For about 2 months I was running very bad at 10nl which made me doubt If I could even beat it

Decided to play less hands and play them more thoughtfully. Also tried to fight for the smaller pots more, and not just move to the next hand whenever I don't feel like putting more attention to a hand. These adjustments + running well have been going great and I finally feel like I beat 10nl and with that feel more confident shot taking 25nl. Still have the feeling the regs there are some kind of crushers even though obviously they aren't. Think I also put 25nl on a pedestal cuss it has been my goal for so long. Need to make bigger goals and get over my small mindedness (for this will be reading ''the magic of thinking big'') Other life goals have been going well, with gym I've finally managed to hit my 150kg bench-press goal

Some feel good graph:


- Less importance of number of hands, more importance of amount of hands played well.
- THINK BIGGER

Sick sample. Keep em coming!

October update:

It's time to get serious.
With the month of October basically done here's the monthly update. This month was my best month in poker so far and I'm really happy with it. Feeling more confident in my play and the way I see poker. The last few days been watching videos on runitonce and I feel like that has finally opened up my mind to studying and how to improve. It's still a bit scary how much there is to learn. I will need to find a structure of how to study and how to improve to not lose unnecessary time. If I want to get good at this I will have to take it more seriously and act more professional, so far I've said to myself that I play microstakes and it give me the reason to not take it 100% serious. But all the time I invest in this isn't just for fun so lets get this thing going. Always thought that I like to play poker for fun and that its the most fun when I can just do whatever I think is good. Never really liked the GTO or math part of poker lol. If I'm honest to myself than I would admit that I want to make this thing work. I have to get over the fear of ''really'' trying and the chance of then failing.

Goals November:
- Play 100 hours
- Study 20 hours
- Complete ''From the ground up''
- Find a mentor/course/structure/training site to fully commit to
-Network in poker

New habits:
-Review hands of the previous day before first session
-Only shot take at reg tables or max 2 zoom tables
- Actually study.

For the stakes you play your results/winrates are pretty sick on a consistent basis. I can just say with confidence there is no way you are not able to beat 25nl (which I assume is the stake you refer to when shottaking) with a decent or even good winrate. I understand it's a mental game thing aswell, I'm in the same boat actually. Where I overestimate the opponents, eventhough the stats proof otherwise. + it's 2.5x the money (I guess brm can help with this). I like your approach by just playing less tables, or even playing reg tables. Again the whole zoom rising thing is a massive ego-trap imo everyone want to prove themself they need to beat xnlzoom but regtables are just similliar also in skill level with less recs/recs nitting up more in zoom (regs are slightly better maybe). In zoom the winrates are lower which creates this raketrap quite fast especially in lower stakes where you might end up paying 2.5x the rake compared to your winrate - I'm not saying it's not beatable but I"m also saying zoom CAN (not always) be a trap. Nice thing about regtables is you have more time to think compared to zoom (which can induce thinking more), you become more aware about where the ev comes from (table selecting) & you see more showdowns of other regulars + fish - Try to thing and ask questions while playing and make notes of showdowns you see. Only difference is it's harder to mass volume which increases variance, but better winrate will make up for it. You can still play zoom but just be aware of things mentioned above + the trap of autopiloting which can be fatal for improving your game.

Like you say I think learning some gto fundamentals and concepts is just needed to become solid. Doesn't mean you need to 1-1 copy it. I think I advised you this before but good to not make the mistake of looking at random river stuff but start with the boring stuff first like how to defend vs size x otf, or whats the threshold of value in spot y, or why on this turn the solver picks a polarized betting strategy. I like the idea of focusing on strategies first without nitpicking hand selection too much. As you progress this will come at some point.

Very good advice here, you're clearly crushing GL at 25nl and above.

thnx so much bro, great advice as always.

I'm typing this tilted but I think its best to save those thoughts as well

So my 4 buyin shot didn't go well, this pattern seems to keep happening. I Loose some big all in, then start playing tilted or more aggressive and it always ends with ''just going all in'' cuss ''these whales'' call with anything.

I've tried this now maybe 5 times and every time it goes quite similar. Not sure what to do about it. When this happens I'm really mad at myself that I keep making the same mistake and also there's a victim mindset of that I'm getting unlucky on my shots.
Also when I started playing poker at 2nl I had this vision to some day beat 25nl. At the time it seemed impossible to reach so probably now that still effects me.
At 10nl I feel totally comfortable and relax and then I play the best. When I loose multiple buy ins in a few moments time I don't tilt at all, But when I shot take all these things come up.


PokerStars - $0.25 NL FAST (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by Holdem Manager 3

BTN: $25.10 (100.4 bb)
SB: $24.79 (99.2 bb)
BB: $13.98 (55.9 bb)
UTG: $37.57 (150.3 bb)
MP: $25.00 (100 bb)
Hero (CO): $25.00 (100 bb)

SB posts $0.10, BB posts $0.25

Pre Flop: (pot: $0.35) Hero has :kd: :kh:
2 folds, Hero raises to $0.62, BTN raises to $2.25, SB calls $2.15, BB calls $2.00, Hero raises to $25.00 and is all-in, fold, SB calls $22.54 and is all-in, BB calls $11.73 and is all-in

Flop: ($65.81, 3 players) :2h: :8d: :6h:

Turn: ($65.81, 3 players) :3h:

River: ($65.81, 3 players) :2c:

Results: $65.81 pot ($2.00 rake)
Final Board: :2h: :8d: :6h: :3h: :2c:

SB shows :qh: :th:: (Flush, Queen High)
Main Pot: [$44.19]: (Pre 14%, Flop 30%, Turn 86%)
Side Pot: [$21.62]: (Pre 16%, Flop 30%, Turn 86%)

Hero shows :kd: :kh:: (Two Pair, Kings and Twos)
Main Pot: [$44.19]: (Pre 68%, Flop 62%, Turn 14%)
Side Pot: [$21.62]: (Pre 84%, Flop 70%, Turn 14%)

BB shows :9h: :9s:: (Two Pair, Nines and Twos)
Main Pot: [$44.19]: (Pre 18%, Flop 8%, Turn 0%)

SB wins $63.81

btw, I know I create this cycle and reality all myself by putting pressure and making it waaaayy too important in my head. I had the same problem (little bit less) when moving from 5nl to 10nl but there at some point I caught a heater and it went fine from there. Think now the plan is to again grind those lost buyins at 10nl and come up with a better plan to move up, and not hope for a heater. I hope I read this blog in a year from now and can only laugh at how silly it all sounds

As much as I think you should switch to 100% 25nl and ignore the short-term results, maybe just play 1 table of 25nl with the rest 10nl then move to 2, 3, 4. It's definitely not a matter of whether you're winning at 25nl, just have to not tilt or change your game too much.

With AsAx I don't understand the flop jam versus geometric sizing against any player profiles. Maybe people put you on AK and call with any pair though.

little update:

This month has been going good so far, have been playing many limits and this seems to be fine. When I officially move up (in my head) I make it a waaaayy too big thing and there's too much pressure. I tried to play some reg tables and got too board too quickly. Still planning to play more reg tables though. Happy cuss beating 25 and eventually 50nl seems doable

If any microstakes players are reading this and you wanne talk hands or smth, pm me

These are actually amazing results considering it's zoom! I hope I can crush 25NL like you

Hey there Stixxem2 i like your thread i am a micro player on stars too and i have probably crossed your path on it as well. I wouldnt doubt you took my stack once or a few times lol. Anyhow i am just curious how you go about studying when you first started these stakes?

I know you mentioned you read some poker books on psychology but i am wondering how and what else it is you study when first starting out?

I think to beat the micro's its important to be somewhat solid in the basics, so knowing pre flop ranges and how they interact with certain boards. Also to not ego battle the regs but just print money against the whales. Think its also good to join some kind of study group and talk with other people otherwise poker is quite lonely. And last I think the most important thing is to keep the joy for poker, for me this is the easiest when I keep learning and improving my game.

End of the month update:

1k+ month is in sight
This month was my best one yet, was playing and running good. Got invited into a study group and I'm really grateful for that as it really helped my game/mindset.
December I will spend 2 weeks in my home country with family so will not be playing as much.
Goals Dec:
-Study most common spots
-Dial in the basics
-Plan 2024

Crusher!

nice thread and you sir are indeed a crusher, Here i am just trying to beat 2nl / 2plo reg tables. I always lose big at zoom how the hell are you able to beat zoom for so big a winrate, I have a hard time knowing the preflop ranges since im used to reg tables. I always get crushed HARD because "everyone has it everytime" kind of thing. HOW you sick crusher xD

Good luck and It wont be a lot of time before you sit at 50nl and laughs all the way to the bank.

Thanks guys! I'm no crusher yet but I feel very motivated to keep going hopefully one day I will be one and this blog can inspire someone out there

great results!

Hey man!
Just went through the whole blog, almost a year in I see .
The progress you've made in those 11 months seem to be amazing, your winrate is of >10bb/100 over a very legit sample of tens of thousands of hands is impressive to say the least!

In a couple of posts where you talked about studying I see quit some similarities to my own perception as a starting player, which can be described in one word: overwhelmed.
There is so much recourse now a days to study the game that it can be hard to focus and zoom in on what's important. I think for me this also created the mental flaw of the feeling "there is too much, I can never catch up with the people who have been playing for a longer time".

I really tried to fix this mindset, and see the bunch of recourse more as an opportunity than a threat. Everything we have to study has already been looked over thousands of times, in other words other people did the work for us . We just need to find a way to prioritize, and implement concepts that other people put time and effort in for us. Study efficiency is I think one of the most important tools to develop early in a poker career (I'm still a whale in this but trying to work stuff out hehe).

Also interesting to read about the "almost wanting to fail so you can start over" thing, where KidCudi could also relate to. I know this feeling, mostly from outside poker. It is irrational pursuit of perfection, it's tough, but I think twisting this to a mindset of seeing mistakes as value lessons is the right way to look at it (cliché AF I know, but there is truth in it )


Anyway it's inspiring to see that it is still possible to maintain such a high winrate at the micro's, thanks for the motivation fuel! Hope we can help each other out :-)
GL with the grind in December

Thanks for your reaction was really nice to read. Yea it's kinda normal to feel overwhelmed when there seems to be infinite amount of things to learn and improve on GL with your journey

I wont be playing rest of the year so here's my last update for 2023. At the beginning of 2023 I promised myself to keep this blog for 2023 and I'm happy that I followed through. I don't like writing and I suck at it, so not sure about 2024. My goal was to move up and end up on 25/50NL. I've played about 40k hands on 25nl and have been running really well lately. At 25nl I feel like somewhat of a decent regular. With not reaching 50nl I didn't fully reach my goal but I'm happy with the progress. The main point to improve on for 2024 will be studying more and seeing poker more as an profession. Also to network and make a more detailed plan to reach NL100. What would be the best and quickest way to reach NL100?? Stuff to think about.

last 15 days of the year:
]

thnx for reading, GL with your poker journey and happy holidays

Hello 2024
New year, New Me, or not

Decided to keep updating this blog occasionally until I reach my initial goal of 50nl. I'm not going to put pressure on myself by some kind of time limit. Also posting graphs maybe just once a month since it has put some pressure on me. This year aiming to play more consistently and also study more. Have a study group which I'm really happy with, that has also taught me that poker can be quite lonely and that there's always so much value in meeting people. If you are reading this and are in the same position, it would be nice to connect. Think poker has taught me a lot about myself and there will be a lot more to discover so I'm happy to continue on this journey. Think this blog will be a good outlet to write about mental stuff mostly as mental game still can use improvement.

Goals for January:
-Play 80khands of Zoom
-Get my schedule going again (google calendar)
- Work on technical and mental side of poker
- Find a more balanced approach to life in general

goals for the year are:
-Be good enough to play 50nl (more theory knowledge)
-Have a balanced life (better mental game)
-Play 1mil hands
- (+1k a month would be nice, rb and winnings combined)

I need to improve this too. And maybe pump some iron.

Muscle Money Mindset! Gotta catch em all!

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