The NFL Draft and Online Poker

Hey: I hope everyone had a great weekend. Today is another beautiful day in upstate NY. I work the midnight shift at the railroad, soI'm posting a quickie before I get some sleep. I just wanted to chime in with my take on a couple of things.

The NFL Draft
This weekend the NFL held their annual draft. There had been alot of news last week about the top player in the draft, USC's Reggie Bush, possibly being in violation of amateur rules for getting free rent for his family over the last year or two. How would this affect the draft? Would the university be punished? Would he be sent to another planet?

You know what? WHO CARES?! As much as I like and watch ESPN and other sports networks, it was just another example of NEEDLESS HYPE. Hype, Hype, Hype. The sports world, the world of entertainment, and in reality, the whole world, especially the United States revolves around hype. What did Shaq say to Kobe? Did you hear about Mel Gibson's new movie? Did Paris Hilton have another sex scene filmed? The new XBOX 360 will take your gaming, and your life to a whole other life-changing level. You nerds out there might actually be able to get a date.

There's been alot of talk recently about how we can put pressure on the gasoline companies to drop the prices of gas. If we all just band together and don't buy from Exxon/Mobil on Wednesday, or if we only buy $10 at a time, or if we don't buy any gas for a day or two, we can make 'em cave. Know what? I'd just be happy if ALL media could band together for a couple of days or a week and have a "No Hype Day" or a "Hype-less Week." Kind of like when they say no sales tax on clothing purchases for the month of February (or whenever). Can we POSSIBLY just go a short time without the white noise of hype?

We get bombarded by Super Bowl hype in January. Like we need help to get up for the game. Like people are not already going to stand in line to see the next hot movie, like Harry Potter or Star Wars. Like I need to fret and discuss the possible penalties levied for an NCAA rules violation. Do I care that the Duke Men's lacrosse team took a few liberties with their female party guests? Hey, it's unfortunate and stupid on their part. But c'mon. Breaking news every hour because a stripper got treated like a hooker? You're going to break into the middle of my Mets game to tell me there's been an arrest made? Thanks. It gives me some time to use the john and get a drink.

Please, people. Stop the hype. Along with Insurance companies, the Medical industry, and the havoc lawyers have wreakled over the last 30 years, HYPE, especially in the U.S., has been a major contributor to the downfall of our country and world. Shut the FREAK up! (the word freak has been substituted for another word that starts with "f" and ends in "k").

By the way, my Kansas City Chiefs drafted a Liberian Defensive End from Penn State. Dude, how 'bout living up to the hype.

ONLINE POKER
This won't take long. Millions of people have been bitten by the poker bug over the last 2 years. I, myself, run small poker tournaments (10-40 players) every so often. I love to play, and have played ALOT online, both for play money and real funds. I have some news for you, if you already don't know. Live poker is the only way to go.

If you've spent any time studying this game, be it by book, video, class, or online practice, you should know that there's NO SUBSTITUTE for a live game with real people. Sure it's fun to sit in your underwear, eating Oreos and drinking a couple of Molsons, playing a $20 or $100 tournament with 1000 of your closest friends. You whoop and holler and make snide comments when your card comes up or your opponent pulls a winning hand out of his ass on the river. But playing live with other people, staring them down, trying to get a read on their play, fighting to keep your composure when you take down a monster pot or trying not to go on tilt when you get it up the butt for the 3rd consecutive hand is where it's really at.

If you're into poker, but only play live 1 out of 25 or 50 times you play, then you are cheating yourself out of really improving your game. Why? Because for the most part, online players are what's known as "maniacs". They like to impress themselves by playing ultra-aggressively. It's pretty much an all-or-nothing game, especially in the world of No-Limit Texas Hold-Em tournaments. People have spent so much time learning the game from watching on TV, and actually think that the hands they see played are the whole game and the only way to play. Certainly, it IS one way to play. But if you play like a maniac consistently, you will lose when it comes to live games.

So as not to beat a dead horse with a ton of other examples, I will just say that Live poker, at a casino, or in a friendly home game, is definitely the way to go. How do you think the VAST majority of the pros on TV made their fortunes and fame? By grinding it out year after year, 6 days a week, 12 hours a day at a table with real people. You want to get better at poker. Try that.

THANKS
Thank you for taking the time to stop and read my rant for today, May 1. Please bookmark this site and check back each day or every other day as I have ALOT of things to talk about. Hopefully something new every day. Hopefully never dull. I hope to incite the occasional riot with my musings.

Be forewarned, it won't always be politically correct. Not by any means. I'm going to give you my take on Religion, Racism, politics, pizza, sports, and more of why I hate people who insist on acting like sheep.

DON'T BUY INTO THE HYPE!! DON'T BE A SHEEP!!
Until next time, I am Len Tollerton, and all you need to know is that
LEN IS RIGHT!!!!
Learn it. Live It. Love It.