WOWWW It's so hard to keep an up to date thread going. I've been so busy. I finally got my desktop up and running, and had my first Sunday session with it yesterday. I feel incredibly rusty as of late, partly not having a computer to play full time, partly trying to incorporate new things from training. Here's a little update on everything I can think of that's taken place.

I've played a live satellite to a $3500. It was a 270 that I managed to play for like $30 and had a good chunk of myself. Lost a 8:1 for massive chip lead early on getting it in AK on 55K board when villain overshoved my cbet. I met this good reg EZ. I've seen him in a few spots and I talk hands with him now and then. He's had some sweet results grinding.

I've read and almost reread completely Ed Miller's new book on frequency-based thinking. If you're a math guy, GET THIS BOOK. if you're not a math guy, you're thinking is probably off and you need to get this book. It's got some spelling errors that tilt me, but I think they might actually give me more confidence lol. The knowledge isn't exactly sacred. It's just heavily under-utilized, and errors might turn people off to it. I see it more of like a test of my patience and observation haha. Ed Miller is brilliant.

I got really sick last Friday and ended up losing 2 full days of work. I've been working 10 hour days to make up for it, and it's taken its toll. We're getting there though. Soon it'll be back to normal work at work play at home days.

I downloaded tinder and hung out with a few girls. I realized I need to be more social, since I don't have a music venue running out of my house anymore lol. One girl upon learning of my music tastes (I've seen Less Than Jake 100+ times) jokingly replied with “Oh it's been a while since I've been with one of you.” She was like Zooey Deschanel, but I didn't get annoyed listening to her talk lol.

I played a live 1/2 session last week. I got KK in for $60 preflop 4 ways somehow, got it in on a low flop against a flush draw and a the nut low overpair (77 on like 6 high board lol) for a $500-600ish pot and lost. I tried my best to brush it off, but still found myself taking a limp/shove line with $150 in a straddled pot with only 66. It worked and I got snap called by the button who squeeze/called with 63s. I felt like while that was profitable, I don't want to do that with 66. I'd rather do it with higher pairs because he's going to get it in wide enough that I'm flipping too much with 66! I knew it was tilty after the fact. I booked a good win for the day and left with around $500 about an hour later.

I played the $450 main event and made a poor ck/call three streets with one pair against an aggressive villain, but then that read was based on only 4 orbits. I was really bummed with myself, but managed to stay alive with 10% stack (50bb) for another few hours picking up pots and choosing good spots that wouldn't get me called by better too often. It was interesting dynamic because 20 minute levels meant I would be deep for a while, but it also meant everyone would call me way wider. I got 52nd out of nearly 1400 runners in the 150k $162 that week though. I also met up with a girl that night after the session and she made me feel better. I was sick and she made me soup and then yelled at me for being sick. #lolgirls

I've crushed the satellites into the 100k recently. The 50 seat guarantee on Sundays is so soft you can almost guarantee yourself a seat if you get over 10k in chips at any point. 3/4 of the field has under 10bb when you get to the bubble and you can take lp spots so frequently. The nightly $22 5 seats is soft as hell too. I think I'm 6 for 8 in these sattys. I currently have 2 seats.

The Monday following the main event I played the $55 4k, which turned into something like 7k prizepool and shipped it for 2k. I was really happy with that win and went to bed knowing I wouldn't have time to play really until this weekend.

I played a little 1/2 stupidly, and I even sat a few orbits at 5/10. My roommate came home and when I realized I was attempting to cover where I was sitting when he walked over, I knew I was being an idiot and autosat out and got the hell out of there. I watched the table long enough to know who was bet/folding top pair too easily and who ck/called 2nd pair too many streets, but seriously, I can't possibly expect to sit with half my site roll. I left up 22bb. I have since began sitting at 25nl if I have time, using what I learned in Ed Millers book. I find myself paying off too much, but I'm picking up a ton of bluffs too, so it's hard for me to be sure. I need to do some hh thinking soon to see if I'm falling within the 70%x70%x70% range by river. Something tells me I'm not giving up enough on river, may be I've overadjusted.

Sunday's session- I dropped about 1500 in buyins on the day, and nearly tore myself up when I busted pre-bubble after building so many stacks. I had a stack in the $75 10k and the $55 10k right around the money bubble and just lost a ton of raise/calls against the reggier players. Feels sooo good to counterexploit someone who won't adjust back. They'd resteal light, so I'd call wider. Then they'd bleed. Then they'd do it again. Sucked out on in spots like that probably 10 times in three tournaments. After clearing my whole screen and sitting on around $400 and two 100k seats on bovada (with like 1k I owe my bankroll after getting paid..got hit with expenses and had to use bank account moneyyyz), I tilt regged the $215. I 1-tabled that sucker straight to the final table. Doug expressed concern with my confidence and somehow we just pushed passed the gripe. I have never used my time bank more. I stopped myself from making “standard” spots quickly and took different lines more often and lowered variance that paid off. I unfortunately got 7th for 2k instead of 1st for 13k, but I am very happy with how the day went. Here's a hand.

25bb effective. Final table. aggro utg+1 opens. sort of fishy but tries to be reggy player flats mp. He can be trapping, but it's more likely he has a hand like KJs or ATo based on his play. I'm in the bb. I almost shoved. I was very close to it. Then Doug and I talked about lines instead. I didn't want to 3b/call because then I'm flipping or crushed a ton of the time, as solid player probably doesn't 4b jam 33-99 and I hadn't seen him 4b jam anything like an Ace blocker. If I had, I'd be more confident with a 3b/c. I certainly don't want to 3b/f…at least I don't think so anyway. I never like 3b/folding value hands, but that's more I don't really see it happening too often/I don't doo too often. I'm open to talk about it. I have been using my time bank effectively for every important decision I'm in as each decision is worth several hundred dollars. I chose to flat with the plan to bet/fold flops. I would be ahead of AK/AQ that shoves over me and behind JJ+ and chop with TT etc. Doug really helped me talk this one out. I feel like I lower variance by taking it postflop. so there's about 7bb in the pot, we have 23 behind. I could be wrong on stack sizes here but they should be pretty close. I lead halfish, villain's muck. I'm told later that original opener had AK by a friend of mine who was sweating him. I don't think he'd lie to me straight up, but still gonna check that HH 😉 Given his hand, I'm glad I chose not to 3b/c lol. Flipping at a final table just seems so silly if you don't have to…clearly accepting a 50/50 spot is not ideal, at least that's how it looks to me based on math. Like we know chips gained =/= the opposite of chips lost. chips lost hurt more than chips gained help. we all know that. that's more true at a final table than anywhere else.

I've watched a few tpe vids I found on my phone on advanced mtt theory. I love me some 4b spots I normally don't take 😉

Anyway, just wanted to give an update to those who did read this all the way through. Life got in the way and I pushed life back. I let my tpe subscription expire as I need to focus offsite funds, but hopefully I'll be able to get it back on Thursday when I get paid. I hope to have some replies going soon. I miss this shit!!

*kinda lame*

tldr:

1. lost my evil job, happy but cautious.
2. short term upswing going on right now.
3. still going to vegas 5/28- 6/4
4. bankroll after may/june living expenses covered is $1500 cash +$438 blackchip+ 2-$162 100K tickets, 1 $215 150k ticket.
5. submitted my resume to a few positions i've been recommended, going to go full force into full time employment seeking (hopefully better pay since I can move) when I get back on June 5th.

Well. This week has been kind of crazy. I spent quite a bit of money on things I needed, paid more on my student loans than I normally do, paid more on my credit card…and on Wednesday I lost my job seemingly out of nowhere. I've only been there 6 months so for some reason that means they don't need a reason I guess. It was very quick and intimidating. I got a call at my desk, and was politely asked to come to the personell office. I didn't know what it would be about, though I thought it might have something to do with my already approved time off request. I walk in the door and immediately knew what was up. I just had that feeling like when you're about to take a light cold 4bet and you decide against it in that particular spot on the feeling that the opener has QQ+ or something. I walked in the door and sat down. Within 5 minutes, I had signed resignation papers (I'm pretty sure this was done in a manner that prevents me from fully comprehending the situation and making the best decision), was handed had my copy of Ed Miller's Poker's 1% and coffee mug, and escorted out the front door.

I can rant why, but I'm happy and I'd rather leave it at that.

I have my living expenses for May and June 100% covered with a $300 buffer. I have $1500 in cash. I have two $162 tickets to Bovada's 100k, and the last game I played had a 140k prizepool. I have a $215 ticket to Carbon's OPS Event 37 150k. I also have $430 on Black Chip.

I put 100 on carbon and 100 on black chip a few days ago before this happened, which is kinda lame, but glad I've run it to what it is.

If anyone has room in their place or knows of cheap/safe places to stay in Vegas, I'm trying to nitcast it up as much as possible. A friend of mine lives 15 minutes from the strip and offered that for the weekend I'll be there, since she doesn't work. I'm not sure of how much of my roll I'll have, and I'm not sure of what I'll play, but I'll figure that out soon. Some friends have expressed interest in buying Vegas action, and facebook friends buy my action often as well. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm 100% all ears on this one.