2017: Climb The Poker Tree, Master The Mental Game & Crush Life
08-01-2017
, 06:47 AM
JULY REVIEW
A bad month! Everything about my poker was off in July - from discipline and patience at the table, to session preparation, to study, to table selection & volume. My results suffered....
July Results:
Overall 2017 Results:
As you can see my red line for July was very poor, suggesting I wasn't playing particularly well. Yes, variance has a part to play in this and there were sessions were I literally couldn't hit a hand, but over the course of a month I expect and demand*better from myself!
One of the biggest factors involved in this was my volume. 79k hands is a lot of full-ring (FR) poker, and I often played too many tables. I believe my optimum to be 6-9 tables where I can still play my 'A game', but I continually played 12-15 during times of high traffic. Decisions were rushed and results suffered!
With PokerStars once again destroying livelihoods by cutting loyalty bonuses (capitalist *******), now is the time to really focus on winrates and not volume! With this in mind I really need to get my discipline in order. Yes, volume is key to negate variance as much as we can, but what's the point in playing loads of hands if I can only show up with results like this?!
Analysing my results further, 200nl ($1/2) was the biggest concern. The last 2 months have been really poor and pushed my overall 2017 winrate down from 4-5bb/100 to 3bb/100. This is down to what I've just been talking about - decisions are rushed through playing 12+ tables. 400-1knl is a different story - these games run less often so a desire to maximise profit coupled with the fact there's more*cold hard cash*on the line creates a better focus! I really need to approach 200nl games in a similar fashion, so 6-9 tables is where I need to be!
Further to what I've said so far, burnout is a factor I need to consider. There really is no need to play so many tables nowadays given loyalty rewards suck, so playing less will have the added benefit of decreasing the chances of burnout, as well as*accumulative fatigue (mental and physical) going into my next session. This will create a more enjoyable, successful and healthy work/life balance (which I've discussed in more depth in some of my other blogs/articles).
All sounds easy huh? Only time will tell. I should imagine my opponents will look to gain more of an edge given the loyalty rewards situation, so I need to spend sufficient time working on my game away from the tables. This is something I mentioned in my June Review, in that the summer months are busier times so I neglect study for playing time. As I move into the autumn/winter I will look to dedicate more time and improve my skills, both from a theoretical and mental standpoint.
That's all for now, thanks for reading!
A bad month! Everything about my poker was off in July - from discipline and patience at the table, to session preparation, to study, to table selection & volume. My results suffered....
July Results:
Overall 2017 Results:
As you can see my red line for July was very poor, suggesting I wasn't playing particularly well. Yes, variance has a part to play in this and there were sessions were I literally couldn't hit a hand, but over the course of a month I expect and demand*better from myself!
One of the biggest factors involved in this was my volume. 79k hands is a lot of full-ring (FR) poker, and I often played too many tables. I believe my optimum to be 6-9 tables where I can still play my 'A game', but I continually played 12-15 during times of high traffic. Decisions were rushed and results suffered!
With PokerStars once again destroying livelihoods by cutting loyalty bonuses (capitalist *******), now is the time to really focus on winrates and not volume! With this in mind I really need to get my discipline in order. Yes, volume is key to negate variance as much as we can, but what's the point in playing loads of hands if I can only show up with results like this?!
Analysing my results further, 200nl ($1/2) was the biggest concern. The last 2 months have been really poor and pushed my overall 2017 winrate down from 4-5bb/100 to 3bb/100. This is down to what I've just been talking about - decisions are rushed through playing 12+ tables. 400-1knl is a different story - these games run less often so a desire to maximise profit coupled with the fact there's more*cold hard cash*on the line creates a better focus! I really need to approach 200nl games in a similar fashion, so 6-9 tables is where I need to be!
Further to what I've said so far, burnout is a factor I need to consider. There really is no need to play so many tables nowadays given loyalty rewards suck, so playing less will have the added benefit of decreasing the chances of burnout, as well as*accumulative fatigue (mental and physical) going into my next session. This will create a more enjoyable, successful and healthy work/life balance (which I've discussed in more depth in some of my other blogs/articles).
All sounds easy huh? Only time will tell. I should imagine my opponents will look to gain more of an edge given the loyalty rewards situation, so I need to spend sufficient time working on my game away from the tables. This is something I mentioned in my June Review, in that the summer months are busier times so I neglect study for playing time. As I move into the autumn/winter I will look to dedicate more time and improve my skills, both from a theoretical and mental standpoint.
That's all for now, thanks for reading!
08-31-2017
, 04:55 PM
AUGUST REVIEW
WHAT....A....MONTH!!!
As Ronan Keating once sang, 'Life is a rollercoaster'... Yes it bludie is Ronan, and so is poker! August was my rollercoaster where I achieved two personal records! It was my most successful month EVER, in terms of hard earned $$$$. But at the other end of the spectrum I had my worst ever day as a poker player, losing just under $10k in one session! We'll get onto that but first here's my results....
August Results:
Overall 2017 Results:
So I'm taking home a cool $22k this month! With a wedding and honeymoon to come in September it really couldn't have been better timed. But it certainly wasn't plain sailing. During the first 2 weeks of August I crushed my usual games (200-1knl fr) to create a beautifully looking HM2 database showing $13k profit and some enviable winrates! That's the point when things changed and I went on one marathon downswing session, dropping around $9.7k playing 400-1knl 6-max. Now if you know anything about me and have read my previous blog posts then you'll be aware of my goals, focus, and downfalls as a poker player - and playing 6-max is something I have constantly talked about avoiding due to tilt, inferior skills to regs, and mental weaknesses. Writing this, I currently sit in a very different position than I did when I closed my computer down after that session! I think it's best to start there....
I haven't ever written down my thoughts, emotions or feelings after a session, but it's something I thought I would do in this instance to try and find some sort of closure and avoid any accumulative tilt. It's something I read about in Jared Tendler's 'Mental Game of Poker' book months ago but never carried out. The fact I couldn't sleep that night and just continued to go over hands in my head, or think 'why did I play those games?' made me think I really need to do something about it. So here is what I wrote the morning after that session:
"Ahhhhhhhhh, what was I thinking? How many times have I said not to play 6-max?! I can't handle the swings, I can't control myself and always open more tables to chase losses! I'm sat here feeling angry and frustrated with myself, but worst of all... I'm worried! I'm worried about my future - what if I can't make a living out of poker because of my flaws, or the poker ecosystem? How will I support my family? I don't have any other qualifications. Can a 40 year old with no qualifications get any kind of decent job? I don't want another job - I enjoy poker and the freedom it gives me."
I didn't player poker that morning. I forced myself to the gym in spite of the fact I really just wanted to sit down and try and win a large chunk of my losses back! At least this was a positive move - in the past I would of skipped the gym and probably spewed more with the fatal presence of accumulative tilt! After letting out some steam in the gym I must admit I did feel better - Haseeb Qureshi is the man that helped me here. If you haven't read his stuff then I suggest you do! I was keen to play poker but thought I'd revisit what I wrote down earlier and add to it...
"Gary get a hold of yourself!!! You're a winning poker player, you're still $3k up this month! That's more in 2 weeks than the majority of poker players, and definitely more than the majority of people my age who have 'normal jobs'. You've had a bad day, but learn from it and improve!!! What do you need to do to better yourself and become a better poker player and person? Get that whiteboard up and running again and stick to it - make plans, goals, whatever it is! 2017 has been a very good year both on and off the poker tables - let's get back on board!!!"
Now while that all sounds great, I definitely still suffered some accumulative tilt during my next session. I think that's perfectly normal and I doubt there's a poker player out there who wouldn't! I'm just thankful the poker gods were with me and I managed to turn things around and now sit here talking about my best month ever!
Did I stop playing 6-max and go back to my bread-and-butter of fr? No I didn't. Was this the right decision? To answer this question I'm not thinking about my results as it's easy in hindsight to say 'yes, I made x amount', but I'm trying to think in the long term. And If I'm honest, I'm very confused. I'm confused about where I'm best to focus my time and energy in playing and studying in order to be successful for years to come and not just the here and now. I could easily grind 100-1knl fr and make a decent return, but what about if these games dry up? Am I already missing out on more potentially profitable games at 6-max that are currently happening, regardless of the future ecosystem? As I've said over the last few monthly blogs, I haven't put much time into study because I've had so much on my plate with cricket, social events, planning a wedding etc. But with the wedding in 2 weeks I'm starting to think about my plans for after the honeymoon - how I'm going to manage my time in terms of study and playing, and what I'm actually going to study.
For the remainder of August I played a mix of 6-max and fr games dependant on my mood and table selection. Everything was smooth sailing. Table selection was solid, I didn't overplay (i.e. play too many tables so decisions were rushed), and I took appropriate breaks. One of the major reasons I played 6-max was because I was on the road a lot. I was away for a few days visiting my girlfriend's friends/cousins, and then on another occasion spent a few days with her immediate family. So I only had my laptop to hand where 6 tables is really the optimum. Normally I have 2 screens - one with the tables I'm playing, and one to scan the lobby for profitable games that are starting. With this near impossible on my 13inch laptop, I found it best to play some Zoom alongside any 6-max profitable games that were running. Also I kind of fitted in work around whatever we were doing whilst away, so it was a case of playing for an hour here, couple hours there. Sitting on fr waiting lists and 4-6tabling for a short period of time wasn't very appealing and I felt was my time was best served elsewhere!
Now, back to my point - 'everything was smooth sailing' Yes it was, because I was winning! Poker (and everything that comes with it) is an easy profession when you're winning, and life is great! But it doesn't always work like that. This is why I'm currently confused. When I'm back in my normal work habitat I don't know what to do, what games to play. I do believe that my 6-max game is a lot better and good enough to be a winning player. My career stats at these games contradict this and are bad, but I can put a large % of that down to the fact I've mainly played these games when nowhere near my 'A' game, but when undergoing tilt and chasing losses. Even this month I've lost at 6-max games overall, but considering I dropped $9.7k in one session, the fact I'm only $1.2k down is fairly positive. We all know confidence is a huge thing in poker, and as I sit here I'm high on confidence - not surprising given I'm on a $19k upswing! It's just whether my bad days are too savage to the point where they undo all the hard work of my good days. I do know for sure though that my mental game and approach HAS to improve! I need to be more disciplined. It's one thing being disciplined at fr, but 6-max is a whole different ball-game. This is the main area of my game that I plan on studying/improving post honeymoon. I even picked up Jared Tendler's book the other day when on the beach and read a few chapters - it's really great stuff and will play a key part in my study sessions!
I think that pretty much summarises my month and where I stand right now. As you can see I'm in a bit of a predicament. Maybe it would of been better if I just lost more and therefore returned to fr for good? Although I've been in that position many times before and always find myself returning to the 6-max arena! I'm aware that I continually contradict myself in this constant battle between fr, 6-max, and my mental state. But I guess that's just part and parcel of this profession - there is no consistency, there are no guarantees, it's just one big head-f$$k! But that head-f$$k is the reason we love this game!
See you next month, when I'll be a married man! Jesus :/
WHAT....A....MONTH!!!
As Ronan Keating once sang, 'Life is a rollercoaster'... Yes it bludie is Ronan, and so is poker! August was my rollercoaster where I achieved two personal records! It was my most successful month EVER, in terms of hard earned $$$$. But at the other end of the spectrum I had my worst ever day as a poker player, losing just under $10k in one session! We'll get onto that but first here's my results....
August Results:
Overall 2017 Results:
So I'm taking home a cool $22k this month! With a wedding and honeymoon to come in September it really couldn't have been better timed. But it certainly wasn't plain sailing. During the first 2 weeks of August I crushed my usual games (200-1knl fr) to create a beautifully looking HM2 database showing $13k profit and some enviable winrates! That's the point when things changed and I went on one marathon downswing session, dropping around $9.7k playing 400-1knl 6-max. Now if you know anything about me and have read my previous blog posts then you'll be aware of my goals, focus, and downfalls as a poker player - and playing 6-max is something I have constantly talked about avoiding due to tilt, inferior skills to regs, and mental weaknesses. Writing this, I currently sit in a very different position than I did when I closed my computer down after that session! I think it's best to start there....
I haven't ever written down my thoughts, emotions or feelings after a session, but it's something I thought I would do in this instance to try and find some sort of closure and avoid any accumulative tilt. It's something I read about in Jared Tendler's 'Mental Game of Poker' book months ago but never carried out. The fact I couldn't sleep that night and just continued to go over hands in my head, or think 'why did I play those games?' made me think I really need to do something about it. So here is what I wrote the morning after that session:
"Ahhhhhhhhh, what was I thinking? How many times have I said not to play 6-max?! I can't handle the swings, I can't control myself and always open more tables to chase losses! I'm sat here feeling angry and frustrated with myself, but worst of all... I'm worried! I'm worried about my future - what if I can't make a living out of poker because of my flaws, or the poker ecosystem? How will I support my family? I don't have any other qualifications. Can a 40 year old with no qualifications get any kind of decent job? I don't want another job - I enjoy poker and the freedom it gives me."
I didn't player poker that morning. I forced myself to the gym in spite of the fact I really just wanted to sit down and try and win a large chunk of my losses back! At least this was a positive move - in the past I would of skipped the gym and probably spewed more with the fatal presence of accumulative tilt! After letting out some steam in the gym I must admit I did feel better - Haseeb Qureshi is the man that helped me here. If you haven't read his stuff then I suggest you do! I was keen to play poker but thought I'd revisit what I wrote down earlier and add to it...
"Gary get a hold of yourself!!! You're a winning poker player, you're still $3k up this month! That's more in 2 weeks than the majority of poker players, and definitely more than the majority of people my age who have 'normal jobs'. You've had a bad day, but learn from it and improve!!! What do you need to do to better yourself and become a better poker player and person? Get that whiteboard up and running again and stick to it - make plans, goals, whatever it is! 2017 has been a very good year both on and off the poker tables - let's get back on board!!!"
Now while that all sounds great, I definitely still suffered some accumulative tilt during my next session. I think that's perfectly normal and I doubt there's a poker player out there who wouldn't! I'm just thankful the poker gods were with me and I managed to turn things around and now sit here talking about my best month ever!
Did I stop playing 6-max and go back to my bread-and-butter of fr? No I didn't. Was this the right decision? To answer this question I'm not thinking about my results as it's easy in hindsight to say 'yes, I made x amount', but I'm trying to think in the long term. And If I'm honest, I'm very confused. I'm confused about where I'm best to focus my time and energy in playing and studying in order to be successful for years to come and not just the here and now. I could easily grind 100-1knl fr and make a decent return, but what about if these games dry up? Am I already missing out on more potentially profitable games at 6-max that are currently happening, regardless of the future ecosystem? As I've said over the last few monthly blogs, I haven't put much time into study because I've had so much on my plate with cricket, social events, planning a wedding etc. But with the wedding in 2 weeks I'm starting to think about my plans for after the honeymoon - how I'm going to manage my time in terms of study and playing, and what I'm actually going to study.
For the remainder of August I played a mix of 6-max and fr games dependant on my mood and table selection. Everything was smooth sailing. Table selection was solid, I didn't overplay (i.e. play too many tables so decisions were rushed), and I took appropriate breaks. One of the major reasons I played 6-max was because I was on the road a lot. I was away for a few days visiting my girlfriend's friends/cousins, and then on another occasion spent a few days with her immediate family. So I only had my laptop to hand where 6 tables is really the optimum. Normally I have 2 screens - one with the tables I'm playing, and one to scan the lobby for profitable games that are starting. With this near impossible on my 13inch laptop, I found it best to play some Zoom alongside any 6-max profitable games that were running. Also I kind of fitted in work around whatever we were doing whilst away, so it was a case of playing for an hour here, couple hours there. Sitting on fr waiting lists and 4-6tabling for a short period of time wasn't very appealing and I felt was my time was best served elsewhere!
Now, back to my point - 'everything was smooth sailing' Yes it was, because I was winning! Poker (and everything that comes with it) is an easy profession when you're winning, and life is great! But it doesn't always work like that. This is why I'm currently confused. When I'm back in my normal work habitat I don't know what to do, what games to play. I do believe that my 6-max game is a lot better and good enough to be a winning player. My career stats at these games contradict this and are bad, but I can put a large % of that down to the fact I've mainly played these games when nowhere near my 'A' game, but when undergoing tilt and chasing losses. Even this month I've lost at 6-max games overall, but considering I dropped $9.7k in one session, the fact I'm only $1.2k down is fairly positive. We all know confidence is a huge thing in poker, and as I sit here I'm high on confidence - not surprising given I'm on a $19k upswing! It's just whether my bad days are too savage to the point where they undo all the hard work of my good days. I do know for sure though that my mental game and approach HAS to improve! I need to be more disciplined. It's one thing being disciplined at fr, but 6-max is a whole different ball-game. This is the main area of my game that I plan on studying/improving post honeymoon. I even picked up Jared Tendler's book the other day when on the beach and read a few chapters - it's really great stuff and will play a key part in my study sessions!
I think that pretty much summarises my month and where I stand right now. As you can see I'm in a bit of a predicament. Maybe it would of been better if I just lost more and therefore returned to fr for good? Although I've been in that position many times before and always find myself returning to the 6-max arena! I'm aware that I continually contradict myself in this constant battle between fr, 6-max, and my mental state. But I guess that's just part and parcel of this profession - there is no consistency, there are no guarantees, it's just one big head-f$$k! But that head-f$$k is the reason we love this game!
See you next month, when I'll be a married man! Jesus :/
10-02-2017
, 08:27 AM
SEPTEMBER REVIEW
So we come to the end of another month, and not much has changed from my last update in terms of my confusion and mindset as to where I should focus my attention. First here's my results:
SEPTEMBER RESULTS:
OVERALL 2017 RESULTS:
As you can see it wasn't a very good month. My EV was poor and I lost at a number of games/limits that I played. It was a rollercoaster month with some very good days, and some very bad ones - which can be seen by the volatile nature of the graph. This is fairly normal in 6-max. Well, at least more so than full-ring.
Overall I'm not happy with how September went. It is worth pointing out that it was a very disjointed month. I got married, as well as being in New York on my honeymoon for a period of time, so I had a lot on my plate which affected my volume and ability to play my 'A game'. There was always something on my mind or something I had to do, and I definitely played at times when I was jaded/tired and therefore sacrificing my 'A game'. But I felt I needed to play because I was taking so much time off due to the honeymoon etc.
So, what have I learnt and what are my plans going into the final quarter of 2017?
I believe my 6-max game is definitely improving. This is natural with experience - the more I play the better I will become as I learn about how the games run, general tendencies, how certain 'regs' play, and so on.
I enjoy playing 6-max a lot more. The gameplay is faster, pots are bigger, and more plays are made.
My full-ring 200nl stats suck in the last 2 months, and I put a lot of this down to the fact I get lazy because I often find it tedious and slow. This is no excuse and a poor approach from a professional, I know. But it's best to be honest. Part of the reason for starting this blog was to be open and by writing about my thoughts I will learn more about myself and what I need to improve.
I am still crushing 400nl - I find it strange how this particular limit seems to be sooo profitable for me this year, maybe its just all my run good seems to be at this limit, I don't know. But I definitely play better than at 200nl as I properly analyse spots given the simple fact that there's more money on the line.
My mental game needs work to be successful at 6-max. Full-ring, by its nature, is very slow and it's easy to remain in control. Whereas 6-max is a lot faster, particularly if multi-tabling out of your comfort zone. This means decisions are more rushed and mistakes made... which has the obvious knock-on effect of frustration, anger and tilt, which I've talked about so often! I have found myself starting with two 500zoom tables, then opening up two more when I'm chasing losses, only to end up losing more as I don't given certain spots the necessary attention and thought. It's an area that I believe strongly separates breakeven-1b/100 players, to guys winning at 3bb/100+.
So, with that said what are my plans moving forward?
Now that my wedding, honeymoon and the cricket season is over I can fully focus on poker during the next 6-9 months. Other things are bound to crop up, but nothing that is going to dominate my time or brain energy. So my plans:
I plan on continuing to play and improve my 6-max game. I will focus on 500zoom as I believe there is money to be made here (plus 6-max ring games are dominated by scripters and I am not willing to buy one for the time being). There are some very good regs at 500z, don't get me wrong, but player pools are often filled with fish. Game selection is important because sometimes it may not be worth playing. At this moment in time (while I improve my 6-max theory) I believe 2 tables of 500z is my optimal level. And I plan on playing any 400-1knl full-ring games that are running alongside this. These games are fairly infrequent, but when they run it's for a good reason, and I am comfortable in these games and beat them consistently so it would be foolish for me not to play them.
Now I have more time on my hands I will dedicate some to studying. I have thought about coming up with a structure, but then I realised this completely takes away the freedom that poker gives you - one of the main benefits of this profession. So I will attribute time to study when I feel it's best served, and play when I feel I'm in the right frame of mind. I have certain areas of my game that I feel I need to focus on:
Mental Game
- continue reading Jared Tendler's book
- watch RIO videos
- find methods that work for me to keep me in line, eg breaks/approach/finding A game
Poker Game
- RIO videos on 6-max theory
- work on HUD, ranges, opponents tendencies
- analyse the top regs' styles, ranges and tendencies to improve my game
In general I feel improving my mental game and approach to poker will really make a big difference. It's something I continuously talk about, and for good reason. I believe it is hugely pivotal in long term success, not just as poker player but maintaining a healthy work/life balance. Factors such as adequate breaks, avoiding burnout, diet and exercise are all key.
I think that pretty much summarises where I am with my poker and thought processes at the moment. It may well be that I completely sack off 6-max and go back to the tedious 100-200nl grind in a months time, who knows. At the end of the day I'm ambitious, but I also have bills to pay so I need to do what's right for mine and my wife's livelihood.
Thanks for reading, see you next month!
So we come to the end of another month, and not much has changed from my last update in terms of my confusion and mindset as to where I should focus my attention. First here's my results:
SEPTEMBER RESULTS:
OVERALL 2017 RESULTS:
As you can see it wasn't a very good month. My EV was poor and I lost at a number of games/limits that I played. It was a rollercoaster month with some very good days, and some very bad ones - which can be seen by the volatile nature of the graph. This is fairly normal in 6-max. Well, at least more so than full-ring.
Overall I'm not happy with how September went. It is worth pointing out that it was a very disjointed month. I got married, as well as being in New York on my honeymoon for a period of time, so I had a lot on my plate which affected my volume and ability to play my 'A game'. There was always something on my mind or something I had to do, and I definitely played at times when I was jaded/tired and therefore sacrificing my 'A game'. But I felt I needed to play because I was taking so much time off due to the honeymoon etc.
So, what have I learnt and what are my plans going into the final quarter of 2017?
I believe my 6-max game is definitely improving. This is natural with experience - the more I play the better I will become as I learn about how the games run, general tendencies, how certain 'regs' play, and so on.
I enjoy playing 6-max a lot more. The gameplay is faster, pots are bigger, and more plays are made.
My full-ring 200nl stats suck in the last 2 months, and I put a lot of this down to the fact I get lazy because I often find it tedious and slow. This is no excuse and a poor approach from a professional, I know. But it's best to be honest. Part of the reason for starting this blog was to be open and by writing about my thoughts I will learn more about myself and what I need to improve.
I am still crushing 400nl - I find it strange how this particular limit seems to be sooo profitable for me this year, maybe its just all my run good seems to be at this limit, I don't know. But I definitely play better than at 200nl as I properly analyse spots given the simple fact that there's more money on the line.
My mental game needs work to be successful at 6-max. Full-ring, by its nature, is very slow and it's easy to remain in control. Whereas 6-max is a lot faster, particularly if multi-tabling out of your comfort zone. This means decisions are more rushed and mistakes made... which has the obvious knock-on effect of frustration, anger and tilt, which I've talked about so often! I have found myself starting with two 500zoom tables, then opening up two more when I'm chasing losses, only to end up losing more as I don't given certain spots the necessary attention and thought. It's an area that I believe strongly separates breakeven-1b/100 players, to guys winning at 3bb/100+.
So, with that said what are my plans moving forward?
Now that my wedding, honeymoon and the cricket season is over I can fully focus on poker during the next 6-9 months. Other things are bound to crop up, but nothing that is going to dominate my time or brain energy. So my plans:
I plan on continuing to play and improve my 6-max game. I will focus on 500zoom as I believe there is money to be made here (plus 6-max ring games are dominated by scripters and I am not willing to buy one for the time being). There are some very good regs at 500z, don't get me wrong, but player pools are often filled with fish. Game selection is important because sometimes it may not be worth playing. At this moment in time (while I improve my 6-max theory) I believe 2 tables of 500z is my optimal level. And I plan on playing any 400-1knl full-ring games that are running alongside this. These games are fairly infrequent, but when they run it's for a good reason, and I am comfortable in these games and beat them consistently so it would be foolish for me not to play them.
Now I have more time on my hands I will dedicate some to studying. I have thought about coming up with a structure, but then I realised this completely takes away the freedom that poker gives you - one of the main benefits of this profession. So I will attribute time to study when I feel it's best served, and play when I feel I'm in the right frame of mind. I have certain areas of my game that I feel I need to focus on:
Mental Game
- continue reading Jared Tendler's book
- watch RIO videos
- find methods that work for me to keep me in line, eg breaks/approach/finding A game
Poker Game
- RIO videos on 6-max theory
- work on HUD, ranges, opponents tendencies
- analyse the top regs' styles, ranges and tendencies to improve my game
In general I feel improving my mental game and approach to poker will really make a big difference. It's something I continuously talk about, and for good reason. I believe it is hugely pivotal in long term success, not just as poker player but maintaining a healthy work/life balance. Factors such as adequate breaks, avoiding burnout, diet and exercise are all key.
I think that pretty much summarises where I am with my poker and thought processes at the moment. It may well be that I completely sack off 6-max and go back to the tedious 100-200nl grind in a months time, who knows. At the end of the day I'm ambitious, but I also have bills to pay so I need to do what's right for mine and my wife's livelihood.
Thanks for reading, see you next month!
10-02-2017
, 09:17 AM
Congrats and gl in October.
11-01-2017
, 06:15 AM
OCTOBER REVIEW:
2017 continues to fly by, and here we are with another monthly review. My results:
October Results:
Overall 2017 Results:
I sit here writing this in a position where I feel the most content and happy that I've been for a good few months. You may not think that seeing as I had a losing month (albeit only $600), but let me explain:
Those who have followed my blogs know that I talk about and dedicate a lot of time to the mental side of poker. I've struggled with anger, frustration, and consequential insane monkey tilt! The fact I managed to stay on an even keel (for the most part) throughout October even though I clearly ran ridiculously badly (look at EV compared to actual results), proves to me that I have a far stronger mentality which ultimately makes me a tougher opponent and no longer a 'mental game fish'. Ok, there were a couple of sessions where I continued longer than I should have to try and turn a profit, but I didn't tilt and continued to play solid. What's important to mention is that by no means is my work done - I need to continue striving to improve my mental game, or at least maintain the level I'm at. As soon as I switch off and stop thinking about this aspect, I will slip back into old habits. It's the same in any walk of life - if a footballer stops playing for 6 months do you think they'll come back at the same level as before?!
So, what's changed?
I think I'm slowly coming to realise that if I want to be successful long term then I just have to accept losing sessions. It's inevitable, and while it sucks to work hard for a day and have nothing to show for it, I just have to accept it. I do not possess a divine right to win every time I sit down, and this is a good thing. If the best players always won, poker wouldn't exist! We need the 'fish' to win sometimes to keep them coming back for more!
I also believe that becoming a better player myself, in terms of understanding theoretical concepts at a more advanced level, has benefitted me in taking more consolation in the math knowing I made the right decision. Nothing is more frustrating than making a mistake.
The better I am -> less mistakes -> less frustration -> less tilt -> less stress!
In terms of my game selection, I am very happy with my October results. Yes, I lost over $6k at 500z but look at the EV! I feel a lot more comfortable and confident at this level, and have a far better understanding of general 'reg' tendencies. Playing 500z alongside any 400nl-1knl full-ring games that run has worked well. It allows me to play the games that I've crushed throughout 2017 and make the most profit from, whilst learning and improving my 6max/zoom strategy and theoretical knowledge.
I plan on continuing this throughout the remainder of 2017, so we'll see how we get on. I spoke to a fellow poker player the other day about my thoughts on the future of online poker and my plans, and afterwards I basically came to the assumption that I just have to adapt to whatever the poker ecosystem throws at me. The future is unknown, and if I'm honest is something that constantly plays on my mind - what if online poker dies, what will I do for work?! At this point in time I am happy with my game selection, knowing that if it doesn't work out I can still make decent money playing 100-200nl full-ring. I've kept an eye on those games and there is still decent traffic most of the time. In the future I may also have to play more evenings and weekends, adjust my schedule to the traffic. I may have to play more live, who knows. But it's out of my hands. I just have to make sure I control all that I can - 'control the controllables'!
Outside of poker, life is good. I've been spending a lot of time with my wife and family which has been lovely, went to a wonderful wedding in Kent, still hang out with my friends regularly, and continue to be active through various sports and going to the gym - a key part of a healthy work/life balance which I've discussed many times before!
That's about all for now, thanks for reading!
2017 continues to fly by, and here we are with another monthly review. My results:
October Results:
Overall 2017 Results:
I sit here writing this in a position where I feel the most content and happy that I've been for a good few months. You may not think that seeing as I had a losing month (albeit only $600), but let me explain:
Those who have followed my blogs know that I talk about and dedicate a lot of time to the mental side of poker. I've struggled with anger, frustration, and consequential insane monkey tilt! The fact I managed to stay on an even keel (for the most part) throughout October even though I clearly ran ridiculously badly (look at EV compared to actual results), proves to me that I have a far stronger mentality which ultimately makes me a tougher opponent and no longer a 'mental game fish'. Ok, there were a couple of sessions where I continued longer than I should have to try and turn a profit, but I didn't tilt and continued to play solid. What's important to mention is that by no means is my work done - I need to continue striving to improve my mental game, or at least maintain the level I'm at. As soon as I switch off and stop thinking about this aspect, I will slip back into old habits. It's the same in any walk of life - if a footballer stops playing for 6 months do you think they'll come back at the same level as before?!
So, what's changed?
I think I'm slowly coming to realise that if I want to be successful long term then I just have to accept losing sessions. It's inevitable, and while it sucks to work hard for a day and have nothing to show for it, I just have to accept it. I do not possess a divine right to win every time I sit down, and this is a good thing. If the best players always won, poker wouldn't exist! We need the 'fish' to win sometimes to keep them coming back for more!
I also believe that becoming a better player myself, in terms of understanding theoretical concepts at a more advanced level, has benefitted me in taking more consolation in the math knowing I made the right decision. Nothing is more frustrating than making a mistake.
The better I am -> less mistakes -> less frustration -> less tilt -> less stress!
In terms of my game selection, I am very happy with my October results. Yes, I lost over $6k at 500z but look at the EV! I feel a lot more comfortable and confident at this level, and have a far better understanding of general 'reg' tendencies. Playing 500z alongside any 400nl-1knl full-ring games that run has worked well. It allows me to play the games that I've crushed throughout 2017 and make the most profit from, whilst learning and improving my 6max/zoom strategy and theoretical knowledge.
I plan on continuing this throughout the remainder of 2017, so we'll see how we get on. I spoke to a fellow poker player the other day about my thoughts on the future of online poker and my plans, and afterwards I basically came to the assumption that I just have to adapt to whatever the poker ecosystem throws at me. The future is unknown, and if I'm honest is something that constantly plays on my mind - what if online poker dies, what will I do for work?! At this point in time I am happy with my game selection, knowing that if it doesn't work out I can still make decent money playing 100-200nl full-ring. I've kept an eye on those games and there is still decent traffic most of the time. In the future I may also have to play more evenings and weekends, adjust my schedule to the traffic. I may have to play more live, who knows. But it's out of my hands. I just have to make sure I control all that I can - 'control the controllables'!
Outside of poker, life is good. I've been spending a lot of time with my wife and family which has been lovely, went to a wonderful wedding in Kent, still hang out with my friends regularly, and continue to be active through various sports and going to the gym - a key part of a healthy work/life balance which I've discussed many times before!
That's about all for now, thanks for reading!
