The privilege of not thinking

I've played poker for so many years I could probably play it in my sleep :-) It's often difficult to remember what happened the night before when I sit down to write a new post. One reason for this is that when I'm in the zone, I play on autopilot, making correct poker decisions without any conscious thought. I'm relying on pattern recognition, which can largely replace thinking. The totality of all the poker decisions I've made in the past frees me from having to make conscious decisions in the present. In effect, I've earned the privilege of not thinking :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      75   21    35        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $23,437,668
2020 balance: $16,215,343
blue distance: $600,000
balance: $78,023,353

Acceptable losses

The most play money I've ever lost in a single year is $62,878,000, in 2018. That same year, I won $63,949,000, so I was in the black for the year to the tune of just over a million. I find it helpful to track the gains and losses separately in addition to aggregating them. So far this year I've lost $22,689,657, and my extrapolated losses for the year are a smidge over $30,500,000. This raises the question: what constitute acceptable losses? The facile answer is anything less than one's gains :-) A more nuanced answer might be losses on the order of the losses you had in a previous year that you were proud of. This year has all the earmarks of a year I'm going to be proud of :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      81    21   25        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $23,637,668
2020 balance: $16,415,343
blue distance: $400,000
balance: $78,223,353

Special Janus percentile

I'm always on the lookout for numerical beauty in my poker data. It's especially nice to find it in a losing session :-) I failed to make the money in last night's tournament, but found some pretty numbers hiding in plain sight in the tournament data. My place was exactly half the number of entries, making my percentile a Janus percentile. On top of that, the number of paid places was exactly half my place, making the tournament statistics even more special. How special? In 1,142 MTT NLHE tournaments, this symmetry has only occurred this one time.

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      72   18    36        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $23,837,668
2020 balance: $16,615,343
blue distance: $200,000
balance: $78,423,353

The opposite of a McMansion

A McMansion is a house whose main purpose is to flaunt the owner's wealth. McMansions aren't very useful in life, and the same is true of McMansions in poker. A McMansion in poker is a full house at or near the top of the power scale - aces full of kings, for example. You generally won't get a lot of action with a McMansion. A much better full house, profit-wise, is baby cards full of smaller baby cards. That's the opposite of a McMansion. On Thursday night, my most memorable hand was just such a full house - sevens full of fours. I made a killing with it, and that helped me make the money. I even got under the lights :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      86   21     6   867000

delta: $667,000
MTT NLHE balance: $24,037,668
2020 balance: $16,815,343
blue distance: $0
balance: $78,623,353

Bubbling the blue

Last night, I bubbled the blue again. I'm playing well, and predict I'll return to the blue tonight. A min cash will do the trick :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      81   21    16   352000

delta: $152,000
MTT NLHE balance: $23,370,668
2020 balance: $16,148,343
blue distance: $14,000
balance: $77,956,353

Doppelsession

Last night's session was a dead ringer of Sunday night's. Not only was the number of entries the same, my finishing place was the same. Not only that, finishing 7th or better would have returned my overall balance to the blue, just as it would have in Sunday's tournament. You can't make this shit up :-) I've decided to add blue distance to my daily stats. As a refresher, my goal is to get my blue distance to zero as often as I can.

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      75   21    10   417000

delta: $217,000
MTT NLHE balance: $23,218,668
2020 balance: $15,996,343
blue distance: $166,000
balance: $77,804,353

Mystery check

As is so often the case, the most memorable hand of last night's session was one that I lost. I didn't hit the rail with it, but when the dust had settled, my stack was on life support. What was so memorable about the hand was not something I did; it was something my opponent didn't do. I'd been dealt a small pair, and never hit a set. The river card was an ace, and there was a nine in the flop. He'd been dealt A9o (ace nine offsuit), so he'd made aces up on the river. He was first to act, and simply checked. There were no straight or flush draws, and the board hadn't paired. I can't fathom checking in that spot; it's a mystery to me why he did. I checked right back, and quickly got the bad news. I can only come up with two possible explanations for his check, and neither is very plausible or satisfying:

1. he was preparing a check-raise

2. he took pity on a short stack

If I had to pick, I'd go with the first.

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      92   24    41        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $23,001,668
2020 balance: $15,779,343
balance: $77,587,353

Three spots away from blue

As is my custom, as soon as the late registration period of last night's tournament was over, I checked the payout table to see if there were places which would return my overall balance to the blue. Indeed there were - 7th place through 1st place would all do the trick. I made the money without much trouble, and was gunning for 7th from that point on. I ended up going all in on a flopped two pair, but lost to a rivered flush. I finished in 10th; not too shabby :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      75   21    10   417000

delta: $217,000
MTT NLHE balance: $23,201,668
2020 balance: $15,979,343
balance: $77,787,353

A perfectly executed check-raise

Last night, I recorded another 0th place, but in a much different fashion from the night before. I was playing well, and should have doubled up on my final hand. Here's how it went down:

- I flopped an open-ended straight draw, bet it, and got one caller

- I hit the low end of the straight on the turn, and checked

- my opponent bet, I raised all in, and my opponent called

- my opponent was on a flush draw, making me a favorite

- my opponent hit his flush on the river

The fact that I hit the rail in no way diminishes the perfection of my check-raise. Cold comfort, but sometimes that's the only kind the poker gods will give you :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      53   15     -        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $22,984,668
2020 balance: $15,762,343
balance: $77,570,353

Speedy demise

I've never kept detailed records of my 0th place finishes, so I don't know exactly where last night's result falls. Suffice it to say, it doesn't stack up very well. Here are some of its demerits:

1. I didn't last long

2. I didn't win many pots, and one of them was a chop

3. there were 8 minutes left in the late registration period when I hit the rail

It's not too surprising that none of the hands were particularly memorable. I'll do my best to outlast the late registration period tonight.

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      67   18     -        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $23,184,668
2020 balance: $15,962,343
balance: $77,770,353

Sweet sixteen

Last night, I recorded a partial Half Monty, just good enough to get back in the blue. It was my 33rd blue session of the year. My 2020 balance broke the 16 million play dollar boundary for the second time. Once again, all is right in my poker world :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      86   21     9   568000

delta: $368,000
MTT NLHE balance: $23,384,668
2020 balance: $16,162,343
balance: $77,970,353

My most common session delta

Last night, I lost $200,00 again. $-200,000 is my most common session delta by far - 159 sessions and counting. My next most common is $-100,000 - 124 sessions and counting. That means I've lost a whopping $44,200,000 with my two most common session deltas. It stands to reason that the most common session deltas are all negative; when you miss the money in a tournament, you lose the sum of the buy in and the entry fee exactly, but when you make the money, your profit varies widely.

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      82   21    24        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $23,016,668
2020 balance: $15,794,343
balance: $77,602,353

My favorite tournament zip code

As I've said before, I don't like being a tournament frontrunner. I don't enjoy having one of the smallest stacks, either. My favorite tournament zip code is at the bottom of the top two thirds of the field. I feel like I can hang out there all day :-) That's where I was for much of last night's tournament, and it got me under the lights.

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      83   21     6   837000

delta: $637,000
MTT NLHE balance: $23,216,668
2020 balance: $15,994,343
balance: $77,802,353

The set that wasn't

The most memorable hand of last night's session was one I didn't play. As I've mentioned before, when I play online poker, I don't give it my undivided attention. I'm often web surfing. This habit generally allows me to make better poker decisions, strangely enough, but it also puts me in danger of being automatically sat out, which will happen if my clock runs out before I act. On the hand in question, I was surfing when the hand was dealt. When I got around to looking at my hand, I only had a couple of seconds to act. I saw that I had pocket fives and was about to click the call button when my time ran out. Another five showed up in the flop, which would have given me a set had I still been in the hand. That set would have won the pot, which went instead to a player who only had a measly pair. That pot would have given me a better shot at making the money. I'll pay better attention tonight.

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      87   21    32        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $22,579,668
2020 balance: $15,357,343
balance: $77,165,353

The Janus percentile

This is the second time I've used this blog post title. Everything I wrote on July 16 of this year applies equally well to last night's session:

I remember almost no details of last night's session. The most striking thing about it was that my percentile was exactly 50. In other words, I outlasted precisely half the field. That and a dollar might buy you a small bag of potato chips :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      80   21    40        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $22,779,668
2020 balance: $15,557,343
balance: $77,365,353

Too much of a good thing

I experienced a poker "apockalypse" last night. I was getting dealt pocket pairs at a frantic pace. I got cowboys (pocket kings) two hands in a row. Some of the other pocket pairs I remember receiving: queens, jacks (twice, I think), nines, fives, and deuces (aka ducks). I hit the rail when I got cowboys for the third time; definitely, too much of a good thing :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      99   24    30        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $22,979,668
2020 balance: $15,757,343
balance: $77,565,353

Saved by a flush

Last night, I hit a diamond flush on the river when I was all in. That luck paved my way to the money. To put it plainly, I was saved by the flush. Being saved is a recurring tournament theme. It's almost a given that you'll need to be saved at least once in a tournament to have a shot at making the money. Realizing that is a good way to stay within shouting distance of humble :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      98   24    19   341000

delta: $141,000
MTT NLHE balance: $23,179,668
2020 balance: $15,957,343
balance: $77,765,353

Saved by a six

I'll be the first to admit that I was very lucky to make the money last night. On one particular hand, I was all in and drawing thin. Only pairing one of my hole cards on the river could save me, and that's just what happened. I was saved by a six. To me, it's even more satisfying to be saved by a mediocre card than it is to be saved by an ace :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      79   21    19   302000

delta: $102,000
MTT NLHE balance: $23,038,668
2020 balance: $15,816,343
balance: $77,624,353

Eking out a money jump

Last night, after making the money, I hung around as long as I could. I eked out a money jump at the very end, earning an extra $47,000 by managing to finish in 15th place instead of 16th. How did I do this? By folding, of course :-) The most memorable hand of the night? The one where I was dealt pocket nines and flopped quads.

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      91   24    15   411000

delta: $211,000
MTT NLHE balance: $22,936,668
2020 balance: $15,714,343
balance: $77,522,353

Min outkicked

It's never fun to lose a hand by being outkicked. It's even less fun to be min outkicked. That's what I call it when my opponent's kicker is just one denomination above mine. That's what happened in last night's most memorable hand. I was dealt QTo (queen ten offsuit) and flopped a pair of queens, which was top pair. I bet every street and the board never paired. I lost to an opponent who'd been dealt QJo. I lost about half my stack on that hand, and never recovered. I'd play the hand the same way if I had it to do over, though, and that's really all that matters :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      76   21    28        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $22,725,668
2020 balance: $15,503,343
balance: $77,311,353

yaagbh

This is the second time I've used this blog post title. The first was on April 7, 2018; here's an excerpt of what I had to say:

I love my "yet another" acronyms. My newest one is yaagbh, and stands for "yet another always going broke hand". My final hand of last night's session was such a one ... As a refresher, an always going broke hand is a hand you're always prepared to go all in with; it doesn't mean you'll always go broke doing so :-)

Last night, I hit the rail with such a hand shortly after entering the tournament. I was dealt K4o (king four offsuit) and the flop had an ace, a deuce, and a trey. The turn and river were both kings. I shoved after the river and got snap called by a player who'd flopped a straight with 54o (five four offsuit) and had slow played it. Whatcha gonna do?

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      26    8     -        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $22,925,668
2020 balance: $15,703,343
balance: $77,511,353

Not as close as it looks

Although I finished last night's tournament just three spots shy of the money, it was not as close as it looks. Short of getting hit in the face by the deck, I really had no shot. The only reason I got so close was that the tournament was shedding players at a frenetic pace. Just not quite frenetic enough to save me :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      73   21    24        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $23,125,668
2020 balance: $15,903,343
balance: $77,711,353

Lather, rinse, repeat

When you're in a groove, poker is a simple game to play. So simple, in fact, that it almost feels like cheating. You know what to do, and you do it, and you succeed. Success becomes mechanical. Akin to shampooing your hair; just lather, rinse, and repeat. You seriously start to doubt that you'll ever fail to make the money again. That's hubris, but it's also how sustained success actually makes you feel :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      87   21     5  1029000

delta: $829,000
MTT NLHE balance: $23,325,668
2020 balance: $16,103,343
balance: $77,911,353

Two straight knockouts

It's not very common to knock out an opponent early in an MTT. It's even less common to knock out an opponent early in an MTT two hands in a row. That's what I managed to do last night, and it launched my stack into the upper echelon. In the first hand, I was dealt AJ, paired my ace on the flop, paired my jack on the river, and shoved. A player who'd been dealt AK called, and I doubled up. In the second hand, I hit a queen high straight on the river and won a nice pot. Don't look now, but I've made the money three nights running :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      81   21    10   451000

delta: $251,000
MTT NLHE balance: $22,496,668
2020 balance: $15,274,343
balance: $77,082,353

Rocket-fueled

It's very hard not to make the money when the deck keeps hitting you in the face :-) That's what happened to me last night. I received rockets three times, and won a hefty pot each time. Not only that, I received cowboys once and won with them, and ducks (pocket deuces) once and won with them (I hit a set on the flop). Thanks to this largesse from the poker gods, my overall balance returned to the blue.

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      83   21    13   404000

delta: $204,000
MTT NLHE balance: $22,245,668
2020 balance: $15,023,343
balance: $76,831,353

No clothes

The more chips you have in poker, the less risk you're exposed to. The less chips you have, the more transparent your actions become. In many ways, chips are like clothes :-) Last night, on the final hand of the tournament, I essentially had no clothes. My chip count was just 6. Luckily for me, I'd already made the money, by the skin of my teeth :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      85   21    21   325000

delta: $125,000
MTT NLHE balance: $22,041,668
2020 balance: $14,819,343
balance: $76,627,353

uhoh

My newest neo neo is uhoh. It's shorthand for "ugh - house over house". I hit the rail last night when I made a full house on the turn but lost to an opponent who made a better one on the river. I was an 84% favorite after the turn, but it wasn't meant to be. I failed to outlast the late registration period, earning a 0th place for my efforts.

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      39   10     -        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $21,916,668
2020 balance: $14,694,343
balance: $76,502,353

Repeat blue

Here's an excerpt of what I had to say on August 7:

Whenever I have a decent shot at making the money in a tournament, I check to see if there's a payout that will return my overall balance to the blue. Imagine my surprise last night when I discovered that the 8th place payout would return me exactly to my personal best overall balance - in other words, to repeat blue.

Imagine my surprise last night when I discovered that the payout for places 10-12 would provide me with repeat blue. I finished in 10th, and I'll take it :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      88   21    10   489000

delta: $289,000
MTT NLHE balance: $22,116,668
2020 balance: $14,894,343
balance: $76,702,353