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October 2008 - Posts

• ADAPT, ADJUST, and OVERCOME

  By The Maven - Oct 27 2008, 02:45 AM

  It's been a great week since coming back from vacationing in good ol' Costa Rica.  As you might have already seen, I won my second Triple Crown this week...capping it off with a win in a $30 10,000 Guar on Cake Poker!  My first win on the site and I'm looking forward to many more in the near future.  I also ft bubbled a $100 $50,000 Guar on Cake recently.  Good things to come for sure (if you haven't signed up for Cake obv I'd recommend supporting p5s and getting your rake-back through them).   Everything's spot on right now, feeling great going into next week.  I have a grab-bag of points of information; hope you enjoy the post. Did you realize that testosterone levels in winners increases?  Just as the best time for a salesman to make a sales call is AFTER MAKING A SALE!  The best time to play poker is after you're winning.  Confidence is key...but, WINNING also changes your chemical make-up... The strongest animal isn't always the top of the food chain in the jungle...it's all about ADAPTATION.  Look how certain animals dominate their environment..changing terrain/conditions...changing methods/solutions towards adaptation.   I'm successfully 95% off of coffee.  Other caffeine products have also been reduced (other than Green Tea and Herba-Mate((sic?)) Poker is such a dangerous profession.  Whenever someone asks what I do...I always tell them I'm a teacher.  No point in painting a target on your head because many people think poker players all carry around tons of cash (or have the cash in their house) etc.  Amarillo Slim's autobiography has a couple very scary stories.  He also mentions being able to count on one hand the number of poker players that ever died with any money to their name.  If you don't know anything about personal finances...you might want to start now and learn what it takes to grow and save money; to build wealth. Live and online poker are both very easily beatable.  Having a plan is essential...I like to call it a RECIPE for success.  It's like baking a cake.  Imagine, without a recipe...good luck baking a cake!!!!  I was lucky to have had the #1 ranked (pocketfives.com) player in the world at the time, Ari, teach me his recipe for success.  Sometimes it's true, it's not what you know...it's who you know.  Always surround yourself with positive people you can learn from.  As humans, we are greatly/easily influenced by our surroundings.  Understand and accept this. I recommend getting 4 to 10 books that will "expand your mind."  Both poker and non-poker related will work.  Whatever you like or have always been curious about.  Math, puzzles, other games, science, philosophy/theory, etc.  Give one of these books to your mother, one to your best friend, one to your girlfriend, place one in your bathroom, one should go in the trunk of your car, another will be handy at work, if you play sports...in your gym bag, one by your bedside, and so on down the line.  Become the person you are capable of...work towards that goal.  I highly recommend reading into NLP (Neuro-Linguistic-Programming ((Brain-Language-Patterns)) and any self-help book that appeals to your needs/desires. I'm up to walking 3 miles per day.  Just bought a water filter and have been drinking more water.  I turned 29 recently and am looking forward to strengthening my mind and body. If you haven't taken basic self defense courses...partner!  As times get tougher, petty crime can be expected to increase.  Americans are already shunned in many places in the world (as an avid traveler, let me tell you...I've had very serious run-ins...in the middle of nowhere!)  Change your life for the better.  Start today (tomorrow at the latest), go with your gut.  Focus on your weakest points (life/poker) and start there first.  My father once told me that the sign of a good manager in business...was someone that knew his own weaknesses and delegated to fill those holes.  Ari once told me one of the biggest keys to being a world-class poker player was being honest with yourself.  You have to know where to direct your efforts, how to optimize your time, know the resources available, work hard, and make your vision a reality. Don't just dip your toe in the water.  I always recommend my students to jump in head first!!!  It's like a running back who runs hard through the line...he's more likely to succeed and less likely to get hurt.  My 3rd grade Mathematics teacher Mrs. Bean (actual teacher) had two sons in high school at the time.  She explained that though they both had very similar physical characteristics...one of her sons was a stand-out linebacker on the team.  The reason for this?  She explained, "He liked to hit."  He didn't think about getting hurt or holding back; he went full throttle and craved attacking the line.  The same thing goes for infielders and outfielders on defense in baseball.  The best players are the ones that want the ball hit to them.  They're ready and willing to snare the line drive.  This mentality is a re-occurring trend.  You will see this in business, in dealing with women, and on and on.  Winners choose to win!  They have a plan and they execute on that plan.  Do everything you can to make yourself a better poker player and a better person...every day of the week!  1000% full-steam ahead!!!  Stay focused.  ADAPT, ADJUST, and OVERCOME. More to come in the very near future.  Hope you enjoyed it; comments always welcomed. D 8 Comments on this post. Click here to post a comment.




• Feed Yourself to the Lions

  By The Maven - Oct 19 2008, 10:22 PM

  Just got back to the states; Costa Rica was pure rest and relaxation.  I'd have to say that sleeping well is one of the keys to winning at poker day in and day out (I bought a temper-pedic memory foam mattress and pillow this year and highly recommend it…more on sleeping well in future blogs).  I plan on returning to CR after another 2 or 3 months of hard-nosed poker playing.   Attending Ju Jitsu classes in CR this trip was interesting and I took away a couple of important lessons from the classes that I feel relate well to the daily grind of poker.  My first class was very hard on my body to say the least; getting slammed to the ground repeatedly was a far departure from my Kung Fu private lessons in Vegas where my Sifu and I work mostly on techniques, forms, and theory.  I was so bruised and beat-up after my first class that I almost ducked out of attending the second class two days later.  ALMOST is the key word here.  I knew that I would be cheating myself by not attending the second class… so, minutes before class started, I finally decided to attend.   During my second class of the week I was paired up with a comparable student and all was going well until about 15 minutes before the class was to end; that was the point where my partner told me in Spanish he had to leave class early.  Right away I knew the implications of my partner leaving...my Sensei motioned for me to move over and work with Diego (who Sensei had been working with until then).  Diego is a very experienced Ju Jitsu fighter, easily 40 or 50 pounds bigger than me, with the functional strength to go with it.  Diego and I worked on drills for about 5 minutes until the class was told to line up and have a seat.    Sensei pulled out his stop-watch and had each pair fight for a full two minutes while the rest of the class watched.  The catch was we couldn’t strike at all…only work on takedowns and ground fighting.  If it was an “open” fight where I could strike to the eyes, throat, groin, and other pressure points (which is basically where my Kung Fu expertise lies) I think I could have handedly defeated Diego in literally seconds (assuming things went my way).  If it was a fight where striking vital points was off limits, but normal strikes (punches and kicks) were allowed…it would at least be close.  I knew from the get-go that only being able to takedown and grapple on the ground was a serious disadvantage for me.    Diego and I circled each other several times, clenched tightly and I used every morsel of leverage I could muster to keep him from taking me down immediately.  After holding out for maybe 15 seconds…Diego finally grabbed me just right and proceeded to slam me straight down to the mat (thick, hard blue mats…not the soft mats used for gymnastics etc)…did I mention I broke the fall with the side of my face!!!  As the blood trickled down my chin and down my neck, Sensei called a stop to the bout and asked if I was alright.  I was a bit in shock and too proud to allow the bout to end before the two minutes was over…I told him I was fine and to please continue.  Long story short, Diego made me tap out 3 times in two minutes and obviously was the victor in the sparring match.   I know…I know…what does this have to do with poker?  I could have skipped the second class, but I didn’t.  I could have given up during the sparring match, but I didn’t.  Well…How many times have you had a bad start to a day (especially on Sunday) and unregistered for later tournaments?  How many times have you been matched up against players better than you and became frustrated?  So many players are so quick to give up…DON’T GIVE UP!!!   I’m a big believer that we learn more from our failures than our successes.  You have to put yourself in harms' way sometimes to get the most out of life.  We define ourselves by what we have overcome.  Life is too short to cling to the sidelines.  As I mentioned in my past blog, you're far better off being the worst of the best rather than the best of the worst.  Enter the arena, try your hardest, and let the chips fall where they may.  Feed yourself to the lions…it’s the only way you’ll live up to your true potential. D        8 Comments on this post. Click here to post a comment.




• Pay the Cost, Be the Boss!!!

  By The Maven - Oct 12 2008, 05:07 PM

  All's well from my end; vacationing in Costa Rica has been more than relaxing.  It's rather unreal to think with the money I've made/saved this year...I could live frugally here for probably 10 to 15 years (retiring by age 35 seems more than reasonable at this rate).  The closest to poker I've come the past week has been railing some of my better students.  When I get back to the states I'm going to hit it very hard.  This is the calm before the storm.  Below are some ramblings and nuggets of information I'd like to share: I'm reading a very interesting book, "The Lucifer Principle: A Scientific Expedition into the Forces of History."  The book does a great job of breaking down how individuals and groups succeed (though there is some serious post-cold war propaganda in the book).  Winning is contagious!!!  Surround yourselves with others who are proven winners or hardcore poker enthusiasts bent on future success.  Remember, it is better to be the worst of the best rather than the best of the worst.   Realize there isn't a great difference between a good player (profitable) and a really good player (hyper-profitable).  In many cases, improving just 10% can increase your profits (and/or potential profits) by 100%!!! What is your biggest weakness?  ...Guess it's about time you sucked it up and started concentrating your efforts on this particular area (for maximum marginal efficiency/results). Learn to breathe!  Learn to think positively!  Learn to believe in yourself (even more)!  Improve every day of your life! As you probably know from my recent post, I am an avid martial artist.  I can't stress enough how much martial arts has improved my poker game.  (To me, if you're not into martial arts and are serious about poker...you've lost your mind!)  If I stub my toe on something or hit my head on something...I can assure you there will be little to no reaction (where before it might have sent me into a mental tantrum).  You are either acting professionally or you are acting unprofessionally (no gray area!).  Set a good example for yourself and others at all times.  Learn to take a deep breath...in the through the nose, out through the mouth... I can take bad beats with the best of them!!!...I can control my mind, mood, and emotions.  The beauty of Shaolin Kung Fu (southern Chinese Kung Fu) is that the instructor is not only a trained fighter, but also an expert in Tai Chi, herbs, health, meditation, stretching, breathing, accupuncture, living longer and much much more.  My instructor (Sifu) is a Buddhist Monk!!!  Kung Fu means HARD WORK!  James Brown said it best...gotta pay the cost to be the boss.  As in poker, with fighting...you're either trained or you're untrained.  Think about it...one trained martial artist could feasibly take on an entire gang of men.  In poker only 5 or 10% of people "win" i.e. 90 or 95% of people lose...Make efforts today to pave the way for a better future.  At the highest levels of Kung Fu, martial artists call themselves IMMORTAL.  What they mean by this is: they are so well trained in martial arts that they are unbeatable.  Imagine that, someone so skilled at fighting that he is known as Immortal because he is unbeatable, unkillable.  I've felt as if I was an "Immortal" at many poker tables...absolutely unbeatable.  Confidence is key; embrace it.  My mind and body has never been stronger, more agile, or durable.  I've never been able to strike with such precision or force...able to adapt to the changing conditions.  Playing 18 to 30 tables at a time has sped up my mind...I've morphed.  Pay the Cost, Be the Boss!!!  http://www.labspaces.net/92152/Study_finds_that_searching_the_Internet_increases_brain_function Pledge to yourself daily you will not make any critical errors.  Make a concentrated effort to play mistake free.  Open your eyes a bit wider.  Concentrate a little more.  Enough with the joking around; time to get serious.  Pay closer attention.  Sit up straight, feet flat on the floor; good posture is a must.  Put a pencil behind your ear if need be..., imagine you're a doctor or a professor.  Act professionally.  Try your hardest!!! Living up to your potential should be your main goal.  Improve your life and your poker game will follow. More to come in the near future.  Hope you enjoyed the blog.  p.s. I'd certainly be remiss if I didn't add/edit in the pm I just received from Dyzalot..."Cool most recent post. Just don't forget to enjoy life. Every minute of every day is amazing." D   14 Comments on this post. Click here to post a comment.




• Ooops...took a day off!

  By The Maven - Oct 04 2008, 05:31 PM

  First break in 47 straight days...planning on playing everything tomorrow starting at 9:45am.  So sick that deadmoney627 just won a $500 live tournie for $55,000...I've personally invested hundreds and hundreds of hours making him the player he has become...and I couldn't be happier/prouder!!!!  Check out the article poker pages written about him...classic...  http://www.pokerpages.com/tournament/result22778.htm (go to his $55k score, click on the "results" of the $500 tournament and read the article below) Off to Costa Rica next week; going to be great! The WSOP 2008 changed me drastically for the better.  I recommend everyone come to Vegas and play in the Deep Stack Venetian series starting Nov. 1st...literally, the best bang for your buck in the world ($330 and $550 tournies with 15K! starting chips, everyday of the week). Also, Ari and I signed a huge deal to greatly expand our training operations...very exciting. Below is a great article titled, "Training the Martial Arts Mind."  Full of insight...delving into the complexities of the mind, student/teacher understanding, staying focused and living up to your true potential.  I recommend reading every word... http://www.8step.com/news/articles/martialartsmind.shtml D 6 Comments on this post. Click here to post a comment.