My Dear Wife and I went to see a flick last night. “The Hangover.” Pretty funny stuff, some of it. I laughed hard watching one scene with a stun gun, harder than I have in a long time. I couldn’t explain why when asked, but a safety valve was released, which may be an answer. The movie was a series of gags resulting from overindulgence. Been there. Done that. Paid the price. Think a bit more sophomoric “Lebowski.” Recommended.
The setting is Las Vegas. They stayed and valeted at Caesar’s, and when I saw the front entrance, I began to miss Las Vegas. It’s been almost two years now, in better times. I am certain I will go again some day, and I will be patient waiting.
When in Vegas, I don’t see much more than my room, the restaurants in which I eat, and the poker rooms, so I can’t say that the city as a whole is what gets me going. It must be the poker, which is my backdoor way of relating last night’s games.
First stop, Poker Academy for $100NL. My buddy Stan was sitting.
“b”
“Yeah?”
“I read your blog.” Why is he telling me this? I know he does. And then I get the tense right. As he drops in to read on occasion, I take him to mean that he had read the last post.
“Yeah, I’m a donk.”
“Quit playing crappy cards. You don’t do it when I’m there.”
“True. But something happens when I get to around 200 hands.”
“That’s why I always take a break after 100 hands.”
Meanwhile, I loaded PS and started my PLO session. And it didn’t take Stan long to join me. Under his watchful eye, I resolved to play smart, tight poker for the duration. By hand 100 I was down a few bucks playing 24% of my hands. Still too loose? Nah. Just right. I sat out and walked the dog.
When I returned from outside, as if often the case, I poured myself a nightcap and opened up a second table. More of the same until hand 150 or so. Two good-sized pots came my way. Feeling perhaps both the wins and scotch, I lost a few dollars back but managed to pull myself away before another round.
Simple, don’t drink, right? Not so simple, as the scotch seems to help with the pitter-putt in those fight or flight sits.
I look to Buddha.
4 comments:
I think it's a question of maximising EV versus finding the correct strategy and style for a table.
I can play super snug at PLO and win consistently, but I'm giving up alot of opportunities and getting nowhere near squeezing what i could from a good session. But on the flipside, is it really a case of just playing the best strategy for micro limits which is in fact uber tight?
Sometimes i have this uncomfortable feeling when winning at low limits - "Is the only thing that separates me from my opponents is that i'm folding my way to a profit and very little actual skill is involved?"
FG
FG
I wonder if the day you stop feeling the excitement of an accelerated heart rate while confronting a tough decision you'll stop playing poker.
Take it B.B. King:
The thrill is gone
It's gone away for good
Oh, the thrill is gone baby
Baby its gone away for good
Someday I know I'll be over it all baby
Just like I know a man should
The hangover was great. How about the scene that spoofs Rain Man where they're coming down the escalator, and then even better when he's supposedly counting cards at blackjack and they float Calculus formulas in the background. LOL
I don't know if you read the blog "You can't miss what you can't measure" but it's got an especially juicy recent wsop post
Gumpo - I have similar thoughts. One look at Foucault's style if play says we are missing out. The difference, of course, is that in the micros, money is not as big a deal. Therefore, the mistakes, even the correct ones, are made readily. I suppose a goal for someone like yourself who is building a roll in order to play up, is to wade into the bigger pool, and see. Give yourself some time to adjust when you do.
Anon - excitement is one thing...
Mike - There are a lot of such scenes in the flick. It merits being seen a couple times to catch everything.
Post a Comment