Best man's toast....

My brother was the best man at our wedding. this was his speech.

"As most of you know, my name is Dave. I'm the groom's best man and younger brother. It is a real honor to be here today celebrating this special day with my brother and his bride, Tina.

When my brother asked me to be his best man it seemed like a casual thing at first. I recall him saying:

"Hey dude, you know you're my best man right?"

As, I thought more about it and began preparing my speech it became a very big deal for me. I began to feel a little overwhelmed with emotions and the importance of this day for him. I realized that we have become exactly what our father said we would become, best of friends. That is pretty special and i thank you for this.

So many of my fondest memories are of when we were just boys.

In my mind, you will always be the guy bullying me and my friends around. Taking my bike and not bringing it back or throwing me out of your room. Changing the rules in the middle of a baseball game in order to win. Stealing my favorite baseball mit then leaving it out in the rain though he knew i loved it. But, clearly that's all behind me now.

You and Tina clearly bring out the best in each other. Encouraging each other's ambitions, supporting each other through tough times and cheering each other on always.

After 16 truly wonderful years of marriage, i offer you this advice.

I ask you to love and honor your wife. Always make your family your priority in every decision and action you take.

Tina, my brother is flat ass lucky to have you and never let him live that down. I ask you to take care of him and love him with everything in you.

So, if everyone would stand and raise your glasses.

To my brother who i've always respected and admired and his wife Tina. I wish both of you all the happiness in the world and may you bring each other patience, understanding, strength, loyalty and love from this day forward. I wish you both peace and happiness in your new life together and may God bless your union.

Cheers!"

Record turnout for this week’s Bodonkey

Twenty-three (23) players hit the virtual felt this week to claim the Bodonkey title. I got lucky early after flopping a set against Skidoo’s flopped straight. We got all our chips in and I rivered a boat. Otherwise, I woulda claimed this week’s Gigli. I’ll take luck over skill all day long.

Lightning took down his 3rd Bodonkey title this year finishing 1st for $115+T$109
Coxlaud took 2nd for $69+T$109
Goat Rodeo finished 3rd for $46+T$109
ChayseTilton and BuddyDoosh finished 4th and 5th for T$109
PotRocker, Bayne and NewinNov got T$11 for 6-8th

All we need is five (5) more players to get the top five spots paid cash and the top ten (10) will get T$.

How can you pass on a tournament where over 30% of the field gets paid out? Create a new account on Bodog and get a 10% instant bonus (up to $1000).

Get in the game people!

1st order of business...


somehow Blinders found a way to take the Bodonkey title last week. i wasn't there to witness it. but, i'll be playing this week to make sure it doesn't happen again. T$600 is added.

we got back from Maui late Sunday night. as you might imagine, it was difficult for us to pack up and pull ourselves away. one week was nice. but, two weeks woulda been the shizz. we were at the beach almost every day and spent a lot of time drinking, dining and shopping.

ex: donk-a-shot


i played the MATH last night which turned out to be a rebuy. i didn't play any poker on the trip. so, i was anxious to get back to the tables. i forgot how much fun rebuy tournaments are. i was all-in at least 10-12 times before the rebuy period was over and donated about $70-$80. i had over T$4k after the 1st break which wasn't quite what i was hoping for. i tuned down the aggro lagtard play a couple notches after the break. but, didn't get very far. i ran AKo into A7sOOted all-in pf and that was that. congrats to Cmitch for taking it down and winning his seat to the BBTwo TOC. luckily, i finished 1st in a $10/18-player sng for $72. so, i was break even for the night. Tina and I went to the jacuzzi after i got knocked outta the MATH. afterwards, i caught up on some blogs and called it a night.

During the trip, Tina could not seem to get enuf pics of Maui sunsets. we must have at least 50 sunset pics.

happy thanksgiving weekend !

aloha

thanks for all the well wishes and comments in my last post. the wedding went great. we had some minor glitches. but, very minor. the ceremony and dinner was perfect. everyone had a really good time.

Tina and I got to our hotel late Sunday night. everything was closed. not even room service was running. so, we went over to Safeway to grab some stuff for the room.

chips & salsa
bloody mary mix
celery
orange juice
red bull
lunch meat
bread
cranberry juice
beer
beef jerky
...and head of lettuce that cost us $5.42

it must be really good lettuce.

yesterday morning we walked on the beach after breakfast and took some pics. came back to the room and crashed for 3 hrs. then, went down to Lahaina Town for some dinner at Pacific O's, drinks and shopping. We had a dinner entree called "Bling Bling". which consisted of filet mignon, lobster tail, garlic mash potatoes, tempera asparagus and flying fish caviar. Tina said it was the best dinner she ever had in her life. I really can't come up with anything better myself. our dinner at Top of the World would be a close 2nd.

register for tonight's Bodog Blogger tournament with T$600 added to the prize pool (click the banner on the right for details). i'm registered for tonight's Bodonkey. but, i'll probably be sitting out. so, have fun fighting over my blinds.

the big day is almost here....

tomorrow we say our vows then, Sunday we're off to Maui for 8 days.

presto not so bad one time...

must be a full moon. 100max NL full ring cash game.

--- DEALING POCKETS
smokkee is dealt [5c,5h] (ugh!)
lacy1986: raises $1.50 to $2.50
Budweiser3: raises $5.25 to $7.75
smokkee: calls $7.75 (Fuel says its the nutz, how can i fold?)
bwhip: raises $11.00 to $18.75
Budweiser3: calls $11.00
smokkee: calls $11.00 (pot odds ... wheeee)

--- DEALING FLOP [Ah,5s,7c]

bwhip: checks
Budweiser3: checks
smokkee: goes all in $70.75 (i just push with my set, no brainer poker)
bwhip: goes all in $45.50 (after all that pf action, somebody's got somethin' they can't fold)
bwhip: shows [Kh,Ks], a Pair, Kings (lolololololol)

--- DEALING TURN [5d] (wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee)
--- DEALING RIVER [9d]

bwhip: shows [Kh,Ks], Two Pair, Kings and Fives
smokkee: shows [5c,5h], Four of a Kind, Fives
Hand 985117181:
smokkee: wins main pot($147.25)
with Four of a Kind, Fives
bwhip: is sitting out (bustooooooooooooo)

November is going well. cash games have their ups/downs. but once i got reacquanted with that, it's not a big deal. just make good decisions. easy to say but, not easy to do.

sometimes, you step out out of your comfort zone

..and pray you don't go broke

2k max full ring cash game
Bodog History for Hand #983816521
Hold'em No Limit ($10.00/$20.00) - 2007-11-14 01:56:50

--- DEALING POCKETS
smokkee is dealt [9c,9h]
smokkee: calls $20.00
_TheFinisher_: calls $10.00
linecrusher: checks

--- DEALING FLOP [3d,7s,5c]
_TheFinisher_: bets $60.00
smokkee: raises $100.00 to $160.00
_TheFinisher_: folds
$100.00 is not called, return back to smokkee:
smokkee: mucks
Hand 983816521:
smokkee: wins($177.00)
------------------------------

the only reason i sat down here was, David Williams was at the table. but, he didn't play many hands so i bailed after this (and i didn't want to go broke).

TFG takes down the Bodonkey

We had twenty players in this week's Bodog tournament. Top 5 finishers got T$109 and top 3 got cash.

TFG was the man this week, taking 1st for $100+T$109
IT got 2nd for $60+T$109
(somehow my QJo didn't hold against IT's AA)
and last week's winner finished 3rd for $40+T$109

It's Bodonkey time!

Tournament Name: “Online Poker Blogger Tournament” at Bodog
Entry Password: bodogblogger
Buy-in + fee: $10 + $1
Starting Chips: 3000 (Double Stack)
Payout: Standard Bodog payout structure

Bonuses:
T$109 bonus paid to the top 5 finishers.
T$11 bonus paid to the 5 players that are eliminated prior to payouts.

Bonuses will be awarded within 24hrs of the tournament completion.
T$ = Tournament Credits. These can be used as a buy in to all scheduled tournaments at Bodog and have a ratio to cash of 1:1. T$ can also be combined with cash to buy in to tournaments.

Day of week: Tuesdays
Start time: 8:35pm ET

we're heading to Qualcomm Stadium in a few hrs. hopefully, Rivers has figured out how to take a snap under center without fumbling the ball and LT has one of his 4 touchdown days.

EDIT: donkey pwnage / Bolts 23, Donkeys 21

Our Defense picks off Peyton Manning 6x for a Colts team record (add that to your stack of career accomplishments Manning). Vinateiri donks two kicks including a game winning try with 1:31 left in the game. the smallest guy on the field, ran back two kicks for touchdowns and LT punched in a TD during the 1st half. it wasn't a pretty game. but, a win is a win. we'll take it.

the BOLTS are alone atop the AFC West after b-slappin' last year's SuperBowl Champs (and their SB XLI opponents, Da Bears) !

btw, Peyton's brother donked his game at home with two INT's.

view from our seats

Tina toasting another Manning INT

adjust your game based on your opponents

to get deep in a Blonkament, you have to think like a donkey. put your donkey thinking cap on if you will. marginal hands are gold. do not fold paint or any Ace and only raise when you're on a weak-ass draw. this is how you go deep in a bloggament.

exhibit A

Full Tilt Poker Game #4113524185:Riverchasers

Table *** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to KillinKegz [Jc Ks]

cracknaces calls 160 (limps from UTG..hmmm)
a104l9 calls 160
KillinKegz calls 80 (thought about raisin. but, callin is so trendy.)

*** FLOP *** [Qs 7d Ts]

KillinKegz checks (big flop for my hand. c/r time!)
IslandBum1 bets 320 (probably has a Q or a draw)
cracknaces calls 320 (calling is all the rage)
a104l9 folds
KillinKegz raises to 1,370, and is all in
(AWWW INNNNN!! yipee ki-yi-aaaa!)
IslandBum1 folds (weak/tight)
cracknaces calls 1,050 (insta-calls)

KillinKegz shows [Jc Ks]
cracknaces shows [Ac Ah]

*** TURN *** [Qs 7d Ts] [9s] (aint that a bitch)
*** RIVER *** [Qs 7d Ts 9s] [5s] (icing on the cake)

KillinKegz shows a flush, King high
cracknaces shows a pair of Aces
KillinKegz wins the pot (3,700) with a flush, King high

exhibit B

Full Tilt Poker Game #4114158734: Riverchasers

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to KillinKegz [Jd Ac] (i pick up a MONSTA!)

madbrooklyn raises to 2,000
KillinKegz raises to 4,373, and is all in (INSTA-pooooosh)
madbrooklyn calls 2,373 (underestimates the power of mightee JackAce)
KillinKegz shows [Jd Ac]
madbrooklyn shows [Kc Kh] (poor guy can't get away from this)

*** FLOP *** [Js 6h 6c]
*** TURN *** [Js 6h 6c] [Jh]
*** RIVER *** [Js 6h 6c Jh] [7h]

KillinKegz shows a full house, Jacks full of Sixes
madbrooklyn shows two pair, Kings and Jacks
KillinKegz wins the pot (9,896) with a full house, Jacks full of Sixes

somehow i managed to finish only 15th with my stellar play.

ghey.

i wouldn't recommend this....

...unless you have a really good read on your opponent. there was a big stack at a 100max full ring cash table that was raising/re-raising alot of hands. i search around all night for tables like this. i finally get on the table and this guy has worked his way up to four (4) buy-ins just pounding away on these clowns. i saw him put a guy all-in with just a gutshot draw for an $80 pot. this is 100 max. so, we're not talking about a lot of money. but, some guys were tilting hard because of it.

dumbass: nice bets with nothing big stack
BigStack: been a good night
dumbass: please, i doubt you had a 10
BigStack: didnt
dumbass: go take your bully warfare elsewhere

this jackass is talking shit to the guy while i'm telling BigStack "nh" in the chat box. last thing i want to see is my ATM leave the table. i dubbled up on BigStack after about 20 min with KK.

--- DEALING POCKETS
smokkee is dealt [Ks,Kc]
BigStack: calls $1.00
smokkee: raises $3.50 to $4.50 (standard play)
donkey1: calls $4.50
donkey2: calls $3.50
BigStack: raises $3.50 to $8.00 (and there he goes)
smokkee: goes all in $80.75 (all you can eat babeeee!)
donkey1: folds
donkey2: folds
BigStack: calls $77.25
BigSTack: shows [7c,7d], a Pair, Sevens (gotta luv it!)

--- DEALING FLOP [3d,4s,Jh]
--- DEALING TURN [3h]
--- DEALING RIVER [2c]

BigStack: shows [7c,7d], Two Pair, Sevens and Threes
smokkee: shows [Ks,Kc], Two Pair, Kings and Threes
Hand 975154186:
smokkee: wins main pot($177.00) (shiiiiiiiiiip ! ! !)

i call some raises with all kinds of drawing hands when this guy raises pf hoping to hit a good flop and bleed off some chips. but, also pick up a few pots in the process. then i look down at 'dem bitches.

--- DEALING POCKETS
smokkee is dealt [Qc,Qh] (the new AA)
donkey1: raises $2.50 to $3.50 (ya, wutevah)
BigStack: calls $3.00 (saawheeet!)
smokkee: raises $9.50 to $13.00 (this is how a MAN raises it up)
donkey1: calls $9.50 (gotta chase that Ace)
BigStack: calls $9.50 (ATC in a multi-way pot..*gold*)

--- DEALING FLOP [2s,7d,3d]

BigStack: bets $15.00 (his standard play)
smokkee: goes all in $186.25 (AWWW INNNN)
donkey1: folds (good decision)
BigStack: calls $171.25
BigStack: shows [4d,Qd], High Card, Queen (lolololol..i luv this guy)

--- DEALING TURN [Tc]
--- DEALING RIVER [8c]

BigStack: shows [4d,Qd], High Card, Queen
smokkee: shows [Qc,Qh], a Pair, Queens
Hand 975173818:
smokkee: wins main pot($408.50) (shiiiiiiiiiiiip ! ! !)
with a Pair, Queens
------------------------------

...and that kids is how you pick up three buy-ins on Bodog at 100max NL in less than an hr. i don't get all in with QQ very often in a full ring cash game unless i flop-a-set, on a big draw or i'm up againsta donkey. thanks for stoppin' by. GL at the tables.

People will doubt you

…and sometimes, you’ll doubt yourself.

Believe in yourself. Almost nothing is impossible and nothing great comes easy. If greatness came easily, everyone would succeed. It’s ok to be mediocre. But, do you really want to be mediocre?

Challenge yourself. Challenge your competition. You can't sit back and wait to win. It just doesn’t happen. Winners work and train to be the best. Winners do whatever it takes to overcome adversity. Do what it takes to win.

Don’t believe the doubters, the doubters don’t believe in you.

make them believe.
give them a reason to believe in you.

EDIT: let me break this down into simple terms so this guy gets my point.

are you a mexi-can or a mexi-can't ? that is the question.

Bodonkey 3-peat!!!



...um didn't happen.

i was able to dubble early after i pushed all-in on the turn with AA on a Q-high board. then bled chips mostly. with the blinds at 100/200 after the first break, there was alot of pushmonkeying going on. action folded to NewinNov on the button, he pushed all his chips in and i barely had him covered. i look down at 77 and contemplate the call. i've got about 14 bb's at this point. but, less than an avg stack. i really don't think he's making this move with a monster. it's probably a coin flip at worst. i decided to gambooooool and make the call. he flips QJo and the flop comes all low, turn is a brick....a dreaded J hits the river and my unlucky 7's swirl down the bowl.

NewinNov made a comment that he didn't want a call which, was obvious to me and is exactly why i made it. JD Schellnutt finishes me off on the next hand when he raises from MP and i push with 67o. he calls with 5hTh and hits trip tens. i was super short and he was priced in so, it wasn't a bad call at all. even tho NewinNov took most of my chips, i shipped JD my $11 bounty on FTP for tomorrow's mOOk cuz technically, he dealt the final blow.

JD went on to take down this week's Bodonkey title finishing 1st for $100 cash+T$109
PokahDave took 2nd for $60 cash+T$109
BuddyDoosh finished 3rd for $40 cash+T$109
Bayne and Wonka finished 4th/5th for T$109+T$11
Bdidde, TFG and InstantTragedy finished 6-8th for T$11

i'll try to get my KOB title back next week. GL at the tables and thanks to all who played this week's Bodonkey.

going for the 3-peat tonight



knock me outta 2night's Bodonkey and i pay your buy-in to Wed's mOOk. T$600 is added to the Bodog Blogger Tournament every week.

champions aren't born to win, they train to be champions.

we are the champions

climbing uphill, cash game swings

for the 3rd month in a row, i start off in a hole. i dropped five (5) buy-in's at 100max over the course of 18 short sessions Thu & Fri night. so, i took a break from the tables on Saturday. came back last night and won three (3) buy-in's, putting me at -$200 after the weekend. which, i'm not happy about. but, it's not terrible.

cash games can be extremely swingy and i think i've done a pretty good job not letting it effect my play. but, i'm not perfect. thursday and friday, i kept running into sets with my overpairs which caused me to overbet my big pocket pairs pf. i was coming out with 8x pf raises holding AA / KK and just picking up the blinds. those hands don't come along very often and overbetting pf is not a good way to profit from them. firing out an 8x(+) raise pf at a loose table with multiple limpers might make sense. but, that wasn't the situation i was in at the time.

Tuesday night i go for the KOB 3-peat and i'm putting a bounty on myself. whoever takes me out of the Bodonkey this Tue gets a free buy-in to the mOOk ($11 cash value+brag rights....weee).

douchebag of the year

FTP, Pstars screen name: Manik79

plaid shirt, sunglasses on top of bb cap covering what looks like a starter mullet, pure gold. if you click on his screen name link, you'll find you can't open his blog. he's got it locked down so he can post all kinds of gay pics and useless poker strategy for his readers.

his "interests" as he posted on flickr :

Hometown: Toronto
Occupation: Web Developer
Interests: long walks, reading, poetry, swans, ducks, horse back riding, and back tattoos

this ass clown is a low-stakes sng/cash game player, freelance web designer and has been leaving fucked up comments on my blog for the past year:

"broke ass"
"douchebag"

his biggest tournament score (i.e. claim to fame) was a $10 180 sng way back in Jan '07


go look up his stats on pokerdb or sharkscope. nothing to write home about.

...and who poses for a pic with a HUGE set of balls on their ass?


way to go Manik. congrats on your title and keep up the douchebaggery.