« March 2005 | Main | May 2005 »

April 29, 2005

It's Friday!

So let's have some random crap, shall we?

First off, for Brent -

Latest iPod Shuffle

Coldplay - Clocks
Riddlin' Kids - I Feel Fine
Staind - For You
The Decemberists - The Kingdom of Spain
R.E.M. - I Wanted to Be Wrong
The White Stripes - Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground
James - Laid
Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper - Elvis is Everywhere
Eels - I Need Some Sleep
Iron & Wine - Woman King
The Darkness - Growing on Me
Junior Senior - Itch U Can't Skratch
Fountains of Wayne - Bright Future in Sales
The Priests - Going Back Home
Sugarcult - Bouncing Off The Walls
The All-American Rejects - One More Sad Song
Glen Phillips - Thankful
Burden Brothers - Beautiful Night
Gourds - Everybodys Missing the Sun
Magnet - Lay Lady Lay


URL ABCs

Inspired by the yeti, I present my URL ABCs. Need to waste some time today? Get your own.

These are my URL ABCs:


Misc Linkage

Need some great background music while you're reading all these poker blogs? Last week my LA counterpart sent me this link, upon which about half way down the page, on the right, you'll find a link to view (or just listen to) The Decemberists performing a recent KCRW performance. It made me happy.

Speaking of my LA counterpart, we think it would be really cool if someone signed up for this. But not us though. We're gonna play the school card, as usual. Smile (Plus we already have iPods!) Although...

...that prize of assistance with MT? I'd go for that. There are three things that I would throw out of a car window going down the highway at top speeds - my cell phone (and I actually know of someone who had the exact same model and did just that - avoid the Motorola V551, friends), my iTrip (grrrr), and MovableType in general. I realize I can't really toss it out the window, but the desire is there. I can't get it and Flickr to get along, which, if I could, I might like the cell phone a bit more. And don't even get me started on the whole spam issue... Any hidden MT geniuses out there want to help a blog sister out?

I am now bloglines-d. (That is now a word). Took forever. Felicia mentioned she had nearly 200 in hers, I can't even imagine the hassle that was! I have just under 100 in mine; I thought I had a ton to read. I haven't been able to really keep up with everybody like I would like, so I'm hoping this will help. I don't like not getting to see the actual sites themselves, I know most people actually put work into how their sites look (I know one blogger who changes the way his site looks almost daily...*ahem*), but this clicking on each site thing is killing me. Felicia mentioned how it's really saved her time, hopefully it will do the same for me.

I have a nice weekend planned thus far...couch is coming Saturday, thank God!! I am so tired of this one crappy old chair. Back support is really underrated I think. And then I start studying for the last week of classes (ack!) and then finals (double ack!). Should be fun...

In a message dated 4/28/2005 11:17:54 PM Central Standard Time, April writes:

I vote we get really drunk the night before and make up our little "notecards"...

reply:
i am so down.

Posted by April at 01:31 AM | Comments (10) | TrackBack

April 28, 2005

What a difference a day makes

I mentioned in my last post that I was considering moving up to .25/.50. The last couple of times that I've played at UB it's been at that level, but that was simply because G-Rob was sitting at a .25/.50 table and I think I lost my "wicked bad luck" stigma long ago. I'd buy in and play tighter than I would at my normal .10/.25 tables, careful to not get in any situations where I might find myself dominated, because I of course stood to lose twice my normal buyin.

And for the most part I would do OK. I would still make my stupid mistakes from time to time, but I would come back and I was leaving every night ahead. Maybe not ahead huge amounts, but ahead. I couldn't say the same thing about my recent runs at the .10/.25 tables...

When I first started playing poker, it was at .25/.50. In a lot of ways, I always felt like that was the level I "belonged" at. At least, that's what I wrote previously - that attitude disappeared somewhere; if I had to guess, it was after I moved up last time and got beat back down to .10/.25. Smile I originally moved to .10/.25 after I went on a Sir-like run one week and dropped ALL of my bankroll at UB. I moved to .25/.50 after I had put in time there and was in general doubling my buy in most sessions. But when I got there...ugh. It wasn't what I remembered.

I had started playing poker at that level, and I wasn't that bad then, was I? And hadn't I gotten better since then, with all the reading, writing, and thinking? When did they get good? I quickly went back to .10/.25, where raise amounts were normal, player names were familar, and everything was safe and cozy. Ahhh...

PokerTracker showed me as a big red loser for .25/.50 and has for a long time.

I've been at .10/.25 now for a while. How long is too long for a level? Is there a set rule? DoubleAs mentioned to me that he played each level for too long in his journey up...that made me wonder how I would know when I was going to be ready to step up - had I passed that mark already? So last time was too soon - it's not like I can live at .10/.25 forever (nor would I want to).

So tonight after watching the WPT with Guinness in hand (getting the liver ready), I fired up Ultimate Bet and sat down at a .25/.50 table...and G-Rob wasn't even around. Smile Mourn did join me after a few orbits just because I couldn't believe how damn fishy the place was, and I always share with my blogger buddies.

So that's difference number one I suppose. I certaintly don't feel like a kid sitting at the adults table like last time. I sat down at what looked to be a moderately loose table with a lot of agression, and wasn't intimidated by it a bit. Turned out it was just a bunch of fish and someone had dumped a bunch of flakes in the bowl. The table quickly got passive, but the fishies stuck around, at least until they lost their money.

I played tight, not really messing around with any "marginal" hands "just to see". I'll save that for when I'm more settled and the bankroll is bigger. For now tight and agressive will do just fine, thanks. And I need to watch out for my own fish-like moments...we all have them from time to time; my big weakness is that I just can't stop myself. I have got to get through my head what John always said to me - "Sometimes we lay down the winning hand." I stick around too much when there are so many ways I could be beat - it's not that I'm really being outplayed, it's that I'm letting myself be outplayed - a subtle distinction that still results in chips sliding away from me. I need to listen to my instincts more, check more, and as always, read the board! Oh, and this helps a whole lot.

I won $84 for a couple of hours play. Tracker thinks I'm much less of a big red loser than I was this morning, and I don't have much at all to go before I hit the pretty green numbers. I'm rather pleased with myself.

And of course, there's always tomorrow...

Posted by April at 02:06 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack

April 26, 2005

Booked Baby!

And assuming they're not lying to me, I may have even snuck my way into the Plaza, thanks to Southwest vacations. I'm not banking on that just yet though.

Vegas is near Tahoe, right? Wink
[Private joke that none of you are expected to get]

Posted by April at 09:41 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack

Dammit!!

It's registration time, and here I am finally at a point where I feel like I'm actually not going to have to beg and plead to get my way back in next semester. So I come home from class and settle down to register for the summer and fall...and everything is full. Full full full full full. And there are so many lovely choices...

First off, this catches my eye in the Summer course catalog -

HIS F306N BAD BLOOD-W fee: $74.16 CONTAINS A SUBSTANTIAL WRITING COMPONENT AND FULFILLS PART OF THE BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT IN WRITING. COURSE NUMBER MAY BE REPEATED FOR CREDIT WHEN THE TOPICS VARY. STEREOTYPES AND MARGINALIZATION IN EUROPEAN CULTURE. OPEN ONLY TO LOWER-DIVISION STUDENTS. CONDUCTED IN ENGLISH. MEETS WITH GRC 301, EUS 301 AND SOC 308.

Yep, that's right BB, apparently you have a class named after you at the University of Texas.

Since nothing I want to take is open for the Summer, I move on to fall...

I recently decided to minor in English. So many good offerings for English...I drool over course titles like "Dante", "Major Works of Dostoevsky", and "Banned Books and Novel Ideas". All full. Hello waitlist! Thankfully they're not too long...

I head on over to the Government section to see what looks interesting there, and this one pops out at me...

GOV 341M DECISION THEORY fee: $74.16 UPPER-DIVISION STANDING REQUIRED. AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BASIC CONCEPTS AND MODELS USING DECISION THEORY IN POLITICAL SCIENCE, WITH PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON UTILITY ANALYSIS, GAME THEORY, COALITION FORMATION, AND VOTING BEHAVIOR. PREREQUISITE: 6 SEMESTER HOURS OF LOWER-DIVISION COURSEWORK IN GOVERNMENT.

Oh. My. God. It's the holy grail...improve my poker game AND get degree credit?? I can't hit the register button fast enough!

Full of course...I guess I'm not the only one seduced by the mention of game theory. I'm 39 out of 39 on the waitlist. Sad I'll keep my fingers crossed. Or challenge #38 to a heads-up match, and then move my way up in the list one by one...

Posted by April at 12:17 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Long weekend, long post

Ah, the single life. Where a girl can wake up Saturday morning, flip on the NFL draft, yell at the TV, and then stay out past 3 in the morning playing poker.

Yes, I was late to the damn tournament, as Scott and Slayre oh-so-casually mentioned in their write-ups. Wink I caught a little bit of the draft and then headed out for lunch with one friend, then furniture shopping with another. Did some shopping on Austin's infamous South Congress strip after lunch where I picked up some neato poker coasters for myself plus a little something for our WSOP rep. Nothing big, it just screamed "Bob!" so I had to pick it up.

My best friend Nancy: "When are you going to give it to him?"
Me: "Vegas"
Nancy: *impatient sigh*
Me: "What?"
Nancy:"I'm not sure I can wait that long to hear about the reaction."

Then later we wandered through a toy store where I told her about how the last WPBT winner was from South Carolina (where she's from) and she joked about how "those people in Greensville are so uppity" and "must do nothing all day but play poker". I had a laughing fit in the middle of the store... Very Happy
Later when furniture shopping, I picked myself out a huge loveseat, chair, and coffee table. Then was told I was going to have to pay for it all right then. I looked down at the invoice of all my pretty new furniture...that chair was about the price of air and hotel for a trip to Vegas...I'm not sure if picking a trip to Vegas over a chair really qualifies as a responsible decision, but that's what I'm calling it.

So you see, I had a full day. I got home around 8:30, changed clothes, and headed over to Bob's. I paid my $20 tourney fee, and got my chips, having been appropriately blinded out. I was "lucky" enough to be seated with the boss. I really don't remember any significant hands, because quite frankly, I didn't have any. I played tight, I know that. Oh, and as far as you boys know, if I bet at the flop, I had a piece of it. Smile I honestly don't even think I had many hands go to showdown. I stuck to the 4xBB raise rule, in fact, when I sat down at the table, I was getting great cards, so I was raising, and raises of that amount were apparently unheard of, but quickly became the standard. I made it to the final table by playing tight, picking my spots carefully, and of course, having that bit of luck that we always need. I had a medium sized stack for the table, which wasn't bad, except the difference was that the chip leader had a litteral wall of chips in front of him. He had built up a huge stack when he had been last to act with 6s (I think) and had flopped a boat, and Aces and Kings had gone all-in before him. Since then he had been playing his stack and building to it. My run of great cards ended at the final table unfortunately. I don't even know what I went out on...I've slept since then! I was just pleased that I actually made the money, finishing 5th.

I checked out the cash game after, but there was a new tourney starting up right then and most of the cash game players were getting in on that, so the game was pretty much breaking up. Plus, it was .25/.50, which is fine for online, but for live play, I'd really rather play $1/$2. Why? Just because.

I did play the 2nd tourney, figuring worse case I wouldn't place in this one and be out just $15 for the night. And that was the case! Smile I let the boss make the final table this time. This time I was seated with the winner of the last tourney, and I think perhaps I gave him too much credit play wise. Hard to know of course when you don't get to see the hands play out. I often get too passive in tournaments, and that was the problem in this one. It's really easy for me to push back on John when I'm playing him heads-up, since I've played him so much. Against an unfamilar opponent, I suddenly get timid and fold. That's part of the reason I'm not a big fan of tournaments, and part of the reason I need to work on them more. Smile

Sunday

The tourney

Speaking of being too timid...

Someone didn't request her hand histories quickly enough apparently, because there are key hands missing from Level 1. Namely, those that cost me lots o' chips. For a while there, I was really worried about being first one out. I know though, that they were stupid mistakes. I was playing too loose and, dare I say it, too agressive. I got lucky in Level 2 and found AKo, and raised to 90. sellthekids raised to 210 and I re-raised all-in to 410. Flop didn't help either of us and I won with ace high.

That was really really scary, and pretty much put the fear of God into me. Smile I went into tight passive mode, which is of course no way to win a tournament. Especially not when you have BadBlood at your table! I had no big wins other than my one all-in...I would get the occasional pot to stay alive, but my death was getting moved to my final table with BadBlood, Spaceman, ephro, Drizztdj, and BSN, where the agression level was high, and I just couldn't fight back. Shame on me.

And of course, you meet the nicest people at these tournaments...add another one to the Austin column!

Thanks to Iggy and Otis for putting it all together, and Congrats of course to Bob for winning it all! I know he will represent us well.

Later that night...

An unusual name was showing up in bold on my Ultimate Buddy...I had to do a double-take to make sure I was reading it right, but yep, sure enough, CJ was seated at a .25/.50 NL table with G-Rob. I could never pass up quality time with the Up for Poker Boys. Besides, I do well with G-Rob at .25/.50...

Although he will pay for this -

spanky123 is at seat 2 with $32.85.
TexansBaby is at seat 6 with $47.30.
sbplayer4 is at seat 8 with $14.05.
GRob is at seat 9 with $167.05. [look at that stack, folks!! the man is on a rush!!]


sbplayer4 posts the small blind of $.25.
GRob posts the big blind of $.50.

spanky123: -- --
TexansBaby: 8d 8h
sbplayer4: -- --
GRob: -- --

Pre-flop:

spanky123 calls. TexansBaby raises to $2. sbplayer4
folds. GRob re-raises to $6.75. spanky123 folds.
TexansBaby calls.

Flop (board: 5c Jh Qs):

GRob bets $14.25. TexansBaby folds. GRob is
returned $14.25 (uncalled).

GRob opts to show 7s 2s.
GRob has 7s 2s 5c Jh Qs: queen high.


Hand #5587359-672 Summary:

$.70 is raked from a pot of $14.25.
GRob wins $13.55.

I of course called him a bastard, and told him if he was going to do that, he could at least do it with a proper hammer!! Wink

I saw Aces for the first time in nearly a month. I am not kidding. Unfortunately it was shorthanded and it was the one time these two loose agressive types decided to not call my raise. Sad

While according to PT I am still a losing player at .25/.50, I think I might give some thought to a move up. Or at least let G-Rob take over game selection for me... Smile I seem to do well at this level lately. I don't know if it's that I've been getting bored at .10/.25 and therefore playing too marginally/carelessly (I've dropped buyins like they were nothing) or that I just have been subconsciously feeling that I needed to take a step up, challenge myself, etc. If I'm dropping buyins so easily without even flinching...that can't be good. On the one hand, I don't want to play at a level where dropping a buyin would cripple me, but I do want to be at a level where it's going to mean something. So perhaps a move is in order.

Posted by April at 01:03 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

April 25, 2005

Read the Blog!

Yes, I'm late. You'll notice that's a theme this weekend...

1. Love and Casino War: More on free-entry poker tournaments in Texas

2. Bad Beat Blog: Gambling, Whoring And The Bad Beat Blog Shoppe

3. Buffalo Hold 'Em: Poker Blogger Mad Libs

4. Absinthe's Troubles: Suds 'n' Bubbles

Posted by April at 11:10 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 21, 2005

Attention Austin

Fellow bloggers take note of an important event this Saturday. And Austin readers too, if we have any. (And if we do, start blogs!!)

It's very nice of one of our own offer up his home for a tournament. And even provide refreshments! Just an example of Southern hospitality and again, another reason why Austin > LA. Very Happy

_________________________________

I'm working on unpacking still. In true to me fashion, the first thing that was unpacked in my new apartment was the liquor (priorities!) and the first glass to be put up was a Houston Texans one. Ah, home. Now I just need things like furniture. But I have internet access!

________________________________

With my move, I now have a completely different route around campus, because I now take a different shuttle to get into campus, and the drop off point is no longer located right next to the Government building. (So much for the best laid plans...) Now I get dropped off on the East side of campus, known for events not quite as dramatic as the West side, but still, when I was on my way to class yesterday and saw a crowd gathered around the statue of Martin Luther King, I decided to avoid it. That is, until I saw that it was Kinky Friedman, [hopefully] the next governor of Texas. I had to stop. I'm a government major after all! So I was already late for my class...details. TFG, he was there with Billy Joe Shaver, who I was standing right behind. One of these days I'll remember why I have a camera phone and use the damn thing. Unfortunately I couldn't stay long, because my class is mandatory attendence (oh sure, you can sit there and play poker, just as long as you're there). I hate it when class gets in the way of my education.

________________________________

Played some poker this week, once at the guilting of my boss and then last night just to hang out with G-Rob, and then later when this cute guy from Oregon showed up. For the record, lost buyin when playing with boss (although, I did win hands when playing against the boss directly...), won $8 when playing .25/.50 with G-Rob, and then lost a $5+.50 heads-up SnG with John. [Speaking of which dear - rematch!]

I had a really awesome weekend a couple of weeks ago where I made about $70 in two days. Remember, this is at .10/.25. For the most part, I played my normal game except for I played a bit like Sir. Wink

See, a while back he had this hand. And oh my, did we have the arguement about it, with Geek and Glyphic caught in the crossfire. I could not believe he had called a raise with 3s! And then a re-raise? The insanity!! Surely you know you're up against something better??

But he made me think. And when I think, I discuss with players better than I. And not a one of them could see anything wrong with Sir's move. And even I had to admit that the person who taught me to trash baby pairs would probably now play a similar move.

Tie that in to how John could always put me on a hand with almost perfect accuracy...which I loved on the one hand, because it showed his skill and also how well he knew me from the hours of playing together...but I hated on the other hand, because, we're playing poker after all, and no one wants to be so easy to read.

I came to the conclusion that I was too tight, playing too safe, and way too predictible. I set out on a mission to not only raise my VP$IP, but to play hands I would never normally, "just to see" and to call raises I would never normally. I knew my variance was going to skyrocket...

I remember this hand from that first night...

Pre-flop:

TexansBaby calls. jewelcard calls. ryguyfi
raises to $1.25. TexansBaby calls.
jewelcard calls.

Flop (board: 2c 4d 4s):

ryguyfi bets $4. TexansBaby raises to $8. jewelcard
folds. ryguyfi calls.

Turn (board: 2c 4d 4s Qs):

ryguyfi checks. TexansBaby checks.

River (board: 2c 4d 4s Qs 6c):

ryguyfi bets $1. TexansBaby raises to $5. ryguyfi
calls.

Showdown:

TexansBaby shows 2s 2d.
TexansBaby has 2s 2d 2c 4d 4s: full house, deuces full of fours.
ryguyfi shows 3d 3s.
ryguyfi has 3d 3s 4d 4s Qs: two pair, fours and threes.


Hand #5140393-8705 Summary:

$1.50 is raked from a pot of $30.
TexansBaby wins $28.50 with full house, deuces full of fours.

I of course immediately IM'd Sir and told him how much I loved him...

I look at my losses for that night, and some of them were just stupid. And Hammer related. Wink And then there was that soul-crushing boat over boat when my beloved 7-5 (flopped it again!) went down to pocket 6s that caught a 6 on the river.

Overall, I was happy. I had acomplished my goal. My VP$IP had even gone up 1 point! If I could just work on the whole "letting go" concept, I could actually do well with this playing trash thing.

But since then...not so much. Actually, since then I haven't even played trash that much. I haven't even seen good cards that much. Fullt Tilt doesn't seem fit to give me pockets greater than 10s (probably because Hank doesn't trust me with anything better) and that's what killed me the other night - I had them UTG and the table was raising everything else, so I limped. Flop had 2 overs, plus a flush draw, I bet the pot, guy calls. 10 comes on the turn, giving me the set, and no flush card, so I slow down a little, bet 1/2 pot. He calls. Now...I'm tired (I had said I would play for 30 minutes, and it was already an hour) and I have long admitted my big weakness - failure to see non-obvious (i.e. low) straight draws OR to focus on only the flush draw when there is a straight draw as well. So I completely missed the fact that the 10 that made my set made his straight. He bets $10, I have $14 and change left...I go all in, and poof - good night Full Tilt.

I played 25 hands at UB last night. My winning hands were with Qh Jc (I know an ace-high straight when I hit it on the turn) and Ad Td (middle pair off the flop, got agressive on the turn, hit Ace on the river). My big losing hand was AK, and even that was only a 3xBB loss...I had straight outs off the flop but they died on the turn. I did play some random cards...8s6c, Qc3d, 5h3d, Tc7h, Qc2d, 9h4h, 6h4c. Plus I played connectors whereas I used to never unless I was in the blinds.

Is this good? Bad? I have no idea.

I do know one thing. I'm trying really hard to be something else. And that's not right. Evolution as a player comes over time and it sometimes comes in large spurts and at other times in slow steady progress that you don't even notice until you look back months later, amazed at what you've acomplished.

I need to slow down, quit trying so hard and remember what a wise man told me - "let the bankroll take care of itself".

____________________________________

Go see Geek's site and get one of his cool shirts! (See, Austin loves LA too...)

____________________________________

Yes boss, I'm on my way...

Posted by April at 01:14 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

April 16, 2005

Read the Blog!

1. Missives From A Degenerate Underachiever: The Importance of Fold Equity

2. Online Poker Thoughts: Opps, I Did It Again [Please note, it is the post being commended here, not the play. So don't hate me Chris!! Smile ]

3. Random Thoughts and thoroughbred selections: For my dustjacket, or obituary [Not that BG needs any pimpage from me, but this was just awesome, and I didn't want another week of just 2.]

And I know I said you'd never see anything from Hank or Otis, but...I wouldn't be a woman if I didn't change my mind, now would I?

Go read. And then e-mail the man.

Back to my boxes...

Posted by April at 07:08 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack

April 15, 2005

Your tax problem solved

I've got it all figured out...

Just don't win.

See??? No problem!

Posted by April at 05:23 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 14, 2005

I wanna play!

Copying two of my favorite bloggers, and in response to another favorite, I present

My iPod Shuffle - (links included where available)

Honkytonk Heartache - Leo Stokes
Writing to Reach You - Travis
Dying in Time - Dolorean
Somewhere I Belong - Linkin Park
Wonderful Night - Fatboy Slim
The Red - Chevelle
Confection - Mommy and Daddy
Running From Me - TRUSTcompany
Island In The Sun - Weezer
I Turn My Camera On - Spoon
Queen of Languages - Destroyer
Calling You - Blue October
Loose Yourself - Eminem
I Like The Way You Love Me - Gary Clark Jr
Fell In Love With A Boy - Joss Stone
Can't Stand It - Wilco
Reservations - Wilco
Open The Window - Old 97s
Down - Blink 182
Love Where Did You Go? - Dayna Kurtz

Is that varied enough? Don't give me grief over the two Wilco in a row, I have no control over the iPod shuffle algorithim!

I confess I never knew I could be so in love with a little white rectangle. I could only love it more if it were blue. Smile I had my car valet parked last weekend and the valet, upon seeing the hookup with the car adapter and the iTrip, had to comment in envy. My iTunes software is a little buggy, and last time I hooked up to update, it told me I need to update my iPod software. OK fine. Well, the only option it gave me was to Restore, which meant a complete wipe of the iPod. Um...is hell no an option? I'm beginning to be really glad I got that complete care package from Apple because I see myself quickly exceeding my one free phone call...

Now I just need to get a nice set of external speakers for it and I'll be all set!

Posted by April at 11:33 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Can't sleep....clowns will eat me...

(bonus points if you get that reference)

Dammit Halverson, I was gonna say that!! Smile (Wish I could say some of the things in the second paragraph...)

I'm exhausted. Sorry for the lack of posts, but things have a little busy for me lately, and don't show much sign of slowing down, at least for the next couple of weeks. I wanted to post something though, and I've been getting some "what's up?" e-mails, so how 'bout a general update?

I think most of you got my little "no more aces" comment...for those that didn't, I'm getting a divorce from my husband of five years. There was no big event that triggered it, just two people who committed themselves very early on in life and things have changed quite a bit since then. We're still friends, things are good, etc.

However this means that a few life changes are in order for me. Namely, I'm moving. This weekend. I have not packed a damn thing. And I won't, until Saturday. I'm currently staying with some friends and therefore it's a little hard to pack things up. I haven't even hired movers. I don't have time. I get up, I go to class, I go to work, I come home, I study, I squeeze in some poker time (more on that later) and then bed.

I called my best friend Nancy today on my drive into campus -

April: "How much do you love me?"
Nancy: *Laughs* "A lot. Why?"
April: "Can you hire me some movers?"
Nancy: "Oh, the deja vu... When, where, and what?"

It took me a while to get the deja vu comment, but you see, I met Nancy when I hired her to be my assistant, and we worked for a corporation that felt moving departments increased workplace productivity tenfold.

I'm moving from one of the nicest parts of Austin, where I have lived all of my Austin life, to what is considered the ghetto of Austin. My precious baby Mustang, which has lived a sheltered garaged life and seen a max of 15 miles a day for the past 7 years, has had to spend her nights outdoors these past few days and has seen parts of Austin neither she nor I ever knew existed! She's the one I really worry about...

I have a job now, which I really enjoy. Boss is on a poker cruise for the rest of the week, so time to screw off!! (jk) Seriously, he's a pretty cool guy - wanna meet him? (How's that for blogger solidarity, LA?). It's always nice to be able to come into work and bitch about someone sucking out on you or whatever other poker-related curse occurred to you the night before and have someone actually understand what you're talking about. On the other hand, when said someone makes a smart-ass remark about you not being that good of a player, you can't give that person the finger like you would normally anyone else, because again, said person is your boss. Eh. Tradeoffs. Wink

School is school. This past week has been rough. It's hard to keep up your routine when you're not in your home. I'm without things like paper clips and staplers. And my it was fun getting the printer hooked up last night. As I told Joel (the friend I'm staying with this week), it's a good thing I don't listen to a damn thing he says to me, or else I might actually get offended. To get internet access I have to dismantle the DSL modem from Joel's desktop computer, drag it to the living room (if I want to be sociable) and then run a long network cable to the couch. This of course pisses off anyone who might want to use the computer later.

Each day I hear from Joel "I want you gone by the end of the week." (You must understand that a) that was the plan and b) it is the nature of our friendship to speak to each other in such a manner - we are both 98% smartass). He'll miss having me come home at 9 though, able to stop off at the store and then make him cupcakes. And I'll miss driving the Jag... He'd like me to move in so I'd pay rent to him and then he could put in a pool. After signing up for cable today...yea, it might be cheaper. Damn monopoly. Have to have Travel Channel and ESPN though...

Starbucks has become my new best friend. We've always been close, don't get me wrong. However now I find myself making nearly daily visits. If I seem a little snappish in the late evening hours via IM or e-mail, well...please don't take it personally. Lack of sleep does that to me. You should see what I say to Austin drivers! No patience for them! And this assignment I have due Friday for Presidential Electoral Politics where I have to come up with a candidate sketch for Jeb Bush? Oh, that's gonna be good.

I mentioned I've been trying to make time for poker. I really need to stop. Unfortunately due to my new schedule the only time I have now is late evening. Well...I am tired then. I don't play well when I'm tired. I *knew* he didn't have that flush. Didn't think about him having trips though. I had a very successful weekend last weekend, only to now have lost most of it just by playing when I shouldn't have. I know better. But I really feel like I've had an "a-ha" moment and therefore want to play. Plus, helllloooo??? - it's poker. I just need to get my place in order, get in a routine, and then all the chips will fall into place and playing time will present itself. (Yes, that was a horrible, horrible pun, but I don't care). I may end up being a weekend warrior, which while I admit isn't ideal to me, is certainly better than nothing.

Off to sleep now, clowns be dammed [more concerned about the scorpion that was in my room earlier]...and I am so turning off the alarm...

Posted by April at 02:20 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

April 10, 2005

You know you play too much poker when...

Taken to a country western nightclub by some friends, you notice the Southern Comfort pennant on the wall and immediately think of a guy named Al...

You're more bothered by the fact that the closed-captioning on the TV showing the Poker Superstars 2 at the rear end of the bar is blocking your view of the cards on the board than you are the fact that you're in a country western nightclub.

Later, when it's time for a round of shots, you wish you had Al's number...

When the Big & Rich song, "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)" comes on, and everyone goes wild, and the only way you know it is because it was the opening song for the WSOP episodes last year...

You think more than once that even though it's Saturday night and you're 28 and newly single, you'd much rather be somewhere with cards in your hand tossing chips around. (hint, hint boss Smile )

I don't mind being out of my element occasionally, I just hit my threshold a few beers ago. Now to put into place the tried and true Kyle family hangover prevention practices, and I'm off to bed.

But then again, my twin is playing at UB...

Posted by April at 01:33 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack

April 09, 2005

Read the Blog!

1. Tom Bayes: Some Tips for Low Buy-in Internet Omaha/8 Tournaments

2. My Little Poker Blog: My Grandmother [not poker related; just beautiful writing]

3. Online Poker Thoughts: Just Play [maybe not the most earth-shattering post of the week, but it meant something to me]

I have about 3 posts sitting in draft status right now...at some point I'll get around to combining them all in a coherent fashion. Right now, bed.

Posted by April at 04:37 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

April 07, 2005

Harass DoubleAs for free

Over at UB, you can now freeroll your way to Aruba. Silly DoubleAs, paying money for all those tournaments! Wink

You don't have an account at UB, you say? Well go get one!! It's where all the cool kids are at, ya know.

Posted by April at 10:03 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

April 06, 2005

WPBT Theme Song?

So I'm going through the 700+ songs that make up the SXSW Showcase download, and suddenly, I hit this.

And of course, I think - PERFECT!

So I e-mail the band and explain our lunacy inventive playing methods, and ask for a copy of the lyrics and permission to post them. [I started my e-mail with "Let me preface this by saying, "I am not insane..."]

So here ya go. Enjoy the goodies from this local band, Grady. (yet another reason Austin > LA Wink ).

[Italics are mine...you know me, always finding poker meaning in song lyrics...]

HAMMER IN MY HAND
Copyright Gordie Johnson/Zomba Enterprises/Chan Diego Music (SOCAN)

So much trouble in this time. So many stairs to climb
Build your house upon the sand. You know that it won't stand
Got my hammer in my hand
Take rocks and gravel don't it
To build that wall around it
Rock so high now baby
Till I can't get over it
Rock so hard now mama
Hammer all night to break it
The thing that I can't have baby
Makes me want to take it
Still so many hands to hold. Lies I have not told
Let my conscience be my guide. When there's no one to confide
Feel it start to slide
Take rocks and gravel don't it
To build that wall around it
Rock so high now baby
Till I can't get over it
Rock so hard now mama
Hammer all night to break it
The thing that I can't have baby
Makes me want to take it
She's nineteen years old
She's nineteen years old
She's nineteen years old
And she got ways like a baby child
Take rocks and gravel don't it
To build that wall around it
Rock so high now baby
Till I can't get over it
Rock so hard now mama
Hammer all night to break it
The thing that I can't have baby
Makes me want to take it
Makes me want to take it
Makes me want to take it
Makes me want to take it
If it takes all night to break it

Posted by April at 09:39 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

April 05, 2005

Seems like old times

I am exhausted. My weekend was long and my day was too. I told Sir after my last class today, "I need sleep and cards". Right now I'm 1 for 2.

The familiar chime of Ultimate Buddy alerted me to the presence of a fellow blogger on UB. I technically needed to go to the mall, but it was right at 5pm, and I really didn't want to fight traffic. Plus, we had so much fun last time we played together...

It was a regular blogger fest as we were joined by such blogging elite as G-Rob, DoubleAs, and BSN.

I'll let you get the details on my most winning hand of the night from Mourn himself. Suffice to say, I have mixed emotions about it.

My 2nd most winning hand came with the hammer! --; Preflop I raised to $1.35 and got 2 callers. Flop was Th Jc 4h. Checked to me, I bet $4.65 and get one caller. At the turn I was prepared to check, but I paired my 7! I bet $7 (hellooo!! major tell) and he called. River comes 2d, even better, and I bet $10, and he folds, showing 5h 6h.

Boy, was he pissed.

I had my chip kingdom built up quite nicely and then saw it fall down before me. ("Hey, remember back when I had a $65 stack? That was nice..."). I have a tendency to do that. Oh, I still left up, so I can't complain too much, but as I said to Mourn, you know that feeling you get when you realize you should have quit a long time ago? It's not a good one. Oh well. Education isn't free. [note to self - file renewal for financial aid]

I have thoughts about my game and the game in general, but they're all still floating around, not yet solidified and ready for prime-time. Soon though. I will say that using this little PokerTracker thing helps a lot. Wink OK, using it properly helps a lot.

All right, it's late and did I mention that I am extremely tired? Thanks boys for the company tonight, bloggers + poker is always fun, and it was a great welcome back.

Posted by April at 12:39 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

April 03, 2005

I need a break

I also need food...

It's 5pm [I think it is, computer says so, phone says so, they've adjusted for the time; my e-mails keep coming in saying it's an hour later though] and I am freezing in the 4th floor of one of the UT libraries, studying away for two tests I have tomorrow.

I can't study at home, because the only place to get peace and quiet there is in my bedroom. And the only place to sit there is on my bed. And since I had a late night last night, and then didn't sleep well, the probability of me falling asleep - high.

But I need a break. I need to type something other than thoughts on the rational choice model of electoral behavior. Really, you know you've been a little too involved in this whole politics thing when while looking for a parking space in downtown Austin to attend a Decemberists show, "Hail to the Chief" is the song going you're humming.

This past week has been a rough one. I look forward to tomorrow afternoon when I can breathe a little and perhaps pull up a chair to the virtual felt and see if I still remember what the hell I'm doing. If I've forgotten a few things, well - that may not be so bad. Sometimes we tend to overthink the things that we know the best and it gets us in trouble. I can certaintly see that being the case with myself, both in poker and in life.

Alright, back to work for me. As always, thanks for putting up with my ramblings. Smile

Posted by April at 05:27 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

April 02, 2005

Read the Blog!

Get comfy folks -

1. 5,589 Miles From Vegas: Big Game

2. KingSix Poker: Going Pro

3. Life and Times of a Poker Addict: The Honest Assessment [One of Iggy's recently pimped blogs; as always Sir thank you for alerting us to what we're missing out on. But - can you find me some more from Austin? Wink ]

4. Missives from a Degenerate Underachiever: Long Time, No See

5. Bad Beat Blog: Low Limit Hold'em At The Rainbow

6. The Obituarium: Going Home Again

Posted by April at 11:11 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

April 01, 2005

Love/Hate Relationship #1

Today

Why, you ask?

Think about it.

Think about being a child... Think about how you might get teased on a day like today, if you were me, or my twin.

OK, now quit thinking about it. Wink

Yes, I spent a couple of my elementary school years taking a "personal day" on April 1st, avoiding whatever little hell my classmates might have wanted to inflict. I think it was about 5th grade when I realized that they just might have grown out of it. I spent the day at home as usual, but the next day when I returned to class, I was greeted with "Where were you? You missed the awesome prank so-and-so pulled on the teacher!". No one mentioned the oh so obvious reason I was absent that day. So that was the end of that.

And then I grew up (or more accurately, became a little more confident and self-absorbed) and realized that this whole "being named after a month" thing might have some advantages. Especially in middle school, when you're required to write the date on every single piece of paper you turn in. Ah yes...how could he not be thinking of me each and every time he wrote the date? Even if it was just a fleeting thought, I was guaranteed to be on his mind for at least 30 days, multiple times a day - score!

I still get teased occasionally, but mainly it was from my former father-in-law. April H. and I were talking the other night while playing over at Full Tilt and she was surprised that I was not actually born in April. The story for how I got the name varies - if you ask my mother, she'll tell you my father just liked the name. If you ask him, he'll tell you that's the month he and my mother got engaged in, so that was a large part of the reason. Growing up I just remember that on this day I would have much rather they picked something else. Today, walking to my government class listening to the bells of the UT Tower play Christmas carols, I didn't mind at all. It's mine, and as it reverts back to its original state; all that more precious.

Now to see if my hunch on who acts like a 4th grader in the comments is correct... Wink

Posted by April at 06:08 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack