Current Bankroll: 4k even. (20 buy ins at 1/2)

Current Stakes: 1/2 NL with 200 max buy in, with a stop loss at 2 buy-ins / session

Hours / week goal: 25 hours per week, mainly on Friday night and Saturday night.

Goal: win rate of $20 / hour. when my bankroll hits 6k, I will shot take 2/5 with a 500 max buy in, with stop loss at 1 buy in. If I lose in the 2/5 I will drop back down to 1/2 and grind back up to 6k. If I win in the 2/5 I will still drop back down to 1/2 and continue to build my roll, but continue to shot take 10% of my sessions then 20%, 30%, ... until I am transitioned into 100% 2/5 with a 500 max buy in and a stop loss at 2 buy ins = $12.5k or 25 buy ins

^^ is this okay, too aggressive, too wishful, not enough buy ins? I'm in college and have an internship lined up for the summer so I feel 25 hours is a good amount, thoughts on this? Also some help on what size my roll should be at at the 10%, 20%, 30%, etc. increments.

I've never approached poker in this structured way. It's like way too much thinking and analysis when poker in reality is much more fluid of a game. Day by day. Session by session. Orbit by orbit. Hand by hand. Decision by decision.

I would say it's ok to have these rules for yourself, but understand that it can only be helpful to the degree that you don't give up +EV situations just so you can say you stuck to your rules.

I was wondering if I was getting too in depth/ analytical about it. I don't have a problem losing money if the situation was +EV, just by setting a stop loss on my buy ins / session guarantees I can't lose more than that. What would you recommend I do or set as goals based on my post?

Stop-losses are fine I think. I've been bringing 3k to the casino for a 1k buyin 3/5 game, but I'll probably bump it up to 4k or 5k just so I feel good. I have a tendency to tilt hard and/or sometimes go through at least 1/2 or 1 buy-in (or more) before I get most of the gamble out of my system. Plus, the first 1/2 or 1 buy-in I see as an image creation investment that can get me paid later.

I think everything about BR Management is individual. Everybody is comfortable with different degrees of risk.

To add perspective, I've taken out $5k-7k cash advances the last three times I started grinding after long absences from poker. So I went into debt technically to start playing and building a bankroll. But I had enough confidence in my skills and had put in enough hours to know that I was going to be a winner so taking out the cash advances was the obvious thing to do. I paid each of these loans back in a very short time.

The whole thing about taking shots is it's hard to say how you're going to do and how your results will affect your mindset. You might run really good and build up a couple stacks during your first couple shots at 3/5, and then never want to play 1/2 again. You'll get bored of lower stakes, it's not as exciting anymore. Or you might run a bit bad, and not want to take shots for a while.

Nothing against analyzing and planning and rules. But they don't have to be as rigid as you think, and you're able to change them as you wish. Nobody is forcing you to stick to your self imposed rules. You are free to do as you see fit as more data and information becomes available for your decision-making process.

I'd say, in general, focus on playing pots in position and avoiding playing pots, especially big ones, OOP. This rule alone will outweigh in importance any analysis you do about your BR.

Thank you spirit. I will for sure be keeping this in mind!! Keep me updated on how your grinding is going!!

It all looks good but I'd bump the stop loss up a little every now and then. You're going to find yourself in games that you probably shouldn't leave even if you've already dropped a couple buy-ins.

I thought about that too. What would you say would be a smart rate to bump up the stop loss?

It's really just about being honest with yourself. If the amount of money that you're down is affecting the way you're playing then it's time to leave, if it's not then stay. A stop loss is likely a good idea in the beginning, but once you're able to make an honest assessment of your mental state then it isn't necessary.

I guess all I'm saying is stop loss is a function of mental state. Maybe start with a strict stop loss at first, then give yourself some more leeway when you get to know yourself better.

Good luck. Your strategy sounds like mine and is inspiring me to start a thread too.
Subbed.

Awesome!! I was on the fence about doing it to, I just figured I might as well, can't hurt and in 3 months from now I probably would regret not doing it. Gl on yours as well I'll be looking for it.

First night.
Bought in at 6:00p for $200
Cashed out at 9:30p for $820
Bankroll up to $4620.

I played well and ran well. I was at a table that just got started so there were no deep stacks as the max buy in is $200. Sat to the left of the biggest stack ($220) who eventually got up around 7:30 ish. Got max value on the hands where I had the goods and lost min on the hands where I was beat. I didn't get put in any tough spots. I would have played longer but there was at max $1500 on the table including my $820 so I figured I had beat that game for as much as I could and there were no other open seats so I decided to rack up and leave. Pretty good session.

Session #2
Bought in at 6:15p for $200
Cashed out at 11:15p for $615
Bankroll is at $5035.

Run good was in my favor, game wasn't the greatest for the first half of the session (5 people had headphones in), but I had good position as two big ish stacks were to my right. (~$340 & ~$300). Game started to get better around 9p when the hi hand promo started up. I made some nice bluffs early in the session to build up a little bigger stack. Made quad 2s during the hi hand period and two hands later a different table hit a runner runner 7 hi straight flush. oh well, it would have paid $400. I did get max value on the quads which was nice. I was pretty tired and a little hungover from the night before. I wanted to play yesterday (friday) and tonight but I ended up going out with friends on friday. Social life balance is tough.

Session #3
Bought in at 6:10pm for $200
Rebought for another $200
Cashed out at 9:57pm for $524
Bankroll is at $5181

Played well and made nice reads except for my bust hand. Omc player was too my direct right and the sb this hand, he completes and I check from the bb with A8hh (raise??) flop comes A83ddd. He bets, I almost fold, I had a read he flopped a flush, idk why I thought this but I did, instead I call thinking that I can't be thinking like that and if he does I have the boat re draw, turn is a brick and he checks, so now I think I am good, I bet he calls, river 3, he checks and I jam, and he sits there for 3 min tanking. I feel comfortable now and he finally calls and rolls over JTdd??? lolll, I dont think the guy really knew what he was doing. This tilted me very much so for about 20 min, I usually don't tilt even on slow rolls or bad beats. Finally I composed my self and refocused, I had to walk away for like 5 minutes. After this I started playing well again. I made a really nice top pair weak kicker call for a guys stack, I made a nice bluff that got through. I play pretty tag in general but the table for some reason thought I was really loose, idk why? It may be because when I enter a pot I pretty much always raise and if there are limpers, I hammer them. Not sure. Tonight was definitely the most challenging mentally. Those beats happen but the slow roll kind of got me. I got up because there wasnt much action or much money on the table.

Session #4
Bought in at 10:25pm for $200
Cashed out at 1:21pm for $416
Bankroll is at $5397

Was pretty card dead all night, for all 3 hours lol, stacked one of the big stacks at my table with mid two pair vs a river bluff jam. I never dipped below $200. Game was pretty bad to below average, a lot of thinking above average players. I played until our game broke and decided to go home. I got to the game late cause I was watching the pacers vs cavs game or else I would have been down there earlier. Not much else interesting happened.

Nice run so far. Keep up the good work.

Regarding the bust hand on session three, I think I bet small or check on the river. IMO shoving is only going to get you called by worse. Even somehow if someone was sticky with a 3 you’re beat.

Can you explain your thoughts on jamming and what he would have/call with?

Thanks, it has been going well!

I agree, sizing smaller or checking back would definitely be the better play & least variance route. I really just thought I was good when he just checked the turn and river, he wasn't a thinking player and I thought he had a hand like AK with the Kd. Should have gone with my gut read and folded on the flop!!

good luck mate

Session #5
Bought in at 10:30pm for $200
Busted at 1:50am
Bankroll is at $5197

Definitely did not play my best poker. I was at about 320ish early in the session, I had picked off a bluff and made a nice value bet, but those were about the only 2 hands I won. I get in the habit of striking up a conversation with another player and then begin to talk to them and hardly pay any attention to the game at all. It is actually quite a leak I have. It is also amplified 10x when I am card dead as I was tonight for the last 3/4 of the session. I enjoy getting to know people at the table but it really hurts my game. Any advice on this?? Any ways, again would have liked to get down there a little earlier to put in the hours but the pacers/cavs game was on, go pacers, so I got their later. The first 1/4 of the session was pretty good juicy game. Next 1/2 of the session was 5-6 handed and when i started to talk to the 1 seat, I was in the 3 seat. Final 1/4 of the session the game was juicy but with a lot of people I had seen there before fighting over a few fishes money. So overall kind of a ****ty session, as I was card dead and could really get anything going.

Thank you!!

Session #6
Bought in t 6:40pm for $200
Bagged $63
Re-bought for another $200
Cashed out at 11:15pm for $525
Bankroll is at $5385

Played pretty well. Beginning of the session (first 1 hr) was pretty rough, raising and then getting jammed on and getting blown off hands. Idk if I wasn't paying attention to the effective stack sizes or what but I ended up doubling a guy up and was at $63, so I put those in my bookbag and just rebought for $200. The rest of the session pretty good. Made a good call with bottom pair facing a $60 ish on the river. I was raising pre charging limpers and getting 2-3 calls and then cbetting the flop and getting folds. Table was relatively soft.

Session #7
Bought in at 10:10pm for $200
Reloaded for another $200 around 11:00pm
Cashed out for $25 lol at 2:05am

Worst session so far and for sure the worst I've played in awhile. I got put in a few tough spots tonight and made the right folds and calls. But on the hands I was making I was either not getting any value or I was getting coolered. Oh well. I bluffed way more than I normally do and for 1/2 I just shouldn't be doing that. I wasn't really mentally prepared for the session. I don't ever do any mental preparation other than going in expecting to win and having a winning mentality. The pacers had just lost to a buzzer beater from lebron which was kind of a punch to the gut, I don't think it had anything to do with my session but who knows. I also need to start taking breaks to eat during sessions. I just finished up finals today so starting tomorrow Ill be playing full time for the next 3 weeks until my intern starts. Hopefully this little experiment is enjoyable!

*if anyone reads these, any tips or advice on mental preparation?*

Don't do 1 buyin stop loss, just grind for more money then do 3 buyin stop loss.

Having too small a stop loss means that if you lose a big pot but gain useful reads on an opponent, you wouldn't be able to make use of it after, or if the game suddenly is very good, you can't reload, or top up if you have a great seat on a big spot.

For mental tips, I suggest looking into some meditating and breathing exercises. Even just some long slow breathing when you notice yourself getting distracted or annoyed can be helpful.

Wow, half the table had head phones in? That must have sucked. Where do you live?

I live in Cincinnati, Ohio. The game did suck for a while, the casino I play at is running an "April Showers" promo, so every half hour during certain times in April the high hand during that half hour gets paid $400. (Aces full of Deuces or better). Once the promo starts the games typically become much better.

I try and use a 2 buy in stop loss. The max 1/2 buy in at the casino I play at is $200, so I usually bring $400 in cash. I have been wondering about this though, if the game becomes good. I think what I will start doing is bringing $400 cash and maybe a few more buy ins in chips I have. Just kind of finding a balance. Thanks Pixie!!