I was hoping to write about the 2013 WSOP but life keeps happening and the story moves further and farther away into the rear view mirror.
What's more fresh on my mind is the car accident I had two nights ago. I got hit and had to be towed. I called my name brand you've heard of insurance company who said a tow truck would come in 60 minutes or less and take me to one of their recommended official blah blah blah auto body shops.
This was apparently a big benefit for me because the guy who assesses damages would be able to see it right away. You know. Cause it's their shop.
I said I wanted to go to my car dealer. Call me crazy. I had this idea that the same place I bought the car from might be the optimal place to rebuild it.
Not so fast Robert.
The voice on the other end strongly discouraged me from using the dealership.
"Everything will happen faster if you go to auto body shop of name brand insurance company."
"Well I think I want to go to my car dealer's body shop."
"Your car dealer doesn't have an auto body shop" she said. "Most don't. Are you positive that your's does? What if we tow it there for you and then it can't be fixed?"
She then closed with "The repair work will ONLY BE GUARANTEED BY US IF YOU USE OUR auto body shop of name brand insurance company.."
Sounds like they want me to go somewhere specific.
I got off the phone with the insurance bully and called up my car dealer. Turns out they do have a body shop. However before I could call back my insurance company, the real fun began:
Five different tow trucks stopped to ask if they could tow me.
Each time I said "My car insurance covers it for free."
"But I'll take you for free too" they each said.
What kind of kick back must tow trucks get for bringing a body shop a car?
It's like the stories you hear of taxi cab drivers in Vegas receiving nice bonuses for bringing guys to strip clubs. The bonus must be nice because just like these tow truck guys, in Vegas they'll drive you there for free.
Each tow truck guy asked who my insurance company was. When I told them the name they all immediately correctly guessed which tow truck company I was waiting for.
When you have an accident with my car insurance company the tow truck, body shop and car rental are all pre-set alliances.
One tow truck didn't give up easily. Guy said he'd not only tow me but also repair my car for less than my deductible.
I finally called back my insurance company to say I wanted the car delivered to my car dealer- not to their auto body lot.
90 minutes after I had first called, the endorsed tow truck came.
What happened next is beyond my creative writing ability.
My tow guy gets out of his truck, documents that he's been sent by the name brand insurance company and then tries to talk me into going to a third completely different auto body place!
Not where I want to go. not where the name brand car insurance company is trying to send me....but some other auto body shop that he "recommends."
And this guy is part of the alliance!
I tell him I want to go to my car dealer he gives me the now hack "Your car dealer doesn't have a body shop."
"Sir I don't want to argue with you. I've been waiting over an hour and a half. I just want to get my car towed."
"But your car dealer doesn't have an autobody shop" he continues.
You can't say that he isn't trying.
Yesterday morning I get a call from the gentlemen who is assigned to assess the damage done to my car. He's at my car dealership and wants to know when I am going to be bringing my car in.
I put my tilt on hold and call back my name brand insurance company.
They are trying to locate my car.
In the meantime I go to rent a car from the place the car insurance company sends me to. The car rental salesman tries to sell me additional car insurance for the rental, even though my car insurance is paying for this rental. Clearly I have car insurance. It's why I'm standing in this specific rental car place. It's also why my car is missing at the moment.
A few hours later my phone rings.
The good news: My car has been found.
The bad news: It's at the auto body place my car insurance wanted.
I can't contain myself anymore.
I start yelling.
"Move my car to the car dealership immediately!.
The person on the other end says "Sir, most car dealerships don't have auto body shops."
Friday, August 09, 2013
Friday, June 21, 2013
Friday Night June 21
So here I am. At Vegas. In the Rio. I arrived in time to play the 8pm mega satellite to gain entry into the Main Event. Unfortunately when I got to the cage I found out tonight's event was pot limit Omaha. I almost jumped in but then thought that's the kind of move that might accidentally make money and become a great story so why not play it safe and join a single table $275 old school sit and go instead?
Play was pretty mediocre. I forgot how miserable people act at the poker table. One guy gave me a dirty look when I checked out of order. Let me add that it was only the two of us in the hand so in theory I was helping him, by letting him know what I was doing. He turned red and gave me a stare. As if I was angle playing. For entertainment purposes I should have announced "raise" after he bet just to see what happened. Next time. When the cameras are there for our poker reality show.
This guy along with the other table a-hole were the first two out. That was nice of the universe. I was less lucky. As blinds grew I played two hands all in. My Ace King lost to Ace 4 in a scenario where I knew I had the best hand before we turned over. Then at the end my pocket tens lost to ace 7 even after I flopped the third 10. Back when I was a kid I think we used to call that a set. I expected the ace to flop but instead the guy went runner ruuner to make a straight with his 7. Some combination of jack, 8, 9. I burst into laughter. Some say no one has seen a genuine smile from someone under a difficult circumstance like that since Popovich congratulated Lebron after game 7.
Lets hope I got "it" out of my system. And by "it" I mean the inability to win when ahead. I was saying earlier today that I need ace king to beat pocket pairs to get anywhere. But the two hands above are why I don't attempt to do this every day anymore.
Now I remember how this goes. This is when I give a lecture on how I can only get my chips in good. Forgot about the silliness that happens afterwards. None of that matters. Tonight was a success because I was ahead when the cards were shown. I just don't have the money to show for it.
Yet.
See you tomorrow over here.
Play was pretty mediocre. I forgot how miserable people act at the poker table. One guy gave me a dirty look when I checked out of order. Let me add that it was only the two of us in the hand so in theory I was helping him, by letting him know what I was doing. He turned red and gave me a stare. As if I was angle playing. For entertainment purposes I should have announced "raise" after he bet just to see what happened. Next time. When the cameras are there for our poker reality show.
This guy along with the other table a-hole were the first two out. That was nice of the universe. I was less lucky. As blinds grew I played two hands all in. My Ace King lost to Ace 4 in a scenario where I knew I had the best hand before we turned over. Then at the end my pocket tens lost to ace 7 even after I flopped the third 10. Back when I was a kid I think we used to call that a set. I expected the ace to flop but instead the guy went runner ruuner to make a straight with his 7. Some combination of jack, 8, 9. I burst into laughter. Some say no one has seen a genuine smile from someone under a difficult circumstance like that since Popovich congratulated Lebron after game 7.
Lets hope I got "it" out of my system. And by "it" I mean the inability to win when ahead. I was saying earlier today that I need ace king to beat pocket pairs to get anywhere. But the two hands above are why I don't attempt to do this every day anymore.
Now I remember how this goes. This is when I give a lecture on how I can only get my chips in good. Forgot about the silliness that happens afterwards. None of that matters. Tonight was a success because I was ahead when the cards were shown. I just don't have the money to show for it.
Yet.
See you tomorrow over here.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Thursday, February 07, 2013
Results Oriented
Was just thinking about the good old days of internet poker. Sometimes
when I'd get all in at cash game I'd cover the screen with my hand. No
need to see what came on the turn and river. Just think
about the hand. Did I get my money in good? I've either won a big pot
or lost it all. The actual result may or may not be the expected
result. The expected result is what matters for judging play. Yet
the actual result is what matters to most people in life. Unfortunately.
Monday, January 07, 2013
Some Soul Searching
The auction isn't up yet. Obviously. Or else you would have already been bombarded with the associated advertising. I did create a seller account at EBAY. I just need to take some photos of this "casino memorabilia" and we should be all good to go.
An aside: I had a moment over the weekend where I thought maybe I should just donate whatever the highest bid is to charity. And that got me thinking about how the amount of money received actually has an effect on what I'd like to do with it.
Most dollar amounts feel right to donate. Like if someone wants to pay $1,000 bucks for the underwear, I want to pass that on to folks who could use it more. Same thing goes regardless of whether it's 50 bucks or Ten thousand.
But for ethical, moral, and discussions sake, lets say someone was willing to spend alot more than this.
Like what if someone spent $1,000,000? Should this change anything?
Before you immediately dismiss this possibility, I do want to remind you that they are lucky underwear. So anything is possible.
Here's where I found myself wavering.
You see one million dollars would be life changing....for me.
My donating this same one million dollars by itself probably doesn't stop world hunger or cure cancer.
So to review I am okay with giving the underwear away and passing on whatever they are worth to charity.
Unless you want to give me one million dollars.
Then I want to keep it.
An aside: I had a moment over the weekend where I thought maybe I should just donate whatever the highest bid is to charity. And that got me thinking about how the amount of money received actually has an effect on what I'd like to do with it.
Most dollar amounts feel right to donate. Like if someone wants to pay $1,000 bucks for the underwear, I want to pass that on to folks who could use it more. Same thing goes regardless of whether it's 50 bucks or Ten thousand.
But for ethical, moral, and discussions sake, lets say someone was willing to spend alot more than this.
Like what if someone spent $1,000,000? Should this change anything?
Before you immediately dismiss this possibility, I do want to remind you that they are lucky underwear. So anything is possible.
Here's where I found myself wavering.
You see one million dollars would be life changing....for me.
My donating this same one million dollars by itself probably doesn't stop world hunger or cure cancer.
So to review I am okay with giving the underwear away and passing on whatever they are worth to charity.
Unless you want to give me one million dollars.
Then I want to keep it.
Wednesday, January 02, 2013
Do You Feel Lucky?
Happy 2013!
With the start of a new year I found myself doing some cleaning and came across the underwear I wore when I made the final table of a WSOP event in 2006. It was a 3 day event. I wore them on the 1st day and after somehow making it to day 2 I decided to wear them again. When I made the final table and came back for day 3 there was no question what I'd be wearing underneath my pants.
This underwear was the real deal. I didn't lose a race for 3 days. My AK always beat the opponent's pair. My pocket pair always held up against their AK. Oh sure these underwear didn't eventually figure out a way for my Ten, Jack to beat the early position raiser's pocket queens but lets be reasonable with our expectations. In what would be my tournament ending hand, I needed a fold from my opponent, not help from my underwear.
After this tournament ended these became my lucky underwear and were brought out anytime in the years to follow when I needed a little extra oomph in my game.
So now it's almost 7 years later and here I am looking at them and deciding that maybe it's time to finally move on. Yet there's no way I can just throw them out. Can't do that. They have too much meaning.
No. This specific scenario appears to have only one possibility for resolution:
For me to auction them off on Ebay.
I will most likely need a few days to figure out how one does this. But come next week I plan to have everything set up perfectly to present you good reader with what some are calling "the best opportunity of 2013." To be the brand new owner of my lucky underwear.
My only regret is not having thought of this in time for the recent holiday season as I am sure they would have made the perfect Christmas gift for the gambler in your life.
More info to follow after I figure out Ebay.
With the start of a new year I found myself doing some cleaning and came across the underwear I wore when I made the final table of a WSOP event in 2006. It was a 3 day event. I wore them on the 1st day and after somehow making it to day 2 I decided to wear them again. When I made the final table and came back for day 3 there was no question what I'd be wearing underneath my pants.
This underwear was the real deal. I didn't lose a race for 3 days. My AK always beat the opponent's pair. My pocket pair always held up against their AK. Oh sure these underwear didn't eventually figure out a way for my Ten, Jack to beat the early position raiser's pocket queens but lets be reasonable with our expectations. In what would be my tournament ending hand, I needed a fold from my opponent, not help from my underwear.
After this tournament ended these became my lucky underwear and were brought out anytime in the years to follow when I needed a little extra oomph in my game.
So now it's almost 7 years later and here I am looking at them and deciding that maybe it's time to finally move on. Yet there's no way I can just throw them out. Can't do that. They have too much meaning.
No. This specific scenario appears to have only one possibility for resolution:
For me to auction them off on Ebay.
I will most likely need a few days to figure out how one does this. But come next week I plan to have everything set up perfectly to present you good reader with what some are calling "the best opportunity of 2013." To be the brand new owner of my lucky underwear.
My only regret is not having thought of this in time for the recent holiday season as I am sure they would have made the perfect Christmas gift for the gambler in your life.
More info to follow after I figure out Ebay.
Friday, July 20, 2012
2012 Main Event
July 7th, 2012. I leave a little before noon to drive to Vegas to satellite into the Main Event. It had already been a full day for me having woken up at 530 am that morning. I got to the Rio right about 4pm just as a $550 satellite was starting. Field was over 700 players. Top 33 finishers would win a $10,000 seat. 34th place got over $7k cash which might be better than 33rd if you don't already have a seat.
Raise fold blah blah blah....sometime around level 5 I was getting low. Guy sitting to my left shares his belief that with my stack size I should be pushing with king 10 or better. A few hands later I look down at pocket 8's. Based on his advice I push rather than just raise in an attempt to create a king 10 image. It works when he pushes all in right behind me. The two blinds have yet to act. My friend attempts to discourage them by telling anyone who will listen that he has the best hand right now. He's not trying to intimidate me. My money's already in there. He's obviously trying to us both a favor and get the blinds to fold. The small blind folds and will later tell me he had 8's beat preflop. Not inconceivable to fold a hand like pocket 9's in a satellite when two all ins occur in front of you. Big blind folds as well and shows an ace which is great news since villain has ace 4. My eights hold up and if I were giving a speech I'd have thanked him.
7 hours go by and with plenty of caffeine I run well enough. Pairs beating ace king when they need to. I was up to 50,000 chips- plenty for a seat. The average stack would be 80 something later that night when there would be 34 players were left. I just had to stay alive.
A very loose player with 25k behind the line raises my big blind. In hindsight a push may have been my best play if I'm not going to fold. Why not put him and his smaller stack to a decision? I choose to call because I didn't want to go crazy with the specific hand I seem to lose plenty of money with. Flop comes ace high. He bets. I raise. If he has Ace King he deserves the double up. The chips get all in and he turns over ace 2. Wow. I am 93% to move up to 75k. That's a seat. The only question is whether I should play the Main Event tomorrow (Sunday) or wait till Monday and spend Sunday playing even more satellites. Blank on turn. You know. Because once you have your seat you take all the remaining 10k seats in cash.
2 on river and ace 2 takes it down. This guy now has 50k and can relax. I am down to 25k and on high alert. How did we switch places here?
A few hands later another loose aggressive player sitting to my left pushes all in with his king, 7 on the button, because how else can you possibly play it when you have 60,000 chips and have been controlling the table with your small raises?
He gets insta-called by the same guy who just rivered me with ace 2. This time ace 2 has pocket kings and is about to double up to 100k. Amazing.
And then it starts raining clubs. The clubs won't stop coming till the guy with the king, 7 hits a four card flush with his 7 of clubs. Poof. Just like that the guy with kings is gone. I watch the dealer push his (and my) chips come back across the table to the gentleman to my left. The guy who pushes with king 7 now has over 100,000 and will easily win a seat. Later this same night I will see a two-year-old out after Midnight with his parents in 7-Eleven. Life isn't fair in so many ways.
With 46 players remaining I look down at Ace Queen suited. Again. Cosmically speaking I could fold. Mathematically speaking my stack is down to 23K and it costs 10.5K per orbit so I have to push soon and this is WAY better than I could have hoped for in this spot. Plus the best part is I know I am ahead of the aggressive player who had bet 9K from early position. He was raising too often. If he woke up with something, good for him.
I push my last 23k into the middle so he only needs to call 14k to win 36.5k with the antes.
He sat there for a few moments or so, perhaps I should have talked and said something like "For 14k you can fold for the next orbit. Why take the worse of it when you don't need to win all the chips?"
He eventually calls and turns over 7,8 off.
An amazing moment for me. I didn't expect that. If my hand holds up I'll have over 50k and be back on track for grabbing the seat. Plenty of 30k and 40k stacks around.
If it doesn't hold up I get a story to tell.
Ace, jack, rag flop.
Better than expected.
What could possibly go wrong?
I am 97% favorite.
9 on the turn.
Nah.....
10 on the river.
So this is why I am not doing this every day with my life anymore.
I hadn't checked into the hotel yet.
I was tempted to just get into the car and drive back home.
Then I remembered I had woken up at 5:30am and decided it was better to just fold and go to sleep.
See you next year WSOP.
Raise fold blah blah blah....sometime around level 5 I was getting low. Guy sitting to my left shares his belief that with my stack size I should be pushing with king 10 or better. A few hands later I look down at pocket 8's. Based on his advice I push rather than just raise in an attempt to create a king 10 image. It works when he pushes all in right behind me. The two blinds have yet to act. My friend attempts to discourage them by telling anyone who will listen that he has the best hand right now. He's not trying to intimidate me. My money's already in there. He's obviously trying to us both a favor and get the blinds to fold. The small blind folds and will later tell me he had 8's beat preflop. Not inconceivable to fold a hand like pocket 9's in a satellite when two all ins occur in front of you. Big blind folds as well and shows an ace which is great news since villain has ace 4. My eights hold up and if I were giving a speech I'd have thanked him.
7 hours go by and with plenty of caffeine I run well enough. Pairs beating ace king when they need to. I was up to 50,000 chips- plenty for a seat. The average stack would be 80 something later that night when there would be 34 players were left. I just had to stay alive.
A very loose player with 25k behind the line raises my big blind. In hindsight a push may have been my best play if I'm not going to fold. Why not put him and his smaller stack to a decision? I choose to call because I didn't want to go crazy with the specific hand I seem to lose plenty of money with. Flop comes ace high. He bets. I raise. If he has Ace King he deserves the double up. The chips get all in and he turns over ace 2. Wow. I am 93% to move up to 75k. That's a seat. The only question is whether I should play the Main Event tomorrow (Sunday) or wait till Monday and spend Sunday playing even more satellites. Blank on turn. You know. Because once you have your seat you take all the remaining 10k seats in cash.
2 on river and ace 2 takes it down. This guy now has 50k and can relax. I am down to 25k and on high alert. How did we switch places here?
A few hands later another loose aggressive player sitting to my left pushes all in with his king, 7 on the button, because how else can you possibly play it when you have 60,000 chips and have been controlling the table with your small raises?
He gets insta-called by the same guy who just rivered me with ace 2. This time ace 2 has pocket kings and is about to double up to 100k. Amazing.
And then it starts raining clubs. The clubs won't stop coming till the guy with the king, 7 hits a four card flush with his 7 of clubs. Poof. Just like that the guy with kings is gone. I watch the dealer push his (and my) chips come back across the table to the gentleman to my left. The guy who pushes with king 7 now has over 100,000 and will easily win a seat. Later this same night I will see a two-year-old out after Midnight with his parents in 7-Eleven. Life isn't fair in so many ways.
With 46 players remaining I look down at Ace Queen suited. Again. Cosmically speaking I could fold. Mathematically speaking my stack is down to 23K and it costs 10.5K per orbit so I have to push soon and this is WAY better than I could have hoped for in this spot. Plus the best part is I know I am ahead of the aggressive player who had bet 9K from early position. He was raising too often. If he woke up with something, good for him.
I push my last 23k into the middle so he only needs to call 14k to win 36.5k with the antes.
He sat there for a few moments or so, perhaps I should have talked and said something like "For 14k you can fold for the next orbit. Why take the worse of it when you don't need to win all the chips?"
He eventually calls and turns over 7,8 off.
An amazing moment for me. I didn't expect that. If my hand holds up I'll have over 50k and be back on track for grabbing the seat. Plenty of 30k and 40k stacks around.
If it doesn't hold up I get a story to tell.
Ace, jack, rag flop.
Better than expected.
What could possibly go wrong?
I am 97% favorite.
9 on the turn.
Nah.....
10 on the river.
So this is why I am not doing this every day with my life anymore.
I hadn't checked into the hotel yet.
I was tempted to just get into the car and drive back home.
Then I remembered I had woken up at 5:30am and decided it was better to just fold and go to sleep.
See you next year WSOP.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Live Tweeting
So I came up with this great original idea that certainly hasn't ever been done before.
What if I were to play a poker tournament and give live updates at the same time over the internet?
Doing this sure doesn't seem ideal for focusing on poker.
I'd be way better off watching the action around me than typing updates into a smartphone.
But it does seem like an interesting experiment for following the ups and ups of a tournament.
So here we go.
I am going to play World Series of Poker Event #43 that starts this Saturday June 23rd at noon.
You can follow me here.
What if I were to play a poker tournament and give live updates at the same time over the internet?
Doing this sure doesn't seem ideal for focusing on poker.
I'd be way better off watching the action around me than typing updates into a smartphone.
But it does seem like an interesting experiment for following the ups and ups of a tournament.
So here we go.
I am going to play World Series of Poker Event #43 that starts this Saturday June 23rd at noon.
You can follow me here.
Friday, June 08, 2012
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Spurs are +160 tonight at Oklahoma City.
The San Antonio Spurs have won 20 games in a row.
Someone needs to stop this.
And Vegas is offering me plus 160 to break their winning streak?
Lets bring in the cooler!
Someone needs to stop this.
And Vegas is offering me plus 160 to break their winning streak?
Lets bring in the cooler!
Monday, March 26, 2012
Vegas Facts #15, 16, and 17
Was in Vegas this past weekend. Got a flat tire on the way there. Got caught in a snowstorm on the way home. For some reason I decided not to play any poker. Look who respects luck.
Drove by the house I rented in 2007 and it inspired some housing bubble analysis. The previous owner who got foreclosed on had paid $620,000 for it back in December 2006.
It sold for $250,000 in February 2010.
The second house I rented was bought by it's owner in March 2006 for $299,000.
It sold in November 2011 for $115,000.
Looks like some people got lucky in 2006.
And some others did not.
Drove by the house I rented in 2007 and it inspired some housing bubble analysis. The previous owner who got foreclosed on had paid $620,000 for it back in December 2006.
It sold for $250,000 in February 2010.
The second house I rented was bought by it's owner in March 2006 for $299,000.
It sold in November 2011 for $115,000.
Looks like some people got lucky in 2006.
And some others did not.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
The Fridge is Still Cool
I bet Green Bay Packers (13-0) to win last Sunday at Kansas City.
I really did.
The money line was Packers -800.
Normally risking 800 to win 100 is a horrible proposition.
But not here.
Nope.
Cause there was no way the Pack could lose this game.
None.
To be honest I didn't expect to actually see a money line offered with the 14 point spread.
And when I did -800 appeared to be reasonable.
Cause the real question is would Green Bay go 19-0. Not can they beat KC on the road in week 15. Have you seen KC?
The only thing to decide was an acceptable dollar amount to wager.
Initially I was going to use my entire sports betting bankroll.
A bankroll I built up through small wagers using consistent units.
A typical unit was 3% of my roll.
Not 100%.
Luckily that little voice went off inside my head and said "Robert, if you lose this you will be OUT of action. No NFL playoffs. No Super Bowl. No NBA. No March Madness. DONE."
I listened to the voice and decided to wager only 75% of my bankroll.
Enough to make it hurt a little but at least I would still have action if disaster struck.
Around an hour before the game started I went online and noticed the odds quickly dropping.
Green Bay down to -650. KC only +450. Terrible sign.
The fix was in.
Lots of money going Chiefs way.
This couldn't have been inspired by Kyle Orton right?
I mean if I liked it at -800, I am loving it at -650.
Right?
The game starts.
Uh oh.
Kyle Orton has shaved his moustache.
That is not supposed to happen.
Kyle Orton needs a moustache.
It's part of who Kyle Orton is.
If Kyle Orton is sans moustache then this needs to appear in the NFL injury report.
There should be fines involved here.
Shame on the NFL for not sharing this information.
I did brag to a few friends during the game that I had bet Green Bay. Told them to look out for KC and my cooling powers.
This wager was clearly win/win.
Either I'd collect a few dollars on the sure thing that couldn't miss.
Or I'd spend 75% of my roll to buy a good story.
The fridge is still cool.
I really did.
The money line was Packers -800.
Normally risking 800 to win 100 is a horrible proposition.
But not here.
Nope.
Cause there was no way the Pack could lose this game.
None.
To be honest I didn't expect to actually see a money line offered with the 14 point spread.
And when I did -800 appeared to be reasonable.
Cause the real question is would Green Bay go 19-0. Not can they beat KC on the road in week 15. Have you seen KC?
The only thing to decide was an acceptable dollar amount to wager.
Initially I was going to use my entire sports betting bankroll.
A bankroll I built up through small wagers using consistent units.
A typical unit was 3% of my roll.
Not 100%.
Luckily that little voice went off inside my head and said "Robert, if you lose this you will be OUT of action. No NFL playoffs. No Super Bowl. No NBA. No March Madness. DONE."
I listened to the voice and decided to wager only 75% of my bankroll.
Enough to make it hurt a little but at least I would still have action if disaster struck.
Around an hour before the game started I went online and noticed the odds quickly dropping.
Green Bay down to -650. KC only +450. Terrible sign.
The fix was in.
Lots of money going Chiefs way.
This couldn't have been inspired by Kyle Orton right?
I mean if I liked it at -800, I am loving it at -650.
Right?
The game starts.
Uh oh.
Kyle Orton has shaved his moustache.
That is not supposed to happen.
Kyle Orton needs a moustache.
It's part of who Kyle Orton is.
If Kyle Orton is sans moustache then this needs to appear in the NFL injury report.
There should be fines involved here.
Shame on the NFL for not sharing this information.
I did brag to a few friends during the game that I had bet Green Bay. Told them to look out for KC and my cooling powers.
This wager was clearly win/win.
Either I'd collect a few dollars on the sure thing that couldn't miss.
Or I'd spend 75% of my roll to buy a good story.
The fridge is still cool.
This blog entry has been sponsored by the Green Bay Packers money line.
Monday, August 08, 2011
The Pain One Endures as a Math Person.
I saw the poster below while checking into the Rio for the World Series of Poker.
You do the math.
So much for buying in bulk.
Thursday, August 04, 2011
Live Poker?
I was in the Midwest over the weekend and excited to learn I was minutes away from a casino that had poker.
Well sort of.
Upon arrival I noticed there were no chips. No cards. There wasn't even a dealer.
10 players were seated around a table. This I can confirm.
However the problem was the table looked exactly like this.
I guess this is the future.
Anyhow what inspired me to write about this experience was a particular hand where I floated a young aggressive player on the flop in hopes of bluffing him on the river.
We both checked the turn and my moment came on 5th street when I fired out a 66% of the pot bet to try and get him to fold.
The young aggressive kid asks me if the ace on the turn helped me.
I sat there in silence.
So what does he do to get a read?
He bets all in.
The way the game works each player must click a second time to "confirm" the action they have selected.
So "all in" doesn't really mean "all in" until you confirm.
This means you can pull back bets after seeing a reaction. You can change your fold to call. You can string bet all night long.
I quickly accepted that this maneuver was part of the strategy. The game allows players to do this. The young kid was just using whatever resources were available to him to try and take me down.
He eventually cancelled his all in to fold.
Then confirmed.
And if I was savvy enough to show my bluff I may have.
I just don't think this is what our founding fathers intended when they legalized poker in the declaration of independence.
So it turns out that electronic computerized poker against other human beings does exist in the USA.
You just have to go live to play it.
Well sort of.
Upon arrival I noticed there were no chips. No cards. There wasn't even a dealer.
10 players were seated around a table. This I can confirm.
However the problem was the table looked exactly like this.
I guess this is the future.
Anyhow what inspired me to write about this experience was a particular hand where I floated a young aggressive player on the flop in hopes of bluffing him on the river.
We both checked the turn and my moment came on 5th street when I fired out a 66% of the pot bet to try and get him to fold.
The young aggressive kid asks me if the ace on the turn helped me.
I sat there in silence.
So what does he do to get a read?
He bets all in.
The way the game works each player must click a second time to "confirm" the action they have selected.
So "all in" doesn't really mean "all in" until you confirm.
This means you can pull back bets after seeing a reaction. You can change your fold to call. You can string bet all night long.
I quickly accepted that this maneuver was part of the strategy. The game allows players to do this. The young kid was just using whatever resources were available to him to try and take me down.
He eventually cancelled his all in to fold.
Then confirmed.
And if I was savvy enough to show my bluff I may have.
I just don't think this is what our founding fathers intended when they legalized poker in the declaration of independence.
So it turns out that electronic computerized poker against other human beings does exist in the USA.
You just have to go live to play it.
Sunday, July 03, 2011
My Hobby
This having too much free time without internet poker in my life is getting way out of hand and complicating matters.
I'm doing too much of the stuff I've always wanted to do. Things I had been putting off for years.
It used to be that whatever I didn't get done on my list each week would just get dragged to the next week.
Now I am suddenly forced into the awkward situation of actually crossing things off the list.
Tasks never intended to be finished are suddenly complete.
My updated bucket list pales in comparison to the original.
What ever happened to sitting around and wasting time?
I'm doing too much of the stuff I've always wanted to do. Things I had been putting off for years.
It used to be that whatever I didn't get done on my list each week would just get dragged to the next week.
Now I am suddenly forced into the awkward situation of actually crossing things off the list.
Tasks never intended to be finished are suddenly complete.
My updated bucket list pales in comparison to the original.
What ever happened to sitting around and wasting time?
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Notes From The Outside
Your reluctant hero got himself to one of Southern California's card club establishments for the first time since leaving Vegas almost three years ago.
Live poker is much slower than I had remembered.
The first level took decades.
I graduated from college and attended my 25 year reunion before we hit 50/100.
I put on some weight.
I changed jobs four times.
I lost the weight and then put it back on as muscle.
Then I lost it again.
I had a midlife crisis.
All the while I kept double checking the time on my phone.
At one point I was sitting at the table, bored out of my mind, chastising myself for such tight play.
I then counted my chips and realized we hadn't orbited yet in the tournament.
How was the play?
Surprisingly good. Maybe it should be. It has been eight years since Moneymaker came along.
By this point in time everyone definitely has a strategy. Everyone showed up with a plan.
Something however was missing from tables I remember in Vegas.
Folks on vacation.
Humans taking a break from the pit games.
Gentlemen looking for action and willing to drop some dollars to get it.
This type of player was just not there.
No, to travel to Bell Gardens, California at 4pm to play in a rebuy requires the belief that one knows what they are doing. The belief that one actually has a shot at winning $30,000.
And while it's true that I've been away from the game for awhile, apparently all of the characters are still the same.
When those writers I've hired to edit this blog entry for me get to work, we can have them include descriptions for each type of player I saw at the table. You know. So that you can fully enjoy my experience of having been there.
I do want to comment on how cruel some of the players were to the dealers.
I can't recall ever seeing it go this far at a poker table in Vegas.
Apparently the California card dealers are not as well protected as their Vegas cousins.
There were a few older ones who were decent but the younger dealers were constantly receiving player abuse, which only made them more nervous and make more mistakes.
I really wish I had filmed some of the interactions I witnessed with my camera as these guys displayed perhaps the best argument I've seen to date for legalizing and regulating internet poker.
(Well other than letting adults do adult things in the privacy of their own home).
These guys let everyone know that there are sick cruel demented people who do not know how to treat others in a public setting.
Which is exactly why God invented internet poker.
So I don't have to sit next to these folks in person.
If only the U.S. Congress could see what I saw.
The horror! The horror!
Live poker is much slower than I had remembered.
The first level took decades.
I graduated from college and attended my 25 year reunion before we hit 50/100.
I put on some weight.
I changed jobs four times.
I lost the weight and then put it back on as muscle.
Then I lost it again.
I had a midlife crisis.
All the while I kept double checking the time on my phone.
At one point I was sitting at the table, bored out of my mind, chastising myself for such tight play.
I then counted my chips and realized we hadn't orbited yet in the tournament.
How was the play?
Surprisingly good. Maybe it should be. It has been eight years since Moneymaker came along.
By this point in time everyone definitely has a strategy. Everyone showed up with a plan.
Something however was missing from tables I remember in Vegas.
Folks on vacation.
Humans taking a break from the pit games.
Gentlemen looking for action and willing to drop some dollars to get it.
This type of player was just not there.
No, to travel to Bell Gardens, California at 4pm to play in a rebuy requires the belief that one knows what they are doing. The belief that one actually has a shot at winning $30,000.
And while it's true that I've been away from the game for awhile, apparently all of the characters are still the same.
When those writers I've hired to edit this blog entry for me get to work, we can have them include descriptions for each type of player I saw at the table. You know. So that you can fully enjoy my experience of having been there.
I do want to comment on how cruel some of the players were to the dealers.
I can't recall ever seeing it go this far at a poker table in Vegas.
Apparently the California card dealers are not as well protected as their Vegas cousins.
There were a few older ones who were decent but the younger dealers were constantly receiving player abuse, which only made them more nervous and make more mistakes.
I really wish I had filmed some of the interactions I witnessed with my camera as these guys displayed perhaps the best argument I've seen to date for legalizing and regulating internet poker.
(Well other than letting adults do adult things in the privacy of their own home).
These guys let everyone know that there are sick cruel demented people who do not know how to treat others in a public setting.
Which is exactly why God invented internet poker.
So I don't have to sit next to these folks in person.
If only the U.S. Congress could see what I saw.
The horror! The horror!
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
I Can't Help It If I'm Lucky
Following up on the last post, here was my play:
I took half of my bankroll and put it on Miami for game 3 at+120.
I took the other half and put it on Dallas at +130 for the series.
The fact that Miami won game 3 let me breathe. I showed a profit regardless of what would happen the rest of the way. If somehow Dallas defied history and won the series, I would look like a genius.
Or at least very lucky.
As we know from poker, it can be very easy to confuse the two.
I took half of my bankroll and put it on Miami for game 3 at+120.
I took the other half and put it on Dallas at +130 for the series.
The fact that Miami won game 3 let me breathe. I showed a profit regardless of what would happen the rest of the way. If somehow Dallas defied history and won the series, I would look like a genius.
Or at least very lucky.
As we know from poker, it can be very easy to confuse the two.
Saturday, June 04, 2011
What do the NBA Finals and the 2-3-2 Format Have to do with Your Retirement Plan?
We are all going to be old soon so let me be brief.
I am not a big fan of the 2-3-2 format used in the NBA Finals. Why switch over from the 2-2-1-1-1 to the 2-3-2 for the final round? The 2-2-1-1-1 is far more intelligent, incredibly more fair, much more reasonable, clearly more likeable, and has better hygiene?* But rather than sit here and talk about how David Stern could make the NBA a better place, lets actually do something for the world by focusing on how to make you money based on the outcome of his NBA finals.
The first step is to get in your car and drive to Vegas if you can make it there before game 3 starts Sunday night. Immediately. Go. You can read the rest of this on the way during rest stops. In fact if you can't get to Vegas in time to bet on the game then there is no point reading the rest of this article. So technically speaking, no one should still be reading. Those who can make it to Vegas should already be in their cars.** And those who cannot should stop reading as well as reading further will only frustrate you when you see how much money you would have won by taking advantage of the incredible value being offered.
Here's the scoop: Since the NBA gas gone to this painful 2-3-2 format, when the series is tied 1-1 the team that has won game 3 has gone on to win the series all 11 times. For those of you playing along at home that's an 11-0 record for the game 3 winner
The leap of faith your financial adviser is asking you to take is to understand that the winner of Maimi at Dallas game 3 Sunday night will go on to win the series. Sure seems possible, plausible, and dare I say believable.
I will not tell you who to pick. We do not want to make lines move.
What I do, want to do, is help you maximize your profit.
If you like Dallas do not take them at -140 in game 3. Grab them at +130 to win the series. This fits nicely in your portfolio along with the +160 to win the series you have from before it started, along with the ridiculous +250 Mavs series line you grabbed after they lost game 1.
If you are a Miami guy bang the Heat at +120 for game 3. I know. Nervous Heat fans are sitting there thinking they don't need to win game 3 to win the series. And I am here to say 11-0. The Heat better win game 3 if they are going to win this series. What a gift to get them at +120 for a game they are going to win if they are going to win the NBA Finals.
To review:
At this moment in time we can get Dallas +130 to win the series. Heat +120 to win game 3. In essence there is no favorite. Only value.
A week from now one of these is going to seem like it was too good to have been true.
But it was.
At this moment in time.***
You're welcome.
*The 2-3-2 format requires players to stay at least 3 nights in the same hotel room.
**I do not endorse the reading of this while driving on the I-15 or any other road that leads to Vegas.
*** As long as the team that wins game 3 continues to go on to win the series.
I am not a big fan of the 2-3-2 format used in the NBA Finals. Why switch over from the 2-2-1-1-1 to the 2-3-2 for the final round? The 2-2-1-1-1 is far more intelligent, incredibly more fair, much more reasonable, clearly more likeable, and has better hygiene?* But rather than sit here and talk about how David Stern could make the NBA a better place, lets actually do something for the world by focusing on how to make you money based on the outcome of his NBA finals.
The first step is to get in your car and drive to Vegas if you can make it there before game 3 starts Sunday night. Immediately. Go. You can read the rest of this on the way during rest stops. In fact if you can't get to Vegas in time to bet on the game then there is no point reading the rest of this article. So technically speaking, no one should still be reading. Those who can make it to Vegas should already be in their cars.** And those who cannot should stop reading as well as reading further will only frustrate you when you see how much money you would have won by taking advantage of the incredible value being offered.
Here's the scoop: Since the NBA gas gone to this painful 2-3-2 format, when the series is tied 1-1 the team that has won game 3 has gone on to win the series all 11 times. For those of you playing along at home that's an 11-0 record for the game 3 winner
The leap of faith your financial adviser is asking you to take is to understand that the winner of Maimi at Dallas game 3 Sunday night will go on to win the series. Sure seems possible, plausible, and dare I say believable.
I will not tell you who to pick. We do not want to make lines move.
What I do, want to do, is help you maximize your profit.
If you like Dallas do not take them at -140 in game 3. Grab them at +130 to win the series. This fits nicely in your portfolio along with the +160 to win the series you have from before it started, along with the ridiculous +250 Mavs series line you grabbed after they lost game 1.
If you are a Miami guy bang the Heat at +120 for game 3. I know. Nervous Heat fans are sitting there thinking they don't need to win game 3 to win the series. And I am here to say 11-0. The Heat better win game 3 if they are going to win this series. What a gift to get them at +120 for a game they are going to win if they are going to win the NBA Finals.
To review:
At this moment in time we can get Dallas +130 to win the series. Heat +120 to win game 3. In essence there is no favorite. Only value.
A week from now one of these is going to seem like it was too good to have been true.
But it was.
At this moment in time.***
You're welcome.
*The 2-3-2 format requires players to stay at least 3 nights in the same hotel room.
**I do not endorse the reading of this while driving on the I-15 or any other road that leads to Vegas.
*** As long as the team that wins game 3 continues to go on to win the series.
Friday, June 03, 2011
3.5 Weeks Later
Hmmmm. I sure wouldn't mind playing me some internet poker this weekend.
What a great way to relax, have some fun and enjoy myself.
Maybe go deep in a tourney and win some money.
Oh sure I could play live and visit one of LA's card clubs.
Or drive a bit further and do some damage in Vegas.
But I gotta admit it sure sounds nice to just stay at home and play.
What a great way to relax, have some fun and enjoy myself.
Maybe go deep in a tourney and win some money.
Oh sure I could play live and visit one of LA's card clubs.
Or drive a bit further and do some damage in Vegas.
But I gotta admit it sure sounds nice to just stay at home and play.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act
What strikes me as unlawful is pushing through an agenda without proper debate.
Sneaking something into a 2006 port security bill that no one would dare vote against.
Not having a real discussion about the matter.
Where are all the adults at?
On the bright side, it sure is nice to have time back on the weekends.
Sneaking something into a 2006 port security bill that no one would dare vote against.
Not having a real discussion about the matter.
Where are all the adults at?
On the bright side, it sure is nice to have time back on the weekends.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)