♠ Wednesday, January 21, 2004
Apparently my blog has been noticed by the poker-blogging community, thanks to Royal Poker and Iggy. Since those guys are likely to bring me new readers, I feel I must exposit on the subject of what the katzenjammer this blog is about, anyway. In between plays in the two multi-table tourneys I'm playing right now (a $9+$1 qualifier for tomorrow's $150+$12 limit event, and a $30+$3 cash tourney), so this might read a little disjointedly.
[In the cash game, I've got about T$2280 with 450 left and an average stack of T$1450. In the qualifier, I've got T$830 with an average stack of T$2200 and 54 left. Top 40 are in the money in the cash game, top 8 in the qualifier.]
Essentially, I was motivated to relaunch this blog with a poker theme by the excellent poker blogging that is already being done out there, which Iggy is so good as to provide daily links to the best of. But, also, I don't always have anyone to brag to about my wins, or seek sympathy about my losses, so I created this blog. And while I usually do have someone whom I can discuss strategy with, it turns out writing it down focuses one's thoughts on the topic nicely. (That had a lot to do with my rant about work, and how much I want to turn pro, below.)
I might also toss in a few posts on other topics; I'm a computer gamer (when I'm not playing poker) and often have thoughts on topics therein, and once in a while I have thoughts about the world at large. It's my hope that this can become a repository for all of that.
[Ho! I just went out 45th in the qualifier, with the top 8 paying, when my JJJ was beat by AAA. We both flopped sets, but there was a four-flush on the board. Neither of us had the flush. Ach well, as they say, if you don't lose a lot of money with sets, you aren't playing them right. Up to 3030 in the cash game, 220 left, average stack 1625.]
Those who bothered to read my rants the other day saw me go down around $100 between the $2/$4 tables and a $30 MTT. I made it back last night, nearly, at the $1/$2 6-rings, which I'd sworn off for some reason. I can't remember why, but I might have been on a long run of bad cards, and the blinds go around fast enough in those 6-rings that a long run of bad cards eats through bankroll quickly.
I've been learning poker over the past year, relying a good deal on the experience I've gained by playing at PartyPoker, as well as in the few bricks-and-mortar cardrooms within a couple of hour drive from here. My math might be off a bit, but I figure that lifetime, I'm down about $500 in the bricks-and-mortar casinos (mostly thanks to one bad weekend before which I was even), and about $800 on PartyPoker (mostly thanks to playing in so many multi-table tourneys and not placing).
I did have one good run on Party, where I ran $200 up to $1200 playing the $5/$10 6-rings, but then it started dwindling down due, I'm now convinced, to hubris. It was a while ago, but I think I became convinced that I "finally had this game down," and could thus start pushing edges that were in fact nonexistent.
I heard about a home game last night, where $200 buys in and they mostly play Omaha Hi-Lo. I wish I knew the game better; what I read says that it's a game where one can get healthy in a hurry if one plays smart.
There's a Vegas trip report coming; I leave Thursday and return Tuesday. I don't expect to blog at all whilst away, but the only touristy thing I want to see is the Star Trek thingy at the Hilton, and will probably otherwise play only poker.
Those who bothered to read my whole long rant below realize I expect to learn too much from this trip, but I really don't like my job.
[Took some tough beats in the cash game and am down to 1900; 120 left and average stack 2900.]
More later.
