It's here. Tired of hearing people say how much harder poker is. Don't know if those who say have tried much live poker. Most are discouraged playing 1/2 against people that are so wild and unpredictable that they may think "well how can I combat this play style?" It's possible. Many people are beating 1/2 out there, not many are talking about it on a large social scale.

My plan:

Going to grind 1/2 until bankroll is $3-4k then begin shot taking 2/5 in only good games. At first shots will be $500 shots. A bankroll of $5-10k is rather comfortable for 2/5, given that the games are not actually 2/5/10. One of the secrets to moving up in the stakes quickly is to play huge volume. Life will eat away at you over time if one whimpers out at low stakes, given that your life roll/bankroll is the same. I think that's fine if you're young and have no one else to care for.

I'd love to start at $100 or something just like Doug Polk but it's not realistic to play the lowest live poker stake with 50 buy ins and expect to run it up. It's also rather surprising that no one is really out there doing a challenge like this for live poker. Most people do it online.

Why I think I can do this?

I'm sick of giving up. Probably given up 20+ times over the course of my 10 year ~ poker career. All that matters is the one time you don't give up and succeed. I'm willing to sacrifice quite a bit to finally put a stamp to say I did what I said I could in poker. It's not worth it to throw my poker skills away and leave poker empty. They're too strong.

Feel free to leave the harshest of criticism. I'm ready to put my head down and grind through anything. Let's go!

/Shaggy

Day 1 quick recap:

Spent the first five hours or so being stuck anywhere between 150-350. After that, everything seemed to align. Huge pots with huge hands. Ended up setting a new personal 1/2 record for money on the table with $2140. Was in for $500, so we've booked a $1640 win playing 1/2 on day 1! What a ridiculous, near best-case scenario type of day. Played with multiple people who were in for 1k+ at 1/2!

Put in 12.75 hours. Was hoping to put in more but had a few reasons to quit.

I have many other plans I'm working on to go along with this challenge but decided to just jump into it so they aren't ready yet.

Day 1 end roll: $2640.

Here's the stack. Heading into day 2 now. Let's catch lots of hands and push the roll higher!


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I feel you man I've been thinking the same you are. But I was thinking of starting with 3k I have a full time job still so only play weekends mainly since I still have bills rent ect. Im on the fence about doing about blog but maybe I mite do one gotta thinking about it a bit more. Looking forward to your journey good luck man..

Nice man gl. One thing that I've thought about recently that really helps is being fully invested in poker, especially with huge goals. It's cool to have a full time job as well though.

Day 2:

+495, 10.5 hours.

I'm tired after the session and spent a fair bit of the latter part tired. Pushed through to get in some more play. Nothing too interesting really happened all day. Trying to work on table talk game, it's easily the weakest part of my 1/2 game. I don't mean while in the hand, since my current casino highly discourages this.

Day 2 end:
Roll: $3135

Hey nice man and good luck to ya. I decided to work full time in may and have been saving while paying rent, bills, etc. i've saved up $5k so far and every day i think about moving to Atlantic city and playing $1/2 full time. Do you or anyone for that matter think $5k is enough? Should i wait til $10k? Anyway right now i only play once a week at my local casino in PA. Me and my buddy play MTT's at Parx and Sugarhouse when they have $200-$500 tournies. I play these in hopes of making a decent score so i can have a legit bankroll and play full time. Anyway, good luck to you and will be checking in on your progress.

Personally think it's really hard for a competent, good player to go on more than a 10 buy in downswing at 1/2. When I put a real tight style into a variance calculator it was less than 5% to go on more than 3.25 buy in downswing. 2k is a big enough roll but not considering life expenses.

Stay away from tournaments unless massive roll unless there's crazy good 3-5 tables mtts near you

Go with your gut man. Just remember, you'll have to put in hard work and lots of hours to make it worth it. Gl with whatever you choose.

Thanks for the gls.




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Lol. Wait for it. It'll happen.

Gl

It's inevitable. Especially considering how hot/cold I run and being a bit loose.

Thanks.

Day 4:

Lovely Monday, the first day that actually feels like fall. And what a fall I took at the poker tables. Managed to get stuck $400 at a very tight 1/2 table, just getting chipped away in small pots. Table changed and got stuck another $400 in a game 70% 1/2/5 for the first little while. AA ran into nuts in spot with spr 1.25 on flop. Then sat there patient, yet frustrated that I couldn't build my stack another $100-200 up since many people were sitting $400+. Battled back to -$603 and quite happy with the result.

Glad this happened and even more glad it didn't happen day 1. Playing poker on a heater feels as light as the air. It's great to experience getting knocked down and then being able to rebound even stronger. Also stops a ridiculous abnormality of reaching 2/5 in just a few days. I figured it would take ~200 hours on average just to get to a zone of being able to shot take 2/5. Currently sitting around 32-33 hours.

Day results: 9.5 hours, -$603

Bankroll: $2532

Good luck man! Sorry to hear about the dip on Day 4 but it sounds like you are taking it pretty well. Obviously those days are going to happen.

Where do you play mainly? Are you in Vegas?

gl sub

Mainly throughout the midwest with plans to move somewhere warmer before winter.

Thank you.

Day 5:

Played quite well as usual. Found myself in quite a few tough spots for the day. Game got pretty fun while also getting stuck around $600. Managed to fight back after finally hitting a board hard in a 7 way pot and hitting turn also. Put me to -$300~ and now covering the player that I felt like I was playing heads up with since we were the only players deepstacked for most of the table. It wound up six handed with two players straddling every round. In one of those hands, my nemesis made it 20 from utg, I reraised to 65, he shoved for 500~, I called. He quickly turned over AA, I had KK. Did not catch. Didn't really expect AA based on way we'd been playing. It was actually only 100~ bbs stacking off for since straddle (I'd originally thought wow, I snapped off 250bb with 20%).

Left after that despite the guy now sitting with 1k. Lost $727 in 9.5 hours.

It's funny after just talking about how hard it is to go on 1k+ downswing at 1/2, here I am. Of course, playing deeper stacked with straddles turn it into 1/2/5. We do have a nice advantage though since it's not auto-straddle. Swings are going to happen more in games with a few people straddling.

Ready to get back out there and grind again for day 6. Let's make some magic happen!

Bankroll: $1805.

The good old GVC! Crazy I love these threads so I started reading and see a picture of those chips that I knew looked familiar. I used to grind there all the time. ****ty Rake but games were always good. I live out in Vegas now and miss those games. Good luck out there

Thanks bud. Not really concerned about the rake. It's the players that make the game. Really wish the chairs were more comfortable here, feel like they have the nut worst chairs out of a 20~ casino sample. Only thing that compares is rio pavilion.

Ended up taking yesterday off. Felt like it was well deserved to refresh and prepare for a harder grind this weekend. Today will be Day 5.5 because I changed my mind about off days, they won't count.

Day 5.5/ 1 week deep:

Luck turned around for the day. Ended up overflushing twice, something I honestly haven't done since starting to play again ~4 months ago. Played a really weird hand where someone bet $25 into a $300 pot with a $10 side pot, I folded a chop with A high on a KxxxK board. Played a hand near the end of the night I feel is a bit more interesting.

I raised to $12 in mp with AJ after one limp. Called out of small blind who checks dark.

Flop QJ4

I check back.

He leads for $25 on the 6 I call. No info on villain as I've just changed tables.

River is the A. He bets out $50.

I think about it and can't really come up with a hand other than a bluff, busted draw (which I block). Maybe JQ but betting that hand is the same problem I have. Just really feels like a board that is unlikely to bluff (I block nut heart draws) and the missing info is his preflop calling range. I came to this assumption, then opted to call since if he bluffed turn he has to bluff river theory. But what bluffs does he have? Even KT got there. Giving him a tighter range, I do beat 89 and 9t and maybe other 9Ts. We have no idea if they're in his preflop range, they would be hands most 1/2 players don't fold though, but without much action in the hand maybe some would. Didn't go with brain/gut.

Ended off with +$503 over 10 hours. It's been quite the variant first week, with the smallest day being a "small win" of +$495. Been feeling really awesome about things and surely came back strong for day 5.5. Only played actual days over poker but still managed 52.25 hours of poker. Games seem sustainable as there was only one day I really had issues finding a decent game.

The mix of pennant races/play offs in baseball (as well as my hometown team the favorite to win) and the return of the NFL probably makes this a great time to play. Personally, I don't care much for sports anymore but I do appreciate seeing the amazing plays of top tier athletes. Also to think what a ironclad mind these guys must have and how hard they push to win really amazes and motivates me.

Learning some yoga poses to help treat my scoliosis today so I'm really excited for that. Over time it should help me be able to sit more comfortably at the table. After that, well, it's Friday! The craziest day in my casino!

Bankroll: $2308

Day 6:

Got to the casino really late and started playing at around 5:15. Felt really tall and relaxed after the yoga lesson earlier in the day. It was a very strange day compared to the others. I bounced around from -$50 to -$150 for 90% of the day. Super card dead, got AA twice but at slow tables I tried to move away from and won $3 each on those. Late into the night, I hit two sets and maybe a few other hands. Managed to book a +$436 session over 10.5 hours. It's a new lowest variant session... yet still such a big number for 1/2. Felt very confident about play throughout the day and am glad I stuck around and hit a winning session. Also, climbing back from strong from my two ugliest 1/2 days ever that came back to back.

The fourth quarter of the year just started ticking down. It's crunch time and time to emulate the resiliency of greats like Jordan, Kobe, and Lebron. Nothing else this year really matters as long as we finish strong and leave nothing on the table!

Bankroll: $2744

Day 7:

Hooray for run good! Hit quite an amazing amount yesterday. Got a fair bit of revenge on the guy who beat me out of that 1k pot aa v kk a few nights ago. Played in one seat at one table the entire time, not sure if this will ever happen again. Ended up $959 over 11.25 hours. We're back to slamming through this challenge and getting somewhat near to 2/5 territory.

Despite the run good, we still have to put in a strong session today. There's no room for error around here.

Everclear randomly played in the parking lot so I ate dinner in my car and listened for a little while. They're alright, was not really fond of their lyrics.

Bankroll: $3703

Kinda starting the same thing you are, because the risk for ruin is not so bad, but just starting with 1K and going to grind it to 3-4K and do the same thing at my home casino. best of luck and will likely keep watching this thread, because I want to see you do it!

Gl gl, how many hours have you played?

Good luck to you man. Surely, you can do it!

After today's session 82.67 hours for $36.42/hr. I only count breaks if I eat away from the table.

Day 8: 8.75 hours, +$308

Bankroll: $4011

in

Day 9: Planned a short session out for the day. Ended up playing 2 hours of 1/2 and won around $440~. 2/5 table looked really action packed so I got in but by the time I got moved to the table the action sort of died down with lots of regs sitting. Got in $400 ~with KK vs a flush draw and lost. First 2/5 shot of challenge is in. Did not go well.

Still only lost $249~ for the day. Played around 3.5 hours.

Bankroll: $3762.

So I really wanted to keep this exclusively poker for the challenge. But as I've been away from the tables for two days, I had a really cool discovery.

Been really drained and tired lately and just couldn't bring myself to go out to the casino. During these days, I've spent loads of time on the computer. On a whim, started listening to an old radio talk show where they started talking about how computers, internet, cellphones, etc drain the levels of silica in your body. Strawberries and Watermelons are two examples of food very rich in silica. I hate watermelons and haven't eaten any strawberries lately. I'll reduce my time on the computer after hearing this! (and start adding strawberries to my smoothies!)

Really cool how tools keep popping up to help keep pressing through this challenge.

Bankroll: $3762