Encouraging

The title says it all. There are changes that have been made in both attitude and style, thus far have shown on the poker ledger as… encouraging. No break out super prizes like a four buy-in win at the cash tables or a win in a MTT but encouraging. In the past, I relied heavily on catching cards and only actually “bluffing” or bullying when I had an above average stack. But, after reading in several places how my weak-stupid game leaned on the right combination of numbers to come out of Lee Jones’ random number generator I needed a different way to win.

I know he’s been quoted five billion times, so I’ll make it five billion and one.

“Your opponent cannot fold if you do not bet or raise” – Abdul Jalib

Why did it take so long for this piece of granite to get this information into the logic sub-terrain part of my brain?

Most poker players know there’s one way to win at showdown if you do not bet: Have the best hand.

But, if you bet or raise, now there’s several ways to win on each street, the other player could GASP… wait for it… FOLD THE BETTER HAND! SHOCKING! To think that poker is a stale concept of betting on the best cards coming out of a dealing shoe isn’t the reason why this game retains its excitement. Otherwise we would be watching the World Series of Baccarat featuring a bunch of European players in Monte Carlo shuffling those marbleized Visa card shaped chips while laughing about boorish Americans. Watching the cards being flipped over and the players being defenseless against a dealer’s blackjack or better hand in three card poker isn’t compelling entertainment or competition no matter how OUTRAGOUS the players personalities are (see King of Vegas).

Ok, I admit to liking Chainsaw and taking a second look at the ladies. But, what would the WPT crew say about a game of 21?

Vince Van Patten: You know what Mike, Chainsaw’s blackjack here was like Moses parting the Red Sea, he opened up his chip stack to the Promised Land.

Mike Sexton: Right you are Vince, and now see how YOU can log on to PartyPoker.net and fill up Dikshit’s bank account by playing blackjack at home!

Yesterday I did something that wouldn’t have been possible in the past. I started up a $20 180 person SnG on PokerStars despite little Kyra Vegas being less then complacent. Ok, she cried a lot, then cried some more, then calmed down only after I turned on Ocean’s 11 on CBS and she cooed to seeing George Clooney’s merry band of thieves steal from the Bellaigo despite a protest from a Pat Riley slicked Andy Garcia. After she calmed down I was able to getting into playing the game rather then folding if I didn’t see two cards matching or silly little “paint cards”.

This is exactly the point that an exiled poker sage mentioned often... I didn’t play “pussy poker”.

In the past, I would have been blinded out long before that point and bemoaned my “bad luck” of cold cards.

Not anymore.

Thanks for dropping by, now a big thanks once again to Biggestron for hosting the WPBT circuit event on Full Tilt last night. My H.O.R.S.E. game consisted of winning a lot in O8 and catching in Stud enough to place 11th, standard. I didn’t play the best, but I can say that I tried my best under the circumstances as little Kyra decided to flip out at the wrong time and needed some parental attention.

Its all about the kids isn’t it?

Glad I learned THAT lesson a long time ago.

Tomorrow I hope to have a picture post up, plus a caption contest where you could win a whopping five dollah (transferable to your poker account) if you make me and the general population laugh the hardest.