Perhaps the karma

Right, I am giving up smoking. Smoking sucks, it is affecting my health and fitness, and I can’t afford it. I will still have alcohol to affect my health and fitness and cost me money, so that will be okay.

I didn’t play the last two nights. I got drunk and then just chatted with someone online when I got home Monday, and last night I watched ‘The Big Lebowski’ in bed. Good film.

I have actually been toying with the idea of taking a whole week off from the game. That’s not so much about being fed up with playing, as about wanting to actually spend some time doing other stuff for a change. Playing online poker has become my default activity absolutely every time I have the opportunity, and therefore I have missed out on keeping in touch with distant friends, reading books, watching a number of decent DVD’s which are gathering DVD dust on a shelf, maybe even doing a little writing (I’ve had the odd item published here and there in the past).

Hell, I might even get off my arse and do some new things once in a while – perhaps do some swimming as I try to unclog my lungs and limbs. The little swimming I did every day on holiday made a discernible difference to my stomach and how I actually felt.

And beyond all that, I really could do with a bit more sleep. In fact, a lot more sleep during the week.

Still, I don’t think an all-out giving-up of playing is what I will do; just an attempt to cut down, play less out of habit and more out of a genuine desire and enthusiasm to play when it strikes me; when I feel enthused and turned on by the lure of trying to read opponents, make good decisions, practice self-control and self-awareness, all that stuff. Oh, not to mention money. I do, really do, play for the money you know – indeed one of the reasons I play so much is because I need every extra penny (technically, cent) that I can get..

As regards money, the way things have gone lately I really should stick entirely to Pot Limit Omaha Sit & Go tournaments. My last nine results have included three firsts, four seconds and no thirds. Only missed the money twice; a seventh where I deviated from my normal approach a little, and an extremely unlucky bubble in fourth place. It represents a really good return on investment in these events, whilst I have been treading water at best in other games.

I should try to get as many of these sit & goes played as I can, including playing two at once when possible. I definitely have an edge here; each event typically includes anything from two to five players with no clue (there’s often one who doesn’t understand the rules or how to read an Omaha hand!), and I have a clear and successful strategic approach, which I have honed a little recently. I am not for a moment saying I can place top two in seven out of nine over a longer period, but I believe I can money half the time and then its all about keeping the third places to a minimum.

Iggy commented on my sit'n'go 2nd place on Sunday night, where we were three-handed but one guy was no longer actually playing. I let the guy who was still present take second (by folding my button a few times) ahead of the absent guy before taking him on headsup. The more I think about it, the stupider I feel. I didn't owe the other guy anything, and I would not expect a similar favour from somebody if the roles were reversed.

Still, the stupidest thing is that I did it at mainly because I thought I had the first place sewn up. I was going to be 4-1 chip leader once we were headsup. Still, I should have thought harder about that - one double-through and it's only a 3-2 lead, one more and I am in trouble. And that is exactly what happened.

Oh well, perhaps the karma will do me good.