Hey there

I have started playing cash in mid June last year from NL5 and put in decent volume all the way to NL10 only to get crushed at NL25 both times I tried. this destroyed my mindset and i started switching back and forth between MTTs and cash, thus failing to improve my game but breaking even in both more or less for 2 months before i ended up busting my roll the on the day of the huge Sunday Million. (I did run bad that day but that's obv not the point)

Luckily i managed to use some of my winnings to subscribe to a couple training sites so i spent the time since then watching a trillion videos and gradually going through my database analyzing my leaks.

I think i have improved a lot during that time so once again I am starting a challenge but this time I will not set myself many goals of monetary or volume nature. I will try to put in decent volume throughout the yar on no more than 6 tables focussing on things like reads and gameflow and this time i will be applying a bit more of an aggressive BR-management, starting with $200 at NL5. (however i will have plenty of time until mid-April so i think until then volume should be good)

i ll post the most interesting hands of my sessions too so lets hope this time something good will happen starting now


NL5 2011:



NL10 2011:



NL25 2011 hahaha:





and some threadsavers:








lets gogogoooooooooooo!!!

Update#1

hands played: 748
profit: $12

played my first session and it went fairly smoothly. found some soft tables and some good spots. pretty much all standard hands.

bankroll: $212

Update#1

hands played: 2041
profit: -$22

noteto self: average NL5 villain is not a good thinking player. they dont fold--> no need to bluff. was thinking way too far in a lot of pots so from now on i ll play a tighter game until i move up.



bankroll: $189

gl nice redline for micros :P

really really hate myself for my play here. UTG is ultraspewtard UTG+1 is the only other somewhat competent player. the lead of UTG+1 is aaaaaalways monsters cuz he d checkshove his fd's and c/c his one pair type hands (of which there are only a few given the action) i should take more breaks- my play postflop just sucks baaaaallllllsss

Grabbed by Holdem Manager
NL Holdem $0.05(BB) Replayer
SB ($5.98)
BB ($5)
UTG ($2)
UTG+1 ($5.26)
Hero ($14.20)
BTN ($4.34)

Dealt to Hero A K

UTG calls $0.05, UTG+1 raises to $0.15, Hero raises to $0.50, fold, fold, fold, UTG calls $0.45, UTG+1 calls $0.35

FLOP ($1.57) T J K

UTG checks, UTG+1 bets $1.05, Hero calls $1.05, UTG raises to $1.50 (AI), UTG+1 calls $0.45, Hero calls $0.45

TURN ($6.07) T J K 2

UTG+1 bets $3.26 (AI), Hero calls $3.26

RIVER ($12.59) T J K 2 4

UTG shows T K
(Pre 21%, Flop 13.5%, Turn 7.1%)

UTG+1 shows A Q
(Pre 24%, Flop 75.0%, Turn 89.3%)

Hero shows A K
(Pre 55%, Flop 11.5%, Turn 3.6%)

UTG+1 wins $11.98

the interesting part is the turn play. my thinking was purely about implied odds. i think he is very strong so i m getting his entire stack otr when i hit. so i m getting more than 5:1 odds on the turn.

Grabbed by Holdem Manager
NL Holdem $0.05(BB) Replayer
SB ($4.43)
BB ($5.55)
UTG ($5.06)
UTG+1 ($2.62)
CO ($2.01)
Hero ($9.14)

Dealt to Hero 8 J

fold, fold, fold, Hero raises to $0.15, fold, BB calls $0.10

FLOP ($0.32) 2 T 9

BB checks, Hero bets $0.25, BB raises to $0.65, Hero calls $0.40

TURN ($1.62) 2 T 9 4

BB bets $1.17, Hero calls $1.17

RIVER ($3.96) 2 T 9 4 7

BB bets $3.58 (AI), Hero calls $3.58

Hero shows 8 J
(Pre 40%, Flop 49.1%, Turn 25.0%)

BB shows A 5
(Pre 60%, Flop 50.9%, Turn 75.0%)

Hero wins $10.58

this is a very tricky spot and i think against his range i misplayed rather the turn than the flop and then just spewed the river which is an obvious fold. against many fish a raise-get it in on the flop would be fine- however this was a nit. so calling on the flop especially with the backdoor nut draw is fine. turn is one of the best in the whole deck and i decided to slowplay which is just bad. his draws are committed, there are many action killing crds agains his two pairs and now i have outs agains his sets as well. so raise turn or fold river as there is simply not a single hand that i beat on the river

Grabbed by Holdem Manager
NL Holdem $0.05(BB) Replayer
SB ($5)
BB ($8.55)
Hero ($5.92)
CO ($5)
BTN ($0.77)

Dealt to Hero T A

Hero raises to $0.20, fold, fold, SB calls $0.18, fold

FLOP ($0.45) T 4 8

SB checks, Hero bets $0.30, SB raises to $0.80, Hero calls $0.50

TURN ($2.05) T 4 8 A

SB bets $1.40, Hero calls $1.40

RIVER ($4.85) T 4 8 A Q

SB bets $2.60 (AI), Hero calls $2.60

SB shows 8 8
(Pre 55%, Flop 94.7%, Turn 90.9%)

Hero shows T A
(Pre 45%, Flop 5.3%, Turn 9.1%)

SB wins $9.56

i think my sizing should be bigger on the flop as i give fd's actualy the right odds to draw. i dont even mind a shove. turn is just standard

Grabbed by Holdem Manager
NL Holdem $0.05(BB) Replayer
SB ($0.67)
BB ($5)
UTG ($5.07)
Hero ($9.87)
CO ($0.32)
BTN ($7.02)

Dealt to Hero 8 8

UTG calls $0.05, Hero raises to $0.20, fold, BTN raises to $0.75, fold, fold, fold, Hero calls $0.55

FLOP ($1.62) Q K 8

Hero checks, BTN bets $1.15, Hero raises to $2.85, BTN calls $1.70

TURN ($7.32) Q K 8 T

Hero bets $6.27 (AI), BTN calls $3.42 (AI)

RIVER ($14.16) Q K 8 T A

Hero shows 8 8
(Pre 55%, Flop 87.2%, Turn 43.2%)

BTN shows J A
(Pre 45%, Flop 12.8%, Turn 56.8%)

BTN wins $13.47

villain is 24/18 reg

i think the only way to play this is to slowplay. if he has a bluff there is no way he continues when i raise turn, if he happens to have jj or 22 its going in anyway and this way i dont scare the aces that remain in his range. weird spot for him to bluff this big tho
actually i m not sure what would be the best play if he bet river again.. calling or raising- hed fold his bluffs and call with AJ 22 JJ and Ax. i have approx 46% against his estimated callingrange so i thinka call would be best

Grabbed by Holdem Manager
NL Holdem $0.05(BB) Replayer
SB ($5.01)
BB ($3.02)
UTG ($14.14)
UTG+1 ($5)
CO ($10.59)
Hero ($8.26)

Dealt to Hero A K

UTG raises to $0.14, fold, fold, Hero raises to $0.45, fold, fold, UTG calls $0.31

FLOP ($0.97) J A 2

UTG bets $0.69, Hero calls $0.69

TURN ($2.35) J A 2 A

UTG bets $1.14, Hero calls $1.14

RIVER ($4.63) J A 2 A 4

UTG checks, Hero bets $5.98 (AI), UTG folds

Hero shows A K

Hero wins $4.41

last hand:
most interesting hand imo:

initial raiser was new at the table hat somewhat reggish stats. 3bet just to create a dynamic that i can exploit later. caller seems to be a nl2 fish that just luckboxed a couple bucks and wants to gambool. range is wide to saythe least.
i think the only way i give myself some fold equity is to overbetshove. if he ends up folding half hispairs, his ace highs and better draws this is very profitable. a smaller bet is getting called 90% of the time imo

Grabbed by Holdem Manager
NL Holdem $0.05(BB) Replayer
SB ($12.26)
BB ($6)
UTG ($13.18)
UTG+1 ($5)
CO ($5)
Hero ($10.53)

Dealt to Hero 7 5

fold, UTG+1 raises to $0.18, fold, Hero raises to $0.60, fold, BB calls $0.55, fold

FLOP ($1.40) 4 6 6

BB bets $0.05, Hero raises to $0.70, BB calls $0.65

TURN ($2.80) 4 6 6 J

BB bets $0.30, Hero raises to $9.23 (AI), BB folds

Hero shows 7 5

Hero wins $3.24

update#3

hands played:: 3574
profit: $31

ran insanely bad today its sick. spent the majority of the day rostucko-ing from the bad starti had where i just kept getting crushed. nice heater in the end but still

switched to playing a larger amount of tables as i adjusted my playing style slightly to my opponents that all have one thing in common: they do not fold. gonna stick to abc style poker for now and get a lot of hands in. hofe to hit $400 soon to move up to NL10

graph today:



bankroll: $220

interesting spot- at the time i had 55 hands on villain and every single time he had been faced with a cbet he had raised. i thought this was a perfect spot to go for Phil Galfond's 'root beer'. also, i have many of his draws in pretty bad shape and likely a bunch of outs should he happen to have a hand

Grabbed by Holdem Manager
NL Holdem $0.05(BB) Replayer
Hero ($5.02)
BB ($2)
UTG ($6.61)
UTG+1 ($5)
CO ($4.97)
BTN ($5.43)

Dealt to Hero A K

fold, fold, CO raises to $0.15, fold, Hero raises to $0.50, fold, CO calls $0.35

FLOP ($1.05) Q 4 T

Hero bets $0.45, CO raises to $0.90, Hero raises to $4.52 (AI), CO folds

Hero shows A K

Hero wins $2.71

villain is a typical calling station monkey which means his bet means strength and rarely/never a draw.

call on turn is maybe kinda spewy but i figured villain is on a top pair or much rather on a two pair kind of hand that he would neccesarily call a medium sized bet on the river with so including my iplied odds i think the call can be made. if i made my straight with one of the nonflush cards i think he would pay off a shove as well making a call->bet/shove line profitable imo

Grabbed by Holdem Manager
NL Holdem $0.05(BB) Replayer
Hero ($10.91)
BB ($11.51)
UTG ($11.14)
UTG+1 ($2.14)
CO ($8.06)
BTN ($4.93)

Dealt to Hero J T

UTG calls $0.05, fold, fold, fold, Hero calls $0.03, BB raises to $0.20, UTG calls $0.15, Hero calls $0.15

FLOP ($0.60) 8 9 A

Hero checks, BB bets $0.25, UTG raises to $1.50, Hero calls $1.50, BB calls $1.25

TURN ($5.10) 8 9 A 4

Hero checks, BB checks, UTG bets $1.40, Hero calls $1.40, BB folds

RIVER ($7.90) 8 9 A 4 7

Hero bets $3.30, UTG calls $3.30

Hero shows J T
(Pre 66%, Flop 34.9%, Turn 18.2%)

UTG shows 9 8
(Pre 34%, Flop 65.1%, Turn 81.8%)

Hero wins $13.80

haha thx turns out i ve been focussing too much on bluffing which is why my session yesterday turned out the way it did.
theres some truth to the saying 'never bluff a calling station' haha gotta learn the hard way

Update#4

played two sessions today and...

sick sick heaattttt!
not much more to say....

voila:




hands played: 5791
profit: $62
bankroll: $282