Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Missing Sundays
Been a really long time. Tough to get motivated to blog when the US Gov takes away the biggest reason that I make blog entries. It's been 4.5 months since "Black Friday" and really no positive movement in this country towards the return of online poker............Sigh.........All the monies they could have been making off of rake during this time is just a massive missed opportunity.
I have played live a few times. For a few weeks I was playing a very lag game and and exiting early. I play with the same guys every week when I make the trek to the seacoast of NH. I want them to all think I am a careless, gambling degenerate. The meta game value I get from these performances is well worth it. I have such a loose image that these guys pay me off so light in future games. It happened last week when I shipped the Sunday $75 1 add on for $1500. I was super active and went on a nice enough heater that I was left with all the chips 8 hours later. I promise you these guys can't range me. I balances my ranges way to often. I play hands in ways that most live players don't. It's really funny actually, they are all sitting there looking at each other like I am the sucker and they are chomping at the bit to get into pots with me, when that is actually what I want them to do. Now that I have them all believing that I am a loose cannon I will continue to make the proper adjustments against them.
There is one guy I have had my hands full with. He is a blind protector and loves to flat me light out of position. He will normally flat me pre flop and float my c-bet on the flop and the times that I check behind on the turn he fires the river 100% of the time. He is very quiet and doesnt give away much information. He has actually gotten the best of me for most part. So I am just going to stop c-betting flops that I miss, and continue as normal for the trap when I smash. Outside of him and 1 or 2 other guys I just feel like I am the best player at each table. Many of these players make so many crucial mistakes that they think are correct plays. Most times the only one who is going to outplay me is myself.
Even though it's a been a fun and profitable summer at the live tables, I am missing playing online so bad. Getting up on a Sunday in time to get all my errands done and loading up 20-30 tournaments with baseball and or football on the 52 inch in the background. Getting deep in a few and trying to close out a 4 figure score and dreaming of the 6 figure Binkage. With football just around the corner I am still so bitter at the USDOJ!
**********************************************************************
Wrapping up what has been one of the busiest and strangest summers I have ever spent in Wolfeboro. It's been a great summer profit wise but I am so ready to put this summer behind me. Not sure what 2012 is going to bring for me in my professional career???? I do know that I want to spend all of January in Chile and try to figure out a way to get a work contract down there. At this point it is a bit of a pipe dream. I feel like changes need to be made for me. I love most of the things in my life and I am very grateful for what I have but I really hate the direction this country is heading. Not sure what I am going to do?
One thing I am forcing myself to realize is that sometimes happiness is a manifestation. If you continue to feel miserable and think everything sucks, it will. All though I was truly unhappy this spring and summer I am trying to make an attempt to enjoy the good things in my life.
Fall is among us and I love the fall in New England. Happy days ahead :)
I have played live a few times. For a few weeks I was playing a very lag game and and exiting early. I play with the same guys every week when I make the trek to the seacoast of NH. I want them to all think I am a careless, gambling degenerate. The meta game value I get from these performances is well worth it. I have such a loose image that these guys pay me off so light in future games. It happened last week when I shipped the Sunday $75 1 add on for $1500. I was super active and went on a nice enough heater that I was left with all the chips 8 hours later. I promise you these guys can't range me. I balances my ranges way to often. I play hands in ways that most live players don't. It's really funny actually, they are all sitting there looking at each other like I am the sucker and they are chomping at the bit to get into pots with me, when that is actually what I want them to do. Now that I have them all believing that I am a loose cannon I will continue to make the proper adjustments against them.
There is one guy I have had my hands full with. He is a blind protector and loves to flat me light out of position. He will normally flat me pre flop and float my c-bet on the flop and the times that I check behind on the turn he fires the river 100% of the time. He is very quiet and doesnt give away much information. He has actually gotten the best of me for most part. So I am just going to stop c-betting flops that I miss, and continue as normal for the trap when I smash. Outside of him and 1 or 2 other guys I just feel like I am the best player at each table. Many of these players make so many crucial mistakes that they think are correct plays. Most times the only one who is going to outplay me is myself.
Even though it's a been a fun and profitable summer at the live tables, I am missing playing online so bad. Getting up on a Sunday in time to get all my errands done and loading up 20-30 tournaments with baseball and or football on the 52 inch in the background. Getting deep in a few and trying to close out a 4 figure score and dreaming of the 6 figure Binkage. With football just around the corner I am still so bitter at the USDOJ!
**********************************************************************
Wrapping up what has been one of the busiest and strangest summers I have ever spent in Wolfeboro. It's been a great summer profit wise but I am so ready to put this summer behind me. Not sure what 2012 is going to bring for me in my professional career???? I do know that I want to spend all of January in Chile and try to figure out a way to get a work contract down there. At this point it is a bit of a pipe dream. I feel like changes need to be made for me. I love most of the things in my life and I am very grateful for what I have but I really hate the direction this country is heading. Not sure what I am going to do?
One thing I am forcing myself to realize is that sometimes happiness is a manifestation. If you continue to feel miserable and think everything sucks, it will. All though I was truly unhappy this spring and summer I am trying to make an attempt to enjoy the good things in my life.
Fall is among us and I love the fall in New England. Happy days ahead :)
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
The DOJ Took A Piece of Me Away
I have not updated this blog since I left Chile. I have been super busy with the re-opening of Garwoods after it's month long renovation. Between a couple of great trips to Fenway Park and Garwoods being so busy I just haven't had that much time.
I also haven't been very motivated to post a blog due to Black Friday. I guess I knew it was coming eventually but I didn't think it would be so abruptly.
Even though I understand it has very little to do with the players and everything to do with money between the off-shore poker sites and the greedy US Government, I still can't help but feeling like I am being robbed of my rights. A piece of me died on (oh, how ironic) Tax Day, April 15th, 2011.
I really am so sick of living in a country where the government is constantly finding new ways to squeeze our rights and continually makes poor decisions. If I could move to a place like Chile I would do it tomorrow but it is not that easy. There are many factors stopping me from doing this.
These feelings are not just motivated by the recent hindrance of online poker in this country, I have harbored these feelings about this country since my first trip to Chile seven years ago. Seeing another culture mixed with observing how mine is run is just a huge eye opener. I understand that I am in a much better situation than most of the people in this crazy world that we live in and I do truly appreciate that but I really despise the people who run this country and the decisions that they make.
Where does this leave recreational players like myself???
I am certain that the powers that be have a master plan to make online poker available to players in the United States. My true feelings are that the US already has software ready to go and when they are done bluffing the off-shore sites and realize that PokerStars, Full Tilt and UB are not going to fold to their bluff of the billions of dollars they want in "back pay" and tell the US Gov to "Go FUCK themselves, we don't need your business any longer" that is when they will roll it out immediately with a good size rake and tax system that will benefit the US Gov greatly.
In the meantime, I guess I go back to where it all started 7-ish years ago.....playing live poker. I have played 4 live tourneys over the past 2 weeks. I cashed in 2/4 and won the biggest one I played (154 players).
What have I learned about going back to the live poker?
I have a lot more edges live than I do online. My aggression is a lot more effective live. Live players make so many crucial stack size mistakes it's laughable. Once and a great while there is a decent looking female dealer. Those were the positives.
Onto the Negatives....
Money spent on gas/food/tipping/time spent traveling/lodging (gets very expensive if I do make the trek to the big houses in CT)...... LIVE PLAY IS SOOOOO FUCKING SLOW!!!!! I mean really, pay attention! Not only the players, half the dealers are super slow/make so many mistakes. I can't stand listening to live players try to talk about poker and sports, it really is tilting for me. I find myself turning my ipod up louder and louder as the session goes on. I wouldn't hang out with 85% of the scumbags that go into these cards rooms in a normal setting. Don't get me wrong here, I have met some really nice/interesting people in live card rooms, but most of them are testosterone spewing monkeys that are either borderline criminals or hate their lives and want to try to berate people while blowing money they are not suppose to be spending. The biggest negative of all; I get to put up $50-$250 for a buying in NH (bigger buying in CT) and play in ONE tournament with less than 200 runners for a small 4 figure score. At home I can put up the same amount of dough and play 15-20 tournaments while playing for 5 figure scores, without spending a dime on gas and whatever little I spend on food in my house.
hmmmmmmmm. What would you rather do?
I really feel bad for the people who made a living out of this game. I can only imagine what they are going through based on what my feelings are in regard's to this game just being a hobby for me.
So a big thank you to the US DOJ for taking my biggest hobby out of my home. Please RAIPI&DIAGF....
I also haven't been very motivated to post a blog due to Black Friday. I guess I knew it was coming eventually but I didn't think it would be so abruptly.
Even though I understand it has very little to do with the players and everything to do with money between the off-shore poker sites and the greedy US Government, I still can't help but feeling like I am being robbed of my rights. A piece of me died on (oh, how ironic) Tax Day, April 15th, 2011.
I really am so sick of living in a country where the government is constantly finding new ways to squeeze our rights and continually makes poor decisions. If I could move to a place like Chile I would do it tomorrow but it is not that easy. There are many factors stopping me from doing this.
These feelings are not just motivated by the recent hindrance of online poker in this country, I have harbored these feelings about this country since my first trip to Chile seven years ago. Seeing another culture mixed with observing how mine is run is just a huge eye opener. I understand that I am in a much better situation than most of the people in this crazy world that we live in and I do truly appreciate that but I really despise the people who run this country and the decisions that they make.
Where does this leave recreational players like myself???
I am certain that the powers that be have a master plan to make online poker available to players in the United States. My true feelings are that the US already has software ready to go and when they are done bluffing the off-shore sites and realize that PokerStars, Full Tilt and UB are not going to fold to their bluff of the billions of dollars they want in "back pay" and tell the US Gov to "Go FUCK themselves, we don't need your business any longer" that is when they will roll it out immediately with a good size rake and tax system that will benefit the US Gov greatly.
In the meantime, I guess I go back to where it all started 7-ish years ago.....playing live poker. I have played 4 live tourneys over the past 2 weeks. I cashed in 2/4 and won the biggest one I played (154 players).
What have I learned about going back to the live poker?
I have a lot more edges live than I do online. My aggression is a lot more effective live. Live players make so many crucial stack size mistakes it's laughable. Once and a great while there is a decent looking female dealer. Those were the positives.
Onto the Negatives....
Money spent on gas/food/tipping/time spent traveling/lodging (gets very expensive if I do make the trek to the big houses in CT)...... LIVE PLAY IS SOOOOO FUCKING SLOW!!!!! I mean really, pay attention! Not only the players, half the dealers are super slow/make so many mistakes. I can't stand listening to live players try to talk about poker and sports, it really is tilting for me. I find myself turning my ipod up louder and louder as the session goes on. I wouldn't hang out with 85% of the scumbags that go into these cards rooms in a normal setting. Don't get me wrong here, I have met some really nice/interesting people in live card rooms, but most of them are testosterone spewing monkeys that are either borderline criminals or hate their lives and want to try to berate people while blowing money they are not suppose to be spending. The biggest negative of all; I get to put up $50-$250 for a buying in NH (bigger buying in CT) and play in ONE tournament with less than 200 runners for a small 4 figure score. At home I can put up the same amount of dough and play 15-20 tournaments while playing for 5 figure scores, without spending a dime on gas and whatever little I spend on food in my house.
hmmmmmmmm. What would you rather do?
I really feel bad for the people who made a living out of this game. I can only imagine what they are going through based on what my feelings are in regard's to this game just being a hobby for me.
So a big thank you to the US DOJ for taking my biggest hobby out of my home. Please RAIPI&DIAGF....
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Only 4 days left in Chile =(
It has been an amazing 2 1/2 weeks here in Chile. I really have achieved my goal of doing a lot of nothing. Most days have been spent at the pool with most nights drinking Cristal and Pisco. I have ate way to much bread here, they have bread with almost every meal. I am certain I have gained 5 lbs to my already over weight body. Almost all of my meals have been authentic Chilean dishes and have been amazing. Ovidia's cooking is second to none. The fruit and vegetables are unlike anything you can get back in the States.
Unlike my last trip we have done very little traveling. Spent a couple of days/night in Maipu and Santiago. Saw Morcheeba live in Santiago. 2 of my last 4 days here will be spent on the road though.
I am not looking forward to that long travel home and I am certainly not ready to leave Chile.
There are many exciting things for me to come home too. A revamped restaurant and by revamped I mean everything is new, this I can hardly wait for. My owners have spent a shit ton of money on an already busy restaurant. I just cant wait for our season to come. We are going to smoke the competition this summer!
Baseball! WOW! I am so giddy for this season. I feel like a kid staring at a melting ice cream Sunday on a super hot mid-July day. I mean, Boston has put together one of the most incredible Red Sox teams I have ever seen. Obviously they have to stay healthy. I am so excited that today I spent way to much money on an opening day ticket but it is vs the Yankees and with Garwoods being closed it is an opportunity that doesn't present itself that often for me.
Well, time for some more pisco. Salud!
Unlike my last trip we have done very little traveling. Spent a couple of days/night in Maipu and Santiago. Saw Morcheeba live in Santiago. 2 of my last 4 days here will be spent on the road though.
I am not looking forward to that long travel home and I am certainly not ready to leave Chile.
There are many exciting things for me to come home too. A revamped restaurant and by revamped I mean everything is new, this I can hardly wait for. My owners have spent a shit ton of money on an already busy restaurant. I just cant wait for our season to come. We are going to smoke the competition this summer!
Baseball! WOW! I am so giddy for this season. I feel like a kid staring at a melting ice cream Sunday on a super hot mid-July day. I mean, Boston has put together one of the most incredible Red Sox teams I have ever seen. Obviously they have to stay healthy. I am so excited that today I spent way to much money on an opening day ticket but it is vs the Yankees and with Garwoods being closed it is an opportunity that doesn't present itself that often for me.
Well, time for some more pisco. Salud!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Talagante, Chile
I almost missed my connecting flight to Chile in Peru. For some odd reason they made us go through screening with our carry on luggage, I didn't understand this? Everyone on the flight obviously had been through the previous airports screening. It almost made me late and defiantly made some other people late for their connecting flights. What a long travel here. I am glad I am staying for three weeks. It feels like a lifetime to get here.
My friends family have an amazing home. They live in a gated community. They have roughly 2 acres of property with a swimming pool which is were I will be spending a good amount of time. It was cloudy and a little cold yesterday (58 degrees). The locals were all dressed for a winter day. If it was currently 58 back home in NH we would be in shorts and t-shirts. The forecast for the next 10 days is 85 and sunny =)
It is really nice to see the family I stayed with last time I was here. They are so kind and giving. As soon as I walked in the house I was told this is my house and I am welcome to everything. Even when I go to the store they wont let me buy anything. This is what I remember the most about the Chilean's from my first visit here. So very accommodating and want you to have everything you need. Also, they are so casual here and no one is on a schedule. Things get done when they get done, no big deal.
Driving here is at your own risk. Buses will pass you on back roads when you are doing the speed limit. There seems to be very few road rules here, if there are any most people don't pay any attention to them.
I have my own room. Internet is going to be a problem as it is a concrete house and the wireless router does not extend very far throughout the house, and it is a very big house. This is ok though, I didn't come all this way to sit on the computer all day. I will play poker today and on Sunday but that will be most of my time spent on the computer.
I am not sure what they have in store for traveling. I am actually content with staying right here and doing a lot of nothing. The last time I was here I got to see a lot of the country in a very short time. I would love to visit Vallerica again but it is so far away in the South. After taking almost 16 hours to get here I am in no hurry to travel a long distance again.
My friends family have an amazing home. They live in a gated community. They have roughly 2 acres of property with a swimming pool which is were I will be spending a good amount of time. It was cloudy and a little cold yesterday (58 degrees). The locals were all dressed for a winter day. If it was currently 58 back home in NH we would be in shorts and t-shirts. The forecast for the next 10 days is 85 and sunny =)
It is really nice to see the family I stayed with last time I was here. They are so kind and giving. As soon as I walked in the house I was told this is my house and I am welcome to everything. Even when I go to the store they wont let me buy anything. This is what I remember the most about the Chilean's from my first visit here. So very accommodating and want you to have everything you need. Also, they are so casual here and no one is on a schedule. Things get done when they get done, no big deal.
Driving here is at your own risk. Buses will pass you on back roads when you are doing the speed limit. There seems to be very few road rules here, if there are any most people don't pay any attention to them.
I have my own room. Internet is going to be a problem as it is a concrete house and the wireless router does not extend very far throughout the house, and it is a very big house. This is ok though, I didn't come all this way to sit on the computer all day. I will play poker today and on Sunday but that will be most of my time spent on the computer.
I am not sure what they have in store for traveling. I am actually content with staying right here and doing a lot of nothing. The last time I was here I got to see a lot of the country in a very short time. I would love to visit Vallerica again but it is so far away in the South. After taking almost 16 hours to get here I am in no hurry to travel a long distance again.
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