My name is (who?)

Coming from the land of eminem, I understand economic adversity. But despite all that, I am playing Event #39. Why? Numerous reasons.

1. Have to play a big tournament once in a while. The Shaolin monks would say that if you practice fighting and do not fight, then your skills are less than those who fight. I dont fight the big fights very often, but I can make an exception once a year to test my mettle. (I want to play more Razz after the WSOP is over and test my mettle there too.)

2. I have been practicing way too much over the last 3 months not to take the "test". Despite my results, my decisions are becoming honed and my game rising to a level I did not even feel I could get to a year ago.

3. With the economic downturn and the reigning in of travel and such, I need to do something that is "bigger than life". Considering I broke (nasty) my back months ago, this is as big as it gets this year.

So there you have it. Justification in the worst way. I did not qualify for a $1500 event this year in a satellite or club, so I am breaking my own rule to not play an event without expressing my way in. But I will take 3 or 4 shots are WSOP main event seats. I expect next year to be the year I get in, but you never know.

In other news, I am starting to combine chip utility and small ball together without a train wreck ensuing. This is interesting. Sometimes I feel that the best thing I could do for myself is to never know what my chip stack is... But obviously no one can afford that lack of information. I do need to make sound decisions, however, without allowing myself to be taken in by justifications. As of late, I am too prove to make a good call, even though the stand alone logic is FOLD. Interestingly I am right alot of the time. But not all the time. I am really starting to understand the meta-game behind small ball.

But in results, it can be brutal if you let your stack get too short. I bubble the PPI on Monday, and I was disapointed by a big stretch of dreck that I could not play my way out of. As it was, a suckout blind vs blind kept me out of 13th.

Skillz was Stud and if it wasn't the last BBT4 skillz night, I would have passed. Instead I made 4 second best hands to go out way too soon. Just 2 events left...

As it is, I feel slightly guilty going into the WSOP series as results have been average lately AND I punched my BBT4 ticket in RAZZ, not NLHE. Funny, eh? I'll put all that behind me tonight as I make a final, focused charge at the Mookie.

"I will fold to sets. I will fold to sets. I will fold to sets."

ok, I am ready.