Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Vacation Wrap-up
Now that my short vacation to Arizona is past, it’s time for some obviouservations.
People without class find it extremely easy to display this fact at a graduation. I love it when the parents, family and friends of a graduates cheer and clap for the accomplishment of their loved-one. They deserve it. They don’t deserve some ass who thinks they are funny and intent on calling attention to themselves. One even let loose with a blast from an airhorn (most of the graduates were audiologists - idiot). I was quite embarrassed for some of my wife’s classmates. Let’s just put it this way, if I noticed their lack of class and decorum then there is a real problem.
Arizona has lots of trees. Before this past weekend, the only parts of Arizona I had seen were Phoenix and the Hoover Dam. Both of these areas are very desert-like (in the same way that the ocean is very water-like). I really like the forests up around Sedona and the Grand Canyon. Who knew?
Sedona is unbelievable. The scenery is absolutely awesome. Their airport is about 1000’ above the town up on a plateau. The light was not good for the few hours that we were there. I’m sure I missed many good ‘postcard’ shots.
My wife and I get along great on trips. It is a testament to her patience and easy-going nature. I don’t think her family would believe she has an easy-going nature. My family wouldn't believe that I am considered quiet by my poker buddies. Is that funny or sad?
All of my brothers and their wives have at least a Masters-level degree. I think Dr. K is the first to that level. Did I say that I’m proud of her?
Does anyone know for sure how we should be addressed? Is it “Mr. and Dr. K”?
We had a celebrity on the trip back to Charlotte today. She was a nice looking middle aged blond. She was very chatty with the flight attendant and was very nice about posing for pictures. I have no idea who it was. That’s probably a good thing considering the run-ins I’ve had with celebrities like Tobey Maguire and Cameron Diaz.
People without class find it extremely easy to display this fact at a graduation. I love it when the parents, family and friends of a graduates cheer and clap for the accomplishment of their loved-one. They deserve it. They don’t deserve some ass who thinks they are funny and intent on calling attention to themselves. One even let loose with a blast from an airhorn (most of the graduates were audiologists - idiot). I was quite embarrassed for some of my wife’s classmates. Let’s just put it this way, if I noticed their lack of class and decorum then there is a real problem.
Arizona has lots of trees. Before this past weekend, the only parts of Arizona I had seen were Phoenix and the Hoover Dam. Both of these areas are very desert-like (in the same way that the ocean is very water-like). I really like the forests up around Sedona and the Grand Canyon. Who knew?
Sedona is unbelievable. The scenery is absolutely awesome. Their airport is about 1000’ above the town up on a plateau. The light was not good for the few hours that we were there. I’m sure I missed many good ‘postcard’ shots.
My wife and I get along great on trips. It is a testament to her patience and easy-going nature. I don’t think her family would believe she has an easy-going nature. My family wouldn't believe that I am considered quiet by my poker buddies. Is that funny or sad?
All of my brothers and their wives have at least a Masters-level degree. I think Dr. K is the first to that level. Did I say that I’m proud of her?
Does anyone know for sure how we should be addressed? Is it “Mr. and Dr. K”?
We had a celebrity on the trip back to Charlotte today. She was a nice looking middle aged blond. She was very chatty with the flight attendant and was very nice about posing for pictures. I have no idea who it was. That’s probably a good thing considering the run-ins I’ve had with celebrities like Tobey Maguire and Cameron Diaz.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Make that DOCTOR K (and I'm not talking about me)
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Surburban Rock Hill Freezeout
As good as the ending to Sunday’s game was, this was bad. At least the buy-in was relatively low. I drew the A and, therefore, the dealer button as my seat. It would be the only thing I won all night. Actually, that is overstating it. All night only lasted one hour and 5 minutes.
I started by seeing two flops in small raised post with suited A. Neither hit. I fold to bets on the flop. I played suited J-6 from the big blind. Hit the flush on the turn when I had to call an all in for 2/5ths of my stack. All-in had suited Q to take it.
Next hand I'm playing 4h5h from the small blind. Me., button and big blind play unraised. Flop is a flush with a 4. check-check-check. Turn is a 4. I bet, bb folds and button raises 100. I call. Turn is a blank. I bet another 60, he calls and show the other 4 with a bigger kicker. One orbit complete and I’m down under 600.
I play QK to a small raise. Flop is a blank for me. Falstaff bets and I fold. He gets one caller. Turn is a Q and river is a K. They both run up a good pot and Falstaff’s paired 8 is beaten by the callers pocket 10-10.
I sit quiet with dead cards through the next level looking for something to push. I get QQ second to last hand before the break. I push the 300 left. Player (Matt) on my left insta-calls and one other player calls. Matt pushed him out on the flop and turns over AA. I don’t impove. I'm out first.
I made no bad plays that I can see but still did not win a hand. That's the way it goes some nights. Falstaff is down as well and is the next player out. We hit the road and I'm home by 10:15.
On the bright side, we didn't waste a lot of time just to go out on the bubble and the buy-in wasn't very high. It is also a lot easier to remember all of the hands I played.
I started by seeing two flops in small raised post with suited A. Neither hit. I fold to bets on the flop. I played suited J-6 from the big blind. Hit the flush on the turn when I had to call an all in for 2/5ths of my stack. All-in had suited Q to take it.
Next hand I'm playing 4h5h from the small blind. Me., button and big blind play unraised. Flop is a flush with a 4. check-check-check. Turn is a 4. I bet, bb folds and button raises 100. I call. Turn is a blank. I bet another 60, he calls and show the other 4 with a bigger kicker. One orbit complete and I’m down under 600.
I play QK to a small raise. Flop is a blank for me. Falstaff bets and I fold. He gets one caller. Turn is a Q and river is a K. They both run up a good pot and Falstaff’s paired 8 is beaten by the callers pocket 10-10.
I sit quiet with dead cards through the next level looking for something to push. I get QQ second to last hand before the break. I push the 300 left. Player (Matt) on my left insta-calls and one other player calls. Matt pushed him out on the flop and turns over AA. I don’t impove. I'm out first.
I made no bad plays that I can see but still did not win a hand. That's the way it goes some nights. Falstaff is down as well and is the next player out. We hit the road and I'm home by 10:15.
On the bright side, we didn't waste a lot of time just to go out on the bubble and the buy-in wasn't very high. It is also a lot easier to remember all of the hands I played.
Monday, July 30, 2007
A good day at the Web Bank
"Your EFT withdrawal request has been submitted. Please allow up to three business days for your request to be processed. "
-- Neteller
It's not much by some standards, but the $265 that was just released will sure be nice to get my hands on. Considering that it was down to $.25 at one point, it's like pennies from hevean.
-- Neteller
It's not much by some standards, but the $265 that was just released will sure be nice to get my hands on. Considering that it was down to $.25 at one point, it's like pennies from hevean.
A good night at the table
Yea, it was a very good night. The gang gathered for a special Sunday edition of the Falstaff home game. Schedules had been busy with plays, charity rides and some work thrown in here and there. All of which means that we hadn't gotten together is a few weeks, so we finally found the time last night.
I started out pretty good by pushing Falstaff off of two good pots with a set of 3s and a flopped nut flush. I only showed the set. I took another good pot when my all-in with a set of 2s got two callers and held. That got me up near $100. Falstaff noted that I had raised three times early in the night which doubled my total for the year. I like the tight image.
I took a couple of beats too. Dan made a runner-runner baby flush to beat my slow-played trip kings. DavidB sucked out on my top pair of jacks by chasing a flush draw but instead hitting a case A on the river.
Nick I. hit quad 3s to take the high hand and the running bonus. John hit a wheel straight flush (I think he called it the iron wheel?) after the bonus period to felt the bonus pot. In both hands, they only held one playing card (Nick a 3 and John the A).
The big hand of the night happened on the last orbit. I was on the button with KK raising the straddle to $4. I got 4 callers. The flop was K-9-6(J). Dan led out for $5. John called and Nick A. (yes, it was a two Nick night) went all-in for $56. I hesitated a bit for show and then called. Nate calls. Dan folds and Falsteff goes in the tank chattering-on about the pot odds and having outs, but he folds (for the record he had J-10). I only have $2.50 in front of me, so Nate and I push the rest in blind on the side. Nate turns over AK and Nick turns over 9-6. Fours on the turn and river give me an unneeded boat and I raked the pot of the night.
I finished the night with $214 off of a $30 buy-in. I’ll take it every time.
We have a special Tuesday night tournament this week. Hopefully, my luck will continue running good.
I started out pretty good by pushing Falstaff off of two good pots with a set of 3s and a flopped nut flush. I only showed the set. I took another good pot when my all-in with a set of 2s got two callers and held. That got me up near $100. Falstaff noted that I had raised three times early in the night which doubled my total for the year. I like the tight image.
I took a couple of beats too. Dan made a runner-runner baby flush to beat my slow-played trip kings. DavidB sucked out on my top pair of jacks by chasing a flush draw but instead hitting a case A on the river.
Nick I. hit quad 3s to take the high hand and the running bonus. John hit a wheel straight flush (I think he called it the iron wheel?) after the bonus period to felt the bonus pot. In both hands, they only held one playing card (Nick a 3 and John the A).
The big hand of the night happened on the last orbit. I was on the button with KK raising the straddle to $4. I got 4 callers. The flop was K-9-6(J). Dan led out for $5. John called and Nick A. (yes, it was a two Nick night) went all-in for $56. I hesitated a bit for show and then called. Nate calls. Dan folds and Falsteff goes in the tank chattering-on about the pot odds and having outs, but he folds (for the record he had J-10). I only have $2.50 in front of me, so Nate and I push the rest in blind on the side. Nate turns over AK and Nick turns over 9-6. Fours on the turn and river give me an unneeded boat and I raked the pot of the night.
I finished the night with $214 off of a $30 buy-in. I’ll take it every time.
We have a special Tuesday night tournament this week. Hopefully, my luck will continue running good.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Catchup
Blogging is slow these days. It’s time for a catchup post.
Congratulations to Dr. Pauly, FlipChip, and all my other friends who just completed covering the World Series of Poker. They not only survived the entire 45 days, but they produced the best poker coverage ever witnessed by man. If you didn’t follow the stories, behind the scenes looks, deals, prop bets, and pictures from the Rio, then you missed out. Great job, guys.
I’ve just started a new job with the same employer. I really don’t know how much of a new job it is since I’ll be doing the same stuff with new customers. These customers are going to be larger and general more important. Some of the work we do could actually mean life or death for the end users. That’s pretty heady stuff for a database guy.
But before I get too far into the new job, I’ve got some vacation time to take. Due to the illness in the family, we won’t be going on our planned trip to Aruba. Mrs. K and I agreed that this was not the time to be gone for a week. I’m hoping we can take this trip in Dec or January. We have until April to take the trip without losing it.
My poker play is pretty stagnant. I’m not winning a lot and I’m not losing a lot. I have tried playing a few sit & go’s with one 4th of 90 cash and a 2nd out of 90 out of the money finish. The latter was a super satellite where the winner was to go on to a satellite to a $50k tourney. Maybe next time.
We’ve been getting a bunch of things done around the house. I’ve been picking things off of my list since March. My travel schedule in May and June slowed me down, but I’m home now with at-home vacation coming up, so I going to put it into turbo “Tim Taylor” mode and knock out a few more items.
More catching up later…
Congratulations to Dr. Pauly, FlipChip, and all my other friends who just completed covering the World Series of Poker. They not only survived the entire 45 days, but they produced the best poker coverage ever witnessed by man. If you didn’t follow the stories, behind the scenes looks, deals, prop bets, and pictures from the Rio, then you missed out. Great job, guys.
I’ve just started a new job with the same employer. I really don’t know how much of a new job it is since I’ll be doing the same stuff with new customers. These customers are going to be larger and general more important. Some of the work we do could actually mean life or death for the end users. That’s pretty heady stuff for a database guy.
But before I get too far into the new job, I’ve got some vacation time to take. Due to the illness in the family, we won’t be going on our planned trip to Aruba. Mrs. K and I agreed that this was not the time to be gone for a week. I’m hoping we can take this trip in Dec or January. We have until April to take the trip without losing it.
My poker play is pretty stagnant. I’m not winning a lot and I’m not losing a lot. I have tried playing a few sit & go’s with one 4th of 90 cash and a 2nd out of 90 out of the money finish. The latter was a super satellite where the winner was to go on to a satellite to a $50k tourney. Maybe next time.
We’ve been getting a bunch of things done around the house. I’ve been picking things off of my list since March. My travel schedule in May and June slowed me down, but I’m home now with at-home vacation coming up, so I going to put it into turbo “Tim Taylor” mode and knock out a few more items.
More catching up later…
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Surgery Update
Mr. C had a pre-surgery MRI this morning. The image showed that the tumor had grown to a point where surgery would do more harm than good, so the surgery was cancelled. The family and doctors are assessing the remaining options. Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and prayers.
Mr. C's Surgery
Mr. C from the last post will be having surgery to insert chemo wafers on his brain tomorrow afternoon (make that today). This has been one hell of a long road for the family. It is hard when you are on the second row like me, but it is excruciating for my wife and her mom and siblings. Mr. C is a trooper and is doing everything he can to hold on to a decent life.
The World Series of Poker moves on to Day 2 tomorrow. People will die in Iraq tomorrow. The MLB All-Star Game will be played tomorrow. It will be hot all over the country tomorrow. Mothers and wives and husbands and sons and daughters will get the news that relatives will be born and die tomorrow. Through it all, life goes on for those who are left. That’s what my logic brain tells me.
I see the pain in my wife’s eyes and the heartbreak on my mother-in-law’s face. I see Mr. C’s friends come by to say goodbye with pain in their hearts. I know it happens every day, but we feel it so much more when it happens to those who are close.
As far as I know, Mr. C doesn’t have much more chance of dying tomorrow that most any other day, but we need to say our piece, just in case.
If you couldn’t tell, I really don’t have that much of a point. I’m just dumping some of my stuff here. Thanks to those of you who pray. We appreciate you very much.
I'll update this space tomorrow or as we learn more.
The World Series of Poker moves on to Day 2 tomorrow. People will die in Iraq tomorrow. The MLB All-Star Game will be played tomorrow. It will be hot all over the country tomorrow. Mothers and wives and husbands and sons and daughters will get the news that relatives will be born and die tomorrow. Through it all, life goes on for those who are left. That’s what my logic brain tells me.
I see the pain in my wife’s eyes and the heartbreak on my mother-in-law’s face. I see Mr. C’s friends come by to say goodbye with pain in their hearts. I know it happens every day, but we feel it so much more when it happens to those who are close.
As far as I know, Mr. C doesn’t have much more chance of dying tomorrow that most any other day, but we need to say our piece, just in case.
If you couldn’t tell, I really don’t have that much of a point. I’m just dumping some of my stuff here. Thanks to those of you who pray. We appreciate you very much.
I'll update this space tomorrow or as we learn more.
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Some games are more than just fun
Some friends came to my in-laws house to play some poker last night. I play poker because I like too. Most of my friends that play poker play for the fun of it as well. Last night, we played 
poker because we like someone who likes playing poker. As the long-time reader of this blog and a few others know, my father-in-law is very sick with cancers. He actually has three cancers now and it facing more surgery next week.
Mr. C is more than just a father-in-law, friend, father, grandfather or mentor to many of the people he has come to know over the years. He is one of those rare individuals that truly touch the lives of the fortunate folks who cross paths with him. Since he has taken sick, people that worked with and for Mr. C, friends, lost classmates, and many others have been coming out of the woodwork. They express their concerns, offer to help, or just chat. His friends and family have started a scholarship in his name at UNC Charlotte and have donated over $50k to fund a full scholarship and are working toward a second. Seeing how people around Mr. C have reacted to his illness gives me peace in the knowledge of the morality and selflessness of our fellow men and women. I’ll only be able to put into words, a tiny fraction of what he means to me. I’ll have to save that for a future post.
On Saturday night, Mr. C wanted to play poker. He has enjoyed playing cards since he played pinochle every day with his ailing father over a forty years ago. My wife told me a story about the future Mrs. C having to wait to go on a date because Mr. C hadn’t played cards with his fatheryet that day. My wife, Mrs. K, plays daily backgammon games with Mr. C now. Those are going to be extraordinary memories for her in the coming years.
On Friday night at Falstaff’s home game, I mentioned that Mr. C wanted to play but couldn’t get out. I didn’t have to say another word. Everyone that could make it was ready to go. Falstaff started working on getting Mrs. Falstaff her date in time to still make the game. Diamond Jim and T were on board as well.
So on Saturday, we all gathered at Mr. C’s casino. My cards and my game sucked really bad, but that really didn’t matter (well, in reality, I still got really pissed off and had to cool off for a while, but that is part of the game). What really mattered was that good folks rose to a good cause.
The bottom line is that Mr. C had fun. My wife, her family, and I are so very grateful. Every good night for him is rare and precious these days. You all gave him and us a great present. And you thought you just came over to play poker.
poker because we like someone who likes playing poker. As the long-time reader of this blog and a few others know, my father-in-law is very sick with cancers. He actually has three cancers now and it facing more surgery next week.Mr. C is more than just a father-in-law, friend, father, grandfather or mentor to many of the people he has come to know over the years. He is one of those rare individuals that truly touch the lives of the fortunate folks who cross paths with him. Since he has taken sick, people that worked with and for Mr. C, friends, lost classmates, and many others have been coming out of the woodwork. They express their concerns, offer to help, or just chat. His friends and family have started a scholarship in his name at UNC Charlotte and have donated over $50k to fund a full scholarship and are working toward a second. Seeing how people around Mr. C have reacted to his illness gives me peace in the knowledge of the morality and selflessness of our fellow men and women. I’ll only be able to put into words, a tiny fraction of what he means to me. I’ll have to save that for a future post.
On Saturday night, Mr. C wanted to play poker. He has enjoyed playing cards since he played pinochle every day with his ailing father over a forty years ago. My wife told me a story about the future Mrs. C having to wait to go on a date because Mr. C hadn’t played cards with his fatheryet that day. My wife, Mrs. K, plays daily backgammon games with Mr. C now. Those are going to be extraordinary memories for her in the coming years.On Friday night at Falstaff’s home game, I mentioned that Mr. C wanted to play but couldn’t get out. I didn’t have to say another word. Everyone that could make it was ready to go. Falstaff started working on getting Mrs. Falstaff her date in time to still make the game. Diamond Jim and T were on board as well.
So on Saturday, we all gathered at Mr. C’s casino. My cards and my game sucked really bad, but that really didn’t matter (well, in reality, I still got really pissed off and had to cool off for a while, but that is part of the game). What really mattered was that good folks rose to a good cause.
The bottom line is that Mr. C had fun. My wife, her family, and I are so very grateful. Every good night for him is rare and precious these days. You all gave him and us a great present. And you thought you just came over to play poker.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Sometimes, It Sucks to be Me
I got to LAX right at the end of this mess (http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070624/D8PVFPG00.html). They wouldn't let us off the plane for 45 minutes. I got to deal with the long lines (actually, it was a mass of humanity) to get to the rental car buses. That took another 20 minutes. Then the traffic in and around the airport was snarled up because they had closed the freeway to film some TV show or movie. Yuck.
Even without checking a bag, it still took about an hour and a half from landing in LA to getting to my rental car. I guess I got a little cocky getting out of CLT and the travel gods put me back in place.
It really doesn't suck to be me though. Not anymore. Thanks Mrs. K.
Even without checking a bag, it still took about an hour and a half from landing in LA to getting to my rental car. I guess I got a little cocky getting out of CLT and the travel gods put me back in place.
It really doesn't suck to be me though. Not anymore. Thanks Mrs. K.
It Must Suck to be Them
I really don’t know how regular people travel these days. I’m traveling today, which is a Sunday. I figured that Sunday morning would be a pretty slack time at the airport. Business travelrs (like myself) would be traveling later in the day. Vacationers would have left on Friday or yesterday if possible. I could not have been more wrong.
The airport was a mad house. Before I even got off the parking shuttle bus I see the huge long lines of the curb check-in. That line must have been 50 yards and 50 minutes long. I find a hole in that line to get into the terminal building and see the same horror repeated at the ticketing desk and again at the first class check in. I was running a little short on time to catch my flight, but I wasn’t checking any bags, so this was only some rubber-necking on my part (you know, slowing down to look at a disaster and being glad that it’s not you).
I find a ticketing kiosk in my personal corner of the asylum. I wait while the one person ahead of me finishes up and I’m on my way to the security screening in about 45 seconds. I notice that the folks that I shared the shuttle with have barely dinted the check in line. That must suck.
The line for screening is pretty long as well. There are just people everywhere. However, I’ve get my platinum status with US Air’s frequent flyers club and Charlotte has a special line for us. This line is not really a line as there is nobody waiting there. I zip to the front and the process goes just great. By not ckecking a bag and having preferred status, I’m guessing that I saved about 90 minutes in the boarding process.
I’ve got plenty of time now to find a breakfast biscuit, get to my gate and wait for the call for first-class passengers to board. That’s right. I got bumped up for this cross-country flight. I waited at the gate for about 10 minutes.
We are on our way now with arrival in about 3 hours. I’ve got a comfy seat with lots of elbow room and brunch on the way. This makes travel bearable. I don’t know how I survived travel as a commoner. It must suck to be them.
The airport was a mad house. Before I even got off the parking shuttle bus I see the huge long lines of the curb check-in. That line must have been 50 yards and 50 minutes long. I find a hole in that line to get into the terminal building and see the same horror repeated at the ticketing desk and again at the first class check in. I was running a little short on time to catch my flight, but I wasn’t checking any bags, so this was only some rubber-necking on my part (you know, slowing down to look at a disaster and being glad that it’s not you).
I find a ticketing kiosk in my personal corner of the asylum. I wait while the one person ahead of me finishes up and I’m on my way to the security screening in about 45 seconds. I notice that the folks that I shared the shuttle with have barely dinted the check in line. That must suck.
The line for screening is pretty long as well. There are just people everywhere. However, I’ve get my platinum status with US Air’s frequent flyers club and Charlotte has a special line for us. This line is not really a line as there is nobody waiting there. I zip to the front and the process goes just great. By not ckecking a bag and having preferred status, I’m guessing that I saved about 90 minutes in the boarding process.
I’ve got plenty of time now to find a breakfast biscuit, get to my gate and wait for the call for first-class passengers to board. That’s right. I got bumped up for this cross-country flight. I waited at the gate for about 10 minutes.
We are on our way now with arrival in about 3 hours. I’ve got a comfy seat with lots of elbow room and brunch on the way. This makes travel bearable. I don’t know how I survived travel as a commoner. It must suck to be them.
Catching Up
I took some time off from the blog over the past week or so. I was coming off a long stretch of travel and wanted to spend time resting and catching up around the house. Blogging just fell to the bottom of the priority list. But some cool things have been happening and I’ve got a few hours with nothing better to do, so I’ll go ahead and catch you up on what’s been happening.
While I was in the Seattle area, I got first wind of a new opportunity coming my way. One of my three accounts was being moved to another division. I was given the option of moving with that customer or staying on my current team with my remaining customers. When I returned home, I also got word that one of those remaining customer would probably not be renewing their contract. The new division would give me some additional money, higher profile assignments, and the travel opportunities would be more exotic.
My current manager has been the best I’ve ever worked with and my team is a great group of guys (and a gal). However, the current job would be reduced to one customer for a while, and I would probably be moved to a new manager and a new team. Since change was inevitable, I went for the money. I may end up looking back on the past year as the good times, but I’m happy about the change for now.
I started working with a local theater company as a volunteer grunt. Shakespeare Carolina is a pretty descriptive name for this low budget group of very dedicated actors, directors and stage hands. My buddy Falstaff is one of the driving forces behind SC which is why I decided to go with them. I almost always enjoy hanging out with him (losing money in a poker game is occasionally the possible exception). Working on the current production has not been an exception. I only spent a few hours on The Taming of the Shrew. I expect there will be a lot more to do in Falstaff’s production of Hamlet come July. In that play, kings get killed a lot, just like when I play poker. I’m looking forward to it.
Right now I am on a flight from Charlotte to Los Angeles for my last scheduled database performance workshop. This one is in Simi Valley on the northern edge of Greater Los Angeles. I’ll get to LA before noon. I hope it keeps going as well as the start (see next post).
While I was in the Seattle area, I got first wind of a new opportunity coming my way. One of my three accounts was being moved to another division. I was given the option of moving with that customer or staying on my current team with my remaining customers. When I returned home, I also got word that one of those remaining customer would probably not be renewing their contract. The new division would give me some additional money, higher profile assignments, and the travel opportunities would be more exotic.
My current manager has been the best I’ve ever worked with and my team is a great group of guys (and a gal). However, the current job would be reduced to one customer for a while, and I would probably be moved to a new manager and a new team. Since change was inevitable, I went for the money. I may end up looking back on the past year as the good times, but I’m happy about the change for now.
I started working with a local theater company as a volunteer grunt. Shakespeare Carolina is a pretty descriptive name for this low budget group of very dedicated actors, directors and stage hands. My buddy Falstaff is one of the driving forces behind SC which is why I decided to go with them. I almost always enjoy hanging out with him (losing money in a poker game is occasionally the possible exception). Working on the current production has not been an exception. I only spent a few hours on The Taming of the Shrew. I expect there will be a lot more to do in Falstaff’s production of Hamlet come July. In that play, kings get killed a lot, just like when I play poker. I’m looking forward to it.
Right now I am on a flight from Charlotte to Los Angeles for my last scheduled database performance workshop. This one is in Simi Valley on the northern edge of Greater Los Angeles. I’ll get to LA before noon. I hope it keeps going as well as the start (see next post).
Thursday, June 14, 2007
My day in Vegas
Being a jet-setting world traveler is not easy, but that was my role over the weekend.
I have been in the Seattle area for the past 10 days presenting training to my colleagues. The weekend before the assignment was spent with the wife. She loves to go to major league baseball games. We had not been to Safeco Field where the Mariners play, so she came along, we went to the game and she went back to North Carolina on Sunday. So that was the first weekend of the trip.
When I found out that the second weekend was the summer edition of the World Poker Blogger Tournament in Las Vegas, I couldn’t resist making my reservation and getting my butt to Vegas. Unfortunately, airline tickets are expensive. The cheapest tickets from Seattle to Vegas were running in the $400 range. US Airways was no help with their lack of frequent flyer seats for the entire month. I was able to find an awards ticket of Southwest Air, but only for arrival Saturday morning and departure on Sunday morning. In other words, I would only be in Vegas about 22 hours. Well, 22 hours is better than nothing, so I was off.
The trip down was very smooth. The plane left right on time and arrived early. I got right into a cab to the Orleans and actually arrived before my flight was scheduled to land. I gave Falstaff a quick call and the poker was on.
I donked around with some $1-2 NL for a couple hours and decided to break for lunch when I got back to even. The bloggers really started to gather at TGI Friday’s around noon. It was good to see some old, familiar faces like Badblood, Dr. Pauley, Mr. and Mrs. Spaceman, and Zeem in addition to getting to know some new faces like Irongirl, Waffles, and Carmen. There was also the added pleasure of seeing M who I knew through Falstaff’s home game before she moved out to LA.
The tournament was not good. The Orleans really shafted us by jacking the buy-in, skipping levels, shortening levels, and generally treating us as a nuisance instead of paying customers. Maybe it was just the ass-clown of a poker room director, but it reflected on the Orleans. I’ll probably never set foot in the Orleans again.
I think I played well. I busted out 19th out of 45 or so after seeing only one quality hand in 2 hours. Congratulations to Mrs. Spaceman on her big win.
After the tourney, it was time to get out of the Orleans as quickly as possible. I jumped into the car with Carmen and Waffles and we headed for the MGM poker room, the just barely unofficial home of poker blogger cash games.
I sat at another $1-2 NL table and proceeded to get nothing for an hour and a half. I don’t think I saw a better hand than 3-3 the whole time. I busted out of my $100 and decided to just hang out the 30 minutes that remained until Falstaff, T and the rest of the gang caught up.
Dinner was great with a ton of conversation. Rock and roll and WWE style wrestling dominate my memory of the conversation, but I’m sure there was much more. The cost of dinner was steep, but that’s the way it is in Vegas. The food was great, so it worked out.
After dinner it was back to the poker room for more poker action. This time T and I sat at a $2-4 limit table. I had a really good run that saw me turn several boats and my share of other strong hands. One hand in particular that I remember had me flopping two pair with Js and 7s. The 9 on the turn hit my opponent’s pocket pair of 9s and the river J gave me a really big pot. It made for good TV I’m sure.
We played until about 3 am when T and Falstaff had to go. I left for the airport around 4 and made my way back to my hotel room in Seattle. I got there about 11 am on Sunday. Let me tell you, it is really painful waiting to get on a plane after being up all night. You want to sleep, but can’t. Once you get on and sit down, you want to lean back and sack out, but they don’t let you until you are airborne. The process feels like it takes hours.
Once back in Seattle (Issaquah, actually), I lay down for a real rest and end up sleeping until 6 pm. I ate dinner, did some work, and watched some TV until about midnight. 7:30 on Monday came and I was good to go.
The trip wasn’t easy and I ended spending $80 more on poker than I won. It was still a good time. Vegas almost always is a good time.
I have been in the Seattle area for the past 10 days presenting training to my colleagues. The weekend before the assignment was spent with the wife. She loves to go to major league baseball games. We had not been to Safeco Field where the Mariners play, so she came along, we went to the game and she went back to North Carolina on Sunday. So that was the first weekend of the trip.
When I found out that the second weekend was the summer edition of the World Poker Blogger Tournament in Las Vegas, I couldn’t resist making my reservation and getting my butt to Vegas. Unfortunately, airline tickets are expensive. The cheapest tickets from Seattle to Vegas were running in the $400 range. US Airways was no help with their lack of frequent flyer seats for the entire month. I was able to find an awards ticket of Southwest Air, but only for arrival Saturday morning and departure on Sunday morning. In other words, I would only be in Vegas about 22 hours. Well, 22 hours is better than nothing, so I was off.
The trip down was very smooth. The plane left right on time and arrived early. I got right into a cab to the Orleans and actually arrived before my flight was scheduled to land. I gave Falstaff a quick call and the poker was on.
I donked around with some $1-2 NL for a couple hours and decided to break for lunch when I got back to even. The bloggers really started to gather at TGI Friday’s around noon. It was good to see some old, familiar faces like Badblood, Dr. Pauley, Mr. and Mrs. Spaceman, and Zeem in addition to getting to know some new faces like Irongirl, Waffles, and Carmen. There was also the added pleasure of seeing M who I knew through Falstaff’s home game before she moved out to LA.
The tournament was not good. The Orleans really shafted us by jacking the buy-in, skipping levels, shortening levels, and generally treating us as a nuisance instead of paying customers. Maybe it was just the ass-clown of a poker room director, but it reflected on the Orleans. I’ll probably never set foot in the Orleans again.
I think I played well. I busted out 19th out of 45 or so after seeing only one quality hand in 2 hours. Congratulations to Mrs. Spaceman on her big win.
After the tourney, it was time to get out of the Orleans as quickly as possible. I jumped into the car with Carmen and Waffles and we headed for the MGM poker room, the just barely unofficial home of poker blogger cash games.
I sat at another $1-2 NL table and proceeded to get nothing for an hour and a half. I don’t think I saw a better hand than 3-3 the whole time. I busted out of my $100 and decided to just hang out the 30 minutes that remained until Falstaff, T and the rest of the gang caught up.
Dinner was great with a ton of conversation. Rock and roll and WWE style wrestling dominate my memory of the conversation, but I’m sure there was much more. The cost of dinner was steep, but that’s the way it is in Vegas. The food was great, so it worked out.
After dinner it was back to the poker room for more poker action. This time T and I sat at a $2-4 limit table. I had a really good run that saw me turn several boats and my share of other strong hands. One hand in particular that I remember had me flopping two pair with Js and 7s. The 9 on the turn hit my opponent’s pocket pair of 9s and the river J gave me a really big pot. It made for good TV I’m sure.
We played until about 3 am when T and Falstaff had to go. I left for the airport around 4 and made my way back to my hotel room in Seattle. I got there about 11 am on Sunday. Let me tell you, it is really painful waiting to get on a plane after being up all night. You want to sleep, but can’t. Once you get on and sit down, you want to lean back and sack out, but they don’t let you until you are airborne. The process feels like it takes hours.
Once back in Seattle (Issaquah, actually), I lay down for a real rest and end up sleeping until 6 pm. I ate dinner, did some work, and watched some TV until about midnight. 7:30 on Monday came and I was good to go.
The trip wasn’t easy and I ended spending $80 more on poker than I won. It was still a good time. Vegas almost always is a good time.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Rock and Roll
One of the many interesting conversations that occurred during the recent blogger tournament weekend was on the topic of the greatest rock and roll songs of all time. I remember someone mentioned "Stairway to Heaven" which is obligatory in this conversation. The mention also drew some retching noises from the group. It got me thinking about what would go on my top ten and why. Here is what I came up with. First, the criteria:
· No songs from the last 10 years, as it is difficult to judge a songs staying power is so little time.
· Pop, Techno, soft rock, rap, and the like are not Rock and Roll
· Powerful guitars and drums are the foundation of rock and roll
· The song must have been a commercial success as rock and roll has been a commercial form from the start.
Next, the honorable mentions:
Motor City Madhouse by Ted Nugent (Live Gonzo Version)
Just because I love the whole of his Double Live Gonzo Album. If this song had had some commercial success, it would be on the list.
Sweet Hitchhiker by Creedence Clearwater Revival
The House is a Rockin’ by Stevie Ray Vaughan
Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits
Loveshack by B-52s
Addicted to Love by Robert Palmer
Rock You Like a Hurricane by Scorpions
I Can’t Drive 55 by Sammy Hagar
Smells Like Teen Sprit by Nirvana
Frankenstein by Edgar Winter Group
Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix
Wipeout by The Ventures
And now, the 10 greatest songs of Rock and Roll:
1. Rock and Roll by Led Zeppelin
2. Eruption/You Really Got Me by Van Halen
3. La Grange by ZZ Top
(The first three songs are power and simplicity that is basic 3-chord rock. These songs define rock)
4. Slowride by Foghat
5. Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
(A couple of longer, more complex songs that still force you to crank the radio (or iPod) up every time you hear them)
6. Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
(Almost became the state song of New Jersey until they figured out it was Jersey he was running from)
7. Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones
(The definitive guitar rift of rock)
8. Paradise by the Dashboard Lights by Meatloaf
9. Radar Love by Golden Earring
10. Great Balls of Fire by Jerry Lee Lewis
(This last one has aged better than any song in rock. It will still rip you out of you seat.)
If you don't agree, get your own blog.
· No songs from the last 10 years, as it is difficult to judge a songs staying power is so little time.
· Pop, Techno, soft rock, rap, and the like are not Rock and Roll
· Powerful guitars and drums are the foundation of rock and roll
· The song must have been a commercial success as rock and roll has been a commercial form from the start.
Next, the honorable mentions:
Motor City Madhouse by Ted Nugent (Live Gonzo Version)
Just because I love the whole of his Double Live Gonzo Album. If this song had had some commercial success, it would be on the list.
Sweet Hitchhiker by Creedence Clearwater Revival
The House is a Rockin’ by Stevie Ray Vaughan
Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits
Loveshack by B-52s
Addicted to Love by Robert Palmer
Rock You Like a Hurricane by Scorpions
I Can’t Drive 55 by Sammy Hagar
Smells Like Teen Sprit by Nirvana
Frankenstein by Edgar Winter Group
Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix
Wipeout by The Ventures
And now, the 10 greatest songs of Rock and Roll:
1. Rock and Roll by Led Zeppelin
2. Eruption/You Really Got Me by Van Halen
3. La Grange by ZZ Top
(The first three songs are power and simplicity that is basic 3-chord rock. These songs define rock)
4. Slowride by Foghat
5. Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
(A couple of longer, more complex songs that still force you to crank the radio (or iPod) up every time you hear them)
6. Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
(Almost became the state song of New Jersey until they figured out it was Jersey he was running from)
7. Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones
(The definitive guitar rift of rock)
8. Paradise by the Dashboard Lights by Meatloaf
9. Radar Love by Golden Earring
10. Great Balls of Fire by Jerry Lee Lewis
(This last one has aged better than any song in rock. It will still rip you out of you seat.)
If you don't agree, get your own blog.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
A really good day
We woke up Saturday in the Seattle suburb of Issaquah. I say we because Mrs. K came with me
for the first day of this trip. The trip is to present some training to my colleagues, but that doesn’t start until Monday. So Saturday was to be a day for me and the Mrs. without dogs or chores or anything like that. It ended up being a really good day.
We took a ride down to Mt. Ranier. The views were terrific. I’ll let you be the judge.
After our trip to the mountain we headed for the ballpark. It was a bit early, even for us, but we like to be there when the gates open and watch batting practice, get autographs, and see the park. Well, Seattle is different. Three hours before game time, the sidewalks were stuffed with dads, moms and kids, all decked out in teal and white. Turns out, this was “Thank you, 
Edgar” day, the day when the Mariners induct Edgar Martinez into the Mariner’s hall of fame.
So the show before the game was good, the game was good, the seats were good. It was just good. All of it. Now the wife is back in Charlotte. Training starts tomorrow. I’ll be on the opposite coast from home for over a week living in a nice hotel, eating restaurant food and working some. There will be some old friends to catch up with, some teammates to get to know better and maybe some poker to play. I’ll make it through somehow.
for the first day of this trip. The trip is to present some training to my colleagues, but that doesn’t start until Monday. So Saturday was to be a day for me and the Mrs. without dogs or chores or anything like that. It ended up being a really good day.We took a ride down to Mt. Ranier. The views were terrific. I’ll let you be the judge.
After our trip to the mountain we headed for the ballpark. It was a bit early, even for us, but we like to be there when the gates open and watch batting practice, get autographs, and see the park. Well, Seattle is different. Three hours before game time, the sidewalks were stuffed with dads, moms and kids, all decked out in teal and white. Turns out, this was “Thank you, 
Edgar” day, the day when the Mariners induct Edgar Martinez into the Mariner’s hall of fame.So the show before the game was good, the game was good, the seats were good. It was just good. All of it. Now the wife is back in Charlotte. Training starts tomorrow. I’ll be on the opposite coast from home for over a week living in a nice hotel, eating restaurant food and working some. There will be some old friends to catch up with, some teammates to get to know better and maybe some poker to play. I’ll make it through somehow.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Foxwoods Friday
Friday saw the end of my most recent training engagement in Windsor, Connecticut. In celebration, I headed an hour down the road to Foxwoods for some food and poker. I’ve been to Foxwoods before. It is a big and very nice facility. The poker room must have somewhere in the neighborhood of 75 tables in an area that is quiet (for a poker room), smokeless, and out of the way of the main casinos.
If I have a complaint about Foxwoods it would be the staff. Maybe it is because they are New Englanders or maybe they are overworked, but I didn’t meet one that wouldn’t have used a gun on themselves or someone else the moment. If I asked for change, I got a grunt in return. Ask the dealer for a rules clarification and you get another grunt. I saw one unfortunate fellow remind the waitress that he ordered a water and he got an ear full about how she is only one person and human and that she sometimes makes mistakes and on and on.
My play whet well. I’ve been concentrating hard on not making crying calls late in hands and I did pretty well on this point. Several times when I laid down a good hand to a river bet, I was shown that I was beaten. Many river bets didn’t receive a call. This made the difference in a winning and losing night.
I started out with some $2-4 limit as a warm-up. The game was loose as a goose, but I played by the book, looking for a little better than average starting hand and winning slightly less than my share. I played for about an hour and left down $9.
My next stop was the $1-2 no limit game. This was a good solid game. I only brought my $91 from the 2-4 table making me a bit under-funded. Winning the first hand with pocket 7s helped loosen things up. That first dealer, we will call him Christopher (since that was his name), was the biggest pain in the ass. He was not happy about the managers. He complained that they screwed up the rotation and his break. He kept holding up the game by looking around for someone or something that never did happen. My stack rose and fell for the next 2 hours until we lost 2 players, the time was called (yes, they charge $5 per half hour) and Christopher returned. I decided it was time to leave. I lost another $30 at this table.
The funniest thing I heard while at the $1-2 table was right after a 20 something guy sat down on my right as time was called. He said “Wow! You guys really stick it to the players here. We don’t get a pat of butter or nothing. You just go right to it.” I still don’t know what that meant, but I enjoyed it.
My final stop was the $4-8 limit game. This table has a little bit of life with some slightly drunk and very happy players. I put my remaining $61 on the table and decided to be patient. I hit a nice set of aces to get me back up for the night and then a loooong dry spell that put me down about $100. It was at this point with about an hour left to play that I decided that I would be happy to get back to even and call it a night. I caught a couple of really nice hands including one paired ace on the flop and rivered a second pair for a nice suck-out.
Then, as if right on cue, the deck hit me right between the eyes. I saw my preflop junk flop a full house. The next hand saw more junk flop two pair and turn a full house. Two hands later my junky suited ace rag flopped a nut flush. And on it went like this for about 8 of ten hands. Too bad that I wasn’t playing in any of them. Yep. I got to watch as hand after hand that would have gone to me went to other players. I was ahead and finishing up the night super tight to preserve my winnings ($6). But I played my game and did what I planned to do at that stage of the night. Part of the game is self-discipline. It is necessary, and I don’t want a hand or two that would have been a winner to suck me into playing hands that I should fold. It’s just hard to watch sometimes.
If I have a complaint about Foxwoods it would be the staff. Maybe it is because they are New Englanders or maybe they are overworked, but I didn’t meet one that wouldn’t have used a gun on themselves or someone else the moment. If I asked for change, I got a grunt in return. Ask the dealer for a rules clarification and you get another grunt. I saw one unfortunate fellow remind the waitress that he ordered a water and he got an ear full about how she is only one person and human and that she sometimes makes mistakes and on and on.
My play whet well. I’ve been concentrating hard on not making crying calls late in hands and I did pretty well on this point. Several times when I laid down a good hand to a river bet, I was shown that I was beaten. Many river bets didn’t receive a call. This made the difference in a winning and losing night.
I started out with some $2-4 limit as a warm-up. The game was loose as a goose, but I played by the book, looking for a little better than average starting hand and winning slightly less than my share. I played for about an hour and left down $9.
My next stop was the $1-2 no limit game. This was a good solid game. I only brought my $91 from the 2-4 table making me a bit under-funded. Winning the first hand with pocket 7s helped loosen things up. That first dealer, we will call him Christopher (since that was his name), was the biggest pain in the ass. He was not happy about the managers. He complained that they screwed up the rotation and his break. He kept holding up the game by looking around for someone or something that never did happen. My stack rose and fell for the next 2 hours until we lost 2 players, the time was called (yes, they charge $5 per half hour) and Christopher returned. I decided it was time to leave. I lost another $30 at this table.
The funniest thing I heard while at the $1-2 table was right after a 20 something guy sat down on my right as time was called. He said “Wow! You guys really stick it to the players here. We don’t get a pat of butter or nothing. You just go right to it.” I still don’t know what that meant, but I enjoyed it.
My final stop was the $4-8 limit game. This table has a little bit of life with some slightly drunk and very happy players. I put my remaining $61 on the table and decided to be patient. I hit a nice set of aces to get me back up for the night and then a loooong dry spell that put me down about $100. It was at this point with about an hour left to play that I decided that I would be happy to get back to even and call it a night. I caught a couple of really nice hands including one paired ace on the flop and rivered a second pair for a nice suck-out.
Then, as if right on cue, the deck hit me right between the eyes. I saw my preflop junk flop a full house. The next hand saw more junk flop two pair and turn a full house. Two hands later my junky suited ace rag flopped a nut flush. And on it went like this for about 8 of ten hands. Too bad that I wasn’t playing in any of them. Yep. I got to watch as hand after hand that would have gone to me went to other players. I was ahead and finishing up the night super tight to preserve my winnings ($6). But I played my game and did what I planned to do at that stage of the night. Part of the game is self-discipline. It is necessary, and I don’t want a hand or two that would have been a winner to suck me into playing hands that I should fold. It’s just hard to watch sometimes.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Oklahoma is OK
I spent last evening in the WinStar Casino in Thackerville, OK. T’ville is just over the TX/OK line on Interstate 35, about an hour north of Dallas. This is a Chickasaw Nation casion. The main casino is under what looks like two big tents on the outside. The inside look like several other NA casinos with lots of slots, table games and old people walking slow avoiding striaght lines.
The poker room is brand new with lots of flat screens on the wall, self-serve soda fountains, and about 30 poker tables. Games start at $4-8 limit and $1-2 NL. They spread a $5-5-10 limit Omaha high game that the dealers hate due to the three blind structure.
I headed out after being released from my customer visit around 3:30, putting me at the WinStar about 4:45. I sit down at a $4-8 LHE table around 5 and play for an hour.
My first 4 hands see my $120 buy-in get cut in half and the next 4 hands get most of the loss back. I tread water for the rest of the first hour when I have to take a conference call. In case you couldn’t guess or didn’t care, it can be really difficult to find a quiet place to make a phone call in a card room or casino. Effective use of the mute feature on a cell phone is invaluable.
I get done with the con call and sit back down at around 6:30. I hit a couple of good hands and order dinner. One of the things I really enjoy about the WinStar is that they will serve food at the tables. A lot of casinos do this, but too many do not. I understand the reasons why (it can get messy, or should I say some players can be messy), but I still would rather eat without interrupting my play.
I had a big hand during this short session. I’m the big blind and the fellow on my left straddles. He has just been hit with a couple of bad beats and is steaming real bad, so his is now in serious tilt straddle mode. I look down at the first pocket pair of aces that I’ve seen in a year (it feels that way, anyway). We get about 3 callers. I call and the straddle raises. Everybody calls for a nice juicy pot. I get my third ace on the flop and I’m feeling great. I bet and get 2 callers, the guy to my left and a girl two to my right. She has only been at the table for about 30 minutes, but has yet to lose a pot and is a big reason for Mr. Straddle’s tilt condition. The turn and river don’t show anything of consequence. I bet at each round and the girl shows me down. I show and scoop the nice pot.
I get my dinner around 7 and then break to call the wife at 7:30. Since I have another call to take at 8:00, I pick up my chips and cash up $100. With my tight play, that is a real nice pop for that little bit of play. I move out to my car and chat with Mrs. K until time for con call #2. Take con call and then I’m free to concentrate on poker, finally. The time is now 8:45.
Upon my return to the poker room, I decide to try some $1-2 no limit. I figure that I’m up $100, I can play tight and maybe good things will happen. I sit down and pick up a nice pot in the first orbit and then tread water for the next hour. Then New Guy sits down on my right. On the very first hand with NG, I get AJo in the small blind and pop it for $12. I get a J on a raggedy flop I pop again on the flop and turn with NG calling at each round. The river puts a straight minus a 5 on the board. I pop for $15 more and new guy raises me $15. I don’t call because there is no reason in the world for that small a raise except as a value bet and I only have top pair AND I trying real hard not to make calls on the river. NG shows me his 5-7 off suit for the straight.
Three hands later I peak down at AcQc and pop it for $12 more. I’m now in early middle position and get 3 callers including NG. The board misses me with junk so I bet $15. NG calls. The turn puts a second 7 on the board and NG bets $50. I fold and he shows the hammer (72o).
I’m OK with all of this as I’m making the right decisions but I’m not enjoying the chip bleed. Then we get a big turning point. I’m in the big blind and my neighbor straddles for $4. Thinking back to the $4-8 game, I really like this straddle. I look down at KK. There is one caller, a raise of $5 to $7 and another caller before it gets back to me so I bump it $5 more just to build a pot. The flop is a rainbow of 59Q. I get the first bet and choose $20. NG calls. Turn is a 10. Check and I bet $20 more. NG calls. The river is a 7 and NG bets $80. I go in the tank for a bit worried that he may have an 8J or JK for the straight. I can cover the bet, but not by a ton. I decide that this guy has gotten me with junk twice and has seen me lay down twice to big bets and I think he is making a move. I call and he turns over 9J and I scoop a huge pot.
The rest of my play was good and I closed the night up $362 for my biggest night ever in a live casino and maybe my biggest take ever. I know my friends Falstaff, Pauley, Lane, and many other sneeze this much cash at the tables, but not me. For a low-limit rock like me, this was a terrific night. Oklahoma is OK by me.
Next week I'll be near Hartford, CT. Maybe I'll get to Foxwoods.
The poker room is brand new with lots of flat screens on the wall, self-serve soda fountains, and about 30 poker tables. Games start at $4-8 limit and $1-2 NL. They spread a $5-5-10 limit Omaha high game that the dealers hate due to the three blind structure.
I headed out after being released from my customer visit around 3:30, putting me at the WinStar about 4:45. I sit down at a $4-8 LHE table around 5 and play for an hour.
My first 4 hands see my $120 buy-in get cut in half and the next 4 hands get most of the loss back. I tread water for the rest of the first hour when I have to take a conference call. In case you couldn’t guess or didn’t care, it can be really difficult to find a quiet place to make a phone call in a card room or casino. Effective use of the mute feature on a cell phone is invaluable.
I get done with the con call and sit back down at around 6:30. I hit a couple of good hands and order dinner. One of the things I really enjoy about the WinStar is that they will serve food at the tables. A lot of casinos do this, but too many do not. I understand the reasons why (it can get messy, or should I say some players can be messy), but I still would rather eat without interrupting my play.
I had a big hand during this short session. I’m the big blind and the fellow on my left straddles. He has just been hit with a couple of bad beats and is steaming real bad, so his is now in serious tilt straddle mode. I look down at the first pocket pair of aces that I’ve seen in a year (it feels that way, anyway). We get about 3 callers. I call and the straddle raises. Everybody calls for a nice juicy pot. I get my third ace on the flop and I’m feeling great. I bet and get 2 callers, the guy to my left and a girl two to my right. She has only been at the table for about 30 minutes, but has yet to lose a pot and is a big reason for Mr. Straddle’s tilt condition. The turn and river don’t show anything of consequence. I bet at each round and the girl shows me down. I show and scoop the nice pot.
I get my dinner around 7 and then break to call the wife at 7:30. Since I have another call to take at 8:00, I pick up my chips and cash up $100. With my tight play, that is a real nice pop for that little bit of play. I move out to my car and chat with Mrs. K until time for con call #2. Take con call and then I’m free to concentrate on poker, finally. The time is now 8:45.
Upon my return to the poker room, I decide to try some $1-2 no limit. I figure that I’m up $100, I can play tight and maybe good things will happen. I sit down and pick up a nice pot in the first orbit and then tread water for the next hour. Then New Guy sits down on my right. On the very first hand with NG, I get AJo in the small blind and pop it for $12. I get a J on a raggedy flop I pop again on the flop and turn with NG calling at each round. The river puts a straight minus a 5 on the board. I pop for $15 more and new guy raises me $15. I don’t call because there is no reason in the world for that small a raise except as a value bet and I only have top pair AND I trying real hard not to make calls on the river. NG shows me his 5-7 off suit for the straight.
Three hands later I peak down at AcQc and pop it for $12 more. I’m now in early middle position and get 3 callers including NG. The board misses me with junk so I bet $15. NG calls. The turn puts a second 7 on the board and NG bets $50. I fold and he shows the hammer (72o).
I’m OK with all of this as I’m making the right decisions but I’m not enjoying the chip bleed. Then we get a big turning point. I’m in the big blind and my neighbor straddles for $4. Thinking back to the $4-8 game, I really like this straddle. I look down at KK. There is one caller, a raise of $5 to $7 and another caller before it gets back to me so I bump it $5 more just to build a pot. The flop is a rainbow of 59Q. I get the first bet and choose $20. NG calls. Turn is a 10. Check and I bet $20 more. NG calls. The river is a 7 and NG bets $80. I go in the tank for a bit worried that he may have an 8J or JK for the straight. I can cover the bet, but not by a ton. I decide that this guy has gotten me with junk twice and has seen me lay down twice to big bets and I think he is making a move. I call and he turns over 9J and I scoop a huge pot.
The rest of my play was good and I closed the night up $362 for my biggest night ever in a live casino and maybe my biggest take ever. I know my friends Falstaff, Pauley, Lane, and many other sneeze this much cash at the tables, but not me. For a low-limit rock like me, this was a terrific night. Oklahoma is OK by me.
Next week I'll be near Hartford, CT. Maybe I'll get to Foxwoods.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Big D
I’ve had a good trip to the Dallas area this week. The work has been rather easy. The hotel has been comfortable. I’ve found some poker to play. After the insane schedule and travel of last week, it has been the break I was hoping for.
There was a poker tournament in the lounge of the hotel Wednesday night. It was a fun freeroll except for the one drink minimum. I hit some good cards early turning a straight, pushing the table around with middle pocket pairs, and busting a busty astrophysicist with QQ over her JJ. That gave me enough to make the final table (of 3) without winning another hand. Good thing, too, since I didn’t win another hand. I busted out in 7th place after my top pair got busted by a runner-runner straight. I played well, so it was a good time.
I did work until 9pm last night. That seems harsh for a Friday night, but I’m not at home and TV sucks, so I was glad to have something to do. Hunger and laziness struck at the same time, so I called up room service and ordered me a steak. I was just turning to the laptop to check on the web and I heard a sound in my room. Sounds are okay as long as I or the TV makes them. The origin of this sound was neither. It was coming from the bathroom and I couldn’t tell if it was someone rustling around or water dripping. Since I was the only (other) one there, I went to check it out.
I reached around the door jamb and hit the bathroom light switch. The light illuminated the blackness that was now the bathroom. It looked like the sink had exploded coffee grounds sometime earlier in the night. Whatever it really was was on the far wall in the shower. It was on the ceiling. It covered the counter top and was still running from the sink. The sound I heard was the black water overflowing the sink onto the floor.
I stuck a trash can under the waterfall and called the front desk. The engineer took one look at the bathroom and said “We need to get you another room.” Wow, what a good answer. This guy takes the Customer Service Person of the Month Award. He didn’t make excuses or waste my time with anything that was not my concern. He got me a room and keys for the room and offered to help me move my stuff. He didn’t even try to explain what happened until I asked. The Arlington Hilton gets good customer service scores from me. Of course, it would have been nice to not have had my room soiled in the first place.
So I’m back at it today. Our project is going smoothly, so I really don’t have much to do except monitor counters and blog. Tomorrow, I fly out to Hartford, CT via Charlotte (home). I’m hoping the wife can meet me at the airport with a picnic or something during my 2 hour layover. Maybe I can get down to Foxwoods during the week.
There was a poker tournament in the lounge of the hotel Wednesday night. It was a fun freeroll except for the one drink minimum. I hit some good cards early turning a straight, pushing the table around with middle pocket pairs, and busting a busty astrophysicist with QQ over her JJ. That gave me enough to make the final table (of 3) without winning another hand. Good thing, too, since I didn’t win another hand. I busted out in 7th place after my top pair got busted by a runner-runner straight. I played well, so it was a good time.
I did work until 9pm last night. That seems harsh for a Friday night, but I’m not at home and TV sucks, so I was glad to have something to do. Hunger and laziness struck at the same time, so I called up room service and ordered me a steak. I was just turning to the laptop to check on the web and I heard a sound in my room. Sounds are okay as long as I or the TV makes them. The origin of this sound was neither. It was coming from the bathroom and I couldn’t tell if it was someone rustling around or water dripping. Since I was the only (other) one there, I went to check it out.
I reached around the door jamb and hit the bathroom light switch. The light illuminated the blackness that was now the bathroom. It looked like the sink had exploded coffee grounds sometime earlier in the night. Whatever it really was was on the far wall in the shower. It was on the ceiling. It covered the counter top and was still running from the sink. The sound I heard was the black water overflowing the sink onto the floor.
I stuck a trash can under the waterfall and called the front desk. The engineer took one look at the bathroom and said “We need to get you another room.” Wow, what a good answer. This guy takes the Customer Service Person of the Month Award. He didn’t make excuses or waste my time with anything that was not my concern. He got me a room and keys for the room and offered to help me move my stuff. He didn’t even try to explain what happened until I asked. The Arlington Hilton gets good customer service scores from me. Of course, it would have been nice to not have had my room soiled in the first place.
So I’m back at it today. Our project is going smoothly, so I really don’t have much to do except monitor counters and blog. Tomorrow, I fly out to Hartford, CT via Charlotte (home). I’m hoping the wife can meet me at the airport with a picnic or something during my 2 hour layover. Maybe I can get down to Foxwoods during the week.
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