Q & A with HectorJelly

Lafortezza

Next in line is HJ.

What levels are you currently playing online
Are you running bad or goot?

Who is the biggest bollix on the poker forum?

Usual rules apply to questioners and questionee.

BigDragon

Why stop blogging?
Why leave Poland?
Do you give a sh1t?

jimbling

this should be a fun one.

How long have you been playing poker?
What games are you currently playing and how much do you play in a week?
What are the highest stakes you've ever played and how'd that go for you?
Has there been a major turning point in your poker career, an epiphany if you will? perhaps some moment that brought you up to that next level. or was it just a hard slog of continued study and practice

Did you go to college? if so what did you do (guessing mathematics of some sort) and where did you go?
What other hobbies do you have?

How did they convince you to jump into the well? :eek:

Jaden

What do you think is the weakest part of your game?

On the same theme, what is the most common failing you see in other players?

How do you deal with a bad beat both on-line and real life (TM).

Are you the spotty little nerd I've always pictured you to be?

Have you ever considered teaching Poker in any way?

RoundTower

Do you think it's a bad idea to risk all your chips on a draw in a poker tournament, especially early in the the first few levels?

Several noted professionals have commented on how they fare better against stronger opposition. Do you find this is true for you?

Do you consider yourself a lucky player? If you think of the four or five biggest pots you've ever played in cash games -- or the most crucial points in tournaments -- have you been lucky or unlucky overall?

Do you know how to play mythical or klag? Would you like to play some time?

What table selection techniques do you use while playing online?

Suppose you are playing a heads up cash game with blinds €1-€2, and €200 stacks. You are on the small blind and you get dealt AK. While you are thinking about what to do you accidentally flip over your cards and your opponent sees them, however you are still allowed to play the hand. Should you go all in? Or fold and wait for a better spot? Would it ever be better to do something like raise to €7, just to mix up your play?

BigCityBanker

If it takes a man a week to walk a fortnight how long does it take to sandpaper an elephant into a greyhound?

Other than myself who is the worst contributor to the Poker forum?

Do you have a real job? If so what is it? If you could work at something else what would it be?

If you had to pick boardsters to have a grudge match with - who would you pick?

Who do you think is the best poster on the Poker Forum (other than yourself)?

What has been your single biggest pot win/loss? Details please?

What has been your biggest poker tourney win?

Do you have any poker ambitions which you have yet to fulfil? (If it involves the PPP Irish Open and how to qualify for cheap then feel free to PM me )

What is your preferred live/online tourney?

If it takes two men, three days, to walk backwards into eternity how long does it take Oliver Twist to pick a pocket or two?

What is your biggest pet hate?

What has been the biggest influence on your poker career?

ianmc38

Which charity do you dislike the most?

handsfree

how did you blow your bankroll?

do you ever go to the lower limits and blow $50 or so just for a bit of craic?

AmarilloFats

What/(how much $$) would you like to do in poker for 2007..
How much did you win in 2006??
Has poker ever made you cry?
Fancy a heads up game?? if you win IOU $100, if I win all your post for the yeear have to contain the advise....."I'd wait for a better spot.."raise for info"..."check minrase to define your hand"

careca

You play five-a-side football, yet you look like you wouldn't trap a bag of cement. Are you any good ?


you knew about 'stop and go' strategy when most never heard of it, any other nuggets we should know about ?

sendic

I know you hate unlikely hypothetical situations, but seeing as how you're in the well...

its the FT of a satellite, 6 players remaining, 5 tickets, 6th get nothing. there is one shortstack of 10BBs, everyone else is pretty even on ~30BBs.

the shortstack pushes allin UTG, everyone calls. youre in the BB. you know the others arent insane and wont bet into a dry side pot in this instance.

would you call with any two?

what if you only had 15BBs?

Daithio

What do you see as the biggest weaknesses in your game? Where do you think you need to improve? Same question for strengths. I know these questions are quite hard to answer.

Since you've started keeping records/ been pro, how much have you made on average per month? I know alot of people wouldn't feel comfortable answering this and no worries if you don't want to.

What were your biggest winning/ losing sessions?

Will you be going to Vegas next year for the WSOP?

How long do you see yourself playing poker as your sole source of income for? If you do ever plan to give up poker as your sole source of income, what would you like to do / what would you do instead?

What did you do before you started playing poker for a living?

Do you think if you had the BR you'd beat the 'High Stakes Poker' game?

Hectorjelly

BigDragon wrote:

Why stop blogging?
Why leave Poland?
Do you give a sh1t?

I didnt really stop blogging. I decided last year to severely cut down on the time I spent in front of a computer, so I stopped keeping up to date with any poker forums bar here and 2+2. So after that all my internet activity dropped off. I do post occasionaly!

I left poland because I missed my friends and couldnt get a regular football game

Sometimes

ocallagh

Do you enjoy playing poker as much as when you started, and how old were you when you started?

Did you have any ambitions prior to playing poker?

You have spent countless hours providing users of this site with information. Do you still learn from others here?

Have you ever considered writing a book on poker? Or maybe a column in a magazine etc?

If you had to give your entire bankroll to someone on this site for 1 month to play at a game of their choice, who would it be?

Hectorjelly

jimbling wrote:

this should be a fun one.
How long have you been playing poker?

About 5 years I think now

jimbling wrote:

What games are you currently playing and how much do you play in a week?

Currently playing 12 and 24, I aim to play about 30 hours a week. Ive been failing recently

jimbling wrote:

What are the highest stakes you've ever played and how'd that go for you?

Ive played 10 20 a few times following a fish, im down about 2k there.

jimbling wrote:

Has there been a major turning point in your poker career, an epiphany if you will? perhaps some moment that brought you up to that next level. or was it just a hard slog of continued study and practice

There has been several times when ive realised Ive passed some turning point. A lot of my early success was just based on playing very tight. I remember discovering that if you just played very tight in a stt some chump would eventually double you up. My range used to be something like AA KK QQ.

jimbling wrote:

Did you go to college? if so what did you do (guessing mathematics of some sort) and where did you go?

I did maths in maynooth, but didnt make it into 2nd year! I left college and got a job, whilst there I got 2 diplomas, one it IT and 1 in training.

jimbling wrote:

What other hobbies do you have?

I make minimal techno and occasionaly play gigs here and there (mostly parties). I play a lot of football (not enough) and I read a lot. Im a huge fan of JG Ballard and PK Dick and would probably join a religon if it was based on their writings. I play computer games as long as its pro ev or it has a lot of violence

jimbling wrote:

How did they convince you to jump into the well? :eek:

It seemed kind of fun!

Solksjaer

Please grade the below 1 to 5 in order of importance to the all round skill required for a poker players to be successful

Luck, People reading, agression, Maths , patience ...

In your opinion what's the best way to stall an aggressive player at a table whilst still maintaining your own desired table image.
Tilting. What's the best way to get yourself back in line when you know you are tilting.
Was was the most expensive item you've purchased this year?

In my opinion there will be a lot of upcoming poker talent in this country (not all young) coming through in 2007.
Who do you reckon will break-through next year .


Scandanavians - Are they so sucessful because A) so many of them play that statically some have to be v good or They have the temprement.


If you get a read on someone and it is a big tell but he is no longer at your table , would you advise your buddies (still in the tourny) of it or would you keep it to yourself. (Think the answer is obvious to that one )

Hectorjelly

Jaden wrote:

What do you think is the weakest part of your game?

I tilt pretty badly sometimes, and I spend a good % of my time unable to play because im on tilt.

Jaden wrote:

On the same theme, what is the most common failing you see in other players?

They are far too loose and passive. Ive seen quite a few people playing from here online that I wont mention, some with very good reputations. Nearly all of them without exception made horrible decisions and were far far too loose out of position. Limping suited kings under the gun and then calling raises and rubbish like that. It actually depressed me quite a bit. There is no way that they are going to be NLH winners playing like that.

Jaden wrote:

How do you deal with a bad beat both on-line and real life (TM).

Well at some stages in my life I honestly just smile and it doesnt affect me whatsover. There has been patches of my life where I dont get fazed by a bad beat for months. For the last while getting a bad beat (and Ive gotten several really bad ones over the last week or so) ive gone on almost monkey tilt.

Jaden wrote:

Are you the spotty little nerd I've always pictured you to be?

No. I look like a mix between Steve McQueen and Tom Cruise.

Jaden wrote:

Have you ever considered teaching Poker in any way?

A little. I started a weekly poker meeting with some of my friends to try and improve everyones play which has been pretty interesting. We spend a while talking about what happened druring our weeks, discussing key hands then someone plays for an hour and we all watch and then discuss what we saw. Id advise any group of players to do something like this as its really helpfull. We have a very strong group of players.

I would coach a player but only if they reimbursed me for whatever my winrate was at the time. I think this may be too much for most players who arent winners already, so its kind of a catch 22

ianmc38

Hectorjelly wrote:

No. I look like a mix between Steve McQueen and Tom Cruise.

It's true. He is very short and has greying hair.

Rb

How many times in the 5 or so years you've been playing have you went broke?

Are your family supportive or against your playing poker for a living?What about your friends?

When you started playing online, did you make a hefty deposit or grind your way up through the levels?

Say you've only $50 and have to build it into a bankroll, how would you go about it?

Has your social life changed much?

Apart from holdem, what is your strongest game?And weakest?

How many poker books have you read and which do you consider to be the best (if possible)? Do you consider books or forums better sources of information/strategic information?

If you had to sleep with one of the following, which would you pick and why? a) Captain Tom b) David Sklansky c) Amarillo Slim and d) Doyle Bruson.

In your opinion, who is the best cash game player in Ireland?And the world?
Also, who do you consider to be the best tournament player in Ireland and the world?

How did you initially get into poker?

Do you find you play better online or in real life?Or about the same? If there is a difference in your live game and online game, what is it and why does it exist?

If you were only allowed one piece of advice to pass on (poker advice), what would it be?

Hectorjelly

RoundTower wrote:

Do you think it's a bad idea to risk all your chips on a draw in a poker tournament, especially early in the the first few levels?

It depends. Its not something I would advise people to do, but there are many times when its going to be far more profitable to risk all your chips than to fold, but as a game plan its not really going to be something im aiming towards.

RoundTower wrote:

Several noted professionals have commented on how they fare better against stronger opposition. Do you find this is true for you?

My favourite opponents dont know all the rules yet. I do enjoy the challenge of trying to beat tight players, but its far far more profitable to play loose idiots.

RoundTower wrote:

Do you consider yourself a lucky player? If you think of the four or five biggest pots you've ever played in cash games -- or the most crucial points in tournaments -- have you been lucky or unlucky overall?

No I dont consider myself to have been unlucky or lucky.

RoundTower wrote:

Do you know how to play mythical or klag? Would you like to play some time?

Yeah ive played mythical a good bit, i find it quite boring and Im definitely not very good at it, so no.

RoundTower wrote:

What table selection techniques do you use while playing online?

I check my buddly first. Then just hop into the first game with 5 players playing that has the highest pot average. If the game looks bad I will look for another one to replace it. Once I have 3 good tables I wont look for another one.

RoundTower wrote:

Suppose you are playing a heads up cash game with blinds €1-€2, and €200 stacks. You are on the small blind and you get dealt AK. While you are thinking about what to do you accidentally flip over your cards and your opponent sees them, however you are still allowed to play the hand. Should you go all in? Or fold and wait for a better spot? Would it ever be better to do something like raise to €7, just to mix up your play?

You could work it out mathematically, but that seems like cheating. I doubt its profitable to push and playing the hand normally would be insanly bad. Anytime in poker when your hand is very clear to your opponent its tough to make that situation profitable as they are unlikely to ever make a mistake. I think if you had around 50 blinds you could profitably push. I remember reading something sklansky wrote about it.

How much do you charge for chess lessons?

ianmc38

What are your current stats in Pokertracker for VPIP, PFR% and Total Aggression Postflop? What is the hand that has lost you the most money (on average)?

You're the SB and the BB is an average unimaginative player. He isn't overly tight or loose preflop. What range of hands will you raise/complete/fold with assuming that you play much better postflop?

How highly do you rate suited connectors and suited one gappers?

You recently posted about open-limping ATs from UTG in a cash game. How big a leak is open limping from any other position? What are the merits of limping UTG and what range of hands will you do it with?

How important is datamining? Do you replay hands you've mined to analyse the play of certain people before you add them to your buddylist? Are there players who you'll avoid at the stakes you play?

What stats do you have pokerace configured to show on your opponents? How heavily do you rely on these stats for in-hand analysis/decisions?

Do you think there is other intelligent life in the universe that is living beyond the sight of modern science?

If you had to choose between being a beggar and having both your legs amputated which would you go for?

Hectorjelly

BigCityBanker wrote:

BigCityBanker wrote:

If it takes a man a week to walk a fortnight how long does it take to sandpaper an elephant into a greyhound?

I think you would be left with a bloody and enraged elephant rather than a grey hound.

BigCityBanker wrote:

Other than myself who is the worst contributor to the Poker forum?

I dont think you are a bad contributer! I honestly cant think of bad one right now. I often disagree with people but who knows, maybe im wrong. I think the forum may well be slightly overmoderated now. The mods do a great job and are all great people, but theres been a few threads locked that really shouldnt of been IMO. Its not a big deal though.

BigCityBanker wrote:

Do you have a real job? If so what is it? If you could work at something else what would it be?

I dont have a real job! I used to work in IT and training. I think id probably kill myself If I had to get a real job again.

BigCityBanker wrote:

If you had to pick boardsters to have a grudge match with - who would you pick?

Id like to play mrpillowtalk heads up for huge stakes at some stage, but I dont have the money at the moment.

BigCityBanker wrote:

Who do you think is the best poster on the Poker Forum (other than yourself)?

Fuzzbox without question. There are a lot of very good posters.

BigCityBanker wrote:

What has been your single biggest pot win/loss? Details please?

I won 3k pot playing omaha 2 years ago. I raised preflop with 99xx, flop is 99T. I bet the full pot get 1 caller. Turn J I bet the full pot and get called. River Q I bet the full pot and get reraised. I push and he calls with JKQQ. I enjoyed that

BigCityBanker wrote:

What has been your biggest poker tourney win?

I came 4th in a $200 mtt for 7k last year

BigCityBanker wrote:

Do you have any poker ambitions which you have yet to fulfil? (If it involves the PPP Irish Open and how to qualify for cheap then feel free to PM me )

I want to play and beat 50 100 nlh. I would also like to play with Phil Ivey which I know probably sounds gay but I may as well be honest.

BigCityBanker wrote:

What is your preferred live/online tourney?

I dont play many tournaments, I think they are kind of silly - its like poker with training wheels. They were just invented to fish could win large amountss of money then blow it to me in cash games. Most tournament players are actually quite bad poker players, they just dont realise it.

BigCityBanker wrote:

If it takes two men, three days, to walk backwards into eternity how long does it take Oliver Twist to pick a pocket or two?

I dont see how the two events are correlated. I dont think it takes Oliver Twist that long though. So maybe 3 mins?

BigCityBanker wrote:

What is your biggest pet hate?

Far too many to categorise!

BigCityBanker wrote:

What has been the biggest influence on your poker career?

2+2 HSNL forum

fuzzbox

Whats the strongest part of your game?
Whats the weakest part of your game?
What are you doing about the weak part to try to improve it?
Are you obsessive compulsive?
Do you win a lot?
Whats your favourite colour?
Which is nicer - cheddar or blue stilton?
Which boards poster do you play most like?
Which boards poster do you wish you played like?
How many bones has a body got?

Sinfonia

Have you written/recorded any minimal techno?
If so, can it be found anywhere on the interweb?

nicnicnic

What games are you currently playing

Do you consider yourself a poker snob


how long is it since you've seen daylight

define minimal techno


Whats your biggest downswing


I feel any monkey can beat ring games up to a decent level. from your stated views of tournament players we clearly differ in opinions here, I know your a good tournament player, if there that easy why not play more of them.


whose the best player you have played against live and online

whose your favorite politician and what way do you vote

whats the best piece of advice you ever had poker related and life wise

cardshark202

You mention about 2+2 HSNL being a heavy influence on your game. Which posters do you think offer the best advice?
Who do you post as on 2+2?
Do you play football on saturday afternoons? We could do with one or two other players at our satuday game which is held in my old school in booterstown.
How long do you think it will take for you to get to 50-100?
Who are the best players you've ever played against? Online and live.

Thats all I can think of at the moment. Well done for taking time to do this.

rogue trader

Hi HJ

What’s most important to you outside poker?
Why did you only last 1 year in college?
Is maths overrated in poker? If not, explain.
Tell us about a recent mistake you made at a poker table.
You get AKo and raise. Two callers. 10 high rag flop. Check or bet?
So you bet and get one caller. Low turn card, check or bet?
How many presents did you buy for others this xmas?
You say some good tournament players make terrible cash game players.
Why is this? Is there one common trait that they all have? What advice would you offer these players?
Lastly, which is a better starting hand AA or AK? Hmmm, maybe don’t answer that…..

Thanks.

rogue trader

Is there a story behind the name 'Hectorjelly'?

Ste05

Have you read anything by Richard Dawkins, if so, what did you think and what book is his best IYO?

Do you play much chess, what is your curent rating?

Which 2+2 Posters do you rate highest?

Who do you think are the 5 best Poker players in the world, online or Live.

ArmaniJeanss

Whats you're highest break in Snooker? I suspect its quite high if you play.(I've long had a theory that the logical thinking / trap-playing etc needed in snooker / pool means that good poker players will also be good snooker players).

In an online tourney head to head, your opponent is disconnected - whats your attitude.

Do you smoke?. If Yes, can you answer the question in my signature.

Solksjaer

ArmaniJeanss wrote:

Whats you're highest break in Snooker? I suspect its quite high if you play.(I've long had a theory that the logical thinking / trap-playing etc needed in snooker / pool means that good poker players will also be good snooker players).

In an online tourney head to head, your opponent is disconnected - whats your attitude.

Do you smoke?. If Yes, can you answer the question in my signature.

azul del jugador de Juan?

loosecannon

are u going to start playing any satellites at any point?

do you think that you will always be a winning player, or could circumstances (tilt, losing interest, retiring etc) cause you to become a losing player?

do you think you're a better online or live player?

am i better than my brother at poker?? (mainly so i can forward response to alex...)

Mr. Flibble

Would you often (say 1ce/session/table) overbet a raised pot online?

Is there any chance you would share some of your multitable HHs so I and others can see how you play and learn from you. (I can instruct you how to replace your nick with something else for all your HHs en mass).

Right now, if somebody staked you for 75% would you take the offer and play at higher levels? What level would you choose?

Hectorjelly

lafortezza wrote:

What levels are you currently playing online

1/2 and 2/4

lafortezza wrote:

Are you running bad or goot?

Very bad, I lost a series of hands over of a few hands that really was incredible. I got it all in with 4 sets and lost each one of them, twice to gutshots.

lafortezza wrote:

Who is the biggest bollix on the poker forum?

Im not sure.

Hectorjelly

handsfree wrote:

how did you blow your bankroll?

do you ever go to the lower limits and blow $50 or so just for a bit of craic?

I didnt really blow it, I just severly depleted it! I spent a lot of money, ran really bad and probably played bad for a month or so and then went to vegas and had an expensive three week holiday

I sometimes go into very low stakes nl games and push for half an hour or so, or sometimes I get some friends and we invade a low stakes limit game for a while; the rule is you have to bet and raise every street regardless of your holding. Its kind of fun! And the other players always go mental. One of the best times ive had was getting loads of high stakes players to do this for a while, most of us all sitting at a 1c 2c limit game with over 10k. Tommyboy, Royal Flush + Panther were there if I recall properly.

Hectorjelly

AmarilloFats wrote:

What/(how much $$) would you like to do in poker for 2007..

I havent really thought about it yet. 200k+ certainly

AmarilloFats wrote:

How much did you win in 2006??

Its not over yet! I havent done anything like I wanted to do this year, it would be in six figures though (just about)

AmarilloFats wrote:

Has poker ever made you cry

Haha no. When I saw that guy on the WSOP crying I couldnt stop laughing for days. What a tool! I cry at sad films and so on, poker doesnt really make me that upset.

AmarilloFats wrote:

Fancy a heads up game?? if you win IOU $100, if I win all your post for the yeear have to contain the advise....."I'd wait for a better spot.."raise for info"..."check minrase to define your hand"

Make it 1k and you are on. Id definitely pay $100 not to post things like that

Hectorjelly

careca wrote:

You play five-a-side football, yet you look like you wouldn't trap a bag of cement. Are you any good ?


you knew about 'stop and go' strategy when most never heard of it, any other nuggets we should know about ?

Im quite good if im playing with average players. Im definitely one of the stronger players in my group, but im no where near competitive level. Im very fast and strong which are my biggest strengths.

No limit holdem is about raising and reraising preflop, thats it.

Hectorjelly

ianmc38 wrote:

Which charity do you dislike the most?

There are so many to choose from! Id have to research this.

Hectorjelly

sendic wrote:

I know you hate unlikely hypothetical situations, but seeing as how you're in the well...

its the FT of a satellite, 6 players remaining, 5 tickets, 6th get nothing. there is one shortstack of 10BBs, everyone else is pretty even on ~30BBs.

the shortstack pushes allin UTG, everyone calls. youre in the BB. you know the others arent insane and wont bet into a dry side pot in this instance.

would you call with any two?

what if you only had 15BBs?

No I wouldnt call with any 2, and I would definitely not call if I only had 15bbs unless I had a good hand. I would call in the first instance with any decent hand with multiway potential.

Hectorjelly

Daithio wrote:

What do you see as the biggest weaknesses in your game? Where do you think you need to improve? Same question for strengths. I know these questions are quite hard to answer.

The biggest strength is my understanding of the game and the interaction between all the different variables, stack sizes and so on. Also I can think faster and more logically than my opponents.

My weakness are tilt and boredom. Im not sure I would make it as a live pro as I get so unbelievably bored I start limping 28s utg. I could improve my hand reading, I sometimes concentrate too much on just what odds im being offered at any stage.

Daithio wrote:

Since you've started keeping records/ been pro, how much have you made on average per month? I know alot of people wouldn't feel comfortable answering this and no worries if you don't want to.

I dont really feel comfortable giving my total results on a public forum, its not information i share with my friends or family! Ive had 2 losing months out of 24, my smallest win was about 3k I think, and my best win was close over 20k.

Daithio wrote:

What were your biggest winning/ losing sessions?

I made 14k in one day once, which ruled! I think ive probably lost 3k in day before.

Daithio wrote:

Will you be going to Vegas next year for the WSOP?

I doubt it. If im play in the world series I will.

Daithio wrote:

How long do you see yourself playing poker as your sole source of income for? If you do ever plan to give up poker as your sole source of income, what would you like to do / what would you do instead?

Until I have so much money I never need to work again. I would like to run my own business and will probably do this at some stage in my life.

Daithio wrote:

What did you do before you started playing poker for a living?

IT and training

[/QUOTE]
Do you think if you had the BR you'd beat the 'High Stakes Poker' game?[/QUOTE]

Very few people on that show played well. I actually thougt it was a very good litmus test, basically if someone though sam farha or eli elezra played wll then it was clear they had no clue about poker. I would definitely beat those players, you saw phil laak come into the game and basically play tight boring unimaginative and weak poker and make a fortune. I would not beat a table of the top NLH online cash players (well I might but I wouldnt be confident of it!) , but I definitely would beat a table of the big stars on the tournament circuit.

kincsem

What broadband do you use? I have Irish Broadband Ripwave and I might as well be betting by air mail. Help!

What is the origin of the Hectorjelly name?

Do you have a strategy for players at your table, or do you let the cards and situations decide your plays? (I like to let aggressive players trap themselves by slowplaying against them).

I get the impression you don’t play much bricks and mortar. Am I wrong? Why?

Do you ever get royally fed-up with poker? Or do you ever feel you are loving every minute?

What makes a successful poker player?

ditpoker

HectorJelly wrote:

I dont play many tournaments, I think they are kind of silly - its like poker with training wheels. They were just invented to fish could win large amountss of money then blow it to me in cash games. Most tournament players are actually quite bad poker players, they just dont realise it.

could you explain this more? i play mainly tournament poker but have an itch for cash games that i want to scratch. and surely if tournament players are bad, is that not where u want to be playing?

HectorJelly wrote:

Im quite good if im playing with average players. Im definitely one of the stronger players in my group, but im no where near competitive level. Im very fast and strong which are my biggest strengths.

you should join the Grosvenor Lane revolution... current boardsters include myself and The_Flyer centre back, aodea in midfield, carfax/bohsman battling for left mid spot and LuckyLloyd in goal!

Hectorjelly

ocallagh wrote:

Do you enjoy playing poker as much as when you started, and how old were you when you started?

about 5 years ago. When I started I used to love playing and look forward to it all the time, I play every day now so its not a fair comparison. I still love the game

ocallagh wrote:

Did you have any ambitions prior to playing poker?

Yeah but they seem very far away now!

ocallagh wrote:

You have spent countless hours providing users of this site with information. Do you still learn from others here?

From time to time yeah. Its not often that someone says something I havent considered, but I get a lot from some of the tournament reports and so on. Fuzzbox is excellent and would be one of the best posters on any forum. Roundtower too is great and I fear for the day he exposes my stupidity. Its a same he seems addicted to a silly game where you get 2 cards too many though.

I think one of the reasons my game progressed was my involvement in continous debate on this board and others, so im very gratefull for the chance for me to take part in that.

ocallagh wrote:

Have you ever considered writing a book on poker? Or maybe a column in a magazine etc?

Yeah I have done. The market seems oversatuated with poker books now. I would love to do a regular article but I would only be interested in discussing advanced poker theory, not really what the mass market wants! Im in the middle of co-developing a play at the moment and if it goes well It will be performed next year, it has nothing to do with poker though, its a love story!

ocallagh wrote:

If you had to give your entire bankroll to someone on this site for 1 month to play at a game of their choice, who would it be?

One of the more cautious but good players, maybe Ste01. If it was someone elses bankroll I would give it to cardshark.

Hectorjelly

Solksjaer wrote:

Please grade the below 1 to 5 in order of importance to the all round skill required for a poker players to be successful

Luck, People reading, agression, Maths , patience ...

Patience , Aggresion, People reading, Maths, luck.

Solksjaer wrote:

In your opinion what's the best way to stall an aggressive player at a table whilst still maintaining your own desired table image.

I dont ever try and create an image, I think thats a trap many players fall into. Its very unlikely you can win back the equity you lose by creating a mad image. I think you should just play every hand as best you can, and then take advantage of the image you have at that point.

Solksjaer wrote:

Tilting. What's the best way to get yourself back in line when you know you are tilting.

Just stop playing. Ive realised recently that if im even tilting slightly even the worst opponents probably has an edge over me.

Solksjaer wrote:

Was was the most expensive item you've purchased this year?

Tickets to pakistan I think, cost about 1k.

Solksjaer wrote:

In my opinion there will be a lot of upcoming poker talent in this country (not all young) coming through in 2007.
Who do you reckon will break-through next year .

I dont have this impression. Rooney dives is supposed to be a great online mtt player and he open limped on the button with a shortish stack in a tournament repeatadly. Ive seen other supposedly great irish players limp utg for 1/9th of their stack with a low pocket pair. This all shows to me that these people either do not know or are ignoring the very basics of poker. I dont think they will be successfull in the long term.

Solksjaer wrote:

Scandanavians - Are they so sucessful because A) so many of them play that statically some have to be v good or They have the temprement.

I have come across a huge amount of very bad scandanavian players.

Solksjaer wrote:

If you get a read on someone and it is a big tell but he is no longer at your table , would you advise your buddies (still in the tourny) of it or would you keep it to yourself. (Think the answer is obvious to that one )

Id tell them

Fatboydim

Hectorjelly wrote:

Im in the middle of co-developing a play at the moment and if it goes well It will be performed next year, it has nothing to do with poker though, its a love story!
.

Maybe I should offer to script edit and you can teach me how to do all those calculation thingies you do.

I very much play from instinct and feel rather than mathematical probability. I don't ignore the math... Just I'm not very good or quick at it. But it leads me to ask... Online is it all about the Math? What is the biggest difference for you in the way you approach an online cash game and a live cash game?

Can you play creatively and still be a winner online or does it have to be mechanical ABC poker?

Hectorjelly

rb_ie wrote:

How many times in the 5 or so years you've been playing have you went broke?

Never allthough it was close once.

rb_ie wrote:

Are your family supportive or against your playing poker for a living?What about your friends?

Very supportive, most of my friends play poker so it wasnt a big deal.

rb_ie wrote:

When you started playing online, did you make a hefty deposit or grind your way up through the levels?

When I started playing online I was a fish!

rb_ie wrote:

Say you've only $50 and have to build it into a bankroll, how would you go about it?

I would probably play nl$10

rb_ie wrote:

Has your social life changed much?

Yeah it has, but ive gotten older and wiser.

rb_ie wrote:

Apart from holdem, what is your strongest game?And weakest?

I dont play any other game enough to answer this

rb_ie wrote:

How many poker books have you read and which do you consider to be the best (if possible)? Do you consider books or forums better sources of information/strategic information?

Forums are better for in depth structured hand anaylisys. Books are better for concepts. If I had to choose one I would pick forums.

rb_ie wrote:

If you had to sleep with one of the following, which would you pick and why? a) Captain Tom b) David Sklansky c) Amarillo Slim and d) Doyle Bruson.

Skansky

rb_ie wrote:

In your opinion, who is the best cash game player in Ireland?And the world?
Also, who do you consider to be the best tournament player in Ireland and the world?

I really dont know how to answer that. I dont know what goes on in most of the big games or tournaments. Daniel N and Phil Ivey have really impressed me in tournaments ive watched.

rb_ie wrote:

How did you initially get into poker?

Played a tournament for charity and came third. Then won a tournament and went to the fitz. I ended up coming 2nd to Joe O'Neill in the €20 rebuy.



Do you find you play better online or in real life?Or about the same? If there is a difference in your live game and online game, what is it and why does it exist?
[/QUOTE]

These days I only really play big tournaments live, so its very different than what I normally play.

rb_ie wrote:

If you were only allowed one piece of advice to pass on (poker advice), what would it be?

Play tight!

Hectorjelly

fuzzbox wrote:

Whats the strongest part of your game?
Whats the weakest part of your game?
What are you doing about the weak part to try to improve it?
Are you obsessive compulsive?
Do you win a lot?
Whats your favourite colour?
Which is nicer - cheddar or blue stilton?
Which boards poster do you play most like?
Which boards poster do you wish you played like?
How many bones has a body got?

Maths
Emotions
Meditation
Not really
Sometimes
Green
I prefer cheddar
Im not sure!
Fuxxbox
about 150 I think

Hectorjelly

SumGuy wrote:

Have you written/recorded any minimal techno?
If so, can it be found anywhere on the interweb?

Ive just done a short album with 9 tracks all composed this year. Ill upload it later and post a link here

Hectorjelly

ianmc38 wrote:

What are your current stats in Pokertracker for VPIP, PFR% and Total Aggression Postflop? What is the hand that has lost you the most money (on average)?

26/13/1.59

ianmc38 wrote:

You're the SB and the BB is an average unimaginative player. He isn't overly tight or loose preflop. What range of hands will you raise/complete/fold with assuming that you play much better postflop?

I just hit fold unless the bb is real bad or I have something decent. If the are worse players at the table Im happy to just move on to the next hand asap.

ianmc38 wrote:

How highly do you rate suited connectors and suited one gappers?

Not very highly at all. 100bb online NL cash games are not about suited almost connectors IMO

ianmc38 wrote:

You recently posted about open-limping ATs from UTG in a cash game. How big a leak is open limping from any other position? What are the merits of limping UTG and what range of hands will you do it with?

I assume you mean openlimping as opposed to limping after other players. I would sometimes openlimp utg and occasionly utg+1. Never from any other spot. I very rarely do this and only in games with passive fish. Open limping in late position is real bad, but its more of a litmus test. If you do it you are a fish!

ianmc38 wrote:

How important is datamining? Do you replay hands you've mined to analyse the play of certain people before you add them to your buddylist? Are there players who you'll avoid at the stakes you play?

I probably should do this but dont. I just look for high VPIPs. There are no players I avoid really, allthough I obv look for tables with more fish than tight regulars

ianmc38 wrote:

What stats do you have pokerace configured to show on your opponents? How heavily do you rely on these stats for in-hand analysis/decisions?

I use the stats a little, but mostly to assing preflop standards. Ie a 20/11 guy limps utg, he has a decent hand. A 52/1 guy limps utg, he has j4s. I just have VPIP/PFR/TOTAL AGGRESION/TOTAL HANDS. In the more details section I have their details for continuation betting and how they react to continuation betting.

ianmc38 wrote:

Do you think there is other intelligent life in the universe that is living beyond the sight of modern science?

Yes

ianmc38 wrote:

If you had to choose between being a beggar and having both your legs amputated which would you go for?

How long did I have to be a beggar for? If for ever then I would lose my legs.

Hectorjelly

nicnicnic wrote:

What games are you currently playing

1/2 and 2/4 nl

nicnicnic wrote:

Do you consider yourself a poker snob

Well i know how to play poker

nicnicnic wrote:

how long is it since you've seen daylight

I got out of a taxi on sunday morning

nicnicnic wrote:

define minimal techno

Do you know what techno is? its just very basic dance music with cool sounds and a very sparse arrangements. Recently its gotten a bit boring

nicnicnic wrote:

Whats your biggest downswing

In what terms? Probably around 10k

nicnicnic wrote:

I feel any monkey can beat ring games up to a decent level. from your stated views of tournament players we clearly differ in opinions here, I know your a good tournament player, if there that easy why not play more of them.

THey are easy to play well in, but hard to win consistantly at. There is SOO much luck in tournaments. Cash games have way more varience and the stacks are deeper. I find myself getting very bored in tournaments because the play is so boring. Optium play means playing almost no flops, and I find preflop play kind of boring. Poker to me is a game of finesse involving things like very marginal value bets on the river and detailed hand reading, not just trying to get all in preflop with AK. There are some good tournament players on VC who really are dreadfull players, its such a simple format which involved never folding strong hands.

nicnicnic wrote:

whose the best player you have played against live and online

peter heslin is a great cash game player, allthough he gives stupidly gives short stacks an unbelieveabe amount of action; maybe he just doesnt care though. No other players spring to mind. I played with Andy Black a few times which was great because id seen a lot of him on TV; he didnt play very well though.

nicnicnic wrote:

whose your favorite politician and what way do you vote

I dont really pay much attention to irish news. I think tony blair is underrated and new labour has been very good for England, which is all overshadowed by the stupid war in iraq. I would normally vote labour or the green party.

nicnicnic wrote:

whats the best piece of advice you ever had poker related and life wise

I cant think of anything specific.

Hectorjelly

cardshark202 wrote:

You mention about 2+2 HSNL being a heavy influence on your game. Which posters do you think offer the best advice?

El Diablo, FSUPlayer, MDMA is fantastic, Riverboatking, limon, Jason Strasser, Foxwoods fiend, cero z, Flawless victory (allthough some of his posts have to be jokes.) The forum has severely gone down in quality this year

cardshark202 wrote:

Who do you post as on 2+2?

Hectorjelly, but I dont post that much.

cardshark202 wrote:

Do you play football on saturday afternoons? We could do with one or two other players at our satuday game which is held in my old school in booterstown.

Yeah I would love to play in that game. Pm me when its next on!

cardshark202 wrote:

How long do you think it will take for you to get to 50-100?

I might not make it, but if I do I would expect to make it by the end of next year. Id be very happy to be playing 10 20 by the end of next year.

cardshark202 wrote:

Who are the best players you've ever played against? Online and live.

This is a hard question, I havent really played that much with many good players. There are a couple of players who ive found to be good, but I havent played enough with to really tell. Also I tend to avoid the better players so its not a problem. At 36 a lot of the winning regulars are just tight really, they arent that great.