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
FWIW it wasn't in her presence it was behind her back...haha. But yeah nice troll job, pattycakes. This couple had been so verbally abusive towards me after I called out their collusion months ago I couldn't care less what anyone says about them. The husband still stares me down from across the room. Total creep.
Made around $900 last night, trapped AAJ65 on 478xxy in 3! pot and got it all in three ways and held on a board pairing flushing runout somehow. Lost AKJT6ds nfd top pair nut gutter to KQQ43 worse fd gutter overpair. Broke about even in a good 5/5 plo game too, AA662ds brought me out of the hole at the end of the night with a limp raise. (Tried it earlier with dsAA but action players did not raise behind me...so sad.)
Lattes and music now, a little family and doggo time then hitting the felt later.
Won a few hundo at plo chipping up here and there, and lost $900 at 50/100 mix (originally 30/60), A42-9 dugi got outdrawn on the river in badugi, 752 made a T but lost to a 9 in 2-7 TD, at least won with AKQ32ds in big o capped pre. Now some rest. Tomorrow is a new day.
Solid 9 hours of sleep, gonna try to get a hair cut and trim the beard to look a little more presentable, lattes and Sarah Bareilles and doggo time now. The games were pretty tragic last night, people lost too much over the weekend probably (and earlier in the year).
Someone said x/f the 9 dugi on the river against two Vs drawing 1...guess that was a mistake. Anyone with more dugi experience care to chime in?
Very slow session so far, won AAJ97 97dd sttaight flush in 3! pot but lost KK top set ott to two drawing hands. Also lost an AKKds pre to two inferior hands. About even now after losing with 235r in badeucy to 742. Poker room is slowing down lately, a bit scary if this continues….
Stop playing the big mix! You keep saying you're going to do that, but you keep going back to it. This is frankly concerning behavior, and I think you know that, though you keep downplaying it.
So it's fun. So what? Are you a rec player or a pro?
Very slow session so far, won AAJ97 97dd sttaight flush in 3! pot but lost KK top set ott to two drawing hands. Also lost an AKKds pre to two inferior hands. About even now after losing with 235r in badeucy to 742. Poker room is slowing down lately, a bit scary if this continues….
Better get that money coaching and selling books before the games completely dry up!
Stop playing the big mix! You keep saying you're going to do that, but you keep going back to it. This is frankly concerning behavior, and I think you know that, though you keep downplaying it.
So it's fun. So what? Are you a rec player or a pro?
Not big mix...! Mainly 20/40 which I am beating so far for around .5 big bets an hour. The other night they kicked it up a little after I sat down for 30/60 but I didn't play long after that. I am staying a good boy, promise!
Got really good sleep, woke up a little later than usual, ended down a few hundo last night running AKK into action's AA pre but winning some back with JT998 on K839 my fd, got a $300 c/r in and a clean Ad river. Had a dream was on a high speed car on a bridge with no barriers with my elite pro friend who was driving, we careened off the bridge and plummeted into the woods far below where we fell asleep as we had to be up early the next day for check out from our forest hotel...weird one. (We have both recently gone on a rough streak in poker and I followed him to the mixed games when he started playing, the symbolism should be obvious.)
Warren Buffet said he'd rather stick with a strategy he understands than a new one he doesn't understand that might be more profitable but could result in big losses...rings true w/r/t plo and mixed games for me.
Hair cut on point, gonna exercise caffeinate and head to the poker room again. Hopefully the games are decent.
Booked a $2,500 win between plo5 and 5/10/25 (briefly, until the fun player shipped top pair in a 3! pot for piles and ran into a set). Ran well and played well at plo. Could tell I was channeling some winning aggressive energy. Pulled off a straight flush blocker bluff successfully. Sometimes when you’re running bad it can make you gunshy to go for it because you fear losing more. I took all my good bluffing spots this session. Checked the second nut straight twice and got a bet out of a tag player with a worse hand, happy with that play too. (Ty crimsonchin for the idea.)
Now grinding a little 1/3 until I run out of energy. Nice to have a decent W for a change…! Really needed this.
Woke up at a reasonable hour, now lattes and music and news and checking investments. When the market performs well any given session it give me a little pep in my day (and I don't check when it performs poorly).
Feeling in a good mood between the win and the market performance today, sun is shining too. A little exercise then another day at "work."
Where are you at with the 100K challenge?
You were on a downswing and now smoothed that - are you still trying to get to 100K by the end of the year?
Where are you at with the 100K challenge?
You were on a downswing and now smoothed that - are you still trying to get to 100K by the end of the year?
I lost track of the challenge amidst the runbad and stopped counting. Figured better for my morale. I will have to go back and do some accounting to get back on track again. No firm end of year goal (that would be amazing, at this point).
Made $1,200 in the first half of my session, AA422ss 4! a light 3!ing maniac pre, gii 842r and held. Lost T9876ds three ways versus AAA and KK though (I had 43% three ways). Taking a break now.
Ended up $1898, won a little at 5/5/25/50
Mainly because I won a waterfall. Then broke even at 1/2 after getting stuck, now some rest…
$69,124 to go on the challenge. Good sleep, lattes and music, sold another PLO5 book too. Won an AA top set, lost QQJ98ds pre to some maniac, ran into AA, flopped top set too. Flatted top and bottom two bdfd turned nfd to axn player's bet (could fold flop) on K54, lost to a set as well but made a comeback elsewhere. Nice to be booking wins!
Extremely slow session today, played 10/10/50 for a couple hours and lost some doing $200 waterfalls every down, felt comfortable in game, got a double with AKK32ds in 50/100 double straddle to AQ-high all in pre AAQ flop, but saving K turn. Game got worse so I left for 1/2 again where basically nothing interesting happened. Taking a food and rest break now before heading back to wrap up the session.
Hope everyone in the path of the two recent hurricanes is ok...!
Made around $1,000 in tail end of session, game got good in the morning and I stayed a few extra hours even though it messed up my schedule. T9877 in 4! pot won, AA top set in 3! pot lost, AKJT8 AQ67 2nd nfd lost to a set of queens were the biggest highlights. Was quite card dead and was stuck a good amount towards the end of my session so I'll take any win and be happy about it today quite frankly. Market doing well too, always nice. Pretty spent now..zzz.
Around $68,124 on the challenge left to go. Slept well, music and caramel lattes now, gonna watch a mixed game recorded stream then get ready to head out.
Fighting against the forces of negative variance mentally is a challenge. Recovery from a downswing is a process. I'm finding my footing again pretty well all things considered.
Played a very long overnight session to reset my schedule, perhaps the longest all year. Started off well enough, winning a $300 waterfall at 10/10 and chipping up a little here and there, played well, got AT987ss in on 356 my nfd against action player's 477, 4 ott gave me a near lock but he boated on first river with two pair and we chopped, heartbreaking...$7,000 pot...booked the win for my confidence and left for 5/5 where my friend was playing, got KQT95ds $1,000 limp raise with dead money overlay setting up iso and AAT43ss all in pre $2,500 and lost both with plenty of equity, lost QT986ds for $1,000 in similar fashion, finally won AAJ85ds for $2,000. Was in for $7,000 but by the time the game got short-handed and was about to break was only stuck a couple grand (about what I won at 10/10). Got chinese food and played 1/2 plo where I lost with 8x in 3! pot on J88 against some action players and QQJ63 on T425 to 44, all in on the turn but he quaded on the river. At this point I was very fed up with plo and left for hold 'em in a good game where I chipped up easily and finally lost with Q5s in the whale's BB on T74 my fd, 6 ott gave me open ender and fd and overcard and we got it in for $700 against him after I c/r multiway to $1,050 against his "taking a stand"/nonbelieving A7o and we brick twice. I was so annoyed I forgot my oat milk at mgm (long story) and now I don't have enough milk for my morning lattes. I think I ended up losing just $700 or so on the day, but it was a real pain to start winning again and to lose it all back at 5/5 and not recover.
Don't worry Dumbo, the holiday weekend has only just begun -- the action players will be coming out of the woodwork today & tomorrow so you'll have ample opportunity to capitalize
Ended up $3,965 after all was said and done on the day, morning and evening sessions. Saw family and took a PM siesta nap, then arrived at mgm again. 99 and 88 held all in pre at 5/T/25, AA won a medium pot at plo, but lost AA wheel wrap to top pair open ender K45r, made my straight ott but he got me on the river after calling a pot sized bet ott drawing to 18%. Also overflushed someone on the river and made a good $360 c/r him. Sometimes I have it when I c/r river haha. Some momentum coming my way, wanna keep it going. Feel like I played well and ran well, a rare combo for me lately.
Now some well-deserved rest...!
