Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Just Think Positive...

Another day, another poker adventure or two or 22. I just tried a T$26 token turbo at Full Tilt. Late level two, middle position, pushed with KK after table leader raised things to 100. Passed around to him, he went into tank, finally called me, showed AK. His ace came on the turn, and out I went in 192nd/213 entrants.

Never surprises when I get in with the best hand and get outdrawn -- usually by an ace falling. I've also had many a pair of bullets cracked when a foe hits a set. That's poker. I take it in stride (try to). I try to think positive. But it still hurts. And there's no answer to it. Play conservative? Don't push, and give myself room to bail out if the situation calls for it? Or keep plugging away full steam ahead when things look and feel right? I'll continue with that latter plan; hopefully it will begin paying off happily for me more often. Meanwhile, maybe I should see a voodoo healer or a shrink; sometimes I just feel cursed! lol ...

On many folks' recommendation, I finally switched to Mozilla Firefox this morning. Scare stories about another Microsoft Internet Explorer browser hole that made it exploitable by pirates nudged me into the change. I'm a stubborn armadillo (or mule, for you oldtimers), and change does not come easy. Now I have to learn to use Firefox, incorporate my favorites into it, dump parts of it I don't want (a quick "no thanks!" to red-underlined spellcheck), and try to be patient and open-minded. My main mail is still AOL (7 boxes); wish there was an easier way to incorporate that into Firefox (like have a quicky button to access). Also wish my cursor/pointer would stop misbehaving (occasionally wanders off to margins, usually highlights what things are about and I don't want to know or be distracted, activates aggravating advertisement movements, etc.). Patience, sham ...

The World Blogger Championships of Online Poker are well under way at PokerStars. Wish I could say I was doing well, because they are fun. The frustrations are familiar.

Monday was Pot Limit Omaha. I was playing ultra tight, by third level was 2nd with 403 people left (top 72 get prizes), enterred fifth level (30/60 blinds) solid 34th/325. Flop comes Q994 two clubs; I have Q9xx. I bet pot. Table leader with a few more chips than me reraises enough to put me all in. Heck yeah I'll call and risk it. Are we playing with a 10-queen deck? Must be, because he has two of the girls and his boat's bigger than my boat. Thought he was chasing the nut flush. Ah well. Finished 309th/450 entrants. Don't tell me the odds, or that I should've held back a little on the off-chance the one hand that beat me already was out there. I was more worried about the club flush or bigger boat landing on down the streets. Ya buys your ticket and takes your chances...

Tuesday was No Limit Holdem. Flopped a set in level one and slow-played a bit since there was an ace on the flop. Good thing, since aces came on turn and river and rival ended up with quad bullets. I avoided going broke, but was pushed to the back of the bus and in survival mode. Did survive, which is something to be proud of, until just before second break (late in level 12). Think I just finally ran out of chips and luck, and ended up 143rd/559 entrants. Exasperating yet encouraging.

I could make a mile-long post of bad beats and tough losses, especially in the last month, but I won't. Maybe another time. Suffice it to say those things will happen (just please stop doing it to me so much, poker goddesses!!). We shall play on. Tonight (Wednesday) features WBCOOP Qualifier 3: Pot Limit Omaha 8/Better (High/Low), beginning at 9pm my time in St. Louis (I like that late start!) I feel very very good about this one!!! Also tonight at Pokerari the three-month On Tilt Radio Bad Azz TPL continues to wind down, with my forum squad poker101a far ahead for the team prize. I'm still in first in the individual standings, but only 85 points ahead of the runner-up. Tonight's game (PL Omaha H/L, nice coincidence to the WBCOOP action) probably won't draw the minimum 10 and will get cancelled; that'll leave five more games in the series. I have got to hang on!!!!!

Doyle's Room is having its last Bounty Tournament of 2008 at 8:30 tonight; I'd love to play with Doyle Brunson, Mike Caro, Hoyt Corkins and company, but I have to focus on the WBCOOP. The Poker Analysis Freeroll League invades a new site, RPM Poker, but I'm trying to hold off on downloading new sites right now. Muffmoney has a private game at 4:30p at Spin32, and I'll probably invest my $2.50 in that. Blogger Mookie has his weekly game at 9p at Full Tilt; maybe next week I'll rejoin them. Yes, friends, Wednesday is not an easy night for a bad multi-tasker like me to choose where to devote his time.

Hopefully I've gotten most of today's bad beats out of my system already, and now the fun can begin!

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Always Optimistic

This was a very nice e-mail to receive:

"Hello Shamanalix,

"Congratulations, you've successfully registered to play in this year's
World Blogger Championship Of Online Poker (WBCOOP)!

"Your account has been credited with a ticket which is good for entry
into any and all of the Qualifier tournaments beginning on December
15th. ...

"The qualifying tournament schedule is as follows:

124189658 - Dec 15 - 14:00 ET - Pot Limit Omaha
124189659 - Dec 16 - 17:00 ET - No Limit Hold'em
124189660 - Dec 17 - 22:00 ET - Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo
124189661 - Dec 18 - 14:00 ET - No Limit Hold'em
124189662 - Dec 19 - 17:00 ET - 8-Game Mix
124189663 - Dec 20 - 15:00 ET - No Limit Hold'em

"Registration opens two hours before the start of each event."

Fantastic! Now I have something to look forward to every day next week!! No modelling gigs, so I get to concentrate on my favorite job! These are going to be fun, and tough competition. I accept the challenge and am eager to see how I'll fare.

Things have been looking up lately for me on the faux felt. Won a Shark's Home Game (Shark Poker Tour Forum) on Thursday at Absolute Poker ($57.60), then poker101a's Midnight Madness on Friday back at Absolute ($15). In between I should have cashed at another Shark Poker Tour event, but with 16 players left (9 got paid) I went for it all when the flop gave me an open-ended royal flush draw and couldn't finish anything, coming up short against my rival's set. Ah well. Can't win 'em all. Although I want to...

Busy weekend ahead. Nothing to show so far today (Saturday) after two tournaments, but I'm getting in the groove. My top targets today are the OnTiltRadio Bad Azz TPL games at 1 and 3 pm (CT) at Pokerari and Suited Pockets' Sober Saturday Bounty game at 9:30p at Cake. Sunday includes SP's Razz-A-Ma-Tazz at noon at AP, a Shark game at 1p at Ultimate Bet, Holdem Poker Chat's 3rd Day of Christmas at 2p at Reefer, the Poker Analysis Buy-In League at 5:30p at Nordica, MaximumPokerLeague's Bounty Freeroll at 6p at Carbon and Rounders Radio's UB Games With Annie Duke, which start at 9p after she's on the radio with the gang at 7p. And maybe others; I'm a spur-of-the-moment kind'a guy!

Always lots of poker fun and challenges to be found on the net. Now to try and close the year with a strong finish and a couple of solid cashes. Them holiday bills won't pay for themselves, and I do like being generous!

G'luck all.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

A "Winning" Streak

Hey, it may only be a fourth-place finish, but I'm not complaining. Especially since it came in Online Forum Challenge #49, the Poker PayDay Buy-In at Wass. There were 253 entrants paying $5.50 each today (Sunday), and the generous and awesome folks at OFC added $5,150 to the prize pools for players and the forums they played for. Thanks, Wolf, Tara and company!

Fourth for me meant $158.56 into my Wass account (and here I was all ready to give up on that site, since I was under $2 after the buy-in and I don't care for a number of cosmetic things at Wass, or in the Merge Network software). Plus, I'll get $100 a month for three months added to my Wass bankroll as a bonus. I'd have preferred first place, which was worth about $1,300 in cash and bonuses ... but the way things have been going I won't complain.

Shoot, the rest of Sunday was a wash with the normal bad luck and bad timings. Did win a Suited Pockets Forum razz tournament at Absolute before the OFC event ($7 prize), but I ran awful later in the Real Poker Players League game and the Rounders Radio Buy-In, both at Ultimate Bet. And I lost three first-round matches at Full Tilt in the start of its final week of NBC Heads-Up '09 Qualifiers-Round 1. I'll be back at those heads-up games A LOT trying to make next Saturday's Round 2; all I have to do is win eight straight matches! That's all...

In the OFC, I played tighter and more patient than usual in the early going, letting almost every speculative hand go. No missteps meant I hung around, and in Level 15 when my all-in 77 cracked KK thanks to a flopped 7 (all right, so my timing still leaves a lot to be desired!), that set me off on a heater that made up for the last two weeks. I could do no wrong, soared from 20th/37 left to 4th immediately and eventually into the lead. From there I was mostly second coasting to the final table, and it was a lot of fun playing with other Forum heroes until I went out suddenly in a three-way all-in -- I flopped top pair, but both rivals also did and outkicked me! Shoot, if I hadn't been over-cautious and too patient I'd have won two big pots in the time between 15 and 10 left, gone way over 100K chips, and eliminated the eventual champion and runner-up! Ah well...

My finish and teammate Wassuuup's 14th place scored 47 points for our Poker Analysis Forum team, good for fourth place overall (what is with me and fourths?) and a forum prize of a $100 freeroll. Uuup and I were the only ones who played for PA Sunday. And support and congratulations were rare after the event (guess folks are busy elsewhere). Think I'll be offering my services to Shark Poker Tour, poker101a and MaximumPokerLeague in upcoming OFC events. I'm such a mercenary. And there're folks I really like at each forum.

My depression peaked today with family problems. I feel miserable and lousy. Thank goodness for this $458 (eventually) cash. And with things to look forward to like Tony Holden's The Tuesday Night Game on Dec. 16 and the World Blogger Championship of Online Poker on Dec. 15-20 (both at PokerStars), and Michael Craig's Relay for Life charity event Dec. 21 and the "Extra" Holiday $100K Dec. 28 (both at Full Tilt), I have plenty to psyche me up in the weeks ahead and carry me through the holidaze doldrums. I hope...

May yours be happy.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

PokerStars Is Doing It Again!

As promised, here's the info on the PokerStars World Blogger Championships of Online Poker. The events are Dec. 15-20, and are open to anyone with a longstanding blog -- and it doesn't even have to be about poker! From past experience, these games are a lot of fun. Following on the heels of the World Cup of Online Poker, Meet Mats Sundin, PCA Freerolls and PCA Boot Camp games, the fun just seems to keep on coming at Stars. There are just too many events ... but you won't hear me complaining! Hope to see ya at the WBCOOP; even if you can't play, come watch and cheer and play other tourneys or ring games at Stars ... and start a blog for next year! More details, info and full schedule at www.pokerstars.com/blog_tournament.

More later on that. I'm still playing pretty awful and getting few good breaks ... but I did finish second in a Poker Analysis Buy-In League game tonight for $36 -- a good way to start that league's December action. I'm due for a good streak!!! Tonight's game was at PDC; but yes, the league plays at PokerStars, too! Wouldn't be a good league if it didn't!

Now I'm back to my immediate target: qualifying for the NBC Heads-Up '09 TV show. One more week of Round 1 qualifiers at Full Tilt. Last night I won four games before being knocked out -- halfway to what you need to win (an 8-match, 256-player s&g) to advance to next Saturday's Round 2.

Keep smiling...

Online Poker

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

The WBCOOP is an online Poker tournament open to all Bloggers.

Registration code: 894023



... And be patient and nice!!!

Friday, December 5, 2008

Blogger Championships Coming Soon

Look like PokerStars is finally ready to hold its annual Blogger Online Championships. No official announcement yet, but I see games scheduled Dec. 15-21. Perfect timing; school ends and I'm on a break that week. Sweet! Although the way I've been running the past couple weeks, I must be crazy to set myself up for more bad beats and disappointments...

Stay tuned. More info here as soon as PStars lets us know! Meanwhile, be gentle -- and Happy Holidaze!!! See y'all at the Online Forum Championships events this weekend, plus elsewhere...

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Bad Beat on Kidney Failure with J. Harman and Friends

OK, I've been bad. If I'm going to be a semi-fulltime writer again, it's time to begin. Blame my nephew. I'll tell you about Justin another day. For now, short notice on a great tournament for charity I plan to play Wednesday night (tomorrow) if other work doesn't interfere. Come say hi. Come compete. Come help a very good cause...

What: Bad Beat on Kidney Failure
Where: Full Tilt Poker (private folder)
Date: Wednesday Nov. 12 2008
Time: 21:00 (9p ET)
Cost: $10 + $10, the latter fee going to the charity
Password: CailtyssRulien
Pros enterred as of last look: Andy Bloch, Jennifer Harman, Marco Traniello, shamanalix (hey, this is MY post ...)

Thanks, and have a wonderful day, week and life!!!

Friday, August 22, 2008

Must it end?

Summer's just about over. Pooh. Double-pooh, even.

I like it hot, weatherwise. And actionwise. Come next week, though, it'll be back to working: lots of modeling assignments scheduled for schools and groups and such. And massage appointments. And writing. The creativity and the socializing will be great; the travelling and the public anxieties won't be.

Been a good summer. Undisciplined a tad, perhaps, but on the whole good. Went from the lows of a $4K bath in Vegas to a bunch of wins and cashes online, including a personal record of around $1,200 while finishing fourth in a knockout tournament at Full Tilt.

I've been picking and choosing my games more and more, instead of just plunging in willy-nilly. That works. So does doing my best to avoid playing more than one at a time, although I still fall into that rut far too often. Still a negative expected value (-EV) for me.

Big shoutouts to Pauly for the Saturday afternoon tournament he runs weekly at PokerStars; also fun to table with him during The Tuesday Night Game hosted by author Anthony Holden. And to Irongirl, who finally won herself a Mookie blogger tournament (shame she's so down on online playing, she could be ... nevermind, to each their own). And to sharbear, making MaximumPokerLeague a busy and fun place and about to try her luck at Poker Analysis, basically my home forum, and its stupendous leagues. And to billmaxx, for winning the MPL Fantasy Baseball League (I won the regular-season best record, but couldn't beat Bill in the playoff finals). And to AAs88s, about to dump another bridesmaid role on me in the Poker Analysis Fantasy Baseball League. And to all my friends at PA, Aces Cracked, poker101a, Real Poker Players, Suited Pockets, Ray101Bassman and on and on. I believe you can learn a lot playing good rivals over and over, and the training's benefits become apparent on down the line when you tackle major events for bigger stakes. One big finish more than balances 50 frustrations.

My goals for the remainder of the year: Cash in the Blogger Championships at PokerStars in October; take down a major tournament; beat my cash record; continue to improve; win a monthly title at PA (won't be easy with the busy school/work schedule making me miss a lot of games); post more regularly; get a keyboard that doesn't make so many errors and puts up with my fat fingers; re-learn how to put html links in my posts; learn more about poker, and myself; and, most of all, to have fun, and help other people enjoy themselves on the faux felt. Life's too short not to do things you love and have a good time with. And so it goes. Busy weekend ahead -- here's hoping it's a successful one, in many ways.

Stay happy.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Do-over (with Phillips and MPL plugs)

Yeah, I'm still "alive." Still recovering from worst Vegas trip in over 2 decades to tune of $4K contributed to that local economy. Hope they don't go bankrupt before I return to claim what was mine. Hope I live that long. No October trip for sure. Looks like no December trip. Slight chance January? At least next summer? We shall see.

Back to the online and local live grinds ... with big congrats to fellow St. Louisan Dennis Phillips for making WSOP Main Event final table as chip leader. I don't envy what he'll have to go through between now and November. Doubt he'll be at Harrah's, Ameristar or Lumiere/President much in the meantime. He is really a nice guy, and if there's justice in the world he'd win the big magilla. But if I was a betting man I'd have to pick Scott Montgomery or David Rheem over Phillips.

Main reason for this post is a plug for Maximum Poker League, one of my favorite online poker leagues (link as always in list at right). It's planning an end-of-July freeroll at Reefer for bloggers who link to the MPL forum and back. Since I need Reefer always, I'll do anything for a shot at more! MPL has a good, tough group of players and poker knowledgeables -- and most of them nice to boot! In the recently finished WSOP Fantasy Poker League at Full Tilt, three MPLers finished between 101st and 150th ... just missing the exclusive freeroll for top 100 finishers, but still awesome considering how many took part in the five-week fun (20,000 at least, I'd guess -- seeing as how I was 15,000th-plus with NO points in the Main Event (dumb), the only non-scorer in my 5 leagues). Me, I was in the low 2,000's when all was said and done. Played 4 or 5 freerolls, but missed 10 because of the Vegas trip. Next year a laptop!

Online Forum Challenge this Saturday. At Reefer, which is another reason to build my funds at that site. Wish the Merge Network sites (poker.com, Carbon, Reefer, Iron Duke, Nordica, Oddsmaker, ...) allowed transfers from one place to the other! Back to the grind...

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Vegas Summer '08 Prequel

Just a little more than 24 hours and I'll be winging my way to Sin City. Finally!! So much going on, so much still to do, but things will change once I'm on that plane for the rest of June in Vegas. Aaaahhhh.

Don't know if I'll be able to get internet access out there (no laptop, no cel, I'm old and old-fashioned). I'll try to post updates here, and PROMISE a big report when (IF) I come back. Meanwhile, here's the teaser I planted in Suited Pockets Forum (they're one reason I extended my stay to the 30th, their convention is June 26-29 downtown):

"Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to help cure the young old man of his shyness and add to his "happy?" memories of Vegas Summer '08. The target: middle-aged needs-sun-badly male almost always wearing bucket hat, either black leather or gray/blue WSOP or red StL, plus glasses on a cord (hasn't lost a pair in 11 years!). Usually found at poker tables or penny slots or chasing women/girls/anything that moves, with pen or sudoku or magazine in hand or shoulder bag to make sure there's always something to do. Answers to "shamanalix" or "sham" or "Bruce Williams" or "want to make an easy $20?". Approach with caution as can be dangerous if hungry or horny or losing or winning or breathing; but his madness is not contagious ... sometimes. The password is: "Call it for a quarter: heads or tails?" This tape will self-destruct and the fun begins with landing in Vegas in less than 36 hours; then June is busting out all over (with sham helping her, and trying to talk April and May into joining the pile...)."

So that's where we stand. Just crashed from Carbon (Merge) Father's Day Special in 160th/376. Went all in when my 8's became a set on the flop, but foe turned straight and I couldn't pair the board. Ah, well, played good, and now comes the weekend's last Big One in 9 minutes: OFC's World Series of Online Forums Main Event, with a WSOP ME seat to the winner. It's a $50+$5 game; I satellited in, and there are only about 150 enterred.

Time to get the poker on. More later...

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

So Close to a WSOP Seat

Been sick with strep throat, depression and poor card judgment the last week or so. Almost got well tonight. It was The Bluffers League WSOP Final, the long-awaited wrap-up to a series we began at Vegas Poker 24/7 before that site was bought by Absolute Poker.

The Bluffers is a great league, a fine forum and a good bunch of people. Thanks to everyone there for a lot of fun!!! Check 'em out and come play with us all sometime! Link on the right...

Tonight's final had 34 qualifiers/entrants. It was winner-take-all for $2,100. I didn't really break out of my recent poor card run, but I did get better results for once -- almost like my old self. I even led much of the tournament after there were 10 left. Heads-up, KeithG13 (keithg) and I began about even; then he won a big hand to take over a 3-1 chip lead on me. I hung in and nibbled away, until this:

Stage #1189864267 Tourney ID 2017319 Holdem Multi Normal Tournament No Limit $1000 - 2008-05-28 20:48:12 (ET)
Table: 3 (Real Money) Seat #3 is the dealer
Seat 2 - SHAMANALIX ($17155 in chips)
Seat 3 - KEITHG13 ($30915 in chips)
SHAMANALIX - Ante $75
KEITHG13 - Ante $75
KEITHG13 - Posts small blind $500
SHAMANALIX - Posts big blind $1000
*** POCKET CARDS ***
Dealt to SHAMANALIX [4h 5c]
KEITHG13 - Raises $1500 to $2000
SHAMANALIX - Calls $1000
*** FLOP *** [5d 5s Kc]
SHAMANALIX - Bets $1000
KEITHG13 - Calls $1000
*** TURN *** [5d 5s Kc] [Ks]
SHAMANALIX - Bets $2000
KEITHG13 - Raises $4000 to $4000
SHAMANALIX - All-In(Raise) $12080 to $14080
KEITHG13 - Calls $10080
*** RIVER *** [5d 5s Kc Ks] [8d]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
SHAMANALIX - Shows [4h 5c] (Full house, fives full of kings)
KEITHG13 - Shows [Kh 5h] (Full house, kings full of fives)
KEITHG13 Collects $34310 from main pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total Pot($34310)
Board [5d 5s Kc Ks 8d]
Seat 2: SHAMANALIX (big blind) HI:lost with Full house, fives full of kings [4h 5c - B:5s,B:5d,P:5c,B:Ks,B:Kc]
Seat 3: KEITHG13 (dealer) (small blind) won Total ($34310) HI:($34310) with Full house, kings full of fives [Kh 5h - B:Ks,P:Kh,B:Kc,B:5s,P:5h]

Bad thing is, on the flop, I just sensed he had a king. But what ya gonna do? (siiiiiigh) Back to the sick bed...

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Gotta Remember the Big Picture

(sigh!!) Will I ever learn? Was in a $26 token tournament at Full Tilt. Two from the tokens. I've got 3K left, but there are 10 folks worse off and we're playing hand-for-hand.

Table members are colluding, talking folding to the blinds and "everyone here makes it." I hate collusion; it's cheating. It puts me on tilt, because it's wrong.

My Big Blind ($1K/500, ante 125). Pocket cowboys! The button who has about $5K calls the BB. And I push. And he calls. And he turns over big slick. And an ace flops. And I'm out without a token.

Moral of the story? Would I have played it different in a regular tournament? A league game? A freeroll? The WSOP? I'll have to think on that. It's what I did this time, and it did not turn out well. That's poker. I have to remember to give more study to the bottom lines...

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Help the Computer Challenged

Yeah, I'm still here. Survived the March floods and sick friends/family and the ups and downs of poker (happily the month was mostly ups!; more on that at another time).

It's now April (didn't even get to play any April Fool's jokes, except not posting), and month two of the Battle of the Bloggers III Tournaments. Congrats to those who've won seats in the big Tournament of Champions at the end, and to the march monthly champion. We'll get names and numbers at another time. Still many WSOP seats to be won!

This is on the fly, so it's brief. Just wanted to remind folks of the events at Full Tilt, and post another of AlCantHang's banners (smaller than the last). Get over to the events, they're fun and challenging. The shamalamadingdongdorkdonk's plan is still the same: pick and choose my games, win one, then roar at the TOC.

And if anyone can teach the old old old shamster how to post links and banners on the sides of this boring blog, I will be eternally greatful (maybe even scrape up some thank-you bucks)!!! A week of playing and experimenting with it have gotten me nowhere. I miss the old copy- and type-setting paginators!



Battle of the Bloggers


Thursday, March 6, 2008

Random Thoughts

Random short thoughts on a Thursday afternoon, having cancelled my modelling gig today (too far to travel, too much time, too little pay) and hiding inside from what's left of the 10 inches of snow St. Louis got Tuesday over primarily a five-hour span (hey, that ain't much to a New Yorker or a Rocky Mountaineer, maybe, but it's more than I've seen here in 10 years back!). Anyway:

-- Read Doyle Brunson's blog!!! (Link at right.) Sorry, Eric Clapton, but Doyle is god! The March 4 entry is classic, featuring the scoop on the NBC Heads-Up outcome, Doyle at a country-western concert on Fremont, downing 10 beers, giving his hat to a musician, Phil Hellmuth drunk and dancing to country at a biker bar, Clonie Gowen and Doyle's daughter on the bar, and so much more. Reading Doyle makes me want to write more and more. And get my move to Vegas finalized.

-- Started reading Michael Craig's superb "The Professor, the Banker and the Suicide King" last night. Awesome. Love the insights, behind-the-scenes and thought processes. Well done. Gonna be hard to put down; I read slow, but will be done with it before dawn Saturday.

-- Talking about gambling and high rollers gave me an "aha!" moment. (I love those!) I'm the kind who'll bet $20 on Mizzou, $20 on Texas, $20 on whoever's playing Kansas, etc., rather than playing one or two games heavy and solid. It's the action junkie in me. Hmmmmmm!!! And at the poker tables I'm trying two events at once, instead of pouring full focus and effort into one? And playing micro rings, instead of stepping up to brick-and-mortar-size contests? Aha!

-- Get well soon, bwop and ig and anyone else hurting ...

-- Classical music is far and away the best. Classic rock is a solid runner-up. Rap is missing a letter ...

-- My early Kentucky Derby money is on Fierce Wind, Colonel John and Z Fortune. War Pass (who will probably be the winner May 3) and Pyro are awesome and will be in my exotic wagers, but I gotta go with the best-paying prospects in the Future Pools.

-- World Series 2008: Detroit vs. the New York Mets. The Cardinals won't make .500 at the wire. Looking forward to two fantasy leagues I'm going to play (well, one I'm in, the other I'm hedging). Both of those leagues draft next Monday evening.

-- I forgot what I was going to put here. Siiiiiigh ...

-- I can't believe it's been almost exactly 10 years since I moved out of Austin. I miss the Hill Country. Hope to make it back there for the first time in 6 years for Weekend at Mookie's or whatever the Blogger Bash is called. The wallet's ready; it's up to the work commitments ...

-- Speaking of Poker Bloggers, I'm plunging back into the BBT3 wars tonight at Full Tilt; the weekly $10+$1 Riverchasers game is at 8 pm St. Louis time.

-- No poker Friday. Off to model at my favorite, Principia College up in Ilinois, and will make a day of it at the Argosy Casino, Fast Eddie's restaurant and a number of clubs I get to all too rarely, sadly. This class ends the quarter at Principia (they're one of the rare schools who don't go by semesters), and figure drawing is only offered during this "third" quarter. But there's encouraging talk of a figure painting class in the fourth quarter, so ...

-- Busy poker weekend ahead, altough not as big as the five-star events ths following weekend. My schedule will include: (3:05p Saturday) Nationwide Poker Tour online satellite to Sunday's $500 Bodog Open Main Event, at Bodog; (7p Saturday) Final Four Package Tournament, at Oddsmaker; (3p Sunday) either Bodog Open Main Event or Bugsys Championship Series Main Event, a $110 buy-in NLHE with $15K guaranteed prize pool; plus the usual assorted games and leagues from Aces Cracked, Poker Analysis, Maximum Poker League, The Bluffers, Real Poker Players, AJ Poker and so on. What was that I said about picking and choosing???

Peace. Back to the book ...

Monday, March 3, 2008

That's A Winner!

The Bugsys Championship Series is currently under way at Bugsys Club. It offers 27 events through Sunday, with a Championship Playoff on March 15. It may not be as big or lucrative as FTOPS or WCOOP, but I wanted to give it a try in my steady dive into tougher challenges and competitions. Even though I hadn't played at Bugsys since April '07 (I don't know why).

(This is where the screenshot of Sunday March 2's Event 5, Limit Omaha H/L, $1,000 guaranteed (prize pool eventually closed at over $2K), buy-in $25 + $2.50, should go. If I can ever figure out how. Thank you pal sharbear of MaximumPokerLeague et al. for taking the screenshot at Bugsys for me; I could cut-and-paste from your PM into an e-mail for my records, but haven't been able to c&p the shot into any forum posts or here yet. (siiiiiigh!) Some day...)

Anyways, if you were looking at the screenshot, you'd notice that 82 players enterred, and when the smoke cleared the $615.00 first prize belonged to shamanalix. Yup. A solid payday for the shamster. I'm still walking on air a bit!

It was a very enjoyable event: calm, straightforward play, only a couple of jerks. A number of luckouts and bad beats, but you get those everywhere, even live ... and this game I was able to avoid most of them. We started with 2,500 chips each. At the first break I was 29th of 60 left, my best hand having been quad aces in level 3 that won me a 1,425-chip pot (no low). The second hour I played steady and picked my spots and mostly avoided mistakes and chases, so that at the second break I was 6th/16 remaining. Ten got paid.

I seriously had my eyes just on cashing, not on winning the whole thing, but the first hand after Break 2 alterred my thinking. Level 13, blinds 2,000/4,000. A 2 turn and 3 river gave me a small boat and got me firing back at the table bully/big stack until I was all-in. He'd hit a flush on the river, but I had him and scooped the 31,000 pot. And that's when my gear-shifting and gameplan intensified.

We hit the final table (and the money) with the shamster 4th/10. My strategy and cards had me in and out of 1st place in levels 14 and 15, the latter when we were down to 7 players. Then I beat the bully again with 2s full of As and soared to 102K chips -- about 80K ahead of second place! I eased the attack, then I couldn't land a filler/killer, and my big lead shrank; but so did the field size.

Finally we were four-handed in level 17 (8K/16K blinds), me barely ahead as we all had about the same amount of chips. I took out the bully in fourth for a 92K pot; I flopped trip 6s, we built it till he was all in and his chasing couldn't catch me. Eventually I was heads-up against MiaLauren, who'd done a superb job of bouncing back from being ultra-low-stack a couple of times. She took the lead from me when she got quad 7s and I folded to her river bet; this was level 18 (10K/20K). But pots were big, I got the lead back in a couple hands and then wrapped it up with a 10-high flush as she couldn't fill her boat. I had a bigger two pair than her (quit thinking dirty, Al and ck!) until the river, when the 10 of spades gave her a bigger two pair (hush ig) but completed my flush. We both had straight draws to boot, and no low qualified, and it had been over 3 hours for the tournament, so this hand was the final showdown.

It was just my night/game. The universe needs more of those! Sorry I missed the Big Game of Miami Don's that kicked off Battle of the Blogger Tournament 3 at Full Tilt, but there'll be plenty more of those. This $615 payday will give the sham's bankroll a boost in picking and choosing points of attack at BBT3. Likely starting Tuesday with the Blogger Skill Series (if it ain't stud!). For sure Thursday with Al and riggs' Riverchasers game. (I didn't know my Poker Analysis pal wolfshead, aka herb, was a Riverchaser from Pennsylvania; dang!...)

One good game like Bugsys on Sunday can erase 10 frustrating games, and give insecurities a necessary boost. The adages are really true: Just keep playing your game and try to maintain an even keel, and it all works out in the end.

On the WSOP front, I can get a Vegas studio apartment for June and July for about $2K. Anyone want in? Still not 100 percent sure with my mom's health that it's wise to get away for so long. I do have my eyes on WSOP events 2 ($1500 NLHE, the monster-sized "opener"), 42 ($1k seniors), 51 ($1.5k HORSE) and 54 ($10k Main Event), plus some others. I'll preregister for sure it the next 10 days for the Seniors to get on their players list, and then we shall see what develops.

Meanwhile, back to the journey. Can't over-enjoy a success, just like I don't dwell on the non-successes. But this sure feels real real nice...

Sunday, March 2, 2008

The Real 3 R's

Some may have you believe the "3 R's" of learning are readin', writin' and 'rithmetic. Sorry, not true. To a poker player like me, the 3 R's are reading, reacting and 'rmadilloing.

The education picks up a notch today with the official start of BB3, a.k.a. Battle of the Blogger Tournament 3. Three months, 55 tournaments, a Tournament of Champions at the end for individual event winners only ... and even World Series of Poker prizes amongst the swag put together by the legendary Sir AlCantHang and Full Tilt Poker. The official information is at http://alcanthang.blogspot.com/2008_02_24_archive.html#5035587135491417942. (Dang, why can't I make copy one thing and html link a separate thing? Like worked finally with the BB3 banner? Grrr. And the link's not even a live one to click? Sorry. Siiiiigh...)

There's plenty of action, and plenty of chances along the way to have that one miraculous in-the-zone game and win a TOC seat. Or perform steadily and win a monthly prize. And since they're all buy-ins (of various amounts, at varying games), there's oodles of greenbacks to be earned. I'll pass the rich opener tonight, the Blogger Big Game ($69+$6) hosted by Miami Don. Got a seat in Bugsy Championship Series Event 5 (Limit Omaha H/L), so that takes precedence and sham's limited attention/focus. But with BB3 events nightly Monday through Thursday, I'll be gathering the shekels and tokens and showing up there often.

Saturday went well. Won the MaximumPokerLeague TPFC qualifier at Nordica, as me and four teammates qualified for the final there in two weeks. Picked up a little cash at DoylesRoom ring games, the first time I've played those since they let the Yanks back in (well some of us, they still ban residents of the O'Shunned Eleven states).

Full schedule today, resuming sortly with The Bluffers League game at Absolute Poker. Bluffers are a fun group, you should check them out. Link at right. (I'll learn how to put more links into the copy slowly but surely, thanks to the patient teachings of folks like Al and Irongirl. Maybe.) Also I'm playing a lot with Real Poker Players league; $25 for a year to join, then lots of league games and monthly prize events, plus about a buy-in a week at Ultimate Bet ... and these folks play tight/tough.

Gotta keep improving and learning, while the escalator continues the climb to whatever's ahead...

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Flowing

Anger. Frustration. Disappointment. Tiredness. Poker. Arrrrgggghhhhh. Close. Cigar? No. Way.

Satisfaction in recent results and play. Perturbed by near-misses and short-handed meltdowns -- twice tonight (Friday)!! Adjusting my game, but so many adjustments and tweaks and one-way streets that truly hold a thousand options. My head and my gut and my heart tell me it'll never work, never get better, never get ... it. But they're not really telling me that. What are telling me that are the things that are right, yet all wrong. So I'll ignore "them" and plug on.

Won 18 cents in the Quick Draw at Doyle's (249th/2,454 freerollers). Made $15 for taking 2nd/23 in TheBluffers game at Reefer. Earned 12 points as 3rd/44 in Real Poker Players League's Limit H.O.R.S.E. at Ultimate Bet. Three-for-three "good" outings. After my 7-days-of-profit streak had turned into 2-days-of-losses, we're headed back in the right direction.

And I should have won those last two tournaments. Long heads-up with Bluffers rival (sorry, bad with names, forgot already); led most of the way until I finally lost one big hand and gave him a lead I could never overcome. And in RPP game I was a maniac at final table, dispatching foes and building 20K-chip castle, 10 times more than my last two rivals each had ... yet it all disappeared in Omaha 8/b, normally one of my best games. The poker goddesses were sure having fun with me.

Gotta not let the results and the immediate happenings bug me. Just like loud-mouth sore losers (no names of juvenile clown bloggers who could use a swift kick in their humanity-lessness). Too sensitive, too nice, the shamster. Gotta shrug it all off. One hand at a time. All that matters. And nothing really matters.

Big weekend of games ahead. Model Saturday morning, which'll put a crimp in my participation but offer a nice distraction, a good opportunity for reflection and re-planning. Then back to the faux felt starting Saturday dinnertime. There are big events at Bugsy's Club and Bodog and elsewhere to choose from, plus the usual league challenges. And the BB3 is right around the corner.

(Weird, I type a word and a different word appears on the screen. Haunted keyboard? Or bad misconnect between "brain" and "fingers" -- plan and execution? Just old? Pooh...)

Maybe that's the trouble. Maybe there's no trouble. Definitely there's a bed calling. Morning is another day. One big success will more than erase a thousand defeats and disappointments. And it IS coming! Meanwhile, we'll continue savoring every little victory, every step in the right direction ... while not making a big deal of them, just like we treat the oopses.

You can stop shuffling. For now. New deal soon...

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Blogger Madness Starts Sunday

The streak is at six straight days of online profit and counting. I'll tell ya about it another time; just not very good at bragging, or at finding time amidst real life.

Had to post something, though, to try (again) to put up one of the banners about the latest Blogger Series. Starts Sunday. Holy Grail at the end is 7 WSOP seats (Holy Heck!!!!!!!!). More details to come, best info is at organizer/cat-herder Al Cant Hang's blog (link at right). I vow to win the writing contest; it's time for the sham to reveal his true skills and block the writer's block.

So here goes with the (medium) banner, more soon, I'm jealous of the Eh! Vegas survivors/victims, and have a great week!:



(Siiiiiigh!!!) Nope, blogger "banner" didn't publish. Ya have to click the link to see it. I'll have to talk to someone who knows how to do things and figure how to make it appear. I'm so hopeless at some things. Ciao...

UPDATE: As you can (hopefully) see, the blogger banner/promo now is publishing, thanks to brilliant guidance from the one-of-a-kind Sir AlCantHang. Thankee...

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Must Be the Full Moon...

The full moon was beautiful last night. I didn't watch the partial eclipse, but heard it was inspiring. But, dang, why is it every time there's a full moon, people and poker seem to get even whackier than usual???

The bad news is that the "spell" didn't end by awakening this morning; if anything, seems it's getting "weirder." I won't call it "worse", that's all relative; but it's definitely uncomfortable to an overly sensitive underly confident semi-human like the shamster.

Today there's an wave of ice and snow storms rolling through St. Louis. So decided against risking the weather and road quirks, and cancelled my modelling session at Principia University up in Illinois. The beautiful Principia campus, as I've stated before, is one of my favorite places to hang out, and they pay well, so nixing this gig hurts. On the bright side, it means I get to play poker all day (seems like it's been forever!).

On the dark side, my first (and so far only) foray onto the faux felt today was at PokerStars, a $5.50 rebuy/add-on turbo super satellite to EPT-4 Monte Carlo, the final stop in this year's European Poker Tour. I followed my strategy in the early goings: no rebuys, take the single add-on for $5 and play smart and patient amidst the five-minute levels. Worked like a charm, my hands held and I won two races at the river, and come first break I was 1st of 36 left. The event had started with 63, 12 would get paid off and top 6 would advance to the Thursday afternoon EPT-4 MC satellite.

And of course you can guess how it all ended. Shamster finished 13th, bubble boy once more. Went card dead, couldn't hit when made a couple feelers, won a couple pushes after I fell out of top 10. Decisive hand, with 3K left and blinds 800/1600 (150 ante), I called table's top aggressor on my right as he tried yet again to steal pot momentum from me. I had 33, he had KT suited, and everything went nice -- until a darn cowboy rivered. (Siiiigh!!!) What's a poor shamalamadingdongdorkdonk to do? Just move on to the next challenge, I guess.

There should be quite a few of those today, as I try to make up for lost time in online poker-land. I'm aiming for the Rounders Radio freeroll at Carbon in about an hour, then tonight will drop in on league games of Poker Analysis Freeroll League (Cake), Maximum Poker League (Cake), and maybe Shark Poker Tour (Absolute Poker) and/or The Bluffers (Reefer). That last site, Reefer Poker, is a new one that's a skin of poker.com, Carbon, Nordica, etc. More on Reefer at another time, though know that since I can't deposit there until probably next month I intend to freeroll a lot of Reefer to build my roll. (That sounds bad, and I love it!)

Got a poker scare earlier this week when a co-owner said he was going to have to close my home forum, Poker Analysis. The other co-owner, his estranged wife, said she wouldn't let that happen to PA, so things go on fairly normally as the soap opera plays out. I will still play for PA in the next Online Forum Challenge, set for mid-March at Reefer. A lot of good players are at and have come through PA, including Mike Sowers (SowersUNCC), a recent preliminary event winner live at Borgata on the WPT Tour (or was it WSOP? I'm always a confused shamster...).

Another poker "scare" earlier this came when the two February posts in Doyle Brunson's blog disappeared. Happily, they're back today, with new entries; seems he's changed the look/set-up of his blog. And now it allows comments. Doyle's Blog (link at right) is still one of my absolute must-reads on the web.

Modelling Tuesday at St. Louis Science Center with the "Body Worlds 3" exhibition was fun, though not as much as the first time. The initial newness and thrill were lessened, making it more just a job. And one of the other models got his picture in the paper today with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's article on the exhibition. Pooh. Oh well, SLSC curators promised they'd send us models a CD of pictures they took of us at work, so I'll get to share that with y'all eventually.

Yesterday night I lost my temper for a moment with an extremely talented artist, Metra Mitchell, who works as T.A. for the class I was doing at Fontbonne University. Long story short I can sometimes get paranoid when someone uses a laser pointer on me unexpectedly, especially on my face. We had a little cry and I think got over it. I figured later it must be partially the full moon's fault. That also explains Monday and Tuesday and today. Gotta hope the waves mellow soon ... and meanwhile try to flow with them and adapt.

OK, tables, I'm coming, moon or no moon. Brace yourselves...

Monday, February 18, 2008

Small Victories Still Feel Good

I hope it's an omen for a good week. I'm as computer-inept and technophobic as they come, but I got the Adobe Reader update to download and actually work on my computer! Yeah, yeah, it's a simple thing ... but that hasn't stopped me from messing it up in the past. Now I can see pdfs!!! Now I'll know how yesterday's Horse Race of the Day turned out without going to Equibase's results! Now the world is at my fingertips! (Not really, but I'm an easy guy to please; I'll take any tiny victories life hands me!)

Life didn't hand me tiny victories on the poker tables over the weekend. My play was OK, occasionally sterling, but the results were ... I don't think that disgusting sound translates into letters for a printed page. No wins. Only one cash. Only three final tables. Blah!

This week will be light on online poker once again; work gigs run into the evening, and with modelling every day it doesn't give a lot of time or energy to devote to the felt wars. Things will improve a tad the last week of February when I model afternoons and get my nights back; cannot wait to resume playing in leagues with my friends at Poker Analysis, Real Poker Players, TheBluffers, etc. -- not to mention the Blogger Circuit.

Speaking of the Blogger Circuit, there is one game written in RED INK on my calendar this week that I will definitely play. (Thanks for the heads-up, Dr. Pauly!) Author Anthony Holden hosts the Tuesday Night Game once a month at PokerStars. Holden wrote "Big Deal" and "Bigger Deal", two of the best poker books ever. This tournament commemorates the legendary live Tuesday Night Game in England that attracted many top authors, artistes, etc. The online version plays at 3 pm ET Tuesday Feb. 19 for $10+$1, with $2,700 added and many other prizes. I can only play for about 3 hours. I intend to last that long, and hope it's enough to at least reach the money and the final table; FT players get an autographed copy of one of Holden's books. And he'll be playing. It will be fun. I was the first player registered, a couple weeks back. For more info and the password, check out http://www.biggerdeal.com/ -- and enjoy!

The reason I can only play until about 5 pm my time? Work. But a special gig. Ever hear of Body Worlds, the traveling exhibit of real human bodies treated by the process of plastination into works of art that are like skinless bodies posed in athletic and other activities? (Look it up at http://www.bodyworlds.com/; awesome, though not for the squeamish.) Well, Body Worlds 3 has been at the St. Louis Science Center for months, and with the exhibit almost over they held an "Artists Night" last Wednesday where people could come in and draw the exhibits, with four live human models thrown in for comparitive purposes. I was one of the four live human models. It went over so well, they've asked us for an encore performance this Tuesday from 7-9 pm my time -- thus my time limit in playing Holden's poker game. (www.slsc.org/content.aspx?id=4077) They will have photographers this time (they weren't allowed last week, only sketch artists and painters), so I'll try to post photos from this gig (or a link) after we get prints-for-time trade. Yeah, I'll even try to include the female live models in the pix, just for Uncle Al.

Today, time to get to Fontbonne University and Victor's painting class; they're doing my portrait today and Wednesday. And sitting there will give me good time to ponder ways to tweak the poker game. Needs much pondering. "Is a puzzlement!!!"

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Let The Fun Begin!

OK, I am ready for some online poker! After dropping about $100 in live 3-6 LHE mid-week in a short 3-hour session on my first playing expedition to St. Louis' newest casino, Lumiere, and getting to play little on the faux felt all week, I'm eager to get at it!

After much deliberation, the chosen agenda includes: The Bloggers League buy-in at 1 p.m. (all times St. Louis) at Vegas Poker 247; a Poker After Dark Round 2 endeavor at 2:05 pm at Full Tilt (hey, JJ Liu is registered, and you know how I am about Asian beauties); TPFC Finals at 7 pm at Iron Duke (maybe finally get some cash at that site); Aces Cracked League at 7 pm at PokerStars (one of my home groups, gotta contribute, even though TPFC may get more of my attention, plus I won AC game last week); and QuickDraw Turbo Freeroll at 11 pm at Doyle's Room (pick up a few more pennies, won't take long and good practice in patience and maniac-management).

This leaves out tourneys that are still options that I often play and/or like, such as 3:20 pm Saturdays with Dr. Pauly at PStars (PL Omaha), 7 pm Poker Analysis Buy-In League at Absolute Poker, 8 pm Real Poker Players League at Ultimate Bet (Omaha 8/b), and games hosted by Online Poker Tour, Rounders Radio and Holdem Radio, plus my "final day" as an "Exclusive Member" of SpadeClub (they opened this site too quickly and too expensively). Hey, I learned the hard way not to try to do everything! These events will stay options, but don't look playable right now (RPP best possibility of the bunch).

Wish me luck, and hope to see y'all at some of the games! More late tonight, or else Sunday morning. Peace out...

Friday, February 15, 2008

Happy Valentine's Day!

OK, so maybe technically it's not Valentine's Day any more as I write this. At least not here, or where you are. But somewhere (Hawaii?) it's still Feb. 14, so the wish is truthful, timely and stands. Just sorry your cards and flowers and chocolates and spa passes will have to wait for another day. If there are any left when I'm done "testing" them.

I'm in a very good mood, which is why I'm writing this (yeah, I know, finally!) instead of diving right into bed. Gotta start trying to follow Doyle's example and post a couple times a week (at least!), even if they are only short snapshots of my life and feelings.

What has me hepped up right now is that I just got 12th in a tournaments at Full Tilt. The $1 Rebuy tournament, to be exact. With 446 entrants and a pool of $1,552 -- and me no rebuys or add-on! Eighty-one got paid, but I played smart and steady and successful for almost 4 1/2 hours. Finally hit the wall when my JJ ran into bullets shortly after break No. 4, when I was 7th/12 left. The jacks never caught up, I plunged from about 110K to 13K, and a couple hands later was out on a 3-way all-in. Still, a very good tourney and a big boost to my confidence after mostly treading water since the Super Bowl debacle.

Big weekend coming up. Last week was full of minor traumas, and haven't played much this week due to work, so I'm going to be real hungry for faux felt chips come Saturday. I'll be back to tell ya about it. Meanwhile, once again, Happy Valentine's Day all, and especially to my favorite ladies (you know who you are!). Peace and happiness.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Yodelaehoo!

Weatherwise, it's a wee bit of a bleak day here on the cliffs overlooking the oozing Mississippi. I was just watching chunks of wannabe icebergs (barely big enough to fill a night's worth of AlCantHang libations) float down the river before taking refuge here in the warm library of Principia College. Too cold outside to enjoy the peace and the view and the energy of the surrounding wilderness.

The aforementioned bleakness is only in the weather. Yes, the shamster is a tropical beast at heart, you understand. But coming up here to the campus in Elsah, Ill., about 12 minutes' drive ($27 cabfare) up the River Highway from Alton ... Ah, coming up here to Prinicipia has been one of my favorite working getaways for the past 8 or so years.

I call this place "Little Switzerland", because the campus truly looks like a village you'd find in the Swiss Alps. Tiny Elsah, at the foot of the cliffs on which the campus sprawls, well, you've seen this town in the dictionary next to the definition of "quaint." And Prinicipia, a Christian Science (I think) college, is peaceful, friendly, vibrant yet quiet, open (despite the security guard's kiosk at the campus entrance) and open-minded. I'm spiritual, not religious, but I do like it here. Even if they didn't pay their art figure models better than most universities and groups, it's still worth the long trip from home (bus, train, bus, bus, cab -- say 3 1/2 hours, not counting the time spent goofing, sightseeing and sipping coffee in Alton).

On the poker front, I've been reading blogs. Mookie has a sensational caption contest that I think I was just too late to get into. Boo. You can access his blog and the scary photo through the link in the blogs list at right. (Someday I'll learn how to do direct links in my copy; ah well...). AlCantHang gives a hilarious recount of Thursday night's Riverchasers Tournament through his bloodshot eyes. And Doyle Brunson has a new entry; I hope his doctor's visit goes well, I hate doctors (and dentists and lawyers oh my!). Well, most d d & l's; there are a few good ones (being good includes reading shamster's blog).

I head back to online poker-playing this weekend; I'm eager, and hungry for success. There are Poker Analysis Buy-In League games Saturday morning (PokerStars) and Sunday evening (Nordica); I need good showings if I'm to defend my monthly title; am currently resting 20 points behind leader DCIAssassin with 3 games to go. Saturday night is the Aces Cracked $11 weekly game at PokerStars; password is "acescracked" and it's at 2100 ET under "private tournaments", if you're brave enough to join the masters. I also might try the first step in qualifying for the NBC Heads-Up Championship at PStars this weekend. And Doyle's Room has some quickie freerolls; gotta get my bankroll over $2 so I'll have the minimum to invade the ring games. And Nationwide Poker Tour Online has its Sunday night game at Bodog, if you want more challenges and good competition. A normal busy weekend of eeny-meeny-miney-mo and lofty expectation$.

For now, one hour till work time, I'm warm enough to head back out cliffside. Gonna eat my sack lunch and watch the river and its baby icebergs flow past down below. Maybe practice a yodel or two. Wish I knew how to spell that "yodelaehoo", though; my writing skills have really atrophied. And cantankerous fingers (it's the keyboard's fault!!) don't help. But I'm moving along.

Peace love and happiness...

Thursday, January 24, 2008

"Mrs. Brown You've Got A ..."

If the title rings a chime, you know what I'm up to tonight.

No poker today. Five hours of modelling at Webster University, first for a regular figure class and then (I love this group) for Webster theatre students who are forced -- er, "required" -- to take a figure drawing class to help them with (I guess) their actors' poses, lighting insights, costuming thoughts and whatever else goes through a thespian's mind. Being a once and future thespian myself ... Any explanations, Falstaff?

After the classes, a friend and I are hitting a Herman's Hermits concert at Ameristar in nearby St. Charles. Saw Peter Noonan and friends two or three years ago; he's old (who isn't?), but he's still got it. Flashbacks are fun!! Especially with short-skirted waitresses bringing the drinks. After the show, those poker tables at Ameristar are awfully tempting ...

Road day Friday of modelling and mischief in Illinois (Alton area north of St. Louis, to be semi-specific) coming up. Then it's back to the faux felt on the weekend -- after a few days away I'll be more than ready!

Congrats ck on taking out Mookie in his game last night and realizing one of your '08 resolutions! Any bloggers who want a link to their blog in my alphabetical list at right, let me know. And have a great day!!! "Something tells me I'm in to something good..."

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year everybody!!!!!!!!!

Whaddaya mean, NYE was over 3 weeks ago? Hey, I been busy! Winning, learning, working, playing the Absolute Poker 150K guarantee last Saturday, trying to remember my blogger password, ...

Anyways, I'm back, and I'm posting. Every day. Whether you like it or not. Whether I like it or not... (Sure hope posting doesn't act as a jinx to the hot streak I've been on the last month. Now I gotta sign up for ePassporte (sigh! shiver!!) so I can get some of the money offline.)

That's it for now. Working everyday this week. Last game I played was early Tuesday afternoon at Full Tilt, and I won me a $26 token. Sorry katitude (pokerkat.blogspot.com), wish you coulda won one, too; fun playing with ya as always, though!

Next action for me will be late late Friday night ... maybe. Then for sure a hectic weekend, including Quick Draw Free Rolls at Doyle's Room (read The Man's blog, link at right) and National Heads-Up qualifying at PokerStars. And the usual leagues. Shuffle up and keep dealing!