Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in rafer11's LiveJournal:

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Thursday, February 1st, 2007
11:46 am	Last Night's Session Well, if I was happy yesterday when I made $15 in six hours, just imagine how I felt today when I walked out of my boy Ryan's with $150 in profit. I thought I played pretty well in a ten-handed atmosphere last night. Given the fact that there were so many heads on the deck (as Alexei and Matt Baker always say), I had to play tight-aggressive squared for the majority of the session. In fact, during the entire time ten-handed I made maybe one "bluff" (of course that deserves a bonus point because I got calling station Val to fold). Unfortunately, I really don't have any good laydown stories. I just have a plethora of good call stories and one insanely bad call. I'll start with the negatives. I'm sittin' with about $120 in chips after about five hours of play. Like I said, for the most part of the session up to that point I had been very tight-aggressive, up to the point where you wouldn't call my raise with anything less than wired 8s. I'm sitting in second position with 10s. Baker makes it four to go under the gun. Smooth-calling would have been acceptable, but for some reason I decided to try to isolate Baker. I really didn't want anybody else in this point, so I made it $13 straight. Fold, fold. Then here comes Ryan, and let me explain something about him because I've never mentioned him when talking poker. He's a really good player, definitely better than I initially gave him credit for. He's a constantly evolving player, and to me there's really no one way you can label him. However, tonight he is somewhat steaming. Earlier in the session he dumped off like $50 on one hand against Baker, trying to bluff when Baker rivered the nuts. It seemed to send him in a downhill spiral and he had been playing really fast since then, overbetting the hell out of pots. At one point I had to lay down pocket 8s to a board of A-Q-blank when he went all-in into a $7 pot, even though I knew in my heart I was winning. I even called him out on it. But, why the explanation? He goes all-in for about $46. What is this, .25/.50 or 1/2? I went threw my hand recalls. I mentioned that Ryan is a very adaptive player, and although he does have patterns (which, like Adam's in the last post I won't say aloud), it's hard to get a tell on him when he's playing so fast. One thing I have learned from him in the past is that while he does bluff at times, he usually is putting his money in with the best hand. But, tonight he's not playing "usual". I took nearly two minutes to analyze it, and then Ryan starts talking. "You're folding, just fold. Just fold." Then, I thought to myself why is he rushing me? I put him on AK and called. Js. Check this out: I flopped a ten and I said, "Sometimes you just have to get lucky." The turn is a jack. So, after all that grinding I lost a third of my stack on a hand where most players would have folded but I outsmarted myself and called. More about tens later... But, I know my areas of opportunity, now I'll talk about my "good" plays. Most of the night I had to play ABC, but after the game got short-handed I had the chance to start playing some cards. I had maybe $60 left, and I found A-Q off UTG. True to the momentum of the game, I made a "standard" raise to $3 total (lol). I get three callers. The flop comes K-4-2, two spades I believe. Baker checks to me, and I fire in six more, ultimately trying to pick up the pot right there with a continuation bet. Aaron (whom I'd never played with before) folded. Brandon called. Baker folded. Ace comes on the turn. Time for some acting. I didn't say, "Goddamnit!" when the ace came or anything, and I didn't shrug or sigh, but I did twist my body language a little bit. I checked. Brandon bet $15. Knowing how Brandon plays, I know he has an ace. I antagonized over it for a minute, partially because I know he has an ace but partially because I'm scared he may just have trips or a sloppy two piece. Those are the kind of hands he would call with. Brandon, like most poker players, simply won't smooth call with A-K. But, I pretty much decided he didn't have anything more than a weak ace. I pushed somewhat reluctantly externally but on the inside I was confident. He scared me with his quick call but only turned over A-3. River no help. My acting must have paid off; B said he put me on a K. That made me healthy again and thoughts of those tens waned a little bit. Then comes the night maker. It's now three-handed with Brandon, Baker, and I. I have pocket tens on the button, and I'm thinking, even before the hand starts, even before I look at B or Baker for early tells, "Here we go again." I made it $4 to go from the button. Brandon calls. So does Baker. The flop comes 7-5-4, two diamonds. Not wanting to fuck around and let either one of them see another card, I bet $15. Brandon goes, "Bet you liked that flop, didn't you?" I say yes. With Baker sitting behind him, he pushes. And this isn't just any push. It's $64 to go. Wow. That's a huge raise. And I can't call it. If I lay this down I'm still good for the night, up like $70. That's not bad, especially considering what happened earlier when I had this same hand, only this time there's a flop to help me out. However, I'm not ready to give up yet. I start talking a little bit as I've grown accustomed to. I looked at him and told him my observation. "You're not doing this with As, Ks, Qs, or Js, because I would have heard about it pre-flop." His face confirmed that assertion correct. "You may have a set?" Inconclusive response. "You're that scared of a draw to overbet your set?" Nothing really. Then I remembered something I read in Mike Caro's book. I will share this because there's hardly any way Brandon can control it, but I just wanted you guys to be aware that I'm seeing things a lot better at the table. Brandon's neck was pulsating like crazy. And that, and that only, is the reason I made the call because I put him on a draw of some kind. If I didn't spot that, I'm out of the hand. He turned over K-J, which while relieving to know I was right didn't make me happy. Basically 17 outs with two pulls left. But, I survived. So, all in all it was a hell of a night. A third of it, actually more like half of it is gone to baby food, but damn... +365 for the year. At this point I can't be mad. Current Mood: tired (Comment on this)
Wednesday, January 31st, 2007
3:38 pm	Positive Poker Experience I never thought I'd be so happy about making $15 in five hours in a cash game and a tournament. I played at Towson last night for the first time for what adds up to small change. $20 buy-in is standard for me, but the blinds were at .10-.20. When I first read about the game on facebook, I was hesitant about coming. I thought it'd be a bunch of people learning the game, you know what I'm talking about, heads limping in with K-3 off and shit. But, I was pleasantly surprised. The kids playing were really legit, making big lay downs and ridiculously insane calls. Any time you have people laying down top pair with a decent kicker you know the game is for real. I even got the chance to play in a live tournament for the first time in ages last night. $10 buy-in split 80-20-10. I kid you not when I say that I had to play some top flight poker to end up in the money. The eight person tourney started off really well. I quintupled my stack within the first hour, and basically sat patient while everybody knocked everybody off. It was to the point where everybody had pretty much two options: all-in or fold. But, here's the turning point of the tourney: With the blinds at 100-200, dude in first position goes all-in for like 2,000. The guy sitting behind him, with a mere 850 left after a crushing coin flip defeat, called. I looked down and saw A-8 suited. I felt like I was winning, especially since both of the other guys were in desperation mode. I called. First position has K-3 off, short stack has Q-4 suited. Flop comes 6-Q-blank, and I did not pair my ace. I won the main point, but the short stack tripled up. Chip, chair, prayer, right? Down to three-handed. The next hand, he looks down and says, "Since I have chips now, I can raise and not push." He makes it something like 800 to go. I look down and see A-9 hearted. Easy call as the big stack. The dude sitting behind me also calls. Flop comes 10-9-4, two hearts. The raiser throws his remaining chips in there, making the pot around 4,500. Now, here's the thing: I'm getting about the right odds to make this call. However, in hindsight, I dunno. Cash games and tourneys are two different things, especially with the big differential between first and second and third. If I lost, he would take a decent chip lead. If I won, I'd have to have a complete meltdown to lose the tourney. I called. He had aces, which honestly I could have and should have seen coming, but that doesn't matter. I'm drawing at 11 outs twice. They don't come. And here's the hand that clinched my demise. I worked my stack back up by stealing blinds. I still trailed the chip leader (his name is Jason by the way). After dude sitting on the button folded, Jason limped in with the blinds at 150-300. I look down and see A-K suited. I want to try and trap him for more chips, so instead of raising I just checked. The flop came K-8-7, rainbow. He checked. I checked back. The turn was a 5. He bet the pot, and I pushed. Insta-call, flipping over 6-4 for the 2nd nuts. In short, I'm never slow-playing A-K again. What a costly mistake by me. First of all, obviously I should have raised. I would have taken 300 right then and there. But let's say I didn't. I could have bet the flop. I have a feeling he's calling regardless, but at least I would have put the ball in his court. Let's say I bet and he calls. He bet the turn, I could have just smooth-called and if a scary card came on the river I'd fold. Or, I could have just raised I guess, like a min-raise, and when he put me all-in I MIGHT fold. But, I dunno. At least I'm thinking about the game when I'm playing now. Still, despite my lack of profit that night it was a cool experience. I know that during these long Tuesdays it'll be refreshing to kick back and play some cards. Current Mood: content (Comment on this)
Monday, January 29th, 2007
12:19 pm	Chuck E. Cheese and Cards This past weekend we had a party for Cadence, who turned one on Thursday. I just can't believe that she's already one. It's almost surreal. I remember holding her in my arms for the first time on January 25th, 2006 at 5:37 PM, and shortly after putting on her first diaper. She's come a long way already in a year. She started out as a little tyke that just wanted to sleep. Now she's walking, saying, "dada" and playing basketball on her Fisher Price hoop. She's pretty nasty at her young age, and I can tell she's going to be a tough player, much tougher than her perimeter-oriented father. I can't stop her from ripping down the hoop. As usual, I've been playing a decent amount of cards. I've finally found a consistent game after a seemingly endless search every Wednesday night, along with a few Fridays and Saturdays here and there. The results so far have been, true to form, consistently inconsistent. Lately I've been playing better though, and I can feel it starting to come together. So far this year I've played in five sessions, with positive income in three. I've been +100, -60, +220, +20, and -80 in $20 min. buy-in games with the blinds at .25-.50. That puts me +200 in this young year so far, which is solid, but it really should be more, and it will be more if I continue to keep playing like I am. I had gotten my "radar" in online play to be pretty on-point, but the transition to live play didn't go over so well. I was able to rely purely on betting patterns and online tells (not to mention a tightened hand selection), but once I got to playing live all that went out the window. I found myself playing really weird hands (ace-rag, off-suited connectors) and making really bad reads. However, I've settled into playing live again, and I'm starting to recognize tells successfully and I'm limiting the amount of hands I play. I'm also starting to do something I haven't been able to do in the past: make big lay-downs. Example: I'm in the BB with A-7 unsuited. Three others limp to me, and I check. The flop comes A-7-2 rainbow, giving me top two. A lot of times I would bet this flop, hoping that someone would play back at me, but I checked because the board was completely ragged and I wanted to give someone a chance to catch up. Everyone checked behind me. The turn brought a K of spades, giving the board two spades. Not wanting anyone to see a river cheaply, I fired a pot-sized bet in there. I get two of the players to fold, but Adam, a player who's loose-aggressive but fairly conservative after the flop, raised, making it $5 on top of my $2 bet. At first I thought, "Yes! Exactly what I wanted." I milked it for a minute, and then I made it $10 more to go. Then, unfazed, he quickly mutters, "All-in." In the old days, this is an insta-call. However, these aren't the old days. I'm trying to take the next step. And here is my logic: A-7-2-K, two spades on the board. Since he didn't raise pre-flop, I couldn't put him on A-K. Adam isn't the type of player who would limp with AK. He sure isn't limping with 7-2 (though it's a running joke that 2-7 hits often at Ryan's house). I would have loved to put him on A-Q or A-J, but he's the type of player who would also raise with those hands in middle position. I could have put him on a naked ace, but with four others in the pot I have a feeling he would have let me know about his ace on the flop by betting. Pocket K's are out of the question because, again, he's not limping with those, either. I won't even mention pocket rockets. One thing I should also mention is that Adam, like many poker players, has an indicator of strength (which I won't mention because Adam might stumble upon this entry). While I'm contemplating my decision, he is displaying this tell to me quite unconsciously, which brings me back to the strength of his hand. What could he have that has him displaying such strength? In this situation, there are only two possibilities: pocket sevens or pocket deuces. It was hard, but I laid it down, face up. And, what does he show me? Pocket deuces. Adam later told me that he should have just smooth-called ten more and let me dig my own grave, and honestly, that might have been the right play, especially if the river was a brick. I honestly don't know if I could have gotten away from that hand on the river the way the hand was playing out. I'd love to say that I'd slow down and just check and make an excruciatingly tough fold on the river, but I can't. Adam would have value bet it on the river, I would have called, and I would have jumped off the balcony. Still, with that board, with no raises pre-flop, there are some world-class poker players that might have fallen into that trap. Plenty would have done what I did, but I'm just happy that I'm starting to make better decisions at the poker table. Now we'll just have to work on the rest of my life. Current Mood: determined (Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 23rd, 2007
3:12 pm	Shanta and I Wow it's been forever and a minute since I've done anything with this journal. I've pretty much been fooling around with my other journal a little bit more, only because I've devoted that one to my main passion: roundball. Damn, I really shouldn't say main passion based upon the title of this journal. Of course my daughter comes first. That line used to also include Shanta, too, but unfortunately we are no more... for now. Yep, we're taking a "break". It sucks because we still love each other, but admittedly I'm at fault for our demise. She's sacrificed a lot in our relationship, and yet here I am, 24 and still falling back into the same asinine patterns. Two alcohol-related charges, too much poker, not enough focus in scholastics, all of these ultimately contributed to us not being together. I personally think that we're going to get back together, and it wouldn't be for Cadence. No matter what happens, I'll always be a part of my daughter's life. But, if Shanta and I were gonna get back together, it would be because we love each other and we're committed to each other. I feel that I am, but it's easy for me to say that because I'm not in her shoes. I haven't had to put my life on hold for a year and a half. She has. I just feel like a jerk, you know? Like I ruined everything. I had the perfect girl, but like pretty much everything else in my life, I manage to screw it up. Such is my story. I am making strides to better myself. I haven't drank much at all since she left me, partly because I've been so focused on school during this mini-mester but mostly because I'm trying to become a better person without alcohol involved. Poker, well poker I still play once, maybe twice a week, but none online. And, when I do play, Shanta sees 100% of the money. Not exactly the best way to build a bankroll, but I find that I'm playing better because I know that if I lose, I lose. There are worse things in life I guess. Like the person you love telling you to get your shit straight. I'm trying... Current Mood: melancholy (Comment on this)
Monday, November 27th, 2006
4:10 pm	Reunion Nobody from that reunion probably reads this journal (scratch that,I can think of maybe two or three that would think about clicking the link of my profile). But, I figured I would at least share my thoughts on what happened just in case someone from that reunion happens to "stumble" upon the entry. First and foremost, I came there to drink and catch up on old times. I didn't even have that much time to drink since I got off at 12:30, so there's no way anybody can accuse or confuse me of being drunk. I walked in the door and dapped up people I hadn't seen in awhile and make my way to the bar, where I see one of my best friends from high school that I hadn't seen in awhile. I said, "What's up?" First words out of his mouth, "Fuck you, you fake motherfucker." Not exactly the welcome I was anticipating, but whatever, he's drunk, I'm not, I dismiss it. I even dismiss it a little more when countless people tell me that he was pretty crunk and sharing his inner-most feelings. The kid keeps going on and on about how well-off he is, and how "shitty" my life is now. Cool, it's still drunk talk and even so the shit is partially true. I still dismiss it. But then, he really crossed the line and started talking shit about my family. That's when I lost it. Like, my life would be better off if I didn't even have a kid. That's when I felt like I wanted to kill him. If I wasn't thinking about my family at the time, we would have definitely fought. I don't care how much bigger he is than me. He would have had to kick my ass, because I wouldn't have taken that shit. I have talked to a number of people since Saturday night/Sunday morning. ALL of them say they would have knocked him the fuck out. You don't know want to know what my girlfriend said. The biggest part I have about all of this is that he accused me of being a fake friend and never calling him. Yeah, well that's a two-way street, too. I'm sure he has a phone. He said that I never stop by to see him and say what's up. OK, I remember one instance in the past three years where you've actually done that, and that was waaay before Cadence was born. I remember IMing him and asking him what was up. No response, no idle image. All of that points to someone who, while drunk, was acting very hypocritical. You know who you are. I'm not mentioning your name or anything because I have more respect for you than you apparently have for me. Hopefully you've sobered up by now and you realize that you were wrong. Then again, I'm not placing the blame solely on you. We've all changed a lot since high school. I'm ready to talk whenever you're ready to talk. Current Mood: relieved (Comment on this)
Wednesday, November 8th, 2006
3:30 pm	What's Cooler than Cool? Exactly. Ice cold pretty much describes my poker during the past week. Total I think I've dropped about $300 since I last wrote. A person who makes excuses would pretty much go on and on about cold cards and bad beats, but honestly my play has been downright bad. Despite my experience in sit-n-gos I've been playing like I have no concept whatsoever of "bubble" play. Near the bubble I have been putting my money in with medium to low strength hands, and that goes back to the whole creative thing I mentioned last journal. I'm trying to catch people bluffing way too much. Alot of times it works, but then again when it doesn't work it always seems to be during a crucial time in the tournament. Say, for example, I flop mid-pair with a Daniel Negreneau like 8-6 of diamonds. I bet, a loose aggressive player with an equal chip stack will try to take me off the hand by going all-in. I'm so determined to catch that person bluffing, but then he turns over top piece or a set. My hand reading skills have gone to hell in the past couple of weeks. All this being said, I'm going back to the drawing board (no poker pun intended) and I'm going to stop playing online for a little bit. I have to work my confidence back up with $20 buy-in cash games. I still think I'm a better online player than a live player at this point, and I will definitely return to online soon enough, but I am just losing too much money right now, money that during Cadence's first holiday season I can't afford to lose. I was selling a washer and dryer pair to a couple of customers last night when a thought came to me in the middle of the sale. I've been at Best Buy for exactly one year. Although on my check statement my start date was Oct. 31, I remember that my first official shift was two days after Cadence's baby shower. Craziness. I mention this because, honestly, becoming so well-versed in appliances is probably one of the greatest accomplishments of my underachieving life thus far. I didn't know jack shit about appliances when I first got there. I didn't even know there was such a thing as a front loading washer, not to mention the fact that they use 72% less water than typical top-loading machines. Now I am the most experienced person in the department, and I find myself teaching other people all that I have learned. I remember asking my old supervisor Demetrius how long it took to learn about all the appliances. He laughed and said, "Probably about five years, and counting." He's right, though. While I know a ton about appliances now and can probably make a career out of it if I really wanted to (especially when the starting average salary for someone in journalism is an unflattering 15 G's), I find myself learning new stuff every day. It just goes to show you that if you're patiently persistent, you can accomplish anything. It's good to know that at the very worst I can graduate from college, stay at Best Buy and probably make close to 40 grand a year. At the worst. For my rant on the Dallas Mavericks, check my other blog. It's a long season, I'm not worried yet, but frustration must be vented externally like a non-convertible over-the-range microwave. What a year this has been... Current Mood: creative (Comment on this)
Wednesday, November 1st, 2006
6:20 pm	Life... ain't meant to come around twice... that's why I gotta make it right. I feel like I'm catching some serious senioritis. Maybe it's because truthfully I'm scared of going out into the real world and getting a real nine to five as opposed to a part-time gig. That's some scary shit. And having a kid doesn't make it any easier. I feel like I have a hard time juggling Cadence, Shanta, school, and my friends into my daily routines. All honesty I have NO idea how I even have time to play poker. But, I dunno. For some reason when I'm sitting down playing cards, even if I get hand after hand cracked or make ri-donk-culous calls for serious amounts of money, I feel at peace. I can honestly say that nowadays I would rather play poker than basketball, and I NEVER thought in a million years that I'd ever say that, but it's true. Which is why I'm trying to make a run at being a part-time player. So far the results are mixed since I have started playing semi-seriously. I'm about even, and I'm not saying that just because all poker players say that. Check my stats. I hesitate to let people see it but if I'm going to start playing seriously then I have to be seriously honest about my skill level. I feel like I know myself much better as a player than I did a year and a half ago. I still have a hard time folding big hands, but I have been doing it much more often. My reads can sometimes be dead on or downright atrocious. Last week (granted I was drunk) I held J-9 off and the board was like Q-3-7-3 with two diamonds. Dude who had been pretty loose aggressive all night checked the flop, then went all-in on the turn. I said to him, "I'm thinking about calling you with jack-high." I did. Yea, he had Q-8. So that kind of illustrates my problem a little bit. Lately I've been getting waaaaaay too creative. I have to re-discover my tight-aggressive disposition and move from there. From my tight-aggressive nature I can actually gather more respect than I deserve probably. In the 1-2 live game I played in last week, I had 2-7 of clubs in early position. At this point in the session I had only played premium hands. Someone raised in front of me. I looked down at my rags and fired in a standard re-raise, from six to 18. I actually got like four callers, which surprised me. So, it gets checked around to the initial raiser, who fires in a weak bet of $15. Once again I reach. "$50," I say, all the while performing a fake tell indicating strength. I sat back in my chair like I had nothing to worry about (you wanna tell if somebody is bluffing? They're either looking dead at you or not breathing). Folded around to the initial raiser, who says to me, "If it was anybody but you, I'd call." Mucks his Js. By the way, for all of you who read this for reasons OTHER than poker, Cadence is getting big. She has two front teeth now and is crawling all over the place, all the while flirting with the notion of walking. Crazy, right? It feels like just the other day I was in the room with Shanta, holding her hand and telling her when the contractions were coming, much to her dismay. But, I'll tell you what, fatherhood is one of the greatest things that ever happened to me. New homeowners come in all the time looking for new appliances, and a ton of them have wives who have buns in the oven. I tell all the guys that watching Cadence being born was by far the coolest thing I've ever seen in my life. And it only gets better watching her grow. Granted, my monetary stuff is a little out of whack, which is why having senioritis sucks, but I wouldn't trade Cadence for anything in the world. Shanta is doing great, too. I know all of you know we went through a period where I didn't know if it we were going to work out, but we stuck together through thick and thin and I'm glad we did. I really can't see my life without her by my side, too. OK, I gotta get back to focusing. I'm first in this 45 person tourney and I can really use the $160 profit. Current Mood: working (Comment on this)
Thursday, October 26th, 2006
5:32 am	Contrast I said it last journal: right now I'm playing the best poker of my life. I've won, not cashed, WON, seven out of eleven tourneys 20+2 sit n gos, and netted nearly $200 in a ring game in the past week. I'm not gonna lie; cards always help. I'm definitely catching hot cards, winning alot of coin flips and underdog situations. However, nearly everytime I play a hand I make the right decision. Good hand not good enough, fold. Marginal hand when the other guy is weak, insta-call. Tight-aggressive pre-flop, assertive post-flop. My mantra. Don't know what else to say. Poker is good right now. Life is good right now. Peace. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, October 24th, 2006
12:01 pm	Cooler Story (as promised in my profile) I closed out of my sit-n-go in frustration, so I actually can't post whole hand details, but my vivid imagination will hopefully help reconstruct the hand. To set things up, let me just say that I've been playing beautifully. Before this tourney I had won three straight and I feel like I'm finally starting to get a grasp of how to succeed playing online poker... that is, getting a better return on my investment by playing smarter and staying out of trouble. So fast forward to the final 20 of this table. Once again I'm playing masterfully and I have the third largest stack in the tourney. I'm on the button with queens, and I have the short stack to my left in the SB and a medium stack in the BB. My thinking is that almost any raise from the button, especially with no callers, is going to look like a position raise, so when I make it the standard 300 to go with the blinds at 50-100, I'm hoping that the SB thinks I'm bluffing and pushes back with his last 1,020, forcing the BB to fold (of course, if the BB calls or re-raises all of his chips into the pot, I would proceed with caution and might even throw queens away in that spot). Anywho, the SB does just what I want him to do, and he puts all of his chips into the middle. The BB folds. I call. He's a little stronger than I thought he was, or rather than I wanted him to be. A-Q off. Obviously I'm up right here, probably a 2.5 to 1 favorite to win, but I hate this match-up with me holding queens because I can't improve unless the case queen comes,A-K-J-10, or I get four spades or clubs on the flop. All of which are very unlikely. So, of course that ace hits on the flop. I'm not mad at him, not even that mad at the circumstances because I've been short-stacked many a time with A-Q and have done the exact same thing. I mean, it's a little chink in my armor but nothing crazy. Two hands later, I'm dealt aces in the BB. The guy on the button with a few more chips than me, who had been ALWAYS raising on the button since his arrival to the table, makes it 360 to go with the blinds at 60-120. Especially after the queens fiasco, I want to let this guy know that I have a hand. I believe I made it 1,000 to go (once again, I don't have the hand tracker in front of me so I'm guesstimating). He calls. Flop comes K-J-10 rainbow. He bets 800 into a roughly 2,000 pot. Here I probably got outplayed because he made me believe he was post oak bluffing (AKA betting a small amount into a big pot in the hopes that I surrender). I push my remaining 3,000 or so into the pot, and I get a quick call. A-Q suits. So of course my queen doesn't hit to chop the pot, and I walk away from that tourney, that promising tourney, with nothing but a cooler story to tell. 20-20 hindsight analysis: It's tough to invision, but I think if I had pushed all-in pre-flop, he might have considered folding. After all, we had equal chip stacks and if I push there he's got to at least give me credit for a lower pocket pair, and I put the ball in his court to decide if he wants to flip it for his remaining chips. I kind of gave him outs by only re-raising the standard. But still, let's say I keep the action pre-flop the same. I might have had too much bravado with my aces on the flop. Kinda bugs me but in my two and a half to three years of playing, I've never folded aces on any street. That might have been a good time to start. What kinds of hands call a re-raise? Mid pocket pairs sometimes, but more or less A-K, Ks, Js, 10s, A-Q, hands that that flop of K-J-10 would have helped. Sure, folding aces there is something that 95% of poker players wouldn't do, and I'm in no way, shape or form insisting that I am in the top 5%, but I could have folded there. Of course, there's always something psychological about aces. Once out of every 150 hands you get them, and you feel you should win with them everytime. Still, the mark of a great poker player is someone who takes into account ALL of the information given to him or her. Right now, I'm just solid. Current Mood: mellow (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Wednesday, August 30th, 2006
3:21 pm	Dear Summer... To be honest, I'm almost glad summer is over. Don't get me wrong, summer was a'ight. I didn't really do much of anything special. I worked my ass off, watched my daughter grow, played a ton of poker (and I do mean a ton, it was almost like a part-time job I was rather mediocre at), and somewhere between all of that found a way to be on a 1-9 summer league team that had the potential to possibly reverse that record. Plenty different from last summer. Shit, I think I still have a hangover from last summer, so I guess that's why I ultimately took it easy. So, I tried my hand at online poker, and I think I'm giving it up. Financially it's not making much sense right now, and while I'm playing pretty well... losing $400 on two bad beats in three days really numbs you up. Like, the way I lost the $400 was so ridiculous that I literally haven't played since. I'm scared of getting cracked again. I really don't have the luxury of being comfortable dropping that much money. Whatever, though. I think I was almost getting too cocky. I was playing as high as 2-4 before I broke. Time for class to start, be back later... (Comment on this)
Tuesday, July 25th, 2006
11:47 am	Sneaky... I know I haven't written one of these in forever, but I found a way to log onto my journal at work, so I have a feeling I'll be writing a little more... Anyway, this summer has been rather eventful. For the most part I've been working at Best Buy full-time, helping customers find their perfect appliances and dealing with bitching patrons on a daily basis. I've also been playing a shitload of poker (I think I'm up like $100 for the summer, which is amazing because at one point I was down about $400). My team, the Merrlan Mavericks, are 0-5 in the Howard County summer league and your boy's jumper is way off. And, of course, my daughter Cadence is flourishing. She just turned six months old today. Man, it's boring as hell in here. Like six customers in an hour. BBL (Comment on this)
Wednesday, April 26th, 2006
3:14 am	Flashback... Monday, April 26th, 2004 Time Event 9:18a Game Four I'm not gonna go into huge detail about why Dallas should or shouldn't win tonight against Sacto (9:30, TNT, son). All I'm really gonna say is this game is a race to 105. Whoever gets there first wins. Random story (or is it?). I remember back in middle school and early high school there was this Penny Hardaway jersey. I remember the first time it was given to me, and from the second I saw it, with it's shiny new turqoise glimmer in the sunlight, I fell in love. And, you would think that my love for the jersey would fade eventually, especially since back then I was a jersey fiend. I purchased at least twelve jerseys back in the day: CWebb with the Bullets; Joe Smith (what the fuck happened to him) with Golden State; JKidd with the Mavs; Damon with the Raptors, etc. But, damnit, if I could have, I would have worn that Penny jersey everyday of the week. Nothing else could even compare. And, for those of you wondering, yes I still have it. As for those other jerseys, well, I can't say as much. Reason I'm mentioning this is because I'm in the process of copping a new jersey. I figure I'll have enough left over from legal fees to afford one. Jerseys have advanced quite a bit since I last bought one. For one thing, they're authentic, whereas my other jerseys weren't. Much better material. But, that's just material. The real question is, can I rock it like I did my Penny? I'll let that marinate real quick. Marquis for MVP. Holla... That was two years ago today. Shit, I even remember that Maverick team. 'Toine, 'Tawn, Nash, Dirk, Finley... first round exit (btw Dallas lost that game). But really, that's not the important part of that journal. The important part was the allegory about the jersey, the one I was thinking about coppin' at the time. Obviously, I copped it. The second I tried it on I loved it. Like, it was eerie how perfectly it fit the contours of my body. I knew from the first time I saw it in the stores that I would want to wear that jersey for the rest of my life, no matter how dirty or tattered and torn it got. And yea, there were periods where I wasn't sure if it would last. After all, my mom unfortunately has a top-loading washer with an agitator and sometimes that agitator can cause more wear and tear on your clothes (thank you, Best Buy). But, I'm looking at the jersey and it still looks just as shiny and clean as it looked on the day that I purchased it. As a matter of fact, that journal reminded me of something else: I had other jerseys??? So, on our two year anniversary, from the kid who was too shy to call you up on his own; from the guy who no other girl (in their right mind) would ever give a chance; from the guy who fucks up "more than a little bit" but whom you stay with no matter what, I just wanted to say that I love you, Beyonce... Got your neck. Happy two year anniversary, baby. You'll always be the only jersey in my closet. Anybody need a Penny jersey? Current Mood: loved (Comment on this)
Thursday, April 20th, 2006
7:02 pm	First of all, lemme just say that I didn't write that previous journal. Some crackhead got a hold of my password and wrotSome crackhead got a hold of my password and wrote that piece of shit. I actually had Florida, LSome crackhead got a hold of my password and wrote that piece of shit. I actually had Florida, LSU, UCLA, and George Mason in the Final Four. I meanSome crackhead got a hold of my password and wrote that piece of shit. I actually had Florida, LSU, UCLA, and George Mason in the Final Four. I mean, c'mon... I'd HAVE to be on crack to have G-DuSome crackhead got a hold of my password and wrote that piece of shit. I actually had Florida, LSU, UCLA, and George Mason in the Final Four. I mean, c'mon... I'd HAVE to be on crack to have G-Dub beating Duke, or Bucknell beating Memphis, or even WisSome crackhead got a hold of my password and wrote that piece of shit. I actually had Florida, LSU, UCLA, and George Mason in the Final Four. I mean, c'mon... I'd HAVE to be on crack to have G-Dub beating Duke, or Bucknell beating Memphis, or even Wisconsin-Milwaukee beating Florida. Whatever. I had a really bad yeSome crackhead got a hold of my password and wrote that piece of shit. I actually had Florida, LSU, UCLA, and George Mason in the Final Four. I mean, c'mon... I'd HAVE to be on crack to have G-Dub beating Duke, or Bucknell beating Memphis, or even Wisconsin-Milwaukee beating Florida. Whatever. I had a really bad year bracket wise, the first time I didn't have a team in the Final Four, the first time I wSome crackhead got a hold of my password and wrote that piece of shit. I actually had Florida, LSU, UCLA, and George Mason in the Final Four. I mean, c'mon... I'd HAVE to be on crack to have G-Dub beating Duke, or Bucknell beating Memphis, or even Wisconsin-Milwaukee beating Florida. Whatever. I had a really bad year bracket wise, the first time I didn't have a team in the Final Four, the first time I was essentially out of the running within the first weekend. Some crackhead got a hold of my password and wrote that piece of shit. I actually had Florida, LSU, UCLA, and George Mason in the Final Four. I mean, c'mon... I'd HAVE to be on crack to have G-Dub beating Duke, or Bucknell beating Memphis, or even Wisconsin-Milwaukee beating Florida. Whatever. I had a really bad year bracket wise, the first time I didn't have a team in the Final Four, the first time I was essentially out of the running within the first weekend. I'll be the first to admit it. Even the all-knowing is wrong sometimes. But I digress. I'm sitting here bored out of my mind with really nothing else to do. I'm waiting on my chance to go up to the lab and do my broadcast journalism thing, which could be difficult considering the fact that no one else in my group is here. It's all gravy though; as long as I get the grade then I can careless. Life as a father has been great, thanks for asking (really no sarcasm involved in that comment, I mean, everybody asks). She can actually hold her head up now, which is cool and all, but not as cool as the fact that she actually smiles now! As a father it's the greatest thing to see your little one smile at you, even if alot of the time it's because she has gas. Whatever, at least she LOOKS happy. She's as big as a house right now at 12 pounds, 10 ounces, and 23.5 inches long (as of about two weeks ago). And Shanta, thanks for asking again, looks great. You almost can't even tell she had a baby (just in case you're reading this I love you boopy). We're actually going to go out next week for the first time in almost four months. So, if anybody is reading this with a date idea (that includes you facebook stalkers), get at me. I've been playing a shitload of poker lately online, and I have to say that my game right now feels really good. I've fully adjusted to the speed of online poker, and I'm even getting online tells down to a science. I'm not making a bunch right now, mainly just enough to keep my gas going and buying pampers. But, like a real poker player should, I take some of that money and put it aside as a part of my purely poker roll, a roll that I can take to cash games, local tourneys, AC, and, literally if I play my cards and people right, Vegas. So yea, right now it's a real good hobby/borderline part time job. I do have to admit that my live poker skills are a little shaky from playing so much online. I've been going to the Columbia Ale House to work on my tournament play. I finished 20th last night out of about 40 or 50, and I played pretty well, but I lost about two Gs on donk board bluffs. People say it's harder to bluff online than it is live, but right now I actually find the adverse true. Online I can outplay just about anybody in the room, and I'm not even talking facetiously. I have literally not even thought about what cards I have on some instances, and basically I just try to apply pressure. The second I think I'm betting into the nuts I give it up, so I'm cautiously aggressive, if there is such a thing. Live it's hard to do that, because I'll admit it: my poker face needs work. I probably said something to that degree a year ago, and I think it's gotten better, but it's not ready for the WSOP yet. So, I've come up with a conclusion. Online, I'm Doyle Brunson. Live, I'm Phil Hellmuth/Ivey. The Brunson approach, true as it is and as well as it works for alot of people, just isn't me in a live setting. Guess that kind of goes into the way I live my life, too. NOW, for the Mavs. I just want you guys to flashback to the beginning of the year. Didn't I tell you that they would be better without Finley? Um... yea I think I did. I know my Mavs, and literally if it wasn't for a rough March they would have that number one seed in the West. And honestly, even if they did get the number one seed, it wouldn't have mattered because let's face it: they gotta go through the Spurs to win it anyway. And, you know what? I honestly think they're a better team this year than San Antonio. I may be the only person that thinks that, but Dallas has more offensive firepower, more versatility, and 12 fouls to use on Duncan. I haven't even mentioned Dirk yet, and how he's the toughest match-up in the League. Speaking of which... Look, there are alot of MVP candidates this year, moreso than in previous years. This will be the closest vote in years, maybe even in NBA history. There are about 7-10 guys who you could justify winning it without anyone complaining. Kobe had a monster year and carried an otherwise hapless Laker squad into the playoffs. King James did the same thing to a lesser degree with the Cavs. Chauncey Billups is the best player on the best team. Back in a minute, time to do work... (Comment on this)
Sunday, March 12th, 2006
10:22 pm	Interesting proposition... So, of course it's March Madness. That's a given; you pretty much knew what this journal entry would be about, that and the fact that Cadence and I are a little under the weather (no word yet on mom). But man, I just found out literally ten seconds ago that I may have a chance to go to six games in Philly. It's a no-brainer, right? Wrong. First off, I have to work Friday and Sunday at a job where someone just quit and they're finally giving me the hours I want. Second... well, Shanta will pretty much kick my ass because I'd be leaving her with Cadence for three days this week, two of them being the weekend (one of them being tonight and possibly tomorrow because I'm sick and I don't want to infect my influenza upon them). But yo... seriously, what should I do (Hak, Erk, etc. you guys don't count, I know what you guys would do). But, I'll cross that bridge when I get there. Lemme take my first look at this bracket, because I was at work all day and missed virtually all of Selection Sunday's drama. And I'm not bullshittin', this is my first look at the bracket. I'm going to teach you guys once and for all how to win one of these things. ATLANTA REGION Duke, Texas, and LSU are the locks in the first round in my opinion. UNC-Wilmington got a generous nine seed, and even without a healthy Pops, G-Dub runs over them. Syracuse has alot of momentum coming into the tourney and that should carry them over Texas A&M, although it will be close. LOL, you can tell I'm just writing this because I just popped across the West VA./Southern Illinois game and a funny thought came to my mind. To paraphrase what I said last year, "Creighton will beat West Virginia because they have longer shorts." That is the LAST time I ever make a prediction like that, because the Mountaineers showed alot of guts last year. They should get by Southern Illinois, as long as they make 35% of their 80 threes. In terms of Iowa/Northwest State, I'm not high on Iowa, but they're good enough to get out of the first round by 10+ points. Cal and NC State should be interesting, and mark this one down as my first mild upset; NC State's style is hard to adjust to in a one game setting. Round two, and OK, I'm going to go waaaaaaaaaaay out on the limb. It's kinda like seeing 6-9 offsuit in late position, everybody folds around to you, and you feel like raising. I'll put it like this: I was thinking Texas would have beat Duke to go to the Final Four anyway, but I'm making a bold prediction: G-Dub beats Duke. They have the perfect formula to stop Redick: an athletic wing who won't give him an inch. Shelden Williams may be a problem if Pops doesn't play, but hey... I gotta gamble with this one. I think LSU is a little bit better than Syracuse and they'll win, ending a great collegiate career for Gerry McNamara, who was cold-blooded like Rick James in the Big East tourney. WVU takes their longer shorts this year and beats Iowa. I think if G-Dub is good enough to get by Duke, I have to have them beating LSU. God, this is admittedly such a weird pick for me because they are headed in the wrong direction. I rarely pick teams like that this time of year but oh well, I'm goin' with the gut. Texas beats WVU in a squeaker. And then, Texas beats G-Dub (someone give me the word on Pops because I may have to edit this journal... fuck it I don't edit 'cuz you read it). OAKLAND REGION Do the Raiders have Culpepper yet? Anyway, I'm getting spacey I should pop my ritulin. I'm back. Anyway (two anyways in three sentences), Memphis and UCLA are the two locks in an otherwise tough first round, shit, a tough region. I like Arkansas, but I can't give any respect to any team that lost to Maryland (who is in the "mostunderachievingbitchestoeverpickupabasketballanddon'tgotoclass region) this season. Seriously though, Bucknell is better and they should win a good one. I'm feelin' Kent State over Pitt, and it's not because Kent State is better, it's because Carl Krauser has a wishy-washy type game; I think he'll shoot Pitt out of it. Missouri Valley my ass, Kansas kills Bradley (hope that doesn't come back to bite me). Indiana has been playing better lately and they're gonna make Steve Fisher wish he was back with the Fab Five (Garrett if you're reading this yes I am working on the thing for class). I said to myself before looking at the bracket that Xavier had a chance to win a game in the NCAA tourney, but that was before I found out they were seeded 14th. That being said, they should give the Zags a run before bowing out. I like 'Bama over Marquette because I honestly think the middle to bottom portion of the Big East is overrated (this is what's called a conference profile pick). Round two, and I'll tell you what... I'm not that high on Memphis. They haven't played anybody in nearly two months and STILL managed to lose to a game. Here we go again... Bucknell. Book it, because Bucknell is a thinking basketball team, and when I've seen Memphis, they don't seem to be. Kansas over Kent State in round two, and Jay Bilas may be on to something: Kansas has a squad. Those boys are young, but wasn't the Fab Five young? I think the Zags have enough to beat Indiana as long as they play reasonable defense; to me Indiana, as inspired as they've played, don't have the fire power. Admittedly I haven't seen UCLA play too much (West Coast games and Cadence has an early bedtime), but from what I remember and what I've been hearing, their guard play is a little much for 'Bama. Wow, wouldn't that be something if it actually got to Bucknell and Kansas? I'm almost willing to go with Bucknell on this one. This is like A-K vs. pocket 3s. I think the 3s hold up with a raggedy flop and Kansas exacts revenge. And then the Zags run into a team that can run with them. Bruins advance. But, in my Fab Five moment (hey, it's been 13 years already!), Kansas beats UCLA to advance. DC Region UConn, UNC and Tennessee look like locks, with UConn being Jada, UNC being Styles, and Tennessee being Sheik Looch (you LIKE that don't you!?). Kentucky and UAB, eh, kinda torn. As much as I like UAB, I like Kentucky in this game (hey, if my mother were overmatched I'd honestly pick against her, this is guerilla warfare!). Washington beats Utah State. Illinois/Air Force is a trap game, and I pick Air Force based on style of play. Air Force plays a very dangerous style, and if they dictate tempo like I think they will, Dee Brown (cough, tweener) is gonna feel sorry he even came back for his senior year. Michigan State is good enough to beat George Mason. Seton Hall (Missouri Valley my ass) beats Wichita State. UConn beats Kentucky and Rajon Rondo announces he's leaving school to go find a jump shot. Washington beats Air Force, although that smells like another trap game for another up-tempo school. UNC/Michigan State could be a good one... and as much as I think thatv UNC is the best team in the ACC, I think Michigan State has enough cagey vets to beat the Heels. Tennessee, who I like alot, will blow Seton Hall out. UConn beats the Huskies (wait, wait, does that mean they beat themselves? Oh this fucker is tricky!). Tennessee shoots lights out and beats MSU. One beats two for the first time in this bracket. MINNEAPOLIS REGION If anyone cares, I have Hampton over Monmouth because Hampton got bit... a bit of tradition. Anyway, first round locks are 'Nova (about to prove the prophet correct) and OSU. Wisconsin takes Arizona out of their misery (notice I'm picking more methodical teams this year?). Nick Fazekas (ha ha) is a G, is a G and he (ha ha) hits 'dem 3's, hits 'dem 3's, makin' (Mon-tana) his-tory, his-tory. I'm so bitter right now at Maryland... BC beats Pacific. Sorry, short rant. How in the fuck do you not show up during the most important game of the season? Shit, for Caner-Medley and Garrison, the most important game of their underachieving careers and the last chance to salvage any sort of respect!? BC is NOT, I repeat NOT better than Maryland... but hey, Atholton High School beats Maryland if they play like they did on Friday. NI-fucking T. That felt good. Anywho, Wisconsin-Milwaukee almost won me a ton of money because I had them in the Sweet Sixteen, and there's no reason why I wouldn't have them beating Oklahoma. You know how you have a favorite non-dominant poker hand? Wisconsin-Milwaukee is my 4-5 of spades. Florida, who hasn't done shit in the tournament since they almost won it my junior of high school, beats the fake 'Bama. Georgetown is in a bad bracket for them, but they'll win in round one (Missouri Valley my ass). 'Nova runs into a trap game against Wisconsin, who could be a tough out, but I still like my 'Cats. Fazekas is a match-up problem, but I think BC has too much for Nevada. Wisconsin-Milwaukee sucks out on Florida, who made the classic mistake of slow-playing aces (sorry for all the poker jargon, it's just a phase). Ohio State is too strong for Georgetown, but it'll be a good one. 'Nova and BC, just like old times. BC bangs like you'd expect a team from Boston to do, but when you run into a gritty group up to the task, you have 'Nova in the Elite 8. Ohio State ends Wisconsin-Milwaukee's second straight trip to the Sweet Sixteen. 'Nova/Ohio State, another one versus two. Is there any doubt who I'm gonna pick? Nardi, Ray, Lowry, Foye... how in the hell do you check them? FINAL FOUR (fuckin' finally, my fingers are tired) OK... so now we're down to the nitty gritty. Texas' experience is a little too much for the Jayhawks to handle. Texas by 10 or more. God, how can I root against 'Nova? You know, in many ways following 'Nova is a sign of my maturity. Last year I liked them because they ran that run and shoot offense to a T... and then Sumpter got hurt. But ever since that game against UNC, I've fallen in love with the fearless and tenacious play of four guards. Still not sold? How about this: do you REALLY think Rudy Gay is gonna show up? 'Nova by 5. Then we have a re-match of a game where 'Nova shot about 30% on the road and lost by three I think. Gotta think that won't happen again. 'Nova wins by 6. And, should I find out that Allen Ray isn't playing, I will not back down on my pick, because the Wildcats play with too much heart to let that effect them. Terps, take fuckin' note. And I'm spent. Current Mood: sick (Comment on this)
Wednesday, March 8th, 2006
6:10 pm	A minute and a half... Oh my lord it's been forever. You guys probably missed glancing at my journal with nothing else to do online, but I'm back... for how long I don't know. I can't promise a consistent journal with everything going on in my life. After all, I do have a baby daughter now, Cadence Simonne Cherot just in case you guys don't look at my profile. She's honestly the love of my life... well, her and Shanta are like 1 and 1A. There's nothing quite like holding your own child, nurturing her, playing with her, changing her, trying to walk her to sleep. It's stressful, but as Shanta says, "I don't regret it for a second." She started out at 6 pounds and 6.3 ounces and 19 inches. Now, after just six weeks, she's up to 10 pounds and 22 3/4 inches. Almost two feet already! Look out Chamique Holdscaw, your spot's about to get stolen! So far, her favorite hobbies include crying, eating, sleeping, and occasionally watching Maryland or Dallas on TV (when she watches the former, it seems like she immediately cries after every game). Speaking of basketball (admit it, 90% of you guys only wanted to hear my sports analysis), it's been a crazy season for my two favorite teams. I'll start with the positives. Dallas is, or at least they were, rollin' and seem on their way to a solid playoff run. Of course, whether or not they get the #1 or #4 seed is irrelevant because ultimately they're gonna have to go through the defending champs in round two. If they're gonna breakthrough, this seems like their best shot. They've got I think the leading candidate for MVP in Dirk Nowitzki. Josh Howard and Jason Terry split the second banana (haha). The bench is deep; anytime Marquis Daniels is your tenth man you've got a good team. And, probably most important, Avery Johnson has instilled the importance of solid defense to this team. It'll be interesting to see San Antonio and Dallas duke it out down the stretch. April 7th they play again in a game that probably will end up deciding the Southwest Division, and more importantly the number one seed in the West. Either way it's good news for Phoenix, who won't see them until the Conference Finals. Maryland, on the other hand, continues to dissappoint fans. Since the last time we spoke, Maryland has fallen out of the top 25, lost their leading scorer and best player because he didn't go to class, and failed to beat any team with a top 30 RPI ranking. Their best wins this year are against BC at home in BC's first ACC game, and in the Maui Invite against Arkansas, who is on the tourney bubble but will probably sneak in. Their profile is weak, but they did finish 8-8 in an underrated ACC. When it all comes down to it, if they make it to the ACC semis (which means a win against BC without looking past GTech) should get them in. That's 20 wins, and in my opinion if you get 20 wins in a major conference that's a near lock. Experts say they need to run the table, and the Terps may have to, but I think a trip to the ACC semis is solid enough. Can they get there? Oh yeah. Year in and year out, the talent is there. But, in the past couple of years, the execution hasn't been. They are on a slight "roll" (with Maryland lately, a two game winning streak is a roll). If, and this is unfortunately a big "if", they can cut down on turnovers, shoot effectively, and play solid D, they can not only beat Tech and BC, but I think they can win the ACC tournament. Am I on crack? I guess we'll see, right? That's why they play the games. I would talk about my poker game at length, but right now I have to hightail it to class for a mid-term. Perhaps I'll sneak an entry in sometime in the next year. Wish me luck... Current Mood: anxious (Comment on this)
Saturday, January 14th, 2006
2:19 am	Halfway drunken journal of random thoughts... OK, I'm not entirely sober. But, I figure I'm due for a journal. I have alot on my mind. It's coming, anyday now. I jokingly tell all my co-workers and friends that I'm just waiting for her to call my cell phone or job. But, seriously, it's just a matter of time. She's lasted nine months, she could go today or anytime between now and January 31st. I've been counting down the days since she first told me. Man, it seems like weeks ago. I remember the third month, we were constantly fighting, arguing about the smallest disagreements in the world ("no you're not going out"). Constant bickering. But now, I realize that every couple goes through that at one time or another. I've never felt as close to a girl as I have to Shanta. Shit, I've never felt as close to a PERSON! I honestly can't wait to start a new life with her, and my daughter will just be the start. I admit, the times we did bicker, I felt like giving in. I partied like crazy, gettin' fucked up with anyone who would say "yea I'll drink tonight" to me. That includes many of the people reading this journal. I loved those times. I loved drinking until I started talking shit and throwing stuff all over my basement. I loved that for a few hours I wouldn't have to worry about the added stress of having a child. But, deep down inside I also regretted neglecting my girlfriend for a few drinks. I hated myself for letting drinking and partying get in the way of our relationship. And now that I experienced a party atmosphere for the first time in months, I realize that I don't really miss it. I'm ready to move on, ready to get out of that stage in my life. There are several things I will miss, but ultimately, I know where I need to be. I'm glad that everything's cool. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Sunday, January 1st, 2006
9:11 pm	Happy Holidays... Sorry I missed most of the holiday festivities, or at least sorry for not keeping all three of you who read this journal informed about how I've been spending mine. This semester turned out to be a very good one for me. Even with a baby on the way, I still managed to cop a 3.2 this semester (it would have been higher except, well, there were a couple mornings that I felt like skipping my Media Ethics class). I can only hope I can keep the momentum up for next semester. I'm online to graduate before next winter. Shanta is doing well, too. She's about 8 and a half months along now, although she looks like she's maybe three months. I don't know how she keeps such a good figure. Anywho, the big day is coming anyday now. I have a feeling she's gonna have the baby in the next couple of weeks. Which is why I'm trying to get all of this poker playing out of my system. I've been running really well ever since I started playing again, up about $140, which isn't bad considering I've been playing in $10 buy-in games. Tonight I'm playing in a $20 buy-in game at Langan's house to see how far I've come in terms of my game. I can't wait, should be really fun. Not much else to talk about. I'm really just trying to kill sometime between now and payday. Peace... (Comment on this)
Monday, December 19th, 2005
4:59 pm	It's been a minute... I've been on a home internet sabbatical for the last month in change because of a retarded virus that infected my entire computer. In short, I had to re-install almost everything (although all of my Pulitzer Prize winning writing was able to be retrieved). Let's see, the last month and change has been pretty hectic. Shanta and I's baby shower went very well. We got the hook-up like crazy and basically saved $3,000 on baby neccessities. I know this is mad late, but thanks to everyone who stopped by. It's great to know that both of us have great family and friend support systems. As a matter of fact, you guys have been great during our whole pregnancy. I don't know where I'd be without your support, probably ingesting five handles of Bacardi 151 back to back. Of course, maybe we should try that sometime. Shanta and I have also been taking parenting classes through Howard County General Hospital. I went in not knowing anything, and I came out knowing... well, more than I knew coming in. While I'm really excited, I have to admit that this father stuff is still really foreign to me. Hopefully I'll know enough come delivery time so that Shanta doesn't kill me in the delivery room. Good to see both of my squads, Maryland and Dallas, off to solid starts this season. I really think the Terps are the second best team in the ACC despite the fact that they lack an effective lead guard. As long as they keep the turnovers down (cough, DJ) and the defense up (cough MIKE JONES!!!!) they'll be straight. And, what did I tell everyone about Dallas? Everybody thought that they would miss the hell out of Michael Finley. Didn't I tell you guys that Marquis Daniels would be a more than adequate fill-in? And just wait until they get Stackhouse back. They're coming out of the West. Watch... By the way, I just started playing poker live again, and I'm starting to monitor my bankroll. I'm +$60 so far. (Comment on this)
Wednesday, November 2nd, 2005
3:31 pm	Retire my Blockbuster shirt... Damnit I just deleted alot of insightful stuff by accident. In a nutshell, I said that I'm really gonna miss Blockbuster. I know that seems like a crazy notion. "What, he's gonna miss being underpaid, underappreciated, and working crazy hours?" Na, all of that can go to hell. What I am gonna miss is the people. I'm not just talking about my co-workers, whom I will actually miss a great deal. I'm gonna miss the routine of seeing all the regulars on Friday and Saturday night, striking up conversation about movies, you know, some of the more humanistic stuff. I got quite a satissfaction out of making someone's night by finding the perfect movie. I'm going to miss sharing insightful movie reviews. I'll even miss the free subs... But, that's life. Where one story ends, another pops up. I can't wait to start my new job at Best Buy. Yea, I probably won't have as many co-workers as friends, and for some reason I don't think selling a washer-dryer can compare to selling a movie pass. But, I'm happy. It's time to move on... Now for the Mavs. For three and a half quarters, they looked atrocious: offensively, defensively, you name it. Dirk looked unspectacular, Jason Terry and Devin Harris couldn't stop fouling and turning the ball over, Erick Dampier looked like Erick Dampier. Nothing was going right. And then, Dirk caught fire, and he was contagious. Jason Terry started taking the ball to the cup. Darrell Armstrong played inspired defense. Hell, Marquis Daniels hit a three! Once the ball got rollin', it was hard to stop them, and I had no doubt they'd win when they took the game into double OT. Now for the negatives. The turnovers are a little ridiculous. I really think JT would be more suited for a two guard role on the Mavs, with Darrell Armstrong (who by the way is the quickest 37 year old I've ever seen) starting at point. Also, although Josh Howard and Marquis Daniels played well down the stretch, they both need to hit open shots. It's November 2nd and I can already see that Doug Christie is almost useless at this point. Dampier can stand to rebound better. And, even though Dirk had one of the best defenders in Shawn Marion on him, he needs to stop forcing awkward shots. Other than that, I think the Mavs are headed in the right direction. I have work to do, and yet I'm gonna go play some ball. Peace... Current Mood: awake (Comment on this)
Thursday, October 27th, 2005
12:53 pm	Poker... Last night I finished 12th at the Ale House, my best finish so far this season but not one of my better performances. Sure, I grinded it out, stole some pots I probably shouldn't have, even sucked out a couple times. But I'm more concerned with my play early in the tournament and how I wasn't able to accumulate enough chips to realistically contend in the latter stages. This one guy kept severly outplaying me after the flop. I mean, nine times out of ten he showed down the best hand, but still... I'm better than that. I could have pushed him off of those pots by playing back at him. No worries, though. After all, 12th is my best finish so far. But, all in all, while I am getting better, I'm gettin' my ass tossed in the standings. I'm not even top 100. That's how serious it is this season. Speaking of seasons, basketball finally gets underway November 1st, with the Mavs playing Phoenix in the nightcap following Denver and San Antonio. It's always a good omen to have my favorite team playing on the first night. I've read some previews on ESPN.com about Dallas. Most pundits have them somewhere in the middle of the playoff pack as a 4 or 5 seed, but I saw a couple people who said that they wouldn't make the playoffs at all. YO... this team won 58 games last year. Was Michael Finley THAT big of a loss honestly? Come on now! Someone IM me and tell me when the Terps start. I've lost almost all touch with college basketball... Well, time to play some poker before I bust out some work. It never stops. Peace... Current Mood: awake (Comment on this)