Milestone

Last night, I played my 500th MTT-R NLHE. Long may this style and flavor wave! I love it. I made the money for the 164th time, good for a 32.8% clip. I narrowly missed making a real killing, hitting the rail on hand 103 with a straight. My opponent made a runner runner flush. Whatcha gonna do?

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9   103      81   18    10   419000

delta: $219,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $40,831,500
2018 balance: $7,147,000
balance: $52,660,260

Fraternal twins

Last night's session was a fraternal twin of the one before it. In other words, the two sessions had a lot of similarities, but it was easy to see that they weren't identical. Due to the fact that I fired three less bullets last night than I had the night before, I made a tidy profit instead of a tiny loss.

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    88      99   27    12   355000
MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    48      81   18    37        0

delta: $155,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $40,612,500
2018 balance: $6,928,000
balance: $52,441,260

Another personal borscht

Last night, I had another personal borscht. I lost the least per tournament I'd ever lost in a losing session consisting solely of MTT-R NLHEs. That's a mouthful, but I hope it's clear enough. Here are my top 10 in this category:

avg_loss session_loss   tournaments     date

 $-2,000      $-4,000             2  2018-06-26
 $-3,000      $-9,000             3  2017-12-20
 $-5,000     $-10,000             2  2018-01-19
$-15,000     $-30,000             2  2018-04-03
$-20,500     $-41,000             2  2017-07-18
$-22,000     $-44,000             2  2017-09-24
$-49,000     $-49,000             1  2017-06-22
$-50,000     $-50,000             1  2018-04-15
$-50,000     $-50,000             1  2017-07-04
$-52,500    $-105,000             2  2018-02-02

The good news is that I finally made the money in a tournament, after missing it nine times in a row.

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9   123     112   27    15   346000
MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    64      62   15    31        0 

delta: $-4,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $40,457,500
2018 balance: $6,773,000
balance: $52,286,260

13th worst 6 bagger ever

Just over a month ago, I wrote a post with this same title. My aggregate six session loss at that time was $1,400,000. I've lost $1,500,000 in my last six sessions. I have no doubt that the longer I play, the larger my 13th worst six bagger will end up being. And my 12th worst, and my 11th worst, etc. That's just the nature of records; very few stand the test of time. That's fine with me, actually; that means I can keep setting new ones :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    55      69   15    28        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $40,461,500
2018 balance: $6,777,000
balance: $52,290,260

Silver lining

Although I failed to make the money yet again last night, there was a silver lining. Simply put, it was that I played well. The ironic thing about playing well in tournaments is that very often it involves folding. Last night, I folded 36 of the 40 hands I played, 28 of which I folded before the flop. I missed the money by 3 places.

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    40      63   15    18        0

delta: $-100,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $40,661,500
2018 balance: $6,977,000
balance: $52,490,260

Identical twins

The most memorable thing about last night's session was getting dealt the same exact hand twice in a row. The odds of that happening are quite rare - 1 in 2,652. The hand was As Kc. I lost $600 with it on hand 15, then won $700 with it on hand 16. My losing streak continues apace.

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    50      63   15    19        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $40,761,500
2018 balance: $7,077,000
balance: $52,590,260

Walkabout

In my last two sessions, I've gone on a walkabout of sorts. For 181 straight hands, I've failed to get my stack above its starting amount. That's a long time to be underwater. My blue distance is currently $1,744,000. It's high time to go deep in a tournament :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    18      78   18    45        0
MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    39      82   18    52        0

delta: $-350,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $40,961,500
2018 balance: $7,277,000
balance: $52,790,260

Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said

This is the second time I've used this blog post title. Here's an excerpt of what I had to say the first time:

Once again, I'm using the title of a novel I've never read as the title of a blog post. As before, it's written by an author I greatly admire (Philip K. Dick in this instance), whose work I've read widely. That title was what sprung to mind when I looked at the bar chart of my stack size over the course of last night's session. All the blue bars hanging below the zero line are like the tracks of so many tears.

One difference is, in the interim I've actually read that book. Another is that the first time I was still in my cash game phase. The blue bars hanging below the zero line are just the same, however :-) I was a model of futility last night; I was never above water for even a single one of the 124 hands I played. Ouch!

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    66     104   27    46        0
MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    58      79   18    25        0

delta: $-350,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $41,311,500
2018 balance: $7,627,000
balance: $53,140,260

yas

Last night, I suffered yas - yet another slickout - in the first tournament I entered. I just ran the numbers on my hole cards on the final hand of every MTT-R NLHE I've ever played, and wasn't surprised to see that the holding with the biggest freq factor is none other than AKs (aka ace king suited (aka a slickout)). AKo (ace king offsuit, also a slickout) clocks in at number 6. In other news, my blue distance just surpassed one million play dollars once again.

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    54      83   18    37        0
MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    46      75   15    42        0

delta: $-300,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $41,661,500
2018 balance: $7,977,000
balance: $53,490,260

A rare animal

Last night, I had a sighting of a rare animal, a tournament with two defining criteria:

1. I was only underwater on the last hand
2. my stack underwent a freefall from the peak

I ran the numbers, and that was only the fourth such MTT-R NLHE of my career.

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    92      63   15    10   358000

delta: $258,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $41,961,500
2018 balance: $8,277,000
balance: $53,790,260

Two milestones

I passed two milestones in May without realizing it. On May 6th, the total amount of play dollars I've won on PokerStars topped 200 million. On May 23rd, the total amount of play dollars I've lost on PokerStars topped 150 million. I've proven to myself time and again that the more I lose, the more I win. This is all by way of looking at the bright side of losing over half a million play dollars last night :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    38      91   27    53        0
MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    47      91   27    49        0
MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    40      61   15    50        0

delta: $-550,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $41,703,500
2018 balance: $8,019,000
balance: $53,532,260

That 70s ratio

This is the second time I've used this blog post title. Here's what I had to say the first time:

Last night, I only played one tournament, and failed to make the money. That's a failure, right? Actually, not necessarily. It would only be a failure if I failed to play well, and that wasn't the case. I've come up with a gold standard for measuring whether or not I played well. It's simply this: if my percentile was greater than my average percentile, I played well, whether or not I made the money. My average percentile is 65, and my percentile in last night's tournament was a squeak over 70.

The only thing I need to change to adapt the above excerpt to last night's session is the final sentence. My average percentile is now 64; my percentile in last night's tournament was a squeak over 71.

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    66      71   15    20        0

delta: $-300,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $42,253,500
2018 balance: $8,569,000
balance: $54,082,260

Going like sixty

Overall, I make the money in MTT-R NLHEs at a 33% clip. Every now and then, however, I have bursts where I make the money at a much higher clip. I've made the money in 6 of the last 10 tournaments I've played, meaning I'm going like 60 :-) Last night, it was just a min cash, but I'll take it.

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    55      98   27    26   193000

delta: $43,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $42,553,500
2018 balance: $8,869,000
balance: $54,382,260

Tournament twin

I've always been interested in poker statistical twins. Last night, I had a tournament twin. Check it out:

   delta  hands entries paid place  winnings  date

$405,000    113      61   15     8  $505,000  2018-04-17b
$633,000    113      64   15     6  $733,000  2018-06-15b

In both tournaments, I was above water after every hand except for the last hand. I'm nearly back in the blue to boot.

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    30      96   27    43        0
MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9   113      64   15     6   733000

delta: $483,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $42,510,500
2018 balance: $8,826,000
balance: $54,339,260

S.O.S.

Last night, I was lucky enough to get under the lights in the second tournament I entered, and unlucky enough to hit the rail with a full house. I was the short stack at the table when my last hand began. On the flop, it was an S.O.S. (set over set) situation. I'd been dealt a pair of fives, and an opponent had been dealt a pair of kings. The flop came Kh 5h 7s. I went all in and got insta-called. The turn card was an eight and the river card was another seven; that gave me fives full and my opponent kings full. On the strength of my fifth place finish, I made a profit of over half a million play dollars on the night. I'm headed for the blue, baby :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    74      81   18    19        0
MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9   120      63   15     5   896000

delta: $546,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $42,027,500
2018 balance: $8,343,000
balance: $53,856,260

Three outed

I really hate getting three outed - that is, losing a hand to an opponent who can only win by hitting a three outer on the river. Thankfully, that doesn't happen very often. Unfortunately, it happened again last night. Not only that, it occurred after the late registration period had ended. Last but not least, my opponent had me covered. The upshot? I hit the rail, and long before the money bubble burst. The saving grace? I only fired two bullets :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    57      53   12    23        0

delta: $-100,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $41,481,500
2018 balance: $7,797,000
balance: $53,310,260

Gimme five

Last night, I made it under the lights again. The most memorable thing about the session was a stretch of hands where the deck kept hitting me in the face. I won 8 out of 10 hands, including a sequence of five in a row. In the last two sessions, I've shaved nearly $800,000 off my blue distance. Things are looking up :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    81      68   15     7   602000

delta: $452,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $41,581,500
2018 balance: $7,897,000
balance: $53,410,260

Fall in slickout

Last night, I had another slickout. The difference this time was that I fell in. I'll happily fall into a big slick any time. The only better holding to fall into is aces. At the tail end of last night's tournament, my stack dropped precipitously from its peak, but not before I'd made it under the lights. As I've said before, getting under the lights never gets old :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9   108      55   12     6   644000

delta: $344,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $41,129,500
2018 balance: $7,445,000
balance: $52,958,260

Slickout

The holding which makes you feel the sickest to exit a tournament with is aces. A close second is a big slick. I call such an occurrence a slickout. Last night's session ended with one. To make matters worse, my opponent had to hit a 3 outer on the river to win the hand. To top everything off, I'm certain I would have made the money had my big slick held. C'est la guerre :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    68      66   15    18        0

delta: $-100,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $40,785,500
2018 balance: $7,101,000
balance: $52,614,260

yaftb

Last night, I experienced yaftb - yet another final table bubble. That's not a bad thing, since it virtually guarantees that you made the money. It was very nice, after a brief foray into the land of tiny profits, to be back in the land of large profits.That's the land I want to live in the most :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    81      64   15    10   381000

delta: $231,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $40,885,500
2018 balance: $7,201,000
balance: $52,714,260

Miniature poker

Here's an excerpt of what I had to say in my October 11, 2015 post:

No matter how much I've tried to tell myself that I don't mind the small sums I can win playing MTT NLHEs, I really do mind. It's like playing miniature poker, or watching myself playing poker through the wrong end of a pair of binoculars. It's all very well to clean up in Lilliput, but at the end of the day, you end up with a rounding error of what you could have earned if you'd played in Brobdingnag.

With one small alteration, this conclusion also applies to last night's session - just substitute "MTT 8-games" for "MTT NLHEs". You have to fight tooth and claw for hours to make the money in an MTT 8-game, and for what? A really lousy payout. Why be such a glutton for punishment? Tonight, it's back to MTT-R NLHEs for me.

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT   8-Game  45000  5000       6    59      60   12    23        0

delta: $-50,000
MTT 8-game balance: $-517,830
2018 balance: $6,970,000
balance: $52,483,260

Thanks DNegs

The World Series of Poker has now been underway in Las Vegas for just over a week. I'm getting the flavor of being there by watching the daily vlogs Daniel Negreanu (aka DNegs) has been posting. He vlogged at last year's WSOP and I'm very glad he's doing it again. In honor of the fact that DNegs loves to play a mix of games, I'm going to play some 8-game tonight.

As for last night, I had another big goodbye. On the final hand of the tournament, I went all in with pocket queens and lost to a big slick.

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    44      46   12    26        0

delta: $-100,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $40,654,500
2018 balance: $7,020,000
balance: $52,533,260

Poker equinox

Thankfully, the rebuy tournaments were back on offer last night. Yay! Looking at the bar chart of my stack size over the course of last night's tournament, one thing stands out - my stack hit its peak exactly at the halfway point. Let's call that the poker equinox :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    38      50   12    20        0

delta: $-100,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $40,754,500
2018 balance: $7,120,000
balance: $52,633,260

The end of the gravy train?

Last night, for the first time since I started playing MTT-R NLHEs, none were available to play. This made me uneasy, since they're the engine which has launched my overall balance into the stratosphere. I wondered to myself, "Is this the end of the gravy train?" I had no choice but to find some other type of tournament to play. I settled on a flavor of MTT NLHE dubbed "Hot 50K", where you get 5,000 chips for your $50,000 buy in. I ended up making the money, and had fun, but missed having the rebuy option (and the enhanced chances it provides of making a killing :-))

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    44000  6000       9    62     553   98    43   124000

delta: $74,000
MTT NLHE balance: $2,487,668
2018 balance: $7,220,000
balance: $52,733,260

Sleepybye

Last night, my session ended with a sleepybye. That's what I call it when I fall asleep near the end of a tournament, and don't wake up until it's over. In such a situation, the PokerStars software automatically sits me out, and the blinds and antes eventually eat up the remainder of my stack. I just ran the numbers, and was happy to discover this was only the second sleepybye of my MTT-R NLHE career. I'll do my best to make it the last one :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    46      54   12    24        0

delta: $-250,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $40,854,500
2018 balance: $7,146,000
balance: $52,659,260