I got a great night's rest and am pumped up to grind some tournaments today. I am going to be playing the 2 FTOPS events on FTP today, $120KO and $500 ME, mixed with some smaller mtts.

Sunday Hopes and Dreams Come True One Time? :):):)

AC Trip Report: My 2nd session in AC this past Thursday was another brutal test of patience and level-headedness. I continued to run like Keyser Soze pre-viewer-epiphany. 

I raised KJss in the cutoff after a few limpers. 5 people called and we saw a flop of J 9s 4s. 

WHen you see a flop like that, you just think "sweet, ship it on over this way, hope I get action etc. "

I bet, got checkraised by sb, and I shoved all in. He called with A8ss. Turned Qs, and I thought my flush had to be good, but of course he flipped over his hand and I was drawing to one out, the 10s. Total Sighaments.

I had managed to build up a nice stack picking up uncontested pots and making one sick call with 4th pair, so that setup hand totally sucked. But I had to keep it in perspective, because there was nothing I would have done differently in the hand with the KJss. And with each hand being an individual, isolated incident, I had to remind myself that all the bs situations I had been involved in at the live tables recently, were all a part of this game that I have a love/hate relationship with. =)

The key to me only losing half a buy-in at the end of Thursday was that I managed to regroup multiple times after ridiculous hands/spots I found myself in and keep a level head. And so while I might have lost monetarily the last 2 sessions, I still feel as though both sessions were successful, because I am so excited with how I have been playing and the patience/stability I have proven to myself. 

This mental focus and stability is a constant work in progress for most poker players. This becomes very apparent when I play live and watch how other players react to bad beats, bad luck, even getting dealt a string of bad cards tilts players. I have seen players go on tilt this week over hands they werent involved in, but seeing someone else ship a big pot, set them off.

This is the weakness WE need to prey on, not be the prey ourselves. At the poker table, I want to always be a predator... strong, cautious, showing no vulnerabilities or weaknesses....stoic in the face of victory and defeat...always controlling the upperhand.

I look in the mirror and see stripes. 

So today, go ahead, put on your stripes....Be a Predator. 

P.S. There is also a $15 bounty on Me in Today's Poker Curious Freeroll at 2pm. Gl doodles xxx