cyan's Journal: Best Poker Night to Date

So, I've been playing in a series of tournaments around the greater Vancouver area known as the World Pub Poker Tour. These are freeroll tournaments that start at 7:00pm and then 9:30pm nightly with approximately 50 to 60 people per tournament. Since the tournaments are free, you're only competing for points on the leaderboard, of which I am currently in 16th place (out of 174 people total.) Anyone who comes in first place in one of these "satellite" events, or, anyone who accumulates over 500 points total is automatically entered into the WPPT Tournament of Champions at the end of the season. The winner of the Tournament of Champions gets a free trip for two to Las Vegas. Sweet.

I figure that this level of play is about right for me. Unlike some people who have aspirations to become professional poker players, I'm quite satisfied playing these casual games. Playing professionally is out of the question: the barrier of entry is much too high (I figure a WPT-level poker player must start with a bankroll of $100,000 or more to have a fighting chance), the competition is far too fierce, and it must be one *mother* of a boring job. Most people see playing poker as a glamorous thing, but the reality is that after you've mastered the game to a certain degree, it becomes a bit of a daily 'grind' where you *have* to play just to make your daily 'pay.' It's not like there's any variation in how things are played, it's just the same freaking game over and over again. I'd invite anyone who thinks playing freerolls online makes them a great poker player to give a $4/$8 table at a local casino a try. You'll see where you stand, then.

Things are pretty casual at the World Pub Poker Tour. Everyone takes a turn dealing, and the atmosphere is absolutely alive. Poker tables at the local casinos aren't too bad on the atmosphere factor, but they're definitely far more quiet and serious. I mean, everyone's there to make some money, so of course it's going to be serious. At the very least, since WPPT events are, you know, held at *pubs*, the liquor that goes around ensures some pretty good times. Even if I don't partake in the whole drinking thing ;) Of course, Shannon figures it's unfair that I get to play in the 9:30pm game sober, because about half of everyone else is simply slammed by that point. Alas, their loss, my gain :P

Playing lots of live games like this is certainly giving me some great experience, though. Recall when I was a nervous wreck at the River Rock Casino Early Bird tournament? Well, I had those jitters for the first couple of WPPT events, but now I'm loosening up rather nicely. It's pretty easy for me to sit back and relax, now, so this should help my game in the long run. I'm finding that it's easier to make bets in general, whether it be for defending, advertising, or value. Also, I seem to be chasing far fewer bad hands, which is a relief; the number of hands where I've been badly beaten has gone way down.

Instead more things like what happened last night are beginning to happen. I was at the final table with nine other people. I look down at my cards: Queen-Queen. Sweet. I'm in the big blind, so I wait for the action to go around.. oh, look at that, someone's raising it. Excellent. So, I go all in, and he calls. We flip over our cards, and he's got King-Ten. Awesome. The flop does nothing for either of us.. and then a king comes on the turn. Agh!

As far as I'm concerned, poker is like coding: great hobby and great people. Would I do it for a living? No way, that'd take the fun out of it!