Work Work Work

Pulling another double shift today working from 11:00 A.M.-1:00A.M. It hasn't been too bad though since I only work the register half the day and the other half I do my usual phone job.

I'm on pace for a 55 hour work week when I usually put in anywhere from 25-30. This all means I can expect a pretty nice paycheck next Tuesday which ALSO means I can finally get my new laptop. My original price range was anywhere between $800-$1200 but I found this really nice HP laptop that seems to be exactly what I'm looking for.

My main criterion was a slick design and a massive HDD.

This computer supplements both of these requirements. And at $700, I'll have some cash left over to burn on another little addiction I'm beginning to develop.

No, not drugs.

DVDs!

Television shows on DVD to be more specific. I'm really beginning to enjoy buying a bunch of TV shows on DVD. I've got quite a few already but I want to expand on the collection. Yesterday I bought all 12 seasons of South Park, Seasons 1 &2 of Boondocks and Seasons 1-9 of King of Queens.

On the soon to buy list is: Seinfeld, The Simpsons, The X Files, Everwood, Weeds and Lost.

Some of these shows like Seinfeld and The Simpsons for example, it really makes no sense for me to buy them on DVD since the shows are in syndication and have reruns like twice a day. But whatever, lol.Buying these isn't cheap though which is why I buy most of them off Craig's List or Ioffer.com

Anyway, I've got the day off tomorrow and undecided about whether or not to go to the casino to put in a short 1/2NL session. I'm not really "in the mood" to play and unless that changes by tomorrow, I'll probably just stay home and watch game one of the NLDS between my Cubbies and the Dodgers. I like the Cubs and will probably have a play on them for tomorrow.

Yawn

So I never updated last week's post about how the visit to the casino turned out. I just haven't felt like blogging the past few days. Anyway I got to the casino last Wednesday around 6:00P.M. and played til 11:30P.M. or so.

I dropped one buy-in ($200) within the first hour but reloaded and ran my stack to around $550. Then I played a couple of hands pretty poorly in the last hour and ended up cashing out for $410. A net profit of+ $10 for 5 hours of poker. Not exactly the results I was looking for but I'd rather book a small win than a big loss.

Anyway I left the casino around 11:30 and stupid me didn't realize that the buses don't run that late so I had to walk down Dempster road hoping to flag down a taxi. It was a 30 minute midnight walk down a pretty dark and isolated road with $600 cash in my pocket before a cab finally drove by. NOT A FUN WALK.

In conclusion, I need a car.

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So today I'm pretty freaking tired. I'm at work right now pulling a double shift on 3 hours of sleep. I was playing Call of Duty 4 last night on the 360 and finally beat the single player campaign. The story dragged for the first half but it finally picked up last night and I couldn't put the controller down until I finished it. The ending sequence was seriously one of the coolest video game moments I've experienced. Such an awesome game.

Anyway, I ended up going to sleep at 7 A.M.since I thought I didn't have to be in to work today til 4:00 PM.

Wrong!

10:00 A.M. and my mom walks into my room saying my manager called saying I had to come in to work for this other dude who called in sick. She said this to me as I was still half asleep so for a few minutes I contemplated whether I'd just dreamed it, lol. But nope. I called back my manager and sure enough he wanted me in by 11 A.M.

F*ck!

So I've been here since 11 and and don't get off til' 1 AM. And I might have to do it all over again tomorrow. At least I can look forward to a FAT paycheck next week!

Rockford

I'm about to leave for the Casino. Looking to replicate last week's results. I'll update later tonight.

PS- I REALLY hope they don't card me. I lost my wallet and have been too lazy to go take out another ID.

Hookah

A couple of days ago my friend Jay told me about an underground poker game the owner of a Hookah Lounge runs on Sunday nights. Jay's not much of a card player but he knows that I am so he told me I should check it out.

I got to the Lounge last night around 7PM and asked the bouncer if he knew about the game. He said he didn't know anything about it. I was wondering whether maybe he did, but it wasn't the kind of game anyone could just walk into. So I went inside and decided to chill there for a while. I was about to leave but I figured, what the hell, I'm already here, so I decided to split a Hookah with this other dude who was there.

We ordered some weird berry mist flavor that was hitting the spot. The place was completely dead so the bouncer came in and smoked with us along with this other chick who may or may not have been working there. She's the one that prepared the Hookah for us but I think she was just there to see the bouncer. Anyway a few minutes later the owner of the place came in and I found out there really was no poker game that night. So I puffed for a while longer and then headed home, not before having a delicious meal at White Castle.


I'll probably be back next Sunday, even if there is no poker game.

Division Clincher

Cubs -1.5

Brewers -1.5

Rangers -1.5

Colorado -1.5

3 Game Parlay: -Monterrey (Pick) -Santos (Pick) -Chivas (Pick)

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Day Profit: -$25.59

Day Record: 0-5

Total Record: 120-133-7

Bankroll: $90.00

Total Profit: -$110.00

Road Winners

NY Mets -1.5

LA Angels -1.5

White Sox -1.5

Connecticut -13
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Day Profit: +$14.25

Day Record: 3-1

Total Record: 120-128-7

Bankroll: $115.59

Total Profit: -$84.41

Jack on the River

I got to the casino yesterday around 4:30 and got on the 1/2NL list. I was kind of regretting going when I was on my way there because I wasn't feeling good at all. Runny nose, slight headache and a sore throat. But for some reason as soon as I got there I was feeling much better.

Anyway, fifteen minutes later a seat opened up and I sat down with $200.



Played my first big hand when a player in early position raised it to $8. Two other callers and myself in the small blind with pocket eights. Flop comes 8-5-J I lead out for $15. The preflop raiser, this old man who I swear to you had to be about 95 years old, mini raises to $30. Folds to me and he's got like $50 behind so I push. He insta calls with QQ. Of course the turn has to be a sweat card when he catches a flush draw but the river bricks and I drag in a nice pot.

The rest of the way I was playing a very tight game. Some guy to my left even commented on how tight I was playing. I was able to exploit that image when I got in a hand against him when all I had was a flush draw on the turn and made a big bet. He folds and tells me he knows I made my flush. Okay, sure I'll take it.

I felt like I was really playing well and don't remember making any "bad decisons." I was getting paid with my monster hands and getting away from hands like TPTK where it was clear I was beat. Got paid off with Aces, Kings and a set of 10s all for nice pots. The only real bad beat I took the whole night was when I had AQ in late position and raised it up to $12. I got 4 callers and the flop came J-10-K. Weeeeeee! I'm feeling good and thinking about how to maximize value on the hand. It checks around to me and I bet $20. Player to my left calls, another guy folds and another one goes all in for $38 total so $18 more to me. I then tank a bit and decide whether or not I want the guy on me left in the pot. In hindsight I probably should have just called, but I went all in instead. Then the guy to my left asks the dealer if I'm allowed to raise in that spot since the player who went all in didn't make a complete raise. Dealer says I'm okay to raise though (I think he was wrong) and the guy tanks for like 2 minutes asking me if I want him to call. He finally folds telling me had Q-10 or something like that. So the guy who went all in flips over J-10.

I've got an 80% lock on the flop and a 90% lock after a brick turn. Yes, you know where this is going. Ugly Jack on the river cracks my nut straight with his full house. It hurt, but I realized I got lucky that he was so short stacked before the hand started with around $50. I could have lost alot more if he was deep stacked cause I was sitting with like $350 myself.

Anyway, I felt a bit of tilt coming so I walked away from the table and went to buy an orange juice. When I got back I was feeling much better and kept playing my A game. Won a ton of small pots and was ready to call it a night when I got involved in yet another hand with the dude who cracked my straight. Don't remember the preflop action but we find ourselves heads up on a flop of K-8-3 he bets out like $15 and I call with K-6. Turn is another King. I bet out $25, he asks if I have the King, then raises to $50. I really hate my kicker at this point but call the extra $25. River is a Queen, for a board of K-8-3-K-Q. I check hoping he checks behind but instead he goes all in for like $100. I proceed to tank for about 2 minutes hating myself for getting myself involved in the hand. I make the crying call expecting to see AK. Nope. He flips over K-5 and we chop it up. Bastard! I actually had the best hand heading into the river, lol.

I felt releaved to chop it up though. It woulda sucked big time to lose that one that late into my session. It was also a sign to get the hell outta there, lol.

I ended up cashing out for $463.



Nice profit of +$263. Not bad for about 3 hours worth of work.

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Tonight's Picks:

NY Yankees -1.5

Tampa Bay -1.5


Day Profit: +$2.25

Day Record: 1-1

Total Record: 117-127-7

Bankroll: $101.34

Total Profit: -$98.66

Runny Nose

So I'd been planning to hit up the casino today for the past few days and was really pumped up about it. Then last night I began to catch the first symptoms that an imminent cold was about to hit me. It started with a bit of a headache and the runny nose. By the time I was going to go to sleep I felt pretty terrible. Body aching and in no shape to go play poker.

I went to bed with the idea that if I wasn't feeling any better this morning I'd just skip the casino and stay home to rest up. Well, I'm feeling somewhat better this morning, but I'm still not sure whether or not I should go. I definitely don't think I can play my best if I end up going.

My mom did give me a couple of capsules that are supposed to be pretty good in fighting off colds. And I've been trying to drink a lot of OJ. Right now I'm thinking that maybe I'll just go and once I get there, if I'm not feeling up to playing the 200NL game, I'll just donk around in the 1-3 Spread Limit for a while.

R.I.P. Hiro

So where were you when Carlos Zambrano threw a no hitter huh? I was on the edge of my living room sofa sweating every single pitch and hoping my dad would get home in time from work to watch it as he's a huge Cubs fan as well.

Well he was about 3 minutes to late, lol. But as soon as he walked in the door I was yelling "Dad! Dad! Z just threw a no hitter!"

But let's backtrack a little.

I started watching the game from the beginning not only because I had money on it, but because of the fact that it was being played in a "neutral" site which I thought would make for sort of bizarre game to watch. Miller Park was anything from neutral though as it upheld its long standing Wrigleyfield North nickname. 97% of the people in attendance were wearing Cubby blue.

Anyway I wasn't aware of the fact that Z had a no hitter going until around sometime in the 6th. We all know broadcasters are all but prohibited from uttering the words "no hitter" so I only became aware of it when Len Kasper said Z had faced the minimum number of batters thus far. But it wasn't until he finished pitching the 7th when I first began to think he actually had a shot.

Fast forward to the top of the 9th with two outs and a 2-2 count and I'm just a nervous wreck, lol. Splitter low and away and boom! Astros' Darin Erstad strikes out to give the Cubs their first no hitter since 1972. To say I was estatic after the strike out would be a huge understatement. I was screaming and jumping and just going crazy. Man and that was only a no hitter. Imagine what I'm going to be like when we win the World Series. =)

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Later that night I was on AIM talking to my friend about the game and he gave me some pretty shocking news. This guy named Hiro who went to school with us was killed early Saturday morning by a train. Apparently he was trying to beat the train accross the tracks and fell.

I didn't really know him that well as he hung out with a completely different crowd than the one I hung out with and I don't even recall having any classes with him but it was still pretty shocking to find out a person you saw on a regular basis for 4 years passed away. Here's an online artcle on his death.

Certainly my thoughts and prayers are with his family.

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Tonight's picks:

Woodlands Wellington -0.5

LA Dodgers -1.5

Philadelphia +7


Day Profit: +$9.71

Day Record: 2-1

Total Record: 116-126-7

Bankroll: $99.09

Total Profit: -$100.91

Fading the Bears

Toluca -0.5

Panthers -3

Cubs -1.5

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Day Profit: +$12.38

Day Record: 1-1-1

Total Record: 114-125-7

Bankroll: $89.38

Total Profit: -$110.62

Borrowed Picks

I'll be upping the ante today on Chaser's picks. Gonna go with $11 to win $10 on all of these to essentially leave me in Brokesville if it turns out to be a bad day, lol.


Vanderbilt -8.5

East Carolina -12

Washington U +21

Missouri -26.5

UCLA +8

USC -11.5

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Day Profit: -$3.00

Day Record: 3-3

Total Record: 113-124-6

Bankroll: $77.00

Total Profit: -$123.00

Birthday Boy

Your boy turns 19 today. Unfortunately I'm going to be spending the day at work! Sucks big time but oh well. I'll be sure not to mention it's my birthday at work though cause Gigio's has this retarded ritual of beating the shit out of birthday guys with this spatula thingy. Not cool...haha.

So 19? No real perks with going from 18 to 19. Except maybe if I lived in Canada, lol.

I may celebrate my birthday sometime next week, perhaps by hitting up the Rockford Casino and putting in some time on the 200NL game. Haven't been in a while.

Alright that's all for today folks. No picks today cause there's not much that I'm liking for tonight so I'll just hold up for Paper Chaser's College football picks tomorrow.

Never Forget

Although I can thank God that I was not directly affected by the September 11 attacks (and I mean not directly affected in the sense that I did not lose a loved one) my thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those who lost somebody on that tragic day.

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Cubs -1.5

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Day Profit: -$8.83

Day Record: 0-1

Total Record: 110-121-6

Bankroll: $80.00

Total Profit: -$120.00

Mexico vs. Canada

Wish me luck boys and girls. I don't see Mexico losing this game but anything can happen.

Mexico -0.5 (-350)

Risking $69.09 to win $19.74

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Running Blog:

7:18 PM: I'm going to be keeping a running blog during the game just because I feel like it. I'm at work right now but I'll be able to watch the game on Justin.tv (great source for live sporting events).

7:23 PM: Kick off time is at 8:00PM so it'll be another 35 minutes or so before the game starts. I was checking out the lineup for the Mexican squad and two noticeable absences to keep an eye on are going to be Pardo and Salcido. Pardo got injured in the game against Jamaica and Salcido accumulated 2 yellow cards. They're both intergral parts of the team but Mexico should still come away with a victory tonight.

7:34 PM: I'm glad I didn't wait til the last minute to put in my bet for tonight. The line has jumped from -350 up to -600. Good job me. =)

7:39 PM: I'm trying to get more action on this game on FCP using my poker bankroll, but no one is biting...yet.

7:44 PM: I'm currently negotiating odds with an FCPer. He is asking for 6-1 odds (which like I said, is what the line at bookmaker.com is now) and I counter-offered with 4.5 to 1. I'm awaiting his response.


7:56 PM: Just about ready for kick off and I got another huge bet with an FCPer. I gave him 5.5 to 1 odds. I'm risking $275 to win $50 from him. This is bad. I shouldn't have done it. It will cripple both my Poker and my Sports betting accounts if Mexico loses this game, lol.

Sigh....

8:55 PM: Halftime. Quite the game we have here. Mexico had complete domination throughout the first have but failed to capitalize. Canadians had only one or two shots on goal while Mexicans keep playing down the wings but were missing that key guy up front that could punish the Canadians in the air.

10:05PM: Okay, so the running blog didn't exactly materialize the way I thought it would. The plan was to keep updating throughout the game but that proved impossible because I had 3 or 4 guys huddled around my laptop trying to watch the game. Anyway, important thing is that MEXICO WON! Yes sir! It wasn't as easy a victory as I thought it'd be though. But Mexico finally broke trough in the 58th minute on a header by Bravo and then Marquez made it 2-0 with another header off a corner kick. Mexico seemed to be cruising 2-0 until Canada made it an interesting finish by scoring in the 77th minute. The Mexicans held on though and shipped the 2-1 victory. Including the $50 from the FCPer, a total profit of +$69.74 for the night but of course only a profit of +$19.74 will go on the record since the other bet was made with my poker bankroll and the money will be deposited into my Full Tilt account.

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Day Profit: +$19.74

Day Record: 1-0

Total Record: 109-121-6

Bankroll: $88.83

Total Profit: -$111.17

Packers and Raiders

So much for a good NFL season start.

Whatever happens tonight, I'm putting my entire roll on the line tomorrow with Mexico against Canada. I'll lay the heavy juice and take Mexico -0.5 (-350).

Green Bay -2

Oakland +3

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Day Profit: -$0.91

Day Record: 1-1

Total Record:108-121-6

Bankroll: $69.09

Total Profit: -$130.91

New NFL Season

Let's hope we get started off on the right foot this football season.

Jets -3

New England -15.5

2 Team Teaser: Colts -1.5 & New England -7.5

Browns +7

Colts -9.5

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Day Profit: -$38.17

Day Record: 1-4

Total Record: 107-120-6

Bankroll: $70.00

Total Profit: -$130.00

4 Teamer

4 Team Parlay:
Serbia -0.5
England -0.5Germany -0.5
Mexico -0.5

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Day Profit: +$18.77

Day Record: 1-0

Total Record: 106-116-6

Bankroll: $108.17

Total Profit: -$91.23

Wednesday and Thursday

I didn't post the plays from Wednesday and Thursday but it was pretty much a break even two days after South Carolina messed up my teaser.

Here are the plays I had:

Yankees -0.5

Detroit -1.5

Cubs -1.5

2 Team Teaser: Redskins +10.5 & South Carolina -3.5

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2 Day Profit: +$1.28

2 Day Record: 2-2

Total Record: 105-118-6

Bankroll: $89.40

Total Profit: -$110.60

Hello Fall

Okay so technically its not really fall yet, but it sure feels like it with the Labor Day weekend, and football season kicking off on Thursday. I don't really mind it since unlike previous years, I don't have to dread going back to school. I'll welcome the cooling off in the weather and the scenic foliage of Chicago autumns.

The weekend went by pretty quickly although I didn't get out or do much. I had an ugly 1-3 day on Saturday in football and soccer plays with my only win coming via Paper Chaser's suggestion on taking USC. I spent most of the weekend on my Xbox 360. I picked up copies of FIFA 08 (which I previously had but my dog Chase scratched badly)and a copy of Call of Duty 4 which I'd been meaning to get for a while now. COD4 has been pretty awesome so far. I've been going trough the single player campaign but I haven't played online a lot yet cause I'm still a noob and keep getting owned by everyone.

Saturday night I played the $33 10K Guaranteed on PokerStars on a stake from an FCPer. I went semi-deep in that ending 49th out of 432 entries for $60.91. It would have been fucking awesome to final table that bitch. First place was like $2,400.

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I've updated my record to reflect the 1-3 day on Saturday from plays that I didn't post.

Here are the plays for tonight. Let's get lucky just ONE TIME!

Cubs -1.5

Brewers -1.5

Red Sox -1.5

Twins -0.5

2 Team Parlay: Revolution & Chivas USA.

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Day Profit: -$21.43

Day Record: 1-4

Total Record: 103-116-6

Bankroll: $88.12

Total Profit: -$111.88