RIP Hedberg

Can't say I didn't see it coming, but I'll miss this guy. Dude was funny.

First Day Notes, and more NBA v NCAA

Thanks to the dozen people who IMed me today asking how my first day of joblessness was going, and my apologies for not responding to most of you. So far it doesn't really seem real. It just feels like a long weekend.

In the last 2 days I've played 7.5 hours and 1,478 hands. I lost $126.67 and cleared another $100 worth of Party Poker bonus.

I began my massive house cleaning project, watched Pulp Fiction (top 5) and Swingers (top 10 pure comedies). Hmmm, I should write about my favorite movies. I also cleaned my trumpet, with the intention of playing it tomorrow.

Here are a pair of Mike Wilbon quotes that Clint brought to my attention:

1.)
As dramatic as the tournament often is, with all the upsets and buzzer-beating shots that become part of college basketball history, the play is very often -- how do I say this? -- spotty. Games, even between the good teams, are often a matter of attrition. Tournament games have steadily declined in quality for the simple reason that there are fewer and fewer skilled players in college every year.

2.)
As for the person who is "daring" me to provide reasons the NBA playoffs are more exciting than college basketball, why would I waste my breath. You're a college fan who probably thinks he knows everything about basketball and would spit out a bunch of dumb reasons the college game is more exciting without knowing anything real about the pro game. A great many of the people who spew that junk have their own issues to deal with.

I'll say this: The college game is exciting.

The NBA Playoffs are exciting.

But don't try to convince someone who has spent 25 years covering both that the college kids are more fundamentally sound and play better defense and all this garbage.

For all the college basketball know-it-alls, ask yourself this: If a college basketball player played better defense than his pro counterpart, why wouldn't he try out, make a roster as a defensive starter, then make the average NBA salary of $3.5 million?

Because he can't. Because the college game, while exciting, isn't as good. It isn't as well played, as well-officiated, as well coached, as well anything. It's a step below.

If you don't like the pro game just have the guts to say, "I don't like it" instead of hiding behind all the codes and personal agendas. People are allowed to like and dislike whatever they want. Discerning basketball fans see the beauty of both.

Well said, Wilbon.

Good day

Personal

• Annual family Easter party in Annapolis
• Brought my girl to meet everyone (I think she still likes me)
• Good food
• Good times

Financial

• Played 4.3 hours
• Played 981 hands
• Won $124.5
• Earned $100 of Party Poker Bonus
• I'll take it.

Temporal

• Terps win. Yay?
• Watched movie: Identity (entertaining)
• 2 blog entries and some excessive template editing
• Drank 1 beer (MGD)
• Ate 6 girl scout cookies (Thin Mints)
• Watched SNL

Inspirational

• "Every man I meet is my superior in some way. In that, I learn of him." -Emerson
• "If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person's point of view and see things from that person's angle as well as from your own." - Henry Ford
• "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain - and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving" - Dale Carnegie
• All 3 of those quotes are in Dale Carnegie's classic How to Win Friends & Influence People. I highly recommend the book to everyone that ever deals with humans.

Some hands

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (10 handed) converter

Preflop: Your Favorite Chump is MP2 with 6h, 6d.
3 folds, Your Favorite Chump raises, 3 folds, SB calls, BB 3-bets, Your Favorite Chump calls, SB calls.

Flop: (9 SB) 9s, 5s, 3d (4 players)
SB bets, BB raises, Your Favorite Chump folds, SB calls.

Turn: (6.50 BB) Td (3 players)
SB checks, BB checks.

River: (6.50 BB) Th (3 players)
SB bets, BB calls.

Final Pot: 8.50 BB
Results in white below:
SB has 5h Ac (two pair, tens and fives).
BB has Kh Ah (one pair, tens).
UTG+1 doesn't show.

Argh! I hate folding the best hand. As I folded, I thought to myself, "I hope that BB doesn't have AK." Dammit.

-------

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (10 handed) converter

Preflop: Your Favorite Chump is BB with As, Kc.
2 folds, UTG+2 calls, 1 fold, MP2 raises, 4 folds, Your Favorite Chump calls, UTG+2 calls.

Sometimes I'd reraise this, but I because I'm out of position and to disguise the strength of my hand.

Flop: (6.33 SB) 5d, 4h, 7d (3 players)
Your Favorite Chump checks, UTG+2 checks, MP2 bets, Your Favorite Chump raises, UTG+2 folds, MP2 calls.

I like this flop because it isn't likely to have helped the preflop raiser, and it looks like the kind of flop that could have helped a small blind. Unless the raiser has a pocket pair, I'm probably beating him, so the checkraise to force out the big blind is a play I like a lot.

Turn: (5.16 BB) Qc (2 players)
Your Favorite Chump checks, MP2 bets, Your Favorite Chump calls.

Ew, I don't like that Queen. He probably has AQ, AJ, or KQ, so I'm afraid he might have hit, but I'm reluctant to fold. So I call like a chump.

River: (7.16 BB) 3d (2 players)
Your Favorite Chump bets, MP2 calls.

This card completes a flush and a straight draw, so I take a shot at it.

Final Pot: 9.16 BB
Results in white below:
Your Favorite Chump has As Kc (high card, ace).
MP2 has Qh Ah (one pair, queens).
Outcome: MP2 wins 9.16 BB.

Crap. Love the way I played it until the turn. The river isn't bad either. Probably should have folded on the turn though. Crap.

-----
Guess who has what, and which I am:

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (10 handed) converter

Preflop:
1 fold, UTG+1 raises, 2 folds, MPB 3-bets, MP3 calls, 2 folds, SB calls, 1 fold, UTG+1 caps, MPB calls, MP3 calls, SB calls.

Flop: (17 SB) 4s, 7c, 3d (4 players)
SB checks, UTG+1 bets, MPB raises, MP3 calls, SB calls, UTG+1 3-bets, MPB calls, MP3 calls, SB calls.

Turn: (14.50 BB) 7h (4 players)
SB checks, UTG+1 bets, MPB raises, MP3 calls, SB folds, UTG+1 calls.

River: (20.50 BB) 6d (3 players)
UTG+1 checks, MPB bets, MP3 calls, UTG+1 calls.

Final Pot: 23.50 BB

Results in white below:
UTG+1 has Kc Kd (two pair, kings and sevens).
MPB has Ah As (two pair, aces and sevens).
MP3 has Qd Qh (two pair, queens and sevens).

Outcome: MPB wins 23.50 BB.

I had the Aces. Silly.
-----

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (9 handed) converter

Preflop: Your Favorite Chump is BB with Ad, Jh.
1 fold, UTG+1 raises, 6 folds, Your Favorite Chump calls.

Flop: (4.33 SB) Qd, 7c, Ks (2 players)
Your Favorite Chump bets, UTG+1 calls.

Turn: (3.16 BB) 4d (2 players)
Your Favorite Chump bets, UTG+1 calls.

River: (5.16 BB) Th (2 players)
Your Favorite Chump bets, UTG+1 raises, Your Favorite Chump 3-bets, UTG+1 caps, Your Favorite Chump calls.

Final Pot: 13.16 BB
Results in white below:

Your Favorite Chump has Ad Jh (straight, ace high).
UTG+1 has Kd Kh (three of a kind, kings).
Outcome: Your Favorite Chump wins 13.16 BB.

I bet the flop and turn hoping that the preflop raiser had an underpair or AJ or AT, but planning to fold to a raise. Whoops!

The Exit Interview

1:51pm

I have my exit interview coming up. They had sent me a survey to fill out. I wrote this on it:

There is widespread frustration with HR practices, at least at the lower and middle levels. Either the frustration or the practices should be addressed. However this could be difficult if voicing criticism of HR is perceived as likely to be damaging to an individual's reputation.

At their request, I sent a meeting invitation to our HR leader to "discuss my responses." See any conflicts of interest with an HR person conducting an exit interview in which I mention problems with HR? After 2 days, I got no response, so I sent another email yesterday. I still had no response, so I just went up to her office to see if the 2:30 meeting time worked for her. As I approach her door, I see her bent over trying to reach something underneath her desk. She started to reach down from sitting in the chair, but couldn't reach it, so she was half off the chair with her posterior sticking up directly toward the doorway, her shirt riding up so that half of her bare back is exposed. I tap on the door, and she awkwardly pops up and looks very embarrassed as she pulls her shirt back down. She mutters something about how she thought she had replied, and makes a show of confusedly checking her computer to see if she responded. She says 2:30 works fine, come back up in an hour. What a great start to this....

2:48pm

I just got out of it. It was very friendly, and pretty anticlimactic. I gave honest feedback about situations I've been in and things that I've seen and it was received in a polite and appreciative manner. She told me she wished she could do what I'm doing, and how a friend of hers did something similiar and it was very good for him.

People talk a lot of shit about her, but I've never had a problem with her personally. She's always been nice to me and I had a lot of fun at the golf outing where I shared a cart with her for 18 holes. I told her that there is widespread dissatisfaction with HR, and that I'm sure she knows of that at least somewhat. She said it always amuses her that people think she has more power than our Risk Leader, and I acknowledged that it might be better for risk managers to be able to use HR as a scapegoat. Its easier for a manager to say "HR won't let me promote you" than "I don't think you really deserve that."

I don't know what's really going on behind the scenes, and I really don't care. People working for huge corporations are always going to have issues with something, and they want to blame everyone other than themselves. Doesn't matter whose fault it is, what matters is what you do about it. You know the rules of the game, now put up or shut up.

Intelligent Design : Science :: Weezer : Music

Funny stuff.

It frustrates me when people exert political power to discredit good science; I hate it when irrationality wins out over clear thinking; and I hate it when truth is obscured. I also recognize that it is often in an individual's best interests for these things to happen, and perhaps it is or will be in my best interests for these things to happen, especially if I believe that most people are not capable of rational behavior. Maybe its worth fighting it, maybe not.

This reminds me that I was told recently by an intelligent person that evolution is basically a bunch of crap, and that he thinks it is ridiculous that people would object to disclaimers in school textbooks that say "Evolution is just a theory; Intelligent Design and Creationism are other theories..."

Since I actually respect this guy and realized that he had an open mind and had just been presented with bad information, I talked to him about it for quite a while and recommended several books. Hopefully we'll win him over to seeing the issue more clearly. Maybe its worth fighting for, maybe not.

Bring on the bashing from the Creationists and the Weezer fans.

Safety at work

What's Shabbos?

Saturday, Donny, is Shabbos, the Jewish day of rest. That means that I don't work, I don't get in a car, I don't ride in a car, I don't pick up the phone, I don't turn on the oven, and I sure as shit DONT FUCKING ROLL! SHOMER SHABBOS!

what to do

Brainstorming about my tendency to lose early in my live mid-limit hold'em sessions and win late...

Idea: Hunt at night.

My sessions usually start in the day or early evening and go into the night. I lose during the day and win later. Late at night there are more people drinking and more people who are stuck and trying to get even, so I have an easier time beating the loose drunks than the sober daytime regulars . Also, play tends to get shorthanded, which I consider a strength of mine, so maybe avoiding the full daytime tables is another reason to try this. Staying up all night was tough when I knew I had to go back to the 9 to 5 world, but that won't apply for a while.

Idea: Know everything about everyone

The longer I play, the more I know about the players in the game. Maybe my success at the end of sessions is because I've reached a tipping point of knowing enough about everyone and being able to use that information profitably. So the idea would be to find a game where its the same faces all the time so I don't have to spend the first 6 hours paying to learn about the strangers.

Idea: Centaurian Standard Time

Will Smith: Zed, don't you guys ever get any sleep around here?

Rip Torn: The twins keep us on Centaurian time, standard thirty-seven
hour day. Give it a few months. You'll get used to it... or you'll have a
psychotic episode.

- Men In Black

If I know I have to put in 6 or 10 hours before I start to really make money, maybe I should accept it and plan for marathon sessions. I haven't played longer than 12 hours in a row very often, and it gets to be a pretty weird feeling after a while.

Idea: Tight now, Loose later

I could just get super ultra tight for the first few hours. That way I'm only entering pots with by far the best of it, and I can focus on learning people instead of playing hands. I think that my style of play is usually best when I can be slightly on the loose side, but setting that up with several hours of extreme tightness could give me a very dangerous image. It could get pretty boring, but I think I have the discipline to pull it off. This means folding AJo, KQs, and 66 in early position in an unopened pot. It means folding QJs in middle position. It means folding AQs to most raises (which I often do anyway). It means mucking KTo or 98s on the button unless I have like 4 limpers ahead of me and the blinds look passive. It means looking down at AK in the big blind when there is an UTG raise and a late 3bet and tossing big slick into the muck. I'd make Rolf Slotboom proud.

Vegas II

When I spent 8 days at the Commerce Casino last year, I got pretty burnt out on poker after the fourth or fifth day playing 12 hours of poker, so I wanted to make sure I spent some time more recreationally than playing poker at stakes I consider serious. So I set out to Vegas with the intention of the trip being part business and part pleasure, and I kept that balance.

On the pleasure side, I finally met a bunch of guys that I've played fantasy basketball, baseball and football with for a few years now. Normally I don't like people, but I genuinely liked all of them. We saw Norm MacDonald's standup act at the House of Blues, which was a lot of fun. Norm's poker comment was that he had done the Celebrity Poker Challenge recently, and that the real challenge of it is identifying the other celebrities. Not bad. At some point in his ramblings, after assuring us he's not gay, he mentioned a man's "beautiful shaven balls" and "shiny cock."

Norm.

I spent an afternoon in a packed sports book watching basketball (yes, NCAA basketball), hit some buffets, and took some time to just walk around and check things out. Vegas is a weird place. You can walk down the street with an open container of alcohol, everyone is drunk all the time, and nobody thinks anything of it. Its like frat row with more money.

I was walking past Caesar's palace in the afternoon one day and watched a guy trying to light a cigarette and take a sip of his Corona at the same time. Suddenly he stopped and said to his buddy "smell those flowers and shit, man!"

Indeed they were some lovely and fragrant blossoms. Even in Sin City, while imbibing of 2 vices at the same time and standing outside of a palace built on gambling addiction, it is important to stop and smell the flowers and shit. It is also important to take a musical journey through one unforgettable voice: Clint Holmes.



The poker results were a bit frustrating and I basically broke even. I really only played 2 serious sessions, and continuing with a pattern I established for myself at the Commerce, I lost a lot of money early in the early hours of my sessions, held steady for a few more hours, and then got it all back towards the end. I'm sure I'll write more about the poker over the next few days.

Thanks to Erm for covering my room, and to Budden for hooking up the Norm tickets. Going to work today sucked, but knowing Friday is my last day made it much more tolerable.

Other Poker Sightings

I'm bored at work (4 more days), so here are other people I've seen in casinos that are somewhat famous, and pictures of them that I took myself.



Phil Helmuth - Saw him at the Taj in Atlantic City playing some tournament. He was better at poker than everyone in the room, and everyone in the entire history of the world, but for some reason he only had 1 chip. Poor Phil.


Daniel Negreanu - Saw him at the Taj in Atlantic City playing some tournament. He was very excited to see me.


Spiderman - He was playing a $10 and $20 blind No Limit Hold'em game at the Commerce Casino. What a goofy rich bastard.


James Woods - He was playing $20-40 Limit Hold'em at the Commerce, and looking very sharp.


Bill Clinton - Now that he is retired, he's taken up poker. I took this picture while he was in a $50-100 Limit Hold'em game at the Taj. His opponent had just raised on the river when the board paired. Not surprisingly, Bubba couldn't lay down his flopped nut flush, and he was only a little disappointed to see Queens full of Kings.


Anna Kournikova - Another retiree who couldn't resist the lure of the felt. After posing for this picture, she told me she likes playing Stud Hi-Lo for the split pot action.


Gandhi - He's a regular in the mid-limit hold'em games at the Mirage in Vegas. I took this after my AsKs beat his Ah8c on a [Ad Kc 3s] [5s] [8s] board. He told me I was a "lucky little fucker," then threw his cards at the dealer, then took off his shirt and stood on his chair berating me. He tips the cocktail waitresses $10 after every double bourbon he orders though, so they put up with his antics.

Vegas I

More on the trip later...


Poker Celeb Sightings:


Doyle Brunson - He was rolling through the Bellagio on his scooter, wearing a cowboy hat.


Phil Ivey - He was sitting in the big game at Bellagio.


Jennifer Harmon - She was also sitting in the big game at Bellagio.


Non-Poker Celeb Sightings:


Norm MacDonald - Saw his standup act Friday night. "I blew a dog for some bathtub gin."



Tommy Lee - He was strutting around the Mirage with a posse of freaks like him. I took this picture myself.

Vegas Baby! Vegas!

Is it possible to go to Las Vegas without referencing Swingers at least once?

I leave tomorrow, come back late Sunday, hopefully with a fistful of cash and a few good stories to write about.

Staying here. Silly.

Hungry?

I think I figured out how to post pictures. If I was successful, my choice of picture will be somewhat ironic. If I was unsuccessful, my choice of picture will be accurate, but you won't know that cause you won't be able to see it. And I'll be an idiot.



I'm going to Chipotle before I go Wizards-Lakers game tonight (with great seats, thanks to the Wolfe).

NBA v NCAA part 2

Continuing my thoughts about why I prefer the NBA to NCAA basketball, I want to address the common criticism, "NBA players don't play hard," and ways that it is true and false, and why the parts that are true don't bother me. Before I get to that though, another quick point about NBA culture.

Basketball players are much more visible to their audience than other sports. They aren't covered in pads and helmets like football players, and the fans and cameras are closer to them than baseball players. There are fewer player on the team, and fewer on the court at any given time, so the superstars are much more recognizable. You can see their bare arms and bare legs, and you know their faces. So if not being able to relate to young black men is going to turn you off to a game, basketball has a natural disadvantage, because the individuals are more visible, and this helps form a stronger and more identifiable culture.

It might be a lot easier for a casual fan to focus on only the game in other sports, without being distracted by Allen Iverson's tattoos, Ben Wallace's afro, Chris Anderson's hairdo, Doug Christie's wife, Scott Pollard's hideous visage, or Dirk Nowitzki's fascinating facial hair.

Now to the main issue.

It basically boils down to: the NBA season is really really long, so you have to know how to pace yourself. The teams that play in the NBA finals basically play the equivalent of an entire college basketball season in the playoffs alone. There is more intensity in every game of the college season because almost nobody can go that hard for 82 games and still be ready for the playoffs. But the intensity of NBA playoff basketball is every bit as good as any other sport.

So if what you care about is intensity in your sporting experience, the average college basketball season game might be better than your average NBA regular season game. But there are exceptions. Part of AI's popularity is because he's one of the smallest guys in the league but he play his heart out every night. His 6'0" 170lb body gets pounded guys 9 inches taller and 100 pounds heavier every game, and he keeps on coming. Ron Artest is the most feared defender in the NBA and a talented offensive player because he's so completely insane that he doesn't know how to give anything other than all he has. There are lots of players that you can count on to consistently give you a high level effort. And its fun to make fun of the players who never try at all.

Given the schedule, you have to make some trade-offs. Everyone knows that Shaq likes to take a few "injury" vacations during the regular season. After 12 years in the league, he knows his body well enjoy to figure out what he needs to do to be ready for a playoff run. Anytime you face a trade-off, the way you solve the problem is strategy. At the individual level, Shaq has a strategy.

You need strategy in the NBA, the game within the game played by the front office. You have to figure out how to have Shaq ready for the playoffs, and if you'd rather sacrifice a top seed for it. You have to figure out if its worth it to bring Alonzo Mourning in to back him up, and how much to play Zo in the meantime. You have to figure out who you want on the floor in the closing minutes of a playoff game, and that means sometimes you might want to risk losing a regular season game to test which players can take the heat later.

You have to figure out if a one-legged Chris Webber with a horrible monster contract is worth 3 role players with smaller contracts, and the implications for this year and for the future. You have to figure out if you want to trade for Antoine Walker less than 2 years after you ran him out of town, and you have to figure out if you want to pick up Gary Payton again.

I love Mark Cuban because he had a business strategy that made sense and a basketball strategy that may or may not make sense. He saw that the consumers (fans) of his product (Mavs basketball) enjoy a fast-paced offensively explosive team, so they invested in players that brought that kind of basketball to Dallas. After a few years of contending, but not reaching the championship level, they've had to make a few more strategic choices. They decided that defense was important after all, so they didn't pay aging defensive liability Steve Nash, brought in legit post presence Eric Dampier and gave that a shot. I don't know if it will work or not, but the games are fun to watch and its fascinating to see how the strategy will pay off.

You just don't need strategy in college ball. You have do have tactics, the gameplan. But mostly you just send the players out there twice a week to run the offense and play as hard as they can. 19 year olds don't run out of gas playing 32 minutes twice a week, and if your team isn't going to make the tournament, you can't trade your senior point guard to a contender for a freshman small forward and a letter of intent from a prized recruit big man. To be fair, there is some element of strategy in college recruiting, but I've always been turned off by recruiting. That's just me. But there is infinitely more strategy in building a pro team than in building a college team.

And then you get to one of my favorite part of the NBA - the playoff series. In a 7 game series, pro coaches get to play mind games that college coaches can't do. Bill Simmons is dead on when he blasts Rick Adleman (Sacramento) or Don Nelson (Dallas) for hilariously awful strategic coaching decisions.

A million years ago, when I loved baseball, I loved the format of the 3 or 4 game regular season series, and the 7 game playoff series. It is fun to see the adjustments managers make within games and between games. I can still almost enjoy the baseball playoffs because I love the strategy and can still appreciate the game.

If you are running an NBA team, you're playing a big poker game with basketball players instead of cards. NCAA basketball is more like a game of war: high card wins. (To be a bit more fair, and to use a more geeky poker analogy - the NBA is like a poker tournament where everyone starts with lots of chips and the blinds are small. It gives you the opportunity for lots of skillful postflop play, multiway pots, pushing someone off a draw, feeler bets, and all the other nuances that a skillful player loves. NCAA is more like the all-in crapshoot of a tournament where the blinds go up way too fast. There is some skill in reading hands, but mostly you just push in all you got and pray that it works out. And that can be fun and exhilarating, and if that's your thing, good for you.) College ball is a street fight - its all heart and little bit of muscle. NBA is like a title fight between two savvy heavyweight prize fighters, the sweet science. It is as much a chess match as it is a fistfight.

I love strategy. Thats why I loved game theory classes in college. That's why I love poker. I love the NBA because I get the strategy and basketball together.

I tried a new thing yesterday

I never started drinking coffee cause I didn't want to get addicted to caffeine, and I much prefer cold beverages to hot ones. I don't think I've ever had more than a sip of coffee in my life, although about 6 months ago I drank one of those bottled half-milk, half-coffee drinks from Starbucks that are served cold. But yesterday, for the first time in my life, I bought and drank a cup of hot coffee. I got some kind of caramel and whipped cream concoction from Caribu Coffee. It was pretty good.

NBA vs NCAA Basketball: A raging rant

Standing there in Atlanta, watching Maryland win the 2002 NCAA title was probably the greatest moment of my life. I'm not kidding. Juan was that kid who was always bumming change in our high school cafeteria, whose parents died of AIDS, and who couldn't get into Maryland because the SAT board invalidated his test score. Watching him overcome everything, put that team on his back and carry them to a championship on pure will was everything that has ever been great about sports. I cannot describe the emotion.

When I tell people that I love the NBA and prefer it to college basketball, most of them look at me like I'm insane. Bashing the NBA has been trendy for years now. "They are all criminals" or "it is all boring one on one moves" or "nobody cares because they're too rich" are the standard criticisms. People spit them out without even thinking about what they are saying.

A point I'll concede is that there is more emotion in a typical college game than in a typical NBA game, and if you watch sports for the emotion, than NCAA basketball is a good product for you. But that's not why I watch. I don't need to live vicariously through some 20 year old college kid, because I already did that it when I was in college, and it was great. But thats over now.

I watch now because I love basketball. The NBA features the world's greatest athletes playing my favorite game at the highest level. This is the best basketball there is.

Ron Artest attacking fans, rampant marijuana use, Atlanta Hawk, Donald Sterling, Latrell Sprewell. Does the NBA have problems? Absolutely, but they are no worse or better than any other major sport. Don't forget the massive hypocrisy of the NCAA: "student-athletes" generating massive revenues and never graduating, recruiting scandals, John Chaney's goon squad, boosters slipping kids cash, that drunken coach partying with coeds from another school, and all the other bullshit. The NBA and the NCAA both have problems. I don't mind the problems; I mind people who point out the other side's problems without acknowledging their own.

Are they a bunch of spoiled jackasses looking out only for themselves? There are lots of players like that, but there are some that aren't. Look at last year's champs, the Detroit Pistons. They played TEAM ball, and even took uber-jackass Rasheed Wallace and made him into a team player. And we all live and work in a world full of jackasses, and they are there in college ball too.

Maybe you can't relate to thugs or spoiled assholes like AI, C-Webb, T-Mac, The Big Aristotle, Melo, or King James. I'm a white guy from the suburbs, I can't relate to them either. But I can relate to a perfect bounce pass, splitting a double-team, and the pick-and-roll. I'm not watching to make a new friend, or to have a new role model, I want to see the best ballers in the world. And I'm not going to sit and judge someone based on how the media portrays them and fragmented information. I just want to see a sweet jumper.

NCAA and NBA both have good things and bad things about them. Decide for yourself how they stack up, but to me I choose the best basketball and put everything else aside. People that understand basketball, that love basketball, they appreciate the NBA game. They might prefer college for the emotion, for the tradition, for the different type of game you find there. They might dislike the way huge guaranteed contracts change a person, or the way free agency destroys team loyalty. But if you try to say that the NBA is inferior BASKETBALL, then you just don't get it. And that's fine.

If you love college basketball and its raw emotion, more power to you. I've loved it too. If you hate the NBA, its rich crybabies, Stephen A. Smith, and the vastly superior talent, keep on hating, but you're missing on some fun.

Just don't give me shit for loving it. Don't try to convince me I'm wrong. Don't rant on and on about why the NBA sucks. The more you act like your subjective preference is right and mine is wrong, the less I care about what you think.

Rock over London. Rock on Chicago. The NBA: I love this game.

my day off

I took the day off from work today, to use up a "personal business day," which unlike vacation days, I won't get paid out for when I leave. So I'll be attending to as much personal business as possible between now and March 25. Of note:

• I looked at the pokertracker stats, and I still got nothing I can use. Using January 1 as my good/bad cutoff, I'm going to showdown less often after seeing a flop (35.6% v 39.5%) and winning fewer showdowns (53.6% v 58.5%), which tells me yet again that I'm just not getting the cards. I wish I could find some stat that points out a hole I could plug and magically bring the winning back, but its just not there. I have to bear down and keep playing well, and the chips will start flowing my way again. Blah blah blah.
• I'm leaving for Vegas next Wednesday. I'll be out there for the 1st weekend of March Madness. Should be fun. I think this trip might be considered "personal business."
• I set up my silly new tracking spreadsheet today, and did some more projections. I've got 6 months worth of anticipated expenses plus a decent buffer tucked away safely in the bank (earning 2.6% with ING Direct's Orange Savings account, SILLY!), leaving me with a working bankroll of about $9,000. Not bad. I'd need to play four $3/6 tables for about 80 hours per month at my average winrate to meet my anticipated monthly expenses (assuming 35% income tax on my winnings). I'll probably try to play 20 hours of that per week, and another 5 to 10 hours of other games (shorthanded, NL, tournaments, etc).
• Today was the most profitable day of poker I've had since December 29. I played less than 3 hours. I started a new experiment called "Remember the latenight shorthanded stupids" which is off to a fine start.
• I had to take my car to the emissions testing place today. I was 6 days past my due date so I had to pay a $15 late fee. After they were done, the guy handed me a piece of paper and said "You're done.... you passed!" His tone was congratulatory. I wasn't really sweating the outcome, but I guess it was a big deal for him.
• Rakeback could be a valuable secondary poker income stream. Lots of online poker sites offer affiliate programs, some of those affiliates are paid monthly based on the rake (the fee the poker site takes out of every pot) each of their referrals generates. Some of those affiliates offer a percentage of that referral fee back to their players. I think I could clear a few hundred per month from that if I can set it up, but its hard to find the right situation. I want to keep playing at Party, and there are several other sites (Empire, PokerNOW, Coral/Eurobet) that play on the same server and with the same players as Party. But none of them let you deposit using Firepay. They use Neteller, which for some reason refuses business to anyone in Maryland, and several European payment services that I'm not sure I want to use. So unless I move, I have to find another way to deposit funds to one of those sites. I don't want to have to go to the bank or Western Union to send money, so my only other decent option is using a credit card, but MasterCard doesn't allow purchases at eGaming sites. Visa does, so I filled out a Visa application today. Its everywhere I want to be.
• Seeing the decent business these affiliates have going is making me wonder if I could make anything off cheap referral commissions for various products and services I use: poker sites, PokerTracker, ING Direct (let me know if you're interested, 2.6% savings!!!), Afrin, escort services, etc. I could put up some ads on this blog. With my 6 visitors per day I can't quite charge Superbowl prices. Erm suggested I file for unemployment. I suck.
• You might not believe this, but I read back over this post and removed several usages of parentheses.
• Adspar: parentheses :: Weezer : bad music

Curious George looks deeply at a hand

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (9 handed)
Preflop: Curious George is SB with 8c, 8d. CO posts a blind of $3. 2 folds, MP1 calls, 2 folds, CO (poster) checks, 1 fold, Curious George completes, BB checks.

My options here were calling or raising. So far only 1 person has voluntarily put money into the pot, and he limped, so there probably aren't any big hands out there. But 1 more bet to everyone probably won't drive anyone out except maybe the big blind, so I think calling is ok. This way I get out cheap if there are a lot of overcards, but I have potential for a deceptively strong hand. Long run, I don't think the call/raise decision matters much here.

Flop: (4 SB) 9s, 2h, 3s (4 players) Curious George bets.

While any of my 3 opponents could have a 9, there is a pretty good chance that I have the best hand right now. I'm first to act on this flop, so my decision is check or bet. Again, I think this is close.

If I check, it is with the intention of check-raising unless I see a good reason not to. Since this flop isn't likely to have helped anyone, the early position players are likely to check, but one of the later players will often throw in a bluff to try to steal the pot uncontested. This lets me checkraise and blast out anyone in between with forcing them to call a double-bet, or possibly take down the pot right there.

The downside of betting out is that a lot of these players are likely to "take a card off" here with almost any holding, and even though I'm a favorite over a lot of their likely holdings, my hand is definitely vulnerable to overcards, and I'm in bad position. So if I bet and get a caller or two, I don't get any information, and I won't know what to do with most turn cards.

However, I decided to bet out. Even though going for a checkraise was tempting, I didn't want to risk everyone checking around and giving all 3 of them a free card. Even if that free card didn't help them, I'd have a tough decision on the turn, and might have to check again and risk giving another free card. By betting out I put immediate pressure on them, and can gain information.

Flop: (4 SB) 9s, 2h, 3s (4 players) Curious George bets, BB folds, MP1 raises, CO folds, Curious George calls.

Someone raises and everyone has folded back to me. I have 3 options now, but I'm only thinking about a call or a reraise. I made a note earlier in the session that my opponent (who I'll call Daunte, since his screen name referred to the Viking's QB) check/called a King high flop that contained a flush draw with KTo, and then bet out on the turn with his top pair when the flush card didn't hit. This tells me that Daunte is a bit tricky and would be very capable of raising this hand with lots of hands I can beat, so I never considered folding. I conclude he likely has 2 overcards (but not AK, KQ, AQ which he would likely have raised) or maybe a pocket pair lower than mine (but not a set, which he'd likely slowplay). A2, A3, A4 are also possibilities.

If I 3bet, he'd almost certainly call 1 more small bet, which would create a pot big enough that he'd likely call a turn bet even if he didn't improve. Thinking that I'd prefer to avoid a river, I decided to just call Daunte's raise and see what the turn brought.


Turn: (4 BB) Kh (2 players)Curious George bets, MP1 folds.
Final Pot: 5 BB
Results below: No showdown. Curious George wins 5 BB.

While the overcard on the turn was scary, I decided to bet out. It was a combination of factors that led to the decision, but my biggest thought was the classic advice: "if you would call a bet anyway, you might as well bet yourself." While that concept applies mainly to the river, a simpler adage sealed the deal for me: "when in doubt, bet!" Daunte recognizes a tricky play when he sees it, and this is similar to the move I had seen him make. So I figured my betting out here would be a disorienting play after I had just called the flop raise, and it would put pressure on my opponent again. It did. He folded. I won.

I was pretty happy with myself at first, and made a note of this hand, but then I started to wonder about my play. If my opponent had 2 overcards, which was my primary read, I did an excellent job of recognizing his tricky flop raise for what it was, and then seizing back the momentum on the turn in spite of a threatening card for my hand. I took down a small pot before he had a chance to catch me.

But on the other hand, what if he had 66 or 77? If I had checked the turn, he probably would bet, and might bet again on the river if I checked to him, getting me one or 2 more big bets out of him. He might even keep betting with just the overcards even if he didn't hit the river. Maybe I cost myself here.

Writing up this analysis, I notice that I had very close decisions preflop, on the flop, and on the turn. If those decisions were truly close to even in terms of EV (expected value), then long run they don't particularly matter, and there isn't much point scrutinizing them.

But on the other hand, something about my play here leads me to something I'd like to investigate further. I played this hand very conservatively. While it looks aggressive and maybe even reckless, my bet out on the turn gives me a chance to fold if he raises, or take the pot down without a river card. Checking here would be risky.

I'm mired in a tough losing streak (good time to quit your job, Rockefeller) and now that I think about it, it feels like I haven't been seeing as many showdowns as I used to, and I've noticed that my [%ShowdownsWon] has looked rather high lately. I need to look back at my pokertracker stats and see if this is a hole in my game.

If I'm winning a higher percentage of showdowns, it means I'm playing more conservatively. This could have 2 related negative effects on my win rate - 1) if I'm folding the best hand even 1/6th of the time it is costing me money since pots are usually at least 7BBs, and 2.) if my opponents see that I'm not willing to take marginal hands to the river, they could pounce on this weakness and play more aggressively against me.

I'll do the research on this soon, but now I gotta go play basketball.

To do:

Brainstorming about things I want to do in my unemployment:

• Design a new excel tracking sheet for poker that will be more useful for my new situation. Specifically I want to easily see weekly trends, and come up with a clear design to support my cash-out plan, which leads to my next point...
  
• ...Design a cash-out plan. If poker is my only source of income for a while, I need to perfect my plan for what money is bankroll and what isn't. I don't necessarily need to completely avoid mingling the funds as long as I keep track somehow of how to allocate wins and losses and expenses. Hopefully there will be wins.
  
• Create a resume and post it on Monster and other such places.
  
• Set a poker goal ($x,xxx by mm/dd/yyyy) that if I reach it, I buy a silly multiple monitor system like this. If anyone has set up one of these and can help me with it, let me know. I'd hate to spend a crapload on the monitors and graphics card and then find out my computer isn't compatible or something. I drool about nerdy stuff like this, but I have no idea how it works. I'm a wannabe tech geek. This is an investment though, since I could expand to playing up to 8 tables at a time.
  
• Domestic whatnot. I need to give my house a big brutal cleaning. I'm not good at continual upkeep, so I'll have to do a thorough cleansing occasionally. There are a dozen little things that need to be fixed around the house. I'm not handy at all, but I should be able to figure out most of them.
  
• Establish workout habits. I had been running every other day for several months, but stopped when it got cold. I was fine with stopping because I had basketball or soccer 3 nights a week. Basketball is almost over, and I'll have plenty of time, so I might as well do something daily.
  
• Establish a daily routine that gives reasonable time to: poker, job/career pursuit, exercise, reading, socialization, pillaging small coastal villages, and other leisure.
  
• Figure out my food plans. I had been spending $10/day commuting and about $8/day on lunches, so I should save a lot by cutting those out. I figure I'll eat most of my meals at home, so I'll need fresh groceries more often. I suspect I'll be eating a lot of sandwiches and hot pockets.
• Make sure I don't become a total hermit. Can't you just picture me disappearing into my weird isolated online poker world, emerging at sporadic intervals, sometimes months apart, wide-eyed and unshorn? I'd become some kind of urban myth, a cautionary tale about the dangers of never leaving your house. (This is going to be awesome.)
• Start to give school a serious look. What are my different academic options? Fall 2006 would be the earliest realistic target to start any full-time program.
• Start watching more NBA games. Abandon hope of ever getting back into baseball. Continue to care less and less about college basketball. Await NFL season with enthusiasm disproportionate to my actual enjoyment of the NFL. Await NFL fantasy drafts with enthusiasm disproportionate to my actual enjoyment of fantasy football. Continue to not care at all about college football. Revel in the success of my plan to destroy the NHL. Watch more UFC. Become an ultimate fighter. Live through my first fight, barely. Retire from ultimate fighting. Spend 3 months in hospital. While in hospital, watch lots of NBA games.
• Listen to the Junkies again. Ever since 99.1 WHFS abruptly switched to Spanish programming (which was seriously traumatic - how can the HFStival be dead??), I've been deprived of the show that revived my enthusiasm for talk radio. I haven't been able to listen to them during their 10am-1pm slot on 106.7 WJFK because I can't get reception at work. Problem solved. SILLY!
• Oh, and I need to hook up some kind of rakeback deal for online play. More on this when I figure it out.
  

My new farewell line

Go now and die in what way seems best to you.
- Denethor

The deranged Steward of Gondor says that to Pippin just before he sets himself on fire in Return of the King. I'm going to start saying that to everyone around the office when I'm ready to end a conversation. I think that will really make people like me.

Meanwhile, back at the tables...

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (10 handed) converter

Preflop: Handsome Champion is UTG+2 with 7h, 7s.
2 folds, Handsome Champion raises, 4 folds, Button calls, 2 folds.

Flop: (5.33 SB) 5h, 2c, Jc (2 players)
Handsome Champion bets, Button raises, Handsome Champion calls.

Turn: (4.66 BB) Qd (2 players)
Handsome Champion bets, Button calls.

River: (6.66 BB) 6d (2 players)
Handsome Champion checks, Button checks.

Final Pot: 6.66 BB

Results:
Handsome Champion has 7h 7s (one pair, sevens).
Button has 9d Jh (one pair, jacks).
Outcome: Button wins 6.66 BB.

Thoughts: I'll almost always bet out on this flop. All he's done so far is coldcall the raise from the button, so who knows what he has. When he raises, he is representing a pair of Jacks, but he could have a flush draw or some other weird hand. I refuse to let this go for one flop raise, but I doubt I'd get much information from 3betting the flop, so I just call. The turn bet is what makes this hand interesting. I still don't know where I am, so if I checked and he bet, I still don't think it would be right to fold, but then I still wouldn't know what to do on the river if I don't hit the miracle 7. So I like betting out here - if he was on a draw from the flop, I don't let him take a free card, but if he had a pair of Jacks, the Queen is a scare card for him, so he won't raise. If he had raised, I can easily fold. The weird turn bet scared him enough not to bet when I check the river, so I got a free showdown, and laughed on the inside when I saw he coldcalled my preflop raise with J9o.


Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (9 handed) converter

Preflop: Handsome Champion is SB with 4c, 4d.
1 fold, UTG+1 calls, 2 folds, MP3 calls, CO calls, Button calls, Handsome Champion completes, BB checks.

Flop: (6 SB) 7c, 2d, 3d (6 players)
Handsome Champion checks, BB checks, UTG+1 checks, MP3 checks, CO checks, Button bets, Handsome Champion raises, BB folds, UTG+1 folds, MP3 folds, CO folds, Button calls.

Turn: (5 BB) Jd (2 players)
Handsome Champion bets, Button raises, Handsome Champion folds.

Final Pot: 8 BB

Thoughts: On the flop I think there's a good chance I have the best hand, but I can't bet out into 5 other players, so I check to see what happens. Given the preflop and flop action, the button's bet could easily be with a hand that I can beat, so I check-raise and blast everyone else out. I can't check the turn and let a worse hand hit a better pair or complete the diamonds, and it makes it easy to fold to a raise.


Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (10 handed) converter

Preflop: Handsome Champion is UTG with Qc, Qh.
Handsome Champion raises, UTG+1 calls, 2 folds, MP3 calls, 3 folds, BB 3-bets, Handsome Champion caps, UTG+1 calls, MP3 calls, BB calls.

Flop: (16.33 SB) 9d, 8h, 4c (5 players)
BB checks, Handsome Champion bets, UTG+1 raises, MP3 calls, BB 3-bets, Handsome Champion folds, UTG+1 caps, MP3 calls, BB calls.

Turn: (14.66 BB) 9h (4 players)
BB checks, UTG+1 bets, MP3 calls, BB calls.

River: (17.66 BB) 5h (4 players)
BB checks, UTG+1 bets, MP3 calls, BB calls.

Final Pot: 20.66 BB

Results:
BB has Js Jd (two pair, jacks and nines).
UTG+1 has Ts 9s (three of a kind, nines).
MP2 doesn't show.
MP3 has 4h 5d (two pair, nines and fives).
Outcome: UTG+1 wins 20.66 BB.

Thoughts: This is some kind of weird reverse bad-beat. I made the wrong play (folding the best hand on the flop in a huge pot) but got lucky when some idiot hit three of a kind. Wow these players are crazy.



Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (9 handed) converter

Preflop: Handsome Champion is MP2 with Jc, Ah.
UTG calls, 2 folds, Handsome Champion raises, 1 fold, CO 3-bets, 3 folds, UTG folds, Handsome Champion calls.

Flop: (8.33 SB) Jd, 8c, 7h (2 players)
Handsome Champion checks, CO bets, Handsome Champion calls.

Turn: (5.16 BB) 2d (2 players)
Handsome Champion checks, CO bets, Handsome Champion calls.

River: (7.16 BB) Th (2 players)
Handsome Champion bets, CO raises, Handsome Champion calls.

Final Pot: 11.16 BB

Results:
Handsome Champion has Jc Ah (one pair, jacks).
CO has 9c 9s (straight, jack high).
Outcome: CO wins 11.16 BB.

Thoughts: I think my play is good until the river. On the river I should only make that bet if I'm willing to fold to the raise. If I'm not willing, I have to check/call. I made the bet planning to fold to a raise, but then I talked myself out of it. Poor.

Response from coworkers

I sent the text from my Genius/Stupidity entry to a bunch of people I work with, or used to work with. I told them I put together an FAQ for them. Here are some of their replies:

• You're crazy...LOL :)
  
• You're awesome
  sao tao and principe?
  
• The move makes sense. That everyone here is shocked by it should just reinforce that this isn't the place for you. Noone thinks anyone would leave here for any other reason than "the grass is greener." Its hard to explain that grass tastes like crap.
  
• Wow...that's pretty deep. I think you should just tell people that you're quitting to become a professional poker player. That sounds pretty cool.
  
• That's a good idea. It definitely answers all of my questions. You should send it to [the HR leader] in lieu of an exit interview.
  
• I heard the news. I thought you were going to Capital Source.
  Most people who left in the recent years move to the various companies listed below for a pay increase, but not for a career change. I admire you for taking the leap of faith in trying to find what you want to do. People who take that leap will usually find the greatest reward, their own personal sanity and perhaps a handsome $ or two.
  Good luck to you and keep in touch.
  Remember when in doubt.......double down.
  
• That right there my friend is awesome, answered any question I might have had for you.
  That's genius
  
• I love that!!
  i think you should put it on a t-shirt though and wear it around the office. maybe something a little more concise, like "I'm not going to CapitalSource or CIT"
  
• You are an exceptionally smart young man. I am serious. I truly believe you know what you are doing. Wishing you all the best!!!
  
• You might be my hero. I wish I had the balls (or at least some mad bow staff skills).
• Damn, you just up and quit, eh? How utterly glorious that is! I respect your cojones for that, Adam; it's a bold step. Moreover, you will get to play poker and earn money, now who can beat that! I wish I could help you find something here, because you were a great worker and a cool cat - but this job sucks and is so boring, so you will be in better shape than I soon. :) Don't lose my e-mail address, so that you can keep me posted when you want to hire my lazy a$$.
• You are the wind beneath my wings . . .
  I wish you nothing but the best and if you ever need anything let me know!
• Adam, good for you. I wish you much luck. You have already made the tough decision. The rest, while not easy, will depend totally on you which I agree is a lot better than working for GE.
  

I should also mention that my boss was very cool about this. He told me I had been kicking ass for him and he is sorry to see me go, but he respects my decision and offered to write me a recommendation if I ever need one.

I've worked with a lot of cool people, and although I'm not the most sentimental person, I'll miss a lot of them. Maybe I should send the same email to a bunch of the people I won't miss to see what kind of response I get from them....

• You are an idiot...LOL :) Seriously, you are retarded.
  
• WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU? Only a complete fucking moron would quit a job before they have another one. I hope you have to move back in with your parents and work at Taco Bell, you dumb piece of shit.
  
• You seem to be "chasing a dream" or something like that. Didn't you go to the lunch-and-learn about forgetting your dreams? GE employees should have dreams about making the numbers and knowing every obscure acronym on every pitch, so maybe it is best that you are leaving. I think you need a refresher course on how to write your G&Os. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go stomp on my buddy's head while kissing up to my boss, since that might get me a raise and/or promotion (but not both, and not within 2 years of my last one) much quicker than if I just worked hard and looked out for my team.
  
• You're going to Capital Source aren't you...
  

I don't usually watch the news

This unedited IM conversation says it all. This is why I stopped watching the news. I hate everyone.

Sparks says: i'm watching a news report
Sparks says: about police that use psychics
Sparks says: to help solve cases
Sparks says: WE HAVE POLICE THAT USE PYSCHICS
Sparks says: WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THIS COUNTRY
SUP ERHUT: AHAHAH
SUP ERHUT: ARE YOU FUCKN SERIOUS
SUP ERHUT: THAT'S LIKE AN EPISODE OF SOUTH PARK
SUP ERHUT: WHERE THEY USE CARTMAN
Sparks says: "look in a wooded area"
Sparks says: "between two churches"
Sparks says: "a hat is somehow involved"
Sparks says: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAA
SUP ERHUT: goddamn
SUP ERHUT: PSYCHICS
Sparks says: "unlike the character on [some tv show], [this REAL psychic] is not haunted by ghosts"
SUP ERHUT: wow
SUP ERHUT: REAL PSYCHICH
Sparks says: "during the sniper shootings, one of these psychics called our show and said 'i see 2 dark men laughing' "
SUP ERHUT: oh my god
Sparks says: EVERYONE IN THE WORLD IS FUCKING RETARDED
SUP ERHUT: i want to stab my eyes out

The fine line between genius and stupidity

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.

- Theodore Roosevelt*

Today I notified my boss that I intend to resign. I started with GE in August of 2002, and March 25, 2005 will be my last day.

Here is every conversation I had today:

So where are you going?

I don't know.

Oh I see, you're playing it cool? Come on is it Capital Source? Merrill? CIT?

No, seriously, I don't know.

You are quitting and you don't know what you are going to do?

Yup.

You don't have another job?

Nope.

Then why are you quitting?

I know that this job isn't right for me. I can't really look around and see anything here I'd like to be doing in 5 years. I figure I should get out now while I'm young and can afford to take some risks.

Why don't you look for a new job while you work here?

I've tried that the last few months, and its just too hard for me to work all day and then drive an hour home and spend more time looking for jobs. I think as long as I have this, I'd be lazy about my job search. This way I force myself to make something happen.

Wow. Are you my hero or do I hate you?

Some of both probably.

You really are just quitting?

Yes.

Are you insane?

Pretty much.

So what do you think you want to do?

I'm not sure, but this should give me some time to figure it out. I know I'd like to find something where I can use some creativity. I know that if I want to be in the business world, ideally I'd want to run my own business, but I'd at least want to work for a much smaller company so I can really jump in and make a big difference. I have a business idea that I'd like to tinker with, and I think a lot of what I've learned at GE could really help me have an impact at a smaller company. I'll also give serious consideration to going back to school.

Oh, so which business schools are you considering?

No, not business school.

Oh, law school?

No, probably not law school either.

Umm....?

I'd think about going to get a Ph.D. An academic career has always intrigued me - teaching, research, writing. In fact I was accepted to an economics Ph.D. program at Johns Hopkins and almost went there after college. If I did that now, I know I wouldn't want to study economics. There is a newly developing field of study called Evolutionary Psychology that interests me a great deal. I've been reading a lot about it lately, and plan to investigate options for further study.

This is all a joke right?

No, sorry.

Seriously?

Yes.

You're going to CIT aren't you?

No.

What about money? How can you afford this?

Well I think I can last 3 months, maybe 6 if I live light, with no more income. I have some savings and a roommate, so I should be alright. Additionally, I've been fairly successful with online poker, and I think there's a good chance I could cover my mortgage and bills playing for maybe 20 hours per week.

So you are leaving a job at GE to go play poker professionally?

I don't look at it that way. I'm leaving my job at GE because I don't like it. In my free time I plan to play some poker, and hopefully it will help me pay the bills until I figure out something else.

Bullshit! You are quitting your job to play poker!

Maybe a little.

Is that quote at the beginning for real? Are you actually trying to glorify the fact that you are about to be an unemployed hobo?

Yeah, its pathetic.


Thats all for now. Much more to come I'm sure.

* I slightly misquoted Teddy originally. I believe this version is correct now. Source.

Is Jeff upset by this?

Randy Moss got traded. Good move by Minnesota. The Vikings underacheive every year with Moss, so they might as well trade the clown and try something else out. I support any team shipping a jerk out of town.

This guy says the trade hurts the fantasy value of the Vikings running backs, but I disagree. While I understand that the presence of an elite receiver opens up the running game, they still have respectable receiving options in Robinson and Burleson, and a very good quarterback. The Vikings have 4 RBs who have had some fantasy significance in the last 2 seasons (Onterrio Smith, Michael Bennet, Mewelde Moore, Moe Williams) and I can't give all the credit for their success to Randy Moss. They have a lot of talented backs. Some of those guys will get more touches and have more opportunity to succeed, especially if they deal someone from the crowded backfield. Let us not forget the presence of excellent blocking TE/FB Jimmy KLEINSASSER, clearing holes for my dynasty league RBs.

The Big Game

I dreamed this hand last night. I'm weird.

For some reason I was sitting in the "Big Game," playing $4,000 - $8,000 with Doyle Brunson, Chip Reese, Daniel Negreanu, Johnny Chan, and several other top pros. I remember thinking that I had no business sitting there, and that they all were thinking the same thing. It wasn't clear to me how I had the money to be playing, but there I was looking at pocket deuces in the small blind, and had to make a decision.

Doyle folded under the gun, and Reese folded behind him. Another person who may or may not have been TJ Cloutier folded as well. Daniel called the $4,000 big blind and everyone folded to Chan, who raised on the button. I was about to fold, but then I thought that something seemed off about the action so far. Daniel open-limps in middle position? What is that about? This is the BIG GAME. Who open-limps? Negreanu has been known to play some weird hands in some weird ways, and so its very possible he has a pretty weak hand. Chan the Master knows this of course, so now I think that his raise on the button could come with some pretty weak hands as well.

So I decide to put $10,000 on top of my $2,000 small blind for a preflop 3-bet. I did this to put pressure on Daniel, but they can't imagine I went through the thought process of thinking that Chan's raise might not mean very much, so they will have to put me on a big hand. Both of them call my raise, and we see a flop with $40,000 in the pot:

5 2 7 rainbow (suits unimportant).

I bet out, hoping to represent AK, but knowing that I almost certainly have the best hand. Daniel raises, and Chan folds. I consider calling the raise and check-raising the turn, but i think its too likely Daniel could have a hand like 68, so I don't want to risk him taking a free card. I 3bet and he calls. $56,000 in the pot and the turn brings a 6. I bet, he calls. River is a 5. I bet, he calls. $88,000 pot.

I turn over my full house and Negreanu goes ballistic. He shows pocket 8s, and starts tearing into me, assuring me that if I keep playing that way I'll lose all my money. Pretty funny on so many levels.

• In reality, he seems to be a genuinely nice guy who probably rarely loses his temper, certainly not over a hand like that.
  
• I flopped a set. What does he want from me?
  
• If he had raised preflop, I wouldn't have played my hand.
  
• Why would I dream this. I'm insane.
  

I calmly ask him, "do you not want me at this table?" Implying that such poor behavior was likely to drive my fishy ass away from the table.

At that point everyone else started being really nice to me and apologizing for Daniel's rude behavior. They wanted me at the table. I went on to win an absurd amount of money, but then I lost some of it when I repeatedly knocked over my ginormous chip stacks, and I probably lost the rest of it in an explosion when I accidentally flipped over my rental conversion van trying to pull into a downhill angled parking spot too quickly. End of dream.

Facts and Opinions

Fact: The owner-to-be of the Minnesota Vikings said recently that he won't trade Randy Moss.

Opinion: Randy Moss and other idiot-savants like him illustrate to the sports world a fundamental challenge of real life. Sometimes compromising your beliefs pays off. In the Vikings case, they'd probably rather have a team where everyone bought into the concept of team, which Moss clearly does not do. But, the dude makes plays and helps win football games, so they look the other way on his me-first antics. We're all bent out of shape about steroids in baseball, but does the fact that they are so widespread really surprise anyone? Everyone else uses them, why shouldn't I? Its not fair to spot them an advantage, so I just have to keep up. Baseball is more fun to watch with the juicers, and football is more fun to watch with jackasses like Randy Moss in the game. You believe in teamwork and fair competition, but wouldn't you rather be entertained and disillusioned than righteous and bored?

Fact: Looking for a new band to like, I bought an OAR album recently.

Opinion: The lead singer of OAR sings every word of every song as if it were the most important and magnificent word in the history of time, which is cool at first, but gets old really fast. They join my list of otherwise cool bands that I can't get past something annoying about the lead singer. This list includes Led Zeppelin, Smashing Pumkins, Our Lady Peace, maybe a few others.

Fact: Maryland is about to lose to Clemson

Opinion: Terps suck.

Fact: As of the time of this posting, I am the only user of blogger.com with "Afrin" listed as one of my interests.

Opinion: Afrin is glorious nasal mist from God.

Fact: I used the spell check for this post after the Biz called me out on it for a sloppy post a few days ago.

Opinion: People should be allowed to keep midgets as pets.

Fact: Based on my replies to posts in this blog, someone said I "should probably be in an asylum."

Opinion: Everyone but me should probably be in an asylum, but the guy who said that is a gentleman of impeccable repute, so I shan't further slander his good name.

Coulda been worse

I just had a rough losing session, but I played well, otherwise it could have been worse. All these hands are intended to highlight spots where I saved myself from more serious damage, except for the last hand which I just thought was interesting. I used a hand converter (linked by clicking on the title of this post), and alternated colors so it was more obvious which commentary went with which hand.

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (10 handed) converter
Preflop: Hero is SB with Kh, Qh. 5 folds, MP3 raises, 4 folds.
Final Pot: 1.66 BB

This is a pretty easy fold for me these days that I never used to make. I'm up against an Ace far too often here to make it worth playing the whole hand out of position with King high.


Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (9 handed) converter
Preflop: Hero is SB with Jh, Qs. 2 folds, MP1 calls, 5 folds, BB checks.
Flop: (2.33 SB) 5c, 2d, 9h (2 players)BB bets, MP1 raises, BB calls.
Turn: (3.16 BB) 3s (2 players)BB checks, MP1 bets, BB calls.
River: (5.16 BB) 5s (2 players)BB checks, MP1 bets, BB calls.
Final Pot: 7.16 BB

Another example of folding 2 big cards from the blinds. This time its just not worth completing the small blind (calling $2 more). I just can't be comfortable enough when I make top pair to play this whole hand out of position against so many players.


Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (10 handed) converter
Preflop: Hero is UTG+2 with Jc, Tc. 5 folds, MP3 raises, 3 folds, BB 3-bets, MP3 calls.
Flop: (6.33 SB) 3s, As, 6c (2 players)BB bets, MP3 calls.
Turn: (4.16 BB) 8c (2 players)BB bets, MP3 folds.
Final Pot: 5.16 BB

Pretty straightforward, folding a hand that is tempting.


Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (10 handed) converter
Preflop: Hero is Button with Kh, Qc. 1 fold, UTG+1 raises, 4 folds, CO calls, 1 fold, SB calls, 1 fold.
Flop: (7 SB) 7h, 2s, Qd (3 players)SB bets, UTG+1 raises, CO folds, SB calls.
Turn: (5.50 BB) 6c (2 players)SB checks, UTG+1 bets, SB calls.
River: (7.50 BB) 7s (2 players)SB checks, UTG+1 bets, SB calls.
Final Pot: 9.50 BB

Here a tight player raised in early position, and I didn't want to take KQ against that, because his most likely hands are AA, KK, QQ, AK, AQ, JJ, TT. I'm in serious trouble against most of those hands, so I fold, and save myself a lot of money when it turns out the raiser had AQ.

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (9 handed) converter
Preflop: Hero is BB with Ac, Kc. UTG calls, 4 folds, CO raises, 2 folds, Hero 3-bets, UTG folds, CO caps, Hero calls.
Flop: (9.33 SB) 3c, Kh, 3s (2 players)Hero bets, CO calls.
Turn: (5.66 BB) Qc (2 players)Hero checks, CO checks.
River: (5.66 BB) 5h (2 players)Hero bets, CO raises, Hero calls.
Final Pot: 9.66 BB
Results below: Hero has Ac Kc (two pair, kings and threes). CO has Qs Qh (full house, queens full of threes). Outcome: CO wins 9.66 BB.

Here I save myself a bet by checking the turn. When the cut-off caps preflop, his most likely holding is QQ since my AK makes it less likely he has AA, KK, or AK. On the turn I can't beat AA, KK, or QQ so I check. His check behind makes me think maybe he has JJ, so I bet the river and pay off his raise. If my opponent had bet the turn I would have called and check/called the river so I'm losing 2 bets either way. If I had bet the turn he would have certainly raised either the turn or my river bet, so I saved a bet here because of a good read.

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (9 handed) converter
Preflop: Hero is BB with Kd, Js. 1 fold, UTG+1 raises, 3 folds, CO calls, 1 fold, SB calls, Hero calls.
Flop: (8 SB) As, Ks, 6h (4 players)SB checks, Hero checks, UTG+1 bets, CO calls, SB calls, Hero calls.
Turn: (6 BB) 9c (4 players)SB checks, Hero checks, UTG+1 bets, CO calls, SB calls, Hero folds.
River: (9 BB) Jh (3 players)SB checks, UTG+1 bets, CO calls, SB folds.
Final Pot: 11 BB
Results below: UTG+1 has 9s Ad (two pair, aces and nines). CO has Th Kc (one pair, kings). Outcome: UTG+1 wins 11 BB.

Nothing spectacular here. All of the other opponents were VERY loose, otherwise I'd often just fold this hand preflop. I call a bet on the flop because the pot is big and nobody has defined their hand very clearly. I fold the turn because at least one of these turkeys has an Ace, maybe 2 pair, and its not worth a big bet to see the river. I'm glad I folded because I would have made the 2nd best 2 pair hand.

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (10 handed) converter
Preflop: Hero is MP1 with Qc, Qd. 3 folds, Hero raises, MP2 calls, 1 fold, CO calls, 3 folds.
Flop: (7.33 SB) 3s, Kd, Jc (3 players)Hero bets, MP2 raises, CO folds, Hero calls.
Turn: (5.66 BB) Js (2 players)Hero bets, MP2 calls.
River: (7.66 BB) Ah (2 players)Hero checks, MP2 checks.
Final Pot: 7.66 BB
Results below: Hero has Qc Qd (two pair, queens and jacks). MP2 has Kc Qs (two pair, kings and jacks). Outcome: MP2 wins 7.66 BB.

I'm not sure about this hand but I think I played it well. When MP2 raises me on the flop, he probably has a King, but I think he could have a Jack or a straight draw often enough for me to keep playing. My bet out on the turn is the play I like here. If he has just a King, he can't raise my bet and probably would check behind me on most rivers if I check, so I get to showdown for only 1 more bet. If he has a Jack, he'll raise the turn usually, and then I can just fold. If he has a draw, he'll probably just call the turn. Basically it seemed to me that with that card, the only way he puts in 2 more big bets is with a hand that definitely beats mine, but he might have bet behind if I checked with a hand like AQ, QT, or TT. There's even an outside chance he might fold a weak King if he thinks I have a Jack or AK. In conclusion, folding somewhere would have been better, but since I made up my mind that I wanted a showdown with QQ, I got the cheapest possible showdown this way.


Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (9 handed) converter
Preflop: Hero is MP2 with Ks, Qs. 3 folds, Hero raises, MP3 calls, 3 folds, BB calls.
Flop: (6.33 SB) 9d, Th, 7c (3 players)BB checks, Hero bets, MP3 calls, BB calls.
Turn: (4.66 BB) 9s (3 players)BB checks, Hero bets, MP3 calls, BB calls.
River: (7.66 BB) Kh (3 players)BB checks, Hero checks, MP3 bets, BB calls, Hero calls.
Final Pot: 10.66 BB
Results below: BB has 6s 8c (straight, ten high). Hero has Ks Qs (two pair, kings and nines). MP3 has Jc Kd (two pair, kings and nines). Outcome: BB wins 10.66 BB.

I like the way I played this hand. My bets on the flop and the turn with overcards and an inside straight draw figure to win me the pot a lot of the time if the river is a blank, since often the blind is calling with just an 8 and the guy behind me is usually calling with overcards. Turned out the weirdo in the blind had the straight the whole time, but was too scared of his own shadow to ever do anything with it. The guy behind me is a moron. I'm a moron too, actually.


Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (10 handed) converter
Preflop: Hero is BB with Jc, Ac. 3 folds, MP1 calls, 2 folds, CO raises, 1 fold, SB calls, Hero calls, MP1 calls.
Flop: (8 SB) 9s, 9h, Kh (4 players)SB checks, Hero checks, MP1 bets, CO raises, SB calls, Hero folds, MP1 calls.
Turn: (7 BB) 8s (3 players)SB checks, MP1 checks, CO bets, SB calls, MP1 calls.
River: (10 BB) Ts (3 players)SB checks, MP1 checks, CO bets, SB calls, MP1 raises, CO calls, SB folds.
Final Pot: 15 BB
Results below: MP1 has Js 9d (three of a kind, nines). CO has Ah 9c (three of a kind, nines). Outcome: CO wins 15 BB.

Normally I'd probably just fold this hand preflop, but the cutoff knows that MP1 is very loose, so he'd lower his raising standards here, making me comfortable enough to see a flop out of position. I get out on the flop, but what the hell is MP1 thinking? He obviously thought his trips were the best hand the whole way. Why wait until the flush and straights come on the river to checkraise? Why not 3bet the flop or check-raise the turn?

Small Stakes No Limit fun

Since I've been struggling with limit hold'em, I figured I'd try out the online no-limit cash games. So far I like.

Game #727667997 - (blinds $0.25/$0.50) No Limit Texas Hold'em - 2005/02/20-17:23:30.3 (CST) Table "Gau (5 max)" (real money) -- Seat 2 is the button Seat 1: MSU_Poker ($44.50 in chips) Seat 2: idoljAce ($64.75 in chips) Seat 3: ADSPAR ($104.00 in chips) Seat 4: RikiRocket ($11.75 in chips) Seat 5: sckbr1 ($22.00 in chips)
ADSPAR: Post Small Blind ($0.25)
RikiRocket: Post Big Blind ($0.50)
Dealt to ADSPAR [ 6d ]
Dealt to ADSPAR [ 5c ]
sckbr1 : Call ($0.50)
MSU_Poker: Fold
idoljAce: Call ($0.50)
ADSPAR: Call ($0.25)
RikiRocket: Check
*** FLOP *** : [ 2h 6h 8c ]
ADSPAR: Check
RikiRocket: Check
sckbr1 : Check
idoljAce: Bet ($2)
ADSPAR: Raise ($6)
RikiRocket: Fold
sckbr1 : Fold
idoljAce: Call ($4)
*** TURN *** : [ 2h 6h 8c ] [ Js ]
ADSPAR: Bet ($8.50)
idoljAce: Call ($8.50)
*** RIVER *** : [ 2h 6h 8c Js ] [ 7h ]
ADSPAR: Bet ($22)
idoljAce: Timed out
idoljAce: Fold
ADSPAR: Winner -- doesn't show cards
*** SUMMARY ***
Pot: $29.50 Rake: $1.50
Board: [ 2h 6h 8c Js 7h ]
MSU_Poker didn't bet (folded)
idoljAce lost $15 (folded)
ADSPAR bet $37, collected $51.50, net +$14.50 [ 6d 5c ] (a pair of sixes)
RikiRocket lost $0.50 (folded)
sckbr1 lost $0.50 (folded)

When the button bet the flop after everyone checked to him, it looked like he was trying to steal the pot. Even though he limped, so could have some low cards, this didn't seem like a flop he'd want to see a checkraise, so I raised a medium amount. I was surprised that he called. He at least thinks he has a chance to win this.

On the turn I didn't want to check and face a big bet, so I decided to bet out. I like to bet weird amounts so I bet $8.50 into a $14 pot. It took him a long time, and he finally called. I'm out of position in this hand, so this was the last bit of information I was going to get before I have to make a river decision. This is a pretty good sized pot now, so I wanted to get it right.

I took a lot of time on the river before deciding to bet $22. The river brought a possible flush, which was good for me. If he had been on a flush draw, he wouldn't have taken so long to call on the turn. His stack was about $50 at that point, so I could have folded to an all-in raise. Given his flop bet and weak call on the turn, I think he probably had a pair of 8s with a weak kicker. There was just too much on that board for him to call with 89 or something like that. I decided on $22 because the graphic of $22 looked more intimidating than $20. I assume his time-out was intentionally not deciding to call, cause he was back the next hand.


Game #727648437 - (blinds $0.25/$0.50) No Limit Texas Hold'em - 2005/02/20-17:04:09.1 (CST) Table "Gau (5 max)" (real money) -- Seat 2 is the button Seat 1: MSU_Poker ($54.25 in chips) Seat 2: idoljAce ($52.25 in chips) Seat 3: ADSPAR ($62.75 in chips) Seat 4: GamecoxGirl ($27.00 in chips) Seat 5: puddler ($37.75 in chips)
ADSPAR: Post Small Blind ($0.25)
GamecoxGirl: Post Big Blind ($0.50)
Dealt to ADSPAR [ Ah ]
Dealt to ADSPAR [ Qs ]
puddler : Call ($0.50)
MSU_Poker: Call ($0.50)
idoljAce: Call ($0.50)
ADSPAR: Raise ($4)
GamecoxGirl: Fold
puddler : Call ($3.75)
MSU_Poker: Fold
idoljAce: Fold
*** FLOP *** : [ Jd Qd 9h ]
ADSPAR: Bet ($7)
puddler : Call ($7)
*** TURN *** : [ Jd Qd 9h ] [ 3d ]
ADSPAR: Bet ($28)
puddler : Call All-in ($26.50)
*** RIVER *** : [ Jd Qd 9h 3d ] [ 7s ]
*** SUMMARY ***
Pot: $75 Rake: $2
Board: [ Jd Qd 9h 3d 7s ]
MSU_Poker lost $0.50 (folded)
idoljAce lost $0.50 (folded)
ADSPAR bet $39.25, collected $76.50, net +$37.25 (showed hand) [ Ah Qs ] (a pair of queens) GamecoxGirl lost $0.50 (folded)
puddler lost $37.75 (showed hand) [ Ac Td ] (high card ace)


Another Small Blind hand. When everyone limped, it was highly likely that I was holding the best hand, but I wanted to narrow the field, or even win the small pot before the flop, hence the big raise to $4. 1 caller, and I see a flop out of position.

Good news on the flop is I have top pair with top kicker. Bad news is the board has straight and flush draws. I bet slightly less than the pot, which maybe was too little. He called with little hesitation, and the turn was an ugly diamond. The only made hands he could have that I might want to call my bet were AJ or KQ, but both of those hands would likely have raised preflop. So there was no point of milking him with a small bet. As far as my betting was concerned, he either had a made straight or flush, or was drawing to one of those. With about $24 in the pot already, and him only having $26 in front of him, if he had a made hand, all my money was going in. And if he had a draw, I wanted him to pay for it, so I went all in and hoped he'd fold.

When he called with AT, he had diamonds or straight outs, for a 34.1% chance of beating my AQ. That is 1.93 to 1. He called $26.50 with a pot of $50 in front of him, giving him 1.89 to 1, so it was basically a coinflip. River blank, WHEW!

From his perspective though, I think the call was a mistake, since if I had made a set or had a bigger diamond in my hand, his odds would have been considerably worse.

I'm much more comfortable analyzing limit hands, so if anyone has any thoughts on these no-limit hands, I'd appreciate it.