You need to find more games. Playing with the same players over and over and over will eventually hurt you a little. Drive down the road a little to the next casino and play there.

Keep it up.

I think you are right, I could get a little rusty at trying to figure out all 9 players like it was during my trips to Vegas last year. When that is the case, I follow every hand closely after the moment I sit down. I'm sure some of the regs have me figured out pretty well too so I could probably get more action at a table of unknowns. There are a few more nearby places to play I could check out whenever I want to get away from the Oaks and shuffle different colored chips and stare at different colored felt for a day.

i was just passing on what others have suggested to me and i am playing against a much bigger player pool than 1 or 2 tables at my regular spot.

Just read through the thread and really enjoying it so I have subbed.

This bolded part is discipline that most players don't have and I'm glad that you are smart enough to not let your ego get the best of you. Most people can't move down in stakes to a more profitable game than the stakes they are playing because they feel they are somehow above that. But let's face it, this game is about making money, you go to the table that you can maximum your profit at. Table selection is a major part of maximizing that profit and you seem to realize table selection doesn't have to be just from one set stakes.

Best of luck!!

Good read, very inspirational. I'm 23 and about to take my second shot at playing part-time. Going to start with a 2k bankroll at 100 bb buy-ins untill i get to 3k then buy-in full for 150 bb. Thinking about making a similiar thread for motivation, which seems to be what alot of these similar threads provide for the OP's. Keep up the good work and good luck on the felt!

Today's Results- $160 in 6 hrs

So coincidentally I got called up by my friend who is one of the newest dealers at the Oaks and got invited to a home game in Marin. We stopped Marin Brewing Co. for some brews and got a bbq chicken pizza too. The game was .25/.50 with an unlimited straddle. I tried a few more bluffs than usual in heads up pots and was pretty successful but also made a lot of good hands.

Blinds don't always dictate how big a game is playing. Average PFR sizes and stack sizes are a more important factor. Sometimes the 1/2 tables get super deep and play just as big or bigger than the 2/4. Table selection is critical no doubt.

Thanks!

Yes, this thread has been helpful to me motivation wise. It is nice to have a place to write down my thoughts. GL to you too.

March

Total hours played- 50
Average hourly winrate- $41
Winnings- $2060

2012 YTD

Total hours played- 291
Average hourly winrate- $19
Winnings- $5522

Hey man, its waynetrain from black chip.

LIke the thread. I'm in vegas, let me know when your ready to come out.

Today's Results- $282 in 8 hrs

I woke up kind of early today so I ended up starting my session earlier than usual at a little before noon. The 2/4 game got started up shortly thereafter with an excellent line up.

Here are a couple awkward spots I found myself in-

I pick up 1010 in mp, loose guy to my right has opened to 30, I make it 90 it folds back to him, he calls

Flop- Q94
He checks dark, obviously not a dream flop. The pot is 181, I've got 160 left I decide to ship. I commited myself preflop and my hand still has a little value. He snaps with A7 the board bricks out, nh sir.

I pick up KK in mp and 3bet to 80 over an open of 20 from a loose villain. I get cold called by lp and original raiser folds.

Flop-A106
I check and villain goes all in for 200 into a pot of 181. He made the move pretty quickly, I tank for awhile and decide I can't give him credit. It was a close spot but it just seemed villain would lead smaller if he had AQ or AK. I am also not drawing completely dead if behind, I've got a backdoor spade draw. I call the board runs out K A, I always show my hand whenever I have any kind of decent showdown value so villain mucks. No way to know if I made a really good call or a terrible call, fwiw villain who I 3bet said he folded A5 so that makes it a little less likely villain had an ace. I think it could have been queens or a fd.

There was a controvesial hand that came up where a player bet 200 on the turn to put another player all in. The other player said "okay" and started to slide his chips into the center and the first player instantly tables a flopped set and the second player pulls his chips back claiming to have never called. It was clearly an angle. After the situation was decribed to the floorman the first ruling was that it was a call at this point player 2 is out of his seat and it taking his 200 off the table and refusing to pay. Management is called to appeal the ruling. The game stalled out for about 15 min while the cameras were checked by management and eventually they came to the conclusion that it was not a call because forward motion was not visible despite the rest of the players at the table seeing player 2 move his stack foward while saying "okay". Definitely a scummy move.

Right on.

March

Total hours played- 58
Average hourly winrate- $40
Winnings- $2342

2012 YTD

Total hours played- 299
Average hourly winrate- $19
Winnings- $5804

Dude you are on fire!

To what do you attribute your better results of the past 2 months?

I haven't really changed up my style or anything, mainly I think I am just running good. I am making more hands than usual and they are holding up probably more than they are expected to. I am also more confident in my game and reads and my bankroll is back up to where I am pretty comfortable.

I am also running good in life aswell, that really helps to keep me from tilting. Whenever I take a beat I just think about how great 2012 has been to me so far and nothing can phase me.

See you at the tables.

keep up the good work

Today's Results- -$245 in 10.5 hrs

I unfortunately ended my win streak at the 2/4 game today. I was never all in just got involved in a lot of medium sized pots. One odd spot I got in was flopping a gutshot + small fd then turned 2nd pair. I ended up calling a little more than a pot sized all in, there were a few players behind me I thought might join the party but they all folded. I rivered my flush but villain rivered a boat with what was top 2p on the turn. So I think it was a marginally bad call I wasn't quite getting the right price and I should have discounted some of my outs. Other than that I made a few other small bad calls with tp on the river. I was down 400 but managed to recover some of it, the game was pretty good until it broke so I stayed.

Thanks man.

March

Total hours played- 68.5
Average hourly winrate- $31
Winnings- $2097

2012 YTD

Total hours played- 310
Average hourly winrate- $18
Winnings- $5559

i was beginning to think you were invincible.

OP IS invincible.

good luck, pure_aggression, been reading your story from the very start and hope you have a great year and end up in vegas as the title says

inspiring stuff bro

glad ure still grinding!

hope all is well

Today's Results- -$640 in 8.5 hrs

So after running hot for quite awhile I had a bit of a cold run today, lost all the big pots I was involved in. I got the chips in good the majority of the time so I'm satisfied with how I played. As for the small pots, I didn't flop much, still made a standard cbet with overs but kept getting raised so had to let them go.

Haha I wish!

Thanks man, I'm really looking forward to crushing the tables in Vegas this summer.

Hey thanks, likewise.

March

Total hours played- 77
Average hourly winrate- $19
Winnings- $1457

2012 YTD

Total hours played- 318.5
Average hourly winrate- $15
Winnings- $4919

lose $640 at $1/$2 or $2/$5? i was ready to quit after losing $500 saturday night. it really shouldn't happen at $1/$2.

2/4, less than 2 full buy ins no big deal.

Seeing posts like this always help me tremendously. About 5 months ago i ran into a 3 session blow-up. Granted i was a little under-rolled, i was so cold with cards, NOTHING would hit, not even the junk. At the end of that cold streak i dropped 550, my biggest loss in 1/2 to date, and had my confidence pretty shaken. Just gotta remember its variance and it sucks, and keep on trucking. RUN GOOD!

I was betting 500 on 2 hands of blackjack wed night, yes I did lose 8k. Losing 2 or 3 buyins is not a big loss trust me. And yes I am a 1-2 player that crushes but I have life leaks that hurt.

Cool Thread Bro

When are you moving to Vegas? How much more do you have to make? How much more confidence do you need in your game, etc.?

OP just curious, you keep saying what your making for the month and ytd but it appears thats not counting your costs (gettin to and from casino) and bills. Im a huge fan of this thread but are you able to actually build a BR or is your playing just letting you barely be above water? Ive read all 35 pages and Ive seen numerous people ask you whats you BR and you answer all questions except the BR questions. It appears maybe im wrong but if ur able to make 2k a month your room to rent is 550 a month im guessing 450 a month for food so now your profit is 1k. This is based on you making 2k a month which in 2011 not many times you have made over 2k a month.I don't know how much it costs a month for you to go to the casino or entertainment but what are you actually banking for your BR? I am not trying to ruin your parade because i think its phenomenal that your in the + every month for as long as you been posting, but it appears your a break even player after bills and expenses. If you can elaborate that would be great, it appears it not just me thats curious. GL in the future where ever it takes you and just remember conidence is key.

Today's Results- $510 in 8.5 hrs

I haven't been able to put in much volume because I've been busy with the band and the gf. We've played a show every week and this week we played 2 in a row. It's been fun though.

I got back into it today. I made 1 really bad hero call on the river but other than that I felt I played good.

Here is a hand I played-

I've got AA utg and open for 20 and get 4 callers

Flop- 1096
I bet 65 into 97, folds to the bb who calls

Turn- 4
he checks I bet 200 into 227 he calls pretty quickly

River- 10
he bets enough to put me all in for my last 55 I call and show he mucks. It looked like he thought about 3betting pf so I think he could've had jacks or queens.

Yep that's the nature of the game, just have to ride it out.

I figured out that blackjack is a really bad habit, glad I've been able to stay away from it.

I'm shooting for mid June because that is when my probation is up. There is no specific amount I need to hit but obviously the bigger the better. I am extremely confident in my game.

Hey great question. My liferoll is at 4.5k right now. I've been able cover expenses each month and add a little bit to the roll over the last 3 months. I did have a 3 month stretch last year where my expenses out paced my winnings. I have been using an app called driod wallet to budget and track what I spend and there are a couple things I could cut back on. You are right I am only a little better than breakeven. I know I could potentially make more once I build up enough to take shots at 5/10 but honestly I am somewhat content at the stakes I play. I live a pretty simple lifestyle and there isn't much I want or need that requires a lot of money.

It would not be too hard for me to go on a bad run for a couple months and go busto. If it happens it's not really a big deal, I would stop playing poker and pursue a different occupation. I have already given some thought to a couple different directions I could take. I can't see myself grinding poker for 20+ yrs anyway. I am just going to see how far poker takes me.

I've only made over 2k in 1 month ever, but I think I will be having some 3k and 4k months very soon.

March

Total hours played- 86
Average hourly winrate- $23
Winnings- $1967

2012 YTD

Total hours played- 327
Average hourly winrate- $17
Winnings- $5429

So when is the big move to Vegas? I have thoguht of moving there as well but everyone seems to say action is better in LA... even if cost of living is a little higher.

mid june