After a long weekend in Indianapolis watching NASCAR's Brickyard 400, I got back to Milwaukee and found sad news on the internet. Apparently, the Walgreen's Gift Cards have come to an unfortunate demise.
Here's some chat I found at a poker forum:
Chatter #1: Sadly, Visa gift cards will no longer work to deposit online. Now i really have no idea what to try :(
Chatter #2: Have you received an "official" word on this?
Chatter #3: When the heck did this happen?
Chatter #1: I tried it today and it did not work. No official word, if u wanna try you're more than welcome to but it did not work for me, and UltimateBet said the problem was on the "bank's end".
Chatter #2: Just called the company with the Visa gift cards. Apparently they have had a problem with their processor and online gambling sites, however he stated that they were working to fix the problem to continue with the processing of them....looks like they know what they are doing isnt exactly legal, but they they really dont seem to care lol....guess we can wait and see.
After reading this chatter, I did a bit more poking and found that people all over the country are having problems with the Gift Cards. It appears that Visa turned off the gift cards last Tuesday. It also appears that my new method of depositing money has hit a serious snag and that my return to online poker was short-lived.
I barely have $100 in my poker account right now. Ugh!
July 23, 2007: $5/$10 Action
With $195 sitting in my UltimateBet account, I decided to sit down at a 6-man $5/$10 table for a short time this evening. All told, I played for a little under an hour.
Unfortunately, things didn't go particularly well. Almost immediately, I started in the hole when my Q◊ Q♠ got cracked by an opponent who hit a flush on the river. He flopped 4-to-a-flush, and a magical river card allowed him to scoop a nice pot. Ugh!
I tightened up after that hand and couldn't get back over the hump. After all was said and done, I lost exactly $95, which left me with $100 in my UltimateBet account when the night ended.
The next time I play, I'll probably hafta go back down to $2/$4 or $3/$6 to play comfortably.
Daily Sketch: Down $95
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $254.56
Unfortunately, things didn't go particularly well. Almost immediately, I started in the hole when my Q◊ Q♠ got cracked by an opponent who hit a flush on the river. He flopped 4-to-a-flush, and a magical river card allowed him to scoop a nice pot. Ugh!
I tightened up after that hand and couldn't get back over the hump. After all was said and done, I lost exactly $95, which left me with $100 in my UltimateBet account when the night ended.
The next time I play, I'll probably hafta go back down to $2/$4 or $3/$6 to play comfortably.
Daily Sketch: Down $95
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $254.56
July 21, 2007: Absolute Poker's Weekly $150k Tournament
I certainly made a run at the big money in today's Absolute Poker $150k Weekly Tournament. Here's how it went:
A grand total of 299 people signed up to play. First place was scheduled to win $41,500 - and the top 27 people were guaranteed to win cash. 27th place was scheduled to win $1,050. The tournament started promptly at 3:30pm CST.
I was happy to survive the first hour. Starting with 5,000 chips, my cards started VERY cold. I won a couple small pots, but I must've folded 95% of my hands during the opening 60 minutes. When we arrived at our first 5-minute break, I barely had 4,000 chips and I was sitting in 212th place. It was a rather unevenful first hour. Chris was watching me play and specifically asked if my fold button was stuck. That's certainly how I felt!
Shortly thereafter, I got too cute with 2◊ 4◊ (while sitting in the small blind) and my stack dipped below 3,000 chips when my opponent flopped 2-pair. Needless to say, things weren't looking promising. I was beginning to wonder if the dealer was ever going to give me a face card.
Very soon afterward, however, I chipped back up to nearly 5,000 when my A♣ K♣ saw a king appear on the flop. One of my opponents made a stab at the pot, but my "all in" wager scared him off. Then, once again, I became a folding machine for the next 30 minutes.
An hour and 45 minutes into the tournament, things were looking bleak. I was back down to 3,630 chips and I was severly short-stacked compared to everyone else still alive. Then, three big hands in the next 15 minutes got me going . . .
First, I was dealt K♠ Q♠ and doubled-up when a crazy opponent went all in (after the flop) while holding 2♣ 2♠. The K◊ had appeared on the board and I couldn't fold. A couple minutes later, I was dealt A♣ A♠ and suddenly found myself with 14,425 chips when I doubled up through another opponent who called my "all in" bet while holding J♠ J♥. Thankfully, my aces held up.
Then, on the last hand before the 2-hour break, I was dealt A♣ A♠ once again. After seeing a flop of J♠ 7◊ 8♣, my only opponent went "all in" while holding Q◊ J◊ and my black aces held up again. When we hit the 2-hour break, I was suddenly sitting with 20,595 chips. There were 105 players still alive, and I was all the way up to 18th place. Suddenly, things were looking very promising!
About 20 minutes into the 3rd hour, I was dealt A♠ K♠ and scooped a big pot when a K♣ appeared on the flop. When that hand ended, I was up to 30,049 chips and was sitting in 15th place. Sadly, this was my peak. When this handed, it was exactly 6:06 pm CST.
For the next 40 minutes, my cards went STONE COLD. I didn't win a single hand and when we hit the 3-hour mark, my stack was down to 16,249 chips. Only 40 people were still playing, but I was down to 34th place. When you recall that only 27 people finished in the money, I was in serious danger of missing the money.
As the 4th hour started, I knew that I needed to win (at least) one more hand to ensure winning some cash. I patiently bided my time and, at 6:59pm, I was dealt A♣ K♥. At that point, we were down to 33 players and I was 31st in chips. I quickly went "all in" and crossed my fingers.
One opponent called my "all in" bet and he flipped over 7◊ 7♣. I was hoping he'd flip something like A-10, but it was a still a coin flip - so I didn't feel too bad. The flop came 8◊ 9◊ Q◊ and I was down to 4 outs (any king or any ace that wasn't a diamond). The turn was a Q♠, which paired the board and actually improved my hand. Suddenly, I was up to 10 outs - as any 8 or 9 would also allow me to scoop the pot.
The river, however, was a useless 2♥ and I lost the hand. I finished in a disappointing 33rd place - 6 spots from the money. After all was said and done, I didn't win a single hand during the last 53 minutes I played. Had I only one a single hand during that time, I would have finished in the money. Ugh!
A grand total of 299 people signed up to play. First place was scheduled to win $41,500 - and the top 27 people were guaranteed to win cash. 27th place was scheduled to win $1,050. The tournament started promptly at 3:30pm CST.
I was happy to survive the first hour. Starting with 5,000 chips, my cards started VERY cold. I won a couple small pots, but I must've folded 95% of my hands during the opening 60 minutes. When we arrived at our first 5-minute break, I barely had 4,000 chips and I was sitting in 212th place. It was a rather unevenful first hour. Chris was watching me play and specifically asked if my fold button was stuck. That's certainly how I felt!
Shortly thereafter, I got too cute with 2◊ 4◊ (while sitting in the small blind) and my stack dipped below 3,000 chips when my opponent flopped 2-pair. Needless to say, things weren't looking promising. I was beginning to wonder if the dealer was ever going to give me a face card.
Very soon afterward, however, I chipped back up to nearly 5,000 when my A♣ K♣ saw a king appear on the flop. One of my opponents made a stab at the pot, but my "all in" wager scared him off. Then, once again, I became a folding machine for the next 30 minutes.
An hour and 45 minutes into the tournament, things were looking bleak. I was back down to 3,630 chips and I was severly short-stacked compared to everyone else still alive. Then, three big hands in the next 15 minutes got me going . . .
First, I was dealt K♠ Q♠ and doubled-up when a crazy opponent went all in (after the flop) while holding 2♣ 2♠. The K◊ had appeared on the board and I couldn't fold. A couple minutes later, I was dealt A♣ A♠ and suddenly found myself with 14,425 chips when I doubled up through another opponent who called my "all in" bet while holding J♠ J♥. Thankfully, my aces held up.
Then, on the last hand before the 2-hour break, I was dealt A♣ A♠ once again. After seeing a flop of J♠ 7◊ 8♣, my only opponent went "all in" while holding Q◊ J◊ and my black aces held up again. When we hit the 2-hour break, I was suddenly sitting with 20,595 chips. There were 105 players still alive, and I was all the way up to 18th place. Suddenly, things were looking very promising!
About 20 minutes into the 3rd hour, I was dealt A♠ K♠ and scooped a big pot when a K♣ appeared on the flop. When that hand ended, I was up to 30,049 chips and was sitting in 15th place. Sadly, this was my peak. When this handed, it was exactly 6:06 pm CST.
For the next 40 minutes, my cards went STONE COLD. I didn't win a single hand and when we hit the 3-hour mark, my stack was down to 16,249 chips. Only 40 people were still playing, but I was down to 34th place. When you recall that only 27 people finished in the money, I was in serious danger of missing the money.
As the 4th hour started, I knew that I needed to win (at least) one more hand to ensure winning some cash. I patiently bided my time and, at 6:59pm, I was dealt A♣ K♥. At that point, we were down to 33 players and I was 31st in chips. I quickly went "all in" and crossed my fingers.
One opponent called my "all in" bet and he flipped over 7◊ 7♣. I was hoping he'd flip something like A-10, but it was a still a coin flip - so I didn't feel too bad. The flop came 8◊ 9◊ Q◊ and I was down to 4 outs (any king or any ace that wasn't a diamond). The turn was a Q♠, which paired the board and actually improved my hand. Suddenly, I was up to 10 outs - as any 8 or 9 would also allow me to scoop the pot.
The river, however, was a useless 2♥ and I lost the hand. I finished in a disappointing 33rd place - 6 spots from the money. After all was said and done, I didn't win a single hand during the last 53 minutes I played. Had I only one a single hand during that time, I would have finished in the money. Ugh!
Daily Sketch: Down $530
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $159.56
July 19, 2007: The U. S. Bank Championship
Chris and I visited Brown Deer Park for two hours today. While witnessing some mediocre golf at the U.S. Bank Championship, we saw the threesome of Craig Kanada, Johnson Wagner, & Charlie Brown all hit their tee shots on the Par 3 #14 hole within 15 feet of the cup.At that point, Chris and I decided to wager on the putting skills of this threesome. Chris predicted that 2 guys would make their putts. I predicted that none of them would. We placed a whopping $1 wager on the outcome. If 1 golfer made his putt, Chris and I would push.
Not surprisingly, no one in this "potent" threesome sank their putt, so I won a buck. Woo hoo!!
Daily Sketch: Up $1
Month-to-Date Sketch: Up $370.44
July 18, 2007: The British Open
I spent $60 this evening submitting my teams to Jim and Bob's annual British Open Golf Pools. The last time the British Open was played at Carnoustie, John Van de Velde had an "exciting" final hole.Jim' s pool costs $5 to enter. Here are my two teams:
Team #1: Woods, Poulter, Els, O'Hair, Stenson, & Rose.
Team #2: Woods, Kelly, Casey, Fasth, Furyk, Bojorn, & C. Campbell.
Team #2: Woods, Kelly, Casey, Fasth, Furyk, Bojorn, & C. Campbell.
Bob's pool, meanwhile, costs $25 to enter. Here are my two teams:
Team #1: Woods, Rose, P. Hanson, & Bjorn.
Team #2: Woods, Poulter, O'Hair, & Kelly.
Wish me luck!
Daily Sketch: Down $60
Month-to-Date Sketch: Up $369.44
July 17, 2007: I Guess I'll be Playing
I logged into the Absolute Poker software and tried to unjoin Saturday's tournament. Here's the message that popped up:
So, I guess I'll be sitting in front of my laptop computer at 3:30pm CST on Saturday. Wish me luck! Everyone starts with 5,000 chips, so it'll be a long tourney. As of this second, 76 people have signed up to play. I'm sure that number will increase substantially by Saturday afternoon.
So, I guess I'll be sitting in front of my laptop computer at 3:30pm CST on Saturday. Wish me luck! Everyone starts with 5,000 chips, so it'll be a long tourney. As of this second, 76 people have signed up to play. I'm sure that number will increase substantially by Saturday afternoon.
July 16, 2007: Absolute's $150k Weekly Qualifier
During the past several months (while the Sketchbook was dark), I've occassionally joined an Absolute Poker $150k Guaranteed Qualifying Tournament. Over the years, I've accumulated a fair share of Absolute Reward Points, and I've been using those points to play in these tournaments. More often than not, 200 (or so) people play in these freerolls, and 3 or 4 people qualify for the big weekly tournament played every Saturday afternoon at 3:30pm CST. To date, I had never qualified for the big tournament. At the same time, I've been using up a majority of my Absolute Reward Points in a futile attempt to play in "the big one."
After playing 9 holes of golf this evening, I sat down at my computer and found that another qualifying tournament was scheduled to commence at 9:05pm. Tonight's qualifying tournament was more costly than any other tournament I had ever played, but I don't have plans this Saturday afternoon, so I thought I'd give it a try. By joining tonight's tournament, I essentially exhausted my remaining balance of Absolute Reward Points.
A total of 48 people signed up to play. Since this tournament cost so many points, the turnout was far smaller than usual. On the other hand, only 2 people would move on to Saturday's big tournament, so my prospects weren't overwhelmingly good.
For the first time in awhile, I avoided the bad beats that often result in an early demise. After one hour, the field had been whittled down to 21 players, and I was 6th in chips. After two hours, we were down to 11 players, and I was 3rd in chips. At that point, I felt pretty good about things. I had avoided any major confrontations while slowly adding to my stack.
After three hours, we were down to 6 players. I eliminated the 7th player when my A♥ J♣ defeated Q♠ Q♥. The table had folded around to me and I made a substantial raise while sitting on the button. The small blind folded, but the big blind re-raised me all-in. I had him covered, so I made the call. I assumed my hand was good and was dejected when he showed the pocket ladies.
The flop brought garbage, but the turn showed a magical A♠ and I proceeded to scoop a significant pot. My opponent was very disappointed and rebuked my play, but I wasn't complaining. Although I wouldn't have been eliminated if I had lost that hand, my stack of chips would have been severely crippled.
Through the course of the evening, this is the only hand where I "sucked out" on an opponent. Otherwise, I always found myself in the lead when someone went "all in" against me - and my hand always held up. That's quite unusual!
After getting down to 6 players, another player at the table became the bully. He started playing every hand and seemed to win all the big pots. He started knocking people off and - in the blink of an eye - we were down to 3 players. I was sitting solidly in 2nd place and decided to let the bully finish the deal.
Sure enough, the bully eventually went "all in" against the short stack, and his A♠ 10◊ beat an A◊ 4♣. Shortly thereafter, this message appeared on my computer screen:
After playing 9 holes of golf this evening, I sat down at my computer and found that another qualifying tournament was scheduled to commence at 9:05pm. Tonight's qualifying tournament was more costly than any other tournament I had ever played, but I don't have plans this Saturday afternoon, so I thought I'd give it a try. By joining tonight's tournament, I essentially exhausted my remaining balance of Absolute Reward Points.
A total of 48 people signed up to play. Since this tournament cost so many points, the turnout was far smaller than usual. On the other hand, only 2 people would move on to Saturday's big tournament, so my prospects weren't overwhelmingly good.
For the first time in awhile, I avoided the bad beats that often result in an early demise. After one hour, the field had been whittled down to 21 players, and I was 6th in chips. After two hours, we were down to 11 players, and I was 3rd in chips. At that point, I felt pretty good about things. I had avoided any major confrontations while slowly adding to my stack.
After three hours, we were down to 6 players. I eliminated the 7th player when my A♥ J♣ defeated Q♠ Q♥. The table had folded around to me and I made a substantial raise while sitting on the button. The small blind folded, but the big blind re-raised me all-in. I had him covered, so I made the call. I assumed my hand was good and was dejected when he showed the pocket ladies.
The flop brought garbage, but the turn showed a magical A♠ and I proceeded to scoop a significant pot. My opponent was very disappointed and rebuked my play, but I wasn't complaining. Although I wouldn't have been eliminated if I had lost that hand, my stack of chips would have been severely crippled.
Through the course of the evening, this is the only hand where I "sucked out" on an opponent. Otherwise, I always found myself in the lead when someone went "all in" against me - and my hand always held up. That's quite unusual!
After getting down to 6 players, another player at the table became the bully. He started playing every hand and seemed to win all the big pots. He started knocking people off and - in the blink of an eye - we were down to 3 players. I was sitting solidly in 2nd place and decided to let the bully finish the deal.
Sure enough, the bully eventually went "all in" against the short stack, and his A♠ 10◊ beat an A◊ 4♣. Shortly thereafter, this message appeared on my computer screen:
As mentioned earlier, this weekend's $150k Guaranteed Tournament starts at 3:30pm on Saturday - and I'm officially registered. Last weekend's tournament had 284 players - and first place paid over $41,000. The tournament paid the top 27 players - and 27th place won a little over $1,000.
Shortly after tonight's tournament ended, I checked the registry, and my name was already added to Saturday's roster. Curious about what might happen, I hit the "Unregister" button, and another box asked if I was sure I wanted to unregister. If I did, a refund of my tournament entry fee would appear in my account.
I didn't realize it until then, but it costs $530 to enter Absolute Poker's $150 Guaranteed Weekly Tournament. So, my performance tonight was worth $530. If I want, I could simply cash out that money, or I can try to "let it ride" and play in Saturday's tournament.
At this point, I'd guess that there's an 80% chance that I'll play on Saturday. However, when you consider that my Absolute Poker account has 62 cents in it right now, a $530 addition would look very nice. I'd certainly have a good amount of money to play with, and it would guarantee a fair share of Sketchbook entries over the next few weeks. On the other hand, I've never entered a tournament that costs $530 to play, and the payouts are pretty hefty. A good performance on Saturday would really guarantee some interesting Sketchbook entries in the near future.
At a minimum, I'm comfortable showing a $530 profit tonight, since I can claim that money. In the interim, I'll hafta think about my options. I've got plans the next few nights, so I probably won't be playing poker anytime soon. That'll give me a nice opportunity to sit back and make a decision.
What would you do? Take the $530 . . . . or play in Saturday's tourney?
Daily Sketch: Up $530
Month-to-Date Sketch: Up $429.44
July 12, 2007: $2/$4 Action
I played on UltimateBet for nearly 2 hours tonight. Sitting at a 6-man $2/$4 table, I struggled for most of the evening.
I don't believe that I was ever up. Very early in my session, an opponent flopped a set of 6's, and I lost a decent pot when I ended up with 2-pair. Ooops!
Two other times that I remember, I flopped top pair - only to lose when my opponent showed a flopped set. When you're sitting at a 6-man table, you don't really expect people to flop sets very often. However, when it happened, I kept flopping top pair. That's an unprofitable adventure!
After all was said and done, I lost exactly $68 this evening. Considering some of the unlucky breaks I seemed to run into, I didn't really feel too bad about the losses. I would have liked to have finished in the black, but you can't win every time, right?
I still have $195 in my UltimateBet account - so there's plenty of loot to keep playing with. Unfortunately, my weekend is pretty booked, so it'll probably be a few days before another gambling entry appears in this Sketchbook.
Daily Sketch: Down $68
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $100.56
I don't believe that I was ever up. Very early in my session, an opponent flopped a set of 6's, and I lost a decent pot when I ended up with 2-pair. Ooops!
Two other times that I remember, I flopped top pair - only to lose when my opponent showed a flopped set. When you're sitting at a 6-man table, you don't really expect people to flop sets very often. However, when it happened, I kept flopping top pair. That's an unprofitable adventure!
After all was said and done, I lost exactly $68 this evening. Considering some of the unlucky breaks I seemed to run into, I didn't really feel too bad about the losses. I would have liked to have finished in the black, but you can't win every time, right?
I still have $195 in my UltimateBet account - so there's plenty of loot to keep playing with. Unfortunately, my weekend is pretty booked, so it'll probably be a few days before another gambling entry appears in this Sketchbook.
Daily Sketch: Down $68
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $100.56
July 11, 2007: Four Minutes
I played poker for exactly 4 minutes this evening. Sitting down at a 6-man $2/$4 table on UltimateBet, I claimed a quick $20 profit when one of my opponents decided to bluff at a pot. Luckily (for me), I had flopped top pair - so I wasn't going anywhere.
I quickly realized that I wasn't inspired to play poker this evening, so I took my quick money and ran.
I know it's boring, but so be it.
Daily Sketch: Up $20
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $32.56
I quickly realized that I wasn't inspired to play poker this evening, so I took my quick money and ran.
I know it's boring, but so be it.
Daily Sketch: Up $20
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $32.56
July 10, 2007: Back to UltimateBet
When I last wrote about my renewed visits to the online poker world, I had lost the last of the $200 I had originally invested in VISA Gift Cards. Tonight, I jumped back into the fray - having sworn off Blackjack. That game still sucks on the internet!
Using the last bit of money I had left on my US Bank VISA gift card and a little cash in my wallet, I bought a pair of $100 Walgreen's VISA gift cards and deposited $200 into my UltimateBet account. Concentrating on 6-man $2/$4 tables, I sat at a table for about 2 hours this evening while watching the MLB All-Star game.
Overall, my results were mixed. When my session ended, I had exactly $243 in my account, so I claimed a modest profit. However, I was up over $100 at one point, so I did give away a substantial amount of money after hitting my peak. I'm glad I quit before giving it all away!
As long as I stay away from the Blackjack tables, I think I can get my balance to grow. Slowly yet surely, I plan on raising my stakes, but mission #1 is to simply accumulate a decent bankroll before getting too crazy.
Daily Sketch: Up $43
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $52.56
Using the last bit of money I had left on my US Bank VISA gift card and a little cash in my wallet, I bought a pair of $100 Walgreen's VISA gift cards and deposited $200 into my UltimateBet account. Concentrating on 6-man $2/$4 tables, I sat at a table for about 2 hours this evening while watching the MLB All-Star game.
Overall, my results were mixed. When my session ended, I had exactly $243 in my account, so I claimed a modest profit. However, I was up over $100 at one point, so I did give away a substantial amount of money after hitting my peak. I'm glad I quit before giving it all away!
As long as I stay away from the Blackjack tables, I think I can get my balance to grow. Slowly yet surely, I plan on raising my stakes, but mission #1 is to simply accumulate a decent bankroll before getting too crazy.
Daily Sketch: Up $43
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $52.56
July 6, 2007: A Day at Potawatomi
I took the afternoon off from work and visited Potawatomi for a long session of poker. Here's how it went:
I arrived at the casino around 12:15pm. I was hoping to get on a $4/$8 Limit Table or a $2/$5 No-Limit table when I first arrived. Almost immediately after finding the poker room (which wasn't easy to do with all the new construction happening), a new 10-man $4/$8 initially opened up, so I took a seat - although I told the hostess to leave my name on the No-Limit waiting list. After buying in for exactly $320, I was dealt my first hand of poker at exacty 12:28pm.
Generally speaking, I'd say that my stay at Potawatomi could be broken down into 3 hour segments:
12:30pm - 3:30pm: Fish Frenzy
When this new $4/$8 table opened, we had several "fishes" at the table who called every bet to the river - praying for their magic card. More often than not, the magical card never appeared - unless the fisherman was playing against me. Too many times to mention, I'd have a solid lead after the turn, only to witness my opponent hit his 2-or-3-outer on the river. It was extremely frustrating.
This hand typified my first three hours at the table:
Dealt 3♥ 3♣, I was surprised when 5 players capped the betting preflop. To that point, the table was a limping table that saw very few preflop raises and no preflop re-raises, so it was rather amazing when 5 players raised to the maximum before a single card was shown on the board. Even before the flop came, we had $80 in the pot - which was already one of our biggest pots of the day.
The flop came 2♣ 3◊ 9♠. Needless to say, I was delighted to flop a set of 3's. I was startled when 4 players proceeded to cap the betting. I wasn't sure what any of my other three opponents were holding, but I was pretty confident that I was ahead. Before the turn was revealed, we had nearly $150 in the pot.
The turn came as a Q♥. I was relatively happy with this card, since it guaranteed that a flush wouldn't win the hand. It also didn't help anyone chasing a straight, so I still felt good about my lead in the hand.
I got a little nervous, however, when three of us capped the betting again. With bets up to $8, I threw another $32 into the middle, and the pot was approaching $250 as the river card approached. Without doubt, this was the biggest pot of the day - and everyone at the table was watching with keen interest.
The river came as a Q♠. This card gave me a small full house, and I felt pretty good about things. An Asian player ("Asian Al") led off with the betting, which worried me a bit. He was the loosest player at the table, but he had been checking the first bet throughout this hand, and I began to wonder about his hand. Regardless, I made a raise and the 3rd player in the hand quickly called my raise. Asian Al re-raised my bet and a sense of trepidation swept over me. I called Asian Al's reraise and watched as our third opponent made the call.
When the betting ended, there was around $325 in the center of the table. Since we were playing with $2 chips, it was a hefty mountain of chips!
The last guy in our group immediately flipped over pocket kings, and he wasn't excited about his chances. I flipped over my pocket 3's, and the guy with pocket kings immediately let an expletive fly.
It was my turn, however, to let an expletive fly when Asian Al flipped over Q◊ 9♠ and scooped the entire pot with his runner-runner full house. Everyone at the table gasped.
3:30pm - 6:30pm: Rock Solid
After winning the hand, Asian Al had nearly $600 sitting in front of him. At the same time, I was down $250 and cursing my luck. I couldn't catch a break, and two other guys at the table specifically mentioned how unfortunate I had been during my first three hours of play. I couldn't help but mutter, "Thanks for noticing" as I rebought for another $100. Asian Al was killing me!
Earlier in the afternoon, I had been called to the No-Limit table. However, I was called to fill the spot of a guy who proceeded to sit down at our $4/$8 table. He mentioned that he had lost both of his $600 buy-ins at the No-Limit table and was already down $1,200 when he sat down at our $4/$8 table. Upon hearing his ugly stories, I decided to stay at my relatively modest table. Suddenly, my $250 deficit didn't sound so bad! I had only brought $700 to the casino, and I wasn't excited about the prospects of losing that cash in the blink of an eye at a No-Limit table.
Despite his big win and the $600 sitting in front of him, Asian Al was destined to lose - and that's exactly what he did during the next three hours. Meanwhile, I buckled down and played rock solid poker. After losing the big pot, I don't think I played another hand for 30 minutes - as I did my best to keep from going on tilt. I was determined to play only premium hands while recupperating from the ugly loss.
Asian Al, meanwhile, played as loose as can be. He was in every pot - and everyone at the table noticed. Asian Al was quite talkative and I actually enjoyed playing with him - but he was AWFUL!! He chased every pot and was the definition of a calling station. I loved him!
By 6:30pm I was only down $100 and Asian Al was rebuying. He had lost all the money he had won from me earlier in the afternoon.
6:30p - 9:30pm: In the Black
At 6:30pm, I asked the nearest pit boss to tune a nearby television to the Brewer game. The Brewers were already ahead 4-0 over the Nationals, and I thought that the baseball game would help me pass the time. Since I was playing very tight, my own poker action wasn't all that exciting and I needed something to preoccupy my time.
While the Brewer game went on, I slowly turned my deficit into a small profit. When the baseball game ended, I counted my money and discovered that I was up $50. I was dealt my only pair of pocket Aces during this time, and they actually won! When I scooped that pot, someone else at the table mentioned that pocket Aces had lost the previous 7 hands in a showdown. I don't know if that was accurate or not, but I knew that pocket Aces were getting cracked regularly at our table.
At the same time, Asian Al was on a rigorous losing streak. As best I can recall, he bought in two more times for $200. When the Brewer game ended, I think Asian Al was down $800 and the rest of the table was enjoying his crazy play. I was a bit disappointed that I wasn't able to capitalize on his loose play as much as some other guys at the table, but I was relatively happy to be in the black for the first time.
9:30pm - 12:30am: Sunglasses at Night
By the time the Brewer game ended, I was getting tired. At that point, two of us remained from the original group that had opened the table 9 hours earlier, and we both noted that we had sunglasses. Although we hadn't worn them previously, we each decided to put our sunglasses on. If nothing else, I thought it would help hide my drowsiness - although I couldn't help but yawn every few minutes. In fact, I stopped in the bathroom for a short break and noticed the bags forming under my eyes.
Asian Al, meanwhile, was still going strong. He probably joined our table about 90 minutes after it opened, and I don't think he closed his mouth more than 2 consecutive minutes the entire day. Despite his continuous jabbering, however, I continued to enjoy his company. He didn't complain about his losses, and seemed intent on losing his entire bankroll . Every time he rebought for another $200, he'd declare that he was going home if he lost it all. Two hours later, he'd rebuy, say the same thing, and everyone at the table would snicker. Asian Al was quite amusing.
Around 11:00pm, three people got up and decided to go eat dinner together. We lost another player shortly thereafter and the table became a 6-handed affair. Thankfully, my cards got hot at that very moment! Asian Al continued his loose play and for the next 90 minutes, I won a decent amount of money. Shortly after midnight, I realized that I was up over $200 and I suddenly felt relatively good about my session. As I recall, Asian Al bought in for another $200 around 11:30pm.
When a new dealer sat down at 12:30am, I asked how often the shifts changed. He mentioned that they switch every 30 minutes, and I proudly declared that he was my 25th different dealer of the day. The dealer pointed out that my declaration was a bit "scary." He was probably correct.
Not long afterward, I called it a day. My fellow sunglass partner had departed about an hour earlier, so I had outlasted every other original member of my table. Asian Al lost another buyin, and I assumed he'd finally leave, so I started to pack up my chips. Suprisingly, Asian Al asked if he could buy $200 of chips from me, and I obliged. For a moment or two, I considered staying (since I knew Asian Al was going to give away another $200), but I thought better of it. I wish I hadn't been so tired! Asian Al's wallet actually looked pretty thick when he gave me two hundred dollar bills.
After all was said and done, I played poker for 12 hours at Potawatomi today and won exactly $206. That means that my hourly rate of return was about $17/hour, which isn't too bad on a $4/$8 table.
I had a good time, and I particulary enjoyed Asian Al's company. I hope to see him again! I only wish he hadn't hit the runner-runner full house early in my session. So, although the $4/$8 tables can be a bit of grind, they are fun to play.
Daily Sketch: Up $206
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $95.56
I arrived at the casino around 12:15pm. I was hoping to get on a $4/$8 Limit Table or a $2/$5 No-Limit table when I first arrived. Almost immediately after finding the poker room (which wasn't easy to do with all the new construction happening), a new 10-man $4/$8 initially opened up, so I took a seat - although I told the hostess to leave my name on the No-Limit waiting list. After buying in for exactly $320, I was dealt my first hand of poker at exacty 12:28pm.
Generally speaking, I'd say that my stay at Potawatomi could be broken down into 3 hour segments:
12:30pm - 3:30pm: Fish Frenzy
When this new $4/$8 table opened, we had several "fishes" at the table who called every bet to the river - praying for their magic card. More often than not, the magical card never appeared - unless the fisherman was playing against me. Too many times to mention, I'd have a solid lead after the turn, only to witness my opponent hit his 2-or-3-outer on the river. It was extremely frustrating.
This hand typified my first three hours at the table:
Dealt 3♥ 3♣, I was surprised when 5 players capped the betting preflop. To that point, the table was a limping table that saw very few preflop raises and no preflop re-raises, so it was rather amazing when 5 players raised to the maximum before a single card was shown on the board. Even before the flop came, we had $80 in the pot - which was already one of our biggest pots of the day.
The flop came 2♣ 3◊ 9♠. Needless to say, I was delighted to flop a set of 3's. I was startled when 4 players proceeded to cap the betting. I wasn't sure what any of my other three opponents were holding, but I was pretty confident that I was ahead. Before the turn was revealed, we had nearly $150 in the pot.
The turn came as a Q♥. I was relatively happy with this card, since it guaranteed that a flush wouldn't win the hand. It also didn't help anyone chasing a straight, so I still felt good about my lead in the hand.
I got a little nervous, however, when three of us capped the betting again. With bets up to $8, I threw another $32 into the middle, and the pot was approaching $250 as the river card approached. Without doubt, this was the biggest pot of the day - and everyone at the table was watching with keen interest.
The river came as a Q♠. This card gave me a small full house, and I felt pretty good about things. An Asian player ("Asian Al") led off with the betting, which worried me a bit. He was the loosest player at the table, but he had been checking the first bet throughout this hand, and I began to wonder about his hand. Regardless, I made a raise and the 3rd player in the hand quickly called my raise. Asian Al re-raised my bet and a sense of trepidation swept over me. I called Asian Al's reraise and watched as our third opponent made the call.
When the betting ended, there was around $325 in the center of the table. Since we were playing with $2 chips, it was a hefty mountain of chips!
The last guy in our group immediately flipped over pocket kings, and he wasn't excited about his chances. I flipped over my pocket 3's, and the guy with pocket kings immediately let an expletive fly.
It was my turn, however, to let an expletive fly when Asian Al flipped over Q◊ 9♠ and scooped the entire pot with his runner-runner full house. Everyone at the table gasped.
3:30pm - 6:30pm: Rock Solid
After winning the hand, Asian Al had nearly $600 sitting in front of him. At the same time, I was down $250 and cursing my luck. I couldn't catch a break, and two other guys at the table specifically mentioned how unfortunate I had been during my first three hours of play. I couldn't help but mutter, "Thanks for noticing" as I rebought for another $100. Asian Al was killing me!
Earlier in the afternoon, I had been called to the No-Limit table. However, I was called to fill the spot of a guy who proceeded to sit down at our $4/$8 table. He mentioned that he had lost both of his $600 buy-ins at the No-Limit table and was already down $1,200 when he sat down at our $4/$8 table. Upon hearing his ugly stories, I decided to stay at my relatively modest table. Suddenly, my $250 deficit didn't sound so bad! I had only brought $700 to the casino, and I wasn't excited about the prospects of losing that cash in the blink of an eye at a No-Limit table.
Despite his big win and the $600 sitting in front of him, Asian Al was destined to lose - and that's exactly what he did during the next three hours. Meanwhile, I buckled down and played rock solid poker. After losing the big pot, I don't think I played another hand for 30 minutes - as I did my best to keep from going on tilt. I was determined to play only premium hands while recupperating from the ugly loss.
Asian Al, meanwhile, played as loose as can be. He was in every pot - and everyone at the table noticed. Asian Al was quite talkative and I actually enjoyed playing with him - but he was AWFUL!! He chased every pot and was the definition of a calling station. I loved him!
By 6:30pm I was only down $100 and Asian Al was rebuying. He had lost all the money he had won from me earlier in the afternoon.
6:30p - 9:30pm: In the Black
At 6:30pm, I asked the nearest pit boss to tune a nearby television to the Brewer game. The Brewers were already ahead 4-0 over the Nationals, and I thought that the baseball game would help me pass the time. Since I was playing very tight, my own poker action wasn't all that exciting and I needed something to preoccupy my time.
While the Brewer game went on, I slowly turned my deficit into a small profit. When the baseball game ended, I counted my money and discovered that I was up $50. I was dealt my only pair of pocket Aces during this time, and they actually won! When I scooped that pot, someone else at the table mentioned that pocket Aces had lost the previous 7 hands in a showdown. I don't know if that was accurate or not, but I knew that pocket Aces were getting cracked regularly at our table.
At the same time, Asian Al was on a rigorous losing streak. As best I can recall, he bought in two more times for $200. When the Brewer game ended, I think Asian Al was down $800 and the rest of the table was enjoying his crazy play. I was a bit disappointed that I wasn't able to capitalize on his loose play as much as some other guys at the table, but I was relatively happy to be in the black for the first time.
9:30pm - 12:30am: Sunglasses at Night
By the time the Brewer game ended, I was getting tired. At that point, two of us remained from the original group that had opened the table 9 hours earlier, and we both noted that we had sunglasses. Although we hadn't worn them previously, we each decided to put our sunglasses on. If nothing else, I thought it would help hide my drowsiness - although I couldn't help but yawn every few minutes. In fact, I stopped in the bathroom for a short break and noticed the bags forming under my eyes.
Asian Al, meanwhile, was still going strong. He probably joined our table about 90 minutes after it opened, and I don't think he closed his mouth more than 2 consecutive minutes the entire day. Despite his continuous jabbering, however, I continued to enjoy his company. He didn't complain about his losses, and seemed intent on losing his entire bankroll . Every time he rebought for another $200, he'd declare that he was going home if he lost it all. Two hours later, he'd rebuy, say the same thing, and everyone at the table would snicker. Asian Al was quite amusing.
Around 11:00pm, three people got up and decided to go eat dinner together. We lost another player shortly thereafter and the table became a 6-handed affair. Thankfully, my cards got hot at that very moment! Asian Al continued his loose play and for the next 90 minutes, I won a decent amount of money. Shortly after midnight, I realized that I was up over $200 and I suddenly felt relatively good about my session. As I recall, Asian Al bought in for another $200 around 11:30pm.
When a new dealer sat down at 12:30am, I asked how often the shifts changed. He mentioned that they switch every 30 minutes, and I proudly declared that he was my 25th different dealer of the day. The dealer pointed out that my declaration was a bit "scary." He was probably correct.
Not long afterward, I called it a day. My fellow sunglass partner had departed about an hour earlier, so I had outlasted every other original member of my table. Asian Al lost another buyin, and I assumed he'd finally leave, so I started to pack up my chips. Suprisingly, Asian Al asked if he could buy $200 of chips from me, and I obliged. For a moment or two, I considered staying (since I knew Asian Al was going to give away another $200), but I thought better of it. I wish I hadn't been so tired! Asian Al's wallet actually looked pretty thick when he gave me two hundred dollar bills.
After all was said and done, I played poker for 12 hours at Potawatomi today and won exactly $206. That means that my hourly rate of return was about $17/hour, which isn't too bad on a $4/$8 table.
I had a good time, and I particulary enjoyed Asian Al's company. I hope to see him again! I only wish he hadn't hit the runner-runner full house early in my session. So, although the $4/$8 tables can be a bit of grind, they are fun to play.
Daily Sketch: Up $206
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $95.56
July 4, 2007: Blackjack Sucks!
I visited Walgreen's and invested $104.95 in a VISA Gift Card. As suggested in my last post, I used my US Bank VISA Gift Card for the purchase, and everything worked splendidly.
Armed with exactly $129.16 in my UltimateBet account, I started my Independence Day by joining an 82-man $20(2) Omaha Hi/Lo tournament. I thought I played relatively well, but I missed the money by 4 spots. For two hours of effort, I finished in 24th place. Ugh! I can't describe the last hand - but I can assure you that I was in the lead when all my chips were pushed to the middle. When the hand began, I was sitting in 16th place, so I might have finished in the money if I had played conservatively for a few more minutes. Oh, well.
Frustrated by my near miss, I went to the Blackjack tables. My goal was to win back my $22. Unfortunately, I proceeded to lose the last $107.16 in my account and slinked away from the tables a big loser. At one point, I was dealt a record 4 consecutive blackjacks (I bet $6 on each hand), but the dealer proceeded to win 7 consecutive hands right afterward - which more than offset my winnings from the blackjacks. Ugh! It took 45 minutes to lose the $107.16.
I'm officially abolishing myself from the Blackjack tables. They suck!
Daily Sketch: Down $129.16
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $301.56
Armed with exactly $129.16 in my UltimateBet account, I started my Independence Day by joining an 82-man $20(2) Omaha Hi/Lo tournament. I thought I played relatively well, but I missed the money by 4 spots. For two hours of effort, I finished in 24th place. Ugh! I can't describe the last hand - but I can assure you that I was in the lead when all my chips were pushed to the middle. When the hand began, I was sitting in 16th place, so I might have finished in the money if I had played conservatively for a few more minutes. Oh, well.
Frustrated by my near miss, I went to the Blackjack tables. My goal was to win back my $22. Unfortunately, I proceeded to lose the last $107.16 in my account and slinked away from the tables a big loser. At one point, I was dealt a record 4 consecutive blackjacks (I bet $6 on each hand), but the dealer proceeded to win 7 consecutive hands right afterward - which more than offset my winnings from the blackjacks. Ugh! It took 45 minutes to lose the $107.16.
I'm officially abolishing myself from the Blackjack tables. They suck!
Daily Sketch: Down $129.16
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $301.56
July 2, 2007: VISA Gift Cards
After losing most of my money on UltimateBet yesterday, I decided to pay my local bank a visit at lunchtime today. So, I packed up my pennies and drove to US Bank and invested $300 in a VISA Gift Card. It only cost $4.99 to activate the card, so I thought it was a good investment. After all, it costs $4.95 to activate a $100 VISA Gift Card at Walgreen's. By comparison, US Bank's fees are quite reasonable.
When I got home this evening, I started the tedious process of establishing a new account at Pokerstars. Ten minutes later, I was ready to make my first deposit. I entered the 16-digit number on the face of my US Bank VISA Gift Card, the secret 3-digit number on the back of my card, and patiently waited for the $300 to appear in my new Pokerstars account.
Sixty seconds later, a message indicated that my deposit had been rejected. Upon further investigation, I learned that the US Bank VISA Gift Card is not a viable option for making online gambling deposits. Apparently, US Bank has some sort of control over their own gift cards, and they have the ability to reject these types of deposits. Ugh!!
The moral of the story: Not all VISA Gift Cards are alike!
I'm going to visit Walgreen's tomorrow and reinvest part of my $300 US Bank VISA Gift Card in a $100 Walgreen's VISA Gift Card. I'll keep the remaining $200 and use it to purchase gasoline the next couple months.
Do you think the Walgreen's people will think it's odd when I use a US Bank VISA Gift Card to purchase a Walgreen's VISA Gift Card?
Daily Sketch: $0
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $172.40
When I got home this evening, I started the tedious process of establishing a new account at Pokerstars. Ten minutes later, I was ready to make my first deposit. I entered the 16-digit number on the face of my US Bank VISA Gift Card, the secret 3-digit number on the back of my card, and patiently waited for the $300 to appear in my new Pokerstars account.
Sixty seconds later, a message indicated that my deposit had been rejected. Upon further investigation, I learned that the US Bank VISA Gift Card is not a viable option for making online gambling deposits. Apparently, US Bank has some sort of control over their own gift cards, and they have the ability to reject these types of deposits. Ugh!!
The moral of the story: Not all VISA Gift Cards are alike!
I'm going to visit Walgreen's tomorrow and reinvest part of my $300 US Bank VISA Gift Card in a $100 Walgreen's VISA Gift Card. I'll keep the remaining $200 and use it to purchase gasoline the next couple months.
Do you think the Walgreen's people will think it's odd when I use a US Bank VISA Gift Card to purchase a Walgreen's VISA Gift Card?
Daily Sketch: $0
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $172.40
July 1, 2007: A Bad Day
With Theresa out of town, I had plenty of time to gamble this weekend. However, after a late night at BDI X on Friday, I wasn't in the mood to visit Potawatomi on Saturday - which had been my original plan. Instead, I rested and played poker and blackjack on UltimateBet today.
Unfortunately, things didn't go well. I sat at a 6-man $2/$4 table for nearly 2 hours, and I proceeded to lose $102.40. Starting the day with exactly $200.16 in my account, I left the table with just under $100. Ooops!
Then, I ventured to a blackjack table and continued my losing ways. Finally, when my account balance dipped below $30, I decided that I had lost enough. Ugh!
At this pace, I may need to invest in another Gift Card soon!
Daily Sketch: Down $172.40
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $172.40
Unfortunately, things didn't go well. I sat at a 6-man $2/$4 table for nearly 2 hours, and I proceeded to lose $102.40. Starting the day with exactly $200.16 in my account, I left the table with just under $100. Ooops!
Then, I ventured to a blackjack table and continued my losing ways. Finally, when my account balance dipped below $30, I decided that I had lost enough. Ugh!
At this pace, I may need to invest in another Gift Card soon!
Daily Sketch: Down $172.40
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $172.40
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