The McEvoy's wedding

Ahhh... what better way to start the WSOP season than going to the wedding of a poker champ and his beautiful love! Tom McEvoy married Yolanda Stock this week at the Cornerstone Fellowship Christian Church. The ceremony was very sweet and romantic. I always like going to weddings; there’s an amazing feeling that comes from being part of such a special moment between two people. The reception had over 200 guests and obviously a lot of the who’s who of the poker world was there. There was some Mexican tradition mixed into the party which made it very unique. The bride and groom were glowing of happiness and everyone had a great time.

The celebration did not end that day... Tom hosted a poker tournament held in the Caesars Palace poker room the next afternoon called, "McEvoy's Ultimate Gamble Poker Tournament." The buy in was $230, ten poker celebrities (Tom McEvoy, Susie Isaacs, TJ Cloutier, Kathy Liebert, Mike Matasow, Chad Brown, Dennis Phillips, Barbara Enright, Barry Shulman) were "bounties" with a $1k prize on their heads and the place was packed with poker pros! It definitely was nice to see everyone in such a nice setting before the WSOP craziness! Wishing many years of happiness to the McEvoy’s!

The glass is half full.

There are times as a poker player when cards will not come your way or when you will find yourself not getting the results you are looking for. I have been there many times and it can get frustrating! Lately I have found myself a little discouraged as I was making the transition from cash games into tournament poker. You see, poker tournaments can be very rewarding, but that is if you make it to the top three. Other than that you find yourself playing all day for little or no money. It can be very hard on someone’s positive outlook at the game. It definitely was for me who is used to having a really good win rate and getting instant reward from playing cash games.

So how does a player like me stay focused and positive during these times?

Here is what works for me:
-I keep learning. There are many styles of play, so I try to learn new ones from different players. I get out of my comfort zone and try some of their tricks on occasion.
-I workout/stay active while not playing. I find myself having much more stamina and much more focus when I engage in physical activities a few times a week. Plus it is proven that people who are more active are happier.
-I eat well. Again, when I eat healthy I have more energy and I am more positive. I also have more stamina and play better.
-I try to keep a positive attitude. It sounds easy but it’s quite a task! I try to rephrase words when I say something negative. I would change, "I
can't believe I just played all day and busted just outside the final table for a small cash." To, "Wow, I am definitely getting closer. I outlasted over 5,000 players. I can feel that my time is coming soon! I am going to win!"
-I believe in myself, I do not listen to those trying to put me down, and there are lots of those! Like Roosevelt said, "Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
-I take some time off every now and again and I give myself some "ME" time. I enjoy my life, family and friends. It gives more balance to my life and I usually come back stronger and ready to take over the world. I find my inner peace.
-I understand that "bad beats" are part of the game. I give some, I get some. They happen... and when they do, I put them behind me and focus on the present.
-I stay away from parties and alcohol. Partying makes me tired and alcohol is known to have a depressant effect, all of which keep me away from playing my "A" game and staying positive. I do see my friends, but rather chose a dinner to catch up over a night at the club.
-I keep short term and long term goals. I SEE myself achieving them. I think about them every day when I wake up and go to bed. I think of how to achieve them and I know that I can and will. I keep pictures that remind me of those goals. I tell myself that these goals are mine and that it's my year to get them.
-When I think things are going bad, I find 5 to 10 things in my life that I am happy about, it makes me realize that things aren't that bad and that I do have a lot to look forward too.
-I keep trying, I know my capability and I know I will get there!

It seems like a big list, but it only takes a little discipline and time to adjust to this way of doing things. I know that it makes my life a much better place. It's not being delusional... it's being persistent and positive. That's how I know I will get the results I want and find happiness in the pursuit of success.

"There is no telling how many miles you will have to run
while chasing a dream."

Throw down tournament for the Kidney foundation in Reno

I just got back from Reno, where I was invited to participate in the Jennifer Harman "Throw Down" charity tournament benefitting the National Kidney Foundation. I actually quite like Reno. Some people say negative things about it, but I like the "Old Vegas" feel it has. Plus, every time I go there I make money! The games are really soft. :-) I stayed at the Peppermill, where the event was held, and the room was really nice and comfortable with a huge Jacuzzi tub which I looked forward to jumping into at night!

The event was a huge success with about 515 players participating in a "team concept" tournament. I was on the Ultimate Bet team, but my points were also counting for the LIPS team. I played pretty well the whole time, but the structure was fast (as in most charity events). I unfortunately lost a few hands in a row and was left a little short stacked. I got moved to new tables quite often which made it hard having to adjust to new players. At my last table, I was placed to the left of David "The Maven" Chicotsky, with whom I have been training with lately. Knowing his aggressive style, I knew his range of hands were large and I ended up calling him all in pre-flop with KQ suited, he had 33. His pocket pair held up and I was out. He ended up making the final table which was pretty cool. This student is not surpassing the teacher yet, but it's only a question of time! *smile*

Team Peppermill ended up winning and Jeff Harrington was the last man standing. The foundation means a lot to him, as his wife is recovering from a 2nd kidney transplant. Great job Jeff!! His win also got him a seat to the WSOP main event worth $10,000! The event rose over $200,000 for the National Kidney Foundation. I am definitely looking forward to going again next year!

I am going to focus on playing online this week. I had some issues with my PokerStars account because someone tried to hack into it during my last trip to the Commerce Casino. The account had been frozen for security reasons since, but finally I can use it again. I just needed to send some proof of who I was to their security team. I hear it's a common problem traveling into different casino/hotels. Apparently the solution is to have your own WIFI card, (never use the public WIFI) and to have an email address that is only for poker such as an ISP account which is better than a free account (msn, gmail, hotmail, etc.).

This week I will be playing a lot of the SCOOP events, MiniFTOPS and good guarantees all around. My pets are happy to have mummy home even though I will be staring at the screen most of the time! I am definitely looking forward to taking some events down!!!