Posts
Liars.
No golf to report due to the weather here the last couple of weeks. If there isn't rain its been a touch on the cool side. Being one that lived in Florida the majority of my life I have to admit I'm a bit of a wuss once the temperate drops below par. To be honest its not as bad due to the (generally) lower humidity, sometimes 60 here feels better than 68 in Orlando or Houston ever did.
While I haven't played I have planned on playing. I took the plunge and put together a golf trip to Hawaii over Memorial Day. I figured I'm as close as I'll ever get so I might as well take advantage of that fact. I decided to go to the Big Island since I have always wanted to play Mauna Kea. I'll also play the Hapuna Golf Course since I'm staying at that resort. Since they will be doing maintenance at Hapuna in the weeks just before I'm to arrive they're letting me play Mauna Kea three times instead of going twice on each. Seeing that Mauna Kea is the premium loop I'm coming out just fine on that deal.
I'll have some time on Saturday afternoon so I'm either going to take a look around as a regular tourist or find another course to play on my own, maybe Big Island Country Club or Waikoloa Village. The Champions Tour is playing at Hualalai this week and from what I've seen on the tele its pretty nice. Its not far from where I'll be but I'm not sure I can play there without staying at the Four Seasons so that might not pan out.
In the slightly more immediate future I do have a trip to Las Vegas in early April, just a weekend trek so that I can play with my good friend Bill Zimmerman once again. Since I want to use my GolfNow Hot Deal gift card thingy I can't really plan out anything so far in advance but I have some ideas depending on the April rates. I've played at The Paiute Golf Resort in the past and enjoyed it so that's an option since they have three good tracks to choose from. One course thay I have always wanted to play in the past is Reflection Bay but I had read that they may have had some trouble recently, I'm not sure of its status. There are a host of others in the area and we might just have to see what the cost is and go from there, however if Wolf Creek is listed on GolfNow then I will definitely have to take Bill out there. I've played it twice in the past and there just isn't anything quite like it. Its about an hour drive to Mesquite, NV but it is so worth the trip.
If I don't get to Wolf Creek in April, well, I am going back in July so I'll just have to play it then. Since I'm using the timeshare that I was convinced into getting (against my better judgment) by my wonderful late wife all those years ago I figured I might as well use it and not have to spend any money for a hotel. They allowed me to split the week in half so it worked out well enough. I'm not sure I want to go to Vegas twice a year each and every year though so hopefully I'll figure out a way to trade it for a golf package somewhere else next year.
Hmm, its not raining anymore, how nice. The army of frogs are out in force, I can hear those bastards over the television, sheesh. Anyway, hopefully my next entry will actually involve playing golf instead of dreaming about the future.
Saturday, January 21, 2017
Monday, January 9, 2017
First Round of 2017 : Seven Hills Golf Club
Seven Hills Golf Club is about 30 minutes from me in a place called Hemet, California. This was a typical residential community course that winds through houses in a over-55 neighborhood. It reminded me a bit of Royal Oaks Golf Club in Ocala, Florida. This course isn't as good or as fun as Royal Oaks could be but for $21 on GolfNow I figured it was worth taking the new sticks out for their maiden voyage.
The sticks did just fine, the operator had issues with a snap hook on the range and to my dismay I carried it to the course for the first two holes, going bogey/double on two fairly easy looking holes. Fortunately I found a way to straighten it out for most of the day, though it crept back on me late in the round. The best thing I took away from the day were the three 7-irons I hit on the back nine that gave me reason to think I'm doing something right.
The first two came on the par three holes. The first one was 154 to the pin, but with a slight tailwind. I made what felt like a nice swing and saw the ball fly the pin by about 6-8 yards, a solid poke for me with a 7. Two putts gave me par and I was on my way. The next par three was at 155 and no wind, but from what I could see from the tee being short was better than long so again I hacked at it with the 7. Again, the ball landed about 6 yards deep and settled at the back of the green.
The last was on the 18th. I hooked my drive so I had to punch out down the fairway on this par 5 and left myself with 152 yards to the pin according to ye olde rangefinder. The ball was sitting down just a little so I figured we'd try the 7-iron again since the pin was in the back and had plenty of room short in case it came out low. Nope, I caught it pretty clean and flew the green, about 5 yards past the pin. All three had a nice little draw also, starting just right of the flag and crossing over just left of it.
Those three swings were solid and in pretty calm conditions. I hit a few other solid iron shots but with shorter clubs, I hit my gap wedge about 105 a couple of times, which was about 5 yards longer than I'd have expected. Of course, I had a bunch of other swings that were not so good so they were tough to judge for correct distance. I hit a 6-iron about 165 but I hooked it, another 7-iron I had felt a little heavy. Overall, it sure felt like the irons were giving me something more than the old ones were.
The driver, when I wasn't yanking it left, was also nice and solid. I hit it a little higher than I had on the range but it felt better than the old King Cobra did overall. I never had a chance to try either of the fairway metals though, I'll have to wait until next time to see if I get a spot to try them. The new putter worked out well, I think I had 28 putts for the round, making a couple of knee-knocking short par putts and drained a 25 footer for birdie on the seventh. I'm thinking the heavier putter could be to my liking.
Oh, my score? I recovered from the bad start to shoot 78 (39-39), though the course was only rated at 69.7/118 and was just over 6300 yards. Again, my bad shots didn't find a lot of trouble except on the second hole and my indifferent ones that missed the green gave me some fairly simple chips and pitches (which the new 60-degree wedge performed beautifully with). Naturally I was pretty happy about it.
I still have a lot of work to do on the swing though, I need to be able to repeat what I did on those three 7-irons more consistently with all of the clubs more often. I also need to figure out the right combination of ball position and tee height on the driver. I won't be playing forgiving courses every time and a few of these wayward shots would have cost me a bit more somewhere else.
Hopefully the weather holds up next week so I can try again, with rain in the forecast I'm not sure I can get any practice in during my lunch in the coming week. For now, I'll close this out and finish watching the National Championship Game. I'll root for Clemson though I feel Alabama might be the eventual winner. We'll see!
The sticks did just fine, the operator had issues with a snap hook on the range and to my dismay I carried it to the course for the first two holes, going bogey/double on two fairly easy looking holes. Fortunately I found a way to straighten it out for most of the day, though it crept back on me late in the round. The best thing I took away from the day were the three 7-irons I hit on the back nine that gave me reason to think I'm doing something right.
The first two came on the par three holes. The first one was 154 to the pin, but with a slight tailwind. I made what felt like a nice swing and saw the ball fly the pin by about 6-8 yards, a solid poke for me with a 7. Two putts gave me par and I was on my way. The next par three was at 155 and no wind, but from what I could see from the tee being short was better than long so again I hacked at it with the 7. Again, the ball landed about 6 yards deep and settled at the back of the green.
The last was on the 18th. I hooked my drive so I had to punch out down the fairway on this par 5 and left myself with 152 yards to the pin according to ye olde rangefinder. The ball was sitting down just a little so I figured we'd try the 7-iron again since the pin was in the back and had plenty of room short in case it came out low. Nope, I caught it pretty clean and flew the green, about 5 yards past the pin. All three had a nice little draw also, starting just right of the flag and crossing over just left of it.
Those three swings were solid and in pretty calm conditions. I hit a few other solid iron shots but with shorter clubs, I hit my gap wedge about 105 a couple of times, which was about 5 yards longer than I'd have expected. Of course, I had a bunch of other swings that were not so good so they were tough to judge for correct distance. I hit a 6-iron about 165 but I hooked it, another 7-iron I had felt a little heavy. Overall, it sure felt like the irons were giving me something more than the old ones were.
The driver, when I wasn't yanking it left, was also nice and solid. I hit it a little higher than I had on the range but it felt better than the old King Cobra did overall. I never had a chance to try either of the fairway metals though, I'll have to wait until next time to see if I get a spot to try them. The new putter worked out well, I think I had 28 putts for the round, making a couple of knee-knocking short par putts and drained a 25 footer for birdie on the seventh. I'm thinking the heavier putter could be to my liking.
Oh, my score? I recovered from the bad start to shoot 78 (39-39), though the course was only rated at 69.7/118 and was just over 6300 yards. Again, my bad shots didn't find a lot of trouble except on the second hole and my indifferent ones that missed the green gave me some fairly simple chips and pitches (which the new 60-degree wedge performed beautifully with). Naturally I was pretty happy about it.
I still have a lot of work to do on the swing though, I need to be able to repeat what I did on those three 7-irons more consistently with all of the clubs more often. I also need to figure out the right combination of ball position and tee height on the driver. I won't be playing forgiving courses every time and a few of these wayward shots would have cost me a bit more somewhere else.
Hopefully the weather holds up next week so I can try again, with rain in the forecast I'm not sure I can get any practice in during my lunch in the coming week. For now, I'll close this out and finish watching the National Championship Game. I'll root for Clemson though I feel Alabama might be the eventual winner. We'll see!
Monday, January 2, 2017
2017
OK, now that we've kicked 2016 to the curb we can concentrate on the future, right? Sure.
To update the blog thingy here I thought I'd at least put down on internet paper the fact that I did get new clubs for myself. I am fully decked out new G-series irons, driver and fairway metals. I even bought a new Ping putter since the one I messed with at the store really felt good in my hands. I almost didn't get the putter because of the sentiment I had with the old Ping Anser I've been using for years but I always suspected it was too light. I can always go back to it if I want.
If the weather here will clear up by next weekend I'll try to play as I'm itching to see how the new sticks fare out on the course. I did get to try them when I had another session with the teaching pro but that's just not the same. The biggest change won't be the clubs but this swing improvement I'm trying to incorporate. I've always been a hands player and I know that I use them too much in my swing. I have some pretty good hand-eye coordination (from what I'm told by these pros) so I can get away with it when I play sometimes, but I know I'm losing out on some power and consistency.
So I've been trying to improve my weight shift so that it starts the downswing, allowing my arms to stay back a bit and create some lag and stay behind the ball like one should, but I couldn't figure out why I was having so much trouble with it. I was once known for having an extended pause at the top, which was the time I'd make the shift. I'm wasn't necessarily looking to repeat that but, as one does in the 21st century, I started using Google for stuff. One place led to another, and another, and then after a while it hit me as to why I couldn't stay behind the ball. I wasn't starting there to begin with.
In my ever constant fight to try and align myself properly I ended up getting my head in front of the ball at setup. From there I would either have to sway back or dip my head to get behind it, or do some other move to get into a position to strike the ball, like flip my hands. When I went to try and do that with a club in hand, I also discovered that I was leaning too far forward also, my shoulders were quite a bit in front of my toes, so I could lose my balance also.
After making those adjustments my swing now feels a lot more like the one that the teaching pro has had me rehearse with him directing the swing. I can keep my head in a steady position now while my body rotates around my spine better, especially on the follow thru, after where contact would be. With the crappy weather here lately I haven't been able to hit a ball and see the results as there is so much you can do with a shorter swing, hitting a ball into an oversized bed pillow leaning against a wall. The last thing I want to do is create some holes in the apartment.
So for now, we wait. We'll fiddle with it some more indoors and hope the light comes on a little brighter in the future. But until I can get outside I have to wonder if I've actually made any progress.
To update the blog thingy here I thought I'd at least put down on internet paper the fact that I did get new clubs for myself. I am fully decked out new G-series irons, driver and fairway metals. I even bought a new Ping putter since the one I messed with at the store really felt good in my hands. I almost didn't get the putter because of the sentiment I had with the old Ping Anser I've been using for years but I always suspected it was too light. I can always go back to it if I want.
If the weather here will clear up by next weekend I'll try to play as I'm itching to see how the new sticks fare out on the course. I did get to try them when I had another session with the teaching pro but that's just not the same. The biggest change won't be the clubs but this swing improvement I'm trying to incorporate. I've always been a hands player and I know that I use them too much in my swing. I have some pretty good hand-eye coordination (from what I'm told by these pros) so I can get away with it when I play sometimes, but I know I'm losing out on some power and consistency.
So I've been trying to improve my weight shift so that it starts the downswing, allowing my arms to stay back a bit and create some lag and stay behind the ball like one should, but I couldn't figure out why I was having so much trouble with it. I was once known for having an extended pause at the top, which was the time I'd make the shift. I'm wasn't necessarily looking to repeat that but, as one does in the 21st century, I started using Google for stuff. One place led to another, and another, and then after a while it hit me as to why I couldn't stay behind the ball. I wasn't starting there to begin with.
In my ever constant fight to try and align myself properly I ended up getting my head in front of the ball at setup. From there I would either have to sway back or dip my head to get behind it, or do some other move to get into a position to strike the ball, like flip my hands. When I went to try and do that with a club in hand, I also discovered that I was leaning too far forward also, my shoulders were quite a bit in front of my toes, so I could lose my balance also.
After making those adjustments my swing now feels a lot more like the one that the teaching pro has had me rehearse with him directing the swing. I can keep my head in a steady position now while my body rotates around my spine better, especially on the follow thru, after where contact would be. With the crappy weather here lately I haven't been able to hit a ball and see the results as there is so much you can do with a shorter swing, hitting a ball into an oversized bed pillow leaning against a wall. The last thing I want to do is create some holes in the apartment.
So for now, we wait. We'll fiddle with it some more indoors and hope the light comes on a little brighter in the future. But until I can get outside I have to wonder if I've actually made any progress.
Sunday, December 18, 2016
Poker is gone but I have this blog so I might as well use it for golf
I forgot I still had ownership of this until today. I figured that since I'm now focused on playing golf again after what happened in the summer I might as well look into using it, even if no one in the world outside of myself ever sees it.
Since relocating to Murrieta, CA I've had the chance to play four times with scores staying the the low 80s. They haven't been the toughest courses but its still better than I thought it would be. I took some lessons in hopes of rediscovering a few things and so far its helped. I've made a few purchases (a new bag, a rangefinder and of course some golf balls) and I've started a stretching routine as well. I need shed a few pounds, well, more like 10-15 (but who counts those anyway) and I realize I'm closer to 50 than 40 years old also.
Still, until the calendar turns to 2017 I won't feel that I've really turned the page on the old stuff and started something fresh and new. There is too much in 2016 that I'd like to leave behind and I'd avoid revisiting it as much as I can. I don't know if I even use this blog or if it'll even see the light of the internet day, but if I do it'll start in January. Don't hold your breath, though.
Since relocating to Murrieta, CA I've had the chance to play four times with scores staying the the low 80s. They haven't been the toughest courses but its still better than I thought it would be. I took some lessons in hopes of rediscovering a few things and so far its helped. I've made a few purchases (a new bag, a rangefinder and of course some golf balls) and I've started a stretching routine as well. I need shed a few pounds, well, more like 10-15 (but who counts those anyway) and I realize I'm closer to 50 than 40 years old also.
Still, until the calendar turns to 2017 I won't feel that I've really turned the page on the old stuff and started something fresh and new. There is too much in 2016 that I'd like to leave behind and I'd avoid revisiting it as much as I can. I don't know if I even use this blog or if it'll even see the light of the internet day, but if I do it'll start in January. Don't hold your breath, though.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Dealing with The End
I have finally admitted to myself that my poker career is over.
I didn't want to say it but the facts are there. Since Black Friday an American really can't safely play online. Sure, you can still play on a few sites but the risk is still high. Depositing and, more importantly withdrawals, are difficult. Plus the move to Houston ended my home game and bar game runs as well. I just don't play anymore.
So why have I waited until now to "retire"? The final straw happened when I discovered I couldn't get PokerTracker3 to work anymore. I had all my record-keeping in there. Well, not true, I do have stuff on paper but its not the same. I can't look back at old hand histories with that. So its all gone. With that I just threw up my hands and said "I'm done with this shit" and deleted it all. Poof.
I managed to withdraw off of a couple of sites but I still have money stuck on a couple of others, not including the Full Tilt and UB fiasco shit. Considering that I technically have about $100 or so that I *could* play with. I just don't feel like it anymore. Today I actually had a little time and opened up one of the rooms and logged in. I stared at the SNG lobby for about two minutes, said "nah" and closed it back down. Nothing excited me. The traffic there was iffy at best. I just couldn't get myself interested enough to take it seriously. For a moment I thought maybe I'd find a game to blow all I had on there in one game, all or nothing like... but nope, even that didn't interest me.
A week ago I tried being "reckless" and took the $40 or so I had on one site and played blackjack with it. I ended up winning $15, LOL. Then I saw they are having a special poker series with low buy-ins. Looking at it, I could play in nine of them before I went broke, assuming I do not cash. In the back of my mind I just wanted to keep the option open since it starts next week. Will I actually sit down and play? Right now I doubt it. But I wanted to keep the idea open.
The other site I have cash on is a site that my buddy Marc also has cash "trapped" on and I think he still plays on there. I kep thinking that maybe I'd do the same, maybe joining a few games with him like we used to. Again, do I really have the desire to play? Just in case, just in case... I'm saving the money instead of trying to blow it in the casino on the site, even though I wanna be reckless and just risk it all on black or something.
Bah, I'm rambling now. Who cares. Poker was fun and certainly profitable while it lasted. Thanks to people like Jennifear, Stu, Scott, Vincent, Marc and countless others for helping me with strategy, confidence and sanity. Thnaks to my wife, Maggie, for putting up with screaming in the middle of the night (good and bad). I'll miss poker. Who knows, maybe I'll be back.
So why have I waited until now to "retire"? The final straw happened when I discovered I couldn't get PokerTracker3 to work anymore. I had all my record-keeping in there. Well, not true, I do have stuff on paper but its not the same. I can't look back at old hand histories with that. So its all gone. With that I just threw up my hands and said "I'm done with this shit" and deleted it all. Poof.
I managed to withdraw off of a couple of sites but I still have money stuck on a couple of others, not including the Full Tilt and UB fiasco shit. Considering that I technically have about $100 or so that I *could* play with. I just don't feel like it anymore. Today I actually had a little time and opened up one of the rooms and logged in. I stared at the SNG lobby for about two minutes, said "nah" and closed it back down. Nothing excited me. The traffic there was iffy at best. I just couldn't get myself interested enough to take it seriously. For a moment I thought maybe I'd find a game to blow all I had on there in one game, all or nothing like... but nope, even that didn't interest me.
A week ago I tried being "reckless" and took the $40 or so I had on one site and played blackjack with it. I ended up winning $15, LOL. Then I saw they are having a special poker series with low buy-ins. Looking at it, I could play in nine of them before I went broke, assuming I do not cash. In the back of my mind I just wanted to keep the option open since it starts next week. Will I actually sit down and play? Right now I doubt it. But I wanted to keep the idea open.
The other site I have cash on is a site that my buddy Marc also has cash "trapped" on and I think he still plays on there. I kep thinking that maybe I'd do the same, maybe joining a few games with him like we used to. Again, do I really have the desire to play? Just in case, just in case... I'm saving the money instead of trying to blow it in the casino on the site, even though I wanna be reckless and just risk it all on black or something.
Bah, I'm rambling now. Who cares. Poker was fun and certainly profitable while it lasted. Thanks to people like Jennifear, Stu, Scott, Vincent, Marc and countless others for helping me with strategy, confidence and sanity. Thnaks to my wife, Maggie, for putting up with screaming in the middle of the night (good and bad). I'll miss poker. Who knows, maybe I'll be back.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
The Absense (and Frustration) of Poker
I was on Pokerology again and answered a post there about how people sometimes can feel disinterested or dishearted about playing (the post is here: http://www.pokerology.com/forums/general-poker-discussion/4297-just-dont-feel-like-playing-poker-mo.html). My answer looked more like a blog entry than a forum post and then I realized, "Hey, dumbass, you HAVE a blog. Use it!" So I did. Below is what I wrote. If you don't play poker it might not make as much sense to you as if you did but its here if you wanna read it.
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OK, time to answer. I'm just not sure how to answer.
I've gone thru several swings that I thought would never end. Each time I managed to just work my way through to the other side because I wanted to prove to myself that I could. I still found the game exciting each time I played, especially as I was still getting my feet wet and learning how to play my best. Perhaps the potential of learning some new key point about the game was the major reason I could plod along.
When Black Friday hit, well, that was different. I didn't really want to risk playing that much. I'd occasionally try on UB or Bodog or even Cake and Carbon but by June I'd had given up on playing on a regular basis. I still played in the home game when I could and I'd troll Pokerology too. I read a few more books and kept trying to learn. I still had an interest in the game, I just felt shut out of actually playing.
Now, I'm a little inbetween. I've actually played about 5 or 6 days in a row online, just not for a long time or more than even a single table at a time. Hell, my most common game has a BI of a whopping $0.11! When I play, I just don't really feel like committing a couple of hours to it so I play these super-turbo SNGs mostly (and running horribly, glad I only lose pennies and not dollars, woof).
Some of this also has to do with my personal life. As some of you my know I am in the midst of a move from Orlando to Houston, in fact the movers will be here next week to pack up all our shit and ship it out there where my wife has already been at her new job for four months now. Meanwhile, my son, three cats and myself will finish out the school year in an apartment with about five pieces of less-than-desireable furnishings... the Ritz it will not be. All in all its not the perfect time to be grinding anything online.
Once we all get settled in Houston I'll be needing to find a job. During that time I might just see how the online landscape looks and take a chance at it. I wouldn't be able to make a living, thats for sure. The bankroll I had has either gone back into my life money or is stuck on FTP and UB. Depositing even a fraction of what I had is neither easy or likely very smart, but I might try to find a way to at least get **something** going on Bovada (Bodog), Cake, and Carbon. I may have to take a riskier position as far as BRM goes as well. Who knows, that's at least four months away.
All I do know is I miss playing online they way it used to be. Without having the option of playing on Stars, FTP and UB it just depresses me. I've honestly thought of just giving up on poker since there just didn't seem to be a good reason to play, especially after taking viscious beats in a stupid .11 game over and over again, LOL.
But then something decent seems to happen to bring me back. I won a 24-player-max "MTT" on Cake, which jacked my "bankroll" there by 500%. I still play in the bar games every Wednesday and last night I won a bar tab. I still plan ways that I can use my $70ish "online bankroll" and run it up like I did when I first started with SNGs and micro MTTs. I want to... I just don't know if I want to spend the time since it might end up as a waste of time in the end.
A couple of forum regs have suggested to me the idea of playing live. Sounds like a great idea except for the fact that now just isn't the time. In four months I'll be out of a job and I just don't want to take the risk with any of that money that I might need in reserve. I've played a couple few times and actually have had success in the $35 MTTs on Saturday in Daytona... I think I taked about my 2nd place finish in my blog. Yes, I realize that there is a decent chance I am going to be the best tourney player entered whenever I go (one of the local bar-type poker tours sponsers the gig and those players really do suck). Perhaps I've been spoiled but it seems driving to Daytona and "one-tabling" for 6 hours just doesn't seem like to best way to spend my time.... if I had the time.
I've thought of maybe trying to teach or coach somebody as a way to stay involved but I just don't know if I really can do that. I know some stuff, basic stuff, but I'm still just a student myself. I just wouldn't feel right since I've never been a pro myself. How can I charge anything if I'm not even currently making anything myself? Seems silly to me. Even doing the videos I've done can be a little uncomfortable, which is why I try to make them more entertainment than anything else. I like talking about the thought processes involved and all that, but I also like to think that I can be open to other ideas and opinions about the game. Maybe that is why I like answering in the forums so much, I can see the feedback come in as they get posted. I'd love to talk shop over Skype with some people, peer-to-peer, about hands, situations, general game subjects, whatever, whether it was one-on-one or a huge group. That would help keep me interested to.
Hmm... seems I've strayed from the subject at hand. In the end, yes, I've been frustrated. I've been frustrated by players, by my epic downswings, by Black Friday, by my own life. Still I remain involved with the game to this day. I may not ever get back to where I once was but I still have the PokerTracker file to prove I was there.
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OK, time to answer. I'm just not sure how to answer.
I've gone thru several swings that I thought would never end. Each time I managed to just work my way through to the other side because I wanted to prove to myself that I could. I still found the game exciting each time I played, especially as I was still getting my feet wet and learning how to play my best. Perhaps the potential of learning some new key point about the game was the major reason I could plod along.
When Black Friday hit, well, that was different. I didn't really want to risk playing that much. I'd occasionally try on UB or Bodog or even Cake and Carbon but by June I'd had given up on playing on a regular basis. I still played in the home game when I could and I'd troll Pokerology too. I read a few more books and kept trying to learn. I still had an interest in the game, I just felt shut out of actually playing.
Now, I'm a little inbetween. I've actually played about 5 or 6 days in a row online, just not for a long time or more than even a single table at a time. Hell, my most common game has a BI of a whopping $0.11! When I play, I just don't really feel like committing a couple of hours to it so I play these super-turbo SNGs mostly (and running horribly, glad I only lose pennies and not dollars, woof).
Some of this also has to do with my personal life. As some of you my know I am in the midst of a move from Orlando to Houston, in fact the movers will be here next week to pack up all our shit and ship it out there where my wife has already been at her new job for four months now. Meanwhile, my son, three cats and myself will finish out the school year in an apartment with about five pieces of less-than-desireable furnishings... the Ritz it will not be. All in all its not the perfect time to be grinding anything online.
Once we all get settled in Houston I'll be needing to find a job. During that time I might just see how the online landscape looks and take a chance at it. I wouldn't be able to make a living, thats for sure. The bankroll I had has either gone back into my life money or is stuck on FTP and UB. Depositing even a fraction of what I had is neither easy or likely very smart, but I might try to find a way to at least get **something** going on Bovada (Bodog), Cake, and Carbon. I may have to take a riskier position as far as BRM goes as well. Who knows, that's at least four months away.
All I do know is I miss playing online they way it used to be. Without having the option of playing on Stars, FTP and UB it just depresses me. I've honestly thought of just giving up on poker since there just didn't seem to be a good reason to play, especially after taking viscious beats in a stupid .11 game over and over again, LOL.
But then something decent seems to happen to bring me back. I won a 24-player-max "MTT" on Cake, which jacked my "bankroll" there by 500%. I still play in the bar games every Wednesday and last night I won a bar tab. I still plan ways that I can use my $70ish "online bankroll" and run it up like I did when I first started with SNGs and micro MTTs. I want to... I just don't know if I want to spend the time since it might end up as a waste of time in the end.
A couple of forum regs have suggested to me the idea of playing live. Sounds like a great idea except for the fact that now just isn't the time. In four months I'll be out of a job and I just don't want to take the risk with any of that money that I might need in reserve. I've played a couple few times and actually have had success in the $35 MTTs on Saturday in Daytona... I think I taked about my 2nd place finish in my blog. Yes, I realize that there is a decent chance I am going to be the best tourney player entered whenever I go (one of the local bar-type poker tours sponsers the gig and those players really do suck). Perhaps I've been spoiled but it seems driving to Daytona and "one-tabling" for 6 hours just doesn't seem like to best way to spend my time.... if I had the time.
I've thought of maybe trying to teach or coach somebody as a way to stay involved but I just don't know if I really can do that. I know some stuff, basic stuff, but I'm still just a student myself. I just wouldn't feel right since I've never been a pro myself. How can I charge anything if I'm not even currently making anything myself? Seems silly to me. Even doing the videos I've done can be a little uncomfortable, which is why I try to make them more entertainment than anything else. I like talking about the thought processes involved and all that, but I also like to think that I can be open to other ideas and opinions about the game. Maybe that is why I like answering in the forums so much, I can see the feedback come in as they get posted. I'd love to talk shop over Skype with some people, peer-to-peer, about hands, situations, general game subjects, whatever, whether it was one-on-one or a huge group. That would help keep me interested to.
Hmm... seems I've strayed from the subject at hand. In the end, yes, I've been frustrated. I've been frustrated by players, by my epic downswings, by Black Friday, by my own life. Still I remain involved with the game to this day. I may not ever get back to where I once was but I still have the PokerTracker file to prove I was there.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
So, how ya been?
Good question, huh?
I haven't posted anything on the old blog in a while, I know. With poker being as it is I just don't think to do it anymore. I've been on Twitter (@RyckyRych, feel free to follow) and I've posted a little nonsense here and there since it doesn't take very long and also doubles as my Facebook status thingy.
What little poker I have played has been fine, I min-cashed in Daytona last month, been doing OK in the home games when I get to play, and even have played a little online on Carbon and such. I won a 45-man game just the other day and I have to say the competition just wasn't very good. Despite that, I still needed a couple things to go my way but for the most part these guys do bad things, mainly to themselves.
So much for poker, at least what I can remember. In other news, we are moving to Houston. My wife has secured a position at her company's corporate location and they are going to pay for the move and all that also, which is a relief. She starts in a couple weeks and will have temp husing and everything. Meanwhile I get to stay here and try to sell the house. Yay.
The move is exciting and frightening all at the same time. This house is a financial burden, I won't lie about that. I admit I will be happy to get out of the obligation one way or the other, in fact we had considered selling the house and finding somewhere else to live next spring even before the new job opportunity came up. On the other hand I really like the house and Cameron generally grew up here. We are settled in, comfy and all, and I really do NOT want to see what I find once I start clearing away the decade of shit we've piled up around here.
Of course, once I end up out there I'll need to find a job myself. That might not happen for another 6-9 months for all I know but the thought is still sobering. I understnad Houston is a happening place for jobs and there might be some chance I can catch on with where my wife works too. I admit, if poker were to come back to the US I would naturally fall back on that while I look, possibly with the thought of doing it full time if it works out right. One can only dream.
Hmm, what else can I fill this post up with? The Cubs still suck, though as I write this Theo Epstein might take the GM job. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or not but it can't be worse than what they had before. My Vikings still suck also, even though they might be the best first-half team in the history of the game. We won't mention the Magic since they ain't gonna be playing anytime soon. TBH, I don't care if they do or not. The Lightning are my best hope, they were one game away from the Cup Finals last season, maybe they can find a solution in goal for the long term and get it done, eh?
The last thing I'll mention is a sad one. Piper, my #2 cat, the black female we had, went missing a few weeks ago and has not shown signs of any return. A cat next door also came up missing and a group of others around the corner in the same subdivision vanished as well. Who the fuck goes around taking cats? Does that really happen? Yeah, insert the chinese buffet jokes here all you want but I find it strange. I had a woman at Petco tell me that there are coyotes around Apopka, but seriously? Coyotes? I've never seen one. I'm gonna go with the idea that she finally wandered off too far, got lost, and found someone to take her in. She has a coolar and a microchip so you'd think someone might check but you never know. I'm still gonna go with that since the alternatives are unsavory.
Anyway, we are being pretty careful with our #1 cat Pippen and #3 (now #2 I guess, sigh) Peepers when they go out, even though neither one goes too much further than the front yard. Our newest kitty, Pixie, doesn't go outside at all and will never see the light of day, especially now.
Well, guess that's about all I can think of for the time being. Maybe I can think of something else to say a little sooner next time. I am gonna try out the Daytona gig again this Saturday, hopefully it'll be worth an entry on its own. If not, well, I'll think of something.
I haven't posted anything on the old blog in a while, I know. With poker being as it is I just don't think to do it anymore. I've been on Twitter (@RyckyRych, feel free to follow) and I've posted a little nonsense here and there since it doesn't take very long and also doubles as my Facebook status thingy.
What little poker I have played has been fine, I min-cashed in Daytona last month, been doing OK in the home games when I get to play, and even have played a little online on Carbon and such. I won a 45-man game just the other day and I have to say the competition just wasn't very good. Despite that, I still needed a couple things to go my way but for the most part these guys do bad things, mainly to themselves.
So much for poker, at least what I can remember. In other news, we are moving to Houston. My wife has secured a position at her company's corporate location and they are going to pay for the move and all that also, which is a relief. She starts in a couple weeks and will have temp husing and everything. Meanwhile I get to stay here and try to sell the house. Yay.
The move is exciting and frightening all at the same time. This house is a financial burden, I won't lie about that. I admit I will be happy to get out of the obligation one way or the other, in fact we had considered selling the house and finding somewhere else to live next spring even before the new job opportunity came up. On the other hand I really like the house and Cameron generally grew up here. We are settled in, comfy and all, and I really do NOT want to see what I find once I start clearing away the decade of shit we've piled up around here.
Of course, once I end up out there I'll need to find a job myself. That might not happen for another 6-9 months for all I know but the thought is still sobering. I understnad Houston is a happening place for jobs and there might be some chance I can catch on with where my wife works too. I admit, if poker were to come back to the US I would naturally fall back on that while I look, possibly with the thought of doing it full time if it works out right. One can only dream.
Hmm, what else can I fill this post up with? The Cubs still suck, though as I write this Theo Epstein might take the GM job. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or not but it can't be worse than what they had before. My Vikings still suck also, even though they might be the best first-half team in the history of the game. We won't mention the Magic since they ain't gonna be playing anytime soon. TBH, I don't care if they do or not. The Lightning are my best hope, they were one game away from the Cup Finals last season, maybe they can find a solution in goal for the long term and get it done, eh?
The last thing I'll mention is a sad one. Piper, my #2 cat, the black female we had, went missing a few weeks ago and has not shown signs of any return. A cat next door also came up missing and a group of others around the corner in the same subdivision vanished as well. Who the fuck goes around taking cats? Does that really happen? Yeah, insert the chinese buffet jokes here all you want but I find it strange. I had a woman at Petco tell me that there are coyotes around Apopka, but seriously? Coyotes? I've never seen one. I'm gonna go with the idea that she finally wandered off too far, got lost, and found someone to take her in. She has a coolar and a microchip so you'd think someone might check but you never know. I'm still gonna go with that since the alternatives are unsavory.
Anyway, we are being pretty careful with our #1 cat Pippen and #3 (now #2 I guess, sigh) Peepers when they go out, even though neither one goes too much further than the front yard. Our newest kitty, Pixie, doesn't go outside at all and will never see the light of day, especially now.
Well, guess that's about all I can think of for the time being. Maybe I can think of something else to say a little sooner next time. I am gonna try out the Daytona gig again this Saturday, hopefully it'll be worth an entry on its own. If not, well, I'll think of something.
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