From a generic Degree to a leading Poker Practitioner

[JGill_DTD]

First tourney of the blog - misclicks
First tourney of the blog then was tonight's £50 £3k GTD at Genting, Newcastle. Pretty pissed off with myself in this tournament.

8k starting, got a strong early start by getting big hands, as well as dem aces vs KK. AK found a fold, pretty tilting but we win nonetheless.

I lost bits and bobs here, raising to call off vs certain stacks, then bigger stacks just stated getting it in vs me.

Bust hand. Playing 10k at 300/600/50, clicking it got through often enough for me to opt to open to 1250 with   . Sb finds a call.
Flop -  
He checks, I check behind. In the ideal world my plan is to bet/raise turns.
Turn -
He bets what I think is to 2,050. I feel like I get him to fold draws/6's/7's enough to warrant a jam, as well as being able to find a win if we do get called off.
He snaps, shows  
Confused I then realised I got the 25 chips mixed up with the 5k's. He had in fact hammered the pot for 7k rather than 2,025, obv zero FE, King high holds gg.

In general play was fairly decent, although at times felt like I may have been playing a little too laggy.

Lessons for next live tourney:

• gain a solid understanding of chip denominations;
• Play tighter with <20 bigs

I think the best play is to just cbet flop. So much more awkward checking back and trying to bluff later. I think u have less fold equity doing some weird turn raise, villain more likely to think ur fos. I think u can happily cbet flop and shove a decent amount of turns when called.

Yeah, think I butchered it on the flop with the check, obv doesn't end this way if I bet there, or shouldn't at least

[pleno1]

Hey,

Could maybe help out here, why don't you get in touch with me, pat.leonard.ps and I can maybe pull a couple strings.

[JGill_DTD]

Hey,

Could maybe help out here, why don't you get in touch with me, pat.leonard.ps and I can maybe pull a couple strings.

Ah nice, JB mentioned I ought to get in touch with you

Is that on skype?

[pleno1]

si

[david3103]

Won't be playing much live myself but you should come down to Teesside if you have a car, next £150f/o maybe.

Next week for the G Monthly £100?
Better venue, better structure, better valets, just better all round really

Saturday, 2pm start, 20k stack (22k) if you reg before start.
GUKPT Structure on a 30 min clock.

[buzzharvey22]

this tuesday (first tuesday of the month) £55 £5000 GTD at Genting. Usually gets around 120 runners. 8pm. Little bit of a crapshoot towards the end, but still a good prizepool for £50 quid

just incase you didnt know about this game

GL with the diary!!

[JGill_DTD]

this tuesday (first tuesday of the month) £55 £5000 GTD at Genting. Usually gets around 120 runners. 8pm. Little bit of a crapshoot towards the end, but still a good prizepool for £50 quid

just incase you didnt know about this game

GL with the diary!!

Thanks! Didn't have a clue, will see if I can play it!

[JGill_DTD]

Won't be playing much live myself but you should come down to Teesside if you have a car, next £150f/o maybe.

Next week for the G Monthly £100?
Better venue, better structure, better valets, just better all round really

Saturday, 2pm start, 20k stack (22k) if you reg before start.
GUKPT Structure on a 30 min clock.

These both at Teeside? Both a bit of a nightmare for me to get to to be honest

[JGill_DTD]

Starting from the bottom

I believe in my past, at some stage I've beaten almost all variants of poker sng's/mtt's (all variants, definitely not all limits).

However, I've always seeming struggled with cash games. I never really got into them for the first 2 years of my 'playing career' so to say, and now I've been avoiding them at all costs. I think it's been a mixture of running and playing bad.

Finally, I've decided to take a bigger look at them. For the next 2 weeks I hope to play at least 2 hours a day, starting at the bottom, 2NL. Had an hour and a half session this morning 6 tabling, managed to go +7BI's across an hour and a half/1,600 hands (Understandably small sample size, but at least it's a decent start).

Will have a few more sessions like this throughout the day I think, report to come at the end! Also hope to bink that cheeky $11 1k seats GTD to the milly, cause how can you not play this.

*Edit - I can never seem to get PT working on my computer. PostgreSQL error or something like this, it kills me inside as i feel like I'm being held back. Any advice on alternate software to HEM/PT that I could get working in regards to EV Graphs and such would be appreciated.

[JGill_DTD]

First legit cash session

As stated previously, I want to work myself up from the bottom.
I understand many of you ill say it's not worth it, but this is more of a challenge than doing it for the money. I feel lik eonce I've got a decent amount of hands behind me, I can justify being anywhere other than the bottom.

Results
Hands: 3,750
BI's +/-: +9 BI's

Not sure how much I should expect over this sample, but I think +9 is neither great progress nor terrible.

Favourite Hand:
http://www.boomplayer.com/poker-hands/Boom/2299727_E8594825D0
Played a £3 student rebuy on Stars, just about as soft as it sounds, think I will play these on the reg.
He can't really ever have an Ace here, feel like I should get folds from 10's. He claimed he had King high and would snap me with any pair at all, which is doubtful tbh.
However could be a spew due to diamond draw, but could be ahead of these?

Spew of the day?!?!:
http://www.boomplayer.com/poker-hands/Boom/2310240_F6DAE4A460
Not quite sure what I should be doing here.
Once I iso and get flatted feel like its a great spot for him to shove his marginals, not sure whether I should just fold here?

[JGill_DTD]

Current Location

Thought I would add in a bit more information regarding my current location in Newcastle.

Click to see full-size image.

I live on the Bigg Market. When I tell this to people they are typically like oh near it? But no. I literally live in a high story flat at uni with 6 housemates, with a grandstand view of all the naughtiness at weekends (and in fairness during the week, loudest hours are between midnight and 3am).

University Life

Currently studying at the Newcastle Uni Business School:



Situated right next door to St. James park, which I find pretty cool.
I'm currently only in at lectures 3 days a week, but slowly but surely getting essays done.
On top of this I'm having to do a dissertation regarding live poker and brand loyalty (spammed around Blonde so I'm sure you've seen details somewhere).
If you haven't filled in a questionnaire, please do so
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/16muZpTzzCOX20Pt63-PtHZVzLigTDq4KYXSgdfSu04Q/viewform

Todays Poker
Actually recorded part of the cash session early, not played much since.
Ran pretty deep in a donkament, just for A4<QQ when we get it in on a AK94 (no flush draw)

Also played the Blonde bash which was really enjoyable. Ended up leveling myself to the eventual/inevitable winner Tighty (he 4bet me so I thought it was a good time to stick it in his eye with A9), but 6th was decent enough for points and a mincash.

*edit - also had some decent feedback regarding a career in the industry in the future. Nothing that is certain (as expected with graduation a good number of months away) but definitely a positive note, even if this blog goes unnoticed by others from now gaining these contacts from the initial entries has definitely made it worthwhile.

[JGill_DTD]

No cash today I don't think, but I'm allowing myself that since I will be playing the £55 £5k GTD at Genting (thanks for the HU buzz, you are doing it right)

Main guidelines to stick to:

• play tighter with <20 bigs, stop thinking oh it looks like I have no FE so I must always look strong here - it doesn't (always) work like this
• cbet occasionally more instead of typically checking almost all flops the continuing the turn when in a HU/3 way pot (when necessary obv, dependant on board)

I've also been considering playing the Grand Prix, or at least getting a satty into it.
Plays down to 10% of the field for a 3x cash. However it is 95% likely that I wont be able to make the live Day 2. Is it worth playing just for the £150 payday?
Opinions welcome please, obv getting to a final 10% is a fairly big ask. Atm I'm thinking yes to playing it, but only because of the Hendomob flag incentive

[cambridgealex]

absolutely going to be a -EV investment if the most you can cash for is £150.

You'll need to make the final 10% over 38% of the time to break even (assuming £8 reg fee on the £50).

If you're playing it like a satellite then you could probably stretch to 25 or 30% but never going to get to get higher than that.

There is a chance you ladder a bit while you're chips are blinding out if you make it with a huge stack. But seriously why are you considering it?!

[JGill_DTD]

absolutely going to be a -EV investment if the most you can cash for is £150.

You'll need to make the final 10% over 38% of the time to break even (assuming £8 reg fee on the £50).

If you're playing it like a satellite then you could probably stretch to 25 or 30% but never going to get to get higher than that.

There is a chance you ladder a bit while you're chips are blinding out if you make it with a huge stack. But seriously why are you considering it?!

Yeah thought this when thinking through it.

Was mainly a consideration as to whether to have £25 worth of satellite shots. Saying that, it's not like if I bink a satty im GTD a seat in Day 2 or anything...

 Still a chance I may make it to Nottingham for it... but very slim

[JGill_DTD]

Frustration

Last night played the £55 £5k GTD at Genting which 98 players turned up for.

got a great start early doors, 9k starting stacks. I open to 150 UTG (25/50) with  , 2 flat. The small blind then makes it 350.
I didn't really wanna go 4 to a flop, considered a 4bet but I just have to fold when it gets 5 bet, or have the classic win a small pot/lost a biggish pot.
I opt to flat, don't bother inflating the pot, as expected both call behind me.
Flop -   
sb bets 400. Again relatively small so I make it 1,100.
MP calls quick, LP folds, small blind calls.
Turn - 
A definite brick, I bet 2.2k. Somehow get called by both again, both looking pretty pained.
River - 
sb checks, I opt for the check since I felt like this may just keep bluffs in MP's range. MP jams for 5k.
sb taaaaaaaaaaaank folds. Even though setting it up I'm not a huge fan of this spot, feel the only hand that beats me is KJ. I call, he has K10, 19k just like that.

From there it was pain city, despite this being level 1.
Had a fairly aggro image, in 2 spots had flop and turn bets called down by AK high where i had flopped top pair, binkage on the riv, both times went check check.
Then had this from A7 as he flopped nothing OOP, turned a gutshot, rivered an Ace. This took me all the way back down to 11k.

Raises seemingly stopped getting through or people found hands/flops, learnt to step back a bit as I dipped to 7k.
Grinded up a little before for a final time being called down by AK across flop/turn, rivering the Ace, check check again, nfh.
Was in a lot of frustration, but thankfully am able to calm myself enough to continue to play optimal poker.

Doubled with  vs  to get out of the rut.
Was then all but dead and gone as we found chips flying  in as standard with  vs  on a  flop, bricks out.
5 bigs and we were dead as we get it in from the bb with  up against  , we flop nothing and turn nothing to be eliminated in about 46/98.

Aims for next tournament:

• Step down the aggresion slightly;
• Stay away from Twitter a little more

I don't think posting on the reg on twitter cost me anything, but should I continue the amount of tweets/hr I feel like it could do at some point in the future.
I obviously don't want this to affect me, it's one of the key reasons as to why I don't wear headphones at the table, to ensure spots or discussions that could help me aren't missed.