This fundraiser had several acts (only two comedy), so my set wasn't anywhere near 30 minutes long. I think it ended up being around 10 minutes, which was on the longer end for me. In the past my sets have run between 3-7 minutes. I believe one went over 10.

Last night I had several stories, a couple quicker jokes, that logically flowed together in a sort of chronology that took you on a journey of my life. It all would have made perfect sense if you were there.

I prepared by reading through my old material and compiling those bits I thought would do well at this event. (No hardcore sexual stuff, lots of political humor.) Then I put them in an order that made sense, crafted a brief intro bit, performed the set a few times out loud and in front of a mirror, and voila!

After a two-year hiatus, I still delivered the jokes seamlessly, kept control of the room, and my punch lines landed. I rocked!

Last day of the month I played an afternoon session before heading for a hike to Great Falls national park with a friend. Played 1/3 while waiting for 2/5, made $120 at 1/3 and $750 at 2/5. 1/3 was uneventful. AQ, turned top pair, got value from a flopped J. 2/5 I got big hands (KK AI pre v. TT, QQ, AA) and they all held. Not bad for just a couple hours. May fell $1k short of March and April numbers, but that's fine given that I did not run nearly as well and I spent almost a week at 1/2 in PA and I played more 1/3 instead of 2/5.

Off to June! Hosting home game tomorrow with friends.

First day of June went to MGM during the day for the promo and split with Jeff 50/50. His table hit so I got a slice of that. After a brief 1/3, nothing really happened at 2/5. Got KQ way too many times, all in raising positions. Only had about an hour or so to play before I had to leave for home game. There was a long wait due to the promo. Lost $60 or so between 1/3 and 2/5. Made $150 off promo. Made $70 at home game too, so not bad first day of the month. Played too loose in home game, definitely LAG style, not my usual. Probably cost me $80 in profits. Didn't do as well as I could have. Should stick with what I'm good at! Nice thing was my roommate joined us for the first time (she's a noob) and she didn't realize we played for money so I staked her for a few min $10 buy-ins. She was a sh*tty horse, but thankfully she lost much of it to me! Time for some rest after a long day.

Rough one today. Sat at amazing 2/5 with two 1/3 whales at table. Unfortunately it seems one of them was playing tighter than normal. The other was up to his usual antics. None of my big pairs held. Raised KK, four callers. Flop 456r. I check fold to one caller’s $75 and an overcall by whale. Turn: K. Kicking myself under the table. $125 and a call. River: T. $300 bet and whale jams for $750. Fold. Whale shows 78o. Good fold! Very happy with this one. Not just being results oriented. Multi-way on this flop with a $75 and a call one pair is probably no good.

Later raise AA UTG, three callers. Flop 9-Q-Kr. Pretty bad. I bet small to keep ranges wide ($25 into $60), whale raises to $85. Now I’m not sure if he thinks I’m weak because I bet only $25 or if he really outflopped me (which is certainly possible on this flop). I fold. He shows a K. I say, “is that it?” He says “it came with a four.” Hmm...I wonder.

Finally, raise red QQ in whale’s BB to $25 (larger than normal for his V), one caller, whale 3! $75, we both call. Flop 456cc. Whale open jams $325 (covers). I tank call without a club and more combos of AK than AA and KK. He shows the bad news. Lose to AA. WWYD? That’s a wrap!

Another difficult session. Should have played 1/3 as planned. Instead sat at 2/5, not a very good table except for one LLLAG (emphasis on loose). Early in session there's an EP limp, SB $25, I 3! $60 AdQc, fold, SB calls. 954ccc flop and it checks through. Ks turn and I bet $50, he calls. Jd river and I check behind and lose to JJJ (no club). Good check back!

Nothing for a while until I get AQo in CO and just fold to tight player's $25 open from HJ. Flop: AQ6. Turn: A. River: 6. He triple barreled.... Why must I be so nitty? Why?

Lastly, raise JTss MP2, BTN (very loose player) calls me, flop JT9ccc. I bet $20, he raises to $80, I jam $280, he calls, I lose to 62cc. Why must I play so loose? Why?

Played 1/3 for a bit and had to put up with the obnoxiousness that goes on there. Got a beer with a buddy at the bar and brought it back and got berated for drinking by this idiot wannabe noob grinder playing at the table ("why don't you just drink another beer," he said - as if that's a put down?). It had been the second time he asked me to repeat the action or what I had after the hand was over and I had told him to just pay attention instead of asking me. I wasn't there to fill him in like a f*cking instant replay. It didn't help that the first time he asked I lost QQ to JJ AI pre and the second time TT to 33 (same V) on 322. (I got away from it with TT on the flop facing a $100 jam and an overcall.) Sigh.

Down $560 today, on top of $600 last night. June is off to a rough start I tell ya....

lol @ some clown giving you **** for drinking a beer.

With idiots like these I sometimes just have a little fun with them to entertain myself. So like I'll repeat the action as requested, but just totally wrong in every way imaginable, feigning confusion the whole way and challenging every fact he states ("No, I'm pretty sure there wasn't a 7 on the flop. And I don't think I checked the turn, I'm pretty sure I bet it.", etc.). Nothing to get them too riled up, but basically just to have some fun, look like an idiot, and maybe he'll stop talking to me.

GentertainingmyselfG

Tonight was a success in that I didn't lose a lot again. Was stuck $300 at one point and was ready for a third chunky loss in a row. Was up $300 at my peak at 1/3, then bled down and lost a few smaller to medium-sized pots, e.g., inactive player raises $15 EP, I just call QQ in BB HU. Flop 753r. He cbets $20 into $30, I call. Turn: K. He bets small, $25. I call. River: J. He bets $30 into $120 and I tank call. He has AK. I had Qc and a bdfd (cc) came ott, I block AQ and some flush draws, but for that price I called in case he had AT or AJ or some other weird crap. P.O.W.

Earlier in session I got into a battle with this maniac raising 80%. Unfortunately, I was unable to make any hands against her post-flop and had a hard time when she called my cbets or raised them otf. (This is how I got stuck $300.) Finally, she decided to pay me back for all the three-betting and instead of offering to chop HU she raises my BB to $10. I happily call with QTo. Flop: 89Tr. She bets $20, I call. Turn: T. She bets $20, I raise to $55, she thinks about it and jams for my last $175 and I call. She has A8. I win.

Left 1/3 up $70 and played a little 2/5 for the last hour where nothing really happened. Raised AQo and missed. Limped KK EP, no one raised for the first time ever, called/called/folded on Q-5-7-Q-4 runout to nitty BB's $15/$20/$225 (lol sizing) bets. Then folded TT in BB to EP open and SB 3!. Lost $100 at 2/5. Small loss overall today, but feels like a victory nonetheless.

Now off to watch Nanonoko's zoom sessions.

QQ hand is tough to fold for those turn/river prices, but against an inactive guy I think we probably should lean to that (unless we've seen some barrels with air). I see a lot more value in these really small bets with mediocre hands like TP than I used to as opponents just convince themselves that they can't fold getting 5:1 even though in reality they are never good enough of the time to call.

GcluelessfoldingnoobG

I played well last night, this time at MD Live on my way back from doc's. Started at 1/3 where I got JJ and stacked a shorty with AKcc on T-5-3cc-x-x, then 3! AA to $60 in LP over EP $12 open and call, took it down pre. Up $133 that session then headed to 2/5.

At 2/5, raised and missed once, then raised TT UTG+1 to $30 in straddled pot, MP2 3! $100, I folded. We had a little exchange about what he had and I probably seemed a little steamed. The very next hand I am dealt AA UTG and raise, call, older guy in MP 3!, folds to me, I quickly jam figuring this looks somewhat tilty, fold, old guy calls and I table. He tables KK. K in the window. Brick, brick. V mutters something about how that hasn't happened for him in years. I leave silently. Head back to 1/3.

At good 1/3 with V straddling as often as possible. I raised his straddle several times and he jammed A2o over my AT and I held (he was short). Limp 55, another V overlimps, flop Ts-9s-5c, I bet $20 into $12, V calls. Turn: 4d. I bet $55 into $45. He calls. River: 7s. Vomit. I tank check/fold to his $55 bet. He only had $100 or so on the river. Is a blocker bet better here? I think if he had T9 or a set himself it was all going in otf, and he called my bets rather quickly, indicating some sort of draw. Sigh. This hand tilted me because earlier he outflopped me with A9o against my AK on A9942 runout and won a decent pot against me (I bet, he called, I x/c turn and river $20/$30 lol sizings).

Later, called UTG raise with 99 UTG+1, two other callers. Flop QJ5r. Checks around. Turn: 9. SB lead, UTG call, I raise $40, only UTG calls. River: 8. UTG checks, I bet $60, he c/r $260, I snap fold, he tables KT. Very happy with this one, might have paid it off a year ago I think.

Raise $22 with KQdd in straddle, five callers. Flop K-8-5cxx. I bet $35, two callers. Turn: 2. Checks around. River: A. Checks to BTN straddler who fires $77 (?) into $215, folds to me. V starts talking with dealer, then as I tank gets quiet. I tell him I flopped top pair and the way I played this it might look like I have QQ and the A is a scare card he's betting with his missed straight draw. He doesn't say anything. Clock is called. I fold. He shows 74cc. Drats! So many reasons to call this hand. My instincts were correct. But I really hadn't seen him get out of line. For this price though...a better player would have called. I thought he might have made aces up.

Get JJ, raise, same active straddler V calls. Flop: J-6-3. I bet small, he calls. Turn: 3. I bet just $20, he hems and haws (usually a reverse tell of strength) and calls. River: A. I bet $60, he raises $120, I jam $200, he calls, I cooler him set over set against his 66.

Ended up $250 the second 1/3 session for an overall profit of $85!

I'm going back to MD Live tonight. Seemed pretty soft, maybe softer than MGM. Hoping to see some of the same faces from yesterday. Probably stick with 1/3 unless I see a donor or two at 2/5.

Started at 1/3 where my first hand I opened KQdd and BB and EP limper called. Flop K-Q-4ss. I bet, bet a brick turn and called a jam for slightly more from limper and held.

A few hands later limp 22 and flop 2-5-6cc. I b/b/b a good runout (Q-A no club) but everyone folded river.

Then gave some of it back when I stationed/blocker bet river with nut flush blocker top pair (9 kicker) in limped pot on A-K-Ts-4s-7s and value owned myself against KT. Should have folded to turn $25 from this old dude.

Raised QQ UTG in straddle, two EP callers and BTN 3! $80, SB 4! jams $250, I fold, BTN calls and SB has 22 against BTN's JJ. I would have scooped. Lolz. Head-scratcher for sure. No way of knowing to call/jam here. BTN was regular 2/5 player at MGM who doesn't get out of line and SB was unknown middle aged Asian male who recently sat down. Ooooops.

Same 2/5 player 3! me a second time, this time I had J9cc and I folded again. I was getting a little steamed at him and decided to play 2/5.

Moved to 2/5 where nothing happened until I got AA in MP and limped behind, SB raised $25, BB called, I $125, SB called, BB folded. Flop K-6-8r. X/x. Turn: 2. He reaches for chips, then checks. I jam my last $160, he snaps with Kx and I hold. Combined tables where this seemingly fun, talkative, good-natured old man welcomed me to the table and joked about my lack of enthusiasm, referencing the show Curb Your Enthusiasm. Not long after he tells someone a story about how he once met a "he/she," which he thought was a "transvestite" (lol), and how he punched him/her in the groin. Nice dude.... Then he asked me if I support gun control (adding, "you look like someone who would") and I said I don't talk politics and it's a controversial subject. I left to eat. Weird old man.

Ordered carryout food and played 1/3 one more time while I waited for it. Played terribly, obviously wanting to book the win. Overlimped JJ over a few EP limps, lost that one, called min-raise in straddle with AQdd and had to fold on K-2-2dd facing a bet from the pfr and BTN's raise to $80. BTN had 72o. Pfr had KJ. I would have made the flush otr (no boat).

Headed home up $520 on the night overall though. Finally, a decent win! I'll take it!

Ha, I sometimes regret attempting to engage people in conversations.

There's this semi-reg in our room who's had an interesting life. Played pro hockey as a goon, then some coaching (where he didn't leave his goon-ish behaviour behind and actually got suspended from the league due to a brawl with players), etc. Anyhooooo, one day I engage him at the table, and he's somehow gets on this weird tangent and says "dude, you gotta see what's going on in this country and see this video, it's a little dark...", and before I know it he's showing me this video of these people getting their limbs sawed off. WTF?!?!

Gwhateverhappenedto"anyonecatchthegamelastnight?"G

Reprinted from BQ (reply to post asking if going pro is feasible in 2019):

"OK, this applies mainly to live (not online) play drawn from my personal experience. YMMV.

In my main poker room (a large room), there are about a couple dozen or so pros/semi-pros playing on any given day. They probably make 4-12 bb/hr. and live primarily off their winnings.

You should do it if you:

- have a track record of completing long-term goals

- are self-motivated and have a high learning ability

- are emotionally stable and can weather downswings without going on tilt

- possess patience and discipline

- have a $2k starting roll to grind live low stakes playing short stack (1 buy in)

- have 6-12 months of funds set aside for life needs.

You must be able to put aside a year or so to playing low stakes (live, 1/2-1/3), building your bankroll short-stacking, and studying more advanced concepts before gradually moving up to 2/5 where if you've put in the work you should make some real money ($50-$100k/yr.).

Bottom line is, you gotta work it!

Edit: At low stakes, you also have to be ready to put up with (hopefully just ignore) some of the most bottom-feeding, ill-mannered, arrogant people you'll ever encounter in your life. Try not to be one of those people and retain your dignity and pride in the process. Have fun!"

Home game tonight. A little MGM this afternoon likely beforehand. Gotta get out of that downswing!

Difficult sessions yesterday. 2/5 at MGM was at good table with fish on heater. Found myself in lots of difficult marginal spots though. Early in session open A5dd UTG, one caller, BTN 3! $45 (weird sizing), folds to me, I 4! $125, fold, fold. I show this one. Good start!

Raise QQ in BB over a couple limps to $30, both call. Flop T-9-5dd. I have no d(iamond). I check it, both Vs checks behind. Turn: 6. I bet $30, call, call. River: K. Check, fish bets $85, fold, I fold.

Get KK OTB, raise $20, both blinds call. Flop: QQ3r. Checks through. Turn: 7. SB fish bets, BB old man calls, I call. River: 7. SB checks, old man BB bets $75, I fold, fish wants to see it and calls with 88 and is good v. old man's idiotically played AJo. Smh.

Call EP open with TdTc, BTN calls. Flop: 7-8-9dd. Pfr checks, I bet $25 into $60, BTN calls. HU. Turn: 3h. I x/c $60. River: 2h. I x/f $200. WWYD?

Limp JJ UTG, inactive V raises $25 over another limp, four callers. Flop: 995. Pfr continues $50. Only I call. Turn: 3. He bets $125, I fold.

Get AA UTG, get 3!, 4! jam, called, I hold.

Raise AKcc $20, old man with AJo from before calls, EP limper calls. Flop: Ks-Ts-4h. I bet $35, old man calls. HU. Turn: Jh. Not my favorite card. I check, he thinks about betting but checks. River: A. I am losing to any Q but have top two. Rather than check and risk facing a large bet from missed spades, I lead small and plan on folding to a raise. He just calls my $40 and I expect to be good here. I turn over and he has QQ.... I leave for the home game stuck $360 and pissed off.

Home game went horridly too. Missed every draw, got no premium hands or got outflopped. E.g., 3! AKcc after showing a 3! bluff, two calls, flop Qc-9c-5s. I continue, call, pfr c/r $20, call, call. Turn: 9s. Checks through. River: Kd. Pfr bets $55, I fold, other V calls and pfr has KQ (other V had KT).

Call tight V's CO open with A9hh, five ways to 6-7-8cch flop. Pfr continues $7.50, I raise $22 with $20 behind, folds to pfr who tanks and jams, I call, he has black JJ and I lose both runouts.

Down $520 overall. Almost didn't want to post this because it's so toxic/negative.

I think I dislike both the QQ and the TT. The KK is meh, I might've called depending on reads.

For the QQ, I really think you need to come up with more nuanced reads than "fish" -- there's calling stations and there's aggro fish and they're way different here. Against anyone reasonably aggressive I think you need to find a call here, the flush draw did not get there, you're blocking QJ, and V can be valuecutting themselves with like AT and not even know it...or bluffing with the NFD...or whatever.

For the TT, same deal basically, you've got an overpair, I think I really dislike this fold. If you're c/f here on any street, I'd say it should be the turn, but I don't really want to do that, so I think I'd rather call the river.

$520 is basically nothing for the stakes you're playing, so I'm not really sure what to tell you, from everything you've written it sounds like you're fully rolled for this, so I'd say you need to be less focused on any given day. The long run is long, especially playing live.

Finally out of this (small) downswing. Up $1,250 tonight. A sigh of relief.... Details to follow a long slumber.

Not as long of a slumber as I had hoped for. 8 hours is decent enough though. Ran well yesterday, early on opened AK CO, active SB 3! $75, I 4! jammed $300, fold.

Called open with JJ, flop QQ3. Checks through. Turn: 7. UTG limper leads, pfr folds, I call. River: 3. Limper bets $80, I call, he has counterfeit 22.

Open KK, 22 guy calls, two more callers. Flop: 224r. I bet, 22 guy jams $120, folds to me and snap, show, MHIG.

Proceed to open a few more OPs and hold after a cbet, 3! AA once and take it down pre, 3! AQss UTG+1 over UTG open for info, he flats, I flop top/top on Q-7-5 and b/b, he folds turn.

Call UTG open with JJ, flop KQTr, he bets, I call. Turn: A. He checks, I bet, call. River: 5. He snap x/c $150 and MHIG.

Also rivered nut flush against someone who flopped a straight but he didn't pay off my large river bet. It's hard to get paid with flushes, they're so obvious. Oh well.

Posted my BB and got JTdd, overlimped, flopped the joint on 789ss. Got two streets out of 57ss on 6-5 runout. This probably could have gone AI otf if I'd raised ($700 eff.) but I wanted to evaluate turn.

Those are the highlights. No tough spots really except ran QQ into AA once. Good night overall. Also, got to chat with this pro and he and a couple others are going to the new Wynn in Boston in July. Gonna be good action. I invited myself. We're renting an AirBNB. Hooray!

When in July? I might take a one day jaunt on either 7/5 or 7/6.

7/18 - 7/23 most likely.

Tonight went well. 2/5, min buy $300, ran it up to $1700 before calling it a short session (3.5 hours). AQo, $35 over limpettes, flop A, take it down otf. 3! AA, called, flop 223cc (I have Ac), cbet small because with Ac he can't have anything remotely good other than a smaller OP, fold. 88 overlimp in straddle, flop Q83hh, bet, one stationy caller, 2d turn, bet pot, call, Ac river, jam $300, tank call, MHIG.

Limp 22, other limpers, fish SB $25, all call. 29Khh. SB x, BB leads, I raise, pfr overcalls, HU. He donks $225, I jam $625, tank call, brick river MHIG v. ndf. That's pretty much it. Looking forward to getting more sleep tonight than yesterday. Did I mention I like lots of sleep? :P

LOL, flop a set, go all-in, easy game!

Sets have made me so much money, if I get filthy rich I'm going to produce a poker-themed remake of Sir Mix-A-Lot's "Baby Got Back."

"I like BIG POTS and I cannot lie."

"Flopping SET after SET, gonna buy me a new corvette."

Tonight was pretty meh. Lost $80, $20 at 1/3 and $60 at 2/5. 2p into flush at 1/3, lost just $30 with nfd too because people don't know how to play flopped flushes.

2/5 was kinda weird. Started off really well, UTG opened, me 3! KK UTG+1, BTN call (...), UTG 4! $225, of course I am wondering if I really stepped into it my first hand but oh well, I'm all in $300, fold, UTG calls with AKo and I win on Kxxxx.

Soon thereafter, raise JJ in BB over several limpers, only BTN calls. J-9-4hh. I bet, he calls. Turn: Kh. NUT LOW TURN. I check/call $45. River: Ad. I bet $75 into $225 as blocker and bet-folding to raise, he calls with QTdd. Meh.

Nothing for a while until KK open, two calls, SB 3! $90, I 4! $165, SB ponders a while, looks like he's calculating odds or something then calls. Flop: A-J-4r. Whoopdie-f*ckin'-doo. X/x. Turn: J. X/x. River: 6. He open jams $450. Cringe. WWYD? I folded wishing I'd bet turn to try to see a cheaper showdown. Btw, I have an airtight image at this table and he still 3! me out of the SB. Was the thinking before calling pre just an act with AA...? I wonder. Some bozos claimed they folded AJ and QJ pre. I dunno.

That's pretty much it.

2/5: call a couple mid-PPs and miss or counterfeited, then BTN $20, donor in SB 3! $85, I flat AsAh BB with $200 behind, BTN folds. Flop: 2d-8d-9c. SB $55, I jam $200, SB tank calls, turn: Ts; river: 3c. I show, he tables QJo for the nuts. :/ I make more money the way I played it than by jamming pre. 100% to win $105 is not as good as 81% to win $300. Too bad he made the bad call yet got saved by the deck. Oh well.

1/3 went fine. Folded KQo to a $175 flop jam on 78Qhh multiway and would have been good against Q9dd. Unfortunately this was early in the session so I didn't know this guy was clueless spazz. Then changed to a table where I saw a couple pros playing, presumably for a reason, including a 2/5 reg. This random guy was raising every hand, so I waited until I got QQ (I had relative position on him), limped, he did his thing, one caller, I 3! jam $130, both call, I hold on T-high runout. That's pretty much it.

Down $190 tonight due to the AA debacle at 2/5.