What's up all my crazy Check Shove fans? I know I've been really quiet on my blog, YouTube channel, and Twitter account... but it's not without reason. I've done a ton of super interesting stuff in the last four months and I have much to report! In order for all of these developments to make sense, we have to rewind to July 22, 2016. I had just returned to Florida after a non-stop six-week grind at the WSOP and I was completely exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally.

The one and only New Year's Resolution you need to make it through 2017! #Motivation

Howdy, CSP fans! It's been awhile. I hate to say that I've been "busy" because that implies an inability to prioritize my objectives. "Productive" is a better word choice. I've been making some lifestyle changes to improve my overall health and well-being. One of my New Year's Resolutions was to regulate my sleep schedule to optimize performance and reduce my dependence on caffeine. So far so good. Sleeping eight hours a night has done wonders for my clarity throughout the da

I'm glad the calendar has a built-in quality assurance program that forces me to be a bit more introspective. The New Year always causes me to reflect on what I've accomplished and consider ways to improve my performance. There are plenty of things that I need to work on. With that being said, in no particular order, I resolve to... Quit Abusing Stimulants I bought myself a Keurig 2.0 for Christmas in an attempt to quit abusing energy drinks and nootropic stacks. I've limited

Many pro poker players use the game as a means to escape from responsibility. They don’t want to have to wake up on time, show up for work on time, and take orders from superiors. They are often victims of too much freedom. Excessive freedom causes many of them to lose sense of purpose. This is when things start to unravel. They start hitting the snooze button on the alarm a few too many times. Running late, they skip basic hygiene practices like taking a shower and brushing

I think time management is something that nearly all poker players are lacking in. I also think that's one of the biggest reasons why people struggle to improve as poker players. I've coached dozens of students over Skype and of course I always encourage them to study the materials I provide them with after each session. Yet, when they come back the next session and I ask how them how their studies went, they often say that they were too busy to study that week. To be honest,

One of my New Year's Resolutions was to always play in the biggest game I could afford. Consequently, I've been playing a lot of 10/25NL with the occasional $50 button straddle. The swings have been enormous. I won over $40K in January, lost over $30K in February, and won over $20K in March. Now why would I make that commitment? Why would I subject myself to that kind of suffering? It's honestly just because I don't want my game to stagnate. It's really easy to become complac