After my last post I was going into the weekend a little bit on a bad streak. Well the poker gods rewarded me for my patience and embracing my inner Minnesota Fats because I won big over the weekend (Friday, Saturday, Sunday). On Saturday it was one of those days where everything falls into your lap. I had a guy call all in with his AJ when I had AQ on an Ace high flop. I had a player shove all in preflop against me with his 10 10 when I held KK. And I had a player call all in against me when I had AK on a AK6 flop. It was one of those days where I did nothing special really. All I did was play good cards and had other players paid me off. As I have said before, the real skill in poker shows up when you are losing. Minimizing losses, avoiding tilt, and staying the course and playing a solid game is hard to do when you haven't won a pot in a few hours or have had three straight losing sessions. But if you can do that--if you can minimize your losses, manage your bankroll and stay in the game--those hands where people pay you off will come and more than make up for the losses. Thankfully it came last weekend and I had great results.
This week has been a break even week. I have had some tough beats and some dry spells. I am pretty happy to have just had a so so week considering the cards I have been dealt. Again, I am utilizing my skill this week to keep my losses small and make sure I am in the game and focused when the deck hits me again. I didn't play on Monday but here are my results for the week so far:
Tuesday: -$32 (5 hours)
Wednesday: -$44 (3 hours)
Thursday: +$187 (5 hours)
Friday: -$122 (5 hours)
So as you can see it has been uneventful. I call weeks like this "paying bills." When you own or operate a business the point and goal is obviously to make money. But you can't make money without costs. You have to pay bills. You have to pay taxes, you have to pay your employees, you have to pay rent, you have to pay for insurance etc. It is not all profits all the time and nothing but fun. The same is true in poker. Even if you are a winning player you have to pay the bills from time to time. "The bills" are losing and break even sessons. They are 18 hour periods at the table where you make no money. I know how it works and I am use to it. I paid some bills this week and I am ready to head to the tables for a seven to eight hour session today.
Seven to eight hour sessions are always more fun when there are football games to watch. And today there are. Last week I went 5-5 and here are my updated records for 2012 so far.
2012 Football: 19-26-1 - 8.8 units
I am still trying to get something positive going. I hope this week is the week. Last year it was around this time where my picks started to improve and I hit about 54% for the final 12-13 weeks or so.
Arizona -3
Virgina Tech -6.5
Western Kentucky +1
Oklahoma State +1.5
Kentucky +20
Georgia Tennessee 2nd half over 31 (half unit)
Bengals -1.5
Redskins +3
I also put a $20 bet down on the Ryder Cup the other day. Go Red White and Blue!
Disciplined Degenerate
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Friday, September 21, 2012
Back from Vegas and embracing my inner Minnesota Fats
My brother and I had a great time in Las Vegas. I watched a lot of football and was happy to see my Eagles pull out a tough win against the Ravens. I also ate at the Heart Attack Grill in downtown Vegas. They are famous for their bypass burges and I can see why. It was very good (and very filling).
I visited the new Venetian Poker room and was impressed. They expanded it to fit many more tables without crowding them closer together which too many cardrooms do. I played some live poker there and won almost $200 in a few hours of play Sunday night. I also played in their daily, $150 tournament at noon on Monday. Sorry to report that the breaks didn't fall my way and I lost a big race. When you lose the races in tournaments you usually don't cash and neither did I. I went out 34th out of 66 players when my JJ lost to AK all in preflop.
I ended up playing a few hours of limit poker with my bro who doesn't usually play no limit and I managed to grind out another $100 in profit there. And after throwing in about $60 profit in blackjack (The Gold Spike dealers were beautiful and delightful as always) for the weekend I had a small profit gambling. The only other casino game I played was roulette and after a couple of hours I cashed out even. For a while I was running real well as I hit the number 25 three out of five spins. But a long dry spell erased the profits and I was content to cash out even.
The month of September has not been real good at the poker table. I have had a lot of small wins, several break even sessions, and a couple of big losses. Last night was rough. I bought in for $200 and lost that. I bought another $200 and lost that. The game was only four handed at that point so I bought another $100. Sure enough, I lost that! I was $500 stuck and very frustrated. But the game was good and I thought I had an edge over the players. So, I went outside and sat in my car for 10 minutes. I let the air conditioning blow on my face and I sat back and listened to music and tried to relax.
I tried to remain calm and be professional. I thought of a scene in the film The Hustler. In the opening scene Fast Eddie Felson is destroying Minnesota Fats, game after game in straight pool. But Fats does not quit. His manager even advises Fats to stick with the kid, as he was a loser. Fats did not tilt. He did not storm out. He kept playing because he thought he had a long term edge. He went to the bathroom after more than 24 hours of losing and washed his face, washed his hands, cleaned himself up and came back out with a smile on his face and said to Felson, "Fast Eddie, lets play some pool." Fats kept himself in the game, kept his cool and focus and eventually outlasted the younger and more arrogant Fast Eddie Felson and took everything he had. I sat in the car and visualized that scene in my head and went back into the card room. I went to the bathroom and washed my face and hands and went back to the table. I put my ear buds in, listened to music and focused. I pretended it was a new day. Over the next two hours I proceed to win $189 of the $500 that I lost. Had I not had a set of Aces cracked by a flush it could have been even much better. But considering where I was at when I went outside I was happy to take the $311 loss.
When you gamble long term you are going to have nights and weeks and maybe even months where not much goes right for you. THAT IS THE TIME YOU EARN YOUR MONEY. Anyone can win when they make the nuts all night. But not everyone can limit their losses and stay in the game mentally and cut their losses. The real skill in poker is tested when things go bad. Last night and this month are not going great. But I look at it as a challenge to stay focused and earn my keep as an advantage gambler. I will be back at the cardroom tonight. Hopefully things go better than they have this month so far. I feel I am ready to handle the bumps in the road if they are there.
Last weekend was not great in football as I posted a 5-6-1 record. Still looking to gain some forward momentum.
2012 Football: 14-21-1 - 8.3 units
Western Kentucky -4
Oklahoma -14
Michigan +6
LSU -21
Falcons +3.5
Steelers -4
49ers -7
Bills -2.5
Patriots +3
Teaser: Packers +2.5 and Under 51.5
Disciplined Degenerate
I visited the new Venetian Poker room and was impressed. They expanded it to fit many more tables without crowding them closer together which too many cardrooms do. I played some live poker there and won almost $200 in a few hours of play Sunday night. I also played in their daily, $150 tournament at noon on Monday. Sorry to report that the breaks didn't fall my way and I lost a big race. When you lose the races in tournaments you usually don't cash and neither did I. I went out 34th out of 66 players when my JJ lost to AK all in preflop.
I ended up playing a few hours of limit poker with my bro who doesn't usually play no limit and I managed to grind out another $100 in profit there. And after throwing in about $60 profit in blackjack (The Gold Spike dealers were beautiful and delightful as always) for the weekend I had a small profit gambling. The only other casino game I played was roulette and after a couple of hours I cashed out even. For a while I was running real well as I hit the number 25 three out of five spins. But a long dry spell erased the profits and I was content to cash out even.
The month of September has not been real good at the poker table. I have had a lot of small wins, several break even sessions, and a couple of big losses. Last night was rough. I bought in for $200 and lost that. I bought another $200 and lost that. The game was only four handed at that point so I bought another $100. Sure enough, I lost that! I was $500 stuck and very frustrated. But the game was good and I thought I had an edge over the players. So, I went outside and sat in my car for 10 minutes. I let the air conditioning blow on my face and I sat back and listened to music and tried to relax.
I tried to remain calm and be professional. I thought of a scene in the film The Hustler. In the opening scene Fast Eddie Felson is destroying Minnesota Fats, game after game in straight pool. But Fats does not quit. His manager even advises Fats to stick with the kid, as he was a loser. Fats did not tilt. He did not storm out. He kept playing because he thought he had a long term edge. He went to the bathroom after more than 24 hours of losing and washed his face, washed his hands, cleaned himself up and came back out with a smile on his face and said to Felson, "Fast Eddie, lets play some pool." Fats kept himself in the game, kept his cool and focus and eventually outlasted the younger and more arrogant Fast Eddie Felson and took everything he had. I sat in the car and visualized that scene in my head and went back into the card room. I went to the bathroom and washed my face and hands and went back to the table. I put my ear buds in, listened to music and focused. I pretended it was a new day. Over the next two hours I proceed to win $189 of the $500 that I lost. Had I not had a set of Aces cracked by a flush it could have been even much better. But considering where I was at when I went outside I was happy to take the $311 loss.
When you gamble long term you are going to have nights and weeks and maybe even months where not much goes right for you. THAT IS THE TIME YOU EARN YOUR MONEY. Anyone can win when they make the nuts all night. But not everyone can limit their losses and stay in the game mentally and cut their losses. The real skill in poker is tested when things go bad. Last night and this month are not going great. But I look at it as a challenge to stay focused and earn my keep as an advantage gambler. I will be back at the cardroom tonight. Hopefully things go better than they have this month so far. I feel I am ready to handle the bumps in the road if they are there.
Last weekend was not great in football as I posted a 5-6-1 record. Still looking to gain some forward momentum.
2012 Football: 14-21-1 - 8.3 units
Western Kentucky -4
Oklahoma -14
Michigan +6
LSU -21
Falcons +3.5
Steelers -4
49ers -7
Bills -2.5
Patriots +3
Teaser: Packers +2.5 and Under 51.5
Disciplined Degenerate
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Vegas, Football, Swimming Pools, and Sexy Blackjack
I am off to Las Vegas for the weekend. Actually, for a bit more than the weekend. I will be leaving for Vegas on Friday morning and coming home on Tuesday. It is my annual trip that my brother and I take every year for his birthday. I usually make it to Vegas two or three times a year but we always go for his birthday. Another fun thing about this time of the year when we go its that it is always football season. You have to take the douchebags with the fun but sometimes there is nothing more fun than watching NFL and College Football games that you have action on in a Vegas sportsbook.
And speaking of action, I have plenty already booked for this weekend. Last week was a disaster, and after a less than stellar week one I am already down more than six units. Last year I was down more than ten units at one point in the season and still managed to break even (actually won a couple bucks) but this is not a fun habit to get into. Hopefully I can turn it around this week. Here is what I am on for the weekend:
Overall: 9-15 -6.7 units
College Week 3 NFL Week 2
Michigan -46
Ohio State -17
USC -8.5
UCF -17
Michigan St -5.5
OK State -22
Tennessee -3
Saints -2.5
Bengals -7
Texans -7.5
Falcons -3
(In Vegas adding 2nd half under in UNLV game - under 30)
It makes me nervous to see that I have all favorites, but it is also largely a myth that dogs cover more than favorites (at least the last couple of years) so I will roll with my picks and hope for the best. I am sure that when I am in Vegas I will also make a random degen parlay or teaser in the sportsbook.
I don't know if we will get there in time but we might take in the UNLV game Friday night. It is a nationally televised ESPN game and I think it will be a blast!
I probably actually won't play a ton of poker this weekend. I am looking forward to checking out the new Venetian Poker Room and will definitely play a tournament there (I love their daily 12PM tourney) and maybe some live games, but this weekend is more about football and relaxing. I plan on having some drinks by the pool and heading downtown to play some Sexy Blackjack at the Gold Spike. It is an old school downtown joint that has been remodeled and they still have the old school Vegas feel and they treat me pretty well. And, well, the blackjack dealers are sexy!
Here is an example of the quality of dealer at the Gold Spike.
I will report back on the trip when I get back--hopefully with lots of laughs and some winning sessions to share.
Disciplined Degenerate
And speaking of action, I have plenty already booked for this weekend. Last week was a disaster, and after a less than stellar week one I am already down more than six units. Last year I was down more than ten units at one point in the season and still managed to break even (actually won a couple bucks) but this is not a fun habit to get into. Hopefully I can turn it around this week. Here is what I am on for the weekend:
Overall: 9-15 -6.7 units
College Week 3 NFL Week 2
Michigan -46
Ohio State -17
USC -8.5
UCF -17
Michigan St -5.5
OK State -22
Tennessee -3
Saints -2.5
Bengals -7
Texans -7.5
Falcons -3
(In Vegas adding 2nd half under in UNLV game - under 30)
It makes me nervous to see that I have all favorites, but it is also largely a myth that dogs cover more than favorites (at least the last couple of years) so I will roll with my picks and hope for the best. I am sure that when I am in Vegas I will also make a random degen parlay or teaser in the sportsbook.
I don't know if we will get there in time but we might take in the UNLV game Friday night. It is a nationally televised ESPN game and I think it will be a blast!
I probably actually won't play a ton of poker this weekend. I am looking forward to checking out the new Venetian Poker Room and will definitely play a tournament there (I love their daily 12PM tourney) and maybe some live games, but this weekend is more about football and relaxing. I plan on having some drinks by the pool and heading downtown to play some Sexy Blackjack at the Gold Spike. It is an old school downtown joint that has been remodeled and they still have the old school Vegas feel and they treat me pretty well. And, well, the blackjack dealers are sexy!
Here is an example of the quality of dealer at the Gold Spike.
Disciplined Degenerate
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Sometimes there simply is no play
I recently decided to re-watch season 2 of Boardwalk Empire in anticipation of the new season coming out soon. One of my favorite characters in the show is Arnold Rothstein. Rothstein was a gangster and gambler most famous for fixing the 1919 World Series known as the Black Sox Scandal.
I just watched an episode last night where he makes the following speech to Nucky Thompson about how to handle his troubles, using a beautiful gambling analogy.
Whenever I am at the poker table and things are going poorly--for example I am missing every flop, getting dealt rags all night, and just flat out not winning--I can watch this scene and be energized knowing that if I am indeed patient the situation will come along where I can bet it all (my stack) and have the best of it. So, like Arnold Rothstein advises...I wait. Patience and Discipline are my number one priorities in poker and they serve me well. Last night I was losing for almost the entire session, hardly picking up any playable hands, and then I won one big pot with a big pair and ended up cashing out up $160. I hardly won a pot all night and still managed to book a decent win. I hope the gambler in Rothstein would be proud.
Boardwalk Empire is not really about gambling, but if you like gangster movies and TV shows like the Sopranos, I highly recommend you check it out.
Disciplined Degenerate
I just watched an episode last night where he makes the following speech to Nucky Thompson about how to handle his troubles, using a beautiful gambling analogy.
Whenever I am at the poker table and things are going poorly--for example I am missing every flop, getting dealt rags all night, and just flat out not winning--I can watch this scene and be energized knowing that if I am indeed patient the situation will come along where I can bet it all (my stack) and have the best of it. So, like Arnold Rothstein advises...I wait. Patience and Discipline are my number one priorities in poker and they serve me well. Last night I was losing for almost the entire session, hardly picking up any playable hands, and then I won one big pot with a big pair and ended up cashing out up $160. I hardly won a pot all night and still managed to book a decent win. I hope the gambler in Rothstein would be proud.
Boardwalk Empire is not really about gambling, but if you like gangster movies and TV shows like the Sopranos, I highly recommend you check it out.
Disciplined Degenerate
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Football bets and "getting even"
Week 1 in football is in the books. It did not go great for me but it did not go terrible either. I took a small loss in week 1. Overall I went 7-9 and lost 2.1 units. The new week starts tonight with the first NFL game with the Cowboys visiting the Giants. Nothing like having a little action on the first NFL game of the year. I am on the Giants -4. I think they can win this game by a touchdown on their home field. Here are my other bets for College Week 2 NFL Week 1:
Utah -7 against Utah State
Nebraska -5 against UCLA
Western Kentucky +40 against Alabama
Oklahoma State -11 against Arizona
Penn state Virginia under 46.5
Packers -5 against the 49ers
Saints -7 against the Skins
Steelers +8.5 under 52 against Broncos (teaser)
There may be more to come. If there are I will add them to the blog later.
One thing that amazes me that I have seen a lot lately at the poker table and in casinos is the average gambler's obsession with getting even. Someone could be an everyday gambler and they know they will be gambling again and again but they have this weird obsession with getting even for the day. I was playing poker with someone recently who was losing in the game. He was stuck about $400 and he won a monster pot to get even when he stacked another player. Before he could even finish stacking his chips he said he was going home since he is even. But almost before he finished that sentence he was dealt QQ and ended up losing $200 to a player who had 99 on a 9 high board. Right after the hand the player who was no longer even said, "Well, I can't leave now." I can only imagine how many millions of dollars have been lost by gamblers all over the world, trying to get even for the day.
In order to be a good gambler I believe you have to look at all of your results as one life long session. There are no sessions, just breaks. When I cash out of a poker game the session continues the next day, I am just on a break.
The same rule should apply for when you are ahead big and lose some back. Many players are willing to gamble more or take bigger risks when they are winning. Again, to me there is no logic in this thinking. A play is plus EV or it is not plus EV. It should have nothing to do with how much you are ahead or behind on the session (I am not referring to tournaments here, but cash gambling). If I am ahead $300 or stuck $300 I am just as happy or unhappy about losing $50 at all times no matter my session results so far.
Unless you are playing a game that you are an underdog in--a poker table with better players or a casino game with a house edge--you should actually play longer when you are winning if anything. Most players do the opposite. To be safe and make sure you are not making poor decisions it is always safe to play hours, not results. If you decide you want to play poker for three hours, then play for three hours. Don't play until you are even or quit when you get just a few bucks ahead. In both cases you are very likely only losing more money with your decision making.
Disciplined Degenerate
Utah -7 against Utah State
Nebraska -5 against UCLA
Western Kentucky +40 against Alabama
Oklahoma State -11 against Arizona
Penn state Virginia under 46.5
Packers -5 against the 49ers
Saints -7 against the Skins
Steelers +8.5 under 52 against Broncos (teaser)
There may be more to come. If there are I will add them to the blog later.
One thing that amazes me that I have seen a lot lately at the poker table and in casinos is the average gambler's obsession with getting even. Someone could be an everyday gambler and they know they will be gambling again and again but they have this weird obsession with getting even for the day. I was playing poker with someone recently who was losing in the game. He was stuck about $400 and he won a monster pot to get even when he stacked another player. Before he could even finish stacking his chips he said he was going home since he is even. But almost before he finished that sentence he was dealt QQ and ended up losing $200 to a player who had 99 on a 9 high board. Right after the hand the player who was no longer even said, "Well, I can't leave now." I can only imagine how many millions of dollars have been lost by gamblers all over the world, trying to get even for the day.
In order to be a good gambler I believe you have to look at all of your results as one life long session. There are no sessions, just breaks. When I cash out of a poker game the session continues the next day, I am just on a break.
The same rule should apply for when you are ahead big and lose some back. Many players are willing to gamble more or take bigger risks when they are winning. Again, to me there is no logic in this thinking. A play is plus EV or it is not plus EV. It should have nothing to do with how much you are ahead or behind on the session (I am not referring to tournaments here, but cash gambling). If I am ahead $300 or stuck $300 I am just as happy or unhappy about losing $50 at all times no matter my session results so far.
Unless you are playing a game that you are an underdog in--a poker table with better players or a casino game with a house edge--you should actually play longer when you are winning if anything. Most players do the opposite. To be safe and make sure you are not making poor decisions it is always safe to play hours, not results. If you decide you want to play poker for three hours, then play for three hours. Don't play until you are even or quit when you get just a few bucks ahead. In both cases you are very likely only losing more money with your decision making.
Disciplined Degenerate
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