You have my stapler?

Ah that wonderful time of year has begun again. At least there weren't too many annoying law changes to worry about this year. I will probably only play sporadically until...say...April 16th or so.

In other life news, my girlfriend has officially moved in with me, and damn my place is a mess now. Between sorting through stuff and work, I'll barely have time for anything else. Here's hoping this transition goes smoothly.

As always, good luck to everyone.

So my girlfriend and I got our Christmas bonuses last weekend and were trying to decide what to do. She blurts out "Let's go to AC!" So we did.

We went to the Showboat since they have free parking and I know they have Saturday tournaments at 7 PM. I wanted to give it a shot, so I paid the $125 buy-in and went to work.

91 signed up and they paid the top 9. Started with 15,000 in chips with 20 minute levels starting at 50/100. I managed to quickly bust two people at my starting table with the nut flush vs. a straight and middle set vs. TPTK. I slowly increased my chip stack as the levels progressed and managed to win practically every hand I played.

I finally got to the final table as a slight chip leader as I busted the 10th place guy with QQ vs. AT. There were two key hands at the final table that I can remember vividly.

First hand, blinds $10K/$20K, I have about $280K and am in second. I raise to $60K from the cutoff with AKo, the big stack calls from the big blind. Flop is T77 with two spades and he bets $30K. This guy had been playing practically every hand and had just busted the 7th place guy with 62o vs. AA, so I figured he had a flush draw or maybe two high cards like mine. I shoved and he called with KJs. The turn and river don't help and I double up to be the chip leader with 6 to go.

But, tiredness took its toll in this hand. Blinds $15K/$30K, the SB completes and I check 73s. Flop is Q72 with two spades. He checks, I bet $50K, he called quickly. The turn was a black ace and he checked again. Thinking it was the As, I bet $60K with my flush and he shoves. I instacall and he shows As8d. I think WTF? Then I look closer at the board and it was the Ac. The river was the Ad and I was crippled.

Ended up shoving J4 and ran into AQ and busted in 5th for $520. I'm disappointed with the end result but am happy with the way I played. Altogether it was a great experience and I would like to do it again soon, perhaps with more caffeine in my system so I can read the board properly after 6+ hours of play.

Happy new year, everyone.

Yes, after being down $2,500 at my worst point of the year, I am now even for the year. This helped:

http://img117.imageshack.us/my.php?image=12152007125108lh6.png

Also, Sunday Million ahoy!:

http://img209.imageshack.us/my.php?image=12202007114117it8.png

I could unregister and use the $215 elsewhere, but I figure I'll ride my hot streak and see if I can make a nice cash on Sunday.

I haven't played much besides these tourneys due to having bronchitis (ick), but I'm slowly getting over it.

Happy holidays everyone.

I still suck at updating. Oh well, at least this one is positive.

I've been running pretty good over the last month or so. After I lost the $500 I deposited for the bonus, I went for another $500 and decided to play NL200, since that's where I've had my success in the past. I ran that $500 up to $1,600 (and also finally earned my deposit bonus) and cashed out the winnings to pay for Christmas presents, bills and such.

In the past few days, I've gotten the $500 I left in up to $1,000, so hopefully I'll keep playing well enough that I can recoup most of my losses over the past year.

Have a merry Christmas everyone, and a happy new year. And, as always, good luck to all, unless we're in a pot together.

Meh, I guess my lack of good news led me not to update until now. Oh well.

Played in that live tourney, made a royal flush on the first hand, and never won another hand after that, finishing in 36th out of 38 pla<x>yers. Played in two side games while the main game finished, and didn't cash in either one, the last I busted out with top set against a flopped straight. It was not my day.

As for the rest of the past 3 months or so, not much to tell. I put $500 in to go for the deposit bonus at PS, and I have run that down under $50 playing full ring NL50. Dear god I suck at cash games. It seems like I never hit a good draw, get sucked out on constantly, but I guess I'm not the only one with this problem.

I'm trying to play some $5 SNG's to avoid putting more money in the account, but it just feels that my heart's not in it. I've lost about $2,500 this year so far and I have no god damn clue how I let it happen. And I still have a ways to go to get that $125 bonus. Bleh, poker sucks.

On the bright side, I have a wonderful girlfriend who has been somewhat understanding of my poker obsession, but gets concerned whatever I slam my laptop shut in frustration after yet another 3 outer on the river to knock me out of a tournament. Maybe I'll concentrate more on her for a while.

As always, the best of luck to everyone.

Well, after a nice vacation, I put the money back in to my account and am ready to embark on my journey of self-improvement.

I played a few $5 multi-table SNG's and won one, so I'm up to $150. I think I'll focus on playing these and try not to tilt as much as I was before.

Also, a buddy of mine at work got me into a live multi-table game this coming weekend. $100 buy-in, $5K chips to start, 30 minute blinds, should be interesting. Here's hoping I don't stack off in the first 15 minutes.

As always, good luck to everyone.

I've had enough, so I cashed out my last $120, and I'm throwing in the towel, at least for now. I have some 6,000 FPP, so I'll probably use those in some satellites or something, but not right now. I'm going on vacation for the 4th of July and I just need to get away from this frustrating game for a while.

I know I played at stakes too high for my bankroll, and I played pretty bad more often than I would've liked, but the number of bad beats I've taken over the last 2 weeks has just destroyed my confidence and sucked all the enjoyment I got out of playing.

Good luck to everyone.

BR under $400 now. I haven't cashed in my last 12 SNG's, bubbling 6 times.

I busted out of the $20 heads up tourney in my first match tonight (the guy just had so many monster hands I never had a chance). So I decided to play one of the one-table satellites to the 150-WSOP seat guaranteed tourney, and...

http://img485.imageshack.us/my.php?image=06122007231321nl7.png

Ship it! Of course, I'm tempted to transfer the $370 of W$, since I figure my chances in the event are slim to none... but it is tempting.

Gave up on cash games and returned to various SNG's, and did pretty well over the last few days. BR is holding around $900, and after the beating I took at the cash tables, I'm happy with it.

BR under $900 now.

I won the first hand I played today with 52 when I flopped two pair.

After that, not one big hand held up, or I ran into a monster.

AK v. AQ, lost to inside straight on the turn.
AJ v. A4, he called me all the way to the river with a missed flush draw and bottom pair.
QJ v. J4, he flops two pair, I flop top pair, I naturally pay him off.
99 v. QQ, I have a flush draw with an A and a K on the board, and he calls anyway with no flush draw, and of course I miss the flush.

Just...I suck.