NewJane Interviews BigSissy, Top PSO Finisher at the Northeast Poker Challenge at the Spirit Mountain Casino

NewJane: First, let me congratulate you on your fine finish in the Northeast Poker Challenge at the Spirit Mountain Casino the tourney. Tell us a little about yourself. Where you live, etc. Any interesting facts about your life would be appreciated!

BigSissy: I'm a middle-aged, effeminate male. Effemininity is sometimes confused with homosexuality. I am not gay and have a really cool wife and two kids to prove it. We live in DuPont, Washington- a small, former company town located between Tacoma and Olympia that was once the largest producer of dynamite on the west coast. We have two Boston Terriers. Normally I'm a schoolteacher, but for the past eighteen months I have been mobilized with my Army Reserve unit. I have a really creepy obsession with Morgan Fairchild that the aforementioned cool wife has learned to put up with. I lived most of my life in Hawaii.

NewJane: Tell us about your poker background, such as how long you have played, games of choice, limits you like when you play live, other tourney successes, or anything else about your poker background that you want to share.

BigSissy: My Dad used to play in a home game about once a month when I was a kid. I never used to hang around and watch the few times a year he would host it at our house 'cause it was just one of those adult things. My Dad never taught us the game nor even ever explained it, but then my brothers and I never really expressed an interest. I think poker just kinda stuck in my brain as one of those manly things that manly men do for fun. Being effeminate, I was constantly on the subconscious prowl for manly things to do.

About ten years ago I was on an exercise in Japan with my Reserve unit when some guys started a small poker game and I joined because I had nothing better to do. It was a crazy game. I think we were playing dealer's choice with some type of nickel-dime ante structure. We allowed folks to use Japanese Yen so the pots were an interesting mix of Japanese and U.S. bills and coins.

I was introduced to a game called "442" and it became my game of choice because at that time my Reserve unit was the 442d Infantry (a fairly famous unit). I think what this game really was, was Omaha with deuces wild. As you can imagine, it was a crazy game with lots of action. We started playing poker at every opportunity during this trip and upon return home decided to make a monthly game the Friday nights before our drills. We only were able to make it last for about six months because, believe it or not, we had trouble finding folks that were willing to make a $20 buy-in.

Sometime soon thereafter, the cool wife and me took a romantic trip to Las Vegas. While we were walking through the MGM, I noticed a poker room and thought I'd give it a go. Hold 'Em was a simple game and I knew the winning hand hierarchy so I bought in for $60 and sat down at table. Had the cool wife sitting right behind, and after I got my cards, I would show her what I had. I'm sure the rest of the table could not believe their good fortune at reading both of our expressions of glee or disgust. Believe it or not, I lost my entire buy-in in about eight hands. Told the cool wife we're sticking to black jack and never gave poker another thought.

About two years ago, out of the blue, my brother asks me if I want to go to an Indian casino to play poker. He had read (I don't know why) Sklansky's HE Excellence and had been "playing online" and wanted to try it for real. I had just gotten killed playing black jack on my last trip to Las Vegas and needed a new game to satisfy my gambling lust so I went along. The only thing I recall him saying was that he read something somewhere that said, "Most beginners play too many hands." I vowed not to play too many hands - whatever that meant. Played 4/8 HE and made my rack last for about an hour. Considering my only other attempt at B&M poker at the MGM, I was highly pleased with my result. A couple of months later played for two hours and only lost $60. I left the table still with some chips and felt very proud. I then decided to become a student of the game and practice online. YAHOO poker was my choice. It did not seem to be very good way to learn poker and I asked my brother where he played and he mentioned a pay site that let you use play money. Wow, I was impressed, this was really cool. It made YAHOO poker look silly (which it was anyway). With a couple of weeks of practice, I fantasized; I'd be able to start playing for some real money. Soon learned that although it looked cooler, the style of play was not that much different than YAHOO. For the life of me, I can't recall how I found out about PSO. I can only attribute it to divine intervention.

NewJane: How long have you been a member of PSO?

BigSissy: I joined at the end of April 2003. It has been worth every penny.

NewJane: Where is your favorite place to play poker, both live and tourney action?

BigSissy: Hands down - Las Vegas. But then Las Vegas is my favorite place to engage in any vice. The Puget Sound area has quite a few places to play cards, both tiny and fairly large rooms, but by playing online, at least I can still play and spend time with the cool wife at the same time. With WildBill moving out here, I suspect I'll be playing at more B&M rooms though.

NewJane: What were some hands you remember from the tourney, both won and lost?

BigSissy: I was card dead the entire time I was in Oregon. I recall three hands only because they were the only hands I had gotten in the tournament. Right before the first break I was in MP with KK. Cassius222 (PSOer) raised from UTG. My stack was wimpy and I immediately went all-in. Everyone folded back around to Cassius222 who went into the tank for a while before calling. He showed Js. My Ks held and right before the break my stack was probably slightly less than average. Close to the second break, my stack dwindling in front of my eyes, a guy two to my right raises 2xBB.

I look down and see 8s. I hear the voice of jmuzzey saying, "You gotta be lucky to do well in tournaments." I have no idea what this guy might have, but I push it all-in anyway. The guy immediately calls and shows AKo. I steel myself for the coin flip and the flop comes QQJ. The guy now has 13 outs (the only thing he didn't have was the flush draw) and I figure I'm sunk. Crud and crudola on the turn and river and I double-up again to get just below average stack at the second break. During the last level before the third break, my stack is down to about T7500 with blinds at 500/1000. UTG makes the minimum raise. I had seen this guy playing in a satellite with WildBill earlier that day.

He seemed loose and Bill told me that he had made some dumb calls. I'm in late position and look down to see 6s. Now I can't read other players worth a droogie (yes, I said "droogie"), but I just knew this guy didn't have a pair of anything. As a matter of fact, considering the size of his raise, I didn't think he even had an ace. Again, I hear the voice of jmuzzey talking about luck. I figure I was going to be up against overcards if he called, and increase my stack by about 50% if he folds. I push it all-in and start to watch the Mariners' game on TV while this guy thinks about it. If he calls and loses, he'll put a serious dent in his stack. I don't care what he does, either way I like my chances. He finally calls. I show my 6s, he shows QJo. Wow, I am really impressed with my read. He hits a J on the flop and wins the pot and I'm out in about 36th place or so.

NewJane: What did you feel was your strength / weakness in the tournament?

BigSissy: My strength was my sissy play (tight/weak). Other than the first hand of the tournament, my stack was always below average. Even if I were capable of some aggressive, creative play, being a short stack wouldn't have allowed for it. I was in the survival mode the entire time. My "success" in this PSO event was the result of other PSOers misfortune, not my stellar play.

NewJane: If you could play one hand over, which one would it be and why?

BigSissy: Uh...well, there was this one time when I was in MP with Q8c. My sissy brain said muck. My "little voice" said, "call and see the flop." I mucked. Flop comes ATKc. That woulda been my only good opportunity to trap an aggressive player who made a decent raise on the flop.

NewJane: What are some of the differences you see between brick and mortar play, and online play?

BigSissy: People in B&M rooms are better behaved. People in B&M rooms always play clothed also.

NewJane: What are your feelings about what is going on with poker now, the incredible growth? Do you see it as a positive thing?

BigSissy: All the new folks signing-up for PSO have certainly helped my satellite rankings over the past two months. Other than that, I say "feelings schmeelings."

NewJane: What new poker game are you anxious to learn?

BigSissy: None. I need tons of work on my HE and I'm a slow learner.

NewJane: What poker books might I find in your home library?

BigSissy: I have Sklansky's Theory of Poker (which gave me a headache); Lou Krieger's Hold Em Excellence (which his starting hand chart is worth the price of the book alone); Lee Jones' Winning Low Limit Hold Em (good for helping me be less sissy-like); Lou Krieger's Online HE Book (a complete waste of money); and the Cloutier/McEvoy Tournament HE book.

NewJane: Anything I didn't ask you that you want to say, now is the time!

BigSissy: Meeting fellow PSOers at PSO Live Tour event is a great experience. I'd highly recommend it

NewJane: Good luck to you at the playoffs; we will be keeping our eyes on you!!

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