1/3 Grinding and Bankroll
Hi all,
First post in this specific forum. Normally post in NL Strategy. Hoping for some feedback about bankroll management.
I started playing 4-5 times a week at MGM National Harbor in March after a few months off. Previously I had been playing at MD Live and lost most of what I had won (around $1,200). Anyway, I took $200 to the casino and tried my luck. No bankroll to start really.
I had a great March (+$3,000) but a terrible April (-$3,000) after trying 2/5 and losing $1k and a horrific 24-hour session where I dumped $1,800 in just cooler after cooler (set over set, AK into AA, nut flush v. boat, etc.). This month I'm up around $1,000 so far. Any tips about bankroll management that can keep me from losing it all again? Do you set some of your winnings aside for example?
I have a somewhat steady income outside of poker but my goal is to make poker a supplement to that income and not just a break-even hobby.
Appreciate the feedback.
Thanks,
DT
Thanks! I was in Vegas so no following along like usual 😉
So sorry for your friend, and so glad you are doing well.
Thank you. Not everyone like us makes it, some end up in prison or worse, but it's inspiring to know recovery and success is possible if certain things align (social/family support, meds, routine, low stress existence, etc.). Some big changes in my life lately I am very proud of as well. At least I can give my friend some support and be a good role model to him so he'll hopefully turn out ok too.
New espresso maker! Sipping then off to play. It's gonna be a great night.
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/twoplustwo-actually-definitely-helping-stud/userimages/1tXpTLM.jpeg)
Got a table change to the best game in the room and was immediately rewarded after losing AQQJTds to K4355 on K93r to action player in 3! pot at first game. Stuck $1,000 I went with 97654ds opened utg, multiple callers short stack limp/jammed I rejammed with the dead money and A23 flop held. Then scooped dsAA722 and AJTT7ds multi-way against VERY wide ranges …lol. Currently up heaps, will count exact later. Seems the new espresso machine was very good luck! The grind in this amazing game goes on.
I am extremely happy when I am sitting in a great plo5 poker game. Not many better feelings for me.
Lost a big one KK877ds in big multi-way pot to a bad rundown for all the pots, shipped turn for side pot but he turned two baby pair and an open ender and got there. It’s not so bad to lose to this player as he gives a ton of action. Reminding myself how well I am doing despite losing this big pot…! Helps to repeat in my head “you’re doing very well,” also lessens any potential tilt.
$5.8k win, most plo, biggest was AAQ98 versus axn's JTT55 $1,700 pre. Also won versus self-proclaimed "highly skilled recreational player" (against this "mediocre pro") with wheel dugi 6-low in the mix in badacey, the Ad slid right in there on the river after I made my 6-dugi, improving to a number 1 dugi.
Played a couple extra orbits at plo after I started getting fatigued 10 hours in, just in case I won another big one. It was a great game.
br challenge: $21,474 to go.
Telling that guy youd pay for the room so he can bed the cripple is some top tier trolling that made me truly lol. Glad to see you are doing great.
Telling that guy youd pay for the room so he can bed the cripple is some top tier trolling that made me truly lol. Glad to see you are doing great.
Thank you! I love giving some of these yappy dudes a hard time at the tables, a light trolling from time to time and fake antagonism keeps the game lively and entertaining and prevents it from becoming stale. I think the biggest talkers like to get some yap back actually. Lately they like telling me how big their manhood is compared to mine. "I have big African balls," he said to me, "you wish you did." Lol.
In other inane stuff, the other day a nitreg tells a player who was in our game a couple hours before who returned to the table that max is $700 as he had more he had won earlier. He comes down to $700. Then the nitreg goes "you should buy in for only $200, these guys are trying to take all your money" and gives me a look across the table. The dude takes another $500 off the table and comes in for the min. :O "Why are you here?" I ask. Later another player calls the nitreg a commentator who talks too much and thanks him when he leaves. We all laughed. I joked he should get a table change with an axn player at the other game and I'd give him $100 to do it. And when he declared he was going to play one more hand I said "I'll give you $1 to quit right now."
Some people...!
Mid-session update…losing AA to JjTT on 666 flop 3! pot, lost nut wrap nut flush draw to lower wrap gutter to runner runner straight flush, turned nut straight so he had one out which he hit on the river (straight flush). Then a bluff got called and I lost nut wrap to nfd in 3! pot. Currently stuck but night is young.
Edit. Rivered nut straight to second nut straight went for river check raise $420 and got paid…JT988.
Going pretty poorly today, lost two AA in 3! pots, one folded multi-way and one got it in and turned wheel but river paired board. Then gii wrap and flush draw in 4! pot to naked AA and missed. Grinding it back…stuck a couple thousand right now but game is decent.
The poor run continues, this time KKJ99ds 3! action player, got 4! by unpredictable player, action called then tight player backraised and we got it in four ways and I lost, thankfully to the action player’s QQ367 and not the tight player. A little bad run today but it’s a long game and the month is going very well to start out (unlike the usual which is I lose in the beginning of the month!).
It’s sorta funny because Saturdays are my worst days by far and my only losing day lifetime and I was sorta expecting to lose ..lo and behold.
Started getting too passive postflop with my good hands which I sometimes do when I am getting fatigued (went for x/r but no one bit either time), then got AAKJT otb and lost to a 3-high flush, didn't pull the trigger on the river as I made a straight and this player can be a station postflop sometimes. Decided to call it a night...if I can't win with AAKJT, it's not my night!
br challenge: $25.494 to go.
Mid-session update: lost AKQJ4ds pure to AKK73 for main and side pots in big one, then colluding couple were at it again, this time in a hand against me, with signaling on the river, while he was tanking in position she shook her head and mouthed “pot,” inducing me to call with a pure bluff catcher, so I called the floor on them who are now thankfully investigating after seeing what appeared to possibly be signaling. The couple was not happy of course and called me names like woman and I need crazy meds etc. (lol) and the husband stared me down but importantly did not deny that they were colluding. Typical gaslighting. Currently even on the session.
That grinds my gears.. props to you for saying something.
Ended up winning $1,217, towards the end lost top two to turned set, lost turned bottom set to mid set (both against action player), lost AA944nfd on J52Tcc to JT with lots of dead money, called it a night at this point quite tired.
Br challenge: $24,277 to go. Coffee exercise plenty of sleep laundry then time to battle again! About a $10k month so far, good start!
Mid-session update again…won wrap fd and top pair to top set better fd early on, then doubled up an AA, but after a while of folding finally got a good spot with AQJ22 nut hearts three ways in 3! pot, jammed flop of QJThh, made the flush and held. Thankfully no sign of colluding couple today.
I was telling my friend the other day I think I’d be a good role model or peer mentor for people struggling with mental illness given how successful I’ve become.
Edit: boat over boated action player and got the rest of his chips. Thankfully he reloaded.
Ended up $2,617, not much else happened in the last couple hours, the whale quit and the game sorta died down. br challenge: $21,660 to go.
lol, no guarantees! Lost AQQJ7ds on 775 multi-way spr 2 to a better 7x, but then made a comeback with AKQ94ds in 3! pot, flopping a flush and overflushing someone.
The grind goes on. I should be able to close out this challenge by the end of the month if everything goes decently.
Was doing well then slowly lost most of it back losing some flips or favorites spots. Also folded the winner with bottom set plus gutter on double flush draw board multi-way, bettor was quite tight. He had top two and held. (I would have rivered the nuts.)
Left for 2/5 as plo game was bad and I didn’t want to play in the slightly better game with the colluding couple. Currently up here, game is very soft, probably softer than my plo game.
How on Earth is colluding couple still allowed to sit at the same table?
Speed up a little! LOL.
My husband and I play together, but I can't imagine ever colluding -- I'm sure it's done, though, and not just couples. We usually end up taking each others money 😉 I can't imagine cheating at any game, though -- I'm too competitive and to proud.
-$1157 last night, couple bluffs didn't get through at hold 'em where I left for once the plo dried up, went back to plo when the games looked better and the couple quit, ran bad with top set to 8-high fd against whale, lost AKJ42ds to KT663 against same whale all in pre for $200, started playing too tired making a bad fold with AAnfd on the flop on 589dd and called it a night.
br challenge: 22,817 to go.
It was going so-so until I isolated kings and ran into aces in an action plo game …got trapped between the maniacs and someone else. Games suck today again. Playing 2/5.
Because OP is probably the only one who thinks they are colluding. There is no chance in hell that a major casino will let blatant collusion go on if at least a few regs spoke up about it. I've seen a couple being pulled aside to have talk with the floor because a reg complained about them being on the phone at the same time after a hand.