Cash Games vs Tournaments -- Perspectives on Poker

It's always fun to read my fellow poker bloggers when they start to argue about cash games vs tournaments. I guess that I like both and don't have strong feelings toward one or the other. It seems to me that they each require a different set of skillz, some of which overlap. I've done well in both and sucked in both, so I am certainly not the person to make a judgment call here.

However, it does seem to me that a lot of poker attitude derive from our relationship to the game. Take a guy like me, for instance. I have a good professional job, am married, have three kids, own a house, never have been addicted to alcohol or drugs, never been in prison, lived a pretty clean and wholesome life... Poker is a diversion for me. I am certainly not a young stud thinking he can rule the poker world before the grey and white hair starts in. I play for the enjoyment, the challenge, the competition, and sometimes just for the fun of playing against known foes from the blogger world or one of the several poker groups of which I am a member. Sure -- I want to make money in cash games and win every tournament I enter, but if I don't, the effect on the rest of my life is minimal.

Others, however, may approach the game from a completely different perspective. In some cases, some of the poker ballas might be young and/or single, have no kids, may be in a transitional job (or gutting it out playing poker for a living), might not have a mortgage hanging over their heads, may be dealing with other addictions or staying away from them as best as possible... Poker might mean so many more things to them.

I do get a chuckle out of some of the bloggers who consider themselves on a different plain than some of the rest of us. Yeah -- they may be devoting a lot more time and money to the game, so you'd expect them to be at least a little bit better than the recreational schlubs, right? And no ... I am not flustered when I hear about the bankrolls taken to the NL tables or the big buy-in fees paid for the latest Full Tilt or PokerStars or b&m tournaments. Try having a family, two mortgages, and several hundred thousand dollars of debt hanging over your head to give you a little perspective about money.

The Mookie and the Blogger Freeroll

I finished third in the Mookie this week and donked it up the the blogger tournament freeroll. The Mookie was funny -- I was really in a pissy mood, got some cards at the beginning, and just started raising the hell out of every hand I was in. I then sat back for a long time and then came alive at the end. I certainly played well enough to win, but a couple of suckouts late cost me the contest. I really thought that I would take it down. The freeroll was completely different. I woke up from a nap just in time for it and played like I was half asleep. Next time I'll get my kids to piss me off at the start and maybe I'll play better

One Month until Las Vegas

I will be making my next trip to Las Vegas over the Labor Day weekend. Puting a house up for sale and moving took up most of my spare time this spring. It's been seven months since my last trip, and I can't wait. My brother, Mr. Slot Comps, got us four comped nights at New York New York and the Flamingo. Southwest Airlines ran a kick-ass special, so only $138 to fly round trip. Talk about a cheap trip to Las Vegas!

I've been reading about how Caesar's changed their poker tournaments. I chopped the last two I played (first and second in one and first through fourth in the other), so I don't know if I'll give some others a look this time. I like the low buy-in Sahara structure, but the place is such a dump. Sounds like I should play at least one Venetian tourney.