Monday, March 19, 2007
Monday, February 19, 2007
Okay, okay, you win, this IS a poker blog...
Three things going on in my life right now... school, wedding plans, and poker games. The wedding plans are on another blog, school isn't exciting enough to talk about, which leaves...
...poker.
Last Thursday, I found a new good luck charm at the poker table. Unfortunately I can' t put it on top of my cards, as the good luck charm is Meredith. At the Troy's house, she tagged along for Game 2, though she didn't play (this time.) We sat and watched Pappy take game 1 by sucking out about 4 or 5 times, then it was off to game 2 -- 8 players.
We started with 5,625 chips, and in the first three hands of the game, I was involved in pots of at least 3,500 chips on all three hands. I got jiggy with A-6 in middle position on the very first hand, and somehow convinced myself that I could buy the pot from Christy. No luck. I had a measly pair of sixes, and I can't remember what pair she had, but it was better than mine. I lost over 1/3 of my stack on the very first fucking hand!
Very next hand, Christy and I tangled again. She raised preflop with J-J, and I called with K-10 suited. I got lucky that she checked the 6-7-8 flop, giving me the free card on the turn, which was a 9. I got her to call to the river, and nearly made my money back from hand #1.
Very next hand, I limp from early position with Aces. (what's up with these cards?) I get 3 callers until it gets to Corky in the Big Blind, and I'm thinking "Great, I'll have no idea how to play this hand," assuming Corky will check too. But he raises from 100 to 300, which is a very small raise given the number of limpers. Hmmm, now I have to isolate and reraise. Given the knowledge I had at the time, 1,200 might have been about right, but I decided to make it look suspicious and made it 2,100. Corky thought about it for a while, then pushed all-in, saying he thought I was trying to buy it. But he was really trying to disguise his strength too, as he flipped over his K-K as soon as I quickly called with my A-A. The flop was all rags, and I had gone from 5,625 down to about 3,500, back to 5,600, and now over 11,000 in three hands.
My good fortune continued, as I won a race with 10-10 against Mark's all-in with A-Q, and later knocked Pappy out when I had 5-5 and he re-raised all in with K-K. I was pot committed and called, and caught a 5 on the flop.
I don't think I lost any significant hands the whole game, but Jeremy started picking up chips quickly and we ended up pretty even when it got down to heads-up. After about 5-6 hands of see-sawing, we decided to chop.
So thank you Meredith for bringing me good luck! Next time you'll have to play.
...poker.
Last Thursday, I found a new good luck charm at the poker table. Unfortunately I can' t put it on top of my cards, as the good luck charm is Meredith. At the Troy's house, she tagged along for Game 2, though she didn't play (this time.) We sat and watched Pappy take game 1 by sucking out about 4 or 5 times, then it was off to game 2 -- 8 players.
We started with 5,625 chips, and in the first three hands of the game, I was involved in pots of at least 3,500 chips on all three hands. I got jiggy with A-6 in middle position on the very first hand, and somehow convinced myself that I could buy the pot from Christy. No luck. I had a measly pair of sixes, and I can't remember what pair she had, but it was better than mine. I lost over 1/3 of my stack on the very first fucking hand!
Very next hand, Christy and I tangled again. She raised preflop with J-J, and I called with K-10 suited. I got lucky that she checked the 6-7-8 flop, giving me the free card on the turn, which was a 9. I got her to call to the river, and nearly made my money back from hand #1.
Very next hand, I limp from early position with Aces. (what's up with these cards?) I get 3 callers until it gets to Corky in the Big Blind, and I'm thinking "Great, I'll have no idea how to play this hand," assuming Corky will check too. But he raises from 100 to 300, which is a very small raise given the number of limpers. Hmmm, now I have to isolate and reraise. Given the knowledge I had at the time, 1,200 might have been about right, but I decided to make it look suspicious and made it 2,100. Corky thought about it for a while, then pushed all-in, saying he thought I was trying to buy it. But he was really trying to disguise his strength too, as he flipped over his K-K as soon as I quickly called with my A-A. The flop was all rags, and I had gone from 5,625 down to about 3,500, back to 5,600, and now over 11,000 in three hands.
My good fortune continued, as I won a race with 10-10 against Mark's all-in with A-Q, and later knocked Pappy out when I had 5-5 and he re-raised all in with K-K. I was pot committed and called, and caught a 5 on the flop.
I don't think I lost any significant hands the whole game, but Jeremy started picking up chips quickly and we ended up pretty even when it got down to heads-up. After about 5-6 hands of see-sawing, we decided to chop.
So thank you Meredith for bringing me good luck! Next time you'll have to play.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Parking Problem
The next house I buy will have its garage on the right side of the house (as viewed from the street).
This occurred to me as I just pulled my car into my house's left-side garage, and I had to walk all the way around the car to get to the side where the house door is. And because I usually close the garage door from inside the car once I park, I have to shimmy sideways behind the car as closely as possible so I won't trip the electric eye and make the garage door stop closing. I mean, this whole process takes me about 10 seconds longer than if the garage were on the other side of the house, and thus I could get out of my car door and walk straight in the door.
Big deal, you say? Well, let's say my time is currently worth about $20 an hour. Maybe that's generous, because one online website had me enter my assets, liabilities and hours worked, and told me that my time is worth less than zero. But since $20 an hour is about what my old job paid, let's stick with that assumption.
I also park my car in my garage at least once every day, barring illness or some Saturdays that follow Friday night poker, but usually it's twice or more. Let's conservatively say that on average, I park in the garage twice a day. Doing the math, this equates to two hours spent each year walking around my car in the garage, and thus about $40 each year. And I'm not even factoring in the salt marks on my clothes which transfer from my car when I'm shimmying around its back side.
Again, big deal? Some things simply cost money, I realize, but something as simple as "on which side is the garage" shouldn't be one of them. My recent statistics training makes me want to obtain a database of all recent house sales investigate if there is a difference in price in the houses with left-garages versus right-garages.
Then again, I hope I will never encounter the following discussion at the next open house I attend:
"The price seems a little high."
"Well, not really, because all the appliances are included, and the garage is on the right side."
And I now realize I've also wasted $8.40 worth of my time writing this... guess I'd better go to work and recoup it.
This occurred to me as I just pulled my car into my house's left-side garage, and I had to walk all the way around the car to get to the side where the house door is. And because I usually close the garage door from inside the car once I park, I have to shimmy sideways behind the car as closely as possible so I won't trip the electric eye and make the garage door stop closing. I mean, this whole process takes me about 10 seconds longer than if the garage were on the other side of the house, and thus I could get out of my car door and walk straight in the door.
Big deal, you say? Well, let's say my time is currently worth about $20 an hour. Maybe that's generous, because one online website had me enter my assets, liabilities and hours worked, and told me that my time is worth less than zero. But since $20 an hour is about what my old job paid, let's stick with that assumption.
I also park my car in my garage at least once every day, barring illness or some Saturdays that follow Friday night poker, but usually it's twice or more. Let's conservatively say that on average, I park in the garage twice a day. Doing the math, this equates to two hours spent each year walking around my car in the garage, and thus about $40 each year. And I'm not even factoring in the salt marks on my clothes which transfer from my car when I'm shimmying around its back side.
Again, big deal? Some things simply cost money, I realize, but something as simple as "on which side is the garage" shouldn't be one of them. My recent statistics training makes me want to obtain a database of all recent house sales investigate if there is a difference in price in the houses with left-garages versus right-garages.
Then again, I hope I will never encounter the following discussion at the next open house I attend:
"The price seems a little high."
"Well, not really, because all the appliances are included, and the garage is on the right side."
And I now realize I've also wasted $8.40 worth of my time writing this... guess I'd better go to work and recoup it.
Monday, February 12, 2007
I'm Getting Married!
Well, that was the big news I mentioned a couple weeks ago. I popped the question on Friday night, and luckily for me she said, "Yes!" (Full details at http://tomandmeredith.blogspot.com).
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Poker Weekend Up North
Had a great time last weekend at Greg's mom's cottage! Unfortunately, I didn't make the trip up there on Saturday afternoon as originally planned, due to the blizzard. But the rest of them made it up there safely, which I was glad for. I mean, it would have been a shame to get up there and have nobody's money to take! Mark and I rode up together Sunday morning -- fortunately he was driving, because I had a 30-minute episode where I was partially blind. That hadn't happened to me since 1990, but it was the exact same thing!
As it turns out, I took no money. I ended up exactly even for the day, which is how it should be, I guess. No, fuck that, I should win... But I had some good luck and bad luck. I went from chip leader to bubbling out of one tourney on 2 consecutive hands where I got outdrawn by Greg each time. Okay, fine, he's the host. I got even in the last game of the night by outdrawing Mark about 16 times in a row to stay alive, and then ended up chopping 1st and 2nd, even though I had close to a 2:1 chip advantage. It was late and I was happy to break even at the end of the day.
Greg continued his hot streak into Monday at the casino, but 5th place out of 28 wasn't good enough to finish ITM. Fortunately, he profited about $150 in a $1/$2 NL game afterwards. Jeff did well in the cash game too, I heard. Unfortunately, I had to go home early that morning, so I didn't get to make the casino trip.
And the coldest player of the group....hmmm....Ian? He took some rough beats on Sunday at the cottage, went out of the tournament early on Monday, and then was dealt 2-2 in the $1/$2 game, flopped 2-A-A, and ran into pocket Aces and flopped quads. He's on a poker sabbatical now.
As it turns out, I took no money. I ended up exactly even for the day, which is how it should be, I guess. No, fuck that, I should win... But I had some good luck and bad luck. I went from chip leader to bubbling out of one tourney on 2 consecutive hands where I got outdrawn by Greg each time. Okay, fine, he's the host. I got even in the last game of the night by outdrawing Mark about 16 times in a row to stay alive, and then ended up chopping 1st and 2nd, even though I had close to a 2:1 chip advantage. It was late and I was happy to break even at the end of the day.
Greg continued his hot streak into Monday at the casino, but 5th place out of 28 wasn't good enough to finish ITM. Fortunately, he profited about $150 in a $1/$2 NL game afterwards. Jeff did well in the cash game too, I heard. Unfortunately, I had to go home early that morning, so I didn't get to make the casino trip.
And the coldest player of the group....hmmm....Ian? He took some rough beats on Sunday at the cottage, went out of the tournament early on Monday, and then was dealt 2-2 in the $1/$2 game, flopped 2-A-A, and ran into pocket Aces and flopped quads. He's on a poker sabbatical now.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Recap of 2 home poker games in '07
We've played two nights so far in 2007, with good turnouts both times!
In the first game on Thursday the 11th, Ian took me out in the big game on one of the first hands of heads-up. I had Q-9, and the flop was K-Q-9. I checked, he bet, I raised all-in, and he called me with K-K! I was drawing dead to running Queens or 9's, or running 10-J for a split. No such luck. Corky finished 3rd.
Six of us stuck around for a quick game 2. I was first to get bounced out, and I decided to pay a visit to my girlfriend M's house and let the guys close up my house for me when they were done. Apparently Mark and Mike chopped the 1st/2nd prize money, after Ian broke even by taking down 3rd place. The next morning, I came home to find a wad of rain-soaked toilet paper next to my Japanese maple tree. I had told them to put the house key next to the tree, but I wasn't really sure what I was going to find in the toilet paper, especially knowing that Corky was probably involved in the process. Whew, it was the key...
Last Friday, we had 11 players, but decided to squeeze around one table instead of two. Corky played for a total of no more than 20 minutes in two games combined, in the usual Corky fashion. The scary thing is, whenever he survives the first level, he's more likely to win it all than anyone. I didn't even sniff at the money in either game. The first one was a winner-take-all/chop game, and Ryan sat on a short stack for almost the whole time until rallying to win the most money. 5 others got a pretty decent piece of the prize pool.
In game 2, I don't have a great recollection of the hands played, thanks to the empty pitcher of White Russians and the stack of Miller High Life empties. I busted out by making an all-in flop raise with a stone cold bluff against Darren, who called me with just Ace high. He had to have picked up on a tell, although the bet was a little strange, not so much by the amount, but it probably looked like a "I don't want you to call me" bet. Still, a gutsy call by Darren. "Nice hand, good game, I'll go home now." Oops, I'm already home.
Greg got third place but deserved much more. Jeff had him out-chipped by a little, and the two got in a raise-fest preflop, which ended up all-in with Jeff showing A-Q and Greg with A-A. There was brief discussion before the flop about how Jeff could win the hand, which is only about 10% (by either hitting trip Queens or a straight or flush.) Well, he didn't hit any of those, he got QUAD QUEENS, and Greg was out. Later, Jeff got it all-in again preflop against Darren, again as an underdog with Q-3, and hit a full house. Game over!
I'm keeping track of a new player standings race for 2007. The formula is kind of halfway between an average and a total -- here are the current Top 3:
1) 1624 Jeff B.
2) 1310 Ian B.
3) 1089 Greg P.
Haven't figured out what the winner will get...maybe uninvited in 2008?
Looks like a small game tomorrow night. We only have 4 so far, doesn't look good for many more... :(
In the first game on Thursday the 11th, Ian took me out in the big game on one of the first hands of heads-up. I had Q-9, and the flop was K-Q-9. I checked, he bet, I raised all-in, and he called me with K-K! I was drawing dead to running Queens or 9's, or running 10-J for a split. No such luck. Corky finished 3rd.
Six of us stuck around for a quick game 2. I was first to get bounced out, and I decided to pay a visit to my girlfriend M's house and let the guys close up my house for me when they were done. Apparently Mark and Mike chopped the 1st/2nd prize money, after Ian broke even by taking down 3rd place. The next morning, I came home to find a wad of rain-soaked toilet paper next to my Japanese maple tree. I had told them to put the house key next to the tree, but I wasn't really sure what I was going to find in the toilet paper, especially knowing that Corky was probably involved in the process. Whew, it was the key...
Last Friday, we had 11 players, but decided to squeeze around one table instead of two. Corky played for a total of no more than 20 minutes in two games combined, in the usual Corky fashion. The scary thing is, whenever he survives the first level, he's more likely to win it all than anyone. I didn't even sniff at the money in either game. The first one was a winner-take-all/chop game, and Ryan sat on a short stack for almost the whole time until rallying to win the most money. 5 others got a pretty decent piece of the prize pool.
In game 2, I don't have a great recollection of the hands played, thanks to the empty pitcher of White Russians and the stack of Miller High Life empties. I busted out by making an all-in flop raise with a stone cold bluff against Darren, who called me with just Ace high. He had to have picked up on a tell, although the bet was a little strange, not so much by the amount, but it probably looked like a "I don't want you to call me" bet. Still, a gutsy call by Darren. "Nice hand, good game, I'll go home now." Oops, I'm already home.
Greg got third place but deserved much more. Jeff had him out-chipped by a little, and the two got in a raise-fest preflop, which ended up all-in with Jeff showing A-Q and Greg with A-A. There was brief discussion before the flop about how Jeff could win the hand, which is only about 10% (by either hitting trip Queens or a straight or flush.) Well, he didn't hit any of those, he got QUAD QUEENS, and Greg was out. Later, Jeff got it all-in again preflop against Darren, again as an underdog with Q-3, and hit a full house. Game over!
I'm keeping track of a new player standings race for 2007. The formula is kind of halfway between an average and a total -- here are the current Top 3:
1) 1624 Jeff B.
2) 1310 Ian B.
3) 1089 Greg P.
Haven't figured out what the winner will get...maybe uninvited in 2008?
Looks like a small game tomorrow night. We only have 4 so far, doesn't look good for many more... :(
Feelin' Bloggy
Hey all. It's been about 13 months since I removed my old poker blog on this site. I had fun posting to it though. If I recall correctly, I deleted the blog because I was convinced that the blog was angering the poker gods, and I was getting the feeling that those who read the blog thought that poker was the only important thing in my life. At the time, there was maybe some truth to that...
So here's the new blog, which will probably still contain some poker stuff. But as of this past Saturday, I've quit online poker, so the fodder for a poker blog would be greatly reduced anyway. I quit playing online not because of the new U.S. laws, nor was I losing miserably, but for the following two reasons: at times it was consuming too much of my free time for me to lead a normal life, and in support of someone special in my life who is in the process of quitting a different addiction. I had only played a total of 4 or 5 hours in the past few weeks anyway, but I could feel the bug about to hit me again sometime soon.
My life is very exciting right now! (Maybe that's why I decided to start the blog, to crow a little bit. If things take a turn for the worse or for the mundane, the posts may be few and far between, but for now I feel like climbing up on my rooftop and yelling.
Speaking of which, there's big news on the near horizon! Those that know me well might know what I'm talking about. As soon as things are official, I will gladly dedicate a post to it. For now, I'll be tight-lipped, at least online. (Tight-keyboarded?)
Currently, I am in my second semester of grad school at GVSU. I'm going for my Masters in Biostatistics, which I should secure in April of next year. From there, ideally a job in medical research somewhere in the area. I'm NOT moving away from here, despite the temptations to do so when it's supposed to be 20 degrees and snowing for the foreseeable future. I was always an underachieving student in high school and college, but I had my first-ever 4.0 GPA semester this past fall!
That being said, I will post this message and then a poker post. :)
So here's the new blog, which will probably still contain some poker stuff. But as of this past Saturday, I've quit online poker, so the fodder for a poker blog would be greatly reduced anyway. I quit playing online not because of the new U.S. laws, nor was I losing miserably, but for the following two reasons: at times it was consuming too much of my free time for me to lead a normal life, and in support of someone special in my life who is in the process of quitting a different addiction. I had only played a total of 4 or 5 hours in the past few weeks anyway, but I could feel the bug about to hit me again sometime soon.
My life is very exciting right now! (Maybe that's why I decided to start the blog, to crow a little bit. If things take a turn for the worse or for the mundane, the posts may be few and far between, but for now I feel like climbing up on my rooftop and yelling.
Speaking of which, there's big news on the near horizon! Those that know me well might know what I'm talking about. As soon as things are official, I will gladly dedicate a post to it. For now, I'll be tight-lipped, at least online. (Tight-keyboarded?)
Currently, I am in my second semester of grad school at GVSU. I'm going for my Masters in Biostatistics, which I should secure in April of next year. From there, ideally a job in medical research somewhere in the area. I'm NOT moving away from here, despite the temptations to do so when it's supposed to be 20 degrees and snowing for the foreseeable future. I was always an underachieving student in high school and college, but I had my first-ever 4.0 GPA semester this past fall!
That being said, I will post this message and then a poker post. :)
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