Harebrained June-December 2017 Challenge: 4NL to £5/10 live

SR23

Ambitious, right? 

But let's not get carried away: I'm not hoping to go from 4NL to being sufficiently rolled for playing £5/10 live by the end of the year. What I would like to be, though, is sufficiently rolled by December to be playing live regularly and at least be able to buy-in properly and play a few hours of £5/10 - preferably at the Palm Beach Casino, Mayfair. 

There are reasons for wanting to play there and at those stakes. At some point I will go into those reasons. I will also find the time to talk about crying into a boiled egg and about not being able to walk across a bridge. All in good time. 

In the meantime, sit back, relax, and watch me not relax as I fudge my way through the lowest of low stakes cash. I've chosen to start at 4NL because (a) it's humbling, (b) it's more of a challenge, (c) I have tons of emotional and psychological leaks in my game and, most importantly, (d) I'm perma-broke. 

Rules:

This is not 'Nam, this is poker. There are rules. I will only stop trying if I go broke. If I go broke I will start again at 4NL. I will apply hyper-aggressive brm. Well, 10 buy-ins per level. If I go broke at 4NL then I can reload. If it looks like I'm going to go broke at another level then I will drop back to - actually, I haven't really thought through the rules and what I'll do. I'm sure it will all be fine. 

Updates will be regular. Probably more regular than you (or I) feel comfortable with. 

Until then, then. 

Tikay10

Ha, great stuff, will follow with interest.

You write very well Mr SR.  

SR23

In Response to Re: Harebrained June-December 2017 Challenge: 4NL to £5/10 live:

Ha, great stuff, will follow with interest. You write very well Mr SR.  
Posted by Tikay10

Thank you very much, Mr Tony 'Teacakes' Kendall. Breifly, on a scale of 1-10, how easy did you find it to give up smoking? I'm on the brink. 

Phantom66

#subscribed

GL

SR23

Good news and bad news. 

The good news, is that I'm up around five buy-ins over my last two hours of play. The other good news is that a winnable looking strategy at these stakes is just to relentlessly go for VALUE (value is important, that's why I just shouted it). Build pots, hit, then pot pot pot.  The further good news is that the weekend is just about to swan in and weekends are the best time to play poker. 

The bad news, is that I managed to dust off several buy-ins in the couple of sessions before that. 

More riveting poker insights to follow. 

Starting bankroll: £40

Current bankroll: £49.89

Donttelmum

Best of luck SR.  I believe.

Rafa and Halep French champs for me.

SR23

In Response to Re: Harebrained June-December 2017 Challenge: 4NL to £5/10 live:

Best of luck SR.  I believe. Rafa and Halep French champs for me.
Posted by Donttelmum

Entirely possible. Rafa was sensational earlier. I'm loving this French Open so far, enhanced by my recent conversion to tennis lessons. (Apparently I was doing it all wrong.)

Donttelmum

In Response to Re: Harebrained June-December 2017 Challenge: 4NL to £5/10 live:

In Response to Re: Harebrained June-December 2017 Challenge: 4NL to £5/10 live : Entirely possible. Rafa was sensational earlier. I'm loving this French Open so far, enhanced by my recent conversion to tennis lessons. (Apparently I was doing it all wrong.)
Posted by SR23

I might have mentioned I coached tennis before poker came along.  What were you doing wrong?  Tell me which stroke and I'll have a punt.

SR23

In Response to Re: Harebrained June-December 2017 Challenge: 4NL to £5/10 live:

In Response to Re: Harebrained June-December 2017 Challenge: 4NL to £5/10 live : I might have mentioned I coached tennis before poker came along.  What were you doing wrong?  Tell me which stroke and I'll have a punt.
Posted by Donttelmum

Yep, you did mention that - I'm looking forward to a knock up when I come up to Newcastle (?) on my UK live poker tour. 

My (one handed) backhanded was/is my biggest problem. Over to you...

tomgoodun

Is it stated anywhere in the rule book you cant use 2 rackets? If not learn ambidextrousnous and never play backhanded again:)

Donttelmum

In Response to Re: Harebrained June-December 2017 Challenge: 4NL to £5/10 live:

In Response to Re: Harebrained June-December 2017 Challenge: 4NL to £5/10 live : Yep, you did mention that - I'm looking forward to a knock up when I come up to Newcastle (?) on my UK live poker tour.  My (one handed) backhanded was/is my biggest problem. Over to you...
Posted by SR23

I too have a one handed backhand, I blame Sampras and Federer my two tennis heros.  I do think looking back now it was a mistake making the switch from a 2 handed back hand when I was very young.  Saying that, how can anyone say that the Gasquet single hander isn't a thing of shear beauty.  Closely followed by Wawrinka.

Theres a lot of things that can go wrong with the backhand, esp when single handed.  I always used to coach a double hander.  A couple of common issues are getting the grip right and the position you make contact with the ball in relation to your body which is predominatly down to footwork.  

I'm very much looking forward to the grass season and seeing Fed where he's best.

Donttelmum

In Response to Re: Harebrained June-December 2017 Challenge: 4NL to £5/10 live:

Is it stated anywhere in the rule book you cant use 2 rackets? If not learn ambidextrousnous and never play backhanded again:)
Posted by tomgoodun

Funny you should mention this Tom, I actually know someone that does this.  The major issue is when it comes to serving.  

I hope you are well Sir and things get a little easier for your family too.  Hope to see you at the SPT.

SR23

Ha, great to have you here Tom. Please stick around. 

Yep, DTM, key issues were grip (which I've adjusted, but it felt weird as hell to begin with) and footwork (related to grip and my body position changing). It's frustrating but I can see how these changes are going to make my game better. 

Before this descends into a tennis thread, a quick poker update: I haven't played any poker today. Tomorrow, though. Always tomorrow. 

SR23

I can't pretend this is going well. For a start, I'm not updating enough. I'm not updating enough because I've not been playing enough. In fact, I've done everything this last week to distract me from playing. 

Take last weekend. Last weekend I cleared everything so I could grind, then ended up going out on Saturday night and got into bed at 9am on Sunday morning. If any of my readers like to go out on Saturday night and stay up until 9am on Sunday morning, then they might be able to appreciate that Sundays leave you feeling a little psychologically compromised and emotionally tender. So Sunday poker was out. 

Monday was no better. God knows what happened on Monday, but it was no better. Tuesday was a wash out. I found plenty of stuff to do on Wednesday so I could avoid playing poker: tennis, swimming, lunch out on my own, some reading, some writing and so on. Even when I logged on to Sky I would distract myself from playing by reading every word of every thread, including a thrilling when-is-a-freeroll-not-a-freeroll? number that had me hooked for hours. 

On Wednesday evening, a migraine. Brilliant, I thought, I definitely and justifiably can't play poker now. 

But then, progress. I think all of the hiding-from-poker that I have been doing is because I couldn't bring myself to play 4NL. It feels like such a giant step back: I've been playing poker reasonably seriously for five years and to go back to the microiest of microstakes feels a little humiliating. 

Well, humiliation be damned - it's brilliant down here. You lose a stack and don't care. You check-jam rivers as a bluff and couldn't give one whether you're called or not. There's no pressure. I think that after thousands of sessions and millions of hands I have found my level, readers, and that level is 4NL. 

The only problem is that because of my ragged, thrown-together "rules" I have 10 buy-ins and so have to move up to the next level. So hello 8NL and goodbye, 4NL, I'm sure I'll be seeing you again soon. 

Right, I have to somehow dodge all of those temptations out there and get the required number of points by the end of the weekend to play in next week's freeroll/not freeroll and get to Vegas. 

Starting bankroll: £40

Current bankroll: £89.19

Donttelmum

In Response to Re: Harebrained June-December 2017 Challenge: 4NL to £5/10 live:

I can't pretend this is going well. For a start, I'm not updating enough. I'm not updating enough because I've not been playing enough. In fact, I've done everything this last week to distract me from playing.  Take last weekend. Last weekend I cleared everything so I could grind, then ended up going out on Saturday night and got into bed at 9am on Sunday morning. If any of my readers like to go out on Saturday night and stay up until 9am on Sunday morning, then they might be able to appreciate that Sundays leave you feeling a little psychologically compromised and emotionally tender. So Sunday poker was out.  Monday was no better. God knows what happened on Monday, but it was no better. Tuesday was a wash out. I found plenty of stuff to do on Wednesday so I could avoid playing poker: tennis, swimming, lunch out on my own, some reading, some writing and so on. Even when I logged on to Sky I would distract myself from playing by reading every word of every thread, including a thrilling when-is-a-freeroll-not-a-freeroll? number that had me hooked for hours.  On Wednesday evening, a migraine. Brilliant, I thought, I definitely and justifiably can't play poker now.  But then, progress. I think all of the hiding-from-poker that I have been doing is because I couldn't bring myself to play 4NL. It feels like such a giant step back: I've been playing poker reasonably seriously for five years and to go back to the microiest of microstakes feels a little humiliating.  Well, humiliation be damned - it's brilliant down here. You lose a stack and don't care. You check-jam rivers as a bluff and couldn't give one whether you're called or not. There's no pressure. I think that after thousands of sessions and millions of hands I have found my level, readers, and that level is 4NL.  The only problem is that because of my ragged, thrown-together "rules" I have 10 buy-ins and so have to move up to the next level. So hello 8NL and goodbye, 4NL, I'm sure I'll be seeing you again soon.  Right, I have to somehow dodge all of those temptations out there and get the required number of points by the end of the weekend to play in next week's freeroll/not freeroll and get to Vegas.  Starting bankroll: £40 Current bankroll: £89.19
Posted by SR23

This is the most impressive thing I've read on the forum this week. wp

SR23

Had a bit of a wobble last night - played badly/ran badly. Not an ideal combination. Logged off for a while and then decided to log back in early in the morning so I could limp over the line to make next week's final Vegas freeroll/not freeroll. This happened a couple of hands in which squeaked me into profit for the day. 

Not the most complicated of hands to play, granted, but I'm delighted to be able to post hands (something, for some reason, that I've not been able to do before) so expect some more interesting spots over the coming hours/days/weeks/however long I give this thing. 

Starting bankroll: £40

Current bankroll: £92.19

EDIT: Turns out I can't work out how to post hands. Cliffs: I hit a set. 

hhyftrftdr

In Response to Re: Harebrained June-December 2017 Challenge: 4NL to £5/10 live:

Had a bit of a wobble last night - played badly/ran badly. Not an ideal combination. Logged off for a while and then decided to log back in early in the morning so I could limp over the line to make next week's final Vegas freeroll/not freeroll. This happened a couple of hands in which squeaked me into profit for the day.  Not the most complicated of hands to play, granted, but I'm delighted to be able to post hands (something, for some reason, that I've not been able to do before) so expect some more interesting spots over the coming hours/days/weeks/however long I give this thing.  Starting bankroll: £40 Current bankroll: £92.19 EDIT: Turns out I can't work out how to post hands. Cliffs: I hit a set. 
Posted by SR23

Don't fold.

SR23

Good stuff. I didn't. Folding flopped sets is usually bad. if you - or anyone else - have the appetite for any further piercing insights into poker, I've just launched a blog. Apparently they're the future. For more, see here:

Bankroll continues to inch up. I'm actually enjoying poker for the first time in ages and really planning on a big grind over the coming weeks/months as I want to get my roll in some sort of reasonable shape to play live. 

Really enjoyed your Vegas diary. More, innit.  

Starting bankroll: £40

Current bankroll: £125.65

weecheez1

Very professional looking blog sir looking forward to keeping up with it. It's nice to read things that we can relate to rather than the high rollers that we can only dream about.

QUICKFEET

#subscribed too

Entertaining stuff.

I think about diverging away from TDYM to cash but it just freaks me out. All 6 players limp pre-flop and then you have to work out your post flop pot odds and bet size accordingly. Too much maths!

Whereas in TDYM you wait 10 minutes to get to Level 6, go AIPF and hope for the best.

(as they are 2 minute blinds, I guess you have to wait 12 minutes for Level 6... no wonder I keep losing... too much maths!)

tomgoodun

Still lurking.

Great start to the blog, that pic though...is that how the pyramids were built?  Often wondered about that, and Stonehenge - my first ( and still) hypothesis was aliens were involved somehow.

I see the word 'Cliffs' used quite often, when I wer a lad we called them ' highlights', when did it change and how is the word ' Cliffs' appropriate ? Is it anything to do with the Shadows?

Keep up the good work.

SR23

In Response to Re: Harebrained June-December 2017 Challenge: 4NL to £5/10 live:

Very professional looking blog sir looking forward to keeping up with it. It's nice to read things that we can relate to rather than the high rollers that we can only dream about.
Posted by weecheez1

Thanks very much, appreciate it. I am by no means a web developer but they (whoever they are) have made it really easy for the novice to put together a reasonable looking site simply and quickly. Hope you stick around. 

SR23

In Response to Re: Harebrained June-December 2017 Challenge: 4NL to £5/10 live:

#subscribed too Entertaining stuff. I think about diverging away from TDYM to cash but it just freaks me out. All 6 players limp pre-flop and then you have to work out your post flop pot odds and bet size accordingly. Too much maths! Whereas in TDYM you wait 10 minutes to get to Level 6, go AIPF and hope for the best. (as they are 2 minute blinds, I guess you have to wait 12 minutes for Level 6... no wonder I keep losing... too much maths!)
Posted by QUICKFEET

Thanks for subscribing, Quickfeet. Have you given cash much of a whirl? I still find myself in tons of spots where I have no idea about what to do - so often plump for Doug Polk's "If you don't know what to do, bet" advice - but I suppose after grinding TDYMs for a while most spots are second nature to you. 

Lots of limping at 4NL, but go past that level and the ramping up of pre (and to a lesser extent, post) flop aggression is marked, even at 10NL.

SR23

In Response to Re: Harebrained June-December 2017 Challenge: 4NL to £5/10 live:

Still lurking. Great start to the blog, that pic though...is that how the pyramids were built?  Often wondered about that, and Stonehenge - my first ( and still) hypothesis was aliens were involved somehow. I see the word 'Cliffs' used quite often, when I wer a lad we called them ' highlights', when did it change and how is the word ' Cliffs' appropriate ? Is it anything to do with the Shadows? Keep up the good work.
Posted by tomgoodun

Still good to have you here, Tom. Thanks for your kind words. 

The pic is of the Stoa of Attalos. I hadn't heard of it either, but I was looking for a suitably pretentious image for my first post and I think what I was trying to suggest, is that both my website and poker "career" are still under construction, much like the Stoa of Attalos was in 1955. Something like that. 

Cliffs: I don't really know what I'm doing. 

Jac35

Born in the same year as me

For that reason and that reason alone, I subscribed 

SR23

In Response to Re: Harebrained June-December 2017 Challenge: 4NL to £5/10 live:

Born in the same year as me For that reason and that reason alone, I subscribed 
Posted by Jac35

I'll take any reasons I can get, to be honest. Good to have you here/there. 

Jac35

In Response to Re: Harebrained June-December 2017 Challenge: 4NL to £5/10 live:

In Response to Re: Harebrained June-December 2017 Challenge: 4NL to £5/10 live : I'll take any reasons I can get, to be honest. Good to have you here/there. 
Posted by SR23

I lied

Love reading your posts

QUICKFEET

In Response to Re: Harebrained June-December 2017 Challenge: 4NL to £5/10 live:

In Response to Re: Harebrained June-December 2017 Challenge: 4NL to £5/10 live : Thanks for subscribing, Quickfeet. Have you given cash much of a whirl? I still find myself in tons of spots where I have no idea about what to do - so often plump for Doug Polk's "If you don't know what to do, bet" advice - but I suppose after grinding TDYMs for a while most spots are second nature to you.  Lots of limping at 4NL, but go past that level and the ramping up of pre (and to a lesser extent, post) flop aggression is marked, even at 10NL.
Posted by SR23

I have never been brave enough to go beyond 4NL, I guess that is why I assumed limping was standard cash strategy... and why I generally lost my buy in whenever I ventured down that end of the lobby... lol! If I had a half decent hand in cash, I used to 3x raise pre to thin out the field but about 4 people would still call, I'd then miss the flop and meakly fold!

The best strategy in TDYM is sit tight and let everyone knock each other out or, if the table is tight, try and build a stack from stolen blinds hence I get a nose bleed if I am still in a hand post flop!

SR23

In Response to Re: Harebrained June-December 2017 Challenge: 4NL to £5/10 live:

In Response to Re: Harebrained June-December 2017 Challenge: 4NL to £5/10 live : I have never been brave enough to go beyond 4NL, I guess that is why I assumed limping was standard cash strategy... and why I generally lost my buy in whenever I ventured down that end of the lobby... lol! If I had a half decent hand in cash, I used to 3x raise pre to thin out the field but about 4 people would still call, I'd then miss the flop and meakly fold! The best strategy in TDYM is sit tight and let everyone knock each other out or, if the table is tight, try and build a stack from stolen blinds hence I get a nose bleed if I am still in a hand post flop!
Posted by QUICKFEET

Ha, quite. I've played probably no more than 200 TDYMs and would often find myself in a similar spot: chip leader on the bubble, then I'd relax for an orbit or so and quickly find myself in - for want of a far better word - trubs. Things can change quickly in the TDYM world. 

As a sidenote, a few months ago on your diary you linked to a car rally (?) that you went to and I had a semi-stalk of your youtube channel. It's the nuts dude, I was completely bowled over. Best of luck on the tables, peace out. 

TimmyRaRa

Good luck with this I will be follwing.

SR23

Good stuff Timmy, appreciate it. 

I'm in the process of putting up 100 or so of my previously published columns on the site. With annotations. They need annotations because they - well, certainly the early ones - cause me to shiver in embarrassment. 

If anyone wants to shiver along with me, you can start to read them on my site at pokercism.co.uk (can't seem to add a link at the moment).

Anyway, an update. I lost AT v A7 aipf yesterday for a reasonable stack in the last Vegas freeroll but I was playing pretty shabbily and wasn't too distressed. I did throw my phone at a chest of drawers, though. That showed it/them. 

Cash has been a bit...nothing. Lost a bit but hoping to do some solid grinding over the weekend. 

Opening bankroll: £40

Current bankroll: £111.43