Tao of Poker

Oneness

"There are two paths leading to oneness with the Tao. The first in the path of acceptance. Affirm everyone and everything. Freely extend you goodwill and virtue in every direction, regardless of circumstances. Embrace all things as part of the Harmonious Oneness, and then you will begin to perceive it. The second path is that of denial. Recognize that everything you see and think is a falsehood, an illusion, a veil over the truth. Peel all the veils away, and you will arrive at the Oneness. Though these paths are entirely different, they will deliver you to the same place: spontaneous awareness of the Great Oneness." - Lao Tzu

I played in the $5 + $1 multi on Party Poker this morning with my brother Derek. I wasn't going to play. I was sick as a dog, but at the last second said, "Fuck it." I logged on, wiped my nose, coughed up a rock of phlegm the size of a kitten, sipped a cup of green tea, then settled in for the long haul.

1262 loose players with the top 120 making the prize money. $1262 for the first place.

Level 4: I played one hand, AQo, in the first four levels. I had T905 and survived the onslaught in the existentialist meat grinder called the first hour of Party's $5 multi.

Level 5: With QJs I flopped top pair and moved all in with two spades on the board. The table chip leader called with an open ended straight flush draw. He didn't hit it, so I doubled up. T2160 and shocked he didn't catch any of his outs. I had a little less than the average stack with 483 players left.

Level 6: AA survived an all-in bet from 99. I had T2750. My brother was kicking ass with T3100+.

Level 7: I was at my mother's apartment and I got screwed by the damn dial up connection. It took me almost ten minutes to reconnect and get back to my table. I was chipped down to T2395.

Level 8: First hand after I reconnected I moved all-in with AJs and took down KJo. I doubled up and had T5240. I was just below the average with 211 players left.

Level 9: My brother was knocked out in 165th place when his AQ lost to A3s.

Level 10: An ugly J6o in the BB. I flopped a J and moved all-in when the big stack tried to steal in LP. He had nothing and I doubled up. Just like that, I was the table chip leader with T11,200. I was about 44th place out of 126 and above the average stack. I caught a severe wave of the chills. I was sicker than I thought. It was 75 degrees in NYC and I was wearing a long sleeve shirt, a fleece pull over, and a wool hat. If my mother came home early from a trip to IKEA and found her oldest son decked out in winter clothing, shouting jibberish at her computer... she would have thought I had dropped acid and called the white coats at Bellevue to pick me up.

Level 11: I lost a nice chunk of my stack when AK lost to 99. I barely had T700 left. My nose was still running and a decent size pool of snot collected on the mouse. I moved all in with 99 and coupled up against AQ. He caught a Queen on the turn, then I river'd the guy when I hit my two outer! Still alive with T16600, above the average stack and 97 players left.

Level 12: No action for AK and AQ. I was my table chip leader with T22000+, approx. in 24th place out of 65.

Level 13: Table change. No longer the big stack at my table. Boy Genius was sweating me at that point. I folded 88 to a preflop raise and also punked out with A9s in the LB to a button raise. T17300+ and 46 players left.

Level 14: Blinds were 1000/2000. I folded A7 to a raise from the table bully. I would have flopped top two pair if I stayed in. D'oh! I was tired at that point and restless. T15000+ and 38 players left. The avg. stack was 33K.

Level 15: I moved all-in over the top of the table bully with A5o. He had 77 and I didn't catch my ace. It was a questionable move on my part. I told myself that the next time I had a playable hand, I'd move all-in against the bully. I was the short stack at my table, with the blinds coming up and the level almost ending, and decided to make the move with a marginal hand. To me, there was no difference in the prize money between 36th and 20th place. I took a shot and missed. 36th place and a paltry $31.55 in prize money. A little more than $5/hour for my time.

That was only the second money finish for me in $5 multis on Party Poker. Those are an insane grind! I'm shocked I placed despite being under the weather, almost drowning in a pool of my own snot and sweat.