Hope everyone is doing well. I took a two week break from poker to start off April which I'm ok with. Every once in a while I need a complete break from the game. Played my first session last night and was definitely rusty. I've still had lessons and stuff and always talk about HH's with friends so that keeps my mind on the game at least a little.

Easter wasn't too eventful but it was nice to have that break. Was super excited for Yankees Opening Day against the Sox until they got beat. Also I got to go the their home opener on Tuesday which was a lot of fun. The ring ceremony was great and the fans really treated Matsui well as a visiting player. It's actually my second ring ceremony in a row b/c i was invited to the Phillies Opener the year before. Obviously when it's the team that you root for everyday it impacts you much, much more.

As for group coaching it looks like I have a Wednesday group that's almost full. If you have any interest or questions feel free to PM me. It's going to be $50/lesson for at least 1.5hrs per session. The first group that I did this with went well so hopefully I get another dedicated group. It's a great way to get coaching at a discount from the hourly one-on-one rate for people who don't want to cripple their bankroll.

Play Well!

What's up guys... Trying to get in the habit of blogging a little more often. I've been fighting a sinus infection that returned the last few days. On my second course of antibiotics which is always fun. So when i've attempted to play poker it's like i'm a zombie. Hopefully this weekend i can get back to playing better and thinking through situations.

I've gotten a good amount of interest in the group coaching sessions. For all of you that didn't read my last blog I've opened up group coaching at $50 per 1.5 hr session for 4-6 sessions depending on how big the group is. I thought it would be good for some of the micro stakes guys that can't really afford having a 1-on-1 coaching to accomplish three things:

1) Improve their game at a discounted price
2) The students hopefully expand their poker network
3) They have access to a coach to discuss HH's with outside of lessons.

Anyone who's still interested PM me. I'm trying to sure up times for the first group now so let me know ASAP if you're interested or have any questions.

Just wanted to say hello. Everything has been going pretty well for me both personally and professionally. Been playing 200nl regularly for a few months and am pretty happy with my game. Obviously I still have leaks and need to work on playing my A game more regularly. Overall it's been a good experience. I haven't run great this year in terms of All in EV but I have been fortunate to get into a lot of good spots.

I also just finished doing a set of group lessons with some of my regular students. We met once a week for 1.5hrs over a 5 week period. I think it was a great value for them and they seemed pretty happy with the sessions. I am considering opening up another group to people who aren't already students. The price is going to be $50/session or around 33/hr. Hopefully this may provide slightly more affordable coaching to people playing the micros vs 75/hr for 1-on-1 lessons. Students will still have access to me via email and skype to go over HH's as well.

PM if you're interested in these group sessions and we'll try to setup a time that fits everyone's schedule.

Hope everyone is doing well.

What up guys....

I'm looking for a potential protege to be featured in a new CR series. The series will document the selected player's journey from the micros to the low stakes 6max games. It will be a several month commitment from both myself and the student and will be free of charge to them.

Requirements:

-Must have at least 20k hands in your database at 25nl and it should be your regular game (if you've had unsuccessful shots at higher games this is fine)

-More than a 25 buy in bankroll for 25nl

-Willingness to be featured in multiple CR videos

-Have either HEM (preferred) or PT3, Skype, Mikogo or Teamviewer, and Camtasia

-A flexible schedule for coaching lessons and making of videos when your commentary/input is needed

-The free time in your life available to play about 8-10k hands a week for the next several months

I'd like all that are interested to PM a paragraph or two to me about why they think they're a good fit for this program along with an email address to be reached at. If I think of anything else I'll add it to the post. You can also PM me with any questions.

I'd like to get this started ASAP so I'm going to set the deadline for all interested applicants as August 21st 11:59 PM est time. Best of Luck.

Mike Zennario



Poker has been going really well lately on all fronts. Zaitsev and I just recorded Bellini4's Leakfinder Part 2. He was able to apply some of the things we discussed and we saw some improvement. I really have enjoyed working on these videos.

Coaching has gone well too... Recently started with some new students. I've been really lucky thus far to have really nice people to work with and they seem excited to learn.

I've been playing some really solid poker as well... I've been running well too. It's a nice combo. I've had some interesting spots come up and have been able to trust my reads more than I have in the past and it has paid off. I did have a slight tilt setback in a pot where i lost 200bbs but other than that I've been super happy with my play and thought process.

What's up guys...
The first video I did with Zaitsev got very good ratings so I was asked to do another....
This time we did a LeakFinder of someone's play at 50nl and I think it went well. Let me know what you guys think of it. Make sure to leave any questions or comments you may have.

My game is going pretty well right now as is my coaching. I'm making excellent decisions at the table and my students are coming along. They seem to be going down the right path and seem pretty motivated.

I've been trying to post more in the micro/low stakes forums. Unfortunately the most prevalent flaw I see in most players game is their thought process. Hopefully my posts can help some people.

Special shout out to Grant "Balbomb" Coombs.... What he accomplished last month was absolutely amazing winning 122bis at 200Nl while 12 tabling. He is super dedicated and the level of success he is going to reach is well deserved. Keep it up Grant...

Just ate some homemade tacos.... Definitely not part of my meal plan but I like to reward myself from time to time....

Take it down....

A new video came out today with Zaitsev and I leakfinding a 25nl player (Bellini4). I thought there were some good concepts to come up in the video and to be honest I was a little nervous during the video. Hopefully my thoughts came out clearly but I'm sure I could've done better. Hopefully I get the opportunity to do more videos in the future.

It would be great if you guys can offer some criticism's to help me improve. Also I'd be happy to answer any questions about the video and expand on any of my thoughts.

Aside from my excitement from the video. Poker is going well and I feel great about my game. My thought process continues to improve and I'm making better adjustments while playing. I have to thank the people I study poker and talk with on a daily basis. Bouncing ideas off each other has been so beneficial that I can't even quantify it.

My students seem to be doing well too... I'm happy to see the progress that they're making and can't wait for them to run through the stakes.

Also a Vegas Bootcamp summary is in order but I'm a little too tired for that and I'll have to make that my next blog...


Thanks very much Zaitsev for the opportunity to be in a video....

All comments and questions appreciated

All I can say is that I love it out here so much... I'd love to stay permanently. I've been working on my mindset so much lately. Watched the first 3 parts of a Tommy Angelo series on DC (sorry CR). I think it's helped a great deal.

Just played one of the FullTilt Freerolls for the main event. 8 got seats out of about 850 entrants... I got down to about 100 or so left and busted out. I played pretty well but just didn't have lady luck on my side today.

The bootcamp has gone great so far. All of our students have been crazy motivated and hanging out with them outside of poker has been cool too. I think along with teaching them a ton and really getting their thinking in order we were able to show them a pretty good time. We've been to some cool spots without the hassle of waiting in lines and such. Bottom line is I think along with having them as students, we've gained some good friends in the process. I couldn't be more pleased.

I'm going to chill in the pool for a bit before the Lakers game. Hope everyone is running well and playing better. Looking forward to the next couple students coming in.

GL
elzino

cliffnotes....
i love the house...
my housemates are great, we're having a lot of fun.....
weather is awesome.....
BOOTCAMP is going really well....

P.S. FullTilt... please turn off my doomswitch... give a little love to Rowdy20 while you're at it... it's been long enough now...

Hope everyone reading this blog is doing well... I'm off to Vegas for the month of June and the Vegas Poker Bootcamp with Balbomb and Zaitsev....

I'm can't even describe the feeling of excitement sprinkled in with the mix of nervousness...

I'll probably blog again after I get there and I'll keep you guys all updated on the Bootcamp.

Later,
elzino

p.s. It's still not to late if anyone wants to hop to Vegas for some WSOP fun and learning... we have a couple spots available.

Finally after visiting Austin 2 weeks ago I feel healthy.... I got to the gym and was able to get in a good workout. I'm going into NYC tonight for a friends birthday party so I won't be able to play today. I'm looking to stick with the overall heater I've been on since getting trapped at the airport for 8 hours. I don't have any plans for the rest of the weekend. Whether or not that will translate into me playing poker is another story.

Vegas isn't far away and I am really looking forward to being in Vegas and working with some students in the bootcamp. Coaching overall is going well and I'm seeing a lot of progress from my students. I can see their way of thinking about hands shifting in the proper direction. Hopefully they utilize the study group I created for them.

I'd say, in terms of priorities, I need to shift into playing more hours. I often play more when I'm happy and if I can keep perspective more during sessions I will play a lot more. I have a goal that I'm looking to achieve by the end of the month. It's going to be tough but it is accomplishable. I definitely fell behind the pace but I am not the type of player that can play when sick so I'll do my best to play well and get there.

------------

Goal for tonight:

Stay sober enough to function well tomorrow