Becoming a Poker Player in 16 Weeks
Over the last 3-4 years, I've spent full-time hours playing poker. I did this alongside different jobs, startups, and side projects - so whenever someone asked what I did for a living, I never said I was a poker player. I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe because I was scared to commit to it in case I failed.
For some reason, everyone expected me to be good at the game even when I wasn't. I often played in private games where the lineups were soft enough that I could spend my nights drinking and still win more often than I lost. That further reinforced the delusion that I was a good player who didn't need to learn or improve. I just turned 35 last month and had a bit of a what am I doing moment - a lot of the guys competing at the highest level are a decade younger than me. What are they doing that I'm not?
For better or worse, I love this game - but it takes up too much of my life to keep one foot in and one foot out. Over the next 16 weeks I'm going to be on the road restarting my poker journey as a beginner. I don't expect it to be easy, and I'm fully prepared for the next few months to be the toughest I've ever had. But by the end of this, I want a definitive answer as to whether I'm cut out for this or not. If the answer is no, I can go home knowing I gave it everything - and that poker should just be a hobby for me.
I'll be posting weekly summaries here, along with any interesting hands or spots I come across.
— A Poker Player
9 Replies
I'll be posting weekly summaries ... busto?
Day 1
Starting this off a little later than I had originally planned but kicked things off on a Friday night in Vancouver.
Session A:
Private game playing 5/10. Bought in for $6000 and out for $8350 after around three hours of play. Probably could have put in a couple more hours here but table dynamics were getting a little dry so just decided to lock up a win.
Session B:
Headed over to another private game playing 1/2. The game wasn’t very deep and mostly just hopped in to unwind and play a couple hands. In for $1600 and out for $2000 after 2.5 hours.
Daily Total: +2750
Grand Total: $2750
Just starting! Going to try to post daily, thanks for following along
Day 2
There wasn't a whole lot going on in the underground poker scene today and didn't really want to wait forever to get a seat at the local casinos. Hopped into a private 1/3 game for a couple hours - in for $700 out for $935.
Daily Total: +235
Grand Total: $2985
Day 3
Had a very swingy session at a private 5/10 game. The stand up game was on and lost a 5.5k pot KQo > AKo, plus ran into aces all-in pre a couple other times (JJ, 99 - against short stacks). Grinded it out to mitigate the damage but still a negative session: in for $12k and out for $10k.
Swung by a deepstack 1/3 early morning but the game broke after I played less than an orbit. I won a whopping $5 there.
Daily Total: -1995
Grand Total: $990
Day 4
Session A:
Played a deepstack 5/10 RMB game which is the equivalent of a 1/2. Got aces cracked by 52s in the first hour (4bet pre, 752 flop with a flush draw - got check raised and villain jammed brick turn) but played my A-game the rest of the way to end up with a profit: in for $4k and out for $5005 (CAD). The big chip denominations in RMB made for a pretty cool picture.
Session B:
Headed over to a deepstack 1/3 game nearby and admittedly started this session off a little too splashy even though I was making the right reads on opponent ranges. Was in for $6k and hovering around breakeven when we get to the literal last hand of the night:
- Hero has AQo on the button.
- MP limps a $10 straddle, CO calls
- Hero 3bets to $60, villain in BB 4bets to $180 and everyone gets out of the way. We call
[Context - villain is hammered and has been falling asleep at the table making nonsense bluffs all night]
- Flop: AsQs3c
- Villain CBets $225 and we flat call
- Turn: 6c
- Villain bets $550 and we flat again - thought here is that we want to give him rope to hang himself on the river
- River: Jd
- Villain jams $1700 and we make the call - he shows KTo for the nut straight
One of the more puke worthy hands I've experienced with the added pain of everyone else already racking up at the table. In for $6k and out for $2.5k at this game.
Daily Total: -2495
Grand Total: ($1505)
Day 5
Took the day off to do some reading and recalibrate. Highly recommend Mental A Game by Elliot Roe.
