So, after Thursday night's total joke of a performance, I knew what it was time for. It was time for me to take a break from the tables, as it had become apparent to me that both:
A) I was not catching like I should.
B) I was playing like an absolute donk.
So, a little breather can only help. I spent my time on other endeavors. Part of it was poker-related. I installed WINE on my Linux desktop, trying to get my Poker clients up in Linux, so I wouldn't have to deal with Windows anymore. PokerStars & AP was a success, everything else failed. So I'm gonna have to either work on them, or shell out for VMWare.
My first venture back to the tables came Monday night, when Jake, his little brother Caleb, and I, played some hold'em...at stakes they could afford to lose...$0.15 buy-in tournaments.
The first game, I completely outplayed them. I have had so much shorthanded experience that it isn't funny. Granted, I'm not the best at it, but I feel my shorthanded NLHE game is incredible. There was probably one hand that first game that I sat out on, and spent my time completely outplaying them on the flop. Took Jake out first, and then I finally get the chance to take Caleb on heads up. Once again, dominating him on the flop, and letting himself dig holes for himself. I was playing so many different starting hands, that they had a hard time putting a read on me. Up $0.30
Second game, Jake took an early chip lead by taking Caleb out within 5 hands, leaving me heads up against him at a 3:1 chip disadvantage. I head him off for a long time, but used his chip lead very aggressively, and would come over the top of me after almost every post-flop raise I would make. At that point, I knew I was either going to have to catch a hand on the flop and try to get him to put his money in against me, or go big or go home pre-flop.
Eventually, I came almost to even money with him, but it was not enough. He continued to play the same strategy. After trying to bluff him out with a double gut buster on the flop, he called with two-pair. I improved on the turn with a flush draw, not to mention perhaps a pair to give me a shot for a higher two pair or a set. Unfortunately, nothing materialized, and he picked up the win.
I ended the night up a whopping $0.15. Yeah, book the cruise. But it was a good practice game. Gave me a little time to adjust to two different amateur styles of play, which I'm going to need come Dec. 3.
As you all should know, the fifth Poker Forum Challenge will be at Royal Vegas Poker on that day. It's time to start getting my focus on for this one. I slept through the first 3 levels in the first one I played with, and caught dry in the fourth one, and would like a little redemption this time around. It's gonna be tough with the bizarre structure of this tournament. Blinds double every 10 minutes. When it comes to about 60 away from the money, it becomes a short stack convention. Gonna have to practice a lot of different strategies quickly and get ready for this.
As a lot of you have read below, AJPoker.com had an altercation between TCPokerCommunity.com in the last PFC, and me more speicifically with a member of their forums named "JohnJr." I've laughed off this clown dodging me, but I still want redemption. I think the ones of us who was there all do. All in all, I'm waiting to see the seats, and actually hoping to get JohnJr at my table. If I can't earn his respect, I'll steal it from him with every chip I take from him.
Well, tomorrow night will be the Negreanu Open on Stars. I have been waiting for an opportunity to play this event, and finally get the chance to do it tonight. It wasn't for a lack of a bankroll on Stars, just a timing conflict on my part. I had registered several times, and had to unregister because something had come up. Not now. I'm ready for this. Can't wait to see my name at the top of the results. Plus, that $300+- dollars would look pretty shiny in my Stars account.
Until then, keep it real.
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