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...
Showing posts with label Vegas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vegas. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
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...
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...
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...
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Getting itchy for Vegas
Return to Vegas 2007: I wish I was there already! Just a few more days. When one suffers panic attacks and attention deficits and depressions and talking invisible gremlins, making plans and getting things together for a big outing can be full of pains and strains. I'm hanging in there...
My poker play the last couple days has been good but frustrating. I am happy that my increasing aggression is working and becoming more natural. I am not happy that I sometimes get impatient or try to rush things, or don't heed my inner voices about warning signs. Playing live in Las Vegas will be much better, being slower and with less distractions at hand so I can stay focused on the business. Yes, I love to have fun at the poker table (probably too much, tablemates would say of the chatty shamster). But the real wars and games ahead will bring out the focus. I just hope I don't start slow and finish with frustrating near-misses, like this summer; give me the string of 10 tournament cashes from the middle of the trip!
I hope to post daily from Vegas here, as I did to the Aces Cracked forum on my last Sin City invasion. Wish paul and lori (and even rk) were going to be there again. Ah well, next summer... Gotta look into a two-month deal on some residence near The Strip for June-July!
I will post a preliminary itinerary here Friday (knock on wood). Have to work tonight and all day Thursday, although I aim to make the Riverchasers game Thursday night at Full Tilt. Suggestions on unusual/challenging things to see/do in Vegas are welcome here. Peace.
My poker play the last couple days has been good but frustrating. I am happy that my increasing aggression is working and becoming more natural. I am not happy that I sometimes get impatient or try to rush things, or don't heed my inner voices about warning signs. Playing live in Las Vegas will be much better, being slower and with less distractions at hand so I can stay focused on the business. Yes, I love to have fun at the poker table (probably too much, tablemates would say of the chatty shamster). But the real wars and games ahead will bring out the focus. I just hope I don't start slow and finish with frustrating near-misses, like this summer; give me the string of 10 tournament cashes from the middle of the trip!
I hope to post daily from Vegas here, as I did to the Aces Cracked forum on my last Sin City invasion. Wish paul and lori (and even rk) were going to be there again. Ah well, next summer... Gotta look into a two-month deal on some residence near The Strip for June-July!
I will post a preliminary itinerary here Friday (knock on wood). Have to work tonight and all day Thursday, although I aim to make the Riverchasers game Thursday night at Full Tilt. Suggestions on unusual/challenging things to see/do in Vegas are welcome here. Peace.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Bring on Super Sunday!
That's going to do it for today, Saturday. An OK day: nothing great, some tiny cashes and good plays and excellent practices. If it hadn't been for those enemy pocket rockets against my JJ and QQ that knocked me out of two tournaments, it might have been a day to write home about. Instead, it was warm-up for the big, BIG wars on tap tomorrow, Sunday.
Backtracking a little first, I didn't play any poker online from Monday night until today. A lot of work-work dominated my time. At least the long 11- and 12-hour days of modelling went better than they had been; my legs held up nicely for a change! Maybe it's the slight dietary changes (more fiber featuring Raisin Bran, plus good old-fashioned Vitamin D milk, to heck with lo-fat, 2%, etc.) and more yoga that have me on the health and endurance upswing. Whatever, I ain't knocking it! Felt so good I worked a 3-hour open drawing class at Webster University on Friday afternoon when they had a late model cancellation. I can take my rest and days off in Vegas!
Speaking of modelling, got a call today confirming a gig while I'm in Vegas. A three-hour Tuesday night group at $20 per; that oughta pay for a buy-in tourney at Planet Hollywood! And maybe I'll meet artists who can give me a solid lead on inexpensive lodging for the WSOP next summer. One never knows when and where schmoozing and networking will pay off.
As I said, didn't get back to the faux felt until today. But I did play live poker Friday night, the battle of the Missouri and kansas St. Louis-area alumni chapters. Mizzou won easy; not many Jayhawkers in these parts ... and I'll be nice and not say anything more. I did discover that these kinds of home-games are little fun for me, with drunks and poor dealing by the players and few consistent rules and just general insanity. Not my schtick. I finished about 14th of the 40-odd players; only four got paid. Give me online or a controlled poker room any day!
Today I played four tournaments, cashing in three ... barely. The Absolute Touchdown (St. Louis vs. San Francisco) saw me 14th of 19 for $1.04. The Full Tilt Poker Forum Weekly saw me 32/45, but I did earn a bounty! Both ended suddenly against enemy aces that held up. The Aces Cracked League's off-season game saw me second for $12. And I just fell out of Shark Poker Tour's Road Warrior Blog Freeroll at Ab Poke: 13/136, only nine paid. This time I got it all in ahead A7 vs 87, but the enemy flopped an 8 and sayonara sham.
Sunday I have big plans and high hopes. The main goals: two tournaments at Full Tilt. At 1 p.m. St. Louis time I'm buying direct into FTOPS Event 15, the $150+$13 NLHE Knockout ($30 per bounty, I believe). Then I'll follow that up at 8:30 pm using my $75 token to enter the Blogger Big Game ... deep stacks I love, but only paying three places is not the +EV I prefer. We will see. There are a number of other smaller games, including a Poker Analysis Buy-In League game at poker.com (5 pm), that might tempt me. And football on TV -- can the Rams double their season victory total? What will be will be...
Good luck all; see you at the tables!
Backtracking a little first, I didn't play any poker online from Monday night until today. A lot of work-work dominated my time. At least the long 11- and 12-hour days of modelling went better than they had been; my legs held up nicely for a change! Maybe it's the slight dietary changes (more fiber featuring Raisin Bran, plus good old-fashioned Vitamin D milk, to heck with lo-fat, 2%, etc.) and more yoga that have me on the health and endurance upswing. Whatever, I ain't knocking it! Felt so good I worked a 3-hour open drawing class at Webster University on Friday afternoon when they had a late model cancellation. I can take my rest and days off in Vegas!
Speaking of modelling, got a call today confirming a gig while I'm in Vegas. A three-hour Tuesday night group at $20 per; that oughta pay for a buy-in tourney at Planet Hollywood! And maybe I'll meet artists who can give me a solid lead on inexpensive lodging for the WSOP next summer. One never knows when and where schmoozing and networking will pay off.
As I said, didn't get back to the faux felt until today. But I did play live poker Friday night, the battle of the Missouri and kansas St. Louis-area alumni chapters. Mizzou won easy; not many Jayhawkers in these parts ... and I'll be nice and not say anything more. I did discover that these kinds of home-games are little fun for me, with drunks and poor dealing by the players and few consistent rules and just general insanity. Not my schtick. I finished about 14th of the 40-odd players; only four got paid. Give me online or a controlled poker room any day!
Today I played four tournaments, cashing in three ... barely. The Absolute Touchdown (St. Louis vs. San Francisco) saw me 14th of 19 for $1.04. The Full Tilt Poker Forum Weekly saw me 32/45, but I did earn a bounty! Both ended suddenly against enemy aces that held up. The Aces Cracked League's off-season game saw me second for $12. And I just fell out of Shark Poker Tour's Road Warrior Blog Freeroll at Ab Poke: 13/136, only nine paid. This time I got it all in ahead A7 vs 87, but the enemy flopped an 8 and sayonara sham.
Sunday I have big plans and high hopes. The main goals: two tournaments at Full Tilt. At 1 p.m. St. Louis time I'm buying direct into FTOPS Event 15, the $150+$13 NLHE Knockout ($30 per bounty, I believe). Then I'll follow that up at 8:30 pm using my $75 token to enter the Blogger Big Game ... deep stacks I love, but only paying three places is not the +EV I prefer. We will see. There are a number of other smaller games, including a Poker Analysis Buy-In League game at poker.com (5 pm), that might tempt me. And football on TV -- can the Rams double their season victory total? What will be will be...
Good luck all; see you at the tables!
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