I haven’t posted on here in a while mostly because I have been either learning poker or playing poker as much as possible in my spare time.  This last week the hard work was really starting to show.

I made quite a bit at the cash tables over the past week and it is one of my biggest-profit weeks in quite some time.  I am enthusiastic to think that my studying away from the table has helped.  But then again, just to keep myself in check, I could have just been running well.

PokerStars finally rolled out their satellites to the World Series of Poker yesterday.  I already played (and didn’t cash) in one tournament.  But I have about 2 months to win me a seat.  The goal is to hopefully win 3 seats.  1 of which I will be playing the WSOP.  I just hope that I can run good when I need to in these tournaments.  I will be pretty disappointed if I don’t win a seat this year. 

So in the next couple of months, I expect more of the same.  To be completely focused on poker.  Win more in the cash games to help pay for my WSOP tournament shots.  I will post here once (and if) I win a seat.

Finally.  I have been playing a little more as of recent and I have been killing it!  Mostly in 5 card draw 15/30 limit games.  It was just bound to happen as I have been running sooooo poorly up to this past couple of days.

During my poor run of cards, I didn’t play as much as I probably should have and instead decided to look more in depth into my core strategy and gameplay.  This turn around could just be a hot run of cards, but I also think that my time working on my game plugged up some leaks and shed a new light on some stuff I previously didn’t know.

I am still behind schedule as far as meeting my 2010 goals is concerned but I feel more confident now that the blindfold has been lifted.

Poker is a cruel game that can certainly plays tricks on the mind when you are running bad….more next time.

What’s up everyone.  It’s been a while.  I haven’t had too much to post about lately.  But I just wanted to stop by and say hi.

2010 thus far has not been so good poker-wise.  I haven’t logged in nearly enough hours and when I have, things have definitely been running below expectation.  I have taken a couple weeks off here and there to do some deep mathematical analysis type stuff.  Stuff that will only make me become a better player in the future.  I plan to share some stuff that I have come across here on my site some day soon.

I am not really too worried about still reaching my goals for 2010.  But admittedly, things are not looking too good as of now.

I have also done some “soul searching” lately.  lol, I guess a losing streak can do that to you.  Again, maybe I will post some things when it comes to that some day as well.  But for now, I just wanted to stop and say “hi”.

I have been trying to figure out how to get some videos up on this site.  But unfortunately the internet connection here is awful and I can’t seem to be able to get any files uploaded to this site or youtube.

I have also tried getting some pictures on here to show, but of course I forgot to bring the cord that connects my camera to the computer.  So I am 0 for 2 in the whole hopeful updating with some sort of media to show stuff.  One thing is for sure though, I will have plenty to share when I get back home.

Until then, I can share a couple of interesting things that have occurred during my first couple of days here in the Bahamas:

The biggest hand I have seen played at a table I was playing was when I watched Gavin Smith turn and then river what would be 4 of a kind against trips. Gavin Smith moved to my table for the last hour and a half of day 1A and kept the table entertained with his table talk with mostly Matt Glantz, who I mentioned last post.

I watched Joanna Krupa film a video in front of one of the water slides here at the Atlantis that I am assuming will be used for what PokerStars announced today will be part of the North American Poker Tour.  She was in a bikini and was obviously freezing since the weather here in the Bahamas is much colder than normal.  I have a video of this, but you will have to wait to see miss Krupa in a bikini until I get back home.

While waiting to get through immigration at the airport here in the Bahamas.  Tom Dwan got in line behind me and I supposedly broke the news to him about Isildur1 coming to the PCA (at least that is what I read on PocketFives).  For those that don’t know, Tom Dwan lost millions of dollars, yes millions, in a number of sessions (not sure exactly on how many sessions) online against an unknown European player named  Isildur1.

I had a lengthy conversation with Greg Raymer while we were both walking from the Royal Towers here at the Atlantis to where all the poker action takes place, at the Imperial Ballroom.  It was a good 10 minute walk, with him getting stopped multiple times to take pictures.  He seems like a genuinely nice guy.

Good thing I have a built in spending account here at the Atlantis thanks to the package I won on PokerStars, because everything here is unbelievably expensive.  Just to give you an idea, you cannot buy a 12 oz coke can here under $4.

I went to a PokerStars welcoming party where I met many different faces that play online poker.  But since I don’t really know that many poker players personally and I am not a well-known player myself, getting some conversations started seemed pretty awkward as the banquet-style party seemed pretty cliquey.

These are just a couple of things that come to mind, and I have only been here for 1/4 of my planned stay.  I hope you check back later when I finally get some pictures and videos up to help tell my stories.

As posted earlier, tomorrow I will start play on “day 2″ of the PCA.  I sit with 27 big blinds (27,200).  The average at the moment looks to be around 45,000.  So not too bad I guess, but I will definitely have to make a move in the first half of tomorrow to have any chance of cashing.  If I can somehow double up two or three times, I can be right up there with some of the chip leaders.  So wish me luck!

The day is over….finally.  Play started with 30,000 in chips and to make a long story short, I ended the day with 27,200.  Not all too well.  But the funny thing is, is that I am happy to have any chips at all.  Nothing went right for me today.  It was brutal.  All my bluffs were getting picked off, and all of my big hands only took down the blinds.  The highest I was at the day was around 34,000 and my lowest was around 12,000.  I did manage to double up with about 15 minutes left in the day when my KK reraise all in was called by Matthew Glantz, who tabled KQ.  My hand held up and so did my tourney life.  That was really my highlight of the day since nothing else went well for me.

There were some questionable plays I made in the day and am not all too happy with my effort overall.  I am looking forward to day 2 since I still have a viable shot though.  The blinds will start at 500/1000 with a 100 ante on day 2.  So I will be sitting with 27 big blinds.

Tomorrow I plan on checking out the Atlantis some since I haven’t really had the chance and hope to just simply relax.  I might go rail the day 1 B players sometime tomorrow too.  Hopefully I will have some pics or videos to show soon.

I haven’t had a chance to write a post about my 2010 resolutions yet because I have been running much-needed errands and been packing to get set to head to the Bahamas tomorrow morning.  My flight was already canceled once and I had to change my itinerary slightly, but I am back on track now.

I have played zero poker in the last week or so because of all of the holiday stuff going on.  So hopefully I can get back in the swing of things at the PCA.  I will hopefully write my post about my 2010 goals when I have some down-time in the Bahamas.

I will also be posting here in the future with some videos of the tournament and of the Atlantis.  I have the Flip HD camcorder and I need to put that thing to use.  So check back later this week for updates.