Res Ipsa Poker: September 2008

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

[Mostly O/T] Mulligan Needed

No poker content, haven't played. It's getting close to poker season, though, as the string of absolutely perfect days here ended yesterday.

I take that back, here is some poker content: I'm hearing zero buzz about the "November Nine". Not one person that I've talked poker with gave a rip.

Also, Bill Rini has another excellent post up on online poker rigging. Read Bill, he knows what he's talking about.

End of poker content.

So I'm filling my spare time with other stuff. Bad golf and fantasy football for the most part. My regulation team finally pulled out a win, so I'm 1-3. It's still the worst team ever assembled.

I continue to focus on ways to build my roll over at Fantasy Sports Live (obligatory plug for bonus code BONDS for the best signup deposit bonus). I finished 2nd in the blogger battle to move up to first overall and won a heads up match. Both good things, but I really laid an egg with my entry in Sundays w/ Dr. Pauly - I absentmindedly picked the wrong QB. If I'd just gone with the guy I'd picked to blow up for the week (Brees) instead of last week's pick (Cutler), I'm in the TOC. Oops. At least I got the pick right on my other two contests.

If at first you don't succeed, try again. There are lots of weeks left in the season to try and beat Dr. Pauly three in a row. I'm going to keep trying. You in? If you're not in the game, you're missing out on (a) fun and (b) free money. Seriously. Lots of cash added. FSL >>>> poker.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Less Yeast, More Syrup

Miscellanea:

I did my part to support the Waffles economy. Despite the fact that said economy was a bubble based entirely on hot air, I chipped in the necessary funds to join the game. Sigh. As is usually the case, the investment went unrewarded - I finished 49th of 94. I think I had a total of four pocket pairs out of 140 hands (7s, 9s twice and QQ) and no ace bigger than a jackace. Of course the best hand got me into the most trouble - I pushed my less than 2500 chips in on it, got a call and then an overshove from AlCantHang who was on my right and in the big blind. KK for Al held up and I was off to sleep. Congratulations to April for her WIN (she plays poker? who knew?). GG Waffles, thanks for the entertainment.

As long as I was wasting time, I figured I might as well play some deep PLO. Played badly. Good thing it was nanostakes - I'd grade my play out as a about an F-minus. It doesn't help that the FTP random number generator hates me, but I can't blame it if it was busy making out with someone hotter.

The Lions fired Matt Millen. I thought that day would never come. Now if they would just fire everyone else involved - the coaching staff, the players, all of them - and start over from scratch, they might someday win 8 games.

I'm gearing up for a big weekend over at Fantasy Sports Live (wait I haven't mentioned bonus code BONDS in about three days). I need to beat Pauly this week to reach the tournament of champeens in the Sundays with Dr. Pauly competition. I luckboxed my way to a win in the Blogger Battle last week so I'm in that TOC already. Both competitions have some really sweet bonus cash added and it's defnitely not too late to join in if you think you have any clue about fantasy sports ... or if you just want to have some legal fun competing with your invisible internet pals.

Speaking of FSL, I do know that I haven't been playing all that many contests - not like, say Buffalo66, who positively owned people last Sunday. 75% winners. Very impressive.

Skipping back to poker for a moment, I read with some interest (but little attention span) the posts by Hoy and Blinders on chip utility (Snyder vs Harrington). I definitely did see some of Hoy's criticisms of Harrington in my own play. I plan to spend some time trying to digest both sides - I suspect there is some truth to both - and can't really comment on who's right. What I do know is that I need to come up with a better approach to how I manage my stack - when I'm card dead for a long time like I have been in the last two M00kies, I tend to wait too long before taking a shot. I just don't run good enough - at coin flips or even with dominating hands - to let my stack stagnate. I guess I need to let out the leash on my inner tard, even if that means 3-betting with K8s from time to time. (*shudder*)

Probably not much play the rest of the week. The weather is too good, winter is coming and oh, yeah, it's still football season.

Change of subject: Advertising. When did the people that write advertising copy just stop trying? Every ad I listen to on the radio now uses the same forumla. Everything is now a limited time offer. Even stuff which obviously isn't, like the services of a debt relief agency - what are they going to do, go out of business in a month? Everyone always has a secret plan which they'll reveal if you call the toll free number - I'm looking at you, John Camuto. Everything is always free except it really isn't - suck it freecreditreport.com. The same stuff, over and over again. It's like the copywriters are absolutely certain that people are idiots.

Oh, wait.

By the way, I'll share with you the insider secrets of blogging good and stuff if you call my toll free number. These are the secrets the bloggerati don't want you to know. You get all 1,188 of my top tips and strategies absolutely free with enrollment in the Blogger Relief Society. Email now, supplies are limited and this offer expires very soon. That's res ipsa poker at hotmail dot com no spaces all punctuation. Don't miss out on these powerful secrets that could have you blogging for billions in three minutes per day!

Argh.

Anyway, last and pretty much least, a very much non-poker related column from the Detroit News: Rest of the country becoming Detroitified. Yep.

Kwame in 2012.

Monday, September 22, 2008

WPBMFT

I think there's some kind of irony in booking a cheap ass plane ticket on a day when oil prices go through the roof. That's the good kind of irony, not the whole rain on your wedding day type. And yes, I know that's not technically ironic. Shut it.

Bottom line, I'm going to Vegas. Getting in Friday morning 12/12, leaving Monday 12/15. Ticket is purchased. I am NOT missing another damned NFL Sunday. Any work stuff is getting bumped and that is ALL there is to it. United Airlines better not go f-ing broke before then. I don't care if Google has messed with my usual funding sources and I end up drinking instead of gambling. It's ON.

Confidential to The Venetian: It'd be okay to send along some marketing offers that don't end in October. Really. Same goes for you, IP.

And now for srs bsns. I kind of feel like I should try and help organize things if there is a desire to have a tournament or any other organized activity, but ... (a) I don't get enough traffic to run a poll to see if people have an interest, and (b) I dunno if I should really be in charge of anything, since I never seem to have spare time, don't have any connections, etc etc. Perhaps the issue of whether there should be a tournament will be discussed amongst the bloggerati attending the Bash this weekend? Or maybe someone with a more trafficked blog could put up a poll or something. And if someone volunteered and I just missed it, plz to be pointing me their way k thx.

Incidentally, if there is a golf event, I better be getting in early enough to participate.

Some Words

This is going to be quick. Pronouns optional. I might as well even do this bullet point style.

* Actually played some last week. Hit the M00kie. Finished 15th. Meh. Had the lead early, then an hour of complete card death. It happens.

* The new poker hotness (dunno if I like that phrase) is deep stack PLO on FT. There's just something about the combination of lots of chips and micro blinds that I love. Winning a buyin and a half on Wednesday probably didn't have anything to do with that. (yeah, right)

* A beautiful 10+++ weekend weather wise. Played in a golf scramble on Saturday and nearly got paid 90-1 on my raffle ticket - I think I was one number off. Our team wasn't great, but it was fun.

* Excellent weekend on Fantasy Sports Live (bonus code BONDS duh, get the max signup bonus). Took a first and a third to inflate the roll a little bit. I'm good for a few more weeks in the Blogger Battle and Sundays w/ Dr. Pauly.

* I continue to have the worst regulation fantasy football team on the planet. Team MVP so far is J.T. O'Sullivan, which should tell you all you need to know.

* Thinking about putting the Boomtown Rats' "I Don't Like Mondays" on auto-repeat for the rest of the day.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

A Little Short

Content and inspiration to create content have been very much lacking of late.

Call it a lull. I haven't played since Friday, and that was an uninspired performance in the Donkament. I probably won't play again for a while, unless insomnia hits or I'm awake enough to play the M00kie or something.

I don't follow any of the poker tours with any level of diligence, so I have no idea what's going on there.

No insights on how to play the game better - I still run at less than expectation when I get it all in as a favorite and continue to play loose/weak/spew poker otherwise. When I do play, that is. If I ever start offering poker advice, close your eyes.

I generally don't read Twitter stuff, so I have no idea what many poker bloggers are up to.

Work is kicking my ass.

Sentences getting shorter.

Gotta go.

Later

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

[O/T] Enough

I wasted about 45 minutes sitting in the waiting room at a doctor's office yesterday. They had a TV going, all election-related coverage on CNN. One of the half-deaf geezers who was waiting decided to interact with the screen, offering her best political commentary until her companion told her to shut up. The most readable magazine - everything else was Woman's Day etc - was a recent Newsweek, which was 99% about the election. Election, election, election.

JFC, we have to put up with two more months of this?

I think my blood pressure was 10 points higher than last time, solely because of that time spent waiting.

I feel lucky that I've been spared most of the campaign nonsense to date. I only watch football and not much of that - which means I've seen few TV ads. I haven't noticed any ads on the radio. I avoid politics forums and coffee shops. I'm even boycotting Panera Bread.

Still not enough.

Next thing to go, regrettably, is going to be blogs. Sorry friends if I stop reading you for a couple months - I just don't enjoy this shit. Obamatards, Bidiots, McCaniacs and Palinistas all suck. Pretty much equally (although Obamatards are slightly more annoying, since they tend to be more evangelical/irrational {take your pick of word} and I probably know more of them). Actually I should include Ron Paul fans and the six people who will vote for Nader, but whatever.

If I've just insulted you, I apologize. It's nothing personal, it's just politics.

I'm so glad that December won't be sullied by election talk. That would really suck.

Monday, September 08, 2008

Not That I Would Condone Such A Thing

But, hypothetically, wouldn't it be nice if it were easy to deposit and withdraw money online?

Oh, wait, that was just a dream I had. Never mind.

(Thanks, A!)

Sunday, September 07, 2008

[O/T] Lisa's Birthday Party Slash Dance Fest Slash Hilarious

Nothing much, just saw this when I checked my email this morning:

I certainly hope that my bank won't tell me what makes a guy stick - I really don't want to know.

And yes, this was one link. LOL internets.

Friday, September 05, 2008

It's A Handy Memo Tool

Note to self:

1. Register to play the Blogger Battle and Sundays w/ Dr. Pauly over at Fantasy Sports Live
2. Win.
3. ???
4. Profit.

In the event of fantasy football fail, load up some spare funds in PayPal. Isn't it nice to be able to fund and reload an account with PayPal or a credit card without ANY hassles? Self say yes. Self also say playing daily fantasy football with friends is fun.

Man I love fall. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year. (bonus code BONDS duh)

Thursday, September 04, 2008

Well That Was Mooktacular

In a decision that just begged for corporate sponsorship from Bad Idea Jeans, I hit up everybody's favorite blonkament, the Mookie, last night. Smrt. Staying up into the wee hours in the middle of the week is always a brilliant move.

There were encouraging signs. I received excellent starting hands - it was nearly Astinesque. Every pocket pair except 7s including a few several times. A fair number of big aces. Tons of jackaces. Of course I turned those great starting hands into jack squat, playing my patented loose/weak/spewwwwww style. It took more than one small miracle just to survive the first hour.

Which of course means that I sucked out early and often. After watching LJ survive and thrive last week, I determined that getting your chips in way way behind is the only way to win. What do you know, it worked for quite a while. Mookariffic. Sorry about that heffmike.

Later on, Full Tilt did decide to dish out a reminder that I am still me, as I was the unlucky bubble victim. Of course I ran, as is my lot in life, a playable hand directly into our mookiful host's AA. "No cash for you!" says the FT RNG. That was less than mooknificient.

To add insult to injury, I also managed to not win a pushfest, despite taking out five players on the first hand with the AWESOME 84s.

So. Gross.

BTW, some A lister won the whole thing. Nice work.

Anyway, that's the view from here. Back to playing once a week or whatever it is that I've been doing.

[O/T] Our Long National Nightmare Is Over (Part 1)

Kwame Kilpatrick finally admits that he's a lying douchebag and resigns.

One down, many weaselly politicians to go.

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Plus One

Okay, who broke the Full Tilt random number generator?

It's not supposed to let me win.

I know, I know, a 12 entrant Donkament barely qualifies as a "multi"-table tournament.

Don't care.

Winner.

Long HU battle with DonKaa (iirc).

I think by cashing I broke even. You have to love rebuys.

Wheee.

Week from hell commencing in 3..2..1.. Boom.