Smooth Sailing

Maybe it is the laid back schedule, the Asian air or the balanced lifestyle, but poker has been a tranquil drift for the past few days... +1000$ in 3h

Finally upgrading my Pio, so will be working on sims at least 2h, combined with 1 or 2 videos weekly ; since I do not use a hud anymore, I do not have access to my database, which limits considerably my means of studying.

Studying has always been my achilles heel, despite my game evolving at a relative fast pace. I will hence have to continue to push myself to hit the lab. As far as writing goes, zilch. Nada. I nevertheless plan on working on my novel at least 15-20h/week once 2017 kicks in (will probably only be grinding 15h/week at that point, but we will see...).


Movie of the Day :


Haven't done one of these reviews in a while, so thought I might start again, despite 2016's cinema being somewhat mediocre thus far... As you folks well know, too many of modern day cheap and abundant action/thriller movies are thrown our way for us, prolific viewers, to consume. Happily, there are movies like Green Room that has a refreshing quality to its peculiar characters, sound camera and interesting plot.





The story revolves around a down-on-their-luck punk band - yes, I kid you not - that are surviving financially from gig to gig. Broke, they accept to play in a neo-Nazi venue only to have shiit completely hit the fan when they happen to witness a murder This movie will not leave you bored and will put to shame all those other empty action flicks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DF-7rHKsu4


Run good all

The Morning After

Now what... I will not lie, I have been quite shaken by the results of the elections south of the border... To the extent of being burdened with tilt-induced nightmarish dreams, those within which you desperately try to fade that 1 outer, to print the monies, anything positive - really -, only to wake up to the realization that villain got there : Trump got elected The world is running bad : the dude loses the popular vote, yet still gets the Whitehouse, the congress and the senate, WTF will happen to us





Of course, Trump would never get elected nor receive significant ballots in Canada (or in most European countries, I suspect...), but to see a modern, politically influential country like the US of A embrace such a figure, is disconcerting as frack How the hell does such racism, bigotry, sexism and plain xenophobia still exist at a widespread level in 2016, is utterly unfathomable to me And that such fracking sayings like "White's only", "White America", "Neither black lives nor black votes matter" are being liberally thrown around in kids grade schools, is absolutely inconceivable :

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/11/10/us...rnd/index.html

I mean, these are kids, for frack sakes





For the record, my bottom line will most likely increase because of these elections, given that the price of gold will continue to escalate, thus enriching everyone in Dawson ; nonetheless, I can't help but feel crushed for all the minorities south of the border... All that the rest of us can do, is love. Understand. Practice compassion. Or give up.




-200$ in 10h



Also, RIP Leonard Cohen, a notorious fellow Montreal singer/writer/composer that practiced meditation/Buddhism to fight his way through life-long depression :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IfmiKnZi3E


Peace

Down the Valley





Despite a downswing of approximately 2.2k in the past few days, all has been just peachy, a day at the beach folks





Or perhaps that this game has instilled me with this ancient wisdom called acceptance





It certainly does help that my bankroll is quite comfy, that I will releasing north of 7k in RB in December and that I am by no means relying on the added income that da pokerz provides (at least for this winter...) Leaving tomorrow for a weekend getaway to Hoi an, then back on the grind next week, where I will be aiming at 30h at the tables and 3h in the Pio lab


Run good all

Offline

Was pushed against the wall and forced into a vacation, as the Unibet software has been unresponsive for the past 4 days ; couldn't of been a better timing though, as my gf unexpectedly got Sunday off, opening the door for a weekend getaway in Hoi an (see travel blog in the next few days for more pics/details)





+1200$ in 3h


Will be catching up on volume this week, but in the meantime, started this little gem of a book :




Does anyone doubt how a book revolving around "the impact of the highly improbable" will be useful for poker


I am not a UFC or a boxing fan, but a boxer buddy of mine recommended a classic fight from 1980 opposing Sugar Ray to Robert Duran which is absolutely-utterly-outerwordly-loco-insane Check it out folks, it runs for 90 minutes on youtube and has to be the nut best rout in the history of ever :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuGZVkYuHM4


Run good all

I really like this thread! GL from a lurker, OP!

Upswong

I must be running good or something : only had 1 disconnection in 2 days, the games have been good and poker has been fun in Asialand




+800$ in 5h


You guys listened to the latest 2 + 2 podcast? My favourite RIO coach, AKA Tyler Forrester, does a great job of discussing GTO situations ; you know, balancing and mixing it up yo




https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/the...271210495?mt=2 (episode 438)


Also, here is an interesting article on a fellow degenerate gambler that stole a few hundred thousand of chips from the Bellagio and tried to cash them in :

http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/...apture-w447204


Thx for reading and posting


Run good all

A Certain Slant of Hope

Jeez, good thing I have been immune to the swings lately and glad ape-monkey-tilting is relinquished to the past Up a thousand, down a thousand, up a thousand... +400$ in 10h

Was listening to a podcast on filmspotting yesterday, in which the theme revolved around "the top 5 movies that console and restore hope".

http://filmspotting.net

I guess the broadcasters were feeling quite down after the US of A elections (all are pretty adamantly anti-Trump )... in the wake of this sentiment, here is my top 5 :


Numero Cinco : Hope is obviously correlated to despair, as not only does it need to transcend the latter in order to shine, but what purpose would serve the light if it wasn't constantly overshadowed by the threat of its darker counterpart...

In Danny Boyle's 127 Hours, the director punctuates this script lacking in plot (story of a guy that cuts off his arm ) with reveries, flashbacks, hallucinations in order to instil some life to the narrative. Inspiring film.





Numero Quatro : They say that it takes 3 generations before a nationality can speak candidly of a past collective trauma... Life Is Beautiful was the first movie to approach the Jewish Holocaust through the innocent/fantasy prism of a child's imagination.





Numero Tres : I spoke of Blueberry previously in this thread, but any journey that centres around the triumph of non-self vs self, naturally springs from a bright source





Numero Dos : What if you had experience the same day over and over again, forever stuck within the confines of those 24h... Would you make the best of it? Would you use eternity to better yourself, to try to seduce the woman you love, despite its apparent futility?





Numero Uno : Elves, Dwarfs and Humans that combine forces to defeat the forces of Evil in this magnificent, unrivalled trilogy We need more movies of the pristine quality of Lord of the Rings to infuse us, mere mortals, with much needed hope folks





Run good all

127 hours is such a good underrated movie!

weekends Suck Balls

Bah, have it YOUR WAY variance Despite the games being better, I seem to get runner-runner-flushed-out-and-outdrawed by the weekend fun players Go figure -1000$ in 14h




Weekly timeline of a fun player, which happens to be inversely correlated to mine


In the wake of the influence of Mr. Robot and all, was watching a short clip on youtube pertaining to the terrifying activities that take place on the dark web ; did you guys know that the deep web is 500+ times larger than the known surface web (meaning all the sites that can be located by search engines, AKA Google) Insane isn't it, enough to give me the vertigo creeps :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmrpfzId6i8

I assume that most of yous follow my travel blog, but if not, my latest post pertaining to a little weekend getaway in Hoi an :

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/sh...&postcount=400


Yeah man, such an inspiring movie and definitely underrated, much like his (Danny Boyle's) earlier Sunshine I am really impressed by how 127 Hours manages to create such an interesting narrative around so little plot (much the recent Steve Jobs, come to think of it...).


Run good all

Christmas Iz 4 Suckahs

I have just put in my 2 longest grinding days in over 2 months since my Dawson challenge : +1300$ in 13h

With the games getting noticeably better as the Holidays are rapidly approaching, I decided to increase my volume to 32-35h/week. As far as studying goes, I will set my weekly modest goal at 2h ; I know that it is lol as far as spending in the lab goes, but just can't seem to find the motivation to crunch numbers lately...

December




Just halfway through today's session, but wanted to set some realistic concrete goals for December's grind, which happens to be the core of my winter volume : +400$ in 3h


- 10k+ : this should fairly easy - in the range of 50/50, me thinks -, as not only the games are at their nuttest during the season of giving, but I will be releasing 8k in RB. So 12-15k is definitely not out of the reach, an abrupt downswing not withstanding...

- Study 2h/week : Granted, 2h weekly is not a ton, but the focus will be put on volume grinding, not improving my game. Still just getting the hang of Pio, but have been nonetheless impress with how more polished my game is becoming in such a short period of time. Crazy how previously not foreseen leaks suddenly become pristine clear, isn't it

- Da Grind : 6-7h/day from Monday-Thursday and 4h/day on weekends. Unfortunately, I am working around my gf's schedule, so I usually only manage to put in a few hours in the wee hours of the morning on the weekends (we usually do day trips on WEs).

- Read 5h/week : As many of us know (as poker players), uncountable are the number of defining events that happen in our lives that arise from pure randomness (lets just through out the window the saying "everything happens for a reason", shall we ) Nothing better than the magnificent book The Black Swan to illustrate this theory (and which has been inspiring for outlining some chapters of my novel to come ).

Exercise : Since meditation has been naturally engrained into my daily routine for a decade and a half now, the 2h daily that I practice comes without a second thought ; the same cannot be said of exercising though Because I have yet to find a tennis partner (and that it has been raining almost everyday), I have been relying on biking to get dem toxins out. I just purchased a skipping rope and am seriously contemplating 15 minutes daily sessions of sweating out dem bad beats after my afternoon grind


Yeah, I think we are set for December


Run good all

Oblivious

In the midst of of Unibet crashing (new software release), tables collapsing, getting use to a new software and all, still managed to book in a solid 700$ in 9h (up 2.5k this week).





Since the 2 + 2 podcast has been sponsored by RIO (runitonce), the guys have been trying to get a RIO coach every week on the show, which naturally provides the podcast with the best strategy content out there I am really curious how the future RIO poker site will look like... and hopefully it will not be too reg infested

Now if only it could stop raining so I could go to the beach tomorrow ...


Run good all

Metal Meltdown

Bah, Unibet has chosen the nut worst time to release their untested software... Moreover, it is forcing my mac to act up like a little bitch (fan screeching like hell), the software crashes on an hourly basis, the action is slow, and yet I still managed to book some solid winnings despite a ton of bbs lost in disconnections I just really hope they get their **** together soon... +400$ in 3h

We are flying to Hanoi tomorrow to renew my gfs passport. Also need to purchase some clothes ; love danang and all, but the next 4 months are pretty ****ty weather wise... (think automn in Canada ).

Run good all

Transits

Hopped on the plane, flew to Hanoi, hopped off, wandered around the vibrant twilight streets of Hanoi, slept, got up, renewed passport, did some shopping, lunch, taxi, flight back, got home, launched a few virtual tables while trying to dodge the Unibet crashes and voila!, called it a day +600$ in 4h

Have been thinking about the live circuit for next winter and the appeal that going to the WSOPE in Czech Republic would hold, followed by a couple of months of travelling/grinding in Europe, then the Florida games, New Orleans and to finish the loop, a stop in Vegas before coming back to Canada in March-April. Seems pretty enticing, but of course, that would mean being single and nomadic again (as oppose to playing online here with my gf...). Bah, it is good to have plenty of projects, especially considering the agonizing nature of online pokerz yo

Run good all

Dem Poker Gods

You remember that egotistical juvenile impression of immortality intrinsic to our early 20s when youth seemed everlasting, vulnerabilities, a reality for suckhas, and the world, up for grabs... Those years where you could dodge lightning baby by running like a mama-fracking GOD





and having the blessings of ALL dem entities in the heavens and beyond







+1400$ in 7h


While 100z still remains my main game, I have been gradually adding more tables of 200z. The target of 15k in December seems well in reach at this pace (up approximately 5k in the past 12 days), but I don't think I can maintain this absolute-utterly-high-paced run good for much longer... (knock on wood).

If you guys have not watched it yet, check out Westworld, a GOAT show matched only by top notch shows such as Mr Robot and True Detective, and in which layers upon layers of realities overlap each other, much like the the meanders of a maze :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuS5huqOND4

Run good all

Swing for the Fences

Bah, you know how it goes : after my last post, rode the upswing in the tune of +800$ before - of course - the wave crashed like no tomorrow, washing away the profits in the process




-900$ in 8h


Run good all

Virtual Freedom

I mean, for someone like me that has just about all the freedom in the world and that even chooses online poker over live for the added physical flexibility, I sure as hell chose a fracking tilt-inducing-****ty-weather location in danang 3 of the 6 months that I spend over here are Vancouverish grey skies/ton of rain (with an added 5-10 degrees celsius though)




+1400$ in 10h


It still beats the living crap out of Dawson though :





I am not quite content with my volume last week (29h), despite the fact that we were forced in doing an overnight trip to Hanoi and that the crashes at Unibet keep piling up . Anyhow, am aiming for 32h plus for this week.

Run good all

Flying High

We are not yet midway into December, yet I am closing in on the halfway mark of my targeted 15k : +1000$ in 4h





Much like I did when I first moved up to 100z, I am shortstacking my 200z tables in order to get used to the playing field (unless there is an absolute drooler, then I make sure to cover him). Curiously though, I had not adjusted my 3bet range accordingly for 50bbs stacks (for instance, it makes more sense to have a polarized range that can either 3bet-fold or call the jam then a linear range (even from the SB)). It is alas quite cringe-worthy to look back at how my 3bet range looked even a few days ago





Given my solid winrate at 200z, I should be playing deepstack in no time though


Run good all

Swamped

Just got a notice yesterday from yahoo that my account is part of the 1 billion+ that the info was sold on the dark web, sigh Considering that there are 3.3 billion internet users in the world, yahoo just handed out the personal info of 30-50% to cyber criminals ; way to go, ****-faces

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/15/te...-web.html?_r=0

Really not a good week as far as volume goes (25h) or studying (1h ), but nevertheless booked a solid 3k

Run good all

Down Under

Been under the weather for the past couple of days, so the grind has been minimal, the headaches overwhelming - darn, without meditation, online pokerz would be a bitch as far as migraines go -, and my game, a B or B- : -100$ in 7h

note : not having a clear mind has put in perspective how stellar I have been playing in SEA I mean, it does help to be sunrunning like a mama-fracking God, yet I do not remember playing under a B game (and would insta-quit if I did indulge in mediocrity)

How you guys seen the trailer for Blade Runner 2049 :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDscTTE-P-k

Curiously, despite being a sci-fy buff, I really did not care much for the original Blade Runner, yet here I am, salivating like a mama-fracker Go Denis Villeneuve

Ink

Just your typical day, you know : pop some medicine at 6am, pass out for 5h, wake up, doped like a mama-fracking zombie , meditate, jump in the shower, put on some clothes and go get tattooed for 4h ; easy game








I figure it will take an extra 6h to finish my back, 10-12h if we include the arms...


As far as poker goes, only 10 days left to the month in order to extract the most possible RB : -400$ in 3h


Run good all

awesome updates keeping them coming and GL! Now off to read your travel blog!

Tea Money

When its not disconnections or crashes interrupting the flow of my grind, it is the cops knocking at the door





This is the third time they come this month, and the sixth time since my gf has been living here. They hassled her a few times, only to leave her alone until... I showed up, of course Not going to cave in just yet, as we don't want to appear to be pushovers, but communist cultural obligation warrants that police get theirs, so what can you do Anyhow, here's one for you old lady :




+700$ in 8h


Kind of funny how we all maintained a high degree of civility and politeness, even though the officers were trying to bribe us But hey, Asians will be Asians (and Canadians, Canadians).

Thx man, let me know what you think


Run good all

Frack The System

Damn, cops were back again today, this time asking us to join us to the police station Apparently, they want to enquire on our activities over here My gf decided not to cave in as, so we have been firm in our answers, trying to stand by whatever legal rights we have over here and asking around, trying to figure out what constitutes the standard over here... In the meantime, we told them we were too busy to join them Because...

#FrackTheCops

Frack Christmas also : games are dead with no souls to be found at 50z+


Peace All

Inside Out

Since I had been running so good in December, my recent downswing comes as no surprise... Couple the latter with the fact that my tummy has been eating itself inside out, and auto-piloting a B game is all I aspired to, really








Thankfully though, this 2.5k downswing (in 2 days, followed by a breakeven stretch) happened in the midst of releasing a ton of RB : +1.3k in 25h

I plan on taking a month off after about 10h left of December grinding

Run good all