I got a new set of KEM cards this week. A very thoughtfull coworker brought them back from Seattel for me. I've never had a nice set of cards so I was excited to have a chance to try them out tonight. Another bud had his in-laws in town and the father and brother wanted to play some poker. The email went out and we had a table of 7 before you knew it.
The night started out great. Somewhere in the fisrt level I get KK. I put out a moderate raise and get a couple of callers. The flop comes KQX rainbow. Beautiful. I think I checked and got a small bet that I called. Another blank on the turn and I lead out with a nice bet and get one caller (the guy who bought the cards for me). The turn is the 4th K. Seems to me there were 3 clubs as well. I make another healthy bet (like 400). B calls asking if I have a larger flush. I answer 'I have a larger one.' He agrees.
I made the 'money' in that first tourney, but then the cards turned on me in an ugly way. We are 3 way now and I get K9 in the big blind. The button folds and the small blind calls. I check to see a flop. The flop comes 993. I've got a good stack, but a little below average. The small blind bets 400 and I go all in. He calls and turns over 1010. I love it and show the 9. The turn is a 4 and the river is a ... Ten. I can not believe it. If you go back to my last posting about a tournament, it was pocket tens that busted me out by catching a 10 on the river when I had the hand dominated.
OK math wizards, what are the odds of getting kicked out of two tournaments in a row by the same hand that catches the same card on the river both times. That's poker.
The final tournament wasn't any better. I got down a bit early when good starting hands wouldn't catch anything. I got back by catching a good card to put one player out. So I had a moderate chip stack. At this point we are 4 way. I'm in the big bling with K10o. The small bI have top pair with a great kicker. The small blind bets 400. He is a pretty tight player, but he has low starting standards so I'm hoping he caught a 10 with a lower kicker or an 8 with a good kicker. I go all in and he calls. Can you guess what he has. Yep, 10 10! The only other tens in the deck. That must be almost impossible. Neither of us improve and I'm out to Tens for the third straight tourney. Any math wizes got odds on that?
Maybe next time.
third straight tourney. Any math wizes got odds on that?
Maybe next time.
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Whoa Ho! China Grove!
Looks like they had a little dust up in China Grove.
Normally I hate it when the police ignore real crime to bust up a friendly home game. In this case, it was not a friendly home game, but a for profit business. That really doesn't bother me. If you run an illicit business like this, you can expect to get arested. It's a cost of doing business. I really prefer that the house not take a rake. If I want to play for high stakes, I'll go to AC or Vegas. Good luck guys.
Salisbury Post
CHINA GROVE — SBI agents and local law enforcement officers raided a poker game two weeks ago on Stirewalt Road where the buy-in fee for players was $500 each.
The Texas hold 'em poker game promised a 90 percent payoff, with the "house" keeping 10 percent.
With a $7,500 pot in the mix Nov. 9, the winner would have received 55 percent, or $4,125.
But officers raided the game halfway through the night's first hand.
A pair of armed, undercover officers were among the night's 15 players.
Lt. Kevin Auten, head of the Rowan County Sheriff's Department's special investigations unit, said the District Attorney's office was concerned mainly with bringing gambling charges against three men who were running the game and possibly two dealers.
No charges have been filed against the other players.
"That's where the line was drawn," Auten said.
The Sheriff's Department charged David Alexander Tilley, 63, of 2020 Stirewalt Road, China Grove; Charles Lewis Fellows of 1224 S. Fulton St., Salisbury; and John Luther Safrit of 931 N. Main St., Salisbury.
All three were charged with one count each of gambling, a Class 2 misdemeanor. Their first court appearance will be Dec. 16 in Rowan County District Court.
The game was being held in a garage at Tilley's residence.
Fellows was the "meet-and-greet fellow at the door," Auten said, and players paid their $500 buy-in to Safrit. The trio also were players. The two dealers were in addition to the 15 players.
The names and telephone numbers of Tilley and Fellows also were listed on a flyer that was being circulated to advertise the Wednesday night games.
Auten said it's believed that the Nov. 9 game was only the second one held at Tilley's residence.
A citizen made the Sheriff's Department aware of the flyer being circulated. It promised a 90 percent payoff, with 55 percent going to the night's winner, 20 percent to second place, 10 percent to third place and $500 (a return of the buy-in fee) for fourth place.
The flyer also noted that parking was in the back and entry to the garage was through a back door. "Doors opened" at 5 p.m. and closed at 6:30 p.m., according to the flyer.
Auten said the garage had blankets over the windows. Snacks and drinks were available, but no alcohol, he added.
Members of the SBN, Sheriff's Department, Landis Police Department and Salisbury Police Department executed the search warrant that allowed them to break up the game.
Officers seized the $7,500 that represented the players' entry fees. The SBN processed the scene.
Auten said this particular raid doesn't mean his investigations unit is scouring the county, looking for poker games at people's houses. But this particular game drew the Sheriff's Department's attention for two reasons.
Clearly, from the flyers in hand, the game was being run out of Tilley's house as a for-profit business, Auten said. The profit for the house on Nov. 9 would have been $750, for example.
Officers also were concerned about the flyers which, by calling the telephone numbers provided, directed people to the game.
Auten said it presented a safety concern in that anybody — someone armed, for example, and unknown to the game's sponsors and other players — could arrive at the residence knowing a large amount of money was going to be on hand.
The fact that the undercover officers were able to buy into the game offered proof enough, Auten noted.
"That flyer — we got it, who else could have gotten it?" Auten said.
Auten said he is not aware that the men charged have faced prior gambling charges.
Normally I hate it when the police ignore real crime to bust up a friendly home game. In this case, it was not a friendly home game, but a for profit business. That really doesn't bother me. If you run an illicit business like this, you can expect to get arested. It's a cost of doing business. I really prefer that the house not take a rake. If I want to play for high stakes, I'll go to AC or Vegas. Good luck guys.
Salisbury Post
CHINA GROVE — SBI agents and local law enforcement officers raided a poker game two weeks ago on Stirewalt Road where the buy-in fee for players was $500 each.
The Texas hold 'em poker game promised a 90 percent payoff, with the "house" keeping 10 percent.
With a $7,500 pot in the mix Nov. 9, the winner would have received 55 percent, or $4,125.
But officers raided the game halfway through the night's first hand.
A pair of armed, undercover officers were among the night's 15 players.
Lt. Kevin Auten, head of the Rowan County Sheriff's Department's special investigations unit, said the District Attorney's office was concerned mainly with bringing gambling charges against three men who were running the game and possibly two dealers.
No charges have been filed against the other players.
"That's where the line was drawn," Auten said.
The Sheriff's Department charged David Alexander Tilley, 63, of 2020 Stirewalt Road, China Grove; Charles Lewis Fellows of 1224 S. Fulton St., Salisbury; and John Luther Safrit of 931 N. Main St., Salisbury.
All three were charged with one count each of gambling, a Class 2 misdemeanor. Their first court appearance will be Dec. 16 in Rowan County District Court.
The game was being held in a garage at Tilley's residence.
Fellows was the "meet-and-greet fellow at the door," Auten said, and players paid their $500 buy-in to Safrit. The trio also were players. The two dealers were in addition to the 15 players.
The names and telephone numbers of Tilley and Fellows also were listed on a flyer that was being circulated to advertise the Wednesday night games.
Auten said it's believed that the Nov. 9 game was only the second one held at Tilley's residence.
A citizen made the Sheriff's Department aware of the flyer being circulated. It promised a 90 percent payoff, with 55 percent going to the night's winner, 20 percent to second place, 10 percent to third place and $500 (a return of the buy-in fee) for fourth place.
The flyer also noted that parking was in the back and entry to the garage was through a back door. "Doors opened" at 5 p.m. and closed at 6:30 p.m., according to the flyer.
Auten said the garage had blankets over the windows. Snacks and drinks were available, but no alcohol, he added.
Members of the SBN, Sheriff's Department, Landis Police Department and Salisbury Police Department executed the search warrant that allowed them to break up the game.
Officers seized the $7,500 that represented the players' entry fees. The SBN processed the scene.
Auten said this particular raid doesn't mean his investigations unit is scouring the county, looking for poker games at people's houses. But this particular game drew the Sheriff's Department's attention for two reasons.
Clearly, from the flyers in hand, the game was being run out of Tilley's house as a for-profit business, Auten said. The profit for the house on Nov. 9 would have been $750, for example.
Officers also were concerned about the flyers which, by calling the telephone numbers provided, directed people to the game.
Auten said it presented a safety concern in that anybody — someone armed, for example, and unknown to the game's sponsors and other players — could arrive at the residence knowing a large amount of money was going to be on hand.
The fact that the undercover officers were able to buy into the game offered proof enough, Auten noted.
"That flyer — we got it, who else could have gotten it?" Auten said.
Auten said he is not aware that the men charged have faced prior gambling charges.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Headache - Sore Throat - Cold
Yuck. For the past week, I've been dealing with a cold. I'm on the back side of it now, but it sure has been inconvenient. With Mr. C in and now just out of the hospital, I've had to keep my distance. The last thing that poor man needs is to catch my cold. My wife has ordered me to get well by Thursday. I have to admit, it's a good idea. I just don't have much control over the situation.
I started writing up the story of how I got from Tobey Maguire to having the two greatest poker players in the world call my ailing father-in-law. It will most likely end up a corney piece of garbage, but it's a good exercise none the less.
As I mentioned eariler, Mr. C is out of the hospital. They let him go last night. I am sure he is much more comfortable at home, but it didn't start out that way. We had a nice little rain storm and something happened to the power at his house. It was out all night. The temperature in the house got down to 61. I don't think the poor man has warmed up yet. But things are better now. Once the cable and high-speed internet start working again, he will be in good shape.
My grandmother will also be home for Thanksgiving. She has been in rehab since the end of her hospitalization for a blood clot in her leg. She will only be home for the day. With some luck and hard work, she will be home permanently in a couple weeks.
I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving. If you live in Canada I hope you already had a good Thanksgiving, and if you live elsewhere, make it the best Thursday ever.
I started writing up the story of how I got from Tobey Maguire to having the two greatest poker players in the world call my ailing father-in-law. It will most likely end up a corney piece of garbage, but it's a good exercise none the less.
As I mentioned eariler, Mr. C is out of the hospital. They let him go last night. I am sure he is much more comfortable at home, but it didn't start out that way. We had a nice little rain storm and something happened to the power at his house. It was out all night. The temperature in the house got down to 61. I don't think the poor man has warmed up yet. But things are better now. Once the cable and high-speed internet start working again, he will be in good shape.
My grandmother will also be home for Thanksgiving. She has been in rehab since the end of her hospitalization for a blood clot in her leg. She will only be home for the day. With some luck and hard work, she will be home permanently in a couple weeks.
I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving. If you live in Canada I hope you already had a good Thanksgiving, and if you live elsewhere, make it the best Thursday ever.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Weekly Wrap
It has been a slow week. But then what week wouldn't be slow after traveling to Las Vegas, making a bunch of new friends, meeting 2 people who are famous as the best in their field and generally having a great time. On the other hand, I've picked up a nice little cold. That has helped me to slow down and concentrate on what lies ahead.
Mr. C had his operation this week and I am happy to report that he is doing well. There were some options that the doctors were prepared to use if necessary. Each of the options would have either extended Mr. C's recovery time or made a great change in his quality of life. Luckily, they had to use none of the options. Everything went as smoothly as could have been hoped. He should be out of the hospital early next week.
I've also been spending some time thinking about what lies ahead of me. Each of us goes through times when we wish we could just lock everything down and keep life just the way it is. The past couple of years seemed like that to me. The job was good. The house needed attention and I liked doing fix-up. The wife, the friends, church; all good. I could always earn more or have a few more toys, but having things to look forward to is a big part of being happy.
Most of the above is still great. Family is a little sick at this time, but it looks like everyone will recover. The job is a bit rocky and I'm not sure how long I'm going to want to continue in this role I have now. I have so many things that I want to learn and I don't think that is going to happen in my current group. If I can't make this group work, I'm pretty sure I can find something else inside the company (Microsoft) to satisfy me. I've got almost 12 years invested here and I don't want to cash that in just yet.
I'm also looking to design and publish an internet web site for selling photographs. I have had some success in selling some of the prints that I've posted to my other web sites and pictures that I've taken at various events (weddings, poker tournaments). I think it is about time to look more professional. If making it easier to order makes for more sales then I'll take that too.
Gee, if that wasn't enough, me and the wife have been making plans to remodel our kitchen and adding a large sunroom to the house. We've secured the home equity line. Now we need to get someone to help us with the plans.
As you can tell, I'm big on knowing what needs to be done. I'm just not that big on getting things done right now. I guess it is time to make a list and start checking them off.
Mr. C had his operation this week and I am happy to report that he is doing well. There were some options that the doctors were prepared to use if necessary. Each of the options would have either extended Mr. C's recovery time or made a great change in his quality of life. Luckily, they had to use none of the options. Everything went as smoothly as could have been hoped. He should be out of the hospital early next week.
I've also been spending some time thinking about what lies ahead of me. Each of us goes through times when we wish we could just lock everything down and keep life just the way it is. The past couple of years seemed like that to me. The job was good. The house needed attention and I liked doing fix-up. The wife, the friends, church; all good. I could always earn more or have a few more toys, but having things to look forward to is a big part of being happy.
Most of the above is still great. Family is a little sick at this time, but it looks like everyone will recover. The job is a bit rocky and I'm not sure how long I'm going to want to continue in this role I have now. I have so many things that I want to learn and I don't think that is going to happen in my current group. If I can't make this group work, I'm pretty sure I can find something else inside the company (Microsoft) to satisfy me. I've got almost 12 years invested here and I don't want to cash that in just yet.
I'm also looking to design and publish an internet web site for selling photographs. I have had some success in selling some of the prints that I've posted to my other web sites and pictures that I've taken at various events (weddings, poker tournaments). I think it is about time to look more professional. If making it easier to order makes for more sales then I'll take that too.
Gee, if that wasn't enough, me and the wife have been making plans to remodel our kitchen and adding a large sunroom to the house. We've secured the home equity line. Now we need to get someone to help us with the plans.
As you can tell, I'm big on knowing what needs to be done. I'm just not that big on getting things done right now. I guess it is time to make a list and start checking them off.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Reality
I got back to Charlotte about an hour late on Monday morning and decided to go into work to handle a few issues. I made it through to about 1 o’clock when I felt myself starting to crash. So I went home and did just that. After a few hours of sleep I got up to visit with Mrs. K and worked until midnight. Four more hours of sleep and then it was time to head for the hospital.
There is just no good analogy for what life is like right now. Friday night I’m hanging out with Johnny Chan and Doyle Brunson and Tuesday I’m sitting in a hospital waiting room. Mr. C’s big operation is today. My wife got to the hospital at 5 am. I followed at 6. It is now 3 pm and we have been told hourly that things are going well. The operation was supposed to take between 3.5 and 5 hours. It has now been 8 hours. It gets frightening when an already stressful situation doesn’t go according to plan.
Everone is holding up as best they can but I’ve seen about every member of the family in tears. Only for a bit, but it’s hard to watch none the less.
One hour later: The doctors finished up finally. Everything is going to be OK. The operation was a success. Mr. C’s recovery will take 5-10 days of hospitalization and 8 to 10 weeks total, but recovery should be total with no permanent change in lifestyle. Praise God. There have been so many well wishes. The whole family thanks every one of you.
Two hours more: I'm home now. Tonight's assignment is to hold down the home front. I feed the dogs, put our charity clothing for pickup and post a week's postings to the blog. What a week with lots more to come.
There is just no good analogy for what life is like right now. Friday night I’m hanging out with Johnny Chan and Doyle Brunson and Tuesday I’m sitting in a hospital waiting room. Mr. C’s big operation is today. My wife got to the hospital at 5 am. I followed at 6. It is now 3 pm and we have been told hourly that things are going well. The operation was supposed to take between 3.5 and 5 hours. It has now been 8 hours. It gets frightening when an already stressful situation doesn’t go according to plan.
Everone is holding up as best they can but I’ve seen about every member of the family in tears. Only for a bit, but it’s hard to watch none the less.
One hour later: The doctors finished up finally. Everything is going to be OK. The operation was a success. Mr. C’s recovery will take 5-10 days of hospitalization and 8 to 10 weeks total, but recovery should be total with no permanent change in lifestyle. Praise God. There have been so many well wishes. The whole family thanks every one of you.
Two hours more: I'm home now. Tonight's assignment is to hold down the home front. I feed the dogs, put our charity clothing for pickup and post a week's postings to the blog. What a week with lots more to come.
Monday, November 14, 2005
Down Sunday
Today is a down day. After the hetic pace of the last few days, that is a relief. I woke up around 10 am, surprisingly fresh considering I didn’t get to bed until about 5 am. I’ll pay that price later. I got packed and checked out of the room around 11. I stored my bags at the bell station and went for brunch. Then it was time for some poker. I played $2-4 limit for 4 hours and took a total of $24. Not a great rate or pay per hour (almost 1.2 big bets per hour) but it was high of entertainment value.
Then I went to talk to Monster about what was next and to listen to the conversations between the partners. I have a lot to learn about this business, just out of interest for now, but who knows what the future holds.
There was one more item on the list exciting events. Monster and I went the Steak House at Treasure Island with Trish from the Doyle Brunson Poker Network for a possible dinner with Johnny Chan. The meal was great but Johnny was busy with something at the Venician, so no Johnny Chan tonight.
From TI, it was time to go to the airport for the overnight trip back to Charlotte and the real world. It is so much fun stepping out of the grind and doing good work for folks that really appreciate what I do. That is certainly the case with ZTP, both players and management. I’m really looking forward to doing more in the future.
Tuesday is Mr. C’s operation so the jolt back to reality will be swift, but I as so grateful for the events of the last few weeks that I have a great deal of energy to give. Mrs. K’s family will need a great deal of help over the next few weeks. I’ll be there.
Then I went to talk to Monster about what was next and to listen to the conversations between the partners. I have a lot to learn about this business, just out of interest for now, but who knows what the future holds.
There was one more item on the list exciting events. Monster and I went the Steak House at Treasure Island with Trish from the Doyle Brunson Poker Network for a possible dinner with Johnny Chan. The meal was great but Johnny was busy with something at the Venician, so no Johnny Chan tonight.
From TI, it was time to go to the airport for the overnight trip back to Charlotte and the real world. It is so much fun stepping out of the grind and doing good work for folks that really appreciate what I do. That is certainly the case with ZTP, both players and management. I’m really looking forward to doing more in the future.
Tuesday is Mr. C’s operation so the jolt back to reality will be swift, but I as so grateful for the events of the last few weeks that I have a great deal of energy to give. Mrs. K’s family will need a great deal of help over the next few weeks. I’ll be there.
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Sunday
Wow, what a whirlwind. This is Vegas, baby.
Where to start? The poker play is starting to come around. I played positive poker to get back my losses from Friday, but nothing real special.
The party for Doyle was something so special, it was one of those events that I’ll be remembering for years. Of course Doyle Brunson was there in his trademark hat and smile. He is every bit the gentleman that I’ve seen on TV. He sat for pictures with everyone who wanted one. He signed anything that was put in front of him.
The next thing we know Johnny Chan walks in. He too was gracious and a gentleman and as nice as could be. But the reason for the trip became clear. Not just the trip actually, maybe the whole last year starting with the “Tobey Maguire Incident.”
Those who follow this space know some about the illness that is facing my father-in-law, Mr. C. He loves Vegas and wanted to come with me on this trip and I wanted him here. He is always a hell of a lot of fun to be around. Illness kept him home for this trip, but I still wanted to share this event with him. I asked Doyle if he would speak to Mr. C and he said “of course” with out hesitation. I rang him up and he and Doyle chatted for a few minutes.
Fifteen minutes later I ask the same of Johnny Chan and got the same response, an enthusiastic ‘Sure”. My wife reports that Mr. C didn’t get any sleep that night and has had a great time telling his friends and family about his calls. I couldn’t be any happier about how that worked out. Getting this
opportunity right at this time goes beyond lucky and moves strongly into miraculous. I am humbled to have been chosen to be the vehicle to make it happen.After the party we all went down to the poker room to shoot the cover of the first Rounders Magazine with Doyle and Johnny at Binion’s final table. I’ve never done a magazine cover to say the least, but it went really well. I think we got several shots to use.
Then it was time for more poker where I took down another $50. Unlike most of the Tilt Zero crew, I hit the hay about 1:30.
Saturday was consumed by the “Fear and Tilting in Las Vegas” (FATLV) poker tournament. The event attracted almost 200 participants each paying $260. The winner of the event was to take home over $12k cash, a $1500 seat in a 2006 WSOP event, a real nice watch, a very big trophy and other various prizes.
The folks at Binion’s know how to run a tourney. Michael and Carol were running around all night shifting players, breaking tables and keeping players informed as the tourney progressed. I am quite impressed with the Binion’s in general and these two in particular. Kidos.
The tourney started at 6 pm and didn’t wrap unitl almost 3 am with the top two players chopping the money and playing for the seat and other goodies. There was one semi-famous player competing. Andy Nguin (sp?) was the winner of the casino employees event at this past year’s WSOP. Andy was seated, bracelet and all and did very well and making the money.
Read more about the event and the entire weekend at www.tiltzeropoker.com
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Friday, November 11, 2005
Next stop, Vegas
I finally got to Vegas about 2.5 hours late, but things smoothed out from there. I met up with Monster and Jason at the appointed spot at the airport and we were on our way.
The first stop was to pick up Zaina. She is the ZTP poker babe. I found out that I’m supposed to shoot some pictures of her for the site this weekend though I have no idea when our where. I’m letting Monster handle the details.
After a short stop at Casa de Monster where we meet up with Chris, Matt, and Kelly (Jason’s Special K), we are off to Binion’s. It’s a little thing, but it was cool just riding around and seeing
sides of Vegas that I’ve not seen before like the strip from a distance and a lot of the casinos that I’ve not been to.In any case, we got to Binions and the fun starts almost immediately. First thing, Gus Hanson wanders past us on his way to do an interview for a new Fox poker series (Inside Poker if I remember correctly). Gus is great about posing for some pictures with the TZP gang. Next we see Chris Moneymaker playing in the $60 tournament. (What’s that all about?) Chris is a great guy. I watched him graciously pose for pictures, sign autographs, chat, and do whatever he could for the fans. I kinds of felt sorry for him until I remembered that this was his full time job – Be nice (marketable) and play poker.
Next up at the Fox chair was Mrs. K’s favorite (not), Mike the Mouth Matusow. I don’t think Mike ever stops. I’ve heard people I trust say that his abrasiveness is just a table persona, but I no longer believe that. He was brutally ragging on Gus and Chris the whole night. To be fair and balanced, he also was gracious with fan requests for pictures and autographs.
A lot of ZTP players had gathered in the Binion’s poker area by this time and Monster organized a nice $25 buy in tournament for everyone. As that was getting going (and often during the tournament) we HAD to drink something called a Scooby Snack.
I have no idea what was in this thing, but it was green and tasted like fruit punch.I had a pretty good tourney, though much too short. I got pretty cold cards through the first 3 levels and was starting to get short on chip. The blinds were 200/400 and I had 1800 left. I think it was the first hand at that level and I get AA. Bet 800 UTG and get put all in by one player (Chris). I insta-call. He turns over something like QJ. My aces hold up and I double up. Chris didn’t get hurt too badly as he still had more chips.
The very next hand I look down at AKo from the BB. Chris raises me 700 and I just call. I hate what this hand does to me so I’ve got an opportunity to see if I hit the flop before committing all of my chips. Well, I hit with a flop something like K83 rainbow. I check. Chris bets another 700 and I go over the top. I didn’t what to push him out as I needed to double again to get into contention. He calls and he flips over two tens. The turn is an Ace to give me two pair and I’ve got him again… until the river that is. Yep, he two outs me to catch a ten on the river and I’m done. That’s poker.
And that was Thursday. I finally made it to bed about 1:30 (that’s 4:30 according to my internal clock). But this is Vegas and I’ll just save my good sleep for next week. Tonight is the party for Doyle Brunson after more poker and other hijinx.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
CLT to DEN
Leg one of the ZTP adventure is half done. I’m writing from the Denver airport meaning I am halfway to Vegas. The first leg was terrific. I got bumped up to first class on the nearly full flight. I had a good seat assignment going in, but getting first class on a 3.5 hour flight is a jackpot.
Now comes another roll of the dice as I have no seat assignment on the DEN to LAS leg. That, by the way, is a sign that I have been traveling too much. When you refer to airports by their codes, it’s time to stay home more. I seem to end up in DEN, CHW, LGA, and FFL way too much.
Even though US Airways and America West are one airline corporately, they are still two different airlines when it comes to getting seat assignments. The US Air counters can’t get you a seat on an America West flight and vice versa. No problem. This is only a two hour leg. I can survive most anything for 2 hours, especially when Vegas is on the other end.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had free WiFi service in Denver. I know I had tried before and it was only available for pay (like $10 per day). That was great because I had a call from a customer and I needed to send some email. For some reason, the free part ran out after 45 minutes, but 45 is a lot more than zero.
Now comes another roll of the dice as I have no seat assignment on the DEN to LAS leg. That, by the way, is a sign that I have been traveling too much. When you refer to airports by their codes, it’s time to stay home more. I seem to end up in DEN, CHW, LGA, and FFL way too much.
Even though US Airways and America West are one airline corporately, they are still two different airlines when it comes to getting seat assignments. The US Air counters can’t get you a seat on an America West flight and vice versa. No problem. This is only a two hour leg. I can survive most anything for 2 hours, especially when Vegas is on the other end.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had free WiFi service in Denver. I know I had tried before and it was only available for pay (like $10 per day). That was great because I had a call from a customer and I needed to send some email. For some reason, the free part ran out after 45 minutes, but 45 is a lot more than zero.
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Turning My Mind to Vegas
It is back to the grind of trying to grab all that life has to offer.
Today I got in a pretty decent day of work before 5 o’clock. I was important to get every case wrapped up and put away for the weekend. Now I am free to turn my mind to Vegas, but not yet.
My Grandmother is in an “elderly health care center”. She developed a blood clot behind one of her knees and has been unable to walk without sever pain for weeks. It put her in the hospital for a while and now they are trying to get her mobility back so that she can return to her house. Current estimates are that it will take 4 or 5 more weeks. The poor woman is not happy about the situation. I can’ blame her. She has always been a home body and now she is forced to eat their food and live on their schedule. I wouldn’t like it either. So to break her monotony, I stopped by for a visit. I don’t know about her, but it made me feel better. I could see that the facility was nice and neat. The staff seems to care about what they were doing. Great, with that done I can turn my mind to Vegas!! but not yet.
Next on the agenda is my Wednesday night pool league. With all of the travel to Europe and Vegas and Vancouver and illnesses, I’ve not been able to make many matches so it was important that I squeeze in a trip to the pool hall. It was a good thing that I did. I pulled a match with a tough opponent. Because of the handicap system used by the APA, I had to win 5 games (8 ball) before he won 4. It started out well enough with me taking the first game. Through good shooting and good luck, he took the next 3 games leaving me to win 4 in a row or post a big L. I got hot and lucky at the right time taking all four of the remaining games to win the match. Post a big win for the Hall of Justice. Now I can really turn my mind to Vegas.
I arrive at 4:20 tomorrow where the Tilt Zero boys will pick me up and put me on my way. I’m ready.
Today I got in a pretty decent day of work before 5 o’clock. I was important to get every case wrapped up and put away for the weekend. Now I am free to turn my mind to Vegas, but not yet.
My Grandmother is in an “elderly health care center”. She developed a blood clot behind one of her knees and has been unable to walk without sever pain for weeks. It put her in the hospital for a while and now they are trying to get her mobility back so that she can return to her house. Current estimates are that it will take 4 or 5 more weeks. The poor woman is not happy about the situation. I can’ blame her. She has always been a home body and now she is forced to eat their food and live on their schedule. I wouldn’t like it either. So to break her monotony, I stopped by for a visit. I don’t know about her, but it made me feel better. I could see that the facility was nice and neat. The staff seems to care about what they were doing. Great, with that done I can turn my mind to Vegas!! but not yet.
Next on the agenda is my Wednesday night pool league. With all of the travel to Europe and Vegas and Vancouver and illnesses, I’ve not been able to make many matches so it was important that I squeeze in a trip to the pool hall. It was a good thing that I did. I pulled a match with a tough opponent. Because of the handicap system used by the APA, I had to win 5 games (8 ball) before he won 4. It started out well enough with me taking the first game. Through good shooting and good luck, he took the next 3 games leaving me to win 4 in a row or post a big L. I got hot and lucky at the right time taking all four of the remaining games to win the match. Post a big win for the Hall of Justice. Now I can really turn my mind to Vegas.
I arrive at 4:20 tomorrow where the Tilt Zero boys will pick me up and put me on my way. I’m ready.
Monday, November 07, 2005
The Next Big Adventure is On!
The announcement of my next big jump into the poker world is here. On Thursday I am traveling back to Binions in Downtown Las Vegas to photograph and participate in Tilt Zero Poker’s “Fear and Tilting.” The trip will feature a VIP party with Doyle Brunson and a poker tournament with Johnny Chan. This reads like a poker player’s trip to heaven or poker fantasy camp.
This is all a result of my trip to cover the Doyle Brunson North America Championship and the Fiesta al Lago at the Bellagio last month (see blog entries below). That is where I met Monster. This guy and his assistant Chris are working their butts off to make Tilt Zero and their new magazine a big-time hit. When someone works this hard and it loyal to his people then that is a great place to get involved so long as you are willing to work just as hard.
As I’ve mentioned before, I am so appreciative to guys at www.lasvegasvegas.com for giving me the opportunity to get involved and for treating me so well. Flipchipro, Dr. Pauly, and the Poker Prof are terrific folks and you should read their site daily (and twice on Sunday).
This takes me back to how I met Flipchipro and the Prof. I refer to it as the “Tobey Maguire Incident”. It was Fiesta al Lago III on October 2004. I was hanging around the tournament poker area at the Bellagio, looking for the faces that I had seen on the WTP and WSOP broadcasts. I saw Eric Sidel, Kathy Lebert, and Men The Master among others. I saw some people taking pictures so I, of course, joined in.
Then a voice on the PA started announcing the players for the final table of the previous day’s event. Among the names was Tobey Maguire. This was Tobey’s first big final table and he drew a good crowd. I wandered over and started taking some shots as did a white-haired gentleman to my left. I noticed that this other fellow had a nice Nikon camera setup.
Next thing I know, Tobey is chatting with the security guard and then the guard starts heading our way. He was polite but firm in his request for us to stop taking pictures of “Mr. Maguire.” My older friend protested that he had permission from Bellagio management to which the guard offered (threatened) to have that reconsidered.. At that point, we both agreed that we would take no more pictures of “Mr. Maguire.” Geeez.. That was my second run-in with a celebrity that month, but “The Cameron Diaz Incident” or “Hayden Valley Glee Club” is another story for another time.
From there I learned that my partner in crime was Flipchipro from LVV. He then introduced the Poker Prof and professional poker player Charlie Shoten. With that I was started down a road that continues to run in the right direction.
So if you happen to be in Vegas this weekend, stop by Binions and look for the guy with a mustache, goatee, and camera and say hi.
This is all a result of my trip to cover the Doyle Brunson North America Championship and the Fiesta al Lago at the Bellagio last month (see blog entries below). That is where I met Monster. This guy and his assistant Chris are working their butts off to make Tilt Zero and their new magazine a big-time hit. When someone works this hard and it loyal to his people then that is a great place to get involved so long as you are willing to work just as hard.
As I’ve mentioned before, I am so appreciative to guys at www.lasvegasvegas.com for giving me the opportunity to get involved and for treating me so well. Flipchipro, Dr. Pauly, and the Poker Prof are terrific folks and you should read their site daily (and twice on Sunday).
This takes me back to how I met Flipchipro and the Prof. I refer to it as the “Tobey Maguire Incident”. It was Fiesta al Lago III on October 2004. I was hanging around the tournament poker area at the Bellagio, looking for the faces that I had seen on the WTP and WSOP broadcasts. I saw Eric Sidel, Kathy Lebert, and Men The Master among others. I saw some people taking pictures so I, of course, joined in.
Then a voice on the PA started announcing the players for the final table of the previous day’s event. Among the names was Tobey Maguire. This was Tobey’s first big final table and he drew a good crowd. I wandered over and started taking some shots as did a white-haired gentleman to my left. I noticed that this other fellow had a nice Nikon camera setup.
Next thing I know, Tobey is chatting with the security guard and then the guard starts heading our way. He was polite but firm in his request for us to stop taking pictures of “Mr. Maguire.” My older friend protested that he had permission from Bellagio management to which the guard offered (threatened) to have that reconsidered.. At that point, we both agreed that we would take no more pictures of “Mr. Maguire.” Geeez.. That was my second run-in with a celebrity that month, but “The Cameron Diaz Incident” or “Hayden Valley Glee Club” is another story for another time.
From there I learned that my partner in crime was Flipchipro from LVV. He then introduced the Poker Prof and professional poker player Charlie Shoten. With that I was started down a road that continues to run in the right direction.
So if you happen to be in Vegas this weekend, stop by Binions and look for the guy with a mustache, goatee, and camera and say hi.
This slide is hurting my butt!
This poker hobby really does hurt sometimes. I seem to be on the loosing streak from hell right now. It must be time to stop playing for a while and go back to studying. I’ve got books scattered all over my desk from guys like Skalnsky, Miller, and Brunson. There must be some wisdom in there somewhere.
I lost $10 on Stars tonight. That is not going to change my lifestyle any, but man it hurts when is comes night after night. Play tight, play loose, it doesn’t seem to matter. If I get a good hand and someone plays back at me, my hand is second. If I get a good hand and I’m in the lead, I find out when everybody else folds and I rake the $.30 in the pot. It is just going like that. I built up my current bankroll form a quarter that was left over from my first go at on-line poker. At it’s height, the quarter reached $370. That was almost exclusively playing Limit. Now it is approaching $100 again. Most of that slide was from playing limit. Now I’m trying some no limit, trying to change my luck. No dice.
The slide continues. I’m going to lay out for this week. I’ll get more work done, work on my pool game, and maybe print some more pictures. I’ll make an exception for Dr. Pauly’s Saturday tournament on Poker Stars, but that is it. Maybe I can save up some mojo in the next 5 days.
I lost $10 on Stars tonight. That is not going to change my lifestyle any, but man it hurts when is comes night after night. Play tight, play loose, it doesn’t seem to matter. If I get a good hand and someone plays back at me, my hand is second. If I get a good hand and I’m in the lead, I find out when everybody else folds and I rake the $.30 in the pot. It is just going like that. I built up my current bankroll form a quarter that was left over from my first go at on-line poker. At it’s height, the quarter reached $370. That was almost exclusively playing Limit. Now it is approaching $100 again. Most of that slide was from playing limit. Now I’m trying some no limit, trying to change my luck. No dice.
The slide continues. I’m going to lay out for this week. I’ll get more work done, work on my pool game, and maybe print some more pictures. I’ll make an exception for Dr. Pauly’s Saturday tournament on Poker Stars, but that is it. Maybe I can save up some mojo in the next 5 days.
Friday, November 04, 2005
Poker Lesson - Worlds Collide
Tonight, the wife and I went over to her parent’s house. Her dad (Mr. C for those following along) has been under a lot of stress. She (Mrs. K) and her mom have been wanting to learn a bit more about “this poker thing” that I’m always going on about. So tonight we decided to kill both birds by making it a dinner and poker party for the four of us.
Everyone had a good time, that if for sure. It was really freaky watching my wife play. She didn’t have any experience and didn’t get lucky with the cards, but I could see that she will be a tough player if she decides to continue playing. She has a great poker face and manner at the table. Also, I know how fast she learns and if she finds my poker books I’ll be in big trouble. It reminds me of the old Seinfeld episode where George’s worlds are colliding. Husband Special K will KILL poker Special K. Of course, nobody loves Poker Special K so I guess it’s not a big deal.
If you are wondering how the tournament went, I smoked ‘em. It took a bit of a suck out on the last hand where I improved my 2 pair to a boat to beat the MIL’s made flush, but I had lots of outs. I had four to the nut flush (7 outs), 2 non-flush A’s and 2 non-flush 2’s to take the pot. 11 outs for about a 1 in 5 shot.
That brings me to a question that I’d like to hear some opinions on: What is your definition of a suck out?
I don’t what to skew the results of this highly scientific survey, but I’ll give you my opinion. I think it is anytime a hands is dominated 20:1 or more (has a 5% chance or less to win a hand) and then wins, then you’ve got a suck out. You need runner-runner to draw an inside straight and get it (3.1%) that’s a suckout. One shot at an inside straight and hit it (9%), not a suck out. Maybe you think it is. This roughly translates into catching a 2-outer or less. Maybe you’ll loosen your definition to a 3 or 4-outer. Leave a comment. Let me know.
Remember to play Pauly’s (that’s Mr. Doctor to you) Tourney on Poker Stars, Saturday at 1 pm est. See taopoker.blogspot.com for all of the details.
Everyone had a good time, that if for sure. It was really freaky watching my wife play. She didn’t have any experience and didn’t get lucky with the cards, but I could see that she will be a tough player if she decides to continue playing. She has a great poker face and manner at the table. Also, I know how fast she learns and if she finds my poker books I’ll be in big trouble. It reminds me of the old Seinfeld episode where George’s worlds are colliding. Husband Special K will KILL poker Special K. Of course, nobody loves Poker Special K so I guess it’s not a big deal.
If you are wondering how the tournament went, I smoked ‘em. It took a bit of a suck out on the last hand where I improved my 2 pair to a boat to beat the MIL’s made flush, but I had lots of outs. I had four to the nut flush (7 outs), 2 non-flush A’s and 2 non-flush 2’s to take the pot. 11 outs for about a 1 in 5 shot.
That brings me to a question that I’d like to hear some opinions on: What is your definition of a suck out?
I don’t what to skew the results of this highly scientific survey, but I’ll give you my opinion. I think it is anytime a hands is dominated 20:1 or more (has a 5% chance or less to win a hand) and then wins, then you’ve got a suck out. You need runner-runner to draw an inside straight and get it (3.1%) that’s a suckout. One shot at an inside straight and hit it (9%), not a suck out. Maybe you think it is. This roughly translates into catching a 2-outer or less. Maybe you’ll loosen your definition to a 3 or 4-outer. Leave a comment. Let me know.
Remember to play Pauly’s (that’s Mr. Doctor to you) Tourney on Poker Stars, Saturday at 1 pm est. See taopoker.blogspot.com for all of the details.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Blogger Problem
An interesting thing is happening to my blog. I signed up to be an affiliate with Doyle's Room and wanted to put an icon in the sidebar of this page so that interested readers could click and quickly sign up with my bonus code.
I have edited the sidebar before as you can tell. I've added the WBPT logo and the Card Clubs Top Site icon without any problems. But whenever I add the code for Doyle's Room or just the words "Click on the above icon to earn a deposit bonus of 25-35% up to $135." the sidebar updates for exactly one viewing and then reverts to an earlier version.
Does Blogger not allow this type of content? I find this hard to believe since similar content exists on other sites that I frequient. Am I tripping over something more technical? If any body has a clue, please fill me in.
Update 1: No, I don't think I have it narrowed down anymore. While I was typing this post, my sidebar reverted back to an earlier style without any of above content in the sidebar. I know because I'm trying to expand the posting area to make it wider and format the sidebar items to be centered in it's columns.
The changes are posting and work once and now sometimes two, three or four times and then reverts back. Aaarrrrrrgggggg. Help.
Update 2: Now it put itself back when I updated this post. Talk about confusing. So now I went back and put Doyle back in the sidebar. If you see Doyle, the new side bar is up, if you see the Card Club icon at the top of the side bar, you're seeing sidebar classic.
I have edited the sidebar before as you can tell. I've added the WBPT logo and the Card Clubs Top Site icon without any problems. But whenever I add the code for Doyle's Room or just the words "Click on the above icon to earn a deposit bonus of 25-35% up to $135." the sidebar updates for exactly one viewing and then reverts to an earlier version.
Does Blogger not allow this type of content? I find this hard to believe since similar content exists on other sites that I frequient. Am I tripping over something more technical? If any body has a clue, please fill me in.
Update 1: No, I don't think I have it narrowed down anymore. While I was typing this post, my sidebar reverted back to an earlier style without any of above content in the sidebar. I know because I'm trying to expand the posting area to make it wider and format the sidebar items to be centered in it's columns.
The changes are posting and work once and now sometimes two, three or four times and then reverts back. Aaarrrrrrgggggg. Help.
Update 2: Now it put itself back when I updated this post. Talk about confusing. So now I went back and put Doyle back in the sidebar. If you see Doyle, the new side bar is up, if you see the Card Club icon at the top of the side bar, you're seeing sidebar classic.
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