2007, buh-bye!

I guess it's time for a yearly wrapup like last year... - it seems to be a spreading meme on the blogs...

Anyhow, life wise, yeah, I got married, bought a house, inherited some kids - so all that was goot. I still have a job that pays, and that I'm good at, so all is fine there. I certainly can't complain about the real world -  (although if any of you have a winning lottery ticket send it over this way) - that's pretty solid.

But ah, the poker world. Hey, I started out the year with a four figure bankroll - and ended with one too - if you move the decimal point.....  ;-(

From last November on, I just got crushed. Didn't matter what I did, what I played. To be honest (and it's something that bothers me still) I'm still not completely sure if I ran into evil variance or the limits of my ability. I felt like I understood the game more and more, but kept playing worse - or at least the results were worse.

At least over the last few months, I've tried to reset things from ground zero, practice sound bankroll management, and basically become a nitty TAG to rebuild my fundamentals. I've basically quit playing NL cash for now, and have focused on cash STTs/MTTs and limit cash games (HORSE and anything that's not NLHE)

I know it's not the way to really play long-term, but I gotta start somewhere. I think I'm getting better (finally) - the results are better over the last few months - but I've been telling myself that for months now....

I haven't played live since March (which was a disastrous AC experience) because I haven't had the time or money to do so. Jenn and I are pondering Vegas trip this summer around WSOP time - though it would take a miracle run for me to satellite in to the Main Event like I did in 2006, so this visit wouldn't be partially subsidized by Full Tilt - but still, I think would be fun.

Anyhow - poker goals for 2008? - simple - play better, play smarter, and end the year in the black, not bright, nuclear-glowing red.

Life goals for 2008? - just maintain... - sounds like aiming low, but with so much to juggle and be responsible for, treading water can be a success in itself - anything else is gravy.

bye silly pig, hello rat!

(yeah Chinese New Year doesn't follow the Gregorian calendar, so what...)

Heff

ah, why I love and hate the game

I've spent most of the Xmas break sick as a dog - sinuses completely stuffed, chest clogged, can't really workout or do anything but lay in bed.... so I goof around with a 180-man SnG on Stars today - yeah, I hit my share of suckouts on the river (A5>JJ on a rag flop to a running wheel, don't ask, it was a silly move - and 77>TT on a JJx flop when I rivered a 7, AJs>KK preflop on a rivered flush - at least on all these hands I moved in first, for what it's worth)  - but this really, really sucks. I knew I was doubling though if I spiked, and yet, sigh.....

PokerStars Game #14161141382: Tournament #71863340, $4.00+$0.40 Hold'em No Limit - Level XIII (800/1600) - 2007/12/28 - 17:24:41 (ET)
Table '71863340 13' 9-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 5: BTenutz (149082 in chips)
Seat 9: heffmike (120918 in chips)
BTenutz: posts the ante 150
heffmike: posts the ante 150
BTenutz: posts small blind 800
heffmike: posts big blind 1600
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to heffmike [3s 5s]
BTenutz: raises 3200 to 4800
heffmike: calls 3200 (suited junk, whatever, we're deep)
*** FLOP *** [8s 4d Ac]
heffmike: checks
BTenutz: bets 4800
heffmike: calls 4800  (standard bet, I float, hoping to spike ,or make a move on the turn)
*** TURN *** [8s 4d Ac] [2h]
heffmike: checks (bingo)
BTenutz: bets 8000
heffmike: raises 16000 to 24000 (I did this earlier and folded to a three-bet shove)
BTenutz: raises 16000 to 40000 (good, will he call now if you shove?)
heffmike: raises 71168 to 111168 and is all-in 
BTenutz: calls 71168 (yippie)
*** RIVER *** [8s 4d Ac 2h] [As]  (*$#&@!)
*** SHOW DOWN ***
heffmike: shows [3s 5s] (a straight, Ace to Five)
BTenutz: shows [Ah 8h] (a full house, Aces full of Eights)
heffmike said, "unreal"
BTenutz collected 241836 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 241836 | Rake 0
Board [8s 4d Ac 2h As]
Seat 5: BTenutz (button) (small blind) showed [Ah 8h] and won (241836) with a full house, Aces full of Eights
Seat 9: heffmike (big blind) showed [3s 5s] and lost with a straight, Ace to Five

no three banana

but ran deep in the AIPS II Main Event, Not horrible. I'll accept 7th. I really, really thought I was going to get deeper, but it could have been worse, I didn't bubble like this guy....

Typical tourney play from me...
1) tighty McTight - 267 hands, see 31 flops, win 27 preflop, only see the river 11 times.
2) shove over top of a raise in hour 2 from the blinds, drawing to three outs (ATs vs KK) and spike a AAx flop.
3) after the second break. watch an UTG open shove for 20 BB... and I have AA. his 88 does not get help, and I hit the chip lead.
4) later, when Lee open raised in MP I flat call on the button with 88, and the blind shoves - Lee folds, I'm getting 2-1 on the pot and still have 10K if I call and lose - I hope he has AK, but I'm up against QQ -  but I flop an 8 anyway.
5) win a race AK vs. 88 blind on blind near the bubble to safely make the final table.
6) watch Lee bubble out shoving A5 into 55 in a blind on blind battle - sick. everything people say is true, a nice guy at the tables.
7) final table, nothing good happens - check raise AI on the turn against someone I know I have beat - open raise a couple of pots, get nine million callers and miss the flop - finally shove over top of a shortie's raise with A7s and watch the blind wake up with QQ... gg me.

A decent run this year - nothing at all like last year - but one banana and another final table, can't complain about that.

Anyhow, never made the BBT2 ToC - flamed out badly in hour one of both the Mookie and Riverchasers because I overplay top pair out of position.- otherwise, things are good, I hate leaves (mid December and I'm still raking them up) and time to go make chili now...

later - Heff

i hate

running good in tourneys and SnGs for a couple of weeks now, then giving it all back at freaking limit HORSE tables - unreal - It's not even one or two coolers, like on a NL table - just hand after hand of missing two-way draws, watching guys runner runner you for a scoop, or peeling the flop and spiking on the turn.
I actually thought I was getting somewhere in the last two weeks, instead of running in place. I guess I need more Force, less dark side on the blog. damm belichick.

lord of the sith

I hate when I think things, say things, but never write them down - Jenn can vouch for me being out in front on this one, but someone else posted first... sigh.....

http://youbeenblinded.com/nfl-week-9-picks-the-showdown/

On a quick sidenote. I’ve heard or read people making reference to BillBelichick being Darth Vader. C’mon people, to quote Mark Jackson,“You’re better than that”. Calling Bill Belichick Darth Vader makes youseem like an idiot. Belichick is clearly the Emperor. He’s evil, wearsa hooded jacket, and he’s guiding his young protegee, the real DarthVader, Tom Brady.Remember, Darth started out good, but he fell victim to the temptationof the Dark Side… This also means that Tom’s son with Bridget Moynihanis Luke Skywalker, and that TB has a daughter that Bridget was wise tokeep from him….

at least I can provide visual evidence and advance things....

aoljpictureUpload, aoljpictureUpload_1

aiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeee. so close.

    I didn't want to play the Mookie Wednesday, I actually wanted some sleep. But, I needed to take my mind off things, so I entered. Gee, it only took four hours to finish second..... Almost won my first Mookie, almost made the TOC. My transformation into a donkament ubernit early on is complete - I don't recall any notable hands one way or another until the final table bubble, when PirateLawyer open raised in the small blind at 800/1600 for 5500 and I decided to shove for 19K out of the big blind with A4s, lol. He of course called with AK, and I of course flopped a 4.

    Then I reverted back to the short-stack ninja stupid crap I end up doing at all final tables, because I never have any chips - any open raise is a shove. shoved Ax into 99, bleh, but the same guy called my shoves at the final table with KQo and QJo., so it didn't seem like a bad idea at the time. Open shoving 76s three handed for like 5BB, getting called by J6, and rivering a flush to stay alive was amusing to say the least.

    Got heads up with Pirate Lawyer down 3-1 in chips, but with some room to manuever - I usually like my chances heads up, but I didn't feel good about this matchup - I'd been shoving for so long I forgot how to play a flop. We played two hands, he raised his button at 2K/4K to 15K, I decided to shove for about 70K (dumbdumbdumb, he knows you resteal wide) with K4, and got called by AQ. Standard. Oh well, a good deep run that felt strangely relaxing and peaceful. Whee. Now I snoozey.

Heff