^ I rarely say this, and in fact I believe it's the only time I've ever given this answer in this thread: I don't really wanna talk about it, haha. I was out of practice, it was spew.

Checked out Commerce today. Seems like a great venue for poker as Texas Hold'em tables outnumber everything else in the casino as far as I can tell, compared to most places where only 1/30 of the gambling fish end up at the poker tables while the rest lose it at slot machines.

Commerce has some really weird method of table selection where they only tell you the buy-in but not the stakes. This ends up being even weirder as they have a game that simply says it's a "$600 game" but that's the min buy-in and blinds are $10-$20, and other anomalies like that.

Anyway I signed up for first available, ended up being $300-$500. I had absolutely zero clue what the blinds were going to be, but they were $5-$5 which was cool.

As it turns out, sometimes poker is easy:

I raise UTG with KK to $35, 2 callers. Read on villain is rich old man calling station who doesn't care about money.

Flop 972, pot $105ish
I bet $80, 1 caller.

Turn 4, pot $265
I jam for about $230, villain calls and mucks on a blank river.

Second hand was a bit tougher but still in the "poker is easy" category:

I raise pre with AK to $25 UTG, 2 callers in the blinds. Villain is a ~30ish old asian who just sat down and bought in for full ($500). No read other than that.

Flop A77, pot $75
SB leads for $60. Not liking this spot but I call.

Turn 9 pot $195
SB leads for $100. I call planning to fold to a river jam.

River 3 pot $395
SB checks, I don't think he checks a 7 here due to the backdoor flush, although I'm slightly worried about value cutting myself. I jam for $350-ish, he calls and mucks.

Played at Commerce again today. Actually meant to go to the Bike, but I missed my exit and didn't feel like turning around. Oh well. Will probably check out Bike tomorrow.

Commerce has a $5 drop if there's a flop at all. that means $6 (including BBJ) out of a $15 pot if 1 guy limps, wtf?! Also they take $2 out EVEN IF YOU CHOP LOL WTF. Which, is basically mandatory, because if you check the BB, and SB open folds the flop, you get only $4 back instead of $5 if you chop. JOKES

Lost about $300 on this hand:

Very aggressive villain raises to $10 from MP-ish, I raise to $40 from SB. Only villain calls.

Flop 345, pot $80
I bet $40, villain calls.

Turn 6, pot $160
I check expecting V to bet very often here, villain bets $50, I jam for $130 more. He calls and shows A2.

Shortly after, I raised pre with AA got 2 callers, check/raised and got it in on A85dd and got stacked by K5dd (I can't remember if the Ace was a diamond). Left right after, didn't want to play tilted after that.

What hand did you have when you lost $300?

On 2nd hand if he had K5dd on A85dd then the ace must have been a d

Oh duh, good point.

I had QQ first hand. Nor sure if I played it badly or not.

Not sure how you really play it different. Line looks like he has something like AcXc so you want to price them out of another card.

Hey, nice thread.

Ill comment on the QQ hand. I think your shove is probably bad. I mean you are checking and say you expect him to bet a lot, presumably because you expect him to bluff a lot in this spot. If he is bluffing a lot in this spot then you want to just check call and let him bluff river instead of check jam.

Hmm, I expect him to basically be priced in since it's $130 to win $390. However you're probably right that a call is better. I'm wondering if I can get away from the hand though... I mean it is a 4 to a straight board =/

On the bright side, today was my best day in my entire poker career. Played at the Bike. Up $5.7k!

Bought in for 160bb at 5-5 (buyins $300-$1000), immediately doubled up with QQ vs AK on Q96 vs. a rich fish who didn't hesitate to stack off on the flop (single raised pot, I uncharacteristically flatted pre). Sitting with 320bb or so, I doubled up in the very next orbit where I 3-bet to $80 with AA, a pretty aggro guy flats with KK, original raiser (villain from first hand) ships all in for about $250 with 85s (lol), I 5-bet to $400, aggro guy jams all in for $1600. Played some good poker in general and ran up $500 more before I left for lunch.

When I got back I was 2nd on the waitlist for the same game (different table), the guy asked me if I wanted to play the 1/2 game while I waited. I opted to play 5-5 PLO instead, which I later found out was 5-5-10. Bought in for $1000, took my free orbit (I'm a nit who always leaves UTG), on my very last hand UTG I limp AKQJ, some guy makes it $50 from MP-ish, 1 guy in the blinds calls. Both villains cover me.

Flop T98, pot $200
Big blinds checks, I am thinking while MP acts out of turn and bets $115. Big blind pots, I jam. Both also jam.

MP shows AAKJ
BB shows a J7 and mucks

WELL THATS COOL. I don't want to leave immediately after winning that pot so I play some more PLO, mostly breaking even. Flopped top set with JJxx on J86 two tone and potted it in a 4 way pot, everyone folded.

Back at hold'em... I 3-bet to $70 from CO vs HJ, very active player UTG limp-4-bets to $230, HJ folds, I 5-bet jam AKo for $1000 total. UTG folds. I pretty much have no experience in 4-bets much less 5-bets, is sizing ok??

Hooray for rungood.

Just finished this thread, thanks much for sharing your story! I think quitting the security of that job for something you enjoy is brave. For most people I would say foolish, but you are obviously a smart guy who can make it in poker or in most given professions.

It is too bad our western society is driven so much by quest for $$ and those who are on a quest for happiness are told they are wrong. Seems backwards to me.

GL in all!

really interesting thread, enjoyed reading! good luck man, still can't believe u left your 6 figure job though.

Not sure if I have ever seen a 5 bet that wasn't a shove. If I do it there then it is gonna be for villain's stack to end it and then play the math on a call hoping we aren't up against AA or KK.


Sick run btw. Gotta love when the cards help out the good play.

do you play online btw?

damnit I had a sick post written up about some revolutionary strategies (which many of you may disagree with) in live poker last night and it wouldn't let me copy paste. I'll save it for some other time.

Re: 5-bets. Yea, this was the first time I think I've made a 5-bet that wasn't a shove (or even a commited AI pre bet!) in the AA v. KK hand. In the AK hand, I just wasn't sure if jamming 200bb into 50bb is too much, since it's 150bb for him to call to win 250bb. Hmm, if he thinks I'm doing this with a range of exactly KK/AA/AK, then he should fold QQ, so I guess maybe this is OK?

Re: online. I don't play online because I find it quite boring after a short period of time, however I have considered it as I believe playing online is the only way to truly get really good at poker. You just never get enough history live. For example, how can someone balance and have a 66% value range and a 33% bluff range on a river check/raise vs. me when they only get the opportunity to take that line once? In live, you don't worry about balance. You obviously do think about their range and your repped range, but in the end you make every decision based on the individual hand.

Combining those two previous paragraphs together for an example: in that 5-bet spot with AK, I'm actually probably never shoving vs. that guy with KK/AA ever because I except him to fold a lot*. I'm probably also NEVER folding to his 4-bet (lol) because I was pretty sure he had a weak hand, since his raises were constantly getting called by the entire table so there's no reason for him to go for a l/rr. Basically, I'm jamming my weaker hands and flatting QQ+ (his limp range I expect to be mostly SCs and low PPs have too much flop equity vs AK for me to want to flat that hand). I'm TERRIBLY imbalanced here, even vs. a decent thinking player!!! That's why I think you can never get REALLY good only playing live, but it's OK. I'm fine with that.

*literally my entire table was using 2+2 lingo so I'm a bit worried people will read this and exploit me, but whatever. Hasn't happened yet so I'll keep writing

Thanks for the comments everyone!

do you think online play will increase your profitability if you do start playing online?

Congrats on your best session dude. Keep it up.

Hmm, interesting to think about. I mean it HAS to help (can't possibly hurt), but I'm not sure if it's something I want to do right now.

Thanks for the comments guys!

Played another session today, went to a meetup.com boardgame group on the west side of LA... so it was a good time to check out Hollywood Park which wasn't too far away.

I felt like it was really poorly run. I could list a whole bunch of specific reasons, but suffice it to say that it felt like the majority of the staff really did not care that much for their customers.

While waiting for the $300-$500 5/5 game, I played a $200 3/5 game. The format made me feel like the casinos in LA have a huge running joke on their customers... the buy-in is $200. That's $200 minimum. And $200 maximum. You can ONLY BUY IN FOR 40BB LOL WTF.

Anyway fortunately I got moved shortly and played for about 5 hours and was up $160, but it honestly was a really tilting session that felt like a loss. All my profit was from an early double up where I 3-bet a guy who just sat down with AKo, he flatted, then check/raised me all in on A86r with TT. One more comment about what I wrote this morning about balance: if you choose to take villain's line vs. a random unknown 100bb deep, your range should be AK/AA ONLY (note that doesn't mean you should take that line with AK/AA). Think about that.

Anyway, the session felt tilting because I made 4 monster hands and got **** value for all of them. The first two I don't feel so bad about, KK on 963r in a 4 way pot and everyone folded to my cbet, KQ on KQ7hh in a 5 way pot and everyone folded to my cbet. Probably couldn't have done too much better.

The other 2 monster hands I made were tilting to me. I 3-bet a guy with QQ from the blinds, he flats, flop 722. I cbet, he folds 88 faceup. I'm pretty sure he would have bet if I checked. Also squeezed with K5s, 1 guy cold calls, everyone else folds. Board ends up being KKK6T, I checked behind on flop and turn, villain bets $125 into $230 on the river, I jam for $250 more and he folds. Should have bet earlier streets as villain's most likely holdings are pocket pairs that will probably call at least 1 bullet. Villain asked me to show 1 so showed the 5 for jokes, I immediately said I had the K (I'm never jamming there without the K... too likely villain has it) but the table debated the truthfulness of that statement for the next 30 minutes (mainly due to preflop action). Which tbh doesn't make any sense, I already showed the 5 indicating I 3-bet light, is it that much of a stretch to believe K5 instead of 55?

Finally, I lost $200 on a river bluff where I check/called a flop bet on A63ss with 45dd, turn was a Ts, and it went check/check, river was a blank and I decided to overbet almost double pot on the river (which I think reasonably reps a flush but maybe not =/). Villain quickly raised to $500 total =/

Oh I also played a hand where 5 people limped my big blind (both V's are old guys), I led for $25 into $30 with Q5o on Q85dd, V1 to my left raises to $60, V2 flats, I flat. Turn is an offsuit 3, I check, V1 bets $100, V2 raises to $200, I fold, V1 jams for like $150 more V2 snaps. V1 shows AQ and V2 has 85o. Easy fold for me vs. their ranges (especially V2's) but just another little thing that adds onto the tilt factor.

I think it'll get better once there's more volume. I recall being completely unfazed when I had several losing sessions in a row in STL because I knew I was better than other players. That feeling will come back to me once I get more volume in.

Found your thread yesterday. Read the first two pages (200 posts). Great read.

I'm impressed and happy for you that you took the risk to do what you want to do even if it means less money.

Good luck!

Subscribed.

Great challenge. Enjoy it and will read again

Ty for comments!

I'm up about 6.6k in 5 days at LA, but I'm going to start tracking city results like I used to starting now since I think I'm going to be playing almost daily again. Headed to the Bike.

WHOA WTF WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME THE BIKE GIVES FREE FOOD. I always wondered why everyone was constantly eating at the tables.

I played *11 hours straight* today, don't feel like checking back to my first few days in STL but pretty sure that's the most poker I've ever played in a row. Was down about $1k at the 3 hour mark (raised pre then check/called 3 streets with AK on AJ86T vs. an aggressive player, he had 88. I'm happy with flop/turn play but I think river is a fold), then brought it back up to even and never really fluctuated much after that. Biggest two pots I won:

Opened in EP to $40 with AKcc (oh this is at 5/10 btw), 4 callers, flop Qs4s2d, I check/raised a $120 bet to $300 (with less than a PSB behind if he calls) and villain folded. IMO this is a pretty sick bluff spot as he can't really call with anything except exactly 22, 44 or 5s3s, but can bet with lots of stuff including spades/any queen (I guess he *can* call with spades, but then I get value unless he has the 2s)

Other one, just witnessed a sick hand where HJ opens, CO and BTN both flat. Flop AT5, CO bets, BTN flats, HJ folds. Turn T, river J or something and it's checked down. CO shows 64o and wins with 6 high!

I picked up 6s4d the next hand so I had to raise with it obv. Made it $60 from CO, 1 caller in the blinds.

Flop 8h5h2c, pot $150ish
Villain checks, I bet $100, villain calls.

Turn Kd, pot $350
Villain checks, I check.

River 3h, pot $350
Villain leads for $230, I call. He has K8o.

One hand I think I played the turn poorly, I raised pre with AJ, 2 loose callers. I cbet J33r, both call. I bet a blank turn, but should be a check/fold IMO (definitely a valuebet headsup, or with QQ+ though). Villains had AJ and A3.

But yea... pretty uneventful. Extremely uneventful, even.

Los Angeles total since 1/11/13: +$154, 11 hours.

****************. bluffed off like 4k in spots where i was obviously repping a monster but villains were stations. goddammit i'm so bad at poker.

villain posts in CO or something, I raise BTN to $60. 2 callers.

Flop JcTs6d, pot $190
Villain checks, I bet $125, villain calls.

Turn Qd, pot $440
V checks, I bet $235, V calls.

River 3s, pot $910
V checks, I bet $600, V tank calls with QJ.

A few hours later:

Tight middle aged white guy villain raises to $65 pre, 2 callers.

Flop 865r, pot $200
V bets $175, I call.

Turn offsuit 4, pot $550
V bets $400, I call.

River T, pot $1350.
V bets $500, I jam for $1000 more, he calls with KK.

Hands I won are all where villains bluffed off their stacks... yea...

I limp called with J8, then check/called 3 streets on J335T, final pot size was like $2000. V had AQo.

Other hand, I raise pre with J7s to iso super-bad villain who limp/calls, V leads on 997, I raise, he flats. Turn 9, he leads for roughly pot, $300. No way he limps 88+ or leads turn with a 9, I call. River was some low card, he leads for $700, I'm a bit worried he actually did randomly have the 9, but I call. Final pot size $2500-ish, he mucks.

In conclusion: bluffing does not work in live poker. But we all already knew that, it just cost me $4k to re-confirm it to myself. aiwuefnai34gnq3i4ynq4t. Maybe if I were a 50 year old white woman they would have folded. I guess I'm doomed to never be able to bluff people for the rest of my life due to my ethnicity.

-$1600 today (all I brought with me).

LA total: -$1446, 18 hours.

What did you have on those hands you bluffed?

The JT6Q3 board, I dont think that is a very good bluff spot, the Q turn connects with villains flop calling range and the 3 doesnt change anything on the river so it is unlikely to scare villain.

That 8654T board that you jammed the river, is probably going to work more often than not against someone with KK who is somewhat thinking. You didnt say your hand which could make a little bit of a difference but in general in that spot, if you are calling down with something and get to the river and you think it is too weak to call then jamming may be good. Not sure, the problem I can see with that hand is this: will a villain at loliveNLHE really be bluffing on that board very often (as in will they ever think they are bluffing, because in that spot it was pretty clear that the villain was value betting and just always thinks KK is the nuts)?

interesting clear read.

I knew pretty much exactly what villain had in both hands (thought maybe JT in hand1 and AA in hand2), just thought they would fold. Very, very expensive lesson learned.