The Well: MLG (11.29.06)

[aejones]

[ QUOTE ]
hojo,
if you are able to beat the games, nlcash is the best way to go imo.


[/ QUOTE ]

QFT

However, with it getting a little harder to beat NL these days (since the Party closings, etc.), I was thinking that donkamenting would be good to do well since in a year live donkaments will probably be pretty sick soft, while online poker may cease to exsist.

Because of that, could you just read this thread becuase I'd love your opinion on some of the things in there. Thanks.

[MLG]

nath,
Ive played poker with friends since HS, and I was always one of the best couple of players. my sr year of hs I picked up lee jones's book, and started learning some stuff. I didnt play much my freshman year at college, but soph. year, I met some friends who were similarly into learning to get good. to varying degress 5 or 6 of us became quite good (including two guys who were crushing pp 10/20 for over 5ptBB/100 before they closed). I started playing online feb. of my jr year. I deposited 200, and ran it up to 400 playing sngs. then I played a $50 tournament and made top 3 and chopped it up. I took out 1k, and kinda went from there. By that summer though I was down to 200 online although I had joined 2+2 during a boring summer internship and my understanding of the game was clearly improving. One weekend, all sorts of things coincided. My gf was away, and i won two seats into the stars weekend 200. So i decided to take a flyer and play one. It also happened to be the same day my mother got out of the hospital after a three week or so stay due to complications from chemotherapy (she is fine and healthy to this day). I hit a 3 outer in the first hour, and then won every single 40% EV or higher spot the rest of the way and chopped for first for 56k or so. And the rest as they say is history. Since then Ive won the Stars sunday again, FTed the party sunday twice, and the UB sunday twice.

I think that my big moments in poker were kind of subtle. Ive always instinctively gotten the idea of aggression so it was kind of a process of formalizing my understanding of where my equity is coming from...and consequently when i needed to put on the brakes. Thats a much easier extreme to come from than being too conservative.

As for your holes. I think sometimes you are too concerned with playing your style. Specifically I think there have been some hands you have posted where you call flop raises in spots which i think are rediculously spewy.

[colson10]

How'd you find your way to 2+2?

Why don't you play poker professionally?

What does your job entail, specifically? Or what will your "soon to be" job require of you?

How long do you see yourself at that job?

Are you religious?

Who is the best MTT player that you've encountered in the world of live high stakes tournaments.

Who are the top 5 players you'd least like to see at your table in a WPT event?

Who are the top 5 players you'd least like to see at your table in the Pokerstars Sunday Million tournament?

What is your dream job?

What's your plan for where you live in the future, as in where do you want live in the future, or raise a family?

What in your background has added to you being a good poker player?

Who's your favorite band?

[RichC.]

[ QUOTE ]
evg,
poker isnt your poker problem. you'd be really good if you approached poker either like a business to make money, or a game to win (and by win I mean make the right play). i dont get the feeling you do, and you end up way too invested which isnt healthy. we've all been there, but its stll unhealthy.

[/ QUOTE ]

MLG, Can you elaborate on this a bit more? I think this is my problem as well.

[nath]

[ QUOTE ]
As for your holes. I think sometimes you are too concerned with playing your style. Specifically I think there have been some hands you have posted where you call flop raises in spots which i think are rediculously spewy.

[/ QUOTE ]
I'm getting better at this. Playing live helps me a ton ... online it's so easy to just click the damn call button and not really care because it's what I do and hey I'll just start another one if I'm wrong. Plus it's me and OMG everyone bluffs me because I'm so aggressive. It's too easy for me to play head games with myself.

I noticed I didn't do any of the stupid stuff today playing live. That's a good sign.

Anyway, this isn't my well. I'll try to think of something else good while you're down there.

[MLG]

ae,
having read that thread briefly I feel like it boils down to MTTs shortstackedness makes for awkward stack sizes a lot. This is true, and there isnt much you can do about it. you will end up in no win spots sometimes no matter how hard you try to avoid it. I know im kinda not giving it the attention it needs, and I (like ansky said he would) will try and actually post something more comprehensive in the thread itself sometime when im not doing this.

[aejones]

no prob, going from cash to MTTs even for a short time as an experiment is just a lot like bashing your head against a wall

[MLG]

How'd you find your way to 2+2?

back of one of the books, I forget which one.

Why don't you play poker professionally?

I never wanted to do this forever, and I have a real fear of waking up one day being 30 and regretting the time I spent playing poker.

What does your job entail, specifically? Or what will your "soon to be" job require of you?

Im not entirely sure. I will hopefully (if my first choice comes through) be the assisstant to the founder of a very small company. I imagine a decent amount of crappy copying and coffee getting, but also research for marketing and bussiness ventures as well as being the Jr. person in some high level meetings. We'll see though.

How long do you see yourself at that job?

I have no idea.

Are you religious?

I was a pretty active reform jew in HS. college beat it out of me a little. I consider my self religios, but not practicing if thats possible.

Who is the best MTT player that you've encountered in the world of live high stakes tournaments.

Eric Lindgren or maybe P. Antonius.

Who are the top 5 players you'd least like to see at your table in a WPT event?

Edog, Antonius, Carlos Mortensen, The Grinder, Negreanu (although Ive only played like 3 hands with him)

Who are the top 5 players you'd least like to see at your table in the Pokerstars Sunday Million tournament?

You, Ozzy, and Matros come to mind. There are probably a dozen others but Im not gonna try and list them because I'll leave somebody out.

What is your dream job?

I have no idea--I wish I did.

What's your plan for where you live in the future, as in where do you want live in the future, or raise a family?

I love NYC for now. And I dont imagine living permanently outside the northeasy.

What in your background has added to you being a good poker player?

I think my college education which was writing and critical analysis intensive in Econ, Gov and History gave me both a good fundamental background, but also the ability to make lots of ideas transparent that other people struggle with. Also, I feel like I just naturally have an ability to assimilate a wide variety of information in a decision making process.

Who's your favorite band?

U2.

[MLG]

Rich,
I think a lot of players become much too invested in poker. That is, they have too much of an emotional investment in outcomes. Realistically it happens to all of us, but its important to keep in mind why you play poker. If you are playing becuase its fun and you enjoy the challenge then the emphasis should be on making correct decisions. I honestly enjoy getting involved in a difficult hand that I have to think about, even if i make a mistake (or make the right decision and lose the pot anyway). Its easy though to slip and think that because you perceive yourself as "good" or "better" you deserve to win. Thats just not the case. There is no deserve in poker. Thats a pretty important concept, and if you cant swallow it poker will kill you. thats what i mean by being too invested, feeling like you deserve to win because you play well. you dont. when you take up poker seriously part of the bargain is throwing the word deserve right out the window.

[mlagoo]

how gross did i play that AJo hand tonight? on a scale from 1-10.

what's your opinion on watches?

do you play table games?

do you have any vices?

do you have any leaks that you know of? if so, what are they? are you working to improve them?

do you review your hands regularly? if not, do you do any sort of poker "study" outside of 2p2/AIM? did you at any point (apart from the aforementioned college group)?

do you think you're a "natural"? to what extent do you think a player that doesn't naturally "get" the game (IE has a steep learning curve) can still be an excellent player?

do you really want to hurt me? do you really want to make me cry?