Karma

20 FEB 07

So, my oldest son Jared is relating a story about a bad kid in his class. Apparently, the bad girl punched a friend of his in the stomach and then started crying to the teacher. Not only did his friend get a punch in the belly, she also got written up. Talk about adding insult to injury! He was very frustrated.

I explained about karma. I told him that the universe has a way of evening things out. Balance is the key. In our lifetimes, we all have about the same amount of good things and bad things happen to us. I used a very basic example of the death of my mom balanced with the joys of my family. I explained that just because this bad girl got away with the horrible act, you shouldn’t worry because the universe has a way of getting back at her. You may not see it first hand, but it will come. It always does. Now, if you are lucky enough to witness it first hand, try not to take too much satisfaction. Just look at your buddy, nod knowingly, and say, “karma.”

I’m still trying to figure out why the great balance of the universe keeps letting bad poker players suck out on me. I guess I must deserve it.

Now go look at Raw Vegas. The prop bets between Joe Sebok and Gavin Smith are hysterical. While you are there, check out the interview with the clown porn star.

PS. Go to Google Images and type in karma.

Slow Down, Buddy

17 FEB 07

Everyone has this buddy. You know, he’s the one that drinks too much at the boss’s party or drives a little too fast. Part of you wants to encourage it, for no other reasons than it’s fun and entertaining, kinda like college. Another part of you, the good friend part, wants to pull your buddy aside and say, “Give it a rest for a bit, eh bud?”

Theoretically, I’m a good poker player. I make great reads and have won huge sums of money. Right now, I’m in a terrible downswing, and I’m not handling it well. I need someone to pull me aside and say, “Take it down a notch.”

Seattle John is trying to do just that. He kids me that I’m his curse – when I show up, he starts running bad. In actuality, I’m probably good for him because I remind him how not to play. He was there are the ‘shoot on Tuesday. I collected my $200 high hand (straight flush to the 8) and sat in a 4/8 game while waiting for 10/20. In one hand, I showed John my Ace-high after everyone folded before dragging a big pot. He said, “That’s hard to do a 4/8.”

Yup.

After I left the casino (down a bit), I thought more about his comment. I know he has read my posts regarding my play and specifically my problems with ego. Showing him that bluff was a screaming ego issue, and, whether he intended it or not, what he really was saying was, “Okay. You got lucky there. Nice play. Now take it down a notch and let the money come. Don’t force it.”

I’m not sure I heard the message at the time.

But wait. He is trying again! In a great post about running bad, he mentions me again. Without specifically calling out my bad play, he is again giving me great advice about how I can turn this around. It comes down to this:

- Good pre-flop discipline
- Take breaks
- Patience

My buddy Stefan is coming to town tomorrow and we will be hitting the Muckleshoot hard. I tend to gamble it up when he gets here, even though I know I should do the opposite. I am sitting on a small bankroll thanks to some big finishes in a few local tournaments. I think I’m ready to listen now.

My Valentine

My heart still beats like mad.

Fish

13 FEB 07

I’ve got something planned for Valentine’s Day. I’m just not sure what it is.

Anyway, here is a riddle. What do you call a poker player who won’t (can’t?) learn from his mistakes?

Railbird

12 FEB 07

So, I’m railbirding the Full Tilt $300 buy-in tournament. 1st place is $151,000. Huckleberry Seed is the only remaining pro (God, I love that name). Whenever a pro is at a table, the chat room is full of railbirds hoping to get noticed. Some of the chat is comical. Occasionally, the pro will respond – in fact, I’ve seen Matusow respond a lot (he should probably just pay attention to the cards).

Anyway, follow this chat – it’s self explanatory:

Dealer: HuckleberrySeed wins the pot (50,614) with four of a kind, Jacks
SenorPokes (Observer): NICE HAND HUCK
TimKansas (Observer): rigged
TheKingIII (Observer): bs
surflexus (Observer): dems quads beaches
TimKansas (Observer): rigged
Bluffed1331 (Observer): GO HUCK
TheKingIII (Observer): riggged'
TimKansas (Observer): rigged
classyvassy (Observer): second 4 of a kind for Huck in this tourney!!!!!!!!1
JelloPud (Observer): rigged
TheKingIII (Observer): rigggggggggd
RiverMikey (Observer): KILL SWITCH
Uuuumaga (Observer): FIXED!!11
rtheusa (Observer): HUCK TAKES YOUR CHIPS THEN BANGS YOUR MOM

It’s enough to drive a person crazy.

Go Huck!

Update #1: Huck responds:

HuckleberrySeed: average iq of this rail=79

Update #2: Apparently I’m not the only railbird. My new friend from the blogger convention in Vegas and awesome author of, The Professor, the Banker and the Suicide King, Michael Craig:

Michael Craig (Observer): Huck - way to shut down that table (and shut up the rail).
Michael Craig (Observer): But the railbird are like hydras - shut up one and two grow in their place.

Update #3: Huck finished in 15th for a payday of $6116. First place went to some dude named PlzDontBluffMe (or something close to that – I’m no tourney reporter). 10 hours = $151K. Beats working.

So, You’re Havin’ a Bad Day

10 FEB 07

Just got back from my run. I didn’t run that much (if at all) this week because of a chronic problem with shin splints. I do the little toe-curling exercise, and it helps, but if I run too soon in the recovery phase, the pain comes back with a vengeance. Still, I wish I had cut back on eating since I didn’t “earn it.” I think my Monday AM weight will show this.

Today I’m off to the tax man. My side business was quite profitable, and it’s time to pay the man. Actually, I have been making regular payments to the federal and state government every month. It’s the part of the job I hate the most. I don’t mind paying the money. Believe me, I’m proud to be among the few entrepreneurs who can say that they started a successful business from day one. I just hate the actual business drudgery side of things. I just found out that there are companies that you can hire to do this for you. Who knows, this may become fun again.

Still, it’s better than a hole in the head.

Rusty

7 FEB 07

I was going to title the post, “I had a plan for you,” a line spoken several times by Daniel Negreanu on High Stakes Poker. I had a plan, stuck to it, and made a mistake. I think illustrating the mistake is more interesting than bragging about a particular hand.

Playing NL with a $500 cap (WA State rules), I’m two seats to the left of an Asian LAG who is in EVERY pot. He raises to $40 from the button and I call from the big blind with 10s 7s.

I check in the dark (we can argue the merits of this later), and the flop is 10 high, giving me top pair. There are two clubs on the board. He bets $50, his standard continuation bet, and I smooth call, letting a card come off (see, I’m maturing). My plan is that if the card is a 3rd club, I’m going to sell the flush. Sure enough, it’s a club and I bet out $95, figuring he’d fold, which he had done multiple times to pressure. He smooth calls me!

I have no idea where I’m at, but I put him on the bigger flush draw. He has $60 left in front of him, so I go all-in in the dark. The river is an Ace, and I realize he stuck around with Ace high as he is calling. Sure enough, he flips over his top pair and I huff as I sit back all pissed off in my chair.

But wait, why is Micah (the dealer) pushing me the pot? Turns out that the turn card was a club – the 7 of clubs. I never saw it because it didn’t matter to me at the time.

It should have.

I said to the table, “After a mistake like that, I need to leave.”

And I did, right after flipping Micah a $5 toke.

PS. Saw Seattle John. I hope he turned it around after I left. I’m bad luck for him apparently.

So, You Think You’re Tough?

6 FEB 07

I have weird kids. They’re great, but weird. When asked what they wanted for dinner (and McDonald’s was clearly on the short list), they emphatically chose Thai food.

So we are off to one of our favorite places, Bangkok Garden. They make a great Pad Thai and a pretty good Green Curry chicken. My 4 year old has a bathroom fetish and insists on asking to go right when the food arrives. This time he asked to go long before the food came, and he said he didn’t feel good. My wife and I give each other the staredown and it (as usual) defaults to me to run him to the restroom.

Okay. So, we are off to the restroom. He spends a couple seconds looking around and then says that he feels better now. “Do you want to try to go potty?” I ask. Nope. All done.

Until 2 minutes after we get back to the table. “I don’t feel good.” Off we go on trip #2, followed shortly by trips 3 and 4.

Trip #4 was different because he was doing the puffy-cheeks on the way and he had a more lively step. We get down the long hallway and he makes it just in time to relieve whatever was bugging his tummy right on target ("I didn't make a mess Daddy!"). A quick clean up and we are back to the table.

Unfortunately, we had ordered by this time and I’m thinking we may need to make this “To Go.”

Not this kid. I never saw someone wolf down Chicken Sate faster or more voraciously, smiling the whole way. That’s one tough kid.

I think he’s ready for college.

Derailed?

5 FEB 07

First off, heck of a Superbowl, eh? That’s about as sloppy as they come, but as expected, Peyton’s Colts rose to the top. I was impressed with his patience and how he picked apart the defense. Shannon Sharpe talked about the good Rex and the bad Rex. I guess it was the bad Rex who showed up.

I’m still recovering from the Snickers ad. Who was this trying to appeal to? Are people rushing out to buy Snickers because two men kissed? From a technical standpoint, the ad did a good job of making the audience go, “Oh no. What the heck is he doing? Oh God. He’s not gonna… HE DID!”

Now that I think about it, doesn’t the actual bar remind you of anything?
But that’s already far too much press for the Snickers company. This is not a paid advertisement, after all. Let’s talk about me, shall we?

My weightloss program was going along swimmingly, but this week was rough. The whole family has the sniffles, and I think I used that excuse to slack off on my run. I have been steadily losing a pound a week since New Years, but this week saw no change from last week. I think I’m going to try the old smaller-meals-more-frequently plan, and see if it has an affect. It’s always worked before (provided I stick to it).

Weight: 179

Make A Wish

2 FEB 06

My dad and I love to come up with million dollar ideas. Then we bounce them off each other, work out the details and then sit back, content in the realization that if we weren’t lazy bastards, we’d be filthy rich. Many ideas stop right where they started, but some will occasionally find their way into popular culture. We just sit back and say, “Yeah. We thought of that first.”

I had another idea this morning. I’m sure there is something like it already, but I don’t know about it. I’d like to create a Make A Wish foundation for healthy rich folk. The money would still go to the charity. The premise is for people with disposable income to search down a menu and look for a chance to realize a dream.

For the longest time, I’ve wanted sing one of my songs with Sting singing background. I have no way of calling Sting. (Uh. Hello? Mr. Sting? This is Dr. Chako. Do you think you could listen to my song and… CLICK). Maybe he’d be willing to donate his time to a charitable cause and make himself available. Heck, with internet technology, he’d never have to meet me (or the other psychos out there with similar ideas).

What would you want your Make A Wish to be?

Your Daily Funny

31 JAN 07

Demetri Martin

Do NOT be drinking water when you listen to this 3 minute clip.

“If I ever attended the hanging of an amputee, I’d just start shouting out letters.”

Brain Mush

29 JAN 07

I have possibly the worst week ahead of me. We are so short staffed that all physicians will be covering two services. Teaching will suffer (we have 19 residents). It’s all about getting the work done this week. On top of this, I have one doctor who threatened to quit if I don’t give her additional time off to go see her grandma in Florida. Nice. My tendency is to say, “Don’t let the hospital door hit you on the bottom on the way out.”

The problem is, if she leaves, I go from desperate to desperation.

Now you’ll have to excuse me. My 9 year old just requested that I get my guitar and sing him a goodnight song. I don’t know how many more nights I’ll be able to do this before it becomes… uncool.

I think it’s either Puff the Magic Dragon, or Volcano (he’s a Parrothead like me).

Plan B

25 JAN 07

Time to get political. If the administration isn't reading Washington Post Columnist Charles Krauthammer, they should be.

In yet another well written article, Charlie K. explains we that need another option in Iraq:

Right now there are only three policies on the table: (1) the surge, which a majority of Congress opposes, (2) the status quo, which everybody opposes, and (3) the abandonment of Iraq, which appears to be the default Democratic alternative.

What is missing is a fourth alternative, both as a threat to Maliki and as an actual fallback if the surge fails. The Pentagon should be working on a sustainable Plan B whose major element would be not so much a drawdown of troops as a drawdown of risk to our troops.

We say to Maliki: Let us down, and we dismantle the Green Zone, leave Baghdad and let you fend for yourself. We will be around to pick up the pieces as best we can.

I couldn't agree more.

Editor's Note: Blogger ate this post twice. For my RSS readers, sorry if this is a repost.

Miscellaneous Housekeeping

24 JAN 07

We had some vicious snow recently here in the Pacific Northwest, but this led to some awesome sledding and a new nickname for my son.

Scarface

Also, for those of you who were worried that my midlife crisis has stalled, have no fear. Here is my new Desktop pic:

Ferrari Dino

Finally, a hand from last night’s head-up Omaha 8 round. I have 4 6 7 K with two diamonds. The flop is 5 8 9 with two diamonds. My opponent (AKA, The Rock, AKA, my wife) caps the flop and when the Ace of diamonds hits the turn, she caps again. All the money was in on the river when the board didn’t pair. My nuts flush was good for high, of course.

What did she have?

Poker at the Boss’s Recap

22 JAN 07

A good time was had by all. This was clearly a social game. Buy in was $5, so no one would feel pressure. Still, it’s funny to watch a bunch of doctors hemming and hawing over $5.

Random Doctor: “I don’t know. I watch poker on TV, but I really don’t know how to play.”

Dr. Chako: “C’mon already! It’s five lousy bucks!”

Turns out they were serious about not knowing how to play (the hand-ranking sheets at each seat were a dead giveaway). One hand illustrates this. I call from early position with K9 spades and get two other callers. Flop is Q 8 4 all clubs. I check and it checks around. Turn is a red King. I bet and both call, so I figure they are on a flush draw. River is a blank, but I have no idea where I am. Check, check and check.

Dr. Chako – top pair.
Dr. #2 – Top two.
Dr. #3 – The FLOPPED nut flush.

Is that any good?

Well, Mrs. Chako was the big winner - is that any surprise? She played well, but it was her third suckout on the river that cinched the deal. Paid for babysitting - yee-haw!

If you’ll remember, they think of me as the “poker guru,” and they walked away thinking, “I can beat that guy. He ain’t so tuff.”

Got ‘em right where I want ‘em. Now I just need to get them to up the stakes next time.

Like that’s ever gonna happen.

I Have a Big Mouth

19 JAN 07

Seriously. It’s a problem I’ve had my whole life. I remember my dad catching me in an obvious lie. It never would have been found out if I’d just kept my mouth shut, but no. I just kept talking and talking until he realized that I was trying to tell him something without actually saying it. I’m great at keeping other people’s secrets. Some secrets I’ve kept my whole life, even after any implied statute of limitations would have reasonably expired.

I just can’t keep my own.

It is with this knowledge that I can tell you about a small problem at work. Normal people (and here I’m thinking about Iggy – although I’m not sure that term applies to poker-playing dwarves) are probably smart enough not to mention their poker hobby to their colleagues. We all know what happened to Bobby Bracelet when his contemporaries found out about his blog. The lesson here is – keep work and play separate.

But I have a big mouth.

Somehow, I’ve managed to let everyone at work know that I’m a poker player. Thank goodness I’ve been able to keep my blog private. Well, I’m sure someone knows about it. After all, this is a military computer, and I have a Word document on my desktop called, “Poker Blog.” Regular readers (all two of you) know that I occasionally talk about my coworkers – sometimes in a not-so-great light.

My boss just invited me to go play poker at his house tonight. He actually said that he wasn’t going to invite me because it was supposed to be a friendly game, and he didn’t want to bring in the “ringer.”

Maybe if I let him read the blog, he wouldn’t worry so much.

Poker is a Game of Luck

17 JAN 07

This does not bode well for US Gaming laws.

U.K. Court: Poker Is a Game of Luck, Not Skill

Two Hour Commutes...

Suck!

The weather here in Seattle is out of this world. On top of 8 inches of accumulation, we had another 2 last night. My BMW got to the bottom ofthe driveway before the spinning tires finally gave up. At least I got to the sidewalk. Some excellent Les Schwab chains on the Honda Odyssey and I was off, albeit at 5 MPH. 25 miles and 2 hours and 20 minutes later, I'm at the hospital. The good news is that routine patients probably won't be able to make it here to clog up my schedule. The bad news is two fold: There were multiple accidents, several of which have probably caused new patients to be sitting in my ER, and I'm sure many of my colleagues were unable to get to work.

"Why are you blogging when you should be saving lives?" you might ask.

Good point. Wish me luck.

Editors Note: Well, they finally got me. When I try to post to Blogger at work, I get, "Access Denied: Sex." Strangely, I can pull up my website. From now on, I'll have to post from home. This sucks as bad as the weather.

Pardon the Interruption

15 JAN 07

Recovery from my dental extraction has taken longer than expected. Alternating between pain and Oxycontin makes for a poor blogger. I’ve finally turned the corner.

So, the last time we left our hero, he was in the middle of his midlife crisis. This has not magically gone away, in case you were wondering.

Phase 2 is acquisition. I WILL be getting a Ferrari, but it really doesn’t make much sense to get it right before I go to Iraq. I also have a passion for watches, so help me out. Of the three watches above, which do you prefer?

Editors note: The Maurice LaCroix image would not load, but I think it's out of the running anyway, so just choose 1 or 2.

Go Away.

10 JAN 07

I’m in no mood to talk to you right now. I had my wisdom teeth out yesterday. Since I had trouble the last time I did this (they only took one tooth because, no matter how many sedatives they gave me, I kept moving my head), I decided to have the rest out with only local anesthesia.

You know that drill? The one they use to saw difficult teeth in half? Yeah, it’s REALLY loud inside your mouth when you are awake.

I promise to resume my good mood again tomorrow. For now, buzz off.

Obligatory Poker Content

8 JAN 07

A scare card comes on the river. Two calling stations check to you. Why risk your tournament here?

Weight: 182 (No change from last week, but a great fondue at The Melting Pot last night didn’t help things. Still, I restarted my regular workouts. Feels good).

Sleep Deprivation

5 JAN 07

Doctors don’t get much sleep. Residents and Interns get even less, and sometimes die while trying to drive home after little if any sleep while on-call. I once fell asleep at a traffic light after working for between 100 and 120 hours per week for an entire month.

The Army’s answer – MANDATORY SLEEP DEPRIVATION TRAINING.

I am right now headed to a one hour class on the terrors of a lack of sleep.

Did I mention that the mandatory class starts at 6:30 am?

On a Flight Last Weekend to Texas…

4 JAN 07

I read the magazine in the seat back. It’s called American Way, and there is a picture of Edward Norton on the front. As you flyers know, these magazines try to have articles that appeal to the masses, so there are usually columns about popular culture, actors and golf. Recently, poker has crept in too. Imagine my surprise when I read the following:

“The line of bloggers is huge an unkempt. Picture the kids who thought Anthony Michael Hall was a god in Sixteen Candles. Now picture them at age 23 buying into a no-limit tourney. Right. Horrifying.”

And this…

“Summertime (the nickname of one of a group calling themselves the Batfaces) quickly regrets his choice (to play in the tournament). “Worst decision ever,” he texts us. “Sitting between guy with Gorgon breath and a girl who introduced herself as Jane 100.”

Could Eric Celeste (the author and former senior editor at said magazine) be talking about our own Change?

***
One quick story before I go. We had a wonderful Mexican dinner last night at Azteca. My 4 year old has to go potty (as usual). We get into the bathroom and I hang up his jacket on the hook in the stall. When we get back to the table, he proudly announces, “Mommy! There were hookers in the bathroom!”

Flawed Logic

3 JAN 07

"Hi. My name is Dr. Chako, and I’m an Omatard."

"Hi, Dr. Chako!"

So, I’m playing heads up HOE against an absolute rock. It’s a strange game heads up, but it beats the tedium of all Hold ‘em all the time.

We are in the Omaha 8 round, and I have AQxx. Since it's heads up, and since my opponent is a rock, raising is usually pointless. I’m on the button, so I just call. We see a flop of:

A Q 10 rainbow.

She checks, I bet and she calls. So far, I have little information, but this is pretty typical for this opponent. Did I mention she is a rock? She also never folds pre-flop to a raise, and since no hand is greater that 60% to win, I see little point.

Turn is a blank, but it puts two spades on the board. Now the rock bets. I raise. She re-raises.

Danger, Wil Robinson!

I articulate my thought process outloud. There are only 4 hands that make sense. Perhaps less.

K J
AQ
A 10
Set

My first question. I had no possible flush, but there is a chance (turns out, a good one) that she does. How much credit should I give after a rainbow flop?

#2. Since I tie AQ and beat A 10, and I’m behind on the others, do I call here? There are 7 big bets in the pot. If I’m drawing to only 4 outs, the answer is no.

Gear change. The holidays were unkind to my waistline, but I got up at 4:40 this morning and hit the bike. I did have one lapse and ate an incredible Seattle’s Finest cookie. It sure does help that the president and CEO hand delivered them to my door (thanks Hunter).

Weight: 182 (five pound MORE than my last report)

2006 Year in Review (November and December)

31 DEC 06

November

Ah, politics. I never started out to be a political blogger, but I’ve also never been one to hold inside what needs to be said. John Kerry pissed me off. It later turned out that I really think he botched a joke (as opposed to calling me a idiot for not being smart enough to stay out of Iraq), but it lead to a pretty good post.

Sometimes, I think of something and I can’t let it go (no pun intended). Finally, I decided to write it down thinking, “Surely, no one else has the problem of when to pee while playing poker?” Boy was I wrong.

I love poetry and wit, but only when they are brief. If I have to work too hard to translate the words, I get bored and miss meaning. That’s why I love The Onion for its wit, and why I loved this short poem by Samuel Menasche. It has such profound meaning in such a short space.

Scribe out of work
At a loss for words
Not his to begin with,
The man life passed by
Stands at the window
Biding his time

I stayed a little political in November (it was hard not to with the election results), and then taught you all how to tell The Perfect Bad Beat Story. How come you haven’t learned?

I also started to get paid for blogging this month by signing up with Review Me. In a never-before-seen comment, I give you, right here and right now, my review of Review Me:

The folks at Review Me are criminals and sham artists. They will never get another review from me. They were sending my money to the wrong PayPal address. Here is the entire email they sent me when I asked about it:

Hi,

Very sorry, but we are unable to reinitiate past payments.

Thanks,

ReviewMe Support
support@reviewme.com

I finished the month by once again apologizing to my wife. At least I got the Vegas trip approved, right? Too bad it nearly cost me my marriage. Okay, that’s overstating it a bit, but trust me – it was ugly and it was my fault.

December

December brought World Poker Blogger Tour (WPBT), and Trip Reports One, Two and Three. What an awesome experience. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that thoughts of this trip will carry me through my impending deployment to Iraq. Thanks again for the memories and stories.

As I approaced the end of the month and the end of 2006, I decided to let you all share in my Midlife Crisis. Folks, I am really struggling with this, but it’s been cathartic to share it with you. There is no end in site, but the revelations are coming fast and furious.

First – here is the Wikipedia description of a Midlife Crisis (don’t you just love the Wiki?)

My favorite part?

Acquiring of unusual or expensive items such as clothing, muscle cars, jewelry, gadgets, etc.

And so, we are down to this. 2006 was an incredible year. 2007 will be interesting, even though I will spend a significant portion of it in the desert. I know that going to war and going to prison are very different, but that’s how I’m approaching this. I’ve never been to prison, but if I was sentenced, I think I would mentally prepare myself for the dead time and focus on the end. In this case, the end may be in doubt. I’m told it’s “just 6 months,” but the Army is notorious for changing things at the last minute. Think about it for a minute. What would you rather have?

Option 1: You are told you are deploying for a year, but you get to come back at 11 months.
Option 2: You are told you are deploying for 6 months, but you get extended to 7 months.

On the surface, Option 2 is 4 months shorter, but can you see how much more difficult it is mentally?

I will end this year on two notes – one political and one personal.

First off I give you my thoughts on Iraq. Saddam is dead.

Saddam Hussein execution. Warning! This video shows to the end. It’s crappy, but it’s important.

I’m a little conflicted here. I personally want him dead. I’m glad he’s dead. He deserved to die. I’m just a little worried that things will get worse in the short term – like, just when I’m boarding the plane to head East.

Lastly, it’s time for a little revelation.

I first heard about this concept on a couple of old posts from Iggy and Wil Wheaton. The question we need to ask ourselves as poker players is this:

Why do we play poker?

Folks, I am stuck over $15,000. Now, I am very fortunate that this will not affect the way I live my life. I can absorb this loss and move on. But, what have I gotten for my 15 large?

I had one helluva time playing cards. My heart beat like crazy. I got some great stories and met some interesting people at the casino.

I met you all through poker. Surely, no value can be placed on that. I never would have known about the WPBT if it wasn’t for poker and blogging, and that would be a shame.

But, at the end of the day, why do I play poker? My big revelation is this: Poker has been an ego thing for me. I got so much pleasure when I was winning that I lost site of the big picture, and it affected my game. Poker, at least limit poker, is a grind. I needed the action and played too many hands. By putting myself in too many drawing situations, and not having the bankroll to sustain when the odds don’t come my way, I decimated my bankroll. I now have two options – rebuild the bankroll, or take a break from regular poker.

Guess which one I’m headed towards?

I know my wife and family will be happy. I spend too much time away. I have decided to limit my poker to home games, Vegas and freerolls (unless Stefan comes into town – then I’ll be forced to hit the Muckleshoot once again).

So the big answer and the big revelation is this. Why do I play poker?

For the wrong reasons.

It’s time to fix that.

Starting right now.

2006 Year in Review (July thru October)

30 DEC 06

July

This month brought the Ozzfest giveaway to a close. I got some incredible offers for my free ticket offer:

I would piss myself and stay in those pants for 3 days just to hear System of a Down for 1 minute…

The eventual winner sent me a great email and pic from the concert, and he kept his word and thanked me on the liner notes from his band’s new CD. Check out Proto-Leviathan.

But July also saw the WBPT. As I said in my 101 Things About Dr. Chako, I could not wait for this event. I may have done a few things wrong (like not meeting many of my blogging heroes), but I would correct that at the next event.

This was my first attempt at a trip report, and it chronicled my time on the “Deuce” and meeting one helluva crowd.

Timmy: Dad, what kind of birds do you like?
Dad: I don’t know, Timmy. I guess I like colorful ones like parrots or fast ones like falcons.
Timmy: No Dad. I meant do you like alive ones or dead ones.
Pause.
Dad: I guess I prefer the live ones, Timmy.
Timmy: I like the dead ones.

Given a choice between Huge Junk and Laura Prepon, we all know who I would choose. Honest, I had no idea who she was.

I also went to Alaska where I would pen the short story, “Fairbanks.”

August

This month included a great cruise, with a little donkey poker thrown in (who the hell has a 10% rake no max?! Royal Caribbean, that’s who!).

In my Experiment, I further chronicle the downward spiral of my bankroll, yet I was able to do something about it. I ran a $20 buy-in to a local tournament to nearly $3000. Yep, I gave it all back to the poker community. Can you feel the revelation coming?

I also found You Tube this month. Tommy Emmanuel. You can thank me later.

My rise to blogging fame culminated this month with the publication of my short story in the incredible online magazine Truckin’. I can’t thank you enough, Pauly.

Fairbanks.

October

This month I started out comparing myself to Daniel Negreanu. I was serious. Somehow I forgot about a key difference, namely the direction of our respective bankrolls. Actually, in an interview with CardPlayer magazine right before the final table of the recent 5 Diamond Classic, Daniel mentioned that he was broke. Somehow I doubt it, but it makes me feel a little better.

My wife (who I’m currently pissed at for leaving a mean comment on my first Year in Review post) wrote a hysterical rebuttal to my Fairbanks story. I’m forced to admit it was as good (better?) than the original.

The rest of my posts this month can be summed up as either realizing that I suck at poker or that I’m good a sucking out. Two great traits of donkeys, in case you were wondering.

The month ended with this bit of prose:

Still another summer has spilled from my hands as a precarious pile of plates that topples to the floor. I gaze at the ruin, and wonder what wonderful opportunities were missed.

October

I start to hint at my impending midlife crisis. I hadn’t yet named it, but I knew something was wrong.

I found out that I would be headed to Iraq.

I follow this with another top 10 (yet morbid) post called If You Are Reading This, I’m Already Dead.

I also realized that I have actual readers, based on tons of comments I got when I announced my impending deployment. Thanks guys and gals. As you know, I’m not doing this for you, but it sure is a helluva ego stroke to know that you read my stuff and support me as a soldier and doctor.

I hinted at Taking a Shot. This is really the beginning of the end. In retrospect, this is an obvious cry for help. This post is no different than a losing gambler staring at a craps table and saying (sometimes outloud), “Okay, last chance. I’m gonna break even right here. Right now.” There are only two outcomes.

90% of the time, the bankroll disappears.
10% you win big, only to give it back – usually sooner than later.

I wrote my funniest post ever, called A Nickel Please.

Finally, I wrote my most important post ever on the 20th anniversary of joining the Army, called 20 Years After.

Now, you’re gonna have to wait for November and December because my plane is boarding.

2006 Year in Review

28 DEC 06

The folks here at NPCWaMCD would like to thank you all for your support and frequent visits. It’s been a helluva year. This also marks my first full year of blogging, since I only started in August of 2005. Quite a lot has happened.

2005 ended with a couple lame cartoons, but had a pretty cute “goggy” story on my second to last post of 2005, called Cute Kid Story.

January

2006 started off with a bang as I shared a horrible start to the year with Mr. Speaker, but followed quickly with an interesting post about playing better on drugs.

Continuing a theme that would pervade many of my posts this year, I addressed my ongoing problem with managing Tilt. It’s interesting that I KNOW I go on tilt, and I KNOW it affects my play, yet I still haven’t fixed the problem. Well, maybe I have, but I’ll address that later. As an aside, I was asked just this morning to take on a HUGE new responsibility at work. The one thing “the powers” noted, though, was a concern that I sometimes get too emotional and lose my temper. “Better watch that,” they said.

January 12th launched me to blogging fame. This post, about a 7' 4" Dutch woman called Moving to Holland (and the accompanying picture) remains my most frequently visited page, and provides some very interesting Google searches leading to my blog.

I also posted my 101 Things about Dr. Chako in January and figured out how to include it on my front page. I need to update a few items. For instance, I’ve recently crossed the 20 year mark in the Army, and I may need to address that little thing about never being in combat. Well, technically, I’ve still never been in combat, but as my readers know, that’s about to change.

I ended the month snake-bit.

February

This month brought a great guest post by my buddy Bill, an outstanding physician and friend from my days in Germany. We golfed together at St. Andrews, and he wrote a story about it that he was going to submit to a more prestigious publication, but instead gave me the privilege of posting it here. I give you St. Andrews on the Fly.

I followed immediately with an intense apology to my wonderful wife. For those of you who have never been married, take a cue from this post and don’t be afraid to apologize, even if it means hanging your ass out there for all to see. Damn. I was drawing dead, and got there.

February continued as perhaps my best blogging month ever with a post called This I Believe. This was inspired by a story about Mel Rusnov on NRP, and finished with a throw away line about one of my favorite entertainers, Rob Lumbard. What made this extra cool was that both Mel and Rob left comments on the post. This belongs in the top 10 things I love about blogging. It may be number one or two.

Rabbits.

I really started catching my stride when I opened up a little of my personal life with a post called This is Not About You. The situation has since resolved, but it’s a notable post because it helped me sort out some issues, just by writing it down. At its essence, isn’t that what writing in your diary is all about?

It’s funny, because in the rest of my February posts, I kept threatening to stop playing poker.

March

Also in my top ten is my post called Where Am I Going with This? I have trouble re-reading this post.

March came to a close by living vicariously through my blogging brethren as they tried hard (and failed) to not brag about their exclusive invite to the Playboy Mansion. Can I go next year?

April

I started April with my April Fools Guest Post by Al Can’t Hang. I still can’t read his blog at work because I get “Access Denied: Dating.”

My 39th birthday saw me finally climb out of the hole in my gambling budget for the first (and last) time.

One of the highlights in April was playing at the ‘shoot with my buddy Stefan. Why did you have to move to San Antonio, dammit?! I miss those days. Who knows what 2008 will bring?

I also started bragging about my bluffs. That should have been a sign that things in poker were not going well.

May

I read some great books, flopped quads and found some great blogs this month, and further sounded my doom with the statement, “When I’m running well, I’m a conceited, full-of-myself, egomaniacal sonofabitch.”

I also took my longest break from blogging in May. I’m not sure it did me any good, but reflection (like I’m doing now by writing this post) is important. Gosh, I feel a big revelation coming on.

Oh yeah. I also killed one of the few really great voices on the internet by going to Atlantic City. Well guess what, Lady Falcon is threatening to post again! I can’t wait.

June

June brought Ozzfest and led to another top ten series of posts and events. I told how I came in possession of two VIP passes to Ozzfest and how I gave them away. I got so much pleasure out of this, it makes me wonder why I haven’t done something like it again.

Stayed tuned for the second half of 2006 Year in Review.

Midlife Crisis On Hold

24 DEC 06

But just for today.

May you all have a wonderful holiday season. See you next year.

MCA #1c – Rocky Has a Midlife Crisis, Too?

22 DEC 06

I just got back from Rocky Balboa. Wow. I’m a huge Rocky fan, and like most fans, I got more and more disappointed with each subsequent Rocky. Now we have Rocky VI – AKA Rocky Balboa. Does anyone really want to see Rocky hit some guy with his walker?

All I’ll say is this – if you liked any of the Rocky movies (and c’mon, who didn’t like the original?), then go see this movie. Stallone wears this role like an old baseball glove, and God help me, it was his ACTING that made this movie. In fact, everyone did a tremendous job, including Antonio Carver – an actual boxer.

This movie fits in nicely with my ongoing theme of having a midlife crisis. Obviously, Rocky fighting again at an advanced age has crisis written all over it. He handles it with style and grace. I still maintain that it’s easier to buy a Ferrari, but if you all really want me to become an Ultimate Fighter (weird Friends reference) instead, then so be it.

What say you? Ferrari or UFC?

MCA #1b – Is My Crisis Premature?

21 DEC 06

One of the things I love about blogging is that occasionally my posts create discussion and debate. I posted many poker hand histories early in my blogging career and got zero comments. When I posted about John Kerry or When to Pee, I got tons of comments, and ever further interesting discussion off line.

My Midlife Crisis has had a similar affect.

I wish you all could have been in the car with my wife and me to listen to our debate on this issue. Aside from being highly entertaining, it raised some key issues, not the least of which is, “Am I too young to be having a Midlife Crisis?”

As I’ve said since I was just a lad, if you have a question about life, consult the supreme authority –Wikipedia [1].

Here is what Wiki has to say about Midlife crises, with my commentary added in bold:

A mid-life crisis is an emotional state of doubt and anxiety – Hmmm… Perhaps I’m a little anxious, but I’m not doubtful.

In which a person becomes uncomfortable with the realization that life is halfway over. – Getting closer.

It commonly involves reflection on what the individual has done with his or her life up to that point – Reflection yes, but this implies that many MC’ers are disappointed with their accomplishments up to this point. In fact, I’m quite pleased with mine. I have a great wife, wonderful kids, and I get to serve my country and save lives every day. All totaled, I happy with where I am.

The condition is most common ranging from the ages of 35-50 – Ah HA!

And affects men and women differently – Amen, brother.

Mid life crises last about 3-10 years in men and 2-5 years in women- Fasten your seatbelt.

There is some question whether a "mid-life crisis" is any different from "a crisis occurring in mid-life." – This was peripherally addressed with my wife. “What if,” she asked, “I was premature and decided to have another midlife crisis when I’m 50? No one will believe me then.” I guess it would be like the boy who cried wolf. Well, guess what honey? This crisis will probably last until I’m 50, so nyah nyah – I can have my cake and eat it too (well, not if I intend to lose weight).

[One study] found that the average age at onset of a self-described "mid-life crisis" was 46. Hmmm. I may be a little premature, but I’ve always been an overachiever (underachiever?).

Certain characteristics displayed by individuals experiencing a mid-life crisis often include but are not limited to:

Search of an undefined dream or goal – Oh yeah
Desire to achieve a feeling of youthfulness – I was too awkward in my youth to really want to go back there.
Acquiring of unusual or expensive items such as clothing, muscle cars, jewelry, gadgets, etc. - Ferrari, baby!
Paying extra special attention to physical appearance – Hence the weightloss
Need to spend more time alone or with certain peers – This has Vegas written all over it.

Some people claim that these older and established individuals, rather than going through their mid-life crisis, are actually in a time of their lives when they can afford to do the things they wanted to do when they were young, which may explain the indulgences in certain commodities or activities. Some individuals find hitting 40 a great relief.

That about sums it up right there. Maybe this will all be a great relief. Stay tuned.

1 - Okay, Wiki has only been around for a few years, but you have to admit, it's pretty cool.

MCA #1 – Weightloss

20 DEC 06

My midlife crisis is precipitated by my rapidly approaching 40th birthday. In light of this, I give you Midlife Crisis Alert (MCA) number one, which will address my ever expanding waistline. As most of you remember from Las Vegas, I am a rotund black man. I guess I’ve been letting poker and other distractions take too much time away from the things I love – well, except eating I guess. I used to exercise every day. Hell, I actually enjoyed it! I played racquetball like a fiend, and would run a 10k every other week. I ran two marathons.

Now I get short of breath climbing the stairs.

I while back I did the Body for Life challenge. The book is 1% recommendations about diet and exercise, and 99% motivational speech. I did it before – let’s hope I can do it again.

Here is my personal challenge to myself. While I will never look like this photo, my plan is to drop to 155 pounds, which is what I weighed when I joined the Army over 20 years ago. Furthermore, I intend to stay below 160 pounds for my entire 40th year. You may see the occasional weight posted at the bottom of some blog entries. Feel free to watch as my weight plummets like George Bush’s approval rating after today’s speech about increasing troop strength.

Weight today: 177 pounds.

Midlife Crisis Alert!

19 DEC 06

I’ve decided to go whole hog into my midlife crisis and share it with you. Why? Because it will be fun, entertaining, educational and eventually really embarrassing.

I’m not sure what’s going to happen, but right now I can tell you it will involve:

Weightloss
Extravagance [1]
Acquisition
Personal Revelation [2]

So sit back and enjoy the show. It could be spectacular, or it could be a total train wreck.

1 – The kind NOT involving a hooker or mistress.
2 – Revelations are restricted to those I’m capable of – I’m not going to wake up one day and realize that it’s my calling to be better at helping around the house. Give me a break already.

WPBT 2006 Trip Report - Part III

13 DEC 06

I'm playing tight for more than one reason. The main reason that I was concentrating on getting two gallons of Gatorade into my system. The esteemed Dr. Chako raised ahead of me, I re-raised with my KK. He pushed in and I called. He flipped over AA. I stood up ready to finally track down some place to lay my head when he said "Don't worry. This is how I went out of the last tournament." King on the flop for a proper 2 outter and I picked up a very nice bounty. Picture to come.

-Al Can’t Hang

So, I’m cruising around the internet reading some great trip reports, and I’ve confirmed what I suspected. I did the Blogger gathering right this time. How do I know? ‘Cause people remember me this time. Well, most people remember me. Linda Geenen put up this pic of me and Karol from IHO titled, “Unknown2,” but at least there was a pic, dammit!

For the ultimate link to all links, and to read a great trip report, see Iggy. As usual.

Editors Note (I just love calling myself “editor.”): I mistakenly referred to Stb as Slb. My bad. Situation corrected. You are still a sore loser.

WPBT 2006 Trip Report - Part II

12 DEC 06

Editors Note: My apologies to those of you who read my blog via Bloglines. I’ve been doing some housekeeping. What I didn’t realize was that even something as simple as putting a “tag” on an old post republishes it to the “new feeds” section. You can always click on the name of the blog to get my most recent post, but that’s what Bloglines is supposed to be for. I have a few more housekeeping things to do, so please bear with me a little more.

I only have time for a short quip. For posterity, I wanted to document two hands at the Blogger tournament.

First was a simple one, but it cost me. Glyphic (last year’s winner) is at my table and playing tight. He raises to 4 x the BB in middle position and I call with pocket sixes. The flop is 9 7 4 with two spades. He bets about ¾ pot. I put him on over cards, so I decide to advertise top pair, maybe top set. I raise an extra thousand. In retrospect, this was a horrible play. Why commit so many chips just to get information? He goes all in. I fold. Later he tells me he had Queens. I’m not sure I believe him. AK spades makes more sense.

My final hand was played perfectly (ha ha). Pocket Aces in early position. I make a standard 4x raise. The legend himself, Al Can’t Hang raises to 1000. He has been playing very tight, so there are only 4 hands he could have here, and the other Aces are unlikely. It folds to me. I deliberate a little and finally push all in. He insta-calls and grimaces when I turn over my Aces to his Kings. I actually said, “Don’t worry. This is how I went out of the last tournament.”

King on the flop and IGHN [1].

Look for the gripping critique of my live play on the next installment.

1. IGHN = I Go Home Now. I know every blogger knows this, but my dad reads this blog, so I have to keep it simple.

WPBT 2006 Trip Report

11 DEC 06

An amazing weekend was had by all. I did it right this time (I think), and didn’t hide from my fellow bloggers. I met, re-met and/or hung out with some truly outstanding people. I’ll have more thoughts in the coming days, but here are some early highlights:

Two tables of HORSE at MGM. Drizz was not at my table, but I was able to see his legendary huge stack of chips. He was certainly the topic of much conversation at our table, though. Something about a wheelchair, security guards and an irate (but hugely understanding) Ms. Drizz. He claims to not remember.

Playing some truly horrible donkey poker at said HORSE game and somehow managing to come away a winner.

Getting repeated dirty looks from Mr. Sore Loser (AKA Stb[1]). This was perhaps one of my top three highlights.

Having chips thrown at me IN ANGER by the Poker Princess after I cracked her set of Kings with 7 4 of diamonds in a pre-flop capped pot. I SO deserved it.

Having The Rooster correctly call out my bluffs (twice!) leading to said dirty looks from Stb.

Getting numbers and setting up a new home game with Easycure and Zeem. As many of you know, Easycure busted out Gigli [2]. Washington represent!

Getting swag from Poker Pro. Mucho thanks to Falstaff for helping set this up. How ‘bout a loan from that $60 you won from me at video heads-up? Perhaps I should ask Pablo, too…

Shooting the breeze with Michael Craig for an hour. Did I actually tell him that his first speech to the bloggers sucked? Gosh, I think I did. If I remember correctly (there were several Kamikazes involved at this point), I also told him that his second speech totally rocked (which was true) and his book was excellent.

Telling war stories with Dr. Pauly at the Geisha Bar. Always entertaining.

Watching Iggy screw with bloggers by introducing himself as Grubby. Crafty little dwarf.

Seeing the worst bad beat I’ve ever seen in my life. Since I wasn’t involved in the hand, I can tell you about it. All in preflop with pocket Kings vs Ace Queen. The board went 9, 9, 9 (with Kings going, “Yes! Full house, baby!”).

River …. 9!

In case you don’t play poker, that’s Quad 9s. Ace kicker. Pocket Kings goes home now. Bye bye.

I’m bummed that I didn’t spend more time with so many people, especially Team IHO (it was great seeing you again, Dawn and Karol), Brad (Otis), Maudie, Linda G., Veneno, Change100, Speaker and Bobby. We may be in the initial discussion phase of setting up some live entertainment for the next blogger gathering starring me on guitar and Daddy on the banjo. Any drummers or bass players out there?

[1] – Out first from the tournament, for you newbies.
[2] - I mistakenly referred to Stb as Slb. My bad. I'm not sure who is insulted by this slight. In any event, situation corrected.

Cardroom Supply

7 DEC 06

The following is a paid review!

My buddy Stefan just bought a $2000 poker table. I’m jealous. He’s a solid player and should make more than enough on that table to pay for that table. Despite what you may think, I don’t have money dripping out of various orifices, and I can’t bring myself to drop a couple grand on a nice table.

Yet.

That’s why it was a pleasant surprise when I was asked to do this review. Cardroom Supply has a very nice website and some really nice products. I was impressed with the quality of their front page. It seems easy to navigate and the products seem (at least in the photos) to be of high quality. I’ve been looking at various products on eBay and these seem quite similar. While prices on eBay may be better, you never know what you’ll get. Not so with Cardroom.

Once again, I was a little disappointed with how slowly their page loaded when I clicked on Weber's Elite Texas Holdem Table. If I’m not mistaken, this is quite similar to what my buddy bought. They have a wide variety of selections as evidenced by this:

The table is is avialibale [sp] in a 72", 82", or 96".

As they say, the tables, “are made to order, using solid oak legs and proven construction techniques to produce beautiful furniture of tremendous strength and durability. The designs reflect a blend of functionality, practicality and natural beauty.”

Tables are custom made to each order and take 2-3 weeks for delivery. I may be checking for a special delivery when I get back from Vegas.

Now THAT'S Conviction

I'm a lifelong Republican, but you have to be impressed with this.

(Sorry for the blurry camera phone foto).

See you in Vegas!

Some Final pre-WPBT Thoughts

5 DEC 06

Those poor vacationers. All they wanted to do was come to Vegas and play a little poker. Too bad for them they picked the weekend WE would be there.

Accused of Stealing!

3 DEC 06

So, I’m playing a little 4/8 LHE at the local cardroom, PJ Pockets. We are short handed, so two of the dealers are filling in the open seats. The dealer/player to my left announces that he has $47 to a question from the other dealer/player. He then gets up from the table for a smoke break.

When comes back, I see him playing with his chips. Finally, he turns to me and says, “I have only $40 here. Did you take the other $7?”

At first, I’m stunned into silence. “I’m sorry?” I reply. He restates that he had $47 before he left and now he only has $40. I look at his stack and sure enough, he only has $40. I didn’t remember seeing anyone mess with his stack. My stack still had exactly my $100 buy-in neatly stacked in 5 columns right in front of me. “Go check the tapes,” I insist. There are cameras all over this place. If someone took his chips, I’m sure it would be on the camera. We go back and forth like this a couple of times. I’m getting more insistent now. “Go check the tapes. You, a DEALER, are accusing me of stealing.” What I wanted to say was that if this were Texas, I’d have drawn my pistol already.

He gets up and comes back a little later without saying a word. Finally, I can’t take it anymore. I’m bursting at the seams in my seat. As calmly as possible, I ask, “Did you check the tapes?” “Huh?” he replies. “Oh, the $7. I found it over at the board.”

That’s it. No apology. Nothing else.

I picked up and went home. I would not have been able to play good poker in that frame of mind.

H.O.R.S.E.

2 DEC 06

I’m trying to figure out how to play all the HORSE games in preparation for the upcoming WPBT, but when I search Google, all I get is this:

Internet Poker Forum

1 DEC 06

The following is a paid review!

You gotta love a Must Read from someone named Dorkus Malorkus. He gives "A brief guide to Cardschat forum events" on the freeroll page of CardsChat AKA the Internet Poker Forum. In a set up much like other forums (2+2, RGP), CardsChat is another place for poker players to discuss hands, philosophies and bad beats. They have posts like:

PokerStars is going Huge!

and a Private Forum called

Top Secret Forum for Loyal Cardschaters

My problems:

- I can’t load the site from work.
- The site loads slowly
- Much of the information comes from overseas players who aren’t restricted. Thanks for rubbing it in guys.

There is the usual stuff like, “Verbal abuse is everywhere online,” from JimboJim, with followups like this from Sammyv1, “Sticker, [abuse] is out of hand. I had someone verbally abuse me just last night. I went back at him a little bit, but not with too much aggression. He was using the old "Your mamma" insults and the "sexual preference" insults. The play I made that he was angry about was: I called a re-raise with 9-9 on the button. Well, I hit a 9 on the flop and he had AA. Yes, he got bad beated and maybe my "call" was a little weak, but the whole table was Super-Agressive. So, yes he has a gripe cause he lost with AA, but we all do (many times in fact).

Bottom line, I’m not certain the site adds any value to me personally, but it seems quite popular. There were over 30,000 posts in the Poker General Forum, so they must be doing something right.

I’d certainly recommend checking them out. What you do after that is up to you.

Vegas, Baby

30 NOV 06

Thank you for the helpful suggestions on how to get the Vegas trip approved. Here is what you need to know:

I decided to chose option D combined with a previously unknown option E. To recap, Option D involved mentioning the trip on my blog and hoping everything turned out okay.

Trust me when I say this – Option C (Call from Vegas and beg forgiveness) would have been MUCH easier.

Here is what you need to know.

1. I’m an idiot.
2. I have the greatest wife on the planet.
3. Open communication is always the best option.
4. Quoting MacArthur – Prior planning prevents piss poor performance.
5. I am an idiot.

That being said, I’m staying at the Trop, I’ve been practicing some killer Omaha moves (take note Drizz and TheMark), and I am on a mission to step away from the tables on occasion to revel in some good ol’ bloggery goodness.

Oh. My. Goodness.

(If I wear my Army uniform, do you think it will get me free drinks?)

Advice Needed

27 NOV 06

What is the best way to ask/tell your wife that you plan on going to Vegas?

a. Buy her flowers and ask on bended knee.

b. Demand Vegas as a God-given right.

c. Call her from Vegas and beg forgiveness.

Immediate help would be appreciated.

(Alternatively, what if she just read it on your blog? Would that be enough?)

Scrubs!

23 NOV 06

The following is a paid review!

I’m very excited – my first paid review! On the advice of fellow blogger Drizz, I signed up with the ReviewMe site and was instantly approved as a reviewer. I now get paid to write these reviews (theoretically). I’m a bit conflicted, though. Here’s what you need to know before you read further:

Since this is my first actual paid review, I’m feeling some pressure to give a good review. In this way, I may entice others to ask me (and therefore pay me) for future reviews.

This plan could backfire. What if the product actually sucks and I recommend it out of a perceived need? No one will trust my future reviews. No one will want me to review their stuff because I might say something bad.

Since I’m conflicted, I’ll choose the only option truly available. I’ll be honest.

Scrubs, also known as Scrubs Gallery sells, you guessed it, scrubs! Their byline is, “Saving Cash on Nursing Scrubs and Medical Uniforms.”

Since I’m in the Army, I don’t have to buy my own scrubs. Occasionally, I like to be a little different, so I’m plopping down all the cash I will (theoretically) earn from this review and buying something from their site. Their front page seems pretty basic and easy to use. I searched for v-neck, blue and poly-cotton (for that poly-cottony goodness) and matched with this (seen in the picture above).

I chose my size (2XL - ‘cause I like ‘em big) and proceeded to the check out. Interestingly, there were no options for smaller sizes.

Some thoughts:

The site loads slowly. I’m certain this was not due to my computer – it must be something on their end.

Many of the options were only cartoons (as opposed to actual photos of the product). Hopefully this will be corrected in the future.

So far, I give the site and the experience a "thumbs-up."

I will write a follow-up review when I receive the product.

This was fun. Thanks again to Drizz for letting me know about the ReviewMe site.

Thanksgiving and the WPBT

23 NOV 06

I think I have something new to be thankful for! With only one small hurdle to cross, it looks like I may be joining my fellow degenerates and birthday celebraters on the lastest iteration of the WPBT! Who’s up for some bloggery goodness?

As some of you know, I am slated to deploy to Iraq. I was supposed to be gone already, but things seem rather… fluid right now. Believe it or not, I don’t think the delay has anything to do with the recent election, but those election results could potentially effect me in the long run. Uncertainty rules. It could that be I don’t go at all. It could mean I go for longer. I have a plan:

1. Don’t think about it.
2. Drink heavily in case plan #1 isn’t working.

Who’s with me?

Technorati!

Technorati Profile

Secrets

21 NOV 06

Recently, Otis revealed to the world one of the best kept secrets, the joys of owning Ecco shoes. Now I’d like to reveal mine:

Myzithra Cheese (also spelled Mizithra).

The secret is browned butter and shaved Myzithra over pasta. That’s it. You can thank me later.

What is your best-kept secret?

PS. In a “way-cool” moment, I got an email from Dr. Pauly out of the blue. It’s gonna be a good day, I think.

Quick Notes

20 NOV 06

I tried to post this comic, but Blogger wouldn’t take it. Check out the link.

Iggy isn’t dead – just moved. I can’t read the new site from work, so I’ll have to link it on Bloglines. Unfortunately, some posts (like the ones from G&P) don’t post in their entirety on my Bloglines. Crap.

I really expected to see more about Casino Royale in the blogsphere. I guess it was just me.

Casino Royale Review: Part Deux

18 NOV 06

In my excitement for remembering Frank Gorshin’s name for yesterday’s post, I forgot one of the most important poker related items from the movie.

While the quality of poker truly sucked out loud, there was one authentic piece of poker-related dialogue that really hit home. I don’t want to spoil anything, but there is a scene after Bond is knocked out of the tournament where he has to ask for the money to re-buy because, “I can beat this guy. You know I can!”

This hit a little too close to home, and was quite genuine.

I found a couple more tidbits, courtesy of this link toWikipedia. Don’t go to the link if you haven’t seen the movie, because, as it says multiple times on the page, the whole entry is a spoiler. See the movie first, then read the entry.

I was right about some of the movie being filmed in Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic, although I spelled it wrong. The Kaiserbad in Karlovy Vary was used as the exterior of the Casino Royale, with the Grandhotel Pupp serving as the "Hotel Splendide" where Bond stays during his time in Montenegro. The movie with Queen Latifah featuring the same hotel was Last Holiday. Let me say again, you should put “staying at the Grandhotel Pupp” on your list of things to do before you die.

Other scenes in the latter half of the film were filmed at the Villa del Balbianello on the shores of Lake Como.

Stunning.

I’m still trying to wrangle a trip to the WPBT, so if you can tell me what other movie features this locale, I’ll buy you the first round when (and if) I get out to Vegas (hint, the answer can be found on the link).

Bond… James Bond

17 NOV 06

Casino Royale Review follows.

I just saw this movie and here are some of my thoughts:

Daniel Craig is a much better Bond than Pierce Brosnan. There were several references to the old Sean Connery days which Bond fans should appreciate. Craig may turn out to be "Connery good."

I had a hard time deciding if Craig’s pursed-lips look was intentional, or just a result of his chiseled face.

The first half of the movie was awesome. I will put the foot chase scene against any car chase scene in recent memory. In fact, I’ll put it up against any BOND car chase scene.

The second half of the movie was good, but it ran too long in segments.

Judy Densch is the perfect M.

Italy (I think this was partly filmed at Lake Como or Magiorre) and Monoco are beautiful. I didn’t stay to see the credits, but I’d swear one of the hotels was the Grand Pupp in Karlo Vivary, Czech Republic (also seen in a recent movie with Queen Latifah). I stayed there a couple years ago. Magnificent.

The poker in this movie is horrible and predictable. “Everyone has a tell, except you…”

Craig reminds me of a combination of Steve McQueen and Frank Gorshin.

Thumbs up. Go see it.

Actual Poker

16 NOV 06

Well, if you count Razz as poker…

I played my first ever Razz game yesterday on Full Tilt. It was a Free Money one-table Limit SNG, so I’m really not putting too much stock in the results. I showed some aggression early and chipped up. Then I left for an hour. I really expected to be out when I got back, but to my surprise, I was one of 4 left, albeit the short stack. From there, I showed more aggression and became the chip leader, only to fall to a couple river suckouts.

I am a Razz deity.

Then I went back to my old standard – the two table turbo NL Hold ‘em SNG. 1st Place.

I am the king of the world!

Still, there was something missing. Oh yeah – no real money on the line = who really cares?

PS. Has anyone switched to the “new” version of Blogger? Is there anything I need to be worried about?

Hiatus Continues

14 NOV 06

I forgot that there is a life outside of the cardroom that is filled with pain and pleasure.

The pain – I just had my teeth cleaned. I wonder how many poker players neglect their health because of poker?

The pleasure – I just test drove a Lotus Elise. This is a totally impractical car. I bumped my knee of the roof (!) while trying to get in. The salesman was 6’ 7”, if you can believe that. Once I got behind the wheel, I was amazed at how fun this car was to drive. The salesman told me that he has a client that sold his Ferrari and only drives his Lotus. Perhaps… It sure was fun.

Oh yeah – I downloaded the Full Tilt software last night. I’m still not playing online poker, but it was a hoot to watch Phil Ivey, Gus Hansen and David Benyamine multi-tabling with about $300 to $500K behind.

Still not sure about the WPBT. My deployment date was pushed back, so I’m free that weekend…

The Perfect Bad Beat Story

12 NOV 06

I’m taking yet another break from poker. This break comes on the heels of watching some recorded WSOP episodes where several (most?) players remarked that they went broke numerous times before hitting the big time. Been there, done that.

On my way out after another bubble bust, I passed a player in a ring game that I had knocked out earlier from the tourney. Strangely, he asked me what happened.

Excuse me? Are you ASKING me to tell you a bad beat story?

This is unusual. Most people don’t really listen and don’t really care. This player and I are friendly, and he seemed genuinely curious (as opposed to the gloating question i.e. Ha Ha – you got knocked out, too, ya big bully. Let me hear your sob story).

My bad beat stories have been perfected. They come in three flavors:

“I ran into a set.”

“Runner runner.”

“Bigger full house.”

All of these stories are told with a shrug of the shoulders and a (hopefully) devil-may-care attitude. Interestingly, they seem to satisfy the questioner, who usually nods knowingly with a been-there-done-that smile.

So if you really need to tell me your bad beat story, it should be no longer than 5 words. After that, I’ll start charging you 25 cents a word. Seems fair.

Final Political Thought

9 NOV 06

First off – real poker content. I saw a guy call a preflop raise and then call the flop of Jc Jh 8c. Turn 7c. River 9c. Call. Call. Call.

Think about that for a minute. There is 4 to the straight flush and the board paired on the flop. He had 10h 4d for the gut-shot straight against trip Jacks with Ah Jd.

My Ah Jd, dammit.

Final political thought follows: Believe it or not, my faith in the system was somewhat restored this election. It's the strongest message we can send to the world - look how we do it, boys! Republicans aren't forming a militia and killing Democrats just because they lost (yet). Peaceful transfer of power based on a referendum of the masses - what a concept.

Random Political Thoughts

8 NOV 06

If you are coming here for profound political ideas and analysis, please go elsewhere. These are just some thoughts of a 20 year soldier and doctor.

Donald Rumsfeld resigns. Too many people I respect think this was long overdue. Buh-bye.

Liberalism did not win this election. The Democrats played Republican far better than Republicans did. Just look at Sen. Lieberman soundly beating the liberal Democrat.

As a nation, we will soon be talking about redeployment. As you all know, I am getting ready to deploy. As I’ve said before, the most dangerous time to be deployed is during the redeployment (coming home) phase.

Nancy Pelosi will try to socialize medicine. This could affect my career as a physician when I get out of the Army. I’m taking a “wait-and-see” approach. The only thing I know for certain is that Whiskytown is dancing a jig right now.

Poetry

5 NOV 06

I’m not a big poetry fan, but as I rode into work this Sunday morning, I heard a story on NPR about Samuel Menashe that left me awestruck. During that story, he read his poem Curriculum Vitae. Here is the first verse:

Scribe out of work
At a loss for words
Not his to begin with,
The man life passed by
Stands at the window
Biding his time

Borat Needs Your Help

3 NOV 06

My friend Sacha Baron Cohen is having trouble getting people to go see his movie, Borat. David Letterman was nice enough to chat with him. Apparently, some guy named Beck was there at the end.

See the clip here.

Help my buddy out. He’s kinda funny.

When to Pee

2 NOV 06

Editors Note: Regarding yesterday’s post – I’ve listened to the 10 second quote on You Tube about a dozen times, and I’ve heard Mr. Kerry put his spin on it. Believe it or not, I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. It is certainly possible that this was a botched joke. Still, shame on you for even attempting such a kindergarten recess stunt as trying to intimate that the reason we are in Iraq is because we have a stupid, uneducated president. Our troops, and the world is listening, Mr. Kerry. Attack his policies if you wish. Personal attacks are for the playground.

Darla is the best cocktail waitress at the Muckleshoot. Poker player can be a mean bunch. They routinely stiff the waitstaff and can be rude and tasteless. Darla rises above it all.

Darla does two things that make her stand out:

She brings me two Diet Cokes instead of one.
She brings them to me as soon as I sit down at the table – without even asking.

I always tip when a waitress brings me my Diet Coke. I started tipping Darla more, and she deserves every penny. The problem is that I have to pee like crazy within the hour. So now the question:

1. Do you get up to pee just before you post the Big Blind? In this situation, you expect to miss the blinds. You can post behind (plus the missed Small Blind), or you can wait until the next blind comes around.

2. Do you go pee when you are in early or middle position and hope to get back before you miss the blind?

3. Or, if you are Daddy, do you just pee at the table?

I’ll post my thoughts in the comments later today.

John "****head" Kerry

1 NOV 06

I was going to blog about the important concept of when to pee, but I have a burr in my saddle, so please excuse me. Peeing will have to wait until tomorrow.

John Kerry.

This is not a political blog, dammit. I deliberately avoid political issues. As I’ve said before, I don’t want the appearance of conflict of interest, so I rarely engage in political discourse. This time is different.

I saw the video here.

See it for yourself. Kerry said, “You know, education… if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework, you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.”

Fuck you MISTER Kerry.

My name is DOCTOR Chako. I am a board certified radiologist. I went to 13 years of higher education to get where I am today. I am headed to Iraq.

And I am GODDAMMED PROUD to be going with some of the smartest, most educated and honorable people I have ever met.

Go away. You personify the reason I could never be a Democrat.

Attention prudes: I tried writing this post without cursing, and it just didn’t work. Sorry if you are offended.