Hey guys, finished up a pretty abysmal month today. Results wise it was my worst as a pro, though not nearly as bad as it could have been. Volume was low too.

After my last update I played a session of the 15/30 O8 at V and lost a bunch. Then this week I finally got my groove back with some really good 2/5 sessions. In the first I booked a small loser but played my best poker in months which felt great. Since then I've strung together 3 solid winners in a row which felt pretty good, not to mention making my loss this month not nearly as bad.

I was getting to the poker room pretty early this week due to wanting to watch the basketball games and my nit-ass not having cable. Whenever Wisconsin was playing I racked up to watch the game so a couple days I was in by 11 or 12 so I could get a session in. Another morning reg told me he's gonna have to get me my AARP card I think starting so soon after waking up is great because my mind is so much sharper than if I go in late afternoon. I'll probably try to keep this schedule because I feel so much better in basically all areas when I'm waking up early.

Also ventured over to Aria for the 9/18 mix yesterday. Its the same rotation and regular players as the 8/16 I played at Venetian earlier this year. Again had a lot of fun and booked a winner due no doubt to some run good. I really want to put more time into learning these games and eventually be confident enough to play the bigger mixes at Bellagio.

Despite having a ****ty month, I'm feeling really good right now. In an effort to get out of the slump I was in I went back and re-read this entire thread and I think seeing the progress I made over its course so far has recharged my mindset, reminded me of my goals and sparked some inspiration for future potential. I really have underachieved in terms of moving up and nothing is holding me back other than my own irrational fear and low self confidence. Having seen how far I've come I have renewed that confidence and am more ready to see how far I can go. I just need to figure out ways to maintain that confidence because lately it comes and goes far too easily.

Volume is still going to be lower moving forward because I'm really enjoying doing some other things. Got more investments going, looking at some houses tomorrow, been doing non-poker reading and playing some rec sports again, and still keeping my eyes open for possible passive income opportunities. So even though volume will be low, I'll be looking to build on the renewed focus I've had while I am at the tables, going for a quality over quantity approach. I'm also super excited to actually start learning some of these mixed games more in depth. It was pretty crazy to look at a hand preflop/predraw and not have any idea whether the hand was even playable, something that basically never happens in NL. This interests me much more than trying to battle it out in bigger NL games, though since NL is where I make my money for now, I'll be working simultaneously toward both the NL and mix goals.

Also Wisconsin is in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. Watching their Elite 8 game at the V was nerve-wracking as hell and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens against Kentucky. They play Saturday, which happens to be my birthday. A Wisconsin win in the Final Four might just be the best birthday present ever!

Mind elaborating on the Aria 9-18 mix? Just curious what games are in the rotation.

Badacey, Badeucey, A-5 Triple Draw, 2-7 Triple Draw, Badugi, O8, Super Stud 8, Super Razz-Deucey, Super Stud hi/lo regular (no qualifier)

Who was in the 9/18 mix? Kendall, queen, derrick and coach? I got the text but couldn't make it.

If Kendall and queen are who I am thinking of then ya, those 4, myself, another guy who semi-regs V 2/5 and 2 who I assume were out of towners.

Congrats on the Wisky Final 4 and happy early birthday.

Glad to hear you're back in a good mental place-hopefully you can maintain it through the WSOP. Any plans to play in any of the events?

On Wisconsin!......but only since my wolverines lost their elite8 game.

Yea gonna play the Millionaire Maker for sure. If I bink something 10k+ I'll buy into the Main. If not I think I'm gonna play a few of the 1k mega satellites. Want to play the Main but like has been discussed ad nauseam itt I'd rather not sell pieces.

haha yea my final 4 was MSU, Michigan, Florida, and Wisconsin so I was rooting for Big Ten all the way.

I am pulling for Wisconsin and uconn to win. If that happens I win $592. Sadly Kentucky knocked out my Wolverines. Wisconsin will be a tough team next year as well.

Makes sense. Hopefully you smash one of the tourneys or satellites and are able to play the main. PM me in case you change your mind and decide to accept pieces.

Good luck to your Badgers on Sat.

re: passive income streams...

Vegas seems like a pretty good place to get a toe into rental income property. You could try it for a small enough investment not to get hurt buy buying just one or two 5-figure houses or condos and just see how it works, how it doesn't, cash flow potential etc. If I've already missed this discussion I apologize, but I don't remember seeing it.

Also am going to PM re: coaching.

Hey guys, haven't been playing all that much. I've only played 4 live sessions this month. First 3 were V 2/5 and were pretty grindy and netted break-even results so not much to note. The other was today where I played short stints at 2/5 and 5/10, which I'll get into more later in this post. I just haven't really been wanting to play much and I keep motivating myself to play but then when I get there I just don't want to.

Other than that I've been playing some online. I made a legitimate deposit on WSOP looking to dive into the 100nl and 200nl games. I've been doing reasonably well in those with the help of some run good. The games are tougher than live for sure but being able to play multiple tables and getting into some different spots has been keeping my attention much more than live. I never played much online even before black friday but am starting to enjoy it more despite it being tougher because its more stimulating.

Today I started off at 2/5 and lost some due to calling down a bluffy guy sorta light who had the goods this time around. Jumped into a decent 5/10 game which started out pretty bad as well, as the same guy would get me again for a small chunk. Sitting there stuck about a G-note I wasn't feeling too hot, but then I got into an incredible conversation with the guy next to me. We were just shooting the **** and eventually something got him talking about some things from his life. I've played with him before and he's local so in the interest of his privacy I'm not going to use his name or give any details of what he said, but the guy really is a super nice guy and had some astounding things to share that I was lucky enough to be able to hear. Also if anyone here knows who this is please do not oust him on here.

As I was sitting there listening to him talk about his life I realized how insignificant the fact that I was stuck in a poker game was. Along with a bit of perspective, at times his stories gave me chills. After just a few minutes I felt like even if I lost the rest of what was in front of me it would be worth that conversation. And thats exactly what I did, though not before getting unstuck briefly. Doubled up with an overpair and when I shoved, knowing full well that I'd have to leave if I lost the pot, I cared way more about staying and talking more with the guy next to me than about the silly chips in the pot. I was called and won, but it didn't last. Within the same orbit I lost a 3 bet pot with AK on A8234 where a guy floated with a bare gutshot, turned a pair and rivered his straight with 53 and then lost the rest getting 88 in on an A98hh flop against 57hh and losing the runout.

Due to me getting into those hands, our conversation had died a little. I also was probably talking too much. I was trying consciously to keep my comments to a minimum and take in as much as he was willing to share but naturally ended up having some things to say myself. I should have kept my mouth shut because what he had to say was more important but really the reason he was talking about that stuff in the first place was because I had mentioned some things that reminded him of his own life, so its all good.

So I lost 2k in the 5/10 game alone plus a small loss at 2/5, but honestly it was worth every ****ing penny. When I got up after getting felted with my set I shook the guys hand and thanked him for sharing. I've played with him several times before so that felt a bit strange but I felt like I had to thank him. Again if anyone on these boards knows who I'm talking about please don't oust him, and if by chance he reads this, thanks again.

What was the subject manner of the conversation? I'm jealous and curious, rare to hear anything mildly interesting at the poker table.

Hang in there Cush, sounds like you're playing well and running bad.

It certainly is rare. Can't give details but basically it was tidbits about his early life, one which was much more difficult than my own, and probably more difficult than I'll ever have it, but which brought out what was imo an exemplary character from a very young age. It was inspiring, enlightening, and taught me a lot about life.

Thanks man, can always be playing better but this is accurate.

Seems like you are being realistic about the pitfalls of being a live poker pro. Since you are looking for a way to quit poker (which is a good Long-Term decision IMHO), what are your Short-Term transition plans?

I have tried quitting poker a couple times in the past, and it was always so hard to keep myself away from the games for more than 2 weeks or so.

Sorry to hear that you haven't been getting in a lot of volume - I'm sure that the daily grind and solo nature of poker can present challenges for motivation.

Even though you just finished school recently, any thoughts to taking classes at UNLV? Either of the graduate level or real estate investing variety? Having another mental pursuit (even if only for a few hours a week) might prove beneficial to your poker mindset.

I'm not looking for a way to quit poker, just a way to make passive income so I don't have to play full time. My plan is basically to play as much as I want to and use the extra money to invest. Currently I use broad based index funds in the stock market and will be buying a house by the summer.

Other than that I'm trying to explore other areas of interest and if something pops up I can jump on it. I feel like people force the business venture thing because they want it and end up failing because they force a bad idea. The reality is that good opportunities come up so rarely that the key is to keep chugging along and have cash available when something comes along. That doesn't mean just sitting and hoping it falls in my lap. I have been talking to people at the table a lot more and picking their brains about whatever they do. I'm just trying to keep my eyes and ears open for opportunities and always be thinking about stuff like that. There are some smart people in the poker-sphere so it helps to be friendly with those guys too, which is why I've been emphasizing having more discussion at the table with random people.

I have other mental pursuits besides poker and I very much dislike school so this is very unlikely. Now that I have the societal "entrance requirement" of a bachelors degree, I think its much more valuable to pursue things in the real world than academically.

The perspective you have gained in your relatively short time in Vegas is extremely valuable and you are wise to be in evaluation mode right now. Our 401k really overachieved this year, so hopefully your stocks treated you the same.

Any thoughts on where you will buy a house? Obviously Vegas is full of great deals, as FL, Phoenix, etc . . . If that has been covered earlier, forgive me as I haven't read this thread in a few months.

Going back to school is obviously not a welcome thought at this time for you and I definitely understand that as someone who took his time finishing. You're so young and you already doing a lot of the right things--follow your desires for awhile.

Life is not a race.

Actually just had an offer accepted. Started escrow early this week and currently going through "due diligence" (home inspection/appraisal/etc) right now. Property is in SW Vegas.


This.

congrats dude!

that's awesome

Thanks man, kinda stressful, but exciting at the same time.

Great life move. Congrats!

congratulations are for after escrow closes...

what kind of place, single family detached... Condo... Town home?

Thanks!

single family detached

good for you...