Time Passages

Time goes so quickly, yet so slowly. By the time you read this column, it will be late January or early February. The weather will be cold and the holidays will have come and gone. Yet, as I write these words, it is early December and I am between the holidays of the winter season. I am sitting in my cabin on a cruise ship, the weather is a mild 80 degrees and humid, and Card Player Cruises is returning from its last cruise of the wild poker-driven year of 2005. It is difficult to write about timely events when so much time elapses between columns. I could tell you about the eight-day Mexican cruise, but it was so long ago that it would be passé by the time this is published. Our tournament winners already will have been honored with their photos and names in the magazine and on our website, and many events will have come and gone. Yet, time is both passing and standing still while I type away on the open ocean.



As we all know, poker is a game of time. It takes a lot of time to play it, yet many of us rush the game and our results show it. Poker takes a lifetime to master, yet few of us ever truly are dedicated enough to do the work that results in that mastery. There is always something new to learn about the game, and as soon as we read the new books and learn a new secret or two, there is more on the horizon. Not only that, but for every trick you learn, your adversaries might have learned two! There is a never-ending battle against time in trying to keep caught up or in getting caught up. Time for me personally has never been better. With personal success in many areas of my life comes a realization that many aren't as fortunate as I. Failing to plan is planning to fail, and my intent for the new year is to utilize my time better and not waste it so much. Whether it is poker time, work or play time, or time spent with loved ones, I want to use 2006 as both a growing time and a reflective time. I would like to give something back this year, and in years to come, and I have things in the works to make this a realization. I will turn 50 in the spring and know that I am on the back nine of my life. I want to accomplish things that make a difference in the world and to those around me. Charity work, personal growth, tolerance, patience … these are all things on my resolution list.



So, this brings me to resolutions and all of those promises that we tend to make when entering a new year. If the only tough thing to do in the new year was to remember the proper date when writing a check, it would be great, but there are many more real things that the new year brings. Records, have I mentioned them lately? We all need to utilize our record-keeping skills to enhance our poker progress. Not only do you need to track your wins and losses, but perhaps you also need to add some new dimension to your accounting this year by adding the place you played, hours played, the setting, time of day, opponents who were in the game, day of the week, and so on. There are many ways to add information to your stats to help you to get the most out of them to become a better player. While merely keeping good records won't make you a better player, of course, utilizing the information you gather from those records can. You can learn what days or times of the day you do your best, which casinos are best suited for your needs, how long your optimum playing session is, and what your lucky shirt is … OK, I sneaked that last one in to see if you were taking me seriously, but you see my point. There are so many things that we creatures of habit can learn from great record-keeping.



I had a lousy 2005 playing poker. I attribute much of it to bad luck. I talked ad nauseum to my poker mentors, who assured me my game was good, solid, and sound. Perhaps it's not the best in the world (I have never professed to be a great player), but it's good enough to beat the games in which I was choosing to play. I was executing good game selection, and often was one of the best three players in the game. That should be more than enough to beat a game, but for me, it wasn't. I ran badly, and then I ran worse. Am I whining? I certainly don't mean to. I am trying to let you know that while good things happen to bad people, bad things also happen to good people and good players. If you had a rocky year, you are not alone. It seems that everyone won, and won big, if you ask them. I am telling you honestly that a lot of them are being less than truthful. I am looking to 2006 with a new sense of confidence and dedication. I plan to reread some of the poker bibles I possess, continue doing the things I know I am doing well, and work on and adjust those things that can use improvement. I think a positive mental attitude is key, and that the aura of a loser can be sensed by opponents. My goal for 2006 is not to allow this to happen.



To those of you who cleaned up in 2005, I wish you continued success. To my fellow strugglers, I hope you have the perseverance to work through long losing sessions and to play within your means. Poker is a great game and a game for a lifetime. Just be sure that it enhances your life rather than harms it. Once again, you have graduated to the class of 2006. I hope we all have a great year together.



Class dismissed!

As always, please check out http://www.cardplayercruises.com/ for all of your poker cruise needs, conferences, and other poker information. Please send your poker-related questions, column ideas, and comments to [email protected], and I will get back to you as soon as possible.