Hella Hold'em

I keep on keeping on letting blinds see free flops when I'm heads up against them with AA and I keep on keeping on losing.

However, both times this week that I did that (including tonight), I went on to win the next SnG I played.

Coincidence?

I will have a definitive answer as to whether or not you'll see me in Vegas by this weekend. I have no bankroll but I really really want to see everyone!

Stay tuned.

You would think I'd learn.

Literally, every time I'm in this particular situation, the same outcome results, yet I keep making the same choices that keep leading to the same unsavory outcome.

I'm in the small blind with AA. It folds to me. My only opponent is the big blind. I flat call and slowplay preflop, then come out betting on the flop. My opponent pops me back on the turn, and on a seemingly innocuous board, I go to the river to see I've been beat with 2 pair, 10-4.

While the deciding hands differ, my fate is the same. I let a junk hand see the flop cheap, and paid the price. That 10-4 should have never seen the flop, and even if I raised and he called, the fault would at least be on him for making an awful call than on me for trying to get tricky against the donkeys of the world.

If you haven't heard much about the Hollywood writer's strike, this movie will help.

It is definitely worth the watch (even though I already sided with the writers before watching it). Its value is two-fold: it makes their point, and in a damn amusing way (a fine display of their talents).

I suppose I'm live-blogging this SnG I'm playing in on Full Tilt - except that I'm not recounting the hand by hand action. So, is blogging while playing without specifying each and every hand that I fold still considered live blogging?

Everyone is posting their Vegas plans. I went to Vegas last month, and since it was not a gambling (aka poker) trip, I spent way too much money. That may sound ironic, but typically I can play poker well enough to offset or completely negate the cost of the trip. This was more of a clubbing trip. If you're on my Flickr friends list, the damage to my liver and thusly my wallet is evident.

I told California April a few months back that I'd make the trip out in December. Now, I'm not sure if I can. Of course, money is the reason. But, you say, you bought that camera over the summer and have spent all kinds of money on toys this year! Yeah. I have. I'm now in debt up to my eyeballs. Wise? No. Fun? Absolutely. Vegas, though, requires liquid cash, and I've got a shortage of that. I'm still trying to think my way through this and find a way to do Vegas on the cheap. I tried to do Vegas on the cheap last month, and it definitely was not cheap.

Damn it. I just folded pocket 3's to a ridiculously large preflop raise, and a 3 flopped.

Holy hell. The river was also a 3. I sure have no timing whatsoever.

Pocket 5's. Can presto be gold? Two flopped sets in a row: highly unlikely. Did flop a boat though. And won with my pot sized bet. w00t!

I haven't played any live poker in a while. I had a run at it out of my last income tax refund, and alas, the deck was perennially cold. I'll make another run at it this winter, assuming I get some money back from Uncle Sam. The other 2 things on my tax refund wish list: new glasses and contacts, and a digiscope for bird watching (and photographing).

Part of the reason I finally invested in a decent dSLR camera this past summer was to shoot wildlife, particularly birds. Since then, I've started getting into bird watching, through my back yard feeders and trips to local nature preserves. I've spec'd out a digiscope setup that is reasonably priced and will work with my camera (Canon Digital Rebel XTi). When I bought the camera, I also got a nice 70-300mm telephoto lens, but without the magnification of a digiscope, it's tough to get a nice frame-filling picture of a bird.

Speaking of birds, I've started a bird blog to chronicle my bird watching: My Avian Friends. It's brand new - not much there yet, but when my Project FeederWatch welcome packet arrives, you can be sure I'll have some bird goodness to post!

Hey, my first inclination was to call myself Poker Geek back in the day, but that moniker was already taken! :)

I'm down to <10 BB. It's getting to be push-or-fold time.

Did I mention that I switched to Mac? Yes, I drank the Apple Kool-Aid. (Now that I repeat that phrase, I have a feeling I did post about my Mac switch, but I'm too lazy to go verify). The new iMac is part of my glorious debt, and yes it is gloriously worth it. I'm in love with Leopard.

Yesterday at work, I booted up XP as per usual, and literally scowled at it as an involuntary "Ewwww..." escaped my lips. I've officially crossed the line. Somehow - and I can't say exactly what it is - but Windows is offensive to me. Repulsive, even. I still must work with it quite regularly, as I do some tech support as part of my job, and we're a Windows-mostly shop, but... Ewwww. It's like that. Visceral, almost.

Another hobby making a resurgence in my life lately is astronomy. I was into taking photos of the moon when I first got my camera, and then took photos of the total lunar eclipse over the summer. Last week, I got shots of Comet Holmes, and all of a sudden, I find myself asking my brother if he still has my dad's old telescope. I know - all I need is another blog!

Folded my big blind to a raise with Q9o. <6 BB. Cards are sucky.

I've also decided what I want to do with my life. Well, I mean, in addition to what I already do. I'm generally happy in my career, and it being a union position that pays financial dividends based more on longevity than quality of work, the longevity alone is starting to inch me to a point where it would be silly to leave. I was having thoughts of changing careers or going back into industry over the summer.

I've sorted through most of those thoughts (with some help from the What Color is Your Parachute? book). I'll likely stay in my current career for the foreseeable future, but I'm starting to take courses in photography and meteorology. I'd like to photograph weather... maybe chase some local storms. I don't know that either topic will ever aspire to anything career-worthy, but maybe career-enhancement-worthy? I don't know. All I know is that since I've made the decision to start taking classes, I'm devouring everything weather and photography related that I can get my hands on, and am loving it immensely.

I took one photography class this fall - a sort of field survey class, made up mostly of on-location photography shoots (nature and urban photography). I got an A in the class and had one of the most highly praised photos in my final portfolio. That got me really excited.

I've been a point-and-shoot photographer since I was a little kid (with the occasional instances where my dad let me try his "good" camera). Since I got a dSLR, I've been completely immersed in photography. Part of it might be in the honoring of my dad's memory. He was an avid amateur photographer. It was a hobby of his, but a very serious hobby. I'm very glad and proud that I can carry on that tradition.

We may even start taking family photos on the holidays again. I plan to revive that tradition at Thanksgiving dinner next week.

Still at 6BB. Pushed a few times and the field folded. Only one player has more than 7BB. We're all hovering around death. If I can wait out these few people pushing... maybe?

Yes! 2 more knocked out. 2 to go till the money.

Hey - it can be done. Last week, I was down to less than 2 BB after a harrowing loss, and hung on long enough to make the money after a guy pushed and ran into bad luck. His bad luck was my good fortune!

I need some good fortune fast, though, as I'm down to 3BB now.

Folded Q5o UTG. I'll take my chances with the big blind.

34 of hearts. Here goes. Vs ATo. Yay, a pair of 3's! I win!

6BB.

One more out.

WOOHOO in the money with 4BB left!

LMAO :)

All in AK spades. Flopped K. Chance to triple up. Both opponents are in. Oy the one guy is disconnected. Yawn. The disconnect timer is SO out of control on FTP. It seems insanely long.

Wooo, I win, another out. Heads up! BRB

Yay, I won!! Patience, my friends. Patience. Flopped boats also help.

And now, I sleep.

Leopard:

Time Machine is friggin fantastic.

Spaces is the best thing since sliced bread.

I love the dorky reflective dock.