Coherent Babble

As stated in my previous post, I'm really excited for this season.  DJ and I worked hard on bringing an exciting, well-rounded schedule to the DC populous.  My biggest problem with the lineup is there are too many series I want to watch!  Putting in hands online is already tough enough without all of this great content getting in my way.

I've really been trying to get back into playing more online lately, but I just can't seem to convince myself to do so.  I guess when live poker is going well, you kinda want to stick with it :)  Because I know that I have to play A LOT to expect anything close to my EV (thanks Tolerance....), it makes me reluctant to play at all.  I played a short 25 min session on Saturday night where I said "if I make $50, I'll go get Call of Duty."  I stacked a fish and also stacked a reg and finished up $158 and immediately quit.  Since I don't play much online any more, I get really anxious about losing for some reason.  And then I didn't even get COD lol.  Maybe I will later, but I don't know.  Every time I think about playing video games I feel guilty and say "I should be using that time for poker."  My buddy just let me borrow Uncharted 1 & 2 so maybe I'll check those out before getting COD.

On the hand vs the reg, everyone limped and I was in the SB w/ 95o.  Normally I'd just go ahead and muck, regardless of pot odds, but I completed (which is probably the right play anyway).  BB checked.  Flop 954tt.  I lead out for pot.  Reg in BB who has been playing pretty tight raises.  Everyone folds.  I thought "well, this guy is pretty tight, but it's really only 44 or a big draw since I have a 9 and a 5.  I can't really get away since I've only been playing with him for a short time."  So I 3b, he shoved, and I called.  He had 78s for the fd and gutter and I held.

It's weird how even though my bankroll would barely be affected in either direction, the outcome of that hand was so dramatic in my mind since I don't play much.  That's when you know you shouldn't be playing and how tilt ensues.  Definitely have to work on that if I decide to play more online, but like I said, I can't seem to find the motivation lately.

On the live front, I recently made a deep run in a live tourney at Delaware Park.  I was the chip leader for a while at the end and was still CL once we reached the final table.  With the wonderful late game structure, there were 9 min left in the level and I had 14BBs as the CL lol.  On one of the first few hands, I got it all in w/ QQ vs the 2nd place stack's AK and the board ran out QTxJx and I was out soon after.  I was really pleased with how I played and it was unfortunate that I couldn't keep the rungood going, but it was a lot of fun being the CL and making it to the final table.  I got my start playing MTTs and it's been a while since I played one so it felt good to do well :)

Is it just me or does the iPad just look so damn cool and enticing?  I honestly can't tell you how much I'd use it, but those commercials make me want one so badly!  Not enough to drop half a k on it, especially since I'd def want the 3G and would thus be stuck paying $15/month, but it's still so damn enticing.  FU Apple.  Actually, I just remember that Verizon has some sort of deal w/ the iPad now so I'd likely use their MiFi thing if I got one, but whatever.  I don't need one.  Must....resist....temptation.

Oh, another toy that I think I want and don't need are the new Bose QC15 headphones.  I've never had a nice pair of headphones and I tested them out recently.  They were pretty amazing, especially with the noise-cancelling feature.  I'd imagine plane rides would be far better with a pair of those.  I'd also imagine I could cancel out the bad beat stories I have to endure at the live tables.  Those might have to be on the xmas list.

In less materialistic news, I recently joined a rock climbing gym.  PygmyHero and Lysistrata introduced climbing to my girlfriend and me a few months ago and we've slowly become addicted to it.  It really is a lot of fun and you accidentally get a great workout while doing it!  I recently onsighted my first 5.8, if you know what that means.  My biggest frustration right now is my lack of long-term stamina so after a few tough climbs, my body is done even though I want to keep going!  It's good stuff though.  It's definitely on the expensive side, but I've never been a fan of working out and I've finally found something that helps in that area while still being fun.  It also entices me to do other workouts just so I can get better at climbing!  Also trying to eat just a tiny bit healthier, but just a tiny bit.

 Tangent - I wonder if I could set up a website designed strictly to listen to people's bad beat stories and fantasy football woes.  Let's face it - no one cares about how you lost a flip and no one cares about how you need Johnny U to throw 2 TDs in the Monday night game.  (I do need Vick, Desean, and the Eagles D to get me 30, a manageable feat by far, to beat my gf though since Mike Wallace put up 30 last night.)  See!  You didn't care at all about that last statement did you?  Methinks people would pay a monthly fee just to bitch about poker, FF, and whatever else is really important to them, but not at all important to anyone else.

Since it's almost that time of year, I'll leave you all with my new (as of last year) favorite holiday song.

 

Note:  This post is from the viewpoint of a 6MNL player who dabbles elsewhere.

I can't say anything right now, but assuming things go as planned, next season is going to be absolutely incredible.  I'm not taking anything away from this season (the introduction of DC Shorts has been amazing and Tolerance quickly became one of my favorite series of all time), but from a member perspective, this is the most excited I've been about an upcoming season in a long time.  Sorry for the tease, but stay tuned!  (next season begins on November 15th)

 

If you have a Facebook account, check out this link and "Like" the photo please!

Kali after a 6 mile run :)

http://www.blackbeltpoker.com/articles/read/DeucesCracked-Moneytrain-to-Midstakesville

I stared at that last sentence for a few minutes trying to decipher it's intended meaning.  Here was my thought process:

"Not be open," ok - that's equivalent to closed.  "We will be closed no later than 4pm."  No later than 4.  That means 4 or earlier.  Ok so we've got "We will be closed by 4 or earlier." But wait, they're already closed....

At that point I realized I had spent way too much time thinking about an obviously moronic sign, so I whipped out my phone hoping to capture the stupid in all it's glory.  However, right before I was going to snap the shot a dude came out of the store.

Dude - "Yea, we're closed."

Tom - "Yea, I know."

Dude - "Yea, you see that water break over there.  We don't got no water.  Can't open for business without it."

Tom - "Ok, I was just trying to figure out what your sign meant."

Dude - "Yea, we're closed.  Gonna try to be open at 4 but I dont know."

Tom - "Oh, so it's supposed to say closed UNTIL 4?"

Dude - "We're gonna try."

Tom - "You know your sign says 'not be open no later than 4' right?"

Dude - "Yea, we'll see.  Gotta get that water working."

Tom - "Ok, good talk."

So I'm recording the final episode of Moneytrain tonight.  Tis bittersweet as I am greatly looking forward to taking a mini-break from poker, but I also enjoyed the experience and learned a great deal.  My thanks go out to jk3a first and foremost for his teachings and his patience.  I also want to thank everyone who watched the series and wished me GL along the way.  It is greatly appreciated and helps out a lot during those rough periods (like how I started the series).  I feel like jk3a really helped me not only find a few leaks, but also how to fix them.  As expected, I'm still working on them, but I've never felt better about my game.  I feel extremely comfortable sitting at 200NL and once my bankroll is ready, I hope to take some 400NL shots.  

Speaking of which, I wish I could have gotten my bankroll to the point where I was taking shots by the end of the series, but alas my roll was going in the wrong direction during the first part.  I am happy to report that things are going much better now though :)  (plz no jinx for saying so)  I had a massive downswing to start the year which resulted in being down ~$4500 at one point.  That may or may not sound like a lot to you, but for a 100NL player who dabbled in 200NL, it was huge to me.  However, I studied and worked my butt off, and just kept playing.  As a result, I'm EXTREMELY happy to say that I'm now UP on the year!  Yes, that's right!  In the green!  (I don't like how red/black are opposites, they both seem negative to me so I use green.)  I feel like I'm playing my best poker nowadays and see GREEN pastures in my future :)  Here is my graph so far this year.  On my way back!  With rakeback/bonuses, I'm currently up ~$1k which is a huge relief after how things started!

So in conclusion, I want to say thanks to everyone involved, especially jk3a.  I learned a great deal and hope to keep learning.  I also hope to pass along my knowledge and start coaching again.  My apologies to those who wanted to see some 400NL action, but I tried my best.  The series seems to be very well-received so who knows, maybe we'll make a sequel once I'm a bit closer to my $12k goal :)  That is ultimately up to you guys so let your voices be heard if you want more!

Once I was afraid of dying.
Terrified of ever-lying.
Petrified of leaving family, home and friends.
Thoughts of absence from my dear ones,
Drew a melancholy tear once.
And a lonely, dreadful fear of when life ends.
But those days are long behind me;
Fear of leaving does not bind me.
And departure does not host a single care.
Peace does comfort as I ponder,
A reunion in the Yonder,
With my dearest who is waiting for me there.

Ok, I'm going to stop being lazy and finally write this trip report.  This one will detail the non-poker stuff.

Vegas was filled with activities this time.  My gf got to come so we planned some events as opposed to me just grinding poker or railing peeps as per my usual schedule in Vegas.  I found a great website that had sweet discounts on Cirque de Soleil shows so we booked tickets to Ka and Love (the Beatles one).

We went to Ka with two other couples and even though I didn't follow the story completely, it was still a fantastic show and I highly recommend it.  The presentation and special effects were phenomenal.  The seats we had were also great.  They were $150 seats that I managed to get for $62.50 and they were in the section right in front of the stage.  It was my first Cirque show so I didn't have anything to compare it to, but it was WELL worth $62.50.

 

 

The gf and I also attended Love with my friend's wife and PygmyHero.  Lysistrata (Pygmy's wife) was supposed to come too, but she didn't end up making it out to Vegas because she STILL hadn't finished her wedding scrapbook and I wouldn't let her come without finishing it.  Again, I struggled following the "story" of Love.  Unbeknownst to me, Love takes you on a chronological journey from something like the 1950s to 1970s, utilizing various Beatles songs to narrate the time period.  This show was decent, and everyone else seemed to really enjoy it.  My inability to follow the "story" made it less enjoyable for me.  Also, this show was more about dancing around rather than impressive feats or amazing effects.  It was also very weird at times (I'm guessing during the Beatles more 'experimental' phase.)  I'm sure most people would still enjoy it, but it paled in comparison to Ka for me.

 

 

Before hitting up Love, the gf, my friend's wife, and I all decided to check out Onda Ristorante, an italian restaurant in the Mirage.  The atmosphere was great and it felt quite fancy, but I felt the food was very underwhelming.

http://www.mirage.com/restaurants/onda-ristorante.aspx

We stayed at Bally's for the whole trip except the last night.  My friend was able to get us a free room at The Palazzo so we decided to try that out for our final night.  Because we had to pack up our stuff, check out of Bally's, and catch a taxi to The Palazzo, we almost didn't even worry about going, fearing it wasn't worth the hassle.  Boy were we glad we decided to go through with it!  The room, as you can see below, was AMAZING.  There was a sunken living room area, 3 flat TVs (1 in the bathroom), an incredible bathroom, and a sick view from the window overlooking the giant Palazzo pool and the strip.

During the final night, the gf and I met up with various DC peeps, including DeathDonkey, RiverBoatKing, DJ Sensei, Soepgroente(pronounced Vincent), FoxwoodsFiend, and WhiteLime, at the very fancy steakhouse named Cut at The Palazzo.  The steaks were around $80 at this place and I'm sure they were delicious, but ultimately, the gf and I decided to head over to the Grand Lux Cafe (also located in The Palazzo) to partake in a slightly more affordable meal.  RBK ended up losing credit card roulette that night and got stuck with a $1200 bill.  The Grand Lux turned out to be a fantastic restaurant.  The owners of the Cheesecake Factory also own this place and the food was very, very good.  We obviously got dessert and because we couldn't take anything with us, struggled to stuff down as much as possible.

A good review of the Grand Lux Cafe can be found here.

All in all, it was a lot of fun getting to experience the non-poker side of Vegas, especially with the gf.  The only downside is she now refuses to stay anywhere but The Palazzo if she ever comes back!

I'll detail the poker stuff in my next blog :)

He snapcalled my shove.

Full Tilt Poker $1/$2 No Limit Hold'em - 5 players - View hand 768262
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

Hero (UTG): $200.00
CO: $213.95
BTN: $339.30
SB: $365.60
BB: $233.25

Pre Flop: ($3.00) Hero is UTG with A 6
Hero raises to $7, 2 folds, SB calls $6, 1 fold

Flop: ($16.00) 3 T 8 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $12, SB raises to $24, Hero calls $12

Turn: ($64.00) 6 (2 players)
SB bets $32, Hero raises to $169 all in, SB calls $137

River: ($402.00) 6 (2 players - 1 is all in)

Final Pot: $402.00
Hero shows A 6 (three of a kind, Sixes)
SB shows 2 2 (two pair, Sixes and Twos)
Hero wins $399.00
(Rake: $3.00)

Played a lot of poker (by my standards) this weekend.  Had my longest & winningest session ever (Yay!).  Then followed that up today by running bad, getting frustrated, and then tilting off a few buyins (Awww).  Really disappointed in myself for doing so, but I took a 15 min break, cleared my mind, and then came back and played my A game again.

This was a somewhat interesting hand.

Full Tilt Poker $1/$2 No Limit Hold'em - 3 players - View hand 764002
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

BTN: $200.00
Hero (SB): $597.35
BB: $350.95

Pre Flop: ($3.00) Hero is SB with 5 A
BTN raises to $5, Hero raises to $18, 1 fold, BTN calls $13

Flop: ($38.00) Q 7 7 (2 players)
Hero bets $20, BTN calls $20

Turn: ($78.00) A (2 players)
Hero checks, BTN checks

I don't think I'm getting called by worse when I bet here so I turned my hand into a bluffcatcher.

River: ($78.00) 9 (2 players)
Hero bets $34, BTN requests TIME, BTN raises to $162 all in, Hero requests TIME, Hero folds

Final Pot: $146.00

Once he checked back the turn, I thought it might be a little thin, but I might get a crying call from Qx if I bet small enough on the river.  When he shoved, I thought it was pretty weird.  He could think I'm going for thin value and try to bluff shove, but I don't think that's too likely.  When I reviewed the hand afterwards, one hand made perfect sense throughout the hand - 99.  He flats the 3b, calls Q77, checks back the A, and shoves when he binks the 9.  It's not exactly a range, but I think he had 99 here a very large % of the time.

In other news, my series w/ jk3a, Moneytrain to Midstakesville, is going really well and people seem to really like it.  I hope to maintain the standard we have set for ourselves and keep producing high quality material :)

I also hope to write up my Vegas trip report w/ pix and vids to accompany it at some point!

In honor of this weekend's box office hit, check out this video :)

"Freamon: A life, Jimmy, you know what that is? It's the shit that happens while you're waiting for moments that never come."