Grind, grind, grind

Why the hell do I play poker these days? I’m sure I could find some more productive activity for my time, like sticking burning splinters under my fingernails or being nice to Josie. Worst thing is I’m not even losing. Playing a couple hours a day of low stakes NL ring these days, usually .10//.20. Should probably throw in some tourney just to keep in practice as I get a bit loosey goosey in tourneys when I play long stretches of ring. Be that as it may I’m doing ok at the tables right now but it’s getting to be a real grind. Never have I seen such tight tables at these stakes. Admittedly that’s contributing to my winnings but it’s like trying to build a snowman one flake at a time. In addition it’s not really been giving me any blog fodder. Even given my deathless prose it’s kind of hard to make something interesting out of raising A-J off 3x’s and everyone folds 20 times. Even when I do get action it rarely goes beyond the flop. Today I’ve played 52 of 185 hands so far, 12 of which went to showdown, 6 of which I won. I have 33 other wins and am up 2 buy ins. That’s only because since I started writing this I doubled up against the big stack when we both flopped flushes with me holding the nut. The other 51 hands, 38 of which were wins had me up a whole half a buy in before that. Today the deck even smacked me as I’ve pulled K-K 4 times and A-A twice, the first time I’ve seen aces in my hand in almost a week. No action. None, nada, zilch. Twice I had them in the BB and not even a frikkin limper. And today I’m up big compared to the last few days. Usually it’s 4 hours of play and maybe up a buy in. Last night I wound up a whole 2 bucks, stuck in the same $4 range most of the night, up a few, down a few. Basically what I’m saying here is this is starting to feel like work except work had a guaranteed payoff and only half the frustration.

Probably play the Mookie tomorrow. At least that usually gives me material for here. Right now my mind is stagnating and I have no idea what to write about. Yea, I know, I’m pushing out a lot of words but mostly just a bunch of blather. Reading a lot and think about doing some book reviews but most of the stuff I’m reading is older stuff so not sure how of how much interest it will be. Especially since I have what, about 5-6 readers? Not like I’m Josie sucking up to (or bullying) everyone for links. Have a couple new books on pre-order but not sure when they will be in. One has been pushed back twice already. Summer movie season upon us but never was a big movie goer, usually wait until the video hits so nothing timely is going to come from there. Even Vegas is looking less likely this summer unless the Feds get off their duff and give me a quick resolution to my disability app. but that is unlikely. You know how fast the government is.

I see Josie has the first featured post on the Poker from the Rail site. Hell, she’s been crowing about it since before it happened. So much so that they probably heard her on the West Coast. Only thing is she says she got the spot without sucking up or other various techniques. C’mon Josie, no fibbing here. You’ll never get to heaven that way and considering that I’ve already got a waterfront lot and a reserved seat on the express elevator to the other place I sure don’t need to be spending eternity with you in the vicinity. ‘Fess up and maybe it will be forgiven. After all, the guys doing the selecting are guys. We know they can’t resist. I will sat they did make a good pick for their first selection as she does seem to have a large readership and gathers quite a bit of commentary on her blog. Hell, even I read it though mainly because she offers such opportunity for abuse. Face it Josie, you play poker, you comment here, you live in Boston, you crave abuse. Do you also golf? And by the way, that selection comment was not a nice one; it was based strictly on practicality. Don’t want you getting your hopes up.

Guess that’s enough for tonight. See you at the Mookie. Thanks for the listen.

And a Wacky Wednesday it was

OK Josie, a few words about the Mookie. Now maybe you are doing the Dank/Buddy thing just to make nice to Waffles but think of this for a minute. You have started, and pushed, your own tourney, The Very Josie. All well and good. Enjoyed playing the last one. However allow your mind to wander into the future. You can do that can’t you; you seem to have a good imagination concerning other things. Anyway think of the time you either grow tired ad bored of the whole blogger and/or poker thing or, heaven forefend, you can no longer manage to handle such things. Someone decides that since you are leaving the game they are going to take over the running of your game as homage to you. Have no doubts, it will happen because there is always someone out there with more testosterone than brains. So now, your tourney is out there, with your name on it, being continued as a tradition by some peckerwood without any sense. Do you want someone pushing for the tourneys name to be changed to that peckerwood’s just because he is running it? (Buddy, this is not to imply you are a peckerwood, just a general swipe at some future, possible Josie admirer. Course if you take over running the Very Josie at some point in the future I reserve the right to alter my judgment) Back to the tirade. So Josie, do you want tradition to go hang and have someone pushing to name YOUR tourney after some futuristic Mojo type just because he hasn’t the brains god gave bastard geese in Ireland? Just think about it the next time you start to write Dank/Buddy in your blog in place of the Mookie. Is sucking up to Waffles worth all that? Just think, the Very Josie is pushed to become the Very Mojo Whatever?


Man it was Wacky Wed. at least as far as the Tokers game went. A tight table at lower levels started getting 4-5 limpers at about the 5th. Usually people tighten up as the blinds get higher unless they are shoving. I figured I was going to end this one early given the structure and the fact I had a few other games coming up. Little did I know even when I took a big hit just before break time. I figured the structure would make this one a quickie but when it started I found out it was a triple stack, or almost. Actually it was some weird number close to a triple in keeping with the Wacky Wed theme I guess. Even wackier was that when I took a peek at the lobby to see the players I noticed that third place is listed as top prize. WTF. I mention this in the chat box and someone else mentions that no, they see it as 4th so I look again and sure as hell 4th place is now on top and third is low man on the totem pole. I recognize a couple of the players from the GFN Forum Wars I’ve been playing and the Poker Analysis league games but on the whole it’s mostly a new bunch so have no idea what to expect here. Well I go along, grinding out a decent stack, lots of limping and checking by the table with a well timed bet able to take pots. They aren’t big but keeping me in business until I take a big hit just before the break and drop down below starting stack. After the break both the PA league game and the Very Josie start up and things really became wacky. Who needs a toke when it’s all a blur anyway? I have no idea how things went after break as all 3 games were being played at a decent speed and Josie was yapping away like a Pekinese and I’m on a fast track to who knows where. All I know is that in this game I’m playing a lot of pots and winning with a lot of air. Eventually I notice I’m second stack. Next thing you know we're down to the bubble and my stack is just average. No, I didn’t lose any; it’s just that while I’m grinding along here the rest of my opponents are doubling up and getting knockouts. My way was effective but theirs seemed a lot easier. I keep muddling along and we’re down to 6 and I’m second stack again and I think do I really want to do this? 4th place is the top prize after all but no one seems to be making an effort to dump chips so I keep on relying on good old air. It got me this far. Finally it becomes 4 handed and I even have a way figured to go out in 4th as long as I have the proper position but no one seems to be trying to hit that spot so I think maybe the payout figures are a joke and keep on playing. We play 4 handed for awhile so now I’m sure someone is just fucking around and I have become chip leader by a small amount. I take out the former chip leader and now have a massive chip lead on the other two. I also KO the short stack and I think the second place finisher just decided to give it up as a few hands later they shove with nothing and I actually had a hand. I won. Or did I? It seems that it was no joke, 4th place actually got the bigger money. Something I need to file away for the future. Even better is that as strange as this game was it was played against the background of both the Very Josie and eventually the Mookie. Head was definitely spinning.

While I did well in the game I figured to basically be a blow off game the rest of the night wasn’t so hot, at least on the poker side. Overall I cam out about even money wise give or take but of course I lost money on Tilt while adding more on Cake. I can’t do anything right. The PA league game and the VJ started up the same tie and I was already in the Toker game. The PA game didn’t last long so Josie I never actually got to those 4 games at once. I maxed at 3 last night. Don’t remember much about the PA game. Was heavily involved on both the Toker and VJ tables while Josie was still making like a yappy dog and I was getting taken to task by Gary for busting her chops. Oh boy, another tripper . Actually Gary ain’t a bad guy who was at the end of a loooong day and we got things on an even keel. No problems Gary, I’m used to those reactions from men where Josie is concerned. She has some kind of strange effect on them. Anyway, back to the league game. Went out early on a hand where the flop was T-5-5. Flopped TP2K and bet the flop and got a caller. Turn was low so bet again and again was called. Figured no 5 there since no raise so I shoved the river and guess I was called as next thing I know I was out. Don’t even know what beat me as I was tied up elsewhere. More than likely some peckerwood called me down with an ace and spiked it on the river. Oh yea, don’t even know the river card, I basically shoved without even paying attention.

Do have to say that the V-Josie was fun. (No that ain’t a nice comment about you) even if the cards stayed away. Took an early hand off Gary with a T-T. When the flop hit with 2 overs he bet and I said what the hell and threw out a raise. He thought about it then called. Turn was a blank and he checked and I bet and again he thought and again he called. Aw shit I’m thinking, I can’t get rid of him, he’s got a higher pair. River brought me a T but also put a possible straight and maybe flush out there. He checks and I’m debating, bet or check. Was he drawing and did he hit and now trapping? Check is probably the proper move as I’m probably beat if he calls or raises. He might however be holding top pair with a weak kicker so the right bet might net me a bit more. I bet, hoping he don’t shove over me. He thinks for awhile and then folds calling himself chicken. I’m just as glad he didn’t make that call. After that it was all down hill. I couldn’t catch a dose in a $2 house of ill repute let alone a decent hand. Coop still whining about having his aces cracked by Cricket’s jacks and Mojo talking about having them about 5 times. Hell, the only time I see aces any more is in the other guy’s hand when I have kings or queens. Anyhow with Josie in the game I couldn’t even try to make a play as everyone knows she’ll call you down with any A-rag. : It was still interesting and fun, the chat alone worth it even if Josie dominates it. Give it a try come the first Wed in June. You’ll like it, Mikey does. Somewhere in the chat dept I found I had a reader in Lucki Duck. Thanks Lucki, you represent a higher class of reader, I hope, judging by the lowlifes I usually find in my comments section . BTW, speaking of the chat Jordan plays a mean game in the trash talk department.

The Mookie was not memorable. The cold cards traveled over from the table at the Josie and it seemed every player at my table knew it. Every time I tried to manufacture a bit of luck I wound up getting check raised. Talk about bleeding chips; I was hemorrhaging like my carotid was cut. Somehow I scratched felt to the break but decided I wasn’t going anywhere so popped a sleeping pill figuring it and my demise in the game would t6ake effect about the same time. Actually the demise came a bit sooner when I made a stand with K-Js against an A-K. So I watched the end of the Very Josie and saw Jordan climb out of a big hole to take out Josie but come up short when Mojo hit Broadway to his flopped trips. Good game Jordan and nice win Mojo. There was one bright spot to the Mookie. Seems Josie has a thing going for Riggs and so was railing him at the final table and saw him go down with A-rag. She commented on it in her blog and when Riggs commented explaining his play Josie decided to give him a poker lesson on the play of A-rag. Priceless!!! Hell, I’ll pay a dollar to see the elephant pull a football out of a monkey’s ass any day.

And on that note it’s farewell for now. Thanks for the listen.

Wacky Wednesday

Been playing on ring games Power Poker lately even though I really don’t care for the site, at least tourney wise. This is because I have winnings sitting there and don’t feel like just letting them sit there so I’ll either play until I lose them or I have enough to cash out. Had about $200+ but dropped about half that on a day the poker gods were particularly pissed. Usually play the limit games there and do well but lately there have been no tables in my range so I’ve been playing the .10/.20 NL or the .05/.10 if nothing open in the higher table open. Only reason I decided to bring this up is because of two facts. One is that these are the tightest tables I have ever seen at these levels. They’re aggressive when they play but they don’t play much. Have never won so many hands on the flop but then it’s usually just me and one other player in, not the 4 or more common on other sites. So far I’m doing OK but it’s not a site to play unless I really feel like grinding. The second reason is there seems to be a lot of quick hitters among these players. A lot seem to disappear right after they hit the occasional big pot that does get played. Don’t expect to get your money back if you get sucked out on, at least not from that player. Have no idea why I mention this as I figure I don’t have much of a readership and I’ll lay a prop bet out there that of those who do 75% play either Stars or Tilt or maybe both but that’s about it. Yes they are the premier sites and I would probably be playing them too but for the fact of my membership in the Poker Analysis leagues. They range over a bunch of lesser sites, usually newer ones needing to build a base and so willing to pony up some bucks for freerolls or addeds to attract players. FT and PS really don’t need to do this so games there aren’t as common. Add in the fact I can’t build a roll at FT and you find me at the other sites more often. I also prefer AP for low level tourneys as they cut you more slack in blind levels. Used to play $5 SnGs , one on Tilt, one on AP at the same time and I would be hitting level 7 on Tilt while still on 4 on AP. I appreciate the fact they aren’t in such a hurry to clear the table.

Speaking of tourneys it looks like I’m going to screw myself royally tonight and go for 4. The Poker Tokers buy-in is on Cake is at 8. Wasn’t going to play it but they seem like a decent bunch so I figure I’ll donate some of my ill gotten gains on that site. It’s only a small buy in but the added will double the prize pool. Since it’s the mother site for the network of the same name, of which the above mentioned Power is a skin it’s a given that I’m not a fan of the tourney structure but one plays the hand one is dealt. Also their software is not conducive to multi tabling, the seating isn’t bad but the controls suck big time. You can’t set the slider for increments at all so you have to be careful on how you click. Last time I played the site I wanted a 3 times raise and wound up betting half my stack because I was in a hurry, 5 tables running that time, and wasn’t careful. They also don’t give you a whole lot of time to react compared to other sites. Given the structure however I should either be out or have it almost won by the time the Mookie starts.

At 9 I add 2 more tables, the PA freeroll league game, also on Cake and the Very Josie. Not really expecting to do well in the PA game, see above and it’s also a bigger donkfests than the Mookie. At one time the games were better than your standard freeroll. It used to be most of the entrants were at least trying to improve their game, in fact that is what it was started for but change of ownership at the site has loosened up the rules needed to qualify for the games and recently more freeroll chasers have come to set their butts in the seats. Fields have doubled in size; though not as big as they were when I first joined, but a lot of the new faces are just there to donk not improve. The Josie is going to be interesting though if I can concentrate enough on it.

Yes, I’m playing both the Josie and the Mookie and I’m even giving her a blog link. Don’t think I’m being nice either; it’s just that if I’m playing her tourney it’s only proper she get the respect for setting it up. Would link to the Mookie if he were still in action these days also. Just keeping the air clear about motives here. Still don’t know why people seem to have to decide between playing the Very Josie and the Mookie. Some folks make it sound like a big decision. I’m not talking about those on the West Coast where time is a factor but the other ones. The ones that make it sound like a big decision. Hello, can you say multi table? It ain’t like either one is that expensive either. Hell, the PTFR is more expensive than both together. Waffles is an exception since, as I understand it his budget is limited and some times he has to wait on it but that’s no excuse for anyone else.

The Poker Tokers game has started and I noticed the biggest prize is for third. Wait a minute it now it’s listed as 4th. WTF? Well what can you expect from a game called Wacky Wednesday sponsored by a site called Tokers. Gonna be interesting, BTW, while the levels still suck this tourney has a triple stack to it so might last a bit longer than I thought. Damn, A-K pre with a number of callers to the raise and an A-K on the board but don’t think it’s going to happen with 4 spades on the board also. My frikkin luck.

Finally at 10 it’s going to be the Mookie. Yes, the Mookie damn it, not some other name. BTW Josie, have a few words to share with you on this subject in a later post. By this time I’ll either be ready to concentrate on this game or will be busier than a one armed paper hanger with a case of the crabs. Obviously there ain’t gonna be any live blogging tonight and probably not a lot of hands relayed either in later posts. As I said it will be interesting. See you on the felt.

Thanks for the listen.