Quote:
Originally Posted by ButterflySymmetry
@ASHBERJ PLANNING ON IT. AND PLANNING TO MAKE +EV DECISIONS THE WHOLE TIME. HIS MAIN MIGHT ONLY DRAW 45ISH PLAYERS, BUT I WIL B FIGHTING HARDER THAN ANYONE.
@REHABBINGFISH I FEEL YOUR PAIN. THOSE WERE THE GLORY DAYS. SHAWN-O-METER, HARRY CARRY, DAY GAMES, ETC. I ALWAYS THOUGHT STEVE STONE WD MAKE A GREAT CUBS MANAGER.
@YSTER THANKS FOR SHARING THE INFO. PROB WONT B PLAYING N THE $500K GAURANTEE UNLESS I TAKE DOWN THIS MAIN EVENT THIS WKEND. GL IF U PLAY.
PERSONAL SIDENOTE:
(A POST THAT LEADS TO HOW I GOT MY START IN POKER)…
THE BOND I HAVE W MY KIDS IS LIKE NO OTHER. I KNOW I DON’T MENTION MY FAMILY TOO MUCH ON THIS THREAD, BUT DID WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT MY FAMILY MEANS MORE THAN ANYTHING IN THIS WORLD. MY KIDS ARE AWESOME, AND BOTH OF THEM HAVE COMPLETELY DIFFFERENT PERSONALITIES. THE 10YR OLD HAS AN UNIQUE SPUNKY PERSONALITY AND THINKS SHE ALREADY KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT EVERYTHING. SHE INSISTS TO GET THINGS RIGHT ON HER ON TERMS/HER OWN WAY. MY 2 HALF YR OLD IS WIRED LIKE A FIESTY ANKLE BITING DOG. THE TYPE YOU JUST HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON AT ALL TIMES… SHE MAY COME CUDDLE UP W YOU, OR SHE MAY BITE YOU…NEVER KNOW. BOTH OF MY KIDS ARE OVERFLOWING WITH A SPIRITED JOY FOR LIFE.
MY MOST IMPORTANT JOB I HAVE BESIDES BEING A LANDLORD AND POKER PLAYER IS BEING A GREAT FATHER TO MY CHILDREN. I HAVE BEEN BLESSED/FORTUNATE MYSELF TO BE RAISED BY 2 GREAT PARENTS THAVE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SUPPORTIVE, AND LOVING. ALTHOUGH, WE DIDN’T HAVE MUCH GROWING UP, WE WERE VERY RICH WITH LOVE. MY SISTER AND I WERE INVOLVED IN MANY SPORTS, AND I CAN’T THINK OF ONE GAME THAT MY PARENTS MISSED. BESIDES THE LOVE AND SUPPORT, I ALSO ADMIRED THEIR HARD WORK ETHIC AND DEVOUTED FAITH.
THIS TIME OF YEAR IS ALWAYS NUMB TO ME. SOME DAYS CAN FEEL EMOTIONLESS, AND A BIT DISCONNECTED. ON THIS EXACT DATE, 10 YRS AGO, I REMEMBER SITTING AT THE FOOT OF MY MOTHER’S BED. THE DOCTOR HAD WARNED US SHE MAY NOT MAKE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT AND MAY WANT TO SAY YOUR GD BYES. I CLEARLY REMEMBER SITTING AT THE FOOT OF THE BED THE WHOLE NIGHT, STARING AT A BLANK TV, MOUNTED IN THE CORNER OF HER HOSPITAL ROOM. IN THE WEE HRS OF THE NIGHT, I NOTICED MY MOM WASN’T BREATHING ANYMORE, AND BREAST CANCER TOOK HER LIFE 3 DAYS BEFORE HER 50THBDAY. 11/25/54-11/22/03…REST EASY.
THE REASON I BRING THIS TO HERE TO THE THREAD – IT WAS BECAUSE OF HER DEATH, HOW I GOT SARTED PLAYING POKER EXACTLY 10 YRS AGO. POKER WAS HOW I GRIEVED, HOW I ESCAPED THE REALITY, HOW I BLOCK OUT THE EMOTIONS…POKER WAS MY ULTIMATE THERAPY. PLAYING CARDS TOOK MY MIND OFF ALL THE HURT AND SADNESS, AND BECAME THE GREAT DISTRACTION! EACH DAY FOR MONTHS, I WOULD WAKE UP, HEAD TO WORK, THEN HEAD TO THE POKER ROOM. I WANTED TO STAY BUSY AT ALL TIMES WITH WORK AND POKER. ANYTHING, BUT BE AT HOME ALLOWING THE MELANCHOLY TO SET IN. IT WAS A VERY TOUGH TIME IN MY LIFE, AND DURING THIS TIME I ALSO HAD TO MAINTAIN BIG RESPONSIBILITES TO MY NEWBORN (NOW 10YRS OLD). I REMEMBER I NEVER TOOK ANY BEREAVEMENT TIME FROM TEACHING, AND THE VERY NEXT DAY AFTER MY MOM’S PASSING I WAS TEACHING MY STUDENTS MATH. I WAS ON TOP LEVEL AUTOPILOT, JUST TRYING TO MAKE THROUGH EACH DAY. FOR MONTHS, IT WAS TEACHING, POKER, HOME; TEACHING, POKER, HOME; TEACHING, POKER, HOME; TEACHING, POKER, HOME. THAT SUMMER, I LEFT TEACHING AFTER 6YRS, FOR FULL TIME POKER.
WHAT FIRST BECAME MY BEST THERAPY NOW BECAME MY FULL TIME JOB. WHAT!!? I HAVE A NEWBORN CHILD, AND PLAYING POKER FULL TIME TO SUPPORT MY CHILD! PEOPLE THOUGHT I HAD LOST IT! MANY WAS THINKING I WAS NUTS!! MAYBE I WAS, BUT I KEPT TELLING MYSELF, I WON’T LET MYSELF FAIL. I WAS GOING TO TAKE THE SAME GD WORK ETHIC AND FAITH MY MOTHER HAD INSTILLED IN ME, AND MAKE THIS POKER THING WORK. THERE WAS A LOT OF FREE MONEY BACK IN 2003, AND BY THE END OF THE YEAR I WENT FROM PLAYING 3/6LHE TO 6/12LHE W FULL KILL, TO 2/5NLHE. IN 2004, I PLAYED 2/5NLHE EVERY SINGLE DAY, AND BY THE END OF THE YEAR MADE ENOUGH TO PAY CASH FOR A BRAND NEW JAGUAR XTYPE, AND ADD A $60K ADDITION TO OUR HOUSE. OUR SMALL COUNTRY HOME DOUBLED FROM 1300 SQFT TO 2600 SQFT.
EVERY SINCE MY MOM PASSED, POKER HAS BEEN EITHER A FULL TIME OR PART TIME JOB. 10YRS AND STILL GOING STRONG. THANKS MA’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVHZtxMtt0M
only a cool 11+ years late, but reading this left a huge lump in my throat - it's genuinely inspiring to see someone take such a tragic loss and turn it into this kind of motivation. it takes a real strong person to look at the world in this way, using the lessons your mother taught you to do what would make her proud even when she isn't there to remind you to. i really look forward to reading the rest of this thread but i had to stop here and say that this is really a touching post, and a good reminder to never take those close to you for granted, and even more so, remember the lessons they taught you before they left.
good luck and god bless :-)
