First time poster here, been lurking for about a month. Quick background: 25 year old male, have had 3 serious gfs, with nothing really happening in between them, no flings/hookups/anything casual at all. Split up with last gf a few months ago and have been trying to improve my technique. Over the past week went out three times solo to see what I could make happen, really the first times I've ever gone out with the sole intention of gaming women. Here's an FR of each night, would appreciate comments/suggestions

Day 1: I head to a hang-out type bar around 10. Cruise inside, and am pleasantly surprised to see quite a few hotties throughout the place. I'm somewhat terrified at doing a cold approach at this point, so I tell myself I'll grab a drink first/scope them out, and make something happen (mistake I know).

So I head to the outside bar and set up camp there. I have a couple beers, and chat with cute bartender and other dudes hanging out, kind of watching some sports on TV. Maybe 10:45, I haven't done anything, and this HB7 comes and stands a few feet away from me watching(or pretending to watch) the TV by herself. I'm already berating myself for being out here with a bunch of dudes that long, so I open her up with some comments about the game and how I don't believe she's really interested. She's receptive and we talk for maybe 30 minutes. At one point her brother (who she's out with for the holidays) actually tries to call her back over to their table to say something, but she decides to continue talking with me, which I thought was a very good sign. This interaction ended when she said she was going to check in with her group and come back to me, but never came back. I didn't get a #, and zero physical escalation was happening, although we were having a very good convo.

Maybe 15 minutes after she disappears, two girls, HB6 and another HB7, come next to me to the bar to order some drinks. They're having some problems getting service, so I have some time to joke with them about their santa costumes. By the time they get their drinks, I've gotten their names and have engaged HB7 about her backstory, etc. I'm already in my head critiquing my first interaction, so I'm sure to introduce some kino, and she's very receptive to it. Everytime I touch her arm, she kind of moves into it, same with hand on her back. We probably talk for at least 45 minutes, with her friend leaving us alone at the bar, and the kino becoming steadily more frequent. Definite connection, and she stays with me when her friends kind of laugh at her from across the bar. This interaction ends when she tells me she's going to go to the bathroom and will come back, but never does. She was with a large group of people on a bar crawl together, and they all left, so my guess is they just grabbed her and took her to the next place. I didn't get a # on this one either.

At this point its maybe 12:30. I shoot the shit with the bartender/other dudes at the bar, but not many women outside anymore, so I go back inside to see whats going on in there. As I'm walking past a table with a HB3 and HB9, the HB9 literally goes "psssst" and makes eye contact with me as I pass. I suspect something is up, but I sit down and begin to chat them up. Sure enough, she claims she "lost her ID", and wants me to buy her a drink with her money, but after pressing admits to not being 21(she said 20, but I can't even say if I believe that). I mess around with the two of them for a bit, but obviously no way I'm going to buy drinks for underage girls. I mess/joke around with them for a bit giving them bad advice on how to get drinks, but the HB9 is a total ditz, on her phone constantly, etc., and I had no interest in committing time to break into that. I excuse myself, and go home.

Day 1 didn't really lead to any tangible results, but it was very helpful for my confidence, and was the first time I had gone out with the intention of meeting random girls, and I hadn't fallen on my face (perhaps I should have).

Day 2: Day 2 is a much shorter FR because it was an abject failure. I head to a different bar with a great attitude, but it had a completely different atmosphere. Not really a hangout bar, more clubbish but with no dancing. Some very attractive women in there, but everyone seems completely engaged and in a group. The vibe I was getting was it was a bunch of groups who hadn't seen each in forever and were partying for Xmas. I hang out at this bar for maybe 2 hours drinking with bartender/dudes at the bar trying to find an opening, but completely bitch out. I end up bailing and going to a different bar where I happen to run into some friends and had a great time, but then the experience wasn't about gaming anymore, and I had a bad taste in my mouth from not doing anything. I opened only one girl at the bar, but she was just ordering a drink and left after she got it.

Day 3: Day 3 I started off going out swing dancing with people from some classes I'm taking. I dance with quite a few new girls, but don't really "open" any of them. About midnight the ratio of the crowd has gotten terrible, so I bail and go to this other bar/club that has (normal, non ballroom) dancing.

I'm in pretty good state and just go dance by myself in the crowd with zero expectations. Within 10 minutes, this HB7 comes up and starts dancing in front of me. I know this is typically bad form, but I felt she placed herself there for a reason, so I do the whole "approach from behind" dance thing and she is very receptive. I introduce myself and we do some serious dancing for maybe 45 minutes. lots of kino, really just grinding. They take a break, and I feel like I have this in the bag, when her sister invites me to join them outside to cool down. I get to know her group and do a pretty good job leading the conversation, and even the guys in the group like me. At maybe 1:30 (bars here close at 2:00) here, HB7 and her sister go into grab a drink, telling us they'll be back. Their guys stay outside, one of them is married to the sister, so I figure they'll definitely be back this time...not.

About 1:55 I go back inside to find them, and HB7 has like 4 guys chatting her up. I still have managed to keep zero expectations, so I'm like "fuck this". I walk straight through the guys, tell her I'm leaving, get her number, and peace out. I text her something short and sweet.

30 minutes later, when I'm already down to my jammies and brushing my teeth(I live close by), I notice that she had actually called me 5 minutes ago and I missed it in the bathroom. I call her back, but she doesn't pick up (guessing her friends talked her out of it?) but she texts me saying they're heading back but she'd like to hear from me.

So those were my first three nights in the field. Thoughts?

My main critiques: The second night I realized I have no idea how to approach a group that looks pretty engaged. What i mean is if the group/girls are all laughing and talking animatedly, it seems like it would be socially weird for me to barge in as the "new guy", and expect them to pause, let me introduce myself, and continue on. If given an opportunity, if a girl is looking bored, sitting/standing alone, or otherwise "situationally forced" to be next to me (like at the bar), I don't really have a problem starting and holding a conversation, but that's not going to happen all the time.

Secondly, how do I deal with girls telling me they're going to come back, and not doing so? I think they genuinely meant it (probably?), they probably just got distracted on the way or pulled off by their friends. I think I could have # closed both those girls from Day 1, but thought I would have more time.

Anyways, thanks for the help all, I'll try to start being a contributing member now.