New Poker Room

A friend texted me about a new poker room. And lo and behold it's across the freaking street where I live. I stopped by earlier but they were still closed. The caretaker said they're going to have a sort of soft opening this coming Monday.

I guess I'll stop by again this Monday after I win the Labor Day Tournament this weekend.

PokerManila 40k guaranteed

PokerManila gives the best tournaments, in prize, price, and skill.

Yesterday was PokerManila's 40k guaranteed. For just Php 100-300 (depending on forum activity) a member can win some cash and a seat to either an APPT satellite or the Labor Day tournament at The Metro. The best thing about it is that the field is full of top players.

I won a seat to the Labor Day tournament and it looks like I'll be playing another multi-day tournament. I'll be going for the win. It's about time.

Poker Debt

Poker debt is part of poker though it's often kept between the people involved. I just feel that it's timely to bring it out in the open and talk about it a little.

It's common for poker players to lend and borrow from each other; maybe poker players just view poker money differently. This ranges from a few hundred to thousands of pesos. The reasons also vary from need (player needs to play but is short) to convenience (player has money but not at that particular time and place). I've heard of a few people who have borrowed money from other players for gambling. No one has heard from them after they've "gone into hiding" from not being able to pay. On the other hand, there are also some who seems to always be short and needs a helping hand, but they always pay and no one hesitates to lend them. There are some who would ask to borrow from strangers or acquaintances.

Here are some guidelines when it comes to poker debt:

• Don't lend money to strangers.
• Don't lend money if you can't stand to lose the amount.
• Don't borrow money without a sure way of how to pay. (Don't assume that the money borrowed will win)
• Don't borrow money from people you won't lend to.
• All debts have to be paid.

Poker Break

I'm running bad again. And as usual, I'll be taking a break from poker. The thing is that my bankroll can't sustain a two-week losing streak. And I don't even play that often. This is becoming a routine which I definitely need to stop.

I don't want to start playing again only to find myself in the same situation. I'll only be playing invitational tournaments or if I'm staked. In the meantime, I'll be focusing on the other things like writing and painting. Not to mention my kid and my day job.

The thing is that I always here about people who don't have to worry about money winning at poker tournaments and cash games. I guess there really is that unquantifiable factor about playing scared. I can have a 50x buy-in bankroll and I'd still be a little scared only because I'm not rich. So first things first, I need to be rich before I start poker again. That can be a long time.