Quote:
Originally Posted by Malefiicus
The bankroll stuff brings up an interesting question. What is your standard deviation?
In terms of bb/100.. 44.99
Quote:
Originally Posted by BlackRain
Amazing thread and amazing story. Best of luck to you sir. My question surrounds your motivation. I find some days that I'm just sick of the stress of the grind and I would literally rather do anything else. You say on your blog that you have a folder on your desktop with pics of what you want in life that you look at each day. Does that mean material things and/or pics of your family and friends? Is it really just these pics that help you push through each day or is there something deeper that you have developed inside perhaps? Thanks.
For me the pictures are mostly of friends, family, and my girlfriend. Some people are driven by material things, which is fine, just not something that motivates me personally. The pictures are representations of what I want for my life, for my future. I have pictures of back when I was healthy hanging out with friends, and it motivates me to grind so that I can make the money needed to supplement my life with the things required to become healthy again. I have pictures of my girlfriend that remind me of just how fortunate I am to have her and how I want to provide a nice life for her because she deserves every bit of it. I have a picture of my parents, which helped drive me to break the record because I knew it would make them proud. And I do have a picture of my dream home in there, not that I consider it material, but I envision it as the place I can one day raise a family once I'm healthy again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by becks911
Do you use any table/chip/card mods?
I use a couple of mods from fozzy's site (I'm drawing a blank on the name of it atm), one for my chips (3DYellowSpadesJohn) and one for my cards (Gothic-Combo-a-v1.1bR). They are simple, go well together and a nice color/texture on the eyes imo.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flaad
1) Would you agree that killer_oooo and matate are obvious account sharers who switch every few weaks/months?
2) Do you also think that there could be colluding at the high stakes shallow games, especially among the russians?
1. This isn't something I normally like to talk about because I have no hard proof and I would never want to perpetuate a false rumor.. but I must admit after playing against them for years it seems pretty likely they are either the same person or... the same person. Funny you mention it though, just today I was complaining that I thought matate and -krnaval- could be the same person too. But what can you do other than report your suspicions.. leave it in Stars hands to investigate further.
2. I don't have any solid evidence..but again, I trust Stars as a company and trust they are taking the accusations seriously.
Quote:
Originally Posted by drakx999
Quick question NeedBeer, When you say take small break 15min ect smallest you can
I know you play Multi-stakes when your in a session so the 1hour coldown on table doesnt really affect you...But let say when i stop a session how can i take a 15min break and come back 80%+ of the table i cant join for 1 hour, Any advice on that like how US we do to take those small break since we are table block everywhere for 1hour
Thanks
I understand this is a difficult situation for you. It would be a little easier if you could at least play one level lower for 30 minutes or so when you return.. but if that isn't an option in your mind you can always start new tables too. If you play a stakes such as the $1/2 6max and sit alone at a table during peak hours it will usually fill up in a minute or two tops.. and continue to repeat the process.. also look for others doing the same time so you can hop on those tables too as they fill up. And it won't be long before you can start joining your old tables again.
Another suggestion, and I would like to see this change as well, is email Stars and ask them to extend the 'sit out' time. I believe it is currently set for 3 orbits before you are picked up from the table... but this is regardless of whether you're playing a normal speed table, a fast table, OR full ring. 3 orbits at a normal speed full ring table is going to allow you to sit out for around 3-4 times longer than a 6max fast table. If enough of us suggest a fair change to this rule and allot everyone the same amount of time regardless of table format, rather than the current 'orbit' timer (let's propose a universal 5-10 minute timer), then perhaps you could actually just sit out of your tables, set a timer on your phone for 1 minute before you will be picked up from the table, take a quick refreshing break and come back just in time to resume your play. That's the best suggestion I can offer... email Stars!
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1.21Jigawatts
Do you think pokerstars will change the buyin structure again next year?
I really don't know.. I've received no clear indication from Stars representatives. If I were to guess, however, I imagine it will stay pretty similar to the current structure. I recently asked if CAP games would be introduced as well.. and the answer was "we don't know yet, we're just testing it out.."
Quote:
Originally Posted by SemPeR
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.
1. -how long did this experimental process take?
2. -how similar is the schedule detailed in your blog to the routine you had for much of the year? (ie, was this finally perfected and you got into a groove with it over the last 4-5 months, or did you work out a good personal system years ago that you've just had to tweak to your needs for this year?)
3. -Your working day (basically everything outside of sleep, including breaks) on the blog added up to ~14.75hrs, with a target of 10 hours of play per day. Are you ever flexible with this? Or has it just become a semi automatic "wake up->get those 10 hours in -> feel decent -> repeat".
4. -How do you disengage from poker when you get the chance? I'm thinking specifically of breaks, and how you use those free days accumulated every 14. Is it just a rule to not think about poker during non-poker time, if you set that aside for yourself? Do you meditate or have any regular outlets outside of poker? My apologies if a similar question has been asked.
...find a schedule that gives you balance...
5. What would you say are some key areas to focus on, or perhaps ones that you feel people commonly over-or-under compensate for? I guess I'm thinking of stuff like leisure time, variance/looking at the cashier, review time, health/nutrition stuff. Do you feel you've really reached a stage where you've got a lot of the logistics of high volume down, or were there a ton of corners you could have cut to do even better if you "really" wanted to a second time around?
I found it hardest to push myself in the morning...
6. Interestingly, for 2+yrs I've always found it hardest to push myself at night. My mental energy just drains; I'll be a lot more restless/easy to distract, and overall productivity can plummet if I'm not careful. Mood depending, I'm usually super motivated and energetic in the mornings. I assume your issue is(was?) getting some momentum in the morning to build on through the day, so a warm up is the right solution. It feels like my problem is "closing out" cleanly, getting those last few tasks in I know I can do but often lose motivation for near the end just things are winding down. Do you have any thoughts on my problem in general? Like your mindset for ending the day/going to bed, any problems or weaknesses you've found in yourself after particularly monster sessions?
7. General mindset and variance stuff (I'm convinced it's probably optimal to look at your cashier less than once a week) is also on my mind, but I have a feeling it's already been asked and I just need to search. =p
1. Over the course of a year or so I figured out it was perfect for me.
2. I developed the schedule I had in my blog in 2009 when I approached SNE for the first time. I stuck with it and got SNE in roughly 5 months.. which I was impressed with because it was my first time to ever do any serious mass tabling. I started this year's VPP record pursuit with the same schedule, and things were going well. But about 4 or 5 months in, I started becoming more and more ill.. and as a result I required some long nights sleep.. we're talking up to 20 hours of nonstop sleep at times. In order to gain some ground on my VPP pursuit I tried 40 tabling SNG's among other things when I was actually awake. My sleep schedule was getting very crazy, and the days that I was actually feeling decent, I would grind marathon sessions.. maybe 24 tabling 6max for 20 hours straight, sleep 7 or 8 hours and get up and do it again.. but then I would spiral back down because the marathon session would be a detriment to my health. Throughout the summer I experimented with all kinds of schedules.. mostly to accommodate my body's desire for sleep. Finally I was able to do some recovery.. got back on the good routine that I had at the start of the year, and that's when I announced my intent to push forward for 4million VPP. I was feeling good, I was feeling confident. Everything was going well until I beat the record, then my body said "I'm done!"... and my mind said "nooooooooooo! wait!!!"...but my body always wins that battle.. no use fighting him. But I can definitely say that a solid routine and regular sleeping hours are what wins the race in the long run.. try your best not to deviate. If you happen to sleep in, don't stay up all night to make up the ground you lost. Go to bed near the same time the next night and try to make up the ground in other ways.. like take shorter breaks, don't spend so long in the shower, eat your breakfast while grinding your morning session.. etc.. until you're back on schedule.
3. My flexibility usually comes by trimming my poker study. If my day is going slow, my vpp/hand is lower than usual, etc... then I likely won't be reviewing my play/leaks that day or doing much studying of any kind. Hands (VPP) are always the priority.
4. On my breaks I try to get in some quick exercise (and my mind is usually geared around.. well what/how am I going to work out today, so there is little time to think about much else and my mind is immediately diverted from poker.. and if you are a bit tense from a rough session then a workout is just what you need. By the way, I recently went to ZepHendrix blog and saw he posted this workout which is a nice one to do in a hurry and work your core well, you don't need a bunch of weights or have to go to a gym to do it...
http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/ul...e-ball-workout . After that I'm usually in a pretty good mindset to lay down on the couch, close my eyes, take some deep breaths and relax. This is where I meditate, I ruminate on all kinds of things, as long as they are stress free. I try to think about things that bring me happiness, and usually just before I get up I think about something similar to what is in my 'motivation folder', then I take a deep breath, hop up, and get back on the grind.
5. I can honestly say that considering the state of my health over the course of the year up to this point, I gave it everything I had every single day. The 1 day of rest (or sick day) that I had scheduled every 14th day was actually never taken, once. By the time the 14th day rolled around I had to play the entire day just to catch up from time I lost going to doctor appointments, getting much needed sleep (I have to listen to my body, I can only fight it's desire for sleep before it becomes highly counterproductive.) I pretty much sacrificed every waking hour in the name of poker, if I was able to play, I played. The only thing I could have done differently to be more efficient was hire a personal assistant to help me sooner. It's nice to have all my meals prepared and ready on a schedule now (god blessed my girlfriend with a lot of things... but cooking wasn't one of them... so I hired a chef-to-be assistant to prepare me 3 healthy meals a day.)
6. I think it all depends on what type of person you are.. a morning or a night person. Since I was a child I've struggled in the mornings.. throughout my years it was a day to day struggle just to make it to school on time. After college, it was a day to day struggle to make it to work on time. And when I would get there I was a zombie until lunch time. To me it sounds like you should start your day with your usual stakes since you are fresh and end your day at a stakes lower as you wind down, that way you're still getting hands in and earning some VPP and maybe profit as your day is coming to an end.. that way you don't jeopardize a solid day of grinding every night when you begin to lose focus. But my issue is clearly the exact opposite, I've always done my best thinking late at night, so I can only speculate that the above will be a potential solution for you.
7. Correct, I mentioned earlier in the thread that I try not to review my cashier/EV until the end of the day at the earlier. The best month I ever had on Stars was the month I didn't check my results until the last day of the month.. go figure. One of my friends tried it as well.. and amazingly he had the same result. So why don't we do this every time? Because it's damn near impossible to do! lol Checking results is like a serious drug addiction.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JackBurton
Very inspirational needbeer. Your dedication to a goal through adversity is a great example to me. Expanding a bit on depression and such, did you take any drugs or did therapy for it, or it was just your mental strength and personal motivation that keep you going in rough times? I guess BlackRain in a different way also touches in some of these aspects on his post if you'd like to reply. Man being unhealthy and suffering from unrequited love is just horrible FML.
Another question I have is about your setup. In the pic it appears from left to right : pokerstars lobby + ? + ps tables tiled + range charts? + ? + holdem manager it seems. If you like to clear the question marks it would be great. Well wishes and best of luck in the future.
1. I'm not ashamed to admit that I now take anti depressants. I started taking them a few years ago. At first I was very resistant to the idea. I know millions of people take them, and who am I to say that they all don't very well need them, but I now know realize that I was desperately in need of them. If you have ever encountered a chronic Lyme patient, they will likely tell you that their hormone production has been ravaged by the disease. Watch the Lyme Disease documentary "Under Our Skin"... just about every person on that video expresses their fight with suicidal tendencies. Since I began taking anti-depressants my temperament has improved greatly. I'm not advocating to others to run out and get on anti-depressants, especially if you aren't clinically depressed (i.e. have a clear lack of serotonin production, etc), I'm just being honest about what has helped my condition. I would like to think that the majority of my motivation and strength comes from within, the core of my humanity, but I'm not embarrassed to admit I couldn't do it on my own.
2. The actual layout of what's displayed (i.e. the lobby, charts, etc.) changes frequently. I've added several new charts since that photograph was taken. In that particular picture however it goes.. lobby, poker folder, tables, range charts, my girlfriend, 2p2. (I usually keep HEM minimize).
Quote:
Originally Posted by SemPeR
oh right. forgot to add this one in:
-do you sleep at the same time each day now? sorta kinda?
I've experimented with this a lot in the past and know that my body clock runs on like 24.5-25 hours. Going round the clock kinda sucks if I want to catch peak times, but I guess it's a moderate price to pay as long as I'm playing well and games aren't completely dead. Does cut into your edge though the more regs you play.
1. Yeah, for the most part, unless my body says go back to bed or you're going to get really sick.. then I am forced to comply.
2. Yeah, so does my body, I suggest taking sleep aids to get to bed close to the same time every night. 3mg of melatonin works the best for me.. but weary of crappy diluted off brands.
Quote:
Originally Posted by downgoesdown
how many ppl in this thread that have asked you questions do you have on ignore?
how many ppl in total do you have on ignore?
favorite non poker website?
1. Trick question! How would I know if they are blocked! Actually I do know there is at least one.. Jumanji apparently asked a question even though I have him blocked, I know this because a friend of mine told me. Jumanji is a real class act... I think he loves being disliked.
2. I've never thought to check... lucky 13. With several SS haters that have berated me simply for SS'ing without ever getting to know who I am as a person, I really don't have a choice but block them if I want 2p2 to remain a pleasant environment for myself.
3. Facebook. I don't get out of the house much these days because of my illness. It allows me to live vicariously through my healthy friends.. looking at the pictures make me feel connected still.
Quote:
Originally Posted by digit
What would you do if Pokerstars stopped serving US customers?
I'll move without thinking twice and bring as many people as I can with me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MarcEnoch
How do you get the red text to show up? My text goes pink when I am on waiting list, green when nothing and red when I am actually seated then if I leave it goes green again
What Margaud said, I'm talking about the red text in the buy in dialog box. Not the colour in the lobby when you're wait listed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Micro2Macro
how many times a day do you contemplate suicide?
None, I've overcome that demon.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ImpulseKid
How big an impact would you imagine your coaching and strategy book will have on the games?
I don't think it will have much of an impact at mid/high stakes.. there are so many highly educated SS players these days that the tables can't be diluted much more than they already are. Every table at $3/6 6max NL and higher are just about 5 to 6 winning regs already. In my option, the most damage (for lack of a better word) I could do is put a few more good SS'ers on the waitlists, which is already packed full of winning SS'ers. Everyone is still going to be facing the same scenario they have all year, a table of 4 other good SS'ers and one fish/mediocre player.
