An Ape and a notebook, how long will it take?

[cambridgealex]

abs no excuse for not dropping down/stopping when you're supposed to, seems like it's happened multiple times over time. It's just not acceptable and I certainly would never ever stake anyone who did this more than once.

the 'problem' i have with my job and lifestyle is when I get 'time to grind' often its a whole night or couple of days..

what am i supposed to do if i smash stop loss in the first hour? just tickle my balls till the clock hits 0000 again?

take a break - i do
have a shower/ wash/ freshen up - i do
go out, do something for an hour - i do

And if we hit it again?
etc?


It seems silly that if i feel like I'm playing good... and possibly because of the level, possibly because I try to not even care about the £$ at all and think of it as bb's the pots just don't bother me 99% of the time.

I'm not the most patient person and stopping earlier last year was essential because I would tilt a little, at most.  Now any real 'upset' or tilt is so rare and I insta-quit when I feel even close.

these things are nobodies problem but you're own.

you're staked - pleno has given you money to play certain games with certain conditions. you stick to them. if you want the T&C changed you should ask him and get his approval first.

[cambridgealex]

i'd be amazed if you could find 5 people on here that don't think it's incredibly out of line to not stick to things like this.

[JustinSayne]

Have to agree with Alex, you really have the blinkers on in this one mate.

Take a look at it from Pleno's/outsiders perspective and you will see what your saying is frankly ridiculous

[jgcblack]

Have to agree with Alex, you really have the blinkers on in this one mate.

Take a look at it from Pleno's/outsiders perspective and you will see what your saying is frankly ridiculous

I'm trying to.... problem is the way i see it.

I've been told to have a 3/4 bi stop loss and that if it happens early... then after an hour or a couple if i feel back to normal and fine then carry on!

this is what i did.

[JustinSayne]

I've been told to have a 3/4 bi stop loss

Simple

Do something else, games aren't going anywhere.

Otherwise you could end up doing 20+bi in a day very easily

[Marky147]

Think Lil' Dave's suggestion (as per usual) is the best one, you should just back yourself and pay for some coaching.

I rarely have any input here beyond wishing good luck, or seeing how you're getting on and enjoying your write ups which are very good.

What I have noticed though, is that other than the  stakes changing sporadically online from 10-25nl it's like Eastenders. You can miss a couple weeks of the JB show, come back and it's like reading the same write ups with a different date most of the time...

If you've done your limit for the day, gg Stars and go prowling* in whatever country you're in? If you're in the UK, get yourself down the casino and grind some live pokers.

*where permitted obv

The internet isn't going to shut down while you're off out on a jolly JB, Stars won't have closed up shop to spite you because dem fish got you and even though you played super solid 

It's something I've always struggled to get my head around from the off, playing 1/2+ live, but grinding limits that mean you can't even pay for your room service if you win.

I get that you wanted to learn the fundamentals, you want to crush from the ground up and you want to make yourself the best player possible. Going round in circles like you are here just doesn't make sense to me though, Bill Murray had a pretty successful film about something similar.

Which after rambling on for about 10 minutes gets back again to Dave's point of getting a coach and playing for yourself...

[jgcblack]

Let's try to not delete it this time..

http://wt.ag/13AhkPI
AQo  I think he's fos pre, but can't really make it profitable to reraise.
When he checks back I expect to be ahead of most of his range.. sometimes he has a pair/ draw/ weak sdv.
Turn doesn't change a lot, so I bet for protection.
River is clear value, but could be thinner than I thought.

http://wt.ag/13AhlTN
Shortstack complicates things.. I made a small 3bt so my option reopened when the shortie shoves (expect a high %).  Postflop seems simple for value extraction, turn guarantees we're not folding.

http://wt.ag/Y7L0vI
3bt sooted junk some % otb, he gives me a great price as he should have a strong range.  Peel and then don't want to raise flop, most turns are bricks want to get it in there... should raise turn - didnt.  Should fold river.. somehow levelled myself into thinking I was good.

http://wt.ag/Y7KZHS
tried something different, can't fold now.

http://wt.ag/Y7L26O
he's a tight player and we have blockers to the overpairs.. outs vs a reasonable calling range... in retrospect, not sure i love it - maybe results orientated

http://wt.ag/Y7L3Yd
like every part of this hand.. think he played his poorly.

http://wt.ag/Y7L5PV
i have a note and a specific colour for players that know me... levelled myself.

http://wt.ag/Y7L6n2
fold pre? like the donk/raise/ dont expect fd's to play like this.. but actually didn't notice the fd at the time tbh, sigh turn.. not folding with flop action.

http://wt.ag/Y7L8es
i never 3/5bt shove these hands, but in this spot his sizing seemed like it would only be a weak 4bt range.. I figured 55 would play well vs that range and expect a lot of folds pre! note mate...

http://wt.ag/Y7Lm5v
Horrible!
cant remember exactly what, but i remember thinking he would have weak hands most of the time on this board and having just played a hand with him, thought he would even fold Qx here... he tanked for ages then called... think it was a 'wtf call'. Do not like.

http://wt.ag/Y7N7PZ
Horrid, completely levelled/ blew. Guy is passive and thought this could be air/ Qx (guy is passive john.... raise means good hand nobhead!)

http://wt.ag/Y7N5Yy
Jeet 3bt small, calls 5bt shove from OR with a cold 4 behind.. not liking his plan.  The 5shove vs cold 4 could be discussable.

http://wt.ag/Y7N6vj
Limp/raise/call 77 pre... wow, not liking that. - nice hold.

http://wt.ag/Y7N9aB
raise/ 4bt jams AQo and gets there... meh.

http://wt.ag/Y7NaeB
Not a full stack, expect to see a massive range here... we will be good enough for sure.

http://wt.ag/Y7Nav9
tbh didnt notice the straight draw... saw a 3bp with 2purrs and lots of draws out there... can't see this being bad vs a reasonable range.

http://wt.ag/Y7NcDj
Poor sizing reraise.. should be 7-8 so I can rejam when btn calls again..  Possibly fold flop??

http://wt.ag/Y7Nb2e
Like whole hand.. river is potentially thin...

http://wt.ag/Y7NhXx
like flop, like turn, fold river! i've just seen a bunch of random cc,cc,donks be weak previously in this session.

http://wt.ag/Y7NzOb
undecided... think this will get hero'd by worse plenty...

http://wt.ag/Y7NCJZ
clearly fine... sigh

http://wt.ag/Y7ND0q
turn is a mini hero, river is supposed to be a fold - misclicked..

http://wt.ag/Y7NBWk
Like, he typed in chat something about "yeah, knew it..." lol... #wpsir

http://wt.ag/Y7NFVZ
hard for this to be bad.. im flipping almost always and he definitely folds some %

http://wt.ag/Y7NQR6
dont think this can be terrible for <50bb's

http://weaktight.com/5576322
cold 4 possibly bad? didnt like folding or calling.. unsure?
bet fold should be fine...?




do your worst......

[jgcblack]

Think Lil' Dave's suggestion (as per usual) is the best one, you should just back yourself and pay for some coaching.

I rarely have any input here beyond wishing good luck, or seeing how you're getting on and enjoying your write ups which are very good.

What I have noticed though, is that other than the  stakes changing sporadically online from 10-25nl it's like Eastenders. You can miss a couple weeks of the JB show, come back and it's like reading the same write ups with a different date most of the time...

If you've done your limit for the day, gg Stars and go prowling* in whatever country you're in? If you're in the UK, get yourself down the casino and grind some live pokers.

*where permitted obv

The internet isn't going to shut down while you're off out on a jolly JB, Stars won't have closed up shop to spite you because dem fish got you and even though you played super solid 

It's something I've always struggled to get my head around from the off, playing 1/2+ live, but grinding limits that mean you can't even pay for your room service if you win.

I get that you wanted to learn the fundamentals, you want to crush from the ground up and you want to make yourself the best player possible. Going round in circles like you are here just doesn't make sense to me though, Bill Murray had a pretty successful film about something similar.

Which after rambling on for about 10 minutes gets back again to Dave's point of getting a coach and playing for yourself...

The point here is pleno is supposed to coach me, this is what was agreed after we started.  When he was too busy and couldn't justify putting off life/ work/ personal stuff to coach me at 10/25nl and I believe the other guys in the group got less than expected.

I have a coach, and one that I think is pretty good at the pokers!

But I'm getting so little input from him, I rarely get a reply on skype/ facebook etc... but every now and then he fires up when he wants a railbird or fancys an opinion on a hand (who am i to judge... but i try and give him 'my understanding').

I said that late last year I would be up for going over to Gib for a week or so of intense pleno1 time, but both our lives and my finances at the time prevented such.  I'm still super keen to arrange it if he doesn't want to completely disown me as a friend, coach, staker after this.

Technically the money left in my stars account is mine as I couldn't get money out and so left it in, merged with the 'staking money'.  I have treated it as such and although this is clearly strange for me to 'pay' to play myself.. I want to play and want to grind and want to keep getting better!



As such, I'm going to put a small session in now.  I've had food, feeling fine despite the deserved comments on here... and I hope that anyone who's ever met me or had dealings in any way will know its not out of disrespect that I lost more than 4bi's in one day.. its because I lost, stopped, felt good and restarted!

It would have been easy to topup and not tell anyone... HEM wouldn't know.. neither would anyone else...

Guess I'm just a glutton for punishment.

[celtic]

i'd be amazed if you could find 5 people on here that don't think it's incredibly out of line to not stick to things like this.

Very much this.

I was staked for live cash, I was allowed to lose x amount per night/session. If I drove to nottingham, Scotland or kuala lumpar, and lost that amount in 5 hands, it was tough.

I don't think If I then went back and said sorry boys, I had nothing else to do, so kept playing and lost some more, they woulda been very happy with me.

[jgcblack]

i'd be amazed if you could find 5 people on here that don't think it's incredibly out of line to not stick to things like this.

Very much this.

I was staked for live cash, I was allowed to lose x amount per night/session. If I drove to nottingham, Scotland or kuala lumpar, and lost that amount in 5 hands, it was tough.

I don't think If I then went back and said sorry boys, I had nothing else to do, so kept playing and lost some more, they woulda been very happy with me.

I take your point, you are of course correct.

I just want this so bad... I want to get 'there'.... I can see and smell it closer every day

[JustinSayne]

I hate when this thread turns into a "bash John Black" style thing.

But saying you "dont tilt" and then looking at those hands. Complete bollocks.

Very clear that you are tilting quite badly. It may not be you're writhing at your desk screaming bloody murder. However calling 4bets with 34s just has no merit. 2x shoving turn on Q567 with KJo?

Come on John, you are waaaaaaaaay better than this and you know it too.

Luxury of zoom is you can start and stop sessions very quickly. I suggest playing 1hr and depending how session is going, vary your break time. Good session? crushing souls? Just read a bit of blonde and get back into it after 5-10 minutes. Doing your bollocks, got coolered/did something silly. Then spend half an hour doing something. Be it checking 2+2 hand evaluations or watching a videos on PokerStrategy.

Something that keeps you in the "poker" mindset but gives you motivation to go back to it. Not because you want to get even, but because you legitimately love the game.

[jgcblack]

I hate when this thread turns into a "bash John Black" style thing.

But saying you "dont tilt" and then looking at those hands. Complete bollocks.

Very clear that you are tilting quite badly. It may not be you're writhing at your desk screaming bloody murder. However calling 4bets with 34s just has no merit. 2x shoving turn on Q567 with KJo?

Come on John, you are waaaaaaaaay better than this and you know it too.

Luxury of zoom is you can start and stop sessions very quickly. I suggest playing 1hr and depending how session is going, vary your break time. Good session? crushing souls? Just read a bit of blonde and get back into it after 5-10 minutes. Doing your bollocks, got coolered/did something silly. Then spend half an hour doing something. Be it checking 2+2 hand evaluations or watching a videos on PokerStrategy.

Something that keeps you in the "poker" mindset but gives you motivation to go back to it. Not because you want to get even, but because you legitimately love the game.

liking the suggestions mate, thanks.. I do appreciate it.

tbh the hands you mentioned I wasn't tilting.. I was experimenting and in the case of both KQ's... I 'seem' to get cbets raised a lot in 3bp.. and there are so many hands where I 3bt/ or shove a value hand and they fold... so I've started experimenting with weaker value hands sometimes.

The KJ was based on something that had just happened iirc. Think I wanted to put him in a tough spot with any hand and obv its hard to make tp.

the 34hh... what do you do if he makes it so small? and ur deeper than 100bbs? the problem with that hand is the river.. i think the rest of the hand is fine to get a stack. and clearly we were going to get it

[jgcblack]

really tightened up on the preflop stuff just now... worked well.

lost a bi.. but definitely played well.

had a couple of gross ones.... worst was bvb - JJ vs A5ss, 95xx5 and I raise/4bt pre, check, then bet small to induce.. he calls and check shove river... fml.

[Marky147]

The point here is pleno is supposed to coach me, this is what was agreed after we started.  When he was too busy and couldn't justify putting off life/ work/ personal stuff to coach me at 10/25nl and I believe the other guys in the group got less than expected.

I have a coach, and one that I think is pretty good at the pokers!

But I'm getting so little input from him, I rarely get a reply on skype/ facebook etc... but every now and then he fires up when he wants a railbird or fancys an opinion on a hand (who am i to judge... but i try and give him 'my understanding').

I said that late last year I would be up for going over to Gib for a week or so of intense pleno1 time, but both our lives and my finances at the time prevented such.  I'm still super keen to arrange it if he doesn't want to completely disown me as a friend, coach, staker after this.

Technically the money left in my stars account is mine as I couldn't get money out and so left it in, merged with the 'staking money'.  I have treated it as such and although this is clearly strange for me to 'pay' to play myself.. I want to play and want to grind and want to keep getting better!



As such, I'm going to put a small session in now.  I've had food, feeling fine despite the deserved comments on here... and I hope that anyone who's ever met me or had dealings in any way will know its not out of disrespect that I lost more than 4bi's in one day.. its because I lost, stopped, felt good and restarted!

It would have been easy to topup and not tell anyone... HEM wouldn't know.. neither would anyone else...

Guess I'm just a glutton for punishment.

I can definitely understand that,  it's no doubt frustrating, but Pleno being a hero like he is was no doubt confident he could juggle a million balls at once and then realised down the line there are only 24 hours in a day.

I get that you do have a coach, nobody is under any illusions and we all know Pads is an exceptional poker player and I would consider it a right touch to have him as a coach, as you do. Reading between the lines here, but from reading Pad's posts in other threads he is bang under it with his fingers in so many different pies. I imagine that coaching is unfortunately the thing which has had to be forsaken by him in order to ensure he can maintain focus on work etc.

I actually didn't think he was coaching you anymore, I thought he was just staking you and the public dissections were just something for your diary because that's how you roll.

LOL... When I mentioned Eastenders, I didn't mean for you to allude to an Eastenders style ending to you doing a bunch of buyins. I'm pretty sure Pads won't disown you over a heavy losing day though JB.

I always used to do the 'had a break and I feel fine now', sit down play a few hands, lose a pot and the subconscious tilt would be bubbling not far beneath the surface. I would start 3/4betting too much, peeling more, generally just getting stubborn and before I knew it I had lost more without really knowing how.

Now I'm not saying that's you for a second, but looking at what Callum has said, it seems you obviously suffer something similar and maybe just sub-consciously spew more when on the chase.

I don't know you as well as the others, but I think you're a great lad that is straight as an arrow and I don't think you have a bad bone in your body. I would hazard a guess the not stopping is just a byproduct of being so competitive and wanting to win so badly.

This 100% was not a 'Bash John Black' attempt by myself, not in the first post and definitely not in this one either. Apologies if that's how it comes across JB, but it's not my intention at all <3

[jgcblack]

no worries bro.. ive got thick skin.

thanks.