Push and shove

If push came to shove, I believe I could support myself with my poker as long as I played two tables at once (or more, obviously). I picture doing it in two hour shifts with breaks in between, because it would be quite intensive.

So, I tried it last night as an experiment. I had a 6-max table, a full ring game, and then a sit and go as well for about half the time. It was indeed quite intensive, but then I didn’t stay true to the experiment entirely because I also had two instant message chats going on as well. Without the chat, I like to think I wouldn’t have kept the tables waiting a little too often by being slow to act – I hate being guilty of that.

It was an interesting exercise. I did feel at times that I had to make some decisions on the fly, particularly at the full table and the sit and go; naturally I was focussed most on the 6-max game because I played more hands there. A positive effect was that I found myself less emotionally involved in the outcomes of each hand on each table, because there was always something else going on at the same time. I became more focussed on my decisions and actions than on the results, simply as a natural effect of the overlapping action.

Of course, it is easy to say that I was less emotionally involved – because I was winning. Let’s see how level-headed I am when I am down a buy-in at two tables at once! But last night, no trouble. I got ahead on both tables quite quickly for moderate amounts, never really pushed on at the full table, but hit a lovely nut full house versus two other full houses in the 6-max game. The blemish came in the sit and go, where I played really well but came in 6th. Twice I was 2-1 favourite in huge confrontations on the flop, twice I lost; the first prevented me becoming a really big stack and eliminating a player, the second eliminated me. I’m really having a tough time having a hand stand up in these tournaments, but I’ll gladly take the beats there (instead of the cash games) every time.

I made $107 in my two hours, which was very satisfying. Clearly I should quite my job and go professional immediately. (On a more serious note, if I did not have to repeatedly pillage my bankroll then I would have it at a level where I would half consider that).

Anyway, a pleasant evening, but today I am starting to feel ill again. I don’t think I have ever quite shaken off the virus I had a couple of weeks ago. It meant that today at lunch I didn’t buy any cigarettes, and spent the money on a liberal leftish magazine instead. Maybe a reaction to reading Lord Geznikor’s latest post. There seem to be quite a few Republican bloggers, which can seem a little surprising here in Britain where there is a widespread perception that only morons vote for Bush.

Mind you, who are we to talk? We have twice elected a Prime Minister who is not only devoid of principles and integrity, but also embodies the betrayal of the ideology and history of his political party.