Benefit Poker Tournament Information

Benefit Poker Tournament
"30 - 30 - 30"
$30 Donation
$30 Rebuys - unlimited during 1st 3 blind levels
$30 Add-on
50% of all proceeds goes towards the prize pool
50% will benefit the family of Scott C. Parzych
Date: January 12, 2008
Time: 12pm Sign-up, 1pm start
Where: The August Moon
300 E. Main St.
Norristown, PA 19401
610-277-4008
http://www.augustmoonpa.com
For more information or to reserve a seat, contact Doug Miller at millerd33@aol.com

Brief Return From Hiatus

(No, that does not mean the small town in Massachusetts nor is it the french/creole speaking caribbean nation that co-occupies the island of Hispaniola.)

A brief post to report that I successfully conquered my fantasy football foes and won the championship of my new league. All net proceeds of the victory have been donated to a more worthy cause than me.

Being the Holiday season (Christmas, New Year's, Boxing Day), I have taken a respite from writing and playing; hopefully to return with vim and vigor in the New Year. I am toying with the idea of doing something a little more seriously with this writing gig, but that may warrant a different address.

For those readers in the SE Pennsylvania area, there will be a benefit poker tournament on Saturday January 12 for the surviving family of Scott Parzych (the young man in my fantasy league who died tragically a few weeks back). Unfortunately I do not have all the details handy, but you can get all the information if you go to the Riverchasers message board. I will try to update here later when I have the info in front of me. If you can make it, please do so.

A Brief Word on BBT

I would like to extend congratulations to those who qualified for the Battle of the Bloggers Two tournament. From my disjointed vantage point, it seemed to be a success. While I wish all of those participating good fortune, I will be rooting for lucktruck, as he is the only one I know personally. I hope that my endorsement is not the kiss of death.

Congratulations also go out to those who finished in the top 50 in points and will be playing in the point leader freeroll. In that one, I don't give a fat rat's ass who wins.

It was certainly fun to be involved, if only a little bit. Hopefully for BB3, I can/will participate in more than the 8 events I played this time around. I would also like to join the congo line to give Al a pat on the back for all the work involved in setting this up and keeping it running smoothly.

'Fantasy Boy' is Back

That was the moniker my lovely wife bestowed upon me a number of years ago when I was as fanatically obsessive about Fantasy Football as I am of poker today. This was not meant to be complimentary. It was her subtle way of telling me that I'd rather do that than anything with my family. I spent untold hours pouring over reports and research, both pre- and post-draft. My affinity for deal making was legendary, and I plucked more hidden gems from the waiver wires than can be recounted in such limited space. When asked what I thought of the team I just drafted, I would remark that it didn't matter, because none of them would be on my team by year's end anyway.

But that was then. A couple years ago, that fire was reduced to embers and was replaced, perhaps not coincidentally, by poker. I ended up retiring from serious (read: for money) Fantasy Football two years ago; eschewing the manic obsession that had so dominated my free time for so many years. Fantasy Boy was dead. My wife, ever supportive, assured me it was for the best.

However, this past spring, my buddy Doug (millerd33 on Full Tilt) came to me with an offer to play in his league. They were expanding from 10 teams to 12. They were a bunch of good guys, I was assured, and I would really enjoy it. Well who am I to refuse such a request? I still did not have the level of obsession that used to fill me up, but I knew a couple of the guys and figured what the heck, could be kind of fun.

I am happy to report today that I have reached the finals of the league after a decisive semi-final victory was secured last night. Being that I was not as all-consumed as I was in the past, references internally to 'Fantasy Boy' were more nostalgic than derogatory. It's nice to see the 'old boy' still got it.

Changing gears, Full Tilt last night started as another string of gruesome suckouts. I did not cash in any of the first 3 SNGs I played. So I decided one more for the night and that was it (a $6 six-man). The worm finally turned. With 5 left I had about 3800 or so with nobody close. It was at this point that riggstad, who was railing, AIMed me with, "If you don't win this one, you really suck". Then for good measure, "you know that, right?" I thanked him for assigning me the needed extra pressure. Despite his jinxing efforts, I was able to complete the victory and at least draw back to basically even for the night. Hopefully tonight will bring a step back into the plus side.

The Dog Ate My Homework

File this one under "Famous Lame Excuses". Last night I missed the Blogger Skill game (that I had committed to play) because I fell asleep putting my kids to bed. As weak as that sounds, it is actually a very common occurrence in my house. The only difference last night was that it was me instead of my wife. The worst thing about it though, was that I woke up at around 11:45 and couldn't fall back asleep for two hours. However, I must apologize to cracknaces for not making the game. I owe you one. And not like a Julius Erving 'owe you one' from 1978 that turned into a 'we owe you five'. I mean a real 'owe you one' as in the next game you put on, I'll be there.

And now for the weekend update...First the dirty: I am the proud new owner of a roto-rooter type machine, being that I frequently have issues with the sewer main going from the house to the street. So there I was Saturday afternoon working hard on the latest 'issue'. I am proud to report the issue was resolved and water is again flowing freely out of the house. Add that to the ever growing list of things where I don't know what I'm doing but am successful anyway.

After that stress easing success, I attended a Beef and Beer benefit for the surviving family of a friend who recently lost his life in a car accident. The young man was in my fantasy football league that I just joined this year and his passing was as tragic as it was untimely. My regret is that I only knew him for a brief time and that is my loss. I say that based on the people who came to the benefit. It was a very good crowd. I think a lot can be gleaned about a person based on the quality of those who are close to them, and Scott's friends and family were first rate. Godspeed Scott, you will be missed.

Following the Beef and Beer, a bunch of us went to a Riverchasers event that was close by. This was at Champs Sports Bar at Center Square Golf Club. Although I am most frequently associated as a Riverchasers guy, my actual attendance at their games is a rare occurrence. It was good to see a bunch of people I don't get to see very often. I was half in the bag at this point of the day, so I played, as the saying goes, like a drunken lemur. As you might guess, this is exactly the style of play that brings success in these bar freerolls. I believe 72 started. When I got to heads up play, my opponent Ron (apparently being named Ron is also a necessary component for success) suggested we chop the first prize money ($100) and play out for the free golf second prize. Being that I have not swung a golf club in anger in several years now, I suggested we chop the money and he keep the golf certificate. He said that he didn't golf either. So we chopped the money and gave the golf to the Tournament Director.

As for yesterday....I fell asleep putting the kids to bed, remember?

Friday Night Donkament

I had a lot of fun playing the Friday Night Donkament last night (hosted by Katitude). This was the second or third time I played in it. It's a great way to interact and generally goof around with other people. No one takes it too seriously and you definitely will get a lot of laughs out of it. It seemed in the beginning that my recent run of improbability would continue when this happened:




However, as was inevitable, better hands started holding up. I got to heads up with the chip lead for a while but then decided to shove on the turn with a double gutter. My opponent had top pair and called. No improvement for me and I finish in second. No matter, as I said, it was a lot of fun.

Cracknaces was railing us near the end. I made a deal with him that if I finished in the top 2, I would play the blogger skill game. He may think I have reneged because I did not sign up right away. If you are reading this, don't worry, I'll keep my promise, even though I have no skills and seriously dislike 2 of the 5 games. No worries though. It will be fun being the bad player who sucks out on hands he has no business even being in. (Some may argue that that is usually the case anyway.)

Work Pollyanna

We had a "holiday" party in my department today. I took part even though I don't technically work for this company (the simple description would be consultant). Anywho, they do a Pollyanna here (who does that anymore?). We each created a wish list of three items for the person who drew you to choose from. I listed 3 poker books (seemed easy enough). The person who drew my name must have gone over the $20 budget. They weren't exactly the titles I was looking for, but it was very nice for the person to get me multiple books.

I received Phil Gordon's Poker Box Set which includes the little black book (formerly Poker: The Real Deal), the little green book, the little blue book. Additionally I got Zen and the Art of Poker, by Larry Phillips. I look forward to reading this one.

Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin

One thing I try to never do, is lambaste an opponent of mine after he/she sucks out on me horribly thus eliminating/crippling me from a tournament. There are several reasons I subscribe to this philosophy. The primary reason is that I want my opponent to put himself in that position. I want them to do it again the next hand; I want them to do it again the next day; I want them to do it again next year. I do not want to rant at them, belittle them, educate them. You want to play like a smacked ass? Have a day.

Now...does this mean I don't get...irritated? Absolutely not. I especially get...irritated...when I'm in with the best of it against the same person and continue to get run down. Such luck sackery will drive anyone to drink. Yesterday I lamented how this happened 3 times in a span of 8 hands in a SNG. Here are the screen caps of that nightmare (chips are in preflop on all of them):

Then there was the RPT last night. The nemesis this time was Jcanuck7. He had shown an uncanny ability in the Mookie (the night before) to get his money in with the worst of it and be rewarded. Little changed last night (until he ran into a bigger suckout artist). I was cruising along in the top 5 when (and I'll accept some culpability here), having folded for a little while, I decide to raise it up in EP with KT. I had been getting respect on these raises and I didn't want to go too long without flexing a little. Folds to Jcanucky7 who smooth calls in SB (in fairness, he was ahead at this point as you will see). Upon the flop, he shoves. I read it as a steal attempt. I felt my hand was good, albeit vulnerable. With my stack size compared to his, I was comfortable making the call. It wouldn't kill me to be wrong. Here is the screen cap:

So yet another situation of getting the money in when I was a 2-1 fav. Just a few hands later the money goes in preflop against him and I find I'm a 3-1 fav. Seeing that, the following, I guess, was inevitable:



I am now scraping the felt and bow out when my 88 runs into KK. For good measure, I sit down at a six-man SNG, get my money in on the turn with 2 pair vs. a dude who paired his ace on the flop, then proceeded to hit his 2 kicker in the river.

So, in summation, I am certainly overjoyed that people continue to put their money in when I'm way ahead, but I seem to be losing more of these than the math suggests I should (especially against the same villain). The good news is, now that I'm playing more, this should straighten out over the long haul. Small sample size anomalies should not discourage the anticipation of long term success in these situations. So love the sinner who continues to play from behind; hate the sin of them getting rewarded all too often.

As a side note, late in the tourney, Full Tilt went kablooey. It will be interesting to see what happens with that.

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'

Okay I whiffed in the Mookie last night, but I'll take the Pyrrhic victory of finishing 24th after riding a short stack for the last 45 minutes I was there. I'd congratulate the winner, but I do not know who that is right now. Whoever you are, congratulations and well played; it was inspiring.

Interesting stat line of the night: After 100 hands played in the Mookie, I had seen exactly ONE flop. One. And that was in an unraised BB. I had not seen a turn. But I had won 15 hands preflop. I felt like the anti-Vito Corleone asking, "what have I done to earn such respect?" I even raised, won and showed the hammer at about hand 50 (Hoy was at my table and was a bad influence, I confess). Does that get me action? Noooooo. I move to another table finally. Raise, win and show the hammer again (Hoy might be on to something) and finally I start to get a little action. Which was unfortunate, because it was about that time the cards dried up. Still a lot of fun though.

In addition to the Mookie, I played 3 more SNG last night in effort to keep up with my pledge. Cashed in two, with one win. The night before I played in four, cashed in three (one being a token), won two (well the token win really doesn't count), and finished second in a 45 man. All in all, I'd say things are going pretty well.

Lest someone conclude that I must be catching every hand to do so well, I offer up this string of hands in the SNG I cashed (finished third), but didn't win last night. In the final eight hands, I got the money in heads up against the same guy three times. Each time I was at least a 2-1 favorite (one I was 2.5-1), and I did not win one of them. Those were happening in the last SNG of the night too, but I was fortunate enough to be playing against players of... questionable caliber. They gleefully (well I was gleeful) gave whatever gains they made back to me.

Remember, tonight is the next to last chance to get that seat in the Aussie Millions BBT Challenge. See you all at the RPT tourney, 9:00 (eastern), 10+1, password: riverchasers. (As if you didn't know.)

With Apologies to Neil Young...

Hey hey, my my
My bankroll can never die
I'll paint you a picture
Of the other guy.
Hey hey, my my.

Out of the blues and into the black
He calls off his chips with a pair of jacks
But I had an over, and took all his stack
Now I'm out of the blues and into the black.

The king was out but I guess forgotten
These low limit players are really rotten
It's better to burn out 'cause fish never sleep
The king was out but I guess forgotten.

Hey hey, my my
My bankroll will never die
Yes I'll be fixture
Till the day I die.
Hey hey, my my


Hope to see you all at The Mookie tonight.

More Baby Steps

Okay I lied yesterday. I actually made two attempts at a token yesterday. For tokens, I like to play the 2 table SNGs. 18 players, 8+.70 buy-in, 6 spots paid (5 tokens and sixth place gets $14). These come in both standard and turbo varieties. I generally prefer the turbo; otherwise it drags out too long.

Apparently I was not supposed to play the MATH last night because I finished sixth in both token games. It happens. Accentuating the positive again, at least I was up $10.60. Any day that your account ends higher than when it started is a good day in my book. The plus is I'm in a comfortable enough position now to play both the Mookie and the RPT this week (couldn't say that last week).

Having failed in my token quest, I decided to watch a movie I had recorded off of HDnet. Last night's selection was "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead". My review: If it doesn't put you to sleep, you'll wish you were dead. It had lots of potential, but never got there.

I ended up railing the MATH after the movie. Although I do talk it up and goof around in the chat boxes, I spend a fair amount of effort watching people play. I was particularly impressed with the play of Lucko. He came up a little short in the end, but I definitely picked up a few things that I think can improve my approach in short table play. Congratulations to twoblackaces on the win.

Accentuate the Positive

Hmmmmmm......the positive.....the positive......ah, here you go: a million more weekends like this, and I'll be a millionaire!

Okay, okay, that's the sarcastic positive. The real positive is that I am keeping up with my commitment to play more. Although I am quite certain my volume still pales in comparison to most, I am quite pleased. A brief recap (if you'll indulge me) of Saturday and Sunday night follows.

Saturday night I played but once. Instead of going with the SNG plan, I decided to try the 10+1 knockout tourney. For those unfamiliar with what this is (I'm looking at you nephew in Germany), I shall briefly explain. Of the $10 that counts as your buy-in, $8 goes to the prize pool and $2 is used as a bounty. For every player that you knockout, you win his $2 bounty. I decided to play this on Saturday because I haven't tried one of these yet and I just wanted to see how it was.

I lasted a fairly good while considering I was card dead the entire way. I had AQ once and four pocket pairs; Presto twice and the Magnum twice (that's 55 and 44 for those of you in Limerick). If memory serves, I made it past the second break with those rags, I didn't cash though and I was only able to knock one person out. Net result: -$9. Booooooooo.

Last night I went back to the SNG route. I actually played four of them (which means it will probably start raining frogs this afternoon). Based on a recommendation from Riggstad, I started in on the 6+.50 six person turbos.

(Editor's Note: Your humble correspondent [me] is beginning to think that the impression he is giving the reader [you] is that the only person that he knows is Riggstad. The author [me again] would like to stress that this is the furthest thing from the truth. However, the resident blogger [yes....me] would like to say that he will continue to cite and refer to Riggstad on a frequent basis. His knowledge and experience in this game are top shelf, and he has been very generous with his thoughts and theories to yours truly. Not to mention he's funny as hell. So get used to seeing his name and please check out his blog, because as a poker mentor, he's the nuts.)

So....$6, six-man turbos. The first one I shot myself in the foot and finished 5th. Okay...just needed to orient myself. The second one went better. I cashed by finishing second (things are looking up). The third one decided to knock me down a few pegs by kicking me squarely in the rocks. Money goes in on the flop, villain hits two-outer on the turn, I'm done in 4th place.

Okay, time-out. Time to regroup, think things over. I decided to shake it up a little and played a $5+.50 nine person (non-turbo). I quickly regretted this decision as it became clear to me that this would not be a fast tourney. So about 10 minutes in I decide to loosen up a little and see more flops when I could get in cheap.

Apparently not caring is a key ingredient for success in these low buy-in SNGs. One hand in particular illustrates this point. I was in BB with 46 off. several limpers, I check. Flop came something like KJ7. I don't hit the check/fold button, I hit the fold to any bet button. I wanted no more part of this. Inexplicably, there were checks all around (four people in the hand). Turn is a 5. Okay now I'm open-ended, so I unclick the fold to any bet button. First guy checks, second guys bets a quarter of the pot (about 120). I say "why not" and call. Fourth guy folds, and the first guy check raises. He bets like 800 (leaving himself about 100). Second guy then folds. (Here is where the not caring part comes in, you knew we'd get here eventually.) I raise putting him all-in. I do this KNOWING he has the best hand. KNOWING he has to call. KNOWING I will be extremely short-stacked if (when) I lose. He calls, river 8. Weeeeeeeeeeeeee! He was not amused.

I went on to win this table leaving me up $10 and change for the night and up $1 and change for the weekend. I'm going to try ONCE for a token tonight to try to get into the MATH. If I fail, I'll be back at the SNG table. Wish me luck.

Hate the Rake

There is surely no bigger pain in the arse on this plane of existence than having to go outside and rake the leaves (what, you were expecting a different kind of rake?). Wait, I partially take that back. There is surely no bigger pain in the arse on this plane of existence than having to go outside and rake wet leaves. And so we find that a truism in micro-stakes poker is also a truism in life. To wit: you can't beat the rake.

I've been pondering a philosophical question today. If you work for a company in which you have never stepped foot in their building and never actually met face to face with anyone who works there (including your manager), are you actually an employee? It would seem so because I attended the company Christmas (sorry, "Holiday") party last night. The gathering took place at beautiful and historic Normandy Farms and was well attended...and I didn't know a soul. In my book, that's the good news.

The better news was an open bar. The bad news was that the only bourbon was Jim Beam white label. I managed to get one of those down over lots of ice. From there I decided to move on to Crown Royal. Not something I would necessarily buy, but it was an adequate repast for the evening (broken up by some red wine for dinner). My lovely bride and I stayed for cocktail reception, dinner and awards presentation, then got out of Dodge to rescue my parents from the kids. Supposedly my aforementioned manager was in attendance...I still haven't met her.

When I got home I was smart enough to realize that I was in no shape to play poker for real money, but I had an itch that needed scratching. I jumped into a couple freerolls; one for Aussie Millions qualifier, and one for Poker after Dark. These are always fun to goof around in and to see if there is anyway you can irritate people who are actually taking them seriously. I decided to play as normally as I could for as long as I could (being half in the bag as I was). In the PAD, I made it to the final two tables before the urge to donk became too great.

In the Aussie, it was clearly impossible for me to play bad enough. As a result, this happened.

Okay, stop it, I'm embarrassed enough as it is. Round two was this afternoon. Of course I forgot about it and I missed a majority of the beginning (I was on the roof scooping a mixture of leaves and ice cold water out of the gutters - still better than raking). When I actually figured out I was in the middle of a tournament I was down to about 780 in chips. Nothing really happened after that except for a fairly typical exit. Dealt 88 in MP. I shove for 800 and change and I get one caller out of the blinds who shows 66. No, he didn't spike his 2 outer. He four flushed me. Sure...why not.

I also helped out Riggstad earlier by playing the first hour and change of a freeroll he qualified for. I will not step on some good stories he is sure to tell. I would like to say I had him in good position when he took over. I was up to 5600 at one point. But one bad read and one lost race had him down to about 2600 when he jumped in. The rest is his tale.

Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.

It was a dark and stormy night. By "dark and stormy" I mean that I did not have the funds in my account to buy into the RPT tourney. The rng had made me its own private Idaho the night before and I was sitting on a steaming pile of $6.12. Despair was scratching at my door...oh wait, never mind, the dog wanted to come in. But I needed another 5 beans by 9:00; I had three hours. My first inclination was to stick to the plan I had crafted scant days before. $2 SNGs. Scratch my way above the waterline, and try to cash in the RPT. However, with the debacle of the previous evening still as fresh in my mind as a Wendy's hamburger, I decided risks must be taken.

The decision was made. I'd risk it all in a single table $5+.50 SNG (I challenge you to find that sentence anywhere else on the interweb). I played strong. I played inspired. I played with the desperation normally found only in movies where the protagonist is very desperate. And thanks to the masterful blend of skill and skill, I took it down for $22-ish. I really don't remember the specifics. It was as if I was watching myself play, looking like a monkey on screen with virtual cards. Very surreal.

I immediately bought into the RPT to ensure that I save myself from myself (i.e., so I wouldn't piss away my gains before the tourney started). As it was, I didn't play anymore until the RPT started. Confidence had now replaced despair. It had been a while since I made any kind of splash in the RPT, and I was determined to alter that state of affairs.

It was another decent showing for the RPT, a little lighter than some recent weeks, but still 82 strong. I stayed with my game plan of pretty much solid ABC poker; trying not to take any unnecessary risks. I pretty much tread water for the first half hour or 45 minutes, then slowly started to build. Some time after the first break with 4 or 5 tables left, I took down a couple really nice pots and found myself as the chip leader. Discovering, not surprisingly, that I liked this position, I kept it until we got to the final table.

The final table seemed to take an eternity, There was a lot of chips being passed back and forth. Blinds were getting big and most were reluctant to put too much at risk to call a short stack's all-in. I stole a few when I could, got away from some hands when it was right to do so, and generally kept myself in a position to win. I had my share of luck to be sure. Once I was all-in with AJ vs. 99 (I think) and I hit the wheel. That was nice.

A near fatal blow was delivered when we got to four-handed play. The money goes in preflop. To my horror, I see that I am in a dominating position when the cards are revealed. So the following result was pretty much inevitable.

On the very next hand, I'm dealt A6s and I'm desperately short, so I shove. I get two callers who end up checking it down all the way. I was not truly comfortable until the turn.

YES! Back in business. But alas, it was only a temporary reprieve. I ended up going out in 4th when my KQs did not improve against a middle pair. Final results as follows:

Congratulations to actyper for the well played victory and for the seat. Personally, I was very pleased with the course of the evening. I was able to give myself a little breathing room going forward and I'm starting to feel like I'm getting my swing back. Special thanks to my own personal Gunny Highway: Riggstad, and to Jamyhawk who was cheering me on from the rail.

Night of the Living Suckout Part 13,627

With more sequels than the horror franchises of Friday the 13th, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street and Land Before Time combined, Full Tilt was in peak form last night. I will not bore you with the stories of my first three SNGs where I had the money in with the best hand in all three (when it counted) and lost; twice on a rivered 3 outter. Nor will I relay the story of my 4th SNG where I shoved with a gutterball figuring it was my turn to suck out on the river (it wasn't). (It was at that point I decided I was no longer in the frame of mind to continue playing.)

But the Mookie....ohhhhhhh the Mookie. There seemed to be entirely too much fun going on, which was in no small measure the fault of a fantastic live broadcast of Buddydank radio from Las Vegas. There was definitely a 'what the hell' mentality permeating throughout the event and the broadcasters could hardly keep up in detailing the various suckouts that seemed to be coming three at a time. The offending suck outters were appropriately demeaned and ridiculed and fun was had by all. Well mostly all.

Ironically, the individual who took it the hardest on a given hand was not the victim of suckout, but rather a big, fat cooler. I speak, of course, about my good friend Riggstad. He was playing quite well, taking some pots with marginal holdings in good spots and had grinded his stack up to 4K+. And then he was dealt KK. I knew this in advance as he informed me via AIM (I see no conflict here, as I was not playing in the tournament). His preflop raise was greeted by one caller. The flop came A-K-x and he immediately broke into the naked victory dance (artistic license engaged). I believe he bet around half the pot and was smooth called (hmmmmm). Blank turn and our hero shoves (or at least puts the other cat all-in). Insta-call and he shows.....AA. Oof.

This did not eliminate his Eminence, but the psychological blow was beyond repair. He hung on for a while longer (30 minutes or so), but eventually bowed out when he lost a race. All the while hammering expletives into my AIM window. Good times...goooood times.

Attention Usual Suspects

Even the unusual, usual suspects. Game, Manor, Saturday, Interested?

If you wish to become a usual suspect, drop me a line and I will initiate the vetting process.

The Bourbon of Choice for Saturday will at least start with the last part of the Eagle Rare Single Barrel. If that gets killed, I'll have to play it by ear. Perhaps crack open the Bernheim Wheat Whiskey (you won't be disappointed). The El Tesoro Anejo Tequila will also be available for consumption. Be forewarned, the corn snake has temporarily taken up residence in the poker room. I will do my best to resist the urge of bringing him out.

One more thing. Don't forget....

Tournament: Riverchasers Online Poker Tour
When: Tonight. 21:00 ET
Game: NLHE Deepstack
Buyin: $10+1
Password: Riverchasers

Aged Bourbon

Just a quickie post to point to an article in the LA Times (of all places) on aged bourbon. It's a good read. The crux of it is, get some while you can because there may be a bit of a shortage of aged bourbon in the next couple years.

I can personally attest to the quality of the A.H. Hirsch 16 year bourbon referenced in the story (and pictured as well). It's just great stuff and is my personal favorite. I am fortunate that I have about 3/4 of an open bottle and two in reserve of the Hirsch. Good luck finding it now though, at least for under $100.

Introspection and Discovery Part 2 "So What"

Okay, so you've been bored to tears with the set up, and the obvious question is "So what?". Well that's a good question, thanks for asking. The "so what" is, I've uncovered a yet deeper discovery. And that is, I'm not doing myself any favors by doing what I'm doing. Furthermore, playing socially and playing to increase bank roll are not, and should not, be mutually exclusive entities. I should not be so wrapped up in one that I ignore the necessity of the other.

Or as Riggstad so ham-handedly put it, "WAH! get off the friggin Wii and start playing more...forgoe (sic) any further introspection of why, and get busy playing. You know its (sic) what you want to do " . And it's as simple as that. So Introspection is complete and I have Discovered what is in plain sight. Time to roll up the sleeves and dig myself out of this hole.

To that end, I have committed myself to start at the bottom and claw my way back to respectability. It shall be painful at the beginning because I will start my trek by playing $2 SNGs. It may not sound like a lot, but my goal is to play at least one per night. This is a step forward. It is at least an 800% increase in my current volume of play. Keep in mind that it is a stated MINIMUM and it is only the BEGINNING of my rebound.

I began my quest last night. After the family watched National Treasure together, and they finally went to bed, I sat down and played two $2 single table SNGs. One normal, one turbo (I'm trying to decide which is the best way to go). I think the turbo is the best bet.

In the first one I sat there like a rock, watching in amazement at the utter stupidity on display. Played a couple hands and was second in chips. Then this happened at the 50-100 blind level....

UTG+1 limps, UTG+2 (chip leader) limps. Folds to me in BB with K3s. I check the option. Flop comes K-5-3. I'm generally not one to risk a slow play here, but I knew a bet was coming so I check. UTG+1 checks. Chip leader leads out with a half pot bet. I raise to about 1100 (committing about half my stack). UTG+1 calls. Chip leader shoves. We both call. I show my two pair. UTG+1 shows AA and chip leader shows.....K7. He spikes his 7 on the river. As a side note, the AA limper did the same thing UTG earlier with KK. That almost bit him in the ass too. Who are these people?

Undeterred, I jump back on the horse and get in a $2 Turbo. People play even more recklessly in these (if that's possible) because I guess they figure they have no time. There was no moment in this game where I was in any danger and I took it down for $9.

Net result: Two SNGs, $4.50 in, $9 out. It's a start. Based on the events, I believe I'll concentrate on the turbos. The play is particularly bad and you are virtually guaranteed to get paid off when you make a hand. The only thing that can stop you is a horrible suckout or dead cards. That's the unfortunate aspect, you really have very little chance if you don't hit at least a couple hands. These people are seemingly allergic to observing the table or the board texture, so making "good plays" bounces off of them like bullets on Superman.

I do not plan on detailing my daily progress for two reasons. 1) It will save me from potential embarrassment and 2) it will save you from homicidal boredom. Periodic updates will be offered though.

Wish me luck.

Introspection and Discovery

I’d like to get serious for a moment if it’s okay with y’all.

(Bring house lights down 50%.....cue piano and violins)

Since deciding to start doing this last week, it has kind of forced me to look inside myself to see what’s really going on, and how I plan to actually keep it going. This has led to some self-realizations and discoveries that I will share with you now.

First off, I have discovered that as a person who now purports himself to be a (predominately) poker blogger, I play a shockingly small amount of actual poker. That is not to say that I don’t dedicate much of my waking hours to the subject (evidence that I am the leading poster in the RPT message boards), I just don’t play much. Now I’ve known this fact for quite some time, but until now, I have not actually confronted it. So it seemed natural that I ask myself “why?”. This led to more introspection and another startling discovery.

I don’t play poker to win money. Hmm, perhaps some clarification is needed. Clearly when I sit down and play in a tournament or at a cash table, I would like to stand up a few hours later with a heavier pocket. However, that is not the reason I sit down in the first place. For me, so far, playing poker, whether online or live, has been social first, cerebral second, and money third. Let us look at these one at a time.

First and foremost is social. I got into poker roughly two and a half years ago now. In that time, I have been fortunate enough to meet some great people and establish some very good friendships. A kinship has developed. I am married with two children and I don’t have a lot of free time, but I try to afford myself one hobby. Being that I like the game and have established true friendships, poker is that hobby and has become my social activity of choice. Unfortunately, it is difficult for me to get out nights to play the RPT. I try to have a semi-regular cash game at my house (Palatial Snakster Manor for those who don’t know) for my social pursuits. So when I DO have the opportunity to actually sit with friends and play, it’s social.

Reason two is cerebral. I like to play because it is a thinking man’s game. Last week during the RPT tourney, some Cowboy fan wrote in the chat that they would give anybody 7 points right then for the game (The Boys were up 6 or so at the time). I replied “No thanks, I don’t like to gamble”. It got a “lol”, which was the desired response, but it was also a true statement, I really don’t like to gamble. I don’t consider poker, by and large, to be gambling. At the risk of sounding like a PPA cliché, I believe poker is a game of skill and mental acuity, and that is why I like it so much.

THEN there’s money. A little over a year ago, my friends finally convinced me to make the jump to online poker. I had been resistant because it seemed a little impersonal from the outside looking in. But I relented in the hopes that it could possibly be a social surrogate to my ever decreasing ability to actually play live. Fortunately, it was about that time that RPT started its online tour (coordinated by the venerable Al). This helped fill the void of social activity for me. Being that it was a new experience for me, I also branched out to other games, some cash and some other tournaments (like the 25K guarantee). I experienced a modicum of success which, upon withdrawal, paid for my summer vacation.

As time went by and the novelty wore off, I stopped playing the cash games. I rarely played SNGs before, and that hasn’t changed much and I stopped playing the guarantee tourneys (for the most part). I basically limited myself to the RPT online and the occasional Mookie. So I find myself playing, at best, one time a week. You may see the problem this has caused. Playing so infrequently makes it near impossible to avoid or play through extended cold spells. Each MTT becomes an isolated incident. If I don’t cash, then I don’t give myself another opportunity for another week, maybe two. This has slowly, inexorably drained what few funds I had in my account. For me, the money was only there so I could play in these games. Now I sit here with a pittance in my account (and writing a small novel detailing why). Something has got to give.

Next Post: Introspection and Discovery Part 2 – “So What?”

TEST

This is a test.

This is a test of the e-mail posting system.  The blogger on this page, being sufficiently technologically challenged, is conducting this test to see if he, as he suspects, has half a brain.

If this was an actual blog post, you would now be reading some irreverent and grandly entertaining content.  As it is, you are now sitting there sincerely wishing you could get the last minute of your life back.

This concludes this test of the e-mail posting system

Poker is Like a Box of Chocolates

Well...sometimes it is. And other times, you know exactly what you're going to get. That was the case last night when I was railing Riggstad and generally yucking it up with him on IM. If you watch long enough, it's not a matter of if he berates someone, but when. Everything was going along smoothly and he was, as usual, playing exceptionally well (and giving me pearls of wisdom as a bonus). But there is a point to this lead-up, so I offer the following screen capture:

Now what is important to understand here is the preflop action. Mr. QJ off limped UTG, clearly intent on trapping with his monster. It folds to Riggs. At this point I send a message suggesting he shove, which he does for over 3K total when blinds were something like 50-100. Now I am certain that my suggestion had zero influence here. However I think Riggs held the same belief that I did; which was that the limper would call. It folded to BB who took his time, but eventually dumped too. Mr QJ off thought for a couple seconds, made the call and...well...you see what happened. Through the fits of laughter that ensued on my end, I was able to catch snippets of the subsequent conversation. For your reading pleasure, I have boiled it down and post it here (with some commentary of my own in italics). Enjoy.

Dealer: riggstad shows [Ad Ac]
Dealer: untouchableme shows [Qd Js]
riggstad: un real
Dealer: riggstad shows a pair of Aces
Dealer: untouchableme shows two pair, Queens and Jacks
Dealer: untouchableme wins the pot (6,280) with two pair,
Queens and Jacks

(Fireworks in 3.....2....1.....)

riggstad: you donpe
riggstad (Observer): QJ is the nuts
riggstad (Observer): I knew youd call too idiot
riggstad (Observer): limp call a shove
riggstad (Observer): fcktard
riggstad (Observer): get aids hippy

(He must like this guy, he's going pretty easy on him)

untouchableme: r u talking 2 me

(Further indication he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer)

riggstad (Observer): no I'm talking down to you
riggstad (Observer): noob
riggstad (Observer): -EV player you are
riggstad (Observer): slit
ohhhlandon26: what do you expect in a five dollar
tournament, riggs

(don't get involved, man)

riggstad (Observer): not the point
riggstad (Observer): at all
ohhhlandon26: you call him a noob, this is where noobs play
ohhhlandon26: five dollar tourny
riggstad (Observer): all this time and finally decides to dust
off with QJ
ohhhlandon26: if you want more respect for your plays, move
up

(must be Phil Gordon)

JesusMastaJiz: i'm not a noob
JesusMastaJiz: how dare you

(Who invited this joker to the party? Having watched this clown stumble his way to a chipstack, I can remain silent no longer)

snakster (Observer): no...you just suck
JesusMastaJiz: im still in
JesusMastaJiz: u suck
snakster (Observer): and Jamie Gold won, what's your point?
JesusMastaJiz: he's a miilionare now
snakster (Observer): and you're not. check and mate

(I suspect he's STILL licking his wounds from THAT encounter)

ohhhlandon26: don't get upset with the moves people make in
a five dollar tourney, you have to expect it
JesusMastaJiz: you see, noob's can win it big

(And this, of course, is what makes these game so profitable in the long run. So I feel I must appropriately offer....)

snakster (Observer): thank god

And there we have it. More entertaining than ANYTHING on TV. Keep fighting the good fight Riggstad.

The On Ramp

Well I suppose it's high time that I post my inaugural blog......thing. Heck it's all of 3 days old and already living up to its name of (almost) daily. From the jump I would kindly request patience as I figure out this whole posting thing. I'm not a complete idiot, so hopefully the learning curve will be short. Now...to the point....

I suppose that exactly what the world doesn't need is another blog that will primarily revolve around poker and drinking adult beverages. This is especially true when the blogger doesn't play a whole lot of poker nor does he drink copious amounts of adult beverages (comparatively speaking). However, having now played with many poker bloggers online, for roughly a year or so, via the RPT and the Mookie, I feel a sort of kinship with them that no amount of showering can cure. So thanks to that, along with some encouragement from my man Jim (head honcho of RPT), here I am.

So here's the real poop on what you can expect. For the record, and for full disclosure, let me state the following: I am by no stretch of the imagination a poker or bourbon expert. Quite frankly, the only people I can probably educate on either subject are children or patrons of the Limerick Inn. Social commentary expertise is the same, only more so.

With that disclaimer (and it's the only one you'll get, so I hope you read it), it will not stop me from pontificating on virtually any topic that crosses my mind on an almost daily basis. Poker commentary will center less on 'considered analysis' and more on sardonic wit (look it up). Bourbon commentary will center less on complex tasting notes (e.g. "Arising as subtle cinnamon-maple syrup. The maple falls away, leaving the layer of cinnamon after a minute of swirling") and more comments like, "it's smooth and damn good stuff". Social commentary will expose me as a right wing nutjob and proud of it. And to top it off, I won't be able to resist commenting on baseball in general and the Phillies in particular.

So there we are...a beginning. Are we having fun yet?