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David Gross
Getting Back In The Ring
12 July 2006
David Gross aka 'thekid08' talks about the best way to cure a poker hangover...
When you get knocked down you only have two options: the first is to go into hibernation and hang up your gloves but I have always preferred the second - to drag yourself off the floor and get back in the ring.
Inspired by The Executioner’s fantastic third place finish in the WSOP $1,500 Limit Hold'em event [read The Executioner's blog about it] I decided it was time to rid myself of my WSOP demons [see my previous blog]. So on Sunday, 9 July I got back in to the poker ring ready to scrap and fight my way to victory.
Comeback kid
The venue I chose for my comeback was the Bellagio card room and the daily $1,000 no limit holdem event. It kicked off at noon, and with a... Read More...
From Hero to Zero At The WSOP
7 July 2006
On 4 July 2006, David Gross aka The Judge, played in his first ever WSOP event, the $5,000 No Limit Hold%u2019em. Here's what happened...
I had dreamt of playing in the WSOP for over 10 years but work commitments and other issues had always prevented me from making it. But with a reduced work schedule and a boosted bankroll thanks to my win on PokerStars (read my blog about it) I gleefully decided 2006 would be the year. Unable to take sufficient time off to play the main event, I booked off 10 days during the earlier stages of the series and I timed the trip specifically around the $5,000 NLHE event on 4 July.
I arrived two days before, bought straight into the event, and relaxed, playing just a couple of hours a day while relaxing and adjusting to local time in the luxurious surroundings of the Wynn resort. I was joined in Vegas by my poker caddy, Siccy, my parents, my aunt...
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Poker Caddies
24 June 2006
David Gross, aka "thekid08", introduces a new phenomenon...
You may remember the blog I wrote about first major online victory. In it I explained that two of my best friends (Brad and Siccy) watched almost all of the tournament and provided me with moral support throughout.
Since that time, almost every time I have played a major online tournament I have had friends and family in close attendance watching the action and helping out. When I say “helping out” I do not mean advising me on strategy or actions during a hand. Rather they compliment my play (where appropriate) and when I am out of a hand they ask me strategic questions and we make observations about how opponents are playing, both of which help me to focus.
They share my celebrations when I rake in a big pot and they calm me down if I start steaming. They also bring drinks and snacks on request which increase stamina and help me to relax. For all these reasons it occurred to me that they do a similar job that a caddy does for a golfer and so I... Read More...
A High Risk Strategy In Paradise
24 April 2006
Sometimes it pays to think out of the box as David Gross aka "thekid08" found out recently in an MTT on Paradise Poker...
I was inspired to start playing tournaments by Tony Holden’s classic ‘Big Deal’. Nowadays, the younger players are typically inspired by another classic piece of poker media, namely the film ‘Rounders’ (click here to buy the DVD).
At the start of Rounders (you can see the first eight minutes on www.youtubepoker.com) Mike McDermott, played by Matt Damon, starts the narration by explaining how he has built his bankroll by playing in games he knows he can beat, by taking minimal risk and by 'grinding' out a living. However, in explaining why he is about to risk that whole bankroll by playing in the biggest and most skilful game in town, Mike explains: “If you're too careful, your whole life can become a fuckin’ grind.”
Close But No Cigar On PartyPoker
24 March 2006
David aka "thekid08" is nearly man again in Party's big Sunday night game...
In my last column I detailed my worst spell of results for several years inspired by some sickening beats. I also detailed some well-researched tips on how to get over this kind of run of form. With the recipe for a cure in hand, you would think that I was soon savouring a buffet of recovery delights, right? Er, actually no…I've been unable to find the self-discipline to follow the necessary regime, so I tore up the recipe book and pigged out on unhealthy substitutes. Instead of playing less I played more, instead of focusing on playing my ‘A’ game I found myself multi-tabling and playing my ‘C’ game at best.
Depleted bankroll
Fortunately, a week later, with bankroll depleted but bank balance still intact, I had the commonsense to re-read my tips and act on them. I took a week off poker and focused on other things. Not only did this give me a chance to regain my perspective - it also freshened my approach... Read More...
What To Do When The Chips Are Down
8 March 2006
After a fabulous start to the year David Gross aka "thekid08" is slap bang in the middle of one of those runs of luck that refuses to go away...
Life was so sweet last time I wrote. The joy of victory and the enjoyment of the spending spree and attention that had followed from winning the Big One on PokerStars (click here to see my blog about it) were still fresh in my mind. This year has started as 2005 ended with poker victories and profits flowing session in, session out.
With my bankroll swelling every week and confidence sky high, suddenly I found myself down to the last 20 in another big tournament with another decent chip count, a perceived edge over the opposition and a decent shot at another massive pay-day. As chronicled in my previous blog, things did not work out that day and my A-K got busted by J-10 all-in pre-flop for a huge pot. Still, I reasoned, it was another $7k in the bank, another decent performance and if I continued playing to the same level, the profits would keep rolling in. Simple logic, right…Well actually NO!
Less than four weeks later, I find myself on the end of a...
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So Near In Party's One Million Guaranteed
20 February 2006
David aka "thekid08" on how he just missed out on another monster pay-day on Party%u2026
Life since ‘The Big One’ (where I won almost $150,000 by winning back-to-back online tournaments on 25/26 December) has been very pleasant. Among other things I have found time to buy a few presents for my family as well as a new car for myself. For those of you who are interested (please skip the next sentence if you’re not) after much postulating over buying some kind of flashy three-door (BMW Z4 being top of the list), I decided that my main priority was comfort not ‘wow-appeal’ and opted for the (still nice-looking but all-round solid) Mazda 3 Sport.
I have also been featured in the first edition of the new WPT magazine. It’s a great new magazine and I highly recommend you pick up a copy and see for yourself. From my perspective it was a good buzz being involved in the process as well as doing my first poker-related...
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WOW! Today I Won Nearly 150,000 Dollars
29 December 2005
The 24 hours from 6pm on Christmas Day to 6pm on Boxing Day were the greatest of David aka thekid08's life...
I think I have lived a full life for my tender (30) years full of emotional highs. I’ve fallen in love, I’ve travelled to beautiful places, I have delighted in spiritually fulfilled moments and yet I think that, so far, 25/26 December 2005 has to go down as the best single day of my life so far. It is my pleasure to share some of the reasons why in this blog…
On Sunday 25 December, I met up with my close family for lunch. Having already lined up a couple of juicy online poker tournaments to play in, I decide to kick back and enjoy the afternoon playing at my parents’ house happy to have a few spectators for company.
The first of the tournaments was the Xmas special on Ladbrokes Poker. It cost $500 to enter and they added $5,000 to the prize pool. It attracted 45 runners and offered an $11,000 first prize.
Leading the way
With 14 runners left I was leading the way with over 19,000 chips. I... Read More...
Paying Homage To Stuey
15 October 2005
%u2018The Man Behind The Shades%u2019, a biography of the legendary Stu Ungar, written by the WSOP's media director Nolan Dalla, is a must-read...
In this week’s blog, I thought I’d share some thoughts on a latest hot release from the world of poker literature, ‘The man behind the shades’, a biography of the legendary Stu Ungar, written by Nolan Dalla and Peter Alson…
Stuey “The Kid” Ungar is undoubtedly one of the greatest poker tournament players who ever lived with mind-boggling stats that include the following feats:
• Winner of the 1980 World Series of Poker (“WSOP”) Main Event which was the first top no limit tournament he ever played in
• Winner of back to back WSOP main events (1980 and 1981) and a total of 3 main events (also 1997), a a feat only equaled in pure terms by the legendary Read More...
My First World Championship
20 September 2005
With a first prize of 900,000 dollars, this certainly felt like a World Championship event for thekid08...
I admit the title is a bit misleading. Most of you will now be expecting to be regaled of stories of Vegas and the World Series of Poker, but that is going to have to wait until June 2006 at least. However, last week I won a $300 one table satellite on PokerStars to enter the $2,500 Main Event of the World Championship Of Online Poker. It was the biggest buy-in for any tournament I had ever played in, and with 1,500 other entrants and a projected first prize of a whopping $900,000 I was suitably excited. So to me, it certainly felt like the World Championship and I prepared according…
With 5,000 starting chips and first level blinds of just 10-20 on a 30 minute clock, I resolved to play patiently but not too passively.... Read More...
Vegas, Baby
15 September 2005
My second trip to Las Vegas was at least less expensive than my first...
My only previous trip to the bright lights of Vegas had been in mid 2001 for my friend Jeff Israel’s five-day stag-do. The trip was a lot of fun and the poker-playing highlight was a NL Holdem tournament at the Mirage where I was seated to the left of Phil Gordon just a couple of months after he had finished 5th in the World Series of Poker main event. But overall I finished over $3,000 down for the trip, much of which I put down to my poor knowledge of limit hold’em as at that stage there were very few no limit or pot limit cash games available.
But when the opportunity finally came for a return visit in September 2005 and a chance to score my first positive Vegas result, I jumped at the chance, albeit that my schedule would only allow me 2 and a half days to make my mark…
Firstly, a quick thumbs up for the new Wynn Resort. The service was unbelievable, the restaurants top class, the poker room jammed with No Limit and Limit games (daily... Read More...
Clicking In a Poker Wonderland
12 September 2005
After three years in the wilderness, thekid08 makes a sensational return
In my first blog, I mentioned the Multi-Table Tournament (MTT) that crowned my return to poker success after a three-year break from the game. Shortly afterwards, I emailed the details to friends. Having kept the email, I thought I’d copy some key extracts in this blog...
22nd January 2005, £200 online no limit holdem tournament on Betfair Poker with 667 runners:
“First Hand, I pick up A-K in second position. With blinds at 10-20 and a starting stack of 2,500, I make it 100 to go and get one caller. The flop comes with three rags, I bet out and my opponent passes. Second hand I picked up AK again and I make it 100 to go again and get two callers. This time I hit the flop which comes down K-9-2 rainbow. I bet 220 and get one caller. The turn is a blank and I bet 330 and get raised to 660. Having played the first two pots aggressively, my opponent... Read More...
Welcome to Poker Verdict
8 September 2005
David "thekid08" Gross's very first blog...
Welcome to Poker Verdict… and to my first blog, in which I thought it only right to introduce myself…
I was born in London where I was thoughtfully raised by loving parents. I was further blessed with a privileged education and shortly after, still in my early twenties I co-founded a successful online business. A frequent visitor to Synagogue, a family lover, never into drugs, an occasional smoker, an infrequent drinker and never a womaniser, I am in general the middle class parents’ dream. The only blip is that I have never been averse to risk or put it another way, I’ve always liked a gamble and in particular, ever since my mid teens, poker.
Like so many others my transition from home game player to tournament competitor was inspired by Tony Holden’s classic book “Big Deal”. At the time of reading I was a 21 year old student and my first tournament was in a local Leeds casino. I sheepishly bowed out after... Read More...
Latest Entries
- Getting Back In The Ring
- From Hero to Zero At The WSOP
- Poker Caddies
- A High Risk Strategy In Paradise
- Close But No Cigar On PartyPoker
- What To Do When The Chips Are Down
- So Near In Party's One Million Guaranteed
- WOW! Today I Won Nearly 150,000 Dollars
- Paying Homage To Stuey
- My First World Championship
- Vegas, Baby
- Clicking In a Poker Wonderland
- Welcome to Poker Verdict