Why Is This Man So Sad?

Lee Markholt has cashed eleven times in $10k+ events over the last sixteen months. This is one of the more astounding stats you can find on the circuit. To put this into perspective, here is a comparison of how many times some other regulars have cashed in $10k+ events during this same time period:

Nam Le - 7
David Pham - 5
Barry Greenstein - 4
Daniel Negreanu - 3
J.C. Tran - 3
Joe Hachem - 2
David Williams - 2
Clonie Gowen - 1

Markholt has not finished higher than 9th during that timespan, however. Because of this, he's probably not up much money playing tournaments during this run. Since Markholt is a renowned no limit cash game player, considered one of the best live no limit players around, you could argue that all these tournaments have just been a gigantic waste of time and effort.

Tournaments are almost always a waste of time and effort for us non-superstars. Only the absolute best are able to win a lot of money playing tournaments. Cash games are generally more profitable, almost always more consistently profitable, don't require travel, and are less frustrating.

Having said that, a high percentage of my poker profits over the last year have come from tournaments. Lee Markholt keeps playing them because he knows he is eventually going to win one and it will all have been worth it. I play tournaments for the same reason.
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The third hand of the day I managed to get it in preflop with pocket fives against Markholt's pocket jacks in a button vs. big blind confrontation and was eliminated. No regrets on that one, no big regrets from the tournament overall.