Damn You, Poker

Let's be honest. Most pool players are jealous of poker.

Not jealous of poker players, but jealous of the sport of poker.

We (us pool players) have yearned and begged and pleaded and tried so hard, literally for decades, for pool to have some mainstream attention.

Back in the 60s, pool was on tv. Regular tv!  But that went by the wayside. The WPBA put pool back on the airwaves and we saw pro players (female, even!) play pool on cable - ESPN - no way!

There wasn't a ton of those hours of pool on ESPN, but we didn't care - it was still on tv for several years!

Then here comes poker.

We all like poker, some of us even love poker... but it took off on tv. It was welcomed and loved and cherished and showcased, even though poker still has the same image as pool. You know, 'bad men in smokey rooms playing for money.'  Yet, poker excelled while pool is still left behind.

We all know that the lure of poker on tv is because a "nobody" can all of a sudden win millions. MILLIONS. Now, I wont understand why pool didn't have the same backing or investments, but it is what it is.

Let's face it, skill on the pool table is different on the poker table.  While both have mental and physical exhaustion and both have skills, it's simply plain easier for recreational players to play poker.  100 guys would rather play poker than pool, right?  Plus, there aren't pool rooms in casinos, but there are poker rooms. We can't compete with that.

But, I'm even more pissed at poker right now!

(I know, you are glad I'm finally getting to my point, lol).

Here we are in the middle of a pandemic. I never in a million years thought those words would come out of my mouth, but here we are. We can't leave our homes safely, we can't shop, some of us can't go to work, schools are closed (what?), and of course pool rooms are closed.

And what about poker?  Yep, the poker rooms are closed as well.

But guess what?

Peckers, I mean poker players, are doing just fine during the pandemic!

WTF?!

While us pool players may be able to play at home IF we have a home table, we still cannot play in leagues, all the State tournaments have been cancelled, even national tournaments have been cancelled. We can't play in tours or weekly tournaments.  Are hands are tied due to the pandemic.

But poker?

Oh, nooooo.

Poker continues to be special.

Why do I say that?

Just look at the recent headlines and see for yourself:

• "Online poker tourney sets records amid pandemic"
• "Poker Sites See Surge in Activity During Lockdown"
• "Online Poker at All Time High"
• "Online Poker Surging Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic"
• "Poker Reaches Record Traffic During Coronavirus"

Poker has upped us again because it can be played online.  Damn you, Poker.  Surge in Activity they are writing. Record traffic during pandemic they are headlining.

/puke/

When You Don't Improve...

I've been playing pool in Texas for close to 30 years. And I always wondered what happened to those female players that I used to see playing on the Texas tours. The ones that really loved the game, but didn't cash a lot or make it to Sunday.  Where did they go?

Players either eventually improve, or they don't. Right? 

My heart tells me I think they sadly realized they weren't advancing enough and they got frustrated spending money and traveling with no success to show for it.  They may have got discouraged and didn't think they played good enough anymore to continue spending the money to attend all the out of town tournaments.

A lot of players, no matter if they improve or not, love the camaraderie of our amazing sport!  They will continue to travel and play in tournaments, even if they aren't a good player and hardly ever cash. But.... not everyone will continue to do that.

Obviously, there could be many other very life-changing reasons why players stop attending tournaments, which have nothing to do with skill-level.  Family life, moved, health reasons, new career, etc. 

But I'm not talking about those players. 

I'm talking about the ones who didn't finish well most of the time. There were too many players throughout the years that stop playing that makes me think they didn't have the passion for the sport anymore because they just weren't successful. That hurts my heart to say it out loud!

Now, you all know I like to be very honest and transparent in my blog, so let me tell you that I am one of those ladies. 

I really am.

However, my sport wasn't pool, my sport was poker.  I was myopic for sure.

(Because I wrote about poker yesterday, thought I'd share some more about my experience with that sport.)

I used to play poker a lot at Winstar (a casino on the border of Texas/Ok). I really loved the camaraderie and the socialization! I loved that I got to know all the dealers, waitresses, and many of the 'regular' poker players who played at Winstar often.  I just loved the whole entire atmosphere, really. The clanking of chips, the bad beats, talking to the players at the table, etc. My extrovert personality really came out in that atmosphere for some reason; I was very comfortable.

Winstar had 46 tables (now they have more) so it was a HUGE poker room!  My ex and I would go all the time. It was definitely an addiction.

But, just like pool players get the pool bug, I definitely got the poker bug. However, I didn't know what I was doing, mostly socializing, and especially drinking too much.

After those two to three dedicated years of (mostly having fun and) playing poker, I slowed down substantially after we broke up. I have played maybe only twice a year since then.

Every once in awhile I played pretty good, but I still didn't really know the game. I left 90% of the time without money in my pocket, and therefore only 10% of the time with money.

I didn't put any effort in to improve my knowledge. I only read part of one book.  I only occasionally watched poker on TV.  I didn't study the game at all.  My recent ex-boyfriend (MM) gave me some tips and also friends throughout the last ten years gave me some tips, but because I haven't worked to put in any effort to improve, and I hardly play anymore, I am not a good poker player at all. 

I don't love the game anymore. Instead, all it's done is made me realize that I wasted A LOT of money the last 10 years (trying) to play poker and I really, truly didn't know what I was doing.

I don't play poker anymore just like those ladies don't play pool anymore. It's disheartening to not cash most of the time, so I understand. 

So, I understand in a very direct way, why maybe some of those women stepped away from pool.

Poker Tell-Tale Signs and Pool

When I am playing poker, it's very natural for me to start flipping the chips in front of me.  I can flip them over each other between my fingers (called the "Thumb Flip"), either one handed or both hands at the same time. I can also merge two stacks of poker chips together with one hand (called "The Shuffle"). 

Here is the "Thumb Flip":



And here is the "Shuffle":



I know how to do this because around 2011 I played poker about twice a month for two years straight at Winstar (a very large casino on the border of Texas and Oklahoma). I saw players flip chips and stack chips with one hand all the time. So, as I would sit there waiting in-between rounds, I practiced those moves.  I got better at flipping chips than playing poker, lol!  But, it's still something that's pretty cool I can do.

I went to Vegas in February for my 50th birthday (yes I turned 50!), and every time I played the carnival-type table table games (like deuces wild, crazy 4 poker, ultimate Texas hold'em, high card flush, etc), I would flip the chips or stack my chips in front of me with one hand, strictly out of habit.

However, when I played live poker in the poker room on the last night I was in Vegas, I stopped myself from flipping or stacking chips, like I would normally do.  Instead, I just left them all alone (poor things!). A few times throughout the three hours I would catch myself about to flip the chips, then stop and set them back down casually in front of me.

The reason I did this is because I did not want my table mates (i.e. opponents/enemy) to know I knew how to play poker. I know, flipping chips isn't a sign I'm good at poker, lol, but it IS an indication I've been around poker a lot.

While this isn't something us pool players would normally do (hide our talent as we play pool), it IS something a hustler would do in the pool room who is trying to get action. 

"Melinda, what could possibly be similar in pool to flipping chips that gives you away?"

Good question!

If you are going to a bar or pool room trying to hustle, you don't want to give away that you can play good pool, right?  What's the point of hustling then?  lol. 

So little things like, you don't keep your hand flat when you're on the rail (tell-tale sign you aren't a top player), or maybe you don't stay down on your shots, or maybe you ask stupid questions to make you look naive:  "Hey, what is that thing?" (when they are using a magic rack). 

While I'm not trying to hustle poker players, I also don't want to give away immediately that I actually know how to play poker.  Give yourself a small advantage - legally and within the rules. Albeit I don't play poker very well, but I still do know the game and can play smart, and I don't want to give that away just by the way I flip or stack the chips one handed.

(My chip stack last year at Winstar Casino for my berday)

Payout Woes of Pool and Poker

Well, I have to admit I didn't see this coming.  Poker players complaining about payouts?  Whhhaaaat?

I thought poker was a breathe of fresh air, embraced with big, open arms, and a rising sport loved by all.  Turns out poker is more like pool than I thought!

I related pool and poker many times in my blog, but I always wrote from the persepctive of a competitor - same mental toughness needed, dealing with crappy opponents, etc.

Today, is a whole new flavor of comparing the two sports.

Turns out poker is getting the same complaints as pool in regards to payouts.  Here is the article I am referring to:  https://www.pokernews.com/news/2019/12/maurice-hawkins-lobs-criticism-at-wsop-circuit-36134.htm

In this article, poker pro Maurice Hawkins talks about several things, but here is the section of the article that reminds me of pool.  Does it for you, too?

Too Many Spots Paid

"I think the biggest concern with many people who are playing the WSOP Circuit, which is paying 15%, is that you have to get in the top percentile in order to actually min-cash or double your money on the Circuit right now," says Hawkins.

"Basically, you have to get in the top seven percent to double your money. While that may not be problematic to the people that are playing it, the reason the numbers are going down is because the likelihood of doubling your money is slimmer."

Hawkins believes the circumstance is creating a dynamic in which people cannot be equitable playing poker unless they are elite players — in other words, one in which the recreational player will never turn a profit.

"Therefore, we're going to lose that player forever," Hawkins believes. "We need to get the payouts to where it's double the buy-in back to 10 percent. You can take the extra five percent along the bottom end and increase the top a little bit more."

"The allure of poker was when the top prize was life-changing. It's just not working for a player to travel for a week when you're not even doubling your money when you min-cash. With overhead, it's a negative-equitable situation for you. I feel like it needs to be said. I know it probably can't be changed this year, but they need to get back to what made poker beautiful," he says.

Maurice Hawkins is expressing the exact complaints billiard Tournament Directors hear the most from the pros and top players: payouts!

I could go on and on (and on) about my thoughts and experiences regarding payouts from the point of view as a Tournament Director and an amateur pool player, but I am going to try and stop writing novels (which is keeping me from blogging more). So, I deleted 4 paragraphs (yes, four, lol) and will shorten this baby up for you all so you can get to other things in your day.

The one difference with what Maurice states above, is in regard to recreational players. While he believes poker players will NOT keep playing because the money they may win is not a lot.  IMHO, recreational pool players love if we even barley tip-toe into the prize fund.

And that is because he is correct about poker:

"The allure of poker was when the top prize was life-changing. It's just not working for a player to travel for a week when you're not even doubling your money when you min-cash. With overhead, it's a negative-equitable situation for you."

Alas, this is opposite of pool.  I mean, we WANT it to be life-changing payouts, but billiards is not.

And, the majority of pool players do not break even when we go to tournaments, right?  gas, food, hotel, entry fee, beverages, and if we do cash... did we even turn a little profit?

Enjoy your day, folks!  P.S. Get your holiday shopping done!

Maria Ho Advice - To Play Your Best

You all know I love to compare sports.  Well, today is no exception!

Recently at Winstar Casino (located on the border of OK/TX) the poker room held their annual River Poker Series.  It's their largest poker event of the year and it lasts about the full month of August and ends with the big poker event over Labor Day Weekend.

Several top pro poker players play in it, and that includes Maria Ho.

She was also signed on this year as their Celebrity Spokesperson.  So, she was on their Instagram page in different areas of the casino for a couple of weeks.  Then I noticed a Q and A session with her.  One question and answer reminded me exactly of our parallel sport (pool), so wanted to share!

Q:  What is the most frustrating thing for you at a table from your table mates? Too much talk, too little talk, not enough room, body odor? I personally get frustrated when someone reeks of smoke or body odor. Thoughts? 

A:  I mean B.O. can be a little rough especially if you couple that with not enough room to hide from it! ? Otherwise I try not to let myself get too frustrated at the poker table because that could be detrimental to my ability to play my best.

I love her answer!

As you all can attest, I actually state quite frequently in my blog about not letting things distract us that can get in the way of us playing our best pool. And she used almost those exact words!  And I will add a reminder, once you figure out there are many things you can't control around you, then that allows for you to focus back on playing your best.  "Give yourself the best chance to play your best."  I should put that on a shirt!  lol.  Too much?

Thank you for reinforcing my favorite advice, Maria!

Poker and Pool Annoyances

Poker and pool have the same player personality annoyances.

Let me prove my point, lol.

You have the players - whether at the poker table or the pool table - who:

• eat at the table and make a mess
• talk WAY too much 
• provide unsolicited opinions
• smell badly
• get drunk and then become rude
• act like children when they lose
• leave the cards/chips or pool equipment in disarray
• don't respect their surroundings
• talk during your time at table
• cheat
• bully
• don't pay up 
• complain about everything

You get the picture, lol. 

We certainly do put up with a lot to try and enjoy playing these two sports, huh?  Glutton for punishment!

Help During Matches with Paper

There was recently an article on poker about a player that pulled out instructions on what to do during certain situations.

It kind of reminds me of when you're at a blackjack table at a casino, you're allowed to pull out the little card that tells you what you should do in certain situations (take a card, split, double down, etc.).

However, this was at a table full of poker players for a lot more money at stake than just playing a couple hands of blackjack.

A lot of people have pool mantra's or a pool prayer that they read before matches.  I actually have a list of tips I've written down on a piece of paper and I read them before a match because I needed to remind myself of things and maybe calm myself down.  

We aren't allowed to use cell phones during matches because you can technically text for someone for advice or get some comfort which is considered cheating and illegal, but what about pieces of paper during a pool match?  What is the rule on that?  I guess it's considered getting advice/help.

And how would you feel if you saw your opponent sitting next to you at the poker table pulling out sheets of paper or your pool opponent pulling out a sheet of paper to pump himself up or calm himself down?

Not THAT Tournament

I played poker this past weekend at my favorite jaunt - Winstar Poker room - right on the state line between Oklahoma and Texas.

I have mentioned several times in my blog that I have visited there so often the last 4 years or so that all the dealers know me.  And it's a very large room - 46 tables.  So, because the dealers rotate tables every 30 minutes, that's a lot of dealer (friends) that I ended up getting to know, and then they get to know me.

So, a lot of them know I play pool.  Know I'm pretty good, etc.

So last Saturday at one point in the afternoon, one of the dealers who always talk pool with me, mentioned as he dealt cards to the table, that he had been to Vegas last month.  I asked where he stayed and he said Mandalay Bay gave him a good rate.  He then asked when I was going back and I said, "July."  Being kind in turn, he asked where I was staying.  I told him I, "didn't know yet, but the tournament is at the Rio."  

A couple of players at the table looked at me funny. 

I wasn't sure why, but they just kept quiet and listened to us talk and gab on about things.

After about 30 minutes, the dealer rotates out and all of a sudden one of the players sitting across from me asks, "Your going to Vegas for a tournament?"

"Yea.  One in July."

He looks a tad stunned, and it still hasn't hit me.

"At the Rio?" 

"Yes, this one is at the Rio, but it used to be held at the Riviera."

And then I added, "Yea, the convention center at the Rio is much more suitable for the number of pool tables and all the pool players."

And responds with, "OH!  You're going for a POOL tournament!  For a while there I thought you were playing in the World Serious of Poker's big famous poker tournament that is held in July at the Rio."

OH SHIT! 

I didn't even put two and two together, lol.  The players at the poker table prolly thought I was this bad-ass poker player sitting with them, lol.  Nope, just a little 'ole wanna-be pool player.

Poker Hustlers Loving Pool Players

When I was in Vegas in July for BCAPL Nationals, I was eating at a restaurant one night and the bartender asked me what brought me to town.  I told him I was here for a big pool tournament.

His reply was, "Oh, at the Rio."

"Uh, how do you know that?"

Usually the taxicab drivers know this info, but not bartenders at some random restaurant on the Las Vegas strip.

He said he was a part time poker player.  And that because a lot of pool players love to gamble (he's right, you know), that the pool players like to play poker, too.

So, he knows when all the big pool tourneys come to town because he hangs out in the poker rooms of the host casinos to take our money!

Hustlers in every sport, huh?

Smooth Move

I played poker last weekend and I saw the funniest thing, that I just HAD to share!

At Winstar Casino there are about 46 poker tables and the dealers rotate around the tables every 30 minutes.

The regulars who play there all the time know the dealers and chat with them a lot while at the table.  It's not annoying and it's NOT done during big hands or anything, I say this to mostly show that many of the regulars and dealers are friends.

So, at one point on Saturday, this female dealer sits down at my table for her 30 minutes. 

I'm at a table with a regular who is also an extrovert, so he's talking to everyone and kinda loud, but it's who he is.  No biggie.

He says hello to her (I don't know who she is or recognized her) and she says hello back and they obviously knew each other by they way they said hello to each other. 

So, we get the first hand of cards from her and as each person decides to throw in their cards or not, it is now his turn.  And he throws in his cards, ALONG with his hotel room key! 

OMG!

He says, "Wow, not sure how that got in there," as he slowly grabs his hotel key from the table to put back in his pocket.

At first I was VERY confused.  How DID that get in there?  But then I realized he was being flirty with her.  She laughed and he laughed, and then the whole table laughed.  It was the smoothest move, lol. 

We then found out that they joked with each other a lot, and evidently he does this about 3 times a year to her.  She takes it in stride and blushes.  It was so cute! 

Poker Star?

My ex boyfriend and I used to go to Winstar Casino, about an hour and 20 minutes from my house, about twice a month (sometimes more often) for about two years.  We went to play poker, A LOT!

We loved the poker room - it has 46 tables - and we would go and try our hands with the cards.  We were pretty addicted.

I fully admit I wasn't very good (he wasn't either), but we loved the excitement of the possibility of doing well, the atmosphere is fun, and we started to know a lot of the people there (players and dealers).  Because we went so often for two years straight, we saw a lot of friendly faces.

For me, it became very social and I loved talking with people I knew, even it was only seeing the regular players about twice a month, or seeing the dealers for 30 minutes each table visit.

If you don't play poker, let me share real quick about the dealer rotation.

The dealers rotate around from each table throughout their shift, and they change tables every 30 minutes.  So, if I am seated at one table for 8 hours, that's 16 different dealers that rotate through that table I am playing on.  We would not see the same dealer again that day, because there are 46 tables in the room, and they would rotate through them all.

Some dealers are talkative, some are quiet.  Everyone has a different personality (obviously).  When I drank, I talked more, so sometimes I was very chatty, lol, and when I used to go with my ex, I would drink more when I was with him, so I was chatty more back then.

After we broke up, I didn't go to Winstar to play poker but a couple of times in a whole year.

The first time I went, after my hiatus, it was quite the experience!

I sat down at a full table, and the open seat was on the end and next to the dealers' seat, and I was quietly playing poker.  I didn't say too much while I sat there and was just mostly listening to the other players at the table and just trying to catch some cards, trying to get the feel to playing again because I hadn't played poker in such a long time.

I was there only about 4 hours, but it became quite comical.

I was getting only a few good hands, but not playing much because the cards just weren't coming.  But as the dealers would switch tables, they would see me at the end of the table, and they would say hi.

"Hey!  How's it going?  How you been?"  One or two would ask.

Then a new dealer would sit down and we would chat because I hadn't been there in a long time and we had to catch up.  I asked her how her kids were doing, and her husband, and we small-talked.

Then another table change 30 minutes later.  A couple of dealers would walk by and they would happen to see me, "Hey - nice to see you!"  Or, "Hi - How's it going?"  I would smile back and say my hellos.

The players at my table were looking at me real funny.  "Who is THIS chick?"

Then the food service girl walked by and noticed me, "Hey How are you?!" smiling.  One even gave me a hug, lol.

The players at my table were very confused.  And I noticed they started to play timid with me.  I was starting to bluff more than I'm used to, but they would fold to me a lot after they saw I knew a lot of people, lol.  They thought I was this bad-ass poker player because everyone knew me, haha.

Another dealer would rotate through to our table and we would start to chat and catch up.  And other dealers would walk by and say hello to me.

You have to realize that I used to go there A LOT for two years and I had been MIA for a year, so we were all kinda happy to see each other and they were cool and said hello to me.

Eventually, after about two hours of this going on, one of the players eventually asked me, "Who ARE you?   Dang, you know EVERYONE here.  And everyone knows YOU.  You must play good."

I laugh and blush and reply, "no, no, I just used to come here a lot; that's all."

"Yea, surrrrre..." the player respond as others at the table laugh along with him, not believing me at all, lol.

It was really comical, as the next couple of hours it kept happening - a different dealer would walk by and see me, and say hey because I hadn't been there in a long time and used to be a staple at the place, lol.

And the players would say, "See?  Another one knows you."

"I swear - I am nobody!"  As I bet and they folded to me again, lol.

Foosball, Poker, and Pool

Just like pool, foosball also required mental toughness.

As does poker.

As does tennis.

As does.... well, any sport!

Check out this interview/article about Billy Pappas, a Champion foosball player who is sitting well at this years WSOP (World Series of Poker) (top 20). 

He talks about mental toughness - good advice:

“Mentality is huge in foosball; that’s what takes you to the next level,” the 29-year-old said. “Skill can only take you so far. If you’re weak-minded in poker or foosball you have no hope. If you lose a pot and you go on tilt, that’s it. If you don’t go on tilt you are going to be much stronger.”

How similar foosball and pool is - mental toughness AND the low payouts:

http://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/17548-foosball-world-champion-looking-to-be-poker-s-world-champion

Oh the parallels....

Unique Poker Card Protector

I stopped by the lovely Bellagio casino while I was in Vegas for the ACS Nationals to go to their large poker room.

A lot of people have card protectors that go on top of your cards.  Usually the card protectors mean something personal to you.

Why use card protectors?

Watch this brutal video clip why they are important:


Prolly the most first famous one was Greg Raymer's (he was known as the "fossilman"), after he won the World Series of Poker in 2004.  He used a small fossil as a card protector while he played poker.

I've seen all sorts of card protectors, so when I saw this stuffed animal, a cute dog in this chicks' lap, I didn't think anything of it.

Until it moved!

OMG, this chick brought in her REAL dog and the dog sat with her the whole time!

While the dog was never on the table, I just thought it was her "little card protector."

Well, maybe he was.  :)

Poker Killer Instinct

I have no killer instinct.  I have no killer instinct button.  I can't turn it on.  And if I DO happen to turn it in, I feel bad afterwards.

It's just not in me, not a part of me.

On Saturday I figured this out by feeling bad about a poker move I did.  A move that was very smart on my part, and one that I should have done.

Let me try and explain what happened:

I had pocket Queens and raised before the flop and two people called.  The flop comes 3, 6, 10.  Two of the cards were hearts.  Neither of the Queens in my hand were hearts.

I bet because I figure no one has anything better than my two Queens at this point.  One person calls me.  The other gets out. 

The next card comes and it's a Queen!  I can't believe my luck.  :)

I bet and the one guy left in the hand with me, calls. 

The next card that comes out on The River is the Queen of Hearts! 

I had quads! 

I am first to act and after I see the Queen, I indicate that I ain't gonna bet now, acting like I am beat because I now see three hearts out there, thinking the guy was looking for a flush.  So, I Check.

He grabs some chips and bets about half his stack (about $40 I think).  I immediately say, "all in."

He pauses for only a few seconds, trying to figure out what is going on.  Turns out he had pocket 3s, so he has a Boat (three 3s and 2 Queens to make a Full House).  However, he goes all in with me and I show my quads and of course the whole table goes crazy. 

The guy gets up and leaves, and doesn't come back to play.  I took all his money.

Afterwards, I told the guy next to me I felt bad for checking and then raising.  He looked at me funny and said, "You played that so perfectly, and that's what you were suppose to do.  You were suppose to Check-Raise, don't feel bad about it."

I continued to feel guilty and therefore mentioned it later to my boyfriend.  He also told me, "Don't feel bad about it - that was smart play."  And then he added, "He was trying to take your money, and he wouldn't have felt bad if he won that pot."

Reminds me of other advice I received once about pool:  "Someones got to win, might as well be me."

I wish I had more of a killer instinct.  But, I will keep learning and trying to win! 

It's not personal!

WSOP, What?

I played in my first ever poker tournament last Sunday.  AND!  It was a ladies event.  AND it was a WSOP circuit event! 

Yep, WSOP - World Serious of Poker!

I have played a few poker tourneys online, but that was three years ago.  I never did well and was way out of my element.  I had no idea what I was doing, lol. 

For the past 12 months I've played a lot of 1-2 Texas Hold'em No Limit games at the casino, but never in a LIVE tourney.  So, on Sunday I felt nervous and anxious, and was very timid for most of the tourney. 

I decided to play in this Ladies WSOP Circuit Event at the last minute mostly to live life to the fullest.  To experience something new and cool!  Maybe a bucket list item?  I dunno.  But, the circuit was only two hours from my house, so after convincing by a few friends and my b/f, I decided to play in it. 

151 entrants, I lasted 5 hours, and placed 29th!  They only paid the top 18, but I'm still very happy about how I did.  Only made two bad plays, otherwise I feel really great about the whole experience!  I was so excited to last that long in an important poker tourney!  I was very giddy after the event, lol.  It really was a cool experience for me.  :)

I got lucky I had nice women at my tables.  Only a few were intimidating, but then they got knocked out pretty quickly.  Tough to go "all in" in poker tourneys! 

Pool is a Natural High... and so is Poker

Why do you like pool?  What draws you to the game?

Why when you first started to play pool you started to dream about it?  Or skip classes to play pool?  Or stay out til the sun came up, even though you were dog tired?

Why does pool do this to us?

I call it a natural high.  Playing pool and learning shots increases my endorphins.  Competing allows me to become excited over little balls on a green felted, smooth table.

Playing also allows me to socialize.  Being the social butterfly that I am, I love to be around my friends and enjoy life.  Playing pool also allows one to travel to places and meet new people, have adventures in new towns in new tournaments.

A natural high is something difficult to describe.  It's something you enjoy doing, gives you pure bliss, increases your heart rate, and causes happiness.  All the while those endorphins are increasing, your knowledge of the game is improving, and you are becoming one with pool.

Ironically, pool can easily be an addiction and yet I consider pool to give me a natural high.  For someone like me who hasn't done drugs, my drug of choice is pool.

And guess what I figured out so easily the other day?

Poker has become my new natural high; my new addiction.

I am seeing so many similarities, too:

• Increased endorphins
• Meeting new people
• Socializing
• Competing
• Reminiscing about certain plays/hands
• Dreaming about possibilities
• Yearning to play again

The similarities between any sport and poker is obvious.  But here are some points made from folks on the AZB forums in a post where I asked "Why did poker become hot and mainstream?"

• Poker players don't have to be burdened with having to play 10 hours a day for 5 years to be good at something. 
• Poker is hot and mainstream because it's so accessible. 
• All you need to play poker is a deck of cards. You don't even need a table. 
• If you want to bet, fine, bet money or potato chips or french fries or whatever. 
• Nobody ever complains about the quality of the cards unless they're marked or torn. 

I can find numerous poker games in town, easily. If I want to test my skill level, I can play in a higher cash game of lets say 5/10.  But I stay with the small fish right now and play 1/2 and only dabbled in 2/5.  In pool, I have no choice to play with the big boys in the weekly tourneys.  In poker, I have a choice.

I have only been playing "seriously" for 6 months, but for fun off and on about two years.  It's easy to pick up and easy to get addicted to, just like pool; just like golf.

But, it's more accessible.  And I don't need a lot of talent to hang with the other weekend warriors.  Yea, some luck is involved.  Yea, I could read some books and increase my skill.

But, I walk into the poker room at the closest casino and they have 45 tables.  Forty Five!  I know a lot of the dealers, just like I know most of the staff at my pool room.

I recognize many of the players, but there are so many new faces every single time we go.  It's a lot of fun to watch and learn, listen and test the waters, chat and yet compete.  Yea, I get scared at aggressive hands just like nervousness in stiff competition.  But it's a different type of nervousness.

I'm also using poker to help my "embarrassment factor."  I'm trying to learn to not care when I get embarrassed when I lose a bad hand I shouldn't be in (just like when I miss an easy shot in pool), and poker is helping me with that. 

I don't foresee poker taking over my pool addiction, though, any time soon.  So no worries, friends!  :)  But it sure is a very cool natural high!

Poker in Vegas

I had been playing 1/2 no limit Texas Hold 'Em poker since Jan and decided to try my hand at the poker tables at the Riv.  The problem was, I was nervous!  Super nervous.

I already am very aware many pool players play poker almost daily now instead of pool, so I was nervous that their skills were better than mine.

When I play at home (at the closest casino (Winstar) over an hour away), there are 20 tables of 1/2 and so the talent is a crap shoot.  Here, with only 3-4 tables open, every player is good.  And the sharks were out.

I got sent to my hotel room all 3 outta 4 times with my tail between my legs because of embarrassment.

Further, I was only aggressive one time and it backfired.  The rest of the time the guys took advantage of me.  And it sucked; and hurt my little pride. :(

At the first time to the poker room, I had asked a good friend of mine (Mike) to watch me so I could learn from him.  He is considered one of the best "readers" in the DFW area, and we had talked many months ago about him helping me.  He couldn't show up for an hour and ironically, that's only how long I lasted.  :(

However, the guy who was next to me gave me advice in that hour and ironically, he turned out to be a good friend of Mike's.  His friend told me and Mike (later) that I played too shy, not aggressive enough, and to be aware that guys will try and bluff girls more.  I told him I was embarrassed and he reminded me not to be, that everyone loses money all the time at poker.

I only lasted one hour the first two times I sat down.  The third time, I was there about 4 hours and was at a friendly table.  The 4th time I wasted my time, but played for a couple of hours at least.  It became fun and not intimidating after the first time.  I guess I needed to get my feet wet or something.  Take me to Winstar and I am comfortable in that casino.  I am in "my element" and happy.  Vegas poker against seaoned pool players?  Eeek!  Scary!

I Got B!tch Slapped

Yep, got b1itched slap.

By who?

Well.... myself.  :(

As wrote last month, I pretty much stated I didn't understand how friends can take advantage of their friends when it comes to gambling matches.  If they are in a bad game, "friends" will still do whatever they can to take home the money.

I am sad to say I did that the other day.  I did it to a friend playing poker.  As I did it, I only thought about how I was better, not "what" I was doing.  But as I reflected on my drive home from the casino, I realized I did exactly what I said I abhorred in that blog post from last month.

And I do not feel good about it.

This is a hard pill to swallow, and it's stuck in my throat.  It's been 4 days since this happened and decided to open my soul with you all and share my guilt.

Long story short, a friend who is trying to get better at poker was in the same pot as I.  I knew I would win because I had a boat, but instead of checking down to the river, I not only bet each card, I even raised my bet on the river.

The guy sitting next to us even commented, "You two are friends.  Why didn't you just check?"

I immediately felt bad.  Why didn't I just check?  WTH was I doing?  They were a friend.  They ARE a friend.  And yet even though I knew I had the best cards, I somehow just wanted that extra $35. I now understand what / how people feel when they are on the winning end of an uneven match.

I don't know what I was thinking, except I had the winning hand.  And I took advantage of the fact they may not realize to fold.  :(

You may think it's minor.  Who cares about $35 or that she was a friend - I (or you) would do that to any of those strangers at the table.  But when I mentioned it to my boyfriend, because the guilt was in my heart, he said I shouldn't have done it either, which made me feel even worse.  Because?  Because he was right.

Karma however got me - I went all in with a boat and lost to TWO other higher boats about 6 hands later to others on the table.

Pool Overheard While Playing Poker

I went to Winstar Casino a Friday or so ago.  I played poker (I now play $1/$2 no limit) from about 7pm until about 3am.  Finally got too frustrated with my table and decided to quit and go watch my boyfriend play.  I like to learn from him, and I sit behind him and watch his moves.  He's taught me to be more aggressive and also to bluff a little if it's a good table to do so at.  Before I was so passive, I would never bet on the turn and every bet on the river would then scare me off, lol.

Anyway, it's about 730am and the refreshed players start waltzing in to take advantage of the tired players.  Luckily we eat breakfast and are now on our second wind, so we are not one of those dragging players.

All of a sudden, I hear a guy talking to one of the poker players on the $2/$5 table next to us that catches my attention.  He says these words:

Bill Incardona.
Dippy/Viffer.
Four shafts.
Scott Frost.

I tap my b/f on the shoulder, "hey, those guys must play pool."

I ease drop some more, listening to their conversation.  They are obviously catching up, all the while talking in front of everyone at the other table.

"Yeah, he and the corporation are doing well." 

I didn't know the word "corporation" was that widely known in regards to certain players.

Then I hear more names as the guy keeps giving updates to his friend:

John Hager.
Earl Strickland.
SVB.
Gabe Owen.

I'm like, "who are these guys talking?"  They are obviously from the DFW-area, as they spoke about a poker game there that had a pool table that some of the road players come through to play on.

My curiosity gets the best of me and as the guy walks by me I ask, "What cue do you shoot with?"  That's my way of saying, "Yea, I play pool, too."

He tells me what cue it is and I share what we play with, all the while my b/f is trying to play poker.  He told me his name and the other guys name, and I have heard of the nickname "Backer Bob" but had never met him.  Nor this guy who was the main talker (I'll keep his name to myself for now) but he was an older gentlemen like Backer Bob.

It was so wild to hear these guys talk about pool for about 30 minutes.  I knew every name, already heard of every big game they mentioned, and was curious about the things I hadn't known about the poker room in the DFW-area with a Diamond pool table.

The casino opened up a new $1/$2 poker table and I sat next to the guy I just met and shared how much I was integrated into the pool scene:  Partner of AZB, previous TD of the OB Cues Ladies Tour, John Drew Hager's Mom was my best friend in the mid 90s, webmaster for some pro players, I custom design my own cues, etc.  With all the commonalities between the two of us in the pool realm, I'm surprised we hadn't met til this day. 

I should have stayed quiet, tho - maybe I could have set up a good pool match with him, lol.  Just Kidding!