Appreciate it!

Finally booked a win. Up $328 in five hours. $428 if you count yet another lucky table.

Won a couple early pots then lost a couple and was even. Decided to table change. Raised K7dd and got called by whale. Flopped gin: 456dd. Cbet and whale RAISED! We were $300 effective and I called the extra $25. Turn was board-pairing 4d giving me the open ended straight flush draw. Now whale bet $120. I called. Turn was 2c and I jammed my last $120. Whale called with 23o.

That was pretty much it.

tagged

A couple nights off for date night last night (Friday) and then hosted a home game tonight. Poker-life balance is really important to prevent burnout. Taking a couple nights off each week has been really helpful in that regard.

Home game didn't go as great as planned. Early in session ran KK into AA AI pre for my first $30 buy in. Then turned top set QQQ in 3! pot and AJ rivered the nut straight against me. Then ran QQ into slowplayed AA on 8-high board. Lost $65 on the night, but as usual the important part was being surrounded by friends. On the bright side, had these hands occurred at MGM I'd probably be stuck at least $600.

Back at MGM "tomorrow"/this afternoon.

Last night I was back at it. Feeling a little "meh" about playing, to be honest. Maybe it was due to running badly in the home game. Who knows?

Anyway, never got anything going this session. Started stuck a couple hundred due to a cooler or two. Raised red JJ UTG+1 over UTG limp, SB ($100) cold calls, UTG calls. I cbet 89Thh flop, SB jams, UTG folds, I snap, whiny SB reg has KK and hesitates to show on a 5-A runout because he can never fade the ace with kings....

Then call small BTN open over two limps to $12 with QTdd and flop 3-4-6ddd. (That's a flush.) I check, BB donks $16 into $50, CO calls, BTN/pfr jams $65, I re-jam $100, BB calls, CO folds. BB has K5dd, BTN had AhAs.

Changed tables. Got AA cracked by K4cc (hit gushot on river - my fault for not cbetting IP otf). Got a good double up with when I QQ binked a set otr against (V claimed) AA or KK. Rivered straight with JTcc against top pair. Limped JJ in EP in straddle and bet $30 (pot), folded to a jam for $130 on T-7-2r flop. Would have been ahead against T6dd had I called. Couple other players said they would have snap called, one dbag even said I was too nitty. Won a few other medium and smallish pots to wind up stuck $74 in 6 hours.

Back at it tonight.

I hear ya. I was at MGM NH this weekend, played a local Sunday game, played a local Monday game and hit a brick wall mentally. I've been really profitable but mentally, I need to scale back a bit to avoid complete burnout.

Poker-Life balance... so important.

Tonight sat at 1/3 for 15 minutes. Raised AKhh, folded to 3x raise on K-7-3dd when I cbet. V started talking to me a lot while I tanked. Ez fold to me. Then raised AQs and flopped top top on A-K-6cc. Checked, co bet $15, BTN called, I check raised AI for my last $90 and same V who raised me earlier called on BTN with AK. Down $150. Enough of this sh*t. Left for 2/5.

Bought in for $300 and called MP1 open with JJ. Pro in SB squeezed to $125, folded to me and I jammed, he called and said “I need a J.” I figured we were chopping so I showed and took it down on 10-x-x-A-x runout. Guess he didn’t have jacks.

Then lost big pot to same V when he raised otb sb called I called AcQh in bb and he bet/bet/bet Q-3-5-6-J (front door club flush draw missed). I tank called river $160 and he had 333. My bad for not 3! Pre. Still ended up $200 in 2/5 after a couple hours.

Switched back to 1/3 where I lost $100 with some raising and missing and one failed bluff with a gutshot to nuts.

Overall down $50 today. Excellent day for confidence though. Played 2/5 deep and avoided getting totally owned. Plus, less stupid asinine and meaningless chatter at 2/5 and more predictable play than at 1/3. I definitely feel more at home playing 2/5.

Terrible weather coming tomorrow so prospects for driving to casino are slim. On bright side have gotten a lot of law work done recently so I’m not worried about falling behind.

Now Karaoke fried chicken and shock top.

Upside-down food? You at Outback Steak house, or some other Australia-themed place?

Lol no clue how that happened. Maybe because I did it from my phone this time? It showed up right side up when I first posted it.

I think you get the gist of the pic anyway.

I'm approaching 1,000 hours of live play since I started tracking on the app last June. Since I'm taking the day off due to snow/ice and I have no law work at the moment, I figured I would jot down some things I've learned along the way. Take it with a grain of salt. I'm just a moderate 1/3 winner at the moment.

Table image/presence

When I first started playing frequently/grinding, I wanted to look like a grinder so other players would know I was serious about the game. I wore a hoodie, was stone silent, and even started wearing noise-canceling headphones. I thought this would impress upon people how much better I was than them.

Now when I see someone sit down fitting this description, all I can think is that this player is a wannabe who doesn't know a thing about table image. I am sure there are good players who don the hoodie and headphones, but over time I have come to appreciate the value in looking normal and not fitting a stereotype. When you dress like a normal person, people relax and don't have any preconceived notions about your game. To me, the grinder vibes just conveys "I only play AA, KK," and kills action. It also is a social buzzkill, especially at fun/talkative tables. I rarely wear my headphones at the table anymore (even though they cost $500!). Maybe once in a while when I am on a downswing hating life and don't give two sh*ts.

If you appear approachable, people will be more willing to play with you, even if you are largely playing premiums. Don't be afraid to appear gamboly. Once in a while throw in a straddle (especially if the whole table is doing it - don't be the buzzkill!), post when you first sit down, call a shorty's jam with 72 and table that sh*t like it's the nutz! (Only if closing the action with dead money and getting the right odds to call of course.) These are inexpensive ways to manipulate your table image from the nutpeddler you know you are deep inside to the fun player you are most certainly not.

Oh, and please don't talk strat or use terms like "EV" or "range" at the table. You sound like a f*cking tw*t to other knowledgeable players who also know better than to tip off the uninformed (pejoratively labeled "fish") that they might not know something about poker.

Taking breaks

I have always been a fan of getting up from the table to stretch my legs and get my blood pumping, especially after a rough hand. If I start to get card dead I will often take a lap around the casino, check out some other tables in case there's a particularly good one I want to change to, and clear my head. I almost always do this when I am in EP, never LP. Position is power!

Rapport with floor/staff

If you pay a lot, you will interact with the casino staff regularly. These people will make rulings in game, allow you to table change, process your comps, etc. If you aren't a very friendly person, go out of your way to be nice to them. It will pay dividends. (E.g., 150 person wait during promo weekend? Bumped to the top of the list without even asking, thank you very much!) Don't be afraid to throw them a tip once in a while for exceptional service.

Regs

I hate uber nitty 1-2bb/hr. regs who only play AA/KK and limp QQ/AK/AQ and everything else to setmine. That's pretty much all I have to say about this. Avoid playing with them like the plague. They are terrible for winrate and no fun to play with. They're like heaps of dung in the middle of an oasis. Find tables with a lot of unknown players, not these regs. (Bad regs, on the other hand....) (Oh, and always fold to 3! from them when you have AK/AQ.)

Pros

Hate these players, too (respectfully), but not because they're only playing AA/KK (they play those, certainly), but because they raise QJ and are capable of triple-barreling with Q-high on 9-T-x-x-A. Avoid playing in pots with them!

Fun players aka "fish"

Don't go out of your way to suck up to them, it's disingenuous. Don't tell them how they should have played their hand better, either (Why didn't you jam the turn? You didn't bet your trips? You had the second nut flush!). Don't berate them if they suck out on you in the silliest of ways. Normally, they are playing shorter stacks anyway so it's not like you lost that much. Be thankful you lost to a fun player who is more likely to give it back than to a rock or nitreg who would probably be table changing or racking up very soon. Don't be afraid to defend them if a clueless person starts berating them. Oh, and except for verbally or physically abusive behavior, or total obnoxiousness, let these players get away with breaking minor rules like one chip raises or not stacking their chips appropriately.

Comps

Use them! They actually add up when you play frequently. We get $2/hr. at MGM. I never have less than $200 in my account, and I eat on comps almost every visit. This will save you food costs elsewhere and help your bottom line. Downside: not the healthiest cheap options available, unless you get the teriaki rice bowl. I myself prefer Shake Shack's chick'n shack and fries for $10.90. (I'm a skinny guy, so I can afford the calories.)

Study

Gotta do this. People debate optimal proportions of study to play, but I think as along as you are putting in some study each day and learning something new, you are doing the right thing.

Vlogs, the bike, poker night in america are not study. They are largely entertainment/hype for poker culture that can be good for your motivation to play. True study comes from books/training sites/coaches/reviewing HHs with poker friends and on 2p2/flopzilla/solvers.

That's all I can think of for now.

Calling a $12 open from a $77 small stack Button in the SB with QTs (and being at most $112 deep with others even if they are massive whales) is a huge leak. It's not a "small" open; it's for huge 16% of effective stacks and you'll be OOP to boot. The only hands you should ever be considering flatting here are monsters such as AA/KK. You can chalk postflop up to a cooler, but you should never be in this spot. IMO.

Try not to let people know you folded the JJ hand, just do it quietly. How would stating/showing this ever be beneficial? ETA: I'll be honest, I sometimes have a problem doing this to; it's one of my biggest leaks, and I'm not sure I'll ever get a complete handle on it. But one thing I will say: even if you tell people the truth here, at least never show your hand, so that there is always a chance you're lying (which of course you'll also be doing on a regular basis).

Ggoodluck!G

Is this the best frame of mind to be going over to bigger stakes?


Congrats on your shot taking and feeling comfortable in the bigger game. I'm sure you'll feel more and more comfortable the more hours you put in.

I can't say because I don't have a bigger stake game in my room to play in (we basically only spread 1/3 NL) but the "more predictable play" comment is sorta akin to the "move up to where they respect your raises". My guess is that you'll find the bigger stake more difficult long term than the smaller stake, so if you're not doing well at the smaller stake (???) then be prepared for that.


ETA: As you can see, I mostly harp on the negative stuff, so don't take it too hard; and, as always, it's just one idiot's opinion (mine!). I like almost all your points you've learned over 1000 hours, so definitely heading in the right direction. Go go go!

Ggoodluck!G

I appreciate the feedback. One of my primary reasons for posting is to plug leaks!

QFMFT. There were two guys at my charity room doing this on Monday. They were discussing the feedback one of them got on a hand he posted on a training site they are both on. At a 1/3 table. Across the table from each other.

I wanted to throttle them. Tried tapping my beer bottle like a tank. Tried jokingly asking them if they had Facebook notes on me. They just kept going. So bad for the game.

Last night broke even. Literally exactly even. I think that's a first for me, actually.

First buy-in went bye-bye in a limped pot in the BB (of course). Checked ption with the majestic J6ss and led into field with flush draw on 3s-4c-8s. Got called by three players. Turn: Jc. Bet 3/4 pot ($30). Now fish to my immediate left (UTG limper) min-raises to $60. All fold to me, and I'm not going anywhere with top pair and a flush draw against a fish's min-raise. I call. River: Ah. Now fish bets $50 into $170. I call for that price and expect to lose rather often. He shows A3o. Nice semi-bluff ott, sir! He asks if I had him beat before the river and I say the only thing that matters is that he had the best hand on the river. He asks my name, we exchange names, very amicable. (He went on to punt $1,000 over the next hour; none to me!)

Get AQ like 4 times (whoopie...), raise all four, win 2/4. Once cbet multiway with AQss on Q-Js-5s flop and unknown rec min-raises me otf with $100 behind. I ship, he tank calls, I river the nut flush on paired board and he mucks.

Then get into tricky spot with AQcc UTG when I flop gutshot to broadway and bdnfd on Kc-6d-Jd and tight middle aged Asian man take betting lead. I call one 1/2 pot bet otf, everyone else folds. Turn: 6c. Dicey. Pick up equity against his top pairs, drawing dead to his nutted combos. He bets $75 into $100. I often see recs check here or bet smaller with boats, so I think he has Kx enough to justify a call. River: Qh. I check he jams $200, I make a quick fold.

Then raise AQo, get called by sticky rec BTN who limp/called $25. Cbet K-5-4r (a "one and done" flop) and unfortunately he calls. Check turn with no additional equity and check/fold river improved when he bet 1/2 pot. Tough spot oop. Meh.

Iso'd QJhh over a couple limpers otb to $18, all call, flopped top pair on J-9-7cc (I checked, too many bad turns/don't know how strong I am here), turned top two on Qc, called a bet, rivered a boat, same V bet "same bet" ($26), raised to $70, got paid by I assume a turned flush.

Headed for shock top and karaoke. I was tempted to play a little longer and forgo songs, but I think sticking to a routine is more important. Got pulled over for speeding 40 in 25 (they recently changed the speed limit from 35 to 25), was my usual pleasant "sorry, officer" self in these situations, and got a warning this time.

That's pretty much all. Tonight meeting best friend for a beer at this cool hotel/bar in DC. Dunno if will have time for one last session this month. If not, I ended up making around $17/hr. in about 110 hours in January. Not a bad way to kick off 2019.

Best friend and I rescheduled for the weekend so got one last session in January.

Little action until flopped top two in BB with K7 in limped pot against ep limper’s 67 on K67ss. It all went in ott and I held. Then a series of raising in straddle pots with AK and AQ OOP and check folding unimproved.

Last hand I played a loose opener made it $16 in co in straddled pot and I 3! $31 (misclick) from BTN, BB cold called, raiser called. Flop: 6-8-Tr. Looks decent for 99. I cbet $55. BB calls, co c/r $155. I tank fold and BB puts in his last $50. Co has 97 for flopped nutz! Bb has AA?! Bb wins on T-A runout. Lol!

Lost $68 this session in three hours.

That’s pretty much it. New month, gonna try two 2/5 sessions per month now.

My records show me with 2 exact breakeven 1/3 NL sessions out of 554. Think one of the more lol sessions I recall is during a big winning streak I played a 12 hour session and lost $12, lol.

Just some quick imo points on hands that I disagree with:

- J6ss hand I might not donk into the world; little FE and we're not as cool with building a pot with only the J high flush draw (I'd be more cool with building a pot with the nut flush draw); I might not bet the turn 4ways now that I have a showdownable hand and I don't want to get blown off my draw; fine with calling the raise on the turn due to odds but I'm folding the river

- you already know how I feel about the AQs hand

- re: QJs hand; in most games, I find "isolating" someone almost impossible, especially after 2 limps, unless we're planning on putting in a huge percentage of our stack preflop to attempt it (which ain't good); you're not isolating anyone, imo, and with this knowledge should play preflop appropriately (i.e. overlimping with speculative hands like QJs in position after 2 limps is fine); I would have likely cbet the flop in position (yeah, we're not a monster, but we can get called by worse and can often get to a showdownable river for free if we want); I'm cool with turn and would have shoved river almost regardless of how big an overbet it is

Congrats on the good start to the year!

GcluelessNLnoobG

Planning a Borgata trip with Jeff (maybe more) President's Day weekend. If anyone know a cheap place to stay around there, please chime in. Thanks!

Finished reading whole thread. I like how you contribute to your retirement with poker winnings, that's really cool and you'll be happy you did it some day. Thanks for taking the time to write this, really enjoy the story.

I am curious, do you work for yourself? What type of law do you practice? From stories I hear, poker seems more enjoyable than doing legal work but I can't help but think the "win-rate" is higher in the lawyer game.

Unfortunately 1/3 doesn't run at my nearest casino but I think $150 at 1/3 is possibly the most difficult stack size to play against, so many great squeeze plays possible. $200 stack in 2/5 is also really great but I don't know any place that allows that anymore. I'm stuck with $300 on 2//5 when the game is running or buying for 100 on 2-2 PLO or 1/2.

Appreciate it! Thanks for reading.

I am a court-appointed criminal appeals lawyer. I represent indigent defendants in criminal appeals arguing constitutional and evidentiary issues. I also do clemency work (mainly pro bono) on the side. Yes, the win-rate in my job is much, much higher, but I also put way fewer hours in.

I love short stacking in 2/5 especially. I have started buying in for more at 1/3 though.

Last night took a good friend from my stand up comedy days out for dinner at the MGM steakhouse on my comps. Very classy joint. Then headed up to poker room for first of two 2/5 sessions of the new month. I had my friend sitting next to me so the whole table probably thought I was one of those clueless people there with his girlfriend.

Nothing really happened - basically folded my BB every orbit - until I got AKo on BTN on young Asian gambler's straddle and made it $45. He 3! ships for my $350 and I snap. (He had previously 4! jammed A4hh for $500.) He says he has his favorite hand (whatever, bud) and tables J9ss. Runout: 5-6-8s-3s (...!)-Tc. Fade the world and double up.

Then call BTN open in BB with TT and call 55J flop, check/check blank turn, check/fold Q river. Close one, but he bet $35 into $60 so seemed value-heavy.

Left after a couple hours up $254. Nice start to February.

Yummy dinner at Voltaggio Bros. Steakhouse (yes, I ordered the chicken):



"Morning" (afternoon lol) coffee - gotta love the double entendre:

Got lunch with best friend at cool new church-turned-hotel in DC called Line Hotel. Dogs in the restaurant all over! What a concept. I'm a dog lover, so I had no issues with canines all over the place.



Tonight went as well as it could have. Played pretty much mistake free, raised and missed a lot early on, costing me about $100. Then ran into shorty's KK when I 3! with AK. Lost another $80 that hand. Then ran QJ into bottom set and trips with top pair twice, lost about $60 between those two hands. In the coup d'grace, raised whale's straddle over two limpers to $40 with QQ, whale called as was expected, we're heads up, I overbet jam 7-9-Jr flop for $120, he calls with T6o for gutshot and hits it on the turn. Said nice hand and said goodbye to my friends who were at the same table. Just reminded myself that over time I'll make thousands of dollars from players like him.

I would have rebought but I was already in for $600 and was getting tired. Longest session in a while at around 9 hours. Sad to see my winrate fall due to pure runbad. I really was playing well. Tomorrow's a new day though.

I was too tired last night to recall that I also lost set under set for $150. Opened 99 in CO, SB and BB call. Flop: 9-J-4ss. I bet $30, SB c/r $100, I jam $125 effective, he has JJJ. :/

Back at it today during Super Bowl. Hopefully lots of rec players/sports fans there to watch the game.

Interesting discussion over in Borgata thread about whether security can search a player's unattended bag. I contributed my opinions on the matter. Others disagreed. Rather than reprint the relevant portions here, I'll just link to the thread for those who are interested.

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/1...index1143.html

Back to normal tonight. Won big pot with AK on AK8J9 runout. Full double up when I b/b/jammed into UTG raiser and was good. Then lost one when I called a $15 raise in my straddle with 54hh and pfr (55 y/o white guy) cbet $30 into $60 on 2h-6h-Qc, I c/r $130 and he ripped it in for $500. (I had him slightly covered.) I tank folded putting him on sets of Qs and better flush draws, some overpairs. He later informed me he had KQhh so I was in terrible shape as I suspected.

Won a couple medium sized pots and ended up $220 in 5 hours. Now shock top and karaoke.

Someone at the table tonight said no one should be as successful/good looking/wealthy as Tom Brady is. Lol.

Tonight was a snooze. Won one BB special early on with K8o on K8636 runout. I bet/bet/checked to induce and V value owned himself with A8, firing $75 otr. I called.

Then slowly bled down - utterly card dead for hours - until I was left with a tidy $3 profit in just under 4 hours.