Gambling Week in Review

Fantasy Football:

I took third in both the Wannabe and the Phi Kappa Psi Fantasy Football leagues. I also had the best record in the Wannabe league, which is about all I can take away from that one. My unpaid dues and fees were twelve dollars over what I won, so I pretty much played for free. Which is fine for me, I can't afford that league anyway. I don't know if the 20% of the Phi Psi pot I won will cover my fees for that league or not. We'll see.

Overall, I feel pretty good about this season. I dominated Wannabe and scratched back to the best record in my conference until being knocked out by the eventual champion (Rich you are a bastard!)


Poker:

Played the live games at The Hop and made it to the final table in the 7 o'clock game! I was tired and at an unlucky table in the 10 o'clock game and went out early. I, ahem, did not qualify for Friday poker this week.

I took second in an SNG on Poker Stars last night, which was the capper to a generally down week, both in tourneys and limit poker.

I am trying to send some money to PS vis Western Union today, I should be playing for money in a few days! Shh- don't tell the wife.

On a final note, my daughter was so proud she didn't have a present in her diaper this morning she wanted me to tell everyone. Consider yourself told.

Tourney Win!

Actually won a play money SNG at Poker Stars! I got lucky to be seated at a table with a complete idiot who had some idiot's luck and built up a moderate stack by going all-in on every hand. I did just like the books say: I waited until I had a decent hand and robbed him two or three times. This put me in the money and I never left.

I was definitely in the zone. I got some great cards, was stealing blinds, bluffing people off pots, mixing up my game, and just dominating in general. My fake bankroll is past 10k now, although it took some hits since I won- three SNG finishes out of the money. Luckily, I'm still ahead in my limit play.

I'm playing LIVE tonight at the Hop in York. It's my birthday in a few days and I decided to treat myself. I'm definitely not going to make weight for this Friday. Christmas and my eldest's birthday were a lot of fun and full of good food- not exactly the right environment in which to diet.

Didn't make weight

Weigh-in was a disappointment today- over by 2lbs. You mean you can't eat junk all week and lose weight?

So, no live poker this week. I've been doing quite well this week online though, so it doesn't sting so much. I've place in the (play) money at least three times this week in 45 player SNG's on poker stars, and I've finished ahead in limit. My fakeroll stands at about 8600. I've set a goal of 20k that I have to reach before I make a real money deposit. This is really to appease the other half. She thinks I'm going to do a poker version of "Reefer Madness" and lose the house and kids at the tables. Quite frankly, I think I'm ready to go, and would be playing a bankroll right now if damned Mastercard would let me make a wire transfer!

At any rate, I don't mind the extra practice- can't get enough of it, really. The wifey doesn't want me to put any money down ever, but I made it clear I would be playing for cash once I hit my play money goal.

Damn you, Pocket Jacks!

Played the Hardware Bar tournament again last Friday. The prize was doubled-$500-and it was easily the largest crowd I'd seen. Me and someone else at my table were dealing hands before the tourney started and I was flopping sets and full houses, making flushes. It was unreal. I finally had to stop because I was afraid my luck would run out before we started playing.

It did, and it didn't- I was getting some good cards. I played aggressive (at one point I was heads-up and my opponent said "Just take it" as I was reaching to raise him again) and bought some pots, then won at least one. It was all a blur, after a bit.

Which was my undoing. I was dealt pocket jacks, hit a pair of fives on the flop and called an all-in bet without thinking. My opponent had AK offsuit and made his two pair on the turn. I was done in half an hour. I stumbled around aimlessly for a bit, then left in total defeat.

In one way, it wasn't a bad call, because I was ahead, although minimally so. On the other hand, I should have thought "He's got a set or a full house" and folded right away. Ah well, live and learn.

On the good side, I played a limit game and a sit-n-go tourney simultaneously at PokerStars.com and did well in both. I placed third in the tourney and won about 2500 chips and finished up around 50% in the ring game.

I think I'm ready to play for money, in limit games, at least. I rarely finish down and I'm pretty disciplined. Not saying I'd never lose, but I think I can break even over the long haul.

Hey NSA, monitor this!

Since we've almost officially become the new USSR, I'd like to throw out a challenge to all the official, and unofficial, intelligence agencies our Dear Leader runs- Spy on me!

I don't like our President, or his administration. I think we're in a needless war predicated on lies. I believe our government is actively abducting, holding, and torturing people in other countries.

I'm a registered Democrat.

I'm a card carrying member of the ACLU.

I must be a terrorist.

So, in the words of Dubya and the Rock: Just...BRING IT!

Tourney news

Played my second ever live tournament- same one I played two weeks ago in York, Pa. I actually made it to the final table and ultimately finished seventh. Not bad, I thought. Was on the brink of busting out a few times only to double or triple up at the last minute. I played super-tight and was successful, but I can see how it's not a winning strategy. The question is, can I become more aggressive? I think it will be a struggle.

I also have my first bad beat story. I was the short stack at the final table and was dealt pocket Jacks. I bet heavily before the flop, and was called by a cute chick who clearly knew what she was doing and a guy who literally looked homeless and was, in my estimation, of borderline intelligence, at best.

The flop was 2d, 8h, 2s. The hottie folded and I had to go all-in, considering my hand and stack situation. The homeless guy had acey-deucey! Couldn't believe he'd played that hand, considering the bet I put in. Oh well, I know over the long run the guy can't win playing like that, but it still irks me. Hell, it's been nearly a week and I'm still thinking about it.

I'm not sure if I'll be playing this week- I'm 8/10's of a pound over last Friday's weight. The funny thing is, I thought "That's not so much, I can probably handle that in a day." Then, I realized, I have to lose 9/10's of a pound to earn my fun. Somehow, that last tenth of a pound seems so much more insurmountable. Oh well, I'm starving myself (relatively) and I'll try to burn up a bunch of calories today. I'll be like the wrestler in Vision Quest! Without the hot older girlfriend.