I finally earned enough medals on FTP to get my own table. I purchase the table, and about a week later, I get this email:

I am trying to move it over to PokerStars. Or I'll take it at Full Tilt. Anyone need UB money?

-Brian

Serious inquiries only. Please PM me here on CR or email me at hyperaggrdonk@yahoo.com
Since I am a CR Guest Pro and Taylor's student, I would request that you transfer the $$ first. We can transfer in smaller doses if you like.

-------------------------------
EDIT:

jpsnow came through for me, and the trade went smooth as silk. I'm now 5k richer on Stars. 3/6 & 5/10 will have one more fish to feed off of.

My good friend Pawel (verneer on CR) is going to help us with lessons. I have been teaching him/coaching him for a few months, and he has moved up from playing 1/2 to play at high as 5/10 win a solid roll for it. I cant tell you how great it is to have him aboard on this project. He is REALLY helping me out a lot. These three totally lucksacked into getting Pawel as an additional coach. LOL PROTEGEMENTS

I decided that we would run lessons twice a week, on tuesdays and wednesdays, with everyone taking turns playing while the others watch. Since we have a group of 5 people, I felt twice a week would give everyone enough chances to play and create a lot of interaction for everyone.

We started our first lesson last week (5/1). I decided that I would start off playing $50nl, and just try to get eveyone talking and discussing. My play was standard/mediocre, but the session was good for everyone with lots of discussion. I managed to get all in bad one time, but of course, I run good, so I sucked out:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1079337">http://www.pokerhand.org/?1079337">http://www.pokerhand.org/?1079337

Greg's session was on Wednesday (5/2) and he played 4 tables of $25nl. He is just now getting used to adding more tables, and was comfortable with three tables at the time. He had a lot to try to manage between adding the fourth table and trying to keep up with all the discussion. It worked out (and he made $7!), but we'll probably try to do 3 tables with him next time he's up.

I'll blog about this weeks session's after we are finished with them. Hopefully this blog post goes through this time.....

blog tilt. i had a huge post all typed up. i click "post" and get some error message. i'll come back and repost it later

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SirNeb
joshuadzl
spark929

I really struggled with this decision for a long time. I wanted to make sure that I put time and effort into picking applicants who I felt were best for me. I ended up narrowing down to three people, and each person had qualities that I was looking for. I felt it was impossible for me to cut any one of these three guys, but I tried hard to do just that. As I tried to figure out which one to cut, I realized that I had ended up with a 25NL player, a 50NL player, and a 100NL player. In the end, I felt that each of these candidates would make a great student, and decided this is my call, so i'll take three people.

Guys, you have PM's waiting. I look forward to getting started on May 1st.

-Brian

A little over five months ago, I applied for Taylor's "Protege" program, and http://www.cardrunners.com/fusetalk/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=23&threadid=10282&highlight_key=y&keyword1=hookem148">on November 7th, I was announced as one of the 2 lucky winners. At the time, my regular games were $100NL and $200NL, and with Taylor's help, I have been able to comfortably move up to $1000NL. I am very fortunate to work with Taylor; he has been incredibly instrumental in developing my game and making me a better player. I feel the time has come for me to pay it forward.

So with that said, I am accepting applications. I am looking for 2 students whose regular game is $25NL to $100NL, and who have joined CardRunners prior to today's date. Please feel free to tell me as much about yourself personally and poker-wise as you like. I would prefer that you contact me either via PM on CR, or by e-mailing me at hyperaggrdonk@yahoo.com . I hope to have my 2 students chosen by the end of the month, and starting our first lesson on May 1st.

I am happy for the opportunity I was given and I only hope I can do Taylor justice by helping 2 people reach their poker goals, as he continues to help me reach mine.

Thanks,
Brian Rue / Hookem148

Brian Townsend talks about it. http://www.cardrunners.com/fusetalk/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=23&threadid=19004&enterthread=y">Here's another thread about it in the forums. What's the big deal?

I used to be an elite Track & Field athlete - in college at UT and post collegiately for 2 years (I graduated in '03). So for the past 2 years, I have been sitting on my ass, eating cheetohs and playing poker. And I am a lot better poker player now than I was 2 years ago.

I don't think going and pumping iron will make me a better poker player. If anything, it'll make my mouse-clicking hand sore. This could lead to misclicks, accidental pot sized raises, massive tilt, which leads to more losses, more tilt, depression, suicide. All because I tried to pick up a 35 lb dumbell that was 30 lbs too heavy. We need to NOT excercise for the sake of our game and our sanity!

I say get drunk, get fat, play poker, win money, die at 48 of heart failure.

-Brian

OK, so I get the itch to play some tourneys (which I hate by the way) - I decided that I would try to satellite into the WSOP ME. I signed up for a super-satellite ($75 buyin for $1k seat into ME sat), played totally tight TAG etc, which in a tourney means fold every hand and raise 1 in 30. I was distracted by a few cash game tables, but I played ultra tight. The blinds move pretty damn quick at FTP, so it wasnt long before I was all in with 66 vs A9 and I lost the race... So I decided I'd play another super-sat and this time gamble it up. Who wants HH's?

I was playing slightly LAG (like 18/14) for FR... is this even lag? I don't know. I play 6-max. I was raising a lot tho. So I steal a bunch of hands, and decide that I have found a good spot to gamble. If I win this pot, I can really push the table around. So I donk off a terrible call and suck out:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?990703">http://www.pokerhand.org/?990703">http://www.pokerhand.org/?990703
I win, and start the bullying:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?990708">http://www.pokerhand.org/?990708">http://www.pokerhand.org/?990708
Standard:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?990709">http://www.pokerhand.org/?990709">http://www.pokerhand.org/?990709

Here's me starting out the Final Table with a massive chiplead. Me with 21k, 2nd with 10k, and 3rd had 4k.
LINK


We're 9-handed, and I can pretty much sleep-play to a victory, so I TAG it up til we get 6 handed. Raise, steal, pressure, etc.
Then comes this gem:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?990716
Expert trapper:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?990718
Then 3 handed I just kept raising tons of hands, and often shoving reasonable hands:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?990722


OK, so I ran crazy hot. But obv, I am a huge lucksack (Lesson #1 from Taylor: "Run great and suck out a lot."), and I won the thing:
LINK


And although it's just a satellite victory, in honor of me Dauting off a win, here is a pic of me with my new best bud who gives me all my poker tips: (I'm on the left)
LINK


PS to Ryan Duat: Be very very jealous.

-Brian

So I don't have much ambition to play lately. It's 3am and I haven't played a hand yet today. I've played at least one hand every single day for the last 5 months, and I don't want the streak to die.

I played nearly 60k hands in March and made $XXX,XXX,XXX.XX (so its not a brag post). I ran at 6.5 PTbb/100 on UB and 6.6 PTbb/100 on FTP all playing anything from 50nl to 1000nl... mostly 2/4. But I just don't feel like playing. And when I do play, I feel its my A- game.

Any thoughts? Ideas? I don't want to ruin my streak. It has a hold on me now.

-Brian

So barring someone reporting that they have $7403.99 at the last minute, it looks like I am gonna win FruityPro's March $1k Challenge.

Sp00n started out crushing us all the first week, but by week 2 i had taken the lead. I ran really hot. I held the lead almost the entire way and then started running bad. I started mixing in all kinds of stakes (gg bankroll management), and ran real bad at 2/4. Went down to approx 3300 on the 30th. The last day I played 4 sessions, grinding 1/2 and 2/4. +900, +750, +567, and -700. This put me at ~4800, and in 3rd place. Zaitsev had a nice rush the last week finishing around 6200, and WotaWaster had a strong showing finishing around 5600.

I decided to gamble big time and was gonna sit at 5/10 6max, but the tables all looked like regulars and short stacks. I saw a guy HU and sat. I donked off a buyin with 2pr vs a straight early, and was down another $1000. The guy was awful, and I knew I could get paid if I hit. I eventually grinded up, caught 2 of his bluffs, and then took 1/2 a stack from some other guy who joined our game with my set of J's, which ended my run at 11:57pm with $7403.98.

I really wish I would have played more - I didnt get in enough playing time and got complacent with my lead, which almost cost me if it werent for me being such a huge lucksack. I really hope we do this again.

-Brian


Stats/Pics:
Bonus $$ Converted: $767.68
Points $$ Converted: $377.30
$$ made from Poker: $5259.00
Total Profit: $6403.98

Stats


Final Pic