The Professor Challenge – Day 22: Short Session, Tough Showdowns
Updated: Oct 16
💰 Bankroll Progress
Starting Bankroll: $232.575
Ending Bankroll: $228.606
Session Result: -$3.969
Rakeback: $3.73
Poker Room: Titi Poker
Format: NL20, 40BB buy-in
📖 Table of Contents
🕒 A Short Session on Titi Poker
Day 22 was a much shorter session than usual. I did not get to play many hands, and for most of the session the action was fairly straightforward.
The main difference compared with Day 21 was simply that the key showdowns did not go my way. There was no dramatic strategic change and no major tilt — just a small losing session shaped by a few all-ins.
If you missed the start of this new phase, read Day 21, the article explaining why I moved from Red Dragon Poker to Titi Poker, and Day 20 for the final Red Dragon session before the switch.
💥 AK vs AQ in the Biggest Pot
The decisive hand came when I held AK against a player who called a roughly 100BB preflop all-in with AQ.
Preflop, that is exactly the situation I want. I had the stronger hand and got the money in ahead. Unfortunately, a queen hit the turn and the biggest pot of the session went the other way.
It is the clearest example of why the result of one session can be misleading. Getting called by AQ when holding AK is a profitable outcome in the long run, even when the immediate result is painful.
🎲 Small All-Ins, More Variance
The rest of the losses came mostly from a sequence of smaller all-ins against short stacks. I lost several 70/30 situations and coinflips, which added up despite the relatively low number of hands played.
With short effective stacks, these confrontations happen frequently. There is less postflop maneuvering and more of the session result is concentrated in preflop or flop all-ins.
That makes individual sessions noisier, but it also means the important question remains the same: was the money going in with the right range against the right opponents? Today, the answer was generally yes.
💸 Rakeback Softens the Result
The Titi Poker rakeback continues to matter. The Day 22 screenshot shows $3.73 in rakeback, which helps offset part of the small table loss.
That is exactly why rakeback is relevant in this challenge. The real result is not only what happens at showdown; over enough volume, cashback reduces variance and contributes directly to bankroll growth.
📺 Watch the Full Session
The complete Day 22 Titi Poker session is available on The Poker Broker YouTube channel below.
🎓 Technical Comment by Marchese del River
Day 22 is a good reminder that a correct all-in can still dominate the result of a short session in the wrong direction. AK against AQ for roughly 100BB is the type of spot that should be judged by the decision, not by the queen appearing on the turn.
The short-stack structure also amplifies variance. When many pots end in all-ins before the river, a small sample can swing quickly based on a handful of 70/30s and coinflips.
The technical response is not to become more conservative simply because those all-ins were lost. Keep taking profitable spots, but make sure the ranges remain disciplined and that calls or shoves are based on the opponent rather than frustration from the previous result.
The session was too short to extract a new population-level conclusion. The best next step is simply more volume on Titi Poker.
📲 Follow the Challenge on Telegram
For updates on The Professor Challenge, private poker room deals and direct support, contact @the_poker_broker on Telegram.
💭 Final Thoughts
Day 22 ended with the bankroll moving from $232.575 to $228.606, for a session result of -$3.969.
The session was short and the biggest pot came down to AK against AQ, where I got the money in ahead and lost after a queen hit the turn. A few smaller all-ins then pushed the result slightly further into the red.
There is nothing to reinvent after a session like this. The decisions were mostly straightforward, the loss was small, and the next priority is simply to play more hands.
The Bankroll Challenge continues.
