Man, work has really been sucking lately. I'm trying to get some experience at the more advanced aspects of Cognos ReportNet and if it wasn't for my uncle helping me, I'd be 100% fucked. As it is I'm some debatable amount less than 100% fucked, so while things aren't as bad as they could be, they aren't that great. I like learning new work related technologies, (such as the Cognos Products) and it's defintely a +EV move for me, so I've gotta push through... Unfortunately, my manager keeps throwing me curve balls everytime another consultant quits. My firm is getting out of the Java biz, so each time a new monkey swings to another tree, guess who gets to take over their projects? Yup, Mr. former Java consultant Aaron. So why didn't I jump ship? I had delusions of becoming a re-trained chimp (see above) in the Cognos realm and striking it rich. Instead I'm just a code monkey for 3 new projects being left on my lap by the latest person resigning. So not only am I not getting a steady stream of Cognos experience, I get to take over a partially completed Java-ish projects. Talk about being dealt a bad beat...

Ok, so how about some poker content. I haven't updated in a week and thanks to my latest reader reminding me (wow, I didn't think anyone actually read this garbage...) I decided it was time to add an update.

So let's start off with some current March totals. I basically have sucked ass at NL400 all month. My first day at the new level was March 1 and since then I've played a new monthly record of 29,000 hands (broke my former online record, 15k hands last month) for a crummy winrate of 1.51 BB/100. This translates to $3,518.67 profit so far this month. To some of my non-online poker playing readers, this might sound like a decent month... but considering if I won at the same BB/100 rate that I did during my NL200 days, I would have been over $14,000 for this month. See what I mean? Too bad I'm no good at this game, otherwise this would be my mantra:

I started off playing just two tables, but as the month has progressed I've made it up to 6 tables during peak times where the fish are out in great numbers. Last Saturday was prime pickins where I was on 4 incredible tables and 2 above average tables. I handled 6 tables fairly easily, but I had to cut out some marginally +EV situations in order to better concentrate on 1 or 2 big pots I was playing at once...

I suppose since this blog entry looks like a picture book anyway, I might as well post an updated version of my graph (click to enlarge) :

Ok so how about some hands and worthwhile thoughts.

Here's a hand where I had to lay down top set. I've got KK UTG at an excellent table. Villain in this hand is 37/5 loose passive and pretty unremarkable.

Effective stacks $575

I open with KK UTG for $15, Villain calls, rest fold.

Flop ($36) Q T 3

I lead for $33, Villain calls.

Turn ($102) K

I bet $75, Villain calls.

At this point I'm putting Villain on either a slowplayed turned straight, or perhaps a heart draw with the J or so. Villain is loose/passive, but I think surely I would have heard from a set or 2pair by now.

River ($252) 6

Bleh, hearts made it. Now I choose between check/call, check/fold, bet/fold. I choose bet/fold and I figure 1/2 pot is good enough to maximize value from 2 pair or something like KJ which Villain could have played this way. If villain raises, I'm very sure my set is no good.

I bet $124, donk minraises to $248, and dispite the awesome price I'm getting, I muck. Some might disagree with this, but the donk minraise on the river just screams flush. Where's the 10 when I need it?

Ok maybe that hand was 'meh', let's find one a bit more interesting. Here's one where I can't fold TP because I'm stupid. Watch me donk some money. I can't fold to min-reraises when I'm in position. Blah...

I'm UTG+1 with A Q and open for $14, 1 fold, SB calls, BB min-reraises (basically) to $31, I call, SB folds.

Flop ($76) A 6 4

I'm feeling pretty good as I think AK would like to slim the field a bit more PF with a bigger raise and those small raises are often big pairs not wanting to "lose any customers" haha... Villain makes what looks like a scared continuation bet of $31. I'm feeling more confident of my read as I call.

Turn ($138) 8

Villain leads for $100. At this point I thought to myself "Dang, does he really have AK ? Would he make that bet with KK? What the heck, happened to my read? Villain has been aggro but not overly so. This is the point where I felt like I should fold. I didn't want to call as my hand is pretty damn transparent and Villain could make a big bet on the river and that would suck. I felt (at the time) this would be a good position for a min-raise turn for a cheaper showdown (folding to any further aggression). I raise to $200, Villain calls.

River ($538) 5

Villain checks, I check behind. Villain shows AK and MHING. Bleh.

In retrospect, this was a pretty crappy time for the turn minraise play. A better play would have been to either fold to his turn bet or call with the intention of not putting another dime into the pot. If a river heart comes, I can be pretty sure he's checking. If it blanks, most players at this level aren't making a habit of firing 3 barrels on a bluff. Would he really min-reraise worse than AQ from the big blind? Doubtful... I think folding this turn was definitely the play.

Stay tuned for more of my donkified hands...