Home add your blog Archives Search Forum Contact RSS FEED

This site is an rss/xml news reader containing our favorite feeds. All articles are the copyrighted material of the blogs that wrote them.

Awaiting Reprisal

post from The Obituarium on 07 April 2006 02:44:00 PM. © The Obituarium

Things that are good: We accepted an offer for the house yesterday. Not the best price we could have hoped for, but above what we considered our "floor." Based on the large supply of homes on the market in our neck of the woods, my impatient desire to get the hell out of that depressing shell of a house and the buyer-frightening slope which is poised to become over-grown (again) thanks to all the recent rain, this is definitely a "bird in the hand" situation. Just gimme a check. The idea of moving on has put a bounce in my step all day. I'm not even stressing about all that needs to be done in the next five weeks. And I've been spending WAY too much time pricing home theater systems and other toys a suddenly-single man of my age must have in order to compensate for the plummeting self-esteem.

It's not really plummmeting. In fact, I'm looking very handsome today.

**************************

I've been shying away from teh pokah lately, mainly because I'm just not playing very well. In addition, I seem to have gotten into this tournament rut and anyone who goes exclusively that route knows there are long stretches between big cashes even in the best of times. One thing I've noticed about myself is that when my online bankroll is flush, I get a little careless with my play. "It's only $26. I've got 100x that in my account!" Which is dumb.

So, partly to keep myself honest, partly to have a little extra cash on hand for the upcoming expenses of moving, I cashed out about 80% of my online holdings. The object is to make me more careful with the more limited funds. Yes, I'm "tricking" myself, since I will soon be holding a check for more money than I've ever held in my life and can replenish all bankrolls with the click of a mouse or two. But then again, I'm the same guy whose alarm clock is set 15 minutes ahead and that seems to work every morning. But I'm going to be more choosy with how often and where I lay my money down.

The game which got me my bankroll in the first place is the "crack of online poker," SnGs. Pauly and I were discussing our histories the other night and how I found Nirvana in the form of the $5 SnGs on Party. I'd been sinking at the .25/.50 limit tables and the new discovery was a boon to my learning curve, as well as my bottom line. Within a month or two, I was doing pretty well at the $20 level and finally had some working capital.

Of course, somewhere in there, I hit my first big cash in an MTT and have been spending the overwhelming majority of my time in that pursuit ever since. Now, with the demands of both shortened time and concentration, I'm gonna slip back into the SnG groove, anywhere from $20-$50, one- or two-table, depending on mood. I took a second in a $30 two-table last night on Stars (my preferred level) and was immediately reminded how very simple it is to be profitable in these things. I think I won 3 pots before folding into the money.

So I woke up this morning feeling pretty good about poker, too.

**************************

Fucking Falstaff. Can't leave a brother alone to wallow in his misery.

I'm still pretty blocked in the whole creativity thing. I can write, but it's not any good. Again, concentration is fleeting. I'll do this, though. Becuase I love the song, because 'Staff has gone out of his way to help me out and because sometmes you just gotta force it out. Sure, you may blow out an O-Ring, but it's better than being backed up.

Redemption Song

"Who is that, Daddy?" my son said, pointing to the image on the TV.

I lowered "Green Eggs and Ham" and looked at him. "Are you going to listen to the story or not?"

"Yes," he said in his insistent way. "But who's that guy?

I traced the line of his finger toward the TV. "That's a very important man, Jack."

"How come?"

I paused, measuring my words and finding them wanting. "It's hard to explain."

"Is he a good guy?"

"Yes, Jack. He is--was--a very good guy. A hero."

"Like Spiderman?"

"Well..."

"Spiderman is a hero. He helps people."

"You're right, son. He is like Spiderman. He helps people."

"Like saving them from fires and bad guys and stuff?"

"No, not exactly. He just told the truth."

"He didn't lie?"

"No."

"Lying is bad."

"Right. Lying is bad. But telling the truth is hard sometimes, too."

"It is?"

I nodded and gulped. He only continued to stare up at me, his eyes wide and accepting. He's a sponge, my son. An inquisitive, faithful sponge. "Sometimes," I began slowly. "People have to say things, true things, that might make other people feel bad. Or angry."

"Why do they say them?"

"Courage."

"What's courage?"

"It's like...remember when you broke the window playing baseball?"

"Yes."

"And you started to run away, but you came back?"

"Uh huh."

"That was courage. You knew you did something wrong, but you admitted what you did, even though you knew you were going to get into trouble. You took responsibility. You didn't hide."

Jack smiled proudly. "So the man didn't hide?"

"No, he didn't. When it would have been much easier on him. He spoke up when others couldn't, or wouldn't. He made people face the truth, made them acknowledge the world around them and all its problems, instead of ignoring them, holding them inside where all they can do is fester, or disappear. He brought light to the world, Jack."

"He sounds great."

"He is."

"Can I meet him?"

"I'm sorry, Jack. He's in heaven."

"Aw..."

"You don't need to be sad, son," I said, stroking his hair. "People remember what he did. They remember him. His courage. He changed lives. That's why he's so important."

"I want to change lives."

"That's a good thing to want, Jack. That would make Daddy very proud."

"Of me?"

"Of you."

He smiled, my son, that smile that could end wars. He eyed Dr. Suess and as I moved to continue the story, I thought to myself, "They can't kill our prophets. Not as long as others pick up the tale."

Read The Full Article:
http://obituarium.blogspot.com/2006/04/awaiting-reprisal.html

Digg this

See CC

post from BadBlood on Poker on 07 April 2006 11:51:00 AM. © BadBlood on Poker

The host?s curse lives on.

Last night we had the welcome addition of CC from Quest of a Closet Poker Player and his brother-in-law Marshall, who henceforth will be known as Marshall-Will-and-Holly-on-a-Routine-Expedition.  As it is always with the home game gamble, when you invite new people to your game, you never know what you?re going to get.  I like to think that you can paint a decent picture of a person?s personality by reading their writings, and having read CC?s blog for a while, I really wasn?t worried.

Sadly, he turned out to be a very disrespectful, obnoxious, evil-doing, poker-playing bastard that will never get another invite to G-Vegas.

I kid.

CC and his cohort were great guys and fun to play with.  They were introduced to the G-Vegas home game in all its glory.  Stacks were pushed, stacks were lost, and yours truly managed to play some pretty horrible poker.

I played three big pots poorly.  Here?s a rundown of my missteps.

Pot #1:  I flopped top two pair with 65o and check-called knowing my hand was good.  Until the river of course when the straight draw hit.  Pushing on the turn or even a nice check-raise would have won me that pot and I blew it big time.

Pot #2:  In late position, I called a raise with J7h and saw a flop of J72, all diamonds.  The pre-flop raiser bet into that flop and I put him on a single high diamond.  I raised 3x and he came over the top all in.  Remaining with my read, I called.  He had 2 diamonds.  I was able to spike a 7 on the river for a full house, but still, it was a big misread on my part and not a hand I?m too proud of.

Pot #3:  AQo in EP and I raised it up standard style.  TheMark, who?s called 90% of my pre-flop raises sitting directly to my left, called.  The flop was AK7 with the A and K of hearts.  The Q of hearts was in my hand.  I made a standard continuation bet and TheMark smooth called.  The turn was the 8 of hearts giving me TP-good kicker and nut flush draw.  I checked with the intention of check-raising all-in.  TheMark bet, and I executed.  He went into the tank and I thought my raise might be able to push him off a two-pair type of hand.  Unfortunately, he asked to see one card and I obliged by showing him my Queen.  Bad move on my part.  It solidified his read on me of holding AQ and he called with his set of 7?s.  No heart on the river and the $400+ pot slid to him.  I was busto and we quit.

All-in-all it was still fun, especially having met new poker playing friends CC and Marshall.  I?m sure they?ll be back as the Sleestack-fighting patriarch actually lives in G-Vegas proper.  CC himself lives not too far away, so hopefully he?ll be able to make it back up for some tourney action that I?ve got planned for later this summer.

Oh yeah, Otis set the record for biggest medium game cash out so far.  Bastage.

But still, the curse of the host lives on.

Read The Full Article:
http://badbloodonpoker.blogspot.com/2006_04_01_badbloodonpoker_archive.html#11444
2509766170542

Digg this

Do Poker and Drugs Mix

post from Counting My Outs on 07 April 2006 11:12:00 AM. © Counting My Outs

© COPYRIGHT 2006 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Just getting back from a trip to the endodontist to have 2 root canals redone on the same teeth that had root canals done 13 years ago. Apparently I was the recipient of some not-so-good dental work back then. Other than getting the problem fixed, my reward is a 5 day prescription of Vicodin.

So I will be finding out the answer to the big question, do poker and drugs mix? I'll be finding out today! My wife an a couple of her friends are heading out to stay overnight today at one of the casinos across the boarder in Indiana, so I'm going to gamble it up myself this afternoon and evening online.

Yesterday was a very non-descript day at the $2/4 LHE tables for me. I played at Imperial/Poker Syndicate (109 hands, loss of $17) and World Poker Exchange (75 hands, profit of $35) and ended up with an overall profit of $18 for the day.

No bot stories from the World Poker Exchange to tell today. I actually won a few hands yesterday, so it must be bot free (LOL). There are quite a few folks in the poker community that believe it is happening there, but I just don't know. As long as the house isn't using them, I don't care, personally.

Have a great weekend all!

Bloggers Championship I am registered to play in the

Online Poker Blogger Freeroll

Win your share of $25,000 and a set

of Nevada Jacks poker chips.

Hosted By: Absolute Poker

Sponsored By: Poker Source Online

Registration Code: 65334548

Read The Full Article:
http://countingmyouts.blogspot.com/2006/04/do-poker-and-drugs-mix.html

Digg this

Bah, Poker

post from Sound of a Suckout on 07 April 2006 11:06:00 AM. © Sound of a Suckout

Yesterday was one of those spirit-crushing poker days. And aye, I over-exaggerate, but man, poker is sometimes just not much fun. Not being able to get away from flopped two pairs and set over sets gets expensive, as does flopping a boat and losing to a rivered bigger boat. It also doesn't help to get slightly tilty after all of that and go to war with the bully at the Soko tables, who keeps hitting, hand after hand.

I've still not really been able to break out of the poker doldrums that have been plaguing me since late January, when results in general turned south. It's not a precipitous downturn but I feel like I take one step forward, then immediately take 1.2 steps backwards.

The strange thing is that I really don't feel like I'm playing that poorly. Definitely not playing optimally 100% of the time but some of the beatdowns of late are pretty spectacular, in the ugly sense. Generally lumping my money in when ahead, which is all I can really do.

Yeah, I know. I'm just venting, more than anything. I know. Nothing to see here.

Read The Full Article:
http://suckout.blogspot.com/2006/04/bah-poker.html

Digg this

Why I Hate Augusta National

post from Quest of a Closet Poker Player on 07 April 2006 09:35:00 AM. © Quest of a Closet Poker Player

From the first round of the Masters, WSOP veteran Rocco Mediate has yanked his bad back through the first round to sit one shot out of the pace set by Vijay Singh while being railbirded by none other than one Fossilman. Why do I hate the Masters? Because I never get invited, and every donkey, lemur, and horrendous person gets to go. My neighbor has been. Molly, the early twenty-something girl that grew up in the Mountains with my brother-in-law marshman, got to go a few years ago. My client who has never broken 100 asked if I wanted a shirt this year (absolutely not). My in-law's used to get hooked up annually. I understand that I don't like pimento and cheese, but still I'd love to chat it up with Raymer, maybe even get a game up while we're there. Fine, whatever.

So, the G-Vegas real-game initiation was a blast at BadBlood's crib. Got to meet all of the glitterati that you only read about: Otis (who crused the game and put a brutal blind all-in call on my brother-in-law, oh by the way), Shep and TeamScottSmith (Shep getting continually sucked out upon by a notably frustratingly transparent player at my table), Otit, Mike (who may have another name but I'm not really good at names). Mike played what sounded like his typical game: building a big stack early (once due to my donkified A9o over-the-top with an ace on board when he's playing AJ or something), then giving it all back starting at 11:00 or so, only to make a thirty-minute call to end the night with a set vs. BadBlood's nut flush draw with three hearts on board. In case you're not that familiar with poker slang, a thirty-minute call is when a player takes literally thirty minutes to call. I dropped about $150, donking off about half that in the last hour trying to make something happen. I got sucked into staying after marshman was knocked out by convincing everyone that I love to deal (which I do). He knew we were in til the end and I would donk most if not all of my chips due to this, which was correct. It's never a good sign when you continually never know how much you're supposed to call when you've limped in and are trying to play wonder hands like 89o and 8h5h. It would have been nice if I was totally transparent with my play, but I kept making good decisions when I was behind in bad position, laying down when I was supposed to and all that. I got respect when I didn't want it then solid competitor hands when I wanted respect. Mrs. BadBlood was a great hostess, taking a nice pot from her husband when she played Shep's fourth re-buy hand. Mini-Blood wasn't that solid what with all the harrassing from his dad early on. A great time for sure, and many thanks for having me.

No golf this morning as I had to wake marshman up at 7:30 for his 6:30 wake-up call. Getting in a little work instead, then heading up to the boys last golf lesson. We're hoping to get in nine holes following the lesson, then drive back. Have a good weekend, and good luck.

Read The Full Article:
http://ccexplore.blogspot.com/2006/04/why-i-hate-augusta-national.html

Digg this

I'm Mad & It's All About Poker

Will Evy be sharing a jail cell with NASCAR drivers? Poker sent three of its' best minds to Washington in an effort to head off the unwanted anti-Internet poker legislation proliferating throughout the congessional lawmaking community. Like weeds in...

Read The Full Article:
http://www.lasvegasvegas.com/pokerblog/archives/002614.php

Digg this