Thursday nite and No Poker for IG

Two hard hard fought battles in the MATH and Mookie, two final tables, in both I came up a little short of the Moolah. I've had recent cashes in both and to come back with two final tables in one week is pretty damn good against this caliber of play. I've started to utilize the notes fields on FTP. Ive picked up more patterns on my opponents. My steals and re stealing having gotten better, no make that great. I have to believe that the bubbling means I'm about to hit it big once again. Maybe it will be Tuesday when I venture up to TRock with Snake and a bunch of other members of the APL.

I was bored with no limit on Sunday nite so I entered myself in a limit Omaha 8 SNG. I usually loathe anything limit. I'm a solid enough PL08 player and Limit Omaha is definitely not my comfort zone. So I entered this little Micro limit sng, think it was $2.25 on FTP and I dominated the dang thing from start to finish only losing the chip lead for a short period of time. My first observation is people play too many hands early on from out of position. I think this is because the blinds are low. I also know Omaha 8 is a game of the nuts (fullhouses and flushes not str8's and sets and trips) and implied odds. I was able to get paid off early on a nice scoop. I built my stack and then when the blinds were up, I was able to raise early and often to limit the short stacks playability. It was fun an a nice little break from no limit. So, I can say I won my first ever Omaha 8 limit SNG on my first attempt.

Now I have to rant.....

I haven't read Harry Potter, nor have I seen the movies. I figure I'll save them for retirement. I love love love LOTR (Lord of the Rings for those of you under a rock) and Ive never seen the movie. I probably have read the Hobbit 20 times and the trilogy about 4-5. Now, from what I hear copies of the new Harry Potter book are already circulating and the ending is going to be ruined for lots of folks. I used to work in a Barnes and Noble. We would always get books in early and they would be in boxes labeled do not release or open till XYZ date and the day was always a Tuesday. CDS, Dvds books always seem to "drop" on Tuesday. Now this book has to be in the back rooms of stores well in advance of the actual release date just to satisfy demand. And of course you are going to get employees who "steal" and then try to sell the stuff on Ebay etc. I want immediate gratification just like the next person, but Geesh people cant you wait? Anticipation and build-up is really more exciting then the actual event. Cause lets face it, once you read it you'll probably be let down because there isn't going to be anymore coming. And shame on you if you read the ending first!!!

Next, my down-state compadre Hoyazo wrote a beautious strategy article on stealing and restealing. That was some of the best poker writing I read all week. Kudos Hoy!!! He also pontificates beautifully on the SCUM bag of the year, Atlanta Falcons QB Michael Vick. Now, I remember when Eugene Robinson of the GB Packers was voted NFL man of the year and then arrested for soliciting a Hooker during SuperBowl week. He was disgraced and gave back the award. We never really heard from him again. But, I will say this.. Soliciting a hooker is nothing compared to the charges against Michael Vick. The dogfighting is bad enough, but the barbaric treatment of losing and even winning animals (electrocution, drowning, hanging, starving) etc etc. shows a complete lack of moral character. It is depravity. Now, some of you may know that I have an accounting/finance degree but I also have my Psychology degree. I have taken courses in Abnormal Psychology and Deviant Behavior. I will say this in my blog because I can... Michael Vick is a sociopath. Most people who are in prison today for crimes against humans started their careers doing nasty things to animals.

Snake just called me from the Thruway after a quick trip to Casino Niagara (his post retirement Poker Room National tour!!!. He said the topic of conversation at the tables was the salvageability of Michael "Sick" Vick's career. I don't think it can be salvaged. And I personally think he should be banned from the NFL. And I will lay odds that Vick's homeboys sell him out to save their own asses. Karma is a bitch and what goes around comes around. My comment on Hoy's blog was that the perps should be put in a pit tied to the walls and then have the dogs go after their naughty bits. I quote Senator Robert Byrd D-WV:

"I am confident that the hottest places in hell are reserved for the souls of sick and brutal people who hold God's creatures in such brutal and cruel contempt," he said.

"One is left wondering," he said. "Who are the real animals: the creatures inside or outside the ring?"

For the indictment:

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0717072vick1.html

So, I'm feeling a little bit of post WSOP let down. Almost two months of great Tao of Poker writing by Dr Pauly. Plus the great PokerWorks and PokerNews coverage by Carmen, CC, Tuscaloosa Johnny, Change100, BJ Nemeth, Pauly, Amy Calistri, Alaskan Lass and all the others I dont have time to mention. The mystery of Vinnie Vinh. The Bellagio Cup, Venetian Deep Stack Extravanganza, and Binions Poker Classic reports from bloggers. The WPBT summer classic and my cashes in Vegas at Casears and the Orleans just were some highlights of my summer.

So now I'm addicted to Top Chef on Bravo. I also watched last comic standing and some of the comics are pretty damn funny. I'm loving Kathy Griffin's My Life on the D-list and cant wait till the showing Flipping out comes ( about a real estate investor who buys real estate fixes it up and then sells it and who seems to be more narcissistic and OCD then most reality TV personalities).

Saratoga is the August Place to be.... the ponies will be running soon at the thoroughbred track. And its time to get ready for some football....The Giants will soon be in training camp at SUNY Albany (not that I'm a Giants fan). I will have to forgive Snake5970 for being a Dallas Cowboys life long fan (Of course I had to needle him on how a country boy from Upstate NY could like the cowboys). As for me, Im a free-agent fan whoever propels me to the win of my football pool is my favorite team. Hopefully, I wont have to wear a paper-bag over my head for my Colorado Buffs. Bad enough having the Missou boys (RK and Sham) on my case, now I have to deal with OOSSUU74 (Oklahoma State) and of course Hench18 (Nebraska Cornhuskers alum) taking pot shots at the tables. Any other Big12ers out there... TAKE A FRIGGIN NUMBER ON RAZZING IG and her BUFFS!!!

I think drinking a Starbucks Espresso this late at nite was a bad idea :)

And LJ rock and roll in the Ladies LIPS tourney at the Orleans on Sunday!!