TI Tourney/George Carlin

***Warning*** Poker stupidity contained herein, continue at your own risk!

There's a reason why Dave's winning these things like he is and above all else, it's aggression and skill....however, couple that with an abundance of overplaying Ax, I've watched poker on tv players and you have a recipe for making $$$. Sadly enough, I DO NOT have the skills Dave posses, just see my sig Tired as I was though, I did observe well but my mind just wasn't where it needed to be to take full advantage. I'd flown into town sporting an '07 WSOP tee and didn't realize the image it'd create. Even so, 1-2 players and I exchanged knowing glances regarding the general play at the table. Tshirt aside, the better players pegged me right off the bat, I need to work on acting fishier

During the 10 hands dealt at 25/50 (no knock on the dealers, it's just a simple by-product of 20min rounds) I play my 1st hand. EP player bets to 300 and when I find AKo it's time to raise. I've already pegged him as a bad player and know he'll call, so I'm looking to get heads up with my raise to 900. I get a call out of the blinds as well as the original bettor. 3 of us see the flop, 9J9 rainbow. I decide not to chase my whiff when the original bettor leads out...did I really just donk off 1000 chips?

50/100 and we find an ep bettor lead out for 400 he gets 2 callers before I peek at my cards from the bb. I spy KK and have to raise, but how much? I quickly deduce that any raise is more than 1/2 my stack, so I just stick it all in and hope for a single caller with their Ax It's tv stall time and it feels like it takes forever for the folding action to come full circle, but it eventually does. I rake in a nice pot, sneak a last peek at the cowboys before I muck 'em...back up to even.

100/200 and I still think it's at 50/100 (1st of my stupid moves) so when I bet out to 300 from ep with AKo it's ruled that I have to min-raise, opening a potential flood gate of callers. That's ok though, I know TPTK in this game is GOLDEN! I get 2 callers, one from a VERY loose, not good loose, player 2 to my left. 3 of us see AQx, rainbow and I check behind KNOWING she'll bet out if she holds the weak ace I hope she has, since that's been her modus operandi to date. As expected, she leads out for 800, other caller folds and I check-raise to 2k total. She asks for the count and makes the call. The turn brings another Q and I know for sure I'm in the lead now. I push in my remaining stack of about 1500. She asks for a count again before making the call and tabling ATo. We split the pot when an unlikely Q falls yet again and all I can do is smile and say nice hand. I'm a bit taken aback when a player congratulates her on a nice turn call....I just smile and order another water

Still 100/200 (2nd stupid move) and I find AKo yet again after an ep limper. I bet to 600 and when it's folded around to him, he nearly insta-pushes his short-stack, 1200 more or so I believe. I make the easy call and flip my cards over. But I said I made another STUPID mistake, right? What I didn't realize, is that the bb had actually called my original bet to 600 and he still had cards in his hand, while mine were tabled. My hand is live so let's not go there The bb thinks for a bit and has noticed the same thing about the earlier limper as I have, so he pushes. I still think it's a dumb move on his part 'cause he doesn't have enough to push me off the hand. After pulling in the chips, it's only an extra 600 to call, which I obviously have to do and when the dust settles I get no help. Limper actually had a hand this time QQ, and the bb who drug the side pot had 44. We get ready to head into break and we'll be coming back to me utg at 200/400 with only 5bb.

200/400, I open push A9x from utg and pick up the blinds. I push 7s and 8s from lp and pick up the blinds each time. I ended up busting when I called a mp raise from the bb with K9s. I was dominated, up against A9s. I could've let the blinds pass then start pushing again from lp, right Dave Anyway, TI is a GREAT room with an awesome staff!!! Thanks to Danette for recognizing me and taking a shine to my Beatles murse She even offered a button for it, which I dearly want to take her up on, thanks!

Caught the George Carlin show last nite at the Orleans last nite, and had an absolute blast! You'd better like political/relgious IRREVERENCE but if you do, you're in for a GREAT time! The chairs were a little tight and got even tighter when I was seated next to someone that would send Captain Ahab on another lifetime journey Nice enough people but if since they were on the isle, wouldn't you put the skinnier person next to me? Who knows, maybe it was the tie-die And man are there some RUDE people out there!!! I was AMAZED at the talking that went on during the show! Do people not know how to whisper any more? And just to note, if you're going to disect political or religious jokes, maybe you're not at the right show

Last but not least....if you're driving a blue Ford escort with custom plates reading, "PCKT AA" I know where you live!

Day1, 9/21:

Decided to cab it to the airport due to the length of the trip and of course I had to leave at the height of rush hour! So I wait, and wait and wait some more, almost to the point of giving up and driving the truck. While waiting, I'm pacing the driveway and as I watch some ducks take off from the pond and fly overhead, I get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Low and behold, it's a portent of things to quickly come. White bombs drop with the ferocity of YappyDaves' raises and I'm off to find a new shirt and a splash of smell-good juice! Cab finally shows and we're off on an uneventful trip.

After a score at Starbucks, I make my way to the news stand to peruse some light reading fare for the plane. Small isles make it cramped so I don't really take notice of a older gentleman breaking off from his wife, scanning the same books I am. No time at all passes before he rejoins her and I soon learn why. More bombs have been dropped but this time they don't emanate from the sky, nor are they seen...but they DAMN SURE are noticed! Thanks a TON you smelly farker!!!

Thankfully I had one of the most serene flights I've taken in a LONG time, and I practically travel for a living. No one in the middle seat, got to see a movie I've been meaning to catch anyway (although the ending SUCKED) and I got to catch up on some work, all without suffering intolerable small talk and wailing children. My name was on the Hertz Gold board and before I knew it, I was heading off to the corporate apartment I'll be crashing at for the next few days.

The apartment is on the north-west end of town, not so great surroundings but who cares? It's free and comfortable, with everything I need between rounds of cards. On the way there, while traveling north on Decatur, I pass the oft mentioned, hard-to-miss, Pops Philly Steaks! I make a mental note and after dropping my things off, checking email and returning a few call, I'm off for some grub! I must say, that was one DAMN FINE sandwich and they're open 24 hours! Parking is rough as it's busy, noon straight up...but it was well worth it! I'm sure I didn't order correctly but they didn't seem to mind. The weather was overcast but comfortable, so I ate outside instead of taking it with, people watching in Vegas, can ya beat it?! I say no.

Now what to do wit (hey Pops) myself? I quickly scan AVP and note that Yapster is poised to take down yet another TI tourney, so I decide to hoof it on down. I get there just in time to see him chop it up with a dealer, nice deal Dave! It's quickly approaching 2pm so I decide to jump into the next tourney. Note to self, DO NOT PLAY WHEN TIRED!!! I've haven't been sleeping well all week and was already dragging arse when I landed. I knew better, but if you're gonna play when tired how can you beat a well run, $65 tourney where the staff recognizes you after months of absence?! I signed up, collected my receipt and introduced myself to Mrs Lederer, who was sitting on a nice stack in $2/4 limit game.

Dave's right about this game! Anyone with a good arsenal and observation skills can really do well. I was amazed at the play...dumbfounded may be a better word. Of course there are good players too, but it's an overwhelming, donkalicious fun fest. Pre-flop raises of 8xbb and more often than not, a couple of callers, great googly moogly!!! I'll revise the post later to include my hands, but I busted just as we came back from the 1st break. I was happy with my play, and would've been a contender had a board not gone runner-runner for a split pot.

Tired as I am, and as long as this trip is, poker shouldn't be in the cards tonite, pun intended. So I decided to catch the George Carlin show tonite at the Orleans....sprung for good seats, 2nd row, just off center. I plan on playing the Venetian deepstack tomorrow and may just head over to TI in the am to check out the mix-game and say hello to LVM, Yappy and Mrs Lederer.

How can you NOT LOVE this town?!?!?!

Pre-7/1, tournaments around town routinely drew fields of 100 or more, at several different rooms. This was at the truly horrid 30% vig with 20 and sometimes, even 15 minute levels.

Post-7/1 with better blinds, longer levels and bigger buy-ins was sure to draw the same crowds, no? Apparently the draw of the also new, $100NL games have all but quashed the MTT numbers. The single table tournaments also seem to be drawing larger numbers.

Tampa Greyhound Track is a new room with plenty of fencing and guards. But they have the BEST weekly tournament structure in town, HANDS DOWN! And yet they can't even get the game off the ground. Hasn't run once due to not enough people showing up. 30 min levels and 5000 chips for $225. I'd LOVE to see this game get going!!! 1/2NL is pot raked.

Tampa bay Downs is now open year round, advertising on radio, print and TV, yet their tournament had 18 registrants at 12:26--4 minutes prior to start yesterday. This is a Saturday game boasting 30 min levels and 5000 chips for $230. The blinds are decent, not getting too fast till the end. 1/2NL is time raked.

One-eye Jacks at Sarasota Kennel Club is also a newer room that is open year round. Good staff, new tables, stiff chairs. But yet again, we got a good tourney with 30 min levels, 6000 chips, decent blinds and all for $330....but routinely sees 3 less-than-full tables. 1/2NL is time raked.

Derby Lane has increased buy-ins but I've not seen the blinds or level times. To date there's been no listing of 30 min tournaments. 1/2NL is pot raked.

Seminole Hard Rock - Tampa is THE place for a good tournament, albeit a monthly one and one that'll cost. It's a 1 re-buy and 1 add-on tournament that essentially plays out as $750 for 9000 chips and 30 min levels. Out of the tournaments listed, it's the costliest during hour 3 but the cheapest during hour 5 on up, take that for what it's worth. It also has an UNGODLY start time of 10a and don't get me started about the rude blue, gray and white hairs. Tampa could really take a page from the Lauderdale location, it really feels like slumming after being at the SFL location! They don't even stop the clock during color-up/race-offs. Seating can be BRUTAL at busy times and the brush stand is pure CHAOS! Management sees nothing wrong and as long as people flock in droves, why should they change? 1/2NL is pot raked.

$200 total with the rebuy but a "short field with only 5 tables starting made it a bit of a damper. Word is getting out as it should, it's a good struture for the price and I know my structures! No auto-shufflers and some "been around the block" dealers but it is the birthplace, right?! The tournament was overrun with the crew from NWP, headed up by Brian "The Icon" Micon (?sp). It was a pretty fun evening with most of the crew cutting up and playing hard against each other, really made it enjoyable, even for a over-the-hill player like myself. Others didn't take it so well, but damn them! It was another up and down nite as I played a game I'm not accustomed to but look to get better at playing. I ended up getting my money in the middle against an early short-stack pusher while holding pocket tens. We got 2 more callers and it was JJ v TT v QQ v AA and the aces held booting 3 of us out onto the streets on LV!

Last but not least, with work looming, I had to get setup for a week of training. After completing the business side of the trip, I decided to ditch my original plans of playing the Commerce on Monday and opted for The Hustler after talking with fellow 2+2r Scooterdoo (lakong here on tworags ). I was much more impressed with this facility, more along the lines of what I'd expected! It was a $125 with a single $100 rebuy which I took right away, and must've been the only one out of the 129 registed as I got some seriously odd looks! Most simply rebought when they got low or busted....VERY odd!

T3k in chips and starting at 25/25 with 25 minute levels. Auto shufflers and decent dealers kept the game moving but it seemed like I was the only one who didn't know anyone in the room as it was a 129 person home game! I chipped up with AA in the sb, just completing, praying the bb had a hand. He pushed, I called, my hand held. I caught again with AK against a weaker ace and we were off, or so it seemed. I lost with AQ v AT when trips took the wind outta my sails. Firmly in short-stack mode, I made the most of my marginal hands and position, allowing me to make the money for the 1st time in 4 days! They paid 18, again odd, as 18-16 only paid out $250, a WHOPPING $25 over the total buy-in. Ended up busting 13th, for $275. Somehow though I'd still lost money as I tipped out $5, had 2 beers for $10 total then bought a cool card-protector from George Malowe (just a .com) who makes the little cermaic characters that reminded me of Von Dutch and Robert Crumb, for $50. Had a great time and met some really cool players, overall, no complaints at all!

Tuesday (today) was the first day of training and after a LONG day, it was not in the cards to play cards. I do plan on making the $225 Stars&Stripes event at The Bike tomorrow nite, wish me luck! What a week!