Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[claypole]

All the best today Tikay

[tikay]

Button in seat 9, I am in seat 3.


Bugger (official).

[tikay]

Boom!

Found DS Aces for the first time all tourney in my Small Blind, and geezer in the cut off makes it 2,500.

I have the delicious A-A-2-7, double suited.

Life don't get better, and in they go.

He dwells, is obviously at it, before saying "I have nothing but I have to call I guess".

He has Q-10-9-7, no suits.

Flop comes 10-9-7, lol, which makes it kinda tough to win the high.

Turn brings fresh hope of a chop, as it was a 5.

River was a deuce, my low is counterfeited, and that was that.

Little bit of run bad there, but when we get chronically low-stacked, we can't complain.

Off to have a bit of a sulk now, accompanied by a super size sticky bun.

[MANTIS01]

Yo, you are fascinated by how the mind works?

Check it out...when you cringe with embarrassment seeing your name at the bottom who is making you feel that way?

Let me tell you it is impossible for anybody to MAKE you feel that way. Your reaction and your mindset to anything is entirely up to you. Entirely up to you. Even if people are laughing and pointing, which they aren't, nobody can force you to feel embarrassed. Those feelings originate from you and the reason they exist is because you place far far too much weight on what others might think of you. I have told you this about a thousand times.

So fascinate about this, how does making yourself feel this way help, how does it help you enjoy experiences more, how does it help you play better? How does it help in any which way?

So why not free yourself from that baggage? It is simple to do. Just give yourself a break and simply don't care as much. The truth is there are several roadmaps to win a tournament and going from shortstack to winner is as valid as any. And they all carry equal embarrassment rating. It is entirely up to you.

Anyway, a few years ago I went to watch a variety show with some friends. Jim Davidson is first up and it's a packed house. He starts by saying there's a raffle for a five star holiday to Barbados and all of us have a ticket under our seat. He reads out the winning number and low and behold it's my mate Andy who wins. He is ecstatic, he jumps up into the air, he double-fist pumps and lets out a big scream before running to the stage to get his prize. I check my ticket and it's the same number, all my friends have the same number, everybody in the whole theatre has the same number. Unfortunately it's too late to stop Andy who is bounding down the aisle and jumping up on stage.

"I've never won anything in my life Jim" he screams from the stage. The whole place is in tears. When he finds out he's the sucker does he cringe with embarrassment? No, he thinks it's brilliant and laughs as hard as anybody, really made his night. Enitrely up to you Tikay.

[tikay]

Jeez, if my hand holds there, it's all to play for.

Gotta love this game, really, so many twists and turns.

Paul Jackson still going along nicely. I can almost guarantee he will cash.

We discussed the $3,000 PLO8 this morning, (Friday) Paul thinks it might be the best value tourney all Series.

[redsimon]

Jeez, if my hand holds there, it's all to play for.

Gotta love this game, really, so many twists and turns.

Paul Jackson still going along nicely. I can almost guarantee he will cash.

We discussed the $3,000 PLO8 this morning, (Friday) Paul thinks it might be the best value tourney all Series.

Unlucky exit.

That event ($1500 PLO8) must have been the best value what with over 900 players, what % knew what the hell they were doing? Imagine the $3K is second best value in WSOP

[Tal]

Well, that was a waste of a quid.

Useless. Go and hang your head in shame.

David FM Elleray.

[Karabiner]

I might as well be hung for a sheep.

In for the $3k as long as you cheer the fk up.

[tikay]

I might as well be hung for a sheep.

In for the $3k as long as you cheer the fk up.

Never been more cheerful Ralph, but I just like to explain stuff "as I feel it", which I think is a good thing.

I've not had a good trip money-wise, so I'm bound to be a tad disappointed. But that apart, the trip is as good as any I've ever made.

[tikay]

Poker News have reported my exit slightly different. The mind does get fuzzy in these spots, I know I had A-A-2-x, I thought the "x" was a 7, but they had it as A-A-2-9. Makes no odds really.

They wrote....

Kendall's Aces Cracked 
Jiaqi Xu had Anthony Kendall all in preflop and at risk, but Kendall was ahead going into the flop and was looking good for the double up.

Kendall:  Ah (plus I assume another ace?)

Xu:

The board ran out  10c

 Kendall's two pair (nines and deuces) were not as strong as Xu's two pair (nines and sevens), and Kendall was sent to the rail

Am pretty sure he had no low draw, but it matters not really.

What I never mentioned before was that he was in the Cut-Off, I was in the SB, & the deep-stacked BB was absent, not turned up, so the guy was spot on to make the attempted steal from his position into a micro-stacked SB & an absent BB.

Next case.

[tikay]

Jeez, if my hand holds there, it's all to play for.

Gotta love this game, really, so many twists and turns.

Paul Jackson still going along nicely. I can almost guarantee he will cash.

We discussed the $3,000 PLO8 this morning, (Friday) Paul thinks it might be the best value tourney all Series.

Unlucky exit.

That event ($1500 PLO8) must have been the best value what with over 900 players, what % knew what the hell they were doing? Imagine the $3K is second best value in WSOP

Yes, great value, not many understand the technical side of PLO8, & will play all day for half the pot, or play hands like 7-7-8-9, which are total disasters, but sheer aggression & backbone can overcome that, up to a point, & in the short-term.

"Best" play I saw yesterday was a raise from a solid guy, 3 bet by next player, also solid, & then flatted (effectively all-in for his biggish stack) by the eccentric guy on the Button.

The flop came Q-Q-2, & the Button bet out & took it down, & then proudly showed the table his Q-J-10-9, saying it was a great hand.

In PLO, yeah, I might even call with that if I know Villain has the Aces, but in PLO8, I'm not interested the way that hand went pre-flop, my hand is in the muck as quick as quick can be. Which is either a good technical understanding, or lack of flair.

[Karabiner]

I might as well be hung for a sheep.

In for the $3k as long as you cheer the fk up.

Never been more cheerful Ralph, but I just like to explain stuff "as I feel it", which I think is a good thing.

I've not had a good trip money-wise, so I'm bound to be a tad disappointed. But that apart, the trip is as good as any I've ever made.

I do apologise, I thought you said that you were sulking.

Anyway on to the next one.

[tikay]

I might as well be hung for a sheep.

In for the $3k as long as you cheer the fk up.

Never been more cheerful Ralph, but I just like to explain stuff "as I feel it", which I think is a good thing.

I've not had a good trip money-wise, so I'm bound to be a tad disappointed. But that apart, the trip is as good as any I've ever made.

I do apologise, I thought you said that you were sulking.

Anyway on to the next one.

Ha!

Well I did, yeah, but it was just a whimsical attempt @ humour.

Nobody will ever know my real feelings, but safe to say I keep things in perspective. Ryan must feel FAR worse after his horrible exit when he was in a Final with half a mill up top.   

[tikay]

Yo, you are fascinated by how the mind works?

Check it out...when you cringe with embarrassment seeing your name at the bottom who is making you feel that way?

Let me tell you it is impossible for anybody to MAKE you feel that way. Your reaction and your mindset to anything is entirely up to you. Entirely up to you. Even if people are laughing and pointing, which they aren't, nobody can force you to feel embarrassed. Those feelings originate from you and the reason they exist is because you place far far too much weight on what others might think of you. I have told you this about a thousand times.

So fascinate about this, how does making yourself feel this way help, how does it help you enjoy experiences more, how does it help you play better? How does it help in any which way?

So why not free yourself from that baggage? It is simple to do. Just give yourself a break and simply don't care as much. The truth is there are several roadmaps to win a tournament and going from shortstack to winner is as valid as any. And they all carry equal embarrassment rating. It is entirely up to you.

Anyway, a few years ago I went to watch a variety show with some friends. Jim Davidson is first up and it's a packed house. He starts by saying there's a raffle for a five star holiday to Barbados and all of us have a ticket under our seat. He reads out the winning number and low and behold it's my mate Andy who wins. He is ecstatic, he jumps up into the air, he double-fist pumps and lets out a big scream before running to the stage to get his prize. I check my ticket and it's the same number, all my friends have the same number, everybody in the whole theatre has the same number. Unfortunately it's too late to stop Andy who is bounding down the aisle and jumping up on stage.

"I've never won anything in my life Jim" he screams from the stage. The whole place is in tears. When he finds out he's the sucker does he cringe with embarrassment? No, he thinks it's brilliant and laughs as hard as anybody, really made his night. Entirely up to you Tikay.

That's a fascinating post.

It all makes perfect sense, though I don't agree with all of it.

Yes, I do care what people think, I always have. I cant help it, it is the way we are made, or it reflects how we were bought up. You are the opposite, you don't give a toss what others think, so sometimes you say outrageous things, & don't care when you get mocked. Both are perfectly valid minsets, just different.

When I went to the "Special School" as a kid, even as a dumb 7 year old, I was acutely embarrassed about it. "Everyone will think I'm stupid".

I was the last kid in my year, think I'd be 13 or something, who wore short trousers, & so I used to hide in the breaks as I was so embarrassed, as all the others had long trousers. That was over 50 years ago, & the memory still hurts.

As a teenager, I was embarrassed that I did not like alcohol, & preferred orange juice, & all the other lads ribbed me, so I started drinking, peer pressure & all that. Luckily I saw sense & quit when I was 21.

I could give you 20 or more other examples.  

It's in the genes I think, & is very hard to change.

Let me give you a weird story which demonstrates these peculiar mindsets which I don't seem to be able to control.

In my late twenties, I used to suffer terrible headaches & migraines, so I went to see the Doctor.  

He never even looked up, just asked me to explain what my problem was.

Repeated headaches, bla bla.

"What do you do for a living, do you worry much or get stressed out?" he asks.

He's still not looked up, or made eye contact.

"Yes, I do worry a lot, I worry about everything, & if I have nothing to worry about, I worry that I should be worrying about something".

He's still not looked at me.

"Well don't come to me, wasting my time with headaches, the cure is simple, quit worrying. Anything else I can help you with?"

It was the nearest I have ever come to punching someone in the face.

He was right, of course. Quit worrying, & the headaches disappear. But a worrier is a worrier, they can't help themselves. It's no different to arrogance, humility, lack of social skills, bad manners, upourownarseness, people who constantly belittle others on Social-Media, & a thousand other traits - it is not easy to change what we are.

So yeah, I do worry what others think, & I should not, but it is as hard as hell to change, especially at my age.    

Quite how those in the public eye cope with it I don't know. Roy Hodgson, David Moyes are great examples. Both decent human beings, & without exception, they have more knowledge about football in their small finger than their armchair critics, who have never had the ability to manage a major Football Team or in many cases manage anything, ever, except their bowel movements & bladder voids.

It's no different for golfers, jockeys, trainers, entertainers, whatever. Billy Public in his carpet slippers, posting anon, rips them to bits. How do those guys cope with it?

I saw Rory McIlroy described as a "complete clown" the day he imploded @ the US Masters. His critic was not even a Pro golfer, and had never been - & will never be - in such a pressure spot in his whole life. How these guys cope with such ridiculous criticism & rudeness is beyond me, & I'm well jealous of that ability, but I don't have it, & I doubt I ever will. The mind is a weird beast.

As a bonus from that story of the visit to my Doctor, I never again, not once in my life, visited a NHS GP. I do have a private quack I can access in emergencies, but apart from twice in the last 30 years, I've never troubled him. I expect I get the same aches pains & pimples as other generally healthy people, but that Doctor was like aversion therapy, so I don't do Doctors any more.

Interesting topic, or it is to me. Others will be yawning. All different, see?

[tikay]

Yo, you are fascinated by how the mind works?

Check it out...when you cringe with embarrassment seeing your name at the bottom who is making you feel that way?

Let me tell you it is impossible for anybody to MAKE you feel that way. Your reaction and your mindset to anything is entirely up to you. Entirely up to you. Even if people are laughing and pointing, which they aren't, nobody can force you to feel embarrassed. Those feelings originate from you and the reason they exist is because you place far far too much weight on what others might think of you. I have told you this about a thousand times.

So fascinate about this, how does making yourself feel this way help, how does it help you enjoy experiences more, how does it help you play better? How does it help in any which way?

So why not free yourself from that baggage? It is simple to do. Just give yourself a break and simply don't care as much. The truth is there are several roadmaps to win a tournament and going from shortstack to winner is as valid as any. And they all carry equal embarrassment rating. It is entirely up to you.

Anyway, a few years ago I went to watch a variety show with some friends. Jim Davidson is first up and it's a packed house. He starts by saying there's a raffle for a five star holiday to Barbados and all of us have a ticket under our seat. He reads out the winning number and low and behold it's my mate Andy who wins. He is ecstatic, he jumps up into the air, he double-fist pumps and lets out a big scream before running to the stage to get his prize. I check my ticket and it's the same number, all my friends have the same number, everybody in the whole theatre has the same number. Unfortunately it's too late to stop Andy who is bounding down the aisle and jumping up on stage.

"I've never won anything in my life Jim" he screams from the stage. The whole place is in tears. When he finds out he's the sucker does he cringe with embarrassment? No, he thinks it's brilliant and laughs as hard as anybody, really made his night. Enitrely up to you Tikay.

He might have been really embarrassed, but not like to show it.

I came off my motorbike once because I was showing off, daftest thing ever, cracked a few ribs, had abrasions galore, broken nose, blood everywhere.

People came running up to help me from all over the shop, "you OK Son?"

"Yes yes, I'm fine thank you, absolutely fine" & I walked away (well limped...) as if nothing had happened. Inside, I was in agony, but hell, I don't want folks knowing that.