Greyish are the Skies

It feels a little weird to go from 6 weeks of unprecedented heavy sun fuelled heatwave in Quebec and B.C., to some shivering fall weather with a ton of precipitation and traces of the upcoming winter... Then again, such is the destiny of a drifter who regularly jumps from a season to another or goes through multiple linguistic zones to the extent of waking up and wondering in what season/country/culture he finds himself in

I listened to a GOAT interview with Steve Zolotow on the cardsplayer podcast ; I love it when an old timer with so much life experience opens up about the game pre-poker boom. Also, I did not know anything about Zolotow's hippie background, excentric life and epic stories :

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/...193725606?mt=2

I woke up to a WTF-JUST-HAPPENED-complete-utter-crash-of-VeChain crypto yesterday I held just over 1k of it and the price went from 3$ (a few weeks ago) to 0.01$ Scary af, if you ask me And confusing as hell as to what happened exactly, as I could not find any news of it on steemit or reddit (the latter actually having a thread promoting it dating from 3 days ago). This is a first for me and a clear example of the absolute volatile nature of cryptos and it does leave a nasty taste in my mouth now that I found myself once again in the red with my virtual investments


Yeah man, that port in Salt Spring was amazing There was little to no people (a guy in a canoe that lives in that house on the dock, if I am mistaken and, for some unknown reason, a couple of 4-8 years old Asian kids that were left unattended on the shore while they rafted away with no sight of adults around ) as I let the peace soak in and went for a run followed by a swim After an hour though, the thought of wanting to share this moment with a lady friend crept in, thus kinda killing the magic and making me leave in the process

Salt Spring is pretty darn interesting in the sense that it has a mix of rich (older) and poor hippies, the latter crashing in parks/by the beach (summer hitchhiking young French Canadian hippies), living in boats at the port, while the form live in the overpriced ocean view houses. It is a pretty unique dynamic, to say the least, and one that I might join somewhere down the line...




+500$ in 8h online and -200$ live in 7h this week


Run good all

Live 2 + 2 Cards

Well, like mentioned previously, I have been splashing around in the live game, which sets up the dynamic for the next hand. I have been open-raising wide af with playable-nut-potential hands (3 card rundown, Axs, high pocket pair) and even if this LAGgy approach might be increasing the variance significantly, I highly doubt any opens are not +++EV... And even if they were -EV (which again, they are not ), I just don't care

#FunPrecedesEVyo

But anyhow, an example of the action up here :

UTG opens to 65$ (again, this is a 1-2 game), gets 6 callers (I closed the action in CO with QQ67), flop came QJ10, UTG shoved (had JJ), 1 caller (KJ no other draw) and I tanked-call with top set getting 4 to 1 (and lost, but just an example of 3 all-ins with no AK on that flop). So anyhow, I have been splashing around, but still have a tightish range, especially when open-raising (have been calling somewhat as well as limping ). So I come in with a raise with KQ105 from the CO to 20$ (after a myriad of limpers) and get 5 callers.

Flop (122$)
535

After it gets checked to me, I bet 85$. EP shoves for 400$ and I go into the tank. First of all, villain and I have a ton of history and while he is not a frequent bluffer, he does like to try to outplay me in certain spots. Against 53, I have 9 outs to improve, and against A5 (the most likely, imo) I have my fd outs combined with the same 9 outs. I call.

I like his bluff. I really do. He blocks A5 and while I am being loosey-goosey and all and have a wider range in the CO, I will usually have a low rundown with my 5 that cannot call a shove. And even if my 5 is a gapper (like it is the case), I will fold K5, unless I have a fd with it and rightly analyze my outs vs A5 and 53. Except... I do not think our villain ran this analysis... He is a feel player that relies exclusively on reads/his personal understanding of the game and while intuition will always be an integral part of pokerz, too often the latter will be influenced by emotions. And ego. Both of which were quite apparent as his body was tensed af after he shoved.




+2.3k in 12h online, +700$ in 12h live


edit : Not sure where I will get my pics for this thread in the next few weeks, given that I have already 100+ Yukon pics in 2 previous old lady threads...

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/1...09/?highlight=

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/1...29/?highlight=


Run good all

TKO

Ehhhhh, well that was quite the beating... 40 minutes of hooks, jabs and that stink eye look before the final uppercut blow... And then 10 seconds of playing dead on the ground, hearing the trivial countdown of the ref echoing in a distant realm while all you can think of is how you want to be a child again, suck on the comfort of your thumb, crawl in a foetal position and forget about this otherworldly PAIN

I realize that my 4 card game is not where my 2 card game is, but darn, that was quite the mismatch We played 3 handed and HU and while I was being shown life lessons like a fracking 6 year old, I... did... not... quit Instead, I watched as chips were being pushed over and over again in the wrong direction while I stood there, mouth WIDE OPEN, a helpless chap, frozen in place and too stunned to snap out of it Meanwhile, I am slightly at risk of having my first losing virtual week of the summer

There is this permanent tension that inhabit my bones, muscles and essentially underline my soul which I can only associate with poker. So anyhow, after the White Ram tournaments are done up here in Dawson, I will do a 3 day meditation retreat in preparation of my ayahuasca journey. That's it for now folks. Gotta rest.




+200$ in 15h online, +700$ in 13h live


Run good all

Lost North of NoWhere

The sun finally decided to show its golden face in these northern parts even if, you know, we are so fracking north up the world map and all So anyhow, after putting in a few hours online , I put on my summer hanging out shoes, rode into town, went for ice cream, for a walk and, despite this town being charming and all underneath the late summer sun, I am done with this place. I mean, don't get me wrong, it feels great to be back, but anything beyond a 4-5 weeks stint, would feel like a waste of time. Not enough single women close to my age. The game plays too small. The language is all too familiar. And the bush is great and all, but there is a lack of culture compared to, you know, the Old Continent

Dawson is a great little niche if you are a 20 something old hippie/adventurer. An alcoholic. Need familiar faces/surroundings (again alcoholism and social anxiety). Or indulge greatly in redneck activities (snow mobile, hiking, hockey, quad, hunting, fishing etc.). Most of which applied to a yesteryear Dubnjoy000 but, alas, no longer accommodates this present day Dub lad seeking a classy chick that dresses well, is intelligent, sensitive and carries the emotions of 1001 lifetimes in her gaze




+3.3k in 23h online, -600$ in 17h live

Alright, it would be nice to make 15k+ in the next week to cover the upcoming Montreal BIs yall


Run good all

Imploded Explosion

Been having a ton of fun at the casino loling with the peeps there, splashing around, joking... It just feels so good to be back with familiar folks that I have known for a decade+, something that is severely lacking in casinos in Montreal and Vancouver, for instance. The results have been absolutely terribad live, but mainly because of utter shytty variance, as it is hard af losing in that game, even if you went out of your way and forcefully tried

I am pretty happy with my studying thus far in Dawson, but August has been a slow start results wise. I mean, we apparently cannot be scooping in 50k on a monthly basis - who would of funked it -, but I do need to refocus a little my attention on the pokerz, as I seem to be having a little too much fun (live) and some spewing moments (online)...

There is no 2 ways about it : this game is f**king stressful You read blogs about mid-highstakes players maintaining an almost obsessive healthy lifestyle (think excessive exercising, meditation, eating healthy etc.) which obviously helps with their results on the felt, but the truth of the matter is no matter how big of a stress-release we adopt in our lives, the tension of the game undercuts us. It inhabits us. It crawls underneath our skin, creeps in... slides under our bones, curls around our muscles, slowly mashes our brain cells... one... by one... by one... And no matter if you fracking run 5kms a day, meditate for 2h or eat all the f**king bananas/strawberries or healthiest salads of the world, this degenerate-obsessive-hyper-manic-energy rips you from inside-out Such has been my insight as of late. And I do look forward to that day when I can sit there in the sun, calmly, and look back on my grinding days as a far distant fading memory...




+7.1k in 26h online, -1.1k in 23h live this week


Run good all

Dubnjoy --

You mention that the game is stressful for you. I think if I were in your situation, I might find the opposite to be true -- complacency/hubris being a bigger problem than the every day grind.

What do you find to be stressful specifically?

Generational Gaps

A few of us contacted each other yesterday as the outlooks of a potential game on a Sunday evening would of looked bleak if not. A couple of us vets show up, splash around some, shoot the shyt and all but - lo and behold -, a couple of kids (redneck meathead miner types) are drunk af at the other end of the table. One of them is actually pretty cool, humble, more on the hippie side of the spectrum ; while the other one is drunk off his arse, obnoxious as can be, slow, spilled a full drink on the felt, defying : an arrogant little prick, to say the least, that any guy would happily punch out... Or at least figuratively, right, as the thought of "that little fracking arsehole is annoying" crosses your mind, but you move on, look elsewhere, engage in a conversation or other forms of distractions... But not for our buddy of ours though, who has been exposed to unspeakable challenges in his life that a 20 privileged-nothing kid could ever comprehend... He is Iraqi, was in the special services and has gotten in a ton of crazy arse fights (that make up for great stories ), all of which have contributed to his killer instinct. Problem is, he is going through a divorce and has been on utter life tilt for the past little while. Anyhow, kid being ignorant and all, shyt hits the fan pretty quickly and our friend asks the youngling to step outside ; he obliges, but the doorman intervenes, much to his saving grace, as little did he know that he was going to be sent on our 1 way trip to the hospital

As far as the game goes, this is it. I am gunning for it. Playing multiple highstakes live MTTs and poker in general is in the forefront of my priorities. But as far as life goes, this is not it. Definitely not. Meditation is. Letting go of ego. Of everything. Living through others as oppose to self. Compassion. Creating. Staying healthy. Finding appreciation in the little of things. All of which lacks in this 2-4 card game I find myself happier when poker is in the background, like it usually was prior to 2018. But anyhow, I do want to break down this poker and stress related question in 2 facets : a more universal induced stress and one personalized to me specifically.

Generic/Universal related Stress : Some negative aspects of the game have been highlighted on numerous occasions in the past few years, but repetition can be a useful to shine light upon this interesting journey that is the pokerz...

- Multiple-tabling online has a direct negative impact on the brain and body. Think Dusty Schmidt. Or perhaps more directly identifiable for us 2 + 2ers, Chuck Bass and his numerous physical conditions that ensued (after 20+ tabling for a decade) in his early 30s Or even simple - yet critical - stuff as tendinitis. And, to put it in a simple equation, more volume = more stress.

- Casinos are dark af. Yes Dawson is the nut best as far as familiar peeps goes, an amazing managerial staff (multiple vipassana meditators go through this Brick and Mortar doors ) and keeping the game fun. Yet, gambling being gambling, we are also governed by inner cravings. Addictions. Or plain out degeneracy (in some cases)

- The higher you play, the more stress ensues. I was not convinced of this until last year, as I thought that if you remained detached from the swings (which I am, for the most part), bigger sums of money tossed around would remain irrelevant ; but nope, the increased tension is real, me thinks. Not sure if it is karmic related - maybe inflicting that much more pain upon others comes back to hunt us... -, or perhaps the stress is idem and I am simply more self-aware over the years, but it does build up in your body.

- Most inspiring self-aware highstakes players get out of the game eventually. Sooner rather than later. There is an intrinsic reason for this.

Specifically related to me : I come from an overachieving Upper Middle-class family. Both my Mom and Dad came from poorish (in first world terms) backgrounds. My Dad was one of the first to go to University in his family (he is the youngest) and in fact, French peeps in Quebec in the 60s were just starting to go to College, to become educated and take over their economy (until then, English peeps were our bosses and told us to "Speak White" and we had little ambitions/avenues for higher paying jobs prior to the "Quiet Revolution"). Anyhow, my Dad is stubborn af. He failed to listen when his father suggested not to go to University and work in construction like the rest of his brothers (in fact, so few of his siblings had finished highschool in his family of 13), but he went on to become an engineer, get a decent job, raise 3 kids and ultimately open a company a couple of decades ago that ended becoming quite successful (or at least in terms of a small/handful of employees type of business).

Anyhow, this stubbornness runs down the family tree, apparently Through my veins, circulates this determination that was once directed towards rebellious/anarchist political goals (think travelling for years without money, hitchhiking 8 times across Canada, Mexico and Australia) and was literally ready to die in the f**king streets of a third world country just so I would find my spiritual answers and come to terms with this (once) overwhelming depression/anxiety And I did find vipassana in India, AKA this seemingly forever elusive solution to my inner pain/metaphysical questions. I did get rid of the biggest chunk of these defilements, yet still have some of it inhabiting me, which - alas - seems to be increasingly triggered by the pokerz grind lately...

My TITANIC determination is both a blessing and a curse. I was never gifted with outstanding physical athletic attributes (just above average) or intellectual capacities (well, clearly above average, but moreso accentuated by years of deep meditation), but my stubborn devotion is unprecedented AFAIK It is a blessing as far as monies goes, granting me with the leisure of travelling the world, meeting goals etc., but a curse when it comes to sitting back in the moment/being happy and my overall anxiety levels Would I trade it for a more nonchalant attitude if I could...? No. But it is still quite the challenge to face. And (one of the facets of) my journey.




-1.4k in 2h online, -600$ in 6h live


Peace

Still warm up there this time of year?

Disco Days

Since we last talked folks, I took a couple of days off in order to shut my eyes and meditate in complete silence for 12h over a 2 day stretch I needed it. Like really did While I did manage to release a fair amount of tension, I feel that a longer stint will be eventually necessary to excavate and scrape off not only the rust but the deeply engrained shyt But alas, only short spurts of rest will be had until 2019, as I feel that my window online for scooping in the moneys is pretty darn narrow.

In preparation of the upcoming WSOPC in Montreal, I went back in the MTT lab to revisit my ranges, some spots and ICM fundamentals. In fact, it has been made more than obvious that my 2 card donkament game is rusty af . This said, going back to the books for other games outside of my standard 2 card NLHE cash study grind, has been somewhat pleasant yo


No man, winter is rapidly approaching over here Not sure if you heard about the crippling heat wave that hit Canada (and most of the US of A, I presume...), but I went from scorching 32-38c in Quebec and B.C. for 6 weeks, to freezing temperatures over here I am kind of looking forward to getting back to Montreal for 8 days to get a little bit of that summer back This said, September and October will be spent on warmer grounds, so can't complain too much, can we Speaking of Mtl, an incident happened yesterday where my dad almost got into a fistfight with this utter-scummy-sleezeball... I mean, my dad is 72 for f**k sakes and should not be putting his heart to test , but he ain't one to take shyt from anyone lad, even if the latter is half his age Anyhow, will be happy to go make sure all is good back in La Belle Province




+500$ in 9h online and +500$ in 21h live


Run good all

What makes you think that? Sounds like you're crushing it at the moment.

Nits, TAGs, LAGS and the rest of the World

Listen. Here's the thing. No one can be universally liked at the table. The nit doesn't splash enough, is boring af and his pennies remain unattractive. The LAG's aggression is tilting as can be and puts you in annoying spots. The TAG is too selective. Serious looking. The Whale acts like a douche bag boss, talks all this balla shyt in the world that no one gives a rat's arse about and spews lol stoopid jokes to the collective laughter of the table, just so the latter can ultimately scoop in his monies. The fish is a drunktard, a racist/sexist f**k and curses nonstop at the dealer. The (OP) pro keeps scooping pot after pot and thus remains innerly frowned upon, despite his general likability, civility and polite table manners. So here's the thing : whatever you do, you will rub somebody the wrong way.

Yup, I see myself crushing for the foreseeable future yet, if a decade+ in this game has taught me anything, it's that you do not know what lies around the corner Especially in da online pokerz world But mainly, my virtual window timeframe is negatively impacted by my age and the daily beatings that my body, mind and brain take Hence my decision to transition into more live highstakes MTTs, given that they suit my wanderlust nature and are known to be softer. At least rumour has it they should be softer

edit : And oh yeah, there is also some changes coming to the Unibet RB in 2019, hence my limited 2018 online deadline to scoop in da monies yo




+2.8k in 15h online and +500$ in 21h live


Run good all

Analytical BS

So I think we all agree that da live pokerz <<<<< da online pokerz in terms of the difficulty level, right... And that the most likely softest game offered, remains tournaments, amirite or amirite... And yet I feel I am sacrificing at least 5k of EV by going to Montreal as oppose to grinding the virtual felt from the comfort of my home - and lest not even factor in the time loss/expenses of the trip, shall we not So where do I falter in this equation is the question...

I think I just got use to population tendencies, max exploit lines, habits, routines, GTO plays etc. online, hence maxing out my profits while limiting the potential pitfalls, while I seem to be exposing myself to more unknowns on the live felt vs full time MTT grinders... Would this be it? Or perhaps I am miscalculating my potential ROI in these mid-highstakes MTTs...

Another area where I seem to be in the dark as far as BIs and ROIs goes, is this thought that my 2-5k daily online swings, should translate to 1k-5k reentry events, as if the ultimate equation lies upon money invested as opposed to potential ROI returns... Meh, who gives Well I do hope I will get enough of a deep run(s) to share with you guys ITT




-1.4k in 1h online this week


Run good all

Message received (you know where).

So I think I'll hang here for a while, if that's OK. I'm busy with life at the moment, so it might take a while to catch up...and still longer to adjust.

Run good.

Tuesday Thoughts

If poker is tough on losing players because of the emotional/financial pain inflicted by the loss, it is alas also detrimental on winning players for the sacrifices taken in other areas of their life Like health. Broken relationships (at times). Evaporated years. And existential purposeless journey - not fully, but you get my grip... Nonetheless, we can understand why a crusher keeps going at it - or at least until he has managed to save enough monies -, but why does the net loser keep coming back for that spanking...

Truth of the matter is that many of the respectable peeps are weeded out from the playing fields over the years, leaving behind all the fungi, poison ivy and bad apples of the world. I exaggerate obviously, but there is an element of degeneracy, addiction and gloomy emotions that pushes one to come back for endless beatings.

I crossed paths with a fellow kindred (losing) gambler that decided to self-ban himself from the casino a few years back. The guy was amazing for the game, would open-raise 90% of his hands to 22$ (in a 1-2 game) and proceed to create 500-2000bbs pots on a regular basis I mean, it was fun as hell to play vs him Needless to say, but we got involved in TITANIC pots more often then not and he always put me in tough spots, as he had a heart bigger than the multiverses and beyond and would take some creative af lines Anyhow, I have taken a lot of money from him. I was part of the pain inflicted upon him in the gambling world. But we always respected each other. Our conversation went a little like this :

- Him : "I heard you are doing very well in poker?"

- Me : "Yeah man, it is good, I have been doing well online and playing some big events in many cities... (a couple of seconds of silence). But I will be honest with you, I am tired as f**k".

- Him : "I banned myself from the casino, but you know, I miss it sometimes... but I hurt my family so much" (sadness pops up in his eyes, but he forcefully comes back to himself promptly).

We fistpump each other in a glaring sign of respect and then he drives away in his new 60k+ pickup truck, as I walk to my beatdown 800$ van, jump in it, and make my way to the casino.



Cool bro. If you are going to go back and catch up on this thread, I suggest starting a year ago, when I go on to play WPT Alberta, WPT Montreal and then travel to Europe-Israel-Peru for 6 months. I think it makes for an interesting read/journey. Then again, I am slightly buyest Anyhow, I would start with the following post (a review of Trainspotting 2) and read on from there :

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/s...&postcount=241




-700$ in 6h online this week


Run good all

On Conquering Worlds

Disclaimer : I always have 1001 plans branching in every direction Like to the moon - and back -, to the sun, across the universe, the multiverse, crossing rainbows or stuck in a myriad of clouds In fact, dem friends who have known me for years/decades, always get a chuckle by my latest plans to conquer the world(s). Happily, I do manage to realize quite a few of these otherworldly projects, but many of them never get to see daylight, obviously. It matters little. What does, is having a direction - or many orientations, orbits or however you want to wor(l)d it -, for a wandering-drifting-nomadic soul. As well as setting (far away) goals for a highly ambitious fellow

The latest plan is to buy property in Spain. It might seem kind of rushed for someone who has yet to set foot in that country, but the culture is grandiose, the language is the nuts, flamenco rocks arses, the food is yum yummy, the women not ugly to look at and the temperature tropical enough On top of this, apparently it is not too hard to manoeuvre around the visa limitations... It is still something to look into (adequate town/small city and price tag) and something to speak to my accountant to about my tax/residency situation... But the fact of the matter is that I ain't getting no younger and will not be able to constantly maintain this go-go-go conquer all universes trot of mine

Ok, this crypto downswing sucks major balls, no two way about it. Nevertheless - shun in a bright light -, it was because of these same digital currencies that I had my first 50k+ monthly swing (60k up) that hence convinced me to move up in stakes (to 400z) as I felt emotionally prepared to face the swwwwwwwwiiiiinnnnnnnnnnggggsssss So even if these currencies would drop to nil (they just encountered a 5% upswing as we speak ), reminiscing my crypto journey would not leave a bad taste in my mouth




-300$ in 10h online this week


Run good all

Crumbling Down

I hade to wave the virtual white flag today after I took a 3k hit in 1h My 95%s could not hold up for the life of me, so lets not even think about dem flips with dem rigged 2 face coins going villain's way Time to run those errands before Mtl, get a haircut - ehhhh, looking like an aged/riped hippie again -, perhaps a massage and then grab dinner before the live 4 card game at the casino yo I am at risk yet again of having my first losing virtual week in 2018 and an overall losing month if I happen to brick all the live MTTs in Montreal This said, despite my subpar month on the felt, I have been feeling much happier since my 2 day retreat last week

It is concerning to what extent people close to me are suffering from physical/emotional handicaps that manifested itself in 2018 And that's when not even factoring in the fatal overdose, murder and suicide that happened last winter in these parts It does shine light upon our (mortal) vulnerabilities though, a humbling truth to always keep in mind. On this note, many posters on 2p2 have been tilting me lately in sub-sections like in a travel thread where rampant racism and sexism has been blatant (I was about to chime in, but thought better about virtual debating with ignorant and spoiled 20 year old white privileged (s)expat f**ks ) and over here in the PG & C crash & burn blogs. It makes me wonder if in a couple of decades down the road, any ideological changes will happen when they have a different understanding of life through the prism/experience of their decaying physical capacities... Will the latter bring better empathy towards the discrimination of minorities and women... Here's to hoping...

Live MTT thoughts : might be looking to apply pressure/take high variance spots in the highroller events in Mtl by deliberately switching the dynamic (when deep) to cash game ranges as oppose to tournament ones... Stuff like overraising your standard-undersized-tournament-cbets on flops to exploitatively take MTT pros out of their comfort zone... When you think about it, cbetting 1/3 pot on draw heavy boards is completely unbalanced and only profitable because :

A)- people fear for their tournament chips/life
B)- Cbets are 2005ish profitable in MTTs (think 80%+ cbetting)
C)- Regs give themselves discounted prices to barrel-barrel-barrel

Hence, if you take this dynamic and turn it against them by raising flop smallish light, you thus seemingly threaten their stacks but mainly take the solid MTT pros out of their comfort zone Just food for thought...




-4.2k in 13h this week


Run good all

Asking the real questions: Did you catch anything?

No losing weeks on the virtual felt in 2018 thus far? Holy moly, dub... And I'm less impressed by that than by your life crushing. You're an inspiration to me; so glad this PGC exists!

Live Ecosystems

The live game in Dawson is no longer my main source of income. Not anymore. But lest not forget that I went from grinding the line work in kitchens from 8-9$/h (darn I remember the first time I earned 10$/h in the turn of the millennium and how gangsta it felt ) to capping myself as a chef at 25$, to the live game where I averaged 50$/h for 6 years I mean, needless to say, but I felt like a mama-fracking G yo Right!?! Think the liberation of no longer being a kitchen slave, of getting drunk whenever it pleased me, of making every night a Friday evening yo

Anyhow, despite me crushing this game to the tune of 25bbs/h over a non-negligible sample size, I nonetheless still get a lot of luv and respect from the other players. But alas, such is not the case with everyone obviously, as you cannot get away with felted murder repeatedly without some sort of resentment materializing itself. So there is this complete-utter-arse-of-a-douche-f**k around which the game often runs (or is at least a major contributor). Me and him hold no luv for each other. Like fracking none. We remain civil, you know, as the polite Canadians that we are , but I take an acute pleasure in beating him up on the felt In fact, he is the only one that I get this sadistic victorious sentiment from, much like yesterday where I could barely hide my sunny grin when my 108 turned nut str8 improved on the river (all the money had gone in on the turn (about 2k) as he also held the nuts but his fd redraw failed to get there unlike my wrap ).


I assume you are speaking of that fishing pic... I am using google pics for the reminder of my Dawson stint, as I have thus far posted about 200+ Yukon pics or so and find no motivation to snap more away. That and the fact that I have yet to leave our little town and spend all of my time either grinding or hanging out with close friends

Thx bro, that is some strong heartfelt compliments, especially coming from you that has a legit top thread as well (even if you barely update it lately ).

I still have a couple of days left to recoup a mere 1k to make this week a winning one, so here's to hoping




-2.8k in 16h online, +2.1k in 7h live


Run good all

Plans

Just packing my shyt up before the 6h drive to Whitehorse tomorrow which will be followed by an overnight flight the next day (8h + 2h layover in Vancouver). It is really convenient that I am showing up for my niece's birthday who, at the age of 16, is turning out to be quite the wonderful-free-thinking-vegetarian lady and who seems to draw a little inspiration from her itinerant uncle yo (it is easier to idealize someone who is never there, isn't it

Am pretty excited about these upcoming tourneys and darn would a deep run be fracking nice Of course, the rational-geek-number's-guy in me fully realizes that more often than not, I will be coming back from this trip tilted af and wanting to punch dead babies in the face But what fun comes in not believing, right Also got the news that the upcoming Unibet Open will be in Dublin... Not really excited about the destination, but will thus take a week or so beforehand to visit Ireland/UK, and then the plan will most likely be to visit Italy before settling down in Spain. I do not plan on moving around much, but who knows : the wind can blow wherever the f**k it wants to

Further MTT thoughts :

- Be aware of table image : I usually go out of my way to present myself as a rec, act fast, not be deliberate, put on a clean shirt and talk a whole lot of Toronto Raptors/Montreal Canadiens at the tables, but I might not get away with a rec image in the highrollers... Note to self : be aware of perceived image and exploit the living shyt out of it

- Take your time : This might consequently place me more in the reg/pro perceived image category, but it is nonetheless higher EV to take an extra few seconds as oppose to clicking live buttons nonstop.

- Attack the scared money : Think last hand before the break, last hand before bagging up or any timely exploitative aggression to go ahead and empty the mama-fracking clip yo

- Be patient : This is a marathon, I do not need to (once) again bluff 35% of my stack threatening an OMC's stack because he is supposed the top of his range in the early stages of a tourney

- Do not give away live tells : Stare at the felt, eyes down and your hand covering your mouth when applying a ton of pressure upon your opponent on the river.




-2.6k online in 20h and +3.2k live in 13h this week


Run good all

Southbound

After a prompt cleaning of the house and a rapid packing of my suitcase/backpack, I jump in the van, ready to zoom south for 550kms direction Whitehorse. Problem is, my van has had a lengthy 330 000kms life span, it is breaking down to pieces - ehhh, the driver’s window no longer holds up, got a rear busted light, a cracked windowshield etcetera and etc. - and I am not sure it will actually survive the trip After a friend's jaw drops down when I mention that I am about to attempt the journey with my deadbeat set of wheels, I no longer need convincing and try to book a last minute flight ; problem is, it happens to be fully booked. FML

Halfway through the journey, I realize that I should of never doubted my little rusty buddy, that he - as I - are along for the ride, for better or for worse And that there is an immense sense of liberation in hitting the road Yukon style yo with myriad of trees caressing the length of the road and endless pristine eye-candy-postcard-landscape-views opening up through the windshield and the rearview mirror It matters little that my Belarusan friend will not give me the time of day…. Or that the Unibet Open was moved from a culturally enticing Paris - for yours truly to visit - to an Anglo Saxon Dublin…. Or that I feel less at home in Dawson and was met with some dose of negativity at the tables (and a whole lot of welcoming positivity, lest not forget )…. All that matters is the road ahead and its figurative extension of hope. And dreams. Vast dreams. Vast like the f**king world yo

As much as I have criticized the rampant reentries in MTTs, it is in part because of these that I approach the Montreal series with a clear sense of confidence : I will fire away As much as needed yo. Like a gangsta. A serial killa. A mama-fracking button clicking assassin yo Not only do these events hold the advantage of being deep enough where one would end with a decent 30bbs in the ME at the end of Day 1 with his starting stack and 100bbs in the highrollers, but when you combine this deep structure with the absence of fear of a potential initial bust out, and there lies our plans to conquer the world yo




-2k in 21h online and +3.2k in 13h live


Run good all

Wow, gorgeous picture above!

Good luck with the tourney bullets.

Today is Day 1A of the Main, 1.1k buy-in. We are limited to one reentry per day (10 bullets total), so the plan is to make it to Day 2 with at least an average+ stack or gamble it up in the last levels to either double-up or bust/fire again on Day 1C (Day 1B conflicts with the SHR).

Thx bro Still stuck in Rocky Mountain time zone - AKA 3h behind and some - so am happy that today figures to be some target shooting where misfires will not affect the overall picture yo Back later to put words on my progress

Run good all

Rising Stars

Fun day on the felt, but one that, alas, did not lead to a trip to an ensuing Day 2 I busted AK < 55 during level 9, 4bet 67o-folded to a shove only to get shown 24 and even witnessed Mike Sexton fall prey to the ZZZZzzzs midway through the day

I really liked my play ; what I appreciated less though was being delayed at my bank/showing up late 15 minutes late and ending up at a table of late arrivals/fracking pros (Duhamel and a fellow from Toronto). But anyhow, will fire again in the ME on Thursday or Friday while tomorrow will see me turn my attention towards the SHR 5.3k BI yo





Am tired... Signing out. Talk tomorrow.


Run good all

Bagging Up

Ehhhh, was I happy that they suddenly postponed without notice the SHR until tomorrow thus forcing me to late reg by 5h the ME... Certainly not Did I enjoy seeing what was a very soft and enjoyable table of OMCs being replaced by fracking annoying pros that like me came in to play the SHR... F**k no Did I want to flip over the table when the 20 something years old wannabees dominated the discussion with tournament scores, good games in the USA, strat talk, staking deals and other insecure pro subjects... You bet you I did Nevertheless, I really took an acute pleasure on beating up on those little f**ks as they are so, SO predictable

How I got away with murder today : After an EP 2.5bbs open and 1 caller, I flat in CO with AJ ; SB (maniac terribad player) squeezes to 7.5bbs. We all call.

Flop (32.5bbs)
A55

SB cbets 10bbs, I alone call.

Turn (52.5bbs)
A55 9

Check-check.

River (52.5bbs)
A55 9 K

I am definitely not loving life when I see the 4th out there and villain picking up chips , but when he fires a mere 10bbs blocking bet, I rapidly cease the opportunity and pop it up to 45bbs (as I thought there was a fairly decent chance villain had AK, hence a better hand with no ) ; he slams the table, mucks pretty quickly and shows





edit : and oh yeah, that OMC that was sitting silent (to my right) while the utter cringe-worthy pros were bragging, his wife died of cancer yesterday. He came for distraction. NOT to listen to dem little punks


Run good all