The Happy Loser

Ellerby: Marriage is an important part of getting ahead. It lets people know you're not a homo. A married guy seems more stable. People see the ring, they think "at least somebody can stand the son of a bitch." Ladies see the ring, they know immediately that you must have some cash, and your cock must work.

"The Departed"

I saw the Departed a week ago I think, and haven't not seen the source material I really didn't know what to expect other than it had a heap of good actors, a great director and plenty of good reviews. The Distraction and I watched it the night before our first wedding anniversary and we loved it – until the final 10 minutes or so. Without trying to spoil it for anyone that hasn't seen it, during the final scenes which were obviously meant to be shocking and dramatic, the majority of the audience starting laughing. I don't think that is a good sign at all. At it was such a shame, because it would/could have made my all-time top ten before that. Now, it is just another movie.

While on the subject of movies, The Distraction also decided to grab some cheap DVD's the other day, replacements for old VHS we had thrown away. She grabbed "Coyote Ugly", which is the standard chick fare and would have been a travesty if it wasn't so cheap. But lo and behold, this was the directors cut! What spoils would the director have in hold for the DVD that could not make the 90 minutes this stained cinema screens with? Only the best scenes in the entire movie! From of my movie loving friends popped over, and I had to replay the scenes for him. To put it short, it was sex scene that rivalled the length of Monster's Ball. It was more funny than anything else, maybe more surprising as I wasn't expecting it - like that back door flush when you really wanted a straight.

And if you don't remember Monster's Ball, it set an Oscar first for having Halle Berry being the first person to win an Oscar in a porno. As to the length of the sex scene in that movie, my friend commented "I had mopped up twice and the thing was still going".

I haven't posted in over a week because I was on a bit of a hot streak, doubling my bank roll in 2 days. Nothing major happened, I got deep in two MTT (4 th and 7th) as well as finally started to string some wins together for the SNG's, and had some nice hands at the cash tables. It was just standard stuff – My aces up against someone with Queens, a king kicker beating a jack kicker, that kind of thing.

I did have one lucky escape, when I meant to call with 44 from UTG in a cash game, but for some reason I didn't. Then the flop comes 943, and I was cursing myself, only the have the other two players go all-in with JJ and 99. Nice fold, I thought to myself.

But every time I have a run like this, I post about it and then drop most of the winnings in one session. So this time, I kept quiet and went about my business. I think the cards have cooled now and it is safe to come out again.

Had the best time playing a live game on Friday night, and I didn't even end up winner for the night. I was only $10 down, after being into the game for $200 (50c/$1 blinds) but really I felt like I only played 2 hands wrong for the entire night. Without those two mistakes, I could have been up over $150 or more. In the end, I folded and lost for 7 hours, then hit a rush of cards and won for an hour to nearly break even. If the river card on the last hand of the night wasn't an ace, I would have been even for the night.

I had some perfect bluff plays come off, when my read on one player in particular was spot on and that helped me to a few medium sized pots. I didn't have anything higher than Jacks on the night, and even them I folded post-flop when nothing came that interested me. I have never enjoyed playing and loosing as much as I did that night, and I came away $10 lighter but so much more confident.

Funny thing happened in two back to back hands. In the first, I flopped a flush but the board paired on the river. The other player lead out in the betting and I just called knowing he had hit the boat (but not able to lay down the flush), sure enough I was right and his 22 was good. On the next hand, the roles were reversed. KJ8, all heart flop and I have KJ. I get to see the turn for free and the river for real cheap, and the river brings me another Jack. I eventually get the other player all in who had Ah5h for the flopped nut flush, and he handily doubled me up.

But that was how I was playing before the winning streak. Sometimes you got to be happier with the pots you loose than the ones you win.