[Closed] This time it's for real - grinding PokerStars

Played a bit yesterday, so short thaughts.
Just for the record, I didn't just played, as much as I played I was also learning - 50/50 ratio remember

Was playing 5$ NL FR on Stars (this format I'll play for a while besides S&G), played 833 hands 2,94$ winnings 7,06 BB/100 hands. Big problem on this limits are people playing like 75/5 preflop - how can you put this guys on a hand? Any word of advice? I can't really find succesfull strategy against them - I think 2-3 times my Aces or Kings got cracked by hands like Q2, JT, 67.. with a guy catching his second pair on the turn or river... That tilts me... I'm even thinking to totally ignore those players

About learning - rereading all bronze articles and making a summary with most important points - I'll have to stick to those.

Straight forward poker on this limit...

Played also 30.000$ vip, finished arround 370 place - cashed 17$. Played really good, going out with AKs preflop shove 20BB deep against QQ, with that pot won i think I would be in first 100.... Better luck next time.

Short recap.
Played arround 3.000 hands
Starting BR: 190$
Cash games: +13$
Tournaments: +17$
BR: 220$

Most interesting hands:
Nl 5 Fr Ak Utg Raise
Overplayed top pair...
QQ 3way pot - low board

Comments are more than welcome...

Today I spent time learning, reading bronze section and making a script I'll use as a reminder with most important things.

I played a bit in the morning from 6AM to 7:30 before I need to get ready to work. I think I'll keep doing that - over the week I dont have much time playing so I'll do it in the morning

Few days gone so update..

Last two days I've been with my company on a short seminar (two days). Besides Zagreb, where I live, is a nice mountain where we went, got some fresh air, and done some work. All in all bussines and pleasure at the same time. I work in I nice, young team - a group of people who knows how to have fun Only "bad" thing for me is that I don't drink alcohol (thing I gave up before Easter, for those who don't know, there is a period of 40 days before Eastet in wich you give up one or two things - that's something connected to religion, not to explain in depth now..).

So almost no time for my friend poker last few days. I managed to put in a few shorter sessions, nothing too interesting, no hands to post. Played straight forward ABC poker. Managed to clear 10$ stellar reward, that's the biggest news I think

Hands played:4.800
Starting BR:190$
Cash games: +26$
Tournaments: +17$
Rewards: +10$
BR: 243$

Think I'll get to 250$ soon so I'll switch to NL10$.
Keep track

P.S. Does anyone know how can I put like a signature or let say link to my post so when I comment something there is a link to it?

Originally posted by zghrv
P.S. Does anyone know how can I put like a signature or let say link to my post so when I comment something there is a link to it?

Go to "Forum" -> "Your Profile" -> "Edit Signature" (Don't forget to click "Options" and deselect Deactivate BBC Code in this signature)

thanks

As I predicted, soon after last post I reached 250$ and switched to NL10 FR (Nostradamus ha )

On NL5 I ran 11BB/100 hands, think that's ok. As I moved to NL10, at first I really tightned up, played very few hands. After few rounds, I loosened so my preflop stats are almost like NL5. So far so good, running great on NL10 - played 600 hands won 23$. Waited for good spots to get it in and it payed out.

I would like to have some input on aggression factor. My agg factor is 2,79. Can you give me your insights about that - what's your aggression, what should I aim for? Somehow I think I should be more aggressive, what do you think?

Volume that I play is not as I planned. I wanted to play arround 8-10.000 hands weekly. In first week I did arround 6.500. Hope to find some time to play and learn more.

Hands played:6.441
Starting BR:190$
Cash games: +55$
Tournaments: +17$
Rewards: +10$
BR: 272$

Below a graph of my progress.

I would also like to make this blog as interesting as I can, so please help. Any ideas, comments are wanted a.s.a.p.

Hi girls and boys.
Quest is continuing. Put in some more sessions so short recap and some interesting hands:

Hands played:7.741
Starting BR:190$
Cash games: +70$
Tournaments: +17$
Rewards: +10$
BR: 287$

Nl 10 Fr Ak
NL 10 FR KQs
NL 10 FR 22 (set)
Nl 10 Fr Ak
NL 10 FR AA 3 way pot

Hi all.
Happy Easter. Best of luck to you all, lot of health and blessings.

Few days gone, played as much as I could but still not as much as I wanted. That was partly because I was at my parents house for last two days. Every hollydays we try to be together. They have a house 70 km from Zagreb, was very nice weather, went to curch together etc... Let say everything Easter is all about

What I managed to play was rather good, I think I'm on a good track for now. Bigges improvement in my game is that I learned to fold when I'm supposed to. I also use stats a lot, created a nice setup on HEM. I think I use stats correctly, can wait to get to some articles regarding stats - is there any detailed articles?

During the blog I'll post HEM setup, hopefully I'll get some comments from you, what do you think, what do you use....

Hands played: 12.130 (wanted to reach 16.000)
Starting BR:190$
Cash games: +104$
Tournaments: +17$
Rewards: +10$
BR: 321$

Hands:
Nl 10 Fr Aa
Nl 10 Fr Ak
NL 10 FR AK flush draw completes
NL 10 FR AJs blind war

Graph, as you can se there was one period I was really unlucky, part where EV line is catching up to the profit line.

Ok people, few days gone by so my duty is to inform you about things

Where to start....

Hmmm, little bit of private stuff for starters.

Don't know if I mentioned but I'm living with my fionce in a 70m2 appartment in Zagreb, lets say in subberb of the town. Moved with her year and a half ago and so far so good. Life's been good to us, we have steady jobs, been healthy, love is all around..., what can we want more ha?
Wedding is 01.10. this year - wish me luck I'll keep you informed about that, and if anyone needs some advice regarding organising a wedding, feel free.....

About poker...
In one coaching I heard someone ask a question about motivation in poker and asked myself why do I play it. Don't want to lie to anyone, I play it because of the money. For now it's been a main motivator. Most probably things will change, but for now thats the plain true.
I'm hoping to earn some money to ease up our life a bit, to maybe enjoy a bit more in life and to solve some basic stuff (paying off morgage on the flat, helping my parents a bit, earn some extra money for my batchelor party....).

Since last post I played arround 9.000 hands. So put up some volume that I wanted. basically I'm running 9,5BB/100 hands and am feeling really comfortable at this limit. Still there are many leaks in my game. Great way to detect them is posting hands, something I do regurarly. Just want to say hi to Veriz here, really good comments on the hands so thanks man.

Stats:
Starting BR:190$
Cash games: +183$
Tournaments: +17$
Rewards: +10$
BR: 400$

Hands:
nl10 aks
nl10 fr aj
nl10 fr blind steal-flush
nl10 fr kqo
nl10 fr aj top pair
nl10 66 set vs shove
nl10 ako

Graph:

Hi all.

April gone by and I can say I'm rather happy about the result. As you know, started playing NL5, quickly managed to get to NL10 (limit I'm playing at the moment). Only thing I was doing wrong is that I was not learning as much as I promised. Main reason is that I'm missing the volume I wanted to play.
So what's the way out? I thaught about it and at one point increased the number of tables from 6 to 9. I can still play profitably with 9 tables, but BB/100 hands is dropping from 10bb/100 to 7bb/100 hands. Still have to put it all on paper and see what's more profitable - of course I have to include increased bonuses with more volume and have in mind that sample size for 9-tableing is still small, so possibly I'll improve when I get more used to it. I'll keep playing 9 tables whole May, after that do the math and decide how to proceed.

April graph:

Then May came and started pretty good. On 01.05. qualified with FPP to 11$ 50.000$ tourney and finished arround 300 place for 87$. Tourney went great, made some good decisions. When you consider I'm almost never play tournaments...
I went out shoving A7o (15bb deep) to Btn raise and ran into AK. Shitty play - think I should of waited a bit more.

I'll continue to play NL10 (9 tables) and try to get to NL25 as soon as possible. I'm a bit scared of NL25 because I think that without some serious learning I'll not be able to play profitably.

So plan for May is:
- learn more (reread all Bronze articles for no limit and watch most of Bronze videos)
- get to NL25
- play 40.000 hands
- earn 350$

We'll se how it goes

Total stats:
Starting BR:190$
Hands played: 30.880
Cash games: + 263$
Tournaments: +104$
Rewards: +20$
BR: 577$

NL25 here I come

p.s. hands will be posted soon

I have reached NL 25, on Sunday I'll write weekly review and you'll see how it goes.
For now just the hands from NL10 I didn't post. Man I had some tough decisions

Nl10 Fr J4 - Can I Call?
Nl10 Fr Kk
NL10 FR JTs - shove?
Nl10 Fr 55 - 3 Barrel 0N That Board?
Nl10 Fr Ak - Can I Fold?
Nl10 Fr At - Do I Bluff?
Nl10 Fr Ak
Nl10 Fr Aq Blinds
Nl10 Fr Aa Vs Donker
Nl10 Fr 22 Set
NL10 AKo fold?
Nl10 Kk
Nl10 99
NL10 55 set and fold...
NL10 AKs

Nice blog!! Just run across it and it is just what I needed, motivation for me to keep learning and playing. Keep on good work!!

Thans pemac, nice too see fellow countryman here.
People can anyone help, how to post hands with stats on forum? I'm uploading from HEM, when I copy hand to clipboard W/stats it's not converting on the web page.

Please help.

Hi.

At the beggining just a short info that I'm going to change my blog a bit. I'll post every Sunday evening with a track of monthly and yearly goals in this way:
- every Sunday a track of current month
- on the first Sunday of every month I'll post status of yearly progress and final results for the previous month, and a plan for next month

Stats will be posted as showed today at the end of this post. Please give some feedback is it clear, would you change the way I'm tracking it?

Today I'll set this year goal, monthly we already have (just go back a bit in a blog).

Plans for year 2011 are:

It would be great to get some comments on the goals - is there anything else you would like to include, did I overdid it... what do you think?

I think this is reachable but very, very challenging. I can consider changing it if you convince me there is a need for something to be changed, feel free to post it.

Ok, so what happened in the last few days.
I have reached NL25 and as I predicted, and it totally came out as I said few posts ago - I'm still not ready for this limit. I played a lot and didn't manage to have any profits. Lost 65$ in just over 8.000 hands.
I looked at all the big hands I lost and the conclusion is very clear - I have changed the style of play from the one I've been playing. I think it happened because I want to prove something to the players on NL25 and am playing super aggresive. This leads to 1. overplaying mediocre hands 2. making bluffs (lot of c-bets on the flop and turn). And this is where I need to improve.
So the plan for the rest of the month is just focusing on the learning. As you'll see in this month stats, I'm on a nice track with the volume of play I wanted, but I didn't learn one bit.

So for everyone who is reading this, don't make the mistake I made.

Not to make this to long, here are the stats. Hands will be posted in next few days.
PLANS

MAY GRAPH

Private stuff - for the once who are interested
I made a bet with my fionce to go to 85kg till 15.07.2011. As I'm currently having 91 kg, its 6kg in the next two months. I'll keep informing you how that goes It,s a part of one longer plan, and this is to run on Zagreb half marathon race (21km) on 09.10.2011. ( http://www.zagreb-marathon.com/ ) Look at the website, it has a program how to prepare for a race. If you need help with translation, just say, I'll help.
If I lose, I'll have to take her on a trip worth 250EUR sometime before our wedding. As we had an agreement that there are no trips untill she graduates (thing that I did because she got really laisy with her study) this we'll be a real treat for her - she is a trip freak.
Wish me luck