Slow Going...

I managed to win a $20+2 SNG yesterday for $70 and I played a lot of low limit NL games. The total at the end of the day is $198. That is $18 more than yesterday which tells you how I did in the ring games. I also played two $10+1 SNG's and didn't cash in either.

(Opinion Piece below)

I realize that Fulltilt and Pokerstars and just about any other site that still allows U.S. customers has a bigger clientel and bigger prize pools and a wider selection of games. However, rake free is the only way to go. If the players on these other sites started playing at WPEX the game selection would increase, the prize pools would increase and the games would be better. How can players continue to pay the rake they are at these other sites? I'm as low level at it gets when it comes to playing poker and I'm probably gonna make about $100 per week in rakeback. That is a signifigant boost to the bankroll. I guess the point of this rant is: Why do we continue to pay rake? Any comments?

It occured to me that I didn't post yesterday. It was just as well cause I am down to my last $100. However, I have taken that $100 and run it up to $180 and that is in the face of several bad beats. I also have $56 in rake back coming from Fulltilt and I am amassing a nice hunk of change from the rake free business at WPEX. I don' t know why more people don't use that site. It's hard to get a handle on Rake Free until you play there and realize how much you have paid in Rake. I started playing there on Sunday afternoon and I have already accrued over $45 in rake. That's just in three days! Most of their SNG's are five handed and I've placed in more than a few of them. They also only pay two places.

I'll keep you posted. I'm gonna have to start spending more time working on my dissertation so that may cut into the poker.

Not doing well at all, not at all, in fact, even worse...

I managed to lose all I had on FTP, even redeposited another $300 and lost that too. The losing at FTP has eaten into my profit from Pokerroom. Boy do I miss Pokerroom. So I am now playing on World Poker Exchange. WPX for those of you not familiar with it. It is a rake free site so I'm hoping that will help me a little. I've got to stay within my bankroll and learn to make big laydowns though I gotta tell you WPX seems pretty loose in the first day I played it.

Arkansas lost to LSU and I'm not sure they will have anything left for Flordia.

I had a good time in Vegas. Didn't get to play any poker cause the wife didn't have anything to do and would not have liked not having anything to do while I played Poker. I did win a couple of sports bets.

I also managed to make it on Table Tango. Check it out...

http://table-tango.pokerworks.com/2006/11/24/meeting-readers-of-tango/#more-956

It may be the highlight of my life.

It's almost comical..

the way I play poker these days, some of the calls I make, what am I thinking. JJ will never beak A-K with a K on the flop. A-J will not beat a flush. Even when I have two pair. The FTP bankroll is down to $165. That is a $60 loss from yesterday. Mostly on the basis of the two previously mentioned bad calls. I did finish second in a $10+1 HORSE SNG.

I'll still be plugging along hoping to hit a good streak and not blow it all by making rediculous calls.

Not much is changing...

The FTP bankroll is $226. That is down $11 from yesterday. However, considering I cleared $20 worth of bonus it isn't that good. I played in a $11 HORSE SNG and a $5.50 HORSE SNG and didn't cash in either. I did lose $20 in a .50 NL game but I got some of it back in another game. I'm starting to think I may not be able to beat the games at FTP. I'll continue to play there until I clear the bonus and because I have a pretty good rakeback deal there. The play on FTP is rediculously loose and that isn't my style. I get run over too much.

Odd, how it happened and all...

The current FTP bankroll is at $236, which if you remember that it was $157 yesterday, sounds pretty good. However, I had it to $257 at one point and then made some donkey moves and got relieved of $20 pretty easily. Not surprising if you have been following my escapades lately. I played mostly HORSE yesterday. I finished second in a $5.50 SNG for $12 and finished fourth in a $3.30 HORSE satellite into the FTOPS HORSE event. Only two got a seat. Third got $10. I bubbled. But then again, I didn't really have any business playing in it anyway. There were 40 people playing and I was excited to make it to the final table.

Up or down?

If you recall, I was at $140 when we last visited. Well, today, I am at $157. I can hear the collective relief of the readers as they say "alright, a little bit of improvement." And normally, I would agree with you. However, I am at $157 after $36 in rakeback was deposited, after finishing second in a $11 HORSE SNG, after finishing third in a $5.50 HORSE SNG and after losing a large amount at $1 NL. So I'm not sure I can really call it improvement lest I be deceiving myself. I've played pretty well in HORSE SNG's and I probably need to play more of them. I don't know if I have an edge there or not, but I enjoy them and I'm doing well so maybe I'll play more. I've got to stay away from making rediculous calls in NL.

It wasn't good...

But at least I'm not broke. The FTP bankroll is at $141. That puts me at $485 in the hole on FTP. God I miss Pokerroom. I pretty much got rich playing there. I'm not sure if I'm playing worse on FTP or if the competition is better or what. I have learned that while I could easily beat the $1 NL game on Pokerroom, I haven't been able to do that on FTP. So I've stayed mostly with the .50 NL game. I've also done pretty well playing HORSE on FTP at the $5.50 and $11 SNG levels. I shall try to keep on learning and keep on playing.

I will be in Vegas Nov. 19-24. I hope to play a little live poker and maybe even some Blackjack or craps.

Arkansas throttled Tennessee on Saturday. I've been waiting a long time for Arkansas to have a team this good. I just hope we can take care of Mississippi State and LSU. Beating Florida in the SEC Championship game would just be a bonus to me.

not doing well at all...

I've been playing badly and making bad calls. Both of which will get you in trouble quickly. Also, playing over your bankroll will get you in trouble quickly. I've got 2 be more disciplined in my approach to poker. I am currently at negative $475 on FTP.

Ok, I guess...

The FTP Bankroll is now at $277. It was an up and down day yesterday. I lost a huge $88 all in bet when my A-Q with an A on the flop ran up against a set of 5's. But I slowly ground it back up until I made a profit for the day. I finished second in a $5 HORSE SNG. I got lucky on a couple of draws and hit a set of 9's in a pretty big pot to get it back. I am currently down $198 on FTP.

Busto...

and then a redeposit. I managed to lose my last $98 of my origional deposit on FTP last night when my QQ couldn't beat a flush. Imagine that! Well, after a $225 deposit, I managed to run that up to $274. So I am officially down $226 on FTP. I hope to be able to get the money back. I have been profitable on every site I've played and I don't want FTP to be any different. I still have $130 of bonus to clear on FTP.

My bride's mom has purchased tickets to see the San Antonio Spurs play the Milwaukee Bucks on the day after christmas.

Three hands...

It was a terrible day of poker and it was mostly due to three hands. The first one is my KK getting beaten by a set of 3's. I had raised to $7 preflop in a $1 NL game and got called by a pair of 3's. A three on the flop won the all in bet. The next hand that hurt was my JJ all in preflop against a pair of 10's. A 10 on the flop. The last hand that did me in was QQ all in preflop vs A-J with an A on the flop. GG me. The FTP BR is at $98. That is a drop of $117 since yesterday.

I will grind on. My Vegas trip is 10 days away and the Arkansas-Tennessee game is this Saturday with College Game Day in Fayetteville.

Not too good of a weekend...

I didn't do well this weekend at all. I played horribly and made some really bad calls and got my AA cracked once. Most of the losing took place on Saturday morning when I was playing above my BR. On five seperate hands, I was in good shape pre flop or on the flop only to be up against AA. Five times I tell you. I think four of the five times I lost my whole stack. The play on six handed tables is really loose and putting people on AA isn't easy. Still, I made some bad calls. I was down to $141 at one point after starting Saturday morning with $373. The FTP BR is now at $212 even after some stupid calls like calling an allin with AK. I'll just keep on grinding and hopefully learning along the way.

ESPN Gameday is coming to Fayetteville this weekend. It's their first ever visit to the Land of Opportunity. Tennessee is a very tough opponent, but if Arkansas can win this one, they will be tough to handle the rest of the way.

Still loving the positive side of variance...

The upward trend continues as I pushed the FTP bankroll to $340. I had some pretty good success yesterday as I finished 2nd in a 18-man SNG for $54. I also finished third in a $5.50 HORSE SNG. I also cleared another $20 of bonus that helped pad the total. Either way, going up is better than going down.

I'm hoping to get to play quite a bit tonight as the wife is going out with one of her friends to see the movie Marie Antoinette. I have no desire to see it and I"m sure she has no desire to try and force me to see it.

The positive side of variance...

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday when we spoke, the FTP bankroll was at $115. Today, as I write, it's at $257. I hit a couple of draws, had a couple of big hands hold up and won a $5.50 HORSE SNG. No complaints here. I increased the bankroll without clearing any of the bonus or collecting any of the rakeback. I need to continue to be patient, play within my BR and push my good hands.

I'll be playing plenty tonight and tomorrow night. Not sure about Sat. night cause the Razorbacks play a big game against South Carolina on ESPN. GO HOGS!

still going...

I didn't get to play too much last night as we went with friends to see SAW III. It was pretty gory and not near as pyschologically thrilling as the first two. I played a little after I got home and managed to make $17. However, I managed to give it all back this morning. I have $8 left to clear another $20 in the FTP bonus. The FTP BR is at $115.

More later or tomorrow...