Alright guys, it’s been a while since the previous post but I’ve been grinding for the most part. So far for “the month” (inverted commas since it includes last few days of September) I have 28k hands.
Again results are only at the end of the month so you’ll have to wait till then.
I’ve been focusing a fair amount of life balance, I’m trying to stay focused with my uni course, I could be doing better but I’m getting my **** together and studying a lot more in my own time.
I’ve also spent a lot of time exploring London in the early hours of the morning with friends and chilling out a fair bit. I need to be doing more exercise in the form of running and squash which I plan to fit in.
Poker has been somewhat consistent, I’ve been fitting in 1-2 hour sessions a couple times a day for most of October which is working out well. I did take a few days off mainly because I was swamped with university work which I think was good for me. I think taking a few days off is quite underrated and it made me come back to the tables refreshed and wanting to grind.
However I have leaked a fair bit in poker/life so I thought it’s only fair to share those experiences. My sleep schedule has been a bit off, I need to stop staying up so late and chatting with flat mates when I have lectures early in the morning, it’s not GTO.
Also I got super tilted a couple times when my laptop blue screened (any of you with an ASUS and windows10 may know about this). It’s a bug currently and whenever it happens and I have my stars client open (which is often because my tabels are often up) it wipes all the settings for my stars client so when I log back on everythings like it would be when you first download stars, my notes would be wiped too. Now I’ve backed everything up but that actually really demotivated me and while I was tilted I started playing a game called Runescape which I used to be addicted to.
If you’re reading this Luke I’m sure you can relate. I know for me it’s hard to have any kind of normal balance when playing that game and it’s a super degen thing to play. I spent a bit of money getting membership and other **** only to not want to play after an hour of playing.
I also played some MTTs and 8 game for a bit on Saturday and Sunday which was spew. Even though I think I’m +e-
“LOLOL sure kiddo, everything thinks they’-”
Yeah I get it, it’s a stupid thing to do and I really want to focus on grinding zoom so I’ve blocked myself from playing any MTTs or SNG even though after the MTT session I never wanted to play another MTT again. Screw 1 million chip pot flips.
Anyway I’ve slowly started fitting some more hands in and have a bunch tagged for review in my PT4. I definitely need to get my **** together and post in Micro NL and in here more in regards to hands. I guess we can start by chucking a few up here.
Before we do that I’d really like to hear your opinions on moving up. As I’ve said previously I’m well rolled even for 16z and think I’d have around 50 buy ins for that stake by the end of October. I hear many different things varying from sample, to confidence, to just taking shots but I think in my case I’m in an interesting spot.
So I was going to initially bring up this point in my round up for the month of October but thinks it’s also reasonable to talk about now. This month was always going to be a month in which I find my feet. Last time I played a zoom hand was Jan/Feb so this month is all about finding leaks and trying to see how I feel and when I can fit in sessions.
But of course we all have leaks so when am I even meant to move to 16z? I think 10z and 16z are pretty different too, 16z is all about battling vs a smaller pool vs more aggressive regs and I think 10z is a really passive stake where I’m slowly trying to figure out optimal lines vs the population. The population is so wide and varied though it’s like (as I’ve said before) fumbling for your phone in bed in the dark.
Like yes I can post a graph after October of around (likely) 40kish hands but what does that mean anyway, pretty much nothing. So yeah any advice in regards to moving up is greatly appreciated.
Now (finally) to the hands.
Unsure about if this is a must cbet or not. Run out is a bit eh, both draws miss but I lose to QQ and AQ but maybe I should be firing river hoping to get hero’d by hands like TT and KK, probs too passive a line by me.
[b]PokerStars – $0.10 NL FAST (6 max) – Holdem – 6 players[/b]
[i][url=http://www.pokertracker.com]Hand converted by PokerTracker 4[/url][/i]
BTN: 92.5 BB (VPIP: 36.36, PFR: 36.36, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 12)
[b]SB: 100.3 BB[/b] (VPIP: 0.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 1)
[b]Hero (BB): 147 BB[/b]
UTG: 67 BB (VPIP: 20.00, PFR: 13.33, 3Bet Preflop: 12.50, Hands: 15)
MP: 71.4 BB
CO: 115.4 BB (VPIP: 11.11, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 9)
[b]SB[/b] posts SB 0.5 BB, [b]Hero[/b] posts BB 1 BB
[b]Pre Flop:[/b] [i](pot: 1.5 BB)[/i] [b]Hero[/b] has A:heart: K:diamond:
[i]fold[/i], [i]fold[/i], [color=red]CO raises to 3 BB[/color], [i]fold[/i], [color=red][b]SB[/b] raises to 12 BB[/color], [color=red][b]Hero[/b] raises to 26 BB[/color], [i]fold[/i], [b]SB[/b] calls 14 BB
[b]Flop:[/b] [i](55 BB, 2 players)[/i] 6:spade: A:spade: 2:diamond:
[b]SB[/b] checks, [b]Hero[/b] checks
[b]Turn:[/b] [i](55 BB, 2 players)[/i] Q:diamond:
[b]SB[/b] checks, [b]Hero[/b] checks
[b]River:[/b] [i](55 BB, 2 players)[/i] 9:club:
[b]SB[/b] checks, [b]Hero[/b] checks
Again wondering how thin this is. I feel at 10z currently I just have this “they never fold” mentality which makes me feel I have to go for it here but in reality idk how often I just get owned. btw I feel 3 bet sizing def needs to be bigger here when 200 deep.
[b]PokerStars – $0.10 NL FAST (6 max) – Holdem – 6 players[/b]
[i][url=http://www.pokertracker.com]Hand converted by PokerTracker 4[/url][/i]
BTN: 207.4 BB (VPIP: 27.27, PFR: 18.18, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 11)
[b]Hero (SB): 208 BB[/b]
BB: 139.2 BB (VPIP: 50.00, PFR: 50.00, 3Bet Preflop: -, Hands: 2)
UTG: 160.1 BB (VPIP: 19.23, PFR: 19.23, 3Bet Preflop: 23.08, Hands: 27)
MP: 125.1 BB
[b]CO: 180.1 BB[/b] (VPIP: 50.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 2)
[b]Hero[/b] posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB
[b]Pre Flop:[/b] [i](pot: 1.5 BB)[/i] [b]Hero[/b] has J:club: Q:spade:
[i]fold[/i], [i]fold[/i], [color=red][b]CO[/b] raises to 3 BB[/color], [i]fold[/i], [color=red][b]Hero[/b] raises to 10 BB[/color], [i]fold[/i], [b]CO[/b] calls 7 BB
[b]Flop:[/b] [i](21 BB, 2 players)[/i] T:heart: T:spade: 9:spade:
[color=red][b]Hero[/b] bets 12.4 BB[/color], [b]CO[/b] calls 12.4 BB
[b]Turn:[/b] [i](45.8 BB, 2 players)[/i] 8:club:
[color=red][b]Hero[/b] bets 33 BB[/color], [color=red][b]CO[/b] raises to 66 BB[/color], [color=red][b]Hero[/b] raises to 185.6 BB and is all-in[/color], [b]CO[/b] calls 91.7 BB and is all-in
Still unsure how standard this is at 10z, I know people obviously 3/4/5bet wider bvb but from my experience I don’t think it’s that much wider. I feel people are generally pretty passive at 10z bvb compared to other stakes where I see villains stack off super wide. Maybe AQo is part of my range where I should be doing something else, like flatting the 4 bet.
[b]PokerStars – $0.10 NL FAST (6 max) – Holdem – 6 players[/b]
[i][url=http://www.pokertracker.com]Hand converted by PokerTracker 4[/url][/i]
BTN: 196.5 BB (VPIP: 18.92, PFR: 13.51, 3Bet Preflop: 2.17, Hands: 114)
[b]SB: 109.9 BB[/b]
[b]Hero (BB): 113.7 BB[/b]
UTG: 103.1 BB (VPIP: 47.06, PFR: 47.06, 3Bet Preflop: 16.67, Hands: 17)
MP: 312.1 BB (VPIP: 22.86, PFR: 8.57, 3Bet Preflop: 5.26, Hands: 35)
CO: 307.9 BB (VPIP: 18.18, PFR: 13.64, 3Bet Preflop: 3.28, Hands: 158)
[b]SB[/b] posts SB 0.5 BB, [b]Hero[/b] posts BB 1 BB
[b]Pre Flop:[/b] [i](pot: 1.5 BB)[/i] [b]Hero[/b] has Q:club: A:diamond:
[i]fold[/i], [i]fold[/i], [i]fold[/i], [i]fold[/i], [color=red][b]SB[/b] raises to 4 BB[/color], [color=red][b]Hero[/b] raises to 12 BB[/color], [color=red][b]SB[/b] raises to 36 BB[/color], [color=red][b]Hero[/b] raises to 113.7 BB and is all-in[/color], [b]SB[/b] calls 73.9 BB and is all-in
I’m going to leave it at this many hands for now.
meale;51049490 Wrote: we want giraffes
GL
Alright well I guess this a good time for the first giraffe since I started on the 26th of September this seems like a fairer observation of what a “month” does/will look like for me.
So I don’t know what your reaction to that will be but I’ll point out a few things which I’m happy/not happy about.
I hadn’t played a hand of zoom for about 8-9 months before this “month”. In all honesty I’m not upset about how the graph looks, for me to beat 10z pre RB being rusty as anything is a positive.
Did I spew?
No fucking *****, I spewed a bunch. But hey, it’s a learning experience, I learnt a lot about myself and what I’m able to take on. I learnt a lot about the 10z population and my own game.
I never went into this month thinking I’d bang out some 7evbb wr, I was just chucking myself in the deep end and seeing where I’d end up. And even then it’s a small sample, 40k hands is nothing right? Unless you’re Eazii Moniiez apparently.
I’m probably going to get laughed at for this, but I’m actually quite proud of myself. For sure 1.5bbev isn’t much to be proud of for some of you but for me coming into the pool as a retard and being able to balance my time with university and get a sample (two tabling) is an achievement.
I’m also grateful for running around ev. We all know how brutal ev can be, just take a look at mahsjdi. Guy would probs be battling at 3/6 on stars right now if he ran a bit better.
I’d also like to give a shoutout to a few 10z who I crossed paths with along the way. I was thinking about making some kind of awards show for the people in the pool but maybe not.
Anyway, onlyfoolsguy, nico.r85 and Proness congratulations on being the biggest nits I have ever come across in my life. Meale would be proud of you all :heart:
Shoutout to inseek, mask and PFA for mixing it up a bit. Always fun.
Shoutout to YourABigFish for actually being a fish and shoutout to xflixx for also being a fish!
Shoutout to TrustySam for talking during the pots with me, always fun 
Shoutout to my laptop for blue screening two times and wiping all my stars database, we’ve been in the clear for a while now so hopefully no more of that.
Anyway, enough of that let’s look towards the future. I’m fighting three idea’s currently and I know one of them you’re going to love and the other one you’re going to hate.
This is 2+2 and you guys love zoom more than your uni degree’s and family combined so putting one of my idea’s forward may cause you to have a melt down, stay with me it’s going to be okay I promise.
So let’s start off with the idea you’ll likely love.
I have an $800 roll now. That’s 50BI’s for 16z, I could jump in the 16z pool, battle with more regs and make a legit 16z awards show for November and probably BE after RB (lul).
Another option is…
I could continue to grind 10z, it’s tough because ofc I have leaks in my game but I have 50BI’s for the stake above and I don’t see a major issue with giving it a go? Maybe if I was down 30 BI for the month but that’s not the case.
So yeah I grind 10z more, get like 80k hands, probs sim w/r and likely be a bit depressed.
The third option, I move my entire roll to Sky Poker and play £20NL there and play lower volume but with a higher w/r. Calm down guys calm down, I know you don’t get a hand straight after you fold, I know, I know..
Let me go into some detail with the third option as I know it’s unpopular as ***** to not play stars zoom.
As I said earlier in the post I’ve learnt a lot about myself and my game during the month. All in all it was okay but I wasn’t loving poker, it felt like a chore and I knew I was just grinding some low w/r and the majority of my income was coming from RB.
“Why don’t you actually get your ***** together, post some hands and try and take steps to actively improve your game so you actually beat zoom for a decent w/r”.
Fair point but I value the other things in my life to. The thing is guys I went into this wanting life balance. I just about had that grinding the volume and reviewing sessions and posting some hands but the thing is I know and respect the amount of time needed to become a good regular even at 16z. I don’t know if I have that time and even if I did I don’t think I’d want to dedicate my time to grinding in the lab 20 hours a week when I want to crush university, explore, chill with flatmates etc.
This is why I think moving to a super soft site would benefit me, I’d have a higher w/r. I feel anyone who’s BE+ at 10z would have an easy time beating 20nl on sky, I’ve been told the same from a poker coach I’m in contact with to.
I’m going to spend the next 24 hours likely deciding about what to do. Your advice is appreciated but I know you’ll want me to likely grind 16z and be BE etc. Anyway for now that’s it, fire off any questions and I’ll be more than happy to answer them.
Btw I plan on starting a podcast soon giving an insight in what it’s like playing poker at my level and where I think the game is going and what I want to gain from it. I’ll likely be recording the first episode on the weekend and plan to get guests on in the future.
Peace
04-11-2016
So I will eventually get around to posting the update for the Aspers tournament which occured about two weeks ago.
Spoiler alert.
I didn’t win
Now as some of the more regular readers know this thread is mainly about my life but it doesn’t hurt to put some poker in from time to time.
Moving onto how the overall month of October went poker wise. For the large majority I grinded 10z on stars and had a win rate of around 2bb/100 and put in about 45k hands (Around $200 with RB). The results were okay and I took the whole roll and put it onto Sky Poker. The games were good but I found it hard for me to put any decent volume in due to the site being quite dead at times. That combined with a bit of run bad convinced me to put the roll back on stars and go back to 10z for November and see how this month goes.
Analysing the above I can draw the pretty simple conclusion that I can’t make my mind up about what to do and what’s best for me. Both in poker and life.
I know in poker I need to be studying way more than I currently am. I also need to be doing more studying for university too. I feel I’m in a spot right now where I’ve been trying to juggle too many things at once but the reality is I’m burning serious periods of time just ****ing around and doing nothing. I know I need to be more productive and more effecient with what I do in the free 1-2 hour periods I have during the day but the thing is, that’s never been the kind of person I’ve been.
I’ve always been pretty passive as a person and let things happily float around me and only really focus on the most important things happening to me at those exact points in time. What always ends up happening is that I forget the small things and as a result a lot of the things I do are pretty last minute and rushed.
I think in the past I adopted a “this is who I am, if people like it great, if they don’t, whatever” however I feel self improvement is incredibly important and I try and spend a lot of my time on trying to be the best person I can be. I feel it’s possible for me to balance university and poker with everything else I want to achieve right now (play the piano, I got a piano/keyboard btw!). I just know it’s going to take a lot of self discipline.
I think for the month of November I might as well give it a shot and attempt to be as productive as I can be and see how I feel mentally and physically.
What does being as productive as I can be entail?
Great question.
So for a start I want to attend all my lectures and do at least 2 hours of extra work towards them a day.
In regards to poker I want to maintain goldstar at zoom and play for around 2-3 hours a day including study. I feel this is possible especially when I balance my time well.
I also want to budget better as I feel myself slip occasionally because it’s so easy just to buy ready meals and go out instead of cook.
I want to sleep 7-8 hours a day and constantly assess how I feel and how my studies are going.
I’ll try and keep this updated more often but as I’ve stated previously I’ve wanted this blog to only be written when I feel like writing it otherwise I don’t think it will accurately assess how I’m feeling and viewing things and a lot of the posts could seem quite forced.
Until next time, peace. If you have any questions feel free to fire away!