Not Dead

Been on four days sick leave last week and had a some personal issues. So for the past two weeks, I have not been thinking, playing, or touching poker. Taking a break at the moment. I have also stopped forex for a while now and looking forward to resume this week.

Been on intensive job search lately. Registered for an CMFAS exam from Institute of Banking & Finance. Hopefully I can land on a new job in the financial industry, although things are looking shaky at the moment.

Yesterday was the Singapore Presidential Election. The four candidates had the same last name. Congratulations to our new President, who has about SGD 4 million salary per annum. It was a very close fight between the winner and runner-up, a vote differential of about 0.34%. With the social networking and the new technology age, elections has become very popular in Singapore. Netizens are voicing out their hatred and loves for the ruling party.

Anyway the elections are over, despite the small winning votes, a win is a win. What I cannot understand is the 37,000s votes that were void. Was it so difficult to draw a cross in the voting ticket?

Black.

Most Stupid Heads-Up Match Ever (Rant)

Played about 150 hands. Basically this guy (I really wish to name him but forget it), is a tight-passive opponent. First one I ever encountered. Here's his style. He doesn't call u when he did not hit, NEITHER does he raise you when he has the NUTS. Weird? I accept this type of player but not losing to him. Why? Here is how the match goes:

Both started off with 1,500 chips.

I played my way to 2,500 vs 500.
All-in, A4 vs 88. He won.

2,000 vs 1,000. We grinded abit and all-in again.
67s vs JQ. Ok fine here he won.

I was down a few flips to about 800 chips vs 2,200 but I slowly grind my way up and avoided flips. Because this guy can only beat me thru' flips. But sadly, to end an opponent you need to flip somehow.

So I fought my way to about 1,800 vs 1,200 again. We flip again K9s vs A8 and rivered an ace so he won.

So I'm left with 600 vs 2,400. I rem the last hand being A9 vs 77. Well, board missed.. so fucking beautifully. I fought so hard for so long for so many hands and it seemed like PokerStars pre-programmed the match for him to win. Well fuck it man.

I am on serious tilt right now. Its worst than a curse I'm going through. It seems like its not about losing now, its about how I fucking lose all these. Never felt worst losing a heads-up match.

Not sure when I will post next because everything has been bust out. So take care and good luck everyone.

Red Red Red & -200 pips

Went in Long on Gold XAU/USD two days back at 1.638.xx, hold overnight till 1.654.xx for about 100usd profit. But profits are short-lived, when I entered a 1.08 buy-limit into Aud/Usd. Adding on to losers and losers, now I'm holding out to about -200 pips loss. I had the chance to break-even all my Aussie trades this morning before going to work, but greed had me and I leave it there. It went 100 pips down before lunch. Another 100 pips down this evening. Well, cutting that gold trade at 1.654 and letting this aussie trade run, is a very good example of a cutting profit, and letting losses run - a truly opposite way of a profitable trader.

Sigh, things couldn't be worst. Shares dropped due to the train crashes in China, because I bought a manufacturer companies share that supply them the materials. It was a whopping drop. I had profits in the first two weeks until this accident happens. There is no what-if in such a unpredictable occurrence.

Poker was another red. I go multi-tabling again and account was near to busting. I think I am still not up to the standard of multi-tabling. I should focus on one first and start from basics. Learn the opponents and be patient for good cards. The problem is I hear about so much pro-grinder 20-tabling etc. and they play only premium cards. I thought that was that. But there are more in poker than merely holding and playing the premium cards. My cash-games profitable days were like one or two out of ten days. It sucks and demoralizing. It pushes me to the limit of giving up. But no, I guess there are much to learn, just like trading.

I don't know why I am not cutting out my aussie trade and subconsciously hoping for a miracle. Tomorrow is non-farm payroll. I have no plans but to get a drink.

Don't try these at home..

My First Poker Tournament - LIVE

Delayed for a week before i actually blogged on this. Last Sat, 23 July 2011 marks another start of my poker life. I have been playing online poker and home games with friends n family, but never against strangers. It was held at Leisure World cruise, called the Leisure World Poker Series. My friend asked me to go together and I did.

We were pretty nervous about the whole thing. 

Anyway, i rem i was saying i started this poker thing becuz i believe it is a game of skill, instead of a game of chance. I know ppl hear the word poker itself will categorize it with those games u see in the casino. But no, one basic reason y is in those game of pure luck like baccarat or sic bo, u cant choose to purposely lose. 

I packed my stuff quickly n packed like i was gng to genting lol. I left my pokerstars.net cap at home though cuz i dont wan to be seen like a fanboy there. But i was wrong. The people ther were more "enthu". They wore, pose and play like those poker pros u see on youtube. Very interesting. There were even team who made their own jackets with slogan.

Arriving at the ferry terminal, i was surprised to see so many youngster our age. i think people there wants to be famous. Fame, power n money. Who dont wan when what we sees r only the good side of it?? I just wan to see how far i can go in this arena. Im a sucker for success stories, and i wan to be part of it.

We went there in a slow journey probably becuz we were eager. I was a little scared seeing the shaky boat. But quickly adjusted to it and realised how i missed those times in the navy riding against the waves.

Finally, we hopped on the leisure world cruise n left our stuff in the cabin n never see it until 12 hours later. It was bigger than i expected, but not something i wanna bath in or date at. We left quickly to register for our freeroll. Top 3 gets a seat to the main event (which we were there for) FREE!

I play badly n nervously during the freeroll. It was a good warm up. I threw a lot of cards away. I was scared getting kicked out n played super tight. I won only one pot n slowly got eat up by the blinds with A4 diamonds vs KJ. Got a chance there. But flop came x x K, turn K, n river can kiss-my-ass-already.

We went on the grab cheap beers on the deck, free food n cup noodles, before registering for the main event. It was so coincidence that my friend was sitting right nxt to me in the main event. We try not to get in each others’ way but to our surprise, the one n only Singaporean Team Pokerstars Pro Bryan Huang sat at our table. We knoe we were gonna have a tough first few levels.

I played tight but managed to grab a few pots here n there. Until the last hand b4 the first break, i guess it was my highlight of the trip. I was dealt KK – cowboys. I wasted no time and raised about 4 bb pre-flop. An indian guy called. Bryan re-raised all-in, he was short stack that moment. I re-raised all-in too hoping the indian guy would call also. He folded though.

Bryan turned over KJ to my delight, i showed my KK.

Flop came x x J. Nevermind i was still leading.

Turn came another J!! Wtf!! N becuz it was last hand before the break ther were many onlookers. I was speechless.

River came another clubs, and i made a king-high flush, busting Bryan out.

I was happy enuff to sit along playing against our national one n only team pokerstars pro, let alone busting him out. Thanks to that river luck. Well, a pro is a pro, he rebuy again n played all the way to money-finishes at 12th position.

I survived my way to number 25th, out of 95 players. I was happy enough. I think i played better than my usual self. It was about 7 hours. Adding on cash game later, i played a straight 11th hours of poker. I was tired as my cash games even called a wrong bet, which costs my whole stacked. I stopped at there n went to sleep.

I was tempted to play some roulette on the way to cabin but resisted. Promised mum i wouldnt touch those already, i told her poker is different from gambling so i won't touch. I doubt she understands what i meant, but poker IS gAmbling. But it is skill-oriented than luck alone. If not, why the champion no.1 who busted me out in the main event could won twice n have consistent result?

Was kinda creepy slping alone in the cabin. I read online some say haunted, even mum said so oh well. Anyway, ther was nth to do. So i slept a straight six hours after lying down damn long. Next day was simply gng home n talking abt stuff. This was reAlly a great exposure. Although it was soooo expensive.

I had a one week break from poker therafter.

I hope to see some results from my poker soon. But i still played like shit today. Anyway,if i could find a good salary degree job nw to focus on i might put these on a hiatus n focus on my job. Unless time permits. Realistically speaking, how to make living out of these? I would if i could hahaha.

Anyway fuck casinos. After busto out in genting resort world playing sic bo, i had enuff. I had enuff of being fooled by these randomness. I told myself never to bet in the casino again. There r no success stories in casino except for the casinos themselves.