How to Win $3000 in a Hand You Lost

No-Limit Hold'em, $20.00 BB (4 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

BB ($4071)
UTG ($4735)
Hero (Button) ($4000)
SB ($9104.60)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 3, 3

1 fold, Hero bets $60, SB calls $50, 1 fold

Flop: ($140) 3, 9, 2 (2 players)

SB checks, Hero bets $80, SB calls $80

Turn: ($300) 7 (2 players)

SB checks, Hero bets $255, SB calls $255

River: ($810) 10 (2 players)

SB checks, Hero bets $625, SB calls $625

Total pot: $2060

Results:

Hero had 3, 3 (three of a kind, threes).
SB had 9, 9 (three of a kind, nines).

Outcome: SB won $2058

Graduation!

Weeeee I have a degree! I looked kind of ridiculous in the hat but whatever I guess. The graduation ceremony was actually pretty cool; it had enough pomp and tradition to make the occasion feel special yet at the same time only lasted an hour which was definitely a plus.

My name was relatively early in the list so after I got my degree I sat and amused myself by seeing how many people stuffed up the graduation procedure. When your name was called out by the Dean you had to salute him (boys by raising their trencher, girls by touching their trencher, bowing slightly or curtseying). I’m pretty sure the strike rate for this was near 100%. You then had to walk up to the Deputy Chancellor who shook your hand and presented you with your degree. He would then salute you and you’d salute back before turning around and leaving. A lot of people momentarily turned away without saluting but most eventually remembered since it’s pretty hard to miss the Deputy Chancellor saluting you. Anyway, then came the big test. While walking down the steps back to your seat, you had to simultaneously fumble for the tassel at the top of your trencher and move it from the right side to the left side to signal that you’ve now graduated. Not only was this a test of your memory but it required significant coordination skills as well, kind of like rubbing your tummy and patting your head at the same time. And sure enough, BOOM! Strike rate down to 60%! Hehe.

Anyway, here’s a photo of me with my mum in the quad.

PS Does anyone out there have any views or opinions on Emory University? The five US exchange options I have for next year are Harvard, NYU, Texas at Austin, Cornell and Emory. I have no chance of getting into the first three (since we only have one spot for each and the mark cutoff is ridiculously high) so I’m going to put Cornell down as my first preference and then Emory (since I really want to go to the US). Emory was added to the list of exchange partners just this year though so we haven’t really been given any ‘informal’ information on it. By ‘informal’ I mean non-brochure, non-website, non-‘official’ information which is really what I’m after. So yeah any info or advice would be appreciated!

Worst Ever Day (-$16,000), Didn’t Miss a Beat…

I had my worst ever day last week and didn’t feel upset at all. It was kind of scary actually. Usually I’d rush straight to my blog to whine and whatever but I really wasn’t too fussed by it at all. The last few weeks I’ve had 10K swings up and down every two or so sessions so I think I’m starting to get used to it as weird (and worrying?) as that is. Anyway I dropped 16K in about two hours that session, 13 of it coming from a failed two-tabling 25/50 shot where I got set under set for 5K and my AA turned by QTs on JJ9K in a 3-bet pot for about 6K. A fish with a VPIP over 75% was playing on both tables so I don’t regret taking the shot as I certainly think it was +EV.

The thing that is starting to annoy me though is that I haven’t actually made that much money these last few months now that I think about it. I simply rip through 5/10 and then just lose it all back at 10/20 and 25/50. Rinse and repeat and that’s my last few months in a nutshell. If I was smart I’d just stay at 5/10 and make whatever and be happy and move on with life. But I guess that was the temptation at both 1/2 and 3/6 and I’m glad that I preserved on in those situations as eventually I did ‘make’ it and have reaped the long-term rewards ever since. Here’s my graph for the last week which if you copy and paste side by side would pretty much exactly resemble my graph for the last few months.

I have exams coming up in three weeks so I’m going to take a break from poker until they’re finished. I finish on the 22nd June and leave for Vegas on the 2nd July. So my plan for the next two months is:

· 26th-29th May – final week of classes
· 30th May – 14th June – prepare for exams
· 15th – 22nd June – exams
· 23rd June – 1st July – holidays!
· 2nd – 15th July – Vegas + 22nd birthday!!!
· 16th – 26th July – holidays!
· 27th July – resume uni

In that first week of holidays I hope to finish my 5/10 goals for the year. I need 25K at 5/10 6-max and 14K at 5/10 HU to have $111,000 and $0 in winnings for the year respectively. Once I’ve done that I would’ve achieved what I wanted to achieve at 5/10 and once I come back from Vegas I’ll take my first shot at being a full time high-stakes only baller – 10/20+ only baby! If that doesn’t go well though I guess I’ll have to return to 5/10 but I really like the idea of leaving 5/10 and midstakes forever. Anyway, time to study up I guess…