CFF Lives

For all of the glory that June brought, winning at the cash games and winning way more than my share of the tournaments, July has been nothing but break even play. Couple that with my expenses for the month, and I'm a loser.

It's cool though. I mean, it happens all of the time. The key is to work your mind around the fact that sometimes you have to lose. Once in a while those sometimes come in bunches and I lose a lot. Occasionally, those sometimes come in the form of streaks that are unimaginable. I'm not going there, however, this is going to be a positive posting.

In all honesty I have been very lazy this month. I haven't played nearly the hours I need to in any given 30 day period. Of course, I was on vacation for 9 days. But, even so, I found it difficult to stay at the tables for any marathon sessions.

I'm pretty sure it was because of the tournaments I played. Tournaments are finite. You buy in, get your chips, and then play until the chips are gone or you win the whole thing. There is a starting point and an ending point. If you are lucky enough to make it to the money, and you play until there is a winner, it is really quite exciting. So, how do I transfer that excitement to the cash games?

I'm not sure. I play poker because it is fun. If it stops being fun then what am I to do? If it begins to feel like any other job, then what? What to do, what to do...

I could try to lay off the crack pipe that is tournament poker. No, I don't think I can do that, not completely anyway. I think, instead, I will limit my tournament play to only those tourney's that offer very deep stacks and a buy-in that makes people take notice. That way, I will still get my fix of the tournament action, while making it worth while (tournaments take time), and also take less total time away from the cash games. Plus, tournaments with larger buy-ins have less of a percentage taken out for the rake. The rake is what the house makes in putting on the tournament. I hate the rake.

Ok, that's a plan at least. No tournaments that have a buy-in of less than $150! Good, decision made. The second piece of the pie? Play longer hours!!! Stop being lazy and lethargic. I can remember, back when it was all so new, I could sit at the table for 8-12 hours at a time. I would only stop for a bathroom break, and I managed to stay focused. My focus window has decreased to about 35 minutes now.

Now, I'd much rather give my friends a hard time on Facebook rather then play cards. That can't be good. I like Facebook. I enjoy that I have reconnected with old friends, and also have met some new folks who are pretty cool people. Something else has occurred after drinking the grape Kool-Aid that is Facebook. I'm pretty sure, although I have no quantitative evidence, that people who partake in facebook are less likely to be mean jackoffs. Just like that bumper sticker you always see on the back of someone's bondo filled Jetta, mean people suck.

Facebook is what it is. To me it is a meeting place for people who are only trying to make their way on this ride called Life. It represents hope that we are not alone. I have found that literally millions of people feel exactly as I do on many subjects. I'm pretty sure I knew that before facebook, but it's nice to actually see it in print.

Facebook facilitated the first ever, at least that I know of, Coalition of Facebook Friends (CFF) Union. This started out as sort of a joke, but ballooned into a gathering of friends, old and new, who are looking for something. For me it turned into a crusade to see just how much I have changed since my high school days. I wanted to find out how different I was than the old friends I once hung with many years ago. Of course, I was a bit disappointed. I'm not much different now than I was once, back then. Although, I'm clearly not quite the same. Neither is anyone else, for that matter.

The get together took place in my small hometown of Lowville, NY. There was a lot of laughter, a bunch of hugs and smooches, and the drinks were flowing. The entire episode helped to make the trip back home, this year, something to remember. I have determined that my friends are cool. This has to mean that I am cool too! It's a logical conclusion, yes? Also, if I feel better about myself than it only makes sense that others, following the party, also feel better about themselves. If 50 people get together, coming from all over the place to meet, and they all leave in a better mood, aren't those good vibes going to circulate throughout the communities we all returned to?

Yes.

We all could use more of this.

Word.