Good morning! (Or whatever it is where you are.) I hope today goes like yesterday, and even better.
No time for details yet, but yesterday included flopping a royal flush and eventually taking down the Poker Analysis Buy-In League game at Poker Nordica ($50 prize for a $5.50 investment, plus 100 points to take the league lead with 3 games left this month); 2nd/11 for $36.50 (again $5.50 investment) in Absolute Poker's The Absolute Touchdown Week 16 (unfortunately my St. Louis Rams team got crushed by the Pittsburgh players); a bubble finish in the Aces Cracked offseason game ($11 to a good cause); and 356th/1,337 in the Online Forum Challenge Event No. 29 Freeroll at Vegas Poker 247 (lost one-third my stack first hand when kings got counterfeited and bully pushed all-in on river, forcing card-challenged me into ultra-tight mode for next hour-plus).
Today's the OFC Buy-In at VP247 with some really sweet prizes. I'm going to play this real smart and focused, and hope the cards come like they did at Nordica. Then there's another PA B-I League game at PokerStars, and I'm tempted to play the T.J. Cloutier bounty event at Bugsy's Club. Plus I now learn there's a Blogger Luck Game at Full Tilt, $11 for 100 chips (sick!) and 5-minute levels. Thanks a lot, tripjax... Needless to say, a big day blooms and I'm gonna wear me lucky Paris Casino green shirt! And football, too! (So far 5-0 on the bowl picks...).
On a tangent, you know I'm a model, whether you want to believe it or not. Been thinking of incorporating a painting done of me by Victor Wang (professor at Fontbonne University here in St. Louis and well-known among artistes) into a new avatar, for the blog and for some poker rooms. I just don't know how to do an avatar; shoot, I didn't even know how to do a screen shot of the flopped Royal, had to get lots of help from my table friends -- and I still don't get it. Anyway, this piece by Victor appeared in the September 2007 "American Artist" magazine (page 22), and is also on Victor's web pages. For great works, browse his site and read the article. The link to the portrait of moi is below; any suggestions on how to avatarize it are most welcome.
The link: victorwang.net/gallery1/crown/crown.html
On to the tables! Everyone have a great day...
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Weekend -- Part II
Just got knocked out of a Rounders Radio Freeroll. There were 89 of us battling for one prize, a $60 satellite coupon to Carbon's Sunday $20K (which I've played once and is a lot of fun). Got it all in with AA against 99, who thought I was stealing. But a 9 fell on the turn and he collected my last 5K chips. Finished 14th -- that's two 14ths and a 13th among my last four tourneys, I'm in a rut! Everyone was nice, sympathetic and "upset" about the aces being cracked. I'll never understand the big deal: It's just two cards, anyone can really win at just about anytime, "miracle" comebacks happen in football, baseball, golf, you name it. Disappointing, yeah, but oh well, no biggie: That's poker. Always next time!
Got to get last weekend wrapped up before it's this weekend. If the computer will let me. A lot of problems lately, from AOL, Java, Windows, my keyboard, blogspot and the invisible girl in the invisible bikini on the invisible bunkbed over mine. Hopefully we'll get this all in before something else blows... (Insert own snide side joke here. Sham's good at feeding out the straight lines...)
OK, last Sunday. Enterred four tournaments. Came out with profit in four tournaments. Wish every day was like that! In brief, at Vegas Poker 247 I played the Muffmoney League Buy-In Final ($10+$1, $200 added, I had to buy in since I didn't qualify in the prelims) and the Muffmoney League Freeroll Final (qualified twice for this). They started two hours apart, but I still wound up with a little overlap. Not to worry: was 3rd/23 in the buy-in ($69.80) and 8th/12 in the freeroll ($9). By now I don't remember much about either, except that I was playing well and getting cards. I'll take those kind of happenings any day!
Over to Absolute Poker for the Poker Analysis Buy-In League game ($5, $50 added). Whereas the day's first two outings were No Limit Holdem, the PA game was Pot Limit Omaha 8/Better (high/low for the new and/or easily confused reader). I'm not real fond of pot limit games, and started slow here. So I managed to pick my spots, milk my good hands, hit a couple races and wind up 4th/14 for $13.64. Also earned 50 points, and now I'm actually in a crowded tight race for the monthly title (which is worth a sweet ticket to a big weekend tourney, among other things). The PA B-I Lg resumes tonight with H.O.R.S.E. at PokerStars ($5.50 at 7:30 pm my time). There'll be four more games this month after today, so I need a good showing.
Speaking of HORSE, that seques perfectly to Sunday's fourth and final outing: the Blogger Skill Game at Full Tilt. It was limit HORSE with $6 bounties. A $30+$3 entry fee with super stacks of 5,000 chips to start. A field of 47 tough players, including some Full Tilt pros. My opening seven-player table included one of them, Jon "pearljammed" Turner. Plus host cracknaces (Chad, I think it is, I am horrible with names etc., think he went on to win it all), pushmonkey72, HadriansWall, Jetdr and more. The kind of cast nightmares are made of.
First level Holdem, I won a couple fast hands with QQ and AK. Then cracknaces started beating me around (as he would most foes in his tournament), and that brought me back to earth. A little. For a while. I was 44th/47 when level 2 shifted us into Omaha H/L; 43rd/47 for level 3 Razz; 37th/47 for level 4 Stud High. Now studs are my least-favorite games because of my no-memory, but things were going well in them this time. I climbed to 21st/47 for level 5 Stud Hi/Low, and there I hit a wheel (ace-through-5) in my first five cards and kept betting from the beginning. Pushmonkey chased me all the way, and that swept a pot of about 1,400. Shortly thereafter a 6 on the river gave me a straight and swept a pot worth over 1,700 with Wall. I came out of level 5 in 7th, and this time did better in Holdem to enter the break 4th/46 left.
Positioning fluctuated in the top 10 during the second hour's six levels. Back into Stud H/L for level 10, I hit a flush on the river on the first hand. Club flush and 87543 low for a scoop. And thus eliminated the pro pearljammed. I had the chips, cards and outs to challenge him down to the wire, and wound up with not only his chips but the $30 bounty on him. Didn't expect that, but it was sweet; Jon wound up 44th. Full Tilt said it'd mail me a T-shirt too for bountying a pro. When the level ended and we headed back to holdem, I was 1st overall (42 left).
Yeah, it didn't last, but it was real fun while it lasted. The scribbling gets harder to read after that; definitely playing in a zone and on instinct primarily, the med condition does that at times. I got another bounty on DonkeyPuncher in level 12 and split another bounty with someone somewhere along the line; that's the only way I can figure I came out of the tourney with $39, a $6 profit. Should've been better, but I'm often not able to sustain those levels of success ... yet.
Bottom line, I finished 10th/47, one step short of the final table. Played for about 3 1/2 hours. Really started to slide in level 15, Stud H/L (which had been so good to me!). My QQ66 and straight draw lost to trip 8's for a pot of over 14K. Then Astin showed two kings up to chase off my jacks. I was last of 16 left into level 16, but I picked my shots and kept fighting. The crusher came in level 19 (Stud High); I'd climbed to 6th/11, but I play to win (and only 5 were getting paid). So I wound up calling nemesis JDSchellnutt's all-in for what had built to a 36K pot; I had Qc7hQh2h7sTd to his 6dAhAdTcKh3s. My Q's and 7's against his A's. I don't remember my seventh street; his was a killer 6, giving him a bigger two pair and leaving me only 347 chips. Ya gots to pick your times to do or die, and I'd chosen mine. So it goes! After that, the blinds and antes had me all-in without doing anything; I won once when I built a boat, but could go no further with only aces. Fun and educational, in the end, and slightly profitable.
Haven't done much this week since Sweet Sunday. No cashes, few cards and too much aggressiveness/bad timing. Hopefully things will change with the PA HORSE in a couple hours. We shall see. Thanks for reading; now I just owe one report, the Vegas trip. Happy holidaze, play nice and see ya soon...
Got to get last weekend wrapped up before it's this weekend. If the computer will let me. A lot of problems lately, from AOL, Java, Windows, my keyboard, blogspot and the invisible girl in the invisible bikini on the invisible bunkbed over mine. Hopefully we'll get this all in before something else blows... (Insert own snide side joke here. Sham's good at feeding out the straight lines...)
OK, last Sunday. Enterred four tournaments. Came out with profit in four tournaments. Wish every day was like that! In brief, at Vegas Poker 247 I played the Muffmoney League Buy-In Final ($10+$1, $200 added, I had to buy in since I didn't qualify in the prelims) and the Muffmoney League Freeroll Final (qualified twice for this). They started two hours apart, but I still wound up with a little overlap. Not to worry: was 3rd/23 in the buy-in ($69.80) and 8th/12 in the freeroll ($9). By now I don't remember much about either, except that I was playing well and getting cards. I'll take those kind of happenings any day!
Over to Absolute Poker for the Poker Analysis Buy-In League game ($5, $50 added). Whereas the day's first two outings were No Limit Holdem, the PA game was Pot Limit Omaha 8/Better (high/low for the new and/or easily confused reader). I'm not real fond of pot limit games, and started slow here. So I managed to pick my spots, milk my good hands, hit a couple races and wind up 4th/14 for $13.64. Also earned 50 points, and now I'm actually in a crowded tight race for the monthly title (which is worth a sweet ticket to a big weekend tourney, among other things). The PA B-I Lg resumes tonight with H.O.R.S.E. at PokerStars ($5.50 at 7:30 pm my time). There'll be four more games this month after today, so I need a good showing.
Speaking of HORSE, that seques perfectly to Sunday's fourth and final outing: the Blogger Skill Game at Full Tilt. It was limit HORSE with $6 bounties. A $30+$3 entry fee with super stacks of 5,000 chips to start. A field of 47 tough players, including some Full Tilt pros. My opening seven-player table included one of them, Jon "pearljammed" Turner. Plus host cracknaces (Chad, I think it is, I am horrible with names etc., think he went on to win it all), pushmonkey72, HadriansWall, Jetdr and more. The kind of cast nightmares are made of.
First level Holdem, I won a couple fast hands with QQ and AK. Then cracknaces started beating me around (as he would most foes in his tournament), and that brought me back to earth. A little. For a while. I was 44th/47 when level 2 shifted us into Omaha H/L; 43rd/47 for level 3 Razz; 37th/47 for level 4 Stud High. Now studs are my least-favorite games because of my no-memory, but things were going well in them this time. I climbed to 21st/47 for level 5 Stud Hi/Low, and there I hit a wheel (ace-through-5) in my first five cards and kept betting from the beginning. Pushmonkey chased me all the way, and that swept a pot of about 1,400. Shortly thereafter a 6 on the river gave me a straight and swept a pot worth over 1,700 with Wall. I came out of level 5 in 7th, and this time did better in Holdem to enter the break 4th/46 left.
Positioning fluctuated in the top 10 during the second hour's six levels. Back into Stud H/L for level 10, I hit a flush on the river on the first hand. Club flush and 87543 low for a scoop. And thus eliminated the pro pearljammed. I had the chips, cards and outs to challenge him down to the wire, and wound up with not only his chips but the $30 bounty on him. Didn't expect that, but it was sweet; Jon wound up 44th. Full Tilt said it'd mail me a T-shirt too for bountying a pro. When the level ended and we headed back to holdem, I was 1st overall (42 left).
Yeah, it didn't last, but it was real fun while it lasted. The scribbling gets harder to read after that; definitely playing in a zone and on instinct primarily, the med condition does that at times. I got another bounty on DonkeyPuncher in level 12 and split another bounty with someone somewhere along the line; that's the only way I can figure I came out of the tourney with $39, a $6 profit. Should've been better, but I'm often not able to sustain those levels of success ... yet.
Bottom line, I finished 10th/47, one step short of the final table. Played for about 3 1/2 hours. Really started to slide in level 15, Stud H/L (which had been so good to me!). My QQ66 and straight draw lost to trip 8's for a pot of over 14K. Then Astin showed two kings up to chase off my jacks. I was last of 16 left into level 16, but I picked my shots and kept fighting. The crusher came in level 19 (Stud High); I'd climbed to 6th/11, but I play to win (and only 5 were getting paid). So I wound up calling nemesis JDSchellnutt's all-in for what had built to a 36K pot; I had Qc7hQh2h7sTd to his 6dAhAdTcKh3s. My Q's and 7's against his A's. I don't remember my seventh street; his was a killer 6, giving him a bigger two pair and leaving me only 347 chips. Ya gots to pick your times to do or die, and I'd chosen mine. So it goes! After that, the blinds and antes had me all-in without doing anything; I won once when I built a boat, but could go no further with only aces. Fun and educational, in the end, and slightly profitable.
Haven't done much this week since Sweet Sunday. No cashes, few cards and too much aggressiveness/bad timing. Hopefully things will change with the PA HORSE in a couple hours. We shall see. Thanks for reading; now I just owe one report, the Vegas trip. Happy holidaze, play nice and see ya soon...
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
A Weekend to Inspire Me -- Part 1
Before I start, I want to alert y'all to Mr. Doyle Brunson's blog post of yesterday (12/17, at www.doylesroom.com/blog). It's his tribute/farewell to Chip Reese. So kind of Papa to share with us his thoughts and feelings about a sad event. Thank you, sir.
OK, this is one of the two recaps I've been promising. Not the Vegas recap yet; still gotta pull that one together, although reading other folks like Dr. Pauly (taopoker.blogspot.com) and gcox's Low Limit Grinder (gcox25.blogspot.com) and Bad Blood help get my memory juices going. Gotta remember who it was that humbled my "nut flush" with a well-disguised straight flush and sent me to the rail in level one at the Venetian; the state of shock lasted hours, you'll be pleased to know. Bully.
Anyways, the online search for fame and fortune (I prefer the latter, if you please, poker goddesses) resumed upon returning from Sin City. Wednesday and Thursday saw very minimal success, featuring early exits from The Mookie: Greedy Pirate (86th of 93) and Riverchasers Online (82nd/103; called bigger stack's level 6 all-in with me final 1,500 chips and AJ, pleased to see he only had 75, but was quickly crushed by two 7's on the flop; what a game!). So the BBT2 TOC and trip to Australia is not destined to be sham-tastic this year. Pooh.
Thursday wasn't all bad, as prior to Riverchasers I got 5th/91 in a Rounders Radio freeroll at Carbon (only paid one, a satellite ticket) and 4th/39 in Poker Analysis Freeroll League at Absolute Poker (got $10 and 70 points for that one, my first FR League game of the month). The PA success continued Friday in its Buy-In League, 3rd/11 at poker.com ($21 back on a $5.50 investment). Full Tilt offered a couple cheap MTT Token Frenzies on Friday evening (that continue daily, at 7:45 pm CT where $1 chases T$26s in turbo and at 9:15 pm where 300 FTP chase T$75s six-handed). Unfortunately, I didn't earn a token, which might have gotten me into Miami Don's Big Game on Sunday Night. Turned out for the better I didn't, as we'll see in Weekend Part 2.
Saturday, Dec. 15: Sham enters six tournaments. Cashes in three. Down 300 FTP (Full Tilt Points, if you don't know) for the day, but up $7. In my current micro-mindset, that's OK.
Saturday began at 11 am with the weekly Absolute Touchdown at Ab Poke. A freeroll this week, my St. Louis Rams are playing the Green Bay Packers. Doesn't look like St. Louis will make the 16-team playoffs for an Aussie trip; the Rams got crushed something like 44-1 the week before when I was in Vegas, and are 24th or so in the standings. Wish I'd chosen to be on one of the strong teams like New England or San Francisco (poker players chose to play for any city when they signed up, whomever was their "favorite team"); but I guess I'm just a simple sentimental schlock. Patsy.
(Pause. "Nights in White Satin" on the radio. The Moody Blues' original. My absolutely positively undisputed all-time favorite song. Period. "Breathe deep the gathering gloom...")
(Another pause. And now the new community college at Wildwood just called with five modelling dates for me in March. Sweet. Nice to be popular. The positive mojo is flowing!)
OK, back to Absolute Touchdown. Made the final table for the first time in one of these, and wind up getting 2 points for myself and my team. But the FT is mostly Packers. Wound up almost as bad as the real football game Sunday. Oh well. Two points, 8th/124 and $2.60 for my bankroll is a decent way to start the weekend. I was 1st in this tourney with 72 left, but for some reason lately I've often been starting real fast and then crashing. At least I was pretty consistent throughout this one, out of the top 10 at only one level shift (12th/37 beginning Level 8).
Now things start getting a bit nutz. I know better than to try to do two things (or more) at once, but knowing and following through are two different animals. So I'm in Doyle's Room for two freeroll tournaments, the Welcome $100 FR at 2 pm and the Holiday Frenzy $500 ($1,000?) FR at 3 pm. These monster freerolls at Microgaming sites, you have to play smart and selective early since there are a lot of sitouts, small starting stacks and usually a maniac and a bully at your table. (Kudos to Microgaming for improvements on their sites' running the last week or two; the refreshes often froze or disconnected things in recent months. Now if only they'd let ALL US states play!...)
I played well in both Doyle's events, bouncing back and forth with my concentration and efforts. Unfortunately, I did better in the smaller event, which didn't pay nearly as good as the Holiday Frenzy. Both events paid 600 places, and I need/want the money since I can't (easily) deposit on Doyle's and my bankroll there started the day at 73 cents (all freeroll winnings). I'm trying to build up to enter the Bounty Tournament featuring Doyle and Mike Caro mid-weeks! I cruised along in the Welcome, always in the top 300 for the first two hours (entries were capped at 2,000 players). When the Frenzy began (with 2,783 players), I made some good hits early and breezed through the first hour. Reached Frenzy's first break in a little slump, down to 351st/1298 left. By start of level 8 I was 298th/835, and I should've just sat back and made the money. But I misfigured; brain-burp made me think 800 got paid, and in trying to move up the standings I got it in with a bigger stack ... who proceeded to hit his straight on the river and send me to the rail 659th/2,783. No cash. Stupido sham! Yeah, I'd lucked out in level 1 when my KK cracked AA as four diamonds on the board gave me a flush, but still...
I was still rolling along in Welcome, now 16th/169 left beginning level 10 (15-minute levels here, 10-minute levels in Frenzy), then up to 3rd as I flopped a set of 6's to crack QQ and KK. I was still in top 10 as 5 pm St. Louis time (CT) rolled around -- time to begin the TPFC Finals at Carbon, which I was playing for the wonderful folks at Maximum Poker League (you should check out their daily trivia contests, wild!). Still a little tilted from the Frenzy crash and distracted by my Welcome success, I got armadilloed (run over by a semi) real fast at Carbon. I turned a straight, but hit the wrong button: all-in. And my straight card made a flush possible. And sure enough someone had one. And shamalamadingdongdorkdonk's gone from this $250 FR 84th/89. Sorry MPL. I should know to slow down and think a little. Ouch.
Yet I'm still in Welcome at Doyle's. Wound up in this tournament for over 4 1/2 hours -- not smart considering the payoffs were so small!! You'll see what I mean in a minute, and reinforce your opinions that sham can be such an armadillo. But I see it all as learning experience, something to build on ... I would hope. So I suffer another "bad beat" straight on the river and drop to 29th enterring level 15 (1500/3000 blinds). And I luck out with KJ vs. KA, flop AKJ, another J on the turn! Up to 5th place again. Then 6th/30 left coming out of break into level 17. Sham has K6; board 66A. I bet about half of my 200K, slightly bigger stack all-in for 300K, I call ... a runner-runner flush comes down, and they ship my foe the chips! Sham's out 30th/2,000, and has won ... a whopping 40 cents. That's right, $0.40, earned less than 10 cents an hour. Good thing I love this game. Geeeeeeeeezzzzzzz.........
Stop laughing, please.
Saturday's not done. The Aces Cracked League has thrown together another off-season game at PokerStars, so insane sham heads off there to blow another $11. Wind up with five players, a lot of fun as these games always are (come play with us! at 7 pm CT Saturdays, password is acescracked). Wind up heads-up with tough unpredictable lucky MarkGreb, and a familiar story: I turn a straight but he turns a flush. I settle for 2nd/5 and $15 for less than an hour's play. Let's not compare that to the Doyle's Welcome earnings rate, OK?
Inspired by that success and the fact I'm still mostly playing well for the day, it's off to Full Tilt and another 300 FTP expenditure at 9:15 pm to try to win a $75 token. The bad thing is only 6 tokens are up for grabs in this MTT; the good thing is it's six-handed and not turbo, one can play a little. Bottom line is I get 33rd/218, no token. Good news is I was top 20 most of the time from level 5 on. Omenic, a superb player and friend from Bluff and Poker Analysis leagues, wound up at my table before the first break, making tough action even tougher. But I held my own and played well until the end, when I squandered my final 7K with top pair into a flopped set.
Enough for Saturday. Down 300 FTP but up $7 for the day. And even better things ahead Sunday. But I'll have to wait for next post to fill y'all in on that...
OK, this is one of the two recaps I've been promising. Not the Vegas recap yet; still gotta pull that one together, although reading other folks like Dr. Pauly (taopoker.blogspot.com) and gcox's Low Limit Grinder (gcox25.blogspot.com) and Bad Blood help get my memory juices going. Gotta remember who it was that humbled my "nut flush" with a well-disguised straight flush and sent me to the rail in level one at the Venetian; the state of shock lasted hours, you'll be pleased to know. Bully.
Anyways, the online search for fame and fortune (I prefer the latter, if you please, poker goddesses) resumed upon returning from Sin City. Wednesday and Thursday saw very minimal success, featuring early exits from The Mookie: Greedy Pirate (86th of 93) and Riverchasers Online (82nd/103; called bigger stack's level 6 all-in with me final 1,500 chips and AJ, pleased to see he only had 75, but was quickly crushed by two 7's on the flop; what a game!). So the BBT2 TOC and trip to Australia is not destined to be sham-tastic this year. Pooh.
Thursday wasn't all bad, as prior to Riverchasers I got 5th/91 in a Rounders Radio freeroll at Carbon (only paid one, a satellite ticket) and 4th/39 in Poker Analysis Freeroll League at Absolute Poker (got $10 and 70 points for that one, my first FR League game of the month). The PA success continued Friday in its Buy-In League, 3rd/11 at poker.com ($21 back on a $5.50 investment). Full Tilt offered a couple cheap MTT Token Frenzies on Friday evening (that continue daily, at 7:45 pm CT where $1 chases T$26s in turbo and at 9:15 pm where 300 FTP chase T$75s six-handed). Unfortunately, I didn't earn a token, which might have gotten me into Miami Don's Big Game on Sunday Night. Turned out for the better I didn't, as we'll see in Weekend Part 2.
Saturday, Dec. 15: Sham enters six tournaments. Cashes in three. Down 300 FTP (Full Tilt Points, if you don't know) for the day, but up $7. In my current micro-mindset, that's OK.
Saturday began at 11 am with the weekly Absolute Touchdown at Ab Poke. A freeroll this week, my St. Louis Rams are playing the Green Bay Packers. Doesn't look like St. Louis will make the 16-team playoffs for an Aussie trip; the Rams got crushed something like 44-1 the week before when I was in Vegas, and are 24th or so in the standings. Wish I'd chosen to be on one of the strong teams like New England or San Francisco (poker players chose to play for any city when they signed up, whomever was their "favorite team"); but I guess I'm just a simple sentimental schlock. Patsy.
(Pause. "Nights in White Satin" on the radio. The Moody Blues' original. My absolutely positively undisputed all-time favorite song. Period. "Breathe deep the gathering gloom...")
(Another pause. And now the new community college at Wildwood just called with five modelling dates for me in March. Sweet. Nice to be popular. The positive mojo is flowing!)
OK, back to Absolute Touchdown. Made the final table for the first time in one of these, and wind up getting 2 points for myself and my team. But the FT is mostly Packers. Wound up almost as bad as the real football game Sunday. Oh well. Two points, 8th/124 and $2.60 for my bankroll is a decent way to start the weekend. I was 1st in this tourney with 72 left, but for some reason lately I've often been starting real fast and then crashing. At least I was pretty consistent throughout this one, out of the top 10 at only one level shift (12th/37 beginning Level 8).
Now things start getting a bit nutz. I know better than to try to do two things (or more) at once, but knowing and following through are two different animals. So I'm in Doyle's Room for two freeroll tournaments, the Welcome $100 FR at 2 pm and the Holiday Frenzy $500 ($1,000?) FR at 3 pm. These monster freerolls at Microgaming sites, you have to play smart and selective early since there are a lot of sitouts, small starting stacks and usually a maniac and a bully at your table. (Kudos to Microgaming for improvements on their sites' running the last week or two; the refreshes often froze or disconnected things in recent months. Now if only they'd let ALL US states play!...)
I played well in both Doyle's events, bouncing back and forth with my concentration and efforts. Unfortunately, I did better in the smaller event, which didn't pay nearly as good as the Holiday Frenzy. Both events paid 600 places, and I need/want the money since I can't (easily) deposit on Doyle's and my bankroll there started the day at 73 cents (all freeroll winnings). I'm trying to build up to enter the Bounty Tournament featuring Doyle and Mike Caro mid-weeks! I cruised along in the Welcome, always in the top 300 for the first two hours (entries were capped at 2,000 players). When the Frenzy began (with 2,783 players), I made some good hits early and breezed through the first hour. Reached Frenzy's first break in a little slump, down to 351st/1298 left. By start of level 8 I was 298th/835, and I should've just sat back and made the money. But I misfigured; brain-burp made me think 800 got paid, and in trying to move up the standings I got it in with a bigger stack ... who proceeded to hit his straight on the river and send me to the rail 659th/2,783. No cash. Stupido sham! Yeah, I'd lucked out in level 1 when my KK cracked AA as four diamonds on the board gave me a flush, but still...
I was still rolling along in Welcome, now 16th/169 left beginning level 10 (15-minute levels here, 10-minute levels in Frenzy), then up to 3rd as I flopped a set of 6's to crack QQ and KK. I was still in top 10 as 5 pm St. Louis time (CT) rolled around -- time to begin the TPFC Finals at Carbon, which I was playing for the wonderful folks at Maximum Poker League (you should check out their daily trivia contests, wild!). Still a little tilted from the Frenzy crash and distracted by my Welcome success, I got armadilloed (run over by a semi) real fast at Carbon. I turned a straight, but hit the wrong button: all-in. And my straight card made a flush possible. And sure enough someone had one. And shamalamadingdongdorkdonk's gone from this $250 FR 84th/89. Sorry MPL. I should know to slow down and think a little. Ouch.
Yet I'm still in Welcome at Doyle's. Wound up in this tournament for over 4 1/2 hours -- not smart considering the payoffs were so small!! You'll see what I mean in a minute, and reinforce your opinions that sham can be such an armadillo. But I see it all as learning experience, something to build on ... I would hope. So I suffer another "bad beat" straight on the river and drop to 29th enterring level 15 (1500/3000 blinds). And I luck out with KJ vs. KA, flop AKJ, another J on the turn! Up to 5th place again. Then 6th/30 left coming out of break into level 17. Sham has K6; board 66A. I bet about half of my 200K, slightly bigger stack all-in for 300K, I call ... a runner-runner flush comes down, and they ship my foe the chips! Sham's out 30th/2,000, and has won ... a whopping 40 cents. That's right, $0.40, earned less than 10 cents an hour. Good thing I love this game. Geeeeeeeeezzzzzzz.........
Stop laughing, please.
Saturday's not done. The Aces Cracked League has thrown together another off-season game at PokerStars, so insane sham heads off there to blow another $11. Wind up with five players, a lot of fun as these games always are (come play with us! at 7 pm CT Saturdays, password is acescracked). Wind up heads-up with tough unpredictable lucky MarkGreb, and a familiar story: I turn a straight but he turns a flush. I settle for 2nd/5 and $15 for less than an hour's play. Let's not compare that to the Doyle's Welcome earnings rate, OK?
Inspired by that success and the fact I'm still mostly playing well for the day, it's off to Full Tilt and another 300 FTP expenditure at 9:15 pm to try to win a $75 token. The bad thing is only 6 tokens are up for grabs in this MTT; the good thing is it's six-handed and not turbo, one can play a little. Bottom line is I get 33rd/218, no token. Good news is I was top 20 most of the time from level 5 on. Omenic, a superb player and friend from Bluff and Poker Analysis leagues, wound up at my table before the first break, making tough action even tougher. But I held my own and played well until the end, when I squandered my final 7K with top pair into a flopped set.
Enough for Saturday. Down 300 FTP but up $7 for the day. And even better things ahead Sunday. But I'll have to wait for next post to fill y'all in on that...
Monday, December 17, 2007
The Words Are Building...
I owe y'all two reports. One, the wrapup on my Vegas trip, which could get fairly lengthy (I endured many a teasing in my newspaper days about "diarrhea of the typewriter"). The other, a wrapup of a pleasingly successful just-completed weekend of online tournaments (including four-for-four at cashing in tournaments Sunday and a bounty and T-shirt for knocking Full Tilt pro Jon "pearljammed" Turner out of cracknaces' H.O.R.S.E. tourney for bloggers and other degenerates).
I owe ya. I'll pay ya. I always pay. But not tonight. To be scarily truthful, one thing that got me out of the writing/reporting/editing biz is a combination of writer's block and panic attacks. I point my degeneration (as a scribe) to the auto accident in the mid-'90s that gave me a "broken neck" (doctor's diagnosis, not mine) and had me wearing one of them screw-into-your-head halos for five months. No fun. I still have flashbacks sometimes. No excuse. But that's just how it is. And I'm old. I don't really like writing about me (I MUCH preferred doing game reports and features on athletes and artistes), so the whole blog/diary thing is ... something else. But I do like to write, and commuicate, and I'm getting into it a little -- sometimes a lot.
I love reading the (what's the word?) verbose? illuminating? heart-felt? writings of bloggers like Dr. Pauly, Al, Falstaff, Irongirl and others. Maybe a little of them will be contagious and keep inspiring me. Like an onion, a lot of layers to peel here ... a lot of surprises, good and bad, to be uncovered, developed and dealt with.
Meanwhile, I owe y'all two reports. I expect the one on last weekend can be cajoled and coerced out of me by me in the morning. For now, thank you for being there; time to watch tonight's High Stakes tapes and continue that educational track of my other chosen profession. The poker explosion caught my fancy and gave me reason to live (really) back in the Summer of Moneymaker; I'd finally discovered a new calling that was much more promising than suicide.
Hasta manana...
I owe ya. I'll pay ya. I always pay. But not tonight. To be scarily truthful, one thing that got me out of the writing/reporting/editing biz is a combination of writer's block and panic attacks. I point my degeneration (as a scribe) to the auto accident in the mid-'90s that gave me a "broken neck" (doctor's diagnosis, not mine) and had me wearing one of them screw-into-your-head halos for five months. No fun. I still have flashbacks sometimes. No excuse. But that's just how it is. And I'm old. I don't really like writing about me (I MUCH preferred doing game reports and features on athletes and artistes), so the whole blog/diary thing is ... something else. But I do like to write, and commuicate, and I'm getting into it a little -- sometimes a lot.
I love reading the (what's the word?) verbose? illuminating? heart-felt? writings of bloggers like Dr. Pauly, Al, Falstaff, Irongirl and others. Maybe a little of them will be contagious and keep inspiring me. Like an onion, a lot of layers to peel here ... a lot of surprises, good and bad, to be uncovered, developed and dealt with.
Meanwhile, I owe y'all two reports. I expect the one on last weekend can be cajoled and coerced out of me by me in the morning. For now, thank you for being there; time to watch tonight's High Stakes tapes and continue that educational track of my other chosen profession. The poker explosion caught my fancy and gave me reason to live (really) back in the Summer of Moneymaker; I'd finally discovered a new calling that was much more promising than suicide.
Hasta manana...
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Vegas 2007 Sequel: Halfway to ???
You just know it's going to be one of those days when you check into the online blogger pages on the casino business office computer (only got 10 minutes; hurry hurry hurry!!) and find the dang pages set for Korean. Korean? Hmmm. Is this an omen? Do they play Korean Poker? (pun on Chinese Poker intended; do I have to explain everything?).
I think I should take a hint from AlCantHang's blog. He said he won't be posting for a week, that it's wildness and debauchery time. Dang, that's an idea! I should try it. Especially since the Miss Rodeo America contestants and their moms don't have much time for me, with the finals nearing and me the only dude without a cowboy hat.
It's moving day: Orleans to Tropicana. Checking out and in. Taking the bus to the laundromat and getting the clothes ready for "Vegas 2007 Sequel -- Part Two, The Bloggers Have Landed." Getting drinking lessons and how-not-to-do-karaoke demos at Imperial Palace. And more poker!!
Wednesday (I think that's what yesterday was) I finished about 84th of 134 entrants in the $60 Grinder NLHE Tournament at Planet Hollywood. I was card dead the whole night, I swear. Should have had an idea what kind of game it would be when the host Michael Mizrachi didn't show. The end came on my small blind all-in with a spade draw, the big blind calling and me failing to hit. Prior hand I'd folded KQ sooooted to a raise and an all-in pre-flop, and I would've beaten their Ax and 66 when both a Q and a K hit the board. The baby pair won, and my patience ended.
Off to Bellagio for some ring action. Had to wait an hour for a seat, finally got in 4-8 LHE at a good table. Unfortunately the cards still hadn't arrived for me (will some bloggers please bring them!!??), and in almost 2 hours I lost about $130. OK, enough's enough; bedtime and tomorrow's a new day.
At Bellagio I honestly didn't win a hand for over an hour (until the fourth dealer, and my second rebuy). Win number one came right after I tipped the new dealer just for being there; that says something about the Poker Gods and Goddesses. My night ended with me getting AT, flop TJQ, turn T, river 9 ... and my rival had TQ for a boat to ram my set. That's enough, I'm taking my chips and skedaddling.
Now it's today. It's all downhill from here. Phase II has begun. Get the bail money counted...
I think I should take a hint from AlCantHang's blog. He said he won't be posting for a week, that it's wildness and debauchery time. Dang, that's an idea! I should try it. Especially since the Miss Rodeo America contestants and their moms don't have much time for me, with the finals nearing and me the only dude without a cowboy hat.
It's moving day: Orleans to Tropicana. Checking out and in. Taking the bus to the laundromat and getting the clothes ready for "Vegas 2007 Sequel -- Part Two, The Bloggers Have Landed." Getting drinking lessons and how-not-to-do-karaoke demos at Imperial Palace. And more poker!!
Wednesday (I think that's what yesterday was) I finished about 84th of 134 entrants in the $60 Grinder NLHE Tournament at Planet Hollywood. I was card dead the whole night, I swear. Should have had an idea what kind of game it would be when the host Michael Mizrachi didn't show. The end came on my small blind all-in with a spade draw, the big blind calling and me failing to hit. Prior hand I'd folded KQ sooooted to a raise and an all-in pre-flop, and I would've beaten their Ax and 66 when both a Q and a K hit the board. The baby pair won, and my patience ended.
Off to Bellagio for some ring action. Had to wait an hour for a seat, finally got in 4-8 LHE at a good table. Unfortunately the cards still hadn't arrived for me (will some bloggers please bring them!!??), and in almost 2 hours I lost about $130. OK, enough's enough; bedtime and tomorrow's a new day.
At Bellagio I honestly didn't win a hand for over an hour (until the fourth dealer, and my second rebuy). Win number one came right after I tipped the new dealer just for being there; that says something about the Poker Gods and Goddesses. My night ended with me getting AT, flop TJQ, turn T, river 9 ... and my rival had TQ for a boat to ram my set. That's enough, I'm taking my chips and skedaddling.
Now it's today. It's all downhill from here. Phase II has begun. Get the bail money counted...
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Rest in Peace, 'Chip' Reese
Finished eighth in The Orleans' slot tournament Tuesday, good for $100 ... which will go toward a poker tournament or two.
Today started sadly, though. Just heard David "Chip" Reese died. He was one of the best, and one of the players I admired most for the calm, professional, non-confrontational, winning manner he had at the table. I hope someday I can grow up to be like him. Dang, I think we were about the same age.
Bummed. More some day/time. R.I.P. Chip...
Today started sadly, though. Just heard David "Chip" Reese died. He was one of the best, and one of the players I admired most for the calm, professional, non-confrontational, winning manner he had at the table. I hope someday I can grow up to be like him. Dang, I think we were about the same age.
Bummed. More some day/time. R.I.P. Chip...
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Vegas 2007, The Sequel -- Where Am I?
I'm here? In Vegas? And it's, what, Tuesday? Already???
Life is good. Even better when you don't have computer access 99.99 percent of the time. More time to concentrate on the things that really matter. Games. Women. Drinks. Sightseeing.
Played an Omaha H/L tournament at Orleans. No cash. Played 5 hours 2-4 LHE at Palms. No profit. OK, so I'm a little grumpy about those two things. But the plan is mostly proceeding nicely. Had a great hottub party Sunday night. Met some nice Miss Rodeo America folks here at The Orleans ... Nevermind, you wouldn't believe me, and I don't care what you think! I know!
Life is really good! More later ... or maybe not. Who has time? Peace!
Life is good. Even better when you don't have computer access 99.99 percent of the time. More time to concentrate on the things that really matter. Games. Women. Drinks. Sightseeing.
Played an Omaha H/L tournament at Orleans. No cash. Played 5 hours 2-4 LHE at Palms. No profit. OK, so I'm a little grumpy about those two things. But the plan is mostly proceeding nicely. Had a great hottub party Sunday night. Met some nice Miss Rodeo America folks here at The Orleans ... Nevermind, you wouldn't believe me, and I don't care what you think! I know!
Life is really good! More later ... or maybe not. Who has time? Peace!
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Vegas 2007 -- The Sequel: Prequel
And awaaaaayyy we go.
Nothing to say today. Head is spinning. Stomach churning. Get me outta here and out there! Can't think straight.
All packed. I guess. Travelling light, don't need much. Everything's waiting for me in Sin City.
Durn Missouri football team.
OK. Next time you here from me it'll be from Vegas. Or when I get back, if I don't get centered. Hey, being out there is fun! Have an itinerary plotted in the back of my mind, but it just won't translate here. I'm just gonna have to go-do-be-enjoy, then tell ya about it. Or not. We shall see.
Wish y'all were coming with me! Look out, Vegas, the shamster is on his way...
Nothing to say today. Head is spinning. Stomach churning. Get me outta here and out there! Can't think straight.
All packed. I guess. Travelling light, don't need much. Everything's waiting for me in Sin City.
Durn Missouri football team.
OK. Next time you here from me it'll be from Vegas. Or when I get back, if I don't get centered. Hey, being out there is fun! Have an itinerary plotted in the back of my mind, but it just won't translate here. I'm just gonna have to go-do-be-enjoy, then tell ya about it. Or not. We shall see.
Wish y'all were coming with me! Look out, Vegas, the shamster is on his way...
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