Just read the ton of material that CC wrote on the impact of poker on seven areas of his life. Figured I would take a large shortcut method to plan out my own thoughts on the same issues... I promise to be much shorter than one of his writeups to cover all seven points!
Spiritual - Well pokers bad beats give me another explanation for all things spiritual. Bad beats and probability explain most situations better for me than the thought of some dude in the sky messing with my life. Being an atheist I feel comfortable knowing that *I* am the person who is accountable for my results. That gives me a feeling of peace to wake up each day to be the best at anything I choose to do. Also having no fear of an afterlife lets me focus on enjoying this reality here and now. Sort of like when a video game ends and the "Game Over" shows up is how I view the world.... in the meantime lets rack up a high score! So poker is positive for me as it is just another area where I can learn about people and study them while having fun.
Financial - This is an area of poker where I naturally excel. Money sort of comes easy to me and poker lets me utilize my skills of understanding risk / return. Bankroll management is similar to my portfolio where the goal is to consistenty put your money into risky situations that are +EV with no risk of ruin. I think poker is not positive or negative in my life in this regard because it is the one place that I am a professional. That being said my poker game better develop so I can get to play Fuel at some high level tables.
Career - Similar to financial for me where poker just sharpens my ability to read people and make better decisions. I already had the job that I worked years to achieve prior to getting into poker so again no real impact. I will say that it has allowed me to network with even more people that also play and it gives us a common interest. Networking is at an insane level in my job where I regularly run into 20 people I know at almost any hockey game I attend. Poker could become a big positive if / when I win some large poker tournament!
Physical Fitness - Hell nothing can be blamed for the sorry state of health I am currently in other than my lazyness. Poker sure didn't make things worse so again I don't think it impacts me here one way or the other.
Maritial Relationship - Lucky to have an amazing wife who gives me the space and time to play. She would like to have me go to sleep a lot earlier most times but I have a hard time slowing down at the end of the day. Now when I play when she is awake and wants to talk then poker is a big negative. I suffer from a serious case of ADD which gives me some hyper focus on stuff I want to do but I then ignore everything else. The thing is that if I wasn't playing poker I would be reading / playing video games / doing something else because watching tv isn't much of an option. Overall, poker has to fall into the negative on the relationship mostly because she wanted me to have a hobby like cooking instead.
Parent - I play when my little Guin is sleeping so not negative from that standpoint. The negative part is when I am too tired the next morning to really put my time and energy into her activities.
Intellectual - For sure poker is positive in helping us all discover more about ourselves. This is the one area where hopefully we all continue to work at using our mind to its fullest capability. Seeing Doyle continue to kick ass at his age is super impressive and we can all aspire to do similar things.
Friendship - Just another great place to run into non-Bay St. thinkers. Blogging has also been a fun way to document the journey. Unlucky for everyone is that my writing skills are not going to improve anytime soon. Poker is positive in this area..... now if I can just get to a few more live blogger filled events.
Psychological - Poker has been positive with helping me stay level. When I started the steaming over bad beats was constant but now I only flinch a bit. Now the wife does say that she finds that I appear emotionless a bit more often which she doesn't like.
Wow that was long.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
New Rim and Bball tomorrow night
I am going to get the newest version of the Rim device. The old one just ran out of steam and it isn't working. The best part about this new one is the built in GPS and maps built in... I guess I won't be using my FT points to get that Garmin GPS system.
Tomorrow night is going to be a lot of fun at the ACC. Courtside seats to watch the Raptors... gotta love the chance to see Iverson and Carmelo vs. Bosh.
Tomorrow night is going to be a lot of fun at the ACC. Courtside seats to watch the Raptors... gotta love the chance to see Iverson and Carmelo vs. Bosh.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Riverrun over me!
Had a great night playing last night where I am starting to get a feel of the types of tables that I can run over alot easier. Playing against a table of rocks sure isn't the place for me because when they reraise you really have to give them respect. Of course it would have been nice to catch a real hand once in a while to pop them right back.
Riverrun shows up at my table yesterday and I get dealt QQ and we end up all in. Of course he has AA but a sweet Q shows on the flop. The K landing on the river to give him the nut straight wasn't so sweet but something that doesn't impact my results as much as in the past. Almost at 10k hands of CR style playing of 6 max at the NL25 and NL50 level. So hopefully after another 5k hands at NL50 will give me enough of a bankroll to start putting NL100 into the mix.
Finished my PPA bonus yesterday as well so that was an additional $100 into the account. Sweet! Now I know that Fuel put out a little challenge on why we all aren't playing the higher stakes games... my answer is that I am planning on it but want to have the right tools available so I can stay there. Like investing this is just a slow and steady progression to becoming the best at something I choose to do.
Riverrun shows up at my table yesterday and I get dealt QQ and we end up all in. Of course he has AA but a sweet Q shows on the flop. The K landing on the river to give him the nut straight wasn't so sweet but something that doesn't impact my results as much as in the past. Almost at 10k hands of CR style playing of 6 max at the NL25 and NL50 level. So hopefully after another 5k hands at NL50 will give me enough of a bankroll to start putting NL100 into the mix.
Finished my PPA bonus yesterday as well so that was an additional $100 into the account. Sweet! Now I know that Fuel put out a little challenge on why we all aren't playing the higher stakes games... my answer is that I am planning on it but want to have the right tools available so I can stay there. Like investing this is just a slow and steady progression to becoming the best at something I choose to do.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Not much poker last week
Went to the hockey game tuesday and watched the Leafs beat Tampa... on Wed went to the Raptors game which they won over the Knicks. Hopefully the Leafs get into the playoffs and go against my Penguins.
Started back at NL25 tonight since I am rusty and ended up about $60 tonight.... nice since that is in addition to the $120 in rakeback from last month. Now when I get comfortable and get to NL100 then the rakeback should pick up and add to the stack.
I did watch a CR video tonight where GP had trouble dealing with a shortstack with a premium pair. For sure this has been one of the toughest things for me to learn how to deal with at tables where I am trying to play a LAG style. But experience is what we are looking for and I am starting to get a few hands in to improve my play. Also still very committed to making myself a better player by using the CR videos.
Started back at NL25 tonight since I am rusty and ended up about $60 tonight.... nice since that is in addition to the $120 in rakeback from last month. Now when I get comfortable and get to NL100 then the rakeback should pick up and add to the stack.
I did watch a CR video tonight where GP had trouble dealing with a shortstack with a premium pair. For sure this has been one of the toughest things for me to learn how to deal with at tables where I am trying to play a LAG style. But experience is what we are looking for and I am starting to get a few hands in to improve my play. Also still very committed to making myself a better player by using the CR videos.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Bad Beats (but it could be worse!)
Any of the three readers on this blog know that I don't whine usually about bad beats.... only thing that bugs me is if they happen to the same opponent who should realize that they are behind if I am calling or reraising them.
Full Tilt Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.25/$0.50
5 players
Converter
Pre-flop: (5 players) Mungo36 is Button with :ac :qh
UTG folds, CO calls $0.5 (pot was $0.75), Mungo36 raises to $2.75, 2 folds, CO raises to $7, Mungo36 raises to $23, CO calls $13.75 (pot was $27.5).
Flop: :ts :qd :9c ($46.75, 2 players)
CO is all-in $1, Mungo36 calls $1 (pot was $47.75).
Turn: :3s ($48.75, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $48.75)
River: :kh ($48.75, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $48.75)
Results:
Final pot: $48.75
Mungo36 showed Ac Qh
CO showed Tc Kc
Full Tilt Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.25/$0.50
5 players
Converter
Pre-flop: (5 players) Mungo36 is BB with :5s :5d
UTG raises to $1, CO calls $1 (pot was $1.75), Button folds, SB raises to $2, Mungo36 calls $1.5 (pot was $4.25), UTG raises to $7.5, CO folds, SB calls $4.5 (pot was $11.25), Mungo36 calls $4.5 (pot was $15.75).
Flop: :3c :6h :5h ($23.5, 3 players)
SB bets $15.5, Mungo36 calls $15.5 (pot was $39), UTG calls all-in $12.35.
Turn: :2h ($66.85, 2 players + 1 all-in - Main pot: $60.55, Sidepot 1: $6.3)
SB is all-in $14.85, Mungo36 calls $14.85 (pot was $81.7).
River: :4c ($96.55, 1 player + 2 all-in - Main pot: $60.55, Sidepot 1: $36)
Results:
Final pot: $96.55
Mungo36 showed 5s 5d
UTG showed Qd Qh
SB showed 7h 7d
Flop TPTK after re-reraising him in the first hand (he was a bad player and I had seen him reraise with K high before) so I put him to the test. Of course he hits his two pair on river.
4 mins later I flop a set and manage to get both all in only to see him river his straight. The good thing is that I played solid tonight for a couple hours and the videos are starting to hit brain! I sort of had what could only be called a negative rush for five mins where I lost every big hand I was involved in. AK where I reraise a shortstack and he calls to see A88 flop. He has AA and I doubled him up.... set over set in another hand... so in 2 hours I make $200 to only lose $150 in 10 mins. Such is the game of poker and I will be back at it tomorrow evening.
A few 3 bets light working out when I notice guys multi tabling and taking advantage of position to raise... those guys are great for this move since it looks more genuine. Mining while watching a CR video does set me up nicely to join into a table with tons of confidence of what I am against.
Full Tilt Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.25/$0.50
5 players
Converter
Pre-flop: (5 players) Mungo36 is Button with :ac :qh
UTG folds, CO calls $0.5 (pot was $0.75), Mungo36 raises to $2.75, 2 folds, CO raises to $7, Mungo36 raises to $23, CO calls $13.75 (pot was $27.5).
Flop: :ts :qd :9c ($46.75, 2 players)
CO is all-in $1, Mungo36 calls $1 (pot was $47.75).
Turn: :3s ($48.75, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $48.75)
River: :kh ($48.75, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $48.75)
Results:
Final pot: $48.75
Mungo36 showed Ac Qh
CO showed Tc Kc
Full Tilt Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.25/$0.50
5 players
Converter
Pre-flop: (5 players) Mungo36 is BB with :5s :5d
UTG raises to $1, CO calls $1 (pot was $1.75), Button folds, SB raises to $2, Mungo36 calls $1.5 (pot was $4.25), UTG raises to $7.5, CO folds, SB calls $4.5 (pot was $11.25), Mungo36 calls $4.5 (pot was $15.75).
Flop: :3c :6h :5h ($23.5, 3 players)
SB bets $15.5, Mungo36 calls $15.5 (pot was $39), UTG calls all-in $12.35.
Turn: :2h ($66.85, 2 players + 1 all-in - Main pot: $60.55, Sidepot 1: $6.3)
SB is all-in $14.85, Mungo36 calls $14.85 (pot was $81.7).
River: :4c ($96.55, 1 player + 2 all-in - Main pot: $60.55, Sidepot 1: $36)
Results:
Final pot: $96.55
Mungo36 showed 5s 5d
UTG showed Qd Qh
SB showed 7h 7d
Flop TPTK after re-reraising him in the first hand (he was a bad player and I had seen him reraise with K high before) so I put him to the test. Of course he hits his two pair on river.
4 mins later I flop a set and manage to get both all in only to see him river his straight. The good thing is that I played solid tonight for a couple hours and the videos are starting to hit brain! I sort of had what could only be called a negative rush for five mins where I lost every big hand I was involved in. AK where I reraise a shortstack and he calls to see A88 flop. He has AA and I doubled him up.... set over set in another hand... so in 2 hours I make $200 to only lose $150 in 10 mins. Such is the game of poker and I will be back at it tomorrow evening.
A few 3 bets light working out when I notice guys multi tabling and taking advantage of position to raise... those guys are great for this move since it looks more genuine. Mining while watching a CR video does set me up nicely to join into a table with tons of confidence of what I am against.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Hand of the evening
Not sure when the last time I played at a table with so many calling stations. In the hand prior to this one the superstar managed to call a river bluff with his 3 high 4-flush calling 3/4 pot bet. So that is why I only have $40 because I couldn't reload in between hands fast enough while multi tabling.
So please take a look at this fantastic fun hand!
http://www.pokerhand.org/?894931
Made back most of the cost of the CR extension this evening while still working on a few things such as 3 betting and more focus on reads and taking good notes on players. Still don't have enough donkeys in the mix but working on it.... still finding the games sort of soft but not running super hot like before. Must be time to watch more videos and think more away from the game instead of hammering through another thousand hands.
So please take a look at this fantastic fun hand!
http://www.pokerhand.org/?894931
Made back most of the cost of the CR extension this evening while still working on a few things such as 3 betting and more focus on reads and taking good notes on players. Still don't have enough donkeys in the mix but working on it.... still finding the games sort of soft but not running super hot like before. Must be time to watch more videos and think more away from the game instead of hammering through another thousand hands.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
No AC Vegas for me
Damn gov't didn't get me my passport in time so going to the US is out of the question. Don't want to be confused with the other terrorists and detained for a few days on no charges!
Well the good thing about blogger events is that there is always another one... I still haven't ever been to Vegas but this has to be the year. Of course to get to one of these events I better start winning some real cash online!
Today is the deadline to get your extension payment into cardrunners at the $20 / mth price. I did another 12 months and looking forward to seeing my progress over this next few months. So far I can see a change in my ability to read certain situations but I have to watch out in getting overaggressive at times. Learning to turn it down for a couple orbits and then ramping back up is something that GP is great at but I am still learning.
Have fun in AC guys.... wish I could have been there.
Well the good thing about blogger events is that there is always another one... I still haven't ever been to Vegas but this has to be the year. Of course to get to one of these events I better start winning some real cash online!
Today is the deadline to get your extension payment into cardrunners at the $20 / mth price. I did another 12 months and looking forward to seeing my progress over this next few months. So far I can see a change in my ability to read certain situations but I have to watch out in getting overaggressive at times. Learning to turn it down for a couple orbits and then ramping back up is something that GP is great at but I am still learning.
Have fun in AC guys.... wish I could have been there.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Been quiet lately
Not much poker going on these days.... ran into Astin and didn't make it back home in time for the Mookie. Instead ended up at Turf where I bet on the ponies for a while and had a good steak before heading home. Watched a couple episodes of Rome which is one of my favorite shows. I am looking forward to Regenesis having a 3rd season as they deal with some cool situations that can come our way.
Take a look at this bill (luckily I wasn't responsible for it!).... now that is a party. Of course I would have been drinking Krug and not Cristal (cuz I ain't no rapper).
Take a look at this bill (luckily I wasn't responsible for it!).... now that is a party. Of course I would have been drinking Krug and not Cristal (cuz I ain't no rapper).
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Fun at the Mookie
Played like a donk in the Mookie last night and built up a huge amount of chips and then pissed it away. Got into a blind war with K2 and rereraised pushed against an unknown player (found out it was the winner of last weeks cc's thursday event) on a 882 flop. Of course he had A8 and I was a shortstack... at least he took the rest of my chips right after that.
Good thing was that the cash game was crusing along at NL50 6 max with me up $95 on the night after getting stacked early. Played tricky by calling a tight players pfr with JJ from the SB instead of raising. Flop comes all low hearts so I check (no Jh), MP player who limp/called preflop checked and the button raiser bets 3/4 pot. So to isolate I reraise him a pot sized bet thinking he has Ah and might be drawing / cbetting. The problem is that he had $35 to start and that meant that if he pushed I have to call. He pushes and I call a few more bucks and see he has A4h... shit. Reload and remember to reraise with JJ preflop to find out the strength of the opponents hands. So by the end of the night I had almost $200 in front of me at a table where I never got AA or KK even once.
I did have better success with the 3 betting light by improving my table image and making it tighter and more aggro post flop. Still having a hard time getting to a 5+ AF on the flop, 4+ on turn, and 3+ on the river. I enjoy floating people too often I guess!
Good thing was that the cash game was crusing along at NL50 6 max with me up $95 on the night after getting stacked early. Played tricky by calling a tight players pfr with JJ from the SB instead of raising. Flop comes all low hearts so I check (no Jh), MP player who limp/called preflop checked and the button raiser bets 3/4 pot. So to isolate I reraise him a pot sized bet thinking he has Ah and might be drawing / cbetting. The problem is that he had $35 to start and that meant that if he pushed I have to call. He pushes and I call a few more bucks and see he has A4h... shit. Reload and remember to reraise with JJ preflop to find out the strength of the opponents hands. So by the end of the night I had almost $200 in front of me at a table where I never got AA or KK even once.
I did have better success with the 3 betting light by improving my table image and making it tighter and more aggro post flop. Still having a hard time getting to a 5+ AF on the flop, 4+ on turn, and 3+ on the river. I enjoy floating people too often I guess!
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