OBSERVATION DECK

It was a very entertaining $2-5 NL game last night, led by starting HOF pitcher Orel Hershiser. Fellow pro Mark Gregorich was in the game as was yours truly. A common denominator bout the poker games at sea, they are loose, fast and fun. Everybody is in a good mood, laughing, drinking and gambling it up! I lost track of how many bottles of wine that Orel had ordered and was sharing with his fellow competitors. This obviously makes for very good games and if you keep your wits about you and play your cards right, you can pay for your entire trip in just a few poker sessions at sea. Some players, however, forget to push the stop button and its’ like they start throwing up poker chips into the middle of the pot.

Orel, who I’ve played with for the past few years around town in Vegas, has really improved his game. I was really impressed with the timing of his bluffs (which he showed!) and the overall dynamic of his game. His timing was as perfect as his pitching. He also talks a good game. He has become adept at using dialogue to psychologically outwit & maneuver his opponents. I was very impressed to see the growth in his game, though not surprised being the professional competitor he is.

About 4 in the morning I had to bow out. I wanted to get a good sleep before the main event today. It’s 11 am now and I just woke up after a nice 7 hours and feel well rested. I’m typing this out on the balcony and looking out at an immense blue ocean. A little windy with swells maybe about 3-6’ and some white caps. Just enough to remind us we’re at sea, but not enough to sway this monster ship too much.

So the overall tournament strategy will be to survive the day and be amongst the top 10% of the field in chips at the close of day 1. To accomplish that, I want to observe and assess my table of opponent’s skill level and categorize them into player types. That’s what phase 1 is all about, the Set Up. Gathering information to use later on. The skill of observation, (the ability to observe and communicate what you see), is a key trait a poker player needs to develop in order win a tournament. Players who struggle with this skill, tend to ask the question; “What am I looking for?”  To which I will simply say, “look for what is there.”

There is so much to see, right in front of us, that we don’t see. It’s so easy to overlook the obvious. I think it is because we live in such a fast paced world. Today we have to consciously slow ourselves down in order to see what is right in front of us. Otherwise it is like you’re in a speeding car trying to see something that is whizzing by. To see what is there, you have to sit very still. Be patient and whatever is there will come into focus. Don’t let the anxiousness of wanting to get to the next moment, or your minds mental chatter, toss you about like a small boat on a rough sea. And lastly, don’t assume and judge.

Let whatever you are looking at be as it is.

Enjoy the View!

Kenna