Austin,Coachella,Houston,Vegas,Houston and Austin part 1...

So much has happened I don't even know where to start, perhaps where we left off...

Austin
Came here to Velocity Diet with John and Neil. It's hard, intense and is how I got into shape so fast. I have a lot of respect for them undertaking the journey, its not easy. Our days consisted of working out, 5 protein shakes, massive grinding and just having fun. Walking the dogs and the lake were highlights as well as the whole foods meal, yum! I think I left Austin in the green by a few hundred bucks but had some decent 1k ish up and down swings while here (shrugs) Went back to Houston to pack for.....

Coachella
To be honest with you, these may have been 3 of the best days of my life. We arrived to collect our wristbands only to learn we had backstage, sick. Everyday was amazing and I will truly treasure my time there. I have to leave a little mystery and some of it I can't tell but I will say this. I met lots of famous people, hung out backstage and truly wished the time would never end. My serotonin levels and dead nerve endings might have something different to say but that's neither here nor there : )

Houston...Wait....Huh?
If you remember the last blog we were planning on staying in L.A. till that weekend and going to Vegas for a wedding. Well after Coachella, I needed to go home. I didn't and couldn't stay in Cali as I was beyond well done. That Monday I camped at LAX for 30 ish hours and felt like Tom Hanks in Terminal. Came home for a few days and that weekend we went......

to be continued

Bitch I'm on my grind!!

LIFE:

Been really good and I can't complain. John Mayer was good but he shorted me on songs I wanted to hear. SXSW was super sick fun and the whole week I was hungover every morning and out of the gym. I had a freaking blasty blast though with so many good friends I hadn't seen in a long time. Highlights were partying with Meriweather at an open bar party at the Driskill hotel. Barcelona 2 nights in a row and telling them how much I loved them while drunk. Muse in the lawn with a bunch of people and the poor girl who scaled the wall only to jump back down to help her friend who fell. Minus the bear right in front the night before I left. I'm actually heading back to Austin today to hang with J0hndayt0n and Neil_Rick and just bring it! They decided to do the Velocity Diet that I had done and I decided to go train with them and help them out and stay focused. I will be dieting and training sick hard with them which I'm really excited about. I'm going to do a harder version of the advanced velocity diet. Will be good to have us all dieting and training hard helping each other stay focused and motivated. The diet is not easy and I have mad respect for them doing it! So Austin for me will be working out hard, no drinking, no cheat food, reading, hiking and grinding sick hard. Been working on my 100 things to do list and here are 25 of them.

1. be nicer to my loved ones and friends and make an effort to treat everyone fairly
2. say what I truly feel in the moment, there's not much time left
3. make a minimum of 150k this year playing poker.
4. meet with the artist in Austin this week and get my sleeve done before my birthday
5. get to my ideal lean state and not be so hard on myself about eating/drink
6. skydive
7. get back into some form of martial arts and/or Yoga
8. purchase a home/condo and pay for the mortgage with money not from my playing
9. become an ebay powerseller again and maintain a steady side income from that
10. coach poker and help others become better players
11. find her and start building something together, whatever it may be
12. get back into music and recording (must play a show or record something this year)
13. redo my digidesign pro tools certification
14. take guitar lessons from a beast
15. volunteer my time to help and/or teach people
16. give a homeless person money and/or help when they actually need it
17. start painting/drawing again
18. read before bed and try and read a book a week
19. try to be more humble and kill the ego (hard being a leo and a poker player)
20. hire a cash game coach
21. celebrate my birthday in Vegas with her and close friends (bellagio/venetian suite)
22. invest 1/3 of my profits every month in something (gold,stocks etc etc)
23. get involved with real estate, I know too many people in it not to.
24. do it right in Vegas this summer and grind harder, less lighting money on fire
25. smile at people who walk by and who look like they could use one

POKER

I have worked really hard on my game since coming back from bfizz11's house. I review hands daily, think about spots and try and focus hard and learn from my mistakes. I didn't met my 10k in a month goal but we did really well and will take the current results. Below is my updated graph of slightly under a month of play. Including some live tournaments I pwned, I'm up a lil over 6k total in 27 days. I ran pretty bad last week but kept my head up and stayed on my grind. Once in Austin I will put in even more volume as I will have no distractions and plan on making sure April is a 10k month even with taking off time for Coachella. Also while in L.A. for the festival I plan on playing some live cash and checking out Commerce and after that head to Vegas for a wedding and grind some there. Sky is truly the limit and I'm so on my grind!

Happy Trails!

Update has been coming for quite some time as lots has been going on. Blog will remain a mix of life and poker so I hope it remains entertaining for you, the reader.


LIFE
I'm in such a good place right now, I'm blessed. This weekend is John Mayer, 5th row! Just booked a trip with some friends to Coachella in a RV! Starting to look into going to Costa Rica and looking at booking the summer in Vegas for WSOP again. My workout routine is stagnant as I've plateaued and I hurt myself. I'm resting and redesigning it yet again. This next one is going to be a leaning, strength, MMA inspired type training. I'm as big as I would like to be now it's just all about strength, speed and lean. I also decided I'm staying here in Houston and I'm starting to look at places. I'm also working on a 100 things to do this year list which I will be posting soon. Poker is just the main focus right now, one of the goals is at least a $150k year.
I have to say that I'm very thankful to be in the spot I am. Everything I choose is in my grasp and I need only work hard to attain it.

POKER
I finally went to stay with bfizz11 last month and had a great time. When I arrived in Dallas/Fort Worth it snowed inches which for Texas, is amazing! Since we were snowed in we did nothing but focus on poker with a little mix of partying thrown in. Brian (Bfizz11) is currently #1 on the pokerstars tournament leader board. His protege, Kyle (I GRIND THIS) is also ranked #4 currently. Let's just say that being snowed in for days with these two will get you crushing tournament poker and a little hungover : )

I did my best to put in a lot of games a day, ask Brian questions, watch him play and review hands with him. Putting a lot more effort into the time away from the tables and reviewing my sessions has been huge for me. I left up a few hundred bucks from the trip, nothing special. My computer also got a virus and made it unusable so the last few days I focused on a few games and watching Brian play.

Since being back I have been having wonderful results. I got 6th in the 11 rebuy for just under 3k and have had decent results at sitngos as well. I lost my result from Bfizz11 house but since I started playing back in Houston I'm up just under 4k. Sharkscope seems to be missing some of my results in tournaments so I had to start using poker tracker and tournament updater which is very helpful. This is my graph after 9 days of playing since Bfizz bootcamp.


I'm proud of myself and the work I'm putting into my game. The goal is to have a minimum 10k month every month for the rest of the year. I just need to put in the hours and the results will happen.


Happy Trails

Holidays

I didn't end up going to bfizz11 place this week because my grandparents, cousins, aunt and uncle showed up this week to visit. It was really nice to spend sometime with them and see my cousins. Pretty interesting story, last year in September my little cousin found me on Myspace and reunited my family. The family had a falling out 14-15 years ago and had lost contact and were not speaking. My cousin was maybe 4-5 when we last saw each other and never got the full story about what happened. She searched for me and one day I get a message asking if I was her cousin. I knew right away who it was and we got in touch and eventually everyone else did as well. It's been interesting having all these people come back into my life but I consider it for the better. If anything it was nice to be with them and my brother out together. Last time we were all little children and now we have piercings, tattoos etc, just a trip ya know. During the week it was work like normal which was basically wake up, gym for 2-3 hrs. come home and 80-100 sngs a day. Been doing well and just trying to think about the game and still learn. I'm trying to compile a decent amount of key hands in 180 mans to discuss with bfizz and just think about the best plays for the situation. I think I might have gotten food poisoning or something this week because I woke up feeling awful with chills and an upset stomach. I didn't play much Sunday and had the first losing day of the week which is meh but standard. After I busted the last thing I passed out with the chills on the couch, not feeling so hot today. I just had some chicken soup though and plan on curling up with the new Doyle Brunson book and just resting . I don't totally know yet if I will go back into hard gym mode tomorrow as I feel like poop but we shall not waste the time. Reading and lots of grinding can still be done and we shall make this happen. Hope everyone has a happy holidays with their loved ones.

Happy Trails

What it takes

This week I went to Austin to visit my friends Neil_Rick and j0hndayt0n who are 2 friends I lived with in Austin last year. These guys are pretty much awesome and I forgot how much I enjoy their company. We then went to Brain's Bfizz11 house in Dallas/Forth Worth for a couple of days. Our other friend Andrew was there for the first evening before leaving for Costa Rica to see the Spacegravy poker guys. I seriously never have as good as a time as I do with fellow poker players. The level of thinking and the discussions we have about poker or things in general is always great. One thing I realized was you can never get comfortable and you always need to strive for the top in anything. Brian moved into the house with the guys right after I left last year. In some way I look at his success in poker as what I could have attained this year had I worked as hard as he did. I'm fine with the way the year has gone but not being serious about my game is changing. If I really want to call myself a "professional" poker player then I need to act like one. So tomorrow I go back to Brian's house for the "bfizz bootcamp" and I'm pretty stoked about it. While I was there I spend one day watching him and picked up a few things. I still barley have any money in my account as I was doing the grind up for $100 bucks thing. The day after I won 2 180 mans and the next day another and final tabling several others. The few things I picked up were huge and I think picking the brains of the biggest winner at 180s this year will be killer. So I have reformatted the computer and databases for a nice fresh start. I plan on putting in a serious amount of work at the tables and away. I plan on playing 100 180 mans daily and saving every key hand that I have questions on and reviewing them with Bfizz daily. Since I know a decent amount of what he would teach most people who would hire him, the stuff I will get from him is priceless. All the tricks of his game that make him super profitable, I can already see the change in my game. You have to have the drive and ambition in anything you do, currently I'm super pumped about poker again. About to start playing hard for several hours before all the Sunday shows (Dexter,Curb,Califonication). Then I need to pack up my stuff for the brutal bootcamp I will endure : )

Happy Trails

Texas Tour...

So this week has been amazing so far and I just thought I would write a little update. My life since around the time of the last blog has totally changed and I'm so thankful to be on a life upswing again. Since I'm all about poker again I decided it would be in my best interest to enlist the help of someone who can help me at a specific game. I met with Bfizz11 this week and discussed moving in with him and getting some coaching at 180 mans. Brian is the biggest winner this year at them and is also having a very good year at MTT's as well. I really like his level of motivation and where his head is at.

http://bfizz11.com/

So I shall be moving to Dallas/Fort Worth for some time before going to Costa Rica next year. I also saw Imogen Heap in Dallas which was such an amazing set. Her music and the person I shared it with are very special moments in my life and I'm glad I got to see her again. The next day I took off to Austin to see Heap again and also visit some other poker pals there as well. Saw a great show again and actually met Imogen this evening which was such an amazing thing. Everyone wanted pictures and autographs but I simply wanted a hug from her. She was super sweet and truly is one of my favorite artist. It's so nice to tell someone who's songs you play day in and day out the affect they have on your life. Such a treat to meet the Heap!! Now I'm back in Houston and trying to get everything in order for the new life I will have. Decided to sell most of my stuff on Ebay and get into a backpack type of mode for the traveling I shall be doing next year. Don't really need much more then my laptop and clothing and I'm looking forward to starting over with a fresh slate. Really excited about where my life is at right now and I don't think I have ever been this happy. I see my goals super clearly and there is nothing that is going to stop me from meeting them.

"It's all happening"

Happy Trails

Real Talk...

I would like to start by saying I hope I never come off boastful or bragging about my life as I honestly don't think I'm different or better. This is just how it is and I don't owe the page to anyone other then myself. Sure part of me has a public blog and twitter because I want someone to read it, but it's interesting to see what you write when you know someones reading it. Some evenings I have had way too good of a time and write all kinds of silliness that is honest and real for the moment on twitter. At times I read back and think I sound like a dick but it keeps me aware of the fact were all human. On that note if your still reading, I thank you for the time.



Working Out
It's all I do right now during the week and then I go and eat whatever during the weekend and drink like a champ.I eat super clean, take my supplements and workout everyday Monday through Friday assuming I made it home Sunday. I read/watch a lot of stuff on bodybuilding.com and if you ever decide to get healthy it's a wonderful place to start. I been really hard on myself as I spend all week on me doing good for my body and I trash it on the weekends. I still am making really good progress but being easier on myself is something I'm trying to work on. That being said I have gotten really serious with it and I designed a really freaking good diet, supplement stack and pretty sick workout routine all by myself. Learned little tricks from all the best people out there right now and combined into a truly amazing workout. Not trying to get big bulky but hard and lean sixpack, guy v. type and it's so cool to be walking a different path them most at the gym. Think most guys just workout and eat whatever and get "bigger" but not in the right ways. Gym is also one of the worst places to learn to workout and I'm thankful I always manage to find the best websites for everything. So if your into it or looking to get into it bodybuilding.com and t-nation.com are both legit places I owe a lot to.

Poker
Out of all the things I have done in my life, I love poker and how it mirrors it. It has it's ups and downs but if you make the right decisions over and over and learn from your mistake, you will always come out ahead.I will not lie I have been slacking as of late and I'm fine with that. I was more focused on myself and that's if anything is what I play for. The freedom to do whatever and wherever, such a beautiful thing really. I watched this amazing interview/story on Phil Ivey and it truly lit a fire under my ass again for poker.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4620789&categoryid=3060647

The man came from nothing but he had the dream and desire to make it happen. Now he truly has the sickest life and is the best poker player in the world. I was so inspired by this, I knew I had to get serious about poker again. My friend who I learned the most from and lived with in Austin (spacegravy) just started a training program in a sick house on the beach in Costa Rica.

http://spacegravypoker.com/

My other friends Matt and Mike are coaches as well and wonderful poker minds in their own right.To show people just how profitable the games still are Grayson emptied his account to $100 and is seeing how much he can make in a month. Inspired by this as well, I decided to do the same thing. I started today for an hour or so and had my internet go out for 25 mins. right when I got 20 tables going. When I got the games back up I had busted half my tables. Despite my setback and only playing for for an hour and a half I still made $12 bucks. Ship It! I plan on playing about 2500-3000 games this month so I can be back at my normal stakes by the time December rolls around. Also in January I plan on joining the guys in Costa Rica to grind my ass off like never before and make some serious moves. You should totally check out all their blogs on the site as they make for a good read. I will most likely keep up with with my twiiter as far as updates so check that out for the progress.


Life:

Been enjoying the shit out of it and lets just say most weekends my role models are Vince from Entourage and Hank Moody from Californication.
It's crazy how I have come full circle starting the year off with the idea of domestication. I can't even imagine going back into this mindset. The grass is truly always greener on the other side no matter what. The only thing I want sometimes is someone to listen to the silly shit I don't want to tell anyone else. Perhaps someone to hold close for a few moments but not cuddle the whole night cause it gets hot. The concept of holding someone in bed to the point of comfort but rolling over and not over doing it is a very delicate balance and a metaphor for being happy. I lost so much focus being caught up in the way someone made me feel I forgot I need nothing outside myself to truly make me happy. When you focus on yourself and make good healthy choices you invite good people in as well. I also quit drinking for a few weeks for a couple of reasons. I get stronger and gain more muscle every week but the body fat stays the same because of the weekends. I'm having a blast and work it all off but I want a sixpack before I leave for Costa Rica and I'm so fucking close! So no drinking for 3 weeks and perhaps the rest of the year so I can reach my goals. Also drinking like I used to and not listening to my body has gotten me fucked out of my mind some nights and with that come even worse choices (drugs,sex,waking up my car etc etc). These choices not only make my body feel like shit but affect my mindset in a negative way. So no drugs,no booze, eat clean, lots of poker, workout, breathe and focus. I promise you and myself that I will make sure I focus on the goals and reap the rewards of hard work and dedication.

Happy Trails

Wake me up when September begins...

After my birthday and during I had a very hard time and was not very happy. I was pretty sad and upset and acting like a total idiot at times. Basically just drinking, staying out late and just trying to drown my sorrows. I just didn't truly understand what life was showing me and how the choices I had made lead me here. I ran bad in Vegas and combined that with bad decision away from the tables. I took a shot with a decent chunk of change when I could have just grinded what I make money at online. I fell that I started the year with a drive and ambition and did a lot in January. My results in poker showed that and I feel I should have kept grinding and stayed on course. I moved somewhere to try and be with someone and we all know how that normally works out. What I can say is that the pull of the stars was coming to a point where there was going to be a change.Perhaps in a form of self preservation I decided to work on myself in various aspects which didn't include playing much poker. I started reading a bunch of great books I had been avoiding getting into. The insight and concepts had been a bit much at different times in life but I truly felt ready this time.One of the best thinks I learned was the concept of Saturn Returning which was what was happening in my life with my birthday. Things became a lot clearer after that and I'm very happy with the person I have become. It's a period in life which can make or break you and thankfully I made it through. Truly I'm not even the same person I was when I wrote the last entry or even a week ago. Growing into an adult is truly a wonderful thing, I just wish we didn't have to murder the ego. I also started the Velocity Diet again which I am currently ending week 4 of 6 and it's going well. I workout everyday doing 60 mins cardio and and weights 3 times weekly. Aside from reading and watching lectures, the gym is the main productive thing I'm doing. I'm in the best shape of my life and am amazed at what I've done to myself. I have semi lost focus on doing a lot of other things at the time because the workouts are really hard and I'm really tired lately. I push myself really hard lately as every week I try and up the weight, cut rest time, get better etc. I also have been playing a lot more poker as of late and having good results. Figured out where the best spots are to grind out some solid income. Trying to play a bunch of games without the guys around like before is hard. It's different when you have a house full of grinders pushing each other to play.I'm working on myself and other ventures though and when the those things are settled I will put in some serious volume. Been playing about 50-100 games daily and doing good but I need to put up some 5 digits results. Going to work hard, eat clean, work out, love and breathe...
Also starting next week lots of good concerts leading up to ACL and ATX in the Fall!!
Happy Trails!

Back Home

Today is my birthday which is always an interesting time for me, figured I should write a blog. Just got back from Vegas, which all and all was a good time. I got 23rd in a 940ish person Venetian event that was pretty frustrating then proceeded to brick the other events I played for the rest of the summer. Also ran really bad at cash games in really standard spots where the money goes in. I feel I played well for the most part and grew as a poker player and a person. It was a crazy time living in Vegas for the summer and partying with all my friends old and new. Some highlights include leaving the Rhino at 9am, Tables at Tryst next to Joe Hachem and Antonio Esfandiari after Stone Temple Pilots, leaving the car somewhere else 4/7 nights, Matisyahu and then Tryst again etc etc. There are better stories but as the saying goes.... The place really does hold a special place in my heart though I feel I lost a little bit of myself at times. Honestly I was really looking forward to something the whole time I was there and missed Texas as a result. I actually left Vegas a week early as I was just over it and didn't want to be alone as most friends were leaving.
I wanted to get back to Texas and possibly work on something I had been looking forward to for a really long time. As of now I don't really think it's in the cards, which is very upsetting but such is life. I always end up hitting a higher point of insight after an emotionally frustrating time and now should be no different. I have some solid goals in mind and am happy knowing now matter what happens, I will be fine. So the goal is to enjoy this week and perhaps see Tool this weekend though I'm not sure if I'm going to. I'm looking forward to having a nice day at the museum with my mom and then sushi and drinks with my friends later that evening. This will be the last week of partying as after that it's back on track. Basically I just plan of working on some other business ventures outside of poker, working out super hard again and getting into total shape and grinding hard.
Pretty much in that order as well as Vegas burnt me out a little from poker. One plus side is I'm still in pretty decent shape from the hard work before Vegas and within a few months I should be in ideal shape. I really enjoy working out and eating well and my body is really missing the routine we had going before. So I plan on doing the velocity diet again as the result I got before we sick, doing it from this point will be killer.
Also getting the business stuff sorted out should take a week and then after that I am committing to grinding really hard again. I been slacking on that this year and running pretty bad at times but that’s all going to change. Getting everything worked out by having a blast for my birthday weekend then back on tracking in mind, body and spirit. Happy Trails.

Vegas very soon

Well things have been well and I feel really good about everything. I have been working out pretty hard and am in really good shape. It's kinda funny as I never imagined I would be this about working out and eating well. I spent quite a bit of time drinking and eating whatever I want. Now I think of what it would it will do to me and how it will hinder my working out. Most of the food I have been eating is turkey,chicken and veggies with my protein shakes. When I have eaten really unhealthy during this time I feel like totally crap and my body has lost most craving for junk food. Other then going out and drinking and the occasional junk food at the Moms place I have been doing sick good. Part of me wishes I had been a bit more strict but I needed some social outings in my life. I feel weird being in Houston and not having a "home" as I'm staying with my parents. It makes no sense to get a place before Vegas and I might not even stay in Houston. I love my family and friends here I just don't feel like I move forward here. I'm not very social here either partly because of the workout/diet thing and not being able to drink/party. It's just silly how everything revolves around drinking and eating. It's also strange trying to make or maintain social connections when I'm leaving for Vegas and unsure of Houston. I know after Vegas I will know have a clear understanding of what will come next. I'm finally getting excited for Vegas and for seeing a bunch of friends and meeting some online pals as well.I have a really good, positive feeling for the summer and know things will go well. I will mainly be playing cash games with a few tournaments on the side. Also going to play sitngos for event seats as from what I hear they are super soft. I get to Vegas in about 2 weeks and until then I will be taking care of little details I must attend to. Happy Trails...

Motivation for life

I did something that was much needed and I did it without really knowing I was doing it. I spend most of last week just watching videos, working out hard and thinking about my life. I spent some time thinking about poker but I also spent quite a bit of time thinking of a simpler time. I miss the days of being driven by music and I'm finding that love again. Music in a way led me to where I find myself currently in my life. Yes I love poker very much and love the freedom it provides but I have a new concept of it. In everything I want I have always wanted to be the best and to get to the top. I realize that I may never tour the world and/or play 500/1000 but I had always aspired for that. What I'm saying is basically that I want a life that is simpler and allows me to be happy. I want to play poker and music and not attach results and let it flow. I think the secret to being successful in anything is doing what you love regardless of the outcome and/or income. So my plan for the year is as follows and no matter what happens I can say I did it and it made me happy.

1. Buff

2. Vegas for 6 weeks

3. Record Music

4. Breathe

Sure I would like amazing results in everything but I would just like to be happy doing them. I want these things to make me happy and serve me, not enslave me as they have before. I truly feel if I detach the result I will have the best possible outcome. Mainly because I'm consumed by the outcome of everything and it's driving me nuts. I have all these results and things I "want" and the way i went about getting them has served me well. Now I am trying a new mindset and feel that no matter what happens, this is the best way I can live for me. I feel we can all have the things we choose but wanting them will only create that result. I no longer want my life but I have and will always choose it.

Happy Trails

Moved and a Week 2 update

So this week is week 2 of the velocity diet which is going well. I have really gotten into working out and getting in shape for the summer. I have been going to the gym everyday and sometimes even twice a day which is good. It's not easy and I have wanted to quit a few times but I can't stop now since I'm half way done. I'm stronger, sleep better and just feel good all around. Poker is going meh still which is ok I guess but rather lame. It's normal and I know I will bounce back soon. Weird thing is with working out and have something else going on it makes everything else easier to deal with. That being said I have been semi emo lately perhaps from the supplements and my body changing. I also did something really nice yesterday which is semi unlike me. Some asshole in a big truck smashed into a little old lady in a tiny car going about 50 and took off! I chased him down and helped the piggies catch him. I also went back to the scence to see if the lady was ok and if she needed help. Bless her heart, she was all banged up but her main concern was the car that was completely totaled. I normally would mind my own but this was quite wrong and I felt I needed to step in. Soon after as I sat in my room thinking good karma is in the way, a bee flew in. So naturally I couldn't kill him so I had to chase and capture this little fellow, not easy. I also went out with some friend's to see the band Sevendust who are always really good. During the set I ran into a friend of mine who was semi drunk and just started randomly grinding and making out with me. It was kinda awkward as she was tipsy and with her brother who was watching out for her. It was quite funny watching her expain to him "hes my friend and I can make out with him if I want" I wondered what the onlookers thought as she would hug on him and he would pull her away then come back and make out with me. Needless to say when the set ended I bailed as I prefer my ladies cognative and discrett. I have also been playing a decent amount of guitar again and writting new songs. After the summer and the WSOP I plan on taking music very serious again and plan on recording some stuff with some talented friends. That's pretty much the cliff notes of life right now for me. I also now have a twitter if you are on it and want to follow me. Have a good week!!

http://twitter.com/basquiatcase

Le Lion Rawr!!

Well things are good for me right now and I don't have much to complain about. I have been working out hard and going to the gym everyday. I lost like 7 lbs. since last week which is kinda crazy. Most of days are filled with grinding and working out and that's really it. I also got a new guitar and have started writing music again which I'm really stoked on. I have always felt my main true calling is music and after the summer I plan on making a good record with some good friends. I also was scared about my taxes but did them in 20 mins and actually get some money back, ship it !!The low stakes grinding is nice and stress free and going the way I expected. Though I did have a bit of trouble putting in the amount of games I wanted, I'm still fine with it. I just wanted to stop losing money and work on me and still play. Many times I have wanted to just deposit and move back up since I'm over rolled but I enjoy the challenge. I'm also about to book my place in Vegas for 6 weeks for the WSOP. I was going to get a house with some friend's but this place is a block from the Rio and while not super baller is good enough. I really only need a place to sleep and possibly away from the partying so its cool. Sometime this week I'm moving back up in stakes to my normal games and just planning on grinding 100 games a day as well as doing 8 miles of low cardio along with my 4 times a week workout. I'm really getting into the whole working out thing and I feel really good about it. I'm totally of the mindset that if you get in great shape it can only help your game. Either in poker or with the ladies and dare I say.. both

Seriously though I feel the best I have felt in a long time and I don't remeber where I read something that has stuck with me all week. It was something along the lines of if you are a lion and work hard at being the lion, you truly are confident in being the king of the jungle since you can own it. The wording is a bit off but that was the general concept that stuck with me. I truly do feel that with work,balance and faith the lion can move mountains. The lion doesn't want much just good vibes, some run good and maybe a hip lioness to play with. For now this lion is of to go see Trapt rock out. Then the other 4 miles and zero rest V-Burn challenge. Holla Holla

Humbled for less stress

Is how I feel since for poker things have not been good at all. Though I have fixed that currently and have an easy way to rebuild I feel humbled as the title says. For one I got a cold at the street fest and had to stop my diet/workout routine and eat some normal food. Mainly because my body felt like it needed it and I could not work out in the condition I was in. So this week we started again for a new 6 weeks. I also basically bustoed my stars account and am rebuilding the old fashioned way which is also inspired by the Boku87 pro bet. I am playing lower stakes sngs where my roi is 20%+ and I make $1-2 a game. This is a grind but I am playing 100+ games a day and running a little better then expected so far.
I just don't want the stress of losing more money and if you can print money at the lower stakes I say do it. So basically my plan is to grind the 150 dollars I had left in my account into 10K. While I'm not going to do it in 15 days like Boku I think it should take me about 8 weeks at most. I think after that I will go back to playing my normal games and more cash. The workout diet thing last 6 weeks so I'm aiming to have the new me and the grind done around the same time. It's a good goal and I'm happy doing it since I need my life stress free to prepair for the summer. I also played that live big HA game and basically ran really bad. NO ONE folds because they don't care about the money and I have just gotten unlucky for several 1k+ pots. Again I just don't need stress so I'm going to swim with the fishies for a little while. I also told my brother I would teach him to do what I'm doing at the low stakes so this is good practice as he comes home from school soon. Already running at about 2 buxs a game so ship 1k games a week and 1-2k profit and holla holla. Saw Paper Route again Sunday and they are amazing for sure. Also went out on Saturday and had a great amazing time with my friends. So I'm going into this week happy that I already got my workout routine and groove down since I did "week 1" already. I'm also happy that I will just work hard like most people and see the results of just grinding it out. Oh I also did lose 7lbs. in the 1st week of the diet but put a few back on while not working out and eatting. So i am starting again weighting less, ship it. I already played about 100 games though I think I'm going to go run and hit the sauna. Feels good to be a bit ahead of my targets and I'm happy living a stress free, humbled week. Good luck to everyone this week

Entering week 2 with a new plan......

Well I'm through week 1 of my Velocity Diet and I feel really really good. The last workout I did was actually getting easier and I can feel myself getting strong. I have felt kinda emtional this week maybe because of these suplaments or just everything and adjusting. I went out on Saturday for the Street Fest here in Houston to see some friends and some friends play. Sick good time with some silly drama at the end but nothing to stress over. Weird not drinking with everyone else but I'm a trooper. Got some Sashimi for my meal and that was sooo good. Got to see Devin the Dude and holla at some treats on stage which was a first : ) Also my boys in Meriweather and American Fangs slayed that piece as always. Check them out!!! As far as poker this week has sucked so bad. I bricked all the sundays today and I'm actually pretty upset but ok with it. My downswing is I think my biggest ever at 3k+ and while in the realm of "standard" ,I can't countinue online this week,.Everyday I'm grinding the live cash games they have around town like I used to. I fgured it will be good for the summer and these games are sooo soft. There's some big PLO game tomorrow afternoon with the standard buisness men fish so ship ship. I remember going to these games and thinking these people were good but they make some awful mistakes. I think when I do play online again I'm just moving to cash. I have reviewed my play in sngs and gone over hands in SNGWiZ and its seems ok. Variance is just finally hitting me this year but I can't let it get me down. So this week lots of videos, live cash, shakes, workout etc etc. If you read this then ship me some run good.
OH also when I got home I just knew someone was deep. Spacegravy won the 200R on Stars for 46k...... Congrats to that sicko, must be nice to be the gravy. Though he did get community service for having snobby neighbors so that's a lil variance. Going to watch some videos and make a shake.

Love you too...

Yay but Sigh vs Ying and Yang

is the theme currently and I guess it was time for it. I have been on a life heater since I left to come back to TX despite coming off a life cooler. If I start to lose you with the poker talk you must forgive me but it is a poker blog. I really have no idea who reads this but I would like to keep some written record of my year and why not keep a blog here. I finally started this diet/workout plan I been talking about forever called the Velocity diet. Basically you drink a bunch of protein shakes and workout pretty hardcore for a month. There is also a 2 week transition phase so basically 6 weeks total. Its not easy and the workout rocks your world but I feel good. If any of you guys drink Muscle Milk and think its the nuts I would totally check out T-Nations Metabolic drive. Best protein out there you can buy and all the products are cool.
Austin and SXSW was cool I and I have fallen in love with Paper Route, Lenka, Greg Laswell, Gallows, Cancer Bats and Evaline. . Met the sngicons.com boys for some good times and got the elusive Juntmonkey out of his room and into the hot tub. Needless to say my liver and body after balls to the wall 2 week Miami,Key West and SXSW is spent. Oh I'm on my 1st and hopefully only downswing of the year. Can't tell my poker pals cause its standard and can't tell my normal friends cause they think its a redic amount of money. The only reason I think it hurt so much is all I can do is workout and grind. Working out is great and I feel good but everyday this week is like lighting money on fire. Doing this diet and trying to be focused and strong through everything has been kinda tough. So nothing utlra special just trying to holla at getting buff and making some skrilla. Looking forward to chicken and/or Sashimi and some Veggies for my one meal of the week. It' also the street fest in Houston so lots of friends,bands,friends in bands,friends of the band,im with the band etc etc. I need sleep....

Oh also congrats to Reef2287 for getting 4th in the Million for 72k and waiting till right when I passed out to bust and Spacegravy for running as good at backing horses as he does at sit n gos. Also J0hndayt0n for winning the 40k stars MTT I won in Jan. earlier this week. Ship me some run good, a playa needs it!!

Love you too.

Out of my mind and into my body...

I heard that yesterday and it stuck with me mainly because that's one of my biggest problems. I over think so many things and thankfully now I have a much clearer picture. I just got back from the sickest vacation ever and I think I'm in love with Miami. I decided to drive since I had been driving all over the country already this year so why stop now. I met the guys in Jacksonville FL as they were driving from VA and it was a good meeting point. I got to FL 6 hours before them and since I had barley slept I passed out in the car after drinking at some local hot spot I stumbled on. The guys called me like 20 times and somehow I woke up to a text with the address in Miami. Fuck my life!! Thankfully they were only 20ish miles down the road and from there we motored on to Miami. We were all on no sleep but when we got there we could not help but layout in the sun. We had a wonderful time that night then the next day Gravy and I stayed in Miami while our friends went to the Keys. We ventured into South Beach and got into some crazy adventures which included getting our cards declined at SET despite having enough to pay the near 1k bill. Thankfully we had enough cash to cover it but I got my card frozen by my banks fraud dep. as they tried charging it for 2k!? Also Gravy and I ate dinner earlier and we were flipping for the bill. We didn't have a coin so I ask a girl if I could borrow a coin. I guess she though I was busto and counted out 10 pennies for me. I laughed pretty hard but for some reason she didn't get a kick out of it. We drove to the Keys next day and stayed at the sickest house for rent there. Most days involved waking up and drinking a ton of water as you were still drunk. Then the beach for drinking in the sun, working on the tan and girls. Then back to the house for whatever crazyness would happen that night. Mostly it was going out on Duval St. and hitting up all the bars till some crazy hour.There are some pretty sick stories but leaving it to the imagination is better for everyone involved. We left the Keys Saturday and stayed at the Delano in South Beach which was also super sick. They had some killer lobby pool party that lasted all night. I ran sick good at CC Roulette and only chopped Sun. $600 dinner bill HU for my only lose the whole trip. Ship It!! The next day we parted ways and headed back home which kinda sucked. I already miss the guys and FL and want to go back real soon. Got back on Monday and went out for a friends Bday which was fun. Yesterday I ran errands, got a haircut and did some shopping and slept. I'm now totally pumped to go to Austin for SXSW and let the good times continue. I moved to Austin around this time last year and it's really cool how much I have grown not only in my playing but as a person. I'm thankful for my friends at sngicons.com for letting me live and learning with them and being great guys. When I woke up this morning I thought how different my life was last year and how lucky I really am to be able to live it this way. I'm off to prepair for Austin but will have more good stories soon. Stick with the truth inside and don't overthink it.

Florida Holla Holla

In Florida with my Richmond boys (Spacegravy,Facestealer and Demo0013) having an amazing spring break 09.
Super happy right now and will be heading to SXSW when I get back from FL. Life is good. In poker news I 4 tabled cause Facestealer wanted to holla at a 36 180 that was loading. I won 500 bucks while here which is nice for sure. More news soon.

Love you too....

Back In Texas...

Don't quite know how it totally happened but here I am...I could go into it but this is a poker blog and no one wants a sad story. You go with your feeling, get it in ahead and make the best decision but still lose, standard. So we shall just go with the positive and move on from there. I drove back on Wed. then went out for a couple birthdays on very little sleep. Was good seeing my friends and feeling "home" wherever that is. We had a great time but I was hurting from it the next day. After setting up my main computer and old desk I felt inspired as I missed grinding on the 30" and 22" monitors. I fired up some sngs and mtts and ran meh in most and still had the 11r on stars going. I was semi hoping I would bust so I could get some much needed rest. About 12am I started passing out depite having an above average stack the entire tournament. I won some huge pot shorly after slapping myself in the face and from then on was focused. I also drank a bunch of soda for caffine and that made me feel more meh. Finally about 430am I got 6th for 3k. Semi disapointing as I clearly had an edge over the players left but I just got coolered when I shipped 12ish BBs from the button with A3o into the SBs KK. I ran fairly card dead and the whole table had about 12-30ish BBs as the blinds were sick high at this point. I feel very good about my MTT game lately and have shipped about 11k in MTTs in about 30 days with very little volume. I'm coming MTT world, slowly but surely. I been watching a bunch of cash videos on all the sites and mainly working on PLO. I think I have a decent NLHE cash game and will also work on that but PLO is very interesting to me. I am also still starting my workout and 4x4 days as discussed before. Monday I will find a gym here and start my month long diet/workout. Eating meat and fast food is meh and I need another cleansing ASAP.

On up the mountain..

Been here in Richmond, VA the last week or so with my friends grinding,partying and having a good time. My friend Spacegravy is doing this sicko prop bet to make 40k in a month at the 60's. Trying to holla at a 6 figure month/bet isn't easy and hes had a rough start to say the least but I have totally faith in the Gravy. He set the new record for most games played in a day I think the same day he hit a 100BI downswong. Watching the guy grind is inspiring and I have obv enjoyed my time here. Also my boy took down a FTP MTT for 30k the other day.. Congrats ALL_THE_F_TIME..holla holla. As far as myself I been running meh and breaking even over the last 1k games in sit n gos. It's not a big deal just frustrating. All the games even down to the lowest stakes are filled with regulars now. I'm pretty sure I can still play them and be profitable at them but its pretty redic when you look around and there at least 2 good players at your table. I also played a couple FTOPS events and played well but no deep finishes. I'm really thinking of getting better and mainly focusing on cash games. I have said over and over again that I would move in this direction but I have made up my mind. I'm going to focus on PLO as I think I'm fairly decent at NLHE and will be playing both. As far as life goes I have a very clear idea of what I would like to do with my new year just not totally sure where I would like to do it. So for the next month the main goal for now is getting into shape, learning cash games better, yoga, meditation and not eating meat again. I was kind of upset about some stuff and started drinking and eatting badly again and thats not a good reason. I did enjoy some of the stuff I ate but my stomach and my body really do hate eating crap. After being a pescaterian for a little while I truly do feel that is the best thing I can do for my body. I have been doing some research on dieting and lifting and I'm starting a month long diet. It won't be easy and I will be working out 4 times weekly. I also plan on grinding super hard during this time having 2 4 hours sessions daily where I will grind out my normal games of sngs for one session and the other I will play cash games. I will pretty much be alone during this time and no have a social life. Though after the diet some friends and I are going on a Cruise to Mexico. John Mayer and a bunch of others are on the cruise and performing which should be fun. Funny thing is all of the guys I'm going with all said it was not totally balla but there would obv be tons of hot girls on board, ship it. That's about it for now, I'm about to head to Asheville as I'm going to a balla resturant and the symphony for Valentines so that should be fun. Hope everyone has a good weekend and good luck at life.

Well not much has happened since I won the MTT I guess. I purchased a new car and finally left Houston which is very nice. Though I do have to go back at some point to get my car. I got a 2004 Mazda RX8 which I think is quit playa. I was going to stay and deal with it but I missed someone and was sick of Houston. I have to fix a few things on it but even after that I could sell it for double what I paid so good deal. I'm slightly unsure and confused about what to do with the rest of my year. I want to grind out Supernova Elite but my friends who are Elite say just play what you're good at. I'm torn between the chase and the catch, in more ways then one. I feel like with life and poker the chase is sometimes better. Not like I have hit some amazing spot in life or poker, I'm just unsure for no reason or several what the next move is. I feel like I could totally make it or not but I'm affraid of commiting. I could just grind out 8-10k a month at the games I'm good at if I actually play them which is great. I just feel like I should grind for it if I have the roll but it's very stressful. Out of the 3 elite's I know only Spacegravy seems to not lose massive amounts of money grinding it out. So it being Febuary 1st I'm already behind and would have to commit to grinding out 100k VPP's a month......Sigh. I have been watching quite a bit of Full Ring videos on all the training site to mass table and have been doing ok at it the few times I played. Today or tomorow I might just try it for the month and see how I do. Worse case I grind a shitload of VPP's and make Supernova in March. That's all for now I guess, thanks for listening to my silly rants. I promise next time I will have something more etertaining to talk about. Just trying to get settled into whatever "home" life I will have so I can then focus on my "work" life. Best of luck at the the tables and life. Oh also as promised here is my friend's new video. I won the MTT jamming this over and over again. I would totally check it out as it's the mortal nuts!!! Holla

A Fresh Start

2009 has been the best year of my life so far and it almost didn't happen. This year for me has been about listening to your feelings, heart and the truth. It's not easy and it almost went a totally different way. Thankfully belief is an amazing thing, thanks little buddy (you know who you are) : ). Enough with all the touchey feely shit this is a poker blog!! So far this has been my best month ever at poker. To start the year I moved to North Carolina which is amazing. Nice, chill, sleepy and relaxing mountain town with clean air and good people. I had no computer up there yet so I went grind some crazy live games. I don't want to give out the location because they are so freaking soft! They spread a 2-5 and 5-10 NLO....That's right.... Guys call 800 preflop shoves of AAxx with AKJ9 rainbow..Obv he just sees AK and thinks it's the nuts. Also the reason for No Limit Omaha, the dealers can't deal a pot game! Needless to say the location is secret and ship the mobnies imo. Then after that I headed back to Houston to get my stuff and get back to NC. I stopped in Biloxi while the WPT was in town. While playing 2-5NL I kept hearing everyone talk about upstairs. I ask and was told that was where they were spreading big cash games.I quite my 2-5 table buzzed and tired from the drive deciding to walk by for a look and go to sleep. So imagine my surprise when I decide to sit 10-25 with 2.5k while the table is 60-80k deep. There is no max buy in Biloxi and 100's play on the table. So my seat is between 2 guys who cover with about 20k each. I play AQs and ATo and quit after 2 orbits as I'm scared drunk money. Between those two stops I was up just under 3k before returning to Houston. Since here it has been nice to see friend's and get toasty. Props to my friends in American Fangs, you must get the CD imo. I will post a link for there video which you should for sure watch. I took down the MTT listening to there new hotness. It has not been nice to get super fucking sick and delay my return to the mountains. Seems like everyone in Texas is sick and it only makes me want to leave ASAP. Thankfully life worked out and I took down the 40k on Stars for 7.8k. The money is nice as it was my biggest cash yet but that's not why I'm so happy. I'm happy because my friend's helped and railed me. So many times I have railed my friends and watched them win sick scores. I have like all of us been so close so many times only to get fucked in a huge flip or lose a 80%>20% or something. I finally ran and played well and earned the respect of my peers. That for me is just as special as the score as I learned my MTT game from them. Props to J0hndayt0n,Spacegravy, Z32Fanatic,Wickss, Facestealer, Neil_Rick, Bigjoe2003 and Juntmonkey. So without any serious play I shipped just under 11k for the month. I will still play the MTT Sngs on Stars as they are my bread and butter. Though I think I might go for SNE this year 24 tablin cash during the week. This year for me is also about getting into shape mentally and physically. My plan is to work out 3-4 times a week, do yoga and learn Capoeira. That's all for now time for some lunch and the Sunday's. Best of luck in the year at the tables!!