NEVER GIVE UP. NEVER SURRENDER.

Ok, I am new-ish to flopturnriver read a lot of posts but never really wrote any, I have decided to start becoming serious about poker after messing around for a few years. I am currently playing on full tilt with a BR of $10 (not much I know) and I am going to be playing $2NL 9 Max exlcusively, as I feel this is the best place to "re-learn" poker. After going through a phase of thinking I was the best player at every table and wondering why I wasn't playing higher, I have finally hit the realisation that I do well and truly suck, but I am going to try my hardest to improve and try and work my bankroll up. I am going to start playing one table at a time sitting down with $2. I am going to use this blog to basically record my progress and hopefully it will help me keep my discipline, something which I need to sort out asap. Any comments are welcome.

gl - you can probably 2 table at least if you're playing 9 man tables and i doubt it would make any difference vs just one.

I tried to play two tables, but I felt like I was risking to much of my br at one time. So I am going to stick with one table until I hit $20 and then hopefully add another one.

Theres a couple of hands I would like to show you to see what I should of done:

Full Tilt No-Limit Hold'em, $0.02 BB (8 handed) - Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

MP2 ($1.18)
CO ($0.33)
Button ($0.50)
Hero (SB) ($2.44)
BB ($3.60)
UTG ($0.40)
UTG+1 ($2.29)
MP1 ($0.69)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 6, 6
UTG calls $0.02, 4 folds, Button calls $0.02, Hero calls $0.01, BB checks

Flop: ($0.08) 6, 3, J (4 players)
Hero bets $0.06, Button raises to $0.48 (All-In)

Total pot: $0.20

Full Tilt No-Limit Hold'em, $0.02 BB (9 handed) - Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

MP2 ($0.47)
MP3 ($1.21)
CO ($0.48)
Button ($0.36)
Hero (SB) ($1.75)
BB ($3)
UTG ($0.43)
UTG+1 ($2.39)
MP1 ($1.84)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 10, A
2 folds, MP1 calls $0.02, 2 folds, CO checks, 1 fold, Hero calls $0.01, BB checks

Flop: ($0.08) 10, 9, 6 (4 players)
Hero bets $0.08, BB calls $0.08, 2 folds

Turn: ($0.24) 5 (2 players)
Hero checks, BB bets $0.10, Hero calls $0.10

River: ($0.44) 3 (2 players)
Hero checks, BB bets $0.40, Hero calls $0.40

Total pot: $1.24

1. With no reads, he could have the bare A, or a hand like KJ, QJ, or even like J3s. When he has the flush, we can still out draw him. We're way ahead if his range looks anything like the following:

Code:

Board: Js 6s 3s
Dead:  

	equity 	win 	tie 	      pots won 	pots tied	
Hand 0: 	37.681%  	37.29% 	00.39% 	         34704 	      361.50   { TcTs, TdTs, ThTs, 33, AJs, AsTs, As9s, As8s, As7s, As5s, As4s, As2s, KsQs, KsTs, Ks9s, Ks8s, Ks7s, Ks5s, Ks4s, Ks2s, QsTs, Qs9s, Qs8s, Qs7s, Qs5s, Qs4s, Qs2s, J6s, J3s, Ts9s, Ts8s, Ts7s, 9s8s, 9s7s, 8s7s, 8s5s, 7s5s, 7s4s, 5s4s, AJo, AsTc, AsTd, AsTh, As9c, As9d, As9h, As8c, As8d, As8h, As7c, As7d, As7h, As6c, As6d, As6h, As5c, As5d, As5h, As4c, As4d, As4h, As3c, As3d, As3h, As2c, As2d, As2h, KsJc, KsJd, KsJh, KsTc, KsTd, KsTh, Ks9c, Ks9d, Ks9h, QsJc, QsJd, QsJh, JcTs, JdTs, JhTs }
Hand 1: 	62.319%  	61.93% 	00.39% 	         57633 	      361.50   { 6d6h }

2. Preflop and flop are good. I would definitely bet again on the turn, probably around $0.20, expecting to get called by J8, QJ, KJcc, KQcc, A7, A8, 75, 76, 86, 97, 98, J9, Q9, K9, A9, T7, T8, JT, QT, KT, and any other hand that turned a club draw (think AXcc or J7cc). If we get raised, then we can figure that Villain either had 65 or was slowplaying the flop. The river is close on whether to check/call or bet. Villain's draws often include a pair, making them likely to check behind. But some villains just bet every time they're checked to, even with a mediocre pair. I'd lean towards a bet, though, since I don't really expect a river bluff raise at 2NL.

hand 1 - snap call...if he had a full stack (100 Big blinds) this would be a very tough decision and probably a fold but because he is shorter this is an easy call even though it is only a limped pot.

Hand 2 - Betting the turn is best but i like check/calling the river to let him bluff all his missed straight draws. nh

In hand 1, he had a flush but I sucked out. :P
In hand 2 he 10 6 and slowplayed. But after looking back at the hand I would of preferred me to bet/fold the river as I don't see many $2NL players bluff raise the river, and I can see at a lot of worse hands calling me.

Ok I think I am going to start at Stage 1: BANKROLL MANAGEMENT
BankrollManagement 101. Important to new players by a500lbgorilla

I read that and found it quite useful, it was basically saying that luck is a huge factor in the short-term and you need a big bankroll to cushion the blows. I also read around others peoples posts and found that the majority of the reasons that people go bust are not that they aren't good enough but that their bankroll is not big enough so when they did get unlucky it was hard to handle. I am determined to stick strictly to bankroll management as all the people here seem to see it as one of the most important things, and with their experience I am going go with them on it.

NLHE 9Max:
$2NL - $125
$5NL - $250
$10NL - $625
$25NL - $1250
I have basically done this, so that I will move up when I have 25 buyins for the next level. I will then move back down if I lose 10 of those buyins. e.g if at $5NL my BR hits $75 I would move back down.