The Poker Monk: Mental Game Collapse in Atlantic City

Study. Reflect. Crush.

Those are the aims of The Poker Monk, a mantra that is spelled out time and again on his YouTube vlogs, website, and Twitter account. Those of us following Robert Dewberry's progress can certainly see his dedication to the first two parts of that slogan.

The crush part? Not so much. At least with regard to his newest vlog entitled "Mental Game Collapse in Atlantic City."

Admitting to a mental swoon that resulted in a $588 loss at the low limit cash game tables, The Poker Monk will likely do a lot more studying and reflecting in order to find and achieve a proper balance on that three-pronged motto.

Recipe for Disaster

As we all know, every poker session cannot be a winning one. The poker gods will see to that. But playing poorly is almost always a guarantee that you will leave the poker room with less money than when you walked in.

And Dewberry conceded that he wasn't in possession of his A-game while seated at the $1/$2 tables at Harrah's in Atlantic City. A terrible 11-hour session wiped out the $400 profit made at Bally's the day before.

Landing on the wrong side of a number of coin flips as well as being tired was exacerbated by the fact that Dewberry committed a poker faux pas that many losing players know all too well - loosening up your game after falling behind in an effort to get your money back.

"I'm playing the worst possible way you can," The Poker Monk confessed. "I'm playing loose-passive. For you new players, avoid it like the plague, it's the worst thing you can do."

A Look on the Bright Side

One consolation was a Harrah's promo that offered a free room and a $15 food voucher for grinding away at the tables for at least five hours. Too bad The Poker Monk can't get two of those for playing twice as long.

Another consolation was the "gorgeous" view of the Atlantic Ocean from the famed boardwalk on a clear and wind-free day. An ideal location for a bit of reflection, part two of The Poker Monk slogan.

And yet a third consolation with regard to this Atlantic City sojourn for the Virginia-based Dewberry was his winning session the day before, details of which can be found on his "Bluff-Catching in Atlantic City" vlog.

The crush part of The Poker Monk's mantra was in high gear at Bally's in that particular vlog, especially his perfect read on a bluffing opponent who promptly folded after Dewberry's check-raise on the turn.