Week Seven 2007

I'm behind in my updates, but there hasn't been a whole lot to report. Since my last entry, I have played a few tourneys, including a couple of WWdN Second Chance games and the Hammer Day event on Full Tilt, where I lost most of my remaining stake on that site. I think I have $0.52 left on FT, so unless I play some freerolls or use my few FT points on some tourneys, my playing days at FT are over for the time being. I only cashed in one SNG, where I made a comeback from short stack to second place.

I'm also still grinding away at the nickel and dime tables on PokerStars when I have a chance. I'm in the black in the cash games but not building my bankroll very fast. Then again, I don't play for very long at a time, usually less than an hour per session, so I have to hope for some good cards to hit the donkeys and run.

I also played in a couple of APL tourneys and hope to start going back to those regularly. I made the final table this week and finished fourth, so that should get me an invitation to the Monthly Venue Championship game for February. I play on line a whole lot more than I do live, so I need to work on my live game skills, such as picking up tells and avoiding giving away my own.

In poker news, it is getting pretty near impossible for US players to deposit or withdraw money from any poker sites. NETeller has had some of its funds frozen or seized by the US Accounting Office, and although some other companies have sprung up to try to fill the gaps, they seem to die off as quickly as they appear. What surprises me is reading all of the blogs and articles about players trying to find ways to put money into the sites, and not nearly as much talk about how they are going to get their money out of the poker sites. Maybe they feel like their money is safe and eventually they will be able to get it back, but are more concerned about how they can make deposits. Frankly, I am content just playing at limits where I can feel comfortable with the bankroll I have on PokerStars now without worrying whether I will lose it all due to variance and be unable to replenish it. Maybe there are players who don't like dropping to lower limits. It hurts their game, they might say. My response would be, treat it as a challenge. Re-learn how to play at the lower limits, because you might be stuck there for a while. Exercise your discipline, perhaps the most important tool any poker player needs to have.

Also, one of my favorite poker websites, Card Squad, has retired, which saddens me. I enjoyed reading the news and discussion there, and contributing once in a while. I never did get up to ten stars as a contributor, and now I guess I never will. But I have found another very good source of poker information and blogs, at PokerWorks. Check them out; a few of my favorite poker bloggers are regulars there.

I'm still debating whether to try to go to the proposed poker blogger gathering in Las Vegas in June. I might decide to use the money I would spend on that trip for a different vacation. I'll be shopping around to see what looks like the best deal, from a financial standpoint as well as scheduling, family concerns, etc.

Meanwhile, I'll be back at the micro tables soon, and probably playing in the WWdN next Tuesday. See you there!