I am almost losing my mind. I am actually thinking of quitting poker because I feel I am just an unlucky person. I have really struggled with these thought. That might be the problem, maybe I am making myself an unlucky player. I took advantage of the Poker Stars 25% bonus offer by depositing $500 to make a $125.00 bonus. I generally play at the .25/.50 limit because I play for fun, but I would like to move up from success and not cash deposit. So late last night I set up my usual 4 table screen, but at the .25/.50 game. I was really catching cards and almost double a stack at one table. Because Poker Tracker as been hacked, I didn't run the program. I was cruising along when I lost 2 buy-ins within 3 minutes.
Hand #1 Me: AA
I have been really tight and elected to raise my AA's 4X. I am UTG and get a call from a MP player. Flop comes 246r. I lead out for 3/4 pot and get a call. Turn card is a 1o, same action, I am in for 1/2 pot bet, call! The river is a blank and the gut shoves? WTF set? No, the standard 10/4 to make 2 pair. Bad read?
Hand#2 Me: AQ
I am in the BB and re-raise the MP raiser, he calls. Flop is a beauty 5AQ for top 2. Lead out, re-raised by the original so I think he has the AK (makes sense from the action) and get in in good! Well not exactly he has 55 and makes flopped the set to my top 2. WTF!
Hand #3 Me: AK
Blind war with I guy I had stacked the hand before with my AQ on an A high board, he went to the felt with JJ. I raise he calls a flop of AT6. Bet and call, turn T. The river is a K, again I have top 2, bet and he min raises, so I think JQ? or split. I am pot committed so I call and he shows AT for the made boat. Ugh!
So I get to sleep and all the while wondering just how bad a poker player am I? I again remind myself that when someone shoves, that means something.
I wake up today to the warning that the "nail girl" is coming over, so to the desk top I go for a little bonus building poker time. I pound into my head that I will play tight, and without the nuts, lay down to any decent looking shove. The cards are not the best today, but I am making progress. Then the black flag waves it's evil colors again:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1488153
Could I just be an unlucky player? I mean what am I suppose to do here? As you can see, how am I suppose to make it in poker with this kind of stuff. The funny thing is, when I asked Balkan what he put me on, he replied "KK". That makes it even worse, even he knew I would lose! I like the other bloggers as they site results oriented poker and short term variance. Tell me of any sport or activity that goes like this, " I know I lost, and continue to lose, but I am playing well and I am really getting it in good. I am not concerned that I am losing, as long I am playing well". Come on now, let's get real. It sucks losing a hand or a session or many sessions. It sucks and it hurts, no matter that I am "getting it in with the best hand."
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Friday, September 14, 2007
Hitting a 2 outer..
While doing time in a state penitentiary, I get to witness things that many other don’t. Although many of the inmates that I am entrusted to watch are a little insane to all out spun, I can’t help but wonder how these people made it through the judicial system. Those of you who have read this blog have been witness to many of these folks. The inmates I get to spend a day with are the same people you cross the street from. They are the people on the corner and street begging for change, or rummaging through the trash for a meal or a smoke. On the streets I have the same options as many of you. I can ignore them (which I generally do) or I can help them. At work I don’t have the luxury of crossing the street. I have to deal with each one.
The day started like any other day. I walk in and hear the slamming sallyport doors and to receive my assignment. I am lucky in the sense that I get to work various jobs. I am not stuck in a single assignment. Today, I draw the Reception Center. I have to handle 850 inmates fresh from county jail and eager to start to do their time. I also get the tasty side dish of the Security Housing Unit (SHU). Either way, it sucks. The SHU is considered the states prison within the prison. It is like the players on the Game Show Networks High Stakes Poker. A very elite group of player playing at a level many others can only marvel. The personalities are similar to the poker players. The loud and over the top cons like Matasow and the silent, but deadly killers like Phil Ivy. Anyway it is a club that I have to rule over. On this day I am dealing with a racially motivated and dangerous inmate who has been busted in prison for making weapons and Indecent Exposure, a black inmate who hates whites and loves to show her money maker. I am tasked with getting placed in a cell with only a blanket for clothing and a hole in the ground as a bathroom. Her home for the weekend will consist of padded walls and a small window.
As one could image, here comes the “devil white man” to hold a women down. After several minutes of “F you this and F your mother that” she gets placed in her single cell awaiting a healthy dose of Haldol to help “sooth” the pain. When you have to deal with a nut like this, and accomplish the mission without pepper spray or steel baton, it feels like hitting a 2 outer on the river. You can’t explain how it happened, but you still say, “Ship It! Holla”.
Speaking of hitting a 2 outer, I logged on to FTP to basically blow off my last $41.00 playing a little poker. I accomplished half of the task when I got heads up with an fn donkola. I call him that even though homie took my stack. I really wasn't that upset. I saw this guy shove it all in with TPWK, and a second shove with A2 suited on a chasing a runner runner flush draw (which he hit). So on a JJ66 board I thought my 10’s were good, but his QQ one the day. I call it a bad read. Anyway, I am down to my last $17.00 and decide I am going out on a .50/1 table. I buy in and wait for any pair to shove. Well I hit a 77 and true to form, stuff it in. The table folds and I am back to $20.00. I work my way up to $27.00 when I call a LP raise with 33 from the BB. The board looks pretty safe and my stack is small at $23.00 when I lead out for a ¾ pot bet. The LP raiser puts me all in and I say F it, so I call. He shows a small pair of Aces to my 33. Well like clock work a 3 peels of the turn and I have a quick double up. Needless to say the LP raiser is till cussing me about a 2 outer and how I can call and, “yada, yada, yada”. Like I said earlier, Ship It, Holla! With a couple of timely bets and a second shove I ended up with a true double up. Hell, I can’t even give the FTP money away.
The day started like any other day. I walk in and hear the slamming sallyport doors and to receive my assignment. I am lucky in the sense that I get to work various jobs. I am not stuck in a single assignment. Today, I draw the Reception Center. I have to handle 850 inmates fresh from county jail and eager to start to do their time. I also get the tasty side dish of the Security Housing Unit (SHU). Either way, it sucks. The SHU is considered the states prison within the prison. It is like the players on the Game Show Networks High Stakes Poker. A very elite group of player playing at a level many others can only marvel. The personalities are similar to the poker players. The loud and over the top cons like Matasow and the silent, but deadly killers like Phil Ivy. Anyway it is a club that I have to rule over. On this day I am dealing with a racially motivated and dangerous inmate who has been busted in prison for making weapons and Indecent Exposure, a black inmate who hates whites and loves to show her money maker. I am tasked with getting placed in a cell with only a blanket for clothing and a hole in the ground as a bathroom. Her home for the weekend will consist of padded walls and a small window.
As one could image, here comes the “devil white man” to hold a women down. After several minutes of “F you this and F your mother that” she gets placed in her single cell awaiting a healthy dose of Haldol to help “sooth” the pain. When you have to deal with a nut like this, and accomplish the mission without pepper spray or steel baton, it feels like hitting a 2 outer on the river. You can’t explain how it happened, but you still say, “Ship It! Holla”.
Speaking of hitting a 2 outer, I logged on to FTP to basically blow off my last $41.00 playing a little poker. I accomplished half of the task when I got heads up with an fn donkola. I call him that even though homie took my stack. I really wasn't that upset. I saw this guy shove it all in with TPWK, and a second shove with A2 suited on a chasing a runner runner flush draw (which he hit). So on a JJ66 board I thought my 10’s were good, but his QQ one the day. I call it a bad read. Anyway, I am down to my last $17.00 and decide I am going out on a .50/1 table. I buy in and wait for any pair to shove. Well I hit a 77 and true to form, stuff it in. The table folds and I am back to $20.00. I work my way up to $27.00 when I call a LP raise with 33 from the BB. The board looks pretty safe and my stack is small at $23.00 when I lead out for a ¾ pot bet. The LP raiser puts me all in and I say F it, so I call. He shows a small pair of Aces to my 33. Well like clock work a 3 peels of the turn and I have a quick double up. Needless to say the LP raiser is till cussing me about a 2 outer and how I can call and, “yada, yada, yada”. Like I said earlier, Ship It, Holla! With a couple of timely bets and a second shove I ended up with a true double up. Hell, I can’t even give the FTP money away.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
A cooler or a poor selection of wine?
I posted a note last night after a bottle of the grape and decided to take it easy and sit at a table for a little poke. The table was very loose and I was card dead. for most of the session. I was a little off my game, because I was drunk! I played super tight as not to appear drunk to the players. I generally don't play intoxicated or when I am very tired. This will sound very stupid, but understand my mindset at the time I opened the table. Anyway, this restaurant we went to is a tough ticket to get, and the parking is equally as tough. As we come driving up in preparation for the valet, the only non-valet spot for the eatery opens up. Viola' in we go, door front and a $5 spot to the good. Well hell, with luck like that, who wouldn't go and play some poker, drunk or not. So it, was the parking that lead my drunk ass to the table. Pathetic! So there I sit, it's 1:00am, I have a bottle of Francis' Claret and a 19" screen spewing colored squares and making the same noise I heard when I rode my bike with cards in the spokes. In the SB I see 2 cards with the same numbers. Hell, even I know that is pretty good! Well the UTG guy makes a standard 4x raise, and it is folded to me. I really can't comprehend the action, but something tells me to call. Well the rest is poker history...
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1472468
After playing the hand, 2 things were painfully obvious. The first is I should not play poker drunk and feeling invincible because I got a good parking space and the second, I had no more chips.
I can't help but wonder if things would have turned out differently I had been sipping on a bottle of Opus One?
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1472468
After playing the hand, 2 things were painfully obvious. The first is I should not play poker drunk and feeling invincible because I got a good parking space and the second, I had no more chips.
I can't help but wonder if things would have turned out differently I had been sipping on a bottle of Opus One?
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
WHAT!
I am writing this blog three quarter's drunk (anymore and i couldn't type) on Mark West 2005 Pinot Noir and busting it to Beck, Dean Martin, Frank, Biggie Smalls, Clapton and Slim Shaddy. Tonight was a celebratory dinner at a premium steakhouse, Flemming's. Finally sold the home and decided to spend some profit. It's nice because it's the three amigo's, my wife and child and of course the ConvictKeeper. After dropping a cool $250.00 on a few steaks and soup, I decided to get something off my chest. I would like to be playing poker right now, however I do not posses the mental facilities required to play, because I am intoxicated from the grape. However, that will not keep me from venting something that I feel very strongly about. So without further ado, here goes.
I must begin this rant by stating I am not a inmate lover at all. Hey, as far as I am concerned, they did the crime, so go on and do the time. However I am a strong advocate of fairness, convict or not. So here we go...
The other day I participated in an investigation into the alleged wrong doing of a Correctional Officer. It will be determined that the officer did nothing unethical or against policy. I always get dragged into the things because I am generally the highest ranking supervisor on grounds when the shit hits the fan. The price one pays for fame. Anyway, this issue occurred on December 1, 2006. The incident is common enough. An inmate gets her ass beat and we have to investigate the crime. In the words of Jerry Seinfeld, "yada, yada, yada". Whatever!
Anyway, a piece of trash lifer (murderer) makes a complaint that our guard saw the whole crime and did nothing about. Here goes the investigation. Well we will see after awhile if anything happened, in the meantime, I get a call for an interview in September of '07. WTF, am I suppose to remember what happen 10 months ago?
Well as luck has it, we buikd a case based on confidential information. Mind you, this "confidential" information is obtained from people who have spent a life telling lies, but that's another story. The "suspect" has her day in court and is found Not Guilty. As it turns out, the confidential information is unreliable (go figure) and the Lieutenant who adjudicated the case found her Not Guilty! This occurred in January of '07.
Fast forward to September of '07. Each inmate phone call is recorded and placed on a computer hard drive. This is done to help stop the infiltration of drugs and the trafficking of these drugs on a daily basis. Anyway, in one of these recorded calls, the inmate accused of committing the battery, is discovered. The suspect is heard admitting to the battery.
Excuse me, I had to take a break to bust open a bottle of 2004 Francis Coppola Claret (a black label Cabernet Sauvignon) and que up Dean Martins "Ain't That A Kick In The Head". This has got to be the deepest red Cabernet have ever seen. A great taste, smooth and dark, robust and "oaky" with a dusty hint of berry. Now on to Snoop Dogg's and Dr. Dre's "G-thing". Yea!
Anyway back to the issue, The institution has been caught violating several of the inmate's rights. So WTF happens? The toss the convict in the "hole" on a trumped up charge and violate a truckload of civil rights in the process. I am now officially steaming. I have to toss another sip back. The CONVICTKEEPER recommends the 2004 Francis Copplola 2004 Black Label Claret.
Listen up! We owe it to the citizen's of the great state of California to uphold the laws and statutes sit forth in the state and federal Constitution. However, we can not go on and shit on the rights afforded to every person, albeit convict or not. We can not bend the rules to try and cover up our mistakes. We blew it here. We did not do our jobs investigating this incident. As we say in the joint, "Hey, shit happens". We feel we can lock an inmate up after 10 months because she is now considered a threat.. WTF, she did nothing in the 10 months as we kept her ass on the mainline, now because someone may get in trouble for not doing their job, we beat the inmate like a rented mule and toss her in the hole? It just ain't right. We are so FN corrupt it is sad.
I write this because I live by a standard, a standard that can be explained in one motto, "If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything". Whatever, if it wasn't for the smooth sounds of Sinatra, "A Very Good Year", I'd be tossing back the Jack Daniels.
I must begin this rant by stating I am not a inmate lover at all. Hey, as far as I am concerned, they did the crime, so go on and do the time. However I am a strong advocate of fairness, convict or not. So here we go...
The other day I participated in an investigation into the alleged wrong doing of a Correctional Officer. It will be determined that the officer did nothing unethical or against policy. I always get dragged into the things because I am generally the highest ranking supervisor on grounds when the shit hits the fan. The price one pays for fame. Anyway, this issue occurred on December 1, 2006. The incident is common enough. An inmate gets her ass beat and we have to investigate the crime. In the words of Jerry Seinfeld, "yada, yada, yada". Whatever!
Anyway, a piece of trash lifer (murderer) makes a complaint that our guard saw the whole crime and did nothing about. Here goes the investigation. Well we will see after awhile if anything happened, in the meantime, I get a call for an interview in September of '07. WTF, am I suppose to remember what happen 10 months ago?
Well as luck has it, we buikd a case based on confidential information. Mind you, this "confidential" information is obtained from people who have spent a life telling lies, but that's another story. The "suspect" has her day in court and is found Not Guilty. As it turns out, the confidential information is unreliable (go figure) and the Lieutenant who adjudicated the case found her Not Guilty! This occurred in January of '07.
Fast forward to September of '07. Each inmate phone call is recorded and placed on a computer hard drive. This is done to help stop the infiltration of drugs and the trafficking of these drugs on a daily basis. Anyway, in one of these recorded calls, the inmate accused of committing the battery, is discovered. The suspect is heard admitting to the battery.
Excuse me, I had to take a break to bust open a bottle of 2004 Francis Coppola Claret (a black label Cabernet Sauvignon) and que up Dean Martins "Ain't That A Kick In The Head". This has got to be the deepest red Cabernet have ever seen. A great taste, smooth and dark, robust and "oaky" with a dusty hint of berry. Now on to Snoop Dogg's and Dr. Dre's "G-thing". Yea!
Anyway back to the issue, The institution has been caught violating several of the inmate's rights. So WTF happens? The toss the convict in the "hole" on a trumped up charge and violate a truckload of civil rights in the process. I am now officially steaming. I have to toss another sip back. The CONVICTKEEPER recommends the 2004 Francis Copplola 2004 Black Label Claret.
Listen up! We owe it to the citizen's of the great state of California to uphold the laws and statutes sit forth in the state and federal Constitution. However, we can not go on and shit on the rights afforded to every person, albeit convict or not. We can not bend the rules to try and cover up our mistakes. We blew it here. We did not do our jobs investigating this incident. As we say in the joint, "Hey, shit happens". We feel we can lock an inmate up after 10 months because she is now considered a threat.. WTF, she did nothing in the 10 months as we kept her ass on the mainline, now because someone may get in trouble for not doing their job, we beat the inmate like a rented mule and toss her in the hole? It just ain't right. We are so FN corrupt it is sad.
I write this because I live by a standard, a standard that can be explained in one motto, "If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything". Whatever, if it wasn't for the smooth sounds of Sinatra, "A Very Good Year", I'd be tossing back the Jack Daniels.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Different Opinions
It is early in the morning by my standards. I was just checking any reponses to a post I submitted to Cardrunners. I had a question regading the hand I posted here yesterday. I lost to a straight flush after flopping a set of 5's. It was a very bad call, but hey, that won't be the last.
I posted the hand for discussion to see if the hand was played correctly. Earlier in the week I posted another hand that was similar.
Here is the hand: http://www.pokerhand.org/?1445867 .
Everyone (15 posts) said I should have raised or shove the turn. I took that to heart and followed the communities opinion on the hand yesterday. Well I did get sucked out on by a straight flush. I posted that hand and the response was, not to have shoved the turn because I telegraphed my hand and would have allowed lesser hands to fold.
I guess when it get down to it, you play what you feel is correct. If I am still discussing that hand from yesterday, then it would be wise to take a day off.
Going back to work after 17 days off. Prison life is about to fire up again. I am looking forward to a change of pace, but I can assure you, I can not wait to retire!
I posted the hand for discussion to see if the hand was played correctly. Earlier in the week I posted another hand that was similar.
Here is the hand: http://www.pokerhand.org/?1445867 .
Everyone (15 posts) said I should have raised or shove the turn. I took that to heart and followed the communities opinion on the hand yesterday. Well I did get sucked out on by a straight flush. I posted that hand and the response was, not to have shoved the turn because I telegraphed my hand and would have allowed lesser hands to fold.
I guess when it get down to it, you play what you feel is correct. If I am still discussing that hand from yesterday, then it would be wise to take a day off.
Going back to work after 17 days off. Prison life is about to fire up again. I am looking forward to a change of pace, but I can assure you, I can not wait to retire!
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
UGH! Not another...
Man I am down on my luck. I can't win a race, out flopped and out kicked. I sent a joking e-mail to Poker Stars and they did a hand history review for 2 weeks and they even noticed how bad I am running. It takes great strength to continue after just getting clocked. I had a nice double up when my JJ filled up against AA, but other than that it's been a drag. I gambled on a very speculative hand (35s) from the SB but when the flop hit, BOOYA! or so i thought
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1450497 UGH!
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1450497 UGH!
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Need strength to continue...
The past few sessions have been horrible. I took a break to shake of the bad karma, and I see it is still with me. poker, although fun, can be very frustrating. I have not won a race in any SNG's, and I seem to be getting run down. I lose a big pot with an all-in from a complete donkey who ADMITS he can only win from bluffs and over bets. I raise my AQ, he re-raises I put it in and he follows with a 690ff, and of course wins. He then laughs at me. UGH! And the 2 outers on the SNG's followed by the runner runner flushes and straights. It is very difficult to be optimistic during these long and difficult stretches. I guess I am being to "results orientated", but really.
Here is the latest example of my woes.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1445867
Here is the latest example of my woes.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1445867
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