From Rock To Calling Station

Pete: I wish I liked anything as much as my kids like bubbles.

"Knocked Up"

I've just had one of those weekends where nothing major happened, but it was almost a perfect weekend. I spent some quality time with the Distraction, I spent some quality time at the felt, saw some good movies, won some prop bets, got some stuff done around the house and even had time to check out the latest happenings in the main even at the World Series. If you haven't already, head over to Poker News to see the hand of the day for Day 1b. And people say online poker is rigged!

To sum up the weekend, I might go into point form as there was a lot that happened that was just a good weekend.

FRIDAY
- Started with adjusting my poker spreadsheet with some pivot tables, which I have never used before. I'm no computer programmer or anything, but I'd like to think my computer user abilities are above the national average. Having never used them before, I gave myself a quick tutorial and then after fixing up the spreadsheet, I used it at work for another task I have that made a 2 hour job down to ten minutes. That's just awesome.
- Poker Friday night was a good turnout. We had between 5-7 players for the majority of the night which is my preferred size. One player again had an amazing run, with any suited cards he would call any bet. The worst of it was when one player went all-in blind for $17, I called with QQ. Next player raises $30 (max buy in is only $50 remember – the home game of champions!) and then another players calls all-in. Tonights luck box calls and I have to gather that I am behind. With more than $70 left in front of me, I don't want to be all in here against four others, so I let it go. Blind player has Q7, raiser has AA, caller has JJ and the luck box has 23s. Yep, 3 spades on the board by the turn (and a jack as well). 23s scooped the pot, and ended the night as big winner. That's ok though, because he usually donates so it will come back.
- Personally, I had nothing going for the first buy in which lasted an hour, and my second buy in was pure gold. I had one player continually bluff the river against me. Usually I would fold these hands, but earlier in the night he did the same thing against another player and showed the bluff. By the "same thing", I mean a very quick big bet on the river. I have seen him do this before as a bluff months ago, but when the time came for me to call him he had the nuts that time. I decided to test it again tonight and the first time when I had top pair, a flush draw didn't come through and he bet big on the river. I just called to see his missed flush. Next time, he missed the straight and made the big bet again. I called. That was a $125 pot with just one pair. He tried to bluff me maybe 6 times with the big bets, and by the end I figured he had me but just called because I had maybe two pair and to see – and again, he was bluffing. Later I figured out what his bets meant, as he always used one of three betting options. Min-bet meant he had bottom pair or a draw. $4-$5 meant he was strong or a made hand. Instant bet of $20+ meant a bluff. On Friday night, that was true 100$ of the time and I finished the night up $170.
- Funniest hand of the night – after dealing some big pots to one particular player, he was then cold decked and asked for some help as I shuffled.
"What you got for me?". He was playing Africans and Indians on the side as well (black or red flop, if all of one colour then the payout doubles) so I said to him "I'll give you an all red flop, and then you'll suck out on the river to win the pot." Flop comes 2 hearts and a diamond, and then he hit a Jack on the river to win with one pair. I received no tip.
- After that hand, the loosing player claimed it was a conspiracy, and I said it couldn't be because a conspiracy implies that we had done it in secret, when in fact I was very open about what was going on. He said a conspiracy doesn't have to be secret so I bet him $5 on the side that dictionary.com definition has secrecy or something pertaining to it for "conspiracy". I love prop bets, and after paying up he still refused to believe it. I offered double or nothing on the same bet, but he respectively declined.

SATURDAY
- First up, the distraction let me sleep in as she went to get her hair done. A deeper sleep I have never had.
- Distraction comes home and the hair looks great, cost $60 less than usual. Can't argue with that.
- We went out to see "Knocked Up", which I know will be her favourite movie of all time. I really enjoyed it too, got some good laughs in it and was worth seeing. We actually had tickets to an advanced screening a few weeks ago but couldn't attend because we had visitors staying with us. Good movie, all was happy.
- Had our typical "nothing is happening" Saturday night of watching Iron Chef and betting on greyhound races. The Distraction had 4 out of 10 winners to cover both our bets and a minimal profit. I was hopeless.
- Nakamura lost in the Iron Chef battle, which was disappointing. The key ingredient was Udon which was also disappointing, but it was ok. We have had a very busy month or so and haven't had out quiet Saturday nights for a while, so this was good.
- The Distraction calls it a night so I sneak in some more online poker. Online wise, I have been going through a down swing after a very good up swing and am now below my original deposit. Of course I am just trying to get the PSO bonus, and I getting close to the cut off date for the bonus.
- Hmm, it seems more people want to bluff me. Thank you kindly – I have an up and down night but pull out a reasonable profit thanks to big hands holding up. Best hand was TT when I try to limp but person behind me makes a standard raise. Flop comes T44 – he has A4 and must be counting his lucky stars. We get it all in on the turn and I guess his dreams were shattered. Also won a big pot with AA on a all-in preflop. Board was ten high, and the hand history function was not working so I have no idea what the other guy had.
- Days profit was about $80, which put me $72 above my original deposit and 102 points short of the bonus.
- While I play online, I like to watch DVD's of TV shows, and my choice at the moment because I don't have any more poker shows) is "The Adventures of Brisco Country Jr". While I am only 1-2 episodes in, it looks fair. Nothing outstanding but enough to keep me watching.

SUNDAY
- We have one goal for the day. Last week we got a 120L fish tank, and wanted to put some rubber rock as a backing on it. The sealant said to allow 7 days for it to cure for aquarium use. Now we have to figure out how to get all the pipes for the filter, heater and air pump working without any instructions, as well as fill the damn thing without a hose. Surprisingly, everything goes fine and we make very few mistakes getting the job done in what would have been my best estimate of time.
- I get full permission from the distraction to get some more poker in online. I don't play too good, making little bets on the river when only a better hand would call what I have. Instead, I get check-raised and I call with Queen high flushes and the like, not winning what would have been a very small pot if I had just checked. I managed to work my way back to just above even while clearing more points for the bonus.
- Had some really nice Chinese take out, and finally watched "Talladega Nights", which wasn't as funny as I had hoped but had it's moments.
- Managed to squeeze in some more online time while watching Briscoe County Jr. Had some bad luck early and was down to $13 when I decided to top up. Good move, as I go on a mini rush and get some good cards and better flops.
- Interesting hand one – I have Q9 and the flop comes K56. 1 player bets 50c, I call because hey, it's 50c. Turn is a Jack, and he bets $1.50. I have a gut shot only, and he's making it cheap so why not? The river hits my gut shot and I bet the pot, he calls. Of course he bitches in the chat box, but I really think this is his fault for trying to slow play his flopped two pair. At least give me something to think about on the turn there son! But the good thing was, it made me look like a chaser so now my good hands will pay off. I am finding a lot of people are loving minimum bets on any street, just to get rid of the people that press the check/fold button I guess. Not that it's a bad idea, but sometimes it just makes me want to punish with large raises, which had been working for the now.
- Interesting hand number two, I have QT and try to limp, late position makes a standard raise and I call. Flop comes AKJ rainbow. I check raise him all in and he calls with AK. Really unlucky there for him, nice pot for me.
- Interesting hand number three – 23o from the big blind and get to limp. Flop comes 332, and I call the only guy that bets out on the flop. Turn comes an Ace, and I think that even if he has A3 I guess I am paying him off. I check, he bets pot (about $8) and I raise it to $22. I figure if he had a straight draw that hit or a good ace be inclined to call. If he has A3 he will see I am pot committed and will just push it all in. If he has any other three then he might put me on an Ace and think this is his lucky day, and all I have to do is dodge his kicker on the river. He just calls, which I think is a good sign. We both have just over $20 left, but he has me covered by $6. River is a T, and I push he calls. The one hand I didn't put him on is 22. He flopped the smallest possible full house and was drawing dead.
- After going down 30 odd I end the night up about the same amount. I now have more than $100 on my original deposit, and only 80 points to clear for the bonus, which should be a good 10 days or so, beating the deadline by a week.

While the interesting hands show some really lucky situations, You got to remember it comes from about 400 hands over the weekend. I had plenty of occasions where I made good bets, good laydowns and lots of good calls when the pressure was on. For the most part I was just creeping up above even and waiting for my spots. When they came, I was able to capitalise and my opponents had just the wrong cards to make it worth while. But it was good to be on the lucky side for once after a down swing. The down swings in the past have run for weeks and weeks, I am glad this one ended much faster than usual. And now I think I have a much more advantageous table image for future play – both online and at the home games.