WWdN: From chip leader to a disappointing 7th Place

After some excellent cards and excellent play, I took a chance on a board of rag-Ace-King with two spades. I had K-9 spades in the small blind. When S.t.B (Big Blind) made a raise (just the two of us in the hand; he had about 1/2 as many chips as I did), I decided to put him to the test, quickly figuring about 14 outs. I went all in with second pair and second nut flush draw. Alas, he had A-2 and no spades came on the turn or river. I went down to sixth place and hung around there until the final table with huge blinds. I went all in with A-7 and was called by S.t.B, who had ... K-K! I was hoping for an Ace on the flop, but a King sealed my fate.

The question: Did I take too big of a risk with second pair and second nut flush draw? Gotta think on that one.

Finally - a little tournament redemption at CC's Thursday Bash

My several-day card-dead streak ended late last night (see previous post) and the heater continued on today on Bodog and at CC's. The final play in the tournament was my two pair with Ace kicker vs a flush draw, a classic confrontaton that could have gone either way.

It seemed like the person who had my number tonight was Katitude. I won chips from other players and then donked them off to her. I hope that she appreciated my "generousity."

Of course, I am now faced with a question for myself: If I need the good cards to do well, do I really suck?

Oh ... and thanks, Ohio State, for winning a squeaker and not totally demolishing my bracket.

Just when it seems that the world is against you ... DING !!!!

Make note to self: Get out of tournaments when you feel sick. You'll just play like a donk anyway.

Finally ... The News We Have Been Waiting To Hear From Neteller

Press Release

NETELLER Takes Positive Step Towards Returning US Customers’ Funds

Wednesday, 21 March 2007 – The NETELLER Plc Group (LSE: NLR), the leading global independent online money transfer business, today announced that it has signed agreements with each of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (“USAO”) and Navigant Consulting, Inc. (“Navigant”).

On 8 February 2007, the Group announced that it was in discussions with the USAO to manage an orderly return of funds to US customers and that it was contemplated that a forensic accounting firm would be engaged, at the Group's expense, to assist in this process and to examine the Group's financial position.

The Group is pleased to announce that on 20 March 2007, it signed agreements with the USAO and Navigant which, among other things, outline terms and a timeline under which NETELLER will work toward the orderly distribution of funds to its US customers. Per the agreements, the Group anticipates that within the next 75 days it will announce a plan by which the funds will be distributed to US customers. Navigant will also provide a report to the USAO on the Group’s current financial condition.

“We continue to be committed to returning funds to our US customers and working with the US Attorney’s Office,” said Ron Martin, Group President and CEO. “Progress, while not always visible to the outside observer, has been steady and these agreements mark a milestone in the process.”

NETELLER is continuing to cooperate with the USAO’s investigation, under the advice of its legal advisers and in accordance with court orders in the Isle of Man.

Further updates with relation to the US situation will be made as soon as there are any material developments. In the meantime, US customers should visit updates.neteller.com for more information, including newly updated FAQs that provide additional clarity, where the Group is able, around certain issues currently being raised in a number of public forums. Additionally US Customers can contact NETELLER Customer Service on the web or by phone at 1-888-258-5859.


Well ... what do you know. We may actually see our money. I think I may splurge and buy a laptop when my last withdrawal clears. It's nice for US poker players to FINALLY hear some good news about online poker. Cheers!

Back from the NCAA Tournament Games in Lexington, KY

It is always fun to do the springtime ritual and watch the first and second rounds of the best sporting event in the world (apologies to World Cup fans). A short recap of the first round games I saw:

Louisville/Stanford
I can't believe how terrible Stanford looked. They looked totally inept at doing anything with the ball. This game was a real time waster.

Texas A&M/Penn
I felt sorry for Penn. They were just out of their league against the Aggies.

Ohio State/Central Connecticut State
Props to CCSU for playing one hard, tough game. What they lacked in star power they made up for in effort. They had nothing to be ashamed about. They made Ohio State work for the victory.

Xavier/BYU
Gosh - what a great game to watch. Back and forth action with both teams fighting until the end. It was a shame that someone had to lose. This game was the last of the day, and by far, the best.

It seems that the basketball trips have become less about the basketball and more about the trip experience itself. Therefore, with lots of Ohio State, Xavier, and Louisville fans looking for tickets, we sold our final session seats for a nice profit and watched the game at the local Hooters.

My bracket has Ohio State going all the way, but I sure don't feel the same way about Ohio State after watching them barely make it into the Sweet 16. However, the Big Ten did have a decent showing this year except that the hometown Illini couldn't score in the last several minutes and lost yet another game they should have won. Thank goodness the season is over.

WWdN: Slacker Open

Ha ha - finished 36th (love that number), largely due to the following hand:

*********** # 25 **************
PokerStars Game #8889738698: Tournament #45194831, $10+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level II (15/30) - 2007/03/13 - 20:51:17 (ET)
Table '45194831 5' 9-max Seat #7 is the button
Seat 1: lightning36 (1470 in chips)
Seat 2: Jaym4343 (1149 in chips)
Seat 3: ricoM (1465 in chips)
Seat 4: l.e.s.ter000 (1925 in chips)
Seat 5: SlR ROBlN (1965 in chips)
Seat 7: ZeemJr (2031 in chips)
Seat 8: hacker59 (582 in chips)
Seat 9: Katitude (1493 in chips)
hacker59: posts small blind 15
Katitude: posts big blind 30
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to lightning36 [Jc Jh]
lightning36: raises 60 to 90 (3x BB raise; not gonna get burned by an A-rag call)
Jaym4343: raises 150 to 240 (must have a good hand)
ricoM: folds
l.e.s.ter000: folds
SlR ROBlN: folds
ZeemJr: folds
hacker59: folds
Katitude: folds
lightning36: calls 150 (I'll see the flop - for sure)
*** FLOP *** [Js Ah 4s] (Hit my set. I'm gonna almost double up this hand)
lightning36: checks (set the trap)
Jaym4343: checks (hmmm)
*** TURN *** [Js Ah 4s] [5h] (two flushes possibilities on the board)
lightning36: bets 1230 and is all-in (time to go all in; unsure what I am up against)
Jaym4343: calls 909 and is all-in (Must have A-something to call and risk going out??)
*** RIVER *** [Js Ah 4s 5h] [Qs]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
lightning36: shows [Jc Jh] (three of a kind, Jacks)
Jaym4343: shows [Qc Qh] (three of a kind, Queens) (wtf?? Calls an all in with Q-Q with an Ace on the board ... and I was the initial raiser???)
Jaym4343 said, "wow!"
Jaym4343 collected 2343 from pot
Katitude said, "ooof"
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2343 Rake 0
Board [Js Ah 4s 5h Qs]
Seat 1: lightning36 showed [Jc Jh] and lost with three of a kind, Jacks
Seat 2: Jaym4343 showed [Qc Qh] and won (2343) with three of a kind, Queens
Seat 3: ricoM folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: l.e.s.ter000 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: SlR ROBlN folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: ZeemJr (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: hacker59 (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 9: Katitude (big blind) folded before Flop
lightning36 said, "shhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeiiiiiiittttttttttt"

Post flop: 89.5%
Post turn: 95.5%
Post river: 0 %

Jaym4343 (Salem) 3rd
lightning36 (Champaign) 36th

I wish I could plug in a video of one of the Al Gore sighs from the fall 2000 presidential debates.

sigh

Going to Lexington, KY for the first and second round games of the NCAA basketball championship

I have gone to the first and second round games of the NCAA tournament almost every year since 1996. That year, I bought three tickets on a whim and invited my colleague, Norm, to go. He brought along his son, David, a high school senior, and the first trip and the tradition was on.

Sadly, David passed away in an automobile accident eight months later. And ... my basketball trip roomie and good buddy, Norm, passed away almost two years ago. Hard to believe that I am the last original member.

Fortunately, my good friends Mike and Gerry will be going (they joined the group in 1997), and we expect some great basketball. I might get a chance to play the Mookie this week, but will otherwise be on a rare poker vacation.

We'll be thinking of you, buddy

Mondays at the Hoy

Unfortunately, I was a little short of the money (top three paid) at the MATH tournament tonight. Disappointing to play over 90 minutes and miss the flop almost the entire night. I had a few good starting hands, but at least the drought kept me out of trouble. I did dip low early in the tourney, but stayed patient and got myself out of a jam.

Only one suckout tonight, but I needed to go all in before my stack got too low.

It seems like I have been running into trouble about 2/3 of the way through tournaments recently. This very clearly points to a need for me to work on that aspect of my tournament game.

One Year Anniversary of my Blog

Today marks one year of Lightning Strikes. I started the blog in order to reply to a post in someone else's blog, then continued it to qualify for the Poker.com Season 1 Blogger Poker Tour. That was certainly a wise decision, as I grabbed fourth place in the initial Grand Final (winning me an iPod) and was only a few places away from winning a seat to the WSOP Main Event in 2006.

Funny - looking back, I can see where my lack of experience in big tournaments really hurt me at the end. I certainly wish that I could go back with all that I have learned over the past year and replay my last half hour of the final. Of course, does this mean that a few years from now I will be looking at my 2007 play and say, "Geez - what a donk I was?"

Thanks to my fellow players at The Online Poker Tour, K-9 Poker Tour, Shark Poker Tour, Checkrayz, and Cardschat.com, and all the skillful bloggers from whom I've learned so much.

Dr. Mary Ann Klein, a college English instructor and literary magazine advisor, once told me, "John, I wish you'd get serious about your writing." Hmmm ... that might be a good goal for the second year of Lightning Strikes.

Quickie Weekend Update

Unfortunately, my home game Friday night was canceled for lack of players. Crap.

Tournaments:
1) In the money at the CardsChat Saturday buy-in at Bodog.
2) Donked it up in some freerolls. Even private ones -- why do I play them?
3) Finished 17th of 82 in BloggerPods2, a tourney for bloggers. First three places won an iPod. Some donks scammed the password, snuck in, and stunk the place up. It was an interesting field -- some really terrible players and a number of excellent, well-respected bloggers. You know the usual donkey play -- all in, all in ... I was foaming at the mouth hoping for a great pocket pair to double up against one of the donks, but then I was moved to another table.

Worst part - some freeroll whore saw that I was registered in a CardsChat loyaler freeroll and asked me for the password repeatedly the entire freaking tournament..

Best part - first blogger win by Schaubs. Congrats buddy!

And ... welcome back, Waffles.

Why I hate Full Tilt Poker - Reason # 1,453, 467

Trying to win a $26 token at Full Tilt and at the final table (top five win the token), I was dealt A-A. I made a big pre-flop raise and was called by the short stack. No one else called. Short stack had 7-7. I was an 80% favorite to win....

Yeah ... I know they happen all the time, but it just gets frustrating to get your butt kicked by two-outers at that stage of a tourney.

Donkey or Respectable Play - You Tell Me

Played in three tournaments tonight - K9 Freeroll at Vegas 24/7, CC's Thursday Bash at PokerStars, and Riverchasers Tour Event #5 at Full Tilt. Shouldn't have played all three at once, but what the heck. Results were better than the rest of the week, but I fell short of cashes at CC's and Riverchasers.

K9: 30th place - 76 players
CC's: 5th place - 18 players (paid 3)
Riverchasers: 8th place - 54 players (paid 6)

Now ... at CC's Bash, xkm1245 was not very happy with the result of a hand. I am posting it here with my commentary. You tell me - donkey play? Comments welcome.

PokerStars Game #8807979192: Tournament #44615509, $10+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level IV (50/100) - 2007/03/08 - 22:25:04 (ET)
Table '44615509 2' 9-max Seat #7 is the button
Seat 2: xkm1245 (1120 in chips)
Seat 4: DrawFlush (3214 in chips)
Seat 5: jjok (2455 in chips)
Seat 6: hoyazo (1780 in chips)
Seat 7: AlCantHang (4663 in chips)
Seat 9: lightning36 (2173 in chips) lightning36: posts small blind 50
xkm1245: posts big blind 100
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to lightning36 [4h Qc] (This hand will suck.)
DrawFlush: folds
jjok: folds
hoyazo said, "thats horrible xkm."
hoyazo: folds
AlCantHang: folds
lightning36: calls 50 (No calls or raises. I'll call for 50 chips.)
hoyazo said, "hate to be a part of that"
xkm1245: checks
*** FLOP *** [5s 3h 2c] (No flush draw on the board)
lightning36: checks (Open-ended straight draw. I'll check.)
xkm1245: bets 200
lightning36: calls 200 (No pre-flop raise and all small cards, so I'll bet he now has a pair. Little chance he has A-4 or 6-4, in which case I get killed. Do I call 200 out of 2073 chips and hope for an A or 6 which will probably get me his stack, or perhaps a Q which should win me the hand? Eleven outs -- yeah, pay to see one more card.)
*** TURN *** [5s 3h 2c] [As] (Ding)
lightning36: checks
xkm1245 said, "i'm gonna be in waffles mindstate soon, hoy" (Most likely sooner than you think.)
xkm1245: bets 819
lightning36: raises 819 to 1638 (Looks like the big hand I waited for.)
xkm1245: calls 1 and is all-in
hoyazo said, "yeah"
*** RIVER *** [5s 3h 2c As] [9d]
xkm1245 said, "nice one"
*** SHOW DOWN ***
lightning36: shows [4h Qc] (a straight, Ace to Five)
xkm1245: shows [Ad 5d] (two pair, Aces and Fives)
hoyazo said, "oy"
lightning36 collected 2240 from pot
jjok said, "gg"
xkm1245 [observer] said, "****ing Q4" (I wouldn't be happy either.)
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2240 Rake 0
Board [5s 3h 2c As 9d]
Seat 2: xkm1245 (big blind) showed [Ad 5d] and lost with two pair, Aces and Fives
Seat 4: DrawFlush folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: jjok folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: hoyazo folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: AlCantHang (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: lightning36 (small blind) showed [4h Qc] and won (2240) with a straight, Ace to Five

Now -- I can understand xkm1245 getting pissed at this beat. I would have, too. My question: Was this a donkey play on my part? Putting up 50 chips to see the flop? Calling a 200 chip bet with an open-ended straight draw and an overcard -- in my mind eleven outs?

You make the call. And yes -- I would do it again.


Home Game This Friday Night

I am looking forward to my monthly home game tomorrow night. I have a long streak of cashes and finished second last month. With things all topsy-turvy at work, this game will be a source of refuge.

Wasted week of poker

A totally el-sucko week of poker for me this week. Middle-of-the-pack finishes in most tournaments. Not even worth writing about.

Back-to-back songs on the oldies station

Don't You Want Me - The Human League

* Techo-pop at its early 1980's finest*

"You were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar
When I met you
I picked you out, I shook you up, and turned you around
Turned you into someone new"


Paint It Black - The Rolling Stones

* Has there ever been a more stripped-down song about depression?*

"Maybe then I'll fade away and not have to face the facts
It's not easy facin' up when your whole world is black"

Back to Back Songs on the Oldies Station: Opposite Ends of the Spectrum

I was listenting to my local oldies station this morning when I heard back-to-back songs that could not have been more different. The first was a hauntingly beautiful song with lyrics that painted a vivid imagery. The second was a catchy pop tune with, in my opinion, the most inane lyrics of any song in recent memory.

Year of the Cat by Al Stewart

On a morning from a Bogart movie
In a country where they turn back time
You go strolling through the crowd like Peter Lorre
Contemplating a crime

She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running
Like a watercolour in the rain
Don't bother asking for explanations
She'll just tell you that she came
In the year of the cat

She doesn't give you time for questions
As she locks up your arm in hers
And you follow 'till your sense of which direction
Completely disappears

By the blue tiled walls near the market stalls
There's a hidden door she leads you to
These days, she says, I feel my life
Just like a river running through
The year of the cat

Well, she looks at you so cooly
And her eyes shine like the moon in the sea
She comes in incense and patchouli
So you take her, to find what's waiting inside
The year of the cat

Well, morning comes and you're still with her
And the bus and the tourists are gone
And you've thrown away the choice and lost your ticket
So you have to stay on

But the drum-beat strains of the night remain
In the rhythm of the new-born day
You know sometime you're bound to leave her
But for now you're going to stay
In the year of the cat



Take the Money and Run by The Steve Miller Band

This here's a story about Billy Joe and Bobbie Sue
Two young lovers with nothin' better to do
Than sit around the house, get high, and watch the tube
And here is what happened when they decided to cut loose

They headed down to, ooh, old El Paso
That's where they ran into a great big hassle
Billy Joe shot a man while robbing his castle
Bobbie Sue took the money and run

Go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run

Billy Mack is a detective down in Texas
You know he knows just exactly what the facts is
He ain't gonna let those two escape justice
He makes his livin' off of the people's taxes

Bobbie Sue, whoa, whoa, she slipped away
Billy Joe caught up to her the very next day
They got the money, hey You know they got away
They headed down south and they're still running today

Singin' go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run

Go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run

Rivered at Full Tilt Poker Again

Check out this hand that made me the bubble boy in a satellite. Instead of a split pot, I was out due to another FTP river. There were five people left, top paid entry into Irish Open Qualifier, next three places paid cash). I have included my thoughts as I played.

Full Tilt Poker Game #1916478405: Irish Open Satellite (14106340), Table 1 - 120/240 Ante 25 - No Limit Hold'em - 0:32:20 ET - 2007/03/04
Seat 2: MARCA (4,520)
Seat 3: 88_RoCkStAr_88 (4,700)
Seat 4: lightning36 (3,265)
Seat 7: hard_bigdog (5,720)
Seat 9: stockdo (4,295)
MARCA antes 25
88_RoCkStAr_88 antes 25
lightning36 antes 25
hard_bigdog antes 25
stockdo antes 25
88_RoCkStAr_88 posts the small blind of 120
lightning36 posts the big blind of 240
The button is in seat #2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to lightning36 [4c Qs]
hard_bigdog calls 240
stockdo folds
MARCA calls 240
88_RoCkStAr_88 calls 120
lightning36 checks (no raises, so I'll see the flop)
*** FLOP *** [Ad Ks Qc]
88_RoCkStAr_88 checks
lightning36 checks (bottom pair, dangerous board, but no raises yet - let's see what happens)
hard_bigdog checks
MARCA checks
*** TURN *** [Ad Ks Qc] [Qh]
88_RoCkStAr_88 checks
lightning36 checks (I am pretty sure that no one flopped a straight. Let's see if anyone bets)
hard_bigdog bets 480
MARCA folds
88_RoCkStAr_88 folds
lightning36 raises to 2,525 (I am putting hard_bigdog on Q with no Ace and no K, or a bluff. By raising big, I am hoping to win the pot outright by representing a full house or a straight, or at worst, split the pot with Q-Q-Q-A-K)
hard_bigdog raises to 4,570 (obviously not bluffing now)
lightning36 calls 475, and is all in (hard_bigdog must have the queen - split pot coming)
hard_bigdog shows [Qd Jh] (I called this one right -- please no Jack or 10 on the river, but a 4 would be fantastic)
lightning36 shows [4c Qs]
Uncalled bet of 1,570 returned to hard_bigdog
*** RIVER *** [Ad Ks Qc Qh] [Th] (This is Full Tilt - I should have known)
hard_bigdog shows a straight, Ace high
lightning36 shows three of a kind, Queens
hard_bigdog wins the pot (7,085) with a straight, Ace high
lightning36 stands up
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 7,085 Rake 0
Board: [Ad Ks Qc Qh Th]
Seat 2: MARCA (button) folded on the Turn
Seat 3: 88_RoCkStAr_88 (small blind) folded on the Turn
Seat 4: lightning36 (big blind) showed [4c Qs] and lost with three of a kind, Queens
Seat 7: hard_bigdog showed [Qd Jh] and won (7,085) with a straight, Ace high
Seat 9: stockdo folded before the Flop

I was confident of my read, and I was right.

Would anyone else have played it another way? Should I have just called after the turn to give myself a way out in case the river was a dangerous card? Other strategies that I missed?

Challenges Beyond Bad Beats

Recently, a number of bloggers and poker chatroom folks have been revealing intimate details of their personal life. There are currently some amazing stories on the web dealing with poker players and their struggles earlier in their lives.

My life, on the other hand, has been relatively free from some of the demons that have haunted other players. I have never been in trouble with the law, never had any type of substance abuse issues, never went through a messy divorce, never struggled with unemployment, never had a terrible home or family life. In some ways, you might say that I have floated through the years and have had things pretty easy. Of course, I was blessed with a pretty good head on my shoulders and have always had a good work ethic to help me succeed. Some of my fears had more to do with worrying about how I would deal with a terrible situation when one eventually presented itself.

I got my answer a few years ago when my elderly father came to the end of his road. He was 80 years old and had multiple health problems including dementia, damaged lungs, a heart problem, etc. He was tough, however, and managed to make it through the physical challenges. Our main concern, however, was the dementia and my dad's cognitive deterioration. We had always thought (and hoped) that the bad organs in his body would give out before his brain.

After doing a rehab stint in a local nursing and rehabilitaion center, he came home, chuckling that he had faked out the health care personnel into letting him out earlier than they should have. That night, he collapsed at home and was rushed to the hospital. He never regained consciousness.

In a sense, this was not the worst thing that could happen to my dad. For all intents and purposes, he died at home. Unfortunately, his body was stubborn and decided to stick around for a few more days. However bad that was, at least it gave the family the opportunity to see my dad one last time while he was still alive, although "alive" at that time was certainly a relative term.

The Good Samaritan Hospital folks gently confirmed what we knew -- that he was brain dead -- and arranged for a time to take him off life support so that all the family could be present. Before that, however, we were asked about organ donation.

Now, my dad had so many physical problems that I had a hard time believing that any worthwhile organs could be harvested. We were told, however, that he had one organ that could be -- his liver. My dad had been a hard-drinking Irishman until his later years and the liver had apparently regenerated. When we were informed that his liver could be transplanted, we all cracked up laughing! Fortunately, the liver went to a woman with some children and the transplant was successful, so we were happy.

But ... watching my dad die after he was taken off the respirator was unbelievably agonizing. It was a powerful, emotional family scene that I will never forget. Fortunately, the Lord was kind and took him in a matter of minutes.

In searching for meaning during an earlier difficult situation in my life, I sought counsel with a wise priest who speculated that perhaps God had given me a difficult challenge in order to prepare me to deal with the death of my parents. These words rung true as I was able to get through my father's death better than I thought I could. It wasn't easy, but it was bearable.

My mother is still alive, and I dread having to face her death. For now, however, I prefer to concentrate on all the good from the past and in the present.

So ... no matter how bad the beats are that we get in poker or how we succumb to even the most unlikely beats, I see them as just that -- bad poker beats that are relatively inconsequential. I hope to keep this in mind as I try to improve my skills in this great game that fascinates us so very much.

Update on Crappy Tournament Results

After having a good run in some online tournaments for about a week, I fizzled out on Wednesday and Thursday.

On Wednesday, I barely avoided the Gigli (first one out of a blogger tournament) at The Mookie on Full Tilt. I just can't seem to get a break on Full Tilt. I either get second-best-hand cards, have draws never hit, or get rivered when the chips are already sliding toward me. I do love my werewolf icon there, though, and will give the site some action with all the latest WSOP satellites offered.

On Thursday I played in a Shark buy-in at Absolute and CC's Bash at PokerStars. I was running about the same in each -- a few good hands surrounded by a chipstack that kept getting smaller and smaller. At CC's, I went all in with A-Q suited and was called by 8-8. It looked like I would be out until a Queen hit on the river. But wait -- the Queen also completed a four-flush for my opponent and knocked me out. We both thought I had won the hand. Ha.

I went out somewhere in the middle of the field in the Shark tournament. To tell the truth, I do not even remember how I went out. So much for my Thursday evening tourneys ...