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General13 years agoGosu "GosuGamers" Gamers

Zimba Blog: I Want That Feeling, One Time!

While I create poker news, poker player profiles and poker guides on Gosugamers, one thing I haven't shared that I write regularly on other poker sites is my blog. In it I share my personal perspective regarding issues around the poker world. Today's blog combined several news and profile stories I've worked on recently and I thought it would be a good introduction to the GG community. I won't post them as regularly as the more formal writing I do, but I think members can appreciate the more creative or personal perspective.
Zimba Blog:

I'll admit it. I want that feeling once in my life. I want to know what it feels like to be on an incredible rush. I've played low stakes poker for five years now and I've never felt it. My biggest losing sessions and days have always been worse in numbers than my best days. My best days could hardly be called a massive rush either. I've never won 15 or 30 or 50 or imagine over 130 buy-ins in a short period of time.

What does it feel like? Do you feel invincible? Do you feel clairvoyant? Do you feel like king of the world as your opponents seemingly hand you money hands over fist? Does time speed up or slow down? Do all your life's struggles seem worth all the trouble in those moments? Do you feel a validation like never before?

When I read about Viktor "Isildur1" Blom's incredible run on PokerStars this week, I couldn't really imagine what it might feel like to win over 130 buy-ins in three days. The fact that he did it at $25-$50 against some of the top cash game players in the world is even more impressive.

Here's the list of his opponents, his winnings, and numbers of hands played:
  • Dan "w00ki3z" Cates - $52k in 2,500 hands
  • Mike "gordo16" Gorodinsky - $159k in 2,134 hands
  • Sphinx87 - $44k in 4,286 hands
  • Kanu7 - $164k in 2,313 hands
  • Mitch "LooneyGerbil" Carle $35k in 289 hands
  • Phil "MrSweets28" Galfond - $147k in 2,716 hands
  • Ashton "theASHMAN103" Griffin - $56k in 1,430 hands
I did a news piece yesterday, when he was over $500k up (100 Buy-ins Up) in his rush where I calculated that he was winning at an incredible 77.7 bb/100 or 38.8 BB/100.

The fact that he's not playing at the highest limits doesn't diminish the rush for me. I don't want to be Viktor Blom. I don't want his life. Knowing him, he could lose it all back again tomorrow. The fact that top pros are willing to drop up to 30 buy-ins in a heads-up session is fascinating to me. It certainly goes against the bankroll management/stop loss controls that I've been taught and to which I adhere.

People often wonder why he has such a following. As one forum poster put it "Isildur1 doesn't take money as money, but like score in a game." He has panache and guts and verve that players around the world appreciate. I'm sure his next Superstar Showdown match scheduled for February 13th will be followed closely, whoever his opponent is.

Blom's rush reminded me of a poker player profile I did recently on J.C. Tran. During his incredible run several years ago. He had made three WPT final tables in a row, winning one, and he was feeling super confident. He said "I play differently now." I'm not afraid to put my money in with a draw knowing I will get there. I play looser and mix it up more. He was certainly describing the confidence of someone on an extended rush.

I wonder if that's how the Bellagio Bandit felt as he boldly walked out of the Bellagio on the morning of December 14th. He had walked in with his motorcycle helmet and gun and robbed the Bellagio of $1.5 million in casino chips, many of them $25k chips. The casino security feared confronting him for concern of having patrons put at risk and he disappeared into the early morning night. Six weeks later, the Bellagio bandit has been caught. His rush has ended. Amazingly, he was staying at the Bellagio when he was apprehended. Shrewd Bellagio management had announced the discontinuing of their $25k chips and 29 -year-old Anthony Michael Carleo was caught trying to sell his stolen casino chips to under cover agents. Interestingly enough, he is the son of a Las Vegas Municipal Court Judge. He now makes his home in Clark County Jail awaiting a court date.

Last night, as I played a Rush PLO session that went wrong very quickly, I dreamed of what it must feel like to go on that ever elusive rush. Instead of dropping buy-ins, they would flow my direction in an endless stream. No opponent would befuddle me. No strategy could defeat me. No suckout would bother me. No internal cry of "why me again" would enter my mind. I would be master of the universe. Vindication. One Time!

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