Quote:
A stranger is being shown around a village that he has just become part of. He is shown a well and his guide says "On any day except Wednesday, you can shout any question down that well and you'll be told the answer" .

The man seems pretty impressed, and so he shouts down: Why not on Wednesday? and the voice from in the well shouts back: Because on Wednesday, it’s your day in the well.

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Hi guys, I've been asked to do a well, and after all these years as a professional player, I guess I'm finally ready to do so. I'm going to go to sleep shortly after posting this, but I'll spend some time tomorrow and the rest of the week answering your questions.

Cheers,
Niman

Will you make me a sandwich?

What is your favorite sandwich?

- Sorry, no.

- Cuban.

Why is this posted in SSNL? Either way looking forward to it.

Iirc you were always one of the players that liked to take flops instead of being overly aggro PF. Do you think this playstyle leads to a quicker learning curve overall?

If you cloned each of your kids when they were 5years old how many? and they know whatever weaknesses of yours that they know now, bad back, trick knee etc..

do you still work poker as a 9 to 5?

p.s. wednesday already happened someplace's in the internets

- I was told that this would be the correct forum to post it in. Feel free to cross post it and/or mention it in any other forum.

- Yes, without question, seeing flops and playing deeper into the hand lends itself to a quicker learning curve. The more flops one sees and the greater one keeps the stack to pot ratio throughout the hand, the more (and more important) decisions one will encounter throughout the hand. And the more you have to make decisions and think, the faster you will develop the tools to play well and be able to make decisions in all manner of situations.

Sorry, I don't understand the first question. Could you rephrase it?

I still work poker as a 9-5 (actually I start around 10:30 after taking care of emails and errands in the morning) most days. The days that my ex-wife has my son though, I usually start and end a little bit later. I almost never play odd hours though.

poker story?

Wowowowowowow!!!! Epic. Thanks for doing this man - though I don't have anything particularly noteworthy to ask.

I suppose my question to you would be a fairly broad "If you were working your way up through SSNL in the current poker climate - would you even bother?" While that does involve some 'crystal-balling' and commentary on the overall health of the economy at the moment, I'd love to get your thoughts.

Btw - I've always been a fan of your originality and desire to really critically think about things and not just accept the groupthink that can be overwhelming sometimes.

Thanks again

obligatory poker story

You said you see a lot of flops. Does that mean you are defending some reasonable amount from the blinds with calls? How do deeper stacks with the larger stack to pot ratios change how you approach blind defense?

I read someplace in mid stakes that you start a lot of tables. Hats off to you. Tell some of the small stakes players on stars that it isn't so bad to play 20 hands of HU with someone who isn't going to quit when the table fills.

What happened with the goat cheese bet?

If all the bluefire cash pros had a cage match, who would win?

What is the single biggest change you have made recently to your game?

What was your worst or longest downswing?

Biggest leak you see MSNL/SSNL players have?

What do you think the most important trait you need to have in order to be a good MSNL grinder ?

What is your bluff to VB ratio at MSNL ? (You dont have to answer this if it will affect your play)

What separates a player such as yourself from the best SH players in the world? How might your strategy deviate at, say, a 50/100 table as opposed to a 10/20 one? (I'd guess tighten up, but not sure).

With a reputation of being a super lagtard, do you deviate your standard opening size?

How might someone counter a style such as yourself? If you were playing vs. a very loose/aggressive player, would you just tighten your own PF range? Widen it and go to street poker? What?

thanks for doing this.

Tips / thoughts on playing poker full time in the house with a wife and kids?

have you had some major eureka moments in your poker journey and if so what were they?

Have you done much one on one coaching?

What are your thoughts on seeing/coaching people that obviously aren't beating the game in the same way you are:

Do you see common things people usually do wrong, or is it always random different things?

When you cold call from the blinds, do you feel like you should generally be aggressive in spots where you don't really have reads in order to recoup the money you've put in and then you'll adjust, or is it a more of you know this guy will fold, and you have this equity, he cbets this much, etc and a more conservative route?

Can you explain how board textures change opponents ranges?

What recommendations would you give to a ssnl grinder to improve his or her game with the hopes that one day he or she will play msnl and possibly hsnl?

Could you give your thoughts on a HUD, and if you use one, what stats are you particularly looking for on an opponent

Not sure if you can answer this well but i'll ask anyways.

Tips for big live tournaments to give to an online player?

Just to clarify, I understand that you do have a wife and kids and play professionally, and I plan on making this transition soon, so more specifically, thoughts on:

Brutal downswings or bad days at the tables and how that affects you and your family

Dealing with the distraction of having your wife and kids present in your house while you're playing

Hedging the risk of your families income potentially being stripped by the government overnight, or funds siezed / hacked etc

What do you like to do besides poker?

How do you cope with downswings? Playing more/less, longer/shorter sessions, tighter, study your game, cut down on tables?

How do you keep poker interesting? I find it sometimes annoying having to put in volume, might just be moodswings tho.