Hmm yeah, I guess I’ve never tried to play for a living in a small room like that. But even then I’d at least be trying to get on the better table!
It’s all a cosmic gumbo of theoretical skill, discipline, stamina, game selection, ability to tilt your opponent, etc. I suppose skill is the most important but it’s kinda hard to say when it’s all such a cosmic gumbo.
99% of the time it’s mathematically impossible to be playing for a living in a tight 1/3 game given the rake.
Nobody who is actually a pro is trying to do so.
Tommy Angelo figured all this out what, 20 years ago? Optimal play isn’t optimal for everyone.
Line check pls:
1/3 spread limit, I’m in for $900 and feel like I’m playing well, running bad, table is extremely soft. I have my final buy-in on the table and have run it up to $700, V1 is sun running, has me covered, and appears to be on winner’s tilt. V2 has $385ish and is in play bad/run bad mode:
V2 is UTG+2 and opens to $15
Hero on button w/ A 
A 
raise to $50
V1 is SB 4-bet to $250, dealer announces capped pot
V2 calls, Hero calls
Flop: 7 
8 
9
V2 checks
Hero bets $200
V1 raises to $400
V2 calls for ~$135 and is all-in
Hero calls
Turn: 10
V1 checks
Hero bets $300
V1 tank folds black KK face up
Dealer pushes side pot to me
River: 6
V2 flips over 10 10 and we chop the main pot
Planning a trip to Canterbury Park. Who’s local there?
You had $700 but put $950 into the pot. I’m assuming this is $300 cap, I’d probably just max bet in every spot postflop, but definitely just get it in after the c/r. You’re never folding and it’s hard to imagine he will ever fold on the flop getting 5.5-1. There’s a bunch of dumb turn cards like that 10 that might get him to fold turn and he’s never straight bluffing so just rip flop.
Cap pot is the dumbest idea ever created! It’s called no limit for a reason.
Shockingly, gaming regulations designed for casino games don’t work particularly well for poker.
The rules is WA are politically driven. Tribal casinos got to set the rules, so it’s a $500 cap for bets and buy-ins on Indian properties and $300 for non-tribal rooms. The three Tribes that are proximal to Seattle all closed their poker rooms, two way before Covid and one after. The state rep that I recall being in the Tribes pocket is a complete dumpster fire of a human:
There’s probably audio of her abusing a local radio host on the air kicking around somewhere. Happened after one of the earlier episodes where she abused her staff. Fucking repubs just can’t resist playing the victim.
ETA-3/5 games at non-tribal rooms have a $1000 max buy-in, $300 max bet limit.
Not to mention the “playing internet poker is a felony” law. Would much rather they had used their sway to get rid of the $500 cap for tribal gaming.
I did a bit of digging before I opened my account on Ignition and it seems like there’s no interest in enforcing that law, so I went ahead and became a Class C felon.
I’m localish in the sense that it’s the closest decent poker room to me and within driving distance.
I’m looking at showing up for their spring series.
I’m unlikely to be there at all during that, but let me know if you have any questions about the room ahead of time.
How weird is it from another player to be super insistent that I tell him my last name?
Bonus info: it was this guy.
The rest depends on various factors.
Put me in the right private game and you could Men In Black flashy thing away a lot of my skill and I’d still do well. Some people have average poker still but great game building/getting invited skill. Others suck at that but are so good they beat up on tough lineups.
It’s extremely hard to grind 40+ hour weeks though which is probably necessary for most 4-6bb/hr winners. Just so mentally taxing and stressful.
Grinding poker for months on end is much better when you know that after some rungood you can just pickup and leave the country and go on holiday for months on end
Bankroll management #1.
Games with players worse then you at poker and lots of money #2.
Keep getting invited back to these games #3.
1 and 3 only matter that much to pros.
99% of poker players have a refillable bankroll called a job. They also play in casinos exclusively where being invited is irrelevant.
I’ve played with him before at Canterbury. Usually a pretty nice guy in my experience. I do recall him being the type to ask where I was from, probably because he didn’t recognize me as a regular. Guessing he wanted to look you up in Hendon mob if he was asking for last name.
Out of curiosity, what game was this in?