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Just Treading Water    Friends

Off To Michigan

Date: Wed, Nov 5, 2008

well,
Off to Michigan in just a few hours here. The trip to the Birch Run area will take us about 9 maybe 9.5hrs. Not expecting too much trouble from the traffic since we are traveling through the night. That's how I like to roll, can't stand the metro area traffic.

Last few days I've been playing a few MTT's and some short handed LO8. I am acclimating myself to the aggressive style of short handed play, but so far it's going great. I won't even bother mentioning the earn rate right now as it doesn't matter until I can sustain it over a much larger sampling. I did get deep again in an MTT yesterday, it was the $70+5 14.5k gtd KO tourney on FTP. 18th out of 315+ runners, and knocked out 8 people for $120 in bounties. That made the going out in 18th hurt a little less, but I don't feel too terrible. I played well all tourney, and just got in tough spots late with an AQo from bb facing a seemingly obvious fold around raise from the CO. Then with M~8 I made a 2.5x raise from MP w/ TT. Action folded around to SB who shipped in with just enough to cover me. After tanking a minute, I realized that the odds of me being dominated there were pretty slim, and I'd rather go after the final 17 players with an M better than 5 or 6. I called, and he flipped up AJ which was about what I expected. I had just hoped he was < 99. Board brought out Q K 8 5 A.... why does it always have to be the river?! Oh well, nothing major outside that and earning some good dough playing short handed LO8 and a couple of $50 sng wins.

Off we go to Michigan...

FTOPS begins for me on Sunday the 9th!!

P

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Update

Date: Tue, Nov 4, 2008

Hey all,
Basically got tired of running rough in the SNGs yesterday and all but abandoned my 600 tourney goal. I did take some reflection time and look over some statistics for my last 494 $20+2 SNGs. I have an ROI of 8.08% in those, with an ITM of 40.49%. Average finish is 4.22, and I've gotten 1st in 59, 2nd in 75, and 3rd in 66.
I did venture back into some MTT's to start tuning up for my FTOPS run which will begin on the 9th @ 1800est. The FTOPS actually starts Wed the 5th, but I'm only playing in 5 events, the first of which is Sunday. You can follow along with how my backers(40% staked) and I are doing HERE

I ran semi-deep in the 40k gtd on FTP last night, but busted in 33rd with a pretty standard play. IMO villian made an error, or played his hand badly HERE, but maybe my opinion is a bit askew :-) Anyway, not a bid deal, that's MTT's and it felt good to get back into the swing of things and run to 33rd out of 700+ runners. Profit was ~ $100

I'll be on a bit scarce going into this weekend because Stacy and I head to Michigan for the weekend tomorrow evening. Will be the first time meeting her family, so, hopefully things go well. But who couldn't love me!? I'm kidding... or not

Hope the tables are treating everyone well. Good luck out there!

P

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Sickly Update

Date: Sat, Nov 1, 2008

I've fallen way off. Got a terrible fever yesterday and here it is nearly 48hours later and the fever is finally below 101. I just played 2 SNGs tonight to get back online, but that's got me WAY off pace. I'll crash the boards the next few days and hopefully by Wed I'll at least get to 500, but who knows at this point. I'm still enjoying it all, just got sick in a very inopportune time and I refused to play when I felt so awful. Lord knows one bad beat and I might've puked on my keyboard LOL

Challenge Update: 254sngs/ROI 3%/Net$172/ITM 40%

Hopefully this killer fever has passed for good and I can get some more tourneys in this weekend.

Chow for now

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JJ? I FOLD!!

Date: Thu, Oct 30, 2008

Yeah, I lost with over 90% of my JJ hands today, and some were in disgusting fashion. I don't have the energy to explain it all and I kind of hate bad beat whiners. I overplayed them 1 of the 16 times they lost today, that's about all I remember. Outside of that, I'm clearly struggling at finishing in 1st place still. Not one 1st today, but I cashed in over 40% which is pretty normal for me over a long period of time. As far as this challenge goes though, my ROI is now down to just about 3%, the ITM is steady around 40%. I'm not grabbing the rest right now cause I'm tired, irritated, and in general just need to put down the laptop tonight LOL. Oh, and @ 252SNGs played. I do believe I can get to 500 played, but I do not think I'll make 600 by the 5th of Nov. We shall see though... time can only tell.

Goodnight for now though!

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I'm Mediocre At Best

Date: Wed, Oct 29, 2008

That's how I'm feeling these days. But, I've managed to climb back again today, just to be a little over break even. Had a horrible start early, but mostly it was because I kept getting 3rd place when I got ITM. I crushed myself today by getting 11 3rds out of 18 cashes. Seriously bad form, and really bad for the ROI. Anyway, I'm tired so not going to do much but wrap up here.

SNG Challenge: 226 $22 played, ROI 5%, Net$248, ITM 41%, 23/35/35 are my finishing place totals. Damn that's a lot of 3rds!

P

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Moving back up hopefully!

Date: Tue, Oct 28, 2008

Well, as frustrated as I was in that last post, things actually got worse for me on the weekend when I expected to destroy the weekend warriors. I had a ton of things go wrong, and I also played bad at times. I fought back today though, and after losing all profits, and going into the red with my ROI, it's back up today over the line into the black. Sick sick sick dive I took and I'm going to try to add a picture in here now:
That's the dive in picture format. I couldn't believe it, and still can't but what's done is done, and I feel good still today. I never felt like I was playing horrible there, I just kept getting smoked by lesser hands, especially down on bubbles. Tons and tons of times. Hopefully variance has had her nasty ass say and she will leave me alone for a few days now!

Challenge Totals: 186SNGs played, ROI 5%, ITM 40%, Net$202, 20/31/24 placement totals.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

P

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Holy Shit Batman

Date: Fri, Oct 24, 2008

I lost over $280 today and as you can tell, that's a TON at $22 level SNGs. So unreal that I can't possibly begin to continue with my sessions today as I'm just beaten retarded with the beats. I'm not perfect so I'm sure I made some bad plays, but I swear if I had the energy I would show you at least 10 horrific plays made versus me on bubbles, that worked. The last of which was my AA losing to A9 when he flopped two 9s. AI PF of course... on the bubble, of course. Since I can't stand whiners, and I won't be one... that's it. I lost a fuck ton today, and I'm overall frustrated, so there is no way I can keep up my (what I think is) solid play.

Challenge Stats: 144 played, ROI 4%, ITM 40%, Net$126, FTP SNG Challenge Roll $789

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Doggone Grey's Anatomy

Date: Fri, Oct 24, 2008

Today didn't go too hot. I didn't have as much time to play, and when I did I kind of felt like I didn't have much of a rythym going. I somehow managed to fall asleep while watching Grey's Anatomy tonight, so I only ended up with 26sngs total, when I had every intention of breaking 40... In the 26 I played I ended up losing $50 today, which equates to a ROI of roughly -9%
Disappointing to have an overall loss day to report, and I'm not sure had I played another 10-15sngs if the report would've come out worse or not. As I said, I wasn't feeling the mojo tonight, even before I passed out prematurely. Seems like I was either too aggressive, or not aggressive enough tonight, and in some of the cases calls or ships were spot on, but just lost. I think what I just described is poker, and variance. Not too concerned about my first losing day, but humbled a little, and that's a good thing.

Question to anyone about rakeback. Do you track that as a stat? Count it as winnings? It would/could skew some numbers if you actually put it somewhere in PT3, so what do people do with it?

Not much else to say, here is the challenge wrap up after today: 123 sngs, ROI 15%, ITM 45%, Net$408, 12/25/19 Finishes by place.

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I know, I know, I said 5 tables...

Date: Thu, Oct 23, 2008

Guess I realized I needed to up the table ante or I wasn't going to stand a shot at 600 $20 sngs by the 5th of Nov... soooo, I decided to try a 2 hr session of 8 tabling my SNGs. Knocked out 22 tourneys, but the ROI was about -3%, netting a loss of 16bucks. Nothing major, and plenty of places I felt it could turn around. Feeling like that, I came back tonight for a quick session that I 8 tabled for just over an hour. Playing 14 tourneys, which went a little better. I corrected some mistakes hu i think, which brought me a couple of firsts, which earlier today were all seconds and thirds. Big difference obviously! Those 14 produced profit of $124, ROI and ITM both around 40%

I REALLY NEED MORE WORK ON MY HU GAME!!! That's all I can say about that... If there is book out there I can read, someone please tell me about it. Get me thinking about this HU stuff cause I'm driving myself nuts with it. I'm either way too aggressive, or way too passive. It's a big deal to me cause I know when I have a downswing the extra few bucks from each 2nd that could've been a first, will mean even more to me than they do now. Gotta patch this hole up.

Challenge Wrap Up for 10/22: 97sngs played, ROI 21%, ITM 48%, Net$458, 9/23/15 placement #s. SNG Roll: $1118

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One session over 88% ROI

Date: Wed, Oct 22, 2008

Yeah, it's true! My first 13 SNGs today had an ROI over 88%... unfortunately I couldn't run that hot through the other sessions, but that one was fun. Managed to knock out 38 sngs today, but I'm realizing averaging 36 a day for 17days will be even harder than I thought. I'm definitely going to keep trying though. I had a pretty good day today, getting more 2nds than 3rds, with a few 1sts mixed in. I'm definitely going to move up to 5 tabling tomorrow and see how it goes. So my wrap-up for the 21st goes like this: 38 $20+2 sngs, ROI 33%, ITM 52%, 3 1sts, 13 2nds, and 4 3rds.

"Challenge" Totals:
61 played with a ROI of 26%, Net$350, ITM 50%... unfortunately I'm already 11 tourneys off pace! That's not good...

P

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FTOPS Action and 10/20 Report

Date: Tue, Oct 21, 2008

Forgot to mention that I was selling 40% of my FTOPS action. Look HERE for details on there.

On to the SNGs:
As I figured 36sngs in a day will be tough on me. But, I did rip off 23 of em tonight, in two separate sessions. I had work stuff going on, so I didn't actually start play till about 415pm. Took lots of break time and I never felt overly taxed, while only 4 tabling them. If my ROI improves, I may try 5 tabling, but for now 4 will work. Couple of late 4ths and 5ths hurt me today/tonight but it happens. I'm not terribly concerned and just got a little rust on the late game that needs to be knocked off. That's a major part of why I'm putting myself through this. That, and I just like SNGs a lot...

23 played, ROI ~14%, Net$70, ITM ~48%, 3 1sts, 1 2nd, 7 3rds(worst stat of all)
Current FTP SNG ROll: $730

Catch y'all later

P

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FTP $20 SNGs - Personal Challenge Begin

Date: Mon, Oct 20, 2008

Okay,
First, if you used to read this blog, and you are back to read more, I promise for the next few weeks, as long as I'm active in poker, I'll be active on here. I intend to play, as long as I don't bust, until the 6th of November, when I leave for four days in Michigan. I'll be in Michigan until the 9th, when I'll return to start up the FTOPS(which begins the 5th but I'm not starting till the 9th).

On to the challenge. I've given myself 30 buyins to risk @ the $22sng level on FTP. A few months back I played ~250 SNGs(extremely small sample size) and managed to squeak out a ~15% ROI which equates to about $3.30 a tourney. My goal for the next 17 days(until the 6th when I leave) is to play 600 of these tournaments, and hopefully able to get around $3 of profit from each tournament. Yeah, that's about 36 a day, and that's insane. I know it, especially when I'm starting out with only 20 buyins. But, 20 buyins is what I'm comfortable with at this level, and it's best for me to make sure my roll is still fine for the FTOPS, even if this SNG challenge goes wrong and I flat out bust.

Why? If you wonder why I'm doing this; I don't have a great answer. I'm bored with life for the most part, and I had a very good Sept in Multis on FTP. I'm bored with Multis, and I want to get my sharp edge back going into the FTPOS. I honestly feel like SNGs tune me up well for the aggressive late tournament play that is needed and that I need the most practice at.

So here we go: 0 tourneys played so far.... current FTP SNG Roll $660

GL Me

P

Edit: Amended before I started to start w/ 30 buyins which is still short. Risking ~3% of roll per tourney rather than 5% is more appealing to me though

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Godspeed Mel

Date: Tue, Jun 5, 2007

The time has finally come where my Grandfather passed away. As you have read it's been an ongoing battle, and while I'm relieved that he is no longer suffering I still can't seem to shake the chest ache that I have over it today. His name was Melvin, hence the title of my post and he will always be remembered by me as someone had a profound impact on the man I am today. Good and bad things! I know he is in a better place now and that's what matters.

On to the poker stuff which hasn't been too significant in my busy life the last week. Not playing much at all online, and only 2 homegames to report. Got smoked at Steve's 1/3 game on Thursday shipping off 800 pretty simply by playing shit cards that didn't hit.

Last night I played the EK 1/2 game and cashed 920 of a 480 buying - I'll take the hit and keep on learning.

Hopefully some good online stuff will start to happen as I try to delve back into some of my old staples. I've just not had too much time for it or interest lately.

Paul

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You know what's coming...

Date: Wed, May 30, 2007

... a whole lotta shit to say seeing as it's been since Friday since my last data dump!

Friday we(Nicole and I) took the evening flight out of Reagan International to Columbia, SC to visit my family, more specifically my Grandfather who hasn't been well since breaking his hip a few weeks back and then running into more and more complications ever since. Saturday afternoon we were receiving phone calls that he was hospitolized in Aiken after the nursing home found his blood sugar to be "life threateningly" low which is to be expected when a diabetic won't eat and regulate their own blood sugar. I spent a tear-filled, emotionaly draining 3 hours with him on Sunday and said my final goodbyes as we are all painfully aware the end is near with him. He had periods where he was very lucid throughout those 3 hours but other times when the pain killers had his mind warped. I was amazed when he immediately asked for my wife when I showed up an hour prior to her getting there with my Mother. As soon as he saw her he looked at me and said "PD(my initials) that's a pretty girl you have there, hold on tight and treat her right" my eyes welled up and it was hard to regain composure. He asked me if we were there for his "sending off," to which I had to reply was "up to him." He gave us all a wonderful family and back in 83 when he kicked his drinking he was the best Grandfather a boy could ask for. I tried to tell him all these things at the end of our time together but all I got out was a choking "I love you G-Pa," and that was the end of it. I am not sure I've ever cried as an adult in front of my father but I guess I am not as ashamed of myself as I thought I would be. This was my only Grandfather and he is my dad's dad so I know my father understood the way I felt. I never knew my mom's father so I am especially close with this Grandfather.

On to some poker since most of you don't want to hear all that blubbering nonsense. We came back midday Monday and I got out to E and Keenans 1/2NL game. Nothing super to talk about there, first hand of game around 8:15pm I got up $200 when I set deuces vs Kenny and apparently "talked" him into calling a big bet on river. I'll swear forever I was just talking cause I was drunk but Kenny thinks I was convincing him to call so I got the standard "you dirty mother f**cker." LOL... all in good fun of course cause that dude is str8 comedy!! Anyway for the next 4 hours I pissed away the $200 profits and ended up down $15 on the night when midnight came and I was beat ass tired.

On to last night's game at Rob's the normal 1/2NL game I like to hit up right around the corner form here. There are many hands to talk about but I'll only describe one in detail. Early on I managed to get paid with AA vs JJ and that was after I had sucked out on Rob pretty big with my J9 vs his AJ when I turned Jacks up on him. So I was running pretty well and avoiding any major coolers at this point when a rather large hand between Ali and I happen. Any of you who read these blogs with any regularity must be thinking "ahhh, Ali and Paul in a large hand again, what's new?" I've straddled to $7 UTG and it folds around to Ali who smooth calls. Folds back to my action where I look down at T9 diamonds and decide to yank on Ali's chain a little bit by putting $18 on top to make it $25 total, Ali snap calls and we head to the flop. Tc3c8d and I put out $35, to which Ali puts $75 on top. I call after deciding I'm in pretty good shape but I still check the 3 of diamonds turn trying to get a read off of Ali's action. FTR I now have two pr and flush draw; Ali is in the tank thinking and thinking as Ali always does, until he decides to put out just $100. I go into the tank for quite a bit and have to decide if that's a bet that wants a caller or is that just a BAD weak bet. After a long deliberation on my part I see Ali has ~320 behind and I decide to put $250 on top of the $100 bet with just my weak T and diamond draw. Ali almost auto ships so it's $118 more to me, I exclaim "Jesus Ali, AA-JJ and you're good, or possibly you have boated and I'm drawing dead, but I CAN NOT fold for $118 more so I call." Ali says "you have to be good!!" That almost floored me because as he said it he flipped over pocket 5s! Weeeeee to PDoggie getting the right turn read and weeeeeeeeeeee for Ali trying to make me fold for $118 more!! My hand holds on the bricked river and I go on deeper and deeper last night to cash out for $2200. I THINK that's my largest live win on the MDP circuit. One of my larger ones too for even AC cash games which I tend to do pretty well in too.

Exciting stuff, anyways, hope all haven't fallen asleep yet! Just busted 14th in the AP 20R&A and I'm getting tired of just cashing in it! Would be nice to win it again sometime soon!! LOL

P

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