last year...

As an addendum to the previous entry...

Last year I played 137 tournaments of various buy ins. I was in the money 32 times for a very nice profit. One in five is about what I kind of expect, I can definately live with that.

Books...I love books but am questioning the value of most poker books. I've read all the most recommended ones. Maybe I didn't read them good enough. I'm not giving up on them but...

One problem seems to be that most people have NOT read them. They play nothing like the books would lead you to expect or say is correct. I don't know how those people do long term but I know that they beat me pretty consistently in the short term.

Are poker books for real? Can they really help? Are they a scam? I'm talking here about some of the most recommended ones..."Harrington on Hold'em", "Winning Low Limit Poker" by Lee Jones, "Supersystem", "Theory of Poker" by Sklansky...and many others. They are a mint for their writers no doubt and I honestly feel that they MAY have helped me.

I have no doubt I am a better player than I would be without them...but can they make me good enough to actually be GOOD? This is what makes me wonder if I have what it takes. Am I alone here?

Oh...and yes I realize that my 2005 results added into my 2006 results so far are still in the 1 in 5 range...so maybe I'm just panicking early but 1 for 17 just sucks. So far the hardest part of poker for me is the emotional side which really should not be a surprise now that I think about it....

17-1

That last entry about good news was maybe a tad premature. It WAS no doubt good news but it's about the only good news. I've played 17 tournaments thus far in 2006 and have been in the money one time...one. Can anybody's luck be that bad? Sounds like a skills problem to me...or lack thereof....sigh...

Finally some GOOD news

Ok so it was only a $1 SnG... I just wanted to play and the way things are going was frankly afraid to play for REAL money. Anyway I hung on to win this one. At one point I was down under 10X the big blind and had to push all in I don't know how many times but fate finally shined on me and I actually won the sucker. I put a couple of horrible beats on people but I figure I'm owed a couple...hundred.

It wasn't much but just to finally win SOMETHING was much needed. I may well stick with these little $1 SnG's both single and mult-table until I get a little confidence back. They are probably decent practice for my no-limit game. Even if the competition is hardly the best, it seems to be better than it used to be at this level. At least I finally felt like I had some clue what I was doing. I did not play as well as I'd have liked, I was a bit hesitant and probably a bit timid even but I bit the bullet and got aggressive when I needed to and this time it worked.

Just thought anybody who reads this journal might like to see some good news for once (this one's for you Robin and Connie since far as I know you are my entire readership at the moment).

Wednesday Evening

I thought that maybe instead of dropping down in cash games maybe I'd do better against better players in slightly larger players, thought maybe I'd get sucked out on less. Boy did that not work. Played a $3/$6 game...there went another $68. I'm getting to the point where, while I WANT to play, I'm almost afraid to. I actually dread getting good hands because I just know they will get sucked out on by the river...and they do usually. I wish to hell I knew somebody that could tell me for sure if I can actually play or if I should just take up knitting. Since I know no one who can tell me and I'm not likely to meet anybody I guess it may be time to just give up since my results seem to prove I cannot really play. Another dream shot all to hell I guess...

FISH - a definition

I don't often explain poker terms here but since, as near as I can tell, Robin is the only person who even reads this (except maybe Connie every now and again to check up on me) I will explain a term from my last entry.

I said I was going go get some fish food... here is the definition of the term fish as it is used in poker:

FISH - a sucker or a player who is either clueless or a very bad player.

Now I grant you that if you look at me you'd say I'd been plenty well fed that is just too good a sale on fish food to pass up so if you'll pardon me...

Monday afternoon cash game...

down 22.5 big bets in an hour and a half...do I know how to play this game or what? Got to go, I hear there is a sale on fish food...

Bad play or bad luck?

Where did I go wrong on this hand? No matter what I get and how good it looks it loses lately. Has to be me...maybe not this hand although I have my doubts about the way I played this but in general my luck can't be this much in the crapper. I must just not be able to play this game called poker. You check out this hand, I'm going to check out the bus schedules to find one to walk in front of....

Getting Hand History Information...
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Hand #11234944-4498 at Powell ($1/$2 Hold'em)
Powered by UltimateBet
Started at 30/Jan/06 17:32:57
 
     Camian is at seat 0 with $112.
     Garfield1967 is at seat 1 with $45.25.
     worf21 is at seat 2 with $74.
     lowoncash is at seat 3 with $105.50.
     Fireman727 is at seat 4 with $93.
     marz0629 is at seat 5 with $96.
     petitefille is at seat 6 with $95.50.
     Owen69 is at seat 7 with $44.
     colddimes is at seat 8 with $53.50.
     guru4yall is at seat 9 with $64.
     The button is at seat 9.
    
     Camian posts the small blind of $.50.
     Garfield1967 posts the big blind of $1.

     Camian:  -- --
     Garfield1967:  -- --
     worf21:  -- --
     lowoncash:  -- --
     Fireman727:  -- --
     marz0629:  -- --
     petitefille:  -- --
     Owen69:  -- --
     colddimes:  -- --
     guru4yall:  Th Ts

Pre-flop:
 
          worf21 calls.   lowoncash folds.   Fireman727 calls. 
          marz0629 folds.   petitefille calls.   Owen69 folds. 
          colddimes folds.   guru4yall calls.   Camian folds. 
          Garfield1967 checks.  

Flop (board: 9s 2s 2d):
 
          Garfield1967 checks.   worf21 bets $1.   Fireman727
          calls.   petitefille raises to $2.   guru4yall calls. 
          Garfield1967 calls.   worf21 folds.   Fireman727 calls.
           

Turn (board: 9s 2s 2d 2h):
 
          Garfield1967 checks.   Fireman727 checks.   petitefille
          bets $2.   guru4yall calls.   Garfield1967 raises to
          $4.   Fireman727 folds.   petitefille calls. 
          guru4yall calls.  

River (board: 9s 2s 2d 2h Jd):
 
          Garfield1967 bets $2.   petitefille calls.   guru4yall
          calls.  

         

Showdown:
 
     Garfield1967 shows 2c 7c.
     Garfield1967 has 2c 2s 2d 2h Jd: four deuces.
     petitefille mucks cards.
     (petitefille has Tc 9c.)
     guru4yall mucks cards.
     (guru4yall has Th Ts.)
         

Hand #11234944-4498 Summary:
 
     $1 is raked from a pot of $32.50.
     Garfield1967 wins $31.50 with four deuces.
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