A very pretty picture

NumbBono | Poker | Wednesday, January 30th, 2008

Ran into this while donking around waiting for the prop-bet fun during The Mookie.

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NumbBono

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Screwed by the JackAce…someday I’ll learn

NumbBono | Poker | Sunday, January 27th, 2008

About 190 runners left after 632 started. I’m a top ten stack, Dribblez1234 is also top ten, and extremely loose. In fact, he had just chipped up to his amount after being down around 3K by shoving ATC for about five hands or so, and getting lucky.

$11,500 KO Guarantee (37477063), Table 95 - 80/160 - No Limit Hold’em
Seat 1: Dribblez1234 (19,095)
Seat 2: boun_pho (978)
Seat 3: Mallenbach (3,000)
Seat 4: K3nTaKa0s (1,820)
Seat 5: supa meng1 (6,485)
Seat 6: NumbBono (16,765)
Dribblez1234 posts the small blind of 80
boun_pho posts the big blind of 160
The button is in seat #6
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to NumbBono [Jh Ah] (The infamous JackAce)
Mallenbach folds
K3nTaKa0s folds
supa meng1 raises to 560
NumbBono calls 560 (Smooth call, because I know Dribblez is calling)
Dribblez1234 calls 480 (As expected)
boun_pho folds
*** FLOP *** [Ks Ad Jd] (Bingo, but still vulnerable)
Dribblez1234 checks
supa meng1 bets 5,925, and is all in (Hmmmmmm)
NumbBono raises to 16,205, and is all in (I’m gonna gamble that it’s not AK here)
Dribblez1234 calls 16,205 (Well, the squeeze didn’t work)
NumbBono shows [Jh Ah]
Dribblez1234 shows [Kd Td] (Wow)
supa meng1 shows [Tc As] (I’m actually ahead here)
*** TURN *** [Ks Ad Jd] [5c] (So far so good)
*** RIVER *** [Ks Ad Jd 5c] [Qs] (FAAAAAAWK)
NumbBono shows two pair, Aces and Jacks
Dribblez1234 shows a straight, Ace high
Dribblez1234 wins the side pot (20,560) with a straight, Ace high
supa meng1 shows a straight, Ace high
Dribblez1234 ties for the main pot (9,808) with a straight, Ace hig
supa meng1 ties for the main pot (9,807) with a straight, Ace high
NumbBono stands up
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 40,175 Main pot 19,615. Side pot 20,560. | Rake 0
Board: [Ks Ad Jd 5c Qs]
Seat 1: Dribblez1234 (small blind) showed [Kd Td] and won (30,368) with a straight, Ace high
Seat 2: boun_pho (big blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 3: Mallenbach didn’t bet (folded)
Seat 4: K3nTaKa0s didn’t bet (folded)
Seat 5: supa meng1 showed [Tc As] and won (9,807) with a straight, Ace high
Seat 6: NumbBono (button) showed [Jh Ah] and lost with two pair, Aces and Jacks

Such is tournament poker.

Heads Up Challenge VI

NumbBono | Poker | Saturday, January 26th, 2008

I’m in.

Box-O-Wine

NumbBono | Poker | Thursday, January 24th, 2008

Here’s the real Box-O-Wine story about BuddyDank.

One night, after one of our home game donkfests, Buddy needed a ride home, as his pussy wagon … Mustang was out of commission for some reason or another.

We get to his place, and start shooting the shit about poker, life, and anything else. This was shortly after the Vegas gathering, so I think we were talking about most of the rest of you in one fashion or another.

I downed the only beer Buddy had, and was thirsty for some more alcohol. Turns out, all he’s got left is a goddamn box of wine in the fridge. I shrug, head to the pisser to take a leak, and decide that you’ve got to make do with the liquor that is placed in front of you.

As I emerge from Buddy’s less than hygenic bathroom, I turn the corner into the kitchen, and see this…

BuddyDank and his favorite drink

I immediately yank the Box-O-Wine from Buddy, and yell…”Hey…that’s for guests!”, and proceeded to polish it off.

Then we talked about clothes and makeup for another hour before I decided to stumble out the door and get home before he tried to have buttsex with me.

Really, that’s how it happened.

I may miss the Mookie!!!

NumbBono | Poker | Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008

Stop the presses, you saw that tag line right.  NumbBono, the Mookie Ironman himself may have to actually miss a Mookie.

The last time this happened was July 4th, 2007.  Didn’t think the family would appreciate it if I stayed at home, and clicked a mouse button while they went to watch fireworks at the State Capital Building.

So I’m traveling on business Wednesday to Colorado Springs.  If I can finish up what I’ve got to do on Wednesday, rub elbows at dinner with a few people, and get back to my room on time, I may make the festivities.

Gotta go for back-to-back titles baby!

Blogger Skills game

NumbBono | Poker | Sunday, January 20th, 2008

After playing pretty decent poker for over three and a half hours, I melted down and took king high to the river in the holdem round of H.O.R.S.E. to lose a good chunk of my stack to what…ace high… what else?
At least it was after the money bubble burst.  I guess I can live knowing I have the third best skillset of the 19 bloggers that started the tourney.

Mookie win #2, a detailed analysis

NumbBono | Poker | Friday, January 18th, 2008

It’s a beautiful snowy day here in central Iowa. Six inches fell overnight, and I always love the mornings after a fresh snow. You know, before it gets too messy.

I should be dragging, my eyes should be heavy, I have no business being productive today at work, but I’ve actually been OK, until now, when I decided to start my Mookie recap.

An already short night of sleep was cut even shorter by Numb Jr. this morning. He started his usual waking process right on schedule, around 5:45, and I poked my head in his room, and was greeted by the pungent odor of puke. At some time during the night, and judging by the consistency of the puke, it must have been early, he got sick.

Must have been about the time I was at the final table, because sometime around then, he woke up, cried for a minute, and then went back to sleep.

So the morning was occupied by a bath, and tending to the boy. Mrs. Numb planned on staying home from school (she’s a teacher), but we soon found out she wouldn’t have to take a sick day, as school was eventually called off due to the snow. I took off early for work to avoid the idiots who can’t handle winter driving around here.

By 9:30, Mrs. Numb called to inform me that Numb Jr. had already had two blowouts. Those of you with kids know what I’m talking about. So a trip to the doctor might be forthcoming.

Back to the topic at hand…The Mookie. I’ve documented…errr…bragged about my success in this thing, but honestly, most of this success came in the first half of last year. The Mookie Gods weren’t particularly kind to me during the second half of 2007.

So I was kind of hoping for a fresh start this year, and so far, so good. Three played, two final tables, two cashes, one victory.

Two Time Champion

Quite honestly, I felt I played a pretty solid tournament. I know, that’s an easy thing to say when you take the whole effin thing down, but I felt like I was changing gears and really playing a few of the other players, rather than my cards. In short, things were working, and that’s a great feeling at the table.

Enough of the self-congratulation, and on to the the summary. I really like breaking down a tournament like this for a couple of reasons. One, I can gloat in my victory. We all know that’s the best part about winning (except maybe the money). Two, it preserves a record of my thoughts regarding certain hands. I’ll never remember why I jammed this hand here, and folded it there, and so on… And three, it allows you to look back and think critically of your play. I often find that when I try to “verbalize” my thought processes regarding certain hands or certain plays that I’ve made, I discover that I’m processing these same thoughts almost on a subconscious level during actual gameplay. But it helps to slow it down and remind yourself just why you acted a certain way at a certain point in a hand or tournament.

I didn’t take screenshots during the game, that’s been a bad luck thing for me since last year, so I stopped doing it, unless there’s a big hand…quads or better. I’m relying on PokerTracker and my memory for this.

First, some stats.

Total Hands: 294

AA - 2
KK - 1
QQ - 2
JJ - 2
10-10 - 1
AKs - 0
AKo - 5
Other Pocket Pairs - 6

I found it interesting that of the 14 pocket pairs dealt to me, I won with 12 of them. The holdouts being a JJ and a 33.

The hands I was dealt the most…J5…eleven times. Second place…AQ…nine times, all unsuited.

Hand 7 - Blinds 15/30 - T3,000
I open for 120 from UTG+1 with KcQd, kaellinn18 smooth calls immediately to my left, and the table folds. Flop comes 4h-5s-Js, I drop 120 into the 135 chip pot and kaellinn18 raises to 300, forcing me to fold.

No real comment on this hand, I was just playing a mediocre hand from poor position. I’m more willing to do this at the beginning of a tourney, rather than middle to late. Just a donkey move…you know what they say…”When in Rome…”

Hand 16 - Blinds 20/40 - T2,745
UTG, I look at Ad-Ks, and min-raise to 80. Mike Maloney calls from MP, and Chad calls from the SB. Flop is a useless 8s-9d-4s, and I check-fold to Maloney’s bet of 180, as does Chad.

Not much here, just a standard fold after guttering with big slick. No way I’m losing a huge pot this early in the tourney with ace high.

Hand 24 - Blinds 20/40 - T2,605
I limp from UTG+1 with 3c-3h. KngofKngs (Sedrick) calls on the button and JoeMav checks his option from the BB. Flop comes Kc-2h-5c. I bet 125 into a 140 chip pot and they both fold, chipping me up to T2,705.

Just trying to limp in early and do a little set hunting. Took a donkish stab at the pot on the flop that somehow worked.

Hand 32 - Blinds 25/50 - T2,630
Pick up red Aces in MP and min raise JoeMav, who limped UTG. He calls and we see 5s-2s-5c come on the flop. He checks, I bet 225 into the 250 chip pot and he folds.

No idea what JoeMav had on this hand, but he seems pretty willing to play ATC from any position. I’m not one to slow-play aces against a loose pre-flop player.

Hand 35 - Blinds 25/50 - T2,805
Just three hands later I pick up red Cowboys in the BB. Waffles opens for 3xBB in MP and the table folds to me. I re-raise to 475 and Waffles flat calls. 2h-Qd-5c comes on the flop, and I lead out at the 975 chip pot with a bet of 850. Waffles thinks hard, calls me a liar, and folds.

I put Waffles on A-Q, A-J, or a 8-8 to J-J here, obviously hoping for A-Q.

Hand 36 - Blinds 30/60 - T3,305
JoeMav limps from the cutoff and I complete my SB with As-10c, and kaellinn18 checks the BB. Ac-7d-Kc on the flop, and it checks around to JoeMav, who bets 60. I re-raise to 250, kaellinn18 folds, and JoeMav flat calls my re-raise on the flop. 8c on the turn, putting three clubs on the board, I bet slightly less than half the 680 chip pot, and JoeMav insta-shoves for his remaining 2,100 chips, and I fold.

The only question I have after this hand was how big his flush was, since he made virtually no attempt to get paid off properly by it.

Hand 38 - Blinds 30/60 - T2,695
Chad, immediately on my right opens for 180, and I cold-call from the cutoff with 7h-7c while the rest of the table folds. The 6s-7s-6c flop gives me a boat, with position the rest of the hand. Chad bets 300 into the 450 chip pot, and I call. Chad fires another shell on the Kc turn with a 720 bet into 1,050. With the pot now at 1,750, and my stack down to 2,215, I jam. Chad thinks for a while, and folds. My stack is starting to grow at T3,985 now.

This would be the only time I would cold-call a raise pre-flop in the tournament. I wonder if jamming on the turn was the right move, Chad’s a savvy player, and I was hoping that he was seeing me as just another donkey who was looking to hit his flush draw. If I had to venture guess as to his holdings, I would probably say something like eights, or maybe AQs. Maybe a flat-call on the turn could have earned me more chips on the river here.

Hand 50 - Blinds 40/80 - T3,985
Pick up Jd-Jc UTG+1, and open for 225 chips. Mike Maloney re-raises from the cutoff to 775, and I call while the rest of the table folds. After the flop comes 2c-5h-10c, I jam for my remaining 3,210. Maloney thinks about it, and folds, and I’m now sitting on T4,880.

This looks like a donkish play when you read the vanilla description above, but let me explain my thinking here. After the flop, Maloney has T1,905 left, and the pot has T1,670. If he’s playing any further in this hand, he’s gonna have to commit all of his chips at some point. I’m only worried about four hands here, AA, KK, QQ, and TT. He doesn’t have TT, because I’ve seen Mike play enough to know that he’s not re-raising TT pre-flop, no way. So that narrows his range, or at least the range that I’m worried about to the three overpairs to my Jacks. So I’m jamming here, because I know he’ll probably fold any other hand. If he’s got one of those three hands, so be it, I’m coolered.

Hand 58 - Blinds 40/80 - T5,000
I open from UTG+1 with 7d-7s, and the tables folds to JoeMav, who calls from the BB. He checks to me on the Ks-2h-8h flop, and I fire 200 into the pot of 490, and he flat-calls. I make trips when the 7h comes on the turn, and once again, JoeMav checks to me. This time I check, hoping to dodge a fourth heart on the river and get paid off. The 9c is the river card, and Joe takes a stab at the pot with a bet of 320 into 890, leaving him T1,975 behind, I just call, and Joe’s pocket fives (no heart) are no good, and I scoop a nice little pot to move up to T5,785.

No fancy moves here, I think I maximized my profit on this hand with the check on the turn.

Hand 76 - Blinds 60/120 - T5,785
I min raise UTG with Ad-Ks, and the table folds to Chad in the BB, who just calls. A raggedy looking 10d-7c-5d comes on the flop, and Chad checks to me. I bet 415 into a pot of 540 and he folds.

I get called here on the flop, and I’m done with this hand, but Chad gives me credit for something. The min-raise is a donkish play, but done at the right time, and against the right person, who actually realizes that it should mean a big hand, it can be valuable.

Hand 79 - Blinds 60/120 - T5,905
I pick up Aces again, this time on the button. Astin open-limps from MP and I re-raise to 350 and the table folds.

The second, and final time I had Aces in the tourney. No action though…bummer.

Hand 86 - Blinds 80/160 - T5,965
Astin min-raises from MP and Chad calls from the button, while the rest of the table folds. A great looking Ah-Ks-6c comes on the flop, and all three of us check. Jh on the turn, and I can’t wait any longer, and bet 950 into the pot of 1,120, and they both fold, bringing my stack to T6,845

More action would have been nice here. I have a feeling slow-playing this one more street would have pried a few more chips off their stacks.

Hand 92 - Blinds 80/160 - T6,845
I open UTG+1 for 525 with AcQs, and wwonka69 calls from the SB while the rest of the table folds. He jams for 4,335 on the flop of 5d-7h-9d, and I fold.

Guess you had a big pair there, or perhaps a set. Regardless, I’m releasing this hand if it takes any kind of heat on that flop.

Hand 100 - Blinds 100/200 - T6,020
I open-raise to 600 with AcQs from UTG+1 (again!), and wwonka69 calls from the SB (again!), while the rest of the table folds (again!). This time though, he checks the 2d-Kd-8d flop, and I c-bet 675 into the pot of 1,400, inducing a fold.

Nearly identical circumstances as Hand 92, but with a different result.

Hand 105 - Blinds 100/200 - T6,520
I steal the blinds for 3xBB in an unopened pot with Ah-9c on the button.

Hand 125 - Blinds/Ante 150/300/25 - T6,820
The table folds to Chad in the SB, who limps. I raise to 1,150 from the BB with Ac-Ks, and he calls. 7c-Ad-Jd on the flop and after checking, Chad folds to my bet of 2,250 into the 2,475 chip pot. I’m now up to T8,120.

Nothing fancy here, just playing ABC poker for the moment.

Hand 159 - Blinds/Ante 250/500/50 - T5,445
After a long stretch of unplayable hands, I’m finding myself getting short on chips when this comes up. Wraith13 (16,370 chips) open-limps from MP, Chad (6,664 chips) calls from the button, and I raise to 2,350 from the SB with Ah-Qd. Wraith13 re-raises for exactly all of my chips, while Chad folds. I make a crying call with my remaining chips (3,095) and am surprised when he flips up Ac-3c. The 8s-10c-Qs flop nearly seals the hand for me, and the Ad and Qh fills me up with an unneeded boat as I double up to T12,190.

I was getting the right odds to call the jam here, but I have no idea why someone near the top of the leaderboard would put a third of their chips at risk with A3s.

Hand 160 - Blinds/Ante 250/500/50 - T12,190
I open for 1,800 on the button with 3s-3h and steal the blinds

Hand 165 - Blinds/Ante 250/500/50 - T13,090
I pick up Jh-Js UTG, and pop it up to 1,800. Wraith13 calls from the cutoff and the rest of the table folds. 8h-Kh-10h on the flop, and I check. Wraith13 jams for 9,775 more into the pot of 4,750, and I fold what was a great looking hand, and my stack takes a hit, down to T11,240.

This hand bugs me. His range thus far was pretty wide open, so this flop could have hit him in a number of ways. I think he had Qh-10x here. I don’t think he had the Ah based on his table chat after the hand ended. Maybe Kx-xh?

Hand 178 - Blinds/Ante 300/600/75 - T7,940
After dancing haphazardly around some pots that I shouldn’t have involved in, I lay this sick beat on Smokkee (aka KillinKegz). The table folds to me on the button, and I attempt to steal with a bet of 3,000 with Ac-3c. Smokkee jams from the BB for 11,360 total. I’m priced in for 4,865 more, and really have no choice but to call, and hope I’m not dominated, and have two live cards, or even worse, one over-card. Sure enough, I’m dominated by his Ah-8d. The flop brings Smokkee TPTK with 5c-7c-8s, but it gives me the nut flush draw, the 8h appears on the turn, giving him trips, but a fantastic 6c completes my flush on the river, and I’m now up to T16,705.

There’s no getting around this. This was a steal-gone-wrong that turned into a sick beat. I offer no excuses. Every tournament winner has to do this at least once, right?

Hand 185 - Blinds/Ante 400/800/100 - T16,130
Jestocost (T22,470) open-limps on the button and Wraith13 (T14,942) calls from the SB, and I check from the BB with Jc-6c. All three of us check the 2s-10s-5h flop. 6s on the turn, giving me 2nd pair and putting three spades on the board. Wraith13 checks, and I take a stab with a bet of 2,200 into the 3,100 chip pot. Jestocost raises to 8,000, and Wraith13 and I both fold. Now down to T13,030.

I’m getting a little too fond of marginal holdings here. This is a mistake, but I soon bounce back.

Hand 191 - Blinds/Ante 400/800/100 - T12,342
Wraith13 (T11,942) opens for 1,600 from the SB, and jam from the BB with 10h-10c, and he calls. He turns up Ah-5c. I dodge an OESD that he picked up on the turn, and eliminate him in 13th place. Now up to T24,472, which is somewhere in the top four of the remaining twelve players.

Not sure what he was thinking here. I figured we were racing here. Glad I was wrong.

Hand 203 - Blinds/Ante 500/1000/125 - T24,347
First hand of the final table. Chip count time.

61,545 - Jestocost
27,638 - Cmitch
26,115 - Mookie
24,347 - NumbBono
22,481 - IlkkaK
12,545 - Hoyazo
11,369 - TheCloserX5
9,490 - columbo
8,470 - Qwackers
Hand 213 - Blinds/Ante 600/1,200/150 - T24,122
I steal the blinds three times of the course of the last 20 hands to maintain my stack when this hand comes up. We’ve been at the final table for ten hands now, and Jestocost has a massive chip lead, still more than double the nearest stack. Jestocost opens on the button for 3,600. I raise from the BB to 9,400 with Ah-Qc, and he calls. Flop comes 10d-Jh-10h, and I decide to jam my remaining 14,572 into the 20K pot, and he folds. Now up to T35,322.

Sure, I could have checked the flop and let him bet at it and then fold, and leave myself with peanuts, but I thought there was a small chance he’d fold to my jam if the flop didn’t hit him. Right again.

Hand 218 - Blinds/Ante 600/1,200/150 - T34,122
I look up to see Qd-Qs staring back at me in MP, so I raise Jestocost’s (T56,570) UTG+1 bet of 4,800 to 14,500, and he calls. The flop comes 9h-9s-Kh, and he checks. I jam my remaining 19,472 into the pot of 32,150, and he folds yet again. This brings me to T51,622, and I’m the chip leader by 10K.

I’ve switched gears over the last 40 or so hands, and become much more aggressive than my opponents have seen from me this tourney. Things are working. I’m catching the right cards, at the right time, against the right people.

Hand 237 - Blinds/Ante 800/1,600/200 - T51,172
First, a chip count.

53,239 - Jestocost
51,172 - NumbBono
38,733 - Mookie
22,545 - Hoyazo
18,440 - columbo
11,590 - Qwackers
8,281 - IlkkaK

I raise to 6,800 UTG with Ad-Kc, and Jestocost calls from the SB. We take a flop of Jd-Qh-9s, he leads out at the 16,600 chip pot with 14,400, and I fold. Now down to T44,172

Not much to say here, another missed AK, what a costly hand that can be.

Hand 251 - Blinds/Ante 1000/2,000/250 - T44,172
We’re now six-handed, and Mookie (T44,823) limps from UTG+1 and it folds to me in the BB. I check my Js-5s, and we take a flop of 5c-7d-9s, and both check. The turn brings the As, and I bet 4,750 into the 6,500 chip pot, and Mookie folds.

I guess bottom pair and a flush draw were good enough.

Hand 254 - Blinds/Ante 1000/2,000/250 - T46,922
I open from the cutoff for 7,500 with Ad-Qc and take the blinds and antes, now up to T51,172.

Hand 255 - Blinds/Ante 1000/2,000/250 - T51,172
Still six-handed, and I open from MP with Qh-Qc and take the blinds and antes again.

Hand 256 - Blinds/Ante 1000/2,000/250 - T55,422
I limp UTG with red 7’s, and Jestocost calls from the SB. IlkkaK is all-in from the BB with just 1,579 chips. Jestocost and I both check the 8c-8d-10h flop, and check again when the Kd comes on the turn. My boat fills up with the 7s on the river, and after he checks, Jestocost folds to my bet of 4,500. IlkkaK’s 4c-2c is no match for my full house, and we’re down to five players.

Hand 279 - Blinds/Ante 1200/2,400/300 - T47,901
Chip counts.

111,472 - Jestocost
47,901 - NumbBono
25,687 - Mookie
18,940 - columbo

I open-raise to 10,500 from the SB with Ah-Qd, and columbo jams for 18,940 total from the BB. My hand holds up, and we’re down to three.

Not much to comment on here, just got lucky to catch a better hand at the right time.

Hand 281 - Blinds/Ante 1200/2,400/300 - T70,441
Mookie is eliminated in third place when his signature hand, 10d-8h runs into Jestocost’s pocket kings, and we were down to heads up.

Hand 282 - Blinds/Ante 1200/2,400/300 - T70,141
Here’s the chip counts as Jestocost and I entered heads-up play

133,859 - Jestocost
70,141 - NumbBono

On the very first heads-up hand, Jestocost raises to 7,200 on the button, and I raise to 28,000 with 9d-9h. He jams, I call, and he shows Ac-5c. The board comes Jc-10d-5d-2d-7d, and I double up right away.

WOW!!! That’s a pretty good start.

That makes the chip counts a little different.

140,282 - NumbBono
63,178 - Jestocost

Including the above hand, we played thirteen hands heads-up. Of those thirteen, I somehow managed to win twelve of them, including (of course) this final hand.

Hand 294 - Blinds/Ante 1500/3,000/400 - T165,982

165,982 - NumbBono
38,018 - Jestocost

Jestocost limps on the button, and I jam with Ad-8d. He calls with 10d-10c. Flop comes Qd-As-4c…Turn…3s…River…9h, and thats it.

Thanks to Mookie for throwing this party, and thanks to BuddyDank, Instant Tragedy, CK, Miami Don, and PokerPeaker for putting together yet another great radio show.

It took 51 weeks…

NumbBono | Poker | Thursday, January 17th, 2008

…but I’ve finally won a second Mookie. More later.

It’s a simple question…

NumbBono | Poker | Saturday, January 5th, 2008

If any of you have seen the movie Pretty in Pink, this should be an easy answer. If you haven’t, then do yourself a favor and check it out.

For those of us who grew up on John Hughes movies, here is the question I present to you.

Are you a Duckman, or a Blane?

Commentary to follow…

MiamiDon wanted to know…

NumbBono | Poker | Thursday, January 3rd, 2008

…why I played 58…errrrr…48 Mookies in 2007.

Well, I somehow managed to win this thing back on 1/25/2007, in my sixth attempt, after finishing second twice (once after an epic heads-up battle with Fuel) and fourth once. So I kind of felt obligated to donate for the rest of the year. As it turns out, I’m pretty good against the rest of you donkeys in The Mookie, so how could I possibly resist playing this tournament as often as I could. Sixth on the money list (I’m sure I’m a little lower on the net money list) is fine by me. Ten final tables isn’t bad. Despite Don’s feeling that isn’t that great out of 48 attempts, I think it’s pretty decent. He made four final tables in 32 starts…you do the math.

Of course he won three of those four final tables, so I guess he’s got one on me there. But on the other hand, I cashed nine times, tied for the lead with the host.

Along the way, I managed to finish tied for 18th on MATH money list, despite rarely playing it. I haven’t seen an updated Riverchasers list, but I know I’m high on the board there, even though I played that tourney even more infrequently than I played the MATH.

What does this mean?…not much, I know. But at least I’ve got some game, and can occasionally play with my fellow donkey-blogger brethren on a competitive level.

I don’t take very many other shots at bigger tourneys. I’ve generally cashed out when the bankroll gets +$400 and used that money for a lot of things. I have no problem with this. I did cash for $800 in the PokerStars Sunday Million last spring after qualifying for a mere $11, and in the handful of times I’ve played live, I’ve cashed nearly every time.

Where does that leave me today…nowhere really. I’ve profited from poker, but not in the huge way that others have. I’m pretty happy playing blogger tourneys right now, and when the opportunity presents itself, I may take bigger shots at the game, but for now…there’s no rush.

Since this appears to be evolving into a 2007 year-in-review post, I’m gonna throw three more things out there.

Taking down the BBT-1 Freeroll was a nice accomplishment for me. Very satisfying.

My favorite post that I wrote is this one…do yourself a favor and read it. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did living and writing about it.

Lastly, being a first time father for a complete year has probably contributed to my inability to play any decent amount of poker other than blogger games more than anything, but you know what…that’s fine by me. After all, I’d rather spend time with this guy…

Numb Senior and Numb Junior

…then I would with you donkeys on the virtual felt.

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