Homework

Assigned by TripJax

1. What is the biggest mistake people make at a NL table?

Sitting between me and Bob. That, and slow-playing a big pocket pair.

2. What is the biggest mistake people make at a Limit table?

Saving/getting that last bet on the river. Shit adds up.

3. Why do you play poker?

Because I'm competitive, curious and an action junkie. And I like money.

4. If you weren't playing poker, what would you be doing?

Wallowing in a puddle of my own sick.

5. What is your favorite poker book and why?

I'm so sick of reading poker books I can't even tell you. If there's one that has helped me more than any other, it's "The Psychology of Poker." Second would be "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance." I did like the Stu Ungar bio and the Michael Craig book on Beal and The Corporation.

6. Who is your favorite poker player and why?

I've always liked John Juanda and Lederer for their even-keeled dispositions.

7. Which poker player do you dislike the most and why?

Any of those mouthy fuckers. I don't care if they're funny or entertaining or they love their mothers. I just hate condescending people as a rule. But, since all the players I've actually met are unfailingly nice, I won't point the hate finger at anyone. Okay, Sheikhan's a prime asshole.

8. Do your coworkers know about your blog?

Hell no.

9. What is the most you have won in a cash game or MTT (both live and online)?

Online tourney score: $3480. Won the $14K on Full Tilt back in November.
Live tourney score: Just over a grand (I won $880 for finishing fourth at the MGM during the Dec. WPBT, but I had 10% swaps with fellow runners biggestron and CJ. As such there was some changing of chips after CJ won, so the exact number is lost to memory.

Online cash game: Been so long, I don't quite recall. It was probably on Party the night I won a $280 pot with boat over nut flush on a .25/.50 NL table.
Live cash: That would be the grand I took from the Excal 1/3 NL game in March.

10. What is the most you have lost in a cash game or in one day total (both live and online)?

Biggest one day loss was $417, which occured on Jan. 1 of this year, a perfect foreshadowing to how 2006 has transpired. $215 of that was in the $1 Million on Stars where I had double the par stack in the second hour and had my aces cracked by 88. Again, foreshadowing.

11. Who was your first poker blog read?

Iggy. Then Hank. Then Grubby.

12. What satisfies you more, your aces holding up for a big pot or a bluff working for a big pot?

The bluff. There's a warm tingly sensation when you know you've correctly pegged your opponent as weak and pushed him off a better hand.

13. Why do you blog?

Because I'm a verbose mofo and everybody I know is sick and tired of listening to me.

14. Do you read blogs from an RSS reader like bloglines or do you visit each blog?

Both. I have 30 or so in Bloglines that I check, as well as others that I visit semi-regularly.

15. Would you rather play poker for a living than do what you currently do for a living?

Nah. There are things I'd rather do that what I do currently, but poker isn't one of them.

16. Do you wear a tin foil hat on occasion?

Never. I have been known to wear two lucky shirts at the same time, however.

17. If you had to pin it down to one specific trait, what does a great poker player have (or do) that separates them from an average player?

The ability to handle loss and continue to play to their maximum ability.

18. Is Drizz the coolest person on the planet for naming his baby Vegas?

Drizz was in the top 3 prior to this, but yeah, I'm guessing he's taken the lead. Let's not forget that Mrs. Drizz is obviously pretty bleeping cool, too.

19. What is your primary poker goal and are you close to accomplishing it?

I think I should probably set a goal. I want to compete in a WSOP event. Not just play. I want to sit down with the self-confidence that I have a chance to do some damage.

20. What is your primary online site and why?

Full Tilt. Because the tourneys are soft and the SnGs are softer. PokerStars gets a fair amount of play and the $10 Special Re-Buy on Paradise is gorgeous.

21. What site do you dislike and why?

I'm not a site slut. The only other two I've played were Party (took my profit and ran once I started playing mostly tourneys) and Noble (for the WPBT sat). The former became a turn-off largely because of the horrible manners of the players. The latter just sucks out loud.