blonde poker forum

Tonight, I decided I would find an alternative to messing around online and watching late night sport.   I have found it  hard to sleep at night since I was young ,  I can never get to sleep before about 3am and spend most of the following day yawning and spaced out due to lack of sleep. 

So tonight,  I have done the following.

I worked on my memory house I am building.  So far I am up to 4 rooms and have been constructing it since Christmas. I have always loved anything to do with memory and recently I have used it to get round my problem with numbers.  I use the major system ( look online , there is loads about it ) to convert numbers into silly image words.  My memory house is coming along slower than I had hoped, but every image is clear in my mind, so I can't be to annoyed. When I was at College I found learning new things easy by using memory techniques. It is easy to get out of practice though if you don't keep using them each day.

After this I checked the sport results on ceefax.  I had tried to resist doing this, but I have a tendency to drive myself insane if I can't check them.  I start at page 301 and work my way through to page 380 and then 360 for the motorsport results/news.

By this time it was 1.34 am .  I knew it was completely pointless to try to catch some sleep because I just lay awake.  I made myself a cup of hot chocolate ( heated for exactly 1 minute 46 seconds ). The temperature was just right, however as it was heated in a yellow cup, I had to change it to blue to make it just right. I have been having a few problems with my water supply in the Kitchen recently and I had only washed some dishes before hand. It is never good when you have to start washing up at 1:34 in the morning.

Earlier this evening after work,  I saw a dog running loose on the street.  It always pisses me off when I see this happen as I worry the owners aren't taking proper care of their pets.  After I had made the very important cup change for my drink, I decided to sit by the window for a while and drink it. Annoyingly I saw the same dog running past, unfortunately I couldn't get down to the street fast enough and he was miles down the road by the time I opened the door.  I am a little reluctant to go walking at 2:00am these days after watching Crimewatch.  I think it was Crimewatch,  anyway the presenter made the comment that the only people who walk the streets at that time of morning are either working, criminals or are up to no good. 

While sitting at the window,  I realised that night time is a completely different world. There is a soap opera being played out without most of us being aware. The cast of tonights episode were 'The Owl' , 'The Rat' , 'Cat' and to my absolute amazement 'The Fox'.  I have been told that there are Urban foxes near to my home, but I never imagined I would actually be fortunate enough to see one myself.  Oh, I also overheard a passer by groveling to his partner on his mobile phone "Sarah babe,  she meant nothing, you are over reacting......  don't hang up please ".

One thing I never really appreciated is how heightened our senses are at night time. I heard the footsteps of the "Sarah babe" passer by long before I actually saw him. It is amazing how the sound of rain drops echoes through the air when there is no sound of cars or people.  I heard lambs calling for their Mothers in the fields miles away from where I stay. 

While I type this, I can hear the first birds singing.

I still can't get to sleep though.  I am cursed with insomnia ( like numerous others who are still on the forum after 3 am , lol )

I dont know whether to be impressed or depressed after reading this post.

But I do know, you should write a book.

nice post

Sark, I think you are one of these geniuses you read about.  There's probably a hidden talent there that can make you millions - try counting cards at blackjack or something like that, I'm sure you'd be great at it!

Hope you get some sleep mate :)

that post has just sent me to sleep after three lines. cheers pal

I love the idea of memory palaces. Will be building my own soon. I've been playing a lot with the peg system and it's fab.

I thought you worked on a farm Sark?

Don't you have to be up at dawn and spend all day doing physical work? Surely that will tire you out?

Sword,  peg systems are amazing.  I use the number shape and number rhyme most days.

One problem I had with memory palaces initially was confusing my imagined rooms with those in reality.  I don't mean in a crazy person shaking his fist at imaginary flies kind of way  :D .  I will explain below.

The problem I found when I used my own house was that I am too aware of where each object is placed in the rooms.  So if I wanted to memorise a pack of cards, I found it far too difficult to go through my room ( both visualised and real ) and attach the cards to 52 objects.  In real life, I hate clutter and because of this I keep as few things as possible in view.  To get round this I stopped trying to use my own house as a memory palace.  Instead I use my local town hall/library .  I know the layout well enough to be able to walk round it in my mind.  As I am not fully aware of the placement of items in the hall, I can add my own 52 items that I will later form images with when recalling the cards. 

When you start adding things into a room you know well in real life, it can become confusing.  In my bedroom, I have about 10 fixed items including bed, wardrobe, desk, light stand, etc.  To make that number up to the 52, I had to add things into the room such as plant pot, telescope, TV, etc.  I don't have these in reality, so trying to imagine them visually becomes too confusing.   Using the town hall is an ideal solution.

My favored techniques for memorisation is the journey method.  Everybody regardless of who they are can use this.  I have a few favorite journeys in my mind and each have 52 stops.   I think the main reason I enjoy this systems is that it has a start, middle and ending.  You begin the journey and end the journey in 52 stages or steps.  In some ways it is like playing a STT,  beginning, middle and ending ( if you are not a fish and keep getting knocked out at the start like I do, lol ) .    Even the old Lady at the end of the street can use this for her shopping list.  She knows probably 20 routes perfectly allready such as the route she uses to go to the bingo, or see her Daughter,  or her route to the bus stop in the morning.   Just associate the list of items with each stop on her imaginary journey. easy.

I tried to use Derren Browns method for memorisation and although it is brilliant, it just doesn't work for me. I find it too distracting. 

This is the method I use for dates.  I kind of half invented it and half stole it from other systems I have studied.  It is called the  'Lewis System'   ;D

Each day becomes a famous person

Each date becomes a type of food

Each month becomes a type of sport

For the year I use the major system

So for example if I wanted to remember that Scotland won the football World cup on the  Monday 16th of June, I make the image of  Andrew Murry eating a massive steak ( steak is my image for the number 16 ) dinner covered in tennis balls( my word for Monday is Andrew Murry as Monday rhymes with Murry ). My word for the month of June is always Fencing ( the sport ) I can't explain this one, it just feels correct when I visualise the word June..  So to add this word to this image I would see Murry coughing as he bites into the steak as there are swords sticking in his throat.  For the year I add in my image word on the major system.  All this is connected to Scotland winning the World cup by imagining it taking place in the middle of the pitch as the game is taking place.  By using this method you can remember dates in less than 10 seconds.  It takes longer to write about it than actually think it.

I will reply to your PM later on my laptop Sword, this computer I am using right now is crap


I have a few days off Andrew, I was suppose to be going MTB on holiday, but I decided to save cash instead of paying for the B&B.  I am used to keeping active, so I don't really get tired that much

Nice post btw.

 :goodpost:

What's the peg system?

Sark...I am forming a Rain Man Club, with an honorary Rain Girl. You are hereby invited to be Chairman

Let's get this right Sark.

You can actually imagine Scotland winning the World Cup. At football. Right?

Wow. That's some imagination system you got going there.

It works by 'phone best.

As in "Is Peg on the line?"

Never play

"I went shopping and I bought 1 banana, 2 apples and 3..." with Sark

Sark - absolute genius.  Love that post.  Have you got a blog?  It would be compulsive reading.

I don't know anything about football, but I would make a large bet that Scotland have never successfully won any football event?   lol.    I should have used Brazil instead

The peg systems come in various forms .  The two most popular used by stage magicians and School teachers showing off are the Number Shape and Number Rhyme .  These are below

Number Shape

1. Pencil
2. Swan
3. Camels Humps
4. Sail Boat
5. Fish hook
6. Golf Club
7. Edge of Cliff
8. Snowman
9. Flag
10. Bat and Ball


Number Rhyme

1. sun
2. shoe
3. tree
4. door
5. hive ( bee hive )
6. sticks
7. heaven or Devon Custard ( I love the taste and it sticks in my mind.  The key is to taste the word. Use all your senses )
8. gate or date ( think of a really pleasant date )
9. Wine
10. hen


So if you want to remember  a list of items for ASDA and don't have a pen to write it down.   eggs, light bulbs, poker player magazine, vegetarian haggis,  chips,  onions ,  etc


1. The sun has been replaced by a giant egg,  it is dripping on to your head as you walk along the street
2. Someone has put giant light bulbs on your shoes and every step makes them twinkle
3. A massive camel is sitting reading poker player magazine, he is singing the words " Know when to fold them",  etc ( I don't actually know the song, lol )
4. The door to ASDA is being guarded by a gigantic haggis. As you try to step in you are bitten. ( make it green.  this way you will know it is vegetarian )
5. A bee hive has opened a secondary business. As well as honey, it now sells chips.  All the local Neds are being stung while standing around outside.
6. Old men are walking around using onions as walking sticks  ( make them massive onions. )

With something like example 6, I would switch to the number shape system and use the golf club instead of the sticks.  Old men using golf clubs. 

Generally it is best not to mix and match the two systems as it becomes confusing.   By the way you must know each number-image before using it.  There are numerous other images you can use, these are just my favorites.

These two systems are taught extensively by memory experts such as Harry Lorayne, Tony Buzan and Dominic O'Brian. Derren Brown also mentions them in his book

I do have a myspace thing somewhere,  but I forgot the password  :D

Thanks for that sark  :)up

 rotflmfao rotflmfao classic

rotflmfao

Get a proper blog started.  I'd definitely read it.

Sark, Have you ever tried self hypnosis to get to sleep ?

Nope mate.  However I was told about this recently,  I am going to give it a try .   It may look crazy, but this stuff does work. I know someone who taps constantly ( in the privacy of their own home fortunately ) ,  I thought they were mental to begin with, but there are no negative side effects and it has the science to back it up.  Paul Mckenna demonstrates something similar on one of his shows.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AF092fOIjs

Sometimes I think sark is a made up person, who someone on the forum has made up.

Hmmm....is it bad that I understand what Sark is talking about.

I just write stuff on roulette cards if i need to remember it..

sounds v interesting sark

Sark you are a genius  Great post

This website is the best online for explaining memory techniques ( botton of the page ).   Also search for the 'Dominic System' on Google.  If you try the Dominic System ( named after Dominic O'Brien, the Phil Hellmuth of memory )  make sure you make each of your memory images differ from their actions.  The Dominic system basically converts numbers into images in the same way that the Major system does.  However each of the Dominic systems images are famous people.  So for example the number 11172328 can be remembered from the following. 

11 = Andre Aggasi
17= Ali G
23 = Billy Connolly
28 = buddy holly

Andre Agassi is dressed as Ali G and telling jokes to a audience. However the big difference with this audience is that they all look like Billy Connolly.  'Everyday'  by B Holly is playing loudly drowning out the sound of Agassi trying his hardest to make the audience laugh.  I make Agassi jump up and down, he is yelling and crying because nobody is paying him any attention. He has a red face as well through sheer frustration.  ( I once read Agassi used to cry as a Kid is he lost a tennis game ).  Search for the 'Dominic System' to understand clearer why 28 is Buddy Holly and why Andre Agassi becomes 11.

This number takes seconds to learn and it stays with you for any amount of time you need it for.  While at School and through my entire life anything to do with numbers made me afraid. I used to shake when I had to use them at school as they are so confusing for me.  However about 6 months ago, a friend suggested instead of trying to use numbers, I just convert all the numbers I see into memory images.  I used images all the time anyway, but this idea had never dawned on me for some reason. Numbers are no problem now.  Sadly it doesn't work for pot odds while playing poker, but I am working on something for that. 

Check out the below site.  It is amazing. 

http://www.psywww.com/mtsite/memory.html

That is fantastic!