Best of luck mate and may you run good on the trip!!!

obviously in!! i hope u make it.

Thank you!

I hope that I can pay forward the motivation that I have derived from this forum in the way of not letting a job suck away at your soul.

We are about to put a move on here. Busting my ass is nothing new, and that application is going to be focused on poker until I am satisfied. I’m a perfectionist, so this may take awhile…

Starting Bankroll: $10k

Everything else that I have will go towards living and travel expenses. Same living conditions as stated in the OP.

Trip to Vegas planned for February 12th. I am not sure how long I will be staying once I am there. I will probably play this by ear and will reass after playing a few hours. After my stint in Vegas, I will be going to LA to stay with a friend and his wife for a few days and I will be playing at the Bike and Commerce.

I plan on playing 32+ hours/week following my last day of work, January 29th. I will put 75% of my profits back into my bankroll. My goal is to be playing 2-5 NL by the end of the year. After I have put in 1000 hours at 1-2, I will reevaluate where I am at with my game.

I am going to play some this week and get warmed up for my run.

I am very anxious to get this thing going, and I have an unwavering belief in myself. I have no reservations about saying that I know I am going to succeed.

Gl. I admire you for quitting your 9 to 5. I also hate that lifestyle and I hope I'll be able to do just like you someday. Hopefully by the end of summer if the Canadian dollar go up.

It's not normal that I'm 26 and everyday I just wish I could die. This drive, work, sleep lifestyle also drain so much energy...

Subbed. Good luck this year OP, I'm rooting for your success!

Super cool that you are taking the leap, pushing your comfort zone and reaching for your dreams.

HMU when you are out in LV.

I am no way endorsing leaving a job that you need to put food on the table for yourself and others, or if you have life expenses that dictate steady employment. However, if your job is effecting your health, mental or otherwise, I would be inclined to give it substantially more consideration, as I did.

I wish you well, especially due to my understanding of your pain. Hope my thread helps.

Thank you very much! To hear words of encouragement like yours is truly uplifting and motivating.

Thanks again for your thread and trailblazing efforts for folks like me. I will PM you when I get out Vegas way. It would be cool to meet, say whats up, and chat if you have the time.

Good luck on your journey ! Subbed !

Thanks, Dan! We will see where this goes.

Last day of work is in the books. I had intentions of playing a short session last night to get warmed back up. I now realize that I do not play well when I go in thinking that I am not going to play much more than a couple of hours. I play too aggressively, too impatiently, and FPS is a definite problem. Easy enough fix.

Played 1.5 hours, -$207.

Would post hand history's but I spotted my flaws. (I will post hh's itt.)

I will be kicking off the grind tomorrow evening. Planning on putting in 6 hours.

If my session last night was a roller coaster ride, it would be the type that starts off with a hair pin turn at extremely high speed, and then you spend the next 85% of the ride going on a linear trek at 15 mph, culminating in suspension at the top of the loop, upside down, being helped off of the ride on a cherry picker.

played 6 hours, 15 min, -$344.

Within the first hour I picked up AA twice, and KK. I was up ~$275 within that hour. The hand that started my downfall was this:1/2 NL

My imagine, as it was quoted by another player at the table, is that I have only played one hand in the last 40. This assessment was hyperbole, but not far off. Although, the player that made said comment, is an extreme nit, and I almost spit my coffee out in laughter when he commented on my play. I believe that the rest of the table either had this opinion of my image, or at least believed it after this statement.

Villain is a Tight/Passive type. He just had a beat put on him about 5 hands prior and was mumbling alot. I felt as though he might mix a very random bluff in every now and again. But his bluffs come with infrequency.

Zombie is MP w/ JhJd, villain is otb. I have ~$525 in front, villain covers.
Utg limps, UTG+2 limps, I raise to $15, villain flats, both limpers call.
Pot: $60
Flop: 9h9d6x
check, check, I bet $40, villain calls, fold, fold.
Pot: $140
Turn: 2h
I bet $50, villain calls. (At this point, villain is hesitating about 15-20 secs before each call.)
Pot: $240
River: 10s
I check, Villain bets $125.
?



Regardless of anything that happened in this game and throughout the evening, my mood was strikingly better than any day leaving work. I could have dropped $1K and still felt good. Everything felt sweet after this session.

I do think that I need to tighten up my calls on otr. I felt like everyone was trying to bluff me, but they kept showing me better. I think that since I have so much cushion with my bankroll at the moment, that I am making loose calls. I need to make my decision making independent from my bankroll, anger towards other players, the duration that I plan on playing, etc. Anything other than sound logic and rationale in each hand cannot be entered into the equation.

Bankroll - $9,449

Based on the hand range that I assigned him stove, I have ~30% equity.

Getting a little less than 3 to 1 on a call otr. I think at best this was a razor thin call and at worst pretty damn bad. Also, my range may be a little wide as the hand played out. Plus I went against my read of him looking very comfortable. It took me about 3 min. to make a decision and the guy didn't budge. I think if he was bluffing or had reservations about his hand he would have needed to adjust his posture at least a little bit.

Subbed. Really like the thread so far!

Thanks! Glad to hear it! I am going to try and keep things somewhat entertaining.

If anyone else grew up through the 90's they may recognize the game in the pic below. Basically where I am trying to take my life... the modern day version:



Will be back at the tables this evening.

Played 5 hours & 45 min, -$205.

My folding skills are getting pretty good. The biggest hand that I made was two pair w/ Q10, and coincidentally, my biggest won pot came in this hand as well, ~$45. I don't think that my stack ever reached greater than $30 over my $300 buy-in.

In a sick way, I am kind of enjoying the poor run of cards that I am getting at the moment. I know that I am not losing a ton with my run of rag cards, and that a turn in a positive direction with my cards will bring some profits.

Two really nice beers below that I would suggest without prejudiced. Surprisingly malty IPA in the Jockamo. The color of the Jockamo is also uncharacteristic and speaks to the tastes that you are going to get. .Also, an intensely flavorful ale out of OKlahoma's Coop Ale Works brewery in the Native Amber.





Bankroll: $9,244

If my poker experience was to correlate to a game of Oregon Trail, I would have dysentery. Had another brutal session last night. I can't help but think that fate has some hand in my current run of cards and results. It's almost as if I am getting the worst run of cards that I have had, early on in this poker journey to dissuade me, or turn me back. I'm not done yet, I am only motivated to put in more hours and find where my leaks are.

Final hand from last evening.

8 handed (4 drinking/drunk) 1/2 NL,
V1: ($300 stack) TAG, reg that I can really tell is trying hard to trap a couple of the other players.
V2: ($130 Stack) Recently sat down, but have seen him playing loose/passive in the past.
V3: ($275 stack) One of our drunks. calling any two pf, and raising about 75% of his hands.
Hero ($205 stack) is BB w/ Q10

V1 limps utg+1, V2 calls on the button, V3 raises to $12 from the sb, Hero calls, V1&3 call.

Pot: $48
Flop: J38

V1 check, hero checks, V2 checks, V3 bets $15. All call. I decide to call because of the drunk to my right. I felt like he could spew any minute, and in fact I saw him run at least two unsuccessful 40bb+ bluffs on the river. Additionally V1 insinuated very strongly that he was drawing/very weak. I was about 90% sure he was going to blow anyone off the hand.

Pot: $108
Turn: 6

V3 checks, I shove $178, V1 calls, V2 calls, V3 folds. I should have probably just bet around 2/3 pot here and called it good. Thoughts?

River: 9



Like I said previously, I am still very determined to to travel this path. My eyes have been opened however, to just how bad one can run in a short amount of time, and in the outset of a challenge.

Warning: if anyone out there is looking to take a run at poker, make sure that you are properly rolled. Getting crushed by the deck/opponents can start to get in your head. If anybody out there didn't already understand this.

5 hours 50 min. -$700

Bankroll: $8,544

Didn't you river the nuts for a 650 pot? Still dropped 7 bills to a table of drunks?

Whoops, my mistake. That 9 should have been an 8. And, you are correct. I was very disappointed in how I played several hands.

Last night I got turn-rivered twice for (-75bb) and (-100bb) respectively. My last hand I ran KK into AA pf, but I should have been able to find a fold.

played 5 hours and 45 minutes. -$428.

I have been evaluating my game pretty closely, and I have come to the conclusion that I am not nearly as skilled as I thought that I was before. Yes, my recent run of cards has made me question my abilities. However, I suck. It's plain and simple. I think that I was in denial about my skill level, and I am going to be getting back to basics.

Moving forward, I am going to be playing as close to a TAG style as possible. I have gotten myself into a lot of trouble trying to incorporate a LAG playing style, and I don't have the tools to do such. So, I am going to take a much more "training wheels" approach While I sharpen things up.

Bankroll: $8,116

Good luck bud, subbed!

Will be in Vegas for a stint starting next weekend. I plan on playing one night this week before heading out. It would be nice to get some traction in the right direction before the trip.



I will post next sessions results, and any interesting things that happen in Vegas/on the trip. I think that this pilgrimage to Vegas is going to open the door/my eyes in several respects. I will also be hitting LA for a few days following the stay in Vegas.

It felt good to have a winning session for a change. I had been 0 for my last 6 sessions.

Not my final stack size, but it's what I captured:



Harrah's LV, 3 hours 22 min. played, +$163. +Buffet Voucher (+EV on the voucher. Good promo)

I should have had about another $180 to the total profit from the session, but I paid a guy off on the 3rd or 4th hand of the session. I couldn't let go of tp v. his flopped trip 4's. This was just an abysmally played hand by me, I didn't listen to his bets at all.

Looking to put in 50+ hours through this week in LA/LV. 50 hours minimum.

Side notes:
1. Sushi Roku, Earl of Sandwich, and Pin-up Pizza are all very good eating establishments.
2. I have pics and will probably try my hand at a trip report in LVL at some point when the trip is complete.

Time Played: 27 hours, 2 min.
Bankroll: $8,279

Forgot to mention that I drove straight through from OKlahoma to Las Vegas. Travel time was ~18 hours. I honestly felt like I could have driven another 5 or 6 hours and been good.

The tide has been turning for me slightly the last few days. I am starting to see the game more clearly than I had over my previous 5 or 6 sessions.

2/15: 4 hours 51 min. played, +$245
2/15: 1 hour 56 min. played, + $200
2/16: 3 hours 25 min. played, + $376
2/16: 4 hours 39 min. played, $0

I don't want to jinx things, but the games that I have been playing at in Vegas are some of the most passive that I have ever participated in. The bets that players are making really speak to the strength of their hand. It seems like there is a lot of transparency to their play. This could also be a product of the rooms that I have been playing in, i.e. Harrah's, Flamingo, Bally's.

I am going to take a run at Ceaser's Palace soon and see if there is any difference to the level of competition. That is not to say that I am seeking out the highest level of competition, just a good mix of passive play and gamble.

One thing that I am going to credit some of the shoring up of my game to, is my rereading of The Psychology of Poker by Schoonmaker. I have been able to put more of my focus into what the psychology of each of my opponents is. Along with this thought, is being able to put players on a range of hands better, along with interpreting opponents play more clearly.

Waking up and getting to decide what I want to do each day, and when I want to do it, has been liberating. It's almost as though the past three years of employment that I had was in another life. I can feel the tide turning on my personality of just being a generally better person. Other than the money that I made during my employment, which is making my current pursuits possible, nothing makes me say that I wish I had not walked away sooner than I did.

Just some random pictures that I feel encapsulate some of my present mentality.





Basically, stopping and looking at the world around me.


Duration: 41 hours 54 min.
Bankroll: $9,100

Sessions to report.

2/16: 3 hours 38 min. played, +$256
2/17: 3 hours 13 min. played, +$225

A couple of hands of note:

I believe that my image is pretty TAG/ABC to the few observant players at the table. Opponent in this hand has been a little splashy, is a recreational player, and appeared to have bluff at a couple of pots.

Effective stacks are $225
I am MP w/ 9h9c, two limps in front of me, I raise to $12, opponent in sb calls, others fold.

Pot: $28
Flop: KcQs2h

Opponent checks and I check. I don't see a lot of point in betting this flop. I don't want to bloat the pot, I know he isn't folding a K or Q, and there aren't a lot of draws that I foresee him continuing with.

Pot: $28
Turn: 6h

He checks and I bet $15. Opponent raised to $45. I am thinking that something doesn’t smell right about this bet. I don’t see why he would check two streets with a K in his hand. Seems like a ballsy play with a Q. Perhaps he could have picked up a flush draw at this point. In any case, based on my read here (of his action, demeanor, etc.), I call the additional $30.

Pot: $118
River:2c

It goes check check. I did contemplate a bet on the river, but I couldn’t really come up with any hands that would be able to pay it off that aren’t ahead of me.




Next Hand:

Villain just busted a few hands earlier on what he thought was a bad beat. he rebuys for $100. He seems tilty.

I have 77. Villain is UTG and straddles for $5. Two limpers in front of me and I limp along. When the action returns to villain he shoves for $95. The two limpers fold. I make the call. I really felt like this villain was steamed up, and looked like he regretted shoving.



2/19: 4 hours played, -$134

This last session that I played was at the Bicycle. Not sure if I am going to play much more here in LA. The rake seems pretty high at the Bike and from what I have heard it is similar in most of the casinos around California. In any case, I am going to enjoy the rest of my trip and look to get back to a full time grind schedule when I get back home.

Duration: 52 hours 46 mins.
Bankroll: $9,447

Drove straight home (Oklahoma) from LA starting Monday morning. The total drive time is advertised as 21.5 hours. My total travel time was ~24 hours. I was awake continuously in the neighborhood of 30 hours. I learned a good deal about myself on this trip. Drove through unfamiliar territory, drove through snow and rain storms, ran low on gas and found stations just in the nick of time, dealt with delirium and exhaustion, etc. Culminated in sleeping for 15 hours.

My new playing schedule will look like this:
Monday - 4 pm to 12:30 am
Thursday - 4 pm to 12:30 am
Friday - 3 pm to 1:30 am
Saturday - 3 pm to 1:30 am

I have structured the hours to allow 30 min. of break each session. This schedule will produce 36 hours of play per week. The goal is to put in a minimum of 32 hours per week. I will reevaluate the need for more/less hours in a month or so.