Friday, August 17, 2007

Calling it Quits For Now

I've managed to blow my $5.2k bankroll to $3.6k playing $100 and $200 nl he hu. I'm pretty sure if I keep playing I'm going to bust my account because I feel no motivation to play my A game anymore. I'm cashing out and calling it quits for now. I'll probably just play free roll MTT for fun.

Overall, I've made over $15k playing poker for about 2 years. I feel that I've overachieved actually because I started out playing 0.50/$1 limit holdem with a $200 bank roll and gradually moved to nl he. I've been able to beat $25, $50, and $100 nl he sh but have failed at $200 nl he sh and HU play.

It's so sickening that I'm actually going to quit poker indefinitely. I'm sure I'll be back playing online in the future when the US government decides to regulate online poker so that it is easier for the average American to deposit/withdrawal.

I just need to focus on my life right now. I still volunteer at my school with research (U of M TC) and work full time at a Group Home for Adults with Mental Illness. I plan on attending Grad School in Fall 2008 and earn a Masters in Psychology so that I can practice therapy. I also need to get back in shape and live a more active/healthier lifestyle.

I'm sure I'll be a happier person because I won't have to deal with the variance of poker anymore. Plus, my parents and brothers don't actually support me playing poker. They think that I am wasting my time and money. It would be nice to have their support but it is not necessary because it is ultimately up to me if I play or not. I don't share with them how much I've made or lost because it would blow their minds. They don't want to hear that I swing hundreds and even thousands daily.

I really admire the players who can lose 10-plus buyins and still play their A game. Poker is a very tough game and it's all about personal management. If you can't play within your bankroll and manage tilt, you will never be a winning player. This game is so sick and addicting, I love it but I will have to walk away.

I'll read and respond when I feel I can help. I really hope all of you accomplish all your poker/life goals. Some of you guys are very dedicated and I'm sure some of you will be playing higher and higher stakes eventually.

Good Luck,

AppleSeed

Saturday, August 4, 2007

July Stats and my biggest pot ever (BRAG)

Here are my July Stats.




I didn't play too much hands because I was focus on improving my play. I mainly studied and tried to improve my hand reading ability and participated in reading/answering blogs. I also experimented with HU cash game play.

I found a real maniac at $100 nl he hu. I played him on day one and took about 4 buy ins off of him. After he played me, he went straight up to $1k nl he hu and won about $3k. The next day I found him again playing at the heads up tables. He sat at the $1k hu tables with $400. I decided to sit since I had a good read on him and knew he would tilt like a mad man.

Then this happened. He's such a maniac that I got priced in with my two overs. I had to call, and I was basically flipping a coin with him on the flop.

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1334452

I lost and reloaded to $1k. I would consider this tilting even though I knew I had a edge on this guy. I was in the heat of the moment and if I lost this $1k, I would of been sick to my stomach and regret it.

Here's a hand to show you how sick this guy is. I made a good read and went with my instinct. He was the sort of player that would bet when he had nothing and check when he had a medium/strong hand for pot control/deceptiveness.

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1334552

Luckily, I stack him for my biggest pot ever.

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1334465

He was such a maniac that I decided to call him with any two on the button because he would stack off with the worst of it. I flop TPWK and decide to play it passively because if I raise, he would usually fold with air and push with draws. Once I hit two pairs on the turn it was a easy call. My biggest pot ever, even though I only won about $371 on this session.

If you see this guy sitting, I recommend sitting with him. Very profitable, even though it's high variance. I got up after that hand because too much of my BR was on the line. He reloaded to $1k but I wouldn't dare play that guy again with $1k. I would consider this a +ev shot because I had a good read on him. I played him with my $4.8k br. Now I'm sitting at about $5.2k. Yeah, HU is so sick.

Funny thing is, I followed him around after that match. He went up to $2k nl he hu and lost it all. That guy is a sick gambler, trying to run it up quickly or go bust.