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Webbie Poker    Friends

January Recap

Date: Sun, Feb 3, 2008

So at the end of January, how did I do?
I played 3 Homegame Tournaments for a gain of $40
I played 1 Casino Tournament for a loss of $120
I played 5 cash games for a gain $316
January is a net positive $236

Of the 9 times played I lost only 2!


The one thing I learned more than anything......play more!

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January Recap

Date: Sun, Feb 3, 2008

So at the end of January, how did I do?
I played 3 Homegame Tournaments for a gain of $40
I played 1 Casino Tournament for a loss of $120
I played 5 cash games for a gain $316
January is a net positive $236

Of the 9 times played I lost only 2!


The one thing I learned more than anything......play more!

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1st Day of February

Date: Sun, Feb 3, 2008

02/03/2008 Kennel Club $2.00 cash game

Today is the Superbowl! I wanted to play a little before the game. I went to the Kennel Club. As I said before, I hate this place. I had just recently won there, felt as though I could read these guys pretty good. It is definately limp city! My table is again rediculous. I saw error after error!
Calls from out of posion, raises with weak holdings and calls of bets with absoulute trash! I just need to play straight fowrard good position game.

After the first hour and a half, I found myself down $70. I haven't really even played a hand yet! I couple of bets here and there, then being bet out of the hand. I eventually lost the first buy in.

The very first hand after my second buy in was action that set in place the rest of the day. I was dealt K,Q in the SB. Everyone limped until the button who raised to $10. I know this player to be lose (like most everyone at the table) but not rediculous. I called. The flop was X,X, Q. I bet out $20, he called. I put him on Q,J or lower thinking if he had A,Q he might raise there. Next card is blank, I bet another $20, he calls. Next card is blank so I bet $25, he calls and shows A,Q. So is my day. I get out kicked by a loose table!

The next thing I find out is the card club is closing early! The Superbowl is getting the local card to close at 5:00! So I get a little anctious to make things happen before I get to go home. I win a little back, but end up losing this buy in as well! A minus $200 for the day! I really hate losing to these players. Because they call everything, my game was hindered to catching the cards! I really should have gotten up and moved to another table, but hopefully I learned another lesson!

Until next time...............

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Books

Date: Tue, Jan 29, 2008

I have been reading more books. I purchased 3 this month. I finished the first one last night. Poker is a technical game first, but a psychological game as well.

I have really been trying hard to work on the mental side. I have learned and now practicing some basic fundamentals. Poker is a game where the scorecard is money, but if you worry about the money, it will effect your play. You become less aggressive, less confident, pass up opportunities and make many other mistakes. I am trying not count my chips! I am messing up my stacks, mixing the units and basically leaving chips in uneven messes! I am only concentrating on the decisions I make. Nothing more, nothing less! The more good decisions I make, the more money I will make in the long term (maybe not in the short term).

Interesting question from the book. If you could win $50 100% of the time or $60 90% of the time, which would you choose? Play it out 10 times or 20 times. You will always make more with a less win rate in this example! So going back to the long term goal of amking the correct decision; and that being the only decision you care about, how important then is a session or even a week of sessions? Those things become irrevelent, so I am working hard at putting no value to any given session or amount won / lost during it. The long term is exactly that. So what if you win or lose today, as long a your decisions are correct.

This how I want to play and will play! It is hard to think this way though. The book says "desentitize yourself to money". "The money will take care of itself". "The only thing you are in control of is your decisions!" I believe this 100% and vigorously trying to develop the skill.

Keep you posted.

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1st day at the Kennel Club in 2008

Date: Tue, Jan 29, 2008

01/29/2008 Kennel Club Poker Room, West Palm Beach, FL

I decided to play at the Kennel Club tonight. It is just too convenient. It happens to be less than 5 mins. from my work. I absolutely hate it there though. It is run down, dirty, gross and the players all limp. The game is really "No fold'em Hold'em".

I played for 2 hours. I netted a nice profit tonight ($211). All in all, the players there are just ridiculous. The 1st hour was touch and go. I learned a tremendous amount by watching. I rarely played a hand. In fact, I didn't win a pot until at least 40 mins. in!

The next 1 hour and a half was definately mine! I was raising which reduced the field. If I stayed in the pot, I always had the best hand, because of the kicker or better cards. I played every advantage in an aggressive way. I could count a mistake made by the opponents on every hand! I started to not get callers after a string of wins.

Once these guys were out of cash and a new crop were sitting in, things were slower. There wasn't nearly the same number of mistakes being made. So I decded the game wasn't right anymore and cashed out for the night.

Until next time................

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catch up

Date: Sun, Jan 27, 2008

Well I have played twice since last post. Too busy to input the results in the blog.

Anyway, I went and played at the Isle Casino (1/24) thursday. It was my roughest day of the year yet. I lost $100 in the 1st two hands. I made a mistake. I was new to the table and I bet my A,J into pocket A,A that turned into a full house. These are the mistakes I can no longer be making!

I played for another 2 hours and ended up grinding out another $100 loss, so for this night minus $200. No major hands to tell, it was just a grind.

1/27 Saturday @ the Isle Casino

I played my first casino tournament of the year. My neighbor (Mike) and went down and entered the $120 buy in. There were 78 players total. I made the color up break and the next break, but lost my short stack all inand was out 22. Mike on the other hand went deep into the tournament. He finished 5th! ($499 winner).

While he was finishing up, I went to a 2$ table. I had some fun here! My 1st hand was 10,10 and it held up to win a pot around $90. Then I had K,Q and flopped a straight. I had 9,10,J,Q,K and I had raisers in the hand! The first raiser had Q,8 so he made a straight as well and the last raiser went all in for $70 more on top of $40. He had J,10 giving him 2 pair. My straight was good and I won a big pot!

I finished at this table 2 hours in with $255 profit! Taking my buy in from the tournament into account, I won $135 for the day.

I am working on a couple of things from my latest book study. I will post once I am into it a little further.

unitil next time...........

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My Game

Date: Sat, Jan 19, 2008

01/18/2008 Homegame @ my house

I had a good night. We played 3 games. I cashed in 2 for a profit of $80. No lessons learned or interesting situations.

The 1st game was a struggle. I got down to 2 chips ($500 and $100). I won my all ins and eventually chopped the winnings at the end.

The 2nd game went on forever with 3 players. At one point I was going all in just get the game moving. I played 3,6 all in and had no callers. Finally one was knocked out, so I decided to take second (I was behind) and start the 3rd game.

This brings into question a thought. I chop the end almost everytime so we can get onto another game. I need the practice of heads up play thought. I wonder if we could have the option at the end of our homegames of either a fair chop or play out the next blind level with the chip leader at that time declared the winner.

The idea is to get games over, but to also allow for a winner within a reasonable amount of time. I guess there are those who might argue the theory of a chip and a chair. I'll just have to see what the common feeling is and obviously, this would have to be accepted prior to any games starting.

My neighbor, Mike Albert, called prior to the game. He does read this blog, so he made the statement "play your best game, because I want to be in your blog as the guy who knocked you out". He won the final game but did not make into the blog as the guy who knocked me out. Good luck next time.

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1st Losing Session of the Year

Date: Mon, Jan 14, 2008

01/13/2008 The "Garage Game"

On Sunday I played in a homegame. I'll refer to it as the "Garage Game" as we normally play of course in the garage. There were 7 to 8 players of which only 2 I had not really played against.

The 2 new players were sitting directly to my left. My unfamiliararity with these guys may have cost me a pot or two early on. It turns out both of them fit the "maniac" style of play. I have played this type of player before and know how to beat them, so I am not concerned.

This not a good day to be card dry! The strategy is to let the "maniacs" raise a few times, then come back over the top when I have a made hand. As it turns out, even a kinda good made hand will work for these two. I saw at least 5 or 6 all-in raises from each of these guys after the flop. I even saw them call an all in bet with only a draw! It was only a matter of time. Unfortunately for me, my position was a critical factor. I had to have a made hand, which just never came.

You don't have to win with good cards. That has been proven already, but good poker depends on making the right decisions. I don't disagree with many if any from the day. I did not end up being able to catch these guys with a made hand at any point.

I do not have a "hand of the night" type of situation to re-cap. I played good poker (maybe not great poker). I cashed in the 1st game and was shut out the rest of the night (3 games) resulting in an $80 shortfall. No regrets. As Mike Caro says, "How much you win or lose is none of your business. You only job is to make great decisions. Over the course of time, the more great decisions you make versus the poor decisions you make, the money part takes care of itself."

I did however experience another Mike Caro important lesson. Play in the right game. I don't believe I will allow this to happen again. If this were a cash game, I could move from this table or at least change seats. It seems that is the right approach to take from now on. I am hosting a homegame on Friday. I will now make players draw for seats prior to each event.

Until next time.......

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Lesson Learned

Date: Thu, Jan 10, 2008

01/09 Isle Casino (Pompano,Fl) $1-$2 Holdem Cash game

Somewhere between driving to the Casino, leaving work, changing clothes, buying chips and sitting to play I forgot something. I need focus, strategy and attention to playing great poker! Mike Caro's latest book says "You must play your best game every time". He also said you must be told this because you'll get caught up in everything else. It happened to me!

After the fisrt 4 hands I was down close to $100! I was dealt A,Jo..J10s...K,Qs and lost with them very hand! The worst part was just riding out the hands each time. I wasn't putting my opponents on hands, understanding their plays or even staying with in a strategy of mine! WoW! When you sit down at the table, it is like your a business and have turned the keys to your doors ready to take their money for your services. You must be ready the moment the opportunities arrive.

Long story short, I re-focused (which is easy to do when you reach into your poket for more money) my poker game immeaditely. I played very well from that point forward and again came out ahead! This time uip $40.

I am having a new card protector made specific for me. It has a cool design createdand will have the acronym for You Always Play Your Best Game on it. When it arrives, I will photo it and put in here. There is a story to go with it as well. I'll wait to tell it when I get it.

Until next time......

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One hand from a big night

Date: Thu, Jan 10, 2008

01/08 @ Isle Casino (pompano,Fl) $1-$2 Holdem Cash game

I arrived around 7:30. My strategy was mix it up a little while staying in position, but to play straight forward poker. I was only going to raise to grow the pot size, no other reason.

After 30-45 mins., I was doing fine. I am very happy with my play. In fact, I haven't lost a pot I tried to get yet. The rest of the night was about to change in the next 30 mins. Here is the hand.

I am in "earlyish" position. I play with Q,Js by calling the $2. A couple folds and a caller later the "Villian" raises to $10. I have watched him very close and he gives his hand away with the size of his initial raises. If he bets $15 heas ance and if it is $10 he has a K. I immeadiately put him on Kx, normally a decent kicker card. I decide to see the flop so I call and so does one other. We have roughly $36 in the pot.

The flop is A,K,J. I am 1st to act so I decide to check my draw (no flush draw). Next player checks, villian bets $15. I decide my odds of calling are right so I call. The other guy folds. Now we have $66 in the pot. My plan is to get out of this hand on the turn if there is a huge bet.

The turn comes and is a Q. Now I have 2 pair but he may have made his straight so I check. Villian bets $20. I am again getting the right number to call ($20 to win $86) so I do.

The river is another J! Bingo for me! Full house JJJQQ. I am hoping he has made his straight and I plan let him continue betting out with idea of re-raising his action. He bets $30. I have roughly $110 left in my stack and the pot is now $116, so I decided he has K,10 and made his straight. I expect him to call an all in bet from me. I rule out A,K (due to his pre-flop raise), I rule out K,Q (thikning hisbet would have been more on the turn) I rule K,J because I have one and there are 2 on the board. I re-raise all in! He calls and shows K,J! He wins with JJJKK. Tough hand for me.

I spend the rest of the night playing very good poker. Iend up ahead at the end a modest $10! I felt real good about how I playedand it fel great to play again! One hand from having a $300+ night, maybe tomorrow.

until then........

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The Teachers' Home Game

Date: Fri, Jan 4, 2008

I have recently been playing in a home game dominated by local school teachers. All of whom are very nice guys. This game was in a duplex type home on Thurs. 1-3. This game consists of small buy in sit and gos. This time we played 3 games. The first game is always the most important with this group. It is the highest buy in ($40) that night. The next two games were $20 per game.

Overall I won* 2 of the 3 games. Nice night. I am disappointed though. I did not win the first game! I was did not execute very well and I need to play better as my goal is to dominate this type of opponent. Anyway, I was too lose. One hand I remember that led to mu demise, was when I had a straight draw with a flush draw. I had to call an all-in bet from a lower stack. I had at least 13 outs, so I thought it was my best option to call. I missed and was now crippled.

The poker at the Teachers' game is extremely loose. One of the players won with J,3 off suit and another was calling down a straight draw with the wrong suit! I need to play pretty srtaight forward in this game. Tricky plays don't work versus opponents that don't realize they are being trapped.

Anyway, I won* the next 2 games! The * is there because I am very careful to keep a "good guy" impression. I chop the pot at the end almost always. This is the second time with this group. I chopped 2 games the last time. We only played 2 games! Overall I am happy with a winning night. I won't accomplish my goal this way, but it important to play these games. They do help the bakroll grow.

Until next time......

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On to 2008........

Date: Tue, Jan 1, 2008

As I have been preparing for my 2008 endevour, I have been thinking of the best strategy to use. I am leaning towards a couple of thoughts right now. Play often and get the most return on my money.

I will be playing a combination of games. I like the idea of sit-n-go tournaments plus cash games at the casinos, and play any home games I can find. I will also play multi-table tournaments once I have built a better bankroll.

2008 is now here. This is my last week of preparation before the plan goes into motion next week.

Make winning poker a lifestyle! What a concept.

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A new begining

Date: Wed, Dec 26, 2007

The purpose of this blog is to keep me focused on an end goal and keep friends updated on my progress. I will be attempting to become more than just a side game poker player. This blog will be about the adventures, events, wins, losses and fun I will experience on my journey.

Starting the second week of January, I will be playing many events. I will discuss key hands, players, casinos, from the action. I will also detail my education and training from books and software or videos. I expect to an adventurous experience.

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