Good holiday weekend

I've thoroughly enjoyed this holiday weekend. Really. Friday night we had my daughter's softball game...which although a blow out courtesy of the other team, it was pretty enjoyable. My son and I took the opportunity to pass baseball outside the fence, and the boy was actually beaning it at me for once. Particularly early on, he was wicked accurate too. As he got tired, I could see the shift. This imaginary line needs to be noted from now on during games. Later that night Big Red and I headed out to Frank and Julie's new house for a card game. Frank opted to run the tournament(s) in the style of the Imperial Palace, since we'll be going there in about a month. I had told everyone that Las Vegas tournaments for the most part are fast paced, and involve a great deal of the luck factor at the paltry levels. Starting with $1,300 in tournament chips, the blinds immediately start out at $25/$50 and move up every 15 minutes. You've gotta hit your dinger early and keep on hitting away at it. I finished 3rd and doubled my $10 buy in. Big Red took down 2nd and Jim B took down the top spot. That was actually the second tournament of the night, Big Red and I had missed the first due to softball. We played another after that and then started up a cash game. All told for the evening I think I made like $10-$15, and drank a lot of Miller Lite. The most memorable event for me was the shocked expression of the guy at the end of the table (whose name escapes me...and probably just as well I don't mention it here) when after my big bet on the flop, the turn and the river, and him calling along for the ride...and I turn over my pair of ducks, and he quickly turned over his King...something...telling me he had three of a kind Kings, to which I grinned and had him check the board again, for the other 2 lying there, and using the two Kings on the board that it gave me the boat. That was a big pot! It carried me on to 3rd place when I went card dead. The look though was worth much more than the pot was. Matt Damon couldn't have done it any better. And he was way up on a roll at that point, because he had been the top place finisher in the first tournament that they played. He just missed it. Rather he was just blinded to it. I don't even think he had a very strong kicker, if his Kings were to have faced someone else with just a King. Sorry to say it folks, but those are the moments that I live for. I know...that's mean!

Saturday evening we headed over to Matt and Jody's for a cookout and to watch some of the UFC fight on Pay-Per-View. We didn't actually stay for the Liddell/Jackson fight, because it was late, and I had developed another one of my killer headaches. Nothing was touching it at all. I just wanted someone to drive a spike into my temple to relieve the pressure. I didn't even join in the poker game that came together, since I just couldn't focus. We did play several games of volleyball and injured several adults. It does suck to get old. The bones and muscles just don't do what they used to. I also got involved with Tennis/Bowling/Baseball games on the Wii, that they had set up in the basement. The kids absolutely LOVED IT! I did too, it was a blast. I think I may have thrown my arm out pitching! I slept in the next day, the headache was still there, and actually didn't go away until later in the afternoon on the drive back from my parent's house. We'd gone over there to have lunch with the folks. The kids had a good time, at least Cole anyway. He got to shoot hi BB gun, and play with his little compound bow. Just ran around and got to be a boy! Upon our arrival at the house...Big Red and Whit headed to the store...and came back with a Wii of their own! We also called some friends, and had people over that night for another round of cards, this time just a cash game. Buy in for $10, initially, later on if you busted $20 was okay too. Good crowd. I made some monster plays, with AND without cards. Sorry JJ. but I just didn't think you were all that fond of your cards. When you offered to pay me a buck instead of the 10 I had bet to see my cards, if you folded, I knew I had you. You really did make me for the set, didn't you!?! I showed, that I didn't and you would have had me. Sorry dude, but you and Matt are the only 2 people there that I can even hope to run a bluff on. Not that you both aren't good players, but it's because you are that you pause in the face of a big bet, because you're actually paying attention. Some of the others, wouldn't have even considered that they were up against anything more than a pair of something. At one point thanks to Cowboys, which held up against a few callers, I scored a BIG POT. I think at one point I had just under $40 in front of me, still working with the initial $10 I'd bough in for. But one big call against JJ didn't materialize for me, and I gave away a chunk of it. I was open ended and with the bet he made I knew he didn't like his cards that much...I think he had top pair, which wasn't that high and his kicker was weak. I had an open ended straight draw and called the seven bucks after the flop. The cards after that just weren't all that great, and I had to go into hiding. I cashed out up, with $16-$17-ish but that was a far cry from where I'd been. Matt cashed out for $65 I think, BUT he was in for around $50, suffering some monster beats early on. I really don't like starting out with $10 at these cash games. Either way though I'm playing cards.

Today, we're heading over to Big Red's aunt's house for a cookout and some more volleyball. Ouch, this is gonna hurt! Poker tonight is highly unlikely...but maybe I'll take chips just in case! : )

I'm off tomorrow, and hopefully I get a little online play in to inch closer to that Poker Rewards bonus. I want to put that thing to bed, so I can actually say I finished up with more than I started out with. I'm down $70 from where I bought in, due to some tough beats. Since then, I've just been treading water. I did loosen up my play a great deal, since I was really cheating myself out of pots, and was relying on the Big Hands to hold up over time, but the money available to me on that site just wasn't there to allow me to sit back and wait for Monsters and the little pots they were tending to afford me. When I got action from others when I had 'em I was getting crushed by garbage...and for a while it was affecting the game. Instead lately I've been relying on post flop play, and my ability to walk away from bad hands. Some of these yo yo's just don't know when to walk. I'd like to profit (by play) back to at least where I started, and just count the $100 in bonus dollars as gravy, but then again, money is money. And coupled with the $50 Visa card I got from PokerSavvy, when I finally finish both promos, I'll be up from my initial buy in. I should be able to coast through another 300 hands to get there. Then the decision is where do I go then? Play for bonus but don't play just for the bonus.

Anyway how's that for an uber post...I gotta go.

Regards,

cheer_dad

Time wasting and other anomolies

Today started off strangely. It's funny how an odd tangent of conversation sends the day careening of into the unknown. I was posting to the team that I think we have a server time synchronization problem. This sent us spiralling off at first, to where I later answered an email with a statement about wormholes. I later continued the comments in the face of other responses with a dissertation on them as one of the team put it. Lucky for me, someone else on the internet was available for plagiarism. See these links:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/st/interviews/bormanis/page29.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/st/interviews/bormanis/page30.shtml

Enough about them...then and actually at the same time I gave the movie "Lucky You" a watch. Movie that includes poker, main character a poker player, still with a decent story line. I think I understand the downside of compulsive gambling now.. Sheesh! I'll end up watching it again when I can give it full attention. I'm only half absorbing a movie while I'm in here, it's honestly just background noise to me. It helps me to shut out the world around. It's especially good when I'm working on spreadsheets. Don't know why, helps me keep focus. Anyway the movie is good, and I highly recommend it to you all. I won't discuss it further than that, so as not to give it away and ruin your viewing pleasure.

I spent/wasted A LOT of time today, unfortunately reading up on LOST! The season finale was last night, and the writers DELIVERED. Great show guys, you knocked that one outa the PARK! Rather than me re-analyzing it all for you, let me just point you in the right direction. I love this site, and the screencaps are GREAT!

http://losteastereggs.blogspot.com/

I know it'll all come to an end one day, but the story is the thing. These guys are telling it well!

I know that will make very little sense but to anyone who hasn't watched the episode, but that scene I suspect will set off a series of events which we have not yet seen. But there was plenty there last night to fill in the 2-hours that it took. Ya gotta love this show. Okay I won't ruin it anymore. But man I wish you people would get as obsessed about this show as I am!

We have baseball tonight, then one more day of work, before my 4-day weekend. WAHOO! We're going to take the kids to see Pirates of the Caribbean, which I want to see too. We're supposed to go over to Casa de Wolfe on Friday, and then to the Jackson's on Saturday. Beyond that, who knows. Frank and Julie are hosting a card night in their new home. Congratulations! Looking forward to seeing it again, and just the simple getting together of friends!

Also, this week, since I've neglected the ole blog, I need to include the announcement of the arrival of Eric and Sabrina's new bundle of joy Kolsen! 6 lbs 8 oz, 19 1/2 inches long. Take a look at that handsome guy. Congratulations! Big Red and I will check in on you when you get settled back in at home. Too much OT, and baseball coaching this week to even break away to come see you at the hospital. If they'd only stay this way forever huh... well except for the dirty diapers and total lack of sleep for the parents!

Well I should get back to it, or at least pretend. Have a good one.

Regards,

cheer_dad

Tourney #5 down the drain...

There's card dead and then there's CARD DEAD. I've got to admit I'm getting a little disheartened by this year in poker, at least my personal results. No, I'm not upset with the way I've been playing...just the way it's been working out lately. I've gotten in there with the best of it more than a few times this year, and wound up on the short end. My image is still intact. I'm still viewed as ultra-tight...and aggressive, but just not bringing it home to the bank(roll.) But whadyagonnado? FAGETABOUTIT! Last night was tourney #5 for the NDPT. And I finished in a dismal 22nd place. OY! Went out on A-K sooted! Jim's pocket 10's held up...and he took my last 500 in chips. I played 3 hands all night in the tourney. A-Qos, and had to fold 'em. Did pull off a successful bluff w/ 9-3os, which was the only hand I won...and then the AK thing. Did okay in the cash game, sat w/20 cashed for $30, so it wasn't a total loss. But tourneys just haven't been my friends lately. Matt J did VERY well in the cash game. He had to leave rather abruptly, but cashed out for over $130 last night, when most folks were only buying in for $10 and $20 each... So there were obviously some unhappy campers! Nice play! Andy came out on top of the heap last night, and took home a nice $251 for his efforts. Way to go! Newcomer to the group Jamie took the 2nd spot...Ms. Julie did the Wolfe-Pack proud (despite Frank's going out first in the tourney.) Then Jody and Ron rounded out those who took home a few extra bucks for the weekend's "work."

Today, I played in "The Big One" on Poker Rewards...and got knocked out when I called an obvious bluff by the big stack, in the final stages of the tournament. He did have K-J, but I did have an ACE. And I did catch an ACE but he caught the 10 and the Queen to send me friggin' packin'. Some days, I do hate this game. But, oh well! Tomorrow's another day.

I currently have in the neighborhood of 650 points on Poker Rewards, even playing at the lowly level's of .10/.20 NL. But when I hit the 1,000 point level, I get my $100 deposit bonus. Actually I'm really liking this site. I mean if I can put in 100 raked hands each week at the low limits, I can automatically enter The Big One. And there have only been like 40-50 people in these! Eventually I have to hit for something right? It's a freeroll and they pay the top 10, and there's a $600 prize pool on the line. Hey that ain't nothing to sneeze at...and the odds are there. If I can just make it once. Heck that'd even change the year around for me! But DARE to DREAM.

Enough with the small talk. Have a nice night!

Regards,

cheer_dad

7 Things You Didn't Know About Me...

Well, I didn't get "tagged" with this Blog Topic, like so many of the Bloggers that I read on a daily basis, courtesy of Google Reader, but I've really enjoyed the topic. Each of the bloggers left a piece of themselves in those posts. Some all too willing to share, while others seemed overtly dismayed at having to write about themselves at all, preferring to wall themselves behind whatever their personal topic du jour might be, rather than having the blog be about them, by them... No matter, there was a lot of great writing out their gang...I call you gang, although none of you have even heard of me or my little fledgling blog. Maybe one day that'll change. But in response to the topic "7 Things You Didn't Know About Me..." I'll pretend I was tagged, and away we go:

1. I talk to myself...and I talk A LOT! I converse with myself, do you understand that the voices in my head will never hold a candle to what I'm saying to myself? Despite what people think, I reason through every day responses for eternities in my head. I try not to say random things, most things that I say, I have thoroughly thought out and weighed all the pros and cons before I even open my mouth. It may not seem that way to you, but it's true. My logic and reasoning may be off, from what you may think the reality to be, but make no mistake, I did think it through. I probably had a little inner argument with myself before I started in on you. So I'm already geared up for battle.

2. I'm not a confident person, and I like to avoid a lot of social interaction, which flies in the face of my hosting poker tournaments and games at the house all of the time doesn't it. In some ways I'm backward, and feel awkward around others. I don't think others are pushy, it's just that they have confidence which I do not possess. I frequently second guess myself. Alcohol takes some of this edge off, so for this reason, I do enjoy a few drinks. This relaxes me and allows me to move more methodically at the poker table. My moves are deliberate. I push...when I get involved in a hand...and push hard. I will seldom involve myself in a hand that I'm not ready to go clear to the mat with. Perhaps I'm tight to a fault? What is it that they call 'em "ROCKS." I'm realizing a new stage in my game...I don't have to put on the mask of uber-tight aggressive. That's what I'm known for. And if I've entered then everyone knows I've got something worth being in the hand with. I'm realizing now that I need to use it as an advantage. Not necessarily though for more bluffing, since I think it is a MUCH OVER USED skill among most players. Bluffing should have style and finesse, and I see that lacking all too often in the bluffs I watch go down. Many people think their bluffs are successful, just because I've folded. What they forget is many times, I just don't have the hand to capitalize on what I've already figured out. One day though I will and I'll key in on that same tell that you thought you didn't have, or maybe even thought you had suppressed.

3. I'm out of shape now...but 8 years ago I ran a marathon, in Columbus, OH. Again, I was absolutely obsessed by running. I ran all the time. 30-35 miles a week just to be doing it. I ran with a group for a while, but began to enjoy my solo runs even more. They were all about "me time." I did a lot of my best deep thinking and introspection during long runs. When the becomes fatigued and borders on exhaustion the mind wanders, and thoughts rise to the surface that you have thought in years. You dwell on the past, think about the future, and ponder the present all at the same time. I really miss my running days, and need to start over ALL over again. You did it once, don't know why you quit, but it was a big part of you that you should really get back.

4. At the ripe old age of 39 I STILL can't grow a mustache to save my life. There I've said it...I guess I'm just a little girlie man.

5. I'm not real big on surprises. I like things to move very fluidly, without interruption, otherwise I feel a bit out of control of things. I can really only recall one surprise that I actually enjoyed/appreciated. That was my 30th birthday surprise party that Big Red put together. Between the shots of all of birthday presents : ) and going out on the dance floor in my new silk heart decorated boxers, well let's just say it was a night to remember. I only wish I could!

6. In the back of my mind there is still an odd fear that any day now, someone will point out that I'm a complete fraud...at everything. Like I'm some poser, that made it all up. I'm talking not just about in my job, but just in my life in general. You know that the me I say I am...isn't really the truth at all. AND no, I'm not some schmo in a witness relocation program, and I didn't lie on a resume or anything, but it's just one of those rather un-natural (or at least weird) fears.

7. I taught myself to juggle one afternoon with three children's building blocks, when my now 14-year old daughter was a toddler. I put her down for her nap, and was left to my own devices one afternoon, and finding nothing on TV, I obsessively figured out the juggling concept and then taught myself to do it. I remember when she woke up that she thought it was pretty cool. You know what, so did I! So, much so that I taught someone else how I did it...a few weeks later at work. I won't name names, but yeah...you know who you are.

Well there you have it...the me that is me...

Regards,

cheer_dad

Dreams

I'm exhausted this morning.
I dreamed a great deal last night. None of it was pleasant. I recall very vivid, grisly elements to my dreams, but a lot of disjointed items were there and make it difficult to understand. The few elements that I remember without question are that I dreamed an alternate plot line/ending to the movie Rounders. I know...there's your inevitable poker tie-in for this blog entry. It was a very twisted, dark storyline. All the elements of a Law and Order Special Victim's Unit episode. People died, horribly, and other crimes were there too. Things I'd rather not get back into. I think it had a lot to do with the fact that we watched another version of Law and Order last night, with Rob Scheider in it. One copied theme that crossed over was that Rob was portraying a serial killer, and two of his victim's were sealed up in a wall, or a fake wall. A large inset in the wall, had two different falls walls built, one in front of the other. A dead body sealed in each. The police got in the wall by drilling a large hole through the drywall, like a doorknob hole, then with a SawZall, sawed a crude door cutout, then pulled it out with the drilled hole. Twice of course for each wall. This element passed into my dream. I was in a horrible part of the dream, coming to what I thought was a realization, at each turn, but just as I hit that crucial point, I would pause, and look to the ceiling at the point of the directly int he corner behind me, and I would notice that it looked like paper, and not drywall. I would pull out a knife, from my back pocket and reach up and cut a hole in the ceiling, and climb through the opening. Climbing through would lead me into a new reality much larger the the one before. I must have done this 4-5 times. I lost count. Just when I thought it was larger than I could handle...I cut through one last time, and the world opened up on top of an enormous cathedral, much like the one from The Hunchback from Notre Dame. It makes no sense to me, but it is what happened. I wish I could make sense of the thing. I'm a little concerned about what this world will open up into in tonight's dream. I know this makes little sense. Okay none. But as the day wears on, I recall less and less about the details of the dream. Maybe that's a good thing.

In other brief news...I'm hovering on PokerRewards, at $125, which yes puts me down. I have finished the 500 points for the Savvy $50 bonus. I'm over halfway to the $100 PokerRewards bonus. Which would put me up for the site. That'd be nice. It would be even nicer to be running up with the friggin' bonuses for a change. I also signed up on Sportsbook.com (poker) last night, using a bonus code they sent me in the mail. The bonus auto deposited $25, which I started playing straight away. I was dealt AK early on, with $20 at the table. I get reraised, while in late position. I reraise, and the chickie goes over the top of me, for a few dollars more, and I call her. She's dominated with KQ! But I'll give you one guess about what hit on the RIVER! She dropped me over $4 right off the bat. She proceeded to give MY MONEY away to the rest of the table. Luckily for me another guy at the table pushed excessively with pocket 10's. And I was just getting irritated, and hit AK...again...and this time, it held up and paid off. Hitting two pair this time. I made back what I'd lost to the brainless ChiChi...and like a buck or so more. I cashed out...and now I'm at $26-something on the site. I'll just have to play on my belly, for a while and make this site a place to play. No stupid mistakes. Get your money in with the best of it...protect it when you don't, and hope that it holds.

Well gotta go.

Regards,

cheer_dad

Poker Addendum!

Okay, this hand helped to brighten the Poker Day:

** Game ID 1377152226 starting - 2007-05-10 19:51:11** Aethelbeorn [Hold 'em] (0.100.20 No Limit - Cash Game) Real Money
- reggaeman01 sitting in seat 1 with $28.52- menkesz sitting in seat 2 with $9.25- Carra_23 sitting in seat 3 with $20.25- Benzini sitting in seat 4 with $19.26- Captainperv sitting in seat 5 with $31.51- chip_tastic sitting in seat 6 with $23.50 [Dealer]- hottast sitting in seat 7 with $8.18 [Sitting out]- scootyroo sitting in seat 8 with $18.45- pain1234 sitting in seat 9 with $37.67- Knaffert sitting in seat 10 with $4.48
scootyroo posted the small blind - $0.10pain1234 posted the big blind - $0.20
** Dealing card to chip_tastic: Ace of Spades, Ace of HeartsKnaffert foldedreggaeman01 raised - $0.40menkesz foldedCarra_23 foldedBenzini foldedCaptainperv foldedchip_tastic raised - $1.80scootyroo foldedpain1234 foldedreggaeman01 called - $1.80
** Dealing the flop: 3 of Diamonds, Ace of Clubs, Jack of Clubsreggaeman01 checkedchip_tastic bet - $3.90reggaeman01 called - $3.90
** Dealing the turn: 2 of Spadesreggaeman01 bet - $5.85chip_tastic went all-in - $17.80reggaeman01 called - $17.80
** Dealing the river: 5 of Heartschip_tastic shows: Ace of Spades, Ace of Heartsreggaeman01 mucks: chip_tastic wins $47.00 from the main pot
End of game 1377152226

Okay, enough about me...I just had to share! I'm logging off now.

Regards,

cheer_dad

Lost is getting GOOD!

Okay, so tell me who's as ate up with this show as much as I am?!? And if you have to ask...then you won't understand. But to give you the benefit of the doubt...it's LOST! Last season, albeit still good to me, was just a bit of a lull in the action, more character development which is necessary too. But WOW the producers are cranking it UP this season. Big Red and I have been along for the ride for the whole season and we really look forward to Wednesday nights @ 10:00. If you aren't watching...what are you waiting for. Well then again, don't start in right now. Go to Blockbuster and get caught up on the previous episodes first...quickly. Stop reading this fool blog, and go NOW! I'm not going to post any spoilers here, since many of the poker gang are fans of the series as well, and there's some of you that haven't watched any of the season and prefer to wait for the DVD's to come out. To you I say you...stink...as in...P-UGH!!! : ) Sorry dude, couldn't resist. To get caught up on the show head to the forums, you'll be glad you did. Particularly look for the "pix" of Jacob. That was GREAT! But enough about that...

Poker has not been overly kind over the past few days/weeks. I know...I know I won the tourney here at the house last week, but I subsequently BLEW it online, getting it in there with the best of it, and ending up on the short end. Cracked Kings and Cracked Aces cost me $40 in one day. I was admittedly reeling from the feeling. Then I went absolutely friggin' CARD DEAD. Hey, gang it happens. If you think it's a myth, trust me...I'll be there laughing and pointing at each of you when it happens to you. Seeing that look of agonizing disbelief and grief on your faces will be all the payback that I'll need! Misery loves company, but I've had to remain largely silent about the ordeal! Most of you the NDPT'ers are not online players, and the pain is foreign to you. All joking aside, I wouldn't wish it on any of you. Well maybe some of you...and not for long...well at least not TOO LONG anyway. I know I'm all heart. Really though gang...I'm kidding, no...really! : )

Big Red had tennis tonight, so I opted for 3...$5 SNG's. I finished 4th (no money) in the last one to finish. BUT the other 2 I finished in 2nd place in each of them. So, I made like $13.50. Hey when you're down over $80...anything on the positive side of the line, will friggin' do. And now as I pour my heart out here in ye ole blog...I'm playing two .10/.20 NL tables. Playing absolutely nothing but premium hands, and I mean it. The poker gods thumbed their noses at me giving me pocket aces, with which I raised preflop, got a raise and an additional caller/huckleberry. Screw this suckout crap...no calling here boys and girls, I shoved 'em all in. Hey they don't call, but this pot puts me up $5 for the table. Nothing fancy about the game, tonight, strictly by the book. I'm trying to log my 65 hands so I can collect my Poker Rewards points from the fine folks at PokerSavvy...and request either Visa Gift Cards or more Copags. I'm thinking this time it'll have to be the cash, which will prop me back up to being just shy of the original PokerRewards buy-in. I'm hoping that my new found force of will...will be enough to get me back in the saddle. Well that coupled with my wicked awesome skills, DUH!

Uhmmm, what else...? Work's been a real bitch lately. Worked over last night on patches, and troubleshooting. I'm tired, the week has taken it's toll on me. Too many meetings and fact gathering mission to count. I'll be glad to put an end to this one. Tomorrow I have a baseball game, and I think it'll go well if the boys show up to play. Bring the A-GAME! After that...hey it's poker night at the Yanok's. Good friends, good cards, good times! Is there anything else?

Enough with the rambling...back to battle.

Regards,

cheer_dad

First things first, but not in order of importance, just trying to catch up on a long hiatus from posting to the old blog. Let's go clear back to Friday May 4th, as a good starting point. The boys of One Community FCU baseball had their 3rd game of the season. What a NAIL BITER!!! Early on, it wasn't looking good, I'll be honest with you folks. But somehow they kicked the tires and lit the fires late in the final innings of the game, and got things going. In a come from behind victory, in that final inning we went to work, and closed a 4-run-deficit. I don't know how it all happened, but they got fired up and the bats started rattling! To top it off, Drew caught a fly ball late in the game, so the whole team was treated to ice-cream afterwards, as promised. Big Red and I were both hoarse after that game.

Then, we went home, and I quickly cleaned up, and had friends over for an impromptu tournament. 14 people came for the game. Big Red finished in 3rd place and got paid! She made our buy-ins back. Julie took the 2nd spot...and yours truly finished in the top spot. For a $10 buy-in I cashed for $70. Great!

Then the next day...we had the Rowdy Frynds concert! 38 Special, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Hank Williams Jr. WOW, what a show! Hank shocked me...I had heard he put on a show, when he was sober : ), but I had no idea. The man is a true entertainer. And is also quite talented. Not only acoustic and electric guitars, but the piano, and fiddle as well. It also looked like he had lost A LOT of weight too. Anyway I really enjoyed the whole concert. Big Red and Frank and Julie did as well. I think my ears are still ringing, but then again, they've been doing that for a while now.

On to Sunday...laundrylaundrylaundry... : )

I thought I'd log some "raked hands" on Poker Rewards. I took some brutal beats, and got VERY FRUSTRATED, and just friggin' beaten down. I dropped in the neighborhood of $80, screwing the win over from two days previous. WTF!!! I got busted on pocket Kings, by a guy who hit a set of 10's. Then later at another table with pocket Aces getting it all-in preflop, against a guy who kept reraising me. I had him dead to rights, with his pocket Kings. The board paired 9's...and then rivered him one of his two outs. Yep, you could just see it coming, another friggin' King. So those two hands, effectively stole $40 from the stack. Another $10 in BlackJack, before I had the sense to walk away. Then bumped up from .10/.20 NL to .25/.50 NL in hopes of hitting a big score to get back in the swing of things. But a wave of cold cards, was the only thing I was seeing. And OBVIOUSLY, waiting for the BIG HANDS was just getting me screwed anyway. So, anyway, I'm back in the hole again, and I was so happy the last game at the house, and this just beat me down again. It is incredibly frustrating and demoralizing to be running this cold.

Now on to other things. I have a problem...or better stated...we're having a problem, and it's all my fault. And I'm going to have to take whatever steps are necessary to fix the problem. And I do mean whatever it takes, I'll have to do. I won't state it further here, but I haven't given it the attention it deserves. I'm not even sure I know what needs to be done at all, but if I value it at all...and I do...I've got to really work at it. Not all things broken can be fixed, but none without trying. Remember that, I live it. Time to stop writing and start doing!

Regards,

cheer_dad

Weekend and beyond report...

The pot was very fat, on almost every hand. I'm speaking of Saturday's game at Shuman's house. 2 very full tables for the night, in his Cash Game/Baby Shower for Eric and Bre... Thanks for hosting a great night for everyone, and the food was great. Everyone who played had to bring, in addition to their money, and pack of diapers, to help out with the "coming soon" little bundle of JOY! The game and the players were wild as always. There were some mighty swings for us all, I think. It just depended more on when you "got out" as to what it looked like to you. For me...I bought in once for $20...and cashed out for $86. Not a bad payday for a few hours of good fun...and good beer. :) Big Red, got pounded on an early hand and was forced to buy back in for a total of $30...and climbed back out, and only ended up down $5. Not bad. We left at Midnight, to get home, since I had to work the following day. The Wolfe's as well took off then. I think Julie had to carry them through the night, after Frank dropped a few buy ins at the other table. I've since then read that Shuman cashed out up $200, despite the fact that he bought in for $80. The tide must have really turned for him in that game. Congrats...and thanks for a good game of cards.

Earlier in the day, The One Community FCU baseball team played its first game of the season...and chalked one up in the WIN column. The boys were great, and gave it all they had. I'm very proud of them. We have another game tonight in Belpre, and hopefully the trend continues. The bad part has been then my son has NOT been playing at all, because he injured his ankle. He was out of commission for a few days. He only yesterday returned to school. Came home a little sore for a day on his foot. But he's getting better. He will not be playing tonight unfortunately. So again...I go coach a game without my own son there to enjoy the time with.

The rest of the weekend was busy as well. I worked Sunday morning, into the afternoon. Then, we went with a BIG CROWD to "Fusion Japanese Restaurant" that evening, to celebrate Laura's birthday. Good time...and I was a chicken catchin' fool. : ) We left there and went just a few blocks away to Sally and Scott's house. Played some penny ante poker with a "Steelers" deck. Thanks for the hospitality!

Thankfully, I was off on Monday, but had to get up early and take my son to school. I had to then go home and mow the jungle that posed for a lawn around my house. Catch up on the laundry...but I did make time for playing some cards on my "newly" created Poker Rewards account, funded from the money that I moved over to EcoCard. I played two NL tables .10/.20 blinds. I cashed out up just over $30 for my time and trouble. I had been up to over $47 at one point, but got drawn out on by an idiot. why tripped his Queens on the River, holding AQos, to my Pocket Rockets. I marked him for continued play...not gunning for him, just recognizing someone against whom money can be made. Way to many hands played by him to see a long term profit. I'll get it back. Another player, busted my Kings for a sizable pot, which stung a bit, but 2 hands later, I took down a pot that put me back up where I'd been previously. I think his name was Russev. He should be shot, but I'd like his money first, which he seemed willing to throw around freely. I also logged 150 raked hands, even at that low level of no limit hold 'em. I need 500 to clear the PokerSavvy bonus of 400 points, which will buy me either some new Copaqs or get me a couple of $25 Visa pre-paid cards. Either way, I'll take it. To get my $100 bonus from Poker Rewards however, I'll need to log 1,000 raked hands. But there doesn't appear to be a hard and fast time limit. We shall see...but remember DON'T chase...just play the game.

I've killed enough time out here. Back to it...

Regards,

cheer_dad