If it sounds too good to be true...

The following saying is correct, right? “If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is?” In the past two days I’ve heard, “then it probably isn’t”. That’s the way I’ve been saying it for years though… and there’s been so many times I’ve said it, usually with good reason. More on pet peeves later.

Today and last night, I spent a lot of the time on FullTilt playing some multi-table tournaments. Not doing so well. I'm anxious to get back to live play to see if I can keep the streak alive. About my screenplay...

It turns out I need to re-write the last 15 pages and condense it by 20 pages or so (145 total). No word yet on the content. The last few pages tie in my twist. It involves a lot of earlier scenes with some of them from different angles. It is not formatted properly and may be misleading. Hopefully, I will finish it this week. It will only take 3 or 4 hours but between my normal life, poker, and my occasional procrastination, I will stretch it out that long. There are usually other factors at play as well, like…

My head seems to be filled with clutter so many times throughout the day. I try to write everything down, but I have so many thoughts going through my head, I feel like it’s gonna explode sometimes. Even the slightest remark or seeing something interesting will trigger a chain reaction of thoughts, ideas, or daydreams. If it is some type of idea, I will log it into an Excel spreadsheet. If I don’t do it immediately, another idea will pop into my ahead, and then another that’s even better and so on. Then I rack my brain trying to remember all of them. I may go days trying to remember one. It usually comes back though. I’m actually going through this now as I type. They say that you cannot come up with something that hasn’t already been thought of. I’m beginning to think that may be true. Let me get back to my tourney… break is over.

3rd Straight Win?

I checked into the Springs Hotel last night around 8:00 pm and was fortunate enough to slide into the last open seat. It seemed to be a juicy table, some nice action to come, with other loose action waiting in the wings. I thought maybe I will make this three in a row since my comeback. I did. Not a lot, but my small bankroll did grow a little last night (if it even qualifies as a bankroll). I had the Doc to my right, a good, solid player and BadBlood to my left, who couldn’t get any pre-flop action with AA a couple of times. However, he did hit the jackpot, ten high - hearts. No bells or sirens alarmed but it was a nice little payday. What did he think as he watched DealerTim flip the 8h? Man, that must be an awesome feeling. Well, he quickly felted the poor guy, opposite end. I don’t even know what he had. Amazingly, DealerTim was able to roll out another ten high straight flush later on and wouldn’t you know it… of hearts. This time... Clueless turned the nuts. He led out with an all-in bet with Toothbrush and another aggressive player behind him, losing out on an additional bet or two. He did manage to stumble into a $360 cashout by way of a $40 buy-in. Not bad for someone who thinks you're 400:1 at the flop with an open ender and a pair, seriously. Anyway...

Toothbrush was two to my left, but later snuggled up next to DealerTim, but unfortunately, still close on my left. I call him Toothbrush because I think he invented it. If anyone else invented it, it would have been called the “teethbrush”. Think about it. It was also nice watching Toothbrush flip over the nuts, quad queens, on the turn. He held QQ, and the flop came QQ6, with 2 hearts. Some small post-flop action followed. The pot was around $60. Then Toothbrush led out on the turn with about $45 and was called by GutterGuard. As GG called and DealerTim proceeded to the river, Toothless, flipped over his cards saying all he had was queens. The river was a heart giving GutterGuard the nut flush. Toothless probably would have felted GG (another $200 or so) but GG graciously mucked his nut flush, while staring at THE NUTS. But all in all, it was a good day. I will not return to action until Wednesday where I will be going for an unprecedented 4th straight win. I’m off to the kid’s soccer games now, then lunch at Wild Wing’s, followed by heavy napping (for everyone), and topping the night off at the Peace Center attending a play, “The Secret Garden”. Tomorrow I will revisit my screenplay… some new information has developed. Until then,

Love, Peace, and Hair Grease

If poker doesn't work, what then...

Well, I haven’t given up completely on poker yet, but I realize now that when I play, it’s because I love the game. I just dabble. Maybe one day I can make some real money tossin’ the cards and chips around, but that is a distant cry.

So how can I make money in the meantime? Well, I do okay salary-wise now. But not much room for advancement and it’s too late in the game to entertain a career change. Well, maybe not, but I don’t want to submerse myself back into the wonderful world of banking. It seems like just yesterday when I stood outside the bank on my last day of work, basking in the setting sun, clipping the end of a Punch Gran Puro. I was standing in our President’s glorified parking space. He was a cross between a dictator and a cult leader. He understood that I knew exactly what he was about and he knew that I wasn’t having any of it. To say we butted heads would be an understatement. After ashing my cigar, I put it out in his parking space bidding him farewell. Man he was a freakin’... B-RAD! B-RAD! CONTROL YOURSELF!

Uh yeah... sorry about that. Anyway, poker is not bringing in the extra cabbage. So what about my 200 invention ideas earmarked in my Excel files? Nah, only about 30 of them are legit, and anyway, obtaining patents along with the R&D, can mount into a fortune. What about some of my other big ideas, that aren’t inventions? Yeah, some great ideas, but the old adage rings true... it takes money to make money. So, a year ago or so, as I scanned down my idea bank, I came across several movie pitches that I had jotted down. And at that moment, I was baptized into...

Screenwriting. Yeah, I can do this, I thought. There are not that many people trying to break into the business. Just every waiter, waitress, cook, and public servant in Hollywood and L.A., trying to mount this big horse... the movie industry. But hey, I enjoy writing. And it doesn’t cost me anything to develop a screenplay, except time (which until recently was consumed by poker).

This was it! This was my ticket! A good screenplay can fetch anywhere from $200K to $600K. I’ll churn one out and be on my way. I started about a year ago, but poker had me handcuffed in so many ways. Extra money... poker. Free time... poker. Mental energy... poker. And so on. A couple of months ago, on my poker hiatus, I buckled down and picked up the pen. I was only about a quarter of the way complete. But I persevered and wrote... and wrote... and wrote. Two weeks ago yesterday, the untitled masterpiece was finished. Now I have to get it picked up. But first, a lot of polishing. I am working with some local writers to assist in this area.

It is a mystery/suspense about a serial killer entangled in a cat and mouse game with his girlfriend. And it has a very surprising, original twist at the end that hopefully is the hook that pulls me in. However, it may be a little slow in the beginning, intentionally though, for character development. The action doesn’t really start until the middle. So I am prepared to trim the fat in the beginning and add more meat. I also began developing the sequel. So another option is to cut out the fluff, and shorten the sequel, merging the two. I’ll just have to see what my critics think. I’ll keep you posted.

To blog or not to blog...

I have been reading a few blogs here and there, but have never written one. I read my good friend, Dealer Tim's blog, and decided to post a comment. I needed an account to post a response. So I come to you today... with my first blog.

I've never kept a journal or diary and never really thought about it. But here you are... and here I am. This may be therapeutic for me. I may like it. My blog will not be so much of a chronicle of events, but more of a “what’s on my mind” format. It will probably include events that happen to me, poker stories, my ideas and thoughts – that sort of thing. But onto...

POKER

I have been on a poker sabbatical for the last few months, rethinking things. I wasn’t losing much, but wasn’t winning either. Did I need to change strategies? Was I cut out for this type of lifestyle? Could I discipline myself… my rebuys, my laydowns, when to leave? Was poker taking up too much of my free time? Was I playing with scared money? I haven't found myself in the poker world and I may not. I do not have all of the answers yet, but I'm getting closer. Hopefully, I haven't come to the sad realization that I may not be able to make it in poker. I would be reduced to the .25/.50 limit games with the mad, crazy pots they’re known for. Maybe that’s where I belong though. We’ll see. Last night...

Yes, Trooper, last night’s game was rather uneventful. But that was the second time I’ve played this week (since my sabbatical) and my second win. I did have one hand I was proud of. Calling a $30 bet on the river from TheCharger (first to act) with about $45 already in the pot. I knew he didn’t have anything and if I called (second to act), I figured the other three would lay down… they did. The board: A 9 K 9 A. I held 10 4 off. TheCharger, Q high. Kinda boring, but like Trooper said… not much to talk about.

Just getting my feet wet here. My next blog may be on my screenplay I’ve just finished. Not sure yet… we’ll see.