Lost $43 at Borgata 1/2 in 10 hours. 1/2 is much softer than 1/3. Lots of exploitable leaks. Second table was much better than the first. Young couple expecting newborn wanted limit poker but accidentally ended up with us. Wife called AI ott with AQ no pair no draw. Husband b/b/c KK on A-high flop (and was good somehow). Stupid sh*t at every turn.

Would have been up a couple hundred but I lost a high variance spot when I GII with T7cc against 88 on 4-8-9cc.

I’m ready for 2/5 tomorrow, if only so I stop hearing players complain about losing or being card dead.

1/2 at Harrah’s today then Borgata 1/2 and 2/5. Ended up $550 or so overall in 8 hours. Nice end to the trip.

Really trying to expand my bluffing frequencies at 1/2. Didn’t work today. No one thinks about their opponents’ ranges or what boards favor calling versus raising ranges. Oh well. Then some idiot 4! jammed JTo into my 3! QQ and hit trips and after I mucked had the gall to ask what I had. Idiot.

Ran well in 2/5. Time rake is AMAZING. $5 per half hour. Got AK turned top pair value bet was good. Got AKo UTG in straddled pot, MP raises $55, one caller, I l/rr to $195 with about the same behind. Raiser jams (has me covered). I call. He asks if I want to run it more than once. I leave it up to him. He says twice. He tables KK (...). Board one is A-high, at which point I show. Board two is ... also A-high. Then someone says “I folded the case king.” Then someone else says “I folded the case A.” What do they say about luck versus skill? Ended up booking just under $800 win at 2/5 and $250 loss at 1/2.

Back home tomorrow/today. Might come back if I can get a free room at Borgata.

First night back and I was tired from getting less than my usual amount of sleep (10 hours) and the drive, but decided to see my free poker friends at a bar game. Brought my friend Elena flowers for her birthday, won game one (I still got it!), then she said she wanted to go to MGM. I really wasn't planning on it but I wanted to catch her up on the AC trip, so I headed over there.

At front desk I ran into someone from a home game who is definitely a spot. We said hi and he said he was playing 2/5 today. I think it was a sign.

I put myself on a 2/5 table needless to say.

Flopped my first set in 2/5 . . . dare I say ever? CO raised $20, I called BTN with 55, SB called. Flop: 2-5-7cc. CO continues $35, I raise $85, CO jams my $300 effective, I snap, turn: 7. River: 4. I go ahead and show first for the "fast roll" and he mucks.

Then take down a few medium-sized pots including one where I call a BTN open in SB with AQo, BB comes along, call a cbet on KQxdd. Turn brings the diamond flush, c/c, river is a fourth diamond and I think this is a good spot to rep a diamond since he didn't continue on the turn and my Q might not be good. I bet small and he folds.

Called CO raise with ATdd on BTN, SB calls, flop broadway with flush draw out there, bet/jam turn after SB called flop and 8s ott. He tank folded, said he should have jammed flop.

Then our table broke and I was seated with the aforementioned "spot" from a home game. First hand I saw him play he just called a raise with AA and GII on 5-Q-J-9-x runout when he raised to $150 ott and got jammed on for $400 effective, called, lost to KT. Then he lost another big pot and was pretty much out of chips. My friend Elena had arrived and so it was time to go.

Ended up $500 in 2/5 in a couple hours.

Met Elena at her 1/3 table and nothing happened until I GII for $150 against AQdd with AKo and held. Up $150 in 1/3 in a couple hours.

I've pretty much gotten out of the rut I put myself in at the beginning of the month. Now just gotta run it up!

Do you enjoy playing poker? It's a serious question I think you should contemplate.

Just a quick peek of some of the recent posts, I see a lotta stuff about "jerks", "*******s", "dishing it out", "idiot", "sad", "frustrated", "tired", "card dead", etc. Maybe it's only a small part of your overall experience that you just happen to be concentrating on in this blog, but there seem to be very few fun stories / lols from where I'm sitting. Am I misreading between the lines?

Glifeistooshort;goodluckG

Well I started off February on a low note, and when I am running poorly/on a downswing, I certainly think that gets to me and may have come across in my most recent posts. I mean, does anyone actually enjoy poker when they are running bad?

Also, I think I have made it clear that I am getting fed up with the usual low stakes nonsense in general, which is one reason (apart from having studied/improved) that I am playing 2/5 more.

But more generally, I was talking to my friend Jeff on the ride home from AC about how poker fits into our lives. He has lost pretty much everything he won his first month of play over 25 sessions or so, like I did when I first started out. We had a candid discussion. After I explained that he shouldn't expect to win when he first starts, I told him I was amazed by the legends of poker and how they've played their entire lives. I didn't think that was a particularly rewarding existence, just to play a game. Hopefully for many of them it's a means to an end - a life filled with more opportunities to do things outside of poker. I see many successful pros moving on, like Polk and Selbst, and realized that poker probably wasn't giving them what they needed in life.

At the end of the day, the game of poker isn't going to keep me fulfilled in and of itself. It's the freedom it provides to pursue other things that will.

I guess my point is that you'll be very fortunate to ever win much more the minimum wage playing poker. So would you spend the same amount of hours at a minimum wage job if you weren't at least somewhat enjoying that job?

GgoodluckG

Assuming I am a consistent winner at 1/3 (which, at over 1,600 hours of play now, it seems I am at least a 2-3 bb/hr. winner, likely higher assuming I've improved since I started), gradually moving up to 2/5 over time is one way I can start making more per hour. But I get your point. Why do something you don't enjoy?

I certainly wouldn't go so far as to say I dislike poker; I'm no masochist. I enjoy several aspects of it: the use of logic, psychology, and competitiveness that it requires, and of course earning a side income. But I am a pretty critical person in general, which is probably why I express my negative judgments a lot in my posts.

That's fair enough (although I really echo the early statement by the poster regarding needing a thicker skin at the table). I may also be overly critical myself, as I realize most of my posts in your thread are of the "I wouldn't have done that" critical type instead of "that's exactly what I would have done" positive type.

GgoodluckG

Played 2/5 first. Bought in min $300 as usual. No hands, bled down, topped off so in for $400 when I got my aces cracked in a single-raised pot and busted. UTG TAG raised $20, I am UTG+1 and flat with $250, three more callers. Flop is Q97r. SB donks $45 into $100. Raiser folds, I call. Heads up. Turn: Jh bringing bdfd. He bets $75 into $200. I call. River is the worst card in the deck other than a T: K. Now most of his Qx are two pair and any T makes a straight. I have already put 2/3 or my stack into this pot and he jams river. I need to call $130 to win $600. I don't expect to win very often (maybe against random 68 or the few combos of AQ) and shrug and call. He tables QJ. Sad, silly Dumbo flatting aces.

(I was flatting to induce a squeeze and potentially trap UTG if HU, but no squeeze came and we went multiway. I didn't raise flop because we were multiway. Oh boy this one was a doozy.)

Then played 1/3 for a few hours and basically broke even, up $35. Bluff raised second pair one hand and pretty sure top pair folded on a flush-completing turn. Lots of triple-barreling, most of which got through. (Once though I ran into the nuts and got stacked. Thankfully he fast-rolled and I didn't have to show what everyone probably assumed was an overpair.)

Made the mistake of calling a raise (granted, it was to $11) from a tight short stack with AJhh and flopped J-x-x he bet almost pot otf which was my clue to fold. Instead I called him down on increasingly small bets in relation to the size of the pot and doubled him up (KK).

Down $365 in 9 hours of play. Snow has arrived again so I'm most likely staying in tonight.

I'm not going to hate on the AA hand too much because I certainly take this line preflop a decent amount and then I can't fault flop/turn plays and then on river you don't have to be good too often to justify a call. Gross, but sometimes that's poker.

You certainly play a different style than me if you are doing lots of triple barrelling. I do ~almost no triple barreling. If you are the type to do lottsa triple barrelling, you should probably lean to 3betting AA preflop (i.e. more chance of villain never folding against an aggro image like you may have).

GcluelessNLnoobG

I didn't used to triple barrel my bluffs, but it's just so profitable on certain runouts and most except the stickiest Vs can't take the heat. And usually people aren't picking up on it and won't adjust by trapping.

Ha, you certainly got ripped a new one in the strat thread for your AA preflop flat. FWIW, I don't despise it nearly as much as everyone else does (and I completely understand why you did it), although obviously the easy peasy straightforward play is to just 3bet (and if we sigh take down $25 preflop, oh well I guess).

Ggottahaveathickskininthosestratthreads,amirite?G

id only flat AA deep oop vs a tough opponent. instd of flatting that short just minraise AA noones folding to a minraise and at that stack depth it doesnt matter if they know what you have

Minraising would offer 13.5:1 IO; far too good for ~setminers when we have a face up hand in a SPR ~2.5 pot (where we won't be able to fold postflop).

GimoG

Another 2/5 session. This time pretty much broke even (technically, up $4). Went very well, raising and hitting flops, most cbets taking it down. GII pre (this time) when I opened AA UTG, MP 3! $75 (fourth time in a row I'd raised and been 3!), I jam $275, he calls, I hold. This hand was a great setup because all the other times I'd opened I was at the bottom on my opening range (which is why I folded) and this time I actually had the goods. I probably seemed tilted I'd been 3! so much. Was up $350 at one point in the session.

The player to my left was a fun older gentleman who had a $500,000 prop bet with someone that the Mueller investigation will tank Trump. He kept rambling on about the recent reports that the investigation will end soon. At one point he left for the bathroom and when he came back he was sniffling and whispered to me, "I love doing a little molly while playing poker." Rofl. I'm not sure if he was yanking my chain, because that's not what you expect to hear from a 65 y/o retiree.

We got into a hand together. I completed SB with AsQh, he completed BB, and straddler checked his option. Flop: 3-8-Tss. We all check. Turn: Qs. I bet $15, "molly" calls, straddler folds. River: Jc. I bet $30, V raises to $90, I know my queen is no good . . . but I have the blocker to the nuts, so I raise to $210. He tanks and tanks and eventually . . . calls. Doh! He has 64ss for a baby flush. Lesson: don't bluff the dude who has $500k prop bets and does molly in the bathroom. (Or next time, just jam for $600 effective. I think he would have folded to a jam. I made it too cheap.) The whole table saw my hand, so next time I have it hopefully I'll get paid!

Played 1/3 after this hand for a while and it went fine. Made $150 or so. Only big hand: raise QQ UTG, BTN and BB call. Flop: Q-9-Kcc. I bet, BTN raises, BB calls, I jam, BTN folds, BB calls with bottom two pair for drawing pretty much dead. I scoooooooop!

Feeling quite confident in my play as of late, despite the occasional mishap. No question I am improving as a player, despite the hate I get for the hands I screw up. (When you only post the hands you misplay, what do you expect people will think about your play in general?) My biggest improvement is bet sizing, certainly thanks in large part to the training I've done. Still down a few hundo overall for the month, but meh. Yippie! Oh, and the more I play 2/5 the more I am enjoying poker! Hooray!

Sat at 1/3 while waiting for 2/5. No interesting spots. Bluffed some omc who was betting his flush draw and made a cupcake bet otr that screamed for a raise, so I raised with my missed gutshot and he snap folded.

Ran well in 2/5. Made trips with KQ and bluff catched. Flopped a set of 6s and took it down otf. Flopped a set of 9s on 7-9-Tss and raised flop/GII on safe turn against Q8ss. V missed.

Went back to 1/3 and broke even. Ended up $800 in four hours. Dead even now for the month of February.

Way to get yourself out of the monthy hole!

Ggogogo!G

Thanks! A little more run good at 2/5 and I might just have a tidy monthly profit soon.

Played a little 1/3 before being called for 2/5. Made $20. Ran well in the beginning at 2/5, won some smaller pots. Won a 3! pot when I raised JJ UTG, BTN 3!, I call HU. Flop: 9-8-4. BTN cbets, I call. Turn: A. Check, check. I guess he has a pair below an A or was bluffing with A-rag. River: J. I bet pot, he calls, MHIG.

Then call MP open with one or two callers with JJ in SB, BB (1/3-2/5 grinder type) makes it $120, I tank fold with $500 behind. Before I folded I asked him if he had a big hand and he angrily said "hurry up, dude." Unless this was a reverse tell, he probably had a monster since people who are bluffing tend to be friendly. Made $180 overall at 2/5.

Then played 1/3 at a table with a couple friends including Christi, who I took out for dinner at Chinese restaurant Ginger earlier (crab corn soup was exquisite). Lost $150 or so. Ran two pair into higher two pair. Then my friend Dwanil heard an announcement for open seating at 5/10 and said we should do it, some random young guy at our table was game. I decided not to be a party pooper and sat down with the min $600 with the intention only to play AA/KK and 3!/GII pre. (I literally folded AK and AQs pre to raises.) Didn't get either in the hour I played before it was time to finally go.

You know, it's funny GG asked if I actually had fun playing poker because tonight I really did! In fact, since I've started playing 2/5 regularly I have really enjoyed poker. Goes to show how toxic 1/3 games can be. Between 2/5 and sitting with friends, it was great.

Case in point, this 2/5 player to my left tonight asked if I was going to the Neeme/Owen meetup game at MD Live in March. I asked why he thought I would know about the game and his reply:

"You just look like someone who really likes poker."

Home game tonight at friend Elena's place. I just reminded myself another great thing about (bar) poker: sure have made a ton of friends.

Home game last night was a nice break to see friends. Ended up $77.

Only interesting hand was when I called an EP raise with 77, solid friend Dennis 3! squeezed to $7.75 from SB, we both called. Flop: T-9-5ss. Dennis continues 1/2 pot, only I call. Turn: 3c. He jams for $25 eff. into $44, I fold. He shows AKhh. :/ Do I need to defend here to prevent getting bluffed too often?

16 combos of AK, 16 combos of AQ, 4 combos of AJs = 36;

6 combos of AA, KK, QQ, JJ, 3 combos of TT, 99 = 30.

54/46 bluff : value. $25 to win $94 = needs 26% bluffs, so on this metric it's a call.

MDF: $44+$25=$69, so his bluffs need to work 36% of the time, meaning I need to defend 64% of my range. Is 77 within that 64%? Hmm...probably. Haven't put this into Equilab though. Also, against most 1/3 players, this is a fold on the flop. But Dennis is crafty and balanced.

Anyhoo, back to MGM tonight, then likely karaoke after.

2/5 went well tonight. Bought in $300 min. 3! AA twice took it down pre both times. Raised black KK got raised on heart flush draw and Q-high flop. Called. Check/shipped T diamond turn and V folded.

Raised QQ, called donk on T-high flop. Checked to me ott, bet turn and Q river with top boat and got called. That was pretty much it. Joined Elena for a little 1/3 and made another $40 there. Up $500 in 4 hours tonight.

Singing a little fuel and staind now.

I'm going to start another challenge for myself: $5k one-month challenge. Hope to earn $5k by the middle/end of March playing a mix of 2/5 and 1/3. This will be a little test of whether stepping up to 2/5 can increase my monthly average. Let's see what Dumbo can do....

Great thing about starting a new game is that I am a relatively unknown commodity among the regular 2/5 grinders.

Good luck with your challenge. I'll be routing for you and watching with interest because I have a similar challenge to replace a summer job's earnings with poker this year. (1/2 and 2/5 shots)

Thanks!! Gl.

2/5 went well last night. The game was great. There was this silly stupid dynamic between two players to my right: one would raise, the other would 3!, the first would call pre, then donk otf, three-bettor would raise to $300, caller would fold. Hand after hand the same song and dance.

I got AK twice and 4! jammed both times. First time got through. Second time though Mr. 3! wasn't having it. He had 3! to $75 and been cold called by a solid player to his left. I jammed $450, he says "I have something this time" and calls. Solid player tank folds. I make top/top and V (who had been slow rolling all night) turns over his hand for 54o - thankfully, just bottom pair! Solid played claimed he folded AKo.

That hand pretty much made the session. Bled down a little and missed a couple opportunities in marginal spots but ended up $300 on the session. E.g., called raise with black JJ, OMC BTN 3!, we all call. Flop: 5-5-3hh. Checks around to pfr who checks. Turn: 2h. EP limper donks $125 into $275. Two callers. I fold. Too nitty? I can't imagine I am in good shape against three people here.

Also, called raise with 88, folded on J-T-T flop to one bet with a bet and a call. Again, too nitty?

I need to work on playing HU OOP against tough opponents. E.g., raise TT in SB with straddle on, straddler calls. Flop: 9-7-4. I check he bets $25 into $60. I call. Turn: 6. I check he bets $75, I fold. I wonder what would have happened if I just bet otf.

I looked at my 1/3 and 2/5 results and my after just 50 hours my 2/5 results far outstrip my 900 hours of 1/3 results - by a factor of 7!

I asked this pro at my table whether he was still playing 1/3 and he said no. We agreed 2/5 is much faster-paced and the players are more respectful. (Not to mention rake is a lower % of each pot.) I suspect 2/5 is becoming my main game and 1/3 will be what I revert to when I am playing or running bad (or am tired and just want to order food and leave).