1/3 Grinding and Bankroll

Thanks for following and thank you sir. I don’t know what happened to that blog I’m afraid, you might ask a moderator.

Best wishes to you for the new year!

The morning of the big game I was cashing out (actually writing a check and depositing on my casino front money account) and the game organizer showed up in the high limit room next to me with $25 he had left. I had $20, 000 on the desk. It was a very awkward moment. He said “we can’t have you back for the rest of the year John you’re too good.” “You made your money back from last year that’s it.” I said I had fun. (I really did apart from the winning.)

Last night was very slow, I played a little hyperactive at 5/10 like limp raising sb v bb with Q4o (he had raised bb with 73o lol), check call river KQ277. I gave him a fist bump as I loved to see the creativity. Someone said people were playing crazy because of the $10’ante and another nit commented “no it’s because they are degens.” So I racked up and said I guess I was a degen, and I would let the “good players” play by themselves. Don’t tap the tank! 😀

At mix started off losing with a pat 87 in 2-7 dramaha to a pat 86, fkn cooler. At plo ran into AA twice and didn’t get there pre, ran top two nfd into mid set no redraw that was very stubborn and he boated river after I made my flush ott. My friend crashed at my place for magfest and we chatted some hands too. I got around 11.5 hours of sleep too nice to catch up after a grueling night Thursday.

Lattes now caramel with almond and whole milk mixed together.

I was playing this morning and had something extremely concerning happen to me in the 5 card game. I opened pre for $20. An Asian man and Asian woman both called. Flop was A74 rainbow. Man checks, I check and the lady pots it. The guy calls and I fold. Turn is a 4 and the Asian guy instantly turns over his AA showing the boat and then they just check it down? I mean this is ridiculous you make virtual nuts and you are just checking now that I’m out of the hand? What happens when I call? I guess they just squeeze me? At the very best this is soft play but prob worse.

I complain to the floor. Explain the hand to him. He tells me he is going to give him a “warning”. He pulls him aside and talks to him. They allow them to continue to play at same table. I mean what kind of Mickey Mouse casino is this where they just let people that are obv soft playing/colluding continue to play together after doing something that egregious. Dumbo have you had any similar experiences? Once I realize he wasn’t going to make at least one of them get up I obviously quit the game. Disgusting stuff

That is infuriating!

The check down the nuts happens all the time in my game, but it's small stakes and too profitable to worry about -- and they are definitely not potting, betting, raising, etc., as part of the collusion. They are just good old boys. The funny thing is that my husband and I NEVER slow-play each other or check anything down 😉

Sorry if I had to guess it is the same couple a bunch of us wrote a letter to management about years ago and they didn’t do anything to prevent them from playing together. We tried. One wears sunglasses (the woman) the man wears a dark jacket usually. They are in their 50s.

Last night I got beat up just couldn’t win a hand getting it in good most of the time. Two wrap plus fds lost to sets and AK754ds lost to AKJ82sss. Top two nut gutter lost to top and bottom oesd. Top pair nfd lost to backdoor diamonds which I also had.

At 5/10 lost AKo to QQ all in pre against a very aggressive preflop player as well. Not my night at all! Back to work this week. Enjoying lattes, down to two to start my day now instead of three.

u should play the 100k plo mtts. remember if you aint first your last. bink BIG and bink OFTEN

Yesterday ran well, lost some at 2/5 but won at plo around $2k on the day. Was at a good table but had to leave to get some sleep. Won AQQJ9ds on A97hh my nfd in a 3! pot and KKJT2ds opened and got several callers before a short stack jammed and I iso’d with $300 in dead money and won with two pair T2…Doyle.
Won three pair nfd versus two straights ott as well but have some back with KKT54ds versus an action player’s AA. Also lost AQJ95 on J32 versus AKJT2, a virtual coin flip.

Did a really good workout yesterday as well, five sets push ups to exhaustion and jumping jacks and jogging in place. Gonna keep up the good work.

That’s the most stand up thing I’ve heard any poker player do this year. I’m glad you made sure to mention this act of kindness to restore our faith in humanity as you spread greatness from table to table.

Games were boring so I played the big mix for a couple hours to just enjoy and lost as a favorite in a couple decent pots. Top three to low inside wrap in Omaha and T8 low in 2-7 dramaha to two d1s. I was stuck a lot by now, and then in big o utg blind raised and a couple of us called and utg went to raise again and I said I thought utg said a blind raise not a straddle otherwise I would not have called in the bb and would let him raise if I could fold. He ended up not raising and the hand ended uneventfully. Anyway I got some flack for that and I decided to just leave at that point as it was getting uninviting and I didn’t want to be around that kind of energy or lose anymore money in that game.

Went back to grinding plo where it’s a lot more enjoyable. I think my New Year’s resolution will be not to play the big mix anymore. Too much drama at this point for no reason. I want to be around positive energy unless there is a major financial incentive. If I was winning I might put up with it but it’s just not worth the hassle. I’ll get my practice and enjoyment playing 20/40 where I actually win.

Got to sleep on the mix session and I do think the player should have been bound to a blind raise rather than straddle without a stink but it’s also an issue I might not have said anything about if I wasn’t stuck so much. Regardless, I don’t think my comment was so out of line to merit the ugly response I got from one of the players.

Enjoying caramel letters and protein powder now before court, one hearing today and the outcome as usual will probably depend on the judge. I’m hoping for my client’s sake we get a fair enough one that he has a fighting chance. It’s nice even when poker doesn’t bring me joy to have something that is fulfilling to fall back on.

Thankfully we got a decent judge and my client was released at the hearing. Wohoo! Really uplifting change of pace after a rough poker night.

Yesterday after court and an afternoon meeting poker was pretty slow, made quad Ts against Kx at 2/5 on KTTT, at plo lost top two nfd to bottom set, I even turned a wheel draw but missed. Played 20/40 mix the rest of the night and won a nice pot in badeucy with 7432, made my low and badugi on the river, but lost some other pots and ended up losing a little on the day as I was pretty card dead. Now sitting in the sun sipping on a vanilla latte before client interviews later.

If anything the experience in the big mix reminded me I want to surround myself with positive people. Life’s too short for anything else. Now that I have a comfortable living for myself I want to be selective with who I spend my time with, a luxury I have now that the money isn’t an issue.

Yesterday was up and down and then down some more. Ran bad at plo after a good start. Had court got my client’s hearing postponed which was a huge benefit to her because the judge who would have heard the case has a 5% release rate. Hopefully next week we have someone better and my client does well this week. Took a nap and now enjoying a vanilla latte listening to tiesto’s your loving arms featuring Karen overton, one of his best hits. I cannot believe I am actually doing this job so well with my condition! What an amazing reality.

Nice work

Thanks! I had a good networking call with the legal director of a mental health nonprofit this afternoon too. She’s going to look into whether I can join the board of directors and send any job openings my way. Exciting!

PS: the hold em games have gotten so bad people want to play with me.

Ran QQ into 99 on 983r in single raised pot at 5/10, lost AA nfd to two pair and wrap against a big whale at plo, lost KKQ4 to JT44 on KQ4 against action player, lost dsAA at 10/10/50/100 too. Left before the hame broke because it was getting way too late and I didn’t want to totally destroy my sleep schedule. Bad session! So much for the good start to the month. I guess I’m lucky to have run so good in the big game, otherwise this month would not be going well at all.

“Poem of the weary poker player.”

Woe is me, I cannot beat a wrap when I have top three.
My aces get cracked on every flop I smack
Nut flush draw, top set, I always get whacked.

Is it my destiny to never win again?
I always lose now, when will there be an end?
My misery does not stop, the bad beats keep coming, when will the grace of the poker gods come running?

Please poker gods, save me! The abyss is dark and dreary.
I need to sun run for a change as I am growing so weary.
Let my aces hold, let me scoop big pots all in, let me turn quads when I have top set for an easy way to win.

If you let me I promise I’ll pay it back, I’ll give action to the whales and not give them flack. When they bad beat me I’ll say “nice hand, ” and reload, be ever a gentleman when others unload. I won’t tell bad beat stories to all my friends, they don’t care and it’s all to no end.

What will be my fate? Am I doomed to always wait? Only time will tell, but in the meantime at least I can still masturbate.

Yesterday had a date with my ex which was really nice, but poker went poorly, ran JJ into AA versus big losing player pre at 5/10 as a short stack, lost KJ to J6 on JJ5Q6 versus maniac at plo, lost AKQ85ds to hi AQ732, lost AA in 4! pot with nfd to top set, lost boat versus maniac's bigger boat 63 versus A6 on A6563. Hence the poem today. This is one of my most precipitous downswings in a while. At least I have chocolate lattes and protein powder and am making progress on my fitness goals.

Thank goodness for the big win at 10/10 this month.

Sorry to hear about the run bad Dumbo! How many days has it been? You always bounce back so don’t worry you got this.

Not a whole lot happened the past couple sessions, been about a week and a half of runbad now. On the bright side I have a week off of work starting later this week and my Wednesday court docket is clearing up nicely.

I’m pretty sure some people I play with don’t like me because of who I am which is unfortunate but that reflects poorly on them not me. I’ll keep being me in the meantime and make a statement by just showing up and playing as I am. It’s hard to unlearn prejudice that is decades in the making. I’ve accomplished so much on and off the felt and that’s something no one can change no matter what their personal views are. I’m a rich gay lawyer with a mental disability who has won life changing money playing poker. Yes I exist and I am proud of who I am and what I’ve done in poker for myself and for others with my legal skills.

And that is how to approach and live a good life!

Not that it matters but for some reason I thought you were a chick lol

Trying my best…big mix ran yesterday and I didn’t play.

Lol! Yeah you have to read the earlier posts to get the full story.

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Ran fine yesterday in albeit a somewhat slow session. Won a nice pot with J9765 on 663J versus crai ott from a nit, a surprising gift.

Ever since they banned the straddle there, the 5/10 game has not been the same. The fun players are not showing up nearly as often, replaced by grinder types. What a shame. I’ve been playing that game much less myself as well since plo looks more profitable.

Off of work for a week starting tomorrow, hoping to get my one hearing postponed and have an easy day today. Basking in the sun now enjoying a mocha hazelnut latte.

My hearing got postponed by mutual consent of the parties and after tying up some loose ends I’m on break for a week. I’m going to participate in a mock civil commitment hearing next month with my colleagues and I will play the judge. I’m really looking forward to the role so I can poke fun at how biased some of them truly are.

I would like to work on my sleep schedule and get back to the better sleep hygiene I had when I first started working a year or so ago. Shifting from a later shift on weekends to a morning routine every Monday sucks so I want to keep more consistent. Will be less stressful for me in general. A lot of my anxiety comes from worrying about not getting enough sleep. And early morning hearings are always a bear when I’m not used to being up even though I’ve gotten used to them. Granted this is made more difficult due to being on sedating antipsychotic medication which causes morning drowsiness but I’ll do my best.

I think that will make me happier in general is getting to bed earlier and waking up earlier.

My fitness keeps climbing which I’m happy about. I can see results. I do about 3-5 sets of 30-35 push ups a day now and jumping jacks on breaks from playing.