Seems like the right time for one of these
If you read poker blogs I'm sure you've read about 100 of these posts, maybe even one by me before. But I'm at that point that all MTT players get to where I start re-evaluating my life in general due to a downswing I've gone on. I did just win the UB 1k not too too long ago so this isn't totally about always losing, because thats not the case but more so me trying to figure out if:
A) I still really love playing full time
B) I can continue to try to claw my way through MTTs full time
C) I'm just burned out and need some time off
I'm not sure exactly which of these factors is causing my general apathy lately and to be honest its likely a combination of all 3. I think the main thing that a lot of pro's fear when they think about life outside of poker is working for less money. Very few successful players can look into an endeavor which could net them anywhere close to what we make inside of poker. So its tough to make that jump and leave a game and the lifestyle that has lead many of us to devalue sums of money that would make an extraordinary difference to Joe Schmo. This is even more true in hard times economically like we find ourselves in now. For months now, through the wins and losses I have pinpointed July as a serious crossroads for me as a professional poker player. The WSOP will conclude and I will likely either move to part-time to try to reach for other professional goals (real estate development programs? real estate license? serving burgers at McDonald's?) or I will committ to grinding at least another year as a professional poker. I have zero plans to leave the game all together and how much my volume would be effected by starting school or a licensing program I'm not even sure but it would definitely take up some of the time in my life which is devoted to poker at the moment. I find myself in this strange position in life where I am generally apathetic to most of the things that happen around me and I think this might be caused, at least partially from playing full time and not having other hobbies to fall back on besides golf or going out on the weekends. Do I think some structure would help? I go in and out of that too, I sometimes sit and think about how having some structure would be nice. Then I realize that I am daydreaming about this at 2pm on a 90 degree day before I'm going to a Red Sox game while my friends are working. If that isn't the definition of the grass always being greener I don't know what is. In the end, I just find myself sitting here pondering the following on this lovely Monday:
-If I can beat the games nowadays for a significant ROI to continue
-WTF happened to my game in the past 2-3 weeks (it legit might have to do with all the new god damn turbos that are out there that I have been playing, lost patience)
-What I can do to fix said shitty playing
-What I would do if I stopped playing profressionally tomorrow
-Can the Celtics beat the Magic tomorrow night
-Can the B's beat the 'Canes tomorrow night
-Why the shit couldn't my KK hold vs. AJ in the FTOPS 1k and not tilt the shit out of me and induce this post
Oh, and as always... follow my Twitter before the WSOP. I'm pimping it before I leave and have a friendly wager with a friend about the number of people I could get. I'll try to post funny pics and rambles from Vegas as well. Go go go.
http://www.twitter.com/jurollo
Going to to ‘tweet’ during my Sunday
A lot going on tonight, poker, celtics, bruins, Player's championship. Going to 'tweet' all day with updates from poker and stuff about the games. Find it at:
http://www.twitter.com/jurollo
Final Stats from my trip to Tampa Bay
1 Red Sox game attended
1 Red Sox loss
16 hours of consecutive drinking on Saturday
1 occasion screaming out of our rental car at Theo Epstein on the street outside the game
4 random chicks we spent the first two nights drinking with
3 bottles of Aloe used by me and my friends on sunburns after Saturday
1 round of golf played
60 dollars lost in Nassau bet playing golf
1 trip to the hospital for severe dehydration by one of my friends after the trip
3.5 dollars for all you can drink during dinner at a sick place called Brewmasters in Seminole, FL (I think)
0 cases of the swine flu (so far)
5 days in a row without playing a hand of poker
Also, as I expected I have started messing around with twitter and will likely update it with random things I feel are funny as well as lots of chip counts this summer. If you're interested add me at http://www.twitter.com/jurollo
I might do some updating during the FTOPS, which I am planning on hitting pretty hard.
Taking a little break for golf and sun
Won't be around here for a few days as I'm going to take a little vacation down to Florida with some friends for some golf, a few Red Sox games down there and obviously some time out on the town at night. I would try to put together a witty and comical blog post aside from this like Bond usually does but its 2:30am and thats about the last thing I feel like doing. I'm hoping to not come back a lobster, although its likely. Come back in time for FTOPS, then will likely not play much at all between the FTOPS ME and the WSOP because I want to see friends before I leave them for the summer to become famous and a 3time bracelet winner. Also, I set up a twitter account for the WSOP for chip counts for those interested. http://www.twitter.com/jurollo
Likely won't touch that thing till the WSOP but it will be a great way to post updates of me losing all my tournies this summer. Good luck at the tables everyone.
Alright Night, Shit Endings
So I final tabled both the nightlies tonight (Stars 150 and FTP 150) But in the end I lost on a shitty hand in the FTP HU where I rivered trips against a turned flush and then lost this in the stuper for a giant chiplead. Oh well I guess I'll save end game run good for the WSOP.
PokerStars Game #27109002445: Tournament #155222533, $150+$12 Hold'em No Limit - Level XXIV (6000/12000) - 2009/04/15 3:21:52 ET
Table '155222533 42' 9-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 2: WPThero (613532 in chips)
Seat 5: PaulOpenfold (200159 in chips)
Seat 6: KidPokerJD (462386 in chips)
Seat 7: term_ (486992 in chips)
Seat 8: lpruz (375326 in chips)
Seat 9: MattZman69 (429605 in chips)
WPThero: posts the ante 1200
PaulOpenfold: posts the ante 1200
KidPokerJD: posts the ante 1200
term_: posts the ante 1200
lpruz: posts the ante 1200
MattZman69: posts the ante 1200
KidPokerJD: posts small blind 6000
term_: posts big blind 12000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to WPThero [Ks Kd]
lpruz: raises 24000 to 36000
MattZman69: folds
WPThero: raises 46225 to 82225
PaulOpenfold: folds
KidPokerJD: folds
term_: folds
lpruz: raises 291901 to 374126 and is all-in
WPThero: calls 291901
*** FLOP *** [As 3h 8d]
*** TURN *** [As 3h 8d] [4c]
*** RIVER *** [As 3h 8d 4c] [9c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
lpruz: shows [8c 8h] (three of a kind, Eights)
WPThero: shows [Ks Kd] (a pair of Kings)
lpruz collected 773452 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 773452 | Rake 0
Board [As 3h 8d 4c 9c]
Seat 2: WPThero showed [Ks Kd] and lost with a pair of Kings
Seat 5: PaulOpenfold (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: KidPokerJD (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 7: term_ (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 8: lpruz showed [8c 8h] and won (773452) with three of a kind, Eights
Seat 9: MattZman69 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
SCOOP is over for me
Out of the 10k today in like 130th. Made one really bad call against Jcarver and then grinded 10-15BBs for a bit before running A8o into AA. I also was within 100 of the bubble in the 1k main event and the $100 main of the SCOOP. Overall, I think Stars did a really good job putting this whole series together and deserve a lot of credit for hitting the guarantee on $9,000,000 worth just at 16:30ET today. Pretty amazing feat. I guess now I'm just looking forward to the WSOP and maybe a $1,500 at Mohegan at the end of April. I feel as though I'm playing really well lately and just need to stop the occasional hiccup that I still make. For those that didnt see, I got 12th out of like 8,000+ people in the $55 SCOOP-L the other night as well, after losing two separate $7mill chip pots with 12 left. 1st place at the time was $10mill. KK < A7o aipf and TT < AKo aipf. I mean its whatever, but I feel like a big score is coming soon though and will have a couple shots for one before the WSOP, including the FTOPS and maybe that Mohegan tourney.
Also thanks to all the support from the PSP family I've gotten at the tables in the last month, I don't always respond but its really appreciated.
Foxwoods
Hey all,
Short blog entry tonight. Heading to Foxwoods (the least wonderful place on Earth) and playing in the 10k WPT event on Friday. Looking forward to busting that on Day 1 and then losing another $3300 online in the SCOOP on Sunday. Truthfully, I'd like to not even touch the SCOOP with a 10ft pole because I am busy winning the WPT event but we shall see. Will update you all while in Foxwoods. Until then, adios!
Facebook / Poker Stuff / Joaquin Phoenix Clip
Hey everyone,
So since I started here at PokerSavvy/Cardplayer I've gotten a decent amount of requests on Facebook for friends from subscribers and in general I try to never add people on there that I don't know personally. There had been people before that have attempted to scam poker players through their personal information from facebook. So if I had ever declined your request I assure you it was nothing personal. However, I decided to create a "fan page" on there where I will post all my blogs and live updates on events (both live and online) as well as my life in general. Also will post pictures and what not for anyone that wants to add me. I am also going to start a full fledged Internet campaign to get onto the B.S. report on ESPN.com to talk to Bill Simmons about poker (the WSOP), pokersavvy, Vegas and sports and this group will likely be the first prong of this attack so if you can become a fan of me on there and tell your friends do too the better chance I'll have at fulfilling this selfish objective complete! If you search for "Justin Rollo" on facebook you'll see a picture of my sitting there with a hoodie and shades on from a tournament, just click become a fan and tell your friends. I'll try to do special stuff for members or readers like HH review raffles or what not for fans of me on there. Thanks a lot, lets make this happen!
~Justin
P.S. Playing the 10k at Foxwoods on 4/3, initiate live run good now!
And...
Enjoy.
Scoop / Updates
So I just read Foucaults post about the SCOOP and thought I'd add what I'll be playing as a "tourney donk" (F U Andrew!) I think Stars did an amazing job with this event and its going to be really fun (and expensive). I have been taking most of Jan and Feb off from poker after my 1k win. Its nice to win a chunk like that because I can just take some time off but I will probably start playing again soon and have a video series coming up where I will review 5 HH's in a week and release one a day. Check my forum for that. As for the SCOOP, I can't play the 1st event (500r) because it takes place the same day at the 10k at Foxwoods. I think the SCOOP might effect the 10k a little which is fine for me because its less competent online pro's playing live. Which is awesome. As for SCOOP here is my tenative schedule for it (including some of the Foxwoods overlap):
Event 1 - 2 April 2009 @ 14:30 ET - NL Hold'em with Rebuys [6-max]
* 01-M: $55 buy-in, $200,000 guaranteed prize pool
* 01-H: $530 buy-in, $500,000 guaranteed prize pool
Event 4 - 3 April 2009 @ 16:30 ET - NL Hold'em [2X Chance, turbo]
* 04-M: $162 buy-in, $300,000 guaranteed prize pool
* 04-H: $1,575 buy-in, $1,000,000 guaranteed prize pool
Event 8 - 5 April 2009 @ 16:30 ET - NL Hold'em [2-day]
* 08-M: $320 buy-in, $1,500,000 guaranteed prize pool
* 08-H: $3,150 buy-in, $3,000,000 guaranteed prize pool
Event 10 - 6 April 2009 @ 16:30 ET - NL Hold'em [Heads-Up Match Play]
* 10-M: $162 buy-in, $300,000 guaranteed prize pool
* 10-H: $1,575 buy-in, $500,000 guaranteed prize pool
Event 11 - 7 April 2009 @ 14:30 ET - Mixed Hold'em [6-max]
* 11-M: $320 buy-in, $300,000 guaranteed prize pool
Event 13 - 8 April 2009 @ 14:30 ET - FL Razz
* 13-M: $215 buy-in, $100,000 guaranteed prize pool
Event 14 - 8 April 2009 @ 16:30 ET - NL Hold'em [6-max]
* 14-L: $55 buy-in, $250,000 guaranteed prize pool
* 14-M: $530 buy-in, $500,000 guaranteed prize pool
Event 17 - 10 April 2009 @ 14:30 ET - NL Hold'em [1R1A]
* 17-M: $215 buy-in, $500,000 guaranteed prize pool
* 17-H: $2,100 buy-in, $1,000,000 guaranteed prize pool
Event 21 - 12 April 2009 @ 14:30 ET - NL Hold'em [Heads-Up Match Play]
* 21-L: $270 buy-in, $100,000 guaranteed prize pool
* 21-M: $2,600 buy-in, $300,000 guaranteed prize pool
Event 22 - 12 April 2009 @ 16:30 ET - NL Hold'em Main Event [2-day]
* 22-L: $109 buy-in, $1,000,000 guaranteed prize pool
* 22-M: $1,050 buy-in, $3,000,000 guaranteed prize pool
* 22-H: $10,300 buy-in, $5,000,000 guaranteed prize pool
Will likely add some other stuff or subtract a few things here and there. Thats all for now, make sure to send your HH's for review this week!
Help out a good cause (voting takes two minutes)
Hey guys,
So Virgin Atlantic is doing some promo for non-profits in Boston because they are opening up a terminal in Logan. Currently, the NPO that one of my best friends works for is in 2nd in the voting and could really use the money for a lot of good things. The program is called SPARK and they deal with at risk youth, most with serious medical issues like HIV/AIDS. Below is the blurb about it:
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Boston Medical Center's SPARK Center offers comprehensive and state-of-the-art medical care and services for Boston's highest at-risk children: those living with complicated medical conditions (including HIV/AIDS, failure-to-thrive, and neuro-developmental challenges.). SPARK focuses on those children most-in-need and often living in poverty, including very low birth weight' babies as well as children who are involved with the Department of Social Services due to significant family and social concerns (including child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, adult substance abuse).To find out more or contribute directly, visit our website.
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Anyway, here is the link:
[URL="http://www.revolutiontakesflight.com/items/The_Spark_Center?c=70"]http://www.revolutiontakesflight.com/items/The_Spark_Center?c=70[/URL]
Go there and you will see "login or register" at the top and once you are registered just go to here:
After you are logged in or registered you will see a little plane next to the Spark center logo with "vote" under it. Click on that and you are done. Thanks guys.