The title says it all.
With a chance to lock down my first-ever points title, I choked it away, finishing sixth in a ten player field. Not terrible on the surface, but Tina finished second, completing her solid run and winning her second title. Why she wants to eliminate the points idea completely is beyond me. The only thing I can think of is that she likes the idea of doing a $5 lotto ticket for the bounty, since those seem to win more than others.
What went right: The one good hand I had all night I played for maximum profit, when my pocket kings caught trips on the flop and I won a huge pot from newcomer Erik Alexander, who held A/K off.
What went wrong: I made a terrible read on Matt on my knockout hand, calling his huge river bet with a flush possibility on the board and holding top pair. I knew the flush chance was there, but also figured Matt could be representing. I was wrong, and a count sent me to the rail. Later, I wished it wasn't Matt in that spot, because if it was one of 2-3 other people at the table, I would have figured the bluff chance was far, far lower, and folded.
I also chastise myself in that hand for the time-honored stupid move of sending good money after bad. Part of the reason I talked myself into calling was that I had already committed a ton of money to the pot. Put another way, if the bets hadn't been so big post-flop and turn, I may have folded on the river.
10K update: 3.5 hours added, 139 home game hours, 249 total hours
#BraceletHunting Update: $10 added (bounty from my KO of Vinnie), total now $90.
Next up: that was the last SFPT tournament until likely mid to late-January, and in between will be the first trip to Turning Stone for Cuffe's birthday without the man himself. It will be emotional I'm sure, and I'm not sure if I will be up for playing some poker. It's going to be a spur-of-the-moment decision.
I would also like to come up with some poker-related goals for 2014. If the Points Championship sticks around, winning that title will be first on the list.
Monday, December 9, 2013
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
The Home Stretch
November's SFPT tournament is in the books, and while it wasn't my best performance (I finished 6th out of 8), I once again did JUST enough to stay ahead of Tina in the points race. It's still a three-person race; Kim is lingering in 3rd and has an outside shot if everything breaks right for her.
It's hard to pinpoint exactly where I went wrong last Saturday. I didn't get many starting hands, but I also didn't have much else going my way. Twice I raised pre-flop with K/Q off, and didn't get any callers, so the pots were smaller than they could have been. One hand I had 2/2 and a flush draw after the flop; I made a large bet and was called by Chris, who ended up catching the flush as well and (obviously) it was higher than mine. I few hands later I was down to less than 5 big blinds and shoved, losing in a 4-way pot.
I know I could absolutely improve through increased focus; that is going to have to be my goal next time. I also have to take more chances pre-flop. Ideally, Tina and Kim will both be out early to secure me the title, and I can spend the rest of the time working on more aggressive play.
My own personal play aside, I am glad the Points Championship has once again come down to the final tournament. I like that drama, and I like that (just like last year), three people are technically still alive for the title. Still, I strive to make improvements, to keep more people in the race longer. I want to make sure people are still having fun and still want to come play. Although, maybe I shouldn't be worried as much as I am, considering the "player field" (people who play at least some of the time) is now up to 14 people, and the last few tournaments have had at least 8.
Overall, it's going well, and I like that everyone is able to get together, especially the kids. I hope everyone has fond memories of these times in the future, because that's the real goal.
It's hard to pinpoint exactly where I went wrong last Saturday. I didn't get many starting hands, but I also didn't have much else going my way. Twice I raised pre-flop with K/Q off, and didn't get any callers, so the pots were smaller than they could have been. One hand I had 2/2 and a flush draw after the flop; I made a large bet and was called by Chris, who ended up catching the flush as well and (obviously) it was higher than mine. I few hands later I was down to less than 5 big blinds and shoved, losing in a 4-way pot.
I know I could absolutely improve through increased focus; that is going to have to be my goal next time. I also have to take more chances pre-flop. Ideally, Tina and Kim will both be out early to secure me the title, and I can spend the rest of the time working on more aggressive play.
My own personal play aside, I am glad the Points Championship has once again come down to the final tournament. I like that drama, and I like that (just like last year), three people are technically still alive for the title. Still, I strive to make improvements, to keep more people in the race longer. I want to make sure people are still having fun and still want to come play. Although, maybe I shouldn't be worried as much as I am, considering the "player field" (people who play at least some of the time) is now up to 14 people, and the last few tournaments have had at least 8.
Overall, it's going well, and I like that everyone is able to get together, especially the kids. I hope everyone has fond memories of these times in the future, because that's the real goal.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
A Rare Weekend
For maybe the first time ever, I played in two different home game tournaments on the same weekend. The first was the October SFPT get-together; the second, an eight-person buy in at Oscar's friend Josh's birthday party. Both went fairly well, though not obviously in some ways. A couple of quick recaps:
I ended up winning the SFPT tournament, besting an eight player field. I will admit that I was catching a lot of flops and turns, so the amount of skill required to take home the win wasn't as much as it seemed. Still, a few things went right. Namely, early in the tournament, I had donked off a lot of chips before the first elimination, and suddenly realized I really wasn't focusing as I should be. I got back into the game more at that point, mentally, and the big takeaway is that I actually made the realization before it was too late.
One had stands out, partly because of how I played it, and partly because of who I played it against - Tina. Pre-flop, there were three players left, Kim being the third. The flop came J/4/9, and Kim checked. I also checked, and Tina, short-stacked, moved all-in. Kim quickly folded, and I just as quickly called, flipping two pair J/4 to beat Tina's pair of nines. It was exactly what I hoped would happen, and for once, the trap worked perfectly.
Discussing the hand a couple days later, Tina commented something along the lines of "of course you trap, you love to trap!" My reply: "yeah, but the difference now is I know when to pick my spots." She agreed, giving more credence to the idea that I've come a long way.
I ended up playing Ray heads up, and though that battle took a little while (blinds got to 700/1400 for the first time in SFPT history), I was able to prevail. I made a good lay down early on when I folded top pair after the river; Ray's reaction (motherfucker!") told me he had me beat. Other than that the play was pretty standard. I made out good on one semi-bluff holding king high, and the final hand saw Ray's nines lose to my A/Q off when a queen hit on the turn.
The tournament at Josh's party was interesting, and a bit of deju vu, but not in a good way. Thanks to my apparent illiteracy, I arrived late, reminded only by Oscar's timely text. To my surprise and happiness, the other seven guys agreed to blind me out until I got there, and I only missed two hands (and one blind). The deja vu part came when I came inside, said happy birthday to the man of the hour, and sat right down to start to play with no chance to prepare. Thanks to running late and being embarrassed by that fact, I had the same nervous/anxious feeling that I had when playing my first "real" live session and tournament, and after busting the tournament and moving directly to the cash table at Turning Stone back in April.
But, I also had that experience, and knew how to mentally combat the feelings. After folding my first hand, and taking my turn as dealer on the next, I stood up and went to get a drink, making sure to concentrate on breathing and calming down. The result wasn't immediate, but it worked, and a couple hands later I was back to normal.
Knowing only two of the other players at the table (Oscar, and his friend Clint, whom I've played with before) made for an interesting time, but a very good experience - unlike the SFPT, the aspect of the unknown was much better practice for me. I made one bad laydown post-flop when a guy to my left raised, and the guy on my immediate right shoved all in; I had A/Q on an A/10/5 board.
The problem with the fold was that my rationale was SFPT-based: if someone already called, let them fight it out. But, this was a winner-take-all freezeout; I should have called there and saw what happened, because being out in 7th is no worse than being out in 2nd.
It turns out I would have won the hand with my aces. Oh well - it's a good lesson for next time. File it under "know your tournament structure".
I ended up out in fifth when I chased a straight and missed (adjusting to my "first place or nothing at all" strategy that I realized one hand too late) for most of my stack, and was eliminated when my pre-flop shove of pocket queens lost to a pair of aces in a three-way pot. I had no problem with that hand in particular - pocket face cards while short-stacked is a no-brainer shove.
One other item of note: the player two seats to my left, John, was from the get-go a very aggressive player, raising almost every pot at least 3 times the big blind. He won a lot of pots that way, and later claimed when talking to Oscar and I, "I only bluffed twice all night". Oscar had an immediate and I think accurate retort: "Yeah, and one of them is right now."
Learning to deal with aggressive players is, I think, something I need to work on. I don't have a lot of experience in that regard, as most of the SFPT regulars are conservative by nature. I feel like I adjusted well to John's play once I realized his raises were going to be commonplace. Had I hit my straight, not only would it have won me a big pot, it also might have changed his approach regarding raising when I was still in the pot ahead of him. So, I'm not upset - it just didn't work out.
Recapping the weekend from a profit and experience point of view:
Buy-Ins: $20
Winnings: $40
Bracelet Hunting Update: $30 added, $80 total ($10 set aside for Add-Ons for Ally for the November tournament)
Race to 10k Update: 4.75 home game hours, 133.50 total home game hours, 243.50 total hours
I ended up winning the SFPT tournament, besting an eight player field. I will admit that I was catching a lot of flops and turns, so the amount of skill required to take home the win wasn't as much as it seemed. Still, a few things went right. Namely, early in the tournament, I had donked off a lot of chips before the first elimination, and suddenly realized I really wasn't focusing as I should be. I got back into the game more at that point, mentally, and the big takeaway is that I actually made the realization before it was too late.
One had stands out, partly because of how I played it, and partly because of who I played it against - Tina. Pre-flop, there were three players left, Kim being the third. The flop came J/4/9, and Kim checked. I also checked, and Tina, short-stacked, moved all-in. Kim quickly folded, and I just as quickly called, flipping two pair J/4 to beat Tina's pair of nines. It was exactly what I hoped would happen, and for once, the trap worked perfectly.
Discussing the hand a couple days later, Tina commented something along the lines of "of course you trap, you love to trap!" My reply: "yeah, but the difference now is I know when to pick my spots." She agreed, giving more credence to the idea that I've come a long way.
I ended up playing Ray heads up, and though that battle took a little while (blinds got to 700/1400 for the first time in SFPT history), I was able to prevail. I made a good lay down early on when I folded top pair after the river; Ray's reaction (motherfucker!") told me he had me beat. Other than that the play was pretty standard. I made out good on one semi-bluff holding king high, and the final hand saw Ray's nines lose to my A/Q off when a queen hit on the turn.
The tournament at Josh's party was interesting, and a bit of deju vu, but not in a good way. Thanks to my apparent illiteracy, I arrived late, reminded only by Oscar's timely text. To my surprise and happiness, the other seven guys agreed to blind me out until I got there, and I only missed two hands (and one blind). The deja vu part came when I came inside, said happy birthday to the man of the hour, and sat right down to start to play with no chance to prepare. Thanks to running late and being embarrassed by that fact, I had the same nervous/anxious feeling that I had when playing my first "real" live session and tournament, and after busting the tournament and moving directly to the cash table at Turning Stone back in April.
But, I also had that experience, and knew how to mentally combat the feelings. After folding my first hand, and taking my turn as dealer on the next, I stood up and went to get a drink, making sure to concentrate on breathing and calming down. The result wasn't immediate, but it worked, and a couple hands later I was back to normal.
Knowing only two of the other players at the table (Oscar, and his friend Clint, whom I've played with before) made for an interesting time, but a very good experience - unlike the SFPT, the aspect of the unknown was much better practice for me. I made one bad laydown post-flop when a guy to my left raised, and the guy on my immediate right shoved all in; I had A/Q on an A/10/5 board.
The problem with the fold was that my rationale was SFPT-based: if someone already called, let them fight it out. But, this was a winner-take-all freezeout; I should have called there and saw what happened, because being out in 7th is no worse than being out in 2nd.
It turns out I would have won the hand with my aces. Oh well - it's a good lesson for next time. File it under "know your tournament structure".
I ended up out in fifth when I chased a straight and missed (adjusting to my "first place or nothing at all" strategy that I realized one hand too late) for most of my stack, and was eliminated when my pre-flop shove of pocket queens lost to a pair of aces in a three-way pot. I had no problem with that hand in particular - pocket face cards while short-stacked is a no-brainer shove.
One other item of note: the player two seats to my left, John, was from the get-go a very aggressive player, raising almost every pot at least 3 times the big blind. He won a lot of pots that way, and later claimed when talking to Oscar and I, "I only bluffed twice all night". Oscar had an immediate and I think accurate retort: "Yeah, and one of them is right now."
Learning to deal with aggressive players is, I think, something I need to work on. I don't have a lot of experience in that regard, as most of the SFPT regulars are conservative by nature. I feel like I adjusted well to John's play once I realized his raises were going to be commonplace. Had I hit my straight, not only would it have won me a big pot, it also might have changed his approach regarding raising when I was still in the pot ahead of him. So, I'm not upset - it just didn't work out.
Recapping the weekend from a profit and experience point of view:
Buy-Ins: $20
Winnings: $40
Bracelet Hunting Update: $30 added, $80 total ($10 set aside for Add-Ons for Ally for the November tournament)
Race to 10k Update: 4.75 home game hours, 133.50 total home game hours, 243.50 total hours
Friday, October 18, 2013
WSOP-E
My Twitter stream keep tempting me with links to live poker - before it was the EPT, and now the WSOP Europe. Yesterday I took the bait and watched a little of Event 5, a 2,000 Pound NLHE tournament.
Right away, I was right back in the swing of things, watching, learning, and putting myself in the pros shoes in terms of the decisions they made and whether I agreed or would have played differently. It was a good feeling to be back in the proverbial saddle, if even from a distance.
Twitter hit me with the links again today and again I clicked, this time based on my experience the day before, the need to kill some time, and the final-table presence of one of my favorite pros, Erik Seidel. The 8-time bracelet winner is one of the quietest and most unassuming, yet funniest and most intelligent pros on the entire tour and has been from some time. He is one of the members of the very short list of pros I look up to.
I watched the tournament on and off, around work and the memorial service/wake for my Great Uncle John. It was 2:15 eastern time when it finally ended, Seidel losing heads-up in his quest for a ninth bracelet. Not the result I wanted to see, but good poker nonetheless.
I learned a few things about heads-up play in the process, and a couple about tournaments in general, but mostly I watched how the players conducted themselves at the table. That kind of thing facinates me for some reason. I see people all the time who act like complete jackwads when they play live, yet there are guys like Seidel who are so low-key one would think them acting quiet because they are out of their element and thus terrified. Nothing can be further from the truth.
I'm still trying to determine by "table image", what I want to be known as. There are cases to be made, even within my own personality, for at least a couple of different approaches. Maybe it depends on my mood, or the situation. As I have already written, I won't be taking things too seriously. Just how verbally and demonstratively I "don't take it seriously" remains to be seen.
Right away, I was right back in the swing of things, watching, learning, and putting myself in the pros shoes in terms of the decisions they made and whether I agreed or would have played differently. It was a good feeling to be back in the proverbial saddle, if even from a distance.
Twitter hit me with the links again today and again I clicked, this time based on my experience the day before, the need to kill some time, and the final-table presence of one of my favorite pros, Erik Seidel. The 8-time bracelet winner is one of the quietest and most unassuming, yet funniest and most intelligent pros on the entire tour and has been from some time. He is one of the members of the very short list of pros I look up to.
I watched the tournament on and off, around work and the memorial service/wake for my Great Uncle John. It was 2:15 eastern time when it finally ended, Seidel losing heads-up in his quest for a ninth bracelet. Not the result I wanted to see, but good poker nonetheless.
I learned a few things about heads-up play in the process, and a couple about tournaments in general, but mostly I watched how the players conducted themselves at the table. That kind of thing facinates me for some reason. I see people all the time who act like complete jackwads when they play live, yet there are guys like Seidel who are so low-key one would think them acting quiet because they are out of their element and thus terrified. Nothing can be further from the truth.
I'm still trying to determine by "table image", what I want to be known as. There are cases to be made, even within my own personality, for at least a couple of different approaches. Maybe it depends on my mood, or the situation. As I have already written, I won't be taking things too seriously. Just how verbally and demonstratively I "don't take it seriously" remains to be seen.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Back in The Rut
So here I am once again.
Not only have I not played at all since SFPT September, I don't even have the motivation to do so. What's worse, I am a full issue and a half behind on "Bluff". That might be somewhat excusable given I have been reading a lot of books lately, but this next item is what really surprises me:
EPT London is going on right now. I knew this ahead of time, but when the opportunity came to take a look and watch some live coverage, I declined, in favor of continuing to listen to XM Radio while I worked. Even a couple months ago this would have been something I jumped at, racing home from the Rec and logging in right before even checking email.
Now? Not interested, and I don't know why.
I think part of it is that I have been away from poker for so long. Reading and watching are fine, but I have been distracted with so many other things lately, I haven't been willing to focus on poker (to be fair, the distractions have not all been bad things; in fact, few of them are, so maybe "distraction" isn't the right word. Perhaps "occupied" is a better classification.) However, the November Nine is coming up soon, so I'm betting that will rekindle my interest at least a little bit.
Another part of the problem is one I have discussed many times already: I feel like I have plateaued. The only way to get away from that is to play, and I haven't had that opportunity at all. I'm not whining - if i wanted to make it happen, I could. But there are other more important things in my life. As much as I love poker, I'm not about to jet off and leave my wife and daughter behind so I can play. How much of an ass would that make me?
Answer: a big one. The biggest. And I'm not doing it. There is a solution I will find, a balance I can strike. Stay tuned.
Not only have I not played at all since SFPT September, I don't even have the motivation to do so. What's worse, I am a full issue and a half behind on "Bluff". That might be somewhat excusable given I have been reading a lot of books lately, but this next item is what really surprises me:
EPT London is going on right now. I knew this ahead of time, but when the opportunity came to take a look and watch some live coverage, I declined, in favor of continuing to listen to XM Radio while I worked. Even a couple months ago this would have been something I jumped at, racing home from the Rec and logging in right before even checking email.
Now? Not interested, and I don't know why.
I think part of it is that I have been away from poker for so long. Reading and watching are fine, but I have been distracted with so many other things lately, I haven't been willing to focus on poker (to be fair, the distractions have not all been bad things; in fact, few of them are, so maybe "distraction" isn't the right word. Perhaps "occupied" is a better classification.) However, the November Nine is coming up soon, so I'm betting that will rekindle my interest at least a little bit.
Another part of the problem is one I have discussed many times already: I feel like I have plateaued. The only way to get away from that is to play, and I haven't had that opportunity at all. I'm not whining - if i wanted to make it happen, I could. But there are other more important things in my life. As much as I love poker, I'm not about to jet off and leave my wife and daughter behind so I can play. How much of an ass would that make me?
Answer: a big one. The biggest. And I'm not doing it. There is a solution I will find, a balance I can strike. Stay tuned.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Thoroughly Mediocre
The title accurately describes my play, and my results, at SFPT September. Part of the issue was lack of concentration, but I also wasn't getting much in terms of cards either. In some ways it felt a lot like my last TS cash session.
But, I had fun, and my fourth place finish was just barely good enough to keep me atop the points race thanks to Tina taking home the win. Oscar got his second straight runner-up finish; it's too bad for him that he got off to such a shitty start else he'd be right in the thick of things as we come down to the last three tournaments.
So, I wasn't able to add any money to the bracelet hunting envelope, but I did keep on track to maybe add some in December if I can bring home the points title. I have decided that if I do take it down, half the money will go to said envelope, and the other half will go to Ally's bank account.
As for details: not many hands stand out, and I did find myself short-stacked when we were down to four players. I won a hand to get out of that spot but it didn't last long, and I shoved with 8/5 clubs. Matt and Oscar called, and post-flop, Oscar also shoved to put Matt at risk. Matt folded, Oscar showed A/J for two pair, and I mucked.
Not much else to say, really. It was a fun tournament, but not a lot sticks out.
Race to 10K: 3 home game hours played, 128.75 home game hours, 238.75 total hours
Next up will be the October tournament, which may or may not be the same night as the World Series party. Looking further into the future, Tina, Rachel, Matt, Danielle, and I are already discussing planning for the annual January Turning Stone trip. You can bet poker will be played, and I hope to get Matt into the room as well. Call it my first poker-related goal of 2014.
But, I had fun, and my fourth place finish was just barely good enough to keep me atop the points race thanks to Tina taking home the win. Oscar got his second straight runner-up finish; it's too bad for him that he got off to such a shitty start else he'd be right in the thick of things as we come down to the last three tournaments.
So, I wasn't able to add any money to the bracelet hunting envelope, but I did keep on track to maybe add some in December if I can bring home the points title. I have decided that if I do take it down, half the money will go to said envelope, and the other half will go to Ally's bank account.
As for details: not many hands stand out, and I did find myself short-stacked when we were down to four players. I won a hand to get out of that spot but it didn't last long, and I shoved with 8/5 clubs. Matt and Oscar called, and post-flop, Oscar also shoved to put Matt at risk. Matt folded, Oscar showed A/J for two pair, and I mucked.
Not much else to say, really. It was a fun tournament, but not a lot sticks out.
Race to 10K: 3 home game hours played, 128.75 home game hours, 238.75 total hours
Next up will be the October tournament, which may or may not be the same night as the World Series party. Looking further into the future, Tina, Rachel, Matt, Danielle, and I are already discussing planning for the annual January Turning Stone trip. You can bet poker will be played, and I hope to get Matt into the room as well. Call it my first poker-related goal of 2014.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Poker Mentality
With the next SFPT event looming on Saturday and not having played much since the August tournament, I decided to pop back on to Full Tilt both yesterday and today for a couple tournaments. Both went pretty well: yesterday I finished 2nd in a 250, 1-table SNG, and today won a 6-handed 1-table SNG.
In the 9-handed event, I was barely paying attention, but in this case that isn't a bad thing. I was able to play the math, and let my subconcious mind work picking up trends, patterns, etc. This isn't new for me, but using that information in real-time is. I was able to do so, and got my chips in with the advantage, only to have the math bite me once again. No big deal. From that tournament, I also took away the fact that if I can play that well not paying attention, I have a lot of upside for when I actually do focus.
The 6-handed event today comes with a huge astrisk. One player was eliminated on the first hand, and two others were sitting out almost from the beginning. As soon as I recognized this, I loosened up my play, knowing in reality I was only playing against two other opponents. I was able to KO one of the others not too long after, and though the second guy was a much bigger challenge (I couldn't really put a read on his betting patterns), I was victorious over him as well.
The hand that finished him off is one I am proud of, not because of how it turned out, but because of how I processed the information. I raised 4x the big blind pre-flop with 8/8, and was called. The flop was 4/7/5, and I c-bet half the pot. A snap call, and turn J. Here's where I processed what was in front of me: an over pair to all but one card, a straight draw, and a better than 2:1 chip advantage against an at least semi-aggressive player acting after me. I shoved all-in, and was called with Q/10. River 6, straight, and to quote Hawk Harrelson, "he gone". The other two were still sitting out, and the result was a formality.
Which leads me to why I'm really blogging today. That sequence of events illustrates an area in which I've made great progress over the past few months. There were any number of hands which could have had me beat, or at least had me behind in terms of what we were drawing to, but I absorbed all of the information available to me and took a calculated risk. That is the essence of poker.
It's also the essence of life. Very rarely is there a situation in life that is black and white. Gray is the new black; there is always ambiguity in every situation you face. The ability to process incomplete information and make smart decisions is one of the factors that separate the successful from the unsuccessful, no matter your definition of success. Nate Silver once said that poker players are the best he's seen at evaluating situations correctly. I'm not sure if that is because of poker, or if people of that nature are drawn to poker and find themselves successful in part because of that attribute.
Either way, there's a very strong parallel. Mel Levinson and I always talk about "Baseball Mentality", which we have loosely defined as taking a situation as it comes, reacting calmly and without undue angst. Even the best of all time will fail in their objective six times out of ten. In that spirit, I am ready to officially christen Poker Mentality: taking all of the information available to you, processing it in relation to the situation, and making a decision based on what you know without being overly concerned about what you don't know.
Poker Mentality shall become one of my attributes - at the felt, and in life.
In the 9-handed event, I was barely paying attention, but in this case that isn't a bad thing. I was able to play the math, and let my subconcious mind work picking up trends, patterns, etc. This isn't new for me, but using that information in real-time is. I was able to do so, and got my chips in with the advantage, only to have the math bite me once again. No big deal. From that tournament, I also took away the fact that if I can play that well not paying attention, I have a lot of upside for when I actually do focus.
The 6-handed event today comes with a huge astrisk. One player was eliminated on the first hand, and two others were sitting out almost from the beginning. As soon as I recognized this, I loosened up my play, knowing in reality I was only playing against two other opponents. I was able to KO one of the others not too long after, and though the second guy was a much bigger challenge (I couldn't really put a read on his betting patterns), I was victorious over him as well.
The hand that finished him off is one I am proud of, not because of how it turned out, but because of how I processed the information. I raised 4x the big blind pre-flop with 8/8, and was called. The flop was 4/7/5, and I c-bet half the pot. A snap call, and turn J. Here's where I processed what was in front of me: an over pair to all but one card, a straight draw, and a better than 2:1 chip advantage against an at least semi-aggressive player acting after me. I shoved all-in, and was called with Q/10. River 6, straight, and to quote Hawk Harrelson, "he gone". The other two were still sitting out, and the result was a formality.
Which leads me to why I'm really blogging today. That sequence of events illustrates an area in which I've made great progress over the past few months. There were any number of hands which could have had me beat, or at least had me behind in terms of what we were drawing to, but I absorbed all of the information available to me and took a calculated risk. That is the essence of poker.
It's also the essence of life. Very rarely is there a situation in life that is black and white. Gray is the new black; there is always ambiguity in every situation you face. The ability to process incomplete information and make smart decisions is one of the factors that separate the successful from the unsuccessful, no matter your definition of success. Nate Silver once said that poker players are the best he's seen at evaluating situations correctly. I'm not sure if that is because of poker, or if people of that nature are drawn to poker and find themselves successful in part because of that attribute.
Either way, there's a very strong parallel. Mel Levinson and I always talk about "Baseball Mentality", which we have loosely defined as taking a situation as it comes, reacting calmly and without undue angst. Even the best of all time will fail in their objective six times out of ten. In that spirit, I am ready to officially christen Poker Mentality: taking all of the information available to you, processing it in relation to the situation, and making a decision based on what you know without being overly concerned about what you don't know.
Poker Mentality shall become one of my attributes - at the felt, and in life.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Trying Something New, and Something Old
For a long time, I have been a fan of the idea of "learning by osmosis". I'm not sure if I heard that term somewhere or made it up myself, but I feel like the idea is a sound one. Basically, what I mean by that is that I feel I can gain knowledge of something by just having it around me. This is one of the reasons I like to have the TV on a science or history program while I am working on something else,because I can learn a little bit of something even if I am not really trying to do so.
In that spirit, I have decided to forgo listening to the radio while I am working, for the most part, in favor of watching YouTube training videos and other poker-related content. There's plenty of it out there, and more produced every day, so it's not like I am going to run out of videos to watch any time soon.
I have started with Jason Somervville's Run It Up series, and also delved into some of his other videos. Today, I watched one where he went over the hands of his first ever online final table, in 2007. I feel like I learned quite a bit about how the game has changed from then to now, as he kept talking about how he couldn't believe he played hands certain ways and would have done it differently today. From those specific hands, I compared to my play, and saw how I can play hands (and more specifically, situations) differently.
That was the new. Now for the old:
Inspired by actually seeing poker played in that video, I decided to log on to Full Tilt for the first time since August second. I had a step three ticket and decided to use that right off the bat.
Right away, I applied a lesson: keep the hammer down: I missed a flop, but c-bet the flop and turn and got three folds on a stone-cold bluff. That was good, as were a couple of pots where I actually hit a flop but could have lost to draws, but bet people out before showdown.
The bad: four-handed, I shoved with trip queens, got called with 8/9 off, and the guy hit a straight. A few hands later, I shoved with the king high flush draw, got called with two pair, and couldn't hit. I finished fourth and won another Step 3 ticket.
Not wanting to go out like that, I cashed in that ticket following a break for lunch. I lost some of my motivation (read: got distracted), and took a big hit when I gambled to take out a player and lost with AhQh to KK. After getting some back, I lost another chunk in a similar situation when I didn't hit an open-ender and lost to queens.
At this point I figured it just wasn't my tournament, but before I knew it, I was chip leader again. That lasted all of about 10 hands; soon I was short stacked again, shoved, and lost with K/Q off to Q/6 off when the turn was a 6. Oh well.
Playing: 1 hour online
Reading: I started the September issue off "Bluff" the other day, but only glanced. More to come later on that. I have been reading the articles that Mike Caro tweets out on an almost daily basis
Watching: So far, two of Jason Somerville's videos, a total of a shade over 1 hour
10k update: 84.25 online hours, 233.50 total hours
In that spirit, I have decided to forgo listening to the radio while I am working, for the most part, in favor of watching YouTube training videos and other poker-related content. There's plenty of it out there, and more produced every day, so it's not like I am going to run out of videos to watch any time soon.
I have started with Jason Somervville's Run It Up series, and also delved into some of his other videos. Today, I watched one where he went over the hands of his first ever online final table, in 2007. I feel like I learned quite a bit about how the game has changed from then to now, as he kept talking about how he couldn't believe he played hands certain ways and would have done it differently today. From those specific hands, I compared to my play, and saw how I can play hands (and more specifically, situations) differently.
That was the new. Now for the old:
Inspired by actually seeing poker played in that video, I decided to log on to Full Tilt for the first time since August second. I had a step three ticket and decided to use that right off the bat.
Right away, I applied a lesson: keep the hammer down: I missed a flop, but c-bet the flop and turn and got three folds on a stone-cold bluff. That was good, as were a couple of pots where I actually hit a flop but could have lost to draws, but bet people out before showdown.
The bad: four-handed, I shoved with trip queens, got called with 8/9 off, and the guy hit a straight. A few hands later, I shoved with the king high flush draw, got called with two pair, and couldn't hit. I finished fourth and won another Step 3 ticket.
Not wanting to go out like that, I cashed in that ticket following a break for lunch. I lost some of my motivation (read: got distracted), and took a big hit when I gambled to take out a player and lost with AhQh to KK. After getting some back, I lost another chunk in a similar situation when I didn't hit an open-ender and lost to queens.
At this point I figured it just wasn't my tournament, but before I knew it, I was chip leader again. That lasted all of about 10 hands; soon I was short stacked again, shoved, and lost with K/Q off to Q/6 off when the turn was a 6. Oh well.
Playing: 1 hour online
Reading: I started the September issue off "Bluff" the other day, but only glanced. More to come later on that. I have been reading the articles that Mike Caro tweets out on an almost daily basis
Watching: So far, two of Jason Somerville's videos, a total of a shade over 1 hour
10k update: 84.25 online hours, 233.50 total hours
Friday, September 6, 2013
Learning By Watching - Being Social Edition
I love watching the EPT, and I get to watch a lot of it thanks to the combination of the pokerstars.tv livestream, and the time zone difference. The commentators are good, and as with any poker viewing I get to see top players and how they play. Plus, I get some lessons that aren't directly related to play on the felt; lessons like the one today, an answer to my dilemma from yesterday.
The situation: Liv Boeree was guest-commentating, and action cut from the Main Event to the other event running at the time, the 10k High-Roller. Daniel Negrenau was at the table, and of course he was chatting it up. And also of course, he was sitting on a well-above-average chip stack. This is exactly what I was talking about yesterday.
I stepped away for a couple minutes, and the live stream was still showing that same table when I returned. They were discussing the table dynamic, and Boeree made a comment in response to a question from one of the commentators about the amount of good-natured talk at the table. This may not be exact, but it's pretty close:
"Oh, yes, that's why I love these high roller events. They feel like a home game, they're so much fun."
So the high-roller events, the tournaments with the highest buy-ins, are the most fun because people are treating them like home games. What I deduce from that is that other people, low-level pros and amateurs playing in the lower buy-in events, take the game too seriously. Why that is, I don't know. Maybe they feel like that is the best way for them to play, maybe they feel pressure because of the amount of money they have at risk.
That's not me - I don't feel that's the best way to play, I don't feel that kind of pressure (anymore), and I'm certain playing like that would make me miserable, even if I was winning. There are times where I may shut down and focus to a greater extent, but that's not my typical M.O.
Or, as I said to myself earlier (and this IS an exact quote), "Fuck it. I'm there to have fun."
This approach may go against me becoming a better player. Maybe it won't. Maybe I'm short-changing myself, even now. I may be terrible. I probably AM terrible. But here's the thing: I don't know that for sure. And in the absence of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, I am forced to believe I'm better than average, with even more potential. It's all relative, but remember - I haven't been playing for very long, and I have a grand total of twenty and a half hours of live, non-home game play. Or, as Phil Laak would call it, a Tuesday.
Even if results or other evidence point towards me not being very good, I always want to THINK I'm good, because that confidence, even if it's irrational, breeds success.
Let's get to the felt.
The situation: Liv Boeree was guest-commentating, and action cut from the Main Event to the other event running at the time, the 10k High-Roller. Daniel Negrenau was at the table, and of course he was chatting it up. And also of course, he was sitting on a well-above-average chip stack. This is exactly what I was talking about yesterday.
I stepped away for a couple minutes, and the live stream was still showing that same table when I returned. They were discussing the table dynamic, and Boeree made a comment in response to a question from one of the commentators about the amount of good-natured talk at the table. This may not be exact, but it's pretty close:
"Oh, yes, that's why I love these high roller events. They feel like a home game, they're so much fun."
So the high-roller events, the tournaments with the highest buy-ins, are the most fun because people are treating them like home games. What I deduce from that is that other people, low-level pros and amateurs playing in the lower buy-in events, take the game too seriously. Why that is, I don't know. Maybe they feel like that is the best way for them to play, maybe they feel pressure because of the amount of money they have at risk.
That's not me - I don't feel that's the best way to play, I don't feel that kind of pressure (anymore), and I'm certain playing like that would make me miserable, even if I was winning. There are times where I may shut down and focus to a greater extent, but that's not my typical M.O.
Or, as I said to myself earlier (and this IS an exact quote), "Fuck it. I'm there to have fun."
This approach may go against me becoming a better player. Maybe it won't. Maybe I'm short-changing myself, even now. I may be terrible. I probably AM terrible. But here's the thing: I don't know that for sure. And in the absence of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, I am forced to believe I'm better than average, with even more potential. It's all relative, but remember - I haven't been playing for very long, and I have a grand total of twenty and a half hours of live, non-home game play. Or, as Phil Laak would call it, a Tuesday.
Even if results or other evidence point towards me not being very good, I always want to THINK I'm good, because that confidence, even if it's irrational, breeds success.
Let's get to the felt.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
The Social Aspect
I've spent a lot of time in this space talking about the technical aspect of poker; how to play, how I used to play versus how I play now, how I can improve, etc. What I haven't done very much of, other than comments and stories in my live action recaps, is talk about the social aspect of the game.
Maybe the single biggest reason I love live poker as much as I do (and why online isn't cutting it for me), is the people. Now, there are situations where people make it a less-than-pleasant time, but I have been fortunate enough to have not gone down that road often. Regardless, those bad moments have been far outweighed by the good ones - good people, good conversations, and just a general overall good time. Playing some poker, chatting it up, laughing, and making some money to boot. That's hard to beat.
But...I feel like my enjoyment may be holding me back from becoming a better player. When I play live, I will always talk with the people around me, and because of that, I can't focus as much as I "should" on the action, especially on hands I am not playing. I have mentioned in this space how important it is to concentrate on play even when you are out of the hand, and how one's ability to do so can provide important information that may provide an edge later in the game. At the moment, I am one of the large majority of people who can't/don't focus on the action, and I know this is to my detriment.
The real question is, does this matter to me? How important is it to me to get better? I know I have already made significant strides as a player in just a few live sessions, to the point where I feel comfortable playing against almost anyone, be it in cash or tournament play (but especially tournament). So I have reached a comfortable plateau of sorts, knowing I can step into any game and, while I may not be successful in a monetary sense, I will play properly and the odds will be in my favor.
How important is it to me to take that next step, which at this point involves more focus and less talk? Is it more important to have fun, and (forgive the obvious cliche) let the chips falls where they may? That's the question I'm trying to answer right now, and frankly, I'm not sure. Obviously, everyone who plays poker on at even a remotely serious level wants to get better. But it's a tradeoff, and I need to find that balance.
Ideally, I would end up like Daniel Negreanu - someone who can run his mouth constantly and still play at a high level, besting most of those around him on a regular basis. I know that's shooting for the moon, but hey - lofty goals are good, right?
Maybe the single biggest reason I love live poker as much as I do (and why online isn't cutting it for me), is the people. Now, there are situations where people make it a less-than-pleasant time, but I have been fortunate enough to have not gone down that road often. Regardless, those bad moments have been far outweighed by the good ones - good people, good conversations, and just a general overall good time. Playing some poker, chatting it up, laughing, and making some money to boot. That's hard to beat.
But...I feel like my enjoyment may be holding me back from becoming a better player. When I play live, I will always talk with the people around me, and because of that, I can't focus as much as I "should" on the action, especially on hands I am not playing. I have mentioned in this space how important it is to concentrate on play even when you are out of the hand, and how one's ability to do so can provide important information that may provide an edge later in the game. At the moment, I am one of the large majority of people who can't/don't focus on the action, and I know this is to my detriment.
The real question is, does this matter to me? How important is it to me to get better? I know I have already made significant strides as a player in just a few live sessions, to the point where I feel comfortable playing against almost anyone, be it in cash or tournament play (but especially tournament). So I have reached a comfortable plateau of sorts, knowing I can step into any game and, while I may not be successful in a monetary sense, I will play properly and the odds will be in my favor.
How important is it to me to take that next step, which at this point involves more focus and less talk? Is it more important to have fun, and (forgive the obvious cliche) let the chips falls where they may? That's the question I'm trying to answer right now, and frankly, I'm not sure. Obviously, everyone who plays poker on at even a remotely serious level wants to get better. But it's a tradeoff, and I need to find that balance.
Ideally, I would end up like Daniel Negreanu - someone who can run his mouth constantly and still play at a high level, besting most of those around him on a regular basis. I know that's shooting for the moon, but hey - lofty goals are good, right?
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
It All Comes Together
Finally.
For once, I played well for an entire tournament, and was rewarded with a win. The occasion was the nine player SFPT August Part 2 get-together, aka the February Makeup Tournament. I feel like I played well because I was very consistent; not once was I all-in and at-risk in a spot where I didn't have a heavy advantage. Each of those spots resulted in opponent folds, so really I was never truly at risk.
Prior to heads-up, two hands stood out. The first was a four-way pot with Tom, Oscar, and Matt, with Tom at risk pre-flop. After the river I held a flush, and an all-in shove got Oscar and Matt to muck. When I showed my flush, Tom mucked as well, and I earned my first of two knockouts on the night.
The second hand came down to Matt, Tom, and I. I limped pre-flop with 2/2, and caught trips on a 2/8/9 board. I didn't hesitate a moment in shoving all-in, leading to two almost instant folds. When Matt commented "I think I had you beat", I decided to tell him what I had. Matt's a good player, and I feel that by sharing hands, we can work on strategy together to our mutual benefit. When I whispered "twos", he exclaimed, "wow, ballsy!". Maybe it was, but it worked. In fact, I'm hoping it really was "ballsy", because that means I'm taking chances.
The last hand of the night is where I got some payback from the poker gods after the previous SFPT tournament. Oscar and I had gone back and forth for several hands, with the chip lead changing at least three times in that time. On the last hand of the night, Oscar was short-stacked and shoved with A/K off. I snap-called with A/9 hearts. There were no hearts on the flop and the turn was likewise a dud, but I spiked a river 9 to take the victory.
10k update: 3 hours home game, 125.75 total home game, 232.50 total hours
Bracelet Hunting: $45 added, $50 total, $950 to go
For once, I played well for an entire tournament, and was rewarded with a win. The occasion was the nine player SFPT August Part 2 get-together, aka the February Makeup Tournament. I feel like I played well because I was very consistent; not once was I all-in and at-risk in a spot where I didn't have a heavy advantage. Each of those spots resulted in opponent folds, so really I was never truly at risk.
Prior to heads-up, two hands stood out. The first was a four-way pot with Tom, Oscar, and Matt, with Tom at risk pre-flop. After the river I held a flush, and an all-in shove got Oscar and Matt to muck. When I showed my flush, Tom mucked as well, and I earned my first of two knockouts on the night.
The second hand came down to Matt, Tom, and I. I limped pre-flop with 2/2, and caught trips on a 2/8/9 board. I didn't hesitate a moment in shoving all-in, leading to two almost instant folds. When Matt commented "I think I had you beat", I decided to tell him what I had. Matt's a good player, and I feel that by sharing hands, we can work on strategy together to our mutual benefit. When I whispered "twos", he exclaimed, "wow, ballsy!". Maybe it was, but it worked. In fact, I'm hoping it really was "ballsy", because that means I'm taking chances.
The last hand of the night is where I got some payback from the poker gods after the previous SFPT tournament. Oscar and I had gone back and forth for several hands, with the chip lead changing at least three times in that time. On the last hand of the night, Oscar was short-stacked and shoved with A/K off. I snap-called with A/9 hearts. There were no hearts on the flop and the turn was likewise a dud, but I spiked a river 9 to take the victory.
10k update: 3 hours home game, 125.75 total home game, 232.50 total hours
Bracelet Hunting: $45 added, $50 total, $950 to go
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
The Rut
I still haven't logged on to Full Tilt, but that doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about poker. Mainly, I have been thinking about what I can do at home that will be the best use of my "education time". Since play-money action is a bit in my doghouse, I have decided I need to do more along the lines of reading and watching training videos.
Yesterday I stumbled across a good article, a lengthy interview with the recently-passed Bobby "The Wizard" Hoff, one of the Texas Road Gamblers in the same vein as Brunson, Moss, Roberts, et al. While I orignally started reading for the entertainment value and history lesson, I found that the interview delved pretty deep into strategy as well. After reading, I bookmarked the page, because I think a re-read focusing on those strategy pieces will be beneficial down the road.
There was also a live tournament going on yesterday, the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open main event. There was a live stream so I tuned in, but didn't last long. In summary, it was a snore fest (no commentary) and I didn't feel as though I was gaining anything by watching.
Up next - SFPT August Part 2 (make up tournament from February) is coming up this Friday. In the meantime, I hope to at least do a little bit of reading, and maybe play a little on Friday afternoon just to get back into the swing.
Yesterday I stumbled across a good article, a lengthy interview with the recently-passed Bobby "The Wizard" Hoff, one of the Texas Road Gamblers in the same vein as Brunson, Moss, Roberts, et al. While I orignally started reading for the entertainment value and history lesson, I found that the interview delved pretty deep into strategy as well. After reading, I bookmarked the page, because I think a re-read focusing on those strategy pieces will be beneficial down the road.
There was also a live tournament going on yesterday, the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open main event. There was a live stream so I tuned in, but didn't last long. In summary, it was a snore fest (no commentary) and I didn't feel as though I was gaining anything by watching.
Up next - SFPT August Part 2 (make up tournament from February) is coming up this Friday. In the meantime, I hope to at least do a little bit of reading, and maybe play a little on Friday afternoon just to get back into the swing.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Back Home, and Bored With It
Ever since the trip to The Stone and the SFPT event that followed, I haven't played a single hand of online poker, or even logged on to FTP. I know that will change, probably soon, but I just haven't had the desire lately. Mostly, that's because I feel like play money is (here comes the familiar refrain) not helping me get any better.
So, what to do instead, when I am home, when there are no SFPT events going on and I want to take steps to improve my game? Reading and videos. Yesterday, I watched one of Jason Somerville's "Run it Up" series videos, which was not terribly informative but still gave me some exposure to the game and how a pro plays. I also read a couple articles on Mike Caro's site; one about choosing your seat and which kind of players you want to your right and left was particularly informative.
I also started (and completed, only hours later), some poker fiction by Vince Van patten and Robert J. Randisi called "The Picasso Flop". Entertaining, and though it was described as being a part of the "Texas Hold Em Series", I haven't found any other books in that series. Maybe it didn't take off, and was one-and-done? That'd be a shame, but not a surprise. The book was a quick, fun read, and made me appreciate my "Vegas Free Write" story all the more. This sounds cocky, but I don't really think my writing is much worse than what I just read.
While searching for other books in the series, I came across another series by the co-author; mysteries based in Vegas in the 40's with the Rat Pack and other luminaries from the day as recurring characters. Yes! And Damn You Amazon, for giving me a ton of other books to read.
So, what to do instead, when I am home, when there are no SFPT events going on and I want to take steps to improve my game? Reading and videos. Yesterday, I watched one of Jason Somerville's "Run it Up" series videos, which was not terribly informative but still gave me some exposure to the game and how a pro plays. I also read a couple articles on Mike Caro's site; one about choosing your seat and which kind of players you want to your right and left was particularly informative.
I also started (and completed, only hours later), some poker fiction by Vince Van patten and Robert J. Randisi called "The Picasso Flop". Entertaining, and though it was described as being a part of the "Texas Hold Em Series", I haven't found any other books in that series. Maybe it didn't take off, and was one-and-done? That'd be a shame, but not a surprise. The book was a quick, fun read, and made me appreciate my "Vegas Free Write" story all the more. This sounds cocky, but I don't really think my writing is much worse than what I just read.
While searching for other books in the series, I came across another series by the co-author; mysteries based in Vegas in the 40's with the Rat Pack and other luminaries from the day as recurring characters. Yes! And Damn You Amazon, for giving me a ton of other books to read.
Monday, August 12, 2013
Back to the Home Game
Fresh off my fairly decent performance at The Stone (psychologically if
not monetarily), I was looking forward to getting back on the SFPT felt to see
if I could turn my confidence into actual results. All in all, it wasn’t a bad performance – I
finished second, and the final hand result was one I could only laugh at – I
played it right, but the poker gods had other ideas.
Short stacked but not drastically (a double up would have given me the
lead), I peeked at my cards in the small blind and saw Kc/Qc – a no-brainer
all-in. Corrye snap-called and flipped
Kh/8h. When the flop was a rainbow with
no help to either of us, I was feeling pretty good. The turn was likewise a dud, and Corrye was
down to three outs.
“Only an eight can save you,” I observed, as Kim flipped the river –
eight of diamonds.
I put my head down on the rail in not-quite-mock disgust as Kim, Tina,
and Corrye all said “wow” at about the same time. But, I wasn’t mad, which told me I played the
hand correctly. I’ve mentioned many
times in the past about how I can physically tell when I have made a bad play,
and it was just the opposite in this case.
The fact that I was laughing at my fate and not cursing it told me I had
done the right thing.
The poker gods gave me one last slap in the face when I scratched my
six $2 tickets for a grand total of zero dollars. So, it was a complete dud of a night for
Bracelet Hunting purposes.
On that note, I have decided that I am going to have to come up with
some other way to supplement that envelope, because going solely on gambling
winnings has to this point resulted in exactly no contributions. More to come on that topic as I think of
it. If current plans hold, I’m sure I
would have enough money from “regular” sources (i.e., paychecks), but I would
like to mitigate that beforehand as much as possible.
Playing: 3.5 hours home game
Reading: none
Watching: none
10k Update: 3.5 hours home
tournament, 122.75 home game hours, 229.50 total hours
Next up: there will be another SFPT tournament in a couple of weeks,
but I probably won’t play much online between now and then as I am on vacation
this week. I’m not currently reading a
book so it might be a good opportunity to dive back into Super/System or one of
my other poker books.
Friday, August 9, 2013
GES Day 32: Staying the Course
I'm still riding a bit high off the TS trip, which is great. Aside from the obvious (the confidence itself), I am happy that I have reached a point where I can be happy with a result where I don't actually make money. Mel Levinson likes to talk about "baseball mentality", the ability to accept that not everything is in your control, and that you won't be statistically successful every time, even though you can make the "right" statistical decision. We've also talked about the vast similarities between baseball and poker; this is one of the greatest. In poker, there's even a word for it: variance.
So, I'm happy that I have come to accept variance, emotionally, as part of the game, and be pleased with making the right decisions, even if they don't achieve the desired results. That, along with the steps I was able to take while at the tables as described in my last post, has led me to my current mindset - believing I am making progress, and that fact giving me hope for my long-term prospects within the game.
Next up: SFPT August, tomorrow night. If I can play as well as I did on Sunday, I will be in good shape. My #1 goal is to not necessarily make decisions based on the Points Championship standings - my goal should be to play to win the tournament, and let the Points issue take care of itself. But, I would be remiss if I didn't let the standings come into play at least a little bit. For example, if people ahead of me in the standings are already eliminated, I should be able to take more liberties, knowing I will gain ground.
An update on GES:
Playing: none
Reading: last night, I finished the August issue of Bluff, and as always found it to be informative and entertaining. One article in particular, by Alex Fitzgerald of Pocket Fives, seems like it will be helpful to me in the future, and I am going to take some notes on it later today.
Watching: technically, none, but the live stream of Poker Night in America's inaugural cash game live from Turning Stone starts in about an hour, and I plan on at least keeping one eye on that while I work. Lots of big names involved - Matasow, Laak, Mueller, David Williams, Darvin Moon, Kristy Arnett, and many more. It's weird to think of them all being at Turning Stone.
Another update to come after the SFPT tournament this weekend.
So, I'm happy that I have come to accept variance, emotionally, as part of the game, and be pleased with making the right decisions, even if they don't achieve the desired results. That, along with the steps I was able to take while at the tables as described in my last post, has led me to my current mindset - believing I am making progress, and that fact giving me hope for my long-term prospects within the game.
Next up: SFPT August, tomorrow night. If I can play as well as I did on Sunday, I will be in good shape. My #1 goal is to not necessarily make decisions based on the Points Championship standings - my goal should be to play to win the tournament, and let the Points issue take care of itself. But, I would be remiss if I didn't let the standings come into play at least a little bit. For example, if people ahead of me in the standings are already eliminated, I should be able to take more liberties, knowing I will gain ground.
An update on GES:
Playing: none
Reading: last night, I finished the August issue of Bluff, and as always found it to be informative and entertaining. One article in particular, by Alex Fitzgerald of Pocket Fives, seems like it will be helpful to me in the future, and I am going to take some notes on it later today.
Watching: technically, none, but the live stream of Poker Night in America's inaugural cash game live from Turning Stone starts in about an hour, and I plan on at least keeping one eye on that while I work. Lots of big names involved - Matasow, Laak, Mueller, David Williams, Darvin Moon, Kristy Arnett, and many more. It's weird to think of them all being at Turning Stone.
Another update to come after the SFPT tournament this weekend.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
The August Trip to The Stone
I needn't have feared - cash game seats were readily available, and while the tournament schedule was a bit off, we still got into a Sunday night bounty tournament for a total of $50 including coupon. All told, we played two separate cash sessions and the one tournament. Recaps:
Cash session 1:
Off to a good start - Tina and I not only got seats at the same table, but right next to each other, her on my right. It was a full table almost all night except for one brief moment when we were six-handed, but that didn't last. Both of us were pretty card-dead; my theme of the night was K/rag suited. I limped a couple times from late position, but didn't make any money off those moves. We played for a total of four hours, and I profited $46. A few notes:
Cash Session 2
The next day, we didn't get seats together right away, but I moved from table 23 to table 12 when a seat opened, and again to sit on Tina's left when that seat opened up. This session wasn't as profitable, but was still pretty fun. I lost a big pot to "Lucky Joe" (one of the TS regulars and a guy I remember from both of my previous trips) when I put him on a busted straight draw and he not only had the straight, but almost had a straight flush. Fortunately, that was early in the session and I was able to battle back. There was no big hand involved; I just took down a couple blinds and small pots, one of them from Lucky Joe.
Socially, this table wasn't as good. The guy to my left spent a lot of time on the phone, which was not only irritating, but against the rules. (Tina, rightfully so, railed on about this for some time afterward. Not helping - the fact that she busted out, and to him.) The other two women at the table seemed pretty cool, though not overly chatty. I did lose a pot to one of them when she rivered an ace, after which she apologized.
"Hey, nothing to be sorry about. I'm not mad. That's poker." I replied, and meant it. Seriously, there's no reason to apologize for winning a pot. That's why you play. Just ask Herm Edwards.
Session 2 totals: 2 hours, -$24
Tournament
After thinking we wouldn't be playing in a tournament because the regular Monday one was postponed thanks to the Empire State Hold 'Em Championship series, we looked up and saw a $60 + $10 bounty starting at 7 pm that night. One trip to the room for our coupons and we were registered, one more trip back to the room to get Tina's Poker Room card, and we got back right on time. On the way there, I said "worst case scenario, we miss one big blind". Talk about almost-bad luck: I was indeed a big blind, and Tina was SB at her table, but we both got there right before our hands were folded.
Though I didn't cash, I played very well, making it to the color-up and first break for the first time in three tries. I also was successful in bringing some of my online tournament lessons to the felt, including keeping an eye on my chip stack and that of others in the hand, and making continuation bets and more than a couple shoves. I was successful for the most part with those ploys; five times I was all in, and at least three of those I was at risk or would have been if my opponent had called.
Socially, the table wasn't too bad. The opposite end of the felt was filled with old guys, and I would have liked to have chatted with them, but settled for the middle-aged guys and my end of the table who really weren't all that talkative. The only person who did any talking at all was the wife of one of the middle-aged guys, who was decrying her son's laziness in humorous fashion - including saying his girlfriend deserved better.
I met my demise when, short-stacked (and actually realizing it), I shoved all-in pre-flop with 6/6. I got one caller, the middle-aged guy to my right, with A/J off suit. The flop changed nothing, but the turn was a J and the river 10 to end my night. Still, not too bad - 33 of 75 for my best result yet. It was better than Tina's result - card-dead all night, she couldn't get anything going and ended up in 54th.
Tournament Recap: 2.5 hours, -$50 ($20 coupon for the remainder)
Overall, though I was in the red financially, I feel like this was time well spent. For the first time, I feel like I have played a tournament the "right" way, and every hand I spend at the table makes me more comfortable, and teaches me something for the future.
10k update: 6 hours live cash, 2.5 hours live tournament, 226 hours total
Bankroll update: this is my first entry in what will be a running total of my bankroll, money which will be used for all poker except SFPT tournaments. I ended up using some of my cash for food and other items, so though it could/should be $222, it currently stands at $140.
Next up - focusing on the people. I read once that to start reading your opponents, you should pick on player on which to focus as soon as you sit down. That will be my challenge for next time.
Cash session 1:
Off to a good start - Tina and I not only got seats at the same table, but right next to each other, her on my right. It was a full table almost all night except for one brief moment when we were six-handed, but that didn't last. Both of us were pretty card-dead; my theme of the night was K/rag suited. I limped a couple times from late position, but didn't make any money off those moves. We played for a total of four hours, and I profited $46. A few notes:
- For the second straight trip to TS, I took out a jackwad player. This time, it was a young kid who sat down with his friend and started firing at every pot, complete with the "I'm a hotshot internet poker player" attitude to match. I woke up with JJ in late position, called his raise, and raised him after a flop of 2/2/6. He re-raised, and I shoved all-in over the top. When he snap-called, I figured he had trips, but when I showed my hand he claimed "I'm drawing dead" and never flipped over his cards. The board ran out, he mucked, and left. His friend stayed, but he was not nearly as much an a-hole so that was okay.
- The overall table dynamic was pretty cool, until one of the regulars (dubbed "scrawny Bruce Willis" by Tina) and his huge chip stack both 1) got into a "dick-waving match" with another kid on his left, raising and re-raising every pot; and 2) got into an argument with a player two seats to his right after the latter won a pot, which began with SBW saying "I know I'm going to make money off you in the long run". That, however, was more interesting than annoying, as it was a clear attempt by SBW to get inside the other guy's head. It worked, but not the way he hoped - the other guy promptly moved tables.
- The hand of the night was one involving Tina, myself, and a Korean guy two seats to my left. Action was down to the three of us post-flop, and I held pocket tens with a board of Q/5/8. Tina min-raised, and we both called. The turn was a K, and we all checked. The river was a J, putting three over cards and a straight draw on the board. Tina bet big, and I went into the tank. I figured she was bluffing, and eventually decided to call, thinking that even if I didn't have her beat, the other guy would fold and Tina would get the money. He did indeed fold, and Tina mucked when I showed my hand. The guy complimented my read, and I said something along the lines of "I should be able to read her, we've been married ten years". The guy laughed, and said "aw man, I'm playing against husband and wife, what the hell, man?" But he said it with a laugh and it was all in good fun - and another example of why I love live poker.
- Overall, the table was pretty cool, at least at our end. The two people to my left when we sat down were both pretty chatty and cool; the guy to my immediate left was there the entire time and the next guy was replaced by the Korean guy. So, socially speaking, it was a good session.
Cash Session 2
The next day, we didn't get seats together right away, but I moved from table 23 to table 12 when a seat opened, and again to sit on Tina's left when that seat opened up. This session wasn't as profitable, but was still pretty fun. I lost a big pot to "Lucky Joe" (one of the TS regulars and a guy I remember from both of my previous trips) when I put him on a busted straight draw and he not only had the straight, but almost had a straight flush. Fortunately, that was early in the session and I was able to battle back. There was no big hand involved; I just took down a couple blinds and small pots, one of them from Lucky Joe.
Socially, this table wasn't as good. The guy to my left spent a lot of time on the phone, which was not only irritating, but against the rules. (Tina, rightfully so, railed on about this for some time afterward. Not helping - the fact that she busted out, and to him.) The other two women at the table seemed pretty cool, though not overly chatty. I did lose a pot to one of them when she rivered an ace, after which she apologized.
"Hey, nothing to be sorry about. I'm not mad. That's poker." I replied, and meant it. Seriously, there's no reason to apologize for winning a pot. That's why you play. Just ask Herm Edwards.
Session 2 totals: 2 hours, -$24
Tournament
After thinking we wouldn't be playing in a tournament because the regular Monday one was postponed thanks to the Empire State Hold 'Em Championship series, we looked up and saw a $60 + $10 bounty starting at 7 pm that night. One trip to the room for our coupons and we were registered, one more trip back to the room to get Tina's Poker Room card, and we got back right on time. On the way there, I said "worst case scenario, we miss one big blind". Talk about almost-bad luck: I was indeed a big blind, and Tina was SB at her table, but we both got there right before our hands were folded.
Though I didn't cash, I played very well, making it to the color-up and first break for the first time in three tries. I also was successful in bringing some of my online tournament lessons to the felt, including keeping an eye on my chip stack and that of others in the hand, and making continuation bets and more than a couple shoves. I was successful for the most part with those ploys; five times I was all in, and at least three of those I was at risk or would have been if my opponent had called.
Socially, the table wasn't too bad. The opposite end of the felt was filled with old guys, and I would have liked to have chatted with them, but settled for the middle-aged guys and my end of the table who really weren't all that talkative. The only person who did any talking at all was the wife of one of the middle-aged guys, who was decrying her son's laziness in humorous fashion - including saying his girlfriend deserved better.
I met my demise when, short-stacked (and actually realizing it), I shoved all-in pre-flop with 6/6. I got one caller, the middle-aged guy to my right, with A/J off suit. The flop changed nothing, but the turn was a J and the river 10 to end my night. Still, not too bad - 33 of 75 for my best result yet. It was better than Tina's result - card-dead all night, she couldn't get anything going and ended up in 54th.
Tournament Recap: 2.5 hours, -$50 ($20 coupon for the remainder)
Overall, though I was in the red financially, I feel like this was time well spent. For the first time, I feel like I have played a tournament the "right" way, and every hand I spend at the table makes me more comfortable, and teaches me something for the future.
10k update: 6 hours live cash, 2.5 hours live tournament, 226 hours total
Bankroll update: this is my first entry in what will be a running total of my bankroll, money which will be used for all poker except SFPT tournaments. I ended up using some of my cash for food and other items, so though it could/should be $222, it currently stands at $140.
Next up - focusing on the people. I read once that to start reading your opponents, you should pick on player on which to focus as soon as you sit down. That will be my challenge for next time.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
GES Day 24: Warming Up
Back to the virtual felt for one tournament yesterday, and I tried to focus as much as possible in prep for this weekend. I guess it worked, though once again I got lucky in a couple spots. I ended up finishing third in the 27 person tournament, good for 1080 off my 250 buy-in.
I do remember one hand in particular: pocket queens, pre-flop raise got two callers. I flopped quads, and now what do I do? I bet, but not too high, and got one person to call. All the while I was hoping that the board would show a flush draw, and while I didn't get that, the turn was an ace. First to act, I shoved all-in, and the guy snap-called with A/K. I took the hand, and it set me up for my run to the final table.
So, I guess I played it well. I also feel like that hand showed what I have learned to a certain extent, because in the past, I would have either shoved after the flop, or slow-played with a check - nothing in the middle. I think by doing what I did (pre- and post-flop raises, followed by the turn shove) I was representing A/Q. If that's what my opponent thought, he shouldn't have called, but he might have put me on A/lower, in which case the call was a good move.
Playing: 1.25 hours
Reading: 1 article on Caro's site, which was interesting because it talked about drinking while playing. It actually went along with what I have experienced, that 1-2 drinks helps. In his case he was talking about table image (you should drink to give the appearance of drinking and therefore being a loose player, but not so much you are drunk and you actually are). In my case, I have found that 1-2 drinks helps me loosen up and not take the game so seriously, and take some chances I really should take. Kind of the same effect, but in a positive manner. Not that I am going to start drinking every time I play.
10k Update: 1.25 online, 82.75 total online, 217 total hours
The previously mentioned TS weekend is now just a couple days away. In an interesting coincidence, the Empire State Poker Championships are this weekend, and there will be a film crew there putting together material for a new show, Poker Night in America. The only downside is that the regular poker room schedule may be screwed up (no daily tournaments), and with so many extra people around, it may be hard to get a seat in a cash game. We shall see.
I do remember one hand in particular: pocket queens, pre-flop raise got two callers. I flopped quads, and now what do I do? I bet, but not too high, and got one person to call. All the while I was hoping that the board would show a flush draw, and while I didn't get that, the turn was an ace. First to act, I shoved all-in, and the guy snap-called with A/K. I took the hand, and it set me up for my run to the final table.
So, I guess I played it well. I also feel like that hand showed what I have learned to a certain extent, because in the past, I would have either shoved after the flop, or slow-played with a check - nothing in the middle. I think by doing what I did (pre- and post-flop raises, followed by the turn shove) I was representing A/Q. If that's what my opponent thought, he shouldn't have called, but he might have put me on A/lower, in which case the call was a good move.
Playing: 1.25 hours
Reading: 1 article on Caro's site, which was interesting because it talked about drinking while playing. It actually went along with what I have experienced, that 1-2 drinks helps. In his case he was talking about table image (you should drink to give the appearance of drinking and therefore being a loose player, but not so much you are drunk and you actually are). In my case, I have found that 1-2 drinks helps me loosen up and not take the game so seriously, and take some chances I really should take. Kind of the same effect, but in a positive manner. Not that I am going to start drinking every time I play.
10k Update: 1.25 online, 82.75 total online, 217 total hours
The previously mentioned TS weekend is now just a couple days away. In an interesting coincidence, the Empire State Poker Championships are this weekend, and there will be a film crew there putting together material for a new show, Poker Night in America. The only downside is that the regular poker room schedule may be screwed up (no daily tournaments), and with so many extra people around, it may be hard to get a seat in a cash game. We shall see.
Monday, July 29, 2013
GES Day 22: Back in the Saddle
I took the
23rd and 24th off from poker completely, and it helped:
on the 25th, I was back to the FTP virtual felt for two
tournaments. The first was a single
table that served as a warm-up; I finished sixth. The second was a 27 person in which I focused
a bit more, and ended up fourth. I could
have been out in ninth, but double-ups on consecutive hands put me right back
in the thick of things.
Playing: 1.5 online hours
10k update: 81.5 online hours, 215.75
total hours
I'm still
planning on doing some more research on a training software, and the
aforementioned trip to Turning Stone is coming up in a little over a week. The next SFPT get-together is TBD but I think
it will be the week after that.
Hopefully things go a bit smoother than last time; we're going to
implement a couple changes that will hopefully help move the process along and
make it more fun.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Home Game Update
Played for about five hours in the July SFPT tournament last Friday. Finished third; once again no balls being aggressive when I needed to. Notice a pattern?
This whole poker thing has me pretty frustrated right now. I'm not really in the mood to play or anything else the last few days. Every month I look forward to the SFPT tournament, and every time when it's over, something or things has happened to make me feel like not even doing them anymore. I can tell it's not fun for people, and if people aren't having fun, what's the point?
I'm currently fishing for ideas/input on the SFPT Facebook page as to what can be done. I don't really expect a lot of input but we'll see. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.
Playing: 5 hours, home tournament
Reading: None
Watching: none
10k update: 119.25 home game hours, 214.25 total hours
I don't know if this current rut is just that (a temporary rut), or if it is the beginning of the end of my idea to become a better poker player and take the game more seriously. I suppose time will tell. I have read a number of pros say that on days when you aren't feeling it, don't force it. Today is going to be one of those days.
This whole poker thing has me pretty frustrated right now. I'm not really in the mood to play or anything else the last few days. Every month I look forward to the SFPT tournament, and every time when it's over, something or things has happened to make me feel like not even doing them anymore. I can tell it's not fun for people, and if people aren't having fun, what's the point?
I'm currently fishing for ideas/input on the SFPT Facebook page as to what can be done. I don't really expect a lot of input but we'll see. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.
Playing: 5 hours, home tournament
Reading: None
Watching: none
10k update: 119.25 home game hours, 214.25 total hours
I don't know if this current rut is just that (a temporary rut), or if it is the beginning of the end of my idea to become a better poker player and take the game more seriously. I suppose time will tell. I have read a number of pros say that on days when you aren't feeling it, don't force it. Today is going to be one of those days.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
GES Day 15: Research Progress
I've decided beyond a shadow of a doubt that I need to get some real training/simulation software, with good AI - better than the Real Intelligence shown by a lot of people when I play online for play money. I did some research on that yesterday, and while I didn't decide on a specific title, I ruled out a couple and also bookmarked some other sites for further reading. Now, to devote the time to actually do some of it, uninterrupted.
Yesterday's results:
Playing: .75 hours online (seems to be the norm lately for a workday)
Reading: ~10 minutes on Caro's website
Watching: none
10k Update: 80 online hours, 209.25 total hours
10k is going to take a big jump this weekend, and another the first weekend of August (hopefully, though if Tina and I find something different to do together, that's obviously cool too). I'm itching to put some of my ideas into play. Just gotta have the guts.
Yesterday's results:
Playing: .75 hours online (seems to be the norm lately for a workday)
Reading: ~10 minutes on Caro's website
Watching: none
10k Update: 80 online hours, 209.25 total hours
10k is going to take a big jump this weekend, and another the first weekend of August (hopefully, though if Tina and I find something different to do together, that's obviously cool too). I'm itching to put some of my ideas into play. Just gotta have the guts.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
GES Day 14: A Little Bit of Everything
I didn't plan it this way, but I got to do a little bit of everything yesterday - everything, that is, except contribute to my envelope. Hopefully that will come on Friday evening.
Playing: .75 hours, online
Reading: 30 minutes, Mike Caro and Tom Sexton websites
Watching: 1 hour 2013 ME Final Table coverage
I took a few notes from Caro's website; more stuff to review before live play. I think what I need to be careful of is trying to do too much at once. Better, I think, to focus on one area, master it, and then move on. Much like Major Winchester in M*A*S*H.
During the ME broadcast, Tina and I discussed a few of the hands, something we always do without even saying we're going to do it. I love it, because I love seeing her passion and intelligence, and I always learn something. I've said for a long time that if we could combine her skill with my patience and confidence/attitude, we'd have one hell of a poker player. She made a comment last night along the lines of "that's not a good play. These guys are all way better than me but I know better than that!"
I scoffed. "You're right, you do know better. But it's not because they are way better than you, because they're not. Period."
Of course, she then scoffed, but I know I'm right. I've seen it happen. The only things she lacks are experience and confidence. Someday when we have the time and I'm feeling up to it, I want to really pick her brain, do something like a coaching session where she can pass me some tips. I have avoided that in the past because of the SFPT, but we're beyond that now, with me wanting to take my game to the next level.
I also decided I need to invest in some true training software, because online play just isn't cutting it. Some more research is needed into exact titles. A quick search on eBay the other night was pretty much fruitless, but with a title in hand I should be able to do better.
Playing: .75 hours, online
Reading: 30 minutes, Mike Caro and Tom Sexton websites
Watching: 1 hour 2013 ME Final Table coverage
I took a few notes from Caro's website; more stuff to review before live play. I think what I need to be careful of is trying to do too much at once. Better, I think, to focus on one area, master it, and then move on. Much like Major Winchester in M*A*S*H.
During the ME broadcast, Tina and I discussed a few of the hands, something we always do without even saying we're going to do it. I love it, because I love seeing her passion and intelligence, and I always learn something. I've said for a long time that if we could combine her skill with my patience and confidence/attitude, we'd have one hell of a poker player. She made a comment last night along the lines of "that's not a good play. These guys are all way better than me but I know better than that!"
I scoffed. "You're right, you do know better. But it's not because they are way better than you, because they're not. Period."
Of course, she then scoffed, but I know I'm right. I've seen it happen. The only things she lacks are experience and confidence. Someday when we have the time and I'm feeling up to it, I want to really pick her brain, do something like a coaching session where she can pass me some tips. I have avoided that in the past because of the SFPT, but we're beyond that now, with me wanting to take my game to the next level.
I also decided I need to invest in some true training software, because online play just isn't cutting it. Some more research is needed into exact titles. A quick search on eBay the other night was pretty much fruitless, but with a title in hand I should be able to do better.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
GES, Day 13: Not Much Progress
As the title states, not much progress to be had recently. I did play a couple single-table SNGs yesterday, winning the first and finishing 7th in the second. Oddly, I found the second to be much more educational, as I realized a mistake as I was making it:
I had raised preflop, and didn't catch anything on the flop. I made a c-bet and got one of the other two people to fold. The turn was no help either, and instead of checking, I made a pot-sized bet. My opponent snap-called, which was bad news (in hindsight). I made the same mistake when the river bricked, and shoved all-in to try to force a fold. It didn't work; again he snap called, and had me easily beat.
The lesson: you don't always have to defend your preflop raise.
Playing: .75 hours online
Reading: none
Watching: 15 minutes HPT coverage
I will probably play a bit more over the next couple days, but the next "test" is going to be Friday with the July SFPT tournament. I really need to focus on playing the math and not being afraid to lose. Also, I need to concentrate on knowing how much is in the pot and making my bets accordingly.
I had raised preflop, and didn't catch anything on the flop. I made a c-bet and got one of the other two people to fold. The turn was no help either, and instead of checking, I made a pot-sized bet. My opponent snap-called, which was bad news (in hindsight). I made the same mistake when the river bricked, and shoved all-in to try to force a fold. It didn't work; again he snap called, and had me easily beat.
The lesson: you don't always have to defend your preflop raise.
Playing: .75 hours online
Reading: none
Watching: 15 minutes HPT coverage
I will probably play a bit more over the next couple days, but the next "test" is going to be Friday with the July SFPT tournament. I really need to focus on playing the math and not being afraid to lose. Also, I need to concentrate on knowing how much is in the pot and making my bets accordingly.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
GES, Day 8: #bracelethunting Breaks the Seal
Unexpected money is always a good thing, even if it's only $8.32 from some long-forgotten class action suit I'm sure I was involved in with about 2 million other people. Anyway, free money is great money to put to work for you, to take a chance with - and thus, $5 of that $8.32 is the first deposit in my Bracelet Hunting Envelope.
Only played one tournament yesterday, but for good reason: that 90 person, 2,000 buy-in SNG took 2 hours, and resulted in me cashing in 9th place for a profit of 2,500. I played well the whole time, even when I got distracted doing other things (I'm not too worried about focus in live games, so this doesn't bother me). The whole time, I was thinking about what I was doing online and how to translate it to live, and when I was done, I made another quick-reference index card with specific items to review before and during live play.
Playing: 2 hours, online
Reading: none
Watching: none
10k Update: 2 hours online, 207 total
#bracelethunting Update: $5 deposit, $5 total, $995 to go
Only played one tournament yesterday, but for good reason: that 90 person, 2,000 buy-in SNG took 2 hours, and resulted in me cashing in 9th place for a profit of 2,500. I played well the whole time, even when I got distracted doing other things (I'm not too worried about focus in live games, so this doesn't bother me). The whole time, I was thinking about what I was doing online and how to translate it to live, and when I was done, I made another quick-reference index card with specific items to review before and during live play.
Playing: 2 hours, online
Reading: none
Watching: none
10k Update: 2 hours online, 207 total
#bracelethunting Update: $5 deposit, $5 total, $995 to go
Monday, July 8, 2013
A Pensive Weekend and Lessons from Texas Dolly
I didn't do a whole lot poker related this weekend except think and talk - and both of those turned out to be important. The biggest news - Tina and I are now shooting for 2015 for our next trip to Vegas - and for me to play in the World Series. Wow. Lots of saving to do, lots of planning to do, and most importantly, lots of PRACTICE to do. I need to get into some more tournaments and gain that experience, as well as refine a strategy and my ability to focus.
***
I did some reading last night as I was trying in vain to be tired enough to go to sleep. Not reading in the educational sense, just catching up on some WSOP and other related poker news. On the PokerStars blog, I found this gem:
I can't say enough good things about this article, or the ideas behind it. First, it's Doyle Brunson. A legend in every sense of the word, and someone for whom I have a great amount of respect. As a poker player, it's obvious. As a person, it was cemented when he put on Twitter one holiday season something to the effect of "To all my Christian friends, Merry Christmas! To all my atheist friends, good luck!" I've read a lot about the guy (including a lot written by him), and while he may not preach, and you may not know it looking at him because of that, he is a Christian for certain.
Second, I love how the author took the angle of himself getting older, and his worries about that, and weaved it into the fact that pretty much everything we know about Doyle Brunson, Poker Legend happened after he turned 40. The authors worries echo my own - witness this particular passage talking about age as a number:
"It's as real as it is arbitrary, and I'd be lying if tried to pretend I don't spend an inordinate amount of time quietly lamenting the state of my personal and crumbling union. I look at what I've done and know it's not enough. I look at what I'm doing and know it's not enough. Most waking moments are spent in half-conscious self-loathing. It's really quite pathetic, no matter how you look at it."
I wrote an entry some time ago about why I love poker. In there, one of the reasons I gave was that it's something I should be able to do my entire life. Doyle Brunson is living proof that you can do exactly that.
I also love Mr. Brunson's attitude toward life - as evidenced by the last two paragraphs of this article, as well as his reaction to the hand he had when he fell over - "would have been a great story if I kicked the bucket". No fretting, no trying to escape the inevitible. He knows he's closer to the end than the beginning, and he accepts that with class and grace.
I've said before that one of the most amazing aspects of poker is that it allows amatuers and pros to mix and play on a level field. Not only pros, but absolute legends. Drawing a table assignment with Doyle Brunson would be like having your name written in the lineup with Babe Ruth. How awesome would that be?
More than anything, I want to play poker at a high level for situations just like that, to sit down at a table and see Babe Ruth sitting a few feet away. Same game, same starting chip stack, and at that moment, the same chance to win the whole thing.
Shuffle up and deal.
***
I did some reading last night as I was trying in vain to be tired enough to go to sleep. Not reading in the educational sense, just catching up on some WSOP and other related poker news. On the PokerStars blog, I found this gem:
I can't say enough good things about this article, or the ideas behind it. First, it's Doyle Brunson. A legend in every sense of the word, and someone for whom I have a great amount of respect. As a poker player, it's obvious. As a person, it was cemented when he put on Twitter one holiday season something to the effect of "To all my Christian friends, Merry Christmas! To all my atheist friends, good luck!" I've read a lot about the guy (including a lot written by him), and while he may not preach, and you may not know it looking at him because of that, he is a Christian for certain.
Second, I love how the author took the angle of himself getting older, and his worries about that, and weaved it into the fact that pretty much everything we know about Doyle Brunson, Poker Legend happened after he turned 40. The authors worries echo my own - witness this particular passage talking about age as a number:
"It's as real as it is arbitrary, and I'd be lying if tried to pretend I don't spend an inordinate amount of time quietly lamenting the state of my personal and crumbling union. I look at what I've done and know it's not enough. I look at what I'm doing and know it's not enough. Most waking moments are spent in half-conscious self-loathing. It's really quite pathetic, no matter how you look at it."
I wrote an entry some time ago about why I love poker. In there, one of the reasons I gave was that it's something I should be able to do my entire life. Doyle Brunson is living proof that you can do exactly that.
I also love Mr. Brunson's attitude toward life - as evidenced by the last two paragraphs of this article, as well as his reaction to the hand he had when he fell over - "would have been a great story if I kicked the bucket". No fretting, no trying to escape the inevitible. He knows he's closer to the end than the beginning, and he accepts that with class and grace.
I've said before that one of the most amazing aspects of poker is that it allows amatuers and pros to mix and play on a level field. Not only pros, but absolute legends. Drawing a table assignment with Doyle Brunson would be like having your name written in the lineup with Babe Ruth. How awesome would that be?
More than anything, I want to play poker at a high level for situations just like that, to sit down at a table and see Babe Ruth sitting a few feet away. Same game, same starting chip stack, and at that moment, the same chance to win the whole thing.
Shuffle up and deal.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)