Our Fearless Leader

According to an article in the Dallas Morning News on Friday, Rick Perry claimed that Texas "....did not have a revenue problem".

I guess that means that the projected $18b deficit is just some mass delusion that is somehow Bill White's fault.

Random Observations

Well, it's been a while since I posted anything. I try to filter out all the extraneous thoughts pinging around inside my head so I won't wear anyone out. Of course, since I think I have maybe 2 or 3 visitors a month, that doesn't really matter.

Anyway, I thought I would just throw a few things out there, so here goes.

Stupid things I hear at the poker table:

1. " Well, I guess I have to call you." Really? You really do? What, do you have a gun to your head? Translation: I've played this hand so badly that I am about to suck out on you, sir, and I apologize in advance.

2. "If you hadn't hit that ace, I would have won." Again, really?? Wow, you must be some sort of math genius. I guess that's why there are 5 cards on the board, not 4. Translation: I overplayed my J 10 offsuit like it was aces. You're lucky I didn't suck out on you.

3. "I guess I have to keep you honest." Why, are you the honesty police? Who elected you to keep everyone in line? Lying? At a poker table? I am shocked!! Translation: I am a bad poker player, sir. I will call a bluff with absolutely nothing.

4. "Big blind special." Yuk, Yuk. Yeah, you're a real funny guy, Curly. Translation: This is attempt at humor to make everyone overlook the fact I played 7 5 offsuit out of the big blind after a raise, and flopped a full house.

5. "But they were suited!" I can't really say anything about this. It's just pathetic.

Another Random Observation

I tend to rant about Winstar Casino, just over the border in Oklahoma. I don't want anyone to be under the impression that Winstar is the only casino near Texas. According to an article on Pokerati.com, Choctaw's casino now has over 110,000 s.f.

I pulled the image above of Oklahoma off of the Choctaw Casino website. Gee, is it just me, or are there a lot of casinos near Texas? Just a little more evidence of Texas money that's going to Oklahoma could be staying in Texas.

Leaving Las Vegas...out of the money

Well, I played in my first WSOP, and even though I played for almost 6 hours, and still finished only 485th out of 1119 on Sunday, Day 1B (Saturday was Day 1A - total players for Event #36 - 3,102), I can truly say that I had a great time. My brother and I flew in last Thursday evening, and Friday we went to the Rio to sign in. Man, what a shock. Try to imagine as many poker tables as you can all in 1 room, then add, oh, maybe 150 more tables in the other room. 10 players to a table, that comes out to around 4500 people playing poker. That's a lot of poker players!! (I actually paced off the Pavillion Room where I played. It is 100 yards from end to end. That is a football field long folks!). It was a little overwhelming when they started, but after a few hands, it was easy to imagine that it was just another tourney. I just tried to keep my head down and play my table. Picked off a couple of bluffs. Was likewise picked off a few times myself. But after 6 hours, and about the same chip stack that I started with, I could feel myself starting to lose some patience and push some things that I shouldn't have. Ended up calling a raise from the BB with A5 suited, then went all in when the board came out AK6. I was called with AQ, and the turn and river didn't help, so I was out. If I can offer any advice to anyone who goes to play, one word: PATIENCE.

We also played the Deep Stack tourneys, as well as a few others around town. Poker pretty much 24/7. I was absolutely ready to come home and see my family. One funny story about the Deep Stack. I was playing on Saturday with my brother railing me. I was getting fairly short stacked, when in the big blind I looked down at two BEEUTIFUL black aces. Someone raised, and I pushed all in for my last 7K. He called and showed pocket 3's. He hit a 3 on the flop, and I was out. When I was leaving, Paul pulled me aside and SWORE that he was praying, "two black aces, two black aces, two black aces". I think he just about fainted when he saw my cards. Poker is a strange thing!

The Saint (my wife) has told me I am free to play again next year as long as I start saving now. The Senior event had only 3,142 players. I'll be over 50 then, and who knows, with one WSOP under my belt, I may do a little better.

A Special Shout Out to Bruce Allen Bruce finished 149th in the Senior Event, and I really enjoyed railing him. (Bruce is a very good local player here, and a member of the local card group that I have attached myself to.) Way to go, Bruce!! We are all proud of you!!!!

WSOP Bound

As I have posted previously (and what should be abundantly clear), I have always enjoyed a good poker game. I, along with millions of other poker players, have watched the World Series of Poker grow at a phenomenal rate since amateur Chris Moneymaker won the whole thing in 2003, winning his seat through a $40 buy in tournament through PokerStars.

Ever since then, I have watched the coverage every year on ESPN, envious of the people that got a chance to go play in the biggest poker tournament in the world. Well, now I have my chance.

My wife, the saint, who has indulged my poker playing these last few years, gave me a choice for my 50th birthday. I could go play golf at Pebble Beach, or play at the World Series of Poker. It was a harder choice to make than you might imagine. After all, this is a POKER blog, not a golf blog. I mean, my two favorite hobbies are golf and poker. The more I though about it, I decided to play the WSOP, for a couple of reasons. One, no one could afford to go with me to Pebble Beach, and I didn't want to spend my birthday alone. Second, there is a decent chance that my wife would go with me to Pebble Beach in several years after the kids move out and go to college. There is NO way my wife will ever go to a poker tournament with me. I think she would rather have her wisdom teeth taken out than play poker. So that left me with the WSOP.

My brother and I head out to Las Vegas next Thursday, and I am playing in the $1000 buy in bracelet event #36. I also have a lot of friends here in the Dallas area that are going as well. I hope that I have a lot of good news to report when I get back. Who knows, maybe I might win the darn thing.

King Perry issues another threat

In an article in the Dallas Morning News, King Rick is prepared to cut off his nose to spite his face yet again.

In a statement Thursday regarding gambling in Texas, he said, "The Texas Legislature may find that it is something they're interested in. I would highly recommend they don't send it to my desk."

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jim Pitts, a Republican no less, has warned of an $18B budget shortfall next year. Even he says its time to re-examine gaming.

Let me repeat this!!! Winstar Casino, at exit 1, just over the Red River, is the 5th largest casino in the WORLD!! Their profits last year, from January to September, were $259 million. This may seem like a drop in the bucket when you are talking about an $18 billion shortfall, but a few casinos in Texas would be a good start.

I was ahead until I was behind

Well I just finished the third event of the World Bloggers Championship of Online Poker. I finished 155th out of 1843. Above is how it all ended. I actually thought for a second that we had split the pot, but of course he had an 8 high straight. I don't blame Mac81xx for calling; I had nursed a short stack for WAY too long. We started with $2000 in chips, and I could just not get any traction, hovering between $2-4000 the entire tournament. Finally got it all in ahead, but I just didn't have any fold equity. It really sucks going out 2 away from the money, but I just couldn't keep stalling and fold my way 153rd, like the idiot 2 to my right. He took every bit of time afforded him, and you can see how that was working well for him.

I just checked back, and he finished in 154th. HAH!!!

Out in 441st

Well I tried my hand at the Pokerstars World Blogger Championship Of Online Poker (why they let the likes of me play is beyond me), and, just as my luck has been running, my AK was all-in preflop against AJ. The J was in the door and I was out - in 441st out of 1740.

Maybe I'll have better luck tomorrow in the PL Omaha tournament. (I keep looking over my shoulder - in a digital sense - maybe Pokerstars has dropped the ball...I'll keep playing as many free tournaments as I can)

King Rick - A Proud Texan

King Rick visited Elevate Life Church, a non denominational evangelical church Sunday, and told parishoners that "....he was a proud Texan, but that we have challenges."

Maybe if he allowed casinos in Texas, like the Winstar in Oklahoma, we would have more money, and therefore more ways to solve our "challenges". According to a newson6.com, The Chickasaw Nation, which owns Winstar World Casino (the fifth largest in the world, btw) took in $259 million dollars in net profits for the fiscal year January through October 2009. Can you imagine a few casinos throughout Texas, in Galveston, DFW, maybe near the Riverwalk in San Antonio, and maybe El Paso for all those West Texans.

4 casinos x $259m/year = $1.036 billion/year

Enough to fund quite a few school programs, some lunch programs, maybe a few thousand college scholarships. Not to mention the jobs that 4 casinos would create, everything from the architects that design the casinos, to the construction guys that do the work, to the casino employees, the bartenders, the dealers, and the cleaning crew. How many jobs would that be, Rick?

Maybe we would have fewer "challenges" if our governor would pull his head out of his ass and start noticing that there is a LOT of money headed to Oklahoma and Louisiana.

Pokerstars Blogger Tournament

I have registered to play in the PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker! The WBCOOP is a free online Poker tournament open to all Bloggers, so register on WBCOOP to play.

Registration code: 404278

Spying on Winstar

I made a trip to Winstar this past Wednesday to play the $60 daily tournament. (Just as a side note: I remember playing in this thing when it was limited to 60 players, and there was NO WAY to sign up late. Nowadays, they have 110 players, with 20 alternates). I busted out early when I got all my chips in on the turn with a set of 6's, against a woman who had top pair with a flush draw. Guess what she hit on the river?

On a lark, I decided to count the number of Texas license plates in the parking lot vs. Oklahoma plates. I had driven up and down several rows of cars when I noticed that security was following me. Deciding that I should probably beat a hasty retreat, I left and figured that I had enough of a count to let you all know where Winstars' money is coming from. The score?

Texas plates - 104

Okla. plates - 6