General Discussion Poker Forums

I won’t bore you with all of the background details of my “poker story” now, but I was introduced to the game my first year of undergrad during a university trip. The same semester I enrolled in an introduction to finance class and absolutely fell in love with the markets. I thought, “Hey, now I can parlay my analytical skills and make them work for me with investments and personal finance, bingooo”

I started at Party like many others and like most beginners it took me losing to start to realize that there was so much to this ‘game.’ Shortly thereafter I found 2+2 and a group of pretty close players with whom I always discussed hands and situations. I quickly moved from small stakes to being a 5/10 regular there. The beginning of my senior year brought the legislation that we know changed the game. I made a big decision to withdraw everything I had made to that point and put it towards a house in my college town. I would live there and rent to a few other college friends to pay the mortgage while I was getting the generous tax benefits of owning a home. Win-wins situation I thought and I learned so much buying a house at 21 as real world experience is the greatest teacher.

I took a few months off of poker while getting everything settled with the house and concentrating on school and then started the new year fresh at small stakes. I then quickly realized how much the games had changed and knew I had to do something. One thing that bothered me was that “I was at 5/10 ___ weeks/months ago, what am I doing here” and I really believe this had a hugely negative impact of my game for the majority of the first half of 2007. It took me a while to realize I was far, far from where I needed to be and then proceeded to take the rest of summer off to travel and just enjoy life. I then started pursuing opportunities in NYC, and had some very great offers I could not refuse so decided to make the leap and move here in September while still renting my house in my college town.

I then took the entire November off from poker and confided in some very great people to work with on my game, and they completely opened my eyes up to many things I was previously missing. One of the greatest things psychologically for me was how much this experience humbled me learning from some of the greatest players in the world.

This brings us to today, where I am an analyst on wall street and am leaps and bounds ahead of where I was with regards to poker than just a short time ago. I have had more and more friends coming to me for advice with investments and personal finances and I am very thankful for everything I have experienced and am expecting incredible things for the time ahead.

-Messiah

What would you say is the best 6 max series on DC and why?
Do you play any non-holdem games?
3 defining ideas or realizations that were critical to your advancement?
5 minutes for a quick bite, Two Boots or Hale & Hearty?

Thanks.

1. For beginners: Real-life micro NL grinder (WOT), for players already with a foundation: unconventional wisdom by far
2. No, I have a basic understanding of PLO and this is something I am looking to expand into for sure.
3.
(1) "No one ever has a hand"
(2) "Quantity does not equal quality"
(3) Reading this early in my poker career "Gigabet on success and failure" http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/36/stt-strategy/almost-there-success-failure-long-17-post17/
4. Two boots FTW

I just noticed that thread yesterday. You guys definitely have some good discussion going there and I'll highlight a few of my thoughts.

This past year has been extremely trying on the financial system and "free market." The free market basically no longer exists, they are privatizing profits and socializing losses (bailouts, etc.) IMO, companies were given access to TARP money who did not actually need it, but were toast due to public perception and short interests. I really despise mainstream media and believe they definitely did not help this problem with all of their doom and gloom. Wall Street as we know it with extreme leveraging and no regulation is LONG GONE.

The thing is, we do not really know the depth and extent of how big these hidden problems really are, especially those derived from CDO/CMOs and similar products. Many firms still have a lot of off the balance sheet assets, so this downturn could be even deeper. Volatility is through the roof as there hasn't been three consecutive <100 point swings on the DOW in at least six months. We may still have some downside due to hedge fund redemptions and client liquidations and the like as well also.

As far as 2009 outlook, I expect to see at least one 30% rally (whether its sustainable or not is a different story), but just remember at the start of the great depression there were three or four >25% "rallies" before the actual bottom.

Currencies: I think the dollar is OK in the short-term as it is basically being used at a flight to safety worldwide from other currencies. I really do believe we will have a major problem with entirely too many US $ in the system with TARP and bailouts of companies especially the auto industry which IMO has been doomed for a while and we are just postponing the inevitable.

Hottest IRC friend?

Bikiniwax imo, basically any non-euro

Do you leave your shoes on when you're playing?

Barefoot

Do you think that the management of the companies that have received or are receiving help from the state should give back all or part of the salary bonus they earned in the past years? I am referring especially to the companies in the real estate/financial/banking sector.

No. They were 'allowed' to use leverage, the regulators and the government knew about everything and it was basically "don't ask don't tell" happenings.

If you were given free reign at 500/1k or Ivey Deathmatch and took a % of the profits and weren't accountable for losses, what is your line?

As for a more poker related question: which do you think are the most common leaks of 6 max micro grinders? and small stakes micro grinders/regulars?

- Auto-piloting and being content with the present.
- Not being aggressive enough in non-showdown pots (also not spending a lot of time analyzing their non-sd game)
- Not realizing the tremendous opportunity they have
- Not being honest with themselves

Awwweeesooomme!!!!!

1) Age?
2) How many hours a day do you spend in the office/at work?
2) You mentioned that you worked with some great players to improve. Who were they?
4) Baller setup?
5)You said:
- Auto-piloting and being content with the present. Do you mean complacency?
- Not realizing the tremendous opportunity they have. Opinion in more detail?
6) Areas that you need to improve in?
7) Finally, general suggestions that players need to do to improve? If poker were your actual career, what would YOU do to improve?

Thanks for doing this. Love these!