New month, so played a 2/5 session. Was up $100, then lost a couple raise/miss pots (once with AsKh in straddled pot, I raised to $70 over two limpers and c/f a Qs-9s-6d flop). Raised JTdd and flopped OESD but c/folded to a pot-sized bet on a K-Q-8cc flop, figuring my outs were not clean in case someone had the flush draw. One caller and wouldn't you know it the Qs came on the turn! Later, bet my nut flush draw in limped pot ott and improved to top pair on Q-4-5-Q-A runout, V donked $25 into $50 otr after checking turn, I called, he had trip Qs. Ended down $200 in 2/5.

1/3 was going slow and steady for a while. Got AA once, raised, jammed J-high flop, no callers. Raised QQ, five callers, flop 444, I bet 3/4 pot, no callers.

Called a LP raise with 99 in BB and flop 5-2-2. I check and raiser checks behind. Turn is a beautiful 9 and now raiser bets $30, and I happily call. River is a 6 and now I check again and he bets $45. I have one move: ALL IN for my remaining $135! He snaps with 42dd. V called this hand a "buzzsaw." Is that slang for a cooler? I call it justice for raising 42 to begin with. I guess V never learned to FOLD PRE.

In limped pot in BB with 97ss, flop Js-Ts-x. I flop gutshot straight flush draw and pot it for $12, tight V raises to $35, I figure I could jam for $300 and race his set or two pair, but instead I take the lower variance route and call. Turn: 7. We both check. River: 9. I improve to two pair, I bet 1/2 pot ($35), and he calls with JT for top two. I think some call this a merged range?

Later the 42dd V raises to $12 and I have QQ in LP and seeing as he's raised 42dd before, I thought a 3! was in order. Made it $36. All fold to him and he makes the call. Ranging him on two napkins. He has $120 behind and pot is $70.

Flop: 6-2-8dd. Looks good to me. V checks and I just go ahead and jam hoping to get a call from TT-JJ or a flush draw. He calls and cries out, "What you got? I called you!" I calmly told him I'd show him at showdown. Turn: A. River: 3. I show and he only then decides to turn over 22 for flopped bottom set and says, "remember that other hand?" as if to say this was payback. F*cking a**hole. Why do I always run into the jerks? This hand set me back to even in 1/3.

I later raised KK, got two callers, flop is a kinda nasty 10-7-8cc. V donks, I call, other V calls. Turn: 9s. V bets again, I fold, second V calls and wins at showdown with two pair, 9s and 8s on a four-to-a-straight board.

Later raise QQ, get two callers, flop K-J-7. I check, V1 bets $25 into $45, V2 calls, and I let this one go too. V1 wins at showdown with QJ.... I called it a night not long after, down $39 in 1/3. Things just don't seem to be going my way.

Another night, another $1/3 session. Started on a winning streak, l/rr jamming my first buy in for $100 over a BB open to $15 (he was opening all sorts of high card hands). Win unimproved against his KJo. Then 3! AA against a shorty, he calls, presumably misses since he folded to my flop cbet. Later 3! KK against Mr. KJo and cbet an A-high flop, luckily he folds. Up $150 at this point.

Then things get dicey when I call an EP raise OTB with KQhh (five ways to a flop). Q-T-8hh. Beautiful. All check to me and I bet 1/2 pot. Only pfr calls. Turn: 5d. I have psb left but don't want to commit, so I check behind to pot control. Unfortunately, he bets $85 on a 9s river and it looks like he got there with KJ or possible AJhh or JJ. I let it go. Next, raise $20 in always annoying straddled pot, shorty limper calls and donks $25 on QT8cc flop, I just let it go and decide to change tables.

Nothing happens at new table for a while until I get A7hh and raise it up to $10, get two callers including V who is a total station. V donks $35 on a Kh-6h-2d flop and I have one move: ALL IN! I jam for $120 and she . . . calls. Sadly, I miss and she scoops with KQo. :/

Later, get AA, 3! an EP opener, station calls in SB, prf calls, donks $80 on a 8-2-2r flop, I happily call all in for less, station finds a fold somehow, I win against V's weirdly played AK. (He thought we had the same hand and I would fold a chop...not folding anything on any board after I 3! nearly half my stack, sorry!)

I order food, eat, and feel extremely tired, probably because fries and a shrimp teriyaki bowl will do that to someone. Ended down $40 in around 6 hours.

Just imo:

- if it is truely the nittiest guy at the table, depending on whether there are going to be any dominated overcalls, you could actually consider folding AK preflop to a single raise; Doyle was wrong: a 3bet from this guy is AA, so obviously don't get into a 5bet pot

- other AK vs JJ/AA hand is trickier, if both are idiots / gambloorers then fine, but if both are somewhat with a clue then it is trickier (but I don't think horrible by any means)

GgoodluckG

- ATs / KJs are trivial folds for me by default to any preflop raise (would need good reasons to do otherwise, such as very wide raiser or ~closing the action going very multiway, etc.)

- with baby flush I probably lean to a very small river bet/fold unless we can't comfortably fold (i.e. opponent can do weird stuff)

- no reason to get out-of-line preflop with the 98s hand, and if stacks are smallish (which makes preflop even worse) then we should be pushing this flop OOP (great FE against most hands, good hand equity if looked up, we can't use our position to our advantage on later streets, etc.)

GcluelessNLnoobG

- are you cut out / prepared for 2/5NL? there's no shame in staying at a lower stake if you aren't

- I think I would be much smaller than a 3/4 PSB on a 444 flop with QQ 5ways as the preflop raiser (although I guess there are some reasons for going big, especially if committed)

- 99 hand is debatable because after flop checks thru I'm guessing perhaps we should take the lead hoping for action and preventing check backs

- with 97s hand I also give much respect to the flop raise and don't jam here (the only point of jamming is FE and we rarely have any against a normal flop raiser)

- QQ hand against set of 22s is well played, imo

GgoodluckG

- we're typically in a WA/WB situation with KK on A high flops so should usually be checking (exceptions might be if board is drawy and/or SPR is super duper small and we're committed)

- KQs hand commit on flop/turn in this small SPR pot (in high SPR pots this hand would have been played fine)

- raising to almost 10% of your stack with speculative hands (i.e. A7s) and getting multiple calls is just really meh when shortstacked

Anyhoo, these are just my opinions, and not everyone will agree with them. Overall, if you're shortstacking (say ~66 bbs), I think you should be playing extremely tight and pretty much never get even remotely out-of-line preflop, and commit ASAP postflop in low SPR pots with commitable hands.

It's also tough to read between the lines, but I kinda get the feeling you're not having the funnest time playing poker. I truly feel if you're not having fun playing poker then you're likely doing it wrong (i.e. you might want to consider cutting down the number of poker sessions so that any outing is an enjoyable one) and it's also unlikely you'll last (not that you'd want to if you're not having fun).

Ggoodluck!G

I enjoyed reading your thread over the last few weeks and I am finally current. Having just read the full thing I wanted to give my thoughts. (I'm a small winner 2bb over 1000 hours and play 1-3 full stack.)

1. When I first started reading it I was surprised how often you call raises with soso hands A10ss and KJcc type but you where winning so what did I know. Over time it seems like you had some early run good which has turned. I think you generally call to wide.

2. I don't short stack ever but saw you using it alot. While you were making money with alot of l/rr and large iso's with flop jams, your not learning much about post flop to improve. I get the feeling you're too quick to want to move stacks to the middle. Feels related to short stacking too much.

3. As others pointed out you are to quick to have social tilt. Part of the social aspect of poker is to smile and ignore the people you dont like. Gambling bring out the best in people lol...

4. It seems like the day to day swings effect you to much. Some days you SS other full stack. Some days its NLH, plo and tourneys. You also chase wins alot. All in all I get the sense you are playing too much and have entitlement tilt.

Please dont take any offense to anything just want to give you a outside perspective. I'm not a crusher so I won't break down any hands but I hope something I wrote may help your game.

GOOD LUCK and have fun!

Lately, you are right. When I was winning consistently it made up for the daily grind. Now, high volume + low return = not fun times. Running into Vs who slow roll me for no apparent reason doesn't help either. Definitely not why I show up to play.

Uneventful winning session like I was once accustomed to playing. At table with clueless maniac, called his raise with JJ, hold four ways. Called $30 3! in SB with JJ to setmine (with $350 behind), c/folded on K-high flop. In limped pot, made nut straight with AcTs on QJ8cc7cKs runout, bet river, called by two Vs and I am good.

Raise AKo UTG, get 3! by relatively inactive older gentleman in MP, let it go pre. (I am default folding AK pre to 3! unless I see that V 3! JJ-QQ/big aces.)

Changed tables a little while after maniac busted out. New table I am card dead most of the time, limp AQss in MP behind and flop AJQ, turn Q, someone bets, I call. Turn: J. V bets $10 again, I raise big, he folds.

Then get QQ facing big $21 open in EP and I flat in MP. Heads up, we check it down on A-9-3-J-Q runout until I bet small otr and he folds.

Overall up $178 in six hours. Very happy to book a win!

Thanks for your perspective. I definitely appreciate your input. I wish more people would take the time to give feedback! I have been reflecting/regrouping recently since I am on a big downswing.

First of all, since getting back from Vegas I've cut out PLO entirely. It was a nice change of pace, but I didn't run too well and so it's time to stop that before I go broke.

I am generally playing much tighter now. No more nonsense with "the wannabe" hands.

About the bolded part above: I remember I used to book smaller wins and would leave happy with them. These added up over time. Now I feel like I am chasing bigger wins and as a result am playing a too long. I need to focus on rebuilding my roll and being satisfied with the $100-$200 wins like I once was. Tonight was a decent start. It probably wouldn't hurt to take a day or two off at some point.

Oh, and not punt it off with AK pre anymore against nits.

I'll work on the social tilt part too.

Thanks for reading and for the feedback again.

Don't worry about chasing big wins instead of small wins, they'll come when they come.

I play a very nitty low variance style at my 1/3 NL game. Went thru a 4 session period recently over a total of 29 hours where I booked sessions of $16, $29, -$118 and -$13 (lol, amirite?). Currently on a 3 session streak over 25 hours where I've booked sessions of -$369, $1164 and -$378 (in 63 sessions this year, that's my biggest win bookended by my 6th and 7th biggest losses).

Gsitbackandletthegamecometoyou,imoG

At very good, loose table, just didn't get big hands at the right time. Raised TT UTG, two callers, check K-2-2 flop, turn T, call $20 bet, river 6, I bet $30, they both fold. :/

Got AKhh in SB, 3! HJ shorty's $15 open to $55, BB called AI for less, HJ AI for less, BTN tank calls. Flop: J-8-9ddd, turn 4s, river 9h. We check it down and BB wins main pot with 94cc, BTN wins small side pot with 66. I lose EVERYTHING. Lol.

Eventually change tables where I 3! an EP open to $15 to $40 with AKss, jam an 9-8-9hh flop, he folds AJo. Our table breaks again, I call a straddle in EP with AKo planning on l/rr, but no raise. Flop A-9-3r, I check, someone in LP bets 3/4 pot, I call, we check turn and river and of course I am good given the action. River was a J, but decided not to go for value. After this hand I was up $16 in five hours and just called it a night before rush hour hit.

Another uneventful winning session. Bought in for min/$100 since I'm poor and a fish. Nothing happened until I raised AQo in straddle to $31, only straddler called, flop A-8-5r, I check once figuring I am way ahead, he checks behind. Turn: 9 brining backdoor hearts. I bet $30, he calls. River: 5s, I jam $29, he folds.

Get AKo, raise, cbet A-high flop into three Vs, everyone folds.

Then call a couple raises with 55 and 99, miss both times. Finally get black TT in EP and limp, very active V raises $15, two callers, I jam $85, everyone snap calls (?!). Whale jams A-high flop, other two Vs fold, I river a flush and re-suck out on A2o.

I also raised AKo again, missed multiway, and check/folded. That's all, folks!

Up $200 in 4.5 hours. Considered playing longer to try to stack the whale, but also wanted to book another win and build my roll. There have been a couple recent sessions in which I was up a decent chunk relatively early and lost it. I didn't want that to happen again during this critical rebuilding time.

Oh, and I actually have some life stuff to take care of early in the AM for once. Need my sleep!

I like the AQ flop check. With only a ~PSB left I probably jam the turn (especially having weakly checked the flop as we can look pretty FOS at this point).

I also like the TT hand, nice, imo.

Ggogogo!G

Woke up at 7:45 AM on two hours of sleep for a law class I must take to remain in good standing with the court. This was quite the change of pace for someone who has grown accustomed to going to bed by 7:45 AM. Now tired as f*ck. Not even enough energy for a home game I was invited to tonight.

I need a day off anyway. I'm pretty sure I've played just about every day since I got back from Vegas. Definitely due for a break. When I return, I'll be on my A-game!

Woke up early, got a haircut and beard trim (she charged me only for the haircut, not the beard - if you're reading this (and you're not), thanks, Rachael!)).

Then visited locked up client and told him some bad news. Always an awkward moment when you tell a client all his faith in you was for nothing. At least his sentence is almost up.

Worked in a quick sesh tonight before an "early" (normal) bedtime. I told myself as soon as I doubled up once I was outta there. Strict bankroll management. Need to rebuild the BR. No losses.

Arrived at first table where supposedly drunk guy just there to have fun was talking to his opponent every hand, stalling the action. We played one hand every five minutes. Table change, please!

Next table was much better. Target V was tilted, raising every hand, losing every pot, rebuying, rebuying, rebuying. Just as I sat down he must have busted out. The dealer asked him, "Need $100?" V
looked at my stack and said, "HE needs $100!" (I was down to $96 from being blinded out one orbit at the first table.)

I ignored V, politely topped off to $100, and lay in wait....

My opportunity came 25 minutes in, when tilty raised $10 UTG, two callers, and I have KsKh in BB and make it $45 with $40 behind. Tilty calls, and the other two follow suit.

Flop: Js-Qs-Td.

Does this flop have an A? No? OK, JAM! So I did.

THEY ALL CALLED. Now I'm worried.

I sweat them checking down a 7h-5s runout and I hesitatingly show. Tilty doesn't show, V2 shows KQo (loser), V2 shows AQo (double loser). Assuming I've won, I get up, do a little dance in a circle, and double fistbump the air. Then I realize tilty hasn't shown or mucked and the dealer hasn't pushed me the pot. Wtf?

Finally, after too long a wait, tilty shakes his head and mucks. Sigh of relief. (Bet you all thought I was losing to another slowroll. Ha!)

I stand up and do another victory jig.

I immediately pick up my chips, give the dealer and extra $1, and say "Cya!" to no one in particular. Chances are I'll never see any of these people ever again.

Got my comped shake shack and drove home.

And that concluded the session, up $240 in less than an hour. Time for bed.

i would buy in for 150$ and keep topped up anytime you go below 100$. i shortstack and find 100$ pretty difficult to play hands that arent QQ+. at 150 you can usually setmine profitably and can still create low spr's with that starting stack size. i personally think playing deep over 250bb's kinda pointless except a select few villians. its 2018 even fish know not to jam over raises w/o the near nuts. i seriously cant remember the last time ive seen two players each put in over 250bb's postflop. **** i ive seen AA against KK numerous times and KK DOESNT get stacked 250bb deep.

Yeah lately I’ve been doing $150 more often than not.

Went to MGM this morning for their two-year anniversary promo. $500 to two people in the room every ten minutes. Met Jeff there. Luckily, got seated at the same table early. First hand played, I raised AKo, called by two Vs, flop A-8-2r. Bet, bet, called raise AI for $50 more ott, river 9, V flips over 89 for rivered two pair. (She claimed she was trying to bluff me off of my ace ott....)

Rebuy for $150 again. This time run it up, raise AsKh, three callers, flop Ks-6s-Js, I bet 2/3 pot, limp/caller CRAI, I call, he has KQo and I hold.

Nothing else really happened the rest of the session except your run-of-the-mill raise and miss pots. Ended up $116 in four hours.

After MGM, went to home game and had fun with friends. Up $40 there in like eight hours (at 0.5/0.25).

No poker yesterday. Instead, attended a family event in the AM, then met a friend for lunch, then went on a date and saw the new Queen movie Bohemian Rhapsody. (Spoiler: Freddie Mercury dies.) Went to bed super early (10:00 PM), woke up early (8:00 AM).

Went for early sesh today. Got there around 11:00. Bought in $100. L/rr AQo in EP over BTN open to $12 over three limpers. BTN's sizing seemed weak, so I pounced. Rawr! $45 to go. Everyone folded.

Then 3! EP open with AKss, BTN cold calls, raiser folds. Flop A-T-8hh. I bet $30, BTN jams $80, I call, turn top two and show first. He mucks.

Then call HJ $12 open with JJ in CO, five ways to 5-6-8r flop. BB (OMC) donks $15 into $70 (?), raiser calls, I raise to $50, only OMC calls. Putting him on two pair or weirdly played overpair. We check a 2 ott. River: J. OMC checks, I bet $85, OMC calls, of course I'm good. Probably should have just jammed here, I only had $35 more behind.

Then nothing for about half an hour until I racked up, up $300 in under two hours. Session was perfect because I woke up early enough to avoid rush hour on the way there, and "up" early enough in the session to avoid it on the way home. Now considering an afternoon nap.

On a winning streak again. Super duper happy about that.

Took a nap and woke up, headed back for a late session. GII with nut flush draw against top two and didn't improve. Bluff catched against a V who definitely liked to bluff. One hand raised JJ UTG, he called along with a couple others. Flop Q-5-7cc. I bet $25, V calls. Turn: 2s. I check, V bets $50, I call. River: 7d. I check, V bets $125, I tank call and he says good call/MHIG. His river sizing seemed too big to be a value bet IMO, especially once I checked it to him, indicating I wasn't particularly strong, and he'd tried bluffing me in a prior hand as well in which I flopped top pair and checked it to him. This hand seemed most likely like a busted flush draw.

Then raised QTss UTG+1 (6-handed), V calls, flop A-Q-Tcxx. I bet $20 into $20. He calls. Turn: 6c. I bet $40, V calls. River: 4c. I check, V bets $60. I tank call, he rivered backdoor nut flush. :/

Changed tables, a little steamed I got rivered and paid V off. Nothing happened until I raised 22, got multiple callers, flop A-2-7hh. I bet 3/4 pot, only pro calls. Turn: 5h. We check. River: 5. He bets $30 into $100, I raise to $85, he folds.

Then raise AsAh over one limper to $15. Four callers. Flop: 3x-4c-6s. This shouldn't really connect with my range so I check, and BTN bets $36. I call. Rest fold. Turn: 8c. We both check. River: Kc. We check and he has 10c9d and I get four-flushed. I was mad at myself because had I cbet he would have folded and I would have taken down the pot. Left shortly thereafter to avoid morning rush hour.

Ended down $288 in eight hours, but up $12 on the day! Yippie....

Did a little Christmas shopping today. Nice to have some disposable income to spend on loved ones. Bankroll took a $75 hit though. Oh, icing on the cake was free iced coffee from McDonald's. Let's just say they owe me lifetime free coffee due to a little snafu a couple years ago involving an employee's hair tie....

Last night played two short sessions. Broke even (actually, up $5) first session. Completed QJo in SB, flop T-high no FD. BTN bets $5 into $15, easy float with two overs, MP calls too. Turn: Kc brining bd flush draw. I donk $20 with my OESD and only MP calls. River: Ac, I bet $35, he calls and my straight loses to 54cc. Rough start, but shook it off. Won a bunch of small pots after that and got back to even.

Later in the evening played two hands. First, older black guy makes it $6 in MP, two callers, I have KK in SB and make it $31 ('cause I ain't afraid of no OMCs who raise to $6). Everyone folds.

Then dude opening a lot, last hand with AT, makes it $21 in EP and I have JJ in MP. I 3! to $51, he calls. Flop T-high no FD, I jam $57, he calls, low runout and MHIG. Racked up after this hand up $116.

Ended up $121 on the day. Heading back now for afternoon session.

2.5-hour session. Bought in $150 this time. Only big pot was when I raised AcQh on BTN over three limpers to $17, SB calls, two limpers call. Flop: Ad-Kd-5s. I bet $40, two callers. No raise OTF so I am pretty confident I have the best hand as two pair or a set would have bumped it up. Turn: 3c. Brick! I shove $160 to charge draws the maximum, both folded (one A6s, the other claimed he had QTdd). Later, flopped a set of tens in an unraised straddled pot on an A-J-Tss flop and ended up chopping with 67ss on a K-Q runout. :/ Racked up not long after that hand, up $216.

I am happy with my improvements this month. Playing shorter but profitable sessions like I used to. Mostly playing super tight pre. Running average to above average doesn't hurt either. Back in the swing of things!

Hoping to get Easy Game for Christmas. It's on my wish list, anyway.

Sup I grind 1-3 for a living too. What’s your current bankroll situation? Why don’t you buyin for maximum

Hey. Roll is around $2,700. Might be more if I’ve gotten paid. Don’t buy in for max because recent downswing and can’t afford to lose entire $500 buy ins.
Happy grinding!