I’m not going to say “what” one more time Mr. Jackson so please refrain from PUTTING SNAKES ON A PLANE!!!! AND THERE'S NOT A GODDAMN THING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT!!
Iggy posted some great articles and provided his insight to the psychological difficulties that a poker player can go through. Granted most of those articles and statements were geared towards those taking the plunge into professional status and I’m just a humble low stakes grinder.
Grinding out wins. Sigh.
Not a very flashy poker lifestyle is it?
Playing perfect strategy (not ABC poker mind you) over and over like a blackjack card counter to win more often then not isn’t quite as exciting as pros on TV would have you believe. Your aces will get cracked, those two outers pre-flop will hit 1 out of 5 times, and sometimes your spouse will roll over and say “not tonight honey that spicy burrito is giving me gas”. I believe this is the plateau a lot of poker bloggers have been worried about. You know your odds chart, your Harrington/Sklansky/Ray-Zee/Dr. Seuss/Dr. Ruth readings give you an edge on most competition, and you’re capable of making a 18th level move on someone who is quite clearly playing a 7th level game.
Where do we go from here? When is a naked Courtney Friel going to pop out of my closet with a silver tray of $10,000 bricks, the $25,000 buy-in to the Belliago WPT Championship, and the electronic keys to her hotel room? Is Johnny Grooms going to announce my arrival at the final table at the WSOP Omaha 8 or better tourney before they eliminate all of the non-Hold Em’ games? Do I ever want to consider turning pro? Does Neutrogena’s T-Gel really help clear up dandruff?
While considering poker “fantasies” the first question a player should ask him/herself: What is your end goal? What tells you that all of your studying, practicing has finally paid off.
Poker trophies? I have an iPod and a Gateway laptop that I heart.
A lot of people ask “Why am I playing?”, and I believe you should ask yourself “What am I trying to achieve?”. The “why play” question is easy for me to answer, since I LOVE card games and numbers with a geeky passion. I also enjoy the competition, monetary rewards, and interaction that poker provides at the table (less so online, but live play isn’t an everyday viable option). The “what am I trying to achieve” question has me in a rut at the moment. I’m not much of a tournament player so attempting to win satellites to WPT, WSOP type events seems like a waste of money to me.
But playing without a goal in mind is a waste of time for someone like myself.
I read about Doubleas’ trip reports and get the notion of “hey that would rock to win a satellite and a free trip”. Bring the wife and enjoy a resort that our lower-middle income could never afford. Or I could head to Vegas and play in the WSOP, a dream that I’ve had ever since I first started playing emu poker on Pacific almost two years ago. I realize I’m dead money in a tournament setting, but would like to think I’d have a better then average chance of doing well in an O8 tourney if I dedicate myself to studying the game more and plug a few leaks.
"Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do." ~Johann von Goethe
I think I have my goal in mind now and what is needed to achieve it.
1) Scout WSOP satellites
a. Especially if O8 ones are offered (can anyone help me here?)
2) Continue to play cash games and PLO8 turbo SnGs the majority of the time to pad the bankroll
3) Stop being a tard while playing, no more “ah fuck it calls” (this is a recurring leak in my game), have a reason to bet/raise/fold at ALL times
4) Make sure there are minimal distractions while playing, no more trying to play with Little Drizz and counting my outs in three different PLO8 games
5) Reduce the amount of whinny posts/IMs because no one needs to hear that shit (although I don’t mind consoling someone, but I don’t like being the one who sobs about the 2-outer hitting all the time)
Ok, anal retentive goals listed, now its time to get to work… this weekend. The only poker playing I’ll be doing until then is the dime tourneys on Stars. Winning nine cents makes me quiver with glee.
Thanks for dropping by, now if you haven't been following Dr. Pauly's WPT Borgata coverage, dislodge that railroad spike from your head and get over there!
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