Merry Christmas!

Muhammad Ali

Inside of a ring or out, ain't nothing wrong with going down. It's staying down that's wrong. - Muhammad Ali

On Knowledge - Immersion

The only way of full knowledge lies in the act of love: this act transcends thought, it transcends words. It is the daring plunge into the experience of union. - Erich Fromm

(image from Clandestine-Wishes)

Don't Be Confined By "Verbal" or "Academic" Knowledge

"We need to respect the fact that it is possible to know without knowing why we know and accept that - sometimes - we're better off that way."

- Malcolm Gladwell (h/t Jules)

Starting Hands for Solid No Limit Play

There is obviously some variability in hand choice depending on the opponents you are playing. For instance, against tight strong players, I would be hesitant to go all-in with anything other than a pair of Aces. That's a strong starting hand. If you're risking a reasonably small amount of money relative to your bankroll, then going all in with KK, QQ, JJ, and AK should be fine. Again, it depends on your opponents and how much you are willing to risk. Personally, I love players who are willing to go all-in with Ax, KK, QQ, JJ, especially when I have AA. It allows me to double up more often than not.

Anyway, here are the hands for solid no limit play:

1) AA - Yes, all by itself. A special hand that I try to play in whatever way will likely get me an all-in taker, or at least a heads up situation. If you're in early position, I would normally limp in unless I think I can get someone to take a bite. If I get bet into pre-flop, I always raise and hope for a re-raise.

2) KK, QQ, JJ - all strong, but I would be careful not to overvalue them against tight opponents. Against players spewing chips, go all-in. In any case, make sure to raise if you have a lot of biting/limping.

3) AK - "big slick." Rock this one when you can. I like going all-in against weaker opponents. But the hand is a bit overrated, in my opinion. Drop it if there's a lot of raising post-flop without a hit.

4) Face-10+ - I will call reasonable bets pre-flop with a face card and anything ten or up. Suited is an added plus. I'll pay around 3-5x the big blind.

5) Face-9 - I will do my best to limp in with this, even if it is suited (suited does not add that much value, and I would be wary if you do not have the suited ace in hand or on board). Don't pay more than 2-3x the big blind for this.

6) 99 and 1010 - Play these like (4) or (5).

7) Other pairs - If there are a lot of people in the pot, I may pay 3x the big blind. If I am first or if there are only a few, I try to limp.

8) Anything else - I probably wouldn't play much else. Save your money.

Losing Weight: An Analogy

I know how to lose weight. It's hard; it likely doesn't taste good; and, it isn't fun. But I know how to do it. Whether or not I do it depends on discipline. The same goes for trading and poker. I know what I have to do, but it isn't fun. It's mostly sitting, waiting, taking only optimal setups. I know how to do it, but will I?

Hittin' Switches In My Black Six-Fo'

A little patience, taking the good bet even when it doesn't end in a gain, maintaining composure. Profit.

A graph and some more soon.

A real gangsta-a** n***** plays his cards right But real gangsta-a** n***** don't flex nuts 'cause real gangsta-a** n***** know they got em Yeah. I drive around in my "drop-top benz" "hittin' switches in my black six-fo'." It's the life of a high roller. Haha. /sigh.

Chinese Proverb

Fish see the bait, but not the hook; men see the profit, but not the peril.

Self-Improvement

I love Fear and Greed Trader. After looking through his articles (once again), I found this gem.

If you are having trouble achieving your trading goals, take time out to examine the real causes of your problems. Working towards improvement will take a dedicated approach on your part. Identification of the problems are the first step. Attacking the problems one at a time is the first part of the solution. Doing the right thing at the right time based on the information you have should be your goal.

Edit: Added a few books to my Recommended Reading list. Nothing much, but still trying to slowly expand the titles.

Jobs

I don't have much time at the moment! Unexpected work I need to do, so no more poker playing or cash-trading for awhile (might do a little paper trading if I can easily find a good program). Here's an interesting chart, though:

December 2nd

My life is a little messy at the moment. Anyway, here's the current poker chart (bankroll is at $15.77) and a thanks to Long&Wrong for encouraging me to play no-limit. I am mixing the two and it works out pretty well.

More soon, hopefully.