I'm quitting my speculative job with start up company (family business where I make pennies) to try poker full time.

This is kinda long, but I'm an interesting character. This will be a good thread. I do apologise if it's a little messy, but that's kinda where I'm coming from.

I'm 27 soon, I've been playing poker since I was 16-17.

My older brother played professionally online for a couple of years after quitting his job at *insert notorious investment bank name here*. This was when I was about 14/15 I guess - Before this, I rarely saw him as he worked stupidly long hours and that's actually why he gave up the job.

Yay! - I get to see my brother more, but now he doesn't know when he's gonna break even for the day or hit his $100 goal (playing mainly $0.50/$1 and I think he actually went to 200NL for a while (not important). I'd eventually get bored of playing Xbox and sit next to him and watch him play his 6-8 tables on PartyPoker, he'd always offer to talk about what he was doing and I'd always listen. I didn't understand it but sometimes I told him I understood because I was bored of listening.

Skip forward some years (after watching him play A LOT but never interested)>

I frequent an online video chatroom and have quite a few buddies on there, I have met lots of them as I live in a city and there's friendly people, whatever.

I met one guy and he showed me the hustle. The dream. He won a tournament or two and had his magic stories, you know what I mean.

He got a bunch of us on to PokerStars and we used to play little 10c turbos and the odd $1 sng. I was hooked. All that time spent watching my brother had loaded my head with knowledge, and I knew things I didn't even know!

Skip forward like 5 years, several cashes and quit jobs later (I got kicked out of school and just kinda bummed around quitting jobs after tourney cashes lol) and now I'm posting you some wins from 2014. These are not all my cashes, as I have played for longer but smoke a lot of weed and certainly I have not tracked my losses (cashouts, silly purchases, no bankroll management, insane ex-girlfriend).

Here are the cashes I tracked on a forum I have been on for years (not a poker forum but there is a poker thread).. I almost cried when I looked at this thread again, but all the more reason to post, to remind myself how much I can achieve. Also, I have had a few big cashes before this:

Posted 04 Dec 2011
Final tabled the big $109 last night for just under $4.5k

Posted 13 Feb 2014
$4655 on Monday - 1st in a $11 turbo MTT (chopped ICM numbers with 3 of us left)
$1830 last night - 1st in another $11 turbo (chopped numbers heads up)

Posted 21 Feb 2014 (my bro posting)
*** cashed HUGE tonight, taking a deal ICM numbers when they got down to the Top 2 in the Hot $55 tourney on Pokerstars this evening. I think it was for just under $9,400 but would have to check. Definitely somewhere over $9k, so whatever tbh.
It's been a good two weeks for my little bro!

Posted 21 Feb 2014
also: just shy $1400 for coming 2nd in a turbo $8.80 a few hours after the above!

Posted 23 Feb 2014 (brother)
ffs he won another $1,598 tonight for 2nd in a bounty tourney (plus however many bounties he got).
This is truly ridiculous.

Posted 25 Feb 2014
Final tabled 3 games last night - biggest cash was chopping for 1st in a 500 cap $27.50 for $770
Made about $1200 on the night.
Ridiculous.

Posted 28 Feb 2014
Update:
Won over $10k last night, chopped in the Big 22 and came 3rd in a hyper turbo.

Posted 02 Mar 2014
sure am - especially just after chopping for 1st place in a $51 hyper turbo for $3200.

Posted 31 Mar 2014 · Report post
I came 3rd in a big tourney last night, AK vs A5, he hits magic flush.
Was nearly heads up with: (pic of pokerstars pro can't remember his name)
+$7200

After this I won some more but I was at the end of my relationship with my ex-gf and it was too much. The funds dried up, the cars were broken and the weed money/food money/gas money adds up when you're cashing out large chunks of bankroll and then risking your last however much in stupid games)

Please keep in mind, although I was using bankroll management some of the time, most of the time I was taking shots which were out of my skill zone.

I've had wins since this (couple thousand here and there, but haven't played the same hours or frequency as I was during the glory year)

I know I'm a good player that needs a little tweaking and some determination/discipline and I can be rolling again, this time without dumb cashouts etc.

Here's the goal:
Quit my job and invest £1k in to poker (I make literally no money from my job as it's a startup company which my brother runs, I am a pauper and have been the past year while I have recovered from my break-up and general life-slump)

I still live with my mother in a nice house and she doesn't mind as we're close, I lost my father when I was young and she's always been there for me, I told her she should have kicked me out when I was 18. Although not my ideal situation, it is the best one to play endless poker tournaments. I already told her I'm gonna do poker full time and just beast mode it. I have some money coming in soon which will get me the required bankroll for anything from the $2.20 tourneys to the $11s, comfortably without risking life and limb. (I get some money every week anyway, and I have food, etc.)

Poker seems like the only thing I'm really good at, and I only live once. She knows this.

Stay tuned for updates, I'll try to post hand history as well as I think that's a thing, right?

TLDR: I'm gonna try and go pro, wish me luck plz

I wanted to add, I have been considering this for a few months now, and obviously always had in the back of my mind the past year or two, "I can do this for a living, I know I'm good enough if all else fails". Now all else feels like it's failing and I'm 27, I want to make money again. My last proper cash was about $1800 a couple months ago, I bought a really nice laptop for work, and a couple of other necessities. I already decided to do this as soon as I won it. I have been playing quite sparingly and wasn't thinking about going pro just then. I left myself a couple hundred bucks and inevitably blew it playing $11s, $22s etc. Becoming more and more bored with work I'm depositing $20 here and there trying to score. (I'm well aware this isn't a profitable strategy but in this situation I was working and just playing for fun). I have been ready to break the news to my bro and quit the job.

My grandmother died a week ago, and I found out she had £1k for me, I had no idea and thought wow. I immediately said to my mother 3 times, "Do you mind what I do with the money?" - The first time she answered 'As long as you don't spend it all on poker, although she would probably want you to play poker". This is when I decided I'll use it as my bankroll. My last bankroll.

Let's get it.

Good luck man the market place is a good place to invest

My past problems: BRM & Never reading poker books

So to re-cap, I'll be playing with about $1400-$1500 using (at most) the 1% rule. I think even though swings can be bad, this should be substantial as I don't need to cash out regularly to pay bills etc. I'll be playing MTTs on PokerStars.

From what I've read recently about BRM, 100 buyins is aggro as ****, but I don't think I'm in a situation where I need to play with like 300-400 BI. As I don't pay rent/bills etc. I think 1% rule is fine. (I think $11 MTTs will have to be my initial 'shot' games though)

I plan on reading through a couple of Owen Gaines books, and if anyone has any recommendations for specific MTT play, I'd be very grateful! There's a lot of **** out there. I follow Mike Caro's blog and a couple of others. I also watch Twitch MTT streams which I find quite helpful for certain spots. (GG Lex Veldhuis winning his first tourney on Twitch today)

I'm expecting to start sometime within the next week or two.

Goals:
Grow bankroll to 5/6 figures playing MTTs never using more than 1% per game (Around $6.50 - $7.50 ABI with $1400-$1500 starting roll).

Read more poker books and become a reg on the forum posting HH etc.

Cash-out somewhere along the line to get a new car. (It's the only thing I *really* want. Thoughts?)

Questions:
Any specific MTT books I should read?

Any thoughts on this BRM strategy?

Much love,
D

Gl to you! Any more updates?

Yep - I finally managed to slip it to my bro that I need to pursue other things. He's fine with it.

I guess I'll be starting tomorrow - Once I start playing, this thread will be much more active.

Let's set some more goals -
Double my bankroll within a month of poker (minimum) $3000
Mark hands whilst playing and post here for review after every day end.
Only ever play A game, treat every buy-in like life or death.
Win a Sunday Major

Stay tuned x

Ok - Set up PT4 and everything being tracked so I'll post some graphs when I actually have a legit sample size. I played about 1000 hands today over a handful of tourneys. (I wasn't grinding properly because I haven't put the full roll on yet, just enough to play some games and get in the groove)

Cashed a couple of MTTs. Last one was the $1.10 bounty builder, finished a few places away from the FT out of 9400~ players. I won't be making this a regular game when I have my full roll available, but it was nice to fight the fatigue and play a solid game. Always amazing to fade a football stadium of fish (almost).

+$12 ish for the 1st session. (I only played 9 MTTs and ran deep in one)

I have tracked hands all day and noted players etc. I'll post more soon. Pretty happy with day 1 tbh.

Good luck

Im up a load of buyins because of the bounty builder knockouts and cash, but net profit is -$20 now as I have played several different buy-ins today (a few $11s) and the bounty builder was a $1.10 entry (big ROI, small cash). All whatever so far.

I won't bother posting graphs until I've got more hands under my belt. I do have a couple of hands to post here for some analysis now though. I'll post them up tomorrow when I'm on the laptop with poker tracker.

P.S
I will have my full bankroll on Monday, I can't put in much volume until then. Sunday MTTs might not happen this week

PokerStars - $10+$1|300/600 Ante 70 NL - Holdem - 9 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

UTG+1: 27.51 BB
MP: 18.71 BB
MP+1: 29.63 BB
MP+2: 15.86 BB
CO: 38.06 BB
BTN: 23.01 BB
SB: 37.59 BB
BB: 46.06 BB
Hero (UTG): 37.13 BB

9 players post ante of 0.12 BB, SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 2.55 BB) Hero has A J

Hero raises to 2.2 BB, fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, BB raises to 4 BB, Hero calls 1.8 BB

Flop: (9.55 BB, 2 players) T A 5
BB bets 4.78 BB, Hero calls 4.78 BB

Turn: (19.1 BB, 2 players) 7
BB bets 9.55 BB, Hero calls 9.55 BB

River: (38.2 BB, 2 players) 6
BB checks, Hero bets 18.69 BB and is all-in, BB calls 18.69 BB

Hero shows A J (One Pair, Aces)
(Pre 26%, Flop 13%, Turn 7%)
BB shows K A (One Pair, Aces)
(Pre 74%, Flop 87%, Turn 93%)
BB wins 75.58 BB

Probably the nastiest hand I've played since the start. Feels like I'm losing a lot of money in this spot.. Do I have to fold turn in future?.. or just check the river back? ****ing AJ

So, for some plot on that hand;

I was a few hundred away from the money in the Big 11. I had plenty of chips and clearly didn't need to be in the hand. I don't like this spot and I know it's a leak.. If I had less chips etc, fine. But either a fold pre or shove.

Anyway, here's a nicer spot, live:

PokerStars - $2+$6+$0.80|20/40 Ante 6 NL - Holdem - 9 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

MP+2: 70.08 BB
CO: 135.75 BB
BTN: 71.65 BB
SB: 52.78 BB
BB: 32.1 BB
UTG: 73.63 BB
UTG+1: 71.25 BB
MP: 86.68 BB
Hero (MP+1): 75.78 BB

9 players post ante of 0.15 BB, SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 2.85 BB) Hero has K K

fold, fold, fold, Hero raises to 3 BB, fold, fold, fold, SB raises to 11.35 BB, fold, Hero raises to 75.63 BB and is all-in, SB calls 41.28 BB and is all-in

Flop: (107.6 BB, 2 players) 7 T 9

Turn: (107.6 BB, 2 players) 2

River: (107.6 BB, 2 players) 7

SB shows J J (Two Pair, Jacks and Sevens)
(Pre 18%, Flop 24%, Turn 14%)
Hero shows K K (Two Pair, Kings and Sevens)
(Pre 82%, Flop 76%, Turn 86%)
Hero wins 107.6 BB

Woo 75% Saturday bountiez!

Whilst I'm here, another live hand from the Saturday Micro vs 82vpip player limp machine:

PokerStars - $3+$0.30|20/40 NL - Holdem - 9 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

UTG: 121.5 BB
UTG+1: 69.98 BB
MP: 171.28 BB
MP+1: 220.05 BB
Hero (MP+2): 61.48 BB
CO: 105.3 BB
BTN: 52.45 BB
SB: 108 BB
BB: 60 BB

SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has 4 3

fold, fold, MP calls 1 BB, fold, Hero calls 1 BB, fold, fold, SB raises to 3 BB, fold, MP calls 2 BB, Hero calls 2 BB

Flop: (10 BB, 3 players) 9 4 4
SB bets 6 BB, MP calls 6 BB, Hero raises to 21 BB, SB calls 15 BB, MP calls 15 BB

Turn: (73 BB, 3 players) J
SB checks, MP checks, Hero bets 37.48 BB and is all-in, SB raises to 84 BB and is all-in, MP calls 84 BB

River: (278.48 BB, 3 players) 6

SB shows 8 8 (Two Pair, Eights and Fours)

Main Pot [185.43 BB]: (Pre 56%, Flop 10%, Turn 5%)
Side Pot#1 [93.05 BB]: (Pre 67%, Flop 10%, Turn 5%)

MP shows 4 T (Three of a Kind, Fours)

Main Pot [185.43 BB]: (Pre 29%, Flop 66%, Turn 67%)
Side Pot#1 [93.05 BB]: (Pre 33%, Flop 90%, Turn 95%)

Hero shows 4 3 (Three of a Kind, Fours)

Main Pot [185.43 BB]: (Pre 15%, Flop 25%, Turn 29%)

MP wins 278.48 BB

fffffffffffffff

Last tourney today I think.. I dont have my roll until Monday. This is why I love turbos btw (apart from the result here):

PokerStars - $2.28+$0.22|15/30 Ante 4 NL - Holdem - 8 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

Hero (BB): 55.5 BB
UTG: 48.93 BB
UTG+1: 50.17 BB
MP: 27.1 BB
MP+1: 79.93 BB
CO: 93.83 BB
BTN: 46.27 BB
SB: 48.27 BB

8 players post ante of 0.13 BB, SB posts SB 0.5 BB, Hero posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 2.57 BB) Hero has Q Q

fold, fold, fold, fold, CO raises to 2.5 BB, fold, SB raises to 4 BB, Hero raises to 10 BB, fold, SB raises to 16 BB, Hero raises to 55.37 BB and is all-in, SB calls 32.13 BB and is all-in

Flop: (99.83 BB, 2 players) 5 4 5

Turn: (99.83 BB, 2 players) 3

River: (99.83 BB, 2 players) 2

SB shows J A (Straight, Five High)
(Pre 32%, Flop 13%, Turn 16%)
Hero shows Q Q (Two Pair, Queens and Fives)
(Pre 68%, Flop 87%, Turn 84%)
SB wins 99.83 BB

Here's my graph so far, want next session to be a good one!

A friend sent me $11 to play the Big 11 on Pokerstars this evening. Really was planning on having that bankroll by this weekend but never mind.

If anyone wants to watch, I'm on the ID: facesofpok3r

Doing well so far.. I tagged this guy a while ago after giving him some chips. So pretty..

PokerStars - $10+$1|250/500 Ante 60 NL - Holdem - 9 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

MP+2: 20.06 BB
CO: 42.01 BB
BTN: 36.44 BB
Hero (SB): 26.97 BB
BB: 40.83 BB
UTG: 7.92 BB
UTG+1: 18.09 BB
MP: 12.5 BB
MP+1: 29.31 BB

9 players post ante of 0.12 BB, Hero posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 2.58 BB) Hero has 2 A

fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, Hero raises to 2.1 BB, BB calls 1.1 BB

Flop: (5.28 BB, 2 players) 5 4 8
Hero bets 3 BB, BB calls 3 BB

Turn: (11.28 BB, 2 players) 4
Hero checks, BB bets 5.64 BB, Hero raises to 21.75 BB and is all-in, BB calls 16.11 BB

River: (54.78 BB, 2 players) 9

Hero shows 2 A (One Pair, Fours)
(Pre 58%, Flop 60%, Turn 77%)
BB shows 6 3 (One Pair, Fours)
(Pre 42%, Flop 40%, Turn 23%)
Hero wins 54.78 BB

Playing a handful today;
Bigger $11
Bigger $8.80
Bigger $5.50
Mini-Kickoff $11
Sunday Storm $11

No turbos today which is unusual for me, but I'm limited for $s until tomorrow, so want as good a chance as possible.

Reading through Harrington on Holdem at the moment, too. It's all completely digestible for me, and probably will be up until the math (Somehow I've won quite a lot of tournaments on poker knowing pretty much no math). Should be done with the first one in a day or two I hope.

I need to not play QT oop as well, thats a leak which my brother kindly told me after I'd posted it on twitter as a 'sort of bad beat'.

So here's the hand in question. Is this just straight up fold preflop under any circumstances here? The guy had huge vpip, clearly a huge fish:

http://www.boomplayer.com/en/poker-h...910_34B94D8688

GL today guys

Just got knocked out the mini-kickoff. Is this bad? I don't think so, right? If it makes any difference BB was playing with huge VPiP.

PokerStars - $10+$1|1250/2500 Ante 250 NL - Holdem - 9 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

MP+1: 13.7 BB
MP+2: 32.61 BB
CO: 4.44 BB
Hero (BTN): 37.48 BB
SB: 31.82 BB
BB: 38.29 BB
UTG: 15.42 BB
UTG+1: 25.08 BB
MP: 8.04 BB

9 players post ante of 0.1 BB, SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 2.4 BB) Hero has 9 A

fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, CO raises to 4.34 BB and is all-in, Hero raises to 37.38 BB and is all-in, fold, BB calls 36.38 BB

Flop: (80.5 BB, 3 players) A 4 8

Turn: (80.5 BB, 3 players) 2

River: (80.5 BB, 3 players) 3

BB shows A K (One Pair, Aces)

Main Pot [14.41 BB]: (Pre 45%, Flop 81%, Turn 74%)
Side Pot#1 [66.09 BB]: (Pre 70%, Flop 88%, Turn 93%)

Hero shows 9 A (One Pair, Aces)

Main Pot [14.41 BB]: (Pre 20%, Flop 10%, Turn 5%)
Side Pot#1 [66.09 BB]: (Pre 30%, Flop 12%, Turn 7%)

CO shows Q J (High Card, Ace)

Main Pot [14.41 BB]: (Pre 35%, Flop 9%, Turn 21%)

BB wins 80.5 BB

Down $114 now, good times.

Also just watched someone drop at least $2k on a $25/$50 6 max after they won a $1r turbo. Then watched someone drop a **** load on 3/6. I get a real sadistic enjoyment out of watching these people lose money.

Just deposited £450 ($623.50) and tomorrow I will put on another £350. I dont think I should be playing as many 11s as I have been though, so gonna try and hit the lower end of the buy-in spectrum for a few days and see what happens!

GL all

Down a load today, in last game of the evening and was doing well until this: Still in it with 22bb. Never mind! Gonna take a day off tomorrow to buy a new chair and read the rest of Harrington.

PokerStars - $4+$0.40|200/400 Ante 50 NL - Holdem - 9 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

MP+1: 18.09 BB
MP+2: 49.87 BB
CO: 16.99 BB
BTN: 31.32 BB
Hero (SB): 77.99 BB
BB: 18.89 BB
UTG: 39.78 BB
UTG+1: 13.86 BB
MP: 28.34 BB

9 players post ante of 0.13 BB, Hero posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 2.63 BB) Hero has K J

fold, fold, fold, fold, MP+2 calls 1 BB, fold, BTN raises to 2 BB, Hero calls 1.5 BB, fold, MP+2 calls 1 BB

Flop: (8.13 BB, 3 players) K Q 3
Hero checks, MP+2 checks, BTN checks

Turn: (8.13 BB, 3 players) 6
Hero checks, MP+2 bets 2.78 BB, fold, Hero calls 2.78 BB

River: (13.68 BB, 2 players) T
Hero checks, MP+2 bets 11.11 BB, Hero raises to 26 BB, MP+2 raises to 44.97 BB and is all-in, Hero calls 18.97 BB

MP+2 shows 8 A (Flush, Ace High)
(Pre 59%, Flop 39%, Turn 100%)
Hero shows K J (Flush, King High)
(Pre 41%, Flop 61%, Turn 0%)
MP+2 wins 103.62 BB

Read a little more Harrington, the hand examples are just so obvious to me in every spot. Even though I don't FULLY get the math yet, I do understand reverse implied odds and some of that jazz. I'm good at building chip mountains, I just need to work on my mid-late game - and staying away from OOP spots with marginal hands.

PT4 seems to be pretty **** at tracking tournament stats with progressive ko's etc. So I decided to just reset my SharkScope stats to the day I properly started last week and opted in to easily see how I'm doing. You can check me on there if you're interested.

Cashed a couple of games yesterday. Played one hand like a moron at a crucial time after playing a long solid game. I'll post that hand up a little later. Literally just a concentration lapse.

After reading more of Harrington I'm starting to understand why I inevitably play better on 3-4 tables rather than 4+. It's because there's no substitute for focusing on other players and the feel of the table etc. That's always been the overriding skill for me, being able to hawk a table and just make moves (probably sounds insane) I just can't do that with 6 tables optimally. Need to practice this more.

Will play a few games today, but I also have some work to do. Crucial time in this business so I feel obligated to continue helping at the moment, just whilst we finish off the initial V1 software development at least.

Looks like I managed to maintain a job, which I didn't think would be possible. Pretty sure it was gonna be this or that. Woop!

Haven't been too active in here. I dropped the last of my £450 deposit (I didn't deposit the other £350) on games today and then chopped the Big 5.50 tonight for just shy of $2000. You can follow my progress on Sharkscope.. I've reset my stats to the day I started properly a few weeks ago so you can see whats going on.

http://www.sharkscope.com/#Player-St...s/facesofpok3r

GG and just in time for the SCOOP!

Got involved in a hand where someone folded KK to me preflop where I had AA in an $11 game. Got talking and found out he lives a 15 minute drive from me.

Met up with the guy through Skype. His friend has just come down from the north of the UK to play the SCOOP with him and we've had a couple of sessions the past couple of days.

Both guys are much more aggro than me, but also better players IMO. Having come from cash to mainly play MTTs, it's such an excellent chance for me to skyrocket my game.

The team:


The dream: