How Bill Frist Saved My Life...
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
I'm still not saying that the alleged anti-online poker legislation will actually affect the ability of US players to play poker online. After all, the law is really directed at banking institutions, and states that they are not allowed to assist in the transfer of funds for the purpose of gambling. Neteller is my cash transferor of choice, but they are a European company. Do you know what that means? It means the US government has no jurisdiction over them. Final thought on the subject, worrying about the demise of online poker in the US is like worrying about Y2K. Sure, it'll give you something to talk about and fixate on, but nope, the world is not going to end. It isn't even going to change much.
All that said, I just had an epiphany as I sat here in my office on a poker and wine hangover. Last night was wifey Kim and my first anniversary, and for the day, while the wifey was working (on Yom Kippur!) I was doing nothing, just like the Lord intended. Of course, I eventually fired up the computer and played some pokah!
I don't feel like going into too much. I played fairly well. However, I made one HORRIBLE play (something about playing a J-high flush draw in PLO8 against an A-high flush draw, when the draws hit), where I lost $200 in one hand...just as wifey Kim rang the doorbell.
My heart was beating with anxiety and despair when I openned the door. I said to myself (internally) that I had to keep on a happy face. It was our anniversary, and one hand, albeit, worth $200, should not ruin my mood. I got it under control, and we had a great dinner at Sparks Steakhouse in NYC (not as good as Ruth's Chris, no matter what you say). The cost of dinner for 2 was $250, and all I could think was that I lost an additional $200 earlier in the night.
So, what's the epiphany. I think I might join you fearmongers out there and withdraw most of my money from online poker. I have wanted to buy a new laptop for a couple of weeks now, mostly for poker, ironically. Now, I am thinking that I need to re-evaluate my choices.
I did not need to be playing poker yesterday. I did not need to be playing $200 max PLO8 in an attempt to run through a bonus. I did not need to cast a shadow over my evening because of a game of chance.
What do I need? I need to play more live poker. It's clearly where I've done the best. Maybe it's a small sample size, maybe its good enough. All I know is that out of my approximate $1400 winnings for the year, $1000 or more is from live play.
The live games are not easy to find lately, but if I was playing less online, maybe I'd make it happen. Salami is still open, and as long as I avoid the late nights (when robberies are most likely to occur), I can play there at least once a week. Roose still has his weekly homegame too. Mikey Aps might have a homegame still as well. The ladies from I Had Outs seem to be having more games, and even Brad from Shit It Fish might be starting one up.
Online poker is fun, but I'm starting to re-evaluate, and I think I need to cut down. I play nightly, for an hour or more. I'll stay up later than I should. It's also terribly antisocial. In truth, it is akin to a videogame, and its just sucking up too many hours.
So, what does this all mean for Jordan and HighOnPoker? Not much, really. I'll probably withdraw 50% or more of my roll. I'll stick with $10-$20 tournaments and MTTs. I'll also stick to $50 NL games, and less so the $100. I'll also try to limit my play.
You'll be reading more about live games. That's a good thing. Hopefully, this will be a shift in my odyssey. Otherwise, it may just be a blip, and I'll be back to my usual antics soon enough. Whatever the case, I think Frist and his silly legislation may have done something great for me. Perspective is everything, and I was just losing it from the poker trenches.
posted by Jordan @ 2:55 PM,
6 Comments:
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At 4:15 PM,
said...
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Also trying to go back to live play...keep me in the loop of live games going on, I miss the home game atmosphere, and I definately have lost my edge in the game, want to get back into the swing of things...doin AC this weekend, but most of my nights are free and I miss the social aspect of poker most of all...
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At 5:49 PM,
Dave said...
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I dread the thought of having to drive up to the mountains, fighting insane traffic and snow (in the winter) just to play poker. While I love to visit casino's, the effort needed to get there is just not worth it for me. Besides, Colorado is still stuck at $5 max bets and doesn't offer much in terms of great tournaments.
I'll stick to online poker for as long as my favorite rooms stay open. Got kicked off Sun this morning. Just hope they remember to give me my rakeback payment for last month. If not - f'em. -
At 11:15 AM,
Bill said...
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I am right there with you. I so much more enjoy live games. I tend to only play live when in the mood. Online has become this huge time suck in my life. I don't play well enough or often enough to get really good, just enough to let other things fall by the wayside. I am going to make a concerted effort to play live at least once per week and leave online alone for a while.
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At 3:49 PM,
said...
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A lot of sites accept Western Union, I think. I wonder if that would still work or if it would just fall under the same umbrella as Neteller.
Is Firepay in the US or is that foreign, too? -
At 12:22 AM,
SirFWALGMan said...
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Why dont you play in Foxwoods? I would meet you down there anytime. Hell I might even fly to AC one weekend.
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At 8:37 AM,
said...
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Foxwoods is a waste of time unless you're going to play 2/5 NL.
