RTG starting NL2 on GG

Week 1 Update – First Volume on NL2 Rush & Cash

Hi everyone,

Time for my first real update since starting the challenge.

After my introduction post I started grinding NL2 Rush & Cash ($0.01/$0.02) on GGpoker. The goal for this challenge is still the same: build the bankroll step by step while focusing on improving my decision making.

Compared to my old poker days (2004–2009), I’m approaching the game very differently now. Back then I was playing up to 12 tables on NL5/NL10, mostly on autopilot. This time I’m keeping it max 3 tables so I can actually think through spots and improve.

Volume

During this first period I played:

Total hands: 5,658
Game: NL2 Rush & Cash (6-max)

Rush & Cash is a fast format which makes it easier to build volume. For now I'm mainly focusing on playing solid fundamentals and getting comfortable with the games again.

For a first week back at the tables I’m quite happy with the volume while still keeping sessions manageable.

Results

The results for the first stretch are slightly negative, but that’s part of the process when starting a grind again after many years away.

Starting bankroll: €52.91
Current bankroll: €47.29

Bankroll movement: -€5.62

While it's obviously not the start I hoped for, my focus right now is not the short-term results but building good habits and consistent volume.

Interesting Hands

Here are a few hands from the sample that stood out to me.

Hand 1 – Standard Cooler (AA vs KK)

Hero: As Ac

Preflop action escalates quickly with a raise, 3-bet, 4-bet and eventually stacks going in.

Hero: AA
Villain: KK

The hand was run multiple times and although one board brought a king, overall the pot still went to Hero.

Thoughts

This is a completely standard stack-off. At NL2 you’re always happy getting the money in preflop with AA.

Hand 2 – Unfortunate Runout

Hero: 6s 6d

Hero raises preflop and gets two callers.

Flop: 9c 8d 2c
Hero continuation bets and both players call.

Turn: Ks
Hero checks.

River: Kh

At showdown one of the opponents wins with Kings and Nines.

Thoughts

This is a tricky multiway spot where the board runs out quite badly for pocket sixes. After the king appears on the turn the hand becomes difficult to continue betting with, so checking down seems reasonable.

Hand 3 – Spot I Could Play Better

Hero: 8s 7s

Hero calls preflop.

Flop: Kd 7c 4s
Hero check-calls a bet.

Turn: 2h
Hero check-calls again.

River: 6s

Villain shows 99 and wins.

Thoughts

Calling down with middle pair here is probably too loose. At NL2 players betting multiple streets on a king-high board often have Kx or a strong pocket pair, so this might be a spot where folding earlier would be better.

This is something I want to pay attention to going forward.

Focus Going Forward

My plan for the coming week:

Continue grinding NL2 Rush & Cash

Keep playing maximum 3 tables

Review hands and look for leaks

Post regular updates here

The long-term goal remains:

Bankroll goal: €500
Secondary goal: reach Crab status on GGpoker in 2026

Looking forward to the next sessions and hopefully posting a better result in the next update.

Good luck at the tables everyone 🍀

Report (required thread)

Played hands / tournaments: 5,658 hands
Bankroll movement: -€5.62
Current bankroll: €47.29

Week 2 Update – Volume, Variance and a Lesson in Tilt

Hi everyone,

Time for another update on the challenge.

This week I added another 5,437 hands of NL2 Rush & Cash (6-max) on GGpoker. Together with the first sample this brings the total to roughly 11k hands played so far since starting the grind.

I’m still sticking to the same plan: maximum 3 tables, focus on decision making, and slowly getting comfortable with the games again after many years away from poker.

Graph Analysis

I included the graph from this sample and it actually tells quite an interesting story.

From what I can see:

The orange line (all-in EV) is trending upwards overall

The green line (actual winnings) is running below EV most of the time

There are several sharp drops caused by big all-in pots

At the end of the sample the EV line is around +$6 to +$7, while the actual winnings are still slightly negative.

This usually means that in the big all-in situations I was running below expectation, which is something that happens frequently in small samples.

Overall though, the graph suggests the play itself is not terrible, since the EV line is moving upward.

The Tilt Moment

One moment in particular definitely affected the session mentally.

Within roughly three minutes I lost three all-in pots with QQ vs AA.

That kind of sequence is pretty brutal at microstakes because each one is a full stack and it happens so quickly in Rush & Cash.

Even though the situation is unavoidable (QQ vs AA is just a cooler), I noticed that afterwards I started playing more emotionally than I should have. Nothing completely crazy, but definitely some frustration creeping in, which probably didn’t help my decision making.

It was a good reminder that mental game discipline is something I still need to work on.

What I Think I'm Doing Well

So far I feel relatively comfortable with:

• Keeping the table count low (max 3 tables)
• Playing fairly straightforward value oriented poker
• Building consistent weekly volume

Rush & Cash is a fast format, but limiting the tables helps me actually think through spots instead of autopiloting like I used to years ago.

Things I Want To Improve

A few things I want to work on in the coming weeks:

Mental game

The QQ vs AA sequence showed me I still react emotionally to variance sometimes.

Calling discipline

In some spots I suspect I may still call too light on later streets, which is a common leak in microstakes.

Hand reviewing

I want to spend more time reviewing hands after sessions and posting interesting ones here.

Plan for Next Week

The plan remains simple:

• Continue grinding NL2 Rush & Cash
• Maintain consistent volume
• Review difficult hands
• Keep posting updates here

The long-term goal is still:

Bankroll target: €500
Secondary goal: reach Crab status on GGpoker in 2026

For now the focus is simply building good habits and staying consistent.

Weekly Report

Hands played this week: 5,437
Total hands played: ~11,095

Starting bankroll (challenge): €52.91
Current bankroll: €44.69

Total bankroll movement: -€8.22

# Week 3 Update – Momentum Shift & Playing More in Position

Hi everyone,

Time for another update, and this one finally feels a lot better.

This week I continued grinding NL2 Rush & Cash and started to feel more comfortable again in the games. I also made a conscious adjustment to **play more hands in position**, which already seems to be having a positive impact on my results.

---

## Volume

This sample contains:

**Hands played:** ~3,407
**Total hands overall:** ~14,500+

Still sticking to **max 3 tables**, focusing on quality over quantity.

---

## Graph Analysis

Here is the graph for this period:

What stands out:

* Both **EV (orange)** and **actual winnings (green)** are trending **strongly upwards**
* This time I’m running **close to EV**, which is a big change compared to previous weeks
* Clear **momentum shift**, especially after ~2.5k hands

This looks like a combination of:

* Better decisions (especially in position)
* Less variance working against me

---

## Bankroll Update

This week included something extra:

* **€30 added** from a WSOP qualifier
* **C$15 Flipout win**

So even though part of the increase is from bonuses, it still feels like my earlier “bad run” got compensated a bit.

**Previous bankroll:** €44.69
**Current bankroll:** **€98.75**

### Weekly result

**Total increase:** **+€54.06**

👉 Of which:

* ~€30 bonus (WSOP qualifier)
* ~$10 Flipout
* Remaining profit from play

---

## What Changed

The biggest adjustment I made:

➡️ **Playing more hands in position**

I’m noticing that:

* Pots are easier to control
* I make better decisions postflop
* I lose fewer chips in marginal spots

This already feels like a **major upgrade compared to week 1–2**.

---

# Interesting Hands

### Hand 1 – Well Played

Hero: **A♠ Q♠**

Hero raises from **cutoff**
Big blind calls

Flop: **Q♦ 7♣ 3♠**
Hero bets → villain calls

Turn: **5♥**
Hero continues betting → villain calls

River: **2♣**
Hero bets for value → villain calls with worse Qx

**Thoughts**

Clean value line in position.
This is exactly the type of hand I want to replicate: simple, controlled and profitable.

---

### Hand 2 – Spot to Improve

Hero: **J♣ T♣**

Hero calls preflop

Flop: **K♠ 9♦ 4♥**
Hero check-calls

Turn: **2♣**
Hero check-calls again

River: brick
Hero folds

**Thoughts**

Too loose and unnecessary:

* Out of position
* Weak hand
* No clear plan

This is a spot where folding earlier saves money long term.

---

## What I Think I'm Doing Well

• Playing more **in position**
• Less autopilot
• Better value extraction
• Consistent volume

---

## Things I Want To Improve

**Discipline in marginal spots**
Still some unnecessary calls.

**Mental game**
Less tilt than last week, but always something to watch.

---

## Plan Going Forward

* Continue NL2 grind
* Focus on **position advantage**
* Review more hands
* Keep posting updates

---

## Weekly Report

Hands played: **3,407**
Total hands: **~14,500+**

Previous bankroll: **€44.69**
Current bankroll: **€98.75**

**Weekly profit:** **+€54.06**

Originally posted by MissGold
Hi, I'm MissGold, and I used to play poker during 2004-2009. I first played at EverestPoker, PartyPoker, PokerStars and FullTilt.

Hi MissGold,
Welcome (back) to PokerStrategy.com

Best of luck in the challenge! :gl:,
VS

TY!:f_thumbsup:

Week 4 Update – Staying Disciplined Through Variance

Hi everyone,

Time for another update.

This week felt like a bit of a mixed one. The beginning of the week actually went really well and I felt like I was playing solid, making good decisions and staying focused.

However, towards Friday and Saturday, it felt like almost everything started going the wrong way — a lot of bad beats, unlucky rivers and spots where I just couldn’t seem to win.

Graph Analysis

Here is the graph for this period:

What stands out:

The graph shows a nice upward trend early on
Then a clear downswing phase
Followed by a small recovery at the end
EV and actual winnings are running quite close again

So overall it looks like a combination of:

Solid play early in the week
Followed by a stretch of unfavorable variance
Mental Game (Big Positive)

What actually felt like a big win this week:

➡️ I did not tilt

Even though I had multiple frustrating spots and bad runouts, I didn’t let it affect my decisions too much.

Compared to earlier weeks (like the QQ vs AA situation), this feels like a big improvement.

Volume

Hands played: ~2,443
Total hands overall: ~19k+

Still playing 2 tables only, which continues to feel like the best setup for me right now.

Bankroll Update

Previous bankroll: €98.75
Current bankroll: €112.72

Weekly profit: +€13.97

PokerStrategy Goal

It’s also becoming clear that I will probably not reach Gold status on PokerStrategy this month.

At first I considered increasing volume, but honestly:

➡️ Playing more tables would reduce my decision quality

And right now:

2 tables = better decisions = better long-term results

So I’m choosing to stick with what works instead of forcing volume.

Maybe in 6 months, when everything becomes more automatic and I move up stakes, it will be more realistic.

What I’m Learning
Variance can shift quickly, even within a few days
Staying disciplined is more important than short-term results
Playing in position and thinking through hands still makes a big difference
Interesting Hands
Hand 1 – Well Played

Hero: A♠ J♠ (in position)

Hero raises from cutoff
Big blind calls

Flop: J♦ 6♣ 2♠
Hero bets → call

Turn: 4♥
Hero continues betting → call

River: 8♣
Hero bets for value → villain calls with weaker Jx

Thoughts

Solid value line:

Played in position
Controlled aggression
Extracted value from worse hands
Hand 2 – Spot to Improve

Hero: Q♣ T♣

Hero calls preflop (out of position)

Flop: K♦ 7♠ 3♥
Hero check-calls

Turn: 2♦
Hero check-calls again

River: blank
Hero folds

Thoughts

This is a clear improvement spot:

Out of position
Weak hand
No clear plan

Calling multiple streets here is likely too loose.

Better to fold earlier and avoid marginal situations.

What I Think I'm Doing Well

• Staying calm under pressure
• Not tilting during bad runs
• Playing fewer tables for better decisions
• More awareness of position

Things I Want To Improve

Avoid marginal calls out of position
Still a recurring leak.

Continue mental discipline
This week was good, want to keep that consistent.

Plan Going Forward
Continue NL2 grind
Stick to 2 tables
Focus on position and discipline
Keep reviewing hands

Long term:

➡️ Possibly move to NL5 in ~6 months when bankroll and skill are ready
➡️ Then higher volume (and maybe status goals) become more realistic

Weekly Report

Hands played: 2,443
Total hands: ~19k+

Previous bankroll: €98.75
Current bankroll: €112.72

Weekly profit: +€13.97

Week Update – Variance Hits Back

Hi everyone,

Time for another update.

This week was actually going quite decent overall… until today.

In a single day, most of the small profit I had built up during the week basically disappeared again. It felt like one of those sessions where everything just goes wrong — bad beats, unlucky rivers, and setups you can’t really avoid.

Graph Analysis

Here is the graph for this period:

What stands out:

Early part shows a steady upward trend
Then a gradual drop
And finally a sharp downswing at the end (today)
EV (orange) also drops, but remains above actual winnings

➡️ This suggests:

Some bad variance in all-in spots
Combined with a rough final session
Mental Game (Still Strong)

Even though today was frustrating:

➡️ I did not tilt

And that’s honestly one of the biggest positives this week.

A few weeks ago this kind of session would definitely affect my play, but now I stayed relatively calm and stuck to my decisions.

Interesting Hands
Hand 1 – Sick Cooler (JJ vs Quads)

Hero: J♠ J♦

Preflop:
Hero raises, gets called

Flop: 7♣ 7♦ 2♠
Hero bets → call

Turn: J♥
Hero improves to a full house (Jacks full of Sevens)
Hero bets → villain raises → stacks go in

River: 7♠

Villain shows: 7x7x (quads)

💭 Thoughts

This is just a brutal cooler.

Nothing to change here — just pure variance.

Hand 2 – Well Played

Hero: K♠ Q♠ (in position)

Hero raises from cutoff
Big blind calls

Flop: Q♦ 8♣ 3♠
Hero bets → call

Turn: 5♥
Hero continues betting → call

River: 2♣
Hero bets for value → villain calls with worse

💭 Thoughts

Clean value line
Played in position
Extracting value from worse hands

Exactly the kind of hand I want to keep repeating.

Volume

Hands played: ~2,373
Total hands overall: ~21k+

Still playing 2 tables, which continues to help me stay focused and make better decisions.

What I’m Learning
Even a decent week can flip in one bad session
Variance is still very real, even at NL2
Mental control is improving (big win)
Bankroll Update

Previous bankroll: €112.72
Current bankroll: €108.93

Weekly result: -€3.79

Weekly Report

Hands played: 2,373
Total hands: ~21k+

Previous bankroll: €112.72
Current bankroll: €108.93

Weekly result: -€3.79

Week Update – Small Leak, Big Impact

Hi everyone,

Time for another update.

This week felt a bit frustrating overall. There were some decent moments, but in the end my results dropped again and I finished the week slightly down.

It didn’t feel like I was playing terrible, but more like a mix of variance and small mistakes adding up.

Graph Analysis

Here is the graph for this period:

What stands out:

Early part shows I was running below EV
Then a short recovery
Followed by another downswing
Final part shows a sharp swing up again

Overall:

➡️ A mix of:

Variance
And some small leaks showing up over time
Biggest Realization

After reviewing my hands, one thing became very clear:

👉 I am probably calling too much on turn and river

Especially in spots where:

I’m out of position
My hand is marginal
And I’m unsure what villain has

At NL2, most players are simply not bluffing enough, so these calls are likely losing money.

Mental Game

Even though the results were not great:

➡️ I did not tilt

Which is still something I’m happy about.

A few weeks ago I would definitely react differently to these kinds of sessions.

Interesting Hands
❌ Hand 1 – Leak Spot

Hero: A♦ 9♦

Hero calls preflop (out of position)

Flop: K-high board
Hero check-calls

Turn: Villain bets → Hero calls

River: Villain bets → Hero folds

💭 Thoughts

This is exactly the type of spot I need to improve:

Out of position
Weak hand
No clear plan

👉 This is likely a fold earlier in the hand.

✅ Hand 2 – Well Played

Hero: K♠ Q♠ (in position)

Hero raises from cutoff
Big blind calls

Flop: Q-high board
Hero bets → call

Turn: Hero bets → call

River: Hero value bets → gets called

💭 Thoughts

Played in position
Simple value strategy
No unnecessary risks

This is exactly the type of hand I want to repeat.

Volume

Hands played: ~2,500
Total hands overall: ~23k+

Still playing 2 tables, which continues to feel like the right choice for now.

Bankroll Update

Previous bankroll: €108.93
Current bankroll: €104.26

Weekly result: -€4.67

What I’m Working On
Folding more in marginal spots
Playing tighter out of position
Continuing to stay disciplined
Plan Going Forward
Keep grinding NL2
Focus on decision quality over volume
Reduce unnecessary calls
Keep reviewing hands

💡 Conclusion

This week showed me that:

👉 Small leaks can have a big impact

And fixing just a few of these spots could already make a big difference in my results.

Hi, how's the BR challenge going?

Remember to update it here: The Bankroll Challenge 2026 - Reporting thread

Regards!