Swimming with the fishes - LahtiPelican's SH journey

Originally posted by monteCarlol
Hey LahtiPelican, haven't seen an update in quite some time, how is it going?

Hey monteCarlol!

I saw that PokerStrategy become more and more silent (I am a part of this problem as well), so I didn't felt motivated to write. Also I followed your blog (and other active ones ofc).

I am still grinding mainly on Unibet NL10. This week I returned to PokerStars to see what is like to play without Russian regs (spoiler: the pool is awesome).

I will have some spare time this weekend, so I will write more about my 2nd month of 2022.

Until then here is a giraffe from Stars NL10 reg tables:

P.S.: It looks more like a camel now.

Good to hear that you are doing well and that you survived your downswing financially and mentally.
Your graph looks pretty swingy, and as if you are applying a higher variance strategy.
Keep it up!

Originally posted by monteCarlol
Good to hear that you are doing well and that you survived your downswing financially and mentally.
Your graph looks pretty swingy, and as if you are applying a higher variance strategy.
Keep it up!

You said swingy? Hold my beer!

Only thing I do for higher variance is selecting the best tables out there with at least one 60+ VPIP whales on them.

They play with any possible hand and sometimes they get there:

PokerStars - $0.10 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

CO: 100.7 BB
BTN: 125.6 BB
SB: 219.3 BB
BB: 133.1 BB
UTG: 125.3 BB
Hero (MP): 100 BB

SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has 6♥ 6♠

fold, Hero raises to 3 BB, fold, BTN calls 3 BB, fold, fold

Flop: (7.5 BB, 2 players) 2♦ 6♣ T♣
Hero bets 5 BB, BTN raises to 13.6 BB, Hero raises to 40.1 BB, BTN raises to 122.6 BB and is all-in, Hero calls 56.9 BB and is all-in

Turn: (201.5 BB, 2 players) Q♥

River: (201.5 BB, 2 players) T♦

Hero shows 6♥ 6♠ (Full House, Sixes full of Tens)
(Pre 70%, Flop 87%, Turn 95%)
BTN shows 2♣ T♠ (Full House, Tens full of Twos)
(Pre 30%, Flop 13%, Turn 5%)
BTN wins 192.4 BB

EV bb/100 is still above 20, so it'll be okay.

Hello all!

It is the end of March, so it's time to write an update about February.

1, Finish my side tankroll challenge

I decided to finish the challenge after 46k hands. Ended up with $187 from $50, with a peak BR at $263,72.

Graph looks good, progress was nice IMO, so what is the reason behind quitting you may ask? Well, altogether my net won was -$103, and I made my profit from rakeback only. Rakeback can be a big part of a poker players profit, but IMO it shouldn't be all of it. Also who would be interested in a rakeback challenge? I wouldn't, so I'm out. Also without rakeback the challenge ended up with broke anyway.

2, 180 hours if study time in poker

180/24,23

I am a bit behind my goal. As I wrote I moved back to NL5 because mental game. I thought that my game is enough to beat the limit, so I focused on my mental game issues in practice (also I forgot to count book reading towards studying ).

I am experimenting with a warm up routine before every my sessions. ATM it consists of a breathing erxercise (to calm down my mind and focus on poker and poker only), setting 3 main goals for the session (and write them also) and playing 4 tables instead of 8 in the first 15 minutes and take some time for every decision of mine. So far so good I guess.

3, Record a session every month with my comments and upload it here

I recorded like 10-15 session in February, but all in hungarian, so I failed on this one

4, Read 6 books

The mental Game of Poker done, ATM I am reading a book about divident stocks.

5, Reach $10 hourly in poker

Here comes the bad part: my hourly rate in February was -$2,2

6, Make $6.000 from poker

monteCarlol was right, result oriented goals aren't good, so I won't be hard on myself with this one.

Previous profit: $114,96
Current profit: -$7,73

7,Play 500.000 hands

500.000/87.461

February is already the shortest month and I took a week out for snowboarding with my family in Austria, so this one wasn't an easy one to complete.

The weather wasn't really nice (lack of snow and a rainy day), but check out the view from the hotel balcony:

8, Lose 13 kgs of weight

The one week holiday was not so good for my diet. I started the year with 93kgs on the scale, I am 90kgs ATM.

9, Swim across lake Balaton
One of my colleagues joined me for my swimming sessions, so it is much easier to get up 6 am (did I mentioned that I am not a morning person at all?) and do these workouts before work with his company.

10, Complete my first triathlon

Spring has arrived to Hungary, so I can finally schedule bike sessions next to swimming. Can't wait to get out to the nature on two wheels!

11, Play my first session of NL50

It will be happen in the second half of the year I hope.

I promise that March update will be much better than this one!

Spoiler: things going well again

The graph at the end looks nice.
Good luck training for the swim — the training will help you in everything you do.

Originally posted by VorpalF2F
The graph at the end looks nice.
Good luck training for the swim — the training will help you in everything you do.

You are so right, I can feel the benefits now!

Originally posted by SvenBe
Ha, no reason? Have a look here - you were lucky in one of our 4 raffle weeks:
https://www.pokerstrategy.com/news/pokerstrategy/Win-a-share-of-%E2%82%AC4,000-in-the-HexaPro-Boost-Finale_121355/

Thanks for playing tracked with PokerStrategy.com!

Seems like there is no month without me luckboxing at PokerStrategy raffles.

This time I noticed the raffle at least. I am running over EV in these for sure

I am still speechless, thank you guys!

haha I was thinking about you when I took the raffle results from our randomizer/statistic. "that name sure sounds familiar!"
GL and enjoy the $$$, they will arrive to your account on Friday.

Originally posted by SvenBe
haha I was thinking about you when I took the raffle results from our randomizer/statistic. "that name sure sounds familiar!"
GL and enjoy the $$$, they will arrive to your account on Friday.

Thank you, SvenBe! The money was on my TaF acount already on Monday.

I finished playing for March. With the help of PokerStrategy and the long waited upswing, it was a record month!

P.S.: There is net won on the graph, not bankroll.

monteCarlol was right, result oriented goals aren't good, so I won't be hard on myself with this one.

👍
awesome that you got out of your downswing
sometimes you do not see light at the end of the tunnel but then suddenly you make it out
what was in your opinion the key factor that helped you overcome the downswing?

Originally posted by monteCarlol
what was in your opinion the key factor that helped you overcome the downswing?

Sorry for answering late (as always).

The key factor was I think is taking a step back (also stop playing for a while) and realising that maybe I ran bad a bit, but there are more important things behind the downswing which I can work on (such as mental game, poker game, stressfull private life background etc etc.)

Originally posted by LahtiPelican
I promise that March update will be much better than this one!

(Will I write it before May? Who knows )

Almost failed writing before May, but here we go.

2022. March update

1, 180 hours if study time in poker

180/25,23

Still behind the goal, but the month before NL25 will be much more intensive in studiing.

2, Record a session every month with my comments and upload it here

I failed this goal 3 times in a row now, so I am thinking that it was not as important as I thought in December. IMO I will cancel it from now on.

3, Read 6 books

2nd books about stock is finished, looking for the 3rd one. Has anyone read Poker Therapy from peter Clarke?

4, Reach $10 hourly in poker

March was the first month where I reached this goal: my hourly rate was $13,42. It is not exact, because of the PokerStrategy raffle, without it it would be $8, which is pretty decent on NL5-NL10 combined, if you ask me.

5, Make $6.000 from poker

March profit: $750,29
Previous profit: -$7,73
Current profit: $742,56

6,Play 500.000 hands

Hands played: 53.094
500.000/140.555

7, Lose 13 kgs of weight

I was 89kg at the end of March, so I have to put much more effort to my diet.

8, Swim across lake Balaton

Swimming sessions are going well with my buddy twice a week and once a week alone. I can't wait 23th of July.

9, Complete my first triathlon

The weather is much better nowadays so I can add running sessions to the swimming. That is the most hated part of the triathlon to me. If you would ask me to run 5km or swim 5km, I would choose the second one without even hesitating.

10, Play my first session of NL50

At the moment I am playing on 8 tables, most of them are from Unibet NL10. Than I select tables from PokerStars NL10-16 and NL10 from 888 (I should fill up my account there and filter for NL20 tables as well.)

Here is the last few weeks from 888 and Pokerstars with table selection:

Well done!
Keep crushing

Originally posted by Talisker74
Well done!
Keep crushing

Thanks mate!

I am looking forward for your update about NL16 Zoom pool. I have never played there and I am interested in your opinion about the players.

Todays highlight so far:

I check/called turn and after he bet pot OTR, folded for my raise.

Also I lost track how many royals I had before, so I had to check my blog: this was the 8th for me.

2022. April update

1, 180 hours if study time in poker

180/31,55

2, Read 6 books

-Jared Tandler - The mental game of Poker
-David Solyomi - Free from dividend (there is no english translation of this one)

Next one is also purchased, but haven't started yet: Dr. Patricia Cardner - Positive Poker

3, Reach $10 hourly in poker

April hourly was far from ideal: only $1,77.

4, Make $6.000 from poker

March profit: $120,77
Previous profit: $742,56
Current profit: $863,33

5,Play 500.000 hands

Hands played: 54.981
500.000/195.536

6, Lose 13 kgs of weight

I was 90kg in the end of April. Shame on me... Last year I wrote all my macro nutrients every day for my diet, but I thought I can lose weight without this. It will change now, back to the known, effective way.

7, Swim across lake Balaton

Swimming sessions going well, can't wait for the event!

8, Complete my first triathlon

I wish I would have good news about this one. I searched for events, where I can do the sprint distance from triathlon (750m swimming, 20km bike, 5km running) there aren't a lot scheduled in Hungary. If they do Sprint distance, I am erquired to have a triathlete licence for the year (really? I need a licence before I even know if I like this sport or not??). There is only one on the first weekend of September, where amateurs can go as well, but we will be on vacation in Bulgaria with my friends.

I have a lot of actvities scheduled for summer, mainly on the weekends, so I am worried about this goal.

9, Play my first session of NL50

2022. May update

I have never been so early with the monthly updates ♠_cool:

1, 180 hours if study time in poker

180/48,88

Did 17,33 study hours in May, which is above my monthly goal. OFC I need to catch up because of the lazy months before. The goal for June is to study at least 20 hours.

2, Read 6 books

-Jared Tandler - The mental game of Poker
-David Solyomi - Free from dividend (there is no english translation of this one)

I just strated to read Dr . Cardner's book, which I mentioned in the previous update.

3, Reach $10 hourly in poker

$1,13 hourly rate with rakeback included is literally shame. It could be done on NL2 for sure... That's what happens when you only improving your game, but not your mental game for a long period. I have to catch up with my mental game for sure.

4, Make $6.000 from poker

May profit: $119,10
Previous profit: $863,33
Current profit: $982,43

5,Play 500.000 hands

Hands played: 86.063
500.000/282.139

6, Lose 13 kgs of weight

I weigh 88kg at the moment. Some progress happened, but in June there will be some family events organized, so I have to be aware of what I a meating/drinking.

7, Swim across lake Balaton

Swimming sessions going very well.

8, Complete my first triathlon

Unfortunately I can't find an event for amateurs which fits my calendar...

This post needs a better graph, so here is my all time:

Originally posted by LahtiPelican
This post needs a better graph, so here is my all time:

Pretty nice looking giraffe!

Originally posted by VorpalF2F

Pretty nice looking giraffe!

Thank you Vorpal! It is still a baby giraffe and I am working hard on making it taller

2022. June update

1, 180 hours if study time in poker

180/64,24

In June I reached my monthly study goal, but I am still behind my yearly goal.

2, Read 6 books

-Jared Tandler - The mental game of Poker
-David Solyomi - Free from dividend (there is no english translation of this one)

I should've finished the 3rd book by now, but there was a lot of extra activities in June, so I am a little bit behind as well.

3, Reach $10 hourly in poker

My hourly rate was $3,53 in June. It culd be easily be duoubled, but I made a mistake: I decided to chase rakback this month. My coach said at the beginnng of the month not to chase RB on the micros, but I did not listened to him. Ater some math, it seemed like it is possible to complete my goals for rakeback. However because of summer and a lot of activities, I had a lot shorter time period to make them. I ended up playing not only higher limits that I used to, but I played them on Zoom poker. Just to clarify, my BR allowed me to play those limits, I just wasn't confident playing them mentally. I felt a lot of pressure on my shoulder when I lost more playing those stakes than the actual ammount of RB was and I still didn't reach the goal in rake. I was commited to complete the goal and after I did it, I was lost the same ammount that PokerStars gave me for my monthly challenge. A lots of time wasted, but at least I know how not to approach micostakes poker ever again.

4, Make $6.000 from poker

May profit: $378,87
Previous profit: $982,43
Current profit: $1361,3

5,Play 500.000 hands

Hands played: 81.063
500.000/363.202

6, Lose 13 kgs of weight

I weigh 86kg at the moment. Not bad, but this result was strongly affected by a lots of family dinners/lunches.

7, Swim across lake Balaton

Nekt time I write a monthly update, I hope I will be done with this one.

8, Complete my first triathlon

Unfortunately I still can't find an event for this goal. Not sure if I can complete it this year or I have to delay it.

In July I instead of focusing on rakeback, I will play with my tightest table selection from multiple sites. When I done this, this was the result in June:

Hope I can do this on a bigger sample as well, wish me luck!

Congratz for your results ! Great volume last month

How many hours do you play each day now ?

Hey LahtiPelican! Congratulations on your progress, and also it's nice to see a fellow Hungarian here.

Haven't you had a blog with the same name on the Hungarian forum before 2015? The name is so familiar, I'm pretty sure I was following a blog with this name back than.