rgschackelford
08-12-2005, 01:32 AM
This is my e-mail to Dr. Alan N. Schoonmaker about playing poker and being visually impaired. I've done my best to fix up the copied version from the e-mail (deleted the greater than signs and such). So, without further ado, here's a long post.
Rusty G.,
You are to be congratulated for not letting your visual impairment prevent you from playing our game.
By chance I just autographed a book to Rose Richie. She is an inspiration to me because she was the highest finishing woman in the 2004 WSOP Championship despite having lupus. To maintain concentration day after day with a debilitating disease, or to play poker without being able to see the cards well inspires my deepest respect.
My remarks will be inserted in your text to preserve their context. They will be IN CAPS.
From: Rusty G. Schackelford
To: Dr. Alan N. Schoonmaker
Subject: Question About an Article in CP
Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2005 22:52:09 -0400
Hello Dr. Schoonmaker,
My name is Rusty G., and I've been playing poker regularly for about a year and a half. Addiction can be destructive, but I've been addicted to poker books, so it's really constructive (to my game, at least). I've read your book, and it made me look at poker differently. I would like to say that it has really helped me improve my game.
Anyway, the reason I'm writing is because I read something from an article in the August 9th issue of CardPlayer Magazine about "Busting Your Own Grandmother." What I was concerned about is the groups of people listed (drunks, rich people, working class people, young people, old people, beginners, mentally impaired, and...visually impaired). When I saw the words "visually impaired" I froze for about a minute and just stared. I'm visually impaired. I'm not e-mailing to complain. What I'm most interested in is how much of a liability is this to a poker player?
IT DEPENDS UPON THE PLAYER. SOME VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE SHOULD NOT PLAY AT ALL BECAUSE THEY HAVE SUCH A LIABILITY. ONE LEGALLY BLIND PERSON WAS THE SUBJECT OF A STORY. I WISH I COULD REMEMBER HIS NAME AND WHERE IT WAS PUBLISHED. YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET THE STORY FROM A GOOGLE SEARCH FOR "BLIND TOURNAMENT PLAYER" OR VARIATIONS ON THAT IDEA.
HE WON A FEW TOURNAMENTS BY HAVING SOMEONE ANNOUNCE IN HIS EAR WHAT CARDS HE HAD AND WHAT WAS ON THE BOARD.
IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, HE WAS ALSO A JEOPARDY CHAMPION.
HE WAS ALWAYS ADMIRED BY OTHER PLAYERS FOR HIS COURAGE.
Whenever I go to a cardroom, I request the floorperson to have the dealers announce the board cards and action to me, so if I can memorize some board cards I won't have to worry about misplaying a hand
I HOPE YOU'RE PLAYING HOLD'EM. THERE IS MUCH LESS TO REMEMBER.
YOU SHOULD ALSO INSIST THAT THE DEALER MAKE THOSE ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND DON'T BE EMBARRASSED TO ASK HIM TO REPEAT THEM.
IT MIGHT HELP YOU TO SIT IN SEATS FIVE OR SIX. SOME FRIENDS WITH LIMITED VISION SIT THERE TO BE CLOSER TO THE FLOP.
(Just to reference, my vision is 20:300, I have a magnifier in my glasses, so I can read my hole cards. There is no problem seeing my own cards.) The major disadvantage is that I don't catch on to many tells.MOST TELLS ARE not SMALL MOVEMENTS.
WATCH THEIR hands. SOME HAND MOVEMENTS ARE VERY REVEALING.
I believe I can still play a winning game of poker (you don't need great
vision to play online poker),MY GUESS IS THAT YOU WILL DO BETTER ONLINE THAN IN B&m GAMES. BUT YOU SHOULD KEEP RECORDS.
DON'T ASSUME YOU'LL DO BETTER. KEEP RECORDS AND KNOW FOR SURE. AT CARDPLAYER.COM THERE IS A LONG SERIES BY ME ON TAKING NOTES. READ ESPECIALLY PART II. CLICK ON MAGAZINE, WRITERS, AND MY NAME.
and I would just like to know how, and to what extent, this affects my play. Poker is something I enjoy, and I enjoy winning at it. I would like to continue playing, but if my vision negates my edge, my greatest edge would be in sitting out of most games. Sorry to busy you with this essay of an e-mail, but I'm very concerned about my
situation. Thank you, and have a good day.
Rusty G. Schackelford
P.S. Is this something that I should post on the 2+2 message boards, as well? YES. I THINK YOU SHOULD SAY THAT YOU'VE DISCUSSED IT WITH ME, AND I SUGGESTED THAT YOU POST ON THE PSYCHOLOGY FORUM.
YOU WILL CERTAINLY GET IDEAS THAT I HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF.
GOOD LUCK. I ADMIRE YOUR COURAGE.
AL <font color="blue"> </font> <font color="blue"> </font>
Rusty G.,
You are to be congratulated for not letting your visual impairment prevent you from playing our game.
By chance I just autographed a book to Rose Richie. She is an inspiration to me because she was the highest finishing woman in the 2004 WSOP Championship despite having lupus. To maintain concentration day after day with a debilitating disease, or to play poker without being able to see the cards well inspires my deepest respect.
My remarks will be inserted in your text to preserve their context. They will be IN CAPS.
From: Rusty G. Schackelford
To: Dr. Alan N. Schoonmaker
Subject: Question About an Article in CP
Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2005 22:52:09 -0400
Hello Dr. Schoonmaker,
My name is Rusty G., and I've been playing poker regularly for about a year and a half. Addiction can be destructive, but I've been addicted to poker books, so it's really constructive (to my game, at least). I've read your book, and it made me look at poker differently. I would like to say that it has really helped me improve my game.
Anyway, the reason I'm writing is because I read something from an article in the August 9th issue of CardPlayer Magazine about "Busting Your Own Grandmother." What I was concerned about is the groups of people listed (drunks, rich people, working class people, young people, old people, beginners, mentally impaired, and...visually impaired). When I saw the words "visually impaired" I froze for about a minute and just stared. I'm visually impaired. I'm not e-mailing to complain. What I'm most interested in is how much of a liability is this to a poker player?
IT DEPENDS UPON THE PLAYER. SOME VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE SHOULD NOT PLAY AT ALL BECAUSE THEY HAVE SUCH A LIABILITY. ONE LEGALLY BLIND PERSON WAS THE SUBJECT OF A STORY. I WISH I COULD REMEMBER HIS NAME AND WHERE IT WAS PUBLISHED. YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET THE STORY FROM A GOOGLE SEARCH FOR "BLIND TOURNAMENT PLAYER" OR VARIATIONS ON THAT IDEA.
HE WON A FEW TOURNAMENTS BY HAVING SOMEONE ANNOUNCE IN HIS EAR WHAT CARDS HE HAD AND WHAT WAS ON THE BOARD.
IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, HE WAS ALSO A JEOPARDY CHAMPION.
HE WAS ALWAYS ADMIRED BY OTHER PLAYERS FOR HIS COURAGE.
Whenever I go to a cardroom, I request the floorperson to have the dealers announce the board cards and action to me, so if I can memorize some board cards I won't have to worry about misplaying a hand
I HOPE YOU'RE PLAYING HOLD'EM. THERE IS MUCH LESS TO REMEMBER.
YOU SHOULD ALSO INSIST THAT THE DEALER MAKE THOSE ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND DON'T BE EMBARRASSED TO ASK HIM TO REPEAT THEM.
IT MIGHT HELP YOU TO SIT IN SEATS FIVE OR SIX. SOME FRIENDS WITH LIMITED VISION SIT THERE TO BE CLOSER TO THE FLOP.
(Just to reference, my vision is 20:300, I have a magnifier in my glasses, so I can read my hole cards. There is no problem seeing my own cards.) The major disadvantage is that I don't catch on to many tells.MOST TELLS ARE not SMALL MOVEMENTS.
WATCH THEIR hands. SOME HAND MOVEMENTS ARE VERY REVEALING.
I believe I can still play a winning game of poker (you don't need great
vision to play online poker),MY GUESS IS THAT YOU WILL DO BETTER ONLINE THAN IN B&m GAMES. BUT YOU SHOULD KEEP RECORDS.
DON'T ASSUME YOU'LL DO BETTER. KEEP RECORDS AND KNOW FOR SURE. AT CARDPLAYER.COM THERE IS A LONG SERIES BY ME ON TAKING NOTES. READ ESPECIALLY PART II. CLICK ON MAGAZINE, WRITERS, AND MY NAME.
and I would just like to know how, and to what extent, this affects my play. Poker is something I enjoy, and I enjoy winning at it. I would like to continue playing, but if my vision negates my edge, my greatest edge would be in sitting out of most games. Sorry to busy you with this essay of an e-mail, but I'm very concerned about my
situation. Thank you, and have a good day.
Rusty G. Schackelford
P.S. Is this something that I should post on the 2+2 message boards, as well? YES. I THINK YOU SHOULD SAY THAT YOU'VE DISCUSSED IT WITH ME, AND I SUGGESTED THAT YOU POST ON THE PSYCHOLOGY FORUM.
YOU WILL CERTAINLY GET IDEAS THAT I HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF.
GOOD LUCK. I ADMIRE YOUR COURAGE.
AL <font color="blue"> </font> <font color="blue"> </font>