I can't begin to express how glad I am November is over. So much crap happened this month.

-70 hours
-5 videos watched and note taken on
-Shot take the 5/10 game at least once

Everything is red. The one that is closest to not red is the 5 videos watched. I did watch like 3 or 4 of them while note taking. I also listened to quite a few podcasts and played a good chunk of online PLO/PLO8.

Resultswise, I played just 29.16 hours this month. So much life crap just popped up. Not to mention that I've been very sick pretty much ever since Thanksgiving. I am thankful that I'm at the tail end of this, I can't stand sucking cough drops and having an unpredictable voice. I lost -$1,940. This is a combination of low volume, some mistakes that I made, and some new tactics I've been trying to add to my game. Maybe there is some bad luck in there too, but I know for a fact I could have - and should have - played better.

What will December bring? I'm going to be honest, I'm not sure. I really want to set a volume goal but I'm not sure how much I will be able to play with the holidays. Fridays are my main volume days as my gf usually wants Saturdays, and here I am knocked up in a bed trying to get better. I'm going to set a lower goal and hope to achieve it:

-50 hours
-Watch and note take 4 videos
-Continue planning for what it would take to go pro
-Start reading one of my strategy books

As you can see, I still do intend at some point to take a shot at going pro. I did do a little bit of research and planning during the past couple of weeks. I think my initial BR and life roll would be a great starting point. I think if I had a $10k liferoll and a $40k BR, that would also be sufficient. I would not be able to right now. Theoretically, I could, but I wouldn't feel especially comfortable. I think the transfering of locations was great for me and will work out well. Well enough that I could easily work past the end of the year. I'm still concerned about the company though and the direction it's heading which is always something looming in the back of my mind. Anyways, good luck at the tables everyone!

Oh the joys of a week! This past week has been a little rough. That sickness that I had caused some massive sinus headaches. I'm not a person who usually gets headaches, so these were absolutely terrible.

And to top off my great week, Thursday I'm getting on the freeway to head to work. This is right in the middle of rush hour traffic. I just got a new battery input earlier in the week because my car wouldn't start. Well, right as I'm merging my car decides to stall out and go completely crazy. Right in the middle of the freeway. I get over to the left shoulder because that's the closest and I couldn't merge to the safer side. Couldn't turn my car off or shift it out of drive or neutral. So great, more **** wrong with this piece of crap car. Take it to my roommate's dealership to see what's wrong with it. Turns out, a bad alternator.

So here were my options. Put $550 more into the car to replace valve cover gaskets and the alternator. Still have front right suspension issues (loud, creaking noises that got worse the colder it got) and am exhaust system leak. All totaling probably around $2k. Along with having ~140,000 miles on it, a terrible interior, etc. Or look into financing a newer car.

I bought the newer car. A 2014 Chevy Cruze that only has 44,000 miles on it. I did put $6k down on it to lower monthly payments, taking probably $3k from my poker BR of the $6k. Think it's well worth it. If I do wind up going pro, I'll have a solid, stable means of transportation which would mean a much less likely chance of expensive repairs and missing days of work where I wouldn't get sick/incidental days.

(For safety purposes, I am not posting pictures of the car)

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And all of this culminates with my first session in almost 3 weeks yesterday! God I was so happy and excited to get back to playing.

And good god I couldn't ask for a more mundane session. My stack hovered between $500 and $900 all day from my initial $700 BI. There were a couple of interesting spots though that I wanted to post in here.

First spot, I've got a relatively tight image. Been pretty card dead. I see JJ UTG and open to $20. We're 8 handed, and 3 players call. Don't have a high opinion on either of the players if memory serves correctly. MABG in BB 3bets to $75 with $200 behind. This guy had been playing reckless preflop and postflop but had not 3bet once in the 2 hours he'd been there. I'm thinking and he's leaning back, arms crossed, not looking at his phone like he had been.

-I don't think I can call. I have a $700 stack, and the other 3 callers have roughly the same. A call invites the other 3 players in with great pot odds.
-Folding seems gross given how spazzy this player has been postflop. Again though, this was his first 3bet in his 2 hours being there.
-4betting would be a slam dunk if this guy had 3bet just once given how spazzy he had been.

I nit folded. Everyone else folded as well. The next hand, he busted unfortunately.

Second hand, a very weak player limps, another weak but more aggro player raises to $20. I look at AKs in HJ and 3bet to $70. BTN instantly throws out 8 green chips. The limper, a SS, jams for $165. Raiser folds. Now it's on me, I have about $500 behind.

-I don't have respect for BTN's game. His bet sizes are way too big and he is a bit too aggro postflop.
-However, I have to respect a cold 4bet and how little thought he put into it. He had observed me 3bet once, and that was against a solid player. That time I had KK but didn't get to show it.

I added everything up. It was $130 to call into a pot of $460. Little worse than 3:1. The range, imo, is just AA and KK. Against that, I have like 22% which is close to what I need. There is also the subject of the SS player. I decided to fold.

In this hand, I knew the SS was going to shove and planned on that. If the weak aggro player 4bet, I was more than likely going to go with the hand. I had a plan and that wrench was thrown into the equation. BTN wound up having QQ, which I didn't really expect. If I know he has QQ in his range there, it's a very easy call.

7 hours
+$100 (on the dot, all at 2/5. Really a boring session)

Gotta feel good to have the new car.

Seems like a good fold in the first hand w/JJ UTG. BB doesn't have large enough stack size to set mine given you'd have to call 55 and you don't know if the others will come along. Even if they do you're OOP vs them.

Good to see you back at it.

The new car feels so nice. It's great to go over bumps or even slightly uneven pavement and the right side not creak like a wooden floor.

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Working at my new location, it seems as if I'll have a way more set schedule than I used to. Which is obviously good for poker play, I can plan out my week a lot easier. I got in a short, 3 hour session last night. I do want to play every Sunday night, but also want some rest time so I figure shorter sessions these nights will be the best way to go about it. I stayed at the 1/2 table all night. The 25, when my name got called, looked absolutely atrocious. 5 of the players were nitty TAGs, one was a solid player, and two shortstack unknowns. One of the worst lineups I've seen at that game. No thank you.

One real interesting spot, and then a massive pot. This hand, I had been raising a little bit. I see AKo and raise to 8. A huge whale with a $90 stack flats. A tilting MABG who has ~$160 3bets to $40. Folds to me. I decide to overjam. The reasoning for this is that I want both of their monies. Someone at the table will get their money, so why not get the money in with a hand like this? I also have a little bit of fold equity. Whale folds, MABG says "well the blackjack tables are still open" and calls.

Board runsout 88A83, he flips over the KK (I get lucky) and I scoop the pot.

The big pot. Villain arrived at the table 20 minutes ago. Looks like a potential decent player, but his actions speak otherwise. He just won a decent pot from me when I opened 77, x Q86xxd, b/c 7d t and called a small bet on Ax river and he showed T9dd. Villain limps in MP, another limp, I raise KxTs to $11 OTB. Only villain calls. We're $400 effective

F ($26): QJ9
Bingo. V x, I bet $17, he raises to $60. Interesting. I 3bet to $135. He flats.

Turn ($296): 6
He donks out for $100, I jam, he calls and flips over QJs. Definitely interesting play all around. River is K and I scoop the $800 pot

3 hours
+$558

Played my "long" session of the week yesterday, had to leave early because the gf wanted me to go out to dinner with her and a couple of friends.

It was a rather interesting session. First, I do want to mention that for now I'm buying in for 100bb at the 2/5 game instead of the normal 140bb. I don't have that extra "cushion" from the car down payment, so I want to build back up again safely.

First hand I want to share, all fold to me in CO. I see A2 and raise to $15. SB and BB both call. BB seems like a competent player. Young white guy who knows about 2+2.

Flop ($45): 63T
Checks to me. I bet $25. SB folds, BB calls.

Turn ($95): 4
BB checks. He could have a Tx type of hand. I picked up a few extra outs. Don't think he has a set. I could triple barrel and get him off of the Tx or lower PP, especially with a river overcard. I bet $60. The board is getting scarier and with a hand like KT, JJ-AA I would use this sizing to get more money in the pot. He thinks for a little and calls.

River ($215): T
Jackpot. This is literally the best card in the deck. He doesn't have T6/T3/33/66/44. His Tx will also call a rather large bet. He checks. I think for a bit and bet $175. He thinks for a bit more and then calls and MHIG. #handreading

Then another hand. I can't post just victories now, can I? We're like 7 handed and I open JJ UTG to $20. MP old guy calls. I've seen him lead out with hands such as AQ on an A22 flop, double barrel and check river. SB also calls.

Flop ($65): 887
SB checks. I bet $40. MP calls, SB folds.

Turn ($145): 5
Complete blank. I bet $90. He hems and haws for about a minute before making a pained call, based on the look on his face.

River ($325): K
Here is my analysis of the hand. I think he has some sort of overpair. I don't think it would be as pained of a call if he had a flush draw or straight draw. Those are much faster calls. I also have the J, which with the Kd out there limits what diamond draws he could have. I bet $150 to try and get crying calls from TT and 99. He CALLS rather quickly with...KK. Yeah, he flatted the river bet with the second nuts. He didn't 3b preflop either. So my read was right....I just didn't think KK would make antics such as that.

This next one, nothing necessary, I just want to brag a little. Somewhat aggro but loose player opens to $20 in CO, I flat in BB w 33.

Flop ($42): T77
I check, he bets $30, I call. Not a great call, but this flop he is literally cbetting 100%

Turn ($102): A
Not a great call. I check. He does something funky and checks behind.

River ($102): 2
I check. He bets $60. I think for just a little and call. He says "you're good" and mucks.

If he has Ax or hearts, why check the turn? Why give me more free cards?

Last hand I'm sharing. Young LAG limps UTG+1, player from above limps as well. I see 88 and raise to $25. SB calls as well as the two limpers.

Flop ($105): K79
Everyone checks to me. I have a strong range on this board and bet $60. I miscalculated the preflop raise size. If I hadn't, I would have bet $75 instead. Folds to the LAG who raises to $180 after asking me how much I had behind. Other player folds.

First off, this guy is aggro. He knows how to raise pocket pairs preflop. He wouldn't limp a suited Kx hand in such early position. I have all of the 99 and KK, and some 77 as well. He can do this with a hand like JT, 76. But again, his range is capped and mine isn't. I 3bet to $400. He thinks for quite a bit of time. Cuts out the calling chips. Thinks some more, and then folds.

6 hours 50 minutes
+$369

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I'm currently in the middle of a series on CLP. I have to say, it has helped my hand reading so much. I've been thinking in a much deeper, more organized way. I've gotta keep working on it, but I've had less close decisions and I've been able to justify all of my decisions based on my opponent's range and my perceived range. Yes, studying does help, but I don't want any of my opponents to do studying

Glad you're doing well. You're cbetting range should be very tight 4 ways to the flop on the last hand, I think both cbetting and 3 bet super unnecessary. JJ hand is too thin I think as well.. people hemming and hawing should ring alarms bells as far as strength

The JJ may be a bit too thin, and my read on him could have been a bit off. After I had thought about it afterwards I do think the bet is a bit thin. If he was hemming and hawing and painfully calling turn, he isn't going to call a bet OTR when a overcard and flush completing card comes with TT and 99. So yeah when I play this opponent in the future, I definitely will be more aware of his flatting range and antics.

As for the 88 hand, the cbet is mainly because I knew the limpers couldn't have Kx. Both of them are raising KK/99, UTG+1 is raising 77 but not sure about MP. K9s is in UTG+1 raising range (probably). So the only player I would have to get through is SB. I can get 9x to fold and I have the range advantage but I don't want to see any other cards. When UTG+1 raises, it doesn't make any sense based on his range. But again, I don't want to see any cards and I still have the range advantage. Maybe it is unnecessary but it is good to try moves like this every once in a while to see how certain moves and reads work.

hey mang just sorta seen this thread now. been following you somewhat from part 1. Are you playing live full time or planning on going pro soon? what stakes/where/etc? how is it all treating yA?

Hey boss, don't think you can rule out Kx from UTG limping range. Plenty of player will limp with weak suited Kx, as far as cbetting, opponents have way too wide a range to make betting profitbale, Villains range will call with all gutshots, pairs etc. so really think cbetting is burning cash. Trying out these plays just burns money IMO.

Hey, it's been a long time! How have you been?

The basic outline of what I'm trying to accomplish is to go pro at some point. I also want to take some online classes while doing that so as to have a backup plan. I was fairly close to being at a comfortable point, but then I plopped down a $6k down payment on a new car. Not the worst investment imo, this car has 100k miles fewer, is 8 years newer, and has American based parts (Chevy) compared to Japanese based parts (Hyundai) which makes potential repair costs lower. Right now I'm playing most of my volume at 2/5, but do play the 1/2 if there are no tables running or the lineup is ****.

Against a lot of players, they do have the weak suited Kx in their range. I've played enough against this guy to know that when he limps, he really has a marginal hand. That's really the only reason why I tried it. I do agree that trying out a move like this burns money. But it's good to have experience, because experimenting with a line like this can give you something a book or a video or a theorem can't. And that's real life experience.

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Played 3 hours and 15 minutes of 2/2 PLO last night. We played 3 handed for about an hour. Ironically, it was me and the guy I pulled that flop 3bet with 88 on and another guy who I had never seen before. The other guy was so bad...and the deck hit him right in the face all night. Not really many interesting hands, but I did keep my insane undefeated PLO streak in tact with a +$42 night.

I will not have a better time the rest of the year to sit back and reflect on 2016, as well as plan out 2017 than tonight. Currently, I'm at home. I've been at home all day, literally the first day in a month that I've spent all day home lazying around. I'm sick again, wtf is new, but I'm almost over it.

2015 was my biggest leap skill wise. 2016 was my biggest leap bankroll wise. It's not every year that you can, at one point, 10x your roll. One of the most important things I learned is that regs are not unbeatable. Each one, at least at the levels I play at, has a flaw. I just have to figure these flaws out while attempting to cover my own flaws. If there is one thing I can do better at in 2017, it's volume. It's not even that I hate my volume for this previous year. I played when I could while having a FT professional job and getting more serious with my girlfriend. But I have to play more, and play more consistently. Would help if I didn't get since every 3 weeks.

What are my plans for 2017? Unfortunately, the new car took a decent chunk out of my overall finances. So I have to first get that in order and see where I want my BR to be at and where I want my liferoll to be at.

My immediate studying plans...I just bought some essential mathematics book extended edition. A lot of math concepts WRT poker that I already know, but it's good to brush up on this stuff before I finally tackle Applications of No Limit. I don't think there is much that I can use it for in live poker. But I think if I know more about close to GTO poker than just "balance ur range by checking TPNK as a pfr sometimes", then I can gain some advantage over some of the better players in the room. I'm going to also continue watching and note taking some of the CLP material and a few other things. Studying PLO is also going to be a huge part of the year. The biggest game that runs on a routine basis in my casino is a 5/5 PLO game, and players are still bad at PLO.

I want to play at least 50 hours every month. I think I should crush this volume goal most months, that's only 3 4-hour sessions a week. I just don't think I can put in 20 hours/week + my job + keep my girlfriend happy, but that definitely would be ideal.

I still want to try the professional route as well. I think this could be the final year in which I could attempt it. I'll be 27 this year and I want an idea of where the rest of my life...or the next 10 years...will take me. I'm aiming for the beginning of July. That might be more idealistic, and more realistic might be the beginning of September.

During the interim I also want to research ways to make money aside from poker. Having property is probably the nut way along with owning some franchises and playing the stock market. This would give me a bit of security for those days when I would lose 3 or 4 BIs.

I'll post the results of the year when the year is actually over. If you guys have any suggestions, feel free to air them out on here. Everyone have a Merry Christmas and have good luck in 2017!

My suggestion would be to go for it man. Especially if your ft job isn't exactly living the dream. You're still young. Get together a bankroll and 6 months liferoll and just go for it. Have a good Christmas and I hope your 2017 is the best yet!

I think I will go for it at some point. But I want more financial stability if and when I do. Why quit my job now when I have no real good reason to do so when I can stay for more months and save up more money? The transfer did amazing things for my morale honestly.

This leads me to a book I bought off of Amazon. Life's a Gamble by Mike Sexton. I'm having a blast reading it, I haven't read a book so quickly since Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. But you see all of these great high-stakes players, and they're all broke many times....not from the poker games but from terrible money management. I think that is the most crucial aspect for a player who wants to turn pro. Don't bet with money you don't have. Don't play stakes that are too high for your BR. And don't loan money out.

Also along similar lines, I recently borrowed a book about penny stocks from the library. Alternative ways to make money.

------------------

I didn't update last time I had a session. Short, sweet, simple and to the point. 3 hours +$472

I did play my "long" session of the week yesterday. One absolutely brutal cooler and one slightly brutal cooler.

This first one, there are two limps from EP. I limp J9 along OTB. SB and BB come along.

Flop ($25): J27
SB checks, BB bets $20, UTG+1 calls, I raise to $75, BB folds but UTG calls.

Turn ($195): A
Pretty good card. UTG+1 donk bets $95. Kind of weird. This is where I kept going back and forth. On one hand, UTG+1 should have virtually no flushes better than mine. Maybe he limps K7 or Q8, but I didn't think he did. And I'm brought back to a hand I played a couple of weeks ago where a played said they didn't think I had rivered a flush because I triple barreled it. Here, I raised a donk and call. How often do I have flushes here? Being about $550 effective, I think maybe a click back raise would be good? Stack size is kind of awkward. I decide to call.

River ($385): 5
Not the best card in the world. I certainly didn't want to see it. UTG+1 bets $150. I make the call. If I don't think he has KThh, KQhh, don't think he limps K4hh or Q8hh, then what flushes does he have aside from like 86hh, 64hh. Unless he has a hand like KJ.

He had KK and my mind was just like "wtf." That's not a hand I can put him on. I say NH and buy in for another $300.

Immediate hand after, there are three limps to me in CO, including villain from previous hand. I see KJ and raise to $30. BB calls and UTG villain from prior hand calls.

Flop ($100): KK4
Awesome. Checks to me, I bet $60 and both call.

Turn ($280): Q
BB checks, UTG+1 donk bets $105. I think a flush here is more likely than a 44 or KQ. Think with KQ he raises. There are 3 combos of 44, but many more of flushes. And he is the type of villain to chase flushes. Pretty easy call getting almost 4:1. BB folds.

River ($490): J
Bink. UTG bets $300. I jam for $400 total. He calls and shows the AT for the royal flush.

If only I had the case king there...would have been $35k richer. In either case, I reload and move on. I was stuck almost $1k at one point and it's usually at that point when I'm like "something's not right, I'm cutting my losses." I didn't think time. I was playing fine I thought. Just got the crappy end of the stick on a few hands.

Another ironic story about me and that villain...earlier in the session, I had about a $600 stack. BTN staddled and there were two limps. I see 33 in HJ and fold because the BTN had frequently raised his straddle. Well, BTN checks, flop comes T32r, and the villain from above accidentally throws out $250 into the $30 pot. He's like "oh ****". Everyone folds and he shows AA. The fold on my part might be a bit tight imo, but I didn't think it would just be a single raised pot.

And then I saw the largest run good I've ever seen. I played with this guy for the entire 7 hours I was there. He cashed out for over $4k at 2/5. He was in every pot and he hit every thing. I witnessed this hand, there was a BTN straddle (how I loathe the BTN straddle) and he raises to $35 in the blinds. Folds to a guy to my right who 3bets to $110. The guy calls in BB. Flop is 954 rainbow. Check, 3bettor bets $175, he calls. T is a 7. I forget the action but they wind up all in like $650 effective to start the hand. Guy in the blinds has 63s. #pokerisdead

I wound up playing pretty well all day imo. Wound up going from stuck $1k to -$300 without winning many huge pots. 7.25 hours -$300

---------------------------------------------------------------

As far as December goals, it was a solid month. I got a decent amount of studying in despite the holidays and being ungodly sick twice.

-50 hours. Nope. Only goal I missed, and I was so sick at the beginning and middle of the month that I just couldn't do it.
-Watch and note take 4 videos. I'm actually going to finish for 5 today later on so that I can kind of make my own study plan.
-Continue planning for what it would take to go pro
-Start reading one of my strategy books

As far as results go, I played 31 hours this month for a profit of $1,242. I also had 5 of 6 winning sessions, although I couldn't break out for that big winning session. I haven't had a large winning session since I had 4 in October (>$1k).

For January, here is what I want to accomplish:

-60 hours of volume
-Watch 4 videos on CLP with note taking
-Finish Essential Mathematics of Poker

Up next: 2016 wrap-up post!

I already talked about what 2016 was like. I started the year at 50nl at Bovada. I'm ending it being able to play 2/5. The area I improved the most on this year is hand reading and proper use of aggression.

But let's face it, you guys came here for results. Without further ado....



I end the year on a 2 month breakeven stretch, but it's whatever. Saying two months sounds sexier than 61 hour breakeven stretch. Basically I wouldn't end the year on a BE stretch if I actually had the time to put the volume in.

From the end of February to now, I played 527.83 hours of live poker. Total profit is +$20,656, for a WR of $39/hr. As I said a few months ago, I had to get a new phone so I'm not 100% sure on my yearly WR at 1/2 2/5 and 2/2, but I think it was something like $24/hr at 1/2, $50-$55/hr at 2/5, and 2/2 PLO over a small sample size I still haven't lost a session at yet.

Online, I posted results from this year earlier but had a 13bb/100 WR at 100nl and overall won at $29/hr online (through a small sample). And I've actually built my Ignition roll from $50 to $260 in the last month or so from PLO. Maybe I'm the next high stakes PLO baller on there?!?!

Anyways, it's been a fun 2016. A great year for me honestly, both in life and poker. I want to thank everyone who has read and kept up with this crazy journey so far, especially those who have figured me out in my home casino (no names, I don't want to out y'all). Hopefully this time next year, I'm posting about winrates from my regular 5/10 game, maybe in a different locale because I went pro. Probably not, but you gotta aspire high. I want to wish you all health, happiness, and good luck in 2017. May it be the best one yet.

awesome nice one man

Good stuff.

Normally, I'm not going to post about a 3 hour 1/2 session the day after. This wasn't a normal 1/2 session. So I get there to check in from my call in and get nudged towards table 7. Well, at table 7 is the very friendly splashy guy who I played with on Friday (who ran up the $4k+ stack at 2/5) and the ultimate splashy player. I decided to sit in the middle of them, the guy recognized me and kind of nudged me towards his seat.

Holy hell was it a good game until a couple of regulars came over! It was fun, pots preflop consistently being raised to $20 or $25, hands like 64o winning $200 pots. 3bets to $75 almost 3 times an orbit with hands like K9, 88, etc. This was the table to be at. So the question was, how do I adjust to this?

I think the answer is pretty simple, but I didn't do a good job of it last night. Play my normal game, except realize that a hand like KTs or 87s would have to be a 10-15bb hand preflop to a single raise. Instead, I played more hands, but a little more passive. Don't think that's the greatest adjustment.

Three hands of note from the night. Yeah, most of the time I don't get 3 hands in a night of note. First one, there are like 4 limpers. I see 53, $375 effective, and limp in CO to the BTN straddle. BTN to my left is the ultimate splashy player. He checks. The reason I limped with such a hand is because I noticed he doesn't raise his BTN straddle often.

Flop ($30): 333
Nope, not ****ting you. One of the early limpers bets $20, 2 players call and I call.

Turn ($110): 6
Checks to the guy from Friday on my right. He bets $55. I call. The others fold

River ($220): 6
Ewww. I can actually be beaten. He bets $125, I jam and he folds sadly.

Next hand, there is a BTN straddle and I'm in SB. I raise to $15 with 99 and only BB splashy player calls.

Flop ($35) KK4
I check. I think betting against this player overreps my hand. He will bet with a whole lot worse but I do want to keep the pot small and his range wide. He bets $20 and I call.

Turn ($75): 9
Bink. I check again. This seems like a card he is going to fire again on. He bets $35. I decide to call rather than check/raise. I think I can donk bet the river and get some crying calls from hands that might improve on the river, but may not with a check/raise.

River ($140): 7
I lead for $75. He RAISES to $275. I jam for $466 total. He calls and flips over AK and MHIG.

Sometimes you have to run good. I think that is the second $1k pot I've played at 1/2.

Final hand is a bit more strategy. Again, BTN straddles. I'm in SB with 99 (again) and open to $15. Only a player in MP calls. He's lost a few pots. We do have history, he is the player who I cbet/3bet 88 against on K97. He's definitely an aggro player.

Flop ($35): 842
I bet $25, he calls.

Turn ($85): 6
I decide to bet again. 77, 8x, some random floats can call. Think he is 3betting his AA/KK/QQ. I bet $45, he calls.

River ($175): K
I check. I think checking here is better than betting again. Am I getting better to fold? Well, if he doesn't have QQ there, there is just JJ and TT. It's possible that those hands fold. He never has a K here either. The key thing is I would be turning 99 into a bluff, and I think there are way more 8x, 77, 55, 65, 76 in his range than the TT/JJ.

He bets $110. It's possible he waits until the river to fire a set. It's also possible that he turns all of those above hands into a bluff. Why would I give up with AQ or AJ on this river card? But if I don't have air, I probably have a smallish to middle pair. I just think his range is wide enough that I have to call here. I call, he says ace high and I flip my hand over for the win.

3 hours
+$645

Yuck. Absolute yuck.

So I finally had my first losing live PLO session. It took getting rivered 4 times against the player from my prior post in a few 100bb+ pots and an absolute unknown sunrunning, but it finally happened. That actually makes me feel great that that's what it took for me to lose there after 6 months of a couple session a month.

2 hours
-$404

And then when that guy left, something happened that I've been reading about a lot lately. The other players wanted to convert the game to a 2/5 Hold Em game. I said I would play whatever game. Well, we changed. I guess it's not as bad as just abandoning the game, but it still looks bad and feels bad.

Well, the 2/5 was even worse. One of the hands, BTN straddles 7 handed and BB limps. BB is a guy who buys in for short and loves to just be stupid aggro and jam everything. Calling KQ, AT+, 88+ is probably profitable against one of his limp/jams preflop. And then postflop, pretty much top pair or second pair top kicker is good against him. I see AQ UTG and raise to $40. $500 effective. BTN calls. BTN is a solid handreader, kind of aggro but plays a few too many hands. BB calls as well.

Flop ($120): JT3
Check. I bet $70. BTN calls, BB folds.

Turn ($260): 9
This card gives me more equity. I can pretty much never fold to a jam here. We have an awkward $400 stack size though. I couldn't decide whether to bet normalish and jam all rivers, or bet small and jam all rivers. I go with the small route. In hindsight, I think betting $140 and then jamming most rivers is a better play. I bet $90 instead. He thinks for a little bit and calls.

River ($440): Q
Yuck. I don't like this card at all, but it isn't terrible for a jam. He can have KJ. He can also have QJ, J8, J9, T9, QT, missed hearts, etc. A good portion of those can fold. I don't think he has KQ that plays this way as there are just too many terrible river cards, this being one of them. Maybe KQss, but that's it. I have AKhh, AKss, KK, KQ, some KJ....I have more Ks. I jam for $300 total. He thinks for about a minute and a half before calling with QJ. That's literally the top of his range there (other than KJ imo), so jamming definitely is the right play.

Reload, about 15 minutes later this hand happens. One limp, guy from above raises to $20, BTN calls. BTN has been playing a bit too many hands, but readless and unknown. I see KJ in SB and flat, $500 effective. This is a mistake. I flat in SB. I need to 3bet this to about $85 or $90. This is definitely a weak point in my game that I have to work on, preflop aggression. I don't want to be super uber aggressive, but a little more aggressive. It's possible that I decided not to since I had a losing image at the time. An unknown in BB calls as well as the limper.

Flop ($100): Q95
Checks around. Doesn't surprise me.

Turn ($100): 9
Interesting. I decide to bet $70. Sucks when someone has a 9, but I have a bit of equity and a lot of solid river cards that I can bet. Only BB calls.

River ($240): K
Good river card. I think for about a minute. I don't think he has a 9 or 66. KQ and JT is possible, but so is QT/QJ/Q8. I bet $110 for some thin value. He thinks for a little, calls and says "I have a bad feeling about this, you got 66?" And I look dumbfounded at him and say "no" and he flips over T9o.

?#?#$?#%?^$%?&#?^#?^ The ****? I did NOT expect that hand. That hand is a 100% raise on the turn. My mind kind of exploded. I decided that, **** it, it's not my day, I'm going home and baking cookies.

32 minutes
-$837

Talk about an utter role reversal. Yesterday I flopped 4 sets in the just under 7 hours I played. Didn't get much from 3 of them, but one of them I wound up getting a full double up on when I flopped a set of aces and turned the nut boat against AK. Ironically, it was against the player who I bluffed off with AQs the day prior and, ironically, I used the same exact line. Normal flop bet, small turn bet, large river jam. Makes us even for the exchange

Other than that monster hand (doubled my stack from like $550 to $1100), it was just grinding it out. Small to medium pots, double barreling, having good preflop selection. I really felt on my A game yesterday.

I do want to go over one hand. I'm going to post this over on a different forum as well. I've got $1600 and cover everyone except the player to my left who has like $2400. I'm UTG+1 and see AQo and raise to $20. 4 or 5 players call between me and the BB. The BB is the player I made that awful 99 move against a couple of months ago. I think he is stupidly aggressive preflop. He 3bets to $105 with about $450 behind. This is his first hand at the table. What do we do? 4bet to $300? Jam? Flat with so many callers? AK I think is a slam dunk 4bet against the field, and I think even as low as JJ or TT. ?????

6 hours 50 minutes
+$1,007

The poker gods are cruel mistresses. To start, I played 1/2 for like half an hour and lost -$30. I don't feel bad about that, I literally built my stack up to about +$100 and then lost it all and some after I raised limpers with AKcc, cbet Jx9c4c and get jammed on. I called, he flipped over lololol Q9o and I missed my 15 outer on the turn and river. It's whatever.

The 2/5, which is typically the largest regular game that goes off, was by far the SOFTEST TABLE I'VE EVER SEEN THERE. I hadn't played with any of them aside from seat 3 before. And they were all TERRIBLE. If my card distribution and everything goes average, I probably would have had an $80/hr WR at that specific table.

And yet...

It was like pulling teeth. Or getting teeth pulled, which ever one is more painful and agonizing. The hand of the night, and I still can't get over this one because I know this player is nowhere close to a world class player. UTG straddles (we literally had NO button straddles the entire night, just UTG. Heads up to those regs who play the game and read this, THAT is a real straddle and THAT doesn't kill the game). Three players limps. I see A8 in BB and decided to complete. UTG checks.

Flop ($50): 32Q
I bet $35. Folds to seat 3. I've played with her a couple times, not impressed at all and does have a fold button. She calls instantly, the others fold.

Turn ($120): 5
Great card. My mind is already committed to a triple barrel. She can have PPs, low pairs, other draws, etc that I can get her off of. Maybe some weak Qx. I bet $85 and she calls instantly.

River ($290): 7
Well ****, missed another huge draw. I toy around with the idea of checking and hoping to get to showdown as I feel there is a good chance that I can best. But I go with my initial plan and bet $165. She thinks for like ten seconds and calls. Well, didn't get her off of her Q I think, and I flip my A hi over.

She looks for a bit and turns over 43. 4 ****ing 3 ****ing . My mind just kind of explodes there. 43s? WTF is she thinking?!?! Was she on tilt or something?? The times I've played with her before, she would have folded a hand like that. The thing is I don't have many bluffs there that are going to triple barrel. A5/A4 make something. A7 does. AJ/AK I'm raising preflop. Maybe A6/A8/A9/AT, all of spades, KJ/KT/K9, all of spades. Whereas I can also have 33, 22, KQ, I probably also do it with QJ seeing as her AQ is raising preflop. 30 value OTR compared to 7 bluffs, which she isn't doing that math, and it's like "Yeah, whatever."

Poker gods are cruel mistresses. Give me the softest table ever and let me run like crap. Little over 3 hours there, -$606

Total 3 hours 40 minutes -$636.

Congrats on your 2016 results! I hope that the job situation improves or you carve out two hours every week looking for a new one.

I noticed that you're sick a lot. How's your eating and exercising? (Apologies if you've already discussed it and I missed it.)

Thanks man! Right now, my job is a bit more tolerable. Some things happened within my company that I won't mention on here just because it'll make it easier to get outed somewhere that isn't just the casino. But these things are definitely not good signs for the company.

I've been getting sick a lot recently. Quick story time. My GF worked with her dad for like 9 years after high school. ****ty everything conditions for her. She finally left that situation in July and got a job as a preschool teacher in August while she decides if she wants to go to school to get a teaching degree. So being isolated for such a long time from a lot of people, her immune system is crap. Ironically (or not ironically), that's about the time I started getting sick much more often. I eat a solid but not large breakfast, drink about 90 ounces of water a day, a healthy packed lunch, try to do about 30 minutes of cardio per day after work, and dinner.

I think it has more to do with the fact that she's getting sick a lot and no matter what it always seems to pass to me.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Last night I played a mix of everything in a short amount of time. Didn't really get anything going unfortunately and made one huge mistake that cost about $175. I have QQ in UTG+2 and raise two limpers to $30 with my $550 stack. They both call, flop is 652r and I bet and get one call. I psyched myself out on the turn because I overestimated his flop calling range. He raises a lot preflop and is fairly aggro. I psyched myself into think he had something big, because a hand like 22-66 could realistically limp/call pre and call flop. 77 maybe, 88 is definitely a raise for him. The problem with this is that if it is his range, he is calling a turn bet with most of it. 12 combos of 33/44 compared to 9 of the sets and even more of the 77. So I missed a turn bet because of it and he wound up rivering two pair with....85s?!?!?!?!? Still a mistake on my part though, he should never get to the river with that hand if I don't psych myself out.

I do want to say, because I know some players actually read this....please for ****s sake I saw and heard so much stuff go on last night that's just sick. One, a guy was berating a bad player to the player who was sitting next to the bad player...while the bad player was there! "Just wanted to confirm he was a calling station" and other things. Like, ****ing jesus christ that's what you want! You want a calling station at your table. You adjust to them by not bluffing them and folding when it's clear you're beaten. If that tilts you, pick your chips up and leave. Don't make a rec player feel bad to his face because he is playing his game. He won't come play again.

And then another player openly says, when two players get up, "well I just saw two mega fish leave the table." Blows my mind. Even if the players aren't there, others can hear. I'm not advocating the millenial everyone gets a trophy method. We are adults after all. I'm advocating a don't chase players away or make them feel bad method. Which I guess is like a millenial mindset. But if you want to grow the player pool and have bad players continue playing, you have to make them feel anything but like they're playing wrong.

And then the 5/5 PLO game wouldn't get off until one super player arrived. I played in the game for an hour just because the 2/5 game broke (I was willing to play 3 or 4 handed until it got more full, but noone else wanted to so I just went over with everyone else). Play the ****ing game. If you don't want to play the game until the one player comes because you don't think there is an edge, you're sourly mistaken. I will say that there is definitely an edge to be had in that game.

3 hours
-$411

Glad to hear the job is better. A quick word of advice from someone who's been there before though: it's better to get out before the company closes up shop (if that's a legit concern) than when it closes. There's little to no chance of a severance package or payout for unused vacation in the latter case, so loyalty usually doesn't pay unless you have a close connection to someone higher up that is going to take you with him/her to his/her next gig.

It sounds like you're doing everything right with the diet and exercise. Sorry to hear that the g/f seems to be getting sick a lot (and passing it on). That is a tough situation. Hopefully once she's been out in the world a while it'll subside.

That's definitely something that I've been thinking about. I have put in a few applications to different positions, including one where the person who trained me is a lead recruiter at, but to no avail. A big problem is that I probably don't have the qualifications for an equal level job aside from nearly 2 years of experience. Which, to be fair is worth a lot. But to go any further I need at least a bachelor's which means going back to school for a couple of years. Which then leads me to the path of either going back to school while working my current job with little to no poker or leaving my position, going back to school and playing poker FT. And that's something I have to figure out.

-------------------------------------------------

I love Saturday mornings. Over the years, I've grown to like sports other than football a little more. You literally have to devote an entire day to football to go to a game, and if you're watching it's still a 4 hour affair. Combine that with ALL of the dead time WRT commercials, calling plays, etc and football becomes almost unbearable. Watching Tottenham-West Brom, just finished actually. 2 hours, boom done. No dead time. Hockey. Commercials every 5 or 6 minutes of gameplay. 2 1/2 hour games. But very little dead time. Basketball. Lots of dead time towards the end for a game strategy reason. Other than that, commercials every 5 minutes of gametime with little dead time.

But then if you want to counter it with "there are so few games that every game matters", eh so be it. Just something I wanted to point out.

------------------------------------------------------------

Yesterday's session was quite the freaking roller coaster. A few hands I want to post in here. This first one, I had an almost LAG image. I'd been raising more than my fair share preflop and attacking flops and turns. I had already built my stack up from an initial $500 to $700 in about half an hour. It's a 7 handed table, two players limp in EP, both about $500 effective. I see AKo and raise to $30 in SB. Only CO calls. I don't think I had played with CO before unless he was the guy who called with trip 9s a week or so ago against my river bet on Q959K.

Flop ($70): 5 32
I bet $40. This should miss his range almost all the time. He raises to $115. This is where I started the path to the result. I remember watching a video or a podcast about a month ago where they said, on a board almost identical to this, that unknown random players are usually slowplaying sets and not raising hands like 44 or 4x. So he could have 66-99, maybe a weird 5x hand, some sort of bluff, etc. I decide to call. He's stacking off with his 66+ probably and if he has bluffs or naked pairs, I have a ton of equity.

Turn ($300): A
I wish this was a K more than an A. I check. He bets a weird $130. I call.

River ($530): 6
I check. He jams for $265. I go into the tank. I know nothing about this player. How often are players turning a 5x or a 77/88/99 into a bluff? But then again how often is 22/33/55 being turned into a bluff? Unless he thinks I'll call with a random two pair type of hand. This looks like a 4x or just a guy trying to blow away a stack against someone who has seemed fairly LAGgy. I decide to call, and he shows 43, a hand I literally never think he has. Because it's true, most unknown random players aren't raising with draws. Just so happened that this guy did. Looking back on it, I think it's a fold on the river. I keep harking on what a random player wouldn't do, but also failed to mention another thing a random player wouldn't do: triple barrel bluff.

This next hand I'm showing literally just because of the thought process behind it. One player limps, I raise AT to $25 in HJ. Only CO calls. CO seems like a loose player, younger MAWG in a suit, business casual. First time I've played with him.

Flop ($60): T92
I bet $45. Large bet sizing because this flop should smack his range hard and he will have a wide range to call with, most of which I'm ahead of.

Turn ($150): 6
Not the best card in the world, but it really only improves the random 96s and 87. I bet $105. I could honestly go to like $120 since again, a wide range can call that I'm ahead of. He thinks for a little bit before almost sigh calling.

River ($360): Q
Only the Q is a worse card in the deck. I go into the tank for a bit. What worse calls a bet if I bet? Mayyyybe JT, mayyyybe KT. What better folds? Nothing? I think QJ may just call, QT obvious, Q9, KJ, KQ, J8. I looked for a reason to bet before checking. He pretty quickly checked back as well. I flip over AT, kind of expecting to take it down after the check. He flips over JJ. Interesting thing about JJ....it may be the ONLY better hand that folds. But I'm not putting JJ in his flatting range, that is very often a 3bet. I liked the entire execution of the hand from my perspective, the only thing wrong is that I didn't put JJ in his range.

So I'm in for $1100. Aside from the first posted hand, been playing great IMO. But I only have a $500 or $550 stack. A hand then pops up, and this is a perfect example of why you should always pay attention to the action at the table. BTN straddles to $10. SB, a guy I've seen everyday I'm there but is definitely a bit too loose/passive, tries to raise to $15. He has a very narrow preflop raising range. The dealer says "no, you can't do that, it's just a call." Folds to me and, what good fortune, I see AA. I raise to $45. One LP calls, BTN calls, and SB calls.

Flop ($180): 843
SB donks for $100. He has about $200ish left. I flat. I already know he doesn't have a set because he isn't raising 88 or 44 or 33 in that position. Both players fold.

Turn ($380): 9 or something
He jams, I insta call, and sure enough he has KK and I win the pot.

While that example may be like a "duh" type of moment, it's a lot easier to play when you notice an irregularity and can literally pinpoint a player's range to 3 or 4 hands and know when they are aggressive that you know exactly where they're at.

I actually set over set someone for a $1k pot. A little after, the biggest hand of the day for me happens. Who the hell knew it'd be with KTo. Anyways, by this point my stack is up to like $1,500. There are two limps and I raise KT to $25 in CO. BTN, a loose player who just recently lost a large pot, calls as well as BB and the other limpers.

Flop ($125): KQ5
Checks to me. I bet $75. BTN and two other players flat. Oh ****, a bloated pot.

Turn ($425): 2
Checks to me. Here's what I know. The 2 is very unlikely to hit anyone. If anyone had two pair on the flop, it's so multiway that they would have raised. Same with a set. AK is almost certainly a preflop raise. But there are still a ton of draws. Weird stack sizes too, every one has like $4 or $5 hundred behind. I bet $150. It's a weird bet on my part, but I think I can get more value from a couple of the players. BTN jams for $200 more. Folds to me. I think for a little bit. I overhear him say that he's only worried about being outkicked. So he doesn't have AK. I don't think he is angling because if he did have a huge hand, it'd be on the flop. So I call hoping he doesn't have KJ. He flips over K9o and I scoop the pot.

It's been a while since I've been able to, so after that hand I decided to take a chip porn picture!



Red's are $100 stacks, the green is about $1.1k. I wound up winning another hand AQdd > KK AIOTF 235x and then racked up at my pre planned upon time.

7 hours 10 minutes
+$1,326

Good stuff mate, wp.