Finally

So my "poker in the dark" experiment didn't exactly have the earth shattering results I expected. It was fun, but I still busted out early, running into real hands and having to muck after pushing too much on the turn and river. With my chip stack crippled early on, I wasn't long for this world.

Then, I went to Kenya.

I'll be blogging a bit about the trip over on manzoniman soon, but suffice it to say; Kenya was yet another "transformative" trip for me.

My first night back was last Monday, and I was dead to the world. Didn't play.

Fast forward another week, and I'm back in action. I cashed. I cashed God dammit.

Two things factored into this I think. One; I'm still under the lingering effects of jet lag. I find it takes me at least a week and a half to start feeling 100% after having traveled half way around the world in 24 hours. I think my fuzzy brain actually helped me not think too much, which has been my downfall of late.

Reason two: the wife bought me a laptop, so I can now play poker in privacy.

The latter I think had the biggest effect, simply by virtue of not being tied to an environment rife with distraction. I love my little girl so much, that I can't help but be attentive - even in the midst of poker warfare. With her and the wife removed from the picture, I was able to focus my (admittedly addled) brain on the game at hand. Result: fatigue + privacy = best poker I've played in months.

My reads were spot on; I even managed to get coolered a couple of times (my AK fell to an A9) and still fight my way back to a healthy stack. I have no doubt that if uber-donk Scamp hadn't been stinking it up as he repeatedly bet into dry side-pots (letting players with their tournament lives at risk escape) I would have finished even higher. There are some bad players in the league, but for my money - Scamp is the king. Calling station doesn't even begin to describe him, and like others in the league, if he catches cards watch out. He's a one man wrecking ball of trash that routinely rivers and sucks out players that read him like a book.

I'm not griping actually, I'm just thrilled that I played so well. Hell, I'm happy just to have finished higher than wytrabbit, who has been tearing up the league this season.

Next week the plan is: stay up late the night before and wake up early.

Experiment

Having been flustered and frustrated with my online play for a couple of months now, I resolve to try something kind of crazy this Monday. I'm going to set my software to deal me my cards face down. I have to click on the cards to reveal them, but I don't think I'm going to - at least not until the bubble approaches. The highest I've finished in the 8 tournaments this season is 10th. I'm confident if I only play by position and feel, which will free me from the distraction of the potential of my actual cards, I can finish in the top nine.

It may sound ridiculous, but I've actually been practicing on my Poker Academy software this way for a week now, and I'm actually taking down 25 player tournaments without ever looking at my cards. Granted, this is against the computer, which plays idiotically, but still; I was surprised to be so successful. I either busted out super early, or finished in the top three, winning more often than not.

Annette 15, teenage internet poker millionaire and recent winner of the European World Series Main Event, won a big MTT on Poker Stars not looking at her cards except for once. I don't expect I'll do the same, but I know it will be a beneficial thing to try.

Here's hoping the league members have stopped reading this blog.