Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Yes, the Christmas season is still upon us and we are fresh into the New Year. The Christmas Spirit glows bright with the snow. Really. Are is there any nation that never has a white Christmas that is known for its Peace on Earth and Goodwill Towards Man?

Think about it.

The cold and snow also places emphasis on indoor pursuits. Backgammon is one option for Winter gaming, particularly since they start so early in the evening. It was hard to find the time during the long days of Summer to participate in tournaments put on by our local backgammon organization that meets at Rounding Third, Wednesday nights.

The WSOP is coming to town. That is not a Christmas song.

I had some nominal returns in my end of the year poker endeavors after Christmas, getting me close to even for 2016 (I didn’t play much last year). The first days of this New Year have not been kind.

I bought into three satellite tournaments on three consecutive days in an attempt to enter the Mid-States Poker Tournament at Potawatomi Casino; the main event(s) beginning today. I never broke the bubble though I did not do poorly. My biggest mistake in my final opportunity was to try to buy a pot. It almost worked. The waiting is the hardest part. Then when I went all in with two pair on the flop, my opponent called, again the waiting and waiting. I was ahead. He hit a set Three of a kind on the turn.

With time to burn over the three days I tried the limit tables. I thought I may win back my entry fees in open play. The problem? By the third tournament, the third day, and my mind spinning over all the hands I played, not allowing me to sleep well the night before (and no morning coffee), I was far from being on top of my game. I was really tired.

I very easily could have come out on top, but I can only blame myself. I have no control over the actions of others, no right to judge or make detrimental use of my time by worry about what might have been. I can only control what I do. I missed some calls and as far as any other problems at the tables, I should not have been playing so tired. And that is all I have to say about that.

So I went out with some yahoo calling big raises pre-flop with junk and hitting a set of 3’s on the turn against my very solid two pair. Junk, people play junk at the casino. That is why it is so hard to win at limit poker sometimes; even NL. Q, 3 off suit with an opening four then eight times a normal blind just to get in the hand.

So over three days I lost almost as much as the direct buy-in for the main event. (I plan to win it back and more) The satellites have a much more aggressive blind structure, unlike the main event. The less aggressive blind structures of the main event serve to my advantage, I believe. It may be a better strategy on the smaller tournaments to just buy-in direct.

Taking note of intentions I developed in the past, ignored and now their validity reinforced, I should set my sights on playing but once a week, unless a tournament requires otherwise. I will attempt only one satellite per tournament, or no more than one a week if there is a long lead up period to the main event. I will make sure I am all there before I sit at any table.

If I have not had a focused day (or morning) of accomplishment I tend to not go to the casino even if I had been planning to. As the Christmas season comes to an end tomorrow, and we pack all the trappings of the season away on Saturday, I will afterwards focus on my new work schedule I am developing for 2017. It will be heavily focused on my writing. I have reorganized the entire office with that goal in mind.

The WSOP is coming to Potawatomi. I will definitely make an attempt at that. And yes, once a week I plan to be at the tables. It is Winter. A time for indoor activities. I will afterwards, based on a consistent and constant effort, evaluate the results and make further determinations from there. Once gardening season begins and the days grow long I will have little opportunity to play.

Thank you for reading.