The past year i have lived like a wandering sheep, stuck at the crossroads. A few steps left, then a few steps right; a few steps forward, then a few steps backward. As the clock ticks by, I float amongst the clouds, at the beckon of the winds.

WHO AM I?

• 23 year old male
• quite lost in life
• and am also a massive spewtard
• who dislikes the idea of college, or a job
• and is therefore seeking to make a career out of poker
• but has a history of degen problems and terrible brm
• and seeks change.

AT THE MOMENT

• ~12K life & bankroll
• Plays NLH & PLO 1/3 - 3/6 (lol brm)
• Both live & online

THE PURSUIT

• Money is important, yes
• but i believe pursuing character and traits
• is the key
• when the art of poker is mastered,
• naturally, money will flow.

THE POKER GYM

Discipline; set a fixed routine and structure, know when to stop playing when tilt overwhelms, refrain from the baccarat tables, constantly strive to improve on our game

As of now, discipline will be the focus. I believe I have severe problems with it and believe it is the main reason why I have not found success in poker.

THIS THREAD

Will serve as a journal. I will be posting hand histories, as well as my thoughts and reflections. Therefore, it will be 50% poker, 50% self-improvement.

There will be no baller stories; more of the content will be introspection, reflection.

COME ALONG

Share your advice, share your own progress. It would be lovely to see this thread turn into a place where other individuals encourage and help out each other to both transform into a better person as well as a better poker player.

and now... a hand history to give you a picture of what i'd like to eradicate in my game.

A HAND WHICH SUMMARISES MY PLAY

6 max: 400NL : 200BB effective

SB is a solid, aggressive reg while BTN is a fish.

Hero (UTG) raises to $12 with AJo, BTN and SB flats.

FLOP ($38) 9 9 J

SB checks, Hero checks, BTN bets $22, we both call.

TURN ($82) 8

Checks to BTN who bets $64, SB folds, Hero calls.

RIVER ($210) 5

Hero checks, BTN bets $210, Hero has an easy fold (actually turn or even flop is already a fold) but Hero elects to jam for another ~210, trying to rep JJ.

BTN snaps with 98, and probably would with any 9 in that spot given that he is a massive fish.

Hero feels like taking a brick and smashing it into his head.

OKAY. THE POSITIVE THING ABOUT LOSING $800 in that hand is that it finally made me decide to keep a thread here and hold myself accountable. NO MORE OF THOSE SPEWS. NO MORE!

Adios!

Good luck buddy! I love the punt! I'm a fellow punter so I understand. Just remember that the more you punt away like that, the more likely you have to get a real job!!!

Ugh. That's very spot on. But it feels like the punt is just in our blood ain't it? Some friends of mine seem to have this natural aversion to gambling, but for me, it seems so natural, so part of me.

Anyway with regards to the thread, i am disappointed to announce that just one day after I began this thread, i somehow managed to donk off a third of my bankroll playing terrible PLO and mainly OFC.

My BR is now sitting at ~8K. I can't believe how fast it happened. The previous night I played some live 1/2 (which plays like a 2/5), played a B+ game but lost ~$900 due to not holding (AA vs K10hh on a Kxxxhh board, all in on turn, guy rivers a flush), QQ vs 77 and AKo all in pre, lost both run outs.

The next morning, I woke up, feeling quite crappy. Told myself I wouldn't be playing today but ended up loading up some PLO tables. Played the most horrible PLO ever; lost ~1K due to both bad play and coolers, loaded up 2 tables of OFC (played up to 16$ a point lol) and a few hours and tons of stress later, boom, realised i lost another 3K.

Part of me is disappointed in myself. But another part of me is just numb. This has happened way too many times before and each time I tell myself i'd change, I do for a month or so then slip back one fine day. It's tiring.

I'll be taking a break for a week or so. What a great start to this thread and the pursuing the art of poker...

Stop bluffing into V's who show strength. Stop calling as much. If you bet, and they raise, it's usually an easy decision. People don't bluff raise enough.

Gotta fold. Fold, fold, fold. Return to basics. Standard straightforward ABC play is best when your confidence isn't high.

Yeah, let me repeat, fold, fold, fold. Tighten up. Right that ship! Eat well, walk, all that stuff.