Champagne For My Real Friends, Real Pain For My Sham Friends

I know it's been awhile. I apologize…I'm just lazy.

Well I have some big news…I'm engaged!! I asked Kylie to marry me last Friday night, and luckily she said yes. It was something that I knew was going to happen for awhile, but I just wasn't sure when. I had thought about waiting until the spring, but I changed my mind. Recently my mom and my aunt have had some health problems, and it got me thinking…none of us are promised tomorrow, so we might as well let the people we care about know how we feel. So I decided to make it part of her Christmas, and I think she was pretty excited…Now I have to pay for the damn thing, which from the past experience of paying the first bill, is ZERO fun. Anyways…

This is the time of year where everyone makes New Year's resolutions, so I figured I'd join in. These are really resolutions…more like goals. So without further adieu, here are my goals for 2007:

I would like to get my credit card debts paid off in 2007. I have a regular credit card, My Circuit City account that my TV and Xbox are on, and the Fred Meyer account that Kylie's ring is on. This may not be possible in 07, but I'm going to try.

I'd like to play more poker, and build my bankroll to around $2,000. That's where it was before I started taking $$ out, so that's my goal.

I'd like to get in better shape. I was doing pretty well around Sam and Keith's wedding, but then I started eating crappy again.

That's pretty much all I've got…I try to keep it simple. If I don't post again before January 1st, I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year. Good Luck in 07!!

"When life comes rushing at you from out of the darkness, who will you choose to face it with? Will it be someone you trust? Will they be wise? And will their love for you help them to guide you to the light? Or will they lose their way in the darkness? Will they make noble choices? Or will that person be someone untested, someone new? Life comes rushing at you from out of the darkness, and when it does -- is there someone in your life you can count on? Someone who will watch over you when you stumble and fall? And in that moment, give you the strength to face your fears alone?"

Truth, Bitter Truth

I've been thinking a lot this week about being a good person, and if it really matters or not. One of my favorite shows had an episode this week, which got me thinking a lot. The premise of the episode was whether or not the actions you take, even the little ones, affect your life and the lives of the people around you. Since it's a TV show, the final verdict was yes, it matters and can affect others as well. But my question is, does it really?

I think it's pretty obvious that what you do affects others, and sometimes the affects can be profound. But should you consider others feelings when you make decisions? It seems that in todays world, you need to be cutthroat in order to succeed, and being a good person and being kind takes a backseat.

This brings me to two things. First, I like to think I'm a good person, and I care about others, and try to do what's right. This hasn't always been the case, but I like to think I've come along way from the person I used to be. Although I have along way to go, I think overrall I'm the type of person I want to be. Well, do the people I used to know when I was different really care? Does it matter to them that I've changed, and I'm different? When I see someone I used to know, in the mall or something, will they mutter "he's an asshole" to the person they're with. Probably. So, in some (not all, hopefully) cases, no matter what you do, you'll always be the person you used to be. Some people will always judge you by some wrong that you committed against them, and even if you cure cancer you won't be able to change their opinion of them. I must say that I am sometimes guilty of judging people this way. I try all the time to get better, be more mature, and forget about things that have happened in the past…but it's not always easy. So, to some people, I'll always be the arrogant, selfish, high school jock that I was 7 years ago…and that's fine, because I know that's not who I am now.

Secondly, can you be successful, and still be a good person. Pretty much every successful (mostly $$ wise, and I mean successful as in owning a company, big house, etc.) person you hear about or know is arrogant, full of themselves, or incredibly mean. I know the business world is hard place to succeed, and sometimes you have to be cold and cutthroat to be successful, but can you be the person you want to be and be as financially successful as you want to be? Or do you have to sacrifice your morals or values to be successful?

I'm not sure what conclusion I'm trying to come to here. I just think maybe this is a bridge I'll have to cross in the future, but I guess I'll worry about it then. During this thinking process of mine, the only thing that has become glaringly obvious is that I'm neither the person I want to be nor financially successful as I want to be. So maybe I shouldn't be worrying about this. Regardless, it's something I wanted to figure out, and I thought that writing it down may be helpful…it really wasn't. Til next time, enjoy this freezing cold and enjoy the holiday season.

"Regret comes in all shapes and sizes. Some small. Like when we do a bad thing for a good reason. Some are bigger. Like when we let down a friend. Some of us escape the pangs of regret by making the right choice. Some of us have little time for regret because we're looking forward to the future. Sometimes we have to fight to come to terms with the past. And sometimes we bury our regret by promising to change our ways. But our biggest regrets are not for the things we did but for the things we didn't do. Things we didn't say that could have saved someone we care about. Especially when we can see the dark storm that's headed their way".

Happy Holidays

It's the Holiday Season, and I'm starting to get excited for Christmas. It's only 3 weeks away, and I need to get some shopping done. I've (and will continue) to work overtime at work, so I haven't had much chance to do things I'd like to, like post on here. Plus I haven't had any motivation.

I've been playing quite a bit of poker online, and I'm doing ok. I decided that I want to start taking the poker thing a little more seriously, so I'm going to sit down and come up with some goals for poker. I want to start making progress instead of spinning my wheels, per se. I'll try to get that done before Christmas and I'll post them on here.

Going to have a lot of running around to do in the next few weeks because of the holidays, so I'm not sure how much I'll post…but I'll give it my best effort. If not, I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I'll talk to you soon!!

"Merry Christmas"

Twas' The Night Before Michigan

Twas the night before game time,
And all round the shoe,
Not a creature was sleeping,
They were screaming Beat Blue.
The banners were hung by the lamp posts with care
In hopes that St.Troy would find Ginn through the air.
Drunken and crazy and burning their beds,
While visions of kick off danced through their heads.
When all of the sudden there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the keg to see what was the matter.
When there in the sky, in a Coupe DeVille sleigh,
Was Woody Hayes decked out in scarlet and gray.
He looked on the crowd that was gathered around,
And said that he heard that a game was in town.
I came here to watch it, and wish you good luck.
Though it's not like you need it, cause Michigan Sucks!

Chicago Is So Two Years Ago

This post is well overdue, but here it goes...keep in mind I wrote this the day after we got back from Chicago, I've just been too lazy to post it.

Ahhh…it's good to be home! It was an awesome trip to Chicago, but it was exhausting. We probably walked 10-15 miles in two days, so it's Tuesday and I'm still recovering. It was fun though, and I would definetly recommend Chicago to anyone.

We got in at about 8:45 Saturday morning and took a cab from the airport to our Hotel. The second we stepped out of the cab, Mother Nature's winter grip slowly started to tighten on Chicago. It wasn't freezing cold, but the buildings in Chicago serve as pseudo wind tunnels, and it is the whipping winds are hard to bare at times. The Hotel was awesome, and I'll try to post a pic or two, but since I lost my f#$%ing camera, I'll have to get the pictures from Kylie. (I'll talk more about that later.) We went up on the Sears Tower on Saturday morning, and got a beautiful view of the Windy City. They say you can see up to 50 miles on some days, but I think the visibility was ONLY 30 miles when we went up. I can now say I've been on the two tallest buildings in America, the Sears Tower and the Stratosphere in Vegas. (I think that's true, I'll have to look that up).

The rest of the day we did some shopping and relaxed in the hotel room. We watched some of the Buckeyes game and then went to dinner at a nice little café on Navy Pier. Afterwards, we retired to the room to chill out and just relax for a little bit. We had a long day ahead of us on Sunday, so we wanted to get some shut eye in the KING size bed we had. Ah, how nice that was.

Sunday, Mother Nature saw it fit to relieve some of the wintery pressure on us, and it was a pretty decent day in Chicago. We had to check out at noon, and our flight didn't leave until 9, so we had a whole lotta time to kill. We started by going to lunch at a 50's style dinner about 2 miles from our hotel. It was a pretty cool place with really good food. I wish we had a place like that around here. It was a little pricy, as are most things in Chicago, but it was pretty cool.
This is where the camera comes in. We took a cab to NikeTown, and in the process, I left my camera in the cab. I didn\'t realize it for about an hour, and by then I was screwed. I made a few feeble efforts to contact the lost and found departments of various cab companies in Chicago, but it was to no avail. I suppose I have to get a new one.

So Sunday, we pretty much shopped all day. In shopping at all of these fine establishments in Chicago, I noticed that all most of the doors are of the revolving nature. The doors that actually opened were all EXTREMELY heavy. They were all at least 3 inches think and made of the heaviest wood you could imagine. The only reason I could come up with for these heavy doors is that it makes it harder for people to break in. But be prepared for a workout if you go shopping in Chicago.

After about 6 solid hours of walking around Chicago, we got on the train and went to the airport. We got there kind of early, but it was nice to relax and chill before we flew home. We got back to our apartment at about midnight, and that wrapped up our trip. Like I said, it was a blast, and it was nice to get away for even just a weekend. It's back to the daily grind now, so I'll try to keep ya'll updated on any exciting happenings. I wouldn't cross you fingers if I were you.

"You ever look at a picture of yourself and see a stranger in the background? It makes you wonder how many strangers have pictures of you, how many moments of other peoples lives have we been in,we're we a part of someone's life when their dreams came true, or were we there when their dreams died. Did we keep trying to get in, as if we were somehow destined to be there, or did the shot take us by surprise. Just think, you could be a big part of someone else's life, and not even know it."

Good News For People Who Love Bad News

Man...poker is sure a humbling game. About 2 weeks ago, I deposited $130 in Absolute Poker and $150 at Full Tilt. Well, I worked the $130 at Absolute up to about $350, and the $150 at Full Tilt up to about $200. I was playing pretty well, getting some good breaks, and all my bluffs were working. And then...it all went to shit. In the past week, I lost all $350 at Absolute Poker, and I just cashed out only $143 at Full Tilt, and that's after receiving a $20 bonus. So I lost about $80 there. So I've lost about $430 in the past week, playing .50-$1 NL and .25-.5 NL. If that doesn't humble you in a hurry, I don't know what will. I'm going to take a break for about a week to refresh myself. I need to get away from it for a little while and get a fresh perspective. I've been playing so much, I just got in a rut and I couldn't get out. The good thing is that all of that is profit. I started out with $50, and with bonuses, sports betting, and poker, (even after thisatrociouss week) I still have $1,000. So I guess it could be worse.

We leave for Chicago in a few days. I need this little "get away" to re-charge my batteries. Hopefully it'll tide me over until I can get back to Vegas. I'll have a full trip report sometime next week. Later...

"There comes a time when every life goes off course. In this desperate moment, you must choose your direction. Will you fight to stay on path? Will others tell you who you are? Or will you label yourself? Will you be haunted by your choice? Or will you embrace your new path? Each morning you choose to move forward or simply give up.There comes a time when every life goes off course. In this desperate moment who will you be? Will you let down your defenses, and find solace in someone unexpected? Will you reach out? Will you face your greatest fear bravely? And move forward with faith. Or will you succumb to the darkness in your soul?"

Can't Stop This Thing We Started

So I'm back. I wish I had some awesome story to tell you about traveling the world or hitting the lottery or something…but I don't. My life has been painfully, well, painfully the same lately. I haven't done much to alter this routine, so I guess the only person to blame is the person typing these words. Which by the way, although they are arranged differently, are mostly the same words I've typed in the past 4 or 5 entries. I need to get a life!!

Poker was going good the past week or so, but I've managed to dust off all the profits from the past week in the past two nights. I attribute my success, and then my terrible failure to a couple things:

1. I was playing too many hands (i.e. suited connectors, big connectors like KQ & QJ, and small pairs) either too aggressively or out of position.

2. I was bluffing entirely too much…and getting away with it. So when I started to get called, it was big trouble.

3. I was calling too much, especially out of position.

All 3 of the problems listed above are BIG trouble. If you do any or all of these with any regularity, it's going to catch up with you. Couple those with a few bad beats (ex. My AQ against Q8 on a flop of QQ6. All the money went in on the flop, which was about $125 and the 8 hits on the river to send me packing with my balls in my stomach) and you get the past two days for me. Thems the breaks I guess, so it's time to stop feeling sorry for myself and correct the problems.

Onto other things. Next weekend Kylie and I are going to Chicago. We're flying out on Saturday morning and coming back late Sunday night, so it should be a nice little escape for us. I'm really looking forward to it, and I hope I can get some really cool pictures to post. I think we're both looking forward to getting away and spending some time together.

I'll try to post between now and then, but if not I'll have a full trip report afterwards. Everyone enjoy your weekend!!

"There are moments in our lives when we find ourselves at a crossroads. The choices we make in those moments can define the rest of our days. And, of course when faced with the unknown, most of us prefer to turn around and go back. But, once in a while, people push onto something better. Something found just beyond the pain of going it alone. And just beyond the bravery and courage it takes to let someone in. Or to give someone a second chance. Something beyond the quiet persistence of a dream. Because, it's only when you’re testedthat you truly discover who you are. And, it's only when you're tested that you discover who you can be. The person you want to be does exist; somewhere on the other side of hard work and faith and belief. And, beyond the heartache and fear of what lies ahead."

The Same Deep Water As You

What's up? I've been wanting to write something to post, but I just can't come up with anything worthwhile. I've lost whatever creative juices I used to have, and they probably weren't that creative anyways. So, most likely, I'm going to ramble on for a little while about absolutely nothing, and then end this thing…

Something horrible happened over the weekend, and it's simply ridiculous. Congress passed a bill that makes it illegal to gamble online. This bill is completely un-American, and it disgusts me. This bill makes it illegal for banks and credit card companies to process transactions with online gaming sites…they're trying to cut off the pipeline of money to online gambling. I personally don't think this will work because sites like Neteller will still be operational, and it's not illegal for banks to make transactions with sites like these. You simply make a deposit to Neteller from your bank account, and then deposit the money into the online gaming site from Neteller. The thing that is really going to hurt is that some companies are going to stop allowing U.S. customers to use their site. I truly don't think this is going to fly, and I think they'll be numerous lawsuits challenging the validity of this law, along with it's constutationality…if that's a word. But you get my drift. So, the "Race to 5K" might be cut short due to those conservative bastards that run our country. I mean, how much more ridiculous can it get? Americans are supposed to have freedom of choice, but this bill essentially eliminates our right to choose whether we want to gamble online or not…it's ludicrous.

On another front, there is A LOT of good T.V. shows on this season. I've been busy watching quite a few of them…along with College Football on Saturdays and the NFL on Sundays, I don't have much time to do anything besides work and watch T.V.!! I need to stop being such a lazy S.O.B. and start exercising or something…we'll see how that goes.

Well, I was hoping to write something meaningful this time, but as usual I failed miserably. I guess I just don't have that many interesting things to say…damn. I'll talk at you all again later...

"We are all vulnerable, and we all at some point in our lives will fall. We will all fall. It is these times...it is this pain, that allows us to look inside ourselves."

Holiday From Real

This is messed up...I don't know what happened to this site since I last posted, but I can't post in the font I want to...what a bunch of BS. Oh well. Well nothing has really been happening, so that's why I haven't been posting. I've been too busy watching football all the time. I haven't gotten much chance to play poker either, although I'd like to play more often. I'm still at about $400 for my "race to 5k" thing. I don't really have much to talk about, but it't won't be as long til I post again...I promise. Til' next time...

P.S. I fixed the font thing!!!!

"Don't judge a person on whether he or she encounters adversity...make your judgement based on how they react to that adversity."

On the Way Up

Well, well. Cedar Point was a bust. It was fun, but the lines were so long we only got to ride 3 rides. It was still nice to be able to get away, even for only a day. Although I'm now exhausted, which I'm not sure why because it wasn't like it was hard work or anything.

I got the free $75 on PartyPoker up to $283…and with the extra $25 bonus I got from PartyPoker for playing 1,000 hands, that's up to $308. A big had is when I had aces on the button, raised, got reraised and called by two players, and then I reraised all in. The small blind called me reraise and the other caller folded, and the flop came with an A, so that pretty much put the other guy with JJ out on the street. Add that with the $70 I have on Ultimate Bet, I'm up to $380. So I'm starting to make a little progress. It feels good to have a little bit of cash in the ole poker account.

We got a new grill, so we're gonna be doing some cooking out in the near future!!! Gotta go fire the grill up baby!!!

18 days til the BUCKEYES!!!

Don't forget to check out my website at www.freewebs.com/sdogg10. Later dudes!

"Appetite, with an opinion pf attaining, is called hope; the same, without such opinion, despair."

Better Days

BORING!! That's what the past week has been. Absolutely nothing to report. Nothing. At. All.

We're going to Cedar Point this weekend though, so maybe that will take the monotinity out of my life. Change is good.

I'm up to $200 with the online poker thing. I still have a long way to go.

I have nothing else to report, so this is it. Seriously. Maybe more this weekend.

"One should always play fairly when one holds the winning cards."

All Is A Game

Hello everyone! Things have been going pretty normal for me lately. I haven't really had to much to report, so that's why it's been kind of quiet on the blogging front lately. There just hasn't been anything to report lately, so I have spent the time writing anything.

On the poker front, I had the old UB account up to $175 before yesterday. I managed to win 3 out of 4 sit n go's, and place 2nd in the other one, so that had my account on the upswing…but yesterday I had a bad day and it's down to about $125 now…which isn't a big deal.

Since I was doing well and won a $10 sit n go, I decided to try my luck and jumped into a $20 one. You're not going to get anywhere if you don't take any chances, so I went for it. I didn't cash though, so I jumped into a $5 10 person SNG and a $10 6 person SNG. Well, I busted out of both of those too, so I was down about $40 the day. I'll just jump back down to the $5 ones until I hit a little run again, and then I'll take another shot at the $20's.

Nothing else to report really…I only have 2 guys left in our WSOP Main Event pool. Let's go Daniel Negreanu and Carlos Mortenson!!!!!! Take it easy everyone!!

" Attitude is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than what people do or say. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill."

Christmas in July

Who's pumped? Why you ask? Well today is the start of the Main Event at the World Series of Poker!! Even though I'm not there like I would like to be, it's still a ton of fun to sweat the action on cardplayer.com and keep up with the action. Plus we did a Fantasy WSOP Main Event poll, and we had to draft all of our players so nobody has the same players as someone else. Here's my picks:
Michael Mizrachi
Patrick Antonious
Daniel Negreanu
Jennifer Harman
Joe Sebok
Carlos Mortenson

So, although everyone's team is pretty much stacked, I have a few guys that can accumulate a lot of chips, so hopefully they'll go pretty deep for me.

We all got together last night and played some poker at Keith's place. I ended up coming out ahead by $22, so it was a decent night, but I feel like I played very well, and I'm excited about how I've been playing. I made some plays that weren't based on cards, but on the people I was playing…which is something I'm still getting used to. Overall, I think I played well, but I still made a few mistakes I can correct.

I was able to get a free program from Wilson Software called Turbo Tournament Texas Hold'Em. I earned enough points on Ultimate Bet, so I decided to get this program with the hopes that it can help improve my game. It seems pretty cool, as you can set the # of players (up to 5,000), the structure, and the game (no-liimt, pot-limit, and limit). I'm hoping this can help me continue to improve my tournament game.

I'll probably be playing a lot of NCAA 07 this weekend, so I'll report back to you in a couple days. Everyone have a good weekend!!!

By the way, I'm going to open my website back up at www.freewebs.com/sdogg10. You can still read my blog here, but I'll have some other stuff up there you might want to check out.

"If they give you ruled paper, write the other way."

Reinventing the Wheel to Run Myself Over

I haven't posted because I haven't found time. I have been meaning to do it for the past 4 or 5 days, but I just haven't gotten around to it. So here is a short synopsis of what I've been up to:
Thursday: I took the day off to spend some time with Kylie. She didn't have to work on Thursday or Friday, so we had some fun and hung out. I love to spend time with her, so any chance we get to spend the day together is ok by me. I really don't remember exactly what we did, but I'm sure it was fun!

Friday: It was Kylie's 21st birthday, so during the day we went shopping for her gift. I ended up getting her a pink sapphire ring that she has been wanting, so I hope she is happy with it. That night a bunch of us went the Buckeye Hall of Fame Café and had a great time. She got really drunk, which I guess was the whole point, and the night ended by her getting kicked out of a bar downtown called Brothers. Apparently they don't appreciate you throwing up in their trash cans…who knew? But if you ask me, the trash can is a much more sanitary and convenient option than the floor. I tried to explain this to the bartender who kicked us out, but he was an asshole. Oh well, makes for a good story I suppose.

Saturday: I did absolutely nothing. I played some NCAA 07 online and got my ass kicked, I played some poker online, and watched some TV. It was a really relaxing day, and something I've needed for awhile. Kylie was in Bucycrus all day, so I had the apartment to myself. I had to fold some laundry and things, but nothing too serious. I caught up on some of my TIVO, and I'll have to say, High Stakes Poker on GSN is by far the best poker show out there. I'm glad I TIVOed it and I'll be watching it every week now.

Sunday: Nothing much. I came into work for a couple of hours (yuck) and then we went to the mall with Sam and Keith. Later we watched some of the NASCAR race at their place. I ended up falling asleep and when we came home I took another nap. We woke up in time to watch Entourage…man that show rocks.

Monday: Typical Monday…except that I worked 2 hours overtime. I'm trying to get in at least 13 hours of overtime this week, so I have to bust my balls to get there. The paycheck will be nice though.

Today is Tuesday and absolutely nothing worth reporting has happened today. We are going to a concert tonight at Promowest Pavillion with Jack's Mannequin and O.A.R. That should be fun, and I'll report on that later in the week.

As far as the "race to 5k" goes, nothing to report really. I've been down to $50 and back up to $120. But right now I'm at about $100. I need to devote more time to playing. I'll make another post this week and address some of the problems that I think I have, and maybe by addressing them I'll force myself to fix them. I hope so. I need to start the steading bankroll building that I used to be so good at. After all, this isn't the first time I've had to build a bankroll.

That's all for now. See ya on the flip side.

"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts"

The Hero Dies In This One

Man…I've been really tired lately. I don't know why, but I've started taking my vitamins again, so hopefully my energy level will pick back up. It sucks going through the day with the only thing you're looking forward to is going to bed. Hopefully I'll feel better in a couple of days.


This weekend is Kylie's 21st birthday, so a bunch of us are going to the Buckeye Hall of Fame Café to have dinner and play some games. It should be fun, and I'm looking forward to seeing her have a good time and enjoy herself. She deserves it. I already gave her the present for her birthday, which was a mini-shopping spree. I gave her $150 to spend, and my parents gave her a $50 gift card. Let me tell you, this girl can shop because that $200 was gone in no time. She also bought some clothes for me which is my birthday present, so it was a good time buying each other stuff…but no I'm pretty broke, so I'll have to watch the finances for awhile.

On the poker front, the past 2 days have sucked. I'm back down to where I started on the "race to 5K", with only about $85. I donked away $20 last night, and the day before I failed to cash in 4 straight sit n go's, which is highly unusual for me. I ended up winning one and coming in second yesterday, and if it wasn't for that I'd really be hurting. The one I finished second in I should have one, but my flopped nut straight ended up splitting the pot when he hit his inside straight draw to chop. Then he picked up aces on the next hand against my top pair, and that was all she wrote. Tough luck, get em next time.

I did decide that this 5% rule sucks, I'm upping it to 10%...this will either allow me to build faster, or go broker faster. I guess it'll be one or the other, so we might as well find out which one it's gonna be. I'll keep you posted.

Well, my lunch break is over so it's back to the grind…I'd much rather be grinding it out at the poker table, but since I'm a complete donkey, it's gonna be a long time til I can do that. Have a good one!

"Depend on the rabbit's foot if you will, but remember it didn't work for the rabbit."

I Shall Believe

I'm kinda pissed right now, because I typed up a whole post earlier and accidentally closed my browser before I could post it. So, this won't be quite as long, but it should get the job done.

I must confess, my $100 to $5,000 isn't completely legit. The reason being I lost about $20 before I started it, so in reality it's turn $82.14 into $5,000. Still the same concept, but just a tad bit more work.

I'm doing well so far...I'm up $42.96 so far, mostly from playing .05-.10 6 hand NL cash games. I did win a $5 + .50 6 handed sit n go this morning. The hardest part about this whole thing is not putting more than 5% of my bankroll at stake during any one session, because until this morning I couldn't buy in to any 6 handed sit n go's. Those are my bread and butter. Now I feeling a little more confident and I'm playing much better. These low limits kind of force you to play very solid, because everyone else plays like donkeys. Solid play, although not always the most fun, is the only way to win at these micro limits. As we speak, I'm playing in a $1 + .10 Omaha 8/b tournament...I'm still learning Omaha, but we'll see if I can make something happen. (Actually I just got knocked out...oh well, I guess I have more to learn!)

Everything else has been pretty normal. Kylie and I are going up to Marion tonight to celebrate my mom's birthday. We get to eat her world famous lasagna!! I'll keep ya all updated on the progress. See ya later!

"Good things take time. Great things happen all at once."

The Search For Something More

After last night, I've decided something has to change. I lost $20 last night playing a cash game on the internet, but that's not what bothers me. What bothers me is that I had it worked up and was sitting nicely with a profit, and then proceeded to blow the profit and make it a negative night. I've just been playing poorly, and last night was no different. Something has got to change.

So I've come up with a challenge for myself. Now this isn't an original challenge, because if you've visited almost any online poker forum you've undoubtedly seen this post more than a couple times, but I figured it would be fun for me. I'm going to try to turn my $100 online bankroll into $5,000. I have no time limit for this, but I'd like to get it done within 9-12 months. The rules are as follows:

1. I can play any cash game, sit n go, tournament etc. as long as the buy in doesn't represent more than 5% of my bankroll at the time of me buying in.

2. Any game goes…Hold Em, No Limit Hold Em, Omaha, 7 card stud, etc.

3. If I'm playing a cash game, I've got to buy in for at least 25 times the big blind (or big bet if it's a limit game) without using more than 5% of my bankroll. This is going to force me to play small at the beginning, but that is going to be part of the challenge.

The reason for this is twofold. One, I need to have some direction with this poker thing. In the past I've played for fun, with no real direction as to what I want to accomplish. I've been willing to gamble at certain time for no other reason than just to gamble. I need to start focusing on playing the best possible game I can play, or it's not worth playing at all.

Two, I need to get better. By having a goal, and hopefully moving up limits, I'll be able to make myself a better player all while learning things that can help me as well.

I'm sure all 3 of you that read this will think I'm an idiot, but that's ok. I know that I can accomplish this, I just need to have a goal…so I set one for myself. Wish my luck in this endeavor.

As a side note, I'll still play small live cash games and small buy in tournaments whenever I get the chance. That won't affect this online bankroll. Once I get it built up, I may start factoring in my wins and losses in live games. But for now, this is going to be online only.

I’m going to put notes at the end of each of my blogs charting my progress since the last blog. I'm sure I'll be discussing this in some of the blogs as well, but this will blog will still include my everyday life as well. I think this is going to be a lot of fun, and hopefully the people that read this (if there are any) will enjoy this too. Later dudes!

"All of us get lost in the darkness…Dreamers learn to steer by the stars."

Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows

Let's see here. What's happened since last post? Well not too much. Kylie went to the lake this weekend so I spent most of my time just hanging out with myself and watching TV and playing poker online. I also played in my first live tournament in awhile.

Poker has been completely BALLS lately…it's really been bad. I keep losing…mostly from my bad play, but when I do play well I get unlucky. It. Freakin. Sucks. Oh well, so goes it I guess. I think I've started to figure out what I've been doing wrong, so hopefully I can fix it.

I've realized that I need a pick me up in life. Things are just so bland and boring in my life that I have to do something to change it. But the problem is, I haven't figured out what. So if anyone has any ideas, please shoot them my way.

I guess this is going to be a short post because I've got nothing else to talk about. Just trying to kill a little time and end my endless boredom, which apparently isn't possible. So, I'm going to try to get out of this funk and do something worthwhile with my life. Who knows what will happen with that…could be interesting. I'll catch ya'll later.

"Hell, there ain't no rules around here...for God's sake. We're trying to accomplish something."

Every Day is Sunday Evening

This sucks…no matter how long of a weekend you get, it always sucks coming back to work. Today was no different, as it seemed like the day lasted 37 1/2 hours. The 4 day 4th of July weekend flew by, and I have nothing to show for it really. I didn't really do anything productive…at all. I pretty much just hung out with various friends and family, and ate a lot of food. It was nice to get a chance to relax for a couple of days though, so I shouldn't be complaining. Now it's back to the grind, but the good news is it's only a 3 day week!

On a different note, I've been watching some of the World Cup. I've never been a fan of soccer and I've always kind of made fun of it like most Americans, but I must say the World Cup is interesting. Since the U.S. sucks and was out in the first round, I started rooting for England because a guy at work is from there, and it was pretty exciting. Even though they got knocked out, I watched some of the semi-final game yesterday. Although soccer will never find a warm place in my heart, I've got a newfound respect for it. It's actually interesting to watch…you should check it out of you get a chance. The World Cup championship game will be on Sunday at 2 p.m., so tune in and see what you think.

Now to poker. I'm gonna keep this short and sweet. Ever since losing to the 3 outer in the 20+ 2 tournament, it's been all downhill for me. I've managed to lose about $150 in the past 5 days, with a combination of terrible play and even worse luck. I'm getting horrible cards, playing badly, and getting unlucky. That's a recipe for disaster in poker. I've got to start playing the $5 tournaments again and see if I can build back up. While $150 isn't a lot in the grand scheme of things, it still sucks. Since I cashed out all of my bankroll except $100, that extra $150 represented a big portion of this new, albeit small, bankroll. I guess it's time to suck it up and start making things happen…I'll keep you updated.

I can't think of anything else important, so this is all. If I think of anything else I'll post it. Well, actually I'll intend to post it, but unless it's something extremely important I'll probably forget about it and it'll never make it up here. Oh well. See ya later.

"Don't tell me how rough the waters are, just bring in the ship."

The Tide That Left and Never Came Back

Whew!! What a whirlwind the past two weeks have been. With Keith and Sam's wedding, the move, and helping out with their move, I just haven't had time to breathe. Then, after moving, you always have that period where you're trying to get everything set up how you like it and sometimes that's even more trying than the moving itself. But the good news is, all of that's behind me now, so I have a little time to breathe and I'm definitely going to enjoy this 4th of July weekend!

The wedding was an absolute blast!! The night before was out of control, as about 20 of us including Keith's dad and uncle, got wasted and stayed up till about 4:30 a.m.!! That got the weekend off to a good start, and we just kept the ball rolling after that. The wedding was nice, and the bride looked gorgeous…good work Keith. Then we got to ride in a stretch Hummer to the reception, which was freaking sweet. After dinner and the formal wedding stuff like speeches and stuff, we got to business on the dance floor…and let me tell you, I definitely have white boys disease!! Oh well, everyone was drunk, including me, so I'm not gonna worry to much about that!

Moving sucked...as you can imagine, but I did get my new 50' inch DLP HDTV hooked up. WOW…I love this thing, and it definitely was worth the money. On top of that, the new furniture is pretty kick ass as well, so I've actually got some nice things in the apartment.

I almost forgot, we (actually Kylie, but I think of it as mine too) got a dog!! It's a miniature Yorkie, and her name is Lola. She's a good dog, but we have to get her to use the bathroom outside…once that's accomplished, we should be good to go.

On the poker front, I've pretty much just treaded water. I won a couple $10 +$1 6 person tourneys on UB, so I decided I'd give the $20+$2 ones a try…after all, I used to play these on a regular basis. Well, after 4, I only cashed in one, and it was a second worth only $36. So, I'll have to move back down to the $10 ones till I win a few again. With the exception of the 1st $20 tourney, I am very happy with the way I played. If it wasn't for a guy making a full house after all the money went in to bust my nut straight (which would have guaranteed a second place finish, and a great shot at first) I'd still be playing the $20 tourneys and probably taking a crack at the $30 ones. Oh well, I know I'll get back there eventually…probably sooner than later.

Sorry this was so long, maybe now I'll have a little more time to update so it isn't as long next time. Have a great 4th of July!!

"Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness; no laziness; no procrastination; never put off till tomorrow what you can do today."

The Heart Brings You Back

Tomorrow is Keith and Sam's wedding...finally! It feels like they've been engaged for 12 years, so this is definetly due. It should be a pretty fun day, and since I've never been in a wedding before, it should be a neat experience. It's just weird to think that they're getting married...Wow.

Keith has been my best friend since I moved to Ridgedale in 7th grade. He'll probably always be my best friend, but it's going to be weird seeing him getting married. It doesn't seem like we should be at this stage in our lives yet...it seems like yesterday we were playing high school sports and acting like idiots. Oh wait, we probably we acting like idiots yesterday, but the sports was like 6 years ago...geesh, that seems like a long time. I'm getting old.

Tonight is the rehearsel dinner, so that should be fun too. It's a chance to see some people I don't see all that much, plus we get a nice dinner out of it. Can't beat that.

Well, congratulations to Sam and Keith. I've been around you two since the very beginning of your relationship, and I've watched the two of you fall in love. It is actually quite an inspiring thing, and you relationship gives hope to everyone who hasn't found love yet. I hope I can you what the two of you have one day...I think I'm well on my way :-) Enjoy your day, and have fun on your honeymoon!!! I'm honored that you asked me to be a part of your special day.

"Remember tonight, for it is the beginning of always.
A promise. Like a reward for persisting through life so long alone. The belief in each other and the possibility of love.
A decision. To ignore or simply rise above the pain of the past.
A covenant. Which at once bind two souls and yet severs prior ties.
A celebration. Of the chance taken and the challenge that lies ahead. For two will always be stronger than one, like a team braced against the tempest of the world.
And love - will always be the guiding force in our lives.
For tonight is mere formality.
Only an announcement to the world of feelings long held, promises made long ago in the sacred space of our hearts."

Hanging By A Moment

I haven't posted anything lately because nothing exciting has happened lately. The only thing of note is I spent $4,000 last week. I bought a 50 inch TV and some furniture…so now I'm po. That's slang for poor, in case you didn't know.

Next week is the big wedding, and the week after that I move, so I'll be pretty busy between now and then. I'll try to post if anything exciting happens, but don't cross your fingers. Til' next time...

"Playing not to lose any game is a surefire formula for disaster."

Every Night Is Another Story

Unbelievable…that pretty much sums up this weekend at Put In Bay. I had a great time on Friday night, and I think everyone else did as well. We watched the Cavs at a bar, and then went out and had a good time. Saturday night is when it got interesting.

All day Saturday I had a killer headache from the night before, so I pretty much slept all day. When it was time to go out, we all got ready and headed downtown about 10. We left 4 people back at the cabins that were too drunk to come, and they were passed out. Well, my friend Matt and I decide to come back from the bars early, around 1 or so, because we were tired. Lo and behold, when we get back, the cops are waiting for us. Apparently one of the people we left back at the cabin flooded the bathroom by plugging the bathtub and overflowing it. So we get kicked out of our cabins at 3:30 in the morning with no where to sleep…how wonderful.

Well, we ended up staying at some boat dock. It's about 35 degrees, the wind is blowing about 30 mph, and it's raining…just wonderful conditions. So we had to brave the weather outside, and I've been sick since then. How awesome is that. It sucked really bad at the time…in fact I don't think I've ever been so miserable, but it sure makes for a good story now. I guess you win some and you lose some.

On a different note, I think I'm going to stop playing poker for awhile. Probably at least until we move in to our apartment. I just don’t have time to devote to playing right now, and when I get on the internet and play I end up playing stupid because I'm in a rush to get somewhere or do something. I think the time off will do me good, because hopefully it'll reenergize my love for it, and I'll want to get better again. Right now I'm in a rut, and I don't have the desire to get better. I've sold my poker table, and my chips are on eBay, so if you want them go bid on them! I don't need them anymore, because I don't host a game, and the new chips have been used once…so I might as well get some money out of them.

T-minus 28 days til we move into the apartment. I'm pretty excited…not only to be moving out for good, but to kind of start my life with Kylie. I don't know what the future holds for us, but it seems like things are headed in the right direction, and since the beginning I've kind of had a feeling about her…I'm pretty sure she's "the one", but I guess only time will tell.
Ok, I've rambled on long enough…hopefully I'll have some other exciting stories soon, but I don't know if I can come up with anything to top this past weekend…I'll keep trying though!!!

"There seems to be a kind of order in the universe…in the movement of the stars and the turning of the Earth and the changing of the seasons. But human life is almost pure chaos. Everyone takes his stance, asserts his own right and feelings, mistaking the motives of others, and his own."

And The Days Keep Piling Up...

I was thinking about time today, and how weird it is. There are 24 hours, 1,440 minutes, and 86,400 seconds in a day…but for some reason, when the last second ticks from 11:59:59 to 12:00:00, it is a new day. Who decided this? Who's idea was it to proclaim that last second more important than the rest of them? We live 86,399 other seconds each day, but the last second proclaims a new day has come…it's weird.

The reason I was thinking about this is because yesterday was my friend Sam's birthday, and she's turning 24. So she's lived 364 days this year and been 23 the whole time, but this last day magically makes a year go past and she turns 24…just seems a little odd to me. Yeah I know I think about weird shit, but it's what's in my mind.

This weekend we are sending my friend Keith off in a blaze of glory…it's his bachelor party, and we're going to Put In Bay. I've never been up there, so I'm looking forward to it. It's gonna be a good time hanging out with some people I don't get to see all that much. I'm pumped. I'm pretty excited that I'm taking Monday off too…I'm gonna spend the whole day with Kylie (after a much needed doctor's appointment). I'm excited about that, because I haven't spent the whole day with her in awhile. It should be fun.

There doesn't seem to be much time for poker these days. I think I'm getting worse since I haven't been playing as much. I cashed out all but $100 of my online bankroll, so I'm going to start playing small and try to build that back up while getting my skills (or lack thereof) back up to par. Hopefully I can start playing more and get back into it…we'll see I guess.
That's all…I'll have a full trip report next week.

"You know it's been said that we just don't recognize the significant moments of our lives while they're happening. We grow complacent with ideas, or things or people and we take them for granted and it's usually not until that thing is about to be taken away from you that you've realized how wrong you've been that you realized how much you need it, how much you love it."

An Attempt To Tip The Scales

There has been quite a lot going on since my last post…and I haven't had the time to post something new. Imagine that. Let's see…I've been working close to 50 hours a week, we're trying to get everything squared away with this apartment (we'll be moving in June 23rd by the way) and dealing with a family issue that may or may not become a much bigger issue. So I've kinda got a lot going on.

I was supposed to go to a Fall Out Boy concert on Tuesday, but I didn't really feel like it. When we got to the concert, there were like 4 million 13 year olds, so I just sold my ticket and went back to work for about 2 hours…what fun! I'm really looking forward to the Jack's Mannequin concert on July 25th though, so hopefully that will be a good time.

Working all of the time really sucks…but it's kinda nice when the paycheck comes. I guess I just have to get used to it. I need to make something happen, and the only way to really do that is with hard work. My whole life I've always been younger than my friends or the people that I competed against in sports, so I always had to work harder than everyone else to make up for it. So why should the real world be any different? I'll just have to keep putting in the hours and trying to get ahead, and maybe I'll catch the lucky break I need. Let's hope so!

I haven't had too much time to play poker, but I played 5 sit n go's in the past couple of days. I won 2, finished 2nd in one, and didn't cash in the other 2, so I'm up a grand total of $47. Not great, but it's better than losing $47. Hopefully I'll be able to get a few more in this weekend.
I'm running short on time (as usual) so that's all I have for now…have a good weekend!

"You ever heard the expression 'The best things in life are free"? Well that expression is true. Every once in awhile, people step up...they rise above themselves. Sometimes they surprise you...and sometimes they fall short. Life is funny sometimes. It can push pretty hard, but if you look close enough, you can find hope in the words of children, in the bars of a song and in the eyes of someone you love. And if you're lucky...if you're the luckiest person on this entire planet, the person you love decides to love you back."

Let the Reigns Go Loose

Well…my return to the tournament poker scene was less then awesome…in fact, I really sucked. I got good cards, but couldn't hit any flops. I played pretty poorly overrall, but managed to hang around for a little while. I was eliminated when my A 9 ran into A K…the guy on the button in my big blind was stealing it all night, and I was fed up with it. When he raised, I pushed in with my A 9, which was a bad play by the way because I still had an average stack for our table. But anyways, I didn't suck out, and that was all she wrote for me. I didn't even stick around for the cash games because I was playing so badly.

I was going to play at the VFW on Saturday night, but I had the opportunity to hang out with some friends so I did. Plus with the way I was playing the night before, I didn't feel like flushing $40 down the drain. I need to get back in the swing of things, but I think I need to start low and work my way back up…I need to stop bluffing so much, that's for damn sure.
In other news…wait, I don't have any other news. Things are good with Kylie…we'll actually probably be living together in a few months. It just makes sense, because we both need somewhere to live, so I guess it's the best move. I don't think it will affect our relationship any…if it does, maybe we aren't supposed to be together. I have a feeling that we will be fine though.

That's all I've got for today…I'll try to be back this weekend sometime to report on our "old-school dealer's choice" game we're playing on Saturday night…that should be quite interesting to say the least. Peace out homies!

"Sometimes you have to step outside of the person you've always been, and start becoming the person you're supposed to be"

Return of the Future

The other night I got a chance to play 3 sit n go's on UB…and I wasn't very successful. I finished down $15 for the night which is nothing, but I had a chip lead in every single one, and proceeded to blow it. So instead of being up about $95, I was down $15. Oh well, what can ya do?

I'm really starting to get in the mood to play more, so I'll probably try to make some time to start playing online…I'd like to play live more, but it's so time consuming that I can't seem to make much room for it. Hopefully when I move back down to Columbus (who knows when that will be, hopefully sometime soon, but we'll see) we can get a regular game going again. Those were some pretty fun times playing with my friends, and it gave me the opportunity to play more as well.

I'll probably be working about 10 hours of overtime a week for awhile…I've been spending too much money, so I have to make some more to replenish the funds. Regular time sucks, but overtime sucks more, because I have to be at work longer…but overtime is much easier to take when the time and a half hours show up on the good ol' paycheck.
That's all for now, I'll probably post something on here before the weekend is over.

"Everything in life is luck"

The Games That Play Us

I played in the heads up tournament at the VFW this weekend…it wasn't all I thought it was gonna be. There were only 11 people in it, and luck of the draw gave me a bye in the first round. The top 4 people got paid (3rd and 4th got their money back), so I only had to win one match to get in the money, which I won pretty easily.

My second match would send me to the finals if I won…which I didn't. I've never played with the person that I played, but he seemed to be a pretty decent player. I had him on the ropes more than once, but I just couldn't put him away. We played for about 45 minutes, and in that time he picked up these hands: AA, KK (twice), JJ, 1010, and 88…he got the Aces and Kings on back to back hands…it's kinda hard to beat someone who is on a rush like that. Another hand I flopped top pair only to lose to his runner runner 10's to give him trips…very frustrating. I think the most frustrating hand is when I had a 3 to 1 chip lead and I put him all in with pocket 10's…he of course called with pocket Kings. The first card off the deck was a 10, giving me a set and the lead…but the turn came a King, and that's all she wrote on that hand. He played well and caught cards when he needed to, so I can't really complain…that's poker.

I played one hand badly that might have cost me the match…but I won the hand. I was on the button and called with 77, hoping to flop a set and take a huge pot. Well the first card off the deck was a 7, and he bet 200 (out of a starting stack of 2,000) after the flop. I just called and a deuce hit the turn. He bet another 300, and this is where I messed up. The board read K J 7 2, and I wanted to raise him in case he had a straight draw…so I moved all in for another 1,100 more. He thought for awhile and eventually folded, but I think I could've called here and saw what happened on the river…I'm pretty sure he was probably drawing dead, and I might have been able to "take his legs out" if I would've slowplayed it a little more. I guess that's just a mistake I'll have to learn from.
I'm going to try to play more…I've been playing a few more sit n go's and I've been doing fairly well, so I'm going to try to play at least 6-7 a week, and see how things go. Next weekend I have the 4 horseman tournament…it would be nice to make a good showing there…we'll see.
Nothing else to report really.

I spent Easter Sunday with Kylie and her family, and that was nice. I got to meet her grandparents and one of her uncles, and they seemed pretty cool. I got to meet the family, so she must not hate me…that's always a plus.

"Most of our life is a series of images. They pass us by like towns on the highway. But sometimes a moment stuns us as it happens. And we know that this instant is more than a fleeting image. We know that this moment, every part of it, will live on forever"

Suddenly Everything Has Changed

My life has been going non-stop for about the last month and a half. For those of you who don't know, I now have a girlfriend named Kylie. She's pretty awesome and I've been spending a ton of time with her because, well she is a blast. All we do is laugh together, and no matter what happens between us I think I've got a friend for life.

I also took a new position at work which is going to require alot of overtime...so I'm super busy. Kylie is the sister of my best friend's fiance, and the three of them live together. I've been staying there quite a bit, so I'm sure Keith and Sam are tired of seeing my ugly mug. Guys, I'm sorry if I've been imposing...I'll try to make it up to you somehow.

So with all of that going on, I haven't gotten to play hardly any poker...at all. I'm playing as we speak for the first time in probably about a month, and I'm finding out just how rusty my game is. It'll come around though, I'm sure of it. I have a heads up tournament to play tomorrow, and another tournament in a couple weeks, so I'll be playing a little more.

Well, that's all I have time for now, I'll try to update this damn thing more often from now on.

"There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune, but omitted, and the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat and we must take the current when it serves or lose the ventures before us. "

Enough!

Ok...my blog is here to stay now. It will remain here, and I'm not going to move it anymore...so tell all of your friends...lol. I'll be on here in the next few days to make a real post, but I figured I'd just post this so that if anyone is checking this link from the post I made on the old site, they would know that this was the right place...so yeah, this is it.

"Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get"

I've Got Dreams to Remember

I can’t remember a time in my life where I’ve been more frustrated and tired. I constantly feel like I’m stuck in this rut in life, and most of it has to do with my job. I never thought it would be half as hard as it has been to find a good job. I guess I’m fortunate in a way, because I’ve had a job since before I graduated that has paid the bills…but I didn’t go to college to make $12/hr. I’ve got to find something that challenges me and allows me to earn more money at the same time. It just seems that nobody will give me a chance. All I want is a chance…

I guess in life you can’t rely on people to give you opportunities, and I’m fine with that. I have no problem with making my own opportunities…the problem is that I don’t always know HOW to create my own opportunities. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about trying to start a business, but I can’t figure out what kind of a business I would like to start…or even how to go about starting one. I think I’m going to do some research and find out some stuff about it. I’ve got to do something. It doesn’t make any sense to sit around and complain about not being happy without doing anything to fix it.

On to more exciting things, or at least less depressing things. I’ve been playing poker quite a bit lately online, and I’ve been doing pretty well. I’m starting to get that feeling again that something good is going to happen…like me winning a big tournament. So I guess we’ll see what happens, I’ve been right every time I’ve gotten this feeling so far.

I’ve also started to try to qualify for the WSOP Main Event online. I have only tried a few supersatellites, but I haven’t had any luck lately. I still have quite a bit of time, but I’d like to be able to do it ASAP, if I’m able to do it at all. Only time will tell I guess.

I’ll leave you on that note…wish me luck trying to qualify for that damn tournament!!

"Recognize that everyday won't be sunny and when you find yourself lost in the darkness and despair, remember its only in the black of night when you can see the stars... and those stars will lead you back home. So don't be afraid to make mistakes and stumble and fall cause most of the time the greatest rewards come from doing the things that scare you the most. Maybe you will get everything you wished for... or maybe you will get more than you ever could of imagined. Who knows where life will take you, the road is long and in the end, the journey IS the destination."

The Mixed Tape

What's up? I found this band through the T.V. show One Tree Hill and I think this song is pretty sweet. Check it out and vote for it on T.R.L. Kinda cheesy I know, but I like their music so I figured I'd help the cause and post this bannner. UPDATE: I bought their CD "Everything in Transit" the other day, and I can't stop listening to it...pick it up, or at least check it out on amazon or something...Talk ta ya later!!

Sophomore Slump, or Comeback of the Year?

You’re probably wondering what’s up with these titles I’ve been using lately…they’re titles from either Fall Out Boy songs, or Episode titles from a few TV shows I like. I like them because their kinda crazy, plus they’re way more creative than something I could come up with. So I try to find something that is close to the subject of my post, and I use it. I’ll keep using them mostly because I’m entertained by it and I like the challenge of trying to find one that matches the content of my post.

I’ve been officially been playing poker tournaments regularly for a year and half, calendar time. I’ve really only been playing for about 15 months, because I’ve only played in one tournament in the last 3 months or so. So I figured I’d try to analyze how far I’ve come, how much money I’ve made, and some of my goals for the next year. So here goes nothin.

In the past 18 months or so, I think I’ve evolved from a very novice and inexperienced tournament player into an experienced player that has formed a solid tournament strategy. I’ve come to understand some poker theories that are more complex than anything I ever thought I’d be able to comprehend, although I’m still in the process of learning how to apply these strategies in the correct situations. I think I’m on my way to becoming a good player, and now that my little sabbatical from poker is over, I’m ready to start devoting more time to poker again. In the next year or so I hope to continue to improve as a player and continue to learn more strategies and how to correctly apply them. I also hope to improve on becoming better at reading players, and trusting these reads.

The past year was a pretty profitable one for me poker wise. Just counting tournaments, I’ve probably won about $2,500-$3,000. This isn’t a huge amount, but for the tournaments I’ve played in, I would say it’s pretty successful. If it wasn’t for a few untimely bad beats in big situations, I probably would have made close to double that. But that’s poker, what can you do. One of my biggest strengths in tournament poker is cashing in a high percentage of the tournaments I enter, but I want to improve on that as well. I am going to try to become more aggressive in the later stages and build a stack that can help me win, not just cash. I’d accept a few less times in the money for a few more higher finishes.

I have a couple of goals for this upcoming year of poker. The first one is to try to qualify for the World Series of Poker Main Event. There are online satellites everywhere, so I’m going to try my best to qualify. If it doesn’t work, I guess I’ll just gain a lot of tournament experience, so it’s really a win win situation.

I also want to become a better cash game player, whether it be limit or no-limit. I sometimes struggle in cash games with making good decisions, so I need to improve upon this in order to increase my bottom line. If I can cut down on the bad decisions I make, this will allow me to save $, and in poker $ is just as good as $ won.

That’s pretty much it for this one. I guess the question is, will I have a Sophomore Slump, or will it be the Comeback of the Year? Stay tuned, I guess we’ll find out together.

“Don’t be afraid to be great.”

Lonesome Road

So, it’s winter in Ohio and it’s cold…although it hasn’t been a typical winter here, because it’s been very mild. I figure we’re do for a monster blizzard sometime in February probably. There hasn’t bee much going on here, the winter is quite boring in the O-H-I-O.

I played in my first poker tournament at the VFW since I won the tournament there Thanksgiving weekend. It was a shootout, which means you start with a certain # of tables, and each table winner moves to the final table. I ended up finishing 2nd at my table, which didn’t get me squat. I had a big chip lead, but lost two big hands. One was when my pocket 2’s got beat by KJ, and the other is when my A8 got beat by A7. Oh well, that’s poker…what can you do?

I’ve been playing online a little more. My poker enthusiasm has started to slowly come back, and I’ve been doing fairly well in the sit n go’s online. I’ll keep playing those, and maybe I’ll move to cash games eventually. I just don’t feel comfortable playing cash games online for some reason. I’m not as good at cash games as I am tournaments, but online is completely different. Hopefully I’ll get better at that.

Speaking of poker, a few of my friends started a poker website for the Marion area, and I’m writing an article that is supposed to help people learn about poker. You can check out the website here. It’s got along way to go, but they’ve got a good start, so maybe it will turn into something.

Nothing else really going on, except for that I’m getting the Vegas itch again. I didn’t think it would come again so soon after last trip, because Vegas kicked my ass last time, but it’s back. I’m really hoping to qualify for the WSOP Main Event online, but that’s probably a long shot. Even if I don’t I’d like to go out and watch the final table of the Main Event. I’ll probably try to get out there for a couple of days before that though. I need to go out there for just a few days by myself and just play poker the whole trip. We’ll see what happens with everything.

Well, Porky Pig always says, That’s All Folks!

"The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good."

Have You Ever Seen the Rain?

I have...as a matter of fact, that's all I've seen today. It has been pouring all day...I mean it hasn't even stopped for a second. That makes January even harder to get through. January and February are the absolute worst months of the year, and then it goes and rains all day. Last week, I didn't see the sun for 4 days in a row. This is why I hate winter so much...if it's not raining, it's freezing ass cold and snowing. I can't wait until April!

That's all I've got...I haven't posted much lately, but that's because there isn't anything going on with me...same ole, same ole. Maybe tomorrow will be the day that changes my life or something and I'll have something to write about...if not, I'll be around sometime in the near future. Until then...

"Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each."