An Ape and a notebook, how long will it take?

[jgcblack]

brag post?

Own diary, brag posts definitely going to be commonplace.

this is compulsive reading, i was expecting a car-crash but tbf to you you're doing pretty good.

keep it up

Not sure if I should be offended or not.. but thanks and feel free to unload those essay like responses you really want to write - when you have time away from crushing the world of online or live PLO.

I must admit Lil'D that your blog has given me a sweet insight into the life of a 'pro' and its sickly at times.  Just reading about some of the pots you've played, both won and lost.. I've even checked the odd's on some of them as I'm basic PLO literate but not particularly talented with hand ranges/ strengths yet.. and some of them made me puke in my own mouth a little.
Big props to you sir - #takingitlikeonlyadegencan


As far as everything else goes... I'm going to be trying to get hold of Pleno tonight if he's about and i'll probably be playing the DTD150 sat again to try for a 3rd seat of 3 attempts.  With these and the DTD500 'week' at the end of each month, I'm really hoping to build up a sizable roll online while I grind on stars to instill the discipline i need for both my own good and for anyone else to ever have the faith to back me long term.

I know I am good enough, clever enough and work hard enough to be a decent winner in NLHE cash games, but that a few key tweaks here and there are what I need before I start climbing the 'serious' ladder needed for improvement up and through 100NL and beyond.
I will beat 6max cash games, and I will beat NLHE hu.


And live poker is easy, I am beating it! (<£1k events and game selection up to £1KNL)

[jgcblack]

this is compulsive reading, i was expecting a car-crash but tbf to you you're doing pretty good.

keep it up

this! go john!

Thanks dude, really appreciate it.

I'd like to be rolled to use my copious amounts of annual leave to travel a little and get to some of the 'closer' events and tours... in similar fashion to the Eureka team.
Got a few friends that are working the UK tour, and with travel expense sharing and satellites..

[X] In for pennies to bink 5 or 6 figs. 

[jgcblack]

A very interesting and potentially very important thing in my poker life happened just now... can't say much just yet.  But watch this space!

[cambridgealex]

A very interesting and potentially very important thing in my poker life happened just now... can't say much just yet.  But watch this space!

In b4 u reveal pleno is staking you?!

[SuuPRlim]

I must admit Lil'D that your blog has given me a sweet insight into the life of a 'pro' and its sickly at times.  Just reading about some of the pots you've played, both won and lost.. I've even checked the odd's on some of them as I'm basic PLO literate but not particularly talented with hand ranges/ strengths yet.. and some of them made me puke in my own mouth a little.
Big props to you sir - #takingitlikeonlyadegencan

It's a strange thing that happens and it clicks in your head one day, you realise that nothing can happen in poker that ever really matters, you kind of reach a point where you've played so much that the results aren't that important to you, you don't feel the need to make master plays every hand and need to win the hand in order to validate it, basically it's just when poker starts to mean a little less to you than it did at the beginning. However at the start of any career you're always going to be really enthusiastic and take the initial variance a little harder than you should because it will, and it should, mean more to you because it's a point of such intense focus. So certainly not a criticism at all, the opposite in fact, you can't really get any further without going through that period (could last 2 months, 2 years whatever)

My earlier post about expecting a car-crash wasn't worded particularly well, although Alex snap knew what I meant, most people start out on these kind of journey's like the one you've set about and it just explodes because they require a set of disciplines that the person doesn't have. When you said in answer to Pleno that the skill of grinding your way up and studying your game isn't one you have yet then that was very impressive, most people would know that they didn;t have that and just hope that they'd run good enough not to need it. What I meant was you're sticking to your guns and going about things properly which is very much to your credit.

I am privy (I think) to the interesting and important thing you are talking about and I discussed it with the other person involved (who may or may not be Pleno) at reasonable length today and think it will be a great great move for you. If you go about it in the right way (as you have been doing) and really focus and try get everything you can out of the oppurtunity then I think it will be a fantasic thing, he doesn't have a lot of time but you could learn a lot from the person who may or not be Pleno, he's a very good teacher of the game, has great result at low-midstakes online NLHE and live and a really great network of very good players.

And live poker is easy, I am beating it! (<£1k events and game selection up to £1KNL)

steer clear of this type of thoughts though, yes Live poker can be easier than online, but the differences in style and opponents needs to be respected as much as any other type of poker.

Keep up the good work mate, best of luck.

[SuuPRlim]

and no more essays from me btw!

[david3103]

Given your recent run of satellite wins I wondered what your thoughts were on re-entry in the GP when the blinds were virtually at the end of the 200/400 level.
5,000 chips is a shove or fold stack and whilst I'm sure you know the ranges wouldn't the buyin be better spent on a fresh stack at the start of one of the many more opportunities to secure a Golden Chip?

[tonytats]

Is the good news pleno s staking u n lildave is coaching u on team viewer ?

[jgcblack]

Wow, well to some of you GTFO on the pre-emting! But yes I am considering an offer of sorts from someone who may or may not be called Pleno.

and no more essays from me btw!

I hope this is not the case David! I am looking forward to picking your brains in person someday, but in the meantime on here is all I've got!

Given your recent run of satellite wins I wondered what your thoughts were on re-entry in the GP when the blinds were virtually at the end of the 200/400 level.
5,000 chips is a shove or fold stack and whilst I'm sure you know the ranges wouldn't the buyin be better spent on a fresh stack at the start of one of the many more opportunities to secure a Golden Chip?

I appreciate your point David, and I saw your comment at the time - but as you say I feel my 'shove/fold' game will be closer to optimal than many of the other people playing these.. as such, its obviously ideal to get a 10-15k stack by the 200/400 level.  However.. something that's been said in the short stack videos I've been watching is that 'grinding' the short stack is a skill in its own.. and once i've invested X amount of time in a GP sat, its definitely not -ev to rebuy once or twice if i have a good table.
I can't remember how i bust that particular satellite but I think I've bust all the GP sats with a monster vs dominated hand or overcard.  So I don't mind.

I also think the GP sats seem to be timed rather awkwardly.. being at 8 or 10 when the main tournaments im playing are at 7 and 9pm!  I think that is the first 'rebuy' but it's a pretty close decision imo.

[david3103]

Hadn't considered the time investment, and I'm sure that  people with a good shove/fold game are rare in these games. I wouldn't do it beyond the middle of the 100/200 and only then if there weren't many opportunities left. But then I'm not big on reentering tournaments generally

10pm fits pretty well with the 9pm satellite if you're planning on being in the satellite for a while...

[jgcblack]

Hadn't considered the time investment, and I'm sure that  people with a good shove/fold game are rare in these games. I wouldn't do it beyond the middle of the 100/200 and only then if there weren't many opportunities left. But then I'm not big on reentering tournaments generally

10pm fits pretty well with the 9pm satellite if you're planning on being in the satellite for a while...

Sure, the time takes away time in between.  I'm trying to play the 5/6pm mini sat to get into the 9pm cheap.  Then have a coupla hours with the missus and dinner before I 'grind' the rest of the evening away.. so the 8pm is right in the middle.



DTD150 Sat
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm........
Just bust it in pretty spectacular style.

Only lost two hands of note today, both to the same guy - Villain 1.

First one is my  vs  when the guy flat calls my MP raise from BB and cr then 3xpot shoves turn on    .
I don't like calling the turn but I've seen spazzy bluffs in these from some dtd 'regs'.  I only called here because I can be ahead a fair chunk and that I satellited in for £6 earlier, so if i lose - rebuying here is just like buying in anyways... which I had already done before I won the seat.

Second one is this...
We've played really solid the entire time and built a nice stack, having super strong hands at showdown and never getting caught or called when we've made some nice semi-bluffs.

DTD150 Satellite - blinds 400/800
Villain 1 limps the button (29k), SB completes (9.5k) and We check our option with  or something (24k)..

Pot $3200ish (includes antes)
Flop
 

SB checks, we decide to lead for 1875, BTN calls, SB folds.
imo - The BTN isn't likely folding this flop but he cant ever have better than one pair and the SB would lead ALL pairs so we're going to give him all 3 barrells here as he will never be able to call all 3.

Pot $6950
Turn
 

We continue our plan on this card and bet 4200, BTN calls.

Pretty amazing card, we can easily have lead any pair on the flop and as he can't have many 7's he will likely call here but fold 100% of rivers when we size it so we have a shove sized bet left.


Pot $15350 - we have $17925 effective
River
 

Loving this card, there's so few hands that he can have except exactly    or  that can get to this river like this and call.

With our line we can even have a house here, but obviously he's not folding a flush.  I'm 100% sure he's folding here with anything less than a flush and as we said at the start of the hand, he's going to be getting all 3 barrells when we think he's good and he limps the BTN here - his range is so capped its ridiculous.

We shove and get snapped!

that'll be the  exactly then.

Sigggggh!



Yet again, needless random spew sends us out of a tournament.  Yes, I know this is a great play long term and the guy will never be able to call here often enough to make it a problem.  Nevermind.


bleugh @ playing so solid and sick then running a sick hand for the reasons above and the guy rivers his miracle out! The only rivers I don't shove on are  Q's and 10's.

[stato_1]

Your thinking in that hand is ok, but basically the 85 hand is not a great play long term and it is just massive spew. You have a good stack in a satellite at a pretty important stage, and ur now deciding to triple barrel a guy who limps the button off top pair. People really dont like folding top pair regardless of what you do (especially people who like to limp the button), and also you really arent repping many value hands yourself even if he is thinking. Why would you lead a 7? Why do you think the small blind would lead all pairs? How do you know this guy will fold a queen? Why can the button not have a 7?

Maybe the river bluff is profitable but half the money you are making from it is money you've put in yourself anyway on non-profitable flop and turn bets. This is probably the nut worst board to donk bet against a button limper as its really hard for him to have absolutely nothing, so you're always getting called, and then having to fire barrels which basically just compounds your problem.

You really do just need to keep it dead simple in a DTD satellite. 85offsuit in a 3 way pot on a QT7, check fold. It's that simple.

Something else to consider is that if the board does run out badly for you to barrel, your flop bet in a vacuum is basically just burning money, and at this point those chips are really worth a lot to you, you can use them in far better ways to accumulate small pots, whereas if u get down to 20bigs you have far less room to manoeuvre.

Wish u all the best with the potential staking deal if that's what it is

[Lucky]

Your thinking in that hand is ok, but basically the 85 hand is not a great play long term and it is just massive spew. You have a good stack in a satellite at a pretty important stage, and ur now deciding to triple barrel a guy who limps the button off top pair. People really dont like folding top pair regardless of what you do (especially people who like to limp the button), and also you really arent repping many value hands yourself even if he is thinking. Why would you lead a 7? Why do you think the small blind would lead all pairs? How do you know this guy will fold a queen? Why can the button not have a 7?

Maybe the river bluff is profitable but half the money you are making from it is money you've put in yourself anyway on non-profitable flop and turn bets. This is probably the nut worst board to donk bet against a button limper as its really hard for him to have absolutely nothing, so you're always getting called, and then having to fire barrels which basically just compounds your problem.

You really do just need to keep it dead simple in a DTD satellite. 85offsuit in a 3 way pot on a QT7, check fold. It's that simple.

Something else to consider is that if the board does run out badly for you to barrel, your flop bet in a vacuum is basically just burning money, and at this point those chips are really worth a lot to you, you can use them in far better ways to accumulate small pots, whereas if u get down to 20bigs you have far less room to manoeuvre.

Wish u all the best with the potential staking deal if that's what it is

Maybe its the prospective backer who will need wishing luck

[jgcblack]

Your thinking in that hand is ok, but basically the 85 hand is not a great play long term and it is just massive spew. You have a good stack in a satellite at a pretty important stage, and ur now deciding to triple barrel a guy who limps the button off top pair. People really dont like folding top pair regardless of what you do (especially people who like to limp the button), and also you really arent repping many value hands yourself even if he is thinking. Why would you lead a 7? Why do you think the small blind would lead all pairs? How do you know this guy will fold a queen? Why can the button not have a 7?

Maybe the river bluff is profitable but half the money you are making from it is money you've put in yourself anyway on non-profitable flop and turn bets. This is probably the nut worst board to donk bet against a button limper as its really hard for him to have absolutely nothing, so you're always getting called, and then having to fire barrels which basically just compounds your problem.

You really do just need to keep it dead simple in a DTD satellite. 85offsuit in a 3 way pot on a QT7, check fold. It's that simple.

Something else to consider is that if the board does run out badly for you to barrel, your flop bet in a vacuum is basically just burning money, and at this point those chips are really worth a lot to you, you can use them in far better ways to accumulate small pots, whereas if u get down to 20bigs you have far less room to manoeuvre.

Wish u all the best with the potential staking deal if that's what it is

Completely agree with all of the above Andy

I didn't realise you were a reader. Hope you enjoy my ramblings... and tbh you are very much part of the reason I posted that first hand history and by proxy responsible for my being more active on here, starting the diary I wanted to but hadn't and anything that comes from it.  For this, I thank you.
Remind me to get you a beer next time I'm trying to float with backdoor hands...   

Just had a gym session with my bro, we've stepped it up to 2x a week now (mon and wed normally) and today I decided to push myself a little and 'up' my weights.  My arms are now recovering and despite having that 'just worked out, looking like hercules' feeling.... It is difficult to lift them.

So obv now I'm going to tennis for club training!

And then out to hang out with my newly single ex-wingman Ollie, who is a legend in his own lunchtime!


I am very excited by life, poker, tennis and my lovely lady Charlene at the moment...
(After a couple of rough weeks in all of the above its feeling sweet!)

[jgcblack]

Today was a day for testing our resolve...

It was a day where we lose all the time and can't find a hand despite having perfect table draws and seats.

- if we have KK they have AQ and win. 
- if we have Top pair and a flush draw they've already got a flush 
- if we have A10 vs a maniac... he has AK 
- if we 4bt K9 blind vs blind they have AA and comes K high 
- when we do flop a monster 55 on A53A they fold their dead flush draw.. yup, that'll do it. 


SIGHHHHH! 

Still love poker and still want to grind.. which is definitely good.  Being able to lose as many hands as I have today and still love it all is very important imo. 

Ready for the sunday grinding DTD sats and i might even try a few pokerstars sunday majors sats since all I've been watching from TPE is sunday major 'sweats'.  Many of the hands i've been watching seem 'super standard' and the pro's been running good too im sure.

Good luck to everyone in DTD150 day 2 tomorrow!

Current heros are:-
David L'honore - general poker hero, up in Leeds tonight getting wasted cos he wins tournaments too easily if he's sober.
Tom Langley - will 'own' everyones soul until there's only one left... then he will own himself at the tuck shop
Sunny Mistri - will standardly get himself down to 5bb's in the first 6 hands then grind till he cashes with 7bb's 4 hours later!

Good luck to all the Blondites!