The lull

I hate the lull between poker sessions. Hate it. Played our league event on the 15th, got a 2nd place in a HORSE game at my buddy Roto's, and now it looks like the next time I sit at a table, it will be the October league event. This Saturday is my only non-booked Saturday for the next month. Ugh. I think the wife and I are going to paint a bedroom that day, too. Maybe I can pull a game together for Saturday night. No game Sunday, as I have the Panthers to cover.

I had a weird dream last night, too. I dreamt I was visiting my daughter at college, and grinder Paul Wasicka was there. Wasicka, you may recall, finished 2nd to Jamie Gold in the Main Event in 2006. Wasicka seems to be a decent fella, and a helluva player--he won the NBC National Heads Up title this year. Anyway, dreamt that while visiting my daughter, Wasicka was there as a theatrical director, working for the school. We got to talking, and I invited him to a game. I won't begin to analyze what this means, because I don't know where to begin. I have a link to his blogsite on the right hand margin of this page. Cool stuff.

Looking ahead to my weekend schedules:
9-29/30-OPEN, Panthers-Tampa Bay Sunday
10-6/7 - 20 Yr. HS Reunion in Chicago, home Sunday.
10-13/14 - NASCAR race, home Sunday (possible game day)
10-20/21 - League game, open Sunday
10-27/28 - CANUSA Saturday, Panthers-Colts Sunday
11-3/4 - My birthday Saturday, Irish Jim's birthday Sunday. All bets are off!

Good luck and good cards,
~M

Has it really been 20 years?

Holy crap. 20 years ago this past June, I graduated high school. East Leyden High School in Illinois, to be more specific. A lot has changed in my life since then.

1-I became a father as a freshman in college (my daughter kicks serious ass, by the way).
2-Got started in my TV career.
3-Got engaged, broke up, back together....
4-Moved to Texas for my first TV job...
5-Moved to Raleigh for my 2nd TV job...
6-Got married...
7-Got divorced...
8-Moved to Charlotte for my 3rd TV job...
9-Got married again (for the last time, I might add)...
10-Had someone beleive in me enough to support my quest as a poker player...

And those are just the things that come to mind.

My 20 year reunion is coming up next month, and my wonderful wife told me that I should go, since I really wanted to. I hate going without her, but the money to fly 4 of us up to Chicago, basically for 1 day...I don't know. I know when we looked for the fares at the time (a couple months ago) it was cheaper. Logistically, it would have been a nightmare, considering we have both boys, I have to fly up on a Saturday (very early morning) after working late Friday night. I want her to be there with me, but it just seemed to be a lot of planning for what amounts to 36 hours away from home.

I love her so very much, and I am glad she is my life. Not in my life mind you--my life. Huge difference.

So, I fly out early morning on a Saturday, attend our homecoming game--incidentally, the first football game I will attend as a fan in that stadium....see, back in high school, I was a trumpet player in the marching band, so I went to games. I wore that uncomfortable toy soldier outfit (complete with shoe spats), so this Homecoming game will be far more enjoyable.

I am looking forward to the trip, but it will be weird being in Chicago without Tracie.

Now...a trip in the wayback machine.....

Ready?




That's my senior year--one of 3-4 pictures of me from the yearbook in which I am holding a camera. I was the photographer for the school paper (as well as a sports writer), and won an award for photography that year. Notice the "golf team" sweater--we had a meet that day. I was such a dork back then...not much has changed, I suppose.

Good luck, and good cards!
~M

September League

Didn't go quite the way I had hoped. I was unable to follow-up the win in August, but did manage a 13th place finish, good for a sprinkling of 3 points. Not a great result, for sure, but upon further review, not great playing by me either.

Had my chips up to around 4900 or so, but ran into 3 hands that spelled my demise.

Hand 1, I'm in the BB with AKoff, and all fold to the SB, who pops the pot. I shove all in hoping to drive him out, but instead, he calls and shows QQ. Yes, in a parallel universe, I hit the A or the K and win the hand, take the chips and move on. Instead, I live in an unparalleled universe--one where everyone hits their overcards against me (I know, WAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!), so I miss, he doubles through me.

Hand 2, I'm in a blind with 2 diamonds (I think 10-6), limp in, not raises, and 2 diamonds hit the flop. I push, and get called. caller has Ace high (I think--I really don't remember). Again, parallel universe, I hit the diamond. No diamond. he double through me, leaving me with about 1300. I scoop a couple small pots to work the stack north a little, and then the kill shot.

Hand 3, J9 of hearts in SB. No raise, I limp, BB checks. Flop comes 2 hearts. I check, BB bets, I shove. He tanks, and finally calls. Showing A-10. He hit a 10 on the flop, so he has TPTK. Hits a 3rd 10 on the turn, and I'm dead to any heart that doesn't pair the board. Whiff. Ballgame.

Anyway, I did try to win, I'm not embarrassed to say that. The thing I am most upset with was playing from behind. I generally get my chips in with the lead (small though it may be at times, it's still the lead). In all 3 instances shown above, I trailed. I definitely played a little bit loose--and that won't be happening again.

Anyway, next 3 Sunday's are no good for poker with my NFL commitments, so it looks like I will be searching for any kind of game when I can get one, but they will be few and far between.

Good luck and good cards,
~M

Tuesday quick hit

Have the night off from work, and no, it has nothing to do with poker. Going to be part of a panel to discuss sports in Charlotte. Media members will be in attendance and it should be a fun time.

Irish Jim sent me this shot from his camera phone. Does it not look like an old school card game? The camera phone gives it that nice dark, smoky look, like its the back room of some store. That is actually Irish Jim's basement, the ultimate in poker dens. He could shoe horn 3 tables down there and run a big tourney if he wanted to, but he is dealing with a minor health issue--it doesn't FEEL minor to him, mind you, so once he is back at 110%, I'll hound him for a 3 table tourney--heck, I'll bring the chips!

The real reason I post today, however, is because I am an American. I don't support our current President, or the idiots in our government that decided to allow the UIGEA to get attached as a rider on the Safe Ports Act of 2006 (The UIGEA is the piece of legislation that hosed online poker for the time being). I do support our men and women in uniform who have made the ultimate "all-in" move for our country. All of their chips are in the middle as they fight for our freedoms and for our country. Many have lost their final hand in the name of America, and those people should never be forgotten. And the nearly 3,000 people who died 6 years ago, simply because they worked in the World Trade Center or the Pentagon, or happened to be on United flight 93 should never be forgotten either. Something people may not realize is this--the Monday before the attacks (or the night before), the New York Giants played their season opener. Imagine all the people that worked in the towers that were late getting to work after a late night in the Meadowlands (or at their bar of choice watching the game).

I want all of our soldiers to get their chips back and come home. I want the people that forced America's hand to find themselves drawing dead--no outs in the deck to save them. One day, the world will get to the point that maniacs, like the ones sitting at this table, won't have the chance to try and draw out against what is good and right. I just hope that when we have the hammer, we have the sense enough to push with it, rather than mis-play it, and give them a chance to escape. If only the world could settle their differences over a game of no-limit hold 'em.


Keep America in your thoughts today, and always.
~M

Game On!

It's late, so just some bullet points:

1-Played at Irish Jim's on Wednesday night. Didn't money, and suffered a couple nice ridiculous beats. One time, raise with KK in mid-late, get called by 10-8 off, and a 10 on flop, and then another on turn hose me (although not crippling). Later I have 99, raise with it, get called by the AQ dude from a previous blogpost. Board has 2 Q's, a 2 and 4 (no flush draw). I shove the turn, for 125 more than the villain has. He tanks, and finally calls with AK--sound familiar? No pair, no draw to the board, just overs. You know how this movie ends.

River: K.

Ugh. I played well--got my money in ahead every time except when I was short stacked and getting ridiculous pot odds to play for all my chips. I read a nice article my buddy Vito posted at our league board about thinking long term, rather than short term. I have been guilty of that in the past, and still am to some degree, but I am trying like hell to get better at it. I thought I was better after busting at Jim's. I played well, made good decisions, and simply got unlucky. I get players to make bad decisions more often than not, and in the long run, the results will back up my play.

2-NFL SEASON IS HERE!!!!! YES! Man is it a long off-season when your team is not in the playoffs. Panthers open on the road Sunday. I will be glued to the set--High Life in hand watching the cats try to tame the Rams. Had a nice feeling about the Panthers heading into camp, but their pre-season work was a bit lackluster. We spoke to Steve Smith today (wide receiver for the visitors that don't know him), and he basically said that the pre-season was as generic as could be. He's in his 7th year, and for the first time in years, he has actually had to STUDY the play book, because it's not the same garbage that was in there from the previous Offensive Coordinator. That's friggin enlightening. The guy is amped about the season, the new OC, and his goal of going for 2,000 yards receiving this year. he sniffs that number, the Panthers are in the Superbowl. Book it.

3-With the NASCAR race set for Saturday night, GAME ON FOR SUNDAY. My best half green lighted me for it, so it looks like cards shall be in the air.

This blog is very therapeutic for me. It is a way for me to vent about bad plays by bad players, bad beats that are the result of those bad plays, and in the end, help me purge those negative vibes. I've been feeling sick most of the day because of what took place on Wednesday, replaying the hands in my mind, and in the end, I have come to this. You just can't overcome luck. You can't. All you can do is hope that Lady Luck sticks with you, and doesn't blow on some other guys dice instead.

OH--league event next Saturday. May not get the chance to go back-to-back since the wife's company outing is Saturday. Hoping we are there for much of it, because it's at an amusement park. A long day with a 7 year old and a 13 year old in a wheelchair, so I might have a chance to make it to the tourney on time, or somewhere into the 1st or 2nd level--if I go at all. Have to wait and see.

Good luck and good cards!
~M

You may have heard...

about a small school from Boone, NC, called Appalachian State, that won a college football game last weekend, against a very good team from the University of Michigan. Well, this school has become special in my life, as my daughter is a sophomore there. She was not on campus at the time of the win, but she was as geeked about it as any one could be. I was happy for her, and the school, as I also have several friends who graduated from ASU.

So, I crudely created the above artwork, as my tribute to the Mountaineers, and offer you a link from my buddy at work-one of my ASU alum buds-so you can enjoy all that went along with the App. State 34-32 victory over Michigan.

He created another blogspot page to remember this win for as long as the blog stays alive. Check it out here.

From the poker front, may try to pull a game together for Sunday, considering the Nextel Cup race runs Saturday night, so Klownboxer could be available for some cards. We shall see.

~M