I should preface this by making a few things clear:
I'm a big believer that turning up to play a tournament with a "set" gameplan, i.e: "I'm going to play loose today" etc, is largely flawed logic. Until you assess the people with whom you're sitting, deciding how you are going to proceed in the event is a bit like getting behind the wheel, engaging first gear, and then setting off with your eyes shut. By this I mean you have to be flexible in what you're going to do, and not just be the guy who is always loose, always tight, always bluffing, whatever. This should be obvious to most, but I'll say it anyway. poker is a game of people, and most people are predictable. That is one of their biggest faults.
Secondly, in terms of a lean run, bad series, outdraws etc, to me, the last few weeks aren't great, but are a drop in the ocean in the grand scheme of things. Not expecting any medals to be handed out of course, but what I'm saying is that how you cope when things are going great and the money is flowing your way should be a no brainer. It's easy to play champagne Charlie and be happiness personified when the wins come easily. It's how you cope and what you do going forward when things are not going great and you're getting the shaft that actually determine what kind of poker player, and maybe even what kind of person you really are. Adversity is a great barometer for people. As I already said, this isn't a great run, at all, but in the past I can remember 18 months solid when it just wouldn't happen for me, whatever I did. I'm very hardy when it comes to things like this, and that just comes from experience and temperament. People who have shares will know that despite the jokes, it's my money on the line too, and I have way more of it out there in action on these trips than anyone else. I wouldn't have it any other way.
OK, what was the point of all that waffle then?
The point was this.
Reading updates where you grind like a Trojan for 9 hours then get murdered might be entertaining. They might be informative. They might even make you think a bit, and thinking is rarely a bad thing. People should do more of it. However, grinding for 9 hours, or busting in the first 5 minutes still produces the same result financially, that is to say, a net loss on the day. I think a part of me, though I like to write and find bits to say, is always mindful of the audience, and even though I don't post "well I thought he could lay down 10 10 so I shoved" during the first 5 minutes, I most certainly have that gear in me. I just don't use it as I don't ever want people to think of money invested as money simply wasted.
The last few events, yesterday in particular have me thinking a bit in terms of if I had reshoved a few hands (even where say, the nut flush draw missed in the end), there's a good chance I might have just won the hand there and then. I don't like being a calling station in poker, it's just not the right way to play the game. I'd always rather die trying than just fizzle out, and I think sometimes (table dependent, as per the first paragraph) just getting on and gambling a bit rather than trying to make the nuts and then get paid with it is a better strategy in these things. Poker with 50K when the average stack is 23K is always better, and conversely, playing catchup and ending up looking for a spot is most definitely not. I have plenty to do with my days here if not playing poker. Golf, Yoga, hiking, friends, cooking, movies, and lots more. Even God forbid the occasional odd (sometimes very odd) girl who wants to spend time with me. So I don't need to fill my days with making the buy-in last as long as I possibly can, just to bust out on level 10 anyway. The end result is the same as if you jammed with the nut flush draw, got called, and missed it in level one. However, the latter course gives you a chance of a bigger stack early, and also the chance of some knucklehead actually folding because now the decision is for his tournament, and not for yours. If that makes sense. It should, as most people reading this are fairly astute.
Take from this what you will. I suppose what I'm saying is the scheduled trip is nearing it's conclusion in terms of events, and I'm a bit fed up with taking crap from people and just meekly letting hands go. Maybe it's about time I started dishing some crap out instead. In the right circumstances of course.
Wynn $600 day 1B later today. We shall see.
I'm a big believer that turning up to play a tournament with a "set" gameplan, i.e: "I'm going to play loose today" etc, is largely flawed logic. Until you assess the people with whom you're sitting, deciding how you are going to proceed in the event is a bit like getting behind the wheel, engaging first gear, and then setting off with your eyes shut. By this I mean you have to be flexible in what you're going to do, and not just be the guy who is always loose, always tight, always bluffing, whatever. This should be obvious to most, but I'll say it anyway. poker is a game of people, and most people are predictable. That is one of their biggest faults.
Secondly, in terms of a lean run, bad series, outdraws etc, to me, the last few weeks aren't great, but are a drop in the ocean in the grand scheme of things. Not expecting any medals to be handed out of course, but what I'm saying is that how you cope when things are going great and the money is flowing your way should be a no brainer. It's easy to play champagne Charlie and be happiness personified when the wins come easily. It's how you cope and what you do going forward when things are not going great and you're getting the shaft that actually determine what kind of poker player, and maybe even what kind of person you really are. Adversity is a great barometer for people. As I already said, this isn't a great run, at all, but in the past I can remember 18 months solid when it just wouldn't happen for me, whatever I did. I'm very hardy when it comes to things like this, and that just comes from experience and temperament. People who have shares will know that despite the jokes, it's my money on the line too, and I have way more of it out there in action on these trips than anyone else. I wouldn't have it any other way.
OK, what was the point of all that waffle then?
The point was this.
Reading updates where you grind like a Trojan for 9 hours then get murdered might be entertaining. They might be informative. They might even make you think a bit, and thinking is rarely a bad thing. People should do more of it. However, grinding for 9 hours, or busting in the first 5 minutes still produces the same result financially, that is to say, a net loss on the day. I think a part of me, though I like to write and find bits to say, is always mindful of the audience, and even though I don't post "well I thought he could lay down 10 10 so I shoved" during the first 5 minutes, I most certainly have that gear in me. I just don't use it as I don't ever want people to think of money invested as money simply wasted.
The last few events, yesterday in particular have me thinking a bit in terms of if I had reshoved a few hands (even where say, the nut flush draw missed in the end), there's a good chance I might have just won the hand there and then. I don't like being a calling station in poker, it's just not the right way to play the game. I'd always rather die trying than just fizzle out, and I think sometimes (table dependent, as per the first paragraph) just getting on and gambling a bit rather than trying to make the nuts and then get paid with it is a better strategy in these things. Poker with 50K when the average stack is 23K is always better, and conversely, playing catchup and ending up looking for a spot is most definitely not. I have plenty to do with my days here if not playing poker. Golf, Yoga, hiking, friends, cooking, movies, and lots more. Even God forbid the occasional odd (sometimes very odd) girl who wants to spend time with me. So I don't need to fill my days with making the buy-in last as long as I possibly can, just to bust out on level 10 anyway. The end result is the same as if you jammed with the nut flush draw, got called, and missed it in level one. However, the latter course gives you a chance of a bigger stack early, and also the chance of some knucklehead actually folding because now the decision is for his tournament, and not for yours. If that makes sense. It should, as most people reading this are fairly astute.
Take from this what you will. I suppose what I'm saying is the scheduled trip is nearing it's conclusion in terms of events, and I'm a bit fed up with taking crap from people and just meekly letting hands go. Maybe it's about time I started dishing some crap out instead. In the right circumstances of course.
Wynn $600 day 1B later today. We shall see.
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