Friday, July 24, 2009

The Best Things in Life

Just Overheard....

Thunder Son and his friend.

Friend, "What if the best things in life were poop?"

Thunder son, "What if you pooped on the best things in life?"

They both are close

Five year olds are AWESOME!!!!

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Live Poker

Went to Harrah's the other day. Had lunch with the wife and after the meal, my car just sorta found it's way there. I have not been playing well and or running well at this room. I think part of it is because I play during the day. Not much loose money laying around at 1 in the afternoon. So I told myself I would really tighten up. And I did, for a while.

I won a few pots here and there. Mostly folded. Cards dictated that. I get QQ under the gun. It is a 1/2 game. I raise it to $12. Guy to my left had called the $2 before I acted. He said sorry and then called my $12. $2 hand or $12 hand. Funny. Shorter stack thinks for a bit and moves all in. He has KK and I am down to $140 of my original $200.

I get TT later on the button and limp with five others. Flop comes 872 with two clubs. Big blind puts out one red chip. Called in two places. I pop it $25 more and action goes to the big blind after the shortie small blind calls. He had less than my re raise. The big blind just sits there. Thinking. He looked super strong. He started sizing up my stack. He is totally ignoring me. I know he has top set. Just know it. He finally looks at me and says he will put me all in. I insta fold. And tell him he looks like a man who has top set and show him my TT. He turns over 88 and it holds. He said he was frightened by the flush draw. OK.

I was down over a hundred now, but felt good about my play. It felt great to read him like an open book. It represents a pretty big leap in my play. So, I reloaded up to $200 and played on.

Later I flopped a full boat with 55 on a 566 board and got paid off by the same guy with A6. This same guy also bet $5 any time he had a big hand. I hope I play with him again soon.

I was up and down from around even for a couple hours. I had to leave soon so I decided to play to my big blind. The guy to my right liked to straddle utg so when he did I called with 8c9c. Four more joined us around to the small blind who make it $16 to go. The original straddler called. I made the loose call as well. You know, go big or go home. Three others come along. The dealer collects the chips and stars to deal the flop. The small blind moves all in blind. Now this is just silly. He gave up so much info here. He is only getting called by a hand that beats him. Any way. The flop come 979 rainbow. Thank you. Straddler folds. I move in for $200 more and snap him off. He is cranky and says he will be back. I basically hit and run and go from $100 down to $50 up for the day. Went from frustration to elation just like that.

One funny story. A 20 something guy sat down next to me half way through the session. He was talkative and soon announced to our end of the table that he was tightening up this session. I asked him what he meant. He said top five hands only with a twinkle in his eye. Fast forward. He ends up wining an hand with 78os. I ask him where in the top five that hand falls. He just chuckled and said #5. Fast forward again. He is leading out at a pot the whole way. Guy at the other end of table is calling the whole way. Now the other guy is a huge stack. Everything is working for him. His bluffs turn into made hands. Kickers always just one above the others. Anyhoo, my neighbor is betting into him through the river. The other end guy then bumps it up. My neighbor agonizes and finally calls. The other end guy flips over the 78os for rivered gut shot straight. Two pair no good. Disgusted, my neighbor mucks. I turn to him and tell him tongue in cheek that he can not be mad because 78os is a top five hand. He laughed.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Jinxed James

James is a friend. James is a friend who lives next door. James loves poker. James is just not very good. He's not bad. He;s not good. This my friends, is James' biggest problem. His mediocre ability costs him money all the time. Call it luck or variance, either one just kicks him squarely in the junk.

I would venture to guess that all thing being equal, James would be about a break even player. That would be true, I am sure, but you see, James is jinxed.

James has occasional flashes of brilliance. He has huge brain farts. Most of these are attributed to alcohol and bong hits. But James' biggest problem has nothing to do with staring hands, pot odds, implied odds, reverse pot odds, percentages, or even gut feeling. He is just plain unlucky.

I have seen him in one session get AK in against AQ and lose. Get one outed on the river. Get AA cracked by 22.

The funny part for me is that every time he gets it in a head, I get that all too familiar feeling that he is gonna get sucked out on. It's like a wave of doom sweeps over the basement that we play in, as if to say, "here we go again".

Well it happened again last night. It was James' announced last hand of the night. James has this quirky thing he likes to do. He min raises. Usually doesn't mean a thing accept he is probably drunk. Well, he min raised under the gun. We were five handed. John, immediately to his left, raised. It folded around to James who then min raised John. John pushed all in. He was the big stack and had James covered. James insta calls and shows AA. John moans "cooler" and flops over KK. Doom began to creep over the room. I swear the light got a little dimmer. Faint deep drum beats floated in through the screen door. The music seemed to muffle. A black bird hit the sliding glass door. It was twelve a.m., but I swear it happened.

Flop

JT4 rainbow.

Turn.

Q

River

A

Q falls and I would have bet my stack that the straight was coming. The worst part is James started to stack the chips. We had to inform him of the straight. John started to talk as he does sometimes. Rationalizing the outcome. I told him to just be quiet and drag the pot. The hand spoke for itself. It was gonna happen no matter how it went down. James, to his credit, laughed it off and went out to smoke. That is just how he rolls. And that is just how his cards run. James would have gone home up $50 for the night. He was counting it in his head. You could see him doing it. Instead, he had to go home and tell his wife he lost again.

She is another story.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Teach me how to play KK

Super Turbo's.....Blah!

Busted out the last two with KK. Got it all in pre-flop against AJos and ATs. The hand against the AJ came 555...4...5. So sick. Spike an Ace like a real player.

The AT hand just came club club diamond club club. At least the board paired on the turn for some hope.

Just busted again AT vs QJ. No justice.

Live Blog Update

88 vs ? A2h flop 234 of course, turn J river 3.

Safety dance is happening right now. I won when I got in ahead.

I'll stay right here and let you know how it goes


32 fold

QTos fold to raise

83 fold

J9d fold to raise

63 fold

AA limp AJ limps AT puses 86 super shortie calls AJ call
Board

4957Q shorties doubles his 10 chips up and I win monster.

If that didn't hold....

Heads up

Karma gets me back

57d > K9
KT > KQ

Then

KJ < Q8 for the win and he flops two pair

No cards for me after that and I take second.

If you read this far you deserve a treat today.

Free Blizzards at DQ if you can find me hehe.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Turkey Sandwich.

It has occurred to me that I am not living up to my blog description. Soooo.... here is a turkey sandwich that me and the wife like.

Turkey (deli style)
Pesto (mine was home made but any will do)
Avocado (sliced)
Swiss cheese
Toasted Bread or roll or whatever.

Toast bread, spread healthy amount of pesto on it lay down avocado, turkey and cheese.
Cut and enjoy

I had a Fuji apple with mine.

Pesto

40 basil leaves, fresh. I grow my own.
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts. or walnuts
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
3 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Toast pine nuts until browned.
Pulse together nuts and basil in food processor just until chopped
Add garlic and pulse until garlic is finely chopped
Continuously add oil and pulse until blended.
Add Parmesan cheese until blended
Add Salt and pepper to taste

I like the pesto a lot. It adds a kick to sandwiches, pasta or pizza.

More food in 6 months.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

I can't shake the doom

I am playing the hell out of the $3 super turbos. Here are my bust outs from the last eleven try's

AK < A7
44 < Q4
AK > AA
AK < AQ
33 < A8
55 < A7
JJ < AK, K9
AK < KQ
66 < A3
KJ < QQ
AQ > TT

Notice I had one truly horrendous suck out. AK vs AA. I put the KJ vs QQ hand in to be fair. The AQ vs TT hand would not have put me out, it just virtually guaranteed me a cash. My only one in the group. I won that one.

I can live with the coin flips. A8 vs 33 or A7 vs 55. It's the JJ vs AK vs K9 with the case K falling on the river that kill me. Or AK losing to AQ or KQ. And 66 going down to A3. Put them all together and they spell doom. Three outed four times. FOUR TIMES. But hey AK made a straight against AA, so I guess we are even. Thanks poker gods.

Every single one would have put me in the money or a virtual lock to cash.

This game is maddening. I keep butting my head against the wall expecting a different outcome.

Am I insane, or just a poker player?

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Poker Crack

I just tried the $3 super turbos on Full Tilt. I am addicted. They kicked my behind for the first 10 or so. I checked the inner tubes, talked to a friend and got some important super turbo tips. Since then my results have improved dramatically. I even signed up for an Omaha one on accident. Took second.

I guess there are people playing 200 or more of these a day and making bank. I am lucky to get two at time going. Good day.

MT