Pretty card dead in mixed game, then played 2/5 where lost QQ<A3o in straddled pot ai pre and AA<KQo+T7dd in 3! pot on KK3dd (KQo AI pre, T7dd jammed flop), and finally QQ<AKs on Q-6-5-J-T, just a gross runout.

I think with all these cheating scandals we have had recently, one way to prevent future recurrences would be to lobby lawmakers to enact legislation that imposes liability for gambling-related cheats or scams. Just an idea.

Playing 1/3 for a bit sipping on decaf and water with my chest discomfort going after a tough session just to get a little confidence and win, lost an AA pre (versus JJ and another AA) in 5/5, lost with a semi-bluff ott with blockers too, meh. Nice to play a small game for a change. This month is a wash thus far, one of the swingiest I’ve encountered, but it could have been worse. I think I managed to limit the damage considerably all things considered, especially accounting for the foray into mixed games including an ill-advised shot or three in the big game. I’m pretty proud of my BR management I suppose.

PS:5/5 seemed unusually degen tonight, kinda off-putting tbh. Maybe has to do with the Kenny scandal but I was not feeling it. Hold ‘em players were calling the action away from our game to their game threatening to give his seat away. Lol coercive tactics abound. Buddy I respected playing loose and giving me sht for playing too tight. Sigh….

I think I want to do a 1/3 challenge for the rest of the month! Goals? I have 4 days. I think I need to just relax for the rest of the month; I’ve played too much out of my element the last few weeks and need to reset. Maybe $2k? If I enjoy it I might keep it up into May.

I’m starting to feel like the stress of playing higher has not been worth the returns this year, as well as I’ve done so far. If I’m not going to take a vacation, this may be the change of pace I need.

Back to where it all started! 1/3 grinding.I’m actually really looking forward to this. Let’s see if it lasts.

1/3 challenge started off well the other night followed by tonight for a profit so far of $441.

99 AI OTF versus AQo on A-J-9dd, JJ>A9o on 789, AK<99 on AA9 (lost the minimum somehow, V seemed super comfy and was playing snug, showed 99 after I folded to turn jam - I was actually very upset with myself for calling his flop c/r).

Played a little 2/5 too for a $424 profit, KQ bluffcaught a blufferfish, onlyfans-looking dude down three streets and was good. I called on K-4-8hh-7-T (bricking flush draw and we had KdQs) and he seemed a bit miffed I didn't call sooner since I did take my time (he'd raise on the flop and triple barreled). I explained that I thought he had a good hand but felt badly afterwards for taking so long for just a $125 river bet into $200.

Definitely didn't have chest issues on the drive home really, I think they are triggered by stress like the stress of losing $3k in a 5/5/25/50 plo game.

I'm sorry but I recently have come across a Tinder profile that said "Yes, I'm that dude who does onlyfans with his father." Da fk? OMG!

People have gotten very desperate to make money it seems. I'd flip burgers before I ever considered that...heck, I'd do worse than that, I'd play poker!

Played 1/3 and 2/5, up a few hundo, plus $50 lucky table promo (rakeback!) for a decent $400 profit or so. One V at my first table was donking top pair on the flop and overvaluing hands on the river which made this call straight-forward:

Hero opens T9ss EP, V calls. Flop ($30): K-6-2r. Hero $15, call. Turn: 9. X/x. River: 3. V leads $30 into $60, hero calls, MHIG versus A6o.

Played at a second, more aggressive table and met this guy from TX who seemed really friendly and was trying to make friends, so my friend and I invited him to free poker.

It's the weekend! Woohoo.

Played some 1/3, ran into quads with AK on 7-5-5-5-T in srp HU, but made it back (+$100), then sun ran at 2/5 with A5dd in 3! pot, turning straight flush and coolerng AK on A-2-3dd4d (+$850). Made a little at plo5 with a straight ott ($550)and called it a night. Zzz...a nice little upswing to round out this dastardly month.

Just played board games last night, no poker!

Finished the month on a high note, up close to $2.8k between my 1/3 and 2/5 sessions (and one very short plo5 session), nice to finish strong and reset/refocus. It was a little sad to watch the 5/5 running a couple days and not get into the mix, but I decided to take a break because it's what I needed after a really difficult month of multiple big swings (for me) over a short span of time. It's unfortunate that this month I decided to play mixed games and I started running badly in the 5/5 simultaneously, obviously not going to end well...!

That positive thing is that even with all the runbad and mixed games play I only lost $400 on the month (basically breakeven), and if I didn't play mix/big o at all I would have lost $5k less and potentially made money instead playing other games. I guess I have a high enough winrate to be thankful for, keeping me afloat. Phew!

Here's to a new month: May! I think I will seriously cut back on mixed games (the average line up of which I was not particularly impressed by...not enough spots...not a great game for a newcomer), especially the big game, and just get back to bread and buttery soft games I am used to. And hopefully run good!

I suppose an update is in order, although frankly I am not that enthusiastic about it given what little poker info I have to report. So I'll focus on non-poker this time.

I wowed my big boss at an important early AM policy meeting with some government folks, which was nice. She wants to send me on a training for a couple weeks next month to "invest" in me. She said she hopes I make it onto senior staff too. I am also getting a new supervisor, which will be a nice change of pace.

I started to learn blackjack with some friends, but nowhere near ready for the casino (if ever).

Poker has been very lame and breakevenish the past couple sessions. Feels like one of those periods that happen from time to time.

I am always tired lately.

I started to think I would never get dealt a premium again. I thought: surely I should get AA/KK/QQ once every 50 hands or so! Then I literally get AA my next hand!

Anyway that was the other day. Today set me straight again, running JJ into AA hj v co $600 eff. at 5/T and V decided to run it once (of course). I knew I should have quit the game sooner but I was on the plo list and kept playing until they called me. My bad. I only played because the game WAS good when I sat down. By the time I left it was all regs.

At least I won some at 2/5 with 99 against two flush draws. Now where I should have been all along at plo, card dead - again! Seems to be a theme the last while or so.

This is getting really tiresome.

Manic at PLO5 who has stacked me twice already:

*Phone rings…* “hello? Yeah I’m still at my buddy’s house, I’ll call you back.” *Click.*

“Damn, my wife woke up! Pot!” ROFL.

Lost with AAKK7ss in 4! pot, lost with AQJT6ds ai pre, lost with AcAh v. TT in srp on T74ss, lost with 66 v. KK in srp on 6Q8K2. All this amounted to -$600 because I played 1/3 mainly and won some at 2/5. Phew! I'll take a small loss.

Finally booked a win at 5/5 at a below average table. Lost first ai pre with ds AAQT8 against action (who left for a different table shortly thereafter), then gii against a light 3!ttor with AKJ86ss and scooped three ways, called a couple hands and got squeezed out pre but otherwise I do not think I made any terrible mistakes. It was not a great line up anyway so all things considered I am glad I won my $650. I was enjoying myself with some dance music at least.


Rainy day for mother's day weekend...I always wake up later when it's rainy out. So hard to get out of bed without the sun!

Last night an funny situation arose at the 5/5/25. Player who was on a heater apparently chopped KT v. KT on ATTAJr. A few minutes go by and another player not in the hand says, "Hey, just to needle you, you know you folded the winner that hand? You had KQ, it happened so fast I didn't say anything and I wasn't even sure whose hand it was." (He and the player are on otherwise good terms.)

The KQ player realizes his mistake and tells the player he chopped with what happened, expecting to get the half of the pot he was shorted. The other player does not oblige, so he calls the floor. Floor says once hand is over there is nothing they can do. Player who should have won says the player who was incorrectly awarded half the pot has no integrity and they get into a little scurfuffle. We have a laugh. (Rightful winner was up $10k on the night so it was a little comical to see him get upset over $150.) He picks up a couple racks.

I chime in, "hey, you should give him his money back so he doesn't leave" and tell the original instigator that his ploy to tilt him backfired because he is rage quitting. Oops!

--

Anyway some more uneventful regrettable hands:

Call AQ986ds, get squeezed, fold (probably should have 3! out of the sb).

Overcall AKTT6ds otb, overly active straddler pots, we overcall, short stack jams, action player re-pots, we fold.

Open AKQT5ds, BB 3!, call, fold flop with just one pair no draw and a flush draw we didn't have against likely AA (we had just a backdoor Q-high fd).

Raise KQJT6ds, get 3!, many field callers and not liking any of my options I fold. This one I wish I overlimped and I think some people who I play with would have just gone all in in the hopes of getting it HU against the 3!ttor with all the dead money, probably best line tbh except for the fact that I am quite sure at least one field caller is not folding pre ever for any amount so I am hardly getting it in good here.

These hands cost me around $350. Probably should have adjusted better to the table since it was a very active table preflop, much moreso than I was used to. Like I said earlier, not a great game.

Ran card dead except at 2/5 where I flopped Qs9s8c with JTss in srp and GII versus Q8 (my range looked more like OPs) and held! For an $800 profit. Lost with AA+nfd and meh double gutter over two streets versus a set at 5/5, which I played only briefly towards the end of the night.

Happy Mother's Day!!! Gooooo moms! For anyone looking for a last-minute card idea, I recommend Jacquie Lawson ecards. Very nice animation and create-your-own message and can be sent quickly at the touch of a button.

Booked a small loss at 5/T while waiting for PLO, and a small win there. Just pretty card dead, and folded the winner in one spot with middle set against quite a bit of action rather deep, was not sure where I stood. That's pretty much it.

Last couple sessions have been decent and winning for a change. Booked a good win at 2/2 plo and 5/5/25 plo tonight in ok games, one hand involving a straight flush against the third nut flush (not sure if I could have gotten any more than I did), but wanted to get home early for my morning meeting tomorrow so I quit even though I could have played a bit longer. Chinese shrimp fried rice now…my buddy got into the 5/5 main game early and was quickly up heaps…! Slightly envious but I’ll be grateful for my $1k tonight for just a few hours of play. Also grateful for mostly pulling out of the market a few months ago on a friend’s suggestion. Now just waiting for the right time to hop back in. Ohm.

Card dead most session, got AA and bet three ways on T93r in hold 'em, Q ott and BB donked $80 into $180, I had no idea what to do with SB behind. (SB x/r to $250; everyone folded.) Opened A4dd, btn called, flop AsAh6h, x/x, Ts ott bringing bdfd, bet, btn raised to $100, call, river Ks completing backdoor flush, x/btn overbet $300....

Then got very little going at plo for hours until I was dealt KQJT8ds, 3!/short stack jammed, call, call, I gii and btn (only V who covered) tank called my $950 with AQJ87ss and scooped, rivering the nut flush after I flopped top pair and flush draw blockers.... :/

Ran good at 5/T and still lost, AKs bvb ai pre for $900 against action who 3! 55 earlier and had cold 4! AQo utg2 versus utg open/utg1 3!, and this time he had AA. Then lost JJ v. AQo versus maniac. Made a couple sets which was nice for a change and helped undo the losses from the preflop spots. Also stacked the maniac with AA on 789r when I x/he jammed and I called and held versus T8.

Got some momentum going at plo, l/rr AQJT8ss against supposed action player's iso and six callers, tons of dead money and he repotted QQJJ4ds and we lost (+EV with $275 dead money, even though strictly speaking behind), lost top set against same V versus his AA+nfd+gutter as well. Booked a small win in the end after clawing back with KKT66ds on K-7-2dd against what I assume was AA (V 3! pre and GII) and AAJ96ss on T-8-4ss, crai and beat maniac's pair plus OESD.

I feel like I am starting to force the action a little too much at plo out of frustration due to being card dead with some good but not premium hands, usually I have a reason like I am pushing an edge against a loose player and there's some leveling going on, but it hasn't been working out lately.... :/

The plo games also aren't quite as soft as they used to be, something I've noticed the past couple months.

Lost with most of my whatever / not so great AA at 5/5 tonight, but as a short stack gotta go with it: AAJT5ss, AA235ss (bleh but there was a blind $50 on), AAAJ5ds (very good jam versus V’s KK), and an AKK73ds, won the last one with AAT82ss, then lost at 2/5 with AQ to 52 on 253AT against very loose V, literally shook my hands and almost lost it at the table after this one - fml this SUCKS. Losing even more at 1/2 PLO5 now. Nothing is going well lately. I am totally over it!

This sort of run really makes you appreciate the periods of run good. This is crazy!

Watched silver linings playbook tonight with the ex/current boo, great film about living with bipolar disorder with a great cast and fitting ending. I was very satisfied and in a great mood driving to mgm, even though the movie did white wash the interplay between mental disabilities and the criminal legal system.

A few things I’ve learned over the past 9,000 or so hours of play…I did a similar post 1,000 hours in.

- you always have to keep up your game because games will only get tougher over time; look for mental game and technical leaks and constantly try to improve;

- if you can, game select; leave your ego at the door if your goal is to win money;

- if your life is out of whack your play quality will suffer, so…

- take care of yourself and those around you;

- enter every session in a good mindset, practice a pre session routine and stick with something that works;

- stay grateful and humble, even when others do not;

- don’t allow others’ toxicity influence your own character - there’s a lot of it in poker;

- surround yourself with players you admire and try to emulate them;

- come to terms with the inherently selfish nature of the game and accept it, but offset that by doing good deeds elsewhere in life;

- embrace variance and treat negative variance like any other life challenge; rise to the occasion by showing up to fight for your life!

Very well said.

Ty, kind sir.

In today's news, arrived at MGM and the 5/5 was running, so I hopped in. Quickly won an AA (!), 3! pre to $250, a couple callers, shipped 344dd (I had AA356, no diamonds, so AA+oesd), and won on A-X runout. Was feeling very shook up from the other losing session so I booked the win and went to 1/2 plo5...after 10 minutes I instantly regretted leaving. My runbad clouded my judgment and caused me to quit a really good game. I wasn't about to let tilt do that to me, so after I grabbed some food I got back in the game as soon as a seat opened up.

Sat down, put my leather cross body bag on my chair, and noticed the bravo wasn't accurate (there was a list), and told the dealer to take the names out of the system. A short Asian player in the hand told me to "stop holding up the game...fkn idiot." I had been getting bad vibes from him a lot lately (and he spread a rumor about me that I really wanted to get into this home game and was not allowed to play, neither of which was true), so I told him "do you have a problem with me? I'll tell you where you can shove it." He proceeded to call me a fggt a couple times, so I had the floor called over, who told him that I was allowed to ask a question, and then left it at that and waked away. Another player chimed in, "that was wrong, you called out a man by his name" and picked up, but now before telling the player, "you know what happens to bad people sometimes?" "Nothing," he sheepishly replied.

This very tall reg/pro who complains about how annoying I am to play against then started chatting up Mr. fggt, handing him some gum to boot. (What a swell guy; I thought you were better than that but I guess I was wrong.) I was a little surprised with how the floor handled it and I picked up shortly thereafter, completely disgusted with the whole situation. I asked for a 1/2 seat and a different floor person asked me what happened (he'd gotten to the table just at the tail end) and I recounted everything. A minute or two later I happened to look over at the 5/5 game and Mr. fggt was nowhere to be seen.

I had told a friend everything and she was quite surprised mgm did not do anything at first, but I told her in the end it looked like things worked out and staff did the right thing. No one should have their dignity assailed and everyone should feel welcome to a game, no matter their playing style, or anything else.

This experience only drives me to become better, so I am re-upping my subscription to a training site for a month to brush up on some stuff!

You jumped in the game and hit and run after winning with AA, “got food” then tried to jump back in the game again after pocketing the profits.

Sounds like a regular occurrence and would explain the hostility from other players and why no one stood up for you

Calling you a fggt was out of line though and as a gay man I am disgusted management did not do anything about it

Not a regular occurrence to hit and run, but a mistake certainly. Like I said, I regretted leaving and decided to sit down again later; this was a tilt issue caused from running poorly a lot lately in the 5/5, and I agree this may have influenced the next events (although I don't think the guy who called me a fggt was even at the table when I won). My bad on this front. I should not have left to begin with and coming back later was not great form, and I get how it appears. (And btw, it's actually correct to pick up if you are playing a true short stack strat.)

Also, mgmt did kick him out in the end it seems, as people at my table said this player would not have left voluntarily in such a good game.

The view from the entrance, pretty nice if you ask me: