Stevens Blog - 30 day grind challenge!!

Really looking forward to moving off ongame ASAP. The seating is so weird and I can't seem to get my HUD where I like it. The beeping also drives me mad even though i disabled the sounds :f_confused:. I also folded instead of checking like 5 times LOL. Thinking of giving micro gaming a try. Heard the software is better. Anyone had a good experience?

Hi there steven5656 and welcome to blogs!

firstly, I usually give the advice of take the education if you can then decide if you want it or not. At least you have the choice which is always an advantage. Just my 2c is all.

I can recommend microgaming for the nice reliable software and rather loose games. I only play nl4 but I do know that the player pool is quite small during 'reg' times, even though they aren't good regs mostly. You get 30% rakeback if tracked here I think, but there don't seem to be the plethora of promotions that sites like Stars/Party etc have, which is understandable.

If you are even slightly capable at poker you will have fun on microgaming! ♠_biggrin:

So do have fun,

Mal.

Thanks gadget

Yeah I'm defiantly not going to give up my education and plan to return next year but I want it to be something I'm passionate about rather than just "hmm this was OK at school I guess I will do this for my life." If playing poker doesnt work out I still have the option of trying to make some money with a job and go travling but if it does then it would be pretty sweet. Being able to make money while at uni would be very handy for sure ♠_cool:

Guess i will have a look closer at the traffic at microgame before i make my choise

Gave micro gaming a whirl but its full of anon tables which I found really tilting. Decided to stay at ongame. The software is not so bad when you get used to it and it has 30nl which will soften the jump between 20nl and 50nl. Im using really aggro BRM while I'm trying to go through the stakes, going up at 15 Bi and down at 15 Bi at the previous limit. Its pretty sick if you go on a downswing, Ive been at nl20 all the way to nl5 to nl50 now nl30. It doesn't get boring though like grinding 1000s of hands at one limit at the micros would IMO!
Some regs have been taking some really weird lines vs me so I made some big hero calls. This one was pretty sick.

On Game, $0.10/$0.20 No Limit Hold'em Cash, 6 Players
Poker Tools Powered By Holdem Manager - The Ultimate Poker Software Suite.

SB: $20.64 (103.2 bb)
BB: $10.40 (52 bb)
UTG: $33.92 (169.6 bb)
MP: $23.32 (116.6 bb)
CO: $22.72 (113.6 bb)
Hero (BTN): $33.37 (166.8 bb)

Preflop: Hero is BTN with K A
2 folds, CO raises to $0.60, Hero raises to $1.50, 2 folds, CO calls $0.90

Flop: ($3.30) 8 6 6 (2 players)
CO bets $2.60, Hero calls $2.60

Turn: ($8.50) 9 (2 players)
CO bets $3.50, Hero calls $3.50

River: ($15.50) 3 (2 players)
CO bets $15.12 and is all-in, Hero calls $15.12

Results:

I just never see regs donk big for value here. The only problem might be if he is doing this with 22 etc. I 3 bet really small in position as I find most players don't adapt correctly to this and will fold to much or just call with crap OOP and c/f the flop or fold by the river 90 % of the time. I had 3bet this guy lots and this donk to me looked like "omg this guy again I'm not folding this time!"
His bet sizing on the turn and river really scared me I guess if i had though about the hand more at the time the backdoor flush made sense and i'm not sure if he would follow through with a bluff like this if he didn't hit a draw on the turn. I might have been able to fold the river although that's probably results orientated thinking if my assumption about his flop donk was correct.

If I played it horrible please tell me.

Back to nl50 ♦
Plan is to get a 50BI roll for NL50 then start withdrawing for living cost and save some BI for shots at NL100. If I don't manage this in the next 2 months I'm prob gonna have to get a job over chirstmas at least! I'm trying to play 3k hands a day everyday ATM 6 tabling and its not so bad to do. I still have lots of time in the day for other things and I feel that my energy levels and focus have improved dramatically with the healthy eating / fitness I have been doing. Not going out drinking all night is good for the brain I guess ♦

I would highly recomend Ongame to anyone reading this who is trying to play through the micros (anyoneeeee??:( ). the fact that it has NL 20 and 30 makes jumping up easy and the games are very soft with good traffic throughout the day. Ipoker was often lacking traffic in the mornings and their was many rakeback grinders/bots and not so many fish, although it is possible all the fish had moved to the speed poker.

So I have decided to set myself a challenge for the next 30 days. I will be playing 6 hours every day. The rest of my day I will use productively as possible with a strict eating and exercise schedule. I will be playing a risky 15 BI up and down Br management unless I get 15 Bi for nl 100 (will stay at nl50)
. I will be posting every day with thoughts about the previous day and any interesting thoughts. Hopefully someone will read it but if not then it will be like a diary for my thoughts.

I will be at ongame playing nl 30 to start. It is very likely I will be jumping up and down limits like crazy but here's hoping for some run good!

Good luck with the challenge!
As for these reg types taking odd lines, I can't say anything about nl50 but below that not many of them will be barrelling three streets very often without the hand. Something to bear in mind and which I forget sometimes, but oyu seem to be doing just fine.

Have fun,

Mal.

Thanks man. Your probably right that he would just give up the river with nothing here.

One thing I really want to focus on is not turning the 30 days into a mindless grind. I'm gonna do an hour and a half of studying in the morning and really try to focus on one or two concepts and apply them through out the day. I find my greatest weakness is I will watch a video a whole bunch of interesting concepts but as few days or a week later I have forgot all that I have learned. Basically I jump from concept to concept and never reach the level of "unconscious competence" in one subject. Jerald Tendler explains this in his book which I highly recommend. At the end of each day I will post some of my thoughts and any hands I had on the concept. Hopefully this can spark some intresting discussion on the subject and people can tell me what a horrible donk I am .