Hey Everyone,

I'm Martin, and I want to share with you my journey as I dive back into the world of professional poker after a 10-year hiatus. Instead of dwelling on my past experiences playing poker at various stakes, I'll focus on the exciting challenge ahead.

After taking a break to focus on building a successful business, which I've since automated to allow me more time for personal pursuits, I'm ready to reignite my passion for the game.

My primary goal this year is to conquer PLO 2k. While I may not dive directly into that level, I'm determined to make strategic plays that my coach can confirm are top-notch. In January, I tested the waters without coaching and quickly realized I needed guidance. With the help of my best friend and coach, I've already seen improvements, particularly in areas like my tendency to call river pot bets and pre-flop leaks with certain hand ranges.

Additionally, I'm intrigued by the challenges of 5-card PLO, despite a rocky start during my initial trial runs. However, the fast-paced action of this variant has piqued my interest, and I may explore it alongside traditional 4-card PLO. While some may caution against juggling two formats as a returning player, I believe focusing on both will ultimately sharpen my skills and broaden my opportunities.

Throughout this journey, I'll share some of the amusing "missclicks" and blunders I encounter along the way. Every poorly played hand will be chalked up to a simple misclick, of course!

You can follow along with my progress on YouTube and Twitch, where I'll be documenting and streaming my poker sessions. I welcome constructive criticism and feedback from fellow enthusiasts—I'm not aiming to be a poker prodigy, just to enjoy the game and improve as I go.

So, join me as I navigate the highs and lows of returning to the professional poker scene. It's sure to be a wild ride, but I'm ready to ante up and see where it takes me.

YT
Twitch

All 4 Card hands PLO 50-500




After Coaching Start



The sample size is limited, but based on the pre-rakeback graph provided, I'm content with the results. A significant portion of these games were played without dedicated study or implementation of new strategies. Realistically, returning to poker after a 10-year hiatus inevitably involves facing challenges, and it's rare for anyone to avoid setbacks entirely. Therefore, experiencing a slight loss is not only anticipated but also completely acceptable in this context.

GL! hope you'll make it!

How are you dealing with the PLO5 crazy variance?

Hey, I haven't been playing much PLO5, but honestly, I have other sources of income besides poker. What matters to me is playing well.
From my analysis, I've noticed significant differences among regular players. Some barely break even after rakeback(most), while others dominate with 10-20bb before rb(very few). There's not much middle ground at the moment.
Assuming most players aren't performing well right now, I believe with thorough preparation, the swings shouldn't be too drastic. I'll keep you guys updated, but you can also use the variance calculator to anticipate potential outcomes and prepare for them.

8bb winner post rakeback with a std, deviation of 240, which I think is too high.

Wow is PLO std dev normal to be that high? (I’m PLO noob)

It's hard to say most do count with 180 for 6max 4card, so even we would assume 240 for 5max 5card, you can survive, but it depends on play style.
If you are trying to be a reg on GG with 45VPIP and much aggression, you will swing a lot, and most likely lose as well from what I see. The post above is kind of the worst case I would say.
I think it's not much more swingier than 4-card, but again my sample on 5-card is very little.

Thanks for your answer, this is where I need to improve massively, I don't play Poker for a living (thankfully) and I'm comfortable with my income but I hate losing so much that the loss of 2 buy ins at PLO10 could drive me mad!

I understand you, especially if many sessions are going down 1-2-3BI, but take a look here, a 10bb winner (4card PLO), which is pre and post-rakeback quite an achievement.
It's not impossible to be after 200k hands, 75BI down, so thinking of one session it says nothing.
If you reach the stakes you desire to play, by depositing (from salary), grinding up, or whatever, keep a 100-150 BI BRM and you are fine.

GL. Will be following!

GL! i saw your stream the other day and liked the way you studied. Will be following and playing against you

Love, to hear it., streaming will be more frequent from Monday on.

And here is a quick one
Certainly, I was only playing one table while editing content, which isn't something I'll do frequently.
However, I felt the urge to play a bit, though I had to prioritize finishing the video for uploading soon.

What's notable here is the absence of 30bb+ swings every vpiped hand. Apart from one careless call that cost me, I focused on pot control and making sensible decisions about when to blow up the pot.

It's bedtime now, but I'll definitely share some hands here tomorrow.

GL!

I've spent the past two days grinding the PLO50 leaderboard. I have to admit, I'm not very good, but in my opinion, these stakes are pretty manageable, offering a win rate of around 5-15bb/100 depending on the table selection. Right now, I'm content with any positive result, but I've noticed that the competition on GG Poker is surprisingly weak. Even some of the so-called "regulars" play worse than I do, which makes me wonder how they make a living without putting in any effort to improve their game.

Lately, I've been focusing on refining my preflop strategy. I've realized that I need to fold more often when oop facing 3-bets, probably around four times as much as I currently do. It's a work in progress, but hey, Rome wasn't built in a day!

hand 1

hand 2


One hand is a blocker spew from my opponent, which might be ok vs me as I might pot there some blockers. imo WP
And the other hand is against a very aggressive rec, who has been playing for the past 2 days exactly this style. I love it!