Just Another Poker Blog

Consider this jumping on the bandwagon. It's my first entry on my poker-related blog. I decided to create this blog for a number of reasons:

1. To provide a historical documentation of my progress towards my newest poker goal (more on that in a second)
2. Perhaps gain some information from other poker bloggers (not expected, but who knows)
3. A place where I can transfer my poker energy instead of playing online (wha?)

So my goal is to play in at least one, maybe two events in the 2010 WSOP. I'm focusing on playing one of the lower buy-in NLHE events and either the lowest buy in Hi-Lo Stud or Hi-Lo Omaha events. I decided to set this as a goal because I think it would be a fantastic experience to play in an actual WSOP event or two. Over the next couple of years, as I look to improve my game, I'll begin to set my goal higher than just entering one of the tournaments (which reallly makes my goal, as it stands right now, more money-savings oriented than it is poker oriented). By the time 2010 rools around, I should feel confident enough in my skills that setting a goal of winning a bracelet shouldn't sound completely crazy.

A little bit of background on me: like 85.5% of the literate public, I play poker online. I started about 2 years ago just dabbling in cash games on Party Poker, where I have played exclusively (perhaps I am just another Party Poker donkey, although I like to think that the fact that I am aware of the donkeyness of Party Poker makes me less of a donkey). I moved from cash games to MTTs then finally settled on SnGs of various levels, uslally 1-table $33 SnGs, where I started become (in my mind) successful. I moved up and down and around to various games, and hit a pinnacle where I finished 3rd in a 360 player $33 NLHE MTT (My JJ lost to the chip leader's AA when I came over the top of the 4th place shortstack's 44 and the leader rightfully called), scoring me a payday of $1400 (which I ran up to $2k before cashing out). I continued to play regularly, allowing me enough supplemental income to buy things like 3 DVDs at a time instead of 1, and random vacations to places like CA and, of course, Vegas. My most recent accomplishment was 2nd in a 400-something $77 MTT, which I was dominating until my opponent's KK crippled my OE straight flush draw, and I couldn't recover later when my A4 ran into his A5. Since then I have been on a severe drought, not just card wise, but because I have been playing over my head for a couple months now. Allow me to explain.

The 2nd place finsh netted me approx $3500, but I only cashed out $2800, as I blew about $700 on various tables, but mostly at the Party Poker blackjack table (horrible, I know). Add to this that I have NO bankroll whatsoever, and very well could have used the money to pay off bills, fund a vacation (NOT to Vegas, even though I wanted too) it wasn't the smartest of decisions. All in all, after I finally took a hiatus from playing, I only cashed out about half of my winnings.

After that I had made a promise to my girlfriend that I would stop playing online poker for the rest of the year (which was also an easy decision, thanks to the dipshits in the State of Washington gov't. Seriously, what politican can logically argue why playing poker online should be punished the same way sexual misconduct with a child should be? It's asinine.). However, my "love" (read: addiction) for poker kept me playing while she was gone, and I didn't do well, getting to the point where I was playing on borrowed money (not like I had a backer; I was borrowing money that I was holding for a friend while he was out of town) and losing money that was better used for bills that would otherwise go past due. It was around the same time that I finally, once again, decided that I need to stop playing online poker that I decided "I want to work towards playing in the WSOP". I know, I know, it doesn't make sense.

So, as it stands, I am a broke, bankless, poker afficionado who isn't playing poker actively, but looking to improve my game so that I am at least competitive in a WSOP event. Here's how I intend to do this:

1. I am asbstaining from online poker because it's THE LAW in WA (wink, wink), but more importantly, I am abstaining from online poker until I am more financially secure. I will probably revisit the world of online poker (somewhere else other than Party Poker as well) once I am able to.

2. I do intend to play some random live tournaments here at some local casinos from time to time. The area of my game that probably needs the most work is live action; things like working on tells (I think I'm almost over the "nervous shaking hands" tell), reading other players, and just growing comfortable in that environment.

3. READ, READ, READ. Not just books, but blogs, magazines, chats, etc....there's so much information out there that, IMO, anyone could become a competitive player (at least online) their first time playing if all they've ever done is read about the game. I only started reading poker blogs about a month ago, and already I feel like my game and my understanding have improved immensely.

With that said, I'm going to call it a day for my first blog. If anyone else has gotten this far in the blog..thanks for reading. This is really more for personal use, but I appreciate any comments or criticism. I'll post more as ideas pop up.

--Matt