**** TJ’s Sundry Poker Adventures! 2025-26 ****

I can't comment on the PLO advice part of this, but the rest is spot on. Never waste a good crisis! Review the small hands as well as the big ones and spend time working through whether it's variance or bad play or both...and then come up with a plan

TBH, it's at least as important IMO to be doing this when running hot - winners tilt is a real thing and...loose/bad calls that lead to wins/running smoking hot and thinking it's normal etc etc can be very detrimental to our game in the long term as well.

The bad results just keep rolling in.

The online game got together last night. I bought in for 500, played and ran generally pretty well, and ran it up to +5k or so.

I thought about quitting. But I was in a good seat, in a deepstacked spot vs the action player.

Then I lost a hand where I made a set, but the board didn’t pair, and I had to fold. Down to +3.5k.

Again, I thought about quitting. But the same reasons to stay in the game were there.

Next I got into a raising war with the other best player in this game. Set over set, nasty cooler, and it was disguised. Busto.

The -500 session result is barely a scratch in that game. I could have gone deeper, and reloaded. But I knew I was too tilted, from dusting off 5k of profit to be playing well. So I called it a night.

Which I should have done earlier.

I thought about that a lot, as I was in the gym today.

Ugh. So sorry. We've all been there, and nothing helps but time and winning sessions :(

hang in there TJ
tighten up pre
maximize when u have it
minimize when u dont
back to basics, battle these guys from the inside out and you'll be crushing again in no time!

The losing streak is finally snapped. Had a nice +3k night at G, which I needed in the worst possible way. For my own sanity, if nothing else.

Did it all on one bullet, no add-ons, too, which was pleasantly refreshing.

The game got deep, and was pretty good all night. Even more so by the time I picked up. But most of the money was to my left, and I’d be apoplectic with myself if I busted all that profit, again, in a crazy deep spot.

So I tried a new move: the stop-win. We don’t have to break the game. We don’t have to play until we bust it all. We can leave if we’re fatigued.

…And it was fine.

Still stuck on the month, but this goes a long way towards digging out of the hole.

I’m VERY ready to turn the page on January. So let’s recap what was a pretty grim month.

The goal was to finish 2+ books a month. I saved it for the end, finished 1 book, and started a second, but couldn’t get it done this month.

On the recommendation of AIM, I finished this:

…and it was a fantastic book.

I’ve been playing poker for a long time, so most of the basic advice was intuitive. Aggressive is better than passive. Play 4 connected cards. Wield position, fold when you’re out of position.

The information I found most valuable was the math and quantifying exactly how wrap straight draws work together. As a starting hand, I considered a 4-card consecutive wrap (JT98, etc) to be the platonic ideal of a straight draw. And it’s a strong, coordinated hand. But gaps in your wrap aren’t necessarily a bad thing.

The only way to flop a 20-out straight draw is to have a gap of two in the middle (JT76, etc) and catch a flop of 9-8-x.

Also, it was very valuable to me to learn where you WANT the gaps, and where you don’t. J987 is a favorite heads up and all in vs T986, but the latter is a MUCH better hand to play in the multi-way games I play in. It can flop harder, with more draws and redraws to the nuts, when you catch 7-5-x. The J987 can flop a T and a 6, but that’s not as strong a draw as T986 on 7-5-x.

I also found the “play a hand with me” hand quizzes to be valuable. Explaining the thought processes behind the decisions to make was very useful and informative. It was encouraging that I mostly agreed with the thinking behind some plays, and encountered teachable moments when I didn’t. I give up when I miss too much, and don’t bluff enough rivers with busted draws, I learned.

So no matter what level your PLO game is on, you can get value from reading this book.

The fitness goal for January was 13 workouts, and I made it into the gym for 11. We had a couple snowstorms each of the last two weekends, and I didn’t feel like bundling up to walk all the way there.

The appointment with my doctor went well, and he endorses my idea to get back on a GLP-1 drug. He says he has to formally recommend Lilly Direct, which is name-brand drugs that’s FDA approved. But he wink wink nodded at the use of compounded medication, which I’m able to get at a lower cost through an online doctor.

I’m taking compounded tirzepatide, which is Zepbound, and the best deal I found is for $199 a month. Last year I was paying over $450 a month for compounded semaglutide (which is Ozempic/Wegovy).

I hit a wall with the semaglutide, and some data suggests tirzepatide might be better for strictly weight loss. So we’ll see.

We’re getting the Peloton bike replaced on Wednesday, so I’m eagerly anticipating adding back the cardio component to my routine. I’m also steadily increasing the resistance on my strength training.

Working out is a FANTASTIC outlet for being in a poker downswing. As one of my favorite podcasters says, activity absorbs anxiety.

YTD weight loss: -7.4 pounds.

So… the poker.

It was rough.

I played 42.9 hours live, plus 988 hands online, and lost 5 bucks short of -$10.5k in January. That's actually an improvement for how deep it got. Hopefully I've already hit the bottom.

Yeesh. I manage my bankroll, and spend within my means, but I can’t afford too many more months like THAT.

Looking back through my posts this month, it seems I’d gotten away from posting specific hands. I’m going to get back to that, to elaborate on my own thought processes, and spot trouble areas.

I hit my volume goal of 40 hours, but I’m not necessarily sure that’s a good thing, if I’m playing long sessions that aren’t at my best. I may need to re-think my volume target to sessions, instead of hours played. It’s not like I’m getting rakeback.

So I’m ready to turn the calendar to February. Goal-setting this month, for both fitness AND poker, will be a bit tricky, because I’m taking weekend trips 3 of the 4 weekends this month, and working a bunch in between.

I’m looking forward to two weekends at Cherokee, for the Main and the mini-Main, with cash PLO in the meantime. And, Caesar’s Virginia in Danville is hosting a smaller tournament series this week. They’re using this as the dry run for their first WSOP Circuit event, which is expected to happen in September.

I’m playing the $1100 Main Event on Saturday. Honestly, I have no idea what to expect. It’s a 1-day event, and I’m guessing around 100 entries. But that guess may be way high or way low, and who knows if they even have enough dealers for that. We’ll find out!

I hate being unempirical about my goals. But I’ll go to the gym as much as I’m able, between work and my weekend trips. And win as much as I can at the tournament and cash tables.

TJ

sure it may be easy dismissing this following ramble
but the impartial witness inside me believes you currently possess more than enough potential talent to achieve proper mindset toward becomming a darn good poker bum

the rest contingent upon particular monk-like awareness each hand you observe
yes to be the best every detail must be considered
flukes are what great white whales wear while floundering at the tables

Enjoying lurking your thread and thanks for the updates.

I'm a rec too and have recently listened to myself in cutting sessions short when I feel like I'm not playing my best anymore, and its paid off. Less hours may work out for your hourly, even if the overall profit isn't as high

Best of luck in Cherokee

You poker book readin' son of a gun TJ, you old sailor you!

Checkmate your villains with your new poker tools and knowledge!

On that note, was walking through the book store tonight and happened to pass the games/poker books section. Saw "Every Hand Revealed" up there along with some of the other usual suspect ancient tomes. It's like we got to 2008 and collectively decided as a society that we reached our quota of mainstream poker books for the next two decades. I'm certain that many new and better books have been published in the subsequent decades, but you wouldn't know it by visiting most book stores. I guess poker truly peaked in the mid-late 00s and the book selection mirrors that.

Tangent aside, good luck in the upcoming tournament forays.

The first session of February is a winner, in the online game last night for +1.8k.

I was feeling apprehensive and a little anxious as I bought in, seeing ghosts from how bad I’ve been running and playing lately. I didn’t want to log in and just lose more, which might affect my ability to take the poker trips that I truly enjoy. But I know I’m a winner in that game.

The big hand was 3betting AQJ8 with nut hearts from the button, and flopping the ace high flush. My cbet got check/shoved on, and it was nice to play a 4k pot having flopped my opponent basically dead with a worse flush.

The decision to 3bet that specific hand may have been marginal, but I think it was key to getting stacks in later. I think if I had just flatted the button, and it was a single-raised pot, we wouldn’t have gotten that many bb’s in flush over flush.

I guess the lesson is, no gamble, no future.

TJ Ill be coming up for the Cherokee main so will be looking for you. Hopefully can bag Friday and then play plo on Saturday.

Good morning!

…It’s tournament Game Day.

So you already know where I’m starting my day: the local WaHo.

Some fuel before I get on the road to Danville.

Went with the go-to breakfast, and of course asked for onions on the hashbrowns.

I almost couldn’t finish it all. I guess that’s the tirzepatide doing its thing.

Next stop: Caesar’s Virginia!

glglgl!

Wafflecrush.

We've trained our boy well. Now go snatch that pebble out of the other player's hands Grasshopper.

Made it to Danville safe.

Greeted by ol’ JC when you walk in.

…He’s pointing towards the casino floor.

Bought in for the event today, table 1 seat 5. Hopefully we’ll stay there as long as we can!

kick some ass dude 👍

Chatted with the Tournament Director, and he confirmed Caesar’s Virginia is a go for a WSOP Circuit stop in September.

Like I said, no idea what to expect from this tournament. Sounds like we’re hoping around 100 entries.

That means we’re definitely only firing one $1100 bullet, the math wouldn’t justify going deeper.

If it’s a short day, I’ll stick around for a little PLO.

Add dollars--not pounds!

30k starting stack, let’s goooooo!

LFG!

Moby in the house!