Yep we have all had these thoughts!

So if a dream world what would you grind and why?

@squadgrinder & @Jon-PokerVIP

Hey thanks guys!

Honestly, I want to see how far I can go. And it be a damn shame to crash and burn at 5NL!

At this point the "poker" isn't really my challenge... The real challenge is improving my mental game so I need to go about making a plan which involves this. Certainly there are aspects of poker that I can improve but without this first it won't matter. I just watched/listened to some things on Hypno therapy and played one more session last night. I got brutally crushed in the session but overall my EV line was actually in the green and I didn't tilt. I'm hoping there is something to this and I'll try it again for sure...

For April I'm coming up with an outline to better define some of my poker goals for the month.

Thanks again guys!

Yeh that makes sense but I would honestly no get down even looking at the graph. Variance is a very real thing and this looks like a prime example of it. What I can say from experience and a total shot in the dark is did you change site or up your tables at the 15k mark?

@Jon-PokerVIP

No, no changes as far as I can think of. Though I did start melding in more and more 5NL tables. I play somewhere between 6-8 tables at a time with three tables on across the top, three across the middle and two at the bottom which are slightly obscured (or slightly obscure the middle row). Occasionally while I'm moving tables around I have a ninth but its just to organize in the instance I find a better table or choose to make a swap... There are also times when I'm getting close to a break I may have 6 or less tables as well.

There are times two of these tables might be MTTs with 2NL and 5NL tables mixed in. But I'm comfortable with this as in MTT play (at least in these micro donkuments) the play is super straight forward because of the blind structure and horrid player pool.

Poker Goals April:

One month is over another begins. We begin with where I started to where I’m at currently. The numbers are about $10 off but I also played some PLO 5 and won and my version of HM2 doesn’t track PLO, so that’s probably that.

Bankroll Start: $50
Cummulative Rakeback (today) Added: $16.25

MTTs
Total Tournaments: 80
Profit/Loss: $36.07
In the Money: 23
Final Table: 12
Finish:
1st: 1
2nd: 2
3rd: 2
4th: 1
5th: 1
6th: 1
7th: 1
8th: 2
9th: 0
Cash Tables: +$22.79
Currently: $137.87


Session Goals

*Warm Up*
Simple enough and it may change (for how I warm up) but I begin each session with some hypnotherapy.

*Session*
Total focus and attention. If something upsets me I quit immediately. Do something else until I’m calm again. I know the exact moment I get pissed so being a spewtard for the next couple of hands before I quit is unacceptable.

*Cool Down*
Study or read something poker strategy related be it a chapter in a book or article here on the site. This may also include vids, but I have to take notes or be more active with the content.

Off Table Work

*Graphs*
Graphs will be posted every 10k hands for the limits I’m playing (separately), once I’m about to post I will scrutinize (looking for specific examples) my play within the data base and post some thoughts/theories/conclusions. I will most likely create a thread about this so others can share ideas on what are some of the most pertinent data or spots that they look at. If you’re reading this now-go ahead and post something that comes to mind.
What do you look at with HM or PT database? What do you filter? How and Why?

*Hands*
The short of it is I probably won’t be posting too many hands…
The long version is that I don’t find myself in to many spots where I later have questions about my decision to do this or that or whether I’ve made a mistake or not. I’ve spent a lot of time hand reading so I understand situations pretty well. Usually I have a plan going into a hand catered to a certain opponent (based on their numbers) but what I do is more… Or what I would best describe as organic in nature or that it might change based on the table dynamic. I do this with my range as well. Certainly, there are situations where say a bet into a certain opponent Oop is better (if not far superior) than a planned check call on certain boards or it’s really important to cap your opponents range but I’m competent enough so far that at the limits I’m playing that I’m not being shocked with hands or attempting to get fancy on the wrong boards etc.

Like for instance so far at micro stakes my experience is that it is more important to have it, than cap you’re opponents range (minor a few rare spots) and barrel off with a bluff. You can know all day the guy has something like second pair with a possible busted backdoor draw-but in reality against the truly horrible opponents it’s like 50/50 if he’s going to call because his thought process is 50/50. You can value own this guy later…

Either you have something that beats him or you’re bluffing… Yeah-yeah we can change our bet sizes so on and so forth… but I’m getting off track here…

*Tilt/Mindset Work*
I’m not sure what I’m looking for, if anyone has suggestions please post them. I probably need to get some books when I come across something I’ll post it up. I’ll also be looking for videos which help with mindset/tilt issues… How to best deal with frustration etc… Right now my main focus is to have the right mindset including a warm up before firing up tables. I’m very interested to see if this will have a positive impact and how much so if it does in the period of a full month.

Monthly Goals

Grow Database to +100k Hands (So 70K-ish hands for this month)
Track MTT progress.
Do not look at EV line (don’t get me started)
Maintain an appropriate attitude:

The bottom line is I can’t let me ego get in the way here. I know this, but it keeps interrupting (go figure). What I can do live and what I can do online are two distinctly different situations. Poker is poker but so far there are things which my experience will help me and things which won’t. I need to make sure and know the differences.

The money involved is slight but the purpose of this exercise is to improve at internet poker so I need a more whatever it takes attitude. At this point I’m not 100% certain about what it takes so while I work on that I’ll kill it with hard work. Eventually the smart work will be figured out.

Easy to forget but I might do well to remember some of the bumps and grinds of playing live and the three years of play and many $ it cost before I was regularly making profit. Simple: If more work is required, I shall do more work-no excuses.

I’ll get there… I’ll get there!

So after looking through my database for 5NL I feel a little better about my results being in the red. Three of these hands are the biggest losers, one of them being especially sick... Three of the bigger pots which I lost and didn't post are attributed to tilt. While three others are bluffs one of which should have worked, one which was never going to work and another which I didn't think my opponents hand range through...

Sorry the replayer here and anywhere else doesn't work for WPN So I'm posting them up raw

[converted_hand][hand_history]WPN, $0.02/$0.05 No Limit Hold'em Cash, 5 Players
Poker Tools Powered By Holdem Manager - The Ultimate Poker Software Suite. View Hand #37289430

CO: $12.21 (244.2 bb)
BTN: $14.58 (291.6 bb)
Hero (SB): $7.72 (154.4 bb)
BB: $9.24 (184.8 bb)
MP: $8.23 (164.6 bb)

Preflop: Hero is SB with A:spade: A:diamond:
[color="grey"]MP folds[/color], [color="red"]CO raises to $0.15[/color], [color="red"]BTN raises to $0.45[/color], [color="red"]Hero raises to $1.45[/color], 2 folds, BTN calls $1

Flop: ($3.10) 5:heart: K:heart: 8:heart:[color="blue"] (2 players)[/color]
Hero checks, [color="red"]BTN bets $1.47[/color], [color="red"]Hero raises to $6.27 and is all-in[/color], BTN calls $4.80

Turn: ($15.64) T:diamond:[color="blue"] (2 players, 1 is all-in)[/color]
River: ($15.64) 3:diamond:[color="blue"] (2 players, 1 is all-in)[/color]

[/hand_history][replayer=37289430][/replayer][/converted_hand][converted_hand][hand_history]WPN, $0.02/$0.05 No Limit Hold'em Cash, 6 Players
Poker Tools Powered By Holdem Manager - The Ultimate Poker Software Suite. View Hand #37289431

MP: $5.65 (113 bb)
CO: $4.93 (98.6 bb)
BTN: $10.38 (207.6 bb)
Hero (SB): $6 (120 bb)
BB: $5 (100 bb)
UTG: $6.26 (125.2 bb)

Preflop: Hero is SB with A:spade: 2:spade:
3 folds, [color="red"]BTN raises to $0.10[/color], [color="red"]Hero raises to $0.35[/color], [color="grey"]BB folds[/color], BTN calls $0.25

Flop: ($0.75) K:spade: J:spade: 2:diamond:[color="blue"] (2 players)[/color]
Hero checks, [color="red"]BTN bets $0.36[/color], [color="red"]Hero raises to $1.85[/color], BTN calls $1.49

Turn: ($4.45) 8:diamond:[color="blue"] (2 players)[/color]
[color="red"]Hero bets $3.80 and is all-in[/color], BTN calls $3.80

River: ($12.05) A:diamond:[color="blue"] (2 players, 1 is all-in)[/color]

[/hand_history][replayer=37289431][/replayer][/converted_hand][converted_hand][hand_history]WPN, $0.02/$0.05 No Limit Hold'em Cash, 6 Players
Poker Tools Powered By Holdem Manager - The Ultimate Poker Software Suite. View Hand #37289432

BB: $8.95 (179 bb)
UTG: $5.50 (110 bb)
MP: $10.72 (214.4 bb)
Hero (CO): $5.19 (103.8 bb)
BTN: $5 (100 bb)
SB: $6.69 (133.8 bb)

Preflop: Hero is CO with 6:diamond: 6:club:
[color="grey"]UTG folds[/color], [color="red"]MP raises to $0.15[/color], Hero calls $0.15, [color="grey"]3 folds[/color]

Flop: ($0.37) 5:club: 5:heart: 5:diamond:[color="blue"] (2 players)[/color]
[color="red"]MP bets $0.18[/color], Hero calls $0.18

Turn: ($0.73) 6:heart:[color="blue"] (2 players)[/color]
MP checks, Hero checks

River: ($0.73) 2:heart:[color="blue"] (2 players)[/color]
[color="red"]MP bets $10.39 and is all-in[/color], Hero calls $4.86 and is all-in

[/hand_history][replayer=37289432][/replayer][/converted_hand][converted_hand][hand_history]WPN, $0.02/$0.05 No Limit Hold'em Cash, 6 Players
Poker Tools Powered By Holdem Manager - The Ultimate Poker Software Suite. View Hand #37289433

UTG: $6.54 (130.8 bb)
Hero (MP): $5.07 (101.4 bb)
CO: $10.08 (201.6 bb)
BTN: $6.32 (126.4 bb)
SB: $5.09 (101.8 bb)
BB: $6.14 (122.8 bb)

Preflop: Hero is MP with 7:club: 7:heart:
[color="grey"]UTG folds[/color], [color="red"]Hero raises to $0.15[/color], 2 folds, [color="red"]SB raises to $0.50[/color], [color="grey"]BB folds[/color], Hero calls $0.35

Flop: ($1.05) 2:spade: 5:spade: 7:diamond:[color="blue"] (2 players)[/color]
[color="red"]SB bets $0.49[/color], [color="red"]Hero raises to $1.50[/color], SB calls $1.01

Turn: ($4.05) J:spade:[color="blue"] (2 players)[/color]
SB checks, [color="red"]Hero bets $3.07 and is all-in[/color], SB calls $3.07

River: ($10.19) T:spade:[color="blue"] (2 players, 1 is all-in)[/color]

[/hand_history][replayer=37289433][/replayer][/converted_hand]

Graph 10K NL5

Sorry about the format above. I can't change it and I may opt to figure out how to post a screen shot for hands. Finally something good to report. As my graph at 5NL is finally in the green. Got an almost 300BB stack in on the river against a smaller (flopped) straight I will post the hand later.




Off Table:

I worked on a very basic spot for this first graph. I ran a filter for 2s-6s from Ep. I open any PP from Ep but I wanted to see if this was profitable. My average BB per hundred was +11.3, though the overall result was negative since I ran both 2NL and 5NL. The number of hands after the filter was just shy of 100 total so more likely not to reliable so I'll likely run this filter again when my DB is larger.

Currently I have a condition with opening 6s or smaller being first in; the condition is that if the 3bet of my opponents (for the next three positions) is higher than 24 (8 average) then I will open muck the small PP.

Would love some input on what anyone thinks in these spots. And how about for say 10NL or 25NL are you opening less/more from Ep with PP or do you have your own conditions to open?

I'm Stopping this Challenge-

I went on tilt again yesterday and tonight...

Probably lost 6 stacks at 5NL in this mode. Since whenever I go to 6 tables of 5NL I don't really know what the point since there is more than good chance I'm going to tilt.

At this point I realize there is no point in having this "poker" challenge since it is not really about the poker. I will still seek to figure this out and contribute to this community but this challenge is off.

Best of luck to all.

Oh damn I was just about to show you how to do the hands and add screenshots

Maybe I can change the title for you and we keep the journey going? Just an everyday grinders journey?

i tilt cashout/change rooms/change game/change tables etc about 18 times a year so no biggie

@Jon-PokerVIP

Yeah, that might be a good idea. Title: The Tilt Report

So a couple things happened. First I went played some 10nl & 25nl played well ran it up. First I got very lucky after running into the top of some shove monkey's range, then I second place in a set up hand and I said F#@! this! And stuck the rest of BR on $1-$2 on a high low split seven card stud game. I made about $70 and quit ahead after about an hour.

I suck! It doesn't really matter win or lose I'm disappointed in my mind set and that I can't stay on a even keel. I feel like this frustration comes at me from a variety of angles... And though I know how I can become tilted nonetheless eventually it gets me...

I would be interested in you showing me the hands captured as an image (and I know how to do a screen shot) which site should I use?

Thanks for enjoying my self torture and loathing!:D

General Update:

Ok, So I'm not quitting. I took some time. Less poker more other stuff. Now back to poker. As it happens after my episode of self loathing we hit a bit of an upswing and enough to begin embarking to 10NL. Right now I'm mixing 2NL-10NL. This is more as a self preservation move. I'm honestly not sure where I stand and I need to work through my frustrations so I don't ruin any confidence I might have.

He is a general graph at 40k total hands: