Long Time No Blog

Its been over two months since I have blogged. Dont know why, but time for an update.

In terms of poker, I have been really focusing on fine tuning my cash game skills and have made the move up from 1/2 to 2/5 NL, although I still play the deeper buy in 1/2 or 3 games at Venetian and Aria. Usually play 1/2 at Red Rock because it across the street from home and the 2/5 game is typically full and in my opinion very solid. Happy to report that I was up 12.5 buy ins for November.

Won a monster pot at Aria , getting lucky in a 2/5 game when I got involved in a three way all in spot with Aces V Kings V Queens. I had the King's and flopped a King which held up. Massive 4.5 buy in pot.

On the tournament scene, really haven't been playing many but did 9 way chip chop the Venetain noon daily.

The room at Aria is really growing on me. Its really action packed , great service and management. The only downside I see is the valet is convient but horribly slow and the self park is a complicated at best.

Besides my kids, the best thing happening in my life lately is some well needed weight loss. I am big guy at 6'5" and big boned back from my football days. Unfortunately, playing a lot of poker while at a table or in front of a computer screen is not a form of exercise. I found my clothes getting tight and my waistline expanded. While I was going to see my friends at 24 Hour fitness at least 4 times a week, I found my eating habits had become really poor.

On October 10, I made the lifestyle change, no more cokes, fast food , high calorie snacks, switched to Ultra when I have a beer etc. Trying to stay to a strict 1250 calorie per day diet. Also increased my weekly workouts to five per week and increased my cardio to 45 minutes per session. Proud to report that I am down 22 pounds and 3 inches in the waist. Pants/Shorts are getting baggy. 14 more pounds to go and once I make the key will be continued maintenance to keep the weight off.

Enough for now and good luck on the felt.

North Texas Championships at Winstar

In 2009, one of the largest tournament overlays in the US was the $3,000,000 guarantee at Winstar in Thackerville, Oklahoma. The overlay was something like $600,000 on a 2100 buy-in Main Event. This casino is huge and lies roughly 70 miles north of DFW Airport. This room dominates the Oklahoma and North Texas markets and has about 45 tables. During the day mid-week it is not uncommon to see 20 cash games going. Weekends are jammed packed. I have had a love hate relationship with the place as mentioned in previous blogs.

They are currently in the middle of what this year is now a $3,000,000 guaranteed series which includes a $2,500,000 Main Event. They aligned themselves with Greg Raymer this year after it was scheduled. Fossilman is definitely one of the nice guys in poker.

They have been getting really good Venetian Deep Stack quality numbers for there prelims. Registration is goofy with it opening at 9AM on the day of the event with an 11AM start.

So this morning at 845AM I find myself standing in a 300 person line to register for a $330 50,000 guarantee. Twenty minutes later I am in and have almost two hours to kill. No computerized registration system, pay, show a players card, get a wristband, get a seat plaque. To management, go to the Venetian of WSOP see how it works, buy a software program.

I am home at 4PM so obviously it didn't go well. Chipped up to about 10K from the starting 5K, busted two short stacks with what were really fairly easy calls. Lost T3700 with a 10 high flush to a Queen high flush.

Bust out hand was fairly standard, have queens in middle position and raise 3X, two flatters, flop is 222, checked around, turn is a 7, I jam for 25 big blinds and of course, one of the players has aces. Nice flat with the aces, every heard of three betting. On tilt at this point, but it to will pass.

Poker Update/Kids Start School Today

I am seem to blog every year on this day as the school year starts again. My kids will be in the 7Th and 8Th grade this year. They will go to the same school which makes a much easier drop off and pick up for me. Always a little melancholy on this day, as per my agreement with their mom, we go back to a more regular visitation schedule. Its best for the kids, not fair to go back and forth a lot during school, but still bums me out a bit. As every parent says they grow up way too fast. It seems like it was just yesterday, when my daughter threw a fit on the first day of kindergarten.

Some interesting rumors in the tournament poker world in regards to a WSOP Circuit event to potentially be held at Choctaw Casino in Durant, Oklahoma in January 2011. Durant is roughly 100 miles north of Dallas Fort Worth and I play this room a lot when I am in Texas. Would be real interesting to see what kind of numbers this could attract. It is a very nice room, but they have never hosted anything close to this in the poker world. Would help as I wouldn't have to travel to Tunica and could commute it.

Drove out here to Vegas from Dallas about 10 days ago, because I needed to bring some stuff for my house that just wasnt easily shipped. Not recommended, its too far, too long and if I see another mountain pass and/or road construction area, think I will puke. Major problem with driving here is I have to drive back in a few days, not one of my brighter moves.

I spent some time at the Detox Series at Hard Rock over the last week or so. I am not a Hard Rock regular but it is such a nice room, sad to see it go after this series. Good small setting series to meet a lot of people in the poker world, who maybe I had seen on TV, followed their Twitter, etc. Attended the 2+2 party for the event, had a bunch of laughs playing some crazy mixed games that night. No real success at all in this series. Busted the $100K in Level 4, the ME mega about half way though when I jammed top pair into a set.

I did end up with a seven way chip chop in the Venetian Noon Daily this week which was very plus EV for me. I was the shorty at 7 and the chip leader had a dinner reservation and it didn't take long to convince the table. Ended up with basically a little more than 4Th place money, that's one for the home team.

Cash games have been just a little above break even for me over the last week or so. big 3 buy in win at Red Rock last Sunday, followed by getting stacked at Mandalay Bay, I know MB, why I dont know. You need to a rule sheet to sit down at the place, Break even at the RIO, a few slight wins at Venetian and getting stacked at Hard Rock in one of my largest 1/2 pots of the year. That hand will get its own blog once I quit steaming.

Firmed up some plans

Made some firm plans to take a pure poker trip to my Vegas house this month. Will be in LV, from August 12 until the 25th or so. Going to play several events at the Detox Series at Hard Rock. Excited about this series as its being run by Matt Savage and crew. I am a little past the Hard Rock stage in life but I think there is going to be a good turnout for this series. In between Detox Events, going to be playing a few Venetian Daily's, cash at Venetian/Red Rock and hope to jump in some live PLO games. I have been playing some small stakes PLO High online and am really starting to get a good feel for it.

Here's hoping for a run good trip.

Family

Last posted that I would be going to Tunica for some WPO events. Had a change of heart and decided to take my daughter to my Vegas house for a week. While being a poker player and a sports bettor can sometimes be overwhelming, I have tried to keep a good balance to life. Family is more important than anything. As a divorced dad, I enjoy a great relationship with my kids, get to see them often and have a good non-confrontational relationship with their Mom.

I just returned from Las Vegas and am back in Texas. I played a whopping three hours of poker during the week and made a whopping $43. Felt guilty the whole time as my daughter was home alone although I was 5 minutes away at Red Rock. She approved of my poker time but it just didn't seem right and I quit after a couple of hours.

My daughter and I did all the tourist things. We walked all over the strip, ate nice meals at Naked Fish, Gordon Biersch, Hash Hash A Go Go and casual ones at In N Out and Pop's Cheese Steak. We went to see Salt and Grown Ups ( would recommend both) and finally made it the Beatles Love at Mirage. I think it was the best Cirque show I have seen with Lucy in the Sky my favorite scene. Makes me remember the Beatles did a lot of drugs in the late 60's. Of course, I was dragged to the tourist traps of the M&M's and Coca Cola Store but it was worth to see my daughter enjoy buying stuff for her friends with money she had saved on her own.

Most importantly though the week reminded me how blessed I am to have healthy kids, who I have a great relationship with.

After all the grinding, bad beats etc., nothing is better than family.

Trip Colorado/New Mexico -Hard Rock Albuquerque

Just got back home in Texas from a quick 3 day road trip of some 1600 miles with my 13 year old son. The purpose of my trip was to look at a potential ranch investment in Southern Colorado. I looked at a 400 acre ranch in the high mountain country just south of Red Wing Colorado. I would be one of several investors in the ownership group.Absolutely a gorgeous piece of property with a great stream through it, trout ponds , some amazing views, roughly 7000 feet in elevation. We rode four wheelers throughout the property and had a blast. The property has a new metal building on it and I could see turning that into a lodge/cabin. We get a satellite dish and Internet, I am in. Its always great to get out into nature. Investment decision is pending.

It was good to spend some quality time with my son although most of it was in the car , away from the distractions of TV's and Internet.

Decided to stay the second night in Albuquerque at a brand new Hard Rock Casino and Hotel which was previous called Isleta. Guess the Indian tribe did a deal with Hard Rock similar to others around the county. Although its 627 miles from my Texas house and 589 miles from my Vegas house, I really like this place. Hotel room was perfect and a good deal at $109. My son, wanted to order room service and watch movies, so of course I had to venture downstairs and play a bit.

They have a 10-12 table room and were spreading some limit up to 2-10 spread and 1/2 and 5/10 No limit. I was shocked but the 5/10 game was full and had a couple of names on the list. Looked like about 8 to 10K on the table. The floor, which was damn friendly, said the game is local and full Thursday-Sunday nights.

Played about 3 hours of 1/2 and made $86 after paying for a few beers $5 a piece. Apparently weird alcohol laws in New Mexico casinos. The game was full(9 handed) and was a mix of 5 locals, and the 4 of us out of towners. There were two really creative and tough local rocks, that I didn't want to tangle with. Another local played maybe two-three hands and hour. Fourth local was a calling station, spewing guy, who blew through at least $700. He was at least 70, wearing suspenders, you know the type.

Not a lot of bluffing and people were not afraid to keep on calling and would bet the crap out of their made hand on the river. I knew it was going to different when about two orbits in , six limpers to me in the BB and I popped it up to $17 with AK off suit. Got five callers, flop was 6-6-2 rainbow and the small led out for $100, easy fold. Shows, 6-7 suited, keep calling $17 pre-flop, Sir. Had to lay down King's, Jack's and AK twice, all post flop when I knew I was beat.

A hand between myself and one of the solid local rocks still has me thinking. I was on the button with AK suited and called a $20 bet pre by UTG +2. $43 in the pot and before the dealer turns the flop over, the rock bets $30 in the dark. Now I have seen this a lot in Vegas but by typically younger drunk guys, but not so much by an older rock. He hadn't done before to this point about two hours into the game. Flop comes 10 8 5 no hearts. I am thinking this has got be queens plus and fold my AK face up and he flips AQ. Guy bluffed the hell out of me. Nice bet, Sir.

Made some good progress when my Queens were good in a multi-way pot and the local spewing guy paid me off a few times. Lost a fairly big pot with Jacks which tripped on the river, bad Jack for me as it gave the guy a flush that he was obviously chasing and he pushed way over my $50 river bet, another easy fold.

I really liked this little room, it's quiet, a bit away from the main floor, nice chairs and felt, great floor and nothing close to a dealer error in 3 hours or so. Will be back the next time I pass through.

Didn't Make It Back To Vegas and July Plans

Have not blogged in a while, so thought I would update. I left Vegas On June 3 with every intention on coming back around June 20 for another week of tournaments. I came down with a really bad upper chest cold and basically was down for two weeks. Maybe it was a really bad case of the poker room flu but it was the worst I have have felt in a number of years. Also I have been spending some quality time with my son this month. At 13, he has had a rough last few months, with a the life changes he is going through. I am happy to report things for him seem to be going a lot better and his behavior, while a challenge, seems to be improving. He is such a great kid. In the end, my kids are way more important than poker anyway.

I am really addicted to the World Cup and have watched almost every game. As I write this, I am waiting on Argentina/Germany to start. Yesterdays Uruguay/Ghana game was the best yet. I am so impressed with the ability and athleticism of these players.

My plan for July is to go to Tunica for a few WPO events at Gold Strike and take a vacation with my daughter later in the month. Not sure when I will be back to my Vegas house, my tenants are there through the WSOP, may make it back the last week of the month. Definitely I will be there in August for Matt Savage's Detox Series at Hard Rock.