Well everything’s been going relatively well for me lately. Outside of poker, I got a few connections that might actually get me a job with some kind of trade. I haven’t looked into it too much, but doing electrical work or carpentry sounds about right for me. I love hands-on work, and I also do enjoy a bit of math and science, so I think that those two aspects would work perfectly with my personality. One of my good friend’s cousins is also a construction worker, and although it’s the middle of winter right now I might be able to tag along with my friend in getting a job with him.

He mentioned that the main reason he got so interested was that the last time he saw his cousin, he was flashed a weekly pay cheque with a $1500+ amount on it which of course is very enticing for a 20-year old who is out of work. So if all goes well, I will have a nice hefty-paying job that I’ll actually enjoy (mostly outdoors!) to keep me busy. I mean my only income right now is my poker-playing, and my whole bankroll barely amounts to half of a single weekly paycheque from construction. Excuse me while I wipe the drool from my mouth.

As for poker, I’ve been playing the odd 50NL or 25NL ring game, but my experience (or lack thereof) with them hasn’t brought me enough profit to keep me going at it, so I’ve moved back to MTTs and SnGs. I’ve satellited my way into a few guaranteed Full Tilt tournaments, but have placed in none of them. Mostly due to bad beats. My results on Stars are a whole lot better; I’ve played in a whole bunch of 180-seaters, $4.40 and $11, and have been regularily making it either into the money, or at least near the bubble. I’ve busted several times near the bubble, but I’m perfectly fine with that as every time I’ve gotten my stack in with a favourable situation. For example, I just busted out with about 15 or 10 to the money in another $4 180-seater by raising and calling a reraise for the rest of my stack with AQ only to have it lose against JJ. I would normally be steaming for a day or so, but even right after I busted, I was perfectly fine with it. I’ve been playing with a lot more discipline and patience, and it’s paid off. My most recent cash was 2nd place in a $10 180-seater for $360, though I was *this* close to taking first ($540) but my opponent got a little lucky with a 5-outer. After that beat, it was all downhill as my stack shrunk and the blinds rose, and I ran into a pair of tens in the hole while trying to steal.

I’ve also played in several 6-seater $25 SnGs which is the perfect stake for both my abilities and my bankroll. I think the $25 stake is relatively new; I remember skipping from the $15s to the $38s because the average player was like a freeroll player on the $15s. Of course with the $38s, I went on a huge downswing after a solid start with them, and I didn’t realize the level of player I was up against with every game (some pros, semi-pros and other very solid players). Anyways, I’ve done fairly well with the $25s: I got bad beat in one, then placed 2nd in three straight (frustrating HU battles!) and finally busted out of a 5th with an all in race with my shortstack getting crushed by 33 of all hands.

It sounds a little, well, shady, but I think one of the reasons I’ve been doing well is that I’ve been trying my brother’s ritalin while I play (he is diagnosed with ADHD). I haven’t been diagnosed with ADD, but I’m almost sure I have it. I often find myself losing concentration very easily, and have always had trouble with multitasking.

The pills are (surprise) just like a real drug - by that I mean that you actually get ‘high’ from them. The first few times you try them you will probably get headaches and shaky hands, but it goes away after your body adjusts to them. I think it’s helped because with big MTTs or even SnGs, I often find myself getting too impatient and have to find other things to do to keep my patience in control. Of course when that happens, I don’t pick up little reads and don’t take advantage of other opportunities I’d otherwise have noticed had I been paying attention. I’ll often distract myself by reading through cardschat’s forums, looking through digg.com links, or youtube videos etc. While I’m on ritalin, I get hyper-focused. It’s a little hard to explain, but if I get into something while on it, it’s like nothing else matters but to do that one thing and do it well. My brother’s personality basically makes him unable to work in school. He dropped out in grade 9 and only recently found out that ADHD might be the reason he couldn’t do well. He got on the pills, enrolled in an alternative school, and is on pace for a school record for most credits in a semester!

Anyways, next week I’ll be calling up the pre-apprenticeship program for trades and hopefully I’ll have a job, and hopefully will have cashed big in another MTT by the time I make my next blog post