Mind Games

Multi tabling hasn’t been the source of poker salvation, yet. The ability to concentrate, yet make semi-intelligent decisions with limited time is still eluding me at the tables. Last night’s six tabling of Party’s bottom barrel PLO8 games I can count four hands that put me into a “heavy day” of crimson red for the night, and it wasn’t “bad luck”. It was more “what the fuck were you doing in the hand”. The type of plays that someone with basic knowledge of the game (being beat by someone holding KKKT doesn’t matter) would know to walk away from after the flop and seeing the bleak draws and move on to the next hand. Granted I missed some huge draws which cost me a couple of stacks, but those were calculated risks that are necessary to becoming a profitable PLO8 player.

Am I profitable? Maybe a little bit.

Do I feel SMRT? No.

My biggest barrier has been the psychological aspects of the game. I get too distracted by other things, yet need those distractions to keep my sanity while playing. Yeah, that sentence almost makes sense doesn’t it? Try to follow one of my posts and I’ll usually lead you to some porn reference, just not today because my head is so scrambled from workhomekidweatherpregnantwifepokerstupidfuckingidiotswhocantdrivewith
snowonthegroundandneedtotalkontheirgoddamncellphoneswhilerunningover
poodlesandgirlscoutswhoarejusttryingtosellafewboxesofthinmintstoaddicts
likeme. I need the distractions because they keep me from realizing it’s a tank of gas, groceries, or in the larger games my monthly utility and cable bill that I just threw into the pot on a draw/semi-bluff/holding the current nuts begging for a fold. Scared money is better used in reference to seeing the latest slasher flick at your local over-priced Cineplex or currently holding on to your Barry Bonds memorabilia collection with small hopes that he didn’t pump himself up with the old East German Olympic team and the collection being worth as much as torn Beanie Babies.

I don’t see the scared money when I’m rocking to Arena Rock, or watching CSI. I just see cards for a few seconds and try to make an informed decision on how to play the hand based on the board, and what little I remember from prior hands. But my problem isn’t all the scared money I’m putting into play, it’s the hands where I can already see that the probable outcome is not in my favor yet I still call/raise.

A mental block.

How does someone overcome it? I’ll leave that question open to my two or three readers because at the moment the answer is about as straightforward as receiving an email from PartyPoker’s customer service.

Speaking of which, I received the canned response from PP as expected yesterday when I inquired about where I was in clearing their tiered bonus (the first part does show up in your “pending bonus” section).

Instead of giving me:

a) my current count of raked hand (as requested)
b) a link to where I can find out how many hands I’ve played

I got the same information as found by anyone who signed up for the bonus in the first place. Thanks guys! I needed this to remind me as to why I hate PartyPoker, yet feel the need to play there once in a while when I can avoid their customer service like avoiding that obese aunt with the funky cheese smell emitting from her lower regions at a cousin’s wedding when the DJ spins The Electric Slide and wants you in her row.

No one wants to dance with funky cheese.

Thanks for dropping by, now if this post makes absolutely no sense then I’ll know to stop posting after getting three hours of sleep. Peace.