Ok, I told myself if I made it through February I'd start a thread and share these goals with more than my text group chat of poker buddies. It looks like my next session wont be until Friday or Saturday which will be March and I'm still on track so here goes.

I had a great 2018 but was only able to log about 255 hours. This year I want to continue to build on last year's momentum and add a few new milestones.

2019 Poker Goals in no particular order.
1 - Log 400 hours of live cash game play this year. This may be a long shot. I was consistently logging 500-ish hours from 2014 when I started tracking to 2017 but life slowed me down last year. We'll see if I can work my way back up.

2 - Maintain a $50/hr winrate across my entire yearly sample. Excluding any tournaments. Last year was a shade over $65/hr but "lol sample size" amirite? This may be another long shot but it's pretty much impossible to know your true win rate at live poker so I'm going for it.

3 - Take at least a couple of shots at 5/10 or 10/10 NLHE. Last year was primarily 2/5 with some 1/2 and 1/3. These shots may be exempt from the win rate goal. Still thinking that through.

4 - Play in the WSOP. The Big 50 is just irresistible, so I'm planning to light $500 on fire and cross off a bucket list item. The cash games should make up for it though if I'm lucky.

5 - Read at least one new poker book. Still deciding which one might be most relevant for me.

6 - Continue posting hands and reading forum threads to improve my game.

That's pretty much it. I plan to update the thread at least monthly if not weekly with status. Since I don't expect a lot of traffic here I'll be posting associated hand histories in the LLSNL forum.

After reviewing my stats from last year I saw how ridiculous the 1/2 numbers looked and wanted to start the year off with some easier winning sessions. I was also curious if 1/2 could really continue to run that hot. I went 5 and 0 in 1/2 sessions continuing the sun run. My only 2/5 session for the month was a loser. Still good shape over all.

Monthly Goals [33:20 hours @ $50/hr] - Jan
Stake - Hours - Rate
1/2 - 33:52 - $122.13 (lol sun run)
2/5 - 2:52 - ($383.72) (parenthesis means negative, ouch)
Total - 36:44 - $82.65 - Hit the rate and hours goal this month.
5 wins 1 loss

My first session of the month was 1/2, riding the wave. And the wave crashed hard. That was also my last 1/2 session of the month. Back to 2/5, late month sessions were strong.

Monthly Goals [33:20 hours @ $50/hr] - Feb
Stake - Hours - Rate
1/2 - 5:41 - ($105.57) (yea that means negative)
2/5 - 25:23 - $154.67
Total - 31:04 - $107.06 - Slight miss on hours this month, but still on target for the year.

Yearly Goal Tracker - Feb [66:40 hours @ $50/hr]
Stake - Hours - Rate
1/2 - 39:33 - $89.41
2/5 - 28:15 - $100.04
Total - 67:48 - $93.83 - Off to a sun run start, but barely hitting hours. We shall see...
5 wins 2 losses

I guess I didn't technically fail on any goals yet since I planed updates at least monthly. Of course as soon as I started this thread I proceeded to kick off March with my worst 2/5 session of the year to the tune of -1,600 in just over 7 hours of play. I didn't play THAT bad but did identify some mistakes that didn't help the cause.

My plan for the second session the following week was to buy 300 at 1/2 double up and take that to 2/5 and shoot for 800+ profit to get back even for the month in two days work. I proceeded to get felted for two full buy ins instead. So -600 on top of the -1,600 to start March. Sweet. I went to 2/5 anyway and managed to turn 600 into 1,542. Far from the plan but at least we got back on track a bit.

Third session was yesterday and I went straight to 2/5. Bought 600 again and the goal was 1900 to get March back to zero (arbitrary I know but it's good to have goals right?). Amazingly I hit it rather early in the session when I got a 3 way all in on the flop (plus a few hundred from a fourth player who folded to the flop action). I flopped top set of Ks on a monotone board against AA with the flush draw, and a made flush. Board paired on the river for the scoop. Right when I was about to rack up I got KK again and ran it into a set of 9s so instead of being a quick 2 hour session it was a normal-ish 5 hour session. And I still didn't quite make it to 1,900. Cashed out 1,837. Still felt great to get to within $21 of even for the month after starting in a 2,200 hole.

Four more sessions planned for March. If I can end March +1 to 2k I'll be ecstatic. I'll post one hand from yesterday in the LLSNL thread where I probably leveled myself into checking back the river with an over pair instead of going for 3 streets. Feel free to share your thoughts.

Where are you playing?

Mostly 2/5 NL, but I also mix in some 1/2 and 1/3.

ETA: Oh, just realized you said where instead of what. Not going to share the rooms yet, although I've shared some in the past if you're curious enough to search.

Parx?

I've played in a lot of rooms in the US. Club Hollywood near Seattle, Commerce in CA, Vegas at the Wynn, Bellagio, Venetian, Luxor, Aria, etc.., Harrah's NO, Harrah's, Parx, and Sugar House in Philadelphia, Sands and Hollywood in PA, All the rooms in Atlantic City. Council Bluffs IA and one of the rooms in Delaware. I've only been tracking since 2014 though so I don't have all the names, sessions, and durations for comparison.

Wow, well done sir. Keep crushing. Sure small sample size, but seems like your goals aren't unrealistic.

Thanks man, depends on who you ask though. I had some must use vacation days from Jan - March that I spent at the casino. So my hours will start to suffer if I can only play once per week after March. But maybe I can figure out a second day.

Most people say a rec player is rarely able to sustain 10+ BB/hr but I'm going to ride the wave until my sample size says otherwise. The most unbelievable stats to me were the 1/2 and 1/3 sessions. The game is never as easy as it seems though as proved by losing two full buy ins at 1/2 on Saturday.

GL. Following.

50/hour will be difficult but u will succeed if u keep this focus.

I recommend reading easy game by Andrew seidman if u have not already

GL

Thanks, first follow. Now it feels official!

Thanks for the no nonsense vote of confidence. I hope we're both right.

I was just asking a friend about a list of books, I'll look into this one.

Weekly update. I think I played a really solid session on Saturday. There were two hands I wanted back after the session. I posted those two hands in LLSNL for feedback, and although I still have some glaring sizing errors the consensus was that my play was correct for the most part.

In the first hand I posted myself as the Villain to try to see how in the world this guy picked off what I thought was a solid x/r river bluff. Unless I have some crazy live tell this guy is just incapable of folding a set. I had him ranged on top two pair, or possibly one of the bottom two sets and I was correct. There were 3 spades on board and 653Q4. It was an limped pot where I was BB and can easily have tons of flushes and some straights. Anyway, I x/r river and the guy tank peels me. FML. I bluff WAY too infrequently and I thought I finally found a spot and it backfires.

In the second hand I got in a big pot with a sLAG and sized myself into a stack off. Consensus is I should be playing more passive vs this V and never folding anyway (which I did in a previous hand for a double up but not in this hand). x/c down or sizing smaller to keep him wide is the more +EV play as he will almost always fire at some point. Unfortunately he peeled my 3 bet pre with AJo vs my AQo and we flopped QJJ. You can imagine how that ended. Against a different V I'm sure I can find a fold. I probably overfold even vs some LAGs but against this sLAG I had to call down. As an added bonus needle another player at the table condescendingly asks me after the hand, "You though he was bluffing?". No, I just like punting against trips. I immediately second guessed the call but it was probably results oriented given thread feedback. Got my last 35 BBs in JJ vs AK and lost.

The game was good but I wasn't going to re-buy at 5 AM so -600 for the week and back to the drawing board. The sickest part of it was that I was literally on my last rotation and was about to rack up before paying the next big blind. Seems WAY too often that I'm about to leave and I get in a big hand that goes way south. Is it just me or am I focusing too much on the negative? These are the sessions that bother me more than just never getting anything going and getting felted, even when I'm playing bad. Instead of being +400 for the day it turns to -600. The hourly for the year is down to $59.72. We will have to run better to finish March in the black!

The saga continues.

If u can range villain on a strong range of top 2 or a set it’s usually not a good time to bluff. Save the big bluff for when u range v on a weaker range like only 1 pair and it will work much better

Agreed, trust me, I wasn't floating planning to bluff but when the river hit and put the open-ender with the 3 flush it was irresistible. It's still sick how he finds that call on that board IMO. I had shown nothing but value for 2-3 hours and all the draws got there.

Weekly update:
Was able to put together back to back solid sessions this week and it felt great. I should have taken notes to post some hands but things seemed pretty standard. Session 1 (2/5, in for 600) was from noon to 4 which is unusual for me. Games run more reg heavy during the day and after last weeks loss I found myself resorting to super nit mode. The table had a couple of dangerous LAGs and I got absolute trash in position. I opted not to try to open super wide and outplay the reg infested day field giving up a range advantage. Eventually I got some playable hands and when they didn't all fold to my open I was able to grind out some profits. I got rivered twice in a $550 pot and a $350 pot and couldn't seem to get over the hump though. Finally, late in the session I binked a nut river and got paid. Player to my right was TAG but his range widened in position and he had been very active the last 4 orbits or so. I called his $25 raise OTB with QJo. I know this is probably -EV but since I had been nitting it up all day it gives me more fold equity than I should have against TAGs like this. The flop goes 4 ways and comes T83r and he c-bets to $50. I decide given his active streak most of his range is AJ+, KQ, 99-. So I put in a raise closing the action to $150 repping really thin but with a little bit of equity to a gut shot and two overs. Folds back around to TAG who pauses and then calls much more easily than I would have liked. Whoops. K on the turn gives me an open ender and he checks to me. I figure he had to instead have an overpair or perhaps even be trapping with a set. I check back to prevent getting blown off my equity as the K hits his range harder than mine. I hit the bingo Ax (no flush) on the river and he leads for $225. I have about $850 behind but don't want to scare him away. I tank then raise to $600 and he insta snaps. I show the nuts and he mucks and racks up and leaves. I leave about 20-30 mins later. ~ 4 hrs, +$1,190.

Session 2 (2/5 in for 600) was the opposite. It was almost charmed. I got the best parking space I've ever gotten at this place, ever. My very first hand I'm dealt black tens. I open $25 and get 3 callers. The flop comes like T63r and it goes x, $25, I call, call, call. Turn is a K and it checks to me. I bet $100 into $200 and everyone folds. Guess I should have made it $50-70. I flop top set again 10 mins later with 88 in a single raised three way pot. Somehow 45 makes a straight OTT and jams but he only has like $250 left and the pot is huge by then. I call with top set and river quads, one of those days. I flop a third set of 2s within the first 45 mins. Flop checks around and my turn bet takes it down. This session I wasn't getting outdrawn without re-binking the river. Near the end of the short session I kind of got tilted in a hand where a newish player opens $20 UTG and gets 3 callers, I opt to fold A7dd in MP because there's an active 3 better behind me and I'm too light to squeeze the UTG open. No one squeezes and it goes 7 ways to the flop. 7JKcch and somehow 7 ways it checks around. Ah on the turn... I'm already thinking why did I fold. PFR checks again, strong TAG reg (maybe pro) behind him leads for $75, folds back around to PFR who calls. River Ac. Flush is there, straight is there, and my boat would have been there. PFR and TAG can never have AK there as played so I'm basically dodging 3 combos of AJ and have effective second nuts. PFR jams about $1050 into the ~$300 pot. TAG tank folds. PFR shows the Q8hh missed flush and straight draws to needle and I become somewhat morbidly fixated on the $1300 of extra profit I make if I call that raise. Maybe he doesn't jam into two players OTR though as a bluff, but maybe he still does... At any rate, I get a bad gut feeling and decide to cut it short since I'm +$1064 in just over 2 hours and March has been so up and down. The table kind of went wild after that too and I didn't feel like riding the variance train.

One more session planned for this month and I'm feeling good about how we've bounced back from a -2200 start and some other nasty sessions in between. Not sure I'll post any hands this week. I need to make a habit of posting 2 per week even if I think they are standard. Does anyone else get kind of tilted about making a good fold and then seeing that you would have probably picked up 260 BB if you hadn't? Cool, just me I guess.

I snuck in a quick 92 minute unplanned session on Friday and it went well. I'll post the big hand from that session in the LLSNL forums but I think the hand illustrates much of my growth as a player over the last 18 months. After I get some feedback I'll post some additional thoughts in this thread. At any rate, felt good to book a +567 in 92 minutes at 2/5.

I was feeling really good after the Friday session but Saturday was absolutely brutal. Just over 6 hours and I got felted for 600 at 2/5. I got it in good with JJ in a 3 way all in hand. It was degen hours and several players were getting out of line. I had recently lost half my stack opening a straddle to $55 pre with QQ and getting 3 callers. The flop came 9T6r I was in the BB and led for $130, it then went shove for less, re-shove for more, raise to $800. Obviously I fold, short stack doesn't show but second shove was KTcc, raise to 800 was 78o and holds. I had about 300 left after that hand and decided to limp re-raise and jam most flops with JJ UTG. I limp JJ, the all in from the previous hand raises to $30, folds to the BB who iso's to 400 with 99. I have played enough with this guy previously to know this sizing means AQ+, or JJ-. His monsters are setting a better price to keep me in. I call and he hits a 9 on the turn. I'm not re-buying at 5 am even though the table was super splashy at that point. I didn't play perfect but I ran terri-bad. Two runner runner straights got me, a miracle Ace on the river, the QQ and JJ hands. If i win any one of those 5 hands my session is probably break even.

Seeing as how March started -2200 though, I'm a little disappointed about the session but overall still happy to get out of March at +1600. Summary post next.

Monthly Goals [33:20 hours @ $50/hr] - Mar
Stake - Hours - Rate
1/2 - 03:52 - ($155.17)
1/3 - 00:07 - $00.00
2/5 - 38:09 - $57.67
Total - 42:08 - $37.97 - Significant miss on win rate but we got in good volume this month.
5 wins, 4 losses, 1 break even

Yearly Goal Tracker - Mar [100:00 hours @ $50/hr]
Stake - Hours - Rate
1/2 - 43:25 - $67.62
1/3 - 00:07 - $00.00
2/5 - 66:24 - $75.69
Total - 109:56 - $72.43 - Off to a solid start, next few months will be interesting for hours.
15 wins, 7 losses, 1 break even
3 Months down 9 to go!

Here's the hand from Friday that I mentioned earlier. Popular opinion was that I sized too large on the river but popular opinions aren't always optimal. I may have pushed a little much this hand but this and other river value over the last year have indicated that the cap is usually higher than the standard 1/3 for a V without a ton of history.

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/1...n-otr-1740071/

And to add a little color. Here's the first quarter 2019 giraffe:

Side note. I just downloaded the America's Card Room app on my laptop at home and started playing the free roll tournaments for fun. I'm not a big TV guy so it's nice to be able to see some flops for fun. If I get busy I just hit the "Sit out" button and miss a few rounds until I can get back to it. Last night I finished 15th out of 541 and just missed the "money". It was a $10 free roll with $2.50 up top and 10th place got a whopping $0.55. Don't spend it all in one place.

I didn't even know online was legal / up and running in my state yet but heard from a fellow player it was and figured I'd check it out. I hadn't played online since black Friday. As of now I don't plan to deposit. I'll just continue to free roll for fun and if I bink one perhaps I'll play NL2 until I run it up or my bink goes to zero and go back to free rolls. No downside right? Since I'm only making it to the casino once a week or so this could be a way to supplement at least thinking about hands to some extent.

I like this sizing on the river. I can't tell you how many times I've raised too much w/ the nuts on the river and let my opponent off the hook.

Was Harrah's you mentioned, Harrah's of Philadelphia? I'm going to start mixing up live and online and live in Delaware. Trying to decide between Delaware Park and Harrah's Philadelphia. I live about 15 minutes away from both. Wondering where I will find the softer weak tight games.

I played both and Delaware Park is great when the Wilmington drug dealers hand off their money trying to play super gangster aggro with tells so obvious a first time player would know when they do or don't have it. Outside of that they have lots of regs that aren't great but aren't bad either. Kind of decent TAGs.

Only played Harrah's twice but both times had a few fish at the table.

Thanks, sizing is always tough. It can tend to be so V dependent. Many players seem to always go for fat value or consistently use small sizes to get more calls. I think it's important to push the boundaries in both directions on occasion and consider the V when doing so.

Yea, Harrah's Philadlephia. They just moved their room upstairs and I haven't actually played there in a while. I couldn't compare it to Delaware Park as I don't have enough sessions there to really know what's normal. Have you played at any of the other Philadelphia casinos, I might be able to better compare those. In general though, I think it's more loose passive. Smaller number of games than Sugarhouse or Parx, more regs but they aren't necessarily good. Just checked the Bravo and saw Delaware Parck actually has less games running than Harrah's right now 4 vs 5 (and one of the 4 is a tournament?). Not sure how often they spread PLO and the games had been capping in size for NLH from 1/2 to 1/3 to 1/3/6 (which plays like 2/5).