Looking back at 2021

Every December I would review my year and every January set my resolutions for the year. 2021 was probably the most "blah" year of my life. But I know many people are in worse shape than I am so I am not complaining. Let's review based on my resolutions set for the year.

1) Improve my poker skills. 
I barely played any poker in 2021 compared to recent years but when I did I felt that I did play better than before. I did study some and my ranges have definitely improved. This year however I only managed two tournament cashes which at the end did not even update on Hendon so my Hendon Mob 8 year streak has come to a sad end. 

2) Be healthier.
I was doing well early in the year until I couldn't play football anymore and stayed home for months. But recently I have started a new diet of one meal a day and almost zero carbs. So far I am surprised I can stick to it as I love to eat. Let's see how long I can keep this going. 

3) Give 10% of my income.
Well I didn't really have any "income" per se in 2021 so I didn't really do much on this end. I did try my best to help out some friends at their time of need but not much else. However I offered my time and care to anyone I felt that needed it. Some of them I didn't know well but kind words from even a random "stranger" can sometimes make a difference. 

4) Look for a new project to work on
I had many ideas for 2021 but Covid restrictions really dashed most of them. It was really at my colonoscopy appointment I suddenly had the urge to look into Crypto again and since then it has just taken off. The height of it was in May 11th and since it has not returned to those levels yet but I believe it is just a matter of time. I think my strategy was somewhat flawed without taking profits up but still on paper it was a pretty good year. 

As "blah" as the year was, I did spend a month in Spain and two weeks in Czech so it was still an interesting end to the year. I hope 2022 will be a much better year. 

Segovia, Spain

Rozvadov, Czech

Seville, Spain

Being a Christian Poker Player

By now most of you should know that I am a Christian. I always thank God for everything, I give 10% of my profits to charity or people in need, I do not join in the after poker excursions during live events (except the one organised by the tournament organiser), most already know not to invite me to drinks, girly bars, etc as they know I always say no. But for a long time I struggled about revealing my beliefs because in my culture, many still associate poker with gambling, or it carries a negative connotation. 

Poker in Prague

There is indeed gambling in poker. Sometimes there are spots that you have to take that are just barely +EV. But isn't there gamble in everything? A quarterback throws a hail Mary pass, a basketball player takes a 3 pointer instead of a closer bucket, taking the COVID vaccine or not, going out during the pandemic, driving, walking up the stairs, allowing ourselves to fall in love.... there's an element of risk in any decision we make. The best thing we can do is to weigh the risks and rewards and make the best decision we can. 

Being a Christian poker player doesn't mean God will help me win. I remember when I was little, there was a boxing match between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield. During their pre fight interviews, Tyson said, God will help me win. Holyfield also said God will help me win. I remember thinking, who is God going to help? Did the winner win because God loved him more? Or because he prayed more? A farmer prays for rain, a fisherman prays for sunshine, who does God listen to? If he sides with one does it mean he doesn't love the other guy?

Being a Christian poker player means that I can share my "work" with God. I tell Him my struggles, my stresses, and to be honest I almost never pray to win. I pray to play the best I can and have fun in the process. I know some of you are going to ask, then why do you still give thanks when you do win? 

I have not had a boss since 2018. I have flexible hours. I can choose where I want to work, for how long, and when I want to stop. My "job" is to play a game and talk to other players. I have a great partner who not only understands what I do, but supports me even when I am losing. I have so many things to be thankful for. Even when I lose, I still have the best job of my life. Just a bad day at the office. 

I know there are many other players who are Christians. They may not be as obvious as I am, but I hope this blog can encourage them. If we feel ashamed to tell people we are Christian poker players, then maybe we shouldn't play poker anymore. But I believe, whatever we do, we do the best we can, we do it with integrity, with respect, with honour, with class, and we can still make God proud of us. We can inspire others, help others, be kind to others, care for others within our industry. 

Merry Christmas guys

Whatever it is, I feel that I am usually the happiest guy among my peers. You always see me smiling and making jokes. Knowing that it is a blessing that I have this life, win or lose becomes secondary because I appreciate how fortunate I am compared to many other people. 

So far in my poker "career" I have had some mediocre results at best. I can still turn a decent profit from cash games, but I haven't had any significant scores in tournaments. But that's okay. When it is my time, it will be my time. But in the meantime, I hope people sense a difference in me, I am not like other people, I can mingle with poker players but yet be God fearing. My "job" is to take as much money from other players as I can, but I can still be generous in helping others and giving back. I take bad beats like a champ, I never throw a tantrum on the table, nor yell at other players or dealers, always leave the table gracefully and wishing everyone the best. Maybe one day God will allow my career to shine. But even if He doesn't, I am thankful I can be a Christian and a poker player at the same time. 

WSOP Europe Adventure DAY 4

I thought it snowed yesterday, but today it really snowed. By the time I got back to the hotel there was a good 4 inches of snow. Today I played in the €1650 Six-max event. Six max is probably the hardest format in my opinion because you are forced to play a wider range, defend wider and call or value more marginal hands. Things was looking great when I was seated at a table that looked full of recreation players. I played one hand and was then moved to another table of 5 tough looking regs. I don't want to bore you with my sob stories so I'll just summarise what happened. Starting stack 40k. 

I will forever remember this day

Bullet 1:

Flop A69, I have 69, villain has 99. He had 12k only with lots of dead money. 
Board was Q93dd, turn Kd, river 8. I had KK, villain had JT, I lost 20k+ in this pot.
Flop was KJ7r, I have AK and 10k left, villain J7. Turn 7. 

Bullet 2:

Flop was K73ss, turn Q, river 5. I open with KQ, villain 3b, cbet, check turn, raise river. Didn't put 55 or 64 in his 3 bet range

I have TT I open on button, chip leader overjams I call. He shows K8cc. Flop AJJcc, turn 9c, river 4d.

If I won I would have 40bb+

Bullet 3:

Flop AKTcc, turn 3c. villain lead jams 50k into 12k pot. I have AT, he has KK.

Jumped into €5/5 PLO:

Flop was T92hh. I have J876hh. Villain had KKQ2hh. Sure him having hearts isn't great for me, but run twice lose both times.

Saw Elky Grospellier

After a day of heavy snow

You can see my footprints next to my car

Thank you for following me on this journey but unfortunately my 2021 WSOPE bracelet dream has come to an end. Because of some restrictions and low turnouts meant the field this year wasn't that great. There isn't a bracelet event I am keen on playing anymore and today was so sick I have lost my desire to play at least for now. If weather permits I might take a couple days off visiting nearby towns and then heading back to Prague for some cash games there before returning home. 

In total my poker result for this trip is -€10601. Believe me, I will be gunning for another bracelet in the future. But the hot desert of Vegas doesn't sound as bad after the freezing cold Rozvadov. 

WSOP Europe Adventure DAY 3

Woke up and enjoyed the same breakfast, but it dawned on me, this is the same thing I am going to eat everyday for the next eleven days. By the end of this trip I might have egg phobia. But so far I am still enjoying it. Went to the casino at 10:30am and theres a huge queue for the €1100 Bounty Tournament. Turns out it's a turbo format 20 minute blinds and it goes up pretty fast. At the end there were 604 runners creating a €392k prize pool. 

Winter Wonderland

She even made a different design today

I was doing well in the early levels, taking down pots and maintaining an above average stack but by level 10 the average was about 35-40bb and I had a 20bb stack. 11bb short stack jams and I needed the chips and wanted to get a bounty too so I called with 88. He showed 99. I was 9bb deep but before the big blind reached me blinds went up and I was 7bb deep. UTG I look down at T9o, the best hand I've seen the whole orbit. I thought I rather jam here than having to commit 2bb next hand and probably call off something much worse. Everyone folded until small blind (the guy who won with 99) he rejams with Q3 and big blind calls with 77. My hand was pretty live here. 

Almost full room

Flop came AA9, I was actually in the lead. Turn 8, river Q. I was out of the tournament and with only 1 level left for reentering, I didn't really feel like spending another €1100 for 12bbs I went to play some cash. I already gotten a seat on a juicy looking €5/5 PLO game, but someone snatched it before I could. I walked around and spotted another decent table so I sat down. It was a good table cause there was a lady that didn't really know how to play. I had aces, nut flush draw, nut gutshot and Q on the board. She had one pair of 6s and a backdoor flush draw. Well you know the drill. She got there. A few hands later she got me again. Soon I was down €2100 for the day. 

€1500 meal

I took a break, went to have dinner and was considering if I wanted to take a break and go for some sightseeing. I checked the schedule and I had 2 "free days" on the 1st and 2nd of December and at the time it was 3:30pm, and the sun sets at 4:15pm. Not sure if I wanted to drive to an unknown city in the dark. I decided to jump back into playing. Grinded until 9pm only to claw back about €600+. Overall I was stuck another €1488 making my result so far -€4363. 

It's peaceful here

Taking another shot to get here

Tomorrow's event is a €1650 Six max event. I think my play suits a shorter table and most recs do not adjust their ranges enough to play this format. However if I do not cash this event I would be €6k in the hole on day 4. So I wasn't sure if I wanted to take this shot. But I told myself I came here to take a shot at a WSOPE cash and maybe more so I decided that I will play this event. 

Wish me luck and hopefully I will have better news to report tomorrow. 

WSOP Europe Adventure DAY 2

Today was a cold cold day, and it was very cold on the table too. But more about that later. My hotel owner made me a nice breakfast before I headed out to the nearest supermarket for some water and snacks. Then it started to snow. I thought since it would be my first time driving in the snow, and the visibility was pretty poor it probably wasn't the best time to go exploring. So I went back to the hotel, took a nap and headed out to the casino at 1pm.

Beautiful organic eggs. You can taste the difference

Morning

Night

There was a €2500 Shortdeck event. I love the game but didn't think I had any edge against the field. Even though at one time it looked like it might have some decent overlay. At the end it surpassed the €200k guarantee. Then there was the €500 Main Event satellite but it pays the top 5% of the field and I wasn't keen on a turbo. By level two the average stack is 50bb and it goes up pretty fast. So I jumped into the €5/10 cash game. 

Roller coaster day

Full disclosure on Day 1 I won €3000+ on €5/10. Not so smooth today. I don't think I made many mistakes, maybe one bluff that was a bit ambitious but others I felt I played okay. It was a roller coaster ride as very quickly I was stuck €4000. These are some of the key hands.

QQ had to fold to a check raise on river
JJ ran into AA short stack

And this was the biggest one for €5000 pot. Preflop I was MP raised to €30 with J9cc. Two players called and HJ makes it €135. Button calls, BB calls and comes to me. I felt that with the money in the pot, €135 seemed on the small side considering there's so also two limpers in between. J9 can be a good 4 bet hand as I was the first opener and I can legitimately have a premium hand whereas no one else seem to be in that range. For a while I did consider a 4 bet to maybe €650 or so. But with a drawy hand and good pot odds I chose to flat instead. The other two complete as well as we go to the flop with the pot now at €815. Flop came 997dd. Everyone checks including the 3 bettor but instead button leads out €300. BB now raises to €1000. I have €1750 behind and flatting seems too strong so I elected to jam instead. Button tank folds saying he had Axdd and BB calls and shows 77. I did not put him on a made fullhouse at all. Turn and river brick twice. 

Had a nice healthy dinner, greens more than meat

I then bought in €2000 more and manage to grind my stack back up to €5200 or so and was feeling good and went to have some dinner. I came back to the table intending to play a little while longer and take a €800 loss for the day. On the 2nd hand I came back to the table, I had KK and lost a pot to QQ. Then a combo draw missed, AK < AJ, AK two pair < JT flush draw, 65hh on J74Qhh board missed, etc. Ended up losing about €6000 for the day. In hindsight I should have left during dinner but the problem is there is nothing else to do. And I didn't want to switch tables and look like a little pussy. 

Anyway I am stuck now €2875 for the trip. That's not the end of the world but a great start wiped and I haven't even played a single tournament yet. Tomorrow is the €1100 KO bounty so maybe there's redemption at hand. Wish me luck and here's some more photos I took of my first experience of proper snow. 

Risking my life again for this picture

King's Casino exterior

Degen car owners parked all day in the snow

WSOP Europe Adventure DAY 1

I literally just returned from a one month travel/poker trip to Spain. But after watching so many WSOP videos and seeing some friends having huge successes I was tempted to jump into the next available tourney. The only one that caught my eye was WSOP Europe in Rozvadov. It had already started but I can still make some juicy events and hopefully abundant cash games if I hurry. 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

That was 5 days ago. Now I am in snowy Czech Republic where the temperatures are between -3 to 2 degrees. Landed in Prague, grabbed a rental car and drove almost 2 hours to Rozvadov. One of the reasons I jumped onto this opportunity was I found a cute little hotel just 10 minutes drive away from the casino. The whole town seemed fully booked but I was fortunate to find a hotel that had great rating and the closest to the casino. If you don't know Rozvadov, it is literally in the middle of nowhere. It is just strategically placed next to the German border to attract players to come. 

Risking my life for this photo

My companion for the next 2 weeks

Cozy little room for €38 per night

Small hotel run by a family

Checked into my hotel at 1pm, initially there was a 1G flight for the €1million guarantee Colossus but it was canceled. The last flight started at 10am and late reg closes at 4pm. But as super tired as I was I thought to take a nap before going. I left for the casino at around 3pm still sleepy only to get there to see that the registration had closed. They capped the last flight at 1000 runners and apparently that filled up before 2pm. Disappointed I jumped into a €5/10 cash game but ran good to take down a decent profit. I will do a full breakdown at the end of the trip but so far happy to start with a bang. 

Gotta love the WSOP atmosphere

Middle of my session

Will be chasing for one of these 

To enter King's Casino you have to pay a €10 entry but that includes a free buffet. The buffet wasn't bad and it sorts out one meal for the day not having to run around in the cold looking for food. Nearby there's a legitimate Thai massage still pretty expensive for me but comparatively reasonable for European standards. Tomorrow's schedule looks a bit bleak with a €2500 shortdeck event and a €500 Main event satellite. Don't think shortdeck is my game but might be tempted if the field looks okay. Otherwise might do some driving around and play some cash games or the satty. 

Plate number one at the €10 buffet

How I won a FREE trip to Spain

I haven’t had any income since November 2020 but haven’t traveled since February 2020 so when I decided to take a month long trip to Spain, it was quite important to me to try to win from tournaments and cash games while I was there to at least cover part of my costs. Europe isn’t cheap and the costs quickly racked up as I traveled to 7 different cities and not all of them had a poker game. But here’s the final breakdown of my entire trip’s finances.

31 nights hotel (most of them 4 stars)	-€3161.38
Transportation (Flights, trains, buses, taxis, metro)	-€1909.17
Food, Shopping, Souvenirs, Entertainment	-€1311.70
Misc (PCR tests, Sim cards, etc)	-€245.25
Tournament Net result (4 tourneys 2 cashes)	-€280.00
Cash Game Net result (Played 16 days, W14L2)	+€11083.50
Net Total Profit/Loss of the whole trip	+€4176.00
7 cities, 32 days, first trip in almost 2 years	PRICELESS

To be honest I would have been happy with a reasonable cost for the trip but to my pleasant surprise, I made a decent profit also. Most of my cash games were played in Madrid with a few sessions in Valencia. I will do a proper review of each of the locations in separate posts for those interesting in visiting. Madrid offered bigger games but they were much tougher. The table usually consists of 6-7 deep stacked young GTO pros who had no fear. Then there was one fateful day where I was down €2000 on the easier €2/5 game. Before starting the day I was up about €4200 from cash games and one good session I would have broken even for the trip. But suddenly I lost half of my total profit and had only €2800 cash on me. Sure I could sell some of my crypto or use the ATM machine but I really didn’t want to unless I had to, so when I sat down on the €5/10/20 game with €2000 it felt like a big gamble. 

I guess I have to go back to Europe again

I was already super tilted losing hand after hand getting in good on €2/5. Top set vs flush draw, top two vs flush draw, bottom two vs flush draw all these hands were all in on the flop. So when I sat in the big game I knew one big mistake or bad beat I am left with €800 and only 2 more days to chase.

First hand I had A8 off suit I had posted the blind so I completed. Goes to the small blind tough young pro raised to €70 I defend. Flop is AT2r. He cbets €60 I call. Turn 8d. I must give you some context. I just moved tables, they were changing my money for me, and in Madrid, they play anticlockwise. I made a mistake and thought it was my turn and I checked oop planning on check raising. I forgot I was actually in position. He bet €175 I raised to €400 and he snap folded. I tried to apologise with my limited Spanish that I made a mistake and wasn’t angling him. Not sure if he believed me because he started to target my every big blind after that. 

A few hands later I was in the straddle with 82ss. The only fish on the table one passive uncle opens to €60, a few others called, I completed only €40 more. Flop was QT8 one spade. I had bottom pair and a dream I called his cbet. Turn was 7s improving me to a flush draw he bets pretty strong I called. River was As. I bet slightly over pot €550 and he called pretty quickly. Dang I could have bet more I think.

A glimpse of the Gran Via Casino Poker Room

A couple of hands later I was in mid position with A6cc I opened and the second weakest player on the table called. Flop was K66 one club. I cbet he called. Turn was Jc. At this moment I had a very familiar dejavu feeling that I was going to run super good. My dejavu moments are usually much clearer like I would remember very detailed stuff but this time it was more like a familiar feeling I have dreamt before. I checked the turn he checked. River was a blank I over bet pot €200 he tank called.

I was up €1400 in this game by now and feeling much better. So I opened 24dd in the cutoff when folded to me. The aggressive guy defended his small blind and uncle called in the big. Flop was 289dd. Bottom pair and flush draw I decided to cbet. Aggro kid called. Turn was Kd completing my flush and he leads for €300. I decided to trap I called. River unfortunately was another diamond J. And now he leads for €550. In hindsight he doesn’t have many bluffs but because he was so aggressive against me I thought he might. I called and he shows QJ offsuit but one diamond. I said to myself, I guess my dejavu feeling was wrong then. 

At this point I was only left with €300 profit in this game but after a few hands, 99 hit quads, QQ held, straight against uncle I was back up to around €1000 profit. After that hand the uncle left and it seem the game wasn’t worth playing anymore. Couple of pros decided to leave but then two players walked in. One was a rich uncle who wasn’t a strong player. The other player took out a €10000 plaque and suddenly the game became interesting. 

The €10k guy who we will name Mr. 10k from now on was very aggressive. Basically trying to push everyone out of the pot with his chips. I had one hand I defended with A4o. Flop was ace high. He cbet flop and bet very big on turn and I folded. My profit dwindled to now only €400 but I said to myself. Do not play scared. Just play your best and go with your gut. Then came this very important turning point.

I was card dead for a while then I’m in the straddle position with J7hh. Mr. 10k opens to €70 on the sb, in position and haven’t played a hand in a while I defended. Flop was AJ4r. He cbets €70 I call. Turn was a 2. He bets €200 I called thinking he should shut down on river if he doesn’t have an ace. River was a T and he bets €500. Now I lose to KQ and he can value bet a good Ace. The problem is if I made a bad call, I would be stuck €900 or so and would be much harder to come back. But I tanked for a few minutes and made the call. He insta mucked, I showed him I called with second pair in hopes he would not push me around in later hands.

With that call I am now up about €800. A few hands later I had 89ss I opened but got 3bet by the new rich uncle. His stack was €2000. I called oop. Flop was A75 all spades! He cbets I checked raised and to my surprise he reraises. At this point I felt if I reraised again it would look super strong and not wanting to see another spade I thought maybe I pot control and jam a safer turn. So I just called. Turn was a blank and after my line, leading turn feels weird and I can always lead river to represent a missed draw. I checked and to my surprise he bets big committing himself so I jammed and he snaps it off. For a split second I was concerned he might have a higher flush but if so it’s a cooler. River was another blank and I showed my hand. He looks at his hand for a long time without any saying anything and stared at the board. Finally 30 seconds later he mucks. Now I am up almost €3000. That means I have recovered my €2k loss and now up €1k for the day. But I hate people who hit and run and I wasn’t going to be that kind of guy so I played on. 

Only casino I've seen that has €50 and €250 chips

Uncle reloads for another €2k and exactly one orbit later I have 79hh this time. By now we were 5 handed. I open and uncle called in position. Flop comes 763dd I cbet uncle calls. Turn 9 I bet again and to my surprise uncle raised. For some reason I felt that he was super strong so I just flat. River was another 9 and now I have the nuts. Uncle had about €1500 left and I think in order to get it all I have to check raise. Checking with the nuts on the river is not an easy thing to do but can be a super profitable play. He did not disappoint because he overbets the pot to the tune of €500. I tanked then shoved. To his credit he tanked a while before calling with his 85 straight. Such a cooler. 

Now I am up almost €5k I didn’t want them to think I was locking down. I played a few small pots most of them going my way to run my profit to close to €6k. Mr. 10k is now opening €100 instead of the usual €60-70. This time he opens on the button. I am on the sb with two black Aces! I didn’t want to bloat the pot as he was €7500 deep and has no fear. I just flatted and uncle flats. Flop is A69cc. We checked and Mr. 10k cbets €250. I was happy to take down the pot so I checked raise to €1000. Uncle folds and I guess in his spot, my check raise is super huge feels more like a combo draw than the nuts. He reraises to €2500 with only about €5000 behind. I thought it might be a set over set situation or a combo draw like 78cc 9Tcc. I rather get it in now and maybe run it twice. I jammed but he snap folded. I guess my check raise felt bluffy to him and he thought he could rebluff. 

A few orbits later I announced that I would play one more hour till 3:30am. Up and down in the last hour, no notable hands that I remember and ended the session up €8500. Tipped the dealers €110 and ended the day +€6500 or so. Overall I played 16 days of cash games, winning 14 days and losing 2. I felt I played well throughout and Madrid games were much tougher than Valencia, but this session was just pure run good. Very hard not to play well when you run like that. Thanks for reading this far and sharing with me this super hot session. Thanks to those who sent their run good wishes when I was devastated in the €2/5. Thank God for the opportunity and the life I have This wasn’t my biggest win but it probably was the most memorable. 

We are different but same same

As I am traveling around Spain, especially to the small towns and villages, I can’t help but feel a faint animosity towards Asians in some people. Getting weird looks on the street, some people giving us the wide berth when passing, the way service staff treat us differently, etc. I get it that many Asians behave badly and I hate that because it gives us a bad name. But to generalise us based on our looks is unfair. Most people like to assume before they give you a chance and get to know you. But I like to go out of my way to change these prejudices people have. I am not good at most things but one thing I am good at is impersonating accents. If you know me personally you probably have heard me switch from one language to another, or speak with a different accent in the same language depending on who I talk to. A few years ago when I was playing poker in London, there were 3 Asian players on my table including myself. There was an obviously tipsy Brit who was quite aggressive towards us but as soon as I opened my mouth and discussed beer and “foot-bull” (my best impression of the word Football in a Liverpool accent) he had a different attitude altogether, even towards the other two asian players who didn’t speak to him.

Chinese Restaurant in Granada

I am still trying to learn Spanish, and can speak very little of it. But the sentences that I do speak, I can speak in a pretty decent Spanish accent. Thanks to the pronunciation being very similar to Malay, another language I am fluent in. I went up to the counter and said in fluent Spanish “La cuenta por favor” (Bill please) and I saw the old man next to me do a double take. There are some Asians in Madrid that speak fluent Spanish, but often with a heavy Asian accent. I happen to do this is Segovia where I only saw one other asian looking dude in the whole town. People suddenly started treating me differently when they heard me speak their own language. The other day I even made a joke on the poker table calling myself a “big fish” in Spanish and it made everyone laugh. 

"If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart." Nelson Mandela

 Bumped into a protest in Madrid. People just want the same things

I too have been at fault for judging people by their looks. I used to love Vietnam and it’s people but after spending time there, I have learned to see through their friendliness and find the hidden dagger many have for others especially foreigners. In my time there I probably only kept 1 or 2 Vietnamese friends that I still respect and appreciate. Jumping over to Cambodia I was immediately taken aback by how different they were to their close neighbours. I thought they were more genuine and carefree but boy was I wrong. As a people they are very united, which is commendable. Maybe because of their tragic history, there’s an inbred culture of self preservation, animosity towards foreign culture, successfully taking advantage of a foreigner is celebrated amongst their own as if they won a small battle against the enemy. Of course there are exceptions and a couple of people I respect and like, but given the pressures of their culture and people, I know they would choose them over me in a heartbeat, and I don’t blame them. For them to even pause and consider was good enough for me.

Innocent little girl walking around on the train to Cordoba

I have also met with a few people in Spain that were very friendly, helpful, welcoming and accepting. They obviously can see through my skin and looks and still treat me like everyone else. During this trip I also tried to be friendly everyone I meet, I helped an old man carry his mother on her wheelchair, picked up a lady's phone charger on the train, gave money to an old uncle asking for train money, helped someone with her luggage from the plane in hopes that it would convince them to think twice before judging every Asian they meet. Everyone is different. Even people who look like us may think or act differently from us. We have difference of opinions, ideas, values, cultures, manners, practices, beliefs but we are still the same species. Our purpose in life is to live harmoniously in spite of the differences because it is that difference that makes life interesting. We enjoy different cuisines, why can’t we enjoy the people who make them? You don’t have to agree with me, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends. Peace guys. 

What Happened in August and September 2021 (and some interesting facts about me)

In an attempt to keep my streak alive on Hendonmob, I played in 4 online WSOP events in August. I came close in one but bricked all of them for a disappointing series. At this moment I am waiting on some documents that will allow me to travel to Spain for a tournament. Unfortunately given the current situations, my options for live tourneys are very limited. But I am extremely excited to play some live poker finally. 

Nothing much happened in the last two months really. I got vaccinated and bought some NFTs at mint, that's about it. Other than that just my daily routine and basically waiting for COVID to end. I've been doing some gardening to pass time and spend most of my day on games. 

My rarest NFT (kinda reminds me of Phil Galfond for some reason)

I think I have led a very interesting life compared to the average person. Have experienced a lot of things most people never had. But 2021 has been the most boring year of my life. Some of the notable experiences of my life include:

- Been on a TV commercial
- Been in jail (for poker)
- Bronze medal in 400m (can you believe that?)
- Chess Champion of the city (our team)
- 3rd in table tennis of the city (our team)
- 2nd in a singing competition
- 8 Poker trophies
- Played poker in 19 countries
- Lived in 5 different countries
- Traveled to I don't know how many 
- Captained a football team that was undefeated (15 wins)
- Self taught guitar, piano and drums...
and hopefully more to come

One thing I've learned in 2021 is that you can live without living. I am reminded of the cell mate I had across from me. He said to me, "one day inside, one day outside". I think what he meant was, some people spend their days in the cell, some outside. We all still get the same 24 hours, but one gets to live their life when the other doesn't. When I was released, he still had about 2 more years to serve. Those two years I kept remembering him, that I was outside free and living my life while he's still stuck in that cell. As boring as my 2021 has been, I am still extremely fortunate not to need to worry about money, getting to spend time with the most amazing woman I know and still have my health. But I hope 2022 will be much more interesting than this year. 

Kinda getting something from almost nothing, gardening

Wherever you are I hope you are well. Stay safe and hope to catch up with you all at some point. 

What happened in June and July 2021

It's been a while since my last update and I want to keep this blog going as long as I can, so about time I wrote an update. 

First things first, I finally played some poker after about 5 and a half months. Since 2013 I have cashed at least once every year to make it onto Hendon Mob with my two best years 2018 (10) and 2019 (11). Last year I travelled only once for an event in Taiwan and fortunately cashed that one. Played in two tournaments on WSOP online and cashed once for my first ever WSOP flag. This year live poker is virtually impossible so my only chance is to chase another flag for WSOP online again. I've only played in the opening event so far but no good. I'm going to try for another couple of events but if it doesn't go well then 2021 will be a barren year.

I really don't enjoy online poker

Earlier this year I was doing really well on crypto and then when I was this close to making my first major milestone, BAM, market crashed and continued to drop until only recently it has picked back up a little. I lost 70% of my profits but more importantly it kinda killed my enthusiasm for crypto for a while. But I still believe strongly in the tech and how it will impact our future. Governments and banks will continue to oppose it but deep inside even they know it is good for the people. So "hold on for dear life" is true to its meaning for me now. 

My plant dying and living at the same time

The COVID situation is looking grim for me. In May our government imposed a lockdown when there was 3000+ cases daily nationwide. Almost three months into the lockdown, we are hitting all time highs of 17000+ cases a day. The government and many seem to be betting on vaccination to end this but I don't think it will work. First of all it is not a vaccine because a true vaccine makes you immune to the virus. But the Covid vaccine (which I believe was forced to be called a vaccine to comfort the people) does not make you immune, nor does it stop you from spreading it. It just prevents you from dying in case you catch it. So until one day when we can come up with a proper vaccine, or an instant cure, COVID will be around like the flu or HIV. It's going to impact our lives and future generations to come. Just like if you were to travel to Africa now, you have to take a few jabs and tests, in the future we would have to do so for any trip. 

Never really appreciated the beauty of my hometown until you can't travel

If the COVID situation isn't bad enough, the world is facing a more serious threat. Extreme weather is a sign of global warming and there's no vaccine or cure for that. Heat waves in otherwise cool countries, extreme cold, drought, flash floods, these are now happening everywhere. Too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry, that's extreme. It's mother nature's way of telling us "WAKE THE F UP". But unfortunately governments are too busy troubleshooting for COVID and struggling economies to pay attention. I'm sorry to be grim and negative but it doesn't look good guys. War, famine, pestilence/plague, lawlessness, earthquakes.... sound familiar? Some dude said this will happen like 2000 years ago. 

At times like this, appreciate what you have. Be kind to people around you. hug your parents, tell them you love them, spend your time wisely, there are more important things than the accumulation of wealth. End your feuds, be the bigger person, apologize to those you have wronged, forgive those who have wronged you. Years ago a close poker friend of mine took his life, miss you YG. He didn't have many friends and I wasn't around a lot. Wish I could have said something or done something. Last week I lost a poker friend to COVID, Rip YS. Life is short and fragile. Live it to the fullest but live a life that you can be proud of. One day if you're lucky enough to be successful, you can proudly look back to the good things you did that led you there. Not the backs you've stabbed, people you've stepped over to get to the top. Peace. 

Why Everyone SHOULD Invest in Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency NOW

I bring up cryptocurrency with almost everyone I meet but I get a mixed response. Some are as passionate as me and we share strategies and news. Some are skeptical but receptive. Some are outright against it as if it is the scam of the century. Like any investment, there are risks, hence there are rewards too. Like any investment, blindly putting your money in is not a winning strategy. It requires some knowledge and skill that you can learn from others, from studying the unlimited resources online or in books, or from your own experience. Today I want to share with you my journey in crypto so far and why I think everyone should invest in it, or at least have an open mind about it. (Not financial advice)

Blockchain technology is here to stay

Crypto is not a fad, get-rich-quick scheme or ponzi scheme. IT IS BASED ON TECHNOLOGY. There are over 9000 cryptocurrencies and sure, not all of them are good. Some are outright scams. But most of them have a very practical real world use, using blockchain technology. Think back in recent years what technologies have changed our lives drastically? The internet, smart phone, video streaming just to name a few. Which companies have profited from these technologies? Google, Apple, Samsung, YouTube, Netflix.... But before all this happened, were there skeptics? Were there opposing voices? Were there stubborn people and companies insisting on old tech that got hurt? Remember Nokia? Remember Blockbuster and other video rental stores? Remember non-cable TV? In general we don't like change, but sometimes it is necessary. Blockchain technology can be applied to anything from banking to tourism, healthcare to education, making it faster, cheaper, more secure, tamper proof, more convenient, more accessible, more comprehensive. Cryptocurrency is merely the fuel that drives the technology. 

Better than investing in Gold

Bitcoin is often compared to gold, but IT IS BETTER THAN GOLD. They are similar in a way because people invest in both to hedge against inflation because of their limited supply. But they both have very distinct differences that make crypto a much better choice. For example, we will never know when gold will run out but with cryptocurrencies we do. Therefore crypto prices are perfectly based on economics - supply and demand. Gold can be made into jewelry or items but other than that it has no other use. Other than storing and transferring value, crypto has other real world uses. It is very difficult to use gold to make purchases, very difficult to transport or store securely. Crypto on the other hand is easily transferable, but yet secure. In order to purchase gold, you would have to go to a dealer physically, and have somewhere secure to store it. Crypto can be bought and sold at your fingertips but also secured where it can only be accessed with a complex key. 

Better than investing in Real Estate

My father had a bad experience making his first major investment. He bought a house with another guy but in the end was scammed by his partner. Since then he became extremely risk adverse, and kept his money in the bank. But because of inflation, the money he kept lost value year after year. As things become more expensive, you lose purchasing power. That's why many people invest in property or gold. Because generally when your currency loses value, that means your property prices will increase therefore protecting your wealth. However investing in Bitcoin IS BETTER THAN BUYING REAL ESTATE. First of all property supply is erratic. Even though most property appreciate over time, but sometimes oversupply coupled with bad economy can affect the value. The value also depends on other factors beyond your control, for example what kind of neighbours you have, what other developments are in your area, land reclamation make your once beachside property now far from the shoreline, wear and tear, and buyer sentiment. Also buying and selling property takes time and money. If you are in need of quick liquidity, you might be forced to sell at non-optimum prices. Comparing to cryptocurrency, transfer is almost instant, the value is based on the market price so at the time of the sale/purchase, no one got the better of the other. And no pesky legal fees either. It is clear about the supply of the coin, and in most cases, there is a fixed maximum supply in circulation. Some coins burn their supply periodically making it scarcer and higher in value. Some coins can even EARN YOU INTEREST (between 5-20% per annum) while you hold it. You might argue you can lease your property for rental income, but the hassle of managing your tenants won't earn you the returns most cryptocurrencies offer. 

From my observations, those who oppose investing in crypto are those who don't understand it. If they take the time to learn what blockchain technology is about and how cryptocurrencies apply to daily life, it is such an easy decision to invest in it. "Let your money work for you" and I haven't worked a day since I started doing this. 

Please support me by using my links below:
Binance - Biggest Exchange around
BlockFi - Earn 5-9% interest on BTC, ETH, LTC, USDT (sign up to earn $250 BTC FREE)
Kucoin - Become a bank yourself and create loans to earn up to 50%+ with your USDT