"The Pen:" Live NLHE Chat Thread

lol i actually typed it all out but then figured even then it still wasn't giving the proper nuance

but the slightly longer version is i'm going to be staying at the place regardless and that was locked in before the dog even existed - so it'd be incredibly weird if i were to then say no to the doggie demands

i think a lot of it is my "career" is exactly this to everyone i know, something that isn't work and can then be brushed aside - ie if someone can't make a dinner because they'll have a late conference call with an office in another time zone people understand, if i say "sorry i need to be at a sportsbook during half time during this world cup semi-final to bet the 2nd half lines at this book which are usually pretty poorly priced" then it gets disregarded like i'm blowing it off for fun and they don't realize if i didn't make time for that i'd literally have 80% less expected income that week

ie if i had a 9-5 job these friends would never make these demands - it'd instead be "please try to walk her before you go to work and when you get back" whereas due to the perceived flexibility of my job (which is true i mean i literally am flexible enough to do it) that they don't realize it's that big an ask, even though i straight up told them that it makes getting any kind of serious work done this week near impossible

and this is one of the bigger reasons i'm trying to transition back to a tech career and use gambling as a hobby again, mostly because what i do is not respected by the normies

Kinda crazy hand I had earlier:

Villain is a huge whale playing roughly 80% VPIP and 50% PFR on my direct right. Needless to say, I'm playing roughly 20% 3-bet vs him but running ice-cold. Dude's been outflopping me every hand. But we're not giving up and continue to 3-bet him every chance we get.

$5/5. Villain opens to $20 in MP. We raise with 6♣5♣ to $60 in HJ. Villain raises to $160. We call.

Well getting 4-bet sucks, but we didn't come this far to fold, and our hand plays well postflop.

Flop J♦7♣4♣ (pot $330)

Villain bets $95. We raise to $190. Villain calls.

This sizing from villain means something very strong like JJ, or very weak like ace-high. This villain doesn't know how to play and will usually just open shove with an overpair. Obviously we can just go all-in with this monster flop, but I'm strongly reading him for just ace-high so I get greedy and click it back.

Turn 5♦ (pot $710)

Villain bets $100. We jam for $480. Villain calls.

Pair of 5s probably way good here.

River J♥ (pot $1660)

Villain shows ATo which is no good. Poker is definitely not dead in 2025.

SABR42,

You are obviously an awesome poker player. Why are you still grinding 5/5 NLHE instead of the bigger games?

Well I used to play much higher until I ran like $200K below EV.

You know someone who'll stake me for the Hustler game? LOL.

I guess this is why I'm hard to bluff.

$5/5. 2 limps in EP. I raise to $30 with A♠T♠ in MP. Button calls $30. Everyone else folds.

Flop 6♠5♥4♠ (pot $80)

I check. Button bets $40. I raise to $120. Button calls.

Turn 7♥ (pot $320)

I bet $100. Button calls quickly.

River T♥ (pot $520)

I check. Button jams for $265. I call.

Button disgustingly shows K♠2♠.

Haven't you been playing 5/5 NLHE for several years now though?

No, just last year. And then I played MTTs exclusively for a while. Now I do both.

OK that makes sense. How did you end up doing in those MTTs?

They are hot and cold.

I was up $40K in 2 months and then went 4 months break-even.

Lots of value there but gets real old if you do it every day, so now I switch it up.

SABR42 HH's are like Platinum combined with Gold and covered with Diamonds.

Do you find a 600 cap 5/5 better than the other options in LA or is it a location preference?

Pro gamboolin is one of those things where if you aint done it for realz you have zero clue about all of the various ways it chips away at your soul. Even now that Im 100% out and doing what I want when I want, when people ask me what I did for a living I skirt the issue because fact is a significant percentage of our population simply does not get it and I dont feel like attempting to educate them.

Advantage play is a great side gig. Im glad you have an exit strat.

key word in the above post is "attempting".

People really don't get it.

I can't wait to get out of Montgomery AL. I hate living in a swamp, and there's an unbelievably low amount of interesting things to do, given the size of the city and that it's the state capital. I particularly hate it in the summer, when it is too hot, muggy, and buggy to do anything outdoors, or even work in my garage.

TBH, I don't know how much of this is me turning into a grumpy old man, and how much is just Montgomery's legit suckitude.

it would appear from the twitter rumblings of the poker crowd that the life of a pro punter in USA#1 might be about to get a little less fun soon

channel towanda to get out of that rut

if that doesn't work, you can always take the nuclear option

A particular pro, or generically?

New tax laws from your boy

he was using punter in the same manner he doesn't root for his kids soccer team 😀

Used to live in UK, so lingo not confusing. I just wasn't tracking that odd senate add to the omnibus bill. Why? For other's not tracking, there's a thread in NVG about this.

Comical how bad this bill is both from a policy perspective and compliance

I am fully embracing my descent (ascent?) into grump old man and it's wonderful.

Ggetoffmy****in'lawnG

Feely - u talking about this?

https://x.com/PhilGalfond/status/1940198...

I cant figger out how to imbed the twitter. Its galfond giving a 3 minute overview on how gamboolin taxes will be significantly enhanced with the new bill

Like I said on the Twitter:

More (government) rake is better.