Bleh

Well, yesterday was crap. Or at least the morning session was. I lost a little over 300 and hit my stop loss. First time I have done that in my poker career. So I was a sad monkey. The night session was OK. I was able to recover most of my losses, and wound up only loosing $80 on the day. It was a slight blow to the ego, but mostly just put me behind te 8 ball for the rest of the week. I did hit my hand goal for the second time as a pro, and this will definately provide motivation to keep up the volume, which is really good considering I have $450 tied up in volume prop bets that I am behind pace one. So, I guess that's good.

Anyway, I am anxious to get back to the felt and see if I can get back in black!

First full week in review

Well, I have officially finished my first full week as a profesional poker player. Overall it was a pretty good week. I made $1208 in winnings over 30 hours, for a $40 per hour average. So far things are going so well that I haven't had to look at my bonus money and add that into my calculations (knock on wood that I can keep that going). I'n hoping to keep it that way and use the bonus money to upgrade my set up. At the moment I would like a new video card so I can dual monitor and a new chair, but neither are a huge priority.

The big priority for me is to get a better schedule going. 30 hours in a week just isn't going to cut it in the long run. Part of it was first week adaptations, but part of it was quitting an hour early here and there when I was running good. I really can't get into that mentality, or I am going to eventually put myself in a bad spot. Still, I can't complain about my first week, as I have basically doubled my income while working half the time. Being fresh for sessions is having a HUGE impact on my play. Where before I was a 3BB winner, I am now running just over 5BB (which is actually DOWN from 7 during my first few days as a pro!).

I have also started playing 100 regularly. At first the plan was to only have 2 tables up, but the fish selection there is SO much better than at 50, and the regs aren't that much better. So I have been running 3-5 100 tables over the last couple of sessions. I'll probably keep it up while I am building a player base up at 100, but I can see myslef in the very near future playing mostly 100.

Today was another half day, and I won $270 in 3 hours. Sometimes I think I am crazy for playing 25, 50, and 100 at the same time, but it really is working for me. It just opens up so much more table selection. I know over the long run I am losing money playing 25, and I have a feeling as I get more comfortable at 100, those tables will be replaced pretty quickly. I actually rotated most of my 25 tables out pretty quickly today, and only wound up playing 300 hands there (as compaired to 550 at 100 and 1400 at 50). It was a long grueling session, and I was really frustrated and down 40 bucks after a couple of hours, but then I hit a set in a 3 bet pot and went on a roll. I almost feel sorry for the player I stacked as he didn't make any mistakes. Well, that's not really true. He really should have only C-bet half pot as it was a low 4 way flop (instead of full pot), which would have let hime either get away from the hand (KK) or at least open up the door for a flush draw to make a move, but it was really the two other fish calling the bet that let me hang around in the pot.

Anyway, I am really glad that hand happened and that I went on a roll like that. After only making $4 yesterday, another meh session would have been a disappointment. Then again, I know a stretch like that is coming (and you can't really complain when your worst session in two weeks is a winner!) so I don't want to get off in lala land thinking it is going to be this easy forever. Just enjoying the wave while it lasts and prepairing for the future!

Still going strong

Well, last night was another good night for me. Made around 340 and had a pretty smooth session. I won a couple of buy ins at 100NL (YEAH!) and ran hot as I am becoming accostomed to. This afternoon was another story. I just couldn't get value on anything. wound up winning 4 bucks. Bleh. Anyway, off to diner with the family, and probalby won't play tonight, which means that this might be my worst day as a pro so far. Ah, well. Still made money, right?

Chugging along

Well, I took Wensday night and Thursday day off from poker, and blogging! Still not sure how I am going to work out the whole day off thing. Honestly at this point I am so excited I really don't want to take a day off. I want to get ahead. But, even working half days, I still made 140 and 195 respectively, so the area that I am really lagging behind in is volume. If I have to lag in one area though, that would be the one! I didn't even realize how hot I ran until I shipped to my staker on Wensday night. 20 buy ins in 10K hands is pretty sweet! It also ended my staking at 50NL, which is a BIG time improvement for me. It means I can feel much more comfortable playing 100 as it will be easier for me to recoup the loses, which has been a big reason for my not playing there this last week.

I'm still hoping I can qualify black card bonus program by the end of the week as well. That would be another nice boost to my income. Still, I have been running so that I haven't been including my bonus income. Hopefully I can keep that trend going, in which case I will use bonus money to build up my bankroll and to improve my set up. I'm going to have to get a new video card at some point so I can set up dual monitors again. And a new chair would be nice!

Anyway, going to start my Friday session now!

Luck boxing in the end

Well, today was not a very good day in the beginning. I kept getting coolered (set under set, runner runner flushes/straights, etc.) which was really frustrating after yesterday. I kept pretty steady, but really wasn't able to put anything together. I was making some good folds though, so I didn't feel bad about my play. I wound up winning 35 in the morning session. The night session started the same way, with me losing with 3 sets in the first 700 hands. I was able to tread water though, which I am proud of. But toward the end of my session I ran my AA into KK twice and hit a gutter on the river with QQ vs. KK in a 3 bet pot. I probably should have folded the turn (OK, I KNOW I should have folded the turn), but if you win and learn your lesson, does that still count as paying for your lesson?

Can't say I feel good about today though. Still, I'll take it!

And the inevitable happens

Well, I finally had a losing session Yesterday morning. I know. I know. It was coming. Can't stay on a heater forever. I lost 120. I cried a little. Whined a lot. Took a break, cleared my head, and got it all back plus 20 buck in my night session. To be fair, I didn't play particularly well yesterday either, so I can't blame a doomswitch or anything like that, but losing to sets in 3/4 bet pots and runner runner straights really doesn't help either.

Still I am happy that I was able to get to posotive on the day and I finally made my hands goal. Figures I would do that on bad session instead of a good one. Ah, well. At least I know I need to work on that.

Well, off to the virtual felt now to see if I can heat back up!

Flying High

Well, I didn't get to my daily update yesterday. I only played for an hour as my children decided to become holy terrors. But I made 140 in that time, so I wasn't overly disappointed. I only planned to put in a half day anyway, so no biggie that I missed out on the volume.

Today's morning session was amazing. I can't belive how much softer the tables feel during the days. Fish are just giving money away at times. Obviously I know I'm on a heater, but I have been playing far and away the best poker of my life. Made 280 and won at 15BB/100. Overall since I turned full-time pro, I am winning 11.5BB over 11K hands. I just feel so good at the tables. Oh, and my red line is looking SEXY as hell.

And, to top todays morning session off (which is the biggist winning cash session I have ever had), I ran quads into top set and middle set. Sadly, it was at 25NL, but it still made my day.