To blog or not to blog...and what to blog...

So I wanted to provide an update on my Vegas trip, but I realized that with Facebook and Twitter, there doesn't seem to be a real need to put all the details in here. Sure, some people may not be on one or both of those....ok, so pretty much everyone is or probably will be soon, so I don't think I will go into all the ups and downs and details of each tourney.

I have played the $1570 and $1060 WSOPC events and a Venetian $340. I was able to chip up very well in two of them and then got beats and coolers right near the bubble, sending me to the rail 3 and 6 out of the money in those two.

I think I am playing really well and have been able to use a lot of the things I have been working on online and incorporate them into my live game. That may be a foreign concept for some people if you don't play much online, but it's such a great environment to experiement and simply get the experience of seeing so many hands and situations. I have already played a lot more tournaments online this year than I played all of last year and the results are really showing. Not only have I gotten myself off to a good start with some good scores this year, but I am constantly learning when I am playing, and it feels great to have my game at another higher level.

There have been 3-4 different stepping stones for me over the last couple years where I have felt like I took my game to a higher level and it's apparent to me that this is how developing your game works if you keep approaching the game with an active-learning mindset. You have to consciously work on developing your game and sometimes you will feel you are in a rut or at a plateau. It's usually at this point that I turn back to some of my favorite books, look for new books, talk to some other players, and take the time to read magazines and forums. These things inevitably bring some new concept to light or remind me of something I have not been doing well.

Most recently, working in some small ball concepts and pot control have been critical to my success. I am starting to work with students and talk more and more to friends about these things and I am seeing results for myself and others. I am currently doing a three-part article on position and aggression in my Ante Up Magazine column, so I won't go into all of that here, but most of what I am doing now will be reflected in those articles. Of course, if you want to know everthing I am doing, then you might have to think about some lessons :)

OK, so I think I figured out what I will be doing mostly with the blog. There's no real need for the full tournament reports since I am doing so much level by level and real time big hand updates. I'll probably just ramble on with some stream of consciousness about what I am thinking about the game or what is going on with PPI, charity tournaments, sponsors, etc.

Tomorrow is the $2,500 at Venetian and I have high expecations for myself. I have set up Twitter to also update my Facebook status, so all the updates will be on there. I appreciate all the support everyone has been giving me and for everyone who has been Twittarailing (the Twittarail term was coined by my brilliant and beautiful wife, Jenny, so if anyone else tries to claim it - remember you heard it from her (or me) first).

Decide to Win!