The signing of Jason Somerville represents exactly the kind of changes that I think will help broaden pokers scope, while spending less time focusing on recreating the TV boom of 2004. Times have changed, and so have the players you typically find at a table.
Jason is entrenched in a world that really relate to him. I read in his Interview that he predicts a shift away from poker being broadcast on TV, and instead moving more towards live streams.
He is right, and it’s already happening. It also makes sense. Sure, Grandma Betty is unlikely to watch kids grind on Twitch, but that audience has been alienated over the past ten years that they aren’t really the focus anymore.
I have never watched people play video games online- but millions do. I have never watched a Twitch stream (outside of a few funny StickyRice1 clips) either, but lots of diehard fans do and they love the content.
Times are changing, and content is being provided by the consumer without the red tape and cost of having to make a deal with a television network. It’s simply not worth the money in most cases to bother when you can do a live stream for next to nothing. If you want to watch poker, it’s as easy as going to PokerStars.tv where you will find TV broadcasts and archived livestreams.
I don’t have the accurate numbers, but I do know that EPT Live does extremely well globally and gets huge numbers. This is what visionary Alex Dreyfuss of Global Poker Index is banking on with his new ventures.
What the Jason Somerville signing proves, is that hard work promoting poker does pay off. I realize it’s not for everyone, but Jason has spent countless hours providing free content with the hopes one day that it could turn into something of a career. It has, and I’m proud of him.
I met Jason years ago at a World Series of Poker Europe event as he mentions in the previously linked article. We had good chats about movies, reality shows, and all kinds of stuff. At an early age I saw that he had a bright personality and was easy to talk to. Eventually we worked together making videos for PokerVT and became friends.
I remember how differently we saw poker back then. He came from the online world, where certain players were clearly either RIGHT or WRONG. It was fun seeing him totally transform his view of live poker to the point where he was playing a brand of “small ball poker” that even I thought was too small! Outside of talking poker, it was clear to me that he wanted to be an ambassador for the game and was willing to put in the work to get there.
Most people aren’t willing to do that for free. They expect to be paid for their time and what they share, and that is their prerogative. However, if you are looking for a substantial sponsorship deal in this business, it takes the kind of dedication and work that Jason has been willing to put in. Many of today’s young players break down decisions in terms of the ROI- return on investment. When asked to do a 2 minute interview by PokerNews on a break in a tourney, some think, “What value is there in me doing this? Will this lead to a sponsorship deal and how much will it be for? How does that compare to the value of my 2 minutes I would have to spend doing that?” Many decline doing the interview because they don’t see the cash value in it, and most of them would be absolutely correct!
If you are the type of person who thinks in terms of how this benefits you in the moment, it’s quite likely that you will be blind to the bigger picture possibilities, and/or have no interest in being in the spotlight promoting the game. I have no problem with people choosing to decline. Honestly.
I would prefer if people in every domain weren’t so cutthroat about getting the best of everything, and instead were easy going about minor inconveniences like doing a 2 minute interview, but I respect those that wish to stay away from the media.
For the poker world to thrive, though, we do need ambassadors willing to take the worst of it in the moment, for the greater good of the game. Thankfully, at a time when poker could use some fresh blood, Jason Somerville relishes the opportunity and is doing an excellent job for all of us who profit from the game. So if you are one of those people who play poker professionally, but aren’t interesting in promoting the game yourself, I hope you will join me in congratulating Jason and also thanking him for all he is doing.
Integrity: the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.
That is the literal definition of the word. A man of integrity is honest with himself and others. So what does that mean exactly? A man of integrity does what he says he is going to do. If he says he will meet you at 7pm, then he will make a concerted effort to keep that promise to you. If he is five minutes late despite his effort, does that mean he is no longer a man of integrity? No, I wouldn’t go that far, but it is certainly a broken promise and a breach of the mans integrity.
I use this example to show that we breach our integrity on a regular basis. Any time you said you were going to do something, and didn’t, you have broken a promise either to yourself or others. There are varying degrees of an integrity breach, of course, but that statement holds true regardless: any time you say you are going to do something, then don’t do it, you are compromising your integrity.
You say:
“I’m going to the gym at 9am tomorrow.”
You do:
Go to the gym at 10:30am.
A small breach of integrity
You say:
“I’m going to clean the bathroom tomorrow.”
You do:
Clean the bathroom two weeks later.
A small breach of integrity
You say:
“I am going to eat healthy.”
You do:
“Order pizza, burgers, and fried chicken wings with chocolate ice cream.”
Still a small breach of integrity, but it’s starting to add up…
You say:
“I am going to be faithful to my wife.”
You do:
Have an affair after a drunken night at the bar.
Breach of integrity
You say:
“I will not raise taxes.”
You do:
Raise taxes
Significant breach of integrity
You say at your wedding:
“I will love you and be with you till death do us part.”
You do:
Leave her for a younger woman after she is wheelchair bound
Significant breach of integrity
The more often we allow ourselves to be in breach of our integrity, the easier it becomes. The reason I used a variety of examples of integrity breaches is to illustrate how often, even in very small ways, you break your word to yourself and to others.
Being a man of integrity doesn’t mean that you will never break your word. What’s important is how much it matters to you when you do? If you break your word regularly, it becomes easy to continue to do so in all domains of your life. What if integrity was a central part of how you view even the most miniscule decisions in your life? What if you always did what you said you were going to do? How would your life be different?
Integrity is my favorite word in the dictionary. I certainly am not claiming I don’t breach my own integrity, I know I do it too. It matters to me. I make it a habit to NEVER be late, but on the rare occasion it happens. When it does, I stand responsible for it no matter what the circumstances. If I said I was going to meet someone at 7pm but a car accident had me there 15 minutes late, while that’s a legitimate excuse, the fact remains that I didn’t show up when I said I would.
I’m sure most all of us could easily forgive someone for being late due to a car accident, but that’s not really the point. If being there at 7pm was the most important thing in the world to me, an event that was very meaningful for me, could I have made it on time? Yes. Of course. I’m not suggesting that you should plan to be two hours early to meetings, but the point is, if I wanted to make sure I kept my word and was on time, I could have left the house earlier to account for traffic.
If I’m supposed to meet someone at 5pm I typically plan to arrive at 4:47pm! I’d rather be early and keep my word than be there at 5:04pm and break it.
Many might see it as mostly insignificant whether you get there at 4:58pm or 5:02pm and sure, it’s really not that big a deal, but when I practice keeping my word in every domain of my life, it’s much easier to both sleep at night, and also keep my word on more important things. For example, if someone asks me, “Hey, you paid me that $20k I loaned you right? I’m pretty sure you did.” If I knew that I hadn’t paid him, I have a choice to breach my integrity and say, “Yup all paid,” or do what I believe to be right and honor my debt and say, “Actually no I haven’t, but I will get it to you tomorrow by 5pm.” Then, of course, if I’m keeping my word, the debt would be paid ON TIME. If integrity didn’t matter to me, then telling the truth would be foolish and cost me a free $20,000!
The more we breach our integrity, the less we care about all of the broken promises we made to others and to ourselves. As I said, it becomes much easier. Your word is already pretty worthless, so what’s one more lie to add to the pile?
So what are the prices you pay? There are prices. If you continually show up an hour late to meet friends, will they respect you and your word? If you keep saying you are going to go to the gym and get fit, but never do, can you even respect yourself? The more you lie to others and to yourself, the more difficult it becomes to look in the mirror and love what you see.
The good news is, you can always start fresh. If you spent the last 20 years being the type of person others can’t count on, you can change that immediately. You can start with small wins and work up from there. While every time you break your word it damages your character, the opposite is true as well. Every time you keep your word, it builds character and as far as I’m concerned is one of the most important aspects to living a life of joy.
“The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.”
Bob Marley
WSOP 2015 is around the corner and rumor has it that we may see some faces we haven’t seen there in a while. I’ve always been of the position that unless people have been found to actually cheat at poker, they should be allowed to attend. Cheating on your wife, your taxes, or borrowing money with no intention to pay, aren’t examples of actions that the WSOP should persecute. If they did, man, we might see an 85% drop in attendance at the very least!
Russ Hamilton and Mansour Matloubi: I’m grouping these two together since they are guilty of the same crime, using a God mode program allowing them to see their opponents hole cards online. While this isn’t a case that has been ruled on in the court of law, the evidence is overwhelmingly one-sided that at the very least, these two men were involved in cheating players out of millions. There isn’t concrete evidence that these players have cheated at live poker. I have heard rumors, but they aren’t enough to incriminate.
The question is: should cheating at online poker cross over to the WSOP deciding if it will allow these players entry into their tournaments? This year, the WSOP is offering a online poker bracelet, and while the cheating didn’t happen on their site, should that matter? Also, what level of cheating is worthy of a ban? There are plenty of online players who have admitted to cheating/multi-accounting, but I don’t think that warrants a ban from WSOP live events. Players like Dan Coleman and Justin Bonomo are just two examples of players who have admitted to multi-accounting in the past.
I think what Russ and Mansour did is obviously a much worse crime and neither should be allowed entry into the WSOP for life. Not that they care.
Chris Ferguson: At this point, it appears that Chris Ferguson’s role in the demise of FTP was that of a board member. Once Black Friday hit, he has completely disappeared. No statement, no sight of the man in almost four years since that dreaded day. Based on what I’ve gathered, he was essentially MIA when FTP was trying to find a buyer so they could pay back the players. That’s been confirmed to me by several sources. He essentially hid under the covers hoping it would all just go away.
So, does his behavior and lack of willingness to stand responsible for his role in the crash of FTP warrant a WSOP ban? No, I don’t think so. I’m not pleased by how he handled things, disappearing just never seems like the most responsible choice, but to my knowledge Chris has never cheated anyone at the poker table.
Annie Duke and Jeffrey Pollack: I’m grouping these two together because of their association with the Epic Poker League which defrauded players out of a “guaranteed” million dollar freeroll. Players ponied up their own money against other elite pros with the promise of added money being incentive enough to do so. To this date, I don’t believe that any of the players who participated have been reimbursed, and I don’t see that ever happening. Jeffrey was never a poker player anyway, but Annie used to play in WSOP events regularly. Since the fall of the Epic Poker League she hasn’t been seen around poker circles.
So, players are owed money, and these two were responsible to varying degrees for that. Should that warrant a WSOP ban? As wrong as I think it is to not even acknowledge this debt or make any strides towards making the players whole, I still don’t think it warrants a WSOP ban. Not that it’s directly comparable, but there are plenty of poker players playing the WSOP that owe people money with no intention of ever paying. Add these names to that list if they ever decide to play the WSOP again.
Howard Lederer: As many of you likely know I’ve been very critical of Howard and his handling of the FTP mess that occurred a few years ago. There is no question, that he, the other board members, as well as the owners were all at fault for FTP not being able to pay back it’s players after Black Friday.
Do I think it was a ponzi scheme? That’s an absurd notion. Do I think it was gross negligence by management? Absolutely. A lack of oversight allowed for Ray Bitar to run the company into the ground. I’ve heard from various sources that not only was Ray in over his head, he was flat out lying to the other owners about the financial status of the company.
Howard, for many years was an integral part of operations at FTP before stepping down at some point before Black Friday. Most people assumed he was still running things, and Howard certainly played the part of the “guy behind the guy” if you will.
Once the news broke that FTP was insolvent, based on sources I’ve spoken to, Howard spent every day trying to find a way to get the players paid. Many of the owners didn’t agree with the direction Howard wanted to take the company, but it seemed to be a consensus that Howard’s main purpose and motivation was to get the players paid.
In come PokerStars to save the day, and players have been made whole as far as I’m aware. PokerStars bought FTP and paid back all the outstanding debts. So at this point, while you can like or dislike Howard Lederer as a person- that is your choice, of course, I think it’s clear that he should have every right to play in WSOP events. Aside from players having been paid now, to my knowledge he has never cheated at poker, nor have there ever been rumors about him doing so.
I’ve had strong opinions on all of these people mentioned over the last 10-20 years, but if I’m being fair, outside of Russ Hamilton and Mansour Matloubi, I would have no problem playing the WSOP in 2015 against any of the other names mentioned.
I recently watched a 60 Minutes piece by Andersoon Cooper on the topic of mindfulness.
In it, Andersoon Cooper does a three day mindfulness retreat which included various types of meditation and unplugging from our technology addiction. I highly recommend watching it. There is science behind the value of meditation that is discussed in the piece that I think relates really well to the game of poker. After all, keeping calm in stressful situations, letting go of bad beats, being present and in the moment, are all things that would benefit you while you play.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that a lot of the young players at the highest levels, playing the super high rollers and other high stakes poker, also spend a lot of time thinking about life at a higher consciousness.
Another recent piece from CNN Money covers Faraz Jaka who mentions the value he has seen from his travels as well as daily meditation. Faraz talks about happiness coming from experiences rather than material things and how he is oddly happier the less he possesses.
The group of young German phenoms have always impressed me with their thirst for knowledge and also their drive to make a difference in the world with initiatives like REG. Meditation and emotional intelligence play a big role in their lives as they look for deeper meaning.
Andrew Lichtenberger, a vegan with aspirations of developing a raw food farm in Austin, Texas recently wrote a book on mindfulness that I’m excited to read.
It isn’t a coincidence to me that the these guys are successful at poker. All are brilliant minds who would likely be successful without this mindset, but I believe they are exponentially more successful because mindfulness is part of their daily practice.
People often ask me how to deal with a bad beat, and my answer to that is to take three to five really deep breaths. That in itself is a form of mediation that can help center you and relieve the body of anxiety. As you meditate more often, this practice can help you deal with these situations more easily.
When people start with meditation they often think they are doing it wrong because they are unable to clear their mind of thoughts. There is no wrong way to do meditation, thoughts will come and go, the mind is designed to have thoughts. Over time, the thoughts don’t go away, but you become better at simply noticing them and separating yourself from your minds thoughts.
I’ve been doing a signature course at ChoiceCenter on this very topic. It encompasses daily practices including yoga, meditation, journal writing, and a daily reading. Since December I’ve played in 4 events and cashed in 3 of them, but missed the final table in all three. I wouldn’t say that these daily practices have helped me play AQ any better, but I have noticed that I’m even more calm than before when I’m bluffing, or in high stress situations at the table.
Yoga has also become quite popular among many of the elite poker players in the world today. Yoga can also act as a form of meditation that connects your body and mind. It’s not just about a good stretch, for some people it can be quite an experience when they are totally present, in the moment, and focused solely on what they are doing.
These new age type retreats are becoming increasingly more popular across the globe and I think the world needs more of it. The advances we have made in technology over just the last 30 years has drastically changed our society and the average person is addicted to it. Whether it’s their cell phone, laptop, or TV, many people live their lives simply going through the motions without taking time to just… be.
Watch the links I provided, the 60 Minutes piece with Anderson Cooper was quite good and will shed some light on the value of being present. Give it a shot, what do you have to lose?
This blog will be all about hockey but from the perspective of an analytical poker player.
1. Solving the 3 point game debacle– Currently in the NHL when you win a game you get two points and the losing team gets none, unless the game goes to overtime or a shootout in which case the losing team gets one point.
While there is no empirical evidence to suggest that this has created any collusion in the NHL, it opens up the possibility for it. This comes up anytime a team from the Western Conference plays an Eastern Conference team. For example, let’s say the LA Kings are playing the Toronto Maple Leafs in a regular season game. If with 5 minutes left in the game the game was tied 2-2, it would benefit BOTH teams to simply let the time run out in regulation and go to overtime and decide the game then, locking up a guaranteed point for both squads.
Each NHL game should award the same number of points. The current system is exploitable to collusion and even though it isn’t exactly an epidemic in the NHL, it’s important for the league to close loopholes before they are exploited.
The easy solution would be to award three points in every NHL contest. Three points for a win in regulation time and if the game goes to overtime, the teams would split the points: two for the winning team, and one for the losing team. This system could potentially add even more drama to the last five minutes of regulation when teams in the playoff hunt really need to get the three points. That is the opposite of what we see in the NHL today as teams would be foolish to take risks in the last five minutes of a game.
2. Lopsided Conference Issue– Since realignment, we have 16 teams in the Eastern Conference but only 14 teams in the West. This offers an unfair advantage to the West, as 57% of the teams will make the playoffs in the West, while only 50% of Eastern Conference teams qualify. If you are an owner, this translates into dollars and cents. If you are a fan, then your team isn’t being given an equal chance to make the post season. This isn’t sustainable long term and I’m quite certain that NHL execs know that and are working towards a solution. Only two options exist: move a team from the East, or expansion. Moving the Detroit Red Wings back to the West is just unfair to the team. The added travel miles are significant, which leaves expansion.
3. NHL in Las Vegas– I’m personally quite excited about the prospects of an NHL team in Las Vegas and I believe strongly that not only will we get a team, but that hockey will work in this sports starved city. As mentioned previously, the NHL needs to add two teams to the Western Conference and it appears to me that Las Vegas and Seattle are both viable options and frontrunners for a team.
For many, they wonder how it makes sense to play ice hockey in the desert, but I’m sure the same was said years ago when expansion hit sunny California and that experiment has worked quite well with thriving franchises in LA, Anaheim, and San Jose.
San Jose in particular is an example of how well a team can do in a one sport town. The Shark Cage is always sold out and the fans have really grown to love the game.
For now, there would be no competition for the NHL in Las Vegas and I think that bodes well. There are plenty of other reasons I think a team will work in Las Vegas outside of it’s 2.2 million residents:
Casinos– Yes, there are a few of them in Las Vegas and buying luxury boxes for high roller clients would guarantee a corporate infrastructure.
Tourism– Las Vegas is a vacation destination and unlike any other city in America. When Calgary comes to town, fans will come out for the game and use it as an excuse for a vacation. Good for the local economy, and good for ticket sales.
There are a few obstacles that many naysayers have raised, but I don’t think they make a powerful enough argument against:
Vegas isn’t a Hockey Town– Fair enough, at this point there is no real evidence outside of the ECHL Wranglers to show that there is enough interest, but couldn’t the same be said about San Jose and Nashville? We’ll have a better idea what kind of interest exists here once a season ticket drive happens.
Corruption– I think it’s about time we put this one to bed. The old fears of game fixing come from the days when Las Vegas was a mob town. Today, gambling is happening across the globe, both on the outcome of the games as well as daily fantasy sports. I would argue that game fixing is far LESS likely to occur in Las Vegas because there will be more eyeballs on those games. Besides, NHL players make more than enough money today so the temptation to risk that livelihood to take a dive is minimized. This is a non-issue as far as I’m concerned.
Scheduling– Unlike most cities where the vast majority of the population work a standard 9-5 job, Las Vegas is a late night town, meaning lots of the locals that would be interested in going to a game will be working the night shift. To address this, it would make sense for the team to avoid Friday/Saturday night games, and instead have home games on Sunday afternoons. In addition to Sundays, many shows in Las Vegas are dark on Monday and Tuesday so home games on Tuesday evenings could work.
In a few hours I’m meeting with the ownership group looking to bring a team here and to say I’m excited would be an understatement. I’m absolutely giddy! I will let you know how it all goes…
Just wanted to share quickly about my first day at the PCA in 2015. For those following the poker news, PokerStars has decided to rethink the rake increases and have gone back, for the most part, to the old rake. That was really great news and I’m happy to see that the company is still dedicated to listening to it’s players. It was no surprise that players were not happy about the rake hikes and they voiced their opinion. In other good news, I was happy to see two new additions to PokerStars Team Pro, and both were firsts. One player hailing from Japan, Kosei Ichinose and the other out of India, Aditya Agarwal. While I don’t know either player, I think the important consideration is the promising markets they represent and what that could mean for the future of online poker.
************************************************************
I was really happy with my play today. I did misclick again, oops! but outside of that I played exactly how I wanted to. The misclick came with blinds just going up to 1500-3000 and I meant to make it 6800 but threw a green 25k into the mix as well! Mohsin Charania on my left only had 100k total and moved all in with AJ. I had to call now obviously, and he won his second raice against me. The other was my TT vs his AQ.
I really played in a flow. The last two years I’ve been playing consistently well and also posting results. Throughout my career I’ve always been quite streaky and I attribute that to my mental game progressing with age and personal growth.
As I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, doing the course at ChoiceCenter on emotional intelligence two years ago was a really powerful experience for me, but the personal growth doesn’t stop there. The last couple months I’ve been meditating daily, doing a short yoga routine, doing some daily readings and also writing in my journal daily. The meditation has been helpful with my posture and also a sense of calm in stressful situations both at the WPT 5 Diamond at Bellagio, and also here so far on day one. I don’t know if it’s called oneness, mindfulness, tranquility, or whatever, but the daily routine of meditation seems to be of value.
It took me a while to feel that way. When I started I felt like I was doing it wrong, I think too much, and it was pointless. Then I watched a great 60 Minutes piece by Anderson Cooper on mindfulness and the scientifically backed value of meditation for the mind and body. After the piece I was more open to it, and about two months later I notice that I maintain better posture for longer periods of time, and am much calmer when bluffing or faced with high stress decisions at the poker table.
Nothing felt hard. I had one key hand late in the night with AK versus AT where he 4 bet me and I decided to just call rather than 5 bet. He ended up spiking a T so it cost me close to 200k in chips. Had I re-raised before the flop I would have likely won preflop, but that’s very results oriented thinking. Without knowing his exact hand, and not knowing anything about my opponents tendencies, it was the right, and safer play to just call.
It was an unlimited re-entry tournament and I was able to get through the day on my first bullet with 303k. Average is about 370k and I feel great about my chances. I’ve reached a level of consistency the last two years that I’ve never had in my life. In the past, after stretches of good results, I expected to lose and figured I was due. I think it subconsciously affected my play, but for the last two years virtually every time I play I feel like I’m going to succeed.
Your mindset may be a lot more important to your bottom line than you may realize, and I highly recommend looking into any kind of personal growth classes, or books that peak your interest. What is the worst thing that could happen, right?
Before we move on to my 2015 goals, let’s take a look at how we did with our 2014 goals:
1. Cash for $2 million– With all of the $100k buy ins and above, especially early on in the year, I was able to crush this goal in January alone! By the end of the year, thanks to my second place finish in the One Drop, my final tally was $10,284,090. I spent over a whopping $3 million in buy ins due to the One Drop, but that number is going to shrink considerably in 2015.
2. 52 Tourney Max Down From 66– I wasn’t able to tighten my schedule enough to accomplish this goal and it’s not like I’m upset about it or anything. This goal is really about prioritizing what’s important to me in my life and maintaining balance. Most touring pros are going to play in the neighborhood of 150 tournaments a year, but that’s not what I want to do anymore and I haven’t for years. I ended up playing 56 events. My goal is quality over quantity.
3. 12 cashes– I ended up cashing 13 times, same as in 2013, only with 10 less events played. I accomplished this goal during the WSOP at the Rio, but really fizzled at WSOP Australia putting up a goose egg.
4. 5 Final Tables– Just barely! Made exactly 5 final tables after a strong start in January with two in high roller events. The WSOP was a weird one with lots of 9th and 10th place finishes.
5. 3 WSOP Bracelets– I certainly had my chances! A second place finish in the 2-7 Single Draw NL event vs Paul Volpe, followed up by another second place in the One Drop to Dan Coleman.
6. WSOP Cash list from 5th to 4th– I certainly did my part cashing nine times! Humberto also had a big year, however, and I wasn’t able to pass him so I remain 4th on the list with 78, while Humberto Brenes and Men Nguyen sit tied for 3rd with 81.
7. WSOP Money list from 19th to 15th– Cashing for $8+ million in one tournament will certainly shoot you up the list! I sit 3rd behind the previous two One Drop Champions Antonio Esfandiari and Dan Coleman.
8. End 2014 Top 5 in the Global Poker Index– I remained in the top 5 for most of the year, but failing to put up any points at the WSOP APAC saw me fall from the top 10 and finish the year ranked 47th. It will be difficult for me to maintain a high position in the GPI because the vast majority of my play is concentrated in one short span during the summer at the WSOP. I don’t put in enough volume to keep up with the touring regulars.
9.Top 10 CardPlayer or BLUFF– Not enough final tables to be relevant in the CardPlayer of the Year race where I finished 146th. None of my 9th and 10th place finishes counted as they only track final table results. The Bluff ranking looks a lot better as I finished the year in 35th place.
10. 2 Non Poker Vacations– I took a really fun vacation with my brother, his wife, and my girlfriend at the time, to Cabo San Lucas thanks to the hospitality of my good friend Phil Ivey. I also took a few fun one day trips to LA either for charity events, or to see the Raptors play the Clippers, but I’m going to call this one a fail. I really wanted to take a Euro trip and revisit Romania, but I never made the time
So in the end, I set 10 goals and accomplished 4 of them! As you can see, I set really high and “unrealistic” standards and there is method to the madness. The higher I set my goals, the better. I don’t want to set 10 goals each year that are easily attainable, I want to dream bigger, reach higher, and stretch myself each year.
Here are the goals for 2015:
1. Cash for $2 million– there is no million dollar buy in One Drop event this year, but there are plenty of super high rollers on the schedule and I’ll start off in one at the PCA in January. I will, however, be missing out on a couple great tournaments at the Aussie Millions this year, so $2 million is certainly a lofty goal.
2. 55 tournament max– each year I’d like to lower the number of events I play. Again, it’s all about balance and while I love poker, I’m not in the same place I was in life as when I was 22 looking to play every tournament on the schedule. I have so many other interests and I want to give them more time.
3. 12 cashes– theoretically if I’m playing 55 events and the average tournament pays out 10% I should cash about 6 times. Having a cash rate of 20% is both reasonable and consistent with what I’ve done for most of my career.
4. 5 Final Tables– I plan to accomplish this in June alone. I’ve done it before, it’s been a while, but my intention is to do it again this year.
5. 3 WSOP Bracelets– When I started my career, every time I made the final table you may as well have passed me the trophy! I finished first at an alarming rate. In the last few years I’ve put together a long string of second place finishes. I’ve been thinking about why recently, and I think I have it figured out. I’ll be making a few adjustments to my end play that will be conducive to finishing in the winners circle more often, rather than watching my opponent hoist the trophy while I congratulate him.
6. Move up on the WSOP All-Time Cash list from 5th to 3rd– Humberto surprised me last year and he plays a lot of the small buy in events that are easier to cash in, but Men Nguyen has slowed considerably over the last few years in terms of both events played and events cashed. I will pass Men, but will need to out cash Humberto by at least 3 to secure 3rd place behind Phil Hellmuth and Erik Seidel. I believe that when it’s all said and done, I will be #1 on this list within 10 years.
7. Maintain 3rd on the WSOP all-time money list– Antonio has a massive lead and I’m about a million behind Dan Coleman. Both would be tough to catch this year, so the goal is to maintain 3rd and put a dent into the deficit.
8. End 2015 in the Top 10 of the Global Poker Index– to make a go at the #1 spot it requires a heavy schedule that I’m no longer willing to make a part of my life. The GPI heavily favors the touring pro grinders who will put in the volume. Having said that, I do believe a top 10 finish to end the year is doable on a 55 event schedule that I plan to play.
9. Top 10 CP or BLUFF– same story here. In order to rank highly on the CardPlayer list, I’ll need to make more than 5 final tables.
10. Two Non Poker Vacations– since I don’t live in Toronto I’m going to count a trip there to watch Raptors and Leafs playoff games a non poker vacation. Of course, the Leafs will have to qualify first which is no cinch to say the least. The Raptors are for real and they will most certainly be making a deep run for the NBA championship and I want to be a part of it!
For my other trip, Romania remains high on the list. I speak the language, and it’s where my roots are and I always feel closer to my parents when I’m there since that’s where they were both born. I may also include a trip to Venice. I’ve never been, and just think it would be really cool to see a city on water.
Then there is Burning Man. I have an RV and am prepared to give it a shot! Antonio raves about it each year so I’d like to experience it for myself and see what all the hype is about. I have no idea what to really expect, but I’m going with an open mind.
Final Stats 2014:
Events 56
Cashes 13
Final Tables 5
Hours Played 505.5
Buy Ins $3,183,926.00
Payouts $10,284,090.00
Average Buy In $55,855
Hourly Rate $14,047
Profit before sold pieces and swaps $7,100,164.00
I recently attended a player forum for the WPT where they covered various aspects relating to tournament poker, from proposed payout schedules, multi-entry tourneys, and even the GPI as a viable system to reward their player of the year awards. Overall I think it was a worthwhile meeting and we heard from lots of tour regulars as well as many members of the WPT family.
The hot topic up for discussion was multi-entry tournaments that have become the norm on most all of the WPT’s stops. Personally, I much prefer freezeout tournaments, but I understand that more needs to be considered when a venue decides to host a WPT. That consideration is their bottom line.
One of the points I brought up is something I wanted to share with the professional poker playing community. If you are a professional poker player, think of yourself like a small business owner. You essentially are your business. You have partners in this business, and it’s important to find solutions that result in a win for all parties involved.
The venue: Take a typical casino like Bellagio. In order to get an event at Bellagio, the poker management team needs to convince the higher ups that having a poker tournament in the casino would be lucrative for their bottom line. If they are unable to convince the bosses that it will be profitable, they simply can’t have the event. It’s in YOUR best interest that the poker management team can create a pitch to the decision makers that it’s a good idea. When they accomplish that- you benefit.
Multi-entry tournaments has been a carrot that has gotten the attention of higher ups. Instead of having, say, 250 people paying $400 in juice for a total of $100k in revenue, if that number rises to 600 entries you now have $240k in revenue. This makes the bosses smile, and again, if the bosses don’t smile we simply don’t have an event.
The organizer: We’ll use the WPT as an example. They have the job of convincing a venue that associating with their brand will help them with advertising, while also increasing their bottom line. All the while, they need to deal with their own higher ups and convince them that any deal they make with a venue will be profitable for the organization. If the WPT didn’t see a relationship with a venue like Bellagio as an opportunity to expand their reach and grow their bottom line, guess what? There wouldn’t be a tournament there.
So what does this have to do with multi-entry tournaments? Contrary to what some of you may believe, its the venue, and not the WPT that typically dictates the structure of the events. Bellagio, as far as I know, is the only stop on the tour that offers unlimited re-entry. This is a Bellagio decision. So here is where it gets tricky: a lot of players express concern that unlimited re-entry tournaments are bad for the game, discourages amateur players, and bleeds player bankroll. A case can be made for all three of those things being true. So now, how do you, as poker management, explain to your higher ups that you will no longer be offering unlimited re-entry despite a significant increase in revenue? It’s a tough sell.
Then there is the other camp, guys like Joe Hachem, who make the trip all the way from Australia. It’s a long flight for just one event, and if he busts in the first hour, it’s a nice luxury to be able to buy back in and give it another shot. Many players suggested a cap on the number of re-entries, say one per day, or just one total. That seems like a fair compromise, but remember now, if you are in charge of the Bellagio poker room, and you just had a massively successful unlimited re-entry tournament, it’s a tough sell to mess with what isn’t broken from their point of view.
Ultimately I’m all for variety, and while I much prefer no re-entry, I understand that for some venues they see it as a necessity to justify holding the event at all. The players will vote with their dollars. If they don’t like an event structure and numbers fall, it will make organizers consider other options.
In the “old days” the selling point for any poker room having a tournament was that it would bring in players and up the cash game revenues significantly. That line of thinking is outdated. Tournament players come to play tournaments, and the cross over to cash games has shrunk significantly over the last 20 years I’ve been in the game.
So how has the EPT been able to remain so successful in satisfying venues while keeping their main events re-entry free? Well, for one, the amount of online qualifiers registered through PokerStars helps, but there is a different reason that is a win for all parties; the venue, the EPT, and the players. They create a festival AFTER the main event begins. For ages, tournaments in the US would run two to four weeks of prelims, then have a week long main event. Bust the main event, and there is nothing left to play. You could play cash games, but as mentioned, that isn’t happening.
It’s also more difficult to run successful prelims when it requires players to make 2-3 week trips to a venue. If you have postlims, people don’t need to extend their trips past what they already expected to fly in for to play the main event. By offering guys like Joe Hachem, who travels 24 hours to play a tournament in the US, more than just one opportunity to play a tournament, it’s a much more enticing proposition for him to fly over.
So for those confused, say you have a $10k buy in main event on a Monday at noon. On Tuesday at 4pm, offer a $2k buy in event with 4 hours of late registration. The next day you may have a $5k, and what you typically see at PokerStars events is a high roller closer to the end of the main event. You already have the players at your venue, players that want to play tournaments, so offer tournaments! I believe if the WPT made this change, the venues could pitch the higher ups that re-entries are no long necessary.
I assume some of you are surprised that I don’t like re-entry events, since I will often fire multiple bullets to help me get a big stack. I would rather play “good poker” from the outset, rather than gamble recklessly to increase my chances of winning the tournament. Having said that, if it’s within the rules, I’m going to take advantage of anything available to me that helps me with my goal.
Even in my early 20’s when I entered a tournament I had only one goal in mind- win the tournament. I never made decisions based on what makes the most financial sense, I simply always make the play that increases the chances that I come in exactly first place. Math guys will point out that firing multiple bullets wildly is not a positive EV play, but it is 100% aligned with my goal and intention to win the tournament. I’m not suggesting you should think that way! For many of you, that would be a really big mistake.
I don’t play poker tournaments to make money. That’s not my goal anymore, but I have been able to consistently profit from tournament poker for 20 years doing it my way. I’m financially stable enough to fire $10k bullets at the Bellagio event without feeling any pain, regardless of the result.
Personally, I do think it makes a bit of a mockery of the game during the re-entry period, but it is clearly the best strategy available to me to achieve my goal. Interestingly enough, me playing that style actually benefits the prizepool, YOUR bottom line, and if you are lucky enough to be at my table during that period, it may increase your chances of winning the tournament also.
If you got anything from this blog, I hope it’s the understanding that when you think about complicated poker issues, it’s important to not think about what you want personally, but to think about solutions that will satisfy all parties involved.
What would be best for the players?
What would be best for the venue?
What would be best for the organizers?
Worthwhile solutions will answer all three of those questions in a cohesive way.
Back when I was just starting out I used to play at a private club in Toronto called Check N’ Raise. It was a really nice club, good food, clean, no smoking, high ceilings, and always good action with an extremely fair rake- there wasn’t one. Instead, players were encouraged to tip, and most did tip $2.50 a hand, but it wasn’t required. That was one way around the law that you can’t take a rake. Food was free and so was the poker. It was a pretty good deal, and most people really appreciated the system and didn’t take advantage of it.
The room started to really boom for a while with weekly tournaments that were well attended. The Likes of Howard Goldfarb, our hometown hero after finishing runner up to Dan Harrington in the 1995 WSOP main event used to frequent the place as did plenty of other professional gamblers. Of course, we had a Tommy “The Greek” and we also happened to have a Jimmy “The Greek.” It was always a treat when Woody the Vegas bookie would come to town and regale us with stories from the desert. It was a good atmosphere, lots of fun, and friendly people.
There was also a guy who used to come and play named Moshe. Moshe was really bad! He virtually never won, and didn’t care much for folding. He lost for a few months and everyone profited from it. At some point, Moshe came up with the idea to run his own club. It was in a dingy basement, reeked of cigarette smoke, was hot, stuffy, the tables were dirty and cramped together, and the food offered wasn’t like what players were accustomed to at Check N’ Raise. Moshe had friends, and they were no better than he was so he invited them to play at his club too.
Guess what happened? All the pros chose to play at Moshe’s instead of the much nicer Check N’ Raise because… well, that’s where Moshe played. Winning poker players will always put profit over comfort! If the game is good enough, they will play in a train station toilet. They may complain, but they will play.
Of course, all the pros would prefer to play at Check N’ Raise, but as long as Moshe was playing at Moshe’s place, that’s where they would be. Pros will flock to where the games are. It’s their job and it only makes sense. They come to you, they will fill seats as long as there is something in it for them. Typically that something is money.
Check N’ Raise had our hero Howie, but that didn’t trump the value of playing with Moshe. This is how the poker economy worked when I started, and it remains the same today. If you like Commerce better than the Bike, but the games at the Bike are better action, it’s a no-brainer for a pro to play at the Bike.
Why do you think so many pros have been traveling to Macau? For the scenery? For the VIP bonuses? For the hospitality? No, they go there because it makes financial sense to them and that’s where a lot of recreational players with big bankrolls are playing.
The most important ingredient to any poker game is always going to be VALUE. Not fancy chairs, designer water, or big screen TVs. If you can attract the right clientele you automatically get the rest to flock to your games. You don’t need to pander to the pros, or convince them to come- they will be there happily.
If you run poker games you know this. It’s a given, but many people don’t get that the focus needs to be aimed towards the recreational players first and foremost. If you are a pro, you should look at it like a partnership. The guy running the game provides the rec players, and you profit from it, while he makes some money off the games running. In private games, that requires a pro to be gracious and thankful for the opportunity.
Imagine if you were running a private game and Moshe said, “I don’t like this Negreanu kid, I don’t want to play with him. If he plays I quit.” What would be in your best interest? Letting Moshe leave, or telling me I can’t play cause Moshe doesn’t want me to? You’d be foolish to let me play. I’m not the main draw for the game, Moshe is.
If you are a professional poker player, it would be worthwhile to understand that you aren’t the main draw either. It would serve you to be thankful that games exist where you are both allowed to play, and can make a living from it.
If you haven’t already read it, I highly recommend a book called, “The Four Agreements” written by Don Miguel Ruiz. I read the book in October of 2012 based on a recommendation from Robyn Williams during an orientation call before I attended ChoiceCenter for the 100 day leadership course. The book was good preparation for what I’d learn during my classes at ChoiceCenter, but aside from that, it’s just a great book and it’s a super easy read. He also wrote a book called The Mastery of Love which was probably the most important book I ever read. The Four Agreements isn’t about poker at all, but I thought I would illustrate how living by these four agreements could help you with your poker game.
1. Be Impeccable with Your Word
“Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.”
This speaks to being honest with yourself and also following through with all the things you said you would do in order to improve your game. If you say things like, “I am going to watch more training videos online,” then DO IT. If you speak it out, don’t break your word to yourself.
During my time at ChoiceCenter one of my goals for the 100 days was to work on my poker game and re-enter the top 15 of the GPI, so I wrote out a weekly plan which included things like:
-Play 12 hours at Bellagio
-Watch 2 hours of Super High Rollers on PokerStars.tv
-Talk poker with a friend and go over interesting hands (one hour)
Twice a week I also had scheduled calls with my buddy Laura who was also in the course, and our coach who would help make sure we were on track with our goals.
I didn’t always do what I said I was going to do. Sometimes I broke my word to myself and when that happened my coach would help me course correct so I could catch up and get back on track. I also had health goals and philanthropic goals, and after 100 days of making all three a habit, they are all part of my weekly routine.
Before you enter a tournament, ask yourself the following question: What do I need to do to be as prepared as possible for this event? Write it out… then do it.
2. Don’t Take Anything Personally
“Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.
We take things personally when we agree with what others have said. If we didn’t agree, the things that others say would not affect us emotionally. If we did not care about what others think about us, their words or behavior could not affect us.”
This one is an overlooked aspect of most people’s path to success. If you are more concerned with looking bad in a hand and that your peers would judge you, then you aren’t really stretching to your full potential. One of the things I admire most about Vanessa Selbst as a player, is that she will always make the play SHE thinks is best! She doesn’t care if you think she is stupid or crazy as a result, she is willing to take risks and trust herself above all else. She has no “looking good” conversation when she plays a hand. I still remember her first TV appearance, and yes, I thought to myself, “Wow that was bad!” I think it went something like, she limped in first position with 52, someone raised, and somehow she got it all in before the flop!
Think about that for a second. Her first time at a televised table, with a national audience, and she had no fear or concern that others would laugh at her for making such a “dumb” play. Since that first appearance, Selbst has become one of the most successful and consistent players on tour. Some still think she is just lucky, while others respect and admire her play. The key for Vanessa is that she doesn’t let either affect her decisions at the table.
3. Don’t Make Assumptions
“Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
When we make assumptions it is because we believe we know what others are thinking and feeling. We believe we know their point of view, their dream. We forget that our beliefs are just our point of view based on our belief system and personal experiences and have nothing to do with what others think and feel.”
Ok, so this one doesn’t directly relate to poker, but I think it’s extremely valuable. Since this is the poker edition of The Four Agreements, allow me to pokerize it for you:
Every time you sit down at a table, while history will help you make decisions against your opponents, it’s a fresh new game and any assumptions you have about how people are going to play, could get in the way of you seeing what is really going on.
Suppose you noticed Sally at your table. You played with Sally over a month ago for eight hours and she always checked the flop when she had a strong hand, and bet out when she was weak. She only 3-bet with AA, KK, QQ, and AK and she never bluffed on the river. It’s important to use this information when making decisions against her, but it’s also important not to assume she hasn’t gotten any better in the last month. What she did a month ago is important, but what she is doing in the NOW is what matters most.
The other example that I see players do regularly is compare their A game to their opponents F game. They may see an opponent on an off day, or even just play one hand very poorly. Poker players will often base their read on an opponent as “bad” based on just one mistake and thus be totally blind to all the other possibly brilliant things that player is doing.
Back in the days when it was tough to make a living playing poker because you had to be invited to games, savvy pros would purposely play poorly in the beginning to make sure they got an invite back. Every once in a while they would make a goofy play and lose a bit on purpose and it was the perfect hustle because they were taking advantage of most people’s tendency to compare their best game to their opponent’s worst game.
Another simple example: let’s say you have been playing really tight in the hopes of using that tight image later to steal pots. Don’t assume that everyone is noticing how tight you are playing, some people don’t pay much attention at all so it would be wrong to assume that your ploy will be successful.
4. Always Do Your Best
“Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.
Doing your best means enjoying the action without expecting a reward. The pleasure comes from doing what you like in life and having fun, not from how much you get paid. Enjoy the path traveled and the destination will take care of itself.
Living in the moment and releasing the past helps us to do the best we can in the moment. It allows us to be fully alive right now, enjoying what is present, not worrying about the past or the future.
Have patience with yourself. Take action. Practice forgiveness. If you do your best always, transformation will happen as a matter of course.”
That pretty much sums it up I would say. Sometimes you are going to make mistakes that cost you. What matters most is that each hand you play, you do your best, whatever that is for you. Some days you will be on. Alert, fresh, and in the zone, while other days you may just not have it. It’s important to not beat yourself up too much when that happens. If you do your best, that will always be enough.