Trip's Questions

Ok, here are my lame answers.

What is the biggest mistake people make at a NL table?
Being a disbeliever. If someone is representing a good hand, they don’t always have it, but if you call them, they will.

What is the biggest mistake people make at a Limit table?
Sticking around to see “just one more card”

Why do you play poker?
For the thrill of the potential big score. I waste way too much money on MTTs, but it is what I like to play the most, especially with other bloggers.

If you weren't playing poker, what would you be doing?
Watching too much reality TV.

What is your favorite poker book and why?
The Moneymaker book was pretty good, not for strategy, or even how you should play anything, but the story itself was pretty cool. For strategy, the tried and true Theory of Poker is great.

Who is your favorite poker player and why?
Phil Ivey. There is no way of knowing what is going through the guys head. It is awesome stuff.

Which poker player do you dislike the most and why?
Hellmuth, just because he is an ass. I hate being berated for plays that felt right but were not. If I make stupid plays, eventually you will crush me. Why make me feel like such a chump.

Do your coworkers know about your blog?
Just one person does and he is a friend so I am pretty safe there. Most of my friends don’t even know about it, although some do. Last week I mentioned a company in one of my posts and got an email from someone I knew from my town asking about what I knew about the company. The funny thing was, he sent me email through the site so didn’t know it was even me. He follows up on any items where his company is mentioned on the web and just happened to find my blog that way. Smaller world than we think I guess.

What is the most you have won in a cash game or MTT (both live and online)?
The most I won online was a second place $720 in a $20 180 SNG on Stars. Live, the most I have won is $200 at limit hold em at Foxwoods. I look forward to topping that with Miami Don and Carmen in 2 weeks when I go to Vegas.

What is the most you have lost in a cash game or in one day total (both live and online)?
This is a guess, but I haven’t lost more than $100 in any one day online and maybe a little more than that in one day at Foxwoods.

Who was your first poker blog read?
Mean Gene. Found his blog through Google search and the links on the left were endless. Pretty cool.

What satisfies you more, your aces holding up for a big pot or a bluff working for a big pot?
My Aces holding up is more satisfying. I think it is just knowing that I got the money in ahead and got someone to come along for the ride.

Why do you blog?
I think it is mostly for the interaction with the other bloggers. I have found it very helpful for learning this game. I also enjoy meeting the other bloggers and working on gaining respect for my game while playing and learning with them. I also just think it is cool meeting other people with different life experiences and backgrounds. We all live in our little worlds and this is an outlet to reach others we wouldn’t normally get to meet.

Do you read blogs from an RSS reader like bloglines or do you visit each blog?
I read though bloglines but try to comments when it strikes me. I am a famous skimmer, so I don’t always get to comment on everything that I read, but I do like people to know they are read, just like I like to know it too.

Would you rather play poker for a living than do what you currently do for a living?
The easy answer is yes, but in reality, I am not sure. I doubt it is really that glamorous a life and my family means too much to me to be on the road too much. I am also too risk averse to not have that steady stream of income guaranteed as long as I have my job.

Do you wear a tin foil hat on occasion?
Only in thunderstorms

If you had to pin it down to one specific trait, what does a great poker player have (or do) that separates them from an average player?
I think being a risk taker is a good trait to have. Notice, I just said I wasn’t a risk taker, but if I was moreso at the table, it would make me a better player I think.

Is Drizz the coolest person on the planet for naming his baby Vegas?
I have to think so, although it could be risky when she is older. I am so glad I have 3 boys.

What is your primary poker goal and are you close to accomplishing it?
Sadly, I don’t know I have a specific goal. I guess my only true goal is keep having fun with it, and take a few shots at winning a WSOP seat over the next year or so. Not the main event, but the $1500 events would be super cool to play in. If I played more tourneys specifically for that purposes, I might be close, but, as always, I am all over the place with what I play.

What is your primary online site and why?
My primary site is Poker Stars for the tourneys. It seems like there is always a good selection of MTTs to play. I also like the fact that you can almost always catch other bloggers on there when you are on.

What site do you dislike and why?
I am not a fan of River Belle (sorry Klopzi) because they screwed me on a referral and the traffic is too low for me. I also had a hell of problem with everyone else with UB when the upgrade went through. I like the game selection at Full Tilt but the bonus clearing is a joke at my low limits.