Tonight, I played poker at Joe's home. My non-losing streak ended, as I finished the night down exactly $20. In the ten times I've played in this recurring weekly game, this is the first time that I've lost money. My poker skills must be deteriorating.
Since starting this sketchbook, this is the first month that I've recorded a loss. Ugh!!
Daily Sketch: Down $20
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $273.80
November 29, 2004: Monday Night Football
Tonight, I watched the Monday Night Football game between the Packers and Rams. Thanks to a wonderful perfomance from Isaac Bruce, I outscored everyone in David D.'s fantasy football league and earned $10.
Daily Sketch: Up $10
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $253.80
Daily Sketch: Up $10
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $253.80
November 28, 2004: A Relaxing Day
After losing over $200 in 30 minutes last evening, I had absolutely no inclination to play poker today. Instead, I enjoyed a relaxing day of NFL football.
I stress "enjoyed", because it appears that I'm going to go 4-0 in my fantasy football leagues this weekend. I've clinched three division crowns and can claim the #1 playoff seed in the other league if I win next weekend (there are no divisions in that league). In December, I should claim some nice winnings - which I'll need. Almost certainly, November is going to be my first losing month in the Sketchbook, and I could use a positive December sketchbook as we approach the Christmas holidays.
Daily Sketch: $0
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $263.80
I stress "enjoyed", because it appears that I'm going to go 4-0 in my fantasy football leagues this weekend. I've clinched three division crowns and can claim the #1 playoff seed in the other league if I win next weekend (there are no divisions in that league). In December, I should claim some nice winnings - which I'll need. Almost certainly, November is going to be my first losing month in the Sketchbook, and I could use a positive December sketchbook as we approach the Christmas holidays.
Daily Sketch: $0
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $263.80
November 27, 2004: An Ugly 30 Minutes
With nothing better to do today, I played a lot of poker on Party Poker.
During the course of the entire afternoon, I played in several Sit 'n' Go Tournaments and played a lot of raked games. I mixed up my games, playing Hold 'em, Omaha, and 7 Card Stud. All told, I played for nearly five hours.
As the evening approached, I found myself up exactly $34 for the day. I was relatively happy with that figure, considering the fact that I was down nearly $200 at one point in the afternoon.
Around 5:30pm, I sat down at a $5/$10 six-man table and suffered through a terrible 30 minute stretch. All told, I lost exactly $213 and cursed my luck until I finally decided that I couldn't take it anymore. Offset by the $34 I had made previously, I lost exactly $179 today. Ugh!!
My opponents on this table were crazy. They raised every bet and kept hitting miracle turn and river cards. Countless times, I'd flop two pair - only to see my oppponent hit a set on the river. More than once, I saw my opponents catch flushes on the river. I couldn't believe the cards that were appearing - but I guess that's why they call it gambling. It was an ugly 30 minutes.
Daily Sketch: Down $179
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $263.80
During the course of the entire afternoon, I played in several Sit 'n' Go Tournaments and played a lot of raked games. I mixed up my games, playing Hold 'em, Omaha, and 7 Card Stud. All told, I played for nearly five hours.
As the evening approached, I found myself up exactly $34 for the day. I was relatively happy with that figure, considering the fact that I was down nearly $200 at one point in the afternoon.
Around 5:30pm, I sat down at a $5/$10 six-man table and suffered through a terrible 30 minute stretch. All told, I lost exactly $213 and cursed my luck until I finally decided that I couldn't take it anymore. Offset by the $34 I had made previously, I lost exactly $179 today. Ugh!!
My opponents on this table were crazy. They raised every bet and kept hitting miracle turn and river cards. Countless times, I'd flop two pair - only to see my oppponent hit a set on the river. More than once, I saw my opponents catch flushes on the river. I couldn't believe the cards that were appearing - but I guess that's why they call it gambling. It was an ugly 30 minutes.
Daily Sketch: Down $179
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $263.80
November 26, 2004: Pocket 5's
This afternoon, I played $5/$10 poker on a 6-man table on Party Poker for about 90 minutes. For most of that time, I hovered around even. I'd win a decent hand and minutes later I'd lose a big hand that would bring me back to even. It was quite frustrating.
About 80 minutes into my session, I was dealt pocket 5's. I raised the bet to $10 and another player re-raised me to $15. All told, four of us saw the flop (for $15) - so the pot was decent.
The flop came K-5-4 (rainbow), so I was pretty happy. I merrily bet $5 and the original raiser re-raised me to $10. I called his bet and one other player stayed in. I still felt pretty good about my set of 5's, but the raise after the flop had me a bit concerned.
The turn saw a Jack appear. This time, I checked and the original raiser bet $10. The third player folded and I called the $10 bet. At this point, I felt that the original raiser was holding AA, AK or KK. Knowing that I could beat two of those three possibilities, I still felt ok about my hand - but a little voice in my head advised caution.
The river was a 10. Feeling bold (and ignoring the voice), I bet $10 and was immediately re-raised to $20. Ugh!! I had an inkling that I was facing KK. Reluctantly, however, I called the extra $10 and anticipated a big loss. There was a lot of money in the pot and the extra $10 wasn't enough to make me fold.
Surprisingly, however, the pile of chips moved in my direction and I scooped a big pot - I believe it was $152. My opponent was holding AK and easily lost to my three 5's. I'm a bit perplexed by his aggressiveness in that situation, but so be it!!
I played for another 10 minutes and lost a couple small hands. After all was said and done, I won exactly $51 and decided that I'd had enough. I'm still a bit burned out from all the on-line poker I've played in the last six months and 90 minutes of action this afternoon was plenty of action for me.
Daily Sketch: Up $51
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $84.80
About 80 minutes into my session, I was dealt pocket 5's. I raised the bet to $10 and another player re-raised me to $15. All told, four of us saw the flop (for $15) - so the pot was decent.
The flop came K-5-4 (rainbow), so I was pretty happy. I merrily bet $5 and the original raiser re-raised me to $10. I called his bet and one other player stayed in. I still felt pretty good about my set of 5's, but the raise after the flop had me a bit concerned.
The turn saw a Jack appear. This time, I checked and the original raiser bet $10. The third player folded and I called the $10 bet. At this point, I felt that the original raiser was holding AA, AK or KK. Knowing that I could beat two of those three possibilities, I still felt ok about my hand - but a little voice in my head advised caution.
The river was a 10. Feeling bold (and ignoring the voice), I bet $10 and was immediately re-raised to $20. Ugh!! I had an inkling that I was facing KK. Reluctantly, however, I called the extra $10 and anticipated a big loss. There was a lot of money in the pot and the extra $10 wasn't enough to make me fold.
Surprisingly, however, the pile of chips moved in my direction and I scooped a big pot - I believe it was $152. My opponent was holding AK and easily lost to my three 5's. I'm a bit perplexed by his aggressiveness in that situation, but so be it!!
I played for another 10 minutes and lost a couple small hands. After all was said and done, I won exactly $51 and decided that I'd had enough. I'm still a bit burned out from all the on-line poker I've played in the last six months and 90 minutes of action this afternoon was plenty of action for me.
Daily Sketch: Up $51
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $84.80
November 25, 2004: Happy Thanksgiving!!
The $4 I spent on Julius Jones paid immediate dividends today. Rushing for 150 yards and two touchdowns, Mr. Jones has given me a significant edge heading into the rest of the weekend's games. If I can win this weekend, I'll almost certainly guarantee myself a playoff spot and - at a minimum - approximately $75 in winnings.
Daily Sketch: $0
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $135.80
Daily Sketch: $0
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $135.80
November 24, 2004: Julius Jones & Travis Minor
With my fantasy football team sporting a record of 6-4-1 in Extendicare's league, I decided to spend $5 on a couple free agent acquisitions. I spent $1 to acquire Travis Minor and $4 to acquire Julius Jones. I guess I'll activate Jones ahead of Tyrone Wheatley this weekend and hope that he gets another 30 carries (as he did this past weekend) against the Bears tomorrow. Minor, in the meantime, will sit on my bench.
Daily Sketch: Down $5
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $135.80
Daily Sketch: Down $5
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $135.80
November 23, 2004: Poker at Joe's
As some of the loyal readers of this website know, I won money the first seven times I played poker at Joe's house. Then, I broke exactly even the last time I played - ending my winning streak. Tonight, I tried to start a new winning streak.
For the first three hours of the night, I lost. Starting shortly after 7:00pm, I slowly (yet surely) lost all $20 that I originally started with. At 10:05pm, I bought in for another $10 - knowing that the game was scheduled to end at 10:30.
Over the next 40 minutes (we played a few minutes longer than usual), I recouped all $20 that I had lost over the previous 3 hours. I caught some nice hands and scooped some pretty nice pots. After all was said and done, I made one final wager of $.40 (which I lost) and (AGAIN!) broke exactly even.
So, I guess that I've got a 2-session "break even" streak in this weekly game. Next Tuesday, we play again. We'll see if I can extend this impressive streak to three!!
Daily Sketch: $0
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $130.80
For the first three hours of the night, I lost. Starting shortly after 7:00pm, I slowly (yet surely) lost all $20 that I originally started with. At 10:05pm, I bought in for another $10 - knowing that the game was scheduled to end at 10:30.
Over the next 40 minutes (we played a few minutes longer than usual), I recouped all $20 that I had lost over the previous 3 hours. I caught some nice hands and scooped some pretty nice pots. After all was said and done, I made one final wager of $.40 (which I lost) and (AGAIN!) broke exactly even.
So, I guess that I've got a 2-session "break even" streak in this weekly game. Next Tuesday, we play again. We'll see if I can extend this impressive streak to three!!
Daily Sketch: $0
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $130.80
November 22, 2004: $10 at Extendicare
Tonight, I watched the Monday Night Football Game and stayed away from the on-line poker tables.
I went 3-1 in my four fantasy football leagues this weekend, raising my cumulative record to an eye-popping 32-11-1. In addition, I outscored everyone in Extendicare's league and earned another $10 for high-of-the-week honors. That makes three consecutive weekends that I've won $10. Considering the fact that I was 3-4-1 in that league three weeks ago, things have certainly turned around for me. Suddenly, I'm 6-4-1 and contending for a division title in that league.
Tomorrow, I'm playing poker at Joe's house, so the Sketchbook will have some activity.
Daily Sketch: Up $10
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $130.80
I went 3-1 in my four fantasy football leagues this weekend, raising my cumulative record to an eye-popping 32-11-1. In addition, I outscored everyone in Extendicare's league and earned another $10 for high-of-the-week honors. That makes three consecutive weekends that I've won $10. Considering the fact that I was 3-4-1 in that league three weeks ago, things have certainly turned around for me. Suddenly, I'm 6-4-1 and contending for a division title in that league.
Tomorrow, I'm playing poker at Joe's house, so the Sketchbook will have some activity.
Daily Sketch: Up $10
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $130.80
November 21, 2004: $5/$10 on Party Poker
This afternoon, I played on a six-man $5/$10 on Party Poker and lost exactly $75.
One of the last hands of my session typified my afternoon. Holding 5-5 in the hole, I immediately raised the bet to $10 and was called my one other player.
The flop came Q-Q-Q. I bet $5 and my opponent called.
The turn was a 6. I bet $10 and my opponent called.
The flop was a 2. Again, I bet $10. My opponent raised to $20 and I knew I was in trouble. With a lot of money already in the pot, however, I called the $10 raise.
My opponent flipped 6-8. The six on the river had given him a bigger full house.
Ugh!! A guy holding 6-8 probably shouldn't have called my raise preflop. Then, after the flop, he probably shouldn't have called my bet. The turn, however, was his savior and he scooped a big pot that he had no business winning. Ugh!! Shortly thereafter, I quit - frustrated by my on-line losses.
I think I need another break from on-line poker. More and more, I find myself disgustingly leaving a table after suffering through some ugly hands. Honestly speaking, I'm not having a lot of fun playing on-line poker right now, so that's probably a good reason to take a break. Thankfully, I had a very good day last Saturday while playing on-line, or I'd be looking at a serious hole.
Daily Sketch: Down $75
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $140.80
One of the last hands of my session typified my afternoon. Holding 5-5 in the hole, I immediately raised the bet to $10 and was called my one other player.
The flop came Q-Q-Q. I bet $5 and my opponent called.
The turn was a 6. I bet $10 and my opponent called.
The flop was a 2. Again, I bet $10. My opponent raised to $20 and I knew I was in trouble. With a lot of money already in the pot, however, I called the $10 raise.
My opponent flipped 6-8. The six on the river had given him a bigger full house.
Ugh!! A guy holding 6-8 probably shouldn't have called my raise preflop. Then, after the flop, he probably shouldn't have called my bet. The turn, however, was his savior and he scooped a big pot that he had no business winning. Ugh!! Shortly thereafter, I quit - frustrated by my on-line losses.
I think I need another break from on-line poker. More and more, I find myself disgustingly leaving a table after suffering through some ugly hands. Honestly speaking, I'm not having a lot of fun playing on-line poker right now, so that's probably a good reason to take a break. Thankfully, I had a very good day last Saturday while playing on-line, or I'd be looking at a serious hole.
Daily Sketch: Down $75
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $140.80
November 20, 2004: Poker at Tom's
Tonight, I played poker at Tom's house with Rob, Al, and Joe.
The night started with a simple one-on-one hold 'em tournament with Rob. I won the "tournament" and the $3 that we had wagered.
Next, the five of us played a $5 tournament and I was the first one eliminated. I like to play pretty aggressively in these tournaments, and was quickly eliminated when my cards wouldn't cooperate with my aggressive play.
For the next 5 (or so) hours, we played a mixed bag of card games and I won exactly $4.80. Considering the fact that I lost nearly $19 on one hand of Canadian Blackjack (Rob hit a miracle draw), I can't complain about my meager winnings. It could have been worse.
Daily Sketch: Up $2.80
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $65.80
The night started with a simple one-on-one hold 'em tournament with Rob. I won the "tournament" and the $3 that we had wagered.
Next, the five of us played a $5 tournament and I was the first one eliminated. I like to play pretty aggressively in these tournaments, and was quickly eliminated when my cards wouldn't cooperate with my aggressive play.
For the next 5 (or so) hours, we played a mixed bag of card games and I won exactly $4.80. Considering the fact that I lost nearly $19 on one hand of Canadian Blackjack (Rob hit a miracle draw), I can't complain about my meager winnings. It could have been worse.
Daily Sketch: Up $2.80
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $65.80
November 19, 2004: Dairyland Greyhound Park
Tonight, Theresa and I went to Dairyland Greyhound Park in Kenosha for a night of wagering.
Last February, I went to the dogtrack and had a relatively unsuccessful session. Near the end of the night, I was growing tired and decided that I wanted to leave before the running of the last race. I placed a $6 Quinella Box wager on that last race and left the track with my ticket. The next day, I looked up the results and saw that my last bet was the winner of $48. Woo Hoo!! I held that ticket until tonight and finally cashed it in.
Heading to Kenosha with the $48 ticket, my simple goal was to simply lose less than $48 and try to return to Milwaukee with the same amount of money I had left with. I haven't had a lot of success at the dogtrack lately, so I didn't really have big expectations this evening. I had never seen Theresa win at the dogtrack, so we definitely didn't feel very lucky driving to Kenosha.
All told, I bet exactly $6 on each of the 15 races that were run that night - with all but one of those wagers being a Quinella box. I won $10.20 on the 2nd race and $56.20 on the 5th race. Otherwise, I didn't win a single wager and, consequently, lost exactly $24.80 this evening. However, since I arrived at Dairyland with the $48 ticket, I left Kenosha with more money in my wallet than what I arrived with. So, I don't consider the night a total loss.
On a positive note, Theresa had a successful night and won a little over $100. Since she has NEVER won at the dogtrack, she was quite excited.
Daily Sketch: Down $24.80
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $68.60
Last February, I went to the dogtrack and had a relatively unsuccessful session. Near the end of the night, I was growing tired and decided that I wanted to leave before the running of the last race. I placed a $6 Quinella Box wager on that last race and left the track with my ticket. The next day, I looked up the results and saw that my last bet was the winner of $48. Woo Hoo!! I held that ticket until tonight and finally cashed it in.
Heading to Kenosha with the $48 ticket, my simple goal was to simply lose less than $48 and try to return to Milwaukee with the same amount of money I had left with. I haven't had a lot of success at the dogtrack lately, so I didn't really have big expectations this evening. I had never seen Theresa win at the dogtrack, so we definitely didn't feel very lucky driving to Kenosha.
All told, I bet exactly $6 on each of the 15 races that were run that night - with all but one of those wagers being a Quinella box. I won $10.20 on the 2nd race and $56.20 on the 5th race. Otherwise, I didn't win a single wager and, consequently, lost exactly $24.80 this evening. However, since I arrived at Dairyland with the $48 ticket, I left Kenosha with more money in my wallet than what I arrived with. So, I don't consider the night a total loss.
On a positive note, Theresa had a successful night and won a little over $100. Since she has NEVER won at the dogtrack, she was quite excited.
Daily Sketch: Down $24.80
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $68.60
November 18, 2004: All is Quiet on the Gambling Front
I didn't place any wagers this evening. It was a quiet evening for the sketchbook.
Daily Sketch: $0
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $43.80
Daily Sketch: $0
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $43.80
November 17, 2004: One Sit 'n' Go
I played one $30(3) ten-man Sit 'n' Go Tournament on Party Poker this evening. I did not experience any success.
I played 33 hands before being eliminated. Of those 33 hands, I won exactly 2 of them. I finished in 8th place - well out of the money.
Daily Sketch: Down $33
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $43.80
I played 33 hands before being eliminated. Of those 33 hands, I won exactly 2 of them. I finished in 8th place - well out of the money.
Daily Sketch: Down $33
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $43.80
November 16, 2004: PartyPoker
For one hour tonight, I played some simple poker on a six-man $1/$2 table on PartyPoker. After sixty minutes of play, I was up exactly $7.20. It was a pretty uneventful session.
Then, I decided that I would play exactly 5 minutes on a $5/$10 and see how I'd do. In hindsight, that was a mistake.
On the third hand I was dealt, I was given a JK in the hole. The flop came up 7-J-K and I felt pretty good about my chances. I bet aggressively and kept up the pressure when a 3 and 4 eventually appeared on the turn and river. Two people stayed in the pot and my bet after the river was suddenly raised. I nervously called the raise and was disappointed to see that one of my opponents had hit a runner-runner heart flush. Ugh!!
All told, I lost exactly $125 during those six minutes. That, my friends, is not good! I didn't win a single hand on that ugly table and retired for the night - back in "the red" for the month.
Daily Sketch: Down $117.80
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $10.80
Then, I decided that I would play exactly 5 minutes on a $5/$10 and see how I'd do. In hindsight, that was a mistake.
On the third hand I was dealt, I was given a JK in the hole. The flop came up 7-J-K and I felt pretty good about my chances. I bet aggressively and kept up the pressure when a 3 and 4 eventually appeared on the turn and river. Two people stayed in the pot and my bet after the river was suddenly raised. I nervously called the raise and was disappointed to see that one of my opponents had hit a runner-runner heart flush. Ugh!!
All told, I lost exactly $125 during those six minutes. That, my friends, is not good! I didn't win a single hand on that ugly table and retired for the night - back in "the red" for the month.
Daily Sketch: Down $117.80
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $10.80
November 15, 2004: Fantasy Football Update
After losing $50 yesterday, I decided to stay away from the poker tables tonight. Instead, I decided to simply watch the Monday Night football game and root for Brian Westbrook.
Entering tonight's game, I needed a decent performance from Westbrook to claim victory in Extendicare's fantasy football league. Thankfully, Westbrook had a decent night and I completed a perfect 4-0 weekend in my four fantasy leagues. In addition to going 4-0, I scored more points than anyone else in Extendicare's league and, as a result, I earned a $10 bonus.
I was away in Boston last week, so I didn't get a chance to mention that I also won $10 last weekend when I had highest point total in Extendicare's league. So, I guess I'll record the favorable $20 in today's sketchbook - rather than writing a "fake" entry that's postdated.
To put it mildly, my 4 fantasy football teams are on a roll and I'm in a great position to win some serious dough this football season. I've gone 8-0 the past two weeks and my four teams have a combined record of 29-10-1. I'm 8-2 in three leagues and 5-4-1 in the other league (Extendicare). Considering the fact that I've had the highest scoring team the past two weeks, however, I feel pretty good about my team in that league.
Of course, I'm keeping my fingers crossed, because I've never had this much success in one season. At any moment, I'm waiting for the stars to realign themselves. In the interim, however, I'm really enjoying the ride this NFL season!
Daily Sketch: Up $20
Month-to-Date Sketch: Up $107
Entering tonight's game, I needed a decent performance from Westbrook to claim victory in Extendicare's fantasy football league. Thankfully, Westbrook had a decent night and I completed a perfect 4-0 weekend in my four fantasy leagues. In addition to going 4-0, I scored more points than anyone else in Extendicare's league and, as a result, I earned a $10 bonus.
I was away in Boston last week, so I didn't get a chance to mention that I also won $10 last weekend when I had highest point total in Extendicare's league. So, I guess I'll record the favorable $20 in today's sketchbook - rather than writing a "fake" entry that's postdated.
To put it mildly, my 4 fantasy football teams are on a roll and I'm in a great position to win some serious dough this football season. I've gone 8-0 the past two weeks and my four teams have a combined record of 29-10-1. I'm 8-2 in three leagues and 5-4-1 in the other league (Extendicare). Considering the fact that I've had the highest scoring team the past two weeks, however, I feel pretty good about my team in that league.
Of course, I'm keeping my fingers crossed, because I've never had this much success in one season. At any moment, I'm waiting for the stars to realign themselves. In the interim, however, I'm really enjoying the ride this NFL season!
Daily Sketch: Up $20
Month-to-Date Sketch: Up $107
November 14, 2004: NL on Party Poker
While watching the Sunday night football game between the Patriots and Bills, I decided to jump on a six-man $50 NL table on Party Poker. All told, I played for 90 minutes. During the first 88 minutes, I made no progress and the action was pretty uneventful. I was still hovering around $50 when the following hand was played:
I'm dealt Ah Ks. I raise the bet to $3 (from $1) and all five people call me. In the 88 minutes I had been playing, it was the first time that all six people at the table saw the flop.
With $18 already in the pot, the flop came As 5s Jh. I had flopped the top pair (with a great kicker) and immediately bet $3. Two people called me. The other three players dropped. The pot was up to $27.
The turn was a 9s. Even with three spades on the table, I bet $5. Another player went "all in" with his last $10.50 - effectively raising me a relatively paltry $5.50. However, the only other remaining player immediately went "all in" with his $70. If I wanted to keep playing, I needed to go "all in".
At that point, I had contributed a decent amount of cash into the pot and was holding a little less than $40. I decided to take a chance and called the "all in" bet that was staring me in the face. I didn't do a lot of calculating, but I felt that the pot odds dictated I make the play. After all, I had been playing for 88 minutes and I was even. How exciting was tonight's sketchbook entry going to be if I folded this hand. As I made the wager, I publicly declared (Theresa was watching me play) that I really needed a spade on the river. I wasn't overly confident that my pair of aces was going to win this hand.
Sure enough, a 4s appeared on the river and I hit my flush. I exclaimed "yes!" and expected to see a VERY large pot slide my way. After all, I had the Ks, assuring that I had hit the top flush. Instead, the money slid away from me - which shocked me.
This is a good time for a quiz. What cards was my opponent holding?
Are you thinking?
Congratulations if you figured it out . . .
The player that had thrown in the $70 "all in" bet was holding 2s 3s. The 4s on the river had given him a straight flush, effectively giving him the entire pot. Ugh!!
Down exactly $50, I decided to retire for the night.
Daily Sketch: Down $50
Month-to-Date Sketch: Up $87
I'm dealt Ah Ks. I raise the bet to $3 (from $1) and all five people call me. In the 88 minutes I had been playing, it was the first time that all six people at the table saw the flop.
With $18 already in the pot, the flop came As 5s Jh. I had flopped the top pair (with a great kicker) and immediately bet $3. Two people called me. The other three players dropped. The pot was up to $27.
The turn was a 9s. Even with three spades on the table, I bet $5. Another player went "all in" with his last $10.50 - effectively raising me a relatively paltry $5.50. However, the only other remaining player immediately went "all in" with his $70. If I wanted to keep playing, I needed to go "all in".
At that point, I had contributed a decent amount of cash into the pot and was holding a little less than $40. I decided to take a chance and called the "all in" bet that was staring me in the face. I didn't do a lot of calculating, but I felt that the pot odds dictated I make the play. After all, I had been playing for 88 minutes and I was even. How exciting was tonight's sketchbook entry going to be if I folded this hand. As I made the wager, I publicly declared (Theresa was watching me play) that I really needed a spade on the river. I wasn't overly confident that my pair of aces was going to win this hand.
Sure enough, a 4s appeared on the river and I hit my flush. I exclaimed "yes!" and expected to see a VERY large pot slide my way. After all, I had the Ks, assuring that I had hit the top flush. Instead, the money slid away from me - which shocked me.
This is a good time for a quiz. What cards was my opponent holding?
Are you thinking?
Congratulations if you figured it out . . .
The player that had thrown in the $70 "all in" bet was holding 2s 3s. The 4s on the river had given him a straight flush, effectively giving him the entire pot. Ugh!!
Down exactly $50, I decided to retire for the night.
Daily Sketch: Down $50
Month-to-Date Sketch: Up $87
November 13, 2004: Spotted Cow VI
It's been quite some time since I made an entry in the sketchbook. I went to Boston for several days earlier this week, so I didn't have access to a computer for a while. Down over $400, I thought I needed a break anyway. Today, however, I returned to the gambling arena with a bang. Having been away from poker for a week, I was ready to play!
This morning, I checked my Party Poker account and noticed that I had approximately $225 in my account. So, I decided to "up the stakes" and joined a $200(15) ten-man table that would otherwise exhaust most of the funds in my account. Since starting this sketchbook, I hadn't played in such a pricey game, but I thought, "What the heck, let's give it a shot!"
The tournament went well. I finished in 2nd place and took home the associated prize of $600 - netting me a healthy profit of $385. Those winnings alone nearly offset my month-to-date losses! I was never really in position to win the tournament and simply outlasted a few other players to take 2nd, so I was quite happy with the result. When we got down to 2 players, I was only holding 2,200 chips - while my opponent (and the eventual winner of $1,000) was holding 7,800 chips. He dominated the tournament and deserved to win.
Then, I decided to play on a raked six-man $10/$20 table - another high-stakes table that I've been avoiding the last several weeks. Things went relatively well and I left the table (after playing for 25 minutes) $58 richer. Considering the stakes, my winnings are quite insignificant, but I'll take them nonetheless. After taking the modest profit, I retired from on-line poker for the day.
The afternoon/evening was dedicated to Spotted Cow VI, my quarterly Texas Hold 'em poker tournament. As the related website shows, I finished 2nd in one tournament - which gave me a $200 prize. I spent $120 to join the four tournaments, so I netted ahead $80. I also won one bullseye during the night, so that netted me another $15.
Prior to the start of the Badger game, ten of us threw $10 into a pot and drew numbers. Had the Badgers scored a touchdown at the close of the 1st half, I would have won $50. Instead, the Badgers were stuffed on four consecutive plays (after having a 1st and Goal from the 1-foot line) and I lost my $10.
Around 12:30am (after Spotted Cow had ended), a handful of us continued to play some $1/$3 poker in my apartment. Playing for over 2 hours, I won exactly $24. A complete day of poker ended around 3:30am Sunday morning.
I'm pooped! Time for a nap . . .
Daily Sketch: Up $552
Month-to-Date Sketch: Up $137
This morning, I checked my Party Poker account and noticed that I had approximately $225 in my account. So, I decided to "up the stakes" and joined a $200(15) ten-man table that would otherwise exhaust most of the funds in my account. Since starting this sketchbook, I hadn't played in such a pricey game, but I thought, "What the heck, let's give it a shot!"
The tournament went well. I finished in 2nd place and took home the associated prize of $600 - netting me a healthy profit of $385. Those winnings alone nearly offset my month-to-date losses! I was never really in position to win the tournament and simply outlasted a few other players to take 2nd, so I was quite happy with the result. When we got down to 2 players, I was only holding 2,200 chips - while my opponent (and the eventual winner of $1,000) was holding 7,800 chips. He dominated the tournament and deserved to win.
Then, I decided to play on a raked six-man $10/$20 table - another high-stakes table that I've been avoiding the last several weeks. Things went relatively well and I left the table (after playing for 25 minutes) $58 richer. Considering the stakes, my winnings are quite insignificant, but I'll take them nonetheless. After taking the modest profit, I retired from on-line poker for the day.
The afternoon/evening was dedicated to Spotted Cow VI, my quarterly Texas Hold 'em poker tournament. As the related website shows, I finished 2nd in one tournament - which gave me a $200 prize. I spent $120 to join the four tournaments, so I netted ahead $80. I also won one bullseye during the night, so that netted me another $15.
Prior to the start of the Badger game, ten of us threw $10 into a pot and drew numbers. Had the Badgers scored a touchdown at the close of the 1st half, I would have won $50. Instead, the Badgers were stuffed on four consecutive plays (after having a 1st and Goal from the 1-foot line) and I lost my $10.
Around 12:30am (after Spotted Cow had ended), a handful of us continued to play some $1/$3 poker in my apartment. Playing for over 2 hours, I won exactly $24. A complete day of poker ended around 3:30am Sunday morning.
I'm pooped! Time for a nap . . .
Daily Sketch: Up $552
Month-to-Date Sketch: Up $137
November 5, 2004: Party Poker Million - Semifinals
Last month, I won a special $32 10-man tournament on Party Poker. As a reward for winning, I earned an entry into the semifinals of the PartyPoker.com Million IV tournament. The semifinals are being played tonight.
The anticipated prize pool for Partypoker.com is $6 Million. Everyone who escapes from tonight's semifinals wins a free entry into the finals and the opportunity to win the first place prize - which is expected to exceed $1 Million.
For those of you unaware, the final tournament is played as part of a "luxury" cruise that sets sail next March. In addition to winning a free entry into the finals, all of tonight's semifinal winners also win a cruise package. All told, the entire prize package is worth an estimated $12,600.
Admittedly, however, the chances of advancing past tonight's semifinals are slim. For every 60 people that participate tonight, only one person will advance. So, if 1,800 people play in tonight's semifinals, only 30 will go home happy and win the cruise. Needless to say, those aren't great odds.
Tonight's tournament will take a VERY LONG time. Typically, it takes (at least) 9 hours to whittle the field down to the final 30 (or so). This is NOT a no-limit tournament, so bets are capped and it takes a while to eliminate players. Earlier this year, I played for 6 1/2 hours before being eliminated in 89th place (I think) - which was 62 spots away from the cruise. Approximately 1,700 people played in that tournament. For my accomplishment, I won nothing.
Tonight's tournament starts at 8:00pm. In typical Sketchbook fashion, I'll provide frequent updates of my progress (or lack thereof). I certainly hope that today is a very lengthy entry!
6:45pm -> Another semifinal tournament was played last night (there are four tournaments being played this weekend). All told, 1,735 people participated and the tournament lasted 10 hours and 22 minutes. Yikes! Someone by the name of zodiaq won the tournament. However, he won the same thing as the guy who finished in 28th place (kmpatter) - an entry into the finals and the cruise package. It makes no difference if you finished 1st or 28th, all 28 people simply won the cruise. I'd hate to be Barrbarian, however. Unluckily, he finished in 29th place and missed the cruise by one spot. I'm guessing that he's got an ugly story to tell!
7:03pm -> With just under an hour to go, exactly 1,839 people have registered to play in tonight's tournament. Registration closed three minutes ago. The top 30 players will win a seat in the Final Tournament. Wish me luck!
8:00pm -> The tournament begins. I'm sitting at Table #122. I have 3,000 chips. The average player has 2,553 chips. Seven people at my table also have 3,000 chips - the most allowed. Let the good times begin!!
8:04pm -> Holding JQ, I win my first hand when two jacks appear on the board. It's a modest pot, but a pot nonetheless. I'm up to 3,065 chips.
8:05pm -> Wow!! This is no limit poker. I guess I should've bet more on the last pot, but I didn't know that we were playing no-limit. The fact that we're playing no-limit poker lends a whole new wrinkle to this tournament Last night's tournament was NOT no-limit poker. It appears that two of this weekend's semifinal tournaments are no-limit and the other two are not. This should be interesting.
8:08pm -> The first player at my table goes bankrupt. Maybe this tournament won't take so long, especially if it's no-limit. Just eight minutes into the tournament and 28 people have already been eliminated. Only 1,811 of us are left playing. I'm well on my way! lol
8:31pm -> A guy by the name of Swamee is dominating my table. He's up to 9,300 chips already. Meanwhile, I'm sitting at 2,885 chips. I risked 150 chips a short time ago (preflop) when I was holding 88. I got no help from the flop, however, and quickly folded. We're down to 1,668 players.
8:34pm -> Dealt AK, I scoop a decent pot when the board eventually shows 5-7-3-3-3. Throughout the hand, Swamee bets aggressively and I feel that he's trying to bully his way through the pot. I guessed correctly and my AK beats his AQ. I'm up to 3,525 chips.
9:00pm -> We've reached the one hour break. The last 36 minutes have been pretty uneventful and I'm sitting at 3,450 chips. There are exactly 1,500 players still alive and the average person has 3,130 chips. If nothing else, I've accomplished my first goal: I survived the first hour. During the first hour, I played 43 hands and I won 4 of them. I played through the river 6 times, so my winning percentage is 66% when I'm forced to show my cards.
9:29pm -> Dealt KK, everyone folds when I make a modest raise before the flop. I've won a couple very small hands during the last 20 minutes and I'm sitting at 3,925 chips. There are 1,257 players still alive with an average stack of just over 3,700 chips. Despite the non-excitement, I'm still above average.
9:46pm -> I lose a pretty big pot. Holding Jc Qc, two clubs appear on the flop. Unfortunately, the turn and river produce garbage and I drop down to 2,675 chips. Argh!!
10:05pm -> We've reached the two hour break. To this point, my cards have been pretty cold. During the last 60 minutes, I played exactly 67 hands. I won 6 of them - none of them very significant. I'm down to 2,450 chips. There are 919 players still alive and the average stack has 5,106 chips. I need to start catching some cards, or I won't be making it to the three hour break.
10:31pm -> This is a pretty boring tournament. I've flopped a couple top-pair in the last 20 minutes, but all that's done is offset some of the preflop bets I've otherwise lost. I'm sitting at 2,428 chips and praying for some pocket rockets. 728 players are still alive.
10:39pm -> I FINALLY win a big hand. Holding 99 in the big blind, another player holding Ad 10s puts me "all in" before the flop. Interestingly, I win the hand after four clubs appear on the board. One of my 9's is a club and I'm suddenly sitting with 4,256 chips. I'm still below average, but I'm back in the game!
10:52pm -> I win another big pot. Holding A 8 in the small blind, everyone folds to me. I match the big blind, but he immediately raises me. I call his small raise and we see a flop of A K 7. I check the bet and my opponent (CurlRocker) makes a substantial bet. I go "all in" and he immediately calls me - holding K2. My pair of aces beats his pair of kings and I'm suddenly up to 7,912 chips! There are 547 players still playing and the average stack has 8,400 chips. I'm definitely back in the game!
11:10pm -> We've reached the three hour break. I'm holding 8,042 chips. To put it mildly, the last 60 minutes went well. I played 71 hands and won only 6 of them. However, several big pots helped me triple my chips during the last hour. If I can triple-up during the next hour, I'll be ecstatic. We're down to 447 players and the average stack has 10,500 chips. The chip leader, meanwhile, has over 55,000 chips. Yikes!! Nevertheless, I'm pleased to be alive and kicking.
11:24pm -> I (luckily) scoop a big pot. Sitting in the small blind, my 6d 8d eventually see three diamonds appear on the board - the last on the river. With the win, I'm up to 10,842 chips. Things seem to be going well right now!
11:26pm -> So much for good luck. Holding 99, I'm back down to 8,142 chips when the flop reveals two overcards. My opponent makes a big bet and I'm forced to lay down my pocket pair.
11:43pm -> The last 17 minutes have gone horribly. I'm down to 3,342 chips. I've seen several flops, but I'm catching NOTHING. I need to catch something VERY VERY soon. The blinds are 400/800 and they're coming around to me. Sadly, I think my days are numbered . . .
11:49pm -> And so it ends. Holding As Ks, I go "all in" with my dwindling pile of chips. I'm called by the big blind - who's holding Qs 3d. Predictably, a Queen appears on the board and I'm eliminated - in 275th place. During the last 39 minutes of play, I participated in 44 hands. I won exactly one of them - and that's when I got lucky with a 6d 8d. Ugh! What a terrible time to go on a long losing streak, ehhh?
So, I guess my dreams of winning a cruise have been dashed. I feel like I played well tonight, but when a person only wins 1 of his final 44 hands while playing no-limit poker, there's not much that can be done. In fact, during the course of the (nearly) four hours I played, I only won 17 hands all night. That's pretty weak.
In the end, my cards went ice cold and I couldn't do anything to stop the bleeding. All-in-all, this was probably my most frustrating finish to a semifinal tournament. Had I simply gotten something during those final 39 minutes, I had positioned myself to make a move. Sigh.
It's going to be pretty easy to take a break from on-line poker. For the next week (or so), it's going to be a pretty boring sketchbook.
Daily Sketch: $0
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $415
The anticipated prize pool for Partypoker.com is $6 Million. Everyone who escapes from tonight's semifinals wins a free entry into the finals and the opportunity to win the first place prize - which is expected to exceed $1 Million.
For those of you unaware, the final tournament is played as part of a "luxury" cruise that sets sail next March. In addition to winning a free entry into the finals, all of tonight's semifinal winners also win a cruise package. All told, the entire prize package is worth an estimated $12,600.
Admittedly, however, the chances of advancing past tonight's semifinals are slim. For every 60 people that participate tonight, only one person will advance. So, if 1,800 people play in tonight's semifinals, only 30 will go home happy and win the cruise. Needless to say, those aren't great odds.
Tonight's tournament will take a VERY LONG time. Typically, it takes (at least) 9 hours to whittle the field down to the final 30 (or so). This is NOT a no-limit tournament, so bets are capped and it takes a while to eliminate players. Earlier this year, I played for 6 1/2 hours before being eliminated in 89th place (I think) - which was 62 spots away from the cruise. Approximately 1,700 people played in that tournament. For my accomplishment, I won nothing.
Tonight's tournament starts at 8:00pm. In typical Sketchbook fashion, I'll provide frequent updates of my progress (or lack thereof). I certainly hope that today is a very lengthy entry!
6:45pm -> Another semifinal tournament was played last night (there are four tournaments being played this weekend). All told, 1,735 people participated and the tournament lasted 10 hours and 22 minutes. Yikes! Someone by the name of zodiaq won the tournament. However, he won the same thing as the guy who finished in 28th place (kmpatter) - an entry into the finals and the cruise package. It makes no difference if you finished 1st or 28th, all 28 people simply won the cruise. I'd hate to be Barrbarian, however. Unluckily, he finished in 29th place and missed the cruise by one spot. I'm guessing that he's got an ugly story to tell!
7:03pm -> With just under an hour to go, exactly 1,839 people have registered to play in tonight's tournament. Registration closed three minutes ago. The top 30 players will win a seat in the Final Tournament. Wish me luck!
8:00pm -> The tournament begins. I'm sitting at Table #122. I have 3,000 chips. The average player has 2,553 chips. Seven people at my table also have 3,000 chips - the most allowed. Let the good times begin!!
8:04pm -> Holding JQ, I win my first hand when two jacks appear on the board. It's a modest pot, but a pot nonetheless. I'm up to 3,065 chips.
8:05pm -> Wow!! This is no limit poker. I guess I should've bet more on the last pot, but I didn't know that we were playing no-limit. The fact that we're playing no-limit poker lends a whole new wrinkle to this tournament Last night's tournament was NOT no-limit poker. It appears that two of this weekend's semifinal tournaments are no-limit and the other two are not. This should be interesting.
8:08pm -> The first player at my table goes bankrupt. Maybe this tournament won't take so long, especially if it's no-limit. Just eight minutes into the tournament and 28 people have already been eliminated. Only 1,811 of us are left playing. I'm well on my way! lol
8:31pm -> A guy by the name of Swamee is dominating my table. He's up to 9,300 chips already. Meanwhile, I'm sitting at 2,885 chips. I risked 150 chips a short time ago (preflop) when I was holding 88. I got no help from the flop, however, and quickly folded. We're down to 1,668 players.
8:34pm -> Dealt AK, I scoop a decent pot when the board eventually shows 5-7-3-3-3. Throughout the hand, Swamee bets aggressively and I feel that he's trying to bully his way through the pot. I guessed correctly and my AK beats his AQ. I'm up to 3,525 chips.
9:00pm -> We've reached the one hour break. The last 36 minutes have been pretty uneventful and I'm sitting at 3,450 chips. There are exactly 1,500 players still alive and the average person has 3,130 chips. If nothing else, I've accomplished my first goal: I survived the first hour. During the first hour, I played 43 hands and I won 4 of them. I played through the river 6 times, so my winning percentage is 66% when I'm forced to show my cards.
9:29pm -> Dealt KK, everyone folds when I make a modest raise before the flop. I've won a couple very small hands during the last 20 minutes and I'm sitting at 3,925 chips. There are 1,257 players still alive with an average stack of just over 3,700 chips. Despite the non-excitement, I'm still above average.
9:46pm -> I lose a pretty big pot. Holding Jc Qc, two clubs appear on the flop. Unfortunately, the turn and river produce garbage and I drop down to 2,675 chips. Argh!!
10:05pm -> We've reached the two hour break. To this point, my cards have been pretty cold. During the last 60 minutes, I played exactly 67 hands. I won 6 of them - none of them very significant. I'm down to 2,450 chips. There are 919 players still alive and the average stack has 5,106 chips. I need to start catching some cards, or I won't be making it to the three hour break.
10:31pm -> This is a pretty boring tournament. I've flopped a couple top-pair in the last 20 minutes, but all that's done is offset some of the preflop bets I've otherwise lost. I'm sitting at 2,428 chips and praying for some pocket rockets. 728 players are still alive.
10:39pm -> I FINALLY win a big hand. Holding 99 in the big blind, another player holding Ad 10s puts me "all in" before the flop. Interestingly, I win the hand after four clubs appear on the board. One of my 9's is a club and I'm suddenly sitting with 4,256 chips. I'm still below average, but I'm back in the game!
10:52pm -> I win another big pot. Holding A 8 in the small blind, everyone folds to me. I match the big blind, but he immediately raises me. I call his small raise and we see a flop of A K 7. I check the bet and my opponent (CurlRocker) makes a substantial bet. I go "all in" and he immediately calls me - holding K2. My pair of aces beats his pair of kings and I'm suddenly up to 7,912 chips! There are 547 players still playing and the average stack has 8,400 chips. I'm definitely back in the game!
11:10pm -> We've reached the three hour break. I'm holding 8,042 chips. To put it mildly, the last 60 minutes went well. I played 71 hands and won only 6 of them. However, several big pots helped me triple my chips during the last hour. If I can triple-up during the next hour, I'll be ecstatic. We're down to 447 players and the average stack has 10,500 chips. The chip leader, meanwhile, has over 55,000 chips. Yikes!! Nevertheless, I'm pleased to be alive and kicking.
11:24pm -> I (luckily) scoop a big pot. Sitting in the small blind, my 6d 8d eventually see three diamonds appear on the board - the last on the river. With the win, I'm up to 10,842 chips. Things seem to be going well right now!
11:26pm -> So much for good luck. Holding 99, I'm back down to 8,142 chips when the flop reveals two overcards. My opponent makes a big bet and I'm forced to lay down my pocket pair.
11:43pm -> The last 17 minutes have gone horribly. I'm down to 3,342 chips. I've seen several flops, but I'm catching NOTHING. I need to catch something VERY VERY soon. The blinds are 400/800 and they're coming around to me. Sadly, I think my days are numbered . . .
11:49pm -> And so it ends. Holding As Ks, I go "all in" with my dwindling pile of chips. I'm called by the big blind - who's holding Qs 3d. Predictably, a Queen appears on the board and I'm eliminated - in 275th place. During the last 39 minutes of play, I participated in 44 hands. I won exactly one of them - and that's when I got lucky with a 6d 8d. Ugh! What a terrible time to go on a long losing streak, ehhh?
So, I guess my dreams of winning a cruise have been dashed. I feel like I played well tonight, but when a person only wins 1 of his final 44 hands while playing no-limit poker, there's not much that can be done. In fact, during the course of the (nearly) four hours I played, I only won 17 hands all night. That's pretty weak.
In the end, my cards went ice cold and I couldn't do anything to stop the bleeding. All-in-all, this was probably my most frustrating finish to a semifinal tournament. Had I simply gotten something during those final 39 minutes, I had positioned myself to make a move. Sigh.
It's going to be pretty easy to take a break from on-line poker. For the next week (or so), it's going to be a pretty boring sketchbook.
Daily Sketch: $0
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $415
November 4, 2004: More Caribbean Stud Poker
After tonight's action, I can officially say that I'm on a losing streak while playing on-line poker. Heading into tomorrow night's massive Party Poker tournament, that's probably not a good sign.
All told, I lost exactly $245 while playing on a few different $5/$10 tables on Caribbean Poker this evening. The players on this site are definitely looser than any other site I've played, and I seem to be having difficulty adjusting. It seems as if any player who's chasing any sort of hand will call you through the river. Unfortunately, when two or three players consistently chase, one of them will frequently hit their magical card. If, on the other hand, only one person consistently chases cards, you can usually play the odds and assume he won't catch the card.
I tried to play very tight and only played those hands where I felt I was ahead, but I got burned a couple times and that strategy quickly backfired. Then, I loosened up a bit and started playing more hands. I scooped more pots, but I also lost more hands. Regardless of the strategy I employed, it was quite frustrating.
On Sunday, I'm visiting Boston for three days. While out of town, I won't have access to on-line poker, so the trip will provide a perfect opportunity to take a break. Thus, after playing in tomorrow night's Party Poker tournament, I plan on taking a nice break from the on-line world - which I think I need. After all, I don't like losing.
Regardless, I'm still looking forward to tomorrow night's big tournament. I hope it'll be an exciting night.
Daily Sketch: Down $245
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $415
All told, I lost exactly $245 while playing on a few different $5/$10 tables on Caribbean Poker this evening. The players on this site are definitely looser than any other site I've played, and I seem to be having difficulty adjusting. It seems as if any player who's chasing any sort of hand will call you through the river. Unfortunately, when two or three players consistently chase, one of them will frequently hit their magical card. If, on the other hand, only one person consistently chases cards, you can usually play the odds and assume he won't catch the card.
I tried to play very tight and only played those hands where I felt I was ahead, but I got burned a couple times and that strategy quickly backfired. Then, I loosened up a bit and started playing more hands. I scooped more pots, but I also lost more hands. Regardless of the strategy I employed, it was quite frustrating.
On Sunday, I'm visiting Boston for three days. While out of town, I won't have access to on-line poker, so the trip will provide a perfect opportunity to take a break. Thus, after playing in tomorrow night's Party Poker tournament, I plan on taking a nice break from the on-line world - which I think I need. After all, I don't like losing.
Regardless, I'm still looking forward to tomorrow night's big tournament. I hope it'll be an exciting night.
Daily Sketch: Down $245
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $415
November 3, 2004: Caribbean Stud Poker
Tonight, I began my pursuit of Caribbean Stud Poker's monthly $40 bonus. Once I play 250 hands, they'll credit $40 to my account.
With that in mind, I played poker for 90 minutes on a 6-man $3/$6 table and couldn't catch a break. According to my best estimates, I lost $170. I had a couple reckless players sitting on my table (which I like), but they caught WAY too many good cards - and it always seemed to come against me. More than once, I was leading the hand after the flop, but ugly turn and river cards cost me a decent amount of cash tonight.
I'm estimating my losses at $170. After 90 minutes of play, Caribbean's site went down and everyone was booted out of the network. An hour later, the site was still down, so I guess I'll learn my official losses tomorrow. Regardless, it was an ugly performance and the $40 I'll eventually earn isn't nearly enough to offset tonight's losses. It may have been divine intervention that caused the site to go down, 'cuz I was getting rather frustrated and may have lost more money if given the opportunity.
Just ten more days until Spotted Cow VI!!!
Daily Sketch: Down $170
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $170
With that in mind, I played poker for 90 minutes on a 6-man $3/$6 table and couldn't catch a break. According to my best estimates, I lost $170. I had a couple reckless players sitting on my table (which I like), but they caught WAY too many good cards - and it always seemed to come against me. More than once, I was leading the hand after the flop, but ugly turn and river cards cost me a decent amount of cash tonight.
I'm estimating my losses at $170. After 90 minutes of play, Caribbean's site went down and everyone was booted out of the network. An hour later, the site was still down, so I guess I'll learn my official losses tomorrow. Regardless, it was an ugly performance and the $40 I'll eventually earn isn't nearly enough to offset tonight's losses. It may have been divine intervention that caused the site to go down, 'cuz I was getting rather frustrated and may have lost more money if given the opportunity.
Just ten more days until Spotted Cow VI!!!
Daily Sketch: Down $170
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $170
November 2, 2004: Election Day
Today was election day. After work, Theresa and I spent 45 minutes at City Hall casting our votes. Shortly thereafter, we went grocery shopping. Quite the exciting night, ehh?
After all the excitement, I spent the rest of the evening watching election results. Consequently, I didn't make a single wager today.
Daily Sketch: $0
Month-to-Date Sketch: $0
After all the excitement, I spent the rest of the evening watching election results. Consequently, I didn't make a single wager today.
Daily Sketch: $0
Month-to-Date Sketch: $0
November 1, 2004: Poker at Joe's
Ahhhhhh . . . another month begins. Tonight, I played poker at Joe's. If nothing else, I knew that I was going to lose $480, so I'd DEFINITELY be starting November on a better note than October.
Unfortunately, my 7 session winning streak ended tonight - kinda. After playing for three hours, I was exactly even. I strategically bet $.75 on the last hand I played (preflop) and subsequently folded when the board did nothing to improve my hand. So, despite the fact that I didn't win money tonight, I suppose that I can say that I extended my non-losing streak to 8.
Daily Sketch: Dead Even
Month-to-Date Sketch: Dead Even
Unfortunately, my 7 session winning streak ended tonight - kinda. After playing for three hours, I was exactly even. I strategically bet $.75 on the last hand I played (preflop) and subsequently folded when the board did nothing to improve my hand. So, despite the fact that I didn't win money tonight, I suppose that I can say that I extended my non-losing streak to 8.
Daily Sketch: Dead Even
Month-to-Date Sketch: Dead Even
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