Quote of the Day
"I wouldn't mind dying -- its that business of having to stay dead that scares the shit out of me."
-R. Geis
the trip was interesting as soon as i landed in miami. there were a slew of poker players there going to nassau. on the flight i sat next to a semi known pro, whose name i will not disclose. i've played with him before, and although he's a nice guy...he smells like a mix of rotten milk and with rotten fish. thankfully the flight was short. in the row ahead of me...was dario minieri which would have been interesting to strike up a conversation with. oh well.
as i got off the plane, and got some much needed bahamian fresh air, i ran into victor ramdin who was coming off another plane. he and my dad are old friends from new york, so we got to catch up. he was with amnon filipi, who ordered a limo to the resort. victor invited me to come along...so how could i refuse?
i got to the resort and waited for the players party to start up. it was pretty cool, but it was difficult to meet people that i've played with. i decided to make a visor with "whaassuuppp" on it, and it drew a couple conversations with online opponents. it was a bit annoying because every time i try to introduce myself to a new player, and tell them my online name, they just think i'm saying hello. many conversations were as followed...
them: hi, i'm ______ on stars. its nice to meet you.
me: i'm whaassuuppp. nice to meet ya.
them: whats up to you too.
me: no, no...that's my name on stars.
them: huh?
me: that's my name on stars.
them: oooooohhhhhh.
me: (thinking to myself) did i really have to create my poker name from those budweiser commercials from 2000? i couldn't have thought of anything more creative or witty? sigh.
after the party, i called it an early night. the next day the tourny started and it was going along fine, until about the 3rd level. i had aces in the cutoff, and make a standard 3x raise. small blind called. flop came j,10,2 with two clubs, he check raised, and i was sick. there were no reads on this guy, and i sat for 4 minutes not sure what to do. i basically shoved, and he turned over jj...and i was done. i went around asking very good tourny pro's what they would have done, and they all had the same answer. they would have called the flop, and got it in on a non scare turn. which i found enlightening, that they would all say the same thing. so i'll remember that for next time. if i did do that, turn was 5h, so it wouldn't have mattered anyway, but still a good learning lesson.
after the tourny i didn't want to play poker at all. i just wanted to enjoy the resort and the amenities. and that's what i did. got a massage one day, did the dolphin encounter another...did the water park a couple days, and went to nice restaurants during the week.
there was also a $2500 battleship HU side event. i was really excited for it. i feel confident playing heads up with just about anyone, and enjoy the challenge of playing good players. i really try to get into the head of my opponent, and its something i wish i did better in my mtt game. first round i played acespades11, who is a very good mtt player. i made some adjustments during his game, and hit a couple of hands, and ended up winning. my next opponent was bbbbb33. i've played him a few times online, and had some familiarity with his game. i went card dead, and every move i tried didn't work....but....i won a few all ins and ended up winning that match. now there were 16 left, and top 8 got paid. so it was the money round, and i draw bigredak. who i know is another solid tourny player. i lost a big pot early, and got a huge double up with i had jj vs. his 10's. then i had kk on the button raise, he calls. flop comes 654, with 2 hearts. i also have the Kh. he check raises, and again im sick, but i have to shove. he calls with 77. the turn was such a great card...2h. so here it is...one card away from the money! all i have to do is dodge a non heart 8,7,3....................................................7 of spades hits the river, and i go down 3-1. i then get all in with AJ vs. A2 to get back to even, and a 2 hit the turn, and i was done. oh well. guess there's always next year.
the trip was really a great time, and i will try to make it a yearly thing. hopefully with elite in sight, i don't have to play any more satellites to get in. atlantis is really a world class resort, and i commend everyone involved. from the pokerstars staff, to the atlantis staff. everyone is so friendly there, you wouldn't believe it. which brings me to my housekeeper...
everyday i would come out of my room around noon and see her. i would always exchange pleasantries with her. i would joke around with her and ask her if she would make it to the water park on that day. she always laughed it off. so as the days went on i continued asking. i always got the same answer, "oh no sir, thank you though." the day before i left i asked her if she had ever been to the water park, and she told me no. i was shocked. she was about 30 years old and told me she worked there for 10 years and has three kids. the whole thing didn't make any sense to me. so i asked her, "why not??" she simply replied, "its too expensive."
again i was in shock, because i would have thought the water park would have been free for employees, or at least at a big discounted rate. she didn't know how much it was to go, so i made a couple phone calls. i found out it was $50 for employees to go. i think its $80 regular price for locals. and it was $30 for her kids to go. so on the last day before i was ready to leave my room for the last time...i packed up my things in my suitcase, and went outside into the hall. there was mia, and her well wishes for me and my trip. i went up to her, and told her she was an extremely friendly person, very genuine, and i appreciated it...and her on a day off, take her kids to the water park, and enjoy it...and handed her $150. she came up to me with a tear in her eye, and said "thank you so much sir", and gave me a hug. i tried to get a gift certificate for her, but was not allowed to. I hope she went with her kids on her day off...but i'm glad i helped in any case.
i know this was just a small token of appreciation from me, but it was pretty meaningful. again this is something i debated whether to write about or not, but i want to illustrate the point that there are so many people struggling. there are many different ways that people could be helped. if this will inspire one person to do donate to a charity, or volunteer their time in an organization, or just helping out a neighbor...then its worth me writing about.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
I failed you
Quote of the day
"In the land of predators, the lion never fears the jackal ."
-Dexter
i admit it. i have been MIA. there has been an APB out on me. i know...i know. all i can do is apologize, and come back. the year has been full of interesting events and stories, so i'll try my best to break it down.
first off there was atlantis in january (which i actually wrote after the tourny ended, but never posted it.) whoops! i'll give it a day or so until i post it.
"In the land of predators, the lion never fears the jackal ."
-Dexter
i admit it. i have been MIA. there has been an APB out on me. i know...i know. all i can do is apologize, and come back. the year has been full of interesting events and stories, so i'll try my best to break it down.
first off there was atlantis in january (which i actually wrote after the tourny ended, but never posted it.) whoops! i'll give it a day or so until i post it.
Friday, January 2, 2009
2008 Year in Review
Quote of the Day
"I kept on digging the hole deeper and deeper looking for the treasure chest until i finally lifted my head, looked up and realized that i had dug my own grave."
-Dominic
another year has begun, thus another year has gone by to reflect upon. a lot has happened this year in which there has been so many ups and downs. A difficult time for me in my personal life has led to not as much play as i would have liked. there were hopes of supernova elite in '08, but it never seemed to materialize.
the year started off slowly in january while i was in new york. i didn't play much while i was away from home. i came back in february after watching my giants win the superbowl...with a fresh outlook on my game. with my time off, i really tried to focus on holes that i had. i started to make specific adjustments against certain types of players and the results started to pay off. february and march were both very good months for me and when april 1st rolled around, things started to turn.
i played a few 5k's which i sold some action to some of my friends and got crushed. i went 0-4 or 0-5 and it was a difficult task to overcome. after dropping those games, the outlook was daunting to try to grind that money back. when may rolled around, i had won a LAPT package to brazil which i busted early on day 2. shortly after i got back, myself and my gf at the time of 7 years, after months of distress, broke up. i spent a lot of may taking it easy and not putting pressure on myself to play.
when the world series came around in june, it was very uplifting to see a lot of friends during a time when i needed to them. i was lucky to be running very hot at the time in my HU games online. that was a big relief, because i couldn't play for many hours at a time.
july roamed around and i felt a little better about my situation, and a little more refreshed. the ex-gf and i started to talk about getting back together, which i thought i had wanted. i decided to make a run at supernova elite during the 1.5x vpp promotion in late july. i played ridiculously hard for 2 weeks, and it gave me an outside shot at achieving it.
when august hit, i was dedicated in getting elite and my mindset was no matter what happens with the decision of my relationship status, i was going to grind it out and get elite. i was really motivated and thought things were starting to go my way again. things drastically changed when i heard from her that it was over for good. i went into a state of depression, blaming myself for everything that had gone wrong in the relationship. i over thought every single thing that happened, and just tortured myself. i knew i needed some sort of help to guide me through this.
i started to see a counselor in late august, which probably was one of the best decisions i have ever made. i know there are general negative connotations associated with seeing a counselor, and this isn't the easiest of things to discuss. but i feel its important to stress having an open mind about it. people will always try to take care of their physical health, and put their mental health problems on the back shelf because its not something tangible. you can't see it...or touch it...but its effect on each individual is immeasurable. i majored in psychology in college, and hope to go back to school for my masters (realistic) or phd (not so realistic) and do some counseling after my poker career is over.
i got lucky to get the counselor i have. she relates with me very well and has shown me so much to help me deal with my struggles. i realized everything wasn't my fault, regardless of how much blame is put on me by others, it wasn't fair. i questioned many things i did in my relationship, and regretted many things i had done. she helped me come to a grasp on reality. my relationship wasn't good from the start. it was a bad situation to get myself into, and the first 6 months were exactly like the last 6 months. nothing changed. i feel so much smarter in approaching my next relationship and finding someone that compliments me like a best friend...not someone who you are afraid to speak to about something serious...rather someone who will listen and want to come to compromises. im done dealing with other peoples selfishness and hypocrisies. im trying to become more assertive in the things i want, instead of constantly feeling bad for others when they dont get what they want.
i am regaining and realizing the control that i have in my situation moving forward. there is only so much i can do. im honestly done being angry about the past. im done holding grudges for things that have happened. what the hell is the point? sit here and punish myself over petty stupidness? no thanks...time to look ahead to things i want to accomplish, and enjoying the present moments that life has to offer.
when september came, i knew i had to make a change. i started to get active in sports again, something which i put on the shelf for a long time. i enrolled at UNLV and took up golf and tennis classes. i also started to play tennis in community practices as well. i was playing 5-6 days a week, and it was invigorating. i started to eat better, and with all the exercise, next thing ya know...i lost 30 pounds since may and was basically at my high school weight again. and considering im 27 years old...it had sure been a while.
i then badly sprained my ankle in mid september, and decided to get health insurance for the first time in my adult life! that was exciting. of course it wasn't retroactive, but it was nice knowing i had it just in case. october wasn't too eventful...i started to get back into my classes after the injury, and poker started to pick up again after a slow september.
i enrolled in the 'big brothers' program in mid october, and am still waiting to be matched up with a child. i have finished my interview process a while ago. (check out http://www.bbbsa.org/ for more info on volunteering). i thought it would be a great opportunity to give back some time to the community, and hopefully have a positive influence on a child who is in need of it. during my childhood, i did not grow up with my father, and when i saw him, it was very rarely. i realize how lucky i am to be where i am today, and with the knowledge of how it affected me...i hope i can be a positive role model and mentor for someone else.
i was all over the map in november and december, playing online wherever and whenever i had a spare moment. i was in hawaii for a week, toronto for 5 days, new york for 10 days...back home for 2 weeks, then arizona for a week. i saw a lot of friends and family, and was definitely the most enjoyable part of my year. the heads up sng's were kind to me the last two months as well.
so in some sort of conclusion of my ramblings...the year was a crazy one. i learned a lot about other people, and a ton about myself. i gotta keep reminding myself how lucky i am to be where i am today. even three years ago, i was a broke, degenerate gambler who needed action any way i could get it. i had many sleepless nights thinking about internet blackjack, and missed field goals. i would wake up in the middle of the night with my heart racing to check the college games that finished on the west coast. it was no way to live. today, i dont play table games, and i dont bet on sports. i reached 400 on scope just before the year ended...i have over 1 million fpp's (which i plan to save for a car). things have really changed for me. im eating healthier and exercising....i have great friends, a great job, a great perspective on life and poker. i think about how far i have come in my life...and if it were to somehow end tomorrow, i can honestly be thankful for one hell of a ride.
"I kept on digging the hole deeper and deeper looking for the treasure chest until i finally lifted my head, looked up and realized that i had dug my own grave."
-Dominic
another year has begun, thus another year has gone by to reflect upon. a lot has happened this year in which there has been so many ups and downs. A difficult time for me in my personal life has led to not as much play as i would have liked. there were hopes of supernova elite in '08, but it never seemed to materialize.
the year started off slowly in january while i was in new york. i didn't play much while i was away from home. i came back in february after watching my giants win the superbowl...with a fresh outlook on my game. with my time off, i really tried to focus on holes that i had. i started to make specific adjustments against certain types of players and the results started to pay off. february and march were both very good months for me and when april 1st rolled around, things started to turn.
i played a few 5k's which i sold some action to some of my friends and got crushed. i went 0-4 or 0-5 and it was a difficult task to overcome. after dropping those games, the outlook was daunting to try to grind that money back. when may rolled around, i had won a LAPT package to brazil which i busted early on day 2. shortly after i got back, myself and my gf at the time of 7 years, after months of distress, broke up. i spent a lot of may taking it easy and not putting pressure on myself to play.
when the world series came around in june, it was very uplifting to see a lot of friends during a time when i needed to them. i was lucky to be running very hot at the time in my HU games online. that was a big relief, because i couldn't play for many hours at a time.
july roamed around and i felt a little better about my situation, and a little more refreshed. the ex-gf and i started to talk about getting back together, which i thought i had wanted. i decided to make a run at supernova elite during the 1.5x vpp promotion in late july. i played ridiculously hard for 2 weeks, and it gave me an outside shot at achieving it.
when august hit, i was dedicated in getting elite and my mindset was no matter what happens with the decision of my relationship status, i was going to grind it out and get elite. i was really motivated and thought things were starting to go my way again. things drastically changed when i heard from her that it was over for good. i went into a state of depression, blaming myself for everything that had gone wrong in the relationship. i over thought every single thing that happened, and just tortured myself. i knew i needed some sort of help to guide me through this.
i started to see a counselor in late august, which probably was one of the best decisions i have ever made. i know there are general negative connotations associated with seeing a counselor, and this isn't the easiest of things to discuss. but i feel its important to stress having an open mind about it. people will always try to take care of their physical health, and put their mental health problems on the back shelf because its not something tangible. you can't see it...or touch it...but its effect on each individual is immeasurable. i majored in psychology in college, and hope to go back to school for my masters (realistic) or phd (not so realistic) and do some counseling after my poker career is over.
i got lucky to get the counselor i have. she relates with me very well and has shown me so much to help me deal with my struggles. i realized everything wasn't my fault, regardless of how much blame is put on me by others, it wasn't fair. i questioned many things i did in my relationship, and regretted many things i had done. she helped me come to a grasp on reality. my relationship wasn't good from the start. it was a bad situation to get myself into, and the first 6 months were exactly like the last 6 months. nothing changed. i feel so much smarter in approaching my next relationship and finding someone that compliments me like a best friend...not someone who you are afraid to speak to about something serious...rather someone who will listen and want to come to compromises. im done dealing with other peoples selfishness and hypocrisies. im trying to become more assertive in the things i want, instead of constantly feeling bad for others when they dont get what they want.
i am regaining and realizing the control that i have in my situation moving forward. there is only so much i can do. im honestly done being angry about the past. im done holding grudges for things that have happened. what the hell is the point? sit here and punish myself over petty stupidness? no thanks...time to look ahead to things i want to accomplish, and enjoying the present moments that life has to offer.
when september came, i knew i had to make a change. i started to get active in sports again, something which i put on the shelf for a long time. i enrolled at UNLV and took up golf and tennis classes. i also started to play tennis in community practices as well. i was playing 5-6 days a week, and it was invigorating. i started to eat better, and with all the exercise, next thing ya know...i lost 30 pounds since may and was basically at my high school weight again. and considering im 27 years old...it had sure been a while.
i then badly sprained my ankle in mid september, and decided to get health insurance for the first time in my adult life! that was exciting. of course it wasn't retroactive, but it was nice knowing i had it just in case. october wasn't too eventful...i started to get back into my classes after the injury, and poker started to pick up again after a slow september.
i enrolled in the 'big brothers' program in mid october, and am still waiting to be matched up with a child. i have finished my interview process a while ago. (check out http://www.bbbsa.org/ for more info on volunteering). i thought it would be a great opportunity to give back some time to the community, and hopefully have a positive influence on a child who is in need of it. during my childhood, i did not grow up with my father, and when i saw him, it was very rarely. i realize how lucky i am to be where i am today, and with the knowledge of how it affected me...i hope i can be a positive role model and mentor for someone else.
i was all over the map in november and december, playing online wherever and whenever i had a spare moment. i was in hawaii for a week, toronto for 5 days, new york for 10 days...back home for 2 weeks, then arizona for a week. i saw a lot of friends and family, and was definitely the most enjoyable part of my year. the heads up sng's were kind to me the last two months as well.
so in some sort of conclusion of my ramblings...the year was a crazy one. i learned a lot about other people, and a ton about myself. i gotta keep reminding myself how lucky i am to be where i am today. even three years ago, i was a broke, degenerate gambler who needed action any way i could get it. i had many sleepless nights thinking about internet blackjack, and missed field goals. i would wake up in the middle of the night with my heart racing to check the college games that finished on the west coast. it was no way to live. today, i dont play table games, and i dont bet on sports. i reached 400 on scope just before the year ended...i have over 1 million fpp's (which i plan to save for a car). things have really changed for me. im eating healthier and exercising....i have great friends, a great job, a great perspective on life and poker. i think about how far i have come in my life...and if it were to somehow end tomorrow, i can honestly be thankful for one hell of a ride.
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