I occasionally see people respond to my weekly Upcoming Releases posts with comments like “it's just a buncha' shovelware”, and I don't think people realize the potential in some of the games they're dismissing. And especially with Nintendo stepping back from their regular Nintendo Directs, I think there's likely to be a fair number of Switch players asking themselves, “so now what?”
Because of this, before we jump into the next month, I'm going through the list of upcoming games for that month that we know about, and highlighting the ones that have a strong chance of being worth paying attention to, as well as a brief snippet about the game explaining why it's worth watching.
I will specifically only be highlighting games that have a reasonably strong pedigree, or that are otherwise particularly noteworthy in some way beyond “this looks good, it could be interesting...”. This means that I'll likely be mentioning a lot of ports, as it's easier to know a game will likely be good if it was already good on another platform (I'm including games that scored 75 or higher on Metacritic on other platforms, 80% positive or higher on Steam, and/or 4 or higher rating on Google Play store). I'll also mention games whose developer has a decent track record for producing quality.
Oh, and before getting into the games, I should note that this is just the list we have available right now – there are likely to be new games announced after this list comes out, as well as games on this list that get delayed. Also, I should note that this is not a list of the only games worth getting on the Switch this month – just the ones that I feel can be backed up with more than just “feels” given what we know now. And of course, since these games aren't released yet, I obviously can't know they're good, they just look promising.
Two things I want to touch on for this month's list in particular. Firstly, this list includes a lot of games with vague “Summer” or “Q3” release dates, since September is the last month that could be considered either of those things. At least as far as anything we know, these games are announced to be coming out before the end of September, though of course these could also be targets that we'll find out have moved. Secondly, a lot of the games in this month's list have prior releases without a Metacritic score. I'm actually looking at this as a good exercise to see exactly how indicative Steam and Google Play user reviews are for predicting critical review scores of a Switch port. I suppose we'll see!
Anyway, on to the list!
9/2 – Piffle: A Cat Puzzle Adventure (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – Mobile developer Mighty Games has only one game on Metacritic with enough reviews to have a Metacritic score, but that score (for iOS game Shooty Skies) is a solid 83. However, that's not to say Piffle: A Cat Puzzle Adventure is an unknown entity – the game has been out on mobile devices since 2018, and currently has an average user rating of 4.3 on the Google Play store. This game is a cutesy take on the sort of Puzzle game where you release a multitude of balls (or in this case, cats) at an angle to try to take out blocks above. Clearly, this game is going to be on the more casual side of things, but if you want to get an idea what to expect, you can try it out on your smartphone now.
9/3 – Good Pizza, Great Pizza (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – This arcadey restaurant game (compare to Cook! Serve! Delicious!! 2 and the various “Cooking Tycoon” games already on Nintendo Switch) was released on iOS in 2014 and PC in 2018, and while neither version has enough reviews to have a Metacritic score, the PC version currently has an 87% approval rating on Steam with 230 reviews. This game distinguishes itself from other games in the genre with its clever, funny writing and bizarre customers.
Announced on 9/3 - 9/3 – Spellbreak (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 74) – I didn't list this in my predictions but it did not have a release listed prior to its release. This is a free-to-play online battle royale third-person shooter that reviewers said was a nice magical twist on the genre. Note: This had a Metacritic score over 75, but then it dropped.
9/4 – Dirt Trackin 2 (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – This game was released some while ago on mobile devices (I'm having trouble seeing when, exactly), and while the graphics on this racing game are nothing special, it currently has an impressive 4.7 average userscore on Google Play, with over 1800 reviews. That's not the only thing noteworthy about this game, either – it looks like this game will support races for 20 players online. Given how much the Nintendo Switch needs quality racing games, hopefully this will help to fill that need.
9/4 – Lair of the Clockwork God (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 82) – The PC version of this game released earlier this year, and currently has a score of 84 on Metacritic. This game is a clever hybrid of point-and-click adventure games and platformers, and critics loved its silly, “stupid” sense of humor and unique meshing of gameplay elements.
9/4 – Paradise Killer (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 81) – This is a game I missed in my original predictions, but list here for those looking at this article after the fact. This is an open-world graphic adventure game where you're interviewing various suspects on an island to get to the bottom of a murder mystery.
9/4 – Roommates (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – The PC version of this game released back in 2014, but never got enough reviews to get a Metacritic score. However, players enjoyed it – the game currently has an 80% approval rating on Steam, with 80 reviews. This game appears to be a dating sim/life management sim-style game where players must manage the schedule, chores, and social life of a student in a college dorm.
9/7 – Shaolin vs Wutang (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – This game was released on PC in 2018, and while it doesn't have enough reviews for a Metacritic score, it currently has a 92% approval rating on Steam with over 750 reviews. This game is billed as a “indie casual fighting game”, aiming to appeal to a wider range of players than just fighting game diehards.
9/8 – AVICII Invector (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 81) – When this game released on other platforms in 2019, it got scores ranging from 79-82. This is a music-rhythm game featuring the music of AVICII, with a stylish futuristic presentation. If you want to give it a try, this game has a demo out on the eShop right now.
9/8 – Meganoid (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – Mobile developer Orange Pixel's one game to get rated on Metacritic, Gunslugs 2, got a Metacritic score of 78. Meanwhile, this game released on mobile devices and currently has a Google Play user rating of 4.0 or 4.4 (depending on the version you go for). This is a challenging procedurally-generated action-platformer. Watching video, it kinda' puts me in mind of a fast-paced sci-fi Spelunky, though that's just speculation. Anyway, one of the versions of this game on Android is free with ads, so you can give it a try if you're curious.
9/8 – OkunoKA Madness (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 82) – This game's predecessor, OkunoKA, got a Metacritic score of 80, and hopefully this follow-up will be just as good. This game is a super-fast challenging platformer.
9/8 – RPG Maker MV (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 65) – This game, first released on PC in 2015, has yet to get enough reviews to get a Metacritic score, but players absolutely love it – Steam users give this game a 92% approval rating with over 3500 reviews. As the name indicates, the RPG Maker series is a powerful toolset for creating and sharing your own custom-made RPGs. What's more, the PC version currently costs $80, while the Nintendo Switch version will be selling for $50, making the Switch version the less-expensive alternative, for a change. Even cooler, you don't even need to buy the game to enjoy other players' creations – NIS America plans to release a free player alongside this game allowing anyone with a Nintendo Switch to download and play the RPGs made by other players (sadly, no cross-play with the PC version, though), so RPG fans without a creative bone in their body will have a lot to look forward to as well.
9/10 – Death and Taxes (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – This game released on PC earlier this year, and hasn't gotten enough reviews to get a Metacritic score. However, the reaction of players has been positive – the game currently has a 90% positive rating on Steam, with over 900 user reviews. This is a game that puts you in the role of Death, which is apparently a desk job that has you stamping paperwork and organizing your desktop. I get a vibe from this one that reminds me a lot of Papers, Please, so those who enjoyed that game may want to give this one a look.
9/10/20 – Deleveled (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – Developer Quantum Astrophysicists Guild has a solid track record when it comes to quality, boasting an average Metacritic score of 76. This game is a Puzzle-Platformer that has players controlling two squares above and below a series of platforms that must transfer their velocity to help each other past obstacles.
9/10 – Hotshot Racing (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 76) – This is a game I missed in my original predictions, but list here for those looking at this article after the fact. This is a retro-style racing game that critics praised for its arcade-style racing and multiplayer play.
9/10 – MO:Astray (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 86) – This game, first released on PC in 2019, was overlooked by critics, but it has an impressive 94% approval rating on Steam, with over 2250 user reviews. This is a platformer that has you playing a sticky ball of goo that can fling itself around and stick to walls.
9/10/20 – Othercide (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – This game already released on other platforms earlier this year, and the different versions of the game got an average Metacritic score of 76. This is a Tactics-style Strategy-RPG and critics praised its top-notch tactical gameplay.
9/10 – Tomoyo After -It's a Wonderful Life- CS Edition (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – This visual novel takes place after the events of Clannad, which got a Metacritic score of 83, and while the PC version of this game, released in 2016, does not have enough reviews for a Metacritic score, players are universally thrilled with it – the game has a 94% approval rating with 325 reviews. This game's story follows a pair of young lovers whose desire to spend a nice Summer together keep getting trampled on by unexpected house guests. Interestingly, this game also houses a game-within-a-game Tactics-style Strategy-RPG that players can partake in as well, for those looking for something beyond the standard visual novel gameplay.
9/10 – Wintermoor Tactics Club (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – This combination Tactics-Style RPG and Visual Novel (hey, didn't I just post about one of those?) got a Metacritic score of 81 when it released on PC earlier this year. Critics praised its lighthearted story and accessible gameplay.
9/11 – Firework (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – This game, released on PC in 2018, was overlooked by reviewers, and doesn't have many user reviews on Steam yet, but those who have reviewed it are unanimous in their response – the game has a 100% approval rating on Steam with 24 reviews. Judging from the trailers, this looks like an action-platformer that reminds me a lot of the Mega Man games.
9/17 – Intertial Drift (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 79) – This is a game I missed in my original predictions, but list here for those looking at this article after the fact. This is an arcade racer with a unique two-stick control scheme.
9/17 – Fight Crab (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 72) – This is a game I missed in my original predictions, but list here for those looking at this article after the fact. This is a game that has you fighting as various crabs wielding weapons. Critics praised its unique gameplay and sense of humor. Note: This game previously had a Metacritic score above 75, but that later dropped.
9/17 – Dog Duty (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – Developer Zanardi and Liza has mostly flown under the radar of critics, but their prior game, Battle Bruise, has a 91% approval rating on Steam with nearly 300 reviews. Dog Duty is a bit different, though, and appears to be a sorta' small-scale Real-Time Strategy game, with players commanding three units and positioning them to take out enemies. In any case, it certainly looks interesting.
Announced on 9/17 - 9/17 – Hades (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 92) – I didn't list this in my predictions but it did not have a release listed prior to its release. This game is an action-packed Roguelike that critics praised for its excellent combat and fantastic story.
9/17 – Mini Motor Racing X (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 72) – Critics overlooked this game when it released on multiple platforms in 2019, but Steam users liked it, with a 97% positive rating from over 35 user reviews. This game is also the successor to the iOS game Mini Motor Racing, which got a Metacritic score of 79. This looks to be a lighthearted racer with 4-player split-screen play and two different racing modes: top-down and behind-the-vehicle. Also, the Nintendo Switch version is getting new game modes, too. Given the lack of quality racing games on the Nintendo Switch, hopefully this will give players one more good option.
9/17 – Moero Crystal H (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 74) – This is a game I missed in my original predictions, but list here for those looking at this article after the fact. This is a raunchy dungeon crawler that critics praised for its humor and solid gameplay. Note: This had a Metacritic score over 75, but it has since gone down.
Announced on 9/17 - 9/17 – Ori and the Will of the Wisps (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 93) – I didn't list this in my predictions but it did not have a release listed prior to its release. This previously-Xbox One and PC exclusive sequel to Ori and the Blind Forest is a beautiful Metroidvania with a focus on platforming.
Announced on 9/1/20: 9/17 – Super Punch Patrol (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 75) – Game developer Bertil Hörberg has a stellar track record, having produced the Gunman Clive games and Mechstermination Force, all games that received Metacritic scores of 79 or higher. His new game, Super Punch Patrol, is a Final Fight-style Brawler with a similar cel-shaded "sketchy" art style to Gunman Clive.
Announced on 9/3/20: 9/18 – Super Mario 3D All-Stars (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 82) – Now that this is officially announced and dated, this is the easiest call in the world to make. Two of the games in this collection have been called "the best videogame of all-time" more than just about any other games out there, and Super Mario Sunshine is pretty damn good too. Nintendo would have to mess up this release pretty severely for it to not get a high Metacritic score.
Announced on 9/17/20: 9/17 – The Long Dark (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 77) – This is a game I didn't have in my original predictions because it was released right when it was announced, but list here for those looking at this article after the fact. Critics praised this for being a solid, challenging survival game.
Announced on 9/1/20: 9/22 – Rebel Galaxy Outlaw (Trailer)(Metacritic Score: 83) – This game came out on PC in 2019, and Metacritic gives that version of the game a score of 77. Critics praised the game's space combat gameplay as being a spiritual successor to beloved classic Freelancer.
Announced on 9/10/20: 9/23 – Castlestorm II (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – The original Castlestorm got a Metacritic score of 78 when it released on the Nintendo Switch, and there's little reason to expect its sequel will fare any worse. This is a side-scrolling Tower Defense game that incorporates action and puzzle elements as well, with players building their towers and aiming a ballista at the enemy's tower to try to knock it down.
9/23 – Unrailed! (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – This game released on PC in 2019, and while critics overlooked it, the game has a nice 92% approval rating on Steam, with nearly 3600 user reviews. This game has a blocky “voxel”-style look that will undoubtedly draw comparison to Minecraft, as well as gameplay that has you mining for resources, but this game is a bit more focused, with players working together to try and build their train's tracks before it derails.
Announced on 9/3/20: 9/24 – Alluris (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – Released to multiple platforms in 2019, but not getting enough reviews to get a Metacritic score, the Steam version of the game has a 92% "very positive" rating with over 100 reviews. This is a card-based RPG with "choose your own adventure" elements.
9/24 – Dungreed (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – Yet another game critics overlooked but users thoroughly enjoyed, Dungreed's 2018 PC release has a 90% approval rating on Steam with 4575 reviews. This one looks to be a fast-paced action-platformer with RPG and Roguelike elements. Edit: Delayed until 10/27/20
9/24 - Embracelet (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 84) – Developer Machineboy's prior game, Milkmaid of the Milky Way, earned an average Metacritic score of just over 75 between all of its versions, and its follow-up looks to be even more ambitious, with players exploring an island and using a magical bracelet to solve puzzles.
9/24 – Going Under (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 82) – This is a game I missed in my original predictions, but list here for those looking at this article after the fact. This is a Roguelike critics praised for its goofy presentation and fun gameplay.
9/24 – Rivals of Aether – Definitive Edition (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – This platformefighting game was released on PC in 2015 and Xbox One in 2018, yet there still haven't been enough reviews for the game to get a Metacritic score. Users are absolutely ecstatic about the game, though – it has a 94% positive rating on Steam with over 11,600 user reviews. The Nintendo Switch version also promises to include all of the game's add-on content, including cameo characters like Shovel Knight and Ori.
Announced on 9/8/20: 9/24 – RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 Complete Edition (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 71) – This classic management sim may be 16 years old now, but it's still beloved by many, and the PC version has a Metacritic score of 81. This release includes the Soaked and Wild expansions, as well as the series' signature Coaster Cam.
9/25 – Trollhunters: Defenders of Arcadia (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – While a licensed game based on a direct-to-Netflix children's series doesn't seem like a surefire bet when it comes to quality, this one is being developed by Wayforward, who has been extremely consistent in putting out quality game after quality game in recent years, even rising above mediocre licenses with fantastic games like The Mummy Demastered. Hopefully this game will be in keeping with their usual quality.
9/29/20 – Alwa's Legacy (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 76) – This game got a Metacritic score of 78 when it released on PC earlier this year. Critics seem to be saying that this is a solid kid-friendly Metroidvania.
August/September 2020 - Sunless Skies: Sovereign Edition (Trailer) – Well, this didn't come out in August, so that just leaves September. This is a follow-up to Sunless Sea, which released on the Switch earlier this year. However, it is generally agreed that Sunless Skies is much improved over its predecessor, with the 2019 release of the game on PC getting a Metacritic score of 87. This is a game that balances RPG and survival elements with a dark, almost Lovecraftian atmosphere in an alternate-world Victorian England swallowed up under the Earth. Note: Delayed until TBA
September 2020 – Space Crew (Trailer) – This game is the successor to Bomber Crew, which got a Metacritic score of 75. Based on how Bomber Crew played, I'm guessing this one will have you controlling a spaceship by having you direct each member of the crew to control their own individual responsibility within the ship. Note: Delayed until October
Summer 2020 – Pixeljunk Eden 2 (Trailer) – The original Pixeljunk Eden got an average Metacritic score of just over 80, so there's good reason to expect its long-awaited sequel to be top-notch. This is a unique platformer that has you controlling a flea-like creature jumping and swinging on the scenery. Note: Delayed until Fall 2020
Q3 2020 – Nongunz: Doppelganger Edition (Trailer) – Nongunz was originally released on PC in 2017 and got a Metacritic score of 75. This is an Action-Platformer that critics praised for its challenging action. Note: Missed release date
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Anyway, that's what I could find for September 2020 on the Switch, but no doubt some of you have specific games you've got your eye on this next month. Please feel free to give a shout out to any game you feel deserves attention! :-)

ATLANTA

Porsha Williams Shows Off Her Epic Holiday Decor: 'They Call Me the Queen of Christmas' (People exclusive)
Meet Chicago-area native Drew Sidora, the newest cast member of ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’ (The Chicago Tribune)

"Actress Drew Sidora is known for her performances in the Disney Channel series “That’s So Raven,” the VH1 biopic “CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story” and the dance film “Step Up.”
The Olympia Fields native plays the role of wife, mother and actress in a pandemic on the new season of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” which is scheduled to premiere at 7 p.m. Sunday on the Bravo network.
Viewers meet Sidora, 37, on Season 13′s second episode, which is set to air Dec. 13. The Rich Central High School graduate, who is married to business executive Ralph Pittman, is raising three children. She has the unenviable task of joining the cast of a long-running TV show that has become the flagship of “The Real Housewives” brand, thanks to notable personalities such as NeNe Leakes (who is not slated to return for Season 13) and Kenya Moore (who is back).
Sidora’s drama seems to center around her husband’s mysterious three-day disappearance. Her mother also lives in their home. She said her father is battling Alzheimer’s disease in an Illinois nursing home. Sidora chatted with the Tribune about her time on “The Real Housewives” in a recent phone interview. The following transcript has been edited for clarity and condensed for space.
Q. What made you decide to sign up for the “Housewives?”
A. It was just one of those things. I was approached back in 2015 to join the show. I was pregnant with my now-5-year-old, and while I was in Chicago visiting family, my water broke. I was only 28 weeks, so I was actually transferred and admitted into Rush (hospital). I was there for like five weeks, ordered to bed rest and delivered Machai, 4 pounds, 4 ounces, at 32 weeks. So we kind of just stayed there, and I was like, now’s not the right time.
It just wasn’t good timing, so when they came back around, we were just moving to Atlanta. I got a chance to hang out with (former cast member) Eva Marcille and (cast member) Cynthia (Bailey) at her wine cellar opening (last year). And that’s when it was like, all right, this is awesome. And so this year, here we are. So, it was kind of God. It was like, all right, three times. Three-time charm. This was the third time, and it just felt really like perfect timing.
After everything we’ve gone through this year for 2020, it was just like, why not? Why not open myself to let people get to know the real me that I usually can’t show in any movie or TV show I would ever do? This is going to be just raw and really just introduce the world to who I am as a person.
Q. Besides Eva and Cynthia, did you know any of the other cast members before joining the show?
A. I knew Porsha (Williams). I had done an interview on Dish, so I got a chance to hang out with her. She’s my neighbor, so she literally lives six minutes away from me. That was awesome. Also Shamea (Morton), who’s a friend on the show, she was in the TLC biopic, so I had met her a few years back when we filmed that movie.
Q. Was it difficult to join a show with 12 seasons of history?
A. It’s an amazing show. I know I watched the show over the course of the years. Before we started filming, I went back to Season 1 and just really got more familiar with everything. I think it’s just awesome to see what the ladies have been able to do as far as their businesses are concerned and just really showcasing how as women we can get along. We can have fun. I’m sure you have girlfriends. You know sometimes everything’s not perfect, and you have to have those tough conversations or disagreements, or whatever. I was just excited to meet the ladies. Obviously everyone’s been super awesome and just very inviting toward me. Not that everything’s perfect — but most of them are just really enjoyable, and (I’m) just getting to know each and every one of them.
Q. When did you become a fan of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta?”
A. I would definitely say my family, they’ve been super fans, so just watching it with them. I absolutely love NeNe and wishing her well. She opened the door to this franchise, and I thought she was amazing on the show. Very, very entertaining. For me, it was just about showing myself. I’ve had three surgeries on my Achilles, and my dad has Alzheimer’s, and just what I go through. I feel like just being able to share that and open my home, hopefully to inspire somebody and just to show as an actor, this is also my life. It’s not always glitz and glamour and just show that journey of an actor that you wouldn’t get to see on any film or television show that I’ve done.
Q. A (Bravo) news release mentions some marital troubles. Can you give us some more details of what the viewers will see this season?
A. Oh, Lord. They’re going to see just us. Just the Pittmans. Obviously, my husband left for three days. I did not know where he was. That was just a thing that I thought we would never be showing to 30 million viewers, but it happened. You’re going to just see us really trying to figure this marriage thing out for the sake of our family and for what we came together and for the love that we do share. We’re just really trying to be better. We’re in counseling, so you’ll be able to see that journey as it plays out. We’re just really working hard to save our marriage.
Q. You know that being on the show is usually a marriage killer, though? There’s kind of a curse that happens to couples when they go on “The Real Housewives.”
A. I refute that though because my mom is a pastor, and we do a lot of praying in our house. I don’t think the show could make or break your marriage. I think it just would probably bring things to the forefront that you may try to ignore. And so I feel like if the marriage is supposed to work, it’s going to work whether you’re on this show or not. I really feel like for us, it’s been very instrumental in helping. I’ve had to have really tough conversations and really be vulnerable, and I think, honestly, it’s brought us closer because we’re doing the work. We’re committed to our counseling sessions. We’re committed to doing our homework and really staying together, and that’s just a decision that we’ve made. Of course we’re not going to let anything come between that, but I think being able to show that to the world — marriage is not easy; divorce is not the first thing you have to do — that’s what really (we) are most excited to share.
Q. And how much will we see of your three children this season?
A. Oh, they’re all over the place! It’s a pandemic. They’re in virtual schools. They’re in the house, literally, all the time, and so you’ll see them. We don’t have a nanny. We’re just getting settled, and we’re like schoolteachers. We’re everything. They have been a very intricate part of what you will see this season for sure.
Q. “The Real Housewives” is known for escapism, but the new season begins with the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement. How do you feel about the shift in tone this season?
A. It’s going to be powerful because Black Lives Matter, that’s a big deal. And it’s something that we definitely need to keep the conversation going in, so that we can continue to do what’s right and fight for equal justice and equality and better gun laws, gun reform. And now we have a new president! I think all of that is really what we’re going through, so it’s very real. It’s very raw. I think it’s great that Bravo decided to showcase that because the world needs to see that.
Q. Now that you’re on the show, what was one thing that surprised you since you’ve been behind the scenes?
A. I was very shocked. I’m like, oh, cameras are here. I’m used to takes, multiple takes, and a director, and all of those things. And this is way different. I’m definitely able to say this is a challenge for me. This is something new, but it’s definitely exciting. What you see is what you get. It is very raw. We did not plan this stuff. It just is what it is, so that was definitely just different from what I’m used to.
Q. What other TV and film projects do you have coming up?
A. Right now I’m on “Influence,” which is an adaptation of Carl Weber’s New York Times bestselling book “Influence.” It’s streaming right now on BET and BET Plus. It stars Deborah Cox, ohmigod, so many amazing people. Kellita Smith. Amazing cast. Columbus Short. That project I’m really, really, really excited about. I also am directing my first film next year. We’re in preproduction for that right now.
Q. How has the pandemic affected your career?
A. Oh, majorly. One thing through this whole pandemic, when my checks stopped, I was like, wait a minute. I still have a family. It forced me to challenge myself to realize the importance of creating your own content, so I immediately started my production company. My husband and I started Eudora Entertainment, which is a full-fledged production company. We just got distribution through eOne. We just wrapped production of our first film. Really kudos to the pandemic because although it was difficult, although it’s been super-challenging, it really forced a lot of people to just think outside of the box.
I’ve been in front of the camera, but definitely for me, getting behind the camera is going to open up so many doors to actors that may have never had the opportunity. That’s what I’m most excited about, but the pandemic really pushed me to that. To realize, you’ve got to get out here and create your own content. Get online. Do more. Write more. I’m grateful for that because the industry, Hollywood, shut down for a really long time, and you couldn’t travel. So there were projects that I was slated to do and productions went down because they couldn’t work. I was like, OK, that’s not going to happen. I’m going to create my content and try to make sure that that never happens. I’m always able to work even through a pandemic.
Q. And what do you want the viewers to know about you as they’re watching you on the show?
A. I just want them to know Drew Sidora Pittman, the wife, the mother and the actress, and really just be gentle with me. I am not perfect, and I think that’s what you will see is that I am on a journey of really just getting back to myself. I’m rehabbing my Achilles and just really inspiring people, hopefully, to know no matter what you’re going through, you can push through anything, even during a pandemic.
Q. How often do you get back to the Chicago area?
A. Normally, if we weren’t in a pandemic, I would be home twice a month visiting my dad, visiting my family. I haven’t been there now in seven months. I’m hoping, maybe when things get safe again, I can go visit around the holidays or top of next year because I really do miss my family. I had a dream about my dad last night. I woke up in tears just really wanting to see him. I’m really hoping sooner than later I’ll be able to get out to Chicago. I love my city. I need some Garrett Popcorn right about now. I need some Harold’s Chicken, so I’m definitely going to be there very soon.
Q. Now that you have a season under your belt, do you think Chicago should have its own edition of “The Real Housewives?”
A. I would love that. We have one of the most amazing cities (and) Lake Michigan. I think the world needs a Chicago “Real Housewives” franchise ASAP."

Throwback: Porsha vs. Marlo season 10 (Queens of Bravo Twitter)

BEVERLY HILLS

Garcelle Beauvais Opens Up About 'RHOBH' Production Shutdown Due to COVID Concerns (ET exclusive)

"Garcelle Beauvais' Thanksgiving wasn't exactly celebratory. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star spent the day, which also happened to be her 54th birthday, isolating due to a COVID-19 scare on the set of Housewives. ET was first to report that production on the show's 11th season was halted last week after a crew member tested positive for the coronavirus.
"We shot for Housewives on Tuesday, Tuesday night we got home and found out that a few people in our crew tested positive for COVID," Garcelle confesses in ET's first look at this Tuesday's episode of The Real. Garcelle says she and her castmates all have to quarantine for 14 days, and her 13-year-old twin sons, Jaid and Jax, are temporarily staying with their father, Garcelle's ex-husband, Mike Nilon.
"We do all the protocols," Garcelle tells her Real co-hosts. "We get tested at least three times a week. We get tested before we shoot. You know, my kids get tested, I get tested, anybody who's in my household, and you know, we did the right things, but at the same time, it just shows you that this virus -- you can touch something, you can… you know, it's not necessarily just from people."
"Hopefully everybody will be healthy, and we're down for a few weeks, but then we'll be back to work," she adds. "But luckily for me, we do The Real from home, so I can still do this job, which I’m thankful for."
Garcelle says she has no symptoms, has had multiple negative coronavirus tests and continues to be tested multiple times a week amid her quarantine.
Season 11 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills will feature Garcelle alongside Lisa Rinna, Kyle Richards, Dorit Kemsley, Erika Jayne, Sutton Stracke, as well as new 'Wife Crystal Kung Minkoff and new "friend of" Kathy Hilton. It’s slated to premiere in 2021."

Paparazzi photos: Kyle Richards has her hands full on a shopping excursion (Daily Mail)
Adrienne Maloof Shows the Towering Christmas Tree in Her Los Angeles Mansion (Adrienne Maloof Instagram/Bravo)

JERSEY (UK)

Move over Bergerac, we're the real Jersey! From the pop singer's mum to a pal of Donald Trump... meet the housewife stars of new Channel Island-based reality TV show (Daily Mail)

"One is the mother of a pop singer best known for failing to impress the judges on the The X Factor.
Another has rubbed shoulders with Donald Trump, while a third is a 57-year-old thrill-seeker.
They are among seven glamorous and successful women aiming to put Jersey back in the TV spotlight in a new reality show.
The Channel Island's first small screen claim to fame came in the Seventies with Enemy At The Door, about wartime life under Nazi occupation.
But perhaps Jersey is still best known to many viewers as the setting for Eighties detective drama Bergerac, starring John Nettles as unorthodox ex-cop Jim Bergerac.
Now The Real Housewives Of Jersey hope to show viewers a different side of island life.
The ITV reality series aims to portray everything from its picturesque tranquil beaches to the glitzy party scene.
And yesterday the cast of the show, which will begin airing at the end of the month on ITVBe, was unveiled.
Tessa Hartmann, mother of British singer and X Factor contestant Tallia Storm, will be joined by businesswoman Ashley Cairney and natural medicine guru Hedi Green.
Fashionista Jane Rayner, socialite Kate Taylor, model Mia Ledbury and estate agent Margaret Thompson round off the cast.
A short trailer gives a glimpse into the women's lifestyles as they are seen swimming in a luxurious outdoor infinity pool, getting off a private jet and, of course, sipping champagne.
ITV says the ten-part series 'will follow the highs and lows of our marvellous Housewives and their families who all live life to the full on the island while bringing fun, laughter, tears and of course, plenty of glamour'.
It is the second UK version of The Real Housewives franchise – there are more than a dozen covering various parts of the US but the only British location until now has been the award-winning The Real Housewives Of Cheshire.
Executive producer Mike Swindells said: 'Having spent an incredible summer embracing all that the beautiful island of Jersey offers, we can't wait to introduce the world to this magnificent location and our raft of exceptional new Housewives.
'As viewers would expect, the lives of The Real Housewives of Jersey are as complicated as ever.'
The entire series will be available to watch on the ITV Hub on the same day it launches on ITVBe, in the week after Christmas. Here we profile the programme's seven stars.
She may be a 57-year-old mother of three daughters but that doesn't stop Hedi Green skydiving, motorbike riding and paddleboarding.
The 'warrior of life' has lived in Jersey for 35 years. A practitioner of natural medicine who believes in the energy of earth and healing, she has three clinics.
Originally from the Midlands, Jane Rayner, 56, has been living in Jersey for five years. The fashionista is twice divorced and currently engaged – so hoping it'll be third time lucky.
Sir David Attenborough is one of her heroes and she is keen to do her bit to protect the environment.
At 58, Margaret Thompson is the oldest Housewife. She moved to the island when she was 18 and has worked her way up from pot washer to the self-styled 'Queen of Jersey property'.
Originally from Scotland, Miss Thompson was pictured rubbing shoulders with Donald Trump at a New Year party in 2016. Her dogs have their own following on Instagram.
Kate Taylor, 51, has lived on the island for 30 years and has become well known on the Jersey social scene for her gregarious character and extravagant outfits.
She is an ambassador for a number of charities and is into yoga and wellness.
Tessa Hartmann, 50, is the mother of singer Tallia Storm.
She is originally from Scotland and moved to Jersey five years ago with her husband, composer and film director Sascha Hartmann.
The couple began their PR agency Hartmann Media in 1996 and she has represented designers including Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren.
Former model Mia Ledbury, 44, originally from Australia, moved to Jersey only five years ago with her husband Dan and their two daughters.
She is beginning to dip her toe back into the modelling world after taking a break to have children.
Ashley Cairney, at 31 the youngest Housewife, is the only Jersey-born girl on the show and a self-made businesswoman.
She is married to Ben, her high school sweetheart whom she has been with since the age of 17, and the couple have two young children.
They each run their own business on the island."
NEW JERSEY

Dina Manzo Shares Stunning Photos From a Family Vacation with Her Husband and Daughter (Dina Manzo Instagram/Bravo)
Melissa Gorga Shimmers in a Stunning Gold Mini Dress at a Beach Wedding (Melissa Gorga Instagram/Bravo)
Jennifer Aydin Enjoyed a Mouthwatering Thanksgiving Spread (Jennifer Aydin Instagram/Bravo)

ORANGE COUNTY

Preview of tonight's OC episode (Page Six exclusive)
Jo De La Rosa Has a New Boyfriend: "My Whole Heart and Soul" (Jo De La Rosa Instagram/Bravo)
"Jo De La Rosa has a new significant other in her life! The Real Housewives of Orange County alum recently revealed that she has a new boyfriend named Taran, and the two have already taken a major first step together.

In a series of November 30 Instagram Stories, Jo revealed, “We are doing the thing that all new couples should do when they first start dating.”
“Maybe not when they first start dating,” Taran chimed in.
“OK, and we are doing the thing that all couples should do before getting engaged one day,” Jo clarified. “Take a long road trip together. So we are off to San Francisco, which is about a good eight hours away. But knowing all of the stops we’re going to do, it will be 11.”
Jo previously introduced Taran to her Instagram followers and podcast listeners. In an October 3 post in celebration of National Boyfriend Day, Jo shared a selfie of the two with a heartfelt caption.
“My whole heart and soul. If you’ve been listening to PopCandy for the last few months now, you’ve been hearing me gush about ‘Broadway Boy’ and sharing our crazy story about meeting in the middle of COVID. Happy to finally show you the handsome face behind the name and why my heart has felt so full these days,” Jo wrote. “@tarangraymusic thank you for being a light and a gift in my life.”
Taran commented on Jo’s sweet post to add, “I love you baby girl. I wouldn’t want to battle this year the way we have with anyone else.”
In a later Instagram post, Jo revealed that the pair met virtually and kept in contact for a bit before meeting in person.
“Found this pic of our first time ever meeting after 3 months of COVID dating over a screen! Can you tell how excited we were to finally meet in real life?” Jo wrote. “I think I’ll keep him!”
Jo even shared a little dating advice with a follower who commented on the post, “I might actually try again if I could find a sweetheart like you. I haven’t dated for 10 years.” Jo shared the secret to her romantic success, writing in response, “Try Hinge. That’s where we met and I think the best pool of quality people who are looking for love there, but that was just my experience having tried all the major dating apps.”

Vicki Gunvalson Shares a Look at Her Festive Thanksgiving Tablescape (Vicki Gunvalson Instagram/Bravo)

POTOMAC

Karen Huger Shares the Inspiration Behind Her "Bold and Sexy" Wig Line (Bravo)

"In the November 29 episode of The Real Housewives of Potomac, we got a glimpse at the newest addition to Karen Huger’s House of La’Dame and one of her "best projects to date," La'Dame by Karen Huger X RPGShow. Karen teamed up with her hairstylist, Steven Thomas (also known as "The Hair Doc") and launched an exclusive wig line, which she introduced to the rest of the ‘Wives during her “Wig Shift” party.
We recently caught up with Karen and Steven and got all the tea on how this "bold and sexy" wig line came to be. Read on to learn how these two create their hair magic.
What inspired you two to launch a wig line and what has that process been like?
Karen Huger: I have worn wigs for quite some time. I had that wig shift on national TV and that was my aha moment. So, I had been looking to develop my own wig line — one that fit and feels wonderful. When RPGShow presented the opportunity to work together to create the collaboration, I knew I wanted Steven to be by my side as the creative director. He is a genius hairstylist!
Steven Thomas: Creating this wig line with Karen is one of my best projects to date. It's gratifying and has allowed myself and Karen to get closer and bond. Karen gives me freedom to fly creatively with her guidance, which is the ultimate reason why I love being a part of her glam team!
How did you start working together?
KH: A few years ago I was looking for a new hairstylist and I heard about Steven. As you know your hairstylist is someone who you spend quality time with. Once we met, it was pure magic.
What is your work dynamic like when creating hairstyles?
KH: There are just some people in your life with whom you gel effortlessly. When I find a look I want, I discuss it with Steven and he styles my wigs with that goal in mind — with a bit of Hair Doc extra.
Do you ever disagree on what looks good?
KH: We work together and feed off of each other to get to what I envisioned... then we end up elevating the look!
Has Karen's style changed at all since working with Steven?
KH: My style has evolved. I always have my classic look, now just with a modern twist.
How do you choose the wig looks you're going to create?
KH: I think about what women want and what women need to help empower themselves to be the best they can be. If there is one thing I know, it’s that if you’re having a great hair day, nothing can stop you.
Explain the meaning behind your wigs' different names.
KH: Each of the wigs in my bold and sexy line has her own personality/mood. Victoria, for example, she's a queen. She goes from boardroom meetings to a night out with her friends. She’s powerful, intelligent, sultry, elegant, and versatile. When you wear one of the wigs from my collection you'll know the Grande Dame is by your side.
What do you have planned next for your La’Dame empire?
KH: La'Dame is not only beauty... beauty is only the beginning. I am so excited as we continue to grow. The sky's the limit!"

Monique Samuels Shares a Look at Her Early 2000s Style at Age 19 (Monique Samuels Instagram/Bravo)

SALT LAKE CITY

Meredith Marks' Thanksgiving Look Included a Glamorous Nude Suit & Matching Nails (Meredith Marks Instagram/Bravo)

DALLAS

37 second video: Kam calls into WWHL (Queens of Bravo Twitter)
Throwback: Kam vs. Brandi season 4 (Queens of Bravo Twitter)

Good day, buddy.

https://preview.redd.it/gw0498y8y3i51.jpg?width=1632&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8ee834997cda2a3f226b276b41ae361d979a129c
First of all, this laptop is purchased using my own money and not sponsored (i hope someone can spend this for me, lol) , and this is not my first laptop (or gaming laptop), i love gadget and like to try something new (only the moment when i have some spare money), therefore, this review may contain some experience from my past used laptop, thus, nothing will be professional here as I dont install any benchmarking tools or show you any result point that comparing here and there :( I can only provide my real world use experience. My apologize ~

Here is my Legion 7i specification :

Intel Core i7 - 10875H (8-C / 16 T) 2.3Ghz Base, Turbo-Boost up to 5.1Ghz (only below 65'c, 4.9Ghz if above that)
16GB DDR4 3200MHz (Factory overclocked, 6-Core Model like 10750H will only run 2933Mhz)
1TB PCIE SSD (Samsung PM981a)
RTX2060 - 6GB GDDR6 (2020 Refreshed Version, 110W)
Vapor Chamber Cooling + Dual 12V Fan with ultra thin fan blade
15" FHD 1920x1080 500Nits Display with 100% Adobe RGB, HDR Versa 400, 144Hz Refresh Rate and G-Sync
WIFI 6 (Intel AX201)
Bluetooth
Per Key RGB true-strike keyboard (1.3mm Travel) with iCUE software to control lighting effect.
Multi-touch trackpad
Stereo Speaker
3x USB 3.1 Gen2 (USB-A)
2x USB 3.1 Gen2 (USB C, 1 are Thunderbolt )
Network Port
HDMI Port
3.5mm audio jack

Talking about to choose a right spec for the Legion 7i was a painful experience, the Lenovo Malaysia website showing lot of confusing data ! There has alot of misleading specification in the page ! (After searching online, found out not only Malaysia, other country get same as well !) I end up waited another 3 weeks just to get the right model i wanted, and sold the earlier ordered unit when it come !

If you want to purchase this model, beware of some confusion :

1: Vapor Chamber Cooling is only available for 8-Core processor model (10875H) or RTX2070 graphic card above (model : 81YU, or 15IMHg05) ! (For Malaysia) Mean if you purchase 4 core model (like earlier 10300H Model +1660Ti) or 6 core 10750H + RTX2060 , you will get normal heat pipe cooling instead of vapor chamber ! I know it only after i sold my previous Legion 7i, which i sold it because of no G-Sync, i though it will come with Vapor Chamber, but not !

2: G-Sync only available for 8-Core model - 15IMHg05 (but not all 8-Core Model in some country) and with 144Hz display ! 240Hz display will get NO G-Sync ! Which is why i sold my 1st Legion 7i after known this issue, i sold it because it already shipped and can't cancel !

3: 240Hz Display get 100% sRGB, not 100% Adobe RGB ! The 240Hz display get lesser color than 144Hz one, and the 300nits +144hz version also come with 100% sRGB, but i cant confirm the 300nits got G-Sync or not, since all 8-core model come with 500nits display. (Some country mention that the 300nits display come with g-Sync, but only 8-Core CPU model)

4: Per Key RGB - All Legion 7i come with per key RGB, not 4-Zone RGB. Lenovo Malaysia show "4-Zone RGB" for all pre-built model included 8-Core high end model is false info. Only Custom built model it show "RGB Key Slate" Thats why i made mistake during 1st purchase !

5: DDR4 3200Mhz RAM is only available for 10875H (8-Core) model, the system come with 3200MHz out of the box, no setting required. For 6 and 4 Core model, 3200Mhz ram are installed but it will only run 2933Mhz.

6: Dont forget to choose model that come with "Free Microsoft Office" which cost RM467 ! Else, you will get Office Trial ! Normally, you can only get this select on custom built unit (Which you need to click on the office bundle during customization) . Like my model, it have 2 model number, 1 doesn't have Free Office . 81YU003MMJ will come with Office while 81YU003VMJ did not. ( Please use https://psref.lenovo.com/ to search "Legion 7" , filter the region/country to Malaysia, and get the model number with Office bundle, and add the model number in cart by using (quick add to cart), check out and you will get the free Office.

So, please choose carefully base on your need.

Quality, design, size & weight

I admit that i was a Apple fan during 2000 to something 2015, as on those day, the built quality of windows laptop just can't stand close to Mac, the awful look, bulky size, terrible track pad, dull color screen, bad battery life, below average speaker. Apple built good quality laptop especially in Steve's era, the Unibody design still look great and stable even by today standard. But recent years, Windows laptop has come closer to the gaps, some manufacture has really great quality laptop, the Lenovo Legion are one of it.

https://preview.redd.it/8pdicy3qy3i51.jpg?width=1632&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f2be784cfe6d5a69505837f91ee12ef3a1f51ed9

If you ask me to purchase Legion Y-Series before Y530, i wouldn't want to consider it, no, they are good, but just not good as after that. The look are very gamer's, the red and blue color like the laptop are from spaceship or UFO, and they usually quite bulky to name it laptop.

Thanks to Tim-Cooking Apple up, the price of Mac become more expensive, some more, the specification is making it more hard to choose. I use to gaming in a Mac, since i am not a hardcore gamers, most games i like can run in my previous 2013 15"MBP quite well, not until Apple choose AMD Discrete Graphics Card for all of it pro model, it just painful slow compare to nVidia, but wait, you must say i am dumb ass as no body will game on a Mac ! Yes, i admit that, but i like the stability of OS X (Now MacOS) , how convenience to do some serious work with the OS than Windows, and i can have both Windows and MacOS in one devices really a gain on that time. A simple restart will give you a premium PC Laptop, why not?

During 2017, i give up the MBP15 and try PC Laptop, as Windows 10 is getting better and more user friendly than before, the Legion y530 catch my attention, the built quality for plastic is simply amazing, the hardware also work very well, it make me hat off for a PC laptop, really. I know there has some brand make great laptop too. I like the way that Lenovo blend the professional look on their Legion line-up, it is so great that you can bring it to office and not forfeited the gaming ability at night.

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The Legion 7i come with the same family slang, the look are so muted during working time which only surprise you after the RGB lighting come on at night. It is great that Lenovo stick to previous design language, the Legion 7i look really premium and professional during day time. The Aluminum quality is great, but not smooth as Apple did. The surface has some rough feeling when you touch it for the first time, it like feel a raw aluminum without smooth finished, but i found out this actually an advantage after several day of usage, it did not record finger print ! Like some aluminum laptop eg Razer, the smooth aluminum actually catch a lot of finger print and skin oil.

Some ppl report that their unit has trackpad gaps, but i don't see my unit has such defect. The hinge is firm but still able to open with 1 hand, the back ccover is made of aluminum and the joint part between upper chassis is solid, no gaps and it is very straight. The build quality really up standard, and there is very little flex in whole chassis, same does the very thin aluminum screen (Thinner than Legion 5), it is very solid. Just that, since it is not built from a solid aluminum block like Razer and Mac, when you hold it, you can still feel some "free gaps" between screen and keyboard area but there has no cracking or squeezing noise, to me, it still a very much improvement, consider the price i paid.

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This 15 inches laptop feel slim when hold it up, and the weight is fair consider the hardware and performance it packed, the thickness is somewhere like first Retina MacBook Pro 15 announced on 2012, and the weight is 2.15kg. It will be 3kg plus if included the slim 230W charger, which also Lenovo slim it very much this year, the last 230W charger ship with Y530 & Y7000 was like a brick ! Considering we got 8-Core processor, a many times powerful graphic card, 1TB of storage, in this thickness is insane compare to past ! Imagine that you get so much power on the same chassis in 2012 !

The port placement also very friendly, Lenovo put those cable-needed like power port and network port at the back of the laptop is a smart choice to me, as it will be so convenience to manage those messy cable. They arent forgot to place some port in left and right part also, which is really convenience ! Whats more, this laptop come with 5 USB port !!! Which is really a day when you want to transfer something, plug the mouse, this and that. There has 2 USB C on the left side, 1 are the thunderbolt , which also can use as USB 3, and there has a very good amount of space between 2, mean you easily plug 2 USB C at the same time.

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I also want to point out something that really good are, the back side of the laptop are using plastic rather than aluminum, which is good as i dont have to worry about scratching everytime i plug or unplug something, and the symbol actually light up, i can see it very clear that what port it is, this is the premium that 5i/5Pi don't have. Overall, the design should be very comfortable to majority of user, and the size & weight is fair consider the hardware it packed, nothing can be picky against it.

Screen, Keyboard, RGB, Trackpad, Speaker, webcam

The screen is the main point sold me in for this laptop ! When i purchase Y7000SE last year, i have miss the ship to own Y740, as it only come out after i got my Y7000. As a person who come from Mac, i really want a good screen, this laptop has a very good quality 1, and it has fast refresh rate !

Lenovo advertise that this laptop pack with bright 500nits matte screen, i dont have the true number for my screen as i dont have device to measure it, but it is super bright ! I will not set the brightness over 50% during normal use, as it is more than enough even use below LED bulb environment at my office, it really bright ! I will need to set at least 80% brightness on my previous Y530/Y7000 to read the content clearly at the same environment. It should be enough if want to use it in outdoor.

https://preview.redd.it/mojlr6v4z3i51.jpg?width=1632&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3797c173d368ef4d6d9397553a15a54a60902f8d
My display manufacture are AUO 038E , and it has very great color accuracy out of the box, well, same does brightness, i dont have any device to test "how accurate" it has, it does come with X-Rite software out of the box which you can choose few profile from sRGB, Adobe RGB, DCI-P3 and Rec.709. I upload a same picture to the laptop and compare with my Note 10 plus, the color are very close, the skin tune are more natural, the color is vivid, the cloud in sky look more detail between sky. so i assume it has alot better color than my previous laptop, i even put the same MacOS wallpaper like my MacBook Pro to try, it look really close to Mac ! Compare to my previous Y530/Y7000 (both are 300nits + 144hz panel), it is night and day different. So, i am very happy to it. When the first power on, the X-Rite software has an option "restore display profile" which sound like it will download the display profile for your exact screen from Lenovo server, which it will set within few sec, i tried and it did change my display color little bit.

The HDR also work as advertise, the Youtube HDR content show very vivid color, and the black is deeper. Just that, Windows 10 built-in color management really bad, you can have different color in different program, you can see 2 type of color if you open a same image using 2 different software, say, a Chrome and Photos ? Both photo shown slightly different color. Overall, i will still rate it a premium screen !

The 144hz refresh rate also make thing smooth no matter you are on desktop or scrolling webpages in chrome, it just - smooth. I get the same feeling from my previous Y530 and Y7000, you wouldn't want to go back once you have high refresh display. But, the built in G-Sync make thing even better, i turn G-Sync on for all fullscreen apps (you can set it on nVidia Control Panel), and the games i play is much more smoother than before, games like CS-GO, GTA V, Forza Horizon 4 look smooth, from sudden fast moving object to slow walk in combat, you can really tell the different between G-Sync or not, it really made my day each time i play games from this laptop. You should really get this option if you want smooth gaming experience, this make me feel like million worth choosing 7i than 5i/5Pi. I will cap the max frame rate to 144hz on some games (Like Battle Field V) to fully utilize this display. Anyway, my graphic card is "just" a entry level for RTX , i have no regret to choose 144hz over 240hz since most graphic intensive games will not able to hit that number from this RTX2060, i will rather buy 144Hz + G-Sync than 240Hz without G-Sync. 144hz is more than enough for casual gamer like me, unless your eyes really up to 240Hz level to get some one headshot before they saw you :lol: The built in Lenovo Vantage software also allow you to enable "Over Drive" mode for the display, which say can further lower the response time, which i see no different between on and off, maybe my eyes arent fast as the screen, lol.

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Now come with the keyboard, well, Lenovo make really good keyboard, not mention their Thinkpad line-up, the Legion 7i keyboard also very very good. The keyboard travel in my previous Y530/Y7000 are longer, but the feedback is very clear in Legion 7i, and the key is much more stable than it, and also sound lot quieter. The key cap is flat to me, i like the 1 in 5/5i/5Pi which the key cap slightly curved, your finger is landed comfortable than this, maybe they want to have slim chassis, so has to built slim keyboard, curved design may not able to make it here. You will be fine after few minutes of type to accept the 1.3mm travel, when gaming, each key strike is very accurate, i did't face any error like i do in MacBook Pro previously. I get not register when i gaming in my previous MacBook Pro, but not this Laptop, and my previous Y530/Y7000 also working very well. But i still can't use to the new arrow key layout, it just place too low for me, i always need to low down my hand to get arrow key, and it keep pressing aluminum instead of left or right key, well, maybe it is more focus on gaming side, or maybe i am too get used of normal laptop keyboard layout. One thing great are the Fn key can be set to "Lock" , which you dont need to keep pressing Fn to adjust volume or brightness , it will lock the function key, a missing feature i need on my previous Y530/Y7000, the Thinkpad series has this but now also come with Legion. When you press Fn, the blue light will light up the part of function available on the keyboard, show you clearly what function available, a nice touch !

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The RGB led is super bright ! Like the screen, it is more than double bright than what Y530/Y7000 offer ! It has 3 bright level to adjust (4 level if including Off) , the y530/Y7000 only has 2 level. Even i set to minimum level, it still very bright on some color setting, say - ocean blue and pink. Luckily, you can turn it dimmer using iCUE software customization, you can set the "Opacity" slider lower to dim it down further, the slider has way more level, which you can actually more level to control brightness than using Lenovo own keyboard hot key (Fn+ up or down ). I also found that it actually brighter if you turn the "Opacity" in ICUE ! Mean it more than more brighter than out of the box ! It can even make your screen look colorful karaoke when you turn off your room light, that level of bright ! The preloaded rainbow spiral light effect will also turn on everytime you turn on the laptop, this is quite annoying as when you turn on your laptop in office, it will spin like funfair until log in to Windows and iCUE is loaded. Although you can also turn it to other mode or off by quickly press Fn+Space or Fn+Down few times, but it is quite annoying as you will need to press each time you turn on the laptop, hopefully Lenovo will fix this by update the BIOS in the future. (But Y740 face the same issue which does't solve until now). Otherwise if you really like those RGB, this laptop can make you fun, and the setting inside ICUE is million way to customize, you can stack each effect to each other as much as you can ! I am stacking 10 lighting effects in 1 profile. Something like you can have few effect on each key or section of the keyboard, you can set multiple key in multiple opacity (dim or bright) of you can set multiple effect for any key , any section, all load at once. You can spend many hours just to customize the light ! The light bar below the front side look cool when you put the laptop in glass surface as it will reflect the bar toward you. The exhaust vent at the back also very bright even you turn to min, when turn to max, it can light up anything surrounding it at night. Well, i am so fresh to RGB, i love the effect but i dont use it very much, but left it run some during not using the laptop can made up your mood.

The trackpad is very good, the sensitivity is great, the tracking is quite accurate also, above average standard, BUT, yes, a big BUT. But the clicking sound is very loud, it sound like light switch, it do click almost entire surface, but like most of the diving board style trackpad, the upper part will need to press harder, whats more, the trackpad will have some flex when press hard (but not diving), i can feel that the trackpad surface are made of quite thin plastic, thats why i can feel the flex of it in the middle part. And the surface material is made of Mylar , though it is smooth to use but i afraid it may wear out faster than glass type, but still, it get the job done when you need it. While gaming, i always use bluetooth mouse, so, it will not annoying me very much. If want the best trackpad experience,only Apple ForceTouch Trackpad has no body come close kind of it, but you will pay way more than this, many times more.

Laptop speaker has never made me love it, they usually sound flat and less volume, as a person come from a MacBook Pro (both 13 and 15" Touchbar) before, i still haven hear any windows laptop that sound like Apple, they are like Rolls-Royce's class in laptop speaker. Well, i can't compare it, as each company has their invention section, but Windows laptop really need to spend more time on speaker, just like the display and design, they actually keep up quite a bit compare to last few years. Say 5 years ago, Gaming laptop usually get very bad screen and bulky case, but today they have much better screen and nice looking, i wish it will be the same story for speaker. It will be perfect when a great gaming laptop has good screen, proper nice casing, good keyboard, and a very best speaker. But i am asking too much for it, as i know it everyone will be say : It is too expensive for an Windows Laptop ! Well, so we have to take some compromise if we want something affordable :console:

Legion 7i speaker is loud, clear, and no unwanted noise even crank up to max, which can hear that it contain quite a quality speaker, although they are very tiny left and right box (can see from those tear down video in youtube). At 40% volume, you can hear basically any dialog in games, there has even some audible low bass. iIf you crank more than 60%, you will hear only mid-high range, and you wouldnt want to crank more than 80%, as it will be very loud to listen. You can use it as media consumption like Youtube or Netflix, you will hear voice clearly even in mid noisy environment, but dont expect you will hear an helicopter vrooming from back or front even Lenovo (or some manufacture) keep mention it got Dolby sound effect, those speaker just to tiny to sound, you will need an headphone if you want to get those effect, but i rather suggest you to go for proper AV setup for your living room if you really want to get in such result, dont expect much from a laptop. If you are casual gamer or music lover like me, any external speaker will sound good enough.

The Webcam placement also improved for this model, unlike last gen of Legion, the "nose" cam ppl called. Well, i did'nt use webcam very much, so i dont mind for that, same does the Legion 7i. The quality for my eyes is fine, nothing special to talk about, it just like an average laptop webcam, well, it just a webcam, it will get your job done in very normal way. Unless you want to take selfie with it, you better use your phone. The built in mic were also average, nothing fancy about it like MacBook Pro 16", not even that level

Performance, temperature, fan noise, and battery life

For RM400 more, you will get 8-Core instead of 6, which one will you consider ? The 10750H model cost RM7999 and my model cost RM8399 both RRP without discount. I know you will be saying like hey, the AMD 4800H is way cheaper than Intel 10875H, and it has more performance and run cooler (due to 7nm), you can just go for Legion 5 for 8-Core, why need to spend that much of extra money for 7i ? Well, i got what you mean, which i actually consider this before i purchase this laptop. I went to Lenovo website almost everyday to customize and compare, the AMD model get awful screen, less powerful graphic card, and well, i came from y530 and y7000, i tried the plastic built laptop before, they are great but i need something premium built, and whats more, i really want a great display which Legion 5 dont offer that. The processor is only internal but the screen you have to view it everyday, i wish Lenovo have AMD version of this laptop but wait, is Intel really that bad ? Well, it may sound less performance and awful temperature (really ? more on that later) after recent AMD hit, but at least, it run stable on my many previous laptop, it as great reliability history (at least for me), it never fail me yet.

https://preview.redd.it/id8gj5fh34i51.png?width=584&format=png&auto=webp&s=e953af0002305be07d9910c7882fc33aff00a5a7
I am not tech professional here so i cant show you a fancy bench mark for comparing, but base on my usage, i am comparing my previous Y7000, which has 6-Core i7 9750H, 16GB of 2666 DDR4, same RTX2060 (but in 80 or 90W variant as i remember) , same Samsung PM981a 1TB NvME SSD, same 144hz refresh rate display, i feel the Legion 7i run much more faster than it.

https://preview.redd.it/cv44jxck34i51.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=871b023457c7558da96913a5d2f0ed7044fe4159
It run even cooler during low load task compare to Y7000, it will not pass 55'c, and the processor use only 20 to 45W (mostly 20) in Auto Mode i assume that due to extra core, and i monitor there has not much than 35% load average for 1 hours of few tab chrome browsing, youtube video running. Everything feel snappier, and game load much faster. I spotted it hit 5.0Ghz quite frequently from HWiNFO.

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Switching to Performance mode, what amazed me is for the first time, i can install 2 games at once at the background and i can still use Chrome with multiple tabs (with youtube somemore) without any lag detected, the system is like fresh start. There has 2x 60GB games unpacking (from *ehemm Fit ehemm girl) simultaneously in the background, with Chrome running, the first minute of two, the processor crank up to 107W, and stay 85W for the rest until the unpack finish. during 107W, i spotted all-8 core running 4.8Ghz steady for many seconds, and 4.3 to 4.5ghz all-8 core for whole session, this is unbelievable for the first time i seen in laptop, and this thin of laptop ! I spend about 40 mins to done unpacking TWO! 60GB games ! I remember i spend about 30 mins per games in my last Y7000 , and i already jaw-dropping to see how fast of 9750H is on that time, this laptop lagi kuat ! Even all core is 100% load, the temperature is hovering between 82 to 87c', it seems to be pretty impressive.

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https://preview.redd.it/7n3olhuz34i51.png?width=1762&format=png&auto=webp&s=5d88dfb5a683bb8e271d36e7e85952499b76e7ca

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Well, the RTX2060 in this laptop is insanely powerful, from some rough in game benchmark, it is about 15 to 25% more performance than RTX2060 in Y7000 ! Some games like Battle Field V run very smooth even with RTX on, i got average of 73FPS with all setting set to ultra and HDR on ! The G-Sync make the game run even smoother. 1 thing quite surprise me is that this card actually run much higher clock speed than i expected, it hit 1920Mhz core and 5410mhz memory shown in HWiNFO ! I dont believe my eyes for the data, as last year my Y7000 only run at something 1250 to 1500mhz as i remember. Whats more, it can be overclock further using MSI Afterburner to 2055Mhz Core / 5710Mhz Memory (+155 Core / +300 Memory) give me another 5-7% boost in games. I saw 7% more on Forza Horizon 4 ! It run average of 90FPS with Max out setting on 1920x1080 Resolution, as you can see, this card actually perform very well, even it is years old of technology, i believe it can stand maybe extra 2-3 years more.

https://preview.redd.it/1e4rb5nj44i51.png?width=587&format=png&auto=webp&s=5448aa1754cb4c6e878467bfa1d48d1596a6043b
During "Silent Mode", the fan is quiet, even "Auto Mode" if you doing light load like browsing and watching video, the laptop still very quiet, until you run some intensive task, the fan is audible then, but still, nothing about level of loud, bear in mind that from my observation, in Auto Mode, the PL1 power limit is set to 60W, and PL2 is 107W, so you will still get decent performance in Auto Mode, same does the fan noise, it can be range from quiet to audible, but not as loud as Performance mode, which set the PL1 to 85W, while the PL2 stay 107W.
In performance mode, the laptop act very differently, unlike previous Y530 or Y7000, you actually can feel the different very much, and if you observe the processor speed, it always stay above 4Ghz range. If your load is light, even in performance mode, the laptop will still stay quiet, until you load the games, the fan noise will be maximum. It is loud, but not sharp like some other laptop. What you hear the loud is the "Air Sound" squeezing from the vent, the noise is from the friction created by the air with the vent, sound Whoosh ~ not Pzzzz, so, it is acceptable to me. If you put your hand to feel the air from the vent, you can actually see how powerful are the both fan inside, you can still feel the air even 6 to 7 inches behind the vent, like that powerful. Lenovo stated that the fan are now power directly from main supply, which is 12V, and the fan blade is super thin, which i can verify it, it really powerful fan, much much powerful than the Y530 and Y7000. The amount of air is noticeably more. If you really mind about the fan noise during gaming, you will need an headphone. But, the built in speaker actually cover up the noise quite well, any volume above 50% will cover the max fan noise, nothing worry bout that.
Due to the laptop is made of aluminum in majority of part, it can be very warm during normal use, although you will only saw 43~55'c in HWiNFO monitor app. The palm rest stay cool even full load, but the upper part of the keyboard can be very hot to touch, same does the backside plastic panel, the power input port were also hot, the laptop can pull 200-210W total system power during very heavy load. The keyboard area stay comfortable no matter you are gaming or exporting video, which is quite amazing consider it is aluminum. The heat also dispense very quick by the 2 very powerful fan, after load it only take not more than a minutes for cooling down. The backcover can be uncomfortable even in light load, you wont want this laptop on your lap, really. So, dont expect to put on your lap during heavy load.

I didnt able to undervolt it until i learn the way to get in advance BIOS in Reddit, the first few days i am using my laptop without undervolt, get me the temp max at 94'c in CPU, and 69'c in GPU. You might say, wow, 94'c is very hot ! But wait, the 94'c actually come from the first minute when the processor crank up to 107W which is 5.1Ghz power, after the PL2 107W, it only stay between 83-87'c during continue of 85W all-8 core 100% load @ 4.3 to 4.6ghz ! The processor did thermal throttling when it reach 94'c, but i found no more throttling after PL2, during 85W of load, the processor stay below 88'c, which is quite impressive consider the thickness of laptop. Well, some might say 88'c still hot when this laptop has vapor chamber cooling, but if you look some review from youtube, the Razer use the same 8-core 10875H processor like this actually run cooler, ya, but if you read properly, Razer actually turn down the clock speed quite abit to 3.plus ghz, they arent run at full all core speed. The Legion 7i actually stay above 4Ghz, this create lot of heat compare to that, so you got to pay attention for this.

I am not an Intel or Lenovo fan boy, this laptop did run hot compare to, say, AMD laptop. This is due to the limitation of 14nm technology, intel only upgrade clock speed within this few generation of processor, it may seems not impressive if we compare to AMD, i can't blame Lenovo here, as they really doing very good job for cooling, especially this model, the Legion 7i. The continue load of 85W + 30W RTX2060 (Hybrid mode off) stay below 90'c are quite impressive, my previous Y7000 can only stay below 50W if want to maintain below 90'c, this is out of the box setting, no undervolting applied. So the Vapor Cooling + 12V fan system actually handle more than 100W of heat, imagine that if this laptop using AMD 7nm or Intel coming 10nm of processor ? The performance increase will be huge !

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Take Forza Horizon 4 gaming session 40 mins for example, the HWinFo shown that the RTX2060 pull up to 109W (without GPU overclocked), CPU pull up-to 79W ! The average gpu power is 79W, and CPU is 60W, the total system power draw is 218W, the GPU temp shot up to 68'c while the CPU run up to 91'c. Next is Battle Field V, with all setting to max and RTX on, this is by far the heavies load for game i have seen, it pull the RTX2060 to 114W (!!!) , but the CPU pull only 69W, but the average was quite high at 63W while the GPU is lower at 72W. The system also run hot in Battle Field V, CPU hit up to 93'c, and GPU come at 71'c. The average temperature for CPU is 84'c while the GPU is 66'c.

I got the way to enable XTU interface thru Advance BIOS mode, and try to undervolt the system. The first attempt are -0.145v (which same as my previous Y7000 and Y530 value) , first hours is okay until i reboot the system, it stuck at blank screen for 2 minutes, the system auto goes to BIOS healing mode (another good from Lenovo, i feel so nervous before the healing show up), the BIOS then back to factory mode and disable the XTU, all thing reset to normal. I then tried few setting, -0.135, -0.125, -0.120, none of it work stable, the system will freeze and give the blank screen again on next startup, and the BIOS healing itself again. The final working 1 is -0.115v, which work beautiful until today, no problem. 1 thing to mention that the Advance BIOS has lot of tweaking menu from Overclocking the CPU to RAM, to adjust system power level, but i dont touch anything as i am not understand it, afraid of flied my laptop, but it really has many engineer option to tweak, beware to set it unless you really understand what you doing.

I am at BIOS 2.02 (updated once), the XTU still available, and the Advance BIOS still working. I can see this laptop are so great for those who want to tweak this and that.

After undervolting, the temperature did goes down few degree but not as much as my previous Y7000 and Y530, the Y7000 for example, before undervolting can goes as high as 99'c ! Maybe the extra core need more power to feed, but still, it lower down 4 'c in Forza Horizon, and 5'c in Battle Field V, although it will increase few 'c back after GPU overclocked, but, better than no. I also noticed the undervolting made 107W stay longer , mean the CPU can boost up to 5Ghz longer (some times 5.1Ghz, but only a sec). Next, the overclock GPU does made the temperature hotter, by 3 'c for CPU, and 2'c for GPU. The Forza Horizon 4 ramp the GPU to 70'c, and pull 113W (before is 109w) graphic power, the total System power draw were also increase to 223W, which nearly the power adapter 230W limit !

The CPU will still hit 90'c during 107W of boost (5.0Ghz), but compare to 94'c before undervolt, it seems to be quite impressive, consider my last Y7000 crank to 4.06ghz only for this temp. Overall, like i said, the Lenovo Legion 7i has a very capable cooling solution, i bet if AMD use the same 14nm technology in this kind of setup will also generate the same result. But the performance gain is noticeable if we compare what they offer from last year. I see we actually get the same temperature number as last year Y740 (from youtube review) but the processor are now 2-core extra, hit up to 5.1ghz with 107W, and the graphic card now pull 110W instead of 80~90W, anything below 90'c to me consider fair, as it still bring me really good day to day and gaming performance.
For 80Whr battery, Lenovo claim that the Legion 7i can goes up to 8 hours of juice, but well, i of caused take that as a advertising candy. With current intel technology, it quite a hard task to make laptop that efficiency like AMD 4000 series did. I did't expect much about this as i moving between office and home everyday and i dont use laptop in mobile like some user do. I get about 7 hours battery life with 40% brightness , Utorrent running downloading with WiFi, RGB light off , Silent mode, that is without iCUE software running, as before i receive my laptop, some user from internet complaining that iCUE drain lot of battery so i disable it to run on startup, only run manually when i need it, no uninstalling needed, just disable it at start up option will be very fine. I also observe that when iCUE is running, it drain extra 15W on top of system power, it can drain as much as 50W even in Silent Mode, so that is really a problem for iCUE, i think they (lenovo or iCUE) will fix that soon by updating the software.
If browsing web something like Youtube running and multiple tab scrolling with 40% of brightness will get you about 5.5 hours of use, not impressive but as expected from such hardware. Some more, the 40% screen brightness is brighter than lot of laptop out there, it still more than comfortable to read, i assume it is somethimg 200 to 250nits of brightness, as it is very bright to use, even in my office with LED light environment. I also found that even in Silent Mode, the CPU sometimes still hit 4.5~4.8Ghz with up to 52W max and 30W average, it should be more battery life if you disable the turbo boost, well, quite hassle to gain some juice but still, it is an available option too.
Price, conclusion
Lenovo, they are like dell, they like to have promotion each day, few times per month. Very few will buy their laptop in RRP price (Normal price), ether you get student 15% discount, or some times they have some running coupon code for 5% all the way to 45% depend on model. But for Legion, they offer less discount than other model during normal season. You can still request extra few % by chatting with the sales rep in live chat, some will give you freegift, some will provide extra discount code for you, they just want you to key in their rep number at the order so that they can have some job incentive (i guess) .
I purchased this Legion 7i with 20% discount, which cost me around RM6750 without any freegift except 2 Yrs Premium On-Site, thanks to my Citibank Card Promo Code (CITI30) , i also found that in some forum that ppl are buying with 20% Discount using LENXCIMB code, actually i also can use LENXHLB as i receive the same promo from Hong Leong Bank, too. But my CitiBank Credit Card give me extra 0.5% if i spend using their card, so, why not ? I tried to chat with the sales rep, they can offer max 15% without student card needed, that is the max they can, all 4 different sales rep tell the same, they said the 20% discount is highest, no other country has such offer, and it will be end soon (It did end after my 2nd purchase, at 17/Jul as i remember), now all code only gave 6% discount, so you need to try your luck to chat with them or wait for next promo.
To me, the price is more than fair, and if compare with other's it seems like cheaper, you dont get G-Sync at most other laptop, and you dont get same screen quality like other laptop, too. For this price, say, Asus G14, for RTX2060 model it sell even expensive at RM7199 as i remember, but that 2060 is Max-Q variant, and the screen quality is no where like Legion 7i. Well, i dont mean to bash that, but after 20% discount, the attractive will be goes to 7i more. My previous Y530 and Y7000 both brought at around 5000 +-, and both working very well and the MYCS (Lenovo Malaysia) service is very responsible to me, they will reply any request you ask, and they are very helpful, too. So, i come back to Lenovo again, this brand is my 2nd trust-able after Apple.

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For below RM7000, the laptop worth the paid. The overall performance is impressive especially the RTX2060 actually improved so much compare to last year, and some review even prove that it better than last year RTX2070 from some laptop, and the overclocking work like charm. The chassis is solid and the built quality is on the premium side, which make it more appearing than the lower end 5-Series, although it do have some imperfection like flex and loud track pad, gaps between screen and keyboard, but it still feel solid when you hold it, it will not be this price if this hardware pack in more premium Apple-like chassis. The keyboard is fantastic, the RGB light is super bright although it quite a hassle to turn it off each time you power on the laptop. The Speaker is loud, which can also cover the fan noise, work as it should, nothing can be asking more. The temperature work as advertise although not great like some others laptop like Razer, but consider the continue full load of 85W and all core 4Ghz above and the graphic card crank up to 113W, while the fan is audible loud during full load but not sharp, this imperfect is forgivable. At the end, no laptop are perfect, every year there will be another replacement for this year top-end laptop, i would just buy what's the best to suit my budget.

There has still other laptop out there if you want to slot in for compare like Dell XPS and HP OMEN, but to me, at the time i purchase this laptop, below RM7000 is the best thing i can get.

Last, hope you all like my review and if any information is wrong please forgive me, as i am not really a professional person. Have a nice day and stay safe.

Link to Previous Tales From 2+2: Poker player steals $1m+ chips and tries to sell it on 2+2 poker forums
More Tales From 2+2: A Very Controversial $70k prop bet
Tales from 2+2: Homelessness, Grinding and the Biggest Shot of a Grinder’s Life: The Jared Huggins Story

The Blossoming of TV Poker

The Year is 2006. Online poker is thriving. Partypoker has the highest traffic of any poker site but Pokerstars are gaining new players quickly with aggressive marketing strategies. Lots of poker sites are investing heavily into marketing and one key place to channel their advertising budget is TV. New innovations, improved graphics and increasing funding meant that poker TV is at an all-time peak of popularity.
40% of the the 2006 WSOP Main Event’s attendance is from online sites and poker sites are offering large amounts of cash for players on TV to wear an advertising patch. According to Dan Goldman’s blog, Pokerstars spent over $730,000 on WSOP players’ gift bags. The WSOP is seeing more TV time and this year the $50k HORSE event is added to the TV schedule alongside the WSOP main event. This year’s $50k WSOP HORSE final table saw some huge names including Chip Reese, Phil Ivey, Patrik Antonius and Doyle Brunson.

The Path of a New Player

In Finland, Mikael Paisting is watching the 2006 WSOP on TV. He enjoys watching poker broadcasts and is fascinated by the game. It’s a very common story for players to catch an interest by watching poker TV and sign up with to one of the many poker sites available. He chooses to deposit on Partypoker. Mikael is a committed learner and player. He reads several poker books from well-known authors such as Dan Harrington and David Sklansky. He also watches many training videos. Like many players starting in online poker he begins at the microstakes cash tables.
Microstakes are a rite of passage for many online poker players. The limits range from 2nl to 10nl, so the standard buy in is $2-10. Some will play microstakes for weeks, months or even years improving their game and increasing their bankroll so they can move up to small stakes, 25nl and above. Some players see the microstakes as a job and play as many tables as they can to eke out a living wage. Some players have never played microstakes and skip it entirely for higher stakes. Mikael starts to play and doesn’t do well, this is normal for many beginners, even those who study. However, over the next few weeks Mikael continues to lose. Months go by and Mikael still hasn’t turned a profit. He discovers problems with tilt and often takes his frustration out in the chat box. An example of his rage:

Paisting:THAT IS NOT NORMAL OMG!! JUST UNBELIEVABLE

Mikael doesn’t play 10nl very often and spends the majority of him time playing 2nl and 5nl. He continues to multitable cash games on Partypoker but he just can’t win. He starts to lose big, thousands of dollars, mostly at 2nl which is known as the softest cash game on the internet.

Getting Noticed

Mikael continues to play long sessions over the next five years, he claims to play 5-7 days a week for 4-8 hours a day. By 2011 he had played 2 and a half million hands while playing 6 to 9 cash tables at one time. Mikael is still mostly playing 2nl and is down a colossal amount: $7000. Mikael has been suffering from major tilt problems and has a very wild and noticeable style of playing microstakes. He starts to get noticed on 2+2, a very popular poker forum. A player posts a link to his PTR graph, a site which tracks online cash games. They are shocked at his losses over so many hands:

yegor: wow such a massive fail
he played 2.5m hands at 2nl and 5nl and he's losing
Donkey111: I remember him from my 2NL days.
often goes on some massive tilt sessions and spews like 20 BI in 500 hands by shoving any 2 cards preflop.

He even gets hate from his PTR account where he is ridiculed on his profile comments, he also replies:

VELAir26: Spend your time with family, friends or other hobbies instead
Paisting: im fine with this you stupid idiot

Mikael continues to play his reckless and tilting style over the years. By 2014, he has been playing for 8 years and is down five figures at microstakes; he starts to look for excuses for how much he has lost. He posts a thread on 2+2 detailing how he feels that he wins at the start of the month and then inevitably starts to lose. He asks how he can take legal action against Partypoker. His fellow posters tease him:

5thStreethog: Did the thought ever cross your mind that it might be possible that the reason you cant beat NL2 in over a million hands might be because you arent very good at poker?

An Attempt at Redemption

2019 comes and Mikael Paisting has been playing microstakes for 13 years, and steadily losing a lot of money. He got a new computer in late 2018 and has been grinding away on it. Mikael is getting mentioned more on 2+2 and he is well known on the tables of Partypoker as he drops stack after stack. Many players on Partypoker furiously try to get on his tables to call his tilt shoves; when Mikael is present other player’s stacks can get as high as $100 at 2nl as he shoves buy in after buy in to button steals. Some were said to be using seating scripts to instantly be placed on a table with Paisting. At this point he is feeling very low. But despite years of losing money and insane tilting he is determined to improve. Mikael is aware of his losses and has a fierce desire to make back the money he has lost since he’s started tracking on his new PC.
He decides get help and he looks to 2+2, the very same forum that had mocked him over the last decade. He logs in as Paisting, his last name. He starts a new thread, types out a post and chooses a title: 'Biggest loser in online poker history wants to grind $16k'. He posts this thread in the sub-forum Poker Goals & Challenges, a place where players post their goals and try to update their thread with their progress. He posts graphs of his losses from his database on his PC. He starts the thread by posting some shocking graphs of $8700 lost at 2nl, $6000 lost at 5nl and $800 lost at 10nl. At 2nl he had an incredible rate of -170BB each 100 hands. The final graph of his microstakes losses posted show $15,000 lost over 365,000 hands. An average loss of $75 a day.
The 2+2 poker community are stunned by the graphs:

HorseofHell: I'm actually shocked it's possible to lose this much at 2nl
Mahsjdj: This can't be real can it?

Mikael posts about the hard work he’s put into poker and mentions that has watched videos, read many instructional books and is honest with his astounding losses:

Paisting: I've lost literally all my money including all my life savings to online poker. I want to try one last time to win those money back and little bit of extra. That's why $16k. What I need is support and guiding.

The community react to his plan to grind all the money back at microstakes:

Fodersneso: This is really disturbing.
Why on earth would you try to grind this all back? Losing at this rate is traumatizing. You're going to grind out 3000 BIs @nl5 now or what's the plan? Really curious how you think you can turn this pile of insanity around...

The community show disbelief and doubt that his story is real but several posters claim that what he says is true. He has been active in Finnish forums for more than 10 years and players starts to share hand histories and stories about his playstyle. He posts about his regret of picking the game up:

Paisting: Never had a winning week in 13 years.
If it were possible to go back ten years I would say to myself "Do not never play single one hand!"

He then goes on to tell 2+2 posters a disturbing source of his funds for his staggering 2nl losses:

Paisting: I've taken huge amount of fast loans.

He sheds a little light into his personal life:

Paisting: My age and relationships has nothing to do with this. But not working, no kids or wife and middle aged. What I have is time to play.
I get a little unemployment benefit that goes straight to the rent. My eating costs are very little because I'm only eating one meal per day. There are times when I must take more fast loans if need of clothes, unexpected bills, sickness etc. That's why getting back those $16k is so important to me.
No disability, never played anything else than poker or lottery when pots are bigger, maybe 5 times in year. Playing poker does not give me any excitement or I'm not cheering won pots.

Posters try to give him strategy advice, they try to persuade him time and time again that shoving 100+ blinds to a minsteal isn’t a good idea. Some others question his sanity and tell him to quit:

FazendeiroBH: Not trolling, I´m actually serious here. You lost an absurd amount of money playing the easiest stake in the world (nl2). You keep losing doing the same faulty strategy. No book ever said you should jam 100 bb preflop rfi. It´s quite obvious there is something wrong with you and your brain, and the more you delay seeking professional care for your mental problems, the worst it´s gonna be for you.

Paitsing updates his thread with highlight hands from his cash sessions. He seems to cherry pick hands to post and will only post hands where he loses all ins as a 70-95% favourite. He delusion leads him to blame the site, his luck and the other micro grinders. He often writes about specific players and gives his opinion on how badly they play. He often quotes their HUD stats and wide calling ranges while ignoring that they are probably adjusting heavily to his own playstyle. Some time passes and he discloses that he has lost almost $500 at 2nl since starting the thread three weeks ago.
He updates his followers with the first monthly graph of the thread from his 2nl play in April 2019. He plays for 90 hours in April and his average daily loss is $50, 25 buy ins each day. 2+2 players start to analyse the graph. They notice that there are several breakeven spots where he may be playing reasonable poker but also huge 150 buy in downswings, some drops in the graph are so steep that he is losing about a buy in every 5 hands for periods of hundreds of hands. He says:

Paitsing: Only trying to get my money back from guys who are playing nl2 forever and never moving up. When I started poker long time ago I tought it's exciting to read watch videos if it gives me more money. After 2 years figured out it's just sitting on computer like in work and if I'm someday +-0 never ever playing this stupid game. This is like war.

888 Poker - $0.02 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
BTN: 250.5 BB
SB (Paisting): 425.5 BB
BB: 101.5 BB
UTG: 100 BB
MP: 106.5 BB
CO: 84.5 BB
Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) BTN has Ad Qs
fold, fold, fold, BTN raises to 2 BB, Paisting raises to 425.5 BB and is all-in, fold, BTN calls 248.5 BB and is all-in
Flop: (502 BB, 2 players) Kh 4s 4c
Turn: (502 BB, 2 players) 3h
River: (502 BB, 2 players) Jc
BTN shows Ad Qs (One Pair, Fours)

Paisting shows 5s Js (Two Pair, Jacks and Fours)

Paisting wins 471 BB<
Later in the thread Paisting would reveal his line of thinking during hands like these; a poster asked why he though 3 betting hands like J5 was a good idea. Paisting replies:

Paisting: If you don't want them to run over you, you must do something. Blind play is very important and you can't let them run over you. When 80+ habit stealer gets shoves straight to his face he must learn at some point that I'm not giving blinds.

Many tried to reason with him and show him clearly why this was wrong, he not only refuted their strategy but would argue against them, often citing his opponent’s HUD stats.
Later on in the thread Mikael posts horrifying news. He explains that he didn’t transfer hands from his old computer to his new computer. The graphs he posted at the start of the thread only showed the tip of the iceberg. He reveals that $16k loss from the graphs was from just 7 months of play!:

Paisting: That 16k is in 209 days and in about 1 year as you can see from the first post. Big part of my losings has left to hard drive of my old crashed computer. That's past and I don't wanna think about it anymore. Main goal is this database I have here in my computer. But yes what I have been repeating many times, moving to 888 poker has sky rocketed my losses although I can play only 6 tables compared to party's 9 tables.

Posters speculate that his lifetime microstakes losses probably amount to six figures:

SpinMeRightRound: I mean if he's lost $20k in the last year, and he's been doing this for more than 10 years, he may have lost $200k or more.

In late 2019, Paisting claims that there was a ring of players were colluding against him. He goes on to say that the new site he plays on, 888, were asking for hand histories from certain players. He showed emails of his communications and posted that 8 players had had their account frozen. He also shows screenshots that his account is temporarily frozen during the investigation. Posters speculated:

CrunchyBlack: Pretty sure they think you're chip dumping lmao
.isolated: They think you're chip dumping to him. Funniest. Thing. Ever. The irony here is nearly palpable.

2020: The Struggle Continues

At the end of the year Paisting posts his 2019 graphs. He says that he hasn’t had a winning week yet and he’s still committed to making back 2019’s losses. His graphs show down 12k from 320k hands of 2nl in 2019.
In January 2020 he continues to post regularly and makes comments about him hunting down players worse than him:

Paisting: When you hunt really bad player (yes enzet there are plenty of worst player than me on 888 look those hand histories really carefully) hours and hours and wait good hand just to site let them to suck out it is affecting your game really badly.

He posts about his continuing struggle to win back the $16k:

Paisting: I have years dedicated for this project and anything back from that amount is winning to me. At this point it’s impossible to make any profit because of horrible suckouts.

He also posts about the high interest loans he’s taken out:

Paisting: I have huge amounts of loans that are basically all taken for poker. I don't eat much and all my other costs are very low.
And because of those loans I must get back so much money that is possible and these suck outs must stop.

February 2020 arrives and he posts his January chart, the worst posted yet. He takes a gigantic loss of $1,550 at an eye-watering rate of 210bb/100 hands. Often when he posts monthly graphs he would highlight that he ran a few buy ins below EV when he would be down hundreds of buy ins for the month.
The months pass and the cycle continues. Paisting posts the usual bad beats, posters berate him and try to give him advice and Paisting resists their efforts. Here is one of many similar hands posted in February:

888Poker, Hold'em No Limit - $0.01/$0.02 - 6 players
UTG: $1.46 (73 bb) Paisting (MP): $7.45 (373 bb) CO: $15.44 (772 bb) BU: $2.00 (100 bb) SB: $3.47 (174 bb) BB: $2.00 (100 bb)
Pre-Flop: ($0.03) 1 fold, Paisting(MP) raises to $7.45 (all-in), CO calls $7.45, 3 players fold
Flop: ($14.93) 6c 7c 4d (2 players, 1 all-in)
Turn: ($14.93) Ts (2 players, 1 all-in)
River: ($14.93) 8h (2 players, 1 all-in)
Total pot: $14.93 (Rake: $0.93)
Showdown: Paisting (MP) shows 7d Tc (two pair, Tens and Sevens) (CO) shows Js Jc (a pair of Jacks) Paisting (MP) wins $14

March comes and the regular monthly graph is posted. The uploaded graph shows is he down $1900 or 950 buy ins for last month. Mikael refutes that he is a gambling addict:

Paisting: 888 has given many 10 dollar bonuses to me play slots. I have never played them and in fact my account has 20 dollars freeplay bonus to play their slots. I will not use those money now or in future. So that's gambling addict to you.

April and May roll by and the monthly graphs are posted. He played fewer hands than normal, 43,000. But is down $1,250, all at 2nl.
In June he posts the usual monthly graph with -$1900 and it’s the lowest win rate he’s posted before, a colossal -335b/100hands, the graph has some alarmingly steep downswings with one section where he loses $500 in 1000 hands. That’s a loss of one buy in every 4 hands. Getting these monthly updates shows how quickly he loses money at 2nl and collaborates with earlier estimations that he is likely down more than $100k at microstakes over the past 14 years. Approximations indicate that Mikael has paid over $20k in rake to poker sites over the years.

The End, for Now

Mikael is still playing microstakes to this day. His poker story isn’t over yet but so far it is a sad one. My previous two Tales from 2+2 stories had mostly happy endings but not this one. This story is like a car falling down a cliff and it hasn’t hit the bottom yet.
Let this story be a lesson that poker isn’t for everyone. Players with addiction or mental issues should reconsider if the game is best for their lives. Serious poker players should consider bankroll management and how tilt affects their winrate if they do choose to play.
Seek help if you think you or others need it.
Original thread (Still active)

Link to my online poker HobbyDrama posts: Poker player steals $1m+ chips and tries to sell it on 2+2 poker forums
A Very Controversial $70k prop bet
Poker Forum Help Homeless Player Attempt The Shot of a Lifetime

The Blossoming of TV Poker

The Year is 2006. Online poker is thriving. Partypoker has the highest traffic of any poker site but Pokerstars are gaining new players quickly with aggressive marketing strategies. Lots of poker sites are investing heavily into marketing and one key place to channel their advertising budget is TV. New innovations, improved graphics and increasing funding meant that poker TV is at an all-time peak of popularity.
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the biggest event in the poker calendar, it features many poker tournaments culminating in the prestigious $10k Main Event tournament. The Main Event is a popular televised tournament. 40% of the the 2006 WSOP Main Event’s attendance is from online sites and poker sites are offering large amounts of cash for players on TV to wear an advertising patch. According to Dan Goldman’s blog, Pokerstars spent over $730,000 on WSOP players’ gift bags. The WSOP is seeing more TV time and this year an extra event is added to the TV schedule alongside the WSOP main event.

The Path of a New Player

In Finland, Mikael Paisting is watching the 2006 WSOP on TV. He enjoys watching poker broadcasts and is fascinated by the game. It’s a very common story for players to catch an interest by watching poker TV and sign up with to one of the many poker sites available. He chooses to deposit on Partypoker. Mikael is a committed learner and player. He reads several poker books from well-known authors. He also watches many training videos. Like many players starting in online poker he begins at the microstakes cash tables.
The standard buy in for microstakes online is $2-10, if a player plays microstakes for an hour they would probably win or lose a few dollars. 2nl means the big blind is 2 cents and standard buy in is $2, the standard buy in at 5nl is $5 and 10nl is $10.
Microstakes are a rite of passage for many online poker players. Some will play microstakes for weeks, months or even years improving their game and increasing their bankroll so they can move up to small stakes, 25nl and above. Some players see the microstakes as a job and play as many tables as they can to eke out a living wage. Some players have never played microstakes and skip it entirely for higher stakes. Mikael starts to play and doesn’t do well, this is normal for many beginners, even those who study. However, over the next few weeks Mikael continues to lose. Months go by and Mikael still hasn’t turned a profit. He discovers problems with tilt (when players get angry and it negatively affects their play) and often takes his frustration out in the chat box. An example of his rage:

Paisting:THAT IS NOT NORMAL OMG!! JUST UNBELIEVABLE

Mikael doesn’t play 10nl very often and spends the majority of him time playing 2nl and 5nl, buying in for $2-5 at a time. He continues to multitable cash games on Partypoker but he just can’t win. He starts to lose big, thousands of dollars, mostly at 2nl which is known as the softest cash game on the internet.

Getting Noticed

Mikael continues to play long sessions over the next five years, he claims to play 5-7 days a week for 4-8 hours a day. By 2011 he had played 2 and a half million hands while playing 6 to 9 cash tables at one time. Mikael is still mostly playing 2nl and is down a colossal amount: $7000. Remember that he is mostly playing 2nl, with a buy in of $2, even losing $1000 at 2nl is unheard of. Mikael has been suffering from major tilt problems and has a very wild and noticeable style of playing microstakes. He starts to get noticed on 2+2, a very popular poker forum. A player posts a link to his PTR graph, a site which tracks online cash games. They are shocked at his losses over so many hands:

yegor: wow such a massive fail
he played 2.5m hands at 2nl and 5nl and he's losing
Donkey111: I remember him from my 2NL days.
often goes on some massive tilt sessions and spews like 20 BI [buy ins] in 500 hands by shoving any 2 cards preflop.

He even gets hate from his PTR account where he is ridiculed on his profile comments, he also replies:

VELAir26: Spend your time with family, friends or other hobbies instead
Paisting: im fine with this you stupid idiot

5thStreethog: Did the thought ever cross your mind that it might be possible that the reason you cant beat NL2 in over a million hands might be because you arent very good at poker?

An Attempt at Redemption

2019 comes and Mikael Paisting has been playing microstakes for 13 years, and steadily losing a lot of money. He got a new computer in late 2018 and has been grinding away on it. Mikael is getting mentioned more on 2+2 and he is well known on the tables of Partypoker as he drops stack after stack. Many players on Partypoker furiously try to get on his tables to call his tilt shoves; when Mikael is present other player’s stacks can get as high as $100 at 2nl as he shoves buy in after buy in in bad spots. Some were said to be using seating scripts to instantly be placed on a table with Paisting. At this point he is feeling very low. But despite years of losing money and insane tilting he is determined to improve. Mikael is aware of his losses and has a fierce desire to make back the money he has lost since he’s started tracking on his new PC.
He decides get help and he looks to 2+2, the very same forum that had mocked him over the last decade. He logs in as Paisting, his last name. He starts a new thread, types out a post and chooses a title: 'Biggest loser in online poker history wants to grind $16k'. He posts this thread in the sub-forum Poker Goals & Challenges, a place where players post their goals and try to update their thread with their progress. He posts graphs of his losses from his database on his PC. He starts the thread by posting some shocking graphs of $8700 lost at 2nl, $6000 lost at 5nl and $800 lost at 10nl. At 2nl he had an incredible rate of losing an average of $75 a day. The final graph of his microstakes losses posted show $15,000 lost over 365,000 hands.
The 2+2 poker community are stunned by the graphs:

HorseofHell: I'm actually shocked it's possible to lose this much at 2nl
Mahsjdj: This can't be real can it?

Mikael posts about the hard work he’s put into poker and mentions that has watched videos, read many instructional books and is honest with his astounding losses:

Paisting: I've lost literally all my money including all my life savings to online poker. I want to try one last time to win those money back and little bit of extra. That's why $16k. What I need is support and guiding.

The community react to his plan to grind all the money back at microstakes:

Fodersneso: This is really disturbing.
Why on earth would you try to grind this all back? Losing at this rate is traumatizing. You're going to grind out 3000 BIs [buy ins] @nl5 now or what's the plan? Really curious how you think you can turn this pile of insanity around...

Paisting: Never had a winning week in 13 years.
If it were possible to go back ten years I would say to myself "Do not never play single one hand!"

He then goes on to tell 2+2 posters a disturbing source of his funds for his staggering 2nl losses:

Paisting: I've taken huge amount of fast loans.

He sheds a little light into his personal life:

Paisting: My age and relationships has nothing to do with this. But not working, no kids or wife and middle aged. What I have is time to play.
I get a little unemployment benefit that goes straight to the rent. My eating costs are very little because I'm only eating one meal per day. There are times when I must take more fast loans if need of clothes, unexpected bills, sickness etc. That's why getting back those $16k is so important to me.
No disability, never played anything else than poker or lottery when pots are bigger, maybe 5 times in year. Playing poker does not give me any excitement or I'm not cheering won pots.

Posters try to give him strategy advice, they try to persuade him time and time again that his strategy isn't working. Some others question his sanity and tell him to quit:

FazendeiroBH: Not trolling, I´m actually serious here. You lost an absurd amount of money playing the easiest stake in the world (nl2). You keep losing doing the same faulty strategy. It´s quite obvious there is something wrong with you and your brain, and the more you delay seeking professional care for your mental problems, the worst it´s gonna be for you.

Paitsing updates his thread with highlight hands from his cash sessions. He seems to cherry pick hands to post and will only post hands where he loses all ins as a 70-95% favourite. He delusion leads him to blame the site, his luck and the other micro grinders. He often writes about specific players and gives his opinion on how badly they play. Some time passes and he discloses that he has lost almost $500 at 2nl since starting the thread three weeks ago.
He updates his followers with the first monthly graph of the thread from his 2nl play in April 2019. He plays for 90 hours in April and his average daily loss is $50, 25 buyins each day. 2+2 players start to analyse the graph. They notice that there are several breakeven spots where he may be playing reasonable poker but also huge 150 buy in downswings, some drops in the graph are so steep that he is losing about a buy in every 5 hands for periods of hundreds of hands. He says:

Paitsing: Only trying to get my money back from guys who are playing nl2 forever and never moving up. When I started poker long time ago I tought it's exciting to read watch videos if it gives me more money. After 2 years figured out it's just sitting on computer like in work and if I'm someday +-0 never ever playing this stupid game. This is like war.

The thread goes on like this for almost a year. The thread repeats itself over and over. He will post a few selective bad beats, ignore good advice and berate his microstakes tablemates. A fellow microstakes grinder makes his first appearance in the thread: 6betpot. 6Betpot would play at Paisting's tables and often win many buy ins, 6Betpot would go on to post highly contrasting hand histories to the unlucky hands that Paisting posts which shows the hands Mikael was not posting. Some players would criticize 6Betpot for predatory behavior but 6Betpot would maintain that he would try to persuade Paisting to stop playing in a crazy manner.
Many tried to reason with Mikael and show him clearly why this was wrong, he not only refuted their strategy but would argue against them.
Later on in the thread Mikael posts horrifying news. He explains that he didn’t transfer hands from his old computer to his new computer. The graphs he posted at the start of the thread only showed the tip of the iceberg. He reveals that $16k loss from the graphs was from just 7 months of play!:

Paisting: That 16k is in 209 days and in about 1 year as you can see from the first post. Big part of my losings has left to hard drive of my old crashed computer. That's past and I don't wanna think about it anymore. Main goal is this database I have here in my computer. But yes what I have been repeating many times, moving to 888 poker has sky rocketed my losses although I can play only 6 tables compared to party's 9 tables.

Posters speculate that his lifetime microstakes losses probably amount to six figures:

SpinMeRightRound: I mean if he's lost $20k in the last year, and he's been doing this for more than 10 years, he may have lost $200k or more.

2020: The Struggle Continues

Paisting: When you hunt really bad player (yes enzet there are plenty of worst player than me on 888 look those hand histories really carefully) hours and hours and wait good hand just to site let them to suck out it is affecting your game really badly.

He posts about his continuing struggle to win back the $16k:

Paisting: I have years dedicated for this project and anything back from that amount is winning to me. At this point it’s impossible to make any profit because of horrible suckouts.

He also posts about the high interest loans he’s taken out:

Paisting: I have huge amounts of loans that are basically all taken for poker. I don't eat much and all my other costs are very low.
And because of those loans I must get back so much money that is possible and these suck outs must stop.

February 2020 arrives and he posts his January chart, the worst posted yet. He takes a gigantic loss of $1,550 at an eye-watering rate.
The months pass and the cycle continues. Paisting posts the usual unlucky hands, posters berate him and try to give him advice and Paisting resists their efforts. Here is one of many similar hands posted in February, this hand shows him making an awful play and raising huge with a weak hand:

888Poker, Hold'em No Limit - $0.01/$0.02 - 6 players
UTG: $1.46 (73 bb) Paisting (MP): $7.45 (373 bb) CO: $15.44 (772 bb) BU: $2.00 (100 bb) SB: $3.47 (174 bb) BB: $2.00 (100 bb)
Pre-Flop: ($0.03) 1 fold, Paisting(MP) raises to $7.45 (all-in), CO calls $7.45, 3 players fold
Flop: ($14.93) 6c 7c 4d (2 players, 1 all-in)
Turn: ($14.93) Ts (2 players, 1 all-in)
River: ($14.93) 8h (2 players, 1 all-in)
Total pot: $14.93 (Rake: $0.93)
Showdown: Paisting (MP) shows 7d Tc (two pair, Tens and Sevens) (CO) shows Js Jc (a pair of Jacks) Paisting (MP) wins $14

March comes and the regular monthly graph is posted. The uploaded graph shows is he down $1900 or 950 buy ins for last month. Mikael refutes that he is a gambling addict:

Paisting: 888 has given many 10 dollar bonuses to me play slots. I have never played them and in fact my account has 20 dollars freeplay bonus to play their slots. I will not use those money now or in future. So that's gambling addict to you.

April and May roll by and the monthly graphs are posted. He played fewer hands than normal, 43,000. But is down $1,250, all at 2nl.
In June he posts the usual monthly graph with -$1900 and it’s the lowest win rate he’s posted before, the graph has some alarmingly steep downswings with one section where he loses $500 in 1000 hands. That’s a loss of one buy in every 4 hands. Getting these monthly updates shows how quickly he loses money at 2nl and collaborates with earlier estimations that he is likely down more than $100k at microstakes over the past 14 years.

The End, for Now

As per usual, expect these things to change by the start of the new season, especially if a new forward is signed. As a guide, (?) means that the player is in the Manchester City squad but not in the game and (??) means that the player is a rumored signing for the Sky Blues.
TLDR: De Bruyne and maybe Foden if you are feeling spicy.
Goalkeepers:
Ederson (£6.0): Although the city stopper claimed his first golden glove for the club since Joe Hart, he still returned his lowest amount of FPL points last season. At 6.0, He is still a premium goalkeeper who will likely still face problems getting points unless a player like Koulibaly is signed. Key errors in games such as the Manchester United and Lyon illustrate that Ederson is not 100% trustworthy. However, a more direct approach from Guardiola can benefit Ederson in terms of potential assists.
Verdict: .5 too much, avoid for now but keep an eye out for him
Bravo (£4.5): Not sure why he is still in the game, he's going to be off in the summer
Verdict: Avoid
Steffen (£?): The U.S.A. international is set to return from his loan spell in the Bundesliga. Although he impressed throughout the season, Steffen will surely be #2 to Ederson in the pecking order throughout the season. He will likely be priced at around 4.5 as well but he will only have value if Ederson goes down with an injury
Verdict: Only viable if Ederson gets a long term injury
Defenders:
Walker (£6.0): Oh Kyle Walker. A great footballer in real life but provides questionable value regardless that he scored miles ahead of any other city defender. His spot in the starting 11 should be the most nailed on amongst outfield players next season. If City strengthens their defense, he will provide additional value with his clean sheets. A true lack of contribution in the final third hampers Walker's potential, but he will likely rank amongst the top-scoring defenders at City next season.
Verdict: Too expensive for his value due to his lack of end product. Avoid
Otamendi (£5.0): I bet most Manchester City fans already thought he left the club. Although he was the 2nd highest FPL scoring defender for City last year, expect him to put up a fat 0 points this season.
Verdict: Avoid!!!
Ake (£5.5) After Laporte's less than impressive game against Lyon in the Champions League, Ake has become a more intriguing prospect. That being said, the odds of him beating out the Frenchman to the starting left center-back position is unlikely, especially at the start of the new season. If Laporte happens to go down again with another injury, Ake would be a great player. It is also worth noting that Guardiola may deploy Ake at left-back and defensive midfielder throughout the season, but he will largely only serve a rotational purpose.
Verdict: Avoid for now
Mendy (£6.0): Perhaps one of the most overpriced players in the game. He recently lost his place in the starting 11 to an out of position Joao Cancelo. Mendy will likely only be a rotational left-back this season, splitting time with both Cancelo and Ake. Adding into account his injury risks and lack of consistency just makes this problem worse. Unless Mendy has a true breakout season, 6.0 is far too expensive for the leader of the Shark Team.
Verdict: Mostly likely avoid all season
Laporte (£6.0): The heart of our defense. Although he has a few bad games a season, he is by far the best defender at the club at this moment. An early injury ruled him out for several months and took away the possibility for a great season. This season, however, Laporte could prove to be an effective choice in the Man City backline. This is largely dependent on who will partner him come the start of the new season.
Verdict: Only for those with lots of faith in City's defending.
Fernandinho (£5.5): The ever-present Brazilian in the Manchester City lineup for the past few seasons may be taking a step back this season as additional competition complied with his aging limbs will likely deem Dinho fantasy irrelevant. The same price as Ake, I expect Dinho to play fewer minutes than his new teammate this season, although a greater proportion of them may be in midfield. For FPL, Dinho has never been a viable option. This season, I expect the trend to continue
Verdict: Only a lunatic would pick him.
Zinchenko (£5.5): Things do not look good for the Ukrainian rapper. Not only did he lose his spot to both Mendy and Cancelo, but additional competition in Ake (and in theory Angelino) will only help plummet Zinchenko's stock. As a traditional midfielder, Zinchenko may prove to have value if he gets loaned out to another team should they choose to play him further up the pitch. As for now, I wouldn't place my bets on Zinchenko to have value this season.
Verdict: Look out for a potential loan.
Cancelo (£5.5): Joao Cancelo. The right-back turned left-back that only recently has proven to be trusted by Pep Guardiola. Not trusted enough, however, to avoid extra competition with the signing of Ake. I expect Cancelo to start the season for Manchester City at left-back barring any new left-back signings, but I am skeptical of his ability to put up points for our fantasy teams.
Verdict: Risky and expensive differential
Garcia (£5.0): Before the news broke out that Garcia has desires to go back to Barcelona, I believed that the future looked bright for the young Spaniard. Garcia started in most of Manchester City's games following the resumption of the league and although he had to be babysat by Laporte in those games, he showed enough for me (and Pep) to rate him over Stones, Otamendi, and Dinho at that position. Should City fail to sign another center-back, they will likely refuse to sell him to Barcelona this transfer window. If so, he would have great potential at 5.0.
Verdict: Solid investment if City keep him + Don't buy Koulibaly/Other CB
Stones (£5.0): I won't go too in-depth on this one. Stones' City career is likely coming to an end unless they decide to sell Garcia and keep Stones as their 4th center back. Even so, he wouldn't produce much value. If Stones goes to another top half team in England, he could have some potential. A loan move to Arsenal could be best for both the Gunners and the Sky Blues.
Verdict: Only viable if he gets a move to another top half Prem side.
Angelino (£?): Quick special mention to Angelino, who will likely leave the club this summer.
Verdict: Avoid
Koulibaly (£??): Technically not a City player, but after City's disappointing loss to Lyon, he should surely be a Sky Blue this transfer window. If so, he could provide value along-side Laporte. At 6.0 Koulibaly would stabilize City's defense and probably play more minutes than Laporte next season. As a result, he would likely be one of City's highest-scoring defenders.
Verdict: Depends on transfer and price
Midfielders:
De Bruyne: (£11.5): The first name on my FPL team. De Bruyne scored the most points amongst all players last season and is still priced less than some of them. The Belgian midfielder has been wonderful in his time at the Etihad and his attacking returns should only continue to be magnificent next season. With more determination than ever, and possibly another striker to assist, De Bruyne should offer amazing value next season. If you can only find room for one City player, make it KDB.
Verdict: Immense value, easy pick.
Sterling (£11.5): Sterling, if he could stay consistent, would have been the highest-scoring play in FPL last year. After an amazing start to the season, Sterling lost his form. Now with Sane gone and only a young Ferran Torres in to replace him, Sterling has more responsibility on his shoulders than ever before. His recent form and insane miss against Lyon may raise some red flags about the Englishman, but he should still provide the 2nd move value amongst City midfielders next season.
Verdict: Less value for money than KDB, but keep an eye out for how he starts the season
Mahrez (£8.5): Another player who gets trapped in Pep Roulette. Mahrez played brilliantly last season but with the emergence of Phil Foden (who likes to play out wide) and the signing of Ferran Torres, Mahrez may see another significant cut into his minutes next season. Should he start the season strong, however, he may be able to nail down a spot in Guardiola's team for the first few game weeks.
Verdict: Risky differential
Bernardo (£7.5): After his breakout season in 2018/19, hopes were high for Bernardo Silva. This season, however, he failed to impress and was largely omitted from the starting 11 for the games following the resumption of the league, including crucial Champions League games. With his desire to stay at Manchester City made public, Bernardo can offer amazing value-for-money if he can hit the ground running next season. The absence of David Silva now opens up the possibility of Bernardo playing centrally more often, which can only benefit the Portuguese international.
Verdict: Great potential but Pep doesn't seem to trust him in big games
Rodrigo (£5.5): Defensive midfielders never really provide great value in FPL.
Verdict: Avoid
Foden (£6.5): The English wonderkid that took the Premier League by storm following the resumption of the league looks set to fight for his chance to play consistent minutes. His start in the crucial second leg against Real Madrid further proves that Pep has confidence in the young man. If he can nail down a spot, either centrally or out on the wings, Foden can easily be the best asset to own given his price. Ambitious managers looking for a differential may look Foden's way, but that largely depends on what happens between now and the start of the season.
Verdict: Could be the gem of the season, although he could also largely spend time on the bench.
Gundogan (£5.5): See Rodrigo
Doyle (£4.5): Tommy Doyle is an exciting young prospect but he is a few seasons away from a real impact on the first team.
Verdict: Avoid
Torres (£7.0): Although he has been priced relatively cheaply for a City winger, I would urge caution with it comes to the Spaniard. Guardiola will most likely use the same approach he did when bringing Sane to the squad in that he will only really fully integrate the player after the end of the 2020/2021 season. If there was no redraft every year, Torres would be a good pick, but for this upcoming season, he shouldn't have much value.
Verdict: Wait for 2021/22 season
Braaf (£?): Braaf may be implemented into the game later this season, but he will likely fail to have any value once he is in. Along with Torres and Doyle, Braaf is one to watch out for a few seasons down the line.
Verdict: Wait a few seasons
Forwards:
Jesus (£9.5): A whole million cheaper than Aguero, Jesus offers a potential entryway into the City attack. However, I believe that there are better options given his price tag and his rotational with Aguero (or another striker) will likely hinder any breakout season for the Brazilian. If Jesus can improve on his end product, he will have value. As for now, however, it seems too risky to pick him given all the transfer rumors surrounding a new city striker.
Verdict: Keep an eye on him, but avoid for now.
Aguero (£10.5): Every year, Aguero scores an absurd number of goals given his fitness problems and rotation with Jesus. That being said, Aguero may face additional competition if City sign another forward. With 12 months left on the Argentine's contract, this may be the last season we have the forward in the game. In my opinion, his pricing makes him a huge risk this season, although I'm sure he would love to prove me wrong!
Verdict: Club favorite, but may not be an elite FPL option anymore for that price.
Messi (£??): Just kidding. Unless...
Thanks for taking the time to look at my guide, I will be updating it over time throughout pre-season. I would greatly appreciate it if you could either upvote or leave a comment with some feedback as this is my first ever preseason guide. If you disagree with any of my comments, send me a message as I would love another viewpoint on this.

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