This isn’t a very exciting blog, rather just a long overdue update.

I recently decided to steer away from cash games and focus completely on tournaments. I’ll be playing nothing other then the $5.50 MTTs on Full Tilt, with perhaps the occasionally STT SnG thrown in if there are not any big tournaments running.

The reason for the decision was pretty simple. Firstly, for me, cash games became a little too dull, and in the foreseeable future I could not see my BR increasing significantly as a result of my time spent at the ring games. Unless of course I “took a gamble” and played out of BR, which will never be an option. Secondly, I find that I enjoy tournaments much more then ring games. And last of all the big prize pools in tournaments appeal to me, as well as the confidence boost that comes with it.

Today my Harrington book series arrived which was really exciting. I’m a few chapters into Volume I and I am already looking at this game in a completely different light. It’s pretty amazing to see how my mind thought about this game two weeks ago as opposed to now… Hopefully, as I continue to work my way through this series I will come across more moments like this. I’m sure that will be a positive sign that my game is improving and I hope that my bankroll will begin to follow suit if this is the case.

I think at this point it would be a good idea to set myself some realistic, yet challenging goals.
In one month’s time I hope to…

*
Specific goals:
Make two MTT final tables.

General goals:
Work on the mathematical side of my game.

Here is a hand which saw me bail out of a recent MTT. It is an obvious mistake, but I feel it’s important for me to really start looking at these key hands in order to improve my game.

I felt that villain re-raised me out of spite because before this particular clash, I stole about 4 or 5 pots in a row. Calling the initial raise was mighty silly because after I looked back at the hand histories I learnt that this guy was a rock solid player. He never showed down anything worse then AQs, so I should of immediately put him on a higher pocket pair due to volume behind that raise (which I kind of did yet foolishly tried to talk myself into think he had AK). Before the call I am coming about 18th out of a remaining 110, so in excellent shape, yet I just didn’t lay it down. Bleh.

Full Tilt Poker Game #946893015: $5 + $0.50 Tournament (6206818), Table 4 - 25/50 - No Limit Hold'em - 9:27:13 ET - 2006/08/29
Seat 1: Fridas_Boss (2,495)
Seat 2: Q of the Nile (1,320)
Seat 3: HOKUSPOKUS (1,330), is sitting out
Seat 4: Oasis123 (3,510)
Seat 6: Jach Row (2,650)
Seat 7: Whiz101 (765)
Seat 8: GhostOTedBinion (1,775)
Seat 9: drbandit (2,535)
GhostOTedBinion posts the small blind of 25
drbandit posts the big blind of 50
The button is in seat #7
* HOLE CARDS *
Dealt to Oasis123
Fridas_Boss folds
Q of the Nile folds
HOKUSPOKUS folds
Oasis123 raises to 250
Jach Row raises to 1,200
Whiz101 folds
GhostOTedBinion folds
drbandit folds
Oasis123: thats a big raise
Oasis123 has 15 seconds left to act
Oasis123 calls 950
* FLOP *
Oasis123 bets 2,310, and is all in
Jach Row calls 1,450, and is all in
Oasis123 shows
Jach Row shows
Uncalled bet of 860 returned to Oasis123
* TURN *
* RIVER *
Oasis123 shows two pair, Jacks and Sixes
Jach Row shows two pair, Aces and Sixes
Jach Row wins the pot (5,375) with two pair, Aces and Sixes
* SUMMARY *
Total pot 5,375 | Rake 0
Board:
Seat 1: Fridas_Boss didn't bet (folded)
Seat 2: Q of the Nile didn't bet (folded)
Seat 3: HOKUSPOKUS didn't bet (folded)
Seat 4: Oasis123 showed and lost with two pair, Jacks and Sixes
Seat 6: Jach Row showed and won (5,375) with two pair, Aces and Sixes
Seat 7: Whiz101 (button) didn't bet (folded)
Seat 8: GhostOTedBinion (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 9: drbandit (big blind) folded before the Flop

Was dealt KK a few hand later but lost to a set of queens.

Any thoughts?