Things are Better

I’ve been on a good run lately in my SNG play. It’s not that I’ve change my game much other then pushing the aggression up based on my chip stack vs. blinds. II have been concentrating on my opponents fold equity and what each players position is relative to the top three. I had gotten away from that part of my game and it showed in some of my results. It’s amazing that a push or a raise will make people fold as the money bubble draws near. It has been said before but I’ll repeat it again. Take advantage near the bubble to gain chips.

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L’s team earned second place in the tourney last night. They were down 7-5 going onto the seventh and tied it up in the top half of the inning. They eventually lost 8-7 after bad throw on a play at the plate that let in the winning run. It was a great game as both teams battled back and forth the whole time. I’m really proud of the way the girls played tonight. Every one of them left it all out on the field and were spent when the game was over. L seemed to figure out a few things she had been struggling with and came ready to play. She gave up no runs in her 3 innings of work.

Tomorrow will be her third day in a row as we head to Geneva Illinois for a tourney. She be starting game one and playing third in all of the other games she doesn’t pitch. She pumped and ready to rock.

Not much more today. I’m playing a cash game as I write and have almost doubled up on donkey who plays every hand for a min raise and has his stack fluctuating like crazy. Everyone is taking turns trying to take his money and is doing it for the most part. The deck will hit him in the face for a bit then he will give it back to the better players. The new players to the table seem to be the ones who get killed by him. I really want to go to bed because I have to get up in 5 hours but I don’t want to give away the chance of taking his money.

Have a good weekend and good luck to those of you going to the WSOP.

More From the Powers That Be.

I received a letter from the Speaker of the House yesterday. It was in response to a bit of lobbying that I did back here. I answered a call from our community in an attempt to curb legislation that could affect our rights to play poker. I also received this response from Dick Durbin. Because I received my response from Speaker Hastert in the mail, I will give you the skinny of what I read.

He states:

“…Internet gambling has been illegal for a long time but there has never been an adequate enforcement mechanism. Both H.R.441 and H.R. 4777 have been introduced to give responsibility to financial institutions to police the system by making it illegal for banking instruments such as credit cards or checks to be used to settle Internet wagers.”

For many of us the fact that a financial institution will not allow the use of a credit card or a check, for the purpose of internet gambling, is a non-issue. We have Neteller accounts or some other similar method of turning our money so the effect will be minimal. The person who will be influenced the most will be the casual player or the first time depositor. For example, my brother-in-law deposited $100 into his Party Poker account with his credit card. It was an easy avenue for him to use and made his initial deposit with no problem. He could have wired the money or sent a bank draft instead with the same results. However, if the financial institution of the country were forced to reject his monetary transactions because of this proposed law, he would have never played on-line. He would have avoided using a system like Neteller because of its unfamiliarity.

He also says:

“Moreover, H.R. 4411 provides that enforcement will be accomplished through regulators who work everyday with various institutions. H.R. 4777 enforces the law primarily by court order.” And that “…either piece of legislation may now be placed on the calendar for consideration by the full house.”

Overall, this whole thing looks like more bureaucracy for us to deal with. Regulators and court orders to influence the rights we have as Americans. I can already see people with hidden agendas grandstanding and telling the world about how they are eliminating an unwanted faction of the population while losing players are being busted for a $50 deposit. That sounds like freedom to me.

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M’s team was eliminated from the tournament last night. She pitched well, for the most part, but the team came up short in the end. She now starts the bulk of her travel team schedule as they will play four out of the next five weekends. She is excited and ready to go.

L’s team won their first game of the tourney and will play against the second place team tonight in the semi-finals. It will be a battle of the two top pitchers in the league and should be a barn burner. We beat this team to knock them into second last week so they will be playing for revenge.

The hard thing about last night was that as a coach for both girls, I couldn’t be at both games. In the end I spent the first hour at M’s game and the last hour at L’s game. It worked out well but it sucked not being able to be there the whole time.

Rest and Relaxation

I played no cards over the weekend. I needed the time to recharge the motor because of the recent run I’ve had. I felt it was a much better idea then being tilted before I started a session of play. (I just got hit in the nuts again when I raise with AQ in late position and get smooth called. The flop is QKQ so I call a guy’s push and he flips over pocket kings.) I feel better and more focused so we’ll see what happens.

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I was looking at the finances for L’s travel team the other day with one of my coaches and noticed that we are about $500 in the hole. We figured we had three options in the end. We could go to the players’ parents and ask for an additional payment of $40, we could ask for donations from local business or we could do some fund-raising to acquire the funds. Being the multi leveled intellectual that I am, I figured a car wash would be a good idea. We also found a sponsor, a local Culver’s, that would give us 10% of the proceeds from the items sold that day. It could turn into a nice event for the girls and they also get to spend time bonding and growing as a team.

One of the ideas I will use for next year is to have a monthly hold’em tourney to try and raise some funds. I’m looking at a $25 buy-in with a $5 juice that would go to the team. What do you guys think. Would it be something you would consider? It will be a live event held at my dad’s club so I could avoid any over head and still occomidate a large turnout. I think I could expect between 30-40 players for these tourneys so It could make some money for the girls. The other option is to hold one or two higher priced events with a larger juice.

Another question I have is if it is possible to hold something on one of the many poker sites on the net. I know that players hold regular tourneys but what I don’t know is if it is easy to do and would people pay a little extra juice to support the cause?

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How about that goal by Beckham. That may have been as good a shot as I’ve seen in a long time. And the fact that he was throwing up because of dehydration just makes the whole situation more legendary. It was amazing to see a guy retching one second and running down the field the next. It show the heart of a winner.

The Pain

Back in the day ABC had the Wide World of Sport. It was a great show in that it covered many events that were not part of main stream America. But one of the best parts was the beginning of the show. They talked about the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat while showing a guy jump over oil drums while skating with the climax (yes, I said climax) being the ski jumper falling off the ski jump in an end over end crash. I feel like the ski jumper right now. I should be sitting in a hospital right instead of writing because of the beating I've been taking for the last few days. For the most part I'm making the right decisions but the beats are still killing me slowly. I've cashed in three of my last fifteen and was ahead in 9 of the 12 loses after the flop and/or turn only to get punched in the head. I think I may change over to the cash tables for a while to change things up and to refocus.

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The USA World Cup is over with a wimper. We could cry about the bad call by the ref but in reality it was pasive play from the team that caused their demise. Star players were not to be seen on the field of play insituations that they should shine. There are times, like the World Cup, when players rise to the hights they are to achieve or crumble like a house of cards. The US squad made their bed when they lost their first game. It is almost impossible to advance to the second round of the World Cup after a lose in your first game and they proved it. The head coach needs to be fired and the team needs to look at a new way of playing the game because they style of play they used sure didn't work.

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As the in house softball season is prepairing for the end of the season tourney, both of the girls teams are stuggling. Some of it comes down to defining the positions that make each team as good as possible. In the end I think they can both do well in their tournaments.

The last weekend in June will see the girls getting into the meat of their travel schedules so we will have lots of weekend time playing ball and hanging out together. It should be fun.

Are Things Looking Better?

The interview went well yesterday and even though the job would be an hour plus drive each way I will give it consideration. It fits well into my experience and would put me back into the chemical industry. I like that idea so we’ll see what happens.

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I’ve been less then confident in my game the last few days and I think it’s having an impact on my results. I’ve found my self backing down in certain situations that are +EV because of the run of luck I’ve had of late. A good example of my luck is a short stack calling my big raise (half of his stack) with 34 off suit while I hold KQ suited. He hits two pair on the flop of 437 and I double him up and get crippled in the process. It’s made me passive. I will be working through this and reverting to my previous playing style as of this writing. At least I didn’t drop a lot of money before I figured it out.

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I talked about bringing in a little more content to my post a few days ago but for the most part I’ve failed to do this. I believe my current employment situation has had a larger impact on me then I thought. There are stages to any situation that occurs in anyone’s life and I’m now past the denial stage. The reality of unemployment is sinking in and even though I’m enjoying my time at home with the kids, I have not been unemployed at any other time in my life. This doesn’t make me a failure. It makes me realize the importance of a strong work ethic, which I feel I have, and that it must be continued into other facets of your life for you to be successful. These are the time that try men’s souls and I believe it. I also know that I will be strengthened by the experience and will come to a better place in the end.

I may even become a better poker player because of the ordeal.

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One of the things I’ve failed to do is stay involved in the blogger community. I will read a few of the blogs on my roll but I don’t comment very often anymore. Guys like jjok and cc have been more then encouraging and I appreciate their words. Thanks guys.

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I’m moving to the land of high speed next week as I will have Comcast and it’s super fast action. Here is to having pictures on my blog again.

The Job Search Continues

Just a short post today as I'm getting read for an interview today. I don't think it is a job that I want but it will be good practice anyway. The sucky part is that my e-mail is down and the directions are on an e-mail so I have to call and get new directions over the phone. I should have printed it last night but I figured I'd do it this morning.

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I've cashed in only two of my last nine Maui SNGs but each of those were wins. I've had the typical donkeys calling my big raises with A3 sooted while I hold big slick and lose to runner flushes or a three on the river. I just hope they continue to call with their crap hands.

I played my first Rio SNG last night and took a third. These games will be my next SNG adventure after I play the Mauis for a little longer. I think the Rios can be just as profitable and you get your money back for third in these 6 player SNGs. They also have a bonus for winning or placing 1st or 2nd in five straight events so there is a nice incentive to play.

The Blogger Freeroll

The blogger freeroll was a blast I guess. I was knocked out in about 1400th place and I didn’t even play a hand. In fact, I didn’t even show up because I was in Wisconsin celebrating the return of my wife’s cousin from Madagascar.

Saturday we headed up north early enough to be settled in and say hello to everyone before the start of the US/Italy game. It turned out that everyone had the same idea so at game time we all sat around watching the game. I could go into a long-winded description of the poor officiating as well as a few other aspects of the game but I will refrain at this time.

After the conclusion of the game, all of the various cousin as well as my children, jumped into random automobiles and headed for Miller Stadium for the baseball game. The Brewers’ were playing the Indians and it was time to tailgate. We arrived at the field about an hour and forty-five minutes before the game and had a blast as we cooked out and drank the beverage of our choice. The game was fantastic as the Brewers’ came back to win in the bottom of the ninth as Geoff Jenkins hit a bases loaded, one out single to knock in the winning runs.

Sunday morning brought copious amounts of rain so fishing was out for the most part, so everyone hung out all day and watched the various World Cup games on the tube. We finally hit the lake in the afternoon but didn’t catch to many fish. L and I each caught two largemouth bass but only one of them had any size to it.

Overall, the weekend was as good as could be expected with the Sunday but it was great to see the wife’s cousins again.

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I have played no poker since the last time I posted. I wanted to play in the blogger event but I couldn’t justify it with all the activity going on up north. I tried to play a couple of SNGs this morning but Noble was having server issues and thus no game. This is twice in the last 5 days that they have had problems and it’s getting tiresome. I hope it doesn’t continue because I’ve been killing their games and hope to improve on the trend.

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The girls play every night this week as well as on Saturday. It is the home stretch for each of their leagues and the precursor for the end of the season tournament. Each of their teams has the ability to make it to the tourney finals so hopefully they play to their full capabilities.

M was voted to the all-star team and I anticipate L receiving the same honor when the voting is completed for her team. They will get to play at the American Legion Field, which is a big deal for the kids, on the forth of July and will have a great seat for the fireworks after the game. It’s a great time for everyone as we get to see our children compete in a friendly game while we celebrate the birth of our country.

Poker and World Cup Soccer

I actually made a conscious decision to refrain from poker writing yesterday. The main reason for this action was because I a piss poor day and needed something else to think about. I’m not going to discuss the bad beats because there are truly no bad beats in poker. Nevertheless, there are long shots. Anyway, let’s just say that my nut sac has swelled to the size of a softball and leave it at that.

Oh, and another thing, I was playing a tourney on Noble yesterday when the connection to the server was lost. I was sitting in great shape only to have the tourney canceled in the end. I sent an e-mail and asked for an equity refund and by golly, they did it.

I did have a good session at the cash tables if you consider a $2 profit good. I hit the micro NL tables with the $2.80 I had left after taking most of my money out of Stars. I did this in an attempt to relive the experience I’ve had at Noble and to see if I can do it again. I also want to do some bonus chasing to pad my small bankroll so the withdraw was needed.

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I know in the past I’ve talked about some of softball exploits and I’m sure it will continue in the future. I want to let you know that I also have an alter ego. An ego that played the biggest game in the world. Yes, I was a soccer player.

I started a young one while in elementary school and continued into college. As a matter a fact, the high school I went to was a perennial power and still is to this day. To make matters more interesting, I play goalie.

Back in 1983 I was lucky enough to travel to Germany to play a round of friendly matches with some club team over there. It was a great experience that I will never forget. We stayed in the houses of various soccer officials from Germany and had a great time drinking their beer and seeing the sights. It was a wonderful time for a teenager back then.

I also had the privilege of playing against the Chicago Sting in an exhibition match back in 86 or 87. They kicked our but for the most part but we were only down 1-0 at half time. After the game, the sting players came to the clubhouse and partied with us until almost sunrise as they attempted to show their drink prowess but instead were blind drunk. As a matter of fact Karl Heinz Granitza, a well known Germany player, would throw up and then grab another drink from the bar. Ricardo Alonzo was hitting on all the girls while his pregnant wife watched from the sideline. Good times.

I’m sure I’ll have more to say in the future about some of this, but for now I’ll leave it alone.

I love the World Cup.

1985

I graduated from high school in 1985. We had some good times back with all the hair bands playing cheesy music on the radio and weekends spent drinking on a country road in the middle of no place. The Chicago Bears were on the verge of greatness as they began their march to a Super Bowl victory with their only blemish coming from a curse causing Dolphins team that may remain as the only team to go undefeated for a whole season. One of the high lights of that year was going to a Cheep Trick concert at NIU and hooking up with some girl who was staying on the twelfth floor of one of the Stevenson buildings.

When we decided to go to the concert, I was pumped. I loved listening to Live at Budokan when I was in middle school and still enjoyed listening to their music. The deal was that after I got off work I would drive up to NIU and meet everyone at my friend’s dorm and we would head to the show. I closed up the gas station an hour early, drank a few bears on the ride up, and hit the stairs running as I headed to the eleventh floor dorm- room Doug stayed at. Since the elevators were all on the top floors, I took the stairs and easily made it up there in no time at all. The only problem was getting through the locked door at the end of the stair well. I didn’t realize I needed a key to get through. After pounding on the door for a few minutes I headed back down to the lobby and jumped on the elevator. By the time I got to his room they had left and I was screwed. My two options were go home or run to the Chick Evens Field House. The answer was obvious as I ran the eight blocks from the dormitory to the front of the build of the concert. I caught everyone just as they were entering and had my seat for the show.

John Wait was the opening act as he sang whatever stupid song he was known for at the time. I’m not sure what it was but it wasn’t good. Anyway, between shows I start talking to this girl, I don’t remember her name, and she has the great idea of going back to her dorm room after the show. Now being a teenager and full of raging hormones, I was ready for that action and we agree to meet there half an hour after the show. After I meet with my friends and we discuss my good fortune I headed to the promised land for a night of mindless sex with someone I had just met. I had my jimmy protector and my gun was loaded. I figured I’d last at least 40 seconds when the time came but I’d be up and at it again within a short while. My dreams were dashed.

As I approached her dormitory, her room number failed me. No big deal other then I needed to call her so I could get up to her room. I rang various room numbers to no avail and eventually walked back to my car and went home. I still got one off that night but that is not the same.

I have no idea what would have happened that night but the brilliance of the evening still haunts me to this day. The opportunity for promiscuous sex dashed by a moment of ignorance and ineptitude. I survived but not as well as I would have liked.

A Thanks to CC and Other Things

Since the demise of my job, I have been unable to put what I would call quality effort into any of my posts. I don’t really know what has caused this but I have made it a personal goal to do a better job in the near future, just not today.

I want to thank CC for the book Tournament Poker for Advanced Players. I haven’t read the whole thing but I have looked at areas of my game that I think I need to improve on and I think it will help. I even have his business card so if I need any consultation I have any idea who to talk to.

I railed Jordan at High on Poker last night in silence as he busted just out of the money in the $2500 guaranteed at Noble. I was looking to get in this event but pulled a brain-cramp. It looked like a 10% overlay would hit so even though the tourney was a little more expensive then I wanted, I was going to get in. The problem was the Maui SNG I was playing. As registration time got close, I was in a heated battle for second place or better and missed my opportunity to sign up. It was fun watching a player I’ve read about, responded to, and even had limited contact with play the game as an anonymous observer. I would say we have similar styles from what I saw so that gives me some direction for my game.

I missed another 5 in a row by taking a third in my fifth game. I could have waited one of the other players out but I new I was ahead of the table bully so I pushed. My A8 lost to his KQ and I miss another $200 bonus. With blinds at 200/400, it was a move I had to make because the bully had a huge chip lead and was pushing with every hand. The other short stack ended up winning the event but that doesn’t make me feel better.

Overall, my Maui SNG play at Noble has been good. My ROI is hovering between 55%-60% and I’m in the money a whopping 61 % of the time. This means that I’m not winning enough and taking way to many second places. Looking at the results shows me that on my fateful hands that I was ahead in 63% of those hands so if I keep up the good decision making it will turn around.

The girls have game everyday for the rest of the week so I will be busy at the ball fields. We even have games on Saturday but they interfere with plans with my wife’s family. Her cousin’s family is flying in from Madagascar so we are getting together for a party and then going to the Brewers game Saturday night. They play the Tigers at Miller Park. Sounds to me like a night of being hammered and a Sunday morning of hangover fishing. I think I’ll make it.

Saturday In The Park

Rain, rain, go away, come again some other day.

That is the story of our softball life this year. Both girls had their games called off today because of last night's rain. The funny part is that the game today were rain make-ups.

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I got to play with my old boss last night and had a blast. We started off playing a couple of low cost MTTs and needs less to say I didn't do crap. In the first one my playable hands didn't hit on the flop so I made up for it like a donkey. The old boss played well and lasted well into the second hour but a dumb play vs a week player and donated most of his stack. He ended up just out of the money when he could have fold to the cash. I don't blame him for staying aggressive but this player was a calling station that contimued to get hit in the face with the deck. Old boss tried a bluff and got burned.

I also played a second MTT while he was still going and chipped up well. Additionally, I opened another tourney on Party and as well as Stars, for three tourneys while my buddy played the last one I opened. I got knocked out in all three of these as the favorite so I guess I shouldn't complain.

We eventually hit a $25NL table and had a blast playing at each other. He played a crazy 47% of the hands and tripled up within 20 minutes. He is working on a new style and though I'm not sure I like, he was paid off when he hit a hand.

After almost 5 hour playing with the old boss, I jumped on a $5 turbo re-buy on noble at 2:00 this morning. I made the final table(9th) with a nice profit even though I had pocket kings busted both time i had them. They were beat by Q9 and 72 suited. At least one was the suited hammer as I realize I can't beat a powerful hand like that. If I had gotten by that hand, I'm sure I would have ended up in the 5 as I would have been top three in chips and some really short stacks ready to be bounced.

No Quality Today

Just a short post today.

I read something at Nickle and Dime a while ago about playing poker after having a ball game that I now agree with. I got home last night and donked off about $20 because I was wired and couldn't sleep. I called an all-in on straited draw board with two pair and lost to a strait. I did this twice. Make that three times. I'll get over it but it was some stupid play.

L lost a good game last night. The whole team played well in the game for the most part. It was the other first place team so we are now sitting in second. It's really to bad that the league has a restriction on the number of innings a pitcher can pitch because both L's team and the opponents have an outstanding pitcher that could go the distance. L won the battle of #1 pitchers 1-0 but our second pitcher could hold the other team down. We play them one more time before the playoffs so hopefully we'll get the lead back.

My team lost 4-3 last night against another good team. Our pitcher gave up a three run homer in the first and one in the second while we scratched out single runs in three different innings. We left 8 runners on base over the last three innings without scoring a run.

M has a game tonight and Saturday while L also has one on Saturday. With it cooling down for the remainder of the week and weekend, things should go well.

When it Rains, it Pours

Thanks for the responses guys. I don’t really need food stamps.

One of the smart things I did when I built a house last year was refuse to sink all of the money from the sale of my old house into it. We had originally acquired our old house for $140,000 and sold it for $240,000 seven years later. Between that and some investments that had done really well, we ended up leaving a large chunk in savings for a rainy day. Well it’s pouring right now put I have a big umbrella. We should be OK for up to a year or more.

I have two good prospects working right now. Both are within 40 minutes of where I live and include more money and responsibility. They are both in the chemical industry and familiar to almost anyone. I should get a call on one of them today.

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M’s team won last night. She played well and even batted left handed for the first time. We have been working on this part of her game and she came through with flying colors.

L and I both play tonight so I’ll be tired on Friday.

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Only play two SNGs yesterday taking second and fifth. I’m working on another as I type, holding 32% of the chips with six player left. Hopefully I can continue to play solid and build the roll like I have been as of late.

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My wife to a summer bus route that she will be driving for the next month so her extra income will help. She has to be out of the house by 5:30 AM and returns around 11:30. Better he then me.

Just a Wednesday Post

I’m going for a another $200 today if things go well. I need two more top 2 finishes to complete this time. It’s really a matter of luck in some ways in that I dumped AK last night to a rag flop and folded to a min re-raise. He showed pocket aces. I went on a run after that hand and went from short stack to chip leader in five hands. I continued on, for a second place when my coin flip with blinds at 500/1000 didn’t come in. It was a great game of waiting and pushing, stealing blinds, and re-steals.

L played last night and won again. She gave up more runs in this game then she had in any of her previous four but actually threw the ball better then she had at any time this season. In her last inning of work she had to be throwing in the low 50’s as everyone at the game was amazed at velocity. She didn’t walk any batters that inning and only gave up one unearned run.

M plays tonight. She worked hard during her pitching drills yesterday and continues to improve. She may be better then L in a few years if she continues at this pace. I find that sitting on a bucket with her is even more rewarding now as she grows as a player as well as a person.

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Northwestern lost to Arizona in the finals of the WCWS last night. It was their first trip and they played well. A friend of mine has worked with some of the pitchers for their team so I had an interest in their success.

As Life Goes On

I became an official unemployed yesterday as I signed up for unemployment. It wasn’t a big hassle, for the most part, and I’ll bring home only a portion of my previous salary but well get by. The funny part is that my wife signed up at the same time. She is a bus driver for the school district and became eligible for unemployment after the last day of school. Next thing we have to do is sign up for food stamps.

We hit the graduation party circuit last weekend as our friends’ children progress into the world adulthood and responsibility. I think we have a few more this weekend but that’s about it thank god. I enjoy the company but I don’t really want to spend the money on graduation gifts at this time.

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The girls both had good games on Saturday as I spent about 5 hours standing in the hot sun. I was quite red by the time we were done but I’m OK with that overall. Spending time coaching the kids is well worth a little sun.

I played Friday night and had a lot of fun. We won in extra innings as it was tied 0-0 after 7 innings. In the top of the eighth, I came to the plate with one out and runners on 2nd and 3rd and ripped a double through the third baseman to put us up 3-0 and on the road to a 3-2 victory. It was a great game as our opponent came back strong in their half of the inning but in the end, we overcame.

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I haven’t played much lately but have continued to have luck in my SNGs. I have cashed in 4 of 5 since my last posting but no wins. I also cashed in an MTT on Party Saturday night but it wasn’t for a big score. All in all, I need to play about 7 more SNGs to finish the first bonus I’ve chased and will come out ahead no matter what so all is good.

I Love This Game

Thanks for the kind words guys.

No poker last night as I think I’ve worn out this latest run of time. I’ve spent the last two nights with the wife trying to get back on her good side. The real concern was time I had spent during the day playing when I missed a phone call that I should have been available to take. You see, we have dial-up because I can’t get DSL yet and Comcast isn’t an option until my Direct TV contract runs out in a few months. I’m going to wait and get the Comcast package that gives you phone, cable, and internet for around $100 or so. So until then I have to be more prudent with my time.

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L’s team played a great game last night winning 8-7 in the bottom of the 7th inning against the last undefeated team. She started the game on the mound and got through the first inning without giving up any runs. In the bottom of the first, she walked with two outs and stole second base, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on an infield single to give us the lead. She struggled a little in the second but got out of it for the most part, only giving up one run. Now in our in-house league, a pitcher is limited to 3 innings of work in any game so we can develop other pitchers. With this in mind, we took L of the mound to give one of our other pitchers some time. Over the next three innings, she gave up five runs, which was very good for this pitcher, so we are trailing 6-2. We brought our third pitcher into the game and she did great, shutting out the other team in the top of the 6th. The bottom of the 6th saw the top of our order start out with a hit and a walk. They moved to second and third on a wild pitch and L drove them in with a double to left-center. We proceeded to take the lead later in the inning so we headed to the top of the 7th leading 7-6. We decided to keep the same pitcher in the game instead of replacing her with L because she had done really well the previous inning and she continued her success by giving up only a game-tying run. So here we, bottom of the 7th inning with two outs and L steps to the plate again. She hits a base hit to center. I call time and tall the batter, our #4 hitter to take a pitch so L can steal second. She does and we have a runner on second with two outs. She hits the ball up the middle, the second baseman knocks down the ball but the throw is late to first base. L never slowed down coming around third and continued home, sliding under the tag to score the winning run. Great game and great ending.

I should have broken the last paragraph into a couple of sections but too bad.

M plays tonight and after her game, I have a 9:00 game.

I love this game

It Didn't Take Long

Well it didn’t take long to get five first and/or second places in the Maui SNGs. I did it on my first five tries and got the $200 bonus put into my account today. It seemed like an easy way to pick up $200 and it was for the most part. On my first three SNGs I skated into the top two winning one of them and being the chip leader in the other two before being smacked in the face by lady luck each time.

In each of the final two SNGs I had to come back from a short stack to get in a position to place high. In both instances, I pushed the medium stacks until I was in better shape and picked my spots for continued aggression. In the last one, I went from 330 chips to 8000 chips when we were down to two players. Mother variance hit me in the nards as I lost with my AK to A5, KQ to Q10, and finally I was cold decked as my pocket 7’s didn’t improve to my opponents pocket 9’s. Overall, I’ll take the $200 and the money won from the SNGs. + $255 for the day. That puts me at just under $400 in my quest.

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M pitched well last night and picked up the victory. She gave up two runs during her stint on the mound and drove in the game-tying run in the bottom of the fifth inning. It was the team’s first victory of the season so all is well.

L plays tonight so hopefully she continue to pitch well.