Pokerlifter's March

Raising Pots

Really important month for Pokerlifter this month. It was my intention to do the following things:

Play 30,000 hands at 3BB/100

Arrange a sweat with a CCer

Database Analysis with 2+2er

Look at some coaching options

Well, I did only one of these. However, let me quantify that. Firstly, arranging a sweat session took a back seat as I did hired a coach this month so all my energy was focused on that and I didn't want too many influences on my game at the sam

e time so decided it wise to just keep with my coach. The database analysis has been extremely frustrating and I feel I have been let down a lot by the 2+2er that offers this service. Now, I understand he does it for free and that's great but clearly his intention is to convert these free students to long term paying clients, however based on his recent reliability that isn't going to happen. So on the subject of the coach, I looked in to a number of different coaches and finally settled on one that offers an exclusive service to micro players, his rates were very reasonable and after having a chat with him I figured he would be a good match with me. So, as it stands I have now had three of the scheduled five sessions and I really feel he has started to turn my game round. A few sessions leading up to my first coaching session saw me all at sea and in a terrible spot. Exactly half the way through the

month and I was stuck nearly 14buyins. As mentioned in previous posts a few minor tweaks have yielded a few major changes. I don't wish to talk too much strategy here but suffice to say it is working so far. One look at my graph shows the exact point the coaching took place and my winrate went soaring. Prior to coaching my winrate was -2.81BB/100 over ~17,000 hands, since coaching I have played 11,341 hands for a winrat

e of 5.25BB/100. As you can see this is a vast improvement and the sort of winrate I wish to achieve over a much larger sample.

My graph for the month looks like this:

So, the tale of the tape for March:

Hands: 25,090

Hours: 47.28

BB/100: 0.15

$/hour: $0.01

Total winnings: $3.01

Total rakeback: $60.94

Total for the month: $63.95

So, the cut down in tables has obviously seen a dramatic reduction in volume but this is fine, if it means the winrate is positive this is all that matters. Tables and volume can return in time. What's important here is that March was profitable! Yes, only by $3 but it's profitable. I had a goal at the beginning of the year to not have a losing month at the tables in 2011 (not including rakeback). A big goal for sure but one that look destined to failure by the midpoint of March so I was desperate to get it into the black. At the end of my session last night on the last day of March I was resigned to the fact that it was likely that March would be a loser but I was remaining positive about the fact that progress was the key. Then this hand came up...

Full Tilt Poker $0.05/$0.10 No Limit Hold'em - 8 players - View hand 1259236

DeucesCracked Poker Videos Hand History Converter

BTN: $3.50

SB: $10.61

BB: $5.00

UTG: $9.40

UTG+1: $15.06

MP1: $10.62

Hero (MP2): $20.20

CO: $14.73

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero is MP2 with 8 8

1 fold, UTG+1 raises to $0.30, 1 fold, Hero calls $0.30, 1 fold, BTN calls $0.30, 2 folds

Flop: ($1.05) 8 8 3 (3 players)

UTG+1 checks, Hero checks, BTN bets $0.60, UTG+1 calls $0.60, Hero requests TIME, Hero calls $0.60

Turn: ($2.85) 3 (3 players)

UTG+1 checks, Hero checks, BTN checks

River: ($2.85) 5 (3 players)

UTG+1 bets $1.50, Hero requests TIME, Hero raises to $5, BTN folds, UTG+1 raises to $14.16 all in, Hero calls $9.16

Final Pot: $31.17

UTG+1 shows K A (two pair, Eights and Threes)

Hero shows 8 8 (four of a kind, Eights)

Hero wins $29.17

(Rake: $2.00)

This hand was literally on my last orbit and was going to sit out the next big blind. As you can imagine my joy at flopping quads was tempered by a sense of how do I get value here? I could only assume that come the river the villain had a 3 but alas no, clearly he thought his Ace kicker played I guess? Who knows, can't second guess these fish!

So. I'm going to take the new stop of publishing April winrate and other goals here.

1) Play 20,000 hands at a winrate of +4bb/100

2) Complete my coaching and continue to analyse my play in detail

3) Sweat a session post coaching with another player

Lifting Weights

March was an important month for Pokerlifter. For too long the 'lifter' part of my name had been little used. For all all sorts of reasons I had let myself slip out of shape and a last minute dash to a train one day showed just how unfit I had got...time for a change. I discovered P90x on recommendation (not personal) by Daniel Negreanu and decided to check out what all the fuss was about and there certainly was a lot being said about it's effectiveness so I shipped the necessary money and received my pack, bought the equipment and kicked it off mid way through March. Boy was it hard, the first three weeks (which I have now completed) really kicked my ass and although I am yet to see any really changes physically I can certainly feel them starting, I already feel fitter and stronger and getting up at 5:30am to work hard is super rewarding. In addition to the extreme level of exercise I have also taken on board their nutrition advice and changed my diet. Right at this moment I feel really excited about the course I am on and positive about it, sure my body ached from head to toe and I feel exhausted but it is all worth it. The programme should finish approximately mid way through June and I am treating myself to a super hot Mediterranean beach holiday at the end of it as both a reward and, right now, a goal to aim for...beach body beautiful by end of June? Bring it...