Against this villain I can see folding out AK, but I don't think QQ from this opponent is ever folding. Well, maybe sometimes but it is going to be a very rare occasion I would say.

I got in a long session, but made a few big mistakes such as trying to 3 barrel a 4 straight board an getting called by 3rd set. I'll grade myself a B for the session.

February 2013

Total hours played- 72
Average hourly winrate- $4
Winnings- $268

2013 YTD

Total hours played- 210
Average hourly winrate- $6
Winnings- $1325

QQ from *any* opponent isn't folding in that spot, whether they should vs. your range or not.

Regarding the 4 to a straight board- something that poker players do (and sometimes I do myself) is saying it's a mistake every time I get hero called, but maybe he folds there enough to make it profitable. On the contrary, no one considers it a mistake if your opponent shoves a reasonable range PF, you call with KK and he has AA. Just some food for thought!

But man how do you go to Pittsburgh in the winter

Games in Piitsburgh are better than Vegas? Did you leave Vegas because of your friend or did you not like living in Vegas. I am thinking of moving from So Cal to Vegas.

I think I played ok I'll grade my play an A. I got into a 1k pot.

I pick up AA and make it 15 over 1 limp, 1 call, guy makes it 45, folds to me I think and then make it 120. 3better calls he has been playing loose pf and post.

Flop- KQ10
Not the flop I envisioned I bet 125 into 256, he calls pretty quickly which I think he would have thought about longer with KK and QQ.

Turn- 9
I jam for 252 into 506, he tanks for a couple minutes and calls.

River- Q
I show, he mucks . I am assuming he must have had AK.

Board: Kd Th Qc 9s
Dead:

equity win tie pots won pots tied
Hand 0: 32.468% 28.44% 04.03% 1314 186.00 { AA }
Hand 1: 67.532% 63.51% 04.03% 2934 186.00 { JJ+, AKo }


I am still adjusting to playng 100bb+ again, I'd mostly been playing 50bb. That might explain my tendency to jam all my good draws. I am going to be in a lot of situations now where I am too deep to ram and jam and it turns into a sizable mistake.

Yep, in hindsight checking turn is best option by far.

I'll post the 3 barrel hand in llsnl. I thought it was a good spot at first but ran it by dhcg86 and Kydd and now I realize I probably can't fold enough of their range but it was an interesting spot.

I totally get what you are saying, he folds part of his range there some of the time. Similar to the difference between "Galfond bucks" and "Sklansky bucks". My hand vs villain's range or my hand vs villain's actual hand.

It is cold as **** here, more motivation to stay indoors and grind.

I think the games at Rivers are slightly softer than Vegas. They get more 1/3nl tables running then I have seen on average at Aria or Bellagio.

I like Vegas, it went from once a year trips to biannual trips, to being there 6 months out of the last year. It really feels like home to me.

I pretty much busted my roll. I decided my best option was to head out here to hang with dhcg86. I also realized that I probably suck at poker and really need to overhaul my game. Given how successful he has done with the help of Kydd, I thought it would be a great opportunity to improve and also see some places I've never been before. Life is short I want to experience as much as I can while I am able to.

Here are a few more pics from LA



Hollywood sign in the distance





February 2013

Total hours played- 80
Average hourly winrate- $8
Winnings- $604

2013 YTD

Total hours played- 218
Average hourly winrate- $8
Winnings- $1661

I played solid, I'll grade my play an A. Only played 2 pots over 100bb, lost a flip and lost a pot as a 9 to 1 favorite when I got c/r by air. The rest of the night was folding pf or pfr floping no pair no draw and giving up.

I am resisting the urge to spew chips.

Here are a couple of the other casinos in Stateline, NV





Lake Tahoe



February 2013

Total hours played- 80
Average hourly winrate- $5
Winnings- $414

2013 YTD

Total hours played- 226
Average hourly winrate- $7
Winnings- $1471

This is my constant struggle.

I had good session, was able to get 3 streets of value on a few hands. I'll grade my play an A.

Interesting sculpture in Reno



Mountains to the west of Reno



A cool little silhouette from Vegas




February 2013

Total hours played- 94
Average hourly winrate- $6
Winnings- $576

2013 YTD

Total hours played- 232
Average hourly winrate- $7
Winnings- $1633

Really ****ty session. I think I played my C game. I really ****ed up one hand where I tilted off a stack with tp2k vs top set in a terrible spot. I'm going to get in some study time now.

Here are a couple hands I played-

I pick up AA in mp, I raise to 15, lp calls, limp calls. stacks are 320 effective

Flop- K86
checks to me I bet 30 into 43, limps calls

Turn- 7
villain thinks for a bit then checks, I bet 60 into 103, villain instajams
I'm not thrilled but I really don't think he could have a set here. I think he could have a straight draw, flush draw, pair+draw. I have about 15% vs any 2p combo, I decide to make the call. Villain has been playing loose and maniacal.

River- 10
Villain rolls over J9 nh sir

I pick up QQ in mp and make it 15 over 1 limp. limper calls. stacks 216 effective

Flop- 1073
checked to me I bet 25 into 28, he calls

Turn- 8
now he leads out for 40 into 78, I jam for 176 total which is about pot size. villain snaps me with 107 river bricks nh sir

We drive through Downtown Pittsburgh to get to Rivers, here are a few shots






February 2013

Total hours played- 98
Average hourly winrate- -$1
Winnings- -$93

2013 YTD

Total hours played- 236
Average hourly winrate- $4
Winnings- $964

We are heading to Charles Town, WV for a few days which is just outside of the DC metro area. I've been sick the last few days but going to get back on the grind.

I am here in Charles Town. The casino had about 10 1/2nl and 5 2/5nl games running at 8pm. The competition has been very soft from the small sample size I have witnessed. On the other hand they have the steepest rake I have ever paid iirc 10% up to 6 + 1 to the promo fund. The rake/comp structures at the big 4 in Vegas really are the best in the country and possibly the world, can't take it for granted.

The last time dhcg86 and I walked into Rivers Casino poker room the floor told us that they are "refusing service" to us. No explanation given, I just said ok and walked out. We have never broken any poker room rules to my knowledge. I have never personally recieved any warnings regarding misconduct. I feel it is completely unjustified. We will spend our thousands of $ in rake at other better run establishments, I encourage anyone who is considering patronizing Rivers to play elsewhere.

My results pokerwise were very forgetable. My volume was low, barely breaking 100 hrs. Lot's of room for improvement on both fronts. I have started to rebuild my game from the ground up and I think I am on the right path. I have many acquired bad habits that need to be broken and it is tougher than I thought. On the positive side I have recieved a lot of solid advice from Kydd and dhcg86. I have also posted/ commented on some hands in llsnl.

February Graph



2013 YTD Graph



I have some specific goals for March-
[]post 1 hand in llsnl everyday I grind
[]comment on 5 hands in llsnl everday I grind
[]play 170 hrs
[]review every hh I've posted in this thread in reverse chronological order, attempt to pinpoint my biggest and most frequent types of mistakes
[]take breaks when tilted, stick to a 300bb stoploss

u are lucky to have a good friend like DCHG, no idea who he is in real life, to let u live with him and to help get u back in action when u run dry. me ive quit playing poker, now just grinding room comps out in Jean to survive, but i will come back and am playing a small amount of online poker.

if i was to play any poker, id find a good hi-low game to sit back and play tight in, very little variance that way

poker is a game of thoughtful discipline, practice playing chess to learn to take your time thinking through decisions

Stop getting banned troublemaker.

The people running Rivers seem like a bunch of idiots from what I've heard from this and Kydd's thread. Enjoy CT, the rake sucks but that place is a gold mine.

Went there once for my brothers bachelor party. Def seemed like a pretty busy poker room.

Sucks that they did this to you guys right after you move out to PA. You gonna try and get the ban overturned or move somewhere else?

+1. Stand up guy.

Also, if you look up (which you won't have to because I'll go over it with you when I come to Charlestown) The Adult Learning Model and the Inchworm Learning Process, you'll see that there is variance in the learning process just like there is in poker. You have mastered some techniques in your poker game that are flaws. So it's a process to unlearn them, which takes time - a process to install something else and master that, which takes more time.

I picked this up from The Mental Game of Poker by Jared Tendler
It's the only poker book I've ever read, but I can't imagine one ever being better, and it has no poker strategy in it.

I am revising my goals for the month.

Goals for March-
[]send Kydd atleast 3 hhs from each session I play
[]play 170 hrs
[]review every hh I've posted in this thread in reverse chronological order, attempt to pinpoint my biggest and most frequent types of mistakes
[]take breaks when tilted, stick to a 200bb stoploss

You are absolutely right dhcg86 is a great friend and a really good guy.

That is a good idea. I used to play chess all the time in junior high school. Thinking a few moves ahead and anticipating how oppenonets will respond to each action are a couple of things chess and poker share.

I am just too "disruptive"

Yep they seemed pretty incompetent. We are having a good time here so far.

No big deal to me really, there are plenty of other places to grind.

I've heard Jared Tendler on some podcasts before but never read that book I'll look into it.

Been following this thread for awhile and funny to see you have made it to Charles town. How long you planning on staying? I usually play at CT on the weekends and yes the rake is terrible but there is great action.

Crazy wait lists on the weekend tho so hopefully you are already at the tables. Anyways, thanks for sharing the awesome journey and good luck at CT.

Are there other decent casinos around Pitt?

download the audible from amazon.com and you get it for free for a month ... i couldn't listen to it and comprehend it well enough so i will buy the book at some point soon

I'm half way through Jared's book and it is a must read for any serious grinder...

I think I've played well for the most part, I'll grade myself a B. I have been sending Kydd a ton of hhs and it is very helpful to get prompt feedback.

I have decided I'll just include my table hourly in the stats below and note payments to my backer as an expense. I am a little less than $1k in makeup at the moment but should be able to dig out in no time.

There was 140 names on the list for 1/2 yesterday, kinda nuts. We are leaving here and going to Borgata tomorrow. I've heard that Borgata has a really nice poker room with excellent management.

I played at Meadows which is 30 min south but the action was very thin. I don't think we will be going back to Pittsburgh but we don't have any longterm plans set in stone yet.

Thanks for the heads up, I'll defintitely get on that.

Well with all these recommendations it looks like I can't pass this one up.

March 2013

Total hours played- 19
Average hourly winrate- $2
Winnings- $40

2013 YTD

Total hours played- 262
Average hourly winrate- $2
Winnings- $404

+1 I'm reading this right now and it has a ton of really insightful material not found elsewhere. I've read a few other poker books but nothing that really had even any material at all that you couldn't learn on 2+2.