Playing online for a living week 49

[davidross]

For the second straight week I found myself in a great situation at an Empire Tournament, but again couldn’t cash it in. Last week was the 100 person VIP freeroll where almost half the people didn’t play, this week it was a WSOP qualifier with 2 seats guaranteed. Package was worth $12,000, entry fee was $200 + 15 and only 61 people entered, leaving Empire 12K short in entry fees. Alas, after making 3 big hands in the first round, flopped a straight, and twice flopped 2 pair, I only won one more hand the rest of the night and went out in 40th place. I’m glad I don’t play tournaments full time. Seems to be a lot of disappointment sprinkled with a little success. I don’t think I handle the bad times well enough to take it mentally.

On the plus side, I had another really good week. Just like last week, it started slowly, but finished well. I lost $351 on Sunday, but won $416 on Monday. Tuesday was another small loss of $178. Wednesday I seemed to turn the corner and won $280, followed by a big day Thursday, winning $931, and an even bigger Friday, winning $1,155. Saturday night I was up $542 which included the $215 I spent on the tournament. Final tally for the week was $2,795.

I’m on a good roll. My bankroll is the highest it’s ever been. The games are still good, over 40,000 playing every night. I have over 120,000 hands in my database now and I’m earning over 2 BB’s per hundred hands. With the deeper bankroll I’m handling the slow periods much better. And to make it even better it’s a rake rebate week. I bought myself a new toy yesterday, a laptop. It’s equipped with a wireless network connection so I can get out of the basement when I want to, and it should be easier to play when I travel. I pick it up tomorrow, and I’m looking forward to sitting in the backyard and playing in the fresh air instead of the dark basement for a while. I have to figure out the logistics of maintaining Pokertracker when I’m playing on 2 machines. I expect to still play evenings on my desktop, but maybe I should think about using the laptop all the time. I pick it up tomorrow and I guess I’ll just see how it goes.

I’ve been on a carb free diet for 2 weeks now. It is agony for me, I am a carb-freak. No bread, no pasta and no sweets. I have lost 9 pounds so far and I can start adding small amounts of carb’s this week. Thank god, I can’t handle bacon and eggs for breakfast every day. I want to have a bagel with cream cheese so badly. I’m also not supposed to drink caffeine. I don’t drink coffee so that’s not a huge deal, but I do have a diet Dr. Pepper every night when I’m playing and I stopped that. I have noticed 2 things poker related since starting the diet. The first was how tired I was getting in the evening sessions. I have observed that almost every night, I started losing later in the evening, giving back a lot of my winnings, or putting me in the hole. I was really having trouble concentrating, so I added back my Dr. Pepper to my diet on Wednesday with good results. I was able to play at my normal level well into the night. The 2nd observation has to do with my mood. I’ve been irritable at the tables. I usually stay out of confrontational conversations at the table unless I feel someone is being a bully. But in the last two weeks, I am ashamed to say, I have lowered myself to the idiots level several times. The worst one was one night when some guy took offence to some of my play. I snapped back at him and of course the inevitable challenge to play heads up fired out. I don’t know why, but whenever 2 guys get arguing, one of them always challenges the other to play heads up. Instead of ignoring him I brought $10,000 to the table and told him I’d play him a $10,000 freeze-out, bring the money or shut up. As satisfying as it was, I don’t think it did much for my earning potential at that table. I honestly think the diet is affecting my behavior a little and it’s something I need to watch out for.

Only 3 weeks to go to complete a full year of playing. It is my intention to stop the posts at that point. I think I will spend a little time writing an outline for a book and see if there is any interest from the poker publishers. I still want to finish it with a trip to Las Vegas, and If I can’t win a trip from Empire, I’m still thinking of bidding for that satellite package they are auctioning to the VIP players. I think it would be the perfect way to end this year.

A couple of things I was pleased with this week. I went to bed early on a couple of the nights I was so tired. Usually when I’m losing, I stay up quite late trying to get even. This time I recognized that I couldn’t play my best and called it quits. And Saturday night after getting knocked out of the tournament, I realized that I was still replaying all my hands, so instead of getting right into the ring games I watched the end of the Duke UConn game before starting to play. It’s interesting to me that simply improving my play at the table isn’t all that has to be done to be a complete player. There are so many little things outside of the actual play that have to be worked on too.

I’m not sure how much of my win rate comes from hands like this, but it’s not insignificant. My opponent in this hand has been pretty wild already. I open raise with KhQd in the cutoff. The button cold calls and both blinds fold. Flop is Kc 9s 7c. I bet and he calls again. Turn is the Kd. I bet, he raises, I 3 bet and he caps it. River is 4h. I check, he bets and I call. He has As 2c?????? Is this just a function of watching no-limit tournaments on TV and thinking they can run the big bluff?

This is the hand that convinced me to go back to my Dr. Pepper. UTG limps, and I limp behind him with 4c 4s. Button and small blind limp as well and the BB checks. The flop is Ts 5s 4h. Checked to me and I bet. Button calls and SB check-raises. BB calls 2 cold, UTG folds and I smooth call, fairly certain there will be a bet and a call on the turn allowing me to get a nice raise on the turn if no spade comes. Button calls behind me. Turn is 8d. Unfortunately both blinds check. I bet and get called by all 3. River is Js. Argh. I’ve put at least one of the blinds on spades. They both check and I check too. Button bets out, SB folds and the BB raises. There is $133 in the pot and I have to put up $20 more. I fold and the button calls. The BB had J4 and the button had J8, the J made both of them 2 pair. There are a few different ways I could have played this, but the bottom line is how often will the river fold be a good one as oppsed to missing out on 13 BB’s?

I think this is the biggest 5/10 6max pot I’ve ever won. 2 limpers to me on the button. I have Kc 9d and I limp too. Both blinds play as well. Flop is Qh Js Td. UTG bets and the cutoff raises. I 3 bet ( no fooling around withthis flop), and the SB caps it. BB folds but everyone else calls. Turn is 8s. SB bets, UTG raises (a 9 I hope), CO calls 2 cold and I 3 bet. SB calls 2 cold (2 pair I’m guessing), UTG caps it (definitely a 9….I hope. Would he limp with AK?) and we all call again. Don’t pair the board I start chanting. River is the 2d. Checked all the way to me. I’m surprised UTG let it go after capping the turn, but I bet. All 3 call. UTG had K3o. He was pushing his 1 card open ender pretty hard. CO had QJ and was caught in the middle the whole way. SB had 98 for a flopped wroing end of the straight. Pot was $303.

Have a good week everyone.

[Bozeman]

"I’ve been on a carb free diet for 2 weeks now. It is agony for me, I am a carb-freak."
"The first was how tired I was getting in the evening sessions."
"The 2nd observation has to do with my mood. I’ve been irritable at the tables."

This can't be good. Now I am not (and hopefully will never be) weight challenged, but I wonder if the solution here is worse than the problem. It seems like you are losing weight by not having enough energy. Is it possible instead to go for a more middle of the road diet and work instead on increasing you physical activity? Or just settling for more weight than you'd like?

Not only are these possibly very problematic symptoms for your poker, but they could be affecting your family life as well.

Obviously, I don't know much about this, but I think you may need to more carefully examine this situation.

Wishing you only continued success,
Craig

[MicroBob]

the symptoms he describes are pretty routine for the Atkins dies i believe.
this is only from conversations i have with people that have gone on the diet.....i haven't been on it or read the books.
but the people that i have talked to that have been on it have talked about the shakyness and dizzyness etc and evidently this is supposed to be expected when you go off the cards cold-turkey like that.


i think the best sign is that david is recognizing that it is affecting him and he is making adjustments.


this may have been my least favorite David Ross post by the way....stopping the posts after 52-weeks!! whatever are we to do?!?!
the boards will not at all be the same.

good luck with the book deal however.
and thanks for all the great updates and the inspiration.

and please post again if you actually do happen to win one of those WSOP or WPT trips.

i'm going to try the poker-for-a-living thing for a month or two at least and see how it goes. if it works then you definately deserve a small percentage of the credit (sorry, but Sklansky and Malmuth probably receive a slightly greater percentage).

thanks for all the posts.

[MilesDavis]

[ QUOTE ]
Instead of ignoring him I brought $10,000 to the table and told him I’d play him a $10,000 freeze-out, bring the money or shut up. As satisfying as it was, I don’t think it did much for my earning potential at that table. I honestly think the diet is affecting my behavior a little and it’s something I need to watch out for.

[/ QUOTE ]

LMAO. Good read as always, thanks.

[Ulysses]

[ QUOTE ]
Flop is Kc 9s 7c. I bet and he calls again. Turn is the Kd. I bet, he raises, I 3 bet and he caps it. River is 4h. I check, he bets and I call.

[/ QUOTE ]

You should bet/3-bet or checkraise this river. You will see something like KJ or KT way more times than a full house here.

[ QUOTE ]
UTG limps, and I limp behind him with 4c 4s.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not a big fan of this.

[ QUOTE ]
Button and small blind limp as well and the BB checks. The flop is Ts 5s 4h. Checked to me and I bet. Button calls and SB check-raises. BB calls 2 cold, UTG folds and I smooth call

[/ QUOTE ]

Forget about the turn. You have 3 opponents who like this flop. 3-bet and hope it gets capped.

[ QUOTE ]
Turn is 8d. Unfortunately both blinds check. I bet and get called by all 3. River is Js. Argh. I’ve put at least one of the blinds on spades. They both check and I check too.

[/ QUOTE ]

You have a set! You have to bet your set here.

[ QUOTE ]
Button bets out, SB folds and the BB raises. There is $133 in the pot and I have to put up $20 more. I fold and the button calls.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ugh. Gotta call. You limped pre-flop, cold-called the flop, bet the turn, and checked the river. They don't need a huge hand to checkraise your apparent weakness.


[ QUOTE ]
2 limpers to me on the button. I have Kc 9d and I limp too.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's just horrible, David. Horrible.

[SinCityGuy]

David,

You might want to give the Party 15/30 games a shot with your bankroll. They are EXTREMELY soft right now. I kid you not, they play about like the 3/6 games you used to play. I live in Las Vegas, and I've almost quit playing at the Bellagio and Mirage. Why drive 40 miles round trip, get on a two hour waiting list, and play 35 hands per hour with limited table selection?

Congratulations on your achievements so far, and continued success to you.

[astroglide]

agree 100%

[GuyOnTilt]

agree 100%

What he said.

GoT

[GuyOnTilt]

Hey Guy,

I would really encourage David NOT to play Party's 15 game right now. It's been a while since David and I talked about his bankroll so I don't know where it's at, but I don't think he has a great roll for it considering he's withdrawing for living expenses. Someone in David's position should want well over $30k to play those SH games. Hell, even I (who doesn't have a wife and kids or mortgage) likes to keep over $30k for the hyper-aggro 15 game. Yes, it is extremely soft right now, but I don't think David should be playing it, or even taking a shot at it. He still has a lot of leaks that need to be fixed and 5/10 is the best place for him to do that. He's shown very good bankroll management so far and he should keep it that way.

GoT

[SinCityGuy]

GOT,

I have a great deal of respect for your play and your opinion.

Actually, I was referring to the full 15/30 (not the shorthanded). Just playing one table at a time, I have been very pleased with the results. The games probably can't continue to be this soft forever, but right now I think that there are a lot of people with no skill and plenty of disposable income playing 15/30. I see guys capping the river with the butt ends of straights and full houses (and sometimes with ace high, just like Gus Hansen does on TV).

A good, solid player should be able to beat the Party 15/30 for at least 1.5 BB/hr., with about a 13 to 14 BB/hr. standard deviation. I don't think that Tommy Angelo plays online, but he could probably crush this game for 3 or 4 BB/hr.

[Oblivious]

I just had to play in the Vegas Dreams tourney last night. Eventhough my bankroll would suffer dearly from a $215 loss, the overlay was so huge I just had to try. I busted out ~20th after missing with AK and AQ a couple times. Im sorry to hear you didnt win David.

IMO, you have to go to the world series and at least take a shot in a satellite or two. Thats the only way to finish a book if you ask me. Im sure youve read Big Deal -One Year as a Professional Poker Player by Anthony Holden. It was set in the late 80s, and needs to be followed up by another great story. It begins and ends with him playing in the world series. Im sure you could afford a trip to vegas and 1K for a satellite seat or two... you should go for it.

[Vehn]

I don't think Tommy Angelo's results at party 15/30 would be very good.

[JTG51]

You really don't think Tommy is a good enough player to adjust his style of play to different game conditions?

[Non_Comformist]

Is the 52 week ending date negotiable at all David? Perhaps a year 2 but done biweekly?

Basically I need to be weened.

[davidross]

I was warned that these symptoms would appear. But to be honest I think the fatigue had more to do with dropping the caffeine than the diet. It's a strange diet, I'm eating tons of foods that I've always thought to be bad for you, bacon, sausage and eggs every breakfast, no fruits, all the fat and protein you want. Now I start introducing carbs again slowly until I reach a point where my weight stabilizes, then I'll know how many I can eat each day.

It is strange though, I've never needed much sleep and I'm tired a lot now. We'll give it a couple more weeks and see how it goes.

[davidross]

Unfortunately I agree with almost all your points. The 3 kings hand is really bad considering this guy was a loose cannon.

As far as playing 44 after the limper, I've found in these games that I can be almost sure we'll be 4 handed here, even if there is a raise so I've been playing the small pairs behind a limper. I'm still making money with them so if it's wrong I don't think it's far wrong. Right from the flop I played it wrong which led to the rest of my mistakes, including being so certain the flush was out there that I laid it down.

K9 on the button behind limpers. THis is my borderline hand for playing depending on the players in front of me. I won't play K8, but I like to play hands on the button and on this table I didn't like raising this hand. But I'd have a hard time debating the merits of playing it.

[davidross]

I'll certainly still post, but I'm really running out of things to say.

[davidross]

That's why I'm keen on Empire's auction of the satellite package. For $160 worth of E-points (I'm guessing) I'll get airfare, hotel and 2 satellite Entries. I could then supplement that with a few of my own, or just go play live for a couple of days. I think it's something I need to do, and one of the reasons I bought my laptop now.

[davidross]

I'm in a bit of a quandry right now about what direction to take. I'm reluctant to change what is working, but I know I have to take a shot at something eventually. The bankroll is really healthy right now, and the affiliate money has grown to a very nice size every month reducing my risk even more. I hadn't really considered 15/30, I've been trying to decide whether full table 10/20 or shorthanded would be better.

[OnlinePokerCoach]

Will you be posting your grand tally for the year: Total money won, Total hours played, Dollars per hour played?

Cheers,
OnlinePokerCoach.com

[SinCityGuy]

Actually, there's a lot of merit to the old adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

I tip my hat to you and the others who can play multiple tables. I can do it at extremely low limit (playing ABC poker), but that's about it. There's no way I could do it at 15/30.

[nykenny]

[ QUOTE ]
I expect to still play evenings on my desktop, but maybe I should think about using the laptop all the time. I pick it up tomorrow and I guess I’ll just see how it goes.


[/ QUOTE ]

Dave,

my personal advice to you is not to use the laptop too much. while it's great on its mobility, laptop puts a lot of stress on your upper back and shoulders. over time, it causes real damage to your body. no matter how you position the laptop, this will happen.

also, you will never be able to navigate on the laptop as fast as you can with a optical mouse on a good mouse pad.

3rdly, i won $2970 last week /images/graemlins/wink.gif, in 11 hours /images/graemlins/laugh.gif... (the advice here is hidden).

Kenny

[Your Mom]

U and GoT,

How big of a pair do u need to play? Obviously, you guys think 4s are no good here. What do you need to play and are you calling or raising? Thanks. Oh, and K9o blows David.

[nykenny]

[ QUOTE ]
K9 on the button behind limpers. THis is my borderline hand for playing depending on the players in front of me. I won't play K8, but I like to play hands on the button and on this table I didn't like raising this hand. But I'd have a hard time debating the merits of playing it.

[/ QUOTE ]
dave,

i think MOST of the winning players on 2+2 would advice a fold btf. K9o is a very bad hand.

Kenny

[MicroBob]

i play on a laptop and its great.

by the way;....you can use whatever mouse you want on a laptop. i never use the stupid touchpad thing....my mouse is always plugged in.

[davidross]

Kenny,

WHy would the laptop put more stress on me? I'll sit it on the table and use a mouse, I'm not sure why it would be different.

[davidross]

Yes, I'm planning a grand finale.

[davidross]

I just checked my pokertracker, I've had K9o on the button 200 times, I played it 2/3rds of the time and I'm ahead $34 with it. Looks like a pretty neutral hand, although that $300 win has probably biased it a bit. Point is taken.

[NLfool]

I play on the couch or my bed and have a mini table by so I can use a wireless mouse. You just need a laptop cooler thingy cuz regardless of what laptop you use it gets hot. Trust me you get a Wide screen UXGA with wifi and wireless mouse and you won't play any other way. Congrats on the year

[krazyace5]

[ QUOTE ]
Yes, I'm planning a grand finale.

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe you should save this for your book. The big cliff hanger. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[MicroBob]

laptop cooler thingee?? didn't even know these existed.

yes, my thighs do get kind of sweaty when i'm wearing denim and have had the computer on my lap for a couple of hours.


i'll have to go to a computer-store in town and see if they carry these because i'm sure it's better for the computer AND i'm sick and tired of having sweaty thighs!
good tip, thanks.



i'm pretty sure kenny was simply referring to the touch-pad thing on the laptop.
but my laptop (with opti-mouse thingee) totally rocks and i can sit on the couch or take outside or take into bed if i want to lie down. very nice.


i wasn't aware that you've been playing in your basement all this time......i imagine that's got to be pretty darn tough and must add an extra element of monotony.
the flexibility with the laptop should prove to be quite refreshing i suspect.

[SinCityGuy]

[ QUOTE ]
i think MOST of the winning players on 2+2 would advice a fold btf. K9o is a very bad hand.

[/ QUOTE ]

Kenny, I used to overvalue this holding also. I also overvalued KTo and QTo before learning that they are bastard hands that will cost you a lot of money. You will win small pots and lose large pots with them. They do have some merit in open steal situations in late position against tight blinds.

[nykenny]

[ QUOTE ]
Kenny,

WHy would the laptop put more stress on me? I'll sit it on the table and use a mouse, I'm not sure why it would be different.

[/ QUOTE ]
if u simply put the laptop on the table and use a mouse, it won't be that bad. but the position of the keyboard and also the height of the screen will still put you in a bad posture. if you want to play poker in freshair (on the porch), it can get much worse. Never use your laptop on the top of your lap (for extended period of time).

u don't have to believe me, but i have nothing to gain from ill advice.

Kenny

[Ulysses]

Limping w/ a small pair after a limper is not terrible at a table where there's not much pre-flop raising going on. As I said in the response, I'm not a big fan, but I don't necessarily hate it. I'll sometimes do that w/ a small pair at the right table. Early after one limper, it's sort of fuzzy. I usually fold, sometimes call w/ 22-55. I usually call, sometimes raise, w/ 66-88. I almost always raise with 99 or better.

[Nottom]

I have a laptop (well its technically my wife's) and I will play on it occasionally (usually for tourney since I like to concentrate on them a bit more and only play one table) and its great to have, but I will take my desktop and 20" monitor anyday when I want to put in a serious session.

[nykenny]

[ QUOTE ]
They do have some merit in open steal situations in late position against tight blinds.


[/ QUOTE ]
agree /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[nykenny]

[ QUOTE ]
I have a laptop (well its technically my wife's) and I will play on it occasionally (usually for tourney since I like to concentrate on them a bit more and only play one table) and its great to have, but I will take my desktop and 20" monitor anyday when I want to put in a serious session.

[/ QUOTE ]
my point exactly

[squiffy]

I was just discussing dieting with a friend of mine who lost 20 pounds with the low carb high protein diet. We both remarked that we would prefer a low carb diet to a low protein diet.

If it's that hard for you, you should really consider other diets that might be easier for you to maintain. Everyone has different likes and dislikes. Actually, I am surprised to hear that you miss carbs that much. I love protein a whole lot more than I love carbs.

For me, switching to diet sodas has helped a lot. Though I have fallen off the wagon many times. Tons of unnecessary sugar in those sodas and fruit juices.

[jedi]

[ QUOTE ]
I was warned that these symptoms would appear. But to be honest I think the fatigue had more to do with dropping the caffeine than the diet. It's a strange diet, I'm eating tons of foods that I've always thought to be bad for you, bacon, sausage and eggs every breakfast, no fruits, all the fat and protein you want. Now I start introducing carbs again slowly until I reach a point where my weight stabilizes, then I'll know how many I can eat each day.

It is strange though, I've never needed much sleep and I'm tired a lot now. We'll give it a couple more weeks and see how it goes.

[/ QUOTE ]

If all you want to do is drop your weight numerically, then Atkins is okay. However, it is NOT a healthy lifestyle for you. The best thing about Atkins is that it forces you to cut out the garbage sugars, the simple junk food type of sugars. To really live a healthier lifestyle, you're going to need to exercise and have more complex carbohydrates. Have a bagel in the morning and then get out and jog for 30 minutes before starting your day. If and when you take a lunch break, do some light weightlifting and have another light snack. Maybe have a nap as well. Try to avoid the colas, especially if you're doing Atkins. The simple sugars will spike your insulin levels and then send them crashing down later in the evening.

The big problem with Atkins/no exercise is that you're losing weight in the form of muscle as well as fat. With smarter eating + exercise, you'll maintain muscle mass while dropping the fat pounds.
(Pick up the latest issue of Triathlete magazine. It's got good info on that sort of thing for triathletes. You can modify it for your lifestyle)

[unome]

Hey David,

Not like you to get into a shouting match at the tables and then to show your opponent that much money. Was there something contributing to the mood besides the diet? I just found that fairly out of character for you.

[NLfool]

kenny is correct as the closeness of the keyboard and the screen makes you stoop over a bit. It's poor for the back but I play on the couch or bed so it doesn't hurt me. Also the laptop cooler is called bytec or something like it. You may also want the conveinence of something called Gyration mouse keyboard combo where you can move the mouse in the air . Sometimes for fun you can hook up the tvout of your lappy to the big screen and play from 20 feet away. Not great for 4 tables but doable for 2. And little changes like this keep me fresh/entertained and not burned out.

[davidross]

Hey pal,

I can't think of anything else. I was really impatient with people at the tables alll week, and that guy just pushed me over the edge. Strangely enoughit doesn't seem to have transfered to my home life. I asked my wife and she said she hadn't noticed anything different.

[davidross]

I don't mind the basement in the evenings, thats where the nice TV is and where we all congregate, but in th4 afternoons I'm looking forward to getting someplace brighter.

[davidross]

I am a carb junkie. Bread every day, pasta several times a week, and candy all the time. This isn't going to be easy, but I have to do it for my long term health. I won't have a problem sticking with it, I'm pretty determined.

[astroglide]

3500 calories equates to 1 pound. every person burns an amount of calories each day - the amount varies by gender, size, activity level, and metabolic rate. it is simple to estimate your daily burn by looking at charts.

if you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. if diet tricks enable you to do that, by all means go for it, but at the end of the day they all come down to calories.

[Festus22]

Diet wise, I've been though what you're experiencing. I'm sure you know this but just in case:

1 gram of protein = 4 calories
1 gram of carbs = 4 calories
1 gram of fat = 9 calories

Of course there are different forms of carbs from simple to complex as well as different fats from monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and saturated. It's easy to get caught up in this stuff but at the end of the day, I'd recommend staying with a balanced diet that derives something like 50 - 60% from carbs, 20 - 30% from protein and around 20% from fat. Excess of one at the expense of a deficiency of another is not the key to good nutritional health. It may get off a few pounds in the short term but you're messing with your body's "natural" chemistry in the process. And the result is that you'll probably feel like crap.

As Astroglide said, the key is simply taking in less than you expend. And in my opinion, keep your category ratios right and EXERCISE!!! Long walks with brief jogging stints promotes fat burning and improves cardiovascular health.

Trust me, I've been there on the diet side. Fad diets suck. Balanced eating and exercise is the answer.

[nothumb]

True that, Festus.

As a restaurant guy, let me say that the Atkins diet is a $%*#ing vicious bitch. I worked in a pizza place and I routinely got asked to make pizzas WITHOUT THE CRUST. I kid you not. I'm sorry, but that's just stupid. We also got asked to make pastas without the pasta and sandwiches without the bread. Go home and make that crap for yourself, people.

Atkins is the diet equivalent of those electric pads they sell you that shock your abs to make you lose weight. It's perfect for a country that has no interest in exercise or balanced living. There's something to the whole insulin levels and simple sugars argument, but there are much better ways to approach the issue, as people have already pointed out.

Thanks for the post David and good luck.

[smudgex68]

David
I love you're posts - and you kindly sent me copies of all of them. In view of your message about the Atkins diet, and someone's previous response, I would also recommend that you return to a more healthy diet and increase your exercise. The Atkins diet has been discounted as dangerous by many physicians - you may lose a few pounds initially but you're also likely to lose a few years longevity due to cardiovascular disease. The only proven way to lose weight is to expend more calories than you consume. The calories you consume should be from a mix of foods, and that includes carbohydrates and some fats. It's common sense. I know it's a chore, but go jogging or walking in the morning for 10 minutes.

Hope to see you on the TV winning the WSOP in the near future.
/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[TwoNiner]

David- I've read a few times that the Atkins diet can result in decreased mental function and mental fatigue, because your brain is forced to use the "ketones" I believe it is for energy, rather than carbohydrates which is it's preferred choice. I'm no expert on the subject by any means, but I know I've seen that when browsing through. Might just be something to keep an eye on.. and it might get better once you get to add in up to your 40g carbs or whatever it might be.

[astroglide]

fwiw i'm not PARTICULARLY anti-atkins or any other fad diet; i just sought to point out that in the end everything still equates to calories. i don't think you're going to blow up your kidneys by doing atkins for 6 months, but i think all of it represents a lack of fundamental understanding of diet in general

[skunkworks]

I have to chime in here to recommend a book that was put out by a few authors that write for Men's Health magazine. It's called "Testosterone Advantage Plan" and outlines a diet and exercise regiment that I highly recommend. It explains a lot of the science and logic behind their relatively balanced diet recommendations (40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fat), and the weight-lifting section is good for beginners. Aerobic exercise is good for burning off a little extra fat, but if you want long-term benefits you should lift weights. I honestly think that aerobic exercise is a bit overrated.

The reason the Atkins diet is popular is that it's fairly close to the right track. Cutting out all carbs and taking in lots of protein will help you drop a lot of weight, but you're not really improving your overall health or lifestyle. My god, bacon and eggs every morning is going to destroy your arteries before you can really enjoy a slimmer waistline, and as mentioned before, you're losing a lot of muscle mass when you cut carbs and your body starts to feast upon itself for energy. Living healthy has a lot to do with diet, and the Atkins diet just isn't healthy.

[rharless]

I've been trying to decide whether full table 10/20 or shorthanded would be better

David, fwiw, every time I have watched a 10-20 full table, it seems super tough. I plan to skip 10-20 and go to 15-30 when I have the 'roll.

[SinCityGuy]

[ QUOTE ]
I've been trying to decide whether full table 10/20 or shorthanded would be better

David, fwiw, every time I have watched a 10-20 full table, it seems super tough. I plan to skip 10-20 and go to 15-30 when I have the 'roll.

[/ QUOTE ]

I used to play 4 x 3/6 Party tables on auto-pilot. I'm not kidding, the Party 15/30 is just as weak. The only difference is that you have a lot of people with disposable income who don't know how to play poker. You can expect some big swings, but the "long run" kicks in rather quickly. So buckle up, and come on in.

[trillig]

Hi david, I too have tried twice to go caffieneless, I did it once for 3 months.

I was miserable! I survived the massive headaches from withdrawl for a couple days and I would just run out of steam mentally way way too soon and it NEVER got any better over those 3 months.

On breakfast food though, I could live on bacon and eggs forever LOL!
[as long as I am allowed salt]

I'm not dieting right now though, but will be in another week.

Best of luck on continuing your online journey/diet!

8)

-Brian

[James282]

Hey david, the 10/20 is ripe, let's meet back up, I miss playing with you in the evenings. Glad to see it's going well for you buddy.
-James

[davidross]

I wonder why 15/30 would be easier than 10/20? You certainly make it sound appealing.

[goodguy_1]

the best way to get healthier is not to diet but to exercise daily for a minimum of 30-40 minutes and reduce your caloric intake thru proper food portioning.Stay way from saturated fats anything hydrogenated also sugars-like juices and sodas are loaded with calories and fructose.Also corn syrups are in everything and are crap.Carbs definetly pack the pounds on ..I also love pasta..dont eat it more than once a week now.

the best all-around exercise I've found for maintaining a good weight,toning muscles and getting a real aerobic workout w/the benefits of almost yoga-like breathing and the endorphin buzz of any regular heavy aerobic workout is swimming.

If you start it and get into it 5-6 days a week for a mile or two every workout you may find it to the perfect exercise.Obviously you start slow and build up.

I'm totally addicted to swimming.The repetitive breathing of swimming is very calming and centering-zenlike seriously..and i'm not some yoga freak either.I do 3 days on 1 day off and cycle it thruout the week.I do 2200-3500 yards(1 1/4 -2 miles) a workout.I also swim occasionally in Master's workouts w/ some very serious swimmers.

Give it a try the immediate benefits are increased muscle tone,weight loss and obvious benefits of lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels like most any other regular exercise.

You will not lose weight swimming like you do running-You will lose the weight but more slowly ....but it's THE best all-around workout for me.

Diets are for the uneducated.The effects rarely last..you need to change your lifestyle... Really David give it a try maybe it will make up for my yelling at you at the tables 6 or so months ago /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[rharless]

The 2/3rds small blind helps the action, for one. Other than that, I offer no explanation other than 15/30 used to be the top limit at Party, and it's still the most easily available high limit (30/60 has huge lists and a tighter game), so maybe that is the attractor.

From my scouting, it seems that the 15-30 is much much looser than the 10-20 for full ring. I haven't scouted SH games so if you plan to stick to SH, ignore my observations. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[astroglide]

loose/aggressive games are always good if you can handle it, but i can assure you that the 15 swings are very large

[SinCityGuy]

[ QUOTE ]
loose/aggressive games are always good if you can handle it, but i can assure you that the 15 swings are very large

[/ QUOTE ]

This is very true. Regardless of your win rate, the standard deviation can run close to 15 BB/hr. It's not for the faint of heart, that's for sure. But if you've got the discipline and the bankroll, these games are a goldmine.

[Inthacup]

I wonder why 15/30 would be easier than 10/20?

Do you really wonder about this? Seems pretty obvious.

[squiffy]

Maybe gradualism helps. I found drinking iced tea helped because I could use artificial sweeteners. They probably cause cancer. But they taste great!!!

If it's too hard, don't go cold turkey. That can kill, as some heroin addicts will attest. I also find that if I keep my mind occupied with games or reading or exercise it takes my mind of carbs.

It's really a tragedy that many people who live in modern industrialized nations simply have too much to eat and most of it very unnatural and unhealthy. Instead of just eating naturally sweet items, we have to refine sugar and add it to everything in sight. Sad sad sad.

[Kenrick]

[ QUOTE ]

if you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. if diet tricks enable you to do that, by all means go for it, but at the end of the day they all come down to calories.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's not the full story, though. Most people don't eat anywhere near as much protein as they need every day just to keep the muscle they have. It's not like you can eat your daily amount of calories every day all in sugar and be healthy or look good, despite being at x weight.

The more muscle you have, the more efficient your body is, and the more calories you can eat. I think people take Atkins too far. If they just cut their sugar and up their protein, that's the gist of it right there.

For anyone who wants to lose weight and feel better, here's my one-sentence diet for you: "No sugar, drink water, eat as much steak as you want." Doing that day-in day-out is hardcore, though, but you get the gist -- cut sugar, more protein. I don't think carbs play that great a role for a typical person with a typical lifestyle. It's more about sugar, protein, and getting some exercise.

[astroglide]

i was speaking on weight gain/weight loss, not overall health. somebody that eats all of their calories probably deserves the consequences. also, i think your one-sentence diet is terrible.

[umdpoker]

i think that not eating any carbs is a good way to make yourself feel like [censored]. however, i agree that increasing protein is a good way to get in better shape. i would also add weightlifting, which will put the protein to good use. when i lifted weights 5 days a week, i was in great shape, and ate like a rhino. i also drank heavily, and never gained any fat. the great part about weightlifting is that the results will stay in effect for a long time after you stop lifting. it took me about a year after i stopped lifting regularly to start putting on weight. this is due to the fact that the muscle you build burns a lot of calories every day just sitting there. the only real drawback to weightlifting as a means of losing weight is that it takes a while before the weight starts coming off. cardio is a good way to get the pounds off sooner. i really prefer lifting though, because it gives a good rush during the workout. good luck with the diet.

[j.k.]

Very good question that I asked myself. I finally moved to 10/20 on party a couple months ago after a good long span at 5/10. Most of the games were tight and real aggressive, but when I decided to play a couple 15/30's I found they played just like the 3/6 tables, complete with outlandish suckouts and all /images/graemlins/smile.gif. I haven't been back to one of the 10/20 tables in several weeks. While I have only recently been reading your weekly updates, I have NO doubt, you would tear these games up. As a previous poster mentioned, the swings are big and can be frustrating, but they are not hard to beat. As for the difference in 10/20 to 15/30, your guess is a good as mine.

Good luck to you, and congrats on an excellent year,
j.k.

[JTrue]

Nice post

[JTrue]

Nice post, this is amazing

[JTrue]

I definately agree on this subject

[Kenrick]

[ QUOTE ]
also, i think your one-sentence diet is terrible.

[/ QUOTE ]

/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Like I said, that's hardcore to lose weight quickly, and shouldn't (probably can't by most mere mortals) be done long-term. Even a few days of it should make for some surprising changes, and I doubt someone could do it for more than maybe two weeks max anyway. Look at what bodybuilders eat... protein this, water that, protein this. Take that and cut it back some.

It's not much different than Atkins, really, except that it doesn't say to eat butter and bacon and other forms of fat. Lean meat is your best friend. Even my cat says so.

The main point I want to make though is about sugar. Years back, when I saw Jack LaLane at 70 years old and looking like a million bucks say, "Sugar is evil," I immediately believed him. And it's true. You can eat a lot of various things in a diet if you cut out the sugar crap.

Thanks for the year of posts, David. I wouldn't have given 6-max much of a thought otherwise.

[tolbiny]

Hi david,
i remeber the lox carb diet i was on last winter, i bought a gross of eggs from one of those wholesale clubs and five pounds of bacon. Took me three weeks to go through them all (i gave two dozen eggs to my mother, cause im a good son).
As far as your problems concerntrating late at night, i have read that they are doing preliminary studies for low carb diets that indicate they may affect your memory. Carbs are the brains favorite food and memory and concerntration are pretty well linked, so they may be part of the problem, not just Dr pepper withdrawl. I will try to dig up the article, it was in a fairly small scientific journal that one of my parents gets (mom's a dietician, dad's a mad scientist- sorry genetic enigineer).
anyway, i lost 15 lbs and ive never loked better with my eyes closed.
best of luck

[JTrue]

Thats a good idea

[Cosimo]

Dietary cholesterol is statistically unrelated to serum cholesterol. Eating eggs, bacon, and sausage every morning won't clog your arteries.

Lp(a), aka bad LDL cholesterol, binds to arteries weakened by insufficient collagen, caused by insuffient dietary intake of ascorbic acid. Humans lack the last enzyme in a series of steps to endogenously produce Vitamin C. Other animals (from dogs to rats, snakes, and fish) have internal hormone-secreting organs that produce all the Vitamin C they need.

Bend a garden hose sharply, then step on it 60-80 times a second for fifty years. It's gonna break where the stress is greatest, right? Collagen shores those arteries back up. Cholesterol is the body's way of doing the same thing without vitamin C--it patches the cracks, keeping your heart from pumping blood through holes in your arteries and into your chest cavity.

[CrackerZack]

I did this diet for a while also before going on vacation. Very effective but the moods were a killer. Carbs are actually called comfort food because they make you release enzymes that make you feel happier. I found that I wasn't short with people but every time my pager went off I wanted to stomp it to bits. Little things frustrated me very quickly too and if my computer gave me problems, it got a smack. The diet was effective but difficult.

As for the empire tourney, was it 2 seats guaranteed? this week its only one.

[MicroBob]

"I found that I wasn't short with people but every time my pager went off I wanted to stomp it to bits."


this is quite a coincidence......everytime your pager goes off i want to stomp it to bits too....and i'm a total carb-junkie.
actually, everytime ANYBODY'S pager goes off i want to stomp it to bits (and occasionally do).

[MicroBob]

how come every time i read the latest addition to this thread i decide i am in the mood for a bagel or a plate of spaghetti or a big baked potato??

[OnlinePokerCoach]

I have faired much better at 10/20 than 15/30. 15/30 can be wild but it has a lot of skilled players too. I beat 15/30 too, but my win rate per hour is much higher in 10/20 both in BB per hour and in $ per hour. I cannot explain why, but those are my results. I agree that there are many maniacs at 15/30.

Cheers,
OnlinePokerCoach.com