When people adjust to aggression, they don't do it by raising you. They adjust by calling more. Obviously, not a very good adjustment on their part, but that is pretty consistent at low stakes unless you're looking at an obvious bad aggressive guy.

I get what you are saying. Most villains I come across play pretty transparent poker.

Played 5 hours and 38 min. last night, +$257.

I had a dream table setup last night, but had my turned set of J's make broadway for an ubber nit, and then my KQ went 5 ways to the flop in a pot that I raised to $15 pf. The flop came down KT6dd. I lead for $20, same ubber nit from before raises to $65, villain behind him shoves for ~$170, lady folds, I fold, and ubber nit calls w/ KK and holds.

The pot that generated the majority of my profit came about 7 hands into the session. I have KQss, a $260 stack, and cover all players. I am MP, there is a $5 button straddle, utg calls, utg+1 calls, I raise to $15, button shoves $42, both limpers call, and I call. I like playing in spots like this where villain have no clue what they are going to do post flop and tend to make huge mistakes.

Pot: $168
Flop: QT6

utg checks, utg+1 shoves for $64, I think that I am goo but will have to fade some draws. I look at utg the gun, and he looks like he is ready to fold. I call and utg folds. The board pairs a 6 and I can't recall the river but the flush and straights brick. The button shove shows AT and the post-flop shover mucks and says that he missed his 20-out draw and mhig.

Played 6 hours and 42 min. last night, +$825.

I spent the majority of my session folding last night, interrupted by about an hour of intense action. I intended to leave the casino last night about 2 hours before I did, but 3 new players sat about the time I planned on leaving. Two of the new players said that they had never played poker in a casino, so I stayed sensing the +EV.

I played in two pretty big spots that accounted for that majority of my profit.

Hand 1:

I have been playing with villain for about 5 hours. Villain showed down a bluff about 30 min. before this hand arose. I had suspected said villain of bluffing before, but I did not have visual evidence. I would classify villain as LAG. I am sitting with $305 in front of me, villain covers. My image is very tight, but willing to call down light.

Two limps in middle position, I am in the sb w/ TT and raise to $20, villain flats and the limpers fold. I envision villain calling very wide.

Pot: $44
Flop: 548

I check the flop, planing to check raise as I think the villain is going to bet any flop. Villain bets $20 casually and I raise to $65 planning to end the hand there. Villain thinks for a bit and asks me how much I have left (this makes me think that he is strong, the way he asks and his table talk will influence the decision that I make in the next hand). I lean back and tell him “about $270.” Villain thinks a bit more and calls.

Pot: $174
Turn: A

I bet $50 and the villain quickly calls. I bet here because I want to stay in the lead and I don’t think the villain has an A.

Pot: $274
River: 5

I check. I think that I have a tell on the villains bet sizing and plan to call if he is in the range that I think he is. Villain bets $75. I call and mhig. Villain shows 64.


Hand 2:

This hand occurs about 3 hands later and involves the same villain. Villain is now sitting with ~$350 in front of him. I cover both the villain and other opponent that will be in the pot. The additional opponent is a calling station.

There is a $5 button straddle on. I am in the bb w/ AA. Sb folds, I raise to $22, villain calls utg, utg+2 calls, additional opponent in lp calls, and the button calls.

Pot: $110
Flop: T94

I am first to act and bet $75. I am really looking to narrow the field and don’t think that turning my hand face up in the situation is going to get me in a lot of trouble against this table. Villain calls and lp call station calls.

Pot: $335
Turn: 2

We get an absolute blank card ott. I think that it time to commit to the pot if we aren’t already and bet $150. Villain says, “Do you always have a hand” in a manner that suggested to me that he was very strong, thinks for about 20 sec. and shoves in ~$100 more. Call station quickly folds.

I start to think and am pretty sure that I am behind. I say, “You know that I am committed to the pot and can’t fold, so you must want me to call.” Villain says that he does want me to call, and I tell him to show me one so that I can know what I am up against. Villain shows me a Td. I go through thoughts of villain having a set of T’s, T9, and some rundown AT, KT, QT type of hands. Villain asks me if I have a good hand and I turn my AA over and and he feigns an “Oh wow” and it is phony as ****. I am pretty sure that I am behind based on his table talk, but I considered what I thought based on villains previous table talk and decide that I am not letting this villain bluff me out of a huge pot (Plus I have beyond passed the commitment threshold) and call.



Weekly Totals:
Time Played: 23 hours and 42 min.
Profit: $1006

Totals:
Time Played: 147 hours and 6 min.
Profit: $1,618

Need to have that rungood in Tornado Alley for sure. Had it tonight. I will try to gather some pics of storm damage for the thread.

Back on the grind Thursday and may have a $15k freeroll to play this weekend, for hours played during the month of April.

On Thursday I played 4 hours and 25 min., -$126.

I made one horrendous river call with K high and lost two other pots against the same villain for the bulk of the damage. One of the hands lost to the aformentioned villain goes as follows: I am sitting w/ $270 and villain has me covered. I just got schooled by villain calling turn and river bets with AK high after I 3-bet villain pf and the flop went check check. I am the co, villain raises to $15 pf, I flat w/ 55 all else fold. Flop is QJ6x. Villain bets $20, in a true c-bet fashion, I call. Turn is a 8x. Villain checks, I bet $50, villain calls. River is Kx and action goes check check. I tell villain his AK is good and that’s what he turns over.

Here is an uprooted tree from the previous nights storm:



Here is a picture of some roses that I am growing:



My lack of volume this week is prepatory of sorts. The poker room that I play at is running a promo during May that, each player gets paid $5 an hour for each hour that is played over 40 hours. My goal for the month of May is to put in 120 hours. If I am able to hit the 120 hour mark, along with the freeroll tournament for the month of April, along with what will hopefully be three freeroll tournaments from the month of May, this could be a significant pad to my bankroll.

Totals:
Time Played: 151 hours 31 min.
Profit: $1,492

Played 7 hours, 38 min last night, +$712.

I am looking to put in two nights of 7+ hours/week (Monday/Wednesday/Thursday) and two nights of 8 hours/week (Friday/Saturday) during May to maximize this promotion. I like the start I got off to last night as far as my hours played.

Two tricky spots that I was in last night, I am not sure that I took the best line. In fact, I think that there were some more optimal line that I could have taken.

Hand 1:

Both villains in this hand are straightforward, both border on the tight/passive side. I don’t really have any history with either of the players in this hand.
Villain 1 - UTG ($310)
Villain 2 - MP ($405)
Hero - TAG image (~$450) 77

UTG raises to $15 (I had noticed two other hands that villain 1 had raised, $15 was his largest pfr amount and believe that he has AA or KK in this spot). Villain 2 calls, Hero calls otb, all others fold.

Pot: $45
Flop: 658

Villain leads for $30, villain 2 insta calls, I think shortly and call.

Pot: $135
Turn: 7

Villain 1 bets $50, Villain 2 quickly calls again, I go ai. I am trying to charge flush draws the max, and I feel that AA and KK will call. I am wrong, and both opponents fold. Villain 1 shows AA and villain 2 says that he had KK. Villain 2 played KK very odd if that is what he had, but his line is not unheard of for my standard opponents.


Hand 2:

I have some history with the main villain in this hand. Previously, I had AQ, raised to $15 pf, villain called in position, dd flop all lower than T. I check call his $20 bet otf. Turn brings a D and I check, villain bets $20, I raise to $60 and villain folded. Villain said that he was all over the flop.

Villain 1 - Short stack, UTG, inexperienced, felt like he hasn’t played a lot of live poker. ($~$35)
Villain 2 - Main Villain, UTG+2, somewhat laggy. (~$360).
Hero - BB, LAG image, (I cover) (44)

Villain 1 limps, villain 2 raises to $7, two mp callers, I call in bb.

Pot: $35
Flop: 4J8

Villain 1 leads out for $20, Villain 2 puts out $20 and asks if he can raise, then he slides out another $20. The dealer recognizes that villain 2 has made a string bet and slides his second $20 back. Other players fold and I call.

Pot: $95
Turn: K

Utg puts in the last of his money (it was a handful of 1’s and I can’t recall how much exactly). Villain 2 bets $50 confidently. I have some conflicting feelings on what line to take. I feel like if the flush comes, it may slow down or kill the action. Also, I don’t want to check raise large and blow the villain off the hand when I think that he is continuing otr, even on flush boards.

Pot: ~$205
River: 2

Villain leads out for $95. Dealer counts his bet down and villain says that he thought he had $100 in his stack. Villains turn and river bets are indicative of a big hand. At ½, unwitting opponents just don’t typically continue ott and otr w/ bets this size unless that have a big hand/bluff (less on the bluff side). Honestly, I see monsters under the bed and think that villain has 88. I don’t really have a good idea on what sizing to make a re-raise and think that an ai is only getting called by a better hand.



So, long story short I think that I am missing some value, but I am having trouble finding fat value hand/bets that my villains will call. They keep pulling an okie doke on me with random folds and calls, once I think that they have committed themselves to a hand.

Last week I got some notification in the mail of rewards play at the casino. It is $5 reward play, for each week in May. I used my $5 reward for the first week after my poker session at a Deuces Wild VP machine. After playing two hand, I hit 3 crazy hands in a row.



Insert botched hand here.



The bonus win represents the max play for the reward credit going back in.


I didn’t catch the hand in the middle of the two above. Also, my apologies for one of the images being blurry above. The hand in the middle would have made 3, 5 of a kinds’ in a row. Only, I was dealt 3 J’s and a deuce. I accidentally threw away one of the J’s, held a 5, and got dealt another J. That’s when it is time to go. Anyway, I finished up with about a $35 win at video poker. I didn’t play anymore than my $5 rewards play, but started thinking that the payout were really low for the streak that I hit, but it came out right.

You still alive!

Thank you!

Seriously though... I did not get in the amount of hours that I anticipated for May. I ended posting 57 hours in May for +$625. I also cleared $75 for the monthly rake back promo.

Below is the graph of my live play and my cash game report.





I have an interesting hand that I played the other night that I plan on posting for feedback soon.

Glad to see your still kicking! Good luck and run good!

Thank you for the kind words. I wasn't getting much feedback on my posts so I wasn't sure if many were interested in the thread. I will more than likely continue to post off and on through the year regardless and hope that there is some take away for folks.

Best,

Played about 3 hours last night +56. I also picked up my $80 in promo money from last night.

I wasn't planning on playing a long session last night, mainly just collecting my promo money from the previous month, but after the following hand I decided to pick up.

If anyone recalls from a past post, I got into a brief argument with a guy about his asking to see a losing player's hand that called and mucked otr. Frankly, I was more upset with my line on this hand but the chatter that ensued was sure to put me on tilt, so I knew my departure was necessary.

Action folds to me in the CO, I raise to $10 w/ A4, and female villain, that seemed like she had been holding over me calls on the button. I cover, eff. stacks are $190. Flop is KKx5. I lead for $15 and villain calls. Turn is 5. I bet $25 (this is spew, I should have checked but I thought that villain maybe calling otf w/ a pp, 22-TT and I was trying to fold them out). River is 7 and I check call $40. I really felt that I could find enough hands that I beat to where I have ~25% equity (did I do the math right?), but upon further review, I don't think that I can. Villain says that she has a boat and I move my hand to the dealer face down. The villain quickly asks "can I see his hand?" Dealer flips my hand over and villain says "Oh, you made the flush."

Another player at the table says, "Why would you do that?" to the villain. The guy that I got in the previous argument jumps on him and says "some people say that is unethical, I don't" and he was clearly referencing me. In any case, I just prepare to pick up and the guy continues on further. He goes on to say "that's her (villains) right to see the hand if she wants to," "It's a grownup world" (Not sure what this one means.

Just for some context, the gentleman that is at odds with me had at least one argument with people at other tables, about what was on the tv and what he wanted to watch in lieu of what they had already requested being on the only tv that they can view from their table. In sum, this man is fairly juvenile with his behavior and most importantly a nit that I can't win much money off of.

Live Poker really offers some opportunities to handle the eccentricities of other people. I relish this opportunity for growth.

I decided to play the nightly $100 tourney that the casino I play at offers last night. I got hit with the deck early on and then went stone cold for a couple of levels in the middle which is a killer in a structure like this tournament. Starting stack is 20k, but blind levels are 15 min. and the blind jumps are large.

Anyway, I had ~14bb and shoved over an ep raiser, got called by the sb who had ~4bb, and the ep raiser. The ep raiser also had AQ, and the sb had 77, flopped a set and held. Being down to ~4bb myself now, I shove A9o utg+1, player behind me w/ ~12bb cold calls w/ KQo and turns a K for the win.

I only made a couple of mistakes, that I realized (I'm sure there were more) through the tournament and they were basically in my bet sizing. I had two reasons for deciding to play a tournament last night.

1. I wanted to re-familiarize myself w/ tournament play for the free roll tournament this Saturday.
2. I want to get re acclimated to tournament play as I plan to play several WPT events at their stop in Durant in July.

In other news, my former boss reached out to me and wants me to give him a call. Receiving a call from him reminded me just how much happier I am on a daily basis, and what a good decision I made to leave my employment. I have been able to do so many wonderful things that otherwise I would not have been able to do.

I am also working out religiously as I did once upon a time. For those of you that recall, my undergrad is in exercise science, and I was formerly infatuated with exercise. I have been back on an exercise routine for the past 4 weeks. This resurgence has given me a good deal of mental clarity and stress relief, and I can't advocate enough for those of you out there to get on a good exercise routine if you are not already.

Picked up +$250 in the freeroll I qualified for in May. I initially busted as the bubble boy. I headed to the restroom after busting and the floorman caught up to me and said that another player busted in the same hand. Unusually enough, the other player that busted and I were going to split 20th place money. I am not gonna complain about it.

Bankroll is currently at: $12,403.

I intend to put a good portion of my bankroll in play at the WPT stop in Durant, OK, next month.

Good luck in Durant!

Do you have a timline in mind of how long you will play before you eventually go back to the real world? I too am miserable at work and want to do the same but can't live off $10/hr.

I came in 2nd in an $11 HORSE tournament on Carbon tonight for $125. Adding to the bankroll that I am doubtful I will ever be able to cash out.

Carbon bankroll: ~$245. (from scratch. I started with fun steps about 4.5 years ago and have yo-yo'd all around.)

Thank you! I will make sure to update the thread along the way.

I think that I am in the real world right now. I am able to live off of $10/hr. In fact, for sometime, I could live off of $0/hr. If by "real world" you are indicating, when will I go back to the drudgery of work that I am not passionate about, the answer is Never.

To be fair though, the volume that I have put into playing has not been sufficient for living the high life, probably not even a mediocre life by most people's standards. However, I don't really have a desire for "things." My motivation exists in other arena's and I find it often times to be fleeting.

I have been playing small stakes sng's and 10NL cash on Carbon, basically retooling my game. Honestly I can say that I feel more confident with my game right now than at any other time in the past.

I have been working on identifying and exploiting my opponents more and more, and that has lent itself to some unconventional lines, for me. I find myself limping in the sb, and raising small pf from other positions, basically seeing a lot of flops, and then bet small/check calling alot of boards. I have also been completely random with my pfr sizing, depending on what I think is the highest ev vs. opponents that have yet to act.

Has anyone out there tried any good/new, beer/whisk(e)y/bourbon lately?

Sam Adams Irish Red Ale is my latest and true to Sam Adams form, it is delicious.

Just some of my current thoughts. I plan on getting into the poker room for some cash this evening.

If you don’t appreciate swerves, this is probably not the thread for you…

I am deviating a bit from past updates, once again. I have been playing with more regularity on Carbon, mainly $1.50, $3.50, and $7 sng’s (mostly 6max Turbo). I will play basically any of them that are closest to firing up. I will probably never be able to get in high volume because I only like to play one table at a time. I do mix in some cash games as well, mainly 10NL.

I am still going to be playing live as well, the Carbon route is just good for keeping me somewhat sharp in anticipation if the wpt stop in Durant next month.

I will more than likely post some hh’s, daily contests played, and profit (along w/ bankroll updates) for my Carbon progress.

6/28 (Carbon)
Contests: 7 (3x$1.5 NL 6-max, 3x$3.50 NL 6-max, 1x$1.50 PLO8 9-handed)
Contest bi’s: $22
Profit: +$17.53
Bankroll: $294.78

Best,

Played 1.5 hours tonight. I know, "lol sample size," but my table broke and I did not want to reorient myself to a new table when I only planned on playing another 2 hours at the most. I got to the casino later than I anticipated but my mission was mainly to check on my rewards card status and to play my $5 rewards play whilst there. In any case, +$158.

6/29 (Carbon)
Contests: 3 (2x$1.5 NL 6-max, 1x$7 6-max)
Contest bi’s: $10
Profit: -$2.22
Bankroll: $292.76 (The math doesn't add up, but this is what my balance reflects.)

I thought that I would share some pictures from the produce in my garden. I am still waiting for the Okra and cucumbers to finish growing.






The following hh is a little embarrassing for me to post, but perhaps there is some analysis that I can glean with poster insight. I think that this is probably my weakest played hand in the past 2-3 weeks. The hand before, I had raised the utg villain’s limp to 4x, and cbet the K83ss flop to ¾ pot w/ 77 and gt a fold. The hand below began to shape up in the exact same fashion. Villain 2 hasn’t played a pot to this point.

Turbo - $1.50
Holdem Tournament No Limit Level 3 Ante 5, Blinds 25/50 Holdem Tournament

Hero has Q,Q

1: Villain 1-- UTG (1,218)
2:EP
3: Hero -- MP (2,015)
4:Button
5:SB
6: Villain 2 -- BB -- (1,668)

Sb Posts Small Blind 25
Villain 2 Posts Big Blind 50
*** PREFLOP ***
Hero: Q,Q
Villain 1 Calls 50
Hero Raises 200
Villain 2 Calls 150
Villain 1 Calls 150
*** POSTFLOP ***
Community Cards: 4,2,6
Villain 2 Checks
Villain 1 Checks
Hero Bet 500
Villain 2 Calls 500
Villain 1 Folds
*** POSTTURN ***
Community Cards: 4,2,6,3
Villain 2 went All In 963
Hero Calls 963



*** POSTRIVER ***
Community Cards: 4,2,6,3,8



I took my time bank all the way down and thought that villain could be spewing w/ a 6, naked Ah or Kh, 77-JJ. I had my hand in the muck as I thought that villain turned the flush, but decided on a call because I see so much spew at this level.

I got skunked in my first 6 sng's. I can't remember the last time that I ran out 6 consecutive whiffs in sng's. I got two outed once, and three outed once. The other whiffs were the result of just not being able to hold off as the slight favorite in the race. No worries, I knew things would run back the other way, if not today than at some point in the future.

6/30 (Carbon)
Contests: 8 (4x$1.5 NL 6-max, 2x$3.50 NL 6-max, 2x$7 6-max NL)
Contest bi’s: $27
Profit: +$2.36
Bankroll: $295.12

You got the life. Keep on rolling. Good Luck!

brush you need to actually put in some hours

I had just lost a ~70bb hand to villain2 .I raised otb w/ 85 or 86 and villain calls in the sb. Flop comes 8 high w/ a fd. Villain leads pot, I call. Villain leads pot ott, I call. The turn and river blank the flop fd, but bring backdoor spades. Villain bets out pot otr, I call. Villain showed Q9 for the whiffed fd but turned a 9. Vliian has ~$40 in front so him, so a fairly large stack. He is the kind of player that fires big bets trying to move people off of hands (I like to subscribe to Bart Hanson's philosphy that it is not wise trying to move people off of big hands at the lowest stakes). Another hand that we played BvB. I limp sb w/ J8 and villain checks. 66J flop. I bet .10, villain calls. I check/call ½ pot on the 7 turn. The river brings a J and I check, villain bets .70, I raise to 2.10, and villain calls me w/ A high.

Now this:

Holdem No Limit ($0.05/$0.10) Holdem
1: Hero (Dealer) $21.47
2: Villian 1 (SB)
3: Villain 2 (BB)$29.72

*** PREFLOP ***
Hero Hole Cards: K,2
All Fold to Hero
Hero Raises $0.20
Villain 1 Calls $0.15
Villain 2 Calls $0.10

*
I am trying to abuse villain 2's bb and think that he is prone to some spewy moments. I want to be there when this happens.

*** POSTFLOP ***
Community Cards: K,T,4
Villain 1 Checks
Villain 2 Checks
HeroBet $0.40
Villain 1 Folds
Villain 2 Calls $0.40

*
My plan is just to call him down regardless of how the board runs out. I think that villain is leading almost all and any hands that he calls a pfr with.

*** POSTTURN ***
Community Cards: K,T,4,6
Villain 2 Checks
Hero Bet $0.60
Villain 2 Raises $2.40
Hero Calls $1.80

*
I really feel like villain 2 is putting a move on and want to see what he does otr. I think that villain may shut down completely or bet less than pot. I did have another hand of note w/ villain where I over limped the button on his bb and flopped a flush. I check called his flop and turn psb's, and raised his river psb, to which he folded. So I feel like I have a good handle on villains levels of commitment to hands.

*** POSTRIVER ***
Community Cards: K,T,4,6,3
Villain 1 went All In $34.85



*
Was not expecting a shove otr. This felt like a big hand in the dynamic of the game. It truly felt like villain was shoving for fat value on me. The only hands that I really could come up to with that end where KT, TT?, 44, 66? The more I think about This AQhh or a missed turned fd.

7/02 (Carbon)
Contests: 1 hour @ 10NL
Contest bi’s: $10
Profit: +$3.39
Bankroll: $298.51

Life is good, dude!

I know it. This is something that I am going to really work on improving.