Homeless to Pro Grinder in X Days
Hello Reader,
I am DJHollisterr and I am a homeless vagabond in the USA. I wouldn't pity me my homeless state; it came about by a combination of conscious decisions and some poor choices, sorta, but is overall a great thing for me.
My mind and time is literally 90% free to pursue the things I enjoy or want in lieu of being required to spend time and energy on things that contribute to my anxiety, depression, and general bitterness and frustration with life.
I am very grateful and thankful for what I have, where I am at, and what I got.
My resources are theoretically effectively infinite, but slow to accumulate. I say this because I can make $130 - $200 per week donating blood, I get $291/mo in foodstamps + lots of free food options around the city. I do not, at this time, "panhandle", but that is mostly an ego/pride thing. I suppose if I had to I could force myself to do that.
Being homeless, I have no bills, but I do require new clothing and hygienic items from time to time. However, that is a small percentage of my monthly, costing me $30 - $50 per month. I do use nicotine pouches and I get the ones on sale, so that costs me around $10/week but I can stretch that in desperate times. I occasionally get drunk, especially when anxious or depressed or just plain bored. That costs me $15 - $25 every two weeks as of now.
As a non-addict homeless vagabond I am able to maintain a low-visibility "footprint" because I sleep in a cardboard box, which is easily concealed/discarded and I always clean up the area I sleep early in the morning, usually at the break of dawn, so that few, aside from possibly other homeless individuals, even know where I sleep.
I currently have squirreled away around $1000 to begin this Life Choice line.
Not many casinos locally, though I could take a bus for a couple hours to get to one. Much closer is some Poker Rooms which, if I can successfully grind, I can probably relocate to (benefits of not having much aside from a blanket + this laptop to transport) thus reducing bus fare expenses.
I am not new to poker; been playing off and on since 2007. In fact I had a 7 month stint as a self-taught grinder in Las Vegas in 2019 where I was able to successfully earn just around $200/wk grinding 1/2nl with a $100 buyin. That was over the course of 20 - 30 hours of play, so not exactly a stellar win rate of $10 - $15 an hour. I had very few weekly periods with a net loss, and usually those loss were less than a single buyin.
Prior to that, I was a definite losing player because I played absurdly aggro (not quite maniac but very close) with a VPIP of probably in the 40%-ish. It felt like it worked at first, prior to 2010, but I dunno if the player pool got better or I got worse, but after 2010 I didn't have many winning sessions. I only played 1 or 2 times a month between 2009 and 2015 tho, so small sample size.
In 2019 I decided I wanted to get better. A successful low stakes grinder took pity on me, (hears to you Chris!) and gave me some bankroll tips/advice and it was at this point I could start consistently winning. Haha, most of the other low stakes grinders got irked with Chris cuz I went from fish to a fellow piranha (definitely not a shark, I knew exactly where I lay in the food chain and had to content myself with the leftovers the more experienced grinders left me with and what I could pick off with lucky spots).
So, I know its possible to just nit-grind out a small supplemental income, because I did it. Which is exactly what I need right now.
I already had one 10hr session at a local poker room 7 weeks ago and it was a disaster. Started with a $600 bankroll, chopped that into two $200 buyins for 1/2nl and 5 rebuys for a tournament.
The tournament I give myself a pass as far as play goes; I never lost so many times with flopped sets in my life. Just the way it is. If even one of those sets vs draws had turned out differently I probably would have made the money and got a small profit. Now, strategically, the $40 tournament was probably a bad idea because tournaments have such huge variance and I could really have used the $200 for another bullet in the cash games. But whatever, ain't perfect.
The cash game was within one hand of being a +$700 session. The first bullet got my stack up to over $1000, (for a low stakes grinder I stumbled on the perfect table with some kray-kray players, lots of big stacks, and double bomb pots per orbit) and was racking up when my stack dipped back to $900 - and then my old, terrible, fishy self reared its ugly head.
The last hand was a bomb pot, and I got committed with a str8 on paired board vs 2 opponents (one was obviously a strong local grinder) . It was just bad. Horrible. One player was a fish that was shoveling in chips, and the strong grinder had position on me and was just cold calling behind after the fish would bet big and I would call. Clearly a folding spot. But I ****ed up and didn't.
I bought back in after losing a nearly $3k bomb pot (I just couldn't fold out, man. The money was soooo sweet) and I switched gears, a little tilted, and actually got my stack up to just over $600 after another 2 hours cuz I hit a combo draw for a pure double up, and then smashed another flop with second nut flush vs top set.
Then I bomb potted it all away again. The second time I don't hate myself as much for. The payout was gonna be $1400 for a $400 investment (already put $200 in it) and I had an overpair + nut redraw. Guy that called me was behind on one runnout and ahead in the other but managed to spike a two outer to clinch the scoop. So I am cool with that from a gameplay POV.
Strategically speaking, however, I really didn't need to be in either of those spots, tbh. Its not like I am making $1000/wk and can just take shots like that. That loss set me back ALOT.
When I was a winning player, these outcomes would never happen. I am a fairly decent player when 100bb deep, but poker is a different beast at 200bb+, and so what I used to do was just double up my daily investment and then lock up the win and either sit out for 30 minutes so I could rebuy back in for another 100bb, or leave and come back the next day. Made me unpopular with certain players, but my personality usually got me a pass (Didn't stop the "nit" and "pussy" insults tho lol).
So, that is where I am at.
I bothered to explain all that, because I wanted anyone who bothers to read this a better idea of where I am at as a poker player, and what my bankroll is. Plus, a prologue-ish backstory that the reader may be able to relate to.
In any event, my biggest hurdle is not poker-related at all; I don't know how to study. I dropped out of high school, and just never developed that skill. I look at solver ranges and my eyes glaze over trying to make sense of it all. I just get super-bored very fast. Same problem with chess, which I play alot. I love playing, but not studying or solving puzzles.
I just don't get a sense of accomplishment like others seem to. Very frustrating because if I could somehow get that information in my head I would be better. At alot of things, not just poker and chess.
Anyway, just another thing to work on.
I will post my results from time to time. If a reader has ideas or critiques feel free to let me know.
So, cheers, and have a great rest of your day, Dear Reader!
-DJ
9 Replies
Nice read and gl to you.
Obviously someone has to say get a part time job to cover the basics and still have plenty of time for poker, so it might as well be me.
I am sure there must be some decent poker players out there that never study. Hellmuth?
Hello, nice to meet you too!
Just wrote a reply but lost it because I auto-logged out! 😀
Regarding the job, I am not mentally up to that right now. My last job I worked 55 - 70 hour weeks and made good money, but 2/3+ of my income went to bills and that substantially affected me, mentally. I don't have to have one right now to live, so, despite the negatives of my current lifestyle, I find the pros of being free and having reduced anxiety and stress more than makes up for it.
Not planning to stay like this forever - just for now I am honest-to-God living it up. Time flies super fast now, too.
I did have PH's book. Got it in 2007 or 2008. Nice read, no complaints. He had good stories and examples; but it was mostly focused on macro strategy as I recall. Tight is Right was a big part of it, and he only recommended playing the Top 10 or Top 20 preflop starting hands, according to his ranking system.
I experimented with it, and his recommended approach does indeed minimize variance a great deal; I think, with $100 - $200 buyins to 1/2nlhe my biggest cash after a couple months of weekly playing was around $300, but most sessions I netted +$50-ish. I only had a couple losing sessions, and both those only a couple hundred each, so it was profitable.
But, I think you leave a ton of EV on the felt.
Also - I found out that opponents who had never played with me before were able to call out my exact two cards after only playing with me for a few hours. Having a 5%-ish VPIP will do that.
That book didn't have a lot of traditional "study" in it, iirc. He discussed implied odds, direct odds, and SPR; but it didn't have anything in-depth enough to really study.
Maybe a good thing as I just suck at studying, anyway! lol
My problem is figuring out how to know I screwed up.
For example;
5 card Omaha Bomb Pot w/2 boards. We are in the CO, $500 effective (250bb) with AAJ65dd (but didn't hold Ad, so best flush we can make is J high).
Pot: $40
Top Board: KT9r
Bottom Board: Q73ss
Action checks to MP who fires $20, two callers and then to us. We call. BTN raises $120, folds back over to us. We jam all-in.
BTN opponent anguishes for a few minutes before making the call with: QJ862 (suits didn't matter for this hand)
Top Runnout: brick - brick; Opponent's str8 holds. Don't recall the cards it was like 3 - 7 or something, was only watching that board for a Q.
Bottom Runnout: Q9; Opponent improves to trips on the turn and beats our overpair. This one I was watching for an A or 8/4
So did I do that correctly?
If I called it would be a $360 (180bb) pot and we would have $380 behind.
On other hand, we had gut shots to the nuts on both boards, plus an overpair.
If we call maybe we can fold turn and save 190bb; we could also fold flop and save 240bb.
Ultimately, I thought that if I called the flop I would 100% need to see BOTH rivers to preserve my equity (with two gutshots I actually had 8 outs between the two boards to make the nuts), and with the SPR being almost 1:1 on the turn if I just call, then it seemed appropriate to jam.
Also came within 1 card of scooping the whole thing; the case Q on the Bottom board being decisive; if it had been on the Top board instead we win both.
How do I study this scenario? What tools do I use and how do I use those tools?
And then how do I apply what I learn to new, emerging situations? What If I had only 120bb behind instead of 240bb when I jammed - would it then be appropriate to jam all in?
Also, this hand will never, ever happen again, but I will find myself in spots like this again where I have a nut draw and a strong pair. How do you calculate odds for two runnouts in this spot?
Thanks!
Hey man. GL.
What is ur vpip %?
Hello BigBananas,
Nice to meet you.
VPIP % is a funny one;
Sober/Disciplined: 8% - 10% (****ing nit. If it wasn't for my personality I would never be a welcome sight at any game in this mode. This is the mode I used successfully).
Sober/Aggressive: 30% - 40% (My pseudo- maniac "natural state". Get felted fast or triples up reasonably quick. Characterized by using just two bet sizes (x4 & Jam if less than x5). Has to cash out early or just give it all back to the nits). Love this style, but it just doesn't win. Maybe I am doing it wrong?
Not Sober at All: ??? (dunno, but peaks around 70% online back when I played online) I remember one online session back in.... 2012 on WSOP.COM (in Las Vegas so all I could get legally) where I blew through $1200 playing 10c/20c & 1/2nl with open Jamming into 8 other players 40 times in a row at the 10c/20c table and not winning a single hand being the most memorable, only memory actually, of that night. The 40 consecutive open jams from all positions and not winning even once had the table roaring with laughter cuz I was in a "fun" place at the time and ranting in a non-vulgar way about how terrible my run was and after that many back-to-back losses when I should have gotten at least 1 or 2 donkey level double ups was honestly hilarious. Great times but never doing that again.
Hello BigBananas,
Nice to meet you.
VPIP % is a funny one;
Sober/Disciplined: 8% - 10% (****ing nit. If it wasn't for my personality I would never be a welcome sight at any game in this mode. This is the mode I used successfully).
Sober/Aggressive: 30% - 40% (My pseudo- maniac "natural state". Get felted fast or triples up reasonably quick. Characterized by using just two bet sizes (x4 & Jam if less than x5). Has to cash out early or just give it all back to the nits). Love this style, but it just doesn't win. Maybe I am doing it wrong?
Not Sober at All: ??? (dunno, but peaks around 70% online back when I played online) I remember one online session back in.... 2012 on WSOP.COM (in Las Vegas so all I could get legally) where I blew through $1200 playing 10c/20c & 1/2nl with open Jamming into 8 other players 40 times in a row at the 10c/20c table and not winning a single hand being the most memorable, only memory actually, of that night. The 40 consecutive open jams from all positions and not winning even once had the table roaring with laughter cuz I was in a "fun" place at the time and ranting in a non-vulgar way about how terrible my run was and after that many back-to-back losses when I should have gotten at least 1 or 2 donkey level double ups was honestly hilarious. Great times but never doing that again.
Whelp tomorrow big day.
Got $600 in live ammo, $300 in squirreled away in reserve, and $100 earned thru donations.
Put it off because I can't lose what I don't put on the felt; course can't win either and thats the problem. Re-creating the year 2019 is doubtless a Bad Idea cuz that time is over. However, creating something equal to or better in 2024 seems reasonable. Adapt and Survive.
Goodluck all!
-Dave
Gl dude.
We pulled it off, fellas!
Ate breakfast, bought hawaiian shirt and khaki shorts cuz our useful
Began session with $600 bankroll, and during 10 hour session $500 of it was At Risk. Bought in for $200 bullet, lost $100 early, topped off back to $200, doubled that, then lost that down to $83, added $120 back on, and went from there.
At the 7 hour mark we took a break and hopped into a $80 tourney when we were still $20 down overall because we had to process a massive nit fold we made.
Tourney paid Top 6 players, but we got KO'd in 10th.
We made mistakes, we adapted our strategy to extend our resources so we could have more shots with good odds, we learned from our mistakes and, thankfully, none of them cost us everything. We got an awesome number of bluffs thru in the final hour and a half of playing because our Nit imagine served us well (we had the distinct honor of punishing nearly everyone that sat down at our table and played to sloppy at one point or another).
We made a huge lay down that may, or may not, have been correct in that hand, but was definitely not a fold we would, based on pure math, ever make. We made our peace with it and internally accepted our weaknesses and acknowledged our strengths.
Session ended with us up +$373, or 1.85 buyins. Or almost a whole month of Blood Donations! I like to think of it in blood, tbh. Not for any wacko reason, it just reminds me of what success and failure means and how playing my best saves me not just time (like if I had a job), but literally actually blood plasma I can keep in my system.
Got road rash when we had to chase our Lyft (no way I am catching last bus at night in these neighborhoods both dressed like a tourist and with over a $1000 in my wallet). Can reasonably chance it if I looked motley cru but even then we want to avoid that if possible. Anyway, these new khaki shorts have stupid arse pockets, and when we thought we put the wallet back... we didn't.
Thankfully, we habitually check pockets for phone, wallet, knife, nicotine, and air pods as a matter of course (we are getting older and like to forget stuff an an uncomfortable rate).
Compiling my notes and will post some hands for you guys and look forward to getting hazed for my Nit Fold. Cheers mates! 😀
- Dave
Nice one! Well done. Must be a relief to add to the bank roll.
