Hi/Lo

The whole goal of meditation is to remain observant despite delusional highs or vertiginous lows

I have been exposed to them over the course of the past year, and particularly on the virtual felt. The games indeed have dried up on Asian time, to the extent where several poker expats have found themselves obliged to switch to other online occupations... And even over here, on 2 + 2, similar manic tendencies have manifested themselves through recent threads ; here are a few examples of both extremes of the spectrum :


The Highs : Fortunately, even in these apparent hard times, I have seen quite a few interesting PG & C threads surface, some of them alluring by their high stakes components, others through their witty humor or sound writing :

- As far as high stakes world goes, no recent blog is more appealing than Andrew Chen's one (for those that do not know, he is a Canadian high stakes tournament player http://poker.wikia.com/wiki/Andrew_Chen)

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/17...hread-1505647/

The guy is insightful, meticulously answers posters questions and, perhaps more importantly, remains grounded within the delusional and egotistical poker world.


- If you want some witty humor and a refreshing lighthearted perspective, this next thread is for you :

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/17...-blog-1515496/

The Op is a 500 Zoom player that shares some interesting non-standard hands only to see his house mate, also a 500 NLHE player, hijack/troll the thread and bring it into more farcical territories

- To finish off the highs, lets mention a fun thread written by a known 2 + 2 veteran :

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/17...treak-1493365/

I don't think LotGrinder needs much introduction, but for those of you that have not followed one of his threads in the past, the guy is raw, crude, gets straight to the point despite transgressing social conventions along the way... I might not always agree with LotGrinder's world views or cynical outlook, but the guy remains nonetheless entertaining.


The Lows : It would be quite the weary and futile exercise to try to recapitulate all of those PG & C threads that lift off with the best of intentions, only to inexorably crash... Nonetheless, what has been surprising lately, is to witness some known, alleged successful 2 + 2ers encounter this same faith...

We all know that poker is a ruthless, merciless world where appearances, especially exposed in broad daylight, don't always turn out to be what was initially portrayed (even more so when one tries to desperately maintain a false façade), yet to witness the downfall of these next charismatic posters has been heartbreaking, to say the least :

- dgiharris is probably the most shocking example of this downfall, as most of us, readers, lurkers and supporters, were taken by surprise.

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/17...inder-1333131/

His thread is insightful, highly enjoyable and I most definitely recommend it to everyone. What comes as a shock, is the unexpected ending. I will not go too much into details at the risk of spoiling the experience for some of you, but lets just say that shiit hits the fan when dgi asks for a 10k stake only to see some of his dubious past resurface...

- Next up, the infamous Chuck Bass, who's original thread (one of the most popular on 2 + 2) barely needs an introduction, except maybe to mention that it accurately portrays the pitfalls of degeneracy found along the poker trail :

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/17...inder-1333131/

Chuck left this story in a cliff hanger, in an obvious attempt to keep the reader invested in his future ebook plans, fair enough, so I did become intrigued when I stumbled upon a subsequent PG & C thread of his that further exposes the vulnerable nature of Chuck Bass :

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/17...0k-gg-1401448/


- Our last example of decrepitude happened this last week, unfortunately. OP is a nice guy and one of the rare, sensible posters in the travel section (too many of the posts in the SE-Asian threads revolve around a selfish-busto lifestyle and cheap girls...), that had been transparent about his business plans for the past year or so :

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/17...diego-1507888/

He is much less known than our previous posters, yet his downfall remains nevertheless an experience to learn from... Life is quite vulnerable, one most believe...

As for myself, I will be attending another 10 day retreat next week, before taking the bus from Ottawa to Dawson City (pics to come). There is a casino at Mont-Tremblant with 4 tables of 1-2 that I am curious to check out, so might be back with a few pics/HHs before then, but, in any case, thx for reading everyone and following my journey

Run good all

Decided to delay the meditation retreat until after the summer and thus head earlier to Dawson City ; I am presently just west of Sudbury, crossing Canada yet another time on the Greyhound bus





The bus has been packed for the past 20h, since the beginning of my journey, so sleep has not been plentiful nor fulfilling ; thankfully though, the wifi has been solid enough for the grind

The journey is a total of 4 days and 20h, with a 10h layover in Edmonton which will see me spend the totality of it in the poker room across the street from the Greyhound (pics and HHs to come, possibly...). I will also be introducing my new PG & C challenge within the next couple of days. Talk soon.

Run good all

Always enjoyed this blog, you play and travel to such interesting places and tell the story well. Really looking forward to your India plans.

I don't think you've posted in the thread, but I'd love to see your list for this thread...

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/27...5/index28.html

Thx Carnivore. I am also looking forward to going back to India, although I do plan on being much less nomadic, this time around, then I was in 2003... It should make for great pics and India being the colorful place that it is, I have no doubt it will be an unlimited source of inspiration for stories...

No, I hadn't come upon that thread yet... My list of live venues is quite limited actually. For instance, for someone like me that has spent a couple of winters grinding in Vancouver, I have only been to Riverrock and Edgewater, and never bothered to check out the rest of the casinos. Same thing in Vegas (just grinded 3 casinos there).

I saw your list though : what year did you play at Diamond Tooth Gerties up in the Yukon? Maybe we played together... Also just discovered your PG & C thread, so I will be following your journey. GL

On a side note, if the Greyhound wifi connection was solid this afternoon, it is quite tilting right now... Flop comes 235 in a 3 way limped pot at 100 NLHE and I have 84 in BB. I lead out 2$ into 3$, get 1 caller. Tun is 6, giving me the second nut straight, with 12 redraw outs. I bet 4$, he raises to 10$, I reraise to 25$, he shoves, I c...a...l...lose my god damn connection Sigh.

Yeah it's not so much how many, but I think your list would have an interesting variety. Especially after you go to Goa, as nobody in that thread has posted anything about Goa.

OK, will do. Actually in Goa, the casinos are held on boats, a bit like they have in Florida where the ships sail to international waters... So some pics in that thread with details of rake could be interesting...

Greyhound wifi confirmed unreliable for the grind : just managed to grind 5h, most of these punctuated by tilt (still booked a decent 300$ win though...). I guess I will go back to the old school ways of entertainment like reading (Brother's Karamazov, by Dostoievski) and watching movies (just finished 3rd season of House of Cards : confirmed excellent and am watching Elite Squad, a Brazalian solid gangsta film a la City of God).

While we are on the movie/tv series topic :

- The recent The Gambler with Mark Wahlberg remains entertaining for those of us continuously exposed to the gambling world, yet unrealistic, lacking an understanding of human emotions and is nowhere close to the 70s original version (thx Bob for the suggestion ). I still recommend it if you are able to shut down that critical-movie-analytical side of you, for the entertaining - albeit unrealistic - ride that it provides (still better than Runner Runner).

- I highly recommend Utopia, an English tv series that was cancelled after 2 seasons, for those of you that like dark sci-fi (think smart post-apocalyptic issues...). Even though you might be left on a cliff hanger after the second season, David Fincher is set to reboot an American version of the show. Really looking forward to this and feel it might get close to the sublime English version...

Rise and Fall

End of April, Dawson City, 2011. I am slamming down double short screwdrivers like no tomorrow ; in fact, there isn't any tomorrow : the present moment is blown out of proportion by its sensory outbreak, its alcohol intake... After all, it is the NHL playoffs

the bar is packed, as both the Habs-Bruins game followed by the Vancouver-San Jose one, are greatly anticipated (it is that year that the Canucks would lose in a heartbreaking 7 games to the BIG BAD BRUINS). But no one's blood flow is rushing like mine : I have 4 digits invested in both the Canadiens and Canucks game. Which probably explains why I slam back another double shorty and order us a round of jameson shooters...

No sweat folks sure I am down 10k for the week, but these games are as sure thing as it comes : the Habs are up 2-0 in the series and will be playing on home ice, while the Canucks have just dropped the last game and will be hungry for blood (they did hold the best record for the regular season...).

Maybe in sports, a sure thing is not always set in stone... Maybe I suck at sports betting...

Spoiler:

this would end up being my last serious bets

All I know, is that the alcohol cannot come fast enough after the Habs spoil a 1 goal lead with 90 seconds left or after the Canucks never really showed up to play... I will end up black-out drunk by 10 pm and proceed to dump another 1k online in the later hours (at least that's what my account told me the next day...). FML.

That was then. Back when bankroll management was a foreign - even alien - concept. Back when alcohol and the freedom that playing poker for a living provided, had more importance than planning for a future (not that I have since settled down in a suburban area with picketed fences and a solid retirement plan, yet am managing to actually save some money ). All this said, I have created a new thread in the PG & C forum called Beat up the old lady : 25k in 15 weeks :

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/17...weeks-1535509/

Hope you all tag along for the ride As far as this thread is concerned, I will try to keep it up on a monthly basis (but only if I have some interesting material/stories to tell) for the duration of the other thread. After the challenge is done and especially once we get to India, then the focus will be back to this one.

Thx for reading guys and hope you will be there for the duration of my journey

Run good all

How is the Greyhound experience in Canada in terms of security, because in the states Greyhound does an excellent job of making the rider feel like his fellow travelers cannot be trusted, bags are searched, there is a big bullet proof and locking partition that protects the driver from his fares and each ride is started with a lengthy scripted announcement detailing what you can and cannot do which addresses a lot of common sense items.

I'll be following the new challenge thread and think you can do it in large part because I've been playing a fair amount of live poker in the last few months and getting a much clearer view of how soft some of the low stakes NL games can be. Up there in the land of midnight sun with alcohol fueled punters looking to blow off steam I can imagine games can get very juicy and fun. When you get the chance contribute to the Brick N Mortar ChipStack thread, don't think any casino's from up there have been represented.

GLGL

Greyhound US and Greyhound Canada are night and day : my first Greyhound experience was when I was 19, travelling on the Montreal-San Francisco route. I had already been arrested, a year prior to the trip, for possession of weed, so crossing the border started to become an obstacle (little did I know that my buddy (there was 4 of us) was crossing the border with a good chunk of herb tucked into the bus bench ).

Outside of intimidation, a myriad of questions and delaying the bus on my behalf, they let us into the country (they never bothered searching inside the bus).

I find 2 major distinctions on the Greyhound south of the border : The ethnic tension (not as if we don't have our own in Canada, mainly French-English, First Nations-Rest of Canada) and the ghetto Greyhound stations (I have not been on a US Greyhound since early 2001, so before 911 happened).

Anyhow, back to that Mtl-San Fran Greyhound... A redneck bus driver stopped the bus and openly lost it on an Spanish speaking Latina woman ; even I and - at the time - my rustic Spanish could understand that her crying baby was sick - enferma, yet that didn't stop the driver from pulling over, yelling at her and phoning the cops : his lack of compassion was simply astonishing.

As far as the ghetto bus stations, I am mainly referring to LA and San Francisco. I was quite surprised to find the LA station to be hobo headquarters, where about 30-50 homeless people were simply hanging out outside the terminal. Of course, being the travelling bum that I was, I took great pleasure in talking with some old street hippies.

San Fran Greyhound terminal was (is?) home to the most first world aids washrooms I have seen ; think Trainspotting-junk-injection-headquarters To the extent where I stopped my gf from going in and brought her to a nearby Denny's.

Thx Hank for following my challenge and yeah, it should be easily enough obtainable To be honest, reaching the 25k will only be satisfactory, but 30k is my true goal. Hope all is good in your world Hank




Bus only had 3 people for the last 12h of the stretch, much different then in the Toronto metropolitan area




Jeez, I love the Alaskan highway My favorite part of the country as far as sceneries go




Animal count : 5 bears, 1 mountain goat, 1 moose and a ton of bisons

Didn't a tax judge rule that Canadians' poker winnings are not taxable? I remember reading it in http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/57...-thread-7-new/

Thx Nash for the link, I will skim through the thread and use it as a guideline My non-residency demand is in the reviewing process, so I should get some news soon, but if not, I will see if I can legally avoid having to pay for my winnings...

GL in Vegas

Hello all, had fun today answering a PG & C post about subjective realities, and thought I would post my answer here, as I find the discussion to be quite entertaining, to say the least... Here is the original post from this following thread :

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/17...l#post47193007

Reality

In probably the past year or so, I've found myself thinking over the idea of reality, creation, infinity and such like. As you can imagine, it's hard to come up with answers over concepts that are so abstract and based on our belief system and instinctive assumptions about what the hell we are experiencing.

However, I think it is a good idea to mentally "explore" these ideas. I think you can find yourself coming up with interesting theories of your own; ones that you wouldn't have come up with otherwise. From my experience, I believe that by practicing the opening of your mind in this way, you start to have a much more open mind in general; you think about things slightly differently, perhaps more creative - thinking more outside the box, etc.

The big problem with this (and the reason why I think I had a hard time in my last post) is that the concept of "reality" is infinitely complex and is dependent on my assumptions etc. I left the question intentionally ambiguous and vague in the hope that it would allow some open thinking, not bound by my constraints but allowing you to create your own, and what that would mean. Maybe you'd change your assumption and detail how that would change your answer, and why, etc.

But I think I took it too far. So I'm going to detail some of my thought processes on the question, and hopefully from this post and the previous one, you guys can give your own input with more confidence. Please bear with me, I will try to write my ideas in a way that allows you to understand what I'm referencing when. If not, please let me know.

So, I basically looked at it as:
* 2 dimensions
Could be more, but these are the only 2 that matter, could be asleep/dream & awake for example.
* We have a "base" dimension
This would be what is real. The 'awake' state, let's say.
* The other dimension is, I hope for simplicity, created to and bound by our 'mind'.
This could be a dream state, a coma, a world created out of insanity/boredom/etc.
* We somehow (I have no idea how) get a realisation that our existence up until this point (in our current form) has not been spent in the base dimension.
This could be someone/thing telling us, our brain just having a eureka moment, idk. I don't really think it matters.

The question is then:
"If, somehow you KNEW that your entire life (or what you thought was your life) was in fact not real (but instead something else), would you "wake up" or stay?"

Now, I wanted to reduce the number of strategic advantages to choosing one over the other, which is why I tried to keep everything about the self identical. That is, if you were in fact 10 years younger in 'real' life, you may choose that because you're maybe gaining 10 years, idk. So the assumption is that if we wake up, we don't really gain anything, we aren't younger/smarter/taller/fitter/more good looking, etc.

The problem with this, though, is that if we know that our form is unchanged in the real world, we can make relatively accurate assumptions about the conditions of that world. For example, for me, a big worry about choosing to wake up is ending up in a worse situation than you were in. You could wake up and you're actually in extreme poverty in India or Africa or w/e.

In terms of the population of the planet, just the fact we have internet and computers etc means that we are wayyyyyy above average in terms of quality of life. As a result, you could argue that we are taking a huge risk by waking up (if that's how you want to think about it). However, by knowing you are (for example): white, moderately built, proficient at reading/writing/math, you can rule out some really bad suckouts by choosing to wake up. Suddenly, the range of possible outcomes shrinks considerably, and boundary of the worst case scenario improves extremely.

You could maybe take it in a new direction and hypothesise that, if this entire world was created by my mind, and I am a subject of this one mind, then the real mind must be much stronger than my "current" one, and thus I should wake up because my prospects must be much higher in that dimension.

However, the idea is that we can infer and extrapolate all we want, but we really have no true idea what awaits us when we awake. An idea I had was that we could wake up to complete nothingness. We are basically "God" and we created this "life" to occupy us from the torture of infinite loneliness (similar idea to Alan Watts, see here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xCFoJ0aywc), in which case waking up could be a huge mistake.

Or, you could look at it super simply: can you deal with living a life that you are pretty happy/content with if you knew it wasn't real? Can you remain blissful in your fabricated existence or would you need to live a "real" life whatever that would be?

So, yeah, those are things I came up with. I would be interested to hear ideas you guys have. I'm not looking for an answer, because I don't think there is one. But I think it's a cool topic.

P.S. I am not high

Good Luck

and my funky answer : "Quote

Interesting speculation, but what I believe to be important to realize is that the non-aware subject sees the equation through the spectrum of a duality : dream/awake, self/non-self, delusion/lucid world etc. and that if he steps on the other side, it might not only change his perspective on this said duality, but the whole equation all together... Let me answer to your allegory with another one.

Your problem can be seen as someone - a subject, to be precise - that is standing in front of a mirror (this metaphor is old like the world). On one hand, you have the subject and the world he inhabits - or mainly his perspective on this said phenomenal world -, on the other hand, you have the reflection of the latter. These appear to be similar, yet a dichotomy creates itself, as you cannot experience for yourself the reflective world of the mirror. To simplify our equation, we will call the reality of the subject, World A, and the reflective reality, World B ; still a very simply equation, thus far...

Lets also keep in mind that the subject is a product of World A : his entire understanding of his reality is based upon sensory stimulus provided by his dimension : he is a product of his own reality.

OK, lets go on a tangent here and place another mirror in front of the first mirror : a multiplicity of equation emerge here So if we were to add another variable to the equation, it blurs all the data (another mirror would add a World C, A + B + C combined, or the reflections reflected, would create World D, A + B + C + D would create World E etc.). But we are digressing here and getting away from our equation at hand...

Because our subject is a product of his own dimension - and views his own reality through a non-reflective stance -, if he is to step through the mirror, it completely changes the equation at hand, and thus becomes impossible to resolve. HE SEES A REFLECTIVE REALITY THROUGH NON-REFLECTIVE EYES. It simply does not equate. Or picture this : he walks through the reflective glass, without ever being reflected himself, yet still understands World B through World A eyes

So in order for this problem to work, the equation would have to change : Subject A could become Subject B (a new product of the reflective world), and hence come to a new realization, or remain Subject A and never understand World B. End of Quote"

I will be back in a couple weeks or so with a post about the hardships of the daily life in the kitchen industry...

Run good all

The Young and the Restless

Dawson City, summer of 2006, Sous-chef at the Westmark Hotels. Another day, another dollar. The Grind. Always the grind... Perhaps the fact that I barely caught some sleep lately doesn't help... Perhaps the abusive drinking and the eternal work are taking a toll on my system... I don't know... I just don't know.

I step outside for a smoke and a coffee, trying to make sense of it all... to forget... or simply to mechanically repeat my daily/hangover routine of sipping and puffing before the workload kicks in. Except today, this big-fat-ugly-large man walks in front of the kitchen balcony, smirks at me and says "how does it feel to be overworked and underpaid? ". Haha, bend me over and **** me up The fellow nevertheless seems like a kindred soul, one that has been exposed extensively to grinding for peanuts...

I step back inside, take a look at the never ending prep list on the board and wonder how I am going to make it through today... Sauces will be a priority (Demi Glaze, Veloute, Alfredo, Tomato Sauce and BBQ all need to get started), followed by cleaning the Arctic char, prepping the evening starch (roasted potatoes, mash potatoes and rice), vegetables and daily special (not too mention the garde-manger prep and sandwiches for the next day's excursions).

We gather around the prep board (7 of us), split out the tasks (I keep the bulk of the prep for myself) and... ready... set ... go : we are on a mission

Like yesterday, like tomorrow, we are expecting in the neighborhood of 300 guests, most of them freshly off the ferries (we are affiliated to Holland America, after all, so get the majority of the cruise ship guests). I pride myself in not only sending out those meals in an acceptable time frame, but with exquisite tastes and alluring presentations

A part of me thrives through this chaos... I need it, find peace within the mayhem, making things - nature, universal balance and such - somehow, somewhere, right in the world...

16h45. Time for a last cigarette before the storm hits. Time to wind down... or, perhaps, to wind up...

Beyond the kitchen balcony, passersby peacefully stroll down the street. A distinct dichotomy creates itself in between us - stressed out/ neurotic drunk cooks - and them, slowing down the speed of life with their aimless wandering... Or the guests, that will enjoy a few bites out of their meal, complain about the longevity of the service and maybe even leave their meal unfinished, for no one to consume... There is us, and them... Slaves to the Grind and freeman.

17h00. It all starts. Slow at first, in the process of a riot after a few minutes : the bills unmistakably come pouring out of the printer. FML. **** our lives. But we manage. Somehow, we always manage... Through the sweat, the servers demands, the running out of stock or the returned pieces of steaks the storm weathers down, the dust falls, and, for no explicable reason, no victims were had : YAY us, WE ARE VICTORIOUS

Not sure how we prevailed, but it doesn't matter anymore ; all is left is about 2h of cleanup, dishes and whatnot, while sipping on a sumptuous/golden pint of beer Yup, sometimes it makes sense. After a triumphant day, nothing really matters. Except the beer. The jagermeister shooters (one of the prep cooks brought a bottle for us to down). And the other uncountable drinks that will fill our long evening to come.

Somehow and for some unfathomable reason, this daily recipe works : through in some depression, stress, anxiety and a ton of anger, stir it up, whisk it, then wash it down with beer and some hard liquor et voila!, it all disappears in one savory gulp

When I wake up in the morning, it all comes back through the form of a massive headache : the argument at the poker table, blurry images of different bars, the 100$ pool games... If I could, I would forever lay my head on that soft pillow, slip open a rupture into a softer world, one where fatigue is unheard of, money unspoken of, migraines a foreign concept, dreams glorious and exponential... but, alas!, we are expecting 300 guests tonight. Another day, another battle.




The balcony in question. Numerous - an affluence even - of smokes, coffees and drinks were had on that porch




The Hotel holds roughly 167 rooms, most of them at double occupancy, leading to a nonstop influx of plates leaving the kitchen




Vivid colorful buildings promoting the hotel for miles and miles ; at bird's eye on top of a mountain, the hotel shines like none other

Run good all

As someone who has spent time toiling in the restaurant/food service game I really could appreciate this last post, it must be sweet to return to such a place under radically different conditions in terms of your health and livelihood.

The chaos and anxiety of a stressful service would just dissolve most nights with that first beer usually started in the hour leading up to close. A good friend, poker buddy and former coworker of mine would say to the manager when she came back into the kitchen "Cindy...I think it's time to 'do the right thing" which was code for bringing back two pints of IPA.

Great photos, keep em coming.

Glad you liked it Hank, it was obviously an emotionally-charged post for me, as I have dedicated quite a few years to the Industry... Am pretty happy with my post, to be honest, as I feel I depicted adequately the nuances of that chaotic/poetic world...

And speaking about being in a different head space now, yeah, very happy I am.

I think my next post will be on the Gold Rush that took place here about 5 years ago ; I know I skimmed through the subject earlier on ITT, but want to paint a better detailed picture, as it truly was a happening (but that will be in a few weeks).

The Macro Flow of Time

Everyday a rising sun, a settling sun, birds chirping in the trees, while this intransic beauty escapes us. A smile that eludes us, a last bite of lunch ; we omit to look up, to be thankful. Forests, mountains even rivers go unnoticed, as accustomed eyes have laid upon them numerous times...

It was in 2001 that I first heard echoes about the Yukon. My gf and I were in Ziplote, Mexico, getting drunk in one of dem numerous reggae bars by the beach. The Dawsonite girl showed up, drew a chair at our table and went on to tell us about her 15 wonderful years spent on Yukon soil... A decade and a half has also past since we made the month hike up, hitching and bussing to new encounters.

The first glimpses caught of the Yukon, were not exactly those imagined of a magical/secluded land, but one of isolation and sad beauty. There is something mesmerizing about the end of civilization, the absence of human presence and the sight of endless desolation... Something mystical about the tundra, that fine line where trees fail to reach the skies and vegetation struggles to maintain its low-centered gravitational grasp...











15 years spent in these here parts of the world... A swift brisk of wind... An unheard echo... In the end, nothing remains, but consumed memories, lines in the sand and one last graceful gaze on what lies beyond us...





Peace

Those pictures make me want to go there badly

Yeah, it is very picturesque over here. And laid back. Soooo laid back. To the extent where it is hard to be stressed out, as life slows down to a snail like pace

When I tell people that I live(d) in the Yukon, I get some pretty exuberant reactions, like "why the hell would you wanna live there?" ; similar responses that I might get when I let people know that I do meditation retreats for months at a time or play poker for a living (depending on people's background, obviously).

Thx for following, and I think everyone should come check out the northern part of the globe, at least once (I am sure that Greenland - as the northern parts of Russia, Finland and the likes - are magnificent as well).

The Gold Rush

A happening. An event that takes place spontaneously, oftentimes with nebulous origins and swift and obscure endings... If you just happened to miss its brief passage in time, it might sneak by completely unnoticed... This is what happened in Dawson City, in the summer of 2010.

We did not know that a gold rush was going to hit the Yukon ; it just happened... Those that weathered the storm, noticed the incoming signs, profited the most from it. Curiously though, with the economy crisis and the soring price of gold, you would think that we would of been prepared... but alas, it hit us smack in the face :

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/15/ma...anted=all&_r=1

Summer of 2011, Dawson City. I am just coming out of a 2 month meditation retreat and my bankroll is a bit slim to start relying exclusively on poker, so I turn to a camp job in one of the numerous new exploration companies that is trying to strike gold.

We are a team of 25 who's main function is to sample the soil on 47 different claims. Or, to break it down in mundane terms, a team of 4 flies in, builds a camp in 24h (wall tents preferably near a creek (to pump the water) and jacks up an outdoor washroom) for the rest of the crew (9 all together) to go extract samples for 7 days. Rinse-repeat. Occasionally you have the presence of a geologist, at times you have a camp cook (2 of us).

I have been assigned the joyful duty of managing all food operations : food ordering from Whitehorse-Edmonton, picking it up at the depot, storing it, prepping, packaging and shipping it to the different camps. In other words, easy game Compared to the wear and tear of running hotel kitchens, this is living the dream A government job Almost...

When working from town, I get up at 9ish (while the rest of the crew is up before 6am), work 8-10h, collect my 250$ daily, head to the casino, grind for 5-7h and scoop in even more!!! Give me the monies In fact, if it wasn't for the lack of sleep because of the poker grind, this would feel like an office job...

The thing about gold, is outside of its shiny-coveted nature (or some high-tech usage), it barely serves any purpose... Jewelry? Watches? Decorations? Give me a break Yet so much blood was spilled over its possession, so much pain over some plain glittering metal...

It doesn't make sense to me. None of it.

- Not the helicopter pilot who, at 900$/day for 2 X 30 minute flights, sits there, listens to tunes all day on his ipod and whines about the lack of food selection.

- Or the geologist in his sixties, paid 1100$/day, that has not done field work since well over 25 years ; dude can't use an axe to save his life or even start a fire properly, for Pete's sake ). His highest qualities : whining about the lack of comfort, of internet, of...

- The database guy that gets up with baileys and coffee each morning, switches to whiskey at noonish only to stumble back to bed at 10pm, drunk out of his mind, meanwhile trying to pretend - like the know-it-all he is -, that he still has a grasp on the reality of his surroundings : salary, 600$/day.

- The bushwhackers, each with a different stories - some in love with the bottle, most in close terms with the herb -, but all with interesting/different pasts. The Yukon has called them over, as they have a hard time to adapt to the demands of civilization : 400$/daily.


The helicopter ride to get to Fistle Creek, is 90 minutes, or 200 kms ; at bird's eye, nothing is more magnificent :




Google pic. Unfortunately don't have any pics of my camp job days...




Yukon bush seen at bird's eye


Camp life forces me to switch up my schedule : every morning, I get up at 5h30am, crack some eggs, put a few pans on the Colman stoves and voila!, food sprinkles to life like magic At 7am, the guys (+ 1 girl) are gone, I go down to the creek, axe me some ice to put in the coolers (no fridges here, just little picnic coolers and ice ) and check on the water pump, as a bear has recently bit into it (curiously, he was more attracted by the vibrating pump in the creek then the packaged meat I store in the ice Go figure...).



It is all speculative money. All of it. Toronto sends us a few millions, we claim some land, explore, pretend like something might come out of it - a mine, some nuggets, but mainly just fluffy dreams... -, while we cash in the monthly checks. Send us the monies baby, send us the monies


At 6 pm, the guys get back, dirty and tired as hell. After dinner and dishes, I head just outside camp to blaze some fire and burn the trash : since the plane only drops us supplies twice a week (hence only returning to town biweekly as well), I burn the majority of the trash. It takes about 2h to make it through the glass and the metal, but it always burns down Then I return to the kitchen, except tonight, 3 guys are loitering in there, stealing some of the food. WTF I am unimpressed and let them know... one of them makes a gesture towards his knife and says "lets cut him ". Not sure if it is a bluff or not, but no ****er is going to have the last word in my kitchen : "What did you say", I manage, somewhat surprised, yet completely unfazed by his threat. He thinks better of his threat, stands up and leaves with the other 2.

**** could of hit the fan easily : we have 2 axes on camp, 2 caliber 12 shotguns, a ton of pocket knives and a chainsaw... if a zombie-apocalypse was to hit, it could be troublesome for those poor walking dead fellows, to say the least We are all tired as ****. Bushed. Exhausted. But we survive. We make it through the rain, the humidity, the lack of hot showers, the dirty clothes, the burnouts...

When I get back to town, nothing - I tell you -, nothing in the world is sweeter than a hot shower, some fresh laundry, some golden pints of beer and cards on the live felt at the casino Even after my boss lets me know that my services aren't needed anymore, the feeling of freedom does not dissipate itself... more so, I feel completely liberated And from now on, I will chase the riches my own way

CBC documentary on Ryan Gold : http://www.cbsnews.com/news/gold-rus...-in-the-yukon/

Run good all

Seasonal Swings

Winter is coming. It is floating around, like a shivering breeze... Patiently waiting its turn... Threatening the fleeting summer by its long, subjugating shadow...

The cold, the dark : 2 adjectives that constantly punctuate the Yukon dialect... Long will be the nights ; our only comfort, a flaming fireplace, chasing the eternal and intrusive nightfall...

Bernard Adamus, a French-Canadian/Polish descendant folk singer. Modern French Canadian tunes draw their influence from World Music, thus mixing in some sounds from different cultures.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXT4F60s-mM





20 people show up for the 400 + 50 + 25$ Bounty tournament which, while disappointing in terms of raw numbers, remains nevertheless a fun and decent structured tournament for a 1 day event.


Blinds 25-50, starting stack 10 000


Being 200bbs deep and all, I decide to widen my opening range to get into some early postflop battles ; unlike most villains, I do realize that the blinds promptly double up every 30 minutes, making this not only about survival, but also a grind, an upward battle to not get left behind in terms of chip accumulation... Stack size : 15 400.

When a weak/face-up TAG opens from MP to 300, I make the call in CO with J10 ; I don't like the 6x raise and do find it too much of a high variance spot, but alas want to get involved early on (blinds double up quickly) and feel I can get away with murder versus villain IP ; SB also makes the call.

Flop (1000)
783

SB checks, MP bets 300 (betting tells = weak value), I raise to 1100, SB tank-calls, MP folds.

Turn (3500)
783 8

Just what the doc ordered for the easiest double barrel in the world I fire 1750, villain folds fairly quickly


It is alas impossible to cease the moment... Seasons come and go... Some flee the intrusive winter for sunnier shores, forever chasing the light in a constant state of unrest... Others grab a bottle - or a few -, knock back the anesthetic liquid, remaining in a state of perpetual numbness...





Blinds 100-200, antes 25


Given the inertia of the other players, I happily assume the table captain role, hence pushing my 100bbs+ stack around, profiting from my usual intimidating table presence ; weird to see the normally active players passively frozen by this freeze-out structure...

I open 24 from MP to 425. It certainly is a wide open, even given the circumstances, yet I feel obligated to play a ton of speculative hands vs this specific BB ; SB and BB both make the call.

Flop (1500)
356

I mean, I didn't love life and all when SB originally tagged along, but this is simply golden ; I bet 575 as both villains look me up

Turn (3225)
356 A

WOW, it doesn't get better than this, does it When SB leads out for 1500 and BB makes the call, I am simply drooling and make it 4500 to go ; Sb folds, BB calls.

River (13,725)
356 A 10

I think villain's range is capped at combo draws that missed, so I threw in the enticing 5750 ; she tanks-calls, saying she had, as expected, a pair + fd.


Blinds 300-600 antes 50


It is smooth sailing all the way, as I manage to maintain a healthy 50bbs + stack, thus applying the requisite pressure. But I do get away with murder 1 last time when a spewy LAG player limps from CO, enticing the SB to tag along, as I look down at 77. I don't want to play this 3 way so decide to squeeze to 2400 ; only CO calls.

32 000 effective, I have villain covered

Flop (5800)
23Q

I check, villain bets 2700, which seems like a tentative bet for him... I make the call.

Turn (11,200)
23Q A

I lead for 7300


Blinds 2000-4000, antes 500


My opponents are falling like leaves : one by one, crumbling underneath the magnitude of the escalating blinds. We are but 2 left, an old school nit-TAG face-up player and yours truly, pushing the smallball art to its limits. Even if variance doesn't go my way and that extra 1700$ in winnings is pushed in the wrong direction, I still smile. It is just another day. Another day within this long, neverending session.


In the end, it is not about victory. Nor crushing. It is about survival, making it through another day, another season. And perhaps, to be one along the way.





Run good all

Hey folks, long time no see Just a small update to let you all know that I will be posting within the next 10 days about a deep run in the White Ram tournament events ; but in the meantime, I get a few pics of Kluane National Park for you guys (my buddy just went camping for the weekend).




There are a ton of glacier mountains in Kluane ; I am assuming this one of them...







A humbling/magnificent experience, isn't it, to the extent of becoming one's own shadow




















Run good all

White Ram, 500 + 25$ FO

Meditation. Breathe in, breathe out. Every expiration, a release of stress. Of unnecessary pressure that I have put upon myself this weekend in order to succeed. Nothing that a good night of sleep can't sweep away though. Gone is the negativity. The expectations. Breathe in, breathe out. I feel grounded. At peace. Ready for war.

84 players of the original 94 registered have showed up (10 have left the 25$ registration fee/rake on the table, either bummed out from the weekend, or simply broke ). I look around the table, run good table selection wise and happily take my seat ).

Blinds 25-50, 200bbs effective

I splash chips around early, playing approximately 35% of my hands, wanting to get involved and looking for that early coveted double up. So when I look down at 106 in the CO, I happily make it 125 ; I am open-raising 100% hands vs this specific BB, especially considering the nitty button and the fact that SB is terrified of engaging in war vs me ). BB defends.

Flop (275)
AQJ

Standard cbet to 125 with the bottom of my range ; villain makes the call.

Turn (525)
AQJ 6

Villain checks, as do I.

River (525)
AQJ 6 4

I scrutinize as he tosses and turn, debating on firing or not while I mentally get my calling ammo ready... When he finally checks, I happily turn over fourth pair, scoop it vs K5. He whines to his neighbor, saying he should of fired, while she politely acknowledges. I let villain know that I was calling, his bet looking weaker than a check ; he doesn't believe a word of it I love this game


Breathe in, breathe out. The art of war relies on a balanced mind. Stamina. Acceptance of our destiny. Even absurdity. Despite the smiles and the friendly faces, this is war : every bet, a renewal of its declaration ; a raise, an act of violence ; a shove, the ultimate conquer And I, my friends, am the GOD OF WAR


Blinds 50-100


I gradually chip up, enough to withstand the hit of losing QQ < AK and being left with a healthy 80bbs stack I get moved to a new table, promptly ease myself into the dynamics and hence turn the tides ; after a limper and a LAG button raises to 3bbs, I defend loosely my BB with 96 as does the limper.

Flop (950)
Q54

Being at the bottom of my range and all, I decide to lead out for 350 to test the seas... Limper folds, button makes the call.

Turn (1650)
Q54 7

I was actually going to barrel on a few runouts as villain floats very wide, but this is gin I fire 1050, button folds.


In state of complete mindfulness, not one gesture at the table goes unnoticed. A nervous tic. Impatience. Tilt. Looking down at the cards. Our goal is to remain detached, to be a simple observer.


Blinds 300-600, antes 50


Despite showing up with my A+ game, I run as cold as the Yukon winters , leaving me in the 8-20bbs for the next 3h Fear not, as I acutely notice all the spots, pounding nonstop

With 10bbs left and with a BB that would most likely fold AQ, I shove with K6o in the CO. Folds.


Victory or not, I will strike with opportune timing, such is a warrior's way


After 4 limpers, I look down at A7 in the BB and shove my 16bbs stack. Outside of a few mumbles, sighs and inconsequential moans, the chips are pushed my way


It is a long path, but a step taken is a stride closer to liberation


Blinds 500-1000, antes 100


I have gone all in 9 times without being looked up, so when villain limps in from MP and I make it 2500 to go with KK, he snap-calls.

Effective stacks 20bbs, villain has me covered


Flop (7400)
873

Villain tanks for 15 seconds before shoving in, I snap and hold up vs 97


We do not always get what anticipated upon our arrival at destination, yet all possible outcome should be accepted


Blinds 3000-6000, antes 500


I show up at the final table second in chips, am loving life, joking around, sucking in the most I can from this experience, but, alas , it is one of those days where the short stacks keep doubling up, surviving, constantly dodging bullets... With 8 left and fourth in chips, I happily shove 13bbs with AK ; button snaps me with A10. Sure, the 10 in the window is painful to acknowledge, yet I still manage to walk away content, at peace. It is just another day.


Run good all

A Trip Down

Don't know about you guys, but when all you can see out of your window is a sea of white, it felt like just about the right time to get the **** out of Dodge




Backyard after the first snowfall




The mountain is definitely snow white


Spent a few days in Whitehorse catching up with a few friends, but alas it still figured not to be south enough to flee the invasive winter... It was only once in Vancouver that the sun was shining and the word "winter" felt like a distantly safe and foreign concept once again :




Sunday in downtown Vancouver where passerbys become the norm, and chilling, just a natural act


Something has slowed down inside of me over the years... Call it peace. Acceptance. But I enjoyed sunny Vancouver through the appreciative lense of a tourist, snapping a few photos in the process :




Saw this fellow take a picture of this building, which made me stop, look in awe, and do the same





I have been thoroughly enjoying Shut Up and Deal, an old school poker book that takes place mainly in the early 90s. The 1st person narrative is engaging, the action is fast and furious and the language is as crass as it comes. Here are a couple of excerpts demonstrating a very old school and cynical insight into the poker world :


"Jamie, all I can tell you is that it's lonely out there, real ****in' lonely, and your play doesn't matter so much as how tough you are and whether or not you fall apart."

"what makes Josh special. Not only is he known for always being broke, but he can run nothing up into a lot of money faster and more often than, well, I don't know, fast. But he never stops until he's broke. Never. Never sleeps. Just bets higher and faster until he's lost it all and then he starts again, the next day... broke.".


Pretty interesting book and one that is appealing to read underneath the Vancouver sun, on the green grass, or, well, you get the picture

Am happy about the 10 day retreat starting in a couple of days and will be back in a couple of weeks to reflect upon the experience.

On the poker front, all has been quiet. Really don't have the mind on the grind after 17 intensive weeks of action (see Beat Up the Old Lady in the PG & C forum) and as per usual, I don't do as well while bouncing around different places. Nonetheless, here is an interesting hand played up in Dawson, just before leaving.


1-2, effective stacks 325$ (villain has me covered)

Despite the drunken action loosening up the general play, villain is a solid player, very observant and against whom I employ more of a GTO tangent as opposed to my standard exploitative play vs the rest of the field. He has been on a prolonged downswing, which factors in quite significantly on our added fold equity on every street.

3 limpers to me when I look down at QJ in the CO and make it 15$ to go. Button calls as do the 3 limpers (drunken action yo ).

Flop (78$)
J55

After it is checked to me, I tank a little, but figure I might be able to extract some extra deceptive value by checking back (and perhaps letting button, an aggro fish, bluff at it). I would fire with J8-J10, but don't mind the free card with 1 over.

Turn (78$)
J55 10

UTG donks 30$ and MP calls (a station) ; I was going to call the lead and let UTG possibly bluff at river, but once MP calls, I decide to raise to 100$ for protection/value, but also to rep an overpair on the paired board to fold out some Jx... UTG tanks-calls, MP folds.

River (278$)
J55 10 K

The nut card to bluff at After villain checks fairly quickly, I take little time to bet 150$ with 55$ behind. I have the blockers to the flush, fullhouse and straight, and since I am at the bottom of my range and villain has a ton of Jx (most of which beat me), I feel this is a mandatory bluff. Villain tanks for 3 minutes before calling

Run good all

Excuse me while I kiss the SKY

It has been about an hour since I dropped it, but the acid has not yet kicked in... Ooohhhhh, the anxiety of the wait... This odd apprehensive combination of the craving of the high, the adrenaline rush, the anticipation... Indeed, the LSD is doing its magic, but that matters little : all 3 of us decide that another hit is in order ; 30 minutes later and we are knocking on heaven's door, up there, WAYYY UP THERE at a higher frequency, a higher vibe : WE ARE ****ING GODS

I am high, really ****ing HIGH ; I look at my buddy, ask him if he is alright ; after all, it is his first time experiencing life's outermost spheres... "DON'T LOOK AT ME", he screams out, completely paranoid Haha, perhaps we shouldn't of taken that second hit

The music transports us, ravers, in tune with an indistinct, transcendental sentiment : we are reaching outwards, upwards towards higher heights, yet most words would fail to contain within their grasp the extent of this feeling... WE ARE HIGH

I see her in the middle of the dance floor... so sensual, magnificent, exotic... her movements are in tandem with her sexual desire... she kisses her boyfriend, melting in the process, her body in perfect communion with her impulses : she is liberated. All my energy is directed towards her : I WANT HER, I WANT HER NOW!!! Despite the potential rejection, I spin her around, kiss her, tongue twirling like no tomorrow, even though I probably will get punched out by her bf subsequently... moments, minutes go by... after an hour of making out, not 1 word has been exchanged ; she pulls away silently, lost forever in this eternal night, never to be seen again.


After ending this latest meditation retreat, it suddenly strikes me how much pain I have left over here of the years :




A simple looking building, by all means, that has nonetheless welcomed the most complex human emotions within its walls




Tucked within the cliff side of the Trans-Canadian Highway, the rumble of the traffic unfortunately echoes down the valley towards us


Since our very first breath, as individuals we have been conditioned to flee pain and embrace pleasure. Like a dog chasing its tail, we are stuck within intertwined cycles. I am happy to have progressively reduced the quantity of mine. To let go.

After a few last minute errands around downtown Vancouver, there is only a few hours left before my Philippines flight

Funny anecdote that happened today : went to open a bank account at HSBC and remained surprised that I was instantly offered a Premium account as I am apparently a high earner Ohhh how things have changed

Not too much with Da Pokerz going on, but will get back in the scheme of things in a week or so... Also booked my flight for Vietnam for mid November and will hence be attending the APT on the Ho Tram Strip

Run good all