31 days, 27 sessions - August Report

I know August is not officially over yet but I think I am gonna take a break tonight so I'm calling it a month. July was a huge month for me so August had a tough act to follow. It started out great and within the first 3 sessions I was already close to my monthly profit target. Then it see-sawed back and forth to end the month at almost the same point. I experienced my biggest losing session of my career, down 600bb in just 5 hours or so along with some interesting events.

Don't be shocked. The pink stack was not mine. I borrowed from the guy next to me

Overall this month I played in 27 sessions and was personally up about 1000bb of my average stake game. It works out to be a decent 6bb per hour. 6bb/hour is not a great hourly rate but because I'm playing at a higher stake, the bottom line is not too shabby. But after deducting action sold and bought, ended up with a profit of just shy of 500bb. Considering I had one session that I lost 600bb, and my daily expenses here costs only about 3bb, it's a good result. I also squeezed in a holiday to Bangkok in between, so it's been a decent month. Sorry for being vague about the numbers but I also want to be transparent about my journey for those interested in pursuing their poker dreams too.

I had a few interesting "incidents" this month as well. There was a guy that owed me money and I think blocked my WhatsApp. I managed to find his wife and got him in trouble with her. He immediately messaged me asking me to cover for him. I told her it was a prank and he paid me back the next day and even thanked me for it. Don't mess with me man. Haha

There's a company across from my room and every morning at 8:40am there's a shift change and they are super noisy when they are waiting for their 9am shift. I was so pissed one morning I ran out there and into the office telling the boss to control his staff. It worked at least for the next few days. :)

Found time to take a river cruise with some friends

Another interesting story. There's a poker room in town that offers free food vouchers for play. I had two that expired. Granted I was naughty to change the dates and tried to use them but I was pretty upset that the F&B supervisor wanted to take further action. For all the rake I have generated for them, the positive reviews and support, and just being like the regular joker always friendly with everybody, they want to be petty about $20? He may have saved them $20 but he just cost the company a lot of money. I haven't been there ever since. Haha.

I have a backer that trusts and supports my game. But recently he has not been able to be present at the game. I had one session I was grinding hard and ended up winning a lot for the both of us. Then greed poked it's head and had a small voice in my head. "Why not just tell him you won less than that. You worked so hard for this profit." I am not a saint and I am human, but I am learning to be a better version of myself. Though tempting, I insisted on reporting accurate results to him all the time. I would be a hypocrite if I did otherwise. All my posts about being ethical, being a better person, blah blah. I hope I will be rewarded for my honesty.

Let's lose some weight

Also I started to do something about my weight. Just today I joined a Futsal game and I was seriously out of breath. At one point I was worried I was going to collapse and get a heart attack. I have not played regularly for maybe 8 years and I am seriously out of shape. But hopefully I can join them every week and rebuild my stamina and shed some pounds.

Finally I am planning to start a small business soon. It is very exciting times but I am quite lazy and a procrastinator. Right now I need a local graphic designer that speaks good English. If you know anyone who might suit, please let me know. And also please follow me on my Facebook page if you haven't. I will post regular updates there about my story.

What In The World Is Happening?

I deviate from poker and want to talk about other things. When I started this blog I wanted to inspire other poker players like myself to pursue their dreams. Since then I have found a higher purpose which is to inspire all to be better versions of ourselves. Be ethical, considerate, helpful and caring, doing what we can to help those in need. Sometimes we think we can't do much, so we end up not doing anything. But I want to tell you, it's time we do something, anything.

Amazon is on fire

Global warming is real

So much has happened in August. Amazon is on fire, the arctic is melting at the highest rate ever, protests in Hong Kong, two mass shootings in the US in the space of 24 hours.....

Once considered one of the safest places to visit - Hong Kong

Innocents killed over nothing

I saw a few of my closest friends donate and urging others to donate to the Amazon situation, which is great. But at the end of the day, if we don't address the root of the issue, these things will never end. I believe the root is "selfishness". The Amazon is on fire and every year Indonesian forests go up in flames because of lazy farmers that light up their fields to save time from clearing it for the next season. Local authorities and governments do not do anything about it because they are profiting from it. Global warming is caused by a lot of factors, including deforestation, eating habits, our over dependency on fossil fuels, etc motivated by profits, self comforts and convenience. Hong Kong clashes will never be over because each faction cares too much about their own stances to back down. Protestors wanting democracy, politicians want to keep their jobs, police wanting a break, businesses wanting their livelihoods back. White supremacy, racism are also prime examples of putting oneself ahead of others.

Maybe you might say I don't do any of those. But we might all be guilty of being "selfish" in a more subtle way. Do you give your seat to the elderly on the train? Do you let people out of the elevator before entering? Do you queue? Do you pay back your creditors? Do you litter? Do you smoke in public spaces? Do you say please and thank you? Do you use headphones when listening to something in a public place? Do you attempt to reduce your carbon footprint? Do you press both buttons on the elevator despite going only one direction? Do you hold the door open for the next person?

Two days ago I helped a new friend move apartments. But I felt kinda sad because after being here for 1.5 years, the only friend that helped him move was someone he met just 3 weeks ago. If only everyone was just a little bit caring, giving, helpful, considerate and selfless. If everyone was nicer to everyone else then maybe people will change. Giving to charity is great, but there are so many things we can do. Smile more, compliment people, be friendly, hold the door after you've opened it, let others walk through it first, say please thank you and sorry more often, keep some plants in your home to produce oxygen, use less plastics, recycle, pick up trash when you visit the beach, put down your phone and talk with the people around you, visit a poor country, do some volunteering, do something for others without expecting anything in return..... Try it. Trust me, it is more rewarding that you would think.

Hope you're inspired. Share this with someone else if you are.

83 sessions in 81 consecutive days - RECAP

As some of you know, I was grinding tournaments full time up to May 2019. Although I did okay, I did not have great momentum. The cost of travelling and falling short at key moments was like one step forward two steps back. But I was pretty happy I almost mirrored my 2018 success in just 5 months.

My dream is to have a roll like a drug dealer LOL

After deciding to play cash game full time, I have played 83 sessions since May 23rd. I went from grinding USD 2/5 to now comfortably playing USD 10/20 and I couldn't be happier with my decision. During this time I have made quite a few friends some of which has taught me so much about my game and from experience I have learned so much about other aspects in life that has made me a much stronger person. I am quite surprised at my stamina but also passion for the game. I thought I would be sick of the game by now but to my surprise I look forward to the next game every day. Of course winning consistently does make it more fun. Some people ask how do I do it, one thing I realised is I socialise on the table and make jokes. Sooner or later you'll either make some cool friends or find some crazy comedians that will keep you entertained for hours. If not, I will entertain myself. For example, I occasionally play at a Chinese private game. As a show of respect, the hosts and dealers will call your name with title at the end like 总(chairman) 董(director) or 哥(big brother). For some reason they think my name is Lee 李 and I have never bothered to correct them. Sometimes I don't realise they are talking to me because they call me by this name. On one occasion, there was a guy called 胡哥(hu ge) and me 李哥(li ge) and 发哥(fa ge). I just kept laughing because it sounded like Hooker, Licker and Fu....

In the last few months I have grown to appreciate Cambodia and it's people. It is actually a very beautiful country and I have a great view of the city from my room. Apart from the small number of lazy tuk-tuk drivers camped outside my apartment trying to scam the lazy Chinese who can't be bothered to use an App or haggle, most Cambodians are down to earth, hardworking, humble people. It's a stark contrast with their closest neighbours. I've also found a great charity that I can partner with. It was much easier to donate when I wasn't making a lot but when I had a big month it was really a test of faith. But seeing CCF's mission and their success really made it easier because I know the money will be well spent on changing lives.

After 81 days I finally took a break from poker and went for a visa run/vacation to Bangkok. Games are still pretty good in Cambodia at the moment so I rather come back and grind as soon as possible, so Bangkok was the quickest and closest choice. It felt weird not playing any poker at all, but I think my mind needed a break too.

My favourite oyster omelette place in Bangkok

Beautiful sunset in Bangkok

One downside to playing full time is I have gained quite some weight now with late night heavy foods and celebratory meals and snacks after winning sessions. So for the next few months I hope to do some regular exercise, cut down on late night munchies and hopefully lose some weight. I will update you guys on this as well. PS: I have a page on Facebook (www.facebook.com/happyriverpoker) Please follow if you want to be updated everytime I post a new blog post. I will also post random pictures there from time to time.

River King One-Pub - REVIEW

It's been a while since I last written a poker room review. But something sparked me to write this. Over the next few weeks I will review the poker clubs in Phnom Penh with my honest take on them. Disclaimer: these are my personal experiences and others may have different experiences themselves. Do feel free to check the clubs out yourself and see if it fits what you're looking for.

First of all, do not confuse the River King Poker Club with the River King One-Pub. Before coming to Phnom Penh, for many years my friend has recommended the River King club but when I got here, there was a big change and River King was no more, and the River King One-Pub was born. (although today they are operating as River King) I am not going to delve into the politics behind and how they came into business, but it is an interesting side story if you have the time.

I've been to the One-Pub so let's start with the positives. It is right above a cafe, pretty obscure so it does feel private and secure. They serve free food from their menu, free drinks. They have low rake (but I never asked how much it was) and they have lots of bonuses. High hand bonuses paid to the top 3 hands paid out 3 times a day, a bad beat jackpot now at about 15k, a rakeback if you play enough hours and they recently offered a monthly rakeback race where the top grinders will get a cash prize at the end of the month. When I was there they were running two tables, and games usually start at around noon. The player pool has more Khmer players than other rooms, and typically softer as well. They are the only club that regularly runs PLO games if you are into PLO.

The game I went to was the 5/5 PLO with a couple of locals and couple of Japanese guys. Action was okay but then we switched to Holdem and it was not a great game. Closer to the end a drunk middle eastern guy sat down and it got a bit interesting until he won a big pot and broke the table. Overall my first impressions of the place is a bit dated, reminded me of the Metro Card Club in Manila. Maybe they have improved since then I don't know. The dealers were fast but a bit unfriendly. The 1/3 game had many short stacks but I have heard sometimes there are deep stack 1/3 games that can be very juicy. I guess it is just luck which day you show up at.

But what really rubbed me the wrong way was how they did their marketing. Every day I would be spammed with so many messages from 3 different chats on WhatsApp and 2 on Messenger. Furthermore the message is always the same copy and paste, big fish big action blah blah. I personally prefer the undersell, over perform approach but they obviously don't. Also their mode of marketing is sending negative messages about other rooms instead of highlighting their own positives. I think that is unethical and unprofessional. But still that may just be my own principles. Some people don't care that much if there's a good game. I was seriously considering another visit when my conversation with their marketing manager took a negative turn when he said "You think we need you?"

I wonder if they are rude to everybody

I continued to have a 30 minute conversation with Tony (marketing manager) but I won't bore you with the details. But one funny conversation was about the legality of the game. Tony neither admitted or denied the place is illegal. His only defence was if they can run the game for 7 years, it must be legal/safe. My argument was I have not died in so many years, does that mean I will never die?  The truth is, private poker clubs are not legal in Cambodia, so visit at your own risk. However River King advertises themselves publicly, on Facebook, even on Google Maps. I am sure they must be well-connected to be this open, and might not fear the police, but they are also at risk from robbers or curious journalists. (similar thing happened to a poker room in Hong Kong in 2017 where a journalist infiltrated the room, took hidden videos and wrote a full blown article about it)

Overall I personally would not recommend this place. There are games juicier and softer than here, however their rake, bonuses and rakeback is still the best in town. But it is still worth checking out at least once. Maybe poke at the marketing manager on Messenger and see if he is rude to you as well. Finally, please play at your own risk.

31 Days, 39 Sessions - July Report

July was a crazy month with lots of firsts. I played 39 sessions in 31 days, only taking one day off completely without poker. I played in the highest stake of my life. Won the biggest session of my career. Saw the biggest cash game pot ever with my own eyes.

I am pretty proud of myself to have the stamina and passion to play so many sessions in this period. I am also very happy I can now comfortably move up stakes and make more money doing the same amount of work. However I am also very aware that I am not playing my best game in the higher stakes but I hope to grind it out and continually adjust. Eventually if I can run my bankroll up I will be more comfortable and be able to pick the right spots.

Let it grow, let it grow, can't hold it back anymore...

Surprisingly though my win-rate was not as high as I thought. I won 20 sessions and lost 19 sessions. Unlike previous months I had a much higher win/loss ratio but one thing I improved on was keeping losing session amounts low and winning session amounts high. A lot of it also had to do with great timing (by chance) and also running good at key games. Twice I had quads this month and I got paid big both times.

Enough about poker. Keeping to my word, I eventually found a good charity that I can get on board with. Cambodia Children's Fund is a well respected, transparent NGO that has done great things to help the needy. They provide housing, health care, child care, education, food and security for hundreds of kids at a time. They celebrated their 15th anniversary this year with their first cohort graduating from University after they were rescued from the dump sites of Phnom Penh while they were little kids.

The kids were laughing and having a great time going to school

I had the opportunity to visit a few of their facilities and I am amazed how far they have come. Kids not only have a safe environment to study and play, but they also have access to opportunities they would never have dreamed of. A few of them received scholarships to study overseas, participate in international events, learn skills that can set them up for life. Some facilities are better than the public schools in the region. The kids were really friendly and cute. I didn't want to take their photos because I wasn't sure of the culture here. But they would come up and say hi, wave or smile. Without NGOs like CCF, they would have been vulnerable to physical and sexual abuse, left alone uneducated, having to work to support the family, some kidnapped or sold off by human traffickers, some will starve or die from sickness.

Scott Neeson the founder was a Hollywood marketing executive but when he came to Cambodia he was moved by what he saw and founded CCF to make a difference. He was travelling between Hollywood and Cambodia at the time trying to make both work. One time he arrived in Phnom Penh and was brought to see three kids suffering from typhoid. He did what he could but they did not make it. Almost at the same time, he got a call from an unnamed Hollywood actor complaining about how he's suffering because the Xbox on the private jet was not the correct version and he couldn't play his games. Scott then quit his job and focused on CCF full time. That story almost brought me to tears.

Clinic, maternal care, nursery, dental care, food canteen, school, housing, you name it.

Anyway, my donation is a small amount compared to the support they get from all over the world, but I am proud to have contributed to this meaningful organization and cause. Hopefully in the coming months I will continue to do well and be able to support CCF even more.