Pretty solid session last night at Twin River. +68 over 4 hours.

+4154 over 196 hours.

Went down for drawing for all expenses paid Caribbean trip- for players who had the quads or better ticket---- it was PACKKEDDDD. I was not one of the two winners . It was like a "high school reunion" for New England poker players--- I thought that was pretty awesome/funny.

Ended up getting there at 3.... thinking I would be okay for the 6pm drawing--- was 55th on the list for 1.2. Shot down to the nicest planet fitness I have ever been to in Cumberland--- had some really cool equipment. Got back and was 25th on the list and timing worked out pretty well.

Planning on a foxwoods trip next wednesday night. Might play some more this weekend, trying to be more disciplined (yet still mindful) with volume. I havent had as many hours at works since we got back to full staffed. (~30 hrs) Ive been taking on a few more expenses lately so hoping to maintain solid income.

Four chapters into my Person Training ACE program---- 100% on the first quiz (it was easy) and happy to be moving forward with that.

Cheers 2+2

Very inspiring story man. Glad to see you are staying on the path of sobriety and moving forward in life, I am sure your family and friends are incredibly proud of the steps you have taken thus far. I enjoy reading your posts where you have a positive outlook where others may not. Best wishes in the future Dave!

Likewise. Easy does it.

Intresting hands! And a blog. The only thing which cross my mind is when your telling hh bit wrong. For ex, there were hand where u were UTG and CO and BTN calls your openraise. Then you write that they both checked and you bet. Wrong positions or?

Otherwise interesting live hands!

Thank you! Yes they are, blessed to have a great network of both friends/family in my life.

+1 absolutely. Progress not perfection!

Thanks---- yes sometimes I will run through hands w/o editing properly, especially early on in thread.

Went down to Foxwoods last night--- short stacked some 2.5 PLO-- wanted to take a small shot--- bought in for 320 and 300 between 2 sessions. First session +224 and second -209.

Overall +4015 over 206 hours. Had a -154 session last weekend at 1.2 ManchesterVegas I hadnt written about yet.

I mean how can I be anything but happy with how the first ~200 hours have gone?

It is time for some new goals going forward with both poker and life.

Cheers!

Good work @ Foxwoods. Feeling embarrassed giving you advice on avoiding tilt etc. while tilting off $1300 in my last 2 visits. One big problem is after losing a grand is then trying to get it all back in on session. Oh well need to keep looking grinding. I was on a heater & knew it had to end at some point. Plan was to limit myself to only putting 5% of my BR at risk but that plan went out the window after a few coolers. Ended up signing a marker for a grand.

just wanted to pop in and say congrats on your success and sobriety. Im sure your loved ones, family, and friends are proud!! Keep up the good work Dave; God bless!

Thank you, appreciate you taking time to pass on the good vibes!

I really like DGIharris's old thread as far as the concept and systems for bankroll management go.

Good session at Twin River last weekend, went up 497 over 6 hours. Biggest session in awhile. Ran really well and was able to get paid off/hold up with big hands.

4512 over 212 hours= $21.28/ hr

Hands from Twin River session Monday 10.31.16

Hand 1

77 UTG+2 (325)

Hero limps (early part of session), 3 limps to Villain 1 MP (competent TAG 250) who makes it 12, Hero calls, and Villain 2 calls UTG+3 (older guy, passive/loose pre/tightpost 150).

Flop 3 ways: 783. ($38)

Hero checks, Villain 2 bets 16, Villain 1 calls, Hero makes it 56. Both fold.

Hand 2

AQ MP+1 (375)

Few limps to hero who makes it 14, older Villain 1 MP+2 (semi competent older guy 350) calls, and Villain 2 UTG+1 who limped calls as well (overly loose young kid 200).

Flop 3 ways: K3K ($46)

Check, Hero checks, Check.

Turn: J

Villain 2 bets 5, Hero calls, Villain 1 calls.

River: 10 ($61)

Villain 2 bets 5, Hero makes it 45, Villain 1 folds, Villain 2 folds.

Hand 3

J10Button (450)

4 limps to hero who makes it 14.

Only 1 Villain calls UTG+3 (competent older reg 350)

Flop Heads up: AJ4 ($30)

Villain 1 leads 4, I make it 20. He takes a second and calls.

Turn 9 ($70)

Villain 1 checks. Hero checks.

River: J

Villain 1 checks. Hero quickly fires 75 with greens.

Villain had already mentioned how lucky hero gets, and thinks I am bullying the table. Eventually tank calls, Hero wins and Villain flashed an Ace (obviously) before mucking.

Hand 4

55 (575) CO

Limps to Hero who makes it 10. Villain 1 in SB calls (younger kid $40 behind) and everyone else folds.

Flop: 5A7 ($22)
Checks, Hero bets 10. SB calls.

Turn: J ($42)
Checks, Hero bets 25 and SB folds.

Hand 5

KQ (600) SB

The button Villain 1 makes it 12 ( younger competent reg 350), I flat in SB, and Villain 2 MP (older competent reg 200) flats as well.

Flop: K72 ($38)

Hero checks, Villain 2 checks, Villain 1 bets 25. Hero calls. Villain 2 calls.

Turn: 3 ($113)

Hero bets 55, Villain 2 shoves for 165ish, Villain 1 tank folds. Hero eventually folds.

Thoughts on hand: Meh preflop, overrated hand OOP, flop seems okay, turn is really bad--- should have checked and evaluated turn, if checked thru turn.... then river is easy value bet. That board was super dry...... Villain 2 ended up having a set and Villain 1 had AK.

Hand 6

KK Button (525)

Villain 1 in MP ( Overly loose but semi competent reg 130) makes it 12, Villain 2 calls, I make it 30 on the button, Villain 1 ships, Villain 2 folds, I call.

I say I have kings, he says Kings are good.

Board runs out ($270) 359: 4 A

He says Kings are good and I hold up....

Hand 7

Had just come back from a quick meditation in the car.

AK UTG+1 (775)

Hero makes it 14, Villain 1 calls in MP ( Young kid $300, passive/loose pre), Villain 2 (52) shoves. Folds to hero. Hero considers both shoving over the top allin against Villain 1 and just flatting. Hero ends up deciding to flat. Villain 2 folds.

Villain 2 says he has a pocket pair and I say its a race

Board: ($125) K98 8 10

Hero wins against JJ


2.5 PLO hand from previous weekend

The hand I won at 2.5 PLO last weekend at Foxwoods

Hero (275) MP 1010J9

Hero limps, 6 other limps.

Flop (40) 1084

Villain 1 (700) bets 40, Villain 2 (300) flats 40, I pot it 160, Villain 1 shoves, Villains 2 folds, and I get it in.

Turn: (620) 2

River: (620) 2

Cheers to a session where the boards were super friendly for hero

grunch from op: casino environment, alcoholism, addictive personality = no bueno. the personal training sounds like a much better option.

I'd like to say I really enjoyed reading your thread--- we are pretty similar in age and seem to have some common interests. Really a great read and if anytime you are back on the East Coast at Foxwoods let me know, would love to get in a workout/ grab some dinner and share life experience.

I get this question a lot and have thought about it a lot myself.... First off I would like to clarify that personal training is absolutely #1 priority over poker. Poker does not provide the same fulfillment and give my life value as much as helping someone progress towards their goals. The idea of playing poker 2000 hours a year as a full time career actually makes me a little sick to my stomach.

There are also a lot of things about myself that are hard to convey over a thread on a poker forum. I am an extremely driven person with almost obsessive work ethic while mixing in a pretty happy go lucky side. I have hit the point where the thought of messing up the path I am on-- holds such a strong conviction that I feel safe to be any environment because no part of me needs to change myself right now.

I was meaning to do a write up on some of those ideas so your post was an awesome segway... I also greatly appreciate you commenting because I know you have a lot of life experience with the poker lifestyle. And the more I think about it--- I probably did dive into the poker challenge much earlier in my sobriety than was ideal.

Really great 1.2 session Thursday night at Twin River. +237 over 5 hours.

+++4749 over 217 hours.

Got a fortunate run-out in a hand where I was isolating a tilted passive/loose player. Not a play I necessarily make on a regular basis. My line seems okay here, and I had a really tight image as I had only showed down winners to this point....

Villain 1 (Older guy) On second/third buyin, coming off a pretty bad beat where he got it in with an over pair on a paired board and younger guy hit a 2 outer to stack him. Villain 1 has been really loose but plays somewhat straighforward/ did notice a tendency to overplay hands.

Hero (375) 35 CO

Villain 1 (225) opens to 10, folds to hero who has looser players behind in blinds, Hero makes it 25. Folds to Villain 1 who calls.

Flop (58) K102

Checks to hero, hero bets 35, Villain 1 makes it 75, hero thinks for a second and calls.

Turn (208) 8

Villain 1 bets 60 and hero puts him all-in, Villain 1 calls.

River (458) 4

Hero scoops pot.

Thoughts on hand

Pretty fortunate run out for me, I liked disguising my hand and isolating against villain. The table was pretty shocked after my 3! when I turned over 35.

Moving forward:

Faith/Spirituality:
To keep moving forward and trusting the journey of life. Keep up with my meditation-- but without extreme focus or forcing improvement. Allowing myself to be and trust that in some way I improving my life and other lives around me. I want to do everything in my power to make sure my faith has more power than my fear.

Mindset:
Tony Robbins has a great quote in his Netflix documentary, I cant find the direct quote but it talks about the value of everyone coming into interactions with a loving and caring approach. This resonated with me because I start so many interactions with worry about what this person is going to ask of me, and will I be able to live up to that? Will I remember their name? Will I remember what they are going to ask me or understand their question? Will I give them the reaction that they desire?

So instead of giving this person the energy that I can relate to whatever part of the human experience they are feeling right now..... I come off reserved because I am tight in my own mind, wondering will I be able to live up to this expectation or request that will be asked of me?

Physical:
I have been lifting heavier and eating a lot of carbs around/during my workouts. Challenged myself (and put it on facebook/bodyspace) to reach 190lbs with less than a 12% BF by Dec. 17. I am behind pace right now as it was a lofty goal to gain ~25 lbs in 9 weeks---- but I am lifting heavier and have implemented heavy weight/low reps into my routine.

Poker:
My goal for poker is to find a compelling goal for poker that is not just financially or volume based. I think both volume and profit numbers never tell the whole story.

Tentatively my goal for poker is going to be to give myself a rating on each session of how I honestly felt I prepared, played, and ENJOYED my time at the table.

Weekend
Excited to go back to North Shore and have somewhat of a low key weekend with family/friends. Little flag football, little poker, little bit of the gym, and I really want to employ my new aim of my mindset with my loved ones, add value to their lives.

Last thought
Got my mom flowers last weekend and a "I appreciate you" hallmark card. She had a small tift with my sister and its amazing how such a small sentiment on my part meant so much for her. Good life lesson there.

Enjoy your life!

Finished up 76 at Seabrook poker room last night, +132 at 1.2 NL and -56 at 1.2 PLO.

Heading back there or another NH poker room tonight. My play in NL and my enjoyment of my time at table was a 7/10. Made good decisions, think my sizing may have been a little off in a few spots, but my preflop play was really strong. PLO was a short handed really tight game and that wasn't what I expected and didn't play particularly well or embrace playing the game.

Overall +4825 over 223 hours!

Lost -22 last weekend at Hampton Falls--- I was up and then started talking politics--- which I have never done at a poker table and was pretty disappointed in myself for debating with someone. Not really about that negative energy and USUALLY I am the one who politely asks people to avoid politics at the table.

Anyways.... +4803 over 226 hours. 21.25/hr.

Heading back to the North Shore this weekend, expect to get some poker in, possibly small game with friends or NH poker rooms.

Have been doing pretty well with my gym challenge. The toughest part for me is mentally--- trying to gain back weight and slightly cover the AB muscles I worked really hard to get back-- is a mental obstacle. Given my body type I do need to gain weight to continue putting on muscle-- I had capped myself of with gains to an extent with where I was--- 6"2 165lbs. Its about faith and trusting the process, remembering my "why", and that progress=happiness.

I watched this awesome TEDxTalk about fitness. Richard Talens- How I became a fitness guru.

Some really important principles behind adhering to a fitness routine, and getting the greatest RIO out of fitness.

Enjoy the day 2+2!

Played 2 sessions in NH since last post. +46 during a really enjoyable 1.2 session at Seabrook over 4 hours on Saturday night.

And -250 over 3 hours during a session I played super poorly at Manchester Vegas poker room Monday evening.

Really dissapointed with how much bad attitude of player's and negative mindsets rubbed off on me at (specifically) Manchester poker room.

Its amazing how much environment can shape us. It reminds me that Twin River is my comfort zone and the poker room where I feel the most "in the zone."

Overall: +4599 over 233 hours.

Good to be back 2+2 havent posted in almost a month.

In the midst of a bit of a downswing, -340 over 5 hours two weekends ago at Twin, and then -578 at Foxwoods after a pretty bad beat at 2.5 @ Foxwoods last night.

Totals ++3671 over 243 hours. $15.10/hr

I must say sometimes I am at my happiness and most optimistic regarding poker after a big downswing. It erases the feelings of invincibility and gives perspective to the journey that poker is.

You learn more about yourself and create more personal growth during your downswings than you do on any upswings.

One hand from 2.5 last night.

Hero ($410) BB wakes up with KK

UTG+1 makes it 15 and 7 people call .

Hero makes it 115, folds around to SB (225) super tilted guy. He tank calls.

Flop (305) KJ2

Villain insta shoves for 105, hero calls.

Turn/River (515) 3 4

Villain flips over 76

Life

Keeping it short during Pats game. Year sober on Friday which is amazing. Extremely grateful for the growth of all aspects of life that I have been through in ~365.

Enjoy your life

Really enjoying the thread, and your attitude.

GLgl

Down swings inevitable and say nothing about how well or poorly you played.

GL, man!

This is exactly why I play 2/5 exclusively at Foxwoods. You get action... I have seen this EXACT thing happen so many times. Or maybe I hit a set with 22 vs AA and we get it all in on the flop and the river is an ace. This kind of stuff makes me smile. Why? I knew I got it in at the best time (When I was miles ahead)... It just happens... How you deal with these situations is part of what makes a good poker player. You MUST be able to handle the emotions and the finances involved with bad beats/downswings.

Back when I was terribad at handling the emotions... If I had a beat like this, I would get drunk at the bar then plant the same amount I lost on a 50/50 bet in the casino, usually roulette red/black. This was a HUGE leak and a huge problem mentally that I had to come to the realization I had a real problem.

Man oh man was 2016 something intense. Proved a lot to myself, and grew up more than I ever expected to.

Excited for the coming year.

Poker wise...Finished the year at +3571 over 250 hours (mostly 1.2) Very happy with result, faded and broke even down the stretch.

Been doing a lot of reading lately (winter on Cape Cod is a very quiet time).

Big takeaway=I need to raise my standards, and I need to take action.

Sometimes I know the right answer to move forward in my life, but instead of taking action with some uncertainty--- I hesitate and wait for a more certain move.

I can definitely be a life "Nit".

It is time to start taking risks in the lifetime of the opportunity. I sometimes seem to forget that we all only get one at bat in life.

Cheers!

First session of 2017 I ran very well. Discipline was a little shaky towards the end of the session but I will chalk that up to rustiness and running well.

4 hours +270 at 1.2 Twin River.

Expect to get back at it and aiming for around the same volume as 2016! Fitness coaching is still my main goal and main income right now. Schedule has been consistent in new year at 40 hours and grateful to be learning how to better add value to those I train.

Cheers!