Quote:
Originally Posted by proximity
ok felt fanatics, we are back with more 2023 adventures! today's action finds estrella and i "carbing up" again at a humble ihop just a few furlongs behind charles town's 5/16 pole. this visit is just a pit stop on the way to see music LEGEND stevie nicks in raleigh, nc. approaching 75, stevie doesn't spin like she used to but can still sing the phone book and sound fantastic! special thanks to high stakes poker player bill perkins, author of die with zero: getting all you can from your money and your life for reminding us that "the business of life is the acquisition of memories" and inspiring this trip!!
"when we find (the next) stuey ungar, tap him on the shoulder, point to the table, and ask him if this is poker?," i instruct estrella but the rehearsal isn't going well. over at the casino a sign advertises that rumours: the ultimate fleetwood mac tribute show is coming to charles town this july. i tease estrella, telling her how great it would be to return to charles town to see this fake stevie. she doesn't know it yet, but in almost 25 hours she'll be seeing the real stevie in raleigh! i play this hand very close to the vest! 
over in the card room i think i spot the next stuey ungar over at a table just one or two away from where he once watched me drag a pot with three sevens, ultimately igniting his interest in the game. he looks a little thinner than the last time i saw him. later he says he lost a pound and gained one but thinking about it i believe it was his posture that was different? he was sitting straighter with more confidence. more command of the table and the game.
"there he is" i ready estrella, but (hiding behind a card player magazine) i'm not inconspicuous enough and we're not going to sneak up on a man in complete control of his poker room.
indeed our hero has already amassed 4 digits of profits for the still young season and another four digits of bonus money!
we watch as he flops a set of dimes on a board that's rather wet.
A Q T
a near pot sized bet folds out one villain and i'm hoping the second (short stacked) villain maybe caught a piece of this and will shove to see two cards but after a brief glance at the board his cards also hit the muck and the win is slightly bittersweet.
in the end i don't know if we've found the next stuey ungar or not but drive away thinking that maybe we found something even more: a player in control of his game, his card room, and most importantly his life.
thank you for reading!
game: no game (0/3 on horses  )
year: +27 (1-0)
estrella: +115 (slots)
track collector: +10
year: +x,xxx
bonus: +y,yyy |
First of all, let me say it was GREAT seeing you again, and meeting your special girl. You both seem very happy together, and best wishes for the relationship moving forward! I also hope your Raleigh trip not only met, but exceeded your expectations.
For those that don't know, you were the catalyst for my venture into the world of Texas Holdem about about 8+ years ago, which started with me trying to get on a table for the first time, only to lose my nerve and back out before my name was called. Two days later I tried again, won something like 3 hands (KK, KK, and AA) and about $175 from what was essentially beginners luck and/or being super conservative.
Fast-forward to today, I practically live in the poker room, and grind out a small (relatively speaking) profit which allows me to play as much as I want without dipping into my pocket for additional funds. I feel like I still have some room to grow, but on the skill level continuum, along with my current drive to get better, I am probably close to the best I will ever get. I do realize that over time the masses will continue to get better, so I will need to continue some learning so as to not fall backward. In my early days I lacked confidence and was probably even afraid of some players. Today I "respect" some players, but I am not in fear of them.
You certainly did not "jinx' me, but the following days results yielded a significant reduction in my year's profits. Friday I lost $400 (4 buy-ins) and Saturday another $500 (3 buy-ins). Saturday particularly hurt as I had rallied from about $400 down to be about $250 down. On the final hand I had suited 8 9, with a flop of 5 6 7 rainbow. The villian led out after the flop, then called my re-raise. The Turn was a blank and again the villain led out, which I promply re-raised all-in and was insta-called. The River was a 6 and my opponent filled up with their pocket 7's. I was a 2-1 favorite after the Turn, but as the math clearly tells us, 1 out of 3 times our opponent will draw out on us. So close and disappointing not to get back to slightly above zero, but that is the way variance works. I believe I made the right betting decisions, which is all I can control.
Sunday things threatened to continue in the downward direction. After just sitting down and a few hands later, I get pocket Aces. They get cracked when my pre-flop raise is called by just one player, whose happens to have 2 7 Offsuit.
After a few more losses and loosing my $200 Starting Bankroll,my emotions are fumming internally. It has been a tough weekend, and maybe I should just quit now, and come back when the poker room re-opens on Wednesday.
Nope, I pull out another $100 Black Chip, vowing to leave for sure once it is gone. About 10 minutes later two more players leave and we decide to break. After about 45 minutes at my new table I call a $15 raise with JdTd. I flop a flush, while my opponent flops 2-pair and goes All-in. I hold and a nice sized pot is shipped to me. Not long after I leave and book a $255 win. Emotionally it was nice to get a win after the bad results from the previous 2 days.
As James "Split-Suit Sweeney would say, "Happy Grinding"!
