Dave's WSOP Adventure May 19
May 19 – The night before the storm.
Tomorrow morning I have a 6:05 AM departure via Northwest Air to Minneapolis with my friend and fellow poker enthusiast Ralph. We have a long layover in Minneapolis for which I am planning a lucky straight razor head shaving in a little barbershop I know in the airport.
Tonight… still no nerves at all. I think that I have done a couple of things VERY well this past year in preparation: (1) Prepare to play with no regard to winning or losing; and (2) Focus on the important things.
As to the first point – as strange as it will sound to some – poker is not about winning or losing. Not when you are playing well. It is about making good decisions. This is the skill part of the game. Winning and losing is determined by the luck part of the game over which you cannot exert control. Play well and you will win more often than not, but you will still have to depend upon luck to win the field.
As to the second point, at this point it is not about money. I have not spent any money on this tournament. I have wired an abstract “sum†to a far away land so that I am entitled to compete come Saturday or Sunday in a poker tournament – but I have not spent any money. I am sure that if I find myself deep into the tournament it will become about money. If I get down to, say, one hundred players the $5 million first place prize money will suddenly become very real. A person cannot help, I am sure, about think about and become distracted by thinking about “what I could do with that money.†I am sure it will, to a certain extent, happen to me. On the other hand (back to the first point) I have spend a lot of time visualizing and I am sure that, for me, it is much more about playing my best game than it is for a lot of less prepared players.
Next report will be from the city of sin. Las Vegas baby!
Tomorrow morning I have a 6:05 AM departure via Northwest Air to Minneapolis with my friend and fellow poker enthusiast Ralph. We have a long layover in Minneapolis for which I am planning a lucky straight razor head shaving in a little barbershop I know in the airport.
Tonight… still no nerves at all. I think that I have done a couple of things VERY well this past year in preparation: (1) Prepare to play with no regard to winning or losing; and (2) Focus on the important things.
As to the first point – as strange as it will sound to some – poker is not about winning or losing. Not when you are playing well. It is about making good decisions. This is the skill part of the game. Winning and losing is determined by the luck part of the game over which you cannot exert control. Play well and you will win more often than not, but you will still have to depend upon luck to win the field.
As to the second point, at this point it is not about money. I have not spent any money on this tournament. I have wired an abstract “sum†to a far away land so that I am entitled to compete come Saturday or Sunday in a poker tournament – but I have not spent any money. I am sure that if I find myself deep into the tournament it will become about money. If I get down to, say, one hundred players the $5 million first place prize money will suddenly become very real. A person cannot help, I am sure, about think about and become distracted by thinking about “what I could do with that money.†I am sure it will, to a certain extent, happen to me. On the other hand (back to the first point) I have spend a lot of time visualizing and I am sure that, for me, it is much more about playing my best game than it is for a lot of less prepared players.
Next report will be from the city of sin. Las Vegas baby!
Comments
Shuffle up and Deal!
Good luck Dave! And most importantly enjoy the experience.
Best of Lucks to ya Dave
I'm looking forward to hearing about your trip... have a great time!
Hehe
"I feel like I'm gonna get whacked sittin' here."
ScottyZ
I think you'll be more than fine if/when you reach the final 100. After all, they're only chips...
Best of luck,
all_aces