Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Just Call Me J.D. McDuffie
Last night, Poker After Dark rd 2 where the top 9 gain a seat into the final tournament. 2270 runners and I was consistently in the top 200. But I could not win a race to save my life. No less than 5 times did I have a pair against 2 overcards and lost all 5 right on the flop. There is no way you can win one of these without winning your fair share of races, and at least I was in a position to be able to lose a few and not be crippled. But come on, every single one? The fifth and final lost race put me out in 288th. Serves me right to play my middle pairs aggressively.
Monday, January 14, 2008
So Conflicted
I am a life long Philadelphia Eagles fan. It's been 30 years since I attended my first game at the Vet, a win vs. the Jets at a time when the Eagles weren't beating anyone. I can't put into words how I feel about the fact that we were the only NFC East team excluded from the playoffs. And what's worse? A prime time game between the Giants and Cowboys to determine who goes to the conference championship. What am I to do? Watch the game in objective disdain of both teams? I think not. Hope T.O. hits a seam and blows out both knees on a crossing pattern? Tempting, but that's so 10 years ago. I finally decided to back the team from up the turnpike, but only because they have the better chance of being humiliated on the frozen tundra next week. It is for that reason only that I even cared. Well, that and I don't think I could ever root for the cowboys under any circumstances. GO PACK GO!
On the AFC side of the equation, did the Patriots really need the help? Did the Colts and Bolts really need to beat the holy hell out of each other? Do the Patriots really need to get to play perhaps the worst team in the AFC playoffs? Who now have a dinged up Rivers and L.T.? I mean, come on. So it really looks like we're headed full steam toward a rematch of Super Bowl XXXI, the Desmond Howard show. Can you believe Favre was already almost 20,000 yards into his career even then, 11 years ago? Anyone remember Drew Bledsoe? Well, the Pack won by 2 TD's then, and I think that result will probably be reversed this year. Randy Moss with a ring. Damn, I was hoping Gary Anderson's choke would have been the closest Moss would get, but here we are.
From a poker perspective, I played a live Riverchasers freeroll Saturday night, mainly to be able to watch the Pats/Jags. Wow was I card dead. Only PP the entire night was 99, AK once, and AQ once. It's really hard to overcome an active table where 2/3 of all hands are going to showdown at the river when you just can't get a hand to show down. Made it to the final 2 tables but couldn't get A9o to hold up against the 2 chip leaders' garbage (oesd after the turn that didn't fill) and IGH 13th.
Sunday, for the hell of it, I fired up one of Full Tilt's poker after dark qualifier freerolls. I've played these pushfests probably 15 or 20 times (180, 360 or 640 players), have final tabled 3 or 4 times, and busted in the final 2 tables 2 or 3 times more. Finally, I got over the hump. Key hand was mostly a frustration play on my part, but it worked out. I have 77 UTG and limp, since only about 1/2 the pots were getting raised at this point. There might have been a limper or two, or not, but the button raises about 10x BB which, to me, screamed steal. SB shorty calls for less and the BB chip leader calls. I shove for 4x the original raise and get called by AJo (raiser) and A7o (BB). SB has 55 and I avoid the 3 jacks and 2 aces to just about triple up.
At this point, there is still a lot of play left as most of the M's are still healthy. I catch some folks overplaying marginal holdings or flat out buffing a few times and steadily grow my stack until I take over the chip lead with about 7 remaining. Now that I have some chips, I can afford to loosen up a bit now and call with some medium strength draws or call a weakish flop bet to take the pot away on the turn. The last 2 key hands were 3 handed. In the first, I actually managed to pick up KK in the BB. Previous chip leader (very loose) completes from the SB after the button folds. I massively overbet the pot with a 12x preflop raise and he calls. Flop is Q high and he pushes in and I call. He shows the mighty top pair nothing kicker and I have a 9:1 chip lead heads up. Only the second or third hand in, I pick up KTs on the button and raise 4x BB. Player calls for 1/3 of his stack and we see a flop of 965 with two of my suit. He insta-shoves and I figure I have more than enough outs to justify a call, and do so. His 87o flopped a straight, but I pick up a 3rd and then a 4th club on the turn and river (only needed 1). Round 2 is tonight around 10:00 PM EST where the top 9 get a seat in the After Dark finals.
On the AFC side of the equation, did the Patriots really need the help? Did the Colts and Bolts really need to beat the holy hell out of each other? Do the Patriots really need to get to play perhaps the worst team in the AFC playoffs? Who now have a dinged up Rivers and L.T.? I mean, come on. So it really looks like we're headed full steam toward a rematch of Super Bowl XXXI, the Desmond Howard show. Can you believe Favre was already almost 20,000 yards into his career even then, 11 years ago? Anyone remember Drew Bledsoe? Well, the Pack won by 2 TD's then, and I think that result will probably be reversed this year. Randy Moss with a ring. Damn, I was hoping Gary Anderson's choke would have been the closest Moss would get, but here we are.
From a poker perspective, I played a live Riverchasers freeroll Saturday night, mainly to be able to watch the Pats/Jags. Wow was I card dead. Only PP the entire night was 99, AK once, and AQ once. It's really hard to overcome an active table where 2/3 of all hands are going to showdown at the river when you just can't get a hand to show down. Made it to the final 2 tables but couldn't get A9o to hold up against the 2 chip leaders' garbage (oesd after the turn that didn't fill) and IGH 13th.
Sunday, for the hell of it, I fired up one of Full Tilt's poker after dark qualifier freerolls. I've played these pushfests probably 15 or 20 times (180, 360 or 640 players), have final tabled 3 or 4 times, and busted in the final 2 tables 2 or 3 times more. Finally, I got over the hump. Key hand was mostly a frustration play on my part, but it worked out. I have 77 UTG and limp, since only about 1/2 the pots were getting raised at this point. There might have been a limper or two, or not, but the button raises about 10x BB which, to me, screamed steal. SB shorty calls for less and the BB chip leader calls. I shove for 4x the original raise and get called by AJo (raiser) and A7o (BB). SB has 55 and I avoid the 3 jacks and 2 aces to just about triple up.
At this point, there is still a lot of play left as most of the M's are still healthy. I catch some folks overplaying marginal holdings or flat out buffing a few times and steadily grow my stack until I take over the chip lead with about 7 remaining. Now that I have some chips, I can afford to loosen up a bit now and call with some medium strength draws or call a weakish flop bet to take the pot away on the turn. The last 2 key hands were 3 handed. In the first, I actually managed to pick up KK in the BB. Previous chip leader (very loose) completes from the SB after the button folds. I massively overbet the pot with a 12x preflop raise and he calls. Flop is Q high and he pushes in and I call. He shows the mighty top pair nothing kicker and I have a 9:1 chip lead heads up. Only the second or third hand in, I pick up KTs on the button and raise 4x BB. Player calls for 1/3 of his stack and we see a flop of 965 with two of my suit. He insta-shoves and I figure I have more than enough outs to justify a call, and do so. His 87o flopped a straight, but I pick up a 3rd and then a 4th club on the turn and river (only needed 1). Round 2 is tonight around 10:00 PM EST where the top 9 get a seat in the After Dark finals.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Thursday Afternoon At The Power Plant
Sometimes, you just need to look for some of the less traditional benefits associated with your job. Like when you work predominantly in MIS and both the analytics server and the database crash and will take the remainder of the day to be restored. It's even better when there's an afternoon Riverchasers game in Limerick on that day's schedule. Score!
First two levels, I paid my blinds and folded. It was just that bad. Then at level 3 (3/6), I call the half bet out of the SB with AQo after a few other limpers and the BB checked his option. I checked dark (as usual in the blinds), and saw A52 rainbow. Unfortunately, it checked around, but the turn was another A. Someone would probably now lead out, so I check raised a bet and a call. That lost the bettor, but the caller stuck around. I bet 1/2 the pot on a river K and, after about 2 minutes, my opponent mucked. He said he wasn't sure if I had an A, but he was probably beat.
I gave some of that back chasing down an OESD in a massive multiway pot that would have been a huge help. In fact, one of the players still in (who couldn't keep her mouth shut after the hand about what she had) said that she was open ended and an eight would have given her a straight. Fawk, she was drawing to the idiot end and I would've stacked her. From there, I kept looking for the spot that just wouldn't come. Then I have 145 left and am in the BB at 15/30. A few limpers, including some large stacks who will call raises with ATC, and I find AKo. All right, let me see if I can hit the flop before I shove. Flop comes AQx with two hearts. All in I am. UTG calls with KQ, no hearts (?) and other players fold. AK holds up and I double plus.
Table breaks. New table same cards. Blinds up. 25/50, then 50/100. I'm in the BB with half my stack posted, it folds to the SB who puts me all in. T6o. I call. He has K9o, so I'm live. 10 on the flop and I double. Very next hand, it folds to my SB and I find AKo again. No waiting this time, heads up. I push pre-flop and get called by KT. RPT donkeys. Suddenly, I have a medium sized stack (largest at my 5 man table) and the other table loses two so we go to the final table of 8.
First hand, I'm SB with A♣2♣. One limper then an all in for exactly the BB. I complete and BB checks. We check it down, and the turned A chops the pot between me and the limper (A5). Finally, we get down to 5 handed and the blinds are 200/400. This means that there are only about 20-22 BB total in play. RPT final tables are purely a lottery. It takes some skill to get there but, after that, it's completely up for grabs. I start that level UTG with 22. Yuck. Don't like it, but 800 all in. Called by KJ for most of his stack and 43 from the chip leader with huge odds. Board ends up ATT37. IGH 5th. Tournament ends about 4 or 5 hands later.
I know there is a first place at Limerick, I just keep falling just short. Oh well. The year is still starting well in live play (even if it is free) with 2 final tables in 2 starts, including one heads up chop. Personally, I think that consistently navigating a freeroll field is, in some ways, more difficult than playing a game with a buy in. Up to a certain level of player of course.
Brutal beat of the game:
Pre-Flop: Player 1 raises, Player 2 reraises, Player 2 calls.
Flop: AQJ rainbow. Player 1 bets, Player 2 calls.
Turn: J. Player 1 bets, Player 2 raises, Player 1 reraises all-in, Player 2 calls.
Player 1: AJ, Player 2: QQ
River: A
First two levels, I paid my blinds and folded. It was just that bad. Then at level 3 (3/6), I call the half bet out of the SB with AQo after a few other limpers and the BB checked his option. I checked dark (as usual in the blinds), and saw A52 rainbow. Unfortunately, it checked around, but the turn was another A. Someone would probably now lead out, so I check raised a bet and a call. That lost the bettor, but the caller stuck around. I bet 1/2 the pot on a river K and, after about 2 minutes, my opponent mucked. He said he wasn't sure if I had an A, but he was probably beat.
I gave some of that back chasing down an OESD in a massive multiway pot that would have been a huge help. In fact, one of the players still in (who couldn't keep her mouth shut after the hand about what she had) said that she was open ended and an eight would have given her a straight. Fawk, she was drawing to the idiot end and I would've stacked her. From there, I kept looking for the spot that just wouldn't come. Then I have 145 left and am in the BB at 15/30. A few limpers, including some large stacks who will call raises with ATC, and I find AKo. All right, let me see if I can hit the flop before I shove. Flop comes AQx with two hearts. All in I am. UTG calls with KQ, no hearts (?) and other players fold. AK holds up and I double plus.
Table breaks. New table same cards. Blinds up. 25/50, then 50/100. I'm in the BB with half my stack posted, it folds to the SB who puts me all in. T6o. I call. He has K9o, so I'm live. 10 on the flop and I double. Very next hand, it folds to my SB and I find AKo again. No waiting this time, heads up. I push pre-flop and get called by KT. RPT donkeys. Suddenly, I have a medium sized stack (largest at my 5 man table) and the other table loses two so we go to the final table of 8.
First hand, I'm SB with A♣2♣. One limper then an all in for exactly the BB. I complete and BB checks. We check it down, and the turned A chops the pot between me and the limper (A5). Finally, we get down to 5 handed and the blinds are 200/400. This means that there are only about 20-22 BB total in play. RPT final tables are purely a lottery. It takes some skill to get there but, after that, it's completely up for grabs. I start that level UTG with 22. Yuck. Don't like it, but 800 all in. Called by KJ for most of his stack and 43 from the chip leader with huge odds. Board ends up ATT37. IGH 5th. Tournament ends about 4 or 5 hands later.
I know there is a first place at Limerick, I just keep falling just short. Oh well. The year is still starting well in live play (even if it is free) with 2 final tables in 2 starts, including one heads up chop. Personally, I think that consistently navigating a freeroll field is, in some ways, more difficult than playing a game with a buy in. Up to a certain level of player of course.
Brutal beat of the game:
Pre-Flop: Player 1 raises, Player 2 reraises, Player 2 calls.
Flop: AQJ rainbow. Player 1 bets, Player 2 calls.
Turn: J. Player 1 bets, Player 2 raises, Player 1 reraises all-in, Player 2 calls.
Player 1: AJ, Player 2: QQ
River: A
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Disney Vacation - Part 4
Go read part one first.
Then parts two and three.
Thursday
Then parts two and three.
Thursday
We extracted ourselves from the clutches of the evil Disney corporation in order to visit an attraction exhibited by a much more wholesome company. Annheuser-Busch's Sea World Orlando. We were told that Orlando traffic on a typical morning was brutal so, wanting to arrive right at the opening, we got up before the sun hoping to get on the road by about 7:30. What's that road to hell paved with again? While we were grabbing a bite in the dining hall, ε's parents realized that they had left their admission tickets in PA. Oops. So after about an hour of the most unhelpful customer service associates imaginable (unhelpful, really?), they were resigned to the fact that they would need to purchase new tickets when we got there.
The first good thing did happen in that the morning rush must have dissipated abnormally early on this day as there were virtually no cars on the road. We made the 14 mile drive in about 20 minutes and were amongst the first few dozen cars in the lot. When we got there, ε's S-I-L decided that it was going to be a very poor morning for the unlucky individual manning the customer relations window. After only about 5 minutes, new tickets were issued without charge. It always helps when a line is forming behind the person making life difficult.
Anyway, we all are able to enter the park 10 minutes after it opens. I, and a few of the other adults, are interested in riding Sea World's coaster, Kraken, before the lines start later but the damn thing doesn't run when it's cold. Booo! So, we take in the pirate show, featuring sea lions and a walrus. The girls enjoyed it much more than I though they would, so I was pleasantly surprised.
Then, we head over to Shamu's Happy Harbor so that the kids can do all the rides there with little to no waiting. Busch has a park near home called Sesame Place which we had been to and all of the rides here had counterparts there, just named and painted diferently. When we had last been there, I took β0 on the kiddie roller coaster but it had scared the life out of her. Just 6 months later, she must have rode that thing a half dozen times, getting happier each time. Although, β1 wanted to ride it (too short, even with an adult), she rode every single other thing there she was allowed to. The scarier it was, the more she liked it. I'm going to have to keep my eye on that one as she starts growing up...
After a while, we did a quick walk through in the shark aquarium and then it was time to grab a bite and head over to the Shamu show. Can you really go to Sea World and NOT watch the whales do tricks? We walked into Shamu Stadium a good 30 minutes early (intentionally) and found seats in the upper center section, about halfway up. The lower sections are all considered "Soak Zones" so that, being a 40 degree January day, was just right out. The kids really enjoyed the show, but I was a little disappointed that it has turned into about 50% garbage on the video screens. But it's not my enjoyment that matters, right?
The show ended and we went back to Happy Harbor, but it was quite a bit more crowded that it was earlier. The girls manged to sneak in a couple more rides, but then it was time to leave to go back to the resort. We had about an hour to decompress before needing to depart to meet our dinner reservations. Tonight we were eating at Kona Cafe in the Polynesian.
ε and I split our appetizers, Lump Crab Cakes with asian tartar and pineapple relish and the Pot Stickers, wok-seared duck dumplings with creamy ginger soy sauce. ε went with a chardonnay while I chose a Fire Rock Pale Ale. For main courses, I went with the Pomegranate Barbecued Pork Chop served on pan-roasted fingerling potatoes and applewood smoked bacon braised Swiss chard. ε followed my lead from the previous night and went with seafood. Panko breaded shrimp and pan-seared scallops with sticky rice and ponzu, spicy guava-passion fruit and wasabi cream sauces. Dessert was a no-brainer: chocolate macadamia nut tart with vanilla ice cream and caramel rum sauce.
Although the food was really good (probably the best pork chop I've ever eaten), the atmosphere for us was mediocre at best. Perhaps if we had been seated closer to the inner depths of the dining room, I'd feel differently, but we were right on the edge with just a brass railing separating our table with passing foot traffic in the hotel.
After the filling dinner, we rolled ourselves back to the car and made our way back to our resort. The remainder of the night consisted of the girls staring at a DVD movie, ε catching up on email, and me doing a little light reading. All in all, a very good day for the girls, but just another tiring one for me.
Next... Day 5 Magic Kingdom and Epcot redux
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Disney Vacation - Part 3
Go read part one first.
Then go read part two.
Wednesday
We started the day around 7:15 and, after shaking off the cobwebs, got everything organized and went for breakfast in the dining hall. After the previous day's mistake, we hopped on the bus waiting outside the hotel lobby and were dropped right in front of the entrance to Animal Kingdom. Much better idea.
Now, β0 had 2 things on her agenda for the day. Meet characters and see animals. In that order of priority. We, being the logical yet silly adults, decided to hike out to Africa to jump on the Safari ride before the lines got insane. It was a perfectly reasonable plan, but not one readily accepted by a 6 year old who wanted her picture taken with Mickey and Donald. However, due to lack of insight, the adults' decision stood and, for the second day in a row, we had a very unhappy little princess. Of course, β1 was ecstatic on the ride. Hippos, rhinos, giraffes, nile crocs, okapi, lions, a cheetah, and elephants. And those were just the ones she loved the most. β0 was trying very hard to maintain a foul disposition, but it wasn't quite working. Until the ride was over and she saw the webkinz for sale. Nothing that we couldn't find outside of Disney, mind you, just right there. And jacked up 20% over retail. This was one of those times during parenthood that you really need to pick your battles. Would $16 save the day? From that perspective, we did what we needed to do and bought her the damn koala. Oops, the little one wanted a leopard now, too. If this one gets unhappy, it's going to be a lot louder than a grumpy pout session. Another $16. Ship it.
Girls happy now? Check. Let's get the hell out of Africa before they find another reason and we have to cut the vacation short for lack of funds. Off to Camp Minnie-Mickey to visit Mickey and Donald. Thankfully, we didn't need to wait in the Minnie and Goofy lines since they came to us at dinner the previous night. It's the small things, right? Anyway, the weather is frightfully frigid for Florida, even in January. The night before was the coldest in Orlando in 5 years. So while ε, her mom, and the β's wait for pictures, I go with her dad in search of coffee. 10 minutes to the nearest stand, 20 minutes in line, and another 10 minutes back but at least I'm drinking something hot. Timing was good, though, as they were just finishing with Mickey (Donald only took like 10 minutes) and we decided it was time for a hot lunch.
Well, evidently, the food at the one restaurant there with indoor seating is really bad so we picked up some fairly tasty barbecue and ate on picnic tables. That was tolerable as long as the blasted wind wasn't kicking up. After we finished up, it was off to Dino Land. β0 could dig for dinosaur bones and play in the rope netting while β1 was riding some rides.
It didn't take too long before they were bored there, so we continued along to Asia. ε and I really wanted to ride Expedition Everest, but the line was around 2 hours long and they were no longer offering any Fast Passes. Sigh. Our consolation prize was that we got to see the bird show. Yeah yeah, smart birds doing tricks. But I got to sit down for a half hour, so that's something. Following the show, we decided to head back to the resort to relax for an hour before dinner, so we caught the bus and made it back around 4:30.
Our dinner reservations were for 7:20 at Le Cellier Steakhouse in Epcot's version of Canada. Not knowing how long it would take to get there, we got on the bus at 6:00 and were deposited at Epcot's front gate by 6:30. 15 minutes later, we were standing in front of the restaurant with 35 minutes to kill. So we meandered into the World Showcase for a little bit and arrived back just in time to be seated immediately, even though the dining room was packed. They must have their reservation system down to a science. I was happy to find they had Moosehead Pale Ale on the menu, as it is not that easy to find in the U.S. When we were on our cruise to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia a few years ago, we toured the brewery and got to sample some of the wares. The Pale Ale is very tasty so I had a couple with dinner. My selections were the Prince Edward Island Mussels, served chowder style with applewood smoked bacon and potatoes, and Sauteed Shrimp and Bay Scallops, served with a rich lobster cream sauce, linguini and spinach, finished with lobster oil. Mmmmm. ε had the Mixed Field Greens with crumbled bleu cheese and pecan-shallot vinaigrette and Le Cellier Mushroom Filet Mignon with baby bella wild mushroom risotto, white truffle and herb butter sauce, topped with parsnips. I kept it simple for dessert and went with the creme brulee. Dessert was the least satisfying part of the meal and it was still pretty darn tasty. Overall, probably my favorite meal of the trip, but not by much. Stay tuned.
By the time dinner was over it was almost 9:00, everyone was exhausted, and the kids couldn't even walk to the bus. I will say that carrying almost 50 pounds of tired child halfway across Epcot was the exact antithesis of what I really needed at the time, but what could I do? Buck up, get to the bus, back to the room, and pass out.
Next... Day 4, Sea World
Then go read part two.
Wednesday
We started the day around 7:15 and, after shaking off the cobwebs, got everything organized and went for breakfast in the dining hall. After the previous day's mistake, we hopped on the bus waiting outside the hotel lobby and were dropped right in front of the entrance to Animal Kingdom. Much better idea.
Now, β0 had 2 things on her agenda for the day. Meet characters and see animals. In that order of priority. We, being the logical yet silly adults, decided to hike out to Africa to jump on the Safari ride before the lines got insane. It was a perfectly reasonable plan, but not one readily accepted by a 6 year old who wanted her picture taken with Mickey and Donald. However, due to lack of insight, the adults' decision stood and, for the second day in a row, we had a very unhappy little princess. Of course, β1 was ecstatic on the ride. Hippos, rhinos, giraffes, nile crocs, okapi, lions, a cheetah, and elephants. And those were just the ones she loved the most. β0 was trying very hard to maintain a foul disposition, but it wasn't quite working. Until the ride was over and she saw the webkinz for sale. Nothing that we couldn't find outside of Disney, mind you, just right there. And jacked up 20% over retail. This was one of those times during parenthood that you really need to pick your battles. Would $16 save the day? From that perspective, we did what we needed to do and bought her the damn koala. Oops, the little one wanted a leopard now, too. If this one gets unhappy, it's going to be a lot louder than a grumpy pout session. Another $16. Ship it.
Girls happy now? Check. Let's get the hell out of Africa before they find another reason and we have to cut the vacation short for lack of funds. Off to Camp Minnie-Mickey to visit Mickey and Donald. Thankfully, we didn't need to wait in the Minnie and Goofy lines since they came to us at dinner the previous night. It's the small things, right? Anyway, the weather is frightfully frigid for Florida, even in January. The night before was the coldest in Orlando in 5 years. So while ε, her mom, and the β's wait for pictures, I go with her dad in search of coffee. 10 minutes to the nearest stand, 20 minutes in line, and another 10 minutes back but at least I'm drinking something hot. Timing was good, though, as they were just finishing with Mickey (Donald only took like 10 minutes) and we decided it was time for a hot lunch.
Well, evidently, the food at the one restaurant there with indoor seating is really bad so we picked up some fairly tasty barbecue and ate on picnic tables. That was tolerable as long as the blasted wind wasn't kicking up. After we finished up, it was off to Dino Land. β0 could dig for dinosaur bones and play in the rope netting while β1 was riding some rides.
It didn't take too long before they were bored there, so we continued along to Asia. ε and I really wanted to ride Expedition Everest, but the line was around 2 hours long and they were no longer offering any Fast Passes. Sigh. Our consolation prize was that we got to see the bird show. Yeah yeah, smart birds doing tricks. But I got to sit down for a half hour, so that's something. Following the show, we decided to head back to the resort to relax for an hour before dinner, so we caught the bus and made it back around 4:30.
Our dinner reservations were for 7:20 at Le Cellier Steakhouse in Epcot's version of Canada. Not knowing how long it would take to get there, we got on the bus at 6:00 and were deposited at Epcot's front gate by 6:30. 15 minutes later, we were standing in front of the restaurant with 35 minutes to kill. So we meandered into the World Showcase for a little bit and arrived back just in time to be seated immediately, even though the dining room was packed. They must have their reservation system down to a science. I was happy to find they had Moosehead Pale Ale on the menu, as it is not that easy to find in the U.S. When we were on our cruise to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia a few years ago, we toured the brewery and got to sample some of the wares. The Pale Ale is very tasty so I had a couple with dinner. My selections were the Prince Edward Island Mussels, served chowder style with applewood smoked bacon and potatoes, and Sauteed Shrimp and Bay Scallops, served with a rich lobster cream sauce, linguini and spinach, finished with lobster oil. Mmmmm. ε had the Mixed Field Greens with crumbled bleu cheese and pecan-shallot vinaigrette and Le Cellier Mushroom Filet Mignon with baby bella wild mushroom risotto, white truffle and herb butter sauce, topped with parsnips. I kept it simple for dessert and went with the creme brulee. Dessert was the least satisfying part of the meal and it was still pretty darn tasty. Overall, probably my favorite meal of the trip, but not by much. Stay tuned.
By the time dinner was over it was almost 9:00, everyone was exhausted, and the kids couldn't even walk to the bus. I will say that carrying almost 50 pounds of tired child halfway across Epcot was the exact antithesis of what I really needed at the time, but what could I do? Buck up, get to the bus, back to the room, and pass out.
Next... Day 4, Sea World
A Pretty Good Start to 2008
It seems like my regular Riverchasers games are dropping like flies. I used to be able find a game within 5 minutes of my house 3 or 4 nights a week but, now, any convenient game timewise involves a 20-30 minute commute. It's not going to stop me from going, of course, I still need those nights out of the house to keep me sane. Just saying is all.
So last night I cruised over to the game in Norristown which isn't too far and didn't start until 9:00. That gave me a chance to get the girls through their baths and help get them into bed before I needed to leave. Of course, it was the final Monday night game at that venue so I once again need to find a good, convenient place to play.
Anywho, there were somewhere around 20 players (maybe a few more that trickled in late) and I was sitting at one of the craziest starting tables I'd ever been at. And to say a riverchasers table is extra crazy is really making a statement. By the time we finished level 2, I don't think I had put a single chip into the pot except when in the blinds and one player had already increased his stack between 3 and 4 fold. People were literally handing him chips calling large bets with hands like second pair when he had already made the nut flush. Oh, and for an entire orbit at 1/2, the standard preflop raise was 12.5x BB. Nutty.
The first hand I actually got involved with was at 3/6. I had 44 in the BB decided and decided to check my option and actually get to see a cheap flop of J♣3♣2♣. Even though I held the 4♣, I wasn't all that happy with the flop and I was OOP so I checked behind the SB and was happy to see that so did everyone else. Then a 4♠ on the turn and all hell broke loose. SB bet out about 1/2 of the pot and I called. After a fold, UTG+1 went all in for about a pot sized raise. Button folds and so does SB, but only after tanking for about a minute. Now, I was most worried about a medium sized made flush, but that was only one possibility and I wasn't drawing dead even if that was what he had. I figured that, most probably, I was ahead and that he had a flush draw plus either a piece of the board or 2 overs. It is quite uncommon that I'm going to lay down 2nd set at a riverchasers freeroll. I call and my read was exactly right. 77 with the 7♣. He groaned as I flipped my set but, for some reason, the SB started yelling "c'mon, pair the board!". He was absolutely elated that the board paired the 3 on the river. He had turned a wheel and folded to the all in. Wow.
I picked up a few more chips with a check raise out of the BB with flopped trips and then watched QJs crack KK and 77 with runner-runner-runner straight. I wasn't in that hand but it was pretty funny. UTG limps for 10. UTG+1 asks me to change his single black 100 chip and then goes all in for 100. Not to be outdone, a medium stack in MP also asks for change of a black, then reraises all in. Classic. Original limper hems and haws and finally says F it and calls all in. Limper scooped and 77 boy was out.
Now the hand that got me over the hump and into contention. I get two black tens UTG and raise 3.5x BB. Only the blinds call. Flop comes 5♣8♣9♣. SB bets less than 1/3 of the pot and the BB calls. I'm not exactly sure where I am but, getting 6:1, I'll see what the turn brings. Q♣. Now I'm pretty sure I'm up against another flush, but how big? SB bets 1/10 of the pot and BB folds. What the hell do I make of THAT? Seems a little small for a value bet. Could my T♣ be good here? I call and the river brings an offsuit 3. SB now bets 1/12 of the pot and there're just too many chips in the middle to fold. He shows A♥6♣. Nice.
Not much later, we go to the final table of 9. Expectedly, the shorties are pushing and busting and we get down to 6. Blinds are 50/100 and I'm sitting on almost 600, about middle of the pack. UTG shoves for 100 more and I find AQ. Time to isolate with an all in reraise and UTG flips (with a groan) KQ. Best hand holds and there's another 350 chips for my stack. At this point, I start stealing like crazy. 66. A7o. KQo. Mostly from the button or blind vs. blind but it worked every time. We finally get down to 3 players and we're all pretty even. Somehow, two of us split the third guy's chips almost evenly before I bust him. I'm in the BB for 200 and he raises all in to 250 from the SB. I throw in 2 green chips without looking and he flips AT. I have T9. Well, that's about as bad as it could be, but it's not worse than 9:1 so the dark call is fine. 9 on the river and we're heads up just about even.
Since it's already almost midnight and I'm looking at about 5 hours of sleep max ahead of me, I ask him if he wants to chop and he agrees. We play 1 hand face up for first place points, and A7 > 89 so, officially, IGH second. I'm pretty sure I would've taken it down, but I really didn't want to spend another 20-30 minutes for 4 points and $15. I'm really happy how I mixed up my play a bit and was able to exploit my tight image against the players who I knew were paying attention. Let's hope this will be a continuing trend.
Exchange of the night:
Player 1 shows AA at showdown
Player2: 'You limped with aces pre-flop?'
Player1: 'I didn't limp.'
Player2: 'Did you raise pre-flop?'
Player1: 'No.'
Player2: 'Then you limped...'
Player1: 'It's not limping unless you're playing shitty cards.'
Player2: 'No, that's called limping with shitty cards.'
So last night I cruised over to the game in Norristown which isn't too far and didn't start until 9:00. That gave me a chance to get the girls through their baths and help get them into bed before I needed to leave. Of course, it was the final Monday night game at that venue so I once again need to find a good, convenient place to play.
Anywho, there were somewhere around 20 players (maybe a few more that trickled in late) and I was sitting at one of the craziest starting tables I'd ever been at. And to say a riverchasers table is extra crazy is really making a statement. By the time we finished level 2, I don't think I had put a single chip into the pot except when in the blinds and one player had already increased his stack between 3 and 4 fold. People were literally handing him chips calling large bets with hands like second pair when he had already made the nut flush. Oh, and for an entire orbit at 1/2, the standard preflop raise was 12.5x BB. Nutty.
The first hand I actually got involved with was at 3/6. I had 44 in the BB decided and decided to check my option and actually get to see a cheap flop of J♣3♣2♣. Even though I held the 4♣, I wasn't all that happy with the flop and I was OOP so I checked behind the SB and was happy to see that so did everyone else. Then a 4♠ on the turn and all hell broke loose. SB bet out about 1/2 of the pot and I called. After a fold, UTG+1 went all in for about a pot sized raise. Button folds and so does SB, but only after tanking for about a minute. Now, I was most worried about a medium sized made flush, but that was only one possibility and I wasn't drawing dead even if that was what he had. I figured that, most probably, I was ahead and that he had a flush draw plus either a piece of the board or 2 overs. It is quite uncommon that I'm going to lay down 2nd set at a riverchasers freeroll. I call and my read was exactly right. 77 with the 7♣. He groaned as I flipped my set but, for some reason, the SB started yelling "c'mon, pair the board!". He was absolutely elated that the board paired the 3 on the river. He had turned a wheel and folded to the all in. Wow.
I picked up a few more chips with a check raise out of the BB with flopped trips and then watched QJs crack KK and 77 with runner-runner-runner straight. I wasn't in that hand but it was pretty funny. UTG limps for 10. UTG+1 asks me to change his single black 100 chip and then goes all in for 100. Not to be outdone, a medium stack in MP also asks for change of a black, then reraises all in. Classic. Original limper hems and haws and finally says F it and calls all in. Limper scooped and 77 boy was out.
Now the hand that got me over the hump and into contention. I get two black tens UTG and raise 3.5x BB. Only the blinds call. Flop comes 5♣8♣9♣. SB bets less than 1/3 of the pot and the BB calls. I'm not exactly sure where I am but, getting 6:1, I'll see what the turn brings. Q♣. Now I'm pretty sure I'm up against another flush, but how big? SB bets 1/10 of the pot and BB folds. What the hell do I make of THAT? Seems a little small for a value bet. Could my T♣ be good here? I call and the river brings an offsuit 3. SB now bets 1/12 of the pot and there're just too many chips in the middle to fold. He shows A♥6♣. Nice.
Not much later, we go to the final table of 9. Expectedly, the shorties are pushing and busting and we get down to 6. Blinds are 50/100 and I'm sitting on almost 600, about middle of the pack. UTG shoves for 100 more and I find AQ. Time to isolate with an all in reraise and UTG flips (with a groan) KQ. Best hand holds and there's another 350 chips for my stack. At this point, I start stealing like crazy. 66. A7o. KQo. Mostly from the button or blind vs. blind but it worked every time. We finally get down to 3 players and we're all pretty even. Somehow, two of us split the third guy's chips almost evenly before I bust him. I'm in the BB for 200 and he raises all in to 250 from the SB. I throw in 2 green chips without looking and he flips AT. I have T9. Well, that's about as bad as it could be, but it's not worse than 9:1 so the dark call is fine. 9 on the river and we're heads up just about even.
Since it's already almost midnight and I'm looking at about 5 hours of sleep max ahead of me, I ask him if he wants to chop and he agrees. We play 1 hand face up for first place points, and A7 > 89 so, officially, IGH second. I'm pretty sure I would've taken it down, but I really didn't want to spend another 20-30 minutes for 4 points and $15. I'm really happy how I mixed up my play a bit and was able to exploit my tight image against the players who I knew were paying attention. Let's hope this will be a continuing trend.
Exchange of the night:
Player 1 shows AA at showdown
Player2: 'You limped with aces pre-flop?'
Player1: 'I didn't limp.'
Player2: 'Did you raise pre-flop?'
Player1: 'No.'
Player2: 'Then you limped...'
Player1: 'It's not limping unless you're playing shitty cards.'
Player2: 'No, that's called limping with shitty cards.'
Monday, January 7, 2008
Disney Vacation - Part 2
Go read part one first.
Tuesday
We got up somewhere between 7:00 and 7:30 and managed to get ourselves and kids ready for the long day. The dining hall serves food that is perfectly consistent with needing to serve several thousand people for each meal. Standard fare. Eggs and potatoes or pancakes and bacon or just fruit and a bagel. Not made to order, but kept reasonably hot in the steam trays and they go through enough so that what you get is palatable.
After breakfast concluded, we began the trip over to the Magic Kingdom where we would spend the first full day. For some reason, we decided to drive over instead of taking the Disney bus. That would be the last time we drove to a park for the week. We passed through the entrance to the complex right at 9:00 AM, flashed the card indicating that the $11 parking fee was already bundled somewhere in our package and followed the throngs to the lot. Parked the car. Got on a tram. Then needed to either get on a monorail or the ferry. Since the monorail line seemed to be several hundred long, we hopped the ferry. Even though we probably would have gotten to the main gate faster the other way, I would rather pass my time sitting on a boat than standing in a ridiculous queue. There would be plenty of opportunities for that later.
It was probably a good 30 minutes between when we got out of the car and finally were able to enter the park. Immediately, β1 wanted to ride the train. ok. Seemed like a good way to review what was going on that day and figure out what we wanted to do next. Unfortunately, β0 had evidently worked herself up internally into a frenzy and this was NOT in her plans. We were finally here and she wanted to do something that SHE wanted to do. Right. Now. Full blown pout session. Arms crossed, chin to chest, wouldn't say a word. Code blue. We need 50cc's of princesses, stat. Finally get off the train and head for Mickey's Toon Town. Evidently, there were going to be a group of princesses doing meetings until 11:30. On the far side of the park. When we get there, the line is already an hour long and there is less than an hour until they leave. No dice.
We walked over to Fantasyland, hoping that we could at least get the girls on some rides. Now, Disney has a pretty cool thing called Fast Pass. If there is a long line, you can stick your ticket in a machine and it will spit out what is basically a rain check for the ride. Then, when your hour long time window comes up, you go through a different entrance and skip around 90% of whatever line is there. Good deal. There is about a 30 minute wait for the winnie the pooh ride, but the next Fast Pass window starts in 45 minutes. We grab them and then notice that Pooh and Tigger are signing autographs and taking pictures nearby. No problem. As long as it will take to finally have the girls meet some characters, we'll then be able to get right on the ride. I was really proud of β0 for waiting so patiently. She finally got to the front of the line and was able to give Pooh and Tigger hugs, have them sign her autograph book (a recurring theme), and get pictures with them. Then there was only a 2 minute wait to get back on the pooh ride. Things were starting to look up.
After the ride, it was time for lunch so off to FrontierLand and the Pecos Bill cafe. Standard burgers/fries/chicken strips fare, but everyone was hungry and we weren't looking for anything gourmet. Just quick. And when I say quick, I mean Disney quick which is about 15 minutes in a food line. After lunch, we found Peter Pan and Wendy at the front of a relatively short line, so we snagged a few more pics and signatures. We could have gotten Captain Hook and Smee also in an even shorter line, but β0 said they were too ugly and didn't want to see them. We would end up waiting for a half hour for them later in the week. Sigh.
Oh well. Back to Fantasyland for some more little kid friendly rides. Carousel. Check. Teacups. Check. Then ε waited in the 50 minute line with β1 for the flying Dumbos. Meanwhile, I noticed that the line for Ariel was down from 2 hours to just under 1. We did that and, thankfully, there was a little area there where the kids could run around and play in and around some sprinklers. So while I waited in the line, β0 went into an hour long wait with me/play in the water loop and then we finally met Ariel. Now, the folks they get to play the characters are usually pretty spot on, but to me, this girl looked like she was earning a little extra scratch out behind Space Mountain $25 at a time if you catch my drift. But β0 was really happy so who am I to judge?
Eventually, we just started meandering around, caught the show outside of the castle around 4:00 and slowly made our way to Liberty Square dinner at the Liberty Tree Tavern. We had reservations for "Goofy's Liberate Your Appetite Character Dinner". Family style servings of:
DECLARATION SALAD - Tossed Mixed Greens, served with our special Tavern Strawberry Vinaigrette Dressing
PATRIOT'S PLATTER - A generous serving of roasted turkey breast, carved beef, and smoked pork loin, with mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables, herb bread stuffing, and Stouffer's Macaroni and Cheese.
DESSERTS - Apple cobbler with vanilla ice cream included.
But, they had Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, and Chip & Dale wandering around and stopping at each table for pics and sigs. The food was average at best, and β1 slept in the booth the whole time, but it was a long day already and I wasn't feeling overly critical. By the time we finished, the sun was down and it was into the 40's which made for a not very pleasant trek back to the car. Got back to the hotel after 9:00 and collapsed.
Next... Day 3, Animal Kingdom
Tuesday
We got up somewhere between 7:00 and 7:30 and managed to get ourselves and kids ready for the long day. The dining hall serves food that is perfectly consistent with needing to serve several thousand people for each meal. Standard fare. Eggs and potatoes or pancakes and bacon or just fruit and a bagel. Not made to order, but kept reasonably hot in the steam trays and they go through enough so that what you get is palatable.
After breakfast concluded, we began the trip over to the Magic Kingdom where we would spend the first full day. For some reason, we decided to drive over instead of taking the Disney bus. That would be the last time we drove to a park for the week. We passed through the entrance to the complex right at 9:00 AM, flashed the card indicating that the $11 parking fee was already bundled somewhere in our package and followed the throngs to the lot. Parked the car. Got on a tram. Then needed to either get on a monorail or the ferry. Since the monorail line seemed to be several hundred long, we hopped the ferry. Even though we probably would have gotten to the main gate faster the other way, I would rather pass my time sitting on a boat than standing in a ridiculous queue. There would be plenty of opportunities for that later.
It was probably a good 30 minutes between when we got out of the car and finally were able to enter the park. Immediately, β1 wanted to ride the train. ok. Seemed like a good way to review what was going on that day and figure out what we wanted to do next. Unfortunately, β0 had evidently worked herself up internally into a frenzy and this was NOT in her plans. We were finally here and she wanted to do something that SHE wanted to do. Right. Now. Full blown pout session. Arms crossed, chin to chest, wouldn't say a word. Code blue. We need 50cc's of princesses, stat. Finally get off the train and head for Mickey's Toon Town. Evidently, there were going to be a group of princesses doing meetings until 11:30. On the far side of the park. When we get there, the line is already an hour long and there is less than an hour until they leave. No dice.
We walked over to Fantasyland, hoping that we could at least get the girls on some rides. Now, Disney has a pretty cool thing called Fast Pass. If there is a long line, you can stick your ticket in a machine and it will spit out what is basically a rain check for the ride. Then, when your hour long time window comes up, you go through a different entrance and skip around 90% of whatever line is there. Good deal. There is about a 30 minute wait for the winnie the pooh ride, but the next Fast Pass window starts in 45 minutes. We grab them and then notice that Pooh and Tigger are signing autographs and taking pictures nearby. No problem. As long as it will take to finally have the girls meet some characters, we'll then be able to get right on the ride. I was really proud of β0 for waiting so patiently. She finally got to the front of the line and was able to give Pooh and Tigger hugs, have them sign her autograph book (a recurring theme), and get pictures with them. Then there was only a 2 minute wait to get back on the pooh ride. Things were starting to look up.
After the ride, it was time for lunch so off to FrontierLand and the Pecos Bill cafe. Standard burgers/fries/chicken strips fare, but everyone was hungry and we weren't looking for anything gourmet. Just quick. And when I say quick, I mean Disney quick which is about 15 minutes in a food line. After lunch, we found Peter Pan and Wendy at the front of a relatively short line, so we snagged a few more pics and signatures. We could have gotten Captain Hook and Smee also in an even shorter line, but β0 said they were too ugly and didn't want to see them. We would end up waiting for a half hour for them later in the week. Sigh.
Oh well. Back to Fantasyland for some more little kid friendly rides. Carousel. Check. Teacups. Check. Then ε waited in the 50 minute line with β1 for the flying Dumbos. Meanwhile, I noticed that the line for Ariel was down from 2 hours to just under 1. We did that and, thankfully, there was a little area there where the kids could run around and play in and around some sprinklers. So while I waited in the line, β0 went into an hour long wait with me/play in the water loop and then we finally met Ariel. Now, the folks they get to play the characters are usually pretty spot on, but to me, this girl looked like she was earning a little extra scratch out behind Space Mountain $25 at a time if you catch my drift. But β0 was really happy so who am I to judge?
Eventually, we just started meandering around, caught the show outside of the castle around 4:00 and slowly made our way to Liberty Square dinner at the Liberty Tree Tavern. We had reservations for "Goofy's Liberate Your Appetite Character Dinner". Family style servings of:
DECLARATION SALAD - Tossed Mixed Greens, served with our special Tavern Strawberry Vinaigrette Dressing
PATRIOT'S PLATTER - A generous serving of roasted turkey breast, carved beef, and smoked pork loin, with mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables, herb bread stuffing, and Stouffer's Macaroni and Cheese.
DESSERTS - Apple cobbler with vanilla ice cream included.
But, they had Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, and Chip & Dale wandering around and stopping at each table for pics and sigs. The food was average at best, and β1 slept in the booth the whole time, but it was a long day already and I wasn't feeling overly critical. By the time we finished, the sun was down and it was into the 40's which made for a not very pleasant trek back to the car. Got back to the hotel after 9:00 and collapsed.
Next... Day 3, Animal Kingdom
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