I've been around for a while but hadn't had a lot of time to play poker until recently (May) when I graduated from college. I've always loved the game and have a stable job but I started playing live 2/5 (and some occasional 5/10) in June and have about 400 hours in so far with a ~$50 hourly and a EV ~$100 hourly (ran pretty bad so far in the live grind, about $12k under--only from manually recording hands where we're all in before the river)

I have a spreadsheet that I'll make public eventually, but for now I'm just going to post hands and notes on sessions starting with today and try and get 800 hours more and true hourly up to ~$80+ before 2019 starts

Games will mainly be home games (Atlanta area), at Harrah's in Cherokee, NC, and at the Seminole Hard Rock in Tampa, FL

Hands posted will be hand typed based on stars format and hopefully as accurate as possible (many bet sizings, stacks, and pot sizes will likely be ball-parked, but with high accuracy)

IG pocketshades

Some memorable hands from this first weekend at Harrah's in Cherokee, up there for the circuit events. Mainly catching bluffs, and only the ones that worked out. There was only 1 other hand I tried to bluff catch, but villain ended up rivering it and it was no longer a bluff. That one was about -$400 for me.

Hand #1
First hand upon sitting down, and game broke 10 hands after

$5/$10 No Limit Hold'em Cash, 9 Players

Hero (BB): $1,950 (195 bb)
UTG: ~$2500 (250 bb)
UTG+1: ~$1500 (150 bb)
UTG+2: ~$1000 (100 bb)
MP1: ~$2000 (200 bb)
MP2: ~$1900 (190 bb)
MP3: ~$2000 (200 bb)
CO: ~$2000 (200 bb)
BTN: ~$1500 (150 bb)
SB: ~$1000 (100 bb)

Preflop: Hero is BB with AK
6 limps, Hero raises to $110, 1 fold, MP1 calls $110, MP2 calls $110, 2 folds

Flop: ($360) KT3 (3 players)
Hero bets $165, MP1 folds, MP2 calls $165

Turn: ($690) 5 (2 players)
Hero bets $375, MP2 calls $375

River: ($1,440) 8 (2 players)
Hero bets $1,300 and is all-in, MP2 calls $1,250 and is all-in



Hand #2
$2/$5 No Limit Hold'em Cash, 9 Players

Hero (BTN): $1,126 (225 bb)
SB: ~$1000 (200 bb)
BB: ~$1000 (200 bb)
UTG: ~$1000 (200 bb)
UTG+1: ~$2000 (400 bb)
UTG+2: ~$1900 (190 bb)
MP1: ~$2000 (400 bb)
MP2: ~$4000 (800 bb)
MP3: ~$500 (100 bb)
CO: ~$750 (150 bb)

Preflop: Hero is BTN with 67
2 limps, Hero raises to $20, MP3 calls $25, CO calls $25

Flop: ($60) Q74 (3 players)
MP3 checks, CO checks, Hero bets $25, MP3 calls $25, CO calls $25

Turn: ($135) A (2 players)
MP3 checks, CO checks, Hero checks

River: ($135) J (2 players)
MP3 bets $250, CO folds, Hero calls $250



Hand #3
$2/$5 No Limit Hold'em Cash, 9 Players

Hero (BTN): $1,682 (336 bb)
SB: ~$1000 (200 bb)
BB: ~$1000 (200 bb)
UTG: ~$1000 (200 bb)
UTG+1: ~$5000 (1000 bb)
UTG+2: ~$1000 (200 bb)
MP1: ~$1000 (200 bb)
MP2: ~$1000 (200 bb)
MP3: ~$1000 (200 bb)
CO: ~$825 (165 bb)

Preflop: Hero is BTN with AK
CO raises to $20, Hero raises to $75, CO calls $75

Flop: ($155) J23 (2 players)
CO checks, Hero checks

Turn: ($155) 3 (2 players)
CO bets $125, Hero calls $125

River: ($405) 7 (2 players)
CO bets $625 and is all-in, Hero calls $625



UTG was very tilted from the hand before this one (he lost a big pot with AA to J4ss that turned 2pair on him)
Hand #4
$2/$5 No Limit Hold'em Cash, 9 Players

Hero (MP2): $1,176 (235 bb)
MP3: ~$1000 (200 bb)
CO: ~$1000 (200 bb)
BTN: ~$1000 (200 bb)
SB: ~$5000 (1000 bb)
BB: ~$1000 (200 bb)
UTG: ~$3500 (700 bb)
UTG+1: ~$1000 (200 bb)
UTG+2: ~$1000 (200 bb)
MP1: ~$1000 (200 bb)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with 33
UTG raises to $70, Hero calls $70

Flop: ($145) 488 (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $40, UTG calls $40

Turn: ($215) Q (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero checks

River: ($215) 9 (2 players)
UTG bets $125, Hero calls $125

Another hand I remember from a recent home game, villain went on mega tilt and started straddling for $25 every hand after this

I was just ****ing around and wanted to take it down pre and show because villain was already tilted and HATES when someone raises his straddle, but it turns into something beautiful

$1/$3 No Limit Hold'em Cash, 10 Players

Hero (MP3): $1,025 (342 bb)
LJ: ~$750 (250 bb)
HJ: ~$1000 (333 bb)
BTN: ~$2,600 (867 bb)
SB: ~$300 (100 bb)
BB: ~$700 (233 bb)
UTG: ~$300 (100 bb)
UTG+1: ~$300 (100 bb)
UTG+2: ~$300 (100 bb)
MP1: ~$300 (100 bb)
MP2: ~$300 (100 bb)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with 72
BTN straddles for $10, SB folds, BB calls $10, Hero raises to $55, BTN calls $55, BB calls $55

Flop: ($165) 569 (3 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $50, BTN calls $50, BB folds

Turn: ($260) T (2 players)
Hero bets $125, BTN calls $125

River: ($510) 7 (2 players)
Hero checks, BTN bets $400, Hero calls $400



After thoroughly analyzing my call here after that session, it's definitely a losing call vs. this villain's call, call, bet range, but only slightly. It turns out it's close to break even, but in this particular hand on the runout we had it's obviously better to check shove river than check call. I just felt that the tilt equity, if I was right, would be so much sweeter. Ended up making the entire table winners that night after this hand.

Last one for tonight, was a nice merge imo

$2/$5 No Limit Hold'em Cash, 9 Players

Hero (CO): $2,625 (525 bb)
BTN: ~$1000 (200 bb)
SB: ~$1000 (200 bb)
BB: ~$1000 (200 bb)
UTG: ~$1000 (200 bb)
UTG+1: ~$1000 (200 bb)
UTG+2: ~$1000 (200 bb)
MP1: ~$1000 (200 bb)
MP2: ~$1000 (200 bb)
MP3: ~$725 (145 bb)

Preflop: Hero is CO with J9
MP3 limps $5, Hero raises to $20, BB calls $20, MP3 backraises to $45, Hero calls $45, BB calls $45

Flop: ($135) A93 (3 players)
MP3 checks, Hero checks, BB checks

Turn: ($135) T (3 players)
MP3 checks, Hero bets $75, BB folds, MP3 calls $75

River: ($285) T (2 players)
MP3 checks, Hero bets $235, MP3 calls $235