No disrespect, but both Bovada and WPN are legit, all u have to do is check the forum. Also just deposit $100. Playing $5 MTT online will greatly improve u. Ur not doing it to build a roll. Ur doing it for practice. U have to get in hands n get put in spots, it's the same way u grew to crush cash

If ur unwilling to practice online just quit tourneys IMO. You are spending $250+ a tourney and have no idea how approach certain spots, no clue of ICM, or bubble strategy or ranges. Basically u are straight hoping to lockbox a tourney. We play poker for edges. Without practice u have no clue where your edges are. Now if you wanna play a live MTT for fun that's cool. But no need to stress yourself and bankroll tying to achieve something u have put in zero work for so far.

Just joined Bovada but haven't pulled the trigger yet. What do you think about bookmaker.eu?

Short on dealers at HSI. I was 3rd on the list. Now I'm down to 9th. We need a dealer soon or I will drop out of the top 9. Fun times!!!

Thanks @loudPacquiao I may consider your advice and just quit them entirely. U make some gd points. I always think I'm making correct plays in tourneys, but obv hv nothing to show for it lately.
My biggest score was a 2nd place in 2008/or 09 for $20k, and 2010 turned VPP points on Poker Stars (equivalent to less than $10) into a $10k wsop seat + $2k travel money by satelliting back to back tourneys in large fields. I think I hv some tourney game, but overall prob break even in tourneys throughout my career.
The heartbreaks and gut wrenching bust outs is really just not worth it to me anymore. I may just quit them/Not really fun for me anymore. Still undecided

Is there any tips u wd like to share about the things u mentioned above ^? Approaching certain spots, ICM, bubble strategy, ranges
Just in case I play the HPO main
On the fence

Then you can never shave again though.

I'm no MTT expert. I did play a good bit of SNG on Bovada, and it taught me that the tourney format creates a much different game. You have to approach certain spots different. It may be the way u play a draw to how you construct your ranges. U can Google basic strat but nothing like experience

I'm not saying u can't succeed in MTT. But if you want to play them seriously u have to put in work online. Playing AND reviewing. After u review a couple sessions u will start to get a feel for situations and how and where to accumulate chips. Then u develope a huge edge over Villains. Even if you can only play 4 or five $5 MTT a week, if you review your hands you will exponentially increase your MTT IQ

Just get the practice in. The football game isn't won on Sunday, it's won in weight room and film room. Regardless in wish you luck. I just respect your game and I feel if you put in work u can achieve success in MTT. GL on the felt

Just keep doing your thing, play cash with the occasional tourney. You will bink one here soon, no worries.

This Just In: I will not be playing anymore tournaments this month! Yesterday I realized my pops flies in town from Florida same day as HPO main event. Not gonna dis my pops for poker. Don't see him too often so easy choice for me. I will continue to play tournies, but def gonna cut back on them from the advice of @LoudPacquiao and @Ashberrj (think I remember Ash saying this a few months back).
I do have one last horrah lined up in early December that I'll b playing, but that will b the last one of the year. Looks like I'll b growing "the shaggy" out for a few more weeks. Hopefully I can cash this last tourney of the year and finally shave this ugly thing.
I wd prob take @loudPacquaio advice and just give them up entirely, but so much trash talking has been going on at the Shoe that I must play in this upcoming tourney. All the big cash game players will b playing in it, and the banter back and forth on FB w this tourney has been comical. I hv to try to snag it up. The money will be gd, but the bragging rights might b worth more.
It's kind of a secretive tourney/not sure if I want to gv up too much info, for the sake of tourney grinders showing up. It's already going to b a tough field, and I don't want it to make it tougher. Prob shdnt hv even brought it up, but want u all to know where I stand on things... HPO main, tourneys in general, and "the shaggy".
Just keeping u informed.

Last 6 Months Cash & Tourney Included:



Last 6 Months Cash:



November Cash Crush Sessions up til Nov 16:



November Cash Data up til Nov. 16:

A little jelly of those stats this month. $8,000 on 40hrs, damn son.
Sick graph

$200/hr ain't bad, nice work!

+1 sick results bro!!

Sent from my SM-G900V using 2+2 Forums

Nice work sir!! Keep it up!

Ray did you say secret Tourney!?!

It's really a hu sng with his daughter. He really wants to shave.

Shhh...that's plan B!

4" of snow here today. School & daycare r closed. So no poker today, kicking it w the kiddos. Some serious sledding bout to go down.

Trying to get to some of these questions. Havent forgot about ya.
Smtimes the tennis actually relaxes me, and smtimes I hv experienced discomfort during a match. Afterwards, usually gd. I hv been taking ur advice and doing some nightly jogs in the neighborhood. I do think these jogs help.
*I haven't been able to go to Planet Fitness in a long time because I'm been experiencing a lot of anxiety there...actually about wipeout on the treadmill. I'm paid up for the rest of the year, but haven't been in 3 months, and don't think I can go back until I get a handle of this.
-Church is another place I'm been experiencing triggers. Instead of going last Sunday, our family just decided it wd b better to watch the live stream online. I owe a lot to my family for being so supportive. I feel like a big burden!
-During levels 3-6 at HPO event 1 I thought I was going to have to sit in the truck and get blinded out until I cd recover. But, fought through some anxiety issues there even though it was an excruciating mental war! Level 6 and beyond was no prob. Just another reason I shdnt do tourneys. This is really getting out of control! I read book last night about conquering anxiety, and it was stating that anxiety stems from unexpressed anger that hasn't been worked out. Or, negative feelings that have been repressed. My only prob is, I have no idea what negative repressed feelings I shd b working through. I love my life, so mayb it's something else. Thyroid? Low blood sugar? Chemical imbalance? Who the f knows! It's hard to go through a day wo some sort of anxiety. My competitive nature won't let me give up. I want to beat this just as bad as I want to beat the other 8 players at my table!
-On a gd note, I did make it through dinner at a Pizza Restaurant called BoomBozz last Saturday!
Hopefully I can make through the poker sessions this wk. I do feel pretty comfortable w the day crowd and playing w people I know. It's hasn't been too terribly bad. The 9 min anxiety session a few wks back came on a night sesh which cd hv been a factor.
From the outside looking in, ur prob like "dude get over it, don't b such a puss". Yeah I know, but it's not that easy for me. Working on it. Praying on it.

Thinking about it. not ready right now.
I can give u a written description for now. The beard looks flat out awful! A few grays on the chin, and rest of it black. I'm envy of all those gd looking lumberjacks that have nice beards. Because mine looks like I'm growing peubs on my face! Lots of curlies. The #nocashnoshave may b the most regrettable thing I've ever said. Every time I look in the mirror I see tourney disappointment. This really blows. It's a love/hate relationship right now. The fam hates it, and the misses thinks I look homely. The dealers in the poker room prob think I went off the mental cliff. W everything going on, I think I actually hv....
Perhaps "Shaggy", or the tourneys bricks, cd be the reason for all this anxiety! #Lightbulbmoment.

Lord help me!

As for the other posts...I greatly appreciate all the help, critique, feedback, kind words, and the positive encouragement. If anyone wd like a Cmas card from me, pm ur address. It's the least i can do to show my appreciation.

None of this was proofread/get over it
Rayz

Butterfly do you think this thread is helping your mentality, or hurting?
Just a thought.
Rooting for you!

Just wanted to chime in and thank you for the reflections that you put in the thread. I have great respect for the life balance that youre able to maintain. Youre right about anxiety stemming from a wide variety of places. It has conquered many of men from all walks of life. Similarly to there being many things that can cause it, there are also lots of ways of dealing with it. Find what works best for you. Congrats on your success this month. Ive always been an advocate of playing less tourneys and more cash. Anyways. Thats my two cents. Gl on and off the felt.

Do you have another video in the works?

@absherrj thanks man. Always tend to agree w a lot of things u say.

Yeah been cutting back on a lot of things lately trying to free up some zen, but not so much on the poker front. All I want to do is try to be the best cash game no limit player, and putting in work is the only way to rise to the top. The bad thing about that is it has been obsessively consuming over last couple years. It's a double edge sword, I want to be the best by putting in work, grinding, reviewing, discussing, etc; but it is exhausting at times. Opportunity cost for everything.

Not sure what's lined up for next year. Sometimes I think I have a new challenge in place, sometimes I think I need a break.
Thought about mayb buying a house to flip for next year while I unwind a bit on the poker front. Mayb a do a flip, and come back refreshed. It cd b gd for my over all well being.

Who the heck knows?

Not at this time. Absolutely nothing. U just never know when the next cheesy one will rear its head.

Today: Lost -$32 on 4hrs 40mins. was up about $200, and lost a little w AQ<QJ on JQ466 board. Tables were pretty crappy. It just takes one gd action player to make a gd table, and that player wasn't in the poker room today. Lots of nitty play going on w all the 1/2 tables. No deep stacks, and no gd action, so I left.
On Tuesdays at HSI u can play poker for 2hrs and get a free buffet, so that was pretty cool! The buffet food was so so. I give it 5.75 out of 10.

Are there any goals that you think would be good for next year?
Poker related of course All suggestions welcome!

I don't think you should give up on tournaments altogether. Just saying.
Next year I would like to see a goal centered around tournaments. Anybody who crushes cash like you do, can surely crush tourneys too. You just need to put in more volume with smaller buy-ns. Then move up from there.

I think your main goal should center around being balanced.

Happiness is a result of the decisions you've made previously, that allow you to enjoy your current state.

Maybe take a step back and truly reflect on what makes you happy, and focus your energy towards those efforts.

No matter what you do, best of luck in 2015, keep crushing dude!!

TSW

Great advice @Yster and @Tswpoker1 and greatly appreciated.

Today:
+$63 playing 1/2nl on a little shy of 4 hrs
+$283 playing 2/5/10 on a little over 3 hrs.
= $346 on 7 hrs.

Did a lot of folding today in the big game, and not too many interesting spots to share. Just a patient and grind type of day. Both tables were pretty crappy again today.

Sidenote: "Shaggy" got needled pretty hard today by the cash players in the big game. The word got out to them about #nocashnoshave, and they let me here it. It was comical, but a little embarrassing for me. .

Sidenote2: The eviction went well, and I already have a new tenant in there. #FullHouse

How about a goal to acquire a new rental property? Always nice to pad the life roll.

Seriously been thinking about that @AbsheerJ. Did a few drive bys today, but nothing is really popping out at this time. Getting a great deal on a purchase is the big part of house game. No gd deals right now, but always looking.

Whatever. "Shaggy" just do to care anymore.




I was a little bored, so my creativity got the best of me on this pic. I do weird things because I'm wired weirdly.

Over 1 month and growing. Do what u want w it. Start the needles.