To start this thread, some old approaches from earlier this year:
In January, partly inspired by Bodi's book, and partly by an earlier feeling that 2018 is to be the year where I give classical game in London one last chance, I became a Daygame Monk.
Overwhelmingly, I only approached girls who I'd be pretty enthusiastic banging, which generally meant girls who were (or at least seemed at the point I decided whether to approach) 6.5+. In most sessions I'd generally avoid approaching girls who looked particularly bitchy, unlikely to stop, or just 'not on' according to my gut. Sometimes I'd approach one or two of these just to turn stones, calibrate, and make sure my ability to do so didn't atrophy. Even at my 'worst' I didn't go below a 'bottle' (wimp out) ratio of 1:2 bottles:approaches on openable-seeming girls. Many days I opened every clearly good-looking enough, openable-looking enough girl that I saw, and also some who weren't so clear cut.
I approached on 17 different days--most of them in a block in the middle from early January to late January--and logged 78+ approaches. Most of these were in Zone 1/2, many/most near famous London daygame hotspots. on weekdays I'd leave work on the dot at the end of the work day, run home with my work bag and clothes, shower if appropriate, then head into the field to game for three to four hours. On weekends, I'd typically be in the field for at least 12 hours across both days, potentially up to 15 or 16.
Call that 3.5 hours per weekday, and 7 hours per weekend day. So that's an average of (5 * 3.5 + 2 * 7) / 7 = 4.5 hours per day looking for sets. 17 days then gives 76.5 hours in field, hence almost exactly 1 approach per hour in field. If I approached two-thirds of the approachable girls, then that means an approachable girl every forty minutes. (Note: There were many more unapproachable good-looking girls who were in implausible two-or-more-sets or with boyfriend or submerged in an Oxford Street crowd only to emerge at the last second, or so forth.)
I probably spent £150-£200 all-in on transport and in-field sustenance to get these approach opportunities.
My haul?:
(Big disclaimer: This period of feverish approaching was partly for me to see if a changeable polarising aspect of my appearance that I currently have going on, is undermining my results. Based on the results, I'm inclined to say it did, but maybe me + London is just shit regardless.)
- Two phone numbers, both with no reply to my first message; one was the very first approach, my first in a long-ass time.
- A handful of seemingly strong sets, some of which went nowhere for no reason; some of which I can maybe guess at why they might not have gone further; a small number of which were 'I like you but have a boyfriend'-type situations; and a small number of which were the girl being into me but her being too socially retarded to work with.
Some comments on specific approaches (numbers are approach # from my log):
1. Front stopped a Middle Eastern-looking HB6.5+ on Tottenham Court Road. Turned out to be half-Turkish, half-Russian (alleged) runway model. Seemed to be a strong set. It probably helped that I was thinking 'this girl is not good-looking enough to be runway model; she (and others) probably trump her up because she's mixed race,' which kept me grounded. I sent an (admittedly not great, but also not completely dreadful) WhatsApp opener, and it never even showed up as Seen, even after her profile picture and status changed. This reminded me of the fact that 110% of decent-looking girls in London who are not just passing through, will claim to be a model.
4. HB7+ Eastern European-looking girl. From the waist down was amazing, but let down by her face, otherwise would have been 8.25+. Set the tone early on that 'age-appropriate' (i.e. not MILF's) girls who are good-looking will usually respond pleasantly, and treat me like a plausible suitor, even if they reject, and will not treat me like a creep. (Conversely, the few times I lowered my standards, or when I approached a less conventionally attractive girl who was my type, I tended to get ignored harshly, blown out, or treated like a dangerous creep.)
8. HB6.25 Oriental English girl. I found that both English Oriental girls, and immigrant/tourist Oriental girls, responded a lot better to me than I'd expected going into this period.
11. Against my better judgement, opened a 6.25 girl (below the 6.5 cut-off) with a slightly SJW/Camden vibe on the tube indirectly on what she was eating. She completely blanked me--twice.
13. The most flash set. Near the choke point at the start of a platform of a major London tube station, I opened an HB7 blonde MILF in front of half of London. Ended up gaming her, aloof, on the platform then on the train in front of many miring guys and curious ladies. No glaring faults in my game here, I just caught her at an age/time when she was doing the whole 'try dating a long-time orbiter best friend beta bucks and try to make it work despite him drying my pussy' thing, and was too loyal to give me her number, but sorely considered it for a long time.
14. HB7 brunette very nice English girl (just my type). Opened her on a fully occupied Tube train but she was married. Very pleasant rejection, and she actually thanked me in front of everyone for having the 'courage' to approach.
15. Similarly, opened an HB7.5 brunette English girl right outside Oxford Circus station who was flattered and impressed by my approach, but she was waiting for her boyfriend.
17. Another against-my-better-judgement approach of an HB6.25, who blanked me.
18. Somewhat 'sketty' seeming girl who I therefore expected to blow me out, but she was actually very nice, but had a young kid and boyfriend she seemed very happy with and loyal to.
19. Opened what I somehow thought was a 6.25 (hence against better judgement even if I'd been right) white girl who turned out to be a 5.5 Indian girl. She was not a fan of my schtick, so I didn't give her the dick.
20. HB7.25 I passed once but didn't have a chance to open, then against all odds came across ten minutes and numerous backroads later. As usual for such a good-looking girl, she was pleasant but had a genuine excuse as to why she couldn't stop/let me close.
25. HB8 half-Kenyan, half-English girl. Third-best-looking girl of the whole period, probably 'objectively' the best-looking given I'm not that into black girls and think mixed-race girls are overrated. Nice girl and really nice vibe to this set, possibly because I saw a ring and so felt it was a long shot hence low pressure.
28. Was in one of those impish moods where one petulantly revert to rookie errors, and walked with a girl who refused to stop all the way from Russell Square to the far end of Waterloo Bridge. She softened somewhat, but seemed like a lot of work for her being barely passable, and she remained aloof and contradictory throughout. (However much you're cringing reading this: believe me, I'm cringing more.)
31. Sat down on a bench next to an HB5.5 (had thought HB6/6.5). She immediately got up, said 'No', and left. Yet another predictable < HB6.5 blow-out.
36. Second-best-looking girl--8+ despite having started to hit the wall. Seemed to be one of those sets where the blatant age gap (or being on Oxford Street) meant she did not stop / blew me out because I was obviously playing the field.
(Intermission: Went to Trafalgar Square and watched the whole place for 10-15minutes and did not see a single bangable girl on her own.)
37. Got on a Tube train and placed myself next to a promising-looking brunette. Since she was a cute (HB7.25), young (18) Essex girl on her own, we got on famously, but she was third wheel to her sister and brother-in-law, and not in London much, so current and future logistics sucked. I let her go at Victoria without trying for close, which she was probably sad about.
38. HB7.25 Polish girl wearing the female version of a coat I'd reserved at H&M not two minutes before--good open material. One of those surprisingly-common cases where she was leaving town the next day (New Zealand) and seemed DTF but simply had no time. (In fact not entirely dissimilar to #37 Essex girl.)
44. Blanked by an 'HB' 5.75. Where's that 50 Cent gif?...
48. Indirect open on her clothes. I found this type of open tended to work well in this period. Probably didn't hurt she was French. HB 7.5 on the Tube. Seemed to be going very well but then she took a phone call and started rambling to her friend on the phone in French while still smiling at me, but making no move to finish the call. I started getting off the train without saying anything and not looking at her, but she smiled and said bye despite still being on phone--guess I needed to tell her to get off the phone, since she was intent on cockblocking herself blabbering to her friend. (In retrospect: Was she talking to her friend about me in French and hinting for me to overrule her 'on the phone' frame and sweep her up for some ADVEN'SHUR SECKS?)
49. Best-looking girl. HB8.25 white dark brunette English girl (my type). Got a response to my opening question but then she immediately shut it down telling me not to take it personally but she'd been up since 4AM, had travelled all the way from Newcastle, and didn't want to talk. Seemed genuine, so I dropped the set.
54. HB7 black girl with braids from Lewisham. Surprisingly she gave me a chance (several, in fact), but I was warming up and my ramble was shit, so she slowly and incrementally drifted away.
57. Wanted to do some rapid sets so (despite my gut saying not on) approached an HB6 Oriental girl who turned out to be American right outside Oxford Circus station. Sure enough she pissed around on her phone and just made noises at my ramble and questions before eventually claiming she had 'stuff to do' and was 'waiting for a friend' and asking me 'Really? This isn't going anywhere'. 65536% sure based on this that this girl was from New York.
65. The set I'm most proud of. HB7.25 Talulah Riley lookalike. Yet another alleged model (this time catalogue/ad though). 18 y.o Sixth Former doing drama and maths A Levels. I negged and shredded her hard (probably too hard, since she pointed it out and was explicitly conscious of it). Was a 20 to 25 minute set. I was feeling the (relatively small) age gup when, during this time, she texted her friend about the set in real time as it went down, messaged her boyfriend (who had become her boyfriend by sliding up in her DM's on Instagram despite living in Oxford, which I wrecked her hard for succumbing to) about me to make him jealous (explicitly confirmed when I teased her for doing this), and Snapchatted me twice while I was gaming her pretending to be creeped out. She poorly acted creeped out and concerned she was 'being groomed', but she stuck around for a long time and was compliant, so I think she was actually potentially open to me being obviously older and more mature, and needed a stronger hand (and more aloofness when going for the number) to play into the dominant older man frame. Definitely signs and gut feel here that she had never done any sort of age gap but was turned on by the prospect of being my little nymphet. Probably lost the set by pushing repeatedly for the phone number too hard and too directly after she initially refused, rather than playing it cool and gaming more before retrying. Alternatively, should have shot for a sort of instadate by telling her I was going to go with her to lunch with her female friend, then had a laugh with both of them. Unusual for being a strong Leicester Square set.
68. HB7+. My other Number Close to Nowhere despite her seeming to flood her seat at the sight of me and squirm around to get me to open. For some reason reminded me of a weird girl in 2016 who seemed strongly into me, didn't reply, then I managed to find out was a lesbian.
75. HB6.75/7 triggered my proximity alarm on the Tube platform and was into me. But she gave me nothing to work with and (relatedly) seemed like a loser, so I just gave up and got off, while she seemed disappointed.
76. HB6/7 Spanish girl who seemed to string me along then, right before she left, take pleasure in complaining about English people and shooting me down. Realised that even my usual foot in the door with Spanish girls can't overcome the corrupting influence of London, especially an Oxford Street shop girl.
General observations for this period:
- Treating sub-6.5 girls like girls I'm properly in to, does not work.
- Covent Garden is hugely overrated. I literally found only one vaguely approachable girl there the whole time, and she was a complete weirdo who ran away as soon as I opened my mouth.
- Trafalgar Square is also hugely overrated, insomuch as it's rated at all by anyone. I opened one sort-of set here with a not-great-looking maybe-MILF, that went nowhere.
- Leicester Square is pretty overrated, though less so, and probably still worth checking out.
- Camden is a complete wasteland during the day. The garbage Camden Girls spill into Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Street. Fuck Camden Girls.
- If you have two decent-looking girls near you and you open one of them, then the other might open you! Play 'em against each other!
In January, partly inspired by Bodi's book, and partly by an earlier feeling that 2018 is to be the year where I give classical game in London one last chance, I became a Daygame Monk.
Overwhelmingly, I only approached girls who I'd be pretty enthusiastic banging, which generally meant girls who were (or at least seemed at the point I decided whether to approach) 6.5+. In most sessions I'd generally avoid approaching girls who looked particularly bitchy, unlikely to stop, or just 'not on' according to my gut. Sometimes I'd approach one or two of these just to turn stones, calibrate, and make sure my ability to do so didn't atrophy. Even at my 'worst' I didn't go below a 'bottle' (wimp out) ratio of 1:2 bottles:approaches on openable-seeming girls. Many days I opened every clearly good-looking enough, openable-looking enough girl that I saw, and also some who weren't so clear cut.
I approached on 17 different days--most of them in a block in the middle from early January to late January--and logged 78+ approaches. Most of these were in Zone 1/2, many/most near famous London daygame hotspots. on weekdays I'd leave work on the dot at the end of the work day, run home with my work bag and clothes, shower if appropriate, then head into the field to game for three to four hours. On weekends, I'd typically be in the field for at least 12 hours across both days, potentially up to 15 or 16.
Call that 3.5 hours per weekday, and 7 hours per weekend day. So that's an average of (5 * 3.5 + 2 * 7) / 7 = 4.5 hours per day looking for sets. 17 days then gives 76.5 hours in field, hence almost exactly 1 approach per hour in field. If I approached two-thirds of the approachable girls, then that means an approachable girl every forty minutes. (Note: There were many more unapproachable good-looking girls who were in implausible two-or-more-sets or with boyfriend or submerged in an Oxford Street crowd only to emerge at the last second, or so forth.)
I probably spent £150-£200 all-in on transport and in-field sustenance to get these approach opportunities.
My haul?:
(Big disclaimer: This period of feverish approaching was partly for me to see if a changeable polarising aspect of my appearance that I currently have going on, is undermining my results. Based on the results, I'm inclined to say it did, but maybe me + London is just shit regardless.)
- Two phone numbers, both with no reply to my first message; one was the very first approach, my first in a long-ass time.
- A handful of seemingly strong sets, some of which went nowhere for no reason; some of which I can maybe guess at why they might not have gone further; a small number of which were 'I like you but have a boyfriend'-type situations; and a small number of which were the girl being into me but her being too socially retarded to work with.
Some comments on specific approaches (numbers are approach # from my log):
1. Front stopped a Middle Eastern-looking HB6.5+ on Tottenham Court Road. Turned out to be half-Turkish, half-Russian (alleged) runway model. Seemed to be a strong set. It probably helped that I was thinking 'this girl is not good-looking enough to be runway model; she (and others) probably trump her up because she's mixed race,' which kept me grounded. I sent an (admittedly not great, but also not completely dreadful) WhatsApp opener, and it never even showed up as Seen, even after her profile picture and status changed. This reminded me of the fact that 110% of decent-looking girls in London who are not just passing through, will claim to be a model.
4. HB7+ Eastern European-looking girl. From the waist down was amazing, but let down by her face, otherwise would have been 8.25+. Set the tone early on that 'age-appropriate' (i.e. not MILF's) girls who are good-looking will usually respond pleasantly, and treat me like a plausible suitor, even if they reject, and will not treat me like a creep. (Conversely, the few times I lowered my standards, or when I approached a less conventionally attractive girl who was my type, I tended to get ignored harshly, blown out, or treated like a dangerous creep.)
8. HB6.25 Oriental English girl. I found that both English Oriental girls, and immigrant/tourist Oriental girls, responded a lot better to me than I'd expected going into this period.
11. Against my better judgement, opened a 6.25 girl (below the 6.5 cut-off) with a slightly SJW/Camden vibe on the tube indirectly on what she was eating. She completely blanked me--twice.
13. The most flash set. Near the choke point at the start of a platform of a major London tube station, I opened an HB7 blonde MILF in front of half of London. Ended up gaming her, aloof, on the platform then on the train in front of many miring guys and curious ladies. No glaring faults in my game here, I just caught her at an age/time when she was doing the whole 'try dating a long-time orbiter best friend beta bucks and try to make it work despite him drying my pussy' thing, and was too loyal to give me her number, but sorely considered it for a long time.
14. HB7 brunette very nice English girl (just my type). Opened her on a fully occupied Tube train but she was married. Very pleasant rejection, and she actually thanked me in front of everyone for having the 'courage' to approach.
15. Similarly, opened an HB7.5 brunette English girl right outside Oxford Circus station who was flattered and impressed by my approach, but she was waiting for her boyfriend.
17. Another against-my-better-judgement approach of an HB6.25, who blanked me.
18. Somewhat 'sketty' seeming girl who I therefore expected to blow me out, but she was actually very nice, but had a young kid and boyfriend she seemed very happy with and loyal to.
19. Opened what I somehow thought was a 6.25 (hence against better judgement even if I'd been right) white girl who turned out to be a 5.5 Indian girl. She was not a fan of my schtick, so I didn't give her the dick.
20. HB7.25 I passed once but didn't have a chance to open, then against all odds came across ten minutes and numerous backroads later. As usual for such a good-looking girl, she was pleasant but had a genuine excuse as to why she couldn't stop/let me close.
25. HB8 half-Kenyan, half-English girl. Third-best-looking girl of the whole period, probably 'objectively' the best-looking given I'm not that into black girls and think mixed-race girls are overrated. Nice girl and really nice vibe to this set, possibly because I saw a ring and so felt it was a long shot hence low pressure.
28. Was in one of those impish moods where one petulantly revert to rookie errors, and walked with a girl who refused to stop all the way from Russell Square to the far end of Waterloo Bridge. She softened somewhat, but seemed like a lot of work for her being barely passable, and she remained aloof and contradictory throughout. (However much you're cringing reading this: believe me, I'm cringing more.)
31. Sat down on a bench next to an HB5.5 (had thought HB6/6.5). She immediately got up, said 'No', and left. Yet another predictable < HB6.5 blow-out.
36. Second-best-looking girl--8+ despite having started to hit the wall. Seemed to be one of those sets where the blatant age gap (or being on Oxford Street) meant she did not stop / blew me out because I was obviously playing the field.
(Intermission: Went to Trafalgar Square and watched the whole place for 10-15minutes and did not see a single bangable girl on her own.)
37. Got on a Tube train and placed myself next to a promising-looking brunette. Since she was a cute (HB7.25), young (18) Essex girl on her own, we got on famously, but she was third wheel to her sister and brother-in-law, and not in London much, so current and future logistics sucked. I let her go at Victoria without trying for close, which she was probably sad about.
38. HB7.25 Polish girl wearing the female version of a coat I'd reserved at H&M not two minutes before--good open material. One of those surprisingly-common cases where she was leaving town the next day (New Zealand) and seemed DTF but simply had no time. (In fact not entirely dissimilar to #37 Essex girl.)
44. Blanked by an 'HB' 5.75. Where's that 50 Cent gif?...
48. Indirect open on her clothes. I found this type of open tended to work well in this period. Probably didn't hurt she was French. HB 7.5 on the Tube. Seemed to be going very well but then she took a phone call and started rambling to her friend on the phone in French while still smiling at me, but making no move to finish the call. I started getting off the train without saying anything and not looking at her, but she smiled and said bye despite still being on phone--guess I needed to tell her to get off the phone, since she was intent on cockblocking herself blabbering to her friend. (In retrospect: Was she talking to her friend about me in French and hinting for me to overrule her 'on the phone' frame and sweep her up for some ADVEN'SHUR SECKS?)
49. Best-looking girl. HB8.25 white dark brunette English girl (my type). Got a response to my opening question but then she immediately shut it down telling me not to take it personally but she'd been up since 4AM, had travelled all the way from Newcastle, and didn't want to talk. Seemed genuine, so I dropped the set.
54. HB7 black girl with braids from Lewisham. Surprisingly she gave me a chance (several, in fact), but I was warming up and my ramble was shit, so she slowly and incrementally drifted away.
57. Wanted to do some rapid sets so (despite my gut saying not on) approached an HB6 Oriental girl who turned out to be American right outside Oxford Circus station. Sure enough she pissed around on her phone and just made noises at my ramble and questions before eventually claiming she had 'stuff to do' and was 'waiting for a friend' and asking me 'Really? This isn't going anywhere'. 65536% sure based on this that this girl was from New York.
65. The set I'm most proud of. HB7.25 Talulah Riley lookalike. Yet another alleged model (this time catalogue/ad though). 18 y.o Sixth Former doing drama and maths A Levels. I negged and shredded her hard (probably too hard, since she pointed it out and was explicitly conscious of it). Was a 20 to 25 minute set. I was feeling the (relatively small) age gup when, during this time, she texted her friend about the set in real time as it went down, messaged her boyfriend (who had become her boyfriend by sliding up in her DM's on Instagram despite living in Oxford, which I wrecked her hard for succumbing to) about me to make him jealous (explicitly confirmed when I teased her for doing this), and Snapchatted me twice while I was gaming her pretending to be creeped out. She poorly acted creeped out and concerned she was 'being groomed', but she stuck around for a long time and was compliant, so I think she was actually potentially open to me being obviously older and more mature, and needed a stronger hand (and more aloofness when going for the number) to play into the dominant older man frame. Definitely signs and gut feel here that she had never done any sort of age gap but was turned on by the prospect of being my little nymphet. Probably lost the set by pushing repeatedly for the phone number too hard and too directly after she initially refused, rather than playing it cool and gaming more before retrying. Alternatively, should have shot for a sort of instadate by telling her I was going to go with her to lunch with her female friend, then had a laugh with both of them. Unusual for being a strong Leicester Square set.
68. HB7+. My other Number Close to Nowhere despite her seeming to flood her seat at the sight of me and squirm around to get me to open. For some reason reminded me of a weird girl in 2016 who seemed strongly into me, didn't reply, then I managed to find out was a lesbian.
75. HB6.75/7 triggered my proximity alarm on the Tube platform and was into me. But she gave me nothing to work with and (relatedly) seemed like a loser, so I just gave up and got off, while she seemed disappointed.
76. HB6/7 Spanish girl who seemed to string me along then, right before she left, take pleasure in complaining about English people and shooting me down. Realised that even my usual foot in the door with Spanish girls can't overcome the corrupting influence of London, especially an Oxford Street shop girl.
General observations for this period:
- Treating sub-6.5 girls like girls I'm properly in to, does not work.
- Covent Garden is hugely overrated. I literally found only one vaguely approachable girl there the whole time, and she was a complete weirdo who ran away as soon as I opened my mouth.
- Trafalgar Square is also hugely overrated, insomuch as it's rated at all by anyone. I opened one sort-of set here with a not-great-looking maybe-MILF, that went nowhere.
- Leicester Square is pretty overrated, though less so, and probably still worth checking out.
- Camden is a complete wasteland during the day. The garbage Camden Girls spill into Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Street. Fuck Camden Girls.
- If you have two decent-looking girls near you and you open one of them, then the other might open you! Play 'em against each other!