Road to MTT domination...

[youthnkzR]

24/37 - Big $109 (Lost a big flip JJ < AKo for top 5-10 stack)
10/43 - $22Cubed

[youthnkzR]

lost another big flip 88 > AKo for a top10 stack... bit annoying.

[youthnkzR]

KK < AQo for top 5 stack in 22c sighhhhh

now:

32/33 Big109
19/37 22c

$53.4k and $11.1k up top respectively.

[youthnkzR]

32nd 22c... AK < 55 gg.

24/33 big109 A9 > AQo just for a double

[youthnkzR]

20th or w/e big109, made 2 massive mistakes in the last 2 hands.

Horrible fold by me followed by a horrible horrible jam - amazing how ~90 seconds of brain not working 100% can possibly cost you 000's of $.

(was actually 28th - and quite possibly the worst two hands of poker i have ever played - whilst having some kind of clue).

[youthnkzR]

Morning Blondeites! Firstly, I'd like to apologise for the lack of actual 'diary' enteries so far. This has seemed to turn more into a sweat thread recently than a diary, however I will try and change this - though I will try and keep the sweats as this probably means we a running fairly well!

After reading Alex's diary, I've decided to follow his lead; instead of immediately posting about the session I've just played, I'm to leave it a few hours / sleep on it, and therefore shouldn't sound like so much if a whiner - as I'd usually rant out of frustration and therefore make myself out to be abit of a jerk! Now, on to yesterday...

As I said in a previous post, I've took the last week or so off playing online poker, I did say that this was due to me putting in a lot of hours since the new year began, and neglecting some other things in my life, however this is only part of the reason. As many of you know (if you've been following this thread at least), that I've recently had a decent score, which not only got me out of make-up with my backer, but actually put me in one of the best positions I have been financially, so far in my life. Obviously the amount I actually made for myself isn't a massive amount in relation to what some people on is forum would deem a lot, but for myself it was pretty substantial, and left me with a few choices in my life:
1. To be comfortable and remain playing backed online.
2. To play using my own dime.
3. To turn poker back into a hobby and use the money to try and start up a business with - something which I've tried and failed at before when I was 19 (bought a couple of 'punch machines' / 'bandits' with the intention of placing them in pubs on a profit share basis - and also with the intention of buying more) - obviously I failed to do sufficient research and rushed into buying the machines, the punch machine ending up in my garage for 12months before finally getting sold and taking a fair loss and one of the bandits ending up in my kitchen and being used as an expensive money box and occasionally to quell boredom. (Although I did manage to get both in a venue for a couple of months before it closed down!).

After taking time out to weigh up my options, I decided that poker was and is still what I want to do, at least for the foreseeable, however I decided I couldn't risk living how I have been for the few months previous to my score (totally broke) and therefore made the decision to keep playing for my backer.

Yesterday was the first 'proper' mini-session I have played since making the decision, and even after yesterday's disappointments I must say I think I played pretty well - and until the final couple of hands of the night - possibly one of the best sessions I have ever played! I felt very confident when making decisions and wasn't scared to follow my thoughs to the fullest - which when in the midst of my downswing was my biggest problem - especially in the later stages of tournaments when FTs are very few and far between, and although the night ended somewhat in disappointment, I'm still fairly happy with the outcome as I feel it has given me the confidence to keep playing to best ofmy ability!

(The last couple of paragraphs In this update are pretty badly written but have been in quite a rush, will fix them properly when I have more time a little later!)

[cambridgealex]

Good decision to keep playing staked. The variance is unreal...

[aaron1867]

Are you more mature with the money though Tom? You seem to be going down the exact same route as last time when you had a decent streak live. You have started playing more live cash again, sattying in to events, offering to buy % on here and a holiday! It seems very samey to me Mr Ambler!

I suppose the decision to keep on getting staked is a good one though.

[mondatoo]

HH for "horrible horrible jam" ?

[TL900]

Good decision to keep playing staked. The variance is unreal...

[pleno1]

you could quit MTT's and join my stable which for  NL100+ has incredible amount of coaching from 2 very big proven winners and has some great players in.

#teampostflop #cashisking


edit: can do business together too

#shrewdies

[TL900]

you could quit MTT's and join my stable which for  NL100+ has incredible amount of coaching from 2 very big proven winners and has some great players in.

#teampostflop #cashisking


edit: can do business together too

#shrewdies

When i grind up to 100nl (currently grinding 25nl to try and learn) i want in please pleno <3

[youthnkzR]

Are you more mature with the money though Tom? You seem to be going down the exact same route as last time when you had a decent streak live. You have started playing more live cash again, sattying in to events, offering to buy % on here and a holiday! It seems very samey to me Mr Ambler!

I suppose the decision to keep on getting staked is a good one though.

The problem i had with playing live cash before before is i was playing drastically under-rolled. Obviously now i have enough money to play these games comfortably this shouldn't be a problem as - without meaning to sound arrogant - I'm pretty confident i can crush the game (£1/£2 @ Sheffield) - the same goes for trying to satellite into events. As for offering to buy %'s, I've only looked into buying small amounts of shares in two people, both of whom i thought to be a very good investment - its not exactly like I have my net riding on them either! On the holiday front - we were going to go somewhere irrespective of me getting a score or not - but paying for it now just seemed the most sensible option!

HH for "horrible horrible jam" ?

Probably not actually the worst jam in the world in hindsight.... Jammed 15.5bbs from CO over a HJ min open with A4o - had him noted as fairly active as well, but he'd just quad'd up within the previous orbit or so and hadn't been opening that much at this particular table - just didn't seem like he was ever raise/folding at the time either - i was just major tilted from the hand before where i folded the best hand pre to 2 all-ins, that was super close decision imo and i chose wrong.

Good decision to keep playing staked. The variance is unreal...

Mmmmm that was my thoughts + wasn't sure if i could handle a big downswing (if i had one) straight away on my own $$ after being broke for so long.

[aaron1867]

It does not take much to "crush" the live cash game at G to be quite honest, but your downfall is that you do not know when to quit. I've sat there with you when you have been chasing. also when you are plenty up and you say table has plenty of money on so you stay, instead of quitting and also I don't see you happy to just about break even, meaning you stay on the table. I also remember you going to play 2/5 when they got a table open with Mehtab & co, when in reality you shouldn't, with regards to BR. You are also a cash player who can win chunks or lose chunks, so therefore you are perhaps not crushing these games.

I can use an example of Steve who is a good money manager, he knows when he is going to arive and leave casino regardless of how much he has won or lost.

SO, therefore money management is critical here, you seem to up stakes so quickly, that I and others come to assumption that you will once again be bust in a few months time, which is a terrible shame because you are a decent enough player. In my previous post I gave you examples of you not having money management when you are offering to take 2% of someone when it will cost near enough £200 & it really is a high proportion to pay out when you don't have that much in the bank. I don't think I would take 2% of someone unless I had £50k+ in the bank, never mind not having half of that. Plus, as I write this reply I have also just seen the post you made in the Facebook poker group for a $700 TCOOP!

You have to manage it a lot better, you do not need to up stakes straight away & I know you will take absolute no notice of me, but it's what you need to do, imo.

I hope you sort it out & have much money money to become a 'pro'

[youthnkzR]

It does not take much to "crush" the live cash game at G to be quite honest, but your downfall is that you do not know when to quit. I've sat there with you when you have been chasing. also when you are plenty up and you say table has plenty of money on so you stay, instead of quitting and also I don't see you happy to just about break even, meaning you stay on the table. I also remember you going to play 2/5 when they got a table open with Mehtab & co, when in reality you shouldn't, with regards to BR. You are also a cash player who can win chunks or lose chunks, so therefore you are perhaps not crushing these games.

I can use an example of Steve who is a good money manager, he knows when he is going to arive and leave casino regardless of how much he has won or lost.

SO, therefore money management is critical here, you seem to up stakes so quickly, that I and others come to assumption that you will once again be bust in a few months time, which is a terrible shame because you are a decent enough player. In my previous post I gave you examples of you not having money management when you are offering to take 2% of someone when it will cost near enough £200 & it really is a high proportion to pay out when you don't have that much in the bank. I don't think I would take 2% of someone unless I had £50k+ in the bank, never mind not having half of that. Plus, as I write this reply I have also just seen the post you made in the Facebook poker group for a $700 TCOOP!

You have to manage it a lot better, you do not need to up stakes straight away & I know you will take absolute no notice of me, but it's what you need to do, imo.

I hope you sort it out & have much money money to become a 'pro'

Fwiw i now have a stop-loss therefore cannot lose 'chunks' at a time. Also the most i have ever lost at G Casino Sheffield in history ,in one night is £600 (which has probably happened like 3/4 times ever). I have always been a pretty consistent winner there and have had countless £1k+ winning days - so therefore yes i am pretty confident that i am crushing these games.

In regards to the % - '...you are offering to take 2% of someone when it will cost near enough £200 & it really is a high proportion to pay out when you don't have that much in the bank. I don't think I would take 2% of someone unless I had £50k+ in the bank, never mind not having half of that..' - Lol what?

On the subject of TCOOP main - I only had 20% of myself, 50% was sold and 30% was on stake, its not exactly like im own diming it all lol.