I am not quite sure how I got there but I managed to finish 23rd of 238 riverchasers last nite in a game of Limit Razz and I cashed for $1. And that was one hard earned dollar, kind of like a visit from the tooth fairy!!! Out of my four attempts at this game, which I profess to know very little about I have cashed twice and if I hadnt gotten into a pissing match with a league mate in attempt #2 I would be 3/4. Im jumping out of my shoes since we all know IG hates limit anything. Did I mention I love Razz? I love anything I happen to do well at and hate anything I can't master. Strike that, I havent figured out how to master the male gender and I do love that curious breed of homo sapien.
My first table saw repeated visits from the emcee Al Cant Hang. Al rightfully had a bee in his bonnet because some fonkey tried to sell the password to the Riverchasers freeroll. Thats right similar to the trade I was offered-Bloggerpods for Railbirds, this idiot was trying to sell the Riverchasers Password. Yup..... Trying to sell a password for a freeroll. Now Al isnt somebody I would want to piss off and he let it be known he wasnt happy with this misbehavior. So when I took the first pot down off this mother which vaulted me to first place for about 1 minute, I felt proud. Al put a bounty on Kwhatevers head and eventually the tool was dispatched. Not before Jordan and a host of other hardcore bloggers and riverchasers stopped by to offer their comments. I only advised the tool that Al could say anything he wanted since it was his tourney when the tool kept telling Al to go away.
I outlasted a whole school of bloggers who probably know the game of Razz better then I. Folks I admire a heck of a lot. Now mind you there was some really idiotic play going on in this tourney and Im sure they fell victim to hands the fonks and fonkettes shouldnt have been in on in the first place. When down to about 36 or so I spotted one blogger left, my fellow NY stater Jordan. My mission outlast Mr High on Poker. He started coming back to me and like two ships we passed in the nite at two different tables, with me moving up and he moving down. Shortly after the bubble burst I pitched in my last chips and went out in 23rd (or maybe it was 21st) as it was time to go to bed.
Of course then, I was freaking about actually sleeping because I had gotten hit in the head with my ironing board courtesy of Bailey while working yesterday and I was afraid I had a concussion. Thank god I had been pulled from the phones to do my old job of fixing the claims we paid wrong (we call that rework)and didnt blurt out an expletive into the phone. My ironing board was leaning against the wall of my office and Bailey fresh from siesta #5 or so of the day decided to do a cat stretch on the ironing board. My big Maine Coon managed to send the thing in my direction and it beaned me in the side of my noggin. I saw stars for a few minutes and have a nice lump on the side of my head. So besides worrying about DVT (deep vein thrombosis) from sitting to long at my computer working and playing poker, I now can worry about having a concussion and not waking up.
And although I do have a nice lump on my head, I am fine and no worse for wear. I decided to take the nite off and catch up on some blog reading. I hadnt been on Iakaris's blog in a bit and caught up with his blog (hope your feeling better IAK). And then I caught up on Shaniac's blog. Then I read the most hilarious, hysterical post on Waffles blog. I was roaring with laughter. Now mind you you have to be an insider kinda/sorta or a reader of the main characters blogs. Waffles post is a Babblefish intrepretation of what Hoyazo was thinking and going to blog about,when Waffles was on his way to winning Monday at the Hoy (MATH) over Hoy himself. (Babblefish is an online language translator which I have used for work before).
Then to top it all off one of the comments left me almost pissing myself when poker enthusiast asked Waffles if babblefish would be useful in trying to understand what his wife was trying to say. Too too funny..... I think a read of Men are from Mars Women are from Venus is in order.
Next live game up is an off-season Adirondack Poker league $60 buy-in this Friday nite which should prove interesting. I've been reading up on tells (happy feet and eye flutter) and am going to put my improved people reading skills to use. Plus since the league wound down, Ive made big strides in my live game and overall play in general.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Monday, March 26, 2007
Foxwoods Trip Report 3/25/2007
I'll cut right to the chase and give those of you with no time to kill the short sweet version......
462 entries (all "ladies") top 40 to pay.
Start time 10AM. 5000 chips. 50 minute blinds levels starting at 25/50 then 50/100 then 100/200 then 100/200 with Ante $25.....
IG finished out of the money somewhere between 80th and 94th busting out right before the dinner break 7+ hours in.
Now lets get started shall we...
I wake up at 4:45 AM, shower and wash my hair put on my makeup, opt for glasses over contacts. Throw a few clothes into a bag in case I need to stay over. Put on my black jeans/grateful dead American beauty ringer tee, black boots (big mistake). Running shoes are into the bag for later use.
First stop the ATM. I have my buyin covered from my live bankroll and decide to withdraw $100 for spending money. Im not going to Foxwoods to do anything other then my tourney. No slots, craps, pai gow, video poker, extra tourneys etc. Im there for business. First snafu of the day. The ATM only gives me $60 (they must be out of money). I decide to just roll with it. Of course this is after swapping out my old ATM card for the new one since there was some kind of security breach at HSBC and my old card number could have been compromised.
SNAFU #2.... we all know IG has a lead foot. My old Driver's Ed teacher called me Parnelli Jones (or some such race car driver back in 1978) when I peeled out after a driver change back in High School. On I-787 I get pulled over. UGH.. Guess What? I wasnt speeding. The female trooper asks if I know why I got pulled over and I keep quiet. She thinks Ive been drinking because I was straddling the line. I look at her and pull my contacts in their case out of my back pocket and tell her they were jabbing me in my butt so I was reaching to try to reposition them. Yes its really really true. I put them in my pocketbook after that. Of course, I had also reached into the rear of my SUV for my CD's too.
Snafu #3.... Call EZ-pass flashes as I head thru the first toll booth onto the Berkshire Spur of the NYS Thruway.. Damn battery must have died. Oops they sent me a new tag a few months ago. Since I rarely take the thruway any longer I have not swapped the old one out. Procrastination...
I drive straight on thru to Foxwoods non-stop arriving in less then 3 hours from Clifton Park (well actually Half Moon) . It's and easy drive and IG is gifted with directions. Once I've been someplace I never forget the way there, especially if I am in the driver's seat.. I have a visual imprint in my brain that lasts forever (must go along with the near photographic memory) . Ive never been to Foxwoods but I have been to Springfield MA and to Hartford before. Once onto Rte 2. its new territory. But its straight thru past Norwich to Foxwoods. Getting around and thru Norwich CT (a semi run-down little town on a dreary Sunday morning) is the worst part of the whole trip as I have to slow down.
And there she looms like a giant Behemoth in the middle of nowhere: FOXWOODS resort and casino. Reported to be the largest casino in the world. Ive been to Mohegan but never to Foxwoods and I am impressed. Now mind you my first and last impression of Mohegan is from the outside of the tour bus entrance which gets you in to the casino without much of a look of the exterior (especially when you have slept on the bus)
First entrance to Foxwoods is closed, so I take the second one. I pull up to the first hotel and ask where the poker room is. The valets tell me to pull thru and go to the next hotel and Ill be closer. I forgo Valet parking because I am cheap on things like that (I do tip very well when I go out to eat, get my hair done, go to the spa etc but Im a do it yourself kind of gal) . Now I have no idea what the whole layout of this mammoth casino is but I wind up parking in the lower level of the Grand Cedars Hotel Parking Garage which is attached to the hotel where the WPT events are taking place. I wind up in the right place quite by accident.
Getting out of the garage is the next ordeal. I can't seem to find the elevator so I decide to walk out the way I drove in, in those damn boots (and no Kim they are not my cowboy boots). I have black, brown and maroon low boots and a fabulous pair of knee high black boots that make my former athletic legs and calves.. tres sexy. I'm wearing the low black boots with a sock that has a hole in them. I am probably going to be the first and only poker player to get blisters. My formerly well calloused feet from years of running and running around barefoot during tri transitions have been pumiced away during my pedicures. Big Ouchies.. Im injured.
I get some strange looks hiking out of the bowels of the parking garage from the bus drivers etc but its a short (albeit painful hike). First entrance I get too is an employee entrance so around the corner I go and there I am right at the SUNSET ballroom where the tourneys are being held in the Grand Cedars Hotel. Im told I have to go over to the pokerroom to actually register which is in the Rainmaker Casino. Its here that I am impressed by the staff at Foxwoods. They are more then happy to give directions and if going that way walk you there. I do customer service and am always impressed by shiny happy people. The Casino staff I encountered was courteous and cheerful throughout the day.
First stop Wampum Rewards. The girl quizically gives me a "You dont have one already look" when she sees my wallet with MGM, Harrahs, Taj Mahal, Mohegan, Saratoga, Frequent Player cards. I say "No, this is my first time here." and she tells me "Welcome and to enjoy my stay." blah blah blah....Next stop backdown to the poker room which at 8:30 or so on a Sunday is already hopping. I pluck down my $300 buyin and am number 316 (already more then 2006 Spring tourney numbers). The gal tells me I'm assigned to "Skylight" not the Sunset Ballroon. Skylight, I am told is directly over the poker room. When I go to look for the Skylight ballroom, I realize there is no ballroom. I'm in a separate cordoned off area with about 10-15 tables set up for overflow under this huge skylight. (they will later use these tables for ring game overflow-Foxwoods will make use of any available space if they have a dealer and people to put in the seats).
The UIGEA may have curtailed on-line poker but live poker is booming. Turnouts for the WPT lead-in events are surpassing last years records. The $600 modified shoot-out that started on Saturday has more players advancing to day 2 so they are using part of the space in the Sunset Ballroom until that tourney is completed. That is why they have to set us up in "Skylight". We are told that as tables break down in Sunset we will be moved. In a way it was kind of nice we were in our own little mini tourney and my table stayed together for 4+ hours including our move over to SunSet. My only complaint about this set-up was the smell of smoke and the incessant ringing of Slot machines. I thought they were going to drive me crazy but I soon got the sound out of my head.
I'm seated at table 43 seat 5. Two gals come out raising and trying to take charge. I decide to sitback and observe for two orbits or so to get some reads on the players including folding AK two hands in which was a good thing as it turns out. I then took charge and for the first two 50 minute levels I went on a tear and more then doubled by chip stack:
Notable hands:
First hand I limp from MP with JTd. One of the early aggressive chicks raises me to $200 (BB was $50 and this was her standard raise). I decide to call the raise since I have close to 60 BB and Im not playing girly poker. The flop comes Ad and another diamond and a rag. I check/call the $300 bet thrown out with a four flush. The turn gives me a OESD to boot so I fire and get a call. River gives me my diamond flush. I fire again and get called by AK. She thinks she won the pot. I point out my flush and she is shocked. I get a resounding very nice hand from my table mates.
I raise with Pocket Kings and pick up the blinds and limpers $.
Finishing off the first level with 6925
Level II key hands:
EP raises to $400 (BB was $100). Rockets for IG baby and I pop it up to $800. Before I played with the blogger elite I would just call here (weak). I get the call. Flop gives me a set but three diamonds on the board. EP checks. I fire out $2000 which was probably a little more then the pot of $1750 or so, to chase away any diamond flush chasing. EP an older lady told me later she had no diamonds and wouldnt have chased she had QQ. I did show the rockets. One gal said that was ballsy with three diamonds on board and I looked at her and stated. This is no time to play scared or be timid.
My most beautious hand of the tourney.... Pocket 77's in the BB. The button limps, and the sb called my bb. flop came K7x...Ive hit my set. Check from the SB, check from me. Button fires out and we lose the small blind. I repop the buttons bet. She calls thinking her top pair is good. Turn a jack (no flush potential) and I figure based on her King there is no str8 potential either even if she is holding an A or Q with the K. I obviously am not worried about two pair. So I fire out a pot sized bet and get the call leaving her about 2k. Im now chanting do not pair the board with a K. the river is a beautiful deuce and I look at her nicely and say.... I put you all in. She calls with AK and I bust her....She is the first out at our table. I no longer feel bad busting someone.
I finish Level II with $11,100 and am table captain and have the respect of my table and the big stack. we break for ten minutes.
Levels III and IV. I am incredibly card dead and chalk it up to the natural cycle of the cards. The IG lets me down twice when I call a raise with my 99 and the flop is like AKT. Not a flop good for the IG. I call the BB with K8 hearts. Flop came 896, I bet get a call from the SB. turn is a 6. I check not liking that second 6 and she fires showing her 6. In retrospect I should have raised with the K8. But I hadnt been getting any action with my raises so I decided to change things up by limping. I had every variety of 102, j3, j2,j4, q6,35, 24,85, 9d during these levels. In level 4 the antes kicked in something Im not accustomed too.
At the end of level 4 we are told to bag our chips, leave our wampum card or registration slip as we are moving as a table over to Sunset. We are given twenty minutes to get over there rather then 10. I am down to 7975 having not won a hand in about two blind levels and the antes taking their toll.
When we get to Sunset they have food set out for us and drinks. Chicken on a stick and crab rangoons, and really really good double chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies and fruit and potato chips. They have treated us well. They came around with cupholders for us to use at the table. They came around with beverages during the course of the tourney. They did a great job of keeping us informed of the total entrants and payouts. I'm impressed by the way the tourney has been run.
Finally my table 43 (now 23) busts down. On arrival at SUNSET there are about 200 left. Ive outlasted more then half the field. I get moved to a new table (seat 6) with one of my SUNSET gals (a granny). Again no cards for IG. Finally, I look down to fishhooks in the BB. There has been a minimum raise and a call from a short stack and the SB. Its time to pull a squeeze with my fish hooks since there is all that minimum raise money coupled with the dead money from the Antes sitting in the middle of the table. I figure only the SB has a shot to call. The others were risking more then half their stacks by calling. Had she had a hand she would have re-raised the minimum raiser and caller. But I forget that women tend to "play by feel", arent naturally aggressive and arent known for re-raising when they should be. Everyone folds to my all-in move with the JJ's.
I raise with the AJ and steal the blinds and antes (now at $75). Im surviving with a stack of about 7000 which did get as low as about 3500-$4500. I get moved again when my table breaks to table 11 seat 1 (yuck) with another table mate. This table has all big stacks and I know unless my cards change Im done. We have about 1 hour or so to dinner break at 5:30 PM. My former table mate asks me what Im doing for dinner. I say if Im still here we'll go do dinner but I wasnt expecting to be there. She looked at me and said you only need a couple of good hands and your golden you came to my table with a so-so stack and showed the big stacks there you werent intimidated. Problem was I wasnt getting anything to work with. I had said at the prior table "I'd like to buy an Ace!!".
A gal gets moved to my table with another huge stack and I watch in amazement as she raises with every hand and bets with nothing and loses almost all but a stack of orange ($1000 chips). I'm salivating thinking of what Snake says when he sees one of our live league mates doing the same fonkette moves. Im wishing I had a hand to take some of those damn chips. The benefactress of this chip bleed is one of my table mates from Skylight who had stayed out of my way for the most part when I was on my early tear.
I manage to double up with A8 against another shortstacks small pair I believe. The antes are now $200 and blinds $600/$1200. 15 minutes before the break I am down to about $3000 and in th bb for $1200 after posting my ante of $200 that leaves me scraps for the SB. The gal who I doubled up off of had survived her all in attempt and had more chips then I by about $2000 or so. She pushes all in. She gets a call from a Big stack and i look at my 98os and say. "Let these be live cards", I felt I had the right pot odds at the time to make the call with my remaining $1500 chips or so. The other all-in gal has KQos the big stack has ATc I belive. The flop gave the other all-in gal two pair with KQ and if I caught runner-runner a possible straight. No luck for either of us, the big stack caught her flush on the river to bust us both.
The board stood at 94 left but had been there for about 20 minutes and there were empty spots at the other 9 tables. I figure I went out somewhere in the high 80's low 90's.
Although, I didnt cash I was extremely happy with my play. This was the biggest live MTT field I have ever played in I managed to make the top 20%. This was also my first experience with antes and how quickly your stack can go away if you arent stealing when the opportunity presents itself. (I spent alot of time thinking about all that dead money and how it could wind up in my stack). Unfortunately my table broke during a time I was card dead and I had to reestablish an image at a new table (something I never have had to do before. Then I got moved to a table with all the big stacks and I was chum. With the big stack raising $3000 and $5000 a pop, I had only one move at my last table. I also had not played any large MTTs in like forever having being working on my heads-up and short-handed play. Completely different ball game.
There are so many many pieces to a large field MTT. I never got that one or two hands when my chip count was at $7000 or so to get myself restarted with a double up. Other then early on, I never got the suited connectors and gappers I needed to play small ball in the middle stages of the tourney. Tourneys are about ball control with the chips being the ball.
Things to work on:
Being more aggressive in the SB against the BB.
Putting myself in the position to get lucky. I never had the chance to suck-out on someone!!
How to make things happen when nothing is happening.
Dont get lazy about reading and observing people.
(Im sure I'll come up with more).
Things I noticed about women players in general:
A complete disregard for pot odds. I watched one woman repeatedly throw out $200 bets into a $1200 then $1600 pot. You are pricing me in to make calls.
Thinking TPTK is the best hand.
Overplaying AK.
Chasing your weak ace and then being surprised someone actually had a better kicker.
You cant bluff someone who wont lay down their hands. I also watched one fonkette fonk off her stack by trying to bluff into a multiway pot. Hello, someone actually hit something.
The only women I noticed who were aggressive were those with chips who used their stacks to isolate. The re-raise wasnt used much at all at least not that I saw. I saw very little raising on the turn or river. I think I did do a good job popping on the 4th and 5th streets when I knew I could get more $ out of my opponent. Something I never did before I started observing my blogger guys and listening to Ray and Trent.
Minimum raising.
I will say however, that the level of play was much better then what I witnessed at the Ladies Orleans Poker Classic in Vegas last summer and from the Ladies WSOP (which I observed and heard horror stories about from friends who played). Maybe women are getting more serious about their game as a whole.
I really really really liked the whole of Foxwoods (what little I saw). Next time I plan on making a few days of it. Next "big" event up providing funds are available pre-Vegas, may be a $300 buyin in May at Turning Stone this time a mixed field.
No drive of shame home. I didnt do anything really stupid that I regret (except eating really really shitty too may carbs and cookies lol). I got to listen to Georgetown comeback over UNC most of the way home. (Was a fix in on that game as Ive heard whispers of?). Hoyazo (and his Hoya's) mentioned hes coming for me in Miami Don's basketball pool. Did I mention I picked UCLA because of Bill Walton Hoy??!!
I'm having a nice leisurely Monday off and went out and bought some nice spring bulbs for my container gardens. Only three and a half days of work this week. Life is Good even if my live bankroll took a $300 hit. I look at it as an education and an investment in my poker journey. As a student of the game I will continue to improve, and grow and I will get that big MTT win.
Ill close with things you will never hear a guy say at a Poker Table:
1) Would you care for an Altoid?
2) Damn I broke a nail (said by me)
3) Sorry, Sorry Sorry (when you've taken down a big pot off someone). I countered with there is no Sorry in Poker. Guys arent as polite.
My comment of the day: The dealer laid a yellow card in front of me (the card cutter). I looked at him and said.. Are we playing soccer now and am I in the penalty box? This got a few laughs at the table.
462 entries (all "ladies") top 40 to pay.
Start time 10AM. 5000 chips. 50 minute blinds levels starting at 25/50 then 50/100 then 100/200 then 100/200 with Ante $25.....
IG finished out of the money somewhere between 80th and 94th busting out right before the dinner break 7+ hours in.
Now lets get started shall we...
I wake up at 4:45 AM, shower and wash my hair put on my makeup, opt for glasses over contacts. Throw a few clothes into a bag in case I need to stay over. Put on my black jeans/grateful dead American beauty ringer tee, black boots (big mistake). Running shoes are into the bag for later use.
First stop the ATM. I have my buyin covered from my live bankroll and decide to withdraw $100 for spending money. Im not going to Foxwoods to do anything other then my tourney. No slots, craps, pai gow, video poker, extra tourneys etc. Im there for business. First snafu of the day. The ATM only gives me $60 (they must be out of money). I decide to just roll with it. Of course this is after swapping out my old ATM card for the new one since there was some kind of security breach at HSBC and my old card number could have been compromised.
SNAFU #2.... we all know IG has a lead foot. My old Driver's Ed teacher called me Parnelli Jones (or some such race car driver back in 1978) when I peeled out after a driver change back in High School. On I-787 I get pulled over. UGH.. Guess What? I wasnt speeding. The female trooper asks if I know why I got pulled over and I keep quiet. She thinks Ive been drinking because I was straddling the line. I look at her and pull my contacts in their case out of my back pocket and tell her they were jabbing me in my butt so I was reaching to try to reposition them. Yes its really really true. I put them in my pocketbook after that. Of course, I had also reached into the rear of my SUV for my CD's too.
Snafu #3.... Call EZ-pass flashes as I head thru the first toll booth onto the Berkshire Spur of the NYS Thruway.. Damn battery must have died. Oops they sent me a new tag a few months ago. Since I rarely take the thruway any longer I have not swapped the old one out. Procrastination...
I drive straight on thru to Foxwoods non-stop arriving in less then 3 hours from Clifton Park (well actually Half Moon) . It's and easy drive and IG is gifted with directions. Once I've been someplace I never forget the way there, especially if I am in the driver's seat.. I have a visual imprint in my brain that lasts forever (must go along with the near photographic memory) . Ive never been to Foxwoods but I have been to Springfield MA and to Hartford before. Once onto Rte 2. its new territory. But its straight thru past Norwich to Foxwoods. Getting around and thru Norwich CT (a semi run-down little town on a dreary Sunday morning) is the worst part of the whole trip as I have to slow down.
And there she looms like a giant Behemoth in the middle of nowhere: FOXWOODS resort and casino. Reported to be the largest casino in the world. Ive been to Mohegan but never to Foxwoods and I am impressed. Now mind you my first and last impression of Mohegan is from the outside of the tour bus entrance which gets you in to the casino without much of a look of the exterior (especially when you have slept on the bus)
First entrance to Foxwoods is closed, so I take the second one. I pull up to the first hotel and ask where the poker room is. The valets tell me to pull thru and go to the next hotel and Ill be closer. I forgo Valet parking because I am cheap on things like that (I do tip very well when I go out to eat, get my hair done, go to the spa etc but Im a do it yourself kind of gal) . Now I have no idea what the whole layout of this mammoth casino is but I wind up parking in the lower level of the Grand Cedars Hotel Parking Garage which is attached to the hotel where the WPT events are taking place. I wind up in the right place quite by accident.
Getting out of the garage is the next ordeal. I can't seem to find the elevator so I decide to walk out the way I drove in, in those damn boots (and no Kim they are not my cowboy boots). I have black, brown and maroon low boots and a fabulous pair of knee high black boots that make my former athletic legs and calves.. tres sexy. I'm wearing the low black boots with a sock that has a hole in them. I am probably going to be the first and only poker player to get blisters. My formerly well calloused feet from years of running and running around barefoot during tri transitions have been pumiced away during my pedicures. Big Ouchies.. Im injured.
I get some strange looks hiking out of the bowels of the parking garage from the bus drivers etc but its a short (albeit painful hike). First entrance I get too is an employee entrance so around the corner I go and there I am right at the SUNSET ballroom where the tourneys are being held in the Grand Cedars Hotel. Im told I have to go over to the pokerroom to actually register which is in the Rainmaker Casino. Its here that I am impressed by the staff at Foxwoods. They are more then happy to give directions and if going that way walk you there. I do customer service and am always impressed by shiny happy people. The Casino staff I encountered was courteous and cheerful throughout the day.
First stop Wampum Rewards. The girl quizically gives me a "You dont have one already look" when she sees my wallet with MGM, Harrahs, Taj Mahal, Mohegan, Saratoga, Frequent Player cards. I say "No, this is my first time here." and she tells me "Welcome and to enjoy my stay." blah blah blah....Next stop backdown to the poker room which at 8:30 or so on a Sunday is already hopping. I pluck down my $300 buyin and am number 316 (already more then 2006 Spring tourney numbers). The gal tells me I'm assigned to "Skylight" not the Sunset Ballroon. Skylight, I am told is directly over the poker room. When I go to look for the Skylight ballroom, I realize there is no ballroom. I'm in a separate cordoned off area with about 10-15 tables set up for overflow under this huge skylight. (they will later use these tables for ring game overflow-Foxwoods will make use of any available space if they have a dealer and people to put in the seats).
The UIGEA may have curtailed on-line poker but live poker is booming. Turnouts for the WPT lead-in events are surpassing last years records. The $600 modified shoot-out that started on Saturday has more players advancing to day 2 so they are using part of the space in the Sunset Ballroom until that tourney is completed. That is why they have to set us up in "Skylight". We are told that as tables break down in Sunset we will be moved. In a way it was kind of nice we were in our own little mini tourney and my table stayed together for 4+ hours including our move over to SunSet. My only complaint about this set-up was the smell of smoke and the incessant ringing of Slot machines. I thought they were going to drive me crazy but I soon got the sound out of my head.
I'm seated at table 43 seat 5. Two gals come out raising and trying to take charge. I decide to sitback and observe for two orbits or so to get some reads on the players including folding AK two hands in which was a good thing as it turns out. I then took charge and for the first two 50 minute levels I went on a tear and more then doubled by chip stack:
Notable hands:
First hand I limp from MP with JTd. One of the early aggressive chicks raises me to $200 (BB was $50 and this was her standard raise). I decide to call the raise since I have close to 60 BB and Im not playing girly poker. The flop comes Ad and another diamond and a rag. I check/call the $300 bet thrown out with a four flush. The turn gives me a OESD to boot so I fire and get a call. River gives me my diamond flush. I fire again and get called by AK. She thinks she won the pot. I point out my flush and she is shocked. I get a resounding very nice hand from my table mates.
I raise with Pocket Kings and pick up the blinds and limpers $.
Finishing off the first level with 6925
Level II key hands:
EP raises to $400 (BB was $100). Rockets for IG baby and I pop it up to $800. Before I played with the blogger elite I would just call here (weak). I get the call. Flop gives me a set but three diamonds on the board. EP checks. I fire out $2000 which was probably a little more then the pot of $1750 or so, to chase away any diamond flush chasing. EP an older lady told me later she had no diamonds and wouldnt have chased she had QQ. I did show the rockets. One gal said that was ballsy with three diamonds on board and I looked at her and stated. This is no time to play scared or be timid.
My most beautious hand of the tourney.... Pocket 77's in the BB. The button limps, and the sb called my bb. flop came K7x...Ive hit my set. Check from the SB, check from me. Button fires out and we lose the small blind. I repop the buttons bet. She calls thinking her top pair is good. Turn a jack (no flush potential) and I figure based on her King there is no str8 potential either even if she is holding an A or Q with the K. I obviously am not worried about two pair. So I fire out a pot sized bet and get the call leaving her about 2k. Im now chanting do not pair the board with a K. the river is a beautiful deuce and I look at her nicely and say.... I put you all in. She calls with AK and I bust her....She is the first out at our table. I no longer feel bad busting someone.
I finish Level II with $11,100 and am table captain and have the respect of my table and the big stack. we break for ten minutes.
Levels III and IV. I am incredibly card dead and chalk it up to the natural cycle of the cards. The IG lets me down twice when I call a raise with my 99 and the flop is like AKT. Not a flop good for the IG. I call the BB with K8 hearts. Flop came 896, I bet get a call from the SB. turn is a 6. I check not liking that second 6 and she fires showing her 6. In retrospect I should have raised with the K8. But I hadnt been getting any action with my raises so I decided to change things up by limping. I had every variety of 102, j3, j2,j4, q6,35, 24,85, 9d during these levels. In level 4 the antes kicked in something Im not accustomed too.
At the end of level 4 we are told to bag our chips, leave our wampum card or registration slip as we are moving as a table over to Sunset. We are given twenty minutes to get over there rather then 10. I am down to 7975 having not won a hand in about two blind levels and the antes taking their toll.
When we get to Sunset they have food set out for us and drinks. Chicken on a stick and crab rangoons, and really really good double chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies and fruit and potato chips. They have treated us well. They came around with cupholders for us to use at the table. They came around with beverages during the course of the tourney. They did a great job of keeping us informed of the total entrants and payouts. I'm impressed by the way the tourney has been run.
Finally my table 43 (now 23) busts down. On arrival at SUNSET there are about 200 left. Ive outlasted more then half the field. I get moved to a new table (seat 6) with one of my SUNSET gals (a granny). Again no cards for IG. Finally, I look down to fishhooks in the BB. There has been a minimum raise and a call from a short stack and the SB. Its time to pull a squeeze with my fish hooks since there is all that minimum raise money coupled with the dead money from the Antes sitting in the middle of the table. I figure only the SB has a shot to call. The others were risking more then half their stacks by calling. Had she had a hand she would have re-raised the minimum raiser and caller. But I forget that women tend to "play by feel", arent naturally aggressive and arent known for re-raising when they should be. Everyone folds to my all-in move with the JJ's.
I raise with the AJ and steal the blinds and antes (now at $75). Im surviving with a stack of about 7000 which did get as low as about 3500-$4500. I get moved again when my table breaks to table 11 seat 1 (yuck) with another table mate. This table has all big stacks and I know unless my cards change Im done. We have about 1 hour or so to dinner break at 5:30 PM. My former table mate asks me what Im doing for dinner. I say if Im still here we'll go do dinner but I wasnt expecting to be there. She looked at me and said you only need a couple of good hands and your golden you came to my table with a so-so stack and showed the big stacks there you werent intimidated. Problem was I wasnt getting anything to work with. I had said at the prior table "I'd like to buy an Ace!!".
A gal gets moved to my table with another huge stack and I watch in amazement as she raises with every hand and bets with nothing and loses almost all but a stack of orange ($1000 chips). I'm salivating thinking of what Snake says when he sees one of our live league mates doing the same fonkette moves. Im wishing I had a hand to take some of those damn chips. The benefactress of this chip bleed is one of my table mates from Skylight who had stayed out of my way for the most part when I was on my early tear.
I manage to double up with A8 against another shortstacks small pair I believe. The antes are now $200 and blinds $600/$1200. 15 minutes before the break I am down to about $3000 and in th bb for $1200 after posting my ante of $200 that leaves me scraps for the SB. The gal who I doubled up off of had survived her all in attempt and had more chips then I by about $2000 or so. She pushes all in. She gets a call from a Big stack and i look at my 98os and say. "Let these be live cards", I felt I had the right pot odds at the time to make the call with my remaining $1500 chips or so. The other all-in gal has KQos the big stack has ATc I belive. The flop gave the other all-in gal two pair with KQ and if I caught runner-runner a possible straight. No luck for either of us, the big stack caught her flush on the river to bust us both.
The board stood at 94 left but had been there for about 20 minutes and there were empty spots at the other 9 tables. I figure I went out somewhere in the high 80's low 90's.
Although, I didnt cash I was extremely happy with my play. This was the biggest live MTT field I have ever played in I managed to make the top 20%. This was also my first experience with antes and how quickly your stack can go away if you arent stealing when the opportunity presents itself. (I spent alot of time thinking about all that dead money and how it could wind up in my stack). Unfortunately my table broke during a time I was card dead and I had to reestablish an image at a new table (something I never have had to do before. Then I got moved to a table with all the big stacks and I was chum. With the big stack raising $3000 and $5000 a pop, I had only one move at my last table. I also had not played any large MTTs in like forever having being working on my heads-up and short-handed play. Completely different ball game.
There are so many many pieces to a large field MTT. I never got that one or two hands when my chip count was at $7000 or so to get myself restarted with a double up. Other then early on, I never got the suited connectors and gappers I needed to play small ball in the middle stages of the tourney. Tourneys are about ball control with the chips being the ball.
Things to work on:
Being more aggressive in the SB against the BB.
Putting myself in the position to get lucky. I never had the chance to suck-out on someone!!
How to make things happen when nothing is happening.
Dont get lazy about reading and observing people.
(Im sure I'll come up with more).
Things I noticed about women players in general:
A complete disregard for pot odds. I watched one woman repeatedly throw out $200 bets into a $1200 then $1600 pot. You are pricing me in to make calls.
Thinking TPTK is the best hand.
Overplaying AK.
Chasing your weak ace and then being surprised someone actually had a better kicker.
You cant bluff someone who wont lay down their hands. I also watched one fonkette fonk off her stack by trying to bluff into a multiway pot. Hello, someone actually hit something.
The only women I noticed who were aggressive were those with chips who used their stacks to isolate. The re-raise wasnt used much at all at least not that I saw. I saw very little raising on the turn or river. I think I did do a good job popping on the 4th and 5th streets when I knew I could get more $ out of my opponent. Something I never did before I started observing my blogger guys and listening to Ray and Trent.
Minimum raising.
I will say however, that the level of play was much better then what I witnessed at the Ladies Orleans Poker Classic in Vegas last summer and from the Ladies WSOP (which I observed and heard horror stories about from friends who played). Maybe women are getting more serious about their game as a whole.
I really really really liked the whole of Foxwoods (what little I saw). Next time I plan on making a few days of it. Next "big" event up providing funds are available pre-Vegas, may be a $300 buyin in May at Turning Stone this time a mixed field.
No drive of shame home. I didnt do anything really stupid that I regret (except eating really really shitty too may carbs and cookies lol). I got to listen to Georgetown comeback over UNC most of the way home. (Was a fix in on that game as Ive heard whispers of?). Hoyazo (and his Hoya's) mentioned hes coming for me in Miami Don's basketball pool. Did I mention I picked UCLA because of Bill Walton Hoy??!!
I'm having a nice leisurely Monday off and went out and bought some nice spring bulbs for my container gardens. Only three and a half days of work this week. Life is Good even if my live bankroll took a $300 hit. I look at it as an education and an investment in my poker journey. As a student of the game I will continue to improve, and grow and I will get that big MTT win.
Ill close with things you will never hear a guy say at a Poker Table:
1) Would you care for an Altoid?
2) Damn I broke a nail (said by me)
3) Sorry, Sorry Sorry (when you've taken down a big pot off someone). I countered with there is no Sorry in Poker. Guys arent as polite.
My comment of the day: The dealer laid a yellow card in front of me (the card cutter). I looked at him and said.. Are we playing soccer now and am I in the penalty box? This got a few laughs at the table.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Off to Foxwoods and Congrats Hoyazo
Congratulations to the Hammerman aka Hoyazo who took down a $2000 Bracelet race on FTP last nite. You are the second person I know that has now won a package of some sort, the other being Snake5970 who won his Main Event Seat back in December. Looking forward to the recap Hoy! I guess my ten Hail Hoyazo's paid off!! Snake just told me about a week or so ago that Ultimate Bet would not be able to by him in directly (confirming what has been widely reporting) and deposited 10k into his UB account. I assume the other $2-$2.5k for expenses will be paid out providing Snake actually does play in the Main Event.
I've still been playing very little online and I havent played live in two weeks. Online Ive played the occasional Turbo SNG, I did play the Mookie this week but forgot about Riverchasers. I played the MuffMoney league game today. I've been focussing on quality not quantity and after 2 1/2 years of almost daily play a little break is probably good.
Instead, Ive been reading a good bit and not all poker. I spent some time catching up on the Tao of Pauly and Truckin. I was impressed by the quality of the short stories on Truckin as usual and maybe one of these days I'll give one a go. Catching up on the Tao of Pauly, made me realize just how much I love music and the fond memories I have of my years following around the Grateful Dead and MaxCreek shows at Bucksteep Manor, Lupo's and the Living Room. So that meant one thing, I had to email the link to Pauly's site to Rob in California as my contribution to the decline of workplace productivity. Rob, emailed me back stating he didnt need another reason to goof off at work but that the Good Doctor's site seemed like a pretty cool one to check out (I'm sure the mention of Pauly's Amsterdam posts caught Rob's fancy). He and Toni typically hit up the High Sierra Music Festival or Telluride Blues Festival now that they have the camper. Toni has worked Burning Man in the past God Bless her. After all my years of camping in Cold, Rain, Snow and being flooded out of my tent during the onset of a Hurricane at the Falmouth Road Race back in 1994 my idea of camping is a Holiday Inn Express. Give me the Mirage, Bellagio, Caesar's Palace anytime.
So I then got the IPOD up and running. The first thing I burned was DMB: the Best of What's Around Vol I the live tracks, followed by a little Hip Hop: Usher's Yeah Yeah Yeah and the Black Eyed Peas: Where is the Love and then Coldplay's Clocks my first purchases thru ITunes. I then went in pursuit of various jam bands and found this cool site thru MaxCreek's website:
http://www.archive.org/index.php
There are over 38,222 concerts on onboard. Unfortunately, Phish and WideSpread Panic have declined to participate in the archival project and DMB asked that their files be removed. The Dead are participating to the extent that you can download shows from tapers but the bands own soundboard stuff is only available in streaming format. Havent quite figured out what all this means just yet.
Now I have to figure out how I get a MaxCreek download in MP3 zip format into Itunes and onto the IPod. I think I have to convert something somehow. I havent had time to get it all quite figured out yet. Once I master this there will be no stopping me. I think I am capable of filling up a couple IPODs. Im looking forward to the release of the Iphone..... Another techie toy!!! Now if they could build online poker into it it would be the ultimate perfect device.
I was a perfect 8 for 8 on my elite 8 picks. However, A little chink in IG's Final 4 basketball picks. Ohio State actually played like the #1 seed they are and defeated her pick of #2 Memphis who I had going to the title game. UCLA, my pick for National Champs is up right now over Kansas but its getting tight with 9 minutes left. My concentration tomorrow will be on poker not basketball.
Finally, I'm as ready as I ever will be for Foxwoods, I have to hit the ATM for spending money tomorrow AM as I'm using my live roll (which is in a drawer) for my buyin. I didnt take the time to go to the ATM today when I was out and about. My mom thinks I should be spending those winnings on new blinds for my bedroom. If all goes well I wont blow it all on the buy-in and I'll be coming home with more money then I went with. It decided to start to rain here about 4 PM. Hopefully this isnt the precursor to last years 40 days and 40 nites of rain being played out again. That's enough to make IG very very irritable.
I've still been playing very little online and I havent played live in two weeks. Online Ive played the occasional Turbo SNG, I did play the Mookie this week but forgot about Riverchasers. I played the MuffMoney league game today. I've been focussing on quality not quantity and after 2 1/2 years of almost daily play a little break is probably good.
Instead, Ive been reading a good bit and not all poker. I spent some time catching up on the Tao of Pauly and Truckin. I was impressed by the quality of the short stories on Truckin as usual and maybe one of these days I'll give one a go. Catching up on the Tao of Pauly, made me realize just how much I love music and the fond memories I have of my years following around the Grateful Dead and MaxCreek shows at Bucksteep Manor, Lupo's and the Living Room. So that meant one thing, I had to email the link to Pauly's site to Rob in California as my contribution to the decline of workplace productivity. Rob, emailed me back stating he didnt need another reason to goof off at work but that the Good Doctor's site seemed like a pretty cool one to check out (I'm sure the mention of Pauly's Amsterdam posts caught Rob's fancy). He and Toni typically hit up the High Sierra Music Festival or Telluride Blues Festival now that they have the camper. Toni has worked Burning Man in the past God Bless her. After all my years of camping in Cold, Rain, Snow and being flooded out of my tent during the onset of a Hurricane at the Falmouth Road Race back in 1994 my idea of camping is a Holiday Inn Express. Give me the Mirage, Bellagio, Caesar's Palace anytime.
So I then got the IPOD up and running. The first thing I burned was DMB: the Best of What's Around Vol I the live tracks, followed by a little Hip Hop: Usher's Yeah Yeah Yeah and the Black Eyed Peas: Where is the Love and then Coldplay's Clocks my first purchases thru ITunes. I then went in pursuit of various jam bands and found this cool site thru MaxCreek's website:
http://www.archive.org/index.php
There are over 38,222 concerts on onboard. Unfortunately, Phish and WideSpread Panic have declined to participate in the archival project and DMB asked that their files be removed. The Dead are participating to the extent that you can download shows from tapers but the bands own soundboard stuff is only available in streaming format. Havent quite figured out what all this means just yet.
Now I have to figure out how I get a MaxCreek download in MP3 zip format into Itunes and onto the IPod. I think I have to convert something somehow. I havent had time to get it all quite figured out yet. Once I master this there will be no stopping me. I think I am capable of filling up a couple IPODs. Im looking forward to the release of the Iphone..... Another techie toy!!! Now if they could build online poker into it it would be the ultimate perfect device.
I was a perfect 8 for 8 on my elite 8 picks. However, A little chink in IG's Final 4 basketball picks. Ohio State actually played like the #1 seed they are and defeated her pick of #2 Memphis who I had going to the title game. UCLA, my pick for National Champs is up right now over Kansas but its getting tight with 9 minutes left. My concentration tomorrow will be on poker not basketball.
Finally, I'm as ready as I ever will be for Foxwoods, I have to hit the ATM for spending money tomorrow AM as I'm using my live roll (which is in a drawer) for my buyin. I didnt take the time to go to the ATM today when I was out and about. My mom thinks I should be spending those winnings on new blinds for my bedroom. If all goes well I wont blow it all on the buy-in and I'll be coming home with more money then I went with. It decided to start to rain here about 4 PM. Hopefully this isnt the precursor to last years 40 days and 40 nites of rain being played out again. That's enough to make IG very very irritable.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
March Madness and Mookie Mayhem
I cashed in the Mookie last nite finishing 5th. Anytime you can make it to the final table in the Mookie its a good thing. Cashing is even better. Right out of the gate the raises and reraises were flying making it really hard to play small ball and see cheap flops with connectors. So, I played really really tight early on, mostly because I had really crummy cards and the other crazy reason was Bailey was performing stealth attacks on my feet and back. I had to chase him around the house and play a game of catch in between hands. This was my second mookie cash in a row but I hadnt played it in weeks (lets say 1st week of January was the last time I played).
I raised with the hammer (I think it was suited if that counts) and stole, I had a walk and showed my 72os in the BB and I busted out with 72os against AJ. I pulled the Hoy a few times (confounding a newcomer), played a few really really good hands, showed good patience and outlasted all but 4 formidable opponents. BoneDaddy had to be the luckiest mother Ive seen in a long time sucking out left and right. Near the end he asked me "I'snt this where your AK gets sucked out by my AQ?" (he had ousted two already that way). I said "That sounds about right!!" But we never got to dance except the AJ vs the 72os at the end.
I jumped into the Mookie one minute before the chips were set to fly because I decided I needed a good tune-up for Sunday. I certainly got it. At the final table I stated.. "Please if I am too bubble shy of the money let it be tonite and not Monday". My event is scheduled to go for two days. Im ready. I plan or reading Hoys middle pairs articles again and study up on the new Sklansky and Malmuth Saturday nite.
Tonite I had a dilemma... Hoops, Greys Anatomy, and a bunch of little league games for poker. I decided to try for it all. So I was flipping between Grey's Anatomy, Basketball and then running to my office to play hands of Omaha HI for the only league game I decided to play. I soon gave up on trying to keep up with two shows. So I stuck to hoop because with the time outs I could work Poker in. Poker wasnt getting my full attention because my cards were just not working together, so I folded a lot and basically decided to squeek into the points. As soon as Memphis won I pitched my chips and did a little celebration dance. I actually think I was biting my nails which I never do and I had no money on any of the individual games, just the one Bracket challenge for Aces Cracked.
After the first two games.... I'm Perfect!! My Elite 8 and Final 4 picks all are still live. Someone asked me last nite if I was going to win Miami Don's challenge (maybe BoneDaddy84) and I stated I was certainly hoping too. I'm off to a good start for sure.
Guess what I'll be doing Friday and Saturday nite?
I raised with the hammer (I think it was suited if that counts) and stole, I had a walk and showed my 72os in the BB and I busted out with 72os against AJ. I pulled the Hoy a few times (confounding a newcomer), played a few really really good hands, showed good patience and outlasted all but 4 formidable opponents. BoneDaddy had to be the luckiest mother Ive seen in a long time sucking out left and right. Near the end he asked me "I'snt this where your AK gets sucked out by my AQ?" (he had ousted two already that way). I said "That sounds about right!!" But we never got to dance except the AJ vs the 72os at the end.
I jumped into the Mookie one minute before the chips were set to fly because I decided I needed a good tune-up for Sunday. I certainly got it. At the final table I stated.. "Please if I am too bubble shy of the money let it be tonite and not Monday". My event is scheduled to go for two days. Im ready. I plan or reading Hoys middle pairs articles again and study up on the new Sklansky and Malmuth Saturday nite.
Tonite I had a dilemma... Hoops, Greys Anatomy, and a bunch of little league games for poker. I decided to try for it all. So I was flipping between Grey's Anatomy, Basketball and then running to my office to play hands of Omaha HI for the only league game I decided to play. I soon gave up on trying to keep up with two shows. So I stuck to hoop because with the time outs I could work Poker in. Poker wasnt getting my full attention because my cards were just not working together, so I folded a lot and basically decided to squeek into the points. As soon as Memphis won I pitched my chips and did a little celebration dance. I actually think I was biting my nails which I never do and I had no money on any of the individual games, just the one Bracket challenge for Aces Cracked.
After the first two games.... I'm Perfect!! My Elite 8 and Final 4 picks all are still live. Someone asked me last nite if I was going to win Miami Don's challenge (maybe BoneDaddy84) and I stated I was certainly hoping too. I'm off to a good start for sure.
Guess what I'll be doing Friday and Saturday nite?
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Say It isnt so?
I searched the Foxwoods website and resort site map hi and lo, but it seems that Foxwoods doesnt have a Starbucks? Oh, the horror. Im going to have to take measures to make sure I get my fix tourney day on Sunday. If I cant have a hot mint mocha I'll bring it with me and even drink it cold. Of course I could invest in a thermos.
My prerequisite for my Vegas hotel is that it has a Starbucks. Treasure Island fit the bill nicely last year. Although the TI Starbucks (which was right near the poker room) didn't take my Starbucks gift card that I saved for my trip, the Starbucks at Fashion Show Mall did and that's pretty much attached to TI.
Then to add to my distress, MSN posts this headline:
World Chocolate Shortage Ahead?
What is a girl to do?
Not a lot of poker action to report. I did do the $6.60 token frenzy on Monday nite on FTP and was out on the first hand. I always hate this situation getting a strong hand on the first deal. I got AKd. Flop comes JJx with two diamonds. So I'm four to a flush and decide with 70 tokens on the line Im throwing caution and sense to the wind and Im going to suck out this flush on these bastards. Here is IG's reasoning:
A. Its a turbo
B. Its only $6.60
C. I want to get any chasing out of my system before Sunday.
I rightfully assume someone has hit trip Jacks. I rightfully assume he has something like JT (not AJ or QJ or KJ). And I am absolutely correct. Post flop it is me and JT all in. Guess what no flush for IG and the bastard hits a ten on the river to boat me. I go out second to last. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
Bless me father for I have chased a flush. I promise to repent and say Ten Hail Hoyazo's and Ten Bonus Code Iggy's. Please heavenly father, look with kindness on this fonkette' soul and restore her sanity. So I enter a turbo sng for $6.50 and dang if I dont take that down. I got short early but sucked out a str8 to keep me alive and then went to town. I polished off the #2 and #3 players on one hand.
After the turbo I decide to play the Poker Analysis $10 buy-in game on Pokerstars. I play extremely well until we get down to 8 with 5 paying. I wind up going out 7th. I had lost some chips with Big Slick against 66 when he didnt buy my bluff attempt at representing a better hand. So much for floating a missed flop. My last hand, I decide to raise with K9h for half my stack hoping to blind steal. Flop came all rags and I had one caller who I figured it didnt help him either. I was right. turn another blank. So I fire thinking he has two overs too and I dont think he has an Ace. I'm right he has a tweener to me QJ. Lucky fucktard sucks out a Jack. I played so well all that time only to have my bluff called by another bluff that I should have friggin won. I had absolutely no read on what kind of player the dude who called me was, as I had never played him before. He was a new name to the buy-in league.
All for now. Time to mookie.. Oh great... Iakaris, WillWonka, Bdidde, Kajagugu, Budohorseman and BoneDaddy all at my table.
My prerequisite for my Vegas hotel is that it has a Starbucks. Treasure Island fit the bill nicely last year. Although the TI Starbucks (which was right near the poker room) didn't take my Starbucks gift card that I saved for my trip, the Starbucks at Fashion Show Mall did and that's pretty much attached to TI.
Then to add to my distress, MSN posts this headline:
World Chocolate Shortage Ahead?
What is a girl to do?
Not a lot of poker action to report. I did do the $6.60 token frenzy on Monday nite on FTP and was out on the first hand. I always hate this situation getting a strong hand on the first deal. I got AKd. Flop comes JJx with two diamonds. So I'm four to a flush and decide with 70 tokens on the line Im throwing caution and sense to the wind and Im going to suck out this flush on these bastards. Here is IG's reasoning:
A. Its a turbo
B. Its only $6.60
C. I want to get any chasing out of my system before Sunday.
I rightfully assume someone has hit trip Jacks. I rightfully assume he has something like JT (not AJ or QJ or KJ). And I am absolutely correct. Post flop it is me and JT all in. Guess what no flush for IG and the bastard hits a ten on the river to boat me. I go out second to last. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
Bless me father for I have chased a flush. I promise to repent and say Ten Hail Hoyazo's and Ten Bonus Code Iggy's. Please heavenly father, look with kindness on this fonkette' soul and restore her sanity. So I enter a turbo sng for $6.50 and dang if I dont take that down. I got short early but sucked out a str8 to keep me alive and then went to town. I polished off the #2 and #3 players on one hand.
After the turbo I decide to play the Poker Analysis $10 buy-in game on Pokerstars. I play extremely well until we get down to 8 with 5 paying. I wind up going out 7th. I had lost some chips with Big Slick against 66 when he didnt buy my bluff attempt at representing a better hand. So much for floating a missed flop. My last hand, I decide to raise with K9h for half my stack hoping to blind steal. Flop came all rags and I had one caller who I figured it didnt help him either. I was right. turn another blank. So I fire thinking he has two overs too and I dont think he has an Ace. I'm right he has a tweener to me QJ. Lucky fucktard sucks out a Jack. I played so well all that time only to have my bluff called by another bluff that I should have friggin won. I had absolutely no read on what kind of player the dude who called me was, as I had never played him before. He was a new name to the buy-in league.
All for now. Time to mookie.. Oh great... Iakaris, WillWonka, Bdidde, Kajagugu, Budohorseman and BoneDaddy all at my table.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
No room at the Inn!!
I called Foxwoods today to make reservations for next Sunday nite. My plan is to drive over early Sunday AM from Clifton Park. Travel time should be about 3 hours via the Thruway/Mass Pike etc. Registration doesnt start till 9AM. Tourney begins at 10AM. 5000 starting chips 50 minute blind levels. $300 buy-in. Last year there were 300 women or so. First prize should be a sweet $30k or so. ($260 x 300 @ 40%).
I try to reserve a room online first. I can't get past step 2. So I call Foxwoods reservations center and am told due to the storm there is a long wait. Either book online (no can do or I wouldnt be calling) or call later. I'm in no hurry since I am queen multi-tasker. So while I am on hold I flip thru the Williams Sonoma catalogue I just picked up at the store and wait and wait and wait. Finally Melanie comes on the line and advises there is no room at the Inn, hence the reason no rooms came up as available online. Seems like there is a thing called the World Poker Tour coming to town that week.
Does this send IG on TILT? Nope, IG is going with the flow today. Hakuna Matata and heck I have an SUV. I can always sleep in that if need be or drive over to Mohegan Sun or if I bust out early, take the drive of shame home. But I am thinking positive thoughts and the gambling girl I am says.....Cancellation will come thru. Some fonkey or fonkette will blow their wad at the tables and cancel their reservations making a hasty retreat out of dodge.
Today, I dyed my hair a new color Cinnamon Stick.. Brown with Auburn. It came with highlights which I tried to apply but gave up before I did too much damage. I'll get a professional dye job before Vegas. I went shopping and only bought one item of clothing..... A vintage looking short sleeve ringer t-shirt in a girly style. It's the Grateful Dead American Beauty/Reality Rose. Think it may be my Foxwoods wardrobe.
Anyway I walk into the Dancing Bear Trading Company in Crossgates Mall to the tunes of Widespread Panic. Turns out WP is coming to the Palace the first weekend in April or so. So I ask the youngish hippy chic if this is a download and she says yes. We talk about places to download Dead, DMB, Phish, Mule, WP. STI etc. I'm always amazed at the ease it is to strike up a convo with a fellow Deadhead/Jambander. Ive been a fan for 30 some years now, and even when conversing with kids young enough to be my own, I never feel old. We speak the same language.
My Libra horoscope for March 24th thru March 30th is promising... This from Women's World:
With your luck extra strong on the 25th, take a chance or enter a contest, you could win!!!
That just so happens to be the day of my tourney. I'd like to think Im good but Ill take lucky too.
I try to reserve a room online first. I can't get past step 2. So I call Foxwoods reservations center and am told due to the storm there is a long wait. Either book online (no can do or I wouldnt be calling) or call later. I'm in no hurry since I am queen multi-tasker. So while I am on hold I flip thru the Williams Sonoma catalogue I just picked up at the store and wait and wait and wait. Finally Melanie comes on the line and advises there is no room at the Inn, hence the reason no rooms came up as available online. Seems like there is a thing called the World Poker Tour coming to town that week.
Does this send IG on TILT? Nope, IG is going with the flow today. Hakuna Matata and heck I have an SUV. I can always sleep in that if need be or drive over to Mohegan Sun or if I bust out early, take the drive of shame home. But I am thinking positive thoughts and the gambling girl I am says.....Cancellation will come thru. Some fonkey or fonkette will blow their wad at the tables and cancel their reservations making a hasty retreat out of dodge.
Today, I dyed my hair a new color Cinnamon Stick.. Brown with Auburn. It came with highlights which I tried to apply but gave up before I did too much damage. I'll get a professional dye job before Vegas. I went shopping and only bought one item of clothing..... A vintage looking short sleeve ringer t-shirt in a girly style. It's the Grateful Dead American Beauty/Reality Rose. Think it may be my Foxwoods wardrobe.
Anyway I walk into the Dancing Bear Trading Company in Crossgates Mall to the tunes of Widespread Panic. Turns out WP is coming to the Palace the first weekend in April or so. So I ask the youngish hippy chic if this is a download and she says yes. We talk about places to download Dead, DMB, Phish, Mule, WP. STI etc. I'm always amazed at the ease it is to strike up a convo with a fellow Deadhead/Jambander. Ive been a fan for 30 some years now, and even when conversing with kids young enough to be my own, I never feel old. We speak the same language.
My Libra horoscope for March 24th thru March 30th is promising... This from Women's World:
With your luck extra strong on the 25th, take a chance or enter a contest, you could win!!!
That just so happens to be the day of my tourney. I'd like to think Im good but Ill take lucky too.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Yahoo Group for those with Money Stuck in Neteller.
I found the original Post about this group on Lou Krieger's blog.
I joined it for what its worth.
Now back to my Basketball games. For someone who doesnt really follow college basketball I can say I am at least hooked for the championships.
Dang Louisville didnt pull the upset over the Aggies (thats what I get for going against a Big 12 school) !! But how about my Butler pick over Maryland?
Did I mention I'm
ON TILT
I joined it for what its worth.
Now back to my Basketball games. For someone who doesnt really follow college basketball I can say I am at least hooked for the championships.
Dang Louisville didnt pull the upset over the Aggies (thats what I get for going against a Big 12 school) !! But how about my Butler pick over Maryland?
Did I mention I'm
ON TILT
Friday, March 16, 2007
Bunny Says it All
So much for returning to play full throttle. I did cash for a measly $1 in a Lady Freerollerz tourney on Cake poker. Of course when I push all in, my KK gets nailed by AQ hitting an ace on the flop (as I predicted) and then to rub salt in the wound and for overkill a bitch came on the river (as predicted). Sham you may be right on my psychic abilities.
So does IG take her $1 and call it a nite? No she donks it up on FTP. I havent played no limit since last weekend and I only played a Razz tourney during the week. Which I actually did really well in and finished 4th of 53 for $12 on no investment. So it does pay to play for the worst hand. Mind you that was only the third time I played Razz and I was chip leader for a good part of the time. The same fonkey who drove me insane last month gets seated at my starting table (because I must have pissed someone off im my prior existence) He pulls his same crap causing a friend to remark...."you are going to raise every hand with crap and chase everything down arent you" and the fucktard said "YES"... He was finally dispatched. I get moved to Shamster's table and take a huge pot down:
IRONGIRL01 wins ($6640.00) with (8,4,3,2,A).
SHAMANALIX:vnh gorgeous
SHAMANALIX:now go away
When we got down to the final table, the blinds got stuck at 800/1600 with a $400 bring in and on and on and on and on and on we went. Since I had to be ray of sunshine on the telephone the next day I decided to put the short stack (I was #2 at the time) to the test with a A23 low starter that of course I got outdrawn on and lost by one card. So now I'm short and I had to bring it in like three times in a row. Finally before the stroke of midnite I pitched in the last of my chips and Sham took them from me.
A Summary of IG's bonks tonite
FTP $8.80 token..... 7th which is the bubble I dont consider the $14 for 6th the bubble
Two $6.50 turbo SNG's- out 5th in one and 7th or 6th in the other.
The biggest pair I saw all nite on Full Tilt was the IG (pocket nines for those bloggers who have been hiding under a rock and my non poker playing readers). I never saw AK once. I did get AQ and AJ a few times and whiffed every flop with them.
But like the little trooper I am, I will soldier on. Tomorrow nite I will take my Omaha 8 skills and wreak havoc on the Poker Analysis buy-in league. Since I dont have a token yet, I may pass on the Ladies Bracelet race tomorrow.
Foxwoods still beckons next weekend. Im getting a hotel room Sunday Nite (Have to think positive that I will last till the next day). I told mama IG that even if I dont make it till Monday, I will still stay over. I can always engage in retail therapy at the West Farm Mall in Hartford and I am sure I can find a Trader Joes and Whole Foods or Wild Oats in my wanderings (we dont have them in the SmAllbany area).
Oh yeah and who is that in 2nd place in Miami Don' Basketball (edited from Football) pool? Sometimes its good to be a SUPERDONKEY. But is that a Canadian in first?
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Proud Member of the SuperDonkeys
I decided to join in Miami Don's Yahoo group for the NCAA Basketball Challenge. I am pleased to report that although I no absolutely nothing about college basketball, I am doing pretty dang good for the early games. Like football, I pick any team playing against Notre Dame. I went against Texas Tech because I hate Bobby Knight. I went against the local underdogs the University of Albany-Great Danes. I had no idea who even won last year but think I picked Florida as a repeater. And I know not why it just felt right!!! I tend to go with Arizona because Luke Walton played there and I love Bill Walton because he loved the Grateful Dead. I have nothing against Catholic schools having been born and raised Catholic. I even got accepted to Boston College years ago, ( therefore, Georgetown and BC IN) but I am suspect of anything over-the-top Christian Evangelical so that means Oral Roberts--OUT...My logic and reasoning my be quirky but it serves me well. I also like Kansas because they are from my home conference the Big 12, and they aren't the Nebraska Cornhuskers which I hate. Plus one of these days they will win the whole enchilada.
I'm also doing one thru Aces Cracked as I want bragging rights over them boyz too. Sham lured me out from my "I want to be alone" phase. This was the first bracket challenge I picked and I know I did in fact pick Texas Tech because I forgot Knight coached there.
I'll have an update on my fast Razz learning curve shortly but Grey's Anatomy and my obsessive bracket filling take precedence. So that means no poker for IG tonite. I'll be back full throttle tomorrow.
Toodles
I'm also doing one thru Aces Cracked as I want bragging rights over them boyz too. Sham lured me out from my "I want to be alone" phase. This was the first bracket challenge I picked and I know I did in fact pick Texas Tech because I forgot Knight coached there.
I'll have an update on my fast Razz learning curve shortly but Grey's Anatomy and my obsessive bracket filling take precedence. So that means no poker for IG tonite. I'll be back full throttle tomorrow.
Toodles
Monday, March 12, 2007
Nice Girls Finish........Out of the Money
Live tourney Saturday for the Albany Poker League brought my live tourney cashes to a halt at 5-0.. Busted about two hours in when I raised 5x the BB to $2500 (blinds $250/$500) with TT.. Got one caller from the host and bigger stack from my immediate left. Flop came all random babies with no flush or str8 possible.. I fired All-in hoping he'd think I hit my set and figuring there were only a few hands that could beat me preflop... Into the tank he went and after some time he called. I was not happy to see QQ....And IGH.. Rather then stick around for tourney two at 4 Pm I drove the short mile or two home and Opted to use my last token on FTP for a Ladies Bracelet attempt.
The Albany tourney had Fonkish play at my first table. Two members from the old geezers league (which I have played at only once since it conflicts with work and they start early) were at my table and one of the members who I know will chase any flush donated lots of chips to me when he called my AK raise with K4 and called me all the way to the Rivah.................The other woman from the geezer league plays any paint. The two dudes at my end of the table who were agro and solid were like "Jeesh they play anything!!!". I smiled and said "Yup....that's why Im staying away and licking my chops for a spot to make my play against them". All in all the play was not as good/solid as when the young dude from the league hosted who lived around the corner from me.. I liked it better when it was all young guys except for me and one other chick. Thats poker the way I like it... Gene and Jim who played the deep stack tourney with me were there too at the Rock table. Jim was lucky and sucked out with flushes about twice to keep himself alive. Gene congratulated me on my Deep Stack finish but said he thought I was going to take it down based on the way I was playing and the momentum I had. That was nice to hear.
In the Ladies Bracelet race I got off to a much better start then the first attempt. I actually was winning some hands. Then of course the hand that tells you that this is going to be a very short day and Im not going to make the break.... I raise with AK and get one caller. I know she is a weak ace player. The board hits the A and two babies... I bet the pot and she calls. Turn we are allin. I figured if she had hit two pair she would have reraised. But I forget Im not playing aggressive guys like Fuel55 or Lucko21 or Smokkee. Im playing girly poker.... AK me against A8.. flop was A34 ... Turn another A.. Im leading thinking yeah me.... river fucking 3.. SPlit pot..... Story of my life.... I knew it then, like I no the sun rises in the east and sets in the west that I would then be outdrawn, and my dominating hands would lose..... And that is what happens....
I raise again with AK and a shortie pushes all-in. Its like another $700 or so. It will leave me short but I figure gotta play this turbo style and either chip up or chip down.. Theres only one prize 1st...(tell me if my logic is flawed about playing this way..)Im sitting out side the top ten chip stack wise. She flips 66 so Ive got two overs. Flop comes K oh yeah 6 for the set and I am now shortie (and part of me didnt care) Then shortly after I push all-in with AJ from the SB called by the BB who sat on her chips like Smaug the dragon and she has KJ... Of course the J is just a teaser for IG... The friggin K has to come....
And the rest of the weekend was the same old same old... Good hands running into slightly better hands. Ak getting squashed by AJ and AQ or rag aces... Fortunately I didnt have a lot at risk money wise. The $26token had been earned weeks ago from an $8.80 investment, $25 out for the live league buyin... I final tabled and cashed in the Muffmoney Freeroll which covered the Muffmoney buyin I did.. I won some money in a FTP Turbo (finished 3rd after coming back from nada 5 way to take the lead only to get outdrawn)which was then blown on Vegas 24/7 in my EPC buyins when I played like a complete moron both Saturday nite and Sunday. I won one of the games last week. Whats the saying... The first shall be last and the last shall be first?
Some password troll hit me up on FTP looking for the bloggerpods password. I was like do I know you? when I got to his Omaha Table he was sitting at... His handle was kind of like a Poker Analysis League members name so I thought it was Patrick. Nope he wanted to trade passwords. I told him "No can do the dude running the tourney is a friend (a friend Ive never met:) and I dont leak passwords". OMFG
So at about 8:30 PM I turn off the computer and say no poker for me tonite tomorrow nite and maybe the next nite.....I decide to watch IRON CHEF AMERICA which I really really like.. I hated the other Iron Chef because they made weird stuff. I have some culinary training and my sister is a trained Chef but the Japanese version was just unappetizing. Instead I watch Bobby Flay go head to head with another NYC chef on Breakfast Cooking a whole meal!!. Now Bobby Flay may be a pompous ass at times. But based on what he whippped up he can serve me that in bed anytime: A Filet Mignon, cooked perfectly rare sliced into two pieces with a fried egg in middle.... YUMMO.... Pumpkin French toast with berries. UMMMMMMMMMMMM....And the other dude made some nice things too. Flay's were just a little bit better. Then I watched the World pastry competition and saw a whole lot of sugar displays come crashing down. Yikes...
And to get some exercise I put on Usher's Yeah Yeah Yeah and busted a few moves, that was after I ate a triple layer mousse thingee I got at the Vanilla Bean Bakery.
Tomorrow nite the Search for the Next PussyCat Doll week #2. I still think it is weird that Mark McGrath of SugarRay is not only a talk show host but is hosting this.. Ryan SeaCrest he is not. I have to laugh at the totally gay Co-Choreographer stating.... "I cant have girls Fainting" Thats the dance version of there being no crying in Baseball.
Monster Pots and Good Kardma my friends
The Albany tourney had Fonkish play at my first table. Two members from the old geezers league (which I have played at only once since it conflicts with work and they start early) were at my table and one of the members who I know will chase any flush donated lots of chips to me when he called my AK raise with K4 and called me all the way to the Rivah.................The other woman from the geezer league plays any paint. The two dudes at my end of the table who were agro and solid were like "Jeesh they play anything!!!". I smiled and said "Yup....that's why Im staying away and licking my chops for a spot to make my play against them". All in all the play was not as good/solid as when the young dude from the league hosted who lived around the corner from me.. I liked it better when it was all young guys except for me and one other chick. Thats poker the way I like it... Gene and Jim who played the deep stack tourney with me were there too at the Rock table. Jim was lucky and sucked out with flushes about twice to keep himself alive. Gene congratulated me on my Deep Stack finish but said he thought I was going to take it down based on the way I was playing and the momentum I had. That was nice to hear.
In the Ladies Bracelet race I got off to a much better start then the first attempt. I actually was winning some hands. Then of course the hand that tells you that this is going to be a very short day and Im not going to make the break.... I raise with AK and get one caller. I know she is a weak ace player. The board hits the A and two babies... I bet the pot and she calls. Turn we are allin. I figured if she had hit two pair she would have reraised. But I forget Im not playing aggressive guys like Fuel55 or Lucko21 or Smokkee. Im playing girly poker.... AK me against A8.. flop was A34 ... Turn another A.. Im leading thinking yeah me.... river fucking 3.. SPlit pot..... Story of my life.... I knew it then, like I no the sun rises in the east and sets in the west that I would then be outdrawn, and my dominating hands would lose..... And that is what happens....
I raise again with AK and a shortie pushes all-in. Its like another $700 or so. It will leave me short but I figure gotta play this turbo style and either chip up or chip down.. Theres only one prize 1st...(tell me if my logic is flawed about playing this way..)Im sitting out side the top ten chip stack wise. She flips 66 so Ive got two overs. Flop comes K oh yeah 6 for the set and I am now shortie (and part of me didnt care) Then shortly after I push all-in with AJ from the SB called by the BB who sat on her chips like Smaug the dragon and she has KJ... Of course the J is just a teaser for IG... The friggin K has to come....
And the rest of the weekend was the same old same old... Good hands running into slightly better hands. Ak getting squashed by AJ and AQ or rag aces... Fortunately I didnt have a lot at risk money wise. The $26token had been earned weeks ago from an $8.80 investment, $25 out for the live league buyin... I final tabled and cashed in the Muffmoney Freeroll which covered the Muffmoney buyin I did.. I won some money in a FTP Turbo (finished 3rd after coming back from nada 5 way to take the lead only to get outdrawn)which was then blown on Vegas 24/7 in my EPC buyins when I played like a complete moron both Saturday nite and Sunday. I won one of the games last week. Whats the saying... The first shall be last and the last shall be first?
Some password troll hit me up on FTP looking for the bloggerpods password. I was like do I know you? when I got to his Omaha Table he was sitting at... His handle was kind of like a Poker Analysis League members name so I thought it was Patrick. Nope he wanted to trade passwords. I told him "No can do the dude running the tourney is a friend (a friend Ive never met:) and I dont leak passwords". OMFG
So at about 8:30 PM I turn off the computer and say no poker for me tonite tomorrow nite and maybe the next nite.....I decide to watch IRON CHEF AMERICA which I really really like.. I hated the other Iron Chef because they made weird stuff. I have some culinary training and my sister is a trained Chef but the Japanese version was just unappetizing. Instead I watch Bobby Flay go head to head with another NYC chef on Breakfast Cooking a whole meal!!. Now Bobby Flay may be a pompous ass at times. But based on what he whippped up he can serve me that in bed anytime: A Filet Mignon, cooked perfectly rare sliced into two pieces with a fried egg in middle.... YUMMO.... Pumpkin French toast with berries. UMMMMMMMMMMMM....And the other dude made some nice things too. Flay's were just a little bit better. Then I watched the World pastry competition and saw a whole lot of sugar displays come crashing down. Yikes...
And to get some exercise I put on Usher's Yeah Yeah Yeah and busted a few moves, that was after I ate a triple layer mousse thingee I got at the Vanilla Bean Bakery.
Tomorrow nite the Search for the Next PussyCat Doll week #2. I still think it is weird that Mark McGrath of SugarRay is not only a talk show host but is hosting this.. Ryan SeaCrest he is not. I have to laugh at the totally gay Co-Choreographer stating.... "I cant have girls Fainting" Thats the dance version of there being no crying in Baseball.
Monster Pots and Good Kardma my friends
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
No Poker Content Here..Well maybe a Little
NOPE - NADA.. Dont even feel like playing online. I think part of it has to do with the fact that I sit in the same room for work now that I play online in. Who really wants to turn around after 9 hours of work and spend/waste time at a desk two feet away from their work desk and computer?
I did play online this past weekend. Two runnerup finishes Friday, A win Saturday and I co-lead my PWH Suited Quads team to victory with a Final table appearance in the TFCL Superbowl of poker. Only thing is it didnt add much to my online bankroll. In fact I wasted/spent/donked off a token on Full Tilt in the first ladies bracelet race. Card dead for the most part and when I reraised out of the BB allin with JJ I get a call from a big stack with AK, this got QQ on the button to lay down. Of course I got rivered with a K and I GO OUT... Katitude lasted the longest over me and Mrs Cracknaces (cracknKK).
I did get to play with my no limit ring game coach Michael which is always a pleasure. He has been tearing up the B&M rooms down south where he lives after making the move from online. He has also written an awesome series of articles which are posted over on the PWH forum. Originally designed to be geared for NLRG play online the UIGEA of October forced him to scrap his original manuscript and do a complete rewrite. I look forward to that coming magnum opus.
Now here is an interesting kicker. Michael has told us EPC'ers that the well-known pro who taught him how to play NLRG has almost agreed to play against us EPC'ers. He will play under Michael's account against us providing its a buy-in and there are more then 15 of us. And Michael has prop betted "PRO" that one of us will take him out and he wont win. I have my theories of who this well known pro may be but am probably well off base.
So tonight I am going to amuse myself with TV which I have been watching a bit more of. I have the following choices:
1) The Dirt - With Courtney Cox.. Haven't watched it at all. Next week is supposed to have Jennifer Aniston guest appearing. There is supposed to be a kiss between them. Figured I'd get you guys into girl-on-girl at the ready with your TIVO for that one.
2). The Search for the Next PussyCat Doll... .MEOW PURR HISS- Lil Kim is a Judge/Mark McGrath hosts...If only I were 25 years younger, a little taller and in shape. I was skinny enough back then and limber enough. However, Downward Facing Dog has been known to send my lower back into spasm. Imagine what all that dancing might do me? And lets not even go into Vocals. I'll just suck it up and be satisfied knowing that my 38C boobs are not made of silicone.
3). American Idol---They are still whittling down to the final ten/twelve or so. I dont think Im patient enough to sit thru 45 seconds of vocals and then all the aimless chat.
4). House-- Never watched it but this is interesting: Dave Matthews--Yup folks the Dave Matthews of Jam Band fame is making his acting Debut (I dont consider music videos acting).. Hopefully he will utter something more then "Food is Good" as he did at one FarmAid. He's playing a brain damaged piano savant who comes down with some kind of painful condition during a piano concert that worsens. Definite Potential Watch Alert... A real talent over American Idol wannabees
5)Reruns of Charmed.. Yup its campy and cheesy and Im waaaaaaaaaaay behind on episodes...I love my Charmed Ones. I liked it better when Cole was on the show as a Demon but I can catch Julian Mcmahon over on Nip/Tuck.
Mike of Adirondack Poker League just announced a mini Spring/Summer Series..$60 monthly buyin $40 to the tourney prize poo1/$20 to the season ending one or you can direct buyin to the final for $200. I'll make a couple of them I'm sure. Direct buy-in always an option available if tourney nites conflict with Vegas etc.
And lest I forget..... are we T3M (time three months...tick tick Beep Beep ala 24) to BLAGGHER gathering? If memory serves me right its scheduled for June 6th thru the 10th. I can hardly wait.
I did play online this past weekend. Two runnerup finishes Friday, A win Saturday and I co-lead my PWH Suited Quads team to victory with a Final table appearance in the TFCL Superbowl of poker. Only thing is it didnt add much to my online bankroll. In fact I wasted/spent/donked off a token on Full Tilt in the first ladies bracelet race. Card dead for the most part and when I reraised out of the BB allin with JJ I get a call from a big stack with AK, this got QQ on the button to lay down. Of course I got rivered with a K and I GO OUT... Katitude lasted the longest over me and Mrs Cracknaces (cracknKK).
I did get to play with my no limit ring game coach Michael which is always a pleasure. He has been tearing up the B&M rooms down south where he lives after making the move from online. He has also written an awesome series of articles which are posted over on the PWH forum. Originally designed to be geared for NLRG play online the UIGEA of October forced him to scrap his original manuscript and do a complete rewrite. I look forward to that coming magnum opus.
Now here is an interesting kicker. Michael has told us EPC'ers that the well-known pro who taught him how to play NLRG has almost agreed to play against us EPC'ers. He will play under Michael's account against us providing its a buy-in and there are more then 15 of us. And Michael has prop betted "PRO" that one of us will take him out and he wont win. I have my theories of who this well known pro may be but am probably well off base.
So tonight I am going to amuse myself with TV which I have been watching a bit more of. I have the following choices:
1) The Dirt - With Courtney Cox.. Haven't watched it at all. Next week is supposed to have Jennifer Aniston guest appearing. There is supposed to be a kiss between them. Figured I'd get you guys into girl-on-girl at the ready with your TIVO for that one.
2). The Search for the Next PussyCat Doll... .MEOW PURR HISS- Lil Kim is a Judge/Mark McGrath hosts...If only I were 25 years younger, a little taller and in shape. I was skinny enough back then and limber enough. However, Downward Facing Dog has been known to send my lower back into spasm. Imagine what all that dancing might do me? And lets not even go into Vocals. I'll just suck it up and be satisfied knowing that my 38C boobs are not made of silicone.
3). American Idol---They are still whittling down to the final ten/twelve or so. I dont think Im patient enough to sit thru 45 seconds of vocals and then all the aimless chat.
4). House-- Never watched it but this is interesting: Dave Matthews--Yup folks the Dave Matthews of Jam Band fame is making his acting Debut (I dont consider music videos acting).. Hopefully he will utter something more then "Food is Good" as he did at one FarmAid. He's playing a brain damaged piano savant who comes down with some kind of painful condition during a piano concert that worsens. Definite Potential Watch Alert... A real talent over American Idol wannabees
5)Reruns of Charmed.. Yup its campy and cheesy and Im waaaaaaaaaaay behind on episodes...I love my Charmed Ones. I liked it better when Cole was on the show as a Demon but I can catch Julian Mcmahon over on Nip/Tuck.
Mike of Adirondack Poker League just announced a mini Spring/Summer Series..$60 monthly buyin $40 to the tourney prize poo1/$20 to the season ending one or you can direct buyin to the final for $200. I'll make a couple of them I'm sure. Direct buy-in always an option available if tourney nites conflict with Vegas etc.
And lest I forget..... are we T3M (time three months...tick tick Beep Beep ala 24) to BLAGGHER gathering? If memory serves me right its scheduled for June 6th thru the 10th. I can hardly wait.
Friday, March 02, 2007
IG returns to her turbo sngs.
It was with fear and trepidation that I returned to FTP today. Would I still have my January Mojo? Could I still play online poker? Sure, Ive had a few forays on Absolute Poker/Vegas 24/7 for a few Poker Analysis freerolls and MuffMoney freerolls (which I cashed for a few bucks in, even hit the final table). And I had a few attempts at small dollar buyins for PWH and Muffmoney on Saturdays and Sundays, but for the most part I have stayed completely away from Stars and Full Tilt Poker. FTP is my home site now so like a prodigal daughter I returned.
I got short-stacked early on with flops completely missing me. Then I took Lucko21's ATC approach... The button raised so I pushed in the BB with 79os... got a call from 108os and guess what the worse hand won.. That got me doubled up and lo and behold.. KK appears in my hands. I deceptively pushed in with all but my last $120 chips.. the BB calls and of course I hit a set on the flop. What the hey... last $120 in right... dude doubles me up with Ax....Its good to be me.. From shortstack 6 way to chipleader three way!!!.... Of course I lose my lead when my top two pair with AT loses to the short stacks X4... 4 on the flop and a rivered 4 gives him trips..... UGH... Finally he goes out and Im heads up..... Lets just say it wasnt dominating... My hyperaggressive play headsup got me outdrawn and I finished #2... But another almost $10 into my FTP bank account (this was a $6.50 stt turbo and I won $16.20).
Heck a cash is a cash... I guess that means if I'm not hot any longer on sharkscope, I'm at least lukewarm.
Nice job to bloggers Cracknaces and Hoyazo in the first 2007 Horse Bracelet Race. Chad finished runner-up... UGH for him. Hammerman Hoy also had a good run. Head over to their blogs and give them a shout-out. These guys arent just no-limit specialists but are well rounded in all forms of play. I've learned a lot from reading Hoyazo and thanks to him my already well rounded SAT word vocabulary has been enriched with the additions of such gems as Fucktard and Fonkey.
I had the opportunity to play live tonite down in Guilderland. One of the Albany Poker League members was spreading two 12 person sngs at 7 PM and then a 32 person MTT at 9 PM.. I decided to pass and spend this weekend on my online game. Next weekend there are two tourneys about two miles away so I shall venture out and about for them...
Foxwoods Beckons in 3 weeks.... The lovely Katitude is seriously considering joining me in the Ladies tourney there. And it looks like I have successfully lured a few of our blogger malebirds out... I promise... Tilly tops all the way for you boyz.
I love the 90's is on VH-1.. I just love these VH-1 rehashes as I am a true fan of pop culture... I especially enjoy I loved the 80's since I was wasted during most of it and its all new to me!!! It's like being able to live the decade over again. Why anyone would want to live the Reagan years over again is beyond me. Thank God I was on Dead tour for a good part of it.
Cliff Claven (John Ratzenberger) is now in on Dancing with the Stars and Vincent Pastore formally of the Soprano's is out... Guess Big Pussy pussied out... Apparently he didnt realize how much hard work it would be. Didnt he learn anything from watching the pole-dancing Bada-Bing strippers???... Geesh
Thanks to Hoyazo I may be working myself into a token frenzy at 7:45 PM tonite. Since I won the cash earlier today it's a virtual freeroll.
I got short-stacked early on with flops completely missing me. Then I took Lucko21's ATC approach... The button raised so I pushed in the BB with 79os... got a call from 108os and guess what the worse hand won.. That got me doubled up and lo and behold.. KK appears in my hands. I deceptively pushed in with all but my last $120 chips.. the BB calls and of course I hit a set on the flop. What the hey... last $120 in right... dude doubles me up with Ax....Its good to be me.. From shortstack 6 way to chipleader three way!!!.... Of course I lose my lead when my top two pair with AT loses to the short stacks X4... 4 on the flop and a rivered 4 gives him trips..... UGH... Finally he goes out and Im heads up..... Lets just say it wasnt dominating... My hyperaggressive play headsup got me outdrawn and I finished #2... But another almost $10 into my FTP bank account (this was a $6.50 stt turbo and I won $16.20).
Heck a cash is a cash... I guess that means if I'm not hot any longer on sharkscope, I'm at least lukewarm.
Nice job to bloggers Cracknaces and Hoyazo in the first 2007 Horse Bracelet Race. Chad finished runner-up... UGH for him. Hammerman Hoy also had a good run. Head over to their blogs and give them a shout-out. These guys arent just no-limit specialists but are well rounded in all forms of play. I've learned a lot from reading Hoyazo and thanks to him my already well rounded SAT word vocabulary has been enriched with the additions of such gems as Fucktard and Fonkey.
I had the opportunity to play live tonite down in Guilderland. One of the Albany Poker League members was spreading two 12 person sngs at 7 PM and then a 32 person MTT at 9 PM.. I decided to pass and spend this weekend on my online game. Next weekend there are two tourneys about two miles away so I shall venture out and about for them...
Foxwoods Beckons in 3 weeks.... The lovely Katitude is seriously considering joining me in the Ladies tourney there. And it looks like I have successfully lured a few of our blogger malebirds out... I promise... Tilly tops all the way for you boyz.
I love the 90's is on VH-1.. I just love these VH-1 rehashes as I am a true fan of pop culture... I especially enjoy I loved the 80's since I was wasted during most of it and its all new to me!!! It's like being able to live the decade over again. Why anyone would want to live the Reagan years over again is beyond me. Thank God I was on Dead tour for a good part of it.
Cliff Claven (John Ratzenberger) is now in on Dancing with the Stars and Vincent Pastore formally of the Soprano's is out... Guess Big Pussy pussied out... Apparently he didnt realize how much hard work it would be. Didnt he learn anything from watching the pole-dancing Bada-Bing strippers???... Geesh
Thanks to Hoyazo I may be working myself into a token frenzy at 7:45 PM tonite. Since I won the cash earlier today it's a virtual freeroll.
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