Road to MTT domination...

[VBlue]

Just catching up with this diary.

Motivational videos on youtube include:

Rocky I of course
Al Pacino's 'Inches' speech from Any Given Sunday
closing scene of Karate Kid 'You're the Best Around'
Alec Baldwin's speech in 'Glengarry Glen Ross'

I intend to build a bigger list than this overtime.

Nothing silly about this approach at all - Jared Tendler suggests a pre-game routine to include reviewing session notes/training notes, setting session goals, and getting motivated.

[youthnkzR]

Ahhhh cheers VBlue will definitely be giving them a watch!

Apologies Alex, didn't notice the comment - the main video i watch (every time) is

Pretty good imo. Also really need to get Jared's book 'The mental game of poker', few friends have read it now and said its been very beneficial.

[strak33]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NQREuc7JX8

[youthnkzR]

Bleghh... (Didn't know how to start this entry therefore this seems suitable)

The opening word also pretty much sums up my online poker experiences over the last few days / weeks, it's been going pretty damn awful. I've still been putting less volume in then planned - however the sessions I've actually played have been long, focused ones which I'm pretty happy with, and although as you can probably tell I've been losing the $ - my long absence followed by lower amounts of volume has actually seemed to make me play better. I don't seem to be spewing half as much and a lot more thought seems to go in to making my decisions - whereas before my break - i was basically robotic. We've had some really good sweats and really near misses this last month, pity none of them managed to materialize into something, however hopefully it'll come soon!

I've been playing a fair bit of live cash since my last couple of updates, some of which I've mentioned previously, but not all. Since the beginning of January i've played 15 sessions in total - the majority being £1/£2 in Sheffield however sometimes there's no game so a couple have been £1/£1. The games are really quite soft to be honest and has a good few 'regular' donators, however in Sheffield there's not actually that many good players (not who play live cash at least) therefore it's not that hard to win. My session results so far:
#1 +£700                 #9   +£350
#2 +£210                 #10 -£150
#3 -£400                  #11 -£330
#4 +£150                 #12 +£500
#5 -£300                  #13 -£400
#6 +£300                 #14 +£55
#7 +£650                 #15 +£150
#8 +£820                 
-------------------------------------------------------
Total = +£2305

Now I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the greatest live cash player in the world - wouldn't be too confident playing in a standard 'reggy' £1/£2 game at DTD (however I've improved tenfold since last time i played any game there + last time i had what was possibly the worst mental state ever when playing poker - being 'intimidated' by players at the table whilst on the worst downswing of my life so who knows) - but would also say that if i became a proper 'reg' playing live cash in Sheffield then i would possibly be one of the biggest long term winners (yes the games are pretty soft).

Away from poker, there has been quite a few fun things going off in my life recently - however I'll have to get to that later as I've promised to take the girlfriend out for the day seeing as it's our One year 'anniversary'.... More to follow....

[youthnkzR]

Going to play day 1 of the DTD deepstack today which will kick off the package I sold on these forums (deepstack along with the Monte Carlo and GUKPT didsbury).. Will be giving updates throughout the night on the package thread which can be found at:

http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=60660.msg1749227#new

Will write a summary of each event on this diary as well, hopefully just after I win the things!

[youthnkzR]

Well the Deepstack didn't go to plan. Think i finished 31 of 123 who started Day 1B, busting minutes before the last level of the day - not very fun - especially not to make Day 2 after being there close to 10 hours. I've not got a problem with how i played - on the contrary, i actually think i played well, just got unlucky in spots and went fairly card dead (although i did make two mistakes - one of which cost me chips i could ill afford to lose, when double barreling someone i perceived to be a station... turns out he was however i did think he would fold this time).

Anyway moving on. Today i played my first online session in what seemed like forever - although it's only been something like 10 days. I've had a fair few ups and downs and a few brutal finishes; 9th $11r action hour - $2k+ ftw / 10th $54TKO - $5.8k ftw / 18th $44Turbo - $4.4k ftw - to name but a few however bust out spots were pretty standard / unavoidable so not too disappointed - and again, am happy with how I've been playing.

Just finishing my session now (1 tabling the Big $109 which I'm really short in; 166/186 - 180 paid) so if anybody is ridiculously bored - your more then welcome to jump on the rail, watch me probably fold my way into the $ and more then likely bust moments after (although i may get lucky, ya never know!). Other than finishing my session - the plan in the near future is to put in as much volume as possible as my backers have been on to me (understandably so) - noticing my volume has been low as of late - and although i have been slightly busy, i must admit this is also down to laziness, which i plan to fix - these people have had enough faith in me to provide me with a stake in order to make a living playing this game, so i feel its only fair to them to get my arse into gear and play...

[youthnkzR]

Moment of truth in the Big $109... we are ITM and have  and are shortly to be all in....

[youthnkzR]

Other guy has  , board runs out bricks for us and we finish 169th for $185... Gg.

[pleno1]

Gg buddy. What is your live strat? Loosely gooey or nitting it up?

[youthnkzR]

Totally depends on table tbh (and what i get dealt ha). Played pretty few hands at the Deepstack just gone but that was more down to being totally card dead rather than the table itself. Don't necessarily like to get into those leveling / dickswinging contests but if needs must More patient then i used to be though..

[BorntoBubble]

If i could find the update where you 6 bet Q5 or something similar in the nottingham leg of black belt live it will explain a lot

[youthnkzR]

PokerStars Hand #96976722952: Tournament #714719976, $10+$1 USD Hold'em No Limit - Level XXXVI (17500/35000) - 2013/04/10 23:59:30 WET [2013/04/10 18:59:30 ET]
Table '714719976 50' 9-max Seat #3 is the button
Seat 1: Sebbecenter9 (1296499 in chips)
Seat 3: GaggleoKings (1988122 in chips)
Seat 6: 4chrisdim (741379 in chips)
Sebbecenter9: posts the ante 4375
GaggleoKings: posts the ante 4375
4chrisdim: posts the ante 4375
4chrisdim: posts small blind 17500
Sebbecenter9: posts big blind 35000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to GaggleoKings [ ]
GaggleoKings: raises 35000 to 70000
4chrisdim: folds
Sebbecenter9: raises 107755 to 177755
GaggleoKings: raises 157800 to 335555
Sebbecenter9: raises 956569 to 1292124 and is all-in
GaggleoKings: calls 956569
*** FLOP *** [ ]
*** TURN *** [ ] []
*** RIVER *** [ ] []
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Sebbecenter9: shows [Ah ] (a pair of Deuces)
GaggleoKings: shows [ ] (high card Ace)
Sebbecenter9 collected 2614873 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2614873 | Rake 0
Board [ ]
Seat 1: Sebbecenter9 (big blind) showed [Ah ] and won (2614873) with a pair of Deuces
Seat 3: GaggleoKings (button) showed [ ] and lost with high card Ace
Seat 6: 4chrisdim (small blind) folded before Flop

followed by:

PokerStars Hand #96976789724: Tournament #714719976, $10+$1 USD Hold'em No Limit - Level XXXVI (17500/35000) - 2013/04/11 0:01:23 WET [2013/04/10 19:01:23 ET]
Table '714719976 50' 9-max Seat #6 is the button
Seat 1: Sebbecenter9 (2684873 in chips)
Seat 3: GaggleoKings (503498 in chips)
Seat 6: 4chrisdim (837629 in chips)
Sebbecenter9: posts the ante 4375
GaggleoKings: posts the ante 4375
4chrisdim: posts the ante 4375
Sebbecenter9: posts small blind 17500
GaggleoKings: posts big blind 35000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to GaggleoKings [As ]
4chrisdim: folds
Sebbecenter9: raises 2645498 to 2680498 and is all-in
GaggleoKings: calls 464123 and is all-in
Uncalled bet (2181375) returned to Sebbecenter9
*** FLOP *** [ ]
*** TURN *** [ ] []
*** RIVER *** [ ] []
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Sebbecenter9: shows [ ] (a pair of Queens)
GaggleoKings: shows [As ] (high card Ace)
Sebbecenter9 collected 1011371 from pot
GaggleoKings finished the tournament in 3rd place and received $1368.84.
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 1011371 | Rake 0
Board [ ]
Seat 1: Sebbecenter9 (small blind) showed [ ] and won (1011371) with a pair of Queens
Seat 3: GaggleoKings (big blind) showed [As ] and lost with high card Ace
Seat 6: 4chrisdim (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)

Fucking marv...

Payouts $2.6k / $1.8k / $1.3k..

[youthnkzR]

GUKPT Didsbury day 1B today, just waiting for a mate then gonna set off (around a 1 hour 30 min drive) so should make it with plenty of time to spare. We're probably gonna be playing rock, paper, scissors to see which of us lucky lads gets the honours of driving there and back (bowling for it was offered but snap declined by my opponent). I've got a pretty solid game plan in order for the battle ahead, so it shouldn't be a problem (it's probably massively +EV if I win, as driving towards Manchester tilts me so much - I absolutely hate the drive from where I live).

[youthnkzR]

Again, will be updating through staking thread:

http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=60660.msg1754278#new

[youthnkzR]

Made dDay 2 of GUKPT Didsbury with 25.3k. Report below:

Late regged about 10 minutes into level 1 and had what was seemingly a very good starting table (with the exception of Ben Jenkins). First hand I play I'm UTG and find   @ 25/50. I make it 150. Button flats (woman aged 30-40, very loose passive but I was yet to know this) and blinds both come along (SB is young ~21 wearing Grosvenor Patches and BB is a Didsbury local aged ~45). Flop   . SB check, BB bets 200, we raise to 550, Button flats, SB makes it 1000 (Lol?), BB folds, we sigh peel to try make our 2 outer (it feels like), Button peels. Turn   - SB now checks (from his flop raise he's already got the bad player tag in my mind), I check (possibly a mistake, i should be bet/folding), Button bets 2500, SB flats I fold. River   - SB checks, Button bets 2500 and SB tank calls. Button flips   (So I've literally got no idea what SB made the ridiculous raise on the flop with obv some wired K /   xh).

Played a few pots since then - mainly taken down pre but did fire a couple with a flush draw vs the woman and got a fold out f her on the turn. Next hand of interest was with Ben Jenkins. We have 22k to start the hand and he has ~13k (it's the first hand back after the dinner break so going into level 5 - 100/200/50). We are CO and make it 450 with   . He peels SB rest fold.   flop he checks we bet 425 he calls. Turn  Ahr and we ponder for 30 secs before betting 725. He C/Raises to 2300 and we tank for 6 minutes and make it 4050 (pretty sure he sees me as competant even though we have 0 history previous to this tournament just by the way I've been playing - my plan was to get him to spaz in all his 89 s / flop floats e.g.   ...etc. he thinks for 30 seconds, was so close to putting all his chips over the line - went back into the tank and then folded... Sigh).

We then become table captain a bit and build our stack to around 30k and change. Then play a and vs Julian Thew which I would like to post in PHA before posting results here if nobody minds. To send me back down to 20k. Grind back up to 28k then get dealt   open to 450 still @ 100/200/25. Fishy Manchester reg to my immediate left (who lost a massive chunk last hand) goes all in for just short of 8k we call. He flips   and the board runs out   .. Lovely 80 bb pot lost there with ~80% equity. Break is basically next hand so we go regroup. Come back with our 20k and peel   a couple of times in position and whiff so down to about 15k @ 200/400/50 when our table gets broken.

Go find my new seat on table one to find that it's literally the table of death. To my immediate left is Scott Margereson ( Aggro Santos on stars), two to my left is a guy called Andreas (best £5/£10 reg in Manchester as far as I'm aware) and Luke Reeves ( Bit2easy on stars) is also on here for good measure as well as another competent couple of lads.I had 0 hands. It got folded to me ONE time in 7 orbits. Where I opened CO with   and got it through. Was then blinded and ante'd down to 9.6k @ 400/800/100 when I finally got my spot. Luke Reeves opened to 1600 UTG. Guy called Robert Boon 3 bets to 3600 from MP. I find   in the HJ and go all in for 9.6k. Folds to 3bettor who tanks for like 3 minutes before calling (I was being nit rolled with   - and even got the speech 'I'll give you a spin' - he must have thought my range was literally   + lol). We both flopped a   and he even turned a flush draw but we faded river to more then double up to 21k. Managed to chip up slightly more to end the day on 25.3k going into the 500/1000/100 level on the restart today.

Quite happy with myself about yesterday. Never before have I been so disciplined and folded continuously for 3 hours. Didn't 'panic' when I dropped below starting stack or when I had like 1/5th average. Just waited for the spot which was inevitably going to come up on this table. Now have another 1 hour 30 minute journey to return with 25 bigs. Hope we flip well and hold.

Confirmation:

Returning for day 2 today with 25,300 chips going into the 500/1000/100 level. Glancing at chip stacks I expect average to be around 50k with 62 of 155 returning for day 2 - 15 of those being paid. £22,570 up top with 15th receiving £1150. Gl to us.