Sunday, September 28, 2008

Another AC Trip Report

Hey people, I'm chillin in Manhattan right now after a long AC trip in which I worked my ass off for 6 straight days, met 2 of my roomates, and inched very close to closing up the deal to rent out this huge house for the winter. I am going to meet with the owner tomorrow and try to sign the lease, I really wanna get moved in already. It's only 1000 a month for a 4 bedroom. We are in the process of getting a 4th roomate. I would like to get an asian kid cause we already have 1 white, 1 black, and 1 hispanic guy. After utilties it should only run us like 350 a month each. I spent like 200+ this past week on rooms, so once we get in there I'm gonna be really set up nicely.

Sunday/ Bally's/ 1,3 NLH/ 6.5 hours/ -106 started with 300 got up to 500 then lost my entire stack when my K10 made a boat on a board of 10 10 6 6 A, only to lose to 66 in the hole. Won almost all of it back, quit down a hundo.

Monday/ Borgata/ 1,2 NLH/ 9 hours/ -300 couldnt get anything going all day, lost a full buy in after bouncing around all day, was way to loose preflop, if I played perfectly and to full my ability coulda limited my losses to 100, my own fault

Tuesday/ Bally's/ 1,3 NLH/ 6 hours/ +585 my AA in the hole sees a board of A 9 4 9 10 which crushes some donk holding 600 dollars and 94 suited. I got every last dollar he had and that one hand propels me to a huge win.

Wednesday/ Bally's/ 1,3 NLH/ 2 hours/ +185 I play terribly and non focused and impatient, I cut myself off after 2 hours of shotty play lucky to be ahead. If I played well I would won 400 but payed off people in the beginning when I woulda easily folded in a normal mood.

Thursday/ Bally's/ 1,3 NLH/ 5.5 hours/ -133 Sucked out on all night. Lose a 200 dollar pot with JJ against AQ, no biggie not really a suckout. And lose another 200 dollar pot when my overpair calls a reraise all in from a shorter stack with 1 over and a flushdraw and inside straight draw. Not a huge favorite their either. Limit my losses to just 133 when I know a lesser player would dropped a whole buy in or more. Played well overall.

Friday/ Hilton/ 1,2 NLH/ 5.5 hours/ +578 Can't miss a flop all day and make a 6 hundo cash. Just destroyed and demoralized the table with my ridiculous amount of luck. Didn't suckout on anyone got all my money simply by extracting value with the best hand. Played really well and caught cards for a much need big win after a slow week.

Week total/ 6 days/ 34.5 hours/ +809 profit/ 23 dollars an hour

About equal to my lifetime AC hourly rate. However only have 400 more dollars than when I arrived. Can't wait to get moved in to this house. Gonna be saving so much money and on a week like this will still have roughly 600 of my profit as oppossed to 400. I think I should made 1000 this week if not for my shameful performance at Borgata on Monday. I am enjoying my time chillin in Manhattan and am pretty burnt out from so much poker.

Tomorrow gotta go back and meet up with this guy and get that lease signed. Peace out all.......

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Leavin Sunday, coming back ?????

I look back at mid April 2008, before I ever started this blog. I was leaving AC after being there living in motels for about 2 months on and off. After meeting with a guy about paying 1100 a month to rent out his 1 bedroom condo I decided that was way to much to pay a month. I had planned on never going back to Mahopac to live, but that got all fuct up. 1100 was just to much, even somewhere else for like 800 was pricey. So I decided to go home, back to Mahopac to rebuild my bankroll. I wanted to save up more money then go back. I knew online poker wasn't the answer. I know it now and knew it then but I came back anyway, I regret this.
Now its September, like 5 months have past and I am almost broke. I should not have come back here and played online. I knew online wasn't the answer. Now 5 months later I come up with the wild idea of finding other people like me on the internet so we can split a place. Well I have found quite a few 3-4 bedroom places available in the 950-1200 range. Which after utilities shouldn't cost more than 450 each a month. Chump change.
I can't put a finger on why I did not this of this while I still had money. When I was floating between 5-6k saved for so many months. Now I got like a grand to my name and I'm going back. I have no margin for error, if I fuck up twice or three times at the tables I may have to temporarily get a job again. No one in my family will help me out with a loan because they are so old fashioned and do not understand that poker is a game of skill. No matter how many times I explain it to them they brush off my words as if I'm going down there and playing slot machines.
It's going to take another 8-10 years before the entire American public accepts poker player as a lucrative profession.
If I had just thought things out better. When I was not accomplishing much online, or even when I was making dough but I knew I wasn't happy playing online as a job. I should of realized back then I need to get my car sold ASAP and I should have close to 10k and go back to AC get a place with some people to save money and then BAM! I'm banking lots of dough.
But no, I don't think of this till now. What was it that kept me here? Was it the girl? Did this girl I was chillin with who I don't like, never did, and knew I never would keep me here? Maybe. I sometimes have a problem with every girl I meet not being BBL. I seem to not really care about any girl cause there not BBL and there never gonna be BBL. And I knew this going in, I ignored it. Even so, I think her being here over the last 5 months had something to do with me not going back to AC.
Its just friends in general, having no friends really in AC just was so annoying. Poker became to much of a social outlet. Even days where I didn't wanna play poker I would play just to do something. No good.
Well the two people who are down to split a place are both mad cool so everything should be straight. I know I don't have much money right now but once I sell my car I'll be straight. All I need is like 3, 4 grand and Ill run that up really high in no time. As long as I never have to play online again I'm straight butter. Overall I'm happy about how things are going. I could have made better decisions but whatever, I will try to be more ambitious and less 'just chill' oriented from now on. I have always been a do whats best at the moment and not whats best for the future kind of guy.
Well I'm trying to now, really take steps to make my life what it should be. I'm not going to stay at my fucking parents house anymore. I'm not going to play online cause I know its all fuckin bullshit. I'm not going to go full weeks without earning money. I'm going to play live, I'm going to play a lot. I'm going to get in shape and not be such a fat fuck who eats whatever the hell he wants and however much, lol. I'm not going to be chillin with girls who I don't like and are below my standards just to have some kind of female companionship. I'm going to go down there, get moved into one of these places, pay a mere 400 or so dollars a month, work out, eat healthy shit, talk to hotter girls that resemble the ones I post on this site, make the sickly lucrative hourly rates I've always made in AC and really bank some dough.
I have never been in AC for an extended period of time without paying 220-250 a week for a place to live, along with God knows how much for food cause I would eat out every meal. And even then I was doing ok. Now I'm going to be paying a third of what I paid to live somewhere and were gonna go grocery shopping to save even more money. And I'll have at least two friends to start out. So I should be making, money, spending money, and saving money.
When I was home I was not paying shit to live but breaking even online. Overall I think I broke even online in the last 5 months. So I'm actually going to make more money by paying to live somewhere.
Obviously the ideal situation would be to live for free and be able to play live poker everyday. But hey 300-400 a month thats almost the same as free. I'm very pumped people. Very, very pumped.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Question For Ya


I can not seem to go through life without encountering sleezeballs at every corner. I try to wade my way through each day only communicating with people that are generally similar to me in the fact that they understand that we are all here on this earth trying to make the best of it and there is no reason to view your fellow human as an enemy. Yet some people, commonly referred to as haters are unavoidable.
Maybe being around poker so frequently has caused me to see more of the darker side of humanity more often than most. For the venue of poker creates a smooth transition into true feelings erupting out of a fake persona. The emotions you will see a poker player go through over a given period of time will often bring out the worst in people. However I'm not really even complaining about this right now as much as I am about how they are naturally even before any hardship. I frequent assholes, or scumbags, sleezeballs, or haters, whatever you wanna call 'em on poker discussion forums. I started a thread talking about my hourly rate playing 1,2 No Limit Hold em in Atlantic City and there are always those willing to put you down without a moments hesitation. Obviously some of the responses are notable and sensible points that need to be made. But some of its just blatant scumbagism. Some one always seems to wanna go out of their way to tell you that you can't do it.
http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/27/brick-mortar/looking-cheap-way-log-alot-live-poker-301077/

You see the response I get from this dude Brooktrout. Fuckin ridiculous. Why does he have to throw that in there? How bout this dude?
http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/27/brick-mortar/ac-trip-report-came-up-short-reaching-my-goal-295441/

Checkout what NJSP711 says in the reply #9. I frequently encounter this kind of nay sayer. I hate nay sayers! More than anything. This kid I lived with in college was a big time nay sayer. And used to try and put me down all the time about poker. He told me I sucked and I would never make it as a player all the time. He didn't even play. Ya see the worst thing about naysayers is they are so quick to lash out at you and even if they know nothing about a particular subject it doesn't stop them from acting like they know it all and putting you down. It's as if they don't even consider logical reasoning, just how to put you down. Why are so many people like this? What percentage of people are like this? Are you one of these people? Is your first instinct after reading something someone wrote or watching something they filmed, is your first instinct to make fun of them or leave a negative discouraging comment?

For some more good examples on the kind of behavior I'm talking about just go to YOUTUBE, look up pretty much anything and read the comments people leave. So many of them are filled with pure hate. It's sick. Whats your opinion on such matters? My question to you:

1) What perecentage of people are haters?

2) What is the root of such behavior?

If you feel the need to leave a comment making fun of me just to mock me precisely over what I'm trying to do with this post so be it. For some people thats just their first instinct.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Hows This Sound?

Well now that I have less than 2k to my name things are finally coming together. Wow, too little to late. I wish I would have thought of this in April, before I started this site, before I ever started online poker. Member the thread I started on 2+2 that I claimed I've gotten no responses too? Well shit, I got 2 potential roommates now who find themselves in the same boat I am in. This one kid who seems mad chill I spoke too said he was going to AC alot to play cash games and treat poker like a job as well but cost of motels, gas, and not knowing anyone down there has worn him thin. It was like talking to myself.

So we were gonna look for a 2 bedroom to save money, you can definately be paying as little as 500 a month in a decent place if you got a roomate. And then this other guy from Baltimore messages me so now maybe even get a 3 bedroom. That will cost us like 400 or less each possibly a month. The more roomates you have, the cheaper, even though that makes more bedrooms to pay for it still always works out cheaper the more people you got. Plus I need as many friends as possible in AC so 3 or even 4 people would be striaght butter.

Paying 350-550 a month for a place 10 minutes from AC on the beach would be a very stress free price. Plus having friends down there so I have a life outside of poker and I can just stay down there for good. Wow! Why didn't I think of this in April when I actually had money? Damn. damnit, damnit, damnit.

Why would I come home. I hit one little bump in the road and I ran back home, what a bitchass. I am so pissed off. Time to take some responsibilty for my own actions. I know I make 25 an hour in AC so why would I come back to Mahopac and play online? I've know for years live is the only way. It's my fault that I stayed here, played online, didn't really lose money but definately did not make 25 an hour. Probly broke even online, or won less than half a G. So I pretty much been home since late April spending money but not making anything. Took a few trips to AC but shit, didn't work, I just didn't work. Yeah I had a decent run online but I knew online wasn't the answer. If I had 25 an hour for every hour I spent online I'd have like 30k lol.

Well can still sell my car and get some sort of bankroll together, then be halfway to 12k again. Shit man, shit, that 12k goal is so unreachable.

But if we get this 3 bedroom place and say were paying like 1300 a month 3 ways. Thats like 450 a month which is a mere 15 bucks a day. Heres a budget plan:

Make 25 an hour (I honestly think I'm gonna make a little more, closer to 30/hr but for arguments sake let think worst case scenario) 25 an hour working 30 hours a week= 750 a week income

So thats 107 dollars a day to live on.

Parking -10 (usually 5 or free through comps cause I play a lot but for argument sakes lets think worst case scenario)

Food -30 (I get comps for this sometimes, and if I go grocery shopping I can save alot but lets just say 30 for arguments sake)

Rent -15

Gas -10

Miscellaneous -40 (beer, fun)

-105 a day, banking 2 bucks a day, lol

This ofcourse is all being extrmely pestimistic. It assumes after you multiply everything by 7 that I'm going to spend 70 a week parking which would never happen. 210 a week on food, which also wouldn't happen. 105 a week on rent is about right. 70 a week on gas, improbable unless I visit home every weekend. 280 a week on having fun? Maybe.....

And then theres always random stuff that costs money. Comments, you guys that have apartments and make in 600-900 a week range. Love to hear some of ur insight.....

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Ascending Toward Complete Harmony

Ascending means rising toward, I'm pretty sure. I'm so sick of people complaining about my lack of grammar. I'm so sick of people complaining about my lack of paragraphs. I do not care much for proper reading format. All I care about is writing how I feel and hopefully connecting to someone who wants to read it. But I've encountered a lot of negative feedback from people who don't even write who place so much importance in grammar and paragraphs separating and all that Nazi bullshit. Whatever I guess I'll conform, but I hate how I have to do it.

Heres a new paragraph. I'm trying to write a book and one of my buddies read it. He said it has a good idea but lacks theme and has atrocious grammar. I knew he would say that, and I still feel it shouldn't matter, I try to convey my personality into what I write and when I talk I am rather foul mouthed. But I'm still going to take his advice and try to write more condusive to people's ease in interpretation. He said he couldn't even finish two thirds of it because of how shitty the grammar is. But did mention that he wants to see what happens to the main character. I think I got him, he's in. All that matters is that you genuinely care for the character. All that grammar bullshit can be handled by editors I think. As long as you can connect to people its all fine and cherry wine.

Or maybe the book just seems like a good idea cause I write about what I care about and it's interesting to me. If another person read it they would probably not be interested and toss it off because of how poorly I choose to articulate my words and how abrupt and blunt my personality and therefore my writing continues to be. I really just feel like I think I can write better than I actually can. And I know nothing about writing cause I don't even read. And all these feelings that I had a great book idea is just pipe dreams and its another thing that never going to happen.
Unless I work on it of course by doing a lot of reading. But I don't have any interest in reading anything not pertaining to my interests to be honest.

I posted a thread on 2+2 about my AC trip report and no one has really responded to much to it. Except one guy reposted it word for word but separated by paragraphs. It was rather insulting but pretty funny. http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/27/brick-mortar/ac-trip-report-came-up-short-reaching-my-goal-295441/

Anyway to continue about the title of this post, I feel very excited about my recent poker lesson. As you all know I am obsessed with keeping my A game, therefore maximizing potential earnings. I am ridiculously good at suppressing my emotions and not letting losing pots, bad beats, etc bother me. I can play entire sessions without succumbing to tilt. My poker mindset is rather good, and I have achieved levels of patience and focus at the table that far exceeds that of my table mates. Thats why in 220 hours of play I average around 20-25 bucks an hour in AC baby. However I still feel the average poker professional is better than me in this particular skill. Of course I can stay off tilt better than your average schmuck off the street, and better than most people that I play against. But someone like Phil, Daniel, Antonio, has me smoked. And the unknown best players in the world, the young internet players who have seen more hands than anyone, who have become millionaires by 22 years of age. They definitely have superior poker mindsets than me.

I just keep pushing the tilt deep down, keep burying it, burying it, deep, deep, down and it doesn't effect me. The amateurs let it effect them of course, but not me. They steam off money right away and lose more and more until they either suck out big time, putting a lot of money on a long shot draw that by some miracle hits. Or just quit way to late after losing way to much. Either way this is the common tilted players regimen. I guess it makes you feel a little better to just neglect all responsibility and carelessly throw money around.

Obviously the amateur way is no way to go. But is mine the solution either? The tilt I push back and stay off, does it just disappear? No. I don't believe it does, it has to go somewhere I believe. Just keep pushing it back the same way keep piling garbage in the bin and maybe kicking it down, crushing it, compacting it so more garbage will fit, just keep jamming it in there. Eventually you gotta get a new trash bag guy! You can't keep jamming it in forever. It has to go somewhere and tilt is the same way. This is why my level of insanity increases each day I play poker. This is why I get burned out and have to take breaks in order to keep the A game and keep making money. My strategy to avoid tilt is obviously better than most, but there is no way to totally not let it effect you. Remember folks, you can keep pushing it away but it has to go somewhere.

Perhaps a true Zen Master, a true ninja warrior, a true Mr. Miagi, or the guy who trains Uma Thurman in Kill Bill Volume II, a Jedi Master (not a Jedi knight) like Yoda. Has reached a point of complete harmony with nature all the universe. To truly understand the game you must not be an expert at avoiding tilt, you must eliminate tilt all together. You can do what you can to suppress your emotions at the table, but is this really the answer? From now on when I'm in a poker game I wish to view the game not just from me seat at the table, but from all 9 seats. I am no more important than any player there. What makes me special? Nothing, I am as insignificant as a fly on the wall. I am no one and the world does not revolve around me. Whenever I lose money, someone else is winning money, this is what the game wanted to happen, this is what the cards have predetermined, what gives me the right to wanna have a super profitable session each time? The game is bigger than me.

You should not smile when you win, you should not frown when you lose. Every time you lose, someone feels how you feel when you win. So shouldn't you be happy for them? View the poker table as a whole, not just from your perspective. Everyone wants to win, and those who accept what the game gives them without selfishness will reap the rewards in the end. I honestly don't care anymore, I am just going to take what the game gives me, and be happy no matter what.

My last AC trip was rather successful but could have been better. The last day I finally buckled toward the end. I stayed off tilt for 3 straight days and the 4th day as well. But the 4th day I overplayed, was only up 90 bucks after 5 or so hours. 90 bucks was all the game wanted to give me that day. I played perfectly and the game rewarded me for my patience with 90 dollars. However it wasn't enough and I wanted more. So I played more, and thats when I made that horrible call. A few hours later I had finished the session down 250. You all know what happened from the last blog. So about 3 and a half days of good poker compounded by a few hours of bad poker in the end and that very short period of bad poker cost me a substantial portion of what I earned playing well.

If I had stepped back and looked at where I was on that last day after 5 hours of play, up 90 bucks. I was up close to 900 at that point in 4 days (19 hours) but I wanted more than the game was willing to give that day. Finish up less than 600 in 4 days (20 hours). My selfishness and unwillingness to accept what the game has given me is similar to what Lucifer did to God, unwillingly to accept his role in the grand scheme, and then taking a third of the angels out of Heaven, and starting all this bullshit.

We must thing of the game as a separate entity that is bigger and more important than the individual. The game is randomness, like the universe it self, as I mentioned before in a previous blog. The universe, God, Buddha, whatever you believe, you must thing of the game as an entity itself or an extension of the entity of whatever you believe. A soldier functions best when he accepts the fact that he is going to die and does his job. When a soldier sees his own life as important, the machine breaks down and the battle can not be won. A soldier must understand his insignificance. A poker player must understand his insignificance.

Now, with this attitude of complete harmony I am trying to elevate myself toward perhaps I may not even have to fight tilt, because I will be completely free of it. Lets look at my poker career as a whole:

20 years old - Frank thinks he's good at poker because he always won beer and weed money in college playing against college kids

21- Frank lives next to Turning Stone Casino for a summer to play poker full time. Frank learns he is not good at poker at all.

22- Frank learns to be a good player you must not go on tilt. Frank is still pretty mediocre.

23- Frank learns to fight tilt and starts to really be able to control it. However its still tough to do and still comes back at times. Frank is decent.

24- Frank learns he can win pretty consistently at casinos but tilt is always there like a black cloud. Frank is good, but not great.

25- Frank learns there is no way to completely avoid tilt, you must become a true zen master and be one with nature and accept what the universe gives you. Frank is almost great.

26- Frank has a manege a trois with Kristen Bell, Lauren Conrad, and Rachel Bilson.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Work Week in AC baby


So I decided to try spending the week in AC and do nothing but make money. Then come back here for Friday-Sunday to just realx and have fun. The drive really isnt' that bad. Here's how my trip went:

Monday: Bally's +429
Tuesday: Hilton +57
Wednesday: Borgata +300
Thursday: Taj Mahal -256

Overall: approximately 20 hours, about 560 profit, about 27 an hour, not to shabby

However after paying for my motel and meals and miscellaneous, I only return home with 120 or so dollars more than when I left. I really got to get a place down there. I should have still cracked 1000 profit, as I was on track to with ease after Wednesday, however I screwed up on thursday, I didn't have much to work with but if I played better could have limited my losses to 100. I definately played to long and the A game finally slipped away. I kept it up for 3 days though, the 4th day shoulda been another 200+ day and I woulda cracked 1000 and came back with hundreds more than I left with even after spending alot while I was there. It's a shame I couldn't go 4-4.

Relace that -256 with a +200, or even +150 and im up close to 1000 for the trip. I probably would of played today also and won more and then drove home. But after having a bad day I decided to jsut go home and relax. Next week I will go 4 for 4, maybe even 5 for 5.

It's really interesting how it all went down yesterday. I'm up close to 800 in 3 days and was not in the playing mood. But had nothing to do so I figured I'd go to the Taj to play some seven card stud with old people. If you play Stud your not going to lose more than 100 bucks so it was more of a relaxing game. When I got there it wa so early in the morning that only Holdem was going on. I decided to play, without much excitement. I throw away A9 off suit in late position, no one had raised so I should of just seen a flop for 2 bucks. I usually only play A10 and up but in this situation, in late position, no raise, I shoulda just played any ace. I folded. The flop regrettably came A99. I was sick. On the turn some guy mad a flush. On the river, some guy with 96 made a full house. I would have won so much money in that hand. I immediately felt like it would be a rough day. I wanted to jsut bounce out right there, I was so sick. Later on I make the nut flush on river with my A6 of hearts. When the heart came on river the dude to my right made a huge bet of 50 dollars into an already gigantic pot. I'm sitting with the nuts and I know this guy just made a flush as well. The way he just bet huge into everyone when the heart came it was 100% clear to me he had a flush. I decided to go for it all and went ahead and just raised him 200 more dollars. I figured this guy has been splashing around alot, he was a subpar loose player, he won't be able to fold a flush, he will call, raise it all Frank! Bad move as he mucked his hand cause it was obvious a tiny flush was no good. The correct raise was 75 more, maybe even just 50 more. I won the pot and was up 150, but if I made the correct raise I woulda been up 200 or 225. I was greedy. There are some players that can't lay down a flush and it is correct to raise all in. But I underestimated my opponent and it cost me 50-75 bucks. Damn, I'm the only guy who can win a big pot and still feel like I lost money. Hours later I'm up 100 overall and some girl sits at the table. I wanted to just leave with my small profit but decided to stay cause of the stupid girl. She had a wedding ring on I think, some kind of shiny rock, probly was a wedding ring, but I stay anyway. I was talking to her alot, she wasn't that pretty but had a nice body. She played like a girl, it was a shame. I'd love to meet a girl who can destroy me in poker.
Well I continued to catch no cards and was slowly be blinded away. Some dude arrived and was sitting next to her who I think might have been with her, I couldn't tell, but they kept talking about all this stuff from home, so they definately knew eachother well. So that being said, along with the wedding ring, it was lost cause, but now I feel like I gotta win some money cause I was there for so long. I made a really bad call on some guy who just had to be bluffing but wasn't. It was an incredibly bad hero call gone wrong. I looked like a fool. I called 90 dollar river bet with 3rd pair cause I was sure this dude missed a draw and was trying to steal the pot. I should ahve folded turned out he had 2nd pair. It makes no sense that he would move in with 2nd pair cause he can only get called by top pair. But he did, and the bet was so ridiculous that it confused the hell outta me. He was bluffing, but sometimes people are bluffing with a pair. Or bluffing with the best hand. I shoulda folded, did not have enough information on the player to make such a call. It was a mistake, I was not thinking clearly at the time. I played another hour and still was thinking rather unclearly and finished down 250. I definately slipped up and broke down. You might feel I still did okay overall, but I don't, I expect perfection at all times. Just think I coulda played an hour and won 250 if I had just raised that dude with the baby flush the right amount. Coulda took the rest of the day off. Could be up 1000 for the trip. Damn....... Next week I'm gonna bat a thousand, I promise.