I shall have my revenge on the Las Vegas 1/2, 1/3, and 2/5 cash game circuit.

Last year I parted ways with my job and took a 10k shot at Vegas 2/5 and realized I had a lot to learn.

Within a couple weeks I came home with just under 4k in the poker bankroll I had put aside for it.

I realized I was just your average/****ty reg who had done some studying here, but never really took the time to dive deep into all the concepts that need to be explored at 1/2 NLHE and 2/5 NLHE if you are going to be able to play it 40 hours a week.

I had a real job that only allowed me to play on weekends and of course when you're playing 2/5 on weekends/usually 4-5 hour sessions before you go out and see your friends..... it's not hard to feel you are beating the game/can beat the game if you're constantly playing fish filled tables and cashing out after you're up $500-$600.

So many of my wins were manufactured.

As soon as I actually played poker for 40 hours a week in Vegas, I learned it's A LOT HARDER THAN I THOUGHT and requires A LOT MORE PATIENCE THAN I THOUGHT.

My vision of a POKER PRO was a LAG ON A HEATER.

I never realized how ****ing boring it was to play the game right.

That being all said, I love the game, I love studying the game, I love the challenge of the game, and I want my revenge on Las Vegas.

Over the last year I have played 1/2 as much as I could, listened to all the Bart Hanson podcasts, frequented this forum all I could, studied as much as I could, and I feel I have learned a lot.

I finally got 100% serious on Jan. 21st and downloaded a poker tracker to my phone.

Thus far I am down over 1k, on a 5 session losing streak, and I still feel very strongly I have what it takes to meet this challenge.

My goal is to have a 10k poker bankroll that's been accumulated from POKER WINNINGS only and a $15+ win rate at 1/2 by June so I can take my shot at 2/5 full time in Vegas during the WSOP months.

This challenge is just for fun, I have a job irl, and the Vegas shot taking time will be a vacation.

If any of you whose posts have helped me a lot over this last year will be in Vegas at that time I will be happy to buy you as many drinks as you like.

Thanks to all you guys that post in the LLSNL forum.

Since I don't watch poker on Tv, it's you guys that are my poker idols/heroes and I appreciate every bit of knowledge I've gained from you.

I hope I can meet this goal and see some of you in June.

Bankroll is currently at $5,000.00

I am also trying to make $12k by June so I could take a month off at Vegas playing 2/5NL. Currently grinding 50NL ( BR at $1200). Good luck to both of us, See ya during WSOP month at Vegas!

EDIT: I highly suggest you read Cairo's book of tells for live poker, it works wonders at 1/2.

I have read that glorious book.

I was never actually an online player, been lucky enough to have casinos around me since I was 18!!!

So, it starts tonight.

I have cleared out a drawer in my dresser that I will be storing casino chips in an effort to accumulate $5,000.00 worth of them.

I have exactly $1,000.00 cash on hand that will be in the drawer and the remainder of my $5,000.00 bankroll will be in a chase bank account.

Hopefully, I can just work off this $1,000.00 cash and keep coloring up and up and up.

The drawer will also include my American Express Costco card which I will be using to fund my airfare, hotel, meals, etc, etc in Vegas if I accomplish my goal.

If I do not accomplish my goal, I don't deserve to spoil myself with a poker trip.

Leaving to the casino in a few minutes here.

Hope I'm "up for it"...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfcNMdexIME

Good luck. Don't neglect your mental game, every BI you don't spew off at your absolute worst is a BI won.

Subbed

Just left Motor City Casino Detroit and finished up $576.00 for the day.

Started off with another rough patch as I bricked 2 A/Qs, 1 A/K, and when I had QQ or KK, the ace popped up on the flop.

Managed to only have to use $100.00 to top off, so my buy in for the day was at $300.00.

Things started to turn around for me when I had worked my stack back up to $300.00 and got into this hand with a $hitty reg.

I was on the button and the only limp to me was the reg. I was holding KK once again and feared that I would get no action. So, I decided to raise $12.00 instead of my usual $15 or $17. The blinds folded, but the $****ty reg decided he wanted a piece of the action. (His stack is at $250)

Flop is Q/9/2 rainbow.

Checks to me, I bet $25.00.

(If this guy has any Q or 10J, he's calling. Sometimes possibly peeling with the 9 because he's the type of player that puts you on A/K when he has any piece.)

Turn is an 6. (Rainbow complete)

$75.00 in pot, I bet $75.00.

At this point the reg goes into the tank. I now know he has Q/8+. No chance at 2 pair because I've played with this guy before and he'd do a min raise on the flop. The guy doesn't dislike me enough to peel one more card with 10/J. I think he'd fold the 9 to a double barrel this big as well most likely.

He finally cuts out $75.00 and calls.

Pot is now at $225.00.

River is another 9.

Villian says "check to you, bet your ace queen."

I announce "All In."

Villian says "I fold you show?"

I say nothing. He looks at his phone and sees it's around 1am.

Villian says "I got work in the morning, fine, **** it, if you have KQ or AQ you get all my chips, if you have A/K, the pot is mine. I call."

I table KK, villian shows Q/J offsuit.

Later on, I limped/called $12 and flopped a set of 10s in a 4 way pot.

I bet out $10.00 on a 10s/9s/Kh board to try to induce a raise.

To my dismay it was called in 2 places, but the next card out paired the 9.

So, I bet out $15 to try to induce again. This time it worked. A guy spazzed out and shoved for $150.00, original raiser folded. I obviously called. The guy tables 9/6 soooooooted.

Looking forward to putting in an 8-12 hour session tomorrow.

Bankroll $5,576.00

Also, I think this is important to note....be a nice guy at the poker table.

Don't be a....... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ivgy7MEoGkA

Tonight a fish sucked out against a poker goober with earphones and a hoodie.

The "hoodie" berates the fish I am sitting next to and as the fish is still stacking his chips I say "isn't this casino awesome, you win a hand and you get a free poker lessen with it."

The fish starts laughing.

I say "I'm like you man. I am just here to gamble."

The fish says "me to"...

So, the fish actually has position on me, he's the button and I get pocket queens, there's 4 limpers and I make it $21.00 to go. The fish says "make it $45.00"

Fish has $450.00 and at this point I'm around $600.00.

It folds around to me and I say "man, I like to gamble, but I really think you got me beat here."

The guy says "I guarantee I do, but call if you want, it's your money."

I say, "I don't know, I just don't feel it really, and I think you got aces."

He says "I do, fold, I'll show you, I don't want to take your money."

I just fold, I believe him. He politely shows A/A.

Subbed!!

I always always always.. Esp. In tourneys make friends w guy on my left if possible.

I like your story and wish you the best of luck..
It's a great feeling to have a fish or rec. on your left showing you his cards.. Keep up the good work.
Post pics of your stack and keep the stories coming love it!

Good luck, detroit is super soft

Just took a picture of the drawer.



That's $1,000.00 cash and $400.00 in chips.

It's $176.00 short because I decided to use that for another life goal I am going to introduce to this thread.

If I make it to the WSOP in June, I want to be weighing in at 199lb or less.

I bought this cooler bag that stores 5 meals, snacks, vitamins, supplements, and on the sides there's room for protein shake shakers and protein powder.



I spent $176.0 on the bag, vitamins, supplements, etc...

So, they'll be no excuses to look like ****, eat like **** or feel like **** during this grind.

I figured spending the $176.00 on all of this would be a better investment than breaking down and going to buy a hoodie, sunglasses, and some "Beats By Dre" headphones.

Current Weight: 218

Current Bankroll: $5,400.00

Getting ready to hit the casino here shortly.

Sit down at poker table.

Within 5 minutes it folds around to sb, who completes for $2 and doesn't want to chop.

I raise to $25 and say "ok, lets play a pot then."

The guy open folds 2s and says, "I guess you don't want the bad beat."

Some fish at the table comments.

"Internet kids. They just don't understand how to play poker."

I say "maybe you can teach me."

Two hands later I pick up 10/9 otb, 3 limpers, I make it 17.

Only caller is the fish.

Flop K Q A.

He says "I will let you bet it for me."

I take the free card, it's a jack and there is now two spades out there.

Fish spazzes and bets the pot.

He has a set for sure, I shove all in knowing he can never fold a set with one card to come.

He gives the standard speech asking if I have the straight and acts like he can find the fold.

Finally, he calls, shows a set of kings and bricks.

I double through for 200 just as floor says "jv, your table change is ready."

Fish says, "where you going?"

I say, "you are right, idk how to play, I dont wanna mess up your poker table so I am going to go over there."

Off to a good start.

Love the ending

Might wanna raise to $10 next time instead of $25 lol. He might be limping QQ or KK

The guy who limped wants to call $2 with any suited and connected cards, then check a four dollar pot all the way down.

Its Friday night, no way im getting stuck at a nitty table.

There were four nits on it and two short stacks.

Figured I'd try to rile it while I was there.

yea I agree table selecting is a big part of improving your winrate, especially at live where you can only get so many hands in per hour.

Won $200 early and found the perfect table to win even more.

One fish was so drunk he dropped $800 into the game before he was kicked out.

Another drunk guy who had just won 14k at the blackjack table brought a stack of 10 black to the table, within 15 minutes he lost a buy in, then tried to buy back in for $400.00. No one said anything but a $****ty reg, then the drunk guy got up and left when the $****ty reg called the floor on him.

Anyway, with all the Friday night action going on, hero's stack never got over the $500.00 mark.

I am tired right now and will post the only real important hand of note tomorrow.

I believe I made a mistake on a $85.00 river call.

So, I should have cashed out up around $310.00.

Instead, I cashed out up $226.00 for the night.

Bankroll is currently at $5,626.00

Grats on last night's win.

What was the $85 call?

I made a bad call myself for $175 OTR. Early in a session, and with weird dynamics, I thought a villain was capable of bluffing. After the hand, and as the hours past, I realized too late my villain was a nit.

My common mistake at $2/5. Leveling myself into thinking my villain ever has more than just value in his or her range.

Hero ($400)
Villian ($300)

Hero has been playing solid all night and has showed down no bluffs.

My range is definitely wider in position and I believe villian is competent enough to notice this as he is only other player consistently folding the sb.

A few limpers to hero otb, I make it $17 with AcKs.

Villian calls quick in the bb.

Flop K 8 2 rainbow.

Hero bets $25. Villian quickly calls.

Turn is 4 that brings a heart draw.

Villian checks, hero is suspicious of a set/aces, but also torn between trying to extract value from K/10+.

Hero checks.

River is insignifigant 9.

Villian bets out $85 quickly, definitely an overbet, and haven't seen this behavior from him.

Villian has shown a semibluff earlier and also understands position.

I decide to make the call and he tables 22 for a set of dueces.

I believe this line screams set so much more than K/Q or a bluff.

He had nothing to rep but a set on that dry board, and not many villians are doing that at 1/2.

I've got to find these folds if I am going to meet my goals.

The guy was waiting for 2/5 and that also weighed on my decision.

Anyway, 4 hours into todays session and down $100.

I identified a call station fish and pounded the pot so hard when he hit his flush on the river it was a $200donk loss for me. He called a $100 turn bet on a naked flush draw with no more money behind to win.

I said "wow, you got balls of steel man, nice hand."

Thankfully, he hasn't racked up and left yet.

I battled through the "Doug Lee" at 1/2 and even though it clearly wasn't my day I refused to give up.

Got down by $600 as I was punishing the fish with 100+ bets on the turn to charge for flush draws and open end straight draws. The river ended up punishing me though.

Worked my stack back up to $700 and was only $100 down when I decided to leave.

Mentally exausted and I had more than 10% of my roll on the table.

What a grind.

Taking a nap for a few hours then going to hit the casino for a 2am session fresh.

I live 5 min from three casinos, so I can come and go easy.

Going to work the "nightshift"....

Here's a little soul for those of you out there working with me...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrkEDe6Ljqs

Gl

Here is how I start my session.

Hero AhAc. ($200)
Villian ($150)

I am mp, one limp, I raise to $17.

Villian calls otb.

$35 in pot.

Flop is 10h6h7c

With that board I bet out $35, without hesitation villian barrels all in.

Like $100 to call, I call here against all unkowns for 50bb, standard?

Villian tables 6/7 off and holds.

Lost another pot to same villian.

Here is the cool thing though, when I lost the second one, I said...

"A new rule needs to be instituted, when you felt someone you buy em a beer."

Villian bought me a blue moon draft at 7:30am.

Now 8:30am and four people are drinking at my table.

Down a buy in, but stages are set for a possible comeback.