You've heard it countless times before, OP makes a PG&C thread to motivate him/herself and stay on pace with his/her objective. Nothing new here folks. Banking on this to be effective because who the hell wants to come to the forum and post about repeated losses? amiright? Anyway, here goes...

Brief background (I could always dive in more here later): I'm 22 years old, have been playing online for just over 2 years. I play when I can between work and the girlfriend, hardly exceeding 20 hours a week. I have grinded micro-everything, from HU SNG to 6-max cash (those two being my primary games). Thus far I have only played on Bodog, showing small winning results despite horrendous BRM and sports-betting degeneracy.

Last Thursday I deposited $200 on Intertops. The reason I switched pokerrooms was to
1) seperate my poker roll and sportsbook roll, and
2) reap the benefits of receiving rakeback.

The first 4 days grinding the new site were a nightmare. I dropped 15 BI in that time, 4 to 6-tabling 10NL 6max. I realized I began my grind way way waay to aggro, after losing 6 BI because of it and dropping my BR to 90. I quickly made the adjustment and shot up 3BI to 120. Following this, a fit of runbad and tiltbad put me down to a total loss of 15BI, sitting on a measly $50 roll.

Goal: My goal, I've decided, is ironically enough to not set monetary goals, rather play a solid game, avoid tilt and consistentally build my roll. I would like to eventually have a solid enough BR to grind .5/1 comfortably, and able to make occasional withdrawals. Early next year would be nice, but I'd rather not put a deadline on it.

Strategy: Starting with my $60 bankroll (original $50 + $10 rakeback), grind 4NL 6max until I reach $100. At these small stakes, playing with a smaller number of BI is okay, as if it is lossed, it can be replenished. When I earn what I consider a respectable roll which would pain me to lose, a much nittier BRM will be in effect. At the $100 mark, I will move to 10NL with 10BI. From there, grind up to $250, at which time moving up a stake to 20NL, where I will have 12.5BI. So on and so forth, grind my way up the stakes, allowing more BI per stake than the previous.

I'll take some RUNGOOD, but more improtantly wish me discipline and an A game!

good luck man.

Thank you Pepsi..

Short one hour session of 6tabling the nosebleed 4NL's.. BR sits at $62.85 so we're doing okay. About 4th to last hand i got QQ AIPF up against 67o for about $5.50 pot. He flopped 2p and held :/

Just feels good to book a win. Short food and nap before work.

Very aggressive BRM. I wish I have the guts to do that. Goodluck.

Not putting too much on the line. Basically I'm working with something I can afford to lose. It's a shot, and despite a rocky (horrible, tbh) start, I'm being optimistic. As I mentioned, my BRM will nit up considerably at higher stakes. Thanks for the good luck.

Home from work at 3:00 am, work meeting early tomorrow morning and my sleep will be very limited but I couldn't resist a short session. I believe this thread is going to work well in motivating me to play my A game and put in the kind of volume I desire.

Half hour session of 6-tabling went well and I was reluctant to close the tables. Gotta do what you gotta do I guess. Booked another small win, roll now sits at $64.13. The games felt very juicy, I was running great, my mind was clear and everything was in place to make this an extremely solid grind. I'm positive if I had more time this would generate a very positive result. I've always been a night owl, I feel late night is when my head is most clear and my focus excels.

Three hours of sleep ahead of me, one hour meeting, and perhaps another small grind before heading out for the remainder of my day. A more lengthy grind will be coming soon.

I wish I hadn't been such an aggro spew**** when I first sat this site. I feel now that I've established a more solid plan and general idea of the play at these stakes that I could be doing much better. The 4NL seems pety to me and it's hard to get excited about <$2 wins. However, seeing the positive side of things, I've done this to myself, and it is a motivator to return to the 10NL tables and beyond.

Also, side note: I've sat two stakes at Intertops thus far: 4NL and 10NL, and despite both being very low micro stakes, I see very notable differences in the two. The 10NL was an overwhelming NITfest and the times I even saw a flop seemed few and far between. 4NL, on the other hand, in my whopping 1 and a half collective hours experience, plays like a drunken home game with gamble degen throughout. Much looser, worse play here. Ideally and probably won't be long before I hop back up.

Oh, yea, I'm receiving 33% rakeback and am attempting to clear my $220 (110%) first deposit bonus. Rakeback is released in $10 increments, of which I believe I received 2, or $20. The bonus is relased in $5 increments based on FPP earnings. I have released a total of $10 here. Definitely should come in handy, and is incentive to move up stakes, where they will become easier to clear.

Ok, ****nosleepforme good night

I like your attitude and goal mate, good luck!

Thanks Mark..
Currently on 3 hours sleep but jacked on free coffee and donuts! Feeling pretty good, bout time for another quick session.

One hour session completed. Was 8-tabling for the first time and it went well. I seem to do well with multiple tables because it helps my patience by keeping me occupied (something I need to work on). I don't get tempted by Fancy Play Syndrome this way.

Very first hand of the second table I opened, 69s auto-posted blind, flop quad 6s. Why not. Checked to me in heads-up pot and I bet the whole pot trying to look like a steal. I'm flat called and the turn brings a Q. Checked over again and again I make a pot-sized bet. Flat-called and to the river, which is a 4. Checked to me, I put villain all-in (which was essentially just under a pot-sized bet), he snap calls. Turns over 10-4o for the small boat he made on the river. I have no idea why he floated the first two streets with 10 high, but I appreciate it.

Very last hand of the sesh I pick up aces on the btn. UTG+1 limps for .04 and i pot it to .18. SB folds, BB flats, limper folds. Ugly rainbow flop to which BB donks out 1/2 pot. I raise (standard) and he folds. Everything between these hands went well also.

$69.25 in the roll now for a session profit of $5.12. Just under 35 FPP needed for another $5 bonus.

Its a shame that when you started out (with $200) you didnt play 4nl instead of the MUCH MORE DIFFICULT 10nl. Oh well, at least you know now. I suggest you play 4nl until you are steadily crushing and try to get to 200 = 20BI instead of 10BI for 10nl or else you stand too high a risk of running bad and going bust.

I know $2 isnt enough money to get excited about but try and think of it in terms on big blinds instead. winning 50 big blinds is great! even if they are 2c, 4c whatever.

Thanks for the good input, Chad. 50 BB most definitely puts it in a better light than saying a measly 2 dollars! You may be right about the safer BRM, but at these stakes I'm basically willing to take a shot. I want to be grinding 20NL with 50NL as my goal, as opposed to 4NL working toward 10NL. When I am there, my BRM will be very matured and overall nittier.
However, I am human, may change my mind, enjoy crushing the baby stakes (if I do indeed 'crush' that is), realize the value in consistentally beating a smaller stake rather than constantly going through swings at a higher one, and do as you advise. I suppose time will tell. Hopefully sooner than later

Busy couple of days, didn't have the chance to play. Off work early today and had the itch to grind. Sat down for a solid (despite short) one hour session. started rocky, ended great. Played well and ran well. Earned nearly 2 BI in the hour. 25 more FPP needed to release $5 bonus, rakeback release should be within nexct two days or so. Considering staying at this stake until BR reaches $150. We shall see. Lunch with the girl and more grinding when I return!


BR $76.47
p/l: +$7.22

One more thing, about halfway through the session I picked up AA in middle position. Standard raise, folds around, SB 3-bets me. No reads on the player but I feel he's never getting away from a hand he comfortably and quickly 3-bets OOP. I shove (huge overbet) for my remaining approx. $4 into a pot of .60-.65 cents. He snaps with AKo and I hold. Easy game.

Lunch and sitting in traffic between sessions. Logged on for another sesh when I returned home. Things were going very well again. Was mostly breaking even, going up a half BI or so, back to even, back up, so on and so forth. Told myself I would wrap it up for now at 8:00 tonight. At 7:57, I call an all-in turn bet on a very raggy board with QQ. The board contained all lower cards and no draws. I lit up when villain turned over AKo. Dead to 6 outs. To the river:



Did I say easy game? I must have been mistaken.. Such is this "poker"

BR: $74.86
p/l: -$1.61

Being scheduled to work tonight gave me a good opportunity to put in a longer grind today. Spent two and a half hours or so playing basically break-even poker, enthusiastic to play but my focus lacked. Last 20 minutes or so the distractions and wandering mind became overwhelming and I am logging off before I lose more. Ran QQ into AA on low board to end the session. Did the smart thing and maximized my EV by closing the tables, as nothing good would have come from playing in this tilted form. Off for lunch, back soon with a refreshed mind.
RUNGOOOOD

BR: $63.76

Decided against fitting a session in my limited time before work. Possible grind when I get home late tonight.

you have a great goal ahead. I like the aggresivness. GOOD LUCK to ya

Thanks for the kind words jeffry, it's a real motivator to read these kinds of things. Sitting down now for a late-night sesh. One would expect to be tired after being up this long and completing a long night of work, but this is when I feel my best! Will post results//////

Officially booking a losing day of poker at the 4NL stakes.. That's humbling. I've noticed a trend starting over the last few sessions: I slowly build a profit by stealing blinds and playing my standard game, then I lose it all, and then some, in one either poorly played or unlucky showdown. I believe it's 3 consecutive times now that I've been on the wrong end of Overpair VS Overpair all-ins.. Variance comes in many forms, and this one is kicking my ass.
Come to think of it, has anyone ever heard the term 'variance' used in a positive sense? Such as, "OMG I cannot believe how good I'm running! I'm sucking out everybody!"?? I, for one, have not. However, I keep in mind that it truly is a part of this game. Just a rant.
Despite the losing session (second in a row, ****), I'm looking up, as I feel my current game is sharp, and the near future will hold more booked wins than losses! Down just over 1 BI, approx -$5, however, I earned enough FPP to relase another $5 increment of my deposit bonus. Would have liked for it to add to, or create, a profit, but I'll take break-even.
Back soon!

BR: $63.80

Woke today tired but wanting to play. I opened Intertops, logged into my account, and discovered a $10 rakeback payment. Off to a great start and I hadn't even loaded any tables yet! Perhaps putting me in a good place mentally, my game was sharp and I proceeded to grind.
It went well, and I'm happy to be back on the winning side. Flopped quad 10s one hand and was called down two streets. Took down a nice pot. 5 minutes later, gave it back when I stacked off with top 2 to a flopped straight. All in all, a good session.
Off to work soon, most likely will be back at it when I get home tonight.

BR: $76.84

DAAMN this game is getting juicy!! Home from work, took a quick shower and hit the tables. 6-tabling as I type this. Allowing a distraction, yes, possible game leak, but I'm just amped about it and want to convey this emotion before it is gone.. AKs in 4-bet pot pre sees a flop of A9A. Go to value town and milk villain all three streets before he reveals AJo at showdown. Shiiipppittt.
A couple minutes later I pick up QQ on the button. UTG raises 3x the bb and both following players flat it. I pot that bitch, blinds, raiser and limp-dicks fold and I scoop a nice pot for not seeing a flop.
Which reminds me, I take back what I said about this stake being a GAMBOOOOOOOOOOL fest. Lot of nittiness around here lately. I think the percentage of raisers folding to 3-bets is in the 150% range. Works out nicely.
Current roll is $80.51, more grinding ahead.

P.S. Just folded TPTK on the flop when I knew I was behind, something I wasn't doing a week ago due to degeneracy. Feels nice losing the min. I ****ing love this game

Calling an all in bet on the turn with an overpair? was it a check raise or an open shove? what kind of opponent? sounds like it should have been a fold.

I dont know if thats a shove, how deep were you both? 200 BB's? shouldnt you just 4bet to about 2.5x rather than 4bet shoving? I would think AA here and fold *most* of the time I think with AK.

Dont remember specifics exactly, and am not sure which situation you are inquiring about. History with player was most likely none, as I haven't been at this stake long, and don't remember precisely anything note-worthy (nor do I even remember who it was). PokerTracker 3 is not compatible with the Intertops skin, and HEM I have never utilized, nor do I know if it works with Intertops or not.
Anyhow, possibly/probably got it in bad, shrugged/tilted/learned my lesson. Funny this came up, actually. Nearing the end of my session tonight, I pick up AA in the BB. Late position raises, I 3, he flats. Low board and I donk it. He tanks and eventually flats. Turn looks to be a blank. I 3/4 pot it, again villain tanks, eventually shipping his remainder. My turn to tank comes along, he either holds a set to crush me, or overpair to the board that I have beat. Just as my time-meter runs down, I make the crying call and discover his set. Been here before. Ironic that my last post ends on patting myself on the back for a conservative laydown. This one could have gone either way I suppose.
To address the 3-bet shove pre with AA, I felt that he just would not lay down anything he felt comfortable 3-betting OOP with (as I originally stated). This, plus the fact that I am testing the waters of this site's player base/stake. 2.5x 4-bet would most definitely be in effect had I had KK, and probably only KK. AK and QQ prob flat and go to the flop (would you consider that bad? I'm typically hugely against flatting pre, as I recognize the value in position and aggression/fold equity). Anyhow, this was a very uncommon move for me to make. Not like me at all. Gotta say I am happy with the results tho, obv, as it paid off.
Thanks for posting again chad, I appreciate it. I think creating this thread has definitely been +ev for me thus far.



I played about 45 minutes more after my mid-grind post. Couple interesting spots, including running the AA into a set. Still managed a small profit, will be back when I awake.

BR: $81.74

Sushi and Sapporo with my girl followed by a home game with my boys.
Donked off 1BI online earlier in a very short, hung-over session. Woops.

BR $77.26