True, but when I pick up multiple hands I'm playing at once it can become quite difficult.

Live Twitch streaming again for anyone with nothing better to do than watch me splash around.

Another decent day (for the lol micro stakes I'm playing anyway). Played 4-card and called with 7899Jds and flop 9d4c4h. Prf bet, three calls including me. Turn: 6d. Pfr x, I bet 3/4 pot, one caller (BB). River: 7d. He donks 1/2 pot, I raise all in (10.50), he has T8dd. :/

Rest of the session was 5-card and went fine. Probably won't be playing much NLHE as it's all 6-max, a format I'm not as experienced with (ranges and such). Plus I'm getting the hang of 5-card and the pots are bigger here.

Running good. 5k micros bankroll challenge, commence!

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Dumbo, I haven’t been following the thread for long but I love your writing!

I was wondering how you put in so many hours and if there’s anything I could do to prepare myself to do the same.

Graduating in a few months but won’t be able to start playing professionally at the very end of 2020 when I turn 21.

Would 2,500 hours for my first year be unreasonable? Will mostly be playing 5/5 1500 cap I imagine.

You’re an inspiration man.

Seeing you play, you seem to be cleaning up!

You're a brave man to deposit 5k on a relatively shady site, tho. I feel weird depositing on Bovada and ACR, but those Asian sites can run away with your money if they feel like it. Be careful!

Also, that guy who's number you gave me is good people.

Thank you for the warm feedback! It means more than you know, especially during these tumultuous times. We haven't seen anything like this in over a century.

Everyone starts somewhere. I certainly didn't begin playing 2,300 hours a year. It was a gradual process. I worked my way up to full time. When I realized I could actually earn a living doing this, I became motivated and confident. I needed those feelings back in 2017 more than anything. Eventually, playing became more than a hobby to pass the time, it became part of my identity, self-esteem, and ego, even. It made life enjoyable again!

As for your own hours, that largely depends on where you are in your poker journey and what responsibilities you will have outside of poker. I have very few apart from my (part-time) day job, so I can afford to play full time.

Also, sounds like you are on your way to earning your college degree. That's important. I didn't start playing poker as much as I do until after I got two degrees and started my legal career. Having a "real" job makes me feel like I am contributing to society after I am done pillaging and plundering at the tables. Also, should anything happen with poker (heaven forbid), I will always have the law gig to fall back on.

With that in mind, it's crucial to have poker-life balance. This goes to mental game too. If you are burned out all the time putting in 8-10 hour sessions every day, you just won't be on your A-game. You also can't just jump into playing full-time and expect everything to be peachy. You have to create a routine geared towards enhancing your mental acuity at the tables. Diet, exercise, sleep, hygiene, even romance are important IME. Obviously solid poker fundamentals, study, training, etc. That should go without saying.

I think 2,500 is on the high side for a full-time pro. I'd shoot for 1,800 - 2,000 if I were you, maybe even less to start out. That is, assuming you don't use your degree to enter the work force and gain some real experience/$$ first - a very good idea IMO. You can always do poker as a side hustle and eventually transition over if you just can't stand your day job. Also assuming you are rolled for those stakes and have experience/solid results playing online if you will be starting at 5/5.

Hope this gives you some guidance. Thanks again, and good luck!

It's a 5k challenge, don't worry. I didn't deposit anywhere near that to start the account.

Yeah, he's a really kind and good person. I hope he's well.

Might feel like another stream tonight for a bit.

Why not play on Bovada/Ignition? They have full ring NLHE games on there.

Also when/how much you think your e-book will be? I'd be interested in reading it if I'm not dead from corona by then. Good start so far.

Shortstacking games gives you an advantage in a table with mostly full stacks because they have to largely ignore your stack when thinking about implied odds. Thus creating an edge for yourself. Feel free to throw that in the book if you haven't talked about that concept already.

Dumbo's response is very good, I just wanted to echo that 2500 hours is a lot and I would shoot for a more realistic goal of maybe 1500 hours or so.

The only way to put in a lot of hours in my opinion is to enjoy the game. Or have nothing better to do. Also, why not play online until you turn 21? Are you playing online already? Good luck.

Of course! You seem very genuine. I'm sure it can be hard when certain people don't appreciate your authenticity itt and instead criticize you. Keep it up! Maybe you'll be the reason why I create my own thread someday.

Got it. Yeah, I got a scholarship for school so decided it would be worth the time/effort investment for leverage and a backup plan in the future. Unless something goes wrong in the next couple months, accomplished my goal of finishing in 3 years with a minor- which I'm happy about as I can chase my poker dreams immediately -- but on the other hand doesn't seem like the best time to start a poker journey.

I'll keep all of that in mind! Thank you. I'm highly self motivated/disciplined so 50 hours a week sounds like a breeze but I'm fairly naïve as well .

I understand the part about their being a natural progression that needs to take place and the pitfalls of forcing it.

My results online aren't anything to be proud of but it's certainly improved my game tremendously. Plan is to start at 5/5, with maybe a mix of 3/5 as well and then work my way up to 10/20 full time by 25 at the latest. I'll be playing in LA.

Got it! I've focused more on grinding live in various locations (legally) up to this point but am starting to put more volume in online due to the circumstances. Thanks!

See bolded above. Also, one recent edit/improvement I made to the book was suggested to me by a poker buddy who told me to put my example hands in separate bordered sections apart from the rest of the text to make the reading experience better. It's a marked improvement.

Nice hands. I haven't played much PLO, and zero 5 card. Can you please explain the pot splits? In the 4 full house hand with the 888 flop, why do the QQs get their money back with a small profit when you had him covered?

I think what you saw was the "bonus points" players get for being in big pots. I don't quite know how the rules work but I don't think the QQ guy got any of his money back.

Edit: oh just saw and it does appear as though he got his money back. Maybe I mistakenly agreed to an "EV chop" with him, i.e., we each get our EV back. Although I don't recall ever agreeing to that (because I never do, at least to the best of my knowledge). Hmm.... Confused.

Yeah he actually made a small profit, I am confused too. Glad it's not just me. The four flush hand has the same thing, where the guy with the worst hand gets back 21 for some reason when you had him covered. I thought maybe it was the best "low" hand but then the QQ hand contradicted that so I was lost. The third hand doesn't have any of that crazy pot split rebate stuff.

EV chop was on, unbeknownst to me. Just corrected it in settings. It was hidden from view in the window, which is why I hadn't seen it. Cost me, damnit! Fixed now. Thanks for this catch!

Wow that's still heavy volume/8.5 hrs daily every day of the month. Tip my hat to you....

So last night I wanted to visit a good friend who is clinically anxious and depressed and we agree to meet for a walk around the neighborhood rather than inside the house. I tell her I might stop by the store on my way over and she asks if I can pick up some soda for her. "Happy to," I tell her. I know it will save her the trouble of going herself.

I park as far as possible from other cars and walk towards the 7-11 entrance after a couple other customers exit. I take a deep breath and open the door which has a yellow sign posted with something about coronavirus. I didn't catch the whole thing. Thankfully no one is inside. I grab a 24 oz. and walk towards the cashier. No one is there. A woman enters the store and stands in line 10 feet behind me. I'm starting to run out of breath. "Great," I think. "I'm going to have to inhale."

The cashier approaches after an eternity, changes his gloves, and I take a tiny, little breath through my nose before he silently rings me up. I insert my credit card and wait for the words "approved" to flash across the screen. "Approved." I grab my card, the soda (no bag), and whisper "thanks" before rushing out the door and taking a gulp of outside air.

I drive to my friend's and the streets are deserted. Not a car in motion besides mine. Not even a dog walker. I text her I'm here and walk up the front steps to hand her the coke. She exits the front door and closes it behind her and then realizes I'm holding the soda and takes it from me and leaves it just inside the front entrance.

"What did you get?" she asks.

"Nothing."

"You mean you stopped by the store just for the soda? You didn't have to do that!"

I tell her it was fine. We go for our walk during which she stands at least six feet away from me at all times. A few blocks down, a couple walks in the opposite direction and we walk in the street to avoid them. When we approach a skinny part of the sidewalk, she turns her body awkwardly to one side as if to tell me to walk ahead of her so we don't get too close. We chat about work, friends, family - all as it relates to the virus. Her sister is tutoring two young kids who have a cold. Her step sister teleworked one day and was reprimanded by her boss who told her she was overreacting and needed to work in the office like everyone else. Her dad just had surgery and is at heightened risk. My parents are over 60. My lungs still hurt a little when I run.

We get back and say goodbye. No hug. Just bye, see you soon. "At least the weather has been really nice lately," I chime in, trying to find a silver lining. She says thanks again for the soda.

I haven't died of coronavirus yet. Phew! Anyhoo, streaming now on twitch. Come say hi.

Hit my first royal ever today! Of course it was online - I see so many more hands! Good session today.

replay.pppoker.net/game_record_publish/rls/rls_200312/index.html?shareKey=8e4f1e61-fe76-da05-3ff9-8551b45132c5&lan=en

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One of my poker buddies is still playing in-person home games. I told him I disapproved. We gotta flatten the curve, ya'll! Save a life. Play online.

Update on the "EV chop" issue: I don't lose any money if a player agrees to EV chop with the house (I actually never agreed to it, as I suspected). What happens is, if a player selects that option, he or she automatically gets their % of their money back in equity in the hand, but then if they scoop the house gets the rest (and the money comes off the table - yuck!). The house also puts up the missing part of the pot for any eventual (non-EV chop) winner. Basically, it's like a huge rake. But fish don't care about rake so it happens.

Been watching "Inside the Mind of a Pro" series by team Winamax lately. It's great (for hold 'em, anyway). They give away too many secrets though! I guess only already-skilled players will take anything away from this. It's too advanced for beginners to learn much from IMO.

Up relatively early today (9am!). Yummy flavored lattes courtesy of Nespresso to start off my day as usual. You gotta appreciate the little things in life. Thank goodness for Nespresso! (And nice soap...latest favorite is cucumber glycerine a-la Whole Foods.)

Speaking of the little things in life (err, big things?), just so we're not completely depressed by coronavirus:

How can you not get up and start dancing to this song? I just wanna be on the beach somewhere when it plays.... (Or, my meds are kicking in. Pfft...!) :P

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcRMXLI8HjU.

Uneventful morning session, now some brief writing. Earning that bread!

Went to MGM today . . . to pick up some surgical masks and gloves from my poker friend who has a sister who works as a dental assistant.

#newnormal

Rough session. Started off well, but then tried bluffing the wrong V a couple hands, straight didn't hold against set, and then this little doozie happened:

Short stack limp, I raise AQ457dd, three calls, shorty raises $5, two callers (me and other deep stack VPIP 70%). Flop: A-2-3r. I flop nuts/wheel with gutshot to better straight and top pair with backdoor diamonds. Shorty jams $2.75, I just flat for deception, and delightfully the other deep stack raises to $9. I re-pot to $45, he calls. Turn: A. He checks, now I have trips with four overs. If he somehow has a straight too I am freerolling to a boat and higher straight, if he has a set I am behind but still have about 35% to improve to a better boat. The pot is already $120 and whatever I do is +EV so I jam, he thinks a little and calls - with 33s full (no wheel). Shorty has an A too, so my actual equity is 25%. I don't improve and lose a big pot. That hand left me stuck $100 on the session and I called it shortly thereafter.

I played slightly later and longer last night than usual and I think it threw me off my A-game. (Like bluffing a spot - two hands in a row no less! Bad idea that cost me $50.) I also noticed this at MGM when playing Omaha; I tended to make my biggest mistakes late at night/early in the morning deep into a session. Fatigue can obviously impact the quality of my game. Gotta remember that and play smart.

This hand's total trash. I don't understand how you have 6% pfr if you raise such a junk hand after a short stack limp.

I don't always play these hands, although if you consider this total trash you should see some of the stuff everyone else is playing (think 55T93ss). I have seen one of the biggest winners in our live omaha games open these sorta of A-broadway suited with low connectors. They can flop wraps or straights + nut flush draws and cooler people. Maybe a bit loose with a ss limp behind me (he had AQTT3 btw).

My current stats are 19/7/3, showdown 16%, win at showdown 63%.