KristyArnett
PokerNews Hostess/Writer
Can't wait for Carnival!!!
Every year, an entire nation postpones their normal, everyday lives to throw themselves whole heartedly into a week-long collective celebration for Carnival. Brazilians call it, "The Greatest Show on Earth." The rest of the world refers to it as, "The Biggest Party in the World." I want to call it, "The Party I'm so Excited for that I Almost Pee My Pants Every Time I think About it." Too much?
Last year, after winning a torturous battle against a Murphy's Law-inflicted situation with getting a Brazilian Visa, I came to Sao Paul to cover the LAPT event. It took place two weeks before Carnival, so unfortunately, staying to see it was out of the question. Lynn and I expressed to our Brazilian friends how gutted we were to miss their most celebrated holiday by just a week (We like to party). Andre Akkari and Felipe Ramos (they also like to party) told us that the next best thing is to watch a Carnival Samba School rehearsal. For those of you who aren't familiar with Carnival, every year, Samba schools from around the city compete for a very prestigious championship trophy. The parade and competition are the main attractions of the entire celebration. When they suggested this, I imagined a confined dance studio, a small group of dancers, and an instructor overseeing the production.
"Are you sure they'll let us in?" I asked.
"Of course. It's like a big party. I'll get us a VIP section," said Akkari.
Party? VIP section? SURE!!! (Did I mention, we like to party?)
Akkari and Ramos took the PokerNews crew to the Imperio da Casa Verde samba school. We arrived early, feeling unsure, out-of-place, and completely unprepared for what was to come. Instead of a small studio, we entered an enormous gymnasium with a stage, high ceilings, and a bar. Patrons were scattered about, but the place was far from full. We made our way upstairs to a sectioned-off balcony area. As the Schin's flowed (the local beer), so did the people into the gym. Before we knew it, we were in the midst of a full-blown, blood pumping, sweaty, passionate samba party. I couldn't have predicted just how electric the atmosphere would be at a mere rehearsal. It turned out to be one of the best nights I've ever had.
As you can see, there was a lot of alcoholic beverages consumed that night. We laughed, gave way too many high-fives to be considered cool, embraced in drunken hugs, and clumsily samba-ed our way through the night. I fell in love with Brazil and its people. Everyone welcomed us with uninhibited open arms, and full-heartedly shared with us their passionate love for dance, music, and Carnival. I savored every moment, with the notion in mind that I'd likely never get to experience anything like it again. One year later, I'm so happy and incredibly lucky to be back. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I have the best job in the world. I can't wait to report what the actual Carnival is like. Stay tuned...
Get out of the FRIEND ZONE!!
I decided to take a few days off poker because of my downswing which gave me time to do something I've been wanting to for awhile... I made my first YouTube video!!! It was actually a lot of work because I'm new to editing videos. I thought you guys might like it. If you do, please share/subscribe/like it 
Also, if the topic of the Friend Zone hits home, I wrote in more detail about it on my personal blog. Let me know what you think of the vid!
Downswing :)
So you might be wondering why the hell I would put a smiley face after "downswing" in the title... welp, I guess I just decided not to be upset about it. I'm currently going through the largest downswing I've ever had. If I'm being honest, it's not all that bad. I am, by nature, a bankroll nit and a bit weak when it comes to handling large swings. When I start to go on a downswing, I'll usually drop in stakes, put in a few confidence grinds, and get it together. Also, the live games that I play have been so soft that it's almost impossible to stay down for long. This time though, I decided to be a little harder on myself, continue playing the same stakes and try to weather the storm. That plan isn't working out so well.
My January and start to 2012 is abismal. Just before leaving to go to the PCA, I had one of my biggest winning sessions ever, and I felt like I was playing at the top of my game. I went to the Bahamas, didn't play a hand of poker for two weeks, and came back to Vegas ready to grind. After a couple of losing sessions, I already started to feel less confident. This is a huge l leak that I know I have, and I recently discussed it with Jared Tendler (author of The Mental Game of Poker) in one of the Strategy with Kristy podcasts. When I start to feel less confident, I begin to doubt myself, have less trust in my instincts, and make mistakes which obviously exacerbates the problem. I recognize that directly correlating my confidence with my results is completely irrational, but it's hard to immediately break a habit I've had for years.
I've always been that way. If a bunch of people are like, "You're awesome. You're pretty. You're good at your job," I feel on top of the world. I feel like I can do anything and no one can stop me. If I read some comments or forums and people say, "She's so ugly. She sucks. She's annoying," I have a habit of wanting to fold in on myself. In the past couple of years, I've become much stronger and my self confidence doesn't hinge so much on what other people say about me anymore. Now, it motivates me to improve.
But for some reason, I'm still working on gaining that strength in poker. I think it's maybe because I've had a chip on my shoulder. I've always felt like the girl who always has to prove how good I am. I want the pros I talk to at my job to approve of me as a player. I want my friends to respect my opinion when we all discuss poker. I guess I just wanted recognition for the hours and hard work that I've put in. It's taken me this downswing to realize that it doesn't matter.
Whether it's poker, your career, or whatever, you have to do things for you. Of course recognition will come when you are "owning" in whatever you're doing, but it shouldn't be a motivator.
The most helpful thing that Jared taught me was how to "Inject logic." Whenever you are feeling sorry for yourself at the tables, tilted, or even over confident, talk to yourself with rational reminders. I know that I am a huge winner in the games I play. Variance is an essential and inevitable part of the game. I know I still have a lot to learn. I know I still have leaks. I know that hard work is ahead of me, but I'm ready.
I woke up this morning ready to conquer the day. I ate some oatmeal and headed to the gym. (side story: There was gorgeous blonde with tiggo bitties on the middle treadmill of three, so I had to get on the one next to her. She was walking at a good pace. I started jogging and so did she. I stopped to stretch while she kept running. She stopped a minute later and smirked at me. I smiled back, not really sure what was going on. After stretching I got back on and started running again. So did she. I pushed the button to go a little faster. So did she. WTF? I continued with the plan I had in my head of how long/fast I was going to run. After two miles, I went faster. So did she. I laughed. Ok broad, is this really happening? Let's go. I clicked the up button a bunch of times and kept running. Finally, she let out an exasperated sigh and slammed the Stop button. I ran a few extra yards for good measure and stopped. What the hell just happened? All I know is, if there was some sort of competition going on... I won. So yeah, I'm competitive) Anyway, I'm going come out of this downswing in no time. I'm not sure if I'm going to play today because I'd been making a ton of mistakes as an affect of my time of during the Bahamas, waning confidence, and frustrating of my downswing. I may take today off, depending on how I feel, but I plan on getting back on the saddle soon.
I'd love to hear about how you guys came out of your downswings, and what helped you. Leave a comment or tell me on Facebook or Twitter.
Also, I'm going to start posting on my personal blog every Wednesday!
<3 you hoodlums,
Kris
P.S. It helps to know that even the most amazing and talented players go on downswings. Phil Galfond recently posted this:
P.P.S. When I'm feeling down, memes always make me laugh. Yeah, I know, I'm a nerd. Whatever. I dare you not to laugh!
EDIT: Perfect timing. Jared just came out with a new podcast of his where he addresses confidence. Great listen.
Happy 2012 from PCA
Hello everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful New Year 
I had a really good time taking advantage of living on the Strip. My friends and I walked down from Veer to Flamingo and Las Vegas. It was so crowded, but SO much fun.
My first trip of the year for PokerNews is back to the Bahamas for the PCA. Sarah and I shot a welcome video the first day we were here. Since there are been numerous welcome videos from this location, we decided to have some fun!
I'm looking forward to reaching a few personal goals this year. Last year was my favorite one so far, but probably because I just had way too much fun. This year, I want to focus, stay motivated, and make some progress in other parts of my life.
Do you guys have resolutions? If so, work hard! Stick with them! This song is going to motivate me this year!
<3 Kris
Ski Trip
Last week, just after coming back from EPT Prague, I went to Lake Tahoe for some skiing and some R&R. The city has to be one of the most beautiful places I'd ever seen. Everywhere I looked could have been the setting of a postcard. The slopes weren't as snowy as we would have liked, but it was still amazing fun.
I'm so excited to go home and see my family. What are your guys' plans for the holidays?
I'm doing a podcast this week which is Part 2 of a interview with Jared Tendler, author of The Mental Game of Poker. I'm excited to talk to him about how the application of his process went for me in a session of poker.
Hope you all are well!
-Kris
Strategy with Kristy: Kane Kalas
In the latest edition of Strategy with Kristy, I talked to 22-year-old Kane Kalas, an instructor on PokerPhenoms.com We talk about how to play small pocket pairs in a six-handed no-limit hold'em cash game, demonstrated by hand histories. Kane played as "Kangis." Here are the hand details to help you follow along with podcast.
Game: $25-$50 NLH 6-max
Hand #1
(four-handed)
Kangis - $5,218
Flufferd - $5,377
Kangis opens 
UTG to $128. Flufferd reraises to $400. Kangis calls. Heads-up. Pot is $850
The flop is 
. Flufferd checks, Kangis bets $513. Flufferd folds.
Hand #2
(five-handed)
Kangis - $5,691
Flufferd - $5,000
Flufferd min raises on the button to $50. Kangis calls with 2s2c in the big blind. Pot is $225.
Flop is 
. Kangis checks. Flufferd bets $150. Kangis calls. The pot is $523.
The turn is the 
. Check, check.
The river is the . Kangis bets $689. Flufferd calls and mucks.
Hand #3
22:30
(five-handed)
Kangis - $6,801
CanCollector - $6,757
Numbr1mom $12,240
Kangis opens 
UTG to $124. CanCollector calls behind. Numbr1mom reraises from the BB to $575. Kangis folds.
Happy Thanksgiving Weekend!!!
Hello everyone! I hope you are all are having a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!!!
There are so many things I'm thankful for, but it's mostly the people in my life. I have such a wonderful family and the best friends a person could ask for. No matter where I am, I'm also missing someone, which is a good problem to have! Also, I have the best job ever.
One of my Swedish friends is in town, and Andrew thought it would be a good idea to show him what the real Black Friday is all about. We didn't take him to Walmart or Best Buy (because we knew it would be suicide), but we did take him to a mall. Fashion Show was packed. No screaming moms, but it was scary nonetheless. Jonas and I just ended up both buying a pair of Steve Maddens and a gift for a White Elephant/Ugly Christmas Sweater party. Then we GTFO'd.
We noticed that the Black Friday sales were good but not great. It definitely wasn't worth the hassle. At lunch, we met up with another one of our friends, Mike (Umpa). He's a former PokerStars SNE who was fired from his job on what we all call the REAL Black Friday. He and his mom were interviewed for the local news on the way into the mall. They asked them, "What do you want for Christmas?" (to which Mike answered: for poker to become legalized) and "Are you aware of Cyber Monday?" Hmmmm that sounds like a day where everyone gets in an "adult" chatroom and asks ASL (Age, Sex, Location), followed by "what are you wearing?"
Well it's not. Apparently it is Black Friday for the internet. There are deals that people can take advantage of from the comfort of their own homes! As a person who buys everything on Amazon, it sounds AMAZING! Google Cyber Monday, and I'm sure you'll find everything you need to know if you are interested in it.
Anyway, today I'm nursing a bit of a headache. There's a Pub in Crystals at City Center that will give you your beer for free if you drink it in 7 seconds. I attempted with some Irish creamy beer. It was supposedly easier to chug since there is very low carbonation. I actually got pretty far, farther than I expected to. I didn't get my beer for free, but that was a pretty good indication of how the rest of the evening was going to go. At one point, I was at a PT's on Trop and the 95 doing the Cupid Shuffle. WTF? Then, of course, we ended up at the poker tables. I passed out at around 3 a.m. and when I woke up, the Swede and my friend Mike were at the BlackJack tables. They are hardcore.
Have a wonderful rest of the weekend!!!!!!!
-Kristy
Priorities and NaNoWriMo
Today I woke up early, drove my Toyota Prius (half electric, half gas car) to Whole Foods, bought all organic produce and grass fed steak, spent the birthday money parents gave me on sustainable clothing, came home, and cleaned my condo with naturally derived solution. When I was done, I stopped to think about what I'd done so far today, and I laughed. I think it's funny how much I've changed in the past couple of years, and how my priorities are so different now. I'm all grown up, and I'm kind of a hippie! Eating well and keeping my life organized are important to me. I'm sitting at my desk, feeling great about completing the work I have ahead of me because other things are taken care of... haha I remember when my mom used to make me clean my room and eat my vegetables and then say, "See, don't you feel better now?" I'd always answer no. When did I become my Mom?
I'm not writing about poker today because other than a $350 Venetian Deepstack and a couple cash-game sessions, I haven't really been focused on playing. By the way I played the tournament, it was clear my mind was elsewhere. I was out in the third level after playing like a real a-hole. I think I was feeling restless. I felt like there were so many things I needed to do, and the second I started played the tournament, I felt trapped with everything weighing on my mind, bringing me down like an anchor. I felt a little releived when I busted which is never a good sign.
Aside from miscellaneous errands and housework that needed to be done, I knew that what bothered me most was that this month, I've been half-assing my goal to complete NaNoWriMo. For those of you guys who don't know, NaNoWriMo is short for National Novel Writing Month. The goal is to write 50,000 in the month of November. It's for people who want to write a novel but have succumbed to obstacles. The point is just dedicate yourself for one month, put your head down, and write. No editing is allowed! It's easy to get caught up editing and re-editing which can lead to frustration and ultimately quitting. I signed up two years ago, never started, signed up last year, never started, and this year I started... but haven't really made it a priority. The month is halfway over, and I only about 6,000 words written. I should be at 25,000.
Writing a novel is something I've wanted to do for the past four years, and obviously failed to do anything about it. I'm proud of myself for starting at least, but that's not enough to finish it. I have to make it a priority. I've been trying really hard lately to organize my priorities and make sure that the time I have during the day are dedicated to those things. Doing well at my job, staying in shape, eating healthy, and writing this book are at the top the list right now. So, for the rest of this month, I'm going to let poker take a backseat. I'm going to try and reach 50,000. That's a little more than 3,000 words per day.... which is a lot! So, if I'm not on Twitter or Facebook... it's a good thing!
As I get older, the harder it is for me to play poker when other things are left uncompleted. If you're going through a downswing or don't know why you're game is suffering, maybe try to step back and get some things done that have been nagging you (clean, organize that damned junk drawer, detail your car, run that thing to the post office, stop by the bank and cash that check that's been sitting on the counter for weeks, or dedicate some time to strengthening your relationships) Doing those things may help your game, and if it doesn't, at least you got that shizz done, right? Anyway, Lynn writes an awesome series called Stay Stacked which has lots of other great tips on how to bring your best to the table.
Another goal of mine is to run a marathon. That's next after this novel
<3Kris
Strategy with Kristy: Andrew Robl hands
In my latest Strategy with Kristy podcast, I talk to Andrew Robl about televised cash-game hands he's played. Here they are:
Hand #1
Patrik Antonius has 
and raises to $1,500. Robl has 
and three-bet pots to $11,500 from the blinds. Antonius calls, making the pot $24,000. The flop comes 
Robl bet $16,000. Antonius raises pot. Robl raises all in. They run it four times. Odds: Antonius 73% vs Robl 23%. Robl wins four times.
Hand #2
Daniel Negreanu raises to $3,000 with 
. Lex Veldhuis reraises to $11,000 with 
. Robl has 
in the small blind. Robl calls, and Negreanu calls, making the pot $34,400. The flop comes 
. Robl and Negreanu check to Lex who bets $23,800. Robl calls. Negreanu folds. The pot is $82,000. The turn is the . Both players check. The river is . Robl checks, and Lex bets $54,000 with $85k behind. Robl calls and wins a pot of $190,000.
Hand #3
Lex Veldhuis straddles to $1,600. Ivey raises to $7,000 in the cutoff. Robl has on the button and calls. Antonius has 
in the small blind and reraises to $30,400. Ivey folds, Robl tank ships for $113,900. Pot $299,600. Antonius calls.
Hand #4
Tom Dwan opens UTG to $800 with pocket threes ($20K stacks). Robl calls on the button with 
. Pot $2,050. The flop is 
. Dwan checks. Robl bets $1,200. Dwan raises to $3,850. Robl calls. Pot $9,750. Turn 
. Dwan bets $4,600. Robl calls. River .Dwan goes all in for $10,075.
(go to 4:30 in this video)
I also talked to Andrew awhile ago about a hand he played on the Big Game which you can find here. I hope you guys like the podcast!
Thanks!
-Kris
Pictures of Cannes: Instagram edition
If a picture is worth a thousand words, than a picture blog is better than anything I could ever write 
...
For all of the following pictures, I used an iPhone app called Instagram. It has awesome filters and has a social media side to it also. If you have the app and want to "follow" me (which means my pics will show up in your photo stream), my username is Snaptress. Ok, here we go...
This is the view from the window of my plane. We're descending into Nice which sits on the coast of the mediteranean. We just happened to be landing at sunrise (run better, right?).
Hotel Majestic Barriere was where the WSOPE took place. The WSOP was nice enough to set up the PokerNews media team there as well. What everyone kept telling me was that this hotel is where all the celebs stay when the Cannes Film Festival in town, meaning that it's entirely possible I slept in the same bed as Brat Pitt or George Clooney... awwwwwriiiiiiiight.
Once I settled into my hotel room and unpacked my gigantic suitcase, I walked over to the window to get some fresh air. I pulled back the curtains and opened the floor-to-ceiling windowed double doors to the balcony. Holy balls... (excuse my language) but the view was breathtaking.
I'm training for a marathon, which I'm sure I'll write an entirely separate blog about at some point, so I went for a long run down the famous boardwalk called La Croissette. That's where I snapped the following two pictures...
Like I said in my blog before this one, my birthday actually fell on one of the first days I was in Cannes. I don't usually like a big deal to be made about my birthday... PSYCH! I'm a girl, of course I like celebrating my birthday!!!
But actually, this year, I wasn't expecting to really do anything on my actual birthday. I got to celebrate a few days before I left Vegas with a few friends. We went out for Sushi and hung out afterwards at my place. I also got a special celebration with just Andrew, and he took me to my first Cirque du Soleil show, KA. I loved it and had an amazing time. So, when my actual birthday came around, I wasn't too worried about it. Donnie Peters, blogger/manager extraordinaire, has become one of my best friends over the year and a half I've worked at PokerNews. He said to me, "Listen, it's your birthday. I'll rage if you wanna rage..."
Hmmm... yes??? So, we met up with Matt Stout who busted a tournament and wanted a few partners in drinking crime. Then, when we told him it was my birthday, it was on! We ended up meeting up with a few Aussies, madness ensued, we found our way to a bar that was as big and tall as a school bus, and I jumped in a fountain. We got back at around 6:30 a.m. (the WSOPE event didn't start until 5 p.m. so no biggie) No pics from this night... hahaha but I ended up, somehow, waking up for basketball at 11 a.m.! It was Vanessa Selbst, Ryan D'Angelo, Mclean Karr, and even Tony G (who is a baller at ballin btw).
After sweating out some of the alcohol, I felt so much better and work was a piece of cake. When I got back to my room, I found champagne and a birthday card from "The WSOP Staff." Inside the card was a gift certificate for a 60-minute massage at the spa inside the hotel. It was so incredibly thoughtful! Thank youuuuuu.
I needed help... (full story to come on my personal blog)
WSOPE Party After Party--- champagne bottles so huge, the server had to pour them over her shoulder!!
YESSSSSSS! What a great time Cannes was. Now it's time for EPT San Remo!!!
-Kris
