Running GOOD!
Running good or being in the zone is one of those unexplainable phenomenon’s in life that comes from nowhere. I’ve had it happen a few times in basketball, football and baseball, but never in poker. Not like this!
It started when I was probably around 7 or 8 years old. My dad would take me and my brother to the beer joints in South Texas and he would play dominoes and we would shoot pool and drink Big Red. Loved that stuff. I always enjoyed being with the big guys, hanging out and watching grandpa play dominoes. They even let dad play sometimes.
Over the years I learned how to play five card draw, seven card stud and shoot dice on the San Antonio river banks. I’ve always enjoyed gambling and there is just something about the “Action”. Whether it’s at the dice table or hitting a big hand in poker the adrenaline rush can be just like a big hit in baseball or a last second shot in basket ball. It fuels me. I’ve always gone for the dangerous sport whether it is the wild horse race in the rodeo or Whirly ball in Plano. And then, there is poker.
Poker can be the most confounding game in the world. I compare it to golf. There is a lot of skill and luck always plays a factor. Hit the great shot or draw the winning hand on the river and it keeps you coming back. But the thing that I have come to realize is that poker is mostly a mind game. If you don’t mind losing your money, I don’t mind taking it.
Back in July, Gail and I went to Vegas for a short jaunt and for her to get into a conference for CPE. We landed at McCarron and immediately headed for the Rio to play in the 6pm $185 Deep Stack. It was a long night and I finished about 3am, placing 7th and cashing $903. A good way to start the trip.
The next day I only had a couple of hours sleep and just couldn’t wait to play some more. I grabbed a taxi to the Venetian for their noon deep stack and got busted out really quick. Ok, now it’s time to go to Caesars. I can still get in the noon Deep Stack there. Again, busted out really fast. At this time I realized I was way too tired to play. I was making bad decisions. So I took it to the hotel and got a nap. I recouped and played the Rio 2pm Deep Stack for $235. Busted early and re-bought for another $235. Made a late run and got bad beat deep into the tournament. I flop a set of 10’s and another guy flops two pair AJ. We get all of our chips in the middle and he turns an A for the bigger set. UGH! Oh well, off to have fun with Gail.
Gail likes shooting craps at the Golden Nugget. We caught a cab to the nugget and did quite well at craps. I then sat down and played the 4pm tournament and finished 2nd. I turned around and played the 7pm and chopped it 3 ways. Total take was around $1,300.
Finished up in Vegas and came on home.
Now the fun begins. I now have 4 10 hour days that I work with Friday off. I can run to the Choctaw casino for their 7pm Deep Stack tournament. Including Vegas I have cashed 52% of my tournaments and 5 of 9 at Choctaw. The thing about Choctaw is that not only have I cashed 5 but I have chopped all 5 tournaments. This includes this past Saturdays $240 Deep Stack that was Poker Pro Robert Williamson’s tournament. Who by the way I felted in a previous tournament. Saturday I had my biggest cash yet. A 5 way chop for $3,414. Gail turns around and chops the next day for $1,650 followed by my chop for $662 in the 7pm Deep Stack. It’s just been crazy. The only way I have been beaten lately is by a set over set on the flop or a better 3 of a kind when they flop the first 3 cards. Except for the $140 Donkasorous that I was beaten so unkindly that in the 7pm I told all of those guys that they had pissed me off by their play and I was going to win this one. Welllllll, I did. Chopped it 7 ways with 137 people playing. It’s just crazy!
I do have a method to my madness. Play extremely tight early until the break. I come out gunning when the blinds reach $200/$400. Can’t play this way on Wednesday nights cause those poker pros call me to the river no matter what so I have to change that up too!
After establishing a tight image it works all the way through these tournaments. It’s one reason why I hate changing tables. I’ve rarely put my self in a vulnerable position to get put out. As Phil Gordon says, if you never have to go all in, your never out of the tournament. Ok, makes sense to me Phil.
I know this can’t last forever, that’s reserved for taxes and sheep being nervous around cowboys. My read has been so on it’s been nuts. Called bluffs on big pots, made some good lay downs. Another poker pro said the best money you’ll ever make is from folding. A lot of wisdom in that statement and I have folded some big hands lately. So, I’m not saying I have this thing, poker, figured out. But it sure is fun when a plan comes together.
Buck Naked out
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