1:24am: Not to butter my own bread or anything, but I have to say things are going rather well for me at the moment. I might not have much time to play this week (see articles on having to paint new house) but I am definitely making the most of it. Included in this little 7 game streak that I’m currently on is this hand in which I got very lucky:

PokerStars Game #17904176764: Tournament #90813177, $50.00+$2.50 Hold’em No Limit - Match Round I, Level II (15/30) - 2008/06/04 - 02:15:53 (ET)
Table ‘90813177 1′ 2-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: cindito (1510 in chips)
Seat 2: trujm (1490 in chips)
trujm: posts small blind 15
cindito: posts big blind 30
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to trujm [Js 9s]
trujm: calls 15
cindito: raises 30 to 60
trujm: calls 30
*** FLOP *** [4c 7s Jc]
cindito: checks
trujm: bets 60
cindito: raises 240 to 300
trujm: raises 1130 to 1430 and is all-in
cindito: calls 1130
*** TURN *** [4c 7s Jc] [2c]
*** RIVER *** [4c 7s Jc 2c] [Jh]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
cindito: shows [Ad Ah] (two pair, Aces and Jacks)
trujm: shows [Js 9s] (three of a kind, Jacks)
trujm collected 2980 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2980 | Rake 0
Board [4c 7s Jc 2c Jh]
Seat 1: cindito (big blind) showed [Ad Ah] and lost with two pair, Aces and Jacks
Seat 2: trujm (button) (small blind) showed [Js 9s] and won (2980) with three of a kind, Jacks

As I stated in one of those posts in the forum, I had no way to know that the guy had AA because the guy pretty much played every hand aggressive like that. He checked raised with air quite a few times and got lucky on the river, so it was a little bit of “justice” for the match to end the way it did.

Don’t count on that to happen every time, though.

More later..

Start a Clean Slate at a New Room, a New Sharkscope, and Keep HFL Free in the Process

10:23pm: Professional poker players look for any edge possible to exploit their opponent, but finding an edge may involve nothing more than simply turning on the radio. But does this hold true for everyone? Does music really soothe the soul while playing poker, or is it merely a distraction? This isn’t as easy of a question to answer as you’d think because everyone listens to different types of music for different types of reasons. Let’s look at the different motivations behind listening to music, and whether or not it is conducive to playing a winning poker session:

• To Entertain:

  Music is a great source of entertainment, but this is not necessarily something we’re looking for while conducting business at the poker table. A wise person once told me (as you’ve probably heard before) “never mix business with pleasure”. If you listen to music while playing poker, doing so for entertainment is more counterproductive than anything.

• To Relate:

  People love to have things in common with other people. It’s very reassuring to know someone shares the exact same interests in you. Ever hear the lyrics of a song and think to yourself, “god that sounds exactly like something I’d say”? If so, that’s great, but that means NOTHING at the poker table.

• To Inspire:

  It’s great to be inspired, although this is still not applicable to the situation. To say that certain music inspires you is to assume that you are more likely to be in tune with the lyrics than the melody. You’re better served concentrating on the cards, rather than picking apart each song for meaning while playing poker.

• To Move:

  This is a bit of a no brainer, but dancing and poker don’t mix. Subtle arm movements, and moving to and fro while in the seat is OK. However, an all out choreographical assault on the dance floor (or living room floor) while playing poker is definitely not recommended.

• To Relax:

  Perhaps one can make the argument that relaxation is a good thing while playing poker, but that’s to assume that everyone is hard wired the same way. Some people prefer to be a little “on edge” while playing poker, as it helps them make more accurate decisions. After all, it might not be a good thing to be TOO relaxed at a poker table, right? Therefore, we can’t say with conclusive evidence either way that listening music to relax while playing poker is good or bad.

• To Motivate:

  Now we’re getting a little bit warmer. Poker is a game that must be played without fear, and the only way to lose fear is to lose your inhibitions. There are plenty of songs out there that motivate you to not only become a better player, but also a better person as well.

• To Stimulate the Mood:

  This is starting to make more sense now, isn’t it? I’ve said this many times before: poker is a game of mindset. Those who are able to control their mood and their emotions at the tables are much more equipped to win than those who lack such control. If certain types of music evoke certain types of emotions, simply figure out which emotions put you into the mindset that you need to be in to play winning poker, and you’ve got the recipe for success.

Now that we’ve established a couple of motivations that are conducive to playing winning poker, perhaps we need to establish some particular songs that may evoke these desires. Remember, the type of music isn’t important — only the motivation behind it. Part 2 will feature some particular suggestions from all genres of music.

Start a Clean Slate at a New Room, a New Sharkscope, and Keep HFL Free in the Process