Low Volume

I got a new puppy recently and they require as much or more work than a newborn baby.

I say more work since at least babies don't stare at you and shit in the corner 5 minutes after you stood outside with them for a half hour.

He's a cute dog, though. My girlfriend's choice. I'd have definitely picked a larger dog - he's a mix of Chihuahua and Shih Tzu but looks like neither of those. He looks like a Yellow Lab that will never weigh over 15-20 pounds.

I probably won't be able to do much volume at all until he's housetrained. I'm on a long-term work assignment in New Jersey and living in a small one bedroom apartment so I would be lighting money on fire to try and concentrate on MTT games while training a puppy and taking him outside every hour.

Instead I've been getting up at 5 AM to grind 90 Man KO's on Full Tilt and I've made money but not enough for me to continue doing this.

It's scary how fast my game is developing, though. I'm putting people on exact hands, finding good squeeze spots, etc. I know variance kicks in and you end up running into monsters now and then but a +EV spot will always be a +EV spot and once you identify them you become a dangerous player if you also know how to play post-flop.

I've made some sick hero calls and any time I get down to heads-up in a 90 Man I absolutely own the other person from start to end whether I have the chip lead or not.

The key is to remember when you get heads up the average person is very afraid to make a mistake within the first few hands so you should raise every button and 3-bet their button raises in the beginning to establish dominance. After that just play a good post-flop game in position and wear them down until they snap and spaz out with bottom or middle pair.

Easy game.

I kid. It's not easy. The second you get content there's some 19 year old kid with all the time in the world on his hands who passes you by because he's hungrier for it. You can't lose the hunger.

Once you do you may as well cash out and find a new hobby.

This isn't a game. It's war where gambling is involved. We all start with the same arsenal but it's the ones who march in a straight line who will always get cut down and never stand at the end.

Always have a plan for your hand. Ask yourself how you'll react to your opponent's possible actions. Ask yourself what he might hold. Ask yourself what he thinks you might hold. Or ask yourself if he even thinks that way. It's not hard to spot.

Remember the way ahead/way behind concept.

Remember to control the size of the pot whenever you can. Don't bluff when you rep really thin. Don't take a ridiculous pre-flop line with Aces and Kings. Don't lose your fold equity.

Good luck.