Rocking hammers to beat down cancer …

I found there at Iakaris’ blog and they supposedly came from TripJax’s blog. They seemed interesting, so here’s a stab at answering them.

1. What is the biggest mistake people make at a NL table?
People rely on all-ins “as seen on TV!” far too much. They overlook how to bet properly and sensibly and fail to craft a credible story about their hand in doing so. In the long run, that failure costs them money because they don’t get called on their good hands and get called on their bad ones. That sort of recklessness can also push them out of tournaments quickly if they make that play at the wrong time. I will always remember the time I caught pocket aces and someone ahead of me - who had been stealing blinds all night - went all-in and I called (remember, it ain’t bluffing if you call). They turned over off-suit rags and got annoyed when I told them to get their hands out of the cookie jar (my exact words). Sure enough, only a few hands later, they went all-in again and I had pocket aces AGAIN but this time, having doubled up off them already, I now had them completely covered. That ended their tournament. A more sensible bet might have spared them for a few more hands.

2. What is the biggest mistake people make at a Limit table?
Fixed or Pot? In fixed, I suspect people have a tendency to call it to showdown since the stack consequences are smaller. In pot limit, I suspect it would be a tendency to consistently bet the pot to price people out.

3. Why do you play poker?
Relaxation, a social activity and a mental exercise. I’ve been playing poker since I was a kid - it was mostly five-card draw and seven-card stud then, but I’ve played in Vegas for fun and to pay for trips there, I’ve decimated office games (I used to work with a poor bastard who was such a fish that - even playing limit at .05 minimums and .25 maximums - I would routinely take $20-$30 off him in one night. One lost hand put him on perma-tilt and he wouldn’t stop - he just bet harder … I trash-talked him mercilessly. After about three weeks of taking everyone’s money, I was banned from the game - it didn’t bug me much - my back was starting to hurt from all the change I had to carry home every Friday) and a friend of mine and I used to play no-look poker on overnights at the radio station. It used to be one of the few ways I could interact with my dad without fighting. It’s always been a way for friends of mine and I to get together, have a couple of beers and talk trash to each other for three or four hours while taking each other’s money (read: I take their money).

4. If you weren’t playing poker, what would you be doing?
The same things I do when I’m not playing poker.

5. What is your favorite poker book and why?
Phil Gordon’s “Little Green Book.” Clear, concise … it is a deceptively simple book which explains complex ideas in ways that are easy to understand. It’s a masterpiece of writing about poker, even if some of the concepts aren’t quite as advanced as something Sklansky puts out.

6. Who is your favorite poker player and why?
Depends on the day and which aspect of the game. I like watching Phil Laak for entertainment, Daniel Negreanu for his joy at the table, Annie Duke is amazing to watch because of how skillfully she applies her psychology background to manipulate a table, I love watching Chris Ferguson for his methodical approach (I want to know how he almost NEVER makes a bad decision at the poker table), Phil Gordon for his ability to explain the game, Mike Matusow for good-natured trash talk (as opposed to, say, Tony G.), Lance Funston for pure comedy (I literally cried while watching some of the hands he was in - Norman Chad’s running commentary about his play should be burned to CD and sold in the comedy section of record stores), Barry Greenstein and everyone else who gives part or all of their tournament winnings to charity, John Juanda for his short-stack play and incredibly calm demeanor … the list could go on infinitely.

7. Which poker player do you dislike the most and why?
Tony G. Pure and simple. His outbursts and insults are uncalled for and inappropriate. Matusow toes the line. Tony G. goes so far over it that I doubt he can remember where it was.

8. Do your coworkers know about your blog?
Not this one.

9. What is the most you have won in a cash game or MTT (both live and online)?
Single hand in a cash game? Maybe $20-$30. I still play low limits. MTT? Around $100 or so.

10. What is the most you have lost in a cash game or in one day total (both live and online)?
Cash game - I had a bad run the other day and lost around $12 for the day, but made up the loss with SNG / tournament play.

11. Who was your first poker blog read?
Wil Wheaton.

12. What satisfies you more, your aces holding up for a big pot or a bluff working for a big pot?
The bluff, especially with 7-2 off-suit, the reason this blog exists. Any idiot can win with aces. It takes a special kind of idiot to win with 7-2 off-suit.

13. Why do you blog?
It helps me understand my game better, learn from my mistakes and get insight from others to help improve as a player. If I can explain or teach a concept to someone, I usually understand it fairly well.

14. Do you read blogs from an RSS reader like bloglines or do you visit each blog?
I visit them.

15. Would you rather play poker for a living than do what you currently do for a living?
I’m perfectly happy with poker remaining a pastime.

16. Do you wear a tin foil hat on occasion?
No.

17. If you had to pin it down to one specific trait, what does a great poker player have (or do) that separates them from an average player?
The constant ability / desire to learn and improve their game, regardless of where the learning or improvement comes from.

18. Is Drizz the coolest person on the planet for naming his baby Vegas?
Beats me. No opinion.

19. What is your primary poker goal and are you close to accomplishing it?
I probably should set some goals, huh?

20. What is your primary online site and why?
Lately, Full Tilt. The interface is awesome and the custom tabs are great - no more scrolling through $200 heads up SNGs to get to the ones that are appropriate for my bankroll. I aso really like the last hand feature because it shows screenshots of up to 50 previous hands. In addition, the players seem to be a little better - I’m not playing poker to earn money - I’m playing it to improve as a player. Playing calling stations and fish may be good for my bankroll, but I’d rather improve than cash out.

21. What site do you dislike and why?
I’ve only played on two. I really don’t dislike either.