09 Poker Summary -ok here we go then. My well documented and now very boring 30k december downswing(not that im holding a grudge) was followed by 3 months of treading water and making a small winrate, at lower stakes, and gradually regaining this loss. Its been slow and painful but i got it back eventually. Im not complaining though as i know im very lucky to be doing this for a living, and its nada like a real job in the real world, but it is bloody stressful when things aint going your way and something probably only a fellow grinder will appreciate.
The first 12 weeks of 2009 would look something like this. 14 days into the month i would might have grinded out maybe 10k-15k profits, then got "doomswitched" and drop 10k in 3 days and 3 sessions and we are back to where we started. Alternatively, id drop 10k in the first week of the month and spend the rest of it trying to get it back. shite
So ive been constantly playing under pressure basically and hating every minute. Ive was dreading logging in to play a session, nevermind taking the time out to write about said misery on these digital pages
So i figured somethings gone wrong somewhere. Although generic winrates are decreasing and the games are infinately tougher than they were, and this trend is set to continue, i cant have gone from a solid winrate of 4bb/100 to a break even/ 0.5bb winner overnight. Which is whats happened. In context, i was winning between 15-50k a month and now i consider 10k a result with march break even over 90k hands.
im still playing sunday tourneys, and this wasnt going well either with 0 cashes from 40 starts
So yeah somethings definately gone wrong. First up, im tilting. not raging tilt, although i blow up after i lose 5-6 buyins ins in a single session wit the ole "fxxk it" move, and throw my dolla in the middle knowing im beat and refusing point blank to logically analyse the hand.
So, and ive said this before, im going to quit sessions after 5 buy in loss. i mean it this time.
So, and ive said this before, im going to quit sessions after 5 buy in loss. i mean it this time.
and secondly, and this is a massive spot, my positional sense has drifted completely out of synch, which i realised last week after posting this on 2p2
i cant believe my stats last month where so bad positionally. shows me ill have to review sessions more and not let this leak creep into my game again
so march was my 2nd losing month, and looking at this image, its easy to see why. i mean playing only 23% from the button is a unforgiveable, and im annoyed with myself for not spotting this earlier. Defending blinds too much and not playing co and button enough. Basics. Ive got everything back to front. With that in mind, ive re-energised my game recently.
These are my positional stats from last week, since i spotted this bullshit
These are my positional stats from last week, since i spotted this bullshit
a drastic improvement basically.
figures
MARCH
CASH PLAY - $-980
hands played - 73025
loyalty bonuses - $3000
weekly hours 33
mtt results +$23337
total profits +$25357
It was looking like another dismal month but was saved by a donkament strike on the 30th when i won the 50 rebuy on stars for 32k.(900 runners). Again, i looked hard at my mtt game, watched some videos on lego poker, which helped tremendously. My mtt had rotted away in a similar fashion to my cash game, and watching these vids made me realise how out of synch i was in relation to how the game had progressed in general. It provided instant results and a much needed boost to my confidence just at the right time.
The 30th march donkament win proved to be the start of better things. I won an all expenses paid trip to austria on a freeroll thanks to my sponsor, centrebet for this. Didnt cash but really enjoyed the trip and the people we met.
April - WSOP main event here we come!!
Better things continued in april and ive turned in a decent profit at the cash tables after plugging the leaks and generally playing better, with more logic and composure, and less desperation
figures
APRIL
CASH PLAY $28624
hands played 82671
loyalty bonuses $1500
weekly hours 46
mtt results -$1600
total profits +$28524
I won a WSOP main event seat last week in a freeroll on my site, that had only 4 players in it!!!!
serious, centrebet poker has tons of value at the moment, as they try to grow their client base. if anyones interested, drop me a line and i can hook you up a good deal. i mean 4 players, and a free seat. jesus!
This is my first ever wsop, and obvously very excited about it all
this is how my year cash graph is shaping up
and this is my 12 month graph which visually depicts why ive been whinging better than any words can
update on my year goals
weight loss - slow progress but progress nonetheless. Currently im at 13st10 pounds, from 14/2. i want to be 13 by year end
hand target of 1 million. which equates to 83k hands a month. as you can see fromt he graph im at 330k after exactly 4 months which is 82500. so im bang on the money here
omaha - play 1 day a week. im doing this at .5/1 heads up, not 1 day a week but a couple sessin a month and slowly picking things up
heads up play. plan was to learn this and its took some time to get to grips with. ive purposely been playing the regs rather than bumhunt , and ive lost.............
but i won last month
and i like it. and im getting better at it i think. i never expected to win at hu at the start, but im pleased with the progress and hopefully next month with exercising game selection ill post another win
Shares - im in gold silver, and im about the short the markets if they rally a little more. total portfolio down 7% atm, but this includes dealer charges and bid spreads. 90% my positions are in precious metals and these are for the mid to long term
car -
long story here, and its a pain in the arse tbh, but its coming along, just need some wheels and interior trim now. heres a peak 
All in all things are pretty damn good atm
29 April 2009 08:01
Good to see you back on the blog. WP to get over the hump.
I am a micro fish (and hate giving advice to good players) but if you don't mind me saying - your WTS% seems pretty high. You also seem to be 3-betting a ton from the blinds? Why not just flat your AQs / AJs from time to time, see a flop and take it from there. 3 betting that much I suspect the villains knows your rang is pretty wide. I heard something recently by pokey that we should forget trying to win money in the blinds - just try to minimise losses (obv 3-betting is part of that strategy).
Also if you've not read it - get a copy of 'Poker Mindset'. I recently bought it and it is really, really helping - especially in avoiding tilt.
29 April 2009 08:33
thanks m8.
you may be right from the blinds. my games just drifted around without any thought tbh. i hate flatting from the blinds, its an ocd i got, as you gotta check fold to most c-bets. as part of my game overhaul this is one area im not sure im going to change, as i like to seize the initiative back from the prf. im defo going to tighten up 5% from both sb and bb though. ill let you know if my loss rate in the blinds improves.
im aware its better to 3 bet in position though, so im going to utilise this on button and c/o more.
damn basics really, and im annoyed with myself for letting this happen tbh
thanks for your comments, and the tilt book especially
funny old game innit
29 April 2009 19:42
who is that in the pic?? Looks like Erik Lingren?
30 April 2009 05:11
dunno m8, just made me laugh when i saw it
1 May 2009 18:32
excellent blog. Ive been a follower and avid reader for quite a while.
I'd be interested in maybe signing upto centrebet (especially if there are going to be more added money/shallow field freerolls/overlays on there over the coming months).
Perhaps you could drop me an email with some sign up info and what type of rakeback deal or similar i could get?
mphrallying@hotmail.com
Cheers.
Keep up the well written blog and best of luck at the tables!
Matt
5 May 2009 08:50
Hi Blogger,
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5 May 2009 11:19
ok sir, email sent
5 May 2009 12:31
Hi Clark, long time reader of your blog and fellow mid-high nl stakes pro from the UK (London), I play lots of diff sites atm. I like your blog and was wondering what had happened to you!
Anyway I need to open some new accts on various sites and wondering if you can help me out with this Centrebet place. I obv need a decent rb deal. I play 2/4nl-10/20nl and play higher mtts. I dont put in the amount of volume you do, but I play alot of HU.
Can you drop me an email about this account at Centrebet, to dappadan777@hotmail.co.uk to let me know wtf I do.
Thanks,
Dan
5 May 2009 18:26
no probs chaps, my chap at centrebet will email you both shortly.
thanks for the support dan
8 May 2009 15:08
Hi, I put down pretty decent volume in midstakes and currently have a very nice deal at ipoker. Im interested in the wsop package though. Could you or a rep send me an email with details about the wsop freerolls and estimate of how many players aswell as the royalty deals available.