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.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Rich is a state of mind...
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.
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....
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.”
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.”
Monday, October 16, 2006
The Mill Casino, Coos Bay, Oregon
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.
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.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
A night in Florence, a day in the woods...
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?
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.....
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)
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...
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.
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...
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.
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.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
I leave some money at the state line.....
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.
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
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.
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.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Won a tournament!
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.
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....
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.
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.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Renton Casinos...
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.
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
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.
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.
Monday, October 09, 2006
Tuda-loo Tudalip!
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.
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.....
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.
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!
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 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.....
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)
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)
Saturday, October 07, 2006
"Work day, work day.....
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.
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"
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.
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.
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