Small workout change.

http://www.startingstrength.net/workouts/

The routine I’ve been doing for the last few months has been Starting Strength-ish but not really Starting Strength.  For example, there is no workout A or B.  I’ve been doing one workout, although lately I have been rotating bench and press.

My real worry is that my squat has seemed to stall.  I don’t know if this change will help that, but it doesn’t hurt to do the real Starting Strength program created by a reputable person as opposed to my own variation of it, created by an absolute nobody.

Hobbies

For some reason the last few days I’ve been on a powerlifting/weight lifting kick.  The last month I’ve been working out pretty hard in the weight room but to be honest while I’m doing strength lifts my goal is aesthetics.  I want to be leaner and more muscular than before.  This is punishable by flogging in some circles but that’s for a different post.

I don’t know much about Powerlifting itself but the documentary Power Unlimited opened my eyes to a subculture I always knew existed but didn’t truly know much about.  I recommend it to anyone that has a few hours to kill or wants to get motivated in the weight room.

Today while sitting in my car at a stop sign I thought about the plethora of other hobbies I’ve had in my life.  I’m not sure but I think it’s more than most people given an average life span.  Each has had an impact on my life and I think without them I’d be a very boring individual.

Some of my earliest memories are of playing baseball in the front yard.  I’m not sure why but my brother John would throw softballs at my head.  He’d also never let me get on base which sucked.  I think this is where the drive for competition was sparked.  If I was going to get on base, I’d have to first protect my head.  Then I’d have to hit the ball and run like hell.  To get on base I’d have to earn it.  It certainly wasn’t going to be given to me because I was 14 years his junior.

I took on Karate, Tae Kwon Do, and Kenpo also in my youth.  Thanks to Jean Claude Van Damme in the movie Lion Heart I got a kick out of violence at a young age.  Instead of ignoring it my parents helped me channel it in a positive manner.  This serves as the base for my love of MMA and BJJ which has been a big factor in my adult life.

There have been hobbies I’ve had that weren’t nearly as positive, though.  Take poker for instance.  The game appealed to me more on an intellectual level than financial.  Often times making a right play doesn’t correspond to a desired outcome, though, and eventually the hardships of bad luck outweigh the reward of mentally challenging yourself.  The hardcore, conditioned players can withstand it.  Most cannot.

When I was playing well and the cards were going my way I felt like a stud.  It was my ticket to financial freedom I thought.  All these guys had blogs, people who many did not know.  Some even quit their lucrative day jobs to play poker full time because they were making so much.  On good swings that’s where I thought I was headed.

Then there were the bad times that served as a reality check.  Most are on this blog.  It was tough to digest, the fact there was all this easy money out there and for some reason I couldn’t gobble any of it up (at least not at the rate I wanted to).  It took a toll on my mood and eventually I gave it up (again, and again, and again.)

Some people think it’s silly to have hobbies.  I get labeled as a dreamer because I’m not content with working a “9-5″, going home and cracking open a beer and vegging out in front of the T.V.  That’s not a life in my opinion.  There’s two things we have to do most days: sleep and work.  What we do the rest of the time determines how miserable or enriched our lives are.

So far weight lifting has been very fulfilling.  I look better, I’m stronger, and all those pesky aches and pains in my knees suddenly vanished.  It also has carried over into my BJJ training.  My endurance has increased and my balance and base is much better.

So here’s to finding something else to kill time.

12/19 Workout

Just a quick update: I did BJJ twice this week, both sparring classes.  I’ve settled into the typical blue belt schedule of just going to sparring classes.  It’s unintentional, though.  Between laziness and making up lifting days that’s just how it worked out.  I plan on hitting technique tomorrow.

SQUAT

3 X 5 @ 150lbs.  This marks the first time I’ve done all 3 sets with this weight.

PULL-UPS

3 x 4 with one negative each set.

1 x 6 pull-downs @ 135lbs.

Volume sucked but I’m happy overall with this.

DEAD LIFT

1 x 5 @ 210lbs.

PUSH-UPS

2 x 8, 1 x 10 Diamonds

Rotator cuff/scapula work.

 

DIET

Two cheat meals in 24 days is nothing to scoff at.  We’ll see how I do Friday and Saturday when the sweet smell of candied yams, pumpkin pie, and stuffing tickle my olfactories.   It’s a foregone conclusion that I will cheat.  I’m only human.  The question is and ultimately the determining factor in how much weight I gain (if any) this holiday is how well I can control myself.  I think I’m up to the challenge.

9/13 WGs Summary and 9/20 WGs

9/13 Weekly Goal Summary

Due to not being in town Friday or Saturday I did not accomplish my volume or winnings goals.  I lost just shy of a buy-in in 2,500 hands.  I did attend BJJ 3 times, though, so all was not lost.

In those 2,500 hands I ran full houses into quads twice among various other coolers and ran 8 buy-ins below all in EV.  I’ve played 50k hands and for most I’ve run massively under EV and been coolered in big pots in 85% of my sessions.  How I’m still winning money is beyond me.

I’m going to throw in the towel for the time being.  I feel bad quitting anything, let alone something that makes money, but I just don’t have the mental energy to put toward more bad sessions.  I try to tell myself making good decisions is all that matters and the luck will even out eventually.  It doesn’t help anymore.

Instead, I’m going to focus my efforts on finally achieving my blue belt in BJJ.  It’s long overdue.  Poker will be there waiting when I’m done.

9/20 Weekly Goals

Attend BJJ 4 times – Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday.

Eat “Primal” until Saturday night.

Finish my online orientation so I can start school in January.

Attend MMA class on Sunday

9/13 Weekly Goals

I’m about half-way through the month and I’m just a few dollar shy of hitting my 10 buy-in goal for the month.  My volume has been woefully low thus far, though.  For example, last week I played 500 hands on Monday, 1k on Wednesday, 650 on Thursday and finally 1,100 on Saturday.  I came up about 1,800 shy.

What’s been occupying my time, you ask?  Oh, nothing except my newest obsession: Prison Break.  I’m re-watching the entire series starting from Season 1.  That’s right, folks.  I skip out on opportunities to make money and practice BJJ to watch T.V. shows.  I’m a house wife.  Where’s my moomoo?

Weekly Goals

3,500 hands

2.5 buy-ins profit

2 days BJJ

More Rungood!

Just as I expected the holiday weekend saw a ton of really bad players at the tables.  Friday I just wasn’t feeling it and in the midst of a break-even stretch/downswing it’s best to play when you’re on your A game.  Saturday I was hell on wheels, though.  I played a session of a shade over 2,100 hands which resulted in a 1 buy-in profit.  I was actually up much more but toward the end I got coolered, bad beated and a preflop 4b bluff got snapped off so some of the profit went right down the toilet.  There was nothing I could do about the cooler or beat, but my 4b bluff was pretty dumb.

Later I played an ultrashort session at 25NL on another site and won a buy-in.

Then in my last session of the night I grinded over 600 hands and made about 2 buy-ins.  On the very last hand of the session I raised to .4 with 88, the button who wasn’t good but not that bad either raised to 1.35.  Effective stacks were about 120BB if I’m remembering right.  I called for set value only as my read was villain wouldn’t 3b an EP raiser without QQ or better.

Flop came gin: 78J.  The money got in on the flop and I held.

Things have just done a complete 180 for me at the poker tables.  I’m running good, playing great, and generally feel more confident in my game.  I hope things keep going well so I can start taking shots at 25NL next month.

Holiday Weekend

Here’s hoping the games this weekend are exponentially soft due to the holiday.  If I can run just a few buy-ins under expectation instead of 8 which is currently the case then I should be able to make 5-7 buy-ins pretty easily.  On the 1st I played a 1,027 hand session and made just a shade under 5 buy-ins.  For once I didn’t get shit on by the deck.  My hands held up and my big hands got paid off.  Wow, imagine that.  A little break-even luck can go a long way.

The 2nd wasn’t as nice.  I played a small 530 hand sesh.  I played one of my best sessions in a while, but managed to get 2 outted on the turn to lose the biggest pot of the night.  A few hands before, though, I ran a nicely played two street bluff on a late position stealer that earned a shade under a half buy-in.

I had QJo in the BB with a full stack.  CO opens for .35, SB calls, and I decide to squeeze to $1.40 fully expecting the stealer and caller will fold a large percentage of the time.  Unfortunately CO called and SB folded.  I assessed CO’s range to be pocket pairs below QQ and AK only as villain does seem to be decent and my line thus far is pretty strong.

The flop was T9x two toned.  I bet 2/3 and villain called.  I can now discount AK with a flush draw as I’d get raised and a tricky played AA or KK which I didn’t assign to villain’s range anyway.  I think I’m getting floated some time with a hand like 77 and 88 or JJ and QQ which plan to play a pot control line if I check the turn.

Turn is a blank.  I don’t check the turn, though.  I shove.  This particular villain isn’t Phil Ivey, but decent enough to know when he’s up against Aces.  He mucks his hand.

I really like my line.  Against his range of (QQ, JJ, 88, 77) I have between 6 and 14 outs so even if I get called by the villain my equity is still good.

My schedule for the weekend is 1k hands tonight, 2k tomorrow, and maybe 500 on Sunday  if I feel like it.

August review / September goals

August started out like most other months.  I began strong, but ended about 6 buy-ins under AIEV and experiencing what seems to be more than my fair share of coolers.  It also feels like I’m not getting much value out of my big hands like flopped sets.  Despite this I’ve still been able to add to my bankroll and have a win rate of 1.5/100.

I wanted to play 30k hands, but only got about 12k.  I took some time off this last week due to tilt and generally not playing my best.  I pissed away 3 buy-ins yesterday by playing emotionally.  I don’t have access to PT at the moment, but due to yesterday’s implosion I’m going to end the month at around 3 buy-ins profit.  Again, another piss poor month.

I have no ambitious goals for September.  I want to play 20k hands and attend 3 BJJ classes a week.  I’d like to say I’m going to aim for 10 buy-ins again this month, but I’m going to expect to continue running badly and will be happy with the usual 2 or 3 buy-ins.  Instead I’d like to plug a few leaks.  Right now I feel like I’m floating too much on flops that miss AK.  I’d also like to add 3 betting light from the blinds against reggy stealers.  The few times I’ve attempted this play it has worked out.  LOL samplesize, right?  I think I’m adroit enough at player reading to determine which players it will work against.

In other news the Lance vs. K.C. challenge has been canceled.  We played one event where I easily handed Lance his ass and I guess he didn’t want to compete anymore.  Our next challenge was supposed to be 1 vs 1 basketball in which he said he could beat me pretty easily but mysteriously he always had excuses as to why he couldn’t play.  I obviously have the edge and I beat him 10 times out of 10 but it would have been nice to shut him up.

Had a decent session. Month is officially at mediocre status.

The title pretty much says it all.  With rakeback I’m up about $60 on the month putting my bankroll at $211 after ~24k hands.  Of course my rakeback check doesn’t come in until August 15th so I only have $187 to work with, or 18.7 buy-ins.  It’s a pretty lean bankroll at the moment.

The biggest change I made this month was increasing the number of tables I play.  Initially this worked against me, but now it feels natural and as a result I booked a nice little 2.5 buy-in win.  With the additional tables I can also accumulate even more rakeback.  With one day left I have $24 dollars in rakeback coming which should be around $28 or $30 after tonight’s session.

I want August to be a break-out month for me.  I want to play 30k hands.  Yes, you read that correctly.  No more 10k hand months.  It’s time to really put in the time so I can leave 10NL behind me.   I want to make 10 buy-ins not including rakeback.  This is totally attainable and there’s no reason I shouldn’t make this amount each and every month.  10NL is filled with terrible players.  Even the “regs” are terrible.  You wouldn’t believe how exploitable some of these dipshits are.

There are going to be some challenges.  With a positive mindset and strong constitution I will overcome all obstacles.  I am a man and I can do whatever I want without consequences.

Oh, Herro.

My abysmal run continues at the tables.  I’m actually not doing all that bad, but I’m not doing well either.  I have a horrendous winrate at the moment (1.5BB/100) and I’ll be honest: it’s a blow to my ego.  I should be killing 10NL.

I’m still 8 tabling and I think my game has suffered, but feel the short term losses will be made up for with playing more hands and therefor being in more +EV spots.  What happens after that is up to variance.  I just have to hope my bankroll doesn’t fall much lower because then I have to play 2NL.  Actually, no I won’t.  I’ll just keep grinding 10NL until I’m busto.

I’m going to make the following adjustments in my game:

1.) Not calling 3b OOP.  That means either I’m continuing with AA-QQ and dumping everything else or simply not opening weaker than QQ in early position.

2.) 3betting marginal hands more from LP (Cut off and Button).  Right now I’m mostly dumping hands like J9s, T8s, 75s but against the right villains I think 3 betting is more profitable.  They just cannot call or continue on the flop very often.

3.) Raising flops.  Again, this is villain dependent.  I’ve fallen into a fit or fold mentality as of late, probably because I’ve increased the number of tables.  I need to look for good spots to C/R flops.  What this boils down to is villain’s perceived range vs. the board.

4.) Barreling more turns.  Right now I rarely ever bet the turn if my cbet is called.  This is exploitable.  I don’t want to go hog wild and start double barreling every time, but I do need to find spots to fire off a 2nd bet.

Last weekend my wife and I went to the Lake of the Ozarks.  It was very hot, but also a lot of fun.