long time no post

I've gotten busy and distracted lately and just haven't found time to post. Quick updates, I'm still running and playing meh in NL. I think I have some leaks in full ring and I need to table select better at 6max, but I've also been coolered and sucked out on a lot this month. I'm running at least 1.5k below equity, and had KK run into AA at least 5 times between NL200 and NL600 (not to mention the many times I've had QQ run in KK). I've also been experimenting with 12 tabling full ring NL200, but without much success. I think I'm trying to play too LAGGY and not giving the nitty regs enough credit. Even though I'm playing 12 tables I find myself playing a 20/14 style which is fairly LAG for full ring.

But, I still have limit. Of which I think my game is really really solid. I've been finding more and more spots to play looser and more aggressive, and I've found myself playing a consistent 33/25 style all month. I've definitely been running good, but I also feel like I've been really playing well. I do think that I have been a bit of a SD monkey in a few spots when it was very unlikely that my hand was good. But I think if you are going to err on one side or the other you are better off being a SD monkey than folding too much.

I've also been finding some good spots to bluff lately in limit when I likely would have given up on the pot before. Here was a hand that I thought I played well yesterday:


Absolute Poker
Limit Holdem Ring game
Limit: $15/$30
6 players

Pre-flop: (6 players) Hero is BB with jc 7h
3 folds, Button raises, SB folds, Hero calls.

Flop: ah qs 2d (4.67SB, 2 players)
Hero checks, Button checks.

Turn: ad (2.33BB, 2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets, Hero raises, Button folds.

Uncalled bets: 1BB returned to Hero.
Results:
Final pot: 4.33BB

This guy was an aggressive TAG/LAGTAG and we had been going at it on 3 different tables for several hundred hands. He had definitely seen me make some loose and spewy plays, but he also definitely had respect for my raises on big streets. My defense is pretty standard, and I was planning on c/f'ing the flop. But when he checks behind his hand reeks of KJ, KT, or a small pkt pair that didn't want to get c/r'd and wanted to SD. The turn bet is super suspicious because he would never check back with either an A or a Q on the flop, so when he bets the turn I know he either has total air and is bluffing, or he is trying to charge 6 outers with K-high or a small pair and then check behind on the river. I decide that if I c/r him on the turn he can only call me down with Qx or KK, and I really think he would have bet either one of those on the flop.

Plus I can c/r the turn and credibly rep an A. I would have c/r'd the flop with any A, and if he checked back I would probably check the turn again to try and pick off a bluff or c/r the turn with an A. It is also very likely that I would c/r the turn with any Qx since he pretty much never has an A after taking that line. So if I bluff the turn I can very credibly rep a strong hand.

So I make a c/r and he mucks it. He certainly could have been folding a worse hand, but I can't just call down and see him turn over K-high. Also I think he folds 33-88 enough that my bluff definitely has value.

baseball has been going so-so. My workouts are great. I'm getting stronger, leaner, and in all around better shape. But my throwing has been a little dissappointing. My fastball control has been a mixed bag. Sometimes really good and sometimes not so great. My splitter has been dropping like crazy, but I'm struggling at times to throw it for strikes. I probably have 2.5 months at the max before I tryout, and I need to make a lot of progress. I was hoping to tryout sooner, but I think it would be smarter to wait until I feel like I'm at my best.

When I have details about my tryouts I'll definitely post them on here. Also checkout the coaching forum on http://www.chiptalk.net/. We are having a Feb, bankroll challenge for micro players, and the winner gets a free coaching lesson from yours truly or the very skilled jojobinks.

Here's the link: http://www.chiptalk.net/forum/poker-coaching-jojobinks-themightyjim2k/45544-chiptalk-net-february-bankroll-challenge.html#post698811

looking forward to rooting for the Pats this sunday in the super bowl, but more importantly we are only a week away from Duke-UNC round 1. I think UNC is definitely a favorite on their home court. But our speed, depth, and ball-handling gives us a chance against anyone. I'm hoping that if things go well we will be 7-0 in ACC play heading into that game, which should only add to the excitement. Needless to say I'll be acting like a fool and jumping and screaming in my apt while I root on the Devils.

Also I'm thinking about picking up a laptop for poker use while traveling. If anyone has any suggestions about a relatively cheap one that is dependable, sturdy, has decent battery life, and good size screen let me know. My budget ranges from $300-1k, but I'd like to not spend more than $600. I really want to be able to have all of my PT data and stuff available when I travel, plus I think it would be nice to get out of the apartment some afternoons and go play other places.

thats all for now.

see you on the tables.