The 10 million dollar man

Friends and neighbors, I'm now a 10 million dollar man, blue distance-wise. That's a long way to fall from the peak. Speaking of falling from peaks, last night I had the longest freefall from the peak of my MTT-R NLHE career - 37 hands. I won the first hand and it was all downhill from there.

I have to admit, I'm toying with the idea of returning to sit and gos in November, a move I've dubbed a poker Movember in this blog. It would be a desperation play to try to get my 2018 balance back in the black, and I'll do my best to avoid succumbing to that temptation :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    38      67   15    47        0

delta: $-450,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $32,198,500
2018 balance: $-1,183,000
balance: $44,330,260

You were never shovelier

This is probably the fourth or fifth time I've used this blog post title. It's definitely one of my favorites. Last night, in the second tournament I entered, I was dealt a pocket pair in 4 of the 48 hands I played. I shoved three of them preflop. The third shove did me in; I was a 59.82% favorite before the flop, a 3.10% dog after the flop, and was drawing close to dead after the turn; I had no chance of winning the pot, and a 4.76% chance of chopping it. At least I can say I got my money in good :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    26      78   18    42        0
MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    48      77   18    41        0

delta: $-400,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $32,648,500
2018 balance: $-733,000
balance: $44,780,260

In the sweetness

Every poker style / flavor combination has its own spin on what being in the sweetness means. Right now, I'm in the sweetness for MTT-R NLHE. I've finished in the money in four straight tournaments. That's a super hard thing to do. How do I know? Experience :-) I've now played 635 MTT-R NLHEs, and have only accomplished this feat 4 times. I've never had a longer streak. I have a chance to change that tonight; wish me luck!

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    83      81   18    15   407000
MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    82      61   15     7   476000

delta: $483,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $33,048,500
2018 balance: $-333,000
balance: $45,180,260

Pocket royalty

Last night, I had the good fortune to be dealt a lot of pocket royalty. I was dealt pocket queens three times, and pocket kings three times. I won the first two times I was dealt the queens, and also won the first two times I was dealt the kings. On the final hand of the night, my third pocket kings lost to an opponent who'd been dealt pocket queens, and spiked a queen on the river. An interesting sidelight - I was above water at the start of every hand I played, which is a rarity.

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    78      71   15    13   264000

delta: $114,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $32,565,500
2018 balance: $-816,000
balance: $44,697,260

Something to celebrate

I haven't had a lot to celebrate, poker-wise, for quite a while. Even though I had a losing session again last night, I still found something to celebrate. It was a milestone - I achieved the 200th in-the-money finish of my MTT-R NLHE career. I've played 632 of these tournaments now, so my in-the-money percentage is 31.65. It's held quite steadily above 30 for a long time now. What I've lately been failing to do is ladder up significantly once I get into the money, but at least I'm getting into the money consistently. I'm betting I'll still be able to end the year in the black.

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    57      70   15    32        0
MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    94      41    9     8   332000

delta: $-318,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $32,451,500
2018 balance: $-930,000
balance: $44,583,260

The cruelest game

Decades ago, I was interested in backgammon, and bought a book called "Backgammon: The Cruelest Game". Its awesome title has stayed with me all these years. I'm here to tell you that there are moments when poker usurps the mantle of cruelest game. I experienced such a moment last night. On the final hand of the only tournament I entered, I was two spots out of the money. I'd been dealt pocket eights, and was up against an opponent who'd been dealt KJo (king jack offsuit). The flop came 9s 8d Kc, giving me a set of eights and my opponent a pair of kings. At this point, I was a 94.85% favorite to win the hand. My opponent bet 5,700 chips on the flop, and I smooth called. The turn was the nine of clubs, giving me a full house, and my opponent kings up. At this point, I was a 90.91% favorite to win the hand. My opponent bet 6,000 chips on the turn, and I called all in with my last 4,825 chips. My opponent only had 4 outs - he had to hit one of the two remaining kings in the deck, or one of the two remaining nines. I had 40 outs. Disastrously for me, the nine of diamonds spiked on the river, and that was all she wrote. Definitely a cruel, cruel hand; one of the cruelest in recent memory. My blue distance is now in shouting distance of $10,000,000.

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    87      55   12    14        0

delta: $-250,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $32,769,500
2018 balance: $-612,000
balance: $44,901,260

Worst 17 bagger ever

I had my choice of blog post titles tonight; I had to pick what bad news to lead with :-) Here's all the bad news, in no particular order:

- in the last 17 sessions, I've lost a whopping $4,046,000, a new personal worst for 17 consecutive sessions
- my blue distance is now at an all-time high of $9,383,000 (another new personal worst)
- my 2018 balance is now underwater; if it's still underwater at the end of the year, this will be my first yearly loss since I started playing online poker in 2008

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    36      83   18    40        0
MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    52      62   15    32        0
MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    82      60   12    20        0

delta: $-500,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $33,019,500
2018 balance: $-362,000
balance: $45,151,260