The last couple of weeks have been pretty exciting on the golf course. I am continuing to make strides in my game. I am getting much better about judging distances on all types of shots and starting to understand my golf swing and its tendencies much better as I become much more comfortable out on the golf course. In fact on Sunday I had one of the more exciting rounds of golf I have ever played. I played my home course of Pumpkin Ridge golf club (Witch Hollow course) with the Sunday morning scratch game and got things off to a great start making a 15 footer for birdie on #1. I played a cautious 8 iron on #2 to 30 feet from the cup putting straight uphill and buried that putt to go 2 under. I played another cautious iron shot to the safe side of the pin and 2 putted for a par on #3.

On hole 4 I bombed a long drive and had 5 iron coming in on the par 5 #4. I hit a poor iron shot to the far left of the green and 3 putted for par. #5 is treacherous long par 3 over water and I hit it to 12 feet and made the birdie putt. On #6 I hit a towering 8 iron to 5 feet and made the tricky down hill putt to go 4 under. On #7 I blocked my tee shot out of bounds and made a double bogey 7 to fall back to 2 under. I hit a great 2nd shot into #8 to a brutally hard pin placement and made the 7 footer to go to 3 under. I made routine pars on #9 and #10 to stay at 3 under.

I bombed a drive on #11 and hit a 3 wood to 30 feet for eagle and after leaving my eagle putt well short, made a good putt to go 4 under. I hung a putt on the lip on #12 from 20 feet and then hit a crafty wedge to 7 feet on #13 and made the putt to go 5 under. On #14 I hit a great drive over the corner of the bunkers and hit my iron shot to the front fringe for an eagle chance. I elected to chip the ball because of a poor lie and chipped it in for eagle to go to 7 under par. I then hit a superb iron shot to 3 feet on the par 3 #15 and made the knee knocker down the hill to go 8 under!

I lipped out a birdie putt on #16 and then after a pulled tee shot on #17, hit a towering hooking 9 iron from 172 yards (I normally only hit a 9 iron 155 yards, but I could feel so much adrenaline my experience has taught me that I hit the ball much further in those circumstances) to 15 feet and narrowly missed the putt because of a misread.

#18 is a really hard but potentially rewarding par 5. There is a hazard left and right. I was pretty nervous on this tee shot because I knew if I hit a good one, I was shotting 62, 63, or 64. But I could really ruin a great round with one bad swing. Back when I was playing competitively I would from time to time make a bad swing in these situations which I knew was due to the pressure. But I was able to apply much of what Jared Tendler (author of The Mental Game of Poker) has taught me in poker to golf, and I decided to enjoy the challenge of hitting the shot and decided I was going to take the mindset of trying to show off rather than fear the shot. I had the mentality of, “Hey, let’s show people how you finish off a great round.” I pured my tee shot down the middle and hit a solid 3 iron just short and left of the green. My pitch shot was a little more difficult than I had anticipated with a ridge just left of the pin that takes the shot off of the green and down a swale. I had to land it in a very small area and with spin to get it close.

Unfortunately I didn’t pull off the shot and landed short of my mark causing me to come up 15 feet short. I missed the putt and made par to shoot and 8 under 64. To shoot 8 under with several lip outs, an OB (2 stroke penalty) and a 3 putt is as mentally captivating of a round that I can play. I was mentally a bit loopy after the round. I just felt like shouting and releasing all of the pent up emotion or something along those lines. Those rounds are much easier to handle when you are playing a ton of competitive golf. But to have a round like that going just 6 weeks after I started playing again after a huge layoff, was pretty trying. But I pulled it off and played as well as I can play, so I was pretty happy about that.

The rest of my time has been mostly spent with my family. I have been taking my daughter to her swim lessons every morning at 10:30 and getting in the pool with her. It is really special to be able to have that time with her. She is just a fantastic and pleasant little kid who has such a fun personality. She smiles a ton and seems very happy in general. She has her little fussy moments like any child does, but overall she seems to really have a lot of passion for life. She really enjoys it and it sure has been great to get to watch it all. One of the greatest gift perhaps that poker has given me is the time that both my wife and I get to spend with her. Without poker, we could very well have each been working a job and would have missed out of so many great moments with her. I always told my wife while I was grinding so much poker before we had kids that while I know it was tough on her for me to be working so much, she would be grateful for it when we had children and didn’t have to work so hard. We are both very happy about that decision.

I want to let everyone know that my calendar is filling up for private coaching. You can read this post for more information. One thing I want to point out is that since I am an American and will almost assuredly not play on Poker Stars ever again due to the legal situation for us Americans, all of the small to mid stakes grinders on Poker Stars should really think about hiring me as their coach. Because I have played so much at all limits between 1/2nl and 25/50nl over the last 4 years on Poker Stars. I have reads on an incredible amount of opponents across those limits and having been one of the biggest winners on that site over the least 4 years, I think I can be an especially valuable resource for anyone playing in those games. I would never give my reads before Black Friday, but now I really have no reason to protect them anymore.

After giving it significant consideration for the past few months, I have decided to take on a limited number of students for private coaching. While I have immensely enjoyed some time away from poker, I realized that I do miss being involved with the game of poker in some capacity. So I have decided to dedicate 2 days a week to coaching poker.

I have also decided to drop my coaching rates to a level that is more affordable for the small and mid stakes players looking to take their game to the next level. In the past I have charged anywhere from $750-$1,000 an hour. But now that I am not playing online right now due to Black Friday, I no longer have a huge opportunity cost associated with me coaching. As a result, I will offer my coaching services at the following rates:

No Limit Holdem Cash Games Coaching Rates:

One-on-one coaching Hourly rate: $300

Group Coaching (parties of 5 or less) hourly rate: $500

Day Fee: $2,000. My day fee includes 8 hours of one-on-one poker coaching (4 hours of coaching, then a 1 hour break, followed by 4 more hours of coaching).

Packages: 1. One-on-one packages of 10 hours – $2,750
2. Group coaching packages (parties of 5 or less) of 10 hours – $4,500

Create your own coaching package: If you have any ideas on how I can assist you in a way not already mentioned, don’t hesitate to write me. In the past I have given live coaching seminars, speaking engagements and even instructed folks who have purchased golf/poker packages because they were looking to get better at both golf and poker. However, please do not contact me about any revenue sharing based coaching as I will not give those types of arrangements any consideration.

My poker resume’:

Arguably played more hands of mid to high stakes no limit holdem of anyone in the world
Profited over $4,000,000 in online cash games in my career which is arguably more than anyone at my stakes in online poker history
The highest win rate in mid to high stakes games on Poker Stars in 2007 and 2008
Poker Stars Team Online pro from 2010-2011
Among the first Supernova elites to earn that status exclusively through no limit holdem cash games (2007)
Author of Treat Your Poker Like A Business and Don’t Listen To Phil Hellmuth
Produced over 100 coaching videos for various online training sites
Written over 50 published articles, most of which appear in Card Player magazine
One of the first poker professionals to be featured in Sports Illustrated magazine as part of a 6 page spread
Competed in and served as a color analyst for the PartyPoker.com Big Game IV and V
Earned over $1,000,000 in online cash games from 2009-2011
My story has been written about in Golf Magazine, Fairways and Greens, Golf Week,Golf World and the Portland Oregonian, as well as on ESPN, cnn.com, wallstreetjournal.com, forbes.com, fortune.com, espn.com, golfdigest.com and golf.com, among many others

What will a coaching session with me look like?:

If you are interested in just an hour or two of coaching, my main priority will be to make sure you get plenty of value out of our lesson. How I accomplish this is to spend the majority of our time together going over Holdem Manager or Poker Tracker 3 statistics in great detail. I will match your numbers with mine, and go over every important statistic line by line and give you a framework for what you need to adjust and the direction I would like to see you take your game.

If you are able to spend 10 hours or more together, then a typical 10 hour series will look something like this:

- 30 minutes reviewing your Holdem Manager or Poker Tracker 3 results.

- 1 hour watching you play at the tables where I will be spending the bulk of my time answering your questions and taking extensive notes on your play as well as the thought process I perceive that you have.

- 30 minutes to 1 hour reviewing the main things I want to work on in your game based on what I have gathered from the first 90 minutes of working together.

- 7 to 8 hours of a mixture of watching you play, reviewing hands that you have saved from sessions, using various tools to teach important concepts that I would like to see you work on, Q and A time as well as simply spending time “talking poker” in a way that is helpful to the student.

How Important is your Red Line (AKA W$w/oSD) and can you help me with it?

It is HUGE. There are an incredible number of professional poker players who struggle to win money when the pot does not go to showdown and it is probably the number one reason so many players stay at the same limit longer than they would like. For example, if you are losing $200 or $300 a day playing 1/2nl, then your success each day is entirely dependent upon how well you run when the pot does go to showdown. And not only do you become too dependent on how well you run when the pot does go to showdown, but you have to win back the $200 or $300 a day you are getting outplayed, simply to break even.

Another way to look at it is that day after day, I can mostly control how well I do without showdown. If I play 5,000 hands in a day, I can win money when I see a flop between 48 and 52% almost without exception. But what I can never control is how well I do when the pot does go to showdown. Some days I lose $15,000 and some days I win $15,000. There is a huge amount of variance associated with how well I do when the pot goes to showdown since after all, we are playing a card game. So I like to try and focus on what I can control. I can win money nearly every time in non showdown pots which then reduces the impact of how well I run with showdown. The more you play a style of poker that you can have a greater amount of control over your results day after day or week after week, the less variance you will have. And not only will you have less variance, but better results too because the plays you are using to win money in non showdown pots are profitable additions to your arsenal.

All that being said, the non showdown statistic is somewhat complex and can give you misleading results. For example, I would never recommend playing a style that won too much money in non showdown pots. Some of the biggest losers in poker history are ones who have simply tried to run people over and win every single pot. To use an extreme example, if I shoved all in preflop with my entire range, then I would crush non showdown pots, but eventually go broke. So the main objective is balance.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Do you consider yourself a full ring expert as well as a 6 max expert?

Yes. I have historically had a slightly higher win rate at full ring than 6 max, but I think that is mostly due to players being generally tougher at 6 max. I consider myself adept at both.

2. My red line (the line in a Holdem Manager graph that reflects how much you win or lose w/o showdown) trends negative. Can you help me fix this?

If there is one thing that I think I can help you the most with, this might be it. I actually struggled with my own red line last year and took a 1 month break from playing poker, instead spending my time away from the tables for hundreds of hours working on a resolution to this issue. I’ve done extensive work and analysis on this exact situation. After I returned to poker I had a positive red line and had one of the best win rates in mid stakes games on Poker Stars until I stopped playing in mid April.

3. Will you teach me a short stack strategy?

No. I am most proficient in 100BB and deep stack (250BB+) play. I think teaching short stacking is to do my students and the game of poker a disservice.

4. Are your coaching dates flexible?

Somewhat. I would like to do the bulk of my coaching on Mondays and Tuesdays, but can be flexible from time to time if needed. Since I am expecting most of my students to reside outside of the U.S.A., it is likely much of the coaching will be done during evening or night hours (morning for me, evening/nights for the international student) since it will be 8 or more hours earlier for me. However, if the student has a strong desire to learn, I am going to be inclined to find time for that student.

5. What do you look for in a student?

I am looking for students who have a similar passion for the game of poker as myself. I think if the student has a strong desire to learn, they will get a tremendous amount of benefit from my coaching because the more passionate they are, the better and better I will coach them since passion is infectious. I have no desire to work with anyone who isn’t going to take their games seriously. I have had a nearly impeccable track record of taking my students games to their desired levels and sometimes beyond. 3 of my students have gone on to make over $1,000,000 playing poker and several more have gone from micro and small stakes players to making over $100,000 a year on average.

6. I don’t have very much money, so how much do you think I can benefit from one or two lessons?

It is highly probable that even one session will be +EV for you in the sense that you stand to make more money as a result of the lesson than the cost of the lesson itself. And if that is all you have in your budget, then it will likely be worthwhile. However, I am most anxious to work with people who have a decent enough bankroll that they can participate in a more long term relationship between coach and student. When I was a small stakes grinder in 2005 and 2006, I took a portion of my bankroll and used it for private coaching. I recouped my coaching expenses in short order and it made an unbelievable difference in how I approached the game of poker. Since I have been on the other side of a student/coach relationship and seen how powerful an investment in my game with a top notch professional can be, I am a huge believer in that process.

If my coaching fees are simply too much money for you to afford right now, I would highly recommend watching my training videos as well as reading my books and contacting me at a later date when you feel you are in a better position to work with me.

7. What types of payment methods do you accept?

Bank Of America online transfer
Wire transfer
Direct Bank Transfer
Moneybookers
Mailed cashier’s check or money order (must be received before we begin working. I will split all mailing costs)
Chase Quick Pay
Pay Pal

8. How can I contact you about your coaching services:

The best way to reach me is via email at Leatherasscoaching@gmail.com. You can also reach me via Facebook.

9. What does “group coaching” mean?

Group coaching can be done one of two ways. The best way is for a group to come together and pool their money to make the coaching more affordable. Before our sessions, I would ask the group to get together and compile all of the things that they collectively struggle with the most. We would then go over the group’s most burning questions. After an hour or two of going over the group’s questions, I will then have a much better understanding of where their games are at and can put together materials that I can teach to the group that is custom fit to where their games are at. It is likely that I will be emailing the group from time to time to prepare for our next session together and be sure that I am going over the most pertinent information needed to take the group’s game to the next level.

Another way to do it is to email me and let me know you are interested in group coaching. Based on your win rate and stakes you are playing, I will attempt to pair together groups of people who seem to be of similar skill sets and design a course tailored for that group specifically prior to our session. This is not as good of an option in my opinion than coming to me with your own predetermined group, but at the same time, it is significantly cheaper for the student to learn this way. Groups of 5 would bring each student’s share at only $100 an hour which is 1/3 of the individual rate.

10. Can lessons be done in person?

Only in special cases. My aim is to conduct all lessons over the computer using Skype and/or Teamviewer.com. If you wish to meet with me in person, you must book at least 1 full day ($2k day fee) and you will be responsible for any potential travel costs. If you live in Portland, OR area, and you want to meet face to face, you must book at least 4 hours at a time.

11. What is the main problem most players have?

The abilities of my students range greatly. I have worked with some students who are simply trying to get started in their poker careers with the goal of transitioning from their current careers into a poker career. I have worked with students who are huge winners in poker who probably play 98% as well as me and are just trying to shave some of the small leaks in their game. Most students that I work with are pros or semi pros who generally struggle with their red lines (aka W$w/oSD) and approach the game from a perspective that is a little tighter than what I would like to see. Having a poor red line is something many pros struggle with and something that I am confident we can fix in 10 hours or less in most cases.

Phil,

As you know, I co wrote a book titled Don’t Listen To Phil Hellmuth. I have also written a few articles about what I would like to see change in poker to clean up our “sport.” In these articles, I did pick on you a little for some of your antics. I feel strongly that the game of poker may have the potential to some day attract major corporate sponsors, and I stated that I didn’t think some of your antics (as well as those of many, many others) were doing poker any favors.

Given your recent performance, I have received numerous messages from people asking me if I feel stupid or not given the title of our most recent book. Truthfully, I don’t. This is a quote of mine from a recent article I wrote about you: …there is no question that Phil can return to the top of poker. Anyone who can have the kind of success that he has enjoyed in the past, knows what it takes to get to the top. But if Phil is going to spend his time partying with rappers and not doing the things that made him great in the first place, then he has no chance to return to the top. I think the thing that irks me the most is that Phil acts as if he can have his cake and eat it too. He wants to claim he is “the best no limit holdem player in the world BY FAR” yet isn’t putting anywhere near the amount of work into his game to be there. His claim may have been true long ago, but he is nowhere near that level currently. But he has gotten to the top before and he can do it again. It certainly won’t be easy for him, but if he can channel the same passion for the game that got him to the top of the poker world years ago, then there is no question he knows what it takes to get back to that point and I believe he can do it.

My understanding is that you have put some tremendous work into yourself and your poker game this year. With that, congratulations on your performance at the WSOP! While I know you would have liked to have added another bracelet (or three) to your outstanding tournament career, getting heads up in three bracelet events is a tremendous accomplishment and you deserve a lot of respect for that performance. I understand that you have put some time and energy into your game as of late and with your recent performance, I don’t think anyone will doubt that you are playing some exceptional poker. As I stated previously, with hard work and determination, there is no question that you are a great player and I am happy for you that you showed the poker world that you are still among the game’s elite.

What I think is so great about what you have done this year is that not only did you perform exceptionally well at this years WSOP, but you certainly seem to have done a lot of work in terms of how you conduct yourself at the tables. And that is what I think you should be most proud of. It was great to see you perform so well while showing people that you can win and lose with grace. In fact, you remind me of Bobby Jones (13 time major championship winner in golf in the 1920s) when he was a work in progress in the early 1920s.. Bobby Jones was an exceptional talent at golf, but was known more for his awful behavior on the golf course more than for his golf game. Realizing this was a problem, Bobby worked hard to act as well as he played the game, and in no time at all had completely reversed the way people thought of him. In fact, he actually went down as one of the great gentlemen of the game when it was all said and done. Bobby hung a quote in his office (which I also hang in mine since Bobby is somewhat of a hero to me) that said, “For when the one great scorer comes to write against your name, he writes not that you won or lost, but how you played the game.”

I hope this message makes its way to you. I really and truly want to express that I am very happy for you. I am very happy that you have turned a corner with your poker game and your behavior. I think in time, the game itself will thank you as well. Let’s face it, you are a mega star in the game of poker. And in every major sport, the stars have always been rewarded for behaving in a way that ultimately makes themselves and the game look good. Sure, people can line their pockets in the short term by acting in a fashion that generates interest. But over the long haul, it is critical to both the mega star and the game they play, that they behave in a way that ultimately makes themselves and their sport look good to the general public. And when up and comers are seeing you profit off of behaving the way you do, it inspires others to do the same. Ultimately, the very game that has given you so much, suffers. While any sport can handle a few of their pros routinely acting outside of accepted norms, the very foundation of any major sport is built upon a solid group of individuals that kids can look up to and want to emulate. With that in mind, I would encourage you to keep doing what you are doing as of late. The game needs the “new” Phil Hellmuth.

Sincerely,

Dusty Schmidt