For newspaper junkies, the end of December may be the worst time of the year. Nothing much seems to happen, leaving desperate editors to fill up space with "Year in Review" and "Best Of" pieces. I never bother to read them - it's not as though I've been living under a rock for the past twelve months, I know what happened. Grr. I think it's safe to say that I'm annoyed by "Year in Review" type articles.

So what do I have for you today? You guessed it, a "Year in Review" post.

I'm such a hypocrite.

So, anyway, I've been doing some reflecting on the past twelve months. Poker-wise, they were decidedly lacking. Let's go with the picture version first:




In some ways, 2007 for me was a year of "poker? what poker?".

Don't get me wrong. I still played a fair amount, but in comparison to 2005 and 2006 it was nothing. I played more home games, went to the track for charity poker more often, went to the casino less, went to Las Vegas more - but played way less - and played much, much less play chip online poker.

Poker simply no longer holds the same position in my life that it did in '05 and '06.

Money-wise, the year was a downer. I'm still tallying it up, but I'm pretty sure that I was a net loser for the year. We're talking a loss of a few Happy Meals - nothing at all substantial - but it's still disappointing.

On the plus side, I was able to go to the December WPBT gathering, which was a blast. I got to hang out with Drizz in Minnesota. BG and the Bracelet returned to the area for a home game. I got mixed up in a 'Stars milestone hand, and J7o was goooood. I didn't get to play as many blogger donkaments as I would like, but certainly enjoyed the ones I was able to get into.

Overall, 2007 was pretty decent. I'll take it and start hoping that 2008 is even better.

Flash: I don't have hard data to back it up, but I've come to the conclusion that I'm a losing player at NL cash games. Including the micro-limits, which a semi-skilled chimpanzee should be able to beat. It's sad.

I have about $50 in bookstore gift cards at the moment, and I'm considering using some or all of it to purchase a book.

Obviously there are now a ton of titles out there and I haven't really done any research to this point. It's easier to ask you, the bloggerati:

What book on NL cash would you suggest for someone who's not a complete noob but who needs to tear down his game and rebuild from scratch?

Thanks in advance.

Edit: I'm primarily interested in the electronic version, as my live game features (and probably always will) more tells than a roomful of tattlin' five year olds.

I know I've mentioned it before, but I'll admit it again - I am somewhat obsessive-compulsive. I've never been to a shrink, but anyone with even the slightest bit of observational skill could see that when I'm into something I'm REALLY into it.

Lately, I've been slightly obsessed with internet tracking tools. I've been using Google Analytics and another free site counter to get a laugh out of how people stumble across this blog gain insight into who reads this drivel.

This site isn't CNN or Perez Hilton or Guinness and Poker or anything, but I manage to get enough hits to keep things interesting. And for me to mention a couple of things. I promise that I won't get into some of the freakier word searches that send people this way.


A few months ago, I wrote an off-the-cuff diatribe about Martindale Hubbell.

Synopsis: Martindale Hubbell - owned by LexisNexis - publishes a listing of attorneys and also conducts a peer rating survey. I received a rating this year. For some reason, MH felt the need to send along an invoice for an "administration fee" of $50.00 in order for the rating to be published. I didn't ask for the rating. I don't benefit from the rating - in at least one way it's decidedly NOT beneficial. And I sure as heck don't think I should pay $50.00 to be listed in a publication (and on a web site) that makes MH a great deal of money. I basically told 'em to suck it.

It turns out that I'm not the only one who was ticked off about the billing. A lawyer in the Pacific Northwest who has a very active - and on topic - blog posted about the same thing and happened to link my post.

But that's not the interesting part.

One of the things that Google Analytics tracks is where your traffic is coming from. During the month of December, at least, one of the top five internet service providers sending traffic my way is … the LexisNexis corporate network!

Hah!

So if you're visiting from LexisNexis World HQ, in the spirit of the season, let me say the following: Welcome! I don't hate you!*

* (At least not personally. Unless you're the person - or part of a committee - that made the decision to start sending bills for unsolicited services - in which case the best I can do is to grit my teeth and reserve judgment. While I'm at it, I should mention that in the New Year I'll be encouraging our firm to sever any lingering relationship we may have with your company. It's nothing personal, just business, and your competitors haven't done anything that really ticked me off lately.)

Happy holidays, turkeys.


Back to the analysis. You know, I've never really understood how search engines rank their results. I'm sure that you know from experience that you can get some really random linkage when you plug in a query.

For some reason, Google has me ranked #1 in a search for "promise me son not to do the things I've done" - which as you know is a lyric from the hackneyed Kenny Rogers 'classic' The Gambler. I used that as a title for a crummy post way back in September 2005 bemoaning my inability to, um, walk away from the poker table when I should.

I mention this only because that search - "promise me son not to do the things I've done" or variations thereof - has consistently been THE most common search in Google or Yahoo that sends people to this blog. Not "poker". Not "poker sucks". Not "full tilt is rigged" - although that one's pretty common - nope, it's a Kenny Rogers lyric.

I'm not sure if I should be insulted or not.

I'm leaning toward not. Many of the searches for Kenny I get are from overseas. The Philippines and Denmark are particular hot spots.

I think that I don't ever want to be stuck in either place with only an AM radio for company.

Anyway, as a public service to my readers from overseas - here is a link to are what I believe are the complete lyrics (Tagalog and Danish translations regrettably not available).

Thanks for reading.

I hope you and yours enjoyed the holiday, regardless of whether you "celebrated" it or not.

It was a decent, busy weekend around here. Lots of family gatherings, a bunch of cooking (I'm good at comfort foods but have an inexplicable inability to make properly tasty Chex Mix), some gift giving. Mercifully, I received nothing poker related.

There seems to be a rule that poker related gifts must suck. I have no idea why, it just seems to be true. If you got one of Phil Hellmuth's books in your stocking you know exactly what I'm talking about.

For goodness sake, keep the poker out of Christmas.

Done.


Instead, I received my poker gift today, post holiday.

Playing some $2/$4 Limit - I'll explain later - I held AKs in the SB. Four players to the flop.

The flop. Oh, the flop. AAA.

Rigged. So beautifully, beautifully rigged.

Two players went to the river, one called my raise ... with 33.

It's been a while since I had that feeling. That warm happy feeling of getting paid on a monster. I've missed it.


I also received a nice little non-poker gift from Dr. Pauly and the folks over at Fantasy Sports Live. I qualified for a season ending fantasy football "Tournament of Champions" event by beating Pauly's score three weeks in a row. Even though I picked a mediocre team, I did well enough to score $25 from the bonus TOC prize pool. Thanks, Doc, for a fun event.

If you haven't checked out FSL yet and have an interest in fantasy sports - basketball, football and the rest of the NFL season are out there - check it out. And you might as well use bonus code PAULY for a sweet signup bonus.

That little win almost made up for getting punked in my regular fantasy league. Almost.

Stupid kickers.


Speaking of kicking, I have several end of the year type posts roaming around in my head, but they're going to have to wait a day or two. I'll kick 'em out ... eventually.

Mookie tonight. I won't be there. Have fun kids!

I'm dreaming of a white brown green whitish Christmas...

It's been a weird couple days here. As of Friday, we had about a foot of snow on the ground and it was looking very seasonal. On Saturday, the temp got up into the 50s and it all melted, making things a lovely muddy brown. Overnight, it dried up a bit with some wind - we got some thunder but no real rain, so things greened up some. And then we get yesterday, 40-50 mph winds all day and about six inches of snow.

So it's all whitish again. December in the north, you have to love it.


Twas the day before Christmas
The probability of going to work was null
I didn't feel like doing much
You could say I was bored out of my skull


I missed the blogger LUCK game last night (great idea, Jax) as well as the Poker Grind's bounty tournament. Instead, I watched the Vikings get stuffed like a twenty pound tom. I shouldn't have bothered.

I'm in my fantasy league championship game for the first time in years. I should have been sitting pretty - I was down 4 points with Adrian Peterson and my kicker yet to go, with my opponent only having a kicker left. Instead, I get nothing, we're all tied up and it's the battle of the kickers on Monday Night Football for the league championship and the moneys.

Fantasy football fever, catch it. I might just go throw up.

Ive never been so tempted to offer a chop.


In the poker content department, I don't have any. Sorry about that, I'll do better next time.

I did goof around on Fantasy Sports Live, entering a bunch of cheapo contests, including my first forays into basketball and hockey. I luckboxed my way to a win in basketball, but got smoked by Derek (and the other two entrants) in hockey.


Have a happy and safe holiday y'all and see you on the other side.



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I'm forgetful.

Forgetful at least when it comes to poker knowledge, that is. Which means that I frequently have to re-learn stuff that should be second nature by now.

It also means that every once in a while I just have to shake my head and think, "why didn't I see this sooner?" Call them blinding flashes of the obvious.

On Wednesday, I was up way too late, playing the Mookie despite knowing better. I'm meandering along in the third hour with a below average stack. I think at that point I had about 3,800 chips. Blinds were still in the manageable range, something like 150/300.

I'd gotten that far without anything even remotely resembling a premium hand. So when I received QQ in early (UTG+1) position, I was excited. Excited, I said. With exclamation points (!!!).

I was less excited when the UTG player raised to 900. Hmm.

Here's where I had the revelation of the obvious - I didn't HAVE to shove!

BAM!

Shoving all in NOT MANDATORY!

Wow!

I almost did shove, though. That was what my reflex action and inclination was. It's easy, it requires no thought and I'd have been favored against almost all possible holdings. In about 99.99% of the blogger donkaments I've played in the last three months, I would have just shoved. And I'd owe everyone another dollar.

But no. Not THIS time.

I didn't shove. I also didn't flat call, which would have been stupid imo.

Instead, I just re-raised. Granted that it was for most of my stack and I probably selected the wrong amount (2400, leaving 1400 behind), but I didn't shove. You can certainly make a case that shoving would have been the right play with my stack size - I won't argue with that - the point is that I don't HAVE to be Shovey McShoverson at all times.

Such an obvious concept, but one which I've allowed myself to forget. Really.

And you wonder why I suck at poker.

Anyway, in the results-oriented portion of this post, I'll tell you that the button (who may have been the notorious Ricky424, I forget) flat called and the original raiser tanked and folded after thinking for a while. An ace was the first card in the door and I was out like a thief in the night, short-stacked but alive. I doubled up once but busted in 35th when my A9s ran into the big blind's AKo. It happens -- and I didn't end up coming here to rant about losing with queens to ACE-F'ING-RAG...


I ended up watching some of the BBT2 Tournament of Champions last night. Congrats to jeciimd for taking it down and winning the trip to Australia. He must have played brilliantly in the endgame - when I shut down with ten or so players left he was still pretty short stacked (and had been). I would have definitely picked Huntsvegas Wes at that point.

That's it for now, I gotta go see if Fuel has a post up on how he busted out. I'm expecting something hoyesque, maybe even wafflerantilicious.

Another day without internet service. Argh. My wifi provider is really beginning to tick me off.

End result, no Bodonkey last night. If I played for a living I would never put up with this [censored].

The wifi mysteriously returned to service about 9:00 this morning, right in the middle of a virus scan. Technology is weird.

Also missed out on any last minute chance to take advantage of a Stars eChecks deposit bonus. I haven't deposited since the UIGEA, but this looked like a pretty reasonable method. Plus I'm still a sucker for a good bonus.

***

Speaking of bonuses, I'd like to welcome flopturnriver.com as the latest advertiser to sign up with this corner of teh web. I've visited their forums on a semi-regular basis for quite a while now, and of course I make use of their hand history converter.

Visiting the home page today, I'm reminded about just how many sites I have yet to try - despite the fact that I still have about 20 poker room icons on my computer, many for sites which are no longer U.S. friendly - and how many signup bonuses remain unclaimed. If you're looking for a new site, check out their signup offers or visit one of my other sponsors. I've had positive experiences with all of these folks and look forward to adding flopturnriver.com to the list.


The BBT2 may be over, but the tournaments go on. Tonight is the Mookie. 10 PM ET. I may not be awake enough to play, but it's very tempting. This is the slow season at work and with a couple of four day weekends coming up I'll probably be hitting the tables hard for a change.

So much to do, so much to do. Right now, I'm going back to working on my template. I want to make this thing look (even) better (hah hah), so if you've got suggestions send 'em my way.

I was a bit conflicted on Sunday. I usually don't play Sunday tournaments, but I got home unusually early and had plenty of time to sign up for the Big Game. Plus, it was the final event of the BBT2 series and I was sitting just outside the top 50, meaning that I needed points in order to get into the freeroll. Decisions, decisions.

Watching football instead won.

Thanks to Al and everyone who organized the BBT2. I wish I had the time and bankroll to have played in all of the events, but it wasn't going to happen. I did managed to squeeze in fifteeneleven - Mookies and Riverchasers with a MATH or two. That's a lot of bloggery goodness leavened by a hearty dose of donkeration. Thanks again, guys.


Yesterday was a home game.

On my way there, I had a "stay classy" moment (tm BG). I stopped by the local liquor store for supplies and was leaving with my purchases as a couple of toothless degenerates were fumbling around outside the entrance. I couldn't figure out what they were doing, so I used the other door to get out of dodge.

As I was getting ready to pull away, they came back out with fistfuls of scratch-off lottery tickets. I was also able to see what they'd been up to before entering the store: They'd walked over on break from the factory next door and didn't want to give up their half-smoked cigarettes. To keep the butts alive they'd wedged them into the gaps between the concrete blocks of the liquor store's walls.

My town. Very classy.


Anyway, the home game, or as I'd call it, Limpalooza '07.

One full table of ten. I've never seen so much limping. Lots of unraised family or nearly family pots. Since I could get in cheap, I think my VPIP was about 85%.

I chipped up early, including a hand where I stacked a guy with K7 vs. K4 on a K74 flop. (Did I mention there was lots of limping with crap?). I turned a boat with T8o. I avoided bad spots. It was unusual and by unusual I mean good.

There was one hand where I made an entirely appropriate fold, but which goes into the "if only I'd gone to the mat" category. I'm in the big blind with T9o. I don't remember if there was a preflop raise, but if there was it was a minraise to $1. Yes, I think there was. At least six players to the flop, probably more like 8.

The flop is 864 unsuited. I have absolutely nothing. There's a bet of $2.25 from the guy to my left, three callers and I close the action. I have nothing (wheeee a gutshot) but I'm getting something like 12 to 1. It's donkey poker, I'm calling.

The turn is a Q, completing the rainbow and giving me the double gutter. Now the SB leads out for $6 into about a $20 pot. I thought for a long time before reluctantly folding with three players still to act behind me. It was the right move, as there was a raise to $20, a push for $33 and the original bettor and raiser both going all in as well.

I'm results oriented. With the biggest pile of chips and the Jack on the river, I would have stacked three players. The small blind had flopped an 8 high straight and he took it down, part of a plus six buyin rush over thirty minutes.

I never did get any big pocket pairs, but in a loose, weak game like this it didn't matter. I did get the hammer once in the cutoff when we were down to six handed and tried to steal the pot preflop, but folded to a big raise from the button. He showed AA. Running good.

Ended up the night plus 3.5 buyins, less the 1.5 spent on bar pizza and booze. Continuing the luck, I wiped out hard on the icy driveway while walking to my car - I was very fortunate to come away with only a skinned knee.


Did I mention luck? I got to watch the Monday Night Football game while we were playing. I needed 12 points from Adrian Peterson to knock off the Patriots of our league (both because he was undefeated and because he had most of the NE roster, plus Tony Romo). Robert Ferguson gets tackled at the 1, touchdown Peterson. Jackson gets hurt, the backup hands off, touchdown Peterson, I win. Next week is the championship game and I'll be trying for my first league title in fifteen years of playing.

Which means I'll lose.


On an unrelated note, congrats to Maigrey on landing a new job, back in the heartland where the real Americans live. (kidding obv). Coming soon, I hope - not my idea but one I fully support - a WPBT gathering: Midwest edition!


Tonight is the Bodonkey. 9:05 ET. Visit smokkee for all the details.

Me, playing around with my new toy, while playing the Riverchasers:


Yeah, I got a new digital camera. Not a very good picture, but conditions were just a bit less than optimal.

Yeah, I got a new digital camera. Not a very good picture, but conditions were just a bit less than optimal.

As was my play in the Riverchasers. Despite using the full power of the Wafflecoaster (thanks Sean), I still managed to have KK lose to 88 and JJ lose to 66 for a craptastic 66th place finish. Too bad I couldn't have hung around until Full Tilt crashed, getting my money back would have felt like a win.

I just got back from a blogger's convention and tournament in Las Vegas. It is amazing how close many of those people are. By reading the blogs of Dr. Pauly, Tao of Poker and Iggy a.k.a. Ignatius on GuinnessandPoker, I learned about the blogger world from two of their accepted leaders. I am going to be voting for Dr. Pauly and Iggy. Around those bloggers, they are treated like rock stars. How could you have a list that leaves these famous, infamous, o.k., famous bloggers off?

It's Iggy and Pauly all the way.

Johnny Hughes

And a counterpoint from poster "Army Eye":

I don't have too many words to fill up the little Blogger text box today.

Even though I'm rested and back in the work grind, at least a small corner of my head is still in Vegas mode. Loving the trip reports so far, hope to see a few more as people return and decompress.

I will say that I'm darned happy to have avoided the dreaded Vegas bird flu. So far anyway mass consumption of greyhounds has proved sufficient to ward off the crud that accompanies too much action and too much recycled airline air. Here's hoping that those of you who weren't so lucky get better soon.

Thinking about the weekend, I did find a small regret or two, the primary one being that I didn't have nearly enough time to just hang out and chat. Even though I didn't really have too many plans, I still engaged in too much "me" time. Next time, I'll be sure to spend more of the trip mingling, despite the fact that doing so isn't really my style. There's too much value there.

I also did not engage in any craps, a fact which I'm finding hard to comprehend.

Anyhow, this is the last week of the BBT2 series. I'm skipping the Mookie tonight (tired), will probably play the Riverchasers tomorrow and am most unlikely to hit the Big Game on Sunday. Those are your three chances, go get 'em. I won't be going to Australia, but anyone who's seen me play won't be surprised by that.

Last night was the Bodonkey, where 32 runners showed up to battle for five paid spots plus five freerolls. I went out a miserable 12th when KTo proved to be worse than K9o. I run good.

With the holidays on the imminent horizon, I'm busy working on a set of goals for 2008, both poker and non-poker. I don't think the poker goals will be too complex - until the UIGEA goes away I'm not likely to play at anywhere near the rate I used to. But more on those as December winds down.

Good luck taking down those BBT2 events and I'm out.

Wow. I'm perpetually amazed by how much fun is had at the WPBT gatherings in Las Vegas. The most recent one was no exception.

It's never perfect. There were several people missing I would have like to have seen. A number of newer bloggers that I never got a chance to meet - darned introvertism. Way too much action to catch it all. Didn't get to spend nearly enough time with anyone - I've got a list of about fifty things I want to do sometime at one of these gatherings. Somewhere in there I had to sleep for three hours a night. It happens. And I don't think I would trade a minute of it.

There were way too many highlights to list, so I'm not going to even try. Instead, I will leave you with these thoughts:

1. We ended up with 32 entries in the donkey race. It was nearly a runaway - both Falstaff and Drizz had four donkeys left with 25 players to go - but with the late eliminations on up to Drizz himself on the points bubble left nobody with more than two of the final nine. About ten people had a chance to win at that point. Things were not decided until the very end and KuroKitty was knocked out in third - if Otis took first place, Garth would have won outright (thanks to Otis and Miami Don), while if the Rooster won, Garth, Alan and I would tie and split the pot three ways. You know how it turned out - ship the almost freeroll! A special booby prize went to Al Can't Hang - a $10 MGM slot voucher contributed as an entry fee by someone - someone I'll be giving grief to for quite a while.

Well played, Joaquin, well played. Thanks to everyone who participated - I hope that you all enjoyed it as much as I did. Congratulations as well to Otis and to everyone who made the money - there was some excellent poker being played. Falstaff, you set up a great tournament and kudos to the Venetian as well.

2. I still suck at poker. My demise in the WPBT tournament was predictable - no cards and bad play. I never got above par and bombed out after the first break in two hands.

Hand #1: I put in a sizable raise on the button with AQo (whee, a big ace!) after one limper. The blinds fold and the limper - I've forgotten who it was - calls. I miss the flop completely - 689 with two clubs. I put the short limper to the test for most of his remaining chips, he happily shoves and shows the flopped straight. I congratulate you on calling off a third of your stack with T7s, sir. I don't get both of the running clubs I need for the suckout and I'm short.

Hand #2: With the blinds increasing and an "M" of less than 3, I find ATs UTG and shove. Otis, to my immediate left, calmly calls. His 99 is good and I'm out.

Hey, at least I didn't get hosed by JJ. That was the best hand I saw and any chance I had at taking a big pot was lost when a ten was exposed by a folder - CK had limped with TT and was sensibly not going to call my raise with only one left in the deck.

3. It was said by someone else, but it needs to be repeated for emphasis -- bloggers marry up. Every spouse I met was an amazing person.

4. Did I mention that I still suck at poker? 0 for 2 in tournaments, down two racks being a super donk at the IP, exactly even at the MGM (where I didn't much feel like playing, so I didn't for long). I'm much better at poker for retards, aka the Texas Holdem Bonus table game.

5. Never underestimate the power of the Hammer. Playing Texas Holdem Bonus, the first hand after Instant Tragedy got up from the table I get the hammer. I play it hard and end up with quad 2s. Winner. I can't believe there isn't a sidebet payoff for 72o.

6. I played ten or twelve hours of Paigow on Thursday at Caesars and the IP and ended up exactly even. Even to the cent -- after probably fifty bucks worth of tips. Say it proud - nothing buys you drinking time like Paigow.

Except possibly nickel video keno.

7. Missing NFL Sunday was a bummer. Next year for sure, assuming I can make it. Chances are already looking up - in my biggest win of the weekend I scored a free airline ticket by agreeing to get bumped on my flight home.

I'm looking forward to reading trip reports and such.

I too am experiencing the StB effect.

Physically, I'm here at work. Mentally, I've checked out. I'm gone. I know it's only Tuesday but in my mind I'm already in Las Vegas. Winning a huge slot jackpot. Eating a $0.99 shrimp cocktail. Checkraising a drunk cowboy with 52o. Enjoying a drink with invisible internet pals. Generally making an ass out of myself.

In 48 short hours I will be twiddling my thumbs in the Milwaukee airport, waiting impatiently for my flight. No, wait, make that 47 hours. Who's counting? I'm counting.


This should probably go on a more highly trafficked blog, but here's a question: Would there be any interest in a "horse race"/ bracket of sorts on the WPBT tournament? I don't think anyone's proposed one yet, so here's an idea:

Pick 5 players plus one alternate.** With 100+ entants, this shouldn't be hard.
If any of your players make the final table, you get points:
12 points for 1st
10 for 2nd
8 for 3rd
6 for 4th
5 for 5th
4 for 6th
3 for 7th
2 for 8th
1 for 9th
Highest total score wins.
Prize pool allocated depending on number of entries
Buyin? $10? $20?

** Alternate necessary to promote wagering on participants who might otherwise sleep through the tournament.

I think it'd be easier to do it this way than a regular Lucko-style horse race, if only because keeping track of where everyone busts out is a pain. It'd be kind of fun to do it Fantasy Sports Live style, too, where each participant has a point value and you "buy" a team, but that might be more trouble than it's worth.

If there is interest (and nobody else steps forward), I could see doing this.


Time to go pretend I'm really here.

I get hundreds and hundreds of spam emails every week. Even with aggressive filtering, some of them get through. And every once in a while, I get a laugh. Not often - bite me purveyors of fake watches, v!agra and MegaDik - but once in a while.

If only this one had been for the "Christian Children's Book of the Month Club"...

Well, that was different.

I just spent a weekend sans internet. I had checked my email early on Saturday morning and then boom, I was kicked off. I tried reconnecting quite a few times, but as of my departure this morning it still wasn't back up. Stupid wifi. If it's not corrected by lunch, I'm going to have to call the company. I hate calling the company.

If you want to talk bad timing, this was it. The weather outside was frightful, with snow, ice, torrential rain, wind and 99 other reasons to just stay home. I would have been perfectly happy to curl up with a nice cash game or two, but no dice. So instead I watched football.

With the season winding down, I had to dash in to work yesterday to make my picks over at Fantasy Sports Live. I didn't have a good week - these things happen when you've got 20 minutes to pick your teams - but I had the right sleepers in my Speaker Special pool to end up with an overall net win of roughly an extra value meal, supersized. I'll take it.

I did not enjoy my experience with no internet. If I hadn't had a backup supplier, I wouldn't have made it. I was twitchy, irritable, obsessive. It might be time for rehab. Or live poker. Or something.

BTW, just a couple more days. The anticipation level has pretty much redlined for me. How you doin'?

How to win the Friday Night Dollar Donkament:

1. I don't know.

Here's a pretty good estimation, though:

1. Show up.
2. Rename yourself Sir-Shove-a-Lot. (note: this may not have actually happened)
3. Accumulate stack.
4. Smack people around with your huge junk stack.
5. ???
6. Profit.

Lots of runners in last night's retardfest, including a special guest appearance by the ultimate winner, Uncle Bracelet. I guess it's true, you really can't stop the Bracelet.

The most fun you can have for less than the price of a Happy Meal.

***

Anticipation is definitely building for next week. If you haven't seen it yet, check out Otis' video montage of WPBT Classic photos. You can also read about his good deed for a pal in Iraq.


I'm in a giving mood myself as well, and not just at the poker table. Giving feels damned good.

I went to the bank yesterday to get cash for Las Vegas. I have a family member who's having a hard time financially at the moment thanks to a perfect storm of bad things - illness, the horrible local housing market, kid expenses, gas prices, you name it. I ran into her at the end of the day and we chatted a bit about how things were going and it was pretty obvious that she was struggling. Nothing takes a toll on you quite like financial stress.

I can't fix the world's problems. Hell, I can't even fix hers, no matter how much I wish I could. But there are things that I can do and I took the advantage of the chance to help out a little. Some money to pay a few medical bills, a little extra to make sure some checks didn't bounce, a few bucks to treat the kids to movie night at home and a stop at the gas station for a full tank. Maybe she'll sleep a little better this weekend.

I'll be a couple buy ins lighter than I'd planned for next week, but I wouldn't trade the hug and thanks for anything.

I think this thing might be contagious.


Speaking of Las Vegas -- hey, I never do that, right? -- and money, if anyone's thinking about making the trip at the last minute but is being deterred by the cost of a room, let me know. I have a double at the swank Imperial Palace which I've already paid for. If it makes the difference for someone thinking of coming, I'm happy to offer up the extra bed. Email is at the right.


Fourish days to go, but who's counting?