Well, Well

I'm delighted to say that by playing in account XXXXXXXXXX you achieved the required number of hands to qualify for an InterPoker Cap and a copy of Doyle Brunson's Super System 2 !

But not enough to clear the $90 bonus! OK, still mad at Interpoker for the way the screwed up the monthly bonus BUT I like getting the book!!

Though I am still not sure how I did this I am not complaining. They said I should be getting both by November. I really can't wait to get my hands on that book.

Only poker for me today was watching the rerun of Doyle winning number 10 on ESPN. I love to watch him play. Only Doyle could win with T3o vs. KQo, If that was me a K or a Q would hit on the river like clock work. Lets not forget the 53o and raising 13K heads up only to see trip 5's on the flop.

Till Next Time!

Blank

Cut on the computer and it says Windows XP....then blank. Over and over and over.

RIP - Hard Drive. Thanks for the memories.

Had most everything backed up but my saved emails. There were a view that I really wanted to keep and my address book is gone. Not to bad in the way of devastation, just time consuming to get lap top back up and running. Not sure if i want to rebuy or re-build. Might be just beyond my realm of patience to re-build.

If I do I will keep case and power supply and go from there. Will have to price it out. $900 and I can get a new HP built for gaming. Guess we will see.


Finished 16th (I think) in the 72os event Sunday. May have retaken the lead with just the wild card event to go before the championship event. Points are SO close. The wild card replaces your worst finish (mine was 49th) so still can be anyones series. Nice to play consistant poker again though.... want to win it now that I am so close.

Still trying to qualify in the Pacific $30K Tournament through the freeroll and the $1 qualifiers. If I may make one comment, Damn the play there is bad. I only played one so far plus a couple SnG's but wow I can't beleive what the players there will risk there whole tournament on. Hopefully can avoid the short term luck and move on.


Till Next Time!

Puppy Dog Close

As some of you know who regular read this here blog, I have been in sales all my life. There are not to many sales techniques I haven't used or read about. The Puppy Dog has probably been used on everyone at least once in there life. They get you to use the product or service and then you want it. There are many variations and it is most successful.

AOL - 3 months free.
Car Dealer - Take it home tonight
Cell Phone - Make a call

Why do I bring this up? I got one today at Pacific Poker. A simple email: We have deposited $5 in your new account. Come play!"

It all started when I was forwarded an email by a friend about this tournament:

A new tournament has been added to the poker tournament lobby in the $50/100K tab.
It is the $50,000 Guaranteed tournament. Satellites for this tournament are currently running.
The specs of the tournament are as follows:

Name: $50,000 Guaranteed
Buy-in: $65 + $5
Date: Fridays at 20:00 PPT/8PM ET starting on September 30^th
Daily Freerolls and satellites start as low as $1 + $0.10

I have a dream to win a big prize starting out with a freeroll. Stupid and a long shot but heck, it's free. Knowing this, he sent me this email and I downloaded the site last night and signed up for an account. Within 24 hours, I get $5. After two 20 man $2.50 SnG's I am at $12. When I get to $1,000 I am cashing out (LOL).

This is twice this month so far...Turned a free $25 into $110 and cashed out earlier this month. Lets see if I can duplicate that!

Enough rambling, going to play in the 72os Omaha tournament tonight. This will make one time I have ever played Omaha. Better watch out, got luck going for me!


Till Next Time!

Pure Luck?

I played in the 72os event again and this time I lasted till top 25. I am in second place overall and really am happy with my play as of late. Got all my money in pre flop with AQ vs TJ and he hit runner runner straight to take me out. Not to bad losing to pure luck, that will happen every once in a while.

Speaking of pure luck, this is to all those having a ruff go of it lately. Come on, if she can, ANYONE can!

Mariah Carey won $27,000 at a poker game in Las Vegas last Friday. Carey, 35, invited at producer Jermaine Dupri's birthday party at the opening of the Tao restaurant from Venetian Hotel, visited a nearby casino to play some poker.

The Diva, who won $27,000 after just three rounds of the game, confessed she's not a poker player, so the winning was not on account of her skills.

Contactmusic.com quote her as saying: "I used to play poker with my sister. But I think my low-cut dress put some of the guys off."

~~~~~~~~~~

Planning a trip tp Atlantic City in the end of October. Starting to get stoked about it. Some of the guys from 72os will be there. I know it's going to be fun! Haven't played in a casino in a while now. Hopefully can make a tournament or two while we are there.

Racing went well this weekend. Did manage to tear the ^$%#%^ out of it in the last qualifier before the main event so I didn't get to finish. That sucked. In the last post I said it was like getting AA every hand, well, I got cracked!

Till Next time!

That sucked

Played in a 72os $2 tourney last night at Poker Host. This was our first group of buy in tournaments we are trying. Not a bad turn out of 16 people. This one was holdem. Next ones will be Omaha, Omaha H/L and 7 card stud. Should be fun. Never played Omaha or Stud.

For me, it sucked. Finished 12th. KK in BB and got folded around to. AA won a little, KK was being called down with an A on flop and I folded to river raise. He had ace. (duh) AK, 99,55,44 and 66 all lost before the first break and all in with AQ lost to 55 when I flopped a Q and he flopped a set.

Great cards, and never hit a flop. Just one of those nights that just plain sucked.

I am off the next couple days to go to a race in NC. I'm not sure anyone will recall the pics I posted a while back on the remote control car racing I do but thats where I am off to. I usually race battery powered cars but thanks to a poker withdrawal I will be purchasing and racing a gas powered car this time. I guess in the world of RC racing it equates to looking down and seeing pocket aces EVERY time in a session. (To me anyway)

I wish those in TX and LA the best. Hope Rita does as minimum damage as possible.

Till Next Time!

Hero

First a little background.

My grandpa was a gunner in WWII. He hung out the back of bombers and shot at enemy plans. Upon his return he got a job. He retired from that same job 45+ years later, working up from basicly clean up boy to maintainence supervisor of the paper mill plant. That job that had provided him and his family a decent living and retirement is now killin him. All the pipes at the plant were well insolated, with esbestos. My grandpa is dying.

The doctors said he had till the end of the summer. In death as in live, my grandpa is doing it his way and is still fighting it. I have always felt that the best way to honor a persons life is to share it with generations to come. In this case, to have a piece of grandpa remembered in my kids.

This is a school project by my 13 year old written just the other day.

A hero is a person noted for courage especially ones that have risked or sacrificed his or her life. My hero is my great grandpa who did risk his life for our country and is now fighting against cancer for my family. He is brave, strong, and a fighter.

Great grandpa is as strong and solid as a rock. Even Though he is facing cancer he isn’t scared of death he just lives day by day enjoying the life he has. Rather than sitting there, and letting himself slip, he fights to see our faces the next day. Fighting the pain he is in and smiling up at us and talking to us like we the most important people in the world. However, the most important trait of my hero is his willingness to give and help in whatever way he can, trying to contribute whenever needed. Sometimes giving just because he is willing and he can.

Heroes are people noted for courage and strength, and not giving into weakness. Personally I adore my great grandpa for enduring all he does everyday just to be with us and hold this family together. No matter what doctor’s say about how long he has to live, he never gives up. Courage, strength, and giving is what makes my great grandpa my hero.

Do me a favor, honor a memory today.

Till Next Time!

I Surrender

WOW - after 2 straight days of unrelenting two tabling at Interpoker I still needed a few more hands this AM to clear their bonus. Forget about the book, cheaper to buy it and faster too!! I played Omaha H/L so I could get the most bang for my raked hand bucks and still didn't clear it. I use the cryptocounter (the new one) to count the "qualifing" raked hands and I played over 1200 raked hands and still needed a few more to get the "qualifiing" raked hands to 450.

I haven't been to the crypto's in a while and will not be back to Interpoker anytime soon. I don't like the site THAT much. I guess though it works for them. If you are an all the time player there it makes for a nice bonus and you are gong to be there anyway. If not, hardly anyway you can play lower limits and clear this bonus in a months time without mutli-tabling and putting in a lot of hours. I'm not convinced you can do it part time playing there everyday at the lower limits. I guess it works for someone though. I find it strange that they offer a bonus and make it easier to clear for people playing the higher limits who don't need the bonus to begin with. I realize it is a profit thing but I would think some marketing genious would come up with a way to appease both sides. Who I'm I to argue with success.

~~~~~~~~~~

Got knocked out fairly early (top 50ish?) in the 72os event Sunday. Limped with AQo UTG+2 and got caught when I hit a Q and BB hit 2 pair. I was screwing with the Interpoker torture and not paying close enough attention. Still in second place overall though. Have 3 events left and one of those is a Wild Card event so I can replace this one if I am close to winning the overall tour.

~~~~~~~~~~

Turned on news and another storm headed to Gulf Coast. MIGHT be headed to Houston and is projected to be a catagory 3 by the time it hits land but they keep saying it may turn north. Right now possibly touching western New Orleans. That would suck. Bad enough it is headed towards Houston. Keep safe everyone.

Till Next Time!

Always learning...

I read somewhere, I really don't remeber, that once you read one poker book, the rest start to run together. I agree to a point. Good basic strategy is good basic strategy no matter how many different ways it is presented but I also think that reading a few different books is helpful because each author will present that strategy differently and maybe one will click with you better than the other.

I have recently pilfered my stash of players points on various sites to order:

High - Low Split Poker by Ray Zee (Just got here)

Internet Poker by Lou Krieger and Kathleen Keller Watterson (Just got here)

Poker Aces: The Stars of Tournament by Ron Rose

and an Absolute Poker cap. (Not real sure why)

Really looking forward to Ray Zee's book since Omaha H/L is a game I am trying to pick up and everyone said this is the book to read. Krieger's book I hope to pick up something I may have missed over the last few books I have read. Besides, it comes with a CD and I have to see what it does! Poker Aces has come from all the fellow bloggers talking about it back during one of the Vegas trips. (A little slow to react I know)

A little more reading never hurt anyone. Still a few I want to get. Funny thing is that there were maybe 70 books I listed under my book section of my site when I first started it about a year ago. Now I get them fed in and there are over 1200! I particularly like the How to Win at...(insert game) by someone I have never heard of.

Lastly I will be getting Super System 2 courtesy of Interpoker's Septmember Special. $90 bonus, $30 extra this weekend and 700 hands to get book and another cap. (Cool) I REALLY hope this book doesn't end up costing me an arm and a leg!

I should be pretty much educated by the end of the year, or thoroughly confused and in a padded cell.

On a non-poker related subject, I am currently wireless keyboard and mouse courtesy of Wal Mart. Went in at 11 am for tires and came out at 2 pm with 4 tires and a wireless keyboard and mouse. How can you not stay there that long and not spend money.

So I am going to spend a few days at Interpoker. I haven't been there since I moved and thought I was being polite when I updated my address for them. They promptly sent me an email and thanked me and proceeded to tell me a new pin is being sent by snail mail do to my change of address. DANG! If I knew that I would have waited till after I was done.

Till Next Time!

New Career?

So what if I missed the over/under. My first ever public pick was a winner! Maybe I should be prudent about this and quit while I am ahead and tell everyone I have a great football sense and just say that I was 100% picking games this year. Yea, right. Might as well be a donkey about it and throw out another pick next week. Who knows, might be the start of a bigger and better career!

~~~~~~~~~~

Three weeks and I couldn't hit water if I fell out a boat. I hated poker, people who played poker, thinking of poker, you get the picture. A few weeks off later, a little lite reading, kids back in school, normalcy back in schedule and presto! My KK holds up to a river ace, the guy thats calls with any ace is missing and losing, my flopped set wins after the flush card hit on river in a multiway pot, and I don't need 18 outs to win a hand. Some of the monsters under the bed are gone. Who knew?

For the moment I think poker and I have patched things up again in our love/hate relationship. I'm not sure if this relationship is healthy but it will make a grown man cry one moment and feel invincible the next. Kinda like being married and having kids and that hasn't killed me yet.

So let it be known, "I Love You Poker!" (until you make me curse you again)

Til Next Time!

Good Night and Good Morning

Good Night

I played in the 720s Tour last night. Its a freeroll tour my buddy started that has grown into some very good and fun seasons. This is season 6 and not only has the play gotten better and better but the people are great.

About 200 meet each Sunday at 20:00 at Jetset. Need to be a member of 72os to play (free registration) Great learning experience if you are just starting out and great competition for those more experienced.

This is week two of season 6 and after a final table 5th last week I follow up with a final table 2nd this week. Maybe good enough for overall lead with 4 more to go! Thought I had taken the lead when I get HU and find JJ. Flop was all low and I go all in and get called with bottom pair. 4 hearts hit by river and I am done. Had a great time though.

Good Morning

Then I get up this morning and upon reading some of my favorite blogs find that DoubleAS found a pic that shows two of my favorite things have finally come together!

Life is good.

~~~~~~~~~~

Some say the best thing for a hangover is a drink. I feel the same way about MNF. After overindulging in everything pigskin all weekend, I'm glad I have a little left for tonight. Should be a good game. My buddy from above really likes the Eagles so what kind of friend would I be if I didn't go on record as rooting for the Falcons tonight?

Bodog says.....

	Philadelphia Eagles	-2½		42 Over Under
	Atlanta Falcons	+2½

Im taking the Falcons and over!

Falcons win 24 - 21

(NOTE: I suck at this.)

Till Next Time!

Always Remember

Where were you when the world stop turning?



We have moved on but we must NEVER forget

The Good and The Bad

WCOOP #8 2nd round

Well 455 entered and I finished 78th. Basicly broke down like this.

1st hour - Forgetable and finished at T1510. (Started with T1500!)

2nd hour - Little rush and finished at 75th with 105 left.

3rd hour - Card dead and out 78th.

BUT..........

Played a $1/$2 table at same time to keep my concentration from wondering and hit this!



Till Next Time!

WCOOP #8

I'm Moving On! Saturday at 20:00!

Priorities

First off there is a host of sites doing Katrina Relief Tournaments. For a list of the ones I know of, go to 4Flush.com and look down the left side.

~~~~~~~~~

Now for poker. Yes, I said poker! I mentioned a silly quest that I was following at the ITH forum not to long ago. Well, I was going to do it as a fun way to get back in the swing of things. The whole idea in a nutshell is start with $20 at .50/$1 table. Playing your regular times, move up limits when you reach 20BB of the next limit. So to move up to $1/$2 you need $40 at the .50/$1 level. There is a link to the post below. The goal is to get to $15/$30. Someone at 2+2 posted the odds of you making it past $5/$10 was like 83% against. So its not like you would do this for the money. I have been playing at Poker Stars just to clear the last bit of their bonus and it has been interesting.

I am not trying to look down or anything but it has been A LONG time since I have been at .50/$1 and wow what a donkeyfest. Talk about no foldem holdem, this was it. Took me 156 hands to get to $40 and that was mainly due to two HUGE river suckouts. Both of the runner runner variety.

I am now at $74.50 at the $1/$2 level but as the title suggests...prioritities man! It is 6:48 EST and the football season starts in 12 minutes! New England and Oakland. Don't really pull for either team BUT IT'S FOOTBALL!

So with chips (eatable kind) and beverage of choice.....it's time for the recliner. I will post update on quest soon. It started as a way to get back in the swing but I have learned some things I will share after my NFL fix.

Till Next Time!

Hopefully an Omen

Hopefully I got my return to the grinding world of poker off to a good start last night. Played in the season opener of the 72os Tour last night and made the final table and ended up 5th!

Though not exactly grinding, its a NL tournament, I did show great patience and selective aggression to get there. To be honest, feels real good, even invigorating. I think I am ready for the real world again.

OK, I have been intriqued by this silly quest I have been following on ITH forum. Think I will give that a try on the side at UB. Have a little money left there and it sounds like an interesting experiment. If you read through it( page 5 or 6), someone from 2+2 gives him the odds of succeeding in this quest. I am going to try it anyway. I like a challenge.

About half way through with the re-reading of Small Stakes Holdem. There are some concepts that are a little clearer now and I am getting the "why" behind the plays a little better. I always find little things here and there that I am not doing or not taking into consideration or just plain forgot when I do this readings. I always enjoy the eye opening "OOOHH, only when this happens should I be doing this" revelations when going over the strategy parts.

So poker is looking up again BUT even better!!! Another life altering moment, Tuesday - Sept. 6th, SCHOOL IS IN SESSION!

I love my kids, I really do. Thank God for school. This is my first summer as a "house husband" and I would at this time like to get on my knees and bow down to all the mothers (and fathers) that are full time stay at home parents. Almost drove me back to work! LOL. I made it though, barely, with only minor permanent brain damage.

Doesn't seem like all things come in three's. Same here. Are You Ready For Some Football! Wow, was it nice to see that on TV again. Over the coming years Eli vs. Peyton is going to be a good match up BUT Michael vs. Marcus (Vick's) may be the most exciting match up in years to come. Guess only time will tell.

Its Quest Time so...

Till Next Time!

Back to Basics

The toughest thing about success is that you've got to keep on being a success. Talent is only a starting point in this business. You've got to keep on working that talent. Someday I'll reach for it and it won't be there.
-Irving Berlin

So I am going back to the basics and begin again. Going to read Small Stakes Holdem again and deposit in Noble Poker for their $700 first deposit bonus as soon as I am done re-reading. Josh (72os.com) is making a killing in the $3/$6 games over there so, seeing that my desire to play is returning, I will start there.

I guess "begin again" is not really what is happening. I still have my bankroll and I can't really "unlearn" all that I have digested over the years so I guess it is more a shift of focus rather than a re-start. With my long background in sales, this was a common practice for me. After I would see my sales numbers slipping, I would always fine that I was skipping a step or two in the successful map I had going. So I would take a deap breathe and re-read some material and get back to doing what got me there. I think it is the same thing in poker.

I got to a point where I was out thinking myself and not playing the way I should be. I was getting outplayed by aggressive donkeys because I was trying to be cute and not aggressive myself. My game was suffering and the main problem was me. Sometimes that it a hard thing to see, much less admit to.

It is time to amp up the aggressiveness and play poker the way I know how to do it. It is back to texas holdem full time. I really enjoyed PLO8 and will continue to play, just not now. I have ordered Ray Zee's book on H/L games and will digest it before I continue on. There will be the occasional tournament or SnG but basically it will be cash ring games for the forseeable future.

It feels liberating making this decision. I am not sure the reason why. Maybe because I have finally picked one direction, a familiar one, and I'm going to stick with it. I really don't know, but feels good. So hoist your glasses this Labor Day with me and toast a new biginning to an old song.

~~~~~~~~~~

Also, please visit the Red Cross and help those in need the most in the Gulf Coast.


Till Next Time!

First of Many I am Sure

Absolute Poker is sponsoring an online donation "tournament" to raise money for the American Red Cross Hurricane Katrina Relief efforts. Absolute Poker will match all collected funds, donating 100 percent of money raised to help victims.

The tournaments have been set up specifically for donations and are not actual poker games. Those interested in participating can go to Absolute
Poker and choose a "Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund" tournament from the tournament lobby. Donors can register in any tourney, ranging from $1, $10, $25, $50, or $100 tables. Additionally, players can make account transfers from their own account to an account called, KATRINAFUND, directly through the automated system within the Absolute Poker Cashier tab.

Edit: Coming up on September 12th and 14th, PokerStars.com and Wil Wheaton will host two Hurricane Katrina Relief tournaments with all proceeds going to the American Red Cross. PokerStars will be matching every buy-in 100% and will be offering prizes to the winners.

As of right now, you'll find the tournaments under the "Tourney" and "Special" tabs.

Once again....

For the second time this year, the Red Cross needs your help bad. Man, the Gulf Coast is a mess. Please help if you can.

~~~~~~~~~~

On the poker front, nada. I even missed the Head Hunter Tournamant for 72os on Sunday. I haven't missed poker at all....till recently. I think I am getting close to jumping back in. After watching the Young Guns tourney on the Travel Channel tonight where they were chatting it up, laughing and having a lot of fun at the table. Even playing blind (David Wiliams) and getting cracked after flopping trips! Just got me to thinking about sitting and the tables again. I think my patience is back and ready for the test.

~~~~~~~~~~

On the Freeroll front, revamping of the site is complete. I always will tinker but like the new layout and organization. Messing with some SEO programs (free of course) and have learned SO MUCH! So I haven't been completely away from poker!

~~~~~~~~~~

My daughter turned 13 yesterday. 13!! I have a teenager. I remember my parents talking about "I remember when you were just X years old and you ....." Now I am doing it. I can't beleive 13....1 year to high school, 3 years to drive (As I keep getting reminded), 5 years till college. WOW time flies. Just another step closer to over the hill for me :)

Till Next Time!

Hurricane Katrina is suppose to make land fall Monday Morning. Hope it does the minimum amount of damage possible. Man it is HUGE!

Saw on the news that gas prices will rise again because of it. Like they needed an excuse. Having no excuse at all hasn't kept them from going up!

Truckin' is out. Go check it out.

Going to play another 72os Head Hunter tonight. They are starting to get to me. Finished in the money 4 out of 5 and still have not cashed in a bounty!

Till Next Time!

Almost Zero

I have not played any poker since my last post. Well, almost none. I have enjoyed the time "off". I did indulge in two headhunter tournaments at JetSet. I like them. One was with the 72os Crew , it was my first headhunter and was real fun. I finished 22nd when I floped a straight vs. trips and he hit runner runner full house. OUCH!

Last night I played a HH Sit N Go. Got ZERO cards for the whole thing except for maybe three hands and limped into third for a money finish. No heads though. So I think I will try some more of these. The concept for those who do not now is that each player starts the Sit N Go or Tournament with a bounty and if you take that person out, you win the bounty. Plus if you finish ITM, you win that also. Each players bounty is different based on JetSet's tournament leader board. The higher up the leader board they are, the more they are worth. Very cool concept and makes the game a lot more interesting.

Interesting news:

A women in Mecklenburg County, N.C., attempted to chase snakes out of a couch on her front porch by dousing the nest with lighter fluid, but then an accidentally dropped match set a fire large enough that she had to jump out a window to safety.

True story....out of newspaper.
So many jokes, so little time.

Till Next Time!