Preach mate, lol. No holidays, long hours and no appreciation.

I heard both again last night, Saturday is the best for it haha

Yeah, exactly, I've just gone from working a 70 hour week + 15 hours of grinding to 35-40 hours of grinding. Doing something I love, getting paid to do it, nothing to organising, little stress, freedom, I'm much happier already.

My significant other is stoked, hasn't been able to spend this much time with me for, well, since we started dating 3 years ago.

Night of near misses and close calls for a big winning session. Made some really nice folds and one I should have made against the absolute rock of all rocks and I won't be making that mistake against this player again. I knew I was beat, but I couldn't let top pair, K kicker go, but this game is all about making money when you make folds.

Played for 7 hours and 36 minutes for a profit of $383. Didn't find myself in too many crazy little spots, but there was one hand I'm interested to hear whether this is a call or fold.

Hero (D) - $500 | V1 (EP) - $500 | V2, V3, V4, V5 (MP/LP) - Varied eff stack sizes.

V1 who is good reg with tighter range in EP raises to $15 and has 4 callers by the time it gets to hero who looks at A8o, hero?

GAME: $2/3 Live Full Ring
BANKROLL: $10,796
HOURLY RATE: $65.07 p/h
HOURS LOGGED: 12h 14min

V1 is known to have a tight range, that combined with the callers would get me to fold this hand.

Without actually seeing him play just saying he's a tight reg I would guess from EPhe is pocket J+ at least or A/K with a better kicker.

How did it play?

Edit: my reasoning. There is a lot out there that can beat you, and we are playing to win not for ****s and giggles. To me A8o is too marginal to call this.

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fold A8o, prob peel sooted if stacks are deep enough.

gl man, fingers crossed you start off on a heater, obv it doesnt matter but itd take alot of stress off your back since everyone around you are going to be very result orientated.

also if you have more $$ you could invest into your bankroll, id suggest moving up, even if the games are soft i dont think $65/hr at 2/3 is sustainable after rake.

Agree with everything you say. V1 did have AK evidently, so decision at the time was correct. Was a little bit of a results orientated question, I ended up with quad 8's, but I did fold preflop, just interested to hear other thoughts.


Totally agree, stacks were deep enough to peel if I was suited. Yeah would be good, I'm actually in the middle of a tough variance period which sucks a little haha. To be fair though, has been some bad play in there and for the 6 weeks previous I came off a $11k upswing, so alls fair in love and war haha.

$65, no, I don't think so, but $30-$45 should be achievable, I have been able to do that myself with 300 hours logged, also have other friends that play the same game do the same with some 3,000 hours logged.

Cheers Mac

Blah! Thought I may have pushed through the downswing, but evidently still rocking the boat a little and the bad side of variance got me again tonight (SUCKS!). For me, there was all the bull****, AA cracked by 77 on K73rainbow board haha, gutshot straight flush draw, hit flush on river but guy had flopped quads, etc. But that stuff doesn't tilt me, honestly, I understand I can't control that stuff, for me, there were some hands tonight I played poorly, that's the stuff I can control and need to be aware of. Made notes on some of those hands and will be sure to be mindful of the line I took on one bluff in particular.

I did also semi bluff the first buy-in, I did go with my read sensing weakness, which is ok, better than calling off my stack in marginal spot. But I do sometimes treat the first buy-in too "gambley", I should really focus on grinding hard on that first buy in to play from in front, instead of punting on building a stack to do damage, something to work on there for sure.

Overall tonight I played for 3 hours and 13 mins for a loss of two buy-ins $500.

GAME: $2/3 Live Full Ring
BANKROLL: $10,296
HOURLY RATE: $19.16 p/h
HOURS LOGGED: 15h 27min

Is there much oppurtunity to move up? 2/4 seems to be the biggest game there. Id learn plo if i were you, so much value in those games.

How good are the games up that way at Bris/GC in terms of amount of tables etc?

If you are doing well with this in 6/12 months do you see yourself possibly moving to Syd/Melb where there is (presumably) more action?

Not exactly, there is 5/5, which I will go up to when my bank roll permits. Yeah, I will learn PLO, still some leaks in my NLH game I want to work on first, keen to get that down water tight to a sub conscious level first and then look at other games.


Not a huge amount of tables, 8 at Brisbane and only 3 on Gold Coast. But the games are good in terms of quality of play.

More likely to look at a move to the US to play Vegas and Atlantic City. My partner and I are both young, little to no commitments, buying an apartment at the moment which settles in 21 days. No kids, she is studying so would look at studying over there, I have a close friend living in NY at the moment so keen to coincide the move with him. So in next 6 months if all going well thats more likely to be the move.

Cheers Mac

Rest tonight, Monday's are typically slower at my local grind house, although word was all the tables were up. Be back at it tomorrow, tomorrow is actually a super exciting day, my finance will go unconditional on my very first property purchase! I will also be getting into my first training session before my amateur debut in the boxing ring on 31st of January.

Cheers Mac

You going to play the $1100 deep stack in 2 weeks?

I am thinking of making the trip from nsw, do you know if they get a decent field for this?

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Oh with the boxing I can't recommend it enough bro. Used to do ir and it's the best exercise ever!

Tips for stepping up first time just focus on what your trainer shows and you will be fine. Don't get fancy or think you are Ali no matter how bad the other guy seems. Like poker stay tight and play what you know.

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Hmmm, not a great start to the professional career. Can't catch a break at the moment, really on the wrong side of variance at the moment. Had some filthy hands, AA cracked again by 7's, this time money went in and the turn came 7, made a big fold (long run it's going to be more profitable, even though I was just in front) and had another couple of brutal hands where I got it in good and was run down.

Out of everything, chatting through the hand where I folded, I might have been able to find a call. When running through the hands that beat me and when I think about how I would have played it, I don't think I could ever give the villain a hand that beat me to be honest. He is a good reg, plays a fairly snug game and when I thought about the hands that beat me at the time, I think I might have been able to find a call. Next time I find myself in the same position against a similar player, I should go through each hand and think about how I would play the same hand, might help me.

I was up $500 tonight and ended up losing $500 (2 buy-ins), I'm interested to know how others decide when they leave the game, I hate to want to leave when I win two buy-ins as I feel like that's so results orientated, when really, if the game is good, I'm playing good, I should continue to play.

I'm really wanting to play hours and get through this downswing I'm on at the moment and start upswinging again.

GAME: $2/3 Live Full Ring
BANKROLL: $9,796
HOURLY RATE: -$8.93 p/h
HOURS LOGGED: 22h 50min

Nah mate, focusing on cash games at the moment. Yeah the boxing is going to be awesome, will be great for my fitness which is what I'm wanting to do it for.

Cheers Mac

Big day today, heaps of exciting things happened. My finance went unconditional approved for my first property!! So exciting to actually own something that is an asset, so pumped on that. 2 Bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment, 200m from the water on the Gold Coast for $210k, really happy with the purchase, feel like I got a great buy.

Secondly, I started my boxing training with Fight Like A Pro http://www.fightlikeapro.com.au/. It was great, going to get tough, but really up for this challenge. The fitness is going to be exceptional and the cherry on the top is the big fight night on the 31st of January, there is a lot of people that will support me and more that will come in the hope I get flogged up haha.

Thirdly, I played for a very brief time tonight after running up a 2.5 + buy-in stack in quick time. I learned my lesson last night after having been up two BI and then losing those plus $500, I should have left. I think I have a leak when I am 250BB +, which is fine, I know there is a leak there and my soon to be coach will help with that. For now, when I run it up there, I need to just leave, even if it only means playing for one hour.

GAME: $2/3 Live Full Ring
BANKROLL: $10,447
HOURLY RATE: $18.56 p/h
HOURS LOGGED: 24h 05min

hit n running is essentially what weak players do.

you need to get comfortable with deeper stacks and not being a mental game fish if you lose it, its all about long term and all the hours count

Yeah, I have a leak when I'm deeper, but until I can plug that with my coach, it's going to be better to "hit n run". Last night was an exceptionally short one, but I think that was to just book in a win while I'm having a tough run, get some confidence back and be able to see a nice looking green session in the list.

Know you are right though, I want to be able to put in 6+ hour sessions when I play, for sure.

Cheers Mac

What mr spew said its totally right, U have to put hours , go play 1-2 or lower, play deeper,get used to play deep because its deep there is more money to grab .
because only playing tousands of hours is that u get better and u can pursue your dream of playing High stakes ..

There is no 1/2, I'm playing the smallest game there is at my local grind house. I know I need to play longer, but I need to be coached in how to play deeper, at the moment, my mental processes are not strong enough deep, particularly if I get crushed like I did the other night AA v 77, I really need to leave then as my mind is rattled.

Cheers Mac

Hey all,

Played a nice little session last night of around 5 hours. Was in the office until 3.30am though and am a little sluggish at the moment. Wasn't anything major to report, mental game and strategically I was A- and A respectively, played really well and really happy with the session. Managed to pick up $409 for the session and confidence is up and going again.

So after my first full week, the results are below, would like to get the hours up to 40 per week, but I need to work on some things with my soon to be new coach to help extend my sessions.

GAME: $2/3 Live Full Ring
BANKROLL: $10,854
HOURLY RATE: $29.33 p/h
HOURS LOGGED: 29h 07min

Cheers Mac

Had to go to the Gold Coast this weekend as the G20 Summit is on in Brisbane. Basically a long weekend with heavy security lockdown in the city. Played for around 5.5 hours tonight and not long ago got home. Had a profitable session which is great, that's three on the trot and confidence is back. I played a really interesting hand tonight that I would love to have any feedback on.

Hero in cut-off with J10o ($590 start of hand)
V1 in BB no history together, hasn't gotten out of line, fairly fit or fold style player. ($450 start of hand)
V1 on Button, good history together, full-time grinder, very tight style, don't think he knows how to bluff, can fold big hands, super big hour grinder for his profit ($400 start of hand)

3 limpers by the time it comes to me and I limp, button limps, SB completes and BB checks

Flop K1010 ($21 pot)

Checks to me and I bet $10, V2 on button calls, V1 in BB calls.

Turn A ($51 pot)

V1 checks, I check and V1 bets $23, V1 calls, I call.

River J ($120 pot)

V1 checks, I bet $95, V2 Jams for $270 total, HERO?

GAME: $2/3 Live Full Ring
BANKROLL: $11,244
HOURLY RATE: $35.85 p/h
HOURS LOGGED: 34h 42min

I think these are both folds, although I'm more confident that #2 is a fold than #1.

Yeah pot odds, but A8o is a turbo-muck even on the button with five already in.

Interesting hand. Made a bit confusing as you've called both Vs "V1" in the preamble and OTT.

Depending on the limpers, I can get behind an overlimp (if they are always l/c) or a raise (if you will get 1 or 2 callers who will play fit-or-fold).

Flop I bet bigger. Someone has a K, and they aren't folding it, so get some value. At least 15, imo.

Turn check is weird to me. Sure, QJ just got there, but there's no AK in anyone's range in this multi-way limped pot, imo, and AT is not super likely. I b/f turn about 2/3 pot for value.

River is a tough spot. Looks like V is trying to get a call from a bare Q and has a FH. You have the weakest FH available. Against a weaker V, I could call as he's often trying to get us off a chop (with the Q). Against this V, I think I find a fold, even though he could be getting us off a chop (also JT) though he's doing so for value.

As he's described, he should only ever have a FH here. JJ+ is impossible given pre-flop, but he still wins with AT and KT. If he really doesn't know how to bluff and is never overvaluing a straight, he has six combos that beat us, and only one that we chop with.