2010- Is it time again

The first tournament ($350 buy-in) to what I believed would now be a full return to poker, lasted less than two hours. With a bit of war pre-flop, there were ample chips in the middle to fight for. With an ace on board, I bet my A-K big. When the call came, it looked almost certain that I faced an A-Q. When the turn brought a straight draw him and a flush draw for me, the price was as big it could get. His all-in call left him drawing slim. It was the best I could hope for but the worst of outcomes. Welcome back Peter to no doubt would be the first of many slims getting fat on my chips.

The $560 NL on the next day offered even better rewards. With fifteen remaining, the long hard slog had a chance to pay off. Third lowest stack, two squeeze plays with genuine all-in hands helped - but still in the position where aggression is the only way to a chance at $50K.

UTG, K-Q suited may not be the best hand to commit with, but the big raise tells the others it is. The BB, with just a few less chips than me, and who had both times been the piggy in-the-middle to my previous pushes; was pissed at me. Even so, shoving in with J-9 os was not really the best way to get back at me.

Poker has changes such a lot over the years. In the past, donk moves were rare. Nowadays, they are as common as coin-flips and have made the fine line between success and failure even thinner. The floorman smiled and said that I had at least made the next jump in money. Consolations are all around us LOL.

My friend, Geoff Hall, the inventor of Black-Jack Switch; was in town and a meeting at the Golden Nugget was arranged. I loved Downtown for all the memories over those early years. Least of all, meeting my wife there back in 2002. While there, a Stud-Hi-Lo was about to kick off a series of events. Loving the game, I figured 100 players would not take too long to complete. The figure rises to 200 and it was clear by the slow structure that I had made a major miscalculation. This was no nine-hour quickie. In fact, I think we lost less than ten players by then.

The longer this was going to take, the more determined I became to make it pay. By 3.am, I finally got the chip lead with eleven remaining. But the limits are now high and one losing hand sends chip-leaders to freefall. Then again, one hand sends a low stack to new heights. Both experiences came twice just before the final table. At five-handed and third in chips - every tired soul wants to chop it. But its too late now. I am well passed the thought of sleep. Anyway, when would I get the chance to win a hi-lo stud event?

Two and a half hours later, almost eighteen hours in, I had the answer. It may have been torture. but I couldn’t have been happier. It wasn’t the $6K +, but the fact that I had played the game with a focus that could only have come from the hard work that had been put in at the gym. This was such a boost to the confidence - it made me feel that poker would no longer seem so tough on the body. But this was just one event, lets how the body reacts to the daily grind…