Last Night. (T. Haley please read)

If you read my Mirage post you know I almost got into a fight the other night. Before I go any further, I paly mid limit poker. Because of that I post here on this forum. If most of you believe this stuff is forum clutter please comment and I will move to the other topics forum.

Tom Haley made remarks about my outburst that really struck a chord. I must have been so intensely focused on winning just because I was stuck that when this poor fellow made a little mistake I went ballistic. I apolt. I aplogize to the poker community for that. I will apologize to the victim should I ever see him again.


With that in mind. Last night to avoid a sim ilar confrontation I palyed in the Orleans Sunday night NLH tournament. I palyed well early and built a fairly big stack. Then I suffered from stack mismanagement and with three tables left squandered my chips and was knocked out. I attribute my loss to poor play given my situation.


Anyway I left the O'rleans around 11 p.m and still wanted to play poker. Rather than go to the Mirage I headed to Bellagio. I sat in a very tough 15 game. It took me quite a while to detect any weaknesses among the players at the table with the exception of one young, call to frequently, player I've played with before. I like the kid but poker is poker. Unfortunately he left shortly after I sat down and the game got tougher with the addition of another local pro.


I played real tight for a while and was down a few blinds when I picked up K,K in the sb. UTG limped and then Melissa, a Roy Cook student, raised from mid position. Two late players cold called and I was flabbergasted. Almost ever hand to that point was either raise and all fold or raise and heads up with a bet and fold on the flop. Well right or wrong beecause of the situation I opted to just call. Probably a mistake but I just did not see anyone folding to my reraise so I hoped to get a good flop and go from there. The flop came T,8,6 rainbow. It was checked to Melissa wo bet. Bothe lates called and I raised and was reraised by the early limper. Everyone folded to me and I hesitated for a moment and thought that this fellow may have made a set so I just called. The turn was a T and I knew I was dog meat. I did however call him down. He turned over T,8 and I cursed myself for playing the hand the way I did.


Soon I was down $400 and did not believe that I would get out. I was not having fun. I was criticizing every play I made. After a while the game got good. New players sat down and chips started to fly. I got lucky and somehow got up $200. But I couldn't focus. Couldn't concentrate so I quit for the night. I went over and sat by Hosh for a while and we talked a little strategy and then I went to bed. I was totally stressed. I couldn't think straight and I was disgusted with myself for playing poorly.


Now the good part. Thank goodness and Mason for this forum. Tom Haley's remarks really woke me up. Winning at poker is just not that important. It's not! I hope that I have learned a lesson here. That is if you don't enjoy playing then don't play. Funny I think I've always known that and preached it. Sometimes things just get away from you. Thanks again Tom.


Vince

There is even more wisdom in your post, and a lot of good self-realization.


Worn down by a bad streak and a few personal travails, lucking into a good game, catching a few hands and getting ahead, then just being completely worn out by the process. I admire your good sense in walking away.


It's kind of like the team in the NBA that makes a huge run to catch up and then runs out of energy and loses. The good thing about poker is there is no clock and no chains on the chairs.


We preach money management, but time and emotional management are far more important in the long run.

Vince,


It often takes a great deal of courage to post this sort of thing, to admit when you're letting go of your game or the game has grabbed a hold of you and distracted you from the quality aspects of your life.


I'm a younger small and mid-limit player, and I'm frequently facing older players who are convinced (and rightfully so from time to time-- I'm learning) that I don't know what I'm doing. I make mistakes, and sometimes people are angry enough to "let me know" what I shouldn't have done. But sometimes these same players are at the end of a long session, and they're tired, and they're playing a cold run of cards.


Anyway Vince, I congratulate you on the guts it takes to say the kind of things you said on this board about your recent events at the Mirage and with your play in general. It's also a sober reminder to younger players like myself what we need to keep sight of as we devote time to hours at the table-- things we might lose focus on that are far more important than three-bets to isolate another player, or making a good fold at the right time.


Anyway, it was a substantive post. Get some perspective, put yourself back in the center of it, and know that I appreciated your view.


--Eric

Mirage I headed to Bellagio. I sat in a very tough 15 game. It took me quite a while to detect any weaknesses among the players at the table with the exception of one young, call to frequently, player I've played with before. I like the kid but poker is poker. Unfortunately he left shortly after I sat down and the game got tougher with the addition of another local pro.


hey vince, do you live in vegas now? Haven't been at foxwoods since i moved to New York City.


Anyhow, unless you are interested in a strategic and tactical challenge or just want to try and improve your game, sitting in this game is crazy. There is no money to be made in poker games like these (unless you are abdul). No one is making money except the bellagio. when every player plays good solid poker usually on the best player at the table can win (maybe the best 2) and it isn't very much.


Rob

next time you see hosh tell him we are all looking forward to the next HOSTIP of the week!!!!

Vince


We all make mistakes. The real challenge in life is to learn from them and become a better person (and a better poker player). In my younger days I threw a few temper tantrums at the poker table. One night my wife witnessed my behavior and told me how disappointed and embarassed she was with my behavior. She really opend my eyes as to how foolish I acted. I have learned to keep my cool even when things go real bad at the table. Kudos to you for learning a valuable lesson and being man enough to admit your mistake.


Regarding your hand I would have reraised. You not only have a very good hand but early limper is now forced to put in two bets and has to also be concerned with a reraise behind him.