And on and on...

Tonight was my last cross-training session (limit/hold'em) prior to leaving for Las Vegas on Saturday for the Main Event of the WSOP. I played a bit sloppy and won - not a lot, but the rush keeps rushing. If you have an interest, please sign up for the email subscription to this blog with the gadget in the upper right. Just add your email address and click. A confirmation will be sent to you, that requires a one-time click to activate. That's it. Each time I post, you'll get a copy. And yes, you can cancel at any time.

And the beat goes on....

I played what may be my last poker tournament before heading to Las Vegas - the $100 Entry/$40 Add-on at Big Slick - and took first place against a field of 27 players. Notwithstanding the hands where luck came my way, I am pleased with my level of play and focus.

The bad news: I have been watching the early parts of the 2008 Main Event on YouTube. (Search "2008 wsop 1a," then 1b, 1c, and 1d.) It was a freaking zoo! There were stupid calls - not power raises, not short-stack desperation moves, but dumb calls - virtually every hand. This means that the likelihood of having your good hands cracked by garbage is much higher than it should be. And I am not talking about just the amateurs. Many of the big name pro players turn into calling stations early on Day 1. This is much scarier than any concern about playing against quality competition.

Well, with a bit of luck maybe my rush will hold up. Stay tuned.

Two more books arrived from Amazon. I may not be the best player when I get to the WSOP, but I'll be the best-read. One is "Harrington on Hold'em Volume III." I've been very impressed with Volumes I and II, and the reviews seem to indicate that this may be the best of the bunch.

The other is "Poker Wizards," an interesting collection of advice from nine top players. The jacket says that it is "in the tradition of 'Super System'," but for these purposes it is much better. Brunson's "Super System" is a wonderful book wherein each expert talks about his specialty. In "Poker Wizards," each expert answers the same set of questions - ALL on no-limit tournament play.

I can hear a bunch of you saying, "Don't over-read, Barry. Just play your game."

In answer to a several questions, here’s the deal. I won an entry into the Main Event at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. I did it by winning a tournament among the top twenty players at Big Slick in Washingtonville, New York. These guys are all accomplished players, and I am arguably the least qualified. However, I used a new poker strategy that paid off. I call it “Pulling It Out of Your Butt on the River.”

Anyway, I’ll try to keep everyone updated on how it goes from now on. My first day of play is July 5th, and knowing that fifty percent of the field is knocked out in the first round, I’ll just stay hopeful that the new system keeps on winning. If not, it will still be an exciting event for me just being there.

OK. Played cash no-limit, and gave it back. Um, does a flush beat a straight?

News from the home front: Last night I played in a local cash limit game and won. Cash play is the opposite of tournament play, and limit is the opposite of no-limit. Call it cross-training.

Looking at last year's event.

I watched part of the 2008 Main Event last night.

The bad news: Negreanu, Scotty, Cloutier - all knocked out on the first day. If these guys can't get past Day 1, what's an amateur to do? The good news, nobody has a lock on this thing.

Um, OK, I got this blog thing. Studying Harrington et al.