Don't Miss Your Shot

[Roid_Rage]

Imma open by letting Eminem set the tone with some classic awesomeness:

Eminem - "Lose Yourself" Official Music Video - YouTube

So anyways, I'm a bit inebriated after watching my Lions WTFPWN some Tom Brady ass but I digress.

This post is basically the tired ramblings of a fish who had potential to strike it big with poker and blew it. I joined this site in late 2008 and (imo) picked up concepts and lived and breathed poker for like 3-5 months, went to boot camp, fucked that up and came back to real life and totally blew the awesome opportunity that was online poker.

I did everything wrong in 2010 (2009 was early poker career/boot camp/boot camp fail, etc), played poker at a bare minimum, no studying, playing only wanted to (which is maybe once or twice a week for 2-3 hours max) and still managed to sustain an ok winrate, bounced around games like a druggie looking to get his next fix. You name it, I probably played it... multiple times. Rush Poker, HUSNGs, FR, 6m, HU cash, PLO, etc.

I also was essentially addicted to marijuana and did nothing but smoke weed and play COD 24/7.

Now its August 2011, and online poker is gone, in the US at least and I'm a busto feesh stuck grinding a gas station job.

I seriously feel like I could have similar (probably less, but still decent cuz he's a sicko) success that m2m has had had I not been such a lazy do-nothing cunt.

Basically what I'm getting at in this post is:

To you Euro/Aussie/Russian/Chinese/South American bastards:

If you seriously want to reach a level of success and not rely on BS minimum wage jobs and truly love all that is poker, don't fucking blow your chance. Sky fell in April and I'm starting to realize what I had, and what I lost.

Don't blow it, devote your time and energy into this game and you will reap the rewards. Go look back at some of m2m's 2008-early 2009 posts and look at where he is now. Classic fucking example of someone that devoted his time and is now enjoying the benefits.

DON'T BLOW YOUR FUCKING CHANCE, WHY ARE YOU STILL READING THIS, GO READ SOME OF SPOON'S THREADS ON BLIND STEALING/DEFENSE AND GET BETTER AT HANDREADING.

And I'll close with this:

[Zorkion]

protip: when you want something enough, doors closing in your face dont matter, because there are (usually) always other ways around.


Its a good song by eminem, but its partially wrong. that is, when he says 'you only got one shot, do not miss your chance'. There is never only one opportunity thatll make or break you. There is only the willingness to go out, seek, and hunt down opportunities like bears in the forest. Sure, youll end up getting mauled sometimes, but once in a while youll be able to bring home a nice trophy.

(please note: this advice is not intended for people who actually want to go bear hunting. you will probably end up not just getting mauled, but killed also, and your bear-hunting career will be over)


anyways, the moral of the story is: if you like shopping at target, but then target closes, you dont need to think that the sky is falling and its all over, because Walmart is just around the corner. (rip: ftp, ps; but there are still sites open that accept US players, like cake poker [my fave] and merge, amongst others)


if you actually want to make it, then put down your harmful addictions, and get cracking. if you just want to sit around, complain, and act like youre a martyr for the rest of the world, then kthxbai

anyways, whichever path you chose, good luck.

[Roid_Rage]

This post wasn't a whine post, it was more for motivation of others to stop slackin' and get a crackin'.

I missed my shot when it was easy goings.

You are absolutely right that there are other sites open to US players still, but its incredibly difficult to get money on there, and who's to say the DoJ doesn't target the smaller sites next? as per BooG's post in the Black Friday thread.

Anyways, like I said it wasn't for me to have people pat me on the back and say 'sad story brah,' just trying to motivate others (like yourself, possibly) to not waste time doing stupid shit and get to work.

Fwiw, I've stopped smoking weed except on very rare occasions so I dropped that bad habit.

The real solution would be to gtfo of the states, but as thats not currently an option (financially impossible) I'm stuck here til that becomes viable. *shrug*

Appreciate the advice and the reply though, thank you.

[Zorkion]

You are absolutely right that there are other sites open to US players still, but its incredibly difficult to get money on there, and who's to say the DoJ doesn't target the smaller sites next? as per BooG's post in the Black Friday thread.

1) its not hard to get money on there.

2) if you play poker, you should know that when you invest, any reward has its associated risk. sure doj can target more sites in the future, but werent you just saying that you screwed up by not taking the shot when it was still available? nothing risked, nothing gained. Not to mention, if you do go for the sites, and grind until they get shut down, then you gain valuable experience, and improve your game a lot. Then, once they get shut down, maybe you save up a paycheck and start grinding live games at casinos. point is, theres always a way.

imho (and i could be wrong), an important contributing factor for why the doj went after ftp/ps was because they were so big. its like the fbi arent going to waste time going after every dope dealer, but will instead focus on the mob bosses, hoping that removing that lynchpin will dry up the market. In the end though, thirsty people find water.

[supa]

Dranger, it's kinda fuckin silly but it's possible and actually pretty easy to grind a roll from nothing on one of the sites that'll still let us play. I'm up from $0-$50 right now, but I'm playing like a jackass so not looking at moving up anytime soon. Point is that we can still practice and work on our game while we wait for shit to get worked out. Blah, blah drunk talk... forgot what I was gonna tell you but hit me up on skype if you still have me on there and we can talk about work choices outside of poker. I was in the same place a long time ago and might be able to give you some advice.

Also, none of us are m2m so fuck trying to emulate that guy. He's not human.

[Petulie]

Great post! Although I'm fine putting time in, I do struggle getting the actual work done (so much more fun to play!) but you're totally right: if you want to be a balla, you've got to put the effort in.

Also, totally agree with the above comments. Have another crack on one of the US-friendly sites! There's hope yet

[bikes]

lol @ grinding a massive roll on a us site in these days. would not do it. esp with the nightmare cash out situation. there is a reason why merge and cake are trading at like 70c/$1 and 65c/$1 respectively. so even if everything does turn out right you are likely looking at a 30% loss on your winrate. for the kind of money you or i would want to keep on a site risk >reward on any us site.

agree with having one shot. ive been pretty lucky to keep getting chances and second chances and so on but most people aren't so lucky. also agree with looking at m2m when it comes to work ethic.

[nonofyobiz]

so what levels has m2m reached ? sounds like when I started playing micro cash games online...2009. I'm still at 5nl lol

[Roid_Rage]

He started around the same time I did, in late 2008, really early 2009. Started at 2nl, has taken shots at 25/50 recently. Not sure of his results there, but he is a solid midstakes reg.

[Sasquach991]

...
Now its August 2011, and online poker is gone, in the US at least and I'm a busto feesh stuck grinding a gas station job.

BS Dranger. You aren't stuck doing anything. Get off your ass and learn how to do something. Doesn't matter what it is, just learn how to do something. You ain't stupid so quit acting like you are by being a grease monkey. This "I coulda been a balla poker playa but blah blah blah" shit doesn't work.

I'm still playing online and it isn't hard to get $$ online if you use a little effort.

[eugmac]

I second Sasquach's sentiments.

lol at thinking you're stuck between online poker and working a minimum wage job. if you think you have the dedication to become great at poker you certainly have what it takes to be great at a whole lot of other things, so just open your eyes to the endless opportunities you have around you. Aren't you only like 22?

[Roid_Rage]

Again, I'm not using that post as a 'WOE IS ME' kind of thing. I was kind of drunk when written so I'm not surprised it came out like that, but regardless. It's for these guys in the BC that have the motivation to get good, but are only half-assing it and not doing everything they can to get better.

But yea, I'm only 21, working on getting myself back into school, and I know I'm not 'stuck' working this job, but its the best available open to me at the moment. *shrug* Sorry if I came off like I was whining, that was not apart of my intentions with this post.

[Nekrogovner]

Or...you can move to Canada and continue your poker career. Or Europe. No hurricanes here that devastate one country a year like there.

Imo, you don't have only one shot. Dedication is all it takes. And if you really want to make something happen it will happen. Boundaries, like "omg my stupid country doesnt allow internet pokers" are just a setback. Someone with commitment will go to the place where his dreams can come true. And if they don't you can became a drug dealer or form an indie band. Those are equally successful nowadays and have a great fanbase.

[PutaForkInIt]

"The best time to plant an oak tree was 25 years ago. The second best time is today."

[Sasquach991]

Again, I'm not using that post as a 'WOE IS ME' kind of thing. I was kind of drunk when written so I'm not surprised it came out like that, but regardless. It's for these guys in the BC that have the motivation to get good, but are only half-assing it and not doing everything they can to get better.

But yea, I'm only 21, working on getting myself back into school, and I know I'm not 'stuck' working this job, but its the best available open to me at the moment. *shrug* Sorry if I came off like I was whining, that was not apart of my intentions with this post.

I have the perfect solution for all of your problems:

1. Earn $500 doing whatever
2. Move to Canada
3. Knock on the front door of M2M's new house and ask him if he needs a roommate

Problem solved

[bikes]

[daven]

I have the perfect solution for all of your problems:

1. Earn $500 doing whatever
2. Move to Canada
3. Knock on the front door of M2M's new house and ask him if he needs a roommate

Problem solved

cue m2m not getting sneee this year cos too stoned to get out of bed and grind

[Roid_Rage]

I already told m2m id be his PA haha. And im sure id smoke his down more than once which would lead to epic poker.talks and arguments on which little debbie snack is the best.

Truthfully, id like nothing more than to be able to go to canada,.thailand, costa rica, euroland, etc and.grind until my eyes bleed and I.develop.carpal tunnel. Having no money and living paycheck to paycheck makes.that somewhat difficult though.

[OngBonga]

This actually struck a chord with me. I had a punt at 25nl after I won $4k in a MTT last Christmas, and got shot down by brutal variance. I kinda stopped studying and started seeing poker as a hobby, rather than a potential income. Only recently I've started to read up again, in particular I'm focusing on stealing, restealing and polarised range (I'm at 10nl now), and my winrate has gone up at least a little bit.

If you see poker as a potential income, then it's crucial to treat it like a job. That's what I intend to do over the coming months, now that I can see a least some reward for my work.

[chatzilla]

It's cool that you realize your mistakes and are looking to change (I think) but you did say this isn't meant to be a bitch post but then what is it? all this *shrug*ing probably isn't the tendency of driven motivated person. Anything is possible. If you continue work hard enough at anything regardless of how many setbacks you run into, you can achieve anything eventually. If you don't have much money grinding your job, maybe stop spending money on getting drunk on the internet and save up. Move to Canada. In the mean time study, play live, play 5nl on merge, increase your mental capacity, do something. Seems like you started of good with this post but didn't really achieve anything from it.

[Micro2Macro]

dranger isn't bitching he's giving u riff raff good advice.

i used to discuss poker in depth with him a TON when we were both grinding up through microstakes at the same time. we had been through countless debates on hands and numerous sweat sessions. i encourage u all to do the same with others as it really will be a massive step forward in your development as a player.

[Roid_Rage]

Thank you, sir.

[WeaselT]

better example with eminem??
D12 - Till I Collapse - YouTube
btw the song not the vid lol

[Sasquach991]

I read OP again.
Still sounds like drunk whine to me

[bikes]

std bc someone tries to help and they complain and then people in the bc whine that no one good posts here.

[Roid_Rage]

I read OP again.
Still sounds like drunk whine to me

This is your opinion and you are more than welcome to it, but you should note that the more successful players that have posted itt (.m2m, bikes) have said otherwise, and its only the.microfeesh (barring ongbonga and I think one other person) think its just me crying.

I'll ask anyone that.thinks im just whi.jng tk read it.again and look for the.underlying.theme of the post, including the eminem song. Sure, ill admit theres a bit of 'poor drangerfish' in there, but the overall theme is bust your ass while you are given a golden opportunity to do so, I.e. Dont miss your shot.

[OngBonga]

Eminem sucks. Have some real hip-hop...

Bong

Spliff

Inspiring stuff.

[Roid_Rage]

GET YOUR COMMIE ASS OUTTA MY THREAD!!!#!1!1!1!1

a lot of his.newer stuff is.subpar.but no denying ealy 90s eminem skill.

[Sasquach991]

This is your opinion and you are more than welcome to it, but you should note that the more successful players that have posted itt (.m2m, bikes) have said otherwise, and its only the.microfeesh (barring ongbonga and I think one other person) think its just me crying.

I'll ask anyone that.thinks im just whi.jng tk read it.again and look for the.underlying.theme of the post, including the eminem song. Sure, ill admit theres a bit of 'poor drangerfish' in there, but the overall theme is bust your ass while you are given a golden opportunity to do so, I.e. Dont miss your shot.

I was actually kidding in my last response but forgot the smiley so it prob didn't come across as intended.

Nice jab though. I was a winning 25NL reg at PS before BF with a 50NL BR and I've more than tripled my initial BR at Bodog but that's beside the point. I was giving advice that was not related to poker but was related to maturity and responsibility. In that area I may have more experience as I have kids older than most of the FTR members and I had a hard time with maturity and responsibility when I was your age. I detailed it some in one of you OPs. Just trying to help.

I hope that you have matured in the last few years and it appears that you may have. Your "these guys are better than you at poker so your opinion doesn't matter as much" attitude makes me wonder. Counter Jab

[daven]

opening post reminds me of this. I like both posts.

I'm going to pick a random three 3/6 tables on Stars this fine Wednesday afternoon:

Table 1
seat 1: full stack donk
seat 2: very good reg
seat 3: meh reg
seat 4: good reg
seat 5: ok reg
seat 6: good reg
seat 7: bad reg
seat 8: ok reg
seat 9: terrible reg

Table 2
seat 1: fullstack donk
seat 2: ok reg
seat 3: bad reg
seat 4: unknown
seat 5: good reg
seat 6: very good reg
seat 7: meh reg
seat 8: terrible reg
seat 9: ok reg

Table 3
seat 1: full stack donk
seat 2: ok reg
seat 3: very good reg
seat 4: halfstack donk
seat 5: very good reg
seat 6: meh reg
seat 7: good reg
seat 8: ok reg
seat 9: good reg

This is at 3/6, the 2nd highest limit that normally runs for full ring. I can't imagine how much better the .5/1 or 1/2 games are. We are in good times guys; get out there and make some money.

[Roid_Rage]

I was actually kidding in my last response but forgot the smiley so it prob didn't come across as intended.

Nice jab though. I was a winning 25NL reg at PS before BF with a 50NL BR and I've more than tripled my initial BR at Bodog but that's beside the point. I was giving advice that was not related to poker but was related to maturity and responsibility. In that area I may have more experience as I have kids older than most of the FTR members and I had a hard time with maturity and responsibility when I was your age. I detailed it some in one of you OPs. Just trying to help.

I hope that you have matured in the last few years and it appears that you may have. Your "these guys are better than you at poker so your opinion doesn't matter as much" attitude makes me wonder. Counter Jab

Sorry, I didnt realize you were kidding lol. I was kind of.surprised since.ive.known you for well over a year now and didnt expect that blunt of a rrsponse lol.

And when I said that stuff about m2m and bikes vs BCers, I merely meant that those are two examples of players that.have done what.it takes to be.successful vs those still trying to figure out how. It wasnt just a jab at you, and most definitely respect the fact that you have waay more life experience than myself and I can admit (probably more readily than most my age) that I am still extremely immature and have a lot of growing up to do still.

Your advice is accepted and appreciated sir.

[eugmac]

I'm not trying to disparage you, it's more like: you sounded like you're being down on yourself for wasting a few years of your life, which is normal - you're certainly not alone in this (I've been there too). I'm just saying, in my experience it does no good to dwell on those mistakes. You analyze them and work out ways to not repeat those mistakes, and wake up the next morning feeling great that you've learned something incredibly valuable.

[bikes]

Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address - YouTube