We hit up Isle Casino in Pompano Beach and also checked out Hard Rock in Hollywood. Both rooms were big and busy.

May 2013

Total hours played- 107
Average hourly winrate- $8
Winnings- $848

2013 YTD

Total hours played- 697.5
Average hourly winrate- $16
Winnings- $11212

We drove out to Key West. I got to scout out a couple more south FL rooms. Not playing that great. I got to meet some of dhcg86's Army buddies the trip has been really cool so far.

I just left my laptop at the last hotel we stayed in so I won't have pics until I get it back. We are on the road driving to Mobile, AL. Time to head west.

I got to check out Harrahs NOLA last night, now we are on the highway heading toward TX.

Where is last stop? Vegas, Bay Area? Stopping through LA?

how long you and dhc gonna be out west? Heading out there in August for a week.

I'm going to Vegas and dhcg86 is heading to Ventura. I will probably stay there until the end of wsop then maybe hit up the Bay Area for a little. Might also visit LA while in Vegas.

I'm back in Vegas. I sunburned the **** out of the tops of my feet from wearing flip flops. I am going to make sure to put on sunscreen whenever I go out in the desert sun this summer. Probably going to wait until tomorrow to start grinding so I can stock up on food and get a bed set.

May 2013

Total hours played- 114
Average hourly winrate- $4
Winnings- $465

2013 YTD

Total hours played- 705
Average hourly winrate- $15
Winnings- $10829

First full day in awhile it feels great to be here. I played pretty good, got bluffed in a couple spots but no big deal. I think people will raise a lot wider when I bet 1/3 pot than when I bet 2/3 pot, so I need to call more.

I'm going to just coast for the rest of the month and get ready to take on some tough goals during wsop.

May 2013

Total hours played- 123.5
Average hourly winrate- $9
Winnings- $1135

2013 YTD

Total hours played- 714.5
Average hourly winrate- $16
Winnings- $11499

I'm not sure how this thread is an "inspiration" to some people. Is this what the youth of today considers to be success? This is a sad, sad existence IMO. Hobo'ing around the country freeloading off people who aren't really your friends. Not having any meaningful relationships with anyone. No goals (or, always failing every "goal" that's set). "Making" the same amount of money the guy grinding the fry station at McDonalds makes....and that guy probably has a girlfriend or a wife.

I read through the entire thread in the last 3-4 days. It started off great. I was really intrigued (hell, I was at the edge of my seat). My fiancee' was giving me the stink eye, but I didn't care. This sh$t was captivating. Then it all started going down hill....

You'd set a goal. You'd fail miserably. You didn't take this seriously enough and you still aren't. You're not putting in the hours (and you really never have). I actually talked out loud to my computer screen as if you were right here in front of me. I'm begging you to play more hours. Why, Carl (or is it Karl)? WHY ARE YOU NOT PUTTING IN THE TIME?! So dang frustrating, man. You'd rather get high and sit in a crappy hotel room and make fart jokes (Am I close?) How's that read?

Grow up. Take this seriously. You're a few steps from homelessness or back in jail. You're not gonna be able to freeload off these so called friends for very long.

My advice is this....enjoy the WSOP. Have fun. After that...it's time to go home. Your ego isn't getting in the way? My @ss. Your ego will not let you do the right thing and you know it. Or is it your immaturity that won't let you? Maybe both. Move back in with your parents. Get a real job. Set a plan for your life. Every month that goes by is wasted. Go to school...do something!

Flame away. I don't care. This is how I feel.

Bull. It's about making money. When you're playing 1/2 NL you have to put in the hours. PERIOD. Aww, poor baby is tired. Too bad. Real world grown ups go to their jobs with aches, pains, sleep deprivation, hangovers, real world problems like kids and spouses...mortgages, car payments. Pure has none of that. Aww, poor thing can't be bothered though. Tilts me so bad....

It's not a question of whether he should put in fewer hours when he doesn't "feel" like playing, it's a question of when not "feeling" like playing, but playing anyway translates to -ev. Which clearly it sometimes does.

Obviously it's tough to build a roll at 1/2 without massive hours. The more sensible thing is to have a job to cover living expenses while you build a roll, but pure feels this is not an option.

I agree this thread isn't an inspirational journey like Matt Moore or that guy playing the big PLO game in LA who started at 1/2 nl. But those guys are outliers. this is probably much closer to what most people with average talent and ability (no offense) could expect if they take a shot without already having a roll and lots of experience. As such, its a useful contribution to the community. Plus he's young and having fun and has no responsibilities. Why not let him enjoy it?

It'll work out or it won't. He's certainly stuck with it way past a point that most would have given up. Which makes it intriguing even if you don't find it inspiring.

stevesmith1980, I met Carl in Ac and from few moments I spent with him I can tell you that he doesn't have some ridiculous ego. I don't think that is where any of the problems reside.

Fwiw, I think you underestimate how hard it is to grind all those hours live every month. It's not like a normal job were 40% of your time is spent dicking around. It's not like dealing cards where you can just perform a nominal task and essentially just say lalalalala and collect a rake box for yourself. Playing live cards for a living requires insane amounts of focus that is draining unlike anything I believe you can imagine. Your skin doesn't need to be tough, it needs to be bulletproof. You need to be able to sense the second your armor has been compromised and retreat. If not your hourly is diminished by tilt. You need to push yourself when you feel strong for long durations of time that will likely mess with your sleep schedule, which further complicates obtaining hours as one should strategically be nailing the prime times.

I don't know Carl's friends, but I think it is likely you underestimate their loyalty to him. Moreover say whatever you want, but Carl has made a vast improvement over the past few months so the idea that he is in some type of regression mode is absurd. Better to be grinding out 25k a year playing cards then sucking the mans dick for 33.

Stay positive Carl. A positive attitude is more likely to be an aggressive attitude and aggression is the name of the game. Pure_Aggression.

If it wasn't hard everyone would be doing it. I'm self employed myself. I know what hard work is. I also have a family and bills. Carl has none of this. He's blowing a great opportunity. I'm just trying to light a fire under his butt. It's time to grow up, Carl. If you were my son I'd smack you upside your head.

It went down hill when he moved to Vegas the 1st time. I then thought he would have learned the best route to take when he decided to leave, but he didn't. IMO he needs to get back to where he started, but this time do it right. If this means he's living with mom and dad for another year then so be it. He has the ability to make 20k in a year at 1/2. Does he really want it? Is he disciplined enough to do it right? He's taking shortcuts and making mistakes over and over...and it shows in the results. If only he would go home and make that 20k in a year with virtually no expenses. Then, he could go to Vegas with 6 months living expenses and a 10k bankroll. If only...

Lol at Carl not having true friends

I'm sure you're all fine people. You're not doing Carl any favors, though. I'm fairly certain you won't understand that last sentence and I'm not going to explain it you.

What is more likely

that I am more familiar with Carl's situation than you are and I help him in the best ways that I can

Or that yourself,seemingly an outsider, is not only more aware of Carl's predicaments, but also better suited to help him in life?


Which leads me to these questions

How well do you know Carl?

How long have you been a professional poker player for?

And why would you ever assume you are smarter than I am?

I'm not a professional poker player. I haven't mentioned anything specifically about poker. Every thing I've referenced has been in regards to Carl being lazy, a leach, unmotivated, without any ambition for anything. It's no freakin wonder he's failed.

He's 23 years old now. He's an ex-con FFS. TIME TO GROW UP. This has nothing to do with poker. It could apply to any profession. He's just not willing to do what it necessary to succeed and that ticks me off because his thread had me hooked and I was rooting for him....and then...well, it's just like every other degenerate failure thread. Shocking!

And you guys are enabling him. Enabling the childishness. Enabling the irresponsibility. Tell me I'm wrong.

Well now we are discussing a different topic which isn't what I was hoping to.

In the interest of maturity I will address your most recent concern

Of course we enable Carl. Is that a bad thing?

Carl is making more money now than he has ever made before. What he chooses to do with it is his choice.

Do you think Carl has been better off due to this stake? Or should he have just ignored the offer and done his own thing?

The EV of Carl being enabled is higher than the EV of him living the poker life on his own

I think, as a friend, sometimes you have to do what's best for that friend in the long run. When this gravy train ends (and it will end) what will there be to show for it? I think it's much more admirable when someone is able to go out on their own and make it. That said....have fun. Sorry for being preachy, but this thread really rubbed me the wrong way. It's basically a microcosm of youth today in this country. Lazy, rudderless, and enabled.

If you guys ever come to Horseshoe Cincinnati then let me know and I'll buy you a beer. The WSOP circuit event here is in September.

I want to address this. Because you aren't a professional poker player you have no freaking idea what you are talking about in this regard. Carl hasn't failed by any stretch. What he has managed to accomplish is something that 95% of aspiring pros cannot do, and that is support himself with poker for over a year.

Busting out and rebuilding and busting out and rebuilding and busting out and rebuilding is something that all of us pros have done. It is part of the cycle of becoming a pro.

You are wrong. When you talk about him being lazy, nothing can be further from the truth. Carl has put in a lot of work and study to be where he is today. He is on the verge of reaching critical mass and blowing this whole thing wide open which is why so many of us our supportive of him.

You just don't know what you are talking about in regards to playing poker and putting in the hours. As has been pointed out, its not like typical work in which you can half ass it 30% of the time and just go through the motions. In poker, you have got to be on your A or B game and that is pretty draining. There will be times where you just aren't in the right state of mind to play and thus shouldn't play.

At first I thought you were trolling but I think you are sincere in your beliefs. All I can say is that you can't nor you shouldn't lump Carl in with all the other aspiring pros that fail for the simple fact that Carl hasn't failed. What he has accomplished should be applauded and FFS, he is only 23. If ever there is a time in your life where you should say F*k it and take a shot at a dream it is when you are young and in your 20s.

And as for us enabling him. Do you think we donate money and time to just anyone who wants to take a shot? Carl has proven himself to many of us and we want to see him succeed because those of us who have done and are doing what he is attempting to do can see that he has the qualities and attributes to make this a reality.

How many 9 to 5-ers sit at their desks in their 30s, 40s, 50s, etc and dream about the thing they really wanted to do in life: be an artist, musician, writer, actor, start their own business, whatever...

but all they do is dream about it and think, "Man, I wish I would have given it a shot, I wish I would have just tried... Damn, that year where I got laid off at 24, I should have said F*k it and tried.... But alas, I didn't and now, I'm in this cubicle hell hole and I will never have the opportunity again..."

You make it sound like Carl has thrown his whole life away when he's still got his entire life in front of him. He can easily chase this dream for another year or two without any real longterm harm. Those 9 to 5 jobs will still be there for him if he chooses to start over with something else.

but in the meantime, why not chase the dream? Especially when he is so close to making it a reality.

There are different ways to beat the game, and its a matter of finding that winning formula for yourself. Poker is very complicated. I like to think of my poker game as an intricate clock with a thousand different pieces all working together. It takes a lot of time and effort to get all those pieces to work together in such a way as to produce a winning game. It only takes one or two pieces to be "out of alignment" to ruin the whole system...

It takes a lot of grinding, working, studying, etc to line up all those pieces, but when they all get aligned... BOOM!!!!

So Carl taking another year to make his dream happen isn't a bad thing. You have no idea how quickly this thread can launch back into orbit. You can go from $1k to $10k in one month in poker. And I'm sure Carl isn't too far away from having one of those insane months.

Actually Carl is pretty lazy

I think I know what I'm talking about because I'm self employed myself. If I don't work (put in the hours) then I don't make any money. I have goals. I, more often than not, meet those goals. However, where myself (and perhaps you and some of the other crew members differ from Carl) is that I have consequences for my actions. I think this is key. Without consequences then where does the motivation come from?

We constantly see throughout this thread a troubling pattern...

Goal set - Fail
Goal set - Fail
Goal set - Fail

Now, why is this? I submit to you that the reason this was is there were no consequences if these goals were not met. What we got was some cliche's and "inspirational quotes" and half-hearted "atta-boys" from the general young and clueless masses who have really no idea how the real world works (no offense!)!

This is what is going on in this country today and it chaps my A. Half the country is on the dole. Hands out. No consequences for their inaction. They don't work? They still have a roof and a meal. Why put in the time? This was paralleled by Carl in this thread. It really was no big deal if he didn't meet his goals because he really didn't have anything to lose. When there is something to lose ***** gets a lot more real. This, while entertaining, really isn't real. It's fantasy land. Again, no offense. I really mean that.

Oh real nice!
What a loyal friend you must be :-)