We went on a road trip this week - and of course, we hoped to play poker to help cover our expenses.
But our timing was bad, because we were in the southern Illinois area on a Tuesday night. Harrah's Metropolis only opens its poker room there four nights a week - Thursdays through Sundays.
Does this say something about poker as a whole? Is it declining in popularity? Or are there good and bad nights for business, even at casinos?
Friday, March 30, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Poker Night 303: Chasing Rainbows
Many people across the U.S. are dreaming tonight of winning a world-record $540 million lottery jackpot. But many poker players dream of striking it rich several times a night -- hitting big cards to grab huge pots. And with odds far better than the 1:176,000,000 of Mega Millions, you can understand why. Here's an example from Lil Kim's Cove tonight....
BLINDS: 50/100
IN THE POCKET: Ace of diamonds - 4 of hearts
We're dealing the cards, and the woman in the small blind openly admits she's displeased with what we dealt her. We don't bother mentioning ours are only fair-to-middlin'. Starting the hand with about 7,900 chips, we're pleased when no one at the nearly-full table raises. Most players call, and we join in.
ON THE FLOP: 9h-2d-Jd
This may not look like much -- but with two diamonds showing, we're thinking about a possible flush. A player bets 500. Thinking big and hopeful, we call. About four players remain in the hand.
ON THE TURN: 10d
We're halfway (or is that 80-percent?!) there. But now the heat rises. The "small blind" woman to our left bets 1,000. A man on the opposite side raises to 2,000. We know from doing the math at home we have a 19-percent chance of catching a diamond on the river, to make the flush. Adding a bit of "daring" to our big and hopeful, we call. The woman to our left calls as well.
ON THE RIVER: 3c
Ouch -- we swung and missed! The table checks in front of us, so we still have hope. But we decide not to bet on that hope, and check as well.
"I hit a flush," the small blind says. She proves it by turning over 6d-5d. The small suited connectors she didn't like turned into a big winner. (No, she didn't "tip the dealer" to thank us.)
Our chasing stopped for the most part, after that substantial loss. We eased our way to the one-hour break with 3,900 chips. But then another second-hour rally started for us. A real flush came for us on the river from Ac-Jc, helping us recover to 10,000. Another pot came minutes came when a 10 turned into a winning two pair, and we stood at 18,000.
But after a loss of two, we faced a moment of truth with 9,500 chips left and rising blinds. A man across from us went all-in pre-flop with a massive stack. We had J-J, and dared to call -- only to see our opponent throw down A-A with authority. He was rewarded with A-A on the turn and river! If we had to lose, we might as well lose to something huge -- as quads kicked us out in 18th place.
MINISTRY MOMENT: "What's with the nail, man?" a man asked as he dealt the cards tonight. We reprised the card protector from Monday night.
"It's to remind me of something big," we explained; "the crucifixion of Christ." We noted many people will remember that momentous event next week. Then we asked, "Do you believe the crucifixion happened?"
The dealer didn't answer. So we ask you, the reader: do you believe it happened? It's an event so noteworthy that it was prophesied in the Old Testament:
UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 108 final tables in 303 nights (35.6%) - 17 cashes. Uh-oh, we've missed six final tables in a row.
NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 203 point wins in 864 games (23.5%), 68 final tables, 7 cashes. We qualified for the monthly NLOP Senior Championship again, but had to miss Tuesday night's tournament because of a work-related road trip.
POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $71,332, up $600.
BLINDS: 50/100
IN THE POCKET: Ace of diamonds - 4 of hearts
We're dealing the cards, and the woman in the small blind openly admits she's displeased with what we dealt her. We don't bother mentioning ours are only fair-to-middlin'. Starting the hand with about 7,900 chips, we're pleased when no one at the nearly-full table raises. Most players call, and we join in.
ON THE FLOP: 9h-2d-Jd
This may not look like much -- but with two diamonds showing, we're thinking about a possible flush. A player bets 500. Thinking big and hopeful, we call. About four players remain in the hand.
ON THE TURN: 10d
We're halfway (or is that 80-percent?!) there. But now the heat rises. The "small blind" woman to our left bets 1,000. A man on the opposite side raises to 2,000. We know from doing the math at home we have a 19-percent chance of catching a diamond on the river, to make the flush. Adding a bit of "daring" to our big and hopeful, we call. The woman to our left calls as well.
ON THE RIVER: 3c
Ouch -- we swung and missed! The table checks in front of us, so we still have hope. But we decide not to bet on that hope, and check as well.
"I hit a flush," the small blind says. She proves it by turning over 6d-5d. The small suited connectors she didn't like turned into a big winner. (No, she didn't "tip the dealer" to thank us.)
Our chasing stopped for the most part, after that substantial loss. We eased our way to the one-hour break with 3,900 chips. But then another second-hour rally started for us. A real flush came for us on the river from Ac-Jc, helping us recover to 10,000. Another pot came minutes came when a 10 turned into a winning two pair, and we stood at 18,000.
But after a loss of two, we faced a moment of truth with 9,500 chips left and rising blinds. A man across from us went all-in pre-flop with a massive stack. We had J-J, and dared to call -- only to see our opponent throw down A-A with authority. He was rewarded with A-A on the turn and river! If we had to lose, we might as well lose to something huge -- as quads kicked us out in 18th place.
MINISTRY MOMENT: "What's with the nail, man?" a man asked as he dealt the cards tonight. We reprised the card protector from Monday night.
"It's to remind me of something big," we explained; "the crucifixion of Christ." We noted many people will remember that momentous event next week. Then we asked, "Do you believe the crucifixion happened?"
The dealer didn't answer. So we ask you, the reader: do you believe it happened? It's an event so noteworthy that it was prophesied in the Old Testament:
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. - Isaiah 53:5Jesus the Son of God endured a painful death -- not only being crucified, but facing insults and spit in His face (Matthew 27:29-30). In 2012, some people would call this police brutality. And it was done to a "suspect" who committed no sin at all (II Corinthians 5:21). Why would God in heaven allow such a thing? The prophecy of Isaiah even answers that question....
Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and thought the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. - Isaiah 53:10Translation: Jesus paid the "guilt offering" of death for our sins (Romans 6:23) -- and the Son of God eventually was resurrected, to see other "sons of God" be developed who would accept Jesus's sacrifice. That's how Jesus Christ is our Savior, if you're willing to accept Him in that title.
UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 108 final tables in 303 nights (35.6%) - 17 cashes. Uh-oh, we've missed six final tables in a row.
NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 203 point wins in 864 games (23.5%), 68 final tables, 7 cashes. We qualified for the monthly NLOP Senior Championship again, but had to miss Tuesday night's tournament because of a work-related road trip.
POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $71,332, up $600.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Where Seldom Is Heard....
"It's nice to be popular," we said jokingly as we shifted from one poker table to another the other night.
A man at our new table specifically asked for "the player behind the dealer," even though someone else offered to go. We were that "player behind" -- and that man may have seen us as an easy target.
"He'll be out of the game in a minute," the man told the Tournament Director after we sat down. We simply smiled at that, prompting him to laugh a little.
"Thank you for those words of encouragement," we finally said quietly -- and admittedly a bit sarcastically.
You do hear such words from time to time at poker tables. It's especially true when someone makes a huge hand, or newcomers take their first large pot. But to be fair, some people are better with encouraging words than others. That's true with believers in Christ as well....
A man at our new table specifically asked for "the player behind the dealer," even though someone else offered to go. We were that "player behind" -- and that man may have seen us as an easy target.
"He'll be out of the game in a minute," the man told the Tournament Director after we sat down. We simply smiled at that, prompting him to laugh a little.
"Thank you for those words of encouragement," we finally said quietly -- and admittedly a bit sarcastically.
You do hear such words from time to time at poker tables. It's especially true when someone makes a huge hand, or newcomers take their first large pot. But to be fair, some people are better with encouraging words than others. That's true with believers in Christ as well....
We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.... if it is encouraging, let him encourage.... - Romans 12:6, 8We've faced our own personal trials away from the poker table over the last few years. So we use this post in part to thank the fellow believers who have offered us encouraging words, when problems have arisen and things looked tough. And if you don't have the gift of saying those words, set a living example instead:
See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. - Hebrews 3:12-13Our title for this post comes from a line in the state song of our home state: "Home on the range.... where seldom is heard a discouraging word...." May your words and life encourage others - especially to bring them nearer to God.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Poker Night 302: The Royal Rumble
We don't pay much attention to professional wrestling these days. But WWE's Raw Super Show is shown live inside The Red Barn on Monday nights -- and tonight we were reminded a man named Sheamus won the annual "Royal Rumble" battle royal earlier this year. Poker games can have plenty of royalty on display, of course. That can be both a good and bad thing....
BLINDS: 25/50
IN THE POCKET: Q-3 of clubs
We're sitting one behind the dealer, at a table of six. It's early. We started with 7,000 chips and haven't lost very many. So it's inexpensive to try this. We call, and no one raises.
ON THE FLOP: 6-5-Q
No clubs came out, but we have top pair. A woman first in the betting order offers 500. Fine by us; we call, as do two others.
ON THE TURN: Q
Now the table tightens, as everyone ahead of us checks. Not with three of a kind, they don't. We bet 700. The early bettor folds, and only a man across from us calls.
ON THE RIVER: Q
Well, well! The man across from us checks -- and we want to gain as much as we think he'll tolerate. We bet 1,500, saying nothing more.
"I'll call," our opponent says with a shrug. And now we finally can complete a quote we started to make at The Red Barn on Memorial Day 2010 -- a moment which marked our worst-ever bad beat in live play.
"Q is for quads!" There's no straight flush possible to top it. Our chip stack jumps to more than 15,000, helped by a 5,000-chip bonus for quads.
We took another nice pot after that, and were cruising along in the 15,000-chip range. But then a moment of truth occurred at the one-hour break, as we held K-K. A man kept making big raises ahead of us -- 8,000 on the flop when we had an "over-pair." An Ace on the turn led him to bet 40,000. After thinking over an all-in call for several seconds, we decided to fold. Another Ace was revealed for the river, and the bettor indicated later he had a pocket pair of his own. "If you had an Ace, you beat me," he said. We didn't, but we probably would have.
We still had 10,000 chips at the break, but few good cards came after that. We felt forced to push with 3-3 and 4,500 chips left, but the board didn't pair for us and a woman with A-K won with a pair of Kings. A promising night ended with a stinging conclusion: only 17th place.
MINISTRY MOMENT: "Is that your lucky nail?" a woman across the table asked when she saw tonight's card protector.
"Not really," we said. The long narrow nail was a message of the season. "I brought it to remind me of the crucifixion of Christ."
"I believe he was crucified," the woman said when we asked. "But I think it was with a bigger nail than that."
We have to agree. It would have to be much larger, to do what Peter described several weeks later....
UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 108 final tables in 302 nights (35.8%) - 17 cashes.
BLINDS: 25/50
IN THE POCKET: Q-3 of clubs
We're sitting one behind the dealer, at a table of six. It's early. We started with 7,000 chips and haven't lost very many. So it's inexpensive to try this. We call, and no one raises.
ON THE FLOP: 6-5-Q
No clubs came out, but we have top pair. A woman first in the betting order offers 500. Fine by us; we call, as do two others.
ON THE TURN: Q
Now the table tightens, as everyone ahead of us checks. Not with three of a kind, they don't. We bet 700. The early bettor folds, and only a man across from us calls.
ON THE RIVER: Q
Well, well! The man across from us checks -- and we want to gain as much as we think he'll tolerate. We bet 1,500, saying nothing more.
"I'll call," our opponent says with a shrug. And now we finally can complete a quote we started to make at The Red Barn on Memorial Day 2010 -- a moment which marked our worst-ever bad beat in live play.
"Q is for quads!" There's no straight flush possible to top it. Our chip stack jumps to more than 15,000, helped by a 5,000-chip bonus for quads.
We took another nice pot after that, and were cruising along in the 15,000-chip range. But then a moment of truth occurred at the one-hour break, as we held K-K. A man kept making big raises ahead of us -- 8,000 on the flop when we had an "over-pair." An Ace on the turn led him to bet 40,000. After thinking over an all-in call for several seconds, we decided to fold. Another Ace was revealed for the river, and the bettor indicated later he had a pocket pair of his own. "If you had an Ace, you beat me," he said. We didn't, but we probably would have.
We still had 10,000 chips at the break, but few good cards came after that. We felt forced to push with 3-3 and 4,500 chips left, but the board didn't pair for us and a woman with A-K won with a pair of Kings. A promising night ended with a stinging conclusion: only 17th place.
MINISTRY MOMENT: "Is that your lucky nail?" a woman across the table asked when she saw tonight's card protector.
"I believe he was crucified," the woman said when we asked. "But I think it was with a bigger nail than that."
We have to agree. It would have to be much larger, to do what Peter described several weeks later....
This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. - Acts 2:23Some experts believe the nails used at the crucifixion were seven to nine inches long. (But despite what you may have heard, that's apparently not how the rock band Nine Inch Nails gained its name.) Jesus didn't have to go through any of that punishment. But He did, for a most wonderful reason.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him? - Romans 5:8-9Have you accepted this wonderful gift of love, which God offered long ago? You can be saved from "the wrath to come," which the Bible indicates will top anything in that upcoming movie The Wrath of Titans. If you'd like to know more about that way of salvation, leave a comment; we'll be happy to explain it.
UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 108 final tables in 302 nights (35.8%) - 17 cashes.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Before the Turn
The raise from a man to our left was to 1,000. Two women already committed to the hand threw in 1,000-chip pieces to call. But there was a small problem. The dealer sat between the man and the women -- and he was annoyed.
"Your thousands are committed!" the dealer announced as he emphatically stacked them into the pot. "But I might want to re-raise here!" He was in the hand as well -- and sure enough, he re-raised to 5,000.
This touched off a loud, short debate. One of the women admitted she threw her chip in because she saw the other woman do it. The other woman took exception to the decision to "commit" her 1,000 to the pot. "It's not proper etiquette!" the dealer declared -- adding he was only doing what a casino dealer might do.
Our hand was folded well before the first raise, so we quietly lowered our head and let the other players quarrel. The dealer had a point, even if it was made with a measure of anger. Most organized poker games have a rule we all should have learned in kindergarten -- wait your turn. We've mentioned before that it's even considered proper poker etiquette to avoid looking at your cards until it's your turn, before the flop.
"That's easy for you to say, Mr. Christian," some scoffers might respond. "Your bunch probably is polite all the time!" Well.... actually, no. The Bible reveals at least one group of believers had trouble learning this lesson.
A patient poker player doesn't go all-in with any two random cards, unless it's absolutely necessary. In the same way, patient play also means waiting for people ahead of you to act first. Even high-speed online tables require that. So why not try it around other people?
"Your thousands are committed!" the dealer announced as he emphatically stacked them into the pot. "But I might want to re-raise here!" He was in the hand as well -- and sure enough, he re-raised to 5,000.
This touched off a loud, short debate. One of the women admitted she threw her chip in because she saw the other woman do it. The other woman took exception to the decision to "commit" her 1,000 to the pot. "It's not proper etiquette!" the dealer declared -- adding he was only doing what a casino dealer might do.
Our hand was folded well before the first raise, so we quietly lowered our head and let the other players quarrel. The dealer had a point, even if it was made with a measure of anger. Most organized poker games have a rule we all should have learned in kindergarten -- wait your turn. We've mentioned before that it's even considered proper poker etiquette to avoid looking at your cards until it's your turn, before the flop.
"That's easy for you to say, Mr. Christian," some scoffers might respond. "Your bunch probably is polite all the time!" Well.... actually, no. The Bible reveals at least one group of believers had trouble learning this lesson.
When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. - I Corinthians 11:20-21Many Christian groups will mark the Lord's Supper (also called the New Testament Passover) with a special service next week. Imagine walking in and seeing everyone in the room rush to the front to grab the bread and wine! You'd probably wonder what sort of group this really is. Yet the group at Corinth apparently acted that way -- and not only when it comes to food and drink.
Two or three prophets should speak, and the other should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. - I Corinthians 14:29-31What was the point of all this correction? The Corinthian church members apparently had a problem with being considerate of each other -- perhaps due to factions feuding with each other (see 1:11-13). But Paul indicated God wanted to see something else....
For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace.... everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way. - I Corinthians 14:33, 40Back at our table, the dealer's re-raise to 5,000 eventually was called by a couple of players. And as we've seen happen before, the dealer went all-in on the next card to reinforce his annoyance. He won the pot, but left a bruise or two in the process.
A patient poker player doesn't go all-in with any two random cards, unless it's absolutely necessary. In the same way, patient play also means waiting for people ahead of you to act first. Even high-speed online tables require that. So why not try it around other people?
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Poker Night 301: The Great Diamond Heist
You may know the famous last words of a poker player: "They were suited." But sometimes two suited cards can be a perfect fit. Let's see if they were for us tonight at Lil Kim's Cove....
BLINDS: 50/100
IN THE POCKET: 7-10 of diamonds
After a small early loss or two, we have about 6,200 chips. Pre-flop raises have been common at this table, but this time no one piles on. We're willing to call and see what happens, joining about two-thirds of the table.
ON THE FLOP: Qd-Jd-7c
It's more than bottom pair -- it's also a flush draw. A woman to the dealer's left tosses out 200. That's not large enough to run us off, so we call; so do one or two other players.
ON THE TURN: Qs
Uh-oh. We now have two pair -- but if the woman across from us has a Queen, we have serious problems. She raises the bet to 500. We came prepared to take some calculated risks, so we call again. We're now heads-up.
ON THE RIVER: 4d
It appears our patience was rewarded! And when the woman checks, we're pretty sure of that. We bet 1,500 with our flush. The woman shakes her head, as if she fears the worst -- but she calls. We show our flush. She doesn't show what she had, so we jump well above 8,000 chips.
"You let him steal it," a woman out of the hand says to the early bettor.
We politely beg to differ. "She bet twice," we point out. Other players at Lil Kim's Cove might have bet a lot more, though. And besides, a Christian never likes to be accused of stealing; check Exodus 20:15 to find out why.
We apparently bet too much after that, because that was our last win of the evening. Failed chances left us with 3,200 at the one-hour break, then a forced go-for-broke push in the second hour with A-Q. Neither card paired, and a man with Kings and 7's took us out. We came close to the final table, but had to settle for 11th place for the second week in a row.
MINISTRY MOMENT: It's spring pollen season in our corner of the world, with yellow dust covering every car in town. Yet it was thundering as we walked to the poker room, and we were glad we carried an umbrella as rain began to fall. Within about 20 minutes, it was a downpour.
"On behalf of my car," we said at the table, "I'd like to thank God for the rain."
Too much rain, of course, can be a problem. Our sympathies are with people elsewhere in the U.S. who have dealt with flooding from several days of rain. But the Bible shows that moisture is a godly blessing:
NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 200 point wins in 858 games (23.3%), 68 final tables, 7 cashes.
It turns out the midday NLOP "turbo tourney" hasn't disappeared after all. It's still held several days a week, and you now have to register for it well in advance. We had a good NLOP week all in all -- 6 point wins in 11 games, and two final tables on Sunday (a ninth and a fifth, the latter missing the money by two spots).
POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $70,732, down $2,225.
BLINDS: 50/100
IN THE POCKET: 7-10 of diamonds
After a small early loss or two, we have about 6,200 chips. Pre-flop raises have been common at this table, but this time no one piles on. We're willing to call and see what happens, joining about two-thirds of the table.
ON THE FLOP: Qd-Jd-7c
It's more than bottom pair -- it's also a flush draw. A woman to the dealer's left tosses out 200. That's not large enough to run us off, so we call; so do one or two other players.
ON THE TURN: Qs
Uh-oh. We now have two pair -- but if the woman across from us has a Queen, we have serious problems. She raises the bet to 500. We came prepared to take some calculated risks, so we call again. We're now heads-up.
ON THE RIVER: 4d
It appears our patience was rewarded! And when the woman checks, we're pretty sure of that. We bet 1,500 with our flush. The woman shakes her head, as if she fears the worst -- but she calls. We show our flush. She doesn't show what she had, so we jump well above 8,000 chips.
"You let him steal it," a woman out of the hand says to the early bettor.
We politely beg to differ. "She bet twice," we point out. Other players at Lil Kim's Cove might have bet a lot more, though. And besides, a Christian never likes to be accused of stealing; check Exodus 20:15 to find out why.
We apparently bet too much after that, because that was our last win of the evening. Failed chances left us with 3,200 at the one-hour break, then a forced go-for-broke push in the second hour with A-Q. Neither card paired, and a man with Kings and 7's took us out. We came close to the final table, but had to settle for 11th place for the second week in a row.
MINISTRY MOMENT: It's spring pollen season in our corner of the world, with yellow dust covering every car in town. Yet it was thundering as we walked to the poker room, and we were glad we carried an umbrella as rain began to fall. Within about 20 minutes, it was a downpour.
"On behalf of my car," we said at the table, "I'd like to thank God for the rain."
Too much rain, of course, can be a problem. Our sympathies are with people elsewhere in the U.S. who have dealt with flooding from several days of rain. But the Bible shows that moisture is a godly blessing:
....Your Father in heaven.... causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. - Matthew 5:45The NIV Study Bible comments concerning this verse: "God shows his love to people without distinction." The difference lies in whether you acknowledge the love God provides. If you do, we'd think you're more likely to walk in a righteous way -- a way that shows gratitude toward God.
[Jesus] himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. - I Peter 2:24UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 108 final tables in 301 nights (35.9%) - 17 cashes. The last time our final table number dropped below 36 percent, it was 2008 -- in our first months of live tournaments.
NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 200 point wins in 858 games (23.3%), 68 final tables, 7 cashes.
It turns out the midday NLOP "turbo tourney" hasn't disappeared after all. It's still held several days a week, and you now have to register for it well in advance. We had a good NLOP week all in all -- 6 point wins in 11 games, and two final tables on Sunday (a ninth and a fifth, the latter missing the money by two spots).
POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $70,732, down $2,225.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
If It Was Real: 300-Game Report
It's one thing to start strongly in a project. It's another thing to sustain that momentum. After 300 live poker tournaments, we're humble enough to admit we've lost a large amount of it.
We'll do a long-term review in a moment, but first let's review our last 20 live tournaments. It's almost like we were trading stocks, trying to end the fiscal year with positive returns. We've made six final tables in 20 -- but only two finishes were in the top five, both occurring in December.
We add a second-place and a fifth-place finish to our running total, based on hypothetical entries and payouts at casino tournaments -- and here's where we stand:
BUY-INS: 300 nights x $50 = $15,000
First -- 5 ($2,500)
TIE for first: 1 ($450)
Second - 9 ($3,600)
Third -- 9 ($2,700)
TIE for third: 1 ($250)
Fourth - 12 ($2,400)
TIES for fourth:
4 two-way ($600)
1 three-way ($67)
Fifth -- 15 ($1,500)
TIES for fifth:
4 two-way ($200)
1 three-way ($17)
TOTAL -- 62 for $14,284
Winning $500 out of $1,000 in buy-ins admittedly is not a strong record. But a check of the overall record shows how much our strength has sapped lately:
FIRST 100 GAMES: 41 final tables; 29 top five finishes; 9 cashes - 45.3% return on pretend investment
SECOND 100 GAMES: 42 final tables; 22 top five finishes; 6 cashes - 24.7% on total 200-game investment
THIRD 100 GAMES: 25 final tables; 11 top five finishes; 2 cashes - down 4.8% on total 300-game investment
Is it simply a case of "the law of averages" catching up with us? Do too many local players know our habits, and exploit them? We're open to your comments and ideas -- and we might even try some of them at future tournaments. But of course, we'll only give you credit after the fact.
We'll do a long-term review in a moment, but first let's review our last 20 live tournaments. It's almost like we were trading stocks, trying to end the fiscal year with positive returns. We've made six final tables in 20 -- but only two finishes were in the top five, both occurring in December.
We add a second-place and a fifth-place finish to our running total, based on hypothetical entries and payouts at casino tournaments -- and here's where we stand:
BUY-INS: 300 nights x $50 = $15,000
First -- 5 ($2,500)
TIE for first: 1 ($450)
Second - 9 ($3,600)
Third -- 9 ($2,700)
TIE for third: 1 ($250)
Fourth - 12 ($2,400)
TIES for fourth:
4 two-way ($600)
1 three-way ($67)
Fifth -- 15 ($1,500)
TIES for fifth:
4 two-way ($200)
1 three-way ($17)
TOTAL -- 62 for $14,284
Winning $500 out of $1,000 in buy-ins admittedly is not a strong record. But a check of the overall record shows how much our strength has sapped lately:
FIRST 100 GAMES: 41 final tables; 29 top five finishes; 9 cashes - 45.3% return on pretend investment
SECOND 100 GAMES: 42 final tables; 22 top five finishes; 6 cashes - 24.7% on total 200-game investment
THIRD 100 GAMES: 25 final tables; 11 top five finishes; 2 cashes - down 4.8% on total 300-game investment
Is it simply a case of "the law of averages" catching up with us? Do too many local players know our habits, and exploit them? We're open to your comments and ideas -- and we might even try some of them at future tournaments. But of course, we'll only give you credit after the fact.
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