Too bad you didn't like the philosophy questions posted in this thread.

(Thread shouldn't be hijacked though)

You're kind've on target here. The main point is that I think some people take range balance too far (I'm one of them, but not the worst offender). The truth is, everyone, including great 25/50+ regulars, are exploitable, and have tendencies that can give you an idea of what they'll do in certain spots.

If your stupid opponent is always folding to your river bet in this particular spot, you can be bluffing 90% of the time and that's okay. The best players know their opponents tendencies very well and know when to make themselves unbalanced for the sake of being exploitative.

To sum up my feelings on this, half of me wishes I never made the leap. I don't think the nosebleed guys are making enough more than the 25/50 guys to justify the complete change in job description.

I'm essentially on call 24/7, and my swings are enormous. Very few people are actually rolled for 500/1k. I'm certainly not, especially considering I just bought a condo. If it goes very badly, I'll have to move down. I dunno. I'm prepared to take that gamble.

As far as you making the jump. I don't know your roll situation or your mental stability, but you just do it if you want to try. Take the shot. Have a stoploss. See how it goes and decide from there what to do next. I'm assuming you don't play plo much. That might make it not worth taking the shot. 200/400+ NL doesn't run enough to make that your main game, and if you just play it occasionally, then go back to 25/50, it'll be very tilting. I promise.

If you want to play poker seriously for 5+ years and you want to potentially move up, not learning new games is silly. If you just wanna make what you're making for a few more years, yeah, just do that.

Coaching is a good alternative if you enjoy it (or even don't hate it). I consider coaching a lot. I actually really really enjoy it. The problem for me personally is that no one can really make it worth my while to coach besides people I have a good shot at playing with on a regular basis (unless people want to hand over a lot of their profits for like, the next 1-3 years) and I don't want to teach them how to lose less to me.

This was a little bit different. It was partially to learn the game. Live tourneys are a great way to learn a new game. It also was a decent shot at making a TV final table and winning a bracelet, even though I clearly wasn't one of the stronger players in the field. I think I was probably neutral EV in that event. Even if I lost a little EV, I was paying for the practice and the bracelet shot.

I have about 1/20th of a book finished. Maybe one day...

I've been working on HORSE a little bit. So far I've just been playing some and discussing hands with friends that kind've know the games. I'd like to hire a coach but I don't know who I'd hire.

It doesn't take that long for me if I'm playing HU to figure out how good someone is. I get to showdown more than most, so I learn a lot about them by the hands I get to see.

I'm sorry, guys, but I'm done again. If I have a really interesting thought on something else posted, I may post someday.

Thanks for the great questions, and the string of very nice compliments at the end and throughout. Good luck.

-Phil

This well further justifies why you're my most respected and favored poker player.

Cheers,

Just saw this question. How do you know a Potaz?

I guess I was sick nasty for a team that goes 2-8 every year. At good other highschools I prolly wouldn't have been that good.

I never was timed. I had a teammate who went to a HS combine thing and got timed at 4.5. I was a couple steps faster than him, but I've heard they aren't that accurate with timing.

Sickest play? Idk, just regular stuff. A few long TD runs I guess. I have a VHS tape somewhere of a few highlights, I think at my parent's house. I wonder if I could find it.

My sickest game was probably one where I scored 4 TDs, 3 after fracturing my arm (I didn't know or I would've satout). We still lost though.

Jman, Genius28, Peachykeen and others im sure im forgetting.

i hear they also got this kid named charder who is sick at EPTs

This is a great post. I think a lot of poker is about how you handle pain and this shows the pain OMGCLAYAIKEN can really handle. If you can handle getting tackles with an arm brace on, that means you can handle the tackling variance. Great stuff.

oh my god that picture is so epically awesome

On a scale from 1-5, how much do you hate me?

Do you think the nosebleeds should have longer timebanks than normal tables?

i go to school with sam, he's my suitemate. he said you were buddies with his brother.

and yeah apparently wootton is a pretty perennial underachiever - but sam was pumped as all hell this year when wootton made the playoffs. they did lose in the first round, but hey, playoffs.

epic story about that game, and the picture complements it nicely (but lol at the use of the NFL patriots' logo as the logo on your uniform). i suspected you'd be #28, should've asked originally in my post

Awesome read even though my question(s) didn't get a response, hope you can get back to them during the 2-year anniv. of this well.

Hey Jman,

I have interesting question.
mmm...i am too late. but i will try.

would you take the coaching from Ivey, if it would be possible:

Ivey multitables 4 tables:
1. 50 000$/hour just railing his play, i mean you see his hole cards and what his doing in silence.

2. 150 000$/hour with all detailed comments on his action, his explanation, reads and so on.
what you'd choose? 1 or 2
i believe that one hour of such coaching would give you a lot in comparison to second hour at the same price. i think that even that price level is too small.

do you think that such coaching could let you know something "wow" or you just could get a better read on ivey and other oponents, i mean nothing new in general?

thank you for answering.

1 question and also probably too late : )
Why don't you start up a new blog?

how does it feel to make 1.7 mill in a day online?

mikech, and me who clearly take the cake on this list ldo.

Phil,

Thanks for revisiting the thread, some amazing content in here and a very enjoyable read. Good luck in '09 and in life.

First of all, Jman, thanks for doing all this! That is amazing thread, and your approach to playing poker became a guiding light for many of us.

If it is not too late, my question:

What do you see as game evolution in future? Like it was with 3betting/4betting few years ago, what may be next? Different bet sizes (hello Raptor ), some mathematical approach to adjusting, maybe something else?

My English language is not native, sorry for mistakes, and Happy new year!

anyone know where the old thread "ended" and the revisted thread "begins?"

when jman said he was gonna revisit thread for a day and answer questions