Next Stop: Pooh-Bah (and BUSTO?)

[Black Aces 518]

Well, this is #1600. A good amount of you don't know me, despite the post count, of course. I was lucky enough to meet many of you at the WSOP last year, and had a great time. I felt on top of the world, the bankroll was growing, I accomplished something I'd wanted to do for almost 10 years (yes, even before Moneymaker), all was good. 12 months later, I have BUSTOed my Stars account and find myself at a crossroads.

My screenname probably seems like any other blase poker-based boring name. But it serves as a daily reminder to me. I am a very competitive person, and have always tried to be the best I can at anything I do, including poker. Early on in my career, I thought I was very good at poker. I went on a vacation to Vegas, and sat down in the big game. 3/6 limit baby. And I had a hand there where I was on the button, and I held AcAs. Everyone limped. Everyone. I was DISGUSTED and angry. I raised with a hopeless tone, and laughed as everyone (correctly) called. I folded the flop, b/c how could I win. It turned out I possibly could have won the hand playing aggressively (I beat every hand save a set of fives made on the river). Results notwithstanding, I looked back later and realized what a perfect situation that was for me. It was when I realized the concept from SSHE of winning money not pots. That clicked, and made me a much better player. But if you'd asked me that day, I was already great.

So Black Aces remind me that you don't always know what you don't know, and someone out there is doing something for a reason you've never thought of. There is no perfect. Every day, you have to strive to improve some aspect of your game. Sitting back on your laurels because of past results or because your opponents are hapless donks is poker suicide.

I have continued to improve. However, bankroll management and tilt control issues have crippled my online account. I was overemphasizing technical poker tactics, at the expense of the most basic fundamentals in the world.

I'm an old man in the 2+2 world, I just turned 30. I have a wife, and a 7 week old daughter, and a real world job. I can't play the volume that the big guns can, and I won't be part of the scene. Nonetheless, I am rededicating myself with this transition to Pooh-Bah to continuing to improve daily, and that doesn't always mean figuring out what to do with ATo in MP1. I can be a complainer, and worse, a fish berater. I am going to shore up the holes in my game, and hopefully, one year from now, a hell of a lot more of you recognize my name as someone who is someone to be feared, reckoned with, and respected at the tables.

And if this post helps snap someone else out of a funk, or reiterates to them, hey, you don't know EVERYTHING, yes even YOU, then I have given back something to this forum that has given me so much. Thanks to everyone who has posted anything that has helped me progress, and who will do so in the future.

[dcasper70]

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7 week old daughter

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The rest isn't important.

Congrats!

[gobbomom]

I like this post. GL OP.

[McMelchior]

Congratulations on your daughter!

[img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[mlagoo]

Nice post dude. It was good to meet you in Vegas. Good luck with everything, and grats on the baby girl.

[jtomon]

nice post

[People_Mover]

My wife and I had dinner with you, your wife and Mlagoo and last year's WSOP. You're a cool cat man and I'm sure things will turn around for you. Keep your head up kid. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Black Aces 518]

Thanks for the congrats and well wishes. Dinner with mlagoo, People Mover, and Ms. People Mover was a definite highlight, along with PairTheBoard's crazy ranting, heh. Craps at NYNY after was a blast too, though I feel bad for missing out on the TI mixed games.

To increase the content of awesome:

[gobbomom]

oh my, you should be very proud, she's beautiful.

[People_Mover]

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Craps at NYNY after was a blast too,

[/ QUOTE ]

that crazy norwegian guy made me 300 bucks in like 10 minutes lol. baby is beautiful. Mrs. Mover and I are trying. Any tips? [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]