Right, this sounds interesting. I am in.

Have started an account on Power Poker so I could get the 33% rake back. Got this through coinflip.com Not too shabby.

Anyway, playing 2 - $10 NL tables at once, just started to watch hockeguys videos and put in about 1 hour and I am already on $127. shall keep you all updated and post any interesting hands/ big losses so I can get some help and opinions from you suckers

Catch you soon

I like this idea and will look forward to seeing how you progress in this challenge. Maybe as you move up the stakes you can give us some hints on table selection as i think in the microstakes it doesnt matter as much seen as though there seems to be fish at most tables!

Alrighty then

After a very frustrating effort to get set up at a new site i finally got set up on Carbon Poker w/ $100 bankroll.
i chose Carbon for bonus 100%(but unlikely to clear much of it in 30 days given), 35% rakeback, decent traffic, and
merge network does support holdem manager.

i played an hour or so last nite at .02.04 to explore the software and get HM working. Software is pretty simple,
but unfotunately i didnt get HM working correctly. but i did win $3.47 at 2 cent/4 cent so i can afford a beer.

i plan on a session .05/.10 this evening and will probably record it as a video

off to work
peace out hg

OK first trip into the Carbon poker pond
played about 35 min at 3 tables of 10nl
started 103.57 ended 111.58, net 8.01

general impressions of play at carbon poker 10nl
loose semi aggressive, kind of the worst of all worlds
many loose players that were neither passive or real aggressive, made bets but too small to accomplish anything
consequently any bets they made never had chance to end the hand and win the pot
just built pot size for no reason w/ no plan without having a strong hand- very poor play

also a couple annoying software issues that appeared, mainly multitabling action, table wouldnt pop to front
but hopefully i can get that squared away.

stayed tuned hg

Hi hg,

What is your name on Carbon? I won't play against you but would enjoy railbirding. Looks like you play the same kind of hours I do, a little in the morning and some in the evening after work. My name on Carbon is cliffap. You seem to be doing pretty good for a start. Good Luck.

Cliff48

thanks for the reminder Cliff
i meant to mention my carbon stage nme is hockeyguy321 if anybody wants to watch or join the action
i will normally be playing in weekday evenings in seattle wa, between 630-10:00pm depending on my kids baseball schedule
on weekends as well, not sure what time though, kid baseball and fit in some higher games over at bodog

I put in another 90 minutes w/ 2 tables watching season finale NCIS/NCIS Los Angeles
224 hands, $8.06 +. win rate 36 big blinds/100 hands
got HM database working, but no heads up yet
bankroll up to $120.08, up 20 bucks on day 1, playing 2 hrs on 2 tables

Observation of 10 nl level, players are totally unable to cope w/ repeated aggression, its like they never saw a 3 bet before
they are also very reluctant to get involved in hand w/ a serial raiser, this narrows their range when the do play a hand
also many short stacks making horrible shove bluffs typically on river or preflop, easy to induce for extra value

peace out hg

DAY 2 RESULTS

a couple shortish sessions
this is pretty common for me after work, i cant focus/stay awake very long most weeknights
when beeps for my action wake me up i know time for a break or to quit

first session started poorly 3 way pot w jj , lost stack to 88 on 882 flop
cbet flop, 2 callers, 4 on turn, cant like 2 callers (at these levels totally expect an 8 to slowplay call)
but board so dry, a blank turn card, and large pot (12 bucks/120 big blinds), i have to shove (6 bucks or so) to try
protect hand from flush draw and overs- fyi first caller had AK and stacked off w A hi w/ no draw

KK goes down in flames fo 40 BB to A hi flop a few hands later so 14 bucks(140 big blinds) in the hole right at start
but steady aggression got me up about 4 bucks after 90 min playing just 2 tables

another short session after i put kid to bed, about 45 min on 3 tables
nothing interesting up about 6 bucks

overall today started 120.01, ended 130.08, up 10.07
502 hands- winrate 20 big blinds/100 hands

nothing more to report about play more than first session observations
more bad bluff shoves by short stacks
players still appear intimidated/confused by constant aggression
didnt try to get HM hud working, too tired to fart around fixing software issues
i figure the hud STATS add additional 5-8 bb/100 hands to win rate over long run
maybe ill try this weekend w/ the extra day off for memorial
God Bless Vets everywhere

overall results to date
635 hands played at 10NL
$17.56 profit ($3.52 from .02/.04 from HM setup and testing software)
winrate 28 big blinds/100 hands

hg over and out

HG:

I watched your play for a little while on your early session. Noticed your raises were not consistent. I got in on the tail end of your session so only saw a few hands and being pretty tired did not fully analyze the reasons. I am guessing differences were for different stack sizes and position. Pretty cool gaining on all sessions so far.

Cliff

cliff48 wrote:HG:

I watched your play for a little while on your early session. Noticed your raises were not consistent. I got in on the tail end of your session so only saw a few hands and being pretty tired did not fully analyze the reasons. I am guessing differences were for different stack sizes and position. Pretty cool gaining on all sessions so far.

Cliff

good question Cliff

i try to be pretty consistent w rase size preflop and flop, i will purposely vary bet size a bit on turn and river depending on situation and opponent

vs normal stacks
typical preflop raise 4xbb + 1 bb per limper, so 2 limpers my raise is 6bb total etc
typical preflop 3 bet/reraise 4x pfr raise, so f they pfr 3 bb, i 3 bet 12 bb
if they min raise i do tend to make it 5x, it fold weak hands and exposes strong hands
kinda handy vs dorky min raisers that like to mn raise w/ weak hands and monsters
since most times they are weak i thnk it is profitable and clarifies rest of hand

vs short stack i might vary a bit to get a fold or call depending on situation

that being said i know have had a bit of issue using some of bet buttons on carbon
they have 1/2 pot, 2/3 pot, 3/4 pot, and pot buttons as well as 2x,4x, and all in buttons for raises
but took me a few to get what each meant for example 2x means their bet + 2 times more, not double
i do wish they had 3x which is really 4x in my world
ex they bet 1, i hit 2x raises to 3
if i hit 4x my bet is 5, what i typically want is to bet 4, but thay dont have 3x button
trying to get into habit of entering amount directly

hopefully this will clarify

hg

DAY 3 RESULTS thusday 5/27

BR started at $131.45
Apparently got 1.37 in rakeback, i will investigate, had $130.08 when i left day 2
Mistakenly sat down at a 25nl table won $2.05 in an orbit before back to 10nl per challenge bankroll rules

I shall preface session summary with the observation
Sometimes shit happens, sometimes more than once
Was down about 3 ½ buyins in first 30 minutes, here is how

Unfortunate result #1
Raised ak sOOted spades utg, got 3 bet from utg +1, folded around, i 4 bet, he shoved
I called. I lost he hand. Take a guess what he had. Answer at end

Unfortunate result #2
utg raiser w/ 2 callers, KQ on button i call in position multiway pot
flop KQT, 2 tone-
checked to me, i bet pot to see where i am at/ thin field w draw heavy board
turn blank, utg checks, i bet 2/3, utg shoves i call
lost to AJ flopped nut str8- poop
at higher limits would play differently, at these i will get it in every time
i am aware could be behind set or better , but usually run into a draw or draw w/ pr where i am ahead at these levels

Unfortunate result #3
Raised ak utg, got 3 callers,
Flop 235 w 1 spade, i cbet,
2 folds and a shove
I call w/ gut 2 overs typically expect to be vs worse A or overpair
Worse A has 3 outs and 4 outs to a split- way a head
Overpair, i have 10 outs + bd draw- about 11 outs- close to coin flip
Observations from history more likely Ax than over pair- gives positive equity to me
Results at end

Unfortunate result #4
AK utg +1, i raise, only BB calls w/ halfish stack
Flop 45J 3 tone, i shove he calls w/ drumroll please
But wait why do i shove here, it looks like i have nothing
Typically get called at these levels by any pair or any 2 connected overs, painted overs, Ax, draws. Weak draws or random crap vs short stacks, (big hands would have gotten it in preflop)
Given short stack range postflop, i am usually get a fold or call by worse here
Notice i have most overcards that call dominated, what does he call with? See below

Results
Unfortunate result #1
Yup you guessed it 23s of spades, he flopped a 3 and held up
Unfortunate result #3
Yup you guessed it again 23o and held up
Unfortunate result #4
Yup you guessed it if you said T7o drawing virtually dead if i have a J or better
Spiked a turn T and held up

The moral of the story is not that the world is against me or that i am the unluckiest guy in the world. The moral is that shit happens even if you are a better player than the lucky donks.
I have had same thing happen at 100nl, been down $450+ in 1 session, even though HM EV calculator said i should be up $50+. So make peace with it now, take a deep breath or big drink or a break or whatever. It will happen again, sometimes too close together for your mental health, sometimes so far apart you almost forgot what it feels like to go to the proctologist. But it will happen again, it is part of the game. After a card dead couple more hours i got back to “only” down $20.79 on the 10nl games after 478 hands for the night

FYI-
Mr 23 sOOted 3bet/5 bet shove ended up with $40 + stack when he left( he had 10 vs. Me)
Mr T7o caller J45 flop w/ no draw also ended up with $40 + stack when he left ( he had about $5 vs. Me)

Just goes to show it is good to be lucky, but remember lucky is not a plan

overall results to date
1114 hands played at 10NL
$11.08 profit
winrate 11 big blinds/100 hands-
fyi HM missed a few hands so i did quick math in my head- i apologize for any rounding errors

hg over and out