Today was the day I was going to qualify for the Main Event at the 2008 World Series of Poker, but alas it was not to be this year. By my standards I had good success this year. I definitely did better than last year when I lost 2 single table satellites and exited each early. In contrast this year I won a single table satellite tournament a couple of weeks ago enabling me to stake one of my fellow players into a $1500 No Limit Holdem Event. I won another single tale satellite to enable me to play in a $1030 tournament and I came close, but got a bit blindsided by a set of 6’s that moved ahead of my pocket Aces on the turn. I put the other player on a big pair and called his all in move after time had been called thinking I was ahead given the betting patterns and his previous hands that had been shown down. I was wrong.
One of my main challenges in poker, and in life, is beating myself up for mistakes I make – taking responsibility is not an issue, but I usually take it too far. I found myself very disappointed after the hand, and now 6 hours after busting out, I was discussing it with my roommate, Mike Spencer, and he gave me some great advice that he read on some CardRunners.com materials. It was essentially “that you are going to lose and you must live with the reality that losing is going to happen more than winning.” In poker this is a universal truth and a point well taken.
I think it is a good time to put my loss today in perspective and stop beating myself up. I did well. I invested a total of $225 over 2 weeks and came 7 spots from winning a $10,000 seat in the most lucrative, biggest poker event on earth – the one everyone wants to play after only playing poker for 3 years. It is my dream to get into the main event, but there is always next year and I am finding each time I return I am a better player more capable of achieving my goal and I must credit some of the pros I had the opportunity to spend time with like Raphe “The Catalyst” Furst, a Full Tilt Pro and Expert Insight principal, for giving me some advice on how to have success at the WSOP. I couldn’t use all of it this year, but I will apply his tips and tactics to my game plan for my 2009 trip.
Overall this trip has been amazing!! I must say that the professional poker players are not only approachable, but serve this great game and themselves well by graciously posing for pictures and welcoming their fans. Also, Twitter, has turned out to be a great tool for knowing what is happening with other players in the tournaments around Vegas and I especially recommend subscribing to updates from TaoPauly, Taylor Cabby, Bob Buttrey, and me - emeadows. Next year this tool will be fantastic if more players use it to micro-blog what is happening with them.
Tonight I am playing with some other API players in a relatively small MTT at O’Shea’s with my spirits up, my friends around, and very positive memories on my participation in this year’s World Series of Poker.
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