Well we've safely returned from our Third Annual Thanksgiving Vegas Pilgrimage. While I would love to say we had a great time and won loads of money, only half of that is true. We had a great time!!!
We left DFW the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and returned the Saturday after. We arrived at Caesar's about 12:30 and immediately went to our room. My back had been bothering me, and we missed the noon tournament so I took a nap. Headed down to the poker room prior to the 7:00 pm tournament to play some cash. Bought in for $200, cashed out for $350. So I was freerolling the 7pm tournament.
What happened in this tournament, and the cash game that followed, was really a microcosm of my poker play for the week.
I'm in the 1 seat. Small blind for the first hand of the tournament. Young man in the 2 seat (big blind) doesn't understand he has to put out 2 green chips (50) for his big blind. Finally the dealer convinces him he has to do it. I look down at Ad Qd. British guy in seat 8 raises to 200 preflop. I call. And the still confounded BB calls.
Flop comes As 7s 4d. I check. BB bets 450. Seat 8 makes it 2,000. I call. Clueless Big blind goes all in. Seat 8 calls. I shake my head and concede that I must be beat. So I fold. Big Blind turns over 2 spades for a flush draw. Seat 8 turns over Ac Qh for top pair with a Q kicker (same hand I had). No spade on the turn or river. Big blind is out. Seat 8 is more than doubled up. Great.
2nd hand. My button. I look down at AhAd. Seat 8 raises to 200. Seat 10 calls. I raise it to 750. Seat 8 thinks about it for a bit, and folds his hand with the Ace of Spades face up...which gets me and the dealer telling him there is action pending with seat 10. He apologizes and seat 10 calls. Flop comes 9c 4d 7d. Seat 10 bets out at it for 600. I raise to 2000. Seat 10 pushes all in. WTF???? I call. Guy turns over Jd 9d for top pair, with a flush draw. I was flabbergasted. Blank on the turn. Diamond on the river for the flush. I'm gone. As I looked at him astonished, he says "i had top pair on the flop", as if me having an overpair, after 3 betting it preflop, was an impossibility. Oh well. I want to be playing with these players don't I?
Well Caesar's tournaments are "Re-entry" tournaments for the first hour. So I re-enter. Get seated at the same table in the 5 seat. And watch seat 8 play the same way for the next hour before he busts out when he misses 3 draws in a row. I got none of his chips (or my chips back from him). I bust out before we hit the bubble and go play cash.
I sit down at a $1 / $3 table and buy in for $200. After the first hour I had hit a flopped open end str8 draw on the river and have doubled up to $400. Another hour of play and I'm up to $540. Then this hand occurs. I'm in the 7 seat (UTG +1) and limp in for $3 with 6d7d. Guy in 10 seat (who had been raising with crap all night long) makes it $15, drunk lady in the small blind calls. Flop comes 7c 7s 5c. Yahtzee!!! Before I can begin to thuink of my options the drunk lady pushes all in for $129. Wow!!! I consider pushing all in, but decide I have a better chance getting seat 10 in the hand if I just call her $129. Maybe he'll think I'm on a flush draw. So I call the $129. He asks me how much I have behind. I move my hands so he can clearly see that I have about $400 behind. He says "I'm all in". At which point my chips beat him into the pot. Drunk lady turns over KK. Seat 10 turns over QQ. Neither of them had a club so I wasn't going to get 4 flushed. I just need to fade 4 outs. When Seat 5 says..."I folded a Queen". Cool. I need to fade 2 outs for the main pot, and only 1 out for the larger side pot. Turn is a blank. Case Queen on the river. WTF??? $1,100 plus pot goes to the knucklehead who couldn't lay down Queens. That does it for me. I head up to bed.
To Be Continued....
Monday, November 29, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Pre Thanksgiving Thoughts
A week before Thanksgiving, and I'm wrapping things up at work before leaving for a week's vacation, and the fact that I have sooooo many things to be thankful for hits me.
The thoughts of the happiest doorman I've ever seen come flooding back to me. Every morning as we walked by him on our way to work last December in Cleveland, in the freezing cold and wind sweeping in off the lake. He was smiling, singing and happily going about the business of opening the hotel door, or the door to a cab. As we walked by he would never fail to ask us how we were doing, and we would ask him as well. His response was always "I'm blessed not stressed." Which brings me to sit and think about the many, many blessings I have in my life.
I don't deserve them all. That's for sure. But God saw fit for Merlotgirl to love me, and I'm not going to argue with that. After all...he knows best. I clearly am blessed to have her in my life, and for her to love me as she does. I only hope she realizes that I love her more. I turly am the luckiest man alive. So it has been blogged...so it shall be. Neener neener.
18 + years ago I was blessed with Rosemary! Not a day goes by that I don't count that blessing. Through all the cuts and bruises, laughing and crying, sports and theater, Indian guides and Video Games, through everything you can think of, having Rosemary as my son is one of the highlights of my life. Hopefully all of the lessons he's learned over the last 18 years (including the rather difficult ones he's learning now as a Freshman in college) will serve him well, and prepare him for a great life! No matter what, I love him more than words can say. I love you man! That's a fact, Jack.
Aunt B and Uncle L, my brother and sister, their spouses and kidlets are true blessings as well. My only regret about being in Texas is not seeing them (and Rosemary) more often. Hopefully they feel as overwhelmed by the blessings the good lord has given them over the years, as I do right now. I love you guys!!!
It goes without saying that MG's siblings are blessings to us as well. While I don't know them nearly as well as I should, they were and are a huge part of MG's life and therefore important to me as well! The blessings just keep coming!
My dearest niece (yes I have a niece), her hubby and son are so amazing! Whether they know it or not, they are the most shining example I have in my life of people who walk the walk. Their faith and love are truly transcendent and a constant source of joy and strength. I am truly blessed to be part of their family. Truly!
I am so blessed to have Bud! Just seeing how happy it makes Merlotgirl when we're getting close to seeing him is worth a fortune. We'll be up to see you in a few months! Only wish we were closer to you as well.
My folks and MG's mom are no longer with us here, but waiting for us with the Lord. All I can think of to say is thank you for all that you did for me, and for MG. Without your love and caring for us we never would have found each other along this broken road. We miss you now, more than you could know. One day we'll all be together and that will be glorious indeed.
Last but not least all of our friends near and far, old and new, whoever you are...you know who you are...we are blessed to call you friend. If we've shared happiness or sorrow, laughed or cried, acted with or hooped it up with, worked or played with, called, raised or folded to, karaoked or scaryokeyd we're thankful that you are a part of our lives. An important part! Thump chest twice ...point one finger out!
That's what I'm talking about! Ship it!
The thoughts of the happiest doorman I've ever seen come flooding back to me. Every morning as we walked by him on our way to work last December in Cleveland, in the freezing cold and wind sweeping in off the lake. He was smiling, singing and happily going about the business of opening the hotel door, or the door to a cab. As we walked by he would never fail to ask us how we were doing, and we would ask him as well. His response was always "I'm blessed not stressed." Which brings me to sit and think about the many, many blessings I have in my life.
I don't deserve them all. That's for sure. But God saw fit for Merlotgirl to love me, and I'm not going to argue with that. After all...he knows best. I clearly am blessed to have her in my life, and for her to love me as she does. I only hope she realizes that I love her more. I turly am the luckiest man alive. So it has been blogged...so it shall be. Neener neener.
18 + years ago I was blessed with Rosemary! Not a day goes by that I don't count that blessing. Through all the cuts and bruises, laughing and crying, sports and theater, Indian guides and Video Games, through everything you can think of, having Rosemary as my son is one of the highlights of my life. Hopefully all of the lessons he's learned over the last 18 years (including the rather difficult ones he's learning now as a Freshman in college) will serve him well, and prepare him for a great life! No matter what, I love him more than words can say. I love you man! That's a fact, Jack.
Aunt B and Uncle L, my brother and sister, their spouses and kidlets are true blessings as well. My only regret about being in Texas is not seeing them (and Rosemary) more often. Hopefully they feel as overwhelmed by the blessings the good lord has given them over the years, as I do right now. I love you guys!!!
It goes without saying that MG's siblings are blessings to us as well. While I don't know them nearly as well as I should, they were and are a huge part of MG's life and therefore important to me as well! The blessings just keep coming!
My dearest niece (yes I have a niece), her hubby and son are so amazing! Whether they know it or not, they are the most shining example I have in my life of people who walk the walk. Their faith and love are truly transcendent and a constant source of joy and strength. I am truly blessed to be part of their family. Truly!
I am so blessed to have Bud! Just seeing how happy it makes Merlotgirl when we're getting close to seeing him is worth a fortune. We'll be up to see you in a few months! Only wish we were closer to you as well.
My folks and MG's mom are no longer with us here, but waiting for us with the Lord. All I can think of to say is thank you for all that you did for me, and for MG. Without your love and caring for us we never would have found each other along this broken road. We miss you now, more than you could know. One day we'll all be together and that will be glorious indeed.
Last but not least all of our friends near and far, old and new, whoever you are...you know who you are...we are blessed to call you friend. If we've shared happiness or sorrow, laughed or cried, acted with or hooped it up with, worked or played with, called, raised or folded to, karaoked or scaryokeyd we're thankful that you are a part of our lives. An important part! Thump chest twice ...point one finger out!
That's what I'm talking about! Ship it!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
The End of Hibernation
Not that I think anyone actually reads this...but I'm back to blogging.
Merlotgirl and I started watching Bobby Flay have a Thanksgiving Feast Throwdown with The Pioneer Woman (a renowned blogger) and my gorgeous wife suggested that I should start blogging again. So here I am.
Update for anyone tuning in. Rosemary (the son) is mid semester of his Freshman year at Kings College in Wilkes-Barre, PA. He's getting used to his new found freedom (we hope...and pray) and working towards getting good grades as a Mass Communications major. We'll see. We're planning his post Christmas visit here and hope to book flights soon. Can't wait to see him...it' s been a while.
Merlotgirl and I are making our annual Thanksgiving sabbatical soon, and will either post updates here or on Facebook. Hopefully it will be as much fun as most of our other tips. Yay!!!!
December 4th we have the payoff dinner for our first Top Chef Fantasy League season. Tony The Actor coasted (and I do mean coasted, since he didn't have a chef in the final 3) to the winers circle. Merlot, Diva and I all have to prepare a dinner for the champ (and us as well). We all need to make an Amuse-Bouche, I have the appetizer to make, Diva has the Main Course and Merlotgirl has the dessert course. Wine, and or cocktails will accompany the meal, so a good time will be had by all I assume.
Season 8 The All Star edition begins in 12 days!!!!! Game on. We had our draft the other night at Steve Fields, and this promises to be an exciting competition!
That's it for now...more to come
Merlotgirl and I started watching Bobby Flay have a Thanksgiving Feast Throwdown with The Pioneer Woman (a renowned blogger) and my gorgeous wife suggested that I should start blogging again. So here I am.
Update for anyone tuning in. Rosemary (the son) is mid semester of his Freshman year at Kings College in Wilkes-Barre, PA. He's getting used to his new found freedom (we hope...and pray) and working towards getting good grades as a Mass Communications major. We'll see. We're planning his post Christmas visit here and hope to book flights soon. Can't wait to see him...it' s been a while.
Merlotgirl and I are making our annual Thanksgiving sabbatical soon, and will either post updates here or on Facebook. Hopefully it will be as much fun as most of our other tips. Yay!!!!
December 4th we have the payoff dinner for our first Top Chef Fantasy League season. Tony The Actor coasted (and I do mean coasted, since he didn't have a chef in the final 3) to the winers circle. Merlot, Diva and I all have to prepare a dinner for the champ (and us as well). We all need to make an Amuse-Bouche, I have the appetizer to make, Diva has the Main Course and Merlotgirl has the dessert course. Wine, and or cocktails will accompany the meal, so a good time will be had by all I assume.
Season 8 The All Star edition begins in 12 days!!!!! Game on. We had our draft the other night at Steve Fields, and this promises to be an exciting competition!
That's it for now...more to come
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