I'm going in ... December 6 Sunday Brawl on FT

[huge]

I think this is a great idea, Steve. I'm declaring the Sunday Brawl on FullTilt in about 15 minutes to be my commitment tournament. I won't write as much as I should here because I want to go get a quick mini-workout in before the event, but I'm shutting down my email, pokerstars client, etc. I'll leave Skype on but I won't pay much attention to it - I sometimes talk to a friend over Skype about a tournament I'm in, and I think that actually helps me focus, so I'll keep that.

I may not post here on breaks, since I really like to get away from the computer for the full 5 minutes, but I'll scribble something from time to time if it doesn't distract me too much.

-huge

[fiber]

good luck Huge!

[jess]

I'm in the 200k at 3 on stars, gl all and lets make some ft's. jesse85james

[huge]

OK I've done my homework on the players at my table, so I can write a little more about what I want to focus on.

- Watch every hand, take notes on behavior that seems exploitable
- look up every new opponent on OPR, and p5s if they look studly
- be more careful with C-bets - try to guess who's likely to checkraise
- NO STUPID DOUBLE/TRIPLE BARRELS (please flog me if I fail in this)
- make better use of HUD stats - check 3-bet & fold-3-bet numbers
- stay small-ball without very good reason to do otherwise
- significant physical movement on each break

there's more but I'll leave it at that and get back to playing.

Doing pretty well so far - dropped some chips early but doubled up against a player who called me a fakking idiot in the chat window, so I must be doing something right. I think I know how I can stack him but it may require some risk - need to take my ego out of that and just evaluate the situation.

At first hourly break chip count 4300 (from 3k starting stack)
Four players with very strong OPR records at my table ... make that three - one just busted.

back to the battle...

[huge]

And I'm out. KK < AA, Right after Bax moved to my table (he busted on the next hand with 99 < JJ).

I actually like playing with Bax - I've watched enough of his videos that I sometimes can do things that I know he thinks look weak. He knows who I am now on Stars but I don't think I've run into him much on Tilt, so would have been fun. Sigh.

I feel like I played mostly OK. One spewy hand early on that was a weird sort of semi-misclick or brain misfire, and my double-up hand where the victim called me a faaking idiot was interesting - he limped and I knew that (a) he limped a lot, and (b) the BB was sitting out (which not everyone can tell easily on FT as you can on Stars), so I raised pretty strong with J9o, which caught a J55 flop and another J on the turn, and the guy shipped into me on the turn with 77. Later I thought that I should have typed back "given what you think of me, do you like the way you played the hand?".

Dissapointing result, but I like the process. I'll be back next month. Good luck Jess - it's up to you now to carry the banner for our pod ... but start your own damn thread, man.

-huge

[huge]

I'm declaring my "Commitment Mulligan" tournament to be the $100k on bodog. It's bodog, so I won't be able to post a hand history, use a HUD, or use OPR, but come on ... KK < AA!

[huge]

doing nicely in my 2nd chance commitment tournament - some very weak play at the table.

5000 starting stack up to 9300 at the first break, after turning a flush and getting paid, and flopping a set (and rivering quads) against AA. easy game.

I think I'm playing well and paying attention to the weak behavior I'm seeing. Stacks are deep now so I'm really looking to see flops and pick up chips from others' mistakes. No Fancy Play Syndrome.

[Steve]

My question got buried under your quote...are you additionally focused?

[huge]

And I'm out with AQ < AK, all-in preflop with 20BB. Feel OK about the play - I had been opening a lot and was opening AQ from the cutoff, so the big stack's 3-bet didn't have to be all that strong. I figured I was well ahead and jammed - turned out I wasn't.

Yes I think making the focus explicit and writing it down is a good thing, and obviously the fact that you've announced to the world that you're trying to play extra focused is an added enhancer.

Jumping into the Fulltilt $750k ... I'm just going to play that with regular half-assed focus, see if I can avoid stacking off when I'm dominated. Will also try to avoid losing a grand.

[huge]

and I'm out of the $750k with two pair vs top set. This has been a nasty day for good hands getting beat. I'll put the commitment tournament HH up shortly, though it honestly won't be that exciting to look at.

[huge]

OK I'm posting my commitment tournament HH like a good little boy:

COMMITMENT TOURNAMENT FULLTILT SUNDAY BRAWL


But like I said, it's not going to be all that interesting - one spewy hand early on, one attempt to punish a weak limper that turned into a full house, and then running KK into AA to bust out early.

And I just posted MY HH IN THE FULLTILT $30-CUBED, which I think is way more interesting.

[Steve]

I'm going to give you a redo Huge. I am asking you to redo it for two reasons...

One....you can't give it your full commitment by saying in 15 minutes I am going to play my best poker..not possible.

Just like a pro athlete, winning the ship takes the week, the diet, physical, hydration, visualization, mental prep etc.

Maybe I am asking too much but give me a 48 hours window heads up.

Sincerely appreciate you trying to do this...nice buyin.

Your reward as being the first, is not only a mulligan but a double secret probation redo double mulligan.

Try it one more time....maybe over the holidays.