Titan's Fan

Wow, been spending hours reading all the Vegas trip reports. So much for putting up a post of my own, let alone trying to get some actual work done at the office. :)

So yea, I'm a fan of the Tennessee Titans, or at least of Air McNair. Unfortunately he's been stuck with a pretty sad supporting cast the last few years, but it was fun to watch a Seahawks/Titans game. I almost broke my neck jumping from bandwagon to bandwagon at halftime! The better team pulled through though, and it sounds like the 'Hawks game against the Colts this week will be nothing more than an exhibition game. Saving their best for the Superbowl, I guess. Anyways, football is not what this post is about...

Having finished most of the Christmas shopping and house decorating, completing the Advanced DB Administration and SQL class, and shooing away the visiting relatives - that left a lot of time for some poker playing this past weekend! Oddly, none of it was spent in the casino. In fact, after the beating I took in November, I don't think I've played a single hand of live Poker this month. It's not that I'm scared... I tried going down to play at lunch a couple of times but there were no games running. Could be due in part to the new smoking ban that went into effect in Seattle a few weeks ago. No smoking indoors nor within 25 feet of the entrance, although I don't think that part is being heavily enforced. The Indian casinos aren't bound by the new law, so maybe that's where all the players are at nowadays. I've been way too busy to go fishing around, but I definitely feel an urge to go pull an all nighter at the Muckleshoot again pretty soon.

Hey, if people are concerned about their health and not want to leave smelling like smoke after a Poker session, they should have just opened an online Poker account. Then they could enjoy sitting at home in their shorts, watching some football, and check-raising on a stone-cold bluff, like I did on Saturday and Sunday. Been putting my time in at PokerBlue to qualify for their weekly Freeroll (of which nothing came about); and I've somehow managed not to blow through the entire Titan Poker freebie as of yet. I dipped it down to $20 but worked it back up to almost $80 now. I don't think I've been playing enough for the additional $25 bonus from Instant Bankroll, so I guess I'll just have to try earning that part on my own.

Grinding away at the $.50/$1.00 table is not my ideal choice of game, but I realize it's what I gotta do with what I have, and at least I'm getting to play. Since I actually had some time to invest over the weekend, I decided to mix it up with an MTT, and signed up for a $1250 guaranteed, $3 buy-in with rebuys/addon. Got some good hands to chip up early on, then blew it with pocket 9s. The Flop was 237... no one would be playing the Hammer here, would they? I figured my overpair was good, that is until A5 called and caught the gutshot Wheel on the River. I rebought, then doubled up just before the rebuy period ended, and of course took the add-on. Invested $9, 30th place paid $15, and 1st was almost $500.

I had nothing to play with for awhile and was down to about 10xBB. I made a big raise with A5s in MP, the SB pushed and the BB went in as well. Okay, I'll tag along. It was Pocket 8s and Big Slick against my measly A5 of Hearts. I was in pretty bad shape... an Ace hit the flop, so at least I pulled into 2nd. Not enough cards for a runner-runner Wheel, and the board was all black - the three of us had red cards, so no flush possibilities for anyone. My only hope was a five... just like the lovely 5 of Spades that fell on the River. :)

Big Slick boy was pretty pissed. "WTF??? You lucky bastard. Oooohh, you are SO mine!" Next hand, I had AT and caught a Ten on the flop. He pushed the rest of his chips with J5 and I took him out. Rather than taking the beat like a man, the guy hung around and tried to harass me. "You're on my hit list... I'm gonna find you every time you play... keep playing like that and I'll clean you out..." I tried the Sorry this is my first time playing line, but that didn't back him off.

The amusing part was that he even followed me after I got a table change. His new goal in life was to see me bust out on the bubble. He apparently knew one of the other guys at my table and offered up a bounty on me. "Double if you take him out in 31st!" He kept chanting 31, 31, 31 in chat... I think I was the only one that didn't have him on Ignore at that point. I asked if he would be my fan club president. "Only if you bust out 31st." Unfortunately, he witnessed my AA losing to TT (hit the Set on the Turn) and I went out in 39th.

I think by then, he was done steaming and was just amusing himself and probably having as much fun as I did. He was talking to his buddy about tilting people by playing 72o... hmmm... so he's one that can dish it out, but I don't think he likes the taste of his own medicine.

So for those of you playing on Titan, the next time you see my new buddy chillinaz, be sure to drop the Hammer on him and tell him skitch sent you. Who knows, he might become your biggest fan too!