Booked a loser Friday...online poker's future???

I booked a loser last Friday night after being on a nice run the week before. I don't think I played bad, in fact, it really came down to one hand. I called a $15.00 raise from the hi-jack seat with Qd8s along with 3 other players. The flop comes down Qc10d4s. Everyone folds around to me and I fire out a $25.00 bet. Original raiser smooth calls and the rest of the players pitch their cards in the muck. Turn brings the 8c. I fire out $50.00 and the villain goes in the tank, mumbles something about me trying to buy the pot, and then smooth calls again. The river brings the Jc...ouch. Villain fires out $100.00 at me. Damn....now I go in the tank. I can count so many hands that beat me. The flush is out there...the straight just got there...hell, he would have played pocket 10's or Jack's the same way. I called like an idiot and he tabled JhJd...I knew it.

That was it...I went $500.00 deep in the game and pulled out with $365.00.

I am sure that anyone that plays poker and has a computer, a copy of the Super System and an online account now knows about the cheating scandal that has rocked the net. My thoughts...I don't know how I feel about it yet. I am not getting rich playing online. To me it is just a way to kill time and keep my math sharp. I don't like sitting in front of a computer for 8-10 hours a day for anything...except work, and that just about tells it like it is. I work in front of a computer and work for companies that build networks that run the public Internet. I have been asked repeatedly for years about the possibility of this. "Can this be done...Can someone hack into your computer and see your cards"...my standard phrase back came from the smartest computer geek/hacker I know...when it comes to computers, there are no guarantees. There is nothing 100% safe. If you can build a firewall to keep them out, then someone can figure out how to get thru.


"I have been told that the best crackers in the world can do this under 60 minutes but unfortunately I need someone who can do this under 60 seconds" John Travolta's Character Gabriel in "Swordfish"

Been on a good run

I have been running good in the past week, and I am really feeling good about my game and the way I am playing. I have been able to get in some good games also. That is one of the things that I pride myself on. There are games all around me, and some of them are fairly big. I can play in these games but I choose not to play in these games because I know I can't beat the game. I have been trying to pick the "Right" games to play. I will be heading to Harrah's today, and I hope I can keep the streak going today. I have booked 5 straight wins dating back to 10/18 in the NL cash games. These wins are on a variety of 1-2, 2-5 and 5-5 NL games. I have been playing well, making good reads and making great lay-downs. I just hope I can keep it going thru the IP Poker Classic that is starting next month.

Congrats goes out to fellow blogger "Austin" Martin. I was really happy to see Martin Blog about the thoughts going thru his head, and overcoming some of these negative emotions. I think it falls right in line with what or purpose is here on GCP. I think it is the reason our readers return. We have a handful of guys with dreams of becoming poker champions, grinding it out and moving thru the world wind of emotions that come with our quest...and blogging about it. I can't wait until one of us hits something big, and we can go back and read these blogs.

I am going to try to post a pic of Kido Pham from yesterday's final table. He actually had a sweater on from one of our featured Casinos, Coushatta in Kinder, La. Kido lost heads up to David Singer in the $10,000 event.

"To the game and getting out of this hick town! Thank God there is a sport for middle-sized white boys" Patrick Swayze's charater Derek in "Youngblood"

Hit and run at the Belle of Baton Rouge, Acadiana Poker Classic and Politics

I have been in Baton Rouge for work the past 2 nights, and I booked a winner both nights at the Belle of Baton Rouge. It was good to see all the same faces. It was actually tough to get on a table last night. There is only 4 tables there with 2 running 2-5NL, and 2 running 4-8 limit. I had to wait almost 45 minutes to get to the table, but I ran into my man Dave "Loveshack" Gafford and got to chat and catch up. Loveshack won the main event at the first IP Poker Classic in Biloxi. I have referenced this tournament in previous blogs. Tex came in 8th where his Aces got smoked by Kings that David Robbins held.

I played 2 sessions with both about 2 1/2 hours each session. I had things to do both nights and I could not stay very long. The good thing is ...I walked away with a nice win. $330.00 on Tuesday night and $430.00 on Wednesday. Bad thing thing is...it looked like I did a "Hit and Run". I even heard one of the regular guys there, Gary, say, "Damn...there he is...comes in and has a couple of drinks...chats it up...wins a couple of hundred and he's out the door". Oh well...that's the way it goes sometimes.

You will see somethings up on www.gulfcoastpoker.net about the Acadiana Poker Classic. Last year they had a huge turn out and they are again expecting alot of folks. They have booked the entire Cajun Dome floor. Wild Bill and I are expecting to play.

I finally got to read a book that was not poker related. I am going to show my political roots a little here as I had a chance to listen to Pat Buchanon on Sirius Satellite Radio. He is a little far right for me, but I listened anyway. I went buy his book "State of Emergency". I am halfway thru it, and I recommend any true blue, America loving person, go buy this book and read it...some really scary stuff.

"Gilbert, it's the Burger Barn! It's the Burger Barn, Gilbert, the Burger Barn!" Leonardo DiCaprio's Character Arnie in "Whats eating Gilbert Grape"

Pokerstars Blogger tourney, brutal runner-runner session at Harrah's

Played in the Pokerstars online Blogger tourney yesterday with fellow GCP bloggers Wildbill, Austin Martin and The Virge Man. I played bad, and was not happy with my performance. I overplayed several hands, and donked off chips on 2 bad calls where my opponents held Aces both hands. One a positive note Wild Bill played like a champ and scored a 80 gig Ipod. He was at one point the chip leader with over 200 people to go out of over 1000. Great Job Bill!!!!. Now, I just have to show him how to download pokerwire radio ;-).

Played at Harrah'f Friday night for a short session. My wife had to work at a friends restaurant, so I headed over there to play some 1-2nl for a short session. We started a brand new table, so we all started with $200.00. I had decided that I was playing for an hour and that was it. I was going to look at some hands, and hopefully pick up a small score. I am in the 5 seat

Well...my session last exactly 6 hands. One the 2nd hand I have AhQc on the button. Villain in the 9 seat raises to $15.00, and there are 2 callers to me. I call. Flop comes out Jc9h3d. Villain fires out $20.00, and there is a caller to me. I smooth call. Turn is the Qh. Villain fires $35.00, and I am the only one to call. The river brings an Ac. Villain checks, I bet out $30.00...he raises to $60.00. I have him squarely on A-J, so I call...he tables K-10 for the runner-runner straight.

Ok...not how I had anticipated opening this session. 4 hands later I wake up with AcKh. I raise it to $15.00 and get 3 callers. Flop comes Ks4d6s. I ship in the rest of my chips and the lady on the end of the table calls. I am putting her on the flush draw, and sure enough, she tables As6s. The turn and river were the 2 red sixes to send me on my way. WOW...coolers? Just as soon dumped a bucket of ice water on me.

"..."The Suck Zone". It's the point basically when the twister... sucks you up. That's not the technical term for it, obviously" Philip Seymour Hoffman's character dusty in "Twister"

3 nights at Harrah's...Tournament lesson

Heading home today after spending several nights playing at Harrah's. I played multiple sessions in between going to work, and booked a winner on a whole. I was able to get a lot of traction on Tuesday night. Joe B. was on the table that night and it was late when I came into the following hand. It was a 1-2nl game. The table was getting pretty loose at this time, and I was in the SB with about $310.00. The UTG player makes it $10.00. I call, as well as several others, with 7s5s. The flop comes down 7d5h2s. I check. The BB makes it $35.00 and the UTG player raises to $85.00. I smooth call. The BB moves all in with only $35.00 more. The UTG player and myself both call. At this point we go from the main pot to the side pot. Turn comes a 4d. This spooks me as the straight is now out there. I check...UTG bets...I raise...he jams all in. I call. This is the point that I love when the person does not want to show his hand. We are all sitting there waiting for someone to show. I say, "I called...what do you have". UTG turns over 7h2h and the BB shows 7c5c. I win the huge side pot and chop the main.

The tournament lesson centers around the Wednesday night tournament last night that we played at Boomtown. Right before the break I won a huge pot that put me 2nd or 3rd chip leader. Bill was already out, so he can also verify my stacks here. I had 2 big stacks of Blacks ($100) and a bigger stack of greens ($25). A stack of blacks is 20 deep...I had 2 full stacks. If we do the math here. I had $550.00 in green chips (TD actually remembers this) and at the minimum ...$4000.00 in Black (20x100=2000 x 2). Some more simple math brings us to $4550.00. I came back to my stack with 5 reds ($500.00) chips and 7 blacks....grand total of $3200.00.

Lesson...ALWAYS COUNT YOUR CHIPS BEFORE YOU WALK AWAY FOR A BREAK!!!!!

"Have you ever confused a dream with life? Or stolen something when you have the cash? Have you ever been blue? Or thought your train moving while sitting still? Maybe I was just crazy"
Winona Ryder as Suzanne in "Girl...Interrupted"

Randon post

Not much going on the GeneD world the past couple of days. Goondingy has a guy that is looking to cut us a deal on some t-shirts for the site, and Harrah's in New Orleans was giving away free nights at there new bad ass hotel to poker players. Wild Bill, Tex and JoeB all scored some last week after doing ...like a 28 hour session. I was able to score 3 nights this Mon/Tues/Wed, so I should have lots to post about early next week.

Signed up to play in the Pokerstars Blogger Championship as you can see by the logo on my front page. Seems like it is going to be pretty cool. $40,000 worth of cash and prizes. I have been playing more online since I have been talking to Lusky and Eddie more. I have to get Poker Tracker and really start to buckle down and take it from the ground up like Lusky. I just find it hard to start in the $0.25/$0.50 range when I actively play in 1-2 and 2-5 NL in the live games. I just think it is the right thing to do, and I have to put myself there to really get a hold of my online Bankroll...which is not much. I just have to evolve from here. From low limits on up.

We picked up another sponsor on the site www.gulfcoastpoker.net. We have also been changing things around. Please go thru the site to get to our blogs if you can. We have a tracking system in place, and we are consistently seeing the hits go up...and up. If anyone would be interested in joining us, please let Bill and I know. We are just looking for plain, everyday folks that take the game seriously with a modest Bankroll, but who shot for the stars. We just feel that there are so many people in that demographic out there that it will keep the site interesting.

Played at The Belle in Baton Rouge last night in the 2-5nl game they had going, and booked a solid win for the night. I got into several questionable situations in some hands where there was some disagreements of sort. I won a huge pot early when I bet out $40.00 from the hi-jack seat with KcKs, and got four caller in the early position seats. The flop comes out 9d6d2s. There is this middle eastern guy in the 6 seat that has a huge stack, and he is the only one that stays with me when I bet out $85.00. The turn brings the Kd. He check raises me all-in and I go in the tank. I only have $125.00 left. I am thinking he may have the flush already made, but I also could see him with a hand like K-9. He also could be on a bluff...I don't know. I just think I am priced in. Finally, I say, "I just can't see laying this hand down". They called the floor on me to make a decision, and I say, "If you have the flush, then I have outs..ok...I call". He turns over 3d6d for the made flush, and the 2d come on the river to boat me up..."Ship it to the Colonel"

We start jawing at each other about the play, and he just can't believe that I made that call. He is "ranting and raving" about how he is going to bust me and I play like a donkfish, and I just sit there and laugh and let him go. Finally, he calms down. I say, "Tell you what Scooter. All these chips are here for the taking, so just come get them. I can tell you one thing though, you don't have a chance of getting them making $40.00 calls pre-flop with a 3 and 6...let me guess...they were suited". When laughter broke out and everyone that knew how to play agreed with me ...he shut-up.

Now there is a guy named Damien that I respect that plays well in the 1 seat and I seat and I am in the 2 seat. We had a hand that we dis-agreed on. I had QsQd in the BB and there is a straddled, limped pot to the Middle-Eastern guy, that is pumped back up with chips, and he makes it $20.00. An older fellow on the button raises to $65.00. I smooth call and the ME guy calls. Flop comes Ks7h4d. I check...ME guys makes it $100.00, and the older fellow folds. I fold my queens face up, and the ME guy shows KcQs. I thought I lost the minimum amount in the hand, but Damien thought I should have went for it pre-flop...any thoughts?

Just trying to see what you guys think. I am trying to bring my game to that next level.

"The Earth is moving. Did you feel that? Everything. All the time. Dimensions we can't even see. Everything is evolving" Val Kilmer as the Sherpa on "Entourage"