[Content Disclosure: Poker Mind In Depth series]
If you remember Daniel had a very good run about a week or so back. He had been playing a lot of tournaments with a long run of 3 AM finishes. When last we left him, he was a bit worn down from that run and the half day off he eventually got to recover. He has played eight events in the last six days plus he actually took a full day off, no poker, no trip to the Rio. A honest to goodness day off.
His comment on that: "A day off from everything equals a recharged battery. Less stressed out and ready for a second half run."
As I mentioned this session with Daniel came during an afternoon break in his tournament schedule and it was the day after his NHL celebration. For those who missed those details. The National Hockey League came into town for their annual awards show, dinner and party. Since Daniel is a huge hockey fan and since the event was right across the street from the Rio at the Palms and since the WSOP and the NHL had teamed up for a NHL Charity poker tournament --it only made sense that Daniel would attend the NHL festivities.
Shrink: "It's been six days since we spoke last, you want to talk about last night?"
Daniel: "Last night was fun!"
Shrink: "Would you like to say a little more about that?"
Daniel: "I showed up a bit --- they didn't have beer, well they had lite beer, I can't drink that crap. So, I just had cranberry and vodka."
Daniel arrived back at the Rio for event #37 ($10K Stud hi/lo) around 10:00 PM. Yes, it was a 5 PM start but that was right when the NHL event was starting.
Daniel: "You know I actually played really well last night. I may have been playing a bit cautious and not really loose as you might have expected. I played well and easily made day two. Today, I feel great. I haven't had any drinks the entire World Series, so today I feel great and am really glad I got to have some fun yesterday. So, it's not like I went back-to-back with the parties. I am right back at it today, no worse for wear."
Shrink: "But once again you do want to mention..."
Daniel: "Right, this is not an endorsement for playing drunk. That is nearly always a bad idea."
The following day, I stopped by Daniel's table and he immediately caught me to say: "Hey about last night, I mean not last night, two night's ago, the NHL thing. I admitted I was drunk right?"
Shrink: "Yes you did and you strongly recommended not playing in that condition."
Daniel: "Good because a few people have told me stories about the other night and I guess I might have been a bit more tipsy than I remembered."
Shrink: "I won't disagree with that, but I was in the Brasilia room that night and while you were certainly entertaining the crowd, your play was rock solid."
Daniel: "But we won't be repeating that performance anytime soon."
By the way, tomorrow is the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. tournament #49 of this year's WSOP. Take out the three non-open events Daniel was not eligible for (Casino Employees, Seniors and Ladies) and that means he was eligible to enter 46 events. To this point Daniel has played in 29 events, made thirteen day twos and two day threes both final tables. He has, by my count, played in two tournaments at the same time eight times and just a few days ago for several hours he had a seat in three events at once.
While Daniel is strongly endorsing sober play in this session; I would add that getting in top physical condition for the WSOP also should be mentioned again. There are a lot of poker players dragging themselves around the Rio this week and Daniel is not one of them. He really seems to be as fresh and ready to play as when this all began four weeks ago.
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