2012 Poker Goal v2

So after an exciting 2011 Goal I have chosen to challenge myself to another Poker Goal in 2012.

The main accomplishment of this goal will be to become a winning 200NL 6-max player. I’m currently playing 25NL with other limits shown below.



One of the other portions of this goal that I want to work on is my RED LINE. I know there is a decent amount of literature/vids about this and I plan on seeking them out. Basically I don’t want to put $ into the pot w/o direct purpose. I feel like I just bet blindly sometimes which is essentially lighting $ on fire.

Setting up a schedule will be another part of my goal. I work 40 hr/week and sleep ~42hr/week. That leaves me w/just over 80hr to devote to other things. Spending at least 30hr/week on poker is going to be my target. This has to be an average. There are tons of other things I’d like to accomplish before 12.31.12, but we’ll save that for another day.

Keeping a journal was something I started at the beginning of December. I think it’s extremely beneficial. Just a few bullet points from the session does the trick imo, just something to document time & place, mindset, thoughts, etc.

I am still a big fan of self tar & feathering so be prepared for me to post the stupid **** I do if/when it happens.

gl at the tables!

Not exactly how I wanted to start off the new year but w/e... But it's early still.



I'm getting close to the point where dropping down to 10NL is going to be a good idea. I'm going to 4-6 table for a couple days and see if I can get out of this slump. If I had to honestly assess my play I'd say these results are 75% due to running bad and 25% due to lack of focus/bad play. So there's def room for improvement.

Welp.... Back to 10NL we go.

I feel like for the last 3-4 years I was playing 10NL in January. W.T.F.

It's ******ed. Idk why I'm struggling so badly. Last year I was able to get things sorted out and start winning but then BF happened and everything went to *****.

I think I'm going to set a timer to go off every 45 min when I play. I know I can play solid for 45 min straight. Putting multiple winning 45 min sessions in a row sounds like a good 1st sub goal.

Ugh.. I need to get away from the computer for awhile and comeback and post a couple hands. Grrrrrrr

Available for Withdrawal $364.26

Will move back up to 25NL @500.00

Readyyyy Go!

Est pf stats when I reach 500 = 18/16

Time for some tar & feathering:


Butchering #1


Now that I look back at the hand I think it's a X/F ott. I don't know why I'm not thinking about hands while they are happening. I am like a chimp clicking the mouse.

Butchering #2


I HAVE TO get away from these spots. Preflop I like my play. Vil is 3b from BB 8%, 45% W$WSF, 29% W$SD and WTSD 57%. The flop is HORRIBLE tho. MAYBE flat otf. Fold ott if he donks again. In general - I should be doing the opposite of what my initial thought is.

Butchering #3


Here I don't mind stacking off vs Vil. 39/29/2.3 over 100. The overcall/reraise caught my attention but I thought I was a little better than flipping. I was waaay wrong. AK is a hand that I'm just lighting $ on fire w/lately. That needs to be fixed ASAP.

This hand wasn't 'butchered' but is still making the cut today:






This hand I like my play, just not the results. I feel like I played it well, just didn't work out. Ott I thought about repopping but couldn't figure out what he'd stick around w/so I just flatted the X/R. Planning on shoving any river card. I just I shouldn't use the word 'any'.

First 10NL session went horribly. I really don't know what's going on. It feels like I need to tighten up to something like 16/14 or something redic like that. We'll see what happens tomorrow...

The good news is that this can only get better.

The bad news is that it hasn't ended.

This was a kick in the balls:



When I look at the hh it seems like an easy fold esp ott as that's a pretty strong bet. I still need to start recognizing spots and acting accordingly. Idk why it's so difficult for me to get back into the swing of things - it's 10NL fcs.

I happened to get a new computer in the middle of all of this and plan on transferring my db over to this new one. I feel like the last 2 days I've played B+/A- poker but things haven't turned around. There are only ~4k hands in this db so far so I'm not worried yet. But seriously I need to start running better...

I feel like I played decent today but still keep getting slapped in the face w/the deck. I know I made a couple folds today that I prolly wouldn't have a day or 2 ago. But I'm still making multiple small mistakes that are costing me. Need to keep tightening the bolts I guess. I'm trying to 'lost less' but it seems like I can't do anything correct.

Keep focused mate , I'm subbed

ty sir

It seems as though this thread might just turn into an "I suck @Poker" thread. I am now forcing myself to move down to the lowest limit that you can play on RPM - 5NL. I'm going to play 5000 hands 6-8 tabling and take some time to regroup.

I am doing some things well but just not winning overall. I made a couple bluffs today that I wouldn't have made a couple weeks ago. Although improving my red line is a good thing, if my green line doesn't go up along with it it's not good.

Graphs/specific hands to come later tonight - I just needed to vent...

I played 1432 hands of 5NL tonight. I think it may be doing the trick. After I lost a few pots I realised that it was more of my play than variance and started playing like a super nit. I still ended up down 2BI @5NL but I feel better about how I'm playing/will play going forward.

For some reason I'm not able to post HH atm so I can't post any hands.

Summary - Of the 16 hands that I won/lost today over 90BB I won 4 of them. 2 of them I got the money in good. 4 of them I shoved or called a shove on the river and lost.

It can only get better...

Merge kicks everyone in the balls. Its just how you recover. I just moved up to 10nl. Maybe ill see you at the tables. Ill be the guy 3 betting. Add me on skype if you want to exchange hands or something. Same name on skype.

Haha we are already skype friends I thought??? Weren't you in that chat group and got in a fight w/someone and left the group?

Maybe I'm wrong...

Ugh... It seems as though I'm stacking off WAYYYY too light.

Biggest 15 hands so far after starting to play 4NL. WTF am I doing w/myself?!?



As much as this sucks I know I have nobody to blame but myself. As much as I'd love to blame variance or bad luck I'm not helping myself that's for sure.

I need to find the fold button more and stop being a regfish. I'm folding more in the last couple sessions but it's not enough. Maybe I'm trying to take over the world everytime? Thinking poker is all of a sudden a penis contest or something?


And I'm running 'good'!!! LOL!

4, 10 & 25NL since Monday...



P.S. - Not moving up until I have at least a 25k hand winning sample of every level in this db.

Not pretty but I'll take it:



I ran 7BI above EV this weekend. My 1st 10k hands @4NL has been ugly that's for sure. I'm playing better than I was at the beggining of the sample though which feels better.

I'm still stacking off wayyyy too light.

Once I reach 30BI for 10NL I might just start playing it again. If I feel good about my game I'll move back up - I know that if I force myself to play lower until I actually start playing like I know how to it will be the best in the long run.

Decided to play 10NL tonight. It went pretty well.

Unsucessful/marginal bluff:




I guess if the turn card isn't a heart I don't follow through w/this but whatever... What went well tonight was keeping post small w/o hands. Other than the hand above there were only 2 other hands that I lost more than 20BB. I likey.

Now it's just a matter of staying focused and climbing back up. Could be playing 25NL again within a week if I'm lucky.

Today in visual form:

Ugh... 1675 hands and I won 3BB. Frustrating but not even the worst part.

4 out of the 5 biggest pots I played I lost and got the $ in BAD if not drawing dead.

In my own defense this guy is playing 65/2..



Also got QQ AIPF VS KK for 130BB. Vil was reggy. I need to stop doing that. Esp sooo deep.

An interesting hand that I'll prolly post in uNL but I want to post it here too.





Merge, $0.05/$0.10 No Limit Hold'em Cash, 5 Players
Poker Tools Powered By Holdem Manager - The Ultimate Poker Software Suite.

BTN: $10.29 (102.9 bb)
Hero (SB): $10.30 (103 bb)
BB: $10.15 (101.5 bb)
MP: $28.92 (289.2 bb)
CO: $22.64 (226.4 bb)

Preflop: Hero is SB with T A
2 folds, BTN calls $0.10, Hero raises to $0.50, BB calls $0.40, BTN calls $0.40

Flop: ($1.50) 8 7 T (3 players)
Hero bets $0.85, BB calls $0.85, BTN folds

Turn: ($3.20) 2 (2 players)
Hero bets $1.70, BB calls $1.70

River: ($6.60) Q (2 players)


Villian is playing 44/28/1. Betting otf for value, too many worse hands call to not bet. OTT I double barrel as none of the draws get there and if I'm beat I'll prolly hear about it. OTR I don't see hands that call OTF/T that end up getting there. Anybody have any thoughts?

Not happy but not mad at my play, but it still needs to get WAAYYYY better. I'm going to have to try and set off some trigger that goes off if I'm about to get into a big pot and see if it's really a good idea. I know it can be done.

How many tables you play? Can you post a picture of your stats etc? I think you should play less tables and focus more on each hand you play. I used to 9table which went well but after reducing to 6 tables my stats radically rose yet im playing much better, making profit and the game feels quite easy. Just focus on what you do, less tables and just play more! Gl

ty sir. I play 8-12 tables on any given day. I think I should put a limit on how many I play and stick to it. Survey says --- 8 table MAX. Although I may feel like I'm sitting twiddling my thumbs I believe you may be correct here. WAAYYYY more time to think about decisions..

If I said I was upset w/myself it'd be the biggest understatement in the entire universe.

Biggest hands of 1/19/12



Nobody to blame but me.

It's unreal to me how important proper thinking is in poker. For the couple months leading up to BF it was like poker decisions were being made w/o even thinking. Now I'm not sure if I'm over thinking things or under thinking them. Something has got the change though that's for sure.

Whelp, pretty sure that a couple hours ago was rock bottom. I'm not really one to pout so I thought about what I needed to do to turn things around and decided that what I needed was some structure.

Doing the same thing over & over and expecting different results = CRAZY

Step #1 --- Review the biggest wins/loses --> I'm going to review all winners/losers over 20BB(164 wins/166 loses). Possibly overkill but it won't hurt. Losing big pots with weak holdings is obviously my biggest leak. Hopefully this will allow me to start recognizing spots where I can do the opposite of what I'm doing now.

Step #2 --- Poker client + HEM --> only programs open. This is the 1st and maybe one of the most important part. Simple in theory but not in practice.

Step #3 --- 6 tables max. --> hold myself accountable. 6 is the max # of tables that I can tile and see comfortably. Following action and taking pertinent notes making each session count.

Step #4 --- Attack every session/db review/coaching session/video --> If I'm going to talk about taking poker seriously I have to actually follow through and do it. I feel like I've become a zombie at the tables. Focusing/thinking out loud/taking notes.

Volume goals:
25k hands/month --- 40 min strictly timed sessions
16hr DB review/month --- review ALL hands over 40BB
12 videos/month --- 3 videos a week should be doable

There it is. Thankfully we're only 19 days into the year before I snapped out of my funk. 346 days left in this goal. I'm going to post EVERYTHING I do related to poker ITT - reading/playing/reviewing.

If u stick to those steps ull turn it around 100% mate, gl make sure u do it!

TY again sir. I appreciate the support.

Good luck! Will be following your progress.

ty sir.

So far so good. I'm a fan of the new strategy.



336 hands in 45min. It was pretty easy 6 tabling and bringing a new table in if one broke up. Got AQ AIPF vs AK towards the end of the session and sucked out. It was only for 30BB tho so I'm meh about it.

That and this hand were the only hands over 20BB.




This guy was playing 35/3/1.4 I was really expecting to see a straight or maybe a 2. Giving wayyy too much credit again. Ha.

Only 1 session today as I've got other things to take care of.