh Qs 5h
BB checks, UTG+1 bets $0.06, fold, fold, Hero calls $0.06, BB calls $0.06

Turn: ($0.29, 3 players) Kd
BB checks, UTG+1 bets $0.06, Hero calls $0.06, BB calls $0.06

River: ($0.47, 3 players) 9h
BB checks, UTG+1 bets $2.36 and is all-in, Hero calls $1.86 and is all-in, fold

Actually, that’s just spew…truly awful! That’s embarrassing!

Finally, my favourite hand of the week.

PokerStars - $0.02 NL (9 max) - Holdem - 9 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 3: http://www.pokertracker.com

LP: $5.37
CO: $1.15
BTN: $1.40
SB: $2.00
Hero (BB): $2.00
UTG: $1.13
UTG+1: $0.80
MP: $5.40
MP+1: $1.21

SB posts SB $0.01, Hero posts BB $0.02

Pre Flop: ($0.03) Hero has 4h Kh

fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, SB raises to $0.06, Hero calls $0.04

Flop: ($0.12, 2 players) Th 9h 8h
SB bets $0.08, Hero calls $0.08

Turn: ($0.28, 2 players) 5c
SB bets $0.19, Hero raises to $0.58, SB raises to $1.86 and is all-in, Hero calls $1.28 and is all-in

River: ($4.00, 2 players) 7h

That was fun!

Anyway, I’ll leave you with my graph for the week.

And that’s that. I know the hands this week don’t hold up to much discussion and I hope to change that in the coming weeks. I’m sure there have been hands that have been worthy of discussion but my lack of attention must have missed them. Something to work on and from I reckon.

Just so you know, I won’t be weighing myself on Monday through one reason and another, but I’ll try and put a mini update on the blog. It’s been a rollercoaster week so far!

See you soon