Football Musings

So it looks like the Patriots have lost Tom Brady for the season. I'm not sure if California Rob loves the Pats (and Red Sox for that matter) more then Phish. It may be too close to call there but my condolences to him if so. I read an interesting tidbit in USA today I believe, that for the first time in a long time Brady was not listed on any injury report leading up to Sunday's game, meaning he would start. Maybe that was a curse. I know he didn't take a snap at all in preseason. Maybe he was a bit rusty.

How about Brett Favre? I mean I have to get excited about a 40- something scrambling around on a football field (I mean he is hot in that Wrangler's commercial!!!). And being a NYer I do root for the Jets and Giants (and have been to quite a few Jets games).

As for my football results, I'm in the hunt for the weekly win for California Rob's pool. I need Minnesota to win and then it will go to the Monday nite game points tiebreaker. One dude is 11-3 right now. I'm tied for second in a three way tie. We all picked Denver to win. I am the only one who picked Vikes over Green Bay. I'm also in a multi-way tie (before tonights games) for 2nd in Dr Pauly's Tao of Poker ESPN pick-em league. VinNay is in a tie for first. My guess is he picked the Bills (being a western NYer) and that was a big win for the Bills over Seattle. Seattle does not look like a super-bowl contender after that loss. As for the Snake5970 vs IG steel-cage heads-up challenge I currently have a one game lead. If Denver wins make it two. We have decided that the winner takes the other to dinner at Carrabba's at season's end. Just another game in our mixed game rotation. I missed out on Miami Don's survivor league and I'm playing no pure fantasy football leagues with drafts etc.

My Colorado Buffs won over the Eastern Washington University Eagles, who I dont think we ever played before. I just checked and I'm correct we had never played EWU. Next week things get a bit dicier as we play West Virginia (another 1st time game) currently ranked in the top 25 (24th or 25th depending on the poll). I'm excited about this because it will be a Thursday nite game broadcast on ESPN on September 18th.

I did not see any of the VMA's. From what I have heard on various message boards Russell Brand, the Brit host (a former junkie well lets just make him an addict ) was unfunny. Of course Brit humor is an acquired taste so I dont know if this is true or not. The new issue of Rolling Stone has an article on Brand titled Stand-Up's New Bad Boy.

I do not watch the Hill's I caught a clip where Spencer called Heidi (yes I know who they are thanks to their frequent appearances in EW and other weekly magazines) down to his car while she was working to address an issue. First of all, I would never have left my job on company time to hold court with a boyfriend. Okay, I forget that this is" reality TV". The issue was that Heidi's older sis is crashing with them and she erased three shows of his that he had TIVO'd. Oh, the horror. So, I found him completely annoying and the male version of a dumb blonde. Another annoyance for regular Hill's viewers was that MTV had all these banners up for the VMA's during the Hills and it covered up half the Hills dialogue and stuff that was being posted at the bottom of the screen.

Yesterday was the clamsteam poker tourney. When I sat down I decided to adjust any expectations for the day. I felt like I was playing a senior citizen's version of no limit holdem. I decided to just have fun and just roll with it by not taking the game seriously. Snake5970 was having issues of his own at his table. The dealers, folded themselves out of turn at his table, and didnt act as table captains. Snake even said to me, about one person at his table who I had taken several huge pots off of the Friday nite before and given him my dead on assessment of... 'That woman you told me about, is a miserable bitch." I reminded him that she was just as miserable the one other time we all were seated together at the former APL location. There are some good solid players amongst the older then me set ( Action Hank and Marilyn) but they were outnumbered by the weak tight, no foldem holdem, chasers (who shall be unnamed).

We started with 6k in chips, 20 minute blinds (vs the usual 10k chips Shane's tourney's usually start with) since we had to be out of there by 8PM and had about an hour break for our dinners. I figured if I bust out early I can go suck down more raw clams. I could get nothing going. When a new player got moved to our table and raised, I shoved all in with AKc since I only had about 4k left and I'll shove when calling a raise amounts to 25% of my stack. Into KK I ran and i was down to scraps. From a low of 375 chips I quaded up on the next hand with AJ, and got back to 4k+ after three allins in a row with AJ, AQ, 88. With the blinds at 300/600 and me in the BB an early position player raised to $1600. Again that was more then 25% of my stack so I shoved again with AQ ran into QQ and to the rail I went. I mean I'm not going to waste my time and wait for a hand or blind a way to nothing. My motto is chip up or go home!!. As Chad and I said there is no difference in going out first, 15th or on the bubble. I'm playing to put myself in position to win. So this was my first none final table in my last 5 outings. Got it out of my system and Ill be ready to roll again come this weekend.

A lovely day off for IG. I went over to Border's and browsed thru the magazine racks. Spending time in a book store has to be one of my most favorite ways to spend an afternoon off. I sat down latte in hand and combed thru ESPN the magazine and Rolling Stone. I had a desire to read MAD magazine which I loved as a kid but couldn't find at my smallish Border's. I made a list of some books I want to read, one being The Road by Cormac McCarthy which Dr Pauly himself just read. I also checked out Eat Love Pray which LJ just read.

On Saturday at Target, for $19.99 I picked up the first season of a show I loved: Millennium. Does anyone remember that show starring Lance Henriksen? It was by Chris Carter of X-files fame. It appears that a millennium movie may be in the making. I also just found out that next month all three seasons will be released in a box set.

Soon it will be time to order a pizza and wings and settle in for some Monday Night Football. Does life get any better?. I suppose if I had a flat panel Big screen TV with a Bose sound system to watch it on it would be. Add in a profitable night of poker and chocolate cake and it would be enough to curl my toes!!!!

Poker & Clams, Football and Ponies

There is joy in IG-land. My CU BUFFs opened with a win against our in-state rivals the CSU Rams which in recent years has been our traditional season opener. Then the defending SuperBowl champion Giants opened with a win over the Redskins last night. Funny in all the years that the Giants have held summer camp at the University at Albany, I have never attended a training camp session. I have however, run by their practices and thru a calvacade of occupied Giants SUVs while marathon training on the University of Albany and State office building campus grounds.

I'm entered in Dr Pauly's Tao of Poker free ESPN pick-em league which operates much the way California Rob's football pool runs. I'm entered in Rob's league once again and carry the honors of being the participant who lives 3000 miles from everyone else. Mostly a bunch of techie guys that Rob works with or worked with. We pick the games without the spread. Snake5970 and yours truly are also having a season heads up death match. Will I be able to pick football better then he can pick horses?

On Saturday I pulled a rabbit out of my hat. Albeit it was two horses in the Forego stakes race during the last weekend of the Saratoga meet. I happened to read an online Times Union article about a horse out of Mr Greeley. They also mentioned another horse. On a whim i decided to box those two horses along with the favorite in a $1 exacta box ($6 total). Well dang the two horses came in and my $6 bet paid $276. Of course i regret not having $12 or more invested for the big score. I have to play hours of poker to get a score like that. Much easier to throw darts at two horses names and only sweat for 2 minutes or so!!!!

I am looking forward to this Sunday: Lots of football, plus a poker tourney and clambake combo at a local venue. Most of the regulars I play against will be in attendance and Snake5970 will also be making a local appearance. We never teamed up on any superfectas so Sunday may be the day as OTB is only a hope skip and jump from the picnic grounds.

My buddy Ringtone Rich was up in Canada over the Labor Day holiday visiting his fiance and emailed me this article about a shooting outside the River Cree casino while a major poker tourney was in progress. You can check out the article here.

Mohegan Sun's new poker room is now open. I got this email from Casino City Times about the new state of the art poker room and Casino of the Wind. Mohegan is hosting a full slate of daily tourneys. October will offer their first major event with a $750k guaranteed superstack tourney. The buy-in for this is only $1000 which is a far cry cheaper then Foxwoods Mega-stack series or Borgata's Deep Stack tourney.

While on the subject of poker. Go send congrats to Evy on her final table and 20k score at the $300 buy-in Borgata event. WTG girl!! If it weren't for the clambake tourney I probably would have been headed to AC for one of the Borgata events.

I ran into two friends from the old running days in the Hannaford parking lot in Clifton Park today. I have known Dick and his wife Teresa since I was a young spry fast filly of 31 (16 years) . While catching up with Dick we heard "I know you two!!" and it was another running friend Joe who is a 70+ runner now and still going strong whereas Dick and I are off our feet. Both men have endured some pretty serious health issues but look great. One of these years it will be time to get moving again.

I watched America's next top model (cycle 11) the other night. Hats off to the real lady of the bunch Isis. She is the first transgender (pre-op) contestant on the show. While the other girls are worrying about her being there and if she should be there and going on the model version of tilt. Isis is behaving with class and dignity. Hope she rises above the fray much like Heather did last year.

I also caught most of the new 90210 last nite. I loved the original one (what gal didn't love Dylan McKay?) and Melrose Place. Rob Estes, who was on Melrose and who is now on the new 90210 makes it much easier on my eyes. Is it me or did he get better looking as he got older. I'm also looking forward to Christian Slater's show debuting as well as the return of Grey's Anatomy and Ugly Betty.

Be sure to read the Pokerstars blog during WCOOP. CK is working for the blog while F-train toils away on the other side of the world in Macau.

A trip to Starbucks is in order before I watch me some shorthanded WCOOP no limit holdem. Sitting out live tourney action tonite as I have to get up early to get my hair colored (meaning my touch of greyness touched up).

Politics

I watched zippo of the conventions. Although I usually consider myself a tree hugging/left leaning hippie chick who loves to recycle I feel both major parties are out of step with the American people. BFF Kim and Mama IG were moved off their socks by OBAMA. My fondest memories of the Reagan Administration was that I was out on Dead tour for most of the decade of the 80's and its mostly a blur. I cant say the same about the W years.

This guy recently weighed in on the conventions. Quite the uproar from the left leaning bloggers in the comments. This guy (who is an awesome writer) summed up precisely why I feel the way I do about our current administration and the legacy the past eight years will leave:

Goat Quote follows:

I don't know if I am "the left", but I'm angry because the president has acted with astonishing arrogance in the past eight years. I'm angry because he claimed and was given a habeas corpus exemption. I'm angry because he has been found to have been illegally wiretapping the citizens of this country with an illegal program that is illegal, and continually lied about the extent of that program.

I'm angry because so many people who allegedly want a small, non-intrusive government support this yahoo, and don't see the irony.

I'm angry because we went to war under false pretenses, and stayed without ever defining the mission. I'm angry because we went from surplus to record deficits in record time through. I'm angry because my kids are going to have to foot the bill.

I'm also sad. I'm sad because our leaders these many years now lead those of us that they still lead, not by inspiration toward a common theme, but by the nose, using our own fear as the ring. "Be afraid, be very afraid" indeed.

I'm sad because we seem so eager to toss the real freedom of the Constitution in the name of our safety and comfort, and we call it "resolve", not realizing that true resolve would be to accept the danger that our freedom brings us, and hold fast to our ideals.

Either we are a nation of principles or we aren't. Right now, we aren't. If a nation can have a debate over whether or not torture is OK, that nation has lost it's way.

I'm hoping we find it again.

That's why we blah blah blah yammer yammer yammer about hope all the time.

Get it now?

Well Said Julius Goat. Very Well Said.

Turning Point with Online Poker

I had two live final tables this weekend Friday nite 8th place and Sunday nite 10th place but alas no cashes in them. Regardless the fact that I can consistently achieve these results proves that I can definitely play live. Without a doubt when i sit down in a live MTT in my local area i fully expect I can win.

Online is a different story. After bouncing out of the Sunday nite game in 10th running 99 into QQ when I open shoved I went home and fired up Pokerstars. I blew thru some coin there and yesterday same old same old on full tilt. Nothing to speak of and my accounts are $150 or so lighter between tourney fees and money lost in PLO8. I bubbled two sngs in 4th and went deep in the 32k on stars and the $22 deepstack on stars but nothing to speak of.

So I decided that I may ban myself on stars/Ftp for awhile and just stick to live play. My stars balance is down to like high $4 and that was after a miniscule cash which amounted to a double up of my account in a PL08 tourney. I was down to under $3.

I dont want to be a player who bleeds money and maybe once in a blue moon wins a big one to get them unstuck or slightly unstuck. I honestly believe I would need to win a sunday major to ever be an in the black MTT player online. I think that is true for most of us. I honestly think most of us delude ourselves into thinking we beat the online game.

I need real chips, real people and real cash in hand to make this game work for me it seems.

High Heels Poker Tourney - Turning Stone 08/23/08

I went out on a brutal river beat (when down to three tables in about 27th place) when blinds were 400/800 with Ante $100 and I had position. The hand would have given me just about twice the average chip stack and I would probably have been one of the chipleaders. I called the $2400 raise with AQ and it was a three way pot. The flop came QJx. The woman first to act in the hand led out for 5k (I think she was a TROCK dealer) . A local woman called and after tanking a bit I repopped to 10k. The "dealer" lady shoved with KJ (2nd pair) and rivered a K to knock me down to T2400 and scoop a 40k pot. Ouch and its still not sitting well with me this morning. (Flopped quad Kings and Queens on pokerstars in my satellite for the 200k are not making me feel better)

Snake5970 couldn't make the trip but he called me after I texted him by bust-out. He thinks I should have just shoved the AQ. Regardless, I would have gotten the call and the outcome would have probably been the same.

Regardless, I had a good time meeting both Lauren from High Heels Poker Tour and Robyn from PMS Pokerwear and chatting with them. Robyn was at my first table and was out early after her turned flush was run down by the Ace high flush. There were about 8-9 local (meaning Capital District) ladies in the tourney. Let's just say there are a few whose play I respect (unfortunately they went out earlier then I) who I consider a challenge when I sit down with them, a couple of average players and the rest are calling stations/chasers and have no clue as to pot odds, or position but they will pay you off. I had three local ladies at my starting table. Since we don't play with an ante locally and many of these ladies don't play online I knew the ante was going to be a surprise and it was. One woman didn't know that once it kicked in it had to be posted every hand.

There were a total of 59 entrants with only 6 to pay. First prize was about $4400, 6th place about $600 Two men entered the tourney (one of whom chopped with Snake last month). They had bounties placed on them by Lauren. The appearance of men upset some woman alot. I could have cared less about it and didn't let it affect my game at all. One of the local gals, Dorothy earned $100 for taking the dude at our table after she got moved to it. When I told Snake that the dude he chopped with (the dude was the one who exposed one of his cards to Snake while in a hand in the late stages of the Deep Stack turbo because he was tired) Snake asked me why he entered. I had only heard that it was on a dare.

While our tourney was going on the $5200 buy-in Championship event was also running in the same room (62 entrants). I think the average age of the tourney was about 21-23. Jimmy Fricke (now just Gobbo), Shaun Deeb, Adam Junglen, and a host of other young stallions were all playing. Shaun is a local boy whose family owns 4 local fish fry restaurants (yummo) as well as being an online ace. I haven't met Shaun and when I was chatting with Jimmy we couldn't find him in the room so I could introduce myself. Jim told me his tourney was one of the toughest tourney fields he has faced. I didn't see Jim in the room when I left so not sure if he was busto or just taking a break. From the looks of the 2+2 thread Jimmy is busto but Shaun Deeb is still alive with a first place prize of $100k

I did qualify for the $200k guarantee on Pokerstars. And not only did I have quad Kings and Queens, I rivered quad jacks after flopping a boat!!! I've unregistered from the tourney taking the $T. Got some stuff to do. I think I will pass on live play tonite also.

MOOKIE WIN 8/21/08

Off the Blogger Schneid!!!

More after I rest my sleepy head.

Tuning up for TROCK

Another lunch time quickie!!

I went back at it Sunday nite Live. As we all know it is my preferred form of play where you actually handle chips, cards and interact with people. Real Poker!!!

I tried for back to back wins. I did my darnedest. I accumulated chips early and was able to hoover my way up to a final table chip stack within the first three-four levels. And I held on too my chips and maintained.

It got dicey at the final table with everyone pretty even stacked and no real M to speak of. I managed to money in 6th (we paid 7 again) to recoup my loses at the racetrack from Thursday. My buddy Ringtone Rich sucked out a 5 when he shoved A5d and I called with the hated ATos 6 handed. 3 clubs hit the flop I held the Ace of clubs but couldnt hit another club or ten on the turn or river and out I went.

I continue to run goot live and am confident heading up to TROCK saturday.

Winner Winner - Live tourney win

Quick lunch break update. I played Friday nite, busting out first from the final table in 10th with 6 paying.

I went back at it again Sunday nite live, because online poker is so rigged and I'm trying to tuneup for a the Empire State Poker Championships at TROCK which starts end of this week.

After one hour of heads-up, and about 7 hours of total play, I took down a live tourney for $700+ profit after tipping the dealer for his multiple Doyles, hammers etc, and cutting in the 7th place finisher.

My opponent was frustrated and I heard him say: "I can't get a read on her" which means I am doing what I've been working on: Keeping my demeanor the same.

Winning hand was 79s I called on a flush draw knowing full well that I could blank but had my opponent covered. He had k high I believe. But with 15 outs twice I figured its time to end this and gambled. Winner!!! Never worried about the money difference between first and second. I played for the win and it paid off. But I reckoned I had a ton more heads-up experience then most of the final table players.

Will hopefully edit this for a fuller recap later.

Tao of Poker - 5th Birthday Party!!

The winner of this special event will also receive two nights at the Borgata Hotel & Spa in Atlantic City and entry into the $5,000 buy-in NL tournament during the Borgata Poker Open on September 12th.

Dr Pauly will be covering this years Borgata Poker Open which if I am correct is where it all started for the good doctor.

If you cant open your blog

This is a public service announcement:

Just a quick note if you cant open your blog. Removing sitemeter did the trick for me. Not sure what is going on with that. Sound's like a ask Nat Arem issue!!!