Another year over, a new one just begun

Author: Tony Cascarino

And so this is Christmas and what have you done? John Lennon’s timeless lyrics are the starting point for so many annual reflections, but they also provide an opportunity to look forward (another year over, a new one just begun) with a great degree of optimism.

From a poker perspective, this is precisely what I’ve been doing recently. The festive period started with a great deal of fun when I found myself with a two hundred quid bounty on my head and what felt like a few thousand people trying to take SantaCas (yes, that’s me) out in the Littlewoods Christmas Bounty Tournament.

This event was yet another highlight of a packed year when I felt as though my poker improved significantly as a result of taking time to stand back and examine my game.

I was naturally delighted at getting into the money at the EPT event in London where I won ,000 for finishing in fourteenth place. I then narrowly missed out on cashing in at two consecutive tournaments when playing in Dublin a few weeks later, but what, you may ask, accounted for my overall improvement?

My theory is this: there are so many aggressive players who believe that the sole purpose of poker is to accumulate as many chips as early as possible, and to then see what happens, that they actually have very little else in the way of strategy. It took me a while to appreciate this, although the more tournaments I play in, the starker the realisation becomes.

Okay, you might say, it’s fine acknowledging this, but how does that assist you in becoming a better player?

My answer might sound simplistic, but it’s a fact that if everyone is playing in a similarly aggressive manner, it creates a lot of chips. Picking these up through sensible play as they’re swishing around the table can pay enormous dividends.

At London in particular, there was so much loose play, I realised that if I could manage to stay afloat – and for a long while I had the lowest chip count – I could go deep. I witnessed some really poor all-in moves from people who had lots of chips, all very loose and unnecessary, but it resulted in another illuminating moment for me: playing tight when everyone else is desperately employing the same aggressive strategy can really help.

It also made me realise that approaching games with a set plan just wouldn’t work: there I was in London, watching most of my opponents play in exactly the same fashion, when I began to appreciate that going into poker tournaments with an open mind was actually the key to longer-term success. This approach served me well in the second half of 2007 as I felt I became more flexible and less concerned about my pre-game strategy and more focused on how I would react when an opponent played in a certain manner. Being able to identify how an opponent is playing and how I will counter that has undoubtedly resulted in a marked improvement in my play.

That’s not to say I cannot improve further – of course I can. There are still a number of flaws in my game: occasionally, I still give opponents free cards or I hesitate when my gut reaction is to be more decisive. However, by playing in more tournaments, something I plan to do during 2008, I hope to gradually eliminate such mistakes.

When I first started competing at tournament level, I was a little apprehensive, but now I genuinely look forward to every one, which is why my principle focus next year will be in the UK. Why? Primarily because I live here and they’re easier to attend! Having said that, I’m really looking forward to two events outside of the UK.

My first port of call will be Galway on 3rd January for the Irish Championships. The hotel we’re playing at overlooks the beautiful Galway Bay, a venue which brings back the happiest of memories.

In the early 1990s, when I was playing football for Aston Villa, we were scheduled to go on tour in Ireland, so before we travelled, I arranged to do a bit of business while in the Emerald Isle. As most of my team-mates engaged themselves in some light training and preparation on the day before one of our games, unbeknown to the manager, I hopped on a plane to Galway. After a short flight, I was met by the Guinness representatives who had asked me to film a commercial promoting the Black Stuff. I readily agreed and naturally, my gig involved downing a few pints in order to add a sense of reality to the commercial.

Had my manager known I was drinking Guinness – not to excess mind you – on the day before a match, I would have been severely reprimanded, but they can’t sack me now and if memory serves, I actually played quite well the following day.

I’ll hope to make an impression in Galway next month and may mark my visit with a pint or two if successful.

Apart from Galway, I’m already anticipating the EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo next April the way a child anticipates Christmas Eve.

This is a particularly well-organised event in the most beautiful location imaginable. I love flying into Nice as the airport fronts onto the Mediterranean, which guarantees fantastic views across the sweeping Baie Des Anges, the Bay of Angels. Occasionally, I’ll catch a helicopter (it only takes seven minutes) to Monaco where everything is wonderfully pristine, but venue aside, this is another tournament I must approach with an open mind as the calibre of play is usually of the highest order; being too rigid is a recipe for an early exit.

In the meantime, I’ll be spending Christmas with my family and friends, so here’s wishing you a year full of poker success, or, as John Lennon may have said: “And so happy Christmas, I hope you have fun.”