It was a somewhat eventful weekend. I spent most of Saturday nursing a Black Label hangover. But I was fine by that evening in time for poker at Paulywood Park. No. That has nothing to do with Dr. Pauly. I don’t know him. Paulywood Park is the name coined by Kid Crash for our friend Paul’s home and monthly games held there.
Until a couple months ago, we played every other Saturday at Paul’s: $20 buy-in NLH tourneys (2 or 3 each night depending on how many players stuck around). At its height, the tourneys drew 40 people. When it was slow, we still had over 20. Now that’s damn good for a home game. Now we only play on the last Saturday of every month. Apparently, the wife wasn’t too thrilled about the frequency of poker night.
But I think its better now. We play with a $50 buy-in, begin an hour earlier, and start with 5000 in chips instead of the previous 1200. It’s a format suited to better overall poker. We also still get in 2 tournaments. I managed to win the inaugural $50 tourney in January. I’m also very happy with my play in the other three that we’ve had so far even though I did not cash in them. In fact, this last Saturday, I was one off the bubble in the first game and out on the bubble in the second. I’m not proud of being the bubble boy. Its just an indication of my longevity even when I don’t win. I didn’t allow myself to get short stacked in either run. I just happened to run my decent hands (like A-6s) into better hands (like A-Js…thanks a bunch, Kid.)
In addition to playing well, I had a blast. I was blurting whatever silliness entered my mind and I had a great audience. Everyone was laughing along. I think that actually helps me play my best…When I’m having a good time and don’t have to clam up around a bunch of rocks hiding behind whatever won’t slide off their heads.
One of the most enjoyable parts of the night was an apparent breakthrough for Kid Crash. He has already blogged about it so I’ll just say that he cashed in both tourneys and played great in doing so.
On Sunday, I decided to submit a claim with my insurance company for the damage to the Firebird. Monday morning was street cleaning so I had to get it moved. Since it isn’t drivable in its current state, and the police had not yet assigned a detective to my case, I had to move things forward on my own (with the help of State Farm.) So I woke up at 5:30am today (Why!?!) so I would have enough time to call AAA and get a tow truck over to move the car before 8am. Believe it or not, that went smoothly. My plan is to get it fixed and waste no time in selling it and buying a new bedroom set. Then I can focus on the Mustang.
Coming soon: Pool, my mom’s birthday, and Lebowski Fest.
SEEYa
Monday, February 27, 2006
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Ex's n' loathing
Holy S! I saw my ex-girlfriend tonight and I played pool against her current boyfriend. I'm not sure what that means. Sadly, he beat 2-0. But I still shot better than he did. Had we played best-of-five, I would have kicked his arse!
Anyway, I ran into them at Paladino's, a local bar just a couple of blocks from my place. I was there to see Richie Kotzen and his band. They f'in rocked. But now, I'm back at my place watching Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas in HD.
Aintshe that a bitch.
SEEYa
Anyway, I ran into them at Paladino's, a local bar just a couple of blocks from my place. I was there to see Richie Kotzen and his band. They f'in rocked. But now, I'm back at my place watching Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas in HD.
Aint
SEEYa
Friday, February 24, 2006
Retrospective: An Old Hand
This morning, while reading an article over on the ESPN Poker Club site, I got to thinking about an old hand I played. More importantly, how I would play it differently today after all I have learned.
The hand in question was at the final table of a tournament at Hollywood Park Casino back in 2003. I was pretty new to tournament poker but I had already experienced some success. In fact, this tourney was the day after I was knocked out of the 2003 Legends main event (by Chip Jett). In Legends, it was nearing the end of the first day. We had started in the early evening and, at 3am, it had been announced that we would be playing until 4am. I had maintained a decent stack throughout the day, making moves before I got too short and getting my total back up above average. Well, around 3:30am, I decided I needed to make another move because I didn’t want to go into day two with a short stack. At that point, I actually had a decent amount in front of me. But if I didn’t play another hand in the last half hour, that would change.
So I picked a spot when I was dealt KQc in late position. I lead out and maintained aggression on the flop. Unfortunately, I was heads up against the chip leader in Mr. Jett. He held a big pocket pair and just let me hang myself until the turn. That’s when he turned it around and put the pressure on me. He made a big bet leaving me with a crippling call, a painful fold, or an all-or-nothing attempt to take it down. I tried the later and found myself drawing very thin needing a club to make my flush. The pair I had already made was no good. Anyway, I didn’t catch and headed home with less than 30 minutes left in the day’s action.
I certainly could have picked a better spot and lesser opponent to make a play at there. But that is not the hand I was referring to in the beginning of this thought. But the starting hand was the same.
We were five-handed at the final table of a NL Hold’Em tourney. We had just made a deal that paid everyone the same amount except for me. I got more because I had a substantial chip lead (about 170k with next highest at about 90k). The remainder of the prize money would go to 3rd through 1st. And those were still pretty nice amounts. The problem was that there were two players with extremely short stacks. With the blinds at 5k-10k, there could now move all in with any two cards since 4th and 5th had already been paid. They could try to get lucky and stick around for third. That is what they did. Both players doubled up quickly so, instead of having the lead three-handed, we remained five-handed for a while.
Eventually one player was knocked out. Now four-handed with blinds at 10k-20k, I was still around 180k. I picked up KQc under the gun and raised just a hair over the minimum. (That’s one thing I don’t do anymore. These days, when I raise, I raise.) The man on my right called from the big blind. The flop brought an Ace and two clubs. My opponent lead out with a bet of 40k. I liked my club draw but I didn’t like the Ace. My read before the flop was that he might have a weak Ace. Now I was fairly confident in that read. So I couldn’t count on my K or Q to be live. In my mind, I only had the flush draw.
I ended up laying the hand down. It was based entirely on my read that I was likely behind in the hand at that moment. I had also considered the fact that I could put him all in and still have 50k left in case he called and a club didn’t come. Back then, I made these types of folds more often than I do today. Now I understand the value in using chip position, especially in a spot where I have outs and the result means the difference between moving up in the money and going back to the grind.
If I had it to do over again (and I have had many similar opportunities since), I would have put the pressure back on my opponent. If he had called with an Ace, I would still have 9 outs to bust him and completely dominate the remaining two opponents. If he called and I lost? Oh, well. Time to pick a hand and move all-in.
As it happened, folding left me in a tough spot: About even with the guy on my right and not much more than either of the short stacks. And that’s not a fun place to be at that stage.
Lesson learned. One that I think I have applied well in games since.
SEEYa
The hand in question was at the final table of a tournament at Hollywood Park Casino back in 2003. I was pretty new to tournament poker but I had already experienced some success. In fact, this tourney was the day after I was knocked out of the 2003 Legends main event (by Chip Jett). In Legends, it was nearing the end of the first day. We had started in the early evening and, at 3am, it had been announced that we would be playing until 4am. I had maintained a decent stack throughout the day, making moves before I got too short and getting my total back up above average. Well, around 3:30am, I decided I needed to make another move because I didn’t want to go into day two with a short stack. At that point, I actually had a decent amount in front of me. But if I didn’t play another hand in the last half hour, that would change.
So I picked a spot when I was dealt KQc in late position. I lead out and maintained aggression on the flop. Unfortunately, I was heads up against the chip leader in Mr. Jett. He held a big pocket pair and just let me hang myself until the turn. That’s when he turned it around and put the pressure on me. He made a big bet leaving me with a crippling call, a painful fold, or an all-or-nothing attempt to take it down. I tried the later and found myself drawing very thin needing a club to make my flush. The pair I had already made was no good. Anyway, I didn’t catch and headed home with less than 30 minutes left in the day’s action.
I certainly could have picked a better spot and lesser opponent to make a play at there. But that is not the hand I was referring to in the beginning of this thought. But the starting hand was the same.
We were five-handed at the final table of a NL Hold’Em tourney. We had just made a deal that paid everyone the same amount except for me. I got more because I had a substantial chip lead (about 170k with next highest at about 90k). The remainder of the prize money would go to 3rd through 1st. And those were still pretty nice amounts. The problem was that there were two players with extremely short stacks. With the blinds at 5k-10k, there could now move all in with any two cards since 4th and 5th had already been paid. They could try to get lucky and stick around for third. That is what they did. Both players doubled up quickly so, instead of having the lead three-handed, we remained five-handed for a while.
Eventually one player was knocked out. Now four-handed with blinds at 10k-20k, I was still around 180k. I picked up KQc under the gun and raised just a hair over the minimum. (That’s one thing I don’t do anymore. These days, when I raise, I raise.) The man on my right called from the big blind. The flop brought an Ace and two clubs. My opponent lead out with a bet of 40k. I liked my club draw but I didn’t like the Ace. My read before the flop was that he might have a weak Ace. Now I was fairly confident in that read. So I couldn’t count on my K or Q to be live. In my mind, I only had the flush draw.
I ended up laying the hand down. It was based entirely on my read that I was likely behind in the hand at that moment. I had also considered the fact that I could put him all in and still have 50k left in case he called and a club didn’t come. Back then, I made these types of folds more often than I do today. Now I understand the value in using chip position, especially in a spot where I have outs and the result means the difference between moving up in the money and going back to the grind.
If I had it to do over again (and I have had many similar opportunities since), I would have put the pressure back on my opponent. If he had called with an Ace, I would still have 9 outs to bust him and completely dominate the remaining two opponents. If he called and I lost? Oh, well. Time to pick a hand and move all-in.
As it happened, folding left me in a tough spot: About even with the guy on my right and not much more than either of the short stacks. And that’s not a fun place to be at that stage.
Lesson learned. One that I think I have applied well in games since.
SEEYa
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Bobby’s Room? What’s that?
Commerce Casino, Saturday night: The main event of the L.A. Poker Classic was well underway having started with more than 700 players and now nearing the money and the final 45. Even with so many people already knocked out of the tournament, it seemed no one had left.
The ballroom that hosted the tourney was only half filled, comprised of the surviving competitors and a couple dozen satellites on the side. But the main and top sections of the poker room were brimming…Boards for most games as long as I have ever seen. The top section, which normally runs 10-20 and 20-40 as its highest NLH games, was running all the way up to 50-100 no limit. The likes of Chip Jett and Phil Laak were sitting in on those with towers of chips and stacks of cash behind.
But it got even better than that. Across the room, I noticed Gus Hansen at a table. I’ve actually had the good fortune to play at a table with Gus before, in the 2003 Legends of Poker main event. (More on that some other time.) But I was still excited to go watch him play a cash game. When I got nearer the table, I found myself star struck. That is not something I usually experience. But, this time, I think it is understandable.
The game was, essentially, Bobby’s Room on tour. Doyle, Reese, Ivey, Benyamine, Elizra, Ly, and, of course Hansen. Barry Greenstein later joined in the fun…A real who’s who of the poker world. I told a friend who was hanging out with me, “Its pretty much Bobby’s Room.” She replied, “What’s that?” Funny thing is, several of them know her. She just never heard the name for their base of ops. Unfortunately, there were security guards shooing away all casual onlookers. Only friends or potential donators were allowed near enough to observe.
But that was alright. There were plenty of others to sweat. Like the Unabomber. And the Mouth, who was playing Chinese poker just a couple of tables over. High limit combo games o’ plenty. Ah, what the hell. I wasn’t there to watch anyway. I was there to play. To build my bankroll and continue to test myself…to see just how good I can be. Or figure out if I’ve even got what it takes.
I was actually already involved in a 5-10 NLH game in the bottom section. I was just taking a break from the grind to check out the walk of fame. Long story short, I played well and left winner. But I wasn’t thrilled with the fact that I didn’t pick up any tells. I know it’s important to not only know how to play a solid game but to read opponents, as well. I have to remind myself that some people just don’t have tells. Or maybe those with tells just aren’t playing many hands that night. So I can go for a couple sessions of just playing the cards.
In truth, I usually do pick up on something. This time, I did get alot out of the betting patterns of one particularly solid player. And that helped along the way. It was, overall, a good night.
While my friend and I were waiting for our cars from the valet, we noticed Chip Reese appeared to also be waiting. She asked Chip, “They make you wait, too?” “Just like everyone else,” he replied with a smile. Maybe the big players aren’t so different after all…..Nah.
SEEYa
The ballroom that hosted the tourney was only half filled, comprised of the surviving competitors and a couple dozen satellites on the side. But the main and top sections of the poker room were brimming…Boards for most games as long as I have ever seen. The top section, which normally runs 10-20 and 20-40 as its highest NLH games, was running all the way up to 50-100 no limit. The likes of Chip Jett and Phil Laak were sitting in on those with towers of chips and stacks of cash behind.
But it got even better than that. Across the room, I noticed Gus Hansen at a table. I’ve actually had the good fortune to play at a table with Gus before, in the 2003 Legends of Poker main event. (More on that some other time.) But I was still excited to go watch him play a cash game. When I got nearer the table, I found myself star struck. That is not something I usually experience. But, this time, I think it is understandable.
The game was, essentially, Bobby’s Room on tour. Doyle, Reese, Ivey, Benyamine, Elizra, Ly, and, of course Hansen. Barry Greenstein later joined in the fun…A real who’s who of the poker world. I told a friend who was hanging out with me, “Its pretty much Bobby’s Room.” She replied, “What’s that?” Funny thing is, several of them know her. She just never heard the name for their base of ops. Unfortunately, there were security guards shooing away all casual onlookers. Only friends or potential donators were allowed near enough to observe.
But that was alright. There were plenty of others to sweat. Like the Unabomber. And the Mouth, who was playing Chinese poker just a couple of tables over. High limit combo games o’ plenty. Ah, what the hell. I wasn’t there to watch anyway. I was there to play. To build my bankroll and continue to test myself…to see just how good I can be. Or figure out if I’ve even got what it takes.
I was actually already involved in a 5-10 NLH game in the bottom section. I was just taking a break from the grind to check out the walk of fame. Long story short, I played well and left winner. But I wasn’t thrilled with the fact that I didn’t pick up any tells. I know it’s important to not only know how to play a solid game but to read opponents, as well. I have to remind myself that some people just don’t have tells. Or maybe those with tells just aren’t playing many hands that night. So I can go for a couple sessions of just playing the cards.
In truth, I usually do pick up on something. This time, I did get alot out of the betting patterns of one particularly solid player. And that helped along the way. It was, overall, a good night.
While my friend and I were waiting for our cars from the valet, we noticed Chip Reese appeared to also be waiting. She asked Chip, “They make you wait, too?” “Just like everyone else,” he replied with a smile. Maybe the big players aren’t so different after all…..Nah.
SEEYa
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
The 1st Poker Post: Seat Open!
I’ve been playing poker for as long as I can remember. My dad had some gamble in him and he passed it on to me. He would tell people, referring to me, “I taught him everything I know. And even a little I don’t know.” Turns out he wasn’t kidding.
I played in your typically crazy home games from high school onward. Along the way, I figured out different ways to play each game, including the right ways (i.e. most profitable). Later, I started to play poker in Vegas on random trips… about 5 times each year. It was just for fun back then as all forms of gambling were for me. I knew how to play every game well but stuck with blackjack, craps, and poker because probability is closer to the players favor than other casino rides. But, like I said, it was mostly about having fun. So I drank my weight in free scotch and only played with money that I was willing to lose.
About four years ago, I started taking poker more seriously. I read a few books, watched it on TV, and stopped drinking when I play. I find eliminating alcohol is a huge factor for success in gambling. I first applied this to pool (8-ball) around 1995. In league play (APA), I was ranked a 3 with booze. Without it, I am a 6. (I won’t go into explanation of the rankings. Just understand that 6 is really good.)
In poker, focus is very important. The lack of drinking makes it possible to keep a clear head, be alert longer (don’t tire as fast), see better, and make better decisions. That is the reason I don’t have a problem playing at Chumash Casino which does not serve alcohol. In fact, its my favorite place to play. Reasons being, the floor staff and dealers are really nice, most of the dealers are good at their job, there are rarely arguments (I’ve never seen a fight there), and the games are pretty easy.
I have a substantial edge over most players at Chumash. The only drawback is that they only run low limit games. My specialty is NLH. I know that sounds like the typical claim these days, but its true. I know how to win at limit Hold’Em, Omaha, and 7 Stud. But my win rate is better at NL. The highest NLH game at Chumash is a $200 buy-in with blinds at $2 and $5. (They have a $500 buy-in game but the blinds are the same. So I consider that the same game. Makes no sense, really.) To play higher, I started going to Commerce Casino a few months ago.
I’ve played 3-5 NLH and 5-10 NLH at Commerce and have been thinking about moving up to 10-20 NLH. The buy-in to the 5-10 game is $400 (fixed). The 10-20 buy-in is $600 minimum with no max. It seems you need at least $1500 to play right in that game. So, although I fully intended to play it last Saturday, I have not yet. After waiting about 30 minutes for a seat, I decided to check out the lower section where the 5-10 NLH games run. There was no board so I decided to sit. In hindsight, it is the best decision right now. I need to build my bankroll a little before moving up…
But I will. And I’ll write about how I’m doing that next time.
SEEYa
I played in your typically crazy home games from high school onward. Along the way, I figured out different ways to play each game, including the right ways (i.e. most profitable). Later, I started to play poker in Vegas on random trips… about 5 times each year. It was just for fun back then as all forms of gambling were for me. I knew how to play every game well but stuck with blackjack, craps, and poker because probability is closer to the players favor than other casino rides. But, like I said, it was mostly about having fun. So I drank my weight in free scotch and only played with money that I was willing to lose.
About four years ago, I started taking poker more seriously. I read a few books, watched it on TV, and stopped drinking when I play. I find eliminating alcohol is a huge factor for success in gambling. I first applied this to pool (8-ball) around 1995. In league play (APA), I was ranked a 3 with booze. Without it, I am a 6. (I won’t go into explanation of the rankings. Just understand that 6 is really good.)
In poker, focus is very important. The lack of drinking makes it possible to keep a clear head, be alert longer (don’t tire as fast), see better, and make better decisions. That is the reason I don’t have a problem playing at Chumash Casino which does not serve alcohol. In fact, its my favorite place to play. Reasons being, the floor staff and dealers are really nice, most of the dealers are good at their job, there are rarely arguments (I’ve never seen a fight there), and the games are pretty easy.
I have a substantial edge over most players at Chumash. The only drawback is that they only run low limit games. My specialty is NLH. I know that sounds like the typical claim these days, but its true. I know how to win at limit Hold’Em, Omaha, and 7 Stud. But my win rate is better at NL. The highest NLH game at Chumash is a $200 buy-in with blinds at $2 and $5. (They have a $500 buy-in game but the blinds are the same. So I consider that the same game. Makes no sense, really.) To play higher, I started going to Commerce Casino a few months ago.
I’ve played 3-5 NLH and 5-10 NLH at Commerce and have been thinking about moving up to 10-20 NLH. The buy-in to the 5-10 game is $400 (fixed). The 10-20 buy-in is $600 minimum with no max. It seems you need at least $1500 to play right in that game. So, although I fully intended to play it last Saturday, I have not yet. After waiting about 30 minutes for a seat, I decided to check out the lower section where the 5-10 NLH games run. There was no board so I decided to sit. In hindsight, it is the best decision right now. I need to build my bankroll a little before moving up…
But I will. And I’ll write about how I’m doing that next time.
SEEYa
Sunday, February 19, 2006
A Pitcher... 3 Glasses
Friday night marked the end of a long week and beginning of an extended weekend. At my work, the powers that be always tell us to take off at 3pm on the day before a holiday weekend. So the weekend kicked off early. I won’t complain about that.
That night, Sean and I were going to meet at Scotland Yard, our favorite local pub. They have the best Guinness and everyone is really nice to us semi-regulars. My Firebird, the one that is parked on the street, took a nasty hit. Someone crashed into the front end hard enough to push it into the curb. It still runs but I can’t drive it because the left fender is pushed into the tire. So I was in need of some Guinness.
Fortunately, my sister talked to some kids who were hanging out near the Firebird. Turns out a couple of them saw the accident. There were two other cars involved. One hit the other which then caromed into my car. The kids also remembered the vanity license plate of the first car. So I made a police report. Now I’m just hoping they actually follow through and find the person.
I really felt like an idiot all day. I’ve been meaning to sell the Firebird for months. Some people have even shown interest. But, because I’m so damned lazy, I have to deal with this. And the car is worth a great deal less money in its current state. It feels like I’ve just thrown away a few thousand.
The night at the Yard certainly helped. Chris came with Sean which was a welcome surprise. Simply put, the Guinness and company made for a great night.
I’ll give some more insight into our fondness for the Yard later. I played poker at Commerce Casino tonight. You’ll hear all about that in my next post. (I'm also going to figure out how to include pics in these.) Stay tuned.
SEEYa
That night, Sean and I were going to meet at Scotland Yard, our favorite local pub. They have the best Guinness and everyone is really nice to us semi-regulars. My Firebird, the one that is parked on the street, took a nasty hit. Someone crashed into the front end hard enough to push it into the curb. It still runs but I can’t drive it because the left fender is pushed into the tire. So I was in need of some Guinness.
Fortunately, my sister talked to some kids who were hanging out near the Firebird. Turns out a couple of them saw the accident. There were two other cars involved. One hit the other which then caromed into my car. The kids also remembered the vanity license plate of the first car. So I made a police report. Now I’m just hoping they actually follow through and find the person.
I really felt like an idiot all day. I’ve been meaning to sell the Firebird for months. Some people have even shown interest. But, because I’m so damned lazy, I have to deal with this. And the car is worth a great deal less money in its current state. It feels like I’ve just thrown away a few thousand.
The night at the Yard certainly helped. Chris came with Sean which was a welcome surprise. Simply put, the Guinness and company made for a great night.
I’ll give some more insight into our fondness for the Yard later. I played poker at Commerce Casino tonight. You’ll hear all about that in my next post. (I'm also going to figure out how to include pics in these.) Stay tuned.
SEEYa
Friday, February 17, 2006
2 Hour Lunch
Welcome to my little piece of the internets. I've been meaning to get this going for a long time. Friends have prodded, "Where's your blog, damn it?" I finally have too much on my mind to hold it back any longer. Its time to let the world share in my pain (or, as my friends do, find humor in my pain).
First order of business: A little background. I grew up in Southern California and still live in L.A. But I'm not saying where. (There's got to be a little mystery, right?) You've heard the saying, "Nobody walks in L.A." Well I've taken that to a different level. I live in a townhome and own three cars. My daily driver is a 2001 Mustang Bullitt (the Bullitt). I still have my first car, a '68 Mustang (the Mustang) that I got when I was 18. And I have a '68 Firebird that I bought about two years ago. The Mustang has been sitting in my mother's garage for a few years as I have been (very) slowly rebuilding it from the ground up. The Firebird has been sitting on the street in front of my place, except for moving it once a week for street cleaning, for ...oh, about two years. I have to admit, that is both funny and sad.
So my new level is something like, "Darsky doesn't drive in L.A.," seeing as I only drive 1/3 of my vehicles.
I had hoped that would be more clever than it is. But I'm leaving it.
I've got plenty more to write about my cars. And there will be plenty of time for that. I'll also occasionally write about my favorite subjects which include Poker, Pool, Drinking, Friends, Family, and people in general who generally piss me off.
I will try to keep it clean(ish) and try not to get too low brow. I think I have a good sense of humor and am are smart. I hope that comes across as I try to provide my perspective of life and the things thatdisrupt effect it daily. And feel free to let me know what you think along the way.
SEEYa
First order of business: A little background. I grew up in Southern California and still live in L.A. But I'm not saying where. (There's got to be a little mystery, right?) You've heard the saying, "Nobody walks in L.A." Well I've taken that to a different level. I live in a townhome and own three cars. My daily driver is a 2001 Mustang Bullitt (the Bullitt). I still have my first car, a '68 Mustang (the Mustang) that I got when I was 18. And I have a '68 Firebird that I bought about two years ago. The Mustang has been sitting in my mother's garage for a few years as I have been (very) slowly rebuilding it from the ground up. The Firebird has been sitting on the street in front of my place, except for moving it once a week for street cleaning, for ...oh, about two years. I have to admit, that is both funny and sad.
So my new level is something like, "Darsky doesn't drive in L.A.," seeing as I only drive 1/3 of my vehicles.
I had hoped that would be more clever than it is. But I'm leaving it.
I've got plenty more to write about my cars. And there will be plenty of time for that. I'll also occasionally write about my favorite subjects which include Poker, Pool, Drinking, Friends, Family, and people in general who generally piss me off.
I will try to keep it clean(ish) and try not to get too low brow. I think I have a good sense of humor and am are smart. I hope that comes across as I try to provide my perspective of life and the things that
SEEYa
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