2016 Check-Up

I wrote up some plans, goals, and observations in the post-holiday dark.  How am I doing a little past sunrise?

…is the year I read poker books again…. what will Applications change?

I’m taking it seriously and reading it slowly.  I also inherited some unwanted poker books, one of which will figure into my research in a very timely fashion.

…is my first year as a handgun owner… will I actually use it when needed?

I’m having an issue acquiring it, having the thought the purchase was imminent, and have lost my enthusiasm at least for the moment.

…is the year I put the screenplay on Blacklist… but is Amazon’s reformed sweatshop the incinerator it belongs in?

Probably 99.9% of spec scripts disappear into the dreamosphere. In 2014 less than 100 were purchased by major studios. I don’t feel optimistic about the outcome even though I am at work and believe in my fever visions. You have to consider that every successful screenwriter basically tells you that success is nearly impossible, in the same fashion that every lawyer I knew, while I was considering law school and they were wallowing in cash, told me law was a terrible idea.

…is the year I hit the USTA… how much more abuse can my body take?

I took a bad turn healthwise and this is delayed.

…is the year I get back into German and Chinese… do any of my languages serve any purpose?

I am looking forward to this but have not started.

…is the year I vote against Hillary… but does the head matter while the foundation rots?

I don’t even sure I will vote now. While most people are too short sighted to see that ideas matter more than identity, I may have to pick other battles and walk the walk conscientiously.

…is the year we finish translating La Fete d’Insignifiance… does poker make me less or more like those men?

Poker is sometimes a Pain Box, right out of Frank Herbert. Those guys are smarter than me but are fighting for nothing and stand less of a chance of changing than even me. They would snap fold to the suffering.

…is the final year of “Hare Rabbitt’s Poker Club.”  … red faux crocodile, anyone?

Not much interest in the games from my player pool for months, then suddenly a heartbeat. I felt the rhythm was right to close it out, but I’ll keep an open mind, if only because I have some duties to the game.

…is the year I institute a static range… but is it a step forward?

This is in fact impossible, I have discovered, but the effort to do it has cleaned up some of my leaks. My range in all positions is much more consistent now, but all the reads I make and exploitative plays I make just can’t be constrained by arbitrary concerns, however legitimate. In theory it’s somewhat wrong and I will have to live with that knowledge for now. The good news is the effort to create and to make something happen always deepens one’s understanding.

…is the year I buy a new motorcycle… can I be happy without a shaft drive?

We’ll see, been focused elsewhere.

…is the first year my writing group pays for itself… what was the point of that, again?

I give them more than they give me. 5/6 of the group dropped out rather than pay a nominal fee, revealing their level of seriousness. Like the Poker Club, I am beginning to see an end game here, perhaps. On the other hand, the writers who stuck around have all the potential and can earn all the glory.

…is the year I rejoin the neighborhood council… are they still unprincipled NIMBYs?

I met up with one of the leaders and she was so phony I was discouraged. My neighborhood is trash and sometimes there is nothing to do but leave.

…is the year I give up guilt in favor of shame… is it too late to matter?

Pretty much. Not sure, and not sure if it even matters that it doesn’t matter anymore.

…is the second year of my penultimate decade… will I use it well or not?

We’ll see.

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To combine this with the “Post-Maximizing $5 Sobriety Poker Challenge,” I’ll go over my numbers since Jan 8:

163 hours of poker. I’m really aiming for 90 hrs a month, so I continue to struggle to get in labor. Our buddy D’Artagnan is putting me to shame.

Wage is 12.5 bbs/hr, so back to my usual rate.  Indeed, it has felt like a grind, and I do miss 5/10.

72% session win percentage, with only two losing sessions in February. This is higher than my historical 60%, and I can’t help but think it’s because I am concentrating so much more.

My best results continue to not be on Fridays or Saturdays, but heavy reg days like Tuesday and Wednesday. This is a reflection of the nature of variance and how poker is actually played between those who are versed in it. Village shitshows are not always good for the bankroll.

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So, what can you learn from this? No idea.  I’ll have a 2016 check in before the WSOP!

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Last, some developments at persuadeo.nl. It looks like we’ll be seeing some more guest posts, and perhaps most exciting of all, weekly advice from Poker Dad!