I appreciate you. I am going to try this. Buckle down and fade the punts. I went for a 5 mile walk tonight and been eating healthy. Trying to get the energy levels up and in a good head space. Likely going to Milwaukee this Friday and we'll see what happens. Let's get it $

Very slippery slope, especially given 10% bankroll "investments" and combo bets with no inside information.

That only means one thing, you're looking for a thrill in life, which supposedly should be poker. But you already found poker boring enough.

I would suggest investing that 30k into some tools, machinery that can generate business specifically in your area and either learn a quick trade to use as your side-hustle or rent them out. That way you're also "gambling" but it's much more predictable and satisfying when you can generate stable returns based on your creative ideas in terms of businesses.

I dunno, recovery truck, stump grinders, whatever the **** it can be. In terms of investments that blue chip **** not gonna cut it for you. Can suggest looking into "unknown" pharmaceutical companies and try to gain some insider information on what is being researched, what stage patents are on and for what. When all the talk about global warming started years ago, it used to be aircon companies. Before that when "war" was looming **** like Raytheon. Recently with instability it's been gold. Pharma at the moment for some cancer, alzheimer, diabetes etc treatments would be a killer. Could suggest what I invested in, but you're looking for a challenge clearly at this part of your life.

The afternoon bell rings signaling the end of my work week. After taking some time to organize the office, I grab a Coke Zero and walk out of work into blue skies and sunshine. I throw the work bag into the trunk, and climb into the front seat of a freshly cleaned 2014 Kia Sportage. I put on sunglasses, crack the pop, and flip on 94.7 The Razor as Lynyrd Skynyrd's Free Bird comes on. It's the start of my weekend and I feel pure goddamn positivity.

This last week I’ve spent some time breaking down barriers of what I feel is preventing me from focusing. I’ve moved some money around places. I sold whatever swing plays or options I had on the Stock Market, and just kept whatever long-term stocks I had in a portfolio….I don’t want the financial swings of anything non poker-related to become a distraction. I cleaned the car, did laundry, and caught up on some work-related stuff... I don’t want underlying anxiety to cloud my judgment. Ive been eating salad, and walking outside in the afternoons….I don’t want my energy levels to prevent me from playing longer sessions. I am zoned in and hyper focused on a singular goal: crushing poker.

The Poker Room at the Potawatomi Casino has just reopened in Milwaukee. It had closed during the pandemic and hadn't ever reopened. But it's back, and today marks the grand opening of its brand new 13-table room.

I packed a bag last night with a change of clothing and some deodorant, and threw $4k in a moneyclip in the glovebox. I rented a cheap AirbnB for 2 nights right next to the casino, and took Friday off work with an extra PTO day I had. The plan is to play Thursday night, Friday, & Saturday.

I make the drive South to Milwaukee and reminisce on some of the things that brought me to this point in my life. When I was in 7th grade, I worked an entire summer on a sweet corn farm trying to save up enough money to buy myself a desktop computer. My parents never had much money. My dad worked really hard as a teacher trying to do his best supporting me, my younger sister, and my older brother. My mom worked entry level positions to help make ends meet. If I wanted something that wasn’t a necessity I had to work for it. I thought about that computer for an entire year before I eventually saved enough to get one. This was around 2001 so it was one of those big CRT looking screens. I found online poker through that. I started with play money through Party Poker.

After Chris Moneymaker won the WSOP my friends and I would play poker tournaments with about 15 of us in each other’s basements. After I watched Rounders I was hooked. I bought Doyle Brunson’s Super System and began crushing my friends and they thought I was cheating. I had to hide that book under my mattress because my parents didn’t support gambling as conservative Christians.

Poker has always been more than just a game for me. There’s times it consumes me. Maybe it’s the competitive side of me, or the mental stimulation, maybe it’s the fact I looked up to the poker hero’s of the Golden Era at a critical stage of my development, or maybe it’s the come up. The sense of rising up and opening opportunities.

4 hours later I’m driving through the parking garage looking for a place to park. I grab my small bag I always bring to the tables containing some water, car keys, reading glasses, my players card and DL, and an iphone, and stick some cash in my front pocket. I walk across the street to the Casino as the sun starts to descend over the horizon. It’s about 65 degrees here and it’s feeling more like Summer.

It takes 10 minutes of walking to enter the poker room, and into the fresh new colored carpets. I hear the chips clicking and the mixed babble of simultaneous chatter and I feel an adrenaline head rush, and I’m nervous because I want to do well. I don’t care about a loss, but I’m nervous for myself that I’m going to fail at something that I’m so focused on.

I’m 5th on the wait list for $2/$5 so I take some time to reexplore the casino that I haven’t been to in several years and stretch my legs. A vibey feeling island themed room full of Ultimate Fire Link grabs my attention but I remind myself the choices I make have a direct effect on the outcome of my success… it’s poker only.

Not too long after I receive a notification informing me a seat has opened. I quickly stop and use - bathroom and head over. I head to the cage, grab $500 in Chips and as I walk over to the table I’m relieved to see seat 9 is open. My favorite seat. The table is full with 2 Asians, 2 blacks, 2 older guys, 1 younger guy, and a woman in her 40s. I put on the hood of my sweatshirt and my reading glasses, with the goal of playing my best possible poker over the next few days.


TBC…..

The table was juicy with a lot of good spots. I won a quick $400 without having to do much, but then got stacked with set over set on a flop, so down $500. I left since it was getting later and wrote the post above before heading to sleep. I woke up at around 11am, but by the time I got back to the casino from a few errands I had to do the wait lists ended up being really really long....like 40 people deep for 2 tables of $2/$5 and 70 deep for $1/$3. I thought that might happen since it was the first weekend. I didn't really want to play $1/$3 or wait hours before sitting so I decided to go check out a movie....but I then clipped a dude's bumper with my car on the way over AAAAaa! It was sort of my fault, but that kind of soured my mood, so I just settled that and took that as a sign to drive home. It was kind of a stupid weekend, but it's all good. **** happens. Car is fixed, nothing too serious. Just will be a bump in the insurance premium...

I booked a place in Milwaukee for the first 9 days of summer June 7th - June 16th. It's a very cheap place at a hostel and the place looks super uncomfortable, but oh well. It was just $250 for 9 nights. There's a pic below of what I'll be sleeping on I'm going to start in Milwaukee and grind for that first week. The goal is to make money. I don't really like planning past a week, but it's for sure Milwaukee for the first 9 days and based on how I do I'll decide from there. Will be daily updates, short most likely. Will include interesting hands. Maybe to Chicago to a more comfortable spot after, maybe Florida, maybe Thailand if I get crushed....who knows. But we'll start with Milwaukee and that will be a test run. I feel like I have what it takes, guess we'll find out.




Bankroll: $32,239
Hours: 12.75 hours
Hourly: $175/hour

Success is most often a survivor story. If you really want something life will usually force you to take the scenic route. We all doubt, and there will be people in your life that will pray that you fail. At the end of the day, if you don’t believe in yourself, success won’t happen. It isn’t going to be given to you, you have to go out and take it.

Played at the local Oneida Room. Had a beer first in many months I don’t hardly ever drink. Met some friendly guys. Some concrete dude and some other fellas I’ve played with before. If you’re reading this I appreciate you.

Made $429 in 2.5 hours of $1/$3. Played well beginning to feel the magic. Made some well timed 3 bets on a looser table with lower pocket pairs. Didn’t hit any big hands. Work has been sucking I can’t wait until summer I get burnt out working in public schools at this point in the year. It helps to keep me grounded but I need time off.




Bankroll: $32,239
Hours: 12.75 hours
Hourly: $175/hour

Bankroll: $32,658
Hours: 15.25
Hourly: $174

Oh yeah I got this Champion hoodie and I feel like it makes me better at poker $20 brand new steal �� Some older lady across the table said I looked cute which trust me I peaked in 7th grade and it’s been downhill since then

Love the blog brother, keep up the good work!

We're in similar spots too, as I just started my journey of playing full time a couple months ago. The difference is that I'm doing it at 40yo after my daughter is grown, and spending 20yrs at a job I hated just to take care of my responsibilities. I've decided to go down this road because I want to spend the rest of my life being able to wake up every day with the freedom of doing whatever I want to do.

I wish you the best on your journey of living the poker life. From what I've seen in here I think you definitely have the ability to succeed with this. Do yourself a favor though, get away from the sports betting and stay as far away from the pits as you possibly can. Unfortunately there will never be a shortage of stories of successful poker players that either went broke or stayed broke because they couldn't control their degen impulses with betting outside of poker. Don't become another one of these stories, please.

Heading to Milwaukee. Brought the Champion hoodie. If seat 9 is open its pound town.

Good friendly game. Guy bought us beers every time he won a pot over $50. 3 beers and I was toasted since I don’t drink much. Won $423 played about 915am-230pm 5.25 hours


Bankroll: $33.081
Hours: 20.5
Hourly: $150/hour

I switched my room in Milwaukee to another place that was only about $50 more. It’s not a hostel and has a private room in a basement in a guys house which will work better for sleeping I think.

I am going to try and get 100 hours of play in 10 days when I’m in Milwaukee that first bit of summer. It won’t be easy for me…at all, but I think I can do it and I also think I can crush the Milwaukee room. This weekend I played very well. It was only $1/$3 and I bought in for $400 but I made some tough folds that were correct and well timed bluffs. I ran a bluff into 5 players on a 10 10 10 flop after pre raising and folded a king high flush on the river to a guy that had the nut flush. I’m reading hands and body language very well which has always been my strength. I played obsessively online until I was about 26 years old. From all that I have gotten a strong fundamental grasp of the game and feel of flop textures and hand ranges and can be creative in my style of play. My ex gf and I took a trip to Vegas and the first live game I sat in was a $1/$2 at Bellagio about 10 years ago. From there I knew live poker was more of my thing.

I’ve been widening my 3 betting range which I’ve found very helpful. I have been tightening up in general and being more selective with my starting hands which is also very helpful and keeps things simpler. My style of play can be very different it’s all really just dependent on the player but I find tight usually works better. At $1/$3 you don’t really need to be as creative but it just depends on the players and there are always spots to do certain things. In general I think $2/$5 fits my playing style a bit better.

I find that live play people are a little too friendly and ask to see your hands and stuff. I don’t like being a dick and like to keep it friendly but I have to learn to muck all my hands and not give anyone information which I’ve been doing here and there. But yeah super pumped to see what I can do over 100 hours in 10 days I will be wrecked by the end of it. When I was a freshmen in college I would play think read and study poker 24/7. That obsession stuck with me for a while. I used to play 8 tables on FTP before Black Friday to help pay for my living expenses during college. But I never practiced bankroll management and never kept poker separate from life expenses. One time I sat $5k at $25/$50 heads up and lost, which was disgusting since I didn’t have hardly any money then.I have a lot of interesting poker stories I’ll try and share them throughout this blog when I have motivation to write longer updates.

I am completely aware my hourly isn’t sustainable especially since about half of it is from $1/$3. I’ve been playing only the best times, leaving when up, and running decently well and even if all that continues it still isn’t sustainable. However I do feel like I’m the best player so far at all the games I’ve sat in and it hasn’t even been close. Staying humble though is extremely important because this game can turn quickly on you and it’s relentless so I don’t want to get a big head. Confident yet grounded is the way.

I also put all forms of gambling aside from poker on the back burner wanted to bet NBA and MLB today would have gone KC Royals and MN Timberwolves monyelines and broke even, but glad I resisted. I am going to take that guys advice up above and stick to poker.

All constructive criticism is welcome I respond best to encouragement. So far all posters have been mostly encouraging and for real the encouragement is a huge motivation for me and appreciated.

Love the blog! Keep pushing! GL!

I appreciate you my friend.

In 2021 when GME squeezed, I started paying attention. At that point in my life poker was still my vice. But when I heard about people making millions of dollars, and this Roaring Kitty character that took $10k to $60,000,000 I started looking into the stock market. I came across a guy named Trey's Trades, who was making videos on AMC. This was before the AMC squeeze. I began acquiring shares of AMC and got up to about 650 shares at a $8.50 average, which was me putting pretty much my entire first year's discretionary income from work into AMC stock. When AMC squeezed to $70/share, I made about $40,000 in 2 days of trading on the stock market. I sold that stock and bought myself a house. I had briefly dabbled in the markets here and there, but hadn't really done too much with it, until lately when I started this blog., which was good because a lot of people got hosed in AMC and GME when they bought in too late and were delusional into thinking the movement was something more than it was. I had commented just a post ago how I was putting all forms of gambling aside from poker on the back burner. But as fast as the cards can change sometimes things in life change, and you have to adapt and take advantage of the opportunities life provides. I woke up yesterday at 530am and saw that AMC and GME were running up. I didn't have work this day, so I turned on some Meet Kevin on Youtube and saw that...he was back. Roaring Kitty. The guy that was responsible for the GME run up. The guy that single handedly ****ed Wall Street and led his an army of apes from Wall Street Bets into millions of dollars. The guy that they made a Netflix movie about recently. The guy that inspired Trey's Trades. The guy that started the meme stock frenzy. He had been absent for 3 years most likely because Congress had put a silence order on him. He had disappeared after GME entirely, but posted the following pic on his Twitter Sunday night.



No idea how one stupid pic like that can cause a stock to go up 150%, but I guess they call them meme stocks because they are influenced by things beyond fundamentals. That pic is supposed to mean that he’s paying attention and leaning in and sees something in the market that is interesting. People took that as a sign to buy GME. He did follow up with a few videos of different cryptic movie clips. I had just sold all my stocks and transferred the money into my checking's, with the intention of focusing solely on Poker, as mentioned above. However, this opportunity I didn't want to pass up. I knew what AMC and GME could do. So I transferred $12,500 into Fidelity and bought 1,000 AMC shares and 230 GME shares. before 05/13 market close yesterday. I didn't have the balls to buy options so just went with stocks, knowing I could sell quickly if it started turning down. This morning driving to work I sold it all in pre-market, and both stocks went down heavily during day trading hours. I just turned $12.5k into $26,628.07. That's a $14,128 gain in 24 hours. My biggest day trade prior to this was AMC, so $14k for me is some serious dough, as I imagine it is for most people. So much for sticking all forms of gambling on the back burner, but I don't plan on entering back into these stocks (likely), and I also don't plan on sports betting. I am serious about focusing on poker, but this opportunity I couldn't pass up and I Just hit a ****ing grand slam. Let's go! For those thinking about buying some GME + AMC I'd say be careful, I do think there's some room left and a short squeeze that could play out, but just be careful because if it doesn't it's retail buying from retail.

What I've found useful at the poker table are 1.5X reading glasses. I will usually wear 1x reading glasses when I'm using a laptop or phone, but at the poker table the extra magnification helps. A big part of my live poker game involves reading body language. There are a lot of tells in the movement of the eyes, the way people shuffle chips, breathing, how they bet, the timing of their bets, how they look at you, if they look at you, etc....and for those who are naive enough to talk to me when I'm making a decision, tells in the intonation of the voice and how they express their thoughts. It's rare for people to give reverse tells, but if you make it obvious that you are trying to read them, sometimes people will try....usually it's them pretending to be more nervous by exaggerated breathing, etc. I don't want to share all the tells I've picked up because I don't know who I am playing against. The other day in Milwaukee there was a guy that just randomly started talking about poker vloggers...the ones most people know people like Dnegs or Andrew Neeme or Ryan Depaulo or Brad Owen, etc., but it kind of just made me wonder if someone would use the information against me. So I just want to be careful where I can with not giving too much information.

I bring this up because the 1.5X reading glasses have allowed me to see people's finger movements better, very slight things like them touching their cards a certain way, or how they look at the flop. There's a lot of information in the eyes, but once people know you're searching for that it will be tougher. There's a lot of tells preflop with how many people will raise after you....some will raise then talk to their neighbor and that gives information on strength as well. I picked up a very sick next level tell in Milwaukee. It was the spot I bluffed 5 people in. I read 2 people behind me and knew they were weak, I knew the guy to my right was weak when he raised by the way he touched his chips. I wasn't sure about the first two checkers, but a cold call from either is tougher unless they are towards the top of their range. It's the little things in live poker that compound themselves over time. I do try and keep a humble mindset, because that's important to stay grounded. A big head and too much confidence in any situation can lead into problems, and it's just not healthy in general to over inflate your ego. I talk about staying grounded a lot because a clear head is extremely important to think logically and rationally. It's easy for a simple thing to bias your decision making, so staying grounded is important. When I play 100 hours in Milwaukee here in just a few short weeks in 9 days, that's the thing I'm most concerned with. It's easier to play your A game and stay sharp with 4-5 hour sessions, but do I have the patience to overcome the annoying person next to me trying to make small talk, or can I persevere when the rest of the table turns against me when I'm talking all their chips away. I can feel the energy shift when the table realizes they are playing against a Champion.

100 hours @ $2/$5....what can I make if I just run at expectation? $1k? 2k? $5k? $10k? $20k? I think I can blow the ****ing ceiling off that room where by the time I'm done people will be talking **** behind my back. I usually get something like "oh it's easy to win when you get dealt AQ every hand" or "when I'm up I don't raise every hand because I'm not a dick". Like people will say the stupidest **** when you crush them to protect their ego and the fact that you, compared to them, are so much better at the game. It's hard for them to accept it. I have my parents coming to town Sunday night to visit and then Monday morning, but tomorrow after work I think I'm heading to Milwaukee. I made $13k (lost $1k of it back) on the stock market this week, so I'm feeling a little frisky, and obviously confident in my poker game at the moment. Maybe I go to Chicago and play $5/$10 or something big. This weekend could be good. No sport's betting, no slots...just poker.

I won $790 tonight at $1/$3 local Oneida Casino, Green Bay. I feel like I'm dialed in and playing really well. I can kind of be a socially awkward person. I find it a bit uncomfortable when I'm having a nice conversation with the person next to me and then at the same time raising them aggressively every hand. But it is what it is I'm there to make money not friends. I also felt a little bad because the guy next to me was clearly not very good and I talked him out of folding a full house on a K K A 10 3 board with K 9. I had 76 and knew he had a K and took sort of a low angle and made him believe I had it on the river. I'm ruthless, but I do my contributing to society working in schools, playing poker I am there to make money and crush. Whatever. I think tomorrow a very long walk and a health meal.... and then poker in Milwaukee. This week sucked at work, can't wait until summer.

Bankroll: $33.871
Hours: 24.5
Hourly: $158/hour

Mistyped that hand above it was K A A K 3. He did have K 9 I did have 7 6 but he folded K thinking I had the aces full. Would never try and get someone off a Kings full on that flop above, and would usually never try and make a person I don't consider very good to fold a full house but we had a weird conversation going on where I felt he just trusted me entirely lmao. He's like man I think you have an Ace and I'm like yeah man just do yourself a favor and fold, save some money. Then he's like well what if I had AK and I'm like well if you had AK you should call, but if you just have a king you should fold. When I mucked my hand he gave me the dirtiest ****ing look of all time and it made the next few minutes a bit awkward but I managed to break the ice and made the table laugh so I think it's all good. I'm honestly a very very nice guy so I find it a little unnatural to steal people's money.

Before I went to work yesterday, I had water come up through my basement Friday morning LOL so had to have the plumber come yesterday and fix it. He fixed the issue but something about him needing to relieve some sort of pressure valve caused a bunch of water to come up. No more water but my carpet down is there is completely ****ed so I've been trying to get that going. Also have a Sport's Card Show I'm selling at tomorrow for the first time, so yeah basically my life is kind of unchained at the moment. But I think I got most of that all under control and now I'm gonna do some chores here and go play cards someplace. I'm on a big heater this week so I may heat check, but Milwaukee and GB only have $2/$5 for highest stakes and Chicago is like 3 hours from me. I may go play $5/$10 and just nit it up completely. I am 3-0 with the Champion hoodie on, so maybe I can pull some tricks and get 1/2 buy in profit or something at $5/$10. Will update on drive.

Forget it was my moms bday tomorrow and they are just getting back from vacation and visiting tomorrow so chores took way too long and also had to get my mom a gift for both bday and mothers day. Got her some dope shoes and a J Love jersey. Not sure if I’m playing any poker this weekend lmao things are unhinged like I said life will force you to take the scenic route that has been the story of my life anytime I try and get something done **** always happens. But also got myself some new kicks so could be worse. Maybe I play local tonight but normally when my life feels like it’s falling out underneath me I don’t play the best poker so may just order a pizza and watch Netflix


..]

Went to Oneida to play poker, but poker wait list was a little long so decided to kill some time and played some slots. Yes, slots, whatever so be it I know when to push and know when to pull. I'm a degenerate and know you never end a run at the peak. Have to see how far it goes. Crushed All Aboard for $3,927 hand pay. Gave some back. Left without playing poker up $3k and put $300 on Phillies moneyline before I left. That puts me up about $16.5k this week which is a lot for me not gonna lie I'm on a massive heater. Some tax implications so may decide to sell some of the long term that is down to reduce liability. If Phillies beat WSH ill play some $1/$3 at Oneida tonight cause will have to cash ticket. Not sure what kind of **** show blog this is turning into but as I said gonna continue to update until i go broke. Was not wearing Champion hoodie cause it's like 80 degrees today but did bring it and had it in my lap so lucky hoodie streak continues

Phillies won. Went to cash the ticket and play a bit of $1/$3. Won $385 in 1 hr 15 mins. Hit a set of 44s and called down a bluff vs Asian on.a 4 spade board. Champion hoodie streak continues.



Bankroll: $34,256
Hours: 25.75
Hourly: $165/hour

Heat check - put $1k on a 2 leg parlay Yankees & Brewers ML +183. If both Yankees and Brewers win today 05/19 I am going to fly to Vegas after work Friday night and sit $2k at $10/$20. If I lose I am going back to poker only for a bit and will take next weekend Memorial weekend off and just chill a bit and recenter, but still on the upswing gotta ride it a bit.