Happiness is ...

Just won three straight sit-n-gos off a guy on FTP. Besides the actual winning, it was totally dominating the guy that felt good. I just knew when I could push him off a hand. I was definitely playing the player as much as my cards. Not to say I didn't get lucky here and there - one hand he slow played Kings versus my Queens but a 7-high straight on the board chopped it- but on top of that I was able to control the game with bet sizes and well-timed aggression. This was definitely one of those situations where I would have played this guy as long as he was willing because I felt I had a serious edge.

Rant: My Fellow (ignorant) Americans

Listening to NPR and reading the papers lately (something I think a large portion of the people I am about to discuss probably don't do), I have been flabbergasted. I feel like someone who's best friend has suddenly turned to me and professed that they are a card-carrying member of the Nazi party who also believes this planet was created by omnipotent insects from another dimension. I am at once and embarrassed and ashamed to have any association to this person. Someone you think you knew, who you trusted and loved turns out to be a completely irrational idiot.

It would be bad enough if this person were indeed my best friend, but even worse when it is my fellow countrymen (and women too). I mean, I know that there are a lot of Americans out there who don't share my beliefs and values, I can live with that. But deep down I want to believe that inside each American is an intelligent person who can think for themselves and look at the information out there in plain sight and make an informed decision. It appears that I am badly mistaken and in reality a large number of Americans can be easily manipulated and swayed.

The recent surge in popularity of the McCain/Palin ticket just stuns me. I cannot understand how a senator who has voted 95% with Bush can suddenly rebrand himself as an agent of change and his running mate can claim in speech after speech that she was against earmarks while supporting, then accepting, the money for the bridge to nowhere and the American people will lap it up and accept these claims while ignoring the irrefutable mountain of evidence against them.

Sadly the only explanation I can see is this: Fear of a Black man. Why else would any former Clinton supporter turn around and support McCain? These women (and men) would quite possibly relinquish their right to choice and put a women, who just months ago quipped she would accept the Vice presidential nomination as soon as someone told her what the VP did, into office because they feel the Democratic party wronged Hillary? If this isn't cutting off your nose to spite your face, I don't know what is.

And it would be one thing if these people would just come out and say "I'm just not ready for a black man as president." Then at least I would respect you for being honest. Racist, but honest. But the lengths that people will go to justify their choice?

"I look at Obama, and I have a question in my mind," she says. "Years ago, was he taken into the Muslim faith? And my concern is the only way you are no longer a Muslim is if you are dead, killed. So in my mind, he's still alive."
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94523754

I mean, this woman is just ignorant. Racist and ignorant.

What about McCain? I mean, he spent five years in a Vietnamese POW camp. a Communist POW camp. How do we know he wasn't brainwashed and is some sleeper cell? I've seen the Manchurian Candidate (the one with Sinatra) so don't tell me this can't happen.

"I look at [McCain], and I have a question in my mind," she says. "Years ago, was he [brainwashed by Communists]? And my concern is the only way you are no longer a [Communist] is if you are dead, killed. So in my mind, he's still alive."

So please, to those Americans (and you probably have no idea who you are), do your country a favor and just don't vote. Or better yet, move to Texas (or Alaska) and cecede from the nation.

Fish say the funniest things...

FullTiltPoker: $5 + $0.40 Heads Up Shootout, Table 1 - 15/30 - No Limit Hold'em
Seat 1: Fish (1,350)
Seat 2: Tmo (1,650)
Tmo posts the small blind of 15
Fish posts the big blind of 30
The button is in seat #2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Tmo [Kh 6c]
Tmo calls 15
Fish has 15 seconds left to act
Fish checks
*** FLOP *** [6d 5c Ks]
Fish checks
Tmo bets 30
Fish raises to 120
Tmo raises to 420
Fish raises to 1,320, and is all in
Tmo calls 900
Fish shows [Ts Kd]
Tmo shows [Kh 6c]
*** TURN *** [6d 5c Ks] [3c]
*** RIVER *** [6d 5c Ks 3c] [Ac]
Fish shows a pair of Kings
Tmo shows two pair, Kings and Sixes
Tmo wins the pot (2,700) with two pair, Kings and Sixes
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2,700 | Rake 0
Board: [6d 5c Ks 3c Ac]
Seat 1: Fish (big blind) showed [Ts Kd] and lost with a pair of Kings
Seat 2: Tmo (small blind) showed [Kh 6c] and won (2,700) with two pair, Kings and Sixes

Dealer: Fish finishes in 4th place
Fish: seriously ?
Fish: lol
Fish stands up
Fish (Observer): donkey
Tmo: ok
Tmo: fold 2 pr?
Fish (Observer): no wonder ur a losing player

I love this. Guy limps in, flops top pair, mediocre kicker, and calls me a donkey for calling with top two. I guess he is incredulous that I didn't take his check-raise-all-in to mean that he had slow played pocket Kings, sixes or threes.

Now I may be a losing player, but I seriously question how much of a winning player he is when he is playing $5 sit-n-gos and can't get away from top pair with a ten kicker.

Live Blog MTT

$24+2 90-man MTT on FTP.

First hand, AKo. Raise, two callers, c-bet, take it down.

20/40 blinds: T3,220

down to 410. Called min raise with 8h8d. 5 to the flop. Flop an OESFD, turn a straight. All in. Villain has AhTh.

Out in 82nd.

Bleh.

Sitting with a legend

I only had about 2 hours until we had to leave for the airport so I decided to swing by the Caesars poker room and see if I could jump into a game. The list for 3/5 NLHE only had one name so I put my name on the list. As I was waiting the brush announced that he had two seats open for a $65, 10-man sit-n-go. What the hell, I think, this shouldn't last too long so I book over to the table and draw for my seat. I draw seat number 4. As I'm walking around to my seat I pass seat 5, an older gentleman wearing a jacket with the "Oklahoma Johnny Hale" screened across the back.

Now I know it's a cliche that poker is the only sport (let's not get into that debate here) where any amateur can sit down and play with the pros, but this was truly happening. I don't know why Mr. Hale was playing a $65 buy-in game, but there he was, complete with his Best All-Around bracelet from the 1980 WSOP. For someone in his 80s, he sure played as aggressively as any young gun. Unfortunately Mr. Hale had to watch me move all in with 6c Tc vs. pocket Aces. A 6 on the flop and a second club on the turn made things interesting but I couldn't hit any of my 14 outs and I was quickly dispatched.