1/3 Grinding and Bankroll

Running meh today, lost AA nfd to open ender no pair and worse fd, lost top two in 3! pot to Q-high fd, lost second nfd nut wrap and a pair to top pair nfd against very new player who easily could have been behind. Was 36/64 that last one but well ahead the other two. Grinding on….

Rebounded at plo and ended up losing only several hundred, decided to play 20/40 mix to wrap up and did well, making a wheel in 2-7TD with 532 and a wheel in stud 8 with A62 against three of a kind, and a 6 dugi with A62 against a 7. Ran really well! Lost 87 low three card 7 in badeucy was the only L. Even beat some tougher players which was nice. Broke about even on the long day. Now vanilla lattes and music with the sunrise and changing foliage outside the windows. Then a little exercise before hitting the grind.

Discussed the combo draw turn raise with some friends, they said just flat since it is a high variance spot. Sometimes ahead sometimes behind sometimes a flip. Ok….

Tried out my new massage chair bday gift this morning…omg! Probably saved me a ton of money I’d be tempted to drop on massages in the casino or elsewhere. So nice…! Highly recommended. I will be adding this to my morning routine every day.

Got some mutual political needles in today, was a good time. Older Arab rec guy gave me a hard time for becoming a poker player, “why you get that legal education just to take my money?” I lol’d. “You could make a name for yourself” he added. Very on point given my recent internal musings about being a pro. Poker wise, a very slow day, might make a few hundo. Slow days are good, less stressful (winning and losing big have bigger impact emotionally…😉.

I have always used propokertools, thanks for the confirmation. Do you mind telling me the full name of the pokercalc for phone or give me a link?

It’s just called PokerCalc for phone. I have it on my iPhone. Apparently RIO’s calculator is buggy potentially but I emailed them and they are looking into it.

Thanks, I’m trying. I feel like there are a lot of forces that want me to become a very unhappy person in this environment though so overcoming that has been a challenge. Hopefully massage chair vanilla lattes and rowing will combat that well enough. And friendships and family and doggos.

Booked a small win yesterday, lost with top set once to top two plus draw, otherwise a really slow grind. Low stress. Didn’t have the energy to play 10/10 just left to get some sleep. New non-air mattress is great along with black out blinds making for very restful nights. Little positive lifestyle changes like these are great for my health.

Enjoying the sun shining on my face through the window is always a blessing too. The massage chair is a 100% mood enhancer. A dealer was being mean to me yesterday and it didn’t take long for me to untilt.

Another slow session, a trend with these day games sometimes I guess. How can there be so many plo nits in the poker room at the same time? So depressing.

Ran really bad against the table spot, AA all in pre lost to his QT954 and set fd lost to his straight. Left for dinner and back now grinding at different table ( he quit after dumping to other players). Someone called me a fish killer today lol….

Keeping to a good sleep schedule lately, perhaps sacrificing some EV though as I am getting tired in the evening when typically the games get better. A little cloudy outside today, but it’s still pretty bright anyway.

Nice routine with lattes music (Lana del ray) and eventually massage and rowing. Healthy lifestyle for the win.

Slow grind this morning again. A little time for reflection as the year begins its conclusion.

I want to set some more goals for myself…

Cultivate relationships with other pros

$500,000 profit in 2025

no petty arguments, keep the table a positive environment for recreational players

Don’t hold grudges (with most)

don’t absorb negative energy from others, just deflect using humor or laugh it off

Don’t sweat the losses as much

Continue to learn and improve in all poker variants

Maintain good lifestyle changes I’ve already made this year - exercise, sleep, and routine,
including normal sleep habits (if possible). All the above should be easier to achieve if these good habits are maintained.

Keep up my mental and physical health, diet exercise meds sleep relationships etc.

Was reviewing my last year’s goals and overall I think I have done well, I avoided the big mix (played once or twice at most), got practice in the smaller mixed game where I am winning around half a big bet per hour, and exceeded my profit goal (as of now), played the big plo games a good amount, improved my table presence and smoothed things over with some people. I still need to work on the last column and hopefully with my lifestyle changes and lower stress that they bring that will be easy to do.

As far as profit, it is an ambitious goal, but that will come down to playing well, game selecting, and getting into the bigger games whenever I can. And of course constantly improving.

I am happy the keep the coaching limited and continue to sell my book.

I am hopeful for the rest of the year, last year the holiday games were very juicy.

pretty swingy day not exactly a low stress session…gonna wrap up soon down much less than I was not long ago. Biggest loss was AKKQ2ds 4! pre gii spr 1 multi-way AT3 T3cc and ran into some terrible hands to be up against even so shallow. Oh well.

Ended up losing around a grand, just couldnÂ’t hold in some big pots AQQ94ds lost to T6654, set lost to combo draw, nfd two pair gutter lost to open ender, KK987ds lost with top two to a wrap (to a studentÂ…! at least he told me I look five years younger than I am). AKKQ2 lost to TT in another 4! big pot. All things considered it could have been worse, I won enough pots to balance the losses. Still annoying I wasnÂ’t able to book a win after being up a few times in the session. But when I get tired these days I leave even if IÂ’m stuck. Already my schedule is starting to shift a little later in the day. So hard to keep the same schedule when playing.

Lattes music (major Tom, shiny toy guns) and later exercise and shoulder massage (the lower back massage is too intense for me).

Every day for the next week I am going to rate myself on table presence from A to F.

Today toxic pro sat down and laughed at my short stack, I brushed it off and kept playing. The player next to me has bad breath. I ignore it. So far calm and collected, running decently. I give myself an A so far. Will check in again at the end of the day.

Man the live scene sounds miserable, I’ve tried it myself and my experience is pretty much what you write. The punchline is they all also genuinly think you’re a trash person too, lol

500k would be sick though for 2025. That’s a very solid bottom line.

It would be great, I mean even if I only get to say $400k that’s huge for me. So set a high goal and hope to come somewhere close to it.

The live poker scene can really wear you down, important thing is to deflect the negativity and surround yourself with the good and avoid the bad or put it in its place, I am trying to get better at that.

Last night ran A93 into 99 on 933 in the straddle limped pot three or four ways as a short stack (literally my first hand), then ran AKT73ds pure into AA I was on the button with the $50 and $100 straddles on and was very short…unlucky. My friend plugged it into the trainer and this hand is an EP open albeit it a lower EV one and once I raise to $475 and get a caller I should not be folding to the squeeze for $1000 more. The double straddle was making it a very shallow game and it was playing a little too big for me so I said I didn’t feel it and would just quit if everyone else wanted to continue the recently added $100, and I left. Played a little 20/40 mix, made a 7/8 in badeucy and wrapped up back at 5/5 plo where I grinded in a short-handed nitty line up and finally won a decent pot at the end with top set holding three ways. Due to 10/10 lost a few hundo on the day even after starting up a couple grand. Always a bummer to start winning and end up losing. But I reminded myself this morning when I woke up (and remembered last night’s unfortunate turn of events) that I am doing well this month and this year and not to get too down over one day. I’m glad I played 10/10 for as long as I did anyway.

Beautiful sun outside today, just lovely to enjoy my latte with the rays brushing off my face while my music plays (mad world). Had a dream last night Hillary and Bill Clinton were walking into an airport as I was riding by followed by their secret service detail and I thanked them for everything. Weird one.

I give myself a B for table presence. Started getting a little unhappy towards the end as I was getting tired and grumpy and got annoyed at a player for twice missing his action first to act and trying to bet after everyone thought he checked. Once is fine but twice it seems angle and he’s a reg and should know better.

So far so good, A for table presence, running fine as well. Had a date with the ex in the afternoon before my session too. The holiday decorations are up outside which is nice. We went for a walk in the crisp fall weather. Life’s good!

Now if only I can go on a heater the rest of the year!

Let the heater begin!! Up $5k tonight! Yippie!

AKT86ds was probably the biggest, open calls short stack shipped I iso and scoop three ways, and bluff caught correctly needing to be good only 28% of the time with nut straight on board pairing turn. And I was good! Good lifestyle choices for the win!

A for table presence stands. Toxic pro tried to get me to lose a pot I was supposed to chop but I caught it before it was too late. He sorta looks like a frowning frog to be honest, very unhappy person. I feel bad for him.

I realized recently that I enjoy my time at home quite a bit. That’s a great feeling! Looking forward to my morning routine tomorrow.

Woke up earlier than usual after getting to bed early, nice to be up during the day with the sun shining again. Got a solid 9 hours of sleep. Almost went back to bed but decided to just get an earlier start to my day. I was starting to wake up later and later but I reset today. Was feeling like booking a nice win and getting home to bed last night. Good all around for me.

With yesterday’s W, I’m on my way to a nice monthly nut too around halfway through the month. It’s tempting to check my results but I’m staying strong until the end of the year like I promised myself.

Good start at 5/T, K9s > ?? On KQ9K in single raised pot, going to wait until 5/5 opens, play a short session there and then take an afternoon break. Want to keep this winning momentum going as long as possible so I keep playing my A game. Everyone knows the feeling of going on a heater and playing better in all spots.

I don’t know how many readers are full- time pros but I cannot understate the value of a good pre-session routine. I high recommend spending some money on things that will enhance your well being off the felt. It will pay off in spades. Now with my rowing machine and massage chair (which were gifts…thank you…!) I feel like a completely different person when starting a session. Portable speaker black out blinds and espresso machine are huge pluses too.

Edit: 5/5 is terrible game probably not going to play and just go home shower and stuff.

Edit: 1/2 plo5 opened at least..will grind a little here.

B- for table presence, ran pretty bad in the evening and got annoyed to lose to another trash hand and said as much. Toxic pro insisted I post my straddle and blinds (not just blinds) when he didn’t do the same the other day himself…I mentioned that to the table just to point out his hypocrisy. He bends the rules when it suits himself and caters to the action players by running it twice with them but not anyone else and treats players he views as completion like dirt.

I really wish I didn’t have to pollute the thread with the negativity that guy brings to my life…hopefully won’t have to as much moving forward and I can just ignore him.

Some annoying hands last night…flat QJJ99ds three times to open action 3! calls and limp/4! from short stack and flop ok at low but whiff.

Miss with AQQT5 on AKT to AK.

Lose with AKQ85 on A76r to 458 and flatted AA. Ended up losing on the session after a good start.

Got lucky with AQ884ds iso’d and ran into AA but got bailed out.

Got good sleep, around 10 hours, enjoying the sun now. Chocolate flavored latte came in which I am enjoying. It’s a Monday so the 20/40 mix is running which will be nice to play for some fun and hopefully some profit.

I asked my friend a mixed question and for the first time he said he didn’t want to give me all the secrets…that confused me as until now he’s been pretty liberal with sharing advice (and I send him strat I find too so it’s not one sided). I even gave him a copy of my book. Sigh…he’s been helpful in the past so I guess I should be happy for that. Still a little disappointing and surprising to see the sudden change of heart. I thought friends were supposed to help each other.

Anyway gonna row massage and finish my lattefication before heading out.

Think of it as a compliment -- you are getting too good 😉