[Play review: Could using RYE ranges be the reason I am not winning?]

I am not winning/ I actually haven't won a tournament for more than I expected now. I have changed things in my play since I was last winning. I have been using the preflop ranges from Raise Your Edge. Previously, I was using the ranges from Upswing poker. I now wonder if this is the reason I am not winning as frequently.

What do you think?

[Play considerations: Zoom or regular cash games?]

Today I found out that Zoom tables are tougher than regular cash tables, because you can't get any info on other players. For the same reason, some people say you can't learn as good poker there as in regular tables.

I tried to find hand histories from Zoom tables to purchase, but apparently nobody is mining those any more!

On the other hand, I can't open 8 tables on my screen and wait for ages to play. Also, Zoom tables play 4 times more hands than regular tables, which means I can play many more hands sooner.

Between the 2, I choose Zoom tables nevertheless.

What do you think? Should I keep playing Zoom, or switch to regular cash tables?

You can definitely get a lot of info on players in zoom, I have 5k hand samples against several people just from this month. If you're trying to build a bankroll regular tables are probably better. It's mostly easier because regs like zoom, you can table select, and fish get bored.

Anyways most important thing is to stick to one game & format at a time.

[Session review: $11 MTTs]

This session I got to play. among others, 3 x $11 MTTs: The Bounty builder series 135, the Sunday Storm, and the Mini Sunday Wrap-up, since I won tickets to all 3. I didn't make it ITM in either, but I cashed in the first from busting out some players. It was a great experience and only cost me $2.20 in total.

[Playing with a HUD]

I've started playing with my HUD (Hand2Note) in MTTs. I am still not confident about my decisions as I am still learning.
The stats I use are VPIP, PFR, 3Bet, F3B (fold to 3-bet), and fBR (flop bet or raise).

I use to label players as Nit, TAG, LAG and Recreational player/fish/calling station/maniac.

I use the fBR stat a lot - you only hit the flop 1/3 of the time, so anything higher means villain is overbetting.

[Session results]

I played a $1.10 Bounty builder, a $4.40 Bounty builder, and a $1 PKO. I made it deep in the PKO, although the money wasn't good. Either way, I cashed $8.16, so that's something.

[Session results]

Yesterday I played a few tours, including a $4.40, a $3.30, a $2.20, and a $1.10 Bounty builder, and a $1.10 PKO among others. I also played a lot of micro satellites to the Sunday Storm and to other tours. I won a Ticket to the Sunday Storm, and a ticket to the $5.50 Mini Marathon. I played the latter and cashed $10.60. I am now breakeven since yesterday, but with an extra $11 ticket to the Sunday Storm.

[A little comeback: Session results]

I just realized I had stopped playing for 3.5 whole months! Anyway, hello again, whoever you are!!! I just had a little session today, and things went well. After playing a few micro stakes tours and satellites, I won a ticket to the $22 Mini Saturday KO. Even better, I knocked out some players and cashed in it! I finished the day $34 up from my starting bankroll. That was a great little comeback!

[Session results: Back to victories]

I have been playing a little all these days but didn't achieve something significant to post. However, in this session I just came 2nd out of 701 in a $1.10 PKO, and cashed a beautiful $67.17!!! Winning gave ne a great confidence boost too! My bankroll is up to over $117 now!

Nice one. You need those little victories to keep you interested.

[Session results for last 3 days]

I have been absent for a while as I haven't been playing every day as before. Anyway, my balance is good, and I have just come out of a 3rd place ina $0.55 tournament. Also, 2 days ago I won a seat in the $215 Sunday Million from a $2.20 satellite, where, unfortunately, I didn't cash. All in all, it's going well although I don't play enough.

Don't let it happen again.

[Session results]

I won in a $1.10 Turbo PKO and cashed a cool $60.77!! My bankroll is now at over $112!

[Session results]

Today I wagered $47 in tournaments. I lost count how many I played, but they were from $0.55 to $4.40. My bankroll fell from $117 to $70, and then I won a $1.10 PKO again, which brought my balance up to $130.49!! 3 days with a top 3 in a row!!

[Bankroll update]

I made €132 from betting sites (€35 from Stoiximan, €65 from Sportingbet, and €32 from Novibet) from sign-up promotions with free spins on slots. That's $140. All of this is now going in my poker bankroll. I will also keep getting the sign-up bonuses to deposit more to my poker bankroll.

[Session results: So close but no win]

I made it very deep on the $0.55 Bounty builder, down to the last 2 tables. In the last hand I played like a fool, going all-in from the button with Q8s, only to run into Aces from the SB. I feel disappointed at myself, cos I managed to hang on for so long until then, and I don't usually lose at such spots. Oh well, another day, another game!!

[Session results:New site - VistaPoker]

I made a deep run ITM on the $2.20 Micro Battle Royal, but made a very small cash. I also have started playing on a new site, Vistabet.gr. I am still checking out the offers in poker there, as well as checking out how easy the field is.

Some nice results, well done.

[Session results]

Today I played 16 tournaments, between $0.33 and $4.40, but didn't cash big in any of them. Hopefully, I ended up only $10 down.
What is noteworthy is I have had very bud luck in the $4.40 Bounty builder tournaments. I have consistently gotten very few hands, and get blinded out. I consider this some kind of curse, that happens only on that tournament!

I haven't studied for some months now. I wonder whether that is the reason I am not cashing big, so I should probably start revising again.

[Session 2 results]
I played another session - this time for another 5 tournaments, Bounty builders between $1.10 and $3.30 each.

Today was not my day. This and last session I busted out of at least 4 tours where I went all in preflop as a big favourite, and the opponent was holding a laughable hand, like K2s, JTo etc. I had Aces cracked by KQs, and QQ cracked by KQs. I just couldn't get a break.

My best tour was a Bounty builder $3.30, where I went deep and cashed for $21.12. In the last hand I had AK, and I went all in on a 9 high flop. The opponent checked really quickly, which was a sign he had hit, but I still did it I feel stupid. Anyway, all in all an ok session.

[Session results: tired and losing]

This session I wagered over $33, playing 20 tournaments ranging from $0.33 to $4.40, and was multitabling up to 6 tours at a time. I even played some non-bounty tournaments, such as the Big $1.10, and a regular $1.10 tour. I don't usually play regular tours, but I played them because I wanted to fill my screen with tours.

Unfortunately, I was very tired because I slept few hours yesterday due to playing, and this was affecting my play today. I couldn't pay attention to all the tables, and played erratically. I took some multivitamins and some caffeine tablets in between to become more alert, although it was already too late when I did. After busting out of tour after tour, I decided to cut my losses and unregistered from the last few, so as to rest. Lesson of the day: DO NOT PLAY WHEN TIRED!

The good news: I finally got my break in the $4.40 Bounty builder, and broke the curse of getting no hands and blinded out. I busted one player out for the first time, and I built a big stack of over 100BB!

The bad news: I busted out in ridiculous ways at least 3 times, when being a clear favorite eg my AA vs QT on a T76 board, where villain hit a Q on the river. Some opponents were catching backdoors like mad. I was even trapped once by an A7o vs my ATo, as he made a runner runner straight while chasing with nothing. I ended up going down over $23, and didn't cash anything significant.

Hopefully, I am not startled by this loss. I know what happened and I am ready to take it on in the next session!

[Bankroll update: I have a new HUGE bankroll now]

I just won €326.80 from free bets on Betsson!! Woohooo!! Note, I already won another €175 from free offers on other betting sites. All this money is now going to go in my bankroll!!

[Session results & News update: Many losses, but new bankroll available]

This session I wagered approximately $25, in tournaments ranging from $0.33 Satellites to $3.30 Bounty builders, and I hardly made any cashes again. My best performance was a 34th place in a $1.10 PKO, as well as winning an $11 ticket to the Sunday storm.

The bad news: Poker-wise, things have not gone well in the last few days... I ate up a big part of my poker bankroll, going down from $130 to less than $50!! That's $80 gone with no significant win. Apart from some minor cashes, I haven't won a single tournament in 5 days, even though I played dozens of tours. Surely, I must have been doing something wrong these last few days, and I probably need to brush up my poker skills.

The good news: Money-wise, things went extremely well! I won a lot of money from free bets and free spins offers on betting sites (Sportingbet, Stoiximan, Novibet, Vistabet, Fonbet), as well as some cash bonuses from Aircash. That is a total of €666.8, or $711.51!! All this will now be my new bankroll. That will allow me to finally break out of the micro stakes, and play games on levels I have never played before!

[News and thoughts]

• Winner's tilt: I got winner's tilt. I've been calling big bets when I knew I had lost, cos I was trying to gamble, because I have this new money to play with. I need to stop playing like that, and value my bankroll more.
  
• How on earth do you calculate nut advantage?? I tried to revise poker theory a bit. I read & watched Johnathan Little's Postflop strategy guide. I don't understand well when I have range advantage and when nut advantage. I think Little's presentation notes are confused, particularly regarding nut advantage. Then again, I don't know. It's the best material I have read on the topic sofar. But if it's no good, it's no good.
  
• HUD play: I started playing with a HUD again. I am using the one from Hand2Note. I can now read it well, and find it easy to tell who is what ie TAG, LAG, Nit, Calling station. However, I don't adjust my play according to that, and I am not sure how to.
  
• Hand2Note is broken: I currently using as my poker office and HUD. Its graph report is showing me on a steep downhill, and losing around $2,800, which is, of course not true. As a HUD, it doesn't show my own stats (or it has an option somewhere which I haven't found).
  
• DriveHUD?? I am thinking whether to buy DriveHUD. It has a nice interface and is $23.99/year, which is kind of ok (I a used to getting all software for free).
  
• Pokerstars celebratory videos: Pokerstars used to email me videos with the best moments of my tournament. It has stopped doing that for some months now. I asked support what happened, and they said they stopped them until further notice.
  
• Game selection changes: As I now have a bigger bankroll, I am now playing all regular MTT Bounty builders from $0.55 up to $5.50, and some turbos. I am also playing the $1.10 Bounty builder Sit & Go, but not the higher buy ins.

[Session results]
Today I wagered a total of $56.39 and played 24 tournaments, a mix of satellites and bounty builders, ranging from $0.01 to $5.50. I went down around $12 in my bankroll, which is now at $37.76.

The good news is, despite a long losing day, I made a big run on the $0.55 Bounty builder, finishing 4th out of 2320, cashing $34.24. This is now the 2nd time I final table this tour (last time I won it). I also did ok in the $3.30 Bounty builder, finishing 263 of 3297, but cashing just $10.10.