I haven't played in almost two weeks. I have been out of town and even tried to play in Spokane while I was there but was late getting to the casino.
Tonight I am back in Jokers playing the evening tournament. There were 30 individuals starting. I played with patience and played the best cards and did not over play any of the cards that I had. I had a number of pocket pairs and I did let quite a few of them go because I was not in position and someone raised the pot after the flop.
I did make it to the final table this evening. I like the final table because anything can happen. You just have to give yourself the chance to move up in chips and get some cards that will help you. I had to tell myself a couple of times to remain patient and not move all in just because I felt I was getting low on chips. Keep playing and when I played correctly I kept adding to my chip count.
I ended up in 4th place tonight. I did make the buyin back so I got to play the tournament for free, so to speak. I missed the bigger money by just one spot. At that time the blinds were 3000/6000 and only had enough for two rounds. I had K7 and the person that called me had Q7 and he got the Q on the flop.
I feel very good about my play tonight. Patience and Position really played a role for me tonight.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
New Toy
I purchased this new toy last week. I have been trying to load my stuff on the little guy. It is 8.5 inches and travels very well. 1GB of RAM and 16 GB Hard drive. It has a video cam on the lid with speaker. 3 USB ports and a port for a Video Monitor if I want to use it with my bigger screen. It has an ethernet card in it as well. It will be a great traveling companion.
No poker this week. I have been working later trying to catch up at work and studying for the A+ Certification as well. I am trying to take a practice test every night and now reading another A+ Cert Book by Mike Meyers. I will have to go back to Spokane for another day of Videos and more testing to prepare. I would like to get this done sometime within the next 2 months. I hate tests. I have never done very well with them. I usually like 2 answers and find it hard to pick just one. There is always a 50 - 50 chance I will get it right.
I am getting ready for the Spring Tournament at Wildhorse this next month. I have decided not to play the satellite this time and just play in one of the regular tournaments. I will be playing on April 19. I have been reading poker books as well. I haven't played at Jokers in a couple of weeks. I will try to play this week at some point. I see they have a Sunday tournament for $60 and may try that one as well.
Nothing new on the Diabetes front. Still taking 5 shots per day and watching the numbers.
Have a good week.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Jail Time
Not really.
This is what it must feel like though. I am in Spokane for the week and taking a computer class. I am now working on getting myself certified in CompTIA A+. I will also be working on Remote certification as well. I have been getting to the classroom around 0730 in the morning ( it opens at 0830 )and since it is open I have been going in and starting the computer learning. I watch videos all day and take Quizzes after each module. Today we actually opened up a computer and took it apart and we then talked about the pieces and then had to build it back and it had to run after we got done. It did.
Getting back to the room around 5:00 and then quickly going to get something to eat. I am back in the room and then I start studying again for the next day. I have to be done with all of the modules by friday. I think I am going to make it. I will have a week off and then need to come back up and do some more computer work. After this week it is all preparation for the test.
This room must be 12 X 12 if that much. That is why I say a jail room.
I did go to the Players Club Poker room on Sunday when I got here but they started their tournament at 6PM instead of 6:30 like it said on the internet. It was a nice small casino about the size of Jokers. Maybe when I come back up and need to spend the night I will be able to play.
Well, I need to get back to studying. It will be nice to be home friday evening and have a weekend to rest up before I get back to the office.
This is what it must feel like though. I am in Spokane for the week and taking a computer class. I am now working on getting myself certified in CompTIA A+. I will also be working on Remote certification as well. I have been getting to the classroom around 0730 in the morning ( it opens at 0830 )and since it is open I have been going in and starting the computer learning. I watch videos all day and take Quizzes after each module. Today we actually opened up a computer and took it apart and we then talked about the pieces and then had to build it back and it had to run after we got done. It did.
Getting back to the room around 5:00 and then quickly going to get something to eat. I am back in the room and then I start studying again for the next day. I have to be done with all of the modules by friday. I think I am going to make it. I will have a week off and then need to come back up and do some more computer work. After this week it is all preparation for the test.
This room must be 12 X 12 if that much. That is why I say a jail room.
I did go to the Players Club Poker room on Sunday when I got here but they started their tournament at 6PM instead of 6:30 like it said on the internet. It was a nice small casino about the size of Jokers. Maybe when I come back up and need to spend the night I will be able to play.
Well, I need to get back to studying. It will be nice to be home friday evening and have a weekend to rest up before I get back to the office.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Wrestling
Our Grandson's first match yesterday at Benton City. Way to go Darion on your second place.Learning the Game
When I see new people sit down at the tournament table it brings back memories of how I once started the game. I didn't know the proper way to bet, or where to sit, play the cards, betting and when to bet. The other night it brought back the memories again. Two individuals sat down at the table and they were very new to the tournament scene. Now I am sure they played online and were now trying out the live scene.
I started out in the small blind and this new person called. Since the BB had not sat down yet I figured I could just take the pot. Well, the new guy kept betting and he did eventually win the hand. I wasn't playing a good hand so I was just trying to win the pot. After about two hands and these two people playing just about every hand I decided to back off and wait for a real good hand and take them out. I think the rest of the table caught on as well. It was interesting to watch the dynamics of the table and see what they would do with these guys. Basically they stopped playing.
One hand in particular the guy bet $1000 on a pot that had $150 in it. Not worth calling this unless you can take the pot with a good hand.
I was able to get AA and just called to see if I could get the two guys in the pot. Instead I got the person next to me. I raised the pot on the flop and she followed. I then did it again after the turn and the river. I won the hand and pulled in a nice pot. The next hand I played was 1010 and this time one of the new guys called and I again raised the pot and he followed. On the River I got a 10 and I put him all in at that time. He called and I took him out.
I really hope to see these two people again. I hope they don't get discouraged. It is a good game but it does require patience and time to learn the game. I am still learning how to bet and when to bet. I am getting better. I ended up in 12th place on the tournament and felt good about my play.
I am headed to Spokane for the week and maybe tonight I can play a tournament up there. The rest of the week will be study, study, and more study. No time to play.
I started out in the small blind and this new person called. Since the BB had not sat down yet I figured I could just take the pot. Well, the new guy kept betting and he did eventually win the hand. I wasn't playing a good hand so I was just trying to win the pot. After about two hands and these two people playing just about every hand I decided to back off and wait for a real good hand and take them out. I think the rest of the table caught on as well. It was interesting to watch the dynamics of the table and see what they would do with these guys. Basically they stopped playing.
One hand in particular the guy bet $1000 on a pot that had $150 in it. Not worth calling this unless you can take the pot with a good hand.
I was able to get AA and just called to see if I could get the two guys in the pot. Instead I got the person next to me. I raised the pot on the flop and she followed. I then did it again after the turn and the river. I won the hand and pulled in a nice pot. The next hand I played was 1010 and this time one of the new guys called and I again raised the pot and he followed. On the River I got a 10 and I put him all in at that time. He called and I took him out.
I really hope to see these two people again. I hope they don't get discouraged. It is a good game but it does require patience and time to learn the game. I am still learning how to bet and when to bet. I am getting better. I ended up in 12th place on the tournament and felt good about my play.
I am headed to Spokane for the week and maybe tonight I can play a tournament up there. The rest of the week will be study, study, and more study. No time to play.
Monday, March 09, 2009
Poker Time Tonight
I sat in seat 5 on the spade table. This table is to be the final table for the night. I was ready to sit in the same spot throughout the night and be there at the end.
The hands I was playing throughout the evening were winning hands and when I lost the hand it was not by much. In my mind I was ready.
Why was I so upset with myself tonight at this point? I was concentrating so well and not taking chances unless I had the best hand. I was making others make the decisions to play for their chips. I wasn't loose and not real aggressive. I had the game tonight. Why was I walking out the door with still 12 people playing?
Well, it was a loss of concentration and where I was at in the tournament. One person was all in and we had a number of people in the pot. I called from the blind. The flop came 810Q. I was holding Q9. I have been aggressive at this point throughout the night. This is when I pushed all in as well. The guy next to me couldn't believe what I did. Neither could the guy in seat 9. I was supposed to check it down and eliminate the other all in person. The guy next to me calls my all in at the same time berating me for making the all in move. The turn comes 9. I now have 2 pair. It looks like I might win the pot afterall. That is when the J came on the river and he has a straight to my 2 pair.
Walking out the door I am talking to myself about the hand I just played. How poorly I played because I could have gotten away by loosing a small amount and could have continued to play in the tournament. I was doing well and I blew it. Not paying attention at the end to get another person out and I could have still made the final table.
Keep learning and next time don't get anxious to throw all your chips in the pot. Pay attention to what is going on around you.
The hands I was playing throughout the evening were winning hands and when I lost the hand it was not by much. In my mind I was ready.
Why was I so upset with myself tonight at this point? I was concentrating so well and not taking chances unless I had the best hand. I was making others make the decisions to play for their chips. I wasn't loose and not real aggressive. I had the game tonight. Why was I walking out the door with still 12 people playing?
Well, it was a loss of concentration and where I was at in the tournament. One person was all in and we had a number of people in the pot. I called from the blind. The flop came 810Q. I was holding Q9. I have been aggressive at this point throughout the night. This is when I pushed all in as well. The guy next to me couldn't believe what I did. Neither could the guy in seat 9. I was supposed to check it down and eliminate the other all in person. The guy next to me calls my all in at the same time berating me for making the all in move. The turn comes 9. I now have 2 pair. It looks like I might win the pot afterall. That is when the J came on the river and he has a straight to my 2 pair.
Walking out the door I am talking to myself about the hand I just played. How poorly I played because I could have gotten away by loosing a small amount and could have continued to play in the tournament. I was doing well and I blew it. Not paying attention at the end to get another person out and I could have still made the final table.
Keep learning and next time don't get anxious to throw all your chips in the pot. Pay attention to what is going on around you.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
All things Good
Today we worked on the bathroom to get the sheetrock up on the walls. Now that this is up the next thing to be done is the taping. We went to Lowe's last night to look at tile and other items to see what we can do to update this bathroom. We even found some stuff that we want to do to our bathroom in our master bedroom. That should be fun. Get rid of the bath tub and make a shower only.
On Thursday I went to Jokers Casino and played in the tournament. I ended up in 17th place. I got AA and won the hand when I forced the person next to me in a hard decision. He had 2 pair but didn't want to risk what I had in my hand. He folded the hand even though he had the best hand with 2 pair. My very next hand was AA and again I forced the guy next to me into a hard decision and he folded again. I did get enough chips to help me stay in for a while.
I got 44 and ended up throwing them away when someone raised before me. I also got 33 three times during the tournament and I threw them away and played the last 33 and lost to Q's.
One of my early hands I played was 1010 and I got a 10 on the river for a nice set. Again the amount of chips I got really helped me.
I was looking forward to playing the live game and they decided to have a 2 - 20 game. Not too sure about that. This spread might be a little better since more people may not just limp in with anything. I would rather play something not so much but maybe this will be a better game.
I am reading a book by Tom McEvoy on Limit Hold'em as well as Tournament Hold'em games. I am starting to understand a little bit more on the hands I need to play.
I am trying to get ready for the Spring games at Wildhorse in Pendleton in April. I would like to play a regular tournament this time instead of the Super Satellites.
Having Fun
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