1/3 Grinding and Bankroll

Just wanted to say thanks for everything you do for the PLO5 community. I’ve learned a lot from your posts, and your book has helped me a ton too. I still go back to it and reread parts of it from time to time.

Also, I really respect the way you share your success. You make me feel this is actually possible, but at the same time you also show the mindset behind it. You don’t come across like someone chasing luxury or trying to escape work. You chose a meaningful path, and I honestly find that inspiring. Big respect for that.

I wanted to ask you something too. I have around 10 hours a week for online PLO5 and I’d like to use that time as well as possible to become more profitable, mostly in soft games where a lot of players love seeing flops.

Last time I asked a similar question to Wilfram, he said I shoul put a lot of focus on preflop opens, watch videos, and get in as much volume as possible. From my own experience, it also feels like in really high-VPIP games it makes sense to open a bit tighter myself and play more carefully postflop, especially when I’m OOP.

Does that sound like the right direction to you?

Again, thanks for sharing your path. It really does matter.

Thank you so much. The book is really geared towards helping players play snug and not making the biggest blunders beginners tend to make. I don’t play nearly as tight anymore as I used to or as recommended in the guide.

I wouldn’t tighten up so much that you’re missing out on profitable spots. When your opponents are playing 50% of hands, if you even play just 25% you’re going to crush them in more spots than if you waited for top 5-10% of hands. I see a lot of extremely tight players in my pool and they are not the biggest winners because they miss a lot of opportunities that a more loose aggressive player can capitalize on. The better your edge postflop the more hands you can play as well.

Played an all nighter not to mess up my sleep schedule too much, made a couple grand. Had some nice moments like showing my opponent she made a good lay down which she was very happy about. Played with a legendary action player again and Zelle’d him several thousand for chips to keep him in the game, even loaned him $1, 000, a rarity for me. The chips were flying. Biggest pot I lost was AAKQ2cc on JT3cc to T9872cc in a 5! pot. I really enjoy playing in these types of games win or lose. I even paid someone $50 to get up and give his seat to the VIP. Up around $20, 000 this month already.

Thanks a lot for the reply, really appreciate it.

This is very useful for me because I’ve honestly been wondering whether playing tight is going to get me anywhere. Your point about not tightening up so much that I miss profitable spots really makes sense. I’ll try to work on developing a more aggressive style from here.

Thanks again and please keep sharing your poker path. Good luck and take care.

Last night plo was slow but 5/10 looked good so I played there. I made a set of 7s in a 3! pot on 732r and got check raised on 8s turn. I called and snapped the Qs river as I had the 7s and mhig (he said “you’re good”😉. Made around $3,000 on the session.

Celebrated Greek Easter with the family and friends which was nice also. Couldn’t fall asleep very quickly last night due to anxiety but I didn’t have court this morning so it was ok.

I was chatting with my neighbor about moving closer to mgm to make more money as time really is money and even a 30 minute commute costs someone making $100 an hour $700 a week or $2,800 a month, $32,000 a year. He was interested in moving closer and I said I might be buying a place he could move in to depending on how poker goes the next couple months.

Yesterday’s session was not too eventful, just played plo after a health scare sent me to urgent care. Won AKT97ds against gambler’s ?? all in pre for $700 or so was the biggest pot. I’ve gotten into a bad habit of lending small amounts of money to other players. So far I’m getting paid back but I need to cut it out.

It depends. If you are sorta buddies with someone, you kind of have to. Same with accepting Zelle/Venmo, so they have cash to rebuy. If they are pure randoms, hell no though.

They are people I regularly play with hand have rapport with.

Last night played mainly 5/T and did ok made $700, lost AQ to 99 all in pre as a short stack then won 88 v AK all in pre in similar fashion. I ran into AA pre once but also flopped a set in another hand. Before that was invited to do some dramaha flips at 10/10 plo and lost the first one before I was called for 2/5. Debated staying and playing dramaha as a way to get into the actual game but I had to be up early today so it wasn’t a great night to play.

1/2 plo games didn’t look that good last night so I stayed at hold em. Glad I did.

Today I took a break from the evening grind to see an old client I got out 25 years early from federal prison. He has a wife kids and a job. I was really happy to see how well he was doing. Really lifted my spirits.

Grind is fine but I’m exhausted after a long day.
A related hearing went well for my client.

Last night plo started rocky losing with a draw to two pair and a different fd, and lost KK 2nd nfd top set ott in bloated pot. 5/10 went much better winning with QTs in a 4! pot on Q93Q6 versus a slowplayed AA. Ended up around a couple grand on the session after winning some back at plo before calling it a night, tired from a long day.

Yesterday gambled a bit much at plo and decided I should play hold em again after at first losing at 5/10 with KK to A8o. It went better this time winning with 53o multi-way with trip threes on T933K multi-way versus a raise of my lead ott and multiple callers. Also made a set or two.

Booked the win and winded down with a little short stacking at plo and after getting stacked a couple times won with dsKK as well as A9876ds on J75r both bdfds. Made just over $4, 000 on the session despite a couple questionable plays at plo.

Played another very long overnight session into the next day of around 30 hours. Did ok at hold em but lost at plo, probably lost around $4, 000 on the days. Played heads up hold em 5/10 and defended 73ss and flop 973hh c/r versus cbet and a call turn A bet call river 3 jam less than pot and call and I lose to AA. :/ At 10/25 got AKs in pre and scooped. Also correctly bluff caught with 87s in a 3! pot on 72243 run out.

At plo all my all ins pre lost like AKQJTds also all my wraps lost too granted some were on flush draw flops multi-way which is always dicier. At plo someone bought me a baileys and cream, a rare drink for me. (I only had half of it.) Ran AKK95ds into AA pre against a short stack and doubled him up on A flop with a gutter for me and bdfds.

Won a freeroll with AJT98 on J87 versus naked T9 boating up on the river. Got freerolled myself against the same player but thankfully his did not get there.

At the end of the night I ordered pizza and I’m my dazed state I forgot my phone at the poker table and realized it when I got to the car. Thankfully the other players gave it to the front desk and I retrieved it. Sounds like an appropriate end to a marathon session. Fell asleep quickly to poker videos on YouTube and got 12 hours of sleep.

It’s a rainy day and I’m slowly ungrogging with some vanilla lattes by a cloudy window ready to battle again and try to get back up to $30, 000 profit for the month.

I think it’s time for another bankroll challenge. $60, 000 this time. Gonna try to hit it by June 30.

Yesterday made a little could have been more but made a bad call with second nut flush with three hearts and the ace accounted for on the flop and a straight blocker bluff didn’t get through but I had a flush draw and bricked against the actual nuts.

Had to get up early for court today, just postponements but the early Monday docket is never fun. Waking up slowly with hazelnut lattes.

Ran really well at 5/10 but not as well at plo. Was up then up much less then up again when I called it a night. Lost a few pots to this angler unfortunately at plo - got it in good every time too.

At 5/10 got a double with AA in a 4! pot and also AKo > QQ on both run outs for some rungood all in pre. A couple people tried to bluff me off good hands and I called as well.

Running fine today although the games have been slow recently. I’m grateful to be winning despite that. Sitting in the late afternoon sun now getting some vitamin D. It’s lovely outside.

Financially this all seems pointless. I don’t have to do any of this anymore. I guess I do it because I find it enjoyable enough.

Br challenge is going well so far, around $4, 500 down.

Maybe I need to travel more for poker and lose the job. I dunno. Something different maybe. Every day seems the same.

Continued to work on my fitness yesterday, got a nice new pair of sneakers finally after years, survived some mediocre games, made $1, 500, enough to cover my recent bond ETF purchases. Maple pecan lattes today.

I'm on the tail end of my career, and even about to submit a proposal to my boss to reduce my work week to 4 days = 20 hours. I'm in a weird inbetween state where a few extra years of wages would be nice, although not 100% necessary for a comfortable retirement, and I'm trying to find the proper balance of fitting everything into my life (especially while healthy) while at the same time not having too much idle (read: bored) time on my hands. It's a somewhat weird existential place to be.

GcluelessfirstworldproblemsnoobG

Yeah with work slow I’m rather bored. Especially with these slow games here lately. Also the games aren’t big enough to keep me interested for long. But like you said that’s just first world problems. Counting my blessings. Maybe things will heat up a little before I head out tonight. Practicing my folds and getting in my push ups now.

Last night didn’t go well, was very card dead at 5/T and whiffed versus a 3! once with a small pocket pair. At plo was at a good table but ran bad ATT99cc lost to 4x in KK4cc annd ATT98dd lost to J4 on J43dd77 runout he had J7. Also got it in pre behind once when I could have just called and seen a flop with A9754ds. He had AKK and I was a slight underdog heads up, it went four ways though. But some of these players were all over the place pre so I didn’t mind and I was running bad and probably in the mood to flip a coin. Lost around $3, 500 on the session.

At least I got it in good against colluder wife one hand, AKQ65 versus her A9876 on 663, I was only a slight favorite but it was nice to win some sklansky bucks from her. With card removal it’s harder to say who was ahead though. It was very close. Her nasty husband came over and said he wanted to take my seat when I was leaving knowing I don’t think they should play at the same table.

Worked on my push ups in my spare time, it was my rest day so I didn’t do as many. Client interviews today and then it’s the weekend! I lent $3k to one of the frequent players and gave him some tips on playing better, even offered him coaching. Very much against my financial interest to do so but I feel bad for him and he’s going through a tough time.

Pistachio vanilla lattes now while I caffeinate on the couch.

More slow poker, not much happening. Saw my good friend who I used to date many years ago and we caught up - that was really nice. The big bet mix didn’t go, too many maybes and then today someone today confirmed they could play lol…game was supposed to be today. Poker players man ….

Was quite card dead at 10/25 hold em and my few premiums didnÂ’t win big pots except KK all in pre versus AQo held twice. Truthfully the game was pretty tame and not worth sitting in as everyone seemed to be playing pretty snug preflop so I sat in a much better 5/T and did fine there. Wrapped up with some plo and found a nice min raise with JJ in a 3! pot on AJ8A versus a stab ott and V / the preflop three-bettor folded after some thought. Got KQQ44ds in pre against two gamblers and made the nut flush as well. I was happy to play relatively well even at the end of a long day and still make over $100 an hour.

Made around $1,000 on the session. Not bad for a dayÂ’s grind.

A triple barrel bluff didn’t get through at 5/T although it was the right board texture to do it on just ran into top of V’s range as a limper he flopped bottom set on KQ4.

Made it mostly back at plo at least, where I can still actually win. Got super lucky raising for a side pot with a set of 8s / open ended on J968 and V actually flatted with QT and I rivered quads against the short stack’s JJ as well. Also lost with nut straight in a 3! pot to a big draw where I only had 35% equity.

I ate chipotle for dinner and it kept me awake a little longer than I would have liked but I got enough sleep to be functional for my postponement docket in court today. Might take a nap if I can, will see.