Reply to BB...

I don't like the idea of not being able to reply to specific comments, so I guess I will reply to BB here.

bubble boy said...
what a bunch of worms, every one of you are average players at best.One question for you Mr. D (that's you Gene) i have read on numerous blogs that you have written that you THINK someone in the CREW will hit it big. First of all who is this great group of players you call the crew? I don't like the word "crew" here. Sounds too cheesy like Dutch and those guys in the 04' WSOP. Their more like a bunch of friends who talk poker strategy/intel/swap %'s ...etc. I will name them as they pop in my head...no rhyme or reason to how I type them in. Wild Bill/Big
Ray/Tex/JoeB/Alex/Davey/Ruttely/Lets Poker Martin/Parfait/ChrisJ/PaulS/Slow Play Dave/Merle/MikeMcD/K.W./Jacob/Lester...to name a few. You read about Rut, and I have been there personally when Tex and Davey both missed a big 5 digit payday...Davey by one card

And second how do YOU plan on hitting it big, when you posted in your last blog that you didn't even play the last MEGA satellite to get into the main event.You can not hit it big if you don't get in the big dance? If you think cashing in the $500 chip or selling hit is hitting it big then you are wasting your time.

Good Point...hence the soul serching I have been doing lately. What you stated was as obvious to me as night and day.

Couple of points:

I didn't mean anything bad about Dutch Boyd and the crew of the 04' WSOP. Wild Bill and I have actually met Dutch and he really is not that bad of a guy. Actually, I drank beer for a couple of hours with Dutch and Joe Bartholdi in that sports bar in the Grand in Tunica. Great guys...just "Everyday Joe's" trying to grind it out. Joe went on to win the WPT Championship 5 months later.

ScottyT...If this is the ScottyT I think it is...welcome to my blog. I had no idea you were reading this. On a side note to my previous post about selling my last $500.00 chip...I tried to sell it to Scotty ;-)

"I am the worlds last barman poet" Tom Cruise's Character Flanigan in "Cocktail"

Wow...alright

Damn...It seems that we have some people reading my blog...Wow...this is unexpected. I am going to go thru and read all the comments in a minute. Wild Bill told me that there were numerous post there. I will try to reply to the ones that are asking me specific questions.

I have been reading again since I haven't played in the last couple of days (Harrington's Red Book). I have been really doing a "Gut Check" on where I am in my poker world. Selling that last $500.00 chip and walking away from that mega has got to me. I have been talking things over with my wife and lots of my friends trying to see whether it is possible to "Make It"...or will I always be the above average player with a "day job" playing 1-2 ...2-5 NL cash games and always looking at my winnings as, "a lot of extra money". My biggest story will be that I came 46 people from a WSOP gold bracelet, knocked out Johnny Chan in the process, and didn't even cash in the event...weak. The only 2 people to see this was my wife and her boss. Wild Bill got play by play on the phone though. The problem is that my wife believes in me more than anyone, and she doesn't even play. She just believes that I am capable of doing anything in this world that I put my mind to.

Me...I believe I can do it. I have played with the best. Their everyday people just like you and me. What will it take for me to reach that plateau? I don't know...

...I do know one thing though...I am not about to give up...I am getting my 2nd wind for Vegas

"That's the secret of survival ...never go to war...especially with yourself"
Nicolas Cage's character Yuri in "Lord of War"

Way to go Clint!!!

Looks like Clint Shafer gave them hell yesterday at the final table. I have been playing with Clint for several years now, and he is really a great guy...and a solid player. I don't think he is any better than any of the guys in our crew, but it was just his time to shine...and catch the cards. Congrats Clint!!!!

Ruttely missed the money by a couple of places. He had just doubled up through P Gordon when the following hand came up 10 minutes later...

Per K Minton's blog
--Seat 6 raised to 8,500. Brandon Ruttley called, Lou Esposito called, and Phil Gordon (button) called. Flop was 2 4 9 . Seat 6 checked, Brandon bet 30K, Lou folded, and Phil moved all-in. Seat 6 mucked and Brandon went into the tank. After a few minutes (the level had ended) Phil called for the clock. Before they got the clock started, Brandon called and showed pocket Jacks. Phil held pocket 4s for the set. Last two cards were Q 8 and Brandon was busted in 39th place. Phil adds more chips to the mountain--

I was actually there sweating Rut when this hand hit. I had Davey on the phone giving "Play by Play" and I actually thought Gordan was on a steal and he was "putting the screws" to Rut.
Reasoning being, he knew Rut was not a regular on the circuit, Rut had some chips left (about $36k) and it was a few minutes before a break. On top of that, they were on the money bubble and he thought that Rut would not risk not cashing, and if Rut called and Gordon lost the pot, it would not have hurt Gordon in the least...He had a monster stack...you had to be there to see the situation.

Yea...I call here also...and I would have taken it a lot harder than Rut. At that point, with all the downward variance I have been experiencing lately, I would have been convinced that God hates me.

"When I was young, about 8 or so, I invited God over to my place to watch the World Series. He never showed" Leo DiCaprio's Character Jim Carroll in "The Basketball Diaries"

My circuit event is over...getting ready for Vegas

Well...I didn't do anything in the circuit event in New Orleans as far as tournaments go, but I did pump up my bankroll going into the WSOP by about $5000.00. I had 3 solid winning sessions in the cash arena and cashing in satellites. I am not going to make excuses as I have none. I got my chips in with the best in several spots, and the poker gods did not see to it that my cards would hold up. The final tournament I played in I made it down to 14 tables, and I had right at $4200.00 in chips. I look down in the BB at KdKc. A local guy named Rich moves all in from the cutoff for $5200.00. This is my chance to double up, and make my run for the money. Of course I call, Rich turns over Ad9h. He looks de-jected and down saying," Damn...I knew I shouldn't have done that". After I saw what he had I stood up from the table and said, "Don't worry man, its coming, I can feel it. Its just the way it has been running for me lately". At that point the dealer starts to deal and puts 3 cards face down. At the very second that he turns them over I point and say "Ace"...the Ac was in the window. They paid 63 and Rich cashed. One of my buds was at the table also, Brandon "Rut" Ruttley.

Props need to go out to Rut as he is still in the main event. He has had a great circuit event going deep in numerous tournaments and just overall running good. He satellited in on Sunday, and instead of taking the $5000.00 and calling it a day, he decided to fire the bullet and give the Main Event a shot. He is at around $23,000.00 going into day 2. I am going to go down and sweat him later today. Good luck Rut!!!

I also want to thank Captain Stack..."The King of Cash" for reading my blog and posting comments. If you are also blogging...let me know...I would love to read yours. I encourage people to post a comment as I am curious what people think of my blogging...even if it is to say "Quit being a Donkey" ... ;-)

I am also going check out the new poker room that has just opened 25 minutes from my house at the Amelia Belle Casino Boat...The poker rooms keep getting closer and closer.

Actually, I was feeling a little down last night as I feel I should have pulled the trigger and tried a little harder to get in the main event. The thing that is eating at me is after talking to Wild Bill, we both agreed that we would probably have sold the seat and taken the $5000.00 instead. I actually sold my last $500.00 chip Sunday night instead of playing in the last Mega at 7:00pm. There were lots of reasons why such as Vegas coming up, work, it would have finished too late, I had my wife...etc. The thing that bothered me was I went back and read my blogs, and then went down there yesterday to sweat Rut...and I just caught myself thinking...I should have tried as hard as I could to get in this thing. I know that I can play with those people. I know my game is good enough. I guess I am just wondering where my heart really is. Maybe I need to do some "Soul Searching"...

"When I was going up the stairs, I met a man who wasn't there, he wasn't there again today, I wish, I wish ,he'd go away" . John Cusack's Character Ed in "Identity"

We are halfway through the event

Wild Bill has gotten in the top 20 in a $500.00 event getting a little over $1000.00. I have another $500.00 chip as I chopped a $125.00 single table satellite 2 night ago. I was down to 3 hands 3 handed and was able to go on a rush and get head's up with the same amount of chips as my opponent and we decided to chop. I am planning on burning my last 2 $500.00 chips in supers/megas to try to get in the main event. Then ...I am going to go in a poker trance for 3 days.

"You're not trying to draw a psycho pension! You really are crazy!" Danny Glover's Character Murtauh in Lethal Weapon

Feeling like crap

Well, the post says it all. I have been sick for the past 2 days, and I attempted to play through the sickness for the past 2 super's. I fired 2 bullets both nights and could not get anything going. All I could do was sit there and think..."Man...I just can't see staying here until midnight playing cards". My wife is also mad at me as she wants me to go to the doctor, but I just can't find the time it seems like. I even got chewed out by my sister who is an RN.

I am undecided on what I am going to do today. I may try to get to the doctors office, and see if i can get a quick shot of anti-botics.

Pre-circuit event chip counts so far:
GeneD--2
Wild Bill--3
Big Ray--2
Tex--2

We are going to try to make sure that all locals will do good in the circuit events. We plan on showing what we can do down here in the south.

"At my challenge, by the ancient laws of combat, we are met at this chosen ground, to settle for good and all who holds sway over the five points: us natives, born rightwise to this fine land, or the foreign hordes defiling it" ...Daniel Day Lewis's character Bill "The butcher" in Gangs of New York

Snapped off the first super

OK...one down...three more to go. I was one of 33 people last night who won the $1000.00 super. We received 2 $500.00 tournament chips. Wild Bill also was one of the last 33. I think we were the only 2 to get there. Davey, Ruttley, Ed and Alex all didn't make it. I played really well although I did have to suck out at one point. A couple of highlights:

--I doubled up on the first hand: I had pocket 10's and I made it $50.00 to go from late position. A guy in a Frigidaire shirt does the classic ...slams his chips in a demands "I'm all in". Every folds around to me. I start studing this guy and clearly he was not a regular. I had the "strong means weak" tell already going for me so I ask..."What you got A-K?"...His expression immediately went to "How dis you know that?" ...and I insta-call. He has Big Slick, and the board bricks out. Sweet!!! double up on the first hand.

--From there my buddy Alex got moved to our table. I continue to build my stack, when I get Pocket J's and jammed it with 4 limpers, and everyone folds. Next hand I get pocket Q's when Alex jams it. I call and and he shows A-J suited in diamond. Flop rainbows with one diamond. Guess what...runner-runner diamonds, and I couldn't have doubled up a nicer guy.

--Right before the break...I have Ah-Qd. and am in the bb. utg ships it in with about twice the bb. I re-raise all in to isolate him. He shows Kd-Qs. I have him dominated. Board hits 2 spades, and what do you know...guess what...runner-runner spades has me wondering whether the poker gods were going to take a dump in my cheerios.

--We were down to 50 people left when the only time in my whole tournament life last night, my life was on the line. I am in the 5th seat and the button is in the 7th seat. I have a pretty good read on the 10 and 1 seat. 10th street utg limps as does the 1st seat which happens to be the only women left in the tourney. I move all in on a stone cold steal with J-2o. Everyone folds around to the the lady in the 1 seat. I am sitting there telling her to fold telepathically..."Fold...Fold...Fold"...I say. Wouldn't you know she doesn't listen. (I need to work on these telepathic powers of mine ;-) ). So we turn them up and she shows pocket 9's. I commend her, as well as the rest of the table on making a pro-call here. The only time in the entire tournament I am in for my tournament life, and we are 15-16 away from getting the $1000.00 in chips. Flop doesn't help me...turn bricks out...and don't you...the poker gods sent a lightning bolt down from the heavens to turn the river card into a J. Gin...I am now sitting really pretty and all I do is work the clock from here on out.

--Poker wire radio...people, I have been listening to the pod cast religiously on my ipod. I download the pod cast. Gavin Smith, Joe Sebok and Joe Stapleton are a trip. I really enjoy listening to the group.

"I expect the best, and I give the best. Here's the beer. Here's the entertainment. Now have fun, that's an order"...The lieutenant in "Starship Troopers"

Tournament Tonight

We are having a $100.00 buy-in tournamnet tonight at one of my buddy's businesses. We are trying to get pumped up for the circuit event in New Orleans. 2 of my friends did really good yesterday at the weekly at Harrah's. Davey and wild bill chopped the tournament 3 ways with some other guy. I think they both got over $1500.00. Not bad for a Wednesday Afternoon.

Been busy lately

Sorry People...I have been very busy lately at work and playing poker. I played in 2 $110.00 buy ins last week at the IP but could not do anything. I got my chips in with the best of it in both tournaments and got sucked out on. Wild Bill came to Biloxi to play also. We had a pretty good session playing cash while we were there at Isle of Capri. We both kind of liked the poker room there as they do not "Time Rake"...I personally hate time rake. I have a guy I know and play with a lot in New Orleans/Biloxi that won an event at the Bellagio last week. Adeeb is his name and he is a really nice guy. Another guy from my home town, LJ Naquin played in the $25,000 main event and made it through the first/second day before he got sucked out on.

We are getting pumped up for the circuit event coming to New Orleans. Hope to see you guys there. From there...the World Series of Poker is right around the corner

"I think every man does what he can until his destiny is revealed to him" ...Tom Cruise's character "Algren" in "The Last Samurai"

Harrah's sit n go's

I have been playing at Harrah's the last couple of nights as I have been trying to win a seat into the $5000.00 main event in May. That is when the circuit event is scheduled to be back in New Orleans. Tuesday night they gave away 10 free seats to play in the sngs every other hour. This got you into a $65.00 sng. If you won that, then you would be tee'd up to play in the Sunday $500.00 buy-in satellite event. Wild Bill and I happen to both be called for the 7pm drawing and got to play on the same table. I wound up playing in 3 all together and Bill played in 4. I played cash in between the sng's. I went down $500.00 and buckled down...grinded it out...and was able to leave a $45.00 winner. I consider that a win.

I heard the structure of the $500.00 Sunday event stinks. Something like $1000.00 in chips and the blinds go up every 20 min. That sucks.

Hope to get pumped up for the circuit event in New Orleans in May. I would love to get in the $5000.00 event. I am going to try to sell some of myself to see if I can get up enough money to play. I am going to hit up my boss for at least $1000.00. I have to get in the Main Event...and I have to make it happen...No excuses...I have to start playing in bigger tournaments if I am going to get my game up where it belongs.

"First prize is a new car. Second prize . . .a set of steak knives. Third prizes is... you're fired"

Alec Baldwin's character "Blake" in Glengarry Glen Ross

Pain at the Beau

I said I would give you some feedback from my trip to the coast so here it goes. I bought into the 2-5NL game at the Beau last week for $450.00 I was playing great and had a great table image. I knew that several of the players were avoiding me, and I decided I was going to be patient and play tight/aggressive. In 2 1/2 hours I won every pot I entered with 2 having the best cards and 3 where everyone folded to me. I got the stack up to around $840 when the following hand came up.

I look down and pocket aces. (I know...I know...every donkeyfish story starts this way). I am in position on the button and there was a $10.00 raise to me with 2 callers. I make it $50.00 to go and everyone calls. 4 of us see the flop. The flop comes 10d 7d 3s...a beauty for me. Everyone checks around and I go in the tank for a second. There is around $250.00 in the pot, so I decide to take it down there. I ship it and donkeyfish in the 10 seats starts to think. He is agonizing over the call. I know one of the 2 left has the flush draw, and if it was the guy to my right, I knew he would not call. DF counts out $700.00 in cash that he had behind him and throws it in.
Flush draw folds and I show my aces. I see pain on his face so I know he has a pocket pair which puts me a 4-1 favorite. Turn is a brick...river an 8...and his face lights up. I knew it before he turned over the cards.

I also talked to by bud "Tex" and he had a similar story. He had aces in the same situation almost and the donkey called his pre-flop raise...and turn...to hit 2 pair on the river where the donkeyfish held 10-5 offsuit where he hit the 10 on the flop and he hit his 5 on the river. He lost a $670.00 pot.

Donkey Fish 2...Gene and Tex 0

"Somebody once wrote: "Hell is the impossibility of reason." That's what this place feels like...Hell" Charlie Sheens character Chris in "Platoon"

I will post a little later on my trip last week

I have been playing on the Mississippi gulf coast lately as my job has taken me there recently. I will try to post a little later as I have not had much time to post. I ran into several donkeys on the last trip and I will share those stories with you guys soon. It was sick...oh so ...sick

I played in 2 tournaments last week, and I could not get any traction. I was completely card dead in both tournaments. I am at 20 points for the tournament of the year promotion. The leader was at 52.

Back from a week at the IP

I just got back into town after spending a week in Biloxi Ms working and training new employees. I was pleasantly surprise to see I am 21st on the tournamnet player of the year promo going on at the IP. I have 19 points. Bad thing is though they top 10 people are already in the mid 30's. My buddy, Mike McD, was in that number. I think I may have a shot, but I don't think I will get to play in enough tournys to make it in the top 10.

I "Bubbled" out the Monday night tournament in 13th and was really upset about it. I played badly. I should have at least gotten in the money. After the game I played 1-2 NL and picked up $310.00. I went down early ans had to grind it out to get back into the game and then post a profit. I employed the strategy of wild bill. Bill is actually on a mountain somewhere snowboarding and snow skiing. He still called me toget updates on my tournys though. I played terrible again in the Thurs night tourny and busted out before the first break. I played to aggressive against some players that were just there vacationing. I wound up donkying off all my chips on 2 blown bluffs. Overall on the week. I played in 2 tournaments...4 nights of cash games and left Biloxi with a profit of $435.00

I have not been playing much on line. I am a little pissed about neteller. I had over $500.00 that is now tied up with them. I am hearing that they may send all the US players checks and close out their accounts...yea right...I will be holding my breath.

One thing I noticed this week is lots of people arguing over the table. People taking bad beats and getting pissed off. Criticising everyone's play. Arguing with dealers...man...I just had enough. I wish people could just play poker and be friendly.

"In any real city you walk and brush past people in the sidewalk, bump people, In L.A. nobody touches you. Always behind this metal and glass. I think we miss that touch so much that we "crash" into people just to feel it again"
intro in the movie "Crash"

The weeks action at Harrahs

I played twice this week at Harrahs as I was stuck in New Orleans all this week. I had a pretty good day Tuesday as I picked up a a cool $250.00. The problem I have been having is I am not losing...but I am not winning either. I cashed out Wednesday night with a $25.00 profit after 3 hours of play.Considering that it cost$6.00 an hour just to sit at the table, you can see that the Casino really gets you in the Cash games. It is very discouraging as I dumped $36.00 just in the rake...sick...oh so sick.

Well...I was playing Thursday night and I bought in for $200.00. I was able to get that up to about $350.00.There was a player in the 8 seat that was just running over the table. I could tell he did not have anything,but he was taking down pots betting $100.00 on the river in $45.00 pots. No one wanted to call him. I had a pair of sevens in the same situation. He showed a pair of threes and a missed straight draw. Everybody then saw what he was doing.

After about about 3 hours I had 2 friends of mine come and sit at my table. Gary and Katie.Both good players. Katie wins a huge pot of $1200.00... 4 ways with pocket kings. I called a raised pre-flop pot of $15.00 with 5 callers with 7d8d. Flop comes 5d6dQs. There was a $15.00 bet and 3 folders around to me. I decide to make a move at the pot and try to take it down there. I ship in all my chips with a straight draw...flush draw...and straight flush draw. Raiser goes in the tank for a few minutes when he decides to call with 5s6h for 2 pairs. The turn and river "Brick Out" for me and I am felted. I give $150.00 to the runner to get me some more chips. The dealer deals while I wait for my chips and I look down at pocket kings. I make it $35.00 to go and get 2 callers. The flop comes 10h9s8h. Everyone folds to me and I decide I can;t get away from this hand so I move in again. Guy on the other end of the table "Insta-calls"...Damn...I know he has 10-Jack. The runner shows up with my chips and say ..."Nah...go give them all to that dude over there". EVERYBODY PLAYS 10-Jack...

"I just want to know when? MAYBE YOU LOST MY CARD!! Just tell me WHEN I'M GOING TO BE ON TELEVISION!"
Ellen Burstyn's as Jared Leto's Mom in "A Requim for a Dream"

Guess What...I didn't qualify

Yes...Thats right folks. After I called and was told that I qualified, I headed down to Biloxi as I was going to take a day of vacation and play in the $20,000 freeroll. I got there Wednesday night as I had some work issues to resolve there on the gulf coast as then I found out that I did not qualify. It says clearly on the sheet that you must have at least 25 hours to qualify and I only had 16. What aggravates me is the lady I talked to that told me I qualified also told me that I had 16 hours. Oh Well...It turned out to be a real good turn out. Ronnie really did a great job of pulling the players over to the IP. There were over 100 players in the freeroll. I did pretty well though on a whole as I cash in 2 out of 3 tournaments I played.

Wednesday night at the IP: $120.00 Bounty Tournament...we chopped 6 ways. I received $620.00 after I cashed in all my bounty chips.

Thursday night at the IP: $120.00 freeze-out...I got sixth and "wild" bill got 4th. I got $230.00
We were both sick to our stomachs after this tournament. We each had half of the other, and we felt there was no way one of us would not get in the chop fest. Well, we both got it in with the best of it and got sucked out on. Sick...so sick

The IP has their "Player of the Year" promo going n right now. It is pretty cool. We are going to try to play in as many tournaments there as we can.

"Just because you are a character does not mean you have character"

Harvey Kietel's Character Wolf in "Pulp Fiction"

Friday Freeroll at the IP

I qualified for the freeroll that the IP is having friday. They are having a $20,000 freeroll to all of their regular poker players. You actually had to log in "Time" to qualify. I did not think I was going to qualify, but I called and what do you know...I qualified. "Wild" Bill and I are going to head down to the coast and try to snap off the Thursday night tournament and then I am going to give it my best shot on Friday.

A couple of cool things:

Adsense--I have signed up for adsense. If you see all kinds of ads on my blog page. Click on them. I will make money and put it towards my poker tournament buy ins. Help a brother out and I will give you a percentage of my take.

LA Poker Classic--LJ Naquin from my hometown is in 26th place with about $200,000 in chips. He is in the money though and he has a good shot for the final table. I grew up with his children, and Jacob and Lester are very solid players themselves.

"Wild Bill"--we have an official nickname change. I tried to get my buddy Bill P's nickname to stick from his buddy "lets poker" Martin. "Lets poker" Martin called him "Shady". Well, I have already had several people refer to Bill as "Wild Bill". So it's official.

Wild Bill and I are going to go to Biloxi and try to wreck some havoic

"On my signal...unleash Hell" Russell Crowe's character in Gladiator

Valentine's Day and Mardi Gras

I have been spending lots of time with my family and friends lately. I have been in a party haze since Mardi Gras. I am trying to get my wits about me. I ma getting entirely too old for Mardi Gras, and drinking for 5 days straight. Also, it kind of sucked that we did not get a whole lot of "Tourist" in the Harrah's poker room. It seemed that the ones that did show up would by in for $140.00.

I have been playing a little online, and I have made a couple of trips to Shorty's. I have been running OK lately. Not winning alot, but also, not losing alot.

Will be heading to Tunica in a few weeks. I will keep you posted.

"There must be some kind of way out of here, said the joker to the thief"

Jimi Hendrix "All along the Watchtower"

Online session

I was able to pull off a sweet session online tonight. I played in several online tourneys and then moved to the limit$5-$10 game on pokerstars. I picked up $250.00 inthe 5-10 game. Spoke to "shady" bill earlier and he was kicking himself about the boomtown tournament today at noon. I was suppose to play but wound up sleeping too late. I think he was a little hard on himself and I talked to him about it. I know he is a good player, and I believe that we are all on the verge of "making it happen".

Our network of players is very strong:

Me, "Shady"Bill P, David "Davey" B, Parfait, Jason"Tex" H, Joe"The Nuts"B, Ray "LL Cool Ray" B, Paul S, Alex P, Lester and Jacob N, "Big Mike", Chris J, Chris "Merle" B,

Keep your eye out for one of these people...I think we are on the edge of "Making it Happen"!!!!

Peace...

"Genius is one percent inspiration, Ninety-Nine per cent perspiration"

Thomas Edison

Variance is humbling

As you can tell by the title, variance has been brutal to me in the past 3 months. Just yesterday I was in a hand that had a $1000.00 pot 4 ways where I flopped a straight against a set, and 2 flush draws and the dealer pairs the board on the river. I did the research on the hand and after the turn I was a 67% favorite. We had just started the table and it was the 4th hand. We all had to start with $300.00. Below is the hand:

I am on the button with 10-6 of spades and 4 of us limp. In the hand there was me, sailor, spoon and a rough looking fellow I had never seen before. The flop comes 9-8-7 with 2 clubs. There is a raise, re-raise ans spoon calls from the cut-off. I ship it in to try to take the pot down right there. Call...call...and spoon goes in the tank. He basically tells everyone he has a nut flush draw, but calls anyway. Spoon has A9c, Sailor has KJc and rough guy has a set of 8's. Like I said earlier, the board pairs on the river with another 7.

I am sick that all 3 of these people new someone had to have a straight, yet they all called knowing they were behind. Oh well...

Last night I played in the weekly Thursday night tournament at the Isle of Capri in Lake Charles. It was a $30.00 but-in with $20.00 re-buys/add-0ns. 65 people showed up. I dumped $90 dollars in the tournament and got down to the last 5. there was $3350.00 dollars in the prize pool, and first place was $1350.00. I got Aces cracked with 2 people all in to bust us down to the last 5. There was one big stack only because he went head up with a big stack. I had the second biggest stack with the leader having me covered by over half.

Once the negotiation started the big stack says we will take $1000.00. Once the other 4 of us chopped the rest we would all get $440.00. I did not want to make the deal. Something was eating at me giving $1000.00 to the big stack "un-contested". They convinced me that it was a good deal, and I had that "Urban Legend" rolling around in my head also that..."The person that usually refuses the chop is the next one that bust out". Sort of a Karma thing. I agree...and thats that. Makes up for the lost on the huge pot above.

Peace...

"Allegedly, your situation, for you, would be concurrently improved, if I had two hundred dollars in my back pocket right now"

Ben Afflecks Character Chucky in "Good Will Hunting"

Back from the IP

I just got back for a week of playing at the IP in Biloxi for the "IP Poker Classic". Again...it was a good run for me. It seems I always do well at the IP. The tournaments were run well, and the crew was just as hospitable as last time. Ronnie and his crew did a great job. The only down side was there was not as many people as last time, and the Beau Rivage tried to compete having a 6:00pm tournament in parallel with the IP's second chance tournament. They had some great giveaways for the super bowl also.

I cashed 3 times in the week.
Boomtown's weekly. $65.00 buy in with 24 players. I got 6th for $160.00
IP's second chance. $200.00 buy in with 68 players. I got 4th for $900.00
Beau Rivage's 6:00pm. $200.00 buy in with 84 players. I got 8th for $580.00

I also ran good in the cash games. I had one huge Bad Beat that I will outline a little later, and then I made a terrible call with pocket kings that cost me an extra $300.00. I did well overall for the entire week in the cash games.

Kudos goes out to the other people from Houma who cashed in the tourneys. LJ Naquin took first place in the Saturday $1000.00 buy in, and David "Davey" Bourg took 3rd for over $3000.00 to go along with his other cash which I think was 5th. Way to go Davey!!!.
Barron Whipple also cashed in several tournaments over the weekend. He got 3rd in the one I got 8th in.

Now for the bad beat (I hate BB stories, but I have to give you something). I started with $350.00 in a 1-2 NL game, and I got my stack up to about $650.00. I am in the 10th seat and the button is in the 4th seat. Everyone folds around to me, and of course, I look down at Aces. I make it $35.00 to go. Seat one I will call "Knucklehead" raises to $75.00. I re-raise it to $150.00, and knucklehead ships in his whole stack. He has exactly $35.00 more that I have which means he shipped in close to $500.00. I show the aces and he says "Oh man, I am dead".
He does not show his hand. A king comes on the flop which makes me think I may be beat with pocket kings. Turn card comes a brick, and he again proclaims "I'm done". A jack hits the river and he says..."Oh no...I got 2 pair" and turns up K-J off suit. There was stunned silence at the table as everyone realizes the stupidity of what he did and we witnessed. I take off my headphones and he apologizes profusely. He comes shake my hand and apologizes again. I say "It happens" and I walk away. sick...so sick.

"So...I guess this is where I tell you what I learned my conclusion...right...well my conclusion is...
Hate is baggage...life is too short to be pissed off all the time...its just not worth it"

Edward Furlongs Character Danny in "American History X"