you're grindin like a mothaf***a man, awesome job !

Hehe cheers bro!! Yeh, im turning up the heat and really giving it everything!!



Just finished another grind, a short one, ran sooooo good in PKOs today, ended up with 2 small FTs.

But Im now writing myself a note in here that PKOs give me a massive headache on FTs cos everything is so so so fked up.

So im committing now to doing tons of ICM work on them cos it's a deffo weak spot of mine. I will make time tomorrow and day after to do loads of pre flop stuff for them. Got an excel sheet where I've compared the payouts to further study the ICM and I need to make a little tweak to it. My commitment to study these ridiculous tournies is legally binding.

The time has ended where I "wing it" in PKOs gunna really try and improve in them now.

Sort of feeling in a little limbo atm. Main reason I think is that my fitness routine has become erratic. I really want to get some accountability back and try and hit the gym 5x a week minimum.

I want to focus on this because I have noticed that when gym is good, diet is usually good. If gym is bad diet is very very rarely good, so i think its regular gym work for me that just sets everything in place for me. In addition, i KNOW that it elevates my mood and I feel a lot better. Whats more is that I have learned over the last year or so that alcohol seems to give me horrible mental hangovers that actually disrupt my daily life a lot. OCD tenancies go up and I start overthinking everything. These always go away after a week or so on no alcohol. I'm not planning on going tee total or anything, (after all xmas is coming) but I feel I should go with my gut and accept the fact that if I want to function at my best mentally and minimise the chances of ever "feeling sheet" I'm just not gunna been drinking often unless I'm with friends or celebrating etc.

Streaming has been going really well and has been fun. Today I because really aware of lag my end though which really annoyed me. If I need to upgrade my PC to stream properly that's really tilting cos I don't wanna have to open up the box and pow a new GPU. I will stream tomorrow but if it gets laggy again it seems I will need to upgrade my PC which will be a shame.

Poker wise: been working very hard on my game and am very very happy with my progress and hard work.

Same goes for volume which has been v good lately. I plan on cross checking my start of year volume goals to see where I am.

For now though, I want to grind as hard has I can before xmas. I have an amazing snowy holiday booked with my wife end of November for a few days which will be great fun so I can work hard before and after that in the knowledge that I will be getting good rest even if I work my socks off.

First things first:

Gym tomorrow then fire up tables and a stream.

Wish me luck!

Tbh im not sure how well I played today. Felt a little withered by the end of the session but at least I was thinking through stuff and wasnt rushing decisions






nice winning day.
back tomorrow morning. gl tonight guys im already finished hehe

Woke up crazy early this morning. 5am...

Decided I was up so by about 5:30 I was loading tables.

Fired up a stream about 3ish hours later and finally finished about 4pm. I felt like I caught the worm today again and it paid off. I ran really well and made 3 FTs and got the job done in a PKO!

Back tomorrow.

gl all

Gl dude! moar mtt strat!

Thanks bro!! I just cbet a lot

Nice results mate keep it up!

Love your blog and love your stream . keep it up !

thanks mate!

thanks a lot too!

Was a fun one today. Winning day thanks to a lot of small cashes and this:



Jimmy Carr is coming to Tampere on Sunday, so no grind for me that day, gunna POW a ticket and get insulted in return

gl everyone over the weekend.

Loaded up less tables than normal today and gg'ed everything super early.

Had one MTT left from about 2pm so mixed in a little z100 for a bit but soon got tired and drained. Ended the stream as I only had one thing left (std right?)

Punted off the MTT purely from exhaustion and lack of clear thinking, wasn't a deliberate punt ofc.



By the time I got down to FT I was rewarded with a super soft FT so with the help of a cup of tea and giving myself a virtual slap in the face I began talking myself through every hand like I would if I was streaming just to focus. Deffo missed some spots but overall probably played it 8/10 or something so that's decent all things considered

Yoyoyo

quick update:

Recently, I have just been running better and better, no better example of this was my rare saturday grind where I ran amazing at all my highest buyins. I didn't close and didn't even FT anything, but ran well enough and hunted bounties hard enough to have a +$1800 day.

It's hard for me to explain how pleased I am right now, but everything seems to be working out just fine. I couldn't be working any harder and I couldn't be enjoying it any more!

A quick recap of the "goals" set at the start of the thread:

• Get as ripped as I can for the summer for obvious reasons
• Get my 2 rep max on Deadlift to 2x bodyweight (Currently 1.7x)
• 10k tournaments
• Improve my Finnish

Results:
[x]Get as ripped as I can for the summer for obvious reasons (was probably around 11%BF)
[ ]Get my 2 rep max on Deadlift to 2x bodyweight (Can get around 2x 115kg @73 currently)
[ ]10k tournaments (nope, but still probably double what I played in 2017)
[ ]Improve my Finnish (ei)


So 1/4 is better than 0/4. In reality, I don't feel that I could have put in much more volume at all without something else massively suffering. Really, I think, while I did not hit 10k, I can honestly tell myself that my volume this year has been a success and very good.

I've currently played 4750 tournaments this year. I have around 5-7 days to grind this year. The goal is to hit 5k!!!!

I'm going to finish this year out strong. Lets do this. STARTING NOW!!!!!!

Hope you are all well,
Solidthought

Good luck Pete. Hope you beastmode all the way to the finishing line.

Cheers Tom! Had quite a special day today! I played 25 tournaments (so need to up the volume a little if I am to hit the 5k mark) I started off making the FT of an MTT I usually skip ($44 6Max Turbo), but played it today as was low on tables and it's a monday:



I loaded all the $30 MttSng PKO Turbo things today and ended up shipping one!



Then the godmode got cranked up a gear:



This was the same MttSng type, if you look at the time-stamps on these I think I won 2 back to back

and then I went for a third...


All this while I had one little sweat which I kept getting down to 10bb and then... well winning flips...



Would have been REALLY fun playing this out 3 handed, but I tried to go with my head and not my heart as both remaining players were good regs, I'd been grinding around 8 hours and even though I was one tabling I am a little under slept and I was locking up more than 2nd place while still 3 handed. I'm happy to reduce variance here. I managed to chop my beloved Morning Major <3

My EV bb/100 for the last 12k hands is 20bb/100 so it's safe to say most of the time someone gets KK 60bb eff, I wake up with AA.

Honestly, I am running so so hot, it's becoming slightly awkward to reply to people who go, "omg you run so good" because, I simply have been. But I plan on milking it and making the most of it. It really is crazy, but fun




And just to try and make this a little more braggy, if you were wondering if running this good feels as good as it looks like it would feel -

Yes, it does feel that good



Hope you all get to taste some of this luck

well done mate, keep grinding!

Cheers Everest, getting back on the grind right now!!

I'ts Christmas in 5 days and I am getting on a plane back to England in a few hours. What a year.

I can honestly say I gave everything.

The year was always going to be quite different considering what happened in the middle. However, I just used that joy to make sure I didn't take my foot off the poker pedal. This was such a happy year, that working felt even more fun than usual. I had no issue putting in crazy hours because I knew I had holidays and things coming up at various points. I have been slapped in the face with how lucky I am in life. It sounds braggy especially on a poker forum but I prefer to think that I am very grateful.

So the lucky stars need to be thanked: I have married the girl of my dreams and she loves me very much. I have a job I am very passionate about and greatly enjoy and am currently enjoying excess positive variance. I have my health (a priceless asset). My family has their health (ditto before). I have wonderful support and love from my family. I have wonderful friends. I feel lucky that bad things don't happen to me. Sometimes, I've done stupid things like walk aimlessly across a main road plugged into headphones or simply staring at the floor. I've ended up missing cars by a second or two through pure luck.

***
Once, I was riding my bike at the end of my paper round - the sun was low in the sky and shining brightly at 7:30 am. I couldn't see infront me. Instead of shielding the sun with my hand and continuing I decided the sun was too bright to try and look forward. I simply stared at my handlebars and tried to cycle along using memory of the road and by looking at the road underneath my handlebars.

BANG

I was lying down in a car. That happened fast. I am not hurt but there was a loud noise. There is glass everywhere and I am upside down.

I have gone though the rear windscreen of a car.

A Parked Car.

I was covered in blood and a little shocked so I made my way back to college after returning the papers and my bike and went to the reception. The blood was coming from my finger and I was cleaned up and plastered up by my best mates Mum who was the receptionist. In the end, it turned out that I cut my finger.

So yes, I cycled blindly into a parked car, went through the windscreen, smashed it into pieces, got sympathy, never paid a penny AND all I had was a little cut.

The little scratch was deep enough to produce sympathy inducing levels of blood yet essentially superficial and pain free and probably broke the bare minimum amount of layers of skin required to start bleeding. It left a microscopic scar which was so small it has now totally disappeared. Sometimes I am a bloody idiot, but oh my life, I am lucky. So, so lucky. You probably have 2 questions:

1. How old were you when you had your paper round?
A: I was 18

2. This one is a question which was recently asked by my good friend Bert. "How did you make it to 29?"
A: Pure luck.

Also, I'm now 30.
***

OK, so hopefully that goes some way to showing how damn lucky I have been but also that I have a reasonable idea of it and how I am determined not to waste it.

On that note lets talk about poker briefly. Or rather about results because lets face it, that's all we care about right? kappa fakekappa

I think I played about 2x the volume in 2018 than in 2017. I reviewed a lot of stuff. Not all efficient studying/reviewing but better than it could have been. Had a very good SCOOP and ran well coming 7th in a $1k, 10th in a $530 and then 20th in another $530 for a good performance at the higher games and a few almosts but a nice winning SCOOP! Then it was WCOOP which strangely took place in 30 degree heat in Finland but never mind...

Again, I decided to run well and had my biggest score to date by dealing HU in a $215 6Max event and finally coming 2nd to a Finn after a fun HU game. Day one was on a Saturday so a shout out to abarone for giving me the idea to grind the Saturday instead of some random midweek day.

Since then, I have been grinding steadily and streaming too as I found that it helps me put more volume in, keep focus during tail end of sessions and get a bit closer to the poker community. I've continued to run well post WCOOP and was SO close to hitting 5k games this year! So here it is, my year to date:


EV bb/100 is around 7.50 spread out over 3 databases and which is pretty decent for that ABI.

This is a year I am proud of.

So in 3 hours I leave for the airport. 2 Weeks of Christmas joy await me <3 guys, I don't know if you know this, but I freaking love Christmas. It's not just the mince pies, it's also that people are.......... nice. You know it's true, around Christmas people are nicer, and you can hear things like, "don't worry, it's xmas" in place of a normal argument.

At the start of Jan we leave for our honeymoon. We are going to the Maldives. The mince pies will probably increase my bodyfat back to



levels.

With a fascination with looking at Islands on Google Maps, going to a few will be really something and it goes without saying that I am looking forward to it.

This was me with my Dad and the wedding




Here's to the future (and present for you hippies)


Thanks for reading everyone, and I wish you ALL the luck I have had this year. Merry Christmas everyone! I will see you back here in 1 month

Now I've got to pack. Although I only need 44 games to hit 5k for the year... could play some spins...

Fantastic year Pete both on and off the tables. As far I can see it’s nothing but well deserved. Hope you have a great break and honeymoon.

However, I do think the most stark aspect of the paper round story wasn’t the blind cycling, or the foolishness of blind cycling at 18, but the fact you had a bleeming paper round at 18 hahaha.

Vamosssssss

All of this. Merry Xmas bud, enjoy the much deserved vacation.

congrats on the year and getting married!

amazing photos

Hehe well those custard creams were not going to pay for themselves! The joys of those day were going to that shop during breaks and buying sweets haha. Thanks Tom, really am going to enjoy the holiday. Merry xmas to you!


Thanks Aaron, merry xmas to you and cheers!

Ps did play a few spins

Thanks a lot mate! Was a wonderful yr ! Merry christmas to you!

Totally smashed it on and off the tables. Not sure if it's possible, but here's to an even bigger 2019?!!

Grats on the sick year! All the best to you and your family for the year ahead.

lololol Cheers Ben, I'm happy if I never have a better year, it does seems impossible haha.

Grats on your year too! Glad you had a good one off the tables and of course on too! Wish you a great 2019 and I don't see why you can't run over EV next year !

Thanks a lot Labax! I wish you the best 2019!


Leaving for our honeymoon in 7 hours! Not sure it has really sunk in yet that I am going to the Maldives for 2 weeks with the girl of my dreams. How do I make it sink in? So it should be around 30 degrees the whole time which is, pretty hot for an adopted Finn who loves cold weather and darkness. I'm all for a well lit room and a lining of candles but 30degrees sunshine? .... lets see.

Been about 2 weeks of poker with out playing a hand which will extend to another 2 weeks of course. When I return I am strongly considering attending the Tallinn Poker Tour thing and playing stuff. I have not been in a casino for over 1 year (last year was the 1st in 8 years I havnt been a casino mainly because I hate them) but I am willing to have a professional shot at this tour. I think it might be a reasonable one to go to as it is close and I won't have to fly.

have a great 2019 everyone!

UPDATE:

Just finished a 10 hour stream so bare with me, this is gunna be short but...

Had a great Christmas and a wonderful honeymoon in the Maldives with my wife <3 Some pics to follow!

Grinded the last 3 days, 2 on stream. Won 3 small MTTs and today got hosted by LEX for over 1k viewers which was amazing but freaky, then later got hosted by Icho90 who is another great player and a fun chilled streamer.

I will take a 3 day weekend because tomorrow I will go an celebrate my friend Lukes MPN Tallinn Main Event win! He shipped it for 50k!! This was last weekend so the last 2 months have been madness and incredible!

Will post pics soon when I get them from my phone and will be back OTG monday.

Have a good weekend ppl!