Long ago in a galaxy far away

Back in the day, like 10 years ago, my friends and I spent a lot of time at Capitol lounge, especially for happy hours on 10 cent wing night. (come to think of it, we spent time at the Big Hunt for 10 cent wing night too. Guess we ate a lot of cheap wings.)

Anyways, cap lounge is a dive bar with political personality, good beer and food, and crowded with people in suits who make no money, and people in suits who used to make no money and are now there for nostalgia during happy hours. Most of my friends are the latter these days, but tonight is wing night so I might have to show up for nostalgia, even if I won't be wearing a suit.

Learn new things

I learned several things in the space of a few minutes yesterday:

1) you should double check phone numbers that you are adding to your new phone.

2) you should not try to reply to text messages on your new phone while driving

3) there is a guy named Scott who works for a fire department in Florida.

4) if your iphone is plugged into your stereo playing music, phone conversations will also play through your stereo when calling people until you unplug your phone.

"If anyone can do it, it's you, Huck."

Remember that scene in Lucky You?

Last night Nelly was going to register for a small buy-in tourney at Venetian and I was gong to play cash.  Leenan on the other hand had no money.  Until he found $4 in his shirt pocket.  Sweet!  Let's hit up the penny slots.  An hour later, Keenan had turned his $4 into $70, $51, $21, and then back into $50 thanks to the penny slots.

Then he went to blackjack and turned $50 into $180.

Sweet - $180 is a buy in.

8 hours after we originally started this nonsense, Keenan and I are ready to cash out and join the others who have gone to bed long ago.  We were at the same table (Keenan flashed me the degenerate bat signal after my HORSE game broke - he was at a good table and we successfully stayed out of each others' way). I told him I was done when it got to my BB.  Then I look at his stack of $700 less a very lengthy massage and say - that's $4, right?

The guy next to me looks at me like I am that Barbie doll that says: "Math is hard."

Nice hit, sir.  Way to turn nothing into something.  Nice alchemy.

Nelly (aka my horse) is playing event #49 today.  As we speak, she and the others are out foraging for breakfast.  I think I'm headed back to bed and then over to the Rio in the afternoon.

I registered for my tournament (#51) yesterday.  Table Orange 25, seat 1 to start for those that are curious.  I've been playing a lot of HORSE cash games here the past few days and I've met quite a few people playing #51.  Should be interesting.  Oh yeah, and a thank you to my backers.  I have been able to sell a full 2/3rds of myself. 

Pink on 'roids. Cause that's how they roll on the West Coast.

In Vegas.  Yesterday I
didn’t play any poker.  Monday’s session
I was running bad and I just wasn’t in the mood to get in the saddle again.  Didn’t see the point in forcing myself to play
since that usually ends badly.  Played
blackjack and made $10. 

In the late afternoon/early evening I played some 1/2 NL at South Point briefly
and broke even (actually +$1).  It helped
to get my feet wet again.  On the other
hand, I’ve been kind of frustrated with breaking even recently because it seems
overall the past few weeks I’ve been a break even player.  I think this is a sign of some of the holes in
my game right now (primarily calling to much pf), but I keep telling myself
that being a break even player is better than being a losing player.  Still frustrating to sit and play for hours to break even...but that is another story for another blog post.

After watching The Love Guru (can I have that 2 hours of my life back, please?) I cabbed over to MGM, grabbed a bite to eat, and sat down at a 1/2 NL table there.  And then I proceeded to play like a fish...basically calling or betting when I knew I was way behind.  After shipping $200 with a quickness, I decided it would be a good idea to play blackjack.  The dealer was running so hot she had blackjack literally 5 times in the 20 minutes I was sitting there and the previously full table completely cleared.  I also left behind $100.  Then on my way out I had to pass a HE Bonus table.  Donated another $100 at that table after playing only 4 hands.  I wonder how many times I will have to learn the "table games are -EV" lesson?  To quote Hooker from one of my all-time favorite movies, The Sting: "Sorry Leroy - you can't beat the house."

I did the "Katie walk" out of MGM and cabbed it back to the Rio where I am staying.  Perhaps tilty is not the best mood to march into the Amazon ballroom with, but I decided that I was gonna play the 10/20 HORSE game they had going the day before.  Plus the $50K HORSE event was going on and I always like sweating that.

Showed up and put my name on the very LONG 10/20 HORSE list as well as the considerably shorter 10/20 O8 list.  Sweated HORSE while I waited for a seat and got to say hi and gush all over Jennifer Harman (my all-time favorite player).  I was too embarrassed to ask for an autograph. I also made eye contact with Pauly of Tao of Poker fame and briefly considered yelling how much I love his blog across the room. 

Finally got a seat at 10/20 w/half kill O8.  I had heard from multiple people (notably Anne and Travis) that this and the 20/40 O8 were very good games, but I was unprepared for what I had just gotten myself into.

For a moment here, I'm gonna assume that most readers of my blog who care about poker are familiar with Mr. E Honda's 5/10 half kill TOE pink chip game.  Imagine the worst of pink: the anger, the donkalicious play, the berating of the dealers.  Now imagine that game with everything amped about 150%...for twice the amount of money.  (Seriously, I didn't think people could play worse than at pink, but apparently they can) That, my friends, is what I decided to have as my first experience playing in the Amazon ballroom. 

Seriously, these people make Roy look like a sweet old man, and even the dumbest of pink players look like a 75 year old NJ rock.  Oh, and Kenny - you think you get shit as a dealer?  You should have heard the crazy business going on at this table.  We also had people straddling (either UTG or on the button) every hand that was not a kill (which many were).

Less than 2 hours later, I had more than tripled my short buy of $300...sitting on $1050.  The game is strong, so I go to take a short break.  When I get back, the table has broken.  :(  From what I gather, something got out of hand and someone's feelings got hurt (PSA: PEOPLE - DO NOT TAP THE TANK - ESPECIALLY FROM THE INSIDE).

I was offered a seat at 20/40, but I took the opportunity to cash out.  Pocketed the benjis I had sitting on the table, racked up, and went to the cage.

Vegas running tally:
NLHE and table games: -$400
LO8: +750

Total: +350 (too bad I had to ship $400 at MGM otherwise this would have been a REALLY good night).

Like to gamble?

I still have 19% of my action in WSOP event #51 ($1500 HORSE) for sale.  If you want to get in on it, let me know.

Pics from my parents' boat trip

So jealous.  It's the worst when you are invited to go somewhere for free and you can't swing it.

Dad with some crazy huge fish.  I'm excited to go fishing when I go home in July.

Mom at the helm.

The captain looks like he's in the process of giving an order.

Salmon that my dad caught.  This is what makes me super jealous.  You don't know good until you've eaten fresh salmon.

Grilling giant oysters.  Again, jealousy.

Currently chip leader in FT HORSE tourney

27 players to start.  Top 4 get paid.  8 of us left at the final table.  I have just over $12k in chips...should be losing a few more players very shortly.

10:01am: In the money now, but just had an unfortunate razz hand...now I'm 3rd in chips.

10:21am: Clawed my way to second.  3 handed now.

10:31am: First in chips, heads up.

10:37am: Ick.  Had a very unfortunate round of heads up o8.  Ended up taking second.