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!!