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

DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “Some poker players drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.”

I’m flattered so many people read my blog.  I’ve had tons of e-mails, phone calls (mostly anonymous), talk on the different forums, etc.  There seems to be some confusion so I’ll clarify a few things.

First, unless I specify it, any comments I make about poker don’t include internet poker.  So when I said I never saw a poker game that I couldn’t beat, I meant 6 or more players sitting down at a table.  I don’t mean on the internet where players might be talking on the phone or sending IMs.  I don’t care if you find the top 6 or 7 NLH in the world; I believe I can find a way to win.  Also, I don’t care if I can beat anyone heads up.  Why?….I don’t play heads up for a living, only ring games.  I’ve never gone around “bragging” about being the greatest player, only that I’ve played high-stakes poker longer than anyone.

Aggression?  Anyone who has read Super System knows I invented that way back in the 70’s.  These young kids have taken it to a new level.  So you have to keep changing your game, just as I had to do after S/S came out.  Nowdays, you have to pick your spots to bluff and you try to trap the over aggressive players.  Everyone keeps talking about how tight I play on the TV cash games.  If you watch these games closely, you’ll see a lot of the guys, kids mostly, making plays strictly because they are on TV.  Any professional poker player would certainly be wrong to shoot it out with the maniac players.

It amazes me.  I’ve won 14 or 15 straight times in the TV cash games.  I love them and I love playing against the young “superstars”.  The main idea of playing is to win, right? Watch Barry G and notice how he plays on these shows.  Entirely different than when he plays in a tough cash game.  The older players certainly know how to make plays but we won’t make a lot because we know how to adapt to any situation.

Another thing that pisses me off is when these “know-it-alls” talk about the old time poker players not being any good.  I’d like to see any of the “greats” go back and play Johnny Moss, Pat Renfro, Sailor Roberts, James Roy, Doc Ramsey and a host of other guys that made their living playing NLH.  Of course that can’t happen so we’ll never know. I’ve played against both worlds and I think the old guys would chew up these young guns.

I’m getting old, there is nothing I can do about that, but I’m still willing to play anybody “Doyle Sez”, where I can name the game and change to another game when I want to.  If any of the internet stars, that don’t play live, want to play, I’ll give them half their money back if they lose if they play 8 hours a day for a week.

Everyone also asks about the match between Patrik Antonius and myself and what happened.  First, I want to say I’m not interested in playing Patrik because he is a weak player. On the contrary, I think he is a great player and I make him and Daniel Negreanu the favorites over anyone to still be playing 30 years from now.  Patrik wants a list of the games, which I’ll provide him.

I just feel I can find a game against anyone that I can beat them at. I know this means I’ll have to play heads up, which I hate, but I can’t back down now.

-DB