Turning 0$ into WSOP trip

When patience is rewarded

Congratz Mantelo

I love to see these -- it tells the rest of us that it is truly possible

Congrats!
VS

Weekly review, part 12
2020 Challenge
Weekly profit 732€
Previous profit 9 893€
Current profit 10 625€
Goal profit 100 000 €

So finally I have crossed 5 figures score! Mostly thanks to the 10x Spin game that I posted above. And actually, it was a very very good week for Spins. I haven't seen such a soft pool in ages, plus variance decided to give a lot of credit for me 45 buyins in a week is a lot, even for Spins

You might have a question.. If profits from Spins are so good, how on earth weekly profits are so low?? The answer.. tournaments I though maybe my upswing will transfer to some highroller tournaments as well, but I was so wrong Usually I play tournaments up to 200€, but now PokerStars has some High Roller series and I gave it a try in 500€ cheap HighRoller Bounty tournament. For 3 bullets

1st bullet
Poker Stars, $500 Buy-in (150/300 blinds, 40 ante)
SB: 56,617 (188.7 bb)
BB: 34,029 (113.4 bb)
UTG+1: 42,940 (143.1 bb)
UTG+2: 45,210 (150.7 bb)
MP1: 24,070 (80.2 bb)
MP2: 3,494 (11.6 bb)
MP3: 35,605 (118.7 bb)
CO: 23,838 (79.5 bb)
Hero (BTN): 24,335 (81.1 bb)

Preflop: Hero is BTN with J♦: J♥:
4 folds, MP3 raises to 688, CO folds, Hero raises to 2,100, SB folds, BB raises to 5,700, MP3 folds, Hero raises to 14,550, BB raises to 33,989 and is all-in, Hero calls 9,745 and is all-in

Flop: (49,788) A♣: 3♠: 4♣: (2 players, 2 are all-in)
Turn: (49,788) 2♦: (2 players, 2 are all-in)
River: (49,788) Q♦: (2 players, 2 are all-in)

Results:

2nd barrel
Poker Stars, $500 Buy-in (400/800 blinds, 100 ante)
Hero (SB): 37,531 (46.9 bb)
BB: 44,439 (55.5 bb)
UTG+1: 61,847 (77.3 bb)
UTG+2: 30,092 (37.6 bb)
MP1: 35,090 (43.9 bb)
MP2: 33,870 (42.3 bb)
MP3: 49,072 (61.3 bb)
CO: 12,567 (15.7 bb)
BTN: 50,981 (63.7 bb)

Preflop: Hero is SB with A♥: J♣:
2 folds, MP1 raises to 1,760, MP2 folds, MP3 calls 1,760, 2 folds, Hero raises to 7,200, 2 folds, MP3 calls 5,440

Flop: (17,860) K♠: J♠: 8♥: (2 players)
Hero bets 4,800, MP3 raises to 41,772 and is all-in, Hero calls 25,431 and is all-in

Turn: (78,322) T♣: (2 players, 2 are all-in)
River: (78,322) 4♠: (2 players, 2 are all-in)

Results:

Poker Stars, $500 Buy-in (500/1,000 blinds, 125 ante)
SB: 14,259 (14.3 bb)
BB: 24,750 (24.8 bb)
UTG+1: 90,912 (90.9 bb)
UTG+2: 66,708 (66.7 bb)
MP1: 66,321 (66.3 bb)
MP2: 13,540 (13.5 bb)
MP3: 31,661 (31.7 bb)
CO: 13,358 (13.4 bb)
Hero (BTN): 20,200 (20.2 bb)

Preflop: Hero is BTN with T♦: T♣:
UTG+1 raises to 2,150, 3 folds, MP3 calls 2,150, CO folds, Hero raises to 20,075 and is all-in, 3 folds, MP3 calls 17,925

Flop: (44,925) 5♣: 5♦: 9♦: (2 players, 1 is all-in)
Turn: (44,925) J♥: (2 players, 1 is all-in)
River: (44,925) 4♥: (2 players, 1 is all-in)

Results:

All 3 cases were coinflips (57%, 45%, 57%), so it is a little unfortunately that I found no luck in all of them. However, I still enjoyed playing with big guys, and it was really encouraging then Fedor Holz folded to my 3bet semi-bluff Maybe this Sunday I will find more luck in tournaments? Hopefully, so stay tuned

Hi guys, how is it going? Once again it is a time for a monthly review A month that changed most peoples life completely, mines as well

1. Make 12 trips
February - MPN Madrid 895€
February - Kings of Tallinn 1880€
March - Unibet UK Tour London 95€
March - Pokerstars EPT Sochi (value credited to PokerStars account)

Despite going strong in the beginning of the year, I really doubt that I will have any of the trips more. PokerStars has cancelled Sochi event just a week before the start and credited full package price to its account. Not the worst thing really. Also they have informed about the new date of the same event, middle of Autumn, but no one is guaranteed for that. But what I know for sure, no live tournaments for me until summer

2. Get some profit over 10k games at 100$ Spin&Go's
Well, if live tournaments are dying, then online poker is on the boom again! It was a tough start for me in this category, but last weeks were really nice. And mostly results improved not because I have improved my game, but because more players have joined the pool. Plus, I have run much above EV which is always favorable

3 months and 2,5k games is exactly that pace which I wanted and profit graph is also encouraging. In my dreams I have imagined that 30k € this year in Spins would be fabulous, and it looks like it could be achievable. The ChipEV is 48 this year, so there is a room for improvement, ideally I would like to reach 60 by the end

3. Everlasting study of poker - 360 hours
January - 35 hours
February - 30 hours
March - 37 hours
13 weeks passed and I'm on the course With so much spare time now, it is much easier to allocate some hours to studying. I don't want to promote other poker schools, but one of the high quality online teaching platforms made most of its video free for a month so I expect my studying hours to remain high As for learning about Spins, a new online school in my country has appeared so I take some lessons from there. The head coach of that group has made a Final Table in the biggest anniversary Sunday Million last week, so he definitely knows some tricks

4. Update trophy room or win Online Major
So I probably ignore the first part and focus on Online Majors The big difference from last year, is that this time I dedicate every Sunday to tournaments. After grinding Spins for a week, I really enjoy diving into tournament area in the end With good results overall, I have increased the stakes for tournaments as well so there is a better chance for a bigger prize. Last week I tried High Rollers 500$ Bounty event, and although I didn't make money, I will certainly try them in the future. Playing against Poker prodigies like CrownUpGuy is a worthy experience

5. Practice French language
Much ahead of the planned pace Already 4800 points from desired 12 000 and it is only 3 months passed! Also I can already sense a big improvement in understanding the language, not only words like bonjour. The only problem is that it is unlikely of trying the language in practice this year

6. Buy some land outside the city
Some 10 years ago, at the very beginning of my poker career, I printed this house of Michael Jordan and sticked it on the 1st page of my Diary book. It was like a reminded for me that if you work hard and consistent, in the end you achieve your goals. Looking nowadays, I already live in a nice private home, but I'm still chasing my Dream House! We have already started looking for a big size land-plot not too far from the capital Vilnius, but haven't purchased the one yet. I'm not sure how the current situation will influence the prices of properties, but I have a feeling that it might decrease, and possibly a lot. So it might be wise to wait a little more

7. Hold a healthy body through proper nutrition and active exercises
I'm very happy that my wife is so good at cooking When the food is so delicious, there is no need to go the restaurants on the daily basis And when all the cafes and restaurants are closed nowadays, I am appreciating it even more As long as we are still able to buy all sort of food from online stores, I see no concerns in this department. However, the other part of active exercises is dropping down a little. I'm still going for a run in the forests, exercise at home with weights or taking the ball in the football pitch, but it is not the same as playing with friends and competing with them. Training alone is not as effective as training with a team, and also not that much fun

8. To maintain strong relationship with others
Well, this one is debatable There is joke that because families must stay at home togheter the number of divorces are on the high But it is not a threat in our family as we are all happy being with each other Talking about friends, we have decided to dedicate Tuesday evenings to playing card games Hearts online with cameras. It is not the same as meeting live, but still something And as for my cat, sometimes being alone is still best

9. Get promoted with Top Kickers to League III
No news here, or at least no good news. With all major sports events being postponed until the summer at least or event re-scheduled to next year, I just don't feel that we could start the season anytime soon. Winter season championship results are also uncertain. We were topping the table with 2 games left, but not sure if positions will be approved, continued late in the summer, or abandoned at all. Just like not sure if Liverpool will be crowned as England champions this year

10. Read 15 books
1. "Factfulness" by Hans Rosling
2. "Think like a cat" by Pam Johnson Bennett
3. "Unlimited memory" by Kevin Horsley
"Unlimited memory" is by far the best read this year so far. Very easy to read, good practical examples and hopefully some tips that will improve my memory as well. Could come in handy for poker as well, as we all need to remember Nash ranges by heart

To look through those 3 months, I could say that I'm on the track for reaching the goals. Or at least reaching what depends on me. I can't fulfill my travel plans this year, but that means I could enhance other aspects better! But who knows, maybe the situation will get better soon and we all get back to the normal lives. And that's what I wish for all of us

Weekly review, part 13
2020 Challenge
Weekly profit 4 291€
Previous profit 10 625€
Current profit 14 916€
Goal profit 100 000 €

Good day guys, how are you doing? If you ask me, I would say that I'm doing perfectly well Mostly of the hotrun in Spins as last week I managed to get 40 buyins at 100$ level The pool is really soft but I am quite happy how I am battling with Regs as well.

Also my Wednesday and Sunday sessions were so good that I got into daily Leaderboards climbing to 4th and 2nd places, giving me extra 1500$ for the efforts. Perfect promotion from PokerStars

However, I'm still failing to do well in tournaments Not sure if I'm just playing badly or I used all my luck in Spins, but will have to make some adjustments before next Sunday grind. I guess I'm playing too many tables so will have to stick to 6 tables at most. Quality over quantity, hopefully that helps

Love your blog so much pictures to keep us interested.
Gj on your results.

Btw if u want to train french with me let me know, I speak Canadian french tho it's a big different, wouldn't mind to trade it for a sweat on my mtts

Originally posted by stevegold87
Love your blog so much pictures to keep us interested.
Gj on your results.

Btw if u want to train french with me let me know, I speak Canadian french tho it's a big different, wouldn't mind to trade it for a sweat on my mtts

Thanks for a nice feedback! I need to show some improvements in tournaments as I really suck at them at this moment

Weekly review, part 14
2020 Challenge
Weekly loss 2 982€
Previous profit 14 916€
Current profit 11 934€
Goal profit 100 000 €

After 4 successful weeks, I did find some resistance both in Spins and tournaments

In previous weeks I was so delighted that lots of new players entered the pool. However, lats week I was constantly seated with Regs, and mostly in 2x games. And it looks like that I didn't play well either. When all of those negative aspects turn into one, you can't expect any profit, and unfortunately in the end I recorded a loss of 15 Buy-ins.

Tournaments went tragic as well, with busting in every expensive MTT. PokerStars is running a Turbo festival which isn't cheap either, so had some unimproved investments here as well. Needless to say that my favorite 500$ Highroller Knockout tournament had a bad outcome again

Poker Stars, $500 Buy-in (500/1,000 blinds, 125 ante) No Limit Hold'em Tournament, 9 Players
SB: 69,530 (69.5 bb)
BB: 27,881 (27.9 bb)
UTG+1: 64,890 (64.9 bb)
UTG+2: 24,794 (24.8 bb)
MP1: 41,488 (41.5 bb)
MP2: 39,551 (39.6 bb)
MP3: 80,758 (80.8 bb)
CO: 20,727 (20.7 bb)
Hero (BTN): 28,737 (28.7 bb)

Preflop: Hero is BTN with K♠: Q♣:
UTG+1 raises to 2,120, 5 folds, Hero calls 2,120, SB folds, BB calls 1,120

Flop: (7,985) 2♣: 6♥: K♣: (3 players)
BB checks, UTG+1 checks, Hero bets 3,000, BB calls 3,000, UTG+1 folds

Turn: (13,985) 2♥: (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets 23,492 and is all-in, BB calls 22,636 and is all-in

River: (59,257) 3♥: (2 players, 2 are all-in)

Results:

What makes it worse, I had 1 big blind more than opponent so that River stole a Bounty away from me as well Anyway, one day my hands will fade the rivers, will win some coinflips and will award some bad beats. All I can do now is to keep patient and wait for my chance

Originally posted by Mantelo
[...]
What makes it worse, I had 1 big blind more than opponent so that River stole a Bounty away from me as well Anyway, one day my hands will fade the rivers, will win some coinflips and will award some bad beats. All I can do now is to keep patient and wait for my chance

Hopefuly during the ME WSOP

Good Run in WSOP Main Event could be a real life changer

Weekly review, part 15
2020 Challenge
Weekly loss 862€
Previous profit 11 934€
Current profit 11 072€
Goal profit 100 000 €

One more week when bankroll got decreased Not by a big number, but still couple of buyins down in Spins.

Looking at the stats, I can't say that I played really bad. ChipEv of 40 usually shows a small profit, or stays breakeven at least. ITM number is also above average although not by much. While playing I had a sense that I'm doing very well in those 2x multipliers, but often luck goes away in bigger 3x or 5x prizepools. So probably I will have to wait for another positive variance wave
And last week I didn't play any tournaments at all. It was a plan to grind on Sunday, but my mental and physical energy levels were average at best so I though it will be better to wait for Monday and start fresh

Weekly review, part 16
2020 Challenge
Weekly profit 571€
Previous profit 11 643€
Current profit 11 072€
Goal profit 100 000 €

All right, after couple of losing weeks, I'm again on the positive road Maybe not the biggest scores, but at least the direction is good. But what concerns me is that my tournament results are negative once more, and the week was saved by a late Sunday Spin session

To be honest, I didn't plan to play Spins on Sunday night, but when I was down to my last tournament on Stars, I though to open Spin table just for not wasting time. The pool was so soft that I decided to kick extra couple of hours and that decision proved to be good. It is very possible that I will stick to this routine for next weeks as well
When looking at my Spin stats, you can imagine how many variance attributes influence the results. My ChipEV was not the best and according to $EV I should have been couple of buyins down. I was so much more times 1st than 2nd or 3rd, however most of victories came in 2x multipliers. Didn't have a chance to compete in 10x this week, so the fact that a week was profitable makes me happy even more With that positive attitude I once again dive into playing, so see you around

Originally posted by Mantelo
Weekly review, part 16
2020 Challenge
Weekly profit 571€
Previous profit 11 643€
Current profit 11 072€

You have to switch the Current profit with the Previous profit

Good luck this week on your grind !