I'm still feeling generally tired and sick, but also really bored and itching to play some HU. So I've been compromising and playing a smaller at 50nl, and things have gone ok. I think I'm up about 2 buyins there in about 500 hands or so. I've started to get lightheaded at times and had to quit.
I quit today after this hand
http://www.pokerhand.org/?4913030
Nothing to do but laugh I guess, the guy left and I decided to quit. Hopefully I'll have some good energy and play later today before the Monday Night Football game. I havent forgotten my pledge about a blog change, but I've obviously been not feeling too well and haven't gotten around to it.
Not going to be a happy day retiring the Oilers colors, but I'll manage.
See you next time,
Ross
Monday, November 23, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
High Stakes Railbirding
I've always dabbled in high stakes railtarding, and it's been taken to an all new high with the emergence of Isildur1 in the high stakes world, willing to 4-6 table pretty much anyone in the world without exception. He's taken durrrr for $3 million, Ziigmund I think for $1 million, and has gone back and forth with Cole South, Brian Townsend, Patrik Antonius, and Phil Ivey. I'm starting to root for this guy against everyone, he's really motivated me to up my heads up game, though I'm sick so it will be a few more days.
It's not only him, it's the people he's playing. There is so much volatility in heads up. These people are just insane, I don't know if I should have respect for them or report them to Full Tilt for being robots. Its just the same thing over and over with different results.
Bet, 3-bet, call. Wet board? C-bet. Hmm I've been raised, ship. He folded. Meh.
Bet, 3-bet, 4-bet, call. CRAI. 2nd pair vs my FD. cooler.
Bet, 3-bet, 4-bet, ship. 88 vs AJs, I lost. cooler.
Just crazy crazy stuff, it's been amazing to watch and I've tried to watch as much as possible. I know there won't be much for me to learn that will be applicable to my stakes, but I think as far as discipline an things of that nature, this Isildur guy seems to rarely tilt, and he's just someone to admire. If/when he plays durrrr again I will be rooting for durrrr, but I think against everyone else I will be rooting for him, and that wasn't the case to start.
This guy just came up and shook everything about high stakes. No one would play each other, and you respected that as game selection. This guy will play anyone anytime because he believes he's the best. And that's why I think durrrr and he have played over 33k hands vs. each other. Durrrr is the same way, but he seems to be getting outplayed here. Going in Isildur's favor I think was the fact that no one has given durrr consistent action in NLHE in years. You could cite martonas, but durrrr busted him in less than 5k hands I believe, so I would call that a refresher course more than anything. Maybe Durrrr will come back, but maybe he won't. As of now he has definitely been released of his throne as NLHE king, something I didn't think I'd say for a while.
But there always will be some younger, more hungry kid to come out I suppose, and maybe Isildur is that guy. Or maybe he'll vanish as quickly as he's appeared. Only time will tell, but now is as great a time as ever to be following high stakes online poker. History is being made.
No idea why I'm blogging about this, I guess it's just poker thoughts I've been having so I decided to put them here. I'm sick and with nothing to do but watch movies and read forums, I guess my mind wanders...
See you next time,
Ross
It's not only him, it's the people he's playing. There is so much volatility in heads up. These people are just insane, I don't know if I should have respect for them or report them to Full Tilt for being robots. Its just the same thing over and over with different results.
Bet, 3-bet, call. Wet board? C-bet. Hmm I've been raised, ship. He folded. Meh.
Bet, 3-bet, 4-bet, call. CRAI. 2nd pair vs my FD. cooler.
Bet, 3-bet, 4-bet, ship. 88 vs AJs, I lost. cooler.
Just crazy crazy stuff, it's been amazing to watch and I've tried to watch as much as possible. I know there won't be much for me to learn that will be applicable to my stakes, but I think as far as discipline an things of that nature, this Isildur guy seems to rarely tilt, and he's just someone to admire. If/when he plays durrrr again I will be rooting for durrrr, but I think against everyone else I will be rooting for him, and that wasn't the case to start.
This guy just came up and shook everything about high stakes. No one would play each other, and you respected that as game selection. This guy will play anyone anytime because he believes he's the best. And that's why I think durrrr and he have played over 33k hands vs. each other. Durrrr is the same way, but he seems to be getting outplayed here. Going in Isildur's favor I think was the fact that no one has given durrr consistent action in NLHE in years. You could cite martonas, but durrrr busted him in less than 5k hands I believe, so I would call that a refresher course more than anything. Maybe Durrrr will come back, but maybe he won't. As of now he has definitely been released of his throne as NLHE king, something I didn't think I'd say for a while.
But there always will be some younger, more hungry kid to come out I suppose, and maybe Isildur is that guy. Or maybe he'll vanish as quickly as he's appeared. Only time will tell, but now is as great a time as ever to be following high stakes online poker. History is being made.
No idea why I'm blogging about this, I guess it's just poker thoughts I've been having so I decided to put them here. I'm sick and with nothing to do but watch movies and read forums, I guess my mind wanders...
See you next time,
Ross
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Swine Flu WTF
I mentioned last post that I'd been feeling pretty sick, turns out I caught the Swine Flu, likely on the plane ride back from Vegas. I've been feeling extremely exhausted with a deep cough and a runny nose lately.
After trying to tough through it I went to the doctor yesterday and was told I had the old H1N1. Luckily it only kills children, the elderly, or people with existing heart problems or something, the mortality rate is pretty low. So I should be ok as long as I get lots of fluids and use these drugs they gave me, but I'll be bedridden for a few days and probably not going to be in a good state of mind to play poker.
Such is life.
See you next time,
Ross
After trying to tough through it I went to the doctor yesterday and was told I had the old H1N1. Luckily it only kills children, the elderly, or people with existing heart problems or something, the mortality rate is pretty low. So I should be ok as long as I get lots of fluids and use these drugs they gave me, but I'll be bedridden for a few days and probably not going to be in a good state of mind to play poker.
Such is life.
See you next time,
Ross
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Back From Vegas
I'm really feeling terrible right now, I think I got sick on the return plane on Sunday, luckily I'm off of work today and yesterday to make up for it.
Vegas was pretty fun, but I feel almost like it was a wasted trip, I don't know why. It was probably because I spent probably over half of my time playing poker, and that includes sleep. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about that, I mean I'm really glad to play a bunch of live poker because the nearest room to me is pretty far away, but there are so many things to do in Vegas maybe I should have branched out.
On the other hand, that's about the only thing its mathematically possible to win at, and of course the only thing I did win at. I don't really think a trip report is in order, though I may get around to one because I don't plan on playing poker today due to sickness.
Cliff notes are that alcohol + Spearmint Rhino is the devil, beers at clubs are pricey, and live poker players are lolbad.
1/2NL: +$450
MTT: -$340
Blackjack: -$250
Craps/roulette: -$175
Slots: -$5
Slots was the only -EV gambling thing I was up on (thanks to $250 spin on wheel of fortune) until they got me for $80 in the airport.
Bastards.
See you next time,
Ross
Vegas was pretty fun, but I feel almost like it was a wasted trip, I don't know why. It was probably because I spent probably over half of my time playing poker, and that includes sleep. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about that, I mean I'm really glad to play a bunch of live poker because the nearest room to me is pretty far away, but there are so many things to do in Vegas maybe I should have branched out.
On the other hand, that's about the only thing its mathematically possible to win at, and of course the only thing I did win at. I don't really think a trip report is in order, though I may get around to one because I don't plan on playing poker today due to sickness.
Cliff notes are that alcohol + Spearmint Rhino is the devil, beers at clubs are pricey, and live poker players are lolbad.
1/2NL: +$450
MTT: -$340
Blackjack: -$250
Craps/roulette: -$175
Slots: -$5
Slots was the only -EV gambling thing I was up on (thanks to $250 spin on wheel of fortune) until they got me for $80 in the airport.
Bastards.
See you next time,
Ross
Friday, November 6, 2009
Thoughts On Tiers, Introspective Incoherent Rambling, Brewing Blog Revolution?
I've been thinking a lot about what makes a person bad, good, great, and the best of the best. At what? Well, everything. I've been thinking just about anything in life, including poker, intelligence, business, politics, comedy, everything. I just feel like everything is set up in tiers, like the ones i mentioned.
I've been thinking about a lot of things like that lately, relating to myself and what tier I'm on, and thinking a lot about my ceiling as a poker player, video game player, my career, and just about everything.
What makes up these tiers, why does the cream rise to the top? Are people just born funny, smart, athletic, etc? Where does the heritability end and self control begin? There are certain types of people, people who are very lazy, determined, etc. What makes them this way? What is it within them? Do you think people want to weigh 500lbs? Then why are so many people obese?
Where do these tiers and ceilings come from, or does no one have a ceiling? A person born (for lack of a better term) mentally retarded certainly has a ceiling. There are people with autism and other things who can achieve amazing things, but I think to argue that they aren't at a disadvantage is quite foolish. Does everyone else have a ceiling on a similar but not so apparent scale? Where is the real life Forrest Gump? Things like that just don't happen, sometimes I feel like everyone has a ceiling, just some people's ceilings happen to be higher than anyone else’s.
What about sports, for example. Not everyone is born with the determination, athleticism, and intelligence of a Kobe or a Michael Jordan. You can be the most intelligent, athletic, or determined person in the world, but without a mix of all three you will never be the best of the best. Yao Ming is one of the more hardworking players in the NBA. He's out there at every moment, shooting and working on his game. But his body has failed him I think. I think he hit his ceiling as a player. Sure he's 7'6", but he has probably the slowest feet I've ever seen on a human being, and is incapable of jumping very high. I don't think he is capable of more than a 22/10 type season, while other guys like Shaq who maybe didn't work as hard can have 28/13 seasons. It just takes so much to be the best.
Athletic ability and intelligence while not always heritable are definitely inborn and out of our control. Is determination different? What makes certain people want to be the best at everything? Everyone likes to say they hate losing, well no shit. When did you run across a guy who said he loves to lose? Others just go beyond that, some people hate losing so much that they'll just go above and beyond to be the best. Where does that come from? Is that something that each person can conjure up from within themselves, or do you have to be born with that as well?
I don't know.
I feel like I'm pretty intelligent, more strong willed than most, and have pretty good hand-eye-coordination. I spent more time than I care to think of playing COD4. At my peak I was top 500 in score, out of millions on the PS3 Network. I played just about every second of my free time, and I was and still am pretty damn good at the game. But whenever I ran into a troop of elite players, I just couldn't hang. Was I not putting enough time in? Certainly not. Did I not have a will to win? Certainly not. What was it then? Why can't I be the best? I think it has to do with what I was born with. I have pretty good and maybe even great hand-eye-coordination for video games, but it's just not elite. I would just get out aimed by the best and they kill me faster. I just don't think I could ever be an elite video game player no matter how much time and effort I put in.
This correlates with poker. I've spent a lot a lot of time playing poker, more than most people in the general population, but probably not close to the biggest grinders around. I find that I am a good poker player, but definitely not a great or top tier poker player. Why is that? I still have problems with tilt and adjusting to opponents and keeping focus. Is that something that I'll never be able to overcome? Or is there something within me that will allow me to be a great poker player?
Maybe I've hit my ceiling, and this is good as I can be. I definitely don't feel that is true, but the more I play the more I feel like I'm nearing my ceiling. I don't have a goal for it but if I did I'm not sure I could be a high stakes player who could beat 25/50. I know I am a very intelligent person, there’s no doubt in my mind with that. In 6th grade I scored in the 99th percentile in some nationwide test who’s main focus was intelligence. I guess I'm bragging there a bit but the point is I know that I'm very intelligent, so I have that necessary component to be a great poker player. I'd like to temper that statement to say that I'm nowhere near that intelligent today, mostly because I'm not in school and don't read and things like that, plus binge drinking.
Maybe I wasn't born with the combination of top tiered intelligence and strong will to be the best. But if I'm too weak willed, is it my fault? Maybe I wasn't born with a strong will? Maybe some people are just inborn with things and they keep pushing through because that's their destiny, they were born and bred to be the best.
The world needs janitors, taxi drivers, and things like that, so don't things work out kind of like they should? The world certainly doesn't need high stakes poker players, so where does that fall? Where is my place in this world, where do I fit in? I certainly don't feel like I was destined to be a janitor, but I'm not going to be president of the United States either. I don't know, I feel like I'm just wandering around the world sometimes. I'm not religious at all but it's apparent I was given some natural gifts by variance or God or whatever, but I don't seem to be using them that well up to this point in my life. How much control do I have over where I end up in life? Am I just rationalizing my laziness and lack of motivation by saying I have a pre-determined destiny?
I don't know.
I've talked about revamping my blog a couple of times, and I think I'm going to do it. I'm going to try to find out how far I can go in poker, and I hope that it's farther than I think. I'm interested in finding out my ceiling as a poker player and person in all aspects. For example, I've gained 15 lbs since February with no good excuse. I just need to exercise more and eat better. Today I ate a chicken salad for the first time in forever. I like chicken salads, why haven’t I eaten more? I guess it's just easier for me to give in and order that double cheeseburger and fries. I'm going to probably change up this blog after I get back from Vegas on November 15th. Hopefully I can turn my life in a better direction and be a better poker player and be a healthier, more social person. Like I've said before my life generally consists of work, poker, sleep, and video games and that's it. Super exciting.
Some goals I'm going to include in this new blog are one off topic blog post per week, as well as one hardcore strategy article per week. One thing I used to do that I don't do much these days is look over my hand histories in depth. This is unacceptable and is definitely hurting my growth as poker player.
Well, I guess that’s about it for right now. Sorry it's so long, but doubtful anyone is going to read close to all of this anyways. As usual it just felt good to type and map it all out for myself, which is the main reason I blog. On the off chance you did read all of this, first I'd like to apologize, then I'd appreciate any comments or rebuttals.
I'm really hoping to start playing better poker and being a better person overall. I really hope that I have the will, determination and discipline to improve my life in just about every aspect; I'm going to give it a go. If I can't though, was it something I'm just unable to do because of how I was born, or is it a failure all within myself with only me to blame, or an even mix, or a weighted mix?
I don't know.
See you next time,
Ross
I've been thinking about a lot of things like that lately, relating to myself and what tier I'm on, and thinking a lot about my ceiling as a poker player, video game player, my career, and just about everything.
What makes up these tiers, why does the cream rise to the top? Are people just born funny, smart, athletic, etc? Where does the heritability end and self control begin? There are certain types of people, people who are very lazy, determined, etc. What makes them this way? What is it within them? Do you think people want to weigh 500lbs? Then why are so many people obese?
Where do these tiers and ceilings come from, or does no one have a ceiling? A person born (for lack of a better term) mentally retarded certainly has a ceiling. There are people with autism and other things who can achieve amazing things, but I think to argue that they aren't at a disadvantage is quite foolish. Does everyone else have a ceiling on a similar but not so apparent scale? Where is the real life Forrest Gump? Things like that just don't happen, sometimes I feel like everyone has a ceiling, just some people's ceilings happen to be higher than anyone else’s.
What about sports, for example. Not everyone is born with the determination, athleticism, and intelligence of a Kobe or a Michael Jordan. You can be the most intelligent, athletic, or determined person in the world, but without a mix of all three you will never be the best of the best. Yao Ming is one of the more hardworking players in the NBA. He's out there at every moment, shooting and working on his game. But his body has failed him I think. I think he hit his ceiling as a player. Sure he's 7'6", but he has probably the slowest feet I've ever seen on a human being, and is incapable of jumping very high. I don't think he is capable of more than a 22/10 type season, while other guys like Shaq who maybe didn't work as hard can have 28/13 seasons. It just takes so much to be the best.
Athletic ability and intelligence while not always heritable are definitely inborn and out of our control. Is determination different? What makes certain people want to be the best at everything? Everyone likes to say they hate losing, well no shit. When did you run across a guy who said he loves to lose? Others just go beyond that, some people hate losing so much that they'll just go above and beyond to be the best. Where does that come from? Is that something that each person can conjure up from within themselves, or do you have to be born with that as well?
I don't know.
I feel like I'm pretty intelligent, more strong willed than most, and have pretty good hand-eye-coordination. I spent more time than I care to think of playing COD4. At my peak I was top 500 in score, out of millions on the PS3 Network. I played just about every second of my free time, and I was and still am pretty damn good at the game. But whenever I ran into a troop of elite players, I just couldn't hang. Was I not putting enough time in? Certainly not. Did I not have a will to win? Certainly not. What was it then? Why can't I be the best? I think it has to do with what I was born with. I have pretty good and maybe even great hand-eye-coordination for video games, but it's just not elite. I would just get out aimed by the best and they kill me faster. I just don't think I could ever be an elite video game player no matter how much time and effort I put in.
This correlates with poker. I've spent a lot a lot of time playing poker, more than most people in the general population, but probably not close to the biggest grinders around. I find that I am a good poker player, but definitely not a great or top tier poker player. Why is that? I still have problems with tilt and adjusting to opponents and keeping focus. Is that something that I'll never be able to overcome? Or is there something within me that will allow me to be a great poker player?
Maybe I've hit my ceiling, and this is good as I can be. I definitely don't feel that is true, but the more I play the more I feel like I'm nearing my ceiling. I don't have a goal for it but if I did I'm not sure I could be a high stakes player who could beat 25/50. I know I am a very intelligent person, there’s no doubt in my mind with that. In 6th grade I scored in the 99th percentile in some nationwide test who’s main focus was intelligence. I guess I'm bragging there a bit but the point is I know that I'm very intelligent, so I have that necessary component to be a great poker player. I'd like to temper that statement to say that I'm nowhere near that intelligent today, mostly because I'm not in school and don't read and things like that, plus binge drinking.
Maybe I wasn't born with the combination of top tiered intelligence and strong will to be the best. But if I'm too weak willed, is it my fault? Maybe I wasn't born with a strong will? Maybe some people are just inborn with things and they keep pushing through because that's their destiny, they were born and bred to be the best.
The world needs janitors, taxi drivers, and things like that, so don't things work out kind of like they should? The world certainly doesn't need high stakes poker players, so where does that fall? Where is my place in this world, where do I fit in? I certainly don't feel like I was destined to be a janitor, but I'm not going to be president of the United States either. I don't know, I feel like I'm just wandering around the world sometimes. I'm not religious at all but it's apparent I was given some natural gifts by variance or God or whatever, but I don't seem to be using them that well up to this point in my life. How much control do I have over where I end up in life? Am I just rationalizing my laziness and lack of motivation by saying I have a pre-determined destiny?
I don't know.
I've talked about revamping my blog a couple of times, and I think I'm going to do it. I'm going to try to find out how far I can go in poker, and I hope that it's farther than I think. I'm interested in finding out my ceiling as a poker player and person in all aspects. For example, I've gained 15 lbs since February with no good excuse. I just need to exercise more and eat better. Today I ate a chicken salad for the first time in forever. I like chicken salads, why haven’t I eaten more? I guess it's just easier for me to give in and order that double cheeseburger and fries. I'm going to probably change up this blog after I get back from Vegas on November 15th. Hopefully I can turn my life in a better direction and be a better poker player and be a healthier, more social person. Like I've said before my life generally consists of work, poker, sleep, and video games and that's it. Super exciting.
Some goals I'm going to include in this new blog are one off topic blog post per week, as well as one hardcore strategy article per week. One thing I used to do that I don't do much these days is look over my hand histories in depth. This is unacceptable and is definitely hurting my growth as poker player.
Well, I guess that’s about it for right now. Sorry it's so long, but doubtful anyone is going to read close to all of this anyways. As usual it just felt good to type and map it all out for myself, which is the main reason I blog. On the off chance you did read all of this, first I'd like to apologize, then I'd appreciate any comments or rebuttals.
I'm really hoping to start playing better poker and being a better person overall. I really hope that I have the will, determination and discipline to improve my life in just about every aspect; I'm going to give it a go. If I can't though, was it something I'm just unable to do because of how I was born, or is it a failure all within myself with only me to blame, or an even mix, or a weighted mix?
I don't know.
See you next time,
Ross
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