A good start to 2011

My goal of playing more cash games this year is off to a good start. I have played in 4 "home" cash games so far. Unfortunately I have played poorly. I can't blame bad luck or bad cards. (Well I have not had pocket AA yet in a cash game this year) I have made two of the worst calls EVER.



In the first cash game that I played I lost a nominal amount and that can be attributed to no cards and playing for nine hours with very few good hands. I am ok with how this game went.
0-1


In the next game I way overplayed top pair and gave a gift to Terry. Grayday was drinking and playing kind of crazy. Grayday bet 45 on an 8 high flop. Andy and I called. Terry inexplicably raised $200 more. I could not figure out why he was doing that. There were not any draws on the again? I stupidly called his raise and of course he had bottom set. So stupid. Just because I would not have raised there, doesn't mean other people wouldn't. It is a horrible call with my hand. (I had top pair top kicker and backdoor flush draw). Other than that hand I played really well. I re raised quite a bit and was aggressive and smart. Exclude that hand and I have a winning session. 0-2

Next game I played really well until one stupid hand. I got into a pot with Meat in a hand that I should have folded preflop. I flop middle pair with backdoor straight and flush draws. Meat check raises my 30 bet to 130. He has 93 behind. I can fold and still be ok. Nope. I put him all in. He is such a nit. Why would I do that. Very stupid play. So again, play good all night, misplay one hand and another losing session. 0-3.

The last cash game that I played was a time after a big tournament win and I didn't even really want to play, but I had really good focus, so I figured why not. I played well actually and I won. I also did not play very long. 1-3.

So I am getting the opportunity to play cash games regularly, now I just need to play better.

The tournaments have gone well. I have played in three. I have cashed in 2 of the 3. The big one was the CPMG winter classic. A two-day $200 buy in tournament. There were 30 players. I developed a strategy before the tournament and I stuck with it throughout day one. On one of the breaks I decided I had to change my strategy a little bit and it worked. Going into day 2 I was second in chips and had a great table draw. I developed a plan for day 2 and I executed the plan. Overall, it was the best poker that I have ever played and I won the tournament. More later.