Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[Rod Paradise]

Tom, I'd counter that in a month where you put in so many hours for the first time in a while, any positive is a good result. Certainly being a marginal winner is much preferable to many people in poker and always something to build on and improve.



I have a question regarding my dog. I believe i mentioned to you a while ago that my family had got a dog from a rescue centre. Its been almost a year and it is lovely to see how happy he is now. However, at night when I am on my own, he is extremely jumpy still, and unless I sit down and coax him in, he tends to hide under the kitchen table if there is a chance I can come near him. He will sit nearby in his bed as I play poker or watch tv, but if I stand up and move in his direction he darts away. Is there anything I can do to help this? Or is it just a matter of time? He seemed to be happy to see me when I first got back from university, and is happy for some fuss during the day time, just at night he seems particularly jumpy. Fwiw, he used to do this all the time with me and my Dad to a lesser degree.

This behaviour is almost certainly due to an unpleasant experience from his past.

Dogs learn by associating events or behaviour with outcomes. For instance, if  you tell him to sit, push his bum to the floor, and then make a fuss of him, he will eventually (hopefully) associate the command "sit" with an action and a reward.

By the same token, he might just as well associate you moving towards him at night with some drunken bloke coming home from the pub and kicking him up the arse.

He will get better with time, assuming of course that nothing bad happens to him while you're walking towards him at night.

Years ago my ex & I adopted a dog who, going by the marks on his muzzle, had been mistreated (they looked like cigarette burns). He was a lovely affectionate dog who could be walked off the lead very quickly. The only thing we couldn't change was he'd start pacing at the other side of the room from me if I was drinking a can of beer. Nothing would stop him, if I had a beer I was a threat to him. Finish it & put the can in the bin & he was straight over wanting petted/reassurance. In the end I had to change my ways and drink out of a glass. Sometimes the fear associated with circumstances is too much. Hopefully your dog will get past the memory & relax with you late on.

On a slight tangent my wee dog Kerry has found her arch enemy. Being a pugnacious little terrier she's got plenty of people/things she's willing to fight, from wheelie bins to sheep &  bigger dogs. But recently someone's opened a pony & donkey sanctuary nearby. We walk past it daily & Kerry's been pretty meh about the animals, an occaissional nose to nose sniff through the fence, not much else. But a couple of weeks ago as it was getting dark we walked past and the small spotted donkey was staring out of the gloom & Kerry went nuts, bloodcurdling snarls, pulling at the lead, absolutely determined that this donkedy needed sorting out. Since then she's fine with the other animals, but if the spotted donkey is in sight it's growls & 'hold me back'. It doesn't take more than a fright for a dog to decide that something's dangerous, and they don't seem to forget.

[RED-DOG]

Tom, I'd counter that in a month where you put in so many hours for the first time in a while, any positive is a good result. Certainly being a marginal winner is much preferable to many people in poker and always something to build on and improve.



I have a question regarding my dog. I believe i mentioned to you a while ago that my family had got a dog from a rescue centre. Its been almost a year and it is lovely to see how happy he is now. However, at night when I am on my own, he is extremely jumpy still, and unless I sit down and coax him in, he tends to hide under the kitchen table if there is a chance I can come near him. He will sit nearby in his bed as I play poker or watch tv, but if I stand up and move in his direction he darts away. Is there anything I can do to help this? Or is it just a matter of time? He seemed to be happy to see me when I first got back from university, and is happy for some fuss during the day time, just at night he seems particularly jumpy. Fwiw, he used to do this all the time with me and my Dad to a lesser degree.

This behaviour is almost certainly due to an unpleasant experience from his past.

Dogs learn by associating events or behaviour with outcomes. For instance, if  you tell him to sit, push his bum to the floor, and then make a fuss of him, he will eventually (hopefully) associate the command "sit" with an action and a reward.

By the same token, he might just as well associate you moving towards him at night with some drunken bloke coming home from the pub and kicking him up the arse.

He will get better with time, assuming of course that nothing bad happens to him while you're walking towards him at night.

Years ago my ex & I adopted a dog who, going by the marks on his muzzle, had been mistreated (they looked like cigarette burns). He was a lovely affectionate dog who could be walked off the lead very quickly. The only thing we couldn't change was he'd start pacing at the other side of the room from me if I was drinking a can of beer. Nothing would stop him, if I had a beer I was a threat to him. Finish it & put the can in the bin & he was straight over wanting petted/reassurance. In the end I had to change my ways and drink out of a glass. Sometimes the fear associated with circumstances is too much. Hopefully your dog will get past the memory & relax with you late on.

On a slight tangent my wee dog Kerry has found her arch enemy. Being a pugnacious little terrier she's got plenty of people/things she's willing to fight, from wheelie bins to sheep &  bigger dogs. But recently someone's opened a pony & donkey sanctuary nearby. We walk past it daily & Kerry's been pretty meh about the animals, an occaissional nose to nose sniff through the fence, not much else. But a couple of weeks ago as it was getting dark we walked past and the small spotted donkey was staring out of the gloom & Kerry went nuts, bloodcurdling snarls, pulling at the lead, absolutely determined that this donkedy needed sorting out. Since then she's fine with the other animals, but if the spotted donkey is in sight it's growls & 'hold me back'. It doesn't take more than a fright for a dog to decide that something's dangerous, and they don't seem to forget.

Another excellent contribution. Thank you Gerald.

[AndrewT]

Rod, are you sure that the dog simply wasn't a snob?

"He's drinking out of a can - peasant'

[RED-DOG]

So, how did you celebrate March 8th this year?

[Rod Paradise]

Rod, are you sure that the dog simply wasn't a snob?

"He's drinking out of a can - peasant'

 

THe dog had me pegged as a peasant anyway - but he was a border collie - so working class himself.....

[Kev B]

So, how did you celebrate March 8th this year?

Joo made me a coffee.  

[edgascoigne]

Realised I never thanked you for the fox advice - so thank you.

Tricky for us to do too much structurally as we are in a rented property. We never leave food out but it's bin day on Monday mornings bright and early so perhaps they're drawn here on a Sunday night.

Will see how things go as no real appetite to scare off all and sundry but if they trample the better half's borders again I may have to go guerrilla on them.

[RED-DOG]

So now my bank roll is healthy enough to allow me to play the deep stack on my own dime this weekend, but I can't decide if I should.

See, I think that were I to play cash over the deep stack weekend, there is a good chance that I might win 2 - 3 hundo rather than pulling up £330 for the buy in.

Plus - I haven't played a live tourney in ages so I'll be a bit ring rusty.

I could sell a % of myself, but that would make playing the tourney rather than the cash even less EV

Thoughts anyone?

[Laxie]

You reckon you're more likely to make money playing cash vs. tourney?  If so, remind me again...why are you there?

[RED-DOG]

You reckon you're more likely to make money playing cash vs. tourney?  If so, remind me again...why are you there?

Yes dear.... *He says condescendingly* I am more likely to win a small amount playing cash, but if I win the tourney it will be a big fack off chunk.

[kinboshi]

I think a bankroll to play £330 tournaments regularly is pretty substantial.  Of course, you can play it having a punt as a one-off if you want - but there's the opportunity cost of not playing cash, and tournament variance means that even if you're head and shoulders above the other players in the comp it's likely you won't cash.

How about playing the live satellite tonight, and then playing the deepstack tomorrow if you win a seat? 

[RED-DOG]

I think a bankroll to play £330 tournaments regularly is pretty substantial.  Of course, you can play it having a punt as a one-off if you want - but there's the opportunity cost of not playing cash, and tournament variance means that even if you're head and shoulders above the other players in the comp it's likely you won't cash.

How about playing the live satellite tonight, and then playing the deepstack tomorrow if you win a seat? 

Do you think the satellites are better value than the cash games Kin?

[cambridgealex]

I think a bankroll to play £330 tournaments regularly is pretty substantial.  Of course, you can play it having a punt as a one-off if you want - but there's the opportunity cost of not playing cash, and tournament variance means that even if you're head and shoulders above the other players in the comp it's likely you won't cash.

How about playing the live satellite tonight, and then playing the deepstack tomorrow if you win a seat? 

Do you think the satellites are better value than the cash games Kin?

I'd wouldn't recommend missing friday night cash for the satellite, Tom.

[RED-DOG]

I think a bankroll to play £330 tournaments regularly is pretty substantial.  Of course, you can play it having a punt as a one-off if you want - but there's the opportunity cost of not playing cash, and tournament variance means that even if you're head and shoulders above the other players in the comp it's likely you won't cash.

How about playing the live satellite tonight, and then playing the deepstack tomorrow if you win a seat? 

Do you think the satellites are better value than the cash games Kin?

I'd wouldn't recommend missing friday night cash for the satellite, Tom.

Well that was kinda my point Alex. And if I did happen to win £300 playing cash, I would have the same dilemma tomorrow.

I think kin's point about needing a substantial roll is a good one.

[tikay]

Cash.

Little & often, dripping tap soon fills a bath, da de da.

And if, say.......you play the Deepie & don't make the money, you'll be pretty miffed with yourself for wasting not only £330, but potential lost income from the cash games.