2024 Year End Review

Every year I look back to my resolutions and gauge my year based on that. This January my goals were to : win 2 trophies, cash $150k in tourneys, give $20k to charity, start a new business, travel, play at WSOP Vegas or Triton. 

I did win a trophy, an unexpected one in the Influencer Invitational. I came close 6 other times but no cigar. I also did not cash $150k, hit just slightly over $60k (not counting bounties and online WSOP). I have to be honest, I lost money on tournaments this year, despite the cashes. But I do feel I am a better tournament player now than when I started the year. 

I also did not give $20k to charity. It came to around $8k. I share this because I want to inspire others to give. Many poker players are doing well for themselves. We can spend $500-2000 on a tournament buy in, but we cannot give some to less fortunate people. One of my regular donations was to an Indonesian uncle who was bedridden and he passed away this year. Our money goes a long way for some people so instead of another buy in, you can change someone's life. 

Rest in peace Pak Solehan

I did not start a new business, but I did focus a lot of my time on the Malaysia Poker Federation. It doesn't give me the financial satisfaction a business would, but the planning, organizing and execution of things did bring me back to parts of my corporate life. Some people might not know it but I was at Managing Director levels of multinational companies since I was 26 years old. I have a great business mind which is a shame that I am not using it much. I did start a poker room with some guys, but it's more of a hobby than a business. I don't know a room that only runs 1-3 times a month 😂

Great bunch of people in the MPF crew

We certainly traveled this year. Taiwan (4 times), China (twice), Japan, Thailand, Italy, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Indonesia, Philippines, Macau, Hong Kong. Definitely living life to the fullest. What's the point of making money and not spending it? The experiences, the memories... there is an expiration date to our time on earth. Make sure you do more than accumulating wealth. 

Helsinki at night

Finally seen Venice

Did not make it to WSOP or Triton, and based on my recent runs, I think I have to put those on hold another year. In the first part of the year I was focused on grinding cash games and thankfully I did well in those. This year I also made a lot of new life-long friends. Meeting Paul Phua was another memorable highlight. Bought my first luxury watch. Of course the biggest thing in 2024, she said YES. Wasn't expecting a different answer but still a big step in our relationship. 

Stack and watch almost same value

I think the most important part of 2024 were the lessons I have learned. Removing entitlement tilt from my game; to see swings as just part of life; appreciating what you have rather than focusing on what I could have had or what I used to have; accepting that I cannot please everyone, as long as I have good intentions, how others interpret them is their issue; a lot of people wear masks, so they are not used to me not wearing one and might perceive my true self to be a mask. Keep true, stay pure, be myself. 

Happy Christmas and New Years everyone!

Poker Dream 13, Genting Malaysia Report

No need to sugar coat it, I lost roughly $18k in this series. Did I play poorly? In some spots yes. In my posts I want to be honest, with everyone and especially with myself. That is why I share my journey. I am not perfect, I am not great, but this is my journey of trying to get there. Mind you I played great in some events too only to lose to some 15-18 outer misses, got outdrawn vs 3, 2, 1 outers... but they don't affect me. 

Coming into this series I was struggling with another loss. I booked a $11k win in TMTC but I made a mistake that led to a loss of profit that was about 20-30 times that. (and still counting) So throughout the series I was carrying a huge rock on my back, being really hard on myself on making such an idiotic mistake. I am sure it affected my play until it was day 5 or so I felt that I have to address the issue straight on. And even on day 8, I seek professional help. 

$18k is a lot of money. Not too long ago, this would have been about 1.5 years salary for me. But I am thankful I am in a position now to lose this amount and still feel okay about it. This also marks my biggest loss at a tournament series. Losing big is not new to me. I have had bigger cash game swings than this in one day, but coupled with my other loss it felt like I was suffocating under the pressure. 

However, it did not break me. If anything it lit a fire in me to make some changes. These are some of the realizations I had and things I vow to work on. 

1. Seek professional help when needed

Sometimes you can't fix something that you don't even know is broken, or how it is broken. There is no shame to ask someone better than you on the matter for their help. Grant Gardner has helped me a lot without asking anything in return. I consulted other guys who had similar experience as well. Appreciate having great friends like that. 

2. Improve my table presence

I don't want to share too much but I'll just say, with my involvement at MPF, I feel I am often distracted on the table, having to attend to so many matters and people. I don't mind it, but I need to find a way to refocus quickly and not be affected. 

3. GT-Oh My Goodness

As much time as I have put into learning GTO, I am still so unprepared in so many spots. I have been focusing on studying post flop 20-30bb, but I realize I have so many other leaks in other spots too. 

4. Setting a study schedule

Because of my stuff, my study time has been "whenever I have the time and feel like it". But I know that it is far from ideal. I need to set a schedule for my preparations and study, and stick to it. 

5. Exercise more

My wife will love this part. For my age I feel like my health is pretty okay. But if I am consciously pushing myself to improve, improving my health and body should be part of it. Not only getting fitter, but also breathing exercises, posture, etc.

6. Share with others rather than keeping it to yourself

Instead of crying about losing $300k, I tell my friends so we can all laugh about it together. Not everyone is mentally strong enough to get laughed at, so this may not be for everyone. But for me, it was better to let it out than beat myself over it alone. 

This trip wasn't all doom and gloom. I did get two ITMs and even one FT. But goes to show, Hendon Mob is just like Instagram with filters. You see the best highlights of people's lives but you don't see the tears, struggles and even losses behind. With me and my blog, you get everything. Wins, losses, ups, downs, because I want to keep it real. Had a few really great gatherings with MPF guys and gals, made new friends and caught up with old ones. Happy to see some of my friends do well. Next stop Pokerstars Manila in about a week's time. Time to put in more work!

Taipei Millions Tournament Championships Report

This is the first time I attended the TMT Championships. Originally a local tournament series, it has become quite a strong brand with quite a lot of support from overseas players. But the main reason I went was because it coincided with the Asian Poker Sports Alliance meeting, to discuss industry matters in the region. 

Representing MPF

First of all the meeting was a success. I met old friends and made new ones. It helped to make new links and networks. It also gave me insight to what's happening with the other countries, their struggles and challenges, and it made ours look less significant and gave us hope. 

My previous series which was also in Taipei was a total wipeout. But this time I started strong finishing 5th in the Mystery Bounty, then ITM'd the main ending 85th, and another FT (7th) in the Classic. Had I not punted the closer event I would have had a 100% record. But overall it was a nice profitable trip, and the guy that won 2% of my action from an IG contest had a nice unexpected present. 

But more importantly are the progress we've made as a poker federation. Firstly we got an interview with Somuchpoker, Asia's leading poker news media. You can read it HERE Then we met with the representative from Thailand, including the government's representative from the Sports Ministry. I also had a good conversation with HKPPA founder Sparrow Cheung, so expect to have some crossover events between the two associations. 

Celebrated my birthday with two ITMs on the same day with my biggest fan. Survived a major typhoon, made some money, ate nice food, spent quality time, I would say it was a successful trip. Until the next one. 

APT Taipei, Dream Room Opening report

Recently things have been really hectic for me. Our poker federation has been flying at supersonic speeds not just with member growth, events and content but now we are reaching and gaining recognition internationally. This trip we have secured the support of CTP (Taiwan), HKPPA (Hong Kong) and GPI Asia. I will have even better news end of this month. In the coming weeks I am also traveling to multiple cities to join meetings and conduct classes. 

But since 2015 I have committed to keep this blog alive with at least one post a month so I want to write about my most recent trip, to Taipei. I love Taipei, and it is rare for me to miss a major event there. Plus with meetings lined up I couldn't choose anywhere else. The costs are reasonably low, food is great, direct flights, soft fields, it is an easy decision for me. In fact I am returning there within a month since I left, and most likely will go again before the end of the year! Like any of my trips, before I go I would pray for 3 things. Safe trip, happy trip and a profitable trip. I know I have not been specific enough previously so I made sure to ask for at least a 5-6 figure profit. 

Nice moment with this guy right after his win

First two events I felt I played flawlessly. In one of them I played hyper disciplined coming back from 5bb to a 55bb stack only to run KK into AA. The other I had JJ vs QQ on a QJ board. I came to rail my friend MrEnox just in time to see him win the mystery bounty for about $USD60k. Not bad when I had 5% action on that. Then I continued to maintain a 100% OTM (out of the money) record for the rest of the series whilst he was 100% ITM. Shoutout to BlueIce for beating the Pros as well. I like to think that I played a big part in these two Isaacs' careers. I was the one who encouraged Enox to play full time, and BlueIce would not have gotten the votes he needed without MPF! At this point I was stuck roughly 192k. 

Best ROI horse

On the last night before our flight home, instead of firing another bullet for a trip saver, I resigned to cutting my losses and spent my time preparing a special invitation for MPF. I finished the invitation and sent it to my high profile bosses and friends. The next morning as I was getting up to go to the airport, one of my bosses replied that Paul Phua is coming to Taipei. My first reaction was, ah too bad I am leaving today. As I continued to get ready to pack up, it suddenly dawned on me, why don't I extend my trip? So in a matter of 15 minutes we burned our return flights, decided to stay another 4 days.

The following day APT was still running, so I took another stab at the Closer event. Two bullets later I am now stuck 212k! Not sure if extending the trip was the best decision, the following night I went to visit the Dream Room, which coincidentally was in the same building as my Airbnb. I was touching distance away from Paul Phua, who's my poker inspiration for a while. Sabah gor as he is affectionately known as has a colorful past. I believe he is one of the few people who's life is more interesting than mine. When he was playing on PokerStars long ago, his nickname was "MalACEsia" (Malaysia). He since went on to create numerous poker companies, including the prestigious Triton Poker Series. In some ways we are quite similar, in terms of bankroll, then no. That night even though I didn't get to talk to him, I had a profit of about 60k. (balance -152k)

Mad respect for the man

The following day Enox calculated my 5% share, and it came to 138k, so out of the sudden, I am only stuck 14k for the trip! That night I crushed the TLT for a 190k profit to put me now in the black for 176k or so. Unfortunately though I did not get to see Paul that night but I did catch a very impressive lineup of who's who for the grand opening. Little did I know I had one more shot the next day. I took my photo with him, gave him our patch as a conversation starter, and it worked! He asked about it and we had a short but productive conversation. Now that the seed is sowed, I hope we can continue this conversation at a later date. Since I was there I saw a table opening so I jumped in not knowing it was a VIP invitational to play with Jungleman. It was pretty cool and I even hit my 5th career royal flush and beat Jungle on the very last hand of the day. I booked a small loss for this session though.

Second time meeting Jungle

At the end, I got a safe, happy AND profitable trip. You can technically argue that it was a 6 figure profit. As amused as I was with His sense of humor, the fact that I got to where I am was a culmination of a number of things that had to happen the way it did. From way back when I started poker, expanded my network, always making friends, got jobs in poker companies, built a bankroll to afford HR events, running deep in one of them, getting recognized enough to be invited to high stakes games, won on those to afford creating MPF, to bricking all at APT so I had enough time to write that invitation and send it, and be invited to meet Paul... I can't wait to see what will unfold in my very exciting journey in poker and in life!

Is Poker about SKILL or LUCK (tournaments)

Recently I saw a poker media company claiming to be an educational resource interview a bunch of people asking this question. Are poker tournaments about skill or luck? To my disappointment everyone answered LUCK. Yes indeed you have win your flips, key pots have to hold, and sometimes the occasional suck out will help you go deeper, but if you're like the people in the video that think that luck is more important, then maybe you're not doing the following things.

1. Playing the right ranges

Without someone telling you it's wrong, you might think you're playing the right ranges all along. "When Ï was short, I was waiting for a good hand and folded shit like A8s, KQo so when I finally got AA I had only 3bb left so I shove and bb called with me J9 and won. Hash tag run bad." Take 10 minutes to read some charts and you might be surprised what you should and shouldn't be playing. 

2. Defend your big blind well

You can play snug and choose your battles, but once every orbit you have to defend your big blind. Understanding which boards favor which player, which lines, defending what range vs the perceived range of the opener, these things will highly increase your odds of going deep. 

3. Bluff more

One of the most common complaints I hear in an MTT is "I don't have any good hands", "card dead"... Well if you are waiting for premium hands, hoping to be on the right side of coolers, then yes you will be sorely disappointed most of the time. Since most of the time stacks are relatively shorter than say a cash game, we are "scared" to bluff as a bad bluff might cost us. But we forget that "fear" or the same concerns are with your opponents too, as a bad call will cost them just the same. Fold equity is much higher in MTTs compared to a cash game. If you're not 3 bet bluffing, 4 bet bluffing, over bet bluffing, then you are not doing enough. 

4. Ready to catch bluffs

You will be put in many tough spots in the course of a tournament. If you a able to read ranges well, sense the type of player you're playing against, have a proper bankroll to make decisions more comfortably, then you're prepared to call off sometimes your tournament life with marginal hands. The biggest mistake I've seen players do is bluff catch on the turn but change their minds on the river. I am not saying once you call the turn bet you have to call the river bet as well, but if nothing major changes, what made your mind change? If you're not prepared to call off then why call on the turn too? 

For me to win this back then I definitely had some luck

5. Hero fold 

I know this sounds contradictory to the point above but it's spots like ability to fold jacks to a small blind cold 4 bet, 3 bet folding AK deep stacks to utg opener, folding AA on a 789 cold 3 bet multiway, folding QT on a QJTxx preflop aggressor triple barrel, etc. Poker is about relativity. In some spots you can call with king high but fold 3rd nuts in another. Knowing the difference is key. 

6. Thin value

If you are avoiding thin value because you fear getting raised off your hand, or you're thinking villain can't call you anyways, you might be missing out on precious blinds that might be the difference between surviving your future hands or player out. A few blinds here and there will compound in future pots, giving you more room to maneuver later stages, able to take a cooler or bad beat and still have chips to continue.  

7. Paying enough attention

I can grind cash games for 12-15 hours straight and not feel tired, but I am exhausted after a day of tournament poker because there is so much attention and focus needed. Paying attention to things like player conversations (for example, someone saying that this is their last bullet) or the clock (stone bubble, MP has 6bbs now but if you time it right, he will have only 3bb left when he's on the big blind) or if someone is tilting, tired, scared, over confident, under bluffing, over bluffing.... You are not playing your hand, you are playing against the players on your table. 

There are many more things but these are just the top few. If you really think poker is about luck then you're better off playing blackjack or baccarat. If you're already doing the above and still losing then you have earned the right to blame it on luck. Come play online on Natural8 with me or join our Malaysia Poker Federation discord here. 

CPG Sanya, Hainan China Report

When I embarked on my journey to play poker in as many countries as possible, I kept wondering when would I have the chance to play in China. When I heard there was going to be a CPG stop in Hainan I was intrigued. The last time I visited Hainan was in 2016, rented a scooter, had some yummy seafood and a great time. I was reluctant at first because August had been a mediocre month for me, and I really needed to grind some cash games if I wanted a productive month. But then I found a nice connection in Changsha and also needed to attend for business purposes so I went.

Why are dragon trophies the norm nowadays?

Sanya has changed a lot since I last visited 8 years ago. It is now a full blown tourist town. Food is nice if you know where to find it. I recommend the First Market for some very nice seafood at pretty good prices. I remember it wasn't as hot in June but this time in August it was scorching. Even at night you would sweat in the dark. So it wasn't as nice to explore during the day. We didn't even go to the beach or took a swim. 

Such a nice pool but never got to use it

China Poker Games (CPG) position themselves as a sports event organizer, and their tournaments are open for registration for sportsmen/women from all over. Therefore in order to participate you need to first download their app, create a membership account with real details, ID numbers, preregister and prepay for your planned events. Therefore you don't have the luxury of deciding on the day what to play, or walking to the counter to register. Transferring of prepaid tickets are allowed the first time, but the process is complex. Given the strict laws in China, it is understandable that they need these for the protection of the event and the players. 

I played in the main event only and it was quite fun. I can say that CPG does not skimp on quality. Everything is top notch. From the chips, to cards, to even the day 2 bags, they are all super high quality. The membership app, seating app, every table has two CCTVs, you can see the high cost of running their events. Then again, they do have a high rake and tax associated with them, although I am unsure how much it actually is. Pay outs are not immediate and will take some time to process, but it didn't affect me as I busted day 2 on the soft bubble. Prices of the tickets fluctuate if you don't prepay early enough and as I understand it, most local players earn them by playing online. 

Navigating my tight bankroll

Overall I had a nice time. Sanya is quite picturesque and the food is good. However I enjoyed my little stopover in Changsha more in spite of the scorching heat. (it was like 39-40 degrees) I do not recommend CPG for non-Chinese speaking players though. You would have a tough time if you didn't speak the language. They do have translators and staff that can help you, but you would find it less enjoyable. Going out, taking taxis, ordering food, you will have a rough time. For those who do go, you would need WeChat pay or AliPay. Without it life will be tough. 

Coconut chicken (so-so)

Goat hot pot (nice but expensive)

Seafood (cheap and good)

If you're like me, good food can solve anything, then I would say give CPG Sanya a go. I just wish the August weather was a bit cooler. But if you are considering it purely for poker, be prepared for a very different experience than most other series in Asia. If you're willing to have an open mind, try new things then the experience itself is worth it. 

My Limsanity Moment? Poker Dream 11, Genting Malaysia Report

I’m a big Jeremy Lin fan. Been following his career when he first burst into the scene down to his G-league years and later in China and Taiwan. Both him and I are pretty vocal Christians. I respect the ways he handles adversity, criticism, haters, challengers, and how he lets his faith guide him in not just being a basketball player but also as a human being. He is quick to stand up for the right things, but never condemning or out to hurt anybody. He is also generous in giving and helping others. He’s an inspiration for me to do the same, just in the poker industry. 

I’m writing this article at 1:31am on the 1st of August 2024. Poker Dream 11 starts later today and I have a feeling my time, my "Limsanity" moment is near. (Yes Jeremy and I have the same last name just spelled slightly differently) I wanted to write this before it happened instead of after to show you if I predicted it or not.

My life can be made into a very interesting and entertaining movie or Netflix series. From me battling gambling addiction since I was 15,  getting involved in some shady stuff, bouncing around in my poker career including living and playing in Vietnam and Cambodia, dealing with lots of personal issues, getting scammed, bullied and locked up… to changing my life completely, vowed to be honest, humble, kind, giving, loyal, caring, a selfless person, quit all forms of gambling, to make myself a person deserving of great things in life, all the while giving credit to God and counting His blessings. It has not been an easy journey as change does not come overnight, and till this day I’m still being tested, and sometimes I still fail, but every time I’ve come back a stronger, a better version of the person I was. But the blessings are there. I have the most amazing partner in life that brings me so much joy and comfort. I truly believe I’m one of the happiest people on earth. Recently I’ve done okay for myself financially too. I know this is just the start, and I want to inspire other people that you can be successful by being good, kind, some would even say soft and weak even dumb, often bullied, scolded, lied to, taken advantage of, face injustice, unfairness, judgement, but as long as you stay true to yourself and be the best you can be, be more concerned about making God happy than people, great things will happen for you.

Coming off a downswing in my cash game life, I’ve learn so much to continue to grow as a poker player. Since my last post on my losing run, I’ve won 1/10 small stakes sessions, 7/10 mid stakes (but only for a small profit) but thankfully 4/5 high stakes games. But I could have been at least 2000bb richer in the high stakes if I had left at the peak of those sessions, instead of losing TT vs 96, QQ vs 33 all in pre flop mind you for ridiculous size pots. So my point is, I shouldn’t be feeling super confident at the moment. But somehow, I am. All these years of hiding in mediocrity at least in tournaments, I feel my breakthrough is just around the corner. I’ll stop writing here and if my feelings were right, I’ll share with you what happened below. 

I prayed for a trophy, but wasn't specific enough!

Now it's the 13th of August. Poker Dream 11 is over, well, things were a little insane for a while. From my experience, God has a great sense of humor. I prayed for a trophy but next time I will be more specific! 😂I did win a trophy and had a pretty cool moment on stage, but, it was an invitational event, even though there were some money up top. I felt bad for some of my table mates that finished 3rd and 4th (long story) so I gave them 10% each of my prize, including the 2nd place finisher. I was in the top 4 of the Big Mystery Bounty event and chopped the prize 4 ways. After the ICM chop the immediate next hand I lost a 3 way all in pot with AA vs JT vs Q2. Was close to winning a proper trophy but it was not to be. Had a third final table in the Big-O event but bricked all my later events. I could feel my mental stamina was not as it used to be and made some pretty bad mistakes later in the series. I ended the series with a modest profit, and congratulations to my friends who did exceptionally well this series. To those who didn't, gambate and keep grinding!

Real people are hard to find

Maybe my time is not here yet and my biggest takeaway was to be humble and keep working hard. This trip there were other positives such as meeting potential future business partners, stakers, students, life long friends. The most touching moment was how my core MPF boys stood by me, and to see how the community we have built have grown. Our community was built with time, care, sacrifice, and not benefits, marketing or giveaways. So what I got in return was friendship, respect, loyalty. Thanks guys, you know who you are. I have come to another crossroad in my career, and I have some interesting plans ahead. Stick around to follow me on my journey! 

I don't want a lucky break, I want deserved success