06-17-2020
, 08:22 AM
…or as I’d prefer to put it – A clueless idiot’s last chance at online poker redemption.
About Me:
Old. Ish. Well, middle aged anyway. British, for my sins. Designated male at birth and despite the extra long hair (which is coming off for charity when they start accepting hair donations again), still male. Have a full time job which can be done from my home office so thankfully still employed, which is what’s led to this.
Poker Background:
Been involved in Poker pretty much for half of my life. Registered on PokerStars in 2004 and that appears to be the earliest record I have of me playing online, but I’ve done what feels like everything in this game. Dealer and Floorman? Check (in home games only though). Written articles? Check. Live reporter? Check. Covered the WSOP? Check, despite being a Euro. That was possibly the highlight of my “career” in poker. Player? Check.
I’ve been average at all sorts of poker. I feel confident I have an edge in most games, especially Stud/Razz, with my weaker games being PLO and Stud8. But I’ve never been a master of any. Never really built a proper bankroll, although poker has paid for a few nice holidays here and there, as I’ve ended up having to withdraw it for life expenses.
Moving on to now, however, and I find myself in a position I haven't been in before. Secure and stable. So I’m going for two of my dreams – actually be profitable at online poker first, then move my way up the stakes to a level I’m comfortable at, and where I can make enough cash to be able to have nicer holidays.
Therefore I deposited $300 on PokerStars at the beginning of June. Story of my life, I’m a day late and a dollar short to the COVID-19 surge of players, which is rapidly dying off. Ah well, the games shouldn’t be too much harder, right? I also have Peter Clarke’s book, The Grinder’s Manual, which I have to admit I haven’t cracked open yet. Over the next couple of months I also plan on investing in the From The Ground Up course on RIO, but in the meantime the urges are there to just load up 4 tables and start playing, so I did. Fired up Stars, fired up HM2, and went for it. After 10,000 hands in 10 days at 10NL 6-max, this was the result:
I need to run better in all in situations apparently. Ah well.
So today’s balance stands at $296.85, with the small loss referenced in the graph mostly helped by chest wins and StarsCoin rebates.
Goals:
This is a Poker Goals and Challenges thread so I guess I should probably put some goals in here. Nice, simple ones to start.
Let’s go, I guess. Will probably put in a couple of hours tonight, with the plan being to play 2-3 nights a week and a longer session on one of the weekend days. Got to keep the family happy and not spend all my time staring at my screens wondering whether to 3-bet or fold to that button raise with 34cc!
About Me:
Old. Ish. Well, middle aged anyway. British, for my sins. Designated male at birth and despite the extra long hair (which is coming off for charity when they start accepting hair donations again), still male. Have a full time job which can be done from my home office so thankfully still employed, which is what’s led to this.
Poker Background:
Been involved in Poker pretty much for half of my life. Registered on PokerStars in 2004 and that appears to be the earliest record I have of me playing online, but I’ve done what feels like everything in this game. Dealer and Floorman? Check (in home games only though). Written articles? Check. Live reporter? Check. Covered the WSOP? Check, despite being a Euro. That was possibly the highlight of my “career” in poker. Player? Check.
I’ve been average at all sorts of poker. I feel confident I have an edge in most games, especially Stud/Razz, with my weaker games being PLO and Stud8. But I’ve never been a master of any. Never really built a proper bankroll, although poker has paid for a few nice holidays here and there, as I’ve ended up having to withdraw it for life expenses.
Moving on to now, however, and I find myself in a position I haven't been in before. Secure and stable. So I’m going for two of my dreams – actually be profitable at online poker first, then move my way up the stakes to a level I’m comfortable at, and where I can make enough cash to be able to have nicer holidays.
Therefore I deposited $300 on PokerStars at the beginning of June. Story of my life, I’m a day late and a dollar short to the COVID-19 surge of players, which is rapidly dying off. Ah well, the games shouldn’t be too much harder, right? I also have Peter Clarke’s book, The Grinder’s Manual, which I have to admit I haven’t cracked open yet. Over the next couple of months I also plan on investing in the From The Ground Up course on RIO, but in the meantime the urges are there to just load up 4 tables and start playing, so I did. Fired up Stars, fired up HM2, and went for it. After 10,000 hands in 10 days at 10NL 6-max, this was the result:
I need to run better in all in situations apparently. Ah well.
So today’s balance stands at $296.85, with the small loss referenced in the graph mostly helped by chest wins and StarsCoin rebates.
Goals:
This is a Poker Goals and Challenges thread so I guess I should probably put some goals in here. Nice, simple ones to start.
- Be in profit at the end of the calendar month.
- 20,000 hands played. Currently on 11,230 as of today.
- Start reading that book by Peter Clarke.
- Update this thread regularly, preferably after every session.
Let’s go, I guess. Will probably put in a couple of hours tonight, with the plan being to play 2-3 nights a week and a longer session on one of the weekend days. Got to keep the family happy and not spend all my time staring at my screens wondering whether to 3-bet or fold to that button raise with 34cc!
06-18-2020
, 08:46 AM
Yesterday felt like a rollercoaster, when in fact it was more of a slow slide downhill, with some bumps in the middle to make you think you were getting somewhere, then somehow salvaging a profit right at the end of the night with 2 hands at the same time.
It didn't take long for me to misplay my first hand of the night to be honest. It was the first hand after waiting for the BB. AQo appeared and the button 2.5x. Here's the first mistake, and something I need to get on top of. I don't like 3-betting button opens early on. I often have no stats and in the long run 3-betting blind at these levels is probably bad. However, AQo is clearly good enough to 3! here but I just call. Flop is QJ6ss and I again check-call a small c-bet. Turn is 7d putting 2 flush draws on board (and I have the As) and I check-call another small bet. River is Jh and both of us check. AQ is good against a counterfeited 76, thankfully.
Reviewing it, even though BTN probably folds to my 3! with his actual holding, I should always 3! here. Pretty soon after that I lost my first stack when I ran AK into AA. Standard.
This hand came up about 30 minutes in, and any thoughts would be warmly appreciated.
Villain is playing 68/22 over a small sample. I should, again, probably 3! here (I'm sensing a theme...) but elect to call as V's c-bet percentage is 92, he hasn't folded to a 3-bet ever, and I'm OOP with the weakest broadway ace combination.
Once Villain bets flop, I know from previous hands he's more than likely to barrel if given the opportunity, or call down. I should have called turn and check/raised river I think, on reflection, but 2 pair against a maniac fish is huge and I wanted to build the pot on the turn. As it happens he has Jc 9h and we lose to a straight.
I also found myself a bit lost with this hand:
Villain in this hand is tight, playing 18/14/5 over a small sample. Hasn't got out of line at all and appears to not be a complete fish. It's the turn action that is interesting. What do we beat? I was of the opinion that V would fold his Ax that misses the flop, bar A7/A6. I ruled out AQ as that would have been 3! Plus, you know, BalugaTheorem
Had some horrible coolers and at one point was down -$35, but ground my way back up in the end and finished with a profit of $6.40, after these 2 hands at the same time:
Graph of the day's play:
Goal Progression and Balance
Balance: $303.25
It didn't take long for me to misplay my first hand of the night to be honest. It was the first hand after waiting for the BB. AQo appeared and the button 2.5x. Here's the first mistake, and something I need to get on top of. I don't like 3-betting button opens early on. I often have no stats and in the long run 3-betting blind at these levels is probably bad. However, AQo is clearly good enough to 3! here but I just call. Flop is QJ6ss and I again check-call a small c-bet. Turn is 7d putting 2 flush draws on board (and I have the As) and I check-call another small bet. River is Jh and both of us check. AQ is good against a counterfeited 76, thankfully.
Reviewing it, even though BTN probably folds to my 3! with his actual holding, I should always 3! here. Pretty soon after that I lost my first stack when I ran AK into AA. Standard.
This hand came up about 30 minutes in, and any thoughts would be warmly appreciated.
Spoiler:
Villain is playing 68/22 over a small sample. I should, again, probably 3! here (I'm sensing a theme...) but elect to call as V's c-bet percentage is 92, he hasn't folded to a 3-bet ever, and I'm OOP with the weakest broadway ace combination.
Once Villain bets flop, I know from previous hands he's more than likely to barrel if given the opportunity, or call down. I should have called turn and check/raised river I think, on reflection, but 2 pair against a maniac fish is huge and I wanted to build the pot on the turn. As it happens he has Jc 9h and we lose to a straight.
I also found myself a bit lost with this hand:
Spoiler:
Villain in this hand is tight, playing 18/14/5 over a small sample. Hasn't got out of line at all and appears to not be a complete fish. It's the turn action that is interesting. What do we beat? I was of the opinion that V would fold his Ax that misses the flop, bar A7/A6. I ruled out AQ as that would have been 3! Plus, you know, BalugaTheorem
Had some horrible coolers and at one point was down -$35, but ground my way back up in the end and finished with a profit of $6.40, after these 2 hands at the same time:
Spoiler:
Graph of the day's play:
Goal Progression and Balance
- Be in profit at the end of the calendar month. Not yet, currently -$14.10
- 20,000 hands played this month. Currently on 12,976 as of today.
- Start reading that book by Peter Clarke. Not yet
- Update this thread regularly, preferably after every session.
Balance: $303.25
06-28-2020
, 11:40 AM
It's taken me a week to write this post, mostly because I haven't even wanted to turn my poker computer on for most of it after what was quite possibly the worst session I've ever had last Sunday evening. It was one of those sessions where if anything could go wrong, it did go wrong, but it also made me realise that maybe I need to get some coaching. I feel that my preflop game is generally good enough for this level, albeit a little tight, but I need to focus on my postflop game.
The session didn't start too badly, correctly calling on turn and river with JJ on a K962K board after raising and c-betting against a single opponent. I then had this hand against a 67/4 fun player, where I probably should fold river.
I then get an 80bb stack when I raise QQ and get one caller, playing 77/34. Flop is 3J4r and I bet, only to see a raise. Call, and the turn is the 6c putting club flush draw out there. I bet again and V jams. I call and he has 7c4c. We hold.
I then lose this one but I think my play made sense, maybe just didnt fire enough on the river. Thought process was that I can represent flushes/Tx on turn, and on river it's pretty tough for opponent to call with anything potentially in his 3! range except for maybe overpairs. Needless to say I was surprised to see his actual hand.
I then manage to get two double ups at the same time which brings me back to nearly level after losing a lot of 20-30bb pots and I'm thinking, okay, time to kick on.
Then I run Kings into Aces AIPF and this seems to be the start of the nightmare, but before anything can happen, I take a dinner break and return refreshed, albeit down on the day.
Plod along for about 100 hands then this happens:
Then not 10 minutes later, this:
Looking back on this one, maybe I can find a fold on the river. Villain is playing 35/9 and shown no aggression at all that I have noted. What is he raising river here with that I beat? This is why we review, after all.
I get some of it back by winning all in confrontations with fun players shortstacking, but am still not really winning those 20-30bb pots that actually seem to do the most damage to your balance and winrate. Manage to build a couple of stacks though, mostly with KK v KJss on a 2998Qhhh board where a maniac villain called my 3! preflop and then open jammed flop. How nice of him to donate to my funds. Pity I didnt keep it.
I then won a stack with a set of 3's on A938Q against AK, and at this point I'm only down 2bi and there's a chance I could come back from this. Then this hand happens.
You know that famous clip of Carter Gill in the WSOP ME a few years ago. Yeah, that's what I looked like when this happened. The villain in this hand was a massive fun player as well, playing stats of 69/12 and generally showing up with trash. Couldn't believe it when he actually showed A5 there, given that he'd done the same previously with 3rd pair. I dont think I play that hand any differently if given the opportunity again.
Soon after that I lose yet another stack with KK v JJ when my opponent flops top set and holds, cooler, and then this happens against a 75/1 drooler. Maybe I should bet/fold river but tbh I'm down 5bi's at this point and already put half my stack in. WWYD?
Needless to say I play a few more hands and then give it up for a ridiculous loss of $62.00, and haven't played a hand since.
It's not like I've walked away though. I've cracked open that Peter Clarke book and read the first couple of chapters, with the 1st tiny plan of seeing what my actual opening range is in positions vs what is recommended, and making adjustments there. I've also managed to get a copy of the audiobook of The Mental Game of Poker, as I'm pretty sure at some point during that session I was tilting away and playing sub-optimally, so will need to give that a listen when I can.
I've also applied for backing/coaching with an as yet unnamed backing company. Whilst I'm rolled for 10NL, and can easily add more money to the site if needs be, I'm more doing it for the coaching aspect of things. I've had coaches in other forms of the game previously and it seemed to work well, I certainly made some decent money but that was MTT and the times of the best MTTs dont work for my lifestyle at the moment, which was why I switched to cash. I'm probably playing a lot of these hands like an MTTer would, rather than applying maximum pressure with my stack, which is why I thought looking for a backing/coaching deal would be a good idea. Guess we will have to wait and see if they take me on, I hope so but given my lack of cash game experience, it wouldn't surprise me if they told me not yet, but come back when you have a better sample. I know I can be, if not already am, a winning player, just got to put up and shut up really.
Anyway, now I've vomited a dissertation out onto the thread, if you've got to the end feel free to comment on any of the play above, or kick yourself for wasting your time reading this, whatever floats your boat! It's been cathartic for me to type this out, and look over the hands again after reviewing them the day after (probably not the best idea...).
Graph of the day's play:
Goal Progression
Balance: $241.75
The session didn't start too badly, correctly calling on turn and river with JJ on a K962K board after raising and c-betting against a single opponent. I then had this hand against a 67/4 fun player, where I probably should fold river.
Spoiler:
I then get an 80bb stack when I raise QQ and get one caller, playing 77/34. Flop is 3J4r and I bet, only to see a raise. Call, and the turn is the 6c putting club flush draw out there. I bet again and V jams. I call and he has 7c4c. We hold.
I then lose this one but I think my play made sense, maybe just didnt fire enough on the river. Thought process was that I can represent flushes/Tx on turn, and on river it's pretty tough for opponent to call with anything potentially in his 3! range except for maybe overpairs. Needless to say I was surprised to see his actual hand.
Spoiler:
I then manage to get two double ups at the same time which brings me back to nearly level after losing a lot of 20-30bb pots and I'm thinking, okay, time to kick on.
Then I run Kings into Aces AIPF and this seems to be the start of the nightmare, but before anything can happen, I take a dinner break and return refreshed, albeit down on the day.
Plod along for about 100 hands then this happens:
Spoiler:
Then not 10 minutes later, this:
Spoiler:
Looking back on this one, maybe I can find a fold on the river. Villain is playing 35/9 and shown no aggression at all that I have noted. What is he raising river here with that I beat? This is why we review, after all.
I get some of it back by winning all in confrontations with fun players shortstacking, but am still not really winning those 20-30bb pots that actually seem to do the most damage to your balance and winrate. Manage to build a couple of stacks though, mostly with KK v KJss on a 2998Qhhh board where a maniac villain called my 3! preflop and then open jammed flop. How nice of him to donate to my funds. Pity I didnt keep it.
I then won a stack with a set of 3's on A938Q against AK, and at this point I'm only down 2bi and there's a chance I could come back from this. Then this hand happens.
Spoiler:
You know that famous clip of Carter Gill in the WSOP ME a few years ago. Yeah, that's what I looked like when this happened. The villain in this hand was a massive fun player as well, playing stats of 69/12 and generally showing up with trash. Couldn't believe it when he actually showed A5 there, given that he'd done the same previously with 3rd pair. I dont think I play that hand any differently if given the opportunity again.
Soon after that I lose yet another stack with KK v JJ when my opponent flops top set and holds, cooler, and then this happens against a 75/1 drooler. Maybe I should bet/fold river but tbh I'm down 5bi's at this point and already put half my stack in. WWYD?
Spoiler:
Needless to say I play a few more hands and then give it up for a ridiculous loss of $62.00, and haven't played a hand since.
It's not like I've walked away though. I've cracked open that Peter Clarke book and read the first couple of chapters, with the 1st tiny plan of seeing what my actual opening range is in positions vs what is recommended, and making adjustments there. I've also managed to get a copy of the audiobook of The Mental Game of Poker, as I'm pretty sure at some point during that session I was tilting away and playing sub-optimally, so will need to give that a listen when I can.
I've also applied for backing/coaching with an as yet unnamed backing company. Whilst I'm rolled for 10NL, and can easily add more money to the site if needs be, I'm more doing it for the coaching aspect of things. I've had coaches in other forms of the game previously and it seemed to work well, I certainly made some decent money but that was MTT and the times of the best MTTs dont work for my lifestyle at the moment, which was why I switched to cash. I'm probably playing a lot of these hands like an MTTer would, rather than applying maximum pressure with my stack, which is why I thought looking for a backing/coaching deal would be a good idea. Guess we will have to wait and see if they take me on, I hope so but given my lack of cash game experience, it wouldn't surprise me if they told me not yet, but come back when you have a better sample. I know I can be, if not already am, a winning player, just got to put up and shut up really.
Anyway, now I've vomited a dissertation out onto the thread, if you've got to the end feel free to comment on any of the play above, or kick yourself for wasting your time reading this, whatever floats your boat! It's been cathartic for me to type this out, and look over the hands again after reviewing them the day after (probably not the best idea...).
Graph of the day's play:
Goal Progression
- Be in profit at the end of the calendar month. Not yet, currently -$76.10
- 20,000 hands played this month. Currently on 15,098 as of today.
- Start reading that book by Peter Clarke. Yep, first chapter read. Next time I'll change this to "Finish..."
- Update this thread regularly, preferably after every session.
Balance: $241.75