Ring of Fire

Gonna need some gravel in my guts and spit in my eye to get over last nights two nightmare hands! I promise this won't turn into a blog of whinges and moans but hey its my space to let off steam so thats what I'm gonna do.

The first hand was a bit freaky because a couple of hours earlier I'd replied to one of Tripjax's posts where he wrote about limping with 10h5h,hitting a flush on the flop and losing to a boat.

Mine was similar only I was at a 6 max $1-$2 nl table and had called a $4 raise from the button with Qh7h .$4 was a very small raise for the wild table I was at but in hindsight I'm now wondering if I should have insta-folded instead.I felt Trip was unlucky especially as he limped but my reasoning was that at a wild table if I hit I could win a lot and if not it was an easy fold.

Board gave me my Heart flush and I raised big when the preflop raiser led out.He reraised me and I put him all in.The Ace on the turn gave him dem quad Ace beetches and my ass was handed to me on plate whilst my $200 buy-in was handed to the villan!

Maybe I shouldn't have been in the pot in the first place but poker is a game of opportunities aswell as cards and if I get a chance to see a ( relatively) cheap flop then hit it big I'll take it.


My next battle with the beast of variance came when I'd not been long at another $1-$2nl 6 max table.I get QQ and bet $8 preflop and get 2 callers. Flop comes 2 2 7 ( where's the hammer when you need it?) and I bet the pot and get 1 caller.Hard to put him on a 2 after calling my preflop raise.I know the table is crazy but I've not been there long enough to get a read on the villan.When the turn brings another 2 I'm sure I'm ahead probably v a lower pp.I'm hoping its the 7 at this point.I go all in after a J on the river and of the villan shows A2 for dem quad duck beetches!

Quads had crossed my mind in the second hand but I couldn't see lightening striking twice like that.

Not on too much of a downer about it.Didn't tilt at all and actually won back $30 before going to bed late about 1.30am.

I may not have tilted but the one topic I was going to post on today was concentration and focus.
I played Friday night whilst drunk,Saturday night I was hungover and yesterday played when I was very very tired.

I'm going to take more breaks during sessions and limit myself to playing only the lowest limits or not at all if I'm feeling too tired.

The concentration issue is more down to the hours I put in as much as any tiredness.After hours and hours of "playing the right way" its easy to let the discipline slip just to see some variety on the screen for some kind of excitement.Easy to tell myself I'm experimenting or trying out new tactics when really I've just loosened up as an excuse to see more action and get involved in more hands.

I'll certainly be paying more attention to whether I'm fully focussed or not.For now though I intend to play through my bad streak and keep up the introspection to try and plug my leaks.

If your going to play poker you have to learn to take the knocks.I'll probably learn more about myself and my game after a bad run than after a good one.

Thankfully the one part of my game I have got right is as mentioned after my previous nasty night my bankroll management.I still have over $3k online and thankfully enough to cushion myself against bad luck/judgements for the level I'm at.

Playing at 6 max high average pot tables also means the swings will be greater than normal too.If you can't stand the heat get out the kitchen.I'm just going to open a window and let some fresh winter air in!


On other stuff I read today that 25 million ( about 1/2 UK population) watched the X Factor and Come Dancing reality shows finals on tv.You sad sad people is all I can say.Get a grip! Enjoy life! Spend your life in a cupboard playing poker.You know it makes sense.

Saw another story in the paper about a woman who received a bill from a utilty company but bill was for the shocking amount of £21000 due to a computer error.How many times do we have to read crap like that? Mistakes happen.At least once a month there's a photo of someone next to their computer error produced bill looking glum and upset as if their whole world has collapsed.
Try going all in with a flopped flush and watching the board bring the villan quads!!! Then you can get your damn photo in the paper and look glum for a reason.

Not sure if Mark will be up tonight for our playstation fest.If not I'll be taking it easy at the tables.I'll probably play the ladbrokes raked handsfreeroll.Specially being renamed the raked hands $370roll just for me.

Poker motto for today is Tight is Right!

A wee funny from The Herald before I go..

Bible John being back in the news, a retired Glasgow detective remembers visiting a house in the Gorbals one night during the case's initial investigation. When he returned to his unmarked police car, a youth was behind the wheel attempting to drive off. The officer asked if there was any chance of a lift, being told "Aye, but ah cannae start the car with this key."
"Move over," the officer replied, "I've a key that can start any car." The young ne'er-do-well was suitably impressed when the engine started up. As the two car thieves drove along Caledonia Road, the younger one felt relaxed enough to ask if he could smoke. He was less relaxed when deposited at Central Police Office.