It’s August 1st – a new month. A fresh start. I say this every month….
I say it every month because with the dawning of every month hope springs eternal that I will achieve what I have attempted to achieve every month for as long as I care to remember.
Particularly since I got back home from Brazil (and therefore had access to a proper internet connection) it has been my aim to play 160 hours poker in a month. But I never ever manage it. Ever. I only managed 67 hours in July!
I’m sure that years ago I used to be able to put in that sort of volume. It shouldn’t be difficult really – after all, 160 hours a month is no more than everyone else with a normal job has to do.
But for some reason I never manage it. Perhaps I’ll have 5 or 6 losing sessions on the trot, get disillusioned and not play for a few days. Then there is the fact that my usual game – multitabling $50 Sit n Go double or nothings – is the online equivalent of a rollercoaster – you’re up and you’re down and sometimes you feel sick. I actually find it difficult to play three hours straight when I’m 8 or 9 tabling because it’s so intense. Or maybe I’m just bone idle.
Recently when I’ve been playing there is one particular player who puts in a staggering volume. After 3pm you literally can’t play on the $50 tables without him being in a game. He must play 8-10 tables for 70 hours a week. And he’s so annoying! Shoving all in with his garbage all the time and sucking out all day. But boy, does he put in a shift (I hate that expression by the way and it’s all Ray Wilkins fault. As a little game, the next football match you watch on Sky just wait for Wilkins to say the word “shift”. Blah blah “Tevez has put in a good shift”, blah blah “exquisite ball” blah “good shift of work” – he does it all the time. I give you 57 minutes before his first one).
But anyway, I’m slightly more optimistic this month. I’ve started playing multi table tournaments again after about a four year lay off. Playing multi table tournaments is quite relaxing by comparison to my turbo double or nothings. As they are full table games and normal speed games they are a lot more leisurely – you’re just folding most of the time. They say in the Army it’s hours of boredom punctuated by the odd moment of terror. I wouldn’t say that pressing buttons on my mouse is like being in the Army but you get my drift – the “terror” in my case being the all ins at the end.
So I can mooch about playing a few multis and while I’m at it I can open just a few turbo Double or Nothings to get some excitement. The multis last for hours and hours so that means I can do what would please Ray Wilkins – put those shifts in. And instead of $50s I’ll play $100s. So if I win the same percentage I should win the same amount of cash. It’s time I moved up in stakes anyway. I’ve been doing OK lately and I might avoid my nemesis from the $50 tables. And who knows, I might even cop one of these big multis one day.
I’m more interested in how many hours I put in this month than how much money I make. Well that’s not true. But you know what I mean. So here’s to August.
