Courtesy post here, since I've been rather busy with holiday and family stuff the last couple of weeks. Poker play has been rather solid the last couple of months online - that is, except for my tournament game. Going through the worst stretch of my life in SnG's right now, on while I can chalk a lot of it up to variance, it's still maddening to go through.
Can't seem to win a race whether I'm ahead or behind, other times I get AQ vs. A5 and get hit with straights/flushes/3-outers hitting - even worse than the Monday night donkaments at Dino's, actually. The HORSE games, however, are going beautifully - right now I've graduated to playing 2-3 tables of 1/2 (versus mostly .50/$1) consistently on Stars (and this is WITHOUT a bonus to work off of, go figure - anyone who knew me from pre-IUGEA days would be shocked at that statement), and at least I can say with a straight face that my HORSE/Stud-8 winnings are more than making up for tourney losses.
Despite this bad SnG run lately, however, since November I am up over $400 (excluding the $100 bonus I earned) from Stars because of cash games - I really need to discipline myself and stick to cash games, though, especially if I want to move up to 2/4 in a few months like I want to do.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Monday Zaniness at Dinos
So against my better judgement I decided to head up to Dino's on Monday for my free poker tournament - with the holidays and Jack Bauer soon to be coming up, I don't think I'll be heading back up there too often after the first of the year...so this may be my last time out for a while here. Hopefully this will be a long night here.
24 players today, and many new faces - hard to get a read on someone I've never played with before. On my table I have Stevo to my direct left, Dave (loves to bluff a lot), 2 new cats I've never seen before, and Ronnie.
First hand I pick up A-Q in BB, decide not to re-pop a family pot since raises aren't respected anyways, and see a solid Q-10-9 flop. After I bet out 30 into a 60 pot, down to just me and Dave. Turn brings out an 8, and I bet out 50 this time, since I'm not convinced Dave has anything. He quickly calls, and a king hits the board - after I bet out 100, Dave reraises to 300 - I take my time, think about how the hand played out, consider how he's played similar hands in weeks past, and make the call. Dave insta-folds without showing the bluff off - good read, me!
Nothing exciting happening for a while, as crap cards come up. I did limp-in in UTG with 8-8 and hit a set on flop, but with Ronnie only person in pot, I knew I wasn't gonna get paid off in any way here. Only big hand that Stevo and I noticed was New Guy and Ronnie getting involved in a big pot, and the 2 of us debating whether it was 2 high pocket pairs involved, or just 1 pair and and A-K type hand - my 1 pair/A-high read ended up being correct, but both of us had them nailed for big hands pre-flop.
Dave busts out early to New Guy when New Guy called his all-in on a flush and straight draw heavy board with 8-2 (hit pair of 2's somewhere on flop or turn) - pair held up despite all of the outs - save that for future reference.
Stevo and I get involved in a pot, and after flopping middle pair on a 3-club board, a 4th club came out - hit 2 pair on river, but got away from hand after some debating internally on what Stevo had - since I didn't have even 1 club, couldn't really call here.
A couple of hands later, I think I got pushed out of the pot by New Guy on river after he made a huge bet to put my pair of 9's to the test on a 3-heart board with 3 overs. After his 8-2 call earlier, I thought maybe he might have a small pair, but I just didn't feel comfortable with a call - was close to 50/50 as far as me calling.
Got short-stacked, open-jammed with J-10 UTG to steal the blinds - another new player layed down K-Q after thinking for a bit on it.
Couple of hands later, at 100/200 level, I'm back down to 1000 chips in the SB, and I see A-4. After Ronnie and New Guy limp into pot, I jam rest of chips into pot. Stevo quickly reraises himself all-in, then New Guy insta-calls - My A-4 is versus Stevo's A-Q and New Guy's A-K - King on flop, no help to Stevo and I, and we're both out early.
The 2 of us, along with PJ and Scott (after all making early exits) play a spirited game of euchre while they wait for the cash game to start, and I'm home about 11...yay. :-\
At least Marquis Colston got me my 8 points (did he ever!) I needed to win my fantasy football playoff game...something went right that night. Might be just some politics, worldly events, and online poker posts for a few weeks now until I find a new game...or until I decide to blog extensively about the wholesomeness that is Jack Bauer.
24 players today, and many new faces - hard to get a read on someone I've never played with before. On my table I have Stevo to my direct left, Dave (loves to bluff a lot), 2 new cats I've never seen before, and Ronnie.
First hand I pick up A-Q in BB, decide not to re-pop a family pot since raises aren't respected anyways, and see a solid Q-10-9 flop. After I bet out 30 into a 60 pot, down to just me and Dave. Turn brings out an 8, and I bet out 50 this time, since I'm not convinced Dave has anything. He quickly calls, and a king hits the board - after I bet out 100, Dave reraises to 300 - I take my time, think about how the hand played out, consider how he's played similar hands in weeks past, and make the call. Dave insta-folds without showing the bluff off - good read, me!
Nothing exciting happening for a while, as crap cards come up. I did limp-in in UTG with 8-8 and hit a set on flop, but with Ronnie only person in pot, I knew I wasn't gonna get paid off in any way here. Only big hand that Stevo and I noticed was New Guy and Ronnie getting involved in a big pot, and the 2 of us debating whether it was 2 high pocket pairs involved, or just 1 pair and and A-K type hand - my 1 pair/A-high read ended up being correct, but both of us had them nailed for big hands pre-flop.
Dave busts out early to New Guy when New Guy called his all-in on a flush and straight draw heavy board with 8-2 (hit pair of 2's somewhere on flop or turn) - pair held up despite all of the outs - save that for future reference.
Stevo and I get involved in a pot, and after flopping middle pair on a 3-club board, a 4th club came out - hit 2 pair on river, but got away from hand after some debating internally on what Stevo had - since I didn't have even 1 club, couldn't really call here.
A couple of hands later, I think I got pushed out of the pot by New Guy on river after he made a huge bet to put my pair of 9's to the test on a 3-heart board with 3 overs. After his 8-2 call earlier, I thought maybe he might have a small pair, but I just didn't feel comfortable with a call - was close to 50/50 as far as me calling.
Got short-stacked, open-jammed with J-10 UTG to steal the blinds - another new player layed down K-Q after thinking for a bit on it.
Couple of hands later, at 100/200 level, I'm back down to 1000 chips in the SB, and I see A-4. After Ronnie and New Guy limp into pot, I jam rest of chips into pot. Stevo quickly reraises himself all-in, then New Guy insta-calls - My A-4 is versus Stevo's A-Q and New Guy's A-K - King on flop, no help to Stevo and I, and we're both out early.
The 2 of us, along with PJ and Scott (after all making early exits) play a spirited game of euchre while they wait for the cash game to start, and I'm home about 11...yay. :-\
At least Marquis Colston got me my 8 points (did he ever!) I needed to win my fantasy football playoff game...something went right that night. Might be just some politics, worldly events, and online poker posts for a few weeks now until I find a new game...or until I decide to blog extensively about the wholesomeness that is Jack Bauer.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
An epiphany, of sorts
I fully realize that I need to stick to playing HORSE cash games and $15+1 SnGs. A small buzz while doing it doesn't hurt, either. That is all.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Final tourney at Dino's - fall season
Last night was our final tourney at Dino's for the fall season, and with work getting ready to start kickin' my ass, along with the holidays coming up, probably my last live game for a few weeks here.
For some reason, we have 11 players at our final table instead of 10. I think there was a 3-way tie for 10th, and with one qualifier not showing up for the last few weeks (Duma, apparantly, thinks he's better than the rest of us, as evidenced by his stiffing the bar on a tab recently), so we have Jay, Nicole, and Dennis joining Scott (regular season points leader), PJ, Stevo, Andy, Vic, Pat, Ronnie in conspiring to stop me from winning this thing. Errrr, or something like that.
Ronnie to my direct left, and Pat on his left is good news for me - if I choose to pick on their blinds I'll get no resistance. Jay on direct right, with Dennis and Andy 2 spots over, is good, since very little pre-flop raising from these guys will be happening.
First level I take 2 pots down - one with 10-8 out of the big blind when I flop 10's, hit second pair of 8's on turn, and another a few hands later with A-K after calling a raise from Scott preflop - took 2 decent pots off of him on these hands. The first level also saw me dump Jay's beer while trying to pass him his chips that he won off a hand - serves them fukkers right for actually letting me have a Bud prior to playing last night. That's because I never, ever, and I mean (as this guy would say:)
...EVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVER drink alcohol before playing.
Course, Jay dumps his own beer a couple of hands later, and only has himself to blame this time. Keep your drinks off the table, guys!
2nd level, I took down 2 more decent pots with the same hand: 5-2 of clubs. Limped in UTG+1 and had a 4-way pot, and get an okay flop of 6-4-3 rainbow. 8 and 10 are no help to Scott, and after saying that my overpair was good while folding, I flip over 5-2 as a sarcastic "Nice read!" message.
Couple of hands later in the BB, I win the second pot against Jay on a board of A-9-J-J-6 - I totally whiffed on my flush draw on both turn and river, but after Jay checked both the turn and the river, I threw a bet of 200 into a 300 pot, and Jay says that my 9 is good while folding - this time, I flip over my bluff, and Jay's totally confused now.
I have about 4000 chips (we started out with 3000 each) when our first casualty, PJ, is knocked out by Stevo when AQ runs into AK - Stevo is happy for the bustout, since PJ has busted him 2 weeks in a row. Good time to do it. Scott, meanwhile, manages to survive an all-in when his pocket 7's hold up against Dennis's AK. Scott folded a hand early in the night against Dennis after Dennis overbet the pot showing a made flush, and Scott folded a set of 5's...rabbit cam showed that a 5 on the river would have actually made a straight flush for Scott...wow!
At start of 200/400 level, Scott raises to 1000 UTG, and after it's folded to me I jam 3400 into Scott with pocket 10's - after a couple of minutes of thinking, Scott folded KQ face-up, and I'm back in business a little bit more.
The next 3 players out are Jay, Nicole, and Dennis. Jay has AA cracked by Ronnie's KJ a couple of hands prior, and in the SB (200/400 level now), Jay tries to run a bet of 900 on me in the BB...I call with A-6 almost instantly, and Jay sheepishly flips over 10-5...Ace on flop, no help on turn to Jay, and he's out. I take Nicole out a few hands later when I raise UTG+1 with AK, and she jams with QQ - Ace on flop, no help to Nicole, and she's gone. Dennis is out after Scott hits a flop, and all of a sudden Scott has chips, which he likes to be aggressive with.
Stevo and I get involved in only 1 pot of note, and both times he hits a set of aces on flush-draw heavy flops to get me out with my rags. I was hoping to heads-up with him, if only for blogging purposes.
Ronnie gets taken out by Scott next to finish 7th, and, and soon afterwards Pat is our final female player taken out after she allows herself to be blinded out - at the 300/600 level, Vic (UTG) calls 600, after folded around to me I call 300 without looking at my cards, then chicken myself out of betting blind after 3 hearts hit the flop...J-high would have been good enough to take Pat's 10-high out, but Vic's pair of 3's take it down.
Now here's a goofy hand here, and I think the players who saw this will be giving Andy shit for, well, quite a while after this one. Folded around to Andy, who calls 600 bet out of SB - I raise with A-6 to 2000, and Andy (realizing that if he calls is pot-committed) insta-folds 5-5 face up! Like a true donkey, the "let's see what the flop would have come" request from Andy comes out, and 5-5-4 hits the board...oh well, no guts, no glory, Andy. Everyone (including me) is shocked that he didn't make a move with that hand.
A couple of hands later, I decide to mess with the family pot and raise 2000 (300/600) with KK in the BB - Scott and Vic both fold A-9/A-J hands after thinking for a couple of minutes each here.
Some blind-trading goes on for awhile, then Vic doubles up through me when his QQ hits runner-runner flush for the resuckout after my A-4 hit the ace on the flop. Shortly after that Vic decides to jam A-7 against Scott after an A-high flop, but Scott hits top 2 pair with his A-10, and Vic is out in 5th.
Big hand of the night comes a couple of orbits later when Steve gets jiggy with middle pair against Scott's made 2-pair...Scott takes a commanding chip lead after Stevo is gone. I have about 5-6K at this point (500/1000 blinds now), and Andy has about 3-4, Scott has the rest.
Scott eliminates Andy after some short time here, and with about 6K against 27K I get to HU. We go a few hands...open jam (with 6BBs left, push or fold time here) with any paint, and even one time with 5-7 offsuit....finally, I look at A-5 in BB. Scott raises to push me all-in - I think I may be beat, but at this point, not gonna blind myself down and out like some do, so I make the crying call, only to see Scott flip over A-Q. Q on flop, no help on turn, and it's over.
2nd place in the final yet again - 3 times in a row this has happened. I also know I have been a 4 or more to 1 chip dog each time, which makes it harder to win. Just didn't get that one big hand I needed versus a big stack to go all the way through, but congrats to Scott for taking it down last night.
So, uh, yeah...got me and the Mrs. a nice, big phat bottle of red wine - even though I don't drink wine, and she doesn't drink red wine. And a couple of "Moon River" or Moon-Something t-shirts, hats and shit. Whatever, free shit is free shit, right?
For some reason, we have 11 players at our final table instead of 10. I think there was a 3-way tie for 10th, and with one qualifier not showing up for the last few weeks (Duma, apparantly, thinks he's better than the rest of us, as evidenced by his stiffing the bar on a tab recently), so we have Jay, Nicole, and Dennis joining Scott (regular season points leader), PJ, Stevo, Andy, Vic, Pat, Ronnie in conspiring to stop me from winning this thing. Errrr, or something like that.
Ronnie to my direct left, and Pat on his left is good news for me - if I choose to pick on their blinds I'll get no resistance. Jay on direct right, with Dennis and Andy 2 spots over, is good, since very little pre-flop raising from these guys will be happening.
First level I take 2 pots down - one with 10-8 out of the big blind when I flop 10's, hit second pair of 8's on turn, and another a few hands later with A-K after calling a raise from Scott preflop - took 2 decent pots off of him on these hands. The first level also saw me dump Jay's beer while trying to pass him his chips that he won off a hand - serves them fukkers right for actually letting me have a Bud prior to playing last night. That's because I never, ever, and I mean (as this guy would say:)
...EVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVER drink alcohol before playing.
Course, Jay dumps his own beer a couple of hands later, and only has himself to blame this time. Keep your drinks off the table, guys!
2nd level, I took down 2 more decent pots with the same hand: 5-2 of clubs. Limped in UTG+1 and had a 4-way pot, and get an okay flop of 6-4-3 rainbow. 8 and 10 are no help to Scott, and after saying that my overpair was good while folding, I flip over 5-2 as a sarcastic "Nice read!" message.
Couple of hands later in the BB, I win the second pot against Jay on a board of A-9-J-J-6 - I totally whiffed on my flush draw on both turn and river, but after Jay checked both the turn and the river, I threw a bet of 200 into a 300 pot, and Jay says that my 9 is good while folding - this time, I flip over my bluff, and Jay's totally confused now.
I have about 4000 chips (we started out with 3000 each) when our first casualty, PJ, is knocked out by Stevo when AQ runs into AK - Stevo is happy for the bustout, since PJ has busted him 2 weeks in a row. Good time to do it. Scott, meanwhile, manages to survive an all-in when his pocket 7's hold up against Dennis's AK. Scott folded a hand early in the night against Dennis after Dennis overbet the pot showing a made flush, and Scott folded a set of 5's...rabbit cam showed that a 5 on the river would have actually made a straight flush for Scott...wow!
At start of 200/400 level, Scott raises to 1000 UTG, and after it's folded to me I jam 3400 into Scott with pocket 10's - after a couple of minutes of thinking, Scott folded KQ face-up, and I'm back in business a little bit more.
The next 3 players out are Jay, Nicole, and Dennis. Jay has AA cracked by Ronnie's KJ a couple of hands prior, and in the SB (200/400 level now), Jay tries to run a bet of 900 on me in the BB...I call with A-6 almost instantly, and Jay sheepishly flips over 10-5...Ace on flop, no help on turn to Jay, and he's out. I take Nicole out a few hands later when I raise UTG+1 with AK, and she jams with QQ - Ace on flop, no help to Nicole, and she's gone. Dennis is out after Scott hits a flop, and all of a sudden Scott has chips, which he likes to be aggressive with.
Stevo and I get involved in only 1 pot of note, and both times he hits a set of aces on flush-draw heavy flops to get me out with my rags. I was hoping to heads-up with him, if only for blogging purposes.
Ronnie gets taken out by Scott next to finish 7th, and, and soon afterwards Pat is our final female player taken out after she allows herself to be blinded out - at the 300/600 level, Vic (UTG) calls 600, after folded around to me I call 300 without looking at my cards, then chicken myself out of betting blind after 3 hearts hit the flop...J-high would have been good enough to take Pat's 10-high out, but Vic's pair of 3's take it down.
Now here's a goofy hand here, and I think the players who saw this will be giving Andy shit for, well, quite a while after this one. Folded around to Andy, who calls 600 bet out of SB - I raise with A-6 to 2000, and Andy (realizing that if he calls is pot-committed) insta-folds 5-5 face up! Like a true donkey, the "let's see what the flop would have come" request from Andy comes out, and 5-5-4 hits the board...oh well, no guts, no glory, Andy. Everyone (including me) is shocked that he didn't make a move with that hand.
A couple of hands later, I decide to mess with the family pot and raise 2000 (300/600) with KK in the BB - Scott and Vic both fold A-9/A-J hands after thinking for a couple of minutes each here.
Some blind-trading goes on for awhile, then Vic doubles up through me when his QQ hits runner-runner flush for the resuckout after my A-4 hit the ace on the flop. Shortly after that Vic decides to jam A-7 against Scott after an A-high flop, but Scott hits top 2 pair with his A-10, and Vic is out in 5th.
Big hand of the night comes a couple of orbits later when Steve gets jiggy with middle pair against Scott's made 2-pair...Scott takes a commanding chip lead after Stevo is gone. I have about 5-6K at this point (500/1000 blinds now), and Andy has about 3-4, Scott has the rest.
Scott eliminates Andy after some short time here, and with about 6K against 27K I get to HU. We go a few hands...open jam (with 6BBs left, push or fold time here) with any paint, and even one time with 5-7 offsuit....finally, I look at A-5 in BB. Scott raises to push me all-in - I think I may be beat, but at this point, not gonna blind myself down and out like some do, so I make the crying call, only to see Scott flip over A-Q. Q on flop, no help on turn, and it's over.
2nd place in the final yet again - 3 times in a row this has happened. I also know I have been a 4 or more to 1 chip dog each time, which makes it harder to win. Just didn't get that one big hand I needed versus a big stack to go all the way through, but congrats to Scott for taking it down last night.
So, uh, yeah...got me and the Mrs. a nice, big phat bottle of red wine - even though I don't drink wine, and she doesn't drink red wine. And a couple of "Moon River" or Moon-Something t-shirts, hats and shit. Whatever, free shit is free shit, right?
Thursday, November 29, 2007
I know I missed "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" last week when it was on CBS, but since my 7 and 9-year-old boys like popping this tape in and watching it on occasion this Christmas season, it's time to air some gripes about this "Christmas classic", hrrrumph!
1. Santa is a dick.
Santa, the benevolent one, the kind, the great – actually, Santa's the dick who mocks Rudolph for having a red nose. Are we prejudiced much, fat man? Is this a representation that Christmas is only for those without defects? Then to make it worse, the rest of Christmastown joins in the mocking of Rudolph. So basically, if you're a minority, you can't join in any reindeer games. OK then.
Then, after basically opening the door for Rudolph's departure from Christmastown, who does he come crawling back to Rudolph when a little snowstorm hits? Rudolph should have told Santa to "Kiss my furry brown ass, douchebag - me and the babe have a fifth of Tequila and we're flying to Tahiti."
Oh, if Santa is so great, then why does he continuously disrespect and ignore the Misfit Toys?
2. Quality Control in Christmastown
Speaking of them, what the fukk is up with the Misfit Toys. An elephant with spots, a train with square wheels, a Charlie in the Box, a dolly…what is wrong with her? (More later). What do they all have in common? All are toys, and where are toys made? At Christmastown! Who the hell is running quality control up there?
3. Real Generous, You Flying Lion
The gang reaches the Island of Misfit Toys. They've been riding through the fukking North Pole. It's cold there. It's windy there. Again, people, it's the North Pole. They reach the Island of Misfit Toys. The leader lets them stay for all of, what, one night? Thanks, asshole.
4. Bestiality and Homosexuality
At the Island of Misfit Toys, Rudolph, Hermie and Yukon Cornelius all sleep in the same bed. Then, later, Rudolph leaves. I don't see Yukon or Hermie missing him all that much, do you?
5. Women's Rights
Now comes the big fight, but who saves the day? It's Rudolph's Mom and Clarisse. Oh, but then Sam the Snowman says to "get the womenfolk back to Christmastown." Sure...after saving their asses, the men decide that the women need to get the hell out. Nice.
6. 4 out of 5 Cardiologists Disapprove of this Diet
Santa goes on an eating binge to get all fat within a week? How 'bout them arteries, jolly man? This just in: Santa Has Quadruple Bypass Surgery!
7. More Bestiality
Yukon Cornelius, fresh from doing a Reindeer and an Elf, turns his sights to a giant abominable snowman. I think we know what he's after there, huh. Was it just me, or did Yukon walk a little bowlegged when he appeared back at the Castle?
8. Let's Hide the Mental Illness
What was really wrong with the Dolly named Sue? It's suspected that she suffers from depression. Of course, we don't hear this - they just push mental illness under the table, hoping that we ignore it.
9. Some other miscellaneous shit I noticed
- Santa visits Rudolph after he is first born and Rudolph says – "San-tah." How does he know who Santa is? He was just born!
- Why can't Charley-in-the-box change his name?
- What kid wants a water pistol that shoots jelly? Probably most kids!
- How messed up will the kid who received the cowboy on the ostrich be?
- Why is the lion called Moonraker? Is the lion a James Bond fan?
- Why do all the male elves look the same except for the elf in charge, Herbie and the tall - one with glasses?
- Are all female elves blonde?
- Santa is unprepared for a snowstorm! At the North Pole!!! I bet it hardly ever snows there!
- Trees, animals and birds at the North Pole? Not likely! Except for Polar bears.
- How is Yukon Cornelius going to dig for gold at the North Pole? It's an icecap.
I think I have way too much time on my hands, don't I?
1. Santa is a dick.
Santa, the benevolent one, the kind, the great – actually, Santa's the dick who mocks Rudolph for having a red nose. Are we prejudiced much, fat man? Is this a representation that Christmas is only for those without defects? Then to make it worse, the rest of Christmastown joins in the mocking of Rudolph. So basically, if you're a minority, you can't join in any reindeer games. OK then.
Then, after basically opening the door for Rudolph's departure from Christmastown, who does he come crawling back to Rudolph when a little snowstorm hits? Rudolph should have told Santa to "Kiss my furry brown ass, douchebag - me and the babe have a fifth of Tequila and we're flying to Tahiti."
Oh, if Santa is so great, then why does he continuously disrespect and ignore the Misfit Toys?
2. Quality Control in Christmastown
Speaking of them, what the fukk is up with the Misfit Toys. An elephant with spots, a train with square wheels, a Charlie in the Box, a dolly…what is wrong with her? (More later). What do they all have in common? All are toys, and where are toys made? At Christmastown! Who the hell is running quality control up there?
3. Real Generous, You Flying Lion
The gang reaches the Island of Misfit Toys. They've been riding through the fukking North Pole. It's cold there. It's windy there. Again, people, it's the North Pole. They reach the Island of Misfit Toys. The leader lets them stay for all of, what, one night? Thanks, asshole.
4. Bestiality and Homosexuality
At the Island of Misfit Toys, Rudolph, Hermie and Yukon Cornelius all sleep in the same bed. Then, later, Rudolph leaves. I don't see Yukon or Hermie missing him all that much, do you?
5. Women's Rights
Now comes the big fight, but who saves the day? It's Rudolph's Mom and Clarisse. Oh, but then Sam the Snowman says to "get the womenfolk back to Christmastown." Sure...after saving their asses, the men decide that the women need to get the hell out. Nice.
6. 4 out of 5 Cardiologists Disapprove of this Diet
Santa goes on an eating binge to get all fat within a week? How 'bout them arteries, jolly man? This just in: Santa Has Quadruple Bypass Surgery!
7. More Bestiality
Yukon Cornelius, fresh from doing a Reindeer and an Elf, turns his sights to a giant abominable snowman. I think we know what he's after there, huh. Was it just me, or did Yukon walk a little bowlegged when he appeared back at the Castle?
8. Let's Hide the Mental Illness
What was really wrong with the Dolly named Sue? It's suspected that she suffers from depression. Of course, we don't hear this - they just push mental illness under the table, hoping that we ignore it.
9. Some other miscellaneous shit I noticed
- Santa visits Rudolph after he is first born and Rudolph says – "San-tah." How does he know who Santa is? He was just born!
- Why can't Charley-in-the-box change his name?
- What kid wants a water pistol that shoots jelly? Probably most kids!
- How messed up will the kid who received the cowboy on the ostrich be?
- Why is the lion called Moonraker? Is the lion a James Bond fan?
- Why do all the male elves look the same except for the elf in charge, Herbie and the tall - one with glasses?
- Are all female elves blonde?
- Santa is unprepared for a snowstorm! At the North Pole!!! I bet it hardly ever snows there!
- Trees, animals and birds at the North Pole? Not likely! Except for Polar bears.
- How is Yukon Cornelius going to dig for gold at the North Pole? It's an icecap.
I think I have way too much time on my hands, don't I?
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Frustrating day at Dino's
Yesterday was the last tournament before next week's fall finale at Dino's, and since I didn't have to actually do anything in order to advance to next week's game, my job was just to mess around, play different strategies here and there, and see where that takes me.
I liked my table selection at the start - only 22 players this week, and 5 at our table. We have Ronald, who will play any two cards, on my left. Ronald never raises pre-flops, and chases like nobody's business on his 4 outers...pot odds, be damned! Next we have Nicole and Jay, 2 decent players who know my game well enough, then on my right is Pat, a very pleasant lady to play poker with...but who is an uber-tight player. Could be fun.
I take down the first 2 pots of the night with a little aggressive post-flop play...no great pots, but I'll take my small ones to help me later. Ronald stars winning hand after hand after hand as everything he is chasing is hitting. He frustrating the table because the dude doesn't know half the time what his blind amount to put in is, doesn't understand things like "betting" and "raising", and will merely call your river bet with the nuts (he did this twice on straights last night). He'll also call pre-flop, then merely check-call with pocket queeens (he had this hand 3 times last night, so I got to see it in action)...even if he makes a set.
I did win a nice pot off of Jay early on when my Q-J flopped trip queens...Jay bet out both the flop and the turn, with me smooth-calling, then after hitting quads on the river, I got him to send me 50 more chips after I made the perfect value bet there.
Few hands later, I get Q-6 in the small blind...4 of us see the flop, and on a J-10-9 (2 hearts) flop, I bet out 100 to chase Nicole out of the hand, but Ronald and Pat stay in. 7 of hearts gives me a flush draw, and after a bet and 2 calls, a 4 of hearts hits the river. Only 2 cards beat my Queen of hearts here, so I lead out 200, which Ronald calls, then Pat min-raises to 400....she only does this with the nuts, so I fold. Ronald thought his pair of 7's were good (he was holding a 3 of hearts, too...and didn't even know that he had a flush, either), however. :-\
At 25/50 level, I get A-10 UTG, and raise to 150, where Nicole promptly min-raises me to 300. Ronald actually folds a hand here, which is something he doesn't do a lot of...and he wonders why he "never has any luck in the casino". I smooth-call here, with a feeling that I'm gonna have to suckout here. Ahhhhh, yes....10-8-5 flop, and after smooth-calling Nicole's continuation bet, checked down as she shows A-J.
A few hands later, I raise again to 150 on the button with A-9, and Nicole smooth-calls my raise. After a flop of 9-7-2, I make my normal continuation bet, and promptly get raised to 400, which gives me some pause here. Nicole doesn't make this type of play with K-7, for example...she's got an overpair, I figure, and I reluctantly fold. After the river she shows pocket Queens, so at least my read was right.
Big hand of the night was versus Ronald at the 50/100 level. In the SB I merely call with A-5 - it's a marginal hand, at best, and any raises aren't respected anyways, so might as well get in as cheap as I can. Flop of A-5-J comes out, and with 4 players in the pot, I want to induce a bet, so I check. No one takes the bait, and on the turn a Queen comes out. No flush draw for anyone, so I know I have the best of it now, so I bet the pot of 400, Ronald fumbles his chips around and calls. A 10 comes out, and gives me pause here...could Ronald really have been chasing with a King here? Naw, he couldn't, could he? I bet out 700, thinking I'm getting an easy call here....and Ronald calls with K-6 for the nut straight.
I toss my cards in the air, let out a "You've got to fucking kidding me!" comment, and am now officially on tilt. Pat's shaking her head at everything, and Nicole's got a look of "OMG!" about everything going on. It was after this hand that Ronald makes the "I wish I had this much luck in the casinos!" comment. I'm down to 555 chips at this point.
I take a couple of hands off to cool down, then in the BB jam my K-Q all-in...Ronald insta-calls with Q-J. K-high survives, and at least I have some chips to play with. Since 2 tables were down to 4, we split up to new tables. Nothing of note for an orbit, then with 700 chips UTG I open-jam 10-7 sooooooted, and PJ lays down pocket 5's after debating for a few minutes to call. After seeing his hand, I wish he would have called, actually...I need a double-up somewhere soon.
Lose 400 chips the next hand, then in the SB after it's folded to me, I shove the remaining chips (1100 or so) after seeing a Jack, and called by Mike...who's kind of a calling station and doesn't call all-ins usually unless he has something big. Since his stack is the same as mine, he decides to gamble "for the hell of it", and flips over K-3...has my J-5 dominated. No help to either of us, and I'm knocked out.
Oh well, an early night for me - at least I spent some time with the Mrs. before we both went to sleep for the night. Finale next week...time to plug a leak or 2 and get my A-game in order.
I liked my table selection at the start - only 22 players this week, and 5 at our table. We have Ronald, who will play any two cards, on my left. Ronald never raises pre-flops, and chases like nobody's business on his 4 outers...pot odds, be damned! Next we have Nicole and Jay, 2 decent players who know my game well enough, then on my right is Pat, a very pleasant lady to play poker with...but who is an uber-tight player. Could be fun.
I take down the first 2 pots of the night with a little aggressive post-flop play...no great pots, but I'll take my small ones to help me later. Ronald stars winning hand after hand after hand as everything he is chasing is hitting. He frustrating the table because the dude doesn't know half the time what his blind amount to put in is, doesn't understand things like "betting" and "raising", and will merely call your river bet with the nuts (he did this twice on straights last night). He'll also call pre-flop, then merely check-call with pocket queeens (he had this hand 3 times last night, so I got to see it in action)...even if he makes a set.
I did win a nice pot off of Jay early on when my Q-J flopped trip queens...Jay bet out both the flop and the turn, with me smooth-calling, then after hitting quads on the river, I got him to send me 50 more chips after I made the perfect value bet there.
Few hands later, I get Q-6 in the small blind...4 of us see the flop, and on a J-10-9 (2 hearts) flop, I bet out 100 to chase Nicole out of the hand, but Ronald and Pat stay in. 7 of hearts gives me a flush draw, and after a bet and 2 calls, a 4 of hearts hits the river. Only 2 cards beat my Queen of hearts here, so I lead out 200, which Ronald calls, then Pat min-raises to 400....she only does this with the nuts, so I fold. Ronald thought his pair of 7's were good (he was holding a 3 of hearts, too...and didn't even know that he had a flush, either), however. :-\
At 25/50 level, I get A-10 UTG, and raise to 150, where Nicole promptly min-raises me to 300. Ronald actually folds a hand here, which is something he doesn't do a lot of...and he wonders why he "never has any luck in the casino". I smooth-call here, with a feeling that I'm gonna have to suckout here. Ahhhhh, yes....10-8-5 flop, and after smooth-calling Nicole's continuation bet, checked down as she shows A-J.
A few hands later, I raise again to 150 on the button with A-9, and Nicole smooth-calls my raise. After a flop of 9-7-2, I make my normal continuation bet, and promptly get raised to 400, which gives me some pause here. Nicole doesn't make this type of play with K-7, for example...she's got an overpair, I figure, and I reluctantly fold. After the river she shows pocket Queens, so at least my read was right.
Big hand of the night was versus Ronald at the 50/100 level. In the SB I merely call with A-5 - it's a marginal hand, at best, and any raises aren't respected anyways, so might as well get in as cheap as I can. Flop of A-5-J comes out, and with 4 players in the pot, I want to induce a bet, so I check. No one takes the bait, and on the turn a Queen comes out. No flush draw for anyone, so I know I have the best of it now, so I bet the pot of 400, Ronald fumbles his chips around and calls. A 10 comes out, and gives me pause here...could Ronald really have been chasing with a King here? Naw, he couldn't, could he? I bet out 700, thinking I'm getting an easy call here....and Ronald calls with K-6 for the nut straight.
I toss my cards in the air, let out a "You've got to fucking kidding me!" comment, and am now officially on tilt. Pat's shaking her head at everything, and Nicole's got a look of "OMG!" about everything going on. It was after this hand that Ronald makes the "I wish I had this much luck in the casinos!" comment. I'm down to 555 chips at this point.
I take a couple of hands off to cool down, then in the BB jam my K-Q all-in...Ronald insta-calls with Q-J. K-high survives, and at least I have some chips to play with. Since 2 tables were down to 4, we split up to new tables. Nothing of note for an orbit, then with 700 chips UTG I open-jam 10-7 sooooooted, and PJ lays down pocket 5's after debating for a few minutes to call. After seeing his hand, I wish he would have called, actually...I need a double-up somewhere soon.
Lose 400 chips the next hand, then in the SB after it's folded to me, I shove the remaining chips (1100 or so) after seeing a Jack, and called by Mike...who's kind of a calling station and doesn't call all-ins usually unless he has something big. Since his stack is the same as mine, he decides to gamble "for the hell of it", and flips over K-3...has my J-5 dominated. No help to either of us, and I'm knocked out.
Oh well, an early night for me - at least I spent some time with the Mrs. before we both went to sleep for the night. Finale next week...time to plug a leak or 2 and get my A-game in order.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Some random stuff that's ticking me off today
- Those of you normal fukkers who shopped early on Black Friday can relate, but what the heck is up with the trailer-trash coming out of the wordwork and behaving exactly like trailer-trash at them big electronic stores in the suburbs? Fighting over someone cutting in line for TVs and computers in a Dearborn Best Buy? Bowling over little kids and handicapped people (I saw this today at Circuit City) to get that DVD of that shitbag of a movie that you wouldn't normally consider buying 364 days a year, except it's now $5.99, so for this day only it's a must-have for your collection? Whatsupwitdat?
- Makes you realize that too many people out there think Christmas = "Giftmas". I'm not much of a religious person these days, but there is a reason for the season, after all - try to remember that the next time you act like trash in a department store, mmmkay!
- Well, Lions, nice tease you gave us - better luck making the playoffs next year.
- Am I the only person who, over the last few years, absolutely hates sitting down and actually eating Thanksgiving dinner? Don't get me wrong, the day is actually one of my favorite holidays of the year, since it's a nice, easy day hanging out with the family, watching football, and no kids overnight (my parents watch the kids every year on Turkey Day).
- http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gg5xCtQtLBF6vJqWXStItGEOsJfwD8T39QMG0 - Parents, this is why you need to monitor your kids activities on the computer. But aren't the parents who created the fake profile on myspace amongst the biggest losers on this planet, as well?
- Oh yeah, getting up before 4am on a workday - every year I say I'm not getting up early to do this early shopping garbage, but when 1) it's only 1 or 2 stops early in the morning, and 2) it's for the kiddies at 70% off, it somehow doesn't seem so bad.
- At least I get out early, so maybe I can get in some hands of HORSE and Stud H/L on Stars again - killed the cash tables yesterday morning!
- Makes you realize that too many people out there think Christmas = "Giftmas". I'm not much of a religious person these days, but there is a reason for the season, after all - try to remember that the next time you act like trash in a department store, mmmkay!
- Well, Lions, nice tease you gave us - better luck making the playoffs next year.
- Am I the only person who, over the last few years, absolutely hates sitting down and actually eating Thanksgiving dinner? Don't get me wrong, the day is actually one of my favorite holidays of the year, since it's a nice, easy day hanging out with the family, watching football, and no kids overnight (my parents watch the kids every year on Turkey Day).
- http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gg5xCtQtLBF6vJqWXStItGEOsJfwD8T39QMG0 - Parents, this is why you need to monitor your kids activities on the computer. But aren't the parents who created the fake profile on myspace amongst the biggest losers on this planet, as well?
- Oh yeah, getting up before 4am on a workday - every year I say I'm not getting up early to do this early shopping garbage, but when 1) it's only 1 or 2 stops early in the morning, and 2) it's for the kiddies at 70% off, it somehow doesn't seem so bad.
- At least I get out early, so maybe I can get in some hands of HORSE and Stud H/L on Stars again - killed the cash tables yesterday morning!
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
A new milestone for me at Stars
Just sharkscoped myself at Stars, and am over $800 profit for my SnG life...time for me to ratchet it up a notch to the $15+1 SnGs and see if I can get over the $1,000 mark soon. As infrequently as I play online these days, however, that's not a certainty.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Thank God It's Monday!
There's a phrase you don't hear very often, but after the last week, much deserved. Kelley's dad (Don) passed away last Tuesday afternoon after a long bout with numerous ailments, and obviously the last few days have been difficult on the entire family. Soap opera-like stories to follow in the future involving Kelley, Kim (sister) and Don's wife (Janet, or "Satan").
Poker tonight is hopefully a go - need a night out just to feel normal again.
Poker tonight is hopefully a go - need a night out just to feel normal again.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
No tourney report tonight
Didn't make it over to Dino's tonight, as Kelley's dad is gravely ill. He has been sick for some time now, and last night he and the family (Kelley, her sister, and his wife) decided to take him off of all medication, except what will make him more comfortable.
At least Don will not be in pain anymore, and will going to see his first wife in heaven. At least that's what we tell ourselves to try to hide the pain when we know our loved ones aren't going to be around anymore, right?
At least Don will not be in pain anymore, and will going to see his first wife in heaven. At least that's what we tell ourselves to try to hide the pain when we know our loved ones aren't going to be around anymore, right?
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Another week, another Dino's tourney report
Missed last week's game (see earlier post for why) at Dino's, so I was rarin' to go this week. Ate my normal meal of a couple of sliders and a couple of Cokes, small-talked some with the normal waitress, checked out the new waitress in training (I am a guy, after all), then got down and dirty to play some poker. How'd we do this week? Check it out...
Sat down and my table draw was something like this...going to my left is Dennis, Jay, Ron (newer player, not very good), StevO (buddy from the weekly game), and Gary (tight calling station who rarely will raise a pot) to me. 24 of us again to start.
First orbit of the night, and StevO goes on semi-tilt for a while after Dennis, wannabe table captain (I happen to get along just fine with him, however) of the night gets in StevO's grill after Dennis donkey-calls a SPFR with 9-8 and hits trips on river to dominate StevO's 4-4. I don't necessarily faults Dennis's play here, but I can understand StevO's frustration with the hand - I just would have let it slide without saying anything, but that's just me.
Splash around a few pots before picking up a pot against Ron when I flop 2 pair and get called down to the river with bottom pair. Then a big series of folds happens, but I take down a nice pot from Gary after check-raising him on the river when a river 9 gives my A-9 2 pair - I had him beat the whole way, I suspect, but he may have been playing a weak ace here, who knows.
Win a couple of small pots, then get my first elimination of the night when I get Ron to go all-in with A-7 against my pocket queens on a board of K-K-10...10 and brick are of no help to him, and we're at 2900 chips. Chipped down to about 2300, when we get broken down to 2 tables. Some semi-cute buzzed brunette sits down, and after pushing her all-in with 8-8, I survive a race against Q-10 to get up to about 4000 chips. This would be my high-water point for a while, however, as the next hour I go card-dead.
Get down to 9 people, and I continue on my wonderfal streak of card-deadedness while a few players are eliminated as a night of river beats continues. Dennis goes out in 6th against Vic, who starts a nice hot streak by then taking Ronald/Donald (Ron, an uber-donkey who's usually out early) and Jay out in the span of one orbit.
After pushing to steal blinds at 400/800 2 hands in a row, I take out Pat when my A-J holds up against her K-3, and Vic and I are heads-up. To this point, Vic has actually played very well as the big stack pushing players around, and made some good reads and plays against other players. I'd say I have about 7K in chips, which makes me about 5-1 down in chips to start.
First hand of HU in the BB I look at KQ, and shove my chips in the middle when Vic puts me all-in, and elated to see him flip K-10 over. K on the flop, no help on river, and a fukkin' 10 on the river knocks me out in second. Congrats to Vic for winning this week for the first time - well-deserved win based on his final table play.
After this week I'm up to 30 points, more than enough to already be qualfied for the final table sometime in next few weeks, but I want to make a run at overall point leader, and I'm only a couple of points behind, so I'll keep going Monday's nights to Dino's, I guess.
Sat down and my table draw was something like this...going to my left is Dennis, Jay, Ron (newer player, not very good), StevO (buddy from the weekly game), and Gary (tight calling station who rarely will raise a pot) to me. 24 of us again to start.
First orbit of the night, and StevO goes on semi-tilt for a while after Dennis, wannabe table captain (I happen to get along just fine with him, however) of the night gets in StevO's grill after Dennis donkey-calls a SPFR with 9-8 and hits trips on river to dominate StevO's 4-4. I don't necessarily faults Dennis's play here, but I can understand StevO's frustration with the hand - I just would have let it slide without saying anything, but that's just me.
Splash around a few pots before picking up a pot against Ron when I flop 2 pair and get called down to the river with bottom pair. Then a big series of folds happens, but I take down a nice pot from Gary after check-raising him on the river when a river 9 gives my A-9 2 pair - I had him beat the whole way, I suspect, but he may have been playing a weak ace here, who knows.
Win a couple of small pots, then get my first elimination of the night when I get Ron to go all-in with A-7 against my pocket queens on a board of K-K-10...10 and brick are of no help to him, and we're at 2900 chips. Chipped down to about 2300, when we get broken down to 2 tables. Some semi-cute buzzed brunette sits down, and after pushing her all-in with 8-8, I survive a race against Q-10 to get up to about 4000 chips. This would be my high-water point for a while, however, as the next hour I go card-dead.
Get down to 9 people, and I continue on my wonderfal streak of card-deadedness while a few players are eliminated as a night of river beats continues. Dennis goes out in 6th against Vic, who starts a nice hot streak by then taking Ronald/Donald (Ron, an uber-donkey who's usually out early) and Jay out in the span of one orbit.
After pushing to steal blinds at 400/800 2 hands in a row, I take out Pat when my A-J holds up against her K-3, and Vic and I are heads-up. To this point, Vic has actually played very well as the big stack pushing players around, and made some good reads and plays against other players. I'd say I have about 7K in chips, which makes me about 5-1 down in chips to start.
First hand of HU in the BB I look at KQ, and shove my chips in the middle when Vic puts me all-in, and elated to see him flip K-10 over. K on the flop, no help on river, and a fukkin' 10 on the river knocks me out in second. Congrats to Vic for winning this week for the first time - well-deserved win based on his final table play.
After this week I'm up to 30 points, more than enough to already be qualfied for the final table sometime in next few weeks, but I want to make a run at overall point leader, and I'm only a couple of points behind, so I'll keep going Monday's nights to Dino's, I guess.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Greatest ad ever!
http://www.splendad.com/ads/show/1481-McDonalds-Cha-Cha-Slide
At least for a couple of weeks (or til Super Bowl, at latest).
At least for a couple of weeks (or til Super Bowl, at latest).
This guy didn't follow my Stud H/L primer too well...
Ahhh, yes - I love the feeling of losing a split pot to a 1-outer on the river - if you understand anything about thing game, this you'll understand the total fishiness of it all.
PokerStars Game #13046347619: HORSE (7 Card Stud Hi/Lo Limit, $0.50/$1.00) - 2007/11/04 - 20:54:48 (ET)Table 'Hybris' 8-max
Seat 1: Soldier ($23.05 in chips)
Seat 2: Antoninus ($20 in chips)
Seat 3: sodapop ($23.80 in chips)
Seat 4: sylance ($14.85 in chips)
Seat 5: scladdy ($17.60 in chips)
Seat 6: vegaslulu ($40 in chips)
Seat 7: BKrywko1 ($21.75 in chips)
Seat 8: Sayers40 ($26 in chips)
vegaslulu: posts the ante $0.05
BKrywko1: posts the ante $0.05
Sayers40: posts the ante $0.05
Soldier: posts the ante $0.05
Antoninus: posts the ante $0.05
sodapop: posts the ante $0.05
sylance: posts the ante $0.05
scladdy: posts the ante $0.05
*** 3rd STREET ***
Dealt to Soldier [Jc]
Dealt to Antoninus [4h]
Dealt to sodapop [3c]
Dealt to sylance [3s]
Dealt to scladdy [9c]
Dealt to vegaslulu [Js]
Dealt to BKrywko1 [7h 7d 7s]
Dealt to Sayers40 [Jd]
sodapop: brings in for $0.25
sylance: folds
scladdy: folds
vegaslulu: raises $0.25 to $0.50
BKrywko1: raises $0.50 to $1
Sayers40: folds
Soldier: folds
Antoninus: calls $1
sodapop: folds
vegaslulu: calls $0.50
*** 4th STREET ***
Dealt to Antoninus [4h] [4d]
Dealt to vegaslulu [Js] [Ts]
Dealt to BKrywko1 [7h 7d 7s] [6c]
Antoninus: checks
vegaslulu: bets $0.50
BKrywko1: raises $0.50 to $1
Antoninus: calls $1
vegaslulu: calls $0.50
*** 5th STREET ***
Dealt to Antoninus [4h 4d] [3d]
Dealt to vegaslulu [Js Ts] [Tc]
Dealt to BKrywko1 [7h 7d 7s 6c] [Jh]
vegaslulu: bets $1
BKrywko1: raises $1 to $2
Antoninus: calls $2
vegaslulu: calls $1
*** 6th STREET ***
Dealt to Antoninus [4h 4d 3d] [2s]
Dealt to vegaslulu [Js Ts Tc] [Ah]
Dealt to BKrywko1 [7h 7d 7s 6c Jh] [6s]
vegaslulu: bets $1
BKrywko1: raises $1 to $2
Antoninus: raises $1 to $3
vegaslulu: calls $2
BKrywko1: raises $1 to $4
Betting is capped
Antoninus: calls $1
vegaslulu: calls $1
*** RIVER ***
Dealt to BKrywko1 [7h 7d 7s 6c Jh 6s] [Ad]
vegaslulu: bets $1
BKrywko1: raises $1 to $2
Antoninus: raises $1 to $3
vegaslulu: raises $1 to $4
Betting is capped
BKrywko1: calls $2
Antoninus: calls $1
*** SHOW DOWN ***
vegaslulu: shows [Qs As Js Ts Tc Ah Ks] (HI: a Royal Flush)
BKrywko1: shows [7h 7d 7s 6c Jh 6s Ad] (HI: a full house, Sevens full of Sixes)
Antoninus: shows [6d 8c 4h 4d 3d 2s 5h] (HI: a straight, Deuce to Six; LO: 6,5,4,3,2)
vegaslulu collected $18.10 from pot
Antoninus collected $18.05 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***Total pot $36.65 Rake $0.50
Seat 1: Soldier folded on the 3rd Street (didn't bet)
Seat 2: Antoninus showed [6d 8c 4h 4d 3d 2s 5h] and won ($18.05) with HI: a straight, Deuce to Six; LO: 6,5,4,3,2
Seat 3: sodapop folded on the 3rd Street
Seat 4: sylance folded on the 3rd Street (didn't bet)
Seat 5: scladdy folded on the 3rd Street (didn't bet)
Seat 6: vegaslulu showed [Qs As Js Ts Tc Ah Ks] and won ($18.10) with HI: a Royal Flush
Seat 7: BKrywko1 showed [7h 7d 7s 6c Jh 6s Ad] and lost with HI: a full house, Sevens full of Sixes
Seat 8: Sayers40 folded on the 3rd Street (didn't bet)
PokerStars Game #13046347619: HORSE (7 Card Stud Hi/Lo Limit, $0.50/$1.00) - 2007/11/04 - 20:54:48 (ET)Table 'Hybris' 8-max
Seat 1: Soldier ($23.05 in chips)
Seat 2: Antoninus ($20 in chips)
Seat 3: sodapop ($23.80 in chips)
Seat 4: sylance ($14.85 in chips)
Seat 5: scladdy ($17.60 in chips)
Seat 6: vegaslulu ($40 in chips)
Seat 7: BKrywko1 ($21.75 in chips)
Seat 8: Sayers40 ($26 in chips)
vegaslulu: posts the ante $0.05
BKrywko1: posts the ante $0.05
Sayers40: posts the ante $0.05
Soldier: posts the ante $0.05
Antoninus: posts the ante $0.05
sodapop: posts the ante $0.05
sylance: posts the ante $0.05
scladdy: posts the ante $0.05
*** 3rd STREET ***
Dealt to Soldier [Jc]
Dealt to Antoninus [4h]
Dealt to sodapop [3c]
Dealt to sylance [3s]
Dealt to scladdy [9c]
Dealt to vegaslulu [Js]
Dealt to BKrywko1 [7h 7d 7s]
Dealt to Sayers40 [Jd]
sodapop: brings in for $0.25
sylance: folds
scladdy: folds
vegaslulu: raises $0.25 to $0.50
BKrywko1: raises $0.50 to $1
Sayers40: folds
Soldier: folds
Antoninus: calls $1
sodapop: folds
vegaslulu: calls $0.50
*** 4th STREET ***
Dealt to Antoninus [4h] [4d]
Dealt to vegaslulu [Js] [Ts]
Dealt to BKrywko1 [7h 7d 7s] [6c]
Antoninus: checks
vegaslulu: bets $0.50
BKrywko1: raises $0.50 to $1
Antoninus: calls $1
vegaslulu: calls $0.50
*** 5th STREET ***
Dealt to Antoninus [4h 4d] [3d]
Dealt to vegaslulu [Js Ts] [Tc]
Dealt to BKrywko1 [7h 7d 7s 6c] [Jh]
vegaslulu: bets $1
BKrywko1: raises $1 to $2
Antoninus: calls $2
vegaslulu: calls $1
*** 6th STREET ***
Dealt to Antoninus [4h 4d 3d] [2s]
Dealt to vegaslulu [Js Ts Tc] [Ah]
Dealt to BKrywko1 [7h 7d 7s 6c Jh] [6s]
vegaslulu: bets $1
BKrywko1: raises $1 to $2
Antoninus: raises $1 to $3
vegaslulu: calls $2
BKrywko1: raises $1 to $4
Betting is capped
Antoninus: calls $1
vegaslulu: calls $1
*** RIVER ***
Dealt to BKrywko1 [7h 7d 7s 6c Jh 6s] [Ad]
vegaslulu: bets $1
BKrywko1: raises $1 to $2
Antoninus: raises $1 to $3
vegaslulu: raises $1 to $4
Betting is capped
BKrywko1: calls $2
Antoninus: calls $1
*** SHOW DOWN ***
vegaslulu: shows [Qs As Js Ts Tc Ah Ks] (HI: a Royal Flush)
BKrywko1: shows [7h 7d 7s 6c Jh 6s Ad] (HI: a full house, Sevens full of Sixes)
Antoninus: shows [6d 8c 4h 4d 3d 2s 5h] (HI: a straight, Deuce to Six; LO: 6,5,4,3,2)
vegaslulu collected $18.10 from pot
Antoninus collected $18.05 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***Total pot $36.65 Rake $0.50
Seat 1: Soldier folded on the 3rd Street (didn't bet)
Seat 2: Antoninus showed [6d 8c 4h 4d 3d 2s 5h] and won ($18.05) with HI: a straight, Deuce to Six; LO: 6,5,4,3,2
Seat 3: sodapop folded on the 3rd Street
Seat 4: sylance folded on the 3rd Street (didn't bet)
Seat 5: scladdy folded on the 3rd Street (didn't bet)
Seat 6: vegaslulu showed [Qs As Js Ts Tc Ah Ks] and won ($18.10) with HI: a Royal Flush
Seat 7: BKrywko1 showed [7h 7d 7s 6c Jh 6s Ad] and lost with HI: a full house, Sevens full of Sixes
Seat 8: Sayers40 folded on the 3rd Street (didn't bet)
Friday, November 2, 2007
A Stud H/L primer
Played 3 tables of .50/$1.00 HORSE over at Stars last night for about 90 minutes, which is a pretty good session for me lately. I cleared about 110 FPPs in that span, and made $55 last night...great run! When you sit down with $20 per table and come close to doubling up at each table in a limit game of this sort, either you're catching cards or playing very well...and a little luck sure never hurt anyone.
Where's the biggest money to be made in these games? The Stud games - one round is Stud (best high hand wins) and the other is Stud H/L (High and Low hands split the pot). If you don't have these games down, don't bother playing HORSE, since you'll get killed.
Basic Stud H/L strategy that I picked up from another forum from a very successful player - stick to this strategy, and you'll be a Stud H/L winner:
Starters: The basic starters are:
QQ or better
3 to a low
3 to a high flush
3 to any flush if only 1 out is counterfitted.
When you get that down, add these starters:
Any pairs with an A kicker if 4 of the outs are open
Any pairs if all 5 outs are open.
Both of the above you need an instant hit, if not get off the hand to any bet.
These above hands are on the aggressive side, BUT with a solid table image and the understanding you need to improve or get off you can get away with these hands. Remember straights are still UNPLAYABLE, it is much easier to fold AKQ or 789 than 223.
Playing 4th st and the Paint Rule (If you hit paint on 4th straight, fold!): We all know the Paint Rule by now, if you dont improve on 4th st when 3 to a low, GET OFF THE HAND TO ANY BET. There are a few exceptions:
When 3 to a low AND 3 to a flush, I will see one more card to hopefully improve both sides, if not one. EX- [2♣][4♣][6♦][K♣]....The [K♣] doesnt help our low, but it does give us a high draw as well. I will check this hand if UTG, but I will also call a single bet to see the next card. A low club would be ideal, but any club or any 4th to a low would keep me in the hand. If I dont improve at least one aspect of this hand, I am folding to a bet (one side note, if your flush suit is all over the board and you have only a few outs, get off the hand to a bet on 3rd st).
Betting your hands: Once you are 4 to a low, 4 to a flush or have a high pair you need to bet your hands. This game is about weeding out the competition, we dont want to be ahead and give free cards to our opponets. If you miss 5th st, and you are the last to act, I would bet as well. Betting on a missed 5th is key, I dont like to give a free card here.
If you missed on 6th st as well, you have a choice, look at the boards and play accordingly. If you missed with a 3rd low on board, but you paired a hole card (ex, [2][3][7][4][K][3]) you have to bet this hand. by checking you are letting every solid player know you paired that card. ANYTIME I see 3 to a low on board and the hand is checked to me, I BET IT, it means that your opponet has paired a baby. You might get a solid player off the hand with your board alone.
Feeding the rake: When lo: A big mistake players make is feeding the rake when low. If you are only low and your HU opponet has a good board([K][K][7][J], do not bet the river, you will only lose money on the rake. If your opponet has a crappy board ([8][J][Q][2]), bet away. There is a catch here...if you have a good draw board and a locked low, I will bet/raise a solid player with a so-so board. If you have a solid image as well, you are saying, I have a scoop...you may STEAL the high as well. On the chance you get called, you will surely get a few extra bets from this player later in the game because he thinks you will always try to pull this. Do not attempt this against a weak player....he will ALWAYS call you and you will just chop, but at the same time you alerted the solids on the table you will try to steal a high here and there. They will now be more apt to call you on a river steal attempt.
When hi: Always bet a weak opponets shaky board if you are strong, a board of [3][J][9][7] is screaming of a fish...bet here every time. You wont often go wrong betting your high hand on the river, the only time I wont do it is when a solid player as a strong low board...95% of the time we will chop and those bets are raked.
One other thing....if a player has a heavy draw board, DO NOT BET THE RIVER WITH ONLY A HIGH, its a sure fire way of losing 2 big bets...if he missed he is folding, if he hit, he is raising, just check/call there.
When you have a scoop possibility: ANYTIME I have a scoop hand....a locked low AND [A][A] or better I will bet/raise every time.
Good luck!
Where's the biggest money to be made in these games? The Stud games - one round is Stud (best high hand wins) and the other is Stud H/L (High and Low hands split the pot). If you don't have these games down, don't bother playing HORSE, since you'll get killed.
Basic Stud H/L strategy that I picked up from another forum from a very successful player - stick to this strategy, and you'll be a Stud H/L winner:
Starters: The basic starters are:
QQ or better
3 to a low
3 to a high flush
3 to any flush if only 1 out is counterfitted.
When you get that down, add these starters:
Any pairs with an A kicker if 4 of the outs are open
Any pairs if all 5 outs are open.
Both of the above you need an instant hit, if not get off the hand to any bet.
These above hands are on the aggressive side, BUT with a solid table image and the understanding you need to improve or get off you can get away with these hands. Remember straights are still UNPLAYABLE, it is much easier to fold AKQ or 789 than 223.
Playing 4th st and the Paint Rule (If you hit paint on 4th straight, fold!): We all know the Paint Rule by now, if you dont improve on 4th st when 3 to a low, GET OFF THE HAND TO ANY BET. There are a few exceptions:
When 3 to a low AND 3 to a flush, I will see one more card to hopefully improve both sides, if not one. EX- [2♣][4♣][6♦][K♣]....The [K♣] doesnt help our low, but it does give us a high draw as well. I will check this hand if UTG, but I will also call a single bet to see the next card. A low club would be ideal, but any club or any 4th to a low would keep me in the hand. If I dont improve at least one aspect of this hand, I am folding to a bet (one side note, if your flush suit is all over the board and you have only a few outs, get off the hand to a bet on 3rd st).
Betting your hands: Once you are 4 to a low, 4 to a flush or have a high pair you need to bet your hands. This game is about weeding out the competition, we dont want to be ahead and give free cards to our opponets. If you miss 5th st, and you are the last to act, I would bet as well. Betting on a missed 5th is key, I dont like to give a free card here.
If you missed on 6th st as well, you have a choice, look at the boards and play accordingly. If you missed with a 3rd low on board, but you paired a hole card (ex, [2][3][7][4][K][3]) you have to bet this hand. by checking you are letting every solid player know you paired that card. ANYTIME I see 3 to a low on board and the hand is checked to me, I BET IT, it means that your opponet has paired a baby. You might get a solid player off the hand with your board alone.
Feeding the rake: When lo: A big mistake players make is feeding the rake when low. If you are only low and your HU opponet has a good board([K][K][7][J], do not bet the river, you will only lose money on the rake. If your opponet has a crappy board ([8][J][Q][2]), bet away. There is a catch here...if you have a good draw board and a locked low, I will bet/raise a solid player with a so-so board. If you have a solid image as well, you are saying, I have a scoop...you may STEAL the high as well. On the chance you get called, you will surely get a few extra bets from this player later in the game because he thinks you will always try to pull this. Do not attempt this against a weak player....he will ALWAYS call you and you will just chop, but at the same time you alerted the solids on the table you will try to steal a high here and there. They will now be more apt to call you on a river steal attempt.
When hi: Always bet a weak opponets shaky board if you are strong, a board of [3][J][9][7] is screaming of a fish...bet here every time. You wont often go wrong betting your high hand on the river, the only time I wont do it is when a solid player as a strong low board...95% of the time we will chop and those bets are raked.
One other thing....if a player has a heavy draw board, DO NOT BET THE RIVER WITH ONLY A HIGH, its a sure fire way of losing 2 big bets...if he missed he is folding, if he hit, he is raising, just check/call there.
When you have a scoop possibility: ANYTIME I have a scoop hand....a locked low AND [A][A] or better I will bet/raise every time.
Good luck!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
A frustrating week
Grumpy Old Crank writing today:
This week seems to have been nothing but headaches for me, since the week started. Oh, sure, my beloved Lions had a great win to start the week, and the Sox (2nd favorite MLB team) came through to sweep the Rockies later on, but after that it's been all downhill.
Monday went fine enough, save for wasting 7 hours of my day at the office taking care of trivial, minutia-type issues and shit. After leaving a bit earlier than normal because Kelley was getting stitches taken out of her mouth, I walk in the door just before 6 (after running to 3 different stores with 2 kids and not having any issues), about 5 minutes before she came home. Sweet, I'm thinking, I get to play poker tonight, after all - Kelley's appointment was at 6, and I wasn't gonna make her race home just so I could play cards.
After saying that I didn't want to eat because I was going to eat at poker (and spend some more of that phat gift certificate, in the process), I got one of "the speeches" that I'm used to hearing around the house:
"GREAT! Now I get to stay home and do all the kids Halloween bags! You need to prioritize here, Brian - your kids come first!" - not wanting to ruffle any feather any further, I decided to stay home Monday night.
About 7:50, however, I noticed Kelley getting on her pajamas, and getting her nail stuff out. "Aren't we putting bags together?", I asked. "I'm too f'n tired, Brian - let's do them tomorrow". Needless to say, this did not exactly endear herself to me for, oh, the rest of the evening. If this was a dude doing something like this to another man, this would be what us men would call a "dick move" on Kelley's part.
About 8:45 or so, after stewing on the chair for an hour, I got up, got my smokes, my keys, and my cell phone, and told Kelley that I was going up to the bar for a couple of hours to play some video games, i.e. "blow off some steam"...which turned out to be quite a fruitful night, free game wise (I was on fire with the high scores on the silly Megatouch game). At least when I got home and woke Kell up from the couch to go to bed, she apologized to me for "being such a bitch earlier" about the poker game...I didn't say anything - no need to jerk that chain tonight.
Last night I get stuck handing out candy to the little brats in our subdivision, yet again - at least this year I was stylish in my fleece jacket and jeans. The last 2 or 3 years have been very cold, so it was nice to not have to wear a jacket outside yesterday. On my block, from the 13 houses (26, if you count both sides) from my house to the main, a whopping 2 houses were handing out candy. The rest of the subdivision was quite hoppin' last night, but I still ran out of junk to pass out before 8pm. At least the kids bussed in from Detroit actually wore Halloween costumes this time around, which I can't say is the case every year.
Other shiznit on my mind:
- Stevo, you shoulda skipped the donkfest known as the cash game, but at you're showing your charitable side by allowing someone else to get final table points this week at Dino's!
- After watching bits and pieces of the DemoTard debate the other night, I've come to the conclusion that Hillary Clinton has already cinched the nomination for the Dems...all without having to give one substantive statement (other than "I'm married to Bill!") about why she really should be President. Obama is nothing more than blowharded empty-suit, Edwards is a total joke (mega-millionaire lawyers can't play populist with a straight face), and the rest of the field should just quit now.
- Go back and listen to her unscripted response to the illegal immigrants getting driver's licenses in New York again, and ask yourself if that's the kind of squishy politician you want running the country next year.
- Oh yeah, Hillary and her minions are now crying that moderators Tim Russert and Brian Williams were "too tough and unfair" to Mrs. Clinton. The feminist movement is a joke - they expect women to be treated as equals with men in every respect of life, and ignore obvious differences between the sexes...yet when they actually are treated as equals as men, what's the first complaint by these same women? "You were fighting unfairly against a woman!" :-\
- Played 4 $6+.50 SnGs at Stars yesterday, and made a whopping $1 in profit - I just don't have the time or patience anymore to play for a couple of hours at a time, but I enjoyed that time yesterday afternoon. Made $5 or so at the HORSE table in the 10 minutes I was there. Might have to play a couple of $15+1 tonight and HORSE tables tonight - fishies aplenty at the cash games lately!
- God, I have no motivation to write today - I'm out!
This week seems to have been nothing but headaches for me, since the week started. Oh, sure, my beloved Lions had a great win to start the week, and the Sox (2nd favorite MLB team) came through to sweep the Rockies later on, but after that it's been all downhill.
Monday went fine enough, save for wasting 7 hours of my day at the office taking care of trivial, minutia-type issues and shit. After leaving a bit earlier than normal because Kelley was getting stitches taken out of her mouth, I walk in the door just before 6 (after running to 3 different stores with 2 kids and not having any issues), about 5 minutes before she came home. Sweet, I'm thinking, I get to play poker tonight, after all - Kelley's appointment was at 6, and I wasn't gonna make her race home just so I could play cards.
After saying that I didn't want to eat because I was going to eat at poker (and spend some more of that phat gift certificate, in the process), I got one of "the speeches" that I'm used to hearing around the house:
"GREAT! Now I get to stay home and do all the kids Halloween bags! You need to prioritize here, Brian - your kids come first!" - not wanting to ruffle any feather any further, I decided to stay home Monday night.
About 7:50, however, I noticed Kelley getting on her pajamas, and getting her nail stuff out. "Aren't we putting bags together?", I asked. "I'm too f'n tired, Brian - let's do them tomorrow". Needless to say, this did not exactly endear herself to me for, oh, the rest of the evening. If this was a dude doing something like this to another man, this would be what us men would call a "dick move" on Kelley's part.
About 8:45 or so, after stewing on the chair for an hour, I got up, got my smokes, my keys, and my cell phone, and told Kelley that I was going up to the bar for a couple of hours to play some video games, i.e. "blow off some steam"...which turned out to be quite a fruitful night, free game wise (I was on fire with the high scores on the silly Megatouch game). At least when I got home and woke Kell up from the couch to go to bed, she apologized to me for "being such a bitch earlier" about the poker game...I didn't say anything - no need to jerk that chain tonight.
Last night I get stuck handing out candy to the little brats in our subdivision, yet again - at least this year I was stylish in my fleece jacket and jeans. The last 2 or 3 years have been very cold, so it was nice to not have to wear a jacket outside yesterday. On my block, from the 13 houses (26, if you count both sides) from my house to the main, a whopping 2 houses were handing out candy. The rest of the subdivision was quite hoppin' last night, but I still ran out of junk to pass out before 8pm. At least the kids bussed in from Detroit actually wore Halloween costumes this time around, which I can't say is the case every year.
Other shiznit on my mind:
- Stevo, you shoulda skipped the donkfest known as the cash game, but at you're showing your charitable side by allowing someone else to get final table points this week at Dino's!
- After watching bits and pieces of the DemoTard debate the other night, I've come to the conclusion that Hillary Clinton has already cinched the nomination for the Dems...all without having to give one substantive statement (other than "I'm married to Bill!") about why she really should be President. Obama is nothing more than blowharded empty-suit, Edwards is a total joke (mega-millionaire lawyers can't play populist with a straight face), and the rest of the field should just quit now.
- Go back and listen to her unscripted response to the illegal immigrants getting driver's licenses in New York again, and ask yourself if that's the kind of squishy politician you want running the country next year.
- Oh yeah, Hillary and her minions are now crying that moderators Tim Russert and Brian Williams were "too tough and unfair" to Mrs. Clinton. The feminist movement is a joke - they expect women to be treated as equals with men in every respect of life, and ignore obvious differences between the sexes...yet when they actually are treated as equals as men, what's the first complaint by these same women? "You were fighting unfairly against a woman!" :-\
- Played 4 $6+.50 SnGs at Stars yesterday, and made a whopping $1 in profit - I just don't have the time or patience anymore to play for a couple of hours at a time, but I enjoyed that time yesterday afternoon. Made $5 or so at the HORSE table in the 10 minutes I was there. Might have to play a couple of $15+1 tonight and HORSE tables tonight - fishies aplenty at the cash games lately!
- God, I have no motivation to write today - I'm out!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
So last night I worked another late night until 9pm or so - thank god the long hours are over for a few weeks, although I imagine I will be going in more weekends to keep on track of getting all these amended returns done for work. Some observations over the last few days that I've made:
- Red Sox will win the World Series, easily. Great run you've made Colorado, but you don't have anyone close to Josh Beckett on your team, and the Sox do.
- If you think the war in Iraq is a total disaster, explain away this story, please:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20071016/wl_mcclatchy/20071016bcusiraqcemetery_attn_national_foreign_editors_ytop
- The above story reminds me of the old joke regarding politically correctly media bias: "Meteor to Destroy Earth Today; Minorities and Children Hardest Hit!"
- Low-stakes limit Hold' Em poker is great for fukkin' around and making a few bucks. It's also not a way to determine if one should move up in levels, since you really don't know how good you are.
- The "really nice" areas of Detroit (I'm thinking the neighborhoods along Gratiot and Gunston roads) look pretty damn sweet once the sun goes down. That goes along the lines of the "best view of Ohio is in your rear view mirror" type of praise, if you want to call it that.
- Pushy people are really stupid - my wife and I have a daily running joke about this, since she gets the same garbage from one or two people, as well.
- 20-year reunion information starting to filter down to me already for next year - I know the older people always told us when we were younger how fast time flies, but this is a smack in the face for me on that front. Turning 40 in 2 years or so will probably do the same for me.
Alright, time to actually get some work done today...late!
- Red Sox will win the World Series, easily. Great run you've made Colorado, but you don't have anyone close to Josh Beckett on your team, and the Sox do.
- If you think the war in Iraq is a total disaster, explain away this story, please:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20071016/wl_mcclatchy/20071016bcusiraqcemetery_attn_national_foreign_editors_ytop
- The above story reminds me of the old joke regarding politically correctly media bias: "Meteor to Destroy Earth Today; Minorities and Children Hardest Hit!"
- Low-stakes limit Hold' Em poker is great for fukkin' around and making a few bucks. It's also not a way to determine if one should move up in levels, since you really don't know how good you are.
- The "really nice" areas of Detroit (I'm thinking the neighborhoods along Gratiot and Gunston roads) look pretty damn sweet once the sun goes down. That goes along the lines of the "best view of Ohio is in your rear view mirror" type of praise, if you want to call it that.
- Pushy people are really stupid - my wife and I have a daily running joke about this, since she gets the same garbage from one or two people, as well.
- 20-year reunion information starting to filter down to me already for next year - I know the older people always told us when we were younger how fast time flies, but this is a smack in the face for me on that front. Turning 40 in 2 years or so will probably do the same for me.
Alright, time to actually get some work done today...late!
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
What is Douchebag Poker?
This is hardly an original name, or original poker term, for that matter, but since I liked the shortened version of it so much, I decided to use it in my blog.
So what, exactly, is Douchebag Poker? Simple: Douchebag Poker happens when you play a poker hand knowing full well that you are way behind in the hand, and you're not getting proper pot odds to play the hand further, and yet you play the hand, anyways...and end up winning the hand. That, my friends, is Douchebag Poker.
Being a douchebag means that you are allowed to shrug your shoulders, sheepishly chuckle, and say, "Sorry, man!" when you suckout on someone - having humility in this game is admirable at times. Being a douchebag does not mean that you loudly brag for a couple of minutes about what a great call you made getting 2-1 odds after the turn for your 19-1 dog and hitting your 2-outer on the river. That is not being a douchebag, my friend. That's just being a dick!
So what, exactly, is Douchebag Poker? Simple: Douchebag Poker happens when you play a poker hand knowing full well that you are way behind in the hand, and you're not getting proper pot odds to play the hand further, and yet you play the hand, anyways...and end up winning the hand. That, my friends, is Douchebag Poker.
Being a douchebag means that you are allowed to shrug your shoulders, sheepishly chuckle, and say, "Sorry, man!" when you suckout on someone - having humility in this game is admirable at times. Being a douchebag does not mean that you loudly brag for a couple of minutes about what a great call you made getting 2-1 odds after the turn for your 19-1 dog and hitting your 2-outer on the river. That is not being a douchebag, my friend. That's just being a dick!
First post - Douchebag Poker at Dino's in Ferndale
Last night I went back to Ferndale to play my weekly tournament at Dino’s (bar where free poker tourney is held every Monday night) to try to defend my victory from last week, and put up another good showing. Here’s how it went down:
Before shuffling up and dealing, I spent some hard-earned loot from the gift certificate on a tasty dish of fish and chips, then make some gentlemanly (because if I am nothing else, I am a gentleman) small talk with the waitress working the bar about a dog she wants to adopt. This helps set me up with free refills of Coke the rest of the night, which is never a bad thing – as Jim Rome might say, RACK me!
Started off with 26 players this week, 5 tables…and I’m sitting at probably the toughest starting table at the game. Directly to my right is Scott, uber-aggressive player who doesn’t like to miss flops. To my left is “Calling Station” Andy, a chaser who seems to hit his 4-outer more often than most (and is the one guy at the table who tells everyone that if he hadn’t folded his 9-3 offsuit to that second raise before him, he would have hit 2 pair – a true sign of a donkey). PJ is to the left of Andy, and he’s looking to get back at me for last week. Remaining players are John (senior citizen calling station) and Vic, who seems to be at my table every week, lately. 3 of us from here would make the final 5 tonight, as well.
Splash around a few pots early, get a bluff of K-J picked off by John after the river when he felt his 7-5 was good enough to not only call a pre-flop raise to $70 at the 10/20 level, but check/call all the way to the river on a board of A-Q-5-9-7. The ability to not be bluffed out of a pot kills John every week, so I’ll just wait my turn and get his chips later.
Win a good-size pot early in the 25/50 level in the BB with 10-3 after flopping a 10, and somehow dodged 3 other players with 9-9-10-K-A showing on the board. Promptly gave away about 700 to Scott a couple of hands later when I folded Ace-high to Scott’s bluff of King-high…came pretty close to calling his bet there, however. All I know is if I would have called and won that hand, I could have pulled a Kenny Tran on him and told him just how sick and great I was.
Once we move to 100/200 level, I get my first knockout (out of 2 for the night) when Q-8 with a flush draw is good enough to call John’s all-in with K-3 after a King hit the turn (I hit a queen on flop). Short-stack John is out.Take a couple more small pots, then in one of the first hands of the 200/400 level, I shift gears and play one hand really loose against Dennis, who had just sat down at the table a few hands earlier.
Dennis min-raises UTG to 800, and in the small blind with K-4 this is normally an insta-fold, but for some reason decided to play along. 3-K-J hit on the flop, and Dennis check-called my 800 bet after the flop. After another 3 hit on the turn, it was checked around – I’m thinking someone has 7’s-10’s here. An Ace on the river brought a bet out of 1200 by Dennis, which smelled like a bad attempt at a bluff. With only about 2500 chips left, I came over the top of him, and getting a ridiculous 6-1 to call my bet on the river, Dennis insta-folds. Don’t know if my read was right on him or not, but I’ll take the pot.
Lose a couple grand of chips, then get moved over to another table – and the good-natured trash-talking with Stev-O and I officially commences. I knock out a lady at the table who’s short-stacked when my Q-10 outflops her A-4, and somehow we’ve gone from 12 to 9 in about 4 hands…nice! We get 2 knockouts early when a flush hits on river – WHEEEE…final table points for 3rd straight week!
I’d love to be able to say MY final table play was exciting, but rags are still rags no matter when you get them, and even with a couple of pre-flop pushes on great hands like J-6 and 6-high (both on the button), had to try to wait for me.With Stev-O on my right just itching to get a hand to try to take me out, a 3-way all-in involving Andy, Scott (big chipleader at this point) and myself (with pocket 4s) takes place. Way I see it, I couldn’t call half my stack off and fold if I miss the flop, so only prayer is to push and pray that Scott puts me on a big hand and folds, but I don’t see that happening. It’s not a great spot, but I really have no fold equity here, anyways, so I might as well take a stab at it here.
Andy flips over K-Q, Scott flips over A-10, and I have the slight lead with my 4-4. Ace on the flop is no good, but on the river I have 6 outs (need a 4 to make trips, a 3 to make a straight), but no dice, and Andy and I are out – 4th place for me this week, which wins me…nothing.
Funny trick took place about 20 minutes into HU with Stev-O and Scott: Duma, who had sat down and started dealing for the guys, decided to stack the deck while both players took a bathroom break. Both players were to be dealt pocket kings, and the board was to read A-Q-A-Q-10 – making sure that no one got burned by a flush here. A few of us kept a straight face during this, then after the hand we let the 2 combatants in on the joke. One of them moments that probably plays better after actually seeing it. Congrats to Stev-O for making a comeback and taking it down last night, as well.
Sooooo, if my math is right, I should already have 20 points for the year – one more decent week, and I should be in the final tourney again. More gooooooooood eatin’ to come to me next week…pork chops, yum!
Before shuffling up and dealing, I spent some hard-earned loot from the gift certificate on a tasty dish of fish and chips, then make some gentlemanly (because if I am nothing else, I am a gentleman) small talk with the waitress working the bar about a dog she wants to adopt. This helps set me up with free refills of Coke the rest of the night, which is never a bad thing – as Jim Rome might say, RACK me!
Started off with 26 players this week, 5 tables…and I’m sitting at probably the toughest starting table at the game. Directly to my right is Scott, uber-aggressive player who doesn’t like to miss flops. To my left is “Calling Station” Andy, a chaser who seems to hit his 4-outer more often than most (and is the one guy at the table who tells everyone that if he hadn’t folded his 9-3 offsuit to that second raise before him, he would have hit 2 pair – a true sign of a donkey). PJ is to the left of Andy, and he’s looking to get back at me for last week. Remaining players are John (senior citizen calling station) and Vic, who seems to be at my table every week, lately. 3 of us from here would make the final 5 tonight, as well.
Splash around a few pots early, get a bluff of K-J picked off by John after the river when he felt his 7-5 was good enough to not only call a pre-flop raise to $70 at the 10/20 level, but check/call all the way to the river on a board of A-Q-5-9-7. The ability to not be bluffed out of a pot kills John every week, so I’ll just wait my turn and get his chips later.
Win a good-size pot early in the 25/50 level in the BB with 10-3 after flopping a 10, and somehow dodged 3 other players with 9-9-10-K-A showing on the board. Promptly gave away about 700 to Scott a couple of hands later when I folded Ace-high to Scott’s bluff of King-high…came pretty close to calling his bet there, however. All I know is if I would have called and won that hand, I could have pulled a Kenny Tran on him and told him just how sick and great I was.
Once we move to 100/200 level, I get my first knockout (out of 2 for the night) when Q-8 with a flush draw is good enough to call John’s all-in with K-3 after a King hit the turn (I hit a queen on flop). Short-stack John is out.Take a couple more small pots, then in one of the first hands of the 200/400 level, I shift gears and play one hand really loose against Dennis, who had just sat down at the table a few hands earlier.
Dennis min-raises UTG to 800, and in the small blind with K-4 this is normally an insta-fold, but for some reason decided to play along. 3-K-J hit on the flop, and Dennis check-called my 800 bet after the flop. After another 3 hit on the turn, it was checked around – I’m thinking someone has 7’s-10’s here. An Ace on the river brought a bet out of 1200 by Dennis, which smelled like a bad attempt at a bluff. With only about 2500 chips left, I came over the top of him, and getting a ridiculous 6-1 to call my bet on the river, Dennis insta-folds. Don’t know if my read was right on him or not, but I’ll take the pot.
Lose a couple grand of chips, then get moved over to another table – and the good-natured trash-talking with Stev-O and I officially commences. I knock out a lady at the table who’s short-stacked when my Q-10 outflops her A-4, and somehow we’ve gone from 12 to 9 in about 4 hands…nice! We get 2 knockouts early when a flush hits on river – WHEEEE…final table points for 3rd straight week!
I’d love to be able to say MY final table play was exciting, but rags are still rags no matter when you get them, and even with a couple of pre-flop pushes on great hands like J-6 and 6-high (both on the button), had to try to wait for me.With Stev-O on my right just itching to get a hand to try to take me out, a 3-way all-in involving Andy, Scott (big chipleader at this point) and myself (with pocket 4s) takes place. Way I see it, I couldn’t call half my stack off and fold if I miss the flop, so only prayer is to push and pray that Scott puts me on a big hand and folds, but I don’t see that happening. It’s not a great spot, but I really have no fold equity here, anyways, so I might as well take a stab at it here.
Andy flips over K-Q, Scott flips over A-10, and I have the slight lead with my 4-4. Ace on the flop is no good, but on the river I have 6 outs (need a 4 to make trips, a 3 to make a straight), but no dice, and Andy and I are out – 4th place for me this week, which wins me…nothing.
Funny trick took place about 20 minutes into HU with Stev-O and Scott: Duma, who had sat down and started dealing for the guys, decided to stack the deck while both players took a bathroom break. Both players were to be dealt pocket kings, and the board was to read A-Q-A-Q-10 – making sure that no one got burned by a flush here. A few of us kept a straight face during this, then after the hand we let the 2 combatants in on the joke. One of them moments that probably plays better after actually seeing it. Congrats to Stev-O for making a comeback and taking it down last night, as well.
Sooooo, if my math is right, I should already have 20 points for the year – one more decent week, and I should be in the final tourney again. More gooooooooood eatin’ to come to me next week…pork chops, yum!
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