07/22/22 – Learning Night Game in Cebu City

I’m back, baby! Been waitin’ to run game in SEA for years now lol. Y’all can look forward to my FRs and how international pickup compares to the United States.

On 07/22/22, Friday, I decided to try out night game in Cebu City. While I could have hit up Mango Square like most foreigners – and Filipinos – do, I felt it best to start off at Icon. Why? It’s an EDM nightclub visited by the elite-tier of Cebu City. Which consequently means hotter girls.

Unfortunately, I absolutely hated how loud the club was. Worse yet, the dudes and girls whispered everything. It wasn’t like the USA where people would yell so you can hear them over the music. Nah son, Filipinos, Koreans, and the Chinese I met last night are SUPER SHY. Only the Koreans made ANY effort to communicate coherently over the loud ass music.

Nevertheless, that’s why PUAs say bars > clubs. Easier to communicate = easier to game.

However, I learned valuable lessons when I went clubbing in Cebu City. Specifically, the difference between American style NG vs Philippines NG.

You see, as Americans, you have to run value-based game in order to catch the attention of your target. You’re also competing against literally hundreds of other dudes tryna get your girl’s attention, too. In the Philippines, the guys aren’t really competing against you (thank god). I’m pretty sure I was, like, 1 of 5 dudes at Icon running game.

IMPORTANT: But here are the key aspects of PH nightgame that I learned.

  1. Walk up to your girl.
  2. Speak slowly, in English.
  3. Tell her she has a cute look or – better yet – that she’s cute.
  4. Have a normal conversation (ie. “Are you Filipino? Do you come to [club] often? How are you?”). Very simple questions.
    • Resist the temptation to speak fast if you get excited. Keep calm and stay grounded. That’s far more important than “verbally finessing” her.
  5. Lead + escalate

Once I discovered the game style to run in Cebu City, I felt fuckin’ relieved. It’s easy. Real easy. Do not overcomplicate things. Treat all of them like cats. You’re careful, cautious, and don’t make any sudden movements. You don’t want to scare off the cat. Slowly bring them to your side. Be patient.

But yeah, other than that, I had a great set yesterday. I spent approximately 2 hours with this Japanese exchange student at Icon. I learn a ton of valuable things with her on how Eastern women operate.

Approach #1: The Japanese Foreign Exchange Student

Synopsis: After running a few sets at Icon, I was having trouble hooking any sets. My game was too high energy, my English too fast. And girls had trouble following. This wasn’t like in the USA where girls fed off high, fun energy levels. Nah, it was best if I kept to a calm, casual tone. Almost zero game. Except to lead + escalate.

So, after approximately 3 or so sets, that’s when I met her.

My target was a Japanese foreign exchange student living in Cebu City to study English. She was an HB 7, in a sundress, and a bit shy.

I distinctly recall opening her about how cute her sundress looked. She smiled, said thank you. After that, I simply ran with boring ‘ol: “How are you doing? Have you been in the Philippines long? How do you like it?” And she just lit up. Honestly, I didn’t understand why lol. It was just so boring. Like, this wasn’t even fun conversation topics. Moreso shit you’d say sitting next to someone in a bus or plane.

Whatever the case, it worked like a charm.

Unlike the USA, it’s ok if you buy a girl a beer in SEA. So, after buying her + myself a Red Horse, I immediately began leading. I wanted this girl to get invested in me. So, when I went for a smoke, she followed. When I wanted to dance, she obeyed. At one point, she started dragging ME everywhere lol. That’s how I knew my game was working.

I met her friends. And they were pretty cool. Nothing too big to note. Thankfully, they didn’t try cockblocking me – which seems to be a thing in the Philippines. If you’re cool with the guy you’re with, the girls won’t try leading their friend away. It’s fucking awesome.

But here’s the thing: I only did the most MINOR of kino. Like, handholding. I was at a point she starting rubbing my hand with her thumb + leading me around. I knew I should have escalated. But god damn, the fact I realized the game style required for Cebu City and the mad validation I was getting from this Jap was too good.

I played not to lose… I didn’t play to win.

Who cares if I lose this girl, right? I could snatch another one minutes later. But my mind starting fucking with me. What if I get too high energy again? What if I make mistakes – even though I knew the right answer? It was a little stifling, so I opted to go with the safe route and hang out with the Jap.

At the end of the night, I legit got bored. And my girl slowly started to lose interest at the 1 hour, 30 minute mark. So, what did I do? I snatched the Jap’s number and ejected out of set. Bummer.

After speaking with u/fastlife15, he said the following what I’d damn well better do next time: “Move her around a little + seed food/drinks”. Yeah, I should have done the last part. Specifically, seed food/drinks OUTSIDE the night club. Even with her friends being ok with me, it must have been hella hard to escalate without her ASD going off lol.

What I Did Right:

Learned the Right Style of Game: Or, more accurately, calibration. After three sets, I knew high-energy game wouldn’t work. Like Colombia in 7 days, I had to calibrate. Thankfully, it only took me a single night out to realize this fact. The slow, sexy English is what I’ll be opting for next time I hit the night trenches.

Lead, Lead, Lead: I lead my girl everywhere. I knew I had to make her invest. Even though she didn’t smoke, I led her to the smoking area. If I wanted a drink, we went to the bar. Even in the most useless areas, she followed me like a puppy. It was glorious.

Sticking Points:

Spoke Waaaaay Too Fast: Yah, this one is a biggie. Especially since this ain’t the States. Girls, even Filipinas who DO speak English, but don’t use it as their primary language, had a tough time listening to me. The music was stupidly loud. And I just ran my mouth 100mph.

Too High Energy: I had a similar issue in the United States. Since I was excited to NG in a new environment, I’d consequently be high energy as fuck. It was a little problematic in the States, but at least I could get girls to hook. In SEA countries, girls – hell, people – are inherently shy and introverted. Being high energy in general simply will not fly.

Played To Not Lose: God, I hated myself for this one. But yeah, it’s a learning experience. I knew I had to escalate, but I was afraid my target’s friends would drag my girl away. And I feared rejection. I mean, I put so much time and effort into the set – why risk losing it? At least, that’s the lie I told myself.

What I’ll Do Next Time:

Go Direct: This is the name of the game. If you convey direct intentions (ie. “I think you’re cute and I had to say hi.”) girls will light up. This is a far cry from the United States. Such an opener will absolutely murder the set. Full-on. But in the Philippines, direct is the ONLY way to go. Girls don’t get subtlety. They don’t get cute push-pulls, cold reads, etc. Just be straight. If you like a girl, straight-up tell her. Don’t sugarcoat it.

Speak Slowly In English: Ok, I think the fact I’m excited + have prior experience with NG in the United States is why I spoke fast. Next time, I’ll speak slowly, with meaning and focus, and less on what I say.

Project Sexual Intent: If I’m going to do anything game-y, focus on inner game. A practical inner game technique which translates infield is projecting sexual intent. I give the girl ‘I-want-to-fuck-you’ eyes, while training my focus on her.

Focus on HOW I say my words: Like in Colombia, it’s how I say things, not what I say. Simple as that.

Focus on Inner Game: In hindsight, very little – if any – outer game techniques are required in SEA. If I’m going to focus on anything, make it inner game. Practice mindfulness meditation, project sexual intent, become more entitled with 8s, 9s, and 10s.

Comments: Remember: Slow, meaningful English. Boring convo topics. Ditch the Todd V value based game in SEA. I don’t need it.

12/11/21 – Girl Threw Herself At Me… And I Bombed Due To Lack of Entitlement

On Saturday, 12/11/21, I ventured off to Rocbar with Chris preparing for a loooong night game session leading up to 4AM. Before this, on Friday, we had a pretty successful night filled with learning lessons – and that Saturday was no different. Possibly even more so, just different aspects of game.

At first, it was an average Saturday night for us. Run a few sets -> hook girls -> but Chris and I would hit a deadlock or some external event prevented us from moving the set forward. Rinse and repeat. However, at the tail end of the night, I met this 23 year old, South African lawyer who hoped I’d game her correctly. Unfortunately, I made a critical mishap which cost me the set. I’ll be detailing the interaction in this report.

Approach #1The South African Lawyer

Synopsis: At 3-4AM, I was chilling with Chris, going over his most recent set. He made this Pakistani chick all over him, but her friends cockblocked like mad. That’s when this chick sporting a black dress, heavy makeup, I’d say a soft 7 came over and sat next to me.

This wasn’t a coincidence.

Quite a few couches were nearby and she chose to sit directly adjacent to me. It was easy pickings.

I forgot what I opened her with, but it was super casual. The first thing I noticed was her personality: She was a highly intelligent, yet negative individual. She was direct and to the point, despite her attempts at “subtlety”.

I tried running standard game: Push-pulls, qualifiers, etc. They didn’t have a strong effect. In hindsight, she was definitely a comfort girl. My value was high enough simply by being there.

We vibed most of the time… and then I asked her why she was so tired. Like, the girl looked like she reeeeally didn’t want to be in the club.

Her response: “I don’t want to send the wrong vibes, but I’m tired and want to go home. I’d rather save that energy for sex.”

You DON’T just say that without conveying some overt ass intentions.

In all honesty, I was awestruck. My brain was like, “uhhhh…”

And since I didn’t know how to handle the situ, my brain reverted to giving a thirsty response lol. It was terrible game and I felt truly awful for going the chode route. This was def a learning lesson I’ll avoid in the future.

“So, you’re a lawyer, right? That means you probably have a sweet ass apartment.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty cool. Some of the shit doesn’t work, but I like it.”

“Shit girl, I’unno I’m a poor boy and I’m kinda curious to see how it is.”

Aaaand she said she had a boyfriend haha. We chatted for a bit longer, but at the end, I snagged her number. It was a flake. Meh.

IMPORTANT: After speaking to u/fastlife15, he said “Sometimes girls are just down and all you need to do is chill, not be too thirsty, and lead.” That’s it. Be a cool, fun guy.

What I Did Right:

– Pushed The Set As Far As Possible: While I fucked up, at least I didn’t freeze & eject or simply ignored what my target. This served as a massive learning lesson to truly chill, not be too thirsty, and lead as u/fastlife15 put it.

Sticking Points:

– Handling Direct Girls: I definitely wasn’t entitled as I should have been. If I was, I would have inherently knew I was a high value dude and this was common to me. Next time, I’ll…

What I’ll Do Next Time:

– Chill -> Don’t Be Thirsty -> Lead: … do this. Gotta remember if a girl is overtly interested in me, to simply chill, don’t be thirsty, and lead.

Comments: N/A.

11/30/21 – Keep Calm & Game On

On 11/30/21, Tuesday, I ventured off to Evanston to hit up Northwestern University. I felt like my emotions + inner game raged up a storm after being locked up for months on in. I felt invincible, like I could take on the world. If I had to guess what caused me to feel so upbeat today, it’s my TRT regimen accompanied by a new morning supplement schedule consisting of Vitamin B Complex Pill, 5000 iu vitamin D, 400mg liquid ionic magnesium and my multivitamins.

It was recommended to me on Reddit as an anti-depressive regimen and general mood booster.

And damn, did it show lol

All in all, I my attitude and outlook was incredibly positive, my game improved & suffered in a few ways. I’ll log my results on the two approaches I managed to net over at Northwestern and utilize it as essential data for next time.

I’m hoping this is what I’ve been looking for so I can continue my pickup journey once again.

Approach #1The NoCal Redhead

Synopsis: After getting off the Purple Line, I met this hard HB 6 pale redhead girl. She was sweet, neutral leaning receptive, but waiting for an Uber. I figured I’d test to see if I could hook her in 5 minutes or less, so I ran game on my girl. Thankfully, I was projecting good vibes and she definitely felt it. However, I didn’t qualify my target enough – or at all, really.

I knew I fucked up because I didn’t give her enough room to ask personal questions (ie. invest), but rather, played as the fun, cool guy who is there for entertainment. No qualifying, no comfort. All high energy and in hindsight, I suppose I was the one too invested!

Definitely not good.

Even though I number closed the set, she’s been texting me back very slowly.

I wasn’t surprised.

What I Did Right:

Hooking: I was able to accurately assess and say “the right words” when required. For example, if my target was getting bored and wasn’t invested enough, I’d do a push-pull or cold read. She’d get hooked again, responding to what I asked or cold read about her, before checking out her phone. I don’t blame her, though, considering she was heading to the vet to pick up her sick bird.

Accurate Cold Reads: It’s crazy when you’re present in the moment, how you’re able to subconsciously read your target and guess correct life facts about them. I was right 90% of the time, which built up my value. I knew it wasn’t enough to ditch her Uber, but I felt good enough considering my inner game was pretty crap for the past month or so.

It’s good I’m getting my old abilities back.

Sticking Points:

Too High Energy: I was just so fucking on. Like, too much. I barely gave my target enough time to respond and I yapped my face off. I’m going to forgive myself though, considering that she was about to hit up an Uber in 5 minutes anyway. So I had to make the set count.

Overgaming: This has been my sticking point since the dawn of time lol. It’s one of those sticking points where you simply get tired of having to invest sooooo much into the convo, that you simply don’t give a shit anymore. Once that occurs, you do less in the set and titrate how much game & effort you put forth. Consequently, doing less = girl is more invested.

No Investment: … On her part, that is. She merely responded -> continued talking after my cold read, observation, or question. Yes, it was fun, flirty talk, but nothing substantial. Remember: You can only build your value up so high. Make her invest. It’s a far more powerful tool.

What I’ll Do Next Time:

Keep Calm: Be present, calm, actively listening, and speak slowly, with purpose, so I can decide if my target requires more value, more comfort, or to qualify/invest more. That is when I’m at my best.

If I Can’t Move the Set, Hook -> Qualify -> Close: I knew I couldn’t instadate my girl. Not unless I had JP or Todd level skills haha. So the best I could have done is project value and have her qualify/invest a shitload within the short timeframe I had to work with. Next time, focus waaaaay more on qualifying > value. Build up just enough value you to cash it in via qualifications.

Comments: Good on me for hitting up a girl waiting for an Uber. It’s a challenge I didn’t back down to.

Approach #2 The San Francisco Girl

Synopsis: At the campus proper, I met this 18 year old tall blonde from San Francisco at a crosswalk. It was dark, but I felt like I could make it work. After the open, she was originally going to leave after I complimented her outfit. It was direct friendly, enough to make her stop momentarily – but not enough to keep her there. So I kept throwing out push-pulls, witty banter, and had her qualify a ton.

It was a minute or two before she was truly hooked.

In this situ, I def did more shit right than wrong. I had my target qualifying the living hell out of her self and at certain intervals within the interaction, she began chasing.

However, I felt waaaay too high energy, like an entertainer, without much – if any – comfort.

I caught myself doing this mid-way in the set, therefore, I started slowing down my pace. She caught notice of this and the set began sliding in a downward arc. I believe Todd V states to keep your energy levels low or mid level. Because you can’t keep everything high all the time. And once you start lowering the energy levels, as does her attention span.

At the end, I snagged her number before trying to make plans with her. She’s been responding back and I’ve been consulting the boys as how to handle her.

What I Did Right:

Flirty, Witter Banter: Despite the fact I probably overgamed my girl + had too high energy over an extended period of time, my verbals were fuckin’ solid. Like, when she threw shit tests at me, I inherently knew to agree & exaggerate and I did that with flying colors. She gawked at me the entire time like, “Who the fuck is this guy and why am I so attracted to him?” Good shit.

Qualifiers: My girl qualified the hell outta herself. Yes, I qualified after I gauged her attraction level, but for the most part, she just kept investing over & over again into me. Even though my comfort game was pretty shit in set, I think the fact she expounded a decent amount of time and energy into me made the number solid.

Catching Myself: I knew I was playing the entertainer instead of a fun, sexy guy who is attracted to her. This is due to my full year of practice as a pickup artist so I’m able to pinpoint where I’m at in the interaction and can tell if I’ve hit a dead end of not. While I did catch myself, I should eject first before the girl if I can’t move the set any further.

Sticking Points:

Felt Like An Entertainer: I’ll be honest, the word I’m looking for is “tryhard”. It belongs to the same category as overgaming. It’s a very intermediate level sticking point, but which rectifies itself with sheer time & effort infield. In this situ, I def felt like an entertainer with Charlotte (the girl). She was drawn in primarily due to the amount of times she qualified herself.

No Comfort: In set, I only attained surface level info that any rando could get from a casual conversation. I didn’t go deep into who she was as a person, her feelings/emotions, nor anything beyond “flirt, fun high energy guy”. If you want to make her feel like you’re not just fucking with her / want sex, be sure to establish comfort as well as value!

Speaking Too Fast: I wouldn’t say I was exactly nervous in set; moreso excited. But even so – that’s bad game. It’s better if you’re slow, methodical, an active listener, while pinging her hindbrain she’s speaking to an alpha who wants to fuck her. When you speak too fast, you’re subconsciously telling her she’s the higher value one since you’re the one REACTING to her.

What I’ll Do Next Time:

Speak Slower + Comfort: Look back at Mikaela (Czech Bartender), I distinctly recall opening + gaming her in a slow, calculated manner. Yes, I was happy shit was going according to plan, but better yet, I was planning my next steps and how to move things forward. If I need a recent example to replicate, my set with Mikaela should be my guide.

Comments: All in all, a (mostly) good set that worked on an 18 year old.

11/07/21 – The True Power of Present Moment Awareness

On 11/07/21, Sunday, I ventured off to Downtown Chicago with Chris after a looooong night game session on Saturday. I literally woke up at 3PM, before getting ready to hit the streets. However, when I was on the train, I decided to pop on James Marshall and The Natural Lifestyles podcast instead of my usual Eckhart Tolle. I’m so glad I did. James spoke of what he calls “practical meditation”, and how to utilize awareness in all situations in life.

There were a few key principles I learned:

  1. Non-attachment: Stressors come into my life. Whether it be from a hot girl, a shaky train, to a mere itch. The idea isn’t to let it affect you. It is what it is. Objectively understand what it is and leave it at that. Most guys react to shit. If a girl rejects them -> they feel terrible -> let it affect them the entire night/day.
  2. Getting Out of Your Head Via Adjusting Your Focus: Lots of guys try getting out of their head by logically analyzing what happened or simply telling themselves to get out of their head. As Todd V states, this is the worst thing to do, since ironically, telling yourself to get out of your head puts you into your head!

    This has two steps (+1 extra):

    a.) A direction of concentration and focus: For example, if you pinch your fingers, you redirect your attention from your head -> your slightly painful fingertip. Now my focus is somewhere else. I have to direct my concentration to somewhere else instead of my monkey mind thoughts which jump from branch to branch, from thought to thought to do whatever it wants.

    However, that alone isn’t meditation.

    b.) Remain balanced, objective, and non-reactive: I’m observing something, yet allowing it to be as it is. For example, when I’m meditating let’s see a loud noise startles me, or I’ve got a pain in my lower back, if I go out to rub my back or check out the noise, those are reactions starting to happen. I need to sit there and feel the pain or let the noise run it’s course without curiously checking it out.

    Instead, just put your mind deep into the sensation or into the noise and sit there. Don’t give an opinion (ie. “Oh, this is irritating, what is it?”, “I want to get rid of it.”). Just observe it as pure sensation. It’s not good. It’s not bad. It just is.

    c.) Women Are Not The Enemy: Okay, I lied, this one wasn’t on the TNL podcast, but something I realized while day gaming. For me, pickup has always been an adventure. It’s like you’re playing a custom character on an MMORPG. You gain experience, passive abilities, active abilities via how much work you put in. Thing is though, women are seen as an opponent you “level” yourself up with.

    This is going to sound strange – and probably won’t resonate with most of you – but once I switched gears and saw women as individuals who, too, want to meet a cool, sexy guy to fall for or to be loved, I started getting much better results.

    Women are people, too. Not an enemy or adversary to overcome.

Once I did my exercises with James Marshall, I felt unusually aware, like everything was radiant. I was walking up the steps, thinking about my next course of action. Namely, find Chris. That’s all that was in my head. It was singular, focused. I didn’t think about pickup, nor the happenings around me. Just the fact I needed to find my wing.

After we met up, I told my brain, “What are you doing right this very second? You’re approaching girls.” Gears switched.

Which leads into the field report itself…

Approach #1The Czech Bartender

Synopsis: Literally less than a minute, I adjusted my focus to pickup, and I ran into this hard HB 7, 30 y/o, Czech bartender who tends to a high class bar/club in River North. I opened her with, “Excuse me, you have the most elegant, sexiest outfit I’ve seen all day.” Basic as hell, but my delivery was fucking mint. She felt my presence radiating through her, as I projected sexual intent hard.

In 30 seconds, I began leading her forward.

This was totally subconscious. It felt like a whirlwind of old skills started flooding back to me right at that very moment.

My next objective shifted to one word: Instadate.

As fate had it, we were coming across this extra boujie Starbucks with a rooftop bar. Once I spotted it a block away, I asked if she was a fun, spontaneous girl. She immediately nodded and it was incredibly simple leading her into the Starbucks.

Dude, I wish I had this all recorded, but everything came out so fucking smooth. Like, my push-pulls, qualifiers, leading, everything was on point. I gave off this sexual, fuckboy vibe and she ate it right off my hand. At this point, approximately an hour in, she did 90% of the talking, and I responded in a calibrated, yet high value manner.

We ordered our drinks (I, a Manhattan and she, an Espresso Martini), as I kept running game subconsciously. However, if I had to point exactly where I fucked up in set, it’s this part: At the latter half in set, I gave off a strong fuckboy vibe, in which my target responded: “I’m not looking for anything romantic.” God, I took her at face-value. Like, I didn’t see it then, but after pinging Chris and u/fastlife15, they were like: “Bro, she just wants dick. This is a shit test. Just tell her you’re not BF material. It’s easy to pass.”

Fuuuuuuck.

I’m not beating myself up, but this didn’t register at all when I was with my girl. Still, I did extraordinarily good, and I’m proud of myself for running nearly flawless game.

At the end of the set, I took her number and bounced to find Chris.

She’s texting me back hella fuckin fast.

What I Did Right:

Fucking Everything: I ran flawless game. Push-pulls, qualifiers, projecting sexual intent, establishing a Man-to-Woman premise, everything was on point. Like, no hiccups. It’s like everything I knew months prior just came flooding back to me in this set. IMPORTANT: All because I was truly present in the moment after priming myself with practical awareness meditation with James Marshall.

Sticking Points:

Not Passing The Romantic Shit Test: Like I said – I ain’t beatin’ myself up for failing to pick up on the shit test, but it’s an invaluable learning lesson I won’t fail next time. If she throws that line at me, just say, “Ya that’s cool, I’m not exactly boyfriend material.”

Didn’t Bring A Fucking Recorder!: While failing to notice the romantic shit test is my first mistake, my second was not bringing an audio recorder. Tbh, I woke up at 3PM on Sunday and I honestly thought I was going to grind it out again in Downtown Chicago. Boy, was I fuckin’ wrong.

What I’ll Do Next Time:

Do Present Moment Awareness W/ James Marshall On Train (aka Practical Meditation): Eckhart Tolle opened my mind to the concept of mindfulness and present moment awareness, but James Marshall showed me the true power of now.

I won’t listen to music, audiobooks, or “practice” being present in the moment by looking aimlessly out the Red Line without thinking.

I will teach myself how to adjust my concentration and focus, while remaining balanced, objective, and non-reactive.

Comments: As you know, presence is the foundation of great game.

11/05/21 – Push It To the Limit (NG)

On Friday, 11/05/21, since Chris wasn’t able to make it to Chicago and the fact I had a major upgrade at work on Saturday which required my full attention, I figured it was best to run night game on Friday. Unfortunately, I’m not able to day game on Saturday, but that’s totally fine. I initially went out with bad inner game, got blown out a few times, before nailing a set which taught me soooo much about gaming in the night trenches.

At the end, I had a blast, and the reference experience I picked up will propel me forward to further learning night game in the upcoming months.

Approach #1The Boujie Dallas Girl

Synopsis: I’d say 2 hours after hitting the clubs in River North, I ran into this HB 7, 30 y/o, half latina / half black chick who was dressed hella boujie. I’m talking beret, wool coat, etc. She looked like she stepped outta the plane from Paris directly to Chicago lol. Super white-washed. Visually, I’d say she best looked like Hannah John-Kamen with an upbeat, positive personality, but a strong frame.

After teasing my target about her dress-up, she took it with stride and immediately we began vibing. Our chemistry was on-point, but I felt like at certain times, I was projecting too much value. I felt this was wasn’t an issue since I was operating during night game; but in hindsight, I def should have dialed it back a bit. Still, I did soooo many things right that night. I performed way, way better than I anticipated due to a few reasons:

a.) The scene: I thoroughly enjoy classy venues which play deep house music. Maybe it’s cuz I’m older idk, but when I’m around more sophisticated, middle upper class people I do better in set. Compare that to college bars or Top 40s clubs where I won’t do as well.

b.) Her vibe: I think because my subcomms were on-point and she was in a super upbeat mood, our energies meshed in sync. It’s nice meeting a girl you vibe with so easily.

I’ll include a big list of what I did right in set on the below section, but after hitting the streets of River North, I tried pulling her to my apartment despite the fact logistics were fuuuuucked. I was roughly 25-30 minutes away from my apartment and I made the mistake telling my girl I lived in Chicago.

When it comes to meeting girls at bars / clubs in River North, its best I tell them I’m visiting Milwaukee so I can reserve my hotel room at a moment’s notice in the bathroom or something.

At the end of the night, I tried seeding the pull, leading my target to another venue, trying to find logistics on her apartment (she was bunked with a business partner–so kinda fucked that end, too), etc.

Unfortunately, at that time, she inherently knew I was trying to close hard. Like, I was tryna push the set as far as humanly possible and she knew this. At the end, she took my number and the set ended.

What I Did Right:

– Qualifiers: I qualified my target a fuckton. Granted, I ran a slew of push-pulls, too. But I relied moreso on getting my girl to qualify compared to mere push-pulls. Tho I feel like my girl ate up my fun, flirty push-pulls better than my qualifiers. Nevertheless, I increased my value in my girl’s eyes, which allowed me to pull off higher investment strategies like leading, tryna bar hop with my girl, etc.

In a matter of fact, my value got so high she started buying me drinks. Like, shots of fireballs + chasers together. I was a little surprised!

– Leading (Despite Strong Frame): My girl had a seriously strong frame. After speaking to u/fastlife15, he states it’s because she’s 30. She’s had her fun times and now she knows what she wants. If she was 7 years younger, it’d be a done deal and she’d be in my bed next to me chilling. Anyway, I led her outside to smoke, but I mainly moved her around from spot to spot or made her comply with my commands.

– Fun, Playful Vibe: I had a suuuuuper fun, playful vibe with my girl. Like, more than I’d usually run in a day or night setting. Thing is, she ran in sync with my energy and we totally had a great time. It didn’t feel like pickup — and when I did have to run technical game, I was able to easily stop -> shut off my brain -> determine the next best course of action.

– Subtle Premise Early On: I subtly inserted premise by utilizing the we frame (ie. “cheers to the two coolest people in the bar”, I feel like you’d be the crazy one in the relationship, etc), projecting sexual intent on and off, “I feel like you’re a bad influence, nothing is going to happen tonight”, and allowing her to comfortably sink in how much of a cool, sexy Asian dude I am.

– Rejuvenating the Set: Every time my target had to hit the restroom, she was given ample opportunity to engage her business partner who was supposed to hit her up tonight. But apparently she’s a boring bitch so she met this certain cool, sexy Asian dude instead. Nevertheless, when she popped out of the restroom, she’d be noticeably more chill, logical compared to before she hit the restroom.

At multiple instances, she was debating on heading back to her hotel room with her business partner.

All I had to do was ran a more calibrated, fun high energy game + qualifiers before she threw that idea out the window.

Sticking Points:

– Too Much Kino: At the middle of the set, I decided doing a little kino was a bright idea to convey intent. And to be fair, it was. I wrapped my arm around her for a few seconds before letting go (and finding out she had straight-up hard abs), pulled her close to me a few times, and allowing her to lean in. She grinded up to me for a few mins while dancing, but I felt like it was a bit much.

I was riding on the validation while sacrificing good game imo.

Yes, kino is an excellent tool, but too much can hurt the set.

– Followed Her Frame: As stated in the beginning, my girl had a hella strong frame. A few times, she made the call as to what we should do, and I kinda just followed. I inherently knew this was a bad idea, but I felt like she qualified enough so some qualifying on my part was acceptable.

– Semi Late Premise: At first, I ran a fun, playful vibe without injecting premise. Next, I went with a more subtle approach, but I felt like I should have inserted a bit more of an overt premise early on in the interaction so I can set the Man-to-Woman dynamic right from the start.

What I’ll Do Next Time:

– Inject More Comfort: I was 90% value, 20% comfort. This is primarily due to the fact I’m operating in a night setting vs day where it’d be 80% comfort, 20% value. I def need to adjust my percentages for night game lol. Maybe if I added just a little more comfort, a little more interpersonal interaction, I’d have a better set overall.

– Add Premise Earlier: This. Depending on the girl’s vibe and BT, I’d shoot for overt premise (NOT intent) or subtle premise. In this situ, def overt > subtlety. Girls hitting 30 and over aren’t ones for player antics. Game is absolutely required, but not the value-based tactics required for early 20-something year olds.

Comments: This was a crucial positive reference experience which boosted my learning curve during night game. Remember, when all seems lost, when you’re tired, weary and just want to hit the bed — just keep going. Fate rewards the strong.

11/04/21 – The Return of Qualifiers and Leading

On 11/04/21, Tuesday, I decided to hit up University of Chicago in Hyde Park. It’s def A- or B+ tier. The college has hotter girls and it’s incredibly spacious and feels super insular. It’s one of those universities you can approach a girl and never see her twice.

Anyway, after reading u/fastlife15’s comments on my last FR, he was absolutely right I needed to focus exclusively on subcomms and qualifiers + leading. I particularly liked this post:

“If you look at most of my openers, it’s pretty much: force a girl to qualify. Most of my follow-up is force a girl to qualify, force a girl to qualify, force a girl to qualify. Breaking rapport = forcing a girl to qualify. Cold reads = forcing a girl to qualify. Asking qualification questions = forcing a girl to qualify. Setting strong frames = forcing a girl to qualify. Complimenting a girl on a specific quality = forcing a girl to qualify. Empathizing with the girl = forcing a girl to qualify. I just go in assuming that I have enough value to force a girl to qualify–and that’s true like 95% of the time and the other 5% of the time I just have to spike it or DHV a little just by talking/acting in a way that I’m already entitled to the girl.”

For inner game, I’ve been focused on being grounded, present in the moment while calibrating the right vibe and frame depending on the girl. It’s been an ongoing journey of self-trust.

Meanwhile, a few weeks back, I refocused my outer game on opening targets without consciously pre-planning my opener (ie. “You have the most NYC look ever”). Consequently, my opens are much more fluid. I’ve used on-the-spot openers like, “Excuse me, I adore how you styled your hair. It’s hella wavy and makes you look like a cat-walk model.” Shit I couldn’t come up with if I pre-planned it.

However, I think it’s time I switched gears and relearn an old, yet incredibly powerful outer game skillset I absolutely fucking love: Qualifying + leading.

Technically, they belong in the same ballpark, since they both require a girl to invest time and energy into you, but leading is such a powerful tool, it merits it’s own section.

At the University of Chicago, I did an approach worth logging.

Approach #1The Louisiana Art Student

Synopsis: After arriving at UoC a few hours late (missed my train lol), I ran into this cute, hard HB 6 – soft HB 7, pink haired art student sporting a boujie white dress shirt and skirt. Set lasted 5 minutes, but I felt entitled since my energy levels ran high and it was my first set of the day.

I opened her with, “Excuse me, I know this is super random, but I totally adore how you did your hair. It just screams I’m a hipster from Oregon to me.”

She fuckin’ loved it. Given I was running a more grounded, masculine, yet fun subcomm, she began explaining her apparel design. In which I qualified her and hoped she wasn’t a pretentious boujie art student. She swore she wasn’t, but since emotions + vibe was running high, I asked if she was heading behind me. Once I got confirmation, I began leading her in the right direction.

Overall, the set was going good, but in hindsight, I made two mistakes:

a.) As time passed on, I became more visibly excited. It wasn’t because I was vibing with my target, but rather, I was reminded of how I ran game prior to moving to Missouri. It was as if my skillset was returning simply by not being consciously aware of it – and trusting myself completely.

And as Julian states, “The one who is more excited, more enthusiastic in set, is the one with lower value.”

b.) I seeded the close by talking about coffee, but the set ended prematurely since I kept qualifying/push-pulling her without getting to the point. After a while, it became a little weird and she said she had to go study. It didn’t help the fact that two strangers walked right out the door and sat next to the steps while I was gaming the girl. Let’s just say I missed a pretty good opportunity that won’t happen again.

What I Did Right:

Leading: After I built value / a little rapport with my target, I knew I had to be the man in the situ and begin leading. I asked her if she was heading in the direction she was, well, heading and she agreed. It didn’t matter what direction she was heading off to, as long as I took the frame and told her to walk together with me.

Qualifiers: Off the top of my head, I challenged my target based on her choice of coffee, the fact I’m disappointed she’s a Southern girl without a southern accent, that art students can be boring and pretentious and I hoped she was a fun person, and a few others I may have forgotten about.

I’m definitely seeing a strong uptick in qualifiers which I previously used push-pulls for with much better results. Next time, try and calibrate my qualifiers after amassing value in the girl’s eyes and cashing it out. Use it if your gut tells you to, but if possible, build up that “value bank account” before spending whole sale, so to speak.

Strong, Fun Frame: My frame was fuckin’ solid. I’m at the point of my pickup journey, where my once strong frame is re-emerging. Thing is, it’s only strong for the first two sets before my energy levels start depleting. After that, I become more or less a normal dude. If I keep persisting, hitting the streets day in and day out, while practicing my frame, I’ll always be “on”.

Sticking Points:

See Synopsis.

What I’ll Do Next Time:

Keep Qualifying, Leading: This. My default are push-pulls to build value since they’re easy to do on-the-spot. No brain power required. It’s a simple formula of compliment with a slight negative spike. However, qualifiers require actual investment (ie. heeding your commands, explaining herself, etc) from the girl.

IMPORTANT: Remember, use push-pulls sparsely to build up value, but rely on other avenues like holding a masculine frame, teasing, being playful, before cashing it out with qualifiers.

Be Calm, Grounded, An Active Listener… No Matter How Good The Set Is Going: Yes, it’s fucking awesome getting a girl into you with verbals + dominant gestures/body language. But you can easily lose the set if she determines you’re of lower value compared to her.

It’s important to remember not to get overexcited.

Be a calm, grounded individual. An active listener when she speaks.

Match her energy level or below. Let HER get excited over YOU.

Not the other way around.

Comments: It can only get better, brutha

11/02/21 – The Importance Of How Sexy You Really Are

On Tuesday, 11/02/21, I decided to venture off to Logan Square after “advisement” from r/Chicago here. The normies were right. The neighborhood is lined up with tons of coffee shops and a decent amount of street traffic. Mainly hipster / young professional women. Interestingly enough, they’re unusually more receptive compared to most of the Chicago districts I’ve gamed in.

Unfortunately, my sets last 10-30 seconds at most. This is primarily due to the fact I’m not as grounded or present as I’d like to have been today.

My best stratagem moving forward is to get off at California (Blue Line) and pace up and down Milwaukee Ave. Gator around coffee shops and bars. Traffic is ample enough to get my sets in.

… If you can withstand the Chicago winter, that is.

But enough of that.

Due to negative inner game creeping in due to tragic events outside of game, my pickup skills aren’t up to par as they used to be. I know that and I’m working toward fixing up what Julian calls “trauma energy”.

It’s been affecting my game and it’s been a slow road back to my prior skillset.

However, today I challenged myself and accomplished an approach I didn’t think I’d do.

Approach #1The Hipster Art Student On Train

Synopsis: After I decided to eject out of Logan Square since I wanted to find a more target rich environment, I met this adorable brunette sporting short wavy hair. She looked like a librarian based on how she wore her outfit. Very cute. She was adjacent to me and even though I peered at her, before looking away, I never ran game on a train before.

It felt awkward since she was trapped without any meaningful way to exit if she just wasn’t into me or I made a mistake in my game which prematurely ended the set.

Sooooo… I sat there, right next to my target, for about 10-15 minutes.

Fuck it, I minus well get the reference experience, I thought before opening my target.

Aaaaand she was hella receptive.

Like, I talked about this to u/fastlife15 and he said what I did took massive balls, hence why attraction sparked in my girl. Celebrate my reference experience since I can open hotter girls next time I go out – but most importantly, if I want to succeed at this, practice closing with certainty.

I’m glad I did the approach, but I made a few fatal errors which cost me the set. For example, I was too platonic. Yes, I threw out a few premise statements and made her qualify a few times. But her responses felt too friendly. In hindsight, I didn’t project sexual intent, nor did I let her know I was a man who desired her. In words, yes. But that’s not enough. I needed her to feel strong, masculine sexual and fun energy radiate into her.

Hence why I’m focusing on inner game vs outer game.

The set ended since her stop was a few minutes away and I didn’t even number close.

Sticking Points:

Too Platonic: This stems from entitlement issues again. Once I recognized how receptive my target was, I slipped into friend zone mode. It felt like two strangers talking to each other since they’re coincidentally on the same train. Yes, I threw out a token push-pull, perhaps a few go-to qualifiers I utilize in set, but it didn’t have that oomph behind it. No sexy eye stare, no I-want-you gestures or body language.

Didn’t Number Close: As Todd – and virtually every PUA states – always be closing. It didn’t matter if my value/comfort wasn’t high enough, nor the fact it may not have been a solid number. It’s always good practice to play to win, and this situ, that meant number closing.

What I Did Right:

Train Approach: I’ve had multiple opportunities to approach women on the Red Line, but I never made a solid effort to do so. This is primarily due to three reasons:

a.) Time constraints: A girl is typically on the Red Line or any of the CTA trains for approximately 10-15 minutes, possibly less. If I ran hella solid game, yeah, I could make that # count. But I can’t instadate or push the set as far as humanly possible. All I can do is # close.

b.) No Escape: If shit goes South or if the girl just isn’t into me, she has no where to go. While I can bask in awkwardness thanks to my training as a pickup artist, it’s highly unlikely a girl could.

c.) Loud: Especially once the train zooms down tunnels. There was multiple times in set I could barely hear what my target was saying.

However, I didn’t let those three points stop me. It’s not the train approach itself per se, it’s the fact I was willing to push past my comfort zone and completed the set despite mental obstacles.

“Rambling”: Rambling is a Roosh V term. Other PUAs call it “free association”. I was able to hook off my target’s verbals and continue the conversation while injecting a meaningful statement here and there. My verbals can only improve if I stick to game.

What I’ll Do Next Time:

Hold Frame: If we really narrowed down my sticking point, I wasn’t entitled, nor presented myself as a confident, sexy guy who graced my girl on the train. It was slightly awkward, but I was moreso a normal dude who mustered up the strength to say hello.

That won’t happen next time.

Hold frame. Tease her. Want her. Let her know what the fuck is up.

Project Sexual Intent: I know I won’t be able to inherently project sexual intent like I did prior to Missouri, but it’s time I flex those muscles again. If I can’t project my desire to a girl, verbalize it. Say premise-y lines or intent based on how I’m vibing with my target. Try to give her that ‘I want to fuck you’ look at least once in set.

Qualifiers: In my experience, qualifiers are far more powerful than push-pulls. I just keep going back to push-pulls since they’re easier to build up value. Only use it to amp up attraction, before cashing out on said attraction by having her qualify a fuckton + lead. Best way to keep a girl interested and in set.

Comments: As Roosh states, “Do not stop. Just keep going”.

How To Best Open A Girl

My best sets occur when I’m thinking about absolutely nothing. Not even a pre-planned opener. Like, if I see a girl in the distance, don’t even think, “Oh she has the most NYC look, I’m gunna open her with that.”

Moreso, you see her -> she looks good -> don’t preplan and just head in her direction -> once she’s in front of you. Just open with whatever pops in your head.

It can literally be anything.

And better yet, it makes you hella present in the moment.

Looking back, I thought scripted and observational openers were my best strategies. Let’s peel a layer off the onion for a second.

Yes, observations (ie. “You’ve got a total NYC look”) are good for newbies/intermediates. But they still involve you relying on a system to open. So there’s a bif chance they won’t come out 100% natural.

When your mind shuts up, yes you MAY go off an observational opener based on pure instinct and/or training, but they’re much more fluid if you’re not actively thinking about it.

10/12/21 – Patience > Dogma

On 10/12/21, Tuesday, I ventured off to DePaul University to try my hand at college campus day game before dipping into Lincoln Park proper. Needless to say, I’m performing better on the streets due to the fact it’s less densely populated and I’m able to game without worrying about eavesdroppers listening in. Unfortunately, I really wished I brought my mic yesterday afternoon.

I managed to do a few great sets which I did 90% good in and 10% bad. If I only recorded the 10% and sent it off to r/CovertPickup for analysis.

Nevertheless, I’m reminded the dangers of laziness and not devoting your body, mind and spirit to Game.

That will never happen again.

Approach #1The Ohio Trumpet Girl

Synopsis: After scouting ALL of DePaul University and determining vital intel when and where to game women, I did a few approaches that really didn’t go anywhere. However, I found DePaul’s School of Music and ran into this soft HB 7, trumpet player, who has moved into Chicago for approximately a month.

God damn, she was into me.

She fell into my frame – shit, even adapting how I spoke and carried myself – qualified herself, obeyed my leading and commands, and overall, while I don’t think we had instant chemistry, I loved how “submissive”, I suppose you can say she was. Despite her loud personality lol

However, I fucked up and I believe this defining moment killed any chance of contacting her again.

I knew I couldn’t lead the set any further, yet my target had class in 10 minutes. So I ejected out of set on a positive note. But…

When it came to number closing my target, she stated she was busy on Wednesday and mostly busy on Thursday. I became pushy since I didn’t want to lose the set. I told her it’s scientifically proven people forget another people’s faces within three days. And we should meet on either Wednesday or Thursday.

I wasn’t a relaxed, chilled dude who didn’t care since I’ve got 5 more girls on standby. In hindsight, I should’ve said, “Yeah cool, we’ll plan something out on text” or something like that.

I felt like I was too pushy – too needy, to be precise – and that killed it.

Remember: Yes, it’s optimal you meet a girl within 24-48 hours. That’s PUA dogma. But I met my ex-girlfriend on Monday and didn’t meet with her until Friday.

Patience > Dogma.

What I Did Right:

Virtually Everything: I ran push-pulls, qualifiers, was present in the moment, body language was on point. I did everything correctly.

Sticking Points:

Impatience: I suppose you could call this an experiment. I knew most numbers don’t generally pan out anyway, so I felt my value was high enough to try and push for a 24-48 hour meet up. If I calibrated correctly though, I should have just simply gone with Todd V’s text game plan and exclusively used texting for logistics.

What I’ll Do Next Time:

Be Patient, Young Apprentice: Just find out her schedule for the week. State you’ll plan something out via text. That’s it. Once you begin texting, remember: Open -> flirty banter -> hit high note -> begin planning date.

Comments: We’ll get ’em next time.

10/09/21 – Something Better

On 10/09/21, Saturday, I ventured off from Grand Ave -> Washington Square Park -> Gold Coast -> Lincoln Park (the literal park and neighborhood) -> DePaul. It was a fuckin’ adventure where I met people on my journey to hit up different landmarks. Better yet, these neighborhoods were filled with receptive 7s and 8s, compared to the standoffish women you see at Magnificent Mile.

Therefore, I believe it’s in my best interest to heed SundaySermon’s advice and to exclusively focus on neighborhood game when college campuses aren’t in session.

Within my long trek from Grand Ave to DePaul, I did a few approaches, but two are worth logging in this report.

Approach #1The Far Left Extremist

Synopsis: During the first half of my journey, I was instructed to hit up ViTri in Gold Coast. Lots of hotties, but the trek was long. So I stopped at Washington Square Park, which was spacious and dotted in 7s. I met a girl: Soft HB 7, fit like a yoga instructor, receptive, yet bookish.

She was chilling in the park, reading a book in the shade. I opened the set and began running game.

Turns out, she was a far left extremist lol – like straight up hates anything right-wing, was a socialist, Antifa-aligned, etc. I didn’t care tho, since all I wanted was to snatch that ass.

Somehow, I managed to turn her from receptive -> highly receptive and at the end of the set, she asked me to text her.

Tried instadating her, but she had to go to work within 30-40 mins.

What I Did Right:

Focused on Comfort Over Value: Yes, while I tried instadating her and I suppose that could be additionally listed as ‘What I Did Right’, I have a strong tendency to overgame women. It’s been a sticking point of mine since I first began my pickup journey.

I’m extra proud of myself when I just keep present in the moment -> listen to what my girl is saying -> calibrate correctly no matter if it’s comfort or value.

Made A Narrative With Her: Even though my girl was a far lefty, I made a joke where we both should take over a country in the Bahamas. She’d be “La Presidente” and I’d be the cool, chief of security guy. It was a fun running joke between the both of us that lasted throughout the set.

Sticking Points:

Lack of Premise: My target had a vague idea I was attracted to her, but I didn’t project sexual intent nor injected subtle hints of a Man-to-Woman convo.

What I’ll Do Next Time:

Presence + Fun, Cool Guy + Sexual Intent: What does that mean?

a.) As a foundation, be present in the moment.

b.) Next, with your foundations laid down, project a fun, cool guy frame as your primary vibe.

c.) Since I’m present in the moment and I’m a fun, cool guy girls love… let her know I’m a guy with balls and project sexual intent on and off; possibly throw in subtle premise to add a little spice.

Comments: Overall, pretty fuckin’ good set.

Approach #2The Pajamas Girl and Her Three-Legged Dog

Synopsis: During the last half of my day game session, I was dead tired. Therefore, I decided to hit up the Red Line in Lincoln Park, where I ran into the girl sporting pajamas and a three-legged dog. She was drunk, but a fun person. I initial thought she was in some NYC silk get-up, but after closer inspection, it was anything but lol.

She was from the South and moved to Chicago as a mental health worker.

The funny part is how I opened her. It was totally unintentional and I knew I wanted to continue approaching, but I wanted to warm myself up again. So I just said she had an adorable dog. After that, we managed to get into witty banter and things just started kicking off.

At the end, she said she’s a traditional girl and wants me to take her out to dinner.

We’re now texting back and forth.

What I Did Right:

Indirect, Unintentional Approach: I honestly didn’t intend to approach my target until I got a closer look and originally planned to use her dog as a warm-up. Thankfully, since she was cute, it worked out in my favor and I controlled the set with an inherent Man-to-Woman vibe.

Focused on Emotion: It doesn’t matter what you say, it’s how you say it. I didn’t say anything out of the ordinary and projected myself as this fun, cool guy girls love.

Sticking Points:

– N/A. Tried instadating her, making plans later on that night, etc. Did everything I possibly could.

What I’ll Do Next Time:

– See Sticking Points.

Comments: It’s awesome making a true, unintentional indirect approach work. Truly has romantic comedy vibes.