WSOP Practice Time!

Time to get to work. As such and in furtherance of my preparation for the WSOP trip I am planning on hosting a small (in every respect, i.e. - 20 max players) event at my house at 6 PM on Saturday, June 24th.

We will have Pizza, sports of some kind, and some small no limit afterwards.

Let me know if you are interested. If there is enough interest, I will put the plan together.

This will be limited to previous participants only.

Until Next Time,

Good Luck and See You at the WSOP.......................

A Time to Grind

Okay poker sickos. Its time to concentrate and grind out some study time.

Its World Series of Poker Time

Where to start? For me, it is time to recommit myself to tournament poker. For the next five weeks, I will eat, sleep and live tournament poker when I am not working on a project at work. Sick, I know. But if you are going to swim with the sharks and minnows, you better damn well know which is which.

My Steps to Prepare:

1. Tournament Practice. A tournament player cannot expect to perform at his/her best in a poker tournament if the player does not have sufficient practice. I have been playing four tournaments each night this week. I have used some very small entry fee tournaments to try different ideas. The sandwich raise. The slow played monster. The min-raise bluff. The check raise semi bluff with a nut draw. etc, etc, etc. It has my mind working a million miles an hour. I have also broke out my ear buds to simulate the WSOP as best as possible during my tournaments.

2. Physical Preparation. Don't overlook this. If you are going to make it deep in a WSOP event, you have to be committed to sitting for 14 hours of reasonably intense work. I went to the eye doctor yesterday, got my prescription updated and got better contacts so I can wear them longer. I have also lost six pounds with fourteen more to go to my goal prior to the WSOP. It also makes you feel better, a bonus.

3. Focus Training. You must, MUST, work on your focus prior to entering the WSOP arena. One mistake and you can be toast. Reading situations takes concentration. Messing around, drinking alcohol, talking too much (I know most of you think I talk incessantly at the table), staring at those short skirts on the cocktail waitresses. Well ok, a little leg stare is ok. Just consider why you are entering the event. Glory takes work.

4. Relaxation. Find a way to relax prior to an event. Don't press yourself. Playing single tables until 3:00 AM is not a way to prepare for a noon start. I know I did this last year, but that should be an aberration, not a standard mode of operations. I am seriously considering a massage on Saturday morning prior to the $2000 event. That is still to be decided.

Above all else, remember to all my readers, this is a hobby for us. So have fun. But don't let "having fun" become an excuse for sloppy play at the tables. That is a recipe for disaster. Until next time,

Good Luck and See You at the WSOP Felt..........................

The Devil Made Me Do It

Not really, but what an eerie day. 6/6/06. Who is going to see The Omen tonight? Not me. I would even consider folding a set of sixes if I were to play tonight. Which I do not think I am. Do not want to tempt the devil, especially on a day like today.

Cloudy, another attorney in Nashville who plays poker, is cleared for takeoff on July the 4th. That makes seven of us out there that weekend. It should be a blast. Hey, I have to take Crazy Tom down as the leading money winner in tournaments this year. No better time than the present.

Remember, fold 666 tonight. Can't be too careful. Until tomorrow,

Good Luck and See You at the Felt..............

I Feel Like the Exxon Valdez....

Such a big slick, nothing good about it. I know it is a Tier One hand, and it should be, but come on, can't I win a race anymore?

I went up to Metropolis Saturday with Crazy Tom for a shot at a WSOP seat. It was great, we had fun and all. But, of course I left empty handed in the tournament. The cash games were fun and easy as usual.

But the tournament is another story. Late in Round 4, blinds are 200-400, I have an average stack of 3800 and I am in the BB. Crazy Tom is directly to my left, he is short with 1800 moves in UTG. A very loose, VERY, player calls in the CO. I look down at that great blig oil slick, AKo. I move in over the top, hoping the guy folds, but the odds requires a call, and he does with his 10-10. Tom has 22, quack quack Tom. Tom doesn't get his miracle, and I wiff with a Q high board. We are out 15th and 14th.

Congrats to Billy from Hendersonville for chopping the top two spots in Metropolis. Great Job Billy. We all hope that you decide to head to the WSOP with the rest of us.

I played a tight, very tight, aggressive, very aggressive game. I was really pleased to see that I can turn on my tournament game when it is called for. I will concentrate even harded heading into the WSOP with the goals the same as last year, a final table. We will see where that leads.

There are now 7 Nashville based players going over the Fourth of July weekend, including JC, Crazy Tom, Weasel, Kentucky Rock and JM. I would hope that at least one of us makes a deep run at the $2000 NL on July 1. If I can figure out how to email postings into the Blog I will update here during the tournament. Otherwise, I will run stories after the trip.

Until tomorrow,

Good Luck and See You at the Felt................