Poker Rants from the coast...

I am continuing to run bad and play bad, but I plan on bouncing back as soon as I plug the leaks between my ears. I think Cort Harrington said it best on poker road radio when they discussed what was worst...playing bad or running bad. He said that its a 2 edge sword where you runnin bad...you have to question the game and your profession (With me its a Hobby/Night Job)...When your playin bad you have question yourself about everything from being a fish to the fundamentals...and when they both are happening at the same time...you just want scream at the poker gods.

I am going to talk a little about my thoughts on what I have been doing/reading/listening to that is poker related:

-Greg Raymer addresses the Republicans at this Action Committee that they had. I have alot of admiration for Raymer getting up there and tackling this issue with the Conservatives. He is absolutely right where as the fundamentals of conservative thought are rooted in "Less Government"...and having the right to make our own decisions as adults who will make a "Logical and Rational" decision on what is best for that individual. Its just that simple, and Raymer calls them out on it...Someone who wants, as he says, "Little or no government in there lives". I have to give a resounding thumbs up here for Raymer. (Side note...My thoughts on Obama's first couple of months in office...I am terrified...Never in my life have I witnessed a person in so "over his head"...its pathetic. Rush Limbaugh is going to tear his administration to threads...he can't hide from him)...but I digress...

-Poker Road Radio...I have listened to several episodes on the road this last week, and I can say that I was very impressed with Mike "SowersUNCC" Sowers. The kid was very humble and well spoken and was a pleasure to listen to. On that note we will move to one of the old timers in Eli Elezra...WOW. I had no idea his story coming up as he went all the way from being wounded in the Lebanon War and almost died ...to fishing in Alaska on one of those fishing boats that goes out for months at a time...to traveling the world with a backpack in his mid 20's. This guys has worked his ass off...there never was a "Silver Spoon" in this guys life.

-Cash Plays with Jeremiah Smith...I just finished listening to the episode with Nick "The Takeover" Shulman and Joe Cassidy. These 2 guys in one episode elevated themselves on my favorite player list...both of them. There is a discussion on "Ego" that is a must for up and coming players. Joe talks about how ego plays/played a big part in poker. He tells about how when he first got to Vegas, he would only play at The Mirage because the limits he was playin...that was "The Big Game" there. They had the same limits at the Bellagio...and more tables going at that limit, but it was not the "Big Game" there...so he stayed away. Nick talks about how "Respecting Yourself" by making every ...single decision in poker...the best decision you can make. That...to get respect from the better players, they need to see you "respecting yourself"...by not playin above your means, or taking shots that out of your range because you will always be known as "That player with alot of talent and potential...but he's not that smart". Then there is a discussion on H.O.R.S.E where they break down the basic fundamentals in each and every game. I would say that I learned more from this podcast (because I don't play horse but need to learn) than any of the others...good stuff.

-The Shorr/Shaniac issue Wild Bill put up on the front page...thats a tough one. I am going to have to came down on Shaniacs side on this one. I like Shannon and his game...hes a much better player than me and I enjoy is blog, but I have to say when I initially read it, I thought the same thing. Not that he or anyone else is not deserving, but the "Reality" of the situation is that Shannon should have not "Expected" to be included. I feel there should be a better way to seat people, but with the current climate of the NBC Heads UP ...as well as the precedent that has been set in the past years...I do not feel Shannon should have "Expected" to be included. He is a nice, quiet , low key player from Alabama that brings his A game to the table, but with out TV exposure or silly hi jinks (Hevad Kahn at WSOP)...he is just going to have to take what he can get. I personally feel Vivek "FLOG" Rajkumar and Phil "OMGClayAiken" Galfond should have gotten in. I also am under the understanding that there was a satellite to get in at Ceasers. Did Shannon and all the other people wanting to play in the NBC event go to the satellite and try to win their way in?...Sebok?...Hevad Khan?...not sure.

Went to High Tides Bar and Billiards last week as they had a 2 day pool tournament with some world champions there. John Schmidt was there, in fact, I think GCPs Derek Ridley actually drew John in the first round. Gary Abood and Josh Hilliard were also present. I really enjoyed getting to see some world class pool playing...and of course started my juices flowing again. I did get tired of everyone asking me what I was drinking (Red Bull).

I am going to change it up a bit on my ending quote and go with some song lyrics as these best describe how I feel about poker at the moment

"I've seen a rich man beg...I've seen a good man sin
I've seen a tough man cry...I've seen a loser win and a sad man grin...
....I heard an honest man lie
I've seen the good side of bad...And the down side of up and everything between
I licked the silver spoon...Drank from the golden cup...Smoked the finest green
I stroked the baddest dimes at least a couple of times before I broke their hearts
You know where it ends...
Yo, it usually depends on where you start
Everlast "What its Like"