I've been keeping up with this thread and you have been doing a great job man! But when shot taking you really need to watch your hand selection here, some really iffy calls in the blinds and J6? They are fine hands for squeezing with but if you are squeezing you need to be playing them more aggressively (which you shouldn't really be doing when shot taking again.) It is fine to open up in the button and CO but when just starting to move up the stakes and getting comfortable with the money getting pushed around you will be put in a lot of awkward spots with speculative hands OOP, sure this is fine in 1/2 but moving up (and when first moving up I'd avoid)

Just play your game man and you can grow your bankroll at a bigger rate than 1/2 playing pretty ABC (due to bigger pot sizes more money at the table etc) at 2/5 which is why I am in huge approval of aggressive shot taking but play ABC and then start to open up your game when you are properly rolled.

Best of luck man and keep crushing!

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Most people I talk on forums/in person talk about 1/2 and 2/5 being relatively the same game. I think they are right in terms of poker strategy but in our situations (similar bankroll and experience) the big jump in money on table and the fact that its a whole new level I think the best way to approach 2/5 is to be really right. Some of the above hands I don't have a problem with in theory I just don't think when we are shot taking we should be taking such thin spots or trying to run bluffs, barrel etc. I'm finding that playing much tighter ABC is the way to go. We don't have to be involved in pots to be learning a great deal and getting used to the new players and play. We can observe and watch the winning players at the table operate. I think its best to settle in and hold back in certain spots. Sooner than later you will acclimate to the level and be able to pull out your full arsenal and when you do hopefully you will be up some buyins and at a much nicer bankroll level. I don't think I'll be fully comfortable at 2/5 til around $12500-$15000 bankroll personally.

Best way to move up IMO is to start out by playing tightly, see what works/what doesn't work.. Figure out how you can beat the opposition (they play differently at 2/5 compared to 1/2), and once you have that figured out... Start to play loosely

Thanks!

Yeah, in 1/2 I almost always throw the dollar in from the SB unless it's like 83o, 92o, etc type hands. When they hit I can often extract a lot of value that makes it worthwhile and when they flop draws my aggression often wins me pots. This may not be the case at 2/5, so I'm going to significantly tighten up from the SB (that's where I played the Jc6c from)

Thanks again - I'm formulating my tighter plan and some key strategy changes.

I had heard this a lot too, but I see key differences. (More in a bit)

I don't think I'd be comfortable until like 16K, that'd give me 20 buyins before I'd have to drop down. But yeah I need to tighten up while I'm on a short bankroll. I wouldn't make some of those moves with 2K to my name in a 1/2 game, so I shouldn't make them shot taking, whether they are marginally +EV or not.

Yeah agreed... And with regard to what works and what doesn't, I was doing some math on the glass door to the shower this morning writing in the fog. I had this feeling that the SPR was dramatically different in 1/2 vs 2/5, and it was going to require major adjustments. Here's what I found.

At 1/2 my raise size was 10+2 per limper. I rounded 14 and 16 to 15. So let's see some pot sizes.

Three limpers, I raise $15. All three call.

Flop ($58): I have $285 behind (Almost 5-1 SPR). It checks to me, I bet $35. One call.

Turn ($128): I have $250 behind, so basically 2-1 SPR. I have room to make moves here. I can bet like $75 to double barrel and only be giving myself like 2-1 to call a shove. I can fold garbage and draws.

Let's do it at 2/5. My raise size is $20+5 per limper.

Three limpers, I raise to $35. All three call.

Flop ($146): I have $465 behind (Just over 3-1 SPR). It checks to me, I bet $100. One call.

Turn ($346): I have $365 behind (Basically 1-1 SPR). At this point if he has any real hand, and I do too, the stacks are probably going in.

So basically, it's very easy to trap people for 100 BB in this game, and easy to get far more in by the river. However, it's tough to move people off hands. Thus, the correct baseline strategy is a tighter style. Playing draws aggressively in 1/2 is more likely to achieve folds than it is in 2/5, until you get deep stacks and have room to maneuver. However, then it also relies on your opponents adjusting to their stack sizes.

Taking free cards goes up in EV with draws, and bluffing in general goes down. It's probably why the good players were not folding overpairs to aggression in 2/5.

So that's going to be a big adjustment for me. Of course, the 2/5 at Parx today may play quite differently, so I'll be ready to adjust. It'll be my last session of the month, so hopefully I can close it out strong.

Ya your on your way at 2/5 just start playing your med str hands less aggro and like limping the j6ss is ok but u really have to think about what happens after.. Like betting the paired board with a fd first to act is a no no
... Also like axcc is a better limp to overflush obv (as u found out)

Also you really have to pay attention to positions and open from diff spots.. And Sizing.. And boards... bc altho 2/5 players suck they can board read alot better than at 1/2 where players cant at all..

2/5+ is alot more fun tho once u get going.

Glgl

Thanks dude. I'd never limp J6s anywhere but the SB, but even there I'm going to back off that stuff at 2/5.

All that other stuff I always pay attention to, so just giving other people credit for paying attention to it is not a big adjustment - I already give good regs that credit.

April 29 - “I keep my enemies close. / I give ‘em enough rope. / They put themselves in the air. / I just kick away the chair.”

I woke up today in the Borgata ready for a change of scenery. After crashing early last night, I slept about 12 hours and still didn't feel recharged. Basically getting up between 3:30 and 4 2-3 days a week for broadcasting work is kicking my ass. Hopefully I start to adjust better - when it takes several days to recover, that's no good.

Anyway, I packed up, pounded some bulletproof coffee sans the butter and headed up to Parx. I knew I was getting close when I crossed into Philly, and between that and the Reasonable Doubt CD blasting, I started to come to life.



From there, it took longer than expected to get up to Bensalem, and the exterior of Parx was certainly underwhelming... Least impressive exterior of a casino that I've ever seen, I think.



Then it was up a big escalator before I hit the poker room.



I got on the list for 2/5, was about to get on a 1/2 table to wait, and then a new 2/5 got called.

Almost immediately, the 3-4 guys at the table who looked like solid grinders were on a waitlist for a game at the same table, as well as a few guys from other tables. I knew this meant that was the place to be now, but it was hard to imagine that it'd be the place to be by the time those 4 plus, guys from other tables, plus the next name on the list got called. I also had position on the good player who seemed most aggressive, so I knew that boded well for me. Meanwhile, there was one definite fish at my table and he was only 3 seats to my right.

Early on, the HJ opened to $20. He was a good, solid player who was presumably a pro or semi-pro. He was very aggressive and bore slight resemblance to Abe Mosseri. I called on the button with TT. The SB, an older man who seemed to be recreational but solid raised to $65. "Abe," called and I called as well.

Flop ($195): A62

It checked to me. I figured the 3bettor could have AK/AQ, but Abe probably didn't because he's so aggro he'd bet that. It certainly fit my range and I'd been very tight to that point, so I bet $130. The older man looked disgusted and folded and Abe quickly mucked.

I built my stack up to like $700-$800, and the following hand came up. In MP Abe opened to $20. He was opening really, really wide. I'd been paying close attention to him, anticipating that I'd be 3 betting him at some point. He may have noticed me watching him so astutely. There's a call from a solid TAG, and I have AQ and make it $80. Abe calls, the TAG folds.

Flop ($182): J52x

He checks, I bet $130, he raises to $450 and I fold. I tanked a bit, because he can be bluffing a lot here since that misses my unpaired 3B range and I rarely hit a set with it. But, a shove had zero fold equity vs anything really, and it's a wild play variance wise while shot taking, so I folded... That knocked me down to about 500-600 somewhere.

Then a new player sat down and straddled his first hand. There was one limp, I made it $40 with KK and the straddler called as well as Abe.

Flop ($122): J47x

It checks to me and I bet $100. The straddler raises to $250. He had like $210 behind. I thought a bit and basically had to go on appearance and stereotypes for any sort of read - plus it being his first hand. He seemed like he was there to gamble, so I jammed. He called.

Turn ($1042): 4x
River ($1042): J

Not the card I was looking for. I table KK, and he says, "You couldn't put ONE diamond out there? No diamond? No? Ok." And angrily mucked... Phew.

Around that time, here's how the stack looked...



A little later, I pick up KK with one limper and make it $25 in LP. Three call.

Flop ($100): 963x

There's one check and a fishy player bets $40. It folds to me. He's got 200-300 behind. In between us is a solid recreational player who's about 1K deep, and I am similarly deep. I raise to $200. The recreational player folds and the fish jams a small amount more. Me: "What's that, $40?" He nods. I quickly cut out $40 in reds and call.

Turn ($580): 9x

Yuck.

River ($580): 7x

He shows 76 proudly. I quickly table KK and scoop a nice pot. As the pot is being pushed he says, "I don't know why I turned that over so confidently."

Later, the HJ raises to $20 and I call on the button with JTo. The HJ is "Abe."

Flop ($41): JsTxTx

He bets $40. I think a bit and call. That's a stronger bet than usual, which makes me think he has a strong hand, so I consider raising. However, he barrels really often, so I decide to flat.

Turn ($121): 9

He checks, I bet $65 and he pretty quickly calls.

River: ($251): Kx

He checks, I think for a bit and bet $200 and he quickly calls and obviously my hand is good. I should have bet more on the turn and river. My thought was that if he had turned a draw, I didn't want to blow him off it. However, on the river he's probably calling $250 almost as often as $200... Maybe I can even overbet it. I'd love to get people's thoughts on that.

Here's another stack pic:



I had another interesting hand come up with AA. I'm interested in all of your thoughts.

I'm in EP and raise to $20 with AA. Three calls, including our boy "Abe," in the BB.

Flop ($80): 456r

Check, I bet $75. A fishy player calls, one fold, and Abe thinks a bit and calls. I don't like that. I think his range is pretty narrow here overcalling a big bet out of position on this board. I don't think he makes that call with a naked 7 because there aren't really implied odds on it.

Turn ($305): 9

Abe checks in a disheartened tone I haven't heard from him before that sets off alarm bells. I feel like he either flopped it or turned a set of 9s. We're like 1300 deep, while the fish is like 250 deep. I'd happily get it in with the fish, but not with Abe. I check. The fish checks.

River ($305): 8

Abe fires $125. I fold, and the fish tank folds JJ. Maybe I botched the turn, not sure. I've discussed it with Duke a bit via text, but I won't post our conversation here because I don't want to sway people's opinions.

After a little under 3 hours, I racked up $1,310 and cashed out +$810. So that takes me to -500 in my 2/5 shot so far, but I've rebuilt the shot-taking portion of the roll to over $1,900. I have broadcasting work the next few days, so I'll probably be back at it at Parx next weekend.

April monthly update coming in the next day or so... And again, I'd love to hear your thoughts on those two hands.

Nice job!

Definite over bet the pot in the JT hand against an aggressive villain, he can either call (which he would call a over bet if he is calling 200 or whatever you bet OR he could sense weakness that you are just trying to buy the pot and make a huge mistake)

On the AA hand I forgot positions but usually in just B/fing on the turn.

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Thanks... How big of an overbet do you like? The pot was 250 and we were like 1200 deep give or take 100.

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April Recap & May Goals – “Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t.”

Online Results in April: -$899

Current Online Roll: $0 (Withdrew $720)

Live Cash Results in April (1/2): +$3,614 (40 Hours)
Live Cash Results in April (2/5): -$500 (12 Hours)
Live Cash Results in April (Total): +$3,114 (52 Hours)
Live Tournament Results in April: N/A
April Live Hourly (1/2): +$90.35/hr
April Live Hourly (2/5): -$41.66/hr
April Live Hourly (Total): +$59.88/hr

Bankroll: $7,900 (approx)

Live Cash Game Chart To Date:



Live Cash Game Chart in April



Live 1/2 Chart to Date:



Live Cash Game Stats To Date:



Best Pictures From April









Original Big Goals:

[X] Goal #1: Bankroll at $4,000 on 1/23

[X] Goal #2: Bankroll at 8,000 by March 31

[??] Goal #3: Winrate of $30/hr over first 300 hours at 1/2

I’m at 289 hours and $7,226 in profit. That’s basically $25 an hour. I need to win $1,774 in 11 hours at 1/2 to do it, which is not likely but is possible. I do think $30/hr at 1/2 is achievable for me over a similar sample size, as there are a couple leaks I could plug.

[??] Goal #4: Bankroll at $50,000 by 12/31

This goal is still reachable. I’d need to win basically 42K in eight months, which is about $5,250 a month. If I average 100 hours at 2/5 per month, I have a good shot at it.

[??] Goal #5: Play a WSOP Event in 2014. I’m thinking the Millionaire Maker ($1,500)

I’m running out of time and need to catch a little 2/5 heater.

[??]Goal #6: Satellite into the WSOP Main Event (I’ll allot a thousand or two to this if things are going well)

Likewise, I need a big heater and to find some local satellites. So far I haven’t heard about any of the CET properties in Philly/AC running them outside of the WSOPC event in April at Harrahs.

April Goals

Poker in blue, health in green, life balance in red.

[ 52/150] Play 150 Hours Live
[NO] Bankroll At $8,730 by 4/17 to Play 2 Events at WSOPC at Harrahs Philly
[YES] Finish Poker Tells Book By 4/7
[NO] Read Professional No-Limit Hold 'Em By 4/30
[YES] Get Bonus Comps at Borgata (I have $50 waiting if I swipe my card)
[INC] Play 25 Hours Online
[NO] Total Bankroll at $9,500 by 4/30 (will set aside MM)


My volume was awful, and there were two main reasons. The big downswing was one, and my sleep schedule with work was another. I chose lower volume over playing tired, and also socialized in spots where I would have otherwise played. I’m not worried about this for April, but I am brainstorming ways to recover with the sleep quicker. As far as playing through a downswing, I don’t think this will be an issue once my roll is bigger and a downswing doesn’t threaten it. One other note – I’m reading NLHTAP first, then Professional NLHE. I’m about 1/3 of the way through NLHTAP. Since I quit playing online due to the lack of games, that goal gets an incomplete.

[2/4] Do 4 Cycles of Bulletproof Rapid Fat Loss Protocol
[0/10] Go to the Gym 10 Times
[245] Weight at 220 by 4/30

Big disappointments here. I was doing well with the weight loss and down to 235, but relapsed bad at the end of the month. The sleep deprivation is killing me in this regard too, because research shows it causes cravings for sugar and carbohydrates and other unhealthy foods. I’m definitely seeing that the days I’m up at 3:45 am, and in particular when it’s 2-3 days in a row, are the days that I am failing diet-wise. I bought a portable blender that’s going to help me stick to the Bulletproof RFLP when I’m on the go, and I think adding decaf coffee so that I can drink it even when I’m about to crash for a nap will help.


[1/3] Play at least 3 Rounds of Golf, break 100 twice.
[2] Attend a game/event/other for fun. Basically do something fun out of the ordinary.

I played one round of golf on an executive course, so I broke 100 but it doesn’t really matter. I attended a Sixers game and hung out with my cousins and aunt and uncle around a fire pit drinking, so those were things out of the ordinary for fun. I joined a golf league so that’s going to get me out and doing recreational stuff one day a week.

May Goals

Poker in blue, health in green, life balance in red.


[ ] Play 140 Hours
[ ] Finish Reading NLHTAP
[ ] Read Professional NLHE (or substitute)
[ ] Plan A Trip to Las Vegas Sometime This Summer
[ ] Identify and Plug a Leak
[ ] Study Before Every Session


[ ] No sweets starting 5/5 (exception on my birthday)
[ ] Do 3 Cycles of Bulletproof RFLP
[ ] Be physically active 3 days each week (no gym membership right now)
[ ] Weight at 215 by 5/31


[ ] Play 7 or more rounds of golf
[ ] Break 100 5 times
[ ] Break 90 at least once
[ ] Do something fun out of the ordinary
[ ] Go on a date
[ ] Reconnect with an old friend
[ ] Watch a movie on my to-watch list or read a non-poker book


I’m going to continue to be ambitious with the goals, because it means even if I fall short I keep making progress. That said, I need to start hitting more of my goals. Often in life I stretch myself too thin with the goals, so if I struggle in May I’m going to really narrow the focus in June.

May 3 – “You can sound the alarm, / you can call out your guards, / you can fence in your yard, / you can hold all the cards, / but I won’t back down. / Oh no, I won’t back down.”

NOTE – This session has maybe the sickest hand I’ve ever played.

I figured Kentucky Derby day would be a good day to hit up Parx for some 2/5 action. Unfortunately, I got over there around 6 and probably missed the better action earlier in the day.

My first table sucked, and I got a table change to a table that sucked a little less but still wasn’t great. There were definitely a few grinders there, but I had a really sick read on one of them. Like, he wasn’t giving anything off obvious, but there were very slight changes in his facial comfort that I was noticing. I got into a hand with him. He was the button and raised to $25 over a limper. I had AxK in the BB and made it $100 with $550ish behind (he covered). He called.

Flop ($201): QJ5x

My physically read was he missed. He was playing very aggressively and bluffing a lot, so I decided to go for a check raise. My thought was even if I was wrong and he had AQ/KQ, AJ/KJ, I’d have 7 outs twice which isn’t too bad, plus backdoor spades over 2/3 of the time. He’s 1/3 to have the As with AQ/AJ, and never has it with the Kx hands. So I have like 33-34% equity when I’m called by those hands. I think he’d 4B QQ pre most of the time, and sometimes JJ. So I had a well thought out plan to check-raise, and he checked behind.

Turn ($201): Qx

I bet $120 and he called. My sense was he was floating. My read was unchanged. However, he could have like TT/99.

River ($441): 4x

I had a tight image and used it by firing $250. He insta folded.

Later I played quite possibly the most interesting hand of my life. I won’t give my thought process too much yet, because I want to get people’s reaction, then I’ll break it down in depth.

I’ve been playing pretty tight and I’ve got like $725-$750 and the villain covers. I raise to $20 in an unopened pot with JT in the HJ. The CO calls. He’s a very good, young player. Possibly a pro, but definitely a good winning player. He’s mostly tight, but he can make moves and he’s very aggressive. Everybody else folds.

Flop ($41): T96

I bet $30. He thinks for about 10-20 seconds and raises to $60. I think for about 30-40 seconds and raise to $160 (now $550ish behind, he covers). He tanks. “Wow, you really like that flop, huh?” he says. He checks his cards and tanks like 2+ minutes.

He raises to $310. I tank for probably about 60 seconds and move all-in for $739. He tanked for probably 3-4 minutes and asked if I’d show if he folded. I thought for a few seconds and said, “If you show, then I’ll show you.” He tanked for another minute or so and said he didn’t know how he could call, then he stacked up his chips as if to call, then he set them back down. He started playing with his cards in his hand and showed me AA. He held them in front of me, then folded. True to my word, I showed the bluff. "You were pretty light there," he said. "Yeah, I'm aware," I responded. "I figured you'd fold most hands that had me." He was furious with himself. The truth was, I was about 999% sure that he didn't have a hand he could call with unless it was a draw, and if he had the draw, fine.

Later on, a new player posts in MP. He checks. I’m in LP with 34o and raise to $25. Usually when a new player posts and checks, they don’t have much. They’ll often defend their post and then check-fold when they whiff. He’s the only caller.

Flop ($51): 983x

He checks, I bet $30. He thinks for like 15 seconds and raises to $80. He’s got a little over $200 left. I tank a bit and call – it feels like he’s weak.

Turn ($211): 6

He quickly shoves for $207. I tank. I feel like he should have thought about that 6 a little, it connects a bit with the board. It feels like he’s on a draw. He looks weak. He’s breathing shallow, he won’t look up or in my direction, he’s very still. He looks uncomfortable. I ask him if he’ll show if I fold. He quickly nods. I decide he’s bluffing, likely with a draw, so I call.

River ($625): Ax

Not a great card, he looks sheepish and turns over 95. So he thought he was bluffing, but he was actually doing it with the best hand. My physical read was right – but I didn’t consider that he could be turning a weak 9 with a gutshot into a bluff. Frustrating.

Later I flopped two pair on a draw heavy board and paid off when he turned the flush because he didn’t have enough left for me to fold.

Results: -$205 in 6.5 hours.

Nice work in April, I like how you have so many detailed goals.

I don't really like the iso with 43o, nothing wrong with isoing light in that spot but I always just fold the bottom %5 of hands.

good work man. keep it up. especially with the fitness stuff. lifewise and poker wise +ev. the more you get into it the easier it gets.

edit : also any advice on poker tells? I do pretty well with the poker theory, reading boards, understanding concepts but when it comes to live tells i'm pretty clueless and its a phase of my game I need to work on as live cash has become my main game.

Thanks man, now I just need to hit more of them! By the way, I'm on page 9 out of 24 in your thread... Slowly but surely catching up!

Yeah this is fair. I hadn't done any raising for a little while, but then again the new player in doesn't know that. Sometimes I focus more (too much so) on the spot and situation and not enough on the fact that I'm not just opening light, I'm opening with next to nothing.

43o can make a disguised 2p tho

Flop comes 943 they might stack off with 97s because they can never put you on 43o

Just food for thought

Thanks man... I've always had to battle up and down with my weight. I was like 180 in HS and got down to 157. Then up to 170-175 my freshman year of college, and like 215 my sophomore year... Then back down to 195, up to 230 late junior year, down to like 205 before my senior year, up to like 215-220 late in the year and down to 192.5 late in my senior year. After a bad breakup the following year I shot up to like 230, then got back down to 205. I slowly eased up to like 225, back down to 215, then my work/travel schedule got so busy I was eating on the road too much and got up to 265 and have been battling back down. But, I know SO much more about nutrition now than I did even a couple years ago.

In high school, a diet was slim fast bars for breakfast and very small but unhealthy meals. In college, a diet was meal replacement bars/drinks, protein shakes, and salads combined with weight loss pills and insane workouts. After college it was a lot of crash diets. Now it's more educated, even if they are aggressive diets like the Rapid Fat Loss Protocol. I think my knowledge will help me keep it off once I lose it now. I know that calories aren't king, and that I need to avoid things like MSG and processed sugars.


I could write a book on this, and have actually thought about writing a book on transitioning from online to live 1/2, the key things to crush 1/2, and live tells. There are a lot of different angles that can be covered...

1. Improve your hand reading so that you can combine that read with physical reads. This will make them stronger, and allow you to pick up and correlate tells to hands that aren't shown down. There are spots where I'll basically say ok he had to have X, Y, or Z so I can correlate that physical tell with similar hand strength.

2. Watch everything. Don't watch the flop when it comes out, look at your opponent of interest (first to act, or weakest, or one you have a read on). Don't look at the cards until it's your turn. Catalog everything you see in your mind.

3. Work your way around the table and watch every hand you aren't in the same way. Pick opponents to try to get a read on - maybe the most active ones, or the weakest ones, or someone who 3bets a lot, etc.

4. Most information is given off by the eyes, mouth, face in general and how they handle their chips.

5. Read the Caro book, the old classic on tells. It's not 100% accurate, and I'd argue there's a lot of bad info in it, but it's kind of the foundation of the niche and then you can follow it up with the Elwood book, Reading Poker Tells.

You'll find that some are very player-specific, others are nearly 100% accurate. If you want to PM me, I'll share some of these. I'm happy to share them with individuals who are in this thread a lot, but I don't want to put them out there because I'm searchable and I don't need some good 2p2er I've never seen reading this and throwing all the tells I mention at me intentionally as false tells haha.

Also, the more you do this, you'll REALLY start to make sick reads. Watch people in general in social interactions too. There are spots where you know they are uncomfortable, see how they act. How does their face look? How do their eyes or mouth look? What's their general countenance? Some of these emotions in general will show up at the poker table, so be good at recognizing them.

Another book that may be worth reading is Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. I love it in general, but sometimes as you really develop your instincts you'll just instantly "sense" weakness but not know why. This is when you're basically internalizing this stuff and making accurate, quick judgments based on a combination of factors (line, bet sizing, range, physical tells, etc). If you've developed all that stuff, trusting your immediate reaction can be +EV.

I noticed one of your goals was to play in the WSOP ME. Have you thought about selling your action? I am sure you could get it sold without much trouble.

It can make some disguised hands, but I could probably wait for a little better hand - even if it's just 45s or 56s or something to give me some flush possibilities and all.

I've thought about it but I'm not sure that I could sell enough to make it fit my bankroll while still keeping enough of my action to make it worthwhile. I mean, keeping like 20% of your Main Event action and final tabling or something is still better than not playing, but it'd eat at you the rest of your life that you sold your action, right? I also don't know much about selling action, how much I could mark it up, and how easy it would be to sell as primarily a cash game player...

May 6 - "Rock clubs like Tiger, Woods in the hood. To have my own reality show, called Soul Surviver."

I played the first day in my golf league yesterday and smoked the guy I played, despite being at a big handicap disadvantage because it was my first week and they've been going a few weeks. I took 9.5 out of 13 points. The highlight was on the 7th hole. It's a monster par-5 and I had to beat him by two shots to win the hole. He yanked his tee shot about 125-150 yards to the left under a tree. I was about to switch to a 3-wood or 3-iron, but I decided it was the perfect time to demoralize him so I stuck with the driver and smoked it about 270 down the middle, twirled the club. I took the 7th, 8th and 9th holes to crush the match.

I had a free round today for media stuff near AC, so I got out to Harrahs late last night with a decent room rate and parked on the roof of the garage because I like the view from there...


This was actually a golf trip, not a poker trip, so I had to get up mad early (like 6 am) to check out. Here was the morning view.



I was playing over at Stockton Seaview on the Bay Course, which is a really cool course right outside AC. It hosted the PGA Championship in 1942, which Sam Snead won, and is a Donald Ross course - he designed it in 1914. President Harding and President Nixon were also fond of playing there. I got to play it for free as part of the media day for the LPGA event there next month. This is one of the most scenic spots on the course.



This was one of my highlights of the day. I pulled a Michael Carter-Williams. I was the star player on a really bad team, but I played pretty well. I think we shot a 68 and probably used 40-50 of my shots. If I were just playing my own ball instead of the 4-ball scramble, I think I'd have shot in the low 90s, but then again I would have played a lot less aggressively and the round may have gone very differently. I pounded a handful of drives 260+ down the middle, hit a few nice approaches and sank some putts. I also hit the flag from about 40 yards. This one was after about a 270 yard drive down the middle. I had an 80-yard 60-degree wedge and hit it in to here. It was a very tough downhill right-to-left putt and it had a good 4-5 feet of break on it and I left myself like a 1-footer for the par.



They also have really cool flagsticks. The only ones I've liked more were Merion's last year (the wickers). These were actually made of wood, and the flags are unique.

Nice to see some pics of the course! I didn't bring my clubs out here with me so unfortunately I won't get much practice, in but I guess it doesn't matter since it's about to be 120 F anyways. Keep crushing the poker and life man!

Great thread man -- I've been trying to read the whole thing to get caught before my trip down to the Borgata this week, but I'm likely going to fail miserably since I'm trying to get an online session in today as well.

I have to say you've been a great impression to me to keep progressing in my dream as well. Ironically I started my path with a bus trip to Delaware on NYE to play in the Delaware Park Classic and have been playing solidly since. Results have been coming more recently which is encouraging, and I happened to come across this thread in the midst of a downswing online so I'm glad I found it as it gave me a much needed kick in the buns.

By the way -- You made a reference about check-calling when you had a conversation with the bachelorette party about the girl's (effed up) hair. If you were playing PLO8 and made the nut low you still scoop half the pot HA. Hopefully you don't get quartered though.

Hope you're doing well -- Would to love to chat with you if you're going to be down in AC tomorrow - Friday or next week during the Deep Stack Challenge!

Thanks man - you too! How's everything going? Haven't seen your thread updated for a couple weeks.

Thanks man, I appreciate all of that! I'm glad this thread has inspired you a bit, that's great to know. I'm going to be in AC this weekend at Borgata, so shoot me a PM if you'er going to be around.

May 6 - Parx 2/5 on a Tuesday Night

Every now and then I’m going to leave the quote or lyric for the end so that you don’t know the general ups and downs of the session until you read them… I think we could use a little more suspense. I'm also adding some subheadings to make the session reports easier to read. Let me know what you think of the changes.

I head over to Parx after my morning on the golf course and an afternoon of broadcasting work. I get seated in a 2/5 game and quickly realize it’s an awesome game. They are always busy on Tuesday for some reason. I’ve got a business owner on my left, a middle aged guy who looks like a businessman or business owner next to him, then a decent player, his friend who seems bad, a dude in sunglasses who sort of knows what he’s doing but vastly overestimates his ability (thus sucking), an old guy with a penchant for bluffing, one I can’t remember and one good young player on my right who’s active in late position.

It’s an awesome table.

Hand No. 1

Early on in the session, I’m up to about $650 and there are four limps and the button raises to $40. He’s been raising pretty often in the HJ, CO and BTN and hasn’t mixed it up out of position. I have AQ and re-raise to $140 in what is a pretty obvious spot I think. UTG+1 tank calls. As he’s tanking, I’m trying to figure out what he could have. UTG limped, so he overlimped. Thus, I feel like AA-JJ are unlikely. He’s been a pretty aggressive player and he’s in his 30s or 40s, so him limping AK is relatively unlikely (usually that’s an OMC move), but it’s possible. I think more of his range is like mid pairs KQ, QJ, etc. He calls. The button folds.

Flop ($340): KQ5x

I think for a bit. I have like $510 left. I bet $160, sizing it to look a little weak to incite a bluff from a middle pair. My thought process is that I’m probably going to have to stack off if he jams anyway so I want to make his range as wide as possible. He jams, I make the call, he has AK and holds when the K on the turn renders me dead.

Chips! Unfortunately at Parx, you have to wait for the guy to come around with chips to reload, or go to the window yourself, both of which can make you miss action. In the future I’ll have extra chips in my pocket. Soon the seat I have deemed the best at the table opens up and I seat change.

Hand No. 2

There’s an EP raise to $20 and I call in LP with 88.

Flop ($60): 522

It checks to me and I bet $40. A fold in the blinds and the EP raiser check raises to $140. I should’ve folded there, but I called and then folded to his turn bet after a 6 hit. In-game the flop seemed like a good one to check-raise because he can rep a big pair and I almost always have a middle pair. The problem is, if he’s good enough to realize that, he’s always firing the turn.

Three or four times I pick up a middle pair, call a raise or raise myself in LP, whiff the flop and give up. That takes my second buyin down to like $260.

Hand No. 3

The game is playing really wild and we’re rarely going to the flop without a raise and often a 3bet. I have $262 and limp AKo UTG. There are three limps and the aggro player on the button from the previous hand is again on the button and makes it $40. A bad player in the blind calls and action is on me. This means the pot size is effectively $95. A pot-sized raise is to $135, a 4x raise on the 3bet is to $160, and would leave me $100 behind. It’s an awkward stack size. I was really looking for a raise and two calls, then I’d jam over it.

Instead, I raise to $120. It folds to the button and he calls along with the bad player in the blinds, who has talked a few times about never folding a bad beat eligible hand.

Flop ($370): J52

The player in the blind checks, I jam $142, the button folds and the small blind snap calls with 99 and holds.

Reload

Normally I use a 2-buyin stop loss, but this game is good. I’m down to $700ish on my “shot” and I won’t leave myself with a partial buyin or lose more than 3 buyins in a night, so I decide to reload and if I lose it, I’m back to 1/2.

I texted Duke and mentioned that I couldn’t emphasize how badly I didn’t want to go back to 1/2. The complaining, the nits, the weak-tight players, the comp chasers, the complaining. Am I complaining about people complaining?

Hand No. 4

I raise A7 in MP and get three calls.

Flop ($81): JT5

This is a bad spot to cbet multiway, since the J and T hit a lot of people's ranges. It checks around.

Turn ($81): J

A couple of checks and the old guy in late position bets $45. It folds to me. He's made some really stupid bluffs, and this appears to be one. I checked to him in late position in the CO with one player to act on the flop and he checked behind on a board with draws, and I'm supposed to believe he has the J? Not likely. I call, prepared to pick off a river bluff with A high.

River ($171): 7

I check, he checks. He shakes his head no, and shows Q9o. I flip my hand over and there are surprised exclamations.

"He rivered the 7? Disgusting."

"No, he had him the whole way. Sick call."

"Oh, yeah, nice call bro."

I nod and say thanks, and stack the chips. It wasn't THAT great of a call, it was only $45. If he had fired on the river for $100-$150, that would've been the sick call.

Hand No. 5

There’s one limp and I have 99 in the CO. I raise to $25. The button beats me into the pot, and the SB and a limper call.

Flop ($100): K33x

Two checks and I bet $65. The button snap calls and the others fold. He’s the recreational friend of the decent guy from the beginning, who spotted him and sat down next to him. He talks a lot of strategy at the table, and has very basic thinking. When he snap calls I feel like a big part of his range is spades and middle pairs. I’d have to think he would at least consider 3betting QQ and JJ preflop, or raising Kx on the flop.

Turn ($230): 6x

We have $385 behind, he covers. I bet $125. He snap calls.

River ($480): 5

Well that card sucks. I check, he insta checks. “Nines,” I say as I roll them over. “Oh, I have Jacks,” he says.

I think I played it ok. The turn spot was tough, which often means a mistake was made prior. I should have bet less on the flop. If I bet $50, I get the same information out of it, but I keep the pot to about $200 and have $400 behind. I guess it's still not that much easier.

All in all, though, I’m going to have a hard time putting him on JJ or Kx there and I think I caught the top of his range.

Hand No. 6

Later, there are three limps and I complete the small blind with A5.

Flop ($22): AQ3

It checks around.

Turn ($22): 7

I bet $15. The BB calls and UTG raises to $65. I fold, obviously, and so does the BB. I guess he turned two pair or slow played AQ on the flop. At this point I’m getting frustrated but I think I’m still playing well.

The Promised Land

I text Duke that it’s like I’ve found the promised land, but they won’t let me through the gates. I’m in the best 2/5 game I’ve been in so far and it’s not even close. People are lining up to give money away, and statistical variance is guarding the vault. It’s the poker equivalent of picking up a super model, taking her home and just as you’re about to hook up, having the phone ring and it’s some sort of emergency you can’t ignore.

Duke’s response is great. If you can take home one super model, you can take home two, he tells me. Now THAT is something I’d like to find out one day. The frustration for me isn’t that I’ll never be in this spot again, because I know I will. I just don’t feel like going through the cycle of grinding at 1/2 and putting up with all the nonsense, then moving up to 2/5 and running cold and repeating.

He tells me the poker gods are trying to end my poker career and crush my dreams, and I tell him what I want to do to them…



Meanwhile, I’m watching people at my table play mind-numbingly bad poker. In one hand, we pick up the action on the turn in a large multi-way pot. The board is 98x75. Bad villain #1 in wrap around mirror sunglasses and a hat fires a huge bet with 95o. Bad villain two flats with KJ. The river is a 6. The dude with the made flush now checks with a straight on the board, hoping to check-raise. The other guy obviously checks behind and the dude with the flush sighs in frustration as he shows his hand, like why can’t he ever get people to bet into him when he checks the river on wet, coordinated, intimidating boards after calling massive turn bets?

Hand No. 7

Two limps and I raise KJo to $35 in position.

Flop ($85): A7T

He checks, I bet $45, he snap calls.

Turn ($175): 9x

He checks, I peel with the double gutshot.

River ($175): 9x

He checks, I check, JT is good for him.

I drop down to $160 on the buyin and decide if I get back to $305 I’m calling it a night, as that will give me one more $500 buyin because I have $195 in my pocket.

Hand No. 8

There’s a straddle and three limps. It’s my SB and I make it $65 with TT. The straddle (bad, loose) calls, an MP player calls (new, awful), the CO calls (he’s bad), and the button calls (also bad, playing way too many hands).

Flop ($325): 532

I move all-in for $170. The straddle jams over me for $226. MP tanks and calls. CO folds. Button tanks and re-shoves for like $600. MP thinks for about 10 seconds and calls. I feel like I must have run into a slow played overpair or somebody flopped a set.

Turn ($1005 in main, $168 in first side pot, $748 in second sidepot): J

River: K

Not a great runout. I show. UTG mucks. MP shows J4. The button shows 35. “Two pair will take it,” the dealer says.

I pick up my stuff and walk out. We’ll be back to the 1/2 grind this weekend. Variance is a cold, hard, heartless b****.

“Cold hard b****, just a kiss on the lips and I was on my knees. I’m waiting, give me, cold hard b****.”

May 7

No poker today. I slept in a bit, then just pretty much chilled out all day. My allergies were all messed up because there’s apparently a ton of pollen in South Jersey right now, and the tiny little muscles that I don’t use from the end of one golf season to the start of the next one were killing me. I’m talking like little tiny muscles on the outside of my calf and shin, and on the bottoms of my feet, and my lower back. All of the twisting and torque took their toll. Plus, I am behind on sleep.

However, I have made some progress on goals... I have already been physically active twice this week - so I'm on track for that goal. I've played two rounds of golf this month already, and though neither was a traditional scoring round of 18 holes, I would have broken 100 in both and maybe even broken 90.

I made a little more goal-related progress today by watching Fight Club. It’s been on my movie list for years, and I saw it on demand and watched. I was slightly disappointed, if I’m being honest. I expected it to be better because people talk so highly of it. Dare I say that a lot of the people who love it, perhaps, never thought about some of the ideas in it before seeing it? Since I’ve already thought about stuff like not being a slave to the system, and how much corporate America controls people through branding and marketing, maybe it didn’t seem so ground breaking?

If you’ve never watched Fight Club, but plan to, skip the spoilers below for my take on the ending.





Never the less, I crossed off a movie on my list, and that was one of the goals for this month. I do think the whole movie offers up some reminders about why I’m doing this whole challenge, as well.

Tomorrow (or today, given my messed up sleep schedule) will involve some studying and packing, and perhaps golf - then it's off to AC.