Hi there, I was originally not going to put this thread up since i was unsure of how much time I could really put into playing live as I am currently a first year university student in Birmingham, England. But ever since the start of January I wanted try and set a goal for myself and I think right now that it is potentially achievable.

Some cliffs about me
- 18 years old
- Student at Aston University Birmingham studying Business and International Relations
- Poker enthusiast, started playing online at 17, got up to playing $2/4 stakes but ran Kings into Aces around 10 times which destroyed me inside. Didn't use BR management.
- Didn't play much live poker until November last year where I realised how soft the game actually was. I mean ridiculously soft.
- Live off campus so the casinos I play at are 30 minutes away so, with no car, I only play live 1-3 days a week.
- Still think goal is achievable
- Roll of £7.5k but aiming to just use the winnings so far to play but will use entire roll if needed.

As of right now (11/02/14) I am currently +£1450.00. I've played 2/3 days a week apart from 2 weeks in January where I had exams which I was focused on.

That £1450 has come from following a mix of tournaments and cash games at 50/£1, £1/£1 and £1/£2. I have cashed this year at every single tournament I've played except one and only ended a cash game down once for £58 when I played £1/2 for the first time and was slightly nervous.


So my plan in this thread is to give continuous updates, post spots where I was unsure, post chip porn and try and see where I'm going wrong in the idea of a downswing.

I hope I don't fail miserably.

To start off the thread I've got a hand I recorded which I was unsure of which I would like to get some advise on.

Early stages of tournament
Blinds 100/200 and I have 14k. 9 players. Not much history with any but the villain I know is semi-competant.

3 Limpers, I'm on the button with 87CC and call. SB and BB complete

Flop
5C, 9C, AH

SB leads for 1100, UTG calls and I do as well

Turn
10D

SB bets 2400, UTG folds and I call with big combo draw.

River 2C

SB bets 3000, with around 8000 behind.

I call.

Thoughts;
If I shove what do I get called by that's worse? Sets? Lower flushes?

I am beat by the Ace high flush which is a possiblity here as he bets the flop with NFD and top pair which could be something like A3/A4/A5/A6CC etc which would make sense just calling in the SB with preflop in order to see a flop.

Also viable he would be all three streets like he did. Could also have J10CC but unlikely to be on an Ace high board like that on the flop.

Interesting thread.

I'm in Birmingham at uni too, which casinos do you go to most often? I occasionally go to Broadway when my net is playing up and can't play online. Game is really good but not a big fan of live pokers...

You're not getting called by anything worse. I think if V had a set or two pair he'd be all in on the turn.

Good luck at the tables!

I have 2 friends who are 1st year students at Birmingham Uni that play regularly. I play mainly at Grosvenor Hill St (ex Gala) where the structure is probably the best on Birmingham for tournaments and the rake is lowest at 5% capped at 3. I also play at broad street casino as it plays 50/1 but rake is 10% and capped at 5. It's also pretty reg infested ironically as it's mostly student grinders like me.

I've never tried broadway. I've heard it's soft but I've also heard that there are some sick regs playing cash there so is rather build my roll before taking a shot there.

Subbed - GL. Nice to see some UK threads of the live players springing up.

I'm originally from Birmingham and thinking about coming over to see some family and have a crack in one of the casino's over there. Currently reside in London and play online (PokerStars).

Ahahahahha

Either I'm one of the 'sick regs' or the people who've told you about broadway are trying to discourage you from playing there! Action is amazing, there is maybe 1-2 players I consider half way along the path to 'good' and I've seen one player there who I consider better than me. Most of them are weak tight who tilt a lot and then spew.

The game is kinda swingy and it's a proper brtish style £1/2 where most stacks are £500+ often £1k+ but honestly that's what you want! Sick action, lots of whales and weak tight regs who you can run over. Plus is £5 session charge no rake...WHAT'S NOT TO LIKE! ;D

Im one of those Bway grinders

curious as to who you are ha.
subbed glgl

Subbed, GLGL Mate

pretty curious as to who you are haha

so mysterious...

Haha, im on a hiatus atm but yeah if you know Tim and Ken then you will sort of know me. I tend to keep a low profile.

i've played there prolly total 10 times but the times I do play i play 8-6 usually haha


Don't know the names of any of the regs, the only person ik the name of is this guy called 'H' who plays semi decent TAGy style until I started taking a few pots away from him in certain spots and he tilted...

I'd presume you'd know who I'm talking about and am interesting if that was a one off thing or pretty standard :P Seen him twice since and he had a little less of an ego and was short stacking...

yeah im usually in around 10-5

The asian guy? he goes mental when he's on tilt. May be in starcity this fri/sat if you guys want to meet up.

star city? why not bway


star city is **** action in comparison, although I have only been once, but the game played a lot tighter. I managed to amass £120 in £1 chips lol which was very frustrating as the average age at the table was 55+ hah!

btw your thread is missing chip porn since you're a live grinder

i'll start you off and leave you be, book marked btw!

GPS Birmingham is this weekend, it's where all the action is going to be at!

oooi was meant to be going back home this weekend but this sounds juicy!

There is usually a pretty good £55 monthly 6k gtd tournament at Gala the first week of every month which is full of fish. Last saturday I got 11th in it bubbling the FT AK vs QQ AI Pre. He rivered Quads . but I agreed with my friend that we'd split our action 12 handed and he went on to cash for £850 so it ended well.

I'm relatively new to the live scene and don't go to Broadway if you go there so I doubt you know me. I prefer to keep a low profile as I'd prefer people to know me (currently) as just another fish in the ocean, though this is becoming less believable right now haha.

Just out of interest, what's your motivation for going to Broadway rather than any of the other Casinos in Birmingham? Do you think there are more fish in Broadway or is it due to better rake?

My friends have told me about the dreaded Broadway Casino like it's much harder for some reason. But then again, those guys I think are quite bad/exploitable so I'll need to try it out soon enough. As I said, if it really is that deep, I'd prefer a bigger roll to take shots there since I prefer to sit 150-200BB deep in any game.

yeah i recon u prolly need like £7-10k roll to play broadway although less if u play nittier

cool, i grind at bway too, maybe ill see you there one day ;D!
not chip porn if its mostly singles lol.

haha in general i agree but this game was redic weak tight in contrast to most live games I play where i never have any singles it seems haha so i took a pic

Friday session in review;

So I went to Gala to play the £45 2K GTD tournament. I hoped there would be an overlay due to Valentines Day/GPS running so I would have an additional edge. This didn't end greatly though.

Bullet one

I start with 15k and lose 10k or so when I bet all three streets shoving river on a guy with AKs on a K4599r board and he snapped me off on river with 44 for a boat. I manage to get my stack up to 9k and then this happened.

Blinds 200/400. I limp UTG with KK. Guy from mid position min raise to 800. Guy after him shoves for 4000. It folds to me and after 30 seconds or so I shove for the whole 9000. This was to look weak as it was 10 minutes before the end of the rebuy period so fish will limp shove with like K9+. It works and he calls with A3s.

Ace in the window.


Bullet two. I start with 15k again and eventually just wittle down with some not amazing play until I have 6k left and shove on 4 limpers in the SB with 55 for 11BB. The last limper calls with A10o. Flop comes 81010. GG


So after going £90 down I want to play cash but there are no games at Gala so I go down to Broadstreet. Sit down with £160 at 50/1. Then go on a heater and end the night on £404. All my hands were standard. I didn't get aces or flop any sets, but I won a billion small/medium pots and I couldn't really lose.

Two interesting hands which came up.


HAND 1
I have A2hh in SB 3 limpers for £3.50. I call.

Flop
235dd

One guy leads for £5 everyone else folds, I call

Turn
2D

I check with my trips here, he checks behind

River
9h

I lead for £12, he raises to £27.

I call, he shows J10dd. In hindsight I should have probably folded here since I wasn't beating much, but he checked the turn so I'm unsure. He was definately a competant guy though.


HAND 2

5 handed guy opens CO for £3.50. I call with A6dd on button. Everyone else folds

Flop
446ss

He bets £4. I call

Turn
Kc

He checks, I'm pretty sure I have the best hand here unless he has a set of Kings which is very unlikely so I fire for £7. He calls

River
Jh

All draws brick. He leads for £10. I tank and think that he wouldn't bet a Jack here if I bet turn since I could have a King easily. I also think the only king he can have in his range here is a Set of Kings which I don't believe at all. His line doesn't make sense so I call.

He mucks.

Overall
£240 - £90 = £150 profit

Roll = £1600 for 14/02/14

Saturday session:

So I entered the tournament, it was £35 with £3k ending up as the prize pool. I get down to last 25 before shoving with AQo and losing to 108s. Whatever, it's the best hand in the game obv I lose.

I play cash. It's 1/2. Buy in for £250, about fourth hand in get Aces. I'm UTG and there is a straddle in effect. I limp for £4. One guy raises to £15, 2 callers, I make it £50 when it comes back around. Only the last limper calls.

Flop
733cc

He then decides to open shove for £300. I snap call. He has A9hh. GG


I get up to £600 and just win smallish pots until a whale sits down for £300. He plays every hand I do I pretty well against him getting up to like £700. But at like 4AM I go card dead, and I mean by that I hit 0 flops. Not even top pair I think in 2 hours. Every flush/straight/whatever misses and I literally go down to £520 missing draws. The probably should have stayed but I was drawing so dead I was tilting. The final hand I played this happened.

J10dd. I raise call the straddle UTG for £4 (whale raises every pot so no point raising) Whale makes it £10. Me and button calls.

Flop
Qd 9h 5d

So I flop up and down + flush draws. But I'm tilting so much and know I won't get there I'm in C/C more. He bets £10. I call, Button calls.

Turn
5h

Whale bets £10, I call, Button calls

River
7h

Whale bets £10. I fold and call in a night since I am officially furious that I have burned £180 trying to catch even a pair on the flop and constantly bricking. Whatever

Review
+270 in cash - £35 tournament - £15 taxi - £20 in food = +£200

Roll 15/02/14 - £1800

Seem to be doing well , time to give broadway a try?

Possibly, I was considering going but I still seem a bit wary to be willing to sit £500-£800 deep at a £1/2 which apparently is the norm for Broadway. But then again, I've never been in there so what do I know.

Can you give me an idea of how deep the games are there and how many cash game tables are usually running? I'd appreciate it.


Also obligatory chip porn picture #1

It all depends on the day you go, some days are dead compared to others, which day would you go? But most people buy in for 100-200£ and maybe 2/3 people sitting on 400, not until later on in the night would you see 600+ stacks.
Which friends of yours plays at bway?