Slobbering on My Laptop

The soccer coach of the Big Guy (our ten year old) is moving to Seattle, so he asked me to coach the team. Our first game was last night, a disappointment in that five boys didn't make it (games are on Saturday's, but they've added two weekday games to get the schedule to ten games). His coach is really a great player but hasn't worked too much on their positions, so some of the guys chase the ball a good bit. Three of the missing players are the best on the team, so I was skeptical as well as we only had nine boys (eight on the field at a time). We were solid, though, and won 4-1. All-In (our eight year old) has a doubleheader Friday night. I've coached his team since he was four, and it is truly the highlight of my week coaching the boys. We have seventeen boys on the team (think about trying to get seventeen eight year old boys to do anything for an hour). As a treat for the doubleheader, I've ordered black mesh jerseys for the night. We switched this year to all teams having two jerseys (blue and green). It was meant to solve some logistical issues, but part of soccer for these early ages is seeing little boys and girls in purple or yellow unis. So Friday night will be a big bash.

I didn't have a good afternoon and evening for some reason. Combine lack of production, anxiousness over getting the China contract signed, and malaise over the sluggishness of my own energy regarding what to do next was a cauldron for being in a funk. I ended up playing from 11:30-2:45 this morning, which I haven't done in quite awhile. It was a dangerous mix yesterday afternoon then late night:

• Party $33 SNG's: o/2 (6th and 5th, with 5th crippled as chip leader AJs vs. ATo)
• Party $5/10: -$87.50, 45 hands
• Party NLHE $100: -$173.50, 101 hands (KK vs AA)
• Party $30/60: -$165, 13 hands; +$38, 38 hands
• Party $10/20: +520, 50 hands (AK/K on turn, AA vs QQ, JT vs TT with T as top flop, 93o--don't ask, 44 vs 88 on board of 456, JJ, A3o vs. Q6 on board of QJK6T, AA vs KK, KJ vs K3o with K on flop
• FullTilt $3/6: -$92.50, 38 hands
• FullTilt $8/16: $178, 69 hands (balances now at $0.60)
• Party $30/60: $495, 53 hands
• Stars NLHE $100: -$10.25, 81 hands (fell asleep and slobbered on laptop)

Net for the day is +178.73. The problem I've had with FullTilt (which I won't have going forward) is just not enough tables. Here's what drives me up to $30/60: five full tables at $10/20 with 25 waiting list yet no new tables opening; $30/60: fourteen tables, four with available seating. Here's what has kept me away from FullTilt: no tables. When you have five tables going and a huge waiting list, all you've got are a bunch of poker players. Now, I don't mind poker players, but I'm getting sick of them frankly. Differences between $30/60 and $5/10: absolutely more aggression for sure (in the last session, eight of ten players there at least half the time I was had >12% pre flop aggression). This means that folks spend money trying to push people off of pots. You have to be able to withstand that, as well as deal with the swings caused by these folks having the goods or getting there. There seems to be quite a significant table churn as well.

Do I have the bankroll for this? No, I don't (bankroll is $8500, so not even 150 bb). The $30/60 jolts the system for sure and forces me to pay attention. So much of my play is of the multi-tasking variety that I often forget what it means to play. In limit, you have to pick up some pots with either your hands or your marginal hands at most of the lower limits you're headed to a showdown.

I'm more concerned, frankly, that I had to turn to Party and FullTilt to numb me enough to fall asleep. Elizabeth wrote about it awhile back, the negative insular nature of online poker. I was not in very good shape last night for the first time in awhile. Sweetie was zonked out after we watched Lost and were partly through a Grey's Anatomy that we had TiVo'd (first episode we've watched). That was over, I was in a funk, so I sent her up to bed and told her I was sleeping on the couch.

It isn't the action junkie syndrome that Daly and Sir Charles need to keep them going. Let Matusow, TJ, and Stu Ungar fight those deamons. I think for most of us, we embrace poker specifically because we have a fighting chance to actually take money from others rather than constantly battle a losing fight. Would we all play $4/8 forever if seven people didn't see every flop? I'm not sure, but maybe. No, it's not the action but the shell-like catatonic state that I can reach by simply sitting and looking at the cards. It takes $30/60 to elicit adrenaline and an actual fist pump (after the sb call with Tc8h, flop of 3sTs5d I bet/bb raises/UTG calls/limper folds/I three-bet/bb calls/UTG calls; Ah on turn I bet/bb raises/UTG folds, 7c on river I check/bb bets/I call and see bb turn over Th7s for a made lower two-pair on the river, pushing the $747 pot to me). No, it's more concerning that I turned to this when I was down. And I'm either pushing through to higher stakes or setting myself up for a bad fall. Or both.

So my professional poker likelihood question: when my brother emailed me, my immediate answer was the number was 0.10 for the likelihood that I would turn pro. For those of us with families, I don't see how one can make the jump unless you have a serious bankroll or a big score. Having said that, can this be a part-time job of actual substance? I bill out when consulting with my clients around $250/hour. That sounds like alot, but my billable time monthly varies a great deal, anywhere from 15%-95%. It can come in bunches as well. It would be nice to have an established goal of the number of hours to play in a month for several months and see the results. Could poker feed the family each month; if so, what would you need to net. And could I perform at that level. It's play money now, a distinct bankroll separate from other funds. Could I perform if it meant something?

New hand, this time from $30/60 yesterday. Villain is 34.4/0.00 player with limited history. I call in middle position with QdTd, Villain in sb calls and bb checks; Qh4d9d is a beautiful flop, Villain bets/bb folds/I raise/villain calls; 3s on turn Villain bets (HERO calls or raises?), 8h on river is bet and called. What does he have? ADDENDUM: I raise on the turn, and he calls. After 8h comes on the river, he checks/I bet/he calls. I thought he was on a diamond draw or fearfully a TJ straight draw. I've been working on value betting more on the river, as well as I felt at $30/60 that players were more aggressive and made significantly more plays. I guarantee every poker blogger in America could give their guess on what he held (including me), and I can't imagine anyone who would have not been shocked to see his hand: 4h2d for the flopped bottom pair, bottom back door flush draw.

Let's see if I can get some good stuff done today. Didn't yesterday, so maybe today. Have a great day.