$6000 in 60days progress thread(long, some content)

[bottomset]

Last year Schneids and gonores attempted a 60k in 60days challenge while playing 10/20 6max, and it recently got brought up again, and a few ppl decided to try a similar challenge, I thought it would be a fun way to get myself motivated to play and to log in more hands than I have been, but since I work fulltime, and generally only 2table, I picked a goal that seemed within reason for me.

Right now I am playing 3/6 6max on Party, Paradise and UB, but mainly on party/empire. so it works out to 1000BB in 60days or $100/day(16.67bb) if I run 2.5bb/100 that works out to 667hands a day, which is more than I'm used to playing but not out of reach. My Bankroll was about 700BB when I started the challenge so successfully completing will more than double my BR, and hopefully give me experience needed to make the move to 5/10 6max, I haven't ruled out moving up mid-challenge if I think I am ready to take a shot. During the challenge I plan of getting 5 or more hours of observation sessions in with JoeTall. I recieved a PM that expressed interest in my little quest, so I decided to make a thread here to update my progress, and to discuss interesting hands, if GregJ thinks this is wasting forum space or whatnot I'm fine with it being abadoned, but I think there will be some valuable poker content in here.

Ok before I get to the first 3days of the challenge, here's a little background information on my pokercareer. I first depostited into Party back in June04, the dumb little $50, I didn't understand how the bonuses worked and let my little $10signup bonus expire without playing 1raked hand, I started playing the 5+1 SNG's again not very smart, I lasted maybe a month or so, before losing it all. I reloaded for another $50, and this time played 25NL, well I dropped both buyins that day, oops. I took a break for a week or so, then reloaded for another $50 this time I got fortunate and went on a hot streak at the 5+1s and moved up to the 10+1s where I did ok slowly making money, I only played maybe 1/2days a week, sometimes none.

On Oct5th I decided to play in a 5+1MTT it ended up being 1912players, and I ran hot at the start and had a stack in the top4-5 by the time I got into the money. I lost a couple big hands, and was fairly crippled, I took the bad approach of folding to move up the pay ladder(I had enough chips to still get back into it) anyway I let myself get blinded for 4rounds or so, then decide to get aggro(yeah I really did suck back then) I get QTo in the CO and openraise allin, get called by the BB who has me covered with AK, flop comes 44J, turn J, river4 hell yeah. I pickup KK and double up, then play too passive, but was surviving I didn't play a single hand from when it was down to 20ppl till the final table, which I entered as the supershortstack w/ T36k OTB thankfully, I fold every hand to my BB which is T4o and the table folds around to me??? the SB only had about 60k and I guess didn't feel like putting me in. I fold everyhand to myBB, 2ppl were eliminated its 8handed, I have 26k, 20k of it in the pot. I get AA 2limpers and the SBcompletes, Iput in my last 6k and manage to hold upto 104k, then I went on the most insane rush of my life. I put someone allin w/ ATs(me) vs AQo river a T, and then in the next 15hands, I knock out all 6of the remaining players, 2of them as a dominated underdog. so all of a sudden I have a $2100, thanks to the $1912 payout, I cash out 1800 to cover some school expenses, and play SNGs, a few MTTs(2more top10s smallerfields) and a little LimitHoldem.

I register here at the end of OCT, sad since I've had TOP, HPFAP for a long time(I was timid to play online for a year or so, I'm a Moneymaker created player, I saw that WSOP broadcast and got hooked) I lurked all of Novemember, and finally started posting in December(please don't read them, they are horrid) I purchased PT at the beginning of DEC. and was playing 1/2 full LHE now with around a $700BR(finally properly rolled) I was a very weaktight player, like 17/9/2.8 but with a 25%WSD/57W$SD I ran really well and had built upto $1200 at the end of the month.

Fortunately for me, I had to take out $900 to fix my car, and was forced to drop down to .5/1 since by now I learned a little about BRmanagement. I started over and slowly was picking up the TAA I was still 17/9ish but slowly getting better postflop.

At the end of March I decide to give 1/2 6max a shot, it was a slow process, and I was a 12PFR for about the first 4khands there, but running really well. This was also about the time where I really got into bonuswhoring, which really helps the BR grow, I also got signed up for Rakeback at Empire in April, I played 10khands in a month for the first time in Apr and was still running well, I was also really starting to post here more. May was my first real taste of the nasty side of variance, I went through a 200BB downswing at 1/2 6max, but managed to still grow the BR because of a lot of good bonuses, I wasn't playing good, and a large part of that downswing was my fault(if i went back and watched the sessions today, I would prob puke after seeing my play). So what do I do?? I move up(I'm a stubborn person sometimes) I had the roll for 2/4 and was fed up with 1/2, I played a mix Full and SH both on Empire and Stars, I started out pretty good, but went through another downswing this time only 100BB.

This time around I felt I played a lot better during the swing, but was still making some major errors. I was still slightly positive at 2/4 something like a 1bb/100 winner, over a small sample, and the BR was still on the rise. So over a 18k stretch I was totally breakeven, and went through a 200BB downswing, and 100BB downswing.

This brings me upto late-June, 2/4 was going alright, when Party decided to open the 3/6 6max tables. I had a 500BB bankroll and decide to give the games a shot. I ran very well for the first 1000hands, before cooling off some, its been an interesting run there so far, a little swingy but I'm getting much more comfortable with the stakes involved.

Ok, so anyone who reads this, please don't follow my path, its not the way to go, I managed to get lucky at a couple key spots(I might not be posting here if I didn't river that 4)

here are some suggestions I do have
spend a lot of time reading and responding to posts here, SS, HUSH.
take time each week to review past sessions, you will be amazed sometimes.
move up when you feel ready, and always be willing to drop down if things aren't going well, I also think the jumping in headfirst approach makes moving up and staying up more difficult, there isn't a rush. Don't be afraid to play game at a lower limit if its really good, get rid of any ego you have.

OK, now onto the challenge I started on 8/10
I bounced around a little bit, I found a very good 3/6 kill game on UB 3handed, but wasn't ontop of things and forgot to start the handgrabber, so I'm missing a bunch of hands, ending up +57.25
I moved over to Party and found 2good 3/6 tables, ran superhot and played just 150hands for a very nice profit of $320. I then decided to start working on the Party reload, I had 500in the account, so I was playing 1/2 6max running good, playing at really good tables +40.63

End of Day1: 432hands +417.88 very good start

Day2: ok this was a horrible day for me, I started ok playing 254hands at 1/2 at +38.62, and being in a great UBkill game before the software buggedout and kicked me off, result there +30 in 30hands .. I'm still running hot, I fire up Empire and find 2good 3/6games, and drop 46BB in 135hands, running good over: I played fairly well during this session, and lost a couple huge pots on the river, I did overplay a couple hands but I didn't feel terrible about my play. I take a break for a couple hrs, before bringing up UB and finding very soft looking game, 3handed. I have wanted to play more 3-4handed lately, at Party the games always fill, but the UB kill games tend to stay SH which I like, well I run bad again and drop 190.50 couple nasty beats again. I end playing for the day

Day2: -396.88, hands 507
net total: +21 [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] hands: 939

Day3: I play a mix of 3/6 and 1/2 for a total of 339hands, back to running good, for a nice profit of +253.20. There was a hand that I feel I'm in this type of situation a lot

I have AJo UTG 6handed, and raise .. folded to the BTN who calls, BB calls 3to the flop 6.33SB

FLOP: QQJ rainbow
bb checks, I bet, BTN calls, bb folds

the BTN is very loose, aggro, and tricky.

TURN: a brick, 3or 4..
Ibet, BTN raises, I??

I hate thses situations, the pot is fairly small, Villian is capable of raising here with just about anything, If I'm behind I have 0-2outs, and I have him at 0-3outs if ahead, I have been calling these types of raises down, it usally feels dirty, and I'm not sure I should be betting the turn, or if its better to try and get 1bet in on the turn and river?

so thats everything upto today
Day3: +253.20 hands:339
Total: +276.82 hands:1278

so I'm back near my pace, and on a nasty rollercoaster. Today has went well so far, and I finished off the Party reload, so back to Empire and getting in a lot of hands so I don't lose my open challenge.

[Online247]

[ QUOTE ]
I have AJo UTG 6handed, and raise .. folded to the BTN who calls, BB calls 3to the flop 6.33SB

FLOP: QQJ rainbow
bb checks, I bet, BTN calls, bb folds

the BTN is very loose, aggro, and tricky.

TURN: a brick, 3or 4..
Ibet, BTN raises, I??

I hate thses situations, the pot is fairly small, Villian is capable of raising here with just about anything, If I'm behind I have 0-2outs, and I have him at 0-3outs if ahead, I have been calling these types of raises down, it usally feels dirty, and I'm not sure I should be betting the turn, or if its better to try and get 1bet in on the turn and river?




[/ QUOTE ]

Easy call IMO. BTW, good luck with your quest, and make sure to keep us updated. [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[MaxPowerzz]

I really enjoyed reading about your poker career and would like to read about others (thread idea anyone?).

GL on your quest; I'd join you but, as I'm playing .25/.50, it would far to many hands for me [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img].

[Gregatron]

[ QUOTE ]
if GregJ thinks this is wasting forum space or whatnot I'm fine with it being abadoned, but I think there will be some valuable poker content in here.

[/ QUOTE ]
What are you nuts? This is good stuff! I look forward to reading more!

[bottomset]

anyone from here is welcome to talk to me about hands or whatever on AIM: bottomset222, my empire name if you feel like searching me out and trying to sabotage [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] Fuji very funny

really though, you are screwing up my great table bro, I hate sharing [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[bottomset]

here's a good hand from tonight

BB is a 2+2er, He knows me, he knows I know he's a 2+2er
MP is a total clown, like 75/20, coldcalls a ton, bluff raises a lot

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (6 max, 6 handed) converter

Preflop: bottomset is UTG with A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
<font color="#CC3333">bottomset raises</font>, MP calls, <font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, BB calls.

Flop: (6.33 SB) 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">BB bets</font>, bottomset calls, MP calls.

Turn: (4.66 BB) 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">BB bets</font>, bottomset ??

[ProsperousOne]

Good motivation for me! Definately not a waste of time...

You mention in a few places "I found a good game on x".

Can you clarify what your def of a good game is, and how you stake it out?

My guess would be as loose and passive as possible, so for 3/6, VP$IP&gt;50%, PFR&lt;5%????

Am I close? (Note that I play .5/1 and 1/2, so these numbers might be lower for a 3/6 table....)

[ProsperousOne]

[ QUOTE ]
here's a good hand from tonight

BB is a 2+2er, He knows me, he knows I know he's a 2+2er
MP is a total clown, like 75/20, coldcalls a ton, bluff raises a lot

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (6 max, 6 handed) converter

Preflop: bottomset is UTG with A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
<font color="#CC3333">bottomset raises</font>, MP calls, <font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, BB calls.

Flop: (6.33 SB) 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">BB bets</font>, bottomset calls, MP calls.

Turn: (4.66 BB) 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">BB bets</font>, bottomset ??

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't like any of the calls... BB is a 2+2er, and I put him on at least TT, Flush Draw, or even 777 (BB, and may be defending with A7) and you've got A high... Pot is small... Am I missing something? [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[Paxosmotic]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't like any of the calls... BB is a 2+2er, and I put him on at least TT, Flush Draw, or even 777 (BB, and may be defending with A7) and you've got A high... Pot is small... Am I missing something? [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]
Yes. Once a pot goes heads up between two 2+2ers (or in this case, heads up with a guy just calling anything), it is no longer about the cards you have, but who has the biggest cajones. I put Villain on exactly Two Cards here. That's not to say we should continue with the hand, but a 2+2er leading into someone else he knows is a 2+2er does not at all mean the board hit him. Hell Eeegah bluffed me off top pair with 9-high a week ago and hasn't shut up about it since.

I think it's an easy fold on the turn, regardless.

[droolie]

Good luck man.

I'm doing a similar challenge. It's called "Make $410 by September 10th." I think I can do it as I'm selling a bunch of stuff on ebay that should bring me around $400. Wish me luck!