Quads and Cold Decks Part 3

Shelly and I were finally "storming the castle" after getting sidetracked by hunger and hockey. I was seated at a new 2/4 table with a bunch of cowboys and a couple of locals when I looked down to see K 2 off. Normally I would only play this if it were soooted (yeah, right) but I was in the small blind and this was a passive table. Most of the table limped ahead of me and I decided to limp right along with them. The big blind checked and we awaited the flop.

***************************

It was Saturday, the day of the big WPBT event, and Shelly and I were ready for some poker. We had a reasonable amount of sleep, ate pastries for breakfast, and hit the conference room with time to spare. Bill and the IP did an excellent job on the room and I was impressed with how organized everything seemed. After a while the speakers started their thing and I searched the room for a spot where I could actually hear them. I had absolutely no luck and finally gave up. (This had nothing to do with the socializing in the background. That was expected and I can block that stuff out. I think the sound system just sucked.)

As we waited for the speakers to finish up my angry twin was carrying on about no one calling her to tell her that Phil Gordon was in the MGM poker room the previous evening. For the record (in case no one read the last installment) NO ONE TOLD ME EITHER!!!

Finally it was time to start the tournament and we drew our table assignments. My table (#6):

Seat 1: Mrs. HDouble (later Mr. Subliminal)
Seat 2: Mrs. HHead
Seat 3: Me
Seat 4: -EV
Seat 5: Guy who reminded me of "Jesus" whose blog I forget
Seat 6: Falstaff in his kilt
Seat 7: Drizz
Seat 8: Big Mike (later some guy named Steve)
Seat 9: Gracie
Seat 10: Franklin

**********************************

Seven of us waited to see the flop. When it came down I saw that I have paired my 2. Oh boy, low pair, guess I'll be folding this hand now. But something amazing happened (not really, this table sucked), everyone checked around. Free card for everyone!

**********************************

The WPBT Winter Classic was underway and I couldn't get a hand to save my life. I did get pocket Kings a couple of times buy only managed to take the blinds as everyone gave my pre-flop raise some respect. I think I also saw a flop and took down a small pot when my pair of 5's hit a set on the flop. Other than that, I didn't play a whole lot. At the first break I was up a little but not enough to keep me afloat much longer. I needed cards.

**********************************

The dealer flipped up the turn card and it was another 2. I had a hand, thanks for the free card. Someone ahead of me bet and when the action got to me, I raised. Everyone else got out of the way and we waited for the river.

**********************************

Break number one was over and the cards didn't get any better. I had a Queen with every possible kicker below an 8 on almost every hand. They weren't even soooted at any point that I can recall. Then it happened, the hand that would put me on tilt, make me cry like a little girl, and put me in a generally bad mood for the remainder of the tournament.

I didn't have a lot of chips left and I was in the need of a hand I could push with. I hadn't seen an Ace for about an hour and was really needing one. That's when the dealer dealt one, only he dealt it face up! What the fuck? I finally get a decent card and the fucking dealer, who was too busy chatting away to pay attention, deals it face up. He immediately grabbed the card, showed it to the table and gave me another. My Ace got replaced with a 4 and it didn't go well with the 10 I already had. I would have pushed and I would have won the hand had the dealer not screwed up. Instead I had to fold. To say I was upset would be an understatement.

To make things worse, I could tell I was getting upset over it and that made me more upset. Luckily it was almost time for the second break and I raced out of the room and headed to the Ladies room. I couldn't stop the tears and that made me feel worse. I was rescued by Gracie and Maudie who listened to me rant and helped me to calm down. Gracie bought me a drink and I headed back to the table wishing with every fiber of my being that the dealer would get hit with a bad case of food poisoning. I can only hope he caught the Avian Flu from patient zero.

****************************

We waited for what seemed like an eternity for the dealer to flip up the river card. When he finally did, I saw the case 2 staring back at me. My opponent bet and I raised. He looked at me and I stared at the board. He thought for a minute before folding and I flipped up my quads. The table erupted, well not really, but I can pretend, and I got ready for my first ever wheel spin.

****************************

The first hand after the break I actually had decent cards and I was going to push but Mrs. Head pushed first and I decided to fold. Bad play on my part as I would have won that hand but my head wasn't in the game at that point and I just didn't care.

A couple of hands later I looked down to find Ace 6 and decided those were as good as any. Steve pushed as well and the action came down to Drizz. He took his time thinking as Steve had more chips than I did and it wasn't an easy decision. Finally though Drizz called. I was up against Steve's 5 2 (I think) and Drizz's AQ. Crap, I needed a 6. Most of the table was calling for it, and I thank you all for the support, but it wasn't to be and Drizz knocked us both out of the tournament. It was time to hit the bar.

Try as I might, I couldn't get drunk. I had at least 5 drinks and barely felt a buzz. They weren't weak drinks either so I don't know what was going on. I hung out and cheered on Gracie, who went on to take 2nd place. It was fun to watch and I congratulate everyone who made it to the final table. It was a tough field and you all played great.

****************************

I got up and headed for the wheel. The TV table was right next to it and as I spun I could hear them all shouting out their colors. Honestly it was a bit surreal and I don't remember what color the wheel finally landed on. All I know is that I won $40 and it was the second time I had hit quads this trip. No way it would happen again....right?

Quads and Cold Decks Part 2

It was late Friday night and I was in the MGM poker room once again. I must have been getting tired because I started to hallucinate. I mean, it had to be a hallucination because if Phil Gordon had been in the poker room at least one of the dozen or so bloggers present would have come over to my table to tell me he was there.....Right?

*******************************

So, after getting quads on Thursday night, I proceeded to give my winnings back plus drop about half of my buy-in. I just couldn't connect with the board at all. It didn't help that I held on to my Aces even though I knew I was beat. I gave back a lot on that hand alone. When someone finally told me everyone was heading over to Excalibur, I was definitely ready for a change of scenery.

At this point my twin had made it to Vegas and we decided to eat with a couple of other bloggers before hitting the Excalibur poker tables. We got through the meal and hit the tables. I don't remember much of the play but I did leave up about $30 so it must have been a good table.

I finally got too tired to remember the color of my cards so I decided it was time to go. I headed back to the IP with a group that included Maudie and Gracie and hit the pillow at about 4am.

********************************

I got up from my table to talk to Shelly, surely if Phil Gordon had just walked by, she would have seen it. She informed me that she had not seen the man I was asking about and we came to the conclusion that I must have seen his doppleganger. Besides, if Phil Gordon were in the poker room, someone would have told me.....Right?

********************************

After a fitful night, or should I say morning, of sleep I got up to take a shower. I then wandered downstairs for a pastry at the cafe. I ran into Iggy who was just wandering in from the Excalibur. After a brief conversation that he later didn't remember, I went to get my food.

Soon I met up with Maudie, Gracie and Pablo for breakfast and then we hit the IP poker room for a bit before heading off to do "the gay thing". Here's one piece of advice, if you want to win at poker, don't sit down at a table with Pablo. He cracked my AK straight and my Aces within minutes of sitting down.

********************************

I went back to my table to ask Ohio Mike if he had seen Phil Gordon in the poker room. Forget that his back was turned toward the area where my hallucination had walked, he could have seen something. Mike said no and I finally admitted that I was hallucination because if Phil had been in the poker room someone would have told me....Right?

********************************

Finally it was time to do the "gay thing" and a bunch of us hopped on the monorail and hit the Las Vegas Hilton. Now, I've done the Klingon Experience before but I had yet to fight with the Borg so I was looking forward to that and we had tons of fun. The actors were great and came up with some great improve to deal with our uncontrollable laughter during the more "serious" moments of the experience.

When it was finally over we decided to meet up with everyone at the MGM for some food and mixed games. I decided to pass on the HORSE game as I actually wanted to make some money in Vegas. I ended up sitting at a 2/4 limit table where I was joined by Ohio Mike and some fun to talk to strangers. We were definitely having all the fun down at our end of the table. There was a Scottish guy who was raking in the chips. I couldn't decide if he was good or just damned lucky but he was fun to play with.

At some point Wil arrived and April dragged me over to meet him. He must have brought me some luck because, on the very next hand, I raked in a nice pot when my Aces held up. The deck went cold after that (a common theme for the weekend) and I was getting frustrated when a guy who looked just like Phil Gordon walked by. See, it had to be a hallucination because if Phil had really been there, someone......oh fuck it......Phil was there, dozens of you knew, and not one of you came over to my table to tell me. As my twin said in her write-up "You all suck!" ;) At least I left for the night up $9.

Coming up.....the tourny, more quads, change in plans, and my new rule.

Quads and Cold Decks Part 1

I had only been at the table for a few orbits when I looked down to see pocket queens. The table was all men of varying ages and skill. One older gentleman reminded me of Doyle Brunson as he was sitting in one of those motorized chairs that Doyle often uses to get around. I was pretty sure "Doyle" was a local as many of the dealers seemed to know him, but he had also just rebought and seemed a little loose with his starting hands. His chips became my target for this hand.

*************************

I had arrived in Vegas around noon that day and immediately called Joanne as she was going to pick me up at the airport. I got Bill's (Mr. Joanne) voicemail. I still had to pick up my suitcase so I wasn't worried. A few minutes later, with suitcase in hand, I dialed again. Same result, voicemail. I think I called at least one more time before I received a call back. Joanne had just gone to bed but was getting up and going to be at the airport within 20 minutes. She arrived, we hugged, I met Bill, and, just like that, I had met my first blogger, at least for this trip.

****************************

When the betting came around to me, I immediately raised. If I could get one person to fold their crap pre-flop, I was going to do it but this was limit and another $2 wasn't going to accomplish much. Six or seven saw the flop and when I realized I had hit my set, I was very happy. None of the other cards worried me and, when it was my turn to act, I raised again.

****************************
Once we got to the hotel, I went to check in. Unfortunately I was too early and they didn't have a room ready. I ran into Gracie and surprised her with my knowledge of her identity then made arrangements to leave my suitcase in Joanne's room. It was then decided that I would meet up with Maudie in the IP poker room and, once Joanne had a shower, we would all head for the champagne brunch.

As I walked into the poker room, I immediately spotted Maudie and some other bloggers whose names now escape me. I sat down next to Maudie and we chatted a bit. I also spoke with Gracie some more and chatted with some of the others at the table. Before too long it was time for me to go back down to the front desk to get my room key. They still didn't have my room ready but I glanced to my right and realized that Al and Eva were checking in. I could tell by the look on Al's face that something was wrong so I decided to postpone saying hi until he had some SoCo in him. I did, however, return to the poker room and announce his arrival to the other bloggers.

****************************

I think between the bet and my raise we might have gotten two people out of the pot. "Doyle" was not one of them and I hoped he had a piece of that flop. The turn brought an undercard and the betting came around to me. I raised and we were down to 3 people, including "Doyle".

****************************
We (me, Joanne, Bill, and Maudie) finally got to the champagne brunch and discovered they were in the process of switching to dinner. Since it was only a 20 minute wait we decided to stay and chat until we could get our food. We had just filled our plates when Eva and Lewey walked in and joined us. This was the beginning of the two fisted drinking portion of our dinner as Joanne and Eva tried to make the IP regret having free champagne, on tap, with the buffet.

We eventually ended up in the Al and Eva suite with a couple bottles of champagne and a water bottle filled with SoCo which had been graciously provided by Joanne and Bill. I think we may have set a new speed record for emptying those bottles as quickly as we did. It was at this point that I met John (aka Falstaff) and few others whose names, again, escape me. Once the booze started to get low it was decided to head out to the MGM for some poker and I headed toward my room to drop off my stuff. There was a slight room mix-up and I was a bit delayed at getting back to the suite. Luckily everyone waited for me and we headed to the monorail that would take us to the MGM where I would hit quads for the first time this trip.

*****************************
To say that I was shocked to see the case queen on the river would be an understatement. I had just hit quads and I had to figure out how to get more money out of them. It was checked to me and I bet. The other guy folded but "Doyle" raised. He had hit something big and didn't believe I had the quads, at least not until I re-raised. He thought for a minute but decided to call. I think he knew he was beat but he had enough in the pot already to make calling the only choice. I flipped up my quads and the table seemed shocked. Yes, the girl can actually play poker, who would have thunk? "Doyle" flipped up his full house and mumbled "nice hand". I raked in the pot.

Coming up......Excalibur, doing the "gay thing", meeting Wil, my "hallucination", the tourny, more quads, change in plans, and my new rule.

I'm Back!

I survived Vegas! I was supposed to be back last night but came back this morning instead after about an hour of sleep. To say that I am exhausted would be an understatement. Yeah, the trip was great! I'll be back with a full report, once I catch up on my sleep.

Until then.....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

I Go Vegas Now!

Well, actually in a few hours but the vacation officially starts now!!!

Trip reports start Monday or Tuesday.

Until then.....try not to miss me too much!

Sometimes You Have To Give, To Get

San Jose Sharks fans across the Bay Area knew something was up when tonight's game started with no sign of players Brad Stuart, Marco Sturm, and Wayne Primeau in the line-up. Things became even more suspicious when we learned that they had been in the warm-up just minutes before. What the fuck was going on? To say the anticipation was killing me would be an understatement. My heart was beating through my chest and it wasn't time to take my heart pill.

See, the Sharks have not been playing well lately. As a matter of fact we have lost the last ten games. The local e-mail list has been clogged with trade rumors for the past week but we had no idea who would be going and what we would be getting in return. Everyone had their own opinion but not one was even close to the reality that was revealed, first on the internet, then on the game broadcast.

Tonight the Sharks made the biggest trade in their history when they traded Brad Stuart, Marco Sturm, and Wayne Primeau for the Boston Bruin's own Joe Thornton! JOE FUCKING THORNTON IS A SAN JOSE SHARK!!!!
Yeah, he's gonna look great in teal.

I'm sad to see Stuey, Sturm, and Primeau go, especially Stuart and Sturm as the only NHL team they have known is the Sharks. But players come and go, that's the nature of professional sports, and if I said the thought of having Joe Thornton on the team didn't thrill me, I'd be full of shit. His debut is Friday night and I, for one, can't wait.

Not So Much

I am a huge TV fan. I watch television every night and often have the VCR taping stuff as well. If I had to pick a favorite network I would go with CBS as they have my two favorite reality shows (Amazing Race, Survivor), my almost favorite drama (CSI), and my favorite comedy (2 and a Half Men). Because of this I was almost giddy when I found out they were going to venture into the world of Sci-Fi with a new show called Threshhold. Besides, it has Brent Spiner in the cast, how can it be bad? I tuned in to the first episode and immediately liked what I saw. Original ideas, great writing, the best acting I've seen in a while, and, in case you forgot, Brent Spiner, I was like a kid in a candy store.

My first clue that things weren't going well should have been when the show was put on a two week hiatus only to return on a different night. That's never a good sign, but I chose to ignore it, as I firmly believed CBS would give it a fair shot. Shows how stupid I am, they just cancelled it. I gave up being angry about this type of thing after ABC cancelled Cupid. It just isn't worth it, but I do like to send the network a letter informing them of my displeasure, even if there is no chance in hell of it making a difference. I just finished my e-mail to CBS but decided to re-iterate a few of my points here. Why have a blog if I can't use it to abuse a network every now and then? Those with no interest can stop reading now, otherwise, begin rant.

To those in charge at CBS,

I just want you to know how truly disappointed I am with your decision to cancel Threshold. It is an original show with a stellar cast that I don't think you ever really gave a chance. It's such a shame because I used to tell people that I thought CBS was the best network out there. Now, well, not so much.

Will I stop watching your network? No, I'm not that strong. But, I guarantee I will not be singing your praises anymore and, I will definitely think twice before watching a new show on your network.

See, I know my opinion isn't going to change your mind nor is the threat of me bad mouthing your network going to scare you, but my voice is all I have. I'm not one of those "lucky" individuals with a Nielsen box attached to their TV so this is the only way my vote actually gets counted, and it's a heck of a lot more accurate than the antiquated ratings system in place now.

I would like to thank you for showing me your true colors. CBS really is no better than any other network and only cares about the bottom line. Quality and originality isn't as important as being number one in every time slot. I get it. It makes me ill, but I get it.

No longer CBS's number one fan,

April H.

(I bit over the top, I know, but I've always had a flare for the dramatic.)

A Promise Broken

I'm not supposed to be there anymore. I promised myself at the end of last year that I would not, under any circumstances, be working at the hospital come Thanksgiving of 2005. Yet, I'm still there.

See, some shit went down between Thanksgiving and Christmas of last year, shit that would have gotten a certain person fired had it happened anywhere else. Unfortunately, there are too many people who are scared of her so she still works there. Had I gotten an apology maybe I would feel less depressed about the whole situation but I never got anything resembling an "I'm sorry" so I'm really hating the job right now. I should have walked the day it all started but I'm a chicken shit with bills to pay and medications that won't pay for themselves. So, I'm still there.

The bright side is that I am involved in a new business venture and the future is looking great. It's just going to be a few more months before it turns into a full time gig but, it has actually turned out to be my dream job. I love it so much that I don't care when I spend most of my Saturday working, not to mention most nights during the week. I want this company to succeed because they recognize what I have to offer and have treated me with the utmost respect since the end of my first month (had to prove myself a bit in the beginning). I don't think I was ever treated this well at the hospital and I stopped caring after all the crap went down. I'm barely there, even when I'm there and, in case you haven't figured it out, I'm still there, four fucking days a week.

So, where does all this leave me? Most days, I hate that I'm still there, that I broke a promise I made to myelf but the person who should have been fired has been on medical leave since September so it hasn't been the worst thing in the world (barely). Of course she comes back December 5th. I would rather have a root canal with no Novacaine than walk into that department and see her face. Even the light at the end of the tunnel is offering me little in the way of peace. There is a slight chance her doctor won't let her come back just yet but I'm not holding my breath as he has already delayed her return by three weeks. I'd wish her a heart attack but even I am not that cruel and another one would probably kill her which could, possibly, make me feel bad (and this is all about me). Really, I'm not a mean person, I just feel like I'm trapped in a corner and I'm getting claustrophobic.

Truthfully, I'll just suck it up and plow on through. I'm not looking forward to it, but there really is no other option until my other job opens up. The one thing I can guarantee is that there will be no two weeks notice and no looking back. Once I get there, I won't have to be there.

Restructuring

I went to work today only to discover our hospital is restructuring and 55 people were losing their jobs. Unfortunately, I was NOT one of those people. Seriously, what do I have to do to get out of this job? I can't leave voluntarily because I need the benefits but I would have no objection to being "restructured". I realize I would still lose my benefits but I really don't want to be there anymore, I just can't bring myself to resign. The job itself doesn't bother me it's some of the people I work with that I really don't care to be around anymore. It's been almost a year since the department lead accused me of faking a back injury and I haven't felt any loyalty to the hospital ever since. (Yes, there is more to the story but I'm not getting into it.)

Speaking of restructuring, my tournament game could obviously use some. I did so poorly in both the Wil Wheaton and the Saturdays with Pauly tournaments that I couldn't stand to write about it. I just felt "off" in both tourneys and still haven't figured out why so I don't see the point in reliving my misery. I don't think I'll be playing in Wil's tournament this week because I have to work on Friday and I don't think I'll be home in time. I will be playing in Pauly's tourney on Saturday so I can continue to compete for last place honors.

One last thing, I HAVE BOUGHT MY PLANE TICKETS FOR VEGAS!!!!! If anyone is arriving in Vegas on December 8th at around 11:30am to noon and wants to share a cab ride to the Imperial Palace, drop me an e-mail at April9807 AT aol DOT com. I'm looking to save money in any way I can so if you can help me out I would appreciate it.

Until next time.....may the tournament tables treat you well!

Poker Observations

Hi all! No, I haven't died, I just haven't felt like blogging lately. Blame the second job, blame the first job, blame the fact that I watch a lot of TV in the evenings, blame the fact that it's hockey season and my Sharks aren't off to the best start, or you can just blame me for being one of the laziest people on the planet. Moving on....here's some observations I've made over the past week or so. I may expand on one or two in a future blog post but for now I'm just throwing them out there.

• Just because you can call an all-in doesn't mean you should. I don't know how many times I've watched some moron double up a short stack by calling with absolute crap.
• On the other hand, if I'm in the blind for $800 and it's only going to cost me another $170 to call your all-in, I'll do it every time. I hope telling me I'm "a moron for calling" after I rivered you made you feel better because all it did for me (and Pauly) was cause lots of laughter. Oh, and you losing on the river was irony at it's finest.
• However, I am a moron for not paying close attention during the Blogger Championship and calling a $7,000 all-in when I thought I was just calling a minimum raise. That was the beginning of the end.
• Someday I hope to be healthy during a blogger tournament. Last Sunday was not that day, I'm shooting for perfect health in Vegas in December (or at least a good hangover).
• Using the note feature to call bad players things like "fucking moron" and "total dipshit" can be therapeutic. Plus you can get a good laugh when you come across the player at a later date and read what you wrote.
• The play at Poker Stars really is tighter than other sites. It took me going back to Full Tilt to fully realize how true that really is. I would now like to thank the players at Full Tilt for the Vegas bankroll they are going to provide me.
• Continuation bets can be very profitable at a passive table.
• No matter how many times I show down premium hands, there will always be one person at the table who will believe that I'm bluffing when I raise on every street. Thanks for making chip accumulation so easy!

That's it for now. I'm sure I'll think of some others as soon as I hit "publish" but I'll just have to use them in my next post.

Until next time......what's an observation you've made at the poker tables in the past week?

Diamond’s Really Are A Girl’s Best Friend!

I just finished 7th in the first WWdN: Where’s My Burrito? Invitational over on Poker Stars. That finish was good enough for a nice little profit but that wasn’t the best part of the tourney. The best part was when I got my

FIRST EVER ROYAL FLUSH!!!!

If you haven’t guessed from the title of this post, it was a diamond royal flush. I even managed to double up on it. I was just trying to bet enough to get a call so I could show it but I ended up all-in when the other player tried to bluff at the pot. Since I suck at screen shots, I offer the following hand history as proof:

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to April98 [Ad Jd]
cfinnn: folds
Joanne1111: folds
Bugsy 99: raises 200 to 400
striker_dj: folds
Maudie: folds
AcesFull2221: calls 400
Beck2Knaves: folds
April98: calls 300
Decker711: calls 200
*** FLOP *** [Kh Qd Td]
April98: bets 400
Decker711: folds
Bugsy 99: folds
AcesFull2221: calls 400
*** TURN *** [Kh Qd Td] [Kd]
April98: bets 400
AcesFull2221: calls 400
*** RIVER *** [Kh Qd Td Kd] [4d]
April98: bets 800
AcesFull2221: raises 4568 to 5368 and is all-in
April98: calls 2815 and is all-in
*** SHOW DOWN ***
AcesFull2221: shows [Jc Qs] (two pair, Kings and Queens)
April98: shows [Ad Jd] (a Royal Flush)
April98 collected 10655 from pot
AcesFull2221 said, "nh"
DuggleBogey [observer] said, "holy crap!"
Beck2Knaves said, "holy ****"
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 10655 Rake 0
Seat 5: April98 (small blind) showed [Ad Jd] and won (10655) with a Royal Flush

Seriously, I thought I was toast at the start of the tourney when I found myself seated at a table with Joanne, Jaxia, and tournament host Wil. Later, I was seated with Joanne, Maudie, and Derek. I’m still not sure how I survived to the final table as, according to my stats, I only played 20 hands. I guess it was the quality of the hands not quantity.

Anyway, Wil plans to run a tourney every Friday, as his schedule allows, and I can guarantee that I’ll be playing in the future.

Until next time……Royal Flushes for everyone!

Pajama Bottoms And A Helmet Cam

Last night Maura and I made another stop on the April and Maura concert tour to see the men who proved that hell can indeed freeze over. That's right, the Eagles were in town and we had 3rd row, upper bowl seats, at the side of the stage. We were also in a relatively mellow section so I didn't get to experience any of my normal concert going pet peeves. No one was standing in front of us dancing or in back of us talking through the whole show and, best of all, no one was singing every song in a horribly out-of-tune voice. Seriously, if you want to do any of that, stay at home and pop a CD into the player and sing, dance, and talk till your heart's content. I paid money to hear the band, not you and your drunk ass friends.

For the next 3 and a half hours (minus the late start and the "we're getting old and need to rest" intermission) we heard beautiful harmonies and awesome guitar playing, as if they hadn't aged a day. For old men, they still have what it takes to put on one hell of a show. They started with some of their early hits, moved on to some solo stuff, took their break and came back to hit some of their ballads as well as a new song that seemed familiar though I've never heard it before. It wasn't too long before they started to rock and we got to hear a bit more of their solo work. Luckily Don Henley sang "Boys of Summer" before the break so the worst part of the show was over before things had really gotten started (no I don't like the Alien Ant Farm re-make either). The other good part was that Glen Frey stayed away from his "Miami Vice" days (again, not a fan of that song).

Finally we arrived at the first of 3 encores and I finally figured out why bands save their biggest hit for last, it's to reward those who stay until the very end. I just don't get people who pay fifty or more dollars for concert tickets only to leave before it's over. Those who left early last night missed "Hotel California" and "Desparado" as well as an awesome Joe Walsh spotlight moment when they performed "Rocky Mountain Way". Is getting out of the parking lot first really worth missing that?

One thing I was paying attention to as the show moved along was the crowd reaction when certain band members sang or had an instrumental solo. It was obvious that some people have a favorite Eagle and I must admit I fall into that group. Don't get me wrong, I love everyone in the band and I want to be listening to their music as I drift off on my death bed (a long, long time from now) but there is only one person who can make wearing pajama bottoms and a helmet cam on stage look cool. If you've ever seen the Eagles perform you'll know who I'm talking about and, if not, well there must be something seriously wrong with you.

For me the show rated a 100 on a scale of 1 to 10. If I had any money I'd see them again at their second show on Friday night but, instead, I'll settle for playing their CD in my car for the rest of the week (if I can actually find it).

Until next time.....tell me whose music you would want to have playing in the background as you take your
final breaths?

Because My Twin Said So

I have registered to play in the
Online Poker Blogger Championship!

This event is powered by PokerStars.

Registration code: 3690452

I can't say no to a free tournament especially if my twin is playing! If you have a blog, go sign up and join the fun!

Random Sunday - It's All Gone

Poker

Every bit of money I deposited at Titan Poker is gone. It took me less than a week to lose it and I am leaving a nice amount of bonus dollars just sitting in my account going to waste. I will not be re-loading as I can't stand the software and since I can't seem to win there, I don't see the point. I should have known that I wouldn't win. Anytime anyone says the games are soft and anybody can win, I lose. I can't win at Party either.

Luckily, I still have money on Poker Stars and UB as well as some free money on various other sites. I think the new goal is to get my bankroll on Stars back to where I started and then consider moving my money somewhere else for a change of scenery. Maybe I'll go back to Full Tilt for a bit.

I did play the WPBT tourney on Tuesday night. I was knocked out by a bad beat in 30-something place. Same guy who knocked me out, took out Derek in an even worse beat. At least the chat room was fun.

Oh, I forgot to mention my 33rd place finish in the $5 Katrina charity tournament on Stars. I wasn't the longest lasting blogger but I had fun and it was nice to have a decent finish.

The Best Dog In The World

I really don't want to leave on a depressing note but I need to mention this because it fucking sucks. The day after my mom's birthday, and just a few days after her hospital stay, the best dog in the world got hit by a car. He was a gorgeous Rottweiler, Black Lab mix who was really just an overgrown puppy. My step-dad got him when he was a puppy to take on the road with him (he's a truck driver). He saved my step-dad's life on at least one occasion. Al was at a truck stop and a guy with a knife tried to rob him in the parking lot. The best dog in the world attacked the robber who ended up in jail, probably with a nice dog bite.

We'll never know why he chose that exact moment to run into the road. 2 seconds earlier or later and there may have been a different outcome but you can drive yourself crazy with those kind of thoughts. At least his death was instant and he didn't suffer. My step dad is blaming himself and my mom is really sad. It hit me when I realized that I couldn't hear him barking in the background while we talked on the phone. He was a good dog and he will be missed by many.

Until next time.....give your pet a great big hug.

If You Can't Spot The Fish....

What a horrible fucking weekend at the poker tables. You name the fishy move and I probably made it at some point.

"I know I'm beat but I'll call your all-in anyway.".... I lost two buy-ins that night.

"Just because there are 3 spades (or any other suit) on the board, doesn't mean he has the flush."....uh, yes he does, every fucking time.

"I'm working off a bonus so I'll loosen up my starting hand requirements.".....so I can lose my deposit twice as fast.

"Although I'm losing at this level, all I really need to do is change tables and I'll start winning.".....no, you need to move down a level or two you fucking moron!

I'm sure I could keep going but you get the idea. I think my brain finally started to function about the last half hour I played and I was able to win a little of my money back but it didn't make me feel any better.

I'm just so pissed off at myself right now because I knew I was playing bad poker and yet I kept right on playing like an Emu (or whatever the hell the new term for donkey is).

Anyway, I haven't signed up for the next WPBT tournament yet but I will tomorrow. First person to identify me (I couldn't use any of my normal nicknames) gets absolutely nothing but the knowledge that they were the first to figure it out.

See you all on Tuesday night and if your lucky I'll still be playing like an idiot.

The details (as stolen from Tao of Poker):

What: WPBT Tournament
Where: Titan Poker
When: Tuesday, September 20th at 9pm ET
Buy-in: $20 + 1
Format: No Limit
Dress Code: Pants are optional
Password: thehamma

Not The Post I Intended To Write

I'm actually not sure if I had intended to write anything today but if I had, I don't remember what I was going to write about. See, I just got one of those heart-stopping phone calls. I checked my voicemail and there was a message from my step-father, Al, "You're mom is in the hospital." That was when my heart stopped.

I immediately called him back only to get a busy signal. "Get off the fucking phone!" I said aloud to an empty room. Finally, after about 5 minutes, I got through. He told me that she had been having chest pain for about 3 weeks and today it got so bad that she went to the employee health clinic at her work. They called an ambulance.

The good news it that it wasn't a heart attack. Her EKG and blood work was normal but they are keeping her overnight and won't let her go home tomorrow until she has a Stress Test. I talked to my mom and she sounds like she is doing fine. The idea of being on medication for the rest of her life is unappealing to her but I know she'll do whatever the doctor tells her to do. If she doesn't, I'll be on the next plane to Bangor to give her a swift kick in the ass.

Next WPBT Las Vegas Event

Per Bill's blog:

"Well it looks like things have started to move forward and here’s what we have so far:

Date: Dec 10th, 2005
Place: Imperial Palace Casino
Time: Shooting for around 10am’ish

Despite having some reservations regarding the Harrah’s buyout of the IP, the poker room manager has done a good job at convincing me that they are committed to pulling this off for us.

Blind structure is being worked out but they have been open to structuring things as we would like them. Buy in would be $50 + $5 (dealer bonus) + $10 (juice) or $50 + $15 for those who are mathematically challenged.

I’ve spoken with the manager of guest relations at the IP and he said the normal room rates for $49/$69 (weekday/weekend) but he’s pretty confident he can get us a rate of $29/$39. We’re still working on that and I’ll post more about it as the info becomes available. In the meantime, if you would like to book at the IP, pop me (Bill) an email with your name, email, dates you plan on staying, phone number, and preference of smoking/non-smoking and I’ll start getting that over to Bob. If we can batch up all of the requests, Bob will have player club cards waiting for you at check-in as well.

As far as associated events, pros, etc., we’re still putting that together. We might have a sponsorship for the event so perhaps we’ll have some goodies to give away. "

"I have an annoucement to make!"

Those were the words declared by my step-brother about 2 weeks ago. He is stationed in San Diego (Navy) and had brought his girlfriend with him to visit us for the week. We (step-mom, my dad, and I) were all in the kitchen making dinner when he felt it was time to make a big announcement. I was thinking maybe another promotion or he was transferring to another base, I don't think any of us were prepared for his next words.

"My wife is pregnant!"

Those were his exact words and the room fell silent for about two seconds and then his mother asked, "are you joking with me?"

This was when I went into smart ass mode and replied, "well that ring on his finger looks a lot like a wedding band to me!"

From there it went into congratulations and all the questions that follow that type of announcement. I'll sum the answers up for you:

"3 weeks ago"
"no one was invited"
"15 weeks along"
"we're really happy"
"Tyler Patrick if it's a boy and Alexandria Nicole if it's a girl"

Yes, they have all ready picked out names. I'm actually happy for him but I'm wondering if the Navy is slipping a bit. I thought sailors who had been to countries like Thailand had some sort of mandatory sex education class at some point. Must have slipped his mind or he was really drunk. He probably just slipped back into irresponsible mode as men are prone to do from time-to-time.

Of course, he has a very secure job with free health care as well as a car and a condo. He's doing much better than the rest of us. I guess what I have the biggest problem understanding is what she sees in him. Don't get me wrong, he's my favorite step-sibling and, although not the smartest bulb in high school, managed to work his way up from potato peeler to Master Helmsman of an aircraft carrier. He's just always seemed so socially immature that I figured it would be awhile before he got married. I'm not sure of the maturity exchange rate but she just turned 20 and he's 26, does that make them even?

Oh, one more interesting tidbit, her name is Esther which happens to be my mom's name. I bet my dad thought he'd never have to say that name again.

Lastly, for those looking for a gambling reference, I put the over/under at 4 years.

Until next time.....Just call me Auntie April (only if you want me to kill you instantly).

Quick Update

Poker is really, really sucking right now.

I am way, way behind on my blog reading so don't be surprised if you get a new comment on a week-old post.

Punkin is back to her old self but tried to milk it a bit yesterday. I caught her playing with her favorite toy mouse so I knew she was fine.

I have never been to New Orleans so I don't have a story to share. I did watch the entire season of Real World New Orleans and thought it would be a cool place to visit, looks like that won't be happening for awhile. My heart is with everyone from who has been devastated by this disaster. Poker Stars and Wil Wheaton have planned some charity tournaments to help in the recovery of those areas hit hardest. If you have been waiting for a good excuse to start playing online poker, this is the best time. Click Tournaments and then the Special tab for more details.

Now I must go to bed so I can be half awake for work.

I'm A Bad Mom

There are three cats in my household. Ricci and Punkin are mine, and Tye-Dye belongs to my dad. When the flea population rises it becomes my job to put flea killer drops on their necks. Even though it's expensive I have always used Advantage which I buy it at my veterinarians office. It averages about $10 per tube and comes in a package of 6 tubes. Because the two boys weigh over 9 pounds and Punkin is around 7 pounds, I have to buy two different packages for a total of $120. Last Friday it was time to apply the liquid to all the cats. I had enough tubes for the boy's but I was totally out of the one for Punkin. Since I didn't really have the money to buy it from the vet, I went to the local Wal-Mart to see what they had as an alternative. After perusing the choices, I decided on Hartz 4 in 1 Flea and Tick Drops Plus for the bargain price of $8 for 3 tubes.

It was pretty obvious about 2 hours after applying the liquid that something was wrong. Punkin was drooling and her head was twitching a bit. Later I caught her scratching the area with her back legs and as she walked she would shake her legs as if they were wet and she was trying to dry them. I immediately tried washing the stuff off and eventually had to take some shampoo to the area. I did the best I could but whatever that substance is it's hard to get off. For the rest of the weekend my baby was obviously not herself. She was lethargic and would only leave the bedroom if I carried her out. This is another sign that something was wrong as she hates being held. I also don't think she was eating or drinking much but since I couldn't watch her every second, I didn't know for sure.

Last night I decided to do some research and found a very troubling web-site. It's called www.hartzvictims.org and is dedicated to getting all these crappy Hartz products off of the shelves. If you check out the site you will find hundreds if not thousands of stories of animals who have gotten extremely sick and even died after the use of these products. And don't think dog's are immune because they aren't. I also read a couple of horrific dog stories as well. I will be fair and point out that not every animal has had a negative reaction to these products but I also feel that the numbers that have should not be ignored.

As for Punkin, she seems to be doing better although she still isn't at her best. She has been eating, drinking water, and purred for a good ten minutes this morning. She even managed to hiss at Ricci but she is still a little twitchy and not her normal, active self. After speaking with the assistant at my veterinarians office I decided not to take her in as there probably isn't much that can be done at this point and she gets way to stressed when put in a carrier. I just don't think that added stress would be good for her. At this point, I just have to wait it out. From what I read it could be a couple of weeks before she is back to her normal so I'm sure she will be back to her regular princess duties soon.

I wrote this as a warning for all my pet owning readers. I put my trust in a product based on the limited information I had at the time. Had I known then what I know now, I would never taken the cheap way out. My veterinarians office said that they have no way of getting information out to the public as to how bad Hartz products are. Luckily for me, I have a blog and I'm not afraid to use it to get this information out. Please check out the web-site and share this information with as many people as possible. No one should have to go through what I went through this weekend.

UPDATE: I just found a link on the Hartz victims site to the EPA web-site. Apparently the company recently changed the labels to add warnings, plan on stopping production of this product by the end of September, and stop selling it, at least temporarily, at the end of the year. I just want to state that I followed the instructions and read the warnings but felt Punkin would be okay as she met all the requirements on the label. Obviously I was wrong and I personally feel this stuff should be off the shelves now, not at the end of the year.