I am relatively new to poker (roughly 2 years of semi-active live play). I have been playing on Global for over a year. The original deposit was $500, and ignoring the sane bankroll management and tougher online games, I jumped to 50NL and 100NL. Unsurprisingly, I consistently lost and moved down to 10NL but still lost until I had only $100 left. At that point, I just quit out of frustration.

I focused on educating myself to improve my game. I have read dozens of books and watched online training videos. This took like 4 months before I decided to try myself at online poker again. I did ok at 4NL and steadily grew the bankroll to $250, but it took me a long time (I hit 100k hands). Then, I decided to move to 10NL and lost 8 buy-ins (down to $170). I felt like I was paying-off people too often and not getting max value with my TPGK+. I went back to reading books and blogs specifically for micros (blackrain79 is the best).

Sometime earlier in 2019, Global gave me a free-roll ticket for $33 tourney, and I cashed in for roughly $60, and my bankroll was $230, enough to try 10NL again. After learning the specifics of the micros, I consistently crushed the game and quickly got to $500 (yay, gamblers dream to get back to even). I was set to try myself at 20NL. The games are tougher (more regs, less insane play by the fish, light 3 bets). I played conservatively (stuck to full-ring) and got up to $800 bankroll. However, there's not as much action as in 10NL and usually only 2 full-ring games, so I had to play more 6-max. Light 3/4-bet and more competent regs on 6-max messed me up. I tumbled down to $340 bankroll and decided it was time to go back to 10NL.

Recently, I got back to $500 at 10NL in three days. Moved up to 20NL again and got up to $580 (mostly insane run of sets, quads, flopped straight, combo-draws) in 4 hours.

Unfortunately, there is no hand tracking (no HUD) or other useful stats to analyze my game on Global, so I am relying on rough estimates based on HH/hour and number of tables per session of 2-8 hours. I usually play 2-6 tables of 6-max or full-ring.

I'd like to share my journey with the 2+2 community and improve myself through this thread. My next goals are to grind for 50NL ($1500 bankroll), 100NL ($3000 bankroll), and finally 200NL ($10k bankroll).

Weekly Update

The result of grinding at 20NL & 10NL:

- 10k hands
- $169 in winnings
- $700 (20% up from $580) bankroll

Participated in 3 GL Rattlesnake deep tourneys for $55 total and cashed only $6 (-$49 total).
Twice made stupid shoves/calls on the bubble.

Weekly Update

• 8k hands in 20NL
• $360 in winnings
• $1,060 (%51 up from $700)

Finished "The Mental Game of Poker" by Jared Tendler.

A sick downswing on Friday of roughly 5 buy-ins ($95):

• Set vs. Set (88 vs. QQ)
• Straight vs. Gut Shot Straight (87 vs. JT)
• Full house vs Full House (44 vs QJ on J2JQ4 board)
• AK vs AA in BB vs SB
• Set vs Wheel on 3-bet pot (33 vs A4 on 8235)

Finished "Easy Game" by Andrew Seidman.
Some creative and fancy play ideas for me to practice; though, not much recommended in micros:

• Very Best Fold in bluffs
  
• Developing a leading range (ex. sets, considering the positions & board in multi-way!) This is hard to balance with the check-raising range in HU.
  
• Against aggressive players, it is better to induce action by being aggressive in early streets.
  
• Polarized ranges against raise-or-fold players (not call-or-fold) => call-or-fold
  
• Strong (linear) ranges against call-or-fold players => raise-or-fold
  
• Two-way bet/raise: Isolate weak hands while getting rid of strong hands (squeeze play in multi-way)
  
• Bluff good players on wet boards, but not the dry boards. The opposite for bad players.
  
• Turning a made hand into a bluff is a good idea when your opponent is likely to have a weak hand, but one that's still better than yours.
  
• Squeeze play pre-flop against an aggressive player isolating another player.
• Regulars start making mistakes when they are confused.
• Pseudo-thin value (small bets with the nuts)
• Street Projection (telling effective stories while multi-street barreling)

gl, stick to your plan.

Gl mate, any other book recommendations useful for micros/small stakes ?

IMHO, "Crushing the Microstakes" by Nathan Williams (brackrain79) is the single most important and definitive book to own the game at micros (not make some silly fancy game mistakes).

I haven't yet explored small stakes so don't have an idea.

Weekly Update

• 8k hands at 20NL
• $275 in winnings
• $7.5 cash out from Weekly $5k Bonanza
• $1342 bankroll (27% up from $1060)

I will start taking "recon" shots at 50NL full-ring.

Studying new poker material is taking a considerable time and mental effort.
By the start of some sessions, I had already felt a bit overwhelmed.
By the end of the week, I felt wasted and uninterested in poker (on autopilot).
Have to work on developing stamina to consistently get 10k hands per week without burn-out.

Discovered some informative YouTube videos by Alec Torelli and Andrew Neeme.
The major take is that 10BB/hour seems to be a realistic goal to pursue in low-stakes live games.
This goal can be easily achieved online with 2-3x faster games and multi-tabling,
so, probably, it should be adjusted to 20BB/hour per table for micros.

Watched some poker movies for fun: "The Grand" and "The Hustler" (talent without character => loser).

An example "don't-bluff-fish" hand:

20NL FR, Villain in UTG with full stack and Hero in BB covering the Villain.
I didn't have any specific reads on Villain, so assumed fish/passive.

Pre-flop: Villain UTG raises to 3.5BB, everybody folds, I have AT.
I put Villain on strong 5% (AQ+, JJ+) range, so I even thought about folding, but called to hunt for flush & straight.
If I hit my A, I would play very carefully because I would be dominated most of the time.

Flop: QJ9

I flopped straight-flush combo draw + an overcard (15 to 18 outs, or 55% to 72% equity).
This flop also smacks the Villain range, but if he has AA, KK, AK, he must be cautious.
I had a plan to check-raise with an intention to GII on the flop.
I am behind only against QQ and JJ. Pretty much no-brainer.
I would be taking the same line 2P+ (QJs+) and KT (flopped straight),
which is in my range, but not in the Villain's range.

There's only one problem -- fish always puts you on a draw on wet boards.

I check the flop, and the Villain c-bets half the pot (~4BB),
so I sense weakness (no QQ or JJ) and go with my plan and raise roughly the pot (~16 BB).
Villain smooth calls.

Turn: Blank, no help to either of us.

Now, my instincts tell me to just check it down and bet only if I hit it
even though I still have decent pot equity (30%+), but virtually no fold equity.
(i.e., don't play draws fast in micros).

But I spasm out (was reading "Easy Game" at the time), and continue for roughly 1/2 pot (~20BB).
Surprise, Villain min-raises me to ~40BB. What the hell?
At this point, there is so much dead money, I have to jam with just the pot equity, so I go with it.
The villain snap calls and shows AK.

The river comes T, and completes Villains got-shot.
Villain leaves the table right away. LOL.

The first recon shot at 50NL FR cost me roughly 3 buy-ins (-$150).
Players seem super cautious, timid. Didn't see any maniacs.
Lot's of trapping: smooth calls with sets and trips on wet boards.
Have to remind myself to never call river overbet jams, especially if the Villain is OOP.

I have to try 6-max next time.

My favorite quotes that keep me going on this crazy game of poker (unfortunately, don't remember the sources):

• "The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but that is the way to bet"
  
• "Gambling -- the sure way of getting nothing for something"
  
• "In a bet, there is a fool and a thief"
  
• "A gambler never makes the same mistake twice. It's usually three or more times"
  
• "The biggest risk is when you have a loosing strategy when you think you have a winning one"

Finished "Harrington on Online Cash Games - 6 Max No Limit Holdem" by Dan Harrington.
Some notes for micros and small stakes.

General Strategy

• Offensive poker: Exploit your opponents and make as much money as possible with your good hands.
• Defensive poker: Playing in such as a way that your opponents can't exploit you.
• Micros is all about offense (extract max value, no slow-play, trap only maniacs).
• In small and higher stakes, defense becomes more and more important.
• Good poker is about balance, observation, and flexibility.

Useful mnemonics for common online cash player types

• Johnny All-in: all-in pre-flop (stealing loose raises & dead money), often short stack, hit-and-run.
• Loose Lou: Loose passive, ATC limper, wants to get to showdown, calling station.
• Aggro Al: Maniac, ATC raise, likes to bluff, live-one, "The pot is mine unless anyone says otherwise."
• Multi-Tabling Mike: straightforward/mechanical ABC, tight/nit player, set miner, fit-or-fold.
• Regular Ron: TAG, competent and tough opponent.

Small Stakes

• More aggression (less open limping, and more light 3/4 bets)
• Betting ranges are narrower
• Table selection starts to matter more
• Players are more aware of position than in micros
• Squeeze play comes into effect
• Trouble hands require more caution
• Pre-flop implied odds are less
• Players are less likely to pay off with weak hands
• Players are aware of the "big hand, big pot; small hand, small pot" concept
• Players are aware of pot control with reverse implied odds hands (checking the turn/river no longer reliably means weakness)
• Aware of the dangers of being raised-off hands, as well as the possibility of being trapped.
• Aware of what a continuation bet represents (check-raise bluff and floating come into play).
• Double-barrelling increases in importance due to the c-bet & pot-control awareness
• Capable to mix-in and pull-off an elaborate bluff in later streets
• Turn raise and river raise are not necessarily indicative of a monster (as it was in micros)
• Fewer opportunities for the "fat value" on the river, so the "thin value" becomes crucial.
• The river bluff and defence need to become a part of the balanced strategy.
• Fancy play starts to matter
• Deception and slow-play becomes necessary to beat thinking opponents
• A good hand-reading is essential.
• Short-stack players start to matter since they may be employing a smart short-stack strategy (playing value hands and not giving you enough implied odds for your wide range).
• Blind stealing is more effective since players respect position.
• Value bets are not as profitable as in micros.
• Can't play fit-or-fold as in micros, so have to fight for pots when you miss the flop (70% of the time).
• Bluff raises on the river are *not* common at small stakes (mostly nuts like in micros)
• A good estimate to 3 betting for value is if your hand is at-least 55% favorite over Villain's raising range.
• 3-bet for value roughly 1/4 of Villain's raising range.
• Mix-in light 3-bet semi-bluffs (suited connectors/gappers, suited wheel Aces, Kxs) at 1:2 ratio (1 semi-bluff per 2 value)

Hand Analysis Questions

1. What is our estimate of him and his betting (3-betting) range?
2. What is his impression of us and our raising range?
3. How good is our hand in relation to our whole range?
4. How do position and stack sizes factor into our decision?

Finished 5th out of 339 in Grand Slam $2k Deep NLHE for the total of $112 with $5.5 buy-in.
This is my best online tourney result so far (the previous one was 6/700 on Daily Bonanza for $25).

Busted out from Grand Slam $2.5k turbo tourney with a rebuy for the total buy-in of $10.5.
I should avoid turbos from now on -- too much variance.

Congrats bro. Keep up the stacking.

Weekly Update

• 7k hands in 20NL and 50NL (roughly 1:1 split)
• $159 in losses
• $38 Grand Slam tournament buy-ins
• $120 in tournament winnings
• $1265 bankroll (6% down from $1342)

Tried 50NL 6-max: it seems to be more lively than FR, but still players are much more conservative than in micros (a lot of folding).
I am playing only one or two tables at a time to gather info on players, take notes, and identify regs.
I guess I can hold my own in these stakes but not a winning player right now.

Watched "California Split" (lol. The degen crushes the game while having Amarillo Slim on his left.)
"Mississippi Grind" is loosely based on this movie, but it has better poker scenes, IMHO.
(AJ boat vs AQ river suck-out, and the bluff-catcher speech to get a genuine smile from the bluffer).

Finished "Treat your poker like a business" by Dusty "Leatherass" Schmidt and Scott Brown.
It is a great complement to the TMGoP by Jared Tendler. The following are some gists from the book.

General

• Dedicate yourself to one game (NLHE, tourneys, Omaha, SNG)
• Set studying goals and limits (80/20) (Considering the opportunity cost)
• Be patient and start at the stakes where you belong
• The most important metric: $/hour
• Destructive metrics (short term metrics):
  • Comparing your stats to pros and forcefully adjusting
  • Playing for peer recognition
• Conservative bankroll management (100BI)
• Deduct taxes (~30%) to a separate bank account, like payroll, upon cash-out
• Skill is only proven when it shows up in big pots, tilt sessions, running bad, higher stakes, or whatever is the toughest spot for you.
• Don't confuse winnings with earnings
• Measure the day by the quality of play (process) -- not by the profit (short-term results)
• Make peace with variance
• Be disciplined and methodical (work ethic)
• Chat is a distraction. More negativity than positivity. Except for HU!

Becoming a grinder (multi-table, more than 10k/week)

• Dedication and consistency (even through tough times)
• Drive (towards a specific goal)
• Mental endurance
• A willingness to be pushed (grind under pressure, stress, tilt, fatigue, boredom, distractions)
• Proper rest (in adequate amounts to compensate the mental work)
• Being automatic (less than 3% of hands should require thought)
  1. Continually be focused on eliminating easy mistakes
  2. Review hard decision and learn from them
• Removing mental mistakes (tilt, anxiety, fear)

Good Diet

• Establish an eating schedule
• Have a big meal before the session
• Avoid junk and processed food
• Snacks to sustain your energy level: fruits, veggies, nuts, cheese, smoothies, protein shakes.
• Water

Weekly Update

• 10k hands in 20NL
• $158 in winnings
• $28 Grand Slam tournament buy-ins
• $13 in tournament winnings
• $1409 bankroll (11% up from $1265)

Watched "The Sting", "KidPoker", "Bet Raise Fold", "Drawing Dead".

$1500 bankroll!

The first milestone has been achieved. I can't wait to say goodbye to the micros and to fully switch to 50NL.

I expect the first couple of weeks be hectic with back and forth swings until I finally adjust to the game at the low stakes.
My goal is to reach 10BB/100H at the low stakes. If successful, the challenge could be finished within 3 months.
(80 buy-ins => 8kBB => 80kH => 8-10 weeks +/- variance)

Good luck.

Finished "The Grinder's Manual" by Peter Clarke. This is more "think-for-yourself" and less "recipe" than "Crushing the Microstakes".
It has more GTO/balance and detailed 3/4 bet play strategy discussions; though, it relies heavily on HUD.
Definitely, I have to start thinking "my range vs. their range" rather than "my hand vs. fish".
It seems like a perfect book to beat the low stakes. I'll have to re-read and refer to this book while grinding at the low stakes.

• Capped ranges make thin-value bets more feasible.
• Uncapped ranges make thin-value betting worse.
• Exponential mistake: sizing too small or missing a bet on earlier streets to build a pot with strong hands
• Elasticity: sensitivity of Villain's calling range to bet-sizing
• Fish has inelastic range: insensitive to big bets
• Fish is bad at recognizing their relative hand strength from their absolute hand strength.
• Milking syndrome: Hero chooses low EV line not to scare off Villain
• End of action:
  1. Required equity (pot odds)
  2. Actual equity (worse value hands, air turned into a bluff, credibility of Villain's representation, population/player type/Villain reads)
• High c-bet % => more air by the river
• Open action (ghost equity against the range vs. real equity with the specific hand)
• Fold equity and implied odds are often inversely proportionate.
• Balance against tough Regs; pure exploitation against Fish (maximize vacuum EV).
• Dangers of capped ranges => highly susceptible to exploitation
• Distinguishing donk bets (heads-up) from leading (multi-way)
• Donk bet => depolarized & capped range => raise with linear range for value => less bluff catching => less implied odds => good fold equity
• Leading multi-way => more honesty => more fit-or-fold
• Reverse player: bets big with air & bets small for value => Aggro fish
• More aggressive light 3-bet squeezers behind => smaller pre-flop raise (ex. 2-2.5x)
• Reasonable fold equity (>50%) => polarized range; no fold equity => linear range;
• Squeeze play (bluff-bluff: reg-reg, bluff-value: reg-fish, value-value: fish-reg)
• Adjust bets & raises according to the required fold equity, effective stacks, ranges, position, table dynamics.
• The 3/4-bet game is a long-term, high-variance game.
• 4-bet bluff with the top of folding range, preferably with blockers and post-flop playability, to turn -EV of folding into small +EV of 4-bet bluff
• Construct opening ranges with 3-bet defense in mind
• Pre-emptive adjustments against aggression: open tighter, open smaller, move table
• Barrel-bluff with hands that block Villain's calling range but not Villain's folding range
• Call with hands with the best blockers to Villain's value range but not Villain's bluffing range
• Delayed c-bet to improve fold-equity or maximize EV.
• Judicious turn probe bets when the PFR doesn't c-bet.
• More exploitation if Villain is unbalanced or unaware, the pot is large, the spot is rare.
• Deep stack magnifies position and skill advantages (OOP => keep pot small).
• In deep stack, reverse-implied-odds hands (ex. overpairs) OOP become bluff catchers (may need to abandon 3-bet range altogether).
• Deep stack => larger variance => larger bankroll requirements

Nice dude. Keep putting in the work and you'll be zooming up the stakes in no time.

Weekly Update

• 3.5k hands in 20NL & 50NL
• $25 in winnings
• $1434 bankroll (2% up from $1409)

Watched "Maverick", "Lucky You", "Grinders", "Gambling addiction & Me: The Real Hustler".
The 2-3-5 variation of Guts in "Lucky You" seems like a great game to teach newbies.

keep it up gl

Trapping/caution is insane at 50NL

50NL FR. Hero is in UTG+2, and Villain is in HJ with 120BB effective.
Villain is passive and tight.

Pre-flop: I have 77 and open for 3BB, Villain 3-bets 8BB, everyone else fold.
Well, 3-bet is kind of small and my alarms are going off since fish loves to do small 3-bet shenanigans with KK+. Usually, my hand is fold against a loose player, but since Villain is tight, I can set mine profitably and call the extra 5BB.

Flop (17.5BB): 5A7

Gin! My hope is that the Villain has AX, and I have to figure out ways to GII. I would check raise, repping a good AX, and bet all the three streets. It is hard for the fish to get away from AK, for example.

So, I check. Oops, Villain checks as well.

Now I am thinking Villain is either trying to trap/pot-control with AX or has TT+, so I am planning to lead on any turn.

Turn (17.5BB): 4

I bet 2/3 of the pot (~12BB). I would be taking the same line with 88, 66, AX, KQ. This is also a bluffing spot for Villain's pairs to fold for the river bet. I am expecting if Villain has a legit hand, he should raise me since there's a flush and straight draw, and I will GII.
Bummer, Villain just calls.

River (42BB): 8

I again bet 2/3 of the pot (~28BB). I wanted to bet more or maybe even overbet, but I really wanted the Villain to call, and it would also make my future bluffs cheap.
Anyway, Villain tanks and takes extra time. I am thinking "please call". Well, Villain calls and shows AA. Lol, be careful what you wish for.
I don't know what the hell Villain was thinking. No turn raise or river jam. Just amazing.
He is beat by 66 (6 combos) and very unlikely conectors/gappers (86s, 76s, 65s) (12 combos). There are 12 other sets, 4 AK + 1 AQs, and a bunch of two pairs from unlikely connectors/gappers and suited aces like A5s.
I guess this is one of those spots when aggression actually saves you money.

I have never seen this kind of passivity in micros. It would have been all-in on the flop or turn.
However, this reminded me of one hand at live 1/3NL (remember vaguely).

I was just checking out a tribal casino for the first time. I just joined the table (maybe like 5 hands in).
I am on BB and Villain is on SB. I had 86 suited, HJ limps, Villain on SB raises $10 (3.3BB). The raise is small/fishy and I am getting a good price in position to the PFR but probably squeezed. Villain is an old guy (in his 60s) but good looking, probably OMC , so probably, not fooling around and only raising for value. I call, and HJ calls.

The flop ($30) comes 972 with a flush draw (not my suit). Villain c-bets $10. Again, small c-bet on a wet board multi-way. I am getting a good price, but the HJ may get creative and raise. It is a tricky spot. I call, and HJ calls as well.

The turn ($60) comes 5 and doesn't complete the flush draw. I got there with my street.
Villain bets $20. I would usually raise in this spot because HJ is likely to have a flush draw. I did not think Villain had a flush draw and had a feeling that he was weak or super cautious. I decided to trap and play the river as if I had missed my flush draw. Not an ideal play since I was not blocking any flush draws. I call, but HJ folds (to my surprise).

The river ($100) comes K and doesn't complete the flush draw. Villain bets $25.
I raise $125, repping 2P+ or missed flush/straight draw. My straight is very sneaky, so I thought Villain was very unlikely to put me on it.
Villain tanks for like 5 minutes. I was at seat #1 and Villain was at seat #9, so the dealer was between us, it was kind of hard for Villain to observe for any live tells. Anyway, I sat still for the excruciating 5 minutes. Villain says "The river got me" and calls with KK (for set of kings). Wow, no jam on the river. I was speechless.