All poker players know the worn out axiom: “It’s a hard way to make an easy living.” I’m telling you it’s true.
Maybe my extended tour (I have spent 15 of the last 17 nights in a hotel bed) is playing games with my head, but right now I’m exasperated.

Actually it’s not poker per se that is driving me nuts right now, it’s tournament poker. After my score in the Foxwoods tournament (I intend to go through my year in chronological segments on here once I return to NYC, I’m jumping forward right now), I decided to focus more on tournaments and less on cash games.

The problem is this: cash games are to strip mining as tournaments are to wandering up and down the beach with one of those metal detectors. Strip miners unearth something every day. Meanwhile, those wackos on the beach find a lot of aluminum cans, and maybe, just maybe,once a year they’ll find a gold earring.

Right now I’m at Turning Stone casino in upstate New York (more on this wondrous facility later), and I have played a combined 25 hours of poker. I have cashed in both of the events I’ve entered,a pretty difficult feat, each taking up a full day. Even by my lofty standards, I have played awesome poker (if I do say so myself). What do I have to show for it? About $800 profit. Barely covers the overhead.

It’s a tough game. I’m constantly at war with myself (never mind my freakin’ opponents) psychologically. Right now I’m rethinking my approach and might allocate more time to cash games. Don’t get me wrong, I feel that this internal struggle goes with the territory. I think what I mean to say is near misses suck. Details to follow in the appropriate chapter.

Stay tuned and I’ll bring everyone up to speed on January through May. Riveting, isn’t it?