Monday, July 26, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
The Weekly Poker Mantra
Silence is usually the best policy
It is almost always better to shut up than to not
It is almost always better to shut up than to not
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Is Mel Gibson on Life Tilt? Can He Regain His Composure and Return to the Table?
If Mel Gibson is on life tilt then this is the craziest, most gut twisting type of tilt that a 'player' can catch. I'm sure many of you have been watching and listening as this horrific Hollywood tale unfolds. If you can bear to listen, the conversations in question can be found over at Radar Online and unfortunately for Mel all across the internet.
This is a little off topic for this blog, however there is a good lesson here. Before he flew off the handle, before he lost his stack Mel could have counted to ten, taken a breath or two and stepped away.
This is of course easy for me to say. I don't know what he's been through. I don't know if the the tapes are real or fake. I don't think these tapes should ever have been released and it is of course deplorable that they were. If this were a game of cards Mel has indeed been dealt a really really crappy hand. Actually he's probably been dealt a series of crappy hands. And now he's on tilt. He lost his composure at the table. This is an understatement. He had a nervous breakdown at the table and took a fast ferry to crazy town.
Is Mel Gibson the angry racist sexist maniac that is depicted on these tapes? I don't know. I certainly hope not. It is really sad to see him portrayed in this light.
Let's suppose for a minute that Mel is playing some poker and he has just taken a really bad beat. It's as if Mel Gibson has just been kicked out of the casino by the poker room manager (for the second time) after throwing a king kong sized hissy fit and now everyone is sitting at the table wondering if it actually happened and if he will come back and apologize. Will the apology be enough? Will it be heartfelt and sincere? He did say some horrible things after all.
Some of the players at the table think he should be banned for life never to return. Some think he should be allowed to return but only after a real explanation, apology, rehab, therapy or a combination of these things. Some think it's none of their damn business and just want to be dealt the next hand and hope they never get tilted like that. Some of the players might even feel a little sorry for him, realize that he is going through a really difficult time and although he didn't handle it well certainly needs some help and a chance for redemption. Some think he is rich and influential enough to host his own games and doesn't need to return. There are even a few sick individuals that want him to come back to the table and spew more chips. After all, these crazy rants are entertaining aren't they?
What kind of player are you? What do you think should happen to Mel?
Perhaps this first analogy is flawed. Perhaps this scenario would be better described as a private home game where Mel Gibson and Oksana Grigorieva are playing heads up NL hold em and things get out of hand. Insults are thrown and there are some really ugly exchanges in this private home game. There is probably some cheating going on as well. There is definitely sandbagging. Mel takes some bad beats and loses his mind. The only thing is this dirty private game of celebrity poker somehow gets reported to the world...
Well if this is a great poker table that we are all playing on and that grass outside is really just the fuzzy felt of life, then I wanna be the sucker and still see Mel Gibson as the quirky level headed Maverick and not some broken, low down player that got thrown out of the poker room they call Hollywood.
This is a little off topic for this blog, however there is a good lesson here. Before he flew off the handle, before he lost his stack Mel could have counted to ten, taken a breath or two and stepped away.
This is of course easy for me to say. I don't know what he's been through. I don't know if the the tapes are real or fake. I don't think these tapes should ever have been released and it is of course deplorable that they were. If this were a game of cards Mel has indeed been dealt a really really crappy hand. Actually he's probably been dealt a series of crappy hands. And now he's on tilt. He lost his composure at the table. This is an understatement. He had a nervous breakdown at the table and took a fast ferry to crazy town.
Is Mel Gibson the angry racist sexist maniac that is depicted on these tapes? I don't know. I certainly hope not. It is really sad to see him portrayed in this light.
Let's suppose for a minute that Mel is playing some poker and he has just taken a really bad beat. It's as if Mel Gibson has just been kicked out of the casino by the poker room manager (for the second time) after throwing a king kong sized hissy fit and now everyone is sitting at the table wondering if it actually happened and if he will come back and apologize. Will the apology be enough? Will it be heartfelt and sincere? He did say some horrible things after all.
Some of the players at the table think he should be banned for life never to return. Some think he should be allowed to return but only after a real explanation, apology, rehab, therapy or a combination of these things. Some think it's none of their damn business and just want to be dealt the next hand and hope they never get tilted like that. Some of the players might even feel a little sorry for him, realize that he is going through a really difficult time and although he didn't handle it well certainly needs some help and a chance for redemption. Some think he is rich and influential enough to host his own games and doesn't need to return. There are even a few sick individuals that want him to come back to the table and spew more chips. After all, these crazy rants are entertaining aren't they?
What kind of player are you? What do you think should happen to Mel?
Perhaps this first analogy is flawed. Perhaps this scenario would be better described as a private home game where Mel Gibson and Oksana Grigorieva are playing heads up NL hold em and things get out of hand. Insults are thrown and there are some really ugly exchanges in this private home game. There is probably some cheating going on as well. There is definitely sandbagging. Mel takes some bad beats and loses his mind. The only thing is this dirty private game of celebrity poker somehow gets reported to the world...
Well if this is a great poker table that we are all playing on and that grass outside is really just the fuzzy felt of life, then I wanna be the sucker and still see Mel Gibson as the quirky level headed Maverick and not some broken, low down player that got thrown out of the poker room they call Hollywood.
8. How to React to a Downswing in Your Bankroll.
Hello Railers and Rounders
Current Challenge Bankroll: $10.46 Holy Donkfish!
Well my tiny challenge bankroll took a hit. It is even smaller than it was! Oh no! It's going down instead of up. The beautiful AK suited I got dealt just went down to KQ and my incredible bankroll just became the incredible shrinking bankroll. What can I do!?!
Have you experienced this? Do you see all your hard work going into a tailspin with a crazy losing streak that just won't end? Did your full house just get busted by a runner runner backdoor straight flush? The downswings are inevitable in poker unfortunately and all one can do in a situation like this is just keep truckin'. You may have to go down in stakes. You may have to give your head a shake and quit for a while or even for a few days. Or a month...
What you should never do is allow yourself to get frustrated and start chasing your losses. Do not become an enraged chip bleeding Eeyore...unless of course you're at my table.
Another hazard to avoid is the tendency to go up in stakes to try to recover losses more quickly. If anything you should go down in stakes or sometimes quit playing all together.
Think about the hands where you lost big pots. Were they avoidable? Did you get unlucky or were you playing badly. Be honest with yourself.
I hope you are in an upswing and not in a downswing as you are reading this. Remember stay positive and good luck at the tables everyone. Minimize your losses maximize your wins. If you are able to stay focused and play a solid game, you might lose sometimes but you will never go broke.
Current Challenge Bankroll: $10.46 Holy Donkfish!
Well my tiny challenge bankroll took a hit. It is even smaller than it was! Oh no! It's going down instead of up. The beautiful AK suited I got dealt just went down to KQ and my incredible bankroll just became the incredible shrinking bankroll. What can I do!?!
Have you experienced this? Do you see all your hard work going into a tailspin with a crazy losing streak that just won't end? Did your full house just get busted by a runner runner backdoor straight flush? The downswings are inevitable in poker unfortunately and all one can do in a situation like this is just keep truckin'. You may have to go down in stakes. You may have to give your head a shake and quit for a while or even for a few days. Or a month...
What you should never do is allow yourself to get frustrated and start chasing your losses. Do not become an enraged chip bleeding Eeyore...unless of course you're at my table.
Another hazard to avoid is the tendency to go up in stakes to try to recover losses more quickly. If anything you should go down in stakes or sometimes quit playing all together.
Think about the hands where you lost big pots. Were they avoidable? Did you get unlucky or were you playing badly. Be honest with yourself.
I hope you are in an upswing and not in a downswing as you are reading this. Remember stay positive and good luck at the tables everyone. Minimize your losses maximize your wins. If you are able to stay focused and play a solid game, you might lose sometimes but you will never go broke.
Monday, July 12, 2010
The Weekly Poker Mantra
Is it possible to be recklessly pragmatic?
If it is then this might be the best approach I can think of.
If it is then this might be the best approach I can think of.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
7. Slow and Steady...Winning the NL Holdem' Race
Hello Rollers and Bloggers,
Current Challenge Bankroll: $11.82 Holy Fish Sticks!
Slow and steady is certainly the strategy I continue to employ in this challenge. It is really hard to stick to the plan and avoid any larger buy-ins. It is always in my plan to take the occasional shot and I believe that should be a part of anyone's plan. You have to move up in stakes at some point and I think I'm about to take the leap up to the $0.30 ($0.25 + $0.05 rake) single table tournaments.
Don't let that guy who seems to play every pot and also to win every pot get to you. Do not go on crazy monkey tilt... while it may seem like fun at the time it never is. If you are that guy... well I'm not speaking to you anymore. Just kidding.
I'm a firm believer that if you think you can continue to improve and continue to build your bankroll then you will succeed. Just don't forget to keep learning. Read articles. Read books. Talk to other players. Talk to yourself. Talk to God. Talk to that lucky rabbits foot that you have stapled to your underwear. Of course the best way to learn is to go ahead and play poker and multi-table and see 1000s of hands, but a break never hurts and you never know how an outside point of view might help your game.
This studious approach works great with a disciplined slow but steady approach to the game. No matter what the size of your bankroll you can employ solid tactics and a positive outlook to build it up to the next level.
Keep a winning attitude and good luck at the tables everyone.
Current Challenge Bankroll: $11.82 Holy Fish Sticks!
Slow and steady is certainly the strategy I continue to employ in this challenge. It is really hard to stick to the plan and avoid any larger buy-ins. It is always in my plan to take the occasional shot and I believe that should be a part of anyone's plan. You have to move up in stakes at some point and I think I'm about to take the leap up to the $0.30 ($0.25 + $0.05 rake) single table tournaments.
Don't let that guy who seems to play every pot and also to win every pot get to you. Do not go on crazy monkey tilt... while it may seem like fun at the time it never is. If you are that guy... well I'm not speaking to you anymore. Just kidding.
I'm a firm believer that if you think you can continue to improve and continue to build your bankroll then you will succeed. Just don't forget to keep learning. Read articles. Read books. Talk to other players. Talk to yourself. Talk to God. Talk to that lucky rabbits foot that you have stapled to your underwear. Of course the best way to learn is to go ahead and play poker and multi-table and see 1000s of hands, but a break never hurts and you never know how an outside point of view might help your game.
This studious approach works great with a disciplined slow but steady approach to the game. No matter what the size of your bankroll you can employ solid tactics and a positive outlook to build it up to the next level.
Keep a winning attitude and good luck at the tables everyone.
Monday, July 5, 2010
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