Carl I better get to go clubbing with you one time out of the 36 goal during the Wsop this summer 👌

I don't agree with your VLOG. I don't think it is discrimination. Men have played in the women's event. I think it allows more women, more seniors to play the game if they can play in their own events. Some women and probably seniors are 'intimidated' playing with 20-something pros.

Most definitely brother!

Fair enough, as I said everyone is entitled to their own opinion here. I knew this topic might stir up some interesting debate.

The definition or discrimination according to Wikipedia:

"Discrimination is action that denies social participation or human rights to categories of people based on prejudice. This includes treatment of an individual or group based on their actual or perceived membership in a certain group or social category, "in a way that is worse than the way people are usually treated". It involves the group's initial reaction or interaction, influencing the individual's actual behavior towards the group or the group leader, restricting members of one group from opportunities or privileges that are available to another group, leading to the exclusion of the individual or entities based on logical or irrational decision making."

I have nothing wrong with actions that encourage the participation of certain groups such as people from a certain occupation, age group or gender. However, I believe we are all equal and no one should be denied entry into a public poker tournament based on race, religion, sex, age, political affiliation or other social status.

I play with many women, seniors and casino employees on a daily basis here in the cash games. The vast majority are not intimidated. Some white parents were intimidated by having their kids go to school with black kids, I don't think that is a good enough reason for segregation.

I believe a message of equality, unity, and all inclusiveness should be what is promoted in the poker community and at the WSOP.

I rest my case

Just came across this thread from viewing your posts on ButterflySymmetry's thread: http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/17...-here-1283096/

I always agree with a lot of your posts on BS, so I thought I would check out your thread. Good stuff here!
It's going to take me some time to get through all of it, but I enjoy what I have read so far. Good luck with your endeavors.

Just wanted to say these are my 2 favorite threads on twoplustwo. Both of you have a big emphasis on setting goals and strong desire to achieving them.

btw, nice Equilibrium song. Well Played.

I agree with this.

And with this.

I think that one of the greatest things about poker is that anyone at any time can play in any game without being discriminated against... However, it's also good for the game to grow it and get more women involved. The casino employees one I always thought was for actual WSOP/Harrahs employees, so now that I know that's not its purpose, it's kind of a waste.

I think the seniors is probably a waste, too... Most senior citizens who play poker play with younger players all the time... But they ARE at a distinct disadvantage in endurance, so having their own event is ok in my book. It's just like the Seniors Tour on the PGA...

But really, the women's one is the one I think is most important to poker. That's a segment of the population where the game can grow a lot, and that's great for the game. I'm sure plenty of women would enter this event but be intimidated by a fully open event.

Since men and young players have plenty of events to select from, including events within a day or two of those at similar price points, I don't think we have any real grievance, and IMO we should be thankful the WSOP is trying to grow more and more female interest in the game.

This is a good post.

"Make use of time, let not advantage slip." - William Shakespheare

Tucson, AZ



Sculpture in Phoenix



PG&Cers Duke, Sequel, Cuse, Jockbay, and yours truely



I'm hopping on a plane to New Orleans tomorrow morning, I can't wait! I will spend the days exploring and the nights partying and logging some hrs at Harrahs.

We had a few of the strat chat group/ fellow PG&Cers visiting Vegas so I got to meet them for the first time face to face. Very cool dudes indeed! We had a couple nice meals and played some poker together. I donated a hundo to Cuse and the HH made his highlight reel. I can cross that off the bucket list haha.

Here is my latest vlog-



Here is a cover "Laid to Rest" by Lamb of God (dedicated to 2+2ers BradleyT and GoBlue11 for rockin the Lamb of God avatars!)-



One of my paintings-



I love ButterflySymmetry's thread, very down to earth guy and he's got a vlog too. He's killing it this year, very excited to see him destroying the 2/5/10!

I hope people aren't taking me too seriously I was just trying to make a point for the sake of argument. Obviously being denied entry into a poker tournament is no where near the same level of discrimination minorities faced before the civil rights movement.

I think we can all agree that there can be more done (e.g. better marketing) to increase the number of females participating in the game of poker. I think it would be a great thing for poker if a female took down the Main Event at WSOP.

I don't even play tournaments so this issue doesn't directly affect me. But I would hate to walk into Bellagio and see a list for a female only cash game or a 55+ only cash game, I think that would be very bad.

Slightly behind pace for poker volume, but it is ok to be flexible. I will be getting in hrs while out in NOLA and Miami in between relaxing and enjoying life.

Mini Challenge #4

37.5/50 hrs of poker

2015 GOALS

[194] 1800 hrs of quality volume (average 150 hrs a month)
[32.5] Miles Run
[4] Learn 36 new healthy recipes
[40] Paint 360 paintings
[40] Take care of at least one thing on my to do list every day
[4] Write 18 songs and learn 18 covers on guitar
[ ] Take a trip to Europe
[4] Organize 36 opportunities for poker players to volunteer in LV
[4] Go out clubing 36 times, improve my social skills and become the best man I can be

PA thanks for sharing your goals so clearly and your updates. It really helps with my own journey and is great to know someone else takes goals so seriously.

Just when Im ready to go to Vegas everyone I want to hang out with is in NOLA or Florida playing shuffleboard, what a life .

Hey, new member, former Hollywood actor (nobody big), looking to grind up a roll to basically do what you are doing...I will be checking out this thread more in detail as it is interesting because of your apparent success, but read through these last couple of pages, had a few quick comments.

I enjoyed the yellow and black textured painting moreso than the other. It is quite good; it somehow gives the illusion of movement and life, as the black shapes contrast sharply against the background. They resemble fish, or even like a reproductive element. I could go on but I would suggest considering refining that specific approach, where you are using those black strokes on that style as a template, juxtaposed against different background textures, until you have created something truly transcendent. It's like a master songwriter, tweaking his song in various ways, and it may not be until years later that he finally composes that last perfect part. Etc etc

In regards to this woman poker tournament topic? By having a female-only event (even if men are allowed in, I presume they will be treated extremely unfavorably by most everybody there), you are creating a distance between men and women. By putting all of this effort into making sure that women are equal with men, it is made sure that women are not equal with men. Philosophically and actually, it is wrong to do, and that's just how it is. Now, it is certainly good for poker as an industry, and I personally think any sort of really harmless gimmick like that isn't a bad thing, but there it is

"The faster you move towards your goals, the faster your goals move towards you." - Brian Tracy

Saint Louis Cathedral, NOLA



Bourbon St, French Quarter



The Mississippi River



Hallandale Beach, FL



I had a great time in New Orleans, one thing is for sure, this city has soul! I love getting away from the superficial Strip and the adjacent desert suburbia every once in awhile, it is refreshing to spend time in places with a rich culture and history.

I'm presently in Miami, checking out some of the poker rooms I missed last trip. 90% of this neighborhood's primary language is Spanish and it is a reminder I need to brush up on my Spanish it is really pathetic but I am trying my best to shake the rust off.

I went for a little run in South Beach, I forgot how tough it is running in the sand but it is a good workout.

I have a lot more on my mind to share but I'll cut it short for now, got a couple more days out here most likely then flying back to home base. I have a bunch of goals that need to be caught up on once I get home.

Here is my latest vlog-



Here is an original called "Eternal Descent" coming at ya from a guitar center in Miami-



One of my paintings-



Thanks for following, I hope I can inspire people to live up to their full potential!

Hey thanks for the critic of my artwork! Good thoughts on the WSOP tournament issue!

Mini Challenge #5

34/50 hrs of poker

2015 GOALS

[228] 1800 hrs of quality volume (average 150 hrs a month)
[36.5] Miles Run
[5] Learn 36 new healthy recipes
[40] Paint 360 paintings
[50] Take care of at least one thing on my to do list every day
[5] Write 18 songs and learn 18 covers on guitar
[ ] Take a trip to Europe
[4] Organize 36 opportunities for poker players to volunteer in LV
[4] Go out clubing 36 times, improve my social skills and become the best man I can be

Def. check out Magic City Casino. It's just west of the Marlins Stadium/site of the former Orange Bowl. Not the prettiest poker room but the action is pretty loose and they'll consistently run 2/5 with some 5/10 on the weekends. Sure the Hollywood HR is the most well known in the area, but if you're staying in South Beach, you might as well experience the most culturally representative card room in Miami.

While you're in Miami, I highly recommend a trip to Little Havana. Go to La Camaronera and get a Pan Con Minuta, a red snapper sandwich. It's SO fresh, it's amazing. It's on W Flagler near SW 20th, but they're only open til about 5 or 6 if I recall.

Also, if you get the chance to try Sugarcane Juice from a fruit stand or a Batido de Mamey (Mamey milkshake - it's a tropical Cuban fruit), definitely do it!

You'll need a little Spanish in that neighborhood, though, and it can get a little rough after dark as a gringo.

Also, I think I've told you this before, but Joe's Stone Crab in South Beach is fantastic.

Badass song. Thx. I especially like the opening and it seems you do it again (or close) at 1:00, even though the other parts are prolly higher skill.

+1

Also, Meat Market on Lincoln Road is fantastic while Sardinia Enoteca is my favorite Italian restaurant in SoFla.

nice guitar mang!

Lol, I was in New Orleans last week too (work related). Ate at a place just a couple eateries down from that Hard Rock on Bourbon St., plus could see that bridge from our hotel room. Last time I was there all I did in my time off from work was play poker at Harrahs; this time I had the wife with me, so was fortunate enough to not play any poker at all and instead take in the town.

Gneatplace,imoG

"Don't limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve." - Mary Kay Ash

Besthoff Sculpture Garden, City Park NOLA



Sculpture inside NOLA Museum of Art



Soaring Above the Clouds



Downtown Miami



I am back in Vegas, probably going to chill here the next couple months and get back into my routine and catch up on all my objectives.

I indulged in seafood everyday I was in New Orleans. I got to say hi to fellow PG&Cer bob_124. The 1/2 at Harrah's has changed over to 1/3 and you can buy in for 100% of the biggest stack and straddle from any position, which made for great games. I wish the CET properties in Vegas would adopt this structure!

Miami was a blast and everything went relatively smoothly. I hung out with Duke again for a few days. Also met another guy from the strat chat thread, cool dude.

I got to check out 5 new poker venues, therefore 5 more chips have been added to my collection. Hialeah Park and Coconut Creek were the nicest I think. I went to the beach 3 times, hard to beat the beaches in Miami!

I am considering an extend stay in Florida at some point in the future, this seems like a great place to live with lots of things going on besides poker and just as many games as Vegas even though the rooms are a little more spread out.

Anyhow, the trip was amazing and I feel like it enriched my life but I let it cut into my volume a bit. I have been below my target volume for the last 3 mini challenges. I plan to make up for it by putting in 60+ hrs each over the next 3 mini challenges, March is the highest tourism month for Vegas so the games should be above average.

I have been investing 1 to 2 hrs a day into my painting which is the most prolonged/sustained effort I've put in since I can remember. I am going to be working on a couple other art projects besides the abstract paintings. I have a collage that should be done by my next update, it's covering one of my guitar cases with a signature Vegas flair. The other project will involve graffiti and will pay tribute to some of my friends and heros on 2+2 so I am exited to share once I get it started.

The volunteering has also been going well, we are doing a lot of good. If any of you are in Vegas and would like to get involved check out my thread in LVL:

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/10...world-1493253/

I know I haven't posted a hand in awhile so here is a funny situation that happened a month ago.

Hand 1:

V1 (1100)- 30 yo asian male, loose passive, station, pfr somewhat tight range
V2 (210)- 40 yo asian male, just sat down a couple hands prior
Hero's Image (600)- 25 yo white male, tag

Preflop (7):
Hero is BTN dealt AQ
V1 raises 20 from CO, Hero calls, V2 3b to 65 from BB, V1 folds, Hero 4b to 170 (meant to raise enough to cover effective stacks by throwing out a handful of green chips), V2 shoves and shows a K, Hero I get the count from the dealer and call. Villain is telling my he has Kings. So I just table my Ace and leave the other card face down.

Board runs out bricks and I assume I lost and flick my Q toward the center and it bounces of the stub of the deck. Then I think well I better ask him to show as he only tabled his king so far. He says "you mucked I don't have to show!" I insist he has to show and after a couple more denials he slyly exposes his K3 lmao.

So go and grab my clearly identifiable Q and table it along side the A still tabled in front of me.

The floor is called and rules in my favor. It's a grey area and in some rooms it might have gone the other way. It is against the rules to mis-declare your hand at showdown causing the other person to muck.

So the moral of the story is protect your hand, there are a lot of scumbags out there. Of course the table was murmuring about the incident for the next hour or so haha.

Here is my latest vlog-



This is cover of "The Trooper" by Iron Maiden, it goes out to fellow 2+2er and poker vlogger TheTrooper97-



Here's his thread: http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/10...poker-1492434/

One of my paintings-




The hotel was near MIA so Magic City Casino wasn't too far, I did get to check it out, seemed alright.

Thanks for all the tips, didn't make it to all those spots as I was just kind of venturing around on public transit.

Yep just a pinche gringo but didn't have any trouble. It can't be as bad as the ghetto in Oakland where I lived at one point.

Thanks, I like that hook too. Nothing in that song is too tough to play just some hammer ons and pull offs. I'll upload a song with some sweep picking sometime, that was probably the most difficult technique for me to learn.

I'll have to hit that up next time, thanks for the pointer!

Thanks dude!

Very cool city for sure, glad you got to experience it more than only taking the locals money at Harrahs this time

Mini Challenge #6

31/50 hrs of poker

2015 GOALS

[259] 1800 hrs of quality volume (average 150 hrs a month)
[45.5] Miles Run
[6] Learn 36 new healthy recipes
[60] Paint 360 paintings
[60] Take care of at least one thing on my to do list every day
[6] Write 18 songs and learn 18 covers on guitar
[ ] Take a trip to Europe
[5] Organize 36 opportunities for poker players to volunteer in LV
[4] Go out clubing 36 times, improve my social skills and become the best man I can be
[5] Read 36 Books

Dig it!

Hey thanks, been following your PG&C too!

Here are a few teachers who I can endorse as far as delving into learning more about meditation-

"The Elements of Poker" by Tommy Angelo

He writes all kinds of great stuff regarding tilt control and meditation as it relates to poker.

"Wherever you go, there you are... Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life" - Jon Kabat-Zinn

Just starting reading this one about a week ago, very good so far.

"The Power of Now" - Eckhart Tolle

He goes deep on the topic of being present to the moment.

Shinzen Young has a YouTube channel on guided meditation worth checking out.

There seems to be a plethora of info on the subject but I believe these guys are a good starting point.

You're preaching to the converted in respect of Tommy Angelo. He's a genuine pioneer when it comes to meditation and poker (not to mention music and poker). Would be nice to be able to blaze away at the grand piano to banish tilt from the brain!

Thanks for the Kabat-Zinn reference. The scientific views on meditation certainly suggest there are many health benefits, not least the ability to concentrate better for longer periods.

Hopefully I'll get to the Power of Now sooner rather than later. It's been on my list for too long.

Look forward to seeing you in Vegas for one of the charity runs. Poker players should practice compassion!

If you find The Power of Now an awakening read, you'll love A New Earth, also be Eckhart. Transformational material for anyone ready to absorb it.

"The reason the river and sea can be regarded as the rulers of all the valley streams is because of their being below them. Therefore they can be their rulers. So if you want to be over people you must speak humbly to them." - Lao Tzu

This is a great example of how winning poker players should conduct themselves.

Besthoff Sculpture Garden, City Park NOLA





Sculpture at Coconut Creek



Downtown Miami



Miami Beach







I've been cranking out the volume, I'm going to keep the momentum up shooting for roughly 60 hrs/ 10 days. If I can stay on this pace I'll reward myself by taking a night off and hitting a nightclub.

I hit the second royal flush of my career. Fortunately I was playing at a place that takes a promo drop (which is pretty uncommon for me) and binked a $1.1k bonus. The last time a hit one was at Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh when I had just started getting coached and staked by KyddDynamite and living with dhcg86 back at the beginning of 2013.

Some people ask how you should record bonuses. I've got a simple answer: put a note next to any session where you won promotional money. If you want to know how much money you have won over a certain period you can include these winnings in that number. If you are trying to predict future win rate you should not include the actual amount won on bonuses and just tack on an extra $3 to 6$ per hr for rooms that have a promo drop that should theoretically be returned in the way of bonuses or try to estimate the EV of promos running while you are playing.

Here is the collage on one of my guitar cases I've been working on, it consists of playing cards and hooker cards, just thought it would be a neat idea.

NSFW



Here is my latest vlog-



Here is an original called "Chasing the Horizon", it's got a little sweep picking, and tapping-



One of my paintings-



Mr Tolle is no doubt one of the chillest mother****ers out there if you watch his youtube vids and his stuff might not resonate with everyone but he has a very profound outlook on life.

Mini Challenge #7

61/50 hrs of poker

2015 GOALS

[320] 1800 hrs of quality volume (average 150 hrs a month)
[53.5] Miles Run
[7] Learn 36 new healthy recipes
[70] Paint 360 paintings
[70] Take care of at least one thing on my to do list every day
[7] Write 18 songs and learn 18 covers on guitar
[ ] Take a trip to Europe
[6] Organize 36 opportunities for poker players to volunteer in LV
[4] Go out clubing 36 times, improve my social skills and become the best man I can be
[5] Read 36 Books

Loving the guitar case

Do you still have this painting and if so is it for sale / what are its dimensions?

Guitar case is a very cool idea.

"The three great essentials to achieve anything worth while are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense." - Thomas Edison

Jackson Square



Besthoff Sculpture Garden, City Park NOLA







I missed my 60 hr volume goal by 1 hr. I have been working on time management and I have seen a lot of improvement but I know I can still get a lot better.

I have been running every other day and I feel like I am in the best shape of my life. I have been exploring some parks I've never been to around Vegas I'll be sure to take some pics. I haven't attempted any runs longer than 4 mi yet, I think I'll plan on doing one long distance run per mini challenge going forward. I have been eating a much higher percentage of nutritious food as opposed to junk food and drinking tea a much higher percentage of time than soda. I can still do better on these fronts.

I haven't been doing much in the way of socializing lately besides messing around on tinder a bit. Being single is kind of lonely on one hand but it also makes it easier to work on projects without distraction. Chasing girls is a big investment of time/emotion/money.

Here is my latest vlog-



Here is a cover of "After the Fall" by Sworn Enemy-



One of my paintings-



Thanks dude, we have to hit up Mt Charleston sometime soon!

PMed, Thanks!

I'm sure most on 2+2 are more interested in poker than art but if you are curious about my paintings you can find them here:

Website: unconventional-art.deviantart.com
Etsy: etsy.com/shop/UnconventionalPaint
Twitter: twitter.com/unconpaint
Instagram: instagram.com/unconventional_art

Mini Challenge #8

59/50 hrs of poker

2015 GOALS

[379] 1800 hrs of quality volume (average 150 hrs a month)
[62.5] Miles Run
[8] Learn 36 new healthy recipes
[80] Paint 360 paintings
[80] Take care of at least one thing on my to do list every day
[8] Write 18 songs and learn 18 covers on guitar
[ ] Take a trip to Europe
[7] Organize 36 opportunities for poker players to volunteer in LV
[4] Go out clubing 36 times, improve my social skills and become the best man I can be
[8] Read 36 Books