Haha yeah I am pleasantly shocked at the game last night ... I did not see that coming at all. Kinda kicking myself for not going last night, I decided to get tickets for game 4 instead of 3 :/

To be honest tho the bucks have to close it out in six if they are gonna take the series ... Game 7 in Toronto would be a huge task

Yeah, I am not shocked that the Bucks won, considering they have shown much more heart than the Raps and are a young, exciting and talented team (and officially my new favorite #2 ; such a fun team to watch , but game #4 could be a franchise defining game for Toronto, while if the Bucks were to lose in say 7 games, it would still be sign of some amazing progress for the franchise... I have a hard time imagining the Raptors not showing up for game 4, given they put themselves in this situation over, and over, and over again... But, tbh, I feel that even if Lowry walks this summer, we have some young talented youngsters to take over and keep us in the 5-9 range in the east, and perhaps higher, if Ibaka sticks around

Darn, that downswing is not coming to a halt just yet : -600$ in 2h (-4k in 4 days ).

The Final Countdown

Game 4 Raps-Bucks starting in 3-2-1... Did not wager on the game tonight, not only because I truly do not know if the Raps will show up to play (or if the Bucks will play WAY BEYOND expectations again...), but having 400-500$ on the game will not increase my already-capped-adrenaline-level Still am in Vietnam, yet - thankfully -, league pass on nba.dot.com has actually been clear, for once

This downswing is started to get to me : just logged in for 2h tonight, but nonetheless, after being up 500$, finished down 500$ for the session -4.5k in the past 5 days Pretty frustrating, given the games were really good tonight...

Run good all

Momentum





Momentum is quite the misunderstood, under/overrated quality depending on which light it is shun upon... Having momentum on your side can give one a huge psychological edge (see tilt ), permit one to play his A game etc., yet, from a strictly rationale point of view, momentum remains a fallacy. For example, the hot hand fallacy is described as follows :


Hot Hand Fallacy :"|The "hot-hand fallacy" (also known as the "hot hand phenomenon" or "hot hand") is the allegedly fallacious belief that a person who has experienced success with a seemingly random event has a greater chance of further success in additional attempts. The concept has been applied primarily to sports, such as basketball. While previous success at a skill-based athletic task, such as making a shot in basketball, can change the psychological behavior and subsequent success rate of a player, researchers for many years did not find evidence for a "hot hand" in practice. However, later research has questioned whether the belief is indeed a fallacy." (wikipedia).


The hot hand fallacy remains the only fallacy that I fully disagree with... I am quite sure that it was developed academics (AKA bot-button-clickers ) that have never been crushed at the tables, annihilated, completely-utterly-crippled and barely able to pick themselves up in the morning (see the abyss). We try to detach ourselves from our emotions, but to picture ourselves as emotionally-detached-bots, is a fallacy of its own, me thinks...


note : There is quite the difference in between the dynamics of the hot hand fallacy vs the one found in the gambler's fallacy, me thinks...


I am quite happy to say that I do not remember the last time that I felt crippled by poker (I do not think it happened in the last year, tbh...), but nonetheless felt a bit dismayed yesterday when, after being up by 1k, I extended my session to meet my 4h goal and finished up a mere 100$ Not a huge deal granted, but I did feel a bit bummed out afterwards and was victim of the detrimental hindsight-what-if-I-had-quit-when-I-was-up-1k fishy thinking , a similar sentiment that made me quit today after being up 700$ in 2h, just to book in the small win


#HumanTooHuman


As far as the Toronto Raptors are concerned, I think that momentum will also ride with them to Toronto, for game 5 - a game which I will be watching at 6am over here -, yet these guys are pros, the Bucks will know how to pick themselves up and, well, I think you can through momentum out the window or paint it as-an-interesting-yet-overrated-narrative-hyped-by-the-media as far as this series is concerned

#Raptors4Life

The raptors looked dominate tonight but I still think the bucks will take game 6. Unfortunately I can't see them winning game 7. Either way I'm very happy with how they have preformed and hey you never know if it goes 7!

Atleast this series has given me a lot of optimism for next year and if Toronto does end up winning the series, I will be rooting for them to beat the Cavs!

Yeah man, the Bucks are very fun and exciting team Will definitely root for them vs any non-Raptor team It is a shame that they have a few bad contracts on their hands though... I do not know anything about their financial situation, but it is probably quite the burden to have Henson, Monroe and Dellavedova tied to big money, or to have to rely on someone like Teletovic, Beasley or a Spencer Hawes (and that Vasquez trade )... Thankfully though, their core is extremely young and talented.

Flying out in the morning, caressing SEA goodbye before a brief stint in Montreal Looking forward to seeing the family and playing the Party Millions : +200$ in 1h

Run good all

gl to your Raps tonight Dubn! I'm enjoying the Greek Freak. He's a sight to behold.

Thx man I know I am getting ahead of myself here, but it would be really nice to put this series away and get 3 days of rest before facing off the Cavs Yeah, I have been enjoying him as well, even his (somewhat) juvenile celebrations after a monstrous dunk

I will be catching the beginning of game 6 at the Denver airport Speaking of which, because I have spent too much time criticizing USA #1 in the past, I have to say this : people in Denver seem mighty friendly Yes it is a small sample size, and just within the microcosm of an airport, but my experience in other airports have always been tilting (clear demonstrations of racist discrimination, tilting USA #1 conversations etc.), where here, not only have I cleared customs without further questioning for the first time in 15 years - I kid u not -, but engaged in a ton of friendly conversations with random folks I have the impression that I will also like New Orleans when I make it there...

Planning on grinding about 40h in the next 10 days before playing the Party Millions. Then I will start a 50k challenge for Dawson and put this thread on a hiatus.

Run good all

WTF Raps

Man, I am almost happy that I just got to see the first minutes of the game and had to follow the "play-by-play" action on espn instead I think I would of shaved off an extra decade of my life , a life that is already thin in potential length considering the quantity of cigs and alcohol I indulged in my youth

Well, most specialists were right, weren't they, but none of them - I suspect - would of came anything close to this narrative if they were to describe the outcome of the series See :

- Raps dropping game 1
- Raps dropping game 3 in Milwaukee by 27 points, a point spread that is not even close to being representative of the spanking the Raps took, given that the Bucks started to clown around (as oppose to annihilating the opposition by 1000 points or so ).
- Raps come back and took game 4 in a solid and determined effort.
- Raps trump - yeah, pun intended darn "USA, USA" chants at the Milwaukee games - the Bucks by 25.
- Raps give away a 25 point lead, the Bucks take the lead with 3 minutes to go until Raps put it away.

: shocked:

Up next, Cleveland. I am hoping this one goes to 7 games, but I would definitely not bet on the Raps to win this one. My guess, Cleveland in 7 (Raps 20-80 on winning the series, me thinks).

All I can say is wow at that game! Idk what was up with the USA chants personally (since besides one player, Toronto has all American players) but besides that, that was one intense close to a game.

Go Toronto vs Cavs!!

Edit: I should say they only have one Canadian player**

Am just watching the game atm. And thx for rooting for the Raps I am definitely be on the Bucks bandwagon myself For the record, this has been the most exciting series of the Lowry-Derozan era, just ahead of Brooklyn (which they lost). Indiana, Miami and Cleveland were engaging, but not as fun. And Washington was a blowout-disaster and embarrassing to watch

The Raptors definitely have an international vibe to them, as half of the roster is not from the USA, namely Ibaka, Valancianus, Joseph, Cabolclo, Siakam, Poeltl and Noguiera. While the fans in Milwaukee have shown to be the nut-most enthusiastic for their team (and rightfully so), those "USA" chants have always rubbed me the wrong me. When I would go watch a Montreal Canadiens game vs the Tampa Bay Lightning in Florida, half the crowd would be from Quebec (snowbirds). The local crowd would always go off on "USA, USA" chants that clearly felt passive-aggressive and very unwelcoming (I even had a fan get into my face "let's take it outside" style, but we then had a good discussion when I did not return his violent vibe).

#DivisionNotCoolMan

It is a game and should be seen/experienced as such, not as a "Us vs You" national scission mentality For the record, I will always be one of the most competitive at the poker tables, but nonetheless remaining extremely friendly and social.

Just got to Montreal and am extremely exhausted It appears that I will be going to the Casino of Montreal this week to grind some 2-5 with fellow 2 + 2er mfbkevin, which should be nice, as I know nothing of that poker room (even if this was the first casino I legally played blackjack at when I was 18).

I wrote my introduction post for the upcoming 50k challenge, so will link that in the upcoming days

Run good all

Cleveland, Game 1

Coming into this series, most experts/betting odds give the Raps roughly a 20% chance at the series, which figures to be right, me thinks, given that Toronto has plugged its glaring defensive leaks (think Ibaka, Tucker) and have maintained a historical legit offense (despite it being absent during the Milwaukee series...). I mean, I hope to drag this series to 7 games, it will most likely go Cleveland's way in 6 games, but we do have a small chance at the upset which would need a few things to go right our way though :

- Will KLOE (Kyle-Lowry-Over-Everything) please show up. Granted, he is still a few weeks back removed from a (shooting) wrist injury, seems shaken up and all, but a 60-80% Lowry like we have seen against the Bucks, will not do it vs the Cavs ; WE NEED TO BE RUNNING ON ALL CYLINDERS TO SURPASS THE CAVS, and Lowry is our little engine

- Will Irving not show up? Kyrie shot 1/19 from deep vs the Pacers, a stat that can seriously deter the chances of the Cavs advancing.

- Will Ibaka slow down Love? Kevin has also been struggling since his injury comeback and while I do not doubt that Ibaka will be Mr. Consistent once again, taking away open shooters will limit Lebron's (passing) effectiveness.

- Can Valanciunas finally get the best of Tristan Thompson? Needless to say, but after last year's misfired experience (and having Ibaka, Tucker and Patterson as switching big men defenders), Jonas will not be asked to defend Frye or Love ever again But in his matchup vs Thompson, Valanciunas needs to grab rebounds and score at ease, something that he has failed to vs Tristan in the past

- Can the real Raps show up? Enuff said

I know that Toronto's measuring stick is how we fare out vs Cleveland, but I find this series a little boring... I just don't like the Cavs, find Lebron annoying (don't get me started on Kyrie, Love, J.R. Smith and Deron Williams) and will miss at times the Bucks series we just had, but hell, We The North, lets roll the dice and try to take this series

-400$ in 10h ; I need to focus more when grinding the tables and to not engage in an 1h parallel USA#1****Trump political discussion with my dad

Run good all

Gl dubn! I'll give your raps...hmm..5% chance😝I must root for lehhbron, but I'll be happy if your boys pull it out 😎

****ing Meltdown

The Cavs just brings out the nihilistic in me I mean, what is the purpose, right... Just dump Carrol this offseason, Valunciunas and Joseph... Or just wait for Lebron to get older, start to wrinkle and decompose and **** I mean, why didn't the guy come from Minnesota or something (AKA somewhere out west...).

Bah, perhaps I should just through this thread in the trash as well : +400$ in 1h

#****TheBozos

edit : when I said the Raps had a 20% chance, I meant 22 vs AA, not KK vs AA

Ok, I will continue the journey in my PG & C 50k in 4.5 months :

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/17...29/?highlight=

Might come back to this thread afterwards...


Peace

Lust Called Life

Choose Life. Choose to put down that bottle in the name of tomorrow. Choose to grow old with a lucid mind, forever observing the effects of aging - day in and day out - on the surface of that morning mirror. Choose to present yourself favourably, climbing rapidly that social ladder. Choose to smile, despite the rotten aspects of the urban life tucked away in alleyways like syringes, crack pipes, dementia, schizophrenia and utter paranoia. Choose to hold back that anger that urges you to beat the living crap out of that dipshyt sitting across you in the bus. Choose to not beat up an old woman with her own purse, despite that uncontrollable desire to do so. Choose to repress that tilt of yours that makes you want to flip that ****ing table and all the stupid chips on them. Choose to behave, suppress, to wear a mask. Choose to not be unfaithful, to not **** that new honey like you both deserve it. Choose to not totally go ape-monkey/lose it on every-fracking-body, as no one would ever forget. Choose life.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkUHzMtFiac


So what happens when you get the original crew of degenerates back together 20 years later? You get the same habits, the same measured addictions, disillusion and a general sense of hopelessness as life flashes by like a daze.





The first time I saw Trainspotting, I was high like a mama fracking kite. I was at the beginning of a 4 year relationship, both of us 20 years old, highly immersed in the grudge/alternative scene of Montreal, disillusioned, terribly mad at society, consumerism and the fracking black hole that is modern ages. Needless to say, but the movie spoke directly to us. Moreso, it was a true companion. A testimony of our times. A message in a bottle at sea, that perhaps would not go completely unnoticed… 16 years later, I sobered up. I made peace with my anger, my disillusion. I embraced (somewhat) what I wanted to ****ing kick in the chinny chin chin back in the 90s. I Chose Life.

The problem is, when put in the face of old age, decay, anxiety, life's ****ing problems and all, we are left but with 1 solution : to embrace the moment. The present. That same ****ing ironic fleeting moment that forever escapes our grasp Choose life.

Accountability

Alright folks, after completing our summer Dawson 50k challenge (spoiler alerts : , it is time to get back on track ITT, to set new goals for the upcoming winter if only to establish a certain structure - sorta, or at least as much as a nomadic soul can take - and accountability in the process. Anyhow, a few winter targets :

WPT Calgary and Montreal : Am not fixing any specific monetary goals for small sample/high variance tournament events, but am looking to play my A game in the 5-10, feel comfortable, be 100% in the moment and as far as the ME goes, I want to get 3-5h MTT studying beforehand (AKA come in prepared) and take lower variance spots in early levels.

Winter Online Grind : Have not yet settled into the winter online schedule yet (played 45 minutes today and quit when I was down 600$ ), but am looking at a min of 25h/week (when not in a meditation retreat) and 2-3h of weekly studying.

Writing : I will kind of take it as it comes, but I do see myself spending a decent amount of time in cafes in Europe and therefore, I guess something like 8-12h weekly would be satisfactory enough...

Reading : Will not impose upon myself a certain amount of volume or material in this area as it acts primarily as a means of entertainment (despite my penchant for informative leisure time...), but already have purchased a few Cyber Security books (Spam Nation, Kingpin) as well as a firsthand insight into Gonzo journalism yo (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas).

And as far as this thread goes, I will be updating my poker journey, of course (stay tuned for WPT Calgary starting Wednesday), movie reviews (I miss doing those), basketball (Forever luving dem Toronto Raps and just random digressions, of course

Peace all

Grey Eagle

When I landed in Calgary this evening and crossed paths with a fellow Yukoner at the airport that told me how he was up 40k this week in the Albertan Omaha games, I was expecting much more action than this But the fact of the matter is that it is Wednesday - AKA a school night for most of the normal population - and nothing more than 1-2 and a few satellites was being offered at midnight at the Grey Eagle On the + side, the 1-2 plays deeper than your standard (100-500$) and I didn't mind just checking out the premises, seeing a few cheap flops and getting a massage in the process, yo Did I mention anything about getting a fracking MASSAGE +400$ in 2h

There is a 330$ HO tournament tomorrow afternoon that should be fun as hell . Assuming there is no juicy NLHE cash games randomly starting off on a Thursday at 2 pm, I will jump in this tourney that should be a delight in terms of fun EV

Ok, I lied about not setting goals for the next 4 days : will aim for 3k+ in cash games in order to try and freeroll the 2.1k ME/cover trip expenses.


Run good all

gl, looking forward to reading your trip reports

Where Have All the Good Days Gone

Showed up in the am at the casino - you know, those hours prior to noon - which - I am not going to lie - made me want to shoot myself in the face when the a handful of OMCs were nitting it up and talking about relationships outside of marriage I table changed in a heartbeat, faired much better in terms of conversations at the other table, but not as much in terms of profits Which made me again jump ship, this time in the 330$ HA tourney.

That was fun Felt really comfortable with my PLO game, dominated, felt that I had more of an edge in the latter than in NLHE - which is definitely not the case, but I guess single table sample size... - but, alas, bubbled a few off from the bubble

A nap and a bit of meditation refreshed me somewhat and it was time to jump in the 1-2-5 (10) PLO game. Jesus, I mean even at 4am with a double straddle and with the spot having 3k+ in front of him, the table conversation on "how poker is dying in Calgary" had more life to it than the action FML

Might jump in the ME tomorrow, but given that I only have potentially 6h of zzzzzs left and I am nowhere close to going to sleep yet, it remains tentative... Then again, what cash games will be running in the afternoon


Thx for following bro and I do hope I will have a TR of the ME coming up if I make a deep run

Am on the tournament break and will be returning to a mere 10bbs after registrating 3h late I had planned on playing it tomorrow, yet find myself empty handed when no other cash games outside of 1-2 was being offered (not even omaha). Anyhow, a few things to note thus far about my live game :

- My MTT game is rusty. Not only did I come in on little fuel - ehhh, did someone say sleep -, but my tourney play needs polishing, especially ranges and perhaps embracing more of a smallball philosophy as oppose to the all-in fireworks fest than can be online shorthanded NLHE games

- I am happy to have dipped into some PLO studying this summer, as it opens up some avenues in times and places like these where the great game of Omaha largely outweighs NLHE in popularity. More studying will be on the menu for next summer.

- I am happy to have matured in my game throughout the years, a fact that is being made crystal clear to me after watching these LAG kids be unbalanced in quite a few spots

- Ehhhh, there is so much more profit to be made online for yours truly and I never seem to adapt my sleeping schedule with the early requirements of MTT events

- Live tournaments are tilting as ****, enuf said.

That's it for now. Dead even thus far in Calgary, but soon to be -2k, me thinks...


Run good all

Busted, but just realized that absolutely at my starting table had bought in directly and late to the event . When I manage to survive/whither through that table (there was 2 of us left), the table become so soft (limpers and open-6xing pre ) as did the my next one, enough to convince me to fire another bullet tomorrow. But first, some rest and then Omaha tonight.

Calling it Quits

Well, its been a fun time in Calgary and all, I did enjoy playing live, getting (a ton) of massages and alternating in between PLO and NLHE, but I realize more than ever that tournament events are just not for me. At least not on a regular basis, that is (I could never picture myself doing the circuit, for instance). And from a strictly monetary point of view. Straying too far away from my daily routine, a regular sleeping schedule, daily activities etc. really throughs hurdles my way, both mentally and physically ; I too often find myself heavily caffeinated, lacking sleep and not seeing the daylight at all (it doesn't help that I just took a hit in the PLO game for 2k, running terrible/playing mediocre thus putting me at -2.3k for MTTs and -800$ cash for the 5 days). This said, some observations for the week :

- My biggest leak lies in my chronic indulgence in overpriced massages (100$/h) performed by the lovely ladies, especially on days that I get not 1, but 2 of them

- I sure am glad that I have been working on my Omaha game lately, as there was barely any NLHE offered (the 2-5 ran only twice, and only once shorthanded and worth the grind). This said, while I am feeling more comfortable with my game, it definitely needs a lot of polishing.

- Met a bunch of nice people and partook into some fun/interesting conversations at basically each table I played, mainly with amateurs. I guess meeting interesting characters on the live felt in different parts of the world, is perhaps the best part of the brick and mortar scene.

- On the flip side of the scene, God some pros can be sooo annoying. Especially those still in their 20s, exuberating an unhealthy dose of ego/arrogance, entitlement, that are terrible for the game, that hold no respect for the amateurs, that act it up balla style... Seriously, a lot of these frackers are some of the worst scum and I feel ashamed to be identified at times as 1 of them Thankfully though, it is refreshing to meet humble pros that preserve their integrity in this dirty gambling world.

- Darn, those massage ladies sure know how to play the game/extract those extra tips I am such a suckah

- But those hustling hands though

A meditation retreat is definitely in order now (starts in 3 days). It is time to leave da pokerz in the background. It will be good to bring back to the forefront stuff like meditation, writing, travelling etc.

Ok folks, that's it for now.

Peace

Havent followed this thread till this update.

Been checking out frequently but since im no cash player havent subbed. Just really enjoyed the way you write and the updates' flow (photos as well) so ive been checking out once in a while.

This post alone just hit me hard. Will be following your journey amigo!

Best of luck.

PS: Thanx 4 this, even if you cant possibly understand how one simple post can help some unknown dude accross the othe side of Atlantic ocean.

Thx bro, I appreciate the feedback and support You know, I frequently question all the time I spend writing - while not extremely plentiful, still a significant enough chunk of my life - and what it all means... After all, I won't see any monetary return any time soon, cringe at the very thought of what potential hourly might come out of my novel once completed and I just get discouraged when comparing with poker the monies, or with meditation the plenitude/existential purpose level


Yet it is posts/feedbacks like these that I receive every few months that make it all worthwhile


Flying out in a couple of hours, leaving behind me the storm that has been the past 5 days







in favour of the greener promising pastures - or at least healthier - of the upcoming meditation retreat. Probably won't be bloging for a couple of weeks, but will be working on a post on integrity in my travel thread, as well as the 2nd chapter of my novel.

Peace