Hi all, Long time lurker on these forums (approx 10+ years before bothering to register). Played poker since mid 2000s. Busted numerous times and never really studied until last year or so. Spent a few hours a day for past 6 months preparing for this challenge via reading, upswing, torelli - conscious poker, videos. Plan is to start with 30 buy ins and move up when have 30 for next level moving back down at 20 buy ins.
Primarily cash but may throw in occasional sng. Am in profit at sngs over 500+ sample but i find them incredibly boring. I use partypoker as good rakeback. I should be able to play circa 3000 hands a day so expect (hope) to move up fairly quickly to 25nl. Things im considering are zoom or reg tables..I prefer zoom (fastforward on PP) but reg are obv better for thoughtful play. Ill likely fluctuate between the two dependent on mood each day.

Potential issues = Tilt (obv), im awful at wanting to chase losses by moving up, playing too many hands etc. Recognising this is hopefully good step towards avoiding it in the future. Alcohol = i can only EVER play on non drinking days as im kinda an all or nothing guy in that if i have 1 drink ill be having 10 and that would destroy this challenge.

Plus points = When i control the above i tend to be a winning player but thats only if i control the above and its a big IF.

Mental game = Ive been hospitalised twice in past year from severe depression/suicide attempts. This is now ok for time being and poker is a nice release from the world for me anyway but i need to keep on top of mental health to enable me to think clearly so exercise and eating well is of utmost importance throughout the challenge.



Ill update every few days/perhaps weekly. Wish me luck pls!

Huffypigs

daim hope your mental game keeps improving bro! gl you got this

Wishing you the best of luck in your poker challenge, and I'm glad to hear that you've made progress in managing your mental health.

Poker can be a rewarding and engaging pursuit, and with the right mindset and discipline, you can aim for success.

If you ever have questions or need advice along the way, feel free to reach out.
Stay focused, stay positive, and keep striving for improvement.

2 days in, approx 4.5k hands played. Pretty much spot on even so far.

Day 1 - Played FF which i found hugely irritating. Games are just button clicking where everyone waits for A,A and that somewhat goes against all ive studied these past few months. Lost a couple of buy ins and vowed to stick to reg tables from now. No real interesting hands, Just ran KK into AA a few times so nothing out of ordinary there. Feel i made a few mistakes such as getting caught up in speed of game and not thinking enough before making decisions so called too often out of frustration. On the whole played my C game

Day 2 - Reg tables. Up couple of buy ins so roll is back to starting point. Played much better, felt calmer throughout 4tabling reg games. Could probably fit in another 2 tables without it affecting me too much but for now ill stick to 4 tables. Few interesting spots including the following. . Im particularly interested in your thoughts on the river. Ill post results later along with my thinking on each street. Villian seemed a bit nitty, not seen them caught out with any bluffs, primarily playing ABC it seems.

Hero 8S 9S

SB 0.05
BB 0.10
UTG Fold
MP Raise 0.25
HERO Call 0.25
Button Fold
SB Call 0.25
BB Call 0.25

Flop 10s,4s,Jd ($1.00)

Checked around to hero in CO, i bet 0.63.
sb fold
BB Raises to $2.17
MP fold
Hero calls $2.17

Turn 5h ($5.34)
BB Bet $3.85
Hero Calls $3.85

River Qs
BB Checks
Hero?

I don’t think call with 8s9s at cut-off is a good choice considering higher rake on reg table, especially at low stake cash game, 3 bet is the only choice you can make with 8s9s at cut-off.
For the turn, since you don't mention the effective stack, assuming it's 100bb, I think shove at turn is a better move, call is also acceptable.
On river, it is a clearly all-in for value even if there are very few bluff combos on this board, but the SPR is so low, BB can't fold for most two pairs or above

Thank you. I agree. The call pre flop I realised was mistake the moment I did it which is why I asked as I felt out of control from there onwards. Worked out ok as he had 10,10 for a set but I felt I won the hand despite playing poorly. I think I was perhaps playing scared following the previous day's constant coolers. Probably something to learn from as I literally hesitated on turn and even the river. Worked out fine but always room for improvement. Thanks for taking time to reply.