Harrah's...a wonderful return...

I have not played at Harrah's New Orleans for sometime and it was a nice time, got to see some regulars and talk to some of the floor staff and dealers. I got there around 10 pm and did not leave until 6 am. Yes it was a long session.
My game plan was to come in and play tight aggressive, observe the table for a number of hands to get a good feel and play position poker. I played well for the first two hours and then began to play very loose. It is funny when I do not believe someone though my very first read was, "he has more of that than you do." Here is how one of those hands played out...I'm in middle last position and limp in after two others and the big blind who is new raises to $15, two callers to me I call with A8 unsuited. Flop comes QQ8, rainbow. BB fires, quickly, $15. I instantly think, he's got the queen, but when it gets folded to myself I begin to think for minute, why would he bet three of a kind to a rainbow flop? He's making a continuation bet, is what I concluded, with AK. I call, we are heads up. The turn is a 7, he bets $15, he's very stoic, quiet, leaning towards the board and not looking around, very focused on the board. I call. The river is a 7. He cuts out $20 and bets, I now know I am beat but with odds I gotta call. Yet I say to him, just to get a final read for a future reference, "You tricked me huh? You had the queen the whole time," as he looked up and gave me a quick smile. Yep, I'm beat as I throw out $20. He turns over the AQ off and I muck.
Later I made a move on the button with A2 hearts and got called on the river by the trip jacks, he could have put me to the test but I was suprised he only called instead of raising. He told me later that he felt like he could only call my bet, and could not raise.
Well I got short stacked at about 3 am and three hours later I left up a few hundred. Long session but it was a wonderful return.
I came to play with a game plan, I put about four things down for myself to use in order to play well and within myself.
1-Play tight/aggressive
2-Observe even when not in the hand
3-Do not get emotional
4-Have fun.
Of course during your session, there are plays that you make and many audibles that you must call during game play. I've talked before that when I get loose aggressive and I am the only one, I lose. When I play tighter into loose aggressive, I win. I had to make that adjustment into the last three hours. Well that was fun, looking forward to my next sit down.

Stay nice as rice and mello as jello!

Pop Warner football drama

I missed Big Bills wedding Saturday. I had to make a decision, see the one time event in my boy's life or watch my seven year old step son who finally got to start in his first game, which should have started at 3 pm but did not go until 5 pm. I took the later. It sucks and I talked to the Wild One, told him what was up, but it still sucks.
My boy's team won on a last ditch effort, here is what happened. We are in the fourth quarter, no one has scored yet, there were several offensive penalties putting the team back to about third and 20, they tried to sweep the ball to the open side with their star running back, DJ, (I have seen and played with some great backs and I promise you this kid will be a star in the next ten years if he keeps his head on correct), well the defense is set up to stop the outside sweep and they lose another 10 yards. Greenlawn Eagles, my son's team, is on their 10 yard line, it is fourth down with 1:20 left. If they punt the other team gets the ball thirty yards from the line of scrimmage so Green lawn goes for it. The parents are yelling, "PUNT THE BALL!" They don't, the ball is hiked and and there is a hand off, it is tough to throw in the 6-7 age group, and DJ bursts through the middle, the sideline erupts, moms and dads are running down the sideline yelling, "GO, GO, GO!" 90 yards later he scores, they do not get the extra point and eventually the game is over, 6-0. I start laughing and yelling that was not supposed to happen, we should have punted, you should have stopped him, and I truly felt dirty, but we would take the win. It was the first one of the year, 1-4. My boy did okay, he just needs to stop jumping around like a bunny rabbit. Of course I am eager to bestow as much of my football knowledge upon him but he is not really into it, which sucks but maybe when he understands the game a tad bit more, he'll take my advice and crush those who are larger than he.

Been studying poker and talking about poker with Minnesota Mike and a few others, talking about situations and such. Always playing the top five game, best position game versus player types and opening hands game. Ever play these? I do because it is so hard to get away, but I will be out there, be it the Beau, or Harrah's in the next week or two, because my boy AT@T gets back from Africa and he wants to roll. Perfect excuse. Enough of my rambling.



Stay nice as rice and mello as jello!