Well, I had my biggest losing session of my career; -$400 (about %22 of the bankroll). That hurt a bit.

I went to Foxwoods on Saturday and my initial table was the most diffiult I've ever been at. Their were 4 VERY solid players playing a good TAG game, two of whom seemed to be friends. In addition, I only hit three flops. Once I flopped the nut flush after a free flop on the BB with . I checked the flop and all 4 others checked. I bet 2/3 the pot on the turn and everyone folded.

A couple hands later, the guy on my left raises from the small blind after I limp with [Js] (two other limpers). It was a solid raise ($15 I think) and everyone folds to me. This player wasn't that good but seemed quite tight so I put him on AK, AQ or 9's or better. I probably should have folded preflop but I thought if I made a straight or high flush I'd stack him (he had my $275 covered). The flop actually sucked for me when it came [Jd][Tc]. At this point I HOPE he has AA. I bet about 2/3 of the pot after he checks and he very calmly called. He definitely liked his hand so unless I boated up I was not putting more money in. The turn was a 9, yeah umm I fold. He showed KK, nice catch.

The last hand I had 55 and the flop was 356 (unraised pot 5 limpers I was in mid position) I bet about the pot and get 3 callers. The turn was a 4. GREAT! checks to the button who bets and the dude to my right check-raises. I fold. My set actually was the worst hand out of all 4 players who saw the turn. One guy had the suker straight, one guy had the 7, and another guy actually had a set of 6's. So I was down about $50 at this point and feeling very proud of myself for not losing more money on either of those hands.

There were three fish whom we were all targeting but one of them went bust and he was replaced by a guy who knew the two friends and was hyper aggressive. He was on my right so I thought about trying to exploit him but I figured there would be more money to be made at a different table. So I asked for a table change and was moved to a MUCH better table. Unfortunately it didn't help me make money. I dropped about $120 on a bluff on a board of [5s][2s][2d][9s] (I had [4d] and missed my gutshot and flush after betting the turn. The other guy went into the tank and made a call he obviously didn't want to make. So I bet $75 after the 9 fell on the river and he made a cryng call with [4h]. NH.) I added another $100 in chips after that and proceeded to lose my last $220ish with the 3rd nuts.

I had [6h] in late position and limped after another limper. 4 to the flop of [4d][8h]. Checks around and the turn is . I bet pot and only the EP limper calls. River is a . He bets $45. I tank. He limped after UTG folded so I highly doubt that 96 was in his range. He may be bluffing but I think it's either a split pot or he has two pair or a set. I'd seen him make a couple loose river calls with 1 pair so I thought there was a very good chance he'd call with a lot of hands I beat. The only hand he could have that beat me is J9. Of course he had it. They were hearts too so if a heart had fallen I would have won a huge pot instead of losing one. Oh well. At that point I wasn't frustrated but I was a little depressed at the outcome so I took the rest of the day off. I dropped about $60 playing Carrbean Stud and partaking in the free booze while waiting for Ben to finish up. So another heftly loss here and my bankroll has taken quite a hit. Hopefully things will turn around soon.

I am encouraged by the fact that my reads keep getting better. I took a pot away from this old guy on my right because I knew he was weak. I had complete air and I floated him on the turn and made a big raise of his river bet. He mucked. I hope to get back there pretty soon.

My positional thinking has remained automatic. Last night in the weekly $5 home game I doubled up in the first 10 minutes but then was card dead for the rest of the night. I finished up $3 for my 5th straight winning session. We were playing with $5,000 chips per buy in with 10/25 blinds and a 5 ante. The double up was pretty much a gift. All 5 other people limp to me in the BB I have QQ, I raise to 225. lag on my left calls. Folds around. Flop was 346 with two diamonds Pot (580). I bet 400. He raises to 1300, I think about it and push. He calls. I showed my queens and he didn't flip his hand. The board ended 356A6 and he mucked. He said he had a 5 and put me on AK. I think it was a loose call on a draw.

I'm glad I could show some patience and not just start throwing money in on QJ because it's the first paint I've seen in 30 minutes. Since I had been playing so tight people were respecting my preflop raises. I used that image for a standard semi bluff with open ender. Tournament starts in about 24 hours and it should be a lot of fun. 12 confirmed with Jamel and Josh S. as maybes.

After a bad 2007 (net loss of a little less than $500) I think 2008 will be a pretty good year. I'm improving my emotional state at the table. I've been able to not worry about the results so much and focus on making the right plays. I'm going with my instincts more but not enough. My goals for 2008:

Get to Foxwoods or another larger game at least 6 times
Re-read ToP and Largay's book
Read the poker books I got for Christmas
Continue to avoid anything but low buy in SnG online
Play tighter preflop and more aggressive post-flop
CB when I miss OOP more often
Don't get impatient when card dead and no good stealing oppertunities arise.

Last night I played my 5th overall session of the year. Usual $5 buy in (1500 chips 5/10 blinds) home game. I finshed with $19 profit. I played tight preflop and was able to control most of the hands I was in to maximize profit and minimize loss. I did get lucky with one hand. I was on the BB, UTG limps MP (Ray) raises 3x BB and I call with , UTG calls. Flop was . I lead out 80 (about 2/3 of the pot which had been my standard opener). UTG folds and EP raises to 210. I think for a long time and decide he either had or pocket 6's or higher. I thought about flat calling and leading a non-heart turn but if he has a middle pair and a high card comes I might lose him. He had about 900 beind and I cover. I decide to re-raise 350 more and he thinks and pushes, obv. I insta-call with the nuts. He was playing a connector like me and had and I happened to hit the perfect flop. He missed his 4 outer and I bust him.

I busted him again later for more than a buy in. It was the 5th to last hand of the night or so and I had AA (first big pair of the night). I raise to 40 and get 3 callers. Flop was Q95rb and I bet 80. He (otb) raises to 230. I decide to call and check the turn to see what he does. Turn is a 3 and I check, he bets 300. I didn't think he was on a draw here cause there isn't much to draw to. I put hm on 2 pair at this point, he has F'ed me before with calling crap hands on the button like 53 or Q9. Also, it's the end of the night so I'm not thrilled with the idea of forcing myself to put over a buy in in the middle. He has 1200 behind and I call the 300. The river is another 3 which I loved. Either he had a set and I was done anyway or I just won a big one. I check because I'm pretty sure he's going to bet. Usually when I take this line I have a weak hand and I expected him to take advantage. He shoves. I think for a minute, decide that I have the best hand and call. He had 65 or some other weak 5 and was bluffing. So those two hands were a lot of my profit. But I went through long stretches of folding preflop and I didnt' get bored or frustrated. I feel myself coming out of my rut and regaining some confidence. Hopefully I'll get to a bigger game soon.

Well I've had a few good sessions in a row. After failing to make my new strategy succeed and busting out in 20th out of 21 places at my tournament with AT vs A9 after getting all in on an A77 board, I've been running ok.

On March 11th I went down to Foxwoods and did well. Ray picked me up around 9:45 and after a stop at the bank we made it down there around 11:30. We put our names on the $1/$2 list and within 10 minutes they had opened two tables and we were both on the same one. Within 15 minutes it was clear that this table was fantastic. And by fantastic I mean the players mostly sucked. There were 9 other people there and 7 of them were calling stations. Also, at least 4 of them mentioned how bad everyone else at the table was. I seriously had to put my hat in front of my face to prevent people from seeing my big ass grin. So my plan was to play loose/passive preflop and tight/aggressive postflop. It worked very well. I quickly lost about $150 when the player on my left raised to $8 and there were 4 callers so I called from the button with A2s. Flop ($48) was A2x and the raiser leads out for $30. I figure he probaby has an ace and I'm ahead and if that is the case he will certainly commit his chips. So I raise to $80 and he shoves for $60 more or so which I call. He doesn't show right away but when a king falls on the turn I say "ahh that probably helped you" and he says "not really" and flips over pocket aces. whoops.

A little while later I make my first preflop raise of the day (I had a couple pairs but just limped in knowing I'd get paid if I setted but I didnt') to $10 and got 2 callers. I had AQ and hit an Ace. I made a CB and got 1 caller. He folded to my turn bet. The very next hand I'm UTG with KK and raise to $15, one player calls in MP and folds to SB who makes it $45. He is new to our table and easily the oldest player there at around 55. I got the impression that he was one of those "these young aggressive kids aren't going to bully me" guys and he had been re-raising a bit. However, no one had 3-bet him yet and I wanted to see how he would react. Also, since the last 4 times it was my action I bet, I figured his calling range would loosen up. I figured TT+ AQ+ and maybe even worse. And since people had been slowplaying Aces all over the place, I had the feeling he would have just called with them and then check/raised me on the flop. So I shove for $140 more and he thinks for a second and calls. The board was J high and I flip my hand. He gets all mad and flips QQ. SHIP IT!

I saw a lot of flops with hands that had a chance to make something. Any suited A or K, any suited connector or 1 gapper. Any unsuited connector, stuff like that. I was folding AJ and worse unsuited and any unsuited king other than AK or KQ (and I would only limp with that in late position, never call a raise unless there was a ton in the pot aleady.) I hit a couple of these for medium sized pots that pretty much covered what I lost when I called $12 preflop and whiffed. Then I made a score:

I called a raise to $10 in LP with [Ks]. 6 of us to the flop ($61). the flop was

[8s][Ts]

It checks to the raiser who bets $30, I smooth call with 4 other players still to act. I figure I can give one free card here. Then the BB goes nuts and makes it $115 to go (and I try to contain my giddiness). It folds to me and I tank. There is like $235 in the pot and I have to put in $85 to call. Villian has about $200 left and I cover. I think about what he would call the $8 more preflop with from the BB. He was a guy who would play any two face cards and any pair. So I figured he might have J9, and I PRAY he has [Js] but I think he most likely has a set. So I ponder the call. If I call and the board pairs I vomit and have a tough decision to make. But if a 6,9,J or spade falls, he may get scared and be done with it. If he has 88 the best chance I have to get him to commit his chips is a shove right here. So I shove. He thinks for 2 minutes, says "I guess I have to believe you" and mucks. He said he had 8T. Not sure I believe that but I'll take the pot, it's significant to my bankroll. I won a couple other decent pots and finished the day with $935 for a $635 profit. Not bad for 4 hours work. However, I only got to keep $435 of that because Ray lost some money and I had to re-emburse him according to the terms of our variance reducing deal. Such is life when you are under-rolled for the lowest limit they offer.

Overall I think played ok. I was pretty sure I would get paid off on made hands and be unsucessful bluffing at that table. And so I didn't bluff more than once or twice and waited for hands. Those hands did get paid so since my strategy worked I guess you could say I played well. I was talking to the people near me and really encouraging their mistakes. We were discussing how to play certain situations and I played dumb and agreed with whatever crap they were spewing. Whenever I won I'd say thanks or "sometimes you get lucky". I don' t think anyone thought I was that good which was perfect. As a nice little bonus, once I got home I watched CW anally violate BK to the tune of a $40 profit for me from a prop bet. Cha freaking CHING!

On Monday night I failed my goal of avoiding online cash games and played in some NL10. It was fairly easy and I did ok. I still dislike online cash games but I think it will improve my play and I'll try not to lose my buy in again.

I also played my weekly homegame tonight. We upped it to $10 per buy in and I made $14. I played ok and won like half of it when someone tried to bluff me on a board of AK972 with 3 hearts and I had AK. I called the $4 all in on the river. I forget what he had but it was not better than 3rd pair, maybe Q7 with the Q of hearts.

I haven't been playing with anyone much better than me and I think my game is suffering because of it. I'm crushing loose/passive tables but if you can't do that you pretty much suck at poker and should quit playing. I'm not sure how I would fair at a more aggressive table. I'm hoping to learn some tricks for that in the coaching chain (of which I am the bottom link) that will hopfully start up soon.

Goals:

1. Get to Foxwoods or another larger game at least 6 times: 1 down, 5 to go.
2. Re-read ToP and Largay's book: Nearly done with Largay's book
3. Read the poker books I got for Christmas: Have not started
4. Continue to avoid anything but low buy in SnG online: Failed
5. Play tighter preflop and more aggressive post-flop: Absolutely failed as the games I have been in have not called for this strategy. I guess this is incomplete for now
6. CB when I miss OOP more often: See above
7. Don't get impatient when card dead and no good stealing oppertunities arise: I have been ok at this. I haven't found myself REALLY card dead for more than an hour or so but I've been patient during the dry runs that I've had.

Current Bankroll: $1,601 ($601 profit)

Online 6-max has been going well. I've stayed patient and in my game. Currently +$200 in 15,500 hands or so. I've stopped playing NL10 and am playing 5 tables of NL25. I'm still too passive in spots but for now I'm trying to keep my variance down as I finish out this Stars bonus. I'm like 76% of the way there. It is going to be close. I figure I need 12 more sessions and I have 17 days in which to do it. Unfortuately I will be away Thursday - Sunday. I need to force myself to play tonight for as long as I can. I find that 450-500 hands is the point an which I start to get a little tired and my focus isn't as sharp.

I haven't had a chance to get down to Foxwoods. I will definiteley go in either July or August.

Yesterday I played in a live tournament at a friends house. These guys are pretty bad. Only 7 people wound up showing and 4 of them were complete loose/passive weaklings. The other two were slightly less bad but still no threat. I rarely lost much when I got outdrawn because they don't bet or raise much and I was able to extract good value when I hit because they call too much. I wound up splitting with the hosts wife once it got heads up. It was a long day and I think she was sick of having everyone in her house. So I decided to win $20 less than I would have if I had won and chop it. I figure it's a good investment for future games.

One key hand happened at the 100/200 level (we started with 3,000 in chips) when the player to my left (second best player at the table) made it 600 to go. One of the LAP's called and it folded to me on the BB with . We were 5 handed at the time and I was chip leader with about 5,800. Getting 3.75:1 on my money and knowing I will be paid off if I hit I call. Flop is [Qd][Td]. I decide to bet here which isn't much better than checking. I just didn't want to let them draw for free. So I bet 1200. The original raiser calls and the fish thinks and shoves. I was sure she had a big hand because that was the first time she had made a big move all day. I was pretty sure the UTG raiser had some kind of draw, I was thinking he had like Ax with a diamond for a gutshot + flush draw. I had been card dead for a while so this was tempting but I made the right play and folded. The raiser had [Jd] for mid pair plus open ended plus 2nd nut flush draw and straight flush draw. Better than I thought. Unfortunately for him the fish had [8d] and he missed his 1 out for the straight flush.

I got shortstacked a little while later and shoved UTG for less than 4BB. I looked at my first card and it was a J which was good enough. I got called by A6 and my kicker was a 4 but I actually won a 60/40 for once! After that, every time I got my money in it was as a favorite. I almost busted when it was 3 handed as I had KK and raised preflop with 1 caller. The flop was 3,4,5 and I shove to complete the stop and go. She called with J4 and turned a J but the river was a 5 giving me a better 2-pair. I think I played pretty well overall and didnt get unlucky.

I need to update goal 4 as I've been playing a lot of 6-max.

1. Get to Foxwoods or another larger game at least 6 times: 1 down, 5 to go.
2. Re-read ToP and Largay's book: Finished Largay's book, halfway through ToP
3. Read the poker books I got for Christmas: 2 down, 1 to go
4. Play enough on Pokerstars to earn $100 bonus, then start staking deal with GLR: 76% of the way there
5. Play tighter preflop and more aggressive post-flop: For the past month or so I have been doing well with this. I'm running at like 20/16.
6. CB when I miss OOP more often: Working well.
7. Don't get impatient when card dead and no good stealing oppertunities arise: I have been sucessful so far. My peroids of bad cards have come but I have just foled through them and waited.

Current bankroll (Live play only): $2,146 ($646 profit).