Hi Shaq - Might have been me, not sure! I normally don't start the game though, I can't make it out of work early enough. It runs on weekends and the occasional weekday, and it's been running increasingly frequently as things have opened up / returned to "normal."

Speaking of which, sat in the 5/5 last night but very quickly found myself stuck and did not want to ruin my pretty month profit figure this late in the month, so I dropped down to 1/3 and 2/5 HE for the rest of the night where I undid most of the damage.

Masks are optional in poker room now, but most folks still don them. I don't mind them terribly because (1) they conceal my face/tells; (2) they minimize contact with airborne germs. Indeed, I've hardly gotten sick since COVID.

Mixed things up a little for variety and played magic: the gathering draft live last night before poker, won a couple packs, was a fun change of pace. Could tell who the crushers and fish were in that game too. Didn't draw my good cards in my first match - variance! It evened out for matches two and three. Once you learn about poker gaming, it's all quite transferable.

Back to some semblance of normalcy at MGM poker room last night - packed room, masks optional (breath mints, apparently optional too...I miss masks). Played 1/3 for a couple hours until called for 5/T, game was a**y until the regs left for T/25 and the table filled in with a bunch of people waiting for other games...1/3, 2/5, 4/8 limit, you name it, they played 5/T! It was an amusingly good game. People raising turn and betting river, exposing their cards on purpose so V would not call. People telling me to "slow down" with raising so much. People EP limp/3! from my $80 to $1,500 after a good old tank, head shake, sigh SHIP FOR $1,500 I DON'T HAVE ACES I SWEAR! Yum yum.

Could only stay a couple downs before calling it...can't be messing up my sleep schedule too badly with work obligations, but what a game! Got to another nice round number for my monthly profit...$11k now...but I've realized that beyond a certain point the exact number really doesn't matter anymore to me. It's just nice to make something on the side. Along with the new position I got a decent pay bump too, so the income part of poker is really of less importance. I guess it's turning into more of a serious hobby now. But it's nice to know I'll always have it to fall back on if needed...lots of lifetime earnings potential in this game.

I started drafting a PLO5 strat guide. I would like to teach/coach people how to play, so if you are interested in hitting the five-card streets hit me up! (I have an 8.2 bb/hr. winrate over 2k hours.)

First week in new role went fine, actually enjoyed the new things I was tasked with.

Played a pretty poor-quality session last night, GII QJJ77ds SB v. BTN at 5/5 (BTN is fish), lost both runouts, played another hand poorly, down $700. Was kinda life tilted for losing an appeal yesterday, plus no dinner/played a little later than normal = tired. Should not have expected any better of a result under these conditions and honestly I'm surprised I didn't lose more.

Will play under better conditions this weekend.

I need to play less hold 'em in general as well. GII JTcc squeeze over EP $7 raise (?!) and several callers, lost to AKo. Got river raised with T9 on 8QK2J, lost to ATo. -$200 1/3.

People who have played hold 'em forever don't know what they are missing with PLO5. The variance is not as different as people say. Most people just don't know how to play and focus on the preflop equities, which admittedly do run closer. But the truth is that you can consistently get in some highly EV spots postflop.

Hold 'em is just such a grind, you have to wait forever for playable hands and hope to improve - rarely - on the flop. One-pair hands are always in a precarious situation. PLO5 is the exact opposite: you are dealt good hands much more often and you also improve much more often as well, and you don't have to constantly worry about your one-pair hands being no good (because they usually are). Yet it retains the advantage of opponents playing too many hands and getting consistently coolered postflop. I honestly don't know why more people don't play this game, it's so much better across the board.

If I were to guess, I'd guess this game becomes more popular over time, not less. I have noticed a lot of hold 'em players trickling over to PLO5 over the past few months....

I think I played a little better last night at the 5-5. Got 3! a bunch by a reg every time I was iso-ing a fish in LP a little light, cost me (medicore stuff that didn't connect with flop like JJ993ds and 6679Tds), lost to same V with top set HU on J-7-4dd v. his Jxddd hand, V smashed the turn and GII what was left of my stack as a dog but I couldn't bink either river (he doesn't run it more than once normally but I think he felt bad for me/liked me). Lost a bunch with AA either in 3! pots or SRPs too, like whiffing or hitting but V hit harder (QQ4, AAQ86 v. Q4, AATT6sshh, QJJss, lost to Jx)...a $1,200 loss. The game was decent but I didn't find enough good spots to make up for the losses. Did chat with someone who claimed he used to be poker buds with Galfond, that was neat. No biggie on the loss, I don't think I played horribly all things considered. Did see some old faces last night which was cool, starting to feel more like it used to.

I did have a couple leaks this session: opening bad KK in EP, not iso'ing AA IP, not 3! squeezing AA OOP, iso-ing too wide with an active 3!ttor to my left. These were my mistakes I recognized. I also had a terrible seat for the first half of the session with a good V to my immediate left. I didn't change seats to his immediate right when the opportunity presented itself because I think it's a bad look.

Started stuck $1,700 between 1/2 and 5/5 yesterday, but made a roaring comeback and finished the session up $3.5k at 5/5. GII twice at 5/5 with nuts straight and a redraw but lost both either multiway to draws or to another nuts+freeroll, at 1/2 paid off fun player with AQT86hhss on A955hhss, GII for $300 ott with spr 1, he had 3! A5xxx (this was questionable but it didn't hurt so bad since he played the 5/5 and was good action there).

Good session at PLO5, rage quit home game early due to run bad (it was a 1/1 HE but I couldn't tell if people were playing 1/1 or like it was bigger). I asked if we'd be playing omaha and this annoying/arrogant player immediately said no point blank at me, so I was like "Cash me out! I could be making thousands of dollars right now but instead I'm at this crappy game."

I feel really bad about how I left things. The host is great, no rake, and some of my oldest poker buds play there, always like seeing all of them. I was really looking forward to a night off from the casino too. Just kinda went off after I lost the sixth pot in a row and this tard nixed the omaha idea. Sigh. At least I texted my buds after to apologize for me. Still wish I didn't say those things, not my best moment. Probably came off like a total unappreciative pompous jerk who put money above quality time with friends.

Sick thing is I got to send my buds some sick chip porn from my session later on. Hehehe. Still not worth it though.

This just reinforces how much I hate losing, probably a good trait for poker. But also that sometimes I need to put my ego aside and not overreact. I don't know what got into me, but I didn't like it.

if a douche and a weasel had sex your what would pop out

I've been trying to build a mental picture in my head of what this would look like.

Some of the most awful people I've run into in poker are in home games. Good home games are great, but they are rarely worth it compared to playing a bigger game somewhere else and if there are some crappy people there it just ruins the whole thing.

Yeah, this dude who nixed omaha abruptly is extremely narcissistic / arrogant / fake know-it-all, very low on the personality scale. Always talks like he's the only person who can be right, always needs the last word, has a "holier-than-thou" aura. Bleh. It was particularly tilting for him to kill the game. Still, better not to call out the game in the host's presence, no matter how upset I am.

Messaged the host and apologized, he said don't worry about it. Nice guy.

My guess is he was ready for your nonsense. Get invited to a 1/1 NL game and want to change the game and thereby the size of the game. We have the same tools in our home games. Don’t let the door hit you in the ass is our standard reply.

And then you add insult to injury with a brag chip porn text.

Honestly, throughout your thread it seems you have zero self awareness.

Oh well, your PG&C. Who am I to say? Just my 2 cents.

Re-reading my post, I may have come across too harsh. Sorry if so.

But either you come across to others similarly to how you describe villain (sometimes) or you don’t describe events well and just appears that way to me as a reader. Or could be my reading things totally incorrectly.

Just trying to help.

The game isn't normally 1/1, it's bigger, plus stacks were extremely deep for a "1/1" (some with $800+) and we have thrown in some non-HE games before. V was honestly just being a party pooper with only his interests in mind (he doesn't like changing it up and has lost when we played non-HE games). Everyone else immediately suggested incorporating omaha into the mix (prompting V to say "Who am I to say what games we play?"), but I had already made up my mind to leave. I was just over it. I have a hard time having fun when I lose.

I get it. This is one of those villain is really the hero stories. Hard to tell from the narrative.

You bring coke to a beer party and of course everyone (except him) wants to snort some. He’s sounds like a square. Stick with the frat parties where the cool kids hang.

In a very coincidental moment, last night this losing reg approached me after his session while I was at the table and goes: "You know what? I misjudged you. I thought you were arrogant but I was wrong. After listening to you speak...I really misjudged you."

Wow! I said thank you, joked that I really was arrogant, and said if I ever talked smack it was usually in the spirit of competition. Really cool timing given the home game debacle.

Sure

Playing well, took a night off Friday for some loooong-overdue live home game action at my buddy's place. (First one in over a year!) So nice to see everyone after so long.

Playing very well at PLO5, got tilted after losing a decent pot with top set+nfd+bdsnfd and moved to 5/T/25. Phenomenal month so far. Need to keep playing well and not force anything. I have a tendency to force things if I am not winning or running too good (winner's tilt). Need to keep that in check right now. At least I am practicing self-awareness, something I don't always do.

The run good continues, playing well. Booked a big win, a small loss, followed by another good win the last few sessions. 5/5/15 PLO5 is running more often now, which is encouraging. Only one reg I really need to avoid in the game, and he's definitely battling me. Otherwise pretty easy money.

I applied for the same high stakes PLO5 training I did over a year ago and got rejected again, I think. One of my goals in my application this time was to post $20k monthly profits on average. On the right track - this month, anyway. Gotta keep my mental game on point, that's really the only thing that can hold me back as long as I run decently.

My routine is really good now, I get plenty of sleep, then work, exercise/eat, head out using a less-traveled freeway (less congestion usually, less stress before playing, and much more scenic route), often listening to soothing music I enjoy at table (Disney classical piano is a good one recently). I've said this before but once you reach a certain level poker is almost all mental, so doing things that relax you and reduce stress are A+.

Played well, wasn't connecting most of the night with my premiums at PLO5, and lost a small AI near the end with a nice ds rundown against fish's AA. (54.5/45.5 pre.) Hero open, V 3!, cold limp/caller, I jam hoping V 5! jams, to clean up my flush equity and get it HU, which is what ended up happening. V flopped top set but I flopped sd+fd and had 45% otf but couldn't get there (improved to a wrap ott and still had 40%!). I needed 42% pre for this to be +EV, so I actually won in theory since I had more than that.

Doubled up with a set at 5/T but not before losing an AI pre AQs v. rec's 77 on both runouts (He flopped a set both times, second board I flopped ndf+nut gutter!)

Still have strong mental game thanks to relaxation techniques. Gotta keep it up.

Happy Juneteenth/end of slavery! Let's all find ways to put and end to the laws, policies, and practices installed by our predecessors that have enabled the oppression of minority communities to endure to this day.

Oh, and I am going to be published in a major newspaper on an issue of criminal reform! Super stoked!

Nice 5/5/15 PLO5 session yesterday to undo the loss from the night before and then some. Biggest hand was top two+nfd in 3! pot, scooped with nut flush ott, held. 3!ttor mucked and cursed, he probably had top set AAA...oops! Didn't care as much about the main pot as the side pot against a deeper V who I figured was drawing. It all worked out in the end anyway! Could set another monthly record...not necessarily trying to, though. Really focusing on staying sharp and untilted. Classical music ftw!

Oh, at end of night my color up was short $500...! They checked the cameras though and discovered their error. Phew! But it sure is hard to concentrate when you're worried about this sort of thing. (I mostly took a break from playing until they sorted it out.)

Letter to editor was published, which was really cool. Nice to drop some knowledge.

Happy Father's Day!

As I was walking through yesterday, security abruptly asked for my player's card, which was very odd. I stammered then she instead asked for my ID, which I provided. Happened to be wearing my tropical Hawaiian outfit last night...hmm...she was much older. I wonder if she disapproved of my flashy style.

Poker gods rewarded me for my troubles by giving me my first high hand since last October, $500, coincidentally the same amount I was almost shorted in my color up. Sweet! (JTcc on 7c8cxx9c, rivered the 9c.) A lil' 5/5 PLO then early night's sleep.

Are you still interested in doing this? I play hi/lo online but PLO5 is my go-to when I go to the casino. If so let me know and I'll hit you up with my discord/skype or whatever. Always down to discuss some strat.

Sure! PM me so we can discuss details.

A few uneventful sessions, still playing well, started calling a little too much the last couple sessions was my only leak. Had a meh 5/5 sesh yesterday evening, AA did not hold in 3! pot, some good hands that didn't connect, and one bad $80 turn call with AA+nfd against what I thought was trips. Not a terrible performance by any means, just a yawn loss. Keeping in mind how terrific the month has been so far.

I can't understate the value of soothing music while playing. It definitely helps keep tilt under control.

Had a rough one, a small 2/5 loss while waiting for PLO - for three hours (...!) - then GII AK997 versus very aggo losing player on 8JT, ripped 2 turn after he double barreled multiway for a weird 1/2 pot sizing and he actually had Q9 this time. (He would do the same with all his wraps and 2p/fds too.) Lost KK679dd on 578r to 88JT2 as well and QJ689ds to a medicore AA (I'm a small favorite). Went a little off the reserve with KKQQ5ss pre at 5/5 facing a raise/call/3! squeeze, figured blocker effects were in my favor and went with it. Actually improved to trip 5s but someone had A5.

I woke up feeling off yesterday after staying up late and I suspect that that, combined with the long wait for plo, threw me off my game. Also had to wait a very long time before getting into the 5/5, which is tending to run earlier these days, probably also contributing to playing too fast (KKQQ5) before the game broke. Also just didn't make any big hands really. Meh. It's a long game, no need to force things any given night, there's always the next time. Especially now that 5/5 is running almost all week, which is friggin' fantastic.

I think I've been a little spoiled lately and the poker gods are reminding me how little control I actually have.

Had a really good 2/5 session for a change, GII with set v. top pair + fd and then OP v. top pair for a $1,400 win in a couple hours, but nothing really happened at 5/5. Got in to the game a little too late again. Won a good pot at 1/2 PLO5 with dsKK v. maniac AI pre. That's about it. Gonna subscribe to jnandez again, he has some new plo5 content.

Much easier day mentally.