Implied odds and ends...
Yeah, I just went with title because I am sucker for a good play on words.
Which, my obsessive compulsive nature now wants me to point out, is not the same thing as a pun. Both types of wit rely on taking the unsuspecting ear where it didn't expect to go, however a pun does so by deliberately mispronouncing a word, whereas a play on words is trickier, using real words for the sleight of hand. The French, circa 1600, certainly preferred the jeau de mot to the lowly pun, and I who am I to argue with a country that venerates both Jerry Lewis and Michael Jackson?
But this is a poker post. Of sorts...
I am actually not too embarassed by my yet again mid-range exit from the Mookie (TT vs AQ - he found his Q nuff said). But my play, especially after Darth Vader moved in to my left with a huge stack of chips, was erratic in the mid-game.
Hand selection, hand selection, hand selection.
Even if I think The Dark Lord is stealing, I should probably let him go unless I am willing to put my entire rack on the line, cause that's the decision he will inevitably put me to. It didn't help that I was wedged between JJJ and Caligula right when I thought I had found a groove. Between lots of what looked and felt like steal-raises and lots of "yeah? how good is that hand?" reraising from the immediate left, I was thrown off of my early plan of playing only a few hands but playing them with a religious fervour. It's instructive how ego can surreptiously corrupt a sound thought process. At least it should be.
So where is it all going? Well, I like the WWdN and Mookie. I always have a good time - if anything losing focus because its enjoyable to chat with the gang, and work feverishly to create, then screenshot a Hoyable situation. I also use them to uncover weaknesses in my psychological approach to hands and to figure out where I am making errors in hand selection and play. As you all know, the play is aggressive with a capital A. And no bones, I want to do better in them, so I've been mulling over what needs to happen next. I decided to take the next 5 days off of playing and just do some homework. Long overdue, agreed, but better later than Ne-Vah, correct?
I finished Tao of Poker a couple of days ago, and I just finished Theory this morning. As I sit here writing I am half-way through the Green Book and I note an interesting phenomenon is happening to me, for the first time in years. I was never one of those kids who could study a few hours a day for a month leading up to an exam. My wife, on the other hand, is exactly like that. When we were interns, we'd come home after 16 hours days, I'd crash, put SportsCenter on and "decompress". She'd drop her bags, make tea, pull out a book and just tear through her textbooks for 2 hours. Like clockwork, 2 hours every day, no excuses. Its why she's as very good as she is at what she does. She takes it very seriously and knows what game works for her.
But me? Slow and steady is not my style. Thankfully, my game plays to different strengths. I have an above average memory and I can jam large chunks of data into my head in relatively short sittings. The cliche of the guy studying the night before and doing well is obviously made-for-TV stuff, but where some need 6 months of study to prep for US Board Exams, I have made do with 6 weeks of long nights and complete focus for both of my Certs. I think I am also a born apprentice, in that most of what I know about medicine I learned from paying close attention to master clinicians at the bedside. WWdN and The Mookie are as much a chance to learn at the bedside as they are a good time (which they are, right up until I am transformed into light green text).
The blog was the first expression of my desire to take the same approach to my game that I do to my day job. I've heard it said that getting someone writing is the surest way to get them reading, and for me that process is now in full swing, both online [if you're reading this, and you have a blog, it's a safe bet I've been reading you these last two weeks] and in print. Harrington is next, but doubt I'll finish before I come out of exile for WWdN. Once June starts, I'll be in the last month of my current contract, and its a busy one: ICU and Consulting Service. That'll no doubt slow my playing and writing down a little, but I bet it'll be good for me. I am in transition, after quite a while in the wilds. I now know just enough to understand I am making major mistakes every once in a while, and able to recognize (if not always prevent) them. Rooting them out is becoming a hobby / part-time job.
When it all boils down, I'm an optimist by nature. That's serving me well as a I try to jump on this particular bandwagon late in the day.
Later.
Which, my obsessive compulsive nature now wants me to point out, is not the same thing as a pun. Both types of wit rely on taking the unsuspecting ear where it didn't expect to go, however a pun does so by deliberately mispronouncing a word, whereas a play on words is trickier, using real words for the sleight of hand. The French, circa 1600, certainly preferred the jeau de mot to the lowly pun, and I who am I to argue with a country that venerates both Jerry Lewis and Michael Jackson?
But this is a poker post. Of sorts...
I am actually not too embarassed by my yet again mid-range exit from the Mookie (TT vs AQ - he found his Q nuff said). But my play, especially after Darth Vader moved in to my left with a huge stack of chips, was erratic in the mid-game.
Hand selection, hand selection, hand selection.
Even if I think The Dark Lord is stealing, I should probably let him go unless I am willing to put my entire rack on the line, cause that's the decision he will inevitably put me to. It didn't help that I was wedged between JJJ and Caligula right when I thought I had found a groove. Between lots of what looked and felt like steal-raises and lots of "yeah? how good is that hand?" reraising from the immediate left, I was thrown off of my early plan of playing only a few hands but playing them with a religious fervour. It's instructive how ego can surreptiously corrupt a sound thought process. At least it should be.
So where is it all going? Well, I like the WWdN and Mookie. I always have a good time - if anything losing focus because its enjoyable to chat with the gang, and work feverishly to create, then screenshot a Hoyable situation. I also use them to uncover weaknesses in my psychological approach to hands and to figure out where I am making errors in hand selection and play. As you all know, the play is aggressive with a capital A. And no bones, I want to do better in them, so I've been mulling over what needs to happen next. I decided to take the next 5 days off of playing and just do some homework. Long overdue, agreed, but better later than Ne-Vah, correct?
I finished Tao of Poker a couple of days ago, and I just finished Theory this morning. As I sit here writing I am half-way through the Green Book and I note an interesting phenomenon is happening to me, for the first time in years. I was never one of those kids who could study a few hours a day for a month leading up to an exam. My wife, on the other hand, is exactly like that. When we were interns, we'd come home after 16 hours days, I'd crash, put SportsCenter on and "decompress". She'd drop her bags, make tea, pull out a book and just tear through her textbooks for 2 hours. Like clockwork, 2 hours every day, no excuses. Its why she's as very good as she is at what she does. She takes it very seriously and knows what game works for her.
But me? Slow and steady is not my style. Thankfully, my game plays to different strengths. I have an above average memory and I can jam large chunks of data into my head in relatively short sittings. The cliche of the guy studying the night before and doing well is obviously made-for-TV stuff, but where some need 6 months of study to prep for US Board Exams, I have made do with 6 weeks of long nights and complete focus for both of my Certs. I think I am also a born apprentice, in that most of what I know about medicine I learned from paying close attention to master clinicians at the bedside. WWdN and The Mookie are as much a chance to learn at the bedside as they are a good time (which they are, right up until I am transformed into light green text).
The blog was the first expression of my desire to take the same approach to my game that I do to my day job. I've heard it said that getting someone writing is the surest way to get them reading, and for me that process is now in full swing, both online [if you're reading this, and you have a blog, it's a safe bet I've been reading you these last two weeks] and in print. Harrington is next, but doubt I'll finish before I come out of exile for WWdN. Once June starts, I'll be in the last month of my current contract, and its a busy one: ICU and Consulting Service. That'll no doubt slow my playing and writing down a little, but I bet it'll be good for me. I am in transition, after quite a while in the wilds. I now know just enough to understand I am making major mistakes every once in a while, and able to recognize (if not always prevent) them. Rooting them out is becoming a hobby / part-time job.
When it all boils down, I'm an optimist by nature. That's serving me well as a I try to jump on this particular bandwagon late in the day.
Later.
posted by Iakaris aka I.A.K. at 11:26 AM
5 Comments:
I'm a sucker for titles to, thus the Bubble Entendre I spit out today...
Gillain - or as some us know you: Extremely Chip Heavy Limp Crusher...thanks for stopping by. You're obviously smart enough to know I meant in (mostly) admiring jest.
J3 - I saw that and smiled this afternoon - exactly to my taste. Thanks for the advice on site layout at the tourney, I talked to my friend and he agrees he can most of it done in a few afternoons. Now I just have to figure out what I want...
Great post man...I just got Theory of Poker from CC, how did you like it ? I read Little Green and both Harringtons and loved them. (Although it hasn't shown given my recent tournament misses)
Hey Mookie,
Good to see ya as always. Theory is like reading the Bible - it tries to keep it light, but you're so aware this shit really counts, that its hard to take yourself out of the "study" mode and just enjoy if for what it is - a master giving you his take on how to part the clouds.
Doesnt read nearly as smoothly as Little Green, but is trying to go deeper by definition. That's my initial take on them...Harrington tomorrow and then rereads begin in earnest.
Blah...I am out of it...I meant I just got Tao of Poker from CC. I agree with your take on Theory, he is not a great writer so it doesn't flow as easily as other books.
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