Hello everyone

Im returning to the poker tables after a sabbatical that started in December 2012 due to me tilting etc.

It got to the point where i just stopped enjoying the game and i realized that allowing that to happen was not really a option.

Well ... ive had a nice break and im back with a totally different mindset and will just not allow that kind of mindset to creep back into my game.

My poker goal is a simple one .. the goal is to simply enjoy poker and not be affected by the variance in the game.

As for me, i am self employed and very busy with work most of the time but i can still try to aspire to do something in poker as long as im productive with my time.

I have a starting bankroll of $330 and will be playing the $10nl FR tables on Stars and will be playing upto 16 tables using HEM2, TN and TST.

My goal is to play 50k hands a month and hopefully get to $1k before moving up to $25nl.

I am in no rush and im not putting any pressure on myself to succeed but im looking forward to the challenge and will put all the necessary effort in to give me the best chance of moving forward.

I do have one eye on Supernova, but that is something i could re-evaluate at later on in the year.

Good luck everyone and be lucky.

GL. Nice and steady wins the race. Like you say theres no rush just try and concentrate on making good decisions and the results will take care of themselves.

gl man

Thanks guys ..

Its always nice to start well, ran well in showdown pots.

Just a quick update.

Not had much chance to play as much as i would like but i should have a bit more time over the coming days.

Once i get the replayer to work correctly i shall post a few hands and hopefully get some advice... not many in the way of difficult decisions but some worth discussing hopefully.



Much prefer the HEM1 graph option tbh, but at least ive past the $400 mark with the bankroll ..

Another update.



Obviously running very well, but slightly annoyed with myself for letting the little things frustrate me .

I feel like im losing a lot of small pots as the preflop aggressor and having to fold a fair bit when there is not much point in cbetting the flop or continuing on the turn.

I need to remember im winning the pots that matter so far . just need to focus less on the pots where im losing between 10 - 20bb because i should be able to accept them better and move on.

Will improve this mindset over the next few sessions.

One other habit i need to break soon is the fact i do not pass the hour mark during a session, i think ive gone over 150 sessions and never past the hour mark.

Something else to work on in March ..

You have started really well. Try not to get frustrated(easier said than done) but just try and play each spot the best you can. It looks like you got a really solid base to start from so just try and improve the small things.

Cheers Martin.

I will indeed start to focus on a few little things, I will also start to watch a few videos and get some info on a quite few situations that i could improve on.

Im a member of Grinderschool but ive not watched a single video this year.

Will post a few hands by the weekend.

Might put in a small session later on tonight but in essence im done for the month.

My goal for March is to play 50k hands and hopefully have my bankroll reach as close to $1k as possible so that i can play at $25 in April.

This means i need to win $530 which is roughly 10bb/100 less anything i might win with any VPPs etc.

Here are a few hands that might be worth discussing so far.

HAND 1

SB seems like a decent reg, i have 142 hands on him and hes running at 21/17 with a 47% steal stat.

Poker Stars $0.05/$0.10 No Limit Hold'em - 7 players - View hand 2123025

UTG+1: $7.35
MP: $10.10
CO: $3.85
BTN: $10.00
SB: $11.04
Hero (BB): $10.51
UTG: $12.43

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero is BB with 7 J
5 folds, SB raises to $0.30, Hero calls $0.20

I could 3 bet him here as he is likely to steal with any two, but there would be a chance he could 4 bet so i decide to see a flop IP.

Flop: ($0.60) 5 2 T (2 players)
SB bets $0.40, Hero raises to $1.10, SB raises to $4, Hero raises to $10.21 all in, SB calls $6.21

The flop raise is fine IMO, but when he re-raises .. his bet size screams strength to me and i think i have to fold here. I do have equity but not much fold equity tbh as i think hes never folding after that bet.

HAND 2

Poker Stars $0.05/$0.10 No Limit Hold'em

Hero (SB): $10.00
BB: $16.51
UTG: $11.11
MP: $19.30
CO: $10.00
BTN: $10.00

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero is SB with Q Q
2 folds, CO raises to $0.25, 1 fold, Hero raises to $0.90, 1 fold, CO raises to $3, Hero raises to $10 all in, CO calls $7 all in

The FR table was breaking up and i have 6 hands on CO who was 33/33 so far.. quite willing to get it in preflop against a unknown with QQ.

HAND 3

This is a hand i totally butchered to be fair, BB was a 20/2 after 60 hands, really not sure why i slowed down post flop, lost a lot of value in this hand.

Poker Stars $0.05/$0.10 No Limit Hold'em - 9 players -
SB: $11.49
BB: $11.49
UTG: $10.00
UTG+1: $17.00
UTG+2: $3.70
Hero (MP1): $10.00
MP2: $3.55
CO: $8.70
BTN: $10.42

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero is MP1 with A A
1 fold, UTG+1 calls $0.10, UTG+2 raises to $0.40, Hero raises to $1.20, 4 folds, BB calls $1.10, 1 fold, UTG+2 calls $0.80

Flop: ($3.75) 2 8 6 (3 players)
BB checks, UTG+2 checks, Hero bets $1.90, BB calls $1.90, UTG+2 raises to $2.50 all in, Hero calls $0.60, BB calls $0.60

Turn: ($11.25) 4 (3 players - 1 is all in)
BB checks, Hero checks

River: ($11.25) 3 (3 players - 1 is all in)
BB bets $0.50, Hero calls $0.50

HAND 4

Another butchering ... need to be more aggressive on the turn again !

Poker Stars $0.05/$0.10 No Limit Hold'em - 9 players - View hand 2123067
DeucesCracked Poker Videos Hand History Converter

UTG+1: $10.69
UTG+2: $3.35
MP1: $6.75
MP2: $10.14
CO: $5.40
BTN: $4.89
Hero (SB): $10.00
BB: $10.49
UTG: $16.79

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero is SB with Q Q
UTG raises to $0.30, 2 folds, MP1 calls $0.30, 3 folds, Hero raises to $1, 1 fold, UTG calls $0.70, MP1 calls $0.70

Flop: ($3.10) 2 5 4 (3 players)
Hero checks, UTG checks, MP1 folds

Turn: ($3.10) 6 (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG bets $1.50, Hero calls $1.50

River: ($6.10) A (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG checks


Thats about it really 5.3k hands, the rest seem a little standard.

One more ..

Villain is 15/10 after 40 hands.

This was a odd hand, yet again i should be more aggro on the turn, maybe i have a sixth sense something is about to happen , No idea what to make of the river bet, but he is showing a ton of strength in this hand.

Poker Stars $0.05/$0.10 No Limit Hold'em - 8 players -

UTG+1: $7.10
Hero (MP1): $11.21
MP2: $2.90
CO: $8.00
BTN: $13.54
SB: $10.00
BB: $14.45
UTG: $10.00

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero is MP1 with Q K
1 fold, UTG+1 calls $0.10, Hero raises to $0.40, 5 folds, UTG+1 calls $0.30

Flop: ($0.95) 2 6 Q (2 players)
UTG+1 bets $0.40, Hero calls $0.40

Turn: ($1.75) K (2 players)
UTG+1 bets $1, Hero calls $1

River: ($3.75) 9 (2 players)
UTG+1 bets $5.30 all in, Hero

OK, im done for the month and its been pretty good, so im well happy.

Big month to come in March.

h1: fold to his flop 3b, you cant call and hes never folding.

h2: fine

h3: bet turn but i think you know that anyway.

h4: bet flop, bet turn.

h5: im really unsure of, would need more info to be conclusive.

in, subd and gl.

Cheers YF ...

Had a rocky session today ... lost more in non showdown pots today in 1k hands than i did in the previous 6k hands.

My red line just fell onto the floor somewhere ..

Just spent most of the session folding post flop

Thats pretty frustrating when people that never raise start check raising your backside into oblivion .

Ended down 13bb for the session so im thankful i did not go into spew mode and just kept folding the obvious spots ... even if it was starting to agitate me somewhat.

Call that a day me thinks ...

February was great ... March is anything but so far.

Down 3 buy ins in 40 minutes..

Tilt control is such a massive factor in this game ... its all too easy to get frustrated when you start to hit a brick wall for a few sessions when things that previously worked really well start not working at all.

Its absolutely imperative that when im having sessions where nothing is working i batten down the hatches a bit and not start playing AK or TT preflop for stacks.

AK is the devil's hand ...im pretty sure everyone must go through phases where they just cannot win with this hand and at the same time ( just to mess with your head ) you cannot win against it.

I must show more patience ...sometimes we have to realize sessions are not going well and NOT TO COMPOUND IT FURTHER BY DOING RASH MOVES.

I will learn from today.

Confidence in your play is key imo, its bad to have such an ego that you block out an honest opinion of yourself but you should believe in yourself in every single session.

As soon as you start doubting yourself and questioning your plays is when you start to change things and that always leads to a rocky road.

Just keep your focus on making the best decision at every oppurtunity.

all imo ofc , gl.

There is a fine line between confidence and a ego.

Sometimes i do have confidence issues on a poker table, mainly because im kind of results orientated and a losing session or two can make me believe im not playing that well.

Funny thing is .. a few winning sessions does not really bring any thoughts of being egotistical about it.

When im on a heater im always aware that the next session might be the one where things go a little pear shape and im always trying to prepare myself mentally for such scenarios.

Sadly .. when those scenarios arrive .. i quickly return to my default setting of getting frustrated and thinking im not that good again ..lol

Basically... we are our own worst enemy at times.

Today will be a important day because after a losing session or two i tend not want to play poker as much and a day off can turn into 4 days off .. so ill get back on the tables today.

Ive re-jigged my HUD a little as i have decided i want to see a couple of additional post flop stats that will help me a little.

bump

This is the worst thread ever

Since the 3rd ive played less than 80 minutes of poker due to being silly busy with work.

I now dont have to get back to the office until Monday which gives me 4 days at home to do other work, so hopefully i can tie up an awful lot of loose ends and have my evenings free from then on.

Once that happens .. i can hopefully start to play poker in the evenings instead of doing people's books !!

This month in total ive played 3323 hands and down almost 5 buy ins ...which is a bit of a downer but i dont think ive played great tbh and im still running at nearly 14bb/100 so the bigger picture is good.

Next step is to really increase the volume ... my work ethic is good lately so hopefully i can transfer that into my poker once my work slows down shortly.

A small update ..

My volume sucks balls this month ... a total of 4362 hands.

Over the last couple of days ive thought i would play the $2.50 180 man's just to see how it goes for a change.

This is only a temporary thing as i enjoy the cash tables.

Well things have gone great so far ... played 39 so far for a profit of $238.33

My bankroll has now passed $700 and im closer to the $1k mark and a stab at $25nl.

Ended up playing 97 of those $2.50 180 mans with a profit of $290.59.

I then decided to go back to 16 tabling $10 FR and can honestly say i found it a little tedious after 700 hands or so. ( dropped a buy in ).

So ... im basically going to follow MartL and switch to 6 max and drop the tables to no more than 8.

I think its time i stopped going into auto pilot and just playing a load of FR tables.

I have a healthy bankroll of $760 for the $10nl tables so it will give me a nice cushion as i adapt to the more aggressive 6 max tables.

Will be looking into changing my HUD a little bit and obviously alter my TST configurations.

Will be working over the next few days but looking forward to the 6 max adventure in April.

I will stop just short of challenging MartL to a 6 max challenge because he would no doubt kick my ar$e ..

Im a spew monkey at 6max but it is good fun. I realised that nobody hardly ever has a hand so my style which was over aggressive for FR seems to work pretty well. People do love to call down light though which means I can value bet a lot wider but I cant wait to have a look at my redline because I would imagine my redline is where my blueline was at FR lol.

Thats a issue i will have to address as well ..

When you play FR for long enough you will automatically free your arm ( so to speak ) and just over adjust and become way too aggressive.

In a way its going to feel good to not see monsters under the bed with hands like AK.

I fully expect myself to crash and burn to start off with but once i settle down and start building a database then things will become a little easier.... hopefully

The timing of this thread was wrong because as soon as i started it i became really busy with work and ive hardly had the chance to play any poker over the last 6 weeks or so.

One conclusion ive come to is the fact i prefer mass tabling FR than playing 4 - 6 tables of 6 max ..

Im not sure why, its just a preference i think and ive decided to return to FR..

Im going to be back playing by the weekend and my first goal is to get to $1k so i can take a shot at the $25 tables.