Formerly a BLOG
Text Box: 2010 12-22-10 Christmas is only a couple days away and the weather has already dropped above average snow and below average temperatures into the area. I used to really love this time of year, but over the past couple years, it just makes me depressed. I have some issues that I’m dealing with the best I can that make a HUGE contribution to this feeling I have, but there’s just so much stress that comes with the holidays that I’d love to find a way to take a nap and wake up around January 3rd. My daughter is becoming a mature young lady, at least at times, and it’s both heart-warming and sad to see how she’s growing up so quickly. The compassion that she has for the rest of the world, animals, plants, and people alike, is a wonder to me. Obviously she must have gotten that from her mother’s side of the family. Every year I seem to get more and more jaded by the commercialism and greed that has become synonymous with the Christmas holiday. That, added to my issues, makes for a time of the year that should be much more enjoyable for me than it has become. However, in respect to the holidays and those that still find a twinkle in their eyes when they hear bells, carolers, or a department store Santa saying “Ho, Ho, Ho”, I wish you all a safe and happy holiday. 12-03-10 The last part of this year is FLYING past me at such a velocity that I’m half afraid to blink out of fear of missing my daughter’s birthday. There are so many things happening, but nothing that I’m quite ready to share. I will, however, mention a couple issues that have popped up in the past month or so that have caused some unfortunate realizations. Most of you know that I was helping out at a new club in Marysville. After getting as much information from me as they could, having me do the vinyl for the windows, and then realizing that every time they made a mistake, I noticed, the operators of the club turned on me. I didn’t say anything at first because I know me, and I’m sure that my actions could have been taken in a manner that they were not intended. I accept that. I even reached out to BOTH of the operators of the club and got mixed signals back. One seemed to understand the situation, the other refused to acknowledge me when I was trying to make things right. After a while, I took the hint and stopped trying to contact them. That entire time I was also doing everything I could to get one of the largest cash games in Ohio to move to the club. I gave the contact information to one of the main players and told him he should do what he could to move the game. I continued to push for the move even after the falling out. One day last week, my friend received an email from the operator telling him that they talked to me, I had some great ideas on how to get the best results for their game, and he should come in as soon as possible. One big problem, I was sitting next to him when he got that email, talking about how they refused to communicate with me at all. One last tip for that club; Lying to a player that can bring between 12 and 25 players into your club at least 4 days a week is probably NOT the best business strategy. My tip for everybody else, play someplace with integrity, and honor. Someplace you can trust. Stay away from THAT club. Sorry, didn’t want this to turn into a bitch session. Best of luck to all. Hope to see you on the felt sometime soon. 10-20-10 After a little rest and recovery I’m feeling the urge to hit the felt again. HORSE is calling my name and tournaments are intriguing again. The itch is back and I’m ready to start tossing cards again. I’m hoping that the issues at the new club can be resolved soon and the battles ON the felt will again take center stage. Also, my daughter is heading to Washington D.C. on a school field trip soon. I’m nervous because this will be the farthest away from BOTH of her parents that she’s ever been. At least me OR her mother have always been no less than 45 minutes away by car until this coming trip. Yeah, my nerves are bad now, but those three days I’ll be a total basket case. I’m looking forward to hitting the felt soon. Including the possible reforming of the BSPL soon. The structure will be the same, but participation will be a little different. Hoping for a larger crew to jump into this one, if I can get it off the ground. I’ll let you know more on that as soon as I can. Until then, PLAY STRONG 10-01-10 Ok. So the Denny Crum Poker Open was a learning experience. I’ve been there before, cashed in most of the events I’ve played, but this was one wish I had missed. With 40 runners paying $150 each ($6000) the payouts went to 4 players and totaled right about $3200. WTF???!!! If I had known they would rake almost 50% of the prize pool I never would have driven down! To top it off, I bubble the thing and in the process, take a bad beat AND get slow rolled at the same time! I’d tell you all about it, but I’m trying to move on and put it all behind me. “How’s THAT working out for me?” So the next series coming up is the WSOP-C. I’m in talks now with a possible backer, but we’ll see where that leads. The most positive thing happening at the moment is the new local card room just opened up. FINALLY a place to play live again. I’ve been waiting for this for TOO long now. I hope everybody stops in at The Ace of Clubs soon to enjoy the place. I’ll know in the next few days if I’m playing the WSOP-C and if so which event(s). I’ll update here and on the calendar as soon as I know more. See you on the felt, 09-13-10 WOW! This will have to be quick. The poker side of life has been a bit sparse the past month, but that’s starting to pick up. With the new club in Marysville opening this week and an eleventh hour (damn near literally) from my backer, I’m off to the Denny Crum Poker Open (No, seriously. I’m leaving in like 5 minutes)! I’ll update on how these couple events go and more on the club later this week. Until then, check the TWITTER box for updates. See you on the felt! 08-02-10 Since my trip to the WSOP, I’ve had little to no desire to play. Actually, I’ve had little desire to do anything since I got back. After seeing my daughter with my own eyes and getting a hug from that special someone, I sank into a depression for a while. I know it’s just the lack of adrenaline after a couple months of heart pumping excitement, but it’s never easy to settle back into a “normal” routine. However, thanks to a former (and possibly future) employer of mine, it looks like I’ll be able to start getting into that type of rhythm again soon. I think it’s just what I need. More to come on that as it develops. Now, back to poker. I’m hoping to make it to the Indiana State Poker Championship for a couple events during the next month. Nothing set in stone, and I don’t even know which events, but at least I have the “itch” to get back on the felt. I’m also eagerly anticipating the opening of a new club in Marysville, Ohio. The owners/operators of this club are making sure all the details are taken care of, so it looks to be the only club in Ohio that will have my endorsement (for whatever that’s worth). The last club I had anything to do with had some serious issues with their idea of fairness and interpretation of the rules at times. I’m done talking about that club, and now I look to the future and the operations of the new club that will be opening soon. For now, that’s going to be about all I have. I’m still trying to work on a few reviews as the Columbus Poker Examiner, and hope to get them posted soon. More to come soon. One last note, if you’d like to submit a guest blog, feel free to email it here. If possible, I’ll get it posted for you here on the site. Please make it relevant (Or at least entertaining). 07-15-10 I really don’t have a lot to mention at this time, but when I was asked about running “Monkey’s” blog, I thought it was relative enough and wanted to make sure it saw the light of day. Names were not used, and I did not censor his work other than asking him to NOT name names. I left in his clues, so it’s easy enough to figure out where he’s talking about. In fact, I haven’t been to that club in months and I even figured out who he was talking about. On other notes, I hope as many people as possible will subscribe to, and keep reading the series of articles that I’m starting on Examiner.com. I plan on posting reviews of private clubs, home games, and player thoughts about the poker community in the Columbus area. With the casino set to open in 2012, I think more and more players are getting excited about the options that are around. So for now, I’ll see you on the felt. The Examiner Columbus Poker Examiner 07-08-10 Before I get started, I’m now the “Columbus Poker Examiner” for the web site examiner.com. I’ll be posting links to those articles, and more very soon. Now,,, on with the rant. WOW! So many things happened while I was in Las Vegas, and not many of them good, that I needed to decompress before I could share anything. For the first time, I was fully backed, so to speak. This had a surprising effect on my state of mind while I was there, but I should have been able to overcome it. Along with the added pressure of playing somebody else’s money, I also had “Big Brother” watching. Granted, it wasn’t as bad as it felt, but I never relaxed while I was there. That’s the first time that’s ever happened. The entire week, I was uncomfortable. I had a small break in that feeling when I finally made it to Freemont Street and The Golden Nugget, but those details will be coming in a minute. While at the Rio playing satellites, it was just like old times; $175 buy-in STT with t1000 starting stacks, and a fast structure. These are still the best value games at the series. The play isn’t great, and if you play smart you’ll walk away with about $325 profit most of the time. I played as well as ever, maybe better at times, and got my money in good about 90% of the time. I had a couple missteps, but I learned from them and they were minor. Of the times I got my money in bad, all but maybe 5 of them I knew it was bad, but the math made it a no brainer decision. Of that 90%, I think I won about 5%. It was brutal. I lost to straight flushes 4 times, quads 2 or 3, and 2 outers on a regular basis. The entire week was a test of resilience, and by the time it was over, I failed. I feel I played about as well as I could have, and ended up getting very unlucky too many times to overcome. I’ve said for years that if the cards even out, I make a profit. That week, they never evened out. By the time I made it to the Nugget for one of the Grand events, my spirit was shaken. However, as soon as my feet hit Freemont, I was alive again. The air was better, the smells were sweeter, and the energy was mine once again. I felt at home, just like every time I stand between Binions and The Nugget. The tourney started slowly, and I took a hit during the first level that cost me almost half my stack. Once again, rivered quads were my undoing, but the way the hand played out, I lost the minimum. I fought back and before the first break, I was almost back to starting stack. That is, until the first hand after break when I flopped the joint, and lost to a shorter stack’s flush on the river. Now I was crippled, a little tilted, and by far the shortest stack left at the remaining 5 tables. I stood up, took a breather for 2 hands, and returned to work. I clawed my way back, got to even, then doubled that, and was among the top 10% when they broke my table and put me on the left of the largest stack, I was NOT unhappy! The big stack was very aggressive, never took a hand off, and was catching like the card rack he was. In the first 4 hands at his table, I saw him play (and SHOW) 8-3 off for a turned 2 pair, 3-3 to a re-raised pot against K-K and he caught his set on the flop, and A-rag the other two times when he was able to over bet the pot to take it down. He had a few tells that seemed very reliable, and I planned on taking advantage of them. Before that table was also broken (about 1 level) I had nearly doubled my stack and was feeling in the zone. I was moved to the new table, Mr. Big was no longer there, and that’s when it went terribly wrong. I received a voice mail that my daughter was in the emergency room back in Ohio, and they were waiting for test results. That was it. No other information and when I attempted to call her mother, her phone was off due to being in the hospital. For the next 3 hours, I couldn’t get ANY information and lost any focus I had in the tourney. I bled off 2/3rds of my stack before dinner break and spent most of that time on the phone trying to get information and being “talked down off the ledge” by Jax. I was a complete basket case. I was on the phone almost until it died, and then attempted to start playing again. By this time I was one of the short stacks again, but still had some room to play. When I was moved once again, I was sat down UTG and had the hammer, fold. Then my phone rings. My ex was telling me that Lisa had fallen while rollerblading, and she was fine, just scared and her head took a nasty hit. (Helmet laws for skates? Anybody?) As I answered the phone, in my BB, I asked her to hold on for a second while I folded. The UTG heard this and moved all-in. Everybody else folded and gave him crap. I said “Just because you heard me on the phone about my daughter?” All of them knew my situation at this point. He smirked and said “Yep. I need the chips.” Low class move on his part. I peeked down at J-J and shoved it in. I asked the dealer and the TD if I could take the call without them killing my hand since all action was done, they agreed and I got what information I could while they ran out the board and doubled me up. KARMA you FUCK-MOOK! (Sorry for the profanity, but I meant it.) That still wasn’t enough to get me in position to fight for long, but it felt good because it was against him. Not long after that, I was in a complete daze about my daughter. This was supposed to be my weekend with her, and I know that if I was there, she would have had her helmet on. I was so busy kicking myself and taking all the blame for this that when I realized I was under 10BB, and saw an A in the hole from middle position, I raised 1/3 of my stack and got shoved on. I made the call due to the odds and went out to K-K. I don’t remember much else. From that night, except that my student went on to take it down and made me proud, for a while at least. The trip wasn’t exactly what I had planned, and it may have cost me a friend, defiantly a backer, and a part of my soul. I’m still glad I went; happy with the way I played, and pissed about the results. Hopefully, my run-bad is over for a while. Now I just need to figure out where to go from here. Who knows? Maybe ESPN will give me an hour long prime-time special so I can announce where I’m going to play next? Until then,,, 06-07-10 Early on Sunday morning, Men “The Master” Nguyen was awarded his seventh WSOP gold bracelet. It took me a couple minutes to find the correct words for that opening sentence. The Grinder WON his first bracelet in the Players’ Championship earlier. I expect to see many other players WIN bracelets this year, and probably a couple players lose bracelets that they should have won. As for Men, due to his own actions in the past, and facts that have been proven, any win he has must be accompanied by an asterisk. Like a baseball player using steroids, Men uses his horses. Therefore, his seventh bracelet was awarded to him. It is well known that he has been found to have bags of tournament chips in his rooms at times. It is also known, but as of now it has been his tainted word against others that he has been passed chips during tournaments that he has backed other players into. There is NO realm that those actions aren’t cheating. With all of the problems that poker has been battling lately, from Russ Hamilton to the pot awarded to Phil Hellmuth that he didn’t win, is this really what the industry needs at this time? A known cheat winning a WSOP event? I’m NOT saying that Men is bad player, on the contrary, I believe he has more skill than most players. This makes these issues an even bigger mystery for me. A player with that type of skill cheating is absurd. The only thing he has accomplished is tarnishing his career and dulling the finish on a gold bracelet. Thanks again Men, for dragging down the game I love a little further. I’m on my way out to the series now. I’ll be tweeting and uploading a few videos while I’m there, but the blog will wait until I get back. Here’s hoping for a productive trip, better champions, and maybe even a little fun while I’m there. For now, this squirrel is relocating to VEGAS BABY! 05-27-2010 With the start of the WSOP later today, the excitement has begun to hit me. I’ve been “working out” as much as my broken body will allow, trying to reaffirm my game plan while I’m there, making sure things here in Ohio are as taken care of as possible, and NOT playing poker. I know, a lot of people would think that I should be sharpening my reads, seeing as many hands as I can, and getting as much of a feel for the game as I can. I originally had thought of playing a few satellite style tourneys, getting the rhythm down before I leave, but after talking to Jax, I have to agree with the concept of removing myself from the game a for a while, and letting the desire to get back on the felt grow. Of course, this can be justified in a few ways. In my mind, fresh eyes, rested mind. Jax on the other hand seems to know me better than I know myself. Her reasons: If I lose, I’ll lose confidence and get down on myself, if I win, I’ll get cocky. HHHMMM,,,, interesting points. Either way, I’m off the felt for the most part until I hit the Rio, well,,, it IS a holiday weekend, right? One other thing I’ve been doing lately is making a list of possible blog topics. It started out as a blog, and turned into a “TO-DO” list. If you have any suggestions, or even a specific request for my opinions, obviously I’ll provide my POV. For now, I’ll probably have at least one more entry before I leave. Go ahead and email any blog thoughts here. I’ll get to them when I can. All right, time to go get some things done. SEE YOU ON THE FELT! 05-19-2010 In just a few weeks, I’ll be sitting in the satellite room at the Rio, grinding away at the locals, tourists, and internet hot-shots that have made their way to Las Vegas for the biggest show on (the poker) earth, the World Series of Poker. Each year I make this journey to play against new and/or different players, test my skill, and earn some lunch money. This year will be only slightly different for me. For the first time at the WSOP, I have a backing deal. It is not specifically for the satellites, but that is the main focus for the first 7 to 10 days of my visit. The deal is not public knowledge, but I will give a general outline in case you’ll want to follow my progress while I’m there. During that time, I won’t be updating this blog, but I will be sending tweets and video updates. Follow me at Twitter (@BlndSkwerl) for those updates. The backing deal is divided into 3 levels of profit pulled out of the satellites. (1) covers expenses, (2) gives the backer his main profit, and (3) gives me most of the profits while still including the backer. Obviously, it’s in my best interest to get to level 3 as quickly as possible and start padding my own bottom line. To do this, I have to play my best, and manage the swings accordingly. The biggest hurdle I encounter each year during this process is my own burn out. This year, I will have my backer with me to help make sure I get away from the tables a few times. That should help tremendously. As for the time between now and the flight out to my home away from home, I plan on doing some instructing, finishing my online challenge (not looking good at the moment), and trying to get my body and mind ready for the grind. I will be trying to put one evening of “turbo” tourney poker together before I leave, just to get the feel for the rhythm. So if you’re interested in playing for low stakes and having some fun, email me and I’ll put your name on the list. Keep your fingers crossed for me, and I’ll see you on the felt! PLAY STRONG! 05-10-2010 It was 40 years ago today that Bobby Orr, the man that changed the game of hockey more than any other player in the history of the game, scored arguably the most famous goal ever, at any level of ice hockey. The picture is so ingrained in the minds of hockey players and fans that usually it only takes the mention of “The Goal” for the image to fill the eyes and fantasies of those that love the game. I am one of those fans. My earliest memory in life was being at my grandfather’s house, the hockey game being on television, but he wasn’t watching, and seeing number 4 flying through the air after the puck slid between the pads of Blues goalie Glenn Hall and Noel Picard tripped Orr, he was flying like the true superman he was in the hearts of all Bruins fans. That overtime goal that clinched the Cup for Boston is not only the most famous goal in history, but the most historic single moment in NHL history. Seeing that goal made me an instant and loyal Boston Bruins fan to this day. That was the reason I started playing hockey, and the game helped shape me not only as a fan, but physically, and mentally, in a way that can not be described. It wasn’t until many years later that I realized that what I saw wasn’t even really that goal. It was a replay during the 1972 finals. Still, it had already made an impact on my life. So for that reason, and many others, I want to thank Mr. Bobby Orr. I am forever in your debt. 04-25-2010 There are a few things that are a sure sign to let you know that it’s “That time of year” again here in Ohio. The air begins to warm up, the political commercials are on every other minute, traffic becomes louder from the radios blasting in the teenagers’ cars, the skirts start getting shorter, the shirts start getting shorter, even the shorts start getting,,,,,,,,, well,,,,,,, shorter. All of this is a welcome sight for the previously harsh days and nights spent here in the Midwest. For me, and many others, the start of spring also means preparation. In the next month or so, I’ll be preparing my game for the WSOP satellite room starting the beginning of June. I have come to terms with my backer and will be grinding away for a week or so towards the start of the series before deciding the course of action for the remainder of the WSOP. While there, I will also be acting as somewhat of a mentor for him to the WSOP experience. If nothing else, we’ll have some fun while we’re there. But the main reason for the trip, like every year, is to build the bankroll for the rest of the year. It is possible to grind enough +EV out of that one satellite room to cover expenses for an entire year. As long as you remain focused and disciplined. The main drawback to the satellites is the lack of game choice. It’s rare to see anything other than Hold ‘Em played, with the exception of an Omaha game a couple times a day as demand dictates. In the years that I’ve attended the WSOP (and I’d rather not count those years) I have yet to see a stud game manifest itself in the form of a satellite. Over the last couple years I had hoped to see more variety in that room, but apparently, Texas Fold ‘Em will still rein supreme in the foreseeable future. My suggestion is that for every two hold ‘Em satellites you might play, request one Stud or Limit Omaha game at the window. Who knows, it might help. And if you need to learn “How to Play 7 Card Stud” or “How to Play Pot Limit Omaha” then follow those links and meet me on the felt. I’ll be waiting. Until then, I’ll work on my game the best way I know how, by making my way to the happiest place on earth,,,,, no, not Disneyland,,,,, VEGAS BABY!!! Play Strong! 04-09-2010 I played in the Sunday 1/4 Million on PokerStars this past weekend. It was an interesting dynamic during the first hour or so of the tournament. It played more like one of the play money games than it did a real money tournament. In less than one orbit, there were at least 6 all-in bets. It wasn’t a short-stack structure. The stacks started at 3000, and the blinds were 10-20. How can anybody justify getting 3000 into a pot when the BB is 20? I’m not passing judgment, I was just really surprised. It was obvious that survival during the early rounds meant more than just having a starting stack. At one point, in the second level, I had about 4500 and was by far the shortest stack at the table. The closest stack to me was about 12000. After seeing how it was starting off, I fully expected the play to become more regulated and less haphazard. That didn’t happen. With any bet from any position, there was an over-raise, usually followed by an all-in over-shove behind that. I’d like to say that each of my hands was played to the optimal level, but I don’t think that would be accurate. I had nice starting hands, and after the flop they were worth a lot less. I bled off some chips, doubled up, bled some more, then got crippled when my flopped set was flushed away on the river. Even that hand I can’t say the other player made a mistake. I looked at the hand afterwards and probably would have played it in a very similar style. After I busted out, I started to make plans for Las Vegas and the WSOP. At this time, it looks like I’ll be heading out for a week or two that will mainly be spent in the satellite room. There’s always a chance that I’ll sit in a bracelet event again this year, it’s really hard to resist, but my main focus is the satellites. I have my personal and business goals, and am trying to focus my energy on achieving those goals. After that, you just never know what I might end up deciding to do before returning to Ohio. So for now, I’m beginning my preparations for the trip. While I’m there, my updates will be posted on Twitter @BlndSkwerl . See you on the felt! 04-02-10 “WOW! I’m running SOOO good right now!” “I’m really on my ‘A’ game the past month or so.” “Look out on the felt, my reads are pristine!” Over the past few years I’ve had moments when those thoughts, and others like them, have found their way out of my mouth. I’ve had more confidence than I could contain at times, either because I was feeling good, playing good, or just running great at that time. It was recently pointed out to me that each time I’ve shared those thoughts, whether here in my blog, or out loud, I’ve had an immediate down turn in results. Last night for example, I said the following; “I’m crushing this guy!” which was followed instantly by donking off 2/3 of my stack in one hand. Now I have to decide if that’s coincidence, or karma. I do not consider myself to be superstitious, but I also have a few things that I do not do, and a few things that I do every time I find myself in that situation. I don’t close a click pen that I didn’t open, I won’t remain sitting during the National Anthem (even when I’m at home alone and it’s on tv), and when I open a bottle of tea, I do the same exact 25 step routine (NOT OCD!). However, I’m open minded enough, and willing to try an experiment. Starting now, and for the foreseeable future, I won’t be mentioning how I’m playing, running, or reading at the tables. Instead, I’ll report on my results instead. As those that know me will point out, I do everything I can to NOT focus on results, only on the decisions made during a session, so this may be easier said than done from my perspective. I might go as far as to run out a hand and how it played, but it will be up to those that read it to decide if I played it well or screwed the pooch. I have other aspects that I am going to attempt to focus on during this period. So see if you notice the subtle change in the writing. And if you see me slip up, I’ll donate to the charity jar if somebody points it out. See you on the felt! 03-24-10 During the last month or so I’ve played 4 or 5 tournaments at the club and cashed in all of them with the exception of allowing myself to go on FBT during a HORSE tourney and just donking off my stack to get out of the game. Not the best decision I’ve made, but trust me, with one particular player in the game, not the worst decision I’ve made either. (More on that soon.) Then I played one of the WPT prelim events at Hollywood Casino in Indiana. I’ve been card dead before, and I’m sure I will be again, but this time I at least found a way to use it to my advantage. Instead of complaining about lack of cards, I allowed the table to perceive me as the “Tightest Player On the Planet”. This allowed me to steal a few pots when the opportunity showed itself. Looking back on the experience, I wish the cards would have just avoided me a few more times. Here was the rub: After a raise from early position and call from the cutoff, I found A-A ion the button. I re-raise and get both callers after the BB says “I’m not getting in the middle of this squeeze play” after he folds. Inappropriate, and should have merited a warning, but the dealers and floor at this event were still learning the rules. I flop top set and the initial raiser bets out about ½ the pot, the cutoff calls and I bump it for what’s in the middle and both call. Turn gives me Aces full of 4’s. The better shoves, the cutoff folds, and I call as I give the “If you were blessed with quads then congrats.” Obviously he turned over the pocket 4s and cripples me. I build back up after the next break and get back to near average stack with a couple BB special hands and a bluff or two. Once again, I pick up A-A, this time UTG and I raise it. One caller and a re-raise later I ship what I have left. Both call and we are all three all-in. The first caller has about 4k less and the re-raiser and I have the exact same amount left. I have A-A, first caller has Ad-Jd and the re-raiser has K-K. Flop: A-Q-10 with two diamonds. Turn is 9d and the River ends my day with the Js. Low stack hits a flush and the K-K hits a straight. My set of aces is no good. There’s always next time. And in this case, the next time looks to be at least one of the SCOOP Poker Tournament coming up on Pokerstars. The buy-ins start at $11 so it’s a great chance to test your game without breaking your bankroll. See you on the ‘VIRTUAL’ felt. 2-25-10 Recently I was playing in a lower limit cash game at the local card room. I had not planned on playing that night; I was only going to deal. However, there were only a few players there, so when the owner said “You guys feel like playing a little HORSE?” I about jumped out of my skin. “I’m IN!” Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to slight the talent and skill of the other players that were there, but I have all the confidence in the world in my own skill. And when it comes to a mixed game, that confidence explodes from high, to supernova status. I’ve been playing poker, starting with stud, since I was about 12 years old. I’ve played against some of the best players in the world at the WSOP, Circuit events, and even home games. I’ve held my own most of the time, and had my ass handed to me others. Each time, even the losing ones, I came out a better player. I’ve found a way to learn each time I sat in a game. The only variables were the lesson and the teacher. Some of the best lessons I’ve had were in low limit cash games. So this was one more chance for me to expand my knowledge. The game was small and I took the unenviable task of playing and dealing. The others were ok with this, since nobody had to shuffle. In the game was a solid NLH player that had very little experience in stud games, a new member to the club that seemed to have an understanding of the games, a very good stud player, and a couple players that were new to games that required more than 2 cards in your hand. This was exactly what I needed to help pick me up after the emotionally tough week I had experienced. During this game, watching the players, I found decent reads on them and was playing well when the following took place. With rolled up sevens, there wasn’t a missed bet, and I had been raising each street to a couple calls. When after sixth, he bet out, was insta-raised by what looked to be a straight, and I tanked for a minute before looking down at a missed boat with one to come, and I made the lay down. Seventh changed none of the action as he bet, was raised, and he re-raised and was finally called. He turned over his straight flush and took down the pot. His first five cards gave him a 7-high straight flush, and it just kept getting better as he finished with an 8 high straight flush. A dealt, pat straight flush from the get, against rolled up sevens and Broadway, which is why playing poker is clearly a game of skill. Maybe I’ll learn how to catch hands like that some day, if I study hard and keep working on my game. In all honesty though, the game was good, I didn’t run bad, and made nearly a double-up profit on my buy-in. I’m hoping we get that game running on a regular basis. I feel like I have the best edge at that table. A quick note about the online world. A new challenge has come around and this time, maybe it will play itself out. If you are interested, the challenge starts with NO cash and by playing free-rolls and FPP buy-ins only, to run up a roll. I’ll post details when they are more concrete and I’ll do my best to keep up to date on the progress. As for the rest of the things going on in my life, I don’t feel like sharing at the moment. Other than I took my daughter to see Avatar this past weekend, and it was a fun time. I won’t be praising the movie like most have, but it was a visual treat and I loved spending that time with her. So until next time, SEE YOU ON THE FELT! 2-18-10 Well another year older. I don’t feel any different really. However, when I have to write my age it now starts with a 4, that might hurt. With all the snow and cold here in Ohio, my mind keeps turning towards Vegas in the summer. The blistering heat, bright sun, thousands of people at the Rio for the WSOP, and, of course, the below freezing temperature of the Amazon Room. Yeah, just step outside and I feel like I’m right there. As you may have guessed, my backers are having some issues of their own so I’m still not playing much. I’m hoping that we get this all worked out as soon as possible. When I have played, I’ve been doing everything right. I’ve had some sick suck outs against me, but that happens. I’m looking forward to getting back to the felt just as soon as possible. I’m hoping that happens in the next few days. At the very latest, there’s a HORSE tourney coming up in a couple weeks. And look out folks, I’m ready to play! SEE YOU ON THE FELT! 1-25-10 With the prospects of a long term backer deal, and the excitement of the new tournament year that has just begun, I am dedicating myself to being the most focused I have ever been before. I have recognized a few leaks in my game that I have either corrected, or I am taking steps to correct. The hardest part, when it comes to fixing those small or even large holes in your game, is finding a way to see the game in a way that will allow you to recognize the problems, then to fix them.   I have coached a few players in the past year or two, and during those instructional sessions, it became clear that I wasn’t taking my own advice. While explaining the gap principle, position, selective aggression, and certain physical things to look for in opponents, I refresh my own thoughts and regain some of the most basic ideas that have contributed to my game over the years. The exercise of explaining the process of thinking through a hand and the reasons behind decisions is a huge help.   As I begin preparation for the MRPC that starts in the middle of February, I’ll be going over some of the concepts that are most beneficial to the less experienced player, and that are always a good idea to review before a large tourney series. Of course, it’s always easier to teach when you have a student. Playing the part of the new player will be a blast from my past. I met Jax when we were 16 and I am planning on helping her become the best tournament player she can be, while refreshing myself with the basics that I have used as the building blocks of my game. This should be a win-win scenario.   The MRPC starts in the middle of February, so along with playing that series, I’ll be able to celebrate my birthday at the tables for about the fifth year in a row. This is a tradition, early as it may be, that I hope to continue for many years to come. And for this, everybody is welcome to join me. In the immediate future, as you can see from the graphic above, I will be taking part in the WBCOOP. I hope you support me in this exercise. I look forward to seeing many of you on the rail.   On a quick side note, it doesn’t look good for the BSPL this year. With only a few players committing, and a definite loss of three players, the league seems to have finally run it’s course. I am holding out hope that there will be an eleventh hour miracle, but I won’t be holding my breath.   Until after the MRPC, PLAY STRONG!! 1-16-10 Unfortunately, due to some bad timing and some person conflicts, I didn’t make it for the Darvin Moon Series. Even though it was disappointing, I am still confident in the direction that 2010 will take. I am now turning my focus to the MidWest Regional Poker Championship starting in mid February. I’m looking into the events list and working out a plan to play as many of them as I can, so details will be coming soon. Right now I want to take a moment to say goodbye to a well respected poker professional, Amir Vahedi. Amir was one of the first recognizable faces of poker that came from the Moneymaker Effect. He was at that final table, and had many memorable hands during the broadcast. He always handled himself with an amount of grace and dignity that some of the younger player today should take notice of and try to emulate instead of the examples set by a few of the F-MOOKS that get more air time on ESPN (yes Phil, I’m talking about you.) I played at Amir’s table only once, but each time after that, he acknowledged me when we made eye contact. In the halls or a couple tables apart, he at least seemed to remember my face, and that always made me feel pretty good. My thoughts and wished go out to his family. I am not one that can call Amir a friend, but he has had an influence on my life. I would have liked to have had the time to get to know him better. Amir Vahedi 1952-2010 1-11-10 Seems like forever since Christmas, but I’m finally back at this update. With all the events that are approaching in the coming year, I have made the decision that updates will be more regular. I have been working on a few things that will, if all things go to plan, allow me to take part in more of the events that I want to play, and have enough freedom to enjoy them. This all starts with the Darvin Moon Challenge Series later this week at Wheeling Island Casino in West Virginia. 4 events at varying buy-in amounts, and a point system. I’m feeling pretty good about my game, still a couple holes to plug, and I’m planning on correcting them while there. Hopefully, I’ll have more interesting things to post after I return. While I’m on the trail, follow me on twitter for the daily grind (@BlndSkwerl). Until I return from the road, Play Strong!!
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