In composing the primary three elements of this miniseries, I attempted to interrupt down the story of my month as a semipro blended sport participant into phases. It began out with early optimism and the hope of validating a long-held perception in my poker skills by means of a real-life area check. The second article lined my leaping into the blended sport waters with an preliminary gradual and regular climb. The third article lined my subsequent week-and-a-half of play, throughout which I suffered an enormous downswing after which started a gradual and regular rebuild (each financially and mentally) throughout Blended Recreation Competition XII.
By the point the pageant ended, my confidence was lastly again. I had recouped losses and was again within the black for the journey. What got here subsequent was a deliberate pause from poker as I headed to Los Angeles to spend the weekend with my prolonged household. From there, I headed again to Vegas, returning to the grind that will as soon as once more check my self-discipline and every part I had been “making an attempt to do proper.”
If I needed to sum up the weeklong stretch of the of the journey that I’ll be protecting on this penultimate installment of the miniseries, it will be that I attempted to strike the proper stability between the full-on grind and common, regular life. Even so, typically (because the Hebrew saying roughly interprets to): “the operation is successful, however the affected person dies.”
Days 17-19 | November 21-23: Resting and Recharging in Los Angeles
The drive from Las Vegas to Los Angeles felt like greater than only a change of surroundings. As I made my method west, I leaned into one thing deeply private and nostalgic, listening to and singing together with the music I cherished as an adolescent again after I lived in LA. It unlocked part of me that doesn’t floor fairly often, as my life has modified fairly drastically from the years after I was an “LA boy.”
Shabbat with my aunt, uncle, and cousins was grounding in a method that poker merely can’t be. Spending time with a few of my closest kin was precisely what I wanted. I rested deeply. I slept nicely. I ate meals that didn’t simply style superb, however that additionally introduced again reminiscences from my youth. As a lot as I like the sport, it was refreshing to not simply have “poker, poker, poker” be the fixed point of interest of my day.
Poker Calls Twice, However I Let the Telephone Ring… and Slept within the Automotive
On Saturday night time, after going out for pizza with my cousins, I had a well-recognized dilemma. It was late, however I nonetheless had loads of vitality, and the Commerce On line casino poker site (the place I’ve made some nice reminiscences) was solely 20 minutes away. Slightly maxim I attempt to adhere to on my journeys is “do in your journeys what you possibly can’t do at dwelling.” At dwelling, I don’t have a poker site 20 minutes away. As a matter of reality, Israel doesn’t have any poker rooms. I fairly actually need to get on a airplane if I wish to go to one.
However I resisted, and am extremely proud that I did! Right here’s why:
There have been no blended video games operating (I checked on the Bravo Poker Dwell app; and, sure, I checked the Bike and Hustler, too). Extra importantly, the timing was incorrect. Simply because I had a chance to play didn’t imply it was the best sport for me to play, the best time to play, or that I’d be on my A-game. Plus, I’d have lots extra time to play as soon as I’d get again to Vegas. Typically it’s essential to simply say “no” and wait till subsequent time. It felt just like the mature resolution.
Then, my check received slightly bit more durable…
I received again to my aunt and uncle’s home to search out that I had by chance been locked out. It was nicely after midnight, they usually (and all my cousins) had gone to sleep. Not eager to wake anybody up, I as soon as once more confronted the temptation to go play poker all night time quite than sleep.
For any regular, wise particular person, the selection could be apparent. For a poker participant, not a lot. 🤷♂️
Fortunately for me, good sense gained out… and I slept within the automotive.
“Yihiye beseder” means “It’ll be alright”
A Superb, Enjoyable Sunday
That I had in some way gotten into such a ridiculous state of affairs was downright comical. I really laughed myself to sleep. It wasn’t the best of sleeps (I awakened a pair occasions to begin the automotive and blast the heater for a couple of minutes), however all’s nicely that ends nicely. My aunt, uncle, and I had a superb snort after they awakened within the morning and noticed my textual content messages. They let me in, and I managed to grab one other couple hours of shut-eye in a correct mattress.
What adopted was one of the crucial enjoyable days I’ve had in years: A late breakfast with my aunt and uncle, an hour lengthy go to with my rabbi (he’s been my non secular advisor for 30+ years, ever since I used to be his scholar in ninth grade), a solo lunch at a fantastic Chinese language restaurant, and some unhurried hours spent chilling at a neighborhood public park the place I had made many a reminiscence as a child. It was an ultra-rare day the place I had nothing deliberate and simply “let the day come to me.”
It felt like a present. No speeding. No schedule. No work. No social media doomscrolling. No defaulting to YouTube or Netflix. Simply conscious presence. It was simply excellent. All of that culminated in an superior household BBQ at my cousin’s home that felt like an early Thanksgiving.
I set out again in the direction of Las Vegas that night time with a full abdomen and a full coronary heart; my psychological and non secular batteries had been topped off. I used to be full of gratitude for the weekend that had been and with pleasure for the times that awaited me in Las Vegas. The four-hour drive again that night time handed in a flash. Moderately than feeling the emotional drop that may comply with such a excessive, I felt energized. Refreshed. Able to return to a metropolis I like and take advantage of the remaining time I had as a semipro blended sport poker participant.
Irrespective of what number of occasions I do that, it’s simply as thrilling each time.
I ❤️ you, Las Vegas!
🤩 pic.twitter.com/ou4jPhpyBg
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) November 24, 2025
Day 20 | November 24: Again to the Grind, Again to Actuality
Today felt prefer it marked the start of my journey’s dwelling stretch. It was time to shift absolutely again into play mode, however earlier than hitting the felt, I eased again into the day responsibly. I caught up on some work, did laundry, went for a stroll, and sat right down to eat a correct lunch.
Once more, all of that may sound completely trivial and easy, but it surely’s really easy to simply throw good habits out the window and slip into dangerous ones. The trail of least resistance is at all times a lot extra tempting than committing to the self-discipline of a more healthy routine. I’m glad to say that I gained that battle!
A part of an A-Recreation mentality in poker and in life is creating and sticking with routines.
Through the first a part of this journey I went for a stroll each morning.
It was wet all through my Blended Recreation Competition.
It’s really easy to NOT get again on the horse.
Self-discipline FTW 🔥🏃♂️💨 pic.twitter.com/wwGjpeBTbf
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) November 24, 2025
Poker-wise, the day ended up being a marathon. I logged 15 hours of play throughout Wynn, Resorts World, and Orleans. The primary session, marking my return to the $20/40 streets, sadly couldn’t have gone worse. As soon as once more, I couldn’t get something going. Regardless of enjoying patiently and making the best strikes and choices, I simply couldn’t win. Unhealthy playing cards. Unhealthy attracts. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Truthfully, it felt at although I used to be cursed particularly within the $20/40 sport. I received crushed and misplaced the rest of what Eli had given me to play with. That ended up being my fifth and last $20/40 session for the journey.
As I walked out of the room completely deflated, I despatched Wynn floorman Chris Schmiz the message under. My hopes of getting monster periods within the huge sport had been dashed. Not less than the journey wasn’t coming to an finish on a bitter be aware although. There was nonetheless loads of poker left to play.
Certainly, dropping right down to $8/16 modified every part. It was as if the storm had instantly dissipated and the skies had been sunny as soon as once more. My card distribution didn’t really feel particularly favorable; simply regular. Reserving a modest win helped my confidence return, and albeit it was astonishing how shortly my temper shifted.
I suppose that despite the fact that I’ve performed (and have gained) in loads of $20/40 (and better) periods, issues are simply totally different when enjoying absolutely in my consolation zone. I don’t know the best way to repair/change this case apart from to maintain taking choose pictures at enjoying greater and slowly making these stakes an extension of my consolation zone. Fortunately, once more as a result of Eli’s unbelievable generosity, my strikeouts within the greater stakes video games didn’t negatively have an effect on my very own bankroll.
When the sport broke, quite than make a dumb resolution to play $1/3 Texas Maintain’em (sure, this nonetheless needed to be an energetic resolution), I drove over to Orleans and late-registered a $150 HORSE match. Very like the disciplined choices I had made earlier within the morning, this was the higher, smarter transfer. I flew to Vegas to be a semipro blended sport participant, in spite of everything, so I needed to persist with that path.
I fought and bobbed and weaved my option to ninth place out of 40! Alas, solely the highest 5 finishers made it into the cash.
Blended sport tournaments demand persistence and a cussed refusal to stop. Each chip should be treasured, they usually’re so essential to have for the inevitable downswings as a way to then construct up and maximize your rungood when it will definitely comes. Mine by no means arrived although, nor did the $2,016 first place prize cash that I had my eye on. Dang, that will’ve made such an enormous distinction in so some ways.
A part of me needed to leap proper again right into a money sport, however I noticed that I used to be bummed about not having cashed within the match and thus wouldn’t be enjoying my A-game. So, as a substitute, I walked upstairs to catch a film (Operating Man). That call mattered rather a lot.
Publish-movie, I felt nice… so then I returned to the tables for what ended up being an all-night $8/16 Omaha 8 or Higher session. I did so as a result of I genuinely needed to play, not as a result of I used to be tilted. I walked away eight hours later having gained slightly greater than a rack ($230) and deeply conscious and grateful that I used to be dwelling the Cardplayer Life-style I had dreamed about for years.
Day 21 | November 25: Operating on Empty and Loving It
Oh, you thought I went to sleep after that all-nighter? Nicely, you’d be incorrect.
I stop enjoying at 9am and went straight to Bellagio to debate plans with Craig Larson for a future Blended Recreation Competition. The assembly went nice (Gdwilling, it’ll be taking place subsequent summer season!) and afterward I loved an exquisite “celebratory” lunch earlier than lastly grabbing a brief one-hour nap and taking a much-needed bathe. The one factor I didn’t do was go for my each day stroll… alas, I’m solely human. 🤷♂️
Salmon, broccoli, hash browns, and cantaloupe style superb whenever you’re celebrating life rungood
Then, it was straight again to the poker tables. I headed to Resorts World the place I performed eight hours of $8/16 combine. I wouldn’t have pushed myself if I didn’t really feel on my A-game, however I actually felt completely tremendous. Three cheers for youthful vitality! I stayed disciplined, averted spew, and managed to accrue a couple of rack and a half of income earlier than lastly calling it a day. Being awake for 36 hours and nonetheless enjoying solidly felt surreal.
“That is heaven,” I keep in mind pondering. The camaraderie. The consolation. The rhythm of the room. “I can order meals. I can get a therapeutic massage. I’m nowhere close to uninterested in poker. I’m surrounded by associates with whom I like spending time enjoying. I wish to do that without end!”
As much as that time, when by myself dime within the lower-stakes blended video games (other than the one main mistake of enjoying heads-up towards Ruth earlier within the journey) I had been a reasonably constant money sport winner for 3 weeks. That felt validating, regardless of match buy-ins consuming into what remained of my income. Ultimately, should you hold at it, the match breakthroughs are certain to come back as nicely and stability out all of the crimson ink. Certainly, I’m destined to have greater than $380 in lifetime winnings on my Hendonmob web page, proper?!
With all of that mentioned, and the consistency and my errors all accounted for, actuality issues. I really feel lots snug enjoying in $4/8 and $8/16 blended video games, however it’s not a stake you possibly can realistically assist a household of 5 on, particularly should you think about match variance. That, in flip, strengthened what I’d being aiming to attain with the journey: “semipro” standing. It simply makes a lot sense to me. Low-stakes blended sport poker, when performed nicely, could be a significant complement, however not the only pillar. Having it as “one thing further” past my common income streams makes the whole expertise more healthy, emotionally and financially.
Day 22 | November 26: Respecting the Grind, Then Failing at It
After a fantastic night time’s sleep, I headed to Aria to play in a $9/18 combine.
On my method there, I had a while for some broader reflection. Having been working within the poker trade for therefore lengthy, I already had a ton of respect for the grind. For the gamers who do that on daily basis. For many who rely solely on poker revenue. Now “in it” myself for the primary time, that respect had solely grown. The self-discipline, psychological fortitude, and emotional resilience required are monumental, particularly for match grinders and blended sport gamers with restricted choices versus their Texas Maintain’em-playing counterparts.
Plus, you additionally need to handle overhead prices relentlessly. Lodging, meals, transportation, rake, and GTO use of the comps you earn whereas enjoying all matter. Each leak provides up. These leaks naturally additionally embody not tilting away your chips on the tables, or spewing away any hard-fought income within the on line casino pits.
All of that’s laborious sufficient to do whenever you’re profitable, however that rather more difficult whenever you’re shedding and nonetheless have to indicate as much as play the following day. Some days you’ll break even and typically days and even weeks may go by and also you’ll have “nothing to indicate” for all that effort. That’s precisely what the grind is: exhibiting up on daily basis, slowly and steadily “chipping away” and making an attempt your greatest to become profitable, and remaining as disciplined as doable all through. It truly is, because the saying goes, “a tough option to make a straightforward dwelling.”
Mockingly, on the very day I used to be pondering most clearly about self-discipline, I as soon as once more deserted it.
First time enjoying $9/18 combine… Let’s see what all of the fuss is about 😉
Cc: @ARIAPoker pic.twitter.com/TTEoXmL9jH
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) November 26, 2025
The Tilt Cometh, and Taketh Away
I began tremendous, then for some inexplicable motive simply loosened up and started enjoying poorly. By four-and-a-half hours in, I used to be down two racks ($600) and will have thrown within the towel. As a substitute, I rebought. I performed higher after that, however wasn’t hitting and continued bleeding till the sport broke with me down $800. Very frankly, I had run chilly, however that was compounded and the state of affairs exacerbated total by my having tilted, not remaining affected person, and never quitting earlier.
That’s after I actually ought to’ve stopped for the day. However no. I doubled down on my mistake whereas within the exact mindframe to worsen the loss each quantitatively and qualitatively. I drove to Orleans hoping to win some again. 4 hours later, I had blown one other $400 enjoying $8/16 Omaha 8 or Higher and $4/8 Restrict Maintain’em. It was pure spew and an enormous self-inflicted blow to my bankroll. It takes a lot effort and time, and good resolution making and rungood to make $1,200 enjoying low-stakes blended sport poker. I had fully blown it all around the course of two periods on one rotten day. Beginning off the day with 12 hundred greenback payments in your pockets and ending it with an empty pockets simply makes you wish to cry.
This was my low level of the journey. The one saving grace at that second was that the next day was Thanksgiving. Truthfully, it was fairly laborious to be in a grateful mindset after the catastrophic day I had had on the felt.
Day 23 | November 27: Thanksgiving, Perspective, and Partial Redemption
I had gone to sleep resolved to abstain from enjoying poker the next day. Thanksgiving could be spent with Eli and his household, and I deliberately introduced no money with me to the meal with a view to keep away from any temptation of heading straight to play poker from there. It was an exquisite expertise and precisely the place I wanted to be.
Grateful immediately for therefore many, many issues… amongst them, among the finest associates a man may ever have.
❤️ you @elielezra1 — thanks for making me really feel like a part of the household!
Completely satisfied Thanksgiving, everybody! pic.twitter.com/WJRTpoDnEk
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) November 27, 2025
After the meal, I spent a number of hours in entrance of my laptop catching up on initiatives that had began to pile up. That, too, is a part of being a semi-pro. Poker can not come on the expense of every part else. Solely at 11pm, with a clear desk, did I head out to play poker once more.
I began out at Orleans enjoying $4/8 Omaha 8 or Higher, ran chilly, and misplaced simply over a rack ($115). On the drive again, I lastly gave in to temptation and stopped at South Level to leap right into a $1/3 No Restrict Maintain’em sport and “attempt to win again the $115 I had misplaced.”
To be clear, there’s nothing incorrect with Texas Maintain’em, and I’ve performed tons of it over the course of my life. However this journey was about being a blended sport semipro. Nonetheless, the session went fairly nicely. In slightly below an hour, I managed to revenue $150 and neatly rise up from the desk. Whereas it didn’t come wherever shut to creating up for the day earlier than, it felt good to ebook the win. Plus, frankly, only one “Maintain’em slip up” in a month isn’t too huge a deal for a blended sport semipro.
One Week Left To Go
It felt like déjà vu. After simply over 160 hours of enjoying poker, I (as soon as once more) had primarily zero to indicate for all my effort. Two horrific periods over the course of 1 shitty day of poker had worn out all of the progress I had revamped the earlier week. It simply goes to indicate how merciless the sport may be. The sport doesn’t care that you just “do every part proper an amazing proportion of the time”. You’ll typically get punished, harshly, in your errors. Even whenever you’re disciplined. Even whenever you relaxation and eat wholesome and train. Backside line, when self-discipline mattered most, I slipped laborious and paid dearly for it.
With only one week left in Las Vegas, the query now was easy and heavy: Might I get better financially and mentally from my greatest self-inflicted lack of the month? Or would this error outline the journey?
Make sure you take a look at the fifth and last installment on this miniseries to search out out.
Robbie Tracker: 161 hours of poker performed | $40 total revenue
