Braggart's Curse revisited
Ugh ... I suck so bad right now, it's not funny.
Sometime back, I explained by Braggart's Curse theory. Basically, if you're too lazy to click the link, it goes like this: You start running off at the mouth about how good a player you are and then sweet variance pops a knee in your crotch.
So what did I do? I got on here last Thursday night to crow about an utter ass-whipping I had laid upon a table at Party Poker, thus gaining the attention of whatever gods are responsible for carrying out the Braggart's Curse. Oh hell, the very next day was painful.
Notice I didn't run back to the computer to talk about that one.
I'm a little behind on my reading, what with a very hectic family schedule of late, but over the weekend I did get a chance to read a very interesting article in the Feb. 25 issue of Cardplayer, with Jennifer Harman on the cover, called "Being Beyond Pain," by Lou Krieger and Arthur Reber. (Damn, I've got too much to do today to be running around hunting for links, but here it is.) They talk about Caro's theory of learned helplessness, which I had heard of before, but which now hit me like a ton of recognition bricks.
That was me. Just this past Friday. When I blew away three-quarters of my bankroll.
The key portion of the article was this: "You’ve given up, are utterly helpless, and have been beaten and beaten for so long and so hard that you no longer feel the blows. When poker players reach this state, there’s only one goal left: to lose every last cent in their pockets so that they can go home, curl up in a corner, and whimper pathetically."
Fortunately, I didn't drop every last cent (just three-quarters of them). But the rest of the description of learned helplessness fit me perfectly last Friday. The day started well enough, with me charging hard through a multi. With about 80 players left and the top 20 getting paid, I was comfortably in the top 12. Then, I took a pretty bad beat which cut my stack in half, and I just went apeshit from there. I overplayed hands for the next few minutes until I busted out in 67th place.
And from there, it was all downhill. That day, sitting down at the table was a -EV proposition. I don't think I posted one single winning session, and I played a lot of sessions.
I suppose last Friday was Monkey Day, because I kept getting pounded by them. One fellow in particular kept moving all-in whenever he had a four-flush. Twice he did this against me when I was holding a fairly decent hand (trips the first time, flopped nut straight the second), and both times he rivered the flush.
That brings me to an interesting question: Is it ever correct to fold when you are absolutely certain you have the best hand at the moment, but exposed to danger? For instance, with my straight, I KNEW there was not another hand possible that could beat me. But with one card to come, I KNEW that he was semi-bluffing with the four-flush and I would be beat if another diamond fell. Yes, I suppose I should call, but you truly begin doubting it when time after time it comes back to bite you.
Groan ... bellyache ... self-pity ...
Enough of that. I've moved past it and I'm beginning the slow process of rebuilding my stack. Last night saw me gather about $50 back rather quickly. Then I just quit for the evening, satisfied to have moved up a little. Who knows, maybe by next week I'll be back to full health. Or busted out completely. Either way, it's all good.
And now, a little bit of news that has found its way to my inbox:
Sometime back, I explained by Braggart's Curse theory. Basically, if you're too lazy to click the link, it goes like this: You start running off at the mouth about how good a player you are and then sweet variance pops a knee in your crotch.
So what did I do? I got on here last Thursday night to crow about an utter ass-whipping I had laid upon a table at Party Poker, thus gaining the attention of whatever gods are responsible for carrying out the Braggart's Curse. Oh hell, the very next day was painful.
Notice I didn't run back to the computer to talk about that one.
I'm a little behind on my reading, what with a very hectic family schedule of late, but over the weekend I did get a chance to read a very interesting article in the Feb. 25 issue of Cardplayer, with Jennifer Harman on the cover, called "Being Beyond Pain," by Lou Krieger and Arthur Reber. (Damn, I've got too much to do today to be running around hunting for links, but here it is.) They talk about Caro's theory of learned helplessness, which I had heard of before, but which now hit me like a ton of recognition bricks.
That was me. Just this past Friday. When I blew away three-quarters of my bankroll.
The key portion of the article was this: "You’ve given up, are utterly helpless, and have been beaten and beaten for so long and so hard that you no longer feel the blows. When poker players reach this state, there’s only one goal left: to lose every last cent in their pockets so that they can go home, curl up in a corner, and whimper pathetically."
Fortunately, I didn't drop every last cent (just three-quarters of them). But the rest of the description of learned helplessness fit me perfectly last Friday. The day started well enough, with me charging hard through a multi. With about 80 players left and the top 20 getting paid, I was comfortably in the top 12. Then, I took a pretty bad beat which cut my stack in half, and I just went apeshit from there. I overplayed hands for the next few minutes until I busted out in 67th place.
And from there, it was all downhill. That day, sitting down at the table was a -EV proposition. I don't think I posted one single winning session, and I played a lot of sessions.
I suppose last Friday was Monkey Day, because I kept getting pounded by them. One fellow in particular kept moving all-in whenever he had a four-flush. Twice he did this against me when I was holding a fairly decent hand (trips the first time, flopped nut straight the second), and both times he rivered the flush.
That brings me to an interesting question: Is it ever correct to fold when you are absolutely certain you have the best hand at the moment, but exposed to danger? For instance, with my straight, I KNEW there was not another hand possible that could beat me. But with one card to come, I KNEW that he was semi-bluffing with the four-flush and I would be beat if another diamond fell. Yes, I suppose I should call, but you truly begin doubting it when time after time it comes back to bite you.
Groan ... bellyache ... self-pity ...
Enough of that. I've moved past it and I'm beginning the slow process of rebuilding my stack. Last night saw me gather about $50 back rather quickly. Then I just quit for the evening, satisfied to have moved up a little. Who knows, maybe by next week I'll be back to full health. Or busted out completely. Either way, it's all good.
And now, a little bit of news that has found its way to my inbox:
2005 WSOP Consumer Retail Show Fact Sheet
What is it? The consumer show has been created to provide an avenue for poker fans and “poker lifestyle companies” to come together during poker’s biggest event.
Where is it? The consumer show will occur at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The event will be held in the Rio Pavilion.
When is it? The dates and times of the consumer show are:
July 6th: 11am-6pm
July 7th: 10am-6pm
July 8th: 10am-6pm
July 9th: 10am-6pm
The consumer show coincides with the first rounds of the $10,000 buy-in main event of the WSOP.
Why the Rio Pavilion? The Pavilion is next to the actual WSOP gaming area and will be the only way that players/observers can get to the WSOP gaming area during the show dates. If maxed out, the Rio Pavilion can hold approximately 250 10’x10’ vendor booths.
How many people will attend? An estimated 6,000 players will be participating in the main event which means that the consumer show will have guaranteed exposure to thousands of WSOP poker players. Although it cannot be forecasted, we expect thousands of poker fans, observers and general interest consumers to also attend the consumer show/WSOP event.
What type of companies will have booths? Any company that wants to be involved in the current poker phenomenon and is allowed by the Nevada Gaming Board and Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. A full list of vendors and their locations will be posted on our website prior to the consumer show.
How can I find out more information?
Website: www.worldseriesofpoker.com/consumershow
Toll-free number: Call 1-877-367-9767 and follow the prompts to get general information about the consumer show.ACES AND KINGS: Inside Stories and Million-Dollar Strategies from Poker’s Greatest Players
“Aces and Kings will soon be considered among the classics of its genre.” —Greg Raymer, 2004 World Series of Poker Champion
New York—As the poker phenomenon continues to sweep the nation, writers Michael Kaplan and Brad Reagan bring us Aces and Kings: Inside Stories and Million-Dollar Strategies from Poker’s Greatest Players. Through fascinating and intimate profiles, Aces and Kings reveals the ground-breaking strategies and outrageous lifestyles of the game’s most influential players including, Puggy Pearson, Stu Ungar, Phil Hellmuth, and Chris “Jesus” Ferguson.
In Aces and Kings, you’ll follow the evolution of modern poker from shady back rooms to the world of high-tech, mainstream, entertainment. You’ll read the amazing tales of legends like Puggy Pearson and Amarillo Slim, street-smart hustlers who stormed the poker rooms of Las Vegas in the 1960s. You’ll read about Vegas’s glam era, in the ’70s and ’80s, and about today’s new generation of champs — guys like Chris Moneymaker and Phil Ivey, computer-savvy card wizards with endorsement deals and celebrity friends. Along the way, you’ll see the game itself transform. Today, Internet casinos draw as many players as real casinos and five TV networks broadcast poker tournaments.
From the 2004 World Series of Poker to New York’s underground clubs and Europe’s toniest gambling halls, the authors gained unprecedented access to poker’s top practitioners. The result is a window into how the superstars think, strategize, and compete at the world’s highest-stakes tables. Poker is a game of subtle deceptions and minute adjustments, and the lessons that can be learned from studying the masters in action are invaluable for readers of all levels — from beginners to grizzled rounders.
Michael Kaplan is a writer in Brooklyn. He has written extensively about gambling for Details, Sports Illustrated and Smart Money. He also writes a gambling column for Cigar Aficionado.
Brad Reagan, also based in Brooklyn, has written about poker for the Wall Street Journal, Las Vegas Life and Men’s Journal.
Aces and Kings is published by Wenner Books, a division of Wenner Media, publisher of Rolling Stone, Us Weekly and Men’s JournalHaynes
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