The start of poker at uni?

I know I said I'd be writing the next few weeks off, because poker really takes up time, and it's time you don't have in the first few weeks of uni because there is so much going on...

..but, I have been pretty ill lately. I went out on Friday to this Shane Warne thing organised by 888.com which was a really really good night. I won a signed cricket ball, and Arsenal tickets, while drinking as much free drink and eating as much free food as I could. I also brought two cricketing friends along to play against Shane Warne, and they loved it, so that was cool. The problem was I had a bad cold (freshers flu?) and it made it worse. I stayed in bed a lot of Saturday, and also played around 500 hands of poker, which I ended +$1300. I'm really unsure as to whether this was a good idea. I felt really bad, and can't have been thinking at my best. I was really bored though, and suprisingly missing playing a lot.

I had a good long sleep and still felt bad in the morning today. I had to go to football trials though which sucks when you feel ill. I got through like 2-3 hours of playing football in the seering heat (prob just under room temperature). Then came back deliberated over whether or not to go out, in the end I couldn't get hold of anyone and felt kinda ill still.. so I decided to play a session.

I played around 1500 hands over 4-5 hours and ended +$3200. Something about it didn't feel quite right. People played worse against me than my results indicate. Also there is one hand that just threw me so much, I seriously had no idea what to do in any way:


$5/$10 No Limit Holdem
6 players
Converted at weaktight.com


Stacks:

UTG		($1065.00)
UTG+1		($2122.00)
CO		($1129.00)
Hero		($4107.00)
SB		($880.00)
BB		($987.00)

Pre-flop: ($15, 6 players) Hero is BTN

1 fold, UTG+1 raises to $35, 1 fold, Hero calls $35, 2 folds

Flop: ($85, 2 players)
UTG+1 bets $60, Hero calls $60

Turn: ($205, 2 players)
UTG+1 bets $165, Hero calls $165

River: ($535, 2 players)
UTG+1 checks, Hero bets $355, UTG+1 raises to $1862, Hero folds

Final Pot: $2752
UTG+1 shows:

UTG+1 wins $2749 ( won +$627 )
Hero lost -$615.00



Yeah, no analysis, cos, like, I have no idea what to do here, such a tough spot.



My first week of uni has just passed by. It's been pretty cool. There's an annoying factor of living a little bit of a walk from campus with a group of 3rd years. But they seem cool, the room is really new and I'm always elsewhere anyway. I have met lots of new cool people and start my course on Wednesday. I have 3 early starts (is there anything worse for a pro poker player??).


Being at uni around students definately brought up some (problems isn't the right word here, but i'll use it, cos it's nearly 1am and i'm kinda tired and can't think) problems. I was speaking to Brian about this sorta thing earlier:


Hitch says:
well, some of my friends...especially my uni one's think it is wrong that i can make so much money

Robbo says:
that line made me laugh

Robbo says:
its so true

Hitch says:
my friend seriously thinks working at a supermarket part time is tougher than playing poker

Robbo says:
thats clearly untrue. Ask him to lose 10k then see how he sleeps at night

Robbo says:
seriously your friend has a little bit of a skewed perception



After writing that I figured his friend is just a normal person, and probably a lot of people I tell especially young people struggling for money at uni are gonna have the same perception. Being a poker pro is easy, all you do is click your mouse and win a shit load of money while sitting in a nice comfy chair listening to The Thrills (I type that cos I am listening to them, and they are great).

So I'm not sure if I should tell people or to what extent I should tell people about poker. But the more I think about it the more I think it's inevitable people will know. A couple of people know already, along with the facts that I can't lie too well, and I will be getting drunk lots, which makes me talk about stuff I shouldn't!

*one note*: I underestimate playing poker for a living lots, but it's sure as hell harder than working in a supermarket.



"And remember that time when you told me that money wasn't real. Well old man, I'm 42 years old, and I finally realize what you were trying to tell me, so many years ago. I finally understand."

(also Blow...)

End of month.

I finished for the month on Friday. It's been a pretty bad month, but luckily I got in a few decent sessions towards the end of my month (I'm also lucky in the larger sense that I can consider ~26k/month to be bad). I move to Uni in like 12 hours so I'm writing off the rest of this month, and probably the first week or two of October as well. After that though I'll be looking to play as much as possible while still at Uni. It may be hard and also a bit stressful but hopefully I will be able to manage it.

Better start packing I guess...

Still getting destroyed.

The last two days have been just the same as the previous 5 days or so before them. Either getting my money in good, and losing, or just getting in crappy spots... and also losing.

I had a coaching session yesterday, for 2 hours. For the first 1 and a half hours we got soooo unlucky. Ran into aces lots, a higher full house, got 2 outered, and generally just got into terrible spots. In the final 30 minutes we clawed some of it back, but still ended down money.

For the month I'm +13k, and will probably only be playing another 4 or 5 days this month. It looks like it is my worst month ever as a pro so far (winrate wise) but the good thing is I actually feel pretty confident in my game at the moment... which is wierd, cos those two things would def not normally go hand in hand.

Over the next few days, I plan to play a lot. Also I have a coaching session on Thursday, which I plan to win a lot of money in... (please?)




May the wind always be at your back and the sun upon your face and may the wings of destiny carry you aloft to dance with the stars.

( I just watched Blow)

Rob

Rant.

I'm getting absolutely destroyed. I'm not even losing much money (if at all) cos they games are so good I can just grind the money back from the bad players. The money I'm losing is to regs that are running rediculously good v me in big pots.

exapmles:


$5/$10 No Limit Holdem
3 players
Converted at weaktight.com


Stacks:

BTN		($2738.05)
SB		($1611.05)
Hero		($1015.00)

Pre-flop: ($15, 3 players) Hero is BB

BTN folds, SB raises to $35, Hero calls $25

Flop: ($70, 2 players)
SB bets $55, Hero raises to $155, SB raises to $355, Hero goes all-in $980, SB calls $625

Turn: ($2030, 2 players)

River: ($2030, 2 players)

Final Pot: $2030
SB shows:
Hero shows:

SB wins $2026 ( won +$1011 )
Hero lost -$1015.00




Just pokerstoved this and apparently I'm only 62%.. which suprised me, but every little counts.




$5/$10 No Limit Holdem
4 players
Converted at weaktight.com


Stacks:

CO		($1128.00)
BTN		($1000.00)
SB		($320.00)
Hero		($2249.25)

Pre-flop: ($15, 4 players) Hero is BB

1 fold, BTN raises to $30, SB calls $25, Hero raises to $140, BTN calls $110, SB folds

Flop: ($310, 2 players)
Hero bets $155, BTN calls $155

Turn: ($620, 2 players)
Hero bets $1954.25, BTN calls $705

River: ($3279.25, 2 players)

Final Pot: $3279.25
BTN shows:
Hero shows:

BTN wins $2026 ( won +$1026 )
Hero wins $1249.25 ( lost -$1000 )
SB lost -$30.00





$5/$10 No Limit Holdem
6 players
Converted at weaktight.com


Stacks:

UTG		($2239.25)
UTG+1		($985.00)
CO		($2507.05)
Hero		($997.50)
SB		($1126.25)
BB		($1528.05)

Pre-flop: ($15, 6 players) Hero is BTN

3 folds, Hero raises to $25, 1 fold, BB raises to $90, Hero calls $65

Flop: ($185, 2 players)
BB bets $110, Hero goes all-in $907.50, BB calls $797.50

Turn: ($2000, 2 players)

River: ($2000, 2 players)

Final Pot: $2000
Hero shows:
BB shows:

BB wins $1996 ( won +$998.50 )
Hero lost -$997.50




I have 82% equity here. Though it is against Hitch, which makes it slightly better and less annoying than losing to a lot of other regs.





$5/$10 No Limit Holdem
6 players
Converted at weaktight.com


Stacks:

UTG		($2295.50)
UTG+1		($1027.00)
CO		($1783.45)
BTN		($985.00)
SB		($440.75)
Hero		($995.00)

Pre-flop: ($15, 6 players) Hero is BB

3 folds, BTN raises to $30, 1 fold, Hero raises to $110, BTN raises to $250, Hero raises to $995, BTN calls $735

Flop: ($1985, 2 players)

Turn: ($1985, 2 players)

River: ($1985, 2 players)

Final Pot: $1985
BTN shows:

BTN wins $1972 ( won +$987 )
Hero wins $10 ( lost -$985 )



His call is mindboggling.




$5/$10 No Limit Holdem
6 players
Converted at weaktight.com


Stacks:

UTG		($1805.18)
UTG+1		($2853.00)
CO		($185.00)
BTN		($3333.04)
SB		($924.00)
Hero		($1110.00)

Pre-flop: ($15, 6 players) Hero is BB

3 folds, BTN raises to $30, SB raises to $100, Hero raises to $240, BTN folds, SB calls $140

Flop: ($510, 2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $210, SB calls $210

Turn: ($930, 2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $660, SB calls $474

River: ($2064, 2 players)

Final Pot: $2064
SB shows:

SB wins $1875 ( won +$951 )
Hero wins $186 ( lost -$924 )
BTN lost -$30.00



ewwwwwww




$5/$10 No Limit Holdem
6 players
Converted at weaktight.com


Stacks:

UTG		($1479.75)
UTG+1		($946.00)
Hero		($2898.38)
BTN		($1091.00)
SB		($3097.50)
BB		($641.00)

Pre-flop: ($15, 6 players) Hero is CO

2 folds, Hero raises to $35, 2 folds, BB calls $25

Flop: ($75, 2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $55, BB raises to $126, Hero calls $71

Turn: ($327, 2 players)
BB bets $480, Hero calls $480

River: ($1287, 2 players)

Final Pot: $1287
BB shows:

BB wins $1284 ( won +$643 )
Hero lost -$641.00





$5/$10 No Limit Holdem
6 players
Converted at weaktight.com


Stacks:

UTG		($1773.75)
UTG+1		($1000.00)
CO		($1226.40)
Hero		($1359.00)
SB		($555.48)
BB		($817.50)

Pre-flop: ($15, 6 players) Hero is BTN

3 folds, Hero raises to $25, 1 fold, BB calls $15

Flop: ($55, 2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $40, BB calls $40

Turn: ($135, 2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $110, BB raises to $220, Hero calls $110

River: ($575, 2 players)
BB bets $300, Hero calls $300

Final Pot: $1175
BB shows:

BB wins $1171 ( won +$586 )
Hero lost -$585.00




Am ~15k for the month which isn't a disaster or anything, but still kind of a downer cos of how great last month was, and I wanted a big month before I set off for uni.

Listening to The Verve's album at the moment and it's awesome. Have a football match today, then menna be going to the dogs tonight which I'm not too fond of.. so might just drop like a grand on a random dog to make it exciting.



Rob