Week 3: Moving up in Limits

On May 1, my rake-back was added to my account which put me up to $1971 which gave me a good enough bankroll to start playing the 50NL. My other reason was that I was getting fed up with the game selection on the 20NL. I still like to play 20NL but I thought it was time to step the action up a little bit.

Of course, like I said in the prior post I started off my 50NL career with a really bad downswing. At my peak I was at $2020 and at my low point I was down to $1473. Including the 2 buy-ins I dropped yesterday, my downswing hit 12.7 buy-ins which is by far the worst I have ever experienced. I think my prior worst downswing was 8 buy-ins playing live 200NL. My worst money downswing was $3000 over 8 sessions playing live playing in all different limits at a couple of casinos. With that said, I wasn't that affected since I have lost more money before but I was still really pissed. It was devastating watching my bankroll drop 25% in just one day.

Since then, I have been playing the swingiest poker I have probably ever played. For several days, I would be down $200, down $100, down $200, even, down $50 and my day would probably finish there. I also had a day where I was down $150 early on and finished up $200.

For the month of May, I have already played 8,955 hands and am now down only $67. My account currently sits at $1904. Since I am now playing bigger stakes my rake is going out of control. I have already almost matched last months rake-back total. As of right now, I have accumulated $150 of rake-back. That doesn't include the last few hundred hands I played so the total is actually more.

I really don't understand this game. There are several things that don't make sense. Why is it that when you are running bad, it all comes at once. I can play several thousand hands over a few hours and not endure a single bad beat. But then I can take 15 in about 300 hands. The same goes for running hot. I have literally been dealt Aces, Kings, or Queens 15 times in a 10 minute span. I really have never understood that part of the game. It's obviously something that can't be explained.

For example:

I had a really crazy up-swing on this one table I was playing on.

I had 4 tables open and my stacks were the following

$52
$62
$104
$155

At the time, I was down about $120 for the day.

In just a few hands the following happens on the table with $62.

Hand 1

I get dealt A K and there is a raise of $2.25 and one call. This is one of the few times that I didn't 3 bet A K and just took the flop. The board came 8 high and I had the nut flush draw. I check and there is a bet of $8. I check raise to $27 and he goes all-in. I call and he shows K K. I spike an Ace on the river and I scoop. I got really lucky there. It was the second time that day that I won a $100+ pot on the river against a huge over-pair.

My stack is up to $109

Hand 2

This is the very next hand and I get J J. I raise to $2.75 after several limpers and get two callers.

Flop: Q 2 2 with a flush draw.

I bet $6 and get called.

Turn 3 off

I bet $10 and get called.

The river is another small blank.

I'm out of position and don't really want to fire a 3rd barrel but know I have too because I know that he is shoving if I check. I make a very scared bet of only $15. He calls immediately and I know that I have lost the pot.

He mucks and I see that he called me with A 5 of clubs no pair and a busted flush draw. Wow. I am now up to about $140.

Hand 3

The same guy shoves all-in the very next hand for $36 and I have A K.

I call and he has J 6 hearts.

The flop comes A x x all hearts and he flops the flush. Standard.

Turn A

What a turn card. I now have 19 outs.

River: random heart and I have the King of hearts.

My stack is now up to $175. I get up to $190 only a couple minutes later and I end up leaving the table at $170 since there were several really good players that I didn't feel like playing with.

I made some money off the other tables and just like that I was up $50 for the day. I quit not long after and thats where I am as right now.

I have a few more days before I have logged in a full month.

I am happy to report that I have already completed all of my goals.

Goal 1.

Hands 30K: I currently have played about 45K hands.

Goal 2

Achieve $700 in bonuses and rake-back. I actually only have $650 altogether but thats free money.

Goal 3

Have $1500 in the account.

This can change but I currently have $1904 + $150 of rake-back.

I expect to have a really good week next week. I have spent the last several days and 10K hands getting my money back and I have. It is now time to start making profit again.