A WIN AT LAST

Neteller: Last week $437; Current $437 (-)
PokerStars: Last week $35; Current $35 (-)
Full Tilt: Last week $57; Current $57 (-)
Inter: Last week $31; Current $31 (-)
Big Slick: Last week 247; Current 247 (+17)

Total = $879 (+17)

Profit on the month = $157

Profit on the year = $312

The poker week went pretty much like the previous one. I bobbed along neither winning or losing much with 2nd's and 3rd's offsetting losing games until, finally, glory be, I won one! Therein is my profit for the week = happiness :-)

The stats read...

10 man $5.5 games = 16

1st = 1; 2nd = 2; 3rd = 5; 4th = 2; 5th = 2; 6th = 2; 7th = 2.

So, I seem to be able to cash about 50% of the time, which has to be reasonable. The trick is to turn more cash spots into first places - I will put in some work on that aspect of the game.

If I can put in another profitable month at $5.5 games then I'll have a think about moving up to $10 games. I don't think they are especially tougher but obviously the swings in bankroll are liable to be larger. In the last month my longest losing sequence was 4 and my longest winning sequence was 4 also. Sharkscope has me at an roi of 15% at Big Slick, which is quite good considering it contains my big downswing in May.

Onwards and upwards!

"A pair of sixes."

Neteller: Last week $437; Current $437 (-)
PokerStars: Last week $45; Current $35 (-10)
Full Tilt: Last week $57; Current $57 (-)
Inter: Last week $31; Current $31 (-)
Big Slick: Last week 249; Current 247 (-2)

Total = $857 (-12)

Pretty much standstill stuff on the week, mainly due to being sadly unable to convert any of my cash finishes into a 1st.

The stats go...

$5.5 10 man games.

Played: 12; 2nd = 2; 3rd = 4; 4th = 2; 5th = 1; 6th = 1; 7th = 1; 8th = 1.

$5.5 6 man games.

Played: 2: 4th = 2.

One game where I finished 4th was particularly irritating. With the blinds at 150/300 I went all in with QQ, got called by AA and lost. I battled my way back into it, went all in with JJ and was called by Aces again. No way back that time...SIGH.

Still at least I am still cashing 50% of the time, so I should make progress if I continue playing to the same standard.

The headline refers to an amusing little incident at the local cash game the other night (I won again). One of the novice players called down someone placing big bets on every street. The bettor shows top pair top kicker (AK) and the caller announces "a pair of sixes"...(Bettor looks triumphant and reaches for the pot)..."to go with that one there!"

ANOTHER GOOD WEEK

Neteller: Last week $437; Current $437 (-)
PokerStars: Last week $45; Current $45 (-)
Full Tilt: Last week $57; Current $57 (-)
Inter: Last week $31; Current $31 (-)
Big Slick: Last week 141; Current 249 (+108)

Total = $869 (+108)

The improvement in results since I refocussed my game has continued with another excellent week. I concentrated completely on $5.5 10 player SnG's. From the 19 I played the results were:

1st = 3; 2nd = 6; 3rd = 2; 4th = 1; 5th = 1; 6th = 3; 7th = 2;10th = 1.

Cashing in over 50% of games played, especially with a high concentration of wins and seconds is just what is needed. I was particularly pleased with the way my heads up play worked in the games I won, as I was behind in all three of them when the final phase started. It's a vital part of the game. Still work to be done there though, as I lost twice as many as I won.

The 10th place finish (funny how you remember the bad beats best) was a tough one. My limped pair of 9's hit a third on the flop. I went all in over a minimum raise and he called me...and hit a backdoor straight. So it goes.

Meanwhile the change of tactics in the live game at the Cricket Club paid off with a win. I limped a lot more hands early on (since there is very little pre flop raising - except from me), picking up a couple of nice pots with decent flops. In the middle and late phase I picked off the calling stations mercilessly and that was enough to see me home.

TURN AROUND IN FORM

Neteller: Last week $437; Current $437 (-)
PokerStars: Last week $47; Current $45 (-2)
Full Tilt: Last week $57; Current $57 (-)
Inter: Last week $31; Current $31 (-)
Big Slick: Last week 155; Current 141 (+46)

Total = $761 (+44)

The week started with my lousy run of form in the Blogger continuing when my AK ran into AQ and was beaten by a four flush on the river.

I then decided to put in a bit of work on my game, rereading the Moshman book on mid-blind play in particular and it paid immediate dividends with a decided improvement in results.

I only played 8 ten man $5 games but the results were...

1st = 2; 2nd = 2; 3rd = 1; 5th = 3.

One of the reasons was that I was able to ride out bad beats such as AA losing to J10 off hitting a straight and KQs losing to K10 hitting a 10 on the river, because they happened when I was sufficiently ahead to have some chips left to play with. I ended up winning the KQs game for instance.

The main things I am doing better are noting the passive players so that I can attack them at the mid and higher blind levels and going over the top of mid and high blind limpers. This is putting me in a much better position in games.