I'm in: May 3!

You’re a little late (the challenge cutoff was supposed to be April 1), but I’ll make an exception just for you. No more guesses!

Good luck to everyone who participated in the challenge.

My buddy is in jail after a mental health breakdown went south and we’ve been chatting lately. I was reminded how quickly things can turn around. 8 years ago I was in a hospital and today I’m living a successful life that looks nothing like I could have imagined back then. This too shall pass indeed.

Mid-session update…very slow day, lost AA to AA pre and after the third AA v AA all in pre I got into I decided I was in the wrong game and changed tables. Better here but card dead and not able to set up a good opportunity to get the whale who is potting overpairs no draw on 986 flops lol. Currently stuck $900. Made $100 at 2/5 at least while I waited for plo.

The grind goes on….

Wrapping up an extremely slow session, very few playable hands today, a couple bluffs got called as well and my value / sets didn’t hold. Only stuck a few hundo so not bad all things considered.

Thanks! I was in Vegas so no following along like usual

So sorry for your friend, and so glad you are doing well.

Ended up losing $600 on the dot last night, biggest pots at plo were KK v. V's 22 + nut hearts on K92 all the money went in on turn when bd hearts appeared and I crai. Also lost a pretty big one with 97744 on 234dd to two people with 56 and a third with 43. Extremely card dead though, it was quite frustrating!! The games weren't really that good either. Happens.

Got a solid night's sleep at least, so that's a plus.

br challenge: $27,295 to go.

Thank you. Not everyone like us makes it, some end up in prison or worse, but it's inspiring to know recovery and success is possible if certain things align (social/family support, meds, routine, low stress existence, etc.). Some big changes in my life lately I am very proud of as well. At least I can give my friend some support and be a good role model to him so he'll hopefully turn out ok too.

New espresso maker! Sipping then off to play. It's gonna be a great night.

Got a table change to the best game in the room and was immediately rewarded after losing AQQJTds to K4355 on K93r to action player in 3! pot at first game. Stuck $1,000 I went with 97654ds opened utg, multiple callers short stack limp/jammed I rejammed with the dead money and A23 flop held. Then scooped dsAA722 and AJTT7ds multi-way against VERY wide ranges …lol. Currently up heaps, will count exact later. Seems the new espresso machine was very good luck! The grind in this amazing game goes on.

I am extremely happy when I am sitting in a great plo5 poker game. Not many better feelings for me.

Lost a big one KK877ds in big multi-way pot to a bad rundown for all the pots, shipped turn for side pot but he turned two baby pair and an open ender and got there. It’s not so bad to lose to this player as he gives a ton of action. Reminding myself how well I am doing despite losing this big pot…! Helps to repeat in my head “you’re doing very well,” also lessens any potential tilt.

$5.8k win, most plo, biggest was AAQ98 versus axn's JTT55 $1,700 pre. Also won versus self-proclaimed "highly skilled recreational player" (against this "mediocre pro") with wheel dugi 6-low in the mix in badacey, the Ad slid right in there on the river after I made my 6-dugi, improving to a number 1 dugi.

Played a couple extra orbits at plo after I started getting fatigued 10 hours in, just in case I won another big one. It was a great game.

br challenge: $21,474 to go.

Telling that guy youd pay for the room so he can bed the cripple is some top tier trolling that made me truly lol. Glad to see you are doing great.

Thank you! I love giving some of these yappy dudes a hard time at the tables, a light trolling from time to time and fake antagonism keeps the game lively and entertaining and prevents it from becoming stale. I think the biggest talkers like to get some yap back actually. Lately they like telling me how big their manhood is compared to mine. "I have big African balls," he said to me, "you wish you did." Lol.

In other inane stuff, the other day a nitreg tells a player who was in our game a couple hours before who returned to the table that max is $700 as he had more he had won earlier. He comes down to $700. Then the nitreg goes "you should buy in for only $200, these guys are trying to take all your money" and gives me a look across the table. The dude takes another $500 off the table and comes in for the min. :O "Why are you here?" I ask. Later another player calls the nitreg a commentator who talks too much and thanks him when he leaves. We all laughed. I joked he should get a table change with an axn player at the other game and I'd give him $100 to do it. And when he declared he was going to play one more hand I said "I'll give you $1 to quit right now."

Some people...!

Mid-session update…losing AA to JjTT on 666 flop 3! pot, lost nut wrap nut flush draw to lower wrap gutter to runner runner straight flush, turned nut straight so he had one out which he hit on the river (straight flush). Then a bluff got called and I lost nut wrap to nfd in 3! pot. Currently stuck but night is young.

Edit. Rivered nut straight to second nut straight went for river check raise $420 and got paid…JT988.

Going pretty poorly today, lost two AA in 3! pots, one folded multi-way and one got it in and turned wheel but river paired board. Then gii wrap and flush draw in 4! pot to naked AA and missed. Grinding it back…stuck a couple thousand right now but game is decent.

The poor run continues, this time KKJ99ds 3! action player, got 4! by unpredictable player, action called then tight player backraised and we got it in four ways and I lost, thankfully to the action player’s QQ367 and not the tight player. A little bad run today but it’s a long game and the month is going very well to start out (unlike the usual which is I lose in the beginning of the month!).

It’s sorta funny because Saturdays are my worst days by far and my only losing day lifetime and I was sorta expecting to lose ..lo and behold.

Started getting too passive postflop with my good hands which I sometimes do when I am getting fatigued (went for x/r but no one bit either time), then got AAKJT otb and lost to a 3-high flush, didn't pull the trigger on the river as I made a straight and this player can be a station postflop sometimes. Decided to call it a night...if I can't win with AAKJT, it's not my night!

br challenge: $25.494 to go.

Mid-session update: lost AKQJ4ds pure to AKK73 for main and side pots in big one, then colluding couple were at it again, this time in a hand against me, with signaling on the river, while he was tanking in position she shook her head and mouthed “pot,” inducing me to call with a pure bluff catcher, so I called the floor on them who are now thankfully investigating after seeing what appeared to possibly be signaling. The couple was not happy of course and called me names like woman and I need crazy meds etc. (lol) and the husband stared me down but importantly did not deny that they were colluding. Typical gaslighting. Currently even on the session.

That grinds my gears.. props to you for saying something.

Ended up winning $1,217, towards the end lost top two to turned set, lost turned bottom set to mid set (both against action player), lost AA944nfd on J52Tcc to JT with lots of dead money, called it a night at this point quite tired.

Br challenge: $24,277 to go. Coffee exercise plenty of sleep laundry then time to battle again! About a $10k month so far, good start!

Mid-session update again…won wrap fd and top pair to top set better fd early on, then doubled up an AA, but after a while of folding finally got a good spot with AQJ22 nut hearts three ways in 3! pot, jammed flop of QJThh, made the flush and held. Thankfully no sign of colluding couple today.

I was telling my friend the other day I think I’d be a good role model or peer mentor for people struggling with mental illness given how successful I’ve become.

Edit: boat over boated action player and got the rest of his chips. Thankfully he reloaded.

Ended up $2,617, not much else happened in the last couple hours, the whale quit and the game sorta died down. br challenge: $21,660 to go.

Do me a favor and slow down just a touch

lol, no guarantees! Lost AQQJ7ds on 775 multi-way spr 2 to a better 7x, but then made a comeback with AKQ94ds in 3! pot, flopping a flush and overflushing someone.

The grind goes on. I should be able to close out this challenge by the end of the month if everything goes decently.

Was doing well then slowly lost most of it back losing some flips or favorites spots. Also folded the winner with bottom set plus gutter on double flush draw board multi-way, bettor was quite tight. He had top two and held. (I would have rivered the nuts.)

Left for 2/5 as plo game was bad and I didn’t want to play in the slightly better game with the colluding couple. Currently up here, game is very soft, probably softer than my plo game.