Yeah, the book cover says something about a movie version. It's the autobiography of the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, which is primarily an anti-death penalty organization that provides legal services for those on death row. It is narratively framed around the saga of a falsely convicted black man in Alabama.

Sounds like a worthwhile read, Garick.

To your point, GG, it's interesting some consider day jobs dignified lives while others abhor them and find true dignity in the freedom, bliss, and independence that comes with playing poker professionally. I find myself grappling with this quandary quite often. I was reaching a point last year when it was starting to make financial sense to play full time, but more modest results the past few months (nothing to sneer at, just not five figure months) have made me reconsider.

The unfortunate thing about wanting to change the world is that you must deal with the world as it stands now. Poker players don't have to bother themselves with systemic injustice or inhumane prison conditions that make people want to kill themselves. Poker players just play a game and take money from other people who don't spend as much time and energy learning the game. It's actually a really easy job at the end of the day. I am starting to envy that lifestyle.

So is the day job dignified? I suppose many would consider it honorable and respectable. Yet I often feel completely helpless. (By contrast, I generally feel very much in control playing poker.) The future of the law will be determined by many variables outside of my control and is therefore uncertain. The law can be arbitrary and unfair and is only as good as the people who make it. Systemic injustice has been centuries in the making and there are plenty of people in this country who want to keep the status quo, for example, the descendants of slave-owners who were taught the racist, confederate values of their ancestors. How do you undo something that has been centuries in the making?

Theoretically, poker is not burdened by any of this. It's just a game. Of course, it's played by people who bring their mores with them to the table, so it retains some less desirable qualities endemic to society in general. But it is principally driven by math and math cannot be racist, so it is quite appealing in that regard. The game evolves and you learn new insights from solvers. Seems simple enough.

Would I be turning a blind eye to the problems facing this country were I to spend all my time playing a game only to serve my own interests? Once you've seen how bad things are and you are in a position to effect change, it's hard to just ignore it all without feeling incredibly guilty. And what about my mental health? Surely not having to bother with systemic injustice would reduce my anxiety. Is the self-sacrifice worth it?

Is this a mid-life crisis? :P

Interestingly, there used to be a statue of a white police officer on the sidewalk corner one town over. It was recently removed.

Poker player or a useful idiot? Quite the conundrum.

A useful idiot. Now that’s one I haven’t heard. I appreciate the effort, but it’s a pretty bad troll as far as they go. It doesn’t even make sense. The vast majority of idiots are probably not useful. Also doesn’t apply to someone who scored as high as I did on my standardized tests, LSAT, and bar exam. :P Try again next time.

That term has nothing to do with your actual intelligence.

Why?

Apparently to undergo repairs due to vandalism.

Last night played in a fun 10/10/25 PLO4 that went upon request of a pro basketball player, which was fun. He had personal security standing by the whole time just a couple feet away from me and him. His assistant got dinner and snacks for him. What a life.

At one point I doubled up through a .... colorful (?) ... reg who kept knocking over my chips afterwards. He thereafter won a decent pot off a third V, so I returned the favor, flicking down his stack of blacks. The bball player cracked up. "I liked that," he laughed. We had a good time. Later, the same reg announced "chop" in a big pot, but then, at the last second as the dealer was about to divvy up the pot, realized that he actually scooped. Pro ball player (uninvolved in hand): "You said it was a chop!" We all gave him a hard time.

I almost told the pro what I do for a living to possibly pique his interest if he supports/contributes to causes for criminal reform, but didn't want to push it. Maybe I will introduce myself next time he plays. Finally up this month though!

Who was the basketball player? I played poker with Horace Grant back in like 2005 or 2006 and he brought his 2001 championship ring to the table and let everyone touch it. He's a really cool guy.

I'm not sure if Dumbo's Trunk is trying not to name drop or respect the guys privacy, and I don't know for certain because I wasn't there, but it's fairly well known at this point that Russell Westbrook is a big poker player and has been known to show up at casinos all over the country when he's in town for a road game. Based on who he plays for, the closest casino to where he probably would have been, and that he's a big enough name to warrant a security detail, I'll lay pretty good odds that's the guy.

If so, awesome experience.

Yeah, didn't want to name names due to bad experience I've encountered in the past for doing so, plus privacy is important. The player was actually pretty good at poker! Fairly disciplined. I wasn't really surprised though...he got where he is today due to his discipline.

Played 25/50/100 last night (only $3k min buy-in!?), bled down for an hour, lost one small pot, but that still amounted to a $1,700 loss! To put that into perspective, that's only 1/2 of a buy in. Still, wiped out all my profits for the night and then some. Boy these nosebleeds shot-takes have been doing no favors to the Dumbo roll. On the bright side, continuing to run and play well in omaha. Just no big hands this session again in the big game. When will the heater start?! Hasn't happened in the 2.5 hour sample so far. Humph! Got KQo once in MP, got called by BB, got c/r on J33r. Pfft. Folded a couple smaller PPs pre. On the bright side, masks and dividers are probably coming down soon! Methinks poker will be back baby! And I got a Kirby plush for company.

Running well and playing reasonably well lately in PLO5, on the up-and-up again! Sudden and quick bad chest pain/spasm last night though, followed by light-headedness. Hmm....

How do you handle big donors who hate your guts? This dude in 5-5 PLO5 really dislikes me because I have his number a lot lately. I am probably up several thousand against him over the last 25 hours. He goes out of his way to pick on me. It's really annoying and the last time he did I snapped at him a little out of sheer frustration.

Go against your inner self and try to be a better person.

Played 25/50/50bb ante again last night. The game vibe was flashy, lots of Ferragamo/designer track suits/watches, the word "addy" was thrown around. What a hoot. As soon as I entered, someone thrust upon me the fact that they were playing the "stand-up game" wherein at the start of each down everyone plays standing up and can only sit down upon winning a hand. The last person standing must pay all the other players at the table $200 each. I initially bristled at participating but was cajoled into this insane gamble once the big action player returned and agreed so as not to ruin the vibe. As one reg commented, this game heavily disfavors my playing style.

Sure enough, I folded every hand until I was "heads up" against the same reg, the last two standing. He calls an MP open OTB, but SB 3! and everyone folds. "Phew." Now I am UTG and pick up AKo. I am $4.7k eff. and contemplate just ripping to hopefully take it down pre and spare myself a $1,400 loss. Instead I opt for a large raise, $450. To my chagrin, I nevertheless get three (!) callers.

Flop ($1,900): Ac-9d-4d. Huzzah! I bet $1,100 and one by one they slowly, begrudgingly, fold. I won the pot and an additional $200 from the other reg, who by now had lost a couple of these stand-up games. (Ouch.) I called it shortly thereafter. On the bright side, in spite of the initial commotion when I first found out about the stand up game, the other players were cool and I got fist bumps and invites to their games. Might have something to do with the fact that I name-dropped the all-star I played with last week in the 10/10/25 PLO game.

Nice to book a meager win in the nosebleeds for once. Dumbo's still got it!

I got "scammed" out of $365 the other night, took a day off for home game with friends - no masks, inside!

In PLO5 5/5/15, I open, V2 3! $100, V3 (fun reg) calls, I 4! $165, V2 jams $500 - dealer announced all in - V3 puts out calling chips of around $180, I re-jam for side pot $1500, V3 then claims he didn't know V2 was all in and bet was only $165, dealer - without calling floor - permits V3 to take back his call and keep $100 in. I insta muck out of anger since my plan for side pot has now been foiled and and I don't want to give V2 action. V2 then says call the floor, he owes me the full $500. Floor rules I gotta pay the scumbag his money and keeps V3 on the hook for $165. Psha. (Floor is same person I called out for playing favorites with a friend who cut the line for a game a couple weeks ago....)

I didn't call the floor on V3 because he's basically what keeps the game running. Still, if I wasn't tilted I would have called the $500 since I had the right odds even if he had AA. (I had ds KK.)

I almost quit the game, even walked down to the car, but the game was too good so I returned and booked a small win.

Hmmmm are you V1 in this hand? I think everyone messed up here except V2 and I don't think you got "scammed". V3 obviously messed up by not knowing the action and calling the $500 jam. The dealer messed up by permitting V3 to take his action back. You messed up by not getting a floor ruling and insta mucking your hand after you went all-in and the action getting changed. The floor messed up by changing the dealer's ruling. V2 did nothing wrong. He has every right to ask for a floor ruling here. Once the dealer says V3's action is a fold you should obviously not be instamucking out of frustration. You gotta ask does that mean you get to fold too? That at least gives V2 a chance to call for a floor ruling at that point and you have a chance to win if the floor rules against you. Had you waited and asked if you could muck and then V2 called a floor after you muck I'd say you got scammed or scumbagged.

Tough spot and a sucky situation.

Well I got the promotion! Will see where this leads for poker. In the meantime, running well even at reduced volume. Maybe playing less is actually helpful.

Congrats!

Thanks Garick! I am/going to be a "legal director." So weird to think of myself in this way, but also really friggin' cool. The past year has brought turmoil but I bounced back and did some pretty cool things with my life.

Congrats Dumbo!

Gadjustallottedtimeforeverythingyoudoappropriately ,imo,andgogogo!G

Thanks! And good advice.

Lol, sure

Fun read. I was out in MD for about a week at the end of last month bouncing back and forth between Maryland Live and MGM. I was only able to get 5/5 PLO going on my last night there and that was by starting the game with 2 other guys (was one of them you?).

How often and what nights have you been seeing 5/5 running?