The hourly is dropping faster than Roy Hibbert's confidence when Bynum is present.

JUNE YET?

It's been a bad downswing! I hv lost an average of $1k/wk for the last 4 weeks. The feeling has been sickening! I wish I wdnt hv played a single hand in May after the Mr. Derby session! If the case, I wd still be up $5k in May instead a few hundred. This has been a big shot to the confidence, and very tough to fight through. A lot of 2nd guessing going on right now in my game, and that's never gd! My head is not right at all!! I haven't played in the past 4 days, and think it's best to regroup, refocus, review, reflect. My last couple of session were atrocious. All I can think about recently is -why didn't I fold last Friday to the one card straight flush in the big game. In hindsight, I think it is fold way more than a call. Man I suck. Today is the first day back after the 4 day break.
Noticing I ramble a lot...don't care.
Was planning on Vegas, but I think I may just grind small without spending $ on travel. I wd love to play the $1500 monster stack tourney, but I just can't afford to lose more big amounts. Plus lots going on right now w fam/life stuff. We are in the process of selling our home, and purchasing another (same school district). Projected closing dates are days apart in late June.
Plate is full.
Al lil Gd news...I recouped $2k of my losses by offering $2k less than our attended offer on our purchase home. Our offer was a little on the low side, so I was shocked they accepted it! This just happened a few days ago, so pretty pumped about that.

As I'm typing this I'm sitting in a 2/5nl game in Cincy, and more of the same. Just got 2 outed otr for a $1k pot. When it rains it pours!!!

Things will turn around. They always do. Just try to stay focused on making good decisions despite how you may be feeling. Losing streaks stir up a muck of thoughts and feelings that are just counterproductive. Don't give in to that stuff. Maybe try doing something for someone else, or just focus on being a light in a dark place. Everything will be okay.

Don't let the variance bring you down. You still have a great year going. Compared to last year around this time, you're up few grand more.
Complete the month playing winning poker.

In honor of my late friend @emptinpockets. Shane (@emptinpockets) always wanted more videos, so here ya go.
I'm sure he will be laughing at this one too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4FfZt_cF9c

very nice, and gl buddy

Hey Ray, The 2/5/10 on Wednesdays has been great action. I just wish that Horseshoe would do a better job of advertising the $3.00 rake and splash the pot.

I asked a few of the dealers if they knew if the promotion would extend into June, and they did'nt know. Hopefully if it does, they will put something on their website, and on bravo to bring more people in.

I would hate to see this game die back down, or just become a few regs. With the promotion going its brings in some nuts for sure.

I usually make it in around 10:00pm Wednesday nights as I like to play late night sessions. I guess you are gone by the time I get there. Wed. night a guy cashed out with over 10k out of the main game.

I agree @danger! They wd b crazy not to at least keep the $3 rake for these Wednesday 2/5 games!

I apologize everyone for the poor video attempt! I was experimenting w my video skills...It looks like I hv none. Also it was my buddy Shane's birthday, and he always wanted to c more videos in the thread. I honestly believe he just wanted to get a gd laugh at my expense. I toast the video to the friendship we had. I miss that dude, and our friendly back n forth banter. Shane died last year in a boating accident shortly after getting back from spending summer in Vegas. We pushed each other so much in poker, always trying to outdo the other. Both of us carried the same passion and hunger for the game. That dude had sm pretty sick reading abilities. More than anything, he always seemed like he was having fun at the tables, and was always smiling win or lose. The dude was pure classy on all levels! One of the best players I've came across! 27yrs old, gone too soon.

Speaking of Vegas, I'm trying hard to get to out there this summer. Once I hear from our lender on a closing date, I will b able to better schedule for Vegas. I really want to play the Monster Stack June 26th, but our projected closing date is around the same time. I shd know very soon if I will b able to play it, or not. If not, there will always b another big tournament around the corner that can crush my dreams just the same.

For those 2+2ers grinding Vegas this summer, I hope u kill it!

Btw, since "May Chronicles" vid was crickets , I may just do more lame videos each month. Undecided. I'm still determining if I can handle the needles that r expected to come my way.

So glad May is behind me, and ready to hammer June!

Moderator I appreciate the title change. Thanks.

Nice to see ya back! So 1/2 is still your game of choice it seems?

Hey I dig the YouTube vid, looking forward to more of em. The poker life is a sick life for sure. Play well this month!

Digging the name change. Good luck with the house!

I'm not in Vegas yet but I plan on maybe making the Megastack Event as well.

This weekend I'm gonna be playing some fairly large poker games in South Florida. Probably going to play the 5-10 nl since most of the really good lineup are probably in Vegas or at least that's what I'm hoping. Between the Isle and the Hardrock 5-10 nl runs basically 24/7.

Ohh yeah congrats on reviving 2-5 nl at HSI. I've never seen three 2-5 nl games running there simultaneously.

Thanks @bobbycoconuts. I wd say my game of choice is 2/5, 2/5/10. This year I wd break it down as: 50% of my play has been 1/2nl, 40% 2/5, 10% 5/10+.

@ashberj @pure-aggro thanks. Appreciate u guys!

Everybody Loves a Loser:
Recently I been running pretty bad in the big games. I can never catch any big hands, and getting bled to death. Nothing has been easy in the bigger games! I hv been fighting for every flipping pot! Been pretty gd at making 2nd pairs, and nothing more. Sets, straights, flushes wd b nice every now and then. I'll even settle for bottom 2 at this point. What's frustrating is that all my big hands come in the smaller games. #fitting #standard. I want to run gd in the big games, and will settle for running bad in the small games. Def not vice versa!
The poker gods are testing my heart right now. Even though it's been a struggle lately, I been playing gd. All I can do is just keep on fighting, keep folding rags, and wait patiently for the goods. I'm not one of these players that will press, tilt, lower my starting range, or get out of line when card dead. I'll just keep folding, and perfecting my toss to the dealer, and stay disciplined.
Soon I will b card live again.
Nobody wants it more.

I am confident you will achieve your goal. You are an excellent player and I have
Played against you quite few times at the horseshoe Indiana and I try very hard to stay out of your way unless I can't . Keep it up remember last Thursday I told you I m waiting for your book to come out.
Reza

Trust in your abilities, trust in your reads, the results will come.

@Axis_of_Evil appreciate the kind words! Some things u can’t learn in books. A little advice: be observant, know your opponent, make gd folds, be mentally tough, stay away from bad spots, never be too predictable, maximize your value, stay even keel/disciplined, stay within bankroll. @absherrj word.

When I run badly on the tables I don’t tilt, I don’t complain, I don’t whine, I just take my beatings like a boss. I don’t give my opponents anything to feed off of. Off the tables have been another story lately, my mood is somber and my fuse is short. It seems like the poker woes are affecting me more this year than in years past. I have always practiced not letting my work dictate my mood off the felt, but it’s been challenging this year. I just think my will to win is just way to high. I can’t stand losing! Perhaps I’m too competitive to a fault. I want to success every day. Maybe I am selfish, but isn’t greed good in poker? Simply put, when I’m not winning, I’m not happy.
The end of May was discouraging, and June has been middling. It sucks going to work, putting in the time, and not seeing results. One leak in my game I need to plug is making even better folds. There is a big difference in making gd folds and great folds. Money saved is money earned. If I could have found a way to fold some of these hands last month, I could have earned $2k more. Great folds are what it’s all about!!! It might be the most important part to a poker player’s success. ?????
Last year the losses didn’t really affect my mood too much. The money wasn’t substantial to me, and it was easy to fight back because the games were always running. This year, I’m playing bigger and the money means more, hurts more, and it’s harder to climb back. This is where the mental toughness comes in to play. I feel I am pretty gd at being head strong, but I think I can be even more mentally tougher. Being mentally tough is what it’s all about in poker. One cannot make it as a poker player if they’re not mentally tough PERIOD! It’s a sick game, and can mess with the psyche, emotions, the mind, and your life. Maybe this is the most important factor to a player’s success. ?????
Anyways, I have booked a few winning sessions in a row, and hopefully I have turned the middling corner.
Sidenote: I was a victim to a 6 second slow roll last week. The villain has 2nd nuts, and suppose to show first, but waits 6 seconds to show Aces full for a double up on my behalf.

Love the video. Keep it up!! Run good is coming

Making good folds is definitely a major key to winning in the long run. I agree mental toughness is also very necessary, we will take countless hits, just have to get back everytime we get knocked down.

I'll recommend a book for you. I promise you that it will help.

Read Elements of Poker by Tommy Angelo. It deals with the mental game of poker.

I would offer advice, but I would just repeat what he writes in his book. He's a long time pro and one of the early gurus/contributors of 2+2.

@liveactionpro thanks. More are coming.
@pureaggro they can't keep us down. We fight.
@ericstoner appreciate the recommendation.

As u know my fam is in the process of selling our home and purchasing another. A word to the wise, Don't ever tell your loan officer that u play poker for a living unless u want to feel humiliated. . I prob wd have had a better chance if I said I sling crack on the corners. Also, Don't make big cash withdrawals or deposits during the loan process. It's very hard to explain to my lender that I ran like a Kenyan in a 2/5/10nl game and deposited sm cash into my account. #pokerproblems.
I'm here for u @rayzrayl

Had the same problem. That's why I try to keep my deposits around 200. So does the 2/5 run every Wednesday? Is it a good game? I have seen nothing on bravo

I played in it a couple weeks ago, and it was decent. Usually full of the same regs. Not sure why you haven't see it on Bravo, it's been going for the last 5 Wednesdays.
Gl this year butterfly.

Welcome back Ray, nice return story. Hopefully I'll run into you up at the boat this summer.

GL

Thanks @tswpoker. Look forward to seeing u at the boat, but not at my table. Hope things r gd with ya!

A much needed +$1,074 in the 1/2nl game at the HSI shoe today. Finally sm run gd. Felt really gd.

Today's Time Log

10a-4p Grinded poker.
11a. Guy collapses at the casino, black curtains come out, dude is taking to ER in ambulance.
3p. A near fight at my table when a player calls the clock on a guy after just 45 seconds. Guy called him an idiot, and other dude said blah blah blah ur mom. Guy stands up and swings on dude before pit breaks it up.
5-7:20p. 3 setter in tennis. Got the W. Had a high % of 1st serves in.
6p. Thought I was going to get my ass kick at the park when i intervened on a dude going crazy on his gf/wife w their kids present. I told him to chill out, he said "my ur own fn business". It was crazy! Another tennis player called the cops.
8p-9p. Watched my girls swim at the neighbors pool.
10p. The girls and I made and fort in the living room, and had sm fun w glo sticks.
11p. We made a bed on the floor w couch cushions in living room.

Tomo cutting the grass at the apartment and chilling w the fam. No Friday Big Game for me. Day off.

1-2 can be pretty juicy = )

Need ur opinion if ya hv the time.

There may b a flaw in my tourney game that I'm looking to improve. Any advice is greatly appreciated. I hv asked this question to a couple poker minds that I respect. I'm wondering what u think. I find myself in the past mayb calling to light in a particular situation, and hurting my chances n the tourney. Trying to find very bottom calling hand n the scenario given-

Hypotothetical: late in tourney, closing in on the money. Lets say u r otb w 40+ BBs, and its folded to u. Sb (new player/no history) has a 12bbs stack. Bb has 40bbs
U 2.5x w smthing like (A5off, K10xx, or 44 types of hands).
Small blind shoves his remaining 12big blinds; bb folds, action on u. What is the lightest u call a shove here w? Essentially, 9.5bbs to call.
- I'm thinking A8+, KxJx, KxQx, 77+. Is that too light?
What I is the bottom of ur calling range n this scenario?
Thanks.

Proofread on my recent post: typo my/*mine. I'm trying to do my part to lessen the cringes for the grammar heads. Too much pressure.
Still posting wo proofreading. #Iaintgottimeforthatiaintgottimeforthat.