TABLES or 2+2 nit? maybe both?!

He could sell a chart that will help players win a little, but not as much as his own strategy.

yes he could i'm just saying if he starts selling it it'll be on a torrent within a few weeks which would not be worth any low 5 figure amount imo

Why did you play only SnGs for 1.5 months this year? What games did you play? Thanks!

Would you be willing to, sometime this month (Nov), write up a little guide to going for SNE? I know you've probably wrote bits and pieces that cover the topic so much that you have your talking points down, and you might feel it's a little redundant at this point. However, I think it would be a really good "Pooh-Bah" post, more of a holistic approach to SNE type thing. Perhaps it could talk about finding motivation when **** gets ******, things like that and just everything about the year, maybe a monthly breakdown of your mental condition. Who knows, I'm just throwing out ideas to help create a skeleton for the alleged post. Not looking for strat or SS stuff, I think that stuff is pretty insignificant to a potential SNE comparatively.

lol at preflop chart are you guys all mad?

I never liked shortstackers but you actually don't seem like a douchebag. And you're clearly an insane grinder. So I gotta say hat's off to you for that. Pretty sick work you pull off.

Good luck with getting healthier.

Needbeer,

I read in one of your older blogs that your schedule involves a 2hr "warmup session" with some light activity afterwards before a longer 4-6hr session.

I'm planning an SNE chase for 2011 and was wondering if this was just something you figured would be optimal for starting the day, or if it evolved out of experimenting with different scheduling formats.

Could you detail the benefits of this kind of a shorter/lower stake session at the beginning of the day to help you get started? I'm planning on doing it playing SNGs...so having too many full breaks between sessions will definitely cut into vpp/hr.
edit: would love to hear any other misc thoughts too, for example if there were any other formats you've tried and moved on from, or even stuff that really didn't fit well with your style of grinding

Thanks, and best of luck in your fight with Lyme Disease.

With regards to custom scripting, I spoke with my programmer Brian and he’s welcoming outside business. He’s asked that all inquiries be directed to his 2p2 account, brianwi. He asks that you PM him your AIM screenname. He is very busy these days as he has recently become a consultant for PokerStars.. a job that I help land for him. =)


I’ve dreamt of winning a major live tournament worth over a million, but have never once thought about playing a million dollar pot in a cash game. FTR, my largest cash game pot to date is just over $100k, my largest live tournament cash is $0.


When I contracted Lyme there was little to no information available on the illness (there still isn’t much). It wasn’t tested for and it wasn’t treated, this was over 12 years ago. I became so sick in the first 3 years of the illness that I wanted to end my own life, but somehow I managed to pull through even when I thought there was no hope left. And miraculously, yes it had to be a miracle of some kind, the disease went into remission without treatment. I was magically cured in 2001, and the disease remained in remission for many years, all the while I was thinking I had been cured of the mystery illness that had plagued me for 3 straight years in college. But.. she came back and she came back strong. This time however, I had money, so I was going to figure out what the hell I was dealing with and why it is continuing to plague my life. I’ve since learned that just throwing money at it makes a very small dent once you’re in this late stage of the game. It takes a lot more than seeing specialists and swallowing pills. Once I figure out exactly what it takes, will be the day I start taking my life back.

To answer your question more literally, the tick probably bit me in the mid 90’s, but unfortunately I didn’t start receiving treatment until mid 2009.

I’m glad to hear that your brother is doing well, that’s awesome.


Often I will get what you describe as “runners high”, where I just get in the zone and have no recollection of the passing hours. These are the days when it’s easiest to grind and before I know it, it’s time for bed. But I’ve had my share of the sessions you speak of, where you’re begging yourself for a break, and these moments occurred with much more frequency as the year progressed. At first I ignored my own wishes, and pushed on, but I’ve found it usually isn’t the best solution. Now I take a break, even just 10-15 minutes can make all the difference in the world, and I usually come back with a fresh approach and the ability to put in far more hours than if I would have continued to fight the desire for a break.

I think the key is to keep your breaks short and efficient. And by efficient, I mean get out of the chair immediately, don’t hop on 2p2 or something. And in whichever order you choose, get some quick exercise in (do some situps, pushups, etc for 5 minutes or so) and then get some rest (lay down in a quiet environment with your eyes closed, take deep breaths until your body feels relaxed). Sometimes I like to rest first and then exercise, sometimes I opt to exercise and then rest… both work just fine.


The vast majority of players on PokerStars are from the U.S., so I think the sample is probably just an accurate representation of the overall demographic. There are others that I didn't think to mention (such as MuckedBoy, who posted in this well). He is also an accomplished SS'er and if I'm not mistaken he is not from the U.S.


$1/2: Filled with fish and as well as many regulars who do not play near optimal. Many of the regulars have leaks that are quite exploitable.

$2/4: A fairly large step up from the $1/2... there are still plenty of fish, but they are diluted a bit. You might average 1 per table, whereas the $1/2 you were averaging 2 per table. A larger difference however is that this is the level when you begin to see a pretty hefty saturation of regulars that have very little to exploit. This is the lowest stakes played by some of the best grinders, such as Nutpopper.

$3/6: This level isn't all that different from $2/4, other than the fish population has become slightly more diluted, and this is the lowest stakes played by some of the best regulars, such as Pillars and Rudder1ess, whom you won't have to battle against at the $2/4.

$5/10: This is the highest grinder level (as the $10/20 and $25/50 do not run with enough frequency for mass tabling.) The fish pool continues to become more diluted. And I should also mention that as you move up in stakes, play generally becomes more and more aggressive, this includes the fish as well. This is the level where you will find the best of the best grinders. It is the primary home of guys like quixtar.

$10/20: This level can be summed up as, the bum hunt level. It generally doesn't run with much frequency unless a fish makes his way to the table.. suddenly the table fills up almost instantly with regulars until the fish has been depleted of his funds (or leaves before it's too late.) The fish leaves, the table dies, rinse.. wash.. and repeat.

$25/50: This level is similar to the $10/20, but the stakes are a bit high for many regulars to comfortably bum hunt. Many of the regulars at this level are not regulars you will find at any other limits. This is the land of the ego. $25/$50 will run with or without the presence of a fish, why? Because imo many of these guys are convinced they are the best damn poker player on the internet, so why should they get up. However, you will still witness the aforementioned bum hunt table collapse when a fish disappears with some frequency, as long as the table isn't filled with cosmic egos.


My girlfriend was just talking about 3 Forks the other day, I really need to go check that place out, I've heard some great things. Yeah, you got me, I was going to say Bob's... and it is nice that it is walking distance from my home.


I believe there a few guys out there gunning for the record next year. I'd like to think I had some influence over this. =) Will someone beat it next year though is anyone's guess.. there are other factors to consider too.. such as if Stars moves to 20bb CAP games next year, and the frequency in which they run, etc. Possible changes to the VIP program could have a large impact as well.. what if they change the VPP rate from 5.5 to 6 for the 6max and SNG guys? Surely someone will beat my record then I would think.

I will say this.. I believe a healthy individual such as yourself, with detailed planning, and my level of commitment can achieve 5MM VPP in a year.


Time often isn't as limited as what we perceive. So many of us waste time, even the most efficient can stand to shave minutes here and there. As I stated earlier, set timers/alarms on your cell phone to manager your time effectively. Make your workouts quick and productive. Surround yourself with a support network if possible, so that you aren't wasting time order/preparing/or searching for food on a daily basis. Take deep breaths occasionally when playing. Take a second to focus across the room at something at least once an hour to give your eyes a rest. Correct your posture when you notice yourself slouching. Free yourself from distractions, make sure anyone around you knows how important your grind is. And as I mentioned, eat a healthy diet.

I only recommend caffeine in "emergencies." If you have completely hit a wall and nothing else is working, then yes. But I believe a healthy individual who is following an excellent routine and diet would have no use for caffeine. I do however think it's fine to drink something such as green tea, where caffeine naturally occurs in small doses. This is quite a bit different than throwing back NoDoz on a regular basis.


I haven't decided quite yet, but I plan to use most of them early next year. I'd like some new toys.

thanks need beer, ya i been drinkin the orgain green teas recently. some of them arnt bad and i feel a ton better than drinking a redbull or whatever

I played $60-$1000 6max SNG, both regular and Turbo. I just felt like trying something new. So for a week I loaded several SNG on the side while I would grind my cash games. I was doing very well at them, which was exciting. I began to phase more and more in, until ultimately they were all I was playing. Since I was doing so well, I decided to also put lots of time into studying proper bubble play/ICM, etc. But ironically, the more I studied, and the more I altered my game, the more I lost. By the end of the 1.5 months, my rakeback was barely covering my losses. At that point I realized it was time to ditch the SNG's and go back to strictly cash games.

Recently in October I decided to play some SNG's on the side of my cash games, similar to how I use to play them when I first started.. similar to how I play my cash games. And again, I've done quite well.. I believe something in the ballpark of $15k profit the first week.


I think this is a good idea, and I'll make plans to work on it. Thanks for the suggestion.


I've tried every type of schedule you could imagine. I've tried marathon grinds without breaks, I've tried taking a 5 minute break every 1-1.5 hours. I've tried only sleeping when I'm tired, and I've tried forcing myself to bed at the same time every night regardless of if I was tired.

The schedule I finally deduced as optimal wasn't based on any VPP/hour calculations or anything of that nature, it was the one I felt would be the most sustainable on a daily basis and help me reach my final goal. It was the schedule that appeared to be the best health + winrate + VPP grind friendly as a whole. I think if you weigh your grind too heavily in one area, you will not reach your full potential. If you focus solely on the VPP grind and put in marathon after marathon session, your health will fade and your winrate may decline so much that your confidence begins to fade too.. and ultimately all of this will be counterproductive to your long term goal. Long story short, find a schedule that gives you balance. Push yourself in all areas, just not too far in any one area.

I found it hardest to push myself in the morning, and if I start my day sitting in the office chair for too long I find it detrimental to my health. I like a warmup session to start my day, low impact to my profits/winrate/confidence, gets my mind warmed up for the day, and gives me an opportunity to get a break in for some exercise to a stiff body from a night's sleep. These all generally pave the way for a longer grind at my usual stakes and a successful day.

Sounds like a plan

What's your routine for leakfinding in your game?

GL with that. You don't game select, and the regs get a little pissy when you raise 2.1 BBs on 80% of your open CO's and 95% of your open buttons.

Can you make a rough breakdown of your earnings (winnings+RB) each year since 2005 plus this current year to date?

What opponent have you played the most hands with this year and how many hands? Are you up or down against this player?

As someone who is considering taking shortstacking seriously, I'm looking for some general advise.

1. What books, posts, materials, or vids should I study?
2. Bankroll requirements? (In my case I'll be starting with $500 and have no need to withdraw.)
3. Once I get some competency, how do I leak find?
4. What are some techniques for shortstacking efficiently (i.e. table ninja, dual monitors, etc.)?
5. Any other general advise?

Just messing about a bit; not trying to cause offense and obviously generalising/stereotyping a lot here. Anyway, a sample of European SS:

Most Euro SS come from two places, and have distinct traits:

Spanish SS - Spain is synonymous with spew, raising every position 50%+, and as a result have to call a 3bet shove when under the gun with K7o or better. On the rare occasions that they aren't the initial raiser on the table, they will call with any two pre and raise most flops, under the assumption that their opponent plays as loosely as themselves.

Russian SS - You hear stories about russian SS strategy forums, but those sites are just to place to learn their true skill: insulting their opponents in not just English, but a variety of languages google cannot even begun to translate. Liable to cause tilt, but more liable to suffer from it, too! Luckily many are too nitty preflop to suffer much as a consequence. Heed this warning: suckout in a preflop all-in vs a Russian, and you will become their lifetime enemy.

SS exist in other countries: selo19 (enigmatically from "Europe"), tbonemunson (UK), Rudder1ess (this goon is also from the UK). But they are certainly the exception rather than the norm, and as a result don't suffer from the extremes of the above-mentioned groups.

lol, amusing post Rudder.. I had forgotten you were from the UK. And yeah I didn't mention Selo or tbone, both solid shorties.

Teh Spanish arent that good imo but what do I know (no offense but they rly arent except for that one guy)

/end of uber generalization

What kind of bottles do you pee in? Do you have one specific bottle that you reuse or do you use left over bottles laying around? I am assuming your gf is aware of this. How was her initial reaction?

+1, why didn't I think to ask that.

Those big Gatorade bottles (1 gallon jugs) look perfect imo but I have never used one before, brag idk

In a blog post of mine titled "Winrate by Position" I go into detail...

In Hold'em Manager there is a "Position" tab where you will find your bb/100 by position. What I generally strive for and consider very solid SS'ing of 6max would entail something close to the following...

1) SB: -10
2) BB: -30
3) UTG: +14
4) HJ: +15
5) CO: +19
6) BTN: +23

If I am far below any of these numbers, then I know I've likely developed a leak in this position and need to investigate further. Granted it's important to put in a couple hundred thousand hands before giving the numbers any serious credence.

And by investigate, I filter HEM by that particular position and begin reviewing hands by looking at statistics and by watching hands in the replayer. I may need to use different filters to determine the leak. For instance, perhaps the position in questions is the small blind. I will filter the SB, and unopened, to see how my steal attempts are fairing. I will filter the SB, and 1 raiser, and perhaps 3bet to see how my 3bet defense from the SB is going. Often it's good to compare the data you gather from these filters with the same filters applied to a sample of hands where your overall statistics from the position were better. Or if you're struggling from this position and do not have a solid baseline for comparison, then I suggest comparing your stats to another regular who is doing well from the position in question.


I don't know how comfortable I feel about disclosing exact amounts by year to the public, but let's just say I'm a top hat (not including rakeback) over my lifetime. This year however, rakeback has accounted for the vast majority of my earnings (approx $400k in RB).


I'll have to come back to this questions once I export and reload my yearly database back into HEM because it's still crashing any time I try to run all the data at once. The player I've encountered the most is no doubt 1bunn though, but I'll have to wait and see exactly how many hands it's been and if I'm up/down.


1. There aren't any really, but I'm going to change that soon. However, it may be a bit expensive to many beginners.

2. I generally suggest 5000 big blinds for the average player to withstand any major downswings of bad luck. With only $500 you'd have to play $0.05/$0.10 if you wanted to stay conservative. But if you're willing to gamble a little with the $500 and say a little prayer to the god's for some rungood, then you could take your chances at $.25/.50, but realize that is only 1000 big blind (50 short stacks), and can all be lost in one major downswing. However, to keep things in perspective, 5000bb is generally the recommendation I have for mid/high stakes NL. At small stakes NL you can probably get by with less since the games are far softer and variance is generally quite a bit lower in comparison.

3. Please see my above post on leak finding where I reference "Winrate by Position"

4. Yes, scripts and software are definitely recommended. I do not personally use Table Ninja but I have heard that most people like it. I have a programmer, Brian, that custom makes all my scripts. I mentioned earlier in the thread (in blue) how to contact my programmer for any of your custom scripting needs. If you plan on tiling tables then the more monitors the merrier imo. However, many people have no problem stacking tables and you'd only need a single monitor for this. I do not stack tables, but there is plenty of information on 2p2 on how to do it successfully. Also, people have found programs such as "Table of Interest" to be useful, which is almost like a stacking/tiling mix that can be performed on one monitor. If you'd like more information on my exact setup you can go to my blog and look at the blog titled "Grind Station"..my blog URL is located in my 2p2 profile.

5. Nothing immediately comes to mind, just reading though this well (and my blog if you're interested) should give you plenty of helpful suggestions.

I pee in a portable urinal with "odor shield". It is cleaned regularly by my girlfriend with bleach.

My girlfriend encourages the behavior, as I stated before, she's an amazing woman.

And for all you women SNE grinders out there..
http://www.pmateusa.com/