All in from late position

scalawag · 08-26-2008, 11:32 AM

I find myself in a unique situation in life, one which affords me the opportunity to do something that most people would scoff at. I’m going to pursue a career in poker.

If I were to somehow send a message back in time a few years and tell myself this, I’d probably make an appointment with a psychiatrist in an effort to prevent whatever mental disorder is starting to take hold. Even now it seems a little odd,
starting at 40 years old when most people start playing in their early 20’s. And the popularity has been going on for some time, so I’m not exactly getting in on the start of the poker craze. ...

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admin · 08-26-2008, 01:57 PM

Good luck with this decision and we're glad that you decided to 'come out' on TwoRags.com. Please let us know more about your decision. What has your experience in poker been up to this point? What is your personal situation that allows you to go pro at the ripe young age of 40? What will be your next step? Will you play online mostly or will you play live? Will you be focusing on cash games or tournaments?

We're here to help and offer support. We looking forward to following your progress and being here when you need some poker friends!

- S

postoakpoker · 08-27-2008, 04:07 AM

Best of luck with your new "career path"

birdsnbees · 08-27-2008, 10:51 AM

Tell us more about yourself!

EdmondDantes · 08-28-2008, 08:01 AM

Good luck, scal!

scalawag · 08-28-2008, 09:47 AM

Warning: it’s long, but you asked for it!

As far as my background, I am a geek. I love games, everything from chess to Dungeons and Dragons. Anything that can tickle my brain. I worked in IT for over 15 years, in case there are any challengers to my royal geek lineage. A few years ago I purchased a holdem poker game, I think it was Poker Superstars II. I got bored with it quick, as the AI’s were very easy to figure out.

Two years ago both of my parents passed away after long struggles with their own afflictions. I fell into a depression and quit my job. During this time I joined this social/activities group I found on the internet. One of these activities was a Holdem game, which I enjoyed and did quite well. There wasn’t much that could gain my enthusiasm, but I found myself watching poker games on late night TV, fascinated by the pro’s and the decisions they were making.

Despite all of this, the thought of trying to go pro never entered my mind. It was like watching a pro football, you can criticize the players but know if you were on the field they would tear you up in a heartbeat. It wasn’t until May or June of this year that the idea actually struck me. I was playing play-money games on Full Tilt, reading some of the tips there and other places and decided to challenge myself to tighten up my game and see how many play chips I could accumulate (280k in about 2 weeks, fyi). I decided to deposit $50.00 and see how I did at the cash games. It lasted less than a week.

By this time the idea was really starting to take shape, instead of working in a cubicle I was sure I could at least scratch out a living doing this. I have no family, so no real obligations. I’m not working, so I can devote myself to it full time. The morning after I made the decision to try I went to the book store to see if I could find some books on the subject. I picked up “Phil Hellmuth’s Texas Hold’em” (which I read 50 pages of and put on the shelf) and Phil Gordon’s “Little Green Book” which made me think about my game, tear it completely apart and rebuild it. I’m in the process of reading more books on the topic, and probably always will, but the Little Green Book will always be a favorite.

My goal was to be primarily a cash game player, live and online. I received a couple smack-downs at the 2-2 tables at Club One Casino in Fresno, and made a pretty good haul at Tachi Palace in Lemoore. However, after playing some online tournaments at Full Tilt (I cashed twice in my first three games, coming in third in one of them) and now being only slightly more than break-even on cash tables, I’m re-evaluating my focus.

And that’s pretty much where I am at. You can find me at Full Tilt in the low stakes cash and tournaments as Lord Scalawag, the confused looking pirate. Despite my losses there I’m going to be at Club 1 again on Sep 6th, playing after UFC 88.

I know I have some major problems still with my game, but that's for a blog entry all it's own.

08-28-2008, 03:28 PM

I wish you luck, I think you're doomed to fail at least during the first 6 months. I've been playing poker part time for a little more then 2 years and I still have tons to learn. If you're not a winning player now, what do you think it's going to be like losing day in day out at the only thing you do? I have no idea about your financial situation, so if you're loaded with money and could quit poker and find a job or go a couple of years w/out getting a job, sounds cool. I wish I had a solid 40 hours a week I could play/study. I wish you the best of luck, and keep updating your blog as it would be cool to keep up on your progress.

DeuceSeven · 08-28-2008, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I wish you luck, I think you're doomed to fail at least during the first 6 months. I've been playing poker part time for a little more then 2 years and I still have tons to learn. If you're not a winning player now, what do you think it's going to be like losing day in day out at the only thing you do? I have no idea about your financial situation, so if you're loaded with money and could quit poker and find a job or go a couple of years w/out getting a job, sounds cool. I wish I had a solid 40 hours a week I could play/study. I wish you the best of luck, and keep updating your blog as it would be cool to keep up on your progress.

This was my post.

08-26-2008, 11:32 AM	#1 (permalink)
scalawag Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 19	All in from late position I find myself in a unique situation in life, one which affords me the opportunity to do something that most people would scoff at. I’m going to pursue a career in poker. If I were to somehow send a message back in time a few years and tell myself this, I’d probably make an appointment with a psychiatrist in an effort to prevent whatever mental disorder is starting to take hold. Even now it seems a little odd, starting at 40 years old when most people start playing in their early 20’s. And the popularity has been going on for some time, so I’m not exactly getting in on the start of the poker craze. ... Read Full Post

08-28-2008, 08:01 AM	#5 (permalink)
EdmondDantes Guest Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Formerly, Chateau d'If. Now, at large in California...last seen in Fresno, propping 2/2 NL... Posts: 105	Good luck, scal! __________________ Still digging...Edmond

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08-26-2008, 01:57 PM	#2 (permalink)
admin Administrator Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 41	Good luck with this decision and we're glad that you decided to 'come out' on TwoRags.com. Please let us know more about your decision. What has your experience in poker been up to this point? What is your personal situation that allows you to go pro at the ripe young age of 40? What will be your next step? Will you play online mostly or will you play live? Will you be focusing on cash games or tournaments? We're here to help and offer support. We looking forward to following your progress and being here when you need some poker friends! - S

08-27-2008, 04:07 AM	#3 (permalink)
postoakpoker Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: NJ Posts: 41	Best of luck with your new "career path"

08-27-2008, 10:51 AM	#4 (permalink)
birdsnbees Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 11	Tell us more about yourself!

08-28-2008, 09:47 AM	#6 (permalink)
scalawag Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 19	Warning: it’s long, but you asked for it! As far as my background, I am a geek. I love games, everything from chess to Dungeons and Dragons. Anything that can tickle my brain. I worked in IT for over 15 years, in case there are any challengers to my royal geek lineage. A few years ago I purchased a holdem poker game, I think it was Poker Superstars II. I got bored with it quick, as the AI’s were very easy to figure out. Two years ago both of my parents passed away after long struggles with their own afflictions. I fell into a depression and quit my job. During this time I joined this social/activities group I found on the internet. One of these activities was a Holdem game, which I enjoyed and did quite well. There wasn’t much that could gain my enthusiasm, but I found myself watching poker games on late night TV, fascinated by the pro’s and the decisions they were making. Despite all of this, the thought of trying to go pro never entered my mind. It was like watching a pro football, you can criticize the players but know if you were on the field they would tear you up in a heartbeat. It wasn’t until May or June of this year that the idea actually struck me. I was playing play-money games on Full Tilt, reading some of the tips there and other places and decided to challenge myself to tighten up my game and see how many play chips I could accumulate (280k in about 2 weeks, fyi). I decided to deposit $50.00 and see how I did at the cash games. It lasted less than a week. By this time the idea was really starting to take shape, instead of working in a cubicle I was sure I could at least scratch out a living doing this. I have no family, so no real obligations. I’m not working, so I can devote myself to it full time. The morning after I made the decision to try I went to the book store to see if I could find some books on the subject. I picked up “Phil Hellmuth’s Texas Hold’em” (which I read 50 pages of and put on the shelf) and Phil Gordon’s “Little Green Book” which made me think about my game, tear it completely apart and rebuild it. I’m in the process of reading more books on the topic, and probably always will, but the Little Green Book will always be a favorite. My goal was to be primarily a cash game player, live and online. I received a couple smack-downs at the 2-2 tables at Club One Casino in Fresno, and made a pretty good haul at Tachi Palace in Lemoore. However, after playing some online tournaments at Full Tilt (I cashed twice in my first three games, coming in third in one of them) and now being only slightly more than break-even on cash tables, I’m re-evaluating my focus. And that’s pretty much where I am at. You can find me at Full Tilt in the low stakes cash and tournaments as Lord Scalawag, the confused looking pirate. Despite my losses there I’m going to be at Club 1 again on Sep 6th, playing after UFC 88. I know I have some major problems still with my game, but that's for a blog entry all it's own.

08-28-2008, 03:28 PM	#7 (permalink)
Unregistered Guest Posts: n/a	I wish you luck, I think you're doomed to fail at least during the first 6 months. I've been playing poker part time for a little more then 2 years and I still have tons to learn. If you're not a winning player now, what do you think it's going to be like losing day in day out at the only thing you do? I have no idea about your financial situation, so if you're loaded with money and could quit poker and find a job or go a couple of years w/out getting a job, sounds cool. I wish I had a solid 40 hours a week I could play/study. I wish you the best of luck, and keep updating your blog as it would be cool to keep up on your progress.