My WSOP experience didn't start too well, we arrived at Vegas at 2AM, and I couldn't sleep until about 5AM, I had a cough attack all night and could barely sleep; still I managed to go to the 11AM (a little late, 11:20); with my fellow 2+2ers, about 15 of them were there. The tournament started on time, but I didn't feel well, this viral infection didn't allow me to concentrate at all, so I tried to play just basic poker. We started at 25-25 level with a 1500 starting chips stack. The place was a zoo, we were playing 11 at each table and there were like 500 alternates waiting for their chance to play; I don't know how wise is that, since 1500 chips is just too few, and some of them would start beyond the second level, but hey, this is the WSOP, everybody wants to be part of it. I could barely see my cards and think straight, in fact I lose like 20 minutes of the 1st level going to the bathroom. Despite being dog sick, I couldn't help to notice that I drew a very good table, with this hand. Seat 11 (seat 11, how sick is that !!) raised to 100 in EP, seat 3 called in MP, seat 5 reraised to 300 (remember, 1500 stack) in LP, both players called. Flop came Ac8c3c, EP checked, MP checked and LP went all in, EP folded and MP called. The hands, As9h for LP, KcTc for MP; I knew I was in the right place, if only I feel a little better. Still, I was praying to have a quick double up or to be out fast and go to rest to my hotel room, I was playing basic poker, just waiting, and luckily for me the table have some players who would pay you off with as much as top pair no kicker. Well, my prayers were listened, I just played 2 hands and I was out. The first one, same donk in seat 3 (the one who called a raise and a reraise with KcTc for like 20% of his stack), called in MP, I was in LP with KK, so I raised to 125, blinds still 25-25, BB called and MP called, flop was 652 with 2 hearts, checked to me and I decided to bet 200, BB folded and MP called, I'm pretty sure he was calling me all the way with one pair, but of course he may have a flush draw or a straight draw, an Ac in the turn. He checked to me, and I thought checking there was best, 5 in the river, a card that didn't change things much, he bet just 200 into the 800 pot and I called, he showed Ad6d for 2 pairs. Nothing much I could do in that hand. I was left with about 800, now in the second level with blinds 25-50, I was in the button with AK and 725 left, EP raised to 250; 5x was his usual raise. folded to me and I didn't have any other option but to push, he called with AA and that was it. I got up so one of the alternates could take my seat. To be honest I was relieved to be out fast, if destiny hadn't a FT for me in that event, the best 2nd option given my conditions, was to be out fast. Still, I think it didn't matter I was sick at all, since I can't see myself playing both hands any different at all.
I'm already registered for Wednesday event, but lets see if I can sleep better tonight. Hopefully I'll be better by the morning.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Monday, June 26, 2006
Driving to Vegas
At this very moment, I'm in the I-10 (AZ Exit 318), driving toward Vegas !!!. Incredible I can be connected to the internet here with my verizon card. I have not played any poker at all in June, but I'm confident the WSOP will wake up my poker self. I'll be playing tomorrow Tuesday, Event #2 $1500 No Limit Holdem, in case you're in Vegas, I'll be at 11AM at the Starbucks inside the Rio Hotel and Casino, the one next to the restaurant Sao Paolo, just in case you want to say hi. Let's see how this experiment of not playing poker at all before the WSOP works. The WSOP is always super-exciting, to be honest, I'm excited to play; I have been really sick the last days, but hopefully tomorrow I'll be ok. See you over there !!!. I'll make some updates about the events here in the blog.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Still not playing, just fell out of love
Remember that relationship when you once thought she was the one and couldn't imagine yourself without her, but time passed and suddenly you just fell out of love and move on ?. That's exactly how I feel these days about poker, I'm still not playing, I think I have played like a grand total of 6 tournaments or so this month. I just don't have the motivation, the desire, the drive, these days, I just don't love poker. In the 2+2 forums (a poker forum) I prefer to post about politics or about soccer, no poker related posts at all. As today I could care less about poker, my days are watching World Cup soccer games, go to swim, talk with friends, talk with my wife, play with the kids, worry about the kids, surf the Internet, but no poker. Let's see if things change soon, since in about a week, I'll be playing in my first WSOP event. I'm already registered to play in 3 WSOP events the first week of the WSOP through Poker Stars, I really hope once in Vegas, feeling the vibe of the WSOP, love will come back. If there's something that can make me fall again in love with poker it's the WSOP. Let's hope it works its magic on me.
Monday, June 12, 2006
Somebody explain these numbers to me
I have played almost no tournament in the last 10 days, today I decided to break my "vacation" and play the usual 3, 9PM EST, the Stars $150+12, the Paradise $30 and the Party Super Monday.
In the Stars I was out early after a blinds war, I decided to limp in the SB with K6c, BB raised and I went all in, he thought for a while and make a good call with AT, I lost the 39%, no biggie, I think the play was ok. In the Paradise I made it deep as usual and in yet another blind war, I had QQ in the BB and lost to the SB A8, that was ok too, we both play the hand well and shit happens, and shit happens a lot to me. In the Party Super Monday, I think I was playing real good, the money was at 120 players, between 400 and the money I had no cards at all, but still managed to have a good stack, once in the money, I lost a fucking 90% against the big stack in my table and was out 109th; and won a whopping $157.05 for a -$5 profit.
I have had so many cashes like this, it's real insane. Look at my position in the Internet player of the year race. The IPOTY I think it's the most objective system to rank Internet tournament players, they take in account just the results of all the biggest tournaments in the net, the system is really elegant, easy to understand, accurate, and most important, it does not depend of anybodies opinion and it's not a popularity contest, just the numbers speak there, you don't need to promote yourself, you just need to play and have results. As today, I'm 23rd there. 23rd !!!!!! of all the fing Internet tournament world (even I'm pretty sure I play a lot less than most of the guys of the list), wow, usually this achievement would be notable in any field you work, but as a poker player, the incredible part it's that I'm a losing player for the year, as today I'm in the red, losing more than 10k in the year (just internet tournaments). How the hell is that possible?. The answer of course; I'm not closing, if you take a look at all my cashes, I have almost no Final Tables and I don't have any top 3 in these tourneys. One of the things it made 2005 and 2004 pretty good years for me, was my ability to close. Once I made the $, I had a pretty good % of making the FT, and once I made the final table, I had a pretty high % of top 3 finishes. What happened? Did I lose my edge? Do I suddenly suck to close? Did my game change? Probably so, but every time I study my tournaments from last year, I don't see any big differences in my play, and if there are some, I think it's for the best, this is, I think I have improved in some areas. But I don't know, probably I need to look deeper and find something in my play that has changed and made me a very poor closer these days. Probably there's something, but I think most have to do with this:
#Game No : 4504095229
***** Hand History for Game 4504095229 *****
NL Texas Hold'em Trny:24772994 Level:11 Blinds-Antes(1000/2000-75) - Tuesday, June 13, 00:53:42 ET 2006
Table Super Monday(727209) Table #10 (Real Money)
Seat 7 is the button
Total number of players : 9
Seat 7: superbetter ( $31265 )
Seat 9: sirio11 ( $64545 )
Seat 10: Slaan_PS ( $142765 )
Seat 8: rob42359 ( $28562 )
Seat 6: rplrpl ( $93672 )
Seat 5: BPWJR ( $75213 )
Seat 2: hambotwo ( $16011 )
Seat 4: Kizzzer ( $67545 )
Seat 1: Cat_637E ( $81751 )
Trny:24772994 Level:11
Blinds-Antes(1000/2000-75)
Cat_637E posts ante [75].
hambotwo posts ante [75].
Kizzzer posts ante [75].
BPWJR posts ante [75].
rplrpl posts ante [75].
superbetter posts ante [75].
rob42359 posts ante [75].
sirio11 posts ante [75].
Slaan_PS posts ante [75].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to sirio11 [ Jd Qd ]
Slaan_PS raises [6000].
Cat_637E folds.
hambotwo folds.
Kizzzer folds.
BPWJR calls [6000].
rplrpl folds.
superbetter folds.
rob42359 folds.
sirio11 calls [4000].
** Dealing Flop ** [ 3c, 9s, Jc ]
sirio11 checks.
Slaan_PS bets [13000].
BPWJR folds.
sirio11 is all-In [58470]
horrilibis has joined the table.
Player horrilibis has been moved from table 12 to this table
Slaan_PS calls [45470].
** Dealing Turn ** [ 8h ]
** Dealing River ** [ 7s ]
Slaan_PS shows [ Tc, Ts ] a straight, seven to jack.
sirio11 shows [ Jd, Qd ] a pair of jacks.
Slaan_PS wins 136615 chips from the main pot with a straight, seven to jack.
Player sirio11 finished in 109 place and received $157.05
I'm pretty sure I'm in the far left side of the variance, of course I have made my share of mistakes, but no greater than the ones I made in 2004,2005. I even think I'm a better player, but what do I know.
The truth is, a "top 25 player in the IPOTY race" is a losing player in 2006. Variance is just insane in tournaments. I share my numbers with you, so you have an idea how difficult could be to depend just on tournaments, even if you are a "good" Internet tournament player. This is really tough, and if you're not prepared, you will be broke, crazy or both. I'm not broke, I was prepared for this, but some days I'm in the verge of insanity, really.
In the Stars I was out early after a blinds war, I decided to limp in the SB with K6c, BB raised and I went all in, he thought for a while and make a good call with AT, I lost the 39%, no biggie, I think the play was ok. In the Paradise I made it deep as usual and in yet another blind war, I had QQ in the BB and lost to the SB A8, that was ok too, we both play the hand well and shit happens, and shit happens a lot to me. In the Party Super Monday, I think I was playing real good, the money was at 120 players, between 400 and the money I had no cards at all, but still managed to have a good stack, once in the money, I lost a fucking 90% against the big stack in my table and was out 109th; and won a whopping $157.05 for a -$5 profit.
I have had so many cashes like this, it's real insane. Look at my position in the Internet player of the year race. The IPOTY I think it's the most objective system to rank Internet tournament players, they take in account just the results of all the biggest tournaments in the net, the system is really elegant, easy to understand, accurate, and most important, it does not depend of anybodies opinion and it's not a popularity contest, just the numbers speak there, you don't need to promote yourself, you just need to play and have results. As today, I'm 23rd there. 23rd !!!!!! of all the fing Internet tournament world (even I'm pretty sure I play a lot less than most of the guys of the list), wow, usually this achievement would be notable in any field you work, but as a poker player, the incredible part it's that I'm a losing player for the year, as today I'm in the red, losing more than 10k in the year (just internet tournaments). How the hell is that possible?. The answer of course; I'm not closing, if you take a look at all my cashes, I have almost no Final Tables and I don't have any top 3 in these tourneys. One of the things it made 2005 and 2004 pretty good years for me, was my ability to close. Once I made the $, I had a pretty good % of making the FT, and once I made the final table, I had a pretty high % of top 3 finishes. What happened? Did I lose my edge? Do I suddenly suck to close? Did my game change? Probably so, but every time I study my tournaments from last year, I don't see any big differences in my play, and if there are some, I think it's for the best, this is, I think I have improved in some areas. But I don't know, probably I need to look deeper and find something in my play that has changed and made me a very poor closer these days. Probably there's something, but I think most have to do with this:
#Game No : 4504095229
***** Hand History for Game 4504095229 *****
NL Texas Hold'em Trny:24772994 Level:11 Blinds-Antes(1000/2000-75) - Tuesday, June 13, 00:53:42 ET 2006
Table Super Monday(727209) Table #10 (Real Money)
Seat 7 is the button
Total number of players : 9
Seat 7: superbetter ( $31265 )
Seat 9: sirio11 ( $64545 )
Seat 10: Slaan_PS ( $142765 )
Seat 8: rob42359 ( $28562 )
Seat 6: rplrpl ( $93672 )
Seat 5: BPWJR ( $75213 )
Seat 2: hambotwo ( $16011 )
Seat 4: Kizzzer ( $67545 )
Seat 1: Cat_637E ( $81751 )
Trny:24772994 Level:11
Blinds-Antes(1000/2000-75)
Cat_637E posts ante [75].
hambotwo posts ante [75].
Kizzzer posts ante [75].
BPWJR posts ante [75].
rplrpl posts ante [75].
superbetter posts ante [75].
rob42359 posts ante [75].
sirio11 posts ante [75].
Slaan_PS posts ante [75].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to sirio11 [ Jd Qd ]
Slaan_PS raises [6000].
Cat_637E folds.
hambotwo folds.
Kizzzer folds.
BPWJR calls [6000].
rplrpl folds.
superbetter folds.
rob42359 folds.
sirio11 calls [4000].
** Dealing Flop ** [ 3c, 9s, Jc ]
sirio11 checks.
Slaan_PS bets [13000].
BPWJR folds.
sirio11 is all-In [58470]
horrilibis has joined the table.
Player horrilibis has been moved from table 12 to this table
Slaan_PS calls [45470].
** Dealing Turn ** [ 8h ]
** Dealing River ** [ 7s ]
Slaan_PS shows [ Tc, Ts ] a straight, seven to jack.
sirio11 shows [ Jd, Qd ] a pair of jacks.
Slaan_PS wins 136615 chips from the main pot with a straight, seven to jack.
Player sirio11 finished in 109 place and received $157.05
I'm pretty sure I'm in the far left side of the variance, of course I have made my share of mistakes, but no greater than the ones I made in 2004,2005. I even think I'm a better player, but what do I know.
The truth is, a "top 25 player in the IPOTY race" is a losing player in 2006. Variance is just insane in tournaments. I share my numbers with you, so you have an idea how difficult could be to depend just on tournaments, even if you are a "good" Internet tournament player. This is really tough, and if you're not prepared, you will be broke, crazy or both. I'm not broke, I was prepared for this, but some days I'm in the verge of insanity, really.
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Nadando
Estos dias no he jugado nada de poker, necesito cambiar de aires y mentalidad, la verdad no he estado disfrutando mucho jugar y pues si no estas dispuesto a jugar lo mejor posible, es mejor no hacerlo. En estas dias he empezado a ir a nadar a la alberca todos los dias, espero seguirlo haciendo todos los dias, al menos hasta que viaje a Vegas para la serie mundial. Mi forma fisica no es muy buena y creo que mejorar tu condicion fisica aparte de mejorar tu salud, definitivamente te ayuda a jugar mejor. Los dias en la serie mundial son tremendamente desgastantes y necesitas estar al 100% fisica y mentalmente. Nadar es muy relajante y lo estoy disfrutando mucho, el no jugar tambien me ha puesto de mejor modo y espero que todo esto me ayude a llegar en buena forma para la WSOP, yo creo me reintegrare a jugar en Internet los torneos del proximo domingo, despues de una "semana" de vacaciones.
Sunday, June 04, 2006
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