On My Way to the PCA

Well after some deliberation I have decided to go ahead and sell a portion of my action in the PCA Main Event. The buy in is $9700.00 + $300.00 for a total of $10,000.00. I will be selling shares of my action in 1% increments and up, so 1% = $100.00 and if I cash and you bought 1% you would get your $100.00 back plus 1% of my profits. My profits of course are any anything above the buy-in amount. I have put a cap at only selling 50% of my action, probably won't get that many but just in case I want to make it known. Also since this is such a large buy in tournament in the event I cash for a large sum you will be responsible for paying the taxes on your portion of winnings and I will have an accountant to handle any such payouts, just so everything is handled professionally and there are no disagreements.

If you are interested I will take PayPal transfers and cash and will be available everyday until Sunday when I leave. In the event you can't get up with me by then as long as I have a PayPal transfer by 11:00am on Tues Jan 6th 2009 you will be good. If you are interested or have any questions shoot me an e-mail at fivefingerz(at)gmail(dot)com or give a me a call or text. If you want to paypal me my email for paypal is rpuleojr(at)yahoo(dot)com

I will be leaving for the Bahamas on Sunday January 4th 2009 my flight leaves out of National at 8:30am and I will be there for a week. I start the tournament on day1B which is Tuesday January 6th 2009. You can view the player lists if you have PokerStars software and go to the lobby/events/PCA/qualifers my screen is Fivefigerz and I am listed under day1B. You can also follow all the action live on eptlive.com or from the PokerStars Blog which Pauly from the Tao of Poker will be writing for.

Just a quick update

Been kinda busy so I haven't been around to update lately so I just wanted to add a few quick updates. For those of you that like a lil competition our good friend Wayne has has revived the Poker League we all used to know and love on MD-poker. If you are interested in playing check out the link for the MD Donkfest Poker League ,I guess that would be the MDDPL LOL, and come join us every Tuesday for the $5 NL Tourneys on PokerStars If you are looking for some money to buy on there let me know I should be able to accommodate you with a transfer. So what are you waiting for go sign up and join us on Tuesday nights for some Donktastic fun.



Also Trevor the poker player formly known as El Shipo, rumor has it he made is first $1 since his little debacle in Vegas, has been kind enough to start a new forum for all us degenerates. Forums.degenizens.com is taking the place of that other place we all used to frequent that is no more. Its a lil bland right now but give it time and it should shape up like a hooker on Friday night. Now go join and get back in on all the local degeneracy.

One last note you all know I won a seat to the PCA in January which is a $10K event, last years winner took home a cool $2,000,000 USD. I'm thinking of selling shares of myself somewhere in the 0.50% - 1.0% range if you think you might be interested let me know I'll post up the details soon.

PCA - PokerStars Caribbean Adventure

Well I haven't posted in awhile, truth is I haven't had much to post about. I have been kinda taking it easy and catching up on my day to day stuff and that stuff is definitely not fun to write about let alone read about, so I have been slackin in the blog dept.

A few weeks ago I put a lil money on PokerStars and have been playing the PCA Steps. The Steps are single table tournament satellites or sit n' go's in a step format that if you make it all the way to step 6 and win you go to the PCA all expenses paid . They start at step 1 which you can buy into for $7.50 and go to step 6 which is a $2100.00 buy in. Place in the top two places and go to the next step, 3rd or 4th get another chance at that step, 5th or 6th in step 2 or higher and go back one step and try again. So its not to hard to make it to the top 6 if you can dodge some bullets and play good, making it to the top 2 is tough cause these sit n' go's are turbos so the blinds increase every 5 mins.

Well I bought into step 2 which was $27.00 and placed in the top 2 all the way to step 5 where I placed in 3rd and had to retry that step and then placed in the top 2 my very next try. So I had made it to step 6 the final step where 1st gets the PCA prize package + $1000.00 2nd gets $2100.00 and 3rd gets $1600. I wasn't sure if I wanted to play it right away or wait a few days to play it. I had been playing well all night so I decided to go ahead and play it right away, so I went ahead and registered. The structure in this one is a bit better T$3000 and 10 minute blinds.

I got a lil short early on when I limped from the button with only the small and big blinds left to act, I should of raised just to steal but opted to limp instead, big mistake. SB folds BB calls flop comes 586 rainbow, I froppa da nutz. BB checks, I bet 30 he raises to 120, I just call and start to have a really bad feeling about this hand. Turn is a 10 and BB leads out 270 and I just call, only cause my gut is telling me this hand is not going to end well and I don't want to loose any more then I have to. I know if the board pairs I could be in trouble and wouldn't ya know it a 8 comes off on the river. BB leads out for 750 and I call when I know I should fold and he of course has 85 off suit for the rivered boat (see full hand history here). I'm pretty sure if I had re-raised him on the flop or raised the turn all the money would have gone in before the river and since I had a bad feeling I opted to just play it safe/weak and call him down after the flop.

I loose another hand with 88 when I raised and c-bet the the KQ6 flop and had to fold when the caller raised me all in. Down to T$1350 now uggh! I raise a few pots from LP and pick up a few pots and start the gradual incline back up to T$1540 and I pick up 77 and put in a small raise to 500 SB min raises to 1000 and I move in. He has AJ need I say more the flop comes 10 high I turn a set and I double up plus some. (full hand history). I'm sitting with T$3280 now and get dealt 10 10 on the button and put in a raise to 900, the same guy from earlier shoves again putting me all in and I call he has AJ again, need I say more? AJ never wins LOL (full HH) At this point I have T$6410 and I'm just like wow! I'm winning races, something I'm not used too and can't believe I have this many chips so I just hunker down and play my best game.

I get 33 UTG and raise to 900, blinds are 150/300 with 25 ante, MP guy goes all in for 1020 more, I call he's got 77, I go yuck and can't watch cause I hate doubling up the short stack. I look back in time to see a pretty 6 fall on the river that makes me a straight and take in a nice 4K pot (full HH) sitting with T$8840 now 6 players left. I ran that up to around T$10K at one point back down to 5K and back up to a lil over 8K and the blinds were getting vicious wen we finally got down to 5 players. At this point I played the toughest part of the tournament, this was the tightest and toughest table I ever played and it seemed like it took forever for us to loose the next player which we do and we are down to 4. After that the next guy went out about 4 hands later and I'm in the money and in the running for 1st and PCA package.

Not too much more to talk about, 5 hands later we are down to the final 3 when the button shoves all in and I'm in the BB with Aces.....oops (full HH) Aces are way goot and we are down to two. We are heads up and about even in chips and I take a small chip lead, we played about 8 more hands and I'm in the BB for 800, he completes his SB, 400, to 800 and we see a flop. Flop comes out 8d5h7c I lead out for 1600, SB raises to 4200 and I call. Turn is a 10h now I'm open ended with a flush draw so I shove putting the SB all in and he calls and boy do I need some assistance and boy do I get it when a pretty Jh falls on the river. (full HH) I take down step 6 and prize package worth $14,300 which includes a trip to the Bahamas to play in the PCA at the Atlantis resort, the $10K buy in to the main event at the PCA, and $1K in cash.

Up Up and away

Finally a good freaking day, hey it only took me a week. Boy does patience and trying to play good for week pay off and so does not playing 1/2 while you are waiting for a 2/5 seat.

Slept in, woke up around 3:30pm had a message from a nice couple I met last week and have been kinda hanging out with since then telling me there was some good 2/5 games over at the Taj. So I got my ass up and going, hopped in the shower and headed over to the "House of Dirty Chips" otherwise known as the Taj. Got on the list for the 2/5 games and headed up to grab a bite to eat. Ended up losing my spot on the list, so I put it back on again and again once more cause I went out for a smoke and missed my spot again oh well beats playing 1/2 and shipping it right.

Finally they open up a new table and I grab $300, cause I love to short buy on a fresh 2/5 table. Don't ask me why and don't tell why I should buy in for the max when everyone else does cause I'm not listening and I don't know why I like to do it, I guess I like to be behind LOL. I'm just superstitious I guess and it usually pays off.

We are like 5 handed for a few minutes but the table quickly fills and a few hands in I pick up 77 in LP super aggro guy to my right makes it 20 to go I call as do 2 or 3 others and we see a flop. Flop comes 689 rainbow, checks around to super aggro kid who bets 60, I min-raise his ass cause I read it as a c-bet and he min re-raises me, so I just push for about 125 more and he calls. Turn brings the 5 ding ding ding and the river a red Ace and I table my hand and double up. Don't have a clue what he had, he said nice hand and mucked his and I took it down.

Little while later I picked up KcQc in MP and call a $20 preflop raise from the ATM (my new definition of ATM >Asian with a Ton of Money) in the one seat as do 3 others. Wow this guy in the one seat was in the game for like 2K in less then and hour. Older Asian gent who rarely folds and love to call raises. Well flop comes out QsAc3c checks to me and I got the ATM behind me in the one seat so I lead out 45, ATM makes it 150 guy to my right who was a tool at best goes in the tank and folds. I smooth call the 105 raise and watch a pretty lil club fall on the turn, so I check cause I know Mr. ATM is gonna shove and guess what he does for about $250. Well I guess I'll call since I have the nuts and this hand played out perfectly LOL. I think I might be dodging an A or Q on the river but that might be giving him to much credit. I make it out alive and table my winner and scoop another nice pot.

Played another few pots and ended up calling it quits around 1am up a few bucks over $800. Headed out to smoke a cig and decided to stick $40 in a dollar slot and end up making another $100 woops. You guys should just stake me on slot machines, you really should, hahaha.

Anyway call it a night say goodbye to my friends and head back over to Harrahs and decide to play some $15 Black Jack and drink a beer to relax and I'm only a few points away from my Platinum card. Decide to sit at a fresh table cause all the other ones had a bunch of drunk and rowdy guido's sitting at them and I just wanted to chill. So I pull up a chair and pull out 5 Benji's and sit down. I get hit in the head with 8 decks and start pressing my bets a bit and am quickly up $200 and some change. I tell myself if I get back down to just greens which is my profit I'll get up, well I go on another nice lil run and get up when the table fills up and this guy keeps staying on 15 when the dealer is showing a 7 8 9 or 10 which is a must hit. I accidentally pick up another $300 overall, its nice to get up from the Black Jack table with a purple and 3 black chips woo hoo!

Its been a good day, but I am still about ready to go home. As I am sitting in my room watching the sunrise over a nice bay view, oh and watching the coast guard helicopter circle around the bay. Along with the half a dozen search and rescue boats circle about in the water most likely searching for someone who probably jumped off the bridge that goes across the bay right outside Harrahs. I really wonder how people do this every day, all this degeneracy and drunkenness, people with hopes of hitting it big only to loose there last $100 or $20 to the jaws of the viscious slot machine, its rough to not be pulled under into the dark side of this crazy place when you have been here for so long. It can be a nice place and I have met some really nice people up here but lordy I sure don't think I could live here.

Well I am heading to bed at 7am so tune in tomorrow where I'll try to sum up my trip and get ready to go home.

No height requirment for this roller coaster ride.

Same old same old up one second down the next then back up again. Kinda getting used to it, its definitely making me play my "A" game cause I sure as shit ain't getting lucky. I checked out of the Borgata today and headed over to Harrahs to finish out my tour. I'm about done with the tourneys, I'm just too burned out and can't handle them anymore. I think I have played about 10, 6 MTT events and 2 STT and cashed in two STT, rough to say the least. I'll be back for some more tourneys though just need a break, it was definitely a learning experience.

Don't forget to follow Pauly on the Borgata Poker blog if you want to keep up on the action. Pauly was nice enough to give me a shout out in his blog yesterday, I guess thats my 15 minutes of fame...LOL. Definitely noticed a spike in traffic, thanks homie. It has inspired me to Blog a lil more, now that I know someone actually might be reading it haha.

Well got to Harrahs and got checked in then headed down to the poker room which was very busy. Hopped into a 1/2 NL game while I was waiting for a 2/5 NL seat, bad idea shipped a couple hundo waiting for my seat. No more of that, I'll just wait next time. Finally got a seat to the 2/5 NL and was happy to see two of the good people I played with on Friday, which meant it should be an enjoyable game.

I grinded out a few hours and finally flopped a monster, pre flop raise to $20 with 4 or 5 callers and I'm in on the button with Kh7h. Flop all hearts, EP leads out $45 one call two call three call and it gets to me, Damn it can't slow play this, guess I'm just gonna have to take it down here, I'm all in for $395. Initial bettor calls for less , 2nd caller calls for a lil less and the 3rd caller goes in the tank, but the dealer decides to stick the turn out prematurely, GREEEAAAT! Floor comes over sorts things out and the 3rd person folds. River comes out as it would have if the dealer didn't screw up, turn goes back in the stub, stub gets shuffled and out comes the card that was supposed to be the turn. I'm fairly sure I have the best hand and table my flopped flush and scoop a huge pot.

One guy had the Ah, the second caller actually and I knew this which is why I was sweating the screw up by the dealer. If a freaking heart rolls off cause of the dealers screw up I flip the f'ing table over and get banned from Harrahs for life. But it didn't and all is good. Sitting on about 800 and am now the big stack.

Few more hours go by I pick up a few pots and this hand comes up. I'm in the SB and and have a good feel for the players at the table. The saying is if you can't spot the donkey at the table then you are the donkey, well what if you can't spot the good players at the table then whats that mean? Yeah it was that kind of table. Anyway button raises to $20 as he usually does on the button I call from the SB with KQ, BB calls as does one other. Flop comes 9d Kc 7d BB leads out for $75 folds around to me I say "what you have AK" BB says "No less" so I bump it up to $150 he just smooth calls. Turn brings the 10c and the BB ships it in for about $400 and I am confused but very confident I have the best hand so I call. River is the 3d and the great player in the BB tables 2d5d for a rivered flush. Welcome aboard the Ricky Bobby ride please keep you hands and feet inside at all times and secure all loose articles, and oh yes hold on!

Sitting with a lil under $200 and some how run it up to a lil under $800 in the next few hours and cash out when the table starts to get a lil rowdy and the dumbass floor lady Angie and I have a severe disagreement. It got rowdy enough between myself and one other player that security decided to come over in hurry followed by the dumbass floor lady.

It went something like this, UTG and UTG+1 are buddies well UTG has about $150 in reds and a bunch of blacks and greens. UTG says to his buddy let me just stick these reds in and we can go to the bar so his buddy says just stick them in and I'll call and we can check it down. Well only problem is theres 7 people left to act and myself (i'm in the 10 seat they are in the 9 and 8 seats) and the dealer are the only ones that heard them. Well the kid in LP wakes up with a hand and wants to know what the hell is going on and I look at the dealer and tell him that the kid has a right to know whats going on cause what the other two are doing is borderline collusion. Well UTG guy doesnt't like what I said and starts getting real shitty with me yelling at me and such. I don't take well to that and tell him he needs to relax, a rather heated argument pursues security comes over in a hurry and here comes the floor. The dealer tells the floor what happens but leaves out the part where they said "and we'll check it down". I chime in and add that small but important detail and the floor lady tells me I shouldn't even be talking cause I wasn't involved in the hand and I go off on her rack up my chips and call the supervisor over. Supervisor agrees with me says I'm absolutely correct and the two friends shouldn't be doing that and its the DEALERS job to control his table. I tell the dumbass floor bitch to start looking for a new job and I cash out.

Welcome to the Ricky Bobby show tune in tomorrow for the next episode........

The Playground

Why the playground? Cause I feel like I'm on a frickin' see saw thats why. I'm still in AC and I'm not broke so I guess thats a positive, wait let me rephrase that, I know thats a positive. I took Saturday off, well from poker anyway. Played a lil blackjack did ok, it helps when you are at a table that knows what they are doing too. Hung out with Tracie for the day on Saturday and Sunday morning since she came up for the weekend. Then Sunday afternoon I decided to hit the tables again and get back to the grind.

Started with a $100+20 SnG that the Borgata Open is running. I did well ended up chopping with a guy since we were about even in chips. Decided to play another one and played two hands badly and paid the price. Then decided to go play 2/5 NL where I played about 2 hands and shipped $700, both times flopped 2 pair against a set and shipped it both times. After that I was done with cash games so I headed over to the $25 Blackjack table and went on a nice lil run back up and made a couple hundo back. So headed back upstairs to play another SnG.

This time I decided to play a $250+30 where I met some very nice ladies that are regulars on the WPT circuit one of them being Nancy Todd Tyner who some of you may have just seen on the televised WPT champioship playing the not so nice Vanessa Selbst heads up and Nancy ended up winning. I did well in the SnG I picked up KK in LP on the button when UTG moved all in Nancy moved all in and I called which put me all in . The guy that moved all in had 44 Nancy had AQ and spiked an A on the flop, I got lucky for once and spiked a K on the river and tripled up. Ended up going down to 3 people left after Nancy got knocked out when she moved all in with a decent hand K9s I think, she got called by the donk on the BB who could of folded but wanted to be a hero with K8 off and spiked three 8's. We played another round and and it was down to the donk, another wonderful lady named Jennifer, and myself and we decided to do a 3 way chop for $800. So I ended up breaking about even on the night.

Let me just tell you Nancy, Jennifer and the other lady were some of the nicest people I have played with in a long time. We had a few laughs about Nancy's little spat with Vannesa Selbst, anyone who saw the televised show will know what I'm talking about. She also gave us a few laughs about some things that happened behind the scenes that no one gets to see on TV. And Nancy even bought me a beer and sat around and BS'd with us after she busted out. What great bunch of ladies and great poker players too, I really hope I have the pleasure of playing with them again.

Well anyway its been a lot of ups and downs for me but thats fine with me because I really think I am playing some decent poker. I have gotten myself into tournament mode so I think thats what I am going to stick with for the rest of the trip. Might play some 1/2 NL and a lil more Blackjack in my spare time if I feel up to it. I'll try to keep everyone posted on a daily basis.

Not to much to talk about

The 1K event didn't go so well , I played decent had about 12K in chips after the first break which was right around average. Come back from the the break, 2nd hand back I pick up AdJd in LP I raise it to 450 (blinds 75/150) SB calls as do 2 others, flop Ah8d9d. It gets checked around to me I bet 1K SB calls everyone else folds. Turn brings a 10c, SB checks I bet 2.5K he raises to 5K I call. River brings the 7h SB throws in the rest of his chips which has me covered and I call he tables JQ off for a turned gut shot straight and my J high straight is no good.

I think I played well, but these large field tourneys are tough and you really have to run good, dodge the donkey bullshit and get there on your big draws to cash in these tourneys. Unfortunately I had none of those things going for me over the past two days. Don't know if I'm gonna stay up here for the rest of the week or go home for a few days to lick my wounds, guess I'll figure that out tomorrow.

Thank you to all those who supported me, sorry I couldn't come through, hopefully I'll have some better luck in December when I come up for the WSOP at Harrah's.

And just a reminder Pauly from the Tao of Poker is up here covering the Borgata Open if you want to keep up on whats going on be sure to check out the Borgata Open blog.

I run real goot!

Well not a lot to say, I just busted out with AK suited. I hovered around the starting 8K in chips for the first level. Played fairly tight cause the table I was at was in check call mode. I flopped a set once and rivered a boat but couldn't get the maximum, cause the board pairing card on the river was a fourth club and the other guy didn't have any. I flopped a straight in a 3 way pot and had to lay it down when a guy obviously turned a flush only thing is the third guy in the pot hit a higher flush, yes I check raised it to the moon on the flop didn't matter though. Got moved to another table shortly there after with about 5Kish in chips guy to my right has about 20K+ in chips and is playing a lot of hands. I'm in the SB and pickup AKs Mid position raises to 350 big stack on my right makes 600, blinds are getting ready to go up to 200-400 which leaves me with an M of less then 10 so I mush for a lil over 5K. It folds back to the big stack and he goes in the tank and says he's gonna call, so he does with A5 of clubs vs. my AK of spades flop is two clubs and of course the deuce of clubs on the river, thanks Kenny.

On a side note the dealers are the worst dealers I have ever seen and the players aren't much better. Either way I'm keeping my cool not tilting and just chilling getting ready for tomorrow, might play the $200 survivor tourney at 3pm, I'm cashing in one of these damn tourneys.

Also met Pauly from The Tao of Poker, real nice guy had a long chat with him prior to todays event. He's also writing for the Borgata Poker Blog keeping things updated in his usual way. Both are good reads and also good for a few laughs, take a look at them if you haven't already. He gave me a shout out in the Borgata Blog unfortunately I couldn't come through. Tomorrow is another day, I'll keep ya posted later on the rest of my day.

Getting ready to start my 1st event the 500+60 I'll try to keep this thing updated via my cell if i can

Borgata Open September 3rd-18th 2008

I'm heading up to play in the Borgata Open on Tuesday Sept. 2nd 2008 and if all goes well I will be there thru Sunday Sept. 14th. I plan on playing most of the NL Events if I can and I am looking for some investors, backers, gamblers what ever you would like to be called, to buy part of my action. If anyone would like to buy a piece of any of the tournaments I plan on playing in or stake me for 100% in any of them please let me know.

What I would like to do to keep it simple is this, if you would like to buy a share I will sell shares of which ever tournament you chose in increments of 10% up to 50% of my total buy in on a 1:1 ratio. So if you bought 50% of my action in the $500+$60 NL event you would give me $280 and if I cashed for say $2000 you would earn $1000 (your intial investment of $280 + $720 in winnings). Fairly straight forward I think.

If you would like to back me 100% in any of the Tournaments I have listed below please contact me and we can work something out.

Heres a link to all the Borgata Open Events.

I plan on playing in the following events:

Wed. 9/3 $300+$50 NL event

Thurs. 9/4 $500+$60 NL event

Friday 9/5 $1000+$90 NL event

Mon. 9/8 $400+$50 NL event

Tues. 9/9 $500+$60 NL event

Thurs. 9/11 $500+$60 NL event

I would like to play in the $2500+$150 NL event on Wed. 9/10 and the $1500+$100 NL event on Saturday 9/5 but that all depends on the outcome of the previous days events. These are actually the events that I would like to get backed for and possibly the $1000+$90 on Friday 9/5.

If you decide you would like to buy some shares you can contact me via email, text, phone, leave a comment here or via PM on MD-Poker. My contact info as far as email and text/IM go are listed on the top right of my blog or just click on the links. Well I have been looking forward to this for a few months now and even if you don't wanna throw some loot my way hit me up if you are going to be up there for any of the tournaments. Thanks!

Prop Bets, Hookers, and Getting Unstuck oh no!

Went to AC this week with Keon, we left got up there on Weds morning and spent the day at the Borgata with Eric. I had a nice day crushing the 1/2NL there and then decided to go ship most of my winnings and then some on table games, when I ran into Jesse Y and his boy Ryan. Woo hoo! Actually the first part of the table games went well, well enough to eat some great food at Homestead steakhouse at the 'Gata. It was the second session that went bad, should of quit after dinner and went to bed like I said I was gioing to do. Played the 400+50 event on Thurs and had some bad hands which I won't discuss 'cause I don't like telling my bad beat stories on here. Went out after the first break, boo!

Later on Thursday afternoon headed over to Harrah's to get my room and check in, Harrah's is a really nice place and I enjoy staying there if you get a chance to stay there I recommend it. I had to split up my rooms between harrah's and showboat on Thurs and Fri cause I waited till the last minute to make reservations, it worked out well though.

Poker didn't go to well on Thurs so I took a minimum loss of $140 for the day and Keon and I decided it was time to do some drinking so we headed over to the Exhibition Bar at Harrah's. Eric joined us to drink a few beers and then we starting wondering around making stupid prop bets, which I lost most of. One of which was how many hookers are sitting at the bar at 3am on a Thurs night. The over under was 4 I said under, Keon says over. We make it half way around the bar and the count is at 6 wow I loose. Who'da thunk it at harrah's of all places maybe they were having a meeting, cause of all the times I've been in that bar at that time I've never seen that many I thought my bet was a lock. I should of known better to make a bet about hookers with Mr. Craigslist.

Ok well its been quite an entertaining trip so far I'm having lots of fun and its going to continue. So we decide to play some table games, Eric is stuck a couple hundo and says he wants to get unstuck playing table games....ummm ok. Lets play BJ so we all sit down at the BJ table things are going ok and then things go terribly wrong. Dealer showing a 6, a break card, I have J5 for 15, Eric has 10 10 for 20 and Keon has split Aces. I stay Eric asks me what he should do I tell him stay you never split tens plus the dealer has a break card. He's says well I think I should split them, I say wow what the hell did you ask me for then. Eric goes on to pull another 10 and split that also, ends up pulling six 10 cards out and pretty much ruins the shoe, Keon split his aces and would have had two 21's had Eric not been a dumbass but instead gets two low cards and the dealer of course hits 21 in three cards. Nice Job sir!

Ok I decide I've had enough after that hand, besides the shoe was good until then I can't stand to loose anymore and I'm about even. I get up and go play the stupid game that is Texas Hold 'Em Bonus. I'm sitting there up a lil bit and Keon and Eric tell me Eric is going to the Roulette table to get even since Eric has devised a foolproof way to get unstuck playing Roulette and explains it to me. I hand Keon a lighter and say here use this instead, Keon says whats this for good luck, I say no he looks at me confused until I light the lighter and he says ohhhhh! hahaha. Well they go over the Roulette table and Eric sticks $400 on black, comes up red, so he puts $800 on black, comes up red, then he puts $1600 on black, guess what hits? You got it red, then guess what he does? He puts $3200 on black, at this point he can not make another bet cause the table max is $5000 and the floor person is kinda looking at him like he's a little crazy and maybe not the brightest kid in the world. Well he hits black and wins $6400. I've done some not so bright things and gotten lucky but this kid needs to go play the lottery.

They come back to my table and slam $6K on the table like he just won that much. I kinda look at him confused and they explain the story to me and I say oh ok so you just risked $6K to win $400 nice hit fish. And they tell me I'm a degenerate at table games......Hahaha ok! On a side note I finished my Texas Hold 'Em Bonus session up a couple of hundo after catching several Bonus hands and I rolled out.

So on to Friday we move ourselves over to the Showboat for a nice comped Friday night room and get checked in. We relax a lil bit and go grab some food, Showboat not the greatest place to eat by the way. Food was ok it filled our bellies so we weren't complaining.

Later on that night I decide to play a small tourney at the Showboat just to chill and get back in the swing of things. Keon heads over to the Taj and Eric went to Caesars I think. I bust out of the tourney and head over to the Taj to find Keon and there he is playing 1/2 NL and theres a seat open right next to him. He tells me I should sit, so I do cause the table is full of old guys that have no clue. We have an older gent to Keons right and an Israeli guy who speaks broken english to my left, they both are listening to Keon and I talking nonsense and ask you guys friends or you just meet, I say oh we met at the Gay Parade, you should of seen the looks...... The old guy taps Keon on the shoulder and says hey is your buddy really a fruitcake, hahaha and the Israeli guy asks me you guys really "the gays" for a second time I say no I was joking, and reply why are you so interested and why do you keep asking me that. They figured out that we were just joking around and having a good time so they joined in until I ran them off, Sorry Keon.

Ok on to some poker, so this table is really soft and I manage to run over it sitting on a lil over $500 at one point. The Israeli guy likes to jam pots with pot sized bets and I get in a hand with him when I'm the BB and I raise to $11 and he immidiately makes it $35 folds back around to me maybe one caller I can't recall. I say to him I think I know what you have and call. I put him JJ AK or possibly 10 10. Flop comes 6s7s8d I say wow that was an unfortunate flop for you and I check he fires out $75 I insta move all in. He says how much, now earlier in the night he says my hand was shaking when I made a bet so he knew I had a 7 when there were two 7's on the board, he was wrong. This leads up to how I count my chips out for him, I stick my chips out there and count them out purposely violently shaking my hand. I have about $225, $150 more to call, He folds, racks up the $200 he has left and leaves, woops. I had As9s in case you all were wondering.

I chase off a few more fish and a few more sit down Keon says I made the loosest guy at the table in the 1 seat saran wrap his chips, which Keon says is an understatement. This guy was playing every hand all the way to the river was sitting on about $400ish. I see a flop with the rest of the table pretty much the norm on the night. Flop was 8 high checked to me I lead out and get called several ways. turn is a 10, I lead out again for $15 one seat makes it $30 ok so you have 10 8 I call river is a Q ding ding ding and I move all in for about $125 and the one seat insta calls and slams down 10 8, no good sir i have Q8 bring that pot over here. Needless to say the guy doesn't play to loose after that hand.

I do well after that hand untill I do what I have done so well in a few sessions over the past few weeks, twice in the past few days. I get in into a pot with the only person at the table who has almost as many chips as me. I play QQ horribly on the turn after a J high flop which I led out on $25 and got called 5 ways. Needless to say I put the guy at risk for his whole stack and he almost folded, I think, till I opened my big mouth and about 5 mins later he called with a flopped set of 4's, what the hell was he waiting for, guess he was playing with his rent money or judging by the size of his wife it might have been her money. I'd be scared to loose her money too!

I'm a little upset now and Eric comes over to the table says he's going to play 2/5 I think thats a good idea cause I'm stuck and thats a good way to get even. I go get on the list and get seated at Eric's table which is unfortunate. I sit with $400 add on for $100 a lil while later and am sitting with about $600ish and get into a hand with the older Asian gent that called me down earlier when I raised from the button, just to see my hand , I had trip dueces with Q2. sets up this hand nicely, I raise to $20 from LP Asian guy makes it $175 to go folds around to me, one guy left to act between myself and old Asian guy. OAG (old asian guy) says I have $198 left I say ok well I'm all in guy in between us folds, OAG says you have Q2 again I say no he says you let me keep my dollar on my cards I say sure he calls and says you have Aces I say nope KK and show him. He waits till the river, actually a few seconds after the river to slow roll his flopped set of 9's and say ship it I say nice hand and get up with about $250 and some change, cause I'm heated and don't want to ship it.

About 30 mins later I text Eric and ask him to tell me when a seat opens cause I want to get my money back from OAG. He tells me OAG shipped it all back, well thats good my moneys still on the table and I don't have to worry about battling with someone I'm gunning for cause that never works out. I go back to get in the 2/5 NL game and have to get on the list, I somehow manage get the same seat back at the same table wow cool. Erics still there and the table has changed a litlle bit, much stronger now with some deepstacks I'll have to change my game up. I buy in for $500 and take a seat, things go very well and up to about $700 and I'm playing my "A" game by far.

I get into a hand with Eric where he raises from MP and I call along with one other, flop A75 it gets checked around turn is a 9 checked to me I bet $60 and I take it down with pocket 8's which I didn't have to show. Well Eric thinks I'm screwing around and doesn't like the fact that I called his raise and took the pot down with a bet on the turn. Keon and I are outside and Eric comes out and says to me i'm lucky he didn't call cause made a pair on the flop, I said you didn't have an ace so I obviously had the best hand. He says yea ok keep doing that and I'm going to stack you. Oh ok you want to do battle now sir? Let me get out my horsey, jousting pole and armor, I tell him I will take him to school he does not back down and disagrees. Cool this will be fun I love a challenge, its all fun and games to me a lil friendly rivalry.

A litlle while later Eric gets into a huge hand with this guy and puts him all in on the turn, the guy calls river rolls off and Eric just throws his hand down in front of him as to muck his cards and says to the guy you win. The dealer never takes his cards, the other guy also throws his cards in and the dealer doesn't touch his cards either but is getting ready to push the pot to the other guy when Eric says what did you have and the guy turns over 10 8 for 10 high a busted OESD. Eric reaches out turns his hand over and says i have the same hand. I say to the dealer those hands are live and its a split pot. He says Eric folded I say you never mucked the cards and Eric tabled his own hand which was clearly retrievable. Everyone at the table disagrees the floor is called over but the dunbass dealer has already pushed the pot to the other guy. I explain the situation to the floor and everyones at the tables says yea but he folded so he calls over the floor supervisor. Eric and the dealer explain what happened and the supervisor declares both hands live and to split the pot. Ship it back buddy, dealer splits up the guys chips which was easy cause he was all in, guy has the chips all stacked up and everything. He gets all pissy and throws all the chips back in the middle. Whatever it was a good ruling by the floor and and error on the dealers part. Dealer should have mucked the hands like he was supposed to.

Moving on later in the night/morning I have about $1K in front still playing gooooot and Eric has about $500ish and raises from EP to $20 after a limper and it folds around to me on the button I call. SB, BB, and limper fold flop comes out KJ4 two spades Eric bets $20 into a $55ish pot I just call. Turn is a 10c Eric leads out $50 into roughly a $100 pot and I make it $175 to go he just smooth calls at this point I have no clue what he has but I'm thinking either TPTK or top two. River is a red 6 I think It really doesn't matter, Eric checks to me and I bet $200 I tell him to fold AK is no good and top two are no good, he gives me a speech about how he doesn't think he can fold and he can't put me on a hand. Then tries to figure out what I have and says how it would be pretty messed up if I called his $20 flop bet with AQ......umm ok. I tell him to fold I have him beat he says he can't and calls.

I table my hand and say I have the nuts AQ turned broadway. He tables pocket 4's for a flopped set, wow looks like you were trying to trap me and it didn't work out so well. He gets up tells me how dirty I did him and how at least he doesn't try to take his friends money. Guy in the 10 seat says you want me to get your buddy a tissue. I look over at Keon, whos sitting at the table behind us and say I just stacked Eric, I thought it was kinda funny since he said he was gonna get me earlier, and Keon and I both have a chuckle. I mean its all fun Eric's my boy and we've all done it to each other, but Eric really takes it to the next level here.

A little while later Keon and I get up and decide to call it a night I mean its only 7am and I have about $1.4K in front so its time to go before I get tired and sloppy and ship it all back. So we are heading back to the room and bump into E who was getting some shut eye in our room with Billy since they had just came up for the night. E said what happened to Eric I think he left I heard him come in a grab his suitcase and roll out. Keon texts him and Eric says he just needed to go for a walk so he asks him if wants to grab some breakfast that I was treating. Eric says he lied he was on a bus heading home....wow really. E says damn man you made the poor kid leave AC I ain't never seen that happen before. I'm real sorry I hurt his feelings but damn its poker and he wanted to battle, I mean if you can't take getting stacked by your friends how you gonna handle getting stacked by a complete stranger.

All in all it was one of the best trips to AC I have ever had. I had a lot of fun even though I ended the trip in the red, and I look forward to a summer filled with more trips like this. Oh yea and Keon decided to tell E and I how he likes the lingham massage. Nice hit sir!

Heading back to AC

Heading back to AC to play in the Borgata Poker Open, went up last week and played in a couple events. I didn't do to well cause I wasn't really in tournament mode mainly because I haven't played any large field tournaments recently. I have been mostly focusing on my cash game play lately, so over the past few days I have been brushing up on my tourney skills and hopefully it will pay off.

Since I have been playing a lot of tourneys lately and plan on playing a lot more, I have made a decision that if I cash in any of the large field events I will donate a percentage of my winnings to Breast Cancer Research and awareness on behalf of my mom mainly. She recently overcame breast cancer but without the research and development of new drugs and procedures she most definitely would not be here with us today. I haven't decided who I will donate to yet, I'm going to talk that over with mom first and let the choice be hers. As far as the percentage it will probably be in the 5% - 10% range of my winnings.

On a end note I'm watching this movie called Music Within its based on a true story and its a great movie, I highly recommend you watch it when you get a chance.

Can't play the WSOP events, but want to.

Well if you can't play any of the WSOP events, either cause you don't have the loot or can't get out Vegas I have a solution. My buddy Travis is looking for backers for event #38 the $2ooo Pot Limit Hold'em event, if you'd like to live vicariously through him check out his backer page here, he's selling shares for as little as $2.08 per share. If you buy some shares just leave a comment telling him Ricky Bobby sent ya, yes its a shameless plug for the tell a friend bonus.

I hope he does well he missed cashing in event #13 $1500 NL Hold'em only by a few spots. He got it all in with AA vs. 10 10 and the guy four flushed him, so gross. Well check out his page even if you can't buy any shares. Theres also an update page if you want to follow along while he's playing the event, he posts to the blog through his cell phone to keep everyone up to par with live updates. Pretty neat what you can do with technology in this day and age.

A Big Mac with everything and a Diet Coke

One the more funnier things I heard on more then one occasion while on my vacation in Florida. I was standing in line at the local Mc Donalds and one of your typical overweight lazy Americans is in front of me and he orders a Big Mac, stresses with everything on it, and a "large" diet coke. I felt like asking him if he wanted to super size it while he was at it, since the fine lil moma sita behind the counter who didn't speak english too well didn't ask him. I really had to hold back from laughing so hard. I heard it once again at one of the theme parks but in a different way, same type of scenario though.

I don't know how often this happens but I'm going to start paying more attention when I'm in fast food joints from now on. What do these people think, that drinking the diet coke will somehow dissolve all the fat and cholesterol they just consumed. I mean you might as well order a large cup of fryer grease to go along with that Big Mac cause the diet coke isn't helping ya out any, shoot the grease would probably taste better. Of all the things on the menu to order a diet coke with you pick a Big Mac, with everything on it.

I don't understand it can someone please enlighten me, you just ordered an artery clogging Big Mac and diet coke. Its an oxymoron in a sense right? You might as well order the regular coke the caffeine and sugar can't hurt you any worse then the calories, grease, and cholesterol already are. Where the hell is Jacjr, do you do this shit too? Maybe you can explain this nonsense. In the mean time all I can do is shake my head and giggle a lil.

Day Trippin'

Headed over to the SHOP on Saturday evening for some 1/2 NL, get there and Pops says something to me about heading to AC on Sunday for the day, which sounded like a plan. Ended up leaving the 1/2 game about midnight'ish up a few stacks of red chips. Told Pops to hit me in AM if he wanted to roll up to AC.

Pops shoots me a text about 3am while I am surfing the intrawebs, I can't sleep due to being at the pink game until daylight broke and so did the game, so my body is on sleep during the day mode. Pops text said something about leaving at about 8:45am so I decided to try get some shuteye. That didn't work out to well I just couldn't get to sleep something about going to AC makes me not tired. I don't know if its the thrill of gambling, the degeneracy in me, or the cheap hookers that gets me excited about going there.

So I unsuccessfully tried to get some sleep, got up hopped in the shower and was on my way. Get to Pops house hop in his fancy new ride, a Pontiac G6 and we are on our way. Get to AC about 12:ooish and register for PT Seats 50K guarantee which was a 300+40 event.

I didn't to so well was out after about the 5th round. I was short stacked with about 7K in chips after getting donkey punched by the monster which was A4 off suit. I move all in for my last 7K after UTG makes a min raise to 1000, button thinks for a minute and calls and our original raiser JUST calls. Flop 10JJ they both check, turn A, original raiser checks, button moves all in, original raiser calls and tables KK the guy on the button obviously had AK and flips it up. I have QQ and am drawing dead on the turn and I'm out.

I go blow off some steam at the slots and pick up an extra $100 bones, I love those one armed bandits its prolly cause we have so much in common. haha! Then I go get on the list for some good ol' 1/2 NL at the Taj, after about 15 mins I get myself a seat and run 200 up to 300 before I immediately ship it on a OESD to the very loose, and I stress the word very, Asian guy who just sat down. I reload for $200 more and then this hand comes up with the farmer and the guy who obviously watches poker on TV for a living.

I raise from UTG+2 to $12 Farmer calls and the professional poker on TV watcher calls on the button (we'll call him PTV) as does one other, 4 to the flop plus bb and sb = $51 in the middle. Flop comes off 10cJc4h and it checks to me I lead out $45 Farmer says I'm gonna have to go all in here and throws in $57, PTV says raise and makes it $120 including my $45 and has just shy of $150 behind him. So its $75 back to me and I go all in having PTV covered. He goes in the tank and I ask him if he's on a flush draw and I get no response, he thinks a lil while longer and calls. Turn brings a yucky 4c and river is the 17 of purple horseshoes. I say to PTV you hit your flush just as the farmer tables KJ off suit and PTV shakes his head and tables his KK, I table my AA and scoop a healthy pot. I'm not gonna get into how badly PTV played KK from the button cause I'm not trying to get the floor wet.

Played a few hands after that, none that really stick out 'cept one that I played kinda bad. I flopped a straight with a redraw to the uber nutz, when the flop came out 6h9d10d and I check. Guy to my left bet $20 one caller I just call, I shoulda woulda coulda raised but opted to get cute. turn is the 7h, board is 6h9d10d7h, guy on left leads out fifty other guy folds and I raise $75 on top and he re-raises what I thought was an all in but he had a black chip and a couple red birdies behind his arm that I couldn't see. Turned out to be a $125 raise which I just called woops, either way I'm free rollin' now cause I'm fairly sure we are choppin' at this point. Turn is the Qc and I move all in, this guy actually has to think about it, he's got less then $150 left and has well over $275 invested in a $600 pot. Board reads 6h9d10d7hQc and he finally calls tables 10 8 off suit and table my 7d8d for the chop.....Boooo!

Looking back I think if I put in a hefty c-raise on the flop 1 of 2 things happen, either I win the pot right there or guy on my left calls and other guy puts more money in the pot chasing his flush draw or whatever it was he was doing. I didn't I got cute and settled for the chop as punishment could have been much worse so I'll take it.

A little while later Pops shoots me a text about grabbing some food says he will be over in a few, sounds good to me. He pulls himself from the BJ pit and comes and grabs me, I rack up while I'm ahead and head to the cashier.

After we grabbed a bite to eat Pops and I headed down to the BJ pit so he could "win" back his losses from the tourney. I watch for a while and this table is on fire so I couldn't resist myself, or Pops's encouragement, and I take a seat. Pops says I put on a clinic for the first half hour or so but we were both running real good against the dealer. I play for another hour or so get up a lil under a meat ball and cash out. Pops is the one that put on the clinic, some how or another he managed to run it up to over 4 meat balls 2 or 3 times, ship it almost all back 2 or 3 times and still managed to run it back up to 5 meat balls and cash out. What a luck box!

After a long day I'm beat and up a couple bucks and Pops is up a couple bucks so we call it a night and head home. Kudos to the folx at EZ-Pass they are some bright ones by the way, I had a problem with my ez-pass and couldn't get through to them on the phone and their website was having technical problems. Nice work you guys wait to till the busiest weekend of the year to figure out your website is a piece of garbage and leave me having a worthless piece of plastic that says ez-pass on it. Thanks for adding an extra 1.5 hrs to my trip I appreciate it.

Poker in Florida

Been down here in Pompano Beach / Ft. Lauderdale area for a few days now, getting ready to hop on a plane tomorrow to come home. Figured I'd post a quick update of how things went, I wish I could stay down here a few more days and play. Overall the card room I played at was very nice I would put it on par with the Borgata, not quite as nice but very very close. Its called The Isle, its a casino for the most part, horse track out back, slots downstairs, poker and simulcast up stairs. It gets pretty noisy up stairs cause of the simulcast being in the same area as the poker room. Really its just one big room with about 60 poker tables and a bar with a big wall with TV's separating the poker and the simulcast area.

Nice room aesthetically, but has got to be the worst run room I have ever played at. Just the way they do everything is so ass backwards from what we would be used to in AC. Of course there is a max buy of $100 so there is lots of rebuys. On the weekends it was horrible we were lucky to get in 10-15 hands per hour. The reason being they dont keep their racks set with more then $500 and they don't have drop boxes for the money. The dealer takes your money gives you chips and puts the money in the middle of the rack where the slots for the cards are. Then a chip runner comes over takes the cash, throws out some chips that have denominations on them for the cameras, the dealer counts the cash, the chip runner takes the cash and comes back with chips. Of course play stops while this takes place....la ti da la ti da twiddle my thumbs..... ok back to the game. When its busy there in a 2/5 or 5/10 game this happens about 3-4 times an hour. I wanted to stick forks in my eyes it was so annoying. And the floor people are so bad its not even funny, I wanted to apply for a job it was so bad. Oh and the floor people think they are so cool, Adam could definitely work there.

You are asking wow they have 2/5 and 5/10 NL with a $100 max buy, yes they do and its not to bad, well the 2/5 isn't that bad. I did play the 5/10 NL there, (thats where I wanted to stick forks in my eyes cause then game kept stopping to fill the rack 4 times an hour) I figured hey what the heck a new table was starting up so I took a seat. It played like a 2/5 game in AC once a few people accumulated some chips. I was in the 5/10 game for 3 buy ins and had 7 more buy ins in my pocket so I wasn't to worried about it.....LOL. I could only take it for about 3 hours and quit only down about 9 red birds. Thats the other thing that was odd, the highest denomination chip in this place was a green chip ($25). The 2/5 NL game was actually ok it played like a 1/2 NL game we would be used to up here or in AC. The 1/2NL game was decent also it actually played like a 1/2 game is supposed to play like I guess, you just have to dodge the BS which isn't to hard. The players in all the games are very readable to anyone that has been playing for awhile.

The $100 max buy really changes your game cause once you build a stack if you get felted you gotta start back at $100. So if you are stuck $300-$400 and you get back to even or up a lil you are almost better off getting up and starting over at a new table. If you can get in a game for a buy in or two and build a nice stack you can really play regular poker when you play the 1/2 or 2/5 games there. The 5/10 game is just dumb other then for the fact that there is a lot of deep pockets at the table, you really got get hit over the head with deck to make money in that game. But its still dumb there is just as much money in the 2/5 games and they play a lil bit better.

Overall I lost a couple hundo but thats because I kept playing tourney's and $150 SnG's. I played one $125 MTT tourney and had about 25K in chips (started with 4K) but the blinds jumped so ridiculously after the first break from 300-600 to 400-800 with a 100 ante then to 600-1200 with a 200 ante. So when I lost a coin flip with AQs vs. JJ for about 5K I went from chip leader to having an M of about 10 and the blinds went up every 15 mins. I really should of checked out the structure before I played, but ah well. I broke about even playing the cash games maybe up 10 reds or so. It took a lil getting used to so thats why I say I wish I had more time to play down here cause the games are definitely beatable.

Vacation Time!

I've been on vacation the past week, down here in sunny Florida visiting Mickey Mouse and his wonderful theme parks. I finally got a decent internet connection to update this thing, I had a bunch of stuff I wanted to post about earlier but the internet connection via the room I'm in sucks. So I'm borrowing the connection from across the street as long as it holds I should be good for a few minutes.

My Dad and Mom decided to take us all on a nice family vacation to Orlando for the week, my sister flew in from Alaska met us in MD and we all caught a flight last friday on Airtran via BWI to Orlando. Not a bad flight made it here in a lil under 2hrs, thank god cause from what I heard if I would of stayed in MD I would of needed to build an Ark. Weather has been great all week long not a bit of rain or a cloudy day the whole time we were here. Good for us not good for the residents of Florida, fires have been running amuck all up and down the coast all week long. They have things under control and actually caught a guy suspected of arson in one of the fires. One of the other fires was a controlled burn that got uhh out of control....whoops. They do controlled burns down here to keep fires from spreading into residential areas sometimes it doesn't work out like its supposed to, not good, but 90% of the times it works out for the best.

Anyway enough about the bad stuff on to the trip. So we stayed at a nice place called The Fountains down in Orlando, its pretty nice not what I'm used to though. I guess getting those nice suites up in AC and getting pretty much what ever you want delivered right to your room kinda spoiled me. But my Dad has this place through his timeshare, wouldn't really call it a timeshare though. Its kinda a step above that cause he can go wherever he wants and then some its pretty nice. But this place is really nice we each have a two bedroom condo, full kitchen, two nice bathrooms with showers, a living room and a nice size balcony with a great view of a lake(theres lots of lakes down here). Its a resort too so we have a few pools, a bar, a clubhouse, plenty of stuff to keep ya occupied if ya just want to chill and not do all the touristy stuff.

First couple days we just relaxed spent some time with the family, we haven't seen my sister in about a year so we hung out a lil let the kids catch up with her and stuff. Went out with some friends of mine that live down here, they took us to The Capital Grille in Orlando off of International Dr. Two places in that sentence you should visit if you ever make it down this way, The Capital Grille and International Dr. (I Drive for short) The dinner was great at the Capital Grille a lil pricey, not Bobby Flay pricey, but a lil more then The Olive Garden. The food was great and the service even better, we had a great server went by the name of Arnaud (pronounced Arno if that helps any) real nice guy in his mid-thirties I'd say, grew up in the south of France and has been here since the late nineties. We exchanged quite a few stories one of them I have to share with you all cause it was hilarious, but I'll get to that in a bit. We ate late and were the only ones out on the patio cause it was closed(amazing what a $20 pre tip will get you when you've already been seated inside)but as soon as Arnaud came to our table I sensed he was an easy going guy. We were one of his last tables so he would come hang out with us after he realized we were not his normal run of the mill patrons. Great guy and if you ever make it down to Orlando look up the Capital Grille make reservations and ask for Arnaud Soules.

Ok well I'm getting a lil sleepy and I have to get up early cause we are headed south to Pompanpo Beach to see Tracie's brother for a few days, finally I can get some poker in, woo hoo. But I'll leave ya with that funny story Arnaud told me about his college years and a motorcycle. I'll be back in a day or so to pick up where I left off and share some more stories with you like "The big mac everything on it and a diet coke" and "Getting the eel from Mickey Mouse"

On to Arnauds story, we all sitting around had a few Coronas and got to talking about my motorcycle accident and Arnaud tells me he used to ride and has a story about the first time he had a motorcycle and his first accident. Here it is:

So I was about 18 0r 19 in college and having the time of my life and I talked my parents into letting me get my first motorcycle, I was working and had my permits for motorcycles, in France you have to get different permits for each cc class of motor cycles 600cc, 750cc, 1000cc etc. So I got my 750 cc class permit and was ready to hit the road. Mom and Dad said Ok so I got my Yamaha 750cc and was on my way.

Had the bike a few months and one night at the dorm a friend and I hit the road on the bike for a lil fun and bar hopping in the town over. We get on our way down a somewhat windy road and make it there ok. Have few drinks, a good time and are ready to head back so my buddy hops on the back and we are on our way home.

We end up behind a dumpster truck going a lil too slow for my liking and I decided to make a pass on the next straight away. So I go to make the pass and just as I start to ease in on the throttle a bit a car crosses the the line and boom head on collision and I go for ride off the bike. Didn't get hurt to bad just a few bumps and bruises, police arrive I dust myself off and get myself together cause of course I was a bit shaken up. Police ask me if everything is ok I say yea wheres my buddy is he ok? "Huh what buddy are you sure you had a buddy" the police say, Yes of course, "Had a little too much to drink tonight have we" said the police no I am 100% sure my buddy was on the back. So the police start searching all over, through the woods, everywhere with no luck.

Great at this point I'm a lil worried I have to call my parents tell them what happened and my buddies parents, which I do. Hello Johnny's (arnauds buddy I cant remember the name so we will just call him Johnny) parents yea I uh had a lil accident "well is Johnny ok" well umm I don't know "is he alive" ummm well I dont know we ummm uhh can't find him.... at this moment but I will keep you posted.

Ok so about 2 hours later I get back to the dorm and here comes Johnny's ass walking in the door, Johnny you shit head where the hell have you been?? Are you ok?? We've been looking all over for you! Johnny proceeds to tell him that he woke up about an hour after the accident about 40 miles away, looking up at the sky, going down the road in the back of the dumpster truck which was filled with linens or some sort of soft material that padded his landing and he didn't have a scratch on him. So Johnny got catapulted off the back of the bike and luckily landed in the back of one of those big construction like dumpsters that was on the back of a truck moving down the highway none the less.

Interesting story Arnaud had has laughing our buts off just they way he told it was hilarious. I tried to recreate it as much as I could but I had a few Coronas in me and my recollection is bit shotty. I hope you get the idea none the less. Well untill the weekend, if I can get a decent internet connection, I'll be back to share a few more stories.

The kiddie game is down the street sir......

Decided to venture out to a local 2/5 game last night, not too bad but more like a 1/2 game on steroids. Average buy in was about 250 couple of 300's couple of 200's and a couple of min buys. Action was fairly decent, I ran my original buy in of 300 up to a lil over 600 and then got into one hand with SBJ that I had no business being in and ended up giving him about 150 for no reason. I know he can't fold top pair so I should of just folded on the flop. Then got down to about my original buy in of 300 and ran top two into a rivered straight against Mr. overbet. Which will set up my next story quite nice.

I rebuy $200 and mount my comeback win few hands uncontested then pick up K10 on the button flop comes out 10 2 4 MP bets I raise he calls. turn 7 Non flushy board MP leads out $75 I'm all in for $150 more he insta calls and another 4 falls off on the river. He didn't like that 4, Sorry sir your great hand which was 10 2 is no good and I scoop about a 600ish pot. Now on to Mr.Overbet, I laid a few hands down to Mr. Overbet early on untill I figured out his style. His style = Top pair is the uber nutz and I check raise, when I'm drawing I call call call. So I'm UTG+1 Mr.overbet is UTG and puts out a $10 straddle and is sitting on about $1300 I look down at a decent hand and make it $25 to go 3 callers including Mr.Overbet. Flop comes J 7 4 two clubs checked to me I bet $50 into $100 pot two callers including Mr.overbet. Turn brings a red 9

*Edit I really need to start proof reading a lil better I originally posted the turn was a red 7 it was not. It was 9d to be precise*

check to me again Pot is about $250 And I pick up what I thought was 6 green chips and throw um in, whoops only 5 greens so its $125 to go and I have about $450 behind, fold around to Mr. Overbet. He then goes in the tank for about 5 mins and I was about to call time on him when He says raise and instantly says all in.... Huh I say I know there is no way you have 10 8 I call. River brings a 3 of clubs, made me throw up a lil and I say did you get there and he tables QJ I say no good and Table my monster that is one pair 'o Jacks Ace Kicker and scoop a nice 1300 ish pot. Mr. Overbet says how do you make that call.....nice call, TY Sir. SBJ looks at me like he saw a ghost and says Ricky Bobby you are sick sir.

About an hour later I cash out a lil over a dime and go home early. Had a nice 2K swing in two days so I decided it was time to go home and get some well needed rest for once. Me and the fish who is E might head up to AC this weekend to play in the Borgata Satellite to the 500K guaranteed. If anyone else is heading up let us know.

Shove and Pray

Its seems to be a commonly practiced form of poker these days. In alot of these smaller buy in tourneys in AC its what ya gotta do if your short stacked and sometimes if your not, cause the blinds go up so damned fast. Saw it mentioned on Mike Matusows mouthpiece show on cardplayer TV. Which brings me to a scenario at a tournament I play on every other Sat in our local circuit. On two occasions the big stack, who had roughly 7K, at the table moves all in when the blinds are 50/100 cause the short stack, who had 150, went all in. Its such a retarded move that early in the tourney especially if you have a mediocre hand, guy says he wanted to isolate....... You want to isolate with QJ and J6 off, once he chopped with the all in and the other time he doubled up the all in. I dunno that early in a tourney against a short stack I prefer to let a few people in unless I have a really nice hand then I isolate but I surely don't shove. You want the short stack to get knocked out not double through you, why chase people out when you only have a mediocre hand. If your short stacked its one thing, I dunno its just one of my pet peeves when people try to justify their bad play with their crazy explanations of non sense.

Back to Cardplayer TV, pretty good stuff on here if you haven't seen it yet check it out. Nothing real educational but definitely entertaining. Plus lots of updates on the live tourneys going on around world EPT, WPT, WSOP, etc.

Another site I ran across was siktilt.com, there is the Daniel Negranu interview on there where DN tries to act all angry and throws the guy in the pool. You can tell its staged plus has anyone ever seen DN get angry before? I don't think he could, El shipo thinks he's gay....LOL I beg to differ I think he's just a mommas boy although watching him in that video he did look kinda gay especially on the walk away..... I was waiting for two snaps in a "Z" formation hahaha.

1st Quarter

Well i have been keeping track of all my poker this year, cash and tourneys, it was kinda of a new years resolution of mine. The year started off quite ugly being down about 2K within the first two two months. For a solid month about 8 sessions i didn't log a single win, took a few weeks off and a trip to ATLARGE in AC and I got back in the black, up a couple of hundo. Over the past few weeks I have been slipping back into the red though, simply because my head hasn't been in the game. I have a lot of other stuff going and have been a little bit stressed over the past few weeks and its really taking a toll on me. That's on the cash side.

On the Tournament side of things I have been doing fairly well. I started out the with a few loses but in the past two months logged about 3 cashes in tournaments and have managed to keep my tourney stats well in the black. One of my more notable cashes was in the ATLARGE TOC-Style (Stud, Omaha8, Hold'em) mixed tournament. I was the chip leader with about 12 people left and everyone wanted to chop so I didn't want the poker gods to unleash the wrath of bad karma on me for saying no to a chop. So I chopped it 12 ways and then they played for a little plaque, yippe I went out in 7th I think.Needles to say I didn't really care about the plaque/trophy thingy. Had a few other cashes in some smaller less notable tourneys at Harrahs, lets hope i can keep it up. I am hoping to get back up to the Borgata and play in the 20K guaranteed on Wednesdays and the 75K guaranteed on Fridays. They are pretty nice tourneys with good structures and modest buy in.

I'm just hoping to get back up to AC in general, I was really hoping to get back up there at least once every two weeks over the past month but things have been so hectic for me I have been unable to get back up there since my last trip about 3 weeks ago and I really need to get a car. My main form of transportation is my 1998 Dodge Ram and its not real good with gas, its rear axle is also on its last leg, and its not real comfy on long road trips. So when i do go to AC i usually rent a car but that has gotten a little pricey due to the time of year. Hopefully things will get back to normal here for me over the next month or so and I can get back up there. If you are heading up let me know.