Phase 1 - Are you a Gambler, or a Gamer?

As i begin, its important enough to say that about 60% of all tournament poker players are pretty much considered dead money.  This group consists of people whom have won some type of entry, have deep pockets to enter the tournaments, or just think their good enough to hold their own. 

What really happens is that they GET OWNED by players whom have taken the seriousness of the game to the next level. 

10% of the total players in a tournament will be "In the Money", which really only leaves 40% of the field to contend with.  So if you are in a 1000 person tourney, you have to be in the top 100 (or 10% to cash ), and even more, be in the top 1% to be in the final table.  Which is great, but really on the top 3-4 spots get the best cut and the real meat on the bone.  So if math serves me correct, you have to be in at least the top .04% to make the real money.  Yep... its a long shot.

Now, just like in any other sport, the top atheletes get the money, the women, and the fame.  Why would that be any different than poker?  My take is that there are a lot of guys (and some girls) that jump into poker, learn the basics, and are prime candidates to lose a lot of money.  

I was much the same way in that we played and we thought my buddies and I were decent.  Little did i know that we were the prey, and not the predators. 

So are you a gambler or a gamer?

Until this year, I have always considered myself to be a gambler.  Now, i'm ready to become a gamer.  But how do i do this?  I went to a university to get my BBA/MBA, (and paid dearly!), but there aren't any universities that have poker curriculum.  Learning through the school of hard knocks will probably cost me more than my degrees combined.  I have no choice but to educate myself. 

So, the ultimate difference is this.

Those who take the time to educate themselves, learn the intricacies, and master the dicipline, should inevitably become successful players.  That and some luck of course!  Add the Law of Large Numbers, and there is no reason you cant take down a big tourney.  Or at least one the sizeable enough to win enough money that allows you to leave your job and focus on poker full time.  That would be nice too.

This is what will happen to me over the next eight months.  In November, the final 9 players of the WSOP will play out the final table.  It is by that time that I line up at the starting gate and try my best over the next 12 months. 

These eight months are to learn every single possible poker strategy, theory, thing my mind could possibly learn.  Heck, just the other day I deleted more shows set to DVR than I am willing to admit.  So these are the beginning sacrifices I'm willing to make for the craft. 

So where do I begin.???

Well, I can honestly admit that a lot of my knowledge comes from reading snipits in books that I bought and never finished, and what i've seen on TV.  Ridiculous, I know.  But i truly believe that its like that for most.  Those sixty-percenters. 

I've never read Doyle Brunson, The Godfather of Poker's Super System Poker book.  Nor Harrington on Holdem or Phil Helmuth's funny attempt at being an author.  All of these players, successful in their own right, should have been enough to read an entire book, but I just haven't been able to do it.   This is probably why I haven't been able to win more than a few bucks here and there amongst friends and poker rooms. 

Well, here is where i'm at.  I am currently reading "KILL EVERYONE".  No its not what you think, and yes that's the name of the book.  Advanced Strategies for No-Limit Hold'em Poker Tournaments and Sit-n-go's.
I'm about 65% of the way through it.  I won't bore you with the strategy talk or hand analysis, but I will tell you about the general idea and concepts down the road. 

One of the problems with this book is that it was published back in 2007.  Advanced strategies are 4 years later not so advanced anymore.   Even Brunson's book held on for 20+ years.   But the game of poker is evolving in such a rapid way that new concepts and theories are derived every day.  But that's for another topic on a different day.

Next, I'm also 2 chapters into "The Theory of Poker" by David Sklansky.  this book is not so much about hand anlysis or detailed strategy, but more about general concepts that should allow you to use them as a strong foundation for coming into your own style/s of poker player.

As soon as I can finish these two books, I'm moving on to Bill Chen's " The Mathematics of Poker ".  Funny enough, I never liked math in all of my middle/high school and college years.  Whats more, it's the exact same reason I went into Finance and not Accounting!   Looking back, the Statistics class i had was a joke.  I wish i would have paid more attention, and  I really feel as if Bill Chen's book is going to teach me more than a full semester in stats.  Go figure!

I follow about 170+ people related to the poker industry on Twitter.  Not much of a facebook follower.  I also read NVG's ( news, view, and gossip ) poker related sites.  I'll be posting some of my favorites soon.

So i'm on my way to become a GAMER, and learning in 8 months what would probably take me through my junior year in college. 

Time for some Ginko Biloba, Monster Energy, and an uncomfortable chair.

-Alex EagleR

So what's the story?

So what's the story???  We'll, thats a great question.  Let me try to answer it over the corse of the next year. 

First, let me catch you up to date on why i've decided to write this.  So here goes...

I'm in my mid 30's with a wife and two little girls, Q is 4 next month and Ariana is 3 in two months.  With the writing all over the wall, I left the banking industry in March 08, just before the crap hit the fan.  Tried to do some financial advising, but what was there to advise when the banking execs are running for the hills and people would rather stuff their mattreses with thier money! 

I took on some endevors very much outside my scope.  Construction and Transportation.  Both of these were derived from certain someones saying something to the effect of " hey, start a business for this and i'll make sure you get lot's of business.  Theirs lots of money to be made!"  Regardless, if I knew then what I know now.... well, you know how that ends.

As of a few months ago, my heart wasn't in these businesses.  I have a BBA / MBA in Finance, and I cosider myself to be a smart guy, but making money has not come around as fast I had anticipated.  You could say that I have always set the bar high for myself.  Once I feel that I have learned what I needed and there is nothing new my mind can absorb, I get bored and my attention is gone in a blink of an eye. 

I suppose that this is the reason its come to this.  I've decided to take on Poker.  The art of it, the science, the risk, the rewards.  All of this competitiveness and drive has been bottled up and is now ready to explode.  More importantly, i've learned that channeling this inner force is ultimately the best way to reach the prize.  Without it, it would be a crash derby with no safety gear and plenty-o-gas!

So here it is...   In the beginning of this year, I decided that I would actually "learn" poker.  Not just to continue to play with my friends... but to crush them.  To level anyone who stands in my way of becoming a "winning poker player".  To dominate to a new level never before seen.  

Ok, that last part is a bit much.  But why not?  Why not me?  All you hear about these days is of the young stars of online poker that are 17 to 21 year olds and already multi-millionaires!!!  How the old guard is in there mid twenties and up.

Well, I disagree.   Yes young guns have almost no responsibility, live with mommy and daddy, have no bills, go to college on the parents dime or even scholarships.    What the yguns are lacking is life experience.  You see, they way I look at it, once you have responsibilities like a house, kids, car note, etc., you either become a conformist and worry about getting your paycheck every two weeks, or you are on the other side that takes a stand and says F%(K IT.  I'm betting on me and on my family! 

Not to long ago I went to see the musical, IN THE HEIGHTS.  There is a scene where the father that immigrated to the US was feeling like a failure.  Sometimes I feel this way too.   But the line that brings it home goes like this,

"  I will not be the reason that my family can't succeed.  I will do what it takes, they'll have everything they need.  Or all my work, all my life, everything i've sacrificed will have been useless."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCsySC2iL-k

The Challenge:  Make $1MM by the end of the 2012 World Series of Poker. 
The time frame:  1 year from the end of the 2011 WSOP
The Bankroll:   $0

I'm giving myself this time to study and educate myself as much as possible.  All the while, balancing my wonderful wife, beautiful children, work, family, friends, and money. 

The odds are certainly stacked against me.  I'm a huge underdog, but that's whom everybody roots for... right?   

Welcome to my life and thanks for joining me on this journey.

-AlexEagleR