Two pictures of me fitting into my high school letter jacket and my college jacket. Ignore that number on the front, obviously a typo of some sort.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Random Musings
It has been months since I last blogged. The highlights:
- October 2008 gastric bypass surgery;
- The kids have nearly hit two years of age and are talking up a storm;
- My wife is as great as ever;
- The economy has spiraled down the drain a bit; and
- I finally entered 2007 by creating a Facebook page.
How exciting!
It's been a neat time in my life as I get smaller and smaller and my kids get bigger and bigger. Of course I was disappointed in myself for getting as big as I did, and by no means would I ever endorse bariatric surgery as anything but a last resort. However, it's simply awesome to watch myself reach weights I have not seen in years. By way of comparison, I now weigh about the same as I did in college my freshman year when I was injured and got heavier than I wanted to be. By the end of the summer, I should be at my sophomore year playing weight (August 2009 will likely equal August 1993 -- crazy!).
Assuming I get more active with weights as well as the cardio that I am already doing pretty well with, that may be about where I settle as a final weight. Increasing my muscle mass may also avoid additional "tummy tuck" type surgeries, which would be preferred as those aren't covered by insurance and I have two college funds to deal with ;).
The twins are great. It's very gratifying to have two little people who like me so much, except of course when I have to be the "bad guy."
I have also had the opportunity to expand my appellate practice at work, which is something I feel very suited to. Although I will still relish trial law, oral advocacy in front of a panel of judges is exhilarating as well. It also fills a need at my firm, which is never a bad thing.
Poker is poker. That being said, I am excited to play in a big tournament at Mountaineer this weekend. It should be a very enjoyable day or (here's hoping) two.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Pictures
Since not everyone is constantly jazzed about satellite live blogging, let's go to baby pictures (or is it toddler pictures now?)
Also, I guest blogged (lol at me guest blogging when I barely me blog) over at one of my wife's places today. Yee haw.
Also, I guest blogged (lol at me guest blogging when I barely me blog) over at one of my wife's places today. Yee haw.
Saturday, August 09, 2008
"Live Blogging" a Satellite
I played in a satellite last night for a big two-day tournament in West Virginia (well, my last two-day tournament only lasted one day, but we hope to do better this time).
The satellite paid 1 in 10, 33 people entered. 3 seats, 4th gets 1/5 of a buyin. Notes were taken on my Palm Centro -- I also have a little voice recorder but I left it in the car.
12k in chips after the optional $5 dealer buy. People just don't tip here, so dealer buys have become the norm. Supposed to start at 7, did not get rolling until 7:20 or so.
7:30 -- Got lucky 5-10 hands in (blinds 25/50, but this pot got bigger than I would have liked) -- controlled the betting with trips sure I had the best hand three ways and got it all in versus an underboat. I caught a better boat on the river. I put myself in a bit of a rough spot, but when the turn was a blank I thought I was good and the pot was too big to check fold, so I pushed. Yay river 7 outer.
Incidentally, my push on the turn was called not just by an underboat, but also by an old guy who actually said 'caught me bluffing' after calling. Whu?
Suddenly, I'm at 37 k in the second level (100k or so is enough to coast to a seat).
Nothing happened in the second or third levels.
Time for a brief note -- probably because it's live, probably because it's West Virginia, no one has any clue how to play a satellite. You've got tons of bluffing into side pots, tons of very frantic activity early (yes I recognize the humor of that statement given my first pot blogged) -- basically no patience or cognizance of basic satellite strategy.
I start to get a good read for my table, which is good because I stuck with them for about 3.5 hours. The funniest dude is Camo Guy, so named because he has a camouflaged hat. Also because he was as a calling station disguised as a table captain.
One rule became crucial throughout the night --
NEVER BLUFF CAMO GUY
8:30 I jump to 50k by calling a camo guy bluff in level 4 -- turns out he's a bluffing calling station, as his line made no sense unless he was betting his draw. He missed the draw on the river and my overpair to the board (nines) were good.
9:00 I blinded down to about 44k at the round 5 break. No one respected a raise at this table, which made stealing more precarious since the flop bet would inevitably be the right amount for a short stack to push over with any piece. Despite the fact that I had not played all that many hands (I was getting napkins after my early triple up), the table decided to call every raise so steals were hard.
Corn dogs are delicious.
9:20 -- Busted a shortie first hand back with tens -- back up to 49k.
9:40 -- up to 54k after hitting 2 pair with pair and OESD (86o in the big blind with a board of X6758-- was minraised on turn and beat the worst limped MP Kings ever. Check check on the river, guess I should have made a thin value bet.
The same guy who's Kings I busted showed his true colors -- the master of the hero call. Older gent with a straw hat and white beard. Nice guy, aggressive player, but would also get tricky in way the wrong spots (see above).
However, he is also my personal hero. We consolidated to two tables, and a guy who was sure he was the new sheriff shows up at the table. Before I can remind him that I have all the chips, he gets involved with bearded guy on a raggy flop. He pushes and gets snap called all in (more than pot-sized) with Ace high no draw -- which had his Jack 10 dominated.
9:50 Down to 45k after folding OESD getting 3-1 because I couldn't see the push as a bluff. He had 4 high and was bluffing with said 4 high into a dry sidepot. I either need to fold to the initial raise or call the flop push. Oh well, that pot would have ;let me coast, perhaps being on my toes is better.
10:00 -- up to 61k after same dry sidepot guy bluffs blind v blind into my trips (J9 on a 9 4 9 board, two spades). His Ace high (A5 with the Ace of spades) was not in good shape.
10:15 -- 56k halfway through level 8.
10:30 -- up to 63k with some steals (actually starting to work a bit as people are seeing me show down some big hands), 30BB at blinds of 1k/2k, 10 left 3 pay (4th gets a pittance).
Final tables are delicious.
10:35 -- Down to 20k with Aces, which of course are no good by the turn (he snap called my push on flop with KQ on a Q 7 2 board, and caught trips. Yes, it was Camo Guy, how did you guess?
10:40 -- Up to 49k after a double the next hand with Queens and taking the blinds the hands after that with AKS. Minirush, yay!
10:50 -- turned a boat with pocket nines after raising preflop with them and hitting a set on the flop -- got 2 streets of value out of them (old guy with hat called flop and turn bets) -- up to 80k.
Then another rush began. AK beats QJ, Kings in a blind versus blind, tens versus A10 -- knocked three short stacks out myself, and hit four handed with 40 percent of the chips, around 120-140k.
11:30 -- Stole/value bet some to stay at around 120-140K, then shortstack pushed A10 into QJ and 2 jacks on the flop, BOOM. Thanks Camo Guy for knocking out the last player, and for winning a seat. Hope you're at my table.
Thought about sticking around for cash, but there were no seats at my usual stake and I just got a little bored. Packed up for the 'Burgh at around 12:00.
The satellite paid 1 in 10, 33 people entered. 3 seats, 4th gets 1/5 of a buyin. Notes were taken on my Palm Centro -- I also have a little voice recorder but I left it in the car.
12k in chips after the optional $5 dealer buy. People just don't tip here, so dealer buys have become the norm. Supposed to start at 7, did not get rolling until 7:20 or so.
7:30 -- Got lucky 5-10 hands in (blinds 25/50, but this pot got bigger than I would have liked) -- controlled the betting with trips sure I had the best hand three ways and got it all in versus an underboat. I caught a better boat on the river. I put myself in a bit of a rough spot, but when the turn was a blank I thought I was good and the pot was too big to check fold, so I pushed. Yay river 7 outer.
Incidentally, my push on the turn was called not just by an underboat, but also by an old guy who actually said 'caught me bluffing' after calling. Whu?
Suddenly, I'm at 37 k in the second level (100k or so is enough to coast to a seat).
Nothing happened in the second or third levels.
Time for a brief note -- probably because it's live, probably because it's West Virginia, no one has any clue how to play a satellite. You've got tons of bluffing into side pots, tons of very frantic activity early (yes I recognize the humor of that statement given my first pot blogged) -- basically no patience or cognizance of basic satellite strategy.
I start to get a good read for my table, which is good because I stuck with them for about 3.5 hours. The funniest dude is Camo Guy, so named because he has a camouflaged hat. Also because he was as a calling station disguised as a table captain.
One rule became crucial throughout the night --
NEVER BLUFF CAMO GUY
8:30 I jump to 50k by calling a camo guy bluff in level 4 -- turns out he's a bluffing calling station, as his line made no sense unless he was betting his draw. He missed the draw on the river and my overpair to the board (nines) were good.
9:00 I blinded down to about 44k at the round 5 break. No one respected a raise at this table, which made stealing more precarious since the flop bet would inevitably be the right amount for a short stack to push over with any piece. Despite the fact that I had not played all that many hands (I was getting napkins after my early triple up), the table decided to call every raise so steals were hard.
Corn dogs are delicious.
9:20 -- Busted a shortie first hand back with tens -- back up to 49k.
9:40 -- up to 54k after hitting 2 pair with pair and OESD (86o in the big blind with a board of X6758-- was minraised on turn and beat the worst limped MP Kings ever. Check check on the river, guess I should have made a thin value bet.
The same guy who's Kings I busted showed his true colors -- the master of the hero call. Older gent with a straw hat and white beard. Nice guy, aggressive player, but would also get tricky in way the wrong spots (see above).
However, he is also my personal hero. We consolidated to two tables, and a guy who was sure he was the new sheriff shows up at the table. Before I can remind him that I have all the chips, he gets involved with bearded guy on a raggy flop. He pushes and gets snap called all in (more than pot-sized) with Ace high no draw -- which had his Jack 10 dominated.
9:50 Down to 45k after folding OESD getting 3-1 because I couldn't see the push as a bluff. He had 4 high and was bluffing with said 4 high into a dry sidepot. I either need to fold to the initial raise or call the flop push. Oh well, that pot would have ;let me coast, perhaps being on my toes is better.
10:00 -- up to 61k after same dry sidepot guy bluffs blind v blind into my trips (J9 on a 9 4 9 board, two spades). His Ace high (A5 with the Ace of spades) was not in good shape.
10:15 -- 56k halfway through level 8.
10:30 -- up to 63k with some steals (actually starting to work a bit as people are seeing me show down some big hands), 30BB at blinds of 1k/2k, 10 left 3 pay (4th gets a pittance).
Final tables are delicious.
10:35 -- Down to 20k with Aces, which of course are no good by the turn (he snap called my push on flop with KQ on a Q 7 2 board, and caught trips. Yes, it was Camo Guy, how did you guess?
10:40 -- Up to 49k after a double the next hand with Queens and taking the blinds the hands after that with AKS. Minirush, yay!
10:50 -- turned a boat with pocket nines after raising preflop with them and hitting a set on the flop -- got 2 streets of value out of them (old guy with hat called flop and turn bets) -- up to 80k.
Then another rush began. AK beats QJ, Kings in a blind versus blind, tens versus A10 -- knocked three short stacks out myself, and hit four handed with 40 percent of the chips, around 120-140k.
11:30 -- Stole/value bet some to stay at around 120-140K, then shortstack pushed A10 into QJ and 2 jacks on the flop, BOOM. Thanks Camo Guy for knocking out the last player, and for winning a seat. Hope you're at my table.
Thought about sticking around for cash, but there were no seats at my usual stake and I just got a little bored. Packed up for the 'Burgh at around 12:00.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Regular Posting is For Wusses
I've been playing live about every other week, and online once a week or so (with the occasional quickie online cash game thrown in as well).
Results have been pretty good -- got short in the Million today and pushed an Ace into Kings -- still good for $650, but with first being $162K that feels like a loss. "Beating 4800" does not seem to work for me as a consolation ;)
Friday night I played my first live PLO in about a year. The play was terrible, and if I had caught anything I would have made a mint. As it was I made my losses from earlier in the night back.
Kids are doing great -- got to spend most of the day with them solo, and I felt like I was really beginning to find my daddy groove. Kris still is way better at managing things than I am, but she's a rock star so I am OK with that.
Wish I had some hands to discuss -- thinking about using some winnings to get a little digital recorder so I can keep some more contemporaneous notes (and look like a portly Gus Hansen).
Results have been pretty good -- got short in the Million today and pushed an Ace into Kings -- still good for $650, but with first being $162K that feels like a loss. "Beating 4800" does not seem to work for me as a consolation ;)
Friday night I played my first live PLO in about a year. The play was terrible, and if I had caught anything I would have made a mint. As it was I made my losses from earlier in the night back.
Kids are doing great -- got to spend most of the day with them solo, and I felt like I was really beginning to find my daddy groove. Kris still is way better at managing things than I am, but she's a rock star so I am OK with that.
Wish I had some hands to discuss -- thinking about using some winnings to get a little digital recorder so I can keep some more contemporaneous notes (and look like a portly Gus Hansen).
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