Well, lunchtime and I thought I would give a little update to the few of you that have sent me request asking if the luck is still holding out.

I played three times last week. I placed 18th out of 90, was gone in one hour without winning a single pot in another, then placed third and had a nice check on Tuesday.

I don't play online much, really sucked online in the past, and decided to play the astronomer or whatever it's called, freeroll. 12000 at those crazy things and the top 99 get a ticket. I got my ticket and will play Sunday I guess.

After paying for everything in Vegas and totalling the winnings in the sng, sats, and Caesar's tournaments, I am able to pay off my car so it was able to payoff my car. I wish I had thought about the Weekend with Daniel before I did because it would have been a great deal.

I keep hearing about the guys dumping on pvt and some of the pros. After the Rawvegas vlog came out, I had a WSOP Main Event Champion, no I am not going to mention the guys name, try to convince me that site would be better for me. I have to say this. I took his advice and a couple of other big pros advice and tried to incorporate it into my game and it nearly blew my game apart. It has taken me a little while to get the stuff out of my mind. Don't get me wrong. I took in a lot of little gold nuggets from almost every pro that I talked too but I had a chance to play for quite a while with several that gave me detailed instructions that I guess I incorporated into my game and it cost me dearly. They are great players but their play doesn't go well with my style.

Because of that I want to give you a little advice. When you find something that is working for you as well as PVT did for me, don't go out looking to fix something that isn't broke. I really tried to incorporate a few of those things and tried it over several tournaments and didn't place in any of them. I think I am working the junk out and didn't do too bad this week. I have really had to re-program my game and get back to Daniel's style. Don't get me wrong, these pros are quality players and great people, it's just that their type of play was totally against everything I was doing. It made a lot of sense but not for my game. My advice about talking to pro players is this. Talk to anyone that you respect and listen to their advice and pick that advice apart. If you find a little nugget that goes along with your style, write it down and use it. If you play with one that wants to instruct you and he or she is way off of your style, politely listen but be careful not to store it too deep into your memory bank.

Now addressing the problems people are having and one main reason the main event winner was trying to get me onto his site. They are complaining that the videos are too short and most sites show entire hands and have longer play. I will say this. I do wish that PVT would have an option to play the lessons like SB without stopping but I totally disagree with the long play videos. That would really be no diifferent than watching High Stakes, Poker After Dark, or whatever. The thing I love about PVT giving the main points on a hand is that you get the lesson on the hand that you need and it is not too much to soak in at one time. I can get the point much easier than sitting through 30 minutes of BLAH BLAH BLAH and wasted time.

Another point is that the Math is not detailed enough. That is the main reason for having Charlie there! If you want to get into complete boring detail then buy Skalansky. I read that when I can't go to sleep at night. It has saved me a fortune in sleeping pills. He's a great writer but I can't understand half of the stuff he writes. Charlie feeds it to me in small portions and I get to digest it for a while without getting indigestion. A little goes a long way while being too detailed can be described, for me at least, as a lot goes way back in the back of my mind and I confuse one rule with another. I am terrible at math and need simplicity.

If you want simplicity that will feed your mind and give you quick recall, go with PVT.

I have a great idea that would prove once and for all which site is the best. They need to do a Best Damn Poker show with Daniel as the coach for PVT, Phil (no he wasnt' the Champ I talked to.) for his blackbelt poker, Annie for Proplaylive, TJ for pokerschoolsonline, and Action "Let me buy your seat" Jeff from Cardrunner. They should give each of them two players of their choice and play it out live. It would show which site is the best.

Goodluck out there and keep sending me messages about your success.

..."I have a great idea that would prove once and for all which site is the best. They need to do a Best Damn Poker show with Daniel as the coach for PVT, Phil (no he wasnt' the Champ I talked to.) for his blackbelt poker, Annie for Proplaylive, TJ for pokerschoolsonline, and Action "Let me buy your seat" Jeff from Cardrunner. They should give each of them two players of their choice and play it out live. It would show which site is the best."

Sounds Like a plan... I like it. Tourney to get in, top three make up "Team PVT".

I really think they need to do it like the Best Damn Poker show. Interview the guys and watch them play to make sure they are playing with the style that the .com uses and then pick two or three that can be coached by Daniel or whoever. If they had a tourney it might have some people that could be a luckbox that would not represent the site well.

You're right though. They need a way to pick their players and beat the crap out of the other sites.

Just had the worst session of my life I ran horrible. I got sucked out 6 hands I was in and went broke. But I put it in a huge favorite. Other than gut shots shoving into my sets and hitting the session went horrible. The hand I went Broke I picked up AA and the loose fish at the table calls my re raise with 72 off flop comes 722 he check raises me all in and I lose.

That's why I hate cash games so much!

I hardly play cash anymore but I played one not too long ago and had only played one hand, AQ. I won a small pot and then got A's!

It was me and the SB. He raised and I re-raised he went all in and I called. He had 7s-2d
and he flushed with the spade!

The only thing you can do is sit down with a set amount and if that is gone in 6 hands GET OUT!
The the old song says, "Some days are diamonds and some days are..." well you know.

Just a funny little note about the last two tournaments.

I caught a royal! I won a whole $20 from the BB and SB! Typical.
I had quads and won $400. I placed 7th.

Last night I played a small $225 freezeout. I played Daniels favorite, 10d-7d.
Flop was 8d-6s-10c
called a small bet.
Turn was a 9d
called a $2000 bet
River came the Jd!
I made a bet and he called with a strt on the turn.

We had 3 quads after that and I the chip leader in the room and thought I was going to Daniels for the Weekend! The table had aces dealt to 5 people before the first break and one guy had Aces back to back after the break! Wild table!

Never caught a single hand afterwards and was out before the final table. Still a wild night!

Anyone playing in the RIVER at Winstar? $2100 with a guaranteed $3m.

I believe this makes 21 tournaments, including the ME and the Mega Stack at Caesars and now I have 14 cashes.

We only had around 40 players or so, so we're not talking mega bucks but it's still a final table.

I want to give the new guys a little advice about small tournaments. I know that there is a saying of "You have to be willing to die to live." I have a saying in small tournaments. "You have to be willing to die to live, but don't commit suicide!"

I was in so many hands that were great hands at the beginning and a lot of new players might have said, "Here we go." Let me play one out for you.

I had Ah-Jh in the big blind. There were three other limpers, including the SB. I raised the pot 2.5x and they all stayed in.
Flop was A-K-3
The SB checks, I bet half the pot and everyone is in.
The turn is 3 and the SB bets a min raise.
I Bet half the pot and the guy next to the button calls.
The lady next to him, who is one of the craziest players we have, goes all in.
SB says she played A-K well and I, like the biggest dumby in the world tell the guy that she has 5-3 and I am going to pay her off!
I call for another $3500, leaving me with $3000 and she turns over 5-3 and of course, no ace appears.

I disobeyed one of my main rules. Don't go in against an idiot with a knife and you're left holding a wet noodle. Set traps and be patient. I just can't stand her and I let her get to me one more time. I have knocked her out a ton by being patient. My memory is imbedded with her at the final table one night and I had A-K and the flop came with an Ace and I went all in. She called and had me covered by a couple of thousand and turned over A-5 and caught a 5 on the river. Ever since, she tries to put me on tilt and today she succeeded. (Although my pockets were a little tighter than hers at the end of the day!)

Now, I didn't commit suicide but I knew she was capable of doing this kinda junk. She was now the chip leader, thanks to me, and I am about to go on tilt.

Here is another warning. When this happens, walk off for a while. I limped in a couple of times thinking I could catch her when I caught myself and had to walk away. I only had 10-5 in the SB and had a great read on her when the flop was Q-10-9. She moved all in and her tells were shining. I called and she turned over A-7 and I doubled up. She was out with another 3 hands when she could have played quality and went to the final table. She commits suicide more than anyone I know.

I went back down to 1800 with the blinds at 400-200 after raising with A-J on a J-9-6 flop. The guy put me all in. This is another good point to watch who you are playing. TAKE YOUR TIME! I thought about every hand he had played in the last 2hours. Both of them! This guy didn't risk his tournament and I folded. He showed me J-9 since we had been playing so "Friendly". That is another warning. Don't show a pretty good player your hand when you have him beat.

I was on life support three times. Once down to a little over a thousand with the blinds at $600-$300. I don't go by the 10 bets rule all of the time in small tournaments. I find that I can have 2 or three bets and go in when there are 5 guys in that will give me a lot more money than going in with a dry ace because I have 10 bets against the chip leader. I usually try to choose who will get my money or whose money I will get. I want to put it all in against a guy that it will hurt him a little to call and that way I might just pick up the limpers and blinds. There is one thing I want to do and that is what keeps me in the games I guess. As long as I can do this, I know I am playing good poker. It's kinda my motto now.

If you go out, go out with a bad beat story!

Good luck guys! Keep watching and hate to say I told you so about the new content coming but I TOLD YOU SO!!!!! Enjoy!

Paul

I havent played all week because I figured that session on tilt was a wake up call to go and study more. Not that I felt I was playing bad but it can never hurt to go tighten up your game and clear your head. I mean i put my money in in + EV situations. QQ VS J4 on the QT8board. AA vs A5 an the A23 board.( ya he turned a 4). So back to getting my head right then playing. Went pretty deep without cashing in the sunday two hundred grand its just the blinds got up so high. I outlasted about 21k in people. High point was 12K got down to 8k picked up JJ on the button shoved with blinds 400/800 BB had AA. If I can suck out on that or just win the blinds i think I could have made it deep but those blinds go up so fast.

Paul I have been grinding on stars for a few weeks and have gotten up to 600 after buyingin for 25 and wanted to try my new and improved game at 50$ heads up sit n go. I played some guy who said hes an onlne pro and said my style forced him into bad spots OOP. After grinding him down to 800 picked up QQ I min raised, he RR the I shoved he called with AK. I won the race and he told me if I played like that I would not stay an amateur for long.

It was me. Just kidding!

Fantastic man!

Keep it up bro and you'll be playing heads up with Daniel one day at the WSOP. I've only seen one final table this week. Only played 3 hands today when I ran into a guy limping in with aces.
Like I say, I don't play many cash games but I played one today and I'm thinking about using my winnings to play "The River" in Oklahoma. They are having a 3m guarantee.

Keep up the good play and keep building that bankroll!

will take it down

I just won an MTT on Full TILT. I talk about it in my thread about the Junglen sunday tourneys.

Only played once this week. I havn't felt much like playing. Tons of work and I've had two coolers that made me sit out and think a while.

My friend Justin, or should I say the instigator, called and asked if I wanted to play the little $75 rebuy, with $40-$80 rebuys. I stumbled to the tourney after working late the night before and knowing I shouldn't do it, but oh well.

You start the little tourney with $800 and pay $40 for a $800 add on. I decided to be a nit and play only made hands till the end of the rebuy. People go a little crazy at the table I was at so I knew I could pick up a few. The rounds are 25 min and go to 20 min after the first three. I think I played 5 hands until the last three hands in the third round. I had about $6500 and no rebuys. If anyone out there know this guy, you'll know how things go when he comes to the table. Keith Lehr. He is famous for taking his eye out and placing it on the table when He is a WSOP bracelet winner. I knocked this guy out and he took his place as an alternate. He has plenty of money and is full of gamble. He's always been a tough player for me and I give him plenty of respect, after the rebuy session. He buys $1600 in chips, does not look at his hand and moves all in, three times. I lost one with qq, lost $400 with As-Js and didn't play the last with A-J. I went in after the break with about the same I started with after the add on.

I played some of the best poker ever. I didn't get into large pots without the nuts. I played all ins when I had them covered and knew that if they sucked out I could still come back using small pots. I have to admit that I played great poker.

Then came the last two tables. When we got down to 20 players, I couldn't catch a single hand! I stole a few blinds to hang in there but when I was on the bubble, I only had $3500 left with the blinds at $4000-$2000! I had played a couple of all ins against smaller stacks with a K or a Q in my hand and didn't come out well. I won the $3500 that didn't even cover the blind with 7-4 and caught a 7. I then got Ad-Qd the next hand and ended up with over 20,000. I knew I could cruise through the next couple of players but I woke up with Aces the next hand. There were only five players at the table. Crazy Johnny was in the SB, the kid that lucked out sucked out on me when we had 4 all ins the week before and he was the chip leader with Jacks and last to move in and caught a jack. The guy next to him was short stacked about $10,000 left. The guy under the gun had about $35,000 and folded. I looked to the guy next to me and he was already in the "Thump the cards" mode with his finger ready to flick. I wanted some action with the table moving so fast so I decided to limp in. I knew that if Johnny or the other guy had a big ace or a pair they were all in. Johnny would go all in if he saw a King! He just has a lot of gamble in him. He almost folded so I knew it was bad. He decided to call and the BB checked. The flop was 8-6-3 rainbow! Johnny raised $4000 so I knew he was week because he always over bets big hands. ALWAYS! The guy in the BB folded and I moved all in. It would cost Johnny about $15,000 to call. He had about $50,000 left. He looks at me and says that he hit a pair and that I might have a big pair but he has to know! He calls and flips over 9-6. He sees my Aces and yells "COME ON 10", not for a nine or a six. The board hits a 10. "Come on SEVEN". you guessed it....

The moral of my story is. Live and Learn. Die and you'll learn how to live. Oh, and don't slow play Aces if Johnny is on the table!

That makes 2 final tables, 3 tourneys leaving at either 17 or 18, 1 on the bubble, and 1 that I lasted about 4 rounds! Not too good since coming home from the WSOP.

Bubble Boy.

Just bubbled a tourney 19th out of 190 lost a massive pot with AA to 99 vs a big stack I raised the button with AA he re shoves and cathces a set leaving me with 8 BBs I was unfortunate if not for that I win it

Evening Guys,

First off I'd just like to say hello from over the ocean, just registered here following my interest (and curiosity) into PokerVT, and I thought this thread would be the most relevant for me to ask a few questions in.

Paul, your whole story is awesome, i stumbled across this site entirely by accident, i saw your video on the internet and read half of your posts before even realising that you were the guy in the video with Daniel!

I've only really been playing poker for a couple of weeks, but ive been playing for 7ish hours a day, played a few thousand hands online still havent played live (its not that easy to find matches around here!), i've only really learnt basic strategy but i've completely got the poker bug, i'm an immensely competitive person and i can see myself entering tournaments before long, but i want to make sure im equipped with what i need to win first.

Paul, Do you think PokerVT would help someone at my level? I have no doubt that it will help me at some point, but i'm unable to find information on what level you need to be to make the stuff on there useful.

Did you work up your bankroll playing online? or did you just jump into the $75 buy-in tournaments? Also do you play frequently online, or just live?

cheers guys,

Matt

Welcome to the wild, stress filled life of Hold'em.

I mainly use pokervt for live play. I just sat down at my 15th final table since PVT started. The greatest thing about it is that I only lost two showdowns. So for live play it has been worth a mint!

If you're asking about on line success, you're talking to the wrong guy. I thought things were turning around for me online but I was gravely mistaken, and I do mean GRAVE. I got lucky and won a ticket on the 12000 seat freeroll and I got up on one tournament and won around $200 but that's been about it. I have heard that others have done well with it but for someone like me, I need someone to teach online play like Daniel taught Small Ball. I suck online!

PVT can really help you learn the basics in a few hours compared to the year or so that I wasted before. I still go back to that. It's kinda like being a sports pro. You have to keep the fundamentals fresh on your mind. The Small Ball section is a great TEACHING tool. The math is great. I have also learned a lot from watching the guys play a hand and Daniel steps in and explains the hands they are playing. I am going to doing an update review on the site and will explain the pros and cons I find so far.

I will say this, and the guys on the forum are going to eat me alive for saying it, but I would sign up so that you can learn to play live. The guys on the forum eat me for lunch when I'm online. So far, I am one demensional. Live play only. I will say this though. I love it when I am at a table full of online players. They are the easiest players to set traps for. They push and push and push, then they run into an ALL IN from me and their egos kick in and and they hand over the chips. Sorry guys, but so far it's been pretty much the case.

All in all, I would ask Rob and a few others what they have been able to get out of the online stuff that I haven't.

As far as my bankroll, I started off playing the small 1-2 tables with $100. It was a win some lose some kinda life. Then I started coming in a little before the tournaments and I'd win enough to buy in and then after my nightly beating I would go home.. I bought everyone's books and watched all the vidoes. Then I picked up a couple of book's including Daniel's and everything started clicking. I placed third in a $500 buy in and was hooked. A couple of weeks later PVT came on and my bankroll went sky high. If you like the style of the guys on PVT, sign on and you won't regret it.

If you like the style that Daniel has and you feel it will fit you, do it. I messed up a little and took lessons from other top pros that didn't fit my style and it really messed me up for a while. Stay with what works for you.

One piece of advice. Don't play as much as I have been playing. I am just about burned out and will probably take a break pretty soon.

Good luck and if you sign on, tell me about your success! Good luck!

Thanks Man,

Well im not too sure about signing up right now... I've had a free trial and all I can say is the system is absolutely awesome. The thing is, I'm looking for something to directly improve my online play. Although I can find live games nearby, they are generally just small tournaments and now cash games (not with the kind of small stakes I want to play anyway) - so really I want to walk before I can run, and build up a bankroll with online play before I go live.

cheers

Hey dude, I think it depends on what you want to play online - tournaments or cash?

The tournament stuff is very good on PVT for online, for cash, personally, i'd look elsewhere (i've been on PVT, Card Runners and Deuces Cracked and DC is head and shoulders above the rest....at the moment)

BoostedJ has recorded some new stuff for online cash apparently, but its not been released yet

Well I'm not really too sure right now! haha.

I'd like to play mainly cash games online, but not stray away from tournament play either. Eventually I'd like to get stuck into more live games, but playing online is just so much more convenient right now.

I've got a friend who is pretty much an online pro, i've explained my situation and VT to him, and he has basically told me to go and sign up for Cardrunners and try it out for a couple of months and then get PokerVT as the transition from online play to live play is easier than the other way around.

I'll take this somewhere else so I dont end up highjacking the thread

cheers

Hello all,

Personally, Paul has me convinced. I've read a lot of other compelling, positive reviews on here as well, but after reading through this entire thread, Paul's story is especially convincing. I'm getting ready to sign up for poker vt. Once I do, I'm going to start a new thread, so that I may keep you all updated on my results, as Paul has done so well. I'll post a link to the thread here once I've created it. Thanks for the stories and updates, Paul, and I hope your father is doing well.

- Josh

Here's the link to my thread: http://www.fullcontactpoker.com/poker-forum/index.php?showtopic=128016

Back from a two week vacation and read this thread. Paul, hope your Dad is aok and healing.

I subscribed early to www.pokerVT.com because the site has a lot of promise in the long term to provide a structured method to improve. Until we get to that point, the content will - by definition - be rich in the kind of advice improving players need.

Your Main Event blogging, Paul, was interesting. I was hoping to see the ME and take in some of the WSOP craziness this year, but work conspired to keep me busy. I am chopping away at my schedule to spectate the final table on November 9th (my birthday is Nov. 7th ) and spend a week playing poker in Las Vegas around that time, but thanks for taking the time to post information.

PokerVT has improved my game no question about it. Although I am playing mainly Pot Limit Omaha Hi right now and am not as active in tournaments, I have started modifying my game to a more active, Small Ball approach, ... and the results are very encouraging.

Flint, it's good to hear you're having success with the program, and I wish you continued success. Good luck in Vegas!

Whats up paul have you been playing? I have been playing HU cash its really profitable. Just wanted to see how you were doing? I am playing my first MTT in a few weeks I was the chip leader until I had AA cracked by AJs in a big pot. So just starting to play MTT's again and hopefully I can get into a big WTP or qualify for a WSOP next year thats my goal. GL in at the tables. Hopefully we can meet up at the WSOP and Idk both win a bracelet!!!!!!
back to the tourney lets hope i can take this one down

I took 4th I should have won, oh well.

Hey, sorry so late with the reply.

Thanks for asking about my dad. He's doing great! He is a tough old pipeliner and that keeps him going. He's 78 and I sweat in the shade watching him work.

Please keep me informed about the PLO. I am thinking about doing that myself.

The ME was not a success as far as money but it was a success in the adventure and just the "I can't believe I actually did it" area. I was extremely lucky that they didn't show my departure because the cameras were on me with all the guys at the table standing up and shaking my hand. We had the most friendly table I have ever played at. The only time you will see me is for a split second when we are entering the room. You see my little fat face with the PVT had in the center of the TV. I only caught by mistake because I paused the DVR to run outside for a minute.

Again, keep me posted about the PLO.

MUCH SUCCESS TO YOU!

Paul

WTG Josh! I can't see you not gaining a rich amount of knowledge and success from this small investment.

Just remember, you will make mistakes so learn from them. You will have donkey's bust your best hands with total crap calls. Don't let that discourage you. You will sit at a table one day and realize that you are the best player at the table but someone will call your aces with 9-6 off and catch runner runner for a strt. Don't be afraid to keep moving on. If you keep a journal, you will find that your success far outweighs your failure. A good player may lose to a weak player every once in a while but you will have a longer run of success than them.

Daniel, Matt, Adam and all the guys with PVT are wonderful people and more than willing to help so make sure that you ask for advice and keep us all posted on your success and failures. We learn from each other.

MUCH SUCCESS BRO!

Paul

What's up ROB!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I am only playing a couple a week but still finding at least one final table a week. Taking a small break right now though. My landman business is very busy, which is great. Prices are going up and down so I have to keep ahead of the game.

Hope to see you at the WSOP next year.

Keep up the success out there bro and keep me posted!

Paul

Thanks! I'll make sure to remember that. I am keeping a journal. It looks as though you've already found it though. I am loving everything about PVT and have learned so much already. I can only imagine how much more I'm going to continue to learn. I'm so glad I signed up.

Thanks, you too!

-Josh

Bad beats! Do you really know the true meaning?

I see a lot of people that are talking about "How do I avoid a bad beat!"
Let me say this. I played a $220 freezeout the other night with 70 players. I was playing a great SB game and was a little above average. I went to the third table and sat two down from the chip leader. Every head was shaking when I sat down.
He called an all in for 1/3 of his chips. The other player had A-Q, he had Jh-9h. He flopped j-9.
Two hands later a guy went all in and he called with 4h-2h. The other player turned over 10's. He caught a flush.
I saw at least four more all-in calls with crap like that. He even went all in with the same hand as the other guy and caught four hearts and his 10h won! Then I went all in with Ah-Qh when I was down to 10 bets on the button. He called in the big blind with Kd-2d. Flopped 10-2-9, turned a K! but the river was a J! He jumped up and screamed "HOW CAN I GET A BAD BEAT LIKE THAT!" I looked at him and asked him if he was the guy posting "How do I avoid bad beats!" on Pokervt and he said "I WISH DANIEL WOULD GIVE UP GOLF AND START POSTING MORE BAD BEAT STUFF! I COULN'T GET ANYTHING OUT OF THAT FREAKING SITE!" My friend that is on PVT with me hit the damn floor!

I finished 9th and he was still stacking chips and telling everyone about his "BAD BEAT" when I left.

If everyone is so tired of Pokervt and have mastered every part of the site, why is it that an idiot like me can keep seeing so many final tables?

Remember this one thing. YOU DO NOT WANT TO AVOID A BAD BEAT! RUN INTO EVERYONE YOU CAN! IF YOU ARE NOT LEAVING THE TABLE ON A BAD BEAT, YOU ARE NOT PLAYING GOOD POKER! The problem is, most guys don't know what a bad beat is! The thing you don't want to leave on, unless you are down to only a few bets left, is a draw or a complete bluff. Leave saying "That guy was a complete idiot!" and not on "I am a complete idiot!"

99% of the guys that scream that they got a bad beat don't know what a bad beat is.

If you have Ah-Kh and the flop is Kd-Jh-10d and you have a good stack and decide to go all in against the chip leader, would it be a bad beat if he beat you? Where is your hand at the moment? You are a loser to, A-A. K-K, J-J, 10-10, K-J, K-10, J-10, A-Q, and Q-9. You might get called and beat by Ad with and diamond or for that fact you might be up against suited diamonds, 9-8 or any Q and you just gave the guy two chances at his draw. Any of these hands are easy posibilities, if you raised with the A-K. So you are sitting there in 10th place and you want to risk your tournament? I see these things all the time and see the guys crying about BAD BEATS!

Sign up and play the Nutz game over and over to keep your mind fresh and you'll see that you are playing top poker. It doesn't have to be a complicated video explanation that helps you win. It's the simple things like the basics that wins tournaments. I have guys in almost every tournament amazed that I can throw away K's or A's after a flop. It's only a pair after the flop if it doesn't hit.

Daniel, if you happen to read this rambling, maybe you should put up a video that shows what a bad beat is and isn't!

Gl guys and I hope to see you at a final table! Especially you Lee!

Hey guys,

Well, I ended the year with a thud. Played in the Horshoe Classic today. Started off pretty well in that I chopped a sat with a guy before the event and paid for half the entry. Used the PVT sng strat for that and took it down pretty easily.

Then came the game. Used a nice SB approach but it was kinda like my dad told my brother one time. My brother wanted to go with a friend to a rough part of town to shoot pool I think. My Dad said it was too rough over there and didn't want him to go because it was dangerous. My brother told my dad not to worry because he had been taking judo lessons. Dad said, "Well son, what if the guy that's kicking the crap out of you doesn't know judo?"

Well, the guy that beat the crap out of me didn't know what Small Ball was. He played every hand I did. I had QQ and he played A-3 off and flopped a set of threes. I played KK and he played J 7 and flopped 8 9 10. I played KK again and he played A 10 off and I caught my K on the river but the board already had a Q J on it. I was out before the first break.

Just a guy that wanted to play every hand and was extremely lucky. Just kidding about the SB thing guys. It really does work and it works great! I have a 98% rating now on Stars when it was like 15% before I signed on o PVT. Ended the year with almost 20 MTT wins live, 4 MTT wins online and over 50 cashes. combined. Not a bad year for a guy that didn't know what position meant before PVT. Can't believe I'm training guys now and have guys all the time want to talk strat with me before tournaments.

You really need to check out the new videos on PVT. J Carver is awesome guys. He explains things very well and is going to be one of the best teachers out there. Combining him with the other pros there is going to greatly improve things. I'll be teaching the, "What not to do.. " segments. Just kidding. There are some new vids with Brad that you have to see in the what not to do area. The guy is funny. Now that Daniel has more time off, he's really taking advantage of it and taping a ton of new things. If you saw the Sunday Million teaser, it gets a ton better after that. Carver uses the same approach. I really hate that people are seeing it because it'll put me out of business!

Anyway, check out PVT. It's getting better, I promise. I was a little worried but with some of the new things I've seen, you can't go wrong. I believe I'm right in saying, and correct me Daniel if I'm wrong, but they are going to have a forum there too so only the PVT guys will be able to talk to all the pros. That will be a great addition. (I still wish they would take the TING off the site though.)

Have a great Christmas and a Happy New Years and keep posting on the Strat forum here and check out PVT. If what they say is going to be on it in a week or so, this will be the top sight soon.

GL

I know this hasn't been much of an update, for those few that read this thread. I wasn't going to play until the first of the year but I was itching to try the Extreme SB in live tournaments again. It worked great. Three of us chopped the nice little MTT. Sad to say, I don't know how many live 1st and 1st chops that is now since PVT. Kinda nice to say that. I think it's closing in on 20 this year. I don't say that to brag. I say that in hopes that if you don't have much of game, you'll check out PVT. The site is really starting to boom. Updates are great!

The thing that PVT has given me that I didn't have before is several different ways to play. If I'm sitting there playing regular SB and it doesn't work, I can switch to Extreme. The new JCarver stuff is awesome. If you haven't seen Daniels Sunday Millions, it will get you deep in a tournament several times over. Since using the method, I am going deep in almost every tournament from the Sunday Million to the small $3 rebuy tournaments.

Using it in live cash has been superb.

Enjoyed the small break away though and I recommend it to everyone that is playing as much as I was.

Now for something very important:

I sent a message to BigD and a couple of guys that I PM every once in a while, not too long ago. I asked for prayer for my family. My brother lost his best friend. I lost a cousin the same day. Then I lost one of my best friends. We are also needing prayer for our family because we might be losing our jobs, which we will find out tomorrow if they will make the cut. Anyway, after sending the message to BigD, I found out that the same day his father died.

I hope everyone will keep BigD in your thoughts and prayers. You know, I could get another job, but you can't get the moments back that you don't spend with the ones you love. Take a moment and call your Mom, Dad, Grandparent, or friend that you haven't seen in a while. When they're gone, don't live with regrets that you placed other things ahead of catching up with loved ones.

God bless you D and your family.