April Update

I was planning making a post the goes over my number for the first full month, showing what's working and what's not.

Well, that's not gonna happen because nothing is working. I haven't added up my March numbers yet because they suck balls.

I got off to a decent start for the first two weeks in Vegas, but the last three weeks or so have been an epic failure. Tournaments, donkaments, NL cash, Omaha. Everything!

I don't mind the ups and downs, especially in tournaments. But when it's only down down down, then it's really hard to get motivated to leave the apartment and dust off another buy-in. It feels like I'm saving money by not playing, which is a terrible mindset to be in.

I've been in poker long enough to that I was gonna have some losing months, but I didn't think it would be the first month.

The only saving grace last month, and what kept me from filling out job applications, was the Golden Nugget $140 tournament that runs every Sunday 9am. I've played in five of them so far, and they've been in the 50-60 player range. I had three straight Final Tables, all finished with deals for a total of $3355.

Easy Like Sunday Morning

"Shuffle Up & Deal" - 9am Sunday $100 tournament at Golden Nugget. 10k chips w/ 30 min levels. 5 tables set up, and each table is about half full. My table has five bodies, and I'm the youngest by at least 5 yrs. 

Level 1 (25/50) - We're up to eight bodies at my table. The best way to describe the action is "still asleep", as it has been super passive. The only big pot at this table was the previous Hand Of The Day, and it didn't go well for me. I have 8150 chips. 

Level 2 (50/100) - Full table now, including a Kid who is seated on my Right+1. Action is still comatose. In the only big pot of the level, one of the players was making crying calls because he only had Bottom Set. Of course, it was good. I only raised a couple of times, and won them all on the Flop. I have 8600 chips.

Level 3 (100/200/25) - Mid (50's guy) raised 400. I'm Button with Kc Js. Considered making a 3-bet, but didn't since I was the only caller. Flop Kd Qh Td. He bet 500, I raised to 1200 with Top Pair & Open-Ender, and he called. Turn [Kd Qh Td] 2s. He checked, I bet 2000, and he thought for a bit before folding. 

Hand Of The Day #102

Golden Nugget $140: Level 1 (25/50) ~ 03.02.14

Since it's Level 1, we aren't at a full table, and the action has been ultra-passive. I min raised (100) from UTG+1 with KJs. Four players see the Flop Kh 8s 5s. Pretty good flop with Top Pair + Flush Draw. I bet 225. Button (60's Lady) raises to 500. SB (70's guy) cold calls.

So much for a passive table. I decide to 3-bet to 2000. I have a big hand, and I want to win a big pot. But I also want some more information. If the Button 4-Bets, then she's got a Set, and I can act accordingly. She ends up thinking for a bit before calling. SB calls quickly.

Turn [Kh 8s 5s] 3d. SB checks. OK, now it's time for me to think, and put these two on hands. The SB is the easy one, as the line of Check Call Call screams the Nut Flush Draw. Of course, he could just be a calling station, but we'll assume the Nut Draw until something changes.

Today Is The First Day Of The Rest Of My Life II (The Sequel)

I'm typing this from my new apartment in Las Vegas. I drove the U-Haul down from Reno on Monday. This post would have been up sooner, but I've had big issues with my internet company's wonderful customer service, and I'm posting it from a McDonald's.

I know you're wondering if I transferred down here like I did from Ohio to Reno. Well, the answer is "No." I quit my job, although I prefer the term “Retired Early”.

So the next logical question for you to ask is, “Why would you walk away from a job that pays $65k a year with good benefits?” Well, that answer is a rather complicated, and will require a few paragraphs.

First, I've been with the USPS for 10 years, and I've known for most of that time that I was not gonna be there for the full 25 – 35 years like most of them. The plan for me was to save as much money as possible, and move on to other things when the time was right.

The post office has big problems, and has been deteriorating every year I've been there. First, it's one of the worst run organizations in the county. Although, in their defense, I think it's just too humongous of a company to be run with any efficiency. Second, they need to downsize drastically, but can't because of postal regulations and numerous union contracts. Any major changes, like elimination of Saturday delivery, can only happen with an Act Of Congress. But as everyone knows, Congress is not capable of doing any action these days.

$8/$16 Omaha-8 At Atlantis

$8/$16 Omaha-8 at Atlantis is a 4/8 chip structure with the yellow $2 chips they normally use for the rake. There is a half kill to $12/$24 (6/12) when someone scoops a $100 pot, which is on the small side. The Kill acts like a sleeper straddle, as it acts last preflop unless there is a raise in front of it. 

This is the 3rd week this game has run at Atlantis on Saturday afternoon. I played both times after work, and I'm up almost $300 so far. I had last weekend off, so I'm able to play from the start of the game. I thought I would try a Running Log for the session, as I haven't done a Running Log for a cash game in loooong time.

2:00 $200 - Full 10-handed table. I recognize most of the players, and it's a good mix of tight & loose. 

Other games in the room today include (2) $1/$2 NL, $3/$6 L, $10/$25 NL, and $100/$100 NL. No clue why they have the big NL games today, as it's normally hard to get a $3/$5 game going here. I recognize only one players at the $100/$100, but most of the $10/$25 are locals. I guess there are a couple of special guests in town this weekend. 

2:30 $230 - Normal action so far, as nobody's stuck yet. It was pretty quiet for me. The only significant pot was me limping the Button with Ts 9s 8d 7c. Flop was Jc 8h 7s. Checked to me, and I bet ($8). Three callers, and Turn [Jc 8h 7s] 7d. I bet ($16), and they all folded. 

WSOP Stats (Post-Boom)

As a mailman, I listen to various podcasts to pass the time while I'm delivering my route, including some poker podcasts. They often mention how many WSOP Bracelets and Final Tables a players has. But for older players, many of those successes came before the poker boom, which started with Chris Moneymaker's win of the 2003 Main Event.

To me, since the poker world changed in 2003, there should be WSOP stats that start after the poker boom. I've had this thought for a few years now, but have never found those stats.

So over the summer, I started playing around with this idea in my spare time. I ended up making a huge spreadsheat with results over the last 10 years, all the way back to the 2003 Main Event. I included all bracelet events except for the WSOP Circuit National Championship and the Casino Employees event. The National Championship is relatively new, and really has nothing to do with the WSOP. And with apologies to Chad Holloway, nobody of any significant has done anything in the Casino Employees event.

I decided to jot down all 1st and 2nd places, along with any 3rd places and Final Tables of player names that I recognize. Why 1st, 2nd, and 3rd? I don't know; Gold, Silver, and Bronze I guess. Here are what I determined to be a Final Table, which I believe is the same as the WSOP uses.

Rants & Raves: Reno Tournament Series

Hi!   I'm still here.

I haven't been writing because playing poker in Reno isn't very interesting to me these days. I'm keeping the blog open for the information in it, and just in case I have something to write about.

Well, something happened last Sunday that got me to sit down and type.

Grand Sierra started their Fall Pot Of Gold tournament series on Thursday, and it goes through today. However, it was announced on last Sunday that the series has been cancelled after four days. The reason was due to excessive overlays for the guaranteed events.

The big $100k weekend event, which had five starting heats, had a $30k overlay. The  tournaments that I played included a $10k Omaha-8, a $10k HORSE, and a $15k NLHE. They all missed their guarantees by a decent amount. I would estimate that GSR had to pay around $40k in overlays for all event over the first four days. Due to gaming regulations, management's only choices were to continue the series or cancel the whole thing. And with a $200k Main Event and various other smaller guarantees, it's not that surprising that they pulled the plug.

Never Give Up, Never Surrender

Grand Sierra just finished up their Spring Pot Of Gold tournament series last week. I didn't get to play much due to my work schedule. So I thought I would try something different, and play the two Limit Omaha-8 tourneys that started on the two Saturdays at 4pm. I don't get to punch out from work until 4:30, but late registration is for two hours.
For the first one,  I got to the table about 5:30, and there was 39 entrants. Things didn't go well, as I couldn't scoop a pot to save my life. I busted out around 6:45, and finished in 29th place.

For the second one, I got there just after 5pm. The Main Event was running, so I expected a smaller field for this Omaha-8 tourney. But I didn't expect to see just one table going. I registered as the 10th and final player, and got my 8000 chips in the 150/300 level. (Remember, this is a Limit tournament. The 150/300 is the Small Bet/Big Bet. The blinds are 75/150.)

I was extremely card dead for this tournament, and basically blinded off for a while. It took me almost an hour and half to win my first pot. I hit a Full House with QQXX on a Q66 Flop. The SB bet out. I just called, and so did another player. Turn [Q66] J. SB checked, and I bet. Both players folded, and the SB showed a 6. Drat!

Hand Of The Day #101

$1/$2 NLHE ~ Eldorado ~ 04.11.13

Full table on a Thursday evening. The play has been mostly limpy with the occasional preflop raise to $8 or $10. I'm UTG+1, and look down at A8d. I bought in for $100, and I'm up to around $160. I've been trying to play position, so I should fold this. But I don't listen to myself, and limp in.

Nobody raised, and six players see a Flop of Qh Jd Td. Pretty sexy Flop for me, as I have an Omaha-esqe draw with the Nut Flush and Double Gutshot. I like to bet my big draws, so I bet $10. If the Turn hits my Flush, then I can check, and hope someone hit a smaller Flush. If I hit my Straight or miss everything, then I can keep betting.

Three players called, and the Turn is [Qh Jd Td] Kc. A beautiful card, as I now have the Nut Straight, and the Nut Flush Draw. I bet $20, and I really hope somebody raises. Fortunately, a 70's gentleman cooperates, and raises to $70. The other two players fold, and I quickly shove my last $130. He calls, and asks if I have an Ace.

I say, "I've got a freeroll, baby," as I show my cards.

Reports Of My Demise Are Greatly Exaggerated

~ Yes, I'm still here. I've been saying for the past six months or so that I'm losing interest in blogging, and that I'll probably be posting less. I've have over 400 posts on this blog, and I highly doubt I will get to #500. I have no plans to close the blog, but posts will only come along when I feel like it.

~ Now for an update on how my year has been. First of all, I'm trying to take my recreational play more seriously. I've set a goal this year of $10k profit. That is far ahead of anything I've made in the past. It may seem like a big number, but it's only $2500 every 3 months or roughly $835 each month. That doesn't seem too unreasonable.

I'm also trying to follow stricter bankroll requirements, rather than just playing whatever I feel like. I started out just playing $1/$2 and small tournaments under $200. Right now, my "pile of cash" is up to the level where I can play bigger cash games ($2/$5 NL or $10/$20 Limit) once a week, and I'm occasionally taking a little out for gas and groceries.

Here are the monthly numbers:
+$2144 January
+$697  February
-$1019 March
+$842  April