Thursday, May 5, 2005

Stubborn or Stupid, that is the question.

Do you ever keep trying the same thing over and over again and start to wonder if it's because you're stubborn and exhibiting sticktoitiveness (ok so that's not a word...but it is in our house) or if you're being stupid and should just give up?

I went to Daytona yesterday in a driving rainstorm to play poker. Partly it was because I was lonely and tired of looking at these four walls. Partly it was because, as badly as it's been going, I just seem to love this silly game called poker.

It went well on all counts though. I played my game for the most part, a tad looser than usual because that game is so loose. I was also a tad passive I guess but that seems to work better there, especialy as tight as I play. If I play tight aggressive there I tend to fold the table up. I'm learning when to do it because I have a marginal hand that would likely be out-drawn and when not to because I have a strong hand that is unlikely to be beat.

The people were fun too. It's funny how sometimes a table will not talk at all and sometimes they will be one big happy family. I recognized a few of them and I think they were almost all regulars, even the ones I did not recognize. Oddly that is the problem playing in Daytona, not enough tourists. You'd think a city like Daytona would be loaded with tourists playing poker but that's not the case. Of course the poker room there is hardly a tourist draw. I doubt many tourists even know it's there.

It's hidden in the shadow of the Daytona International Speedway, miles from the beach, and frankly is kind of a pit. For all that I'm very glad I went though. I needed that interaction and winning a bit didn't hurt.

The night before last, Tuesday night that would be, I was really down about things. In part because I was lonely and missing Connie but poker was also going horribly. I have had more bad suckouts against me in one week than I can remember. I started drinking a bottle of wine that was in the fridge and normally I just flat will not play when i've had anything to drink.

Tuesday night I just had nothing else to do but play so I went to one of UB's micro limit tables. I actually had FUN. Probably more fun than i've had playing poker in quite a while. As Jennifer told me when I chatted with her maybe I just needed to kick a little ass. That I did. It was kinda like shooting ducks in a barrel though and I felt a little guilty about it. The people that play the 1 cent/ 2 cent tables are usually just learning and are making their first foray into real money play. I felt bad, kinda, for what I did to them. On the other hand maybe I gave them a little better feel for what it will be like when they move into larger stakes games, not that the $1/$2 tables I haunt are big games but they are 100 times larger than those micro limit tables. I especially had fun with one player who was trying to bully the table. Go figure that there at THAT table i'd get good cards but he (or she) tried it once too often and ran into me when I had good cards like three times in a row and I cut him off at the knees every time. It's kinda sick maybe but it felt good to put him in his place. I did it nicely, never made disparaging comments, just enjoyed the action while chatting with others at the table about the relative merits of different live poker rooms we'd played. LOL that may have bothered the guy more than anythng else. I was beating him without seeming to be paying attention to doing it. I'll never get rich playing at micro limit tables where the buy in a a whole $1 but on the other hand i've discovered I can have a lot of fun there. I guess there's nothing wrong with finding a game you can crush easily if you're having a down time in your normal game. I was also relaxed enough to actually talk at the table, something I seldom do if I'm playing seriously. Maybe that was a lesson too. Hmmm

Anyway that is the report for this rainy Thursday. Weight watchers in a bit and then Survivor tonight. Oh...and i'm sure i'll squeeze some poker into the day somewhere as well...ya think?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds like Jennifer was right! Glad to see your got your game on again! xoxo

Anonymous said...

Unless you're at one of the Indian casinos stuffed with cigar smoking cubans, not much good real casino action in florida..Those ones are really only good if you can stand all that thick black smoke in your lungs. The cubans are really into staying every hand no matter what the cards are... :)