This is cool

I have registered to play in the PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker!

This Online Poker Tournament is a No Limit Texas Holdem event exclusive to Bloggers.

Registration code: 7330476

Odds and Ends

If you have a blog that has a black background with white text, I will not read you. That is a horrible combination for my eyes, I start to see shadows and it gives me a headache. It may look cool, but it is not at all functional.

Was getting my ass handed to me when I first jumped up to 5/10. I lost a little over $700 in my first three days. I thought about dropping back down, but decided screw it, I will not let this level get the best of me. Over the past two nights I have won $550 of it back. My thought process was that if I dropped down there would be lingering doubts in my head about that level and the next time I jumped up, I would not be at all confident. So I decided to stay focused and determined to make this a winning level. Seems to be working so far.

Warning, Bad Beat Story!

I was in a $50 SnG last night. We are down to 5 handed, blinds are 75/150. The chip leader is pushing the table around. He has 4900, I have 2100. He raises to 600 preflop, I look down to find wired 9's. I have been waiting for this opportunity. I put him to the test and push. He takes a little while and calls with Ks10s. Flop come 6 9 4 no spades. I yell out yes at this flopped set. I am feeling really good now, since he needs runner runner to beat me. Oops, I think I pissed off the poker gods for celebrating too soon. Turn comes a Q and the river a 10. Ouch. That one hurt, but just reminded me to never celebrate until the hand is over, no matter how much of a favorite you are.

Just want put this down in writing for posterities sake. My one goal in poker is to make a final table of a major tournament. I dont have to win, just make the final table and use that money as my retirement fund. I will do this.

I am thinking of hiring a poker coach/mentor. I have one guy I am seriously considering. Dont know his price yet, but he is a documented winning pro. He is not one of those younger online kids who have done well for themselves over a short period of time. That would worry me. This is a guy who has been playing for most of his life and as I mentioned, has proven, documented success. Now the question becomes, whats his price, and, will his style mesh with mine. If not, then it could be a huge waste of money. Has anyone done this yet? What are your impressions?

Not sure which I prefer more, live or online. I think its live, but, if I dont go to the casino for a couple of days I start to get reluctant. For whatever reason the thought of the card room doesnt appeal to me. Once I go however; then I go back for three or four consecutive nights. I think it might be because the poker room at Potowatami is kind of drab. If it was like the poker room at Oneida I think I would probably be there every nignt.

It probably isnt a good idea to decide that you are going to try and steal a multiway pot with pure aggression with 6 4 offsuit. Not that I would know anything about that.

Do you ever feel guilty for turning someone on to poker?

I cut my hair. No more long haired hippy look for me. I liked my look with long hair, but ladies really seem to like the new short hair. And lets face it, everything we do is basically for the ladies.

Heard a new term at the poker table tonight. There was a gentleman from Atlanta, and he used the term slobberknocker. When we asked what that meant, he said, big or huge. He would use the term for big pots. The rest of us at the table liked the term but changed the meaning ever so slightly, here is the sentence that become popular at our table "Excuse me miss, those are quite the slobberknockers." I like it, it is now part of my lexicon.

You know you're running bad if ....

In an effort to escape from my current fling with the negative side of variance, I present a blatant rip off of Duggle Boggey's idea, which was a blatant rip off of Jeff Foxworthies idea, which was a blantant rip off of someone else's idea.
So, without further ado:

You Know You're Running Bad If

You know you're running bad if you hit a straight flush and are convinced somebody has a higher straight flush, but you bet the hell out of it anyway, only to find out you were right

You know you're running bad if you walk into the poker room and the players at a table immediately clear a spot for you and offer to get you drink

You know you're running bad if you attempt to toke the dealer and they give it back to you, saying "You really need this more than I do"

You know you're running bad if your friend of the opposite sex, who you happen to have, shall we say, "an arrangement" with, tells you she has a headache, even though the only other time she said no to a man since she was 16 was when he asked if they should wait until the second date

You know you're running bad if you find a twenty dollar bill in your car, get so excited you inadvertently speed up, then get pulled over and are given a $180 ticket

You know you're running bad if you are playing at the loosest table you have ever played at, yet cant hit any of your hands. You are finally dealt pocket aces in the big blind, and for the first time all night everyone, including the small blind, folds

You know you're running bad if you go out with friends, hit it off with the hot bartender, ask her to go out to breakfast with you after bar close, she says yes, and then you pass out at the bar 10 minutes before said bar close

You know you're running bad if you decide to shampoo the carpet for the first time in over a year, and within ten minutes your cat pukes all over it

You know you're running bad if you stop at fricken McDonalds for a takeout breakfast because you are on your way to work on a Saturday morning, even though you normally work nights, get to work, take out your hotcakes and discover that the sons of bitches forgot to put a plastic fork or knife in with your order

You know you're running bad if you see the clueless fish sitting at the table is happy that you sat down. To further prove you are running bad, he then sucks out on you in a pot and makes some smart ass comment under his breath as he smirks. You envision yourself going over and smacking him upside the head telling him "The next time you crack my set of Aces I flopped, by calling my bets all the way when you needed runner, runner hearts for your 10,2 to make your flush, and then gloat about it, I will pull you out of your fricken seat, beat the ever living hell out of you, knock all your teeth in, cut off your balls, and piss down your fricken throat." Not that I have ever thought that (Oh, and by the way, I havent noticed any anger problems that others seem to think I have since I quit smoking, have you?)

And finally,
You know you're running bad if you post a stupid ass post about running bad, hoping it will turn the heartless tide of variance

Blogging about Bloggers Blogging about Blogs

Well arent we self important. That is my reaction to all the blog postings recently about blogs. There have been out cries about content, money generation, reading worthiness, hits. Who fricken cares? Now you may say, "Vegaas of course YOU dont care, you are not an A lister". First of all, that is Mr. Vegaas to you. Secondly, you are right, I am not an A, B, C or even D lister. Welcome to the basement! Thats right, I am coining the term Basement Lister. Dont even think about stealing it.

I dont care if anyone reads this or not. I have no compulsion to view my hits. This is just a way for me vent and talk my way through strategies sometimes. I started this here blog to help my poker game. I continue it because it feels good to vent sometimes, and it can be fun.

So I am going to end this short post the way it started, and this is going to whoever happened to mention in one of their posts that C listers should be happy because they dont have the pressures that an A lister does. Ok, get the fuck over yourself. "A list" poker bloggers are still just poker bloggers. Remember that. I love reading Iggy, Pauly and the like, but, THEY ARE STILL JUST POKER BLOGGERS. Please understand what I mean by this. Their work is great, but it is not ever to be mainstream. Dr. Pauly may get famous for his books, screenplays and the like. But for his poker blog? No way.

So lets stop the stroke fest and get back to what really matters. Like debates about who would you rather see tied to a chair, drowned in honey, and then have one million fire ants released onto them, Phil Helmuth, Sean Sheikan or Mike Matusow?

By the way, I quit smoking on Monday, so that may explain the tone of this post.

Might as well post

I havent had much to say lately, so that is why there have been no posts.

My game is kind of stagnant right now. I am not playing great, but not lousy either. I am basically breaking even in the bankroll department. I think it is time to break down my game and reconstruct it. I am just not happy right now with my poker play.

Speaking of my poker play, I played horribly last night in the WPBT Stud event. I was close to the chip lead the whole way and then completely self destructed once we got into the points. There was one player who kind of put me on tilt, after that I donked off all my chips.

The player I speak of was super aggressive with very marginal hands, so I ended up in some betting wars. All it took was one suck out to send me on tilt. Well that and after that suckout I was the bring in for 5 out of the next 7 hands. That helped the tilt factor. After that I was staying in hands where I knew I was behind, not smart, but that is kind of my M.O. I let people get to me too much when playing. If I can eventually plug that leak, I may start to see my bankroll grow again.