Bankroll Built, now choose my limits

Had my best run on ZOOM tables so far.. Invested 1 buy in on two tables. Run it to +2.93 & +6.6 until I received first cooler on first table.

Had QQ and put my opponent on over pair on 9 high flop.. He turned out to have K9 and we were both in by the turn.. River..... 9

I feel like my game improved sheet-loads after today's grind. I could see some decent players getting decently paid off with their play. So I tried the same bet-sizing and I got more folds than anything.. People knew I am trying to suck some value out of them. Which in turn is very good, bc I can use it as bluff betting later on and do some crazy sheet in between with my better hands ♠_evil:

I mean getting full value out of top str8 on 4 flush board with nut flush.. That is something ♠_biggrin: Also got paid full value on both my Quad hands My 3-way pot QQ on flop Qxx worked despite guys trying to out-flush & out-str8 me.. So definitely all those +EV plays that I made last few days evened out and I have shown more than decent profit..

I am now hoping that added chipstack will allow me to better focus on stacking my fellow opponents in those 180-mans.. ♠_evil:

Buy-ins
LVL 1 147,88
LVL 2 36,97

Misplayed one hand in ZOOM, got punished, OK

Played 3 tourneys. In one I was bit unlucky to hit my str8 where my opp hit his Full.

In two other I was coasting towards final table, but busted in one on bubble.

In 180 man I did tremendous amount of work, despite being distracted so much, that I can't even tell. Don't get married if you ever want to be a grinder. Or do get married, but tie your wife and kid down in basement (God I wish we had one)

First I had to watch painful plays when around 25 to go. Guy opens to 800, shortstack shoves less than 1600 (there are antes and so on) and raiser folds.. I've seen it too many times at that table.

I coast to final table, wait one bust, playing my A-Game.

Now this shortstack, that everyone let live earlier, was there sitting with comfy chipstack. I get it in with AKs on juicy preflop action, he calls with AA. I think my move would be nearly +EV even if he shown me them aces face up. LOL

On the other hand with the action shown, I should have perhaps fold, even though I knew I would make everyone fold there, and wait for better spot.

Buy-in
154.68 on LVL 1
38.67 on LVL 2

Strange..

Few days ago I would feel too lazy and open more tables to play STT and have enough action. Nowadays 2-3 feels like too many. I am guessing I have increased my win-rate by cutting off as many as 4 tables and started hand reading everyone. I would feel mad, if I didn't know what people are doing at the table ♦

So today I basically opened only: one level 2 table, which I heavily focused on and one level 1 table.. I picked up some freerolls along the way and ran deep in them. It didn't make me more than .43 cents and maybe even made me tilt a bit at times..

In level 2, I got pretty deep but had to start abusing people close before ITM, which saw me bubbling. That was 180 man ♠_evil: Not even sure if it has any value to let 10 people go, using the ladder, just to exit with 0.06 profit. ♠_evil: Not saying that ITM is a bad thing, but its certainly not the goal..

In level 1, things went pretty good. I had my long run, where I didn't expect much. I only doubled and was short to midstack for most part. Even when final table came. First someone busted and I either shoved my way higher or outplayed someone to get decent mid-sized stack. My bets here got some respect, I guess. Plus I may have used some reads I have gathered to that point.

I felt (armed with new strategy for top 4-5) that I started changing gears towards last 5. I upped my aggression to insane when last 4 and despite for few suckouts, that I received along the way, I have totally dominated the table..
I busted number 4, who became shoving against me (TPE ) and found himself running into KK twice. First time he managed to suckout big pot off me, his second attempt saw him burning all his chips. All he had was J4 and despite tiny chances he would suckout again, he was gone. That gave me nice stack to start up with ♠_biggrin:. 15 to 30k always good for the Winter.

Same happened after a while to number 3. He was very solid on the final table and I was really scared for most part of his raises, the most. His post-flop game, apart from check-raising and raising, trully sucked. He started shoving against me preflop (I had like 100k and both guys were riding around 15k at that time) so it was time to catch the fish. He survived his Q4 vs A5s but despite doubling, he made mistake postflop with bottom pair and returned most of my chips. Next time he went on me, he wasn't so lucky..

Down to final two, with fella who survived and lucked, two clinical deaths, on me. One where I had flopped flush and he got two running Queens to give his AA a fullhouse. He would do with one suit as well but what the heck. He also won one flip where he was way behind..

We came to final two with me being 1-2 dog, but my aggression level was so high, that it didn't matter at that point. He was scared and passive for most part so +EV shoves with raises from Button really cut the deal. I played aggro and feeling the game, mixing my aggression but not taking any time for my breaks to kick in. His post-flop was ok and he was making plays against me that worked until.. I took care of that by just one check-raise. Rest of the game he was my puppy.

Last hand I lured him in I had more than 3-1 in chips on him and QT vs A5 has sealed the deal. Yep. I was lucky but I was feeling it has to come my way ♠_evil:

I might be doing HH review & video of this STT.. Really enjoyed it and would like to see if I really lucked my way in or whether I played as good as I think I was..

It looks like my strategy for last 4 or 5 is +EV enough and now I feel like I can close any tourney again. Old skills are now brushed as new and my spirit is sky high ♠_evil:

lvl 1 188,96
lvl 2 47,24

Well Martin it looks like from what you've been saying that you're getting back into the swing of things then.

I do find it difficult to imagine me getting driven to chess or poker by being married, although mrsgadget does have her moments! ♦

Good luck climbing up tot he top and make sure it stays fun, that way there is less chance of tilting in my opinion.

Best regards,

Mal.

Thx Mal,

I was always driven toward something. (How I got driven to the marriage knows perhaps only my wife. We many times talk about this.. Once I was locked by her, there was no escape route)
So sooner or later I would have to do something. Whether it would be chess, cycling, sports, kids.. Whatever makes my brain going is on.. I can't be sitting around & watching TV all day (exactly what I was doing couple of years in my school age ♠_evil: )

Poker came rather by chance. I played for years so picking up play money on stars didn't feel so bad. I liked to start some progresses through their virtual poker tours. And a game that I was once done with, came back again.. After my first 1MM play chips, there came couple of sites like stars, unibet.. Now I have full computer of various interfaces, but stars is the best.

I found myself couple of days ago grinding some freeroll on lesser known sites.. I was browsing in my free-time to see their tourney structure or cash games and realized that if I win my FREE money here, I would likely have not enough action to play there.. So I blew my 18k chipstack as quickly as I could (even though it was hard against 3k stackers who were just folding around.. LOL), closed the app and was done with it.

Stars is simply the best.

I wouldn't be here today, if I didn't find "recipe" for my tilt. Since then I am different player, enjoying the game no matter what spot I run into And as insane as it looks atm. I am being decent winner on my level. Cashing nearly 50% of time in STTs looks like TERRIBLE HEATER from here ♠_biggrin:

Coming back into the swing, as you said, isn't happening that much. I am stronger than I was before. Tilt was always limiting my abilities. I knew pieces of game, but I was rather shifting from game to game, could play on some decent level most of them, but didn't have trust in the venues I played in + everytime I got insane cooler (mostly against fish that I embrace today) I started to tilt and quit..

Thanks for your support and kind words, mate

I am pretty positive that my climbing up to top will see me through bit more levels b4 I settle, if I settle :} So far enjoying the heater ^^

One thing I am sure of.. I won't end up like Cantu. LOL Borrowing money isn't my style and playing above my head as well

see u at the tables, maybe?

I went through the hands and I found one lucky spot..

I had to push my remaining chips in a spot where I had KK and flop was Axx.. The guy luckily had just TT.. That is one mistake I may do.. I don't reshove my whole stack preflop and then may get scared by ace on the flop. I usually would have fold on his re-raise but something told me just to call.

Me wondering how I survived whole story.. I simply caught 3 big hands and not only that.. I always got full value of them!!

I love how I rolled over rest of the table. I eliminated player 5, 4, 3 & 2 Sometimes with a bit of luck. Like player 3. I called him down with 85s with a bit of tilt behind my belt but knowing also that against his shoving range (at that time) the hand will just have great value. And the hell it had!! :))

When I get home day after tomorrow, when am bored, I will set up my stuff and in two goes.. Make two vids..

Good night and happy grinding!!

Got AK and shove the turn after some 3way trapping. Guy calls AJ with A high and gutshot.. KTxx is the board and he hits one of the 4 outs to save his skin. LOL

Lovely suckout in 4.55 POT. I started this grind with one buck and eventually got broke. I thought it will be when I make mistake, but this was rather lovely..

I have played only 5 STTs today. Four 1st levels, One 2nd level..

I busted quite quickly out of two LVL 1s but opened two more and happily grinding about 3 tables at a time. I got up to 5 at most, with some freerolls and donkaments going around as well. I went pretty deep in poker league, so I will expect some early ship to first 2,000. I won't play that league much but hey. Whatever..

I found myself chatting to a guy, who had been "friendly" at the tables, whilst still kinda short at all tables. I felt like it is not my day today.. And we spoke about it..

Ever since I caught terrible heater. I made so many chips at one table, that it was impossible to not to make final table, I started doing more OK when last 3 tables on LVL 2 and I eventually prevailed at my friends table and after he blinded out, and I took his last chip, I went onto grinding my way to another final table..

First final table came on LVL 2. I was short most of the time and whenever I doubled, I fell short again, without really making much progress on my stack. I somehow, still short shortstacked, outlasted 4 guys. I call that +EV. When last 4, I started to go berserk, but all my adversaries seemed to go into same mode and I eventually had to revert to good old push/fold. I went down KQ vs A9s to BIG WHALE on my left, who, since we joined the table, was operating with 3-5x table chips and could afford to lose a flip or two. That itself defined my luck.. I think I did my maximum at this tourney and don't feel ashamed.

Second final table contained one adversary, which I gave myself a task to figure out, instead of focusing on LVL 2 table. He is always somewhere in the action and I usually find him at certain stage at all my LVL 1s action. I found it +EV as well.

I quickly figured, that this guy plays solid post-flop and brutally solid preflop. Can kinda afford to multi-table and mixes up his game. Which makes it much more difficult to outplay him. So I was saving this guy for the last.

I came to this final table as "massive" chipleader as my outplay bust came at final table bubble. I was patiently waiting to last 4-5. I figured out that I don't need to change anything when last 5 as we get short, I get to raise more from BU & CO so there is no point loosen up. As soon as super-lucky shortstack made his middle stack and run out of his luck. I insta-switched to my berserk mode..

That wasn't going too well as few days ago, but saw quickly making one guy short and he had no chance to survive against the odds. So I stopped for a bit and let him be taken by piranhas. At that point guy on my left started cracking and he thought defending by big raises will be good idea. I was huge chippo at that point as I cost him big stack. One of his strong raises saw action from my TOUGH GUY and TOUGH GUY got lucky this time with AK vs wild KK.

Down to final two, we were about even stacks and I started pounding on him.. However as I said earlier. He was competent and got it in good. Where I would be left with about 2k chips, I shipped QJs and he called with KK. I saw Queen on the flop, but said Good Game anyway and bang! River comes Queen and the guy is gone.. 2nd WIN!

As I was grinding lvl 2, I caught another final table and started focusing there, however I went down 7th losing my battle with weak kicker. I was preparing to make my move on turn and represent 7 but opponent took my move by putting me all in and I jumped for it.. Well..

I can be happy overall with this session.

Less I am happy with the fact, that there is nearly less than a day to my Freeroll but I got no ticket yet. So now I don't know. Shall I risk not going to work and end up without a ticket or shall I go to work, get the ticket and miss the action?

They should really change dates of this freeroll for later so we can get tickets in ahead of time..

Buy-ins as follows:
LVL 1 258.08 (not bad given I started less than a month ago on 40)
LVL 2 64.52 (soon may start searching for lvl 3, but I want to win at least one LVL 2 as well )

I will be reviewing hands as usual but haven't had time to make/post videos, yet.. COMING SOON!

Hi ♦

I don't know if I should be smiling or not..

I started my day by skyving off work so I can play 20k Guar, which I felt I can take down.. I was telling my friend I can take even something out of Sunday Million 1/3 if I get the chance ♠_evil:

My next step was having fun with family, little daughter, watching tons of funny poker videos, taking shower, exercising a bit.. All the stuff crazy poker player do to relax, before he goes to grind.

I had to fight off my wife so I don't have to go out, had good supper, moved my grinding corner into the lounge (its impossible to play in patio on sunny days - it rather puts me off) and finally started my warm up..

This time only 1 LVL 2 tourney with main focus and picked up few freerolls as side dish. I busted rather quicker one LVL 2 and joined another. After some grind made few more points to PSO, busted LVL 2.

Meanwhile I went pretty deep on my last SHARK CAGE TICKET. When I thought I have it locked, there was 50 to go or less and I had 150k chips. At that moment I started slowplaying, ticking it down. And that was my mistake. I ticked off 60k, bubble was still too far and blinds were far too high. Simply whole timing went wrong.. I busted 26th where I had two choices. Call 2.1BB on BB or go all in next hand with 1 BB with any two. Since I had T9 I decided it is best to go there.. Unfortunately hitting T didn't help. I didn't play too dumb, but some spots were taken away from me and I necessarily didn't want to call all in with A7 when there were two guys in..

So I was set for pretty much losing day and hell it felt that way. I cashed, traditionaly some small chips in 100k Privilege & in the meantime started playing this 20k Freeroll.

Just on the beginning. I got two coolers from ROCK guy. He didn't even bother to raise river where he had such a monster, that only pocket 77 QUADS could have beat him. So in a way. I should be thankful for such fish. He saved me.. I was down within few minutes -1k and on my left was guy, who was popping me on random and I couldn't play at the table at all.

Situation improved when he sat out, but after few hands he was replaced (God knows why) with another big stack. However that guy didn't pose any threat to me. As the tourney went on, I just hang in there, as pros do and I got lucky once. I pushed something like AK to JJ and Q saved me on river from exiting against set.

I made about 5k that hand with some 100/200 BBs and I never looked back since. I picked my spots, I outplayed few opponents ( I sucked couple of time on post-flop play ) and became short again..

When we got to ITM, which was nice +27$, I was bit short but by abusing bubble and playing for first, I had few more chips to survive bit of a ladder and maybe pick some hands. I kept being short until last 2-3 tables.

Then all of a sudden managed to bust few people, few outplay and at some point I was even chippo as we made those big money jumps towards final table. I demanded from those who spoke to thank me for busting ppl as I was making them money, too

First problem came, and I find it serious offense, just few hands before I busted no 10. Two Serbian players found themselves on my table and were advising each other of their hands during play.

They kept splitting final table on half and discussing their hands, what they folded to each other etc. Even giving each other email to finalize the deal. Unfair. What do you guys think?? I sent it to customer service and I am waiting what will be the result.

On final table, I was doing my best, but later on realized, that against two colluders, I can have as many chips I want but they will eventually prevail. Their tactics were smart. They made everyone blinded out and then picked them up one by one. I was big chipstack after securing us more money, but made mistake with 4s, came short and never connected with flop or was doubled by anyone.
I went down to one of the colluders with AK vs his T7s on preflop all in.

To add more salt into wounds, this fella everytime called other players disrespectfuly. Like Ukraininan sh*t, Israeli player jew etc..

I will be awaiting response from customer service but in the meantime. I can enjoy my 990$ for 5th place Thx to this collusion the money these two won may have been split between the 8 remaining guys in the tournament, which would seem to be fair ruling to me..

Conclusion:
I am overall happy with result. Just when I thought I am busted or my grinding day will be non-profitable. Different thing happens. And I find it kinda funny. One day I win 5$, the next 17$ and the next over 988$ ♦

I can't be happy, though, with what Serbian players has shown and obviously with my post-flop play. My post-flop prevents me to be absolute monster in poker tourneys I also have problem with some gear switching, but overall my game is "ROCK" solid. Good enough to take on most tourneys..

And as I always promise. I will soon make a video.. Tomorrow I might take half day off, of poker

Here are the buy-in calculations for level 1 and level 2 but as I don't have defined any other level or idea how high I want to play now.. I will see it done later on.. Now, after all, is a little bit late..

LVL 1 4209.56 (Guess I am over-bankrolled for this one. LOL)
LVL 2 1052.39 (Seems a bit cautious for BRM ♦ )

I will be withdrawing 30 bucks from roll as 20 I have added because of SHARKCAGE (I didn't count them to my roll) and 10$ was initial investment, on which I have turned tiny profit with ROI around 10,423% ..

I know my post-flop isn't ideal.

I tried one 11$ tourney and I've learned a bit. At least, that I was scared for a reason. However.. I found out that my edge will definitely decrease on those. So I am deciding to drop down where I am comfortable and grind from there.

I will treat myself to 11$s the minute I take down some of the lower limit tourneys..

I've got to start grinding bit more, though, as I've earned only 20 FPPs and need some 130 more..

I am also re-starting my cycling programme and back exercises as at the moment I am using low chair with no back support so I need to work on my posture a bit..

Ok!

It was a bit shock to win so many buy-ins and I am finally settling down, giving myself rules of what to do.. It would be easy to go and play 11$ tourneys and drop down in case something bad happens

However I don't want to bleed like some virgin, so I decided to take short path and slow steps.

Now when I am rolled, I will shoot on occasion for some 1$ MTTs out of my comfort zone in STTs.

Today I played basically just two. I min cashed in STT, which is the worst thing that can happen. AQ vs JJ. And my second cash came bit deeper in MTT going down in some "set up". I gues 99 vs TT or something..

I had my ZOOM session, which ruined my STT/MTT session tonight. I was doing extremely well on all 4 tables and felt like I am in total ZONE. However the connection cut somewhere and I was sat out on two tables with profit over 8.5 BIs..

I am back on bike as well. Doing reps on 10-12% ascending hill. So far I can do only 3 at a time. I did two, spat my lungs, decided to have some longer flat aerobic exercise and came back on hill. I started aggressively at the bottom, but basically died towards the end.

I was watching most of the day episodes from Extreme Makeover and realised that if I don't whip myself, I will end up being much more overweight, than I am atm

Its time to get mean, its time to get lean. And hopefully I will be back at poker town in no time. Video that I wanted to make is being postponed again, due to my ideas and still trying to learn from videos of other guys

Was watching some +EV stuff on betsizing. It was the nuts!!

Hi again. It's me! ♦

Today I had no success playing 1$ tourneys. I was busting 1 after another, making silly mistakes like calling 1/2 of my healthy stack with AK on a flip. Guy had Aces btw. But it don't even matter. And so on.. I made some Buy-ins back, but it was basically it. I was far from break-even for the day..

I went then to find whether something exciting isn't on higher limits, where I should be, according to my BRM.

I found 11$ Bounty 180 man.. It was no brainer. Little insurance in case I make a mistake.. So let's go..

I wasn't doing anything out of order. At least that was the plan. I was bit anxious as I wasn't sure how to play them bounties..

After nearly two hours, first hands came and I started busting people and insuring my earnings. It worked. I busted high status player, calling him fish (and apologizing for it later on) (obviously making friends, LOL) and then started what I can call madness. I was so spewy and was making lots of bad plays in order to get more bounties. My bounties amounted over 53$.

I had healthy stack and was feeding very short ROCKy player. Unfortunately he run like a God even in situations where I was just a flip. I busted almost 20k off my stack to get down between mortals when about 18 to go and had to start playing ABCs. Unfortunately at that time I ran really bad. Two pairs vs Set from same hand. Tough pill to swallow. Flushes that never filled in etc..

In the end I run into JJ (had 5s) and bubbled final table.

I think me switching gears came too late and I totally screwed my chances to make sweet +272 on top of my bounties.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

I will have to do my research on math behind BOUNTIES etc but this tourney will be my MAJOR for a long time to come.. Because if I make a mistake, like I did in 1$ tourney today, I will already have more than 1/2 of my Buy-in Insured.

This tourney is definitely more loose and ppl will do more mistakes. However it was my case this time..

got sick for few weeks and first effect was to withdraw my winnings as I couldn't concentrate on playing poker for long hours.

Now I am untilted and starting to feel better. On bike I am still feeling there is something shady behind my breathing, but otherwise ok.

I swapped for a while tourneys for ZOOM and started doing good in them with disciplined PF play and quite ABC poker after the flop.

I have made one interesting deep run in PLO8. Finished 31st in re-buy.. Unfortunately ran bad towards the end. It just somehow has to happen to take me off the pool ♠_evil:

I don't think I played much or at all over-head of my bankroll. Somehow I recovered and I am very close to full-fill goal for this month..

Cya around ♠_biggrin: