The [bl]og of Poker

New Year's Resolution

2005-12-28T11:45:00.000-07:00

Coming soon in 2006: Being now a few trip reports and several thousand dollars removed from my last post, I needed finally to exercise the therapeutic urge to confess all my left turns, my ill-advised jaunts to the ATMs, my misguided ambitions at the B&M casinos, and all things in between, not the least of which includes SuperGirl's brand new ride ... So much to say, with so little remembered

Plug

2005-10-17T17:29:00.000-07:00

I have registered to play in theOnline Poker Blogger Championship! This event is powered by PokerStars. Registration code: 3531607

2005-09-07T17:10:00.000-07:00

SuperGirl makes game time decision on go-to Bikini for the trip!

Vegas Eve

2005-09-07T11:16:00.000-07:00

Final preparations are in progress...We leave tomorrow morning for Las Vegas, taking with us only that which fits into carry-on luggage, and a p-h-a-t cashier check.I am officially in Vegas mode, having checked-off the remaining items off the 'Ease-into-Vegas' manual: Acquired party-pack of Migraine medication, chapstick and gum from Costco; Located cell phone charger, backup sunglasses and

Vegas Bankroll

2005-08-31T00:09:00.000-07:00

I just had a terrible 15/30 Hold’em session at PokerStars which cost me about $700. That’s not so bad given that the amount is fairly nominal a swing in a game of this limit. What is *bad* is that I’d been up over a thousand $! I attribute my loss to over-bluffing. I was called by bottom pair at least 4 different times by 4 different opponents, each time with a dangerous board exposed. It’s

Blue Ribbons are AWESOME!

2005-08-25T11:18:00.000-07:00

Seems a picture says a thousand words and inspires many more. Flush with the joy and sense of accomplishment stemming from having been awarded the first Blue Ribbon of my career, I am faced with the daunting task of a follow-up. I may have established precedence that transcends obligation! It's actually a tremendous honor to be recognized by a site as prestigious and comprehensive as OddJack --

2005-08-25T00:34:00.000-07:00

Another 850 points for this too ??

2005-08-25T00:33:00.001-07:00

850 points for this ?

2005-08-25T00:02:00.000-07:00

Luckiest Man in the World!

2005-08-24T23:44:00.000-07:00

Calm before the Bikini storm!...

Poker, Plasma and Bikinis

2005-08-24T15:13:00.000-07:00

Where have I been .... No excuses. No reasons. Well, teeny tiny reason if I may: We’re going to Vegas in 14 days and frankly, I needed to step away from Pokerworld to help preserve the ever crucial bankroll by not reading the mass of superb Blog content or indulging in my own degenerate-tipped weekly entries. Three weeks of not succumbing to dumping $1000 into my online Poker account for

part II - On The Road BACK

2005-08-02T17:02:00.000-07:00

I get to the casino and get into an immediate 10/20 game (leaving work early finally yields an advantage).The play if fast and serious. About 45 minutes after I arrive, I win my first pot with a set of Kings (trumping 2 other players each holding 2 pairs).Thereafter, the table is evenly matched, pots going uncontested, chips changing hands evenly and consistently. No player has less than $500 and

On The Road, part I

2005-07-28T23:00:00.000-07:00

With the volume slow at work, I checked-out early (4:30PM) thinking I'd beat everyone to the roads home. Normally, I don't drive home until 6-6:30PM and even then, it's busy ... but nothing compared to what I saw at 4:30PM yesterday!I'll chalk it up to being very misinformed of the exact mass of people "working" those tough 7-4 hours. Yeah, that must it (!)Seeing this chaos of single-occupied

The Fight

2005-07-27T14:58:00.000-07:00

As SuperGirl and I finish up our lunch at a favorite Ethiopian restaurant to return to our respective corporate dungeons, we agree to cap things off by going to the nearby Starbucks. Since we were in a small rush, we hit the drive-thru to save time. And that’s exactly the time I should have listened to my gut.See, I order the same thing every time, so drive-thru or

"They're gonna give daddy the Rain Man suite!"

2005-07-26T16:37:00.000-07:00

Ok, not quite... but you get the idea right? Vegas trip is booked September 8th through the 12th at the Paris Hotel & Casino! Almost forgot to mention: VEGAS BABY!!... Weekend after Labor Day, in perfect step for the NFL’s opening weekend, and the AVP Las Vegas Shootout at the Hard Rock! Birthday dinner party reserved at Rosemary’s Restaurant with Limo arrangements already made and paid for in

I have questions ... you got answers?

2005-07-22T16:03:00.000-07:00

Casual Friday: Just add this stupid subject to the mound of hypocritical horse shit that makes up the finer aspects of a nine-to-five sentence. If production levels aren’t adversely affected by denim and polo shirts on Fridays, then I don’t see the point of maintaining the wardrobe fatwa the other 4 days a week. If dressing professionally contributes to our fulfilling our jobs more

Few Words

2005-07-14T15:16:00.000-07:00

I’ve spent this week getting current on all things WSOP. There’s been much to write, but with all eyes and ears on that which matters most, I’ve chosen to defer the bulk of my posting for less competitive times.I’ve been rotating my online leisure time (is there any other kind?) mostly between TAO (live blogging updates are terrific), LasVegasLasVegas (great photos and commentary) and Cardplayer

To Buy or Sell WPTE

2005-07-08T09:42:00.000-07:00

From the "I should have bought at $14" Deptartment, seems Doyle and Co. have raised all-in. Scary.

Thought on a great Post

2005-07-07T11:59:00.000-07:00

Know what the difference between hitting .250 and .300 is? It's 25 hits. 25 hits in 500 at bats is 50 points, okay? There's 6 months in a season, that's about 25 weeks. That means if you get just one extra flare a week - just one - a gorp... you get a groundball, you get a groundball with eyes... you get a dying quail, just one more dying quail a week... and you're in Yankee Stadium.- Crash Davis

p.453 - Playing Big Pairs

2005-07-05T00:16:00.000-07:00

p.453 - Playing Big Pairs What can I say... Happy 4th of July?My tournament ambitions crushed, I took to enjoying the remaining of my 4th of July long weekend getting up-to-date with various matters of self import -- chief among them, ensuring SuperGirl's bikini was schematically within 4th of July acceptable standards and colors.What is SuperGirl doing with SuperSystem? So pleased you asked:In

News from the Web while on Break...

2005-07-02T18:32:00.000-07:00

I'm on break... happy to have made it this far in lieue of SuperGirl's recent choice of coiffure!FYI:Stack: largest 34475, smallest 525, average 6717Your current position is 240 out of 430Thank god for GoldenPalace.com -- they did the right thing at the expense of her forehead, saving a woman's concern over her child's public school formation.Not sure which is scarier, the catch, or the

Excuses

2005-07-02T18:30:00.000-07:00

SuperGirl goes Curly

Tournament Trail

2005-07-02T17:58:00.000-07:00

As good as it good... This was as good as it got for me today on PokerStars small NL HoldEm Tournament. Though it looks here that I would be in great shape, my undoing would come at the hands of Yoda seated to my left, who took my raises personally it seemed, and eventually busted me an hour or so later at a different table. I finished 72nd. This has most definitely something to do with SuperGirl

Short session, good profit

2005-06-29T12:22:00.001-07:00

Ok, I couldn't resist. While watching the minions of short-seller give me the collective finger on my GOOGLE stock, I decided to look no further than PokerStars to help detract me.Perhaps it would deter me away from resurrecting the Shredded Wheat from my lower intestine all over my keyboard (they were frosted though, potential for an easy clean-up), watching my portfolio succumb to the

2005-06-29T12:22:00.000-07:00

Welcome Back, me!

Casino DVD review

2005-06-28T10:38:00.000-07:00

This movie is someplace in my top 5 all time. That said, this DVD is certainly not worth buying to replace the one probably collecting dust in your collection already.The Bad: There is no director or DeNiro real-time commentary track -- which alone would have been worth any price; in its place, there are what the marketing department has coined "moments with Martin Scoresese [et al]..." where he,

Favorite Acronym and Depts

2005-06-27T13:16:00.000-07:00

Awwwe yeah... WAH (Working At Home) .... all week.Now, I'm faced with having to start thinking about whether or not I want to give the online game another shot. Like I've mentioned in a previous post, I'm unsure if 'I got game' to play with the tricky combination of increasingly sharp players, and a good share of the effectively "right place/right time" dead money clan of the online poker

ATL, Airplanes and Generalities

2005-06-24T13:38:00.000-07:00

So we're flush with winnings -- and I'm working out angles figuring out if the statute of limitation of years of losses at Bally's from earlier in the decade is enough to still secure me a comped room for the next week, in hopes of parlaying SuperGirl's great win into WSOP fame and fortune.But before I can say "King Size, no smoking", I get a call from the management office which handles a rental

Trip Report - part 2 - Stick & Move

2005-06-23T15:51:00.000-07:00

I don't know how she did it.Here's what happens: I'm sitting at the 10/20 HE game, out of my element, as the 4th of only 8 aggressive players at the table. I'm in my 2nd hour, down around $190 & change, with no word of SuperGirl. In a way, I don't want to see her, in fear of her saying that she's already hit the negative 300$ mark (provision for one of us seeking the other out), but I'm still

Trip Report - part 1 - Valets and Bankrolls

2005-06-21T11:14:00.000-07:00

By the time SuperGirl and I extract ourselves from Friday afternoon rush hour, and into Casino Arizona's valet parking, we're barely recuperating from post-roadrage disorder, and feel about as piqued to gamble as Senator John Kyle is to post a big blind.SuperGirl gets out of the driver's seat and desperately looks to grab our claim ticket so she can quickly get to a bar and convalesce

Imminent Poker and BlackJack Night

2005-06-17T14:39:00.000-07:00

Joy. Sirius ($6.02) and XM (32.99) have been granted permission to sell their respective services in Canada. I wouldn't consider starting my post with such commercial information were it not for the 1000 shares of Sirius occupying a long tenured position in my IRA."It's all timing anyway. That's what poker is all about." - T.J. Cloutier in response to winning his 6th WSOP bracelet. So simple. So

Misc.

2005-06-16T12:03:00.000-07:00

Why do players want to yawn uncontrollably during the most intensely scrutinized moments they'll likely ever have at a poker table? I don't get it.Michael Gracz, winner of the most recently televised WPT tournament, apparently suffered from several moments of incredible fatigue during the PartyPoker Million IV tournament.He didn't exactly come across as a subscriber to "Conversationalist Weekly",

2005-06-15T20:31:00.000-07:00

So many Capes, so little time!...

Back in Black, track 4

2005-06-15T12:07:00.000-07:00

At last keystroke, I'd been hoping SuperGirl would allow me to show more revealing degrees of her photogenic essence, reward for doubling my online bankroll AND providing her a pair of shoes (equal in price to that of my Polk audio receiver). Near the end of the term, I had abandoned the idea of pursuing this task on-line for reasons already hashed, and headed instead to the local casino where

Good News

2005-05-20T09:44:00.000-07:00

Having had to take matters into a real B&M casino in order to satisfy SuperGirl's challenge, I'm pleased to report that I've achieved fairly good levels of success, but not of the "double-the-bankroll' variety -- I'm close though, with 8 hours to go until Supergirl's flight checks in. It's going to be difficult to get to the promised land being at work and all, but you never know ... maybe I can

Sudden Exit & Depts of Interest

2005-05-18T11:21:00.000-07:00

At last update, I had approximately $400 remaining. I worked it back close to $500 thanks to a few small pots and the penultimate installment of my Noblepoker bonus.I've since cashed out due to the following 2 reasons: Occasionally (it happened 3 times to me), a player's graphic will exclude the bankroll total. Without seeing the chips, I've had to guess if whether or not my opponent is legit

Important Observations

2005-05-15T13:23:00.000-07:00

GOLD LEADER: I can't maneuver!GOLD FIVE: Stay on target.GOLD LEADER: We're too close.GOLD FIVE: Stay on target!GOLD LEADER: Loosen up![..!..]GOLD FIVE: They came from behind.In small stakes Poker, there is always someone in pursuit. It's unavoidable. In one of poker's great paradoxes , this pursuit is necessary in order to be profitable; however, if the subject of pursuit cannot fend off straight

2005-05-14T15:37:00.000-07:00

Progress...SuperGirl return t-6 days and counting...

2005-05-13T17:17:00.000-07:00

The Score

2005-05-13T12:55:00.000-07:00

It's bird! It's a plane! No... it's... ... the Tush TAO of SuperGirl!Could she? Did she? ... Yes! In a divine gesture of good will and partly in giddy celebration of Las Vegas' Centennial, SuperGirl has allowed this shot to emerge on these here pages, foreshadowing (or backshadowing) what could be a (better?) glimpse of things to come, should I manage to double my bankroll.I know what your

Challenge and other trivialities

2005-05-13T10:12:00.000-07:00

SuperGirl has been watching me ... carefully. She sees that I'm arriving to bed later and later. She's not SuperGirl for nothing - her supersenses tell her that I'm neck-high in the pursuit of Poker glory, whereas RegularGirl would suspect a covert cultivation of an obsession with porn.In the last few days, there's been little talk about gains and losses; she's asked how I've been doing in

Congrats

2005-05-12T14:50:00.000-07:00

Congrats to BigPirate on winning the prestigious WPBT WSOP Qualifier. For a daily TAO perspective, I'm sure you know where to go.I so wish I'd have finished stronger -- I think the whole night was doomed. After my early completion of the tournament, I played some 5/10HE with some of the Noble riffraff. Nothing eventful except winning a huge stack from a guy who kept betting his flush into my

2005-05-12T08:41:00.000-07:00

There can be only ONE !

Must...rebuild ... Confidence ...

2005-05-11T19:15:00.000-07:00

Ok... Nothing worse than being knocked out 70'ish place of a tournament in which only 81 people are registered, but about which all are likely to publish, reference and/or mock in some narrative capacity or another across the entire WWW.This was my great opportunity to get a loyal readership interested in more than just scandalous glimpses into SuperGirl's wardrobe adventures.So, I must regain my

2005-05-11T19:14:00.000-07:00

Next to the BlogFather Himself...when times were hopeful, dreams were colorful, and bankrolls were intact!

Choke

2005-05-11T18:35:00.000-07:00

Ok... why am I updating this blog at this time of this day ??Because I was knocked out of the WPBT tournament by TuscaloosaJohnny, who reckoned aloud that my raise seemed a touch high. Don't know about you, but that's typically the kind of analysis I often like to dispense to my victim after winning pretty big pots.Who knows.. maybe there'll be a consolation prize to the blogger who can update

Calm Before the Storm

2005-05-11T10:14:00.000-07:00

... ok ... Before I illustrate what happens when arrogance, a false sense of skill, and bad luck collide, let me begin this post by sharing my furor about Starbucks raising (no pun intended) their price for Soy milk by over 100% !!Is it not enough to pay ridiculous premiums for frothed milk, syrups and a few ounces of coffee? Are we not inconvenienced enough by having to wait up to 15 minutes for

2005-05-11T00:09:00.000-07:00

Top of the world!

2005-05-09T23:32:00.000-07:00

Told you it was SuperGirl

Sidebar about Noble

2005-05-07T16:27:00.000-07:00

While you register using Iggy's link, you might be solicited by a rogue customer rep manifesting herself via a standard web chat interface (to help with cold feet no doubt), enticing you further to register by offering a $10 "limited time" bonus. The moral here is to take your time in registering; the "bonus angel" will appear before you know it.By the way, here is some of the fine print

Unrelated and Random

2005-05-07T11:51:00.000-07:00

Being new to this exercise, I wanted to give credit to Iggy for helping me get some of the basics down to Blogdom "fame and fortune", and (as Anthony reminded me) unknowingly allowing me to steal fellow Poker Blogger links off his page (though I haven't yet been through all of them, if they are worthy enough for Iggy, they are most certainly good enough for me).I will make a dedicated effort in

Bad Timing

2005-05-04T11:12:00.000-07:00

Let me first start by offering thanks to the few of you who've left encouraging feedback. It's most appreciated.Where we were? Right! Once SuperGirl's 'expectations' were realigned, we sat platonically, logged-in and registered for a PokerStars.com tournament. This was of the $3+ variety whose top winners would get seats into larger tournaments, eventually to win a seat in the WSOP.Fortunately,

2005-05-03T00:38:00.000-07:00

Will you put something on?? I have the nuts!

Pandora Averted

2005-05-02T11:07:00.000-07:00

Nothing spells relief quite like compromise. Seeing what SuperGirl had in mind with respect to hair, make-up and wardrobe choices for the casino, I immediately had second through fourth thoughts, and proposed instead that she ride shotgun at my laptop, watching me in action (at PokerStars.com) compete in a satellite tournament for a seat at the WSOP.I didn't want to stroll into the casino and

2005-04-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

Going to the casino like that??!

The Spanish Inquisition

2005-04-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

I return home from 'the grind' and face a few rounds of the Spanish --err-- Puerto Rican Inquisition. Sipping slowly from her coffee (whose recipe is inherited from SuperGirl's less super mother, and revealed to infidels [non Puerto Ricans] marrying into the family only after 10 years of marriage), she poses calculated questions, all aimed I believe at revealing the answer to, "Is he fucking

2005-04-21T18:54:00.000-07:00

SuperGirl cozy w/her Spanish Coffee & 2nd favorite comforter! This is what Supergirl looked like when I returned from the Grindout. Sight for sore eyes.Coming up: "How much did you win tonight honey?"

The Grind

2005-04-20T14:58:00.000-07:00

I've been less than faithful to this exercise since it's clear NONE OF YOU FIND ME OR MY WIT TERRIBLY INTERESTING!! If I could figure out how to link-up all poker related blogs to mine, I think I'd get some traffic. No one has read my posts but me. So, given this audience, I will not feel too bad about writing less frequently.Now. Back to the casino -- equipped with five 100$ bills per the '

The return of the Bankroll

2005-04-05T15:34:00.000-07:00

There was no choice but to buy a fantastic purse for SuperGirl. This was the only way I could secure the return of my bankroll without having to make ridiculous vows about Poker gains and the time needed away from her to earn them.I took her to SnootyVille where we traded $450 for what I mistook for a miniature version of a purse it purported to represent. Wrong. It's was that size by design.

2005-03-23T14:59:00.000-07:00

SuperGirl (behind) the Eight Ball!

Meet Super Girl

2005-03-22T14:37:00.000-07:00

Super Girl was pissed. Super Girl's idea of marriage is one completely bereft of spending any weekend evening apart in which either one of us (code for "me") is at a casino, strip joint or car dealership. I suppose were it a Monday, all bets would be off!On my way home, I stopped off at Fashion Square Mall to pick up a pair of jeans from Lucky, Super Girl's favorite maison-de-denim, thinking that

Very Good Start

2005-03-21T13:09:00.000-07:00

Easy Street and River Avenue. That's the intersection where I spent the last few days doing my best impression of a humble and skillful card shark. Had you seen it, you'd all agree that it was, alas, a very bad impression.Buy-in at seat#1 (left of the dealer) for 3/5ths of my stake at the 10-20 HE table awaiting a spot on one of the more modest and abundant 6-12 HE games. Normally, I'd buy-in for

It has begun...

2005-03-17T18:06:00.000-07:00

Waiting for Super Girl to return from her adventures among the infidels at Walmart, I'm eagerly hoping she refrained from self check-out so that she can make it here FAST (all so that our four- legged friends of the furry nation will be under two-legged supervision at all times of the day). I am waiting for her with $500 dollars plucked freshly from a Bank of America ATM, which as I clicked on "I

Genesis 1:1

2005-03-16T16:22:00.000-07:00

In no small part due to a steady decline in job satisfaction, I've afforded myself some time to incomplete a peruse of the massive volumes of poker scripture that has become poker blogdom. This is a world it seems comprised of would-be writers, born-again with the infectious Poker spirit spreading the holy Poker word URL by URL and no-limt rebuy after another. This virus is immune to bankruptcy,