Tiltttttttttt

yup yup. I hit a downswing this week, was very annoyed. So on the 30th, I decided to load up a 1/2nl table, a heads up table. I was doing pretty well, but man, the game just kept going back n forth back n forth for a few hours, seriously. Long story short, I stacked him, so the score was $800 vs $200 and I blew it. He started tilting and pushed $180 preflop, so I called w/A9 < K7s.

later on, $350 push AcKc < 99. Eventually I tried to run a big bluff, and boom. $1k pot shipped to him.

Damn I'm good. Oh, prior to that I also lost about 800 on fcp. Just got raped in limit, over and over again. Oh well.

I just put in 3hr 40 min. session though where I made back $500 of it so I'm happy. I think my bankroll is around 3.4k with rakeback and such. Not too sure though, not really caring.

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Clicking. Instincts.

I mentioned that a few months ago, after a horrendous -300bb downswing, I 2 tabled 2/4 short handed limit and suddenly the game clicked to me. I was learning how to control the table, so that my aggression worked really well. Basically, you normally want to take initiative/be the captain at your table. If you are in control of the hand, then in the longrun you will win more. By being in control, you're making people make mistakes. They will fold or give you too much money.

So what does this have to do w/the 'clicking' concept? I began to feel the game. There are some days where I have to think, is this guy bluffing? semi-bluffing? Or does he have a real hand. But there are those days where you just know. You intuitively understand his emotions. You know he might play his AK aggressively so you cap bottom pair on a flop of 5 7 10 and value bet his ass to the river. Or maybe you just feel that he's weak, so you bet out or check-raise with Queen high and take the pot away with him. Rather than debating between check-raising and betting out, you immediately know that betting out/3betting is the best play. You know this within a second, and without any doubt.

Bluffing is a -ev play that don't work too often in limit, especially short handed limit. yet you feel it, so you go with it. There isn't any doubt, you just know. You can't explain it, even though it's online, you have a read on the guy that you just KNOW is correct.

That's what it means to have everything click together. You know when he's strong, so you pitch your hand, you know when he's weak so you bluff him off or value bet him.

If you're a poker player, or a competitor, you know that there is nothign more beautiful than executing a deceptive play with confidence. A daring, risky move that most would not make, yet for some reason you've decided to do it and you've now pulled it off. It's an empowering, comforting feeling and there really isn't anything quite like it.


Of course I'm only 20 years old so what do I know? I haven't experienced that much, have I?
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I hope that little explanation helped. I can be pretty repetitive, and confusing as well.

Well everyone, it's been a quick year. Nothing much has happened in my life in 2006. I hope you all either improve your poker game or have fun playing it. Please don't tilt. It's such a waste. Look at me! If I didn't tilt, I'd prolly have my 10k bankroll. Oh well oh well.

Happy New Year! Let us have a good 2007.

Mikey Song