The Legend of MuchoGood


And here it begins. A somewhat cold, somewhat sunny day in New England. I'm sitting here alone in my apartment finally starting this thread.
Its been something I've thought about for quite some time, and if you check my post history, I've already done one. That was 2017 and I was at the
start of an amazing journey but not for poker. I might get into that a bit but you'll hear about alot of what I learned there as its going to support my play.

So what exactly is going on today? Who am I? What can you expect from this thread?

I am in my early 40s and have been playing poker since my late 20s. Friends in Brooklyn (where I lived for ten years) started having weekly SNGs,
which quickly turned into all night cash games. I also found Full Tilt through my roommates laptop and would play when I visited home a little.
I loved it, was a little hooked but never allowed it to take over my life and played only a little. That all started to change at some point, and I fell in love
with the culture. I was playing in the now weekly cash game all night and often taking the bus of Friday's to Atlanctic city. 2008 happens,
i lose my job and move home to Massachusetts.

Poker did not stop, in fact, I ramped things up. I was dead set on playing all day, every day online. Pokerstars, Tilt, UB were all my stomping grounds
and I was a winner at the low stakes MTTs. It felt so good. It was then I realized why poker and I had a love affair. I could always count on poker. I was
late 20s, struggling with my past, my future, the expectations of the world but **** THAT, all that matter was my little MTTs, my few poker friends, and the dream.
Yes this has it downsides but many years later poker has been that same thing for me and in many ways has given me little blueprints and moments of
inspiration and confidence that has helped me elsewhere in life.

So fast forward to post black Friday. I was a winner at the MTTs but never hit a big score or was able to play bigger stakes. New England always has had a solid poker scene
so I jumped in. Now at this point I started working. I kept up with MTTs for a while post black Friday having good success playing part time. I played local charity cash games, tournaments, trips to foxwoods. I knew I was leaving a job (youth mental health worker) and did well playing exclusively for around five months waiting on the next gig. I was so excited when I was about to start my next gig that I busted my bankroll although entirely in one night at Harrah's Atlanctic City one fateful Saturday night. Who needed it anymore? I still remember driving out of the parking lot with the South Jersey sun beating down on me listening to "Redemption Song" by Bob Marley. Oh well, punters gotta punt.

So I took to work and it was pretty well paying (Union gig). I probably played little bits here and there but probably didn't play for the first year or so. Anyone whose done a construction gig
know you have slow periods and I found poker again. I started grinding the Rockingham Park cash games one winter and did really well. I ran good, games were GREAT, and I really took to studying. I once again found myself with a nice sized bankroll. Work started when the new year got going and I ended up stopping poker. Work grind was hard living in some ways and the older
I was getting I realized I wasn't happy and needed to really be myself and follow my dreams. I didn't know exactly what that meant though. I knew I needed to be happy and I wasn't.
That was around the time I made the original thread. I was hitting a bottom and needed change.

I started to dig, started to seek. Again laid off and thinking I was going to give poker another run. I knew I loved poker, knew I succeeded at it. I started to meditate and let me tell you
in a few weeks my world changed. Looking back my story was probably not the most common but it happens. I unearthed alot in those long early sessions, where I really had no idea what I was doing. I realized I needed major change and that change had to come from within. I was also very hurt both emotionally and spiritually and needed time to heal. The next few years were amazing.
I woke up at 3:30am drove Uber for a few hours and then lounged in the sun doing yoga, meditation, reading. I was a strange dude, made some strange relationships. Found love, lost love etc etc.
I trained over those years to becoming a yoga teacher and taught for over a year. Two silent meditation trips etc etc.

So where does poker come back in? I was always playing here and there. Hitting New Hampshire rooms a bit and then Encore Boston Harbor opened up. As a Massachusetts player this was a dream come true.
No more driving to Foxwoods or New Hampshire, I had poker literally ten minutes away. Pre pandemic, I did okay, the games were good but I wasn't too focused on learning. I was content beating 1/3 but not being one of the better players. At this time I was working my just now quit bar gig, teaching some yoga, living with my ex and playing just here and there. I basically stopped for almost seven months leading up to the pandemic. I had broken up with my ex, and found my current apartment. This was a rough patch and once the pandemic hit everything got disrupted. I stopped teacing yoga as I had no interest in the virtual world and started up playing again regularly as our restaurant was closed for months.

So again, poker started playing a central role in my life. I was dealing with a tremendous amount of change both internally and externally and the game was an anchor. As the world
began to open up, I started playing live more and knew I needed to make another run. I started studying more, and was back in a healthier poker routine. At the end of 2021 I took a very modest
$3000 and started playing the 1/2 games in New Hampshire and Foxwoods. Encore was still closed at the time. I was working just around 30 hours a week in the bar as well. The grind begins. I'm having fun with it. I remember feeling nervous in big pots, not knowing exaclty how to approach certain spots even though I know I've been here before. I grinding away and Encore opens with a nice 1/3 game $500 buyin. I take to it and over the course of 2022 I ended up a pretty big winner for the game. I was a little on again off again with some life stuff but I was around 20 hours weekly when I was actively playing. Between poker and work my life bankroll was very solid. I've been studying and understand concepts years ago I couldn't fully grasp.

Outside of poker, I'm so much more content and knowledge with who I am, how I need to operate in the world. I'm coming at this with honest intentions, not for fame or money, not chasing demons or trying to hide myself (which I was always doing in the past) but I'm here to be more of myself and allow poker to blossom as an extension. I've just quit my restaurant bar/job so now have seven days a week to make myself a better player and person.

So what does that look like exactly? What games am I going to be playing? Whats my actual goal?

Poker Bankroll : 10K

I don't mind having to reload this a bit if need be, but as of writing this is what i have 100% set aside for poker. I will be playing mostly live cash games, with online as well.
The 1/3 buyin is $100-$500 and I'm very comfortable playing these stakes. I consider myself one of the betters players in the pool and rarely feel outmatched. I'm also going to start playing
the 2/5 as well. The buyin is $300-$1000. I'm not a proven winner here and know I'm not one of the better players in the pool. That said I don't think I'm a spot either. I'm confident this level
is beatable with the right focus and bankroll. I'm considering buying in for $500-$600 as the year progresses with the long term goal of buying in regularly for the max. I'm playing mostly at
the Encore Boston Harbor (home of the $11 rake). I also am booking rooms to Foxwoods to offset this rake and Twin River in Rhode Island is reopening. Online I'll be putting $500
on at least one site and playing some .25/.50 cash games. I also will be playing small MTTs to start on Sunday's. Most likely Global and maybe Ignition as well.

I realize this isn't fool proof. I'm prepared to reach back into my life roll if need be albeit for poker itself or to keep funding the full time poker lifestyle. Life wise, things are actually decent
so I can take a little more risk. I'm content where I am at and can be flexible with my living situation if need be. I also will be keeping my foot in the working world helping a friend whose starting
a food truck. I should have some fun and get a few bucks for some expenses here and there. It also would be beyond easy to find a bar gig and go back to part time work/part time poker which treated me very well in 2022.

I hope HOW I live really sets me up here too. I got a few simple goals each day. Movement, Meditation, Play/Study. Movement will consist of hikes, basketball, burpees, yoga, gym, and walks around the neighborhood. Meditation for me is right now 23 minutes seated daily (i'm working up to 33 but I've been on and off these past few months), and the play I described above and I'll also be studying a ton. I have a subscription at a training website and will consider a coach if funds should allow. I should be doing some element of all three daily and I'm confident success will follow.

I'd love to move around and travel a bit also if it can allow. I've already booked somewhat of a dream poker vacation. Six nights in Vegas to start July right in time for the Main event. I can't wait
to see where i'll be come July so I hope to build enough to take some type of shot. At the least I'll be playing the Mini Main Event for 1K. Its going to be a tough few months and not easy. I'm already feeling the heat and the need to stay strong. I'm writing this on Tuesday morning. I've been on a nice little downswing in February. In fact, its bigger than anything I experienced in 2022. 2.7K down. Not the worst considering I'm actually not even down too much equity wise but you know how that works. I'm looking forward to what this year has to offer and hope to update this weekly along the way. I'll end with a hand.

Hand History

2/5 Encore (Effective stacks $620)

UTG (solid) opens UTG $20
UTG1 (solid) calls $20
UTG2 (Hero) calls $20 10d10h.
LJ (Aggro) 3bets to $80. Young kid had been very aggressive in his first two orbits and felt his direct energy sitting down. Can't say much about his skill, but he's going to play pots and fire it seems. This is his third 3bet.
SB (Decent but calls ton pre) calls
BB (Fish) calls
UTG1, UTG2 fold action on me.

So this is an interesting spot for me. This isn't my regular game so regardless of theory I don't have many reps. The other stakes are all 1K+ effective and my reads are pretty spot on. The pot
is big already with $300 in and I have $600 behind. I close the action with $600 behind. Whats the move?

I'm from New England too (Rhode Island). Good luck in the live streets.

As far as the HH you need to 3bet TT here, it plays much easier and it's definitely higher EV as live players under 4bet.

As played you have to call now, you are getting great odds and you close the action while having 1 fish/1 bad reg/1 splashy guy in the pot.

Solid intro. Looking forward to following. I think you're gonna smash it.

thanks. are you planning on playing at Twin River when it opens?

i hope so!

I think they are rebranding it to Bally's if I'm not mistaken. Yeah I'll be checking it out when it opens, I played there a bunch pre Covid in 2019 at 1/2 and it was pretty soft.

Nice view from my morning hike. Moving and now grinding! Such a nice view here of Boston! I remember I was on a hike with a potential lady friend and when we stopped here she started ranting about how bad the casino was and I laughed knowing this one ain’t ever gonna work out!

Will update with my progress Monday or Tuesday!

Weekly Update :


Movement :

Monday - Burpees
Tuesday - Hike
Wednesday - 30 min rowing
Thursday - Yoga (some slow flow vinyasa)
Friday - Hike
Saturday - Riverwalk (just a nice long walk in my city through some paths by the Mystic River)

Meditation :

23 minutes daily seated meditaiton. (also lots of walking meditation thorughout my sessions at casino and home)

Play/Study

A little light on some study this week but I'm okay with that as it was the first week not working and had some life stuff to get done to get this little plan going. Did some some videos and took some notes on notecards so I'm building out those study habits but they worked for me in high school (lol). I've decided that going forward after some feedback and just going over my options that my plan will be Live Cash Games in New England starting with 1/3 and 2/5 depending on where I'm playing. Online I have decided not to play cash at all. The games are just two different and I'd probably be making mistakes in both because I'm just not adjusting plus I think my skillset right now is way better suited to balancing the theory with the exploitative live environment. I also enjoy the socialization. Games were good this week and I ran well in my small sample so I"m happy at how that started. I admit I had nerves the first session just like I've had when I was new or not playing for a while. But I ended up locking in and playing well. All 1/3 at the Encore right now. I'll jump to 2/5 there when I have more a roll cause I want to buy in for the max or more than 100bb which I'm not rolled for right now.




I also have just under 1K on Global Poker and have decided as I'm heading to Vegas in July for my first ever WSOP, this is going to be a great way to build a roll for that and have some fun. Online MTTs were my first love and I haven't even cared about them in so long. I've been mostly blasting the bigger Sunday's for fun here and there and never actually locking in so for the first time in a while I did that and had a blast. I only played a few $11 MTTs but gonna grind up until July. I got one final table in 6max but ****ed off my stack against the big one. Probably ICM mistake (lol) but as they kids say : ICM is for poor people. Ironically so are $11 MTTs





Overall doing good. Felt great waking up and I know I made the right decision. It ain't easy and there is going to be moment where life is gonna get you stressed. I grabbed an empty notebook and decided I'd just write little **** down when it becomes a lot. To note this was after I spent the day messing around with the cash games online and going over hands trying to decide if they were gonna be right. I had also just been off a little downswing the week prior (all my play prior to the start of the challange isn't included) and had lots of energy stuff to deal with leaving work. I also LOVE marijuana but actual flower just takes a little too much of my cognitive functions as well as being pretty expensive cause I won't really stop smoking. Edibles are my jam right now.


Feeling a little stressed and pressured at the moment. Insecurity coming through as well as doubt but I'm breaking the mold. Just walked out the door to get a joint. It sounded like a nice way to unwind. Took a few moments and backed off. If my goal is success this will get in the way. Am I just trying to kill the boredom? I know its there and sometimes I fear it worse than the pain. Time just need to slow a bit. I'm okay in this moment. There is nowhere I need to be. I'm quite happy and looking forward to tomorrow. I'll move, I'll meditate, and I'll play and study. I'll be tempted but will to be frugal. Sure, I was down a bit pokerwise and lifewise but I was on point with my habits.

Sunday Update

Nothing like a Dunkin cold brew to start the day when its below freezing outside!

Movement & Meditation

Sunday (2/19) : Riverwalk and 23 mins seated meditation
Monday (2/20) : Walk with Mom and No meditation
Tuesday (2/21) : Burpees and 23 min seated meditation
Wednesday (2/22) : Row/KB Squats and 23 min seated mediation
Thursday (2/23) : Yoga and 23 min seated meditation
Friday (2/24) : Burpees and 23 min seated meditation
Saturday (2/25) Light stretch/rest and 23 min seated meditation

All and all solid. Worth noting I missed Monday's meditation. I was visiting and stayed out at my mothers house across the city and kind of just forget as the day flowed. It was a productive day but I need to remember to stay focused on keeping the routine especially when I am not at my own place where i have my setup. I'll be traveling a bunch in March for some pokers so need to stay on top of this. In the past I'd often be so excited to travel and play but really just tossed the healthy routine out when I was hotel living.

Pokers





OVerall, it was an okay week. There have been a few changes to how I'm moving forward. Results wise, I had a tough 1/3 session Friday, and again at 2/5 on Saturday. Friday was tough cause I was taking pretty good aggressive lines but just never hitting. I did have a little trouble adjusting to some LAG players and found myself having to fold a decent amount after putting money in. I probably get a little sloppy and tred to get some cbets and such through that I shouldn't and I think I may have left some equity on the table Friday. Worth nothing that games at Encore are now 24/7 Thursday-Sunday so I often come in early to some huge stacks that have been up all night. This can be feast or famine and I need to adjust to this play. Much different than opening a new table with 9 other players. I ended my session Friday 3betting isoing from the HJ Ac10c and got flatted by the button who was a tight older guy. The original raiser called who I was trying to isolate and the Ax6s3s board. I decided to cbet on the larger side here and when the old guy flatted I knew he had AK. Other dude folded so I shut it down. In game I'm not sure my sizing was correct but multiway I wasn't sure as maybe there was value if old man folded his JJ, QQ, and I got the orignal raiser who was tilting to call again. I got up soon after and called it a night.

Saturday I wasn't in the best mental state and had been up real early that morning. Got some real life **** going on with a few people in my personal life that is complicated. That said I just got moving and after some deliberation decided to hop into the 2/5 game with $500 stacks. When I play 1/3 i buy in for $500 so moneywise I'm risking the same amount and bankroll wise I have the 20buyins. I also think 100bb play is a bit simplified and in my limited 2022 2/5 experience I did find some pretty tough spots when sitting with the max against what i saw as some decent aggro players. Now the 5/10 games are running pretty good on the weekends so I figured 2/5 would be a good game and it was. Big theory mistakes all over and basically the same player pool as 1/3 outside the real low end buyin for min types but there was one of those. I got into a few spots where I had to invest in the pot and it didn't work out. When you 3bet AKo you gotta fire a range bet on most flops and its tough when you got to shut down and fold. I found a few spots like this and just oculdnt' chip up. I kept reloading to keep 100bbs in my stack and did get into a few good spots where I was real happy with my play but again those were minimal. But I know I can play with most people at these tables. I made a pretty bad play where I kind of wasn't locked in where I tried to barrel turn in a spot I shouldn't have and got shoved on and had to fold. I packed up after four hours or so and headed home. Just under 20 hours of live play which I need to step up as this progresses.

The MTTs were pretty fun on Global and I took third in a small bounty. I love MTTs and htey are so fun. But, i decided after some consultation with others that I need to focus of cash. I do think the best use of my time will be this and if I want to have fun here and there and play a tourney okay. I'm fine with playing one WSOP as hey its a bucket list and think not studying MTTs will be alright. I withdrew my Global Balance and loaded up my Ignition account. 25 NL zone it will be. I got PT4 and the like so really can dive in to some of the GTO stuff. Why not try to be the best player i can be. I'm already looking into GTOwizard and some of that stuff and will dive in when I get a sample size. I think while the games are different a good solid online winning player can crush the cash games lives. So that is likely the path forward and I played a bunch of 25NL zone Saturday. I played for 30 mins and sat out, took a break, and went back. No need to just sit there and grind for hours, focus on my spots, reads, theory etc etc etc. I'm excited. I was also playing then mediation/breathwork for a few minutes and then doing light yoga so I enjoy doing all three.

Lifewise, I'm looking forward to March. Got a nice size tax return coming and got my final paycheck from work. I'll be traveling to New York to visit friends and have hotels lineup at Foxwoods mid week for most of March so I'll be on the move. I've also reached out to a coach whose videos I've followed for a while and have continued to put in study with my Solve 4 Why subscription.

My cold brew is about half way done and the plan is to relax a bit, move, meditate and back to 2/5 for the day with some online sprinkled in later. Good luck out there on these poker streets people.

for the record, ended up nearly 17k overall in poker. didn't go ahead and keep this up as it just didn't feel right and i ended up doing some writing for fun on my own. traveled a bit as well as decdided full time was going to be a big pain in the ass where i am located and i didn't want to move. woredk a few part time jobs (my friends food truck and now dog walking) and have settled in nicely where i am.

2023 saw me move up and beat 2/5. i'm one of the better players in my pool and am never intimdated at the tables. i attribute this to continued study and being fully bankrolled. i've got my eyes set on 5/10 this current year as well as really letting my bankroll grow. I played my biggest buyin tournament for $1650 in Novemberand had some decent success in some smaller mtts in vegas.

2024 will mostly be bankroll building for poker and life. at this point i could fully "go pro" and my life and bankroll are both very flush considering my life circumstances but not sure that is the best as I like have the flexibility and skillset i can use in other avenues.

so there you have it. not much of a legend after all!