Little Green Book

Because I am lacking patience lately, and said lack of patience explains my bad week or two of poker, I decided it's probably a good time to re-evaluate my game. I have the fortune of playing only recreationally, of course, so my recent bankroll swings don't break me as much as they would if I was significantly committed financially, but I want to avoid going broke.

So, I am turning to one of my favorite NLHE books, Phil Gordon's Little Green Book. Which, since I take the covers off my books, is actually black and red. Little red books are for Chinese Communists! Oh, never mind.

I think the key to fixing my game right now is stepping back. I need to be realistic -- I have only been playing seriously for about 18 months, and in fact that represents only about 12 months of online play. It's OK that I don't know it all yet, and as a result it's OK if I remind myself that tight, solid, poker is not the end of the world (although possibly boring at times), especially at a place like PokerStars where you're only a hand away from someone witlessly paying off your monster hands. Fancy Play Syndrome is a rough disease, and I need to cure it by getting back to the basics. I think Gordon's book does a great job of reminding me of the basics -- certainly it's not everyone's optimal game, and reflects one particular style, but it's a poker book, not a textbook.

I also miss the Circuit, because there's often some good stuff on there. It's back on only once before I leave for AC.

I would also be re-reading Harrington, but I lent it to a guy who runs a "quasi-legal" game I swore I'd never play in again -- but that's another story. Pittsburgh poker is a fascinating tale of intrigue, cloaked in webs of deception. Ok, not really.

EDIT: 4 STRAIGHT BUBBLES ARGGGGGGHGHGHGHGHHHHH

I'm better now.