USA soccer, fishing and poker

I have to start off with the USA World Cup game this morning where Donovan scored in the 91st minute. This definitely ranks high on my all time favorite sports moments, given that England was winning 1-0, eliminating us unless we scored, which happened with 3 minutes left in the game. I'm probably partial since I played soccer growing up until college but I'm glad to see the USA soccer program grow and get to a level that we are no longer a laughing stock and potentially a threat to other powerhouse countries now.

I also started fishing a local Tuesday night circuit last night. Unfortunately I didn't catch any keepers to weigh in and get some points but it was a learning experience and probably for the best. As simple as fishing seems to many it can be very tough and many uncontrollable variables come into play with fishing. Travis (my step-dad) weighed in 4 fish, had big bass and finished 2nd. So, we caught plenty of fish and I had my chances as I lost a keeper that was about 2 lbs with an hour left but that's fishing and some days things just don't go your way. There are 10 tournaments left and I still have an above average chance to make the end of the season classic so I'm just gonna keep putting in my time and making the most of the opportunities as they present themselves. Plus fishing is extremely enjoyable for me and is second nature, even after an almost 10 year hiatus. It's crazy to think how good or competitive I am and can be given almost a decade off.

My 10nl challenge is cruising along as well. I've been playing other limits as well as some Rush poker so I haven't been devoting all of my time to it. I am up ~66 buy ins now after 84k hands and will just continue to play 10nl when I feel like it. The past ~20k hands at 10nl have been brutal but I've still managed to make some money because it is 10nl after all.

I am around 110k hands so far on the month. Which leaves me 65k hands shy with 7 days to go to reach my 175k hand goal and prop with Natisfinest. I haven't talked to him recently but I'm sure that sicko has like 250k hands in already because he's a sick grinder. Today has been a day off for me and I'm going to try and wake up and just play tomorrow so I'm hoping for maybe 15k hands tomorrow.

Halfway there

Well I am over halfway to my $1k goal at 10nl. I think I started the challenge the 4th or 5th, so ~55 buyins in 10 days isn't bad, but it is 10nl after all. This challenge has been fun for numerous reasons. It has forced me to get back to some basics that I had gotten away from and was causing me to spew. It's pretty funny because I played a hand where I flopped an OESFD (Open ended straight flush draw) a couple days ago and 3 barreled and the guy called me down with bottom pair for his stack. Gotta love it!

I have settled some of my verbal abuse at the tables as losing/winning $10 here and there isn't anything to get mad over. Hopefully I can continue my attitude as I move back up. I might try and write up a couple things I found while playing 10nl afterwards.

I am going to start fishing each week in a circuit which I am really excited about. It will help get me back into fishing semi-competitively again and just get me used to being back on the water and fishing different places. My 2 year goal with fishing is to be in the local club and fishing those along with other somewhat local tournaments. It's very motivating to think about and will also provide a release from poker. Fishing is relaxing but will also still allow me to compete for fairly little monetary fun.

June is going well so far. I am behind my 175k hand prop bet for the month, I think I'm around ~65k hands so far. So, I need to step that up but I don't have anything planned until the 4th of July therefore I should just continue getting in alot of volume and enjoying the benefits of playing alot.....ie money and fpps nom nom nom.

Self imposed $1k @ 10nl challenge & Blackhawks win!!

A few days into this month I had a -12 buyin day at 25nl and decided to drop down and made up a 1k @ 10nl challenge for myself. I did this out of annoyance for continuing to fucking run bad, to help make sure I am playing a fairly basic game and to just have a fresh new challenge for myself. I have been guilty in the past of trying to outplay or over think plays at 50nl and lower in the past and I think I have been doing it again recently.

I originally wasn't gonna play anything above 10nl until I made $1k but realized that I'm burning money by not playing higher during this self challenge. The graph above is how I am doing so far. I am hoping to continue this pace and make $1k under or around 100k hands.

Mentally my poker confidence is probably around 50%. It just seems like every session comes with a set over set, KK vs AA along with multiple sets losing to 4 flushes and straights. All of those things are standard but when they are happening every session and every 1k hands or so after 500k+ hands it has beaten me down. Unfortunatly I have been taking my anger out on people at the tables by berating people as well which is just totally unacceptable. I'm hoping that completing this little challenge will help me regain my confidence as well as composure.

The Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup also this week which is awesome. I watched the parade today and is such a great feeling to see a group of young and talented players receive what they have worked so hard for.

This weekend will be busy with the US world cup game against England, my cousins wedding and another cousins birthday. The wedding along with the rest of the weekend should be a really good time.