Operation: Learning to Think - Eliminate The TAG-FISH in Me

Schedule for tomorrow:

08:30am: Wake up/shower/breakfast etc
10:00am: Poker/lunch break/Poker (25nl)
02:00pm: Gym
03:30pm: Poker (50nl)
05:00pm: Dinner/relax
07:00pm: Poker (stake TBA)
09:00pm: Date with my girl
Later on: Read before bed/bed late/sleep in on Saturday.

Might check in tomorrow and adjust schedule as needed. Plan is to play at least 3000 hands. I did 4000 today easily so I think I can shoot for that. I'll see how it goes. Keeping on a schedule and visiting the gym has had a very positive effect on my tilt control and my focus, so I'm able to play longer sessions without needing to quit it seems. I'm looking forward to September which will be my first full month of a regular schedule.

Heh, I think we all wish we could have that schedule. Cool

2 +/- hours later, I have finished this post (including the original Phase I post) This was more addicting than the Twilight book series I swear!
So needless to say, incredible discipline on the BRM aspect of the game. Reading this from start to finish has shown me a couple things.

A) Discipline is ESSENTIAL
B) BREAKS/Vacation are ESSENTIAL
C) Acknowledging when to “walk away” is something I need to work on.

I don’t post all that often, but I felt the urge to do so, for whatever reason. Keep up the amazing work!

Much props man. You are pwning life/poker with regularity and prowess. I'd love to get in teh IRC's and chat it up about this but I'm mostly swamped by the beginning of the semester, but just know I'm proud! Keep kickin' ass!

Thanks man. Good luck with your school year and all, look forward to chatting in IRC.

m2m, you forgot to mention your repping platinum also! Solid month man!!

hi ho hi ho off to work we go, nom nom nom

lol..its time to stop paying off obvious value bets....

August Review:

This month was ridiculous for me IRL so as a result poker was quite the roller coaster...I did manage to end up +$700 in my last week of playing though. I was only up $200ish 3 weeks into the month.

During the first week or so I wasn't getting much volume in, I was fighting with my girlfriend, I wasn't going to the gym yet, I was busy doing other things etc. and my focus was completely shot. I was breakeven for 7k hands or so at 25nl and dropped about 4 buyins at 50nl so my motivation ended up crippled and I didn't play much the next week.

Around the middle of the month I was playing a bit better since I was going to the gym regularly. Volume was still slacking, but I spent alot more time reading stuff. I just read alotttt, and I thought alot about poker. I think just sitting and thinking about poker is so beneficial to my game. It's definately helped me improve. I was in the middle of breaking up with my gf at the same time so I didn't feel I had the mindset to play 50nl (after dropping another couple buyins playing heads up). Things hadn't been working out at all between us for a long time and I never really had the balls until now to break up with her. I guess I had some incentive since I had began to see another (amazing) girl, so yeah..enough about my personal life..I may have more to say about life tilt etc. and how it can affect your poker performance in my (potential) video blog series if anyones interested.

This is my total monthly graph: (Right around the 33k mark is where I sorted everything out regarding my breakup with my ex - there's a lesson in here somewhere)

And this is filtered to show only 25nl:

So yeah...no wonder I grind it more than 50 lol...HOWEVER - I will be playing mostly 50nl this month because 1) My confidence is back 2) Tilt control is better than ever 3) I have huge bankrollll 4) I want to get better, so I'll be working on my game alot away from the table while still hopefully maintaining solid volume.

Profits:
Cash: $955
MTTs: $12
FPPs: $300
Bonus: $300
Total: $1567

O, and I'm $300ish below EV lol. I have good feelings about September.

September goals:
[] 100,000 hands of cash (75k will suffice if real life gets in the way)
[] Maintain workout routine minimum 3 days/week
[] Keep up with reading and forum browsing/participating in strategy discussion in some way
[] Forget about volume if I'm not feeling it

Schedule for tomorrow:
8:00am: wake up/drive brother to school/mom to work so I get a car
9:00am: breakfast/shower/read an article or two
10:00am: gym
12:00pm: out to lunch
1:00pm: poker/break/poker etc.
5:00pm: appointment/dinner etc.
8:00pm: poker/break/review/forums/poker/whatever else fits in here
12:30ish: sleep

Dunno what happened exactly, although I have an idea...but not going to share here.

My game has completely transformed over the past couple weeks...I'm looking at things from a different angle. The whole concept of ranges is brightening up.

Anyway I'm going to SUNY Potsdam tomorrow to visit my girlfriend. I'll grind a bit in the morning then gather some studying material/HH's to work on for the train ride. Back Friday, take care guys.

Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssss! I'm still waiting for the but I can feel it coming Wink

The degen highroller lifestyle w/travel and chicks is starting in its infant form!

Made first withdrawal ($1000 - $600 I put online for deposit Bonus = net $400, which will cover my recent travels). The cashout curse didn't hit me too hard, though still down since lol. Reading some stuff before the week starts + watching some videos in the meantime (aside from grinding 3kish hands/day). Trying to get things clicking so I can continue to move up.

Hmmm, finished breakeven on today's 50nl session but had roughly 1.5 buyins amounting to spew.

I think the biggest adjustment when opening up your game is having to be more aware of putting on the breaks postflop sometimes. Preflop/flop play can be played fast/loose because no one ever has anything. The turn and river is interesting, because at that point in the hand, the opponent is usually there because they're (somewhat at least) interested in what they hold. I think I'm taking things too far beyond the flop and forgetting just how narrow some of these nits ranges really are.

Even though I'm only opening about 2% more I've noticed I get into alot of spots on the turn now where my range >>>> opponents range, yet I'm so used to betting it more often after my cbets get called. So biggest adjustment for me right now to get back on track is to focus on villains range after peeling the flop and showing resistance on the turn. The next would be to slow down a bit preflop in some spots and ask what the purpose of each open is.

Also, quick large bets from a really tight player usually equates to strength.

damnit dude, I need to start working harder or you are going to pass me.

hmm, maybe I smell a prop

I smellz bacon... Mmmmm... bacon.

Tomorrow's Schedule:

8:00am: Wake up/eat/shower/read
10:00am: Gym/lunch
1:00pm: Poker/break/poker
5:00pm: Watch DC video/read/dinner
8:00pm: Poker/break/poker
11:00pm: Pick bro up from work/second dinner
12:00am: Relax/read/review/bed

Okay I'm 1 hour behind schedule but that's not a big deal for me. As of now I'm off to the gym.

Today's focus at the tables is going to be on solid ABC play. Know when to c/f, especially in 3bet pots vs strong ranges, and have a plan for EVERY hand starting preflop.

So I go to start my session and once I get all 9 tables nicely organized my computer just goes apeshit and stars bogging down. My RAM is a POS and I fucking hate this Vista junk I'm on mega tilt right now and have gotten absolutely NOTHING done today at all besides work out which went shitty as fucking balls because I was horking up this weird shit all morning.

Looks like I'll take the afternoon off to relax by the pool and try to figure this computer issue out so I can potentially get a sessoin in tonight. Things aren't looking good anymore for the 100k thing, I know I can do it if I get my new system, but I'm still trying to decide whether its best to get that right now or not...looks like it is though.

Okay cool, going to the USA tomorrow again to visit the girlfriend. Driving there early, won't be back till late. Another day off poker, although I'll get a chance to do some studying since my gf will have to do some homework for her classes so that's cool.

100k hand goal is off. No fucking way I'm getting there at this rate, and I feel it's really unimportant. I'm so fucking sick of 50 fucking enel not showing the results and I'm not grinding 25 fucking enel forever I don't care if I can make $30/hr doing it it's the most unfullfilling shit ever. Time to hit the books, peace!

breathe , homey... just breathe. Its gonna be all good, get someone to sweat you who is beating 100nl FR and up.

Or just join the 6max dark side. Smile

heh, good idea speedcake.

I didn't play a hand of poker today, just got in from the states. Feels good. I did some reading and thinking, and my last session yesterday I played really solid. Keeping up with studying is definately a majorly important factor to maintaining my edge, so I can't let it slip.

I'll be on alot this weekend and I just got skype set up so getting some sweats in should be doable.

Update:

Withdrawing $1500.

New computer with 2 monitors will be set up next week.

Now focusing on 6max, full ring will be my secondary game. My only goal at this point is to improve my thought process.

GL me.

I make the most money multitabling 25nl full ring. I understand that I am giving up a good chunk of $/hour (for the time being), but my goal right now isn't to try and obtain the highest hourly, it's to learn as much as I can. In the end I believe forgetting about making money now will open up the door to making a ton more money later. Thus, I'm spending more time studying, and when I do play, I'm playing less tables. This is the key thing: 6max forces me to play less tables, and forces me to think more. It feels like a good formula for improvement. I feel I can beat 50nl 6max, though I'll be playing 25nl for a a few thousand hands until I'm comfortable.

I want to be able to take my game to the next level and move beyond 50nl/100nl/200nl+ etc. I feel that if I put making money (i.e. playing a ton of tables on autopilot) before developing my game I'll end up stuck at micro/low stakes for the rest of my time as a poker player.

Rather than thinking about 'playing a 6max game' or 'playing a full ring game' I like to just think about playing poker, and logically coming to a conclusion on what the best line is to take given the current situation.

I've been waging a similar battle. Although I am currently making money @ $50NL, many times the table selection and win-rate seems MUCH better @ $25NL. At first, I stuck with $50NL, but one night there seemed to be NO good tables and I was sitting by myself trying to start tables and no one would join, so I fired up some $25NL ones. DeucesCracked coach WiltOnTilt has said in one of his videos that you shouldn't think of yourself as a $100NL or $50NL player or whatever stake you're @ and that you should probably play across 2 or 3 stakes. So, then I decided I would just pick the best games of what was available across both stakes. That did work well, but then I noticed that the juicier games were often weighted to $25NL and I was starting to log more hands @ $25NL and it just felt like I wasn't tackling $50NL head on and that I should focus on it for the same reasons Micro mentioned. I feel like if I don't put in enough quality hands @ $50NL that I am hurting or at least delaying my chances to improve there and beyond. So, for the time being I'm only looking for $50NL tables unless the selection is so dire I might do some $25NL ones. But, who knows, it's possible I could change my mind again and do both.

I don't think there's an easy answer because you have to balance out the best games versus how profitable you can play at one stake versus another versus what you are learning or not learning and the problem is compounded because the games are so dynamic that it's difficult to root yourself on solid ground in terms of consistent behavior or results.

@ Jason:

We seem to be going through a simliar experience.

This is very interesting to bc I am a lifetime loser at 25nl and a pretty good winnar at 50. Time for a sweat?

haha man this is so LOL like wtf:

Full Ring Profit (w/o RB): $2,624.41 - - - 259,240 hands
6 Max Profit (w/o RB): $928.57 - - - 31,110 hands

Here are the distributions of hands player for each stake:

Full ring:
2nl: 3.9%
5nl: 8.2%
10nl: 27.6%
25nl: 40%
50nl: 20.3%

6max:
2nl: 5.4%
5nl: 21%
10nl: 41.2%
25nl: 29%
50nl: 3.4%

Thoughts: playing only 2-4 tables of 6max has enabled me to achieve a high win rate (running hot obviously helps). Playing 6-12 tables of full ring tends to burn me out/bore me/tilt me stop me from thinking and so on. I feel like I make more fuckit calls at full ring than 6max for some reason - again I think it has to do with the thinking thing. I can't just play 4 tables of full ring - I'd seriously kill someone/something and I don't want myself/family to die.

One thing to note is the sample size. It would be nice if I had just as many hands played at 6max, though this is just the observation so far.

[x] retired from 25nl

Won't be back unless extreme circumstances get in the way. GG microstakes.

Taking a day or two off to do alot of studying, and play some video games or something. I'll be at the tables early next week, perhaps Monday evening, though more likely Tuesday. - - - edit: actually scratch that, I'll resume play when I get my new setup purchased and installed Very Happy

grats broseph
although, holy shit 100K hands at 25NL

Tomorrow: workout/study/lunch/study/relax by pool/study/sweat somone if interested/read/study etc..bed

Tuesday: workout/travel to the US to visit gf

Wednesday: workout/poker resumes, with an emphasis on getting some volume in. My play/study ratio will flip for a few days so I can apply some things, though I imagine Monday-Wednesday I'll be weighting study over play. I'd like to get about 10k hands of 50nl 6max done in those 5 days, should be easy.

So yeah plan is to play alot at the end of the week and do more review/study/analysis/thinking in the early part of the week. We'll see how it goes.

You can sweat me anytime baby

lol, done. I finally got skype too.

a'ight. Imma try an hit u upz in teh IRCs sometime between like 4-7 EST if I don't w/daven.

Rambles:

Taking a few days off from playing has been interesting.

I think I'm starting to look at things from a different angle.

I also feel like I've been making progress in my study and my confidence is skyrocketing without actually playing/seeing results.

Cool.

I'm also considering doing a video blog entry once a week as a way of monitoring my thoughts. It'll basically just be me rambling...though I'll probably voice out some poker concepts here and there and see where my thinking is off.

Here's to working on getting my ass beyond small stakes Drunk

Hey man, glad to see you moved past the $25. I know thats been a real battle for you so nice job! Also, thanks again for kicking me in the ass in IRC the other day. I took the whole day off to just think and study.

Its weird how you see things differently when your not at the tables. Things become so much more clear and obvious. Its going to be a good rest of the month Smile

heh no problem.

So over the past few months I have basically dipped into 6max here and there but never kept up with it. I just randomly decided I'd look at my graph. I must post this...it is just too sexy looking to hide.

its like 15k @ 10nl, 8k @ 25nl, 1.5k@ 50nl and the rest 2nl/5nl.

Now let's continune running in god mode.

I went for a nap today and had a nightmare that you were pwning me at 50NL HU. This one hand came up where I 3 bet you with TT and you called the flop was like AKJ and we both checked, we both checked the turn also. Then on the river the board was like AAKKQQJJJ (because it's a dream and dreams never make sense.) So I checked and you bet like 1/4 pot and I was like "he's towning me" and folded. You showed 44 and I was enraged you'd got me off the mega, ultra full house split. You had the stic man avatar on stars it was vivid shit.

So yeah thought you might like to know that I now dream about FTRers.

Now go get yourself up to that hundred ennels. Gogogogo!

lol that's so trippy

Just made my first tangible purchase with poker monies - OH THE SUSPENSE BEFORE I RELEASE PICTURES

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Operation: Learning to Think - Eliminate The TAG-FISH in Me

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