Since rededicating myself to mastering the basics of poker, and going back to the books, I have had some pretty solid results. 

Last Sunday I played in game 3 of the WSOP qualifier, and came in 2nd.  I had to play extremely hard for over 8 hours, and was honestly exhausted when I was finished.

Then Tuesday I got knocked out early in a 22 person tournament style game, but I still think it was a net positive for me.  One player raised, with what I suspected was a marginal hand, and I had pocket 10's.  I flat called preflop, planning on taking this thing down on the flop if it came low.  Then one of the biggest donkeys I know in poker also called.  Now if you know this guy...lets call him Bruce...you'd know he's the worst poker player ON THE PLANET.  He regularly plays $5 limit at Cripple Creek casinos, and just calls everything and prays. 

Flop comes 3 low cards, and 2 diamonds.  The original raiser bets out 4,000, and I think for 30 seconds before shoving all in.  I know I'm ahead of both of them.  And of course, Bruce tanks for awhile and then calls.  The originally raiser folded, as I knew he would.

Bruce turns over K-Q of diamonds.  So the idiot has put his entire tournament on the line hoping to hit the not-nut flush.  He's brainless. 

But of course a diamond hits, and its a 10 of diamonds, so I do have trip 10's.  But no help on the river and I'm gone.

I say it is a net positive because I knew I was right, and I knew any call I would get would be 2-1 to LOSE to me.  And it was.  I can't say enough how stupid the call was, but you'd have to know the guy to understand that it wasn't a surprise to me.

Then yesterday I was back in action in the WSOP qualifier.  I came in 5th, and moved from 9th in the standings to 5th.  Not bad for a guy that had one absolute brain fart in Game 2 and was knocked out in less than 2 hours.  I don't see myself winning, and for that matter don't see myself making the top 3 and cashing.  But I do see that I've fixed a big flaw in my game and I'm now playing solid poker making CORRECT decisions.   Even correct decisions sometimes lose, so I'm not worried about that.  I just want to know that when I do get beat, I got beat with the best hand going in, or the right decision in any call I make. 

By the way, AdamD, who posts her a lot, is #1 in the WSOP standings, and needs only to make the final table and he's playing in the WSOP this year.

And don't forget, April 23-27, AdamD and I (and a few more friends) will be in Las Vegas, staying at the Venetian.  I plan on regular updates here todocument what happens (poker wise, the rest is non-ya-biznis).