Random Thoughts from Monte Carlo

by Phil

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Busted on Day One.  Blah.  Since then I have chilled at the pool, gone to the gym and had lovely little meals here and there.

But I would (obv) much prefer to be in the tourney still.  But ho hum, what can you do?

The one thing I love about this event is that the hotel is at the bottom of a huge cliff sort of hill thing, and there is a set of stairs that goes straight up the cliff
for about a half a mile.  Threee nights ago I ran the steps.  Twice!  Wow, I was fully spent.  It was very hard to do, and am stoked. (Am I? Not sure, but without at least saying that I am, then I have no shot at hitting it again, and that is what I plan on doing today.)  (I am a sick one, yes.)

Manana is the High Roller event.  More sickness.  The mega high entry fee's on the events that have been lurking about really put things into perspective.  25,500 Euros ($39,915).  How did I get here?  How the hell can I plunk down 40k on a poker tourney.  And then I realize that I got here by grinding.  I started small 10 years ago and have been running good (more or less) the whole time.  And I see what Stu Unger was talking about when they asked him what he was going to do with his prize money.  And he answered, "Gamble higher."  I get it.  But it is still fairly sick.  But it is my drug and I can't live without it so plunk I will, as plunk I must.

Reminds me of a funny moment about 10 years ago when I took a call from my mom during a poker game.  She asked how it was going.  I replied, "Up $3,000."  She thought it would be a good idea to quit.  Lol.  I said that I loved that idea but first I needed to know when I was to play again.  She replied that I should just quit up a winner.  I asked her that months or years later when my bankroll went to zero and it was time to eat, what should I do?  And then she understood.  (Sort of.) 

It is always funny how to me how poker players understand all this stuff and non-poker players really, in the end, just don't.

Like how it is normal for a 1/2 nlh player to not really be all that amazed by the big numbers that switch hands in the nose bleed games.  But a guy buying and selling houses or cars or something - or a high priced doctor or what have you.  How when they hear about those big games they are just flabberghasted by the whole thing.

All this got me to thinking what makes a successful gambler in the first place.  And then I was happy because I had already done the work here and knew the answer.

The trick is this.  (The answer is two fold.)  (By the way, the obvious postulate here is that you are a winning card player and your bankroll is steadily rising.)  That being said, the two fold way to success as a poker player is....   

1.) To find plus ev places to have your money work for you while you are not playing cards.  I have had some blunders in this dept, but by not giving up I have managed to sort of figure it out.  It is harder to do then playing cards but the benefits are huge and it feels great when things click money wise outside of poker. 

and two...

2) You must take advantage of the fact that you are essentially free to do as you please.  And actually do other stuff then playing cards.  I am good with my time away from the cards.  And continue to look for ways to get even better at it.  

And that makes me happy.  And happiness is good.