Sick of Me Yet?

With these words, so began this blog:

Intro, of sorts...
I began looking at poker blogs after one of the sites I frequent WWdN linked to the Guinness fueled poker blog Guinness and Poker.

Ah yes, a community that I could understand. Poker.

Well, at this point in time, I'd played for a few years off-line. And about 9 months on-line, many that I'd like to forget.....

How best to recapture the past year on the anniversary of your commencement is a bit difficult without sounding too "Yay, me-ish." But I'll try anyway.

A year ago I was floundering in the red, unable to convince myself to quit playing poker online. I figured that it might be somewhat interesting, and I use that word sparingly, to chronicle my attempts to recoup my losses. I figured I'd "differentiate" myself by being forthcoming with my true inability to play poker very well, as much of the online literature was filled with success stories. I like to be different. Thus began badbloodonpoker.

Over the course of that past year there have been many ups and downs. As a whole, the entire experience is overwhelmingly +EV. I'd still feel that way too even if my online play was still in the negative. I'm far richer for the friends I've met, both online and off. That sounds a bit sappy, especially for someone who frequently will be throwing around weights in the gym to the sounds of Death Metal, but it's the truth.

Poker has become quite an important part of my life, read into that what you will. Friends at work have taken to it as have the rest of the Blood family. I think I've been able to blend the financial and social aspects of poker relatively successfully. I hope I don't lose the ability to do that as time marches on. As many others have already mentioned, lessons learned at the table often can be applied in real life scenarios. I believe poker has helped me in this regard as well.

I realize with near certainty that you'll never see me as a touring professional. That life is not for me, nor is a full-time online career grinding out the mortgage money. What poker is to me is a fun, rewarding hobby where the challenge to better myself will always exist. That realization won't stop me from trying to score the big win, perhaps getting lucky in an online satellite sometime. But until that time, you'll see me climbing the learning curve, a few steps each day up, falling backwards a step or two the next day, but always with my head up and past failures behind me.

Good cards to you.