It's all downhill from here

I'm kinda hooked on playing low buy-in sit -n-gos right now. I play the 5 to 10 dollar 18 to 27 person tourneys and have cashed in the last four I have played. It's the first time my Stars account has ever increased without outside influences. I think I have figured out why.

I use the analogy of skiing because it's the first thing that comes to mind. When I first started skiing, I was a balls out, straight down the hill kind of skier....making turns was for wussies! After learning how to ski when I was 17, I tried out for the high school ski team and ended up wiping the floor with all the veteran girls on the team in the giant slalom event! Needless to say, I didn't make any new friends that winter :) Anyways, I ended up qualifying for State Championships that year and got 31st out 120 in the G.S event. Crazy right?! But did I mention that I couldn't finish a regular slalom course to save my life? That's my point! Skiing a regular slalom course requires skill, finesse, and experience. I had none of those things. What I did have was no fear and that is why making those "giant" sweeping curves down the mountain was right up my alley.

Anyways, because giant slalom was what I loved, I had no desire to venture off the corduroy into waist deep powder and spend the day soaking wet and freezing cold. I kept to the groomers and improved my form for the next few years to come. Finally, I had no choice. My friends forced me out of my comfort zone into the fluffy stuff. Man, was it terrible! I felt like it was my first day ever skiing! I was noob once again! After a few hours of torture I finally returned to the groomers and I couldn't wait to rip it up down the hill. But oh no! As soon as I set ski on that trail I felt like Darrell Hannah in Splash the first time she trades her tail in for two legs. I couldn't get my form down, I kept catching an edge, I was putting all my weight behind me...I was completely screwed up. It took me another 3 runs to finally feel like I was back in the saddle.

My point is, poker is like skiing. You have cash games and your tourneys. Just like you have regular slalom and giant slalom, powder and groomed. I came into the game of poker a completely unskilled player, knowing absolutely nothing about poker. Therefore, I accelerated at the low buy-in sit-n-go's. Low buy in sit-n-go's are my giant slalom event. Then I tried to play cash games. Paul worked with me, Bag worked with me, Ben worked with me....heck, even Truman worked with me. It was obvious I was not a cash game player so back to the sit-n-go's I went :) But funny thing, after all that cash game play, my tourney game was completely screwed up! I couldn't make it to a final table if my life depended on it. I had been skiing in the cash game powder and when I returned to the comforts of my corduroy sit-n-go's I didn't stand a chance.

The light at the end of the tunnel:
The last time I was in Vegas with Paul we met out friends Justin and Katie (ha! Wolf, if you're reading this...that was for you!) and Katie and I played in a 50 person tournament at Ceasers 2 days in a row. The first day I asked Paul if he had any advice for me and he said "Just play old school kermy style." So, I really tried to be crazy and bludgeon people. Unfortunately, their battle axes were a little bigger than mine and I was out in 33 place :(

The next day Katie and I entered into the same tournament determined to stick it out. I replayed all my stupidly, non-kermy style, played hands from the previous day in my mind and formed a game plan. I kinda felt bad for my table this day because little did they know I was bringing a big ol' can of crazy frag with me and I planned on opening it up and dumping it all over the place!

Well, that big ol' can of crazy frag got me to the final table that day and I haven't looked back. I actually attempted to play a cash game with Paul, Ethan, Katie and Justin that night. I did SO TERRIBLE that Ethan couldn't get to sleep that night when he got home. He got up and typed a list of basic cash game rules for me so that Paul wouldn't kill me the next time we played a cash game together:)

Long Story Short: I'm a tournament player, not a very good one, but a tournament player. I'm not good enough to be, nor do I really want to put the time into being, a decent cash game player. It's two completely different games and I'm going to stick with what comes naturally to me. Just like giant slalom...to be one of the greats, you've got a be a wee on the crazy side sometimes.