Team PRO Signing, BSO Main Event and WSOP around the corner!
It’s nice to finally find some free time and knock out what seems to be my long overdue first blog entry for BCP. I’m beyond thrilled to join Team PRO and look forward to watching BCP grow as a company with their dedicated staff consistently putting the player first. From the moment I signed on with BCP months after Black Friday as a private affiliate, I knew my players were in good hands.
As most might know given my limited sample size online, I’m primarily a live MTT player. I played a bit online during college, but have since made the transition into live MTTs. When my schedule permits I do play the occasional MTTs on BCP as I feel there is still a ton of value to be had online. I have recently been mixing it up online, trying to gauge interest in what game(s) I would like to set a goal/challenge for post WSOP. I have played (limited samples of course) anything from HU SNGs to 6max cash recently and still haven’t found what I’m looking for in a goal/challenge sense. I particularly enjoyed the Bounty SNGs on BCP though as I see a ton of value in them. I will expand more on the Goal/Challenge I will be setting for myself at a later date, something I think a lot will enjoy as I will be making weekly/bi-weekly strat/sweat vids along with it which I will showcase on BCP’s YouTube Channel as well as my website FlopTurnBink.com which I hope to have up and running here soon.
Now for some Live MTT discussion! 2012 has been pretty good so far, I’m nearing $70K in live earnings for the year with a limited number of venue stops, particularly less than I wanted to but that will pick up soon with WSOP approaching, where I will be playing a bigger schedule than a normal circuit stop or the like. The $2,700 Borgata Spring Open Main Event was a couple weeks ago and I was fortunate enough to make a run in that, given how the series played out thus far for me. Great event as usual, with Borgata putting out an excellent Main Event structure with 30K starting stacks and $1Mil GTD. The field was relatively tough as I thought it would be with: Ronnie Bardah, Gavin Smith, Christian Harder, Kathy Liebert, Jonny Bax in the mix to name a few. I considered it a nice warm-up for WSOP nearing where the events play 3-5 days and stamina is key.
WSOP is real close and I’m feeling very confident in my game and looking forward to a lucrative series. I will be playing plenty of Venetian Deep Stack events as well as there is tremendous value in their events that run parallel to WSOP with excellent turnouts and a wide range of buy-ins. I will be out in Vegas for 2 months for the series and have plenty of things on the agenda. I feel you need to incorporate activities outside of poker when you’re down in Vegas for the series to ease the mind. The WSOP grind can put a physical and mental strain on the body and it’s imperative that you leave ample time for rest and relaxation throughout the series.
Until next time, GL on the felt!
By DiscGolf01 - Apr 12, 2012
Like Son, Like Father
What’s up BlackChippers. I haven’t written anything in a while because I’ve been super busy moving and having to go through all the hoops required to get a home mortgage loan as a pro poker player. Maybe I’ll write about that nightmare another time but not now.
Before moving away from Delaware my wife, 2 year old son and I decided to take a weekend trip to NYC. While there I was to meet up with a merge regular that I have been in touch with for a long time but never met face to face. He lives in the area and was coming to pick me up and we were going to go out for food and drinks. He happened to arrive just as my son was getting locked into the apartment building where we were staying. We can all see my son and he thinks we are playing a game but he is on the other side of the glass door and HE is holding the keys and to our dismay the door locks automatically. So needless to say we were all freaked out for a bit and tried to talk our son into bulling things in the hallway up to the door and standing on top of it to reach the lock and use the keys. Needless to say our 2 year old just stared at us confused. My wife ends up picking the lock like a ninja. I hadn’t imagined that NYC apartment building security could be bested by the old credit card swipe trick but lucky for us it could.
So this was my first meeting with my merge regular friend but we have talked quite a bit and he says “you seem like the type of person that this type of thing happens to a lot”. Essentially calling me an airhead, which in truth, is a pretty good read. I started thinking of other such similar situations I’ve been in and it reminded me of this story I told him and I thought I’d share here.
Back in 2005 I was living in a very, very ghetto house in Chapel Hill, NC. The house was easily condemnable and the street was the one street around where there was regular slinging on the corner. My rent payments were nearly nonexistent, I was working a fine dining restaurant in the area and was just getting into poker as a tourney donk. At the time my biggest score was like 8 or 900 dollars. I am second chip leader in the biggest tourney I have played (1st paid 4.5k or so) and there are only 14 people left when break time comes. At the time I was a smoker and so filled with excitement and adrenaline that poker rarely if ever gives me these days I rush outside to get a quick one in. With no shoes on and no wallet or keys in my pockets I realise that I have just locked myself out at the worst of times. Usually this is no problem if I have my wallet thanks the previously mentioned credit card trick but with no wallet on me I frantically search the grounds for anything that might work. To my dismay and surprise I find no piece of garbage in the lawn or street that will suffice. I know break must be over at this point and every second my stack is getting eaten away. In panic I decide to sprint to the nearest mini mart hoping that since I frequent there they will spot me some sort of card that I can jimmy the lock with.
Not surprisingly a college aged kid apparently running for his life with no shoes on out of a very crime ridden neighbourhood drew some attention. It is also not too surprising that some cops were around as they patrolled the area regularly. So I guess it’s not really that bad of a beat that I get “pulled over” by the cops and questioned for a bit. I can just feel my blinds melting away! They were mostly concerned that something had happened to me and so they let me go after I explained I was just in a hurry to get somewhere and I was fine. I’m surprise they didn’t try to take me in and drug test me or something because I’m sure I seemed pretty jacked up and panicked.
I get to the mini mart to find it fairly crowded and being cashiered by someone I don’t recognise. I wait for a couple people in line who seem to be the slowest people on the planet. Cashier just taking his sweet time. I end up just interrupting to ask if I can please borrow a card and pay them back later. I don’t remember if they eventually gave me one or if one of the customers gave me a useless card from their wallet but I got one somehow and proceeded to sprint as fast as I could back home. I pick the lock and run upstairs to find myself somehow not totally blinded away. The 14 people that were left have now turned into 8. My 2nd place chip lead has turned into 5th or 6th. I manage to run well and take down what was by far my largest score of the time for 4.5k or so. After the adrenaline died down from the win and all of the excitement I realised that there was blood on my floor and on my feet from sprinting down the road. I’m pretty sure that is both my best airhead story and my best online tournament story. I hope you enjoyed it.
I’m not really playing much online at the moment because I had to consolidate some site bankrolls for the house purchase but I’ll be back on there soon enough. Otherwise poker has been going well and I hope to see you all at the tables soon. Cheers!
By Reasons14 - Mar 23, 2012
Music Life Poker
I haven't purposely been putting off writing for as long it seems. Numerous times have I found myself staring at a blank computer screen and nothing coming to mind.
Part of the reason is that Black Friday most definitely severed a lot of ties I had with the online world, as I'm sure many of you can relate to….and I guess my lack of blogging represents that shift. In retrospect, I wish it hadn't taken me as long to realise that upon my poker 'environment' slipping away, my ability/want to thrive was diminishing as well. There is such a fine line between being just content and having a deep sense of motivation.
I've actually really enjoyed the the contrast between having school, no school, then back to school again. Learning is a lot more interesting and there is much to be said for having a sense of structure to one's life. It's a good lesson I'll take with me when I finish up these last few credits.
Here's a brief synopsis of the the last few months for me:
October: slight burnout from the 14 hour super turbo grinding sessions.
November: Small live series, but otherwise had a lot of personal issues preventing me from grinding. Staking went decent.
December: Ski trip, family stuff, having quite a bit of fun and spending too much money.
January: Made a few thousand in another live series, but overall this was when I had the realisation that my game was lacking as well as my confidence. School started again
February: Trying to replenish my game as well as keep up with school. Learned a lot and got into a really good routine. Turned 23 as well.
And now, here I am in March. This is my last day of spring break in which I pretty much decided to do but stay focused on poker and not break from the healthy lifestyle I've gotten into over the past weeks. Each day for the past 3 weeks has begun with a run, yoga, meditation, reading, and healthy food throughout the day.
Funny to think that throughout the past 5 days or so, the only people I've spoken to face to face have been a Kroger cashier, CVS cashier, and my massage therapist. I guess that may sound socially weird to some, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the decompression aspect of it all. Putting in volume, studying, and coaching every day, all without the distraction of school has been super nice as well.
I'm aware I need to do a bit more thinking as far as establishing some short term goals, but that will come soon. Though I didn't realise it previously, this blog has kept me motivated and accountable throughout the past few years. Huge thanks to all who have taken the time to read it. Looking forward to crushing the rest of 2012. More updates will come soon.
By Xorc1st - Feb 16, 2012
Jackpot
Earlier tonight in my session, I was at a bunch of tables and I got a pop-up saying I had been a part of the bad beat jackpot. Needless to say, I was kind of surprised, because it’s never happened to me on MERGE, nor have I ever been at the same table as a jackpot hand (and I’ve been playing for about 5 years now), so I think it was about time. Who knows, maybe in another 5 years (or less i’m hoping), I can be the jackpot victim. Here is a picture of the pop-up…
Now, for a big announcement I mentioned a couple months ago. The book I have been working on with a friend is finally compiled and completed. It took a bit to turn a massive .doc file into an eBook format, had to do some research and learn some things. The book’s format is still a little iffy, and I hope to improve it when I get some time. But for now, you can purchase your copy. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who wants to better their poker game. The amount of content and the authors packed into this book is an absolute steal; not to mention the proceeds go to charity! Here's the link to buy it on amazon.
By QTip - Jan 25, 2012
Country Butter
Sometimes things are more than good. When encountering a really deep concept, an old friend of mine used to shake his head and say, "Man...that's rich...like country butter." I put poker in the country butter category.
I've been working hard on a fourth book, and I'm extremely excited about it. A fun benefit to teaching is you often learn yourself. It's been a while since I really buried myself in poker strategy. I forgot how fun it is to really explore different strategies from every angle. The game is amazingly complex.
When I'm finished with this book, I think I'll have a end product that will be a crowning accomplishment for me up to this point in my life. I'm hoping to release it in the spring, so keep your eyes open for it.
See you at the tables,
Owen
By QTip - December 23, 2011
Poker Perspectives
I thought I'd change things up a bit with a blog centered more on a personal update than poker strategy.
With poker, I've been spending a lot of time at the keyboard lately. I've just finished a third poker book called Poker Perspectives. It's currently available for preorder at www.qtippoker.com . I've also begun work on a fourth book discussing advanced postflop strategy. I'm enjoying digging into the game on such a deep level . It's been a while since I just buried myself in strategy; I had forgotten how much I enjoy the analysis.
The holiday season is staying true to its norm by keeping life very busy. My family and I just returned from a 9-day trip to visit out-of-state family members. As soon as we got back, we began decorating the house with Christmas decorations. This is always a tough time of year to be ambitious. However, my ambition is in high gear. As well as putting in more hands at the tables, I hope to release at least four new books in 2012.
I've joined a gym as well, and have been going there 3 times a week. I've enjoyed the added energy it gives me. Now if I could stop cramming in 8 pieces of pizza in a sitting...
I'll catch you all at the BCP tables. Enjoy your games.
Owen
By DiscGolf01 - November 17, 2011
PokerDadding
Its 8 am. Ok it’s 8:55 but that’s still in the 8s. I know that this isn’t early at all for most of the world but for as long as I can remember I’ve been a night owl and the last 6 years of playing poker for a living certainly haven’t remedied that and I suspect most pro poker players are the same. There is a remedy however for anyone looking for it. Have a kid!
Needless to say, having a kid has greatly affected my work schedule. An average work day for me USED to go something like this:
1pm- wake up, most likely feeling mildly hungover. Walk with my dog to get some food and coffee. Do some reading or studying.
3pm- Return home fed and sufficiently caffeinated. Play poker for a couple hours.
5pm- Head out for a round of disc golf.
7:30pm- Play a quick session and/or walk into town for dinner (I went out for every meal for about 4 years straight).
10pm- Play for 1 or 2 more hours.
12am- Head out to meet up with friends at the bars.
2:30am- Wander back home and occasionally play an ill-advised, late night, had a few too many-poker session which somehow would usually turn out pretty well.
4am- Crash
That was a normal-ish day when I would get a good amount of hours of play in but basically I would do whatever I felt like doing whenever I wanted to so often I wouldn’t play at all.
If someone had told me 5 years ago that today I would be living in a small town in Delaware and married with a 2 year old boy I would’ve laughed. If I had known it to be true I probably wouldn’t have been terribly excited.
Well, here I am, living in Delaware, with a wife and kid, and despite losing so many of the freedoms that I once enjoyed along with infinite amounts of leisure time I am as happy as I’ve ever been. The freedom and flexibility from poker that used to allow me to travel, party, and do whatever, now gives me the ability to spend a lot of time raising my son and helping my wife get started with her new career. I know it probably doesn’t sound super exciting but to me it is.
Recently my average work day goes something like this:
8:30 am- Wake up. Start some coffee. Clean up the disaster that Max created in the morning while Emily was getting herself ready for work and him ready for daycare. Try to get anything done around the house that I can’t do when max is home.
9:15 am- Eat breakfast. Drink coffee.
9:30am- Open up about 30 heads-up tables across 4 poker sites (Blackchip is my favorite of course ☺). Play guitar, work on Mandarin with Rosetta stone, check emails, etc. while waiting for action. It’s rare that I have to wait for very long with that many tables but 9:30am is obviously not peak poker hours.
11:30 am- If I’ve gotten a decent session in I’ll take a break and maybe prep some food for whatever I’m planning on fixing for dinner. Been on a thai cooking craze for a while. We have to drive 2 hours to Philly for the ingredients but that’s another story.
11:55 am- Head over to daycare to pick up the coolest guy on the planet.
12:00pm- Take Max back home for his nap. On a good day he tells me about what happened at daycare with words and syllables that only he understands. On a bad day he pierces my soul with his wraith like screams because he can’t get something that he wants.
12:15pm- Put Max down for his nap. Lately, this has been going very well and he is napping for up to 3 hours and I will pretty much play until he wakes.
3:00pm- Max wakes up and is ridiculously cute. If I am still closing up tables he will come over and ask in his way if we can skype with his grandparents. For the rest of the day until about 7 it is just Max and I and its some combination of playground, beach, library, grocery store, state park, stacking blocks, reading books, and eating.
6:45-730pm- Beautiful, exhausted wife gets home. We all hang out for a bit before putting Max to bed. The two of us hang out briefly before she completely collapses.
9:00pm- If I still have energy and feel focused I will play another session.
11:00pm- Try to unwind. Read or have a drink and watch a show (Homeland, Boardwalk Empire, Dexter, Walking Dead, Colbert or Daily show are all favorites lately). Make Max’s lunch for daycare the next day.
12:30am Crash
Obviously there has been a huge shift from my life and work schedule 4 years ago to today. There have been a lot of phases since Max was born where I could get little to no work done either because I was too busy or too exhausted. At the moment I am feeling very well balanced. At the poker table there a few things as important as balance, whether it’s balancing ranges, frequencies, your bankroll, or your emotions. As with many things in poker it translates well into life. Here’s wishing you all balance and good luck at the tables.
Cheers
By Xorc1st - November 17, 2011
Enjoy The Game
I apologize for the lack of updates & blogs on my site & twitter. I have been so busy lately with school and possible job opportunities, my time for poker has slowly dwindled. However, I’m always working to try and free up time for poker in the future. It's just such a great game, I don’t see myself giving up on it anytime soon (no matter what the US does lol). So the key is to stay focused on what is important to YOU. I cannot tell everyone they can free up time and get better no matter how busy or leaks a person has. The key is you have to want it for yourself. It really is all about planning ahead and time management. It is different because poker in the US is very tough now days. Yes, there is still money to be made, but you really have to work for it. A few years ago (or months even), you could be a so-so player and make money. But now, you always have to work on improving your game as well as staying ahead of the curve & this is no easy feat.
Lately, I have been watching training videos & reaching out to others in the game on their thoughts and opinions. Yep, that’s right, a BCP Team Pro is watching training videos and seeking outside advice! It’s not because I don’t feel I’m playing well, but I don’t feel I am playing my best, I know there is room to improve. This is where the focus comes in, are you willing to settle for mediocrity? Some might, and that’s fine, but they’re not being 100% efficient and losing possible profits because of it. That’s not me though.
Even though I’ve been busy, I still managed to watch a good percentage of this years WSOP final table and heads-up play. It was an awesome final table and everyone played very well. I’d much rather see two very good players go heads-up then Darvin Moon. I think a couple hands where Stazko and Heinz were heads-up, Stazko made some mistakes on the flush draw hands (if you can remember, Q6 hearts was one of them). It kind of sucks for a bunch of these guys (US citizens) that had a good portion of their winnings taken away for taxes.
My last blog post mentioned something about an announcement. I have teamed up with a poker friend to raise money for charity and we are in the process of publishing a book. The book will be 1-2 page articles giving tips & strategies from poker professionals including myself. I don’t have the full list of pro’s with me, but I can tell you this book will be very insightful & not to mention all the proceeds will be going towards charity. It is from a wide range of pros who aren’t necassarily well known in the live world, but have done very well online. This book will include a ton of different topics; mtts, sngs, cash, theory & more!). My topic was actually on board textures & I think I did well explaining my thought process. We hope to have this book in the Amazon store before years-end. When it is released, I will let everyone know on here and twitter.
I have also been more involved in investment opportunities, stock market, as well as possible start-up ideas. It would be my dream to own my own company someday (or a partnership). If anything big happens, I’ll be sure to let you guys know!
I will have more free time with the holidays coming up, so expect to see me at the tables. As always, feel free to message me if you’d like to talk about anything related to poker or investing, I’m always up for conversation (as long as time permits).
And don’t forget to follow me on twitter @Xorc1stPoker, you will run amazing for the rest of your life. Don’t believe me? Just try it!
Take Care.
By Xorc1st - September 7, 2011
Pringles
I really couldn’t think of a title for this blog so instead I named it the current food I’m eating. And more specifically it’s the Salt & Vinegar kind lol. So I just started my last year of college. I’m excited to finish college and finally have no obligations. I’m going to try and get a few poker buddies lined up when I’m done and move in together somewhere near a live casino.
As for online poker, I’ve been playing a lot more on Black Chip, mainly because I’ve now extended my sessions to include 6-max, so there are more games. I don’t think I’m at the top of my 6-max game…yet, but I’ll get there eventually I hope. I’ve been playing full ring religiously for the last few years, but there’s just not enough games on the Merge network at 200nl+ to fill enough tables. So I decided to start playing 6-max on top of every full ring available game at 200nl. So far, it’s been a bumpy ride, but I’m beginning to smooth out. With the help of some poker buddies and some online videos, I think I’ll be where I want to in a couple weeks or months. It’s definitely more swingy, but I enjoy it, full ring has really dried up and it’s a nice change. Of course I still am very +EV playing full ring, but 6-max just really helps my poker game as a whole. Once I am convinced I can beat 200nl 6-max for a decent win rate, I will probably move up as there are games for 6-max. For this month and on though, I plan on playing a good amount as long as I don’t get hammered with homework. I also have to try and balance some sort of a college social life too lol.
I’ve been working on a project with one of my fellow poker buddies and a few other top dogs in the poker community. I can’t say too much about it right now except for the fact that we’re trying to incorporate the poker community into helping something big. More information on this will follow probably in a couple weeks. I am very excited to be working on it and think everyone will be pleased with the idea & might even get involved too.
And of course, I continue to work with the Black Chip crew with new ideas and suggestions to help improve the skin. If you have any, please let me know about them and I will get them forwarded to the right people. That’s all I got for now people, see ya at the tables!
By Reasons14 - August 18, 2011
RoadTrippin
So I decided a few days ago that I would drive to New York and play the Heartland Poker Series at Turningstone. It isn't the most massive series or anything (Main Event is $1,650), but I'm going to meet some friends, play some cards and hopefully make some money. Flying may been a bit more convenient, but driving has been quite enjoyable to me as of late.
AUGUST 7
Put in a small session in the A.M today and ran decent...
19 $28.04 $50 15% $533
Gas and food - $62
Hotel - $113
Day one = +358
Trip Total +$358
As you can see, since the last attempted entry, I've gone into grind mode. I decided when I get back to school, I'll be putting in a lot of hours at the tables. My target number of Sngs/month is 5000, not counting some some mtt sessions I'll try and squeeze in on weekends. With no Violin this semester, I don't really see why I can't average to work 5.7 days out of the week or so. I'm hoping with Sngs, Bonuses, Mtts, Rakeback, affiliate stuff, and the occasional staking, a 12k month would be sustainable.
INDIANA
It's 7 A.M and I have late check out at 2 pm. 6 hours of sleep, shower, then back on the road to Indiana.
The drive to New York has slowed down a little as I've been having a pretty good time in Indiana. I met up with xboxlucas and MCC3504 after knowing them for 2-3 years from the 18 mans.
I'm +399 more in the games for a total of $872
Hotel - $122
Lunch - $24
Coffee -$3
Gas - $91
Bar - $23
+ $136
$358+$136= $494 trip total
I'm really getting into the poker mindset with all this thinking I get to do while driving. I saw 200s, 300s, and 500s, (all 6ms hypers) loading today and know I should be playing in those games. If I had my Pokerstars/FullTilt roll a few months ago I would already be in them, but really don't want to take a massive hit. I'll be grinding for a few thousand more for my online roll than most likely take a 7k shot at playing everything up to the $360's. I haven't been on the regular online grind for a while now, but it seems the higher stakes regs are all playing around 1:30 A.M CT (my time), which could make for some interesting planning this upcoming semester.
I think my drive tomorrow is only around 9 hours so I should be able to relax and not have to rush or anything. I was initially planning to hang out in New York today but I just ended up hanging out here. Hopefully I'll be able to squeeze in another day whenever I'm done playing to hang out.
It is a sad thought to think that out of how many days people waste, some never take the time to drive across the country. Definitely consider it if you have the chance.
By QTip - August 10, 2011
Enjoy The Game
Having spent a lot of time watching chat boxes in online poker tables as well as observing players at live poker tables, I've seen a lot of people seem to be very discontent with their life while playing poker. It's a bit of a mystery to me. Personally, I don't enjoy being upset; maybe they do.
Poker is a game. Games are supposed to be fun. If you're voluntarily spending time playing a game, why not have fun? If a game is causing you more pain than pleasure, perhaps you should consider finding something else to do with your leisure time.
When I observe someone in pain while playing poker, it seems it's normally a result of them expecting something different than the game can give. They come to the game expecting to win. They come to the game expecting to get a big hand and have it hold up. These are expectations the game cannot consistently fulfill. So, if you come to the game expecting these things, be prepared to experience pain often.
Once you embrace the rollercoaster of poker, you can really enjoy the ride. Often I find it's just a matter of putting things in perspective. It's not too frequently in poker that you can get the money and have more than 85% equity (before the river, of course). However, even in this best case scenario, your opponent is winning 15% of the time. Think of that as a dice roll. If your opponent needed to roll a die and have it land on a five, would that be a big deal when it happened? Would you stand in shock staring at the five? Would you be sure to tell friends about how ridiculously unlucky you were? Of course, not. It's not that big of a deal.
There's a healthy amount of luck in poker. Embrace the luck in the game. During those parts of the ride, throw your hands in the air, smile, and enjoy the game. You'll have lots more fun, and so will everyone else around you.
By DiscGolf01 - July 26, 2011
Tilted
I have to admit I've been kind of dreading this. Every time I sit down to write it I get a little depressed and tilted thinking about the last few months of poker. In fact, I'm having to wash it down with a nice Manhattan as I type, and then maybe a second.
In my last post I talked about how I had been in a bit of a rut and outlined a number of things helpful for escaping such ruts. I started out well on my renewed motivation to work on my game and get my shit together but it didn't last terribly long.
I dropped 30 buyins below ev in a pretty short period, and then due to payment processor issues I was forced to spread out my bankroll over several sights turning them into 3 pretty small rolls when added to the runbad, and wouldn't you know it, my computer crashed. I've also been super busy with things outside of poker which leaves me putting in hours when I'm tired or don't feel like playing. All of this combined with the uncertainty of the poker industry at the moment has tilted me more than I care to admit. I let all of these things become an excuse to slack off on the regimen I had started on.
On the bright side my new computer is pretty sweet and after restoring my backed up databases I combined them and can look at all my Merge hands at once for the first time (conveniently or inconveniently I hadn't backed up my database in about 3 months so the terribleness that occurred then has sort of disappeared. I'm sure the IRS would find it 'convenient'. Let's hope that is never an issue!).
Anyway, being able to look at 900k hands and graphs at once can make you feel a bit better about the last 50k and I can see where I've had similar runs and fought through them but it is still hard not to be discouraged by your most recent results.
So at the moment I am a lowly bumhunter trying to nurse a 3 way split, small bankroll at stakes a good bit lower than I'm used to and trying to recover psychologically from the beatings I've endured. It has been a pride swallowing endeavor but then pride shouldn't have anything to do with it. That's always been a bit of an issue with me but I think its getting better.
Non-poker life has been great lately and my 1 and a half year old son is amazing me everyday. Hopefully I will have such cheery things to say about poker for my next update. Thanks for reading and good luck at the tables.
By Xorc1st - July 5, 2011
Summer - Relax or Work Hard? How About Both!
I am actually on my way to Turning Stone Casino in a few hours to do some work & relax a bit :) Although live poker might weigh my hourly win rate down a bit it’s something I need to do every now and then in order to remain sane. Grinding online everyday wears on you, so I look forward to these types of trips. I've been thinkign about summer and how I can make the most of it. Some people like to party it up 24/7, hang out with friends or go on vacation, while others use it as free time to work on projects or grind it out online. What works for me is doing a little bit of both.
Summer means I can sleep late everyday without worrying about getting to class on time and I can live without being constrained to a schedule. This summer however I need to make some big decisions. With only one more year of school to go before I graduate, it's time for me to make some plans for the future. So this is my last summer to do what I can in poker & make as much as I can and in effect get some proof for myself either way. If I do well, I will consider playing poker exclusively when I graduate and although it would be a shame to work so hard at school then not use my degree, it is something that I'll have under my belt forever. In the end I am going to do whatever makes sense financially & for gives me a sense of achievement. I really wouldn’t mind using my Computer Science degree to work at a casino & play poker on the side though. All the big decisions aside, I'll definitely be finding time to hang out with friends.
So look for me at the full ring tables this summer!
Also, you can follow me on twitter “@Xorc1stPoker”.
By reasons14 - June 14, 2011
Little Boxes
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky tacky,
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes all the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.
And the people in the houses
All went to the university,
Where they were put in boxes
And they came out all the same,
And there's doctors and lawyers,
And business executives,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.
For those of you who have seen the show "Weeds", you'll recognize the above song. I really couldn't agree with it more and I'm sure a lot of poker players can relate to the words. The only time I watch TV aside from documentaries is at home/on break. I'm about midway through the third season and it's fantastic. I highly recommend watching the series.
I've come to the conclusion that I will never complete any sort of goal that I outline on my blog for the coming months. I think if I did, life would become a little too monotonous, that's one thing it certainly hasn't been in the last month. Since my trip to New York, I've been in 4 different states and slept in 7 different locations. I'm travelling to Austin tomorrow with my girlfriend and some of her friends and will be staying at an old student/friends place. While I love the travelling, not being in one place for an extended amount of time has really worn on me.
I met up with Jshilling09, Mdg0rd0n, and get_raised21 up at Turningstone and it was a pretty good time overall. Between bricking all the tournies and doing decent in prop bets and cash games, I think I came out about breakeven for the trip. Certainly not optimal, but I am proud of the way I played for the most part. I also haven't played a hand of live cash in exactly a year, so getting used to that was a big factor as well. I was sitting at 2/5 95% of the time and the games were pretty good aside from the first day I got there. I sat at 5/10 one evening but got up after about 40 minutes because the table sucked. I was on the must move table in the back of the list and it would have taken far too long to get to the juicy main table.
Between New York, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, I can't imagine being a live pro. Most days I was grinding cash from 12-17 hours per session. Being a live pro it seems a must to play more than 40 hours a week to get a decent sample which is just absurd. To me, it totally detracts from the very reason why I became a poker player - it takes away the freedom that online poker grants you.
Not only is the freedom gone but the people in card rooms are usually not so pleasant to be around. Every middle-aged man that is single and over 35, feels the need to waltz into the cardroom and tell the rest of the players how much their life sucks. The hourly at live cash is certainly not worth listening to that.
Online play has been weird for the last month. The first day I planned to grind, my internet went out at my apartment and because of the volume I am trying to get in grinding on my laptop doesn't work for me. I called my friend lynzeb up who lives an hour away and drove to her house to fit some games in. No hud, different mouse, different keyboard, different everything… these factors have all affected me to some degree, but I feel I am doing ok. I've had two silver stars on sharkscope in the meantime, but because of my travelling, I have been fluctuating with it. Right now I'm 19th in any game 5-6 players super turbo $16-$35 total profit 2011. My internet should finally be fixed today so volume shouldn't be an issue from now on. I don't see any reason why I can't be on three leaderboards and have a top 5 spot.
It seems to have been a while since I've flown on a plane. It's a really cool perspective to just realize how small we are in the universe and how intricate our own lives are. With all this time on the road, I've had a lot of time to think about my own life, mostly relating to the song I posted at the top.
What is normal?
I've had numerous people tell me that the things I do, or don't do for that matter, are not normal. All this makes no sense to me. Our surroundings, personal lifestyle, the generation we're from, this is what our own perceived normal is. I guess what people don't realize is that what they perceive as normal, only 1% of the entire population in the world would agree with them. To this day, the whole concept of online poker still blows my mind. The majority of the world does not even have access to the internet and here I start going insane when I don't have it. And being an online professional poker player has only been a viable option for about 10 years now… Pretty cool to think of it that way.
I could keep writing more, but I have more volume to put in. Thanks for all the feedback and recent advice as of late. I most definitely appreciate it. I messed up my laptop, again. So if you haven't seen me on skype at all recently, that's why. I should be online at a more regular basis starting this coming monday. Hope the month is going well for you all.
By QTipDTB - May 26, 2011
Demystifying Poker Decisions
The following is basically an excerpt from my book, Poker Math That Matters. It gives the foundation for how I think about the decision making process in poker.
Poker is a seemingly simply game on the surface, but as many people coming to learn the game have discovered, it’s actually quite complex. However, every complex decision in poker can be boiled down to two things, the two keys to good poker. Without further ado, here are the 2 keys to good poker:
1. Accurate assumptions
2. Making the best decision
It’s so simple, but it can totally demystify the decision process for poker players. This concept is the foundation of anything I do with poker and will really help beginners and experts alike put the game in perspective, create goals and analyze poker situations.
Let’s begin by defining these two keys. First, let’s look at accurate assumptions. I find it easiest to break this into two sections. One concerns our opponent’s range of hands and the other concerns how he will play that range. This key uses a lot of deductive reasoning through what players call “hand-reading” and predicting what decisions (like betting, calling or folding) our opponent will make with those hands. As we gain more experience playing poker, we can begin to understand what types of decisions are common to see from different types of players.
The second key is making the best decision. And we’ll simply say this means making the decision that makes the most money on average. After we’ve determined our assumptions in the first key, the second key comes along with mathematics to show us what play makes us the most money on average. Some would say that math isn’t important in poker. They like to call themselves “feel players”. They just feel out the situation and make the decision they think is best. However, don’t be fooled. The good players saying this are “feeling” the math in the game. The bad players saying this are just…well - bad players. Ignoring mathematics in poker will doom you to be, at best, a mediocre player.
Let’s talk a bit about how to develop these skills. Take a few seconds to look over this graphic.
You’ll notice I’ve shown that developing accurate assumptions is mostly improved through playing experience while making the best decision is mostly improved through away from the table work. I’m going to submit to you that making the best decision is the most important part to develop, especially for a beginner. Let’s take a look at a hand example to see this at work.
Looking at this flop, we can see our hand has a lot of ways to make a very strong hand. Any diamond will give us a flush. Also, a 3 or an 8 will give us the best straight possible. That's a lot of cards that gives us a very powerful hand. Now, let's pretend the pot at this point is $75. We have a $75 pot with $1k left in our stacks. Villain now bets $60.
Now, let’s go through our 2 keys to good poker and fill in the blanks. First of all, what is our assumption about his hand range? Or we could ask, what hands can he have? Just as we get started to answer that, he flips his hand over for some reason and shows us A♠K♠. Well, no need for assumptions there, we know his hand.
Now, the next part is our assumptions about his strategy, how he plays that hand. Just as we start to think about that, he truthfully declares to us that he’ll not fold to any size raise we make. He’s ready to get all-in with the hand. Again, no need for assumptions here, we know his strategy. So, the first key to good poker is covered. Now, let’s change the rules to this game just a bit and say that we can either fold or push here. We have no other option. What’s the best decision of the two and why? Now, you may answer "fold" or "push", but you need to understand why. Now, let’s change his hand and make it K♦Q♦ diamonds. We’ll use the same strategy and rules as before.
Now are you going to fold or push? Why? Are you certain?
Notice that even though the first key of good poker is completely answered, without knowing how to make the best decision we are still not ready to play good poker. All the hand-reading in the world will do you no good if you do not know what to do with the information you gain. So, making the best decision is the most important key to focus on at first. And notice it’s the key that’s most improved through time spent away from the tables. This means most of your time as beginner should be spent away from the tables. Many beginners want to just play, play and play. And while experience is important, you can now see how important it is to dedicate valuable time away from the tables working on your poker skills. You can learn how to work on your game by joining a poker-training site like www.dragthebar.com
So, buckle down and get ready to do some work both at and away from the tables.
By Xorc1st - May 23, 2011
Remaining Clear-headed On and Off the Felt
There are so many elements that are overlooked or taken for granted if you’re playing poker for a living or even as a serious hobby. Probably the most important is to keep a clear mind while off the felt. I’m not saying you can’t go out, party or have a good time what I am saying is that it's good practice to know when you’re not clear-minded and to not play during that time.
There are many players out there that fall victim to playing when they shouldn’t. I’ve witnessed on multiple occasions people coming back drunk and deciding to play 5/10 because they feel they’re on top of the world. While all this confidence is good, it’s rare they have a winning session that they didn’t luck into. It’s more likely they would lose a few buyins, wake up the next day and realize they had made a mistake.
Having a clear mind is a whole other part of the game that is not taken seriously by a good portion of the poker population. I'm not referring to when you're playing with buddies for fun, what I am talking about are the everyday grinders and people who do this for a living that don’t have a stable mind. So what causes instability? Depression, relationship problems, boredom, family issues, and tilt from an earlier session are some obvious ones and if you are dealing with any one of these, you really shouldn’t be playing anything for serious money until you figure out how to handle it. Some ways to better cope with the things life throws at us? Hanging out with friends, going out, talking to those you’re having problems with, jogging, going to the gym or even looking over hand histories from previous play & watch training videos. Basically anything but playing.
A know a bunch of big time pro’s have “life coaches” which is great for a big time poker player. Someone who keeps track of everything, makes sure things run smoothly and who works with us to build a stress-free environment would no doubt help us all. But, not everyone wants or can afford a life coach, so they have to cope with it on their own which can be tough.
I happen to be very good at this, which is definitely one reason for some of my success. But it was a learning process - in the past I fell victim to some of the pitfalls I've mentioned in this blog. But these days I know when I should not play and I stick to it. I have no problem hopping on my Xbox and playing some non-stressful games to let some steam off and calm down (A couple suggestions would be Grant Theft Auto or Call of Duty lol). I jog regularly which works for me and I know for some people going to the gym and lighting up a punching bag can have a positive effect. Then, when I’m ready to play I can fully focus and play the best I can.
So think about this for yourself and ask your self if you can control your self and do you know when not to play. Do you have trouble dealing with tilt? Do you tilt easily? All of these things are very important and should not be overlooked if you plan to be successful in poker. The most difficult thing is that you're mainly having to cope with it on your own, but if you work at it and be aware, you will understand yourself much better and you'll experience a positive result on your game.
By reasons14 - May 16, 2011
Metamorphosis
Sleep was beyond impossible to get the night before my senior recital. I decided to run to the music building the last second to play a few notes and ease my mind, only to find that the doors were locked. I was really wanting to make sure the notes were in my fingers one last time. Whether I would get more or less notes correct the next day didn't really matter. I was simply trying to prevent any performance anxiety that would affect me the next day like it had in past performances. In the midst of my brief frustration, I quickly found myself taking a walk around campus sort of pondering the role that music plays in my life. What I came to realize is that I haven't been able to enjoy music for the last 2.5 years of my life.
For those of you who don't have a photographic memory, 2.5 years ago I was contemplating dropping out of school to pursue poker. After talking with my conductor and really weighing how well (or not well) my family would take it, I decided to stay. Obviously a whole lot more goes into that, but that is the basic rundown of it. Anyways...
Because I have no desire to use my degree, the skill I have on my instrument is all I have to show for whenever I graduate. I have spent so much time on the "degree" aspect, that practicing was what the first item to be put on the back-burner. So now it's all this other stuff that I'm slaving over that I am not going to use? I know how frustrating it is working with a student that doesn't care or isn't motivated. I can't help but feel sorry for my violin professor because I hadn't played up to my potential in the time spent under her. The fact is, despite playing the violin since I was three, I am not even close to as good I should be. All my four years worth of violin playing are to be displayed tomorrow in front of whoever decides to come, lovely. As far as my degree goes, I don't care about it much. Rather, I feel I was cheated by the system because I have spent so much time and energy doing things that have zero relevancy in my life.
Only now did I have time to sift through the confusion in my head since April 15th. I felt that something was taken away from me on the poker world's "Black Friday", and now I was understanding why. I sacrificed school work, friends, and my love for music, to get where I am in the poker world...now all of that is gone and I have nothing to show for it? There were a few moments where I had thought 4 years of my life were wasted because I wouldn't be able to use any of the ability I had worked so hard to gain, music or poker. Obviously that is a bit extreme but that sort of thought would only be natural in my situation.
Regarding actually using my degree, I don't have the mental/emotional control to teach a classroom full of kids. It is nonexistent. I have been so far moved away from "normal", that the thought of waking up at 7 in the morning to make 33k/year starts giving me anxiety. Even the simple act of going to the grocery store gives me anxiety. I felt super productive filling up my gas the other day. That's just how it is now.
I still don't exactly understand how I didn't end up with sweaty cold palms and a shaky bow. Of course I was nervous a little. But, in contrast to how I usually play in front of people, that was the best I had ever played. While this isn't a huge deal to anyone else, it's a pretty massive one to me. It signifies the completing of my inadvertent metamorphosis I started almost 3 years ago from musician to poker player.
I don't exactly remember giving a fist pump, but who knows lol.
So, this leaves us at poker.
What does one do when the day online poker for the U.S shuts down and the day that one wishes to become a full time poker professional are the same? Be water my friend.
After Black Friday, I browsed through numerous blogs getting everyone's point of view on the matter. It was mostly me just seeking the knowledge that other seasoned pros had to offer since they had been through situations similar to this before. I found the above clip on Zimba's blog and felt it spoke to me the loudest above anything else I had seen or read.
Poker in the U.S is far too big of an industry for something to not come through in a year or so. I am confident of that. Many serious players still view poker just as much of game as it is a job. And to this present situation, I see it as a challenge.
Right now, the smaller networks available to the U.S are getting heaps of new players at the tables. Because it is getting more difficult to deposit, and because poker means a lot more to the winning reg than it does to to the fish, it is a high percentage of regs that are coming over. I think being able to progress as a player during a time which the games are supposedly going to be the toughest they have ever been, will be a huge. This overnight change in the poker world is causing many players to find jobs, leave the country, and quit the game all together. I'll be focusing harder on poker than I ever have before. Seeing as I now have triple the amount of time I used to for poker, there is no longer any sort of excuse.
Starting June, I plan on-
Playing 45 hours a week.
Studying 15 hours a week
Coaching 5 hours a week
Yoga every day
Running 5x a week
Music 5 hours a week
1st on the Merge Sng leader board.
Earn a silver star on the Sharkscope leader boards
15k/month profit
That's about 80 hours mapped out of a 168 hour week. 80 hours plus the 45 hours a week I plan on sleeping, leaves me with 43 hours left to do whatever. Being that 43 hours would be considered overtime in the standard work week, I have an absurd amount of time to do things like hang out with my friends and maybe see this thing people call sunlight. So if anyone asks me what my job is now that I'm done with school, I'll just tell them I hang out with my friends for a living and play poker for fun.
If you are thinking about playing poker and haven't heard, the Merge network is halting any new rakeback accounts being created after this month. Rakeback is going to be a massive factor in everyone's winrate so it's important to get it asap. Merge has double the traffic any other network is able to provide to the U.S market. Sign up through me on Blackchippoker.com and talk to me before hand. I'll definitely do what I can to get you rakeback deal that is above the industry standard.
If anyone is going to be at Turningstone for the East Coast Poker Championships, let me know. I'll be there from the 17th-23rd. I don't even know where I'm staying yet and will figure it out when I get there. I'll probably try and make some smaller trips like this throughout the summer since as of right now I plan not to go to Vegas. I feel that getting my head on solid through this transition will require a huge amount of focus. While going to Vegas is super profitable, last year it caused me to lose track of real life stuff and get behind on coaching/staking. With a lot of my friends graduating and the fact that it will probably be my last summer living here, I'd rather spend time with friends. Either way, I'm looking very much forward to this summer.
Thanks for reading, reasons14.
By DiscGolf01 - May 10, 2011
Making the Best of the Worst
It seems about once a year I go through a downswing or dry spell that begins to make me question if I still know how to play this game or if I ever even did. It always feels like I'm running terrible and I likely am running bad but eventually it is hard to deny that I am likely playing poorly as well. The truth is that if you play enough hands you are going to have some terrible runs no matter how good you are or how well you are playing. The good thing about this, for me at least, is that it tends to light a fire under my ass.
I wake up and realize I've become complacent. I haven't been working on my game, focusing well when at the tables and have generally been playing like a mindless robot. This mindlessness is inflated when I will, contrary to all good sense, start playing more tables at a time when I'm running bad than I normally would. This is one of the many things I have been working on over the past month or so to get out of a rut that once again occurred just before taxes were due just to add a little extra sting.
Setting up rules for how many tables you can play is one of the easier steps when you find yourself in a rut. It's all specific to the individual but if you haven't been playing your A game you definitely should drop back tables and it is often a good idea to drop back stakes as well.
More important than those steps is really trying to analyze your game. Playing tons of hands or doing anything repetitively can lend itself to giving you blind spots. This is especially true if you are playing too many tables to really pay good attention to the game. Reading good poker material, watching videos, having a peer review your hands and discussing hands in forums are all helpful for improving and breaking out of a rut. Recently I've been forcing myself to review the previous day's session for at least 15 minutes as well as reviewing hands with my most lost to villain for 15 minutes. I am also trying to make myself post 1 hand per day that I play since this is something I have never really gotten into.
Taking a break from poker can also be very important not only for giving you fresh perspective on the game but for just helping you feel you are coming to a fresh start when you return to the tables. Booking even the smallest winning sessions can also be very helpful and good for your ego when you've been on a bad run. This means that sometimes even if the tables are looking good while you are playing it can be a good idea to stop with a win.
Hopefully you aren't going through such a rough spell now but if so I hope that some of this can help. Remember that downswings will always happen but if you can use them as reminders to work on your game and push yourself to improve they can be very helpful and healthy. Good luck and see you at the tables.
By QTipDTB - April 28, 2011
Ambition Meets Contentment at the Felt
CONTENTMENT - mentally or emotionally satisfied with things as they are.
I was reading through some Facebook comments the other day and noted a few from a from a friend on there. His comments meshed with a common theme from his past comments; they were littered with complaining and discontentment.
I wonder how a person can really complain that way. They apparently are among the elite of the planet. They have a computer, an internet connection, freedom of speech, leisure time, etc. How is their life so miserable that all they can muster to type is complaints?
I think what gets a person to that point is expectations. Unmet expectations cause a person to experience pain. Apparently this person is expecting something from life that it's not delivering. Are his expectations reasonable? I'm not sure I can answer that. However, I did start to think about how this relates to poker.
You don't have to spend much time at a poker table to see intense discontentment. "One frickin time!", a player yells as his flush draw fails to come in. Another yells "How do you call with that crap!" Apparently these players are expecting something and are not seeing it come to fruition.
Where is the place for contentment at the poker table? What should we expect as we sit down and post our blinds?
It's been my observation that many people have unrealistic expectations from poker. I believe this stems from a lack of understanding the fundamentals of the game. Imagine you're in the big blind and get dealt AA. Do you have expectations? Should you? What will your expectations do for you? Now everyone folds to the small blind. You're holding your breath in anticipation. He pauses for a second, then folds. The blinds are pushed your way. Are you disappointed? Should you be? Let's go back a couple seconds in time to you pausing with bated breath. Now the small blind puts in a raise. You reraise, and he pushes all his chips in the middle. You quickly ship it in. Do you have expectations? Should you? What will your expectations do for you? He flips over KK. What should you be expecting now? The board comes down 238Q. The dealer pauses, burns a card, and then the river brings a King. You watch your stack get pushed his direction. "Nice hand", your opponent says. Are you disappointed? Your thoughts badger you "I hate AA! I never frickin win with it!"
I'm sure you could take over from here and give example after example of the emotional roller coasters we can ride while playing poker. I believe those roller coasters are there because we have unrealistic expectations from the game. Let's go back to getting all-in preflop with our AA verses KK.
AA will win that confrontation on average 80% of the time. However, this means KK will win 20% of the time. KK will win one out of five times. So, imagine you hand a die to your friend and say "See if you can roll a five." He rolls it and sure enough, it lands a five. How impressed would you be? Probably not very impressed. You may not even tell anyone it happened. However, KK was more likely to beat your AA than your friend was likely to roll a five. Does that perspective help change your expectations as you get all-in with your AA?
However, this doesn't mean we slouch in our poker chair while sipping a margarita. There's room for intense ambition at the poker table.
AMBITION - strong desire for success, achievement, or distinction.
Make no mistake about it, poker is gambling. However, it's also a game of skill. We need to make a distinction between what we can and cannot control at the poker table. For those things we cannot control, we need to be mentally or emotionally satisfied with things as they are. The strategic edge in poker is not found in what we cannot control, it's found in what we can control.
For those things we can control, the best in the game have high expectations and are never content. They are not mentally or emotionally satisfied with things as they are. They have a strong desire for success, achievement, or distinction. They're extremely ambitious. What can you control in poker? The list is longer than most realize and certainly longer than I'll take the space to list here. However, here are some examples.
The size of the blind in the game you play.
The players you choose to play with.
Your physical and mental state when you play.
How much money you bring to the table.
The seat you'll choose at the table.
The cards you choose preflop.
The betting decisions you'll make.
The attention you give to the happenings at the table.
How you'll handle yourself at the table.
The amount of time and energy you spend away from the table learning the game and improving.
All these things and more are controlled by the player and give a large space for a strategic edge to be had at the poker table. This is the place for discontentment in poker.
When you gain the discernment to find this distinction, we can start to tweak our expectations. When we change our expectations, we can experience less pain. When we experience less pain, we're more likely to enjoy the game and play our best.
By Xorc1st - April 25, 2011
The State of Online Poker
Obviously the current state of online poker is pretty messed up, not only for US players, but for the rest of the world too. While I share everyone's frustration, I must agree with the steps the government has taken. Stars/Tilt have allegedly broken many laws and most of the charges seem to be stemming from the shady methods used in the payments department. Granted, much of this was done to dodge the laws set in place by the Unlawful Internet Gambling Act (which is a whole other story and another debate in itself), but never the less is a law.
Many professional players lost their jobs (myself partly included) and must find alternative methods to play, while the recreational player has even fewer options. Players are resorting to moving out of the country, moving to a spot that has plenty of live poker, going to a site that still accepts US players (such as Black Chip Poker), or using a VPN to play (which I would discourage because it is against the sites' TOS puts your roll at stake if you do this). I'm still in college right now, so I will continue to play on BlackChip Poker but after college, I don't know what I am going to do; I guess I'm just hoping things get cleared up by then. I was on Quad Jacks live radio podcast twice talking about the future of online poker, what the options are, and what poker professionals like myself are going to do. And quiet frankly, I believe it'll be cleared up, this industry is simply too big for things to remain as they are now.
A very similar situation happened in the state of Kentucky a few years back. From what I recollect, the Kentucky government blocked the domain names to a few of the top poker sites so no one from the state of Kentucky could play. This was overturned very quickly. I would be appalled if I was living in a state like Washington where it is currently illegal to play online poker and is in the same punishable class as sex offenders (Class C Felony). That is just plain ridiculous on so many levels. Moving on, I kind of hope the government lets Party Gaming back into the US (obviously taxing the hell out of it), but this would solve the problem of the government (or Harrah's for that matter) having to invest & create a website with poker software that was comparable to Stars/Tilt. Not only that, if the government were to get someone like Harrah's to create a real money site, it would only have a US player base until it expanded. Party Gaming is already pretty popular amongst the rest of the world, so that would be smart move for the U.S.
Until then though, at BlackChip it's business as usual. Only time will tell, but the time is ticking on such a big industry, I feel like something is going to happen sooner rather than later. This is of course assuming the House and Senate become intelligent and jump onto this opportunity, so perhaps I'm rooting for the underdog outcome on this one.
The views expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of BlackChip Poker.
