As the year ends..my first year on this blog also ends...I first posted on Jan. 17th. This year has been the most incredible of my life so far. My daughter was born on May 5th. It was the most incredible thing to witness. She was born on May 5th...that's a date of 05/05/05! She's staring at me now as I type this post. More incredible is that my wife and I weren't sure if we'd ever be able to have a child.
Anyway...I've documented my beginnings as a card player thanks to my late Grandfather...his name was Ozzie.
I first started reading blogs in '04 that were locally done in Boston...they were interesting to a point but after a while I got bored with reading some liberal viewpoint to some random subject..I thought..there has got to be something more interesting. Then I came across a blurb in my googled poker search that said "Bonus Code Iggy". I thought.....what hell does that have to do with Poker? I soon stumbled into a world of Poker bloggers. Blogs that talk about Poker Strategy and random stuff related to Cards, Gambling, Music, Sports, and all other stuff I enjoy on a regular basis. There were people out there who think about these things the same way and in different ways than I do...and it became dynamic...not static like those old blogs. After all most of the blogs document more than just online poker and casino cards...they document life.
Soon after that I noticed the Tao Of Poker and my 'favorites' list on my Internet Explorer became packed with poker blogs. I started reading them with a fervor...and my so-called workplace productivity went from low to zero (I am sick of my job after 8 years and part of my New Years resolution is to do something about it).
At the beginning of the year I started my own blog and haven't regretted anything. It's a great way to escape the monotony of the daily grind...and a way to get things off my mind. I'm sure i've probably played against some blogger at Foxwoods this past year as well as online. Once in a while someone else will start talking about "dropping the hammer" of some other common term and you just know that they read the same blogs.
This year has also spurred an interest in other card games that I wanted to learn..like the Hi/Lo games and Razz. I haven't forayed to far into them but they provide an avenue that will keep me occupied and interested for years to come.
It's also interesting how some of the blogger out there are actually writers that get published! There have been poker strategy books/manuals and articles that have kept my non stop learning curve.
This coming year I expect more incredible blog posts..more poker than ever before...and due to the birth of my daughter I will play pocket fives like Aces!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR to All!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
miscellany
Time to make the Donuts! Well that time has sadly passed..RIP.. Dunkin Donuts is an icon up here in the Northeast. they must put Cocaine in their coffee its addictive and well…wait a minute..that guy is just an actor…forget it…
I’ve been playing a lot of NL 25 on PokerStars lately due to their double FPP’s for the rest of the year…also found the low buy-in Sit’N’Gos (Turbo) and cashing in most of them.
Looks like Empire Poker is making one last ditch attempt at glory…
Dear Player, EmpirePoker invites you to enjoy another great benefit: 100% EXTRA on your next deposit, up to $100!! Use deposit code " EP2006 " from January 1 st , 00:01 AM EST until January 2 nd , 11:59 PM EST, 2006. To claim your bonus, make sure to deposit in the time frame stated above, using the deposit code “ EP2006 ” and to play 10 times raked hands of the bonus amount during 10 days. To learn more, click here See you at the tables,Promotions DepartmentEmpire Poker
I don’t know they screwed me out of a couple of potential bonuses after the PartyPoker split…and there is about 5,500 players on average there at primetime (9:00PM) so….
A lot of holiday stuff lately. I’m kind of glad to be back at work…nobody is here and I get to catch up on blogs that I usually can’t read…
Some good ones to add to my “Daily Reads” :
Poker Perspectives-Maudie I played a tourney against her..one of the Stars blog events and she raised my blind and re-raised me every time I raised…watch out for this lady…very interesting reading as well…
LiveJournal-Felicia Lee She has an opinion about most things and it is always right.
MissT74 – Tanya Peck…One Gambling girl who’s not afraid to piss off the “ladies”
All good stuff from these blogs…I needed to add the female perspective to the blogroll…and those are three of the best…
Friday, December 23, 2005
Merry Christmas to all.....
I hope everybody has a great Christmas and any other Holiday you might be celebrating at the current time. It's probably going to be fun to see Christmas through the eyes of my daughter for the first time.......like this 
This time of year always brings back the memories of family...alive or not. I currently live in my Grandfathers old house with the wife and daughter. My grandfather passed away in '98 sometime right before Christmas (I believe it was the 19th). He's the one that taught us (my brother, sister, and I) to play card games (7 card stud, 5 card draw, obscure games like 45's etc.) when I was a little tyke. This of course spurred a life-long interest in card games, sports, and gambling (not in a bad way..he used to bring me to the horse track in Salem, NH a couple of towns away from here). He also used to take me to his social clubs of which I think he belonged to 3 or 4. He used to say "stay here and watch TV with your soda and snacks while I talk to the guys"...little did I know at the time he was playing cards...I figured it out later on in life. It was nice and safe at those clubs back in the mid seventies. I later went back to one of those clubs (Knights of Columbus) and won a charity tournament last year. It was fun to see the old place 30 something years later and take down a tourney full of old-timers and newly addicted hot-shots (some guy of course adopted the unabomber thing and some other guy wanted to be Josh Arieh after his 3rd place WSOP finish). I found countless packs of cards in this house as well as a great old poker/card table and other gambling stuff.
I know that I'm rambling on here but this is what I remember during the holidays...family, fun parties with the family and friends, and playing cards with a lot of competitive relatives. This house is small but there was always room for 30 people...and most of the kids were downstairs playing card games and shooting pool in the basement. My grandfather would always sneak away from the adults and find plenty of time to entertain all of us kids. I don't know how he managed to entertain both the adults and all the kids at what seems like the same time but he did. Actually I went to his grave in the same town and put a RedSox hat on his gravestone last year after they won the world series. Baseball was the only sport for him and he would have loved to see them win the series. Anyway...
Cheers to all on this Christmas holiday and don't forget distant relatives and people who are less fortunate. Send someone a card with a contact number just in case..if they don't call back then no harm-no foul. Donate something to a local soup-kitchen or charity...You'll feel better giving a gift like that than any other. There are plenty of good causes to donate to here in the United States and local charities in general...
With that said I am very thankful for everything in my life (except my job..I'll have to work on that) like my family, friends, future events with my family and friends, the blogger community (even though I haven't been to a WPBT event and may not be able to ever) and memories of recent and distant past.
Merry Christmas to all...and to all a good night!!
This time of year always brings back the memories of family...alive or not. I currently live in my Grandfathers old house with the wife and daughter. My grandfather passed away in '98 sometime right before Christmas (I believe it was the 19th). He's the one that taught us (my brother, sister, and I) to play card games (7 card stud, 5 card draw, obscure games like 45's etc.) when I was a little tyke. This of course spurred a life-long interest in card games, sports, and gambling (not in a bad way..he used to bring me to the horse track in Salem, NH a couple of towns away from here). He also used to take me to his social clubs of which I think he belonged to 3 or 4. He used to say "stay here and watch TV with your soda and snacks while I talk to the guys"...little did I know at the time he was playing cards...I figured it out later on in life. It was nice and safe at those clubs back in the mid seventies. I later went back to one of those clubs (Knights of Columbus) and won a charity tournament last year. It was fun to see the old place 30 something years later and take down a tourney full of old-timers and newly addicted hot-shots (some guy of course adopted the unabomber thing and some other guy wanted to be Josh Arieh after his 3rd place WSOP finish). I found countless packs of cards in this house as well as a great old poker/card table and other gambling stuff.
I know that I'm rambling on here but this is what I remember during the holidays...family, fun parties with the family and friends, and playing cards with a lot of competitive relatives. This house is small but there was always room for 30 people...and most of the kids were downstairs playing card games and shooting pool in the basement. My grandfather would always sneak away from the adults and find plenty of time to entertain all of us kids. I don't know how he managed to entertain both the adults and all the kids at what seems like the same time but he did. Actually I went to his grave in the same town and put a RedSox hat on his gravestone last year after they won the world series. Baseball was the only sport for him and he would have loved to see them win the series. Anyway...
Cheers to all on this Christmas holiday and don't forget distant relatives and people who are less fortunate. Send someone a card with a contact number just in case..if they don't call back then no harm-no foul. Donate something to a local soup-kitchen or charity...You'll feel better giving a gift like that than any other. There are plenty of good causes to donate to here in the United States and local charities in general...
With that said I am very thankful for everything in my life (except my job..I'll have to work on that) like my family, friends, future events with my family and friends, the blogger community (even though I haven't been to a WPBT event and may not be able to ever) and memories of recent and distant past.
Merry Christmas to all...and to all a good night!!
Monday, December 19, 2005
The Green Goddess Epiphany
I’ve been playing a lot of .10-.25 (NL25) on PokerStars lately…and doing well. Playing a lot of low buy-in MTT’s and not doing well at those. Last weekend I went to UB for a couple of their rebuy satellites and Turbo MTT’s…the last tourney was late at night…12:00 midnight (late for me now) I bubbled out at 8th..the payouts started at 7th. It all started when I picked up A-A with about 15 left. I had a decent chip-stack…I limp and some guy goes all-in with 7-7..of course I’m going to call…I had him covered by 1K…I lose when he flops a set of 7’s. I limp to the final table and a couple of players get knocked out right away…the other guy that flopped the set of sevens gets busted out and I laugh (he actually berated me when his flopped 7’s beat my A-A?) I get J-J under the gun and go all-in…some guy calls with A-A and knocks me out just barely out of the money…AGAIN! My aces go in cycles..Unbeatable for a month…can’t win with them for a month…
Insert T.J. Cloutier comment here…"That’s Poker…take your beat like a man..what are you gonna do?"
I finally cleared my bonus after what seems an eternity. PokerStars is becoming the mother of all Poker Sites. their bonuses don’t run out…so you can take your time and not worry about losing a potential bonus. I would probably do better in the MTT’s if I didn’t drink when I played them…it’s just that their so damn time consuming...or is it..beer consuming.
I’m currently fighting off a poker epiphany..it comes to me in the form of a beautiful green goddess and says “Stick to the ring games and you will build your bankroll..you dumb fuck” I drink a few more beers and forget the beautiful green goddess and I proclaim “One day I will win one of these 2,000 plus NL MTT’s!! Green Goddess be gone!! And she disappears in a cloud of green smoke POOF!! I wake up the next day a bit on the hungover side and find out I blew my wad that consists of a 5.00 NL unlimited for first hour rebuy MTT…BITCH!!
Wow I’m getting a little tilty here…must be the Holidays. MERRY CHRISTMAS…if that offends anybody then fuck off…I’m sick of being politically correct…..
How ‘bout them Patriots…HERE THEY COME BITCHES!!!
Insert T.J. Cloutier comment here…"That’s Poker…take your beat like a man..what are you gonna do?"
I finally cleared my bonus after what seems an eternity. PokerStars is becoming the mother of all Poker Sites. their bonuses don’t run out…so you can take your time and not worry about losing a potential bonus. I would probably do better in the MTT’s if I didn’t drink when I played them…it’s just that their so damn time consuming...or is it..beer consuming.
I’m currently fighting off a poker epiphany..it comes to me in the form of a beautiful green goddess and says “Stick to the ring games and you will build your bankroll..you dumb fuck” I drink a few more beers and forget the beautiful green goddess and I proclaim “One day I will win one of these 2,000 plus NL MTT’s!! Green Goddess be gone!! And she disappears in a cloud of green smoke POOF!! I wake up the next day a bit on the hungover side and find out I blew my wad that consists of a 5.00 NL unlimited for first hour rebuy MTT…BITCH!!
Wow I’m getting a little tilty here…must be the Holidays. MERRY CHRISTMAS…if that offends anybody then fuck off…I’m sick of being politically correct…..
How ‘bout them Patriots…HERE THEY COME BITCHES!!!
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Low-limit hack Redux
Excuse my shoes they don't quite fit
They're a special offer and they hurt me a bit
Even my trousers are giving me pain
They were reduced in a sale so I shouldn't complain
They squeeze me so tight so I can't take no more
They're size 28 but I take 34
I'm on a low budget
What did you say
I'm on a low budget
I thought you said that
I'm on a low budget
They're a special offer and they hurt me a bit
Even my trousers are giving me pain
They were reduced in a sale so I shouldn't complain
They squeeze me so tight so I can't take no more
They're size 28 but I take 34
I'm on a low budget
What did you say
I'm on a low budget
I thought you said that
I'm on a low budget
I'm a cut price person in a low budget land
-The Kinks
-The Kinks
I'm back to being the low-limit hack that I'm supposed to be on PokerStars and UB. After the sickness has passed through my house I'm ready to get back to the NL tables. I forayed into the NL MTT's again last weekend and paid for it in Spades!!
NL MTT 10+1 on PokerStars Saturday night (snowed in for the weekend basically)...First hour is raise or fold for small pots....
second hour...dealt K-10 o and a flop of K-K-7 comes...I bet 200...limpers fold....one caller...2 on the turn...the one caller bets 400...I call...8 falls on the river...he goes all-in...I call..what does the donkey have? pocket 8's....nice way to begin my night of tourney futility. I guess I should have gone all-in at the turn but I know that he would have called anyway since he had more chips.
Couple more 5.00-10.00 MTT's and more bustouts...
NL rebuy-3.00 on UB...I raise all-in with junk..get called...rebuy a couple more time and go all-in with A-Q...I take a huge pot when two callers go all-in and I'm on my way...60 people started the night but after raising myself to a large chip-stack I get knocked out 17th at 4:00AM..I don't recall the play by play of the hand due to massive amounts of beer but I do remember getting knocked out by some kind of straight draw when I had a set of Q's...sucko...
After getting my balls kicked in for night I go to bed and realize that I haven't cashed in a MTT buy-in above 10.00 in six months or something...I've been doing fine at the $1-3.00 buyins and the $5-10.00 Sit'N'Go's.
"Back to the drawing board"...you think that saying was made by some riverboat gambler in the mid 1800's or what?
Low-limit NL is and always has been my bread'n'butter for my bankroll. I do occasionally go to the 2-4, 3-6 limit tables but not too often..I haven't played those since my daughter was born over seven months ago...I have no idea why...I think it's probably that I don't keep a large bankroll on multiple sites like I used to. I do occasionally get to Foxwoods and have done quite well when I play live. I made plenty of cash playing both 2-4 limit hold'em and 1-2 NL (Nofoldem HE). I've also cashed in a couple Charity tourneys...one I had to chop with the chip leader for 2nd place cash...believe me I could play a tourney every Monday and Tuesday night but...
Looks like PokerStars is getting almost as popular as Party now...I do believe that it is due to their marketing but there's something to be said for their customer service. It is by far the best of the sites...Hands down...that means a lot to a low-limit hack and breeds loyalty...you listening PartyPoker Pidgeons?
NL MTT 10+1 on PokerStars Saturday night (snowed in for the weekend basically)...First hour is raise or fold for small pots....
second hour...dealt K-10 o and a flop of K-K-7 comes...I bet 200...limpers fold....one caller...2 on the turn...the one caller bets 400...I call...8 falls on the river...he goes all-in...I call..what does the donkey have? pocket 8's....nice way to begin my night of tourney futility. I guess I should have gone all-in at the turn but I know that he would have called anyway since he had more chips.
Couple more 5.00-10.00 MTT's and more bustouts...
NL rebuy-3.00 on UB...I raise all-in with junk..get called...rebuy a couple more time and go all-in with A-Q...I take a huge pot when two callers go all-in and I'm on my way...60 people started the night but after raising myself to a large chip-stack I get knocked out 17th at 4:00AM..I don't recall the play by play of the hand due to massive amounts of beer but I do remember getting knocked out by some kind of straight draw when I had a set of Q's...sucko...
After getting my balls kicked in for night I go to bed and realize that I haven't cashed in a MTT buy-in above 10.00 in six months or something...I've been doing fine at the $1-3.00 buyins and the $5-10.00 Sit'N'Go's.
"Back to the drawing board"...you think that saying was made by some riverboat gambler in the mid 1800's or what?
Low-limit NL is and always has been my bread'n'butter for my bankroll. I do occasionally go to the 2-4, 3-6 limit tables but not too often..I haven't played those since my daughter was born over seven months ago...I have no idea why...I think it's probably that I don't keep a large bankroll on multiple sites like I used to. I do occasionally get to Foxwoods and have done quite well when I play live. I made plenty of cash playing both 2-4 limit hold'em and 1-2 NL (Nofoldem HE). I've also cashed in a couple Charity tourneys...one I had to chop with the chip leader for 2nd place cash...believe me I could play a tourney every Monday and Tuesday night but...
Looks like PokerStars is getting almost as popular as Party now...I do believe that it is due to their marketing but there's something to be said for their customer service. It is by far the best of the sites...Hands down...that means a lot to a low-limit hack and breeds loyalty...you listening PartyPoker Pidgeons?
Friday, December 09, 2005
Daycare is the bane of my existence...
Not that anybody reads this blog or anything but I haven't posted for a while for a reason. My 7 mo. old daughter just had an upper respiratory infection (aka..The "Croup") that she caught from daycare. As if it doesn't cost enough..it's a damn mortgage payment! She was in tough shape this week though..nothing like seeing your child cry and cough all night and not be able to do anything about it. I tried to feed her a bottle last night and after she finished the whole thing it came out projectile style all over me....nasty! Since Sept. She's had a bad cold, Conjunctivitis, and now the "Croup". We went to the emergency room at 5:30AM on Monday...she's doing well now though...so I haven't been doing much lately.
There was huge snowstorm here in the Northeast today...we must have had 12-18" of snow outside..and it's not even winter yet..doh!
I did sneak in a few NL MTT tourneys on UltimateBet though...their Turbo and Ultra Turbo MTT's and great for someone who needs a poker fix. The NL MTT's on PokerStars are great but there are so many players that it takes hours upon hours to get to the money. I was in a Limit MTT last Saturday...got knocked out at about 140 but I saw SirFWALGMan doing well and I think he placed 3rd...not bad dude! I did play the Hubble NL MTT freeroll latenight and busted out at around 110 or so...there were more that 5,000 entries!! but only 27 get into the big tourney so I was short-stacked and went all-in with K-10 offsuit....what can I say...I needed chips and also needed to get lucky.
Goals for this month:
Cash in some PokerStars MTT's with bigger buyins..last month I did well but the buyins were small 1-3.00 for each.
Get a home game going at my buddy's house...they are a lot of fun when everybody wants to play and we'll have at least 8 people.
Play a charity tourney and cash in it..there will be some actually after the new year..so maybe not this month.
Play more freerolls..
Win the lottery...
Find a million dollars in the street...etc.
OK...3 out of 6...
I am in 3 ESPN fantasy football leagues and I made the playoffs in all three...not bad..I also vaulted in 770th place in the espn UBER overall standings..not bad considering there are hundreds of thousands of fantasy gamers on ESPN.
The sports teams in Boston this year :
Patriots let Ty Law walk and they desperately need DB's (Although the injuries are the real story here).
RedSox are going to have to trade Manny Ramirez...better get value for him or D. Ortiz is going to suffer.
Bruins trade Joe Thornton for a bag of pucks and a zamboni driver..stupid fucks! (Jeremy Jacobs you should go back to Buffalo and buy the Sabres...you're 30 year reign of mediocrity should end soon).
Celtics...are they going to trade away Paul Pierce? I wouldn't put it past them but they seem to be building for the future.
I feel I'm missing an incredible weekend out in Vegas right now.....
There was huge snowstorm here in the Northeast today...we must have had 12-18" of snow outside..and it's not even winter yet..doh!
I did sneak in a few NL MTT tourneys on UltimateBet though...their Turbo and Ultra Turbo MTT's and great for someone who needs a poker fix. The NL MTT's on PokerStars are great but there are so many players that it takes hours upon hours to get to the money. I was in a Limit MTT last Saturday...got knocked out at about 140 but I saw SirFWALGMan doing well and I think he placed 3rd...not bad dude! I did play the Hubble NL MTT freeroll latenight and busted out at around 110 or so...there were more that 5,000 entries!! but only 27 get into the big tourney so I was short-stacked and went all-in with K-10 offsuit....what can I say...I needed chips and also needed to get lucky.
Goals for this month:
Cash in some PokerStars MTT's with bigger buyins..last month I did well but the buyins were small 1-3.00 for each.
Get a home game going at my buddy's house...they are a lot of fun when everybody wants to play and we'll have at least 8 people.
Play a charity tourney and cash in it..there will be some actually after the new year..so maybe not this month.
Play more freerolls..
Win the lottery...
Find a million dollars in the street...etc.
OK...3 out of 6...
I am in 3 ESPN fantasy football leagues and I made the playoffs in all three...not bad..I also vaulted in 770th place in the espn UBER overall standings..not bad considering there are hundreds of thousands of fantasy gamers on ESPN.
The sports teams in Boston this year :
Patriots let Ty Law walk and they desperately need DB's (Although the injuries are the real story here).
RedSox are going to have to trade Manny Ramirez...better get value for him or D. Ortiz is going to suffer.
Bruins trade Joe Thornton for a bag of pucks and a zamboni driver..stupid fucks! (Jeremy Jacobs you should go back to Buffalo and buy the Sabres...you're 30 year reign of mediocrity should end soon).
Celtics...are they going to trade away Paul Pierce? I wouldn't put it past them but they seem to be building for the future.
I feel I'm missing an incredible weekend out in Vegas right now.....
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