[Morning session results]

I played 1xBounty builder $2.20 and managed to cash, although I played really bad in the last 3 hands, calling a huge all in with TPGK against an overpair, which cost me going from top 10 to the bottom of the list of players. Oh well, live to fight another day.

You started this blog 3.5 months ago. In 3.5 months of steady study, what would you say you've changed about your play as a result of your studying?

[Evening session results]

I played the Micromillions $1.10 and came 305th out of 5889, and cashed $3.11. I could have done better had I won some of the races in the last hands. I was hoping to get a badge of Micromillions winner, but I think this goes only to the winner and not to all those ITM. Anyways, it was good fun.

During these 3.5 months, I learnt (and remembered) a better default strategy, and from which I rarely deviate. I am playing about 28% of hands on average, with a LAG style. I am now feeling more confident with fundamental things.

More specifically, I learnt the following :

1. RFI ranges (Most of the time I still use the charts while I play)
2. When to limp behind
3. How to isolate players (Iso raising, Iso 3-betting, Squeezing)
4. Short stack play & Shoving ranges (I use the charts)
5. A basic Postflop Strategy
6. Check-raising tactics
7. How to assess my play (Checking Variance, checking BB/100)
8. Bankroll management (bankroll requirements, how to move up & down, how to take shots)
9. A little about how Micro stakes and Low stakes players play
10. Psychology (Controlling tilt, Overcoming being scared money, Getting in the zone, FPS, overcoming Imposter Syndrome)

I also tried to learn some Hand reading, but I cannot assess how well I have done in that.

Oh, that's good. Then yes, I would say if you feel that you have your ranges dialed in, and your sizing dialed in, the next thing to work on is ranging your opponent and then obviously that leads into how to play your specific hand vs their range in hands.

[Session results: A good Micromillions cash]

I just cashed well in the Micromillions $5.50. I finished 19th out of 4642 players, and cashed a healthy $91.85! I managed to be first while down to the 30, but I was not lucky enough to sustain that. In the last hand, I was holding JTo and got called in an all in by AKo, and got unlucky. I think I didn't think about that well and regretted soon after, but I had to take my chances.

[Session results: Honorable mention of the $1.10 Bounty builder]

Yesterday I also finished 27th of 1852 in the Bounty builder $1.10, and cashed a tiny $5.26. The funny thing is I was not even playing attention or hoping to win anything in that tour as I was already partying about my Micromillions win. I actually played terrible in the last 2 hands, and busted out of pure stupidity. I sot of regret not appreciating my continued success, but I guess I had enough for one day.

[Study progress: How I improved my play significantly by dealing with limpers properly]

In microstakes, such situations come about very often ie many people limp often. I originally isolated every time. But this was bad, because I didn't always have good enough hands, and because I also got more callers, which resulted in creating big pots where I was an underdog.

Now I have discovered when to over-limp (from this article:https://upswingpoker.com/vs-multiple-limpers/#when). This has improved my play significantly. I create smaller pots, and it is easy to get away from them if I don't hit.

[Session results: Another Micromillions cash]

I managed to cash ok in another $5.50 Micromillions tour. I finished 548 of 6897, and cashed $37.24. In the last hand, having 20xBB left, I called an all in with KQs vs 66, but was not lucky.

[Game results: Another 2nd in the Bounty builder $2.20!]

I just came 2nd in the Bounty builder $2.20, 2nd out of 1337, and cashed a beautiful $221.2!! I am now so confident of my poker playing skills! Even better, I also won a seat to the $55 Bounty builder through a $2.20 satellite, which I cashed as Tournament $. That's a total profit of $276.2 for the day! Amazing!

Winnings are growing.
Keep it up!

Good work bro, keep it up!

Thank you both guys, slyless and Evo for the support! It was an amazing session. I couldn't have done it without you, particularly Evo's advice and guidance about my study progress! Thank you again for all of that!!

[Session results]

Today was a very unlucky day. I played 12 games, but busted out of a few tours while ahead. To be fair, I didn't feel much like playing for hours, but I did it because I need to stick to putting in the volume. I went down about $45.

[Diary: Moving up & Bankroll management]

Today I was thinking of Bankroll management, and whether I should move up stakes. That is the logical thought, since I recently cashed big again, and I am up now many hundreds of dollars.

However, I found contradicting advice about bankroll management from different books, "How I made my first million" (2011) by Tri Nguyen, and "Treat your poker like a business" (2009) by Dusty Schmidt. Then, there is the 15/2 rule by James 'Splitsuit' Sweeney, which is also a newer concept. I like that rule, it is somewhere in between.

In the mean time, I am already taking part in the $5.50 Micromillions tours, so I have already moved up. Also, I will now be taking shots at the $7.50 Bounty builders. Anyways, I solved the problem and here is my new Game plan below.

[My new Game plan]

• Regular games:
  • $1.10, $2.20, $3.30, $4.40 & $5.50 Bounty builders
  • (those include the current equivalent Micromillions KO tours)
• Satellites:
  • $1.10 & 2.20 Satellites to the $11 Sunday Storm
  • $2.20 Satellites to the $55 Bounty builder
  • $1.10 & 2.20 Satellites to the $109 Sunday Million
• Shots:
  • $7.50 Bounty builder once a day

[Session results: Many big wins, again!]

Today I cashed good in a few tours. I final-tabled 2 tournaments, and also cashed good in another. My bankroll keeps going up. I am amazed!

Good job!

Just a quick passing thought in my part…

You are studying hard from many different sources and trying to piece all of it together it seems. Have you considered picking one MTT focused training site and/or one very comprehensive course on MTTs and going hard with that?

Hi CLF90! Thank you for following my journey and your wishes. Indeed, I am piecing things from different sources. Yes, I have considered picking one site but I don't think I can afford it, or at least, I couldn't think I could afford it until recently. Now I probably can. I'd definitely consider courses from Upswing poker, although prices seem daunting!

https://upswingpoker.com/the-poker-lab-coaching/#CTA


Do you have any ideas for something more affordable?

I have heard good things about them.

[Session results]

Today was a big bust. I played 12 games, which included a 3x$1.10 Bounty builders,2x$2.20 Bounty builders,2x$3.30 Bounty builders, 1x$4.40 Bounty builder, 1x$5.50 Bounty builder, and I took as shot at the $7.50 Bounty builder, and the $11 Road to Sunday Million. I cashed tiny. Overall, I lost $37. Live to fight another day.

Hi CLF90,

Thank you for this suggestion. I had a look at the website. My concerns are:

1. I am worried that starting a course will affect my current strategy that I worked so hard to build. Common sense says I shouldn't change my play right now, since I am winning well.
2. As in this site instructor is Andrew Brokos, I am concerned that it is about GTO (although the website does not talk about GTO at all), since I don't want to learn GTO right now.

My decision is, and since I can manage well at the moment, I will wait till I win 1-2 more tournaments, to get about $500, and then I will reconsider about joining this site.

[Session results]

It's certainly not my day in poker today! I played 10 games in total. First, I had a long streak of bad cards, and bad luck in a few tours. I then tilted and made some very bad calls, which cost me a bit of money. Eventually, I got a bit in a good mindset and played a little better, but didn't make any significant wins. I am now down almost another $20.

[Study news: A new course by Udemy]

I found a video course by Udemy, which is called "Conquer Micro Stakes Poker - Serious Poker for Good Players (Updated 02 - 2021)" from the Microgrinder Poker School. What is great about this course is it contains chapters which are exactly what I wanted to learn from the start. Specifically, Range-Based Thinking, and Combinatorics, as well as other interesting chapters such as "The Art & Science of 3-Bet Polarized Ranges", and "How to Perform Effective Hand History Reviews"!

Moreover, I got it for FREE. I will now be studying this to see what new things I can learn.

[Session results: Lots of bad luck kept coming my way]

Today I had another rough session! I played 6 games and cashed only in 1, for only $2.99! Overall, I went down another $15. However, I think I was extremely unlucky in a few critical situations. I am not sure I was playing my A game, although I don't think I did many things much different than usual.

1) My session began with a $0.50 Power Path game, where I went all in on turn with JJ as an overpair, against opponent who called with KJo with just a gutshot, and hit a Q on the river to make a straight.
2) Second was the $1.10 Progressive KO. It may just be my idea, but the blinds on that go up so fast that I just don't have time to build a stack. I lost in 2 hands in a row all-in, one with A7s vs 87o, and the final hand where I had less than 15xBB all in BB where the SB called with JJ vs my 88.
3) In the Micromillions $5.50, while big-stacked, I went all-in preflop with KK, to be called by 2 other big stacks, one holding QQ and the other holding ATo. The player with ATo hit an A and a T and won the pot. I got too annoyed to rebuy, and blinds were already high-ish anyway to be worth it.
4) In the $1.10 Bounty builder, I got eliminated in a 3-way pot holding KK, when an AQs made a river flush.
5) In the final $5.50 Micromillions, I went all in with AQs against 33 and 77 and didn't hit.

I just can't win if I don't win the races. I must live to fight another day.