My Vegas trip was probably one of the worst times I've ever had on a vacation out there. There's really no good reason to feel like this except that I'm still sick. I pretty much exhausted my body on Saturday from drinking through the 2 NCAA games which I won a parlay on and then deciding to play poker from the time they ended until the time the 2 NCAA games on Sunday ended. I think during that time I drank more Heineken then I actually played poker. I ran pretty ridiculous for the trip and I assume my VPIP was around 8%. By the time I left Tuesday morning I was up $180 which was good since I don't remember ever fully stacking or being stacked the whole time. The trip was pretty much over once I went to bed on Sunday since I was extremely exhausted and spent the most of the time after that in bed besides watching the Brewers game.

I really want to grind through April but thus far I've been sick and just feeling groggy. I've put in 1k hands and am down like 1.3 buyins so whatever not a big deal. I think I'm going to do a move up at 10 buyins for next level deal and see how it goes. I guess it'll keep me intrigued and hopefully peak my interest and allow me to continue to grind while getting some experience at higher limits.

It appears that I have taken the rest of March off since my last post and I'm pretty upset with myself about it. At the beginning of the month I had a downswing and grinded relentlessly and finally got ahead. I was starting to play well and was going to transition to 200NL again. Well, right about that time I decided to get drunk last Thursday and decided to drink until Sunday night. Since I woke up on Monday I felt like laying around and I watched 2 seasons of The Wire since I've only seen like Season 4. I haven't felt like playing really and I haven't even read much or watched any videos.

Tomorrow morning I'm heading back to Vegas. I haven't been there since the Superbowl where I ran well and found a guy that dumped 12k into the 2/5 game. I'm planning on grinding a lot while taking a few breaks to watch the NCAA. This will be a nice little vacation since it seems I may have taken this poker break due to burning out. Hopefully once I get back I'll drink AMP for a few weeks straight and run well. I read a lot of blogs between here and CR and it seems so many people are taking more aggressive shots at the next level and I may try to start doing that. Every time I start playing 200NL I end up taking a few days off and start feeling rusty when I sit back down and I never stick with it for 3 weeks. This will all change in April once taxes are paid and got the rest of the year in front of me.

One thing I seem to see a lot of are the amount of posts regarding tilting and blowing money on this and that. I don't know how people after all these years can't figure out to just play a limit and quit running up and down the limits. I can't say I ever get the urge to run up to 5/10 and blow 4 buyins whether I'm drunk or not just to play or possibly chase a loss. I guess maybe it's different if you got a regular job or just have money where it don't matter, I just am surprised everytime I hear someone who grinds like 100NL running to 5/10 for some reason or another and then *****es about how they'd be good if they didn't tilt.

Saturday I headed down to Milwaukee about 3ish to start drinking before the Bucks/Celtics at 7. Mission accomplished. It was pretty sweet to finally see some big superstars at the Bradley Center since every year when I go to a game its usually against someone as bad as the Bucks. Ray Allen didn't play nor did he need too. The game was pretty much a blowout and I'm glad my buddy got like a free $50 gift card along with his 4 tickets so I didn't have to pay for any beer. Left the game and headed to the strip club for some reason. Left there to get drunk cheaper at the bar next door. Headed back to the strip club until they closed down and went to the casino. Wait lists were to long for some reason at like 3AM to play drunk 2/4 limit haha. Played some BJ, Craps and then stickied up my losses on Roulette and ended up $40 on the night haha.....well at the casino anyways.

I already got about 1k hands in today. I really want to grind more today, but 2 of my buddies are bartending at the Irish bar in town since 10AM, I just can't seem to talk myself into going there yet since I still feel beat from the other night. The session went great and I really feel like all of the "studying" lately has helped a lot. I'm taking more chances in certain spots and I think it's starting to payoff. I seem to be 3betting flops more here and there just when Villain really can't have all that much and in doing so I'm really building up my image it seems. In the past I probably would've folded when I got minraised but it just seems lately I haven't hesitated to follow through. I'll post some hands later tonight or once I get back on my desktop. Heres the graph from this morning thus far.

Well it's 430AM and I decided not to start up again and am about to take a nap before I gotta get up and start drinking for the Bucks vs. Celtics game today. Throughout Friday I played off and on and did pretty well. Early on in my first session I felt like I was just going to bleed money trying to stack 2 fish and then I finally got at both of them and from then on I just was holding up and getting myself in good situations. I played just under 3k hands and in PT when it sorts by winning/losing hands KQs lost -$74.70 so I don't think I ever got stacked for a full buyin which is a good feeling. It seems that I just need to stay nitty against these big fish who are so loose and passive w/o putting to much money into the pot w/o knowing exactly where I'm at. Anyways...kind of tired so am not going to bother posting to many hands. My day ended with me playing 19/16/4.81 so whatever.....here's an EV graph. Run good, play good.....profit?!?

I went to the game tonight against the Jazz and they played really good compared to what I expected. It was a good game for free especially since the Jazz had to play hard due to the playoff picture in the West. My buddy managed to catch a shirt and get on the JumboTron, while my shoulder made it on as well. Really looking forward to a day of drinking on Saturday and taking a cab to go watch Bucks/Celtics.

Last night I played a session and one of my friends sweated over TeamViewer. It was a pretty ridiculous session being up almost 3 buyins at one point and then ending up down 3 buyins. I'm down like $320 w/ AKo alone just from AI PF. The more and more I open up and correct some leaks, both small and big, I've been having larger swings as expected due to a different PF dynamic along with 2nd barreling and betting the river thinner. I set the tone on one table early on with this hand:


Poker Stars, $0.50/$1 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 5 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter

UTG: $99.50
Hero (CO): $178.90
BTN: $98.50
SB: $93.50
BB: $343.60

Pre-Flop: Q A dealt to Hero (CO)
UTG raises to $3.50, Hero raises to $12, 3 folds, UTG raises to $25, Hero raises to $178.90 and is All-In, UTG calls $74.50 and is All-In

Flop: ($200.50) 2 5 K (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

Turn: ($200.50) 7 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

River: ($200.50) 6 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

Results: $200.50 Pot ($2 Rake)
UTG showed Q A (high card Ace) and WON $99.25 (-$0.25 NET)
Hero showed Q A (high card Ace) and WON $99.25 (-$0.25 NET)

-------------------------------------

After this happened it seemed that I continually was 3betting the Villain both in and out of position. It was really easy to push AQ in the hand there mainly because I knew it was coming and I'm pretty intent on going with my read. I really think Villain 4bet with the intent to fold and somehow managed to talk themselves into it which I find a horrible call.
-----------------------------------------

Another few orbits later the same situation came up with a different villain that I have at 33/15/4.5 with a 3bet% of 19.05 over 114 hands for whatever thats worth.

Poker Stars, $0.50/$1 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 6 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter

BB: $100
UTG: $291.50
Hero (MP): $229
CO: $117.05
BTN: $106.20
SB: $91.85

Pre-Flop: A K dealt to Hero (MP)
UTG folds, Hero raises to $3.80, CO raises to $12, BTN folds, SB calls $11.50, BB folds, Hero raises to $229 and is All-In, CO calls $105.05 and is All-In, SB folds

Flop: ($247.10) J 2 6 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

Turn: ($247.10) 5 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

River: ($247.10) 4 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

Results: $247.10 Pot ($3 Rake)
Hero showed A K (high card Ace) and LOST (-$117.05 NET)
CO showed T T (a pair of Tens) and WON $244.10 (+$127.05 NET)

I think this is fairly standard with the small amount of notes/stats I had. The 3bet CC didn't bother me one bit since he was the fish at the table. The same fish also CC a 3bet in the next hand.

This hand is against the same villain as in Hand #1. Same fish CC the 3bet as in the last hand.
-------------------------------------------

Poker Stars, $0.50/$1 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 6 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter

BB: $142.85
UTG: $265.25
Hero (MP): $102.35
CO: $72.75
BTN: $57.50
SB: $92

Pre-Flop: K A dealt to Hero (MP)
UTG raises to $3, Hero raises to $11.45, 2 folds, SB calls $10.95, BB folds, UTG raises to $31, Hero raises to $102.35 and is All-In, SB folds, UTG calls $71.35

Flop: ($217.15) 2 3 2 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

Turn: ($217.15) 8 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

River: ($217.15) T (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

Results: $217.15 Pot ($3 Rake)
UTG showed Q Q (two pair, Queens and Deuces) and WON $214.15 (+$111.80 NET)
Hero mucked K A and LOST (-$102.35 NET)

I felt with how the table was going and everything at the time a shove was clear. Although I've replayed the hand in PT a few times and I'm not sure what I think of it now. I don't think I ever thought Villain was 4bet bluffing this way, but at the same time I don't think they had AA or KK for some reason. I'm not sure what my shove is accomplishing because at the same time I don't think I can expect Villain to be folding QQ with the dynamic, although I might have thought that the CC of the 3bet by the fish may had "scared" them and was small 4betting to find out where I was. Meh.

Well, I feel like I've been awake constantly and haven't had much sleep and for once it's due to actually putting in hands and just reading a lot. I think I have just over 13k hands in at 100NL and lately I've been focusing on trying to play 4 tables although 1 or 2 extra tables seem to keep making there way onto my 2nd monitor. I'll post an EV graph at the bottom of this entry. I also wanted to say that my SN on Stars is "zm_dawg" and if anyone had anything to mention to me about playing or wanted to talk feel free to PM me. I know there's a lot of regulars between here and 2p2 and it'd be nice to discuss whatever.

Other then that I talked to a buddy of mine the other day and he mentioned he got 4 free tickets to go watch the Milwaukee Bucks....and I was thinking wiii great go bucks ha. Then he said they were 8th row and they're playing the Celtics and then I was pumped. It was weird because the company my mom works for gives away a pair of tickets for every game and last year was the first year I haven't gone to a Bucks game in ages and I had just asked her on Saturday if she was still in the drawing. She called me Monday morning at 530AM because she realized I'd be awake like an idiot and said she got to work and she won tickets to the game tomorrow against the Jazz. So I guess I'm running good in NBA games. It's about time I actually get to see two decent teams.

EV Graph:

Well today started a new week and things have been going pretty well so far. This probably has a lot to do with no having put in a session yet. I woke up at about 5PM today since I've been on a horrible sleep schedule due to running bad and really trying to play and read a lot along with watching videos. Anyways I woke up and was asked/told that my buddy got 4 tickets to the Bucks game this Saturday. Usually this isn't much to get excited about but its against the Celtics and probably the only game I'd really want to go see. So I'm pretty pumped about that as the tickets are in the 8th row and I don't have to pay **** for them. Other then that I just got done eating steak and lobster that my dad cooked up as a late birthday dinner as we didn't do much for that 3 weeks ago.

Poker...2008 was going great, I pretty much rededicated myself to studying and putting in a lot of hands. I started 8+tabling 100NL and was cruising along making a few cash outs to pad the bank account and get a nice roll for 200NL. I had a lesson with Craig probably 3 weeks ago and I feel it went really well and he opened up my eyes to my nittyness. I was cruising through the end of February and it turned to March and **** hasn't been right since. My last 1/2 session I played was really unfocused. I just started playing along with this like 60/8 drooler and kept iso'ing with **** and never really adjusted. That along with the realization I still had to pay taxes I've dropped back to 100NL for the time being. So I'm taking like 2/3 of my money out of Stars and grinding for a bit.

In the last few days I've done a lot of reading and reflecting on my game and I suppose it isn't as strong as I thought. Sure I've been making money mainly just due to not making as many mistakes as others at the levels I'm at. There are a lot of spots I could get myself out of if it were only for a little more discipline. Playing 100NL and even 200NL sometimes makes me kind of toss money in the pot with this or that due to probably playing like live $500 buyins or even gambling far higher amounts on basically coinflips back in my casino whoring days. This shouldn't affect what I'm currently trying to do which is just playing solid poker and moving up. No matter whats in my account I'm not trying to move up unless I feel like ready in one way or another to move up. Here's two posts from 2p2 in the last week that I think can definitely help anyone.

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/sh...d.php?t=149056
http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/sh...d.php?t=146616

The second one I used to kind of laugh at the mention of TAGfish but until reading it and kind of having in the back of my head while playing, I think some of the tendencies do have a habit of popping into my head.

I was waiting for the new blogs to pop up here so I could start jotting down some thoughts again. I kind of forgot about the CR ones and after I realized how many there were I figured it was a little late to have people start viewing it as it'd be lost in the mix. I really would like to keep up with this and hopefully between this and the forums get a better idea of who's who and have some good discussions.

I used to have a blog when I lived in Vegas and quit posting on it once I moved back home to WI. At the beginning of 2008 I started to focus on poker again.

A little about me:
1) My names Zach
2) 24 years old
3) Born/Raised/Reside in WI
4) Lived in Vegas 2006
5) "Pro" since June 2005 - Pro Gambler far more then just poker until recently
6) Only Child
7) I was born with Spinabifida and a clubbed foot - Title comes from T-shirt given to me while at Children's Hospital at birth..ha

I've been grinding NL100 and recently NL200 on Stars since the new year started. For awhile I was 10+ tabling but recently I've tried to cut back and actually pay attention. The year was going great until the calender turned to March and I think I'm in my biggest downswing that I've ever had while playing a consistent amount of hands.

Thats about for now...if anyones interested in a bigger introduction you can check out my old blog as I wrote up a pretty good intro...figured it's a little outdated so didn't want to just copy/paste it.

http://nubbbbby.blogspot.com/2006_08_01_archive.html