subscribed. gl op!

Session 9

I had my second biggest loss at 1/3 at -750. I lost the majority on 3 hands and was really card dead otherwise and didn't put up many pots. Hard to play 95os.

Hand 1:

Hero has AK
Effective Stacks are 200

BTN straddle, hero raises to 20 in the BB

Super nit old man calls in EP, Huge aggrofish calls on the BTN

Flop is K97 pot is 55

I bet 35
Super nit old man calls, aggrofish calls

Pot is 160
Turn is 3
I bet 75, super nit folds, aggrofish calls

Pot is 310
River is 9
I check, he ships, I call and he shows Q9

Hand is played about optimally imo

Hand 2:

Hero has AA
Effective stacks are 200

Hand right before this, villain (who is a big nit) had his AA cracked when he 3bet, a guy 4bet shipped but it wasn't big enough to reopen the action, a guy with J8s who was the PFR called the 4bet and they stacked off on the flop. he was visibly upset.

I raise to 12, EP calls, villain calls

Flop is Q32
I bet 20, fold, he raises to 50, I call

Turn is 4
I ch, he bets 75 with 75 behind and I chr, he calls

and he has 22

Like I am never stacking off here vs this guy but I mean, he was visibly steaming and I leveled myself into stacking off. NEVAR AGAIn. It is just one of those **** situations where he only has 22/33 and I thought he might be on tilt.

Hand 3:

Hero has 45
2 limpers, I limp, few limpers, BTN raises to 18 with like 200 or so behind and 2 huge fish snap call him in the blinds where we are ~300xbb deep so I call

5 handed to flop, pot is 85 after rake
Flop is 762 with a club

Big fish in the blinds bets 65, folds to me and the BTN only has like 90 behind so if he ships he won't reopen the action and I know the fish has a hand he views as having high absolute value on this flop so it is like an overpair, 76, or a set and if I spike on the turn I think I can stack him. We are about 800 deep. I call, BTN folds.

Pot is 215
Turn is a 4
He bets 65, I am now getting like 4:1 and picked up equity vs his range so I don't think I can fold here so I call.

River is a 2
Pot is 345
He bets 65, I fold, he shows TT

I played acceptably I think, I just wish I could get something going.


Hours played: 8
Session Profit: -750
Session Grade: B
Currently Bankroll: ~6.7k

Gogogo

Hand 1 you have less than a pot size bet I get your sizing but I just shove that turn. Hand plays it self anyway.

Hand 2: his range otf is uncertain. So calling is the best option. But once he bets that sizing ott its a clear indicator he has a hand better than TP. He can't have tp+ a fd so his range is sets. AQ is discounted as well. Is he really playing KQ ott like that? I doubt it. I used to raise or fold spots like that. But bart taught me the call reevaluate line. Think about that next time.

Hand 3: pretty standard limp for a tag and how it played. Was the big fish tight or loose when betting postflop.

Gl, hope you get something going in your next session.

Session 10

I just played my last session of the year. I am +17.5k for 2012 but my hourly is so small that I am ashamed to post it. I had another terrible session last night. Broke even at 2/5 after about 4 hours and lost 850 playing 1/3 for about 6 hours. I am not a pro so I'm not too upset about only winning a 17.5k but still it is frustrating.

I'm not too upset about how this year has went in hindsight. I was able to buy some pretty cool stuff with my winnings and I have 5.8k left in my poker bankroll. I am definitely a much much better player than I was at the beginning of the year. I just wish I could run better. FML.

Since the 20th of October I have booked a total of 2 winning sessions at 2/5.

I'm supposedly getting Skyward Sword from my GF's parents for Xmas and I think I might take a break from the grind and play it through and just work on my game away from the table. I don't really know what to tell the people who read this thread. I wish this could be the story of my like lol crushing the game. I wish I would run better and be back playing 2/5 all the time. Variance at this point is basically an excuse.

I am heading to Minneapolis this weekend to spend time with my GF's parents for New Years. I will be doing a considerable amount of brain storming and thinking about my game during that time and try to not be such a huge ****ing donkey.

Another break even month.

Current Bankroll: 5.8k

I think you are a lot like me in many ways (except you are better at poker):

-I too have a STEM job where I kind of veg out and spend way too much time on 2p2.
-I am a big believer in Bart Hanson's stuff and have a slight man-crush as well.
-I have about an hour drive to the casino (although new interstate is going to cut it to 30 but doesn't open until 2016).
-I do most of my playing at a Horseshoe property
-I want to crush the deep stack no limit holdem games like no other for part-time income. I don't really need the money (and I am guessing you don't either), but I want to do for the challenge.
-Your gf is a bit more understanding than my wife, but whatev.

So as a result, I think we both suffer from wanting to crush the games and just hate having losing sessions. Losing sessions and breakeven months leave lingering questions in our mind. I know that I want to crush every session because I am outworking all of my competition and if I am not, I could be doing something better.

We are different from the everyday grinders because we don't have to have the money. Some guys on this forum don't get to eat if they don't play well. That is not the case with us.

I don't know where that leaves you, but do think about that when brain storming. We play poker for a different reason and I struggle adjusting to the psychology of that sometimes. It is like we are caught somewhere between being a pro and not being a pro.

What I just typed may have made no sense to you at all and just could be my ramblings.

Made sense to me. Wish I had that problem. You right if I don't win I don't eat well. I need the money bad.

Hope all goes well for you guys. Me on the other hand I need a wishing well, lol.

I am in Minneapolis safely. Quite upset, can't watch blue fire videos on my iPad and I thought I had synced up. Sol Reader turned me onto Martin Giggy and I had a bunch of stuff I wanted to watch. I finished The Foundation Series on audiobook on the way here. Meh, it was acceptable but not great writing. Currently going thru The Moon is a Harsh Mistress which began amazing, should finish it on the way in.

I'm doing a ton of thinking about my game and in reality it is all so easy it is just the execution. I know the right decisions I just have to actually do them. I'm very excited for my next grind session which will occur next Thursday. I'm going to probably play the next 100 hours at solely 1/3 and focus focus focus.

January 3rd shall be my first session of this new year and I am quite excited. I also haven't been to the gym in a week and I will fix that today. I am planning on OHP 90 3x5, squatting 175 3x5, benching 155 5x5, and DL'ing 255 1x5. I will then take a break until Saturday.

My plan is to play a 4 hour session Thursday, and 3 5 hour sessions Friday, Saturday, Sunday. I am going to play my first 150 hours at 1/3 this year and just really focus on playing good solid poker and let everything else fall where it may.

gl and crush.

Do you usually go to work on Fridays? I found that if I play on Thursday and go into work on Friday, then I usually have to come home and take a nap first before going to the casino on Friday night.

I always take a 30 minute power nap

I played very well tonight, probably the crispest cleanest session I have ever played. I think I might have come close to the "perfect" session.

It is late however, and I will give updates later.

Session 11

I played 2 separate sessions tonight:

2 hours at 1/3: +326
3.5 hours at 2/5: -197

However, I feel I played extremely well.

1/3

Hand 1:

Hero has 23 bb 500 eff
2 limps, sb completes I ch bb

Pot is 11
Flop 23:diamondT
Hero bets 10, Acceptable small losing Indian player calls who open limped in MP

Pot is 31
Turn J
Hero bets 25, He calls

River 2
Hero bets 100, He folds.

- I thought about check/raising river here but villain is very "afraid" of me and likely is not bluffing this river at a high enough frequency with his missed draws and is always checking back showdown value, but he might look me up with AT or JT or w/e.

--------------------------------------

Hand 2:

Effective stacks are 500
Hero raises TT in EP to 12
MP1 calls, HJ calls, SB calls

Pot is ~45
Flop is 973
SB leads out for 35
Hero raises to 100
MP1 folds, HJ (villain from previous hand snap calls), SB folds

Pot is 270
Turn is 4
Hero bets 125
HJ calls

Pot is 520
River is 7
Hero checks planning to ch/f, HJ checks AMHIG

- On the flop I was raise/folding for value vs SB and the board is pretty draw heavy so I wanted to "protect" from draws behind me. Anyway when the HJ calls I'm pretty worried but there are enough big combo draws that I think I still have a fair amount of equity in the pot. On the turn I bet for value again to charge draws even though he is basically +EV to call. Maybe I should have bet more? Felt like I'd be over playing my hand. River is a great card for me, but his river calling range has me absolutely crushed so I think a clear ch/f is in order given my reads.

-----------------------------------------

Hand 3:

Hero has 77 UTG+2 and open raises to 12
6 callers (lol)
Flop is Q97

Pot is ~65
I bet 45
MP1 calls, the rest fold

Pot is 155
He has about 450 behind
Turn is Q
I bet 125 and plan to ship all rivers, he folds

- I have played with this guy and this is a good spot to stack a donk and check to give a free card if the T pairs maybe but he has more than enough TP hands OTF than when the Q pairs on the turn his calling range becomes super inelastic. Yes he might be folding JT/68 (he said he folded 68) but QT+ is all calling and they are all calling a river ship.

2/5

Hand 1:

First orbit still. First hand at table I open raised, big station right behind me calls, BB calls, flop is 734 and i shut it down (I think I had like KQ no heart) and just check/folded the flop/turn. Might have been next orbit or the next hand, but when I checked the flop (this is great c-betting board) I saw a pro give me this "wtf" look because he knows that I know etc... but people know I've been playing a mix and maybe he thinks I'm scared money. Most people are sitting 1.5k+

Hero has 88
Few hands later
BTN straddled pot, 550 effective, SB completes, Banker Whale calls in MP
Hero raises to 45 in the HJ
BTN 3bets to 105, folds to Hero who tank ships, BTN folds

BTN can 3bet light and I think I read the situation well

Hand 2:

Hero has AJos in EP
I raise to 20, 3 callers (all loose passive calling stations)

Pot is 75
Flop is A88
Checks, Hero bets 55, Optometrist on the BTN calls

Pot is 185
Turn is 5
Hero bets 105, BTN calls

Pot is 395
River is 6
Hero bets 125, BTN clicks it back to 250, I fold

I think this is pretty thin value and I almost checked the flop then tried to play a good turn/river but I am pretty comfortable with out I played the hand

Hours played: 5.5
Total profit: +125
Session Grade: A
Total Bankroll: 5.8k (paid for gas a few things)

Subbed/GL

It doesnt seem like youre serious about this

Serious about what?

Session 12

I played acceptable, had a few weird spots all stemming from me not 3betting AK/AQ pf for w/e reasons. This issue has been addressed though.

haha, I really should just play 1/3 for a little while.

I need to go to the gym tonight, going to probably do some heavy compounds and get into it.

Hours played: 6.5
Total profit: -250
Session Grade: B
Total Bankroll: 5.5k

What am I doing here?

I woke up and felt like trash and called sick into work today. I am feeling better now and am currently playing some HUNL on BCP. This new network they are on is terrible. I wish we had online poker back. Would make everything so much simpler.

I was reading thru RobFarha's PGC thread earlier in the day and a lot of what he talks about is strategy, and at one point he said he didn't want his thread to be about bad beats. I definitely don't want this thread to be about bad beats. What I do want is this thread to be about me developing as a person and a poker player.

I played pretty well my first two sessions of the year, but I still made a bunch of mistakes. The reality is that I need to fix my leaks and play better. I also need to excel at my day job and lift regularly.

Here is my schedule this week:

Tuesday: Work/Lifting and I think I should have a date night with my lady friend
Wednesday: Work/Poker (1/3)
Thursday: Work/Lifting
Friday: Work/Relaxation
Saturday: Lifting/Poker
Sunday: Poker

By the end of the week I would like to have an energy model finished for a new project that came to my desk.

What are my leaks?

1. Bad river calls
2. Poor preflop play with AK/AQ
3. Checking when I hit big draws/hands on the flop/turn/river when I should just lead out. JUST LEAD OUT.
4. Relative strength vs absolute strength

I am like 2/13 my last 15 sessions of 2/5. Blech.

Session 13

- FORWARD COMRADES, FORWARD! -

I feel I have identified a big life leak which is not waking up at the same time every day. Currently I am waking up at like noon on the weekends but at 6:30am on the weekdays. This is, in my opinion, negatively affecting my work and my poker. I have decided to make a concerted effort to play the 2x a month deep stacked tournaments that are running at my casino. Basically I want to add in some MTT's and micro stakes HUNL and PLO online to work on my total game and I think that will help my mind function better. I also have to beat The Legend of Zelda: The Skyward Sword on the Wii. I got big life goals man!

Gym tonight, then again on sunday. I am attempting to drop down to 185 before I start a nice year long bulk up over the summer/fall. Life is a grind my friends. Life is a grind.

I feel I played good tonight although I made ~2 mistakes (and possibly 3). I will update later with hands.

Tonight I'm going to Power Clean 115 3x5, do pullups, DL 255 1x5, and finish it off with some flys, situps, skull crushers.

Hours played: 4.25
Total profit: +195
Session Grade: B
Total Bankroll: 5.6k

I would like to wake up at the same time everyday as well but that would mean passing on optimal hours. I think, for the most part, optimal hours are 6 PM - 2 AM Fri night and something like 12 PM - 2 AM on Saturdays. That is also about the only time the $2/5 game runs at my casino.

Session 14

I played my first live MTT today in like 6 years and I wound up taking 2nd. Felt pretty good although not winning always feels like ****. One of my resolutions this year was to play more MTT's and I kicked it off with a bang. They have pretty good structured tournaments that run 2x a month so I'll play them when I can.

I am (regardless of BR) going to play 150 hours at 1/3 now. I am in for 4 hours and will grind the rest. The circuit comes to town in like 4 months and hopefully I'm well prepared for 2/5 by then.

Probably going to start downloading a bunch of MTT vids on BFP.

I really like BFP and would recommend it.

Hours played: 8
Total profit: +2000
Session Grade: B
Total Bankroll: 7.7k

What kinda odds can we lay that you dont exclusive play 1/3 for the next 150hrs

Session 15

I can't give odds on ONLY playing 2/5 but I am trying to be disciplined and I am running so bad at 2/5 that it is lolsick. I went and played a 5 hour session today, probably the easiest session I have ever played with 0 hard decisions. The only marginal spot was when I open raised KTos in MP vs a button straddle, c-bet 833 and he raised. I was very sure he was FOS but with the stack sizes I couldn't ship but I'd ship any over pair and TPTK etc...

Other than that, EZ game. Won two big pots with big pairs and basically folded j2os. Poker is easy when you get big hands and **** and nothing in between. I had like zero spots for any "fancy" play and all the fish were to my left and the tight players were to my right, but there was an older guy who was to my right who I like to talk to so I didn't seat change.

Also, I got to play with one of the members of slipknot but he was super quiet and didn't really say much. I suppose musicians who wore masks aren't really the most charismatic of people.

Hours played: 5
Total profit: +310
Session Grade: A+
Total Bankroll: 8k

Nice hit on the mtt.

Nice lifts as well. My deadlift is falling behing because i cant get a firm grip on the bar for the entire time.

just use straps, dead lifting without straps and without chalk is like impossible. your hands get sweaty and then you can't grip the bar, and especially if you don't have bumper plates you don't want to drop it.

also those lifts are in lbs not kgs so I don't know how impressive they actually are.

fold pre