So it has come to this: I only post in my blog after a poker session, to keep track of my play. It's not for lack of wanting to post — although it's not for lack of time, either. Things have been busy here at work, but I'm working without a bossorial presence, so could carve out a few minutes to throw up some thoughts if I really wanted to.
It's just that I am still being a fish in the water — plugging away and preoccupied by the day-to-day tail swishing. I had a very good IM chat with friend JTM in LA this week about desire and ability and butt-in-chairness (making up all kinds of words today) which has gotten me to at least take small step #1: I'm cutting way back on my tv watching time.
I definitely use the tv as a pallative. After a "long, hard day" at work I'm fairly beat. Add to that, hitting the gym a couple nights per week (which I actually did this past week) and my energy levels drop — at least that's the excuse.
So, I end up on the couch watching poker or some other show that we've DVR-ed and then, the next thing I know... it's 10:30. Besides, I learned years ago that watching tv and then switching gears to doing something creative is hard for me to do. It's as if my brain gets put to sleep and is hard to wake up — I truly am muzzy.
So, I'm cutting down on a couple shows (okay, well, one got cancelled — but the other one is a poker show that runs five nights a week) and on the number of nights per week I watch. Friday night is tv night, I think. We'll see how this goes.
I'm also thinking of trying to write in the mornings. I get up at 7:30 in the morning and don't leave until 9:00. I fill that time with a nice, leisurely bath and some email/web time. I could definitely make use of that 90 minutes and get about an hour of "stuff" done.
Anyway, onto the poker.
Poker Update: I got some cards last night. Pocket aces twice — both of which paid off (which is somewhat unusual), made some flushes, etc. But I feel pretty good about my play as well. I flopped the nut flush in one hand and slow-played and trapped Steve into going all-in. Worked beautifully. I didn't make any key lay-downs that I can remember, although this one hand with Jamie and Paul keeps running through my mind:
Small raises before the flop which comes up 3 4 10 rainbow. Jamie is first to act and bets $4. I figure he's either on a straight draw or has something like AK, AQ, AJ, KQ, KJ so figure my pocket 7s are winning and he'll go away with an overbet. I raise it to $10. Paul considers for a loooong time but finally folds (turns out to be pocket 6s). Jamie goes all-in, which would put me all in for another $20.
Damn. This is exactly what wasn't supposed to happen. I reconsider what I think he has. There are so few things I can beat in this scenario. What if he has A-10? Or any overpair. I fold after a lot of hemming and hawing.
Turns out he had that straight draw that I originally put him on. Trying to figure out if I could have put him on that. In retrospect I think he would have checked JJ, QQ, KK, or AA after that flop, for fear of chasing someone away. There were no flush draws and that straight draw was pretty unlikely (except that he had it, of course). A-10? He might have bet that, I suppose, but $4 into a $3 pot? That's chasing-away money. If he's chasing away, then he must not have a made hand. He must have had the straight draw. In which case... he had eight outs. With two cards to come, that means he had about a 33% chance of pulling his straight. Both of his cards must have been a 7 or below. He couldn't have had an A and still had the open-ended straight draw. I should have called.
Ah, well, maybe next time. But it's good to know that he'll play his draws like that. I wonder what he thought I had.
At least I've turned around the trend — two games ago I was stuck $100. Now I'm up over $100!
Game 6 — bought in: $30, up $60, total for the year: +$123
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