November - Good Times!

I think November is going to be awesome poker-wise. Since I watched Split's Stox Full Ring Series, I have completely overhauled my game. The style I am playing now drastically reduces the effect of running card-dead, gets my big hands paid off, immensely improves hand reading - I don't know why this is, but w/e it works - and it stops me from spewing and playing scared when moving up. It really just takes very common concepts that everyone knows (but probably aren't applying correctly) and puts them into a new, very easy to understand framework that allows for a lot of creativity. There is absolutely no downside afaik.

I had a major downswing in the 2nd last week of October and that series was exactly what I needed to get back on track, and to actually improve my game far beyond what it had been. Since then I've been running at about 12 ptBB/100 at 25NL over 12k hands. I've also put in a couple of breakeven 50NL sessions which I am very happy with, and I've had a couple of really decent sessions at 100NL.

This style is so much more fun, helps me improve my game, and makes me excited to play poker again. It's so dynamic and fluid compared to the regular nitty grind that I had been doing that was burning me out. I felt like a robot. Now poker feels easy and fun.

Last night's 25NL session was really fun: +12 buyins including my 5th lifetime Royal, and this morning's session was alright as well: +2 buyins. It should have been +4 but variance decided to have a bit of fun with 2 outers as well =)

I was happy on the turn already but the river was a nice little bonus:

Poker Stars $0.10/$0.25 No Limit Hold'em - 8 players
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

SB: $13.55
BB: $9.95
UTG: $13.30
Hero (UTG+1): $25.00
MP1: $19.25
MP2: $5.00
CO: $14.85
BTN: $7.00

Pre Flop: ($0.35) Hero is UTG+1 with T J
1 fold, Hero raises to $0.75, MP1 calls $0.75, 5 folds

Flop: ($1.85) K Q T (2 players)
Hero bets $1.50, MP1 raises to $3, Hero raises to $24.25 all in, MP1 calls $15.50 all in

Turn: ($38.85) 2 (2 players - 2 are all in)

River: ($38.85) A (2 players - 2 are all in)

Final Pot: $38.85
Hero shows T J (a Royal Flush)
MP1 mucks K A
Hero wins $36.95
(Rake: $1.90)

This one was kind of fun too:

Poker Stars $0.10/$0.25 No Limit Hold'em - 9 players
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

MP1: $24.50
MP2: $18.85
CO: $19.20
Hero (BTN): $29.95
SB: $32.25
BB: $30.05
UTG: $3.60
UTG+1: $29.55
UTG+2: $38.70

Pre Flop: ($0.35) Hero is BTN with Q Q
UTG calls $0.25, 2 folds, MP1 calls $0.25, 1 fold, CO calls $0.25, Hero raises to $1.75, 1 fold, BB calls $1.50, 2 folds, CO calls $1.50

Flop: ($5.85) 8 Q Q (3 players)
BB checks, CO checks, Hero checks

Turn: ($5.85) 5 (3 players)
BB checks, CO checks, Hero bets $2.75, BB calls $2.75, CO folds

River: ($11.35) 9 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $5, BB raises to $10, Hero raises to $25.45 all in, BB calls $15.45

Final Pot: $62.25
Hero shows Q Q (four of a kind, Queens)
BB mucks 5 5
Hero wins $59.25
(Rake: $3.00)

In these hands, obviously all the money is going in and they are just BBV hands anyways, but I don't think I would be getting paid off as much with my monsters playing my old nitty style even at 25NL.