I went to the Virginia Tech-Boise State football game last night and the game did not disappoint.  Though for a second there I thought it was going to be a blow out, it ended up being won by Boise State on a last 2 minute drive.  It could have gone either way, and there were plenty of great plays throughout the game.

The only problem with the trip was that we took a bus up to the game and when the game was over we had to wait forever for a couple people who couldn’t find the bus.  We didn’t get home until 3:30 am.  Since I drank plenty of beer and I got zero sleep, heading into work today was rough.

I wasn’t at work but like maybe 30 minutes, when I finally decided to go home playing the sick card.  Though it wasn’t your traditional sickness, I was definitely feeling awful and was very unproductive today.  So I went home and slept it off.

I slept it off only to wake up for the WCOOP PL draw event.  Sigh.  Not much luck there.  I late registered by about 20 minutes and I was chipping up pretty nicely, playing small pots and just taking advantage of some spots.  My stack never grew all too large, though I was well above average in chips nearly the whole time.

In the past WCOOP/SCOOP PL draw events I have played, I always seem to get coolered to get knocked out prematurely.  Well this tournament was no different.  Here I had a 66699 full house lose to a better fullhouse.  I started with 666 and drew 2 to improve where the other player most definitely started with JJ88 to improve to JJJ88.  I know he had 2 pair and not the trips to start because of the way the hand played out.  It was a multiway pot with one shortstack all in.

He led into my draw 2 and he drew 1 where I thought he made a flush or straight.  I reraised, and got reraised once again all in.  With the pot so big, I had to call.  But I still thought I was ahead until shown a better hand.  Sigh.

I really need to learn to play pot control in those tournaments.  I should have just called.  If it was a cash game, I am going broke there, but I can reload.  In a tournament, one big pot lost and you are done.  This is the 3rd out of maybe 4 or so of these tournaments where I got knocked out early with a fullhouse.  Really frustrating.  But I will most definitely be playing the next go ’round.  Hopefully next time I will have learned my lesson.

I expect to play some more later tonight.

After 8 sessions today, mixed anywhere between 5/10 and 15/30 limit 5 card draw, I won a meager $96.50.

But if it were in terms of BB’s…I won 24.22 BB’s tonight.  To put that in perspective, if I won it all playing 15/30, I would have won $726.60.  So I am actually pretty pleased with my night.

I feel like I am playing pretty decent once again.  I am making fewer mistakes.  I had some tough luck tonight at times, but I just kept on plugging along.  Having faith in my game is huge when things don’t go well.  I just didn’t have any confidence last month, and the more I reviewed some of the plays I was making last month; the more I realize that I wasn’t just running bad, but I was also playing poorly.

I know it is hard to believe that I didn’t have confidence last month (August) after such a good July.  But I didn’t really go through all that much adversity in July.  Once variance started knocking on my door in August, I just wasn’t prepared and my game suffered.

Total to 60k: $22,131.65

Tomorrow I am heading up to DC for the Boise State vs. Virginia Tech football game.  It should be a good game.  I don’t REALLY care who wins.  But I will be rooting for Tech.  But I honestly think they will lose since:  1.  they never win when I go see them and 2. they don’t win too often on the national scene.  This is a big game for both programs as all eyes will be on them since they are the biggest match-up for opening weekend college football in terms of high ranking and closeness in rank.  I just want to see a good game, so here’s to a 4 overtime thriller!

Doubt I will be playing tomorrow as I expect to be away from home pretty much all day.  I am hoping to play in the WCOOP PL 5 card draw tournament on Tuesday though.  I just got to figure out a way to get away from work.  I just wish PokerStars will once and for all offer a limit 5 card draw tournament.  I mean why wouldn’t they offer a tournament for all the games and betting limits that they offer at the cash games?  It couldn’t be too hard of a thing for them to do.

And while I am at this whole asking for PokerStars to add stuff.  I also wish they would start offering HU tables in 5 card draw.  Just adding one table per limit would be fine.  If a person sits out, they are booted from the table.  That way, if a person sits he/she has to play or they lose their seat.  Plus, a player can only lay claim to one limit.  This will help not create a monopoly on all the limits.  I mean it gets kinda ridiculous when I see multiple players sit at every available limit waiting for competition.  But they don’t play each other.  I normally just sit at 2 limits at the most.   I would think this would discourage a player that is unfamiliar with a game from playing because this player already knows the players must be good if they won’t play each other.

Let me know if you like this idea or maybe you have another idea, if it gets enough interest maybe I will send a link to PokerStars support.  PokerStars is usually really good at keeping their players happy.

I got back from my friend’s house to play another session of poker.  Though I had a few beers while watching some opening-weekend college football, I was primed to play some more tonight.  I wrote earlier that I won about $350 (actually $332) earlier today.  I won another $353.50 on the night playing only HU draw at 15/30.

Looks like things are starting to look a little better.

Is it that I am not running bad?  Or is it the time working on my game what got me out of the funk that I was in?  I hope it was the latter as I like to think I have more control on whether or not I win or lose.

Either way, I won $685.50 on the day.  This brings my total to 60k to $22,075.15.

I played a little today.  I would have played more but I was on baby duty.  I managed to sneak in a quick session while the little one was taking a nap.

I won about $350.  I’m not including an exact amount because I am at a friends home right now and I thought I would test out my new phone’s ability to update my website away from my computer.

So for now…just watching college football, having a couple beers, and playing cornhole.  Weather is perfect this time of year.  I will try to play again tonight as long as I don’t get too drunk.

Total to 60k: more than last night.

Quick post…

I won like $450 tonight.

Amount to 60k: $21,389.65

I was going to report another average break-even night.

I had 3 sessions of limit 5 card draw.  They came out like this:

10/20:  -$355.50

15/30:  $290.50

15/30:  $174

So the night started off brutal.  I just simply couldn’t win a hand.  It was the same ole stuff that I have been dealing with all of August.  I have really been frustrated.

So I decided to fire up some $100 NL 5 card draw SNGs.  Not much luck there either as I went 2-2 for a loss of $20.

So as I was about to post on here that I only won $89 on the night (about 2 hours ago)……someone sat down to play me HU at the 15/30 table.

It was a HU marathon.  We played for just over an hour and a half.  Guess how I faired?

I ended up winning $2,322.  It felt great too.  These types of sessions have totally escaped me for over a month now.  I am on cloud nine right now.

So what was different?  I was running pretty good…..but was that all?

Earlier today when I was on the road for work, and on my lunch break I walked into a book store.  Of course I went straight back to the “games” section to see if any poker books caught my interest.  I didn’t see anything to buy, but I was skimming one book where one paragraph really hit home with me thanks to the brutal run I have been on.

I don’t remember the specifics, but it was saying something along to the effects that when you are running bad you are also playing bad.  Obviously there are times where you can’t do a thing about your losing ways, but other times your game is lacking in some area that it has caused you to lose at a quicker pace.

I had started to post over the last couple of posts that I didn’t “feel comfortable” at the tables and I knew that I was making some minor mistakes here and there.  So after the first session tonight, the one where I lost -$355.50.  I went back to the drawing board.  Went over my notes on 5 card draw strategy.  Worked on some other things that I have been curious about.  As I was doing this, I kinda had an “oh yeah” moment.

Am I going to say that this is why I won tonight?  No, not necessarily.  I did run good.  But then again I have hear the term that the harder you work, the luckier you get.  Only time will tell if it was just a fluke.

Win on the night: $2,411.50

Amount to 60k: $20,908.15

(somehow back above pace)

Now lets hope I can wake up for work tomorrow.