Kismet

Sixth grade was by far the worst year of my life, so when my English/Social Studies/Geography teacher started talking about a standby good luck charm, I was all ears. She said that if you say “rabbit rabbit rabbit” as your first words of each new month, you will have good luck for that month. I instituted this superstition immediately, and my life improved right away. Ever since I have tried to make “rabbit rabbit rabbit” the first three words out of my mouth starting each month. Although I am always paranoid of butchering it and saying something else first, I often screw it up. Sometimes I whisper to myself as I head to the bathroom at the beginning of the day. Occasionally something inadvertent happens (such as being awakened by someone and responding with speech) and I blow it. I’m not quite sure exactly how to do it, either. Wikipedia says “rabbit rabbit white rabbit” is the most common vernacular. Some of the “rules” and specifics are pretty unclear. Part of the problem is I’m always awake at midnight of the last day of the month, and I’m not sure if I’m supposed to say it right then or wait till I wake up the next day.

The first time I told this to friends, they couldn’t tell if I was being serious or making the whole thing up. I assure you, I’m completely earnest. Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit is my most urgent application of superstitious beliefs. I’m not saying I believe saying it definitely affects my life, but I can’t say it doesn’t. Like punching in that doomswitch code in Lost Season Two (please no spoilers), I’m too afraid to stop doing it.

I try to pay attention to my luck each month and compare it to how well I executed the rabbit saying at the beginning of the month. I know that in October, when I made the EPT final table, I nailed it perfectly. January was a rough month of poker and I remember butchering it horribly because people were staying at my house after the New Year’s Eve party. I rebounded in February with a flawless execution and won the Tilt 1k Monday four days into the month. In May I botched the saying, had my finger broken in a freak accident the second day of the month, and basically suffered through a month of miserable small-scale luck. I knew June would be the most important month of my life to date as far as pure luck is concerned, yet I screwed it up terribly on my way to the bathroom in a suite at the Rio. I thought I was in the clear a week into the month after two big, luck-aided early runs, but since then the poker has been a nightmare. I try to avoid whining on this blog and won’t tell bad beat stories here, but it has not been pretty. I took extra special care last night and did not say a word between midnight and when I got out of bed in the morning and said it.

In my WSOP preview I wrote “I know it is possible for the best players to have a losing WSOP. I am certain that the only way I can lose this summer is if I am extremely unlucky. Everything else has been accounted for.” Although I do not consider myself one of “the best players”, I still believe the rest of it (except for the over/unders – those were way off). Everything in that preview remains true. I have consistently played well and exhibited none of the usual symptoms of a poker downswing. There has been no stack-dumping, very little negative attitude, no tilty play, just the best poker of my life day in and day out. I made a couple mistakes in the $1500 shorthanded I finished 12^th in. Since then I’ve been happy with almost every decision.

Players in a rut often say how much they hate poker. They keep playing because they feel desperate to get the money back, despite a hatred for what they are doing. I still love poker. I just hate losing. Every day I get up excited to play in another tournament, and I’ve enjoyed every one. I like playing the game as much as ever. As long as I feel that way, I’ll keep playing.

Frequent readers of this blog know how much stock I put into things like destiny, karma, “Plans”, dreams, spirits, outside forces, and so on.

Commenting on my WSOP preview, Joe Pelton wrote “under on your results vs your expectations your story arc needs a high level bracelet or an epic fail at this point…” This comment struck a chord with me as I tend to believe that everything that has happened and is going to happen is part of a preordained Plan. At this point, it makes little dramatic sense for this part of the story to end with a quiet exit from the main event. This doesn’t seem like the time for a boring WSOP to end with three cashes, no final tables, and no big result good or bad. It seems like the time for the climax – whatever that may be.

The last fortune cookie I ate, cracked right before I left for Vegas in May, said “You are blessed with good health. That is your form of wealth.” My health has been perfect throughout the World Series. Most people I know out here have had some major illness or other health issue – the Castle has had two hospitalizations so far – while I haven’t even had a sunburn. Whether you believe this is a result of kismet, variance, or simply a healthy lifestyle, I think we can all agree good health is the finest form of both luck and wealth. I am indeed a wealthy and lucky man.