Two of Many

Date: Fri, Dec 14, 2007

"That's the beauty of a 10:30 arrival," Otis said as we walked through a nearly vacant cab line outside McCarran. I was expecting a long line wrapped through the roped off area outside baggage claim, but nobody was there. "And, not checking our bags," he continued. I was foolish to expect anything different from a man who has spent over six weeks in this city. He knows his shit.

"Where to?" asked the cabbie.

Neither of us were enthusiastic about the answer, but to be honest, free hotel rooms in Vegas are still free no matter their reputation. And while our response certainly didn't harbor any subtle hints of luxury, it more than made up for it in nostalgia. Almost exactly three years prior, we broke our blogger gathering cherry together in one of the most memorable trips I'd ever taken. Was it foolish to try to recapture old glory? Maybe. But without at least a try, there would only be failure.

"Excalibur." This was Otis' FARCE (Free Ass Room Courtesy Excalibur), and I was certainly excited to be a part of it. Three straight trips to Vegas, three straight free hotel rooms. I think this time, I'd even get to sleep in a bed.

****

Dr. Jeff's arrival preceded us by a day, so there was no need to even check in. We convened at our room and relaxed for a few minutes while Otis took care of some work-related, semi tilt-inducing odds 'n ends. Once complete, our plan was hatched. Lunch at Planet Hollywood's PF Chang's and then off to Caesar's Palace for some cash games until the 3pm tourney.

The weather was crisp, but December in Vegas is deceptive. The sun can shine brightly enough during the day to make it seem like a welcoming warmth was graced upon your body for having the courage and discipline to venture outside of the casino walls. But at night, a chill fills the air such that any thoughts of enjoying an evening stroll are quickly dashed against the dry might of the desert breeze. Our walk to Planet Hollywood was a middle ground of sorts, the energy of our brisk pace countering the chill in the surrounding atmosphere.

****

There is no ride, like the dirty ride. It's a tradition morphed into requirement. If I'm about to play cards with Otis, then the pre-drink of choice is the Grey Goose dirty martini. Born in G-Vegas underground games, fine-tuned at home games, and finally perfected in Vegas proper, we toasted to our upcoming successes.

Dr. Jeff joined us with a Beefeaters replica. Clean. But he's a doctor.

****

The Caesar's poker room is one of the nicer ones in Vegas. The games are not overly juicy with tourists playing Ace rag out of position, but that's fine with me. The 1/3 game lets you buy in for $500 and the 2/5 game is uncapped. If you have skill, you have ammunition with which to use it. I walked near the table that held many memories for me, the table at which G-Rob and I busted several crazy Norwegians. This time, the table was quieter, filled with mid-morning players whose likelihood of pushing all in blind for $500 was non-existent.

Otis, Dr. Jeff and I sat down at a brand new table with six other players and the green flag signaling the beginning of our trip was waved. Shuffle up and deal.

****

The older gentlemen in seat 9 led the flop for $25. The board read 569 with two hearts. I was in position and had raised pre-flop with pocket Jacks. Folded to me, I had to let the gentlemen know that I did not simply have two overcards. I made it $75. Without much hesitation, he moved all in.

I hadn't even played ten hands yet at the table and now I'm facing a huge decision for all my chips. I believe my raise was effective in communicating the strength of my hand, but the older gentlemen either ignored it or felt that it didn't matter. After a few minutes in the tank, I folded.

"Only because it's so early in my trip, I folding," I said as I tabled my over pair face up.

"Well, since it's so early in your trip, I'll show you my hand too." He tabled 78 for the flopped nuts.

"Thank you sir, for that. Perhaps I can repay you in kind some time." I was sincere. He didn't have to show me his hand, he could have made me wonder. I made a good fold I guess and while I felt good about not losing my stack, I felt like this would potentially be harbinger of things to come.

"I hate running into the nuts."

****

Everyone's interpretation of the nuts is different. The strict interpretation is the best possible hand at the time given the texture of the board. Pre-flop, it's easy. Pocket Aces. They're the nuts. But like I said, everyone's interpretation is different.

Mid-way through the 3pm tourney, we'd migrated to crapshoot mode. The blinds were 200/400/50 and it was only level 4. My starting stack of 2500 had nearly doubled to 4700, but even that was to be steadily eaten away by the 1050 chips required to play an orbit. I know the Harrington requirements pretty well. My M was less than 5. It was then that I found AKd and was first to act. Easy play, easy result. I push, everyone folds, my stack is now 5700, an above average one at that with around 25 players left.

On the very next hand I found pocket tens. Again, easy decision. I push. But not everyone folds. The man who would go on to win the tourney found two cards that must have appeared to be the nuts. He found a way to call off 95% of his chips with KQ. Off suit. Ugh.

Now, to be fair, this person was quite a gentlemen. I liked him and after he flopped his Queen, I genuinely wished him luck the rest of the way. If he could use my chips to win the damn thing, then that would be great. I hate his call of course, but what can you do.

The nuts is the nuts.

One of Many

Date: Thu, Dec 13, 2007

These blogger gatherings are quite interesting things. Each year they grow, each year they improve, and each year I attend, I find myself simply unable to do everything and talk to everyone I wanted to. I guess it's the nature of the beast. Rather than feel sad about missing out on anything, I've resolved to feel content about the things I accomplished. Certainly this trip ran the gamut of emotions for me. What poker trip wouldn't? There were lows, there were highs, and thanks to a few very cool people, most of it was spent in the realm of quietly content.

I have a favorite author. His name is Stephen R. Donaldson and some of you may know him from the Thomas Covenant trilogies. He once said the following:

"Someone once told me that the difference between an extrovert and an introvert is that an extrovert feeds off the energy of others (applause, laughter, smiles of appreciation, whatever) while an introvert cannot. I've had audiences in the palm of my hand, I've had standing ovations, I've had people fall out of their chairs laughing--and there's no emotional *food* in it for me. It doesn't replenish what it takes out of me. No matter how successful I am in public, I always feel exhausted afterward"

It's taken me a while to realize that this very much applies to myself (standing ovations not withstanding). Basically, after a while among semi-large crowds, I feel the need to withdraw a bit. At blogger gatherings, it's difficult for me to maintain the energy level of those around me. So for those who met me for the first time, or even second or third, and I may have seemed "off" a bit, that's mainly the reason. Hopefully I'll learn to cope with those feelings better in the future.

With that said, Vegas trips for me are about the small things. The random small events with only a few people to share them with. Those are the memories I treasure.

So before I launch off into a trip report, here's a small shout out to some people who created some of those smaller, yet more memorable moments for me.

****

Dr. Jeff and Otis with a pre-poker meal at PF Chang's before the riots ensued.

Marty whose early morning coffee delivery more than made up for his buzz-saw-like snoring.

Matching dinners with Derek at Nob Hill and a promise to come back the next day if either of us won the blogger tourney.

A small, end of trip conversation at the airport with BG.

Seeing AlCantHang for the first time in a while wandering into the Caesar's poker room.

An all too brief encounter with Bam-Bam and Pebbles. I look forward to many more from these good people.

A roulette session with Maudie, who failed to match my bets, costing her an in-tandem quadruple up.

A few minutes with Garth at the IP bar.

Watching the Rooster work his magic on a random hooker. Seriously funny stuff.

A Vegas procedure with a select few fearless bloggers (Pauly, Grubby) and one G-Vegas co-degenerate.

Finally getting to chat MMA with Ig.

Heather always cheering me up with a gratuitous feel up of the gunz.

April, fine girl that she is, complimenting me on my Vegas wardrobe (even though I know some one paid her to do it. :)

And even though it was our only contact, a simple, pretty smile from Carmen at the Venetian.

Mean Gene buying me a drink at the IP when I was most thirsty for a diet beer.

****

I'll think of more as I go along, I hate to leave anything and anyone out.

Site Update Test

Date: Thu, Dec 13, 2007

Made some changes to the site and went to a 3-column format. In doing so, I've not been able to grab the old Haloscan comments, so I guess I'll be using Blogger comments now. I'm hoping the site still feeds into bloglines properly as well. Like I said in the previous posts, Vegas stuff coming.

Pending

Date: Wed, Dec 12, 2007

I'll get posts up about the trip. Promise. Just too busy at the moment to give things their proper due.

Tonight I'm heading to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, courtesy my Fortune 5 company. I had no idea who they were and did a web search. One of the founding composers was Jon Oliva. Man, was that name familiar to me. Could it be the same one? It sure was. The former lead vocalist of Savatage was behind this seasonal band.

Along with Al Pitrelli (formerly of Alice Cooper and Megadeth) and Alex Skolnick (formerly of Testament), this band plays holiday classics with a rock orchestra slant. I'm really looking forward to it. You may have heard their signature song Christmas Eve/Sarajevo on the radio during this time of year.

Even better, I get to wear my Vegas shirt again tonight. I got more compliments from my fellow male bloggers on that shirt. Just the exact reason I bought it. I anticipate a yeah/whatever look from the Mrs. upon putting it on. But still, it's an appropriate shirt for the season.

"Don I now my gay apparel."

Pending

Date: Wed, Dec 12, 2007

I'll get posts up about the trip. Promise. Just too busy at the moment to give things their proper due.

Tonight I'm heading to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, courtesy my Fortune 5 company. I had no idea who they were and did a web search. One of the founding composers was Jon Oliva. Man, was that name familiar to me. Could it be the same one? It sure was. The former lead vocalist of Savatage was behind this seasonal band.

Along with Al Pitrelli (formerly of Alice Cooper and Megadeth) and Alex Skolnick (formerly of Testament), this band plays holiday classics with a rock orchestra slant. I'm really looking forward to it. You may have heard their signature song Christmas Eve/Sarajevo on the radio during this time of year.

Even better, I get to wear my Vegas shirt again tonight. I got more compliments from my fellow male bloggers on that shirt. Just the exact reason I bought it. I anticipate a yeah/whatever look from the Mrs. upon putting it on. But still, it's an appropriate shirt for the season.

"Don I now my gay apparel."

Best Laid Plans

Date: Wed, Dec 5, 2007

I don't know why I make plans for Vegas, they never hold. All of my intentions, both cruel and ambitious, fall by the way side once I arrive. Even planning for the traveling seems to lose focus as I get closer.

I tried to workout for the 24 consecutive days prior to the forced layoff of a Vegas trip. Didn't make it.

I'm trying to rip a couple of DVD's to my iPod for the airplane ride. I did finish one last night. But not both.

I'm supposed to go buy a "nice" shirt for dinner on Friday. The best I could do was have the wife meet me at the mall after work to see what we can find. Odds are I'll come away empty handed.

Aside: speaking of clothes shopping... Some of you younger, more hip, and skinnier-legged people help me out here. What is the deal with blue jeans? Generally, I wear comfort fit Levi's. I think they're 560's. Why? Because I do hack squats, leg presses, and other exercises involving the quadriceps and gluteus. None of these freaking modern jeans fit my waste, hip, leg, buttocks ratio. Is there such a thing? And why are they so freaking expensive when they're ripped, stained and faded? I don't get it. Most likely because I'm old. Sigh.

My final prep will be to dine with the family and some minor clothes shopping. I'll charge and upload my iPod overnight. I'll burn a disc of metal shredding songs for PokerPeaker. I'll pack. I'll shave my head. I'll shower.

And then I'll go to sleep.

When I wake up, Otis will be at my front door and Blogger Winter Gathering 2007 will begin.

After that, who the hell knows?

Best Laid Plans

Date: Wed, Dec 5, 2007

I don't know why I make plans for Vegas, they never hold. All of my intentions, both cruel and ambitious, fall by the way side once I arrive. Even planning for the traveling seems to lose focus as I get closer.

I tried to workout for the 24 consecutive days prior to the forced layoff of a Vegas trip. Didn't make it.

I'm trying to rip a couple of DVD's to my iPod for the airplane ride. I did finish one last night. But not both.

I'm supposed to go buy a "nice" shirt for dinner on Friday. The best I could do was have the wife meet me at the mall after work to see what we can find. Odds are I'll come away empty handed.

Aside: speaking of clothes shopping... Some of you younger, more hip, and skinnier-legged people help me out here. What is the deal with blue jeans? Generally, I wear comfort fit Levi's. I think they're 560's. Why? Because I do hack squats, leg presses, and other exercises involving the quadriceps and gluteus. None of these freaking modern jeans fit my waste, hip, leg, buttocks ratio. Is there such a thing? And why are they so freaking expensive when they're ripped, stained and faded? I don't get it. Most likely because I'm old. Sigh.

My final prep will be to dine with the family and some minor clothes shopping. I'll charge and upload my iPod overnight. I'll burn a disc of metal shredding songs for PokerPeaker. I'll pack. I'll shave my head. I'll shower.

And then I'll go to sleep.

When I wake up, Otis will be at my front door and Blogger Winter Gathering 2007 will begin.

After that, who the hell knows?

Two's Days

Date: Tue, Dec 4, 2007

It's Tuesday, two days out from the Vegas trip. I know most everyone knows about the Bodog blogger tourney tonight, but because Bodog has been so generous to this site, I have no problems posting some information on their behalf:

Play Bodog's Online Poker Blogger Tournament Tuesday Nights!

Bodog invites Poker Bloggers to play in it's Online Poker Blogger Tournament
with a total of $600 in bonus money.

If you are 1 of the 5 money bubblers, you'll have your $11 buy-in refunded and
if you finish in the top 5 you will win an entry for Bodog's Sunday $100K
Guaranteed tournament.

This tournament runs weekly on Tuesday evenings and requires a password for
entry.

Tournament Details

* Date: December 4th, 2007
* Day of week: Tuesday Nights
* Start time: 8:35pm ET
* Tournament Name: "Online Poker Blogger Tournament" at Bodog
* Entry Password: bodogblogger
* Buy-in + fee: $10 + $1
* Starting Chips: 3000 (Double Stack)
* Payout: Standard Bodog payout structure
* Bonuses:
 

 * T$109 bonus paid to the top 5 finishers.  
 * T$11 bonus paid to the 5 players that are eliminated prior to payouts. 
  

  * These bonuses will be awarded within 24hrs of the tournament completion.
  * T$ = Tournament Credits. These can be used as a buy in to almost all
scheduled tournaments at Bodog and have a ratio to cash of 1:1.
  * T$ can also be combined with cash to buy in to tournaments.
   

If you haven't played at the Bodog Poker Room before, please download and
install the free software client at:
http://www.bodoglife.com/poker/download-poker.jsp It only takes minutes!

If you're not yet a Bodog member, sign up for your free account by clicking the
"Join Now" button in the Poker Room client.

Getting Started At The Bodog Online Poker Room
http://www.bodoglife.com/poker/getting-started.jsp

If you need assistance with signing up for the tournament or with starting a
Bodog Account please call or email:
Bodog Poker Customer Service Number: 1-866-909-2237
Bodog Poker Customer Service Email: poker@bodoglife.com

Bodog Poker - New Design, New Look!
http://www.calvinayrelife.com/bodog-poker-new-software-new-look.html

Bodog Poker - A Name You Can Trust!
http://www.bodoglife.com/poker/poker-certification.jsp

BoDonkey Poker Blogger Tournament Banner
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2036/1801232650_1ecf43fb1f.jpg
Featuring the Bodacious Bodog Girl Izabella. 

Read daily tournament updates at tournament host site
http://smokkee.blogspot.com/

Bodog will continue to run this tournament on Tuesday nights into the New Year
and increase prizes as well as turn this into a poker league with an ongoing
leader board. 

Two's Days

Date: Tue, Dec 4, 2007

It's Tuesday, two days out from the Vegas trip. I know most everyone knows about the Bodog blogger tourney tonight, but because Bodog has been so generous to this site, I have no problems posting some information on their behalf:

Play Bodog's Online Poker Blogger Tournament Tuesday Nights!

Bodog invites Poker Bloggers to play in it's Online Poker Blogger Tournament
with a total of $600 in bonus money.

If you are 1 of the 5 money bubblers, you'll have your $11 buy-in refunded and
if you finish in the top 5 you will win an entry for Bodog's Sunday $100K
Guaranteed tournament.

This tournament runs weekly on Tuesday evenings and requires a password for
entry.

Tournament Details

* Date: December 4th, 2007
* Day of week: Tuesday Nights
* Start time: 8:35pm ET
* Tournament Name: "Online Poker Blogger Tournament" at Bodog
* Entry Password: bodogblogger
* Buy-in + fee: $10 + $1
* Starting Chips: 3000 (Double Stack)
* Payout: Standard Bodog payout structure
* Bonuses:
 

 * T$109 bonus paid to the top 5 finishers.  
 * T$11 bonus paid to the 5 players that are eliminated prior to payouts. 
  

  * These bonuses will be awarded within 24hrs of the tournament completion.
  * T$ = Tournament Credits. These can be used as a buy in to almost all
scheduled tournaments at Bodog and have a ratio to cash of 1:1.
  * T$ can also be combined with cash to buy in to tournaments.
   

If you haven't played at the Bodog Poker Room before, please download and
install the free software client at:
http://www.bodoglife.com/poker/download-poker.jsp It only takes minutes!

If you're not yet a Bodog member, sign up for your free account by clicking the
"Join Now" button in the Poker Room client.

Getting Started At The Bodog Online Poker Room
http://www.bodoglife.com/poker/getting-started.jsp

If you need assistance with signing up for the tournament or with starting a
Bodog Account please call or email:
Bodog Poker Customer Service Number: 1-866-909-2237
Bodog Poker Customer Service Email: poker@bodoglife.com

Bodog Poker - New Design, New Look!
http://www.calvinayrelife.com/bodog-poker-new-software-new-look.html

Bodog Poker - A Name You Can Trust!
http://www.bodoglife.com/poker/poker-certification.jsp

BoDonkey Poker Blogger Tournament Banner
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2036/1801232650_1ecf43fb1f.jpg
Featuring the Bodacious Bodog Girl Izabella. 

Read daily tournament updates at tournament host site
http://smokkee.blogspot.com/

Bodog will continue to run this tournament on Tuesday nights into the New Year
and increase prizes as well as turn this into a poker league with an ongoing
leader board. 

The Equity of Losing

Date: Tue, Nov 27, 2007

Well, the Thanksgiving holiday certainly torpedoed my chances at the post-a-day proclamation I made a while back. I suppose you can sue me.

Last night was the game at Gucci Rick's which has managed to survive the reopening of an underground game, at least for the time being. I posted a small loss, but left rather content with my overall play. There were really zero opportunities for me to come out a winner based on the hands I was dealt. Luckily, I didn't fall into the trap of trying to do too much with too little. That "strategy" has cost me big in the past.

Sometimes folding is the optimum play. Even if you have to do it over and over again.

I made no sets, no straights, no flushes, nada. But still, I played my cards as well as I could have. Although it's certainly not very glamorous, using your "skill" at poker to avoid losing more than you should is a very important aspect of any good player's game. The meta-game skill of avoiding frustration is something I very much needed to work on, and last night's game was a step in the right direction.

There was another thing I noticed too. It was brought to my attention by another player actually. This other player may figure out who he is, I know he reads this. During one game this month, this otherwise very solid player showed up with every intention of drinking and having a grand old time. Very rarely did this person drink heavily during a session, perhaps only a beer or two every now and then. However on this night, as this player became more and more affected by the alcohol, his play rapidly and noticeably deteriorated.

He posted a larger loss than I'd seen him post in quite some time. I saw a little bit of me in that evening. Someone who for whatever reason threw caution to the wind and played a very sub-optimal game while drinking it up and having a good time. There's nothing wrong with having a good time while playing. Nothing at all. However, against the current crop of players who are left playing on Monday nights, it's simply not a winning strategy.

Last night, I only had a couple of beers at the table. I made a conscious effort to keep my focus up and my awareness heightened, even while out of the hands. It bordered on work. Mainly because it is. Playing well nowadays requires work. It requires a near-constant mental acuity that apparently I've not brought to the table in quite a while.

Sure, I can go on about the bad beats killing my bottom line this year. But I sure as hell also need to take some responsibility for the bad play that I've been guilty of. The environmental factors that contributed to my bad play can easily be eliminated if I choose to do it. Right now, there's no reason not to choose that option. It's almost like I lost the respect for the effort required to do well at these games. I felt somewhat entitled to a continuation of last year's winning ways.

I took an honest look back at what I thought were the differences between last year and this year. Last year I was enthralled with the game. I was enthusiastic about the strategic options each hand of poker offered. I lost that appreciation this year for the game's challenge.

Well, last night I lost the feeling of entitlement. I welcomed the work required to get back to where I was. I took that first step back up the ladder. Even though the rungs are slippery, I've traversed them before.

The Equity of Losing

Date: Tue, Nov 27, 2007

Well, the Thanksgiving holiday certainly torpedoed my chances at the post-a-day proclamation I made a while back. I suppose you can sue me.

Last night was the game at Gucci Rick's which has managed to survive the reopening of an underground game, at least for the time being. I posted a small loss, but left rather content with my overall play. There were really zero opportunities for me to come out a winner based on the hands I was dealt. Luckily, I didn't fall into the trap of trying to do too much with too little. That "strategy" has cost me big in the past.

Sometimes folding is the optimum play. Even if you have to do it over and over again.

I made no sets, no straights, no flushes, nada. But still, I played my cards as well as I could have. Although it's certainly not very glamorous, using your "skill" at poker to avoid losing more than you should is a very important aspect of any good player's game. The meta-game skill of avoiding frustration is something I very much needed to work on, and last night's game was a step in the right direction.

There was another thing I noticed too. It was brought to my attention by another player actually. This other player may figure out who he is, I know he reads this. During one game this month, this otherwise very solid player showed up with every intention of drinking and having a grand old time. Very rarely did this person drink heavily during a session, perhaps only a beer or two every now and then. However on this night, as this player became more and more affected by the alcohol, his play rapidly and noticeably deteriorated.

He posted a larger loss than I'd seen him post in quite some time. I saw a little bit of me in that evening. Someone who for whatever reason threw caution to the wind and played a very sub-optimal game while drinking it up and having a good time. There's nothing wrong with having a good time while playing. Nothing at all. However, against the current crop of players who are left playing on Monday nights, it's simply not a winning strategy.

Last night, I only had a couple of beers at the table. I made a conscious effort to keep my focus up and my awareness heightened, even while out of the hands. It bordered on work. Mainly because it is. Playing well nowadays requires work. It requires a near-constant mental acuity that apparently I've not brought to the table in quite a while.

Sure, I can go on about the bad beats killing my bottom line this year. But I sure as hell also need to take some responsibility for the bad play that I've been guilty of. The environmental factors that contributed to my bad play can easily be eliminated if I choose to do it. Right now, there's no reason not to choose that option. It's almost like I lost the respect for the effort required to do well at these games. I felt somewhat entitled to a continuation of last year's winning ways.

I took an honest look back at what I thought were the differences between last year and this year. Last year I was enthralled with the game. I was enthusiastic about the strategic options each hand of poker offered. I lost that appreciation this year for the game's challenge.

Well, last night I lost the feeling of entitlement. I welcomed the work required to get back to where I was. I took that first step back up the ladder. Even though the rungs are slippery, I've traversed them before.

BadBlood on Poker - 2007-11-21

Date: Wed, Nov 21, 2007

Tonight is a rare Wednesday in which I won't have to work the following day. So I say one thing:

Mookie

That is of course if I can stay awake that long.

BadBlood on Poker - 2007-11-21

Date: Wed, Nov 21, 2007

Tonight is a rare Wednesday in which I won't have to work the following day. So I say one thing:

Mookie

That is of course if I can stay awake that long.

BadBlood on Poker - 2007-11-20

Date: Tue, Nov 20, 2007

With sixteen days to go, I've had to make a choice. Between now and Vegas, I have to avoid some of the local 1/2 home games in order to preserve my bankroll. Yes, I've been sucking that hard. At some point during an extended losing streak, too much extraneous information clouds the decision making process. After last night's horrible performance, there's really no other answer than to just take a step back for a while. What I'm doing now is very broken and simply playing my way through it is obviously not the right move.

I've been too concerned with too many poker-related issues that have nothing to do with playing the game strategy-wise. I'm using up too much energy wondering when the next game is going to be, wondering if a home game will remain viable, wondering if enough players will show up the night of a game, wondering....

I'm not focusing my resources on playing well. And has it ever shown.

In essence, I'm taking a step down in stakes. Just saying it, even typing it, is rather difficult. There is most definitely some pride involved. Swallowing it is tough, but it's a bitter pill that I must force down if I ever want to get back to my old self.

The break should at least help my enthusiasm in time for Vegas. I'm really at a loss at what else to do. I'm going to have to re-tool everything in my game. The glass case that I held it in has been shattered into a million pieces and a spot light shines on an empty pedestal that once held the talent I thought I had.

The question is was it ever there to begin with or just a mirage created by self-delusion.