3 steps forward...1 backwards

I apologize for not blogging lately, but the holidays have me spending lots of time with the family and winding down for the year. I haven't done much, so there isn't much to talk about. It sucks when you run bad, and then it makes you start to play bad. I am not happy with how I have been playing, and I have to work on opening my game up some more. I think I have been playing too tight, and that builds frustration when the cards don't come your way.

I have been traveling to Shorty's lately to play in the 5-5 Nl game they have there, and the roller coaster ride continues. I played a 4 hour session each night for the past 3 nights, and I won the first 2 and lost last night. The game was good, and they had alot of the same characters such as Allen, Mustang Mike, Jared and even Tex showed up and was doing fairly well when I left last night. They had 3NL tables going, and the jackpot was up toi around $68,000.

The first night I had a score, and I came home pretty pumped booking an $800.00 winner. I was starting to think that the poker gods may give me some grace. I went back for the next night and immediately went down $300.00. I got back in for $300.00 to make me $600.00 deep in the game, and lost half of that on the 5th hand from there. I grinded...and grinded. No big pots, just small to medium solid pots. I was able to cash out with $775.00 for a small win...but a win none the less. Last night I went back, and was really feeling good even though I felt I was pushing my luck. I probably should have taken a couple of days off and play online, but I wanted to play my rush if thats what it was...it wasn't. I dropped $200.00 where I mad a completely stupid call for my last $75.00 with A7 on a flop of 3-3-A(Don't remember the suits)...check to me I bet out and the villain smooth calls. turn dumps a 7 on the board. Villain check-raises me all-in...and I call like an idiot while the villain roles 3-6...the river bricks.

Those are the kind of plays I was making. I was trying to force things to happen and wound up spewing chips. The thing that bothered me was the hands I dumped. In mid-position I dumped K-9o to a $20.00 raise. 5 people went to the flop of K-K-9...ouch. I dumped 10-9s (my favorite hand) in another huge pre-flop pot...the dealer dumps 10-10-9 on the board...F^%$ Me!!! I should have gotten up and left. I pulled out $200.00 more and donked that off and came home.

I know some of you are saying, "Damn Man...Whats wrong with this guy...$800+$175 =$975.00 -$400...Damn...he is a $575.00 winner". Its just that I know I can play better than I have been lately. Scared Money is Dead Money. I also need to work on keeping the pots proportional...Don't play big pots unless you have the goods.

Oh yea... I want to give a shout out to a couple of guys. One is a local handyman from Delcame. I walked in to shorty's with my GCP hoodie on, and this guy I never met before calls out, "Hey GeneD...How's it going". He was a local guy that has been reading the site/blogs and wanted to tell me how much he liked the site. The 2nd person is a local player named Jared. We keep finding ourselves sitting next to each other at the tables, and I really like the guy. He has a solid game, a cool job and a baby girl he is proud of..."Keep it real brother!!!"

I was given the boxset for the first season of HBO's "The Wire", and It has me hooked...this is one badass show...check it out

"I'll do what I can to help y'all. But, the game's out there, and it's play or get played. Its that simple" Michael Williams as Omar in "The Wire"

Dead Money kicks off with a great tournament

We kicked off the dead money tournament last night, and we had a great turn out. We were able to pull together 17 people to have 2 tables, one with 8 players and one with 9. Tex showed up a little later to just check it out. We paid out 3 spots with the 1st place winner getting the seat at the final table and their entry fee back. The 2nd and 3rd place finishers both got cash prizes.

Those of you that have not seen our "Dead Money" pages, you can click on the links below to check out our super/megas. If your homegame is interested in joining our network, you can contact Bill or I for more details. ***This is a Non-Profit Event*** (In case any John Q Laws happen to read my blog)

http://www.gulfcoastpoker.net/Featured%20Home%20Games.htm

http://dead-money-poker-tournament.blogspot.com/

We are going to build a page for the tournament on thew site, so check out the www.gulfcoastpoker.net for results and pictures of the participants and winners.

I played on a LLMTT on stars this morning...there were 1500 people in it. They paid 180 people and I bubbled the cash in 192nd place when I got it all in with AKs against AJo...the torture continues. All I can do is continue to get all my money in with the best of it, and hope that he poker gods will let me out of variance hell.

"Get out of the water. There are sharks everywhere, look" Scott Caan as Bryce in "Into the Blue"

Dead Money tonight

We are having our local tournament for the "Dead Money" satellite tonight. We are shooting for at least 10 players, but we will work something out if we get more than that. Last year we were able to pull together 25, and we hoping to be in that same range tonight. This is the 5th year we are having the tournament, and we are pretty happy that we made it this long. I can remember the first year where I thought we would never be able to pull off another one...wow...4 years later and we have sent 4 players to the Main Event. That, in itself, is something to be proud of...way to go Bill!!!!!

We got the official schedule of the 2008 WSOP and it is posted on our site. You can view the schedule at http://www.gulfcoastpoker.net/. They are having 8... $10,000 events this year with the first and last events both being 10 large to buy-in.

I played at Shorty's this weekend and at the Amelia Belle. I got in a hand with a local Asian Player here named "Jessie". I have been gambling with Jessie for over 10 years now in pool, poker, flipping coins...whatever. Jessie is a gambler ...until he disappears on the boats for months at a time to get pumped back up. Don't get me wrong, I like Jessie, I like Jessie because he makes the same calls ...over and over again. The hand we played out is below.

I am at the table in the 8 seat with about $275.00, and Jessie site down in the 6 seat. I am in the BB with 3c6d, and their are 5 limpers to me...I knuckle the table. The flop comes out 4s5d9s. Old guy with the cigar in seat 1 makes it $20.00 to go, Jesse calls as do I. The turn brings the 7h. Bingo...I have my hand. OGWC fires out $35.00...and Jessie raises to $90. I go in the tank...

...Could he have 6-8? Yea...its possible...but I don't think so. I think he is on the spades. Jessie is a gambler and if he raised here with the spade draw, he is going to go all the way with the hand. I jam here...and he calls and tables As2s. River brings the Ks and thats a wrap.

I say "Good Hand Man", and Jessie shrugs his shoulders and says, "What do you want me to do?"...nothing at all Jessie. I want you to make that same call everyday of the week and twice on Sunday. I want you to put all of your chips in the middle as an 80-20 dog. Amazing how variance plays cruel jokes on us. I am not even going to get into the online hands. I will give you a small taste though. LLMTSNG on stars with 27 players. We are head up and I have the villain covered by $400.00. He jams with Kc10s and I call with AsJh...and lose...thats the way it goes

"Any man thats got the guts to sell his soul for love has got the power to change the world, you didn't do it for greed, you did it for the right reason, maybe that puts God on your side, to them that makes you dangerous, makes you unpredictable, thats the best thing you can be right now" Sam Elliot as the Caretaker in "Ghostrider"

Running Bad...Playing Bad

That's right folks, the variance is again catching up with me. It is very discouraging as it seems to happen every year at this time. Right between Thanksgiving and the New Year, the variance seemed to catch up with me. Once this starts, my game starts to go to shit also. I start to push hands, and start to loose my patience which is not a good recipe.

Played in the FTF (FullTiltForum) freeroll Sunday night and played bad. Congrats to DirteAA for winning the tournament. Way yo go EDDDDEEEEAAYYYYYY ;-). I then got deep in a 180 player MTT on stars, and was the Chip Leader for awhile. I was second in chips when we got down to 3 tables, and I donked out like a donkfish.

I cashed in the Bi-monthly tournament at Boomtown Saturday. Bill and I were both still in it when we got down to 2 tables, and I was confident that we would both make the final table. Bill goes out with Aces...AGAIN. Boomtown has some kind of curse on Bill when it comes to busting out of their tournaments with Aces. This is like...the 10th time that has happened. They had moved us to the final table, and I was the small stack when the following events transpired. The tournament director asked us if we want to pay 6 places ...or 10 as what was advertised. I was in the 8 seat next to Craig Mordock, a local attorney and accomplished local player, and another local legend name "Back to Back" AKA "BB"(Don't know his real name). They are screaming to pay 6 places for a higher pay out and I am keeping quiet as I am curious to see what transpires. Everyone else at the final table had healthy stacks, and the chip leader was in the 2 seat. The TD announces that it must be a majority to change the payout. Well, she ask , "Who wants to pay 10 places. 5 people raise their hand...and everybody just looks around...and then all stares come to me ...the shortstack at the table. What am I to do? ...of course I raised my hand. I just kind of felt that I let BB and Craig down. They were not happy with me, but I sure as hell did not want to be the deciding vote, and the chip leader was one of the people that voted to pay 10...oh well. BB and Craig...if you guys read this...I apologize.

I have decided to move down until the first of the year to try to get my bankroll back healthy. I have been playing some home games and bar tournaments. I cashed last night in a local tournament here in New Orleans. There were 41 players and I got 5th...heading to play in another one tonight.

I want to give a shout out to my Man...Ira "ActionJunkie" Gibbs from Tampa. Ira and I worked together several years ago, and we use to hang out and chase women in Orlando, He is a great guy, but it is so funny that I never new he played poker until I talked to our old Boss. We have re-connected, and I looked him up and it seems Ira is playing way ahead of where I am at. He is living in Vegas, and he satellited into the Main Event of the 5 Diamond Poker Classic at the Bellagio coming up next week. Go get 'em Ira!!!!!...I will be sweating you on the net.

"Let's put the women and children to bed and go lookin' for dinner!" Craig Sheffer as Joe Kane in "the Program"

Go get em Nic!!!

I am posting this to say good luck to Nic "Nic the Greek" Gellepis from Tallahassee, Fl who made it to the final table at Harrah's Bayou Classic $5000.00 Main Event. Nic bubbled the mega that I played and won in Biloxi, MS at the IP Poker Classic, and I cut a deal with him when we were 6 handed. He actually had 2% of me in the IP main event. He and TK travel together, and TK told me they use to be roommates years ago.

GOOD LUCK NIC!!!!!!!!!!

Circuit Event...I visit the "Cave"...Chip Reese Passes away

I was able to make it down to the circuit event last week, and fire a bullet at a $300.00 event. I could not get any traction what so ever. I was in the 4 seat at my table. I had "Monkey Boy" on my right, and then they moved Herbie Montalbano into the 2 seat. For those of you who know MB know he is a character. He made the table a little entertaining. After that, I fired a bullet at the single table satellites. I got down to 3 people with Tom Becnel and a new player that really was making rookie errors. At one time he had the big stack with the blinds at 200-400, and Tom only had 800 left in the BB. Tom ships in his last 400 in chips and announces all in. I fold as fast as possible...and the kid folds...Huhhh? WTF!!! Tom and I just looked at each other and shrugged. I thought for sure Tom and I would outplay this guy. Well, I tried to be too aggressive and pushed with a moderate holding, and the kid woke up AQo. The worst part is, 10 seconds after I get knocked out they chop, and both said they would have agreed to chop 3 ways if someone would have brought it up. Duh!!!!

I went down to check out the Main Event yesterday. Looks like TK (Timkrank online) snapped off the $1000.00 event on Sat...Your boy is on a tear lately. He told me everything has been going right for him. Nic also was playing yesterday. I am not sure who is still in it. There was one guy from Houma that I knew that was playing, and that was Mitch Lecompte. Mr. Mitch lived across the street from me for about 8 years as I was growing up...great guy and a solid player.

I made it to the online "Cave" in Lockport Sunday to hang out with Virge, DierteAA and Lusky. It amazes me to see those guys work the dual monitors and such. It really has me understating that I am way behind in the online world. I am going to try to set up some new accounts online and try to start fresh. There are so many tools that you need to be as good as those guys. Oh well...better late than never. TK showed me a picture of his set up at his house in Tallahassee. He has a cool set up with a big screen TV mounted on the wall that he can play the final tables on. It was something else. Oh yea...I also saw that our own Virge is ranked 15th in the state of LA on pocketfives.

Wild Bill and I just got back from the circuit event...We were meeting with Nolan Dalla about the site when Jason Lipscomp announced that Chip Reese had passed away suddenly. RIP my man!!! It is official here http://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/article/10365/chip-reese-1951-2007


"A whole human life is just a heartbeat here in Heaven. Then we'll all be together forever" Robin Williams as Chris Nielson in "What Dreams May Come"