Micro stakes grinding

Hand 2 when you hit the set on the flop. BET SIZING IS KEY. You realize that you bet 1/3 the pot OOP vs 4 people (including SB obv)? That is not a good board for your hand, too many draws. Bet AT LEAST 20 cents there, I would say even go for full pot. If they all fold, who cares? You are going to make them pay for their draws, not give them incredible odds. (The first guy who called was getting 4:1, next 5:1, next 6:1, etc) You do not want to be giving such cheap cards when there are that many people and draws. If it were a relatively dry board it wouldn't be a problem. Learn to recognize what boards are good for your hands. You're lucky the boat hit on the river.

Keep grinding away and putting in the volume and you will be fine.

I hear ya LOUD and clear. I wasn't afraid of chasing opponents off, I feared someone flopped the nut str8 (or any str8 for that matter). That was my feeler bet. I have trouble with my bet sizing in those situations cos I don't wanna make a bet so large that only the player that has me beat calls, but the flips side was I gave great odds for the drawing hands.

Made it to 516 hand for the day. Roll sits at $169.50, dropping 30 cents since the break. I was up to $171 but lost 2 big pots with JJ going down to a 4 cards str8, and a luckbox who flopped a pair of 10s' and rivered his trips. Anyway, it was a good session. Gonna spend the rest of the night reading until I fall asleep.

Thing is, say a guy did flop the straight. You still have really good equity vs him, and I wouldn't ever feel bad if someone reraised, and you stacked off. You are roughly 33% to hit your FH on the river, so if you are getting the right odds, chase away my friend. Don't be afraid to bet your sets on the flop if theres 3 to a straight/flush. Get those bets in while you are ahead/marginally behind.

Got it. Thanks.

Forgot to post stats from last night.
During current Hold'em session you were dealt 540 hands and saw flop:
- 37 out of 73 times while in big blind (50%)
- 21 out of 71 times while in small blind (29%)
- 65 out of 396 times in other positions (16%)
- a total of 123 out of 540 (22%)
Pots won at showdown - 11 of 22 (50%)
Pots won without showdown - 35

I don't like how low my won at showdown % is. 60% at the least. I am running at 18BB/100 for the last 2 days, which would mean I am hot, but it sure doesn't seem like it. That lets me know my expectations are still off. The two pocket jacks that got cracked yesterday had really upset me, but my BB/100 for the sesh was still good in spite of that. Multi-tabling should help me develop immunity to the standard PP cracking. Those beats are normal, and I've got to accept it. I am running good. Hope it keeps up.

So far I've logged 631 hands in this session. Would be break even if not for
PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.02 BB (9 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

saw flop | saw showdown

MP3 ($0.94)
CO ($6.43)
Button ($4.81)
Hero (SB) ($2.98)
BB ($3.59)
UTG ($5)
UTG+1 ($3.03)
MP1 ($4.87)
MP2 ($7.37)

Preflop: Hero is SB with K

, K

3 folds, MP2 calls $0.02, MP3 bets $0.10, 2 folds, Hero raises to $0.28, BB raises to $0.52, 2 folds, Hero calls $0.24

Flop: ($1.16) 4

, 8

(2 players)
Hero checks, BB bets $0.60, Hero calls $0.60

Turn: ($2.36) 3

(2 players)
Hero checks, BB bets $2.47 (All-In), Hero calls $1.86 (All-In)

River: ($6.08) 9

(2 players, 2 all-in)

Total pot: $6.08 | Rake: $0.25

Results:
Hero had K

, K

(two pair, Kings and eights).
BB had A

, A

(two pair, Aces and eights).
Outcome: BB won $5.83

I'm not posting this to cry. I just feel I should be able to get away from this, even though this is 2NL. Everything was telling me to fold there (wasn't there long enough to have a read). But isn't a 4bet from the BB KK or better? As I thought about folding I remembered all you hear in these forums is never lay down KK at 2NL. This didn't seem like someone looking to race with AK. Anybody lay down KK at 2NL?

Anyway, I'm down a little over 3 bucks this sesh ($3 is my buy in), so roll is at $166.19. About to have dinner and hopefully have a better run. Another progression hand for me from today:
PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.02 BB (9 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

saw flop | saw showdown

MP3 ($2.98)
CO ($2.94)
Button ($3.20)
SB ($1.71)
BB ($3.52)
UTG ($4.33)
Hero (UTG+1) ($3.20)
MP1 ($2.05)
MP2 ($8.87)

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with J

, J

UTG calls $0.02, Hero bets $0.10, 5 folds, SB calls $0.09, 1 fold, UTG calls $0.08

Flop: ($0.32) Q

, J

, 8

(3 players)
SB checks, UTG checks, Hero bets $0.18, SB calls $0.18, 1 fold

Turn: ($0.68) 7

(2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $0.40, SB calls $0.40

River: ($1.48) 3

(2 players)
SB checks, Hero checks

Total pot: $1.48 | Rake: $0.05

Results:
SB had 10

, K

(high card, King).
Hero had J

, J

(three of a kind, Jacks).
Outcome: Hero won $1.43

Someone coulda flopped all kinda nuts but pressed on anyway. Will definitely hit 1K hands tonite.

Hand 1: Get it all in PF. The only way I would ever fold KK (and probly not even then) is when an uber nit does that. You shouldn't be looking to take a flop if someone is willing to get it in with you PF. You shove over his 4bet and be glad. Don't get results oriented, I know you aren't being that right now (I think), but I wouldn't give these guys credit for having AA. People will stack off with AK, AQ, and I've seen 66+ from deep stacks getting it in, so DO NOT underestimate how far their stupidity can reach lol.

Hand 2: We just talked about this yesterday, BET SIZING!. You bet a LITTLE over half pot on the flop. WTF. Bet 32 cents and be happy to get that shit ALL IN on the flop if they are willing. YOU HAVE OUTS TO BEAT A STRAIGHT or FLUSH. If the dude has a straight flush, so be it, I will pay him off.

Damn. And I thought I played the set of jacks ok. Hmmph! The walls come crumblin' tumblin'. I just keep thinking about making a bet that weaker hands will call and not just the ones that have me beat. Pot control. I guess my aggression factor isn't high enough.

I did hit my mark for tonight.
During current Hold'em session you were dealt 1001 hands and saw flop:
- 84 out of 139 times while in big blind (60%)
- 42 out of 134 times while in small blind (31%)
- 127 out of 728 times in other positions (17%)
- a total of 253 out of 1001 (25%)
Pots won at showdown - 25 of 56 (44%)
Pots won without showdown - 59

1K hands for the 1st time. Did not have a good session as reflected in my showdown %, but I am happy I broke even thanks to a lagtard that was raising damn near every hand.
PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.02 BB (9 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

saw flop | saw showdown

BB ($2.47)
Hero (UTG) ($3.35)
UTG+1 ($2.53)
MP1 ($2.69)
MP2 ($1.86)
MP3 ($4.66)
CO ($1.07)
Button ($1.25)
SB ($2)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with A

, A

Hero calls $0.02, 1 fold, MP1 bets $0.06, 1 fold, MP3 calls $0.06, 3 folds, BB calls $0.04, Hero raises to $0.26, MP1 calls $0.20, 2 folds

Flop: ($0.65) 5

, 4

, 2

(2 players)
Hero bets $0.26, MP1 raises to $0.52, Hero raises to $3.09 (All-In), MP1 calls $1.91 (All-In)

Turn: ($5.51) 7

(2 players, 2 all-in)

River: ($5.51) 6

(2 players, 2 all-in)

Total pot: $5.51 | Rake: $0.25

Results:
Hero had A

, A

(flush, Ace high).
MP1 mucked 2

, 5

(two pair, fives and twos).
Outcome: Hero won $5.26

That got me about even. I'm down like a quarter or so. I've played 2282 hands since I returned to 2NL. My winrate is at 10BB/100 so far. I know it is short sample but it helps me keep things in perspective. Instead of being upset that tonight was just break even, I see I am still way ahead and this is just the normal flow of the game.

Reading until I fall asleep. Gotta get better.

Gotta stop playing tonight after a mere 432 hands. This break even thing is getting on my nerves. I'll end the night a little bit up, like 50 cents. Roll is at $169.71. I only played 3 tables. Win a big pot here, lose a big pot there.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.02 BB (6 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

saw flop | saw showdown

CO ($2.67)
Hero (Button) ($3.79)
SB ($3.61)
BB ($2.48)
UTG ($5.28)
MP ($5.06)

Preflop: Hero is Button with K

, A

2 folds, CO calls $0.02, Hero bets $0.10, 1 fold, BB calls $0.08, CO calls $0.08

Flop: ($0.31) 9

, K

, 9

(3 players)
BB checks, CO checks, Hero checks

Turn: ($0.31) K

(3 players)
BB checks, CO checks, Hero checks

River: ($0.31) J

(3 players)
BB bets $1, 1 fold, Hero raises to $2, BB calls $1

Total pot: $4.31 | Rake: $0.20

Results:
Hero had K

, A

(full house, Kings over nines).
BB mucked J

, 3

(two pair, Kings and Jacks).
Outcome: Hero won $4.11

It's great when you can take advantage of donkeys like this. You've gotta love em at these times. But when they are like

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.02 BB (9 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

saw flop | saw showdown

SB ($1.36)
BB ($1.55)
UTG ($3.01)
UTG+1 ($2.15)
MP1 ($1.76)
MP2 ($0.67)
MP3 ($7.08)
CO ($2.41)
Hero (Button) ($2.96)

Preflop: Hero is Button with J

, K

2 folds, MP1 bets $0.08, 3 folds, Hero calls $0.08, 1 fold, BB calls $0.06

Flop: ($0.25) 6

, 9

, 10

(3 players)
BB checks, MP1 bets $0.10, Hero raises to $0.20, 1 fold, MP1 calls $0.10

Turn: ($0.65) Q

(2 players)
MP1 bets $0.30, Hero raises to $0.78, MP1 calls $0.48

River: ($2.21) J

(2 players)
MP1 bets $0.70 (All-In), Hero calls $0.70

Total pot: $3.61 | Rake: $0.15

Results:
Hero had J

, K

(straight, King high).
MP1 had K

, A

(straight, Ace high).
Outcome: MP1 won $3.46

It just kills me. Damned luckbox. Anyway, I played in the Full Tilt freeroll tonight and it was silly. Password got leaked again and there were 900 players. Sad thing is most of them didn't even play. They just blinded out. I was at one table where I was the only player present. I spent 15 minutes collecting blinds. Then I got moved to another table where me and 1 other player alternated taking the blinds. When all the absentees were gone it became a donkfest. Got knocked out as expected. Maybe FTR should replace freerolls with 25 cent buy ins. Cheap enough so anyone can play, but too much for the freeroll hunters with no money in their accounts to play in.

Anyway, gonna try to finish reading Small Stakes Hold Em tonight. Plan on logging some major hands these weekend. For reall this time.

Just took a stab at multi-tabling 9 tables. I am not ready for that. I was slowing the game down at all of them. Was still profitable though. Made $1.40 in 482 hands. Since I was doing so many tables I dropped my buy back down to $2 (used to but in for $3 at 2NL). I will scale the number of tables I play down to six tables and see how that goes. The good thing about playing so many tables is you don't have the time to play marginal holdings. Everything is str8 forward. I read about some of you guys doing 15 - 20 tables at at time, wow! I guess practice makes perfect. Wanna hit 2K hands today.

Hey nibbles maybe i missed it but is there any reason your still at 2NL?? Just trying to cushion the BR or?? 169 is PLENTY rolled for 5NL and you seem like your beating 2NL

Haha, I remember my first time 10 tabling (back in January when I first tried out nitring). I was so overwhelmed it was sick. Yesterday/last night/this morning (long grind sesh lol) I played 10-12 tables for over 4 hours. EZ game nowadays. Even though this isn't profitable and i don't suggest doing it very often, I was talking to Micro2Macro on MSN, had AIM open, and was talking to a friend on skype the whole time I was grinding. It was really nuts because I was able to keep track of all the tables, and keep making the right plays/reads (well most of the time).

Multi-tabling is just one of those things that just takes experience to get used to. I think loading up 9 tables wasn't a bad thing for you, tbh. Now you know what it is like, and doing 6 tables is going to be quite easy for you, I think. Good luck getting that roll to where you can play 5nl and 10nl. Start pwning man.

Don't let my BR fool you, some of it has been from a "prop bet" with kettleofish that he couldn't get 30k hands in in February, and he didn't make it so that was a $50 boost, and a lot of the rest is just sick ass heater at 10nl. Although, I like to think I'm playing well, too Wink

. Don't worry dude, I'll be gone to USMC boot camp this summer so you'll probs pass me by then. Keep up the grind man, stay the course and you will be pwning the 50enels+ in no time.

Shame on me, but I was familiar with the BB (have notes). He is a 50 bb donkey that isn't a donkey. I know I'm not supposed to make these folds, but I knew he had it. I stopped playing after this hand cos my head isn't in it. But poker really is a bitch. I run into this situation all the time and lose, but the time I fold...

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.02 BB (9 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

saw flop | saw showdown

MP2 ($5.42)
Hero (MP3) ($2.05)
CO ($5)
Button ($0.72)
SB ($4.66)
BB ($1)
UTG ($3.67)
UTG+1 ($5.78)
MP1 ($3.17)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with K

, K

3 folds, MP2 bets $0.10, Hero raises to $0.20, 3 folds, BB raises to $1 (All-In), MP2 calls $0.90, 1 fold

Flop: ($2.21) 9

, K

, 5

(2 players, 1 all-in)

Turn: ($2.21) 2

(2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($2.21) 2

(2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $2.21 | Rake: $0.10

Results:
BB had A

, A

(two pair, Aces and twos).
MP2 mucked 10

, 10

(two pair, tens and twos).
Outcome: BB won $2.11

Like I said, I am done for the night. Gonna go out and have a few drinks for once. Decent session. Stats:
During current Hold'em session you were dealt 1104 hands and saw flop:
- 106 out of 156 times while in big blind (67%)
- 55 out of 150 times while in small blind (36%)
- 165 out of 798 times in other positions (20%)
- a total of 326 out of 1104 (29%)
Pots won at showdown - 32 of 59 (54%)
Pots won without showdown - 74

Recovered the day's losses and then some. End of day roll is $172.70. Logged 3818 hands so far playing 4 or more tables. Have been able to sustain over an 8ptbb/100 winrate. I will need to play more than 6 tables to hit 20K hands in the next few weeks. Logging 2K hands a day would be great. Hit the mark in ten days. Volume, volume, volume.

The reason I keep suggesting you read the Poker Mindset is because you keep posting things that lead me to believe your head isn't always in the right place from an attitude point of view. In this last post, you quit playing poker for the day and are disgusted because you folded a hand that would have turned into a set and won.

However, I would argue that myself and most good players would be extremely satisfied with how this hand went down and used it to build confidence, and definitely not put ourselves on tilt. You CORRECTLY made a read and put your opponent on the one hand that had you beat pre-flop and folded. Only 16.52% of the time you would have won that pot after the money got all-in. In fact, the ten's were a slight favorite because it had flush outs and you didn't. The fact that a King came on the flop means absolutely nothing. Are you mad because you cannot predict the future? If you could, surely you would be playing the lottery, saving lives, or doing many other things more noble $2NL online.

In short, I recommend trying to stop being so results oriented and focus on correct decision making. This hand was something you should have celebrated, but instead you appeared to lament.

When you're right, you're right. It is just weird the tricks poker can play on you. So many times I've run into this situation and lose, but the one time I recognize it I end up folding the eventual winner. It's like a mindfuk (is it less offensive when you misspell a curse word)? Now that I am seriously multi-tabling I will see soooooo many more of these situations. Hopefully I will become desensitized to these crazy events and not take them personally. Cos it really seems like someone is screwing with me. I realize there aren't any poker gods, but it seems like there are sometimes.

Over these past few months I have gained alot of respect for pro poker players mental toughness. What it takes to do this for years, in spite of the swings everyone must face if playing long enough and still pay for living costs, wow! Whoever said this was right, it's a tough way to make an easy living. And I'm still on the bottom rung and I can see it. Anyway, back to the grind. Gonna shoot for 2K hands today.

Got the 1000 hands in on a break even sesh. Actually I'm up 9 whole cents. Better than losing I suppose. Was really tough trying to hit sets. The 3 sets I did hit, nobody had anything so didn't get paid. Sesh stats:

During current Hold'em session you were dealt 1024 hands and saw flop:
- 91 out of 146 times while in big blind (62%)
- 46 out of 143 times while in small blind (32%)
- 125 out of 735 times in other positions (17%)
- a total of 262 out of 1024 (25%)
Pots won at showdown - 26 of 49 (53%)
Pots won without showdown - 46

There were some tough beats that I handled pretty well, except for the one guy I called a luckbox savant. This guy was brilliant. No pairs, no draws, but he knew the runner runner was a comin'. He ran me off the table. Couldn't take it anymore. But oh well. Just glad I got my hands in. Till tomorrow.

Got off to a late start on my sesh, so just got 500 hands in. Gotta go to bed even though I am running good today. Hit a bunch of sets. Got paid on a couple. Would really love to keep playing but very tired. Check out this brain fart.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.02 BB (9 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

saw flop | saw showdown

SB ($1.63)
BB ($2.54)
UTG ($1.50)
Hero (UTG+1) ($2.51)
MP1 ($3.01)
MP2 ($1.91)
MP3 ($1.30)
CO ($4.82)
Button ($1.97)

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with 5

, 5

1 fold, Hero calls $0.02, MP1 calls $0.02, 1 fold, MP3 calls $0.02, 2 folds, SB calls $0.01, BB checks

Flop: ($0.10) 5

, 2

, J

(5 players)
SB checks, BB checks, Hero checks, MP1 checks, MP3 checks

Turn: ($0.10) K

(5 players)
SB checks, BB checks, Hero checks, MP1 bets $0.02, MP3 calls $0.02, SB calls $0.02, 1 fold, Hero calls $0.02

River: ($0.18) 2

(4 players)
SB checks, Hero checks, MP1 bets $0.06, MP3 raises to $0.22, 1 fold, Hero raises to $0.60, MP1 raises to $1.02, MP3 raises to $1.26 (All-In), Hero calls $0.66, MP1 calls $0.24

Total pot: $3.96 | Rake: $0.15

Results:
Hero had 5

, 5

(full house, fives over twos).
MP1 mucked 2

, K

(full house, twos over Kings).
MP3 had 8

, A

(flush, Ace high).
Outcome: Hero won $3.81

I can't even tell you what I was thinking on that hand. Like I said, very tired. Anyway, up over 3 buy ins, which is great for so few hands played. Roll sits at $179.14. Every time I plan on logging major hands I never get to do it. Something always comes up. Oh well. I would really like to play as long as I could cos I am really running good today. I lost count of how many sets I hit. I didn't get to stack off on all of them, but hey, a win is a win. I'm just tired. Gotta crash. Hope this keeps up tomorrow.

Stats:
During current Hold'em session you were dealt 499 hands and saw flop:
- 40 out of 66 times while in big blind (60%)
- 17 out of 68 times while in small blind (25%)
- 49 out of 365 times in other positions (13%)
- a total of 106 out of 499 (21%)
Pots won at showdown - 14 of 25 (56%)
Pots won without showdown - 17

Till tomorrow.

Tough night. Up and down. Decided to stop 100 hands short of my 1K hand daily goal just to ensure a profit for the session. Ended up just over a dollar. Roll is at $180.95. 180 is new high for me. $200 is right around the corner. Stats:

During current Hold'em session you were dealt 900 hands and saw flop:
- 66 out of 121 times while in big blind (54%)
- 40 out of 126 times while in small blind (31%)
- 79 out of 653 times in other positions (12%)
- a total of 185 out of 900 (20%)
Pots won at showdown - 21 of 35 (60%)
Pots won without showdown - 43

The first week of my new multi-tabling grind at 2NL is complete. In that time I played 6241 hands, winning $20.95. My win rate is >8ptbb/100 for that time and I am satisfied with that. I've gotten comfortable playing 6 tables at a time. I no longer have difficulty tracking the action on all the tables (as far as identifying who's loose and who's tight). It's been a good week.

yeah you can grind it out sometimes. just when you think you have you have a chance the dang river comes along, man i hate that thing.

Quick start to today's sesh. After 368 hands I'm up over 3 buy ins. Roll is at $187.15. This is the time where it is good to have a target number of hands to be played each day, cos right now I feel like calling it a day and enjoying the win. I've recognized that problem in me before, where I play longer when I am losing and not as much when I am winning. That is something I said I would work on, and having a specific goal on number of hands takes care of that problem. I just hope I don't turn a winning sesh into a loser, but even if I do it's no problem. That too is part of the game. I still hope I don't lose today, though. Smile

Anyway, there is no rush for today. I was planning on spending some time in the FTR freeroll, which would keep me off the ring games. But since the password has been leaked yet again, I won't put much effort into it. Plenty of time for ring games. If I could get my roll to $190 today, that would be great.

I planned on multi-tabling 2NL for 20K hands before moving up to 5NL, but now I'm thinking about cutting back on that number. The only reason I chose that number of hands is cos that's what has been deemed the acceptable # of hands to determine a real winrate. I also thought I would clear 2K hands a day. I hate making a goal and not sticking to it. That is part of poker discipline. Maybe I should stick it out and grind the 20K. I mean the money isn't important yet, and I am still fairly new to the whole multi-tabling thing. I've still got a few days to decide as I definitely won't move up until I have 10K hands in. 10K is big enough of a sample to determine win rate, right? I mean, come on. Ten thousand hands is alot.

Anyway, taking a break. Back to the grind shortly.

Tbh, 10k hands aint shit. I just hit 20k hands today at 10nl FR and I'm pretty sure my winrate is heavily weighted towards heater. I've been running at 14bb/100 over the last 20k hands, so I'm going to wait for a while longer before I move up to 25nl so I can see what my "actual" winrate is.

Also, I think you should take the shot at 5nl ASAP dude. Your roll is getting close to the point where I took a shot at 10nl lol. I understand nitty BRM, but shit dude. Once you hit up the 5enel your BR will LIFT OFF man. I can look at my lifetime graph and tell within 100 hands or so of when I moved up just by looking at the increases/swongs.

Also, I have a question. Do you have HEM or PT? If not, give the free trials a test spin, then withdraw the $55 or whatever and buy the real version. It will IMMENSELY improve your game by spotting your opponents leaks easier (whos a station, etc) and your own.

Good luck with the grind dude.

1) I would suggest moving up now. I think you are still making a lot of mistakes but because 2NL players are awful, you are still making money and therefore not learning from them. No need to prove you can beat 2NL (an incredibly basic bot could beat 2NL).

2) Buy Poker Mindset.

3) Stop being so short-term results focussed, maybe only update results in your blog on a weekly basis. Focus on posting hands you are unsure about, rather than bad beats.

GL

I'd go mad staying at a stake just to grind X hands if I had the roll to moveup. Thats just me though.

Although I'm not sure I agree with the reasoning of players being awful, I'll echo the sentiments that you should move up, which is saying something for me because I'm usually advocating players stay put or move down Smile

Because you seem so results oriented, as a consequence I think it's possible you are reluctant to move up out of fear of losing the money you've built up. Jump up to $5NL and be prepared for the fact that you will lose 1, 2, or maybe even 10 buy-ins. If the thought of losing 10 buy-ins scares you, then you really have to think about your mental toughness and improving it. One of the many facts of poker is you WILL lose money. The point of following Bankroll Management is so that you can correctly handle it. At this point, if you lost 10 buy-ins @ $5NL, you'd be @ $137, which is STILL enough to keep playing $5NL. I wouldn't drop back down to $2NL until your roll hit $100 or 20 buy-ins.

As long as you're playing solid poker and making solid decisions, let the money take care of itself. Just make sure you're not risking more than 10% of your roll on the table and that you're not losing more than 5% in any one day.

Good luck.

I guess all you guys are right in that I should move back up to 5NL sooner than later. The main reason I dropped back down to 2NL was so I could get used to multi-tabling. I built up my roll playing only 1 table at a time, so I'm still relatively new to the multi-tabling experience and figured I'd adjust at the cheapest level. I wanted to see how I performed playing 4-6 tables over an acceptable hand sample so I knew where I stood. I will move up after 10K hands instead of the 20K I'd originally planned on. But I am not reluctant to move up to 5NL. I just moved down from there. Just getting used to multi-tabling. I can handle 6 tables pretty well (so can my little laptop screen).

Dranger, no I am not using HEM or PT or any other software. Playing str8.

Today was a great session. Didn't get to 1K hands, but I'm tired and I won't play when tired. Might make a mistake. Up 5 buy ins for the day. Roll sits at $191.48. Sesh stats:

During current Hold'em session you were dealt 763 hands and saw flop:
- 57 out of 98 times while in big blind (58%)
- 43 out of 100 times while in small blind (43%)
- 83 out of 565 times in other positions (14%)
- a total of 183 out of 763 (23%)
Pots won at showdown - 29 of 46 (63%)
Pots won without showdown - 39

My showdown % is where I like it. I've played just over 7K hands multi-tabling at 2NL, keeping a winrate of 11ptbb/100. I will make my return to 5NL sometime this week.

Keeping on keep oning.

Since ur not using either one. I suggest you try out the free trials for both. Seriously. It will improve ur game, and its not like your (or mine or anyones) is leak proof. Just try it.

Damn it, why can't things just go smoothly. I've read about how people always start out bad when they move up. I move up to 5NL and things are going bad. Had to take a break. Stats so far:

During current Hold'em session you were dealt 532 hands and saw flop:
- 35 out of 72 times while in big blind (48%)
- 17 out of 68 times while in small blind (25%)
- 39 out of 392 times in other positions (9%)
- a total of 91 out of 532 (17%)
Pots won at showdown - 6 of 22 (27%)
Pots won without showdown - 33

Terrible. I see I am playing a little tighter, but not getting alot of good cards. Being patient. Down $7. Was playing 6 tables, but will drop to 4 for now. Will play until I hit 1K hands or drop 3 buy ins, whichever comes first (hopefully it is 1K hands).

The two hands that hurt my heart and forced my break.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.05 BB (7 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

saw flop | saw showdown

BB ($2.42)
UTG ($4.22)
MP1 ($9.49)
MP2 ($6.27)
CO ($6.64)
Button ($2.29)
Hero (SB) ($5.02)

Preflop: Hero is SB with K

, A

2 folds, MP2 calls $0.05, 1 fold, Button calls $0.05, Hero bets $0.25, 2 folds, Button calls $0.20

Flop: ($0.60) Q

, 5

, K

(2 players)
Hero bets $0.30, Button raises to $0.90, Hero raises to $4.77 (All-In), Button calls $1.14 (All-In)

Turn: ($4.68) A

(2 players, 2 all-in)

River: ($4.68) 8

(2 players, 2 all-in)

Total pot: $4.68 | Rake: $0.20

Results:
Button had J

, 10

(straight, Ace high).
Hero had K

, A

(two pair, Aces and Kings).
Outcome: Button won $4.48

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.05 BB (9 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

saw flop | saw showdown

BB ($5.91)
Hero (UTG) ($5.20)
UTG+1 ($4.84)
MP1 ($0.78)
MP2 ($9.73)
MP3 ($1.73)
CO ($5.93)
Button ($8.69)
SB ($5.62)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with 8

, 8

Hero calls $0.05, 2 folds, MP2 calls $0.05, 2 folds, Button calls $0.05, SB calls $0.03, BB checks

Flop: ($0.25) Q

, 8

, 5

(5 players)
SB checks, BB checks, Hero bets $0.15, MP2 calls $0.15, Button calls $0.15, SB calls $0.15, 1 fold

Turn: ($0.85) Q

(4 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $0.30, MP2 calls $0.30, Button calls $0.30, 1 fold

River: ($1.75) 10

(3 players)
Hero bets $0.35, MP2 calls $0.35, Button raises to $1.40, Hero calls $1.05, 1 fold

Total pot: $4.90 | Rake: $0.20

Results:
Button had 10

, Q

(full house, Queens over tens).
Hero had 8

, 8

(full house, eights over Queens).
Outcome: Button won $4.70

When that 10 hit on the river I knew it hit someone. Shoulda c/c'd. The other guy had QJ. They weren't going anywhere after the turn so I didn't lose as much as I could have. Yeah, yeah, we all lose situations like this, it just sucks that it happens on day 1. Hopefully things are a little better after the break.

Nibbles dude I really wanna kick you in the nuts buddy! You play your sets terrible. I just cruised through this page and didnt read each post but looked at your HH's. WTF...I did see where dranger ragged on you about your bet sizing. When you hit a set you HAVE to be thinking how am I going to get this shit all in as fast as possible. Typically if you bet 2/3+ of the pot on each street you'll get it in. And if you get raised YaFuckingWhoooo your in quicker.
Do you have a grinderschool subsription? If so watch jyms lectures they are worth the months subscription. If you don't then suck it up and pay ten bucks for one month, it will be well worth it even if you had to take it out of your br imo.

Yeah, it gets like that sometimes. I will bet them properly but no one has anything and folds. Then I get to the point where I try to get callers and get screwed. In this instance my bet sizing saved me money cos opponents weren't going anywhere, but me sees ur point (and Dranger's, and everyone else's).

Anywho, made a bit of a recovery. Down half a buy in. Feel good about that for the first day and all. End of day roll is $188.45. Stats:

During current Hold'em session you were dealt 952 hands and saw flop:
- 61 out of 128 times while in big blind (47%)
- 26 out of 122 times while in small blind (21%)
- 73 out of 702 times in other positions (10%)
- a total of 160 out of 952 (16%)
Pots won at showdown - 14 of 35 (40%)
Pots won without showdown - 75

Here is a pot I won by paying attention to a weird betting pattern. I had seen this villain give free river cards all night and I didn't understand, but I took advantage. Many times I saw him raise pre, c-bet flop, check turn, bet river. Over and over again. Boy did he curse me out. Smile

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.05 BB (9 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

saw flop | saw showdown

MP3 ($2.20)
Hero (CO) ($4.78)
Button ($5.36)
SB ($10.17)
BB ($11)
UTG ($5)
UTG+1 ($5)
MP1 ($9.70)
MP2 ($2.52)

Preflop: Hero is CO with 8

, Q

3 folds, MP2 calls $0.05, 1 fold, Hero calls $0.05, 1 fold, SB calls $0.03, BB bets $0.25, 1 fold, Hero calls $0.20, 1 fold

Flop: ($0.60) 4

, 7

, 6

(2 players)
BB bets $0.50, Hero calls $0.50

Turn: ($1.60) 6

(2 players)
BB checks, Hero checks

River: ($1.60) 5

(2 players)
BB bets $0.60, Hero raises to $4.03 (All-In), BB calls $3.43

Total pot: $9.66 | Rake: $0.45

Results:
BB mucked 9

, 9

(two pair, nines and sixes).
Hero had 8

, Q

(straight, eight high).
Outcome: Hero won $9.21

I am done with the 6 tabling for now. Will stay at 4 for the immediate future. Gonna crash and hope for a better tomorrow.

Dude, seriously. BET YO SETS!!!! Like Harley, and myself, and God knows how many people have been saying. I DO NOT CARE that they folded the last 5 times you hit. The one time that that douchebag takes it to the river will make up for all the times they didn't hit. You should be upset in the set of 8's hand because you let the guy get there before the money got in, not that he got there. If the money gets in on the flop or turn, and he sucks out. SMILE!!! YOU GOT YOUR MONEY IN WELL AHEAD. THAT = MONEY IN THE LONG RUN, WHICH IS WHAT WE ARE ALL PLAYING FOR. ez game dude. seriously. GO OUT AND BUY "The Poker Mindset" BEFORE YOU PLAY ANOTHER HAND. I AM DEAD SERIOUS. It is and will continue to be, -EV for you if you keep being so results oriented. STOP CARING ABOUT AN INDIVIDUAL HAND. SHIT HAPPENS IN THE SHORT TERM. SUCK IT UP. MAN UP. WHATEVER IT TAKES. Winning consistently in poker = handling the short term swings for long term gain.

Good day sir. Congrats on the move up.

Limping 88 UTG is a leak.
Betting your sets like you have underwent a successful testicle removal surgery is a leak.
Wanting to check/call this river with a Full House is a leak.

My second day of 5NL sucked. I dropped another $9. So is went back down to 2NL, fired up 9 tables and won a little over $16. I played the most hands ever today. 1600 hands. I was able to keep up with the 9 tables fairly well. Only timed out twice. Stats:

During current Hold'em session you were dealt 1604 hands and saw flop:
- 128 out of 223 times while in big blind (57%)
- 68 out of 220 times while in small blind (30%)
- 148 out of 1161 times in other positions (12%)
- a total of 344 out of 1604 (21%)
Pots won at showdown - 49 of 87 (56%)
Pots won without showdown - 56

I will return to 5NL tomorrow or Sunday. Just using 2NL to restore the roll. I hated seeing my roll in the $170's. I acknowledge my game needs alot of work. My mental approach to the game is off. I guess I will hafta buy The Poker Mindset cos I can't find a free copy online. Will spend the rest of the night reading Small Stakes Hold Em. Till tomorrow. Wanna see if I can hit 2K hands.

I am really getting used to 9 tabling. There's a thread where the OP asks how do you maintain patience, well multi-tabling alot of tables is definitely one way. Now that I am playing 9 tables I don't even have the time to play the marginals. I am soooo folding hands I used to play all the time. No time to be results oriented either. When I played 4 or less tables there would be those "I woulda won that hand if only" moments, but now I don't even get to see how the hand played out after I fold cos there is always another table needing my attention. Marginals are out of the window unless I'm in position with pot odds. I thought I was playing nitty when I single tabled. I KNEW I was nitty when i played 4 tables. That is nothing compared to now. Now I am truly a nit. Releasing big hands that don't fit the flop well is also alot easier. I now date the pretty cards, I don't get married to them. It really helps in shaking off a bad beat too. I had a big pocket pair get cracked, but I was up on the other tables and I had pressing hands to tend to. Had no choice but to shrug it off and move on. The only thing I wonder about is when you take a bunch of bad beats at a bunch of tables (crossing fingers), that could really tilt me out. Cross that bridge when I get there I guess. I am at 9 tables until I reach the stakes where there are many thinking players.

New milestone reached, hit the $200 mark. Roll sits at $206.72. Still playing 2NL though.
During current Hold'em session you were dealt 350 hands and saw flop:
- 30 out of 52 times while in big blind (57%)
- 17 out of 49 times while in small blind (34%)
- 30 out of 249 times in other positions (12%)
- a total of 77 out of 350 (22%)
Pots won at showdown - 12 of 18 (66%)
Pots won without showdown - 12

$11 profit in 350 hands is pretty nice. Had to take a break though cos playing 9 tables took a little bit out of me. Eyes constantly darting around the screen and what not. Still getting used to it, but really enjoying it at the same time.

Good work on breaking the $200 mark. I still can't believe ur grinding 2nl though. I was gearing up for a shot at 10nl when I hit $200. To each his own though, your BR requirements are just nittier than mine, and there's nothing wrong with that. BUT GET YOU ASS UP TO 5nl PLEASE!!! Wink

Yeah, I still have things I need to work on, like my emotional control. Right now I am super pissed. I understand this is poker. I understand that people taking longshots and missing is what builds my roll, but I still get pissed off. I got my roll up to $211, then had a rash of losses over most of my tables (kinda like what I talked about in previous post). The two worst ones happened at the exact same time. I had to close up shop and call it a night. Man I am so pissed!!!

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.02 BB (8 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

saw flop | saw showdown

BB ($1.48)
UTG ($5.38)
UTG+1 ($2.48)
MP1 ($0.84)
Hero (MP2) ($3.07)
CO ($1.08)
Button ($0.54)
SB ($1.88)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with 9

, 9

3 folds, Hero calls $0.02, 2 folds, SB calls $0.01, BB bets $0.06, Hero calls $0.04, 1 fold

Flop: ($0.14) 9

, 7

, Q

(2 players)
BB bets $0.14, Hero raises to $0.28, BB raises to $0.78, Hero raises to $1.50, BB calls $0.64 (All-In)

Turn: ($2.98) 8

(2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($2.98) 2

(2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $2.98 | Rake: $0.10

Results:
BB had A

, A

(flush, Ace high).
Hero mucked 9

, 9

(flush, Queen high).
Outcome: BB won $2.88

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.02 BB (8 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

saw flop | saw showdown

UTG+1 ($0.98)
MP1 ($6.06)
MP2 ($4.02)
CO ($4.13)
Hero (Button) ($2.86)
SB ($6.52)
BB ($1.25)
UTG ($14.08)

Preflop: Hero is Button with A

, A

1 fold, UTG+1 bets $0.08, 1 fold, MP2 calls $0.08, CO calls $0.08, Hero raises to $0.36, 2 folds, UTG+1 raises to $0.98 (All-In), 1 fold, CO calls $0.90, Hero raises to $2.86 (All-In), CO calls $1.88

Flop: ($6.81) J

, Q

, 8

(3 players, 2 all-in)

Turn: ($6.81) J

(3 players, 2 all-in)

River: ($6.81) 10

(3 players, 2 all-in)

Total pot: $6.81 | Rake: $0.30

Results:
Hero had A

, A

(two pair, Aces and Jacks).
UTG+1 mucked K

, K

(two pair, Kings and Jacks).
CO had 9

, 10

(straight, Queen high).
Outcome: CO won $6.51

I am surprised at myself though, cos I',m a pretty calm guy in real life. It takes alot for me to get angry, but when playing poker I am completely different. The set going down was one thing, villain thought he was ahead. But when players play total crap and hit it big totally steams me. He knew he had worst hand going in. This is the type of thing that was happening when my big PP were getting cracked left and right. Villain would flop huge hands with garbage, bad play rewarded. Those are the things that truly steam me.

Didn't even come close to 2K hands tonight.
During current Hold'em session you were dealt 978 hands and saw flop:
- 82 out of 140 times while in big blind (58%)
- 38 out of 133 times while in small blind (28%)
- 85 out of 705 times in other positions (12%)
- a total of 205 out of 978 (20%)
Pots won at showdown - 27 of 46 (58%)
Pots won without showdown - 31

So end of day roll is $205.76. I might play a 25 cent 90 man S&G, but aside from that I'm done for the night. I should be happy. I'm up 5 buy-ins for the day, I've hit a new milestone, I've gotten alot better at 9 tabling, but can't help how you feel. I still hate luckboxes. On a side note, I will be debt free by June! Woo hoo!

Thank you very much by the advice, I feel that they are for taking them in whatever very.

Got back on the 5NL horse today but didn't play too many hands as I dropped back down to 6 tables. I really haven't been sticking to any of my goals. I say I'ma play 9 tables until I reach 25NL and I don't. I say I will play 1K hands a day and I usually don't. Not much discipline at all. Meh. I did win 1 buy-in. Roll is at $210.66. Stats:

During current Hold'em session you were dealt 508 hands and saw flop:
- 36 out of 78 times while in big blind (46%)
- 19 out of 73 times while in small blind (26%)
- 25 out of 357 times in other positions (7%)
- a total of 80 out of 508 (15%)
Pots won at showdown - 13 of 19 (68%)
Pots won without showdown - 28

I played tighter than usual, seeing only 15% of flops, but my pots won at showdown is great. I took a few tough beats, but I will no longer post them cos it doesn't help. It's a new nibbles. Pure positivity. Gonna do some reading till I fall asleep. Till tomorrow.

Shitty fucking day. Up an d down due to nasty fucking runner runner luckbox suckouts. Over and gat damned over. Got close to 2K hands but couldn't take anymore of the bullshit. !No mas! In spite of the insanity I only lost a little over a buy-in, but it feels a whole lot worse. Roll back down to $204.05. What a wasted day.

I tend to agree. It's very hard in my opinion to really play poker correctly on more than three tables. For each table, ideally you want to do MANY things like observe all the action, take notes, learn the players, perceive your own image, establish ranges, and the like. Once you get to as little as 4 or 5 tables, you're going to start missing a LOT. Some players can overcome this because they have had so much success and experience and can systematically beat the level. But, unless you've proven you can do that, it doesn't seem like a productive exercise. With 9 tables, how often are you going to be able to put in a thin value bet on the river with 3rd pair, Jack kicker on a wet board because you've correctly read the player and situation that it's the right play to make? I think being in those situations AND making the correct reads and decisions IS playing poker and with too many tables, most of your decisions devolve into very high level simple ones like pushing Aces, Kings, Sets, Flopped flushes and straights. In fact, I specifically note such players who players like this and put them to tough decisions because I know they are more likely to

It also boils down to what you want to do. If your goal is to maximize your win-rate @ $5NL or $2NL, then sure, start systematically adding tables

As for the number of hands, I have always approached it from the mindset that it's much better to play 1 hand very well than it is to play 1000 hands sub par, and have intentionally not given myself any goals related to hands played. If I was going to give myself a goal related to time spent on poker, it might be related to studying the game, not playing the game because playing the game when not in the right frame of mind will cost you money. Aside from your time, you can always study the game for free.

You guys are right, there are very few, if any, reads when I play 9 tables. I'm pretty much set hunting/nut camping. Alot of fit or fold poker. The problem I have is the times that I fit, but get sucked out on, I end up paying villain off cos my hands are usually very strong. That frustrates me. So I've given limit hold em a try (again). So far it seems to suit my play better. Of course I still get sucked out on, but that only costs me a bet which doesn't hurt as much, and villain is too silly to realize he didn't get the implied odds to make that suckout profitable. The multi-tabling works well as reads aren't AS important.

I decided on this last night. After my NL sesh, I felt like playing a little 5 card draw. Boy was that a terrible experience. I'll put it like this, I had 3 hands I was able to "stand pat" on and lost each of them. Dropped $4. So I gave LHE a try at 9 tables on the $0.02/$0.04 game. After about 900 hands I won $3. Today I started on the $0.05/$0.10 game, and after 665 hands my roll is back up to $210.26 (10BB/100). The swings of NLHE might be a bit too much for me. The suckouts of LHE don't affect me as much, and don't hurt the roll much either. I feel my edge over weaker/looser players is bigger here as well. Will see how it goes. But I am off NLHE for now. Ring games, that is. I will still play NLHE tourneys and S&Gs.

Dude, losing a few BI's at NLHE 5nl when you have a $200 roll should not affect you at all. You have like 40 fucking BI's. I just dropped 3 BI's at 25nl last night. Thats $75, and you know what? I could give 2 shits less lol. I got coolered KK < AA, got sucked out on AK < AQ, and made a spewy play with 88 on a T high board vs an aggro 54/32/5 guy. I played well, and things didn't work out. Those are the breaks. I don't feel any worse for having lost those BI's, I know I played as well as I could have (other then that 88 hand) and thats all that matters.

I kind of like your idea of switching to LHE if the swings at NL are too much. Losing sessions aren't as bad, it can be just as profitable, it just takes a little longer than it would at NL. Good luck!

3 BI's for a one day loss. That put me back down to ~$600 roll so if I lose 4 more BI's (drop my roll to $500ish) I'll probably drop back down and build up at 10nl again, but I don't think thats likely unless I keep getting beats like last night. Ez game.

It's not the losing that gets me, it's the way I lose. The stack sized suckouts that seems to happen way too often. I've said it before, I can't seem to win the big pots. When the pot is huge (large portion of my stack involved) I usually end up the loser. The bulk of my success comes from winning small or mid-sized pots over and over. Then after making a nice profit one big runner runner suckout wipes out all that grinding. THAT is what has gotten to me. Watching some idiot "luckbox a big pot off me then donk it off to everyone else" has gotten to me. That is why LHE would appear to be a better fit for me. It would take a whole lot of suckouts to lose a stack. Who knows, I may return to NL some time in the future, but right now I am sick and tired of NL ring. I may seem flaky. I swore off NLHE and went to stud. I completely quit my op for all of a day. Now I'm going to LHE, but I am not having fun at NL right now.

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