I’ve been lurking around FTR for a while now and figured it was time to write down some thoughts on a regular basis to help me track my progress and iron out some recurring problems that are preventing me from moving up through the stakes and making a decent hourly rate.

I originally started out grinding freerolls 2 years ago and managed to make a few hundred bucks in year one without really playing that much at all and then fluked my way to a couple of $1k scores in micro mtts. The variance eventually started to get to me, along with the late nights, and a move to cash games was inevitable.

I’m currently playing 10nl with a bankroll of $2.3k and beating it for just 2bb/100 over 100k hands. My goal within the next year is to move up to 25nl and beat that for $15/hr average but I’m only going to move up once I’ve fixed my concentration and inconsistency problems and beating 10nl for a much higher win rate. 10nl on Stars seems easily beatable for 20bb/100 if (and that’s a big IF) I can fix my issues.

Current mental problems that I’m hoping writing this blog will help me fix include:

- Getting up a couple of buy-ins quickly playing thinking poker on a work night, then donking them off over the rest of the evening despite knowing my brain is mush after an hour.
- Playing because it’s late and there’s nothing else on, even though I know it’s a bad idea after a long day at work.
- Making bad calls on the river despite knowing I’m well behind. These river calls for 30-40bb can make or break a session and I’ll muck the hand when feeling fresh but call if tired due to some weird need to prove myself right.
- Trying to get involved with fish too much and dropping down to their level when I’m not concentrating.

Other than that, I’m by no means technically brilliant at poker and I’m going to post more hands in future and get involved in more hand discussions. Oh, and read and re-read Jared Tendler’s book.

Wish me luck!