Wow I see you made it Tuesday well done I will be watching/railing(no chat) remember everything I've taught you!! Don't play AJ b4 the first level!!! hope you get some good cards Good luck Lee Posted by frascati
I envy a young man with our ability in poker. Good discipline. CONGRATS ON YOUR ENTRY. Well deserved. Regards Alan EDIT...your ability....lol Posted by ajmilton
Well done Pat great effort and great result. Also impressed you managed to break even/win a little over the course off the challenge. P.s. sent you pm a few days ago that doesn't really matter now Posted by Jac35
I'm not going to lie, I'm as surprised as you. Everytime I try to put insane volume in, my results suffer. This week I felt that the games were tougher, often running with 4 regs at a table (which I didn't really have a choice not to avoid like I normally do) but I also felt that I was running bad/into the top of the range so so often.
Appreciated the PM Jac, I forgot to reply - but I took what you said on board. (For anyone interested I ended the week up £60 up including refunds from sky for getting disconnected and donking around playing some satellites/tournaments)
Cheers mate, but trust me - you're the only person I've had the better of this month - I donked off 60% of my roll chasing this stupid promo - I'm gonna start some trash talk in the S&G Champ thread now!
I really like your thread even though I rarely post, it's a great read. Just to say congrats on a great achievement last week. Like you, I really felt the strain and was really glad to relax yesterday. Also a touch surprised to get the call.
Best of luck for tonight, man, you will have great support and for good reason. Also, good luck Jingle, I'm confident that you will see this in here :-)
Introduction - For months I've been wanting to post a thread to track my progress. Having been inspired by various threads, I've finally decided this would be a great place to post it. In this thread I will post my Poker 'career' to date, the highs & lows I've encountered along the way, and regular updates of my day to day progress. Backstory - I started playing poker about 3 years ago when I stumbed across Facebook poker. I started with the 9 player sit and gos and soon found a playing style that worked well. Playing tight in the early stages when the rewards were small and using that image to my advantage to steal wide in the latter stages when the rewards were high. From the moment I played my first hand I was hooked and as strange as it sounds, it seemed as though I was destined to play. The two year wait until turning 18 and legally being able to play began. I can honestly say that the 6 months leading up to my 18th birthday were the longest of my life. I'd played on a few sites before turning 18 with little success and I knew that I had a long way to go until I'd be a consistant winning player online. So I put my game to work. I read stratergy and watched videos, desperately trying to improve my game before I could make a substantial deposit when I was finally legal to play. Eventually came my 18th birthday, March 24th of last year. I can't put into words how elated I felt waking up on my birthday, knowing the wait was over and the constrictions of being 17 had finally gone. For my birthday, myself and 4 friends went to London. Over the course of the weekend I won over £600 in 4 hours of live poker play. I knew good things were ahead. But unbeknown to me, my path to becoming a winning poker player had only just begun. Initial Playing days - After the exuberance of my birthday had worn off, I was unsure what to do. I held a firm belief at the time that I was a winning live player, but knew that online poker was a different game entirely. I had just under £1000 in my bank from my birthday, but knew that could soon vanish. I decided upon a $400 deposit on Full Tilt Poker. Within a week of playing $25nl cash, I'd doubled my initial deposit. I felt unbeatable and started taking shots at $50NL and even $100NL. I had little idea of bankroll management at the time. Looking back, the sample size from which I won that money was laughable. The heater finally wore off, and my previous account balance of $900 had diminished to just $200. I had no idea what to do. I finally found 6 max turbo sit and gos and these became my main game. I was going to college at the time and making a fair amount of money playing them on the side. I'd applied to University and had conditional offers from various institutions to study Business. Over the summer, my plan was to grind the 6 max turbos as a job and enjoy my time off before starting University in September. After finishing my exams, I began just that. I was the happiest I'd ever been. I had as much financial secruity as a low stakes sng player who'd just finished college could have. I had great friends who I met up and went out with on a regular basis. After 6 months of hard work I had a girlfriend. Just when my life felt as complete as it could for an 18 year-old, it got turned upside down. A couple of weeks into my summer, the site I played on, Full Tilt Poker got shut down by the US department of justice. All players on the site, could no longer access their accounts. You couldn't play poker, you couldn't withdraw your funds. Suddenly my entire liferoll was in limbo. I still had some money in my bank account, but much of which had been spent on my new computer. A couple failed deposits on different sites later, and my dreams of having a carefree summer was lost. I had lost all the money to my name. I was in limbo, praying for Full Tilt Poker to reopen. That summer was the hardest of my life. I lost faith in my ability to play the game that I loved, which in turn caused me to lose faith in myself. I no longer wanted to see my friends, my girlfriend, or even spend time with my family - All because I left like a failure. Slowly everything I'd worked for over the past year had been taken away from me. I felt as though I had nothing. My relationship with my friends deteriorated and I no longer wanted to do anything or see anyone. I pushed everyone away. My girlfriend wanted to work through everything, but I wanted nothing to do with her. We eventually broke up. University - Eventually August came and I collected my exam results. They were good enough for me to study Business Management at Bath Spa University. So with my mind now on University and not poker, I felt a rejuvination. I saw my friends for one last night out before I before I left. The atmosphere was unbelievable, it was as though everyone was beginning a new chapter of their lives, whether it be work, university or travel. The next day, feeling worse for ware, I moved to Bath. I felt a mixture of emotions but ultimately I was glad summer was over. I was really lucky to be put with great flatmates who I've got on with since day one. Freshers week was incredible. For anyone not familiar, freshers is the first week of University and it essentially comprises of a week of drinking/socialising. During the next few months I got on with my University, but I couldn't help but feel as though something was missing. Fast forward a few months and a few more failed deposits later, with my poker bankroll on Full Tilt still in limbo, I felt disguisted in myself. How can I go from making a healthy amount over thousands of SNG's, to being a complete loser? Looking back, it was my own fault. I was playing cash way outside the restraints of my bankroll. But at the time - losing felt like the worst thing in the world. Skypoker - That brings us to December, when I made the transition to Skypoker. I put £15 on the site, and after winning a small tournament, I just had enough of a roll to begin playing the £5 Double or Nothings. To my surprise I was actually winning at them! In the two weeks of December I turned a £15 deposit into over £400. I felt incredible. However, it wasn't the money itself that made me happy. More importantly, it was the belief in myself that the money gave me. After such a painful and low period of my life. A period that I wouldn't wish on anyone - I was back. Christmas came, and I went home during the middle of December. I decided not to take my big computer/dual monitors home with me because I'd be going to Mexico for most of the time period. Due to not having my computer, I wouldn't be able to mass multi-table the double or nothing's like I was used to. Boredom soon sunk in and I couldn't resist HU/6 Max cash. Running bad and playing worse, I lost most of my bankroll in a couple of days. After the holiday, I went back to University as soon as I could - back to the poker grind. All went well and within a week I was well on track to rebuilding my roll. I had rebuilt my roll back to over £300, but then came Friday the 13th. I lost over half my roll within the space of 2 hours. I lost so many coolers in a row, I was in pure disbelief. I lost with AA to KK, QQ to JJ, AK to AJ, AK to AQ in what felt like 20 times in the space of two hours. It felt like a bad dream, like I'd wake up any moment. At this point I could have quit. My account still had the same amount as a week prior. Yet I just wanted to escape the pain. It was though I just wanted it to be all over. I lost the rest within 20 minutes playing PLO. So there I was, in pure dismay. I once again had nothing. The next couple months were a blurr. March - Fast forward to March and I was considering selling my entire computer setup. From the 'gaming' desktop to the dual montiors. Everytime I woke up, my computer was there. My datebase of hands, my former graphs, the dual monitors. All for one purpose, poker. With my money still locked up in Full Tilt Poker, I felt as though it was time for me to give it one last shot. If this wouldn't work, I would quit. I just couldn't put myself through the anguish of gaining so much mentally, and then having it taken away at the blink of an eye. I finally decided to put £100 into my poker account with the intention of playing as many Double or Nothings as I could, praying to succeed. March proved to be a success. My bankroll grew by the day, and I was soon 12 tabling a mixture of £5.50 and £11 Double or Nothings. About a week into March, I realised I was actually on pace to reach Priority club (£1000 in rake for the month) - something I didn't think was possible at such a low buy in level. During March I played an incredible amount. March was a long but fulfilling month. By the end I was so sick of SNGs and Poker! I actually made Priority club with a day to spare, even after taking 3 days off during the course of the month. Including cash for points, I'd grown my roll from just £100 to £1000. I was truly overwhelmed. But once again, it wasn't the financial gain that benefitted me the most. It was the sense of acomplishment. I had finally proved to myself that I was a winning poker player. All the self-doubt left me that day. I felt blessed. 'You won't truly be successful until you say, I dont need that money, because I've got it in here." April and Beyond - Because I played so many STT's between Jan-March I was eligable to participate in the Team Skypoker tournament. The top 30 players based on volume played from each donomination: cash, mtts and stts - were invited into a tournament with the chance to win a sponsorship package and represent the site. I believe a total of 87 people entered the tournament, and the top 6 would win a sponsorship package. I'd looked forward to the tournament for weeks, telling close friends and family of my oppertunity to represent the site. During the middle of April, the time finally came to play it. I slowly bled chips for the first hour and my hope of a sponsorship deal faided. Just when I thought my chance was over, I got involved in one big pot. A calling station was on my right and he was defending his blind a huge amount. I was forced to wait for value hands. Eventually I was dealt AK and I raised from the sb. The station called and I hit top pair. I bet 3/4 pot on both the flop and turn. The river was scary as it paired the board. Against a better opponent I'd check fold the river, but I knew this player would call worse. I decided to shove, repping a missed draw. My opponent tank called top pair...... worse kicker, giving me a much needed double up. From there, I slowly built up chips. My Jacks held up against KJ and before I knew it, we were down to the final 20. Eventually came the bubble, when the tournament was down to 7 players. With only 6 sponsorship packages, one player would be left empty handed. I had a tough table, with the respectable LOL_Raise to my left. I was in a dominant position, and with the blinds high, I was shoving wide to steal. But then, disaster. My shove was called off and my hand was dominanted, I lost and my chip stack cripped. I was down to a lowly 30,000, with the average around 55,000. I was at serious risk of being the bubble boy. Thoughts of failure were entering my head, believed I had once again let my chance slip. However, over the course of the next few hands my aggression paid off and after 3 bet shoving wide, I was once again in a dominant position. LOL_Raise shoved UTG and was called by an opponent with a very similar chip stack. LOL_Raise actually got lucky when his outkicked ace paired the board. It was over. I had done it. I had won a Skypoker sponsorship package. After that tournament I felt comfortable in my ability to play poker. However, more importantly, I finally felt comfortable with myself. Final Thoughts - The Team Skypoker tournament has given me something intangible, something that can never be taken away from me. Even if I never win a hand of poker again, I wouldn't feel a sense of failure like that of before. I'd be happy because if it wasn't for the mistakes I'd previously made, I wouldn't be where I am today, not only in poker but in life. 'Sometimes, it's the most difficult times that make us grow, gain compassion and empathy and find strength we never realised we had.' Present Day - I currently still play the £5.50 and £11 double or nothings, with the intention of moving up through the stakes as my bankroll grows. My goal is to buy a Rolex Datejust by the end of this year as a symbol and reminder to myself - that dedication and hard work can ultimately pay off. I'm currently ranked top 20 for sharkscope 2012 leaderboard 'any game by network - Sky'. In July I'll be playing the £550 GUKPT, and in September I'll be playing the SPT main event at Dusk Til Dawn. Both paid for under my Sponsorship deal. I thank you for reading my journey so far. I'll try to keep motivated and update this thread as much as possible and please feel free to post any questions. I look forward to playing on the same table/s as you on the felt. - Patrick Walsh (patwalshh) Posted by patwalshh
Rolex datejust!!!! if your going to buy a rolex (not my thing) go for one of the sporty versions eg submariner,sea dweller or Gmt2, datejust is old school (guys in there 50s) bit more expensive, so you need to grind alittle more lol
Hey Pat, I really like your thread even though I rarely post, it's a great read. Just to say congrats on a great achievement last week. Like you, I really felt the strain and was really glad to relax yesterday. Also a touch surprised to get the call. Best of luck for tonight, man, you will have great support and for good reason. Also, good luck Jingle, I'm confident that you will see this in here :-) JC Posted by JohnConnor
Ahh the one person I didn't expect to post in the thread, thank you John. We both ultimately achieved the same thing, so congratulations. Anyone could make it playing £22-£110 DYMs like Jingle did haha.
Ps, I noticed that you're adjusting to my game more and more, so you're definitely one of the reg's I'll be avoiding in the future. Best of luck.
Cheers mate, but trust me - you're the only person I've had the better of this month - I donked off 60% of my roll chasing this stupid promo - I'm gonna start some trash talk in the S&G Champ thread now! Posted by JingleMa
In Response to Patwalshh - SNG Champ Challenge Review [Huge September Ahead] : Rolex datejust!!!! if your going to buy a rolex (not my thing) go for one of the sporty versions eg submariner,sea dweller or Gmt2, datejust is old school (guys in there 50s) bit more expensive, so you need to grind alittle more lol Posted by boatrace
Hey Pat, I really like your thread even though I rarely post, it's a great read. Just to say congrats on a great achievement last week. Like you, I really felt the strain and was really glad to relax yesterday. Also a touch surprised to get the call. Best of luck for tonight, man, you will have great support and for good reason. Also, good luck Jingle, I'm confident that you will see this in here :-) JC Posted by JohnConnor
Thanks JC, u2 - don't worry, I'm not leaving u out of the trash talk in the main thread. ;-)
pat what made u shove with 8 9 suited in the dym challenge ? surely u coulda laddered up to bigger cash ? Posted by IDONKCALLU
I didn't care about the money, I just wanted the win. It's essentially the bubble and if he's good, he can only call me with 6 hands 10s+ and AK. Unfortunately he just happened to have one of them.
Just a quick update to say that I haven't fallen from the face of the earth. I'm just taking Poker a bit easier at the moment and not getting too much volume in.
On a side note, freshers is here! First year university students are just starting and as a result, a week of drinking begins. Went out for the first time last night with 3 of my best friends from home. Atmosphere was insane. A few funny stories which I will try to tone down and post.
Sorry for the lack of updates guys, I've been waiting for my friend to upload some pictures and videos from the weekend, but he's taking his time to say the least! Hopefully I'll be able to upload them soon.
Poker wise, I've been aiming for for quality over quantity for the past few days and (finally) I'm actually getting some results. It feels so good to not only have the confidence to tell yourself that you're going to have a winning session, but also have your gut tell you that you're going to have a winning session. Has anyone experienced what I'm talking about? For me, it's some type of energy that is like a warm feeling, that everything is just going to 'be alright', and I'm just going to crush the last few games, it's as though it's destined or inevitable.
DYM Results since Sunday:
Recently, I've been trying my hand at cash when the DYM lobbies are a bit reg filled, or loading slow. I think adding cash to my game is great for balance, eg I'm not solely relying on DYMs, incase anything drastic happens to them.
Cash for me is a tough one though and I'm finding it mentally challenging. It's hard to describe, it's as though I have a fear of losing in cash, even though I'm playing within my bankroll constraints. When I first load a session, I enjoy it, but I find myself wanting to quit as soon as I win a flip or double up in a bit pot. But if I'm losing, it doesn't effect my play at all, and I can continue playing as I was when I first started the session - It's as though, If I'm losing, it's just like the start of a DYM session, when I mostly lose the first couple games, but expect to make up for it over the next few. It's probably some deep set psychological fear of losing, from my past experiences of losing so many rolls on monkey tilt playing cash way out of my bankroll.
Nonetheless, I'm working on this. In the mental game of Poker, Tendler says something along the lines of building up your mental muscle. For example, when I first started DYMs, I would load up 12 games and play them, because playing any more burnt me out. But over time, I've built that up and I can play 28 games+ without feeling burnt out. I think cash is the same way, right now I'm restricted to 30 minute sessions, but over time, if I work on this, I can build it up. If anyone has some advice on the subject of cash, I'd really appreciate it.
Lastly, I've already hit Priority club (for the first time since March), which I'm proud of. Hopefully I can reach 12,000 Poker points for an even nicer bonus. Although, right now I'm really focusing on just playing solid poker, and not worrying too much about volume.
Month's nearly over, just about to hit my secondary target of 12,000 Poker points. Satellited into the main Roller tonight. Time to ft a main or spew within the first 30 mins. Whichever comes first
Somehow still in both the £110 Roller and the £5 mini. I say somehow after flopping flush vs flush in the Roller and only losing the very minimum. In the mini, I ran JJ into QQ which put me on 600 chips. Got up to 1k and got in 99 vs KK and hit a 9. Then got in AK vs Q9 on a JQx and turned the straight lol.
Sorry for the lack of updates guys, I've been waiting for my friend to upload some pictures and videos from the weekend, but he's taking his time to say the least! Hopefully I'll be able to upload them soon. Poker wise, I've been aiming for for quality over quantity for the past few days and (finally) I'm actually getting some results. It feels so good to not only have the confidence to tell yourself that you're going to have a winning session, but also have your gut tell you that you're going to have a winning session. Has anyone experienced what I'm talking about? For me, it's some type of energy that is like a warm feeling, that everything is just going to 'be alright', and I'm just going to crush the last few games, it's as though it's destined or inevitable. DYM Results since Sunday: Recently, I've been trying my hand at cash when the DYM lobbies are a bit reg filled, or loading slow. I think adding cash to my game is great for balance, eg I'm not solely relying on DYMs, incase anything drastic happens to them. Cash for me is a tough one though and I'm finding it mentally challenging. It's hard to describe, it's as though I have a fear of losing in cash, even though I'm playing within my bankroll constraints. When I first load a session, I enjoy it, but I find myself wanting to quit as soon as I win a flip or double up in a bit pot. But if I'm losing, it doesn't effect my play at all, and I can continue playing as I was when I first started the session - It's as though, If I'm losing, it's just like the start of a DYM session, when I mostly lose the first couple games, but expect to make up for it over the next few. It's probably some deep set psychological fear of losing, from my past experiences of losing so many rolls on monkey tilt playing cash way out of my bankroll. Nonetheless, I'm working on this. In the mental game of Poker, Tendler says something along the lines of building up your mental muscle. For example, when I first started DYMs, I would load up 12 games and play them, because playing any more burnt me out. But over time, I've built that up and I can play 28 games+ without feeling burnt out. I think cash is the same way, right now I'm restricted to 30 minute sessions, but over time, if I work on this, I can build it up. If anyone has some advice on the subject of cash, I'd really appreciate it. Lastly, I've already hit Priority club (for the first time since March), which I'm proud of. Hopefully I can reach 12,000 Poker points for an even nicer bonus. Although, right now I'm really focusing on just playing solid poker, and not worrying too much about volume. All the best Patwalshh Posted by patwalshh
hi Pat, i've had similar feelings myself of late,during the last few weeks of my DYM challenge. isn't it a lovely feeling,as it hardly matters as to what cards you get dealt,you just feel as though you will win the session no matter what. i have had this feeling now for the last 8 weeks so i'm hoping that it continues,as it is a great feeling to have going into each session and obviously fantastic for your b/roll too.
still not having much success at the £5 level,but i will keep going back there every few weeks or so and continue trying. best wishes Pat with the cash too. i found playing cash that 6 tables was more optimal for me than playing 10/12,as i found myself missing 'spots' gl dev
Comments
Ty Dev.
Cheers mate, but trust me - you're the only person I've had the better of this month - I donked off 60% of my roll chasing this stupid promo - I'm gonna start some trash talk in the S&G Champ thread now!
I really like your thread even though I rarely post, it's a great read. Just to say congrats on a great achievement last week. Like you, I really felt the strain and was really glad to relax yesterday. Also a touch surprised to get the call.
Best of luck for tonight, man, you will have great support and for good reason. Also, good luck Jingle, I'm confident that you will see this in here :-)
JC
Ps, I noticed that you're adjusting to my game more and more, so you're definitely one of the reg's I'll be avoiding in the future. Best of luck.
In Response to Re: Patwalshh - SNG Champ Challenge Review [Huge September Ahead]: Oh it's on.
In Response to Re: Patwalshh - SNG Champ Challenge Review [Huge September Ahead]: Page 14 haha.
hope the hard grind from the last week pays off tonight.
(* *)
^
dev
Ugh @ that bubble Pat.
Unlucky bud. There will be plenty of other opportunities for you.
That which does not kill us makes us stronger
[QUOTE]"If you know it's the right thing to do, success will come"
Posted by patwalshh
Actually, that is a better way of putting it, & looking at it.
Just keep doing the right things & the results will come. Forget the little setbacks, they are part of the process.
Sickness.
You just didn't get anything going from the moment I started railing - sorry for bokking u!
It did cross my mind that the bubble hadn't burst when I left @ the break with 42 remaining, but i thought - "nah, my boy got this no probs".
Looks my leaving didn't help either.
I blame that blondie for messing up your mojo. ;-)
i've had similar feelings myself of late,during the last few weeks of my DYM challenge.
isn't it a lovely feeling,as it hardly matters as to what cards you get dealt,you just feel as though you will win the session no matter what.
i have had this feeling now for the last 8 weeks so i'm hoping that it continues,as it is a great feeling to have going into each session and obviously fantastic for your b/roll too.
still not having much success at the £5 level,but i will keep going back there every few weeks or so and continue trying.
best wishes Pat with the cash too.
i found playing cash that 6 tables was more optimal for me than playing 10/12,as i found myself missing 'spots'
gl
dev