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The Well: Assassinato
Assassinato (Malta) 2,284 Posts. Joined 09-27-2006.
12-02-2008 8:07 PM
Locked

So for my 2000th post I decided I wanted to do something for the community, so I asked you guys what you wanted in a thread. The most popular thing seemed to be a well. For those of you who don't know what a well is, here's the most amusing description I've read...

A stranger is being shown around a village that he has just become part of. He is shown a well and his guide says "On any day except Tuesday, you can shout any question down that well and you'll be told the answer." The man seems pretty impressed, and so he shouts down, "Why not on Tuesday?" A voice from in the well shouts back, "Because on Tuesday, it's your day in the well."

So yeah, essentially, in this thread, I'll answer any question you have about playing professionally, the game, myself, or any random question you have that might not even to do with poker.

I also thought it'd be cool to introduce wells to Pocketfives, since on other forums other wells have been really eye-opening. You learn a lot of things about the people who play for a living that you otherwise would've probably never known.

For those of you who don't know me I've been playing professionally for a few years now. Before poker I grew up in a suburb of Seattle. Somebody introduced me to poker when I was 16 and I got hooked pretty quickly, playing every home game I could find. My home life wasn't exactly awesome at the time so I would work at Arby's or play poker most hours after school, just to kind of get away from my situation at the time.

I left my home during senior year of high school on pretty bad terms with my family, pretty broke. I went to Alaska and worked as a commercial fisherman, and came back home and moved to the actual city of Seattle. I worked there as a security guard, usually sleeping through my shift, and then came home to play SNGs all night.

My first month doing this I luckboxed two tournaments and made $7,000, put a few grand in the bank, and then quit my job. I haven't had a real job since.

I totally sucked at the start, running break even over 1,000 SNGs, and showing a -20% ROI over my first 1,000 tournaments on Stars.I started watching training videos though, and working on my game constantly, and slowly but surely I got better. I moved through SNGs, to tournaments, to cash games.

The last year I've focused more on the live circuit, playing poker in Ireland, the Phillippines, Korea, Brazil, Costa Rica, France, Hungary, Poland, Italy, Uruguay, China, and Germany.

I no longer live in Seattle currently. I lived in Korea off and on for a year with my girlfriend there, but eventually it didn't work out. I was gone 90% of the time for tournaments or something and Korea is just too far away from the European events.I'm currently residing in Malta, doing the EPTs, playing the tournaments online, and trying to take as much money as I can out of the European economy by playing on their sites. 

 

 
 
 

Assassinato (Malta) 2,284 Posts. Joined 09-27-2006.
12-02-2008 11:15 PM - In reply to
Locked

lookin for work: 

What hand is the hardest for you to play and why? Do you avoid playing it because of that or have you adapted?



Shit, there's no one specific hand. Maybe specific situations. Figuring out specific players. Really hard question to answer.



peterpjames (United States) 1,044 Posts. Joined 05-19-2006.
12-02-2008 11:18 PM - In reply to
Locked

 Do you play cash at Cake Poker as "meurtre"? If so we've played a lot of hands vs each other. I read on 2+2 that was your name there.


Nothingmaker (United States) 719 Posts. Joined 04-30-2007.
12-02-2008 11:21 PM - In reply to
Locked

What tools/programs do you use to analyze your game?  What is your schedule for studying versus playing (i.e. study before session or after)?

Thanks for doing this, and GL.


Assassinato (Malta) 2,284 Posts. Joined 09-27-2006.
12-02-2008 11:30 PM - In reply to
Locked

OGPokerman: 

After discovering what you know about poker at this level in your career, would you still go back and pursue this poker matrix?  Was the luck/variance what you anticipated?

Do you ever raise/fold with less than 10M? do you tighten up or lag reshove spectrum answers etc etc..

You described going from sngs to mtts to cash..and that was your path.  Would you have taken the same transition in the games? 

Do you think the new 90210 is worth watching and are the chicks hotter than the original?



In a second.

With 20 BBs or less I usually dont raise/fold, but there are specific situations its right. Some live tournaments I think you're leaving a lot of money on the table playing like that. Some regs are so afraid to reship into you, they assume you're only raising what you'll stack off with, they don't shove into you enough to make raise/folding unprofitable.

Yeah, I think I would've focused on cash a lot of earlier. Learning how to play flops, turns, and rivers gives you a huge edge against tourney donks whose minds freeze with 30+ BBs.

Lol, older chicks were hotter, just because when you're younger every chick seems hotter. Can't beat the nostalgia factor.

DntCaltACmBk (Canada) 993 Posts. Joined 08-11-2007.
12-02-2008 11:35 PM - In reply to
Locked

 Where do you get off being a nice guy when I thought you were a dick?

Cool thread.  I hope other pros emulate.


Assassinato (Malta) 2,284 Posts. Joined 09-27-2006.
12-02-2008 11:39 PM - In reply to
Locked

8888kush: 

 

Have you ever went busto? if so how many times?

Do you smoke mj?


Every other week when I played live. Never once I got online. Got really really close though a couple times.

How many pros do you think have never ever tried?

It's impossible in Malta, if I wanted to. It;s super illegal. In Korea it's like cocaine too. If you ever got caught with it you're just fucked.

Assassinato (Malta) 2,284 Posts. Joined 09-27-2006.
12-02-2008 11:42 PM - In reply to
Locked

sirswish6: 

whats the deal with mr burn's assistant waylon smithers? you know what im talkin about. 



lol

Assassinato (Malta) 2,284 Posts. Joined 09-27-2006.
12-02-2008 11:45 PM - In reply to
Locked

saxton82: 

What kind of relationship do you now have with your family?

If you all are cool now, at what point did things turn around?

*personal question, dont have to go into specifics obv*



My family and I are much better off now. My Mom is my biggest supporter. I call her from every live event, and she's always so optimistic I can't help but feel good. My Dad and stepfather love what I'm doing, and my sister is totally cool too. It wasn't always that good but we've learned to forgive each other for some things that happened, and I think we're much better off. It was probably one of the hardest things I've ever done, repairing things, but it's amazing how much better it feels to have your family behind you.

Assassinato (Malta) 2,284 Posts. Joined 09-27-2006.
12-02-2008 11:47 PM - In reply to
Locked

peterpjames: 

 Do you play cash at Cake Poker as "meurtre"? If so we've played a lot of hands vs each other. I read on 2+2 that was your name there.



You can find my name pretty easily there if you tried.



JustKLLinItQ (United States) 808 Posts. Joined 02-10-2008.
12-02-2008 11:52 PM - In reply to
Locked

Yo, Alex that would be cool if you went hunting and fishing with us, and maybe a sweat in the sweat house, what modern sauna's are designed after.  This is one of my favorite threads on P5's for sure, I wish more pro's would take the time, thanks Alex

gunitkracker 143 Posts. Joined 09-26-2008.
12-03-2008 12:04 AM - In reply to
Locked

link to the galfond well plz? i cant find it on 2+2

Mkind16 (United States) 3,552 Posts. Joined 08-07-2005.
12-03-2008 12:04 AM - In reply to
Locked

 New question:


Marry/boff/kill w/ Team Sweeden (Eisenhower, Tomgus, and Mendieta).  And no, u cant say "kill" to all of them cuz that's not how the game works.


xxjondxx (United States) 1,679 Posts. Joined 04-02-2007.
12-03-2008 12:18 AM - In reply to
21
Locked

 Who makes their screenname Eisenhower1 when they are from sweden?


K 2the ArmA (United States) 119 Posts. Joined 05-01-2007.
12-03-2008 12:30 AM - In reply to
Locked

You ever play at kenmore lanes or parker's?


bigsoxfan05 (United States) 179 Posts. Joined 11-22-2006.
12-03-2008 12:32 AM - In reply to
Locked

 Alex, between you and CJ's blog, hard work, and determination. I am finally breaking through in this game. I have such a huge passion to be great at this game. I want it more than anything. I just wanted to take this time to thank you for being a HUGE inspiration to me. We actually have common backgrounds, I had it kinda tough growing up (who doesn't , I guess) and was on my own at a early age. I am very proud of you making something big out of nothing. What doesn't kill us, only makes us stronger.


My question to you is actually non-poker related. How long can you leagally live in Malta for?? Can you stay as long as you want? Do you have to pay taxes to the US Government if you are not living here?

Best wishes dude =)

 
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