Ethics...What Do I Do?!

So what do I do.

I was asked to coach the 14U travel team for YYBS, the governing board for baseball and softball in my town. This is the same group that gave me the chance to run the 12U travel team last year before handing it to a friend of the program for this season. Anyway, the current 14U coach was the only person to put there name into the hat and the board decided they don’t want her running the team next season. So I know become a friend of the program.

When I was first contacted about this opportunity I was excited to have a chance at running a team again. But after reflecting I realize that the reason Softball E. is playing someplace else this year is for the same reason the asked me to coach, in a sense. You see, there is a protocol that should be followed. You need to put in an application and have the board vote on who will run the team. They informed me that I didn’t have to apply and only had to meet with the executive portion of the board to be approved. Now if you remember back a year ago I was running the 12U team bur was circumvented from coaching this year by the coach of the 10U team who went to the board and said none of the girls who moved up would play for anybody but her.

So, what is going to stop this from happening again? I don’t want constraints placed on me and how I am going to coach these children. The whole reason they want to replace the existing manager is because a board members daughter didn’t get to play as much as he would like. Hell, his daughter was one of the players who kept SE from moving up. When he called me about the position, he complained about his daughter only playing right field and pitching. In truth, his daughter isn’t that good and the only reason she pitched and made the team was because he was a board member. It sounds like sour grapes but it is a fact. I’m not willing to compromise my integrity by have daughters of the program make the team even if the are not good enough. Every child is given a chance to play but playing on a travel team should be earned…not given because your father is a board member.

Now it is time to make the decision and I think I have to turn it down. I don’t like people circumventing the system. The system was put into play to avoid these situations and it is being ignored. If they had asked me a month ago to but my name in the hat I may have done it because then I could have filled out an application and gone through the proper steps but now I have to say no.

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I’d like to say congratulations to surf on chopping 1st place in a live tourney down in Tunica. He was on an epic journey with tripjax to the famed Okie-vegas event and met up with DB for a mid trip poker frenzy. Way to go man.

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Tomorrow is my birthday and I will spend it like I have spent the last 20 or so birthdays. I will be at a softball tourney. The only difference is I wont be playing for a change. I will be turning 40 tomorrow and ready for the next 40.

As far as poker goes, I will start again next week after my WoW trial is over. I have come to the realization that I am not addicted to poker but addicted to action. I would have no problem switching time consuming endeavors to a game like this. Is there room in my life for a WoW blog?

Have a great weekend.

Sometimes

When I got home last night I didn’t have any intention of playing poker. I was going to play WOW with waffles and have a great adventure. But on the way home I talked to Surf and he told me about a link to watch the final table of the WSOP so I fired up the laptop when I got home and got the link from SLB. So as I watch I fired up a $5 MTT and then signed up for a Horse MTT. Then Surf convinces me to play The Monkey on Stars so I go from not playing to being over loaded. So let us start with the first tourney.

I chipped up nice and had a better the double stack after the first 30 minutes of play. The best hand was catching an over flush vs. a guy who doubled me up nice. I made a few plays at pot but started to dwindle down a little when I find kings in the SB. UTG limps and all fold to me. I throw a 4x raise out there trying to take it down or get heads up but the BB calls as does UTG. The flop is 10 high but semi coordinated so I tank a bit on how to play this. I put UTG on AQ, AJ, KQ,KJ and maybe QJ. I figure the BB to hold a small pocket pair. I push to make myself look weak and to protect against a gut shot cuz these monkeys will call with gut shots. Anyway, the BB folds and UTG tanks. After using most of his time bank he call. What do you think he held? AQ or should I say the nuts? I’m ahead to 3 aces or running cards. So after a good start and a great opportunity to chip up I’m done when and A hits the river.

As for The Monkey tourney, I climbed the ladder slowly but made a bad play vs a short stack when he value bet me and I felt he was weak. It was a weak hand but just stronger than mine. Anyway, I chipped back up and on the final table bubble I get KJ on the button and raise it 3x and the SB calls. The flop is Axx and he bets out. Now I’ve made this play before with a weak ace so I re-raise him thinking he has to fold a weak ace to my pre-flop raise. He pushes his chips in and I have to call for value and he did have a weak ace. It was still better tan my hand but I’m not sure I could call there. So I end up on the Final table bubble.

On to Horse and what a game. I play patient solid poker and moved up us the game went along. A little before the bubble I called a raise in stud while holding a version of the stud hammer as in 772. 4th street pairs my 2 and 5th street gives me a boat and I bust the guy to move into the chip lead. On the bubble I lost a big chunk of chips when I had an OESD, flush draw and a draw to the low in stud h/l but it didn’t come in. If I win that hand I am way out in front but instead I have to fight to get to the money. I cashed and got my money in with the best hand but was out drawn.

After that I played some WOW and leveled up my new character so waffles and I can play tonight.

Also, this is the last weekend for softball for a while. There may be a fall league but we’re not sure yet.

Have a great day.

WoW, Poker, and Softball

Waffles convinced me to play some World of Warcraft the other day so I went to the website and started the download for the 3+ gig file. After about 3 hours I was ready to play. I knew where he had started so I created a similar character in hopes of meeting up with him. By the time I found him, three days later he was way to high a level and didn’t want to fight the monsters I could beat. We have talked since and we will probably start new characters at the same time and do it all over again.

I haven’t played much poker. A couple of SNGs here and there but no real effort has been spent at the tables. A little break from the game might be good but I know I would have played if not for WoW.

Softball is winding down with this weekend being that last tourney on the schedule. It sounds like there is only going to be a couple of teams in it so hopefully we’ll be done in time for Softball E. to play in an all-star game she was asked to attend. After the season we will sit down and evaluate the season and discuss what we are going to do next year. She has three or four choices so we will go over the pros and cons of each and create the plan of action. More than likely she will try out for four different teams and we will pick the one that is the best fit for her. She would like to stay with the same team as it moves up to the next level but right now I don’t think it is the best choice and here is why.

The coaches for her team have created a group that can beat weak teams but not good teams. They insist on using one of the pitchers(coaches daughter) against good teams because she throws strikes. Good team hit the ball all over the place on her and run up the score because everything they hit is hit hard. Another example of stupidity is taking a girl who had never played 3rd base and having her play there in a tourney game. At the same time they took the regular 3rd baseman and had her put her at 2nd base. So you have two girls playing positions that they are not use to playing. The sad part is that they teach the girls well with all the drills and stuff but they have no idea hoe to work a line-up. They took the girl who has lead off every game of the year and has stolen more bases than I can count and put her behind the slowest player on the team. So they took the biggest weapon they had and nullified it. They also have the two best hitters on the team batting 8th and 9th. Both of these girls have the ability to drive the ball through the outfield and each is hitting .500 or better. And finally, the thing that pisses me of is that they quit using my daughter as a pitcher cuz nobody could catch her and that she was had to be used at short stop. The thing they don’t understand is that a good pitcher makes your defense better.

So know that the rant is all but over I’ll put together a list of things that I think they need to improve on as managers so they can actually do their jobs correctly.

Fantasy Sports Live

Check out this new site. It isn’t a gambling site but does allow you to play fantasy sports against other people for money. Fantasy Sports Live allows you to use your skills vs. other people in contests every day and gives you the chance to take the big prize. There are many different versions of fantasy sports and though it is baseball season now, they will have other sports as these playing seasons change.

Check it out and use the bonus code “pokere” to get a free $10 instant bonus when you deposit $50, $20 for a $100 deposit and $30 for a $200 deposit. These are instant deposits and can be use right away. If you decide to withdraw your funds before using the deposit the you will lose it so the only obligation you have is to bet the amount of the bonus. Not a bad deal.

So if you like fantasy sports you have to try Fantasy Sports Live and win like the pros.

The All-Star Game and Some Poker

Last night was going to be a non poker night except for the rain that canceled both of Softball Enthusiast’s games. We have an easy dinner at home and I settle in for a night watching the homerun derby on ESPN. But then the wife and kids head to a friends house and my degenerate minds says” lets play poker” and I fall into the trap.

I started well in Razz by hitting some hands early and moving into the top10. I maintained my stack well into the second hour and waited for the hand that would put me into the big stack arena. But it never came. My stack slowly dwindled and my big draw bricked as I left meekly a table or so from the money. I worked hard and made a few good reads but catching cards late is much better than catching cards early.

I also play one cheap tourney and had a nice stack but couldn’t make it to the money. I felt like I opened up my game some and this helped but I could get any traction. I eventually got knocked out when my 99 lost to A7 when my opponent flopped 2 pair. I was on the small blind and over bet a medium stack, knowing I’ll call a push. I will make this play at this stage every time.

Mingle² - Mingle

G ated sucks donkey balls.

I got this rating. I can’t believe this fucking shit.

That should change it a little.

Actually, I don’t see the need to add colorful text to get hits on my site. I don’t get any hits anyway.

Tonight I’ll watch the All-Star Game and that is about it. Mrs. PE is working so I will cook dinner and take care of the kids. Yes I can cook and take care of the kids.

I Forgot About Razz

I made a few deep runs over the weekend and the difference was the amount of focus I had. I came up just short of the money in one when I raised to isolate a small stack. I held AK and I knew the shorty would push with almost anything like a weak ace. So I push and a mega stack calls with 68 sooooted and hits a flush to send me to the rail. It was only 10% of his stack as he was getting hit in the face with the deck so I guess I can’t blame him. Anyway, I had another deep run into the top 50 of a different tourney so overall my NL game was solid. I did get lucky at one point when I called a raise and busted AA with my 44 when I hit a straight.

I also jumped back into the Razz tourney I like to play and just missed a final table. I have stayed away from that tourney for the last couple of months but now realize I need to go back to it. I also had a real nice run in Horse to end the evening last night. The only bad tourney I had was a money maker because I split my action with Surflexus and he cash while I floundered with KK seeing ace high flops and none of my pocket pair hitting sets. The best hand of the night may have been T8 sooted when I flopped an OESD and the flush draw. I bet out with all my outs and took it down.


I had an off weekend softball wise for a change. So we went to see a movie Friday night and went to a wedding on Saturday. So with all this time left to our disposal what do you think we did? Yard work…no. Lounge around and do nothing…no. We went to the ball park and watched a friend’s daughter play ball. We did the same thing on Sunday. Our one weekend away from the game and we still had to be around the action. We are softball whores.

New Realizations

Tonight is a normal poker night so I’m sure I’ll spend some time on the virtual felt. But I’ve come to a realization. That poker and me, in the summer time, is not a good combination. For most of the first five months of the year I was doing well and maintained my focus. Since the middle of May I’ve been losing the battle with the game. Sure, I’ve had some bad beats and I’ve made some bad plays but I went through the same stuff earlier in the year. Now the problem is bigger because I’m not playing as much and I’m losing the focus that I had. I’m in a mode of unbelief when someone comes back at me and I’m unable to throw away good hands. If I don’t change my ways I will be done without a way to get money back into on-line poker.

Another realization I’ve had is I still want to play ball. I enjoy watching the kids play but I’d like to get back on the field and play. But I probably won’t. If I go back and play it will be a full time schedule and not just for fun. I’m not sure my family could handle me playing ball again.

A Little Tourney Fun and More

I played a little on Tuesday night. Full Tilt was down so I jumped onto UB and found a tourney that just took off. I sat on the waiting list for about 10 minutes and I was in the game. During the second orbit I got AA and won a nice pot when 4 players called my 1st raise of the tournament. I bet out on the flop and all folded. The very next hand I look down at KK and realize that something is wrong and that I will probably go broke on this hand. I don’t go broke and bust a guy in the process. I chipped up nice and decided to open another tourney. It was one of their bounty tourneys and if I bust 2 players I’ll get my buy-in back.

So with two tourneys going on I chip up in both. In the first I make some moves with my growing stack and move into the top 15. I eventually lose my stack on a stupid play when I slow played trips and ran into a river straight. He called my bet after the flop when I held 44 and when the 4 hit the turn I checked hoping to check raise. He checked and when the river gave 3 to a straight, 6 high I check raised him into losing my stack and his 2,3 off suit. I’m not sure this guy would have fold his open ender but I should have minimized my losses.

In the other tourney I moved up and up and busted 6 player until I ran into my nemesis. He had my number and I gave him most of my stack twice. I was sitting in 8th place when I gave him my first set of chips. After chipping back up I gave him another stack and he became the chip leader and I went home.

I also played a couple of SNGs but had trouble staying awake so I quit for the night.



We went to the Chicago Bandits game on Tuesday night. They are a professional fastpitch softball team based in the Chicago land area and have Jenny Finch and Vicki Galindo from the National Team on their roster. It was a group outing for Softball E’s team and all the girls had a blast. They got autographs from many of the players and had a good time hanging out.

That’s it for today. Have a great day.

SNG Challenge So Far

So, I started my sng challenge earlier this year and I’m in positive numbers. I took a look at some of my tendencies and would like to throw them out for comments.

To start I’d like to look at VPIP. I’m sitting at just under 20% at this point. I think this is a solid position and reflects a tight early game strategy that opens up in later rounds when the blinds go up. Do you think that this is a good number or should I work on mixing it up a little more?

I’ve also looked at first in raises and I’m sitting at 4%. I think this may be a little low but it is also and indication of tight early round play. I am less likely to play a marginal hand early in a sng then later when I can put maximum pressure on my opponents. Should this number be higher.

My aggression factor is just under 3.0. I like to have this number a little higher but I think that this is workable. The final number is being influenced by a lower pre-flop aggression number. My post flop aggression is very consistent. Should my aggression factor be higher?

Overall, I think I’m playing a solid game that needs a few tweaks. Many of the numbers I have are influenced by the type of table I’m on. If I’m at a passive table then I raise more but I tighten up at a loose table. And with the levels I’ve been playing it is more than likely that a table will be loose so my numbers should be tighter.

Tonight I will dissect my tournament play for the first 6 months of the year and see how I’m doing. As for cash games, I don’t play them enough to make it worth my time.

A Weekend Trip to Remember With Lots of Breaking News

It was a weekend of craziness as we sat around the softball field.

Friday night was the championship game for Speedy E. and as we entered the 7th inning we were only down a couple of runs and had the top of our line up coming to the plate. The girls came out swinging and hit the ball hard but in the end we came up short. I can’t complain to0 much about 2nd place and I know they girls had fun and they all got better so it was a good season.

Softball E. had a tourney that started on Friday night and they started out with a 16-5 victory. SE had 2 hits and play her steady game at SS.

Saturday morning we headed back to the tourney for an 11:30 game. During the first inning there was a high pop up and SE camped under it. At the last second the ball moved into the sun and she missed catching the ball with her glove but caught it with her nose. As Mrs. PE and I sat behind home plate we waited for her to get up off the ground to confirm that she was ok. Then we saw the blood gushing from her nose and we dashed onto the field to come to the aid of our injured child. We moved he to the bench and saw a little gash on the bridge of her nose and blood was flowing like a water fall from her nostrils. We left our son and dog with parents of the team and rushed her to the emergency room that wa but 4 minutes from the ballpark.

Once inside, she was inspected by the on-call doctor and had a session of x-rays done that showed a small chip had broken off. Nothing more needed to be done with that so it was a matter of a couple of stitches and we were on our way back to the field in under an hour. The doctor said she was lucky that it bled like it did because losing all that blood would keep her eyes from swelling a lot. She didn’t play anymore that day but the girls picked her up by winning that game and tying one later to earn the 2nd seed on Sunday.

Sunday morning came and she was ready to play. No real swelling and both eyes were clear so she wanted to play. The team went 3-0 to win the championship and she played with no ill effects from her injury. The first play she got was a pop-up the she moved under and caught without any issue. Once she got by that we felt a lot better and knew she’d be fine. She even ran into a player knowing that it was interference play and knowing she’d get an extra base. It was a heads-up play made by a gamer.

On the way home from the tourney our van broke down and we had to have it towed. It was a great weekend for all of us.