Hello all welcome to my thread. I've always thought these threads were cool so decided to make one of my own. I expect this to help with motivation and dealing with downswings.

A little history...I'm in the middle of building my third bankroll. I used to play HUSNGs on Full tilt and had a $7k roll on there til black friday. Then about 9 months later I was in the middle of building another roll from freerolls on Everleaf and had about $2k on there from playing 6max NL before it got closed to Americans. I have the worse luck with choosing sites! But whatever, I love to play poker so about two weeks ago I put $50 onto America's Cardroom, and here's my progress so far.



My bankroll is currently sitting at $185.05 and I'm getting ready to move up to nl10. My last shot didn't go so well though so currently I'll be playing nl5. Since I've never been able to play and stay at stakes at $100 buy-in in the past, that is my first goal with this challenge. My weaknesses are putting in volume and staying motivated during downswings.

I'll be updating this thread, with hands, graphs, thoughts, etc., whenever I feel like it. gl at the tables.

Got my BR up to over $200 again since yesterday.



So I'll be mixing in NL10 tables now, moving back down if I hit $170. Some big pots....

1. This is vs. a TAG who loves to call 3bets and float the flop. He'd won a couple of medium sized pots off me doing just that so this felt good.

Winning Poker Network (Yatahay) - $0.05 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 4 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 3

Hero (BB): $8.40
UTG: $7.14
BTN: $5.02
SB: $9.87

SB posts SB $0.02, Hero posts BB $0.05

Pre Flop: ($0.07) Hero has T T

UTG raises to $0.15, fold, fold, Hero raises to $0.55, UTG calls $0.40

Flop: ($1.12, 2 players) Q 4 T
Hero bets $0.75, UTG calls $0.75

Turn: ($2.62, 2 players) 8
Hero bets $1.70, UTG calls $1.70

River: ($6.02, 2 players) 3
Hero bets $5.40 and is all-in, UTG calls $4.14 and is all-in

Hero shows T T (Three of a Kind, Tens) (Pre 68%, Flop 69%, Turn 75%)
UTG shows 9 Q (One Pair, Queens) (Pre 32%, Flop 31%, Turn 25%)
Hero wins $13.59



2.The player I'm isolating is terrible...too thin? On the flop I c-bet because I have a gutshot and a backdoor clubs. I don't expect to fold out anything on the turn so plan was to hope it checks through, if not then c/c a reasonable bet and donk the river if i hit, because fish don't like to value bet thin on the river, and his calling range is bigger than his betting range. But the money goes in either way on this river.

Winning Poker Network (Yatahay) - $0.05 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 4 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 3

Hero (SB): $5.00
BB: $7.76
UTG: $4.34
BTN: $6.21

Hero posts SB $0.02, BB posts BB $0.05

Pre Flop: ($0.07) Hero has 9 J

UTG calls $0.05, fold, Hero raises to $0.25, BB calls $0.20, UTG calls $0.20

Flop: ($0.75, 3 players) 2 K Q
Hero bets $0.50, fold, UTG calls $0.50

Turn: ($1.75, 2 players) 4
Hero checks, UTG bets $0.83, Hero calls $0.83

River: ($3.41, 2 players) T
Hero bets $3.42 and is all-in, UTG calls $2.76 and is all-in

Hero shows 9 J (Straight, King High) (Pre 41%, Flop 16%, Turn 25%)
UTG shows K T (Two Pair, Kings and Tens) (Pre 59%, Flop 84%, Turn 75%)
Hero wins $8.49




3. This hand I misplayed. River is a c/f. What made me call was that he had just done something similar a previous hand when I wanted to hero call him with king high but I didn't. So I thought he might be the type who could have missed gutshots, or random hands he turns into bluffs, but this is usually a better Ax or two pair from most fishy players in this spot.

Winning Poker Network (Yatahay) - $0.05 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 5 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 3

CO: $5.31
BTN: $0.42
SB: $5.41
Hero (BB): $5.95
UTG: $2.65

SB posts SB $0.02, Hero posts BB $0.05

Pre Flop: ($0.07) Hero has 8 A

UTG calls $0.05, fold, fold, fold, Hero raises to $0.25, UTG calls $0.20

Flop: ($0.52, 2 players) 5 A T
Hero bets $0.30, UTG calls $0.30

Turn: ($1.12, 2 players) 7
Hero bets $0.70, UTG calls $0.70

River: ($2.52, 2 players) 4
Hero checks, UTG bets $1.20, Hero calls $1.20

Hero shows 8 A (One Pair, Aces) (Pre 66%, Flop 82%, Turn 36%)
UTG shows 7 5 (Two Pair, Sevens and Fives) (Pre 34%, Flop 18%, Turn 64%)
UTG wins $4.68




4. And this is a gift from a 25/15 player.

Winning Poker Network (Yatahay) - $0.05 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 5 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 3

BB: $5.00
UTG: $7.85
CO: $2.84
BTN: $6.18
Hero (SB): $7.03

Hero posts SB $0.02, BB posts BB $0.05

Pre Flop: ($0.07) Hero has 7 7

fold, fold, fold, Hero raises to $0.15, BB raises to $0.35, Hero calls $0.20

Flop: ($0.70, 2 players) 9 7 6
Hero checks, BB checks

Turn: ($0.70, 2 players) 4
Hero bets $0.50, BB raises to $1.50, Hero raises to $6.68 and is all-in, BB calls $3.15 and is all-in

River: ($10.00, 2 players) Q

BB shows A J (High Card, Ace) (Pre 48%, Flop 5%, Turn 0%)
Hero shows 7 7 (Three of a Kind, Sevens) (Pre 52%, Flop 95%, Turn 100%)
Hero wins $9.50

Tonight's session





Winning Poker Network (Yatahay) - $0.10 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 5 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 3

UTG: $46.96
CO: $31.97
Hero (BTN): $10.00
SB: $17.39
BB: $4.02

SB posts SB $0.05, BB posts BB $0.10

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero has A K

fold, CO raises to $0.30, Hero raises to $1.00, fold, fold, CO calls $0.70

Flop: ($2.15, 2 players) 3 A J
CO checks, Hero bets $1.30, CO raises to $2.89, Hero calls $1.59

Turn: ($7.93, 2 players) 8
CO bets $4.89, Hero raises to $6.11 and is all-in, fold

Hero wins $16.73

I wasn't happy at all when he c/r'd, because he hadn't really defined himself as a good or bad player yet. He's repping AJ, 33, JJ pretty well, but I just couldn't fold considering it's BU v CO, and that it's .05/.10. Can't believe he folded though.

Man...I'm ****in terrible.



I know it's only 2.5 buy-ins over 2.5k hands, but I feel like I just suck at the game. Obviously I have some leaks since my graph shouldn't look like a downward slope, which is what it's been looking like lately. I think what I have to start doing is calling more hands in position (against fish and regs), because right now I never do that unless it's a PP or KQ, AQ. Maybe I should just be looking to be more active in general. So idk, maybe cut back to 4-tables, and just be more active, and less afraid of bluffing.

Also, I'm not good at grinding for long periods of time and about half way through this session i was just clicking buttons. I was 4-tabling HU/3handed in a dazed state of mind which is a recipe for losing. But it's pretty pathetic if a 5 hour session does this to me. I really want to be one of those guys who can grind for hours and hours playing their A-game, over lots of tables. I think that's something you can improve by practicing your mindset going in.

Usually what gets me back into the groove is watching DC videos but for now I'm going to try to avoid going back to those since they act as a crutch for me. But just typing that made me think of a hand from a video where krantz made a pretty weird bluff (to me) on an unknown player on the river, that got called, and he just didn't care because he knew his assumptions were good. IIRC, he said something like "why wouldn't he be scared of that card, how can you assume that people would think their hand is good in that spot when I bet?" It really opened my eyes that if you have to be creative in looking for ways to win more than your fair share of pots, and there are ways out there. So what I should keep in mind during my next session is play a little looser, look for more reasons to bluff, dont be scared to bluff, and most importantly make good assumptions.

Also just remembered an aejones vid where he talked about, in the beginning of a video, how he just had one of those sessions "where nothing goes right." and he didn't seem fazed by it at all because he knew it's part of the game. So whatever, typing all this out made me feel better and I'm looking forward to my next session.

ETA: ehhh, feels like I overreacted to a standard losing session. But what are your opinions on opening up my calling range preflop, and bluffing more postflop?

Put in a two hour session when I woke up. It went well. Just not caring if bluffs get called helped alot, and as a result I was winning tons of small pots. I actually did watch part of a krantz video and that probably got me in the right mindset.



Some hands... Most of these are small bluffs, but yesterday I would've never even thought about making these moves. It just helps to get in the mindset of "Okay, I'm gonna be less cautious with my money." Definitely wanna keep this up for tonight's session.

Winning Poker Network (Yatahay) - $0.10 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 3 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 3

SB: $6.32
BB: $14.07
Hero (BTN): $12.28

SB posts SB $0.05, BB posts BB $0.10

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero has 8 Q

Hero raises to $0.30, SB calls $0.25, fold

Flop: ($0.70, 2 players) K 3 A
SB checks, Hero bets $0.40, SB raises to $1.20, Hero raises to $2.30, fold

Hero wins $2.95




Winning Poker Network (Yatahay) - $0.05 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 5 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 3

BTN: $2.10
SB: $10.09
BB: $4.95
UTG: $2.55
Hero (CO): $8.18

SB posts SB $0.02, BB posts BB $0.05

Pre Flop: ($0.07) Hero has Q T

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

Flop: ($0.67, 3 players) K 8 7
BB checks, Hero checks, BTN checks

Turn: ($0.67, 3 players) 4
BB checks, Hero checks, BTN checks

River: ($0.67, 3 players) 8
BB checks, Hero bets $0.45, fold, fold

Hero wins $0.64



Winning Poker Network (Yatahay) - $0.10 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 5 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 3

BB: $6.07
UTG: $10.59
CO: $13.90
Hero (BTN): $26.35
SB: $18.59

SB posts SB $0.05, BB posts BB $0.10

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero has 7 T

fold, fold, Hero raises to $0.30, SB calls $0.25, fold

Flop: ($0.70, 2 players) 5 6 6
SB checks, Hero bets $0.40, SB raises to $1.20, Hero raises to $2.80, fold

Hero wins $2.95

Just finished a 5 hour session. It was fun. There is definitely a lot of spew in there, but whatever, feels like I'm on the right track. My VPIP and PFR each increased by 10 from what I normally play. There weren't really any big bluffs, but alot of little ones in limped pots, HU pots, and 3betting.



This was one bluff that worked.

Winning Poker Network (Yatahay) - $0.05 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 5 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 3

SB: $11.13
BB: $5.27
UTG: $5.78
Hero (CO): $14.12
BTN: $5.56

SB posts SB $0.02, BB posts BB $0.05

Pre Flop: ($0.07) Hero has T K

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

Flop: ($1.07, 2 players) 6 2 6
UTG checks, Hero bets $0.60, UTG calls $0.60

Turn: ($2.27, 2 players) J
UTG checks, Hero checks

River: ($2.27, 2 players) Q
UTG checks, Hero bets $13.02 and is all-in, fold

Hero wins $2.16



Here's another.

Winning Poker Network (Yatahay) - $0.05 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 5 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 3

SB: $1.05
Hero (BB): $9.80
UTG: $6.56
CO: $7.05
BTN: $5.00

SB posts SB $0.02, Hero posts BB $0.05

Pre Flop: ($0.07) Hero has 6 A

fold, fold, fold, SB calls $0.03, Hero checks

Flop: ($0.10, 2 players) 4 J 3
SB checks, Hero bets $0.10, SB calls $0.10

Turn: ($0.30, 2 players) 9
SB checks, Hero bets $0.25, SB calls $0.25

River: ($0.80, 2 players) 2
SB checks, Hero bets $9.40 and is all-in, fold

Hero wins $0.76


It's a pretty cool feeling when you make a river bluff...like it's a signal that you're playing sharp and not lazy, even if it doesn't work out. But you always gotta stay careful that you aren't getting carried away. Hope I can keep this up.

Hi there IPauseTime,

i love your post because i'm trying to do the same. I started at the beginning of June with $50 & my bankroll is about $585 now.I started playing 0.02-0.04 & now i'm playing 0.05-0.10.I don't get many hour a day because i work fulltime.

Keep-up the good work & if you want i'll give you updates once in a while.

Dan6080

Hey man, thanks. Good job on doing that and please do.

Played about 5.5 hours today. It's annoying how everyone plays the jackpot tables since they take an insane amount out of every pot. Anyway, here's my graph. Didn't play as well as I liked, though I improved from yesterday...just got a little greedy in some spots.



Just sticking to my aggro strategy though trying to win every small pot possible. It really makes grinding fun rather than trying to sit back and wait for hands and getting frustrated when they don't come.

The only interesting hand was this one vs a complete fish. Looking back I prefer a bigger sizing on the river to get more folds, hands like AJ, AT, KJ, KQ, KT, weak two pairs...and also looking to get calls from worse I guess?

Winning Poker Network (Yatahay) - $0.10 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 2 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 3

Hero (SB): $10.63
BB: $19.97

Hero posts SB $0.05, BB posts BB $0.10

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero has A 8

Hero raises to $0.30, BB calls $0.20

Flop: ($0.60, 2 players) 7 J T
BB checks, Hero bets $0.40, BB calls $0.40

Turn: ($1.40, 2 players) Q
BB checks, Hero bets $1.00, BB calls $1.00

River: ($3.40, 2 players) 8
BB checks, Hero bets $2.20, BB calls $2.20

Hero shows A 8 (One Pair, Eights)
Hero wins $7.41

Tough luck loosing all your bankrolls like that

gl rebuilding!

thanks!


After not playing at all yesterday, I put in almost 7 hours today. I think I played well. I was less aggressive than the previous two playing days, mostly because I realized that at the level I'm playing at, a bluff heavy strategy will backfire (duh). But the times I gave up felt correct, and I made more disciplined folds. So, I'm up about $80 pre-RB since that awful session. Still have to make $200 more before I can take shots at NL25 with this roll.



Winning Poker Network (Yatahay) - $0.05 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 3

UTG: $5.92
MP: $5.53
CO: $1.00
BTN: $11.83
Hero (SB): $11.23
BB: $6.56

Hero posts SB $0.02, BB posts BB $0.05

Pre Flop: ($0.07) Hero has T J

fold, fold, fold, BTN calls $0.05, Hero calls $0.03, BB checks

Flop: ($0.15, 3 players) 3 2 7
Hero bets $0.15, fold, BTN calls $0.15

Turn: ($0.45, 2 players) K
Hero bets $0.35, BTN raises to $0.70, Hero raises to $1.90, fold

Hero wins $1.76




Winning Poker Network (Yatahay) - $0.10 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 4 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 3

Hero (UTG): $20.97
BTN: $7.36
SB: $10.73
BB: $13.72

SB posts SB $0.05, BB posts BB $0.10

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero has Q 8

Hero raises to $0.30, BTN calls $0.30, SB calls $0.25, BB calls $0.20

Flop: ($1.20, 4 players) 3 2 6
SB checks, BB checks, Hero checks, BTN checks

Turn: ($1.20, 4 players) 5
SB checks, BB checks, Hero checks, BTN checks

River: ($1.20, 4 players) 3
SB checks, BB checks, Hero bets $0.70, fold, fold, fold

Hero wins $1.14

Alot of things on my mind right now. Just had a very meh 3 hour session.



Excitement about being aggressive is over as I got burned a few times. With all the monkeys that play nl10, it's not optimal to pull multi-barrel bluffs so I probably will tone that WAY down. It's fun when they work but frustrating when it doesn't...over....and over....again. And then all of sudden they find folds when you do have a hand. Playing LAG is a very tricky thing to do, because then even fish start adjusting (i think) but you don't really know what level they're thinking on, and then all of a sudden you've created a situation where c-bets don't work, and everyone wants to play back at you. Gonna watch a DC video and try again, playing a little tighter, and keeping in mind that I gotta adjust better to the players at the table.

i'll be keeping an eye. gl op!

thanks.





****in hate this rigged garbage


Winning Poker Network (Yatahay) - $0.10 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 3

BTN: $10.00
SB: $12.18
Hero (BB): $10.00
UTG: $6.25
MP: $10.00
CO: $7.57

SB posts SB $0.05, Hero posts BB $0.10

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero has Q A

fold, fold, fold, BTN raises to $0.30, SB calls $0.25, Hero raises to $1.30, fold, SB calls $1.00

Flop: ($2.90, 2 players) A 7 7
SB bets $2.76, Hero calls $2.76

Turn: ($8.42, 2 players) J
SB bets $8.12 and is all-in, Hero calls $5.94 and is all-in

River: ($20.30, 2 players) 3

SB shows J J (Full House, Jacks full of Sevens) (Pre 57%, Flop 8%, Turn 95%)
Hero shows Q A (Two Pair, Aces and Sevens) (Pre 43%, Flop 92%, Turn 5%)
SB wins $19.29


Winning Poker Network (Yatahay) - $0.10 NL (2 max) - Holdem - 2 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 3

Hero (SB): $35.82
BB: $9.80

Hero posts SB $0.05, BB posts BB $0.10

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero has Q 3

Hero raises to $0.30, BB calls $0.20

Flop: ($0.60, 2 players) Q 6 7
BB checks, Hero bets $0.40, BB raises to $1.60, Hero calls $1.20

Turn: ($3.80, 2 players) J
BB bets $3.61, Hero raises to $33.92 and is all-in, BB calls $4.29 and is all-in

River: ($19.60, 2 players) 6

Hero shows Q 3 (Two Pair, Queens and Sixes) (Pre 26%, Flop 45%, Turn 27%)
BB shows Q A (Two Pair, Queens and Sixes) (Pre 74%, Flop 55%, Turn 73%)
BB wins $19.10


Winning Poker Network (Yatahay) - $0.10 NL (2 max) - Holdem - 2 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 3

Hero (SB): $21.83
BB: $11.99

Hero posts SB $0.05, BB posts BB $0.10

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero has K A

Hero raises to $0.30, BB raises to $0.90, Hero raises to $2.20, BB calls $1.30

Flop: ($4.40, 2 players) T J 6
BB checks, Hero checks

Turn: ($4.40, 2 players) Q
BB bets $9.79 and is all-in, Hero calls $9.79

River: ($23.98, 2 players) 6

Hero shows K A (Straight, Ace High) (Pre 44%, Flop 14%, Turn 77%)
BB shows J J (Full House, Jacks full of Sixes) (Pre 56%, Flop 86%, Turn 23%)
BB wins $23.48


Winning Poker Network (Yatahay) - $0.10 NL (2 max) - Holdem - 2 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 3

Hero (BB): $11.05
SB: $23.13

SB posts SB $0.05, Hero posts BB $0.10

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero has 3 7

SB raises to $0.20, Hero raises to $0.80, SB calls $0.60

Flop: ($1.60, 2 players) 5 3 7
Hero bets $1.10, SB calls $1.10

Turn: ($3.80, 2 players) 2
Hero bets $2.60, SB calls $2.60

River: ($9.00, 2 players) 4
Hero bets $6.55 and is all-in, SB calls $6.55

Hero shows 3 7 (Two Pair, Sevens and Threes) (Pre 40%, Flop 62%, Turn 77%)
SB shows 7 6 (Straight, Seven High) (Pre 60%, Flop 38%, Turn 23%)
SB wins $21.60


Winning Poker Network (Yatahay) - $0.10 NL (2 max) - Holdem - 2 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 3

Hero (SB): $10.32
BB: $33.98

Hero posts SB $0.05, BB posts BB $0.10

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero has Q Q

Hero raises to $0.30, BB calls $0.20

Flop: ($0.60, 2 players) 3 4 2
BB bets $0.57, Hero raises to $1.60, BB raises to $5.72, Hero raises to $10.02 and is all-in, BB calls $4.30

Turn: ($20.64, 2 players) 2

River: ($20.64, 2 players) T

Hero shows Q Q (Two Pair, Queens and Twos) (Pre 70%, Flop 4%, Turn 9%)
BB shows 5 A (Straight, Five High) (Pre 30%, Flop 96%, Turn 91%)
BB wins $20.14

Edit: well, one of the things i spoke of in the first post was that it's difficult for me to stay motivated during downswings. so i'm hoping to cool off a little bit and then put in more hands when i feel ready even though there's little chance that i make back the money i lost from the above hands.

Bah, not enough action going to keep me interested so gonna call it an early night.

Graph since last one.