The road to a Main Event score! Starting BR £252. Now £984 (£1.36k banked)

CraigSG1

Hey.

Been on here a few times, had one of my worst ever poker years. Probably about even on the year, maybe a little up but i'm not at all happy with a lot of things. One, I genuinely do feel I have run bad. I know a lot of people say that but I'm pretty honest with myself (only way to get better) and I do think this. I could go deeper but thats boring. Basically, ive ran bad and made it worse by tilting in various ways. Ive gone away from my game in an effort to 'fit in' with what a lot of people say you should and should not do. I did find a way to win and was successful playing my type of game. Im going back to that (with a few small twists) and to **** if its not 'perfect'. It won me money.

Anyway, in an effort to keep a control over my tilt and discipline im going to keep it public to stop me making big mistakes. 

Over last 3 months ive rebulit from £50 - £400 but over this week I have dropped £150. That co-incided with my first jump up to 10nl again in which I ran horribly. And tilted. (Cue embarrassment). So back to what worked and just being patient.

Goals:

* Play 4nl and show a profit.

* Play £2/£3/£5 tournaments. 40 BI rule.

* Play my game and not focus on PokerPoints and BR total. 

* Not play 10nl until I hit £450BR and cease to play if dip below £400. (like i intended to. sigh)

* This is real embarrassing and im ashamed of but I want to stop moaning on chat! Seriously, Im an idiot and no one cares! I will honestly say how many times IF i do indeed do this. Im 36 for crying out loud! I need to find another way to vent and then calm down and play properly

* Finally, I would like to reach 1K again. No time frame, just a target. 

jimb0d1

Stick with it. You have the game.  Gl

shakinaces

Good luck with this Craig, will be reading with interest.

Have you read through the Mental Game of Poker or other similar resources on controlling tilt?  As you allude to, you're going to achieve the monetary goals in your post so long as you can control this part of your game better.

Nothing wrong with playing your own game either... if we all played by the book then only the rake would win and the game would be very boring. I think it's fair to say that there are people that may query the style of some of the biggest winners on Sky (and other sites)... but I can't imagine they care about their game being slated as they sit there counting their profits!

stokefc

think ill read this one seeing as I see you regularly on the tables,gl Craig you,ve got some game

CraigSG1

Well, Monday was grim. Failed in two goals, frustrated chat talk and playing 10nl. Sigh. It started off bad at 4nl, losing AQ v K6 aipf to a maniac, then same played A5s on a 23x board with my suit all in on flop v 77. Bricked. Top 2 v sets twice and none of my hands getting paid. Pretty frustrating, but I fell into the trap of betting for bettings sake with no reason behind it.

Finished almost -£30

Regrouped today, played with more of a plan and more to my game. 

It worked. I won the 6pm £2 BH with 122 entrants. My first bink in a long time as I moved away to play a lot more cash. Its so satisfying to win an MTT. Feels great. I played well, to my game plan and ran OK. Saved my biggest luck for HUs. I was chip leader all way through from 10 left (give or take a few hands) to 4 handed. Lasted a long time so stacks got shallow and ended up HU with a 2-1 chip deficit. Got low twice before getting lucky with Q9s v AQs when I hit my kicker. Then a few hands later I won my first race out of 12 88 v AJ to complete the win. Blix was my opponent and to be fair he played very, very well through final table. So almost £50 there. But the feeling is priceless.

Cash went OK, played 10nl (sigh - but only way to make 10pp up quick so I can enter the two free seat freerolls). Finished a little up.

Played a £5 BH, finsihed mid way with two heads. Bit unlucky, chopped two big pots previous to exit. 

The 2 freerolls also went ok, just again getting the bad luck. Losing QQ v 1010 for a big pot, flopped the world with my overpair and FD but the 10 killed me on the turn and no redraw. Never recovered. Lost a flip in the other.

So all in all, a nice confidence boosting session tonight.

thejudge10

  hope to see u at the tables,stick with it

thejudge10

  how many tables do play at a time ?

CraigSG1

Hi Judge,

Thanks. As for how many tables, it varys between 4 and 6. I try and just play one format at a time so as not to confuse my thinking. Just depends what i've reg'd for and if im still in an MTT late on!

mrsduck

Hey Craig, all the best! You'll be fine...you're one of the gooduns!
See you at the tables,
Ducky

CraigSG1

Thanks Ducky. I hope to use a better BR management than your example

An up night, despite lots of coolers and the like. Started with the £2 BH, went out early when after 3 betting big with KK i get a call from a UTG min raised 88. Flop is J92 and I lead 3/4 and get snap called. Turn 8. GG me. The two free seat FRs again got off to good starts and again got coolered. AQ v KK (active player), AK v AA, another squeeze into AA and then after going deep in one I got slowrolled after jamming my SB of 11BB with 109s. Let the timer go almost all the way down then called.

Played two MC 10nl for about 45 mins, played my game and managed to come away with +£13 from both, mostly thanks to deciding not to squeeze from SB with AQo after EVERYONE limped. A QQA flop came out of the blue! It checked round to a 7 card that put a FD on. I led small and got 3 callers. The Kh completes flush on river and again I lead small, get one call another min raise and then another raise! Happy days. I jam, first two fold and 3 bettor calls with Q4. 

I'll take a small win, be nice to get a few MTT runs though.

CraigSG1

Pretty grim lately,

MTT's are going bad - losing with best hand in everyone. Not sure how to take that. Cant win a race either.

Cash, well. Back to running really, really bad. I dont get what it is, as soon as I step up it goes wrong. I dont play much different, just again cant win races. Get coolered, flush over flush and set over set lots. Doesnt help when active manaics win every hand against you. For eg KK v 57s. Safe flop, then 5 and 7 come. Limped KK when your in BB with 89. Flop trips. Get money in by turn. K river. AA v 1010. Lost. KK v KK. Lost. AK v 74o. Lost to flopped straight aipf. Lots of others. And any big hands I do get that dont get outdrawn get folds.

Maybe Im just not good enough, I dont know. 

Ill make some decisions if it doesnt go well today.

CraigSG1

Played the most poker in one day than I have for a long time. Probably about six hours or so, maybe more, over the day. 

Thanks to double points week I have amassed over 300PP in one day which is very good for me. Maybe try for 3000 this month but only if it goes ok. I don't want to fall in that trap of playing for playings sake. 

After going grim this morning it went ok in afternoon and really well in the evening. Been a long while since I ran like that. Big hands getting paid and only a few beats. The beats, while annoying, where a lot easier to ride when your winning your right percentage of hands. 

Hitting quads three times and getting paid did help! I'm quick to point out lows so the highs where the quads and actually having big hands hold and get paid. As with my run most of the best hands where at 4nl and getting coolered at 10nl. 

Still, cash was very profitable. I felt I played ok, I did moan out loud a few times so failed on a goal there. Can't help it.  Need to do better!!! It's embarrassing! Folded in some right spots with big hands and tried to pot control better which did help today. 

MTT wise. Played two buyins. Lost both to races. Still can't win them! Thought I had in one. Flopped well but went dead to turned set. Cashed in Social FR. Then lost chip lead pot. A race. AK v 66. You know the score. K and 6 on the flop!

So, a much needed good day. A confidence boost too. 

CraigSG1

Well, such a frustrating day.

Finished £12 down on the day but could have been so much better had even a few hands held. The river hated me today. I think last count was 6 perfect/perfect turn and river cards for full stack allin on flops.

Not to mention the amount of sets I ran into. Anyway, enough of that. Just wasnt a good day. YES i'm glad I got most/all my money in good. Just wish equity had ran its course and I would be celebrating another good day.

On a lighter note, I won my first race in three days. JJ v AK. Yes, it really has been that long!

++EDIT++

Put in another half hour, made £3+. Could/should have been better but yet again the fish got there. AK v QJ. 3 bet over limper. Kxx flop. I bet 3/4 pot. 9 turn. I bet full pot knowing he calls very wide. 10 river. He bets remaining £3 into £14. I really dont understand how they can gett here so often!!

CraigSG1

Been a swingy few days and I have put a lot of volume in (for me), mostly because of double points week. Ive already surpassed my points total for the whole of last month in just 5 days! Currently on almost 1200. I intend to make the most of the next few days as I erally want to hit as close to 2000 by Sunday night so that I can coast to my 3000 target. A target I may not hit again for a while.

As far as poker went i have had a mixture of playing well and then letting frustration get to me and make some light calls. When im not with it I find myself betting for on reason or calling with little thought. Ive also again had some really insane suckouts. QQ v A5o on AQx5A board. All in on turn. Random guy shoving allin so call with 1010 v A2o. A flop. Also AK v 33. Guy calls down 3 sts to big bets. My top pr inproves to a straight but loses to running flush cards. I did get two suck outs of my own, QQ v AA aipf and my under set hitting running cards for a straight.

One big £35+ pot I lost I am annoyed with. After having AK/AQ 9 times and missing, I finally flopped an A with AK on a AQ2 board. A guy who was hitting EVERYTHING and had already trippled up on a MC table had a set of 2's but when he c/r the turn small I should have folded. So many hands beat me and he is never bluffing or rasing a worse pair/Ace. Suffice to say I check called him down on river to lose. A lesson learnt, even after so many disapointments, still think and fold if your not happy your ahead!

After Craigcu12's amazing run and cash at the weekend it has inspired me to put together a long term plan/aim. I want to get back to playing bigger MTT's again and final table a Main Event (and win one mostly but i'm trying to set a realistic goal). Ive let my poker glide a bit and I need to study more. So, after I finsih the book I am reading now (im an avid sci-fi reader) I intend to dedicate some time away from the tables and at the same time build my BR and actually play sats etc.

I dont have a time limit. I just want to see improvements and some bigger MTT wins. I also want to keep playing cash as this will hopefully be a way to keep my BR ticking over.

So after dipping to about £260 after peaking at £310 I now have my BR at £299+

jimb0d1

Mate, just play mtts and you wil smah it.  GL

shakinaces

Did I see you sat at the NL20 tables yesterday?  Don't doubt you are good enough for those, but may be best to stick to battering the NL10 tables for a while longer if you are keen to keep the current bankroll from going busto?

And good luck moving to MTT - my thinking is the same and I am toying with making more of an effort to adjust my game for that, probably starting in January. Look forward to reading any recommendations you may make on here for vids, articles, books etc that are helping you transistion across.

hhyftrftdr

Craig, don't wanna be a party p00per, but regarding final tabling a ME as a goal, that's all well and good but it might do your nut in eventually. As you know, tournaments can be brutal at the best of times. If you keep getting deep runs but just missing out on the FT, you could become frustrated with it all.

Just focus on playing the best tournament you can, making the best decisions possible throughout. If this takes you to the FT and beyond then happy days. Sometimes it won't even get you past the first level, such is the nature of the beast!

Ironically, once you're on a FT they are pretty straightforward, it's getting there that is the hard part.

Good luck with it all!

CraigSG1

Jimbod1 - Thanks. Although I do still want to improve my cash game, as I have said its a great way to keep my BR ticking over and cover buyins.

Shakinaces - Hi bud, been reading your diary a lot. You have been a bit slow on updates recently! Your doing great and ive been very impressed with your dedication and BR management. Im surprised you dont play more 20nl, there isnt that much difference at all! A few more manaics even. Just a shame I dont do well versus them. 

Anyway, yes you did. It wasnt for long, just trying to keep tables topped up until some nl10/8 tables became available. Thanks, my MTT game is still a lot better than my cash game. If I was just in it to make money then I would only play STT's and a few MTTs. STTs im still very good at, just cant get 'up' for them to grind. Its a bit like i've 'solved' it and now need to 'solve' the other formats! I will indeed pass those things on that do help me. The best books that ive read that have helped me are the "Winning poker tournaments one hand at a time" series. Simply invaluble. Will be reading those again along with the "Kill Phil" book Ive had on my Kindle App for quite a long while and have not read. 

Hhy.... - I appreciate your candidness. Its refreshing (as with all your posts) and something I follow too. Would rather know the hard truth than a kind lie. No-one improves and if you dont say anything nothing changes! A ME final table/bink is my goal yes, but I am very realistic. Hence no time frame. Could happen next week or in three years. My main aim is to improve. I absoloutley believe I CAN do this. I know I can. Just a matter of when. Ive done it before on quite a few occasions I just let my dedication waver towards other things. I need time and effort away from the tables and I will do this. Thanks!

Right, Thursday was my oblicatory day off. As demanded by the missus. 

Today has been a good night. Started with the usual 6pm £2 BH. I took 5 heads and went deep, going out in 2 hands when first losing QQ v AK (that **** river! ) and then with 88 v AQ v J9s. 

Cash started badly, nothing much I could do realy. AA v K5o to a rivered trip Kings against the table fish (who had tripple his stack! Works for some) I did well to lose the miniumum. Another set v's rivered (yes, again) flush. But, I stuck with it. Didnt tilt or get frustarted. Well, OK, I got a little frustrated but that went in a few moments. Stayed patient, played my game and got rewards at the end. I finally had some run good against a table fish who loved to just open allin. First my JJ held v's Ax (rare!) and few hands later my AQ held v's KJ. Another very good pot was my 54s hitting nut staright on turn v's a set and top air all in on turn. Great tripple up. The board has paired a lot lately. Sadly though, very next hand I get A7s in BB. Min raised and called in 3 spots so I make up. 4 way to the A76 flop. I lead, get called and two folds. Blank turn. I bet, get called. 7 river. Nice, I think. Lead once again, get raised. Happy days! I shove, get called. Happy days! What a life! Oh, wait a moment. He has AA. Caught me by surprise!! Next hand on another table I flpp set and lose to turned flush. I lose the minimum. Didnt tilt/get frustrated! Just sighed and played on. Why cant I ALWAYS do this? I guess its harder when its 4 and 5 times in a row. Stil, progress.

I think the best hand I had tonight was a hand I lost. When mutiltabling it can get distracting sometimes but I'm trying to again play the amount of tables that I can concentrate on. So, sometimes that will be 2/3 or 4 and others full 6. If I feel Im not concentrating well I will drop tables. So, not concentrating i may have just called allin. Anyway, hand was 77. I raise and get 2 callers. I flop bottom set on a board with 2 flush cards and a straight draw. I lead and get called. Turn completes a gusthot straight and puts another FD on board. I get donked on, then other guy raises. I fold. They go allin and its a a pair and SD against nut straight. River doesnt pair. 

So, after £10+ for C4P's and a +£26 cash my BR has moved to its most in this diary but still below my peak I had a couple of weeks ago of +£410. Thats my first 'barrier' I want to cross. A sort of redemption target. The MTT push will start in earnest once I finish my current book. Almost half way through.

Oh, almost forgot. Played the two free seat FRs. First did really well, got very deep but lost a race and then J10 v 109o and the my final chips with AQs. The other, very early with JJ v AK. To another rivered A. As you can see, me and races dont do well lately.

As for C4P's. Im on almost 1400. I would love to be around 2000 by Sunday so still on target for that. So far. Just trying not to play for playing sake but because I want to.

CraigSG1

Had a couple of sessions so far today and I've done well so far. Ran OK in the morning, the suck outs where for small pots i.e. AA v A8o aipf and lost to flopped trips. And the decent pots happened at 10nl, i.e. FH vs worse FH. Got off to a bad start this afternoon, JJ v K6o, QQ v J8s and having to fold a couple of big hands to bad turn and rivers. So was delighted to be almost 2 BI's up for 10nl by the end. Have to admit two rivers did help me for a change. First I won a race! AK v 88 and ran out to a straight and my 107o in BB. Limped round, flop is 1073. I bet and get called in two places. Turn a 2. Get led at 3/4 so just call. River 10. Guy checks so I figure I go small incase he was bluffing with a weak hand or worse 2 pr and get shoved on. He had 22. PP's are over the 1500 mark so pleased there.

Had this hand below come up. Happened to me a lot a few times lately in similar fashion.

Did I do right? I figured at the time if I call Im chopping at best as I didnt have any reads. He had pushed me out of two previous pots. Once I had 99 with only one over card and another blasted me off AK post flop. After thinking about it he could have over valued two pair and could be plain bluffing.

He min raised out of SB and I defend with Q10o. I flop decent with 2nd pr and a gutshot with back door FD. I just call bet for pot control/keep in worse hands.  Turn completes my straight but brings flush. I have 2 outs to the stone nuts and at this point i still think im good a lot. He 3/4 bets and again I call for same reasons. That correct? I feel if I raise and get raised back im in a tough spot. River is a complete brick and he open shoves very quick. That caught me out! You dont have long to think and all I could think was on a very straighty board he could easily have flush and hope I have what I have. He also could have nut straight and same straight as me. Only hands I can beat are sets and 2 prs here as well as a bluff. Not sure he does that after being called down twice?

Anyway, right fold?

PS Anyone know how to correctly post up hands on a Mac? Can never paste them in without them messing up when I post. Tried copying hand to notes and then back again but same problem.

Player Action Cards Amount Pot Balance

HectorCost Small blind £0.05 £0.05 £10.63

CraigSG1 Big blind £0.10 £0.15 £20.37

  Your hole cards

Q c

10 s

   

smokykil03 Fold

acky1985 Fold

HectorCost Raise £0.15 £0.30 £10.48

CraigSG1 Call £0.10 £0.40 £20.27

Flop

 

Q s

K d

9 s

   

HectorCost Bet £0.30 £0.70 £10.18

CraigSG1 Call £0.30 £1.00 £19.97

Turn

 

J s

   

HectorCost Bet £0.75 £1.75 £9.43

CraigSG1 Call £0.75 £2.50 £19.22

River

 

2 c

   

HectorCost All-in £9.43 £11.93 £0.00

CraigSG1 Fold

HectorCost Muck

HectorCost Win £2.31 £2.31

HectorCost Return £9.43 £0.19 £11.74 

CraigSG1

This is one of those days where you love poker. Things have gone well throught the day. Could have done better but cash wise pretty much spot on. Everything ran as its 'supposed to', as in I won half the 50/50's and 7/10 of the 70/30's etc, etc... 

Best pot of the day AA v 99 on an A109 flop. We got it in on flop on a MC table so a nice £40+ pot. Had a few set backs but overall very good! I think I'm +£65 on the day.

MTTs, well. That was a different and very frustrating matter. Took 2 heads in the £2 BH but went out deep when I lost two races in a row. Played the £3 UKOPS BH, went really well for an hour. Took 3 heads. But it all went wrong when I got moved to another table 7/200 with 10K. First I lost A9 v AK. I raised and got called and went 3 way to a A26 flop. Got check raised allin when committed. Then JJ v A9 to turn and river trip 9's and finally AQ v QJ. All in about ten minutes. Very gutted.

The two FR's no good either, again lost two races QQ v AK and JJ v AQ and AK v AA! Saved most of my race wins for cash.

Final tabled a 180 SNG on Stars as well. Should play more of those as do very well in them overall. Just take a long while and VERY top heavy. I dont mind as i've had a 2nd and 3rd over time.

PP's are decent too, over 1600.

devonfish5

Nice going Craig, keep it going.

You can only lose now by using poor brm... so don't make that mistake.

gl, dev