Seems Like Old Times

I thought retirement from ball would be easy and for the most part, it has been. Yesterday I received a call from a team that I used to play against requesting my services for the evening. I was immediately pumped and ready to play. I knew where my cup was so that was a plus but I did have a problem. I couldn’t find my spikes or any ball-pants to play in. I know this is starting to sound like I don’t have a clue but I do have a good reason for these things being misplaced. I actually had given all my uniform stuff back to my old team and the shoes were in a box of stuff that was going to be put in storage. Well after I find my spikes I decided on a pair of sweats that would do the trick.

One of the good parts about returning to the ballpark is that I have been throwing the ball for the last four months. My practices with the 12u travel team started in January and thus I knew I wouldn’t hurt my arm. I’ve also been play lots of waffle ball with the kids so I felt I would be ready to hit and I was.

I’ve spent many hours playing against these guys and have played games for them in the past when they needed help so I fit in with the team right away. Some of that fit can be attributed to a trip to Collage Station, Texas for the B Nationals a few years ago but I wont go into the high jinx that transpired there.

We played another local team that was made up of mostly kids. They’re not a bad young team but their pitching is less then stellar. Their best pitcher doesn’t overly hard bur does throw a nice riseball. Anyway, I batted second in the order and hit a double into the gap my first time up to bat. I felt completely relaxed like I had done it before. We ended up being rained out during the second inning put it was nice to feel the juices flowing again.

We play again Friday night and it wont interfere with either of the girls games so I’m pumped. To hell with retirement.

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I’ve moved up to the Maui SNGs on Noble and continue to have some success. One of the things I like about these is that if you take first or second in five straight SNGs, you get $200. If you win five straight you can win $15,000 or more depending on the progression of the jackpot. I think that taking first or second in five straight events should be achievable with patients and aggression so I will work at this for a while.

All together I’ve increased my Noble bankroll to $171. Considering that I started with $5 I think I’m doing OK. I think that moving up to Maui level should see a pronounced increase to my bankroll over time.

A Weekend of Fun

I hope your holiday was good.

My trip to the fine state of Wisconsin was great. I spent many hours on the lake with each of my family members. It was fun fishing with my son B as he is only four but has to fish with a lure. He sat at the front of the boat and continually cast his line into the water without stopping. He caught a few fish and the bonding time was great.

L & M both spent time on the boat with me but spent the most of their time trying to catch turtles. It is a ritual that has been past down by their mother who has spent long hours trying to catch the hard-shelled creatures her self.

A and I even had a couple hours alone as hammered the large mouth bass on two separate occasions. At one point, she informed me that she was stuck on a log so we trolled over to the spot. I couldn’t find a log but I did see a 2-pound bass on her line. It had dropped into the weeds so she couldn’t get it out. We had a good laugh over that one.

I’m ready for a new start on the virtual felt. I think my focus had wavered in light of my recent personal issues. I was having some success on my quest but most parts of my game have been off. I did play a few micro MTTs on stars last night cashing in one. I never made a big move but played short stack most of the time. I absolutely need to gain a clue in my chip up game during the middle of the tourney. Right now, I’m not buying enough blinds and backing away from confrontations. Being passive is not good.

Have a good morning everyone.

Thrusday Night Suckfest

I played in the Not last night and got bounced quickly when my JJ was no good vs KT. I over played the jacks and I was out. Played two micro level tourneys but quit early so I could spend time with the wife if you know what I mean.

I'm packing the family for a weekend near BloodyP's soon to be new homeland. My aunt and uncle have a lake up north so it will be days of fishing and turttle hunting with the family. You wont hear from me until maybe Tuesday.

Have a good holiday weekend and good luck on the felt.

Mookie

I did play the mookie and was unceremoniously knocked out in 13th place. I was coin flip time so I called tripjax all-in bet with my AK suited and hit an ace on the flop. He caught a 5 on the turn to hit trips and my night was over. He almost cashed with my chips but bubbled out. Overall I played tight aggressive and got respect for my raises. I sat out the first 30 minutes or so as I got the kids to bed and proceeded to chip up in the first few hands. For the most part, I bet my hands and folded my crap. I did check raise with a draw at one point to win a pot but most of my hands were solid. I did miss two possible bets at the 200 level when I chickened out. I hit top pair on the flop and want to check raise but nobody bet. An ace on the turn scared me so I pussied out. Again all checked and the river x saw everyone check again. Stupid play but I did win the hand.

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My house was hit by lightning yesterday. It blew out the modem on the computer but luckily, the motherboard wasn’t fried. All in all, my direct TV is screwed up, I need to replace both openers on my garage, and GFI outlet in the garage was toast. It could have been worse but, with my job status, this wasn’t an opportune time. The cost for everything will be about $400.

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L had another game rained out. That’s 4 already this year.

A New High

I hit an all time high at noble today. This not all that amazing but it does give me reason to believe that I’m getting better. I’ve also stuck to my guns and stopped plat MTTs at Noble because of my bankroll constraints there. Hopefully I’ll continue to win so I can move into the higher levels.

I did play a couple of micro tourneys but busted out when my AK saw A9. I was playing well considering that I changed my style a little to see what would happen. I saw more flops and raised with any two cards. I did this three time an orbit and really confused my opponents with the attacking style. They couldn’t put me on a hand so I was paid off well. When I got knocked out I was top 40 and would have taken the chip lead. That’s life.

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M had a game tonight and she pitched well again. I’m really proud of her and her work ethic. She wants to improve and is doing a good job of it. She is even toning down her attitude.

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I wanted to play the WWnd tonight but ball got in the way. I may be able to play the mookie on Wednesday night if we get done in time. I guess It’s a good thing that life gets in the way of the mind numbing computer screen. If it didn’t then I would have a serious problem.

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I have registered to play in the PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker!

This Online Poker Tournament is a No Limit Texas Holdem event exclusive to Bloggers.

Registration code: 7330476

An OK MTT Weekend

I’m on an extended vacation right now. The good news is that a few of my contacts are working for me so things are progressing well.

The poker game is doing well also as I earned 20th place in 800 plus field Friday night. I moved into the top 30 early and continued to chip up well. At the time of my demise, I held AK and pushed the raiser, the chip leader, and he called with QJ and spiked a J on the turn. It was a good run and if I hit I’m in great shape.

I also took 64th in another 800-player tourney but played the whole thing as a short stack. It was fun playing that way in that I kept my M big enough to maintain fold equity and then got super aggressive as we got closer to the bigger money. I pushed with almost any paint against the medium stacks to continue along at a snails pace only to run into pocket kings when I held queens.

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L pitched Friday night and did an outstanding job. She gave up 2 runs on 2 hits, striking out 6 batters in 3 innings of work. Both of the runs were unearned so over it was fun to watch. The important thing is that she threw strikes and made them swing the bat. In her first outing, she struggled with her control. She only gave up one hit and K’d 5 that time but walked a crap load. The return to form was a mechanical flaw in her pitching motion that hindered her ability to control her pitches from side to side. I think we’re good to go now as we have thrown for each of the last three days with increased improvement each time.

The same can be said for M’s pitching skills as we change her approach to one of throwing strikes instead of throwing hard. At the 10u level, throwing strikes means successful pitching because many of the girls don’t hit well so speed doesn’t matter. She didn’t want to slow her pitches down but after I convinced her to give it a try she was happy with her results. I’ll continue to work with her because she throws almost as hard as L and is 2 years younger. Mid to high 35-40 isn’t to bad for a ten year old.

I will be spending a lot of time with each of them as the weeks of unemployment go by so hopefully the added attention will help get them to the next level.

That's Life

That's life (that's life), that's what all the people say
You're ridin' high in April, shot down in May
But I know I'm gonna change that tune
When I'm back on top, back on top in June

I said that's life (that's life), and as funny as it may seem
Some people get their kicks stompin' on a dream
But I don't let it, let it get me down
'cause this fine old world, it keeps spinnin' around

I've been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet, a pawn and a king
I've been up and down and over and out and I know one thing
Each time I find myself flat on my face
I pick myself up and get back in the race

That's life (that's life), I tell you I can't deny it
I thought of quitting, baby, but my heart just ain't gonna buy it
And if I didn't think it was worth one single try
I'd jump right on a big bird and then I'd fly

I've been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet, a pawn and a king
I've been up and down and over and out and I know one thing
Each time I find myself layin' flat on my face
I just pick myself up and get back in the race

That's life (that's life), that's life and I can't deny it
Many times I thought of cuttin' out but my heart won't buy it
But if there's nothin' shakin' come this here July
I'm gonna roll myself up in a big ball a-and die

My, my!


I may be from the hair band era but I like my Frank Sinatra. I think the lyrics to “That’s Life” seem to fit how things are going for me at the moment. I really do have positive attitude about the whole situation and I know I be back on top soon.

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Poker has been treating me like a red headed stepchild this week. Of coarse I have not helped my self with stupid calls and idiotic bets. I’m still getting knocked out on the bubble as I did it 5 more times yesterday. One of the times was me being an idiot and trying to push an equal stack off his hand. For some reason I’m under the impression that everyone is trying to bluff me so I call them down. Many of the times I was correct but lose to a tree outer or some other combination of junk kicking. The other times I’ve bubbled seem to be injustice for the most part. I know it will turn around but crap this is sucking balls right now.

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So this is it from Montgomery, Illinois. I have my checks and paper work and will be leaving in a little while. My son has a program at pre-school at 11:00 I think 10:30 will be it for the rest of the day. I don’t think I’ll even tell anyone I’m leaving. I wont be missed. I will soon be the punch line to a long and strenuous story that only a few people get. People who never even knew me will repeat the story for years to the new employees. I aim to please so have fun at my expense because I’m moving to big and better things. Don’t cry a tear for me Argentina because I will survive

Keeping a Stiff Upper Lip

It’s amazing how stimulating getting terminated can be. New desires and exciting ideas have been jumping into my head with reckless abandon. I know that most of this is caused by the uncertainty of the future but, what it does id give me hope at finding or developing a new career opportunity. I’ve had numerous conversations with people in my network and truly believe this will be a short-lived event.

One of the things about a life-altering event is that it allows you to reflect on decisions you’ve made in the past to try and determine what you could have done to eliminate the end result. It’s kind of like using Bloom’s Taxonomy as a way to evaluate what you’ve learned through life experiences. When I was searching for a job two years ago I had specific goals in mind. I wanted something that would challenge me in ways that I have never been challenged before. I was looking for my first managerial position and wanted it to be as close to home as possible.

My first opportunity was with a company on the south side of Chicago. I had two phone interviews and a personal interview with the entity that would be my boss if I took the job. There were many aspect of that job that I would have enjoyed but the offer they made was insufficient to my needs. My drive would have increased from thirty minutes to at least an hour plus, the abuse on my car would have been incredible. In the end the offer they made would have been good if the location had been more convenient but in the end it just wouldn’t work.

Within a month I had an interview for a position in Morehead Kentucky. I didn’t really want to move but it was a move within the company and it was a significant opportunity for me personally. I met with one of the salesman for an interview in Evansville Indiana and felt that this may be the right fit for everyone. It was a position within a customer’s plant and involved running operations from the location. A week later I flew down to Lexington and made the drive to Morehead for a second interview with my boss. What a difference a week makes as I realized this may not be what I want to do. This place is in the middle of the hills, which in it self isn’t a problem but the culture shock alone would have been tough to handle. I made up my mind that if the right offer was made then I would give it consideration but anything short of my expectations would put the job out of contention. A five percent increase and no moving expenses did not fit the bill.

Along came softball season and a summer of mingling with other parents as our children watch the butterflies instead off paying attention to the game they were playing. In passing I mentioned to Mike that I was looking for a job and wondered if they were looking for a Quality Manager. As a matter of fact they were and thus I was on my way to a new job. An interview here and an interview there and they were ready to make an offer. So the day before I’m leaving for the ISC World Fastpitch Tournament in Fargo, North Dakota I get my offer package. It was within a thousand dollars of what I expected so the money was right. In the end I had to negotiate my employment while playing at the tournament. Eventually we came to an understanding and I prepared to start the job I will soon be leaving.

I have no ill will toward anyone here. I understand that it is a financial decision that just kicked me in the junk. Sure, the company was shown through rose-colored glasses when I interviewed but I really thought that I could help make a difference and get the company turned around. I still do but that’s not my decision anymore.

What are my prospects?

I have many. I can stay in the same industry or I can jump into a different one while continuing to manage quality. This is probably the easiest avenue for me to travel but I’m not sure it’s what I want. It can be a thankless job that puts you at odds with all facets of a company at some time or other. It doesn’t bother me to stir the pot but I’m not sure if that’s what I want to do anymore. I have had thoughts of the financial industry and will give this area a good hard look. I don’t have any experience within this area but I know it is an area I can succeed in. I have also kicked around the idea of starting my own business. I have a few ideas that I could be successful with and may make one of these ideas my plan. We will see.

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Spell check is all better today so I’m happy.

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I wanted to play in the Mookie last night but didn’t get away from church until 9:00. This was in fact a good thing because I needed a night away from the tables so I could recharge my batteries. I’ve spent more time playing during the last week then I had during any other stretch of play during my short online poker experience.

I did open a Neteller account yesterday so that I will be able to move my money around a little easier. In the past I had to send a check or wire the money and that was not good. It worked out well in that I have a checking account that I used to use for my old softball team but has been dormant for some time. I just set Neteller up to that account and I’m ready to go. This is a good thing because I have a 100% bonus offer for Ultimatebet that I want to take advantage of as well as a promotion with Noble. Why not take advantage of the bonuses that are being offered instead of sitting on my money at one site.

Nothing more today – have a great day.

Ramble On

“I pop open a table at the drop of a hat like it's fine to start playing away. This lack of preparation and anticipation, again, is starkly different than playing live, where I would have to get to a casino (if I'm not staying there), find the poker room, get on a list, have my name called after reading CardPlayer, get chips, decide if I was posting or not, then play. I need to treat playing online more as something I earn the right to do. If I have a great, productive day, then maybe I get to play.”

I read this at CC Explore and it reminded me of how I approach the game at times. I don’t understand why I would employ this methodology but I can see how being less than adequately prepared will cause issues with your bankroll overall. I like the idea of the reward system determining when and if I get to play but that would eliminate my play all together as I am as unproductive as a human can be. I think that limiting my play to a set schedule may be the right alternative for me. I could create I weekly itineraray that shows events that I plan on playing and the times I will be playing. I could place it on the refrigerator, under the Rosati’s Pizza magnet, so that the family will be able to see how my time is being allocated. I think with my new found free time that this is an idea I may use.

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My spell check is not working and this is a problem. I am the worst speller in the world. Please forgive any gramitical issues you incounter as I have no way of fixing it at the moment. In two more days it wont matter anymore.

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I had a crazy night at noble last night. I played 8 Dirty Dozen SNGs but only cashed in three. The crazy part was that I bubbled out of 4 others. It was a great example of AQ losing to A4, or other similar hands, and seeing the small stacks make a run to knock you out. I’m not really complaining because I know that the plays I made will be profitable in the long run but the short term junk kicking sucks.

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Poker Stars is approaching their 5 billionth hand and thus is giving away money as milestone hands are reached. Last night I saw that hand #4,960,000,000 was coming on quick so I fired up a few $1 MTT to see if I could get lucky and hit. The lucky players on the table that hits will each receive $2000 while the winner of the hand wins $5000. So I’m watching the counter and as we get close I have some idiot taking forever to call or fold an all-in over bet with about $60 on the table. I’m thinking fold and lets see if we hit. He waited to long and the number passed us by. We missed by 19 spots. Considering that 20,000 hands a minute is not out of the question we almost got it. Better luck next time.

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life!

I remember the moment 2 years ago when the big shots at my old company flew into town and announced that they were discontinuing operations later in the year. It didn’t come as a surprise as an inside source had informed me weeks earlier of my future demise. There were other signs, hand writing on the wall per say, like the round about answers to our business questions. Additionally, rumors had been flying around for eons that we would be shutdown within 5 years of our acquisition by the mother company. All in all I was prepared for the doomsday event and thus had an interview and my first job offer before a month had gone by. Though I didn’t take that first offer I was on my way to the glorious and rewarding job I now hold.

It’s never easy dealing with the change brought on by a plant closing or any other hindrance to your everyday routine. Confronting this change with a positive mental attitude and being proactive in your future will insure as smooth a transition for you and your family as possible. This is where I stand before you now. I’m helpless, like a small child, as I ponder my future with anticipation and worry. Anticipation to a child is like crack to the strung out cokehead. It is one of the driving spirits behind a child’s desires. And as for the worry, it is a residual effect from the change of circumstance. As the great philosopher Curly said: "I am just a victim of circumstances".

I was informed of my termination yesterday and will work my last day on Friday. At least they are willing to give me a letter of recommendation. That and a dollar will buy me a cup of coffee.

The writing was on the wall. We were sold three months ago to avoid bankruptcy and foreclosure do to the inadequacies of upper management and their inability to deal with an ever changing market. The first signs of my future demise were apparent when they announced that we would officially merger our company with the buying company. In many cases new owners put their trusted employees into leadership position of the new company to avoid problems with entrenched management. They have people who are qualified and that don’t need to be trained into a new culture. There was also a staff meeting a couple of weeks ago that basically confirmed that at least one of the existing managers were going to get it. My feeling is that the lead engineer/IT guy will be getting terminated on Friday. They are just waiting so he can’t screw everything up.

So as of Friday afternoon I will be one of the unemployed. I will leave in search of a new dream. A dream that revolves around some as of yet unknown occupation, profession, career, or any other term you wish to use. Something that will excite me when I get up in the morning as I prepare for the challenge of a new day.

These people have it much worse then I do.

I donked off $20 last night while I was on job tilt. It was an exercise in futility as I fretted over my job situation. It was a good stress reliever but cost me money. The best part was when I finally hit a hand with the crap cards I was playing. I made back my buy-ins plus a little and was going to quit at the end of the orbit. On what was going to be my last hand I get pocket kings and raise to .40. I get re-raised to .70 so I re-re-raise it to $1.60 and get two callers. I see a flop of all unders with two spades and I bet the pot. The next to act pushes and we all end up with our money in the middle. The pusher had a flush draw while the other had AK. The king of spades hits the board and I lose to the flush with a set of kings. I was ahead when we got the money in and had the odds to make the call on what ended up being a 68 dollar pot in .5/.10 NL. It would have been nice.



If anyone has need of a soon to be out of work Quality Manager, shoot me a line.

Throwing a Curveball

Friday started out OK with a lot of grinding and wheel spinning. I spent most of the day with my sick son watching cartoons and playing poker. I think I was even for the day overall with a multitude of my flopped two pair getting beat by sets with no pairs on the board. I dealt well with this for the most part realizing that variance was just slapping me.

The best time I had was tripling up on a 10NL table. I had 96 in the BB and saw the flop with 6 others. The flop is 9d6dAc and I bet .50. Two callers see the turn 6h and my $1.10 bet. Both call. Now I have a boat and I’m hoping a diamond hits on the river. It does and I bet small. Both players push and I call. They had the nut flush and second nut flush respectively. Thank you and come again.

Check out this hand. I have Kc9c in the SB and call a small raise with 5 other players ($1.05). The flop comes Qc6c7d. I bet .90, BB calls, and UTG raises it to $2.50. What would you do? I have the right odds so I call, BB calls. Turn is an 8d. I have an OESD and the second nut flush draw. With 15 outs, maybe 12 if he has trips, I check. This may have been bad in that a bet may have protected my draw. Anyway he bets $6. Should I call this? I’m paying $6 to win $14 and will win about 30% of the time. I called and hit a ten to take down the pot. Is this a positive play in the long run? I think it’s a winner in the long run. By the way my opponent held pocket queens. I only had 12 outs as he had trips. I put him on AQ, which was a bad read on my part and unlucky for him.

The Dirty Dozen SNGs at Noble are still a cash cow for the most part. I finally passed my high water mark during a SNG session last so I am feeling better about my quest. The only thing I need to change is my desire to play the MTTs while trying to increase the bankroll at Noble. The fields are soft but I can make more playing NL and the SNGs. The hits I take when I don’t cash during my MTT trials have induced a –ev phenomenon that sees me going nowhere. I think I will avoid them for a while.

Mothers Day brought everyone to our house to celebrate the event as well as M’s birthday. She will be 10 next week. Anyway, my brother-n-law likes to play some cards but had never jumped onto the virtual felt. During small talk he tells me he had deposited $100 on Party Poker. It last him about 3 weeks before he went on bankroll tilt. It’s the usual story of playing over your limit and that before he knew it he was down to nothing. This brought up the subject of money management and how to protect your investment.

I told him that he is the type of player that the sharks are looking for by playing beyond his limits. It isn’t that he doesn’t play the game well, but that he needs to work within the constraints of his bankroll. My suggestion was to play games that allowed him to have 50 buy-ins. This is a conservative number but it allows him time to grow within the game. As he improves he can adjust his risk of ruin to a level that is more comfortable. I don’t know if he’ll give it another shot but I hope he does cuz momma needs a new pair of shoes. In reality he is not a bad player. He just needs to play and improve his decision-making skills. Additionally, I told him not to worry about dropping the cash as most players have lost their initial deposits and many have lost multiple deposits before becoming winning players. I think it bothers him that I’ve had limited success while struggled. He’s also a competitive person and is channeling his energy into the game. I wish him luck.

He is also the guy who taught me my curveball.

Saturday Night Tilt

Saturday Night Tilt staring The Poker Enthusiast. Show time 7:15
Also staring The Donkey, The Jackass, and The Lemur.
Free re-fills of your favorite soda.

I was going to edit my live blog with hand detail but the reminder of the unmentionable event tilted me so bad I’m still walking around in a stupor.
I was more worried about the other guy who had an OESD, not the guy with 2 outs. The sad part is I was on my A game and going to make a move. At least I’m smart enough to quit so I don’t donate any more cash.

I did have a good run on Noble this morning playing .05/.10 NL when I flopped two pair and hit a boat on the turn. The river gave a flush draw and two players paid me off with first and second flushes. Then a weird thing happened. I started to play scared, as if I didn’t want to lose, so I jumped off. I don’t know why this irrational fear hit me but I recognized it and got away. I’ll have to keep an eye on that.

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I played in a PL tourney this morning and was top 5 with 80 to go when I made a bad call after a shorty raised. I re-raised to put him all-in with AK suited. Another player came over the top of me all-in and I called. His pocket aces were good and I’m a donkey. If I fold I have 8400 chips instead of 2000. It cost me a cash. I still went out just short of the money with a good short stack game but I never really recovered from my mistake. Maybe this will be a lesson learned.

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Happy Mothers Day

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No Softball as the rain has come down non-stop for the last 4 days. No big deal other then L now has two makeup games to through in at the end of the season. M has only had one so hopefully we don’t get any more.

Live Blog

7:15 and ready to go

7:17 the freaks come out at night. Players dumping buy-ins left and right.

7:21 win a hand with AT

7:30 sat out to bring in groceries

7:31 pusher has re-bought 6 times

7:34 make it 8 times

7:40 10 times

7:42 12 times

7:43 14 times

7:45 16 times

7:46 called from sb with 56 and the inside strait. Now at 6700

7:48 17 times

7a;49 10,400 with KK

7:53 19 times, 38 minutes into the tourney and we have 4,700 re-buys

7:55 20 times. $60 in a $3 tourney.

7:58 22 times.

8:00 23 times.

8:01 and he is done. Thank you for the donation.

8:02 this live blog brought to you by the fine people at Portillo’s. Chili dog and Italian Beef.

8:04 win a small pot with AJ from the SB. TPTK.

8:07 fold after the flop with top pair second kicker to a large stack over bet. It was week but I don’t want to give away my stack yet.

8:13 lost 2300 when I lose QQ vs AA.

First break and I’m just under average with 7800
611 out of 1474. time to move up. Looking for opportunities to double through the big stacks. I took the add-on so now at 9800.
Sitting in 7th place at my table. Not good but can put a big hurt on most. I have less then half of two stacks, my targets. Played 6 out of 60 hands and won5 of them.

I just got My aces cracked by AK. I would have been at 28,000 and top 50.

Crap.

Not Much

Today I have a sick child so I have the pleasure of posting from home. Yesterdays post was something that just hit me after ready the comments from CC. Coaching kids just happens to be one of my passions so I thought it was appropriate.

I showed up for the WWnd last night. I say showed up because I was out in about eight hands. First hand saw me with Pocket jacks on the bb. I raise it and all fold except the sb blind who re-raises. I call and fold to a king high flop. In retrospect, I should have re-re-raised to show the strength in my hand. Next orbit I am out like a donkey with TPWK.

I went to noble and played some dirty dozens taking a 1st and a second in three tries. I have to look at my stats but I think overall I’ve cashed 7out of 13 this month with an ROI of 146% so I guess I’ve been doing better then I thought. I know I will not keep this pace but making money hear does not seem to be that hard. I also cashed in a 3+.30 MTT this morning. I got lucky when my AJ busted AA to keep me alive.

I started playing the 12+1 6 player SNGs on Poker Stars for a change of pace and have been running well so far. I’ve cashed in 4 of 6 and have enjoyed the ride so far.

Not much else today except I see rain in the forecast which, no ball for the girls. Let’s hope the weatherman is wrong.

Coaching

I’d like to take a second to respond to CC from the comments he made this morning.

Coaching children, by far, is one of hardest and enjoyable things that I do. You have a diversity of young minds that for the most part will act like a sponge to new information and direction. The key for me has been presenting their instruction in a way that they enjoy while getting them to focus on the task at hand. In your case with a group of 8-year olds this a task can test any ones patience.

With L’s in-house team (12u) keeping the kids focused and on the task has been trying at times as we worked through basic skills and repetitive sessions of throwing exercises. One of the girls in particular is the class clown and has trouble dealing with her less talented teammates. It has been a constant battle to keep her under control. I think now that the games have started that she will be less of a distraction and more of a positive influence overall.

As far as M’s 10u in-house team we have a great group of kids that work hard and absorb much of the instruction that we give. The only draw back I’ve seen with this group is more problems with my parental skills then being a team issue. M, being on the travel team, expresses her displeasure at mistakes her teammates make. We’ve had discussions about this issue and for the most part she has lightened up but I know it still gets her goat when they make mistakes. I think in some ways it’s good that she has this drive to improve and expect improvement from the others around her but she doesn’t fully comprehend the different skill levels of her teammates. In reality I think chastising reflects her fear of failure.

Now with L’s 12U travel team my expectations are much higher. These girls are the cream of the crop from the in-house league and thus have more responsibilities. They are expected to be leaders for in-house teams in that they take things that they have learned and express these newfound talents by example and through educating their teammates. This is a lot for a 12-year-old girl but it is a character building activity that teaches them how to lead without being a dictator. And like I posted yesterday, these girls need to lead by example by focusing during the game and showing the uninitiated pathways to success.

I don’t expect all of the girls to have these same ideals. Many of them are playing to be with friends and to socialize and that’s fine. Many will never play after they get to high school because the activities they choose to participate in conflict and eliminate the choice. My focus is to do what’s best for each of the individuals that play for my team. I will challenge the goal oriented while comforting the social butterfly. I look at each individual as a separate entity and try to do what is best for both them and for the team through encouragement and partnership. As for me, my only real goals as a coach are to insure that they have fun and that they improve during the process.

In the end, I think for the most part I've done an adequate job. Many of the kids I’ve coached still refer to me as coach when I see them from time to time. It’s a nice feeling when you realize that you’ve made a positive contribution to someone’s life.


********************

I don’t really have any pokery stuff today but what about Delmon Young. He’s the 20-something kid who whipped his bat at an umpire after being called out on strikes a week or so ago. He received a 50 game suspension for his action but was it enough. Do you realize that 50 games is the same suspension you get for being caught taking steroids. I think that a physical assault on a game official should have dire consequences in comparison to a drug related charge. Sure, taking a prohibited substance is punishable certainly but this umpire could have been seriously hurt from the projectile that was heaved at him. Just a thought.

********************

I’m going to try and play in the WWnd: not the tonight if I can. It’s late enough that the kids will be in bed and early enough that I will be able to function on Friday. Maybe I can do better then halfway through the field in my third blogger event.

Have a great day.

A Letter From the Powers That Be.

Dear The Poker Enthusiast:

Thank you for your message regarding internet gambling and several bills that have been introduced in the House of Representatives -- H.R. 4411, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2005, introduced by Congressman Leach, and H.R. 4777, the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act, introduced by Congressman Goodlatte. I appreciate hearing from you on this issue.

The debate over Internet gambling has generated strong public interest. Gambling may have an adverse effect on some individuals and communities. Others enjoy an occasional wager or poker game without trouble and believe that doing so should be a legal option for adults.

Currently, there is no legislation pending in the Senate addressing Internet gambling. H.R. 4411 and H.R. 4477 have been introduced in the House of Representatives, and I will keep your concerns in mind in case these bills or related legislation comes before the Senate.

Thank you once again for contacting me. Please feel free to stay in touch.

Sincerely,
Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator

RJD/ds

P.S. If you are ever visiting Washington, please feel free to join Senator Obama and me at our weekly constituent coffee. When the Senate is in session, we provide coffee and donuts every Thursday at 8:30 a.m. as we hear what is on the minds of Illinoisans and respond to your questions. We would welcome your participation. Please call my D.C. office for more details.

I received this e-mail response at 4:48 yesterday. It appears to me that at least someone who works for the Senator put time and effort in creating a form letter to appease the masses. But I do have one question about his response in general. Who pays for the coffee and donuts? Is it something that they write off on their taxes or is it in the Senators budget.

What I did notice was the distinction between “an occasional wager” and ” poker game”. The two were separated as different entities within the confines of the letter. This fact shows, in my humble opinion that, our contention of poker being a game of skill versus a game of chance may be taken into consideration. There absolutely is variance and chance in the game of poker but personal skill and experience determines our action on any given hand. Lets all keep up the good work and let our legislators know our opinion.


I also received a response from House Speaker Denny Hastert. It was the standard form response that says nothing other then “I got your e-mail”. I will continue to follow this path in hopes of getting a personal response from the third most powerful politician in the United States.

***********************************

Last night my daughter L had her first league game. During the game our opponent made a pitching change, which is not uncommon at any level. The new pitcher is throwing hard and I can see the fear bubbling up on the young faces of my players. L just happens to be leading off so I remind her that every at bat is a battle between the pitcher and the batter. That it doesn’t matter how hard she throws the ball. Just go up there and be aggressive and hit it right back up the middle. She got on base but eventually was forced out at home for the first out of the inning.

At this point I kept an eye on he to see what she was doing. She went back and talked to mom, got a drink, and horsed around with her teammates. When the inning ended I challenged her to tell me what types of pitches the opposing pitcher had. She looked at me with a blank stare and said, “I don’t know”. Wrong answer.

This is a perfect example of gaining as much information about your opponent as you can. The pitcher had thrown two change ups that, in essence, were slow and easier to hit if she could pick out that pitch. I explained that she, as one of the team leaders, needed to use every bit of information she can attain to help her and the team to succeed. That messing around on the bench is not the pathway to success but a road to failure. I think she got the message.

This same line of thinking can be used at the poker table regardless of the location of the game. Identifying physical tells and pattern betting will make a difference in your long-term success. Being observant is only part of the solution, as you must retain this information by memory or taking notes on the individuals’ tendencies and use this to your advantage.

***********************************

No poker last night as I was worn out from late night sessions from the previous 4 days.

It's All a Game

He walked into the smoke filled room, glancing left and right in hopes of seeing a friendly face. It had been many months since the last time he had spoken to almost everyone who would be at the reunion. Months since he left that hellhole of job that beat him into submission without thought or worry. For the most part he liked the people that would be arriving there but the thought of being with a hand full of them made him fight the bile that dreamed of spewing forth from his slightly chapped lips. When he realized he was the first to arrive he relaxed and ordered a gin and tonic with a lime wedge. As he sat there waiting for the throng to arrive he realized the only reason he came was for the game. That same game he had played for longer then he could remember. It was No Limit Texas Hold’em and he played it well.

At last the people started to appear as he lazily got up from his seat to shake their hand and offer greetings. The pomp and circumstance was a given with his long absence as well as the status surrounding the plant closing. He was just one of the lucky ones who left before the walls came tumbling down to their final resting place this day. Everyone else’s last day of employment. It didn’t take long for the merriment to start as the alcohol and false smiles put everyone in a jovial mood.

Within an hour he was ready to go. Other then the half dozen or so people he would stay in touch with he had no reason to stay. Nobody was getting the game started so hitting the casino was the obvious choice for him now. As he started to make his exit and say goodbye to people he would never see again, his buddy brought in a set of chips. The game was on and delusions of grandeur swam through his head like voices talking to Sybil.

They were a good group of guys who played in this game. They had all just received their severance checks so money was no object. In the end, a $50 buy-in SNG was the game of choice with a 70/30 split going to first and second. So as the game got started beer was flowing and many of the players proclaimed their prowess on the felt. But he just sat there and waited. He waited for his spots and let the lunatics throw their money back and forth across the table like a Wimbledon doubles match.

When the table was down to the final three he knew he had work to do. He had to do battle with the Rock of Gibraltar and a maniac who held 50% of the chips in play. As time went by he used his people reading skills to crush the table. His attacks on the maniac are legend as he pummeled him into submission with an aggression that had never been seen before. He eventually tilted the lunatic when he showed a bluff with king high. As the next hand was dealt, seething with anger and remorse from his own play, the maniac re-raised all-in with top pair top kicker on a Queen high flop. The man called and showed his flopped flush to send the madman to the rail.

In the interest of time, he and the rock made an equity deal. Not because he felt he would lose but because he was a good friend who had staked him when he was getting started at the game. And as he said his final goodbyes that night he felt remorseful. Not for take their money, but for having to give up that game.

This is the official railbird of The Poker Enthusiast

I was a railbird for jjok on a 6-max table last night. I got there just in time to see him scoop a nice pot. Then some idiot makes a rude comment because I say hi. I guess he was still mad because he dropped his buy-in to jjok.

I played a few SNGs last night I took a 2nd and a 3rd at PS while taking a 1st and 2nd at Noble. I’m still frustrated by Noble because I can’t seem to get the bankroll to the levels I want. This being said, I have not spent as much time there because I’ve been running well at PS.

I jumped on a MTT last night just before my wife informed me of some job requirement changes she hade made for me. By the time I get done with her requests, the tourney has been going for half an hour. At least I still had 1390 in chips. For the remainder I sit and wait for a hand that will pay me off. At the first break I’m at T1950 by winning a couple of unremarkable hands. Early in the second hour I double up after I make a raise with 89 suited. I hit the nut strait on the flop and a volunteer steps up and gives me his chips with his over cards. As time went by I had the opportunity to increase my stack but got rivered and turned to drop me down to T300. With the BB coming I’m ready to push when I see aces. I get 2 callers and I’m at T900. From the SB I push my last 700 and the BB calls. My 87 suited defeats his AK. Now at T1400 I’m looking to push again and do so with QJ suited. I get two callers. One with AK and the other with KJ. I spike a queen and I’m up to T4200. In the third hour as we approach the bubble I start to prepare for my run. I hit TPTK with AQ and push only to get called by KJ. His three outer hits. Still at 3200 I get pocket 5’s and push from late position. I lose to over cards. Finally at around 2400 chips I push with pocket 9’s and go down to A6 suited when he flopped a flush. I’m out just short of the money. The question I have is am I make the right decisions at these points of the tourney. I’m trying to get to the bigger money so I think my answer is yes.

Also, I need an “ Ask the Enthusiast” question for this week so if you have anything feel free to ask away.

The other day I asked if anyone could identify me from a picture. I’m going to bring it up again just because I can. And jjok, you can guess again because you were incorrect.

This should be at the top but I just read it at steal the blinds. With the legislation to outlaw online poker, I think it is imperative that we let our voices be heard by the elected officials we place in office. With that being said, go here and exercise your rights as an American citizen. Send a letter to the people who should act in our best interest. I will be sending a personal letter to Speaker of the House Denny Hastert (his blog) as well as the electronic submission at the link above. Denny was a teacher in the town I live and has a friendship with my in-laws so I will use that to my advantage. He is a stand-up guy and does represent the people of his district well.

Things That are Found

Before I get started I want to talk about DADI 6 onMay 29th. It's a great event and the 10:00 eastern start should allow me to play in this one so sign up. Maybe I'll place my old cup as the bounty on my head.

I found a few things this weekend. Some of the things, like my cup, had been missing for various amounts of time while others were just discovered. It’s always nice when you find something that has been misplaced so you can enjoy using it again.

Lets start with my cup. I was going through the trunk of my car when it miraculously appeared under my ball bag (no pun intended). I sighed with relief as I returned it to its proper place inside my well-worn bag. The girls and I were just leaving for their respective practices, which included my working with the pitchers so nut-sack protection was necessary. My concern and relief as to the apparent demise of the protector was soon just an after thought. About ten pitches into L’s workout she put a 50 MPH drop ball into the dirt that bounced up and got me in the seldom used area between my legs. All I can say is thank you Lord.

I found my poker game this weekend. It started out Friday night as my wife and I watched

Sin City. I know that watching movies has nothing to do with poker but it gives me a chance to mention Jessica Alba. She looks great as a 19-year-old stripper who was saved by a do gooder cop 8 years earlier from being raped by the son of a politician. Anyway, by the time I got going it was after midnight. A $3 + .30 MTT was going to start in about an hour so I killed time by grinding so micro limit NLHE on Noble. As the tourney started I made a decision to keep tight and play my monster with aggression. This was great in theory but a cold deck and boredom threatened to change my resolve. In the end I held strong and reached the first break with a little over T2000. Now with the blinds starting to escalate, I needed to make a move. The deck did it for me as I doubled up from the big blind when my pocket 2’s hit quads. From this point I started to chip up with steals and re-raising the weak play of some of my tablemates. As I start the third hour I’m sitting on T12,000 and ready to move. I’ve picked out my victims and waiting for the opportunity to strike. That’s when the deck hit me in the face. Inside of 6 hands I get QQ, AK, AA, JJ. This little run puts me up to T45,000 and I think I have a shot. I get a table change and look down at AA again. The table chip lead re-raises my 3x bet and I insta push. He calls with QQ and my aces hold up to put me at T95,000 with 50 players left. At this point I backed off some but did continue to increase my chips. As we got down to 23 players, I see AA again and push a medium stacks raise to which he calls. His kings are good when the turn answers his prayers. Now I’m down to 65,000 but still OK. Players continue to drop and I make a nice move back into contention returning to the T100,000 level. With 14 players left I’m sitting with pocket 3’s on the button and call a raise to 12,000. My opponent’s range of hands is pretty tight but it could be a steal. He has me out chipped by 47. That’s right, 47 chips. I hit my trips on the flop and re-raise his ½ pot bet to 40,000. At this point I have over half of my chips on the table but could still get away form the hand. He calls. The turn is x and he checks. I think I’m ahead so I push and he calls. He has KK and is way behind. I ended up in 14th place as his king hit on the river. I’m happy with the play and can’t blame him because he had the over pair. If I win that hand I would have had almost 20% of the chips in play.

I played that game about as well as I could. For the most part I got my money in with the best hand all night. I only lost one coin flip but was involved in only 4 or 5. I had the right cards at the right time most of the night and the right cards at the wrong time at the end. I was just a few spots from the big money.

My 18-player SNG play was good as I took a 1st, two 2nds, and a fourth in five attempts. I also had continued to have a good time in the MTTs cashing in 4 of 7. The only thing I need to change is my finishing position so I can get a good payday.

My Game and an "Ask the Enthusiast" Question

Patience is definitely the key to my success. As I started the evening last night I jumped onto a $5+. 50 SNG. Nothing strange or unusual and I chipped up after a trap on a flopped set. I continued being patient and took my opportunities to steal blinds in ever lasting quest to win another of these small tournaments. But as we got down to 5 players I blew up. It started when the button came over the top of my 3x raise all-in. Blinds were at 100/200 and I had around T5000. I held AdJd and called for 40% of my stack. It was a stupid move because I was way behind his KK. I should have gotten away from this hand as I was out of position and more then likely behind. A few hands later I push a draw that doesn’t hit and I’m on life support. Needless to say I didn’t cash.

Here is the part that really disturbs me the most. If I remain focused and get away from these marginal hands then I cash easy. The short stacks would have been out within an orbit or two and I wouldn’t be writing this post. What is it about my game that causes me to continue with this unprofitable line of play?

In the past I’ve talked about how competitive I am. I’m starting to think that this is the cause of my ineptitude at times. I’ve always been a guy who will step on the victims’ throat given the opportunity of putting them away, but this desire to win seems to be hindering my judgment at critical times, thus costing me revenue. With this being said, I need to identify these situations and determine if continuing in the hand is +EV. In reality, good tournament poker is not only winning as many chips as you can, but it is also losing as little as possible. I think refocusing on this aspect of the game should help me out.

So after having this epiphany last night I opened another SNG armed with the vast wisdom I had just achieved. This new revelation was awe inspiring and led me to the Promised Land as I knocked down the 18 player SNG. I even threw away AQ suited after I was re-raised by a medium stack. He showed me his pocket aces after I folded. Joy of joy and hallelujah. I can make big lay-downs in short-handed play.

Ready for war I jump right back on the wagon and fire another 18 player SNG. This time I didn’t have the same success as I was knocked out in second. It was a good match but when we go down to two players I was severely out chipped, as my opponent had knocked out each of the last four players with miraculous play and runner-runner suck outs. The heads up battle didn’t last long as I doubled up on the first hand and was poised to do it again as my A9 was dominating her A2. But it was not to be as the board paired and two over cards hit causing a split. This would have evened the chip counts but alas it didn’t. On my fateful hand I was dealt 56 and called her min raise. The flop came 599 and I push with my remaining chips figuring she can’t have a 9. She had it and I lose. GG and good night.

All in all I found a part of my game that had been absent for a while and with determination and patience I’ll start the bankroll climbing exercise that I enjoy.

Defensive Tackle Dusty Dvoracek in a game vs TCU

Is he the real deal? Was he worth a second round pick?

Well yesterday I suggested an “ask the Enthusiast” weekly question so I want to thank jjok for breaking the ice. His question was:

Did the Bears improve with the draft?

Let start with Dusty Dvoracek, the tackle out of Oklahoma. From what I read and here from the fine media outlets in the Chicago land area he was a stretch to be picked where the Bears got him. But lets take a look at his resume.

1) He was kicked off of the Oklahoma team for alcohol related offenses. This would indeed place him in the fine company of many other current and/or former Bear’s players.

2) He was reinstated to the team and elected as team captain. His leadership skills are apparent with his sound judgment and decision-making skills.

3) He attended anger-management and alcohol-treatment classes so he could rejoin the Sooner team. This shows a clear commitment to his team and in no way does it show that he was looking for the paycheck he would get in the NFL.

The Bears also did a great job shoring up a wide receiver core that was less then stellar last year by doing nothing except drafting a kickoff specialist. Additionally, they upgraded at tight end by not drafting anyone for that position. I understand that Desmond Clark, the current Bear TE, should make the pro bowl next year. They did sign two free agents for that position so they should be fine.

As far as the other positions go I don’t think the team’s needs were met. I could go into a long diatribe on the positions that needed fixing but I wont. I’m not the one getting paid to make the mistake that were made but the answers were obvious.

I’m a Bears fan and will be for life, but this draft didn’t address their needs. I’ve seen grades from C- to D for the effort they gave but in my book it was an F.
I guess the answer to the question is wait and see. On paper I don’t see the help coming but you never know about young players. They will surprise you some times.

Just Stuff, Poker and Other

Congratulations to surflexus for winning the mookie tournament last night. He beat out jjok in a fantastic battle that saw surflexus with an early 2.5-1 lead on to see jjok get it back to even. In the end, an ace on the river meant the end for jjok. I only got to railbird the final table but it was fun.


Diehard Cub fan.

On a personal note, I played both a SNG and a $25 NL table last night while watching the mookie event. This wasn’t hard to do but I found myself ignoring the cash table so I closed it out so I wouldn’t give away my meager gains. The SNG was fun in that it was an easy table to read. I chipped up early before going card dead for a while. One player jumped to 4500 chips within the first two orbits on a donkey play from two other opponents. He held the nut strait and called two all-ins in front of him. One player had top pair and the other had second pair. Why don’t I hit with players like that? Anyway, I stayed steady until I get JT suited. There was a raise in front of me and I smooth call with three seeing the flop. I hit the nut strait and slow play it into a bet and a re-raise when I push. One player calls and I double up. With a nice stack I start buying some blinds and pushing people off hands. The chip leader, being loose/passive was a perfect target for my aggression as I hammered his limp calls and min-raises over and over again. He would only raise if he had a hand and for the most part only with a pocket pair. When we were down to 4 players, I raised his BB 6 times in a row without being challenged. Finally, we get down to heads up and he holds a small chip lead. I continue to make him fold when we reach this hand. I get pocket 9’s and raise and he calls. I know he has a pair but I think it’s small so I raise the TT2 flop and he goes all-in. I thought about his range of hands and call, putting him on 5’s, 6’s, 7’s, or 8’s. He flips over 8’s and I think I’m good. When the hand is over I’m down to 785 chips. I eventually got back to almost even with some luck-box flops but couldn’t over come in the end.



Who is in this picture?


I have a staff meeting today. What makes this interesting is that the new boss is flexing his muscles. He is determined to show that he truly is in charge and that we all report to him. That’s fine and dandy because at least I’m getting direction. The previous owner still hasn’t told me what he expects from me. I actually dread these encounters because they invariably increase my workload by 10%. At some point I will have to put in an honest days work if this continues.



Who am I? From left to right 1 thru 6. You make the call.



I have been experimenting with a new style lately. I guess it’s not a new style but a more logical approach. When I started playing I would often raise on the river on to be beat by the better hand. These bets were either an attempt to take chips from my opponent or buy him off a hand. Are these bets gaining me value?

There are times when a continuation bet is necessary vs. a given opponent. Their willingness to drop a hand or call down, with a draw possibilities, need to be looked at when making these decisions. But making a bet on the river may be harmful. Sure we don’t want to give up are advantage of position but it also gives our enemy a chance to trap us for additional bets. This is exactly the reason we need to look at the tendencies of the opposition. I try to identify the trappers as soon as possible and may give up a river bet to a scary board. This is hard to do against good players who change their style but has been successful recently when the strait/flush draw spiked on the river and didn’t cost me a percentage of my stack. Is this an improvement in my game or an anomaly? Do any of you use a similar method for these situations?



What field is this?

Who's playing in the game?




If any of you have an idea for a picture to place between thought changes I will take it into consideration. I like the one I have but would like to have a rotation of shots.

I have one more thing before I go. I’d like to open a weekly question day of “what about you”. Ask me for my thoughts on a subject or about me and my beliefs and I will dedicate a post to it. Just leave your questions in the comment section and I’ll post a response.

Some Times are Worth Remembering

Tomorrow is the 21st anniversary of my senior prom. This isn’t a date that I mark on the calendar every year in homage of a long forgotten past. In reality it wasn’t that exciting. The usual high school hi-jinx was what I expected and what I got. The only memorable thing from that night was that my date Kathy was the Prom Queen.

On the day after prom we went to Starved Rock in Ottawa, Illinois to drink and be stupid high school kids. We walked the canyons and looked at the waterfalls as we enjoyed one of our last weekends before the end of school. I’d like to say that I got lucky during that memorable weekend but I didn’t. My advances were thwarted to my dismay as my primal urges and a good buzz surged through my body. At least I was smart enough to realize no means no.

Five years later I went to my first class reunion. Kathy was there and as the evening wore on I was distressed because of the advances I made years earlier. Finally, I sat down with her and opened my heart. I confessed of the guilt I bore ever since that ill-fated day. How my actions were inappropriate and inexcusable. Her reaction was one that I will always remember with contempt. She said, ”If it happened today I would probably go for it.” WTF. Don’t tell me this crap now. You should have put out then and all would have been good. Actually we had a good laugh about it and we still bring it up whenever we see each other.







I’m stealing the idea of separating ideas from Tripjax. I like the little pictures he has between thoughts so as to show a beginning and an end. Thanks.







I bubbled out on a Dirty Dozen SNG this morning. UTG chip leader limped for 200 and I pushed for 1600 from the SB with AQ. His KQ was good. I still think this was the right decision as my M was about 5 and it would have cost him about 1/3 of his stack. No biggie, please call again next time.

I was also playing a 10NL table but only won three hands during an hour of play. In the first one I posted the BB and hit two pair on the flop with T3 but didn’t get paid. I bought a pot after I raised with J8 suited when I hit an 8 on the flop. There were two over cards but no challenged me. My last hand saw me hit a set of 3’s from the BB but no big cards on the flop. I checked the flop and bet the turn and river for a small gain. I would have like to get some cards as the table was sending money back and forth with crazy action. I just couldn’t get any of the action.






Church night tonight so I doubt If I’ll play. I did get a free token from Noble to play in a qualifier for their 100 million dollar tourney or what ever it is. The problem is trying to find the time to play as the qualifiers run at like 3:00 and 8:00 central time. With it being ball season for the girls I never have a chance to play at those times. Maybe a sick day is coming.

Dude, Where's My Car?

I can’t find my cup. I had it a week ago but it’s nowhere to be found. Not having my cup is not that big a deal because I have ostensibly retired from actively playing softball.

The last time I saw it...err...had it protecting my sperm producing globes was at my daughters practice a week or so ago. I was working with the pitchers and catchers and didn’t want to feel the pleasure of taking one in the nads. It really doesn’t matter, other then the pain, if I don my protective device because the doctor altered my ability to reproduce a couple of years ago. I needed my cup that day. Anyway, I can buy another one. Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Target, and even Walgreen’s are sure to carry the protective equipment that I desire. They even vary in size so that the huge junk bearing men of this world don’t have to fit in the same ones as the pre-pubescent Little League players.

What really bothers me is that I have owned this cup for 20 years. It has literally bin part of me for a long time and I want to find it. I don’t think it makes sence to spend money on an item that I’m not going to use more then a few more times in my life so I’m searching. I’m searching for my junk defender. My marshal at arms, so I can feel safe and secure. I don’t feel safe without it.

Maybe it will make me feel safe at the tables.

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(Additions)

After Bloody P’s post the other day I didn’t want to gripe about my misfortune on the virtual felt. For one thing I can’t afford to give a dollar to each of the 6 loyal readers I have (yes it’s now 6). A blow like that to my bankroll would kill me.

Anyway, I won my second Dirty Dozen in a row on Noble last night and had visions of the $2000 jackpot you get for winning 4 in a row. This is the period of time that I needed to find my cup. I wont go into the details other then I didn’t win one race last night. The races were the product of previous misfortune that put me in push mode. That’s life.

Thinking that Poker Stars would be a better place for my protection I jumped into Some SNGs. Lets just say 0-4. The random acts of violence to my groin were continued without cause and with prejudice.

I thought hitting the $25 NL tables may help me get my focus back and it did. The only problem was that my focus returned after dropping 2 buy-ins on two outers. Crap, now I owe you a dollar. Anyway, I turned it around a little when I hit the nuts while sitting behind a maniac. He doubled me up thus leaving me down about $40 for the night.

I’ll be busy for the rest of the week so I wont see a lot of poker. Maybe one late night session but that’s it.

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I forgot to mention that I put a guy on tilt when I raised with 94 off suit before the flop. I hit 4 to a flush and it cost him a $25 pot. Within three orbits he went from table leader with $57 to bust. To bad it wasn't the hammer.

The Weekend in Review

Friday night was good in that I increased my Noble Bankroll. Saturday wasn’t as kind.

While I was looking for a game I saw a $5 tourney getting ready to start and thought I would give it another try. Oops it’s a re-buy. I hung in pretty good but because I wasn’t willing to drop a lot of cash in re-buys I play mega tight. When we got to the add-on period I decided to take it as I was had an average chip stack and felt confident in my game. I lasted about 20 minutes as I hit the all-in button on when trying to fold on another table. I had outs but J9 off suit wasn’t what I wanted to push with and my opponent’s pocket kings were good. I had just gotten a table change and hadn’t moved it to a safe position. By the end of the evening I gained it back on a SNG but I was pissed. I know I could have made another run to the money as the field was thinning fast and I was sitting in the top 20.

Saturday I played in a few low buy-in events on Poker Stars without any luck. I was in position to make a move in 2 of them near the bubble but lost races each time. I’ve been trying to push more as we closer to the bubble in an attempt to increase chips instead of just cashing but I have not had a lot of success. It will come.

Later on I played SNGs and had a good time. I cashed in 5 of six with 2 first, 2 seconds and a third. There was one interesting game that saw me tack second. With 7 players left I was dealt pocket queens. Blinds were at 75/150 and I am the chip leader with 3550 and in late position. UTG raises all-in for 500, UTG+2 calls, cutoff raises all-in for 300 more and I raise it to 2000 (was this a mistake?). BB calls, as does UTG+2. Lots of chips in the pot. Anyway, The flop is TTQ and it’s checked around to me. I make a bet of 300 to put BB all-in but he folds. UTG calls. The turn is a T and UTG goes all-in for 600. I have to call, right? Anyway he has the case T and scoops the huge pot. We’re down to 5 players and I’m on life support. The blinds go to 100/200 so I have to push with any average hand. The next hand I get pocket 3’s and push. One caller and I more then double up. I immediately get pocket 6’s and push with one caller and double up again. Now at 4300 I’m OK and the big winner from the critical hand has doubled me up twice. We get down to four players and we all have equal stacks. Blind stealing ensues when the original quad 10’s guy pushes with 8’s and gets called by the K8 of another player. A king hits and we are at three players. Everything was normal in that the luck-box with the K8 played every hand and hit so he won.

Another interesting thing I did was I used Shark Scope to find out about some of the players at the table. The guy who won is at –$479 total profit with his SNGs with over 400 games played. I also liked the fishbowl they had next to one of the players. My results say that I have a positive ROI (21%) but my total profit is very low. This must be from the two $20 SNGs I tilted off when I started a few months back. I only have 39 SNGs under my belt but my ROI is climbing.

This morning I played a turbo and was knocked out when my pocket Aces were no good to a K2 suited. I had played very tight seeing only 13% of the flops and raised all-in from the SB with 5 limpers in front. Blinds were at 75/150 so my 1150 raise into a pot of 900 was the right move. I had 4 callers and no chance.
Pauly has a nice post today so take a minute and read it. I was going to quote it but I would have had to cut and past the whole thing.