Session #24
Bought in at 9:00p for $200
Topped off for $110 around 10:00p.
Cashed out for $262 at 11:46p
Bankroll is at $6279

Cashed out 262. Kind of a weird session. Never played with any of the players. 3 players knew each other and were losing money amongst themselves, fun action players, but i didnt get any of there money. was up to 325 but nothing really ever got going. They left after an hour or so and the one buddy had won all the other two peoples money. I lost a flopped 2 pair v rivered trips hand which kinda knocked me down a bit but I grinded back. Really slow boring session. Tomorrow being memorial day im going to play all day, they are running a high hand promo so the games should be decent.

Session #25
Bought in at 1:00p for $200
Cashed out at 5:45p for $293
Bankroll is at $6372

Didn’t recognize anyone in the game. Sort of swingy session, was up to 430. Games we pretty below average for it being a high hand promo day. Played okay nothing really special. Went card dead for a while then chipped up and drifted back down. Game towards the end was only 5/5 & 5/10 regs and I didn’t feel comfortable playing 5 handed with them so I got up and left. I wanted to play longer and should have just asked for a table change but decided against it for some reason. Looking for spots to shot take 2/5.

Session #26
Bought in for a total for $500 at 6:00p
Cashed out for $410 at 9:51p
Bankroll is at $6286

Really up and down session. Got my AA cracked by T4dd lol. When I win or lose I dont react at all instead I just get up from the table (usually after a beat) and walk it off. So I kinda tilted for 10 min while I was pacing around the casino hahaha. Then tripled up to 580 with JJ on a flopped set. Made a few more hand and was sitting about 605 and then got KK beat by 55. I need to focus on trying to get inside my opponents head and thinking from their perspective instead of just focusing on my perspective. Idk if this is worth anything in 1/2 but maybe worth a try against a 1/2 reg.

Session #27
Started at 5:40p
Bought in for a total of $500. (included reloads)
Cashed out at 10:15p for $101.
Bankroll is at $5887

Sessions like these make me question my poker play and if I’m actually ok at cards. 3 barrel bluff didn’t get through on my bust hand. I have the gut shot straight and flush draw and missed the river. Idk I think it gets through more often than not against that player type. It’s really frustrating being card dead and then picking up a solid hand, opening it or 3 betting it IP and then getting blow off it by a jam from some player. I did get coolered for my first bullet I had 66 flop comes 6tt turn 9 river k, guy had t9. I don’t really put much weight into coolers because those hands play themselves pretty much.It seemed like every spot I chose I was getting raised or jammed on and never really got going. I feel stuck between 6.4 and 5.9k and cannot seem to string together 2-4 solid wins to break out towards 7k.

Session #27
Started at 6:10p
Bought in for a total for $530 (includes reloads)
Cashed out for $0.00 at 8:20p
Bankroll is at $5357

I’m really not sure what I could have done this session. Was the worst session I’ve ever played. I won 1 hand the entire time which was 2 hours in to the session. That is a first. My last bust hand I had KQo in lp, I raise 2 callers flop k35r I bet 20, get raised to 50, cold caller, I jam for like 165, both call. AK and 55. I definitely can fold there after the cold call but I was stubborn and didn’t believe I could be running that bad. Pretty miserable feeling. On a 1k downswing. My two other bust hands I played fine but were just unlucky. 99 vs j6o on a j68r2ojo board, called a jam on the river for my stack from a very lag player. TT all in on the flop for 200 vs Kxss vs Q8ss on a taj xss ko 3o board.

Session #28
Started at 4:20p
In for a total of $300
Out for $0 at 6:22p
Bankroll is at $5057

Well.....my winrate the past 2 sessions is -$197 / hour so that is a feat. Straddle pot, 2 limps in front of me, Im in mp with 86dd i limp, 2 more limps, flop 886, checks, i bet 12, 2 calls, turn Q, i bet 30, lp snap calls, sb makes it 75, i call, lp snap calls. River K, sb leads 75, i have 105 i go all in, lp folds, sb obv calls. he has k8. Idk if any of you have watched Joey Ingrams video about driving off a cliff, well that is were im at.

That sucks man. Sorry to hear.
Don’t let it get to you. You have to stay strong and mentally focused since you KNOW you can play and win.
I was felted in five of my first six sessions after starting the year with a $2000 bankroll.
It went down to $700 before I started heading in the right direction.
It also sucks that your casino has such a small limit buy in since it almost forces you to reload which makes a loss seem worse. At my casino you can buy in up to $500, so I started at $300 and ONLY brought one bullet. If I lost (even on the first hand) I’d head home.
Thankfully I was able to build my bankroll up to $5000 so I can buy in for $500 table max.
Another casino in my area has a $300 max buy in and I always feel “short stacked” starting out there and play worse.
Maybe just for one or two sessions ONLY bring $200. Play really tight and just try to book a $100 win. Yeah it’s small and sucks to play that tight but it mentally helps you get over the hump just to book a win in cases like this. (At least it does for me)
Only hand you mentioned during your loss streak I’d highlight is the 99 vs J6.
Obviously you know the player better than me, but even against the laggiest player at my casino, I’m not taking 99 to the felt there.
Otherwise it’s all coolers you described and very little you can do about it besides “play through”.
And one other thing, I might not bluff (at all) until the loss streak breaks. It sucks and it forces you to play much tighter, but when losing like you’ve said I find that somehow my bluffs NEVER get through. Maybe it’s mentally I pick the wrong spots, maybe my opponents know I’ve been losing and so they don’t believe me... I don’t know.

Otherwise sounds like you’re playing fine so good luck and get back to crushing it.

I know it, yesterday me and my friend were talking about it only being a 200 dollar max, because you’re right, it does feel like I’m playing short stacked. I do like the idea of taking only one bullet and trying to book a win just so I know what it feels like to do so. I booked a loss yesterday so I’m going on 5 losing sessions in a row and there is a lot of red on my tracker! As for the 99 v J6 hand I just really didn’t belive he had a J. Sometimes I make a read dependent calls when I don’t belive an opponent has a certain hand. Idk probably not +EV in 1/2 lol. My casino is running a promo in June where on Tuesday and Thursday if you play 8 hours they pay you 160 so after work I’ll be going and playing that. Hopefully I can turn this downswing around.

Session #29 (yesterday, June 5)
Started at 5:10p
In for a total of $420
Cashed out at 1:15a for $78
Bankroll is at $4715

Thought this was gonna be the session where I turned it around....buttttttt that isn’t happening haha. Was up to 250-260 really early in a session when a few 5/5 players sat down and were getting gambly, but then they got called for their game and left. Was playing decently, nothing really spectacular. I was getting dealt either junk or premiums so it makes it easier to play. And then I busted my first buy in. Got QQ on the btn I raised, sb 3 bets me, he had been folding to every raise I put in so I knew he was strong so I decided to flat. Normally I 4 bet but against this player I didn’t. Flop came 782ssc. He bets 50 I jam he calls he has AA. I figured I was under repped and if he had any suited broadways he’s calling and I know he isn’t 3 betting 22 88 or 77. There a many more hands that don’t have me beat but still call vs hands that have me beat. So that hand felted me and I rebought and table changed to one with my buddy. Much more of an action table but every hand I was i was getting jammed on or out flopped. I did double up to 190 but dwindled back down. 1657 dollar downswing

I was at the table for the QQ vs AA hand. I don't think you had the Qs in your hand so that opens up a few more spade draws for the villain, but in my experience with him he is extremely nutted in that spot and not sure he gets to that spot in the hand with worse than JJ, maybe TT, but even those hands he is 3 betting a lower percentage of the time than you are giving him credit for.

Oh really what seat were you in. I didn't really have much hand history with him so I didnt know how narrow his 3 bet range was. All I knew was he hadnt called one of my opens or 3 bets since real early in the session and never 3 bet me until that hand. I think folding the flop is too weak and it would be too exploitable unless his 3 bet range is only AA or KK. I think he can have AKss AQss KQss, granted I double block 2 of those hands so it is less likely he has a Q.
Good playing with you btw!!

Sat in the 6 and moved to the 9.

Session #30
In for a total of $500
Started at 5:15p
Cashed out for $771 at 1:30a
Bankroll is at $5146. (Added $160 because I got paid for the paid to play promo)

Session started off straight down and was stuck 500 pretty fast. Took at walk with my buddy and then it was all the way up to 771 when I cashed out. Unfortunately, one of the dealers didn’t have me swiped into their bravo and when I got up to leave and check to make sure I played 8 hours for the promo it said I needed another hour and a half, at 1:30am. I had to be up for work at 7a so I didn’t stay the 1.5 hours I needed for the extra 160. In the early part of the session I ran QQ into AA again for stacks and then KQcc into KK when I opened for 12 and got shoved in for 40, shrug called it off. Got a full double when I had quads. There was this huge fish in the 1 seat where I had KJdd flop came kj6hhh bet call turn 7o bet call river 7o check bet he check raise jams, I ended up folding, this was his first hand, I should have called because he was playing every hand and calling every raise. I just didn’t have enough info on him. After that hand I started mixing it up quite a bit with him by opening pots for 7.5-10x trying to iso him and 3betting super light vs him, he dusted off quite a bit to me. Once he left we decided to break the game. I sat at a pretty decent game for the last 2 hours and caught a guy steaming, I had a8dd in mp flop 6j2ssc check steamer in lp bet 15 I call turn 8c, check check, river j, I check, bet 46 I call, he mucks. Best words in poker “nice call,” that took me up to my 771 cashout. Not convinced quite yet that the downswing is over but it sure feels good to see some black go on the books. I’m not sure what my strategy is this weekend, I’m pretty tired this morning so idk if I’ll play tonight, I definitely want to get 1 session in this weekend.

Hi ShakeDaddy, great thread.
I know I'm a little late to the party and this might be redundant but I wanted to rehash the 2 and done re load strategy.
Looks like you've been more flexible on that front lately and I think you've gotten some great opinions already.
Here's my thoughts on it.
I set my limit to 3 rebuys. There's a fine line between the two.
Our biggest targets at the tables are usually the scared money.
The guys who's girlfriends/wives are playing the slots and they decide they're going to grab 200 bucks and try their luck at poker. A one and done deal.
When you set your limit to 2, you sort of become that guy.
So, what's the big difference between 2 and 3 one might ask.
Well, I'm of the firm opinion that if you lose three buy ins, you're playing bad, the games too tough, you're on tilt, even if you think you aren't.
You should definitely quit after 3.
I've been able to come back to at least even many a time after being down 2 but again, after 3, call it a night.
I talk too much at the table too!
Good luck!

Nepeeme thanks for the thoughtful feedback!! I have been more flexible on the buy ins and what I am willing to risk and the more hours I've played the more I have realized what you said, 3 buy in limit is so much different than just 2. I usually bring 1k with me, but only 600 in chips. There has been one occasion where I was in for $700 and lost like $625 of that, but other than that I'm usually buying in for $200-$500. I agree with you to some extent on your point about if you loose the 3 buy ins that it is due play bad, I think that run bad can hit you in the face sometimes and there are situations that can't be avoided and if you are playing against deeper stacks you may be in the game for more than 3 bullets because those situations amplify them selves, AA v KK, set vs set,ect., are ones you can't avoid. I do agree that most times when you lose 3 buyins, play bad is the result of a cooler and you steaming. I believe a strength in my game is that I don't steam much, everyone does it, just to a matter of what extent. Whenever I find my self in those situations, which has been a lot recently, I try and take a lap around the casino, gather my thoughts, evaluate how I have been playing, and focus on playing the next situation. Sometimes I feel like it just isn't my day and I leave. The feeling after playing for 2 hours and loosing $500 really makes me question wtf I am doing lol.

Crushing

Session #31
In for $200 at 6:05p
Out for $507 at 2:30a
Bankroll is at $5453

I think the best hand I made all night was trips. Pretty card dead all night but when I had a hand they were paying me off. Definitely not complaining about it tho. Booked a solid 300 dollar win. Nothing really exciting happened this session other than this weird spot where I got two better hands to fold on a turn check raise. mp opens to 15, btn calls I call in sb with AQo flop QJJr, i check mp bets 40 btn calls, i call, turn 7o, I check, mp checks, btn bets 40 I raise to 100, mp folds AA and btn tank folds a J ?? lol Idk how or why the jack folded. I thought I was raising for value. At first I wanted a call but then he started saying that he put me on KJ and that beat so then I knew my Q was no good. I was absolutely crushed in the hand haha. I had a pretty tight table image but still. Is check raising the turn a confusing play for opponents?? It seems very effective for me, I can think of many times where I have check raised the turn and got the better hand to fold. The games did not have that much action tonight. My buddies came down and found me playing cards so I racked up and watched them play blackjack and roulette till they lost their money. I was pretty tired the whole session and I didnt take dinner at all, definitely need to start doing that more. Other than that, played solid

Glad to hear you’re finally headed back in the right direction
As for the hand, I think you’re tables LOL tight and those were insane folds.

But to your general question, YES, to a thinking or scared player, a check raise on the turn looks VERY tight. Especially if it was there on the flop since they think you’re trying to lure them in by delaying the check raise.

However, against the maniacs I play at my casino, they’d just call you down.
So just know the player and use that helpful trick to steal a fete pots if the player type allows it.

Dude I know it lol. The guys that folded weren't even OMCs. One guy was a 31 yr old 2-5 player and the other guy was like 45 and had about 2k in front of him. Glad I got the folds tho. But yes finally headed back in the right direction, feels good to start booking wins again.

Session #32
In for $200 at 5:15p
Cashed out for $536 at 8:22p
Bankroll is at $5789

Super short session today. Played pretty well, made a few correct lay downs and got some really good value on hands. I did suck out on a young guy and he tilted some more off to me. 1 limp I opened KJhh in utg1 to 15, utg3 calls hj calls, limper calls. Utg3 recently bluffed me with a flush draw. Flop KT8ddx, limp checks I bet 45, utg3 and hj call. Turn 5x i check, utg3 bets 60 hj calls, I jam 180 eff. Utg3 calls and hj folds. River jd, we win vs his AK. Hehe. He then went on to tell me how poor play by me it was and how he knew I was super weak!? Lol. I think he has a flush or straight draw way more than AK since he didn't 3 bet or raise the flop. Other than that I just tried playing solid. Back on Tuesday for 8hr promo.

Session #33
Started at 5:00p
In for a total of $400
Cashed out at 1:00a for $663
Bankroll is at $6052

Bankroll is back up over 6k, I still have to add 160 on to It once I get paid for the promo. I started off at a realllly boring table and then I switched to a better table and stayed there the rest of the time. During this upswing I haven’t been coolering people it’s usually been that I have the better hand am getting 2-3 streets of value and winning the pot. Not really too many interesting spots for the amount of hours I’ve been playing recently. Maybe 1 hand per session that is interesting. I had 33 in mp I called a raise from a super lag player to my direct right, flop came TTQ checks around turn 3, lag player bets 10 into a pot of like 25ish I calls river 7 he bets 75 I tank call trying to get two people behind me to call, they both folded and he just mucked!! Pretty tough table I played at 5-6 solid regs at a time.

Hi. Sorry about that. I sort of misspoke or expressed my self inaccurately.
I didn't want to say, playing bad. What I really wanted to say was "running bad".
Well, there's a saying about divorces that goes something like this, " it's always the fault of both, never only one person 's".
Anyway,glad you didn't get offended.
As before, wishing you the best and will be sticking around for the ride!

No not offended at all, I get what you’re saying!! Feel free to critique my brief hands that I share, or ask any questions on why I did something, I appreciate the feedback!!

Nice on breaking 6000 again.
So are you taking a 2/5 shot this weekend?

I’m traveling out of town this weekend, but may try it next weekend, depending.
Where do you play, if you don’t mind me asking?

I play at MGM National Harbor in MD.

Just found this, wishing you well and following. Always keep those records they help so much during downswings.