This is How I Run

Continued from, oh, the last 3-4 months...

Buffalo Plane Crash and the possible science behind it

Miles O'Brien, formerly of CNN, knows his shit.  A very good read for anyone with a shred of interest in the science of flight. 

Onion Radio News

I get this every day.  This one was a classic.

"...military-grade Kleenex"  Epic.

AIPS

It simply was not going to happen tonight.  I got lots of hands early - and no action.  I stole some blinds midway through the first hour with no resistance, but I picked the wrong hand to bluff with, lost a decent chunk of my stack, and just bled chips from there.  Finally reraised all-in w/ AQ and the villain has AK. 

Play was remarkably passive and predictable too.  I just could not capitalize.  Bah.

Westminster

I'm all excited for Westminster.  I love dogs, have two of them, and loved going to the DKC show when I lived in Detroit.  Plus this is Westminster, which is the shit and all that. 

So I set the DVR, turn it on tonight, and hear this vaguely familiar female voice doing the intro while the truck shows a variety of canned shots from prior shows.  Well it's not Joe Garagiola, which is good, but it's also not Lester Holt who did a fine job the past couple of years. 

Just who is this new host?

Mary Carillo.

AAArrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!!

Tonight's Bullshit

Tonight was cooler night.

I get nothing in the 180 runner $8 tourney.  Crawl through the first break, then finally pick up AKo on the button.  UTG+1 limps, Cutoff raises to 400, and I insta-shove.  Both entrants call.  They check it down all the way (there are about 90 left at this point).  Limper showed up w/ AJo, and Cutoff woke up w/ KK.  Good night to me. 

Then I dive into a $10 SNG and this happens. 
http://www.pokerhandreplays.com/view.php/id/279645

Brrrrrr.

Sometime I have to hit one of these, right?

This is on the bubble of a SNG.  Other than folding, which seems pretty weak, not sure what I can do differently. 

Full Tilt Poker Game #10497989017: $20 + $2 Sit & Go (79297166), Table 1 - 120/240 - No Limit Hold'em - 22:06:36 ET - 2009/02/07
Seat 1: sos41 (6,315)
Seat 2: djm182 (2,700)
Seat 5: assron (2,355)
Seat 9: Theologian78 (2,130)
sos41 posts the small blind of 120
djm182 posts the big blind of 240
The button is in seat #9
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to djm182 [Ah 2h]
assron folds
Theologian78 raises to 480
sos41 folds
djm182 calls 240 (I cannot fold this to a minraise)
*** FLOP *** [Th 3s 4h]
djm182 bets 2,220, and is all in (First to act, maybe he'll fold.  I've got 12 outs, and just maybe my Ace is good)
Theologian78 calls 1,650, and is all in
djm182 shows [Ah 2h]
Theologian78 shows [Ad Ts] (OK, 12 outs twice)
Uncalled bet of 570 returned to djm182
*** TURN *** [Th 3s 4h] [Td]
*** RIVER *** [Th 3s 4h Td] [8c] (I. Never. Improve.)
djm182 shows a pair of Tens
Theologian78 shows three of a kind, Tens
Theologian78 wins the pot (4,380) with three of a kind, Tens

The Never-Ending Cooler

Had my heart set on playing some tourneys and SNGs tonight.  Let's go to the recap:

* $2.20 NLHE Donkfest on Stars.  99<57o on a 3 4 6 flop.  I preflop raise it from UTG+2 and get called by said hand.  Later on, with a short stack, I get it in w/ AKo vs JJ and TT, never improving

* $11 SNG on Tilt.  Lose 2/5ths of my stack when 88<KQ on a rivered straight.  Then I lose the rest with AA UTG, standard raise, and a call.  I shove on a 5KQ rainbow flop and stack off to KQh.  I was dealt AA 3x in 28 hands here.  Doubled up on the first, won a small pot with the second, got stacked on the third.  WP, djm182.  WP you piece of shit.

* $8.80 169 player tourney on Tilt.  Get the Cosenza in the cutoff on first hand.  UTG and hijack limp in and call my raise.  Flop 4QA w/ 2 diamonds.  Checks around, I bet 1/2 pot and hijack calls.  Turn Td.  He check calls me again.  River is 4th diamond, he shoves and I fold, 1/4 of my stack gone. 

I fold a dozen hands in a row, then find AKo on the button.  Short stack shoves (305 chips), idiot hijack from earlier hand flat calls that.  I shove.  Hijack comes along (of course he does).  Shorty has 57c, Idiot has 99 (ok, fine).  What happens?  Wait for it.  I.  Never.  Improve. 

* OK, one last $11 SNG on Tilt.  I chip up a bit early.  About 13 hands in I have AJd in MP and raise.  Folds around to the UTG limper who calls.  Flop TAK rainbow.  I bet and get min-raised.  I tilt off and shove.  He calls w/ ATo. 

My mistakes?  There are (at least) three.
1) I'm too eager to get chips in against a bigger stack early on in events.
2) I'm not sniffing out player characteristics like I should. 
3) I keep playing despite being on a three-month run of bad luck and suspect play.

For about two months this fall, I *pwned* the $10-$20 SNGs.  Now I'm getting destroyed.  It's not all my fault, but I bear a good chunk of the blame.  This endless cooler sure isn't helping, though.

Enough of this bullshit, I'm off to the Wii. 

XLIII Recap

The game that was well on it's way to being another mediocre Super Bowl became a classic with about 10:00 left.  Arizona's drive straight through the defense, capped by Fitzgerald's first TD, turned the game around.  The Cardinals owned the game from there all the way through Fitzgerald's second TD, which was a fantastic bit of playcalling by the Cards. 

And then the "prevent" defense kicks in.  And the Steelers pick away at it, Holmes busts one down to the 5, then snags one in the corner of the end zone.  Ballgame.  It was a great one, but I would've preferred to see the Cardinals win - especially after that bullshit cheap shot by one of the Steelers late in the fourth quarter.  I'm pleased that pissant Clark didn't really get to put a hurting on anyone with his cheap hit style of play. 

Some random thoughts:
* The result at least keeps my "Streak for the Cash" streak alive at a (ahem) personal best of 4.
* "Ben" is big and slow...and runs around in the pocket all the time, yet nobody can catch him.  This astounds me.  I'm equally as slow, and if it were me in the pocket, I'd get clobbered. 
* Here's to Brenda Warner for, quite possibly, one of the greatest non-reality show makeovers of all time. 
* This game hinged on that 100-yard INT TD return, in which about six Cardinals could've stopped it, not the least of which was Kurt Warner who not only threw the poor INT but could've at least tried to direct Woodson out of bounds. 
* Too much officiating, although there weren't any calls that I saw which appeared to be wrong. 
* She talks like she's on quaaludes, and her pregame bit on Kurt Warner was far too poetic, but I've got a mute button on my screen, and I'll gladly press it if I need to just to get more Alex Flanagan in my life. 

And, of course, the Springsteen recap.  My expectations were tampered somewhat only due to the environment he was playing in.  These halftime boondoggles have historically been played with smallish crowds around the stage of people who looked like they were paid to be there.   Tonight, with a bigger stage and a fuller field, this actually felt like a concert.  Points are deducted for the trimming of verses from the songs - I'd rather have seen a "10th Avenue"..."Working on a Dream"..."Born to Run" set with the full songs delivered, but I understand why they did what they did. 

But despite any nits I can pick, I have to say that this was very well done.  Far and away the best halftime show ever - even outpacing U2 back in '02.  The Boss' schtick at the open was outstanding.  The band sounded great - the choir for "Dream" was a very nice touch and added something to the song.  I could do without the fireworks and the referee schtick at the end, but I get it too. 

Give the Cadillac and the trip to Disney to the Boss

Steven Van Zandt: It'ssssss BOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSS Tiiiiiiimmmmmmmmeeeee!!!

Catching Up

Yeah, it's been a while.  Sometimes life gets in the way of blogging.  But I still have thoughts.  Oh yes I do...

 

* Will someone please explain to me what the hell the big deal is with this conversion to digital TV?  Who actually still has an analog-signal rabbit ears TV?  Those are the only people impacted, and I don't know any of them.  Actually I did see one such TV in a doctors office waiting room the other day.  Should've just told the doctor to drop $15.99/mo. on cable and be done with his problem. 

 

Every time I turn around, there's a proposal to delay the February date.  There are *government coupons* (!) to help people get whatever upgrade kit they need to get.  And the government has apparently been unable to keep the stock of said coupons up where it needs to be. 

 

I'm completely sick of reading about this.

 

* I'm also sick and tired of reading the weekly article (it comes out on Sunday's and you can't miss it) on what gas prices have done in the past week.  I'll say this much for gas prices - you cannot drive by a gas station without seeing exactly what gas prices are doing.  If it's $1.89 in the morning and $1.93 on the way home, odds are pretty fucking good that gas prices went up that day.  Yet every media outlet passes along the weekly summary of gas prices on Sunday (and into Monday) as if it's BREAKING NEWS. 

 

This is marginally even news back when gas was $4+ in the summer.  At prices <$2, this is trivia at best. 

 

* I need a new pair of running shorts.  First question: why is it called a pair?  It's just one "short" which - conveniently and appropriately - has two holes for my legs.  Here's the real problem.  All I want is a pair of running shorts.  Yet I cannot find them.  Not at Dick's, not at Target, not at Kohl's, not anywhere.  What I can find are these:

- Things that sure look like running shorts, but have built-in underwear.  I don't want these...I want shorts, not an ensemble

- Things that look like you'd be playing a pickup game in Rucker Park.  I don't need shorts that cover my knees, and generate a small breeze every time I take a stride.

- Things that are 100% cotton.  I wouldn't wear these to bed.  Surely not to run in, so I can get them soaked in sweat and add 5 lbs. to the excess weight I'm already carrying. 

- Things that look like bikini bottoms.  These may work for some, but they sure as hell don't work for me. 

 

Just a simple pair of running shorts, please.  This should not be hard.

 

* I'll be a bit vague here.  Some readers may get this.  Some may not.  People who bitch about something, but don't expend one ounce of effort to fix it are worthless to me.  Interestingly, these same people tend to be know-it-alls, and often are unnecesarily abrasive to others.  Moreover, I've had experiences with these people where you go to them looking for reasoned discussion in private, only to have them turn around and dump the dirty laundry in public.  I've got no use for them.

 

Yet, incredibly, people are drawn to these idiots like flies to shit.  Does this mean that I sometimes associate with a group of flies?

 

* The great Joe Posnanski has a fantastic post (as usual) on his blog about the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame, and how the original concept has run its course.  I can't do it justice, go read it. 

 

* Finally I've been playing a lot less online poker lately.  Mostly because I've been busy and/or traveling and/or sick.  The former and the latter still apply, though to a slightly lesser degree.  Anyway, this has been about a three-month long cooler, where I'm typically getting it in good, or getting it in on a coin flip, and getting out raced or out-sucked.  I'm not playing great - there are a handful of things I'm doing that I wasn't doing when I played well back late summer/early fall.  And thanks to one solid night of AIPS and a $5 NLHE donkfest, the bankroll hasn't suffered much.  But I'm just not nearly as interested as I've been in a while.  Perhaps Season IV of AIPS will change this.  Maybe I'm just sick of the grind.  Maybe I just need a break.  Maybe I like sleeping more than I remembered.  Or maybe I'd rather lose bogus points to idiots on Mario Kart Wii than lose real money to idiots on Full Tilt.