I'd try and hit it, and wouldn't pay for **** obv =)
Play the playa!

I just stumbled upon this thread (searched thunder valley), but minus a wedding & move the dentist appointment to a weekday, we have the same schedule!

Sorry if your not as amazed as me, but I thought it was randomly funny.

See you on the felt.

Haha. I -am- as amazed as you. Pretty funny coincidence.

Good luck out there. See you soon.

I just found this thread searching for thunder valley. Funny I have the same schedule as both of you but I DO have a wedding and dentist appt. Crazy huh! See you at thunder valley HPT. I am amazed nobody started a thread for the HPT event in town. Stuck at las vegas airport with 2 hour delay getting back to Sacramento. Going to need coffee before the 11am start tomorrow.

Haha. Make it a triple. Good luck on the felt, sir.

This blog is now live-ish. Walking through the tournament floor there were plenty of OMC infested tables, luckily I have a draw of people that look actiony.

HPT Thunder Valley Event #1, here we go. 15k starting stack, 25/50 level 1, 30m blinds.

Almost to the first break. Table is tougher than I thought, but I'm also carddead. Hovering below the starting stack and no interesting hands.

Hah. Tournament streak ended! Time to play cash and hope to kill the ME instead.

The HPT fans that follow this thing around are tilting. They remind me of dumb nerds. Yes there are dumb nerds.

Well that semi-live portion of my blog didn't last very long.

Friday Night: Arrived at Thunder Valley and played some cash games. Got into a spot where I flopped top set vs. middle set vs. bottom set on a board with a possible straight. Somehow middle set got out of the pot on the turn. Later that night I ran my top two into someone's bottom set. Ended the night barely a winner. Ran into a bunch of people I know from the Bay Area card rooms--it's always fun seeing familiar faces at not-so-familiar places. Called it an early night 'cause I was still kinda sick.

Saturday: Woke up, had some Peet's vanilla matcha green tea latte and listened to my warm up. Couldn't make anything work in the $425 event #1 of the HPT and eventually ran my AK into someone's KK. Standard. Tried a $360 MTT satellite into the main event. No cigar there either. Afterwards mucked around on 5-10 and made a little bit of it back.

Sunday: Decided to just tackle the cash games. Took one orbit of 1-3 and left up $150 before getting called for 2-5. In three orbits I was in for $400 and was up to $1000. They started running SNGs but I decided it wasn't worth my time... until I looked over and saw how soft the fields were. None of the players looked like seasoned poker players at all. I had to confirm with a buddy of mine that the SNGs looked like a good bet and he did. So I signed up to get into the second SNG. BOy were we right. One lady called her way down from 60BB starting stack to 8BB before folding in the first level of the tournament. I lost one flip but I managed to get a cash finish. (We played down 'til 2 players left and $80 gets you $360. And it lasted 1.5 hours!) Grinding these would be profitable but Thunder Valley doesn't run 'em enough. Maybe it's different during the weekdays?

Sunday Night: As soon as I got home, I made my way over to the Grand for dinner. Quick profit of $400 and I ended the weekend up $430-something. Got to talk to Allie for a bit while she was bartending, but sources say she has a boyfriend! Zzzz.

Work has been absolutely rough and I can't wait for this week to be over so I can get back to the HPT and take down that main event.

Is your plan to play Saturdays flight? that should've the softest day.

Yep! I'll come in Friday night and pre-reg to avoid the line.

Change in plans.

Weekend of Oct-11 - No longer going up to Reno. Going to celebrate some friends' birthdays instead. Jason Aldean concert in Wheatland, then degen in Thunder Valley later that night.

Doing this for some balance in life--get some social activities going again. Maybe meet a nice blonde girl next door.

1:36 PM, Sep 26 I feel like I haven't seen that face in forever

I roll my eyes as I stuff my face with a half-decent chirashi bowl. Maddie had made me feel like crap when I called her out on her bull and then she pulled that sob story about her one remaining blood relative passing away. She really wanted that ****ing $3,000.00 kitten. I put my phone down and continue eating until all that's left in the bowl is wasabi and ginger.

5:56 PM, Sep 26 You not talking to me again lol

I miss the action during a fairly important pot as I try to decide my course of action here. I put my phone down and watch the chips get pushed to a fairly tight regular. Not two seconds pass before I pick my phone up and unlock the screen.

6:01 PM, Sep 26 sorry i am cheating on u with a velociraptor

A stupid grin crosses my face as the dealer pitches the next hand. I look down at a couple of rags under the gun and muck as quickly as possible.

6:02 PM, Sep 26 What is that?
6:02 PM, Sep 26 Lol

... I am dumbstruck. I guess she really is just a dumb blonde stripper.

6:04 PM, Sep 26 A dinosaur

I shake my head slightly as I throw in one red chip for my big blind. I end up throwing my rags away to a raise from the cutoff.

6:05 PM, Sep 26 Wtf? Weirdo lol (insert teary-eyed laughing emoji)

6:06 PM, Sep 26 I know. I am a terrible person... I understand if you cannot forgive me.

Apparently she cannot detect my sarcasm in my last text because she drops the bomb on me a few minutes later.

6:09 PM, Sep 26 (amusedlol) if you don't want to talk to me it's fine I can delete your number

This throws me completely off-guard, but I seize the opportunity to pull the trigger--something I've wanted to do for the last couple of weeks, but have not had the courage to do.

6:12 PM, Sep 26 I think that is for the best. Good luck in whatever you pursue and wherever you go (maddie's real name). I mean it.

5 hours later I rack up a 51 big blind winner and log it on my phone. No more texts from Maddie. I take a deep breath as I exit the cardroom, glad to have this off my shoulders, hopeful to have a clear mind as I go into the HPT main event over the weekend.

sorry i am cheating on u with a velociraptor

Sat next to you for a few minutes when we started that 5/10 game Saturday night at Thunder Valley. You remember the guy who took the pot off you with the set of Kings? He ended up coming to the main game after I moved over there. He was telling everybody he had placed 2nd in the Colorado HPT Main for 140k, telling detailed stories about it etc.. He was playing sooo bad. The dude next to me thought it all sounded fishy, so we looked up the final table and of course he wasnt even there. Weird. Anyways, I thought you looked familiar and checked back to your old Vegas TR to make sure. Also, that old lady you ended up playing PLO with came back to the 5/10 game and my god you were right best action ive ever seen. She was cold calling 3 bets with 34 off QJ off all kinds of stuff, stacking off with top pair no kicker I loved her.

Ah, shoulda said something if you thought you recognized me. I do remember that guy and his leather vest glory. I love how he slowplayed all three streets with those bad boys. I guess I got owned.

It's always good to google someone and find out they're complete liars.

And yesssss that's why I insta-moved to PLO despite not being a jedi master at the game. Won't say much more because I don't want to attract the sharks.

-----

Yesterday marked the 1-year anniversary of me deciding to become a semi-professional poker player. I had a great first month for being particularly new to taking the game seriously--then the next couple of months afterthat were a trainwreck. I didn't get anywhere near going broke, but it was a very tough time. There were moments when I started to doubt how successful I could be and there were moments when I was letting the stress affect my game. By February I knew something had to change, so I reached out to mindset coach Elliot Roe. We had four sessions and after that I felt more in control of myself. I was making less mistakes and the results were starting to come in.

I am confident I'm one of the top players at the game I play. I continue to enjoy what I'm doing. I acknowledge there is still much room for improvement. While I still get the itch to just pack up and try my hand at becoming a full time pro in LA or LV, I understand that I shouldn't let go of my career so easily. Having a full-time job and steady income might very well be why I can still love the game of poker after playing so much of it for the last year. Like many players who try to go pro, I could easily get burnt out or take an early downswing that would cripple me. So overall, I am content with my current situation. Now to find a girlfriend so that happiness index rises a bit.

They heard you weren't coming and cancelled the event, thanks a lot.

Sorry to let everyone down.

Look at this scrub/nonfactor not updating often enough.

Every time I tell myself I'm going to take a day off from poker, I find myself sitting at my desk with utmost enthusiasm to get back on the felt. I was going to catch up on some television shows, but I can't wait to get back into the cardroom. I've been getting 160-170 hours a month in now. Is it two jobs at this point? Can I still consider myself semi-professional when I'm playing cards more than I'm working at my primary job?

Work has been a whirlwind recently--I've been training new hires, transferring accounts for new hires, training myself for middle-management... all while doing my main role of assisting a broker with $1.5mm in revenue. Not to mention I sneak in 2+2 time once in a while. Hope my workload lightens up soon or I might go berserk.

Less than two weeks 'til Tahoe and Vegas back to back for WSOPc and VDS IV. I'll most likely be doing a trip report in the LVL subforum!

Crosspost between the two threads?
[ ] Yes [ ] No

How often do you play at the Grand?
What times are your sessions?
On a scale of 1-10 how do you rank the toughness of the 2/3/5?(if you don't mind saying)
I play there on a rare occasion, but would like to play there more. I am done with the 2/2/3 and the few times I've played the bigger game I find it similar to the lower one just with more a little more money on the table.

I play very frequently at the Grand and I play from 4:30PM->sleepy
I will not rank 1-10, but I will say it is tougher than most in the Bay.
I suggest you play at these shallower games because it is a good learning ground. If you play deep you tend to get fancy and that is not something you want to do as a self-professed bad player.

Learn the basics at the 2/2/3. You may feel like you are above the game, but it is all about producing results first. Show the results then talk smack about the game.

I appreciate the frank response. you are so right about avoiding fancy play at either game at the Grand. However, there are no basics to be learned playing a table where the majority of opponents play 30 BB deep.
Also, might be the bigger game is different than the earlier time that I've played. Just like most rooms

No matter how small the game plays, there is always an analysis of a range of hands a player can have. A game such as 2/2/3 will allow you to practice this without much risk. Those are the fundamentals that you need to build on, along with the confidence, focus, and patience you have mentioned. No matter what size game, if you lack those attributes you will lose. Then ask yourself why don't you have the focus and patience to play a "small" game.

(cross posted from my LVL TR)

One-half of a roast beef sandwich and one-half of a chicken salad sandwich rests on my desk, ready to be devoured. With how busy work has been the last few weeks and the stress that comes with it, I've been making poor choice after poor choice when it comes to my eating habits. Just earlier this morning I consumed a whole breakfast burrito without even batting an eyelash. There are also a few sweet treats that are sitting in my desk drawers because all week long the management has been showing us their gratitude by giving us gifts and whatnot for "Staff Appreciation Week". Who am I to turn down a mint chocolate chip brownie? Needless to say, I've gained a few pounds in the last few weeks. 160 hours of work a month, 170 hours of poker a month, fast food every night, and a sedentary lifestyle? I need to cut this **** out, but I can't. I need a serious wake-up call, I think to myself as I get ready to bite into the chicken salad half sandwich with who knows how much mayo and cream cheese (don't judge me). My teeth sink into the bread, causing the creamy chicken filling to spill out the sides right when sirens start to blare and the PA cuts on with an automated emergency message. I had ****ing forgotten all about today's fire drill.

I toss my sandwich down and turn around, wiping my mouth on my sleeve as I retrieve my orange vest. All of the lousy jobs are given to me in this office. I love what I do for my primary role, but somehow I'm also stuck with random office tech questions, training new hires, and this bull**** of being a floor warden for fire drills. I usher my co-workers out to the meeting area and of course my peers love to make things more difficult than they need to be. Some of them are nowhere to be found, making it near impossible to complete roll call while others are in my face asking me when they can get back to their desks. I just grit my teeth and tell 'em "soon". With the help of a few others, we get the roll call completed, but we're forced to stand there as the other tenants get their **** together for the building management. As I'm looking over the few hundred people standing around I realize that the weekend is just around the corner. I take a deep breath to clear my current stresses away and think about the crisp, cool mountain air I'm about to be inhaling in less than 30 hours.

Lake Tahoe has always been a favored destination of mine. Now I don't ski, I don't fish, I don't boat. Tahoe, for me, is another destination where I can gamble and party, but it sets itself apart from Reno and Vegas because it's tucked away in the mountains and the freshness of the area makes it rather relaxing. Tahoe also happens to be where my parents got married, so I'm taking them up with me for this trip. My mom is a penny slots player and my dad plays 3/6 (jackpot hunters so they'll have plenty to do while I take my crack at Event #3 of the WSOPc at Harvey's. Hopefully I run deep and score some cash, as I'll be heading to Vegas a couple of days later!

Lake Tahoe:
- Some drinking and gambling
- $365 buy-in event on Saturday 10/26
- Rebuy if necessary
- A little bit of freeplay to gamble with
- Troll my mom by pressing "max bet" when she is not paying attention

Vegas
- 10/29 arrive at night and maybe knock out my attempt to get to diamond aspirations II through some video poker
- 10/30 don full indiana jones costume and get ****faced while throwing out one-liners from the movies (maybe???)
- 10/31 don full slytherin student uniform and get ****faced while shouting out random spells (100% certain)
- 11/01 hungover VDS tourney
- 11/02 more serious pokers
- 11/03 more serious pokers
- 11/04 more serious pokers and departure
- find Katana and try to get kicked out of whatever casino he works at
- meet up with the dozens of 2p2'ers who will be in town at the same time
- eat at CUT and Bouchon at some point
- take more pictures than last time (because that's what u whorez liek)
- avoid roullette like the plague...

shoez??? shoezzzzzz



smth for u asshats to laugh at (asian dude at a country concert goes to play poker after)

Ivin just made FT of Tahoe Circuit $365 Re entry with Heaps! GL