I have been causally playing 10nl, 25plo and micro MTTs for a while now and decided to finally take grinding a LITTLE more serious. Picked up PT4 and chose 25nl to start. I figured 100k hands would be a nice goal that is both attainable and mildly lofty as a former live grinder. I hope to complete this is a couple months

I am playing on BetOnline and they cap tables at 8 (per stake?) which feels right around my maximum attention capacity. I didn't want to start a thread because i wasn't looking for feedback or accountability but i think it may be worth it as i am probably lacking in the skill department.

Goals:

1) Play 100k hands at 25nl
2) Keep a winrate >2bb/100
3) Post in this thread at MINIMUM once per week
4) Potentially life based goals to come

I have played 28k hands so far so i am on the way to my goal but have had more swing than i was expecting. Here is a graph so far

The last couple of days haven't gone as well as i would have wanted them to go but i can definitely recognize some tilt showing up. I am aiming for 1500-2000 hands per day and that seems to be happening but i am struggling to play much more than 2 hours in a session. I get tired, unfocused and easily irritated

I am working on posting HHs but can't figure out how to move them from PT4 to 2+2. Any help with that would appreciated

1/31-2/1 graph


My BB/100 has dipped to just over my goal of 2bb/100 as i near the 1/3 mark of the challenge. Short term variance MAY be the culprit but i am certain mistakes have been made during big pots where i am acting more on 'instinct' instead of relying on my HUD or fundamentals.

Go with your challenge bud!!

Is it true that BetOnline rake preflop now too? If so would seriously consider playing on another site.

Thanks for the comment! I was actually the one that brought this to the attention of the community in the BOL discussion thread and they have since ended pre-flop rake with a refund (hopefully) coming.

I enjoy the player pool on BOL, and is the only US facing site i currently play on. ACR and Ignition seem to have bot issues throughout and i despise the software on both sites. If i start becoming a more serious grinder i will potentially look for better games elsewhere but I don't expect myself to venture much further than 50nl

Got smacked today although it doesn't appear that way from the graph and overall win/loss figure for the day. I couldn't get 'in the zone' today, even though i played more hands today than any day previous. Some VERY good games i found myself in which probably kept my grinding longer. Still trying to find out how to post PT4 HHs because there were several hilarious hands and some coolers, both ways, that would be fun to post

It is also nice not having rake on 3b pots preflop. I don't think i 3b more now that the rake has been eliminated but perhaps i play a little bit more aggressive now that it is all rake free





I will post an overall graph weekly to show the bigger picture but for now I am on a ~12k hand downswing which is annoying to say the least

Yesterday was a rough one, down over 5 buy-ins. Today was slightly better but still not making up for the downswing i am still in. Closing in on 40k hands for the challenge and have an abysmal WR of 0.55/100bb. Potentially thinking of extending this challenge to 200-250k hands as i think it could help my game overall.

gl, looking forward to your progress

A. Not a bot issue on Ignition, they seem to have eliminated quite a few recently.

B. How much studying are you doing? Myself, I wouldn't put a time limit on the amount of hands, you need off board study. Hand reviews, gto, I recommend a pio solved pre flop range, along with appropriate bet sizing. Don't rely too much on hud. I hope this helps in slowing that downswing.

I don't do very much specific studying as far as off the table range breakdown, GTO solving. In the past few years i have been playing pretty consistently and discussing hands with the few pro's i am still friends with. Most of the content i take in are poker related and i like to implement new strats and see how to player pool adjusts (or likely doesn't). I could definitely benefit from more off table study time, so ill find a way to incorporate that

Thank you both for the comments!!

Getting closer to the halfway mark of my challenge and am remembering why i lobe the BOL player pool so much. Twice i was playing against a player who broke their fold button because they never used it. Again i cant post HHs direct form PT4 but here is a fun one

MP limp i 4x with 66 fold to them who call
Flop ~9bb A67r
MP check i bet 3bb MP raises to 12bb i call
Turn ~33bb Ahh
MP jams 80bb i call
River ~200bb Ax


I am still trying to find the correct frequencies of 3b/4b against regs which has been fun to find out during the game. Some of the regs enjoy some battling making the sessions a lot more enjoyable but possibly less lucrative

Here is my graph to date. How spoiled i was running 900 bbs over EV thinking i was god. Returning to earth was inevitable but not something i was looking forward to

Ignition - $0.25 NL FAST (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

SB: 23.68 BB
BB: 120.6 BB
UTG: 106.8 BB
MP: 50.76 BB
CO: 109.52 BB
Hero (BTN): 122.52 BB

SB posts SB 0.4 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.4 BB) SB has 7 A

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.4 BB) BB has K K

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.4 BB) UTG has 3 Q

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.4 BB) MP has 2 9

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.4 BB) CO has K 7

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.4 BB) Hero has A A

fold, fold, fold, Hero raises to 3 BB, SB calls 2.6 BB, BB raises to 15 BB, Hero raises to 29 BB, SB calls 20.68 BB and is all-in, BB raises to 120.6 BB and is all-in, Hero calls 91.6 BB

Flop: (264.88 BB, 3 players) 6 J 6

Turn: (264.88 BB, 3 players) J

River: (264.88 BB, 3 players) 9

SB shows 7 A (Two Pair, Jacks and Sixes)

Main Pot [71.04 BB]: (Pre 8%, Flop 2%, Turn 0%)

BB shows K K (Two Pair, Kings and Jacks)

Main Pot [71.04 BB]: (Pre 13%, Flop 5%, Turn 3%)
Side Pot#1 [193.84 BB]: (Pre 13%, Flop 5%, Turn 3%)

Hero shows A A (Two Pair, Aces and Jacks)

Main Pot [71.04 BB]: (Pre 80%, Flop 93%, Turn 97%)
Side Pot#1 [193.84 BB]: (Pre 87%, Flop 95%, Turn 97%)

Hero wins 188 BB
Hero wins 68.88 BB

The above post can be edited to exclude known hole cards (put them in spoiler), hide player names in menu in pt4, etc.

While viewing hands as list in pt4, right click and select view hand details. Select hand history viewer. Takes a second. May hide, need to look down at tool bar to notice. Options allows for what you want to show. After Options selected, tap Copy to clipboard (the blue question mark), will export as BB format. Then, Paste in post, and edit to hearts content.

I purchased a pio solved range up to 5 betting and squeezing. I simplified the approach. put in 3bet, 4bet amounts to do and call. This will control my frequencies. I put the solutions into a gto solver, which also allows for exploitation calculations (you can compare). Plop some winning and losing flops in, and you get to see optimal play from both angles. Books are good as well. I recommend some from Pete Clarke (Carrot Corner on the Internet). I open the PDFs in free Kindle PC version, and can manipulate with notes if necessary.

Its hard work for studying, sometimes putting way more hours in for study than play, especially on new concepts. You can also download Simple GTO Trainer, and do some work for free, or purchase the core package (worth it), or purchase the stand alone 299 version, which allows you to input your own ranges. Up to you, but even at 25nl, I can guarantee the sharks are studying this stuff.

Thanks for all of these helpful posts Future!

I don't have a reason why but i am strangely hesitant to dive into the GTO study rabbit hole. Perhaps it is because i come form a live poker background and my biggest strength was maximally exploiting the other players. Not a good excuse at all but maybe a reason i haven't been as receptive to specific GTO focused study

Studying does sound much more like a chore than playing but if i can up my bb/100 >20% it would HAVE to be worth the monetary and time investment, right?

Took yesterday off so the hands i have now are from Saturday. Decently long session and the outcome was nice. Ran pretty well according to my EV line.


I wonder about this flop line from me as i ONLY have value here i believe, turn feels standard given stack sizes
Chico - $0.25 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

UTG: 167.44 BB
MP: 114.68 BB
CO: 70.16 BB
Hero (BTN): 176.08 BB
SB: 101.88 BB
BB: 65.36 BB

SB posts SB 0.4 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.4 BB) Hero has 5 5

UTG calls 1 BB, fold, CO raises to 4 BB, Hero calls 4 BB, fold, fold, UTG calls 3 BB

Flop: (13.4 BB, 3 players) 5 4 K
UTG bets 5 BB, CO raises to 12 BB, Hero raises to 34 BB, fold, CO calls 22 BB

Turn: (86.4 BB, 2 players) A
CO checks, Hero bets 138.08 BB and is all-in, CO calls 32.16 BB and is all-in

River: (150.72 BB, 2 players) 9




Hand #2 i think the flop could have been a mistake given the amount of equity i have and lack of SD value i should probably be raising?

Chico - $0.25 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 5 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

SB: $33.57
BB: $22.50
Hero (CO): $25.00
BB: $20.25
BTN: $27.31

SB posts SB $0.10, BB posts BB $0.25, BB posts BB $0.25

Pre Flop: (pot: $0.60) Hero has 7 9

Hero raises to $0.75, fold, fold, SB calls $0.65, BB calls $0.50

Flop: ($2.50, 3 players) K 8 5
SB bets $1.56, fold, Hero calls $1.56

Turn: ($5.62, 2 players) 6
SB bets $3.50, Hero raises to $9.50, SB calls $6.00

River: ($24.62, 2 players) 9
SB checks, Hero bets $13.19 and is all-in, SB calls $13.19

Good luck with the challenge mate!

Do you use any study tools? aside from PTR4. Solver etc?

Sorry for the total radio silence concerning this challenge. Personal stuff etc etc. I took weeks off at a time and now that im looking back at my database i completed 95k hands (so far? not sure i will finish). One incredible thing is how good i ran, nearly 3,000bb over EV in that stretch of hands.



for those who would rather see it in $$$ here it is again.


Final stats:
Vpip : 23.58
PFR : 16.74
3b PF 5.58
f3b : 71.85
bb/100 : 3.51

I might start another challenge at boost (betonline version of zoom) because it's easier to get hands in. my bb/100 is just under 10 in 32k hands so maybe ill try and keep that up

Thanks for all the support and interest!! until next time