Kick, Push

Well the first week of stars has been interesting.



Red line took a massive dump and there doesn't seem to be much I can do to revive it. Not sure if I want to give out my Stars ID now, I think I'll keep that private for the time being. It's been a bit weird to adjust to the Stars games, I HOPE I'm starting to get the hang of it but they're definitely different than FTP. Whether that means stars is harder or easier I have no clue, but as of right now I definitely prefer the FTP games and think it's easier there, but that's only because I've spent the last 2 years playing those games and know them very well.

I think the problem lies mostly in that I refuse to play non-50bb games at 2/4, but the only people that play those games are regs and it's mostly fish and shortstacks at the non-50bb tables. In that case I have to play regs who all seem to be 1ptbb winners at best, which on the surface seems good for me but I've yet to really "figure" them out so to speak. Their problems probably lie in having poor turn/river play, whereas they seem to be solid preflop. Everyones spewy on FTP, so it's higher variance but it's a lot easier to play bigger pots with mediocre stuff because people are so aggro, on Stars it alternates frequently from playing with nit grinders to people who are playing decently.

If anyone plays msnl at Stars and wants to talk feel free to pm me.

I wanna get the 200k vpp supernova, but I think there'll be a pretty big dilemma once FTP does their anti-SSer thing and if Stars doesn't follow suit then all the SSers on FTP will go to Stars, causing an even bigger problem for Stars regs.

0 votes

Comments (1)

Wrote an article on tilt control which you can find below, semi bump

Besides that my goals for 2010 are:
- $200k (I plan on doing well in WSOP this year obv)
- At least 600k hands (though to achieve $200k in purely online results it'd prob take a mil)
- 1knl reg by end of year, if I'm still focusing only on NL6max

I've also began compiling Expense Reports for each month, separated by things I needed and by things I wanted at the time, hopefully it'll cut down on my spending. I might also transfer my play to Stars, not sure yet. I'm for sure pretty sick of FTP.

Some hands I've uploaded lately:
http://www.liquidpoker.net/h/778018 - Seemingly kind of random, but every play here was a result of just knowing my opponent and his tendencies, the gist of it mostly was that he basically never has a made hand especially an overpair here, so I was flipping against an FD at worst, which is fine considering the FE I exercise prior to him jamming
http://www.liquidpoker.net/h/781390 - Meh just a big pot cooler in my favor
http://www.liquidpoker.net/h/783320 - From my -7.5k day, fistpump into a snap frown
http://www.liquidpoker.net/h/783329 - Against same guy. Bleh, what can you do..
http://www.liquidpoker.net/h/783332 - Against same guy, flop CiB in 3b pot
http://www.liquidpoker.net/h/785088 - Get it in 60% 3way in a 2k pot at 2/4 ..

About it for now, GL everyone and your 2010 goals, it's gonna be a fun year

0 votes

Comments (2)

There is a new magazine publication circulating in Asia/Oceania called Baller Magazine (www.ballermagazine.com) which focuses on the lavish poker lifestyle. They interview big names like Joe Hachem, Pokerstars Team Asia Pros, etc. have a lot of stuff on just being balla, etc. They also have some actual strategy content, and they've asked me to write a column for their Metagame section (separate from their actual strategy sections). I may be a regular columnist for this specific part, I'm not sure yet.

The main audience of the magazine is mostly live players with very minimal critical understanding of the game, i.e. the first two metagame columns (I didn't write them) were on game selection and bankroll management. So my article might seem a bit basic for a lot of you, just keep in mind the audience I was trying to write for (and the 1200 word limitation I was given). Still, the main points are very important and are things everybody should internalize. Feedback on my content is appreciated (no need to correct grammar etc. as they have editors who'd do that for me before the real print anyway). Thanks to DJEtterStyle from TL.net for preliminary, yet significant, editing help .



It's no secret that poker is popular. In the past decade, poker has changed from a weekend diversion of the working class to a legitimate sport, replete with the high stakes, tension, larger-than-life superstars, and international appeal we associate with any sport. What separates poker from most sports, however, is that you don’t have to be the strongest or smartest to become a great player. Instead, successful poker players must excel in all types of different categories. Knowledge of game theory and probability, sharp intuition, and solid work ethic are commonly believed to be the primary factors, but ultimately, it's mental discipline—or more importantly, tilt control—that separates the great players at the top from those struggling to reach the upper echelon.

First let’s define tilt. To me, there are two forms of tilt:

1. Subtle Tilt – Not being able to perform at your peak at any given moment due to external or internal factors. Common inducers of subtle tilt include being distracted, bored, or upset. I have a college friend who plays casually. Whenever he loses a big pot against someone, he subconsciously (or not) targets that player and plays hands he normally wouldn’t out of an ill-advised thirst for “revenge”, leading him to play big pots with bad hands in bad situations, looking to gamble it up.

2. Monkey Tilt – This is what most people think of when they picture “tilt” in their heads. Unfortunately, it exists in 95% of all players. Some are just better at keeping it at bay than others. A well-known, high-stakes player in the Asian poker scene told me that, one evening, he lost one too many buy-ins at his normal poker game. He ended the night at the blackjack tables, down over $60,000 USD after trying to chase losses.

The problem with subtle tilt is that it induces small mistakes, which in poker can easily add up. A handful of small mistakes every hundred hands can take quite the toll on your hourly rate. It also paves the way for even more tilting, as tilting tends to snowball over time. Consider this scenario: you’re getting bored, so you decide to raise 52o in early position pre-flop. You get called by your mortal enemy at the table, who took a few big pots off of you earlier. The flop is 346 rainbow. You both get it in, and he shows 75o for the absolute nuts. While you didn’t necessarily make a mistake on the flop, you stepped into this cooler situation by playing a hand you wouldn't ordinarily. Now you’re down another buy-in to the villain, which just might push your subtle tilt into monkey tilt territory.

Monkey tilt is hard to describe; the psychology of every player is different. I'll only admit to monkey tilting once, back in 2007. I had lost so much, so quickly. It wasn’t a gradual process. I lost one more buy-in, and although it was partly my fault due to being affected by subtle tilt, it sent me over the edge. My face heated up—I must have been bright red—my posture collapsed, and a swarm of horrible thoughts entered my head. All I cared about was doubling up right then and there. I was playing any hand that had a sum of at least 8 when you added up the hole cards. It didn’t matter what my position was or what the pre-flop action was. I just wanted to see the flop and hope my 83o hit so that I would be satisfied going all-in. As you would expect, that night did not end well.

If any of the above sounds familiar, you need to come to the realization that this will drastically hinder your progress as a poker player and your bottom line. Chronic subtle tilt keeps players from progressing to higher stakes. Monkey tilt destroys players’ bankrolls and careers. Ideally, I could just tell you to acquire the mental discipline to never tilt again. But it just doesn't work like that, especially not in poker, where money is on the line. You’re going to have to make a conscious effort to prevent tilt. Here are some useful tips that, hopefully, will add to your bottom line:

1. Stop Losses – This one takes some discipline to follow, but is extremely beneficial. Set up a guideline before each session such that if you’re down x amount of buy-ins, you force yourself to quit no matter what. Whether it is net buy-ins or just buy-ins within a specific time frame, stop losses ensure that any negative momentum or monkey tilt cannot surface. Your bankroll with thank you for it. My personal stop loss online is 5 buy-ins, and in live play it’s 3 buy-ins.

2. Taking Breaks – Sitting for hours on end is unhealthy, anyway. Getting up every hour or so to walk around and clear your mind will do a lot for your mental energy and ensure you’re making the best effort you can to maintain your A-game.

3. Healthy Lifestyle – A lot of successful poker players stress that a healthy body leads to a healthy mind. Some like to drink tea to calm themselves down before a session, or do some cardio workout before or after sessions which help clear up their minds. It goes without saying that you probably shouldn’t be in an agitated, upset, or distracted frame of mind before and during a session.

4. Think Logically – If you begin feeling agitated or upset due to a bad beat or cooler and absolutely nobody can convince you verbally to not tilt, try to think rationally while you still can. Think about how awful it would feel to go on a tilt binge and end up losing 5 more buy-ins on the night, or if you’re a competitive person like me, think about the pleasure your opponent will derive from stacking you again and again and buying himself a new watch with your money. The only way to prevent that is to either stop playing or to continue playing only your A-game.

If you do find yourself monkey tilting either in the past or the future, do yourself a favor and turn the experience into a lesson. If you monkey tilt one night and lose $1000, consider it a thousand dollar lesson. The trick is to look back and realize how much monkey tilting has cost you. You have to be honest with yourself about your conduct at the table. And honestly, if it helps you control your tilt, $1000 is a bargain. There are players out there who spent ten times as much learning their lesson—and those who have spent that much without learning anything.

Economist Burton G. Malkiel wrote on a similar subject, albeit about too-good-to-be-true financial investments. “Experience,” he said, “is the toughest kind of teacher—it gives you the test first and the lesson afterwards. Perhaps by learning a bit of history, you can assimilate the lesson vicariously without bearing the costs.”

0 votes

Comments (2)

Well it's New Years Eve afternoon here in Taipei and I played my last session of 2009 which ended pretty bad. As I write this, I am in one of the most upset moods of my entire career. This game is seriously taking its toll on me. Not so much the game and its variance, but rather the notion that again, I've failed to meet my goals. Such great aspirations, hopes, momentum to start the year and I can't shake this feeling of failure.

2009 Goal: $150k, at least 500 or 600k hands. Later changed to just $100k.
Final Result: $80k, 400k hands.

I started the month 5k away from 100k and I managed to fuck it up. I end December 2009 as a 14k loser (6k from live), going down in history as the single worst month of my entire career, and it had to come at just about the worst time. It's really unfair how this game can be sometimes.

A lot of you will say that 80k isn't anything to complain about. I know it could be a lot worse, but the reality of the matter is I play this game professionally and it is my only means of income. I devote everyday of my life to poker in one way or another. It's really frustrating knowing how far I've come only to know that I'm still more or less terrible in the grand scheme of things, with extremely mediocre results to boot.

I won a tournament for 12k at the beginning of 2009 (literally 364 days ago) but since then I've squandered those winnings in other tournament buy ins, random degening, etc. so basically the essential makeup of my 2009 results are online cash results and rakeback as everything else canceled each other out.





I have really big plans for 2010. I currently wake up every weekday at 8 AM and go to an office in Taipei where I am a part-owner and lead instructor of a Taipei-based poker training school. So due to that I have a ridic good routine/atmosphere/schedule which I was missing in the entirety of 2009. I've taken up boxing, which combined with my passion for teaching, adds a tremendous deal of balance to my life. Due to this routine I obviously plan on playing a LOT more hands than 400k (I'm very sure if I did 500k hands on the year I would've hit 100k, which makes me upset that me not making my monetary goal in part has to do with my shitty work ethic). 2010 is also the first year I'm eligible to play in the WSOP, so if things go well I plan to play some events as well.

I take some solace in the fact that I will be starting 2010 playing 2/4 and higher, as I started 2009 playing 1/2 and it took quite some time to transition into 2/4 fully. If anything, it means I've at least had SOME progress.

Happy New Year everyone, it's going to be a crucial year. I've set a preliminary goal of $200k, with at least 600k hands.

0 votes

Comments (3)

And it had to have come at the end of the year, REALLY? when I was making such a sick stride to try to get to 100k?

Not much to say. I didn't tilt, and I'm happy with how I played. Whatever. Down -7.5k today, mostly at 5/10 hu but still.

Here's my god awful horrible month that doesn't include -6k in live.



Year results later, I think I'm done for the year.

0 votes

Comments (9)

pic of cute asian girl to compensate for incoming whine/wall of text:

I've spent 10 days in Macau for the season finale or whatever of the Macau Poker Cup, with the Main Event being a two day $2.6k MTT. To almost no one's surprise, I cashed a total of zero times and actually pretty much bubbled my final 3 events, including the Main Event. That adds up to a total of 17-18 hours of play in just 3 tournaments alone for absolutely no cash at all (the ME was 10 hours of play and I busted 26th, 19 get paid). Baccarat also started out decent but eventually tumbled, which puts me at roughly -6k on the trip.

Of course this may have been averted by mincashing the ME (5k for mincash), or playing live, but instead I have no idea where the days went and now I'm sitting here 20 days into December and down money, with only 7k hands logged online. Coming into the month I was pretty much only 5k away from $100k on the year and stoked about it but now I'm a bit behind with not much time left, and it feels awful.

I absolutely hate this feeling of defeat. Of knowing I gave it my utmost, excruciating effort and not getting there. Of seeing other people who don't "deserve" it continuously run good and get there (for a micro-level example of this, see any big live tournament, but this appears on the macro-level as well). It sucks and is a big part of my emotional instability with regards to this game and I really, really want to change it but it's been something I've struggled with all my life. I don't have much to complain about because things could honestly be a LOT worse but I hate knowing how good things can be too had things been a little different.

2010 is going to be a lot different. With the help of the new environment I'll be in (Taipei) and my friends I'm going to treat poker as a business, because supposedly I'm a professional and therefore I should be treating my work like a professional and not be a stupid whiny kid. I know what my issues are, and I'm going to work hard to fix them this coming year. 2010 is going to be a LOT different.

That's pretty much what I want to say for now, in a week or so I'll be giving a year-end report and hopefully I'll be over the 100k mark .

0 votes

Comments (11)

I don't think I'll be playing for the next few days. I have a plane flight to Taiwan on Wednesday afternoon and then the day after that I'm going to Macau for the Red Dragon Grand Finals (2.6k live donkament and a bunch of smaller donkaments, basically). Have a lot of things to take care of but before my mini break I wanted to declare my own personal victory.

In April my friend who crushes high stakes nl and plo and has always given me brilliant advice told me (as a stricly only 2/4 player then) that I should break out of my comfort zone and start shot taking 3/6 and 5/10. 3/6 went went well, and still is. I'm about 5ptbb at 3/6 since then, but 5/10 for the most part had been a disaster. Well, I can finally say that I'm a winner at 5/10 this year :D. Those who have followed my blog know my battle with 5/10, which so far has only lasted 29k hands (over the course of several months as there were times where I had given up completely, only to restart again), so I'm happy to report good news about it finally.



Also a quick hand to share:
http://www.liquidpoker.net/h/774688 - Ran good, near 600bb pot, I'd been barreling and overbetting him the last 3 hands against him (he even resorted to raising turns IP with made/marginal hands just to avoid getting river overbet on), knew that if he had any piece of this board he would put in a ton of money.

0 votes

Comments (4)

Not much to say but I'm pretty satisfied. Had three days this month where I made over 5k (well I also had a day where I lost 5k but let's ignore that). Just woke up all early to play the takedown and didn't even last 30 minutes so I'm calling my month here. So since I did a lot better than I expected this month I might hit 100k on the year afterall (well it includes RB which is sorta cheating but w/e).

20k Cash Games
1.8k Rakeback
2.8k Tournaments, etc. = ~24.5k

Can't believe there's only 1 month left of 2009, hope it gone as well as everyone planned. 2010 is going to be nothing short of epic though, in over a week I'm going back to Asia and living in Taiwan at least for the entirety of the year (coming back to the US for WSOP etc. of course since I'm finally 21), where I have a lot of poker-related plans etc. GL everyone

Wish I had some more hands to share but most of them have been in the previous blog entries, so I've only got one I haven't shared:
http://www.liquidpoker.net/h/771021 - 3 barrel on suicide board is good.

Year-to-date Results
+ Show Spoiler +

0 votes

Comments (7)

Demolished some fish HU who just kept reloading at 5/10. Life is good. New record for best cash day for myself :D. I call it karma, guy hit n ran me, typed "THANK YOU" to me after stacking me yesterday. He sat at my table again today, I stacked him, typed "THANK YOU" and the rest is history.

Super awesome run good hand from session (censored his name):
http://www.liquidpoker.net/h/772183

0 votes

Comments (9)

Never trusting that shit again.

Graph since I left to Asia in August, so pretty much the past 3 months ish


Note how it peaks up at some points to give me some hope....only to just failboat its way back down without fail.



Can't beat 2/4 anymore LOL. About time to move up permanently to 3/6 5/10 anyway.

0 votes

Comments (3)