Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

Today, it is the LIMIT O8 @ Binions, a $200 affair.

I am determined to figure out the logic behind LIMIT, but it continues to elude me.

It is on the schedule, so everyone shares the pain or gain, but as "value" goes, we are the value today. I shall be busting a gut to play it better though, & give it my best.

Two days ago I was on a high, after 5 straight cashes, but two bad days followed, & I'm a bit down on myself. What a fascinating thing the human mind is, & psychology, it's far & away the thing which fascinates me more than anything else in poker.

I am still in awe of Chris Brammer in the 2012 WSOP, where he managed, on a stake, to fail to make Day 2 on 20 straight occasions. Can you even begin to imagine what that would do to your head? But he held strong, & binked around a quarter of a million on attempt # 21. What heart, what strength of character. A great example for all of us to learn from.

[Tal]

Best of British again. Whatever happens, it's been a success, so enjoy it.

[Tonji]

Your UP over all. Accentuate the positive. Good luck today.

[tikay]

Oh, I AM enjoying it, having the best time ever.

I just like to self-analyse.

Next door they do these Staff Awards things, it has the cheesy title of BELIEVE IN BETTER. (Thin, yes I won one).

And you know what? I think that is great, I really do. I actually live my life by that code, even though the title is so cheesy.

I want to play O8 better, make blonde better, make next door better, eat better, live better, write better. These are good things to aspire to, but Step One is to self-analyse honestly, & try & work it all out.

I knew everything 40 years ago. Weird, eh? 

[horseplayer]

keep going tikay

[tikay]

keep going tikay

Having an absolute BALL John.

Well done on that winner today, great price that.

I'm up a few bob in Vegas, Fred has had a good day, everything is good.

[horseplayer]

glad you are enjoying yourself that is the main thing

you certainly work hard enough to deserve it

[Karabiner]

You're playing well you daft old bugger so stop over analysing.

Getting your chips in with a nut/nut draw can never be wrong in my book, let's face it you're highly unlikely to get paid off big-time scoopio stylee after you've hit. It's impossible to play every hand optimally without hindsight or hand-signals from Jeeves.

You're doing great and I'm quite happy for you to go for a spin at spearmint or glitter-gulch on the stake.

[Doobs]

I wouldn't be too self critical Tony.  I have played in the same O8 tournament as you 3 times now.  Think you have outlasted me 3 times and cashed twice.  You are clearly good enough to play these tournaments.

Maybe we should get an O8 group going, I know I can't play perfect.  I am sure rfqqgogogoch would be interested.  Never set up Skype yet and my pc blew the night before I left, but we can get there.

I am sure Chris Brammer thinks about things the right way. 20 in a row can just be variance.  You can play well and just be the wrong side.  Think I am 0 from 8 this trip (bar a $25 bounty in some Wynn Crapshoot), but think I only played badly in two, and sure I was right on top of my game in the other two big ones.

Can't complain, start believing for that main.  You'll be just fine.

[TightEnd]

"The problem with this world is the intelligent are full of self doubt and the stupid are full of self confidence"

You know that more than most tikay.

[Tal]

I'm 0 for 7 this trip (including the "let's throw money away for the experience" 8-game). Not played cash at all. Been poker-light in some ways, but with more railing, spectating and general wandering than previous visits.

Just off shopping before tomorrow's flight home.

[tikay]

Thanks Gents, but I think self-analyse & be self-critical is vital. Which reminds me of the excellent seMANTIC "self-confidence" Post, which I will return to, as soon as I get a mo to spare. I disagreed with some of it, but it was a corking Post.

I've done OK in O8 stuff this year & last, yes, around 12 cashes I think including two WSOP's.

But I just sit there, being patient, grinding a low stack, always, & there must be ways to improve, get more gamble in my game, be a chip getter. There is ALWAYS a chip-getter, at every table. I want to be him, or her.

I need to retain the parts of my game which are OK - patience, and a clear understanding of O8 logic - go for SCOOPS, not low splits - & have good starting hand criteria & discipline. Watch, VERY carefully, who is doing what, try to work them all out. What will he do if I do this or that?

These are all excellent attributes, & I'm pleased with myself for having them. I just need to know how to open up a bit, get a bit of gamble & flair maybe, play bigger pots instead of small-ball all the time, which is my policy.

I generally seem to benefit from the mistakes of others, rather than my own abilities. Passive rather than proactive. There is a balance between the two, & I need to tweak my ranges slightly. I seem to be a back foot batsman, a Boycott, I want to be on the front foot, a KP.  

We ought to remember our old friend "variance", too. Think she has a soft spot for me.

I love these thought processes. Please don't think I am all mopey-wopey because I had a bad day yesterday. I lie in bed every night & think through the day, what I am pleased with, or displeased with. It's probably a mistake to write about it here, as it does not always come across as intended.

Anyway, cliffs = I want to get better at O8.

On which note, congrats to my good mate Robert Price, from Cornwall, or "Cornwell" as the Americans seem to prefer it.

He finished 11th in that $3k WSOP PLO8, & I gather he cashed (just!) in the WSOP Mixed Game thing yeserday, he came to see me last night whilst I was playing Big O cash in the Rio, & seemed down on himself, (some folks, eh?) but I think he has a Bracelet in him eventually.

He plays online as, I think, "Animal" on various sites, & I think he is on a Freebie trip from Party Poker. He earns a living playing O8 cash & various such stuff Online. When we share Tables - 5 or 6 times already this trip - I'm never comfortable, as he has such an aggro game. I think he is a better cash player than tourney player, & in Tourneys he just needs to tone down the gamble a bit, & he'll be the complete package. (Lol, hark at me giving HIM advice....). I need to go the opposite way, & up the aggro a bit, whilst retaning what I am OK at.

I started off very aggro yesterday. I had nice raising hands in late position, A-K-4-2, A-K-2-3, both double suited. I got no resistance first time. Second time, one caller, but he folded when I c-bet an a good flop.

Then the strangest thing happened. Having raised two hands in a row - which I do every 10 years or so - I found another raising hand, very next hand. Think it was A-J-2-3, double suited. And guess what I did with it? Yup. Binned it.

I'm still trying to figure out why. Something to do with I don't want them to think I'm at it all the time.

No need to tell me how daft that is. Please.

So incredibly fascinating, how our minds work.

[tikay]

Public Apology to regular readers.

Sorry about all this poker talk. Poker, wtf?

Concrete, bridges, aircraft, airports, computerized stock trading, all will return very soon.

Soon, we shall hear no more of this poker malarky.

Disgraceful.

[redsimon]

You played the nut nut draw hand which lost you a load of chips fine imho...stop sweating those things, its just variance. Enjoy the Linit O8, just remember pot odds and keep your basic instincts of playing hands to scoop. The things you will see in the early stages of a O8 limit MTT can blow your mind if you let it though!

[tikay]

"The problem with this world is the intelligent are full of self doubt and the stupid are full of self confidence"

You know that more than most tikay.

Well, part of that is often true, yes........

Jeez, I could write so many things on that subject, but I'd get in so much trouble.

The hottest thread next door right now is about "Promos".

When people don't LIKE something, or it does not suit them, they are inclined to say - that is bad. Or you are all morons.

When what they really mean is "I don't like that, it does not suit me". Which is TOTALLY different to "bad".

A Promo has been repeated several times. You don't need to be awfully bright at business matters to work out why it has been repeated. Because it works.

And everyone is giving it the "you are all idiots for repeating it".

And I SO want to say - completely politely, but SO hard to pitch the words right, as it is liable to be misinterpreted - guys, can we agree that you all play poker far far better than the people who run the business?

The question would be rhetorical, of course.

Then there is the obverse side of that view.........the Management of what is a stunningly successful business (see google for the annual reports) overall probably know a lot more about running the business than poker players do.

To me, that seems a parfect given. Not everyone subscribes to that view, though.

We see it here, too, everyone telling Rob Yong & DTD what they are doing wrong. Poker players, telling businesmen with a proven track record that they have go it round their neck? Since when does almost any poker players understand how an Online Gaming site works? Have they worked for one, looked under the bonnet, seen what peculiar & varied ways there are to stimulate business? It's a dark art, & incredibly clever.