Sums up my tournament, hero a small river bet get shown the busted straight and muck my winning hand.... playing too much cash. Almost at first break down to 6500 from 15k starting.

Down to 3600 at 50/100, I open AQcc to 250 Aggro BB defends I cbet Kd5d4h, he calls. I barrel 4h turn. River is 5c and villain donk jams all in for 1.3 pot. I tank call and MHIG back up to 7700 at 1st break

Got up to 12k than ran a ton of strong hands into stronger hands. Had a very interesting hand where I 3b/f AKo based on a sizing read sitting on 65 bigs. Have 3100 headed to 150/300 for level 5


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Recovered to 14k before I lost 1010< AQhh on K109hh in a multiway 3 bet pot for around 35k. J on river for max pain, thanks to those who invested. Had a brutal starting table with only one fish and 2 very good German pro's with Christopher Frank on my right. Made a few mistakes early, but did a good job playing the short stack. Last tourney before the main so will try to recoup at cash

Back home for a bit due to some things coming up! Will be back in Vegas shortly, and will probs get to play some 10/25 for the first time.

Haven't had an update in a while, but approaching the homestretch of this Vegas trip. Overall has been a fun trip, but I am definitely ready to comeback home and see my girlfriend, family, and friends.

Will not be posting live results for the trip, but it has been relatively meh despite me putting in a lot of volume, I've ran pretty bad in the deep 5/10 although I've recently won my biggest pot ever,

Will most likely grind 10/25 or 25/50 before the trip is over and excited to play my first main coming up before I take a few days off once back in Jersey.

After over a month here, my time in Vegas is winding down and it's time to prepare for the biggest tournament of my life.

Will be playing Day 1A of the main and will be pretty much preparing myself mentally for what's ahead. Currently staying in a house with some crushers, so really helpful to bounce hands off them.

Will be updating this thread during the event and once I'm home I'm sure I'll do a write up.

gl in the main bro

It's 6 AM in Vegas currently as I've woken up and adrenaline is already creeping into my system.

Playing Day 1 B and the feeling I'm getting (a pretty amazing mixture of excitement and nervousness) is about overwhelming.

I am a big Jim Valvano fan and his speeches always inspired me, so going to take one of his mantras and just plan to survive and advance.

My intention is to play my absolute best and bag 100k today.

Will update every level here given it's the main.

Here we go

Good luck

Thanks man!

71k on first break, had the absolute jitters at first, but good now. Absolutely 0 mistakes so far so quite happy with my play. Just won a nice 40k pot bluffcatching. THIS IS SO MUCH FUN

Down to 42k after making a massive explo river fold

UTG+1 opens to 800 at 150/300 I call with with 88 in MP. Flop is A87ss, he bets 1k I raise 3k, he calls. Turn is brick. I bet 5.5k he calls. River is another brick. I bet 16k, he shoves almost immediately for 37k and I tank fold. Tried talking to him but he wouldn't budge but feel it was the correct fold

Got all the way down to 24k before recovering to 53k for dinner break. Have Nick Schulman one to my left, but outside that a fairly favorable draw. Absolutely thrilled with my play today, hoping to finish out strong.

gtfo

So I ended up busting with about 7 minutes in the day of the main, really thought I'd be broken up over busting this event but felt really fine even almost 24 hours later. Played almost perfect the first 3 levels and only a few small mistakes the last two levels of the day so very, very happy with how I played and despite running extremely poorly, almost had a bag.

I also had befriended the villain above (who after the hand was super loose, the hand was early in the day) and my fold was correct, so pretty much saved my tournament there with a fold that the majority of players are not making. Also lost both my 20 bb flips in the tourney and running TPGK into the nuts repeatedly.

But most importantly, had an absolute blast playing, this tournament is really something else so it's something I do see myself playing every year as the structure is phenomenal.

Also had Nick Schulman on my left most of the day, cool guy and very good player.

One benefit of busting the main...I am coming home tonight after a 43 day grind

Will do a full Vegas recap soon.

Been back the past few days and decided not going to fire a full session til Monday to kind of refresh myself, although I'm sure I'll play sporadically here and there.

Despite not doing very much studying at all, I feel like I am at the top of my game, I did get to talk a lot of poker with many players better than me and also spent my last two weeks living with two of the best 6 max players in the world and doing my best to just be a sponge.

Going forward, will probably be playing a bit more heads up and starting tables myself and continue to improve. As of now, I'd consider myself a top 15 player (give or take a few spots, either way) and by the end I'm hoping (expecting) to be a top 3-5 player by 2018.

May also be taking shots at 2k/5k going forward as well, despite the overall slowness of online poker in the summer I am getting excited to go back to work.

really good to see an active nj poker community...currently getting ready to take poker more seriously hoping nj will start getting some more attention in the poker scene currently playing party

Vegas Recapp

The Beginning


After being unsure whether I would make a return to the desert, I finally decided in late May that I would not only return for the WSOP but stay for the entire summer. The plan was to arrive May 29th and leave as soon as I busted the main event.

I was coming in with the most confidence I ever have coming into my career after a career month in May and ready to hopefully get to play some higher stakes. My first WSOP (only a week) I was a recreational who played 1/2 and fired a bullet in the colossus, my second WSOP was a full month where I played 2/5 and played my first 5/10 sessions, and like the previous trips this one would be full of firsts.

I arrived the 29th and was already running good after being assigned the middle seat on my flight and somehow not having a neighbor to either side to me, I arrive and head to my sh*tty air bnb hoping it's not as bad as the pictures. I get driven to the studio and feel like I've been transported to the set of Breaking Bad where a meth deal went wrong. Thankfully the inside is nicer and I save a few bucks by renting a cheap place.


Beginning... Heatterrrrr

I go to the strip and meet up with Gazzy B, who is in the same CFP as me as a coach. We immediately lose $200 playing $10 BJ. Fantastic. We head and play a few sessions of 2/5 and both get off to a good start because live poker is the gift that keeps on giving. Eventually, the degen ends up convincing me to fire a $400 timbey, I am hesitant but decide why not. I win flips and don't punt to finish 3rd for a +5k day. Actually fantastic.

I continue to run good and win although I feel like I'm not playing that well and not adjusting great to the live game.

Downswing...

I lose 5k.

I lose $600.

I win $1,500.

I lose $2,000 playing Baccarat

Don't play Baccarat

Don't play Baccarat

Don't play Baccarat

I lose $300 more playing Baccarat

Time off

Played about 115 hours before my girlfriend, girl friend, and other friend come to visit me. I take a nice long break from poker and visit Lake Meade and go to some of the clubs and actually do some tourist stuff while in Vegas. I celebrate my 6 months with my gf, life is good.

Don't play Baccarat.


Latter half of the trip

My coaches arrive, they live in a swanky mansion, I internally contemplate how many of my studios would fit in this gargantuan mansion. I hang out with my coaches, really cool dudes, go to a UFC fight, do some go karting and win some credit card flips for dinner.

I finally start playing well and digging myself out of the hole.

Have a 4k losing day.

Don't play Baccarat. Thank God.


End of the trip

Move into my coaches mansion for last two weeks. Talk a lot of poker, try to absorb as much info as I can.

Play even better, results turn up slightly and I'm content but getting homesick...just the main even remains...

The Main Event

I'v played professionally for over a year and a half now. I have never gotten so anxious and excited for a day of poker than I did for this day. After forcing myself to bed early, I get up at 6 AM (5 hours before play begins) I am amped. I eat breakfast, meditate, and study push fold range upto 20bb from every position for the next 3 hours.

I arrive at 10:45 AM, A german looking guy sits next to my direct left, I look at his receipt, Uri Rechenstein. I hendon that **** and look that he has 1.2mm in earnings, ok so he's a reg. Another guy who I played 5/10 with sits down, and he was one of the better regs in the game sits two to my left. The rest of my table sits down as is loose/passive. I'm pretty active and chip up to 54k early, no big pots but was overbetting early and often. I am right next to feature table and hear a big groan (Selbst and Baumann hand).

We get moved to a new table, I swear I recognize the one guy two to my left but can't figure who it is. He speaks to the dealer in an angelic voice and I realize it's Nick Schulman. He quickly chips up and is table leader, we don't mix up too much.

I chip up to 70k after bluffcatching terrible aggro reg with AA in 3bp after he raised turn of Q46 2 River is a brick and he pots and I call after 30 secs. He mucks.

I then made a massive explo fold with 88 on A87ss52, where I get c/j on river. Very weird spot since I felt pretty positive he wasn't bluffing but was pretty sure he didn't have AA based on timing calls on flop and turn. He ended up having 96ss so was happy with that.

I start running very strong hands into nutted hands and run truly worse than I have all summer, with 6 minutes left in Day 1 I jam AKss for 15bbs and am called by QQ and don't improve.

Felt very content with how I played and didn't mind the result. The main is by far the best structured tournament I'd have ever played and felt like I had a pretty big edge on the field, just unfortunately didn't work out. I think everyone should give it a shot at least once though!


Chip Porn/Misc.

Decent 5/10 stack




First Main



When your friend binks a tourney and you didn't buy any action



Am a fan of the plaques






Going forward

Will start streaming again next Tuesday and every Tuesday following that. I am continuing to coach which has been helpful and still looking to take on students.

I don't think I'll be able to move past 500/1k until I'm done with my CFP in December, so will mostly keep grinding those stakes and keep studying.

Been playing some really good players HU, despite being -EV. Too much fun though

This year's Vegas trip was a bit of a grind so I'm sure I'll shorten it for next year.

Ok enough rambling some fun HH since I've been back mashing buttons


1.) Right side of a cooler

partypoker - $5 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 5 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

UTG: 101.97 BB (VPIP: 26.13, PFR: 17.12, 3Bet Preflop: 4.00, Hands: 114)
CO: 105.66 BB (VPIP: 21.45, PFR: 15.76, 3Bet Preflop: 6.43, Hands: 2,745)
BTN: 213.32 BB (VPIP: 20.28, PFR: 15.37, 3Bet Preflop: 7.06, Hands: 11,852)
SB: 66.39 BB (VPIP: 29.60, PFR: 12.00, 3Bet Preflop: 3.13, Hands: 127)
Hero (BB): 120.68 BB

SB posts SB 0.5 BB, Hero posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has 6 7

UTG raises to 3 BB, fold, fold, fold, Hero calls 2 BB

Flop: (6.5 BB, 2 players) 4 Q 5
Hero checks, UTG bets 4.4 BB, Hero raises to 16 BB, UTG calls 11.6 BB

Turn: (38.5 BB, 2 players) Q
Hero checks, UTG checks

River: (38.5 BB, 2 players) 3
Hero bets 101.68 BB and is all-in, UTG calls 82.97 BB and is all-in

Hero shows 6 7 (Straight Flush, Seven High)
(Pre 51%, Flop 42%, Turn 5%)
UTG mucks 4 4 (Full House, Fours full of Queens)
(Pre 49%, Flop 58%, Turn 95%)
Hero wins 18.71 BB
Hero wins 203.85 BB


2.) zzzz

PokerStars - $2 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 5 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

UTG: 214.78 BB (VPIP: 28.10, PFR: 22.59, 3Bet Preflop: 5.84, Hands: 2,520)
CO: 181.54 BB (VPIP: 20.30, PFR: 15.41, 3Bet Preflop: 6.99, Hands: 12,011)
BTN: 54.5 BB (VPIP: 33.33, PFR: 11.11, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 9)
Hero (SB): 100 BB
BB: 337.25 BB (VPIP: 26.07, PFR: 19.74, 3Bet Preflop: 8.37, Hands: 8,431)

Hero posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has J A

fold, fold, BTN raises to 2 BB, Hero raises to 8 BB, fold, BTN calls 6 BB

Flop: (17 BB, 2 players) 7 7 7
Hero bets 6 BB, BTN calls 6 BB

Turn: (29 BB, 2 players) 8
Hero checks, BTN checks

River: (29 BB, 2 players) 5
Hero checks, BTN bets 28 BB, Hero calls 28 BB

BTN shows K J (Three of a Kind, Sevens)
(Pre 25%, Flop 18%, Turn 13%)
Hero shows J A (Three of a Kind, Sevens)
(Pre 75%, Flop 82%, Turn 88%)
Hero wins 83.5 BB


3.) Another coolah

PokerStars - $2 NL - Holdem - 9 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

CO: 57.23 BB (VPIP: 33.33, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 3)
BTN: 100 BB (VPIP: 27.54, PFR: 20.57, 3Bet Preflop: 7.25, Hands: 885)
SB: 114.9 BB (VPIP: 25.40, PFR: 16.01, 3Bet Preflop: 4.76, Hands: 780)
BB: 100 BB
UTG: 118.78 BB (VPIP: 46.15, PFR: 34.62, 3Bet Preflop: 27.27, Hands: 26)
Hero (UTG+1): 112.93 BB
MP: 178.62 BB (VPIP: 26.06, PFR: 19.73, 3Bet Preflop: 8.37, Hands: 8,434)
MP+1: 245.26 BB (VPIP: 28.07, PFR: 22.58, 3Bet Preflop: 5.84, Hands: 2,523)
MP+2: 71.67 BB (VPIP: 64.29, PFR: 14.29, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 14)

SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has 5 5

fold, Hero raises to 3 BB, MP calls 3 BB, fold, fold, CO calls 3 BB, fold, fold, BB calls 2 BB

Flop: (12.5 BB, 4 players) A J 5
BB checks, Hero checks, MP bets 7.13 BB, fold, fold, Hero calls 7.13 BB

Turn: (26.75 BB, 2 players) Q
Hero checks, MP bets 18 BB, Hero calls 18 BB

River: (62.75 BB, 2 players) 5
Hero checks, MP bets 47 BB, Hero raises to 84.8 BB and is all-in, MP calls 37.8 BB

Hero shows 5 5 (Four of a Kind, Fives)
(Pre 19%, Flop 4%, Turn 2%)
MP shows A A (Full House, Aces full of Fives)
(Pre 81%, Flop 96%, Turn 98%)
Hero wins 230.85 BB


4.) Ok im just running good tbh

partypoker - $5 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 3 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

SB: 181.04 BB (VPIP: 27.07, PFR: 19.63, 3Bet Preflop: 6.28, Hands: 4,372)
Hero (BB): 109.55 BB
BTN: 103.67 BB (VPIP: 26.75, PFR: 20.51, 3Bet Preflop: 8.93, Hands: 11,899)

SB posts SB 0.5 BB, Hero posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has 8 9

fold, SB raises to 3 BB, Hero raises to 10 BB, SB raises to 24.5 BB, Hero calls 14.5 BB

Flop: (49 BB, 2 players) 9 9 2
SB bets 18.76 BB, Hero calls 18.76 BB

Turn: (86.52 BB, 2 players) 7
SB bets 137.78 BB and is all-in, Hero calls 66.29 BB and is all-in

River: (219.1 BB, 2 players) 6

SB shows J J (Two Pair, Jacks and Nines)
(Pre 81%, Flop 12%, Turn 5%)
Hero shows 8 9 (Three of a Kind, Nines)
(Pre 19%, Flop 88%, Turn 95%)
SB wins 71.49 BB
Hero wins 218.7 BB

9.5/10 recap. Would've been 10/10 had you remembered to mention the dude at the blackjack table telling us how he binked 9k playing a turbo mtt and turbo was the future and the main event should be a turbo and he actually discussed turning the whole WSOP into turbo with Jack Effel. Turbo turbo turbo.

sounds like a productive trip minus the baccarat money wasting shenanigans

Nice trip. Care to mention where you found the push fold charts for tournament studying?

Surely 88 fold was a mistake?

Would say NJ has one of the bigger poker scenes in the U.S. If you wanna get the volume in here though you will have to multi site

He's not the hero we deserve he's the hero we need

It was! Don't want it to sound like I was degening in the pits for the most part, but way more tilting to lose $1k playing baccarat than losing $5k playing poker IMO

I had an old chard saved in my google drive and then I used snapshove for the rest.

Thought process was he's never bluffing, esp. after I pot river. He snapped jam for his main event life, so if I consider that he's never bluffing I need to make sure that I beat enough of his value range to call.

I personally did not see him jamming any 2p combos and no reads so included some 96 combos/34ss combo and made the explo fold. "Top of my range have to call here" I think is kind of flawed thinking in general. FWIW, even if I was wrong I think I was content with my decision making.

What I do is generate push/fold strategies using hold'em resources calculator

Nice thread.

What do you mean by top 15 player? Where? Also, where is there 5k action for American? You talking about WPN?

Thanks and gl w/ future goals!