Working to be Solid

First I need to point out that after I posted my blog one of my friends was quick to point out that my EV graph had to be broken... So we opened HEM and started looking at ICM on the end of game hands, that didn't exactly look right so we poked around some more and it didn't take long to figure out I was being awarded tons more EV than I deserved :p

But I do feel vindicated because I really was/am running as good as I feel like I am. (maybe means my internal EV graph is not broken ;))

Over the last day or so I have been making a change-over to Chrome browser something that I thought was just another browser to use, and I pretty much went back to FIrefox because it had all the cool  things I wanted and used. Tons of extensions and ability to open and use tons of tab.... But something has happened to FF as of recent, it has been crashing and freezing on me a ton. I made a small complaint in my skype and someone came through saying their Chrome has pretty much not crashed or froze on them in a couple of years!!! I had to give it another try. I am really happy I did because Chrome may look the same as it did a few years ago but it does not work the same, it is tons better! Now with tons of extensions and a debugging console that looks and acts killer, well lets just say I am going to be missing some poker time while I do some extra browsing, although it might be more correct to say I will get more poker time because none will be wasted on waiting on my browser. 

That's it for now, I just wanted to give a quick update on my EV and also say how much I think Chrome has improved. On a last note DC, CR and all of the other training sites really did see the future of learning, and have likely lead us into a new age (well us poker players at least). If you like to learn as much as you can or just need some help with your school work check out http://www.khanacademy.org

This week has been great in poker terms. I have wanted to post about it but I have spent every moment I have had free playing, and winning!

I have found it funny that this month looks to be the busiest month I have had in a long time in my business , and in my side job[s](Lock is running sick promos that make me want to grind my heart out in case you didn't know); but a minor life facepalm situation took care of one of those jobs. I wont go into too much detail but it is a unique situation overall, and in this particular case I found a problem and fixed it, I left a note for the boss explaining how I found the problem and fixed the problem, but my note was either miss read or poorly written as it was taken completely the opposite way. I have been blamed for the very problem I found and fixed.... Honestly this has been an on going problem and one that I have been working to get away from but in this case my "boss" is family and they ask for the help, I have been told part of the problem is they think they are helping me. I might agree with them that it has been helpful at times, but the cost of working is extremely high due to a long drive and not being able to put in enough hours to make up for the cost of gas in most weeks (and ongoing ..... strangeness/drama). When it comes down to it I am actually just confused about the best course of action. Rather than go into more detail I want to talk about how great it is to run good.

It is a small sample size I had been playing something like 1hr a day for the last week (with a couple of exceptions) and have just over doubled my starting bankroll of $100. I am playing 6max superturbos and pretty much running like god. I will admit I played a couple of other games that I also ran good in, but all the numbers you see here are from the superturbos. My EV is actually 60 buy-ins above my green line and has a nice steady upward trend, but I don't mind so much because I am winning like mad at this point. So far I have over 226 tourneys maintained a 9.3% ROI, my EV adjusted is an unreal 37.6% :p

If there is anything I have learned this week it is that it is very easy to put in volume when you are winning, and feeling good about your play. If things were going like "normal" I would have played about 1/2 maybe even as little as 1/3 the number of tournaments I have played so far just because I have been that busy. Speaking of feeling good vs feeling bad, today has been a horrible day for me I feel pretty sick; I had planned to put in a ton of volume today, but as hard headed stubborn as I can be  (and have been about this), I have learned the hard way when I feel like this I am not going to pay close attention, and I have huge likelihood of tilting at the end of my session. I think it is important to realize this and act accordingly to avoid tilting off a hard earned roll. I might play a couple of games but my time will be better spent working on business needs or studying some poker material.
--Have you checked out "The Baluga Show"? Very worth the time in my opinion entertaining, and fun while maintaining educational value.

So far this past few weeks I have been trying to get some things done for my business, I have at least 3 websites to build complete with SEO and content. For me the content part is the hardest because still have not figured out a good way to sell the importance of to the clients of having them take the time to fill out long forms and questionnaires or having someone in their industry write the content.... I wonder if I am approaching that whole subject incorrectly, I also find it funny that I told myself I was going to avoid website building, but people keep asking and I need the money.

As far as me getting ready for the revolution: Lock poker has bought Cake Network they are going to call it revolution network. I want so badly to be able to deposit and take advantage of all of the promos they will have for the first month, but I have to make enough money and cover my bills and have enough left to deposit.... Things don't look promising at this point. I think I will once again miss out on a sick promo because of a lack of funding, this happens to me a lot and lack of funding does not describe what is always going on. 

For now I am going to keep working, and hope some things sell. I am also grinding some freerolls but mostly only to make sure I getting some play time in, luckily the Merge Poker Steps SNG freerolls play like a fishy SNG and are not too great a deviation from how most poker games might play. I find it interesting that I have not been able to make any headway on Lock where I have chosen the name IsWeakTight, but on Overbet where my name is bluffer_______ (kept secret because I like it that way ;)) I have much much better success in these tourneys. Maybe the name makes a bigger difference than I give it credit for.

That's my quick update for now. I've got a busy week ahead, and hope to get a lot accomplished.

Not too many mind you, and no poker. The things that have been running through my mind today, mostly stuff like "the world sucks", “life is rigged”, and the rest of it, but it always comes back to me causing my own world to suck [causing my own problems]. Like this last week I have watched close to 35+hrs of Netflix (I only counted the ones I was sure of) which on the surface seems impressive (as far as movie watching goes), but the truth is far less so because I can only say that I have watched attentively around 1hr 26min of that (yes 1 movie out of close to 22 movies and TV shows). It seems that what I am doing is running them in the background while I “do” something else which makes me wonder what I really am “doing” because I can’t say that I have accomplished much this last week. What's bad is those that I have had in my queue for over a year now like IP Man, others, I have started and really want to watch, but just haven't forced myself to sit still for long enough like The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo(foreign films I have to pay attention to). Where things get ugly is when I start to tie this all back to poker, or school, or even jobs. I have some interestingly bad habits.

I could go on about these habits I could list them they are quite long really. They have to do mostly with not doing what I know I should in many cases. I mean yes there are several things that i can say "I don't know" the right answer or path to take and be honest about it, but I dare say the list of things that go the other way is much longer... much, much longer.

Just a few days ago I sprang out of bed and started a blog post on some very interesting things that have transpired in my life, but two things stopped me in my tracks from finishing and distributing that post. First, it was far too personal, not that I am keeping anything out (or holding back), it would have left the other parties involved vulnerable and likely angry, at my opinion and assessment of the situation(I guess I will hold something back if it might hurt someone personally). Second, (kind of a sick second) I turned on Netflix… I still don’t know exactly why I did that, but it proved to be kryptonite to my original idea and thought, and is likely the reason why the first reason even exists because things kind of did go off track and rather quickly, and once my orginal thought was lost the post quickly became more about the poeple involved.

But I am here now, NO Netflix to distract. I wish that was the only problem I had :p.

What I have started to see is that it is me that has to make the choices of how I spend my time. I mean more deeply I should not be doing things only to please others. Even on my facebook page you will find that “I like to help others in ways they did not even know they were helped”, it’s true, but I often let this strange obsession get in the way of me making the right decission (I fear to let it known the true reason I have done some of the things I have done, because often I have found in thinking I have helped one person I have actually hurt many).

For example, I find I am compelled to do the best job I can for those that treat me worst and need it most. Say for instance a failing business that can’t pay its workers well I would work there, and I would work hard, but only up to the point that they start raising the pay and hiring new people. Then I bail, I’ll be in a good position to have a great paying job, but I’ll be having none of that.

Maybe that example is bad it is too self aggrandizing. Let’s look at something like my own health. I am over weight, at 6’4” I am supposed to weigh something like 220, but instead I am 330 (or more). For the last 2 or 2-1/2 years I have worked toward improving my weight (down from 370 in 2009 at least), but since I moved back home I have greatly reduced my ethics toward the goal of getting fit mostly using the weak excuse of “I don’t have time”.  Now weight is not something I really care all that much about, but I do like feeling good and not being tired (or having my doctor tell me I am going to die soon)[I also admit I wish I had a hott girlfriend]. So previous to the last 8-9 months I rigorously avoided foods that I am allergic to, exercised, slept regularly, and in addition to avoiding corn chocolate and watermelon ate a more balanced and healthy diet. Now I don’t have time to shop for the right foods, cook my meals, exercise, and well corn is in about everything you buy these days (for those that are slow, that is one of the foods I am allergic to). What is funny is, hey, now I really don’t have time for all that because I am more tired and end up sleeping more hours, move more slowly, and in general end up with a piss poor attitude [at times]. A damn fine example if I do say so.

Now let me touch on that other post I keep thinking I will make. The truth about it is simple; one source of advice and information has been a well spring of GREAT advice and information, and the other has been more like a tar pit; dark, sticky, and smells bad. What is interesting about my life is I often have chosen the latter source for my advice. I don’t want to go into more detail in case the parties involved ever read this by some strange chance, luckily I am good at concealment  because more than two parties are involved and etc. they can’t figure it out... [I hope]

But the point of this post is simple. As I have tried to work out the goals I want to achieve on [the computer screen] paper, I have come to realize I need to do some growing up and take responsibility for many of the things I am doing wrong.  No more Netflix (or other) as a needless distraction, it never worked for getting homework done, and it won’t work to make me a better poker player. No more excuses for wasting money eating out because it is easier, and the same goes for not working out or running. We just don’t live long enough to repeat the same mistakes over and over.

P.S. I think it is kind of interesting that I have tried to make a similar post to this on a couple of occassions. I think part of that is I know by actually making it I am forcing myself to see the issue. It is "in the wild" now take it for what you will, I know I will be working to make better changes in my life.

For the next 2 weeks I am working on [getting ready for] a part 2 of my challenge (or part deuce ;)) mostly when I started working on my goals and how I would achieve them I realized I needed to make some major changes or I was not going to get anywhere. Poker not being officially in the United States, causes many problems one of the most obvious for me is that now it really is noticeably hard to make it unless one is playing higher stakes[and or a better player], but I would still like to build up from the bottom and make a go at learning the most I can while doing it.

For now I have signed up on a new Merge skin one that has better promos and etc., and I have been playing 1-5 SNGs a day but have not deposited yet :). I will get back to blogging soon but one thing that I have found is I enjoy writing, maybe a little too much as my posts that I start on my computer quickly get long and complicated :p but I will be making time over these next few weeks to keep things updated and start getting into the habit of making regular blog posts.

That was until my doh for the day had a dohhhh factor that was almost off the charts. See I thought I had done really well today when I didn’t tilt after I misclicked my way out of a freeroll. A tournament that I had been looking forward to playing in, I was even happier when I saw that the structure was better than I anticipated and greatly better than the other tournaments I have played in on Merge thus far.

The truth of why I wasn’t tilting had nothing to do with getting past petty anger or misplaced focus on something that is both minor and un-reversible, instead it had more, and likely everything, to do with my subconscious mind sending a faint, “LMFAO, you mega retardedo”. 

Yes, I have been punked… By myself (or would it be: By myselve).

Several days, and several thousand hands ago I installed a program called “Merge Keys” and I have loved it I have instantly gone from being able to maybe on a good day play 8 tables to easily doubling that number; which is not optimal for me but you get the point of how helpful this software is. With this software I have full access to all of the Merge skin buttons, auto-time bank, easy table management, and all in all it works a lot like Table Ninja. So I set it up similar to how I have had TN in the past, except one thing...

So today, I setup to play and I have worked it out so that I can do a simple task of screwing some nuts on bolts and use these hotkeys to 1 table, which is great if I am able to keep up on the output of the nut’ed bolts and I quickly find this is no problem and I have plenty of attention left to focus on other things. Instead of turning on Netflix I think it will be a good idea to change the table view so I can see the chat and keep track of who is sitting out and any other useful information that sometimes comes through. 
The guy on my left is making some very suspect moves and I want to play a pot with him when this hand comes along (I was hoping the chat would be there but I have had to add it back in):

Merge Network $500 VIP Freeroll No Limit Hold'em Tournament - t75.00/t150.00 Blinds - 8 players
[url=http://www.deucescracked.com/?referrer=converter_dc]DeucesCracked Poker Videos[/url] [url=http://www.handconverter.com]Hand History Converter[/url]

[b]Hero (BB): t3099.00         20.66 BBs[/b]
UTG: t48307.00         322.05 BBs
UTG+1: t775.00         5.17 BBs
MP1: t7509.00         50.06 BBs
MP2: t1095.00         7.30 BBs
CO: t5882.00         39.21 BBs
BTN: t1458.00         9.72 BBs
SB: t4465.00         29.77 BBs

[b]Pre Flop:[/b] (t225) Hero is BB with 2 :spade: 5 :spade:
UTG calls t150, [i]3 folds[/i], CO calls t150, [i]1 fold[/i], SB calls t75, Hero checks
[b]Flop:[/b] (t600) 2 :diamond: Q :spade: 4 :spade: [color=#336633](4 players)[/color]SB checks, [color=red]Hero bets t450.00[/color], UTG calls t450, CO folds, SB folds

[b]Turn:[/b] (t1500) 3 :heart: [color=#336633](2 players)[/color]
[color=red]Hero bets t1125.00[/color], [color=red]UTG raises to t2250.00[/color], [color=red]Hero raises to t2649 all in[/color], UTG calls t399

[b]River:[/b] (t6798) K :spade: [color=#336633](2 players - 1 is all in)[/color]

[b]Final Pot:[/b] t6798

Hero shows 2 :spade: 5 :spade: (Flush King High)

UTG shows T :heart: Q :heart:

Hero wins t6798.00

Villain: You lucky little retarded @#$%

Hero (presses key to turn off hotkeys): N o(hero turns on hotkeys) t(allin)
Merge Network $500 VIP Freeroll No Limit Hold'em Tournament - t75.00/t150.00 Blinds - 8 players
[url=http://www.deucescracked.com/?referrer=converter_dc]DeucesCracked Poker Videos[/url] [url=http://www.handconverter.com]Hand History Converter[/url]

Hero (SB): t6723.00         44.82 BBs
BB: t44908.00         299.39 BBs
UTG: t775.00         5.17 BBs
[b]UTG+1: t7509.00         50.06 BBs[/b]
MP1: t1095.00         7.30 BBs
MP2: t5732.00         38.21 BBs
CO: t1458.00         9.72 BBs
BTN: t4390.00         29.27 BBs

[b]Pre Flop:[/b] (t225) Hero is SB with 6 :spade: A :diamond:
[i]1 fold[/i], [color=red]UTG+1 raises to t450.00[/color], [i]4 folds[/i], [color=red]Hero raises to t6798 all in[/color], [i]1 fold[/i], UTG+1 calls t6348
Hero (to self): Oh, shit!
[b]Flop:[/b] (t13746) 4 :diamond: T :club: 6 :diamond: [color=#336633](2 players - 1 is all in)[/color]

[b]Turn:[/b] (t13746) T :heart: [color=#336633](2 players - 1 is all in)[/color]

[b]River:[/b] (t13746) 8 :club: [color=#336633](2 players - 1 is all in)[/color]

[b]Final Pot:[/b] t13746
Hero shows 6 :spade: A :diamond:
UTG+1 shows K :spade: K :diamond: (Two Pair Kings and Tens)
UTG+1 wins t13746.00

If it is not obvious or you can’t stand long versions, I had created over several days the perfect storm of stupidity to KO me from the freeroll. Setting the on/off toggle to a letter does no good if you ever plan to use that same letter when you chat, it didn’t help that I had to hit the right combination at the exact right time for an allin that would not have happened had it been a second before or after because I would have either seen that my letters were not entering the chat box or I would have seen I had action. It also didn't help that it had to be a combination of letters, and that I rarely if ever use chatting at a poker table, or that I had even turned the chat on at all because I find that table view distracting and cluttered.  Somehow though it all came together and for a bit I felt like I had actually done well because I was not tilting after I did that, my thoughts were not the typical, self hate but was rather a subtle hey that was silly. Only later when I made the drive home did I have to laugh out loud at the absurdity, and realize that I was actually lol’ing myself already on the inside and that it was just a funny situation that doesn't happen offten.

I was sick most of yesterday but still managed to get in a few games and what I thought was a good review session. I was especially happy as I realized how truly bad the players are at the level I am playing and went to bed thinking about some stats I think I will add to my HUD. They are stats I used in the past STEAL and STEAL SUCC. %, I think they will help me to pick out the very limited number of decent players faster as almost every "fishy" player seems to have extremely low STEAL and low STEAL SUCC %, I think it is fair to say that these players don't know when to steal and do not try it often. I was thinking about adding some other stats, however I think it will be better to add them slowly and try to stick with what I will actually use.

I also thought it best to stick to 2 tables for a while until I have a good grasp of the player pool.

A few nights ago and the night before last I was unable to sleep, which is typical for me during allergy season, so I started out rewriting on paper my goals and how I would like to achieve them, and immediately started seeing problems. Mostly there is just not enough time in the day, and like Monday, and Tuesday where I was supposed to have enough time to work on some of these things plans were changed last minute and I found myself working 6hrs early then expected.

The obvious and I think easiest as far as tangible results go is to simply "trim the fat", I just have to take out the things that waste time and don't bring me closer to my goals. I also think it will be better for me to go ahead and make the short posts when I don't have time to write something out too often do I start writing something and just keep going with one conclusion leading to the next problem before I know it 2 hours have passed and I have something more closely resembles the start of a poorly written novel then it would a blog post or otherwise..... That is part of the reason I have a list of upcoming blog posts and I can add to it already :p, I need to edit and trim them, so they will come in time.

Today I should be able to get a couple of hours of study in and if my work is ready for me I will be able to play 1-2 tables while I work, or watch a video while taking notes. If anyone is curious I am the only one dumb enough to take the job of screwing 6000 nuts onto 6000 bolts, and it actually helps my play a bit to be doing something so minor that also keeps me locked into my seat so it turns out to be a really good combination.

I'm unsure of where to start so let me just say I am Spencer. I like poker. Right now I am playing on Merge mostly to improve but also hoping I can build a roll. I was focusing on the micro cash games but after looking at it closer I think it would be wiser for me to try and build as much of a roll as I can playing a combination of SNGs, Cash, and MTTs. This will also allow me to cope with the absolutely strange schedule I hold by allowing me to get into a cash game when I am unsure of how long I can play, but when I have the seldom hours to devote I can go ahead and play MTSNGs and alike. This also has the added benefit of making sure I play the fishiest games I can find. I think the only problems I will run into doing this have to do with learning to switch gears and making sure that my current play is the most profitable for what ever type of poker I am playing.

That's all for now I plan today to be able to put in 5-10hrs this evening, and a solid 7hrs tomorrow during the day, but like always this can change. 

You can see the start of all of this here: [url=http://deucescracked.com/forums/4-General-Discussion/topics/507791-Hecka-Hectic-Hand-Challen?#post_4455851]Fourm post[/url]