Finished my first month as a semi-pro! Had a great month and don't feel burned out yet but I suppose it's always easier when you are winning.

Results from July:

- Played about 100 hours, up $15,000
- Played mostly 2/5, and started playing some 5/5 with a straddle of $10 towards the end of the month when the game was good.

So obviously I ran super good overall and only had one big losing session in about 20 sessions. But more importantly on top of that I have a great coach and without his help I would not be able to hit this win rate even with the run good. My only regret is being in some spewy spots earlier this month that probably cost me about 3k all added up. I def got a lot better towards the end of the month, still far to go though!

Another thing is that I realized that my expectations for next month is going to be naturally higher due to the results from this month. So since I am aware of this, I will be on the watchout for any entitlement issues. I might just start running horribly and have a losing month, or I might just run meh and have a slightly winning month. No matter what happens I'll be prepared for it, and focusing on nothing but playing my best.

In terms of hitting my other goals Ive been doing pretty well. Ive been going out at least twice a week and working out at least 3 times a week. Work is going great too, i have to stay late some times without being paid (and opportunity cost of poker) but at least I like what im doing so the days dont feel too long.

Done with the brags and now the beat:

I got my phone stolen twice in two weeks this month. It's a pretty big life spew because I got the newest phone the first time, and I was too stubborn the second time (also the samsung s5 is an amazing phone) so I bought the same phone again. That's just over $1400 spent for noooo reason at all and quite tilting but on the bright side at least it motivated me to put in more hours.

Also got no interesting hands to post for you guys because I lost them along with my phone. but expect a whole bunch next month!

Some goals for next month
- read the poker book my coach recommended (it'll be a great time to read it while waiting for a table)
- get more sleep (getting avg of 6-7 per night and it doesnt feel like enough, but dont know where the hours are supposed to come from lol)
- keep up the good work from this month

Thanks for reading!

Congrats on your first month Snowball, way to crush!

Ya, I could see the biggest problem being entitlement issues since you ran so great out of the gate. Last year I had a crushingly good year as a rec player over just ~570 hours, but I knew this year would be a tough one since I assumed my run good would be corrected. Sure enough, this year I'm running at exactly 1/2 my winrate of last year over the first ~320 hours. Just have to prepare yourself mentally for the inevitable correction that will come.

Goh,andIwantmymojoback,thanksG

Nice month snowy, keep it up

Grats on a good month snowball. What poker book was recommended by your coach? If it's super secret and groundbreaking then just PM me, I'll keep it a secret

Congrats on your big month. I'm thrilled with your results, but more thrilled about the progress and improvement in your play. Keep it up.

Thanks guys! It's def good to get all the encouragement

When you learn to stop leaving it on bathroom counters you can have it back. It's a lesson we all have to learn and you are no exception.


And yeah hopefully there wont be too much "correction" lol.

I'm a gonna get me one of the wrist bands to holds on to my mojo next time.

Gheremojomojomojo...,heremojo...,MOJOOOOOOOOOOO!G

Make sure you get the physical copy so they don't confuse it for a gambling website.

Great read OP subbed!! maybe I missed this but where do you normally play?

Wear it around your neck instead so your hands will be free to drag in chips




Not sure what this is referring to haha #as-ahhumor


Thanks! And just see my location

Very excited to have discovered a new life hack today to do more in less time lol.

Started reading my poker book at the gym while doing cardio (elliptical & bike - less movement than the treadmill) and found it such an easy way to kill almost an hour on the machines and still maintain the intensity of the work out. Also I think it was a lot easier to process the info when there is increased oxygen flowing to your brain when sweating/exercising. So it was a win-win situation!

^ kind of like surfing pr0n at the poker table... real time savers!

Gotta multi task you should try it sometime!

Had kind of a gross session last night and played kinda late until 3am. Wasnt stuck much at all, but it was just frustrating because the table was really good (me being the best player on the table - seriously, no reg pros) and i was card dead and at the same time dealing with a bunch of dramas from friends. I did pick up in time and not spew though.

Woke up super groggy at noon and just wanted to get indian food takeout and couch potato at home. But decided against it. Made a big healthy breakfast instead to load up on energy and going for a 45min - 1hr run since it's a nice day out and all.

:beer: I will spend whatever time is necessary to address your problems and concerns.

Hai Z, saw it before your ninja edit and nooope, i wish

Is SABR42 your coach?

I am obv.

:beer: I will spend whatever time is necessary to address your problems and concerns.

Just played some fun late night short handed 5/5. I had an interesting seat because it eventually got down to 5 handed, and i was on the direct left of the biggest lagtard who was opening and 3betting almost every pot (and more as he gets more stuck), and two tighter stationy players to my left. So I was always out of position when he opened every button. He never folds to a 3 bet either. I wasnt getting any hands that I could gii easily with him but playing shorthanded and a lot of hands/hour each person's edge quickly shows. One player left because he didnt like playing short handed but I thought it was great because the -ev decisions they make are amplified much faster.

5 hours later and these are the stack sizes at the table:
1100, 890, 1000, 3100, 4400. Guess which one I am .

I'm actually not up too much because I got stuck quite a lot early on the session. But am really glad to have dug out of the hole and made a nice hourly still after all that.

Pics of chipstack or GTFO. Unless your new phone necklace/wristband/gauntlet/headband gets in the way of taking good pics, that is

Some hands from the last few sessions (after I got my phone replaced for the 2nd time ) Once again comments and such are welcome and much appreciated

1. 9T OTB (5/5 FR)

1250 Eff.
H opens 9T on the button for 20. Reg pro in the big blind 3bets to 70. H calls 50 more.
Flop ($140): K49. V cbets 80. H raises to 240. V puts H all in, and H calls for 900ish more. V shows A3. H's hand holds up.

2. KQ SB (5/5 5-handed)

1700 Eff.
Bad lagtard opens for 25 on the button. H calls from the small blind. Everyone calls.
Flop ($125): KK5. H leads out for 70. Button calls.
Turn ($265): 2 double flush draw. H bets $200 into $265. V raises to $450 more with about $900 more behind. H shoves, V snap folds.

3. KQ OTB (5/5 5-handed)

Straddle of 10.
Same lagtard opens for 40. H calls on the button with KQ. Everyone calls.
Flop ($200): K98. H bets 130. Small blind (new player unknown) calls. Everyone folds. 1000 Eff.
Turn ($460): 8. V leads out $300. H calls.
River ($1060): 5. V shoves the rest about $500. H calls. V shows JT MHIG.

4. KQ OTB (5/5 6-handed)

Straddle of 10. Eff 1000.
Same lagtard raises to 30 from CO. 6 handed. H 3 bets to 90 on the button with KQ. He calls (have been calling and raising very wide).
Flop ($200): Q23. H bets $110. V check calls.
Turn ($420): 6. Both check.
River ($420): 8. V shoves for 800. H very tempted to call, but folded.

5. AQ UTG + 1 (5/5 FR)

H opens AQ in utg + 2 to 20. MP calls, Button calls.
Flop ($70): A56. H leads out for $50. Only button calls. Eff $2500.
Turn ($170): 7. H bets $125. V calls.
River ($420): 7 H bets $200 as draws missed, and V was too passive to bluff his missed draw when checked to, so H decides to bet to get a call from any weak Ax. V just calls with 78 which got there on the river

6. 56 SB (2/5 FR)

Eff 500. Weak tight player raises to 15 in MP. Two callers, H calls 10 more with 56 from BB. 4 way to flop.
Flop ($60): Q26. Check to PFR who bets 30. Only H calls.
Turn ($120): 3. H checks to V who bets $45. H check raises to 160. V folds.

7. AA SB (2/5 FR)

500 Eff.
New table. Reg lady opens to 20 from UTG + 1. Folds around to H, 3 bets from the small blind to 60. She snap calls.
Flop ($120): JJT. H checks, V checks.
Turn ($120): 5. H checks, V bets 65. H calls.
River ($250): 7. H checks, V bets 165. H shoves over for about 200 more. V goes like "bad timing", H asks "quads?", and "yup". V shows JJ

I dont take chippron i dont want to activate doomswitch !

Taking chip pics are for the immature and childish anyway.

Last hand how confident were you on shoving the river?

false

Completely unwanted & unqualified hand analysis from me :

1. Obviously standard. We're certainly getting enough equity against a value + semibluff range like (AA, KK, AK, KQ, Club draws). The flop sizing was nice, as it gives the appearance of fold equity to V to sometimes make a move on us too.

2. Love the flop lead multiway. Turn seems super obvious given that lagtard can have a ton of dominated K's, suited or not.

3. Seems like a tough calldown vs an unknown and deep, especially since V could have had 8hXh on flop. Obvious soul read situation. Given that live players frequently instinctively slow play trips, I like your play.

4. On river, in a way, we are near the top, or even have a better hand than V should perceive us to have (He is a lagTARD though). Still folding to the overshove, the main draw is there and it's hard for him not to have showdown value (he wouldn't turn showdown value into a bluff when we LDO have AK here right?). I would like to debate the merits of checking the flop with people. Such a hard board to hit or peel, we may as well just give him maximum impetus to bluff/value own himself.

5. Solid bet/folding and sizing all the way.

6. I prob just fold OOP and 100BB deep. Turn play is glorious, as dummy weak tight player is turning his hand face up as [JJ, TT, 99] and giving us an opportunity to blast him off his hand. He wouldn't bet AQ/KK/AA like this with that backdoor draw out there! And he only has 3 combos of monsters in QQ.

7. Fold river, AA no good ma'am (Brought to you by BBV forum)