HU blog [NL100-400], poker & fitness/bodybuilding

October started with some negative sessions, but this week ends as my best week with 1600 EUR in winnings. One hand of today, the biggest pot I won in the year!:

$2 NL (2 max) - Holdem - 2 players

SB: 362.58 BB (VPIP: 91.63, PFR: 10.76, 3Bet Preflop: 8.80, Hands: 284)
Hero (BB): 387.91 BB

SB posts SB 0.5 BB, Hero posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has 6♣ 5♣

SB calls 0.5 BB, Hero checks

Flop: (2 BB, 2 players) 2♦ 5♠ 6♦
Hero bets 1.94 BB, SB raises to 10.88 BB, Hero calls 8.94 BB

Turn: (23.76 BB, 2 players) 5♥
Hero checks, SB bets 16 BB, Hero raises to 48 BB, SB raises to 350.7 BB and is all-in, Hero calls 302.7 BB

River: (725.16 BB, 2 players) 8♦

Few hands before this hand happened, if I had done the call and lost I would had hit the stop loss. He was aggressive but cautious to the moment, so it surprises me how he plays the hand up here

$2 NL (2 max) - Holdem - 2 players

BB: 258.68 BB (VPIP: 91.63, PFR: 10.13, 3Bet Preflop: 6.14, Hands: 253)
Hero (SB): 459.39 BB

Hero posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has 6♥ 7♥

Hero raises to 2 BB, BB raises to 4 BB, Hero calls 2 BB

Flop: (8 BB, 2 players) J♦ 9♦ 5♠
BB bets 5 BB, Hero calls 5 BB

Turn: (18 BB, 2 players) 8♣
BB bets 21 BB, Hero raises to 77.4 BB, BB raises to 249.68 BB and is all-in, fold

Another week with very good results ends, and now it's time to move up a step: NL400, TODAY WE MEET AGAIN.

As I comment in the beggining of the blog, this was the limit where I had the worst downswing of life, in addition to the huge losses caused by the times when I was carried away by emotions (I tilted as fuck during this period). Today, I come back to this limit with a more mature and professional mindset. It's time to crush it once and for all.

Another week with good profit, I already surpass last month's results, and I still have another week to go even further!. Everyday is a new lesson, I can do it much better baby!

Hand of the week:

This guy is a reg of the room, this is the first hand we have played that day. I did a missclick PF and I limp instead of raising and THEN the magic happens, don't blink or you'll miss it:

$2 NL (2 max) - Holdem - 2 players

Hero (SB): 128.65 BB
BB: 100 BB (VPIP: 58.33, PFR: 33.33, 3Bet Preflop: 14.29, Hands: 12)

Hero posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has 7♣ 7♦

Hero calls 0.5 BB, BB raises to 3.5 BB, Hero calls 2.5 BB

Flop: (7 BB, 2 players) 7♠ 6♦ Q♥
BB bets 3.25 BB, Hero raises to 11.1 BB, BB raises to 22 BB, Hero calls 10.9 BB

Turn: (51 BB, 2 players) 7♥
BB bets 22 BB, Hero calls 22 BB

River: (95 BB, 2 players) K♠
BB bets 52.5 BB, Hero calls 52.5 BB

Does this qualify as a levelling?, or this is some sort of extravagant new line in vogue these days and I'm missing something? -x-files soundtrack-

GL, and good weekend to all of you!

October is over, and the profits are similar to the ones in September.

I had the most loosing day on the tables of the month on Friday, against one particular villain. The curious fact about this villain is that he was passive (they are not usually the guys you will lose the most), but he ran pretty good when I had strong hands. After reviewing the session I also realized I did some over-adapting mistakes: I was card death and he was running nicely, so after good few hands I started to get paranoid: "he must be bluffing now, he can't have it so often" but the truth is he was playing quite straight forward and he had it all the time.

After this hand, the slope started. His c/r flop up to this moment was 3%. The decision is on the turn, on that moment I thought that AK was my bottom range to make the calldown (fold KQ), but analyzing it now I should had to throw them vs this opponent:

€2 NL (2 max) - Holdem - 2 players

BB: €138.36 (VPIP: 70.64, PFR: 38.53, 3Bet Preflop: 13.73, Hands: 116)
Hero (SB): €249.07

Hero posts SB €1.00, BB posts BB €2.00

Pre Flop: (pot: €3.00) Hero has K♣ A♥

Hero raises to €6.00, BB calls €4.00

Flop: (€12.00, 2 players) 2♦ K♥ 8♦
BB checks, Hero bets €10.00, BB raises to €22.00, Hero calls €12.00

Turn: (€56.00, 2 players) 5♠
BB bets €27.37, Hero calls €27.37

River: (€110.74, 2 players) 5♣
BB bets €82.99 and is all-in, Hero calls €82.99

The month has started with some negative sessions, but the last ones were very good in profit therms.

Since some time ago I have discomfort in the wrist, like unstable. I did an MRI seems like I have a ruptured tendon so I'll need a surgery + one and a half month of orthopedic cast in the whole arm, until then I won't be able to train my upper body. I'm going to Brazil at the end of the month, and I don't want to have the orthopedic cast the majority of the summer, so the surgery will be next year. Happens, the important is what important lessons I can learn from this injury.

I'll keep training my legs hard, those wheels gonna explode.

I'll need to learn how to handle the mouse with my left hand and to to buy a left handed mouse with buttons to make play poker easier that 1 and a half month of not having my right hand.

This week I put more volume that usual, I widened my table selection including more aggro villains and I tested some new stuff in the tables. Wasn't a very good week in profits, but it was in being more productive. It is matter of time to see it reflected in the results!

Good luck man, I wish you more fishes. I exept I will play HU too some time later. And your body changing is awesome

@Bulkadav: thanks a lot brother!!

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I'm heading to Brazil, so I'll be out of the tables next few days. Time to zamba and caipirinhas!

This is fucking hilarious:

It feels good to being able to type again without discomfort in the elbows, and to start playing 3-4 hours sessions again without pain at all: more than a year ago, I started with a tingling on my right elbow after being seated on the PC for long hours, I did not give much importance to it because usually this discomfort was leaving my body when I wasn't doing things on the computer. Over the past of the months this tingling starts to be more annoying and it started to affect my left elbow too... I was developing a RSI (repetitive strain injury) called cubital tunnel syndrome due to a bad posture (I used to lean forward resting with my elbows on both armrest putting a lot of pressure on both ulnar nerves) + improper ergonomics with the using of the mouse and keyboard.

Just before I left for vacation, I started to treat this issue with a physiotherapist (without significant improvements) who told me that the the days out of the computer gonna help to heal the nerves. It improves a bit yeah, but the first days I started to play again the *ing tingling cames again.

So I had to stop training (which I love to) at all because it aggravated the symptoms and I couldn't play poker neither being at the PC without this electric feel pain in my both elbows. It was kinda a *ty spot. Doctors told me that surgery could be the best option, but come on, no way, recovery was possible. So I started to do my research.

Then, I restructured my workspace and the ways I used to play:

- Elevating both monitors and keyboards to the proper height
- Changing the mouse to trackball (and now I found the trackball a lot better)
- Adding a lot of macros to prevent excesive typing while playing
- Changing from passive seating to active seating (one of the most significant changes who has gave me the better results)
- Reestructuring the way I used to take notes, to reduce the quantity of keys I use to gather the same information
- Taking out both armrests
- Stand up and make some squats/lunges/calf raises/shrugs every 40 mins (without finishing the poker session)

Besides of that I started to improve my typing technique to prevent RSI, and I started too with exercises and stretches I do few times on a daily basis. I track everything on a journal where I write if I feel better or not after testing a new change for a couple of days.

As result, after a couple of weeks the tingling on my left elbow almost dissapears and my right elbow is a lot better. Recovery is slow, but I'm certainly going in the right direction!.

Always hear your body, if something hurts fix it!, may be it takes just 5 mins. Here you have summarized the most common computer related nerve injuries ans how to prevent then: http://www.mousekeydo.com/chapter12.pdf

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2015 was definitely one of the years I've grown most in my life, and mostly thanks to be in this program.

I'll start January testing how a stand up desk works for me (standing with good posture is way more healthy that being seated, this gonna be a huge change, playing the sessions in a position I'm not get used to, but it is worth it in the long run) AND the most important thing: I'll start the year with a 10k challenge in January, I can not imagine a better way to start the 2016 than this one.

Whatever obstacles you face this year, remember that you can get through it. Before you quit, try! Always have the courage to try again because the only way to guarantee failure is to never try at all. Don't let fear of criticism paralyze you and prevent you from doing great things. You only have one life, so try to make the most of it. Make this 2016 remarkable!. Have a healthy gambling guys, wish you all a happy new year!

2016 started in a good way, with one of the best months I ever had with a profit of 5k EUR in January.

February is slighty in red numbers so far, I'm not playing much because I'm focusing mostly in healing completely from the injury (I need to avoid as much as possible every that involves moving my fingers), and to start training with more frecuency again (next week I'll start training back 3 times a week).

I want to feel myself again 100% healthy, and I want to reach the best physical condition I can (I have lost a considerable amount of weight of muscle mass since I don't train with frequency). This is def +EV: feeling better with myself and with my body is in part reflected in the results I have on the tables.

I'll try to hit 12k profits in March, so far this month of Februay I am taking the necessary momentum.

Finally, my ulnar nerves are much better, and according to the last medical reports I won’t have to go to surgery. Few months ago, I have been diagnosed with a torn ligament in my wrist, but seems that it was a mistake and the pain was product of my nerves too, so my wrist is a lot better too.

I’m training again with intensity, I feel strong again, healthy, good with myself. Shit that feels good!

Doing a summary about my results:

– February started somewhat good, but during the beginning of the month I played one session with a lot of disconfort in my elbows, that day I hit the stop loss (I made some mistakes) and since then I decided to stop playing and reduce the amount of time in front the PC to fully recover, with very good results in the recovery. However, was my 1st month in red numbers.

– March is going pretty well at the moment with almost 4k EUR in winnings. One of the biggest pots:

€2 NL (2 max) - Holdem - 2 players

Hero (BB): €300.30
SB: €326.35

SB posts SB €1.00, Hero posts BB €2.00

Pre Flop: (pot: €3.00) Hero has Q♦ A♦

SB calls €1.00, Hero raises to €8.00, SB calls €6.00

Flop: (€16.00, 2 players) Q♠ 5♣ K♦
Hero bets €13.00, SB calls €13.00

Turn: (€42.00, 2 players) 5♦
Hero checks, SB bets €76.00, Hero calls €76.00

River: (€194.00, 2 players) 4♥
Hero checks, SB bets €229.35 and is all-in, Hero calls €203.30 and is all-in

Being seated for so many hours, during so many years (no more, I switched to a standing desk since a couple of months) created some muscular imbalances (the body begin to adapt to the unnatural position of being seated) so I started to realize some exercises I do on a daily basis to improve my posture, and I can already see the improvements.
Yoga also helps to improve posture, so to do it more intense I started a type of yoga called “hot yoga” (basically, some yoga postures but at a room at 40 degrees), this is a picture they took me during one class

and then they asked me if it can be used for a advertising banner in exhange for some classes

seems like a GTO idea to workout half naked with women

@bedofour: and it is tbh ♦

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I'm not happy with my results over the last few months, my biggest obstacle is this chronic tickling in my ulnar nerves that seems to come back when I'm tipping or using the trackball for prolonged times, what prevent me to play long sessions without disconfort. I know that it improves considerably (I can see these improvements if I compare to how I was few months ago)

I keep changing and readapting my workspace to fit better, thus contribute to my recovery. It's a matter of time to be at 100%.

Mi biggest mistake this last time, was to let the situation overcome me: as soon as the discomfort in the ulnar nerves began, I used it as excuse to watch TV or surf the internet watching random videos, instead of be thinking of new alternatives to recover myself faster.

I'm already training again almost everyday, and with a very good intensity, which makes me happy

Some goals/habits to add in the short therm:

- Train 6 days a week
- Being able to play 8hs a day without discomfort at all in any elbow
- Read a book at least 30mins a day (the final goal is to finish a new book each week)
- Meditate at least 30mins a day

GO!!

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One recent hand:

RES-PECT MY DONK-BETS!!!!:

$2 NL (2 max) - Holdem - 2 players

Hero (BB): $273.60
SB: $344.48

SB posts SB $1.00, Hero posts BB $2.00

Pre Flop: (pot: $3.00) Hero has A♦ K♠

SB raises to $4.00, Hero raises to $22.00, SB calls $18.00

Flop: ($44.00, 2 players) K♥ K♣ A♣
Hero bets $21.50, SB raises to $43.00, Hero calls $21.50

Turn: ($130.00, 2 players) 7♥
Hero bets $22.00, SB raises to $100.00, Hero calls $78.00

River: ($330.00, 2 players) A♥
Hero bets $9.00, SB raises to $179.48 and is all-in, Hero calls $99.60 and is all-in

Last month (May), was one of the best ones of my life since I play poker:

(last day isn't counted, the total was 6k)

I have improved a lot of things and I'm happy about that. But still there're a lot of other things I have to improve, there is work to do.

Few recents hands:

$4 NL (2 max) - Holdem - 2 players

SB: $396.92
Hero (BB): $404.00

SB posts SB $2.00, Hero posts BB $4.00

Pre Flop: (pot: $6.00) Hero has 7♠ Q♠

SB raises to $8.00, Hero calls $4.00

Flop: ($16.00, 2 players) 7♦ 4♥ A♥
Hero checks, SB checks

Turn: ($16.00, 2 players) 5♣
Hero bets $10.13, SB calls $10.13

River: ($36.26, 2 players) T♥
Hero bets $11.00, SB raises to $50.59, Hero calls $39.59

€1 NL (2 max) - Holdem - 2 players

Hero (SB): €227.55
BB: €105.70

Hero posts SB €0.50, BB posts BB €1.00

Pre Flop: (pot: €1.50) Hero has 8♠ A♣

Hero raises to €3.00, BB calls €2.00

Flop: (€6.00, 2 players) 8♥ 4♣ 3♥
BB bets €1.00, Hero raises to €5.00, BB calls €4.00

Turn: (€16.00, 2 players) J♦
BB checks, Hero bets €10.50, BB calls €10.50

River: (€37.00, 2 players) 3♠
BB checks, Hero bets €22.00, BB raises to €44.00, Hero calls €22.00

£2 NL (2 max) - Holdem - 2 players

Hero (SB): £179.42
BB: £158.12 (VPIP: 78.72, PFR: 19.15, 3Bet Preflop: 17.39, Hands: 52)

Hero posts SB £1.00, BB posts BB £2.00

Pre Flop: (pot: £3.00) Hero has K♣ A♥

Hero raises to £8.00, BB calls £6.00

Flop: (£16.00, 2 players) 3♠ 7♠ T♠
BB checks, Hero checks

Turn: (£16.00, 2 players) A♠
BB bets £8.00, Hero calls £8.00

River: (£32.00, 2 players) 7♥
BB bets £12.00, Hero calls £12.00

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Rest day, flying around the city