Hello 2plus2,
I have been lurking on here since 2008 and the reason why is because I "knew" how good I was and I didn't need a bunch of noobs critiquing my play. Not to mention, all my bad hands were just because I was tilting and you guys/ladies wouldn't understand. In other words, I WAS IN POKER DENIAL!
This poker denial was fueled by some very soft spots that yielded great results for me over the years. Those results allowed me to think I was above most other players and it also stopped me from ever seeking out help. This is extra stupid because some of my long-time friends are world-famous poker crushers with multiple bracelets, etc. That was all paired with a drinking/drug/consumption problem that led me into addiction and health problems.
All of that self-destruction caused me to almost die from drinking, but decide to get sober in the end. It was tough, but I did it. Along the way, I was also diagnosed with cancer and I got lucky enough to beat that too. In the past few years, I have become sober, I've lost over 200 lbs, started meditating daily, become a vegan, and read over 300 books.
I like giving myself challenges and I recently finished one challenge and was looking for a new one to start up. I decided on poker (partially because of that kid Landon and Chicago Joey) and I have since joined a course, joined a study group, and began playing daily.
I am also writing a blog about my past in the game as well as how everything is going while I try to actually learn some skills in a game I have been bumbling my way through for almost 30 years. If you are interested in learning about my poker history or my poker future, or if you have any suggestions on how to achieve what I am looking for (steady poker side income and general competency in the game,) please follow the link to my blog or comment on this thread. I will try my best to keep both updated with my progress moving into the future.
The Current Schedule:
Spoiler:
3 am: Wake up and learn something for 1 hr (sometimes hand reviews, sometimes grinding, sometimes videos with notes, or reading)
4 am: Vegan smoothie with supplements
415- 430: meditation
430-530 am: Read, write, or lately grind poker
530 - 7 am: P90X workout
Then a shower and work all day
315: home from work
330-5 pm: read, grind, or meet with Zee Germans (aka you guys)
5-7pm: dinner and free hangout time with gf
7-703 : Make sweet love to my gf
whenever : brush my teeth, and go to bed
I need a schedule with clear goals or I turn into a version of myself I do not like as much as who I am now. I also keep a reading, writing, and learning list so I don't have to think about what to do during those times of day.
Make sure you plan time for rest as well.
If not you'll probably burn out in a month or two.
Very kind of you to warn me, but I have been keeping the same schedule for a few years now. I just replaced the last challenge I was learning for with poker stuff. I hope I can keep up the grind and not burn out. Fingers crossed!
Can probably gain 1 or 2 minutes extra for poker if you cut out foreplay or cuddling every so often
Good luck with the journey!
Just remember that marriage and kids change schedules so if that stuff ever comes on the horizon make sure you are ready for change. They certainly changed my schedule and life but mostly for better
Shared this hand in microstakes today. Coming off a downswing and felt like I got really lucky, but I think it looks standard upon review. Tell me why I'm wrong if you'd like and I promise to listen with an open mind.
Can probably gain 1 or 2 minutes extra for poker if you cut out foreplay or cuddling every so often
Good luck with the journey!
Just remember that marriage and kids change schedules so if that stuff ever comes on the horizon make sure you are ready for change. They certainly changed my schedule and life but mostly for better
A dog and a gf is enough for now I think. I will really think about poker and a lot of other things before leaping into anything more than those things.
Chicago Joey has never won in poker consistently, he just pretends like it. This has been known in the PLO community for years.
Landon Tice is a fish who put together a small sample in easy games, then got staked for high stakes. He played on ACR for a couple weeks, was the biggest spot in the games. He stopped playing when his backers saw he was a losing player.
GL but find other heroes.
Sorry to hear about the cancer, terrible beat. Glad you’re better
Chicago Joey has never won in poker consistently, he just pretends like it. This has been known in the PLO community for years.
Landon Tice is a fish who put together a small sample in easy games, then got staked for high stakes. He played on ACR for a couple weeks, was the biggest spot in the games. He stopped playing when his backers saw he was a losing player.
GL but find other heroes.
Sorry to hear about the cancer, terrible beat. Glad you’re better
Well, somebody is a savage.... Thanks for the well wishes.
Any suggestions on learning material to help me become less nitty? I think you are spot on with your diagnosis.
Open up your tracker and filter for fold preflop, then sort by hand strength, look for the top of your folding range in each position and start adding one or two hands.
Open up your tracker and filter for fold preflop, then sort by hand strength, look for the top of your folding range in each position and start adding one or two hands.
I finally admitted to myself I didn't really have ranges learned and I started on paper flashcards.
I have them done now,, and now that I remember them I am like 24/21 or so. I am nitty against big bets later in hands though. I think that is about getting more practice on putting them on ranges, but I am always open to suggestions.
I am currently memorizing 3-bet and 4-bet ranges and working my way through the kanu course so my study time is pretty loaded right now. I am always down to add something to the "future research" list.
Here is today's hand. So far everything is going well with the schedule and I have been seeing an uptick in my poker earnings after a couple months of working on my game. I know there is still infinity to go, but I'm enjoying the ride. Here is the link to my hand of the day, what would you do? https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/6.../#post57058127
I was invited to join a private discord group where we write daily check in blogs and get help from a much better 6 max player. I am excited to get started and to see how things develop from here. I keep waiting for the time when this person who has been helping me starts asking for money, but it hasn't come yet. Maybe there is altruism in poker... ... ... maybe?
I am finished writing about my crazy past in the game of poker and I have moved on to how I started from knowing nothing to tackle the learning process to get better. There are plenty of embarrassing missteps along the way, but I am happy to share the good and the bad with the people who have already been reading and subscribing to my poker blog. Thanks to all those who have already checked it out and without further delay here is my first poker learning journal post
Today I wrote about when I first started to learn a few things about how to play correctly. It wasn't the answer that changed my game, but it was a move in the right direction. I finally started getting something out of poker strategy content because I started doing one new thing. Check it out here https://vegandemonpoker.blogspot.com...n-i-still.html I have also been staying on schedule and growing my skills each day and I am now grinding 50zoom and doing well, so this story does EVENTUALLY have a happy ending (or at least a happy middle.)
The newest blog post about me horribly misunderstanding some advice from a pro on a strategy video is here. I hope it can be helpful or at least help some people laugh at what a punter I was. Enjoy!
Not a ton of people comment on this thread anymore, but I have been getting a ton of people reading the blog posts about my journey of blunders on my way to improving at poker. Thanks for reading and enjoy the new one... https://vegandemonpoker.blogspot.com...ng-to-get.html