Welcome mobsters, if you are reading this blog for the very first time, I thank you for your initial interest. I think that if you give it a little time, you will find something that will peak your interest.
I am a semi-pro poker player and an author. I am currently working on several projects for publication, and will be discussing them on occasion in this blog. If you are a fan then I warn you, from time to time there will be spoiler book ideas discussed.
Section 1: Poker Tips & Concepts
Today's tip is a very important one for players who are constantly being forced to reload their bankrolls. You need to ask yourself some hard questions. Things you might not want to really face about yourself.
It is possible that you have really just been unlucky and that variance has just been totally kicking your teeth in repeatedly. However you might need to face the very real possibility that you have some major leaks in your poker game. If you are constantly losing money over a long time then you are a losing pla want to really face about yourself.
It is possible that you have really just been unlucky and that variance has just been totally kicking your teeth in repeatedly. However you might need to face the very real possibility that you have some major leaks in your poker game. If you are constantly losing money over a long time then you are a losing players.
If you want to turn things around the first thing you must do is admit that perhaps you need to rethink certain beliefs which you might hold dear about your poker skills. Perhaps you are not as good as you think. We all need to be willing to admit that we do not know everything. We all need to realize that the game of poker is always evolving and changing. What worked great 3 months ago my no longer work at all. Some fish do learn to get better at the game to stop losing so much money, some might have just stop playing all together or moved to another site.
Perhaps you need to start making better table selections as to whom to play against, If you notice the same regulars at your tables move to a new table, why fight against guys you know can perhaps outplay you or have notes on your playing style which gives them a better chance against you.
The point I am trying to make is this, even if you think you are not doing anything wrong, the people you are playing against might be doing alot more things better. Look at the possibilities and adjust your game accordingly.
Be prepared to face hard and honest questions and if you are lying to yourself then you got to stop immediately. Facing the truth can be the first step to turning things around and becoming a winning player again.
Until next time
Section 2: "Ronin's Bankroll Management Challenge"
Well this section is going to be familiar to the forum regulars as I have been running this section for awhile in the forums, It is about the single most important skill a poker player must have in their arsenal in order to be a successful winning player.
Bankroll Management has been estimated to be the single most neglected poker skill by almost 95% of all players. Countless books have been written on the subject, and yet most players most often just ignore the rules of proper bankroll management.
I too fall into this trap at times.
This section is intended to show how proper bankroll management can ensure that and good poker player who approaches his bankroll and poker play from a solid and disciplined position can succeed.
It also is intended to help me to remain focus and discipline in my own bankroll quest to succeed.
The 1st part of the year in 2014 will see me discussing heavily the results of a combined staking run between myself and a fellow mobster. (His name will be withheld to keep people from asking him for stakes which he does not need the grief from) The next 60 bankroll challenge will begin Monday January 20th,2014.
Section 3: The daily rant.
Well people who you care about can really be hard on the head at times. There are a few people in my life whom I truly care about but OMG the emotional blackmail and baggage which they put me through at times is really making me wonder if have personal relationships with them is even worth the trouble.
I am sure that all of you know people in your lives who only seem to call or come around when they want something. It is always something or another and they always need a shoulder to cry on. Just once wouldn't it be nice if people just called or came by to say hello without any ulterior motives.
Well until next time, be cool.
Section 4: The call of the Muse (Wednesday's)
This section will also be familiar to forum regulars. I am resurrecting Ronin's Short Story blog which I ran for a time. Yes mobsters I am going to write more poker based shorts here on BankrollMob.
I have decided to once again start writing in "The Bluff - A Poker Short Story".
I will re-post the entire story here in this new blog area along with a new section in the next few hours.
I apologize to Steve's fans for the long wait.
I hope you enjoy the new blog area.
The Bluff - A Poker Short Story
Chapter 1, Part #2
Steve's Pocket Kings had turned into a full house of Kings over fives. It was with a huge grin that he watched his winnings from the main pot slid his way, and he was chuckling at seeing the side pot slide to the small blind. The guy from France called Steve a damn luck box just before he got booted from the table. This made Steve smile all the brighter. The $146860 chips which just slid his way made him feel great, He was still short stacked, but this tournament was just what the doctor ordered in terms of a nice calm relaxing beginning to his two weeks leave time. Tomorrow afternoon he was supposed to meet the guys from his unit for a few beers and a bar-b-que but that was not until 4pm. There was only 118 players left in the tournament and he was currently ranked in 83rd place. He was already in the money and he felt relaxed and was having a great time.
The small blind was dealt to him and he woke up with pocket red Aces. The smile on his face got even wider as he seen the short stack at the table who was first to act shove all-in with his 43K in chips and the next three guys folded. The Button then called as well and Steve shoved his entire stack into the pot. The big blind folded as did the fellow from Canada, but the button called his shove and he had Steve's chip stack covered completely so his tournament was once again at risk.
The cards were then flipped over for all to see. The first guy who shoved all-in for 43K was from Mexico and he was bluffing with a Jack of hearts and the 5 of spades. The small blind turned over a pair of jacks a diamond and a club, which totally delighted Steve since there was now only one out for him, because one of his jacks was already dead.
The flop came out 3 hearts, 8 spades, Queen Clubs.
The turn card was an Ace spades and Steve was instantly out of his chair and dancing a little happy dance.
He stopped after the river card was dealt.
The River was a 2 of hearts.
Steve sat back down and gave the button player the finger, as his new chips slid into his stack he said, "Yea baby, who's your daddy now?"
He laughed and reached for his beer fridge to grab himself a nice cold beer to drink. The sound which the beer made when he opened the cap was heavenly to his ears. The first real cold beer to cross his lips in three weeks was about to grace him with its caress. It was proving to be a wonderful start to a two week vacation which he had been really looking forward too. His poker tournament had completely turned around, and he was truly hoping to go deep into the money, and with the poker Gods willing he might even make a final table. The lobby told Steve that the blinds just increased to level 33. The blinds were now going to be 8K/16K with a 2K ante.
Steve was now in great shape with $327720 in chips.The tournament had 938 entrants, but there were now only 74 left. The average chip stack was just $38027 which meant his $327720 in chips put him in 12th place over all. The next hour of game play had not exactly gone as planned, and Steve's attempt to loosen up his game play and steal some blinds by bullying the table only resulted in his splashing hard won chips away needlessly. His chip stack had fallen from its former height of glory down to $216592. He had lost with both pocket Aces and Kings when lesser pairs hit trips, and he even had a boat lose to quads but thankfully that time the player only had 27K in chips, so it was a very small loss of chips to a short stacked player who was now long gone. 38 players remained and he was now in 19th place over all. The one beer which he had allowed himself to enjoy might have helped him to loosen up to much, so he was not allowing himself another till the tournament was over.
The new hole cards which he was just dealt were a pair of 7's and he decided it was time to make a move again, so since he was in late position if the action in front of him was not to crazy he was going to 4-bet the sevens.
The fist to act was a Ukrainian player who did his standard 3 bet raise, he was then re-raised all-in by the chip leader a Canadian with $689756 chips, when it came for him to call, it was all Steve could do to fold immediately, or risk a foolish call on a whim. The sound of his unit beeper going off jarred him from the game. Looking quickly at the thing he reached for his phone and dialed the command team hot line. The line as always was answered on the first ring by the communications officer on duty.
Steve spoke into the phone receiver, "Lt. Steve Cole you beeped me."
The reply drained the blood from his face as he knew his tournament just ended.
Steve walked over to his computer and looked at his screen, then just shut it off with a regretful sigh. Turning unhappily he walked over to his closet and reached inside to grab his go bag which was always packed at the ready. He then stepped into his walk in closet and keyed his personal security code into his wall safe door. The familiar beep-click sounded, he opened the door to reach inside and retrieve his personal weapon and some cash, along with two spare clips of ammunition. He closed the safe and was headed to the door to pick up his bag along with his personal laptop computer when his beeper went off a second time and his heart leaped. He rushed to his phone filled with hope that it had just been a contact response readiness test.
The unit command line was again answered on the first ring, and he spoke into the phone, "Lt. Steve Cole you just beeped me again, I was about out the door."
The smile was back on his face as he was told to stand down, the assembly order had just been a communications test and now that everyone had checked in it was over. The watch commander wished him a good night and hung up. Steve happily replaced his go bag back into his closet and replaced his sidearm inside his wall safe. Once these two things were both accomplished he returned to his computer and turned it on and while it was starting up he grabbed himself another beer.
He spoke to himself, "Steve ole buddy you just dodged a bullet there and now the tournament is back on, clearly the poker Gods are on your side so you are meant to make the final table. You better not screw this one up as these types of gifts a rare."
Logging back into his account he took a deep haul off the beer and calmed himself as the tournament table reopened and he clicked that he was back. It appeared that six hands had gone by and he was now posting the big blind. He looked at his hole cards which were a Queen 5 off suit which he of course folded.
Steve was very satisfied with his current position in the tournament. There was only 14 players left now and he was sitting pretty in the 3rd place spot because of his sweet chip stack of $465232. The average chip stack of $201000 was a joke at this point because only four players had at least 200K or more in chips. The fact that six players could not afford the next round of blinds meant they were going to be making all in shoves with a very wide range of hands.
The final two tables both had seven players each on them. Steve was currently on the button and his holes cards were a nice looking pair of red queens. The first player to act moved all in with $37651 in chips and UTG+1 called with the minimum bet. The next players all folded around to Steve who decided to slow play his Queens and just flat called. The small blind folded and the big blind shoved all in for $97652 in chips. The player in the UTG+1 position ran his clock timer for a bit and then shoved in the last of his chips pre flop for $145231. Steve spoke to himself in order to process what he was thinking,
"Well this is interesting indeed all I got invested in this hand is the $40K big blind. There is three players all in pre flop and I got pocket Queens. I think at least one of them must have pocket Aces or maybe Kings. Well I did not get this far by acting as a table sheriff. I guess I will fold these queens and let them take each other out this time."
The decision having been made Steve folded his pocket queens; he then waited to see everyone's hole cards, and then the flop. The blinds were currently at level 40 and were as follows. The big blind was 40K; the small blind was 20K, with the antes of 5K.
It was going to be a three way pot and the players cards got turned over, Steve seen his read was spot on this time. The first player in the hand shoved with 9s 10s, while the play in UTG+! Showed a pocket pair 6h 6c, the big blind turned over a pocket pair as well King h & King c. So Steve was correct that his Queens would have been behind.
The Flop was 3h 8h Queen S, The Turn card was Ace h, The River card was a 10h
The big blind won the hand with a King high flush which would have beaten his Queen high flush. He was pleased to see that he had indeed made the proper read and fold which saved him chips. The next cards got dealt out and this time he was looking at a pair of pocket Queens again, a Queen clubs and a diamond.
Back to back pocket Queens which was a rarity for any player to get, and he did not like the idea of folding them pre-flop twice in a row.
So until later mates.
Section 5: The Escape
Welcome to what for me might very well be the most difficult section of the blog to write on a daily bases. In this section, I will attempt to keep a detailed food intake log, as well as an honest accounting of a daily exercise routine, which hopefully will move me steadily towards the goal of getting physically healthy.
In May 2013 I was admitted into hospital and they weight me at that time at the weight of 602 lbs. I spent 64 days in the hospital and during that time they had me on an 1800 calorie a day diabetic diet. On the day I was released from the hospital I was weighted at 542 lbs.
During the 1st month my weight climbed back upward to 158 lbs again.
I became very depressed about this and honestly just wanted to die. I could not see my life getting better and was constantly in extreme pain which required me to take a lot of pain medications just to stay somewhat functional.
I decided to lose weight even if it killed me. In October I began, and in November I was weighted at 536 lbs. I have not been weight since.
In December I completely went off the rails and I am convinced that I regained some weight back. I plan to get weight very soon in order to have a truer starting number to once again begin working from. I believe that I am right around 550 lbs again, I have a 74" waist and ware an 8X T-Shirt.
It is humiliating to admit these facts but I fell I must be honest with you all of why even bother with this section, my hope is that by making myself accountable to my fellow BankrollMob members that it will motivate me to succeed this time unlike past failures.
The exercise levels for the day were not great, as I was in a lot of pain. I did however walk to and from my door to my bed several times, and also did a small work out with hand weights. I also did some seated exercises. Looking back at the day, I think I probably took in more calories then I exercised away. Will do better tomorrow, I really need to work on my diet and exercise routine. I am at least being honest about what I have done, and realize I MUST do better. It all comes in baby steps and at least I am trying.
I am going to develop a better way of keeping the daily food intake log. I need to have a much better record of the calories which I am truly eating.
I have been working on this issue since the 1st of January, 2014 but I have not really been having as much success as I would like. I am thinking about counselling from a dietitian to get me food choices improved, going to do some investigation on YouTube about healthy eating.
Wanna blog for bankrollmob? Simply send an e-mail to [email protected] with a few words about yourself (Name, age, interests etc) along with a complete blog post (doesn't have to be a new one).
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