BINK BINK BINK

^^^

Guess who's back?

Looks like we intend to be serious about this blog now, which I welcome.

The past month and a half has been out of this world for me. Given my low volume, I'm extremely happy with what I have been able to accomplish. I've had the pleasure of breaking my biggest cash ever 3 times in the past 6 weeks, which is definitely an awesome feeling.

Most recently I got 3rd in the FTP 55k guaranteed for 8k. I thought that I played very well throughout the tourney, and played the big stack well throughout the FT. I misplayed one hand against Huck Seed with second pair BOB (he had flopped the nuts straight obv), and I was crippled, and soon out of the tournament. Earlier in the tourney, I had knocked out Aaron Bartley for my first FTP Pro bust out. I'm very excited to get the t-shirt in the mail, and I will be sure to wear it much more than I should.

I feel like I am seeing the game more clearly than I ever have before, and it's a very exciting time. This is what I love about poker: it is never-ending. I can always get better, and since I can always improve, I will never tire of poker.

I'm happy that the 56Ace Crew is going to be serious about blogging. We have all come so far, and yet we all have so far to go. I'm happy to detail my journey, and I hope the others will do the same.

I'm looking to qualify for PCA, and I can be serious about it now that my midterms are over. I rarely play SNG's, but I've been watching many SNG videos, trying to improve myself for my PCA qualifying run. GL me. Mike's trying to qualify too, here's hoping we bring you a trip report from Atlantis come January.

Updates soon to come...

-DDG

School....

since school started, i have had much less time to play poker. i can basically only play on sundays. i have still not finished reading HOH, but i just started to read it again.

as for poker, i havnt really done much recently. i've gotten deep in a few majors, 3 60ths i believe. so that sucks.

mike was absolutely wrecking the first few weeks of school and most of summer. it was amazing how everything just clicked for him. he's been putting in a lot of effort, and his results are showing that.

matt is just getting back into poker. hopefully he starts owning the 180s again. he was sick at those. those 180s are a good way to increase the br.

danny is 100000% better than last time anyone of us has posted. i think it was fair to say that danny was not great back then, but he has improved so much.

i know that danny and mike are trying to win seats for the PCA. danny is going to start out with the step tourneys at the $200 level. mike is doing just fine. gl in the PCA, i'm jealous

ddg = ghey

hahah he posted twice in a row...what a flamer

Finally, a Final Table!!!!

After not making a final table for about 4 1/2 months, I finally got my act together. I got 2nd in the FTP 14k guaranteed for $3k. The biggest key for me was cutting on the big mistake that would inevitably happen (restealing at a bad time, trying too hard to win a pot). I found that by staying focused, I was able to avoid those pitfalls. In a few days, I'm heading up to Connecticut for a week, which will unfortunately mean no poker. I'll be sure to get back to playing regularly once I get back. I got the monkey off my back, so now I can just try to play my best poker.

Bringing the Blog Back

After a lengthy hiatus, we're going to try to get serious about this blog business. I'm going to try to post at least once a week, and hopefully the other crew members will post often as well.

Summer's starting, and I hope to be playing a much higher volume, more to the likes of gib and mib. I feel like I'm playing well enough that I should be a winning player, now I will be putting in the necessary time.

Good updates to follow, I'm sure.

hi

hi

A final table, oh really?

After a pretty shoddy December, things seem to be looking up in the new year. I cashed 3rd in the 11:00 $30 freezeout for $2k+, my biggest tourney win ever. Before this cash, I had missed the money in 14 straight MTT's. So this was a welcoming change. I head back to school on Sunday. I fixed my schedule for next semester so I can play more late night tourneys without sacrificing huge amounts of sleep. Happy New Year to all. May you hold with the best and suck out with the worst.

An addiction, oh really?

So last night Matt and I went down to the Hard Rock to play a $150 donkament. We both lost.

I have told my parents that I play online and that I have gone to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, but I still felt the need to lie to my mom when she asked me where I went last night.

Here is our conversation:

Mom: whered you go last night?
Mike: JJ's then out to dinner
Mom: whered u go to dinner
Mike: duffys
Mom: well, u used up half a tank of gas
Mike: well, i was dricving around alot, jj's, duffys, poker, picking people up and driving them around
Mom: whered u play poker?
Mike: frenchmans
Mom: you didnt leave palm beach county?
Mike: no
Mom: u didnt go down to the casinos
Mike: no, not last night
Mike: but if i did, would it be a problem?
Mom: ya, we dont really like u going down. We don't think you should be gambling that much.
Mike: why?
Mom: well, u might have an addiction
Mike: im not addicted, dont worry
Mike: do you think i am addicted?
Mom: im not sure, do you think you are addicted?
Mike: no
Mom: well, could you walk away and never play poker again?
Mike: no, that doesnt mean i am addicted tho. i just love playing it. could u walk away and never watch tv again?
Mom: yes
Mike: ok, well do u think dad could?
Mom: no
Mike: does that mean he is addicted?

(mike walks upstairs to go play internet poker)

--MIB

I Can See Clearly Now, The Rain is Gone

After donating to the prize pool over the past several days, I finally got my act together last night. I cashed in both of the events I entered, a $10 180 SAG and a $30 MTT. My cash in the SAG broke my 0/9 streak of cashing in the 180 man contest. However, while I have been able to shake bad play, bad luck still haunts me. Here are a couple examples. In the 180, I had a good stack going into the money. I was probably about 5th in chips with 18k. I got to 24k when I ran into this. I get KK in the BB. Guy in LP makes standard 3x BB raise to 3,600. SB raises double to 7200. I push AI for my remaining 16k on top (enough to put both all in). Initial raiser folds (he told me afterwards he layed down AQ). SB has 6500 left, so I guess he might have been pot committed. Still, I am shocked when he calls and flips A8 diamonds. Flop, of course, comes Axx, two diamonds. I now have one out, and of course I don't hit. Next hand my A2 doesn't hold against QK, and I bleed more chips. I'm crippled, and I bust out a few hands later with KJ clubs to AJ. gg me, out in 15th. In the $30, I make the money with a middling stack, probably 30th in chips when we hit money at 63. I regulate my stack, and get a point where there are 23 left, me in 16th or so with 19k, with blinds 1k/2k. Some guy in LP raises to 6k, I'm in the BB with A2 spades. He has me covered, and I decided that he is either stealing, or playing cards that he could easily fold to an AI push. I push in for 13k more. He has me covered by 6k, so essentially his tourney is on the line too. He calls me, however, with QJ hearts. Flop is a heartbreaker, 9 10 K, giving him the nut straight. I'm left hoping for runner runner straight or flush cards, which don't come. gg me, out in 23rd. I was satisfied with my play for most of the tournamnent, obviously there were hands I could have played better. It really shows the importance of those pivotal hands deep in tourneys . With the exception of my AI hand in the 180, I was consistently getting my chips in ahead (though I don't think Bill Fillmaff would disapprove of my play with KJ puppy feet). I had an awful run to end my play tonight, probably the worst I've ever had. I guess I could be upset about it, but it isn't constructive. I played good poker, and tonight I got burned. I'm going to continue to play my best, and the chips will fall as they will.

A Win!

Well, first I would like to congratulate Harrison for his amazing cash in the $50. Im so proud of him. Last night, he made a FT and in my opinion (and his) he played absolutely horrible (sorry, for being so harsh, lol). I told him this many times to try to get him to improve his play. What do you know? He makes another FT today and proves me fucking wrong. He played so good at tonight's FT and led him to take first place $$. SHIP THOSE DOLLA BILLS YO

Also, I made 3 cashes tonight in the $10 180 man challenge with 1 win. Weeeeeeee. I feel like I played great poker in that, especially at the final table and on the money bubble. There were 2 or 3 hands i played poorly (well, not necessarily pooorly played, but unlucky I ran into a bigger hand) and I got lucky on. I hit a 3 outer with about 15 or so out to stay alive and give me around a 36k stack. From there on out it was pretty much over (not to be cocky or anything, lol). It was a looooong Final Table, taking like 50 hands before the first knockout (where 3 people were actually knocked out on one hand).

Also, Matt and I (and maybe Danny) are splitting Cardrunners, which is a website with videos and other learning tools from online poker pros like Green Plastic, ActionJeff, Mkind, etc. This should be very helpful to our games.

MIB

(this will be updated with a more updated analysis of my win, at some later point in time when i look over the full hand history)

fuck paragraphs

wow, my first post ever. i hope i post more and more on this team blog, and eventually make a blog of my own. 12/2/06 i entered two $50 tourneys. in both of them, i got staked 50% by dapper dan g. in my first one, i made it past first break. i didnt play great, but i didnt play badly either. in my 2nd $50, i felt confident. i honestly feel nervous during the beginning of a bigger buy in tourney. i guess, that nervousness makes me play less hands early, and because im scared of busting, it puts me in less coin flips early. anyway, for the first 45 min, i still hadnt gotten or lost much chips, but i eventually doubled from a donk with J 10 on a flop of xx 10. i had A 10. i dont really remember much after that until around final 27. at around final 27 i was 2nd in chips with around 35k. it amazed me that CL had 105k. as blinds were getting bigger, i became more aggressive, and stole blinds when ever i felt like it. my reputation was perfect. i got to the FT, i think 2nd in chips. lost a hand early on at the FT. i had A 3 dia on dealer, and UTG limped, and about 2 others limped as well. so i limped (i think blinds were 2/4k). anyway, flop came 2 3 8, two dia's. UTG had been tight, and i should have realized that. he bet out 8k in around a 20k+ pot. everyone folded to me, so i bumped it up around 24k+ more to put him all in. i honestly didnt even think about what he might have had, i just wanted to get my chips in the pot! anyway, he called with AA (OBV) and i didnt hit. after that, i didnt want to bust in 9th place, so i let myself cool down a bit. even at a full table, i was still able to steal blinds. it was prob the best run of cards i have ever seen at a FT though. it seemed to me that i always had an Ace. i knocked out my fair share of people at the FT (prob 4) and when it got three handed i was the chip leader with about 250k compared to two stacks of around 150k. i asked if they would like to see a deal, but one guy said "no," so we played on. in two hands, i busted the tool that said no. the hand i busted him went like this... i was BB for 12k with 99. tool was dealer and had about 110k left. he pushed, and SB folded. i insta called and he flipped A 2 spades. i was happy with my position, and was happy because i had been running well in these kinds of AI's all night. well, flop came 9 5 4, all spades. i was watching one of the obs saying "nice hand gib". he was obv clueless that he just flopped the nut flush. so i was feeling a bit tilted, however, turn and river both came 3 to boat me up. during heads up, i asked the guy if he wanted a chip chop and he said sure. he was a very nice guy and it was a plessure playing with him. i had about 530k, and he had about 220k (sry if my chip counts are wrong, this is just off the top of my head). when support came, they said i would get $5400+, and he would get around $4200. $3200 had been my biggest previous cash. that happened when i took down a $20 midnight tourney. he agreed to that chip chop, but i wanted to play for a little bit of money heads up, so i asked him if he wanted to put in $215 each, to make it $430 for the winner. he agreed. a couple of hands in, i had K 4 suited in the big blind. he called from the dealer for 16k, so i bumped it up to 64k (yes, a huge raise). he called, leaving himself with about 200k left. flop came K 9 x. i bet 64k again, and he pushed all in. i felt i was beat, but i called anyway (he had been loose ever since we chopped). he flipped 8 9 off suit (lol at his call PF). turn x (at this point, i was practially celebrating). and of fucking lee jones christ, river comes an 8 to give him two pair to scoop the pot. FUCK!! that left me with about 160k. stupid on my part to fold the next 4 hands, but i was mad. anyway, i was down to 100k and looked down at 8 2 offsuit. i push praying that he folds, but if he does call to please let my cards be live. well he insta called with Q 8 offsuit. and gg me. i took home 5225.09. earlier in the day, i had won a seat to the sunday mill. so, yes i am going to play in to tomorrow (today). dapper dan g had 50% of me in the $50, so i shipped in $2500+, a nice payday for us both.

what a long fucking post. yw

The Doldrums

I'm 0/7 so far in the 180 sag contest. Admittedly, I played poorly yesterday, going 0/5. I only made it past first break once. However, today I'm on fire. Unfortunately, I missed the money in both the sags I've played so far. In one, I ran QQ in the SB into KK in the BB. Not much I could have done about that, and I finished in 76th. The other sag, however, was where I was playing my best poker. I was 1/42 and playing great, when my luck turned against me. I lost a couple key hands, then got all in with JJ against 66 on a 345 flop. Turn x, river 6, gg me, out in 22nd. It was an 18k pot, so if I win that, I'm in the top 5. I don't think I could have played much better, the chips just didn't fall my way in the end. Oh well, I'm railing gibler in the 50 now. I don't think I'll get in another sag for a while, because I have a live game in 3 hours. I'm playing well now, so things should be good, hopefully.

The 180 Challenge

Tonight our crew officially starts a $10 180 man tournament challenge with fellow Pocket Fivers. Danny (Dapper Dan G), Matt (robbie redbi), and I (moneyinbag) will be playing our hearts out to win this challenge. The challenge begins on Dec 1 and ends on Dec 31. Your teams top 30 scores in $10 180 man tournaments will be counted with a minimum of 5 scores per each person. We would like to get 30 Final Tables with about 15 wins. I, obviously, will be playing a high volume of these tournaments. The buyin for this challenge is $50 a person ($150 a team). As of now there are ten teams registered and the top two teams will be paid. The level of competition in this challenge is very high and everybody is really focusing on it. SOOOOOOOOO much pride on the line. Well, GLGLLGGL to Team 56Ace.

Regards,

MIB

Frustration

I'm playing well...at least I think I am. I'm 0/3 today, having busted in a $10 180, a $20 180, and a $10 45. I was 0/3 yesterday too. I think I'm just running cold, but it's tough to deal with. If I were getting my chips in with the worst and losing it would be one thing, but I don't know how to learn from getting sucked out on. I guess I'll just keep plugging away, and eventually Lee Jones will stop giving me shit.

Its Good to Have Friends...plus some 6 tabling

Yesterday I had myself in 4 tournaments and had to get across town to the fraternity house. Fortunately, Dan took over and did very well by me in my 4 tournaments, setting me up for a final table, though I busted in 6th for an inconsequential payday. Later, I was deep in two tournaments when the internet connection crashed at the Theta Chi house. At that point, Gibler123 (Harrison) took over for me. Ultimately, I should have let Harrison keep playing as I messed up two chances to go deep for a big payday. So basically, much thanks to the Gibs, its good to have true friends in the crew.


So last night, I played until 4, and woke up at 11 am to play some more. There weren't any good tournaments I liked, so I sat in at 6 100 max nl tables. I've been playing more nl cash games lately. It seems everyone is sitting back waiting for the nuts, playing weak tighting and set-mining. Thats how I used to play nl hold-em. But today, I was active, playing a lot of flops, and outplaying my opponents. I made a few key check raises based on reads and all in all played very well. I always felt in control. I played 600 hands and made 75 ptbb(poker tracker big bets) which is two times the big blind, meaning 150 dollars. This is a great rate. I won't be able to sustain that, but I think I can come close. The downside of 6 tabling is its a lot less fun. A lot less. It seems like work to be honest. So, after an hour, I decided to call it quits and play some tournaments, which is more relaxing if I just have 3-4 tables open. So now, I'm 4 tabling tournaments, and watching Reservoir Dogs. Very relaxing.

Good news 1. With 1 day left in November I pretty much officially am playing in the PCA sat coming up. YAHOOO.

Good News 2: I am a gold star

4 Tabling Makes my Head Spin

Today, after busting out of a $5 turbo MTT and a $10 45 SAG, I filled in for Matt, who was in 4 tourneys. I managed to avoid donking him out of any of the tourneys, though I almost crippled him in one where his KK couldn't hold against 66. I was able to get back to where I started when 99 held against A 10, as incredible as that might sound. I also realized something when playing, that robbie redbi gets much better hands than Dapper Dan G. Maybe I need to start 4 tabling or jerk off Lee Jones, I'm not sure what Matt's secret is. I can't play a tourney now because I have a student government meeting at 7, but I might get into a live game tonight, as it has been my source of income over the past 3 months. GL me and 56ACE.

I Am Dominating

3 Final Tables in 2 days!! I just need to learn to finish. That is all. Kthxbye