The MTT Life

Life of an online MTT Player

Playing online MTT’s can be one of the most frustrating games that a poker player can experience. They can also be the most rewarding, there is just nothing like being at a final table competing for a top finish and top payout as well.

Here are a few things to keep in mind if you are going to play MTT’s.

1). MTT’s like life, are NOT fair:

*You can play mistake free for hours and then lose a standard coinflip/race or get coolered AA>KK or flop a set and get bad-beat by back door straights and flushes and min-cash or bubble and not even cash at all.

*You can also see really bad players win a lot of tournaments/money that you are better than. Worst of all, these things can and will happen over large stretches/samples of games.

2.) MTT Variance is nasty:

*The very best online MTT players go through many ups and downs. The “swings” as they are called can last for thousands of games of losing or breakeven before a top finish can put them back up again. The best players understand this and are able to keep playing good volume and keep playing at or near their optimal game even when they are losing money daily for long periods of time.

3.) MTT’s can be rewarding:

*The rewards both financially as well as psychologically can be tremendous in MTT’s. For me there is no better feeling then being at that Final Table competing for a win, it’s is like no other feeling.

Here are a few suggestions if you intend to be an MTT player and wish to be successful doing so:

· -Join a teaching site and watch many videos of winning players. While they all will play different and some even poorly it is good to see and understand the mental approach that winning MTT players have and you will pick up on this in these videos.

· -Surround yourself with other winning MTT grinders. Group chat on SKYPE, AIM etc… share hand histories and discuss strategy daily.

· -Humble yourself daily, no matter how good you are or think you are you need to always have an open mind in the examination of your game.

· -Last, As the late great Jim Valvano said: “Don’t give up, Don’t ever give up !” Winners never quit and quitters never win, it is really that simple.

Samurai Slashes the micros

I won two micro tournaments this week on PokerStars; The $4.40/6k GTD for $1200 and the $5.50/ 2R1A for $2200.....

This puts my opr at $100k + cashes with over $20k profit in 7,145 games played. Here is my opr link to my stats if interested: http://www.officialpokerrankings.com/pokerstars/SamuraiPlaya/poker/results/3D731C99C4A149FA892DA70435ABECBB.html?t=2


With 10 days to go in the year 2010 I must say that I am at least content with my play, effort and results in Tournaments this year. Cash game play on the other hand is a whole different story sadly enough :(

I am going to finish out the year with a decent bit of volume in S&Gs and will maintain Platinum status on Stars for the third consecutive month.

I hope to have a few more blog entries before the end of the year. Have a great day on & off the felt :)

PS: I was told last week that I have a young follower of my blog, the 10 year old son of my friend Zach... His name is Addison, according to his Papa he is quite a player at "Magic the gathering" and also has a decent understanding of NL Omaha H/L S&Gs as this is one of his dad's games of choice... Just want to shout out to him; Merry Christmas Addison and keep being a good Kid :-)

The little train that could

The Man Who Thinks He Can
If you think you're beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you would like to win, but think you can't,
It's almost a cinch you won't.

Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man;
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.

Walter D. Wintle




We learn this principle when we are children, yet through the years we start to doubt ourselves and forget. It is truly simple, if you believe that you can, you most likely will.

Have a great day everyone :-)

Poker update:

It is almost the end of 2010 and while I have not quite accomplished all of my goals for this year I definitely have become a better player.

Actually, I have grown in other areas of my game as well such as understanding and coping with swings/variance and dealing with my emotions. For me it will always be a daily battle but a battle I believe I can have victory over with continued commitment to working hard at it.

I will make at least 1 or 2 more posts before 2010 ends. Have a great day on & off the felt....

Believe it, Speak it, Have it

The bible clearly teaches throughout the scriptures that our words not only have a powerful psychological effect in our lives but they also have a direct effect in our lives.

If you want something just speak it into existence:

"Speak those things that are not as though they were" Romans 4:17

"whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." Mark 11:22-24

Here is a link to a great article explaining this principle in greater detail. http://www.speakfaith.com/articles/why_speak_your_faith.html

Lately in my Poker life I have been speaking more positively about myself and my potential results and last night I made 2 final tables :-)

God's word is amazing and powerful and full of truth and wisdom, Than you Lord .....

Change

"If I always do what I always did, I'll always get what I always got"
unknown

I think it is widely accepted that true change and growth is one of the most difficult things for adults to accomplish. We get "set in our ways" and change becomes almost impossible it seems.

One piece of wisdom that the above quote illustrates to us is that in order to change and grow we most certainly cannot keep doing the same things we do and expect different results.

In order to change we need to mix up our routines, make deep commitments, make a plan and then most of all when we fail or stumble never ever ever give up......

gl with whatever changes you are striving to make today in yourselves :-)

Habits

"I will form good habits and become their slave"
Og Mandino

"In truth, the only difference between those who fail and those who succeed lies in the difference of their habits."

We all have good and bad habits, this is just the way of our nature. Many of our habits are products of our environment and our heredity.

However, the real key to achievement is being able to select and develop those habits of our own choosing that fit our goals and dreams. According to author Og Mandino we can train ourselves through repetition to form new habits. I agree.

It certainly is difficult to break old habits or form new ones that will improve us but it can be done. With a lot of hard work and a little time we can all form new habits such as eating right, exercising, reading or whatever else may increase our edge in fulfilling our dreams and golas.

Have a great day :-)

Endure

Abraham Lincoln




Abraham Lincoln

* 1816: As a teen his family was forced from their home, he had to work full time to support them.

* 1818: His mother died.

* 1831: He failed in business.

* 1832: He ran for State Legislature and lost.

* 1832: lost his job.

* 1833: Borrowed money from a friend to start a business, by years end was bankrupt and spent 17 years paying the debt off.

* 1835: The sweetheart of his youth died while they were engaged.

* 1836: Had a nervous breakdown and was bed ridden for 6 months.

* 1839: Sought to be Speaker of the house and was defeated.

* 1843: Ran for Congress and lost.

* 1854: Ran for Senate and lost.

*1860: Elected Presidant of the United States.

The life of one of the greatest Americans ever, President Abraham Lincoln teaches us a lot. He failed over and over again including suffering many tragedies outside ones' control and yet he never fuly gave up. And the rest, as they say is history.....

Recently I have been failing at my daily grind at the tables. No matter what I play or when I cannot seem to do well. I will however keep working hard and refuse to quit.

Thanks for all you did Mr. Lincoln, not only in service to this Nation but in how you lived your life. You left behind a great example and one I hope to learn from.

Right makes might

"You only have to do a very few things right in your life so long as you don't do too many things wrong." ~ Warren Buffett



One of worlds most successful and wealthy businessman and philanthropist Warren Buffet makes a great point here. We obviously need to do things right in order to succeed, but sometimes more importantly we need to not do other things wrong.

In my daily journey at the tables I can do so many things well and yet if I do a few things poorly I will lose badly. This principle indeed applies in our lives more than we realize.

Definitely something we should keep in mind and have a great day :-)

Poker Update/Notes:

I am now learning a new game; Pot-Limit Omaha short handed(6-max). I am setting a goal of 4k hands/per day the rest of this year(2010)... updates on progress to follow soon.

Dont Be Afraid

“Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.”

Peter T. Mcintyre

In my daily work at the tables I am often faced with situations where the correct move is not always clear. I have learned however that I do better in the longrun by sometimes trying new things that do not always work out every time. However, as long as I am willing to to not fear making a mistake I learn from each attempt and improve over time.

We need to learn that we cannot always be right when we explore the unknown, but we will learn each time we step out there and try.

Heart

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." Oliver Wendell Holmes

Sometimes I struggle daily with motivation and belief in myself. After happening upon the above quote it reminded me that I already have all I need to achieve anything and it lies right within me.

Sometimes we doubt ourselves and question our own worth and all the while we have everything we need within us to accomplish whatever we want in life.

So have a great day and believe in yourself.....


Poker Update/Notes:

I switched to the full time cash game grind as opposed to the tournament schedule at the beginning of October. So far the transition has been tough. Having conversations with some other tournament players like my friend Julian Rodriguez (Jaeh00d on PokerStars) who have made similar transitions have assured me that at first it is very normal to not do well.

So far, after approximately 45,000 hands of $25NL Full Ring NL-Holdem I am losing at about (-) 2bbs/100. My long term expection and goal is to win at (+) 2bbs to 5bbs/100 over 200,000 hands and then move up to $50NL.

I hope to accomplish this by mid December. I have a lot of work to do and a long ways to go but I know that I have within me what it takes to succeed....

Who is really "Due"

Oh ya, He was "due" !@!

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act but a habit"
Aristotle.

In certain circles around my poker acquaintances and friends the term "due" has become quite actually a pop culture term or phrase that describes a person who has succeeded or become successful at something such as winning a poker tournament for a lot of money when clearly others are better players or have played more or worked harder.

Example: A player who is an unknown plays the weekly Sunday Million major tournament online and happens to win it for $200k dollars, they would sarcastically say: "he was due".. Or outside of poker in real life, a woman is rear-ended by a wealthy celebrity while driving. To avoid media attention the celebrity pays this woman a large sum of money in order to keep it private. People would say: "she was due"....

So, who is really "due" in life ? Are the poor and meek destined to remain poor ? Are the wealthy entitled to keep their inheritance ? Is or should life be judged by these worldly materialistic standards ?

I do not claim to be able to answer all of those things, but what I have learned is that Aristotle was correct. We may or may not be able to become wealthy or acheieve the worlds standards of excellence. However, by working hard in any area of our life we can train ourselves through habit to achieve success.

So, I have committed myself to stop worrying about the "dueness" of others and to focus on the areas of my own life that need work and improvement.

I promise that if you will do the same, you too just might find yourself "due".....

Remember

I still remember where I was the day the 9/11 attacks happened.

9 years later I would just like to say that I still pray for the families that lost so much that day.

I still believe that America is a land of opportunity and that the Lord will continue to bless us.

I will continue to work hard and finish this year with a great effort.

Have a great day and great finish to 2010 everyone :)

"Passion + Work Ethic + Good Decision Making = Win Win "
Dick Vitale








One of my favorite speakers is the famous Dicky V. He speaks so much about passion. It is pretty obvious that in order to succeed we need effort, a plan, natural talent, a little help from others and a little luck sometimes. But the one thing we usually leave out when we think of very successful people is the passion that they have for whatever they do.

We can have all the talent and skill and opportunity but without the passion to drive us we will likely never achieve great things.

I am on the last couple days of a week off from my daily poker Grind. One thing that I have certainly realized is that I truly love to compete at the game of poker. I truly enjoy the daily grind where I not only compete with opponents but with myself.

I truly have a passion for this game and I believe that this passion will help me to succeed at my goals.

I wish all of you success and enjoy whatever it is that you have a passion for. Be thankful and humble and work hard and you too will succeed. :)

The Rest of this year

"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude."
Thomas Jefferson

My goals are simple for the rest of the year:

1) play 5k games minimum on Stars @25% ROI +
2) lose 100 lbs by Dec 31
3) continue to work hard and improving and learning in attaining all wisdom

I believe that with much continued hard work I can attain my goals. I believe in myself and I believe in the power and grace of my Lord Jesus Christ.

I wish all of you success in the quest to achieve your goals as well.

Heroes

Heroes

It has been said that you cannot know another man until you "walk a mile in his shoes". So I can honestly say that if I were born with out of this world athletic ability, born to grow 6-9" and 250 lbs +, drafted by my hometown team and worshiped by everyone I honestly believe that I would have stayed in Cleveland if I were LeBron James.

In fact I know I would. I once played the game of basketball too yet I was not gifted quite as LeBron was. I also was born and raised in Cleveland Ohio and grew up here seeing how important that heroes are needed in this area.

I just want to send a message to all of you who are like me that are so disappointed and hurt today. Don't allow they LeBrons of the world to destroy your hopes in heroes, there still are heroes out there and even perhaps you could be or are already one to someone else.

My Mom and Dad for instance are true heroes to me. People who were also not quite gifted with abilities like LeBron James yet never ever ever wavered in loyalty to their family no matter what decisions they were faced with or how tough times got.

We all have people like this in our lives and we may need to look to them today for inspiration and hope on a day like today.

Through not only the news of this but some other trying times in my own personal life I have come to learn something about myself. And that is that instead of allowing my disappointment in others to make me angry or bitter, I will use their mistakes to motivate myself and learn.

What I have mostly learned through this is that the this world needs heroes now more than ever. The depressed area of Northeast Ohio needs heroes but they must be the right kind of heroes. We need leaders and businessmen & women who are here for more than just profit and self interest.

I vow to use whatever time I have left to work harder than I have ever worked in my life to do something with myself that will inspire others. We can all be heroes to someone, and unlike LeBron lets make are choices based on something a bit more than what is according to him "Just business".

Have a great day Cleveland, at least Football season is close :)

The Road Not Taken

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost

This poem is well known by many and has true meaning in my recent poker life. I have had a nice start to the year and with that success I was faced with some decisions.

I was given a few opportunities to travel, go to Vegas and a couple other Live poker trips. Yet, instead I decided to take the conservative choice. To save my money, to stay home and continue to grind long and hot hours in my room that has no AC.

For I truly believe that this decision to commit and to work harder than ever will lead to better things. How easy it would be to take some of my personal $5k roll and book a flight or Bus to Vegas and go have a great time meeting my friends and heroes, yet making the harder decision as Frost says I trust "will make all the difference".

Many times in our life we face difficult choices, and it is not always the easy choice that will lead to us reaching our goals. Sometimes we must take the "road less traveled" if we truly hope to achieve our goals and dreams.

ALL Things

"All things are possible to him that believeth" Mark 9:23

That is my life's verse and my favorite verse from the Bible. I just want to give thanks to the Lord and my savior Jesus Christ who said that.

I have been working hard on my game and playing hard and putting in decent volume and I asked the Lord to bless my efforts and last night I had the 2nd best score of my online career in the $33 NL 18k GTD for $3.9k

I believe in my heart that all things are possible to those that have faith and then follow through in their actions by that faith. Thank you again Lord and to all of you who dare to dream please ask that God will bless your effort and then work steadfastly to bring Glory and Honor in all you do to the Lord.

Balance

Eastern Philosophy teaches that seeking a balance in life increases our ability to live in harmony. Lately I have been playing so much volume and putting in 12+ hours per/day I tend to neglect everything else. I am going to get back to sticking to a set schedule which will allow me to do the other things that are important to me as well..

We're more than half way through SCOOPs on Stars and I have a few deep runs but no final tables, let's get some run good deep in the last few days :)

sigh

It has been a whlie since my last blog. I currently am feeling so down that I needed to express myself as I feel I have no one to vent to. Today I was 1/18 in chips out of 5,000 players in the $5/20k on Stars $4k to first. I finished 10th for $150... I honestly feel like Sahundeeb must have felt when he retired from MTTs. I do not know when I will have the stomach to play again.

What does it mean ?

Excerpt from the movie: "The Last Samurai"





"I was surprised to hear that the word Samurai means "to serve". What does it mean to be Samurai, to devote yourself utterly to a set of moral principles. To seek a stillness of mind, and to master the way of the sword.

Spring 1877. There is so much here that I will never understand. I continue to live among these unusual people. Everyone is polite, everyone smiles and bows. But beneath their courtesy I detect a deep reservoir of feeling. They are an intriguing people. From the moment they awake they devote themselves to the perfection of whatever they pursue. I have never seen such discipline."


So you can see where I got my screen name. I would only hope that I could even come near being the poker player in work ethic and discipline that these unique people in history were in their daily lives.

I also believe that I play for more than just myself. I play for my family, I play for my Lord and Savior and I play for the love of the game.

Have a great day :)

All your Love

Just like the Appolo's trainer said: "You gotta give all your Love, all your hate, all you got"... if you want anything in life. Here's me working out trying to give my all to get in and keep in good condition.





I think it's pretty obvious that a balanced physical, mental, emotional and spiritual life leads to a better life. It is not easy, but you gotta give it your all.

Well back t work. Have a great & blessed day :)

"Sometimes you just feel tired. You feel weak, and when you feel weak you feel like you just want to give up. But you gotta search within you, find that inner- strength and pull that shit outta you. Get that motivation to not give up and not be a quitter no matter how bad you want to fall flat on your face."

"Till I Collapse"
Eminem



I can think of no other words so befitting a full time online poker grinder can use better then this excerpt from this Eminem song. I must admit that most of my life, especially after my athletic career was over that I fit the antithesis of this statement. When things get tough the easiest thing to do is quit. It is so easy to just make excuses and say things like: "I really didnt want this anyways"....

Being a full time poker player the daily challenge of wanting to give up can get overwhelming at times especially due to the very nature of the ups & downs of the game. I like to listen to this song and repeat these words everyday before I begin my days session. Not only is it motivating music, but it is also valuable words of wisdom.

So for all you Poker grinders out there, when times get tough dont give into the natural instinct to quit. Bare down and focus on your play and the results will come in time.

Grind Grind Grind

I am 1 min-cash in my last 60 games and running very poorly over my last 150 games.

Gonna 9 - 12 table 4/180 MTT-S&Gs the rest of the week and try vigorously to avoid a reload...


Runs like these always get me in the blues, but some of the things I am doing is helping me keep my focus.

Just have to play through it.

Think like a Winner

I read a nice list yesterday on 6 steps to think like a winner. Psychology has taught us that winning is not a random result but a result of how a person views life. There very thoughts are played out in their actions.


Enjoy :)

1. Whatever challenges you face, focus on the future rather than the past. Instead of worrying about who did what or who is to blame, focus on where you want to be and what you want to do.


2. Whenever you're faced with a difficulty, focus on the solution rather than on the problem. Think and talk about the ideal solution to the obstacle or setback, rather than wasting time rehashing and reflecting on the problem.


3. Assume that something good is hidden within each difficulty or challenge. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale used to say, "Whenever God wants to give us a gift, he wraps it up in a problem."


4. Assume that whatever situation you are facing at the moment is exactly the right situation you need to ultimately be successful.


5. In every challenge, look for a valuable lesson. Assume that every setback contains a lesson that is essential for you to learn.


6. Whenever you have a goal that is unachieved, a difficulty that is unresolved, or a problem that is blocking you from getting where you want to go, sit down with a pen and paper and make a list of every single thing that you could possibly do to resolve the situation.

Time to bring out the Balboa in myself

The first few weeks of this year I really did not put the kind of effort I know will be required for me to succeed. Now that my Dad is doing better I will be able to focus more.

Here is my plan for 2010. I have solid backing by a good friend and excellent player Brad McFarland(philivey6922-Stars mustbeniceimo-FTP).

SamuraiPlaya 2010 plan on PokerStars

(minimum)15,000 games played:

* 5,000 180-max MTT/S&G's (15-20 per/day based on 5-day week)
- 4,000(x) $4.40/180's
- 750(x) $11/180's
- 250(x) $22/180's

* 3,500 90-max MTT/S&G's (15-20 per/day based on 5-day week)
- 2,500(x) $2.20/90's
- 1,000(x) $5.50 - $11/90's

* 3,500 27/45-max S&G's (5-8 per/day based on 5-day week)
- 3,500(x) $3.40 - $11/ 27-max & 45-max non turbo S&G's

* 3,000 MTT's -all GTD's & rebuys (10 per/day average based on 6-day week. Bulk will be played in a one day Saturday or Sunday all MTT slate each week)
- 3,000(x) $3.30 - $22 GTD MTT's on Stars

*Daily Monday thru Friday will be 80% S&G's, 20% MTT's. Saturday or Sunday will be a strictly MTT day whereby I will play anywhere from 15-25 MTTs
with total buy-ins from $150 - $250. One day per/week will be set aside to rest.

SUMMARY:
Total games = 15,000 (minimum) (approx 50 games per/day based on 6-day week)
- 80% 27-max thru 180-max non turbo S&G's
- 20% GTD MTT's including reb's on Stars(Tournies on FTP/UB will be added periodically as agreed by both parties)
- ABI will aprox = $10 per/game (the goal is to play the above 15k games for entire calender year 2010)
- BR required = $5,000 gives us a minimum 500 buy-ins
- bonuses for backer(s) include all FPP will be put into sattelites and/or direct buy-ins whereby backer(s) get 50/50 prizepool.
- bonuses for backer(s) include first opportunity at all my SCOOP/WCOOP/WSOP/FTOPS/CASH game.
(will discuss moving some profits/bankroll to FTP and UB to take advantage of the hiigh value tournies sites as the bankroll increases)
- expectation will be anywhere between $20k and $50k profit based on a minimum 25% ROI across all games.


I have implemented a few personal rules I will be following for the next few months that I was inspired by the Lord through meditation and prayer to implement:

* I will only look at my results and cashier once per/week at weeks end when I send staker update.

* I will not follow others results, I need nothing outside of focusing on my own game in order to give myself the best chance to succeed.

* I will not engage in social things during the week when I play such as AIM, Skype etc... I need ALL my focus to be centered on my chores, my prayer, exercise/workout, and my own play at the tables.

* As a wise man once said: "the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing". I think in the past I have forgotten that valuable piece of wisdom. This game is not a game to me, it is my life right now and my success or failure will be directly related to how much effort I put forth.

(The Poker Life) Monday Feb 22nd-2010

I am playing full time on PokerStars in 2010 for my entire income. Although my average buy-in will be $10 or less it still qualifies me as a pro playing full time. The smaller buy-in only makes it more difficult to prosper well and almost impossible unless I play a really hi volume amount of games.

So far after 3 weeks I have played about 325 games which is behind pace by 1/3. Even so at this lesser pace I have started out on a 40 buy-in downswing .

The Poker life is a difficult one that often leaves us lonely, stressed and even question our own abilities and confidence at times. I will do as I was taught all my life by the greatest people I know, my parents, and that is to get up day after day and continue on no matter what. As one of my favorite quotes dictate: "I will persist until I succeed" Og Mandino