APRIL 2006 ANALYSIS

Things got off to a bad start. I made some adjustments mid-month and got myself into contention more often than not in the MTT. First, I kept getting to the bubble, but missing the payouts. Later in the month, I began making the payouts. I took some hits in the cash game late in the month, yet made a final table and went into the final day of the month dead even. I managed to make the final table of my final event and posted a small profit on the month.

TOURNAMENTS = (18.50)

I played 101 tournaments and virtually broke even on the month. In heads-up play, I won two of three for $87. Every month there is a new money pit and this month was single-table tournaments. I cashed in 3 of 13, but posted a $1079 loss overall. There were a few heartbreakers in there where good odds became bad beats.

I played 85 MTT and cashed in 15 (18%). Not bad considering nearly all of those cashes came in the back half of the month. I was really running bad when March became April and I had to go back to the books mid-month to get my game straightened out. I managed a top 20 percentile finish in 21 of 85 events (25%). The difference between making that plateau and actually cashing is what I consider the bubble, so there were six events where I was knocking on the door but couldn't get in. I finished in the bottom half of the field 29 times, only 34% of the time, with nearly all of them coming in the first two weeks.

I began playing a much more patient game after revisiting Dan Harrington's book. If I didn't get any playable cards for the first three levels, then I would still have enough of a stack intact to make a double up matter once I began feeling pressure from the blinds. There were events in which I folded my way through the first hour, but then a couple of quick double ups after the break gave me momentum to propel me to the final table. This was a reversal from my early-year strategy of making big plays early to try to build a stack. Even playing conservatively, if I get the right cards, I can occasionally build a stack, but with much less risk. The thing is, what use is a big stack when the blinds are so low they are not worth stealing? It doesn't so much matter when the big stack arrives so long as I'm sitting behind it when the blinds are huge.

The first final table I made in April was in the only Razz tourney I played. The buy-in was only $10, so I joined a tourney on a lark late at night. I tried to play my best, but I got off to a rough start. I was all in twice when my hand held up, then I began building a stack. I got to heads-up, but we were even in chips and I was very tired. I was happy with final two, so I just decided to play super aggressive on the next hand and hope it held up, which it didn't. Same thing on the next hand and that was the end: 2 of 31 for $87.

My next final table, and my biggest score of the month was one of those magical days smack in the middle of my bad run. I played this one tournament as properly as possible and I finished 2 of 325 for $4550. It was a $100 buy-in and I played as patiently as I possibly could, picking prime spots to move my chips around, and everything worked out. I got my money in good every single time, except for the sole confrontation when I called a small stack's all-in with A6, and hit an ace to knock him out. Otherwise, I didn't need luck at all, neither good nor bad. It was just a matter of picking my spots, having the best of it, and having it hold up. I had a feeling of destiny at the final table, and as players disappeared one by one, I knew I was going to get heads up, and I did. I was outstacked, but I felt confident that I could close it. I got my money in with pocket queens, but lost to KT - the one time I was unlucky, costing me $3000 in prize money.

The final tables dried up again until the final two days of the month. I finished 3 of 129 in a $50 event for $822, and 8 of 201 in a $69 event for $385. I played good poker for about two weeks, but the other two weeks dragged me down, despite that big payday mixed in. I managed a $975 profit at the MTT during April, which more or less offset my losses at the STT. I would have shown even better results had I not followed my early cash with a bunch of outlays into big tournaments when I was not playing good poker. I didn't realize that I was still in a slump while I was paying $650 and $300 to play in events in which I was practically dead money.

CASH GAMES = $196

I lost at Limit Hold'em and Razz, but profited at NLHE and made a little at 7-Stud. I was up all month in NLHE, usually over $1200, but I had a few painful sessions in the final week to reduce my take to $463. Still, I think this is the first month so far this year that I didn't lose at least a grand in cash games, so I will take it as progress. I also made $240 in bonus money at Full Tilt, which represents more than half of my profit this month.

I still suck at this game, but I'm getting better and I'm not losing money, so even if I'm not posting huge profits, I've got no real issues. I'll keep playing, keep trying to improve, keep gaining valuable experience, and keep chasing the occasional paydays. What really needs refined more than anything is my consistency. I have proven I can win big both in tourneys and cash games. What I haven't proven is that I can keep from losing big.

APRIL 2006 = $417.50
TOTAL 2006 = $6926.50