October 30 - Video!!!

I just finished a video for my site!!! Feels good as I've been meaning to get this done for about 2 months now. I did a 100vpip video at 2NL, which is a really fun video where I play every single hand to at least the flop. So there is a lot of talk about ranging, flop play, CB-ing, and how to exploit given our image. Hopefully the video will be out later today (the 30th), and also hopefully people enjoy it.

So I started doing coaching again, which I feel good about. I took the last week off because the house thing stressed me out and I wasn't feeling very good (read last blog post if you are confused). But I did a few sessions today, and have a couple more lined up this week. I think I'm going to start promoting coaching again next month and also increasing prices (turns out the average student needs few hours with me to get what they need). So if people want the lower pricing, get the applications in soon to lock in the lower price (current students will not get a price increase obviously).

Mentally I am feeling much better. I talked it out with quite a few people, and I really feel the big gap in understanding is my base of reason. Religion gives you a nice base of reason because it doesn't have to make sense for you to believe in it...so you can easily believe that a higher being has you on Earth for a reason. (no, I have no interest in debating religion in this post =) ). Logic forces me to look at all the angles and then analyze everything...which is good in most situations but intangible things. I think my main issue is that I don't just live...I don't just “be”...I constantly analyze. I was having a conversation with my friend and I confused him a lot because everything I do in life I do a utility v. cost analysis in my head (utility is the economic term for “happiness” essentially). I think I need to work on just relaxing, being, and enjoying everything.

Poker has been going pretty well lately. I still haven't had a losing on-line session for the latter part of the month (and only 1 losing live session). So I feel very strong right now. And usually when I go on a big winning binge I fear playing because I don't want to lose and mess it up. However, I still want to grind right now...which feels awesome. I didn't meet my goals for the month (wanted to do around 125hrs of poker and only did about 110hrs)...but I'm just happy I was working, winning, and felt like the time spend was more quality than before. I'm looking forward to moving back to 100nl next month...I think my new style should do quite well, and running 18/15 will boggle the minds of people who had me at 11/7 at that level in the past.

Well that's it for now. Hope all is well with everyone else...and enjoy Halloween. I'm thinking the strip on Halloween will be nutty...and of course...a hand (put in ¼ of your stack, and fold against the 100/58'r...niiiiiiiiiiiiiice idea sir!):

PokerStars Game #21611833531: Hold'em No Limit ($0.01/$0.02) - 2008/10/30 3:40:39 ET
Table 'Dubiago' 9-max Seat #9 is the button
Seat 1: pokerlimper ($0.85 in chips)
Seat 2: JoekDAwei'KU ($5.62 in chips)
Seat 3: bakalatron ($4.69 in chips)
Seat 4: 7curse ($4.25 in chips)
Seat 6: ShanePotckin ($2.01 in chips)
Seat 7: sunhong365 ($3.32 in chips)
Seat 8: xxxMFBxxx ($7.46 in chips)
Seat 9: Porfidio ($10.27 in chips)
pokerlimper: posts small blind $0.01
JoekDAwei'KU: posts big blind $0.02
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to 7curse [8h 5s]
bakalatron: calls $0.02
7curse: calls $0.02
ShanePotckin: calls $0.02
sunhong365: calls $0.02
xxxMFBxxx: folds
Porfidio: folds
pokerlimper: raises $0.18 to $0.20
JoekDAwei'KU: folds
bakalatron: folds
7curse: raises $4.05 to $4.25 and is all-in
ShanePotckin: folds
sunhong365: folds
pokerlimper: folds
Uncalled bet ($4.05) returned to 7curse
7curse collected $0.48 from pot

*SS*

October 27 - Odd mental state...

Well the house thing is starting to figure itself out. Apparently the company that gave us the 3day-quit notice is tied with the bank...and we have some more time than we thought if we follow the legal system correctly. The time frame is 30-60 days from what we can tell...so hopefully it stays at the longer side of that =)

Poker has been going decently. Actually hadn't had a losing session since the 11th...but then had a loser at the V on Saturday. I think I realized what tilts me more than anything. I absolutely hate when I will miss all of my draws, and people will hit theirs. For instance, I got in 4 pots with the same player on Saturday. I missed 1 FD, 1 SD, both with 2 cards to come against them. They hit 2 FDs against me when I had TP/2pr each time. It infuriates me when normalization will never happen. I try not to do this, but I actually kept track over the last 3 days, and I have actually only hit 1 of 27 draws (SD+)...stupid game.

I've been in an odd state the last few days. I know that when a person reaches a certain point of “enlightenment” they begin to question a human's purpose in life. Which of course leads to them asking themsevles why they are alive, and then what would happen if they died. I reached this awhile ago, and even after talking it out with a few different counselors, I've only reached “life has no direct purpose...just have fun and create a your own purpose” This severely depresses me as I constantly strive for a bigger end-goal than “omg, lets have fun!”

A huge issue with this for is this...I love helping people. I like helping people progress and make their lives better. However, when I look at it from the outside point of view...I am helping people progress towards what? Either I help them reach a thought process which will lead to this realization...or I help them towards an end-goal of nothing. I think a big problem with this, for me, is that I don't have a religious base. When your entire base of reason is logic there will be huge problems when the solution isn't tangible. I think this is where I struggle a lot...making sense of non-tangibles like these.

I don't know...the whole subject is very odd to talk about, and always leads to a religion v logic argument anyway. I just wanted to give you a little bit of how I'm feeling at the moment. The stress of the house stuff, holidays coming up, my brother, and the finality of this house are making my brain work in overload. Which probably explains why I am getting a little tilty at times (I mean hell...I even started getting heated while playing Halo because I felt I was running bad there). I just need normalcy...or to construct a state of normalcy for myself.

Also...nicest thing someone has said to me in like forever: “well how about this...if it wasn't for you I wouldn't have paid bill the last 2 months...I've only paid bills because of poker as the casino has been way slow...so my daughter and my wife and I all thank you very much.” (from a student who can name himself in the comments if he chooses to do so). It means a lot to me when people thank those that have helped them, and I'm glad I have helped him in such a positive way.

Sorry about the emo-esque post...a hand before bed (like...you must feel salty when you see how nitty/bad you are, right?):

Full Tilt Poker Game #8678133615: Table Franklin - $0.25/$0.50 - No Limit Hold'em - 22:41:05 ET - 2008/10/26
Seat 1: scbobbyb ($23.45)
Seat 2: mininoto ($54.50)
Seat 3: Man of Gold5 ($13.60)
Seat 4: BcuzItsSo ($50)
Seat 5: wayner777 ($34.15)
Seat 6: DOM D ($40.15)
Seat 7: shark2006 ($27.65)
Seat 8: Its RIGGIGGITY ($57.10)
Seat 9: Boston2000 ($10)
shark2006 posts the small blind of $0.25
Its RIGGIGGITY posts the big blind of $0.50
The button is in seat #6
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Its RIGGIGGITY [Qs Jh]
scbobbyb folds
mininoto calls $0.50
Man of Gold5 folds
BcuzItsSo folds
wayner777 folds
DOM D folds
shark2006 folds
Its RIGGIGGITY checks
*** FLOP *** [Jc 3h Qd]
Its RIGGIGGITY bets $1
mininoto calls $1
*** TURN *** [Jc 3h Qd] [5s]
Its RIGGIGGITY bets $2
mininoto calls $2
*** RIVER *** [Jc 3h Qd 5s] [6s]
Its RIGGIGGITY bets $4
mininoto raises to $10
Its RIGGIGGITY calls $6
*** SHOW DOWN ***
mininoto shows [3s 3c] three of a kind, Threes
Its RIGGIGGITY mucks
mininoto wins the pot ($25.90) with three of a kind, Threes

*SS*

October 23 - Not an awesome day

So today sucked just a little bit. My house got foreclosed on. Gotta love when you've been paying your rent religiously...and your landlord just decides he doesn't want to pay the mortgage anymore. So we get the 3-day quit notice on the door today, and of course the notice is dated yesterday. Gotta love it!!!

So ensue panic mode as I try to figure out wtf to do. I got a place lined up that is far from optimal, and the lease hasn't been signed yet in case I decide to find a new place. So I have 1 day to figure everything out. Hurray life! I just keep reminding myself that things could be worse, and keep trying to figure out what to do from here. It would seem that all my roommates are leaving town now so I'm kind of on my own for the moment. I guess every situation is an opportunity though...so plenty to do at this point.

I'm kind of sick at the moment...more from stress than anything else. When I feel the floor has been taken from me I tend to go into panic mode and get sick (throwing up and nauseous at all times). I'm trying to stay calm...but easier said than done. So I'm packing everything up while typing this, and hoping the sun is shining brightly tomorrow. I think I somehow condensed a bit from the trip last month. Which is good...except I picked up some bigger ticket items (TV, desk, chair, etc.). I'm really hoping I find something close so I can just move it all within 2 hours.

Other than all this crap...my horse is moving up again (he moved down after paying back principal and having a bit of a downer). So back up to 50nl with him, and then hopefully up to 100nl. Also...I haven't had a losing session in almost a week (though very minimal work being done, at least it feels good to see a streak of green across my PT data).

I have to be up in a few hours to start house hunting, and I'm hoping I'll be all packed and loaded by then. Wish me luck if you find a moment. And as usual, here is a hand to enjoy:

Full Tilt Poker Game #8598396311: Table Justice Creek - $0.25/$0.50 - No Limit Hold'em - 21:04:41 ET - 2008/10/21
Seat 1: zebra30 ($19.05)
Seat 2: FAST DAVID ($35.85)
Seat 3: bigmikesw ($24.45)
Seat 4: m1key likes ($43)
Seat 5: littlegreeno ($28.10)
Seat 6: kaldexpoker ($10)
Seat 7: DART1962 ($69.50)
Seat 8: Its RIGGIGGITY ($52.75)
Seat 9: foodperfectaa ($37.65)
littlegreeno posts the small blind of $0.25
kaldexpoker posts the big blind of $0.50
The button is in seat #4
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Its RIGGIGGITY [Qd Qh]
DART1962 raises to $1.75
Its RIGGIGGITY raises to $5
foodperfectaa folds
zebra30 folds
FAST DAVID folds
bigmikesw folds
m1key likes folds
littlegreeno folds
kaldexpoker folds
DART1962 raises to $24.50
Its RIGGIGGITY raises to $52.75, and is all in
DART1962 calls $28.25
Its RIGGIGGITY shows [Qd Qh]
DART1962 shows [Jd Ad]
*** FLOP *** [Ts 2h 5c]
*** TURN *** [Ts 2h 5c] [Kc]
*** RIVER *** [Ts 2h 5c Kc] [Jh]
Its RIGGIGGITY shows a pair of Queens
DART1962 shows a pair of Jacks
Its RIGGIGGITY wins the pot ($103.25) with a pair of Queens

*SS*

October 20 - 8hr Grind

So just posted my Poohbah post. Took way too long to get it done, but decided to hunker down for an hour tonight and just finish it. The link. Any feedback on that is more than welcome, and of course, if there are questions, I'd be happy to answer those as well.

So got some hours of live in this weekend. Did an 8 hour session on Saturday night. I got stuck like $600-$700 quick, and told myself that so long as the table didn't completely dry up, I would grind back until even. Well the table didn't dry up, and it took me about 6hrs to grind it all back. Was a really fun session despite running like crap. I was blessed with the privilege of sitting next to the biggest life luck-box ever. The night before he lost about $1K at poker, had $31 left, went over to Let-it-Ride, and hit a royal the first hand for $50K. Lol, some people are just that lucky.

So he spiced the table up by shoving blind a few times, blind betting whatever chips were in his hand, and yelling as loudly as possible. He had some friends at the table, so obviously that kept him going for some time. Finally the floor came over and told him “sir, the entire room can hear you. If you don't quiet yourself to a reasonable level, I will have to have security escort you out. Would you like that?”. To which, without missing a beat, he responds “No...but I would like if you would get me some more alcohol”. I only ended up taking a small bit of nothing from him, but he made a table at 3am fun.

Other than that, I've been doing some coaching and grinding as well. Finished my final video for this month's series at Stox. Really good video in my opinion of sLAG play on a weekend. And winning 3.5BI at the same time is always nice. Been getting some new students as well, which is always good. So this week and the next I will be doing a few intro-sessions, which I always look forward to.

Also, in an effort to get motivated again, Datakid and I are utilizing the buddy-system to ensure we put in a certain amount of hours per week. My goal is 10-15hrs/week of on-line, so 5 days of 2-3hrs/day. I swear the buddy-system is a great way to motivate yourself, keep it fun, and ensure the end-goal is reached. So hopefully that goes well. It also makes me feel more focused doing 10-15hrs of online, 10-15hrs of live, and 5-15hrs of coaching per week. It's like a real job!

“Celebrity” siting this weekend: Teddy “The Iceman” Monroe. Decked out with “diamond”-studded headphones. LOL

And a hand before bed:

Full Tilt Poker Game #8551098656: Table Horizon Ridge - $0.25/$0.50 - No Limit Hold'em - 18:33:14 ET - 2008/10/18
Seat 1: staceshuttle ($36.75)
Seat 2: Tha Riparian ($71.05)
Seat 3: Its RIGGIGGITY ($50)
Seat 4: DevilPrince ($48.35)
Seat 5: Tilt_Me19 ($52.25)
Seat 6: Unluckytwo ($48.15)
Seat 7: Johnnyj580 ($61.25)
Seat 8: Winston3346 ($20.35)
Seat 9: 808CSNJ ($79.30)
Its RIGGIGGITY posts the small blind of $0.25
DevilPrince posts the big blind of $0.50
The button is in seat #2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Its RIGGIGGITY [Ks Ah]
Tilt_Me19 folds
Unluckytwo folds
Johnnyj580 raises to $1.75
Winston3346 calls $1.75
808CSNJ folds
staceshuttle folds
Tha Riparian folds
Its RIGGIGGITY raises to $7
DevilPrince folds
Johnnyj580 raises to $21
Winston3346 folds
Its RIGGIGGITY raises to $50, and is all in
Johnnyj580 calls $29
Its RIGGIGGITY shows [Ks Ah]
Johnnyj580 shows [Ad Th]
*** FLOP *** [Kh 4h 5h]
*** TURN *** [Kh 4h 5h] [2d]
*** RIVER *** [Kh 4h 5h 2d] [Qs]
Its RIGGIGGITY shows a pair of Kings
Johnnyj580 shows Ace King high
Its RIGGIGGITY wins the pot ($99.25) with a pair of Kings

*SS*

October 17 - omg omg omg

Omg omg omg...I'm actually putting some hands in!!! I'm really only putting in like an hour per day of playing, but anything feels good right now. I still have to force myself to sit down and play, but at least I am doing it. I really would like to be putting in 3-5 hours per day on average, but I'll take the babysteps for now. However, I have been averaging like 1hr of coaching per day as well...so at least I am doing something =)

Ended up picking up a few new students this week, which went well. Also did a double sweat session, which was a cool idea to me (student A and student B, A+me watch B for an hour, and then B+me watch A for an hour). This made me think about having an hour or 2 session where people can watch me play as a group, and we discuss as we go along. Could charge less per hour (because it's not as personal), but still a very solid learning experience. I dunno...I'm still in talks about a poker revamp service...so we'll see what develops with it all.

So other than playing, I haven't been doing too much. I decided to wipe the dust off my Poohbah (yea, it has been about a month since I've even mentioned it), and finish it up. It's currently being looked at by a few people, and then hopefully I can finalize it and post it. The goal is Sunday, but we'll see how long it takes for people to get back to me =) The post is only going to be about 8 pages (thus far), which is smaller than the 15 pages I had originally quoted. I decided I would take out some examples and leave more to the reader to think about. The goal with the post is to think...about what your doing and why you are doing it...so it's only right that I force the reader to think.

Also, I'm thinking it's about time to get back to 100nl. I have an aggressive bankroll for it on-line, so I might start playing weekend 100nl games coming soon. I just don't like hindering my hourly by playing lower than I should be, and poker, especially the way I am playing it, is all about opportunity cost. So we'll see how that goes. So poker stuff is coming together...hope all is well with everyone else.

And of course, a fun hand (omg omg omg...I held!):

Full Tilt Poker Game #8522440340: Table Fulton (deep) - $0.25/$0.50 - No Limit Hold'em - 22:00:55 ET - 2008/10/16
Seat 1: keeganaydan ($28.60)
Seat 2: KADET_1 ($98.45)
Seat 3: Its RIGGIGGITY ($50)
Seat 4: Juston1254 ($30)
Seat 5: Tha Riparian ($133.80)
Seat 6: TonyTony Choper ($71.90)
Seat 7: krookymunster ($102.40)
Seat 8: yjs0626 ($112.45)
Seat 9: Earthman42 ($106.35)
KADET_1 posts the small blind of $0.25
Its RIGGIGGITY posts the big blind of $0.50
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Its RIGGIGGITY [Ks Kd]
Juston1254 folds
Tha Riparian folds
TonyTony Choper folds
krookymunster folds
yjs0626 folds
Earthman42 folds
keeganaydan folds
KADET_1 raises to $2
Its RIGGIGGITY raises to $6
KADET_1 raises to $98.45, and is all in
Its RIGGIGGITY calls $44, and is all in
KADET_1 shows [8s 8h]
Its RIGGIGGITY shows [Ks Kd]
Uncalled bet of $48.45 returned to KADET_1
*** FLOP *** [3h 7h Jh]
*** TURN *** [3h 7h Jh] [3c]
*** RIVER *** [3h 7h Jh 3c] [4d]
KADET_1 shows two pair, Eights and Threes
Its RIGGIGGITY shows two pair, Kings and Threes
Its RIGGIGGITY wins the pot ($97) with two pair, Kings and Threes

*SS*

October 14 - BBC is awesome

Pretty solid week. Made a few bucks at the casino, which means both I'm happy and my staker is happy. Always nice when that happens =). Tried out a few new games this weekend and did Caesars on Friday and Mirage on Saturday. Had my first “celebrity” siting as well...saw Jerry Bus (owner of the Lakers) at Mirage...kind of cool.

So far I'm enjoying live. I don't enjoy that I've put in about 42 hours of live play, and only seen about 1.6K hands (currently about 2hrs of work for me on-line). O well...still making OK money thus far, and it's a really nice mix-up from on-line. This month has just been working on Stox videos which hasn't been super motivation for me to play. So between live and coaching, I've gotten back some motivation. So far my goals for the month (40hs live, 30hrs on-line) should be completed for sure.

Random notes: I've been watching a lot of BBC (the British television network that we get here on cable)...and I love British programing. BBC is, from what I've heard, the “best of the best” in British TV. The accents are awesome, the picture is meh because they don't care about over-producing and making garbage, and they use awesome slang that I don't understand. For anyone that enjoys cars even a bit, I suggest checking out “Top Gear”...where they do car reviews and tons of random activities with cars (like drowning a Toyota truck and racing high-end cars versus airplanes).

Also, check out “Dragon's Den”. It's a show where the “Dragons” (a group of venture capitalists worth well over $20M each) hear pitches from entrepreneurs attempting to get funding for their start-up company. There are some good ideas on the show, but often times they are crap and it's funny to see how badly they prepared for such a situation. Really awesome show for anyone who wants to become an entrepreneur and would need funding at any point. Makes you focus on what VC's will ask during these encounters and also how prepared you need to be (also, how to not answer a question).

Other than that, I had a semi-job interview over the weekend (family contact that wanted to meet me and see what he could help with). I think it went well and that he will be putting me in contact with some people this week. The thing that struck me as odd, is that poker came up. I'm not sure why, but poker might be the hardest thing in a job interview. Because people want to understand the resume gap (even though I graduated in May, apparently they expect you get a job within a month of graduating), so they ask how I've been affording life. I need to figure out a good answer for this, as “I play and coach poker” doesn't seem to feel right. Any suggestions? And on that topic, I love that I graduated when I did!!! The job economy is just booming with good jobs!!! (super sarcasm obviously)

And on that note, a hand before bed (villain ended up being a dude I know from Syracuse (which I did not know at the time)...oddly small world sometimes):

Full Tilt Poker Game #8434276636: Table Wood Plank - $0.25/$0.50 - No Limit Hold'em - 19:56:39 ET - 2008/10/10
Seat 1: a88shin ($50)
Seat 2: TBluehand ($50)
Seat 3: turoati ($50)
Seat 4: Its RIGGIGGITY ($50)
Seat 5: MikeB1337 ($50)
Seat 6: Faaantastic ($51.25)
Seat 7: Cransley69 ($80.40)
Seat 8: titralac ($20)
Seat 9: njochems ($50)
Cransley69 posts the small blind of $0.25
titralac posts the big blind of $0.50
The button is in seat #6
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Its RIGGIGGITY [7d 8h]
njochems folds
a88shin folds
TBluehand folds
turoati folds
Its RIGGIGGITY raises to $1.50
MikeB1337 raises to $4.50
Faaantastic folds
Cransley69 folds
titralac folds
Its RIGGIGGITY raises to $11
MikeB1337 calls $6.50
*** FLOP *** [6c Qs 7h]
Its RIGGIGGITY bets $39, and is all in
MikeB1337 calls $39, and is all in
Its RIGGIGGITY shows [7d 8h]
MikeB1337 shows [Ac As]
*** TURN *** [6c Qs 7h] [7c]
*** RIVER *** [6c Qs 7h 7c] [4h]
Its RIGGIGGITY shows three of a kind, Sevens
MikeB1337 shows two pair, Aces and Sevens
Its RIGGIGGITY wins the pot ($97.75) with three of a kind, Sevens

*SS*

October 10 - Tilt?

It's been a very solid week thus far. For 1, I got some solid coaching in. Had a few intro sessions this week, and I think the new students are feeling confident. Also did a little bit of playing. I attempted to make a new video for my site, but that failed miserably being everyone at the table wanted to take 9000 seconds to make any damn decision. O well, hopefully I can get one out soon enough. I've been lazy on filling the site with content. With that in mind, if people would like to host a video or so on the Video page...I'd be happy to do so (as long as the video isn't garbage).

Oddly enough, I began to get tilty this week. I've been fairly good about tilt control over the last few months, but lately have been feeling it hard. The tilt is preventing me from putting in solid sessions, and also preventing me from putting in as many sessions as I'd like. I don't feel tilt changes any my plays...but it certainly effects my outlook after a session, makes me get off sessions quickly, and also discourages me from putting in more hours. This deeply concerns me, so I've been putting some work into introspecting.

First, I hate running bad when others run well. This has been a huge reason why I haven't taken HU as seriously as I should. HU is effectively a zero-sum game (obviously rake comes off the table, but winnings are just pushed back and forth)...so if one person is winning, the other is losing, if one is running hot, the other must not be. This crappy thought process creates a dwelling effect on things very much out of my control. I cannot control how I run, I cannot control how “lucky” I am, I cannot control the turn card, I cannot control variance. What I can control is how I react to these things, my decisions, and my overall mental processing.

Now, these things are not easy to control. The work it takes to control how you physically and mentally react to a situation is insane. However, as a person who has chosen poker as my current profession, it would behoove me greatly to increase my control again. So, I watched a Jared Tendler (Stox psychology guy) video on controlling tilt, and began to introspect. Nothing was really said that I wasn't already aware of, but it was a nice refresher on tilt management. I'm now trying to remember to not lash out verbally (no more cursing at the screen) and to stop dwelling. I seem to dwell on “how horrible I run in comparison” often, which I know is a very negative thing to do and has no positives attached to it. I also need to remember that although people do suckout on me, I do suck out on others as well, but my brain will automatically remember when I get sucked out on and forget when I do the sucking out.

So hopefully with another video watched or so, and some more introspection (and maybe a run or so this weekend), I can start feeling more positive. Optimism is something I'm very strong at helping others view in their situations...but not something I excel at in utilizing in my own life in real time. I think I need to start stepping back, relaxing more, and progressing with a new outlook.

With all that out of the way, I guess I'll crash out for a few hours. Thanks for reading like usual, and of course, a hand (I love checking that flop to melt his brain):

Full Tilt Poker Game #8407394083: Table Mean (deep) - $0.25/$0.50 - No Limit Hold'em - 20:56:49 ET - 2008/10/08
Seat 1: Its RIGGIGGITY ($70.65)
Seat 2: Hanser666 ($122.55)
Seat 3: ViktoriusBIG ($59.20)
Seat 4: sshilton2 ($80)
Seat 5: canael ($50.65)
Seat 6: Mr Dewey ($27.90)
Seat 7: smileagain ($100)
Seat 8: ad1166 ($50)
Seat 9: MogKupo ($100)
ad1166 posts the small blind of $0.25
MogKupo is sitting out
Its RIGGIGGITY posts the big blind of $0.50
MogKupo stands up
The button is in seat #7
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Its RIGGIGGITY [Kd Ah]
Hanser666 folds
ViktoriusBIG folds
canael folds
Mr Dewey folds
smileagain folds
ad1166 raises to $2
Its RIGGIGGITY raises to $5.50
ad1166 calls $3.50
*** FLOP *** [As 7c 7s]
ad1166 checks
Its RIGGIGGITY checks
*** TURN *** [As 7c 7s] [Ac]
ad1166 bets $7
Its RIGGIGGITY calls $7
*** RIVER *** [As 7c 7s Ac] [Ad]
ad1166 checks
Its RIGGIGGITY bets $18
ad1166 calls $18
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Its RIGGIGGITY shows [Kd Ah] four of a kind, Aces
ad1166 mucks [5d 5s]
Its RIGGIGGITY wins the pot ($58) with four of a kind, Aces

*SS*

October 7 - Stox Video 1 Released!

So the first video of my Stox series came out on Monday! I think it came out really well, and it looks as though most people who are watching it feel the same way (voted 4.7/5 so far). If you get a chance, check out video #610, and any feedback is more than welcome.

Also finished my video for next Monday, and need to get started on the 3rd installment. I'm not 100% sure what the 3rd video format will be, but I'm thinking that quite a bit of LAG play will be showcased. I've been spending a lot of time thinking about LAG play lately and, through doing these videos and forcing myself to speak out the thought process more, I feel strong right now. So hopefully I can make a solid video and really portray all the info possible.

So in my last post I mentioned being more motivated. Well, I'm doing alright so far. I've put in about 16hrs of live play, and a few hours of on-line. Had a very nice live weekend, and made a few stacks which is always solid. Also met KurtSF this weekend (met him over at Binions) who was a cool kid. I love meeting 2p2'rs...I find it very interesting to see some people's on-line v in-person personas. So I added a few more rooms to my list of places played at, which now consists of Venetian, MGM, Bill's, Binions, and Mandalay Bay. I'd like to play at all the rooms by some point and see no reason why this cannot be done.

Other than poker, I've been playing a ridiculous amount of video games lately. I'm learning Halo (the strategy part), and loving it. I still suck, but I'm finally starting to get double digit scores more often in 4v4 slayer. I also played through Portals once again, which if you have never played it, is an amazing game. Super original, and I love the puzzle aspect of it all. However, I need to cut back on the video games a bit an start grinding more. I hate being lazy and knowing I'm putting in massive amounts of hours playing Halo, and not making money.

And a hand before sleep (my bust-out hand from the microFR HU challenge):

PokerStars Game #20987963930: Tournament #112601992, $5.50+$0.25 Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level I (5/10) - 2008/10/06 - 21:23:39 (ET)
Table '112601992 1' 2-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: SplitSuit (1469 in chips)
Seat 2: entertainme (2531 in chips)
SplitSuit: posts small blind 5
entertainme: posts big blind 10
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to SplitSuit [Qs 2s]
SplitSuit: raises 20 to 30
entertainme: calls 20
*** FLOP *** [Qd 8h 7c]
entertainme: checks
SplitSuit: bets 38
entertainme: calls 38
*** TURN *** [Qd 8h 7c] [2h]
entertainme: checks
SplitSuit: bets 89
entertainme: calls 89
*** RIVER *** [Qd 8h 7c 2h] [4h]
entertainme: bets 250
SplitSuit: raises 1062 to 1312 and is all-in
entertainme: calls 1062
*** SHOW DOWN ***
SplitSuit: shows [Qs 2s] (two pair, Queens and Deuces)
entertainme: shows [7h 7d] (three of a kind, Sevens)
entertainme collected 2938 from pot

*SS*

October 2 - First of the month...

I love the first day of every month. I always consider them a fresh start. At least it's a positive way of looking at things =) With that in mind, it does mark the month of my video series over on Stox (LINK TO SCHEDULE). I'm very excited about it, and hope people check it out and give lots of feedback. I think this video series will help every player of every skill level, as even top-tier players may think about something in a new and profitable light. So check it out as the first video is out on the 6th.

The business stuff is all over the place right now. Hopefully something will solidify within the next few months. I would like to be an entrepreneur by 23 without a doubt. Although an argument can be made that I am one now (have own site + offer a service), I would feel better if the business was something my mother wouldn't sneeze at. That's always been my major issue with poker as a career...the respect you get is much lower than it should be from others.

On top of that, I recently read “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” (amazing book about basics of being financially independent/educated), and it really stressed learning as much as possible, because no knowledge is useless. This struck home for me, and I'm currently trying to do just that. My friend and I while researching businesses to start learn so much through the planning process it's insane. Also, I'm trying to learn new skills...so I actually went to a club promoter meeting today to see if I can't improve my personal selling skills. No skill is useless, right? I won't take a full-time job with it by any stretch of the imagination...but learning the skill + the contacts = a fun experience from what I can guess.

So this month is back to grindcore. No more lazy me. Not sure what kind of goals I'm setting yet, but I would like to do about 60hours of live play, and about 30hours of on-line play. No more goals concerning hands...but I would like to play more hours. I think this will help me focus on putting in time, even if I play PLO8 for a few hours...just putting in the hours is good. On a related note...my stakee is doing quite well. Congrats sir =)

Well, I'm exhausted and need sleep, here's a hand from last month to enjoy while I get hands going this month:

Full Tilt Poker Game #8089139888: Table Chip (deep) - $0.25/$0.50 - No Limit Hold'em - 19:51:42 ET - 2008/09/15
Seat 1: sergeja ($59.05)
Seat 2: crakbaby ($50.70)
Seat 3: NeedAJoker ($50.45)
Seat 4: Baillabong ($54.85)
Seat 5: Its RIGGIGGITY ($54.55)
Seat 6: SiIverstar ($152.60)
Seat 7: TXBee ($50)
Seat 8: BonfireBill ($38.45)
Seat 9: Tilt_Me19 ($47.45)
SiIverstar posts the small blind of $0.25
TXBee posts the big blind of $0.50
The button is in seat #5
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Its RIGGIGGITY [Js Kh]
BonfireBill folds
Tilt_Me19 folds
sergeja folds
crakbaby folds
NeedAJoker folds
Baillabong folds
Its RIGGIGGITY raises to $1.50
SiIverstar folds
TXBee calls $1
*** FLOP *** [5s Jc 6d]
TXBee bets $3.25
Its RIGGIGGITY raises to $13
TXBee calls $9.75
*** TURN *** [5s Jc 6d] [Ah]
TXBee bets $35.50, and is all in
Its RIGGIGGITY calls $35.50
TXBee shows [8h 8s]
Its RIGGIGGITY shows [Js Kh]
*** RIVER *** [5s Jc 6d Ah] [7s]
TXBee shows a pair of Eights
Its RIGGIGGITY shows a pair of Jacks
Its RIGGIGGITY wins the pot ($97.25) with a pair of Jacks

*SS*