The Irish Thug

So, it had seemed like I was starting to work back after a bad downsizing. Turns out the downswing isn’t quite done yet. So, I’ve taken the following steps to not think about it’s existence.

Step 1: Find something else in your life that is worse.
This is where my Electronics class comes in. First midterm was below the class average(15% of the class grade). First project looks like it will probably get a similar score (10%). Tomorrow is the second midterm. (Don’t ask me why the school calls them midterms when there are more than one of them.) I also no intention of working with building circuits and electronic systems, so I am not interested by this class. There is a high probability that this class will be the worst grade I have ever gotten for a class.

Step 2: Find someone who is doing worse than you in poker.
Grimstarr. Yeah, what can I say? You go to my school, but I’ve never met you. Your self-control is so bad that you told people you would give them $100 if they saw you playing higher than $25/$50 NL. Despite the fact that you have played in games where the blinds are equal to what I bring to the table, I feel I am a better player because I know when to say when. I don’t know how much you are down or how long it has been over, but I’m sure that when scaled it’s worse than me and more within your control.

Step 3: Buy something nice.

PS – I just realized the biggest drawer of my dresser has been empty all year. WTF!

It’s interview season for all the students going on COOP in January (myself included). Within the last week I’ve been asked 3 times how to tie a tie. If your dad didn’t teach you how to do that at any point before college, I don’t want to think about what else he didn’t teach you.

One interview today and another one in the works. I’m so ready to be done with classes. Pay checks are also nice.

Bush sees possible Iraq-Vietnam parallel

The Beatles
My parents were fans when they were young, just like anyone else who grew up while they blew up in America. Because of this I had some introduction to their music, but never in the form of an album or actually listening to the music critically. Beyond that, my knowledge of them was hearing other people talk about how they shaped rock music and blah blah. I decided they were over-rated and never really took any steps to listen to their works.

Fast forward to a year ago. Evan tells me he’s going to make me listen to four Beatles albums, because I’m missing something by having not heard them. Ok, whatever. Evan proceeds to be lazy and not get the albums.

Fast forward to just under two months ago. Evan finally gets off his ass and gets the four albums.
He hands me Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt Pepper and The White Album.
The clouds part, the sun shines down, birds and angles sing.

Fast forward to now. I’ve listened to each album a couple times though, so I feel I can start making comments. Do be honest, I usually just stick to listening to music and not talking about it, so don’t expect lots of profound explanations to go with my comments.

My Rank of the Albums as of Now

4. Rubber Soul
We get it, love, where are the drugs? Stand out tracks: The Word, Wait, Run for Your Life.

3. The White Album
Long. The one down side of a double album is that it’s hard to get a feel for the whole album. Maybe I should try just doing it one disc at a time. The plus side is lots of songs means lots of good songs. Stand out tracks: Glass Onion, The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Blackbird, Yer Blues, Helter Skelter

2. Sgt. Pepper
Kinda at a lose for words. But then again I didn’t really make many real comments about each album, so why start here? I can say it’s one hell of a first third of an album (With a Little Help from My Friends, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Getting Better) Other stand out tracks: She’s Leaving Home, Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!, Good Morning Good Morning, A Day in the Life

1. Revolver
From the first time I listened, I felt it. Every track is very good. With the exception of Yellow Submarine, everything fits in it’s place. Stand out tracks: Taxman, Eleanor Rigby, For No One, Got to Get You Into My Life, Tomorrow Never Knows

So there you go. Don’t think that Rubber Soul being 4 means I don’t like it. My mind can’t hold enough information at once, so the stand out tracks are just picked by re-listening to a few seconds of the middle of each track.

Not in the “I did really well” way, more of the “really entertaining” way.

All hands are .5/1 NL Holdem 6max and at the same table over a period of 3 hours.

Seat 7 – Hero ($92.85 in chips) Button
Seat 8 – SB ($31.95 in chips) OSUFORMULA
Seat 9 – BB ($66.60 in chips) RAILBENDER
Seat 2 – UTG ($215.71 in chips) LLFISHLL
Seat 6 – CO ($222.05 in chips) RUKUX
SB – Posts small blind $0.50
BB – Posts big blind $1
*** POCKET CARDS ***
Dealt to Hero [Qc Qd] 2 folds, Hero raises $4 to $4, SB folds, BB calls $3
*** FLOP *** [10s 10d 8s] BB checks, Hero bets $8, BB calls $8
*** TURN *** [10s 10d 8s] [6d] BB checks, Hero bets $15, BB raises $35 to $35, Hero raises $55 to $70, BB – All-In $19.60
Hero returned ($15.40) : not called
*** RIVER *** [10s 10d 8s 6d] [Ah] *** SHOW DOWN ***
Hero – Shows [Qc Qd] (Two Pair, queens and tens)
BB – Shows [Ad As] (Full house, aces full of tens)
BB Collects $130.70 from main pot

Seat 5 – Button ($41.65 in chips) CAGPD129
Seat 6 – SB ($29.50 in chips) KRISAMAGUS
Seat 7 – Hero ($88.25 in chips) BB
Seat 8 – UTG ($31.60 in chips) OSUFORMULA
Seat 9 – MP ($120.70 in chips) RAILBENDER
Seat 2 – CO ($238.01 in chips) LLFISHLL
SB – Posts small blind $0.50
Hero – Posts big blind $1
*** POCKET CARDS ***
Dealt to Hero [Kc Ac] UTG calls $1, MP raises $3 to $3, CO calls $3, Button calls $3, SB folds, Hero calls $2, UTG calls $2
*** FLOP *** [10c 2c 2d] Hero checks, UTG bets $3, MP calls $3, 2 folds, Hero calls $3
*** TURN *** [10c 2c 2d] [5h] Hero checks, UTG – Bets $3, MP calls $3, Hero calls $3
*** RIVER *** [10c 2c 2d 5h] [7c] Hero checks, UTG bets $3, MP raises $9 to $9, Hero raises $24 to $24, UTG folds, MP raises $62 to $71, Hero – All-In(Raise) $55.25 to $79.25, MP calls $8.25
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Hero – Shows [Kc Ac] (Flush, ace high)
MP – Shows [7s 7h] (Full house, sevens full of twos)
MP Collects $192 from main pot

OK, now here is the one that is awesome beyond description. The player chat is included.
Seat 6 – Button ($22.15 in chips) KRISAMAGUS
Seat 7 – Hero ($112.70 in chips) SB
Seat 9 – BB ($208.35 in chips) RAILBENDER
Seat 2 – UTG ($181.51 in chips) LLFISHLL
Seat 4 – MP ($67 in chips) SLOWDAWG
Seat 5 – CO ($58.75 in chips) CAGPD129
Hero – Posts small blind $0.50
BB – Posts big blind $1
*** POCKET CARDS ***
Dealt to Hero [Ah Qh] UTG raises $2 to $2, MP calls $2, 2 folds, Hero raises $6.50 to $7
RAILBENDER:alright, will donate some of your money to the cause
BB calls $6,
LLFISHLL:me to
LLFISHLL:cant help myself
UTG calls $5, MP folds
*** FLOP *** [9s 5c Qs] Hero bets $10,
RAILBENDER:now you are in trouble
RAILBENDER:just kiddeing
BB folds,
LLFISHLL:one more
LLFISHLL:what does the table think?
SLOWDAWG:kq here
RAILBENDER:live up to your name
UTG calls $10
*** TURN *** [9s 5c Qs] [7d] LLFISHLL:NICE
Hero bets $22,
SLOWDAWG:all the way
LLFISHLL:lol if i c one more he might not b to happy
UTG calls $22
*** RIVER *** [9s 5c Qs 7d] [9c] SLOWDAWG:if you got it
LLFISHLL:i know what he has
Hero bets $30,
SLOWDAWG:get em
UTG – All-In(Raise) $142.51 to $142.51, Hero – All-In $43.70
UTG returned ($68.81) : not called
*** SHOW DOWN ***
UTG – Shows [6c 6s] (Two Pair, nines and sixes)
Hero – Shows [Ah Qh] (Two Pair, queens and nines)
Hero Collects $231.40 from main pot
RAILBENDER:nh
LLFISHLL:close
SLOWDAWG:oh
LLFISHLL:nh
LLFISHLL:put him on Ak
SLOWDAWG:me too
LLFISHLL:back to the start
RAILBENDER:i thought he had the pocket qqs

And just when I thought I might come out of this on the good side.
Seat 4 – Button ($91 in chips) SLOWDAWG
Seat 5 – SB ($52.75 in chips) CAGPD129
Seat 7 – Hero ($231.40 in chips) BB
Seat 9 – UTG ($202.25 in chips) RAILBENDER
SB – Posts small blind $0.50
Hero – Posts big blind $1
*** POCKET CARDS ***
Dealt to Hero [5s 3d] UTG calls $1, Button calls $1, SB calls $0.50, Hero checks
*** FLOP *** [4s 2d 6h] SB bets $5, Hero calls $5, UTG calls $5, Button folds
*** TURN *** [4s 2d 6h] [8s] SB bets $15, Hero raises $40 to $40, UTG folds, SB – All-In(Raise) $31.75 to $46.75, Hero calls $6.75
*** RIVER *** [4s 2d 6h 8s] [4d] *** SHOW DOWN ***
SB – Shows [4c 6d] (Full house, fours full of sixes)
Hero – Shows [5s 3d] (Straight, two to six)
SB Collects $110.50 from main pot

The biggest pot I won at this table, excluding the one shown, was a net of $10. Managed to leave down just less than $200.

——
Edit:
So around 1 I decided I was ready to take another crack at pushing north again.

Well, the poker gods thought otherwise.

Seat 3 – Button ($125.33 in chips) BAD GUY
Seat 4 – SB ($93.18 in chips) BIG_BOBTAIL
Seat 5 – Hero ($97 in chips) BB
Seat 7 – UTG ($27.95 in chips) MONGOOSE
Seat 9 – MP ($121.25 in chips) GLIP
Seat 1 – CO ($65.30 in chips) BAADSHAH111
SB – Posts small blind $0.50
Hero – Posts big blind $1
*** POCKET CARDS ***
Dealt to Hero [7h 9h] UTG folds, MP calls $1, CO calls $1, Button folds, SB calls $0.50, Hero checks
*** FLOP *** [3d 5s 8h] SB bets $1, Hero calls $1, MP calls $1, CO calls $1
*** TURN *** [3d 5s 8h] [Kh] SB bets $2, Hero calls $2, MP calls $2, CO calls $2
*** RIVER *** [3d 5s 8h Kh] [4h] SB bets $5, Hero – Raises $17 to $17, MP folds, CO – All-In(Raise) $61.30 to $61.30, SB folds, Hero calls $44.30
*** SHOW DOWN ***
CO – Shows [3h Ah] (Flush, ace high)
Hero – Mucks
CO Collects $140.60 from main pot

I say that here I knew the flush was the only thing he’s raising there, and it was the tilt calling. Unbiased people feel free to comment on all hands.

Seat 5 – Hero ($97.70 in chips) Button
Seat 4 – CO ($89.63 in chips)

*** POCKET CARDS ***
Dealt to Hero [6c 7c] UTG folds, MP calls $1, CO raises $5 to $5, Hero calls $5, 3 folds
*** FLOP *** [10d 7h 6h] CO bets $5, Hero calls $5
*** TURN *** [10d 7h 6h] [2c] CO bets $5, Hero raises $20 to $20, CO raises $35 to $40, Hero – All-In(Raise) $67.70 to $87.70, CO – All-In $39.63
Hero returned ($8.07) : not called
*** RIVER *** [10d 7h 6h 2c] [7d] *** SHOW DOWN ***
CO – Shows [10s 10c] (Full house, tens full of sevens)
Hero – Shows [6c 7c] (Full house, sevens full of sixes)
CO Collects $178.76 from main pot

The next hand, no time to reload or sit out.

Seat 9 – SB ($121.30 in chips) GLIP
Seat 4 – UTG ($178.76 in chips) BIG_BOBTAIL
Seat 5 – Hero ($8.07 in chips) MP

*** POCKET CARDS ***
Dealt to Hero [Qh Qd] UTG calls $1, Hero – All-In(Raise) $8.07 to $8.07, CO folds, SB calls $7.57, BB folds, UTG calls $7.07
*** FLOP *** [Qs 7h 6d] SB bets $10, UTG folds
SB returned ($10) : not called
*** TURN *** [Qs 7h 6d] [8c] *** RIVER *** [Qs 7h 6d 8c] [Ad] *** SHOW DOWN ***
Hero – Shows [Qh Qd] (Three of a kind, queens)
SB – Shows [Qc 10s] (One pair, queens)
Hero Collects $23.96 from main pot

Yeah, I’m gonna take a break. See you in a week. What a shitty birthday present.

The Internet Gambling Bill passes.
I get throat-checked and punched in the helmet at practice.
Twice in two weeks the following happened:
-Some one bailed, you wanna see Tool?
-Yes
-Oh, wait, they can come.

I’m so looking forward to tomorrow’s Electronics test.

A little over 2 months ago I posted this. I talked about how I used to suck at poker, how I was doing a lot better, and what my plans were for moving to 200nl. Since that post I deiced, to prove to myself that I could beat the level, that I would not play 200nl until I had a winning career for 100nl. Things have been going well since then. A little over a week ago I realized that I was only a few buy-ins away from reaching my goal. I was going to just hold out until I crossed the line and then make one post that was just the graph and “Ship it, Holla!”, then today happened.

Around 4:30 I started up some tables and got to playing, like any normal day. 400+ hands later, I was carrying a nice little average of 50+ big blinds per 100 hands. Holla! Well the rush didn’t exactly stop. The following is the graph of my total winnings vs hands for the day.

Key Hands: All hands are 6 handed unless noted.

269: KK (BB), 2 limps, raise to 5, 1 caller(MP).
8dJh5h, I bet 7 into 12, call
9d I bet 18 into 26, call
8c I bet 32 into 62, push, (I am covered and have 100 left) I fold
325: J2 (BB), 4 limps, I check
2JA, I bet 3 into 5, Villain pushes 90 (he has been doing this repeatedly in the last few orbits), I call
He shows AQs (better than I would have guessed), my J2 holds.

430: Table is dying, only 3 dealt in
SB raises to 2, I call with AJs
7JA, SB bets 2 into 4, I call
J, SB bets 4 into 8, I call
2, SB bets 10 into 16, I raise to 30, SB pushes, I call for another 70.
SB shows JT

431: Different table
AK (mp) raise to 4, button pushes for 18 (vpip 60% /pfr 28%), bb calls for 15 (vpip 40% /pfr 7%), I call
button shows Q3s, BB shows 88, K on the flop

465: AA (utg) raise to 4, 2 callers
5d8dTs, SB bets 4 into 12, I raise to 12, CO (vpip 50%) pushes for 76, I call
CO shows 97o.
He says “bullshit” and leaves.

here to 990:
I honestly can’t remember at this point. Assume it was crazy and ridiculous. All my tables for the day had average vpip’s of at min 35, many 40s, and at least one 50. The ups are most likely me flopping sets, I did that a lot.

990-1320:
C-Bet semi-bluff draw versus calling station doesn’t come.
C-Bet semi-bluff draw, C-Bet Turn semi-bluff draw versus calling station doesn’t come.

1312: KK (button) folds to me, raise to 4, BB (vpip 60%/pfr 7%) min-raises to 8, I call
436, BB bets 36 into 16, I push for a total of 100, he calls with AT
turn: T
river: 9

1384: 99 (utg) raise to 4, folds to BB (vpip 30%/pfr 10%) who min-raises to 8, I call
5c9dTd: BB bets 15 into 16, I call
3d: BB bets 40 into 46, I push for a total of 75, BB insta calls and shows AA
river: Ad
He says (without any promt) “f u all, Aces are the better hand”
I go for a walk.

1400: I get AA to KK, he reraises preflop, its all in on the flop.

Total Net: $292, 19.62bb/100, I’m roughly a buyin away from moving up.

Or am I?
Our friend in Washington were very active today. The Internet Gambling bill got attached onto the Port Security bill. Terrorism Bad, Bill (probably officially by now) destined to pass. A good number of people give good speeches saying this is bullshit and then vote for the bill because you are a terrorist if you vote against Port Security.

I am really tired. I need to be awake really early. I should have been asleep when my AA ran into KK.

Dear World,

From now on, you are no longer allowed just look at me blankly when I say what my major is. Yes, it’s a hard major. Yes, it does imply that I am smarter than some people. However, this doesn’t mean I am on some huge other level above some of the other intellectually taxing professions. Just because you have a better general understanding of what a brain surgeon is doing doesn’t mean it’s an easier job.
It’s not even the assumed intelligence that bothers me, it’s the lack of response. Saying “That must be hard.” is better than you just staring.

Thank You.

PS Hey look, it’s Gary Coleman.

So, I’m pretty tame when it comes to these things, but I’ve noticed something. When I talk about the people act ridiculously in this area, I generally talk about my inability to understand the people that party the entire weekend, every week. My present roommate is one of those kids. But I here him talk, and he says he can’t understand the people that drink or smoke every day of them week.

I assume that this process continues. Those that smoke everyday say that they only smoke weed, nothing hardcore. Then we pass through the people that only do hardcore drugs regularly, and move on to the people who are just constantly gone off hardcore drugs. But this brings us to a weird spot. Who are the people that the hardcore, always gone druggies think about and feel that, “Man those guys are ridiculously out of control”?

As a side note: The question was asked to my roommate last night, “Based on your connections, what’s the hardest drug you could get if you wanted it?” He hesitates. So I flipped it, “What can you NOT get?” Again he hesitates. So, if anyone wants anything, I have a connection.