I am currently in the process of rebuilding my website. When I’m done, you will be the first to know. For now, here is a preview of the site’s new look:

Stay tuned.

Friday night game tomorrow. My last chance to win for the next few weeks since I will be missing the game for a trip to Connecticut and a trip home for Passover. I’m so overdue for a win in this thing!! Grrrr…

Play good this weekend!

Are we going to trust these guys this time? Anyone who had a Poker Share account before NOT going back?

After busting from the Friday night tourney, I decided to stay for the .50/1 No Limit cash game. Advantages of this game: no rake, no time, lots of laughs, and the possibility of another tournament once the first one ends. Disadvantages: we play about ten hands an hour, we always play No Limit Hold ‘Em, and I find NLHE extremely boring as a cash game. You might find that surprising. But the fact is that you must play much tighter in a NLHE cash game (especially one where there is frequently a straddle and restraddle pre-flop) and when you’re playing ten hands an hour, tight play is excruciating. Thus, I end up playing too many hands, get myself in trouble, and usually quit loser.

Last night was no exception. I was in the big blind with QcJs. Three players limped and I checked my option. The flop came 9c Tc x. The small blind bet out and I called. A player who had been playing rather aggressively all night and had just lost and won big pots in quick succession raised to $10. The small blind folded and I had a decision to make. I only had 32.50 in front of me at that point. I suspected I had the best hand at this point (I can’t tell you why in case he reads this!) or at least the best draw. I figured I had the nut straight draw, a decent backdoor flush draw, and probably two overcards. I also thought that with my stack size, he would not fold if I pushed in.

It’s sick, but I actually wanted to get all my money in on a draw against this guy! Do you see why I should never ever play NLHE cash?

I called the $10 and raised all-in for $22.50 more. He called and rolled over 7c 8c. Okay, so he had a better draw than I had read him for. The turn was a blank, but the river brought the hideous deuce of clubs, and IGHN.

Some people might ask why I would sit in this game when I could be at home, raking in the cash online. To those people I say: there are many reasons. First, it’s good to work on different games and to practice patience at the poker table. I clearly need to work on both my NLHE cash game and my patience. Second, it’s just more fun to hang out at a real poker table than in cyberspace. And third, I probably wouldn’t have stories like the following to share with you:

NLHE tournament. Blinds are $100/$200. I have about $2500 in chips. It folds to me on the button and I look down at 9s7d. A monster! I raise to $600. Both blinds call. The flop comes Q J T – all spades. Small blind bets $600, big blind calls. I push all-in for $1900. Small blind folds, big blind calls and turns over….pocket aces?!? What a clown! Unfortunately this clown has the ace of spades, so that kills many of my outs. And more unfortunately, none of my other outs materialize and IGHN. But seriously, who plays aces like this? This guy, that’s who. Wow. Wow.

Congratulations to Gabe for beating my ass in the private tourney a few nights ago. Well done, sir. But I demand a rematch.