Regarding Brian's blog...

How can I not respond to this...he did say something about poker didn't he? Well actually it wasn't so much about poker than it was money management. Some things that I have learned playing poker and how it might help you in the future...

The goal should not be an "X" amount needs to be made by a certain amount of time. I think you realize why this is a bad thing, but perhaps didn't hit the nail on the head. Again I'm speaking only from my own opinions and experience so take this with a ton of salt. Heh.

The reason why setting a goal is wrong is because you are playing right into the short term strategy than the long term strategy. If you are going for the short term you might start to play a bit scared because you have your profit and you know that if you go down then you do in fact have to compensate for the loss. This is in my opinion and experience a losing way of playing poker...UNLESS...

You really want to just go and have a good time for a short session (a short session is anything less than one year IMO) and hope you win some extra cash for some food and gas money. Shit, I can't even say that I've played long sessions even though I just played 22 hours. Irrelevant. If I had more records on my shit down to the final dollar than I can say that I've had a long session over the couse of 5 years...Jonathan can say he has been successful in the long run since he has all his earnings and losses written down. Psychologically this helps him play a more correct game since he has proven that his style of play works well for him.

Either way Brian you are 200 dollars up. That is all that matters. Your per hour wage might not be that well and you could have been up a lot more than 200, but the point is that in the short, long term you made profit. The reason why I say short, long term is that because you probably did play it correctly. You won more than you lost. That is the ultimate way a long term session should work. I'm up 800 for 30 or so hours. Big deal. I can gaurantee you that I will LOSE some of that in making selective aggressive plays because that is how it works. You can play it right, the table can be right, but sometimes the cards fall off funny. By funny I mean really funny. Which brings me to another lecture of sorts...

Jonathan kind of called me out on telling Steve and probably in my blogs that I enjoy the game so much even when I lose. Jonathan pointed out the fact that it doesn't seem that way when I lose in home tournaments. To that I say true. Whenever you get knocked out of a tournament it is shitty. Not because that queen came off on the turn (haha Bryant, you bastard, you even called that shit) but because now I can't play anymore.

Lemme explain, if I'm losing at Bay 101 I'm still enjoying the experience of learning the game. I sit down and always have my mind open to learning more. If I'm not learning from a better player at the table then I clean up house. Heh. Yet if I lose at Bay or online I can accept that fact and log off knowing that losses are inevitable. I'm cool with that and still enjoy the game. The tournaments at home...if I lose one of these off a tough beat and the cards don't fall my way, sure I'm disappointed and I show it. I'm not saying when I do play I play perfect because that is impossible, but when you do get beat by something outrageous, it is not the fact how I got beat, but rather that I can't sit at that table and keep playing poker with my friends.

Remember in the past I have always wanted to opt for limit games rather than tournaments. If you don't like that idea because it isn't as risky or tricky...to that I say that we change it to 1-2 dollar stakes rather than the .10 -.20 cent games we usually play. Lets bump it up to 2-4 and see how tricky I can get! Heh! Think about the advantage you guys have...you know I'm a maniac right? I play way too loose for profitability...I'll be the old asian guy at the table chasing shit down. =)

So to recap...

Brian you are up 200 bucks. Good shit. Keep it up and way to quit while you are ahead...step back, take a break and go in again when the water is warm and you feel comfortable. DO NOT DWELL ON WHAT YOU HAD AT WHATEVER TIME...the bottom figure is the only one that matters.

Yes I get more upset at home tournaments, but believe me when I say that poker is still intriquing and enjoyable even when I lose. I do love the game that much even if sometimes it doesn't seem like it...you can say that is bullshit or what not, but I'm still playing even after my biggest loss of 700 bucks in about 6 hours a couple of years ago...that was the last time I was on tilt and that only fueled me to learn the online type of poker better. The more I lose the more I reevaluate my strategy...and that is what I love most about poker...it is a game where you are playing not only your opponents, but also the nuances of the physical and mental challanges that your body and mind throw at you.

Back to darts.