Hi everyone,

I have decided to post a goal in this forum, I think mainly for my own motivation.

Bit of background...

Playing poker for maybe 5 years on and off. I have always considered it a bit of fun and not really worried about strategy, ROI etc, just having fun.

I have been taking the whole gig a bit more seriously this year, however, I am still struggling to find "my" game, i.e. a format which a. I am good at, and b. I enjoy playing.

Needless to say, I have been bouncing between games and between Stars and FT recently. But now I have decided to get my grind on.

I took my roll off of FT(due to some horrific husng suckouts, like real bad) and redeposited $50 on stars.

The plan is as follows...

I will grind sngs to build my roll up.
Once I am above £100, I will apply a strict 100BI rule for sngs, 200 for MTTs and 40BI for 10NL cash.
My VPPS will be converted to $T at the end of each month. I will then use the $T to play 18man sngs. I will play $1.75 when under $150 main roll, $3.20 after, then see how it goes.

I am not sure what the end goal is for me. Rather that try to run nothing into millions, it would be nice to get an hourly which is above overtime rate for my job. That way I can sit in my pants and drink beer, listening to music instead of paying for my bosses golf club membership. I really enjoy poker, so I think it is about time to make a go of it.

Roll is now at $77. I have $13 of bonus to clear and a Steller reward coming very soon.

I will post progress up soon.

Thanks for reading.

D

GL

gl, i wish you the best. I did this about a year ago and i'm still grinding setting goals is one of the best things you can do to succeed, and outlining a gameplan as you have done also helps a ton. you might want to loosen your 200 BI rule to an ABI situation as you see fit for MTTs if you play a bunch of tourneys at the same time. watch out for high rake tourneys in the low buy in levels cuz paying 20% rake is horrible for your ROI.

I started at the 5$ level with $28 and got lucky when i only had a 5$ buy in remaining in my account and won like $70 or something. From there I moved down and started learning about BR management and its been infinitely useful

again, GL and hope to see you at my tables soon

Thanks for the comments guys.

Been playing over the last week, and there has been a change of plan....

I am now not going to play sngs at all. I think I am still in love with the old party days, but it just isn't the same. I think it has got more to do with the low BI levels, where people just don't care about losing. They call any raise size with any two cards. I think I will get back to them when my roll is a bit higher.

Anyways, I digress,

I read an article or thread over the last few days about setting real tangible goals. This is something I don't think I have ever really done. I just tend to play and see what happens.

So I now present the more refined plan...

Good ol FR cash grinding.

Br - $64.11
FPP - 121

Start 2nl, once $100 move to
5nl, if I drop to £80, back down to 2nl, once $200 move to
10nl, down $150, up $500
25nl, down at $375, up at $1000

I have worked out that if everything goes "ok" I could be at 50nl in 10 weeks from now if I stick to conservative win rate and my weekly volume goals.

At the start, I will probably play more tables so may be able to move up a level or two quicker. Once, I get near to 25nl, I am gonna resubscribe to Deuces Cracked to re-educate myself a bit.

My 10 week goal is +/-, some weeks I think I will deffo be able to get more volume in.

Lastly, I want to refrain from using my fpps for padding my roll. My goal for them is to save them up then get me something nice(hookers n blow?).

I will clear my hem now and update end of every session.

First session over.

Horrible start. Aces busted by KJo, kings busted by aces, set over set twice, boat over boat.

Spent pretty much the whole session trying to recover to breakeven, then this lil beaut happened about 3 mins before I was going to call it.

Poker Stars $2.00 No Limit Hold'em - 9 players - View hand 725331
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

UTG+1: $3.00
UTG+2: $2.47
Hero (MP1): $2.64
MP2: $2.14
CO: $0.87
BTN: $1.97
SB: $4.17
BB: $2.28
UTG: $1.40

Pre Flop: ($0.03) Hero is MP1 with A K
UTG raises to $0.08, 2 folds, Hero calls $0.08, 2 folds, BTN calls $0.08, 1 fold, BB calls $0.06

Flop: ($0.33) A K T (4 players)
BB checks, UTG bets $0.16, Hero calls $0.16, BTN folds, BB calls $0.16

Turn: ($0.81) K (3 players)
BB checks, UTG bets $1.16, Hero calls $1.16, BB calls $1.16

River: ($4.29) J (3 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $0.88, BB calls $0.88

Final Pot: $6.05
Hero shows A K
BB mucks Q J
UTG mucks Q K
Hero wins $1.71
Hero wins $4.09
(Rake: $0.25)

So I finish the session in the black(just).

Br - $65.09(+$0.98)
FPP - 135(+14)
2726 hands.

Really good start to session number 2, then I run in to this gem.

I shoved the river cos I was super monkey tilted that this douche called me down.

Poker Stars $2.00 No Limit Hold'em - 9 players - View hand 726010
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

MP2: $1.04
CO: $5.00
BTN: $1.70
SB: $7.55
BB: $2.00
UTG: $3.47
UTG+1: $5.83
UTG+2: $0.74
Hero (MP1): $2.00

Pre Flop: ($0.03) Hero is MP1 with T T
1 fold, UTG+1 calls $0.02, 1 fold, Hero calls $0.02, 2 folds, BTN calls $0.02, SB calls $0.01, BB checks

Flop: ($0.10) 2 T K (5 players)
SB checks, BB checks, UTG+1 bets $0.06, Hero raises to $0.20, BTN calls $0.20, SB folds, BB folds, UTG+1 calls $0.14

Turn: ($0.70) 3 (3 players)
UTG+1 checks, Hero bets $0.86, BTN calls $0.86, UTG+1 folds

River: ($2.42) 8 (2 players)
Hero bets $0.92, BTN calls $0.62 all in

Final Pot: $3.66
BTN shows 9 A
Hero shows T T
BTN wins $3.51
(Rake: $-0.15)

Well I think this is me done for the day. I am in mega tilt mode.

This hand, my read was villian missed the flop.

Poker Stars $2.00 No Limit Hold'em - 9 players - View hand 726076
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

Hero (SB): $2.00
BB: $3.25
UTG: $4.93
UTG+1: $1.24
UTG+2: $8.28
MP1: $0.97
MP2: $4.65
CO: $1.81
BTN: $3.84

Pre Flop: ($0.03) Hero is SB with K K
1 fold, UTG+1 calls $0.02, 4 folds, BTN raises to $0.08, Hero raises to $0.24, 2 folds, BTN raises to $0.40, Hero calls $0.16

Flop: ($0.84) T 4 8 (2 players)
Hero checks, BTN bets $0.50, Hero raises to $1.60, BTN calls $1.10

Turn: ($4.04) A (2 players)

River: ($4.04) 4 (2 players)

Final Pot: $4.04
Hero shows K K
BTN shows J A
BTN wins $3.84
(Rake: $0.20)


I was right.


Then there was this one. I thought villian was on a draw, so better give him bad odds...

Poker Stars $2.00 No Limit Hold'em - 9 players - View hand 726059
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

SB: $0.97
Hero (BB): $2.00
UTG: $1.58
UTG+1: $3.08
UTG+2: $3.60
MP1: $2.93
MP2: $1.96
CO: $1.50
BTN: $3.44

Pre Flop: ($0.03) Hero is BB with 6 6
2 folds, UTG+2 calls $0.02, 1 fold, MP2 calls $0.02, 1 fold, BTN calls $0.02, SB calls $0.01, Hero checks

Flop: ($0.10) 6 J 7 (5 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $0.10, UTG+2 calls $0.10, MP2 calls $0.10, BTN folds, SB folds

Turn: ($0.40) 5 (3 players)
Hero bets $0.40, UTG+2 calls $0.40, MP2 calls $0.40

River: ($1.60) 9 (3 players)
Hero bets $1.48, UTG+2 folds, MP2 calls $1.44 all in

Final Pot: $4.48
Hero shows 6 6
MP2 shows 5 8
MP2 wins $4.28
(Rake: $0.16)

Yeah I know I shouldn't have shoved the river.


This sort of stuff I have seen time and time again. I have put in just over 4000 hands today and I am 3 BI down. I am note sure what to do. I am not bluffing(whereas everyone else is) and trying to play value. Granted there have been a few spews on my part, but it is that or smash something up I guess.

So, after the awful run I have been having, I decided that the next pair of aces I get, I am going to shove on the flop regardless just to see what happens...

Not 1, nor 2, but 3 callers.

Poker Stars $2.00 No Limit Hold'em - 8 players - View hand 726065
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

Hero (UTG+1): $2.00
MP1: $1.60
MP2: $1.51
CO: $1.07
BTN: $2.98
SB: $4.56
BB: $1.08
UTG: $1.13

Pre Flop: ($0.03) Hero is UTG+1 with A A
1 fold, Hero raises to $0.08, MP1 calls $0.08, 1 fold, CO calls $0.08, BTN calls $0.08, 2 folds

Flop: ($0.35) 8 7 6 (4 players)
Hero bets $1.92, MP1 calls $1.52 all in, CO calls $0.99 all in, BTN calls $1.92

Turn: ($6.70) 5 (4 players - 2 are all in)

River: ($6.70) K (4 players - 2 are all in)

Final Pot: $6.70
Hero shows A A
MP1 shows 7 7
CO shows 4 5
BTN shows 8 Q
BTN wins $4.11
(Rake: $0.30)

Of course, the winner was the one furthest behind.

Really bad day, tilted, running under ev. Hopefully tommorrow will be a bit better.

Br - $60.38
FPP - 143
4073 hands played

yo what up!

i am in the same situation you are in now. i went busto trying to play higher limits and started to grind from bottom to top now. I also started with 50 in the account. i started to play 2nl FR. However, i multi-tabled. like 10-20. now i play 5nl 6max 4 tables. i built my 50 roll to now 350. my goal is to play 50nl 6max. i am real nitty with my br these days. if i don't have 100 bi for the limit i feel like playing scare money lol. gonna try to roll up to 500 so that i can start playing 10nl. so far its been 3 weeks and hoping by end of next week, i will have enough to move up on the limits. anyways gl and play well.

Hey Durty,

Thanks for chipping in.

I am trying to be a bankroll nit at the moment, hence I am only playing 2nl. Ironically, I used to play a bit of 5nl 6max and did a lot better than my current effort at 2nl. I have sort of taken the view that if I can't beat the lowest levels, then there is no point playing at a higher limit.

I am trying to think of a plan for the next session, I really don't know what to do lol.

I just reviewed the winners over the last two sessions and pretty much the only hands that made money are the top 11%ish of my range -66+,A9s+,KJs+,ATo+,KQo,JTo.

So it looks like those are the only cards I will be playing for the next one.

I am going to play pairs for set value and shove as soon as I hit a set. Aces and Kings are going to get shoved PF. The rest I will try to play "properly"

Gl at the tables.

I just had my AKs UTG 6bb raise flatted by 65o.

Flop came blank blank 6, so I cbet as standard, got called. Didn't barrel as I figured villian hit the raggidy flop. Of course I lost the pot.

How am I supposed to put villian on a range if there is no range?

News flash, dropped another BI.

Limped 33, flop came 223, I shoved, got called by JJ, turn is, wait for it... a J of course.

I honestly don't think I can be any nittier than what I am already being, and I hate playing nitty.

If anyone has any bankroll building ideas, please let me know. I am desperate to get to play at a level where my opponents have more intelligence than an amoeba.

On the above hand, what is the thought process behind flatting a bigger than standard UTG raise?

Villian:Oooh bit utg raise, that should mean QQ+, AK, maybe KQs or TT, that represents about 3% of the range he could be raising. Lol everyone has folded to me on the cutoff, and I have 65o ha ha ha, that is just in my 50% of hands I can call utg raises with. I am going to call this massive raise and lay the foundations to my trap.

ffs aaaarrrrrggggghhhhh

I just 3 bet someone 3.5 times the original raise with AKs, they flatted with 77, flop AK7, there goes another BI FUUUUUAUAAAAAA.

AI PF KK v AA, aces held, there goes another BI FUUUUUAAAAAAA.

I have got to have a serious think about what my next step is. I came to cash cos the SNGs were far too loose and donkish, now I am here, the cash games are far too loose and donkish.

I am -4bb/100 at 2nl at the mo over about 12000 hands. But I am 3bb/100 over 12000 at 5nl 6 max from last year sometime. So I think I am going to have to play 5nl underrolled.

I don't really want to play 5nl underrolled as the whole point of this goal was to stay within BR limits and not redeposit.

Should I just do it anyway? At this rate I would have blown my roll @ 2nl over the next week.

Scrub the above.

I am going to write the 4BI drop off as "standard". It was just all coolers and suckouts, which I guess is completely normal. I don't mind running kings into aces at all, but obviously I would rather not. It's just some of the hands that I have posted have really tilted me bad today. Maybe it is just my interpretation, but it feels like I am running "ok" grind up a BI or 2, then get it donked off me. I then feel tilty cos it has just taken me 2 hours to grind that profit up and 2 hands to lose it. Also, playing for 7 hours to lose the 4 BIs feels pretty nasty too. I could have brought some beer with that money.

I will be back on the grind tommorrow lol, 2nl, playing within the bankroll.