What is the best way in this present state of Poker, now in April 2010, to build a bankroll fast, to be able to be a MTT grinder, playing all the main online events?
Here is the deal. As of right now I got got $300 on Pokerstars currently, with some other money on other sites and I want to play all the major MTTs. I have had progress in my MTT play and want to take it to the next level by actually winning some.
I want to know the best way. I really do not think I have patience to grind out NL10 or NL25. Perhaps I should? What about SNGs? I find multi tabling decreases my play dramatically, so I do not want to play anymore than 4-6 tables at once.
I have ideas myself, but what do you feel is the best? What about even other websites/clients? What about HU/HU sng?
Just what do you feel is the best way in the poker climate we live in today?
Not been playing much poker lately. A few weeks ago I decided to cash out all my bankroll and take an extended break from Poker while I sort out my real life priorities. I am getting married on 7th April, and its hella lota work and it has taken my mind of Poker. Also working serious amount of hours with my real life job. I have been out on several tours lately and have hardly been at home, which meant no time for Poker. When I do get back from my honeymoon I am looking to get seriously stuck back into it. Just before I took a break I decided what area of Poker I wanted to really work on and master, as it seemed to suit me. However my summer this year looks fucked up for me though and Poker. Got 18 date tour with Status Quo, a 2 week tour with "the priests" and a few gigs with Snowpatrol mixed in there too, and thats just month of June... Gonna be busy :/
Anyway heading out for some food then coming back later to play the Sunday Million. I used some FPP to win $10, then I played a few Sngs and got some cash, then played a $36 6max sunday million sat and won that and I am now qualified for the big one. Good luck to everyone else
of time! Spent hour and half doing nothing but browsing shit on the internet that has no use at all to any productivity or amusment. Could have been grinding. Hard fail. Time to get out of house and get some shit done. Then back here to grind some hardcore shit all day.
An interesting excerpt from a poker book about leatherass. This section is written by Jared Tendler;
Dusty is the ultimate grinder, and he’s constantly asked how he can possibly play so much poker. (Over 1 million hands a year and 7 million in the past four years). Some see his as a freakish talent, like some sideshow act at a carnival; others want to be taught.
Ask Dusty to explain it and you’ll get half an answer — not because he’s holding back. He just doesn’t know entirely how he does it. Dusty is like top performers in other sports who have tremendous ability, but lack the full picture of what makes them so.
If you want to grind like he does, it’s not enough to understand what Dusty can do now. You need to know what got him here. It didn’t just happen; it was something on which he worked day after day.
Grinding is a skill reserved for those willing to do the work. It isn’t something that Dusty, nor anyone else was born with. It was learned. Here are some characteristics you’ll find in grinders:
Dedication. Few realize that Dusty’s ability to grind out monster poker sessions was borne from his days in golf. Hitting thousands of golf balls a day requires the same level of dedication that poker does, only he’s been doing it since age 8. Dedication requires consistency, especially when things get hard. Whether you’re running great or terribly; whether you’re tilted and can’t focus, confused and full of doubt, or moving up and feeling the heat, dedication means plowing through day after day no matter what comes your way.
Drive. Dusty was willing to work his “leather ass” off because he had dreams of being great. Whether in golf or poker, when he put his mind to something, he wanted to succeed at the highest level. Drive like that lead him to grind like few others. You don’t need to shoot that high to grind, but you damn well better be driven by what you want.
Endurance. Grinding requires mental endurance comparable to the physical endurance needed for running a marathon. It’s important to look at developing mental endurance in much the same way that you would do it physically. When Dusty burst into poker, he already had the mental muscle for marathon sessions. Too often players think grinding is easy, expect too much, and burn out quickly. If you expect too much too soon, your mind will crash just as your body would if you tried to run 26.2 miles when you comfortably could run only 5.Instead, think about building your mental muscle steadily from what you can do, not what you should be able to do. So if it’s easy to play a 90 minute session, then increase it by 10-15 minutes. Once 100 minutes becomes easy add another 15.Repeat.The word ‘grind’ makes it sound like something that’s hard. It isn’t for Dusty and that’s the point. Grinding is easy once you get there.
Pushing yourself. Building mental muscle means you have to push yourself through times when you’re tired, tilted, distracted, or for whatever reason having a tough time. Few realize these times are where the learning to grind happens. Quitting is easy. Learning to grind is hard. Push yourself like a coach would to get over the hump, and then grinding gets easy.
Getting rest. To run farther you need bigger muscles, to grind longer you need more neurons (the brain’s muscles). Muscles and neurons grow bigger when resting, not when training. If you want a bigger brain, you need to train. Then you need rest.Rest means taking time away from poker and getting proper sleep. And after days where you really push yourself, get even more rest. Your brain needs it.
Being automatic. Of all the decisions Dusty makes at the table, less than 3 percent require thought. With 7 million hands to work from, there are few situations that challenge him. Most are automatic.Decisions that require thought use mental energy. Dusty grinds hands easily because he’s like an energy-efficient light bulb, using just a fraction of the energy that most other players do. He can play longer, play more tables, play more hands without nearly the energy that it takes you to.Making your decisions automatic without playing 7 million hands is complex. Two easy ways to get there: 1) Continually be focused on eliminating easy mistakes; 2) Review hard decisions. They have a lot to teach you.
Removing mental mistakes. Issues like tilt, anxiety, focus, motivation, etc, can be pushed aside to grind, but only for a short time. Aside from the havoc they create in your game, they are colossal wastes of energy. If you want to play massive amounts of hands, they have to be gone.
I think it emphasizes that "grinding" lots of poker hours is not just as simple as playing and playing and playing. I think too many players make this mistake. You have to build up to be able to grind really long days productively.
Got this book on order anyway, as it looks like it could be a pretty interesting read. Thought I would share this great information. I don't know why though! I guess I am a nice guy
1. To continually push myself to develop my poker skills 2. To beat a level consistently and have complete confidence in my game when moving up limits 3. To increase my physical activities and keep my body in good shape
Poker Related Goals
- Completely rid myself of monetary value when playing poker. Money does not matter. I will do this by playing very low limits, and having a very large bankroll. Aiming for 50-70 BI's. Sounds alot, but I feel it will work for me.
- Play no more than 6 tables, and ideally 4 table.
- Review each session. Spend a good 30 minutes each day, going over hands and putting reasoning as to why such and such was played, and asking if it was played good or bad.
- Watch, study and learn from Poker Videos on various websites. Goal is to watch 3 videos a week, taking notes and paying full attention
- Not to be short term results orientated. Always think about the longterm. Not too check any graphs during sessions, and ideally not to check inbetween sessions if having short breaks.
- Work on my mental strength and how to train brain to learn efficiently
- Not to waste valuable time browsing the internet for no apparent reason.
- Work my ass off.
Non-Poker Related
- Go for a run at least two times a week. I am taking part in a Marathon relay in May. I need to be in good shape to achieve a good time.
- Spend more time with my fiancee
- Get my wedding plans finalized
- Keep a record of all the hours I work (in my FT job). I get a set salary each month, however the hours are erratic and sometimes very long. Work out my actual hourly rate and contest it if I believe it to be inadequate.
- Not to waste money on takeaways at lunch. Always prepare by making lunches before work. Spice it up by bringing different things.
Dream Goal
This is just a dream goal that is very unrealistic, but I want to put it here. It is not a 2010 goal, it is more of a life dream goal. If it takes me 20 years, then so be it. It is something I want to achieve.
I am determined to make 2010 the year that made a difference in my life. I am getting married this year and its about time I grew up and started really working my ass off!
Completely have rethought my ideas that I had recently. Grinding 180man non turbo sngs is really tough. And I feel it is not worth the time and effort. I am not really learning anything from it. Don't get me wrong, when you reach the final 30 the style of play I really feel comfortable at and can exploit well.
Playing at a FT with huge chipstacks relative to the blinds, I seem to play pretty good and it is really enjoyable. Alot of players play super bad. But I am not really improving as a player, as alot of the FT play, comes down to Pre flop play, and stealing lots of pots. You do not actually learn about how to read hands and play good solid poker post flop. You essentially play fit or fold poker. Its great for learning pre flop edges and 3bet ranges etc. But really, when you get to a higher level of play, everyone else knows this, and it is less easy to exploit, and you must rely on alot of post flop play. This is my weakness.
Time wise playing these games are far to time consuming, and I really am not sure if I am capable of keeping up with it when I return to work next week. I have not cashed exceptionally well. I do not think it is actually because of "bad luck", but I think I just get bored grinding them all day and not getting far. And I am making bad decisions.
This leads me to a few things.
As I said in previous blogs I suck at cash games. I cheated my way to NL50 by cashing in a good MTT, and thought I could actually play at that level. After a decent start I thought I was on track to crush and move up to NL100. I fooled myself and my world came crashing down as I spewed and spewed. Long term looser at NL25 and NL50, I cannot kid myself. Something is fundamentally wrong with my approach to the game.
I watched some videos today, that basically blew my mind. My whole perspective has completely changed, and something inside me has said, "thats enough bullshit matt, time to be honest with yourself". I am starting from scratch. I am grinding 4-6 table at NL10 for the near future, and I am not moving up untill I am beating this limit over a large hand sample (at least 100k hands).
I have so many things to work on, and I am looking forward to learning this game all over again. I will post my 2010 goals here soon.
Felt like I was never gonna win one of these in past few days. This takes a massive weight of my shoulders and gives me a much needed boost of confidence. I said I did not want to be results orientated and I know downswings at these games can be long. But had to post first win of the week. It was a very long epic FT, and I really enjoyed it. My game shines when it reaches the money. Just have to survive all the suckouts prior to that.
Off to do shit round house, then grinding more this evening.
