For A Better Tomorrow

I don’t get it. I really don’t. I don’t get how so many people out there can become so cocky when they hold the upper hand in life. I guess I’m just looking at it from my perspective and experience. Just like poker, I never understood how some people can be so cocky when they’re winning in poker. I’ve been thinking about how BOLD people are nowadays, when they have the nerve to spit at less fortunate people. You really have to be very brave in order to do things like that. Like in poker, the poker gods will punish you severely. That’s also another reason why I don’t understand how people ridicule each other at the tables. I especially dislike it when a player rubs it into another player after severely bad beating him - they’re just asking for it!

I think a good movie that presents this theme well is KingPin. You all have got to see that movie, it is outrageously hilarious. There’s this scene where the main character (a prodigy bowler who lost his right hand because he got swindled into hustling some bad people) is telling his “bubbled” Amish friend (who’s currently being trained by the main character for a bowling tournament) about life. Not only that, the movie also presents a side story on how this beautiful girl takes life for granted because of her looks.

“The world will kick your ass, I don’t have a recollection on when it wasn’t kicking mine.” Roy Munson (Woody Harrelson)

Unfortunate things happen to people. Meaning it can happen to anyone of us. And for it to not happen to you, you best realize how lucky you are. And to take life for granted in that respect is in my opinion a serious crime. I think a good example of this is natural beauty. Although there are definitely other examples such as being born from a royal family etc etc. Living in the LA/OC area, I do see a lot of women thinking they’re a god just because they get attention everywhere they go. Don’t get me wrong, not all beautiful women are like that but I get this cringe down my spine when see them rolling their eyes at people less fortunate.

I have played over 500k hands of NL400 and never have I ever seen so many fishes with vpips of 30+ nailing sets against my overpair within the course of 2 weeks. The worst part is that these really loose maniacs are accumulating 2-3 buyins at one table covering everyone due to their high swings based on their plays. When they’re on fire, they’re on fire! They will bad beat everyone.

I ran into a player a week ago with a vpip of 70/30, I shit you not, he literally took over 2500 from me in the course of 2-3 days of play. In full ring, that is very very hard. In fact, you have to be extremely a luck box against one specific player and you also have to bump heads with that player multiple times. He’d limp with 78o UTG, I isolate with KK being directly to his left. He calls and flops str8 and I stack off. And it’s not just 1 buyin, I’d have like 2 or more buyins and he’d have me covered. The worst part is when I have more than 2 buyins and he’d stack off with a flush draw/open ender/inside and hit it.

It took me a weekend to get over those 2-3 days but I still run into donkies who are just making sets against my overpairs. Take this other player for example (this happened today btw):

Villain is 62/11

Full Tilt Poker - No Limit Hold’em Cash Game - $2/$4 Blinds - 9 Players - (http://www.legopoker.com/hh)

SB: $173.80
BB: $162.50
UTG: $400.00
UTG+1: $382.00
MP1: $268.00
MP2: $636.70
MP3: $205.00
CO: $111.60
Hero (BTN): $646.90

Preflop: Hero is dealt As Ah (9 Players)
3 folds, MP2 calls $4.00, MP3 folds, CO calls $4.00, Hero raises to $24.00, SB folds, BB calls $20.00, MP2 calls $20.00, CO folds

Flop: ($78) 2d Ks 7h (3 Players)
BB checks, MP2 checks, Hero bets $55.00, BB folds, MP2 raises to $110.00, Hero raises to $300.00, MP2 raises all-in to $612.70, Hero calls $312.70

Turn: ($1303.40) Ts (2 Players - 1 All-In)

River: ($1303.40) Td (2 Players - 1 All-In)

Pot Size: $1,303.40 ($3 Rake)

MP2 had Kh Kc (a full house, Kings full of Tens) and WON (+$663.70)
Hero had As Ah (two pair, Aces and Tens) and LOST (-$636.70 )

I hate to tell bad beat stories but I’ve never seen any thing like this before. I really feel like full tilt is forcing me to feed the fishes since I’ve won so much from them this year. The luck that these awful players are having against me became a chain of unfortunate situations that lead me to do this: I made a huge laydown against a FISH (which is such a bad play, or maybe it isn’t I’m not sure) - but I’m sure many would argue that I’d have to stack off against this villain:

Villain is 33/6

Full Tilt Poker - No Limit Hold’em Cash Game - $2/$4 Blinds - 9 Players - (http://www.legopoker.com/hh)

SB: $489.20
BB: $368.00
UTG: $881.90
UTG+1: $272.90
MP1: $58.00
MP2: $198.90
Hero (MP3): $406.00
CO: $460.00
BTN: $0.00

Preflop: Hero is dealt Ah Ac (9 Players)
BTN calls $4.00, UTG calls $4.00, 3 folds, Hero raises to $22.00, 3 folds, BTN calls $18.00, UTG folds

Flop: ($54) 6s 2c 5c (2 Players)
BTN checks, Hero bets $35.00, BTN calls $35.00

Turn: ($124) 6h (2 Players)
BTN checks, Hero bets $88.00, BTN raises to $225.00, Hero folds
Uncalled bet of $137.00 returned to BTN

BTN shows [Jh Td] a pair of Sixes

Pot Size: $300.00 ($3 Rake)

I still don’t know. But I’m really jaded by the fishes right now. They have really been getting the best of me. The top 10 money makers against me are players who I will never see again (not regulars). The previous fish that beat me out of +2500 is now playing 25c 50c pot limit omaha. I guess feeding the fish resulted in feeding other sharks

I’m trying to overcome one the toughest and most challenging moments in my life. Without any sleep today on top of all the stress, I was literally seeing the world spin. My eyes went bloodshot red and my face was pale at one point. I was emotionally and physically drained while witnessing a bunch of greedy people wanting to squeeze out as much money as possible. I would love to say that everything is over and all my nightmares from the past 2 years is now concluding, but I don’t want to celebrate just yet. But I can say that I’m in the “come down” moment of this experience. It’s wrapping up but I still have a few things to overcome.

I think I’ll be motivated to play a lot more and lay off going out. I find myself fortunate in that I’m in a position where I can really make a difference in life. I know that if anyone had to experience my last two years, they will likely hit rock bottom. But given my circumstance, I was able to be “patient” and make it through. I had the game to keep me going, it saved my life. I can’t imagine working a 8-5 day job and be able survive these crazy series of unfortunate events. I swear, I think this experience would make for an interesting drama T.V. show. It’s one of those stories where bad things just happen and being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Knowing that things are wrapping up gives me a sense of ease. I might just be able to sleep comfortably at night in the next coming months. Anyway, I’m exhausted and I’m going to coma for the next couple of days. No poker will be played, I have to let my body and mind recover from the slight deterioration.