One of a Kind

I just finished reading Stu Ungar's biography One of a Kind. My friend dropped the book off the other day, and I didn't put it down until I finished it. Stu Ungar was arguably the best gin player to have ever walked this planet and was one of the best poker players ever as well. My eyes were glued to the pages as I got a very interesting insight into Ungar's tragic life. I really enjoyed the Comeback Kid's personal views and accounts of his life. Stu started gambling and betting on sports at a young age in his father's bar and continued to crave that action throughout the rest of his life. He went on the achieve great success in his life, winning multiple WSOP Championships and numerous other wins amounting to millions of dollars.

I can relate to parts of Stu's life which is somewhat unsettling. I can remember moments in my life where I craved the action just as he did. Obviously my poker skills aren't even remotely close to his but I can relate to that addictive thinking where nothing seems to satisfy and you always want more and more. It is crazy to think how Stu would win a big tournament and then immediately go and spend it all on blackjack, sports betting, or at the race tracks. He did not know how to manage his money and couldn't save anything. But money didn't matter to him, it was just paper. What did matter to him was the thrill of winning and the feelings that went with it.

Unfortunately for Stu, he let his demons get the best of him and died broke in a run-down motel outside Vegas. He couldn't overcome his addictions despite the constant support of friends, family, and those around him. I have been fortunate enough to overcome similar problems and hope to continue down the path I'm on in life. It would be nice to be a world famous card shark with a great deal of fame, fortune, and women but I guess I'm content for the time-being to be a broke college student/ break-even micro stakes grinder.



Happy Holidays to you all.

RakeBrain Gets a Makeover

A great site gets an early Christmas present - a holiday makeover. The new update features improved stats, an improved layout, and a better site design. For all you poker players out there, if you're playing without rakeback, you are missing out on a lot of money that you deserve! These massive poker sites make a killing off of your hard-earned money everytime you sit down and play. For SNG players, you usually spend anywhere from 10 to 20% of your buyin on rake each game. There is a rake calculator on RakeBrain's site as well which can show you how much $ you can earn at various stakes based on how much volume you play and for how long you grind. It's essential to get rake back in order to survive variance and profit over the long run. Anyways, Happy Holidays to you all and good luck on the tables!

St. Barbara's Day

Last night, the campus echoed with repeated blasts from three howitzers, as part of the annual observance of Saint Barbara's Day. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, the story goes something like this:

According to legend, Saint Barbara was the beautiful daughter of a heathen named Dioscorus, who lived near Nicomedia in Asia Minor. Because of her beauty and fearful that she be demanded in marriage and taken away from him, he jealously shut her in a tower to protect her from the outside world.

During his absence, Barbara heard the teachings of Christ and spent much of her time in contemplation, gradually accepting the Christian faith. Upon his return, Barbara’s father was infuriated when she acknowledged that she was a Christian. Dioscorus dragged his daughter before the Prefect of the province, who decreed that she be tortured and put to death by beheading. Her own father carried out the death sentence. On his way home, he was struck by lightening and his body consumed by fire.

Saint Barbara lived and died about 300 AD. The legend of the lightning bolt striking down her father caused her to be regarded as the patron saint in time of danger from thunderstorms, fire, and sudden death. When gunpowder made its appearance in the Western world, Saint Barbara was invoked in aid against accidents resulting from the explosions, since some of the earlier artillery pieces had a bad habit of blowing up instead of firing their projectile.

My university's artillery company put on the performance. It was pretty motivating. During the firing, multiple rounds were fired in tune with AC/DC's "For Those About to Rock". The celebration was, quite literally a "blast." Anyways, only two more weeks of classes and finals and I'll be done for the semester. Almost there, just got to finish strong! I will be back home hitting the tables before I know it. Can't wait!

Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving. Food, family, and football. Ah, nothing really compares to it in life. I am truly grateful for being blessed with a wonderful family and of course my little Buddy Boo. I would be completely lost without them. It was really nice spending this past week sleeping in, relaxing, and being away from college. I wish it would have lasted a little longer but Christmas Break will be here before I know it.

I also enjoyed playing some cards this week. I played with my old man and my two brothers in a home game. Unfortunately, I lost and didn't hear the end of it. I did dominate in cribbage however. Undefeated all week. I actually enjoyed playing poker with Pops and watching him play ultra-turbo lotteries on FTP too. He floats around $100 and does alright despite his lack of bankroll management. I wonder how many players like that exist. People who play for fun, to gamble, to waste a little time every now and then. That's probably where most sharks make their money.



I was also fortunate enough to get invited to a UB Freeroll hosted by Rakebrain. Thank you for the rakeback and allowing me to play in it! It was fun. There was around 180 people with a $5,000 prize pool. I finished in 22nd for $35. I probably played a little too tight at the end and should have been more aggressive when the blinds got big. I misplayed a couple hands and ended up losing when my AQ lost to 9-10 preflop. Anyways, I had fun, talked some strategy with Pops, and made a decent little run at it.

Hooah

It's been a long semester. I've had a lot of early morning PT sessions, long ruck marches, formations, and classes. I've followed more rules then I thought could possibly exist and have been "bloused" or yelled at more then any of my other platoon buddies. But I've finally earned the title of "Cadet" here at school. More specifically, I'm now a "Private" and no longer a "recruit". There was a big ceremony the other night, with cannon blasts, music, and speeches. It was pretty motivating and I am man enough to admit that I shed a couple tears. My cadre staff presented me with my new rank and insignia. This may not seem significant to any of you but it's one of the proudest accomplishments of my life. I've earned some privileges as well such as talking outside, not marching in the gutter, and not wearing my "rook" cover. These may seem small and unimportant to you, but I appreciate them nonetheless.

I'm doing well in my classes, I haven't missed a single class all semester, I'm a couple days away from three full months of sobriety, and I'm getting back in shape physically and mentally. It hasn't been an easy ride here, and I've had my ups and downs like your bankrolls, but I'm still on track. Looking back at where my life was before and where I am now just amazes me. I've even been talking with professors about doing research over the summer. I have a couple more days until Thanksgiving break and then just a couple more weeks and the semester will be over. I'm looking forward to spending time with my family and friends. I'm not looking forward to a long, cold winter but I will get through this!

"Poker reveals to the frank observer something else of import—it will teach him about his own nature. Many bad players do not improve because the cannot bear self-knowledge."
-David Mamet

Updated Stats

I finally played a little poker this weekend on my mid-semester break for the first time in over 2 months and with a couple months of sobriety under my belt. I played 8 $6.50 45 man turbos. I won 1, bubbled 1, finished 9th in one, and didn't do very well in the others. My game needs a lot of improvement still. It felt good to have an overall winning session however.

I also cashed out $420 tonight which feels pretty good although my poker bankroll is basically back at zero. This will be alright for the time being as I really don't have the time to play cards right now, and I need to focus on my classes which will be much more profitable for me in the long run.

Sleeping Under the Stars

50 days of sobriety today. My first day was the day I arrived here and here I am today, alive and still kicking. Time has gone by pretty fast here so far. This weekend wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be either. Things I learned this weekend: how to shoot a m16, how to fire an AT4, how to setup a claymore, how to avoid getting shot at by paintballs, how to throw hand grenades, how to chew tobacco, squad tactics, how to setup an ambush, among some other fun stuff. I probably shouldn't get into too much detail or else the Army will come hunting me down. Things I didn't enjoy: the rain, the cold, the food, and the stupidity of some of my peers, which was actually humorous at times. For example, watching the heavyweights waddle around and get sprayed with paintballs was somewhat amusing, as was watching this incompetent know-it-all who kept telling people what to do only to trip and fall on his face as he was sprinting up a hill. He proceeds to get carried off with a bloody mouth and rewarded with stitches and a trip to the hospital. Is it bad if I find laughter in other peoples misery? I could care less honestly. Karma at work anyhow I suppose.



All in all it wasn't a bad weekend despite the MREs (my friend had an ant crawl out of his unopened bag of raisins) and the thousand pound ruck sacks (the strap on mine broke) I had to march around in. Saturday night, after a long day of learning, hiking, and trying to stay warm, I got to sit down around the fire with my fellow cadets and enjoyed eating hot dogs over the fire while we shared stories. Misery definitely enjoys company. Afterward, I curled up in my sleeping bag in the freezing cold and stretched out on the mountain side. The sleeping bags are designed to keep you warm in up to negative 40 degrees weather and I was pretty damn comfortable in mine, despite the rocks and sticks digging into my back. It was a pretty clear night as well and it was actually pretty nice staring up at the stars as I feel asleep.

I'm almost done with all my rookie training here in the corp of cadets. I'm looking forward to being recognized and gaining some simple pleasures most of you take for granted, like talking to my peers, using a cell-phone, walking around like normal people instead of marching in the gutters, etc. I think it will happen around Thanksgiving time, which will be nice anyways because I have a week off from school then as well. I'm also going home this weekend and the last weekend of October.

Its been nice talking with my friends and family although its hard to when I have limited phone privileges. Its especially nice talking to my Grandmother, despite the fact she tends to repeat herself and forget what she said earlier. My parents were down in North Carolina for a wedding this weekend and my Uncle J came up to look after Buddy for me. Uncle J is the man! You should have seen the party he threw for me for my 18th birthday. My poker mentor knows what I'm talking about. I don't remember much of that night but I remember having fun until I woke up the next morning in a puddle of my puke on J's futon I ruined. I still need to get him a new one...Anyways, I think Uncle J is applying for grad school soon and wants to become a CPA. Proud of him. Thanks J for looking after Buddy and for all the good times we had back in the day!

On a darker note, I have a friend who I grew up playing lacrosse and football with and went to school with. He's currently in the hospital in a coma and has been for the past week. He has a condition called AVM which causes severe braining in his brain and has been in the hospital since a football game this past Sunday. My thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family. I truly hope he pulls through and stays strong.