11 MAR 07
The title of this post refers to many things. It’s my sister’s favorite song (a little Salt to go with that Pepa?), but it also refers to me and my style, not just in poker, but in life.
I went running this morning. I told my wife that I ended up stopping and walking a couple of times because I pushed a little too hard. She asked me why I do that.
‘Cause it’s who I am.
Similar thing from last night. I had an incredible rush of cards, including a hammer toss! First hand of the night. I post the big blind in a 3/5 spread limit game (max buy-in $300, $3 and $5 blinds). 8 limpers (!) and I look down at 7 2 off-suit. The flop is K 7 2. I bet ½ the pot. MP guy raises to $50. Everyone folds back to me and I make it $100. He calls. The turn is a 6. I bet $100. He calls. The river is an Ace. I’m a little nervous, but I trust my read and go all-in. He goes in the tank (whew)! I say, “I’ll show you. You can pay for it if you want, but you are going to see it either way.” He calls and turns over K 10. I drop the hammer on my first hand and double up.
I parlay that into a stake at 20/40. Long story short, I ran it up to almost $2000.
Push it!
Long story shorter. I cashed out a winner for the night. At 5 am, (damn time change), I pocketed my profit for the evening.
$20.
I could have walked away earlier. I got tired. I had good pre-flop discipline, but a combination a bad timing and a few unlucky rivers (and, I admit, a few bad reads), decimated the profits. I’m still learning this game.
***
On another note, I’m forced to admit that I might not make my weight loss goal. I’m close. I’m doing the Atkins diet and exercising. I don’t think I can lose the 11 pounds by the first week of April, though. Still, I’m not giving up.
Weight: 171 (started at 184)
2 comments:
You're right - I'm not one to push it - if I'd doubled up on a stupid hand like 72 offsuit on the first hand, I would have stacked up my chips and said "see you all tomorrow!" - hope it was fun, Mr. $20.
Is there a correlation between poker and weight loss? Or, better yet, poker and the failure to lose weight?
As someone who has spent a lifetime trying all sorts of diets, including Dr. Stillman's, Dr. Atkins, Dr. Bernstein's, Weight Watchers, The Turbulent Diet, the Caveman Diet, the High Protein diet, the No-Carb, the No-Fat, and the No-Food diet, the West Point diet, the South Beach diet, the Alcatraz diet, the Heart Association diet, the Diabetic diet, the Chocolate diet, the yogurt diet, Slim-Fast, Metracal, Nutri-System, Rancher's Diet, Lumberjack's Diet and, finally, the Sex-instead-of-Food Diet, I am acutely aware of the difficulty involved.
Furthermore, I have concluded, that if the mind is not focused on the diet, failure is inevitable.
The list of distractions far outnumber the list of diets, and include such things as magic tricks, loud music, barking dogs, unruly children, a Hell's Angel's procession, car crashes, parachute jumpers, structures on fire and, of course, beautiful women in various stages of undress.
However, in a recent scientific study, it has been shown that there is a new distraction that causes weight-loss failure. That distraction is POKER. Unfortunately, the game is insidious. Much like marijuana, the participant is totally unaware of his body's need for munchies.
So, Poker Players take heed. If dieting is your priority, stay out of the casinos.
Hunter Silvastorm
www.huntersilvastorm.com
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