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
Variance is a part of poker that most players view only as a negative thing. In truth variance is neither a negative or positive thing. It is just one aspect of the game, when it is going in our favor, we call it good luck. Most often however, players only acknowledge and look at variance when it is going against them.
We have all been there when nothing seems to be going right, nothing at all and we hit a major downswing, it can really make a player question their game, and wonder what if anything they are doing wrong. We ask ourselves questions like, Have I suddenly forgotten how to play this game? Have I developed a leak? Has another regular at the tables discovered a tell I do not know I have? What am I doing wrong? Am I actually doing anything wrong?
The list of questions goes on and on. You all know what I am talking about, we have all been there. The only way to get through is to take a small break and get your head together then once you have reclaimed your mental belief in yourself and acknowledged that it is just a cycle of the game to dealt with you can then set about to play through it.
Most players who I have spoken with about variance all agree the only way to get past it is to put in the time to get some volume down. Volume will over time always smooth out the bumps of a downswing. A good solid player will over time, always turn short term loses caused by negative variance around.
Have faith in yourself and remember the fundamentals and you should be fine.
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 27th, 2014.
Day 1, Monday 27/01/2014
Well day 1 of the challenge was a true test of my resolve to play within the rules.
I had a very bad start to the challenge. There was a point when I was down $12.78
I took a full 1 hour break before going back at it.
Day 1 of the challenge left me down just - $2.36 US
Day 2 of the challenge left me down just - $0.67 US
Day 3 of the challenge and I finished up $1.18 US
Day 4 of the challenge and I finished up $3.85 US
Day 5 of the challenge left me down after $38.62
Day 6 of the challenge left me down just $23.46
Day 7 of the challenge left me down just $2.03
Yes I made back another $21.41 today. I did some grinding and played my "A" game. I made some moves that worked out and some that did not but I kept my cool and over the day I got the job done.
I am basically down one $2 buy in. I should get that back tomorrow with ease, then it is onward and upward from there.
Be cool mates. Tomorrow will be a better day.
Section 3: The daily rant.
I am amazed at how people in general do not feel the need to call ahead before just showing up out of the blue. It used to be considered rude to just show up without calling ahead to see if a person already had plans. Nowadays it seems everyone just expects others to just dropped whatever they are doing to cater to their needs, wants, needs, and desires.
I would like to know just when did this seeming universal shift in attitude occur?
I know that many people consider change to be good. I would also like to point out that just because something can do done does not mean that it should be. If the old ways that worked so well were are not broke, then why the heck did the old ways get abandoned so easily?
Remember the old adage, if it ain't broke, then don't try and fix it?
Courtesy was not a broken concept, so why did everyone decide it needed changing in today's fast paced modern world. I know most people these days feel it is better to ask forgiveness then to ask permission.
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 2: part #3
Steve Cole was looking down at Ace Queen of spades in late position. There was only one caller in front of him who had just raised the minimum. Steve chose to raise the pot to five big blinds in the hopes of just stealing the blinds, or worse case scenario isolating the number of callers to just one. Both blinds folded and the initial raiser just called.
The flop hit the board as follows, King of clubs, 8 of clubs, 5 of hearts.
It was no help to him at all as he had completely missed the flop. It was time for a continuation bet to try and find out where he was in the hand. Steve did not even get the chance as the other player raised six big blinds before he got to act. He decided the guy must have hit the King of flopped a set with a mid range pocket pair. Since he truly felt he was behind it was an easy fold for him to make.
The next 17 hands were all crap and all of them were folded preflop. Steve always hated going card dead so after almost thirty minutes with nothing to play it was a joy to see a pocket pair of red Jacks. The first player to act raised the bet by 2.5 big blinds and then a short stack shoved all in. Thinking about thing he decided to call as the raise was barely 4 big blinds. The initial raiser thought about it for about ten seconds before calling.
The flop hit the board as follows, 9 of hearts, Jack of spades, 5 of clubs.
Steve smiled to himself and was very pleased with his set. The player to act ahead of him raised fifty percent of the pot and Steve jammed his entire stack into the middle going all in with his set of Jacks. He got instantly called by a player called "Ronin Harper" who showed a pair of pocket 9's. It was a set nailing a set and Steve was delighted to see he was 99% to win.
The turn and flop did not help either of them so Steve won the hand and "Ronin Harper" was eliminated completely as was the other player from the United Kingdom.
The next hour went by without any major wins or loses and to his surprise when Steve opened up the lobby on the break he was already in the money and running alright. In general he was above the chip average and feeling good about his overall play in the tournament(to be continued).
During the break he used the washroom and the release of his bladder felt wonderful and it made him sigh with relief. The fire place needed another couple pieces of hardwood added on top, and having completed that task Steve grabbed a bag of beef jerky and a can of Lays Stackers Cheddar flavor along with a cold bottle of coke.
He was back in front of his computer just as the tournament resumed and he was looking at pocket crap which he folded. Something was bothering him but he could not seem to figure out what it was exactly. The feeling that he was in danger had been creeping up on him slowly for hours. Over the years he had learned to trust his instinct and dispite his mind telling him nobody know where he was he felt like something or someone was watching him.
Steve decided to trust his gut and just logged out of his poker account and shut down his computer. The unit hanger was attached to the cabin
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 will not be great, as I was in a lot of pain, my back is out and can barely move at all. Looking at the day ahead, I think I probably will take in more calories then I exercise 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.
The journey continues...
My food intake over the last two days has been both bad and good. I have been eating more vegetables over all. I truly think I have eaten less calories then I have burned off through both my exercise rates and basic metabolic rate. I believe if I can keep things under control for a few months like this then I will lose weight and feel better for sure.
Well on Thursday afternoon my friend came over and we ending up ordering in both lunch and supper. Lunch was a combo from A&W and supper was a 12" pizza from Luna. Lot's of calories from both fat and sugar. I am sure that I blew away a week's worth of hard work. If that was not bad enough my friend Sterling dropped off a 1kg bag of soft black licorice from Costco to me, and OMG it was so damned good I could not stop eating it. So now I think I have just regain two weeks worth of progress in 2 days.
Feeling lower then pond scum right now, I am depressed at my lack of will power and upset with myself for giving in to my food cravings. Starting over sucks, but it is what I must now do starting right now. I have been up all night and just finished eating too much macaroni. Now all I want to do is sleep.
I was up all night playing cards and watching Netflix now i'm completely exhausted.
