Friday, June 19, 2009

Getting Pumped Amid Uncertainty

No BBT money yet (Al has said he emailed FT and is just waiting to hear back from them) and no withdrawal check that I requested on June 7th either. Even with these setbacks, I am still getting pumped for Vegas like an 11:59 miracle will save this trip.

Weekend preparations include getting all the laundry done and cleaning up the house for Alissa, since I feel really bad she's going to be manning the house alone for a week without me, a first in the 6 years we've been together. I try not to bring the Vegas trip up too much as she does get a little down about not having me around, but I assure her it will be well worth it after we score a nice cash and can finish the basement (see, P.M.A. thanks Matusow!)

Non-house work, poker preparations include:
- Watching Rounders all the way through at least twice
- The half-way done big game $50 buy-in on Sunday for my league. I still am doing crappy in the league for some unknown reason and even when I am playing well I get river flushed by donkey Unimpressed's overshove on a 6 high flush draw. (Not bitter at all ^^)

- Packing and maybe some clothes shopping
- Setting my iPod playlists

Speaking of playlists…..

So far I'm thinking that I'll play Sultans of Swing as a pre-event #51 song and then go right into the Techno/dance music. For some reason I can only focus at my best at the table when I'm listening to techno music, I think its something to do with ADD.

So that’s it for now, hit Foxwoods or Mohegan up tonight for some last time cash games before the alleged trip, maybe I can double my bankroll and wont have to depend on other people or things to make my way.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Poker Quandries and Poker Soup

So here it is June 14th, 15 days left to Vegas and I have 1/8th the bankroll I was expected to have for my trip. Basically it all comes down to waiting on Full Tilt for funds to be deposited in my account from the BBT and I have a check in transit that may or may not be valid when I deposit it.
It not be my life without a little drama to make it interesting of course.

So this week is the critical week to my trip, if I get no funds then there will be no WSOP for me.

The league started back up this week after a long hiatus, 5 runners out of 9 showed up and an hour later it was over and I busted 3rd after Unimpressed over-aggroed a 6 high flush draw, as was his M.O. for the night he hit the flush on the turn.

I also had my first poker podcast interview ever. (I know who the heck would want to ask me anything, right?) Well chalk this one up to who you know not what ya know of course. My buddy Blazman runs the Poker Soup Podcast and Blaz knowing I was in the middle of a Full Tilt cashout was addressing the recent asset freeze and wanted me to share my expierience.
It was a good interview I thought, gave my opinions and interpretations, and just like that it was over.

So I'll be updating that status of my trip throughout the week as things progress.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

I Was Right When I Posted That I Smelled a Shitstorm Coming

Well one way or another the future of Online Poker will be changed in 2009. Just about over an hour ago the AP posted the following news article:
NY Stooge Orders Seizure of Online Poker Funds

Long and short of it is a lot of poker players are going to be pissed off when they can't cash any checks. This will probably put a nix on my first WSOP trip ever if I can't get my funds.

By the way, late congrats but congrats to JJOK and Actyper for the 10k prize, and CK and karma for the 2k prizes.

Hold on to your butts fellow bloggers, we're in for a bummer 2nd half to 2009....

Saturday, June 6, 2009

TOC Day Eve Thoughts

So its the day before the TOC and apparently the in thing is to place odds on the runners' chances of hitting the top 4 for a prize. The odds that have been placed on myself range from 2-1 to 8-1 with a bubble prediction thrown in for good measure.
Folks, this really is anyone's game now. Just like when you get to the NFL post-season it comes down to one game, you dont win you go empty, everyone has an equal shot at this thing. All I can do is stay focused, dont get myself into sticky spots and play to win baby.
A heartfelt good luck to all those playing, and I will make the guarantee right here that if fate and the RNG decide I am worthy enough for a big win, I will be extending my stay in Vegas. Thats all I can say for Karmic reasons as you all understand. :)

So last night, even though I was tired from staying up till 1:33am to watch Ivey win his bracelet, I headed to Mo to add some loot to the Vegas bankroll. When I say that I had the worst cards for like 3 hours straight that I have EVER had, its not an exaggeration.
The first playable hand I had AKdd, raise from the guy to my right to 18 and I call. Flop comes Q high with 2 hearts, he bets 35 and I muck. Next hand I have J-10ss and I turn a third 10 on a drawy board. Stupid me just calls a bet, and the river Q made a donkey's j-9 straight. I received and played almost all my sooted and one-gap sooted connectors and each time the board was the absolute anti-nuts to whatever I held, I probably could have saved $200 by never playing any of those hands.
So anyway, before I know it I'm down $170 and on card-dead tilt. I slip the headphones on andblast the techno music ans suddenly I am alive. I win two pots back to back betting top pair each time when I knew the guys chasing me were on flush draws. Took a huge pot when my ducks flopped a set, and the biggest pot I won on the night:
I get AA in the BB. As had been the M.O. all night, 8 of the people limped into the pot, I raise to 20 and get 3 callers. 2 tight-weaks and a Hyper-crazian. Hyper-Crazian started the night off sober and having the deck literally KO him time after time, then he started drinking Johnny Walker and got even crazier. Fortunately he loved to show me his cards every single time so I knew the kind of shit he'd be playing with.
Crazian checks to me and I push a 100 stack into the pot when it comes 7c-2d-3s. Was really hoping one of these guys would think Im playing A-K aggressively (which I had done earlier about 3 times) but they all folded. Crazian commented he had hit a pair.
So in the span of 30 minutes I went from 170 down to 40 up. I mostly hovered around that mark before I got over 120 when crazian called me down while I was holding the nut flush. I did give it back to him on the next hand when I knew he hit a wonky straight and I had another nut flush draw. Since I raised it (AJss)pre-flop I felt I could get him to gift me his chips if I could hit a spade. But alas the river was a brick and I left after that hand. Up 90 for the night. that negates my 70 buck loss at HORSE on FT the night before.

Tonight is my use-to-be monthly home game so I hope I can keep adding to my bankroll. Good luck to all those in the big one tomorrow and I'll see you at 8pm sharp.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Another Mookie Final Table and My Mookie Profile

Thanks to Mookie for the opportunity to do a profile, and to view it you can go here:
Queens Up

Wanted to defend my title so I played the Mookie last night with 24 other donks. Made the Final Table but got busted when my 10-10 couldnt hold up against VLBPro's A-K.

See you all on Sunday!

Monday, June 1, 2009

By the skin of my teeth

Before I get into anything, everyone should shoot Al a big thank you for putting together this awesome series and for me personally giving me my first shot at the WSOP. Thank you Al!

After a horrible final day of the BBT I ended up losing out on the May POTM to Jordan after he played to a 3rd in the Brit. Congrats go out to him for playing his rear off in May and I absolutely believe he deserved it.

Even though i crapped out of the Big Game and had to sweat TJ making the points, I pulled out a 1st place overall in the series. I'd like to personally thank TJ, Heffmike, Jordan, and Shabazz for keeping the pressure on me to do well.

See you all next Sunday!