Just by doing a quick glance on poker journal tracker it looks like I had a 80hr increment b/e n Jan and another in March. Actually, March may hv been a 70hr increment loss. I wd say having a few 100hr increment b/e or loss a year is normal. Having 1b/e or losing month is normal. I'm pretty fortunate I been running a little better than normal throughout the year.
Keep grinding and get em!! B/e is better than losing.

cool thanks.

and true!

Pretty gnarly! My post was quoted before my edited version was saved. That's awesome.
No poker for me today. GF has to work, and daycare is closed for holiday. Chillin w the girls. I gave them a schooling on the tennis courts, followed by 1.25mile run at SCHS track, then forced onto playground, and now 9yr old (10 n 5 days)swimming at neighbors pool, and 2 1/2 yr old playing magnet art. Gf getting home soon, and heading to her parents for holiday dinner.
Going to take care of 5plex bees issue tomorrow, also throw some mulch down, and finish painting the double decker deck. Depending on how I feel, I may grind after. Wednesday looks more realistic.

Well now you have to give us your top 5

Here's my short top...2?

1) always play your A game. (I think Brian Rast had an interesting article on playing paying attention that i try to abide to)

2) be willing to embrace the variance (this is to prevent nitty thoughts from creeping into my mind that usually leads to suboptimal play, but does not mean lagging it up unnecssarily)

Maybe either of these 2 makes your list? For me, i dont feel i need more rules than these since these are such overriding themes for me.

P.S. playing your a-game is such a good rule for me because its so encompassing. It usually requires me to constantly put myself in my opponents head, even imagining their background and how it affects their poker history (for ex., yesterday at my table. The best player was some old korean, usually i stereotype old asians as donks/fish that are easy to play against, but this guy takes time to think, rarely calls OOP, and utilizes 3betting well, so instead i imagined he probably played korean hato a lot in the past. Another guy, who is white, scrawny and young was on the same table. I would normally pay way more attention to these potential internet types but then i realized he was wearing a shirt with a home heating logo. That coupled with him calling a few raises OOP transformed him from a possible online poker vet into a blue collar poker greenie in my eyes and later prompted me to 3bet him twice that evening.)

If "know your player" is #3 in your top 5 rules what's #1 and #2....better yet hive us your whole top 5.....sorry to put ya on the spot lol

Aside from playing every hand the best u can play... This is straight off the cuff wo a lot of thought, but this is what I came up w...
Rule #1. Never show ur cards!! unless there is some SERIOUS Strategic play from showing (I mean serious). So next time u turn a Royal Flush using ur 2hole cards and don't get called, just put in face down in the muck like a boss.
Rule #2 Simple as it sounds....Dont FOLD if there isn't a bet!! Doesn't matter if the pot is only $6, if its getting check around then just check.
Rule #3 know ur player. Poker is SITUATIONAL, and most of my play is based on who I'm playing w.
Rule # 4 know ur flop percentages. I believe the most important decision comes on the flop. This is where make ur money. Know that if u flop flush draw w gut straight that u r 45% to complete hand and bout even (47%) to ACES. Or if u flop a straight flush draw u r only a dog to a flop set. Just percentages like these... 8outs on flop 17% to hit turn and 17 to hit river = 32% to complete. 9 outs 19% and 19%= 35% to complete. 12 outs is 26% to hit turn, and 26% to hit river, and w both 45% to complete. 15 outs is 32% to hit turn, 33% to hit river, 54% chance to complete the hand. I use these % a lot all flops. The flop is crucial to how I want to play my hand. If I have a huge draw and don't think I'm up against a set or 2 pair, I am definitely betting it up!!
Rule #5 pay attention to detail! This can help u at the table. Just like @parellflux mentioned. By listening to conversations and observing certain behavior can help u a lot in poker. If u notice someone wearing a Rolex and 10gold chains, u might not want to try to bluff this player. He may call only because he has "I don't care money". Always listen and paying attention to the game within the game. The real good poker players have a sick Meta Game and can think on higher levels. so On the flip side, try not to gv away any info to others.
@emptin @23strait and others waiting for ur top 5...

Oooooooh I misread that river was the A of clubs. I read it as though river was a random club and villain folded a boat in fear of the flush draw coming in, so I was a bit confused.

Basically my top 5 is the same as yours....id have to add don't criticize other players at the table...especially your recreational losing player...I've seen this first hand and ppl actually get up and leave the table or quit...IMO I think this is my #1... id prolly put know your player and don't show your cards as a tie for #2...I gotta admit im guilty of showing my cards way more than I should and its definitely something I.need to work on!

@emptin. I like your number 1 of top 5.

Ok, change of plans! Not playing any tournaments during the Poker Mania Event. I wd hv liked to play the main event, but on a whim last night my gf and I decided to book a family trip to Clearwater, Florida. AND Today I realized we leave for Florida the same day as the PokerMania Main Event! After finding this out, i then called reservations to c if i could push the check-in date back a few days, but the deal we got at the Hyatt is nonrefundable-nontransferable-non cancel (?). So it looks like we r heading out June 22, same day as The Main. I was a little discouraged at first, but then it's prob best I don't play any tourneys right now. Still not properly rolled to play these buyns, and I do need a vacation! This vaca will help reenergize me going into the second half of the year! I plan coming back on a full battery and be locked in on beast mode for the last 6 months of the $40k Challenge!
Before Clearwater, I plan on visiting my Pops for a few days in The Villages, Fl . Then its a 2hr drive to Clearwater. While down there, aside from getting some much needed R and R ,I wd really like to try out Tampa Hard Rock Casino. I hear poker is booming there! I already Mapquest it, and its only 40mins from our hotel.
Yesterday -$64
Today +$209

In before butterfly relocates to Florida.

Lol @soncy. Trust me the fam has thought about it. The games r drying up a bit here, and Fl sounds appealing. The kiddos r on board w moving, but gf can't seem to move away from her parents!! I'm stuck in gd ole Indiana!
Currently grinding on strep throat. Feel like crap, but determined to log hours. #nosickdays

My day consisted of brakes on car, taking some nasty blue liquid stuff every 4-6 hrs, buying n for $4hundo (pic above on left side) and won +$78 (pic above on right side). An overall life day of $-211 (289-78). Fwiw, I was very impressed w the complimentary coffee at BigO. It far exceeded my expectation at a 8out of 10 scale. The waiting area also offered a nice selection of toys for toddlers. Thinking about takn the kid there tomorrow to hang a bit, sip some coffee, and let the lil one play for a bit.
As far as this mysterious liquid, I'm still undecided if I'm a fan or not.

Gd news I just hit the $17k mark, I haven't done the math, but I believe that puts me on pace. This has been a great month. May not of been the best financially, but the win % is going strong. Ill break it down at the end of month.

Thanks to everyone who checks this thread out, and best of luck to my friends n Vegas this summer! And everyone else, good luck to u in your quest. Bless y'all

Love the thread man. Keep pushing for that 40k. Keep making +EV decisions and you'll be there in no time. Hope you feel better too man. Gl bro

I like that. Thanks @illusiveman. Glad u found the thread.

Rule#3 Know your Player- came in handy today.
Know your Player (KYP): AA $700ish
Me: 56 $400ish
Board: 103566
Game: 1/2nlhe. Most flops have been $15 to go, and 50% of time getting 3 bet pf, and lot of straddles and big time gambles. One player even straddled a $100.
I was stuck $200 before this hand.....I make it $5 in MP followed by 3 other callers, "KYP" raises to $20in LB. Now "KYP" is a really solid tight player (by far the tightest at the table, but a really really good player). I know when he raises here in LB he most likely has JJ,QQ,KK,AA. I played a few orbits with him, and he has been really cautious and never seemed to get out of line. He was playing pretty straight forward. Before this hand, I heard him tell another player that "he doesn't fool around much, and doesn't like slow playing hands". Key to Know-That was almost verbatim what he said, and RIGHT BEFORE this hand was dealt! Hearing this conversation, and him raising to $20 n LB, I pretty much knew what I was up against. I wanted to exploit the info given to me, and with the right board texture I may be able to get a gd played to lay down the best hand. I usually don't like to put myself in these spots, and highly discourage it, but I felt I cd tread lightly, and play it smart w/o donking more than $120ish to him. So when he raised to $25, and I just didn't want to fold with his big stack and me knowing he had pocket paint. I decided to represent a big hand and/or disguise my hand and 4 bet to $50with position. Folded over to "KYP" in LB, and he flats. Once he flats, I was thinking he has QQ,KK. The flop is 1035. "KYP" checks and I continue my story of trying to rep a bigger pair and fire out $60. He calls. The turn is 6 He checks and I decide to check 2 pair, hoping he now thinks he has the best hand and his overpair is good. The river is 6 "KYP" leads out $150, and I knew then he prob has KK. I was a little worried about pocket 10s, but I have to jam it because he has to call w KK, or AA. He is most likely to have one of these 3 hands once he leads River. So after a little Hollywood tank, I raise all in $300ish and he calls with his Aces.
I like how he played it, I just got really lucky. When I 4 bet pf, I was hoping it wd be a wet flop, and cd maybe steal and get him to lay down a big hand. After I turned 2pair, I decided to play my hand as if I had JJ, or QQ instead. This gives him the opportunity if he does have KK or AA to think he is gd and fire out the river. If I bet the turn, he still calls tho. And wd also call river, so either way I was just lucky to hit 2 pair on turn, and him having ACES. River was just icing on the cake it was a 6 and not a 10 (counterfeit) or Q,K,A (one of which I knew one of those wd gv him a set).
I usually don't try to get involved in these spots, but I wanted to tango here for some reason. Prob not the best idea for me to get involved here, and usually not my style. But I was utilizing Rule #3, and thought I cd outplay him post flop or get lucky w my nut crackers (56). After he called the 10hi dry rainbow flop, I knew if I didn't hit I was beat. I wd have checked turn on any card, and most likely give up on river. The board texture was one that he was going to continue on to the river with his hand. There was no getting him off of it. Fortunate it was a gd LUCKY board for me!
I been running super gd. I cant believe how gd things are going for me. Poker is Fun right now!! I am so blessed and thankful. For the Record, Im not going to be 4 betting pf w 56 that often in a 1/2 game! It wasn't too smart, but sometimes savant wins.
sorry - I know ramble, ramble, whats butterfly talking about, ramble, ramble. $*@&^@^%&? brain hurts again. sorry so long and confusing. Its how my brain works.
+310 today
Monthly Pic Updates n a few. I still have to snap shoot it, then upload to photobucket, then tag/copy, then log into 2+2, then paste, a bit of a process. Ill do it soon. Heading to Redbox now...

Last 10days of session stats

Cash Game Up to date Totals. I really been trying harder to log more hours and it looks like I'm now averaging 28 hrs a week. Brought my weekly hours up a bit, and it feels gd knowing im closer to the 30hr/wk mark in shooting for. It gives me a lot of confidence knowing my win % is still going strong. I think anywhere around 70% is a gd win%. What u guys think? I'm really not sure what is really gd or not. Thoughts?

More Cash Game Details

Current Cash Graph

Tourney Data. I plan on investing $5k in tourneys per challenge this year. So far invested $2400 of $5000.

Tourney Graph

I would just keep betting once you turn 2p, there are still 8 cards that will counterfeit you. I think Axs and Kxs are better hands to 4b bluff with because villains are less likely to have aces or kings.

Nice graph very steady! Win % is not a very useful stat, winrate is what's important. If you only win 40% of sessions but have a good winrate that is fine.

I thought about betting, but wanted to play it cautious. I knew he wd call a big turn bet if I decide to take that line, but also knew I cd get unlucky on river if a 10 4 QKA appears. My thought process was-I didn't think I wd lose value by checking and I cd still manage my losses if get counterfeited. If a 4 or 10 or paints comes on river- I cdnt call a bet, or bet any amount where he wd fold -Wdnt even try it here in this spot. I wd just wave White flag. If check and brick hits river, I still have a gd chance of dub up-especially if he now thinks he is gd and leads out. Tho- If I was playing deeper than my $400, lets say $500 or more, then most likely i wd bet turn- build the pot up for chances to dub up on a brick river. With $400 I figured I cd play it safe (manage my losses if get counterfeited) and still have a great chance to dub up.

Thanks. I think I been over analyzing this whole winning% thing. Thanks for giving me a different outlook. I strongly agree that the win rate carries more weight than win %. What stats do u find to b most helpful?
I always appreciate your post! Thanks!! I learn from 2+2ers-All u guys have GREAT minds!
wrist is killing me, and I believe it's related to too much folding

Sorry, I can't say I am a fan of this hand, not the way you played it and not the way he played it either. Actually, I love playing against these super tight "solid" players because they are really predictable. Reeks of "old man coffee".
1) What is up with you raising to $5? It gets nothing accomplished and probably -EV in MP unless the line-up is really soft but you said ppl are 3betting the crap out of this table so you are basically always expecting a 3bet, whether the 3better has a hand or doesn't.
2) Even worse is why did Little Blind raise to only $20 after seeing 2-3 callers behind your initial raise? That is god awful. I normally bump it to a pot size bet, assuming $15 in the pot, I raise to $45. I'll raise slightly less than pot in position or against weaker players, OOP, I like to raise slightly over the pot against solid players so most likely $50. Against weak players, I may still do $40-$45 but $20 is absolutely criminal and he's deep stacked with you which is god knows how much worse. You sure he's really a solid player?
3) I don't like the 4bet really. The thinking isn't super solid because you are basing it on the assumption that your opponent will fold the top like 98% of this range only continue-ing with AA, maybe KK, certainly expecting him to fold JJ and AK right? The immediate problem with your play is that no one folds in 1/2, especially not any big hands. Why are you trying FPS against this player type? The 2nd problem is your line. You open to $5 then 3bet him to $50 which is also a very small 4bet. With almost his entire range, you get blown off your hand pre. I may trap you pre with AA like he did as well but most likely, with PSB (pot size bet) ratio of 3 behind ($100 in pot, $300 more to play behind), you should have been blown off your hand. If he has a hand like KK/QQ, do you think that he will think your line of $5->4bet to $50 is credible as AA? Most of the time, people don't fold KK anyway.
4) I don't like your check on the turn. Let's disregard how you invested $110 with a pair of 5s and then got lucky. Checking the turn is simply not the most optimal way of extracting value against good players who can read boards. Against weaker players, this may be a little more acceptable simply because they are more likely to pay you off anyway on the river so if you want to reduce variance by checking turn, sure. In general, I wouldn't worry about getting counterfeited, that is the nature of poker, if you always worry about getting counterfeited, you will seriously cramp your style in the future. The 2 problems with checking turn is: A) what if there is an ugly river for LB's range. The board on turn is T356. How will you get value on a river of 2,4,7 or a ? B) On a blankish river,, how will you get him to play for his stack? Yes, results show that you played for stacks, but his river call was awful. It was a 4bet pot and he bet called a river shove (not against a spew-tard). That's simply put--awful. If he was a good player, you should never be getting called for stacks, which puts me back to the original question: Why didn't you bet the turn?

Betsizing calculation is a little off on my point #2. After rereading, its 3 callers behind to make is a $22 pot before LB left to act. Potting it from LB would be a $32 3bet. So I would do at least a reraise to $32.

Thanks @parellflux for your comments. i am always interested to hear what pthers think about certain hands. It helps my game tremendously, so i do appreciate you candor!
In my opinion, I liked how he played his Aces. he got heads up to flop w the best hand. Yeah I'd prob make it $30ish instead of $20, but he did get a sucker (me) to 4bet him. I like the fact that he just flatted too. It disguises his hand a bit to look more like JJ,QQ,kk. I like he check/called flop. I wd prob lead out turn tho. I like the fact that he lead out river after it went ch/ch on turn. After he bet $150ish it was 150ish more to call. Not many players r going to lay down aces at 4.5 to 1 there on a 10x 3/4x (not sure if it was a 3 or 4) 5x 6x 6x dry board.
As far as why I didn't bet turn - I previously mentioned that I was playing it safe. But Don't get it twisted, I'm not afraid of ever getting counterfeited! And mentioned if I was playing $500+ I wd def bet turn to build up the pot. With $400 I felt I was prob goin to dub up on river w a lot of cards, and that he ("KYP") wd most def lead out river w his Huge Pair. And once he does lead out, he prob won't b able to fold to a min raise at that price along w a gd board for aces. IMO I had more to lose than gain in betting the turn. Just my opinion! If I didn't think I wd dub up if river is brick then I wd bet turn for value. If I bet $150 on turn he def calling, then if river is an Ace, 3/4, 10 (8outs) I wd hv to check river and I wd lose $260ish on the hand. If river doesn't hit the hit the 8 outer then i bet the remain $150 and yes I dub up that way too!
IMO I can dub up both ways very easily. especially after i check the turn which looks like i have inferior hand. therefore why I risk losing $260 when I can just risk $110 and end up w same result?! Also IMO He leads out on ALL RIVER CARDS!! Also as i mentioned previously, If I'm playing $500 or more and I check turn, and he leads $150 on river, and I raise $250 he can possibly lay it down. That's why I BET with a $500 stack and NOT with $400. W $400 there is still room for him to call the river raise. He is DEFINITELY betting river, if for some reason he doesn't bet river- he is calling a BIG POT SIZE BET on a paired board w ACes.
I also mentioned that I got very lucky, and usually don't get myself in these spots, and that it's not my style. I agree, i was a lil out of line and I got lucky. As far as the hand post flop tho, I still like how both people played it for the most part.
U asked why make it $5 in MP? why not? I cd possibly steal the button w $5 (not likely, but who knows). If smone 3bets small I hv the nutcrackers to win a big pot. just like I did.
I appreciate your thoughts and questions. A lot of people don't understand my play, but that is perfectly ok with me. Thats exactly how I like it. It hard to understand savants. Lol JJ
Best of luck to u, and thanks again for your questions and comments! It hard to answer these questions and comments sometimes wo coming across like a prick, so with all do respect i do truly appreciate these types of discussions. Keep em coming. these hand discusions is how I learn what others r thinking. Which in turn, helps me stay one step ahead.
As always appreciate the feedback whether I agree or not. Thanks.
Everybody plays differently. That's why poker is a gd thinking game.
sorry so long @parellflux, u had a lot of questions and hopefully I answered.

Orignally I would have bet the turn if I were butterfly, but after reading this a few times I see where butterfly is coming from on the check. And now I would probably take that line instead. Good points on both sides. Butterfly is crafty and thinks about things that would never cross my mind. This thread is off the chain!!!! Butterfly are you playing any wsop events in Vegas?

I think this is a common leak amongst many players. They think they are getting really really good odds to call a raise thinking it would be a +EV call as long as they win something like 20-25%% of the time. The reality is against many player types, getting raised on the river, you will be good way less than the 4.5 to 1 odds you are laying him.

As far as checking down turn to make it look like you have a weaker hand than you actually do in order to get value on the river. Yea, some players fall for it, in this case, the villain sure did. I don't know, it comes down to experience on whether the line make sense. I mean your story on the turn and on the river took a 180 degree turn (from weak bluffish hands/medium strength hands on turn to monsters on the river). It was his task to determine which story is true. The incoherent "I have a weak hand on turn but now I have a monster on blank river", or the "I just invested $300 on the river but please call me because I have a bluff".

For me, there was a really enlightening segment of the Durr million dollar challenge that really helped my game in this way. Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qATVJ3Tb5_c Durr was playing zigmund HU PLO and zigmund played a hand really wierd and it ended up with him potting the river with quad 9s and Dwan only having JJxx which is a bluffcatcher at this point. Galfond, who was commentating, points out the situation manifesting as 2 different unlikely scenarios. The first unlikely scenario being Zigmund turn his worse value/combo draw hand into a bluff and the second unlikely scenario is that zigmund does have quads but just played it in a wierd way. The takeaway from this is that most people, especially good players, will fall into the latter unlikely scenario.

That's really all I am going to say regarding the turn check. It's poker so I am not saying I am 100% correct. I subscribe to the school of thought that there is no single truly optimal line that someone should always take. I simply like betting turn better.

I hope I didn't come off like a prick either.

^^^^

This is where my original point of rule#3 "Know YO Playa" came into play. I assumed he wd bet river and call raise.
Also Thanks for the link! I like that!!
I love these discussions as well, and your brain. For me poker is situational, and I take different lines depending on who my opponent is.