My Year as a Poker Pro - Week 2

[scapegote]

So much stuff happened this week both poker related and not that it seems like it's been much longer than 7 days since the last time I did an update. Well, technically it has been just under a day, because I have re-started posting in my Blog. I plan on blogging every day happenings, hands, tourney's, bonuses, etc. As well as moving most of the non-poker results material from my posts (video games, movies, etc.) I hope you all check it out, it's still getting up and running and I will be working on getting a blogroll and links up soon.

As for the week, I ended last week off with a 1.34 BB/100 earn rate, which is considerably under the 2.5 I would like to obtain and a bit under 2 which is what I expect. Over the whole course of my PT database I was still running quite well though. I was hoping to kick week 2 off with a blast and go on a nice rush; it was not to be.

Monday, January 10th

I started the day off rushing up about a hundred or so in the first couple of hands, thinking it was going to be a good day. Then it all started to slip, everything I did for the next few hours was just nasty. Bluffs didn't work, I was laying down in the wrong spots, calling down at the wrong time, and hitting bad cards all at the same time. I felt like stopping after a couple hundred hands of this punishment, but kept on playing till 500 hands. I ended up at 503 hands losing $446 for the day.

Interestingly,this came right after I cashed out from Empire.


Tuesday, January 11th


I started working off the $200 Empire bonus (technically 196 for me, cause I took some of the 1k to play in the Tsunami tournament) I flew through some hands. I realized that I had plans all Friday night that were going to make it hard to get hands in on the weekend, so I geared down and got off 1056 hands. I went on a good rush and ended up $824, which made getting the hands in all that easier.

I'm finding it easier and easier to play through a decently long session. I think it's because I don't have to focus so intently on playing to play well. I've developed an auto-pilot for 5/10 now. I still pay attention, but it's easier to play through the hands without feeling mentally taxed.


Wednesday, January 12th

I know I said that I'm moving all the non-poker stuff to my blog, but I would just like to comment on Napolean Dynamite. I got this movie from Netflix today and watched it because I have like 4 or 5 friends that quote from it consistently, you know the type. They all claim it's the "funniest movie ever" Do yourself a favor, if someone tells you to see it because it's the "funniest movie ever" punch them in the face. When they are falling to the ground in extreme cases they may make reference to a part in the movie where Kip and Napoleon are fighting, kick them in the groin. You are doing us all a great service, thank you.

Anyway, on to poker, coming off of yesterday's streak I was a little anxious about starting again because I could feel the losing streak impending. The bonus however was incentive enough to continue playing in an attempt to clear it, and I sat down and started losing. Then I continued to lose, then I lost some more. I was down about $800 when I started to swing back up, I finished the bonus up and started clearing the $100 at party. I kept on winning and got back to the green for the day. I finished off the party bonus and ended up down $27 for the day, after a massive 1,722 Hands.


Thursday, January 13th

Today I didn't get in a ton of hands, and I don't remember exactly why. I think I played the Party Steps tourneys for a while during the day. I got to step 2 pretty easily a coupel times, but lost a race each time to get crippled and knocked out. I might give them another shot for a break sometime next week, but I won't be playing them seriously any time soon. Tournament poker is just too frustrating.

At night I had a bible study where we talked about the tsunami and the effects it's had on different religions, how they view it. It was awesome to finally meet some people that had a deep respect for other religions beliefs. I myself don't believe in re-incarnation, but I respect the beliefs of those that do. My pastor in church this Sunday was making a few jokes about the whole belief and I was disturbed by it. Christians believe in resurection from the dead and a virgin birth, which can easily be called ridiculous. Maybe I'm just oversensitve to it because I have a few friends who are Muslim, and a few who are Buddhist, and they have taught me a good deal about their religions. Anyway, sorry to get into religious discussions, but it's something I feel strongly about.

My day went pretty well, racking up a $377 profit over 341 hands.


Friday & Saturday, January 14th-15th

0 Hands today, I had an all-nighter with my junior high group. It was awesome. 120 kids showed up and we played games, took them roller skating and bowling, then had small group time and watched a movie/played more games. I played more games, the movie: Napoleon Dynamite.

When we went bowling I was entering all the kids names in my small group into the computer, and there was a new kid whose name I had asked twice, but I blanked. So I took a chance with an old standby "Hey, how do you spell your name"

J-O-S-H

He was going to let it go to, but Karl another kid in my group with a great sense of humour chimes in "How else would you spell it." I start putting in my name, and Karl comments "It's B-A-R-R-Y" Why couldn't he have been named Jon/John or something with a variant spelling?

Got done at 10am, came home, slept and woke up at 2 on Saturday to go to my brother's birthday party in Lansing, we all bought him gift certificates to Circuit City so he can get an IPOD. We are sitting at the table with my parents (who know, but are not fully behind me playing poker) and he pulls 20 chips out of his pocket. We start doing chip shuffles and other tricks and talking about his game he plays with his friends. I gave him some advice, so hopefully he'll clean up next time. (He's 17 by the way)

I came back, played some hands, fell asleep. Woke up at 3 am and finished off 582 hands for the day netting another $461.


Sunday, January 16th

Normally I plan for Sunday's to be my slow day, but I really wanted to finish up the 5000 hands for the week, so I plowed through another 800 hands today. I had church, lunch, and an open house for a friend that is moving to florida. I also stopped an got a pair of Dr. Martens and some new tennis shoes today, very comfortable. While I was at the mall I decided I'd see if the bookstore had gotten any new poker books in, they had Harrington on Hold'em, which I picked up. I don't know when I'll get around to reading it, since I don't play many NL tourney's, but I hear it's excellent.

Still waiting for S/S 2 to come out, BN has it's release date as February though.

That's it for this week, totals follow:

Hands Goal: 5,000 Hands
Hands Actual: 5,010 Hands
Total Won: $1,486 + $296 Bonus
BB/100: 2.97
Bankroll Total: $4416 ($1000 withdrawn for school/other stuff)

[ammbo]

Scape, you have an enviable discipline. Keep this up and I will ask you for a loan!

[robrobrob]

You should mention what limit you are playing in these posts so we don't need the math to figure it out ourselves.

Great week scape!

rob

[Primitive]

Great poker and great writing Scrappy.

And please leave the non-poker stuff in there, its what makes your posts outstanding.

[scapegote]

[PocketQueen]

Really interesting read thanks

I like the non poker stuff too and would appreciate more detail too - sites, limits etc

Well done on reaching your goals for the week