What events are you looking into playing at Hollywood? Im from Englewood, Ohio and thought about playing in some. Im looking more towards PL Ohama and Ohama H/L.

Why do you think I'm trying to derail the good times of a good poker player? Obviously the advice I'm giving is for his own benefit.

Fake Cops and Fake I.D.s

I played poker twice last week. On Tuesday I drove down and had to play 1/3 because the 2/5 wasn’t running. No 2/5? Ah that’s right this is Lawranceburg not Las Vegas. Anyways the game sucked, basically zero action, and after 4 hours of bleeding off a half buy-in I racked up without any real hands of note.

Now I must digress for a second before I continue onto my 2nd session. Anyone who’s ever competed can tell you that rivalries are just as prevalent as competition itself. For every elite competitor, there’s a guy that’s trying to hold him down. A guy who would do anything to see that man fail. Magic had Bird. Ali had Frazier. Sampras had Agassi. I have Bob.

Bob has given me fits ever since I moved to Ohio. I can’t get a read on this particular guy, no matter how many times we battle. And there’s the way he takes my money, with that deviant smile, like a child with a secret. I can honestly say I despise this man. He wears the same ugly blue sweater every fricken day, complimented with those off colored over-sized aviators that he never takes off. It’s as if even he hates what he does, and can’t stand to look his victims in their eyes.

But Bob is not a poker player. He’s not a student, he’s not a golfer. He’s three times my age and I’ve never spoken one word to him. I only know his name from our non-verbal encounters and the name tag he wears over his heart (assuming he has one) on that ugly blue sweater.

Bob is the parking “cop” here at Miami. I put cop in quotations because he doesn’t have a badge, doesn’t have a gun, doesn’t even have one of those sticks that cops use to beat minorities, right before they plant drugs on them. All he has is his black electronic box that he carries around to print out over-priced tickets for broke college students. 65 dollars for parking in a purple zone when your sticker is blue. Or parking at the gym at 5:30 when the lot is empty, yet “restricted” until 6. It’s absurd.

Bob got me the other day. Parking across the street from Scott dining hall, It must’ve been 6 minutes while I ran in to get some of their campus-famous stir fry. But 6 minutes is an eternity for Bob. It’s like giving Brady 2 minutes and 2 timeouts, while only needing a field goal. Rookie mistake on my part.

I could see the ticket hanging between the window shield and wiper right as I opened the dining hall door. “Fricken Bob”, I mutter to myself. I can picture his ugly old mug in my head, smiling as he knows he’s gotten me again. For this wasn’t the first time that Bob and I have tangled. Our rivalry dates back years.

Let’s rewind about 12 months. I was living in my same apartment, about a 15 minute walk from the Psychology building. Usually this is not a problem, as I enjoy a good walk, but anyone who’s lived in Ohio knows that January’s can be awfully brutal weather-wise. When it’s windy, snowing, and 5 degrees outside, that ½ mile walk feels like a ½ marathon. So often times I would find myself driving to class and taking my chances with Bob, while I park illegally.

I ran pretty well for about 5 weeks, no tickets in like 20 opportunities. I was beginning to think that Bob’s schedule had him on the other side of campus every day at this particular time. So like a young internet player who gets a little cocky after bluffing the live nits, I kept bluffing (or parking). Finally in the beginning of February, Bob got me. 50 dollar ticket. Whatever. I went to the Campus building to pay the fine, planning on never driving to class again.

As I was walking into the building I saw a sign that read Guests please have I.D. ready in order to seize payment. Hmmmmmm. Guest’s don’t pay fines? Let’s give it a shot. When I got to the register I explained to the lady that I was visiting my girlfriend and that I did not attend Miami. “I.D. please” she said. “California. That’s a long ways away Christopher, do you visit frequently?” “Whenever I can ma’am, long distance is hard,” I responded with a smile.

Long story short, by the time I left the building not only were my fines voided, but I was given a red sticker, good enough for parking ANYWHERE on campus at ANY TIME. The super-user of parking passes, to be used only when I “came to visit” of course. Well I was visiting fairly frequently. I started driving to every class, the gym, even letting my roommate take my car when they needed it. I knew that Bob knew I wasn’t visiting, but there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. Now, every time I saw him roaming campus, I met him with an ear to ear smile, not my usual “get a real job you miserable *******” frown. Life was good.

Then I got careless. I received a ticket in the city of Oxford for not paying the meter. No big deal I thought. Boy was I wrong. A couple days later I’m sitting in class. This particular class had a window viewing the parking lot I chose to park in. I see Bob approaching my car. I laugh mischievously. Then Bob pulls out his phone and makes a call. He’s not leaving my car. I tune out the professor; tune into Bob. All of a sudden a real cop car pulls into the lot. The officer steps out. As he and Bob start chatting they go back to his car and pull out a big black object. What the **** is that? They make their way to my front left wheel and strap on the boot. Uh oh.

They’re gone by the time I make it down to my car, but the damage has been done. $1500 worth of tickets, $200 to have the boot removed, and a personal note from Bob saying the Dean wanted to speak to me. The Dean informed me that upon getting my ticket in the city of Oxford, the registration on the vehicle was traced back to the school who then concluded the car was not owned by 24 year old California resident Chris Horn, but Junior student Matt Moore. “A suspension is certainly warranted for this type of behavior”, he said. Driving to class warrants a suspension? I wonder what this guy would think about my underage gambling habit. “I’m very sorry sir. I made a stupid immature mistake and am certainly paying for it financially. I just hope that you keep in mind my behavior wasn’t intended to harm anyone. It was out of sheer laziness,” I say instead.

Days later, the Dean tells me through email that he’s decided not to punish me as long as I stay out of trouble. Thank the fricken lord. I don’t know if I could’ve lived with getting kicked out of school for a parking scheme. None the less, I still had to pay the fines. On top of other run-ins with Bob, my running tab is somewhere north of 2k. So while I’ve never played a hand of poker with the man, god damn Bob, the fake cop and my most bitter rival, has taken more from my poker bankroll than any opponent at Hollywood.

Anyways, I returned to the boat over the weekend only to find the same nit-tight experience in the 2/5 game. However I managed to win my first two pots, both against a middle-aged man decked out in Full Tilt gear. I ask him if his underwear is logoed too. He doesn’t laugh.

Up a couple hundred, I’m dealt AJ in the BB. Z makes it 20, 3 people behind him call, as do I. Flop comes 10JK. Z bets 45, everyone folds to me. I make it 150 expecting him to fold AK, but not really thinking much beyond that. He calls fairly quickly. Turn comes an 8 and I move in for 360. He shakes his head. Please fold. He shakes harder, more viciously. Finally, his chips are pushed towards the center. The river pairs the 8 and Z asks if I have a straight. “Nope”. He shows KQ. I go to muck. Old man river asks to “see that hand” before the cards are shoved into the muck. The dealer flips them over. I’m embarrassed. I HATE being embarrassed at the poker table more than anything else. I turn my music up full blast and stare straight ahead to remedy the discomforting feeling, vowing revenge.

A bit later I’m given K8 in the BB. Z makes it 20, btn calls, I call, as does 1 limper. Flop 1034, checked to Z he bets 60. I call. The limper joins the party. Turn 10 and I lead for 125. Z insta-calls. I love players who give off timing tells. He may as well flip his hand face up. River 6, I bet 200 and he pays me off with K 10. It’s not all my money back, but a decent chunk of it. I rack up down another half buy-in, bringing my total for the week to -$400.

The WPT fund is now down to $1500. On the bright side I’m proud of the way I have limited the damage. Before Vegas I had a tendency to force the issue when I was down in an attempt to “get unstuck”, usually leading to losing more money. But after playing for 3 weeks straight I’ve realized that poker is one long session. Whether I end a trip down $200 or even is completely irrelevant to my progress as a player.

Z is definitely turning into a regular and one I believe I can exploit. I’m excited for our future battles. I probably won’t play until Friday because the 45 minute drive is not worth the action-lacking weekday games. But I’m sure I’ll still get two sessions in by sunday, hopefully moving my bankroll in the proper direction. Til then may you all run well, at the tables and in life.

Miami Matt

P.S. If you haven’t tried Rush Poker on full tilt, do it. So much fun.

RMLewis I just read your thoughts and am definitely interested in your viewpoint. I will respond either later tonight or tommorow as I've got an intramural game right now

Hahahaha loved the "Bob" rivalry; great stuff.

Thank you for committing to responding. I know my initial post was a little aggressive. The reason I posted so hastily without reading the entire thread (I've read everything today) was because I felt I could relate to you in a big way.

Little background: I graduated college in 2008, was also a psych major, have a solid network of family and friends, and like you, and over the 4 years in school, I spent lots of time playing online poker (quitting that eventually), and then live poker at home games around Washington DC.

Now some of our differences: The second semester of my senior year, I was already employed. I had an internship at a recruiting firm that was morphing into a full-time salaried position. I recently broke up with my girlfriend of 1.5 years (crazy bitch - we've all been there) and I felt liberated, secure, and free of all my demons. Upon reading your first post, it seemed like you were searching for the very same things that I was lucky enough to be enjoying - and doing it without leaning on poker as my only hobby.

After reading all of your posts and all of the comments, I will agree that you are a gifted writer. Arguably the best story-teller 2+2 has seen in recent memory. I thoroughly enjoyed your TR, and I hope I see more of your posts in the near future. A few things became clear to me after reading through them:
1) You really do love poker. While it's simply a game to some, it's a competition for you. You thrive on being able to make reads, earn table respect, and you are fascinated by the nuances of the game that separate the good players from the weak ones.

2) Vegas lifestyle suits you well. You like to take care of your friends, you don't mismanage money, but you're not wound up tight like many 21 years olds are. You appreciate the finer things, the top-notch customer service, and all the amenities that come along with it.

3) You are fully capable of making time for other things in your life.This is most important because I don't think you realized this about yourself when starting this thread. I believe that you feared being one dimensional, and as your posts demonstrate, you certainly are not.

Perhaps this experience was good for you. Afterall, what's 3 weeks out of your life anyway? The way you were talking int eh beginning, it seemed you were content buying into a 20/40 game for your whole bankroll and going for broke... just for that RUSH you never had. Clearly, you kept a level head through your personal battle with yourself, and there's something to be said for a person who's capable of that.

All in all, I'm happy you can look back on this experience as positive; having said that; I hope you continue to LOOK BACK on it because it is so EASY EASY EASY to tell yourself "hey, let me go back to vegas again this summer and take another shot"... especially since you won almost 10K.

Look at this as a Study Abroad experience. You went, you saw what you needed to see, you have stories that will last a lifetime, you made some friends along the way; and you'd love to go back, but probably won't so soon. Distance yourself from the game a bit, go out drinking till 3am, get laid, be 21, and ****ing rock it out! You're a second-semester senior bro; It's your time to really shine

****ing great **** man, really enjoyed reading.

Btw its about time I found someone who also watches pawn stars lol.

Keep em coming if you can!

Great stuff, I really enjoyed the part about "Bob".

RMLewis,

Upon reading your posts I think you’ve picked up on some important aspects of my story that many others dismissed. No need to apologize for aggressiveness as I think the thread is more interesting with views from both sides of the equation. I do not take it personally. After all, while this may be my story, I think the thread represents a journey or battle (depending how you view it) that many people involved in this game have experienced. Poker is a great game with loads of economic potential if played correctly. But is it really worth it?

Let’s start with my decision to devote three weeks and my entire bankroll playing a game that self-admittingly has caused me immense stress and agony. The irony, right? I think this is where our views on the situation begin to diffuse. The pain the game was causing me was mostly due to its accessibility. I am not an internet professional. I can no longer open up Full Tilt, load up 4 tables and leave an hour later up $500 virtual dollars. My poker life in Oxford Ohio consists of finding stretches of 4 hours that I can spend driving 45 minutes to the boat and hopefully getting a spot in a weak 2/5 or 1/3 game. Not exactly exciting or glamorous.

Living alone on the strip allowed me the opportunity to make poker my only priority for the first time of my life. I was able to think about the game for as long as I chose without the guilty conscious of sacrificing school work or my social life. No longer did I have to “live with” a loss for the subsequent school week. I was given the chance to defeat variance with an extensive sample size. Now I’m not certain if 3 weeks of play was sufficient enough to conclude the latter, but I definitely left the city confidant in how I stack up in a standard 5/10 NL lineup.

Could I have spent my money and time doing something more fulfilling like traveling the world? Sure. But in order to understand my decision you have to get inside my mind and realize that poker was my life these past 6 years. Vegas was my world.

Now as far as my post Vegas life goes, I think you’re 100% correct. It would be easy to say, “Gee I made 10k in 3 weeks, imagine what I could do in a year” and move out to Vegas after graduation for another “shot”. But I think if you reread my final Vegas post you would realize that is not in my plans. Aside from the difficulty that the rake, tipping, and lifestyle make it to be successful playing mid-stakes poker for a living, my dreams and ambitions reach further than spending my youth in a card room.

With that being said, I, as with all people, must be careful with what I do as opposed to what I say. Talk is cheap. I take this quote from my favorite song writer Stephan Jenkins, “Time it passes and it tells us what were left with, we become the things we do.” A drunk can say he doesn’t have a problem, but if he spends his nights double fisting and closing out the bar, he’s a drunk. I don’t want to be a gambler. And in order to fulfill that prophecy, my actions must follow my words.

I have no problem with people who choose to play poker as a profession. In fact, in many aspects I admire them. The ability to spend days/weeks/months on end focusing one’s attention on a seemingly never ending puzzle is truly impressive. It’s just not for me. Poker is a hobby, and forever will be.

Miami Matt

Really enjoying this. Very well written and intresting. Keep up the good work!

I've kept up with the thread and kind of wish you were still in town doing it haha. Sometimes I wish I wasn't so far into it and could go take a shot like you and others post about doing. I live here and am 25 and identified with a lot in your OP. I've thought about writing something similar a few times since so many people seem to keep up with it but I don't know. It's good to hear that you came out alive and ahead.

Attention everyone: real story behind the Vegas experiences of Math Moore coming soon. Stay tuned.

omfg the bob story was A+++++++++

I hope this kid loses everything and comes back to nothing again. Just my two cents

Jealous much?

Too bad you are a senior, seems like you should change your major to English/Writing.

Definately have a talent for story tellling.

Times are changing

Friday is my off day. It’s been like that since sophomore year. I like it that way. It allows me at least one day a week that I can spend at the boat without worrying about school. My Thursday nights are typically spent with my roommate Dan and our good friend Franzia, watching shows like The Office, Always Sunny, The League, and Jersey Shore (signed for season 2!).
By 11 the box is empty, the shows are over and the bars are just picking up.

Come Friday morning there are two certainties at our apartment. Number 1, I’ll be going to the boat, and number 2 Dan will be going to the laundry mat. Dan has a problem that can only be described as a bladder malfunction or an R Kelly fascination. Either way many of his weekend mornings end with soaked sheets.

This Friday was no different. I woke up at 10 and spent the next hour lying in bed wondering why I still drink boxed wine. Finally at 11, I popped some advil and emerged out of my room. Dan and I opened our bedroom doors simultaneously. He with his piss stained sheets over his shoulder, me with my Ipod and car keys. “Glad to see your night ended well,” I said. “**** you”.

An hour later and I’m walking into the poker room hoping to see action in the elevated area where the high stakes games take place. A few tables are running, a good sign. I head up to Sara to put my name on the 2/5NL list and she says the game’s not running. Confused I double check the high stakes area to make sure I’m not going insane. “That’s PLO” says Sara. “It’s really the only game above 1/3 we’ve been able to get running.” Now I am by no means experienced or good at PLO, but thankfully neither are these guys.

The game is 1/3/5 with a $200-$1000 buy-in, though it plays bigger than most 5/10 games I sat at in Vegas. Not really the type of variance I was looking for, but hey I guess I’ve got no choice. I sit down in the 2 seat with 500, only to see the two best players in the 3 and the 4. I plan on playing tight to avoid pots out of position against the two more experienced opponents.

There is one other player at the table worth mentioning, Mike. Now either Mike (name changed to protect the guilty) makes a hobby out of remembering lines of sporting events and strangers give him hundred dollar bills for fun, or he is a high stakes bookie. Dresses the part, too. Watches, necklaces, earrings, rings. Anywhere on his body he can hang gold, he does. The white Flavor Flav. I’m not sure if Flav has been running poorly in sports or poker, but he’s on massive tilt for this particular session.

First hand of note I pick up J987 in the BB. MP opens to 25, half the table calls, as do I. Flop comes J84 and Mike leads for 80. I make it 240. I’m not surprised as he calls. Turn comes another J and the hand ends there as Mike throws his hand into the muck without a bet.

A bit later I get involved again with QJ9T Mike opens on the BTN to 25 and I call in the SB. The BB decides to 3Bet to 110. He’s been playing extremely tight and I’m pretty confidant he has AAxx. Mike folds to me and I call. Flop comes K102 and I check to the BB who bets 200, I shove in for like 7 bills. He thinks, shakes his head and folds.

Up about 600 my favorite dealer makes her way to our table. A young blonde girl with a healthy chest. She’s cute but it’s her quick whit that really attracts me. It’s strange, for the first time in my life I’ve actually begun to take the personality of the females I meet into consideration. I know that might sound arrogant and immature, but it’s the truth. My dating life since high school has consisted of me falling for the cutest girl that gives me the time of day. Hobbies and interests, these were just irrelevant details. Sure upon dating a girl I would pretend like her personality and characteristics were things that intrigued me, but this was just my way of justifying the relationship.

I realized my shallow ways needed to change after time spent with a girl I was recently seeing. This girl couldn’t count to 4 if you spotted her the 1 and the 2. Very sweet girl, just not all "there" mentally. We were at a party once when someone asked her how many beers were in a dozen. She began counting it out on her fingers…Cue the epiphany! Anyways since then I’ve had a unique attraction to the aspirations and goals of the girls that I meet. I've started caring about their interests, their ambitions. Things that I would’ve laughed at in high school. I guess I’m finally growing up.

Back to the game, my favorite dealer got me involved in a big one almost immediately. Up about $500 and sitting on a $1,000 stack, I’m dealt A992 in the BB. After a bunch of limps I checked. The flop came J93 and Mike bets out pot (30 I think?). I’m next to act and make it 120. Mike calls without much hesitation. The turn brings the 5 and after a check by Mike I bet pot again. 280 I believe. After a little deliberation he calls. The 6 falls on the river and Mike checks again. This is where the hand got interesting. 78 got there, but the way Mike is tilting I see him never folding a set, and maybe 2 good pairs as well. I shove. Snap call. $2,000 pot. I know before the cards are turned over. Mike shows KQ78 and all of a sudden I’m broke. **** that game.

After talking about the hand with Kaj and Lukas (Vegas friends) they opened up my mind to a third option on the river, one I didn’t even consider. A small bet, maybe 200; one that could allow me to fold the hand to a raise. I’ve grown so accustomed to the online Omaha games where “bet pot” is seemingly the only button, that I hadn’t even considered anything outside of check or shove.

I left the boat disappointed once again. Down to $1000 on the WPT fund and desperately needing to practice some PLO online. Times are changing and I need to adjust. To quote some rapper somewhere “If your slippin’ your trippin’”.

Miami Matt

PS turns out I'm returning to the city of lights in 5 weeks for my spring break. Not my choice, but I certainly had no complaints. TRs to follow.

What a great story. I found this today, and read it up to date. I am from Australia and have never been to Vegas before in my life. The story you have just lived is very much what i intend to do, although i doubt my game is as good as yours (or many others) as i have been stuck trying to beat the 4.40/180 games and have not been in the positive.

You give inspiration and motivation to make this great story happen for others like myself that we sometimes feel like its a total long shot.

gotta make it happen.

Thank you, and Well done!

The Brave May Not Live Long, but the Cautious Don't Live at All

See You there..

TR's were great.

Wp at the fact that the masseuse in LV asked you for drinks

Matt great thread bro!

Great stories, next time get the TSEliot right.

Matt,

Can't tell you how appreciative I am to have read your complete day by day diary of your whole experience. It was like a book I couldn't put down.

I reside in Melbourne, Australia and also plan to do the Vegas trip very soon this year.

Your posts have been a real eye opener about the reality of playing poker for a living.

Looking forward to your first poker book.

Cheers.

Anyone else cry at the end?