[sweep]

keep your head up Baller. The drive and determination you have been showing will no doubt pay off

[BeerDog99]

Props on the updates, BH.

Real-world updates are great. Most people can't stand it + won't tolerate the swings.

One thing u hear from the GREAT players. They're always going back to the drawing board, studying how to beat certain players etc.

Best of luck on the venture. I still struggle to wrap my head around some of my bad-beats.

Well stated, keep positive Baller and keep working it out and improving!

[Ballerholic]

Chucky- Thanks man I appreciate it. Yea one thing I can hopefully document is how bad some swings can be and how to stay together and get thru them. Yea some of the bad beats experienced during this downswing were pretty damn brutal.

Sweep- Yea man that's all we can ever do!

Beer- It's all mental in the end, need to be positive


Mar 16th Update

Total Profit: $68.71 Hours: 37.25

So a positive day. I much prefer fast poker over regular tables, they're just way more fun. Anyway, I'm in the U.S. for the next few days so I won't be able to get any play in until Monday. Time for some March Madness though!

[sweep]

played almost 12hrs yesterday while watching the tournament. Lost $23 lol

[Ballerholic]

wow that's annoying sweep. Just think of it this way. You were going to have to play those 12 hours anyway to only make $23. So at least you got that out of the way instead of spending the next week playing 12 hours and ending the week with $23.

[slikec]

For motivation

Finally a day when everything went my way on party network

[slikec]

Well i played more cause i was still in 1 MTT lol and ran even better Just got my personal best day lol. I made almost -100$ minus on other two sites ofc still this looks sweet

[slikec]

Dont wanna hijack the thread but wanna show how special day yesterday was lol. Thats since i play on this site december 1st till yesterday. First i ran like god first 3 weeks everything holds i ran also very well over EV than i played more tables in January cause of promo which was bad idea i played ran poorly February i switched back to more table selection but ran like shit and yesterday was just my godlike mode day and i hope will happen more often




So y i slept like a baby hehe looking forward to hopefully stay in awesome run mode

[stevek173]

You need to play live man, at casinos - in my opinion.
Too much collusion online.

Nice thread though.

Nice scopes fellas, I forgot about that site.

[Ballerholic]

Slik- damn slik nice session! How are you finding the party poker games? Do you play fast forward there or regular tables?

Steve- I know live I can't wait to play live! But my bankroll isn't big enough to cover playing live yet.

Mar 20th Update

Total Profit: $55.16 Hours: 37.25

So after receiving some RB for the past week this is now where everything stands. Down a small bit, but it's not bad at all. I am just back now in Europe So I'll get back to playing a good few hands today and I've got a coaching session later on this evening. BR stands at $194 after taking out some to pay for coaching lessons.

[slikec]

I play regural ofc. making 60k hands in 3 months on FF that would be really really bad volume is even bad volume on normal tables but i play other sites also. Table selecting is the key.

Btw party network runs fast forward tables promo this month on NL25+ sadly 3 weeks already gone so i if you wanna jump in there is still some additional money to be made.

I am not sure if i can post link but promo is named season of grind. 7,5K hands they give 40$ 15k gives additional 60$ so total 100$ etc. Dont forget to opt in if you decide!

[slikec]

I play regural ofc. making 60k hands in 3 months on FF that would be really really bad volume is even bad volume on normal tables but i play other sites also. Table selecting is the key.

Btw party network runs fast forward tables promo this month on NL25+ sadly 3 weeks already gone so i if you wanna jump in there is still some additional money to be made.

I am not sure if i can post link but promo is named season of grind. 7,5K hands they give 40$ 15k gives additional 60$ so total 100$ etc. Dont forget to opt in if you decide!

[ChuckyTheGoat]

You need to play live man, at casinos - in my opinion.
Too much collusion online.

Nice thread though.

Nice scopes fellas, I forgot about that site.

Stevie, that's a valid point. I always wonder about that.

What if 2 guys are playing next to each other, open-face? Share cards + know what cards are unused.

[Ballerholic]

slik- yea I've heard of that grind promotion before. I believe you really have to put in sick volume to get a decent prize though. Also, doesn't that promotion make the games a lot harder? I 100% agree though, playing reg tables while table selecting especially at the micros and there is no way you can be a losing player. I try to have a nice mix of reg tables with fast tables just because I find fast tables so entertaining.

chucky- are you talking about 2 players playing next to each other online? I believe that people can't have the same IP address so really only 1 can be logged on at once. However, there are definitely ways around that and people definitely do it. There is a lot of backlash especially over chinese sites and smaller network sites where collusion is being cried. But let's not act like people aren't doing it on Pokerstars as well. People 100% cheat online, and there have been pros that have admitted to cheating online as well back in the day, so obviously in this day and age where it is easier they will be as well.

Mar 21th Update

Total Profit: $53.63 Hours: 41.25

Well first day back since returning to Europe. I played very well for 3.5 hours, and then I decided to add another fast table and ended up losing a bit. Still up $1 on the day! After reviewing 10 biggest losing hands, I could have saved about ~$6. While playing 2 fast tables I can get ~500 hands hourly while maintaining a 8bb/100 winrate. When I add a 3rd table I tend to lose a bit of focus so I need to adjust to that. BR technically stands at $120 right now after paying for coaching yesterday. Session went really well and I'm starting to hand read a lot better. My coach is telling me I'm moving up towards intermediate poker thinking and that I should be playing higher stakes right now, but it's tough for me when I hit a downswing and pay $75 a week for coaching especially as a full time student + part time job + competitive sport. Anyway, he's started shot taking 200nl zoom so that's very good news! I'm a little worried that once he becomes a 200z reg he might up the pricing, and if that's the case I'll need to be firmly planted at a stake like 25NL minimum, but really 50NL to afford it. By the way, my coach and a few other 100z regs up to 500z regs are starting a coaching for profits stable. So if anybody is interested let me know and I'll get you in contact!

So at the moment I'm mainly playing 10nl, but I will be adding to the BR at the start of the month and the bankroll should then hit near $700. So by next week I'll 100% be playing 25-30NL. If it wasn't for the downswing we could be at 50NL by now, but that's part of poker life. Anyway guys, remember the goal is to be playing poker full time this summer. Technically, I will be working part time and getting ~$600, but I need at least $1500 to live on each month. So I need at least $800 from poker. Expenses include Rent+Bills ($800), Food + Fun ($400), Poker Coaching ($300). That's the bare minimum too because I always overspend. Realistically this is only achievable at 25NL+. So I've got 2 months to prove myself boyos.

[ChuckyTheGoat]

Good luck, BH:

1) The coaching fee still seems crazy to me. He better be adding value to u. In so many fields..."advising" is really a myth. They talk a good game, but don't add to bottom-line.

2) I know Bonomo + GSmith were nailed as multi-acct players, but that's a while back. I'm not saying that still happens. But what about 2 friends at the same table? There's no reason they can't pass on information in real time. If Guy1 is holding 77...his buddy may tell him "stay away...I folded 37." I agree w/ Stevie, big$$ online is a cautionary tale. Also, most players would say that live-players are weaker than online-players.

[ChuckyTheGoat]

3) Baller, a 3rd comment. You've been very upfront on your results, expenses etc (which is really COOL). That said, my observation on the $amounts you present...your margin of error is really small!

Here's why that sets off bells for me. Successful gaming starts with a basic concept of not playing over your head. Gambling should be done w/ discretionary income.

Define your bankroll. If said bankroll disappears tomorrow, you shouldn't feel any pain. Just my 2cents, u know I'm pulling for u.

[slikec]

And just start putting in volume i guess. I mean rake on NL25/50 is ~10bb/100 depending on play style ofc. so even if you are have minimal profits rakeback will get you to your goal with ok volume alone. And if youll crush tables well sky is the limit.

[Ballerholic]

Chucky- 1) Yea I agree that the fee is crazy especially at the moment. Because I'm playing 10NL right now it is definitely crazy 100%. At 25NL it is reasonable because it's only 3 BIs. But yea, even though I hit a downswing at 25NL, I still could be at that limit if I wasn't paying for coaching so you've got a point. 2) Yea again 100% correct. I have a few buddies I play the same stakes/sites with and we talk about hands as we play the same tables as in after the hand was played out, but we could easily share info over skype. This is definitely something that bothers me and I am weary of. It is one of the reasons I recommend fast style poker like zoom over regular tables. But yea, I really want to get into live poker once my BR can handle it. 3) Thanks I try to be very clear on this journey. Yea I have had issues in the past with playing underrolled. I think it is something that really bothers me, but I keep doing it. When I was in the coaching stable I was winning at around 8bb/100 at 25NL and money was no care to me at all, but on my own roll I have slightly less success for sure because every beat takes a huge toll on a small BR and messes with my mentality.

Slik- Yea it's all about volume, I've only played around 17k hands this month which can definitely improve.

Mar 21th Update

Total Profit: $86.75 Hours: 44.25

A pretty bad day losing around 3BIs at 10nl. There wasn't too much that could have been done honestly. Since starting on my own again I've really only had about 1.5 weeks to play. So hourly in regards to that is alright, but can get better. The total loss amount I am throwing up to variance and being in a downswing with some bad play for sure. At 25NL I was $40 under ev and after reviewing some big pots at 10NL I could have saved at least $41. So add those two and we're pretty much breakeven. Moving forward, max 4 regular or 2 fast tables at a time for maximum clarity and winrate. I'll stay at 888 for now, but next week after I get some funds I'll be moving to 25NL on 888 and Natural8 with a little sprinkled on iPoker. I should be able to have around 12 BIs for shots at those stakes.

[Ballerholic]

Mar 24th Update

Total Profit: $164.68 Hours: 56.75

It's funny because I can't remember the last time I had a positive post this month. Another pretty big losing day. I mean the good news is that it's only $164.68 and honestly that's not that bad. I don't really have much of a bankroll at the moment. I'm not 100% sure what I'm going to be doing over the next week. To be fair if I'm continuing to lose like this I can't really keep paying for coaching sessions. I have definitely progressed exponentially in my poker thinking process. But I never expected to hit a downswing which really hurts my BR when I take out for coaching. So far I've paid $400 on poker coaching over the past 7 weeks. At the moment my BR is around $40, but I really don't want to be playing 5NL and $40 isn't enough for 10NL. So I may just take this next 1-1.5 weeks off until I get paid again. After getting paid I should have around $500 to play with. One of my biggest issues is playing under-rolled and it definitely affects my play. I think I'll start at 16NL with this new BR on Pokerstars which will give me ~30 BIs. If I'm going to make this work I really need to do this the right way. Anyway, I'm thinking of taking some of my BR and parlaying it on Kentucky and Wisconsin tonight.

[ChuckyTheGoat]

Yeah, Baller. When someone is "tanking" on a big-pot...in the back of my mind, I'm always wondering if he's surveying his two buddies:

"Hey...did u fold the gin card that I'm drawing to?"

[Ballerholic]

Yea that's a really good point Chuck. I think that's a good reason to lean towards fast poker tables vs regular tables.

[Ballerholic]

April Journey

So last month was a losing month, although it wasn't too bad. I only lost ~$130 in total after factoring some lower stake play and some additional rakeback. But it seemed like a huge losing month because of the coaching price of $70 per hour I was paying each week. Honestly though, I really should be able to afford that if even playing 10nl stakes. This month is going to be a lot better I can already feel it. I'll be playing 888, iPoker and some Pokerstars as my main games. Pokerstars just changed their rakeback structure so a lot of grinders will be leaving that site for sure. Bankroll at the moment is around $450, but I'm always adding and taking from it so main tracking will be profit. I also received a $35 bonus for depositing on 888 yesterday.

Profit: $2.86

Bonus/Rakeback: $35

I'm running a little under EV at the moment, but what can you do. At the moment I'm mixing in some 10-20nl, but will get up to 30nl as well. The games are good and poker is very well alive. Reflecting over the past month I definitely had some major mental leaks stunting my progress. I didn't understand what variance was and how bad it could hit and I would blame my results on bad play. I also kept thinking that every session should be a winning one. Finally, I was too aggressive in my BR strategy. I dropped down and played about 10k hands at 2nl zoom towards the end of last month, at that stake I ran about 6 BIs below EV in around 1k hands, but I didn't care at all. I just kept playing and thinking I'm better than these guys and 96% of these guys are losing players, so even if they make a move on me and it works, it isn't going to work every time. I ended up finishing those 10k hands at 15 evbb/100, which I think is expected as a 25nl reg. Anyway, I now know how important BRM is and the importance of playing with confidence and trusting your skillset versus variance. If I can hit a 6BI under ev downswing and that doesn't even include BIs lost to coolers, then I can easily hit 10+ BI downswings at higher stakes.

[sweep]

keep grinding Baller

[Ballerholic]

Thanks sweep! I haven't been around recently, but I see you started a thread. That's awesome! I'll be posting in there a lot for sure

[Ballerholic]

Some sports plays for tonight!

Nets -2 vs 76ers $11 to win $10

76ers should be favored here, but I think they have a good few injuries. I believe the 76ers are going to go into tank mode right now, and I believe they are better at it than the Nets who just beat the Hawks.


Magic +11 vs Cavaliers $11 to win $10

Cavs have a huge game against Celtics tomorrow. Their goal is to just get by today and then show up big tomorrow against the Celtics.

[Ballerholic]

April 5th

Pretty good day. I ran a bit under EV, but still a very profitable day! I really feel like you make most of your money at the micros from bluff catching and bluffing, not so much value betting.

Total Profit: $46.36

Total Bonus/Rakeback: $40

Total Sports: $-1

At the moment total BR is ~$517.

Just like that I've already erased over half of last month's losses in 2 days. Goal is to end the week at around $650.

[daneblazer]

"I've paid $400 on poker coaching over the past 7 weeks"

Holy cow man. No wonder you're struggling to move up. To put that into perspective, if you had that $400 now, you could be playing 25nl. You could shot take 50 on some sites with $900. I'm sure the coach is good, but the amount you are paying for coaching and the rate you can improve at the low stakes isn't worth paying that rate. Money in your pocket is more important than what a coach can teach you now. You should wait until you're playing 50nl or 100nl before you pay for more coaching.

i also wouldn't bet unless it's a day you aren't playing poker. Can be a distraction and added stress. But it may not be to you


just my humble opinion

[daneblazer]

" Finally, I was too aggressive in my BR strategy."

i dont think there's such a thing for you. You are young, have a part time job, and in school. You should absolutely Take shots. If it doesn't work out, you have the rest of your life to build up your bankroll and a degree to fall back on. You don't want to get years down the line and look at all the time you wasted playing 25, 50 and even 100nl like this guy

[Ballerholic]

Dane that's for the advice man. You are right I have paid a lot for coaching. To be fair, I don't think I was a winning 20-30nl player before the coaching, where now I strongly believe I am. I'm playing some 20nl at the moment mixed with 10nl and it's going well so far. I don't think I'll contact my coach again for a while, at least until I am a big winner at 25NL or trying out 50nl. I'm just worried he might not take me back if I wait too long as he is starting a coaching for profit stable this summer.

I probably should just be shot taking 20nl-30nl as you said, I'm young and can always reload, but I do want to be playing part time for the summer. Then again, I'll need to be playing 20nl to really make it a part time job.

Anyway, how's your grind going?

[daneblazer]

I have a 3 year old and a 9 month old. I'm lucky if I get 4 hours of sleep a night

[daneblazer]

My grind is over until they get older and/or they legalize online poker again. Until then I'll grind vicariously through players like you

[Ballerholic]

lol good luck with the kids, definitely understandable. Maybe teach them math thru poker? Haha I'll do my best to make this grind exciting

Also play for tonight...

Celtics -4 $11 to win $10

Trap line here.

[ChuckyTheGoat]

Baller, that's what I was trying to say. When it comes to "advising" fees...that should really be a LOW % of your bankroll.

Just my two-cents. U know we're pullin for u. See u around.

[Ballerholic]

Chuck- I know man, you've been saying it for a while now. I do think it was a good idea to get the coaching even though I paid $400 for it as I'm a much better player now than a month ago. But maybe, now it is time to step back a bit.

April 6th

Run bad again yesterday. What can you do?

Total Profit: $22.75

Total Bonuses/Rakeback: $40

Total Sports: $-12

[sweep]

IMO Baller you need to play live games and often. Do you live near a brick & mortar Live play experience trumps everything. I have no doubt that my game needs improvement but I wouldnt pay a red cent for coaching. Eyes on, hands on experience and a circle of buddies to talk hands is invaluable.

If you need a laugh read about my worst 90min session ever here: (comical)


Sweep Poker: Videos/pics/analysis/strategy/discussion

sweep 12


Sweep Poker: Videos/pics/analysis/strategy/discussion

sweep 12