DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “Everyone has a gift, let it take you as far as it can.”

I enjoy reading other poker player’s blogs. I like reading the thoughts of the younger guys and their problems because I’ve been through just about all of what they say. So when I read Daniel Negreanu’s blog about the fact that he was unsure of what he wanted to do with his life. I thought to myself it’s too late for that little buddy. You are a poker player and it’s too late in life to do anything else. I went through the same struggles and then one day woke up that nobody has as good a life as poker players. I particularly like Lee Watkinson’s blog as he says what he thinks. Everybody likes Lee’s controversial remarks as evidenced by all the comments at the bottom of his page. Enjoy being poker players guys.

December is right around the corner and that month has lots of bad memories for me, but also some great Christmas times. Chip Reese and Benny Binion both died in December along with a host of high school and college friends. Also, Dec. 7th is when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor where my Dad’s brother was killed. I’ve lived through lots of wars, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm and the latest wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and I lost family and friends in the 1st three. We still have our freedom and have a lot to be thankful as Thanksgiving approaches for all the sacrifices our military forces have made.

I look like I’ve been in a fight. The dermatologist took off nine spots on my face. He froze eight and removed a skin cancer off my lip. Now I can enjoy the fun stuff this week. I go to the dentist for some implants and later I get a colonoscopy. Can’t wait!

Time marches on. That’s something every poker player has to be aware of. I try to monitor my play regularly because of my age. I’m lucky to still be hanging in there but as I’ve always said, poker players tend to lose at least part of their game after reaching the age of 50. Even though I won 16 straight in TV cash games, I seem to have reverted to a defensive style of play that I’m not comfortable with. Even though the way your opponent plays dictates the way you play, I’ve found myself not following my instincts as I’ve always done. The truth is some of these “pros” play so bad in these games it’s hard to lose. More importantly, it seems I’m almost breaking even in the big cash games at the Bellagio.

Are today’s players better than the old timers? Nah, different but not better. I’ve always advised people to play at the level you can win at. I’m not sure I can move down and play in the smaller games. I’m going to give myself plenty of time, but if I don’t win in 2010, I’m gonna do it.

-DB

DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “Take risks. Tomorrow you may not be able to do what you can today.”

When I played poker every day for seven straight weeks, I felt strong as a lion. Now after 3 days of not playing, I feel like a truck just ran over me. I bet a psychiatrist would have a field day trying to analyze poker players. Maybe we are addicted and we actually have withdrawal symptoms when we have no action. Of course the last three plays I made at Bobby’s Room, I lost 600K, 700K and 600K again. And yes, I was that much winner. I broke out almost exactly even. I’m sure those losses contributed to the blah feeling I’m now experiencing.

I just re-read the paragraph I just wrote and went to laughing. If you can’t handle the ups & downs, you better not get into the poker business. After 50 years of playing professionally, I should know that better than anyone. The sun is still going to come up in the east in the morning and a new day will begin. Hopefully, it will be a good one.

It’s almost time to vote for the 2009 inductees into the Poker Hall Of Fame and I’m unsure of who my choices will be. I’m leaning toward the older guys with my first choice being Mike Sexton. We have to pick two and I’m thinking hard about my other vote. Phil Ivey is the best player on the list, but he is only 33 years old. Chip Reese is the youngest player to be inducted at the age of 40. Phil is great, but he still isn’t Chip. Give Phil a few more years and he will certainly be elected. I’ll be cheering for him and Jeff Shulman in November at the WSOP final table.

I’m doing my best to get my work done for updating SS/2 along with editing my autobiography. I got a lot done but it’s really tough to sit at a desk all day long. My hat is off to the folks that do stuff like this for a living.

After going down to take care of the ticket I got in my new Escalade, I tried to figure out all the gadgets on it. After finding where the windshield wipers were, how to work the Onstar and how to turn the lift package off, I gave up. I think time has passed me by.

I had a great dinner last night at my son Todd’s house. Todd can really cook and goes to a lot of trouble to be sure it’s good. He should get a job as a chef somewhere. Jack Binion and his wife were there and we got to telling stories about the old days and really had lots of laughs. Everyone there said we should write a book about the Jack Struass, Jimmy Chagra, Sailor Roberts and Benny Binion tales we told.

I’ll tell you one of the Chagra stories. Jimmy Chagra was a big time dope dealer 30 years ago. He also allegedly hired Charles Harrelson (Woody’s dad) to kill a federal judge. Jimmy loved to gamble with us playing poker and golf, but he got sent to prison. He got out after 30 years and walked into Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio. He was watching us play and sweet little Jennifer Harman was loser. She turned around, cursed him and made him move. Then she lost another hand, called the floorman and demanded he be removed from the room. After he left, I told Jennifer who and what he was. She said she didn’t care if he was Al Capone, she didn’t want him watching anymore. That confirmed what I already knew. Don’t spit into the wind, don’t fool with Superman’s cape and don’t fool with Jennifer when she is losing

-DB