The 2+2 Forums Older Archives: Playing online for a living week 35

Well the weather has been freezing here this week, and so has my poker play. Another disastrous week. In order to keep my bankroll at a non-critical level I had to cut my usual withdrawal in half. For the first time in many months I’m actually worried about long term viability of this. However since I’m not been deluged by calls from prospective employers, I guess we’ll keep on trying. Logic tells me I haven’t suddenly become a bad player, so It should turn around, but I also know that I am just as likely to have a bad run of cards starting right now as I was 4 weeks ago when this started. I’m beginning to think I angered the poker gods when I went to Seattle.

The Week started out poorly when I lost $611 on Sunday. That made 3 substantial losses in 4 days going back to the previous week. I lost over $900 on my davidross tables, and actually was up on my Empire tables. Then I seemed to find my stride and I posted a $741 win on Monday, a $472 win on Tuesday and another $489 win on Wednesday. But Thursday was the biggest one day loss I’ve ever had, dropping $1,804. I lost 1,100 in the afternoon, and was down over 1,200 in the evening, before a late rush saved me from a 2K loss. On Friday I had a frustrating day, with a nice win in the afternoon, but giving most of it back in the evening, ending up ahead by only $209. Finally Saturday started well, and at 1:00 AM I thought I might get even for the week, I was only $150 short of the break-even mark, when the bottom fell out again. In the next 2 hours I lost another $1,000 finishing with a $602 loss for the day and a $1,106 loss for the week.

That’s 3 losses in 4 weeks and is eerily similar to a run I had in June where over a 4 week period I lost money and switched from paradise to Party. The difference then was that I could tell the games had gotten tougher and this time I don’t think that’s the case. I’m still seeing some pretty dubious play, it’s just running me down again and again.

It’s hard to identify one thing that’s happening during the losing streak. Some days I just can’t win a hand. Most days I build pots with the best hand only to get beat on the river, and then of course In the blinds battles, I’m losing heads up again and again. I’ve lost full houses to quads, and every time I have top pair it seems like the board pairs and my opponent makes trips. I can only hope my turn is coming. I feel like I’ve got a huge day coming to me soon. I could sure use it.

I had posted several weeks back about the problems we were having with my gifted daughter and her lack of results in school. Now comes word from the school this week that my 10 year old son has scored even higher than she did in the same tests they give to all the grade 4’s. But the two kids couldn’t be more different. My son gets straight A’s and is a diligent worker. I’m quite shocked to be honest, I thought his results were more to do with his work ethic than any special abilities. He has a promising future. Maybe he can look after his father.

The weather finally broke here today, and we’re getting snow. I hope that signals a change in my fortunes too. The kids have a half day of school on Tuesday and I’d like to take them skiing. We have a soccer final this afternoon for my 10 year old. They are a big favorite having only lost 1 game this season. I hope the heater is on. My daughter played her last game on Friday when it was -30 out and we arrived at the dome (It’s just an inflatable dome they put up for the winter) to find no on e had turned on the heat. It was freezing for the poor kids.

If you don’t like bad beat stories stop here. I think almost all the hands I saved this week were a bad beat of some type. Just the mood I’ve been in I guess.

In this hand I limped in behind another limper with 33 and got raised. 4 of us saw the flop for 2 bets. Flop comes A 9 3 rainbow. It gets checked to the raiser who bets and two of us call. I decide to wait for the turn with the A on board I think he’ll bet the turn. Turn is another 9. Sure enough the raiser bets, but now UTG raises. I get cute and smooth call hoping to keep the raiser in, and he stays. River is another 9. Doh!! UTG bets, I fold, and the raiser calls. Quad 9’s beat 9’s full of Aces. I’ve been counterfeited so many times on the river it’s unbelievable.

I’m in the SB with A3o. Button limps in 3 handed. I call and the BB checks. Flop is A T 5. I check, BB checks and button bets. I raise and BB folds. Button just calls. Turn is a Q and I bet, he calls. River is a 2. I bet he raises. Jeez. I make the crying call and he shows me the crazy 4h 3h.

I was criticized heavily by my opponent after this one. Again I have 33, this time in the SB. There is a raise and 2 cold calls to me and I pay the $8. BB completes too. Flop is 7c 3d 2h. Pot is big enough and I bet out. BB calls, preflop raiser raises and CO 3 bets. Button calls 3 cold, and I cap it. Everyone calls. 5 to the turn with 15 BB’s already in the pot. Turn is the 2s. I bet and I get 4 calls. River is the 8c, I bet and get 3 calls. My full house is good. KK, JJ and A7 all called me down and I won $238. The guy with JJ was abusive in his comments. I had some fun with him actually. Of course had he 3 bet pre-flop, I wouldn’t have been in the hand and he would have lost to KK instead of to me.

This has been happening to me a lot with my free plays. 1 limper to me and I check the BB with Q3. Flop is Qd Td Jd. I bet and get raised. I call. Turn is the Qh. I bet and get raised again. I still don’t like folding in these games where guys will riase anything anytime so I call again. River is a Th. I figure I sucked out on his flush and bet. He raises again. DOh, QJ? I call and get shown Kd 9d for the flopped straight flush.

And if you wonder why I call the raises heads up here is another fine example. I have KQ in the SB. One limper and I call. BB just calls. Flop is K 6 5 rainbow. I check and then raise the limper. BB folds and the limper calls. Turn is a 7. I bet and get raised. Here we go again. I call. River is an 8. I check, he bets, I call. He has 94 for the rivered gutshot. What kind of balls do you have to have to make that raise? I guess balls aren’t the word.

I have 88 in the CO and I limp behind another limper. 5 of us see the flop. Flop is A 8 7. Checked to me and I bet. I get 1 caller. Turn is another 7. I get bet into and I raise. He 3 bets and I cap. I put him on a 7 and even A7 is behind be. River is another 7. He checks and I bet. I can’t explain why. He raises and I call. He does have A7 and for the 2nd ttime in a few hours I get beat by a rivered Quad.

This was my first hand on Friday after the disaster of Thursday. I have Ac Ah and I limp in first. I get raised and the SB calls. I 3 bet, it gets capped and cold called again. I call. Flop is A K 5. I bet get raised and cold called. I 3 bet, he caps, blind cold calls again and I call. Turn is a 3, putting a flush on board. I bet, get called and the blind folds. River is the case A. I bet, get raised, I 3 bet and he caps. He of course had KK. No telling how big it might have got if the flush card hadn’t come.

A different kind of bad beat. UTG limps and I limp too with KQ. BB raises and UTG 3 bets. I fold to his presumed AA. It gets capped. Flop is K K 8. Turn is a Q. They had AA and QQ. Imagine how big that pot might have got.

Finally a fitting finish to the week. I have Ac As and raise an UTG limper. BB calls. Flop is Ah Ts 6h. I bet and the blind calls. Limper folds. Turn is Jh. I bet and the Blind raises me. I debate 3 betting but just call. River is the 7h. He bets and I call. He has Ad 2h, and his 2 wins the pot.

Hope to have better news next week.

Post Extras