I’ve decided to do this thread in an attempt to make myself hopefully meet and exceed some of my poker related goals for 2018. I haven’t ever done one of these so bear with me and feel free to share any tips so I can hopefully make this an enjoyable ride.

About Me

I’m early 30’s currently live in Columbus, OH and am originally from the Louisville, KY area. I started playing poker at around 18ish and was pretty heavy into the online scene until Black Friday. I mostly played .50/1 NL, 1/2 NL, as well as the $22 sit n goes. I also played at the casino live at times but didn’t have much of a use for it since I could easily play online and multiple tables. I now almost solely play at Hollywood Columbus and play 1/2NL and occasionally 2/5 NL. I have a full-time job so I can’t make poker a priority but instead consider it a passive secondary source of income. I also play DFS daily as well so both the job plus DFS research limit my ability to play poker daily or even several times a week.

2018 Goals (I’m going to hopefully set obtainable goals but also push myself a little as well)

-480 hours of cash game poker – 40 hours a month
-24 tournaments – 2 a month minimum
-$10,000 for the year. (Roughly $20/hr in cash games)
-Read at least 6 poker books this year.
-Make 2/5 my regular game
-Make a visit to at least 2 of the WSOPc stops and play cash as well as some events

Poker Room Info

Hollywood Columbus – 1/2NL is $100-400 buy-in so this plays a little bigger than most of the 1/2 games I’ve played in. 2/5 is 300-1k max.

Horseshoe Indiana – I will frequent this room on trips back home to visit family. Although it seems like this room has gone somewhat downhill the action still seems pretty good on most visits and they pretty much only spread 1/2NL and some other limit games. At times they do a mandatory straddle game which is interesting.

Jack’s Cincinnati – I will also visit here every few months to hang out with some friends. I normally only play 2/5 NL in this room as the 1/2 is 200 max and 2/5 is 500 max. It plays pretty similar to 1/2 in Columbus in my opinion.

Vegas – I normally go to Vegas at least 2 or 3 times a year but poker hasn’t been my focus in the past on trips. Hopefully I can actually make it a point to put in some hours on future visits.

My plan is to update interesting hands as well as after my sessions. I will attempt to update after every session as I most likely won’t be playing tons of them. I normally only do a couple per week as time permits.

I have 2 sessions already in the books for the year.

Hollywood Columbus 12/31/2017

In - $400 (+$100 add-on)
Out - $756
Time - 5h 6 mins
Win/Loss - +256

Hollywood Columbus 1/1/2018

In - $400
Out - $1273
Time - 3h
Win/Loss - +873

Total
Hours - 8h 6m
Win/Loss - +1129

I have a trip planned to Jack's Cincinnati this coming up weekend and plan to hopefully play some cash on Friday and then the monthly 50k guarantee $400 buy-in on Saturday 1/6/2018.

All the best!

Best of luck on your goals in 2018 as you are off to a hot start. I looks like you have it mapped out with a good mixture.

Thanks! Much Appreciated! Thanks! It was a good 2 sessions. Wish I could have stayed longer yesterday as their were 2 players at the table I was trying to get in every hand I could with.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

12/31 Session


1/1/18





Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Bossing it, keep it up!

Hoping I do! Not sure I will get a session in before my Cincy trip this weekend. I may but not 100% sure yet.

Well the Cincinnati trip went pretty horrendous. Nothing of good notes from the entire trip. Cash was awful, tournament was awful, the run bad was real. It was some of the worst run bad I have experienced in such a short time frame.

I started the trip by playing the 2/5 game which is 200-500max. There were 3 tables going with 2 "Main Tables" and 1 feeder table. I got sat down at the feeder table and it was 8 handed.

I bought in max and was getting good preflop starting hands, making raises, whiffin the flop. I then got AQo in the SB and it folds to the the CO. This player had been playing fairly loose and was about $180 effective. He makes it $15. Button folds. I decide to make a squeeze play and 3b to $50. He doesn't have much hesitation and puts in in there. I saw him 4 hands ago go all in with 37 suited so I'm not folding in this spot. I call and he flips over 88. The board comes 22994. No face cards to be seen and he scoops the pot.

Hero(I added on to my stack to make it $500eff)
The very next hand I get AQ on the button. UTG+1 raises to $25, HJ calls, CO calls, I call, and SB calls.

Flop K510

UTG+1(Original raiser) bets $125, HJ folds, CO goes all in for $189. I sit there and decide what I want to do. I decide on a call because I wanted to see what the SB was going to do and UTG+1 only had about $150 or so more. So it was getting in. SB ends up calling as well and UTG+1 did the same.

Turn
4

SB looks at my stack and UTG+1s and puts in a $300 bet that put me all in. UTG+1 snap pushes his chips in and I do the same.

River
7

It bricks out for me and SB ends up scoping both the side and main pots with 105 that flopped 2 pair and rivered a flush. UTG+1 had AK, and CO showed a bad flush draw.

I ended up rebuying for only $300 because that's all the chips the dealer had at the time.

2 hands later I get QQ in the cutoff. It goes about the same as all of my other hands. I raise $25 with 2 callers. Flop was 1072r I bet $45. Both players call. Turn is an 6 and both players check to me. Both of these players have been pretty aggressive when hitting something and seem like call stations that play any 2 cards. As I only had roughly $230 ish left I couldn't see any other bet here than a shove due to my effective stack. I shove it in for $230 for a pot sized bet. One fold, and the other player sits there forever trying to decide if he wants to call. He takes about 2 minutes and drops in 1 chip, announces call. River is a 10... great. I knew it was the card to smash me. He shows 108 and gets there on the river.

The night didn't end any better when I ran trip Aces into a rivered full house.

Jack's Cincinnati (1/5/2018)

In - $1300
Out - $0
Time - 1h 37m
Win/Loss - -1300

Total
Hours - 9h 43m
Win/Loss - -171

My pretrip plans were to play the $400 50k Guarantee tournament on Saturday which started at 11:15. I started my day with some breakfast at the hotel which was pretty bad. I registered for the tournament and had about 30 minutes to spare. I decide to get a Starbucks and then head back.

The cash games from the night before were just a precursor to what my tournament would be like. At least I didn't grind for 10 hours and then bubble. It was quick and brutal.

I took a few small pots and was getting my confidence back from last night. I was playing good poker in my opinion and my table was SOFT. I thought it was going to be a good day.

Then the downward spiral starts. I raise 4.5x with JJ and flop a set on a very draw heavy board. I play bet hard on the flop but the turn comes a 1 card straight. I bet get min raised and call. Turn doesn't improve my hand but now brings in the flush. I check and have to fold my set.

It was pretty early and the player to my left seemed like they were steaming a little. Muttering words, cursing, etc after a few lost pots and getting drawn out on according to them. I raise UTG+1 with AK and they 3B me. It folds around back to me and I'm trying to decide if they are tilting or not. I decide 4b which ends up them shoving. It's not a ton more for me to call the shove so I do so. It's AK vs KK. I'm live... but barely. It runs out and KK is good.

I'm pretty crippled at that point but still have about 14 BB's. I end up getting QQ in late position and raise it up about 3x. It folds to BB who just ships it. Well I'm getting it in here and not folding. What do you know I'm up against AA. I don't improve and the AA hits a set on the river. I'm out of the tournament.

$-200 only due to my buddy buying half of my action.

Not sure how the villain can have T5ss there?

Oops! I messed the flop up it was K510

Thanks for the catch.

1/14/2018

I was able to get a session in at Hollywood Columbus on Sunday night. I hadn't played since last weekend and weather here has been terrible. I had a comedy show (Ron White) my girlfriend and I went to see on Friday so no poker that night. Saturday I was lazy and decided to just watch football for most of the day/night. I arrived at the casino around 5-6 pm and decided I was going to hopefully get a good session in after the beatdown I took last weekend.

I started off at 1/2 while I was waiting on a 2/5 seat to open up. There was only 1 table of 2/5 going with several names on the list. I max bought for $400 and was sat down immediately. As soon as I sat down I got involved in a few hands and was quickly up about $250. There were a few interesting hands that I ran into.

Hero (450)
Villian (120)

2 Limpers, Hero in the HJ raise to $15 with J10, SB calls, limper calls.

Flop
Q109

Checks to Hero, I bet $20, SB raises to 60, limper folds. I look at SB stack and realize he only has about $45-50ish more. I decide to go all in. He instantly calls as I expected.

Turn
K

River
2

So I turned the straight and rivered the flush. I assumed a scoop. The villian quickly tables 47 and it's no good.

Another hand I got involved in a couple hands later.

Hero ($650)
Villian ($330ish)

I have only been playing with the Villian maybe 30 mins at this point but he appeared pretty tight and not making any bigger bets light. That was all I had at this time.

It ends up limping 6 ways to the flop.
Hero 96

Flop
1096

It checks to the villian and he bets $10, the villian is directly to my right, I make it $30, and it folds to him. He thinks for a few and makes the call.

Turn
4

So I pick now pick up a flush draw with my flopped 2 pair.

Villian checks to me and I bet $50. He sits for a second and makes it $200 to go. I look at his stack and there is only about $95 left. He wants to play for stacks it appears. At this point I'm assuming he isn't getting his money in light and at minimum has 910, top pair plus the flush draw, or a flopped straight. He didn't have enough behind to warranty the call and I fold faced up. He shows me 78 for the flopped straight... glad I folded!

A few hands later it limps 7 ways to me in the BB. I look down at AJ off and decide to put a sizeable raise in due to the limpers. I raise to $22. UTG+2 ends up shoving all in for $105 total. I'm pretty sure I'm behind at this point and hope I'm up against a pair of 6s-10s. I decide to gamble and put in the call.

Flop
KQ4

At this point I'm assuming I'm way behind and hoping for only a 10. It runs out small cars and the Villian flips over AK off.

Bad play by myself and I should have folded. I didn't have much info on this person and hadn't seen him play very many hands. I didn't assume he was limping in with a big pair or AK due to the table dynamics but I was wrong.

A table of 5-5 PLO ends up opening up and a lot of the better regs end up moving from 2/5 to there. Several seats open up and I am able to get a spot.

1/2 Stats

In - $400
Out - $465
Time - 1h 48m
Win/Loss - +65

I move over to the 2/5 table and so does another player at my table. He was a very tight player and only showed down premium hands. He ended up only buying in $400 to the 2/5 game.

It is a full table and I end up just adding $400 to my current stack that I moved over to from 1/2 as I had $400 in chips in my pocket.

I end up being card dead for several orbits and whiffing flops on called raises, etc. I end up reloading my stack about $200 when the table decides on a round of $10 UTG straddles.

My seat position is pretty ideal and all of the tighter/bad players are to my left and few loose as well as 2 better regs to my right. I hadn't had very many interesting hands but here is one.

UTG appears pretty LAG lots of opens, called numerous preflop raises light.
SB thinking player, playing TAG and putting people in tough spots.

Straddle is on $10 (UTG)
I raise $40 QQ UTG+1 ($1100)
CO($1300), SB($1000), UTG($900) call

Flop
Q95

Check, I bet $80, fold, SB and UTG call.

4
Check, check, Hero $225.

Insta fold to me. I had the board pretty crushed but didn't want to give equity to draw out on me. Maybe a sized a little big. Plan was to get stacks in but no go!

I end up winning a good sized pots but the hands were pretty self explanatory. I called down a bluff by the UTG villian in the above hand for a sizeable pot.

He ended up rebuying for $320 and seemed a little tilted after he called a big all in in the river and was presented a full house. He ended up raising the $10 straddle in UTG+1 to $35 and I look down at KK and make it $100. I had made several 3 bets and raises so I assumed I would get a cold call or he would make the call or re-raise. Unfortunately he folds

It ends up being a good night and I get my mojo back after last weekends slugfest and terrible run bad.

2/5 Stats

In - $1050
Out - $1770
Time - 3h 11m
Win/Loss - +720

Year Total
Hours - 14h 42m
Win/Loss - +614

1/14/2018 Hollywood Columbus



Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

I also started my first book this weekend. The idea was to concentrate on strategy, mental poker game, etc. But a friend of mine asked if I wanted to borrow his copy of Phil Hellmuth's autobiography. Sure, why not!



Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Subscribed!! GL!!

Thanks for following along and the reintroduction to the Shark Tank!

1/19/2018 Shark Tank (Columbus, OH)

I decided to do something different and make a visit to the local poker club, Shark Tank. I hadn't been here in several months but enjoyed the visit. I used to go here to play tournaments to try and keep my tourney game somewhat fresh but they changed the structure up and the weekday tournaments end way too late for my work schedule.

By advice of @jtm1208 I figured I would give it a try again and play some cash there. I got there about 8 or 9 and got right in a game. They had 2 tables going the Main game and the must-move, both were 1/2 NL. The max buy-in was $400 so I bought in max as normal. Fridays they do something different and have an optional $10 button straddle and you can straddle UTG for $4 (everyday). It appeared quite a few players were doing the $10 button straddle so it made this game play quit big at times.

Almost as soon as I sat down I got involved in a pretty big pot. Pretty straightforward hand with nothing too tricky. It was a limped around pot with 6 or 7 callers and I was in late position.

Hero Q6

Flop
345

UTG +1 lead out for $10, and got 3 callers. I decide to put in a raise to $45.

UTG+1 (350 eff) thinks for a little while and ends up making it $120.

I make the call and decide to reevaluate on the turn.

Turn 9

He moves all-in at this point.

I think for a moment and drop in the chip making the call.

River 10

He angrily throws over 26 for the flopped straight with no spade.

We scope the pot with the Q high flush.



I ended up almost doubling up pretty quickly but ran into just pure run bad. I would slowly increase my stack and was at about $1100ish but then got a set of 9s that I 3bet pre all in on the flop. The end result was the turn put a 1 card straight and it went runner runner spades. The person had A10 on a board of J 9 8 10 5 with 3 spades.

I lost a good sized pot but was still about double my buy in until I ended up raising pre with 88 and once again getting it all in on the flop. The turn presented me with the wonderful 1 card straight card and the villian has it again.

At this point I'm still up a few hundred dollars but the flopped set getting drawn out on is getting old! I end up playing way too long and am very tired at this point. I should have left with a profit but decide to keep playing. I end up with a few run outs and leave with a loss of my buy-in.

In - $400
Out - $0
Time - 5h 38m
Win/Loss - -400

1/22/2018 Shark Tank (Columbus, OH)

I decide to get another session in and arrive at the poker club around 6:45. If you buy in before 7 pm you get a free $10 gas card (lol). Gotta get my gas card! Why not!

I buy in max of $300. It's $300 max every day except on Fridays where it's $400. I notice a 2/5 Reg at my table from Hollywood who is a good player and someone from Friday night who was also a good competent player which was very capable. Things aren't looking up at the moment!

I am as card dead as ever and am start getting board playing pretty bad cards. I end up reloading for another $100. I don't get into many hands but raise a few whiff the flop, rinse and repeat.

Someone gets moved over from the must-move table who has a little over 1k and I notice everyone immediately several of the better players at the table reload max as soon as he sits down and buy 75% of the big stack. I then am informed this player is pretty bad which I assumed by everyone instantaneously max buying.

I start getting some cards and the action at my table improves. I end up hitting a set of 2s on a raise pot and get it all in and was good and take down about a $600 pot. The 2s continue to be good and I call a preflop raise from UTG+1 (the guy who recently sat down with 1k) and I flop another set. The 2s are good and I take down another $400ish pot.

It's late at this point and decide to leave as I have to get up for work in the morning. I roll out around 12:30 with a decent profit.



In - $400
Out - $803
Time - 5h 7m
Win/Loss - +403

An update of the months progress so far. My hours are a little short but I think I can make my goal of 40 hours this month. I plan to play hopefully one more time through the week and then most likely Friday and maybe Saturday or Sunday. I still need to get another tournament in but not sure if it will happen or not.

Year Total
Hours - 25h 27m
Win/Loss - +617

1/24/2018 Shank Tank (Columbus, OH)

I haven't updated in a few and it was due to this session. I didn't necessarily play bad in my opinion just got myself into some tough situations. Since I'm new to this club and attempting to adjust to the game it was been somewhat difficult. The level of aggression here is quite high and preflop raises numerous times are going 6-7 ways. (10 handed cash) I'm also not used to 10 handed play. I need to tighten up my range, loosen my 3 bet range in late position, and attempt to fix some of the leaks I have noticed.

I did punt off $400ish late in this game. There was a MP raise to $12 and 3 callers. Late position 3B to $65. The villain had 3B light numerous times and figured he was doing the same here. I decide to 4B to $165 with 1010. It folds to him and he shoves all in. I have about $200 behind. I decide to make the call and am up against KK. The board runs out and he scoops the pot. I should have made the fold but didn't. I was hoping I was up against AK and didn't see him being this strong in this spot.

Played about 5 hours and down $1000. Not a great night!

Very much enjoying the chip porn. Good luck!

tough run, you'll get the mojo going and book a couple winners in a row.