swingy start to the month but finally back in the black!

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gordo16's Blog

December 06 2010

swingy start to the month but finally back in the black!

So I recently finished up a lengthy session but feel guilty taking the rest of the day "off from work" so I figured I might as well throw out a little update. My last blog entry was a recap of my November results, and apparently it was a bit premature since I wound up playing another session on the 30th and having my best day of the year! I'm generally a little superstitious about playing after posting monthly results, but turns out good things happen to people that think rationally.

Unfortunately, the beginning of December did indeed start out on a bit of a downswing. I had gotten into the habit of playing very deep, very aggressive matches against Niki Jedicka at 25/50 and the inherent variance of playing a good, very aggressive player with deep stacks finally slapped me in the face. It's always a little uncomfortable timing for me when downswings coincide with the beginning of a month since I use fresh months as something akin to clean mental slates, but poker doesn't always go the way you want it to. Or does it? This downswing only lasted two days and after putting in quite a few more hands than I'm used to on a day-to-day basis, I have scratched to being in the black for the month. Graph of swings:

'tis a grind.

So its been a bit of a grind, obviously, but I'm pretty happy with my discipline lately. Plus I've been running really really good at the mix games this month - 2-7 NLTD/SD specifically, which I don't track - so poker continues to go awesomely. Still too superstitious to post a full graph of my hands in Boston, but god it's so beautiful, the braggart part of is definitely excited to get that thing posted at the end of the year.

This is also a pretty exciting time for me since I think that come year's end, I'm going to have to make a pretty big decision as far as what I want to do with poker goes. I have committed to not playing above 25/50 big bet and 150/300 limit for the rest of the year, but barring the most ridiculous downswing ever, I am going to end this year with an online bankroll that makes playing 25/50 a bit boring but is still a little bit too short for 100/200 as a full-time game. I have a pretty pained history at 100/200 + and as usual, am very hesitant to jump back into those games in the absence of huge fish, but I feel like I am once more standing at a professional crossroad. For I guess the third time in my life now, I have another good shot at poking around at the nosebleeds and really making it to the so-called top of the poker totem pole. Apparently the thing is pretty slippery since I've already gotten one foot on it and tumbled twice before in my life, but something feels different this time around. Maybe it's the comfort and clouding of judgment that has accompanied one of my life's better heaters the last few months, but I really feel like I can compete with the world's best at PLO these days. In many ways, I feel like I have been given a time machine-esque chance to go back in time to when nobody knew how to play PLO and I was one of the best, and instead of taking the time to crush poker/stay ahead of the curve, I let it go by the wayside and have had to work my ass off the last 2 years to get back to this point. Well, I'm finally back in a comfortable place poker-wise, have been getting random invitations for interviews, writing articles, agency-type stuff, and am definitely forcing myself to be proactive with my career this time around. I have been responding thoroughly to all interviews, checking out different agents, and really focusing on continuing to play good poker throughout it all. It's a pretty exciting time for me, and come the new year, maybe you'll see me back at the nosebleeds, trying to make a true name for myself. Or who knows, maybe I'll cash it all out and stay at 25/50. I could use some suggestions I guess ...

There are a lot of things that I could attribute the recent months' success to, running good (despite being down on AIEV) is certainly one of them, but I really feel like coming to live with my closest friends has been one of the best decisions that I have ever made. The drive from San Diego to Boston was exciting/a little anxiety-inducing insofar as it was going to be a big change and new life outside the comfort of other poker players who I could lay my day's swings onto without any hesitation, but it has truly worked out for the best for me. It's amazing what constant positive energy can do for one's mindset. So clearly life is very good, hopefully the same goes for all of you as well.

My next month or so looks like: tons of poker up until the holidays, probably Christmas in Boston, NYE in Tahoe with CR's own SixPeppers + a host of others, maybe a bit of skiing packed in with Cole + the SD boys in early January, then PCA in the Bahamas and a free slate afterwards. Damn, I'm excited.

Cheers,
Mike

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December 07,2010

Take a shot at nosebleeds. Obv everyone just wants to see action and will say that. But honestly everyone that is at the top of the "totem pole" had to take their shot and run a little good.

bachelder

December 07,2010

I wish you the best gordo. I agree w/ bach and take a shot. You seem to be in a very good mental state right now and that is half the battle. The cards will fall as they may. Remember, poker never owes you anything. You worked your butt off to get to this point

So you are actively looking for a job? What type of background do you have, or what are your interests/aspirations if I may ask?

Banana4678

December 07,2010

guess I'm on the other side Gordo. If there is something that you can see poker fame offering you that you think you'd dig, for sure go for it. Maybe meeting a ton of new people in the biz or something like that? Or the competitive side has been relit and you want to prove to yourself you are top X in the world.

But if money plays into at all I guess I'd ask myself if anything would really change if you found a better printing press than you've already got.

I mean I'm sure you can remember back to what making 100k felt like, then a milli, maybe you'll disagree but I couldn't differentiate between the feeling, its a largely empty experience. And then tangibly how you life would change with 500k more, 1 mill more etc... unless you've got some aspirations with some real high price tags the change is usually indiscernible.

... I guess just think about what motivates you and makes you happy (doubt it is money) and whether what you are doing plays into that.. guess that is the difference between a goal and an accomplishment.

Rollover2k

December 08,2010

Just wanted to comment that I feel the same about new months, and it's usually when the downswings arrive for some odd reason! I have a very very similar graph to yours right now in December, minus the comeback part.. lol. But it's good inspiration! Keep it up.

Stake Monster

December 08,2010

@banana: im not so much actively looking for a job as knowing that after I make XXX dollars from poker, im going to get my masters in education and ideally teach either high school english or elementary school. my educational background is just a bachelors in psychology/english lit at washu in st. louis.

@rollover: it's not really the fame that I am after I guess, it is more a correlary that comes with beating the nosebleeds up a bit. my competitive side is just too strong to not take another shot at nosebleeds I guess. you're definitely right that it's not money that makes me happy, but that having been said, I would feel like I wasted these last few years of my life if I left poker without a good enough nest-egg under me to never have to "work for the money" again. your point is a good one though, there is definitely no discernible difference between that first 100k, 500k, 1mil and so on... aside from the rush of moving up stakes of course.

@stake: comeback's coming u; just keep trucking!

gordo16

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