Start live in Vietnam and play Poker

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  • #51
MarsLine said:
I play the $10 and $25 limits.
I usually work around 20–24 days per month, so I’m always competing in the leaderboard race.
Do you have any strategy for playing Battle Royale?

After visiting Vietnam, where would you like to go next?

Wishing you continued success!
 
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  • #52
Photo 2026 05 08 14 26 40
China welcomed us with birdsong

We’re here for 9 days, backpacks only.
Plan: Guangzhou, Yangshuo, Guilin.
Since I’m taking a mental break from poker, this week turns into travel-blog mode.

Day 1: harder than expected.
Before leaving Vietnam, they almost didn’t let us board because we had no ticket out of China or back to Vietnam.
I had researched it before, and everything suggested we wouldn’t need one. So we didn’t buy it — partly because we wanted flexibility in case we met friends in China and decided later where to go next (wrong move).
The guy at check-in wasn’t impressed by that story.
So we ended up buying return tickets to Vietnam right there online.
From Guangzhou airport, we took the metro.
Mistake. We were exhausted.
Then we step out into the city center… and both of us are stunned.
Huge crowds, cars everywhere, scooters and e-bikes moving through sidewalks — but silence.
That’s what shocked me most.
In that level of chaos… complete silence.
No engine noise. No aggressive soundscape. Just this strange, almost musical calm.
I’ve never experienced that anywhere else in the world.
For the first time, a crowded city itself felt relaxing.

Landed in China at 3:30 PM.
Checked into the hotel at 9:00 PM.
Full quest mode.

First, I completely messed up the hotel address 😄
We arrived at the wrong one. Then missed again.
And somehow failed a third time too.
Only after asking a local to type the exact address did we finally make it.
Problem was simple: way too many “CityNote” hotels across Guangzhou.
Usually, almost nothing throws me off — not at the poker table, not in life.

Stress, chaos, stacked problems — I’m generally steady.
But this trip made me appreciate my girl even more.
A lot of people start breaking down in situations like that.
Complaining. Snapping. Looking for someone to blame.
She wasn’t that person.
She stayed calm, took responsibility, adapted, and helped solve problems instead of adding to them.
She trusts me, handles mistakes well, and doesn’t mentally collapse when things go sideways.
She says poker would drive her insane…
But honestly, after meeting plenty of poker players with analytical minds and emotional control — she has both. Maybe even more than some of them.

Day 2: full tourist mode.
Walking through temples, parks, and new parts of the city.
Right now I’m writing this from a Harry Potter-style Starbucks that feels straight out of Hogwarts. Photos later.
I’ll keep sharing first impressions of China — especially the details that stand out to me as a poker player thinking not just about travel, but about what life here could actually feel like.
 
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  • #53
MarsLine said:
I’m taking a mental break from poker, this week turns into travel-blog mode.
MarsLine said:
Stress, chaos, stacked problems — I’m generally steady.
I'm enjoying reading about your mental health travels. I'm not sure I'd do the same though. :)
 
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  • #54
China. Day 4
I’m 30 years old, and I realized I knew absolutely nothing about China.
Photo 2026 05 17 14 10 33
Get ready.
When I was a kid, I watched Jackie Chan movies, and like many people, I had stereotypes.
Factories, conveyor belts, people building machines all day, living in an endless work cycle.


Now it’s my 4th day here, and I can say — I was completely wrong ⛔️
Our first city in China was Guangzhou, and honestly, it surprised us.
We expected a typical loud megacity, where everything is overbuilt and nature is slowly destroyed.
But it feels different here.

Even in the city center, there is no constant pressure.
No feeling that the city is pulling you from all sides.


After Da Nang, this difference feels huge.
When you live in a megacity, you can forget what silence really feels like.
When your ears can finally rest, your mind also starts to rest.

For me, silence means a lot.
Constant city noise and endless раздражители overload my nervous system.
Living in Da Nang, I often feel that overload.
And to reset, the first thing I need is silence — something I honestly can’t fully get even on the 22nd floor because of poor sound isolation.
Photo 2026 05 17 14 10 37
Because of this, I keep thinking more and more about one thing:
BALANCE
How is China connected to silence?

95% electric scooters
50% electric cars
The rest are mostly quiet hybrids


I walk with my girlfriend near a wide road, and we don’t need to speak loudly just to hear each other.
That alone says a lot.
China also seems to care more about green spaces, and these small details matter to us.
For the first time in a city, I catch myself not feeling that usual urban pressure that slowly drains energy.
Photo 2026 05 17 14 10 46
BIG PARKS here feel amazing.
No city noise.
We walked for 2 hours and explored maybe only 30% of one park.
And during that walk, I already imagined:

After a heavy morning poker grind…
I leave my phone at home and just go there.
Photo 2026 05 17 14 10 42
Maybe this feeling is only because of vacation and new experiences.
Maybe.

But I’m writing what I truly feel.
Around 70% of this trip is nature.
We took a train to Yangshuo — mountains I had never even heard about before.

And now I’m writing this post with those mountains around me.

Poker is constant cognitive pressure.
Decision after decision.
Money pressure.
Mental overload.

For many players, especially MTT grinders, this happens multiple times every day 🤯

And whether you feel it or not — your brain needs recovery.

Especially if you play formats with endless decisions every session.

Everyone has their own opinion about balance between poker and life.

But I believe your environment affects that balance more than many people realize.

Especially when things go wrong.
When tilt starts.
When reality doesn’t match expectations.

Sometimes changing your environment — even something simple like going to a quiet park instead of staying home — can seriously change how you process stress.

Not vacation.
Not escaping life.

Just changing the space around you.

Maybe then you recover faster.
Maybe you think clearer.
Maybe you stop obsessing so much.

For the last few years, I’ve been trying to understand myself better.
This trip to mountains and fields was not random.
We really needed this.

And maybe, like me, some of you also have a problem:
You simply can’t be alone with yourself.
What surrounds you every day?
How do you feel in the evening?

Think about it.

My blog is not only about crushing limits and pushing maximum performance.

✅ It’s also about keeping a healthy relationship with the game and not losing yourself.
Photo 2026 05 17 14 10 48
I try to resist today’s obsession with nonstop productivity.
These are still just first impressions.
To really understand China, I think you need to live here for 3–6 months.
Maybe one day I will.

But even now, I already see one thing clearly:

Silence, green space, and less constant pressure can seriously change how I feel.
 
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  • #55
I rarely spend that much time in one single thread. I enjoy reading your blog, looking forward to more .

Keep in mind though, that is a very privileged life you have :D
Bet it wouldn't feel so peaceful there with a workingman's job 😅

I will follow your thread .
Also nice to see an example of someone really making some substantial money with MBRs.

I myself play this format also predominantly.
Not in that volume as you do though lol.
I usually play 1-3$ mbrs. Twice a month or so the 10$
Currently trying to reach 10K in winnings.
Little under 2.5K to go:)
Screenshot 20260517 103951 org mozilla firefox HomeActivity
 
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  • #56
G0930 said:
Little under 2.5K to go:)
Oh nice! Hope you manage to make your way through it.

I wish you to establish yourself at the $10 level.
What I really like about MBRs is that you can manage your schedule much more freely, unlike regular MTTs.
 
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  • #57
MarsLine said:
Oh nice! Hope you manage to make your way through it.

I wish you to establish yourself at the $10 level.
Thanks :D how high do you think should my bankroll be to play them regularely?
MarsLine said:
What I really like about MBRs is that you can manage your schedule much more freely, unlike regular MTTs.
Same reason why I love them.
And the occasional bigger golden chest is a nice feeling.
Have you ever witnessed a jackpot?
I never was on the same table but multiple people who won 10k, 25k 250k , i have all played against them in the past ^^
 
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  • #58
ahh, i want to visit vietnam..
nice place and good luck man
 
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  • #59
G0930 said:
Thanks :D how high do you think should my bankroll be to play them regularely?

Same reason why I love them.
And the occasional bigger golden chest is a nice feeling.
Have you ever witnessed a jackpot?
I never was on the same table but multiple people who won 10k, 25k 250k , i have all played against them in the past ^^
For the $10 limit, I'd recommend having at least 300–400 buy-ins, so $3,000+ bankroll. The variance is higher there because of the more aggressive player pool, and the ROI is lower than at the $3 limit.

I've only seen a jackpot once — a $2,500 one in heads-up. It was awarded to the opponent who knocked me out. 😄
 
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  • #60
MarsLine said:
For the $10 limit, I'd recommend having at least 300–400 buy-ins, so $3,000+ bankroll.
yes that sounds reasonable.
MarsLine said:
The variance is higher there because of the more aggressive player pool, and the ROI is lower than at the $3 limit.
you think so? I see the most aggressive players at 25c - 3$ , with the whole deck as their range ^^ Okay maybe plain stupid play is a more accurate description than aggressive .
 
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  • #61
MarsLine said:
Wow, that’s crazy. I’ll definitely be more careful with casinos. They don’t really attract me anyway — the game feels too slow.
Really unfortunate that she ended up in that situation.
I missed this reply, the poker clubs here aren't in casinos, they are in hotels. I'm playing one weekly at fivitel hotel and the games are really soft. I've cashed 2 of the 3 I've played so far.
1000009765
 
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  • #62
It's very interesting, so what kind of rum is forbidden there? And wouldn't it be better in Thailand?
 
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  • #63
belladonna05 said:
I missed this reply, the poker clubs here aren't in casinos, they are in hotels. I'm playing one weekly at fivitel hotel and the games are really soft. I've cashed 2 of the 3 I've played so far.
View attachment 409915
Could you share the address, please? I might stop by one day just for fun with my girlfriend. She's been wanting to try live poker for a while.
 
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  • #64
G0930 said:
yes that sounds reasonable.

you think so? I see the most aggressive players at 25c - 3$ , with the whole deck as their range ^^ Okay maybe plain stupid play is a more accurate description than aggressive .
Yeah, there are definitely players who love to gamble and play very aggressively. But the games are also quite high variance, so you need a solid bankroll to handle the swings.
 
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  • #65
MarsLine said:
Could you share the address, please? I might stop by one day just for fun with my girlfriend. She's been wanting to try live poker for a while.

Poker room is at the top of the stairs on the south side of building facing the footbridge across Han river
This week's schedule , bring your passport to get a club id10000108551000010854
 
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  • #66
playing poker live is one the best things ever, sharing the game with other people that share ur interest and eventually making friends
 
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  • #67
Very cool, good to know there are people who can make a living from Poker. I tried it once and realized it's not for me , the variance stresses me out too much. I prefer doing my trades in the Stock Market, but I still play as a hobby, I enjoy the game.
 
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  • #68
CaioRJ said:
doing my trades in the Stock Market
Is trading your main source of income?
 
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  • #69
Welcome, Marsel! Sounds like you've found a great balance between poker and travel. Vietnam seems like a nice place to grind, especially with the low cost of living and good internet. I'll definitely be interested to hear about your experiences in the different countries and how they compare for online poker. Good luck at the tables! 🍀♠️
 
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  • #70
MarsLine said:
Is trading your main source of income?
Yes, Trading is my main source of income, the secret to being successful in the Market is to look for 3x1 or 4x1 operations, this way, even if you have a negative %, you can still stay in profit.
 
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  • #71
Nameless14 said:
Welcome, Marsel! Sounds like you've found a great balance between poker and travel. Vietnam seems like a nice place to grind, especially with the low cost of living and good internet. I'll definitely be interested to hear about your experiences in the different countries and how they compare for online poker. Good luck at the tables! 🍀♠️
thank you! during the last few years, I have lived and worked in several countries. each of them had its own advantages and problems for online poker.

in Turkey, I first lived in Bodrum. the sea was cold there, so I did not swim much, but I often walked to the beach. I usually worked during the day until the evening. at sunset, I either went for a walk or ran. it was easy to combine work with daily activity there.

the second time I lived in Turkey, I stayed in a small town called Kaş. I usually worked from the morning until lunchtime, so I still had time for walks and sunset runs. I lived within walking distance of the sea and often walked near the marina. the sunsets there were beautiful.

I also lived and worked in Batumi, Georgia, for some time. during the day, I played short SNGs and other fast tournaments. in the evening, I sometimes went to a casino near my home. sometimes I stayed there until late at night. in the end, I lost money in live cash games. I still do not know why I could not make a profit. there were some average regulars, but there were also many recreational players who made expensive mistakes.

I also lived in two South American countries: Argentina and Chile. I chose this part of the world because it had the most comfortable poker schedule I have ever had. when it was evening prime time in Europe, it was morning or daytime in South America. I could play during the best hours and still finish work quite early.

however, safety is worse in South America, and normal prices can be higher. at that time, inflation in Argentina was around 100% per year, so many things were very cheap for me. Chile felt safer, but almost everything was about twice as expensive as in Argentina.

in Argentina, I lived in Buenos Aires. in Chile, I first lived near the ocean for one month. after that, I moved to a small village in the mountains. it was very quiet there, so I spent a lot of time studying poker. I usually played in the morning and during the day, and I also worked on my game.

now I have been living in Vietnam for about six months. my schedule here is very different from anything I had before. I usually wake up at 6 or 7 a.m., but now I am slowly returning to a schedule where I wake up at 5 a.m.

this schedule lets me play during the late-night hours in Europe, when tournament fields are smaller. because of this, the variance is also much lower. I like playing in the quiet morning. I wake up, have some time to think, and only then sit down to play poker. I usually play until around 2 p.m. local time. after 2 p.m., I do not think this time slot is profitable enough.

in Vietnam, I also live close to the sea. in almost every country, I tried to choose a place where I could walk to the sea.
 
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  • #72
MarsLine said:
thank you! during the last few years, I have lived and worked in several countries. each of them had its own advantages and problems for online poker.

in Turkey, I first lived in Bodrum. the sea was cold there, so I did not swim much, but I often walked to the beach. I usually worked during the day until the evening. at sunset, I either went for a walk or ran. it was easy to combine work with daily activity there.

the second time I lived in Turkey, I stayed in a small town called Kaş. I usually worked from the morning until lunchtime, so I still had time for walks and sunset runs. I lived within walking distance of the sea and often walked near the marina. the sunsets there were beautiful.

I also lived and worked in Batumi, Georgia, for some time. during the day, I played short SNGs and other fast tournaments. in the evening, I sometimes went to a casino near my home. sometimes I stayed there until late at night. in the end, I lost money in live cash games. I still do not know why I could not make a profit. there were some average regulars, but there were also many recreational players who made expensive mistakes.

I also lived in two South American countries: Argentina and Chile. I chose this part of the world because it had the most comfortable poker schedule I have ever had. when it was evening prime time in Europe, it was morning or daytime in South America. I could play during the best hours and still finish work quite early.

however, safety is worse in South America, and normal prices can be higher. at that time, inflation in Argentina was around 100% per year, so many things were very cheap for me. Chile felt safer, but almost everything was about twice as expensive as in Argentina.

in Argentina, I lived in Buenos Aires. in Chile, I first lived near the ocean for one month. after that, I moved to a small village in the mountains. it was very quiet there, so I spent a lot of time studying poker. I usually played in the morning and during the day, and I also worked on my game.

now I have been living in Vietnam for about six months. my schedule here is very different from anything I had before. I usually wake up at 6 or 7 a.m., but now I am slowly returning to a schedule where I wake up at 5 a.m.

this schedule lets me play during the late-night hours in Europe, when tournament fields are smaller. because of this, the variance is also much lower. I like playing in the quiet morning. I wake up, have some time to think, and only then sit down to play poker. I usually play until around 2 p.m. local time. after 2 p.m., I do not think this time slot is profitable enough.

in Vietnam, I also live close to the sea. in almost every country, I tried to choose a place where I could walk to the sea.
That's a really interesting journey. It's cool how you've adapted your schedule to fit the most profitable poker hours in each country instead of forcing the same routine everywhere.

I also found your point about the live cash games in Batumi interesting. Sometimes those games look soft on paper, but the dynamics can be completely different from online. And living close to the sea in almost every country sounds like a great way to balance the grind with some downtime.

Thanks for sharing all of that—I’m looking forward to hearing how Vietnam compares after you've spent even more time there.
 
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  • #73
I’m going to write a series of posts about life around poker.

I took a 30-day break from playing, and during this time a lot of thoughts came up that I want to put into text. Not only about poker itself, but about everything around it: recovery, lifestyle, moving between countries, routines, mental load, and trying to build a life where poker doesn’t take all the space.

Back from Bali, back in Vietnam.

I jumped straight into my to-do list: moving to a new apartment (already found one), wrapping up some poker-related tasks, and going through the videos I recorded.

Bali chilled me out, but toned me up at the same time.

90% of the time I just rested, and the other 10% I put toward learning 20 min/day: thinking through poker-adjacent topics that have been on my mind, filming and editing. It feels more like a hobby, but one that demands focus and eats up time. Learning it is genuinely interesting, we’ll see where it goes.

Slowly building out my poker player’s thought library. Ideas are always spinning around in my head, so now I’m writing them down in real time, keeping paper close, keeping a camera close. Testing it out.

There was no pressure on myself that I was wasting time, which used to happen a lot. The old mindset was: if I’m not working, I’m losing time and money. Still some echoes of that, but progress.

I actually enjoyed it, because I now see recovery as a necessary part of my 3-month grind cycle. This time not just mental, not just CNS, physical too — yoga.

I noticed I had zero back tension for all 10 days. Except on the flights, not quite a high roller yet to fly business comfort class. But on the days when I’m grinding, I often feel tension building up through the day and into the evening. Working on it.

The island genuinely restores me, that’s just the feeling.
What I need as a poker player after long sessions: easy walks, quiet, being able to go outside midday without the brutal heat, easy food delivery — cooking after a tough session is a hard no. Space to think, no tourist crowds, minimal traffic.

After Da Nang, Vietnam, these things shot up way higher on my priority list. Not just housing and food prices.
Bali checks those boxes. But I was only there 10 days, and we’ve decided we’ll make the move next year. Not now, because I’m planning to bring my cat, and Indonesia has strict rules around that. You need about six months of prep. So for now, we’re not rushing.

One of the most important things for me was thinking through the future of my poker path and everything around it. I mapped things out, ran some projections.
Short conclusion: I’m not going to rely on poker alone. I’m building skills beyond just being a pro player.
This trip pointed me in the right direction, no question about it. Feeling calm, feeling balanced.
Still a couple of weeks ahead with no grinding. Just making things, putting out content, and preparing for the next cycle.IMG 0170
 

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