Going Pro... My journey to becoming a professional poker player

First Therapy Dog meeting tomorrow....

2008-12-12T15:03:00.000-08:00

Well the sun has come out the last few days, so I am a happier camper. I have used this week to network with other counselors and pastors. Some of them may become referral services when I start a counseling practice in this area.

Tomorrow, is the first meeting of the Sacramento Area Pet Therapy meetup group. I started it on-line. We now have over 22 members and 12 of us are meeting for the first time. If you want to see where we are going with it click here....

If you want to know what helped lead up to starting a group like this then read on.

This article I wrote awhile back. I call it "Doggone Theology".

When I was a child I wanted to be a pastor when I grew up. Our family went to church 3-4 times a week. It was my extended family. In fact, I lived the first 6 years of my life upstairs from the church we attended. In those days the tax law said all real property under the same roof as the church was tax free in Chicago where I grew up.Therefore, many churches had houses or apartments connected to the church building in order to avoid taxation on the church parsonage.

The first man I remembered wanting to be like, was the pastor of the church, who lived downstairs. He died, when I was 9 years old. I still think he has a strong influence on my life to this day.

When I graduated from High School, I went to a Bible College to become a pastor. I dropped out and joined the army during the Vietnam War. Four years later I went back and finished my seminary education.I was a pastor in four churches over a 12 year period.

Some say I was successful. However, I was depressed and miserable. Today I am not a member or regular attender of "church". I consider much of the form and practices of regular church goers at best insignificant. I tried over the past 7 years to visit a plethora of churches. Each time I did, I went away often thinking “that was a waste of time”. Many times I left feeling depressed or disgusted.

Yet, I consider myself a deeply spiritual man and a Christian elder. Today, I claim to know a lot less about God, then I thought I did when I was a pastor. In fact one of the few things I know for sure is that I am loved by God.

It took two dogs to really teach me that concept. Yep, I will explain my new “dog gone” theology, but first a little more background.

In 2002 after 12 years of being a pastor and then 10 years of being a psychotherapist and professor, I quit everything, bought an RV and traveled for most of the year with my wife, wondering what we were going to do for the rest of our lives.

Over the past 22 years I lost most of my money to a bad business deal, was cheated out of our life savings by my best friend, and had a business partner swindle me out of my half of a business. We had raised and launched two great kids to adulthood.

I had helped a lot of people, but I felt burnt-out, overstressed and wanted to isolate myself from everyone, but my personal family.After a year traveling all over the U.S. in our RV my wife Caren found a highly significant career in the health care field as the program manager of a large outpatient hospital program.

I taught part-time at a community college and began a mentoring program where I volunteered for a year helping people, who wanted to begin a computer consulting business. Many of them have their own business today because of that mentoring program.After the RV trip, even though I did the mentoring program, which was primarily skills based, the people helping part of me, and the “God sensitive” part of me felt like a void.”

My depression was again very strong in my life and my emotions felt frozen.Then Caren came home with a little dog named Pokey, that became my best friend, for the next two years. Every time I came home, he was genuinely thrilled to see me.When I was depressed, he could cheer me up with his acceptance and his devotion to me.

He and I traveled in our RV to many places. There was really no place I went for those two years that he didn’t go. He waited in the RV, or in the car for me, when I went into some place, he was not allowed.

Then at the end of January, of this year, I helped our daughter and son-in-law move to Sacramento, by taking care of their two dogs for three weeks at our home. Then Pokey, and I went to their new home, to help them move in.

That evening as we walked to the RV, Pokey who always walked by my side, suddenly ran into the street and was hit by a speeding car, who didn’t even stop.

I found myself lying over his lifeless body in the middle of the street wailing and unable to even move. When I could move I lifted his lifeless body, to the side of the street, and knelt over him crying and sobbing uncontrollably.

Then, after confirming his death, I drove the RV 600 miles home crying and sobbing almost the entire way. (From midnight to 9 a.m.)I don’t know how I even was able to see much of the time, let alone drive that distance.

My great wife Caren stayed on the phone with me the whole time and was the reason I had to drive that distance. I had to be with her, and she needed me.We comforted each other the entire weekend and spent much of it crying and remembering Pokey.

A couple of friends called concerned for me and even told me they were thinking of giving me their dog. Even though that was huge and genuine for them, I didn’t want another dog, I wanted Pokey! I thought I would never have another dog. He was more like a friend then a dog to me.

My good friend Gary and I use to talk about theology, God, and life and I often told him Pokey taught me more about grace and unconditional love, then all the church attendance, years of theological training, and hundreds of books on the subject, I have read.

He simply loved me, regardless of how I felt, or what I had accomplished that day. I was the most important thing in his life when he saw me. That to me was what God’s love and “church” was supposed to be about. I had learned the greatest message about God from a dog!

This two year lesson was just the beginning of my new theology……

For the next couple of weeks after Pokey’s death I moped around the house playing a little on-line poker and not doing much else. Every time I went to sleep, I saw in my mind the tragic scene of his death.

During those weeks I gained an even greater compassion for our military men and women who face issues of post traumatic stress disorder, and I marveled at the healing power that enable parents who lost children to heal and continue on with life.

One of our best friends Jane had her 90 year old mother stay with her for a week with her “mom’s” two dogs. One of them was especially mean to their new little puppy Coco. Coco also had a disgusting habit of eating feces, hers and other dogs. She became very sick with vomiting and was unable to keep food down from something she must have caught from one of the other dogs.

I volunteered to watch Coco for the rest of the time Jane’s mother was visiting and to nurse Coco back to health. I took her to the Vet and made her a special diet to help combat her stomach disorder. Coco loved me and I found myself being comforted by her. She had known Pokey, and had visited for a few days back in December, when I was taking care of my daughters two dog.

Whenever, I cried remembering Pokey, Coco would lick my face. I discovered it is impossible to cry in grief, and laugh at the same time. I use to say to her "did Pokey tell you to do that”?

One day Jane’s husband Gary opened the door at my home and Coco ran out. She began running down the alley toward a busy street. We called her, and she only ran faster down the alley right toward a street with a blind corner and many cars. I was sick inside, and saw in my mind Pokey’s death and couldn’t believe I was going to witness another one.

At the last moment she veered to the left onto the sidewalk without crossing the street and stopped and came back to me. I picked her up, crying and holding her to my chest. She was unaware of the trauma and tragedy that had just been avoided.She needed to stay a few more days to finish her medications and her special diet. I wanted her to stay forever, but she wasn’t our dog, and Jane’s 5 year old granddaughter had a special relationship with her.

I didn’t know it at the time but Jane’s granddaughter, her, and Gary had been talking about my loss with Pokey and how it had affected me.The day before Coco was to go back to her home, Jane called and talked to my wife Caren.

Later that day when I called home to let Caren know I was on the way home, she told me there was a surprise for me when I got home.When I asked her what it was? She told me Jane and Gary had given me Coco. I could hardly believe it!

Beside this being an expensive little dog, there were many, many, reasons why this would be a very difficult decision for Jane to make.

I rushed home and cried again with Coco, but this time my tears were mainly tears of happiness.

She licked them and made me laugh just the same.

Now the theological moral of the story, I have never been much of an emotional person. I didn’t cry at my own father’s death or the deaths of guys I knew in the service, when I was in a hostile fire zone and they were killed.

The last few years my spiritual sensitivity and my emotions had seemed frozen. Pokey was a gift from God, that taught me about unconditional love and acceptance. Coco was a clear lesson to me about what Grace really means.

Grace is provision. A provision that is not earned. It is paid for by someone else.

It is purely a gift, given out of unconditional love.

God loved me enough to give me the capacity to love a little dog named Pokey, and gave that dog the capacity to teach me a great theological fact.

That truth that I am loved and accepted unconditionally!

Then God used another little dog to teach me that he will provide for me, purely out of His love for me. That provision was neither earned, nor accomplished by my efforts. It is simply what God does for us.

My hope for you, is that you know, or come to know, that unconditional love, grace that is relevant for all your loss or fears.

Those are two of the greatest theological lessons I recently learned, taught to me by two little dogs.

What happened to the Sun?

2008-12-08T19:11:00.001-08:00

When we went to the Sharks game last Tuesday, that is the last time we saw clear skies. The sun has been overcast by fog and clouds these last 5 days.

Help, I need the sun.

When we drove through Dublin we looked up the house we lived in 30 years ago. It is still a nice house. We met the owner, who was outside working on his home and he was nice enough to let us look in the backyard. It was just like we remembered it. A porch with a huge backyard. We lasted there about 9 months. Then we moved to Ukiah to pastor a church.

We had just moved from Minnesota. Carrie was 15 months old and just learning to walk. She loved the "outside". We moved in March so this "outside" was very different then the one she was in a week ago. In fact one of her first words was "ahsside". "Ahsside" was exciting. Here is the actual porch that she ate a snail, that was "running" for his life. Well, actually she ate only "half" a snail.

Last Sunday Carrie was feeling well enough to go to her church, so we took her to the second service. Her husband David is the Worship leader.

Caren and I have enjoyed meeting Earl & Nancy. They serve as the Pastor's at Cornerstone Church in the Arden area of Sacramento.

I have enjoyed coffee and conversations with Earl a couple of times at Starbucks and here Caren is chatting with Nancy.

I think I have told you all before about Grace & Mercy, but I don't think I have posted any pictures of them. Here is Mercy wearing the coat with Coco and Grace is the brown one.

We enjoy them very much, and they are all getting along a lot better then when we first arrived. Grace and Coco couldn't figure out who was in charge, but they seemed to have worked it out.

Now if only the sun would come out.....

Live from Sacramento it's "Animal House"

2008-12-06T18:57:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, I spent much of the day developing the Sacramento area Pet Therapy meetup group and website. Because we recently moved to a new town, and we are also new at training Coco to be a “Therapy Dog”, I decided to combine both of our needs into one effort. This group will help us in training Coco and meeting new people in our community. There has already been a great response and interaction on the website. I scheduled our first face to face meetup meeting for next Saturday. We already have 14 rsvps.! It should be a lot of fun.

If you get a chance, check out our community meetup website I am developing.

I spent the rest of the day playing poker on-line. I took a break and went out to check out a couple of less expensive long term storage places for my RV. The place we have it in now, is so close and nice, but if I drive a few miles, I can save half the monthly fee. I discovered some RV storage places have high tech and the latest equipment. Some have ancient facilities and junkyard dogs that guard the place at night. They are probably both just as effective. Though, I would rather try to hack into a high tech security, then try to subdue junk yard dogs. Lol.

Thursday was a “dog day”. I took Grace and Mercy for shots and their annual physical. Coco had her nails done, while I ran errands most of the day. I made for our dinner meal, a "speciality" an old friend used to always make us when we went to his home for dinner. Spaghetti & Fried Chicken.
Caren shopped all evening and took a much needed break from the duties of the house and assisting Carrie’s health issue. Please keep praying for Carrie, this is really hard on her.

Caren had the privilege of attending a gala social event for women at the “The Gathering Place” in Folsom. I called Phil to see if he wanted to “hang out” during the women’s event and found myself “roped into” being one of the food serves at the event Caren was attending. It was fun to work with the other guys, and I got a great meal out of it.

My son-in-law David had never been to a live hockey game. He was going to attend one with us last xmas in Las Vegas, but Carrie got sick and he stayed in the hotel room with her. Last Tuesday I went to a Sharks game with Jonathan. So,when I heard Sac State’s Ice Hockey team played only a few miles from our house David and I, went to the 9:30 p.m. game between Sac State and UC Davis.

It was a lot of fun. If you consider being jammed packed and having to stand the whole time shoulder to shoulder with drunk coeds and college guys fun. They screamed the whole time, taunted each other, yelled obscenities and some of them might have fallen down drunk, but since we were so jam packed nobody fell down. It was like being trapped in a live National Lampoon Animal House movie. It was a lot of fun, we are planning on going back next Friday.

Jobless and Homeless

2008-12-04T19:51:00.000-08:00

Tuesday….

Dec 2nd 29 years ago very early in the morning on a cold winter night we were driving a winding lonely stretch of U.S. 101 following the Russian River from Ukiah to Healdsburg, in Northern California hoping Caren would not give birth to Jonathan before we made it to the hospital. We made it with a couple of hours to spare.
So today we are driving to San Jose to pick up Jonathan and take him to a Sharks Game. Two of his favorite things in life, beside his computer and snowboard, is eating steak and watching the Sharks. We enjoyed dinner is at the Black Angus.

Jonathan had a minor accident with his motorcycle the other day. That is the bad news. The good news is except for scratches, and scrapes, twisted ankle and a big road rash he is fine.

We were able to use his accident as a benefit at the Sharks game. Because we had decided to go so late, and they are having such a good season, and I am cheap, we ended up with tickets up in the upper, upper deck.

Jonathan is on crutches so that was going to be a little challenging for him. I talked with one of the head ushers at the stadium. They were so nice they relocated us to the private season holder boxes area and set us in great seats 12 rolls up from the ice. My 40 dollar a seat on-line ticket purchase turned into $300 a seat tickets in the private area where waitresses came to our seat to ask us what we would like to order.

The best part of this story is it turned out to be a great game. The Sharks scored in the first 2 minutes of the first period and they won a very exciting game 5-2

After dropping Jonathan off at home we found ourselves driving early in the morning on a lonely road the 120 miles back to Sacramento reflecting on the day today and that day 29 years ago. We thanked God for a great son, these two great days in our life and we both expressed how we felt very rich with myriad life experiences.

So what if we are jobless and homeless? We are rich beyond measure.

Giving Thanks...

2008-12-03T17:54:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Week at our Daughter’s home.

Monday began with another Dr. visit for our daughter. She has been fighting an infection that needs to be clear for a couple of weeks before she can have the operation she needs.

Would you consider saying a prayer for her? She has been on bed rest and disability for over 6 weeks. She is a very active person and it is very hard on her. Tuesday was spent cleaning her home and her bedroom for her. Wednesday and Thursday her husband and her, were able to go to Lake Tahoe while she enjoyed a change of scenery from her bed. They really enjoyed themselves and were able to stop Friday at Dave’s parents home for a late Thanksgiving dinner with them.

Our son Jonathan came up to spend Thanksgiving at Carrie & Dave’s home while we “dog sat” their two dogs Grace & Mercy. I made a big Thanksgiving turkey in a new electric roaster we bought for this holiday.

You know the rest of the story. We ate too much, moaned, laid around the house, saying next year we won’t eat so much…blah blah blah.

Friday we took the dogs to a dog park in Citrus Heights. Carrie’s dogs don’t get out too much so they acted a little frightened at first but they warmed up after awhile. The next day we took them back again with Dave & Carrie and Grace had a lot of fun. Mercy was still not so sure about it.

Sunday we visited “The Gathering Place” in Folsom and met some old friends. It has been many years since we saw Paul and Linda Samples and Paul Jones. Phil & Donna Jones our good friends here in Sacramento were having their new twin grandchildren dedicated at church. We enjoyed pizza at the park with all of their extended families and joking told others we were “adopted” members of their family. Phil and Donna have been so gracious to invite and include us in many special events.

Speaking of special events we got a huge surprise in the mail.

We received a card with several pictures of a little boy we took into our home under severe circumstances 23 years ago. We had received a phone call from a mother unknown to us who was abandoning her 8 year old son, Matthew, because she didn’t know what else to do. She was in an abusive relationship with a man who wasn’t his father . The same night she called we found ourselves driving 60 miles to San Francisco to pick him up on a street corner and take him into our home. A few weeks later his biological father contacted us and wanted him. I was able to provide him with counseling and parenting training and reunite him with his father. Then within a year his biological father and mother got back together and they have raised him and his younger brother and sister these last 23 years.

“Out of the blue” they tracked us down, wrote us a Thanksgiving Thank You card and sent us pictures of their family who now lives in Oregon. We were so overjoyed and grateful. We had often wondered what happened to Matthew. Caren often prayed for him when she thought of him. He is a handsome 31 year old man and we may have the chance to meet him the next trip we take to Oregon.

Our son-in-law who is a worship pastor makes fun of us for enjoying the Gaithers and Old-Fashioned gospel quartet music. So he found this on-line for us... you may enjoy it.. We sure did.

Make sure you turn your sound up......

Sleeping by the Eel River

2008-12-01T11:41:00.000-08:00

After leaving Ferndale and the Redwoods we decided to park by the Eel River and take a little nap. The amount of choices you have when traveling by RV is awesome. We love the freedom we enjoy. We find the journey becomes our destination.

I forgot to tell about being back in San Diego. I flew down and my friend Gary who had just had his 2nd heart attack, with no permanent heart damage, (Thank God) picked me up just 3 days after his heart attack. I stayed with them a couple of days and got to visit with their granddaughter Sofia.

Then I drove back to Sacramento in time to spend the weekend with Caren. We got to visit our friends Phil and Donna and visit their church the “Gathering Place” in Folsom, California. Then afterwards we got to meet some great new friends Mark and Mynda.

So far we are loving the move from San Diego to Sacramento. But, San Diego still has a more beautiful skyline.

Take a drive through the Redwoods....

2008-11-30T22:24:00.000-08:00

Avenue of the Giants - A Destination Vacation: This world-famous scenic drive is a 31-mile portion of old Highway 101, which parallels Freeway 101 with its 51,222 acres of redwood groves. It is by far the most outstanding display of these giant trees in the entire 500 mile redwood belt and is accessible to all with convenient services provided along the way. The Avenue of the Giants is surrounded by Humboldt Redwoods State Park which has the largest remaining stand of virgin redwoods in the world.

Whenever we drive through Humboldt Country we also take a detour and drive the ave of the Giants. It is truly a "magical place".

We didn't take this video but it shows the place we love to drive.

We pressed on and stopped in Willits for gas and dinner. Then we drove across to Lake County and spent the night at the Robinson's Rancheria area. Tomorrow we head back for our daughter and son-in-laws home in Sacramento.

Ferndale Today...

2008-11-30T21:28:00.000-08:00

Woke up at Bear River Casino and headed toward the Redwoods. Just as we were to get on the US 101 south ramp I saw a sign for Ferndale and we made a quick decision to make another trip detour. It was one of those great decisions.

What a jewel Ferndale, California is. It is filled with old Victorians and is a great place to visit. Caren browsed in all the little shops on Main street, while I sat across from the Post Office in the sun and smoked a cigar.

I think I saw half the town go into the Post Office by the time Caren finished browsing. I think the old guy, sitting on a chair, smoking a cigar, added to the ambience of the town that morning because I was greeted cheerfully by many people.

Caren examines a little Victorian house.

We had lunch at Poppas. It was great, I had the blue plate special a corned beef sandwich with coleslaw while Caren had homemade Cabbage soup.

The morning and afternoon was like being in that Twilight episode when he longed for an earlier more peaceful time and when he got off his commute train he found himself in a town 50 years past. We didn’t want to leave, but the Redwoods, the “greatest place” on earth still beckoned us so we fondly said goodbye to Ferndale and headed down US101 to the Avenue of the Giants.

Eureka!!! We found it!!!

2008-11-29T20:24:00.000-08:00

One of the nice things about RV travel, with no schedule, like we often do, is that we make a decision which way to go when we get to the crossroads.

Grants Pass is one of those crossroads. We knew we were going to make it there because we called our friends, on the cell phone, the morning we were leaving "7 Feathers". We found out that our old friends Darlene and Deanne were still in Grants Pass.

They were leaving to return to Bend, Oregon after lunch. So we arranged a meeting place for lunch in Grants Passand. We had a delighful time with them and continued to talk about the "miracle" of how we had run into each other after 16 years.

After lunch we asked them to "pray for us" which they did in a way (right in the middle of the parking lot of Sharri's restaraunt under a beautiful rainbow) that only people in the prophetic ministry areas would understand. (grin)

Then we made our decision to turn right at Grants Pass and take the California Coastal route through Crescent City and the Redwoods for the next couple of days.

It rained all the way through Southern Oregon after we left Grants Pass, and just began clearing when we got to Crescent City. It was a beautiful drive, but slow, and winding. We stopped a couple of times to let Coco and Caren have a little fresh air, and a little walk. (They both get car sick on winding roads.)
We arrived in Crescent City a little too early to stay the night. I planned on staying here but we decided to push on ahead.

We took the scenic old road south of Crescent City. We had hoped to see the elk herds at Prarie Creek State Park, (one of our favorite places on earth) but the sun had just set. We couldn't see much, and they usually are near the road in the morning and migrate over to the coast in the evening.

We drove on toward Eureka. In Arcata we stopped at a store for provisions. I saw a Chinese Seafood Buffet. Caren doesn't like and hates the smell of sea food, so she encouraged me to go ahead and enjoy it by myself while she picked up some things she liked at the store.
With her encouragement I went in and ate enough to feed a small village in China. It was great. Not only did they have Sushi, they had Chinese, seafood, and mongolian... all you could eat..... hmm....burb....

Eureka is the principal port between San Francisco and Portland so the seafood was fresh and good. Eureka has some beautiful Victorian Homes.

After dinner I was walking Coco and I asked a local fellow if there was a super Walmart in Eureka. He proudly told me there is "NO Walmart anywhere in Humboldt County, we keep them out!".
I asked him "So you have plenty of marijuana in Homboldt County but no Walmarts?" He said, that right, plenty of marijuana, but not one Walmart!
It is a interesting breed of person who lives in the Eureka area.

I did see a sign for an Indian Casino in Loleta, just south of Eureka, so that is where we ended up spending the night. We played a little, and then settled in for a good night sleep.

We are looking forward to a whole day of being in the Redwoods tomorrow.

7 Feathers

2008-11-29T20:18:00.001-08:00

We left Salem Wednesday morning and drove to 7 feathers RV Resort in Canyonville, Oregon. It is a beautiful RV park connected to the 7 feathers Indian Casino. It is located in a beautiful little valley with “postcard quality” mountain views in every direction.

Caren loved walking Coco all around the perimeters of the resort. She also loved that the park had cable TV hookups with 15 clear channels. Caren says TV “quiets the “voices” in her head. I played poker in the Casino while Caren was “quieting” the voices in the RV.

Our site was located right next to the entrance to the indoor spa and pool area. So I was there afternoon, night, and the next morning. It was a beautiful day at 7 feathers. (I even won a little at poker)… Life is good…..

17 Grandchildren (oh my)

2008-11-23T23:22:00.000-08:00

The next day was our final day in Salem at Ed & Lindy's home. We got to see 14 of their 17 grandchildren that day. And the Sun finally began to come through the fog. We will get up in the morning and start driving south toward California

Family Party......

2008-11-23T19:16:00.001-08:00

We drove to Portland to look around and later meet Ed & Lindy and their ten children and spouses for dinner at the Macaroni Grill in Portland. Patti and Tracy brought Caren’s dad to a Doctor’s appointment and then had his rest in our RV before dinner.

Coco who is being trained as a “Therapy Dog” kept hugging him, and kissing him. Bill laughed like a little child, and made funny noises as Coco played with him.

Later when we all got seated at the Macaroni Grill we took up two huge tables. Quite a family Ed & Lindy have.

The rest of this day’s entry is just going to be some pictures of the event and hopefully the right names with the right pictures……

A gray day in Oregon...

2008-11-23T18:47:00.001-08:00

With our head still full of the events that had happened earlier that morning we continued driving North on I5. We decided to keep on driving all the way up Oregon to spend the night in front of Caren’s dad’s home in North-East Salem.

Bill is in his mid eighties and has alzhiemers disorder. He is still is good physical shape, but unable to to care for himself.

Patti, Caren’s younger sister, and her husband Tracy, live there full-time to render 24/7 care to him. They do a great job taking care of him and his home.

That evening we all stayed up too late laughing and talking with them. Finally, we went out to the RV well past midnight.

The next day Caren, and her three sisters, went out together for lunch and a day of shopping.I took the RV for fuel and LPG and then pulled into a Pet Smart parking lot for most of the afternoon to read, use the computer, and take a nap. Caren was going to call me when the ladies inish up their day.

Mid-afternoon a cold dense fog settled over Salem and continued for almost 48 hours.Wow, was the weather depressing. I felt like I was trapped in a “half-life” game and the sun had been destroyed. They told me it is like that a lot in the winter in Oregon.I don’t think I could make it one winter in weather like that. They are a strong lot to be able to endure that kind of weather, that I find so depressing.

That evening we parked the RV by the side of Ed & Lindy’s (Caren’s eldest sister) home in central Salem. There we were able to plug into electricity. (That was a good thing because my solar collectors on the RV roof weren’t charging our batteries.)

We visited with Ed & Lindy that evening and went to bed pretty early after watching a video they let us borrow. We awoke the next morning to another gray day in Oregon.

Ambushed by God at Wal-Mart?

2008-11-22T20:51:00.000-08:00

When we pulled into the Wal-Mart last night in Grants Pass we had not planned on spending the night. We were only 40 miles from our destination for the day, Canyonville RV park and a nice poker game at 7 Feathers Casino was my intended destination. I couldn’t play the night before because of the glass repair and our detour, so I did want to play tonight. It was still early, and neither of us felt tired yet. We were just going to eat dinner and then go on.

However, when we pulled into the Wal-Mart I said to Caren “I think we should stay here tonight”.

She encouraged me to drive on, but I found myself saying “no, I think we are supposed to stay here tonight…. Caren looked at me kind of strange and said “whatever”… I realized my insistence was too forceful for what she had just suggested as our orignal plan.

I saw about 4 other RV’s in the lot, one of them looked safe to me and I pulled up just behind them for our night stay.

The next morning I took Coco out for her morning walk. Caren usually does it, but she asked me to this morning. As I passed the RV that was parked in front of us, the side door flew open and I heard two ladies calling out in unison… “Dave, Dave Dillman, Dave Dillman…..

One of the ladies was Darlene a counselor I supervised in the L.A. area 16 years ago.

The other was Deanne another person who worked with us back then. Darlene had begun, even back then, specializing in treating people who had been SRA survivors and people who had multiple personality disorder.

It was, and continues to be a very controversial ministry and a “field” that is very difficult to work in. We arranged to meet them in a few minutes at breakfast at Shari’s restaurant to catch up on the last 16 years.

They both have been involved in “deliverance” ministries and prophetic ministries and were convinced that this meeting was orchestrated by God and had a divine purpose.

After I heard them talk and what they had to say to us, and furthermore upon reflecting on all the things that had to happen “just right” for this meeting to take place I more then agree that this encounter “transcends probability”.

(My window had to blow out, changing our route, I had to have a strong sense to stay there, I “focused” on their RV as one “safe” to be by, I had to walk coco that morning,… they had to have just fixed their broken shade by their kitchen table the day before or would not have seen me walk by….they stopped 5 minutes before their destination because they “believed” they had to stay there for the night…… this list can go on and on but I believe I have made my point…….

As Caren and I drove north away from this meeting our heads were spinning and we were discussing what we had heard and whether these things be true or not.

We pulled over at the side of the road about an hour later to conference call with a person we trust, who also has much experience in these arenas, Gary Goodell after telling him this little story and what we were told he laughed and said Congratulations, you have been ambushed by God.....

If you are willing to follow us further down this "rabbit hole" or matrix or whatever it is... keep reading... I will try to tell you further about it as we understand it....

In the shadow of Mount Shasta...

2008-11-14T23:35:00.000-08:00

The Glass Shop in Corning called and woke us at the Heritage RV park in Corning, Ca about 8 a.m. this morning to tell us our glass window was in. After the repair of the window, we started back north on I5 past Red Bluff where our window exploded. (see last blog entry) to Cottonwood. It was Cottonwood, where our friend Gary Goodell pastored his first church. While I was filling with gas I called Gary and checked on how he was doing since his last heart attack.

He said he felt good, but weak, and was doing a lot of things a little slower.

We stopped for awhile in Redding, while I tried my luck at the poker tables at an Indian Casino. Caren stayed out in the RV just to relax. However, between my bad cards today, and the major construction that was going on near the RV, we decided to keep moving on down the road after less then an hour in Redding.

North of Redding and all the way to the Oregon border the horizon is dominated by the presence of Mount Shasta.

No wonder the Indians considered it “sacred”. It seems to just watch over the land for a couple of hundred miles in every direction.

Since we were in no particular hurry we decided to get off the freeway and drive through every little town from Redding to the border. We visited Shasta Lake, Dunsmuir, Mount Shasta City, Weed, Edgewood, Grenada and Yreka.

One of the nice things about RV travel is you don’t have to wait for a town to have dinner. We pulled into a beautiful rest stop with a view of Mount Shasta. Then I opened a can of soup, added left-over chicken and vegetables that were in the RV frig. Carried it out to a nice picnic table under some large pine trees and “Voila”, a nice inexpensive meal, in a beautiful setting, for less then $2 and no tipping!

A while later as the sun began to hide behind the mountains to the west, we pulled into Medford, Oregon and stopped at a Win-Co supermarket to load up for the next couple of days of food supplies.
Our original plan was to make it to a new Casino in Canyonville, Oregon for the night, but when we stopped in Grants Pass, to take a little break, Caren saw a number of other RV’ers spending the night at the Super-Walmart. So we pulled in, shut the curtains and crawled into bed together and watched a DVD until it was time to go to sleep on a cold night with a full moon high overhead

Life is fragile like glass

2008-11-14T09:32:00.000-08:00

Life is fragile like glass, enjoy the view while you can.

I always took my RV driver door window for granted. I viewed much of the United States through it. I saw much of the great beauty of our country through it. I have seen poverty and lack through it. My window would go down at the flick of a button to give me fresh air, or up to keep out the rain or cold.

Yesterday that all changed. I was driving down a main street in a picturesque little town and my driver door window spontaneously exploded into a million little pieces. (Yep, it happens more then you think, check the Internet.)

So this morning instead of waking up at a Casino after an enjoyable evening playing poker I am sitting in a back alley in a little town while two guys are installing a new window in my RV door.

Life is fragile. I was reminded of how fast things change and there is no way you see the change or loss coming.

A few months ago, my little best friend, who never leaves my side darted into a quiet residential street at the exact moment someone was driving like he was at the Indy 500. My little friend was gone in an instant.

We moved from San Diego last Sunday and on the way driving to Sacramento my best friend Gary, who we had just hugged and left in San Diego had his second heart attack before we even finished our 10 hour trip. (Thank God he is ok and still with us.)

And yesterday while driving slowly through a little town on sunny beautiful day my window just explodes. It changed our trip, it changed our life, not greatly but another event could and might.

I am planning on enjoying my new window and being grateful for everything I can see through it whether I like the view or not.

I guess life is little bit like that. It is always present for us, I take it for granted. I forget it allows me to see things I like and some I don’t. But, like my window today, I am going to enjoy the view today regardless of what I see through it.

You never know when it may just explode and be gone.

I left my son in San Francisco...

2008-11-13T22:23:00.000-08:00

We spent our first week in Sacramento. We are living with our daughter and son-in-law while we decide, where in Sacramento we want to live? Carrie is having some serious health issues and needs an operation in the next few weeks.
Caren has been a great nurse to her as Carrie has been “bedridden” for the past few weeks and is experiencing some major pains and discomforts.

Our son Jonathan took the train up Friday and spent the evening on the couch. Saturday morning we took him and went for a visit to San Francisco. San Francisco is one of our favorite cities in the world.

I don’t think we would enjoy living there, but we sure enjoy visiting it. We went to China Town and then spent the afternoon at Japan Town. We planned on eating at Benihanna’s but they didn’t open until 3 p.m. so we had an hour to visit the shops before dinner.

After dinner Jonathan had always wanted to see Haight & Ashbury Streets where the hippie movement of the 60’s began so we drove over there. There were still some old hippies there but most of the newer ones wear designer clothes…lol

Then it was on to the tourist stops of “driving down Lombard Street”, visiting Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf and the Embarcadero. Then it was just a short drive across the Bay Bridge to Emeryville where Jonathan boarded the train to head back to San Jose, where he lives.

Then the drive back to Sacramento for Caren and I, appreciating that we have great kids, who enjoy being with us, and we can be with them more now that we are living closer.

Leaving and breaking hearts...

2008-11-13T20:08:00.000-08:00

Caren and I flew back to San Diego for a final week to pack up the house. I had flown before with CoCo who is being trained as a therapy dog. I had no problems boarding and flying with her. This time I was hassled by a baggage checker and then onboard after we were seated and getting ready for the door to be shut for takeoff.

Finally, we took off and arrived in San Diego an hour and a half later.

Leaving San Diego is hard, but we are looking forward to being close to our children.

We are growing to appreciate all that Sacramento has to offer. I didn't know until we arrived there it is nicknamed "City of the Trees". Fall is certainly a beautiful time in Sacramento with all the leaves turning many shades of fall colors.

One of the things I appreciate about Sacramento is we are only an hour drive away from many great camping spots to enjoy in our RV.

Finally, it was time to leave San Diego for good. We packed up a u-haul truck. We had planned on towing Caren's car, but at the last moment I decided to make one more trip back and drive her car up on another trip. I will tell you why later, but it had some financial benefit for us to do it that way.

After 10 hours of driving we were less then an hour from our destination, when we got a phone call that my best friend Gary had a heart attack! We had just hugged him goodbye, when we drove away from San Diego a few hours ago in the rental truck!

We almost turned around and drove the entire way back, but Janie his wife assurred us we was fine, resting comfortably in the hospital and would be ok.

It turns out he got out two days later, it was his second heart attack and he has suffered no permanent damage to his heart. I flew down a few days later to see him, and bring Caren's car up, and he picked me up at the airport!

When I saw Janie that night she said humorously... your leaving San Diego broke Gary's heart! It was good to be able to laugh with them.

Red Bluff and Exploding Windows

2008-11-13T20:04:00.001-08:00

Today we were on a trip toward Oregon in our RV.

We had left Sacramento mid-afternoon driving up Highway 99. We planned on stopping in Red Bluff to buy some groceries and then spend the night at a casino in Redding.

In the middle of downtown Red Bluff, while I was looking for a grocery store, driving about 30 miles an hour on the main street of town, my driver side window exploded all over me.

For a moment, I thought we had been crashed into on my driver side, but I realized my mirror was ok and the driver-side window, which had been rolled up, was in a million little pieces all over me!

Fortunately, it was “safety glass” and there were no jagged slivers. I immediately pulled over and checked myself and then checked in with Caren and Coco, who were on the passenger side. Beside, being “shook up” we were all ok.

I stopped at an auto parts store and asked where I could get this fixed and was referred to an auto glass shop on the next block. They were closing for the day and were going away tomorrow and referred me to a place in Corning, California which was 20 miles out of the way, but we headed there anyway to spend the night after making sure the glass repair shop would be able to repair it in the morning.

We checked into Heritage Park RV park in Corning about a mile from the glass repair shop.

I searched the web and found out this has happened to others.

For no apparent reason a window can just explode. Who would have thought?

The Grapes of Wrath "2008 style"

2008-10-22T12:11:00.001-07:00

Visiting Scott's memorial yesterday still has me thinking about "life issue" thoughts. When we travel in the RV it is always an easy time to shift your thoughts and see life from other's perspectives. We see million dollar RV's "sail" past us on the highways. We see people who have unbelievable wealth and estates. We also see people living in hovels, old trailers near trash heaps and the homeless.

(click on the cartoon to be able to read it, then use your browser back arrow to return to the blog)

Our nation seems to have gone to the "temples of greed" and materialism and "worshipped" with all their heart, souls and minds and the "god's of these three have not served our country well. This little cartoon says a lot to me about out national "belief system" today.

Are you better off today then 8 years ago is a question the politicians like to throw to us. They know our values, and our pursuits seem to be nearly unamimously focused toward the material. And our answers serve to "blind us"to the better questions that we should ask ourselves.

Am I a better dad, husband, citizen, human being then I was 8 years ago? When I leave this planet with hindsight I will with greater clarity see what every visitor to a graveyard or mermorial park realizes are the true measure of greatness that last forever. How much of my energy, motivation, time and resources did I invest in my family, my loved ones, my friends, my neighbors and even in loving my enemies? Radical ideas, nah, about 2,000 years old. Politics and religion have only confused us regarding them. Some seem to pacify themselves that their religious beliefs exempt them from those questions. Some non-religious think their working for "issues" exempt them from those questions. Answering those questions with our choices is the only way they get answered.

Life is a journey....which way are you going?

Hopland to Sacramento part 2

2008-10-21T22:08:00.000-07:00

After leaving the Santa Rosa area we drove through the wine country of Sonoma County and Napa County. It was very beautiful and we stopped for lunch at a winery just outside of Napa.

Then it was time to end this portion of our trip and head back to Sacramento to help Carrie recover and get ready to fly to San Diego this Friday to spend the weekend with our friends.

From Hopland to Sacramento...

2008-10-21T21:46:00.001-07:00

We left Hopland mid-morning, and drove down memory lane, past the hospital where Jonathan was born, and past the house we used to live in, and past the pre-school and land, we use to own outside of Petaluma.

Caren's youngest brother, Scott or "scotty" as we called him, came and lived with us to rehab and get off of drugs during a dark period of his life. A few years later, he married and had a son and still lived in the Petaluma, Santa Rosa area, when he died of a sudden heart attack.

Caren and her sister Patti flew in and planned and provided a funeral that honored Scott. He was a "much loved" person and he was a great dad to his son scotty.

Caren wasn't able to wait to see the marker for him, that was placed a couple of weeks, after his funeral, so this was her opportunity to see it.

Just a few months after Scott's funeral his 30 year old "stepdaughter" was killed in a tragic auto accident and his wife had a plaque placed next to his to honor her.

Life is precious.

Caren and I have often said to each other "let's live this day as if it was our last together".......

Redwood's day part 3

2008-10-21T21:24:00.000-07:00

I wish the day would have never ended. We walked and drove slowly through the Redwoods until we needed to turn back to make it to our campsite by dark.

That night we drove south to Redwood Valley and had dinner with Caren's brother Garry and his wife Randy, and their two children, Gabe, and Jeanae'. We really enjoyed seeing them and reminding their children that they wouldn't even exist if it wasn't for us. They had heard the story many times how we brought their mom and dad together. We had lived in this area 25 years ago and Garry moved up from L.A. to be close to us. It was a great dinner, at a great steakhouse and Coco enjoyed the leftovers afterward. Then we drove a little bit more to spend the night in Hopland, Ca.

Dog heaven....

2008-10-21T21:03:00.000-07:00

Ok, I found a tree to pee on, but how do I get down?

The center marker indicates this tree began growing about 1300 years ago. That is a lot of time in "dog years".....

Going north to go south.....huh?

2008-10-21T20:50:00.001-07:00

Our plan today is to drive 50 miles north and then turn around and drive those same 50 miles south. Oh, and by the way we will attempt to drive it as slowly as possible. Sound crazy? Not if you are planning on driving the Avenue of the Giants, one of the most scenic roads in the world.

About 30 miles into our northward trek we pulled over, parked the RV behind a log that was twice as big as the RV and then we walked into the magical forest that is a Redwood Grove. John Muir referred to a Redwood Grove as “God’s Catherdal”.

It was a wonderful walk, all three of us enjoyed it. It was a "sensory banquet" of sights, sounds, and smells that haven't changed in centuries.

High expectations, low fulfillment.....

2008-10-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

Our plan for today was to drive from Lake Country to Leggett, California. Leggett begins a stretch of Costal Redwoods, that extend for 50 miles from Leggett to Fortuna. Then they begin again north of Eureka, and extend to the Oregon border.

We had reservations at the Redwood River Resort RV Resort north of Leggett. It is an affiliate park to my membership campground program. We purchased a membership in 2002, and I still had some credit left in that program, so our stay here would cost us nothing.

According to my campground book, it was a great place with TV cable hookups, hot tubs, and pools and a clubhouse with amenities. That wasn’t exactly what we got, but I will tell you about that a little later.

Our first stop for the day was at Lake Mendocino. We noticed the lake was very, very, low. When we lived near there, many enjoyable summer days were spent at the lake. So for old time’s sake, we let Coco run, as we walked near the lake edge.

Then 20 miles north, we stopped again, in Willits, and filled the gas tank, and did our grocery shopping at Safeway. Willits is a cute little town, and we were ready to make lunch, but I remembered there was a beautiful rest stop about 10 miles north of Willits.

So, we drove the ten additional miles before we stopped for lunch. They had a lovely pet walking area, so Caren and Coco walked through a little redwood grove, while I put away the groceries and made our lunch.

Then the final 30 miles was through beautiful pine forests and some oak, madrone, and Redwood trees.

We pulled into the Redwood River Resort and found out because it was off-season, the clubhouse was closed, no pool, no spa, and worst of all, for Caren, they didn’t have any cable TV hookups. I was able to get Internet connectivity occasionally with my Verizon Card, but it was very slow and not too reliable. It dropped off the Internet about every 10-15 minutes. We did have good cell phone reception, so Caren was able to talk to her family and Carrie as much as she wanted.

The campground was in a Redwood grove, but it was pretty run down, with some old trailers, some long-term module homes, and the bathrooms were under construction and didn’t look so great from the outside. They did have a lot of hot water, and I appreciated taking a long, long, hot shower, while Caren took hers in the RV.

After setting up and hooking up the RV, we took a fairly strenuous hike down a very steep path to the Eel River. They call it the “huff and puff” trail, because by the time you climb back up you are doing that a lot.

We thought Coco would be safe to let "off leash" because there was a steep bank on one side and the river on the other. She ran right into the river! It is a good thing she chose a shallow spot or the current would have taken her down stream. Back on the leash for the duration of this trip.

Dinner was early since there isn’t much else to do here. We are planning on watching a movie and getting a good night sleep, so we can head out fairly early in the morning.

Tomorrow, we are going to start driving north, and then turn around and drive south. I will explain that in the next blog.

Our dog has eaten out more then us....

2008-10-20T23:46:00.000-07:00

We have only eaten out only 3 times on this trip in almost as many weeks. It was twice at buffets in Las Vegas, and once yesterday at the Cache Creek Indian Casino, north of Woodland, California. The Cache Creek Casino was beautiful and an excellent buffet. We really enjoyed it.

Then we traveled up State Route 16 to intersect with Hwy 20 on our way to Lake Country. It was a very winding, and very beautiful route. We followed the edge of Clearlake, (the largest lake in California) to its north shore.

We stopped for a nap in a school parking lot under the shade of a big tree on a warm Saturday afternoon.

Then we spent the night at Robinson Rancheria on the North Shore of Clearlake. We joined their “players club” for free, and got $20 in free slot play that Caren used on the penny slot machines.

I waited for awhile for a poker seat to open, but when she was done, we went out to the RV together and I made dinner.

The only TV station reception we had was one station, Trinity Broadcasting Network. They were showing a Bill Gaither Concert of which we have the DVD in the RV… lol, so we turned off the TV and put on a movie….. "The 13th Floor" was a very enjoyable movie.

Then we had a sound night sleep under the watchful eye of casino security.

The next morning I went in and used the restrooms, had a free cup of coffee and then we were back on the road again.

This time toward the Redwoods.

Guess who is coming to dinner....

2008-10-17T21:17:00.000-07:00

Carrie our daughter had her minor surgery today, it went well. She may need another one, but this one went the way it was supposed to. Thanks to all of you who said a prayer for her.

Her mommy took care of her, along with her very supportive husband, while I was the official “dog sitter” and cook. I made hot dogs and biscuits for dinner along with hot cinnamon rolls. There should be a joke somewhere there, but I can’t seem to find it.

So tomorrow, Caren and I are taking off in the RV for Clearlake, the wine country, and the redwoods. I will update you from there.

This Wednesday night, we did have one event I forgot to tell you about. We went to dinner at Phil and Donna Jones home in Folsom. They are such great people. We have had mutual close friends for the past 30 years, but only in the last year have we gotten to know them.

We arrived at their beautiful home at 6 p.m. and were warmly greeted by them. After showing us around their home, they made a quick phone call. They wanted to show off their 4 grand children, that live just 7 houses down the block. Their 27 year old daughter, and son-in-law and 4 grand children came down and warmly greeted us and played with for awhile. What a great family.

Then we had a fantastic, old-fashioned home-made pot roast dinner, with the best gravy I have tasted in awhile. Then the finale to that fantastic meal, was the best pecan pie, I have ever tasted. They even sent three pieces home with us.

Over the next two days, I kept trying to save one of the pieces for Dave or Carrie and the pieces of pecan pie just kept disappearing. (I think our house must have been broken into, and the robbers took them. I can’t believe I ate all three pieces over the next two days.)

The weather has been warm and sunny and we are beginning to appreciate many areas of Sacramento we are visiting and learning about.

Next, on to the Redwoods…….

Three dog week....

2008-10-17T11:45:00.001-07:00

It’s been a 3 dog week.

Monday, we left Marysville, after a night in the Super-WalMart, parked less then 55 feet from the busiest freight train tracks connecting Northern and Southern California. I never knew so much still moved by rail. The ground shook, the train whistles howled, and the clacky-clack of the tracks almost drowned out my snoring.

Coco, and I were out walking, when the first one came by, and she tucked her tail, and wanted to run back to the RV. If I had a tail I would have done the same.

After her 3rd one, when she heard the train wail, she would run to the window to watch it go by. Traveling is even educational for dogs.

We arrived Monday afternoon at our daughter Carrie’s and son-in-law David’s home in the Foothills Farms section of Sacramento, got some laundry done, greeted their two dogs, Gracie & Mercy and enjoyed sitting in their backyard in the warm sun while Coco ran with his “cousins”.

David and I went out for Mongolian BBQ that evening, while Caren and Carrie hung out together.

Later, after visiting late into the evening, Caren and I went to sleep in the RV in front of their house. They have a guest room, and we will be staying here, when we move up. But, if you have read this blog for the last two weeks, you know, Caren prefers sleeping in the RV, then almost more then anywhere.

The next morning after eating all that Mongolian BBQ, she told me the smell was eeking out of my pores. She said, it felt like she had slept with Genghis Khan. I said great, tomorrow I will have Italian, and we can play Marco Polo. (lol) Marco.......

We were only planning on staying till Wednesday night, and then meeting our Son, Jonathan in San Francisco, but a complication came up for Carrie.

She has been having a health issue, that might have to go to surgery, and the pain had been increasing over the past couple of weeks. She stayed home from work Tuesday in obvious pain, and Wednesday came home in such pain, she scheduled an emergency Dr. appointment for Thursday, and then a minor surgery was scheduled for Friday.

We cancelled our time with Jonathan for Thursday, and decided to stay around and help her through the procedure.

Caren, is a great mommy and Carrie needed her, and Caren needed to be her mommy, at this time. So here I sit as the official three dog sitter. I knew I would discover my purpose in life eventually.

My heart is already in San Francisco, but my body is in Sacramento.

I will post some pictures later, my camera batteries are dead and I have to go out and get some batteries.

Slow down and enjoy God's creation.

2008-10-13T23:08:00.000-07:00

Slow down and enjoy God's creation is a bumper sticker on the back of our RV as well as part of our committment for this trip.

We left Quincy on Sunday and spent the day driving slowly down the Feather River on State Route 70 from Quincy to Oroville. One of the most beautiful drives in the country.

We ended up the day in Marysville. Tomorrow, we get to see Carrie and Dave in Sacramento

North by Northwest

2008-10-13T13:43:00.000-07:00

We left Reno about noon with no particular destination in mind. We knew we were going to end up somewhere up in the high sierra range, but where? That would be determined later. We drove up US395 to Susanville my only slight regret of the trip.

I somehow confused in my mind Susanville with Placerville. Even though I had been to Placerville I wanted to see Susanville because our friends Terry & Gayle had a brother who past who lived there. (Silly me... it was Placerville not Susanville.)

Oh, well, I am actually glad I saw Susanville. I now know what it is like, and I don't think I will have a need to return that way.

We spent the night at an RV park in Quincy after a beautiful day sightseeing in the mountains.

A cold day in hell.

2008-10-13T10:10:00.001-07:00

There is an old joke that says “Reno is so close to hell you can see Sparks”. Well, Sparks, Nevada is where we chose to spend the night after a day in Carson City.

I read on the web yesterday that the Reno police were enforcing an old law that you couldn’t sleep in your vehicle and applying it to RV’ers in casino parking lots. Apparently, this was at the urging of some local RV parks who pressured them.

The article went on to say how some Casinos in neighboring Sparks were welcoming us, so we headed for the Nugget to spend the night. I went in and played some poker for a few hours and then we went to sleep, after remarking on how cold it was getting.

When we woke up in the morning it was truly a “cold day in hell”. Actually it was quite beautiful to see big fluffy snowflakes falling out of the sky. CoCo has never been in snow and wasn’t quite sure about it, but went for a walk with me anyway.

Because the storm was coming from the north and that was the direction we were going we decided to spend the day and night in Reno. We planned on leaving the next day.

The Sands Regency Casino in Reno is where Caren and her sisters would meet for years.

Caren would fly up from San Diego. Her three sisters would fly in from Oregon and they would have a lot of fun. So we went to the Sands for the day, for "old time sakes".

Caren actually remembered her and her sister's favorite slot machine. But alas, without the sisters, it wasn't quite as much fun or profitable for her.

While I was playing a little poker I talked to security about that recent action that has RV'ers so upset. They told me no problem spend the night in their back secure lot. "We would love to have you stay". So we spent the night in Reno, waiting out the storm, and are excited to get back on the road tomorrow to see the gold country of the high sierras.

Here is a little preview.

Beautiful Rest Stops

2008-10-12T21:41:00.000-07:00

One of the nicest things about RV traveling is you can pick a beautiful spot just for lunch.

One of my favorite highway rest stops is on US395 about 30 miles north of Bishop. We stopped for lunch and a walk in the woods.

Then on the road again….we were going to drive through Mammoth Lakes, but we chose June Lake instead. What a great drive taking the June lake loop road. The fall colors were beautiful as well as the lake.We stopped a few more times before we made it to Carson City in the late afternoon where we were planning on spending the night.

At a shopping center on the south side of Carson City I walked with Coco past a Massage Envy grand opening. The Carson City Chamber of Commerce was having a ribbon cutting ceremony and Coco got involved by greeting everybody in her friendly way. I enjoyed talking to the owners about their new business venture. Then I told them about Caren's little mishap the day before and they offered me their grand opening special of $39 for a one hour massage for Caren and they even had an employee stay overtime to give it to her. It really seemed to help Caren and she was able to come out from the massage table and crawl right into bed for the night.

I drove into the center of Carson City and we spent the night in the Nugget Casino parking lot after I played a few hours of poker.

There is a big storm coming in from the north, (the direction we are heading) and even though we are at 5,000 feet we are planning on going even higher in elevation so we may spend the day and night in Reno tomorrow to let the storm pass.

I have fallen and I can't get up....

2008-10-12T20:46:00.000-07:00

Finally we are leaving Las Vegas.

We traveled north on US95, one of the most isolated roads in the United States. We stopped after about 2 hours of driving at a gas station market that was painted completely pink.

Then we realized it was a combination gas station, market, and brothel. (All I got there was a cup of coffee….) and we were back on the road again. I used google maps to tell me the shortest way from Vegas to Bishop, California and it did. What it didn’t tell me was some of the roads were barely passable, and had hairpin turns with 9% grades up and down. I think we passed 3 cars going in the opposite direction in the 140 miles of nothingness between US95 in Nevada and US395 in California.

Finally we reached Bishop in the late afternoon.

We found a nice little park that Caren was going to walk Coco in while I researched the Internet to locate a camping site for us in a National Forest near Bishop.

She called me in about 30 minutes to see if I had located one. As we were talking I heard her yell oh no, coco, coco, then I heard a bang and I could hear voices in the background saying are you alright, are you ok?

I kept calling into the phone, Caren, Caren !!!… what a helpless feeling, I didn’t know where she was, nor what had happened. Finally, the phone went dead.

I dialed her back and it went to the machine 2 or 3 times, finally Caren answered telling me she had tripped and fallen. An off-duty sheriff helped her, and then he ran to get me to bring the RV. He suspected Caren had broken at least one of her knees from the way she fell onto the concrete. He directed my RV to where Caren was still laying on the ground, and the deputy’s little daughter was holding Coco. He and I carefully helped Caren to her feet. Her knee was bruised and bloody, but fortunately nothing was broken.

He told me where the Hospital was in town and we considered going there, but Caren said she would be ok and just wanted to get into the RV.

We cleaned up her knee, and realized she was very, very fortunate not to have done some real damage.

We ended up staying in town at a little Indian Casino Campground, and with a little pain medicine she slept well. She awoke the next morning, sore in her neck and back, from the fall trauma, but her knees were ok, except for a little abrasion.

Then back on the road again north toward Mammoth Lakes

P.S. Later Caren told me the reason she couldn’t answer my frantic phone calls to her, is because she had fallen on top of the phone and couldn’t get up.

What plays in Vegas......

2008-10-12T12:16:00.001-07:00

We learned a lesson about what plays in Vegas, better stay in Vegas. But, I will tell you that story at the end of today’s recount.

We awoke in the parking lot of the Gold Coast Casino in our RV, after turning down a free night at one of the best suite’s at the Rio last night. (For an illogical explanation read the previous blog.)

I went in and played about 5 hours of poker while we waited for Ed & Lindy to join us for a late lunch buffet. After an enjoyable buffet, and sometimes, choking, hysterical laughter about old times in the family we finished dining. (Ed and I have been married into Caren’s family for almost 75 combined years.) (There were a lot of things to laugh about.)

I said goodbye to Ed at the Blackjack tables, where he was luckier, then you are ever supposed to be. I was very happy for him.

I spent a few hours in the RV, taking a nap, and getting the RV ready for our next leg of the trip, reading and spending time on-line. It is so much easier now, to get on the Internet, thanks to our wireless connection almost anywhere. During our “year long” trip 6 years ago, it seemed I was constantly looking for Kinko’s, libraries or RV parks that had a modem connection.

About 5 p.m. we rolled north off the Las Vegas strip with plans of driving about 20 miles to the Northwest edge of the Las Vegas suburbs to spend the night at a Super Wal-Mart.

On the way we came across a shopping center that had a PetCo, Borders Book Store, Old Navy etc., so we stopped for a few hours while Caren visited stores. Later we me up at the Borders Bookstore.

It was there I discovered I had a black chip in my pocket from the Gold Coast Casino.

In case you don’t know, even children in Vegas learn their primary colors by casino chips. Red is a $5 chip, Green is $25 and black is a $100. There are more colors but those are the only ones I have ever had my hands on.

In Vegas just like money, chips are stolen, and counterfeited by criminals, so today casinos are reluctant to accept other casinos chips. There are all kind of ways casinos fight back, even to the extreme of having some casino chips with little computer chips inside. They can then scan for the real ones.

Anyway, I didn’t want to drive the 20 miles back to cash it at the Gold Coast. (When you drive an RV you think in terms of every 8 miles is a gallon of gas, so I always hate to double back for any reason.)

Because, I know the Gold Coast is one of several casinos owned by the same company I wanted to locate one close to us, on our way out of town. I went on-line and found out the SunCoast Casino was only going to be about 3 miles out of the way, so we headed there.

I dropped Caren off at the front door to run in and cash it at the main cashier area. (Or the “cage” as casino workers call it)

She called me on her cell phone, while I was waiting in the RV, and said they wouldn’t take it.

I had to go in and work through 3 levels of management to get them to accept their own chip, because it was on a computer list distributed to all casinos, not to accept black chips from the Gold Coast, even though it was their own Casino.

Finally, after threatening to post this story on every poker blog on the Internet, and promising to produce at least one hundred times the hundred dollars in “bad will” about the SunCoast on-line, I received reluctant approval.

Even after approval from the very top pit boss, I had to go through the routine of playing it at a blackjack table where I had to cash it for SunCoast red chips. Then, I had to play a couple of hands. Then, I could take their SunCoast red chips to the cage to cash them in.

In a turn of kismet I not only won both hands, but one of them was a blackjack, so I got $25 extra for my hassle of cashing in their black chip.

Old timers speak fondly of the “good old days” in Vegas when the mob ran it. People were treated humanely, (unless you got out of line) There was no crime on the streets, honor and respect were important commodities. Today with the “real criminals” of large corporations running Las Vegas street crime, homelessness, slums, and disrespect of both customers and employees is at an all time low.

After hunkering down finally for the night at the edge of the desert, in a Super Wal-Mart parking lot ready to get out of Vegas for good I undressed for bed. While emptying my pockets I found a green chip from the Coast Casino. We laughed and went to bed.

How suite it is....

2008-10-11T22:07:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning Oct 5th, we are scheduled to attend a timeshare presentation for the Pahrump Winery and RV Resort, a part of the Western Horizon RV resorts. We were scheduled for 9 a.m. but I am not usually awake that time of the morning, so we got there at 9:30 a.m.

It was a hysterical event. I always answer honestly every question asked, but because our lifestyle is not very average these high pressure presentations designed for the average fulltime employee just make no sense for us.

Here are a few of the questions and answers at our timeshare presentation.

So you are interested in learning more about becoming a member of our resorts? No, actually we here for the free promotional things you offered.

On an average how much do you spend annually on your vacations in a year? Not counting groceries and gas about $500

What kind of RV resorts or hotels do you usually stay in when you travel? We usually stay in Wal-mart or Casino Parking lots. Sometimes, we get free suites because of my poker playing, but Caren would rather stay in the RV, then a hotel room.

Then when he heard we had stayed at Slab City, he realized we were not going to buy his $12,000 camping membership.

We got our free gifts and headed for Vegas to meet two of Caren’s sister and their husbands.

What were our free gifts? Beside the 5 day, 4 night stay at the resort we received a $25 gift certificate and a case of wine from their private stock at Pahrump Winery. Life is good.

We met up with Lindy and Ed, and three of their girls, at the Gold Coast Casino. We ate at the dinner buffet together and then Patti and Tracy joined us for a little fun at the slot machines.

Sure enough I had a reservation for a free room at the Rio Suites, (regular rate $300) and we ended up walking up to the desk and canceling it so we could sleep in the RV in the parking lot, because Caren preferred her own bed and the RV more then one of the nicest suites in Vegas.

Shotgun Wedding in Vegas

2008-10-10T19:18:00.001-07:00

Ok, to be honest there was no shotgun. My nephew Brandon loved Richelle, very much, and would have married her with or without gunplay involved. Now, Richelle does work for the F.B.I. in Vegas, so I can assure you that some of the guests were “packing”. But, we all made it through the wedding, and the reception, with no one getting shot or even getting arrested. And knowing my in-laws there were probably odds listed in Vegas of either event occurring before the event was through. But, I am getting ahead of myself.

Caren and I got up Saturday morning in beautiful downtown Pahrump and left for Vegas. Of course, not without an emergency stop at the Super Wal-Mart, to buy the hair dryer that was left back at the house in San Diego.

With dry and curly hair we, (I mean Caren has the hair) proceeded through the beautiful Red Rock Canyon area, on to Northwest Las Vegas, where the wedding was scheduled outdoors at a country club. Richelle’s family lives in Vegas, so they were there.

Brandon had us from San Diego and Cousin’s, Uncles, and Aunts from Oregon as well as his dad from Santa Monica and brother from Vegas

I was disappointed that the wedding official wasn’t an Elvis impersonator, but it turns out, he was a minister who was also a stand-up comedian, so the show went on. The guests laughed and the couple got hitched in a beautiful setting.

Then there was a reception for all, at the bride’s family home nearby. They are Armenian, so it was the closest thing to the movie “my big fat greek wedding”, I have ever been too. Actually, the family is great, we loved them, they are lovely people. And the food was wonderful, plenteous, and awesome.

I asked permission for Coco to attend with us, and the father of the bride said “of course, and that he didn’t trust anyone without a dog”. So Coco came and enjoyed the reception with us.

After a few hours, we were the last ones hanging around, and it looked like the hosts wanted people to go home now. But, hey, we’re family now! So, I didn’t think that applied to us. But, Caren assured me it did, so we hit the road back to Pahrump for our final night at the Pahrump Winery and RV resort.

The next log will be about our hysterical timeshare presentation at Pahrump Winery and RV Resort.

Another 6 months another Trip......

2008-10-09T13:42:00.000-07:00

Well six months have passed since my last post. I may comment on that "gap" later, but these next few posts will be for our friends that like to follow us on our trips.

October 1st, 2008
Wednesday, October 1st was the final day for Caren’s employment at Paradise Valley Hospital’s Behavioral Health program in Chula Vista. She went out to “happy hour“ with some co-worker’s after work, and then came home and cried. She had been there 6 years and knew she was ready to go, and try a new adventure, but leaving all her friends was still very hard.

We spent some time in the evening with our good friends Gary and Jane Goodell and then hugged each other and said something like w.t.f. are we doing… lol

Thursday at home was spent loading the RV for our three week vacation. We put much thought into the plan of what to take and what to leave. We would have hot desert weather and then cold Northern California mountain weather. And when we returned from Sacramento it would be by Plane, leaving our RV in Sacramento.

We left about 2:30 from San Diego, North on Interstate 15, and I suspected we would hit really bad traffic up around L.A. but somehow we hit a “miracle window” in the commute traffic and never had heavy traffic.

The nice thing about RV traveling with no schedule is wherever you are, there you are.

I had four areas of traffic I was concerned about and planned potential shopping mall time for Caren and serious RV nap time for me. Temecula came and went with no slow down. Corona was a breeze. The approach to I10 and highland was not a problem. No traffic appeared in the Victorville area. So, no mall, no nap for me. (grin)

By this time Caren was napping in the back and I was ready to fill up the gas tank near Barstow before we hit the desert. So we stopped, took a dinner break, filled up with gas, and turned on the TV, just in time to watch the VP debates.

After the debates we turned east across the desert to Baker, and then a left turn took us through Death Valley after sunset.

Another turn east to cross over some very dry mountains to Pahrump, where I had a 5 day certificate for a free RV stay at the Pahrump Winery and RV Resort.

Friday was a stress-detox day for Caren while I put in some serious hot tub and pool time for the day, with periodic walks in the desert with CoCo. Keeping our eyes open for rattlesnakes.

That evening was TV in the RV, and pasta and salad for dinner, under the dark skies and many stars above Pahrump, Nevada.

Tomorrow, on to Vegas to the Wedding of our nephew Brandon.

Almost a year to write 2 posts...

2008-04-01T15:21:00.000-07:00

If you count the amount of time it took me before I wrote the last post from the previous one, then when you factor in the amount of time it took me to write this one, it has taken almost a year to write two posts.

Before, anyone jumps to the spurious conclusion that it takes me a long time to actually write I have to confess that I spent maybe 20 minutes writing the last post. I plan on spending about 20-30 minutes to write this one. Wow, that is a lot of time between doing what I think is important for me to do. I could offer excuses, but the reality is, I need to just say more no's to less important things in my life and do what leaves a legacy. Writing does. Just do it......

More then a thought, even more then the misquoted memory of a friend you spoke something to, writing down your thoughts leaves clearer trails for those coming behind you. It also leaves more acurate tidbits from points in time, for you to refer back to, as reminders of where you have been, what was important to you back then, and how much the same or different both you and life are today.

I continue to play poker for a living. I have just gone beyond my third year of playing on a regular basis and if this were my only income I would be living much simpler then I am thanks to my wife's employment.

I am a winning player, but only slightly. I keep believing, something is going to click inside of me to result in world-clas great play. I still foster hope that an incredible run of good cards and luck will move me up to ladder much quicker then I am plodding along. I watch poker on TV, read everybook published, read blogs, and watch training videos from the three major producers.

But, alas on-line I am still playing 1-2 no-limit and in casino's I play 2-3 and sometimes "dip my toe" into a juicy 5-10 no-limit game.

This is what I want to do. My incredible wife of 36 years, loves me and supports me.

Life is good.

I think I have been at this about the same amount of time Brian Townsend has. We both started at the same place with the same committment of full-time every day and a committment to move to the top. He has made it. I am still here. Where in lies the difference in results?

I don't know yet. But, when I figure it out, you will be the first to know.

I intend to write more later, but back to the game........

Wow, 5 more months.....

2007-08-25T18:50:00.000-07:00

I have not posted for 5 months! If you were regularly reading me, you have probably given up by now. I don't think there were too many interested regular readers. If I am wrong, please let me know in the comments section. If I was right then I need to ask myself why?

I am asking myself a lot of tough questions these last 5 months. I have been on a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. I am still a winning player, but the wins are not a whole lot more then the losses, and the losses seem a little harder to take these last few weeks.

I need to "tear my game apart" put it back together again and examine it from many angles. Seems like a lot of hard work. The last few times I got "sucked out on" with the 5% river card that would beat me or the great folds I made, only to see my 5% card come I began thinking that poker was a lot more fun when I knew less about the game and played badly. I have got to interupt those kind of thoughts and get back in the "zone" again.

Two things I am going to begin afresh is keeping daily records and updating this blog more frequently.

So much for my 3/4 quarter lament and new resolutions. See you on the felt.

Location, Location, Location.....

2007-04-26T13:21:00.000-07:00

Here in Southern California when somebody asks how long it will take them to drive from point A to Point B they will often be asked in return “at what time of the day?”

That is because the more likely you drive at a time a lot of people will be on the road, the longer the trip will take.

And if you answer your travel is on a Friday evening, you will be cautioned to try changing the trip to another time.

There is an inverse correlation to trying to make money at poker. Whenever there are more people playing poker, the easier and more likely a good player will make money.

Friday evening is one of the best times to play. The rest of the weekend comes in a close second.

Because my wife Caren works a traditional M-F work week I usually play poker Friday nights close to home. She spends Friday evening recovering from the work week with some personal “downtime”.

Then we spend Saturday & Sunday together.

Late Sunday afternoon, as she gets begins to get ready to settle down and prepare for her next work week, “Pokey the Dog” and I often take the RV and head out for a 3-4 day poker road trip.

Sunday night is usually profitable, but Monday and Tuesday afternoons and evening are tough.

The tables are filled with “regulars” and the quality of play is better then the weekends. I have put in 14 hours already this Monday and Tuesday and I am “even” for the two days of play.

Sunday night was Sycuan Casino. Monday was Viejas. Tuesday is Barona. Wednesday we head for Harrah’s in Valley Center, (Northern San Diego country)

At the most, we will be only 60 miles from home. These 3-4 day road trips give me the ability to focus and play longer periods of poker. My only breaks are to walk "Pokey the dog", study poker books, write and sleep. I feel so blessed to be able to maintain this kind of lifestyle.

Between the little bit of food comps the poker rooms’ award and a little supplemental food in the RV, we have no expenses for the trip except for gas.

Speaking of feeling blessed. I was reminded of how blessed I am to just to be able to go to a poker room and play without extraordinary effort.

In the tournament today I play with a gentleman who was blind. His wife looked at his cards and then whispered in his ear what he had and what came on the board. She told him what the bets were, and when it was his turn to act.

He had a really beautiful sweatshirt that had a picture on it of the “Fantastic Four Superhero’s” playing poker. I complimented him on it. He said he bought it at “Comic Con”. (Comic Con is an annual convention for comic book collectors).

He said he was a comic book collector and really enjoyed comic books. I didn’t quite know how to ask how he reads them? Or did she read them to him? So I left a number of unanswered questions in my mind about that one.

He was a good poker player, but I couldn’t imagine how much he missed in the game or in his comic books for that matter, because of his inability to see.

Then later that evening a young man played next to me in a cash game. He was very badly deformed, couldn’t move, with the exception of his right hand to control his power wheel chair. His mother sat next to him and held the cards so he could see them, and put in the chips for him when he prompted her.

So for the freedom I have to play poker. To be able to come and go when I want, to be able to see all the other players and the cards.

I am going to express more thanks for these things every time I am reminded of these two gentlemen.

And I resolve to give thanks for all the blessings I have that I often don’t think about, until I see someone without them.

Play good...lose less....

2007-04-26T13:18:00.000-07:00

I once thought I could make money by playing poker really well. I have since changed my mind.

Don’t get me wrong I am still playing poker full-time and I am still winning most weeks.

Then what do I mean?

I am coming to believe that in small no-limit games, good play alone does not really give, you an edge to win.

However, playing well does reduce the amount you lose. Then you need less luck to end up with more chips then you risked.

The other night at Palomar illustrated that so well for me. I bought in to my usual 2/3 no-limit game for $300 twice that evening. Meaning I had a risk of $600.

The first three hours I only played five hands. I got my money in or lead the betting with the best hands in all five plays. On all five I got outdrawn and lost each of them.

I then played 2 more hands where I split the pot by playing AK very strongly from early position. I was called by an AK each time. We ended up splitting the pot for no net gain for either of us.

Then these two following hands came up.

I was on the small blind with a pair of Jacks with about $400 in front of me. Under the gun had “live straddled” meaning $6 was the call.

The next very short stack put all in his $15. The button called the $15. I decided to try to end it right here and raised it to $65 into a $39 pot.

Every one folded except the button who called. I knew him to be an aggressive, creative player.

The flop came 10h,6s,7c. I bet out $75 and the button raised me to $150. I thought a lot about this and really believed he was trying to take me off the hand. He had seen me play AK strong twice that evening from early position. I believed he suspected I had a big pair or AK. I figured him on a pair. I thought about it for a long time and convinced myself he was being tricky with a weak hand. I would not have thought this way about anyone else at the table except for him.

I pushed all-in for all my remaining money. He insta-called. I turned over my jacks and he turned over trip tens. The turn and the river were both hearts! My losing pair of jacks turned into a jack high flush. He was devastated.

I scooped an $800 pot that I had just played very badly!

After playing another hour or more and losing about $200 by betting with the best hands, and again getting outdrawn, each time, this hand came up.

I was on the button with Ace & Queen. Three people had limped in. I raised it to $25. Everyone folded, with the exception of the guy who had lost the $800 pot to me.

He called my $25.

The flop came A,K,10 He pushed in his last $50 and I decided to call with my AQ even though I strongly believed, he held AK (Which it turned out he did).

The turn was a 7 and the river was a Jack giving me a straight! He was very professional. He said “nice catch” then to dealer “seat open”. He shook my hand and left for the evening.

Shortly after that I cashed out a little over $850 resulting in a profit of about $350.

So the net result of that evening was, I played great poker, getting my money in with the best hands seven times and lost them all. I broke even twice with great hands and good play.

All my profit came from two hands where I won, only because I got very lucky with low probabilities holdings that somehow turned into winners at the river.

So what do you think? Am I right?

Playing well does not give you an edge to win. Play poker well and lose less. Then get lucky and you can make some real money at this game.

P.S. I may have to re-think my reason for why people play poker. Two earlier blogs indicated other reasons, then easy money & greedy thinking. My observation last night challenged my thinking.
I arrived right at 6 p.m. to enter a Sunday night tournament that if you placed in the top would win you an entry into a tournament into June.

The June tournament winner would be awarded a $10,000 entry into the World Series of Poker in Vegas in July along with expense money for the trip.
220 people were already signed up for the tournament. Fifty more of us were unable to get in who wanted to play it, but had arrived too late.

Casino and poker rooms use tournaments to lure players in with the hope that when they “bust out” of the tournament they will sit down and play at the cash games. Yet, three hours after the tournament began the room was having trouble keep eight cash games going.

That clearly indicated many people came for the tournament for the slim, unlikely possibility, they would place in the top twenty. Then win the June one. And somehow make it through 7,000 other players in Las Vegas, to be on TV for fame and fortune.

Hmm, maybe there are a lot more players who believe Poker is a way for easy money and are motivated by their greed then I thought. (I may have to revisit this thought a few more times.)

Why do people play poker part 2

2007-04-10T18:26:00.000-07:00

This is part 2 of why I think people play poker. If you haven’t read part 1, you may want to go back to the last entry before you read this one.

After I posted part 1 of “why people play Poker”, I realized that my focus of poker player was very narrow. I was only focusing on the people, who play at public poker rooms for money. The home poker player may share similar traits to the public room player, but probably has a much higher need for community and social interaction then the public poker room player.

Therefore for both Part 1 and Part 2 of “Why people play poker” I am only going to be discussing the public poker room player, the ones I know best. My experience includes frequent play in San Diego, L.A. S.F. Las Vegas, Washington & Oregon, Vegas and a trip to the Midwest.

In part 1 I defined the traits of competition & “Role Playing” and their relationship of poker. The last two traits ego and mastery are slightly more obvious.

Poker historically has been a game of bravado, (especially when guns were on the table or pulled after a bad beat) and seats are primarily filled with “alpha males”.

Often many poker players seem fueled by a volatile mixture of testosterone, youthful egotism, and too much “red bull”.

By the way, the only poker room I have found that gives you free “Red Bull” is Sam’s Town in Vegas. I always have a couple of sugar free red bulls mixed with pineapple juice when I play there. The poker room manager of Sam’s told me a funny story about a guy they had to ban from the poker room. He would drink 16-18 “Red Bull’s a day. After about a dozen he would get very aggressive. He even got into fights with other players from too much “Red Bull”.

But, I am writing today about ego and mastery. With the notable exception of Phil Helmuth, ego seems to be something that better players, soon learn to diminish, because it often leads to poor play.

I love to play with a player who has a large ego. I especially love one who tells others how bad they play. If you listen carefully, while he thinks he is impressing people, he will tell you and anyone, who listens through his b.s. exactly how he plays and what he doesn't know about poker.

And I promise that anything you say at my table, will be used against you at some point or another.

Anger is another emotion that can cost you money at the table. It of course, can lead to bad play, but it has another less obvious purpose, that I have learned to take advantage of.

Let me illustrate it in two cases, where I won large pots. I would not have won them if a player, had not exhibited anger.

The first occurred very early in my “learning to play better poker” days. I was playing a 1/3 no limit game with a very friendly, slightly manic, very talkative player, who was leading the betting into me. I appeared to have a large pair, and he looked like he could be betting small trip’s or a flush draw.

On the river the third flush card appeared, and he went all-in with a sizable stack. I thought about it for a moment, asked for time, thought some more, stared at him for a moment, thinking “I need to fold this”. He abruptly said “will you either hurry up or call or fold, or do something.”

I almost folded in reaction to his challenge. Then I thought, “if he has the best hand, how come he is so irritated that I am taking my time?”

When I “believe” I am going to take a pot unchallenged or scoop a large one with the best possible hand, I feel pretty calm and patient. But he seems angry and irritated

That’s when I knew I had to call him. I turned over my one pair. He slammed down, his “busted flush”, stood up, and walked straight out of the poker room in an angry huff. I would have folded, had he not expressed anger, causing me to wonder why?

A similar thing happened last night here in San Diego. A young man who looked like he might be a body builder and I were head’s up. I had Qh, 9h, with a board of Qc, 9s, Kc, 7h & 10c.

When I flopped my two pair Queens & nines, I bet $50. Then I bet $100 on the turn. He called me both times, after initially checking it to me.

I suspected he might have flopped a straight! Now on the river, a very bad card for me came. It was the Ten of Clubs!

He now could have two larger pair, a straight, a flush or even a Royal Flush for that matter.

He went all in for $250. I was “cursing my bad luck” in my mind, but decided to analyze a little more, I was finding very little, I could beat on that board, after that river.

I took some more time, and stared at him. He locked eyes with me, and started “mad dogging” me. My first reaction was “don’t get this guy pissed, he could break me in half!

Then I thought, “Why does he want me to fear him or get uncomfortable?

So I will fold?”

If he has the best hand, he would want me to call.

After a moment, he breaks eye contact, looks away and kind of sheepishly grins. He turns on the charm by smiling. He then said in a friendly voice,“go ahead and call, maybe you have me beat”. Then he smiles some more.

In “Poker speak” that usually means “I want you to call, I have you beat”. But, wait, he could be acting and trying to deceive me. He might be thinking, that I know what that means, and so I will do the opposite and fold because he said it.

This didn’t seem as “congruent or primitive” as his “attempt to intimidate” me with his eyes. So if this is acting, then the other is more genuine, and he really doesn’t want me to call!

So, I called in an act of blind faith on my initial tell of his challenging eyes.

He said I have “a straight”!

My heart sunk, that was my greatest fear from the flop. As a novice player, I might have mucked, my two pair, after he said he had a straight, but I have seen guys angle this one, and I said “show me!”

I saw a guy lie once, and say he had a straight. Then when his opponent, holding two pair, mucked his cards, the first guy said oh, no, I made a mistake I only have one pair. (In that case he still got the pot, because the guy with the winning cards, had mucked his hand.)

To counter this, always turn you cards face up, whether you think you are beat or not. Never just take somebody’s word for what they had.

So I turned my two pair face up on the table.

He threw his cards face up on the table, revealing only a pair of tens. As the sizable pot was being pushed toward me, my opponent went to the ATM for more cash.

The “chip runner”, came up behind me and said do you know who that is?

I said I have no idea! It turns out, he is a well know football player for the San Diego Chargers, who just started playing poker a few weeks ago.

No wonder that “locking eyes” of challenge was so congruent for him! He has probably done that thousands of times on the football field.

I ended up taking down two more good sized pots from him before he left frustrated.

He will come back, he has fun playing poker, and he probably spends more on an expensive meal out with his teammates what he lost to me.

I wonder if the irony was lost on him, that I was wearing a Chargers t-shirt.?

In a future blog I will discuss the concept of Mastery as it applies to poker.

Why do people play poker?

2007-04-06T13:19:00.000-07:00

I am in a rural area east of San Diego. I spent the night in the RV with “Pokey the Dog” in the Sycuan Indian Casino parking lot, after a late night of poker playing. Prior to the Indian Casino being built here about 20 years ago, there were probably less then 500 people a year who came to this area. Now, the Casino is just finishing a parking structure to add parking for an additional thousand cars that come to this area on a daily basis.

This past weekend my wife Caren, and I, stayed with some friends in L.A. with another couple. We have known each other for about 25 years. We all meet 3-4 times a year for a weekend with good friends and “spirited” debate. This weekend I was asked “what is the appeal of poker that is fueling millions of people to be actively engaged with poker or other forms of gambling”.

Terry, who is an ethics professor and administrator at a Christian College, believes the basis of it is greed. (“The something for nothing, quick buck for little work, directly opposed to a core value of this country, the strong puritan “work ethic”.)

But, I don’t think the answer is that clear or that simple. I can only authoritatively answer the question for me, from my perspective, but it does cause me to think.

I think greed has very little to do with the reasons I play poker. In fact, Terry admitted he is probably far more, greedy then I am when he obsesses about buying more real estate and making money in the stock market, then I ever have about anything.

When I walk past the hundreds of people playing a "negative expectation" game like slots or blackjack (which probability dictates the longer you play, the more probable it will be that you lose,) I do think greed must play a large percentage for many who mindlessly pull a slot handle or push a button hour after hour, hoping to hit the big one.

However at the poker table I believe that only about 20-40 percent of players are there because of the greed factor.

The other possibly more powerful forces that motivate poker players are ego, competition, role-playing & skill. Unlike every other casino game you are competing with another person. Their money is at risk so the probabilities are even. (There is no “casino edge” such as in negative expected outcome games.) In poker the casino takes a little something from every pot to pay for the dealer and the table “rent”. But, they have no interest in the outcome of the conflict, anymore then a stock broker does in what happens to your stock. They receive a commission “up front” whether you make money or lose money.

Therefore I would divide poker players into two groups that primarily believe the outcome will be based on luck or based on skill. Obviously, that is a very simple, but useful division.

I estimate there are about 20% on either end of the luck versus skill scale. The luck player can be observed by his lucky charms, (rabbit’s foot or budda card protectors, lucky shirts, lucky seats etc. etc.)

The skill player are not so easily observed, but they read poker books, analyzes hands, discusses play with others. They are committed to improving their game through knowledge and skill development.

Then there are the 60% who are more evenly luck/skill mixed players. On a skill based scale they tip one way or the other, but are more prone to poor play then the 20% skill based players. However, they are not that much better players, then the luck based believers.

So, even with a classification system like skill/luck the four most power motivators seem to be: Competition, Ego, Role-Playing & Mastery.

I have listed them in what I believe is most to least significant. These motivators are present in each classification of player. As you climb the ranks I believe professionals work to suppress Competition & Ego and increase role-playing and poker mastery skills.

It would probably be helpful to define what I mean by each of these motivators.

Competition is prized highly in our society and provides a personal sense of satisfaction. It seems to be what makes children try to run faster or climb higher in play. College students stay up all night playing marathon sessions of board games or computer games. Then as Adults they seem to divide into two groups: those who still get out and compete from Bowling to Golf and those who watch professional sports on T.V.

Poker provides a hybrid for both. Regardless of whether you are young, or old, or fit or fat you can compete on a level playing field at the poker table.

Role-playing begins as a child who plays “grown up”, and into the teenage years there is an attempt to mimic/role-play from superhero to latest pop icon.

Little children don’t know how to “lie, fool, cheat, or deceive” from "harmless lies" to avoid hurt feelings, to serious attempts to defraud another.

But, early in their lives, they are taught by adults “how to keep a secret”, how to say something is true even when really believed to be false. As many of us have no venue to be able to selectively choose whether to role-play or not. Many people would admit their live is often lived out as one role-play after another, they believe, forced on them by others, which they have little control over.
Poker provides an outlet for practicing role-playing, primitive, non-societal approved behaviors like deception, misdirection, and manipulation but clearly understood and agreed upon by all participants that this is permissible and valued behavior in this arena.

In my next blog, I will attempt to define and relate how ego and poker skill relate to this discussion.

Now appearing in your local shopping mall...

2007-03-28T21:25:00.000-07:00

(A weekday, about 2 p.m. your local shopping mall.)

That RV you see parked there isn’t your typical shopper. In fact beside a cup of coffee at Starbucks I will spend no money at all in this mall. I am here, because I read every poker book that is published. Note, I said I read, not buy. Part of my commitment to improving my knowledge and skill at the game also includes wisely managing my bankroll.

So, what does an aspiring poker professional do when he takes a break from playing poker on a poker road trip? Why he frequents a neighborhood Barnes & Noble bookstore to read in the store the latest published poker book of course! (B.T.W. my lunch in the RV today, was a fifty cents Wal-Mart frozen pot pie cooked in the RV microwave. It was washed down by a free bottle of water from the last casino I visited.)

I do have some standards, (low though, they may be,) so I refrain from bringing in a steaming cup of instant coffee made in the RV, into the bookstore. I reluctantly purchase an overpriced $1.75 cup of java, and assure myself that I am now a “paying customer”. I have earned the right to spend countless hours sitting and reading books that interest me.

I read incredibly fast, so in the last two hours I read the “The Gambling Nation” an amusing book by a “Sports Illustrator” staff writer who has lost most of his retirement money, but somehow not his wife and family, via his “gambling problem”. I don’t think, he thinks, he has a problem. That is my observation. He has a successful best seller to further convince him he doesn’t. It is well worth a read. My perception of his “problem” is only incidental to the subject material of the book.

One of the chapters talks about the Mormon Church’s recent revelation by their head Apostle about Poker. (Apparently over 40% of the population of Salt Lake City, makes the pilgrimage across the desert to Wendover, Nevada to the casinos.)

The modern day apostle head Mormon has a recent word, that he needed to speak out, that the “church” is against it! No surprise there, but the author makes a clever argument, for why most religious systems are against Gambling. It is because they are competitors of each other with interesting similarities. The faithful in both systems are filled with the hope-filled, faithful, who believe that playing by the rules, and trusting in “what you can’t see, or the “unseen to come”, will result in a big payoff in the end! And both count on the steady inflow of money from the faithful. I find that a very interesting analogy.

Yet, the reality of life was further revealed when a local Mormon pastor was asked if a member who confessed to his poker playing in his mandatory pre-marital counseling would be prohibited from an approved church wedding? He reluctantly answered probably not. I wonder if that means the groom would be “sealed for time & eternity as a poker player?

I am planning on going back in again and reading the “History of Gambling” a little later. I have heard it is a well written & researched treatise on gambling throughout human history.

Speaking of religious events.... Here is a blog I wrote at Christmas time and forgot to post....

My most wonderful time of the year, Vegas at Christmas time.

There is something so congruent about the way we celebrate our commercial veiw of Christmas and Las Vegas. Slots, and pots, with Christmas carols in the background just bring out this time of the year for me! The weather in Las Vegas is bright and sunny and the nights are clear and cold with shining stars. (Or is that just more neon lights in the distance?)

Pokey the dog, and I have driven up from San Diego to celebrate a week here before we provide support for Caren’s surgery. The surgery is scheduled for the 27th.

We left San Diego yesterday after that great San Diego Chargers victory over Denver where L.T. broke the all-time record for most goals scored in a season. He should break it, again and again, with the amount of time left in this season.

We stopped at Lake Elsinore Casino off Interstate 15.

I played a couple of hours of 6/12 limit. I had nachos for dinner at the table, and then drove the rest of the way to Vegas. We stopped for a couple of walks at rest stops on the way and then slept in the parking lot, of the casino, formerly known, as the South Coast Casino. We were nestled in between about 50-60 horse trailers as the Cowboys and Cowgirls spent their last night in town for the Rodeo.

I wish I had gotten here earlier. I heard there was a lot of good poker action served up with a lot of beer to a lot of cowboys. Some good players probably made a lot of money last week.

I went to the “house of the arches” for a “double cheese cow burger” and then played the noon Omaha tournament at the Orleans. I went out number 22, but I enjoyed it and made up my buy-in afterwards in a live No-limit game.

Dealers can be such jerks sometimes. I

have found more rude, lack of consideration, poker dealers in Vegas then I have found anywhere else I have played. I found another one here at the Orleans.

During the Tournament, I had been moved to a new table and was one off the button. I figured it was a good time to go to the bathroom, so I did thinking "I would miss just that hand."

I got back to my seat just in time to sit down, picked up my hand, which was AAK2 double-suited. (A very good starting hand in Omaha, in fact the best one I got in the whole tournament.) I stood up with my cards to see who else had come into the hand and announced "raise" while I was standing. The dealer saw me “standing” and yelled “that hand is dead” and grabbed it out of my hand and threw them into the muck.

I was shocked that he just grabbed that he had just grabbed them out of my hand. I said “what did you do that for?

He said the rules state "you have you be in your seat when it is your time to act or your hand is dead." I said I was in my seat. I picked up my cards and I stood up to get a better look.

He said "you weren’t in your seat, when I looked at you!"

Of course an Ace and a pair of 4s flopped which would have given me Aces full.

He left the next hand and it took me a couple of hands to get over how rude that was.

I hope I get in a live game with him later I think I might announce after winning a pot that my rules state that all my dealer tips are dead to rude dealers.

Then again, I probably won’t because I don’t want to be the kind of “jerk” that he chooses to be.

Merry Christmas and good cheer to all.....

L.A or Compton.... what a choice....

2007-03-28T21:20:00.000-07:00

After waking up in the RV next to an old warehouse, across the street from the Commerce Casino, at noon in warm, but smoggy L.A, I decide to drive toward the Crystal Park Casino in Compton.

If I was in New York, that would be the equivalent of driving from Hell’s Kitchen to Harlem. It is about the same distance and about the same kind of neighborhood conditions.

We lived in La Palma about 10 years ago not too far from here.. We lived in what was then “a white middle class suburbia”. (It is now off-white, approximately 70% Korean.)

La Palma is on the county line of Orange and L.A. Our backyard was Orange County. The other side of the fence was L.A. During the Rodney King Trial riots we could see the smoke from the fires to the west from our backyard.

I remember the first time I stopped at the Crystal Park Casino before it was cleaned up. This was before the era of cell phones. I located a payphone and called my wife and told her “Honey, I have some good news, some bad news, and some worst news. “I am winning at poker. However, I am in Compton, and this is a local call”!

The casino has been cleaned up a lot. It is much safer now. Over this weekend I am camping in the RV in the back parking lot. It is well lit, but sometimes filled with background noises of the light rail system next door and emergency sirens wailing intermittently off in the distance..

I met my son Jonathan here last night. He was up from San Diego visiting a friend of his in Santa Monica. We arranged to meet and play poker at the same table for a few hours before he drove home to San Diego late last night. It was good to see him. He played well. He received poor cards and only played one hand in 4 hours. I was proud of his play, as well as everything else about him. I taught him to play years ago. His friend Geoff is going to work for Yahoo next week. I am encouraging Jonathan to do the same. They pay well and are a great company from what I hear.

I played two tournaments today. I got knocked out early in the morning one and the second one this evening was very frustrating. It was an unlimited re-buy tournament for the first hour and a half. Meaning there was horrible play and multiple re-buys. I patiently stayed out of trouble, even throwing away a few playable hands to make it to the end of the re-buy period with most of my chips.

About an hour later I limp in with AK under the gun. Two others limp behind me. The blinds are 100-200 with 50 antes. A late position player raises it to 1500. I have him covered by about 800 and since I haven’t played a hand for 2 hours figure this is a good time to make a play. I push all-in with my AK thinking he will lay down almost everything but Aces or Kings. He calls with AK! We turn our cards over and it is 95% probability we will split the pot and get on with the next hand. The flop comes with two diamonds, the turn is a diamond, and the river is a diamond. He has the Ace Diamonds and I have 800 chips left.

The very next hand is my big blind. In goes 200 and 100 ante. Three people limp in. The flop comes J,10 3. I put the remainder of my chips in, while matching the 10 on the board. The cards are turned over. I am ahead with my pair of tens, until the river. A jack comes, pairing one of the remaining callers. I am out of the tournament.

I was very proud of my non-reaction. I warmly wished everyone good luck and went out to play a live game.

After an hour of live play in one of the tightest tables I have ever played I went out to the RV to walk “Pokey the Dog”.

I may go back in later and play a little after more people have left the tournament and there are some more games going.

I will spend the night here again on the outskirts of infamous & dangerous Compton.

Tomorrow I head for the world famous Bicycle Club in Bell Gardens. It is located in another lovely neighborhood in L.A. For you New Yorkers reading this, we are talking the Bronx here.

Goodnight from Compton.

Almost dead in L.A.

2007-03-28T21:16:00.000-07:00

3:15 A.M. I am lost just south of downtown Los Angeles in an industrial area of abandoned cars and buildings with broken windows.

The few people I have seen on the street look like they should be featured in a movie titled “L.A. 2048 after the fallout effects!” I realize with fear in my heart, I am lost in an area that hasn’t seen an American-born “non-frequent-visitor” to the L.A. county jail, system in years. A horn blares behind me. I hadn’t even seen another car for blocks and I am startled. I quickly turn left to get out of his way only to realize too
late, I am now heading down a street that looks like it dead-ends into a recycling area. A kaleidoscope of late night horror movies and sensational news story’s of “people being in the wrong place at the wrong time” flash through my mind. There are gang themed graffiti everywhere with 12th street frequently repeated. Then I remember “12th” street is one of the worst gangs in the country! I am in an barrio that even Tony Soprano wouldn’t drive through during the day!

How did a old white guy from San Diego in a beautiful motor-home with twenty-five hundred dollars in cash in his pocket get himself into a situation like this?

It started about a week ago with a poker trip in the RV from my home in San Diego. One of the nice things about an RV is no need for reservations, filthy gas station bathrooms, or rude waitresses with over-priced food unfit for human consumption. I am totally self-contained. I eat when I want. Sleep where I want. Go any direction I choose when I arise in the morning. I am “Easy rider” 40 years later!

I have two weeks before any obligation, and a terrific wife who supports my obsession with becoming a poker professional. So “pokey the little dog” and I pack a bag of clothes for me, and food for him, and soon we are driving to our first casino.

Two days later, we are driving to our third casino just 50 miles down the road. We spent the first two days less then 20 miles from our home at a local casino in San Diego. I logged 20 hours of poker and camped out two nights in the R.V. (More accurately, I should say 2 days, because nights were mainly spent in the poker room.)

The original plan was to make it to Vegas and back to L.A. to meet my wife in two weeks at a friend’s home. Three of us long-term couple friends get together for fun every few months.

A week later finds me only 100 miles from home. After visiting 4 more casinos I have just barely made it over the county line. I am now at the Morongo Casino near Palm Springs for a Friday night tournament. It is a $150 buy-in tournament for about 190 players with first place paying $6,000. Five hours later I went out just 2 places from the money. I played well, but just didn’t get lucky at the end, when I badly needed to.

I have decided that I am not going to make it to Las Vegas on this trip. I talked to my son on the phone right before the tournament. He told me he is driving up to L.A. to visit a friend over the weekend. So we make plans to meet in L.A., Saturday night at the Crystal Casino poker room in Compton another “wonderful” area of L.A.

He was the main reason I decided to head for L.A. earlier then planned, but there is also another “poker-related” reason. I was up in the foothills of Highland, at San Manuel casino, camping in the RV parking lot. I was sitting outside next to my RV in a lawn-chair, shirtless in the warm afternoon sun, smoking a cigar, and looking like the poster-boy for “white trash”. I was actually listening to “The Circuit“.

“The Circuit” is an Internet podcast. I download it to my Ipod and listen to it while driving or at the poker tables. Christy Gates was talking about her recent successes and was describing how the best place in the world to play poker is L.A.. She explained why it is much better then Vegas for poker. Her reasoning seemed sound, and fit my experience.

L.A. has less pros playing. There is more money thrown around by newer recreational players. The action is good. There are a lot of loose players. So with gas being over three dollars a gallon, I decide seeing my son in L.A. and playing the Commerce, Bike, Hollywood Park and three or four other poker rooms can keep me busy for a week. I would rather “play the money” then spend it on gas driving to Vegas.

Whenever I go through L.A, I always try to do it in the middle of the night to avoid traffic. So Friday night at midnight finds me pulling out of the Morongo Casino parking lot, where I had planned to spend the night after the tournament. I point my RV east to drive the 81 miles to the Commerce Club. I need to stop to get groceries, so I locate a 24 hour Super Walmart and find myself in very large nearly empty store at a time, it is being stocked and frequented by only a few insomniacs.

You would know just from reading my grocery receipt, that this is a cheap guy and his dog camping a week in the RV.

Here are just few items and their prices.
A box of Crunch & Munch .88
12 Little Debbies cakes .97
Case of Diet Vanilla Pepsi $6.00
Dozen Eggs $1.50
Can of Spam $1.65
Instant Quick Grits .98
2 cans of Tuna .64 each
3 frozen burritos .33 each
4 frozen pot pies .50 each
And what I am most proud of, in the clearance bin I found:
4 large boxes of chocolate covered raisins was 1.94 now .33
Can of Chili was $1.25 now .35 in the dented can.
24oz can of Coors was 1.50 now .50
And thinking of my wife, two large canisters of Clorox handi-wipes $6 now $3

After putting away my groceries, I consider spending the rest of the night in the Wal-Mart parking lot. Instead, I decide to drive to the rest of the way to the Commerce Club. I want to avoid the hassle of dealing with the weekend traffic through Riverside and L.A on a Saturday.

I didn’t realize that 60 west doesn’t have a southbound ramp to Interstate 5, which is how I ended up just south of downtown in an alien, gang-infested barrio of L.A. in the middle of the night.

I don’t think I had ever seen the Vernon District of L.A. before! Well, maybe on an episode of “Cops, the L.A. edition”.

I crisscross the dry L.A. river bed 3 times, where some of the “Terminator” was filmed. I am desperately looking for a freeway. If I break down in this area, the morning sun will find an empty burned out shell of a camper. Pictures of “Pokey the dog” and my face will end up on milk cartons. Or we could be featured in an episode of “Unsolved Mysteries”.

Finally the name of a street I recognize appears in my headlights.

Twenty minutes later I am following a security van at the Commerce Casino. He is leading me to a parking lot next to an old warehouse across the street from the Commerce where I can park my RV for the night. Great, this area looks like the area I just got out of! After pulling the curtains shut and double checking all the locks. I step out and walk toward the poker room to play a little poker.

I fondly look back over my shoulder to get one more glance at my RV and “Pokey the dog” at the window. I wonder, after I cross this empty warehouse lot, and play a little poker if “Pokey and the RV” will still be there when the sun comes up?

After two hours of “wild poker”, also known as, “any two will do, this is no-fold-em hold-em”, where the pot was capped every other hand, I know I am right where I belong.

After dawn “Pokey the dog” RV are still there as I crawl into my bed to sleep the day after another typical day & night of playing poker on a road trip.

I'm sitting on top of the world....

2007-03-28T21:14:00.000-07:00

Well at least I am sitting on top of L.A.

I am overlooking the San Bernardino Valley from about 1500 feet in elevation. The San Manuel Casino have their RV parking in the Employees lot about 800 feet almost straight up from the casino. The entrance is so steep I drive it in 1st gear. However, the result is so worth it! I park alongside of a fence with a southern view and I can see at least 20 miles in every direction except north. To the north behind me the mountains rise majestically to over 5,000 feet. I spent the night here after a less then stellar night in the Poker room.

I was card dead. I lost my limit for the day in a few hours. Most frustrating of all, I was one of the better players at a table of guys trying to “give their money away”. The guy to my left lost 3 racks of $5 chips ($1500) in the first ½ hour of my joining the table. Two others went to their pockets for more money multiple times. My theme song of “could’ve, would’ve, should’ve been a very different outcome” kept playing in my head, but alas it was not to be. A couple bad beats, two failed bluffs, and an “outdraw” later I was headed back up to the RV.
The one thing I have done well is to “take a break” when I start “running bad”. I really get it that Poker is one lifetime, continuous poker game that I play in, with “breaks” away from the table. I can’t win the game in a day, but I could lose it, if my “bankroll” ends up going all in, because I have to “get back” what I lost today! That kind of “slippery slope” is the most dangerous place to go in poker or any other game of skill and chance.

It has been almost three months since I have written in this blog. Shortly after my last entry, I passed the two year mark in my attempt to be a professional. It has not been a glamorous, highly successful two years, but I have learned a lot, enjoyed the freedom, and followed my dream beyond my comfort zone. That is a major accomplishment for me and beyond where many others dare to let themselves go.

8 hours later,

I played 2/5 NL and won back what I lost yesterday. I was ahead a bit, but had a dip for the last two hours I played. In hindsight I could have left 2 hours earlier when I started feeling a little tired. But, it was “double jackpot time” and I just resolved to play really tight. I did, and got outdrawn three times. As Phil says, “he would win every hand if there wasn’t luck involved”. Of course then he would be the only one that played this game. (grin)

I keep thinking and playing and visiting different casinos to try to discover what it is that top professionals know/see/do different then the rest of us but I cannot figure it out. I am a slightly better then break even player. About a year ago I was a break-even player and the year before I was a losing player so I must be moving in the right direction. When you play poker the odds against walking away from the table with money is 9-1 against you. The dealer/casino always wins 4 or 5 dollars from every pot. Then there are 8 other players you have to beat. It is a tough business. But, somebody has to be that one that wins, so I continue to study, play, practice, apply what I learn and experience. A few of the more important principals that are the mainstay of my game are.

1. Play at the level my bankroll supports. (Never risk more then 5% of my bankroll a day. I have a stop loss limit for the day. I quit for the day if I reach it.)
2. Stay off tilt. (Take a break & walk around every hour or so. Stay focused on the present. Remind yourself bad beats are part of the game. Try to recognize your mistakes but forgive yourself quickly when you make one.)
3. Pay attention. (Even when you are not in a pot watch every hand, and every player in the hand, and learn as much as you can about them. Work on your reading ability by guessing what hands are being played.)

Last night, before I went to sleep in the RV the rain came in with some strong winds. The RV was rocking back and forth came in from three different directions on this bluff in the foothills of the San Berndandino Mountains. I decided this would be a good night to watch MacBeth with Orson Wells & Roddy McDowell in Black & White on the VCR. Now there was a guy who didn’t seem to enjoy his life. After about an hour of feeling doom & gloom and not understanding half the dialogue, nor the story, I decided to shut it off and go to sleep. I resolved to read the cliff notes on MacBeth next time I am in a bookstore because I couldn’t “get it”. I was afraid to look out the window for fear of seeing three witches on the outcropping above me chanting “double bubble, toil & trouble” (all four terms well understood by poker players)

The wind was still blowing when I awoke and looked out the window in the morning. What an awesome sight. The smog was all blown away and I could see for 30-40 miles. I could see the mountains behind Palm Springs to the east, to the ones beyond Moreno Valley to the South and beyond Covina to the west. At least 3-4 million people live in the area I could see while I am sitting here on a lawn chair outside the RV typing writing these thoughts on my lap top. The sun is in the final stages of setting over the mountains above San Dimas to the west and I feel contentment and gratefulness I can do this.

Today was not such a great day at the table. I lost three big hands to a “luckbox” who made three very bad calls against me and “lucked out” on the river each time. She was in seat three and was a very aggressive player who played almost every hand. One of the dealers’ had already commented to her “she was a very lucky player”. She went up and down from 100-600 five times in the time I was at the table.

I was focused, playing only good cards and making good reads. On the first “bad beat” disaster Seat 4 went all in for $100 on a turn card, where I had made a queen high straight. I was in seat 8 and went all with $250 in to try to keep “luckbox” out. She still called! The board was 10, 8, J of hearts & 6 of spades and she had K of hearts & 7 of clubs! The Ace of hearts was the river and I lost my stack for the first time to her. Another occurred about an hour later. I won’t bore you with those details. Only that I was betting with two pair and and she was calling with one middle pair and caught a third one on the river.

For the next two hours I worked on keeping her out of my pots by over grossly over betting the flop when it was favorable for me. She would always bet out in early position 15-20 every time she was in a hand. Then she would take forever to lay down her hand, (she hated to lay down her cards)often calling with the worst hand that would win 2/3 of the time. I was down to my last $150 and she raised $10 from under the gun. Three people followed suit. I had pocket 5’s on the dealer button so I raised $75 (1/2 of my chips) expecting to end it right there. Before the big blind can act, she says “I am going to put you all in”. (I object & the dealer tells her to wait her turn to act. That encourages the big blind to put in his last $125 knowing he is getting better pot odds with three players. She goes all in, and I put in the last of my chips. My hand is good against one player, probably not two. The flop comes 5,6,2 , giving me trip 5’s. The turn is a queen and the river a 9 giving her 7,8 a straight to the 9. I walked away muttering to myself “that is some luck” and resolved to come back tonight after dinner & a nap because I should be able to make some money in a place where there are “regulars” who play this badly.

One minute to quitting time....

2006-12-09T11:16:00.000-08:00

What a job, the life of a professional poker player! You can perform your job brilliantly, for 40 hours and then in 1 minute of less then pristine concentration you can lose what you have earned in the last 40 hours.

In what other job could it be a Friday at 4:55 p.m. and you stare at the clock, thinking about the weekend, and “bang” you are docked for 1 week of pay. That happens every week in the life of a poker player.

I left Sunday about 4 p.m. and here it is Wednesday afternoon. I have put in close to 40 hours at the tables and I have made no money to show for it. What a career choice!

Why do I love this game? Why do I want to play it full-time for the rest of my life? Those are two great questions. I don’t have a fully satisfactory answer for them. I know I have never found something so challenging to be really good at. I love the freedom of this career. As it has been said, “Hold-em, takes an hour to learn and a lifetime to master.” And beside where else can you get up at noon, play with the dog, read a book, make your wife an early dinner and then go play cards till 3 in the morning?

I continue to play at tables where I am only investing about 5% of my bankroll. I might be able to move up faster if I risked more. But, I want to be in this for the long term and not go broke like I hear many others have.

I wish I could say my stake was quickly and steadily climbing up. It is not. I am slowly climbing and at times drudging along on level ground. I don’t seem to go into deep valleys anymore, even when I have a very bad run of cards. I have had bad run of cards in the last few days, but I have been able to keep my losses at $100 over 40 hours of play. I think that averages out to a loss ratio of 25 cents an hour. (grin)

I was down about 4-5 times that amount during this trip, but I did have my only big hand, I can remember in three days, KK beat AA for a pot of $300, so I guess that was a pretty lucky hand.

I must be getting a little desperate to make it as a professional player. I have been moving to 3 three casinos over this 4 day trip in San Diego county to play at each, during their double jackpot times. If I hit a respectable jackpot again, I could move up a level and play a little higher.

Jackpots! That is what got me playing full-time in the first place. Two years ago I hit three different bad beat jackpots playing poker in a 9 month span. Each time I wasn’t thinking about the jackpot when it hit. That gave me the 10K bankroll I am still playing on.

A bad beat jackpot is where you have Aces full of Jacks or better beaten by 4 of a kind of better. My first time was in Sycuan when I held pocket Jacks and the board came AA10. A young man bet and I called. The turn was another Ace and the river was a 6. He had AK. So his 4 aces beat my Aces full of Jacks and I won $8900 as the bad beat. He won half of that and the rest of the table each split $4000.

That jackpot was at $18k total that day. Today the jackpots I am playing range from $25-75K, meaning, that if I hit one today I could get 10-30K. That could certainly help my bankroll. But, it has to be a rare combination of cards to make that happen. So I play on, hoping to make a little money and to get lucky. You can’t make yourself get lucky, but you can help put yourself in the right place, in case you do. That is why I am playing during “double jackpot” times at these three casinos.

I will let you know if I get “lucky”.

Well, the sun has set. It is time to go to work.

Poker and RV's

2006-12-09T11:15:00.000-08:00

Most RV owners do not get their money’s worth on their RV. A fairly decent one will cost you from 30K-300K. Some people even spend up to a million for the very top of the line. RV’s depreciate thousands when you drive them off the showroom floor and they steadily depreciate over time at a rapid pace. Most owners use them 1-2 weeks a year and even then some of them take them on long trips but stay at nights in hotels or spend 30-60 dollars a night to stay at an RV park which is usually only a step above a parking lot with hookups.

Not me. The first year we got ours we drove 17,000 miles around the country. And we spent less then $250 on RV parks. We stayed in remote areas, truck stops, 24 hour grocery store lots and of course, scores of Wal-Marts. Since that time I average 7-10 days a month sleeping in it at Casinos. And we have since been halfway around the country again. It has been a picnic vehicle, a large group sightseeing vehicle and even an outdoor wedding changing room.

But, most of the time it allows me to go to a Casino or card room and play a few hours, and take a break whenever I want. I can play late into the evening and still play a morning tournament after a good nights sleep.

About 7 months out of the year I can take it to Vegas and enjoy having an extra thousand to use as my poker bankroll for the week. I almost always bring home more then I went with when I take the RV. I pay my gas and buy my groceries out of my bankroll and play no “house-edge” games.

I am so surprised that more people don’t use their RV’s that way. I see it as a multi-way to save money. I don’t pay for lodging, and my food is a fraction of what it costs to eat out. It costs me interest but all that is an income tax deduction because it qualifies as a “second home”. (It qualifies as a “first one” when we are living in it full-time).

I seem to average a little more poker profit on these more intensive poker trips, then day trips to a casino because I take more frequent breaks. And it is easy to walk away from the table and come back later when it is a 5 minute walk rather then an hour drive. When there is heavy traffic we pull over and read, nap, or eat until traffic is better and we never need reservations or follow a schedule to have to be somewhere by a certain time.

My RV is a 1999 26ft Lazy Daze Coach built on a Ford V10 engine and ¾ ton van chassis. If I wasn’t married I would live in it full-time, but my wife is not yet ready for that kind of adventure just yet. However, she is feels comforted like I am by owning an RV in case of a disaster, disability or complete financial meltdown we could live in it if we had to, and still be happy as a couple. I am not sure that many other couple we know could.

I will probably keep it another 3 years unless her company closes in this next year. There are some “rumors” that it could.

She would be very open to buying something bigger, if we decided to go live in it again on a permanent basis. I think something about 32 foot with a slide out might be on the distant horizon for us.

The RV mindset is very different when it comes to taking trips. It is less stressful a drive because I am sitting in a comfortable chair up high with many creature comforts within reach. You can’t accelerate, slow or corner fast so I tend to drive less aggressively and allow a lot more room between me and other traffic.

For most people the vacation starts when you get to your destination. For a true RV’r the trip begins when you climb on board in your own RV.

Know when to hold-em...

2006-12-09T11:14:00.000-08:00

12:30 A.M. in the RV at the Barona Casino in San Diego where Kenny Rodgers is the official mascot. He is the mascot, because of his crooning of the lyrics “you got to know when to hold-em, and know when to fold them. In my mind the lyrics “you got to know when to call them and know when to muck them is crooning in my head.

Tonight I “out thought” myself, to my demise.

Mike Caro, the “mad genius of poker” has a term called F.P.S. He says, when players start improving and learning “moves”, they sometimes use Fancy Plays, when simple poker moves would be so much better. Their fancy play syndrome ends up costing them money at the poker table.

Tonight I discovered F.T.S. Fancy thought syndrome. I out thought myself twice, costing me over $250.

The table was filled with good players. Two seats to my right was a player I identified as well above average in his play. He always seemed to have a great hand when he called, bet or raised the pot. He played solid and folded often when he didn’t have the best hand.

I was in the big blind with pocket jacks. When it came to me I bet out $20 after 2 players limped in.

I had stolen a number of blinds, and plays from the big blind, the small blind, and the button because the table was tight and passive. Everyone folded to me, but “above average”.

The flop came 5,10,8 with one heart. He checks. I bet out $25. He calls.

The turn comes 7h, he checks and I bet $40. He calls. He is not a calling station, what is going on here?

The river is a Jack of hearts and now HE LEADS OUT with a $60 bet.

There are three hearts out there and four cards to a straight showing on the board, and I am now holding triple jacks.

I have a history with him where he bet out a hundred on the river just like this, when he caught a flush. I am convinced that he made his straight or flush. I am thinking, he called with two hearts, either, 10,9 or A10. We engage in some table talk. He says I let him “catch up.”

I have a fairly good read on him. He is confident and believes he has the best hand. At the flop I had asked him, when he called, if he caught his pocket Aces again? He had AA three times already tonight and slow played them to the river beating me each time adamantly insisting, when players commented about his slow-playing Aces, “ in this game if you don’t slow play Aces you will only make $4. I had pocket Aces once tonight and won a $200 pot with I played them aggressively, when he was away from the table, but I “held my tongue.”

After my flop question he said no aces. I believed him and thought maybe he has Kings, which he may have slow played like his aces.

After his bet on the river, I said you have Queens? He said nope and again I believed him.

I respected him and had laid down AQ and AJ twice against him tonight and both times he had AA or AK.

I have been reading articles recently about great lay downs by Phil Ivey. This was a chance for me to practice a “great laydown.”

I turned my two jacks over to show him, thinking this will give me some future bluffing ability. I then mucked them feeling pretty good, about my ability to lay down three jacks, when a very good player is “communicating with his betting, he has the best hand”.

He turned over 7,10 off-suit for two pair and he expressed genuine shock at my mucking of three of a kind.

He said he just “felt like gambling that hand” and he said he “believed I had Kings or Aces” and was convinced his two pair were the best hand over my one big pair.

My read was accurate of his belief, I trusted his ability to play, but as I told him later my read of him was accurate, however, he didn’t know what he was talking about when he said he caught up.

So I “accurately read” him, and his “wrong belief” and lost the hand when I normally would have called $60 on a $160 pot. This is when I really wish I had a mentor so I could discuss the hand with them. I am open to any feedback on this one.

The player next to me said to me “you thought too much in that hand”.

I think he was right. I did. And I lost $200 because of fancy thought syndrome.

Sometimes I guess you just need to gamble like he did, and the player to my left did on my final hand of the night.

I was the dealer button with a 5-10 suited in the hole. Three people limped in and I joined them for a $3 call.

The flop came 10,7, 5 rainbow. I had flopped two pair!

I tossed out $10 hoping I would get a call or two. The big blind to my left, a Korean woman dealer who was not a very strong player raises it to $55. I wonder if she has 10-7? Then I realize it is much more likely she has a 10 with a great kicker like an ace.

It folds to me and I push all in my last $110. She thinks about it for a long time while I am torn inside hoping she will call but afraid I will get “sucked out on”.

I had just won a pot from her where I had a slightly bigger kicker and she appeared to be “steaming” from that when she said to me “you lucky”, in a not-so-friendly tone. I am just staring at the pot thinking… call me, no, don’t call me, sure call me…. Etc.

Finally she calls my bet and the turn is an Ace. Her body visibly relaxes, and I tighten up my jaw, and mutter “damn”. The river is a brick and she turns over her Ace-Ten off-suit, just like I suspected.

Lousy call on her part, but great catch, but hey, that is why this game flourishes. It is your money that buys the chips, and you get to play them anyway you want to.

The "King of Poker"

2006-11-15T16:46:00.000-08:00

I met and played the self proclaimed “King of Poker” two nights ago.

You haven’t met the “King of Poker”? Then you probably haven’t played much at the Palomar Club on El Cajon Blvd in San Diego lately. The Palomar neighborhood is not known, as one of the nicer area of San Diego.

But the crime rate around the club is decreasing. There hasn’t been a player “pistol whipped” for at least three months. I have only been solicited once on my way out in the past six months and the bar that was right next door has been sold and become part of the remodel/expansion of the club.

It has been well over a year since the daily pattern of two players leaving the table at the same time and stepping next door for a couple of drinks and returning to “cap” every pot pre-flop. Ah, the good old days.

There is a daily, colorful cast of characters, speaking at least 11 native languages at the 6 poker tables. This audible smorgasbord is mixed with shouts, curses and loud bangs coming from the pai-gow table, as the players try to wake up the pai-gow gods, by banging the metal dice container furiously on the table, shouting in languages only previously heard on the National Geographic Channel.

In walks a Iraqi who owns his own cab, and writes his initials on the board: K.O.P. Everybody who has played with him before knows what they mean. “The “King of Poker” is in the house.
He takes the available seat two to my left at a 1/3 No-limit game and begins to give a non-stop, manic, monologue to the player to my left pointing to his initials, still up on the board, and declaring himself the "King of Poker." He speaks like a machine gun fires bullets, in quick bursts, and gets more and more heated up, the more he speaks.

He folds his first hand after waving it a few inches under the nose of another player declaring “you see, you see, I throw this because I am a very good player and that is why I always win. This is my second job… you see, you see, I make $2,000 last month” as he proceeds to take a small wad of $20’s out of his pocket and begins to wave it around toward all the players loudly proclaiming “I will have all of your money by 2 A.M”. (Closing time is 2 A.M.)

He throws almost every hand away, after trying to show it the dealer or to a player next to him, while he continues a non-stop monologue that reveals he could benefit from medication.

He finally wins his first hand with pocket Aces. It is a very small pot, because it has become obvious by now to almost everybody at the table that he plays only premium hands. So he gets no action, when he comes into a pot, which is at the rate of about once an hour. But, he runs a non-stop commentary on every hand played by anyone. He also reminds us that he is a “patient man who thinks, thinks, thinks, as he taps his temple, and that he knows what you have almost before you do, because he can “read the cards””.

He says he is not like us other players… “he reads poker books, he thinks about poker all the time, and when he loses a hand, he goes home and takes out a deck of cards and plays it over and over again and comes back and wins that hand next time.”

He goes on to tell us he takes $20 and gives it to his one child, then another, then another, then another,….. I lost track after he named his fifth child and often stopped listening as soon as he began talking. I knew I was going to win a large pot off of him or “bust him” because I was catching and playing a lot of suited connectors and he only played the top 8 premium hands like the book he read told him to. I hope nobody ever tells him that strategy was written for limit.

The table would have a few minutes of wonderful silence, when he would run outside for a cigarette, about every 10th hand and miss a hand or two.

The Palomar club has an entire glass front opening up on the sidewalk. Players who smoke, would often run out between hands to puff on the cigarettes they had left burning out there.

When the King of Poker would win a hand he would slap the cards face up and fire out… “you see, you see, you see, I knew I would win”.

Finally after four hours, I got into a hand with him. He raised and I re-raised with 10s,Js. He called. The flop came (Qh, Ks, As) for a nut straight for me, with a royal flush draw.

I checked and he made a big bet. I glanced at him two or three times, each time he told me “throw it away, throw it away, I will show you, I will show you.”

I knew he didn’t have a clue so I just called. The turn came a 7. He bet enough to put me all in “save your money, save your money, I don’t need all your money he declared.

I called and quietly turned over my hand, while he slammed down pocket aces and said “you see, you see, I win I have three aces. He quieted for a moment while the realization of my straight came over him, and then the river produced a 5. He quickly walked out and began puffing very fast on his cigarette.

He came back a few minutes later and said “he had the better hand, he should have won that hand and I was lucky, but he was a better player. I said yes “you are the king” and agreed that I got lucky. (What I meant was I was lucky, I was playing with someone who didn’t know how much they didn’t know, and that they were willing to share that information with everybody at the table.)

The final hand that knocked out the King of Poker wasn’t by me, but by a player who had 10 times the maximum buy-in in front of him. By the stacks of chips in front of him, it was obvious he was a good player, or had a very great run of cards. I did watch him wield his “large stack” very well a number of times making it too expensive for some to call him, as he threw in enough chips, to make the odds unfavorable.

The King of Poker came in for a big raise on the dealer button. Everybody folded to him except the big stack who called. The flop was A,K,8 with 2 diamonds. The big stack checked and the King declared. “no, no, no, check,” he then bet ¼ the pot. I knew, and I am sure the big stack knew, the “King of Poker” had either three Aces, three kings or AK paired.
The big stack called the small bet. He then checked the turn, which was another blank, and the “K.O.P” bet out the same small amount. (I am sure he thought he was being clever to keep the other player in the pot. Not even knowing he was giving away pot odds to make the call almost mandatory)

As the river is being “peeled off the deck”, the big stack says "make it a diamond", and sure enough it is a 2 of diamonds. The big stack moves in a large enough stack to cover the remaining chips the King has. The King instantly, yells out, "all-in" and without a second hesitation shoves his remaining chips in and slaps down pocket Aces for trip aces. The big stack shows his two little diamonds for a flush. The king is grinning like a fool, and bobbing his head up and down saying you see, you see… three aces, as he is waiting for the dealer to push the pot to him.

As the dealer picks up the two diamonds and puts them in front of the King of Poker, the dealer states “he has a flush”. You can see the amazement and disbelief come into focus on the features of the King, and he jumps up, and storms out of the room without a sound.

He puffs, and puffs, while pacing in front of the casino. Then he comes back in walking fast, past the table toward the bathroom. I couldn’t help myself, I said “I think the King is going to sit on his throne for awhile.”

He comes out a few minutes later and a player asks him if he wants us to save his seat for him?

He waves him off with a flapping of his hand and without a sound, in a cloud of nervous energy races out of the room.

The King is dead… long live the King.

A turkey in the oven.....

2006-11-13T15:49:00.000-08:00

Wow, it has been a week since I last posted. I thought it had been about three days.

I have been playing and winning since the last post so I am pretty upbeat. I am planning on playing again tonight I just haven’t decided where.

I always have about 7 choices, within roughly, the same driving distance. For me personally, I am not affected greatly by the Unlawful Internet act, but I am sure that there are many, many, others who have been greatly impacted by it.

I did leave Party Poker, (who would want to be a part of a party, where there are no Americans allowed there anyway?) I figured out how to get some money to Full-Tilt and have been playing there just a little, in the spirit of defiance, to this “dirty” piece of politics. I would rather play live, then on the Internet, but I am frustrated and angry about this right being abused in the name of morality by an unethical political act.

I took the RV over the weekend, and went to Sycuan for two days and a night. I really thought I would be in Vegas a lot this month, but Caren wanted Pokey and me, around while she goes through some real challenges at work.

Our relationship works for us, because we both, are committed to telling the other what we need from them, when we do. Of course, being committed to hearing, responding or negotiating, in response to what we hear, from the other, is equally important.

Tomorrow, she has scheduled some dental surgery, so I will be the designated driver, while she drugs up, before, during, and after to deal with the anxiety, pain, and effects of the dental work.

So, there will be no live poker for me tomorrow. That’s one reason why I am going to play again tonight. Maybe, I will play a few small tournaments on Full-Tilt tomorrow night while I am home taking care of her.

I am planning on putting a Turkey, in the oven, when we leave, for the dentist, and the house should be nice and warm and smell good when we get home.

By the way I played with the self-proclaimed “King of Poker” last night. I will tell you all about it in the next entry.

A poker lesson....

2006-11-06T23:33:00.000-08:00

I had an expensive poker lesson tonight. I also learned something about myself and poker again.

Tonight, at Palomar I bought in for $200 and then lost it at the 1/3 No-Limit table playing a little loose. Then I bought in another $150 and later moved over to the 5/10 because I didn’t like this ½ table, when I had about $75 left.

I had tightened up considerably, and had played about 4 hours, before I moved to the 5/10 game. I added another $125 to make the minimum buy-in at the 5/10 No-Limit table.

I was a very short stack there. The stacks ranged from $500-2000. I played a very strong short stack game, and over the next three hours built my stack up to $450. I was about even and was thinking about leaving for the day.

The table was fairly aggressive and I was playing only premium hands when I received pocket jacks in middle position. I just limped in with them. Five others limped in behind me, which was unusual. I was planning on throwing them if they didn’t improve or if a larger card flopped.

The big blind raised it to $100, when it got back to him. When he set in a $100 stack, there was $60 in the pot.

He had $2000 in front of him. He was a smart player, so I respected his move and then began thinking about whether to call him or not. The bet was 4x the blind plus a bet for every player who limped in. It was a good smart bet.

I decided to call the $100 expecting a few value bets behind me, but they all folded like falling dominoes. This changed my odds considerably, but he was very deep stacked, so there were implied odds, I reasoned.

Does he have a larger pair? I called time to think it through. There were at least 6 hands I could beat that he might have bet. In that position he had lots of incentive to raise the pot as last to act, pre-flop with any pair, or AK, AQ, AJ, or A10. There were six limpers who were not willing risk more then a minimum bet to call. There were three hands that had me beat: Aces, Kings or Queens.

The flop came 2, 7, 5 all different suits. I didn’t believe that helped him at all.

The problem was now it became harder for me to get away from the Jacks. I had an over pair to the board. Now I really went into the tank, because he did a continuation bet of $200 which was 70% of my remaining money.

Why didn’t he just force me all-in? Maybe, he doesn’t want me to call?

One hundred would be too cheap, all-in would obviously pot commit me. Was he trying to give me a way out so I wouldn’t call? I thought about what I would do if I was him, and what I would do it with.

If I had AK, I would bet that amount to take a stab at the pot. I called time again, and was told I had 30 seconds to make a decision.

I wrongly decided to call to see another card, knowing this meant I would end up all-in. I called.

The turn card was a 6. No help for either of us. He pushes in a $100 and I push in my last stack and he turns over 2 Aces.

On the river a face card is turned over, but it is the wrong one. It was a queen, not a jack. I congratulated him on playing a good hand as I got up to leave.

I had reached my loss-limit for the day and I was done playing.

As I reflected back over this hand I can see where I made a number of mistakes. When I limped with the Jacks, my plan was to toss them if it was raised and re-raised or if they didn’t improve on the flop.

When nobody else called but me I even jokingly said “Thanks guys, for leaving me alone with him”. The last folder said if only one more had called he would have stayed in. I thought ok, there is a possible two big cards.

When he bet $200 that made the pot $460 and I was going to have to risk $200 more, so I had about 2.6 to 1 to call this.

I don’t know odds well enough to know whether by pot odds alone my call was a poor one or not. I reasoned that there were 6 hands most probable hands I could beat and 3 I couldn’t so there is that 2-1 again, plus if I win I triple up my remaining money.

Here is where I realized I have a slight weakness that could trip me up. I thought about folding by throwing my jacks face down to reveal what a great lay down. Why would I want to throw them face up? For the admiration of the other players I realized. Then I thought, if I think this through and really have the best hand thnt it shows what a good player I am.

Neither of those thoughts were relevant at the time. In fact they were weak, non-professional, donkey type thoughts.

They took away time from what I should have been focused on and revealed to me it is still important to be thought of as a “smart player”. That need to be thought of as a “smart player” is a weakness that can be exploited. In this case it wasn’t, but it muddied up my thinking a little when it needed to be really sharp.

I could have asked him a question or talked to him to get a read. I have done that in the past and it has really helped me get a read. But, I didn’t this time while I was focused on whether I was a “smart player” or not. I tried for a visual read, but he was frozen and staring at the cards.

I “decided” he had AK when I had no real evidence to support that and partly drew that conclusion from what I might have done with that hand. Unfounded reasoning, and an emotional decision to go home a winner was driving me. I did not want to have to work really hard for a few more hours to build back up to the “just even” point. That lousy thinking also helped push me over the edge to call.

The smarter move would have been to raise his $100 bet to $200 if I wanted to play and if he re-raised fold em. If he just called, then I would know, he had a strong hand and without a third jack I could have folded on the flop. In that scenario I would have lost only $200 on the hand instead of $400.

I would really appreciate some comments on this hand.

Was I just a donk? Do you think some of my reasoning was sound? Or am I in self-delusion and should have just folded, which was my first instinct?

Politicians and Terrorists..oh my....

2006-11-06T16:31:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is voting day. I am so disgusted with our political system I am planning on voting against every incumbent (a.k.a. incompetent) and voting against any and all propositions. If enough people would do that, eventually the political professionals would get the message, that we have had enough of politics as usual, and they would make some serious changes.

I think we are heading for social upheaval in this country. The middle class is getting squeezed and when many of them start losing more of the comforts they have had, look out for a backlash!

It is a great country but our way of life is being eroded by some not so great men and women. Politicians and terrorists seem to have the same goal. Protect their own little sectarian ideals by attacking and eroding freedom.

Please vote your conscience. Mine says vote to tell the incumbents you can’t vote for them until they start doing a better job for us.

But, this is a poker blog, a subject far more pleasant then politics.

It was a great night for me at Sycuan last night. I drove there about 2 p.m. thinking I would play a couple of hours before the 4 p.m. Tournament. When I arrived, I found out the 4 p.m. tournament had been moved back to 6 p.m. So, I ended up playing 4 hours of 2/4 No-Limit. I did very well, there, and then had an amazing run in the tournament. I made every hand I played until the final 4 tables then I lost every hand I played and was out. Talk about a couple of quick swings, up and then out. My play didn’t change, in fact, I didn’t have the time to make changes, but, the cards sure did.

The good news is I got back into that 2/4 game when a seat opened. I did even better then I did earlier in the day. I played three small pairs under the gun for a small raise, intending to toss them or win a big pot if a third one flopped. Each time I flopped a set.

It is hard enough to put someone on a small set, but impossible when they raise with the under the gun. Most players believe you must have big cards to raise.

The stacks were fairly deep for 2/4 so I made some nice pots each time by betting them out and being re-raised and then check-calling. It seems like a nice move, though I haven’t read it anywhere yet. I just discovered it in wanting a chance to play small pairs in early position.

I left at 11 p.m. when I found myself chasing an open-ended straight against a “rock” on the table. It would have been a nice pot had I caught it but I didn’t. I have also discovered about myself after 8 hours of play I tend to lose more then I win. Unless it is a very “juicy game” I usually stop after 8-9 hours of play even when I am winning big. I do have a stop-loss limit that is around $500 if I get down that much regardless of how long I have played. If I get there I stop for the day. There have been some days I have played less then 2 hours when I set out to play longer.

Well, it is time to set out to play the Palomar Club. Let's hope I end up playing longer then two hours.

I'm the lucky one.

2006-11-05T11:48:00.000-08:00

I spent a week in Fresno and lost a grand. I could think of a lot of other places I would have rather lost money in, but my daughter Carrie and her husband live there so there you have it. I got lucked out, sucked out, out played, and drawn out on. Not once, but many times. After a week of that I was ready to say goodbye to my daughter and her husband and head for Vegas for a change of scenery and luck. On the way to Bakersfield, Caren called and requested I come home for awhile. She was missing Pokey and me and needed some family time.

I am the lucky one! Even though, I miss many of my draws. Even though, I get “sucked out” on the river more then I think I should. Even though, I haven’t yet doubled my initial poker bankroll yet. I am the lucky one because I have my wife of 35 years who supports my dream to make it as a poker pro. That is a rare combination. She doesn’t play poker, doesn’t quite understand it’s challenges, except through my explanations, but she loves me and supports my quest. That is better then a royal flush in a casino that pays a “monte carlo”.

I haven’t yet ended my road trip, but I have been home now two weeks at her request. We are dealing with an insurance claim on our garage that flooded by the upstairs condo owner. I am dealing with that, but mainly, Pokey and I were missed by her. I am not sure who was missed more, me or the dog Pokey, but being a wise husband I don’t inquire any further. (grin)

I have seemed to have broken that bad streak that began when I got to Casino 101 and followed me all the way down the state.

I haven’t made much in this last two weeks but I haven’t lost any and that is sometime a very good thing.

I having been playing mainly at the Palomar Club. There have been some really positive changes there over the time I have been there since 2003. You could say it has mirrored the poker boom. In 2003, and for many years before that, it had just one 3/6 game with just a few regulars and a pai-gow table. Less then once a week it might get an Omaha game going for a few hours.

It was a dirty little place with nothing newer in it then vintage 1960’s including the TV. There was a little dive of a bar next door that occasionally one or two of the regulars walked over to and then came back and played looser for awhile.

Then the Palomar bought the building, and cleaned out the bar and sold off the liquor license. They removed the wall between the old bar and the old room, and totally remodeled with plasma screen TV’s, new tables, chairs, fresh paint and new carpet.

What a difference!

Now everyday there are two 3/6 limit games, and 4 N/L games going with spreads from 1/2 – 10/10 with as much a 20-50K on the big game.

Now instead of one short-handed table there is about an hour wait list for any game.

I love it!

Even though the Village Club is 4 miles from my home, I drive the 20 miles here because of the difference in the environment. I hope the Village Club gets the message, however, they are still usually full, no more room for parking, and they haven’t spent spend a dime on the facilities since Nixon’s first term. I wouldn’t bet on change there anytime soon.

Today, I am skipping both of them and driving to Sycuan to play the afternoon tournament and maybe hit the jackpot again. That is what gave me my poker bankroll in the first place. That was almost two years ago and it is still about the same size. I would like to see it double so I could play the 5/10 game a little more. It is still a little too small to survive the 5/10 NL variance. I have done ok in it, but I am always the short stack and have a couple of moves that I cannot use because I can only play tight as a short stack unless I want to try a Gus Hansen and go home in the first hour if it doesn’t work.

I hope to be over in Vegas for a week before Thanksgiving day. I seems to write a lot more when I am on the road in the RV.

Longing to get “back on the road again”, but loving being with my wife at home.

Dealing with a poker jerk

2006-10-27T13:38:00.000-07:00

Well, my plan to make money playing poker while here in Fresno didn’t work. It seems I couldn’t lose money in Washington and I can’t win money in California. I know it has nothing to do with any state, except the state of variance. Which, I am now in, and I hope to get to the other state of variance.

I drove out to the Palace in Lemoore, California and played 1/3 no-limit. There were some good players there, and I had good second best hands. Which means it was an expensive poker session.

I made it to 13th in the tournament and my Pocket Aces went up against pocket 10s and a ten came on the river. That one “hit me in the gut”, I really was playing well, with sharp focus and thought I was going all the way.

I don’t know if that one put me on a “slow burn tilt” or not. I walked for about 15 minutes in the parking lot to get back in a “winning poker” state of mind. Then, I went back in and got outplayed in one hand. Then I participated in a “donkey play” where I caught my gut shot straight, not even thinking about the flush draw on the board. I also somehow didn’t even notice, that I was up against “Rocky the Rock”. My straight card completed his flush, and I was down and out all the cash I had brought.

The next night in Club One in Fresno with a wild loose table I tripled up by buy-in and lost two river suck outs. I pushed in my last $80 on an open ended straight and was called by a bottom pair. No straight came, pair won. A few minutes later, I was driving home through the valley of discouragement.

I thought I had come further in my development as a player to let three in a row losing sessions get me down, but I “fell off the wagon” and let myself wallow in the mud of despair for awhile.

Yesterday, I drove out through the country and played at Chuchchasi Casino up by Yosemite. I call it “Chucky-cheese” casino. They only had 2/4 limit, so I played a couple of hours, had fun, remembered how to enjoy poker and then left for Table Mountain Casino. I heard they had more tables, bigger jackpots, and no-limit.

The first two items were true, but the no-limit is only on weekends. I played 3/6 limit and went up and down for the evening hoping to receive the high hand for the hour. It was a special promotion night, and the high hand every hour received $300. No high hands, for me, but I left up $16. That windfall, and the eight dollars, I won at Chuck-Cheese Casino brought my winnings, equal to the cost of the gas I spent to get here. Oh, it also paid for a dinner of onion rings and coffee, so I guess I am a winner after all.

I did have my revenge on the poker room jerk. You know the type. He locks up a seat with a chip. Then comes back about 10 minutes later and sits down and waits for the blinds to pass. He plays one round without having to post, then gets up and walks away from the table for 3 rounds. Just when they are going to pick up his chips, he comes back, posts and plays one round. Then he is gone for 3 rounds.

For those of you that don’t know poker very well, in a limit game, when a seat is empty it hurts all the rest of the players. The blinds do not decrease, and there is less potential money in the pot. I complained to the dealer about this rude, disrespectful behavior to me and all the other players at the table.

The dealer just shook his head and said “He couldn’t agree with me more, but the old, grumpy, player was a regular and nothing would be done about it.

I told him I understood, but please call the floor man because I wanted to register a complaint about the player, and if enough players did it, maybe something would be done. I also said, from the looks of that player, I would guess he is not a big tipper either.

The dealer almost choked back his laughter, but it got out.

The floor man was on break, but he promised as soon as he got back he would send him over. The other players started agreeing with me and I suggested every time he did that everybody needs to complain and eventually something would be done.

When he came back and sat down, I turned to him and asked “Will you be staying awhile this time?” He muttered, “you never know”. I stared at him for a few minutes knowing most bullies are cowards and he quickly broke eye contact.

The dealer had moved on to another table, but I saw him talking to the floor man, who had returned from dinner, and he sent him over as promised. He approached me and said “You wanted to see me?”

I said “Yes, I have a complaint against this player, indicating the player on my left. In the last hour he has played one free round, paid for one round, and missed 5 buttons. That is both rude and disrespectful to the table. I request you ask him not to abuse the privilege of taking a break or give me a table change. He quickly said “I will get you a table change, right away sir.” The jerk started arguing I was only gone 20 minutes, the player to his left, told him he was gone almost 45 minutes. The jerk was starting to squirm a little. I guess he was used to nobody talking to him about his behavior.

The floor man came back instantly, and said I have your new seat. “I said good luck to the rest of you.”

I glanced back a few hands later and noticed he had done it again. His chips were there and there was already one missed blind indicator at his place.

Later, I talked to the floor man about it, and he said to me, “Me and every dealer here agrees with you and hates that he does that, but there is no rule against him doing it I said I understood, the situation, he was in, but there is the “purpose for the rule” and the “law of the rule”. When the purpose is being abused, and it is hurting other players, you need to either get a rule in place to handle it or use your authority to pick him up, and put somebody else in his seat etc. He sadly, shook his head, and whined “you are right…but, there is nothing I can do……” I thanked him for his time, and said good luck, and decided to head home and enjoy being with my daughter and son-in-law before I needed to leave tomorrow. I felt sorry for the other players, who had to deal with this kind of attitude night after night and that nothing would be done about it. I just hoped others would speak out until this one injustice would cease.

If enough of us speak to the person in charge, and speak to the offender directly, we can get this stopped, rather then be victimized by a few rude jerks that continue to disrespect others at the table in this way.

Selective, assertive, action is better poker then “crying stations”. Speak out for your rights fellow players!

Fresno

2006-10-27T13:37:00.000-07:00

This was such a busy weekend I had no time to blog.

Last Thursday, my plan was to leave Stockton and stop in Modesto or Merced and play for the day. Then I planned to arrive late in the evening at my daughter’s home in Fresno. As I started driving I realized I was excited to see her and I “passed” on poker in Modesto & Merced. I arrived late in the afternoon and my daughter Carrie, her husband David and I went out for a Mexican Dinner It was sure good to see them both..

The next day I rented a car in Fresno, had lunch with Dave and then when Carrie got off work, her and I headed for San Diego in our Gray, Ford Taurus rental with Pokey the dog and his friend Gracey, the wiener dog. They were both in kennels in the back seat, facing each other for entertainment. Eight hours later we all arrived at my home in San Diego. (Imperial Beach Area) Traffic was horrid as soon as we got to L.A. It took an hour just from Burbank to Buena Park.

It was sure good to be with Caren for the weekend. It didn’t seem like very much time at all before we had to leave again on Monday afternoon to get Carrie back to Fresno for her work on Tuesday.

We did manage to get in two different tournaments at two casinos in San Diego over the weekend. Saturday night we played at Viejas in a $70 tournament with about 125 players. I made a couple of poor moves near the end to force myself out when I didn’t need to.

The first one was understandable the second not so much. I was at the third table as the chip leader of the tournament. When the short stack of the table was the big blind I picked up pocket tens in middle position. So I shoved all in to isolate him. I did, and he showed down Ace-Queen. He picked up a Queen on the turn and I didn’t improve. I lost 40% of my stack on that hand. Then a little later we consolidated down to two tables.

When there were 15 people left I figured I better make a play so I raised 3x the blind with 5,6, suited. The big blind called me, and the flop was a K,6,J. He checked and I put in half my stack to his re-raise, which would have put me all-in. I backed down and folded. I went out two hands later with an AK that didn’t improve and lost to a pair.

This was a case where I could have “coasted” to the final table, but I wanted to win, and I know you have to get aggressive and sometimes lucky at that stage of the tournament. I am second guessing myself with that approach so close to the final table. This was a tournament where the blinds doubled every fifteen minutes, and I wonder if it isn’t better to just squeak to the final table and then do the “all-in with any A or K” and see if you get lucky. I will need to give this a lot more thought.

The best part of Saturday night was when our Son Jonathan came to play with Carrie and me in the tournament. We all had dinner with Caren before the tournament at the Casino. It was so nice to have our whole family together. Caren got a little lucky on the penny slots and gave them each $20 and covered ½ my tournament entry. Overall, it was an enjoyable, memorable night together.

Sunday found out sorting and cleaning out our belongings from a water leak into our garage. It ruined some of our stored items and destroyed the ceiling and wall with mold damage while we have been gone. This is an interesting story I will tell later of dueling insurance companies and real estate developers I will tell at a later time.

After running a few more errands with Caren, it was time for Carrie and I to head for my “home casino” Sycuan. I bought in for both Carrie and I into the evening tournament and she went out in the first ½ hour playing a little too loose. I held on until the field of 250 was narrowed to about 60 and was card dead most of the tournament. I did get a lucky break where I was 4X the blinds and I went all-in with an Ace-Seven. Called by a Ace-Queen and a KJ I was looking like I would be walking this hand. The flop came 7,10,4 and I was actually ahead! The turn card was a Queen as I stood to go the river produced another 7 giving me 777. I played another 45 minutes until I went all-in on an AK that ran into AA and I was out.

I got on a cash table a few minutes later and went up and down with my $100 buy-in and then another $50 went on to the table. I played ok, but I ran into AA with AK again and lost my $100. I built back up to $150 when I ended up with AK on the Big Blind.

I played a little ½ NL and ended up losing my buy-in on another bad beat. Carrie and I decided we both had enough and headed back home for the night.

Monday, Caren went in to work early and then met us for lunch in Mission Valley at Carrie and her favorite eatery: Pat & Oscars. We chose Pat’s & Oscar’s for two reasons. The first was they love their salads. The second is we could sit outside and the dogs could join us.

After lunch we said good bye and Carrie, the dogs, and I headed up Interstate 15 toward L.A. I was dreading driving through L.A. in the middle of the day. So, we thought we could miss the most of it by going up Interstate 15 and then cutting across 210 through Pasadena. Carrie used to live in that area, and the closer we got to 210 we realized we were going to have a lot of traffic in Pasadena at the time we were to arrive there.

I decided to go the back way, by continuing up 15 to US395 and going across Hwy 58 to Bakersfield and then north to Fresno. Eight hours later we arrived at Carrie’s home after having to deal with some Highway construction and frequent stops to walk the dogs.

Now I needed to “gear up” to make some money playing poker, while I am here in Fresno.

A losing day in Central California

2006-10-19T12:57:00.000-07:00

I did a bit of driving yesterday. My original plan was to just drive 150 miles to a casino south of Eureka. I arrived there at 2:30 in the afternoon. After parking and entering the poker room, I discovered there is no poker on Tuesday night in this Casino. So I began to drive south on the Avenue of the Giants through the Redwoods of Humboldt and Mendocino counties.

It took a little over 2 hours to go 40 miles because I was averaging 20 miles an hour in order to enjoy driving this scenic alternative to US 101. By the time I got to Willits, home of Black Bart Casino, I had driven 300 miles.

Then I discovered Black Bart’s didn’t have poker either.

Another 20 miles put me in Ukiah. We lived here in 1980-1983. We had some significant memories of our time then. We owned our first home, our son was born there, our daughter went to pre-school, and so on. After driving past the Church, where I was a pastor and then the area we used to live in, I thought “how did we ever live in such a small quiet place like this”?

I tried to locate a poker game in town. I saw a billboard for Robinson Rancheria Casino that offered poker but it was about 22 miles east of the direction I wanted to go. I pulled into a Wal-Mart to cook some dinner and do some thinking.

I called a little casino in Hopland, which is about 20 miles ahead. Even though it was more driving today, it was in the direction I was going. They did have a game, and I knew they had a parking lot where I could spend the night.

It was a very bizarre Poker game. It was 3-6 limit hold-em with 7 people. Everyone except me, played every hand, and bet almost every opportunity.(No raises, no folding, just bets and calls) At least 4 people saw the river every hand.

Five of them appeared to be migrant workers, three spoke only Spanish, two helped interpret for the other three. Four of them weren’t sure what hand beat what, and the dealer would have to help them at showdown. In most cases they didn’t know, if they had won or not when every body showed cards. But, they all had fun.

The game broke in about 2 hours because 4 of them lost all their money. But, they seemed to have a lot of fun at it, even when they lost.

I didn’t catch many cards but I still left up $40 for the couple of hours I was in the game.

The next morning I filled up with gas in Santa Rosa and toured Petaluma. We lived there in 1989.

I looked at our old property and met the current caretaker. She game me a tour and it hasn’t changed much except for the 20 years of tree growth. In 1989 I went through a deep period of depression and one of the things that helped me was planting trees.
So consequently I planted 18 redwood trees, 4 fruit trees, a weeping willow and an assortment of others. As you might imagine, these trees dominate the area around the modular home where we used to live. But, they do look beautiful.

I stopped in at Sonoma Joes Poker room in Petaluma. It is now called Casino 101. They had 6 poker tables and I was able to get into a No-Limit game after playing an hour of 4/8. I was outdrawn three times, and failed to catch a straight and a flush. I was chasing too much. I was down about $500 when I caught two big pair and they held up. I left about 6 p.m. only down about $150

I wish that was where it ended for the day.

But, no…. I wanted to get to the eastside of the Bay Area so I wouldn’t have traffic for tomorrow. I made my way across the top the San Francisco Bay, and crossed the Benicia Bridge into the East Bay area of Pacheco.

I located the Grand Casino in Pacheco and played 6/12 limit while I waited for a seat No-Limit Seat. I lost $300 there and finally my seat opened up in No-limit. I went up and down from 200 to 100 with my initial buy-in. Then four of us called a $25 bet. The button pushed all-in for $125. I had KJ Diamonds and would have thrown it away with one caller. I knew from the stack sizes if I called 2-4 others would also, go all-in giving great implied odds to a hand that would play well multi-way.

I called, and sure enough 4 others called resulting in a pot of about $600. When all the hands were exposed I liked mine the best. The first who pushed all in had A8 off suit. Another had A7, and another had K9 and then a 78off suit. Mine was the most potential outs. The A7 was hearts and he caught three hearts for a flush to win it all.

I was down and out. I had reached the maximum I allow myself to lose in one day, so I gave up my seat and left.

I drove across the California Delta Area in the dark which was an eerie experience.

There was no moon and I could just barely make out the murky water as I drove across the tops of levees and crossed drawbridges, many of which were a single lane for both directions. I was praying I wouldn’t meet a truck or another RV on one of these and my prayers were answered. I thought if I drive off what of these poorly lit, winding levees I will become a permanent part of the California Delta Waterway system and never be seen again.

In Stockton, I missed the turnoff for the Super Wal-Mart, and ended up driving 8 miles in the wrong direction before I discovered my error.

Oh well, tomorrow is a new day. I am looking forward to it.

P.S. Just when I thought I could not get any more unlucky today I awake at 2 A.M. to Pokey barking at someone who is approaching the van and trying to look into the driver’s side window.

Then I notice a yellow flashing light and realize it must be the Wal-Mart security person.

Now, there is a knock on the side door, as Pokey is growling and barking like a mad dog, as I try to locate my clothes and dress quickly in the dark.

I open the door and the security guard is telling me how sorry he is, but he has no choice.

He further tells me he doesn’t agree with the decision, but the manager called him and wants no one sleeping in the parking lot in their RV’s.

There are not a lot of us, only one other Class C and a Class A 35 footer. I guess Stockton is not most people’s vacation destination of choice.

I follow the Class C out of the parking lot. He drives across the street to the Home Depot lot and resumes his sleep.

I decide to go a few blocks further and find a side street with a number of truckers sleeping. I join them for the rest of the night and go back to sleep remembering the only other time we were run off from a Wal-Mart. It was in 2002, in Homestead, Florida at the entrance to the Florida Keys, and several police cars showed up like it was a major drug bust.

In this terrorist age, with repeat offender criminals, let out of prison daily, and serious crime at and all time high, you can sleep well, knowing there are a few brave souls on the frontlines, protecting this country in the middle of the night, by keeping seniors and retirees from invading your local Wal-Mart.

Rich is a state of mind...

2006-10-17T14:34:00.000-07:00

I feel rich today! No, I didn’t win any money last night.

Well, actually, I won $4 for about 5 hours of poker playing.

The poker director and I were laughing as I cashed out my 80 cents per hour for a night of work. We both laughingly remembered, at each of our respective first jobs, we were paid 75 cents an hour.

Mine was working in a fast food place called Henry’s, a “McDonalds” imitation that never made it. I still remember standing outside during a break, late at night, not wanting to go back inside, because I disliked the work.

I have never felt that way about poker yet, and I hope I never do.

I spent the night in the little parking lot at the Elk Valley Casino, just outside of Crescent City, California.

I awoke about 8:30 a.m. and the sun was shining and I was excited.

The reason I was excited about the sun was two fold.

One, it had rained non-stop for the last two days, and more importantly, the most beautiful part of my trip was today. I would be driving through the “Redwoods Forests”.

John Muir, the famous botanist refers to a Redwood grove as “God’s Cathedral”. Even on a bright sunny day, like today, you are in the shade, because these enormous trees go up almost 30 stories, and some are bigger around then the RV is long. Majestic and magnificent fail to describe the experience of standing in a Redwood Grove. Underneath this canopy of trees, ferns grow everywhere, and the quiet is like another world.

Some of these trees have been growing from before man changed the calendar from B.C. to A.D.

US 101 now go around some of the best groves, but I remember the old roads, through the Redwood National Forest, and Prairie Creek State Park. No one drives them anymore except bicycles and those that know they are still there. So after locating the first one, I slow to about 20 miles per hour and roll down the windows to enjoy the drive through the Redwood Forests, as much as I can.

We stopped at a trailhead, and hiked in about a mile. Later, I saw a sign that said dogs weren’t allowed on the trails. Oh, well, Pokey got to “go where few dogs have gone before.”

A little later we pulled over to observe a herd of Elk. Pokey was fascinated by them as was I. Three miles later we saw what I first thought was an auto accident. A number of cars were on the side of the road and people were out milling around. It turns out it was a herd of 30 elk crossing the road and feeding right by the side of the road. We were within 20 feet of them. You could see the wonder on some people’s faces and the enjoyment on many others.

It was in this setting that I realized again that “rich” is a state of mind.

Here we were enjoying this setting and a logging truck comes barreling down the road.

He is both driving too fast for the setting, (this is a posted area with signs indicating an Elk Crossing Area.) and it is obvious that he is bugged that people stop to enjoy the elk.

They possibly impede his progress for a few seconds by slowing and pulling over. He is cursing and yelling out the window while pulling on his air horn to try to stampede the herd. Both the people and the elk looked at him with momentary interest, and then went back to what each was doing before.

In that situation the only one making money was the trucker. Yet, he was, by far, the “poorest one” in that setting of great richness.

For fear of sounding too Zen, I offer this lesson from this experience, “it is not what we possess that is important, it is what possess us that is most important”. Being possessed by wonderment is rich, being possessed by anger, and frustration is abject poverty.

We continued down the road, continuing to enjoy this “sacred setting”. We pulled off the road near the ocean shore just north of Eureka. Pokey, and I hiked through the brush to the ocean and walked, while looking at the rough churning sea of Northern California.

Then after this exercise it was back to the RV for a nap for the both of us.

Since this was turning out to be such a special day I decided to make a “special meal”. I opened the can of Spam, Fried some eggs with it and warmed up some flour tortillas. Of course I added a generous portion of hot sauce to mine. Pokey got all the same for breakfast minus the hot sauce. It was a meal fit for a Mexican King. Since Pokey is both English (Yorkshire) and Mexican (Chiawawa*), he qualifies in both counts.
(*Since I don’t know how to spell it I just wrote it the way you would understand.)

He “gulped it down”, showing his pleasure with brisk, tail wagging. I gulped mine down, but didn’t have a tail to wag.

After cleaning up it was time to get back on the road. After Eureka there are plenty more trees waiting for us.

Didn't it rain....

2006-10-17T14:33:00.000-07:00

I didn’t play the shootout at 11 A.M. at the Mill in Coos Bay, Oregon.

In fact I was on the road by 9:45 A.M.

I think I wanted to get back to California to feel like I was making some progress toward home.
It rained all day again today. In fact the rain was so heavy at times I just pulled off the road and took some breaks three different times today.

The first break was at a view area overlooking the Ocean. There was not too much of a view because of the rain. I utilized the time to clean up the RV, and do a little writing, and make lunch.

Then near Gold Beach, Oregon, I found a little quiet spot near a Visitor’s Information site that was closed for the season. I took a nice long nap to the “drumbeats of rain” on the roof of the RV.

My third stop of the day was Brookings, Oregon when it began to rain so heavily my wipers had difficulty keeping up with the deluge.

I found a rest stop, “fired up” the hot water heater and took a shower and changed out of the clothes I had been wearing for the last two days. (I apologize if that is way too much information for some readers, but I want to be able to communicate the ambiance of an old guy and his dog living in close quarters). I wasn’t sure which one of us really had that “wet dog” smell, so I decided to eliminate the possibility it was me. (grin)

My final resting place for the day is at the Elk Valley, Casino outside of Crescent City, California.

I arrived here close to 5 p.m. and signed up for the 6 p.m. Single Table Tournament and then I am planning on playing some No-Limit Poker afterwards.

Tomorrow, my goal is to make it to just south of Eureka, California. I am hoping for a clear, or at least, a non-rainy day, so Pokey and I can do a little hiking in the Redwood Tree Groves.

P.S. I logged onto my Party Poker account and tried to play a little poker. As Party has promised they have suspended play with all U.S. players. So, I logged onto my account and transferred the $100 balance I still had with them back into my bank account.

An Era has ended. I was a “net loser” on-line over the last year. I shouldn’t be too sad about not being able to lose any more money on Party Poker. And I am certainly better off then many of my fellow Americans who don’t live within a close distance to a place to play poker. It is a sad day for poker players.

We continue to lose more freedoms everyday. Land of the free, home of the brave, needs to up-dated to “Land of the governmental fees and home of the legislative hypocrites.”

The Mill Casino, Coos Bay, Oregon

2006-10-16T13:50:00.000-07:00

It rained all the way from Florence to Coos Bay, Oregon. I stopped about ½ way and took a nap because I planned on playing late in the evening at the Mill Casino in North Bend. We arrived at the Mill Casino in the middle of the day and I went in to check out the poker room. I was slightly disappointed. It was not a room. It was a roped off portion of the casino floor with two tables. The Casino reeked of smoke. Smoking was allowed anywhere in the Casino except the “roped off portion of the two poker tables.” I guess the smoke knew not to go past the ropes.

There was a 4/8 limit game going and the ½ No-Limit game would not start until 5:30 p.m.
I put my name on the list for the No-Limit game and went back to the RV to make dinner for poker and me.

The rain had stopped and the sun was shining, so I took Pokey for a long walk around the Casino park and out to the old wharf on the bay. He seemed to have a lot of fun and broke into a run and jumped quite a few times. I think he was happy the rain was over.

After reading and cleaning up from dinner I went in to play. The game didn’t begin until shortly after 6 p.m. There was one fellow my age, and the other 9 were all young men in their mid 20’s that were Caddies at a local Country Club.

A couple of them were good players. Two of them were really bad. And a few were just fair poker players. Fortunately, one of the really bad ones was lucky at Blackjack. He would lose $200 at poker and go to Blackjack and win a few hundred. He would come back and do it all over again. I think he transferred $800 from the Blackjack tables to the Poker Table. That is the only way I can win any Blackjack money. (That is, when someone brings it to the Poker Table.)

I lost my first hundred and bought back in for another $100. The game broke at midnight and I was about $400 up. So I did alright at the game tonight. I played well, but I got two lucky river cards that accounted for ½ my winnings tonight.

I may play a “shootout” in the morning at 11 A.M. and then hit the road for some serious driving. Tomorrow, I should make it to California on the coast somewhere around Crescent City.

A night in Florence, a day in the woods...

2006-10-15T10:55:00.000-07:00

We spent the night last night in the RV at a Super Wal-Mart in Florence.

Then we drove the 50 miles to the Oregon coast in a light Oregon rain. The drive was so beautiful in the forest, we stopped two times just to walk by the river, through the trees, even though it was raining. Pokey, the dog, enjoyed all the smells, while I went for the visual beauty.

We stopped at a new casino in Florence: The Three Rivers Casino. It is a large dome tent and doesn't have any poker. So after stretching my legs, using their restroom, and walking a couple of times around the building I considered myself lucky and left without placing a bet. (grin)

Now I am sitting next to the "Lighthouse Historic Inn on the Ocean, using their Wireless Connection to write and upload this.

Next stop... The Mill Casino in Coos Bay, down the road another 50 miles.

Here is my tribute to the people that are doing the most damage to this beautiful country of us.

It is all disgustingly true....

Can you imagine working for a companythat has a little more than 500 employees and has the following statistics:

* 29 have been accused of spousal abuse
* 7 have been arrested for fraud
* 19 have been accused of writing bad checks
* 117 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses
* 3 have done time for assault
* 71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit
* 14 have been arrested on drug-related charges
* 8 have been arrested for shoplifting
* 21 are currently defendants in lawsuits
* 84 have been arrested for drunk driving in the last year...

Can you guess which organization this is?

Give up yet?

It's the 535 members of the United States Congress.

The same group that just passed a law banning us from playing on-line poker, because on-line poker was corrupting the moral fabric of this country.

Is it just me?

Or do you also think we are being led by idiots, without a clue?

A blast from the past.....

2006-10-15T10:39:00.000-07:00

I am filled with emotion tonight and memories. I just had dinner with Bruce Westlund, my best friend from 5th grade until I was about thirty. Then we lost track of each other until yesterday, when I contacted him through his brother. I found a reference for his brother Paul on the Internet.

When I was 10 I went to Bruce’s house and said “Do you want to shoot some hoops?”

He was a year older then me at our church and we had only said Hi, a couple of times before that. We played basketball together, and became best friends. I went to a college because he was already there, we were roommates, and we quit college together. Then we joined the Army together. We separated in the Army, when he went to Vietnam and I was stationed in Korea. I got out before him, and got married. He lived with us, for a short time, while he was getting his feet back on the ground from having his head messed up by drugs & Vietnam.

The last time I saw him was in 1982. We had lunch at an Airport in New York City.

Caren, and I were flying back from the Middle East. He was working in New York for Federal Express.

We lost track of each other until tonight. We did a lot of talking to catch up the 25 years we had both lived since then. He is living here in Eugene, with his wife Jean, and near his brother and his family in Eugene.

When we both saw, each other we both started laughing, and I stated the obvious. It looked like we were each wearing “old guy masks.” It took a couple of hours to adjust to the old guy in Bruce’s body, and I am sure it was the same for him.

We laughed, we shared some disappointments in our life and some struggles. He has in-laws near us in San Diego, so we talked about being able to see each other again in a year or so.

What a treat to have such a long time friend who still cares for me and I for him.

I suggested we split the dinner check in case it is another 25 years we won’t remember who owes, whom, a dinner. (grin)

Last of Spirit Mountain...

2006-10-15T10:38:00.000-07:00

Well, the day began with a tournament here at Spirit Mountain Casino, near the Northern Oregon coast. I lasted till the blinds got to 1K & 2K and had 6K left, after paying my big blind. One person limped in and the small blind called and I checked with a J7 unsuited. The flop came J, 10, 8 and the small blind went all in for 4K. I thought he probably had me beat, but I said…”well, I hear you have to get lucky to win one of these things and I threw in my 4K thinking he had a Jack with a better kicker, then the bettor called also behind us. When the hands were exposed, it turns out, the small blind only had a pair of 6’s, but the caller had a J,10 for two pair. I needed a 9 to make a straight, in order to survive. It didn’t come and I was out.

I went back to the RV, played with Pokey, read and took a long afternoon nap. Then after making us dinner, I went in to play for the evening. I played 2-4 N/L from 4-10 p.m. with a very enjoyable table. The two gentlemen to my right, and I told jokes for hours. The whole table was laughing either with us, or at us.

The only part that was frustrating was, there were two horrible players that raised often with nothing. The lost at least a thousand each from their horrible play and very little of it to me. They were such easy money, and I was card dead all evening. I went 3 hours without being able to play a hand. I was willing to play and two cards over tens, and any two suited connectors from 6-10 never once got any cards within that range in that 3 hour period and that is difficult to accomplish.

I only wanted to risk $200 tonight, so I would blind down under $100 before I got any cards to play, and then would double up to $200 and do it again. I think I did it 4 times in 6 hours.

When I got down to $70 I looked for a place to go all in. One of the horrible players, bet $20 in first position and I knew he would not have a very good hand. I only had A,10, but figured everyone else would drop if I went in for my last $70. I did and they did, and he called.

He had a KJ and sure enough a J came on the river and my $200 buy-in was gone. I thanked everyone, and told the two to my right, how much I enjoyed playing with them and joking with them and headed back to the RV to walk Pokey.

Now I am drinking a cup of hot chocolate, thinking about the evening and wondering if there was something else I could have done for a different outcome.

Well, it is still early enough after I am refreshed I may go in for a second round tonight and hopefully get some better cards.

(A little later….)

Well, I did go back and played until 2 A.M. I did catch some cards, and more importantly I caught a couple of players who thought they were a lot better then they were. I was able to have pretty good read on them most of the time and was able to win back most of the money I lost in that wild 10/20 game in La Center.

This will be my last night in Spirit Mountain Casino. I am going to drive down to Eugene Oregon, tomorrow evening to have dinner with an old friend. Bruce Westlund and I were best friends from 10 to age 30 then we lost track of each other for 25 years.

Tomorrow night we will have some catching up to do.

Pokey the dog, enter's his first poker tournament...

2006-10-15T10:36:00.000-07:00

Well Pokey the dog buys into his first poker tournament, but he doesn’t win it. Here is how it happened.

When I pulled into the parking lot of the Chips Casino in La Center, Washington yesterday, I noticed a line of people at the front door of the casino. So Pokey the dog, and I walked over to investigate. We found out that a poker tournament was going to start in 30 minutes, when the Casino opens at noon.

I was also told this was only a three table tournament, and there were already 22 people in line. Three more guys were walking this way. So Pokey and I got in line. One of the regulars said they only allow 5 alternates and then turn away the rest. I was hoping they would come out and give cards or markers to the first 30 in line. Then I would take Pokey back to the RV before I had to go inside. It was not to be.

At noon the doors opened and our line marched in. I picked Pokey up and tucked him under my arm. When we reached the door the security guard looked at me, then at Pokey, and I quickly said. I will take him right out, as soon as I secure my place in line.

The line slowly slinked past the main cage, where the cashier saw Pokey and smiled.

Then when I got to the tournament director’s desk I shielded him with my body, slapped my money down and got my seat card. I did an “about face”, and marched out of the casino, saying “thank you so much”, to the security guard.

I got Pokey settled in the RV, and walked back into the Casino and took my seat waiting for the tournament to begin.

A few minutes later the tournament Director, and another security guard approached my chair on both sides. The director said Sir, do you have a dog with you? I looked at her blankly, and said have you checked under the table?

She said in a stern voice, there better not be a dog under the table.

I said “did someone see a dog?” She said, “upstairs” saw you with a dog”.

I said “really, do you think they might be drinking up there?” Now, she is starting to laugh while still trying to look stern.

I said, I saw the sign at the entrance that said no weapons in the casino, but I missed the sign about dogs.

Now, she is realizing I don’t have a dog, and she is about to laugh at the situation, but she was trying to still act stern. After a moment of her looking at me, I finally said “did you know there was a monkey that played at the World Series of Poker this year” and they made him leave. (Which is true)

She said “she didn’t know anything about that, and grinned and said “crazy old man”.

She wasn’t that much younger then me, so I let that one go with only a grin.

Later, when she came back by, I said, you know that was really a serious situation, no one “carded” him when he came in and he is underage.

She walked away with a grin, just shaking her head.

Then the jokes began at the table about a couple of poker players that smell like old dogs.

And the guy that use to date only dogs before he got married. This hand is a dog… oh, no offence meant… (And on, and on, and on it went).

I didn’t win the tournament, but it sure was fun.

I leave some money at the state line.....

2006-10-12T20:07:00.000-07:00

After understanding the food policy at the Ironhorse Casino, we started driving south on Hwy 161.

I try to avoid Interstates, whenever there is an alternative available. I also try to avoid as much commuter traffic as possible. Taking that approach opens the opportunity for little discoveries like the beautiful Spanaway Park, on the edge of Spanaway Lake.

Spanway Park is a beautiful forest of old growth Pines with cushions of pine needles and well cut paths leading down to a majestic lake. Spanway Lake reminded me of my favorite lake in Wisconsin, Lake Spencer in Waupaca.

Pokey and I enjoyed walking among the beautiful old trees until it began to get dark. We found a back road that skirted around Fort Lewis and eventually got on I5 for a few miles until we exited at the Super Wal-mart in Chellis, Washington. I needed to do a little grocery shopping, and read, and clean up the RV and those are good places to do it.

I hope to get a fairly early start tomorrow in order to make a noon tournament about an hour south of here in La Center where we are planning on spending the day.

(Later in the day)….

I got knocked out of the tournament with the best hand pre-flop. I feel like I did my best whenever that happens. I had pocket 8’s and got called all-in by KQ off-suit. Most players don’t realized how easily dominated that hand is. Not only does any pair dominate it, but most players will call or even call all in with AK when calling. Then ½ of the outs are no good for the KQ.

After the tournament I played 4/8 for a few hours and broke even.

Then I walked across the street and joined a 10/20 game. I had my first significant loss in that game. I am frustrated, not at myself, but at the 5 bad beats it took to beat me at that game in the space of 3 hours. I lost with AA, on the river to a guy who called me down with 4/5 and caught a 5 on the turn. I lost after flopping a straight, three of a kind, and a King high flush along Aces and Kings when I flopped top two pair.

Well, when I think back at my time in Washington. I will remember it fondly, except for this afternoon. I dropped $700, when I should have been up at least $300, if anyone of those bad beats had not occurred.

Oh, vey, dat’s poker, as dey sey!

Well, I am going to dump the crap out of my RV here at the rest stop before I leave the state. I am also working on “dumping” the “bad attitude” I am caring right now too. Too bad changing an attitude is not like dumping the RV. Just attach a hose and open a valve and you are empty and clean again…..

I got to remember and practice what Johnny Moss said years ago….” The next best thing to a day of playing poker and winning is a day of playing poker and losing.

I had my day.

No free food for you

2006-10-12T20:06:00.000-07:00

Policy is policy….

I left Muckleshoot Casino after winning the tournament this morning and headed over to The Iron Horse Casino to play a little 3/6 while I ate their free lunch.

It was not to be. I stopped in and there was a list of 4 waiting for a seat at the table.

Well, I thought I would just order the lunch while I waited. The last two times, I stopped in they asked me if I wanted my player’s food comp while I waited. They were quite friendly about it.

This time there was a Chinese Woman floor manager who was badly in need of customer service skills.

When I asked if I could eat while I waited she said “Only people with player club card can do”. Then I remembered when I stopped in here the first time they were so nice I signed up for the player club card because I thought I would be back.

So I said “no problem, here and handed her my club card. I went over sat down and started looking at a menu. She came back in a few minutes and said. “No free food until you play, you have only played here a few hours. Only customer, who have played many hours here can eat free food before they play.”

I said that is right I have only played here about 6 hours because I joined TWO DAYS ago. Then I made a mistake by attempting to use logic with her. “So when I get a seat how long will I have to play before I order free food?

She said. “No wait, you play, you can order right away”. Ok, I say let’s see if I got this straight. I want to play now. But, you can’t give me a seat now. You don’t have a seat for me.
I want to eat, but I can’t eat till I get a seat?

She then proceeds to say, “I explain policy to you so you understand. I said I don’t understand your policy. She said “I explain, you play a lot of hours on your card. you eat before you play. You not play a lot of hours you eat when you play. “Now I explain policy and you understand”.

I said are you the poker supervisor today? She said yes and proceeds to begin to explain the policy again. . I said I understand your policy now. I don’t like your policy. I don’t like your customer service policy. I don’t like your room anymore, I quit your club, here take my card, I don’t stay now that I understand your policy.

She continued to follow me to the door saying that is policy.

I went to the RV and ate lunch in peace.

Won a tournament!

2006-10-11T16:31:00.000-07:00

I woke up in time to just make it to the morning $60 buy-in No-Limit tournament at Muckleshoot Casino. There were about 40 players and the tournament started at 10:30 A.M.

I won it.

I had almost all the chips, though I did agree to a chop within a chop.

They normally only pay 4 places in this tournament. When there were 6 people, we agreed to give everybody $200 out of the price pool, regardless of what position they went out in. Then first place would pay an additional $300 and 2nd place would pay $100.

I did play well. I avoided playing suited K10, in two different situations I used to do without thinking much about it. In either case I would have been knocked out of the tournament had I played that hand.

There is one noteworthy hand that caused me to win the tournament. We were down to 5 players and the blinds were 1K & 2K.

I had about 12K and was the 2nd lowest chip count. I was in seat 1 on the small blind.

Seat 7 raised it to 4k of his 8k in chips. Seat 8 raised it to 6K which to me, based on his previous play was an obvious attempt to steal it with a non-premium hand or he would have gone all-in.

I thought about it for quite awhile and believed he was on a King high to do that.

I went all-in for my 12K with my A5 suited. The big blind right behind me, started to call by throwing in a handful of 1k chips across the line. He then froze up with fear and said I thought the bet was only 6K not 12K and pulled his chips back out of the pot.

The tournament director was actually dealing to give a dealer a break at the time. I glanced at him and he looked back at me. Technically, if a player objects, to that breach of the rules, that player is forced to put in his chips and call the bet.

I held my mouth shut. The tournament dealer continued to look at me and I said nothing.

He then proceed on with dealing the hand. He cannot call the foul. He can only enforce it when another player points it out. I did not want him in, and I was not about to force him into playing.

The hand was played out. An Ace came on the flop. I won it with a single pair of Aces with my weak little 5 kicker. The big blind, the player, who had retracted his bet was in anguish. He had an A10 and he believed I must have had a bigger kicker then him to play it that strong.
The tournament director told him and I the real play of the day was when I didn’t say anything and let him retract his chips.

He said a lot of players immediately react to something like that and say he has to put his chips in. My nice guy image, deceived the player, and offered a reasonable reason for my not objecting to him, removing his chips, out of the pot, after he had thrown them in.

I then was able to use my big stack to bully the table and knock two others out, which gave me the mammoth chip lead.

I was willing to split the pot, and possibly make a $100 less then I might have, because I am a nice guy. However the real reason I agreed to chop at the end is, because I know anything can happen in a poker game regardless of how many chips you are ahead.

Back to Auburn again....

2006-10-11T01:26:00.000-07:00

This afternoon in Renton, Washington, Pokey the Dog and I walked around in the city park. A couple of guys playing basketball let me borrow one of their basketballs. I shot some free throws. The shooting and the bouncing of the basketball freaked Pokey out a little and he stayed on the outside of the court.

I went into Diamond Lil’s Casino in Renton which had a number of nice games. They played 4/8, 8/16 &12/24 limit which I had never seen before. I asked about the tournament and was told it started at 6:30 p.m. I should have asked what kind of tournament it was?
I bought in for the $65 and then walked Pokey the ½ hour before it started.

The first hand I raised to $200 and was laughed at. It was a limit tournament. The limits at that time were $25. (That was all you could bet)

I never play limit tournaments. I don’t think there is much skill involved, you just have to get luck and have the best cards. Also they take a long time to complete. I didn’t last very long in the tournament and was soon looking for a live game.

I started at a 4/8 game waiting for a 8/16 seat to open up. It did, and the table was filled with pretty good players. I was able to get up only about $40 in the first hour. Then a new table started and I moved over to it hoping to find a “softer” game. I did and was able to double my $200 buy-in over the next hour.

I decided to start driving back further south toward Muckelshoot Casino in Auburn because this Casino had no parking lot. I was parked in a grocery store lot that had just closed and it was a pretty dark lot.

When I drove back into Auburn, I remembered where a couple of Internet access points were. I drove to one of them upload my latest blog. I also spent a little time reading other Poker Blogs and checking my email.

I stopped in the Iron Horse Casino I had visited here in Auburn last week and was able to double up my money on a 3/6 game. I got some nice cards and made some big pots with two sets against top two pair. They also have free food comps, so I had a salad and sandwich on them.

I am going to drive the two miles to Muckleshoot Casino and spend the night in their parking lot. Tomorrow, I may start driving further south.

I will check to see if their No-Limit game is going tonight. I kind of doubt it because of it being Tuesday night.

Only a couple of days left in Washington.

Good night from Muckelshoot Casino.

Renton Casinos...

2006-10-10T23:04:00.000-07:00

Well, I woke up in the parking lot of the Drift on Inn and Hollywood Casino in North Shore, Washington at 11:00. It was just in time to make Pokey the dog and me breakfast and get inside for the 11:30 morning tournament. Who needs to shower and change clothes when you are an old guy and a dog traveling in an RV. It would be different if Caren were with us, but brushing my teeth and hair is enough for this morning. (I will refrain from trying to turn this into a joke about the “hair of the dog”.)
Who do I want to impress anyway? (I know who will be there, 40 other old guys, who have the time to play a poker tournament at 11:30 in the morning on a work day. Beside they wouldn’t be impressed if I came in a Tuxedo. In fact, it would make the jokes that much worse.)

I made the final table and went out in third place for $220. I only got all-in lucky once. Early in the tournament I went raised all-in with an Ace-King diamonds and got called by a pair of Kings. The flop had an Ace and he was upset, but as I candidly admitted when he said he had the best hand pre-flop “You got to get lucky, to win one of these things.”

I was the chip leader when were at three and the other two were playing super cautious. We also had made an agreement to split the pool $220 for 2nd & 3 and $270 for 1st so I played a little more aggressive at this point thinking I could dominate. I would have if it wasn’t for two hands getting outdrawn. The first one I went all in with KK against 99 and a third 9 flopped. He won that one.

The very same guy I went all in with 99 two hands later and he turned over AQ. A third 9 flopped giving me almost a lock. However, anything can happen in a poker draw and it did. The other two in the flop were J,7. The turn was K, and the river a 10 for him to hit a runner-runner-gut-shot straight. It was a very low probability, but as I say about probabilities in poker draws, after the fact it is a 100% probability and no amount of skill can beat a lucky draw.

I felt very good about my tournament play and it took two low probability outdraws to get me out of the tournament.

So we headed south through Seattle to a South East Suburb of Renton. I am planning on playing here tonight and finding a place to stay the night here.

Pokey and I stopped at the main public park for some serious walking time and dog playing time. He has been such a great companion on the trip and has done so well in the RV with me.

I just flipped on the hot water heater. I may take a little nap, make dinner, and take a shower before I go to Diamond Lil’s or Freddie’s Club. I have a program on the computer even when I am not on-line that let’s me look up any address in the U.S. and get directions to it. It has served me well in finding my way to small casinos I see advertised in Poker Magazines.

One day, seven Casinos

2006-10-10T02:18:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally had a losing session. It wasn’t bad though. I lost $100 playing 4/8 at the Drift On Inn after 3 hours of play there tonight.

Today, has been a marathon of Casinos for me.

I woke up this morning and left the Tulalip Indian Casino and drove into Everett, Washington and stopped first at the New Grove Casino.

They have my vote for the friendliest casino I have ever been in. After you give your name, each of the dealers calls you by name. Even the dealers, who have just come on shift, after you have been there awhile, call you by your name. The regular players each call you by your name. The level of respect was truly remarkable.

I played 3/6 Omaha until a seat in the 4/8 Hold-em game opened up. I moved tables about $20 up. I then played another two hours and left this casino up $12.

I drove a little farther south on Hwy 99 and came to an Iron Horse casino. There was a tournament starting in a half hour, so I went out to the RV and made dinner for pokey and me.

There were 24 people in the tournament and I finished in 5th place. It paid me $25 which was the amount of the buy-in. So I broke even for the tournament.

I drove just a little further down Hwy 99 and stopped in at the Royal Casino. All they had was one table of 3/6. When I told the board man “I think I will drive a little more”, he said, “that’s a good idea”, looking over at the guys at the table. I am not sure what exactly that meant, but I thanked him and started out the door. I noticed they had a lot of decks of cards stacked over in the corner and I requested some for the patients at Caren’s hospital program. They were very gracious and gave me an entire case of used decks of cards for her.

Another 10 miles down the road I stopped in at the Silver Dollar Casino. They did not have any poker going at the time so I went down the block to the Red Dragon Casino. As you may guess, it appeared to have Asian ownership and a lot of Asian customers. I played 4/8 for a few hours and was served a free Chinese dinner of General Tso Chicken over broccoli. It was very delicious.

I left there up 2 dollars, plus a free meal, and drove down the road and saw the Drift-on Inn. I had stopped there on the way north and had a very nice time.

This time I decided to park right by the casino entrance so I could spend the night in what I believe to be a safe, well-lit area. The last time I was here I parked on the perimeter of the parking lot and the area did not feel that safe to me.

So the net count today is 7 casinos visited and about a net $80 loss. I sure got in a lot of hands of poker for that $80 and if I hadn’t made a dumb mistake on one of the last hands I played, I would have broken even.

I had a 5,6 and the flop came 776. I bet out and 4 people called. I assumed one of them must have the 7. The turn was an 8 and I checked. Three people bet. I decided to call because the pot odds were good and I had an open ended straight draw. I probably should have raised, but I went passive on this hand, which is usually not a good thing to do.
Then the river came a Q and I checked and two people called. They were both good players. I thought one of them surely has a 7. The first caller threw his hand in face down for a fold after getting called. The second one turned up an A9. All he had was an Ace High. I would have won with my pair of 6’s he bluffed both me and the other guy who threw his hand face down out of the pot. It was a good play and maybe, if I had not played all day, I would have called and won, like I should have because of the amount of money in the pot.

Oh, well, that really is the only mistake I can think of that I made today, and it didn’t cost me too much, so I am not going to be too hard on myself for that one. I am going to just try not to do it again.

Well, tomorrow is another day. Hopefully, it will be clear, because I am hoping to do a little sightseeing in the east suburbs of Seattle.

Tuda-loo Tudalip!

2006-10-09T11:55:00.000-07:00

I am going to miss this place. So far the nicest poker room and the nicest RV parking lot I have enjoyed on this trip has been here at Tulalip in Marysville, Washington

I am planning on leaving tomorrow, but I have not had a losing session here at all. I wonder how long it could go on?

I just came back from another later session in the evening on 3/5 No Limit. I bought in for $200 and cashed out $800 about 2 hours later. I am playing at the right times. I have been lucky hitting cards, getting out early, and taking advantage of my position. It has been a very profitable time here at Tulalip, but I do need to start moving on. Beside, the Casino closes at 6 A.M. and I have heard the games will not be that juicy until closer to next weekend. So I am trying to play smart as well as play at the right times.

It is a very cold night tonight with a full moon out. There is frost on the windows. I think it is ice on the outside of the front window shield.

Tomorrow I will stop by Marysville to upload these last couple of blogs and then will check out Everett and a couple of little casinos I saw there on the way. I am hoping to find a rest stop with a RV dump so I can start this next leg of the trip with empty holding tanks and a full load of fresh water.

Good night for now from the great Northwest. Let’s see how I do with some weekday limit games at smaller clubs. Maybe, I will get to play one of those blackjack tournaments again.

How not to celebrate a birthday.....

2006-10-09T11:53:00.000-07:00

The one thing about Poker is no matter how many times you have played it. No matter how many years you may have played, you will probably see something new every day you play.

Today I did. I just participated in the hand of the century. It is hard to imagine I will ever see anything quite so unlikely or so emotionally satisfying.

I sat down at a 3/5 No Limit game at Tulalip Casino. There was an Asian woman who was celebrating her 39th birthday by drinking all day. She was loud, she was obnoxious, she was drunk, and she would go all in with no hand or any hand. I also suspect she was maniac-depressive on a maniac episode.

She would lose a thousand. Then she would re-buy and go all in on a 5 and a 7 for $500.

Of course the KK would call her and she would catch a 5 and a 7 for two pair to get a thousand back.
I was getting a headache from her noise and I didn’t wish to play poker like this so I moved to the bigger game that was just opening up. She moved there.

She continued that pattern and I won a couple of smaller pots. However, I wasn’t willing to move in $500 pre-flop, so I couldn’t play much and folded respectable hands when she would do that.

Now comes the hand of the century.

I looked down at pocket tens on the button. A bet for $25 was made, then it was called by three people. I decided since I had been playing so tight this would be a good time to try to steal the $100 out there so I raised it to $125. The person to my left, who had about as many chips as I had, re-raised it to $325.

The yelling birthday girl goes all in for $450. The seat to my right goes all in for $450.

I was praying he wouldn’t bet, so it would be an easy decision for me to fold. It is now $325 more to me, but I had won about $700 so far and the odds were acceptable, so I decided to gamble by calling.

The flop came 5,5,Q The guy with chips looks at me and checks. I check back. The turn comes another 5. I have a full house with 10’s, but I don’t think that is going to be good enough to win this hand. He checks and I check.

The river comes the 4th five, putting quad 5’s on the board with a queen kicker. Any Ace or King is going to win the pot and I am looking at tens.

He checks, I check and the four of us turn over our cards. The guy to my right has 88, I have 10,10, the guy to my left has JJ, and the screamer has QQ, who proceeds to scream at the top of her lungs “I won, I won.” Not once, not twice, but more times then I could count. This was not your ordinary screaming either. This was glass shattering, hands over their ears by the persons on either side of her, and potential serious ear damage screaming. “I won, I won, I won….” finally someone got her attention and told her this $1700 pot she was screaming, that she thought she had won, was a 4 way split. She did not win it.

Everybody who played won, because the best hand was the board quad 5’s with a queen kicker. It didn’t matter that she had 3 queens. We all shared the board Queen, and no one had a King or an Ace that would have been higher then the board.

Now her screaming of ecstasy turned into shrieks of cursing. The guy next to her, told her to shut up, and they got into a yelling match. Then the floor person came over to try to quiet her down and she walked out of the room, while yelling at the dealer, the floor person, and the player to her right in a rapid, maniac, shrieking manner.

As we stacked our $450 of chips each, that we had put in the pot, the smiles were ear to ear. Even the people who were not in the hand, and the 20 or so people who had gathered around the table to watch the spectacle were laughing and talking about that hand.

The river 5 was the only card in the deck that could have produced that four-way split.

She had the best hand from Pre-Flop thru the turn, and only the highest mathematically improbability possible in poker could have had this result.

Only the emotion, the drama, the probabilities, and the psychology of poker could have produced a experience like this. It could not have been scripted any better.

Tulalip Tournament Today!

2006-10-09T11:51:00.001-07:00

Well, I just finished a nap in the RV this afternoon. I am going in to play for the evening in just a few minutes, but I thought I would tell you about my tournament this afternoon.

The tournament was a $50 buy-in and started at Noon. They paid bounties of $10, if you knocked someone else out. Everybody got a green token and you put that in with your all-in money. The person who knocked you out would receive the green token. You were paid $10 for every green token you possessed, when you reached the final table, or were knocked out yourself. (Assuming you had more then one green token at that time.)

There were 170 beginning players. I was steadily accumulating a chip stack. I was the big blind for $200 when a player two seats to my right threw in $800. I thought he was all in, because he had just gone all in for 400 and had won just the blinds the previous hand. It turns out he still had $200 hidden under his hand.

In a tournament you turn over your hand faceup, when you are in against one other person and all their money is in. It is considered bad form to slow roll, especially when you think you have the best hand. So, I promptly turned over my Ace, Queen hearts which I believed was the best hand at that point based on his previous play.

The dealer immediately said my hand was “dead” and pushed the pot to the other player.

I said “what are you doing? It is only him and me in the pot. He said that’s the rules. I appealed to the floor man who said “your hand is dead” and walked away. I couldn’t believe they had such a stupid rule. If you show your hand, even if one other person is in the pot with you before the dealer says turn over your hand, your hand is declared dead.

I am not convinced the regular hid two chips under his hand deliberately. It was a very unusual bet to bet $800 to try to steal the blind when you have $1,000 in chips.

I asked for the reason a rule like that was in place here? I have never heard of it anywhere else when you are heads up with someone. I was told in response that’s the rule.
I had to go take a walk to calm down. I was playing very well and I was upset and I knew I couldn’t play well this upset.

I came back a few minutes later, listened to music on the Ipod and decided the best thing to do was to get back on my game and play as well as I could. I have always had difficulty with rules, that make no sense, and especially with people, who simply say that’s the rules without being able to offer a explanation for why the rule is in place.

Later during the break the dealer admitted he hated the rule and had almost told me to turn my cards over, because he thought the other fellow was all-in also. He said if I had waited for him to tell me to turn them over things might have been different.

Later, when I got hold of the tournament director, he said the reason they have the rule is when a person goes all in and the other person who is thinking about calling shows his cards to him he may try to get a read off him. I said you mean like they do in all the WSOP and WPT tournaments? That is a regular part of poker. He sheepishly admitted well that’s how we do it here.

Then I said “in that kind of situation then can I just tell him what I have to try to get a read off him”? He said I won’t allow it. I said what if I lie and tell him something I don’t have? He said “I won’t allow it”. I thanked him and walked away thinking glad he wasn’t around a little earlier when I did just that.

I had pocket kings in the small blind. The blinds were $50-100 The first to act said I raise and he put in $200 Three people called. I said that’s not a raise. This is a raise...$1200. He thought about it for a moment or two and called. The flop came AA7. It couldn’t be worse for me. I checked and he bet out $1000. I thought about it for a long time. He didn’t go all in. Does he want a call? No, he could have checked or bet small if he did. He doesn’t totally look relaxed to me. I said time, and thought about it for a long time.

Finally I said “I haven’t gotten to a point where I can lay down pocket kings yet” as I slowly reached for chips. I thought I saw a slight flinch and I knew I had him. “I am all in”, I declared. He dejectedly said, “good call” and threw in his hand. The table was appreciative, and I heard one person say “now that’s good poker”. I felt good about my improvement in slowing down and reasoning out hands along with picking up information from others.

When I reached the final table I had 7 tokens to turn in. Whereas, I bought in for $50 and just cashed $70 and would make no less then $200 for at least 10th position I felt pretty good about the tournament, but still thought that odd rule was quite stupid.

I placed 2nd and took away $800 for this 4 hour tournament. It has been a while since I placed high in a tournament. It felt really good.

The great thing about RV travel.....

2006-10-09T11:51:00.000-07:00

I awoke to another day of cold rain falling on the RV roof. I stayed under the covers as long as I could, but there is a tournament later this morning so I can’t stay here all day. (grin)

For those of you who have just stated reading, or haven’t read this blog for awhile I am one week into a month long trip to prove to myself I can be a professional player.

(Caren my wife, Pokey the dog, and I left San Diego in the RV to drive to Chicago to attend my sister-in-laws funeral. Then we spent the next 2 weeks enjoying Caren’s vacation time from work, as we traveled across the country from Chicago to Portland via Yellowstone National Park.

Caren flew back to San Diego on 9/30 from Portland, which began a month long poker trip from Washington to San Diego for me and Pokey. So far I have lived in the RV one month today. I just finished one week on my own with daily calls to Caren. It took me a week to get from Portland to just north of Everett, Washington (a typical 3 hour drive)

I have played in about 10 casinos and I am up almost, what I hoped to earn on the trip. I still have a long way to go and many casinos to play in. But, it has been a great trip so far.)

Yesterday was spent walking, reading, and then driving 2 miles into town where I knew I could connect with a Wireless Internet connectionn to upload my blog entries and read email.

I played 3/5 No Limit last night at a table of very good players. A couple of them told me after we had played quite awhile this table was unusually tight tonight. I was up around $100 for 4 hours of play when another table seat came open. I moved over there and was able to double my profit from some weaker players. I did lose a $100 the first hand I played when I tried a naked bluff that got called. After that everything I played got called, because they thought I was a bad player. I didn’t plan on getting “caught in a bluff”, but it worked out well for me with the play I got afterward.

I am at the most northern place I will be on this trip. From this point I am going to turn south tomorrow and begin a very slow trek toward San Diego.

My plan at this point is to play a few more days in Washington, then take a few days through Oregon on the coast. There are a couple of small card rooms in Crescent City, & Eureka, California I want to play. After that, then down through the Redwoods and Wine Country to the San Francisco Bay Area.

My plans also include at some point renting a car from Fresno and leaving the RV at my daughter Carrie’s home and driving to San Diego for a weekend trip with her to visit Caren. Upon my return to Fresno, I will then turn over to Las Vegas near the final leg of my trip.

The great thing about RV travel is you can make general plans, and just have a vague idea of where you want to go and no reservations are required. Many people see the destination of a trip. The true RV mindset sees the trip as the destination as soon as you begin as the trip. Or has Budda once said “The road is the trip”. Or maybe that was “Bubba” at the trailer park I heard that one from. You know now that I think about it, it may have been a line from “Easy Rider”. (grin)

"Work day, work day.....

2006-10-07T14:39:00.000-07:00

As I awake in a dark RV I feel like I have had plenty of sleep, however, I usually don’t wake up while it is still dark. A glance at my watch indicates it is 10:30 and since I went to bed at 2 A.M. I realize it must be the morning. Sliding the curtain of the RV open reveals the answer to my dilemma .

It is dark and raining with a heavy cloud cover. That’s why it is so dark in the R.V.

A few minutes later I am dragging Pokey the dog out of the RV for his morning bathroom trip. He has never been out in the cold rain and wants to keep his record unblemished. But, whereas I out weigh him by over 260 pounds he is soon grumbling and peeing on a bush next to the driveway of the Super-Wal-mart we slept at last night.

Since this is not a good day for sightseeing and I won’t be playing poker until the evening I declare it a work day.

Wisely, we start it off with another hour under the covers until I am convinced the hot water heater I just turned on, will provide me with a “bone warming” experience. It does and I decide I might as well do a little RV house cleaning to further warm up. It can’t all be fun and games on this trip. (grin) All the same chores as a home, Vacuum, clean the kitchen, make the bed, clean the bathroom and mop the floor. Because this is a 26 foot Motor home I am done in about 9 minutes. (grin) I light some aroma candles to help mitigate the old guy and his dog smell that must be building in here. We of course are immune to it.

I spent a couple of hours writing blogs and looking at maps for gathering information regarding which direction I will start going now that I have reached my northern most point of this trip.

Then it was time to take a jaunt into town to use the access to the Internet I discovered in a neighborhood nearby here yesterday. I caught up on reading poker blogs and the news and speculation about the law against on-line gambling in the United States. So much for the World Trade Organization and it’s ability to influence the U.S. The rest of the world will be able to play poker on-line and it will become illegal to do so in the U.S. When the World Trade Organization told the U.S. it was a hypocrite because they said they morally object to gambling but they run Lottery’s in almost every state. What the government objects to is any successful business they don’t control. Now that’s immoral!

Most of us poker players want the government to regulate on-line gambling not prohibit it. We are going to have another prohibition on our hands. People still will play on-line, only illegal companies will provide it, which will fuel organized crime, until the government finally gives in to the “will of the people” and changes a ill conceived law. Then we will have a new well financed group of criminals that will now go into other business ventures.

Speaking of business ventures, I went into Tulalip Indian Casino last night to play 3/5 No Limit. I bought in for $200 and had to do a rebuy with in an hour. I made a call I shouldn’t and the other player had the goods. I played a K9 and he played a KQ. I don’t usually play K9 anymore unless I am on the button and this case was in early position. I bought another $100 and was able to cash out 3 hours later with a net profit of +200.

I went back to the RV and made a later dinner, and played with Pokey. After a walk for the two of us I went back in and joined the same table when a seat opened. It was almost an exact repeat of my first session.

The level of play here is a little tighter then Muckleshoot. I have to shift my game to primarily stealing blinds and being a little more aggressive then I am used to playing. I prefer to set traps and not be the most aggressive on the table, but on this table I don’t have much choice. There are about 4 rocks and 5 timid players that seem to only play and call the nuts.

So what would Brunson do? Play only when in good position. Come in with a big raise and then bet big if the flop is scary.

It seems to have worked. I cashed out another +200 for the night using this method.

I headed back to the RV for a night of sleep and another day here at Tulalip Casino tommorow.

"Drift on Inn"

2006-10-07T14:37:00.000-07:00

As I drove north on Hwy 99 we came to Shoreline. I had passed one Casino that looked like parking was going to be a problem. Then I saw the “Drift on Inn Roadhouse” Casino up ahead. It was right next door to the Hollywood Casino. They both have the same owners.
This was where I was planning on spending the night. However, the parking lot did not feel safe. The neighbors would be quiet though. The place I found to park the RV was right next to a large Jewish Cemetery. After walking Pokey next to the Cemetery, I went in and joined the only game going. It was a 4/8 limit game. I asked why there were only 5 people playing? The dealer said there was a tournament that had just started next door and it would get busy as people dropped out of the tournament and “drifted over”. He was right.

I began getting a great run of cards and was up over $200 on my buy-in of $100, within an hour. Then I looked down to see pocket 3’s in first position. I will usually throw these away to any raise and “for a change” no raise came. The game was pretty loose with a few players almost always playing non-premium hands. The flop gave me a three and I bet it. The turn came another three, for quad “3”s for me. I checked it. Then I checked the river. I really expected a bet I could raise. I also had noticed a sign that indicated I would get something extra for 4 of a kind. I didn’t know the rules whether 2 people had to get to the river or not with it for me to get the bonus.

I did get a bonus from the casino of $100 for the quad threes.

I also heard there was a free blackjack tournament that started at 8:30 p.m. It was now 8:15 and my run of cards seem to have ended. So I cashed out and signed up for the tournament.

The Blackjack tournament wasn’t totally free for me. If you made the final table you could buy add-on extra chips for $40. I did make the final table and everybody else was doing it, so I need to.

There were three rounds of blackjack, with 24 people in the tournament and we played 6 to a table. The top 7 would go to the final table. There was a ½ hour break between rounds. So the whole event took until midnight to complete.

I went back and played poker during the breaks. During the first break I won the $40 I paid out for the Blackjack tournament. The second break I was able to take another profit of $120 off the table. The third break I just waited for the final table without risking losing my profit of over $300 for the day.

In the BJ tournament only the top three players were paid. I came in 5th. But, I have to admit it was fun. I might play another little blackjack tournamentsif the opportunity presents itself again. But, it is totally luck and has no skill attached to it, in my opinion.

Most of the small casinos have pretty good food comps, worth at least one lunch or dinner. I had the Thursday special of Salmon & chips. Counting what I have purchased from Wal-Mart, I have eaten Salmon four times this week. It must be the Northwest. I never have Salmon at home. Of course Caren, dislikes the smell of fish, and that deters me from eating Salmon at home or when we are “dining out” together.

It was after midnight when we got back on Hwy99. The parking lot at this casino looked even more dangerous late at night.

My “backup” plan was to drive to Marysville close to the Tulalip Casino which would be our most Northern Casino we were going to visit, before I turned south to head toward home.
I did exit once in Everett and drove slowly around three motels. They did not have wireless. I got off one exit before the Wal-mart in Marysville and started trolling a neighborhood close to the business section for wireless presence.
I found it right away with a public parking lot close enough that I would go unnoticed. I up loaded to the Internet and checked my email.

It was only one more mile to the Super Wal-mart we were going to stay at. I had no idea how close it was to the Tulalip Casino. It was in the same parking mall strip. But, I was too tired to visit the Casino. Then it was “lights out” on a beautiful day, as we crawled into bed for sleep. Thank you Sam, for Wal-Marts.

The Boston of the North West....

2006-10-06T16:56:00.000-07:00

This time I was able to drive into the South Seattle area without consulting the map too often and located Hwy99. My plan was to sightsee up Hwy99 from South to North. It goes the length of the city. I passed the Sea Tac airport area and then came to a busy truck/train/ship industrial area before downtown.

I wanted to write, shower and make breakfast in the RV and I knew I could find plenty of room to park in this kind of area.

Downtown areas of large cities are a real challenge for the RV traveler because parking space is at such a premium. I made breakfast, cleaned up while Pokey watched the hyper-activity of trucks, trains and ships going by the windows. He was fascinated.

After breakfast we drove the rest of the way to the downtown area. I located the ball park. It was about 1 mile from the center of the downtown area I wanted to walk around in.

I found a parking lot that could handle the RV and I was willing to walk to save money. It was right across from the ballpark and I paid $6 for the entire day.

Pokey and I set off for our walking tour of Seattle. From the ball park to Pioneer Historic area was a very funky area. Artist studios, old loft type businesses and apartments, and lots of outdoor drinking areas ready for when there is a ball game on.

There were a lot of homeless people in the downtown area. Pokey, and I sat in the park and watched the pigeons, the homeless, (mainly mentally ill), and the office workers eating their lunch in Pioneer square.

We then walked down by the water front. This was the ferry terminal areas and there wasn’t much to see. It was busy with ferry commuters coming or going to Bainbridge Island, Victoria, or Bremerton and points west.

The buses in the downtown area are free and Pokey was allowed on. So we jumped on a city bus and did some sightseeing that way. We got off at the last stop in the free zone and walked through another funky area and made our way toward Pike Place market.

I heard a “whole lot of barking” and so we investigated and found a little doggie daycare. It is a store front with a large picture window. You can watch the dogs play. Rather then leave your pet at home alone, you drop him off to play with others while you are at work.

Pokey and I looked for awhile through the window while that old song “How much is that doggie…… went through my head. Pokey and a white cocker spaniel each put there paws on the windows from different sides trying to connect. We went in for a while and met a few of the dogs and then continued our walk. Within a couple of blocks there was a little dog park. Talk about a dog friendly city! They can ride the buses for free, go to daycare and even own their own park.

This was my first visit to downtown Seattle. In the sunshine, I loved it. To me it looks like “Boston in the Northwest.” I have never heard anybody make that comparison, but the downtown area I saw looks similar to me.

We found Pikes Market where they “throw the fish” and entertain the customers with their banter. There were visual treats and many exotic smells for both Pokey and I to enjoy. After Pikes Market, we caught another bus until the area looked familiar and we headed back toward the ballpark.

I stopped at an historic tavern and had a local brew and a falafel that I bought from next door. We chatted with a shoeshine guy between his customers while I read the paper. The guy at the next table bought the shoeshine guy a beer and then we all chatted. What a great day.

By the time we got back to the RV Pokey and I were both exhausted. I started to type a little and within minutes Pokey was asleep. That looked like a good idea so I joined him.

We were awakened about an hour later by a truck noise and a whoosing sound. Pokey was at the window barking and barking. There was a fire truck that had pulled up about 20 feet away and had attached their hose to a hydrant and were testing their “water cannon” and testing all their hoses. I watched for a few minutes and then went back to my writing. Pokey made sure he watched them the entire time they were there.

It was about 5 p.m. and gotten overcast, so I thought we better get going. I planned on finding a casino on Hwy 99 and playing and maybe spending the night there.

Traffic was a little heavy with people leaving downtown, so as soon, as I saw, a waterfront park we pulled over to walk and wait another walk for traffic to diminish. I had a cigar and looked at the water and mountains on one side and the Space Needle and downtown buildings on the other.

We left the park as it started getting dark and we set out to find the casino I was going to play in tonight.

Sunny Day in Seattle

2006-10-06T16:54:00.000-07:00

Well, I got my wish for clear skies today.

I woke up at 7 a.m. which is really unusual for me and rushed in to Muckleshoot Casino to see if the game I left last night at 1 a.m. was still playing. It had been a juicy game for me. It wasn’t. It had stopped at about 4 a.m.

I was invited to sit down and play 4/8 limit, the only game going in the poker room. I enjoyed the conversation with the young man to my left who was well spoken, gracious and intelligent. However, the old crude, ignorant, outspoken old codger across from us kept jumping in whenever he heard a word he could relate to. It didn’t make a bit of difference to him that it had nothing to do with what we were discussing or that it made little sense. He had an opinion and he was going to “damn well give it” (it was laced with expletives and terms like, communists, U.N., nuke them all, stop giving them money, etc, etc, every chance he had. Both the young man and I would stop talking for a few minutes, let the air clear, and try to pick up where we had left off. This went on for about 20 minutes before it became apparent that he wasn’t going to stop and they we were both to gracious to say “Will you shut the F**# up! So we both just played our cards without comment. The old women too my right kept swearing under her breath in both English and Chinese Two young men at the other end of the table were talking about how to treat a women and none of their suggestions to each other were within a mile of political correctness let alone without potential jail time if some of the suggestions were followed.

Not only was the ambiance characterized by “crude, dumb and dumber”, this was the worst play I had ever seen, and I managed to lose $140 at it. On a Kill pot that was raised, I got my buy-in of $80 in on pocket Kings in good position. The flop came 3,A,9,. Three players saw the turn and all checked to me, so I wasn’t worried about an Ace in one of their hands, as I continued to lead the betting all the way when checked to. We lost one at the flop. The turn was a 5 card and I felt pretty sure this older fellow wouldn’t be betting this much on a 2,4 hand. He checked and I bet. He called. The river came with a 4 and he bet out. With a sick feeling in my stomach I called and he turned over his two cards an suited 2 & 3. He had played, and bet big money for this level, in a game that is ruled by high cards, the two lowest cards in the deck. I looked at this with genuine amazedment and said “Wow, nice hand!!!! with all the feigned sincerity, laced with sarcasm I could get out. He had a fair sized chip stack. What gives here? The young man next to me said the old guy has started to make some of his money back but he was stuck over $1500 from that kind of play.

I bought back in for $60 more and had another similar experience that I won’t go into. I rarely give in to the “voices in my head” but finally gave in to the nagging voice in my head that was repeating over and over….. “It is a beautiful day out… what are you doing… sitting in here… and participating in this lunacy”??? What could I say to that? Beside the young man to my left it was the only voice of sense and reason at this table. I said goodbye to the young man and said “I think I have had enough”. (I guess I am not a true degenerate gambler. Here was an opportunity to play with possibly the world’s worst players and I knew I wouldn’t enjoy this experience at all. I passed it up for a little more quality of life.)

It did take too long bouncing down the road in the RV with pokey and a hot cup of coffee to shake off that experience. It truly was a beautiful, sunny day, and Seattle beckoned ahead,.

A shower and the Iron Horse...

2006-10-06T01:51:00.000-07:00

Well, the prospect of not being able to take a hot shower in the RV until I got back to San Diego in a few weeks “dampened” (pun intended) even my big win.

When I got back to the RV I started to consider my options. I decided I would move on from Muckleshoot Casino, start driving, and look for an RV repair shop. Maybe I could a repair shop to get that wire soldered back on.

Within a few miles I came across Auburn RV. What a great place. I met Don the service manager and told him my plight. He said I would have to wait awhile.

No problem, I would wait here all day if he could take care of it. Within a few minutes he sent a man out, than he came out himself to supervise. The part that the lead went into had to be replaced as well as the main circuit board for the electronic ignition system. The total came to $260 including the parts that had to be replaced. I also watched them tune-it up, adjust the air/gas mixture and put in a new sensor. It starts first time every time now. It doesn’t hiss as much as it used to either.

While they were working on it, the young cashier fell in love with Pokey. He warmed up to her after awhile and even the parts counter man got involved in playing with Pokey. I bought a new power inverter and took it out of the plastic and plugged it into my lighter socket. (No go, nothing happened) They have a policy against taking back electronic parts, but they made an exception for me and pokey.

After I left I realized maybe they could replace the lighter socket. Don told me it was probably just a blown fuse. I looked under the dash and found the fuse box. There had to be about 50 fuses and I couldn’t make any sense of it. I went back in and appealed to Don and he came out with a fuse tester, located and replaced the right one. When I asked him how much? He said “no charge”. I handed him $20 and said thank you, please have lunch on me.

That kind of service and caring about other’s situation made this country great. I think greed and selfish is ruining our country’s value system and our quality of life. I find people much more available to help in smaller towns and cities then the large urban areas

Well, since I hadn’t got very far I went back to Muckleshoot. I made dinner for Pokey and me. He took a walk and then I went in to play some more. Between 6-11 p.m. I was able to triple up my $200 buy-in and walked away with another $400 gain.

We spent another night in the Muckleshoot parking lot and I went in at 10:30 a.m. to play the morning tournament. I did enjoy a nice “hot shower” in the RV and a fresh set of clothes. Pokey was sniffing me more then usual, so I tried not to get too close to humans until after the hot water heater got fixed. (grin)

I already talked about this tournament where I went out on the first hand. So I decided to go ahead and start driving to the Iron Horse Casino I heard wasn’t far from here. It turns out to only be a few blocks past Auburn RV.

We parked in the country owned Park-Ride facility, by a private airport with a grassy park area between the Airport fence and the parking facility. Pokey and I ran, and played on the grass. We watched the little airplanes takeoff and land just over our heads. Then it was in to the Iron Horse for some poker for me.

The Iron Horse was a friendly little combination restaurant, lounge, casino, and pool room. The poker area had two tables. One table had a 3/6 game going with one seat open. The staff was real friendly and quickly had me with chips in my seat and playing.

The table players were mainly guys older then me with two exceptions, and it was a lot of “old guy” humor. I took a couple of breaks to run Pokey in the park and played limit from until about 5:30 p.m. When I cashed out I was up $7.

A couple blocks away I located a “Comfort Inn” Motel that had open Internet Access and I was able to upload some more blogs I had written.

I had about an hour before the evening Tournament back at Muckleshoot, so I stopped at Albertsons and loaded up with groceries for the next week. Then it was back the four miles to my now very familiar parking area. A walk for Pokey and me, and then I headed in for the evening tournament while pokey napped in the RV.

I lasted a little longer in the evening tournament then the morning one. I went all in with KQ suited against JJ. I flopped a Q and then the turn was a Jack and I was out. The tournament was $50 with a $40 add-on.

I was first up for the 5-500 spread limit game and it took well over an hour before somebody left. There were 25 names behind me and they never would start another table. Who cares what the customer wants, we will offer what we offer! They seemed so afraid of losing another table if they opened this new game. This spread limit game is a new game for them. They have only been playing it here since I arrived on Sunday. So between the fear of the new, and the excuse of “we have never done it that way before” a lot of their customers were very frustrated.

I was very glad for the game. I was able to cash out about $300 up for the night. ($200 net after deducting my tournament entry money) And, I enjoyed the game and very much talk and banter at the table last night. The fellow that told me “I had given him a “wupping” sat to my left and he was the best player on the table. I can see why he got a little frustrated when I sat down Monday morning and beat him 4 hands in an hour without a loss. He is a pretty good player and we both tried to stay out of each other’s way the rest of the night.

Tonight, is much more mild and the sky seems to be clearing a little. I could see the light of a hazy moon through the dark gray skies. I may have to rethink whether I could live here or not. I thrive on clear skies.

If it is clear tomorrow I will probably take a day off poker and do sightseeing while I travel a little bit more north into Seattle.

Good night reader, good night Pokey, Good night Pokey, Good night…..

P.S. One of the only problems with Pokey is he sleeps from 7-midnight while I am playing poker. Then I come in to go to sleep and he wants to play and pounces on me and chews on me while I am trying to go to sleep. I take him for a walk when I come back to go to sleep and play for a while with him, but he is like child that wants to play rather then go to bed. It is really enjoyable to have him travel with me. Now, if I could just teach him to play poker……..

Muckleshoot

2006-10-04T17:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I went out on the first hand of a tournament. It was not even a great hand. I had just read an article on aggressive tournament strategy in the Poker Player Newspaper while waiting for the tournament to begin. I was in middle position with A7 hearts and raised it to 200 when the blinds were 25-50. We had a beginning stack of 3,000 chips which was a double stack tournament day for this room.

Usually, they have 1500 starting chips. I figured the regular players here would play this a little slower because they had more chips to play with. So I decided to play it fast. A player two positions to my left called. The flop came Kh, 2h, 9s and I bet 1,000. He called me and I went all-in fully expecting him to not risk his tournament life on what should have been a AK or better for me to bet like that in early position. He called without hesitation and turned over K,Q off suit. (A hand that is easily dominated in that type of call)

It was about 50/50 for me to catch the heart for the flush. It did not come and I was out the door.

I want to think a little more about that play but I am not sure it was that bad a play.

Right off, I know it would have been a smarter move to raise with a hand like that from later position. When he called I assumed he had a small pair or single Ace. I didn’t expect him to have AK or he should have re-raised me. So I really thought I could get him off any other hand he was likely to have after the flop came. I was wrong. Oh, well it could have gone the other way with a heart on the turn or river. Had I won it I would have had more options to dominate the table afterwards and increase my chip stack.

So now I am getting ready to leave the Muckleshoot Casino and venture forth a little more. It is a 3 hour drive from Portland to Seattle. It has been over 3 days for me and I am not there yet.

Yesterday, started off very badly. I couldn’t write for my blog, because of the power inverter problem. I needed a shower, so I pushed the button to ignite the hot water heater and it wouldn’t start. It had been getting difficult to start and I tried a couple of tricks that had started it before. I tried warming up the sensor a little with a match, I tried multiple attempts on the switch. Then I wiggled the sensor wire and it fell off in my hand. The connection had rotted away.

So I decided to go in and play the tournament anyway. When I walked in, I found out the floor person who told me there was a tournament this morning was wrong. As I was about to leave I noticed the game I had left at midnight was still going in the corner with three people.

I play pretty well short handed so I went over and bought in for $200. These three guys had been playing for 12-14 hours and I assumed I could do well here being rested and refreshed while they had to be exhausted.

Sure enough I played a couple of hands reading the board, and their hands well, and picked up a couple of pots by aggressive betting. I now had almost $300 on the table.

I played A6h on the big blind. I bet out $25 and was called by the dealer button. The flop came Jh, 7h, 8s. I bet out $75 and was called. I had two hearts and needed the flush.

The turn was the 10h and I bet $150. The dealer position player raised it! I checked again and sure enough I had the nut flush.

I called all in with the nut flush and the river was a 3c. When I flipped over my hand he said he had a flush also and assumed I had a straight.

Nice, I was now over $600 when a true maniac sat down. He went through 3 buy-ins of $500 in the next 20 minutes. He lost one and won one calling all in with nothing to the same player. I felt like I had a pretty good read on him and waited for my chance. It didn’t take long.

I had the AQ. He bet pre-flop $40. I called. The board came Q,7,9 He bet out $75 instantly. I raised him to $150 and he instantly went all-in. I went into the “think tank” and also watched him.

This was his 3rd buy-in he had to be feeling the loss a little by now. He looked a little nervous and everything in me thought he is bluffing. Finally, I came to a settled conviction that it was another of his “nothing bluffs”.

I called making the pot now $600. I was right. He turned over K, J for no pair. I was complimented by the other players for my reading of the situation.

For me the best part was I now had over $1200 in front of me. After one more hand where I beat the original player again and he said to me “I had given him a genuine ass-whuping” today.

He lost over $600 to me which was ½ of what he had spent all night earning. He did replace it from the maniac’s play. But, he gave me a hard time when I left after an hour when the table filled up.

I wished him luck and told him let’s play for his Harley “Fat-Boy”. I had heard him bragging about it last night to another player. He broke into a big grin and I “won him” over with that remark. He said if he lost that he would lose his house too, because his wife would leave him. I wished him luck, as I left, and told him I would bring his money back Friday and he could have another crack at it then.