Prior to Black Friday I was a regular micro/low limit 6-max and HU player on Stars and Full Tilt. I logged multiple years in the black and made a nice little side income prior to getting burnt out. At that time I was receiving coaching from an online and live pro out of Las Vegas and was more than half way through the Jesus Ferguson $0-$10,000 challenge on Full Tilt where I had taken a free roll cash of $8 and ran it up just shy of $7k before cashing out weeks prior to the shut down of online poker in the US. My net profit on Stars was around $9k.

I recently discovered that online poker was being streamed on Twitch.TV and that pretty much got me hooked again. I still played a few times live per year for fun but hadn't had much of a desire to play regularly until now. So here I am with my second $100 deposit on Ignition Poker. I ran through the first deposit playing the Zone poker format just splashing around and having fun. Once that was gone I figured the itch would be as well but it wasn't.

I made another $100 deposit and continued to play Zone but really wasn't having as much fun playing that format so after running down to about $43 I decided to drop to $5 NL 6-max and actually attempt to grind out a sizeable bankroll. The loosely knit plan is to either build up a large enough bankroll to play 1/2 and 2/5 live cash games or if I continue to enjoy Ignition I will continue to move up in stakes there. I may mix in some MTT's but the primary game will be 6-max online for now.

Each session I continue to run into interesting hands that I thought would be fun to share and I always have enjoyed the community aspect of forums so I thought it would be fun to share this challenge.

I usually get an hour or two to play maybe five times per week so I will post results and share anything interesting that happened during the session. Since I'm unaware of how to download/import hand histories on Ignition I will do my best to post them in a way that's easy to follow. I will also post the status of my bankroll at the end of each entry. Cheers to anyone wants to tag along!


Current Bankroll: $131.80

Played about 1.5 hours of up and down poker. Starting to get sleepy and started to auto-pilot a few hands so I decided to hang it up. I ended up playing two $5 NL tables and two $10 NL tables which I will do as long as the bankroll stays above $100. Had a few fun hands to share though.

Hand 1:
$5 NL

I'm dealt 9h 9d in the BB, 3 limpers before it gets to me and I make it $0.54 to go and get one caller so I'm out of position. Effective stacks 100 BB.

Flop: 7d 4c 6c ($1.28)

Me (BB) bets $0.84
CO raises $1.68
Me (BB) calls $0.84

Turn: 7d 4c 6c 4d ($4.07)

Me (BB) checks
CO bets $1.40
Me (BB) calls $1.40

River: 7d 4c 6c 4d 5d ($6.87)

Me (BB) checks
CO bets $2.00
Me (BB) calls $2.00

Me: 9h 9d
CO: 6h 7h

I scoop the pot of $10.87

Fairly early on at the table so no real reads other than he limp called and min check raised the flop. Plan was call the flop and evaluate the turn. 4d seemed like a blank unless he flopped a set and turned a boat. I made the call with plans on folding to a large river bet or betting for value on a blank river if checked to. I figure he could be overplaying something like A7 or 88 but really it's hard to assign hand ranges at this low of a limit. When he bet so small on the river it felt pretty weak. If he had flopped a set and turned a boat he's not worried about a straight and if he had a straight he's going to bet larger himself. So I made the call to see I had counterfeited a flopped top two pair.


Hand 2:
$10 NL

Folds to the CO who opens for $0.30

I have Ts Td on the button and raise to $1.03 and the CO calls

Flop: 3d 8h 9h ($2.19)

CO: checks
Me: bets $0.89
CO: calls $0.89

Turn: 3d 8h 9h 6s ($3.97)

CO: checks
Me: bets $1.78
CO: calls $1.78

River: 3d 8h 9h 6s 7s ($7.53)

CO: checks
Me: bets $11.94 all-in
CO: calls $6.31 all-in

Me: Ts Td straight
CO: Ks 9s pair of 9's

I scoop $20.15

Again this player was unknown to me but after calling two streets I figured he either had some type of flush draw or top pair. He most likely announces an overpair to my tens or two pair types of hands at some point. I thought about the bet sizing for a moment and given the board I don't think I'll get looked up by single pair hands with a 1/3 or 1/2 pot bet and any bet folds air. I shipped it which was less than a pot sized bet for him but I thought me putting my whole stack in looked like a busted draw or overcards that didn't pair up. Not sure if it mattered but he paid me off with a pair of nines.

The rest of the session was back and forth. I ran KK into AA at a $10 NL table all-in preflop for a lost stack but gained it back in the hand above. Lots of little pots lost and won finishing about even for the night.


Bankroll: $131.45
Lost $0.35.

Right now I'm on a stretch at work doing seven 12's so I haven't had any time to play. I did get in a session a few days ago that I didn't log and I had two hands come up that were mildly interesting.

First hand, $10 NL 6 max, there's an UTG raise and MP calls before it gets to me on the button with 66 where I complete and we go three to the flop. 66 is typically the bottom of my flatting range for set mining unless there's a spewy opponent in the hand. UGT/MP are unknown and haven't really stood out, effective stacks are about 100 BB.

Flop comes 68J rainbow so I have bottom set on a fairly dry textured board. UTG c-bets about 1/2 pot, MP 3-bets and I flat. UTG 4-bets and MP jams. Pretty gross spot. I was on the fence with calling and folding but there's just so many times people at this limit overvalue hands and do strange things so I did call. Ended up running into top set, GG MP.

I won't go into too much detail in the next spot but I flatted JTs in position against a pretty bad player UTG who raised and again there's a call before I complete on the button. Flop comes T98 two tone so I have TP with an OESD. Again there's a c-bet and raise before it gets to me and we end up getting all-in on the flop. UTG had a flush draw and the other opponent flopped the nut straight. That hand I should have gotten away from.

Other than that the rest of the session was pretty typical. Had overpairs cracked a few times by flushes after getting all in so nothing to do than let the board run out. Hope to get some sessions in this weekend and will tread lightly in the $10 NL games if the bankroll dips much lower than it is now.


Bankroll: $90.24

Managed to squeeze in a session between sleep and getting ready for work tonight. I played two tables of 5nl and two of 10nl again this session. Largest pot going either way in terms of BBs was my AA vs KQo and 22 on a K2x flop where we got stacks in. Both players had been trying to give away their money so I was happy to stack off. Just happened to run into it that hand, no worries though.

The rest of the session was me chipping up in a series of small pots that put me in the black.

Probably the most annoying spot I ran into was in a 4bet pot pre against an aggressive opponent on the BTN vs my SB. He iso'd a limper which he was doing nearly every opportunity and I 3bet from the SB with Ts 9s and he made a min 4bet which I called. Flop came J8x with two diamonds. I checked to him and he fired a pot sized bet. I really didn't expect him to be that strong but I doubted my fold equity was much with a check/shove and check/calling seemed like a pretty bad spew so I let it go.

The lines people take in the micros are pretty funny and make no sense whatsoever. Either way it was fun to get a session in and make a few bones. Should have a lot of time to play this weekend.


Session: $6.88
Bankroll: $97.12

Been a few days since making an entry. I had a bit of a downswing and dropped to around $45 with the bankroll still playing the smallest stakes on Ignition. A mixture of negative variance and a few poor calls here and there will do that. Part of the problem is I've mixed in a few tables of 10nl too soon when I get to around $100 with the bankroll. So I drop back down to only 5nl and grind it back up.

Last night I started my session around $85 and lost 2.5 buyins at 5nl and took a break right around the $72 mark. This was playing Zone poker again. What a crap shoot lol. But I fired it back up after getting a drink, taking a piss and away we went. It was easily my best session in the back half in terms of BB's won. I ended up finishing at $104.16 for a about 7.5 buyins up. Gonna hop on for a little bit before work and splash around.


Bankroll: $104.16

Nice hand that just took place.

Folds to me on the BTN with As 4s bets $0.15
SB folds
BB calls calls $0.10

Flop: 2s 5h Ts $0.32

BB checks
BTN (Me) bets $0.21
BB raises to $0.52
BTN (Me) reraises to $1.69
BB calls $1.17

Turn: 2s 5h Ts 6c $3.70

BB checks
BTN (Me) bets $3.80
BB calls $3.78 all-in

River: 2s 5h Ts 6c Ah

BB shows: Th 9s one pair tens
BTN (Me) shows: As 4s one pair aces wins $10.70

Made sure to set up a pot sized bet for the turn. Lots of outs but this pretty much demonstrates two things at this level. Your fold equity is probably half of what it should be and don't bluff these guys.

Would love some thoughts on a common scenario for anyone that stumbles in. Big slick, AK suited or not. I'm not terribly certain with the best lines to take when sitting in the SB out of position in 3bet pots when you miss. Especially versus a BTN or MP open when their range should be wider. I typically cbet about 1/3 to 2/5 pot depending on board texture however versus these calling stations I feel like that bet size is perceived to be weak and it almost never gets through. Or maybe people aren't calling light in this spot (it's Zone poker). So I'm either barreling certain turns getting called and then check/folding most rivers. Seems to lose me about 1/3 of a stack in these scenarios and it seems like a pretty big leak.

Thoughts?

Another quick session before I have to start getting ready for work. Tables yesterday were a bit tight but today was the complete opposite and pots kept coming my way. Played two tables of 5nl Zone which I'm beginning to enjoy more than the reg 6 max ring games for this limit. Here's a few fun hands from the session.

Very first hand on table 1:

I have A T in the BB

UTG calls $0.05
UTG+2 calls $0.05
Dealer calls $0.05
BB (me) raises $0.21
All three call

Flop: K T T $0.86

BB (me) bets $0.53
UTG raises $1.96 all-in
BTN calls $1.96
BB (me) raises $4.79
BTN calls $1.00 all-in
BB (me) returned uncalled portion of bet $1.83

Turn: K T T 4

River: K T T 4 4

BTN shows K 5 two pair
BB (me) shows A T full house tens full of fours
UTG shows A 7 flush

I win $8.74 (minus rake)


Hand 2:

Folds to me UTG+2 with K J I open $0.15
Folds to BB, calls $0.10

Flop: 6 2 J $0.32

BB checks
UTG2 (me) bets $0.27
BB calls $0.27

Turn: 6 2 J 9 $0.86

BB bets $0.30
UTG2 (me) raises $0.88 <- setting up river shove
BB calls $0.58

River: 6 2 J 9 A $2.62

BB bets $1.69 all-in
UTG2 (me) calls $1.69

BB shows 5 5 one pair fives
UTG2 (me) shows K J one pair jacks

UTG2 (me) wins $6.00 minus rake

With the small turn donk bet I felt it could be a blocker trying to make a draw so when the ace of clubs hit I wasn't too worried. I was calling regardless given the pot to stack ratio. Kind of surprised to see 55, and kind of not at the same time lol.


I had another nice hand to finish the session but lost the HH. There were a few limps before me and I raise on the BTN with 4 4 and get two callers. Flop came 4 3 9. It folded to me and I cbet and got check raised. I call and we go heads up to the turn which was the 3. We get it all-in and he shows 9 A for top pair. River was the 3. I misread the board focusing on a hand at my other table and thought he hit a higher full house and kind of puked a bit. Then I saw my stack size and realized he had 3's full and I had 4's full. Oops I'll take it.

Overall it was another solid session which was nice because it was a short one. I played maybe an hour and finished up nearly 4 buy-ins. My last session I finished +7.5 buy-ins so we're moving in the right direction. I feel like I'm finally starting to dial in against the way this player pool plays and adjust hand ranges and my betting patterns accordingly.


Bankroll: $125.50
+$19.70

If anyone runs through this thread and notices I reported +13.5 buyins over the last few sessions but the bankroll is $125.50 that's because I had a downswing to the mid $70's last week and hadn't recorded every session here. Mostly due to lack of time working seven 12 hour shifts straight. But I'm not getting any feedback so nobody is really paying attention. I'm going to keep up with the thread though for myself if nothing else so I have a way to track dates and overall progress.

Logged another nice session just now. Haven't played for a few days because my little sister-in-law just got married last night so been pretty busy. Had a great time and I'm not too hung over.

I played really well for probably close to two hours. Managed to lose small pots and scoop the big ones. Also had one 3bet preflop hand where I missed a near disaster 200bbs deep raising K Q on the button. BB defended with a 3bet and the flop came jack high with two hearts three way. It checked around and an off suit ace hit the turn followed by an off suit queen on the river. Checked to me and I made a small thin value bet that was called by the BB with A 6. I wasn't putting him on the A considering I blocked most of his A X value hands and the J was on the flop. Could have lost a sizable pot had the third heart hit. Crazy he didn't c-bet the flop or turn with his holding. Dodged quite the bullet on that one. Sometimes things just go in your favor even when you lose. Speaking of things going in your favor...


5nl 6 Max Zone

Folds to me UTG+2 with 7 8 bets $0.15
BTN folds
SB 3bets to $0.40
BB calls $0.35
UTG+2 [Me] calls $0.25

I called once the BB called the 3bet. Figured I have a playable hand in position and the SB had a full stack.

Flop: 4 5 6 $1.20 <- we call that the nuts

SB bets $0.70
BB raises $1.55 all-in
UTG+2 [Me] raises $6.55 all-in
SB calls $3.92 all-in
UTG+2 [Me] returned uncalled $1.93

Turn: 4 5 6 J $11.99

River: 4 5 6 J K $11.99

SB shows J J Set of Jacks
BB shows 8 8 Pair of eights
UTG+2 [Me] shows 7 8 Eight high straight won $11.99 minus rake

I elected to just jam the flop over BB's shove simply because there were a lot of cards that could kill my action versus the SB on the turn. People at this limit tend to have a hard time folding overs. The turn was quite the sweat though.

Had another fun hand where I got three streets of value from A 3 versus my A Q on a A 3 Q flop that ran out with a turn T and river T. So basically the guy flops top and bottom pair and stacked off on the river for a full buy-in when he at best splits versus all other aces but AK/AQ. Easy money.

Not sure if I will play more tonight or not. However I'm off for the next six days and should get a decent amount of playing time in.

Ending Bankroll: $157.84
Session: $26.32