So this is in me right now so I gotta get it right out.
All our lives we are taught, and we learn, and we observe.
But where does that take us until we contemplete ALL OF THE ABOVE.
I'm not saying life is incomplete without meditation, but on the level why not? If you go through life and see but do not think you are but a robot. And if you go through poker and follow x because y than you are no more. Poker is the ultimate test, but only to the extent that the rules of the game allow. If you follow x, and others follow y, than you have an advantage on the y followers because you already know their tendencies. However, when you encounter a fellow x follower, who also knows about the 'y's, than now we have a game!
Will he be pretending to follow 'y', while actually exploiting 'x'? Because that's what you're doing isn't it? Of course, and now the key question: does he know that you are exploiting the y's AS WELL AS THE x's?
If he does, then you can play your best game possible.
And as a result, he/she will respect that.
But... if you have misunderstood your opponent, then your "best" game, will not BE the best game (or in other words 'optimal game') against said weaker opponent. So you should be using blunt weapons. nuff said.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
wowowow fired?!
Damn, so today I got fired from the band I was playing with. It was a 70's tribute/disco band called Boogie Wonderland. I had been with them for almost 2 1/2 years, so it came as a real shock and really messes up what routine I had not to mention my financial situation.
I guess change comes in many forms. They said I wasn't keeping consistent tempos, and that my costume wasn't 70's enough - but underneath I know that is total BS. I am a very solid drummer, have been for over 15 years - and my costume wasn't *totally* 70's but neither were some of the other bandmembers. In any case, I think my life in the music industry is coming to a succint ending. Bad beat, wow.
So maybe poker is the next phase of my life. Joining Sngprotege was certainly a bold step in that direction, and I know the sky is the limit for a hard-working and thinking person in poker. I've been playing music for so long, and it's slowly been dragging me down the past few years because I've fallen into the 'cover band' sinkhole that so many people can fall into. You start playing the same songs in the same bars, weekend after weekend, and then the music just ain't as much fun. Sometimes I would be almost sleeping during "play that funky music" after playing it 1000s of times. All in all, I think this actually a good thing. When would I really have quit if I hadn't been fired? Since the money was so good, I probably would have gone for as long as I could until my poker game exploded - but maybe it was just getting in the way of my game....
Whatev, it's just sad that the band had no decency to grant me even 2 weeks notice and that they lied to me. It's time to move on bitches. 90mans watch out, there will be a pissed ex-drummer shoving and destroying this week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I guess change comes in many forms. They said I wasn't keeping consistent tempos, and that my costume wasn't 70's enough - but underneath I know that is total BS. I am a very solid drummer, have been for over 15 years - and my costume wasn't *totally* 70's but neither were some of the other bandmembers. In any case, I think my life in the music industry is coming to a succint ending. Bad beat, wow.
So maybe poker is the next phase of my life. Joining Sngprotege was certainly a bold step in that direction, and I know the sky is the limit for a hard-working and thinking person in poker. I've been playing music for so long, and it's slowly been dragging me down the past few years because I've fallen into the 'cover band' sinkhole that so many people can fall into. You start playing the same songs in the same bars, weekend after weekend, and then the music just ain't as much fun. Sometimes I would be almost sleeping during "play that funky music" after playing it 1000s of times. All in all, I think this actually a good thing. When would I really have quit if I hadn't been fired? Since the money was so good, I probably would have gone for as long as I could until my poker game exploded - but maybe it was just getting in the way of my game....
Whatev, it's just sad that the band had no decency to grant me even 2 weeks notice and that they lied to me. It's time to move on bitches. 90mans watch out, there will be a pissed ex-drummer shoving and destroying this week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Friday, January 21, 2011
(comfortably) 16 tabling!
So I finally buckled down and got some intensive volume in this week. Yesterday beat my total games in one day and got in 71!
I've been going with a 2 session a day routine, trying to get started by 8:30/9 and finish the day by 5-6. I'm taking a mind-break for an hour or so in the middle, but I can't believe it but I actually am starting to feel really in control while playing all 16 tables. Even when there are a few final tables or a HU match mixed in. A few months ago all I was doing was 4-6 tabling 6max games, didn't even dream I'd be gaming like this. Back then I knew that people mass-multitabled, but I just didn't get how they managed it. Now I have a good sense of how to direct my attention to the important tables and difficult decisions and it's starting to click!
I think a few things I started doing are helping a bit: I'm playing super nitty when I'm in the blinds reducing the hands I play out of position, I'm calling raises a lot less with speculative hands - though I still am defending the button when it calls for it, and I'm playing a lot more fit'or'fold postflop (especially in early position).
I tried going for a semi-tiled setup for when I reach final tables, but I finally concluded that it gets too hard for my ADD brain - so I'm sticking with a simple 1 stack setup for all tables. When I was putting a final table to the side I found my attention getting divided and not only that but using tableninja became more risky because you never know which side of the screen the urgent table is going to be!
Ok, gotta gig this friday night, will update more soon Peace!
I've been going with a 2 session a day routine, trying to get started by 8:30/9 and finish the day by 5-6. I'm taking a mind-break for an hour or so in the middle, but I can't believe it but I actually am starting to feel really in control while playing all 16 tables. Even when there are a few final tables or a HU match mixed in. A few months ago all I was doing was 4-6 tabling 6max games, didn't even dream I'd be gaming like this. Back then I knew that people mass-multitabled, but I just didn't get how they managed it. Now I have a good sense of how to direct my attention to the important tables and difficult decisions and it's starting to click!
I think a few things I started doing are helping a bit: I'm playing super nitty when I'm in the blinds reducing the hands I play out of position, I'm calling raises a lot less with speculative hands - though I still am defending the button when it calls for it, and I'm playing a lot more fit'or'fold postflop (especially in early position).
I tried going for a semi-tiled setup for when I reach final tables, but I finally concluded that it gets too hard for my ADD brain - so I'm sticking with a simple 1 stack setup for all tables. When I was putting a final table to the side I found my attention getting divided and not only that but using tableninja became more risky because you never know which side of the screen the urgent table is going to be!
Ok, gotta gig this friday night, will update more soon Peace!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Grinder
Ha, so I'm really trying not to turn this blog into a list of bad-beats. So I won't!
I'm getting crushed in the $6.50's right now - but I keep looking over my games and they look solid. The mistakes I'm making now as opposed to first starting are wayyy minimal so I guess I just need to put more games in.
My mindset is definitely suffering right now though, I was hoping to be doing way better at the 6's but then again I've only played 300 of them. So, time to stop whining and put in serious volume.
My only obstacle has been that the 6's load a lot slower than the 3's so it takes 45 minutes to get 10 up and running as opposed to 15min to get 15 $3's up! I guess I'm still a little attached to the money aspect too, when I lose a $6 I'm getting pissed (especially near the final table), so I'm finding it hard to go past 8 tables when my emotions are getting burned after losing a few - so I haven't been putting in my full multitabling potential.
Just be patient lunatic - play well, don't look back, and the results will speak for themselves. Don't give up on the 6's, because beyond that ---- the 12's await!!!
I'm getting crushed in the $6.50's right now - but I keep looking over my games and they look solid. The mistakes I'm making now as opposed to first starting are wayyy minimal so I guess I just need to put more games in.
My mindset is definitely suffering right now though, I was hoping to be doing way better at the 6's but then again I've only played 300 of them. So, time to stop whining and put in serious volume.
My only obstacle has been that the 6's load a lot slower than the 3's so it takes 45 minutes to get 10 up and running as opposed to 15min to get 15 $3's up! I guess I'm still a little attached to the money aspect too, when I lose a $6 I'm getting pissed (especially near the final table), so I'm finding it hard to go past 8 tables when my emotions are getting burned after losing a few - so I haven't been putting in my full multitabling potential.
Just be patient lunatic - play well, don't look back, and the results will speak for themselves. Don't give up on the 6's, because beyond that ---- the 12's await!!!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Ramping Up the Aggression.
Started today with a brief (and cold) walk around Lake Phalen. I didn't go all the way - more like 3/4s of a mile, but it's nice to wake up a little before putting in a session. I think too often I'll start grinding without truly waking up and rely on the coffee and shower. But getting outside, some fresh air really does the trick. Also didn't get started too early and slept in until 11:30 and as a result didn't start my session til 1! Gotta stick to my daily regimine and start AT LEAST by 9:00.
Thought today about implementing one "LOCKDOWN" a week kinda like the 2 months 2 million show. Except I would only play 8 hours, maaaaybe 10 tabling. But I thought starting out 8 tabling would be better for me.
Anyway, today I felt like stepping up my playbook a bit and really paying attention to what people were doing with their bets. Specifically I worked on stealing pots, "re"-stealing pots (post-flop not preflop), using my position almost absurdly to attack weakness, using 'bad' position to represent more strength, and a little more calling preflop than I usually do.
I think it worked out well for the most part, I bluffed a few really nice pots with nothing in very high-percentage spots where they would call very rarely. But there were a few really bad moments.
One specifically near the end-game, and I really grossed myself out here.
Blinds are 600/1200 and UTG pushes for 8400 and gets flatted by a 32000 stack. I have 35400 and ATo.
The guy who coldcalls here I really thought he had a wide range from his HUD stats, but he had a really good hand this time - AKo. The UTG pusher, Oxotasdad, is a winning reg so I really put him on a really wide range - but I must be mistaken and he must not push nearly as wide as I think he does cuz here he had TT. In actuality a lot of short-stack pushes aren't anywhere near as wide as I usually push so I guess the only way to combat it is scrupulous note-taking on the "wide short pushers" and the "tight short pushers"!
In any case I shoved over hoping to iso just the short stack but of course I'm a 5% favorite this time and basically threw away the tournament. FWIW this was the first time I tried a play like this, and probably the last. If I had been right though, UTG is pushing loose, and the flatter is loose (only had 10 hands on him, but 50% vpip 50% cold call pfr), than this play would have been great and I would also have isolated 8500 in dead money. Better luck next time lunatic....
Other than that, I'm happy with the progress I made today, I'm starting to feel out the better spots to bluff and the not-so-great spots. I'm trying to break out of the "ABC" mold that so many players, including myself, can fall into and ultimately rely upon.
Although it is a 'safe' way to play, and can net you money - at the end of the day I think MORE money goes to the players who think "DEF - and G" and maneuver around the predictable players, the unpredictable players, the good regs, and the bad regs.
Thought today about implementing one "LOCKDOWN" a week kinda like the 2 months 2 million show. Except I would only play 8 hours, maaaaybe 10 tabling. But I thought starting out 8 tabling would be better for me.
Anyway, today I felt like stepping up my playbook a bit and really paying attention to what people were doing with their bets. Specifically I worked on stealing pots, "re"-stealing pots (post-flop not preflop), using my position almost absurdly to attack weakness, using 'bad' position to represent more strength, and a little more calling preflop than I usually do.
I think it worked out well for the most part, I bluffed a few really nice pots with nothing in very high-percentage spots where they would call very rarely. But there were a few really bad moments.
One specifically near the end-game, and I really grossed myself out here.
Blinds are 600/1200 and UTG pushes for 8400 and gets flatted by a 32000 stack. I have 35400 and ATo.
The guy who coldcalls here I really thought he had a wide range from his HUD stats, but he had a really good hand this time - AKo. The UTG pusher, Oxotasdad, is a winning reg so I really put him on a really wide range - but I must be mistaken and he must not push nearly as wide as I think he does cuz here he had TT. In actuality a lot of short-stack pushes aren't anywhere near as wide as I usually push so I guess the only way to combat it is scrupulous note-taking on the "wide short pushers" and the "tight short pushers"!
In any case I shoved over hoping to iso just the short stack but of course I'm a 5% favorite this time and basically threw away the tournament. FWIW this was the first time I tried a play like this, and probably the last. If I had been right though, UTG is pushing loose, and the flatter is loose (only had 10 hands on him, but 50% vpip 50% cold call pfr), than this play would have been great and I would also have isolated 8500 in dead money. Better luck next time lunatic....
Other than that, I'm happy with the progress I made today, I'm starting to feel out the better spots to bluff and the not-so-great spots. I'm trying to break out of the "ABC" mold that so many players, including myself, can fall into and ultimately rely upon.
Although it is a 'safe' way to play, and can net you money - at the end of the day I think MORE money goes to the players who think "DEF - and G" and maneuver around the predictable players, the unpredictable players, the good regs, and the bad regs.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Testing Week.
The past few days have been quite brutal. Monday I played 26 games (just assume 90mans when I say games since that's all I'm playing - no cash, no other formats) and bricked all of them except for the occasional bounties.
But I wasn't playing well Monday, definitely not near my 100%, probably more like my 66% mark because some of the mistakes were elementary: pushing too loose, overplaying out of position, and missing very profitable steal spots (and push spots). Even if you only miss 1-2 spots a game that can make a HUGE difference.
Today is a totally different story! After coaching yesterday and going over many hands with PersonaNrgta I felt I had fixed many of the postflop leaks. At least in my mind, it's one thing to "know" what you did incorrectly and something else to "fix" it permenantly and apply it consistenly day in and day out.
But that don't matter today - I'm just straight fucked. It's that bad-beat day I've been dreading and there is nothing I can do about it. Won't go into the detailed handed but it includes a set getting 2 outted on the river, KK getting 3outed after getting allin on the turn w A on river, and a bunch of other crap.
Other than that I've been applying the 'pot control' concepts very well today I thought. It's gone both ways, risking small amounts of chips - sometimes having the best hand on the river and making a small bet and sometimes paying off very small bet.
More than ever now though I'm viewing AK as the ultimate "trouble hand"! I believe Doyle Brunson said it best "AK either wins you a small pot or loses you a big one." So I'm starting to really watch how I play it post-flop whether
So now that I almost broke a coffee cup after chuckingI'm thinking it's time to finish this set and take a long walk around the lake. Hopefully I can clear my head and get a few more in today. :)
Also, have been watching a lot of the Hip Hop Preacher - that guy always gets me excited even when I'm tired, getting beaten down, and suffering - he has the mindset that inspires me and I'm always ready to crush games after listening to him!!
Check him out!!
http://www.youtube.com/user/etthehiphoppreacher
Alright, I'm out.
lunatic
But I wasn't playing well Monday, definitely not near my 100%, probably more like my 66% mark because some of the mistakes were elementary: pushing too loose, overplaying out of position, and missing very profitable steal spots (and push spots). Even if you only miss 1-2 spots a game that can make a HUGE difference.
Today is a totally different story! After coaching yesterday and going over many hands with PersonaNrgta I felt I had fixed many of the postflop leaks. At least in my mind, it's one thing to "know" what you did incorrectly and something else to "fix" it permenantly and apply it consistenly day in and day out.
But that don't matter today - I'm just straight fucked. It's that bad-beat day I've been dreading and there is nothing I can do about it. Won't go into the detailed handed but it includes a set getting 2 outted on the river, KK getting 3outed after getting allin on the turn w A on river, and a bunch of other crap.
Other than that I've been applying the 'pot control' concepts very well today I thought. It's gone both ways, risking small amounts of chips - sometimes having the best hand on the river and making a small bet and sometimes paying off very small bet.
More than ever now though I'm viewing AK as the ultimate "trouble hand"! I believe Doyle Brunson said it best "AK either wins you a small pot or loses you a big one." So I'm starting to really watch how I play it post-flop whether
So now that I almost broke a coffee cup after chuckingI'm thinking it's time to finish this set and take a long walk around the lake. Hopefully I can clear my head and get a few more in today. :)
Also, have been watching a lot of the Hip Hop Preacher - that guy always gets me excited even when I'm tired, getting beaten down, and suffering - he has the mindset that inspires me and I'm always ready to crush games after listening to him!!
Check him out!!
http://www.youtube.com/user/etthehiphoppreacher
Alright, I'm out.
lunatic
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
The (almost) beginning!!
Yo, this is Erik and this will just be a place I can chronicle the 90man journey I set out upon starting in November 2010. (And spew my endless thoughts here instead of boring my girlfriend :) )
Before than I had NOT played any tourneys above 9-18 mans, so coming into this I was a total newb!
Added to that -- I had been specializing in the 300 chip super turbos on Absolute Poker (a goldmine btw) - so although my push/fold poker was good my postflop was NOT.
But now it's been about a month and a half and (I think) I'm starting to get good at these things!
Stay tuned for deep thoughts, strategy, and sick bluffs
Before than I had NOT played any tourneys above 9-18 mans, so coming into this I was a total newb!
Added to that -- I had been specializing in the 300 chip super turbos on Absolute Poker (a goldmine btw) - so although my push/fold poker was good my postflop was NOT.
But now it's been about a month and a half and (I think) I'm starting to get good at these things!
Stay tuned for deep thoughts, strategy, and sick bluffs
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