Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Is It Monday Already?

No, its Tuesday you idiot.

Apologies to my two and a half confirmed readers. I haven't been home to post.

Holiday weekends screw up my internal alarm clock as I got up at 4:30am yesterday for no reason at all. Except to watch a Girls Gone Wild infomercial and go back to sleep for two hours till Little Drizz decided he needed some breakfast. My attempts to defer his appetite were quickly quashed by thrown stuffed animals.

I spent a total of four hours at home for the past four days. I spent three of those hours playing poker and slots while folding the laundry. Exciting life indeed.

----------------------------------------------------------

Thursday and Friday were spent up at Chateau De Drizz as I tried to catch up on my Sklansky and got myself ready for the impending Fantasy Football draft. Vowing not to fall into a Twins like late-season slump which cost me 1st last year, I was determined to pick players that don't suck. Easy isn't it??

While reading the Theory of Poker I wondered how much I could derive anything important from it, being a small-stakes player. I got plenty. The chapters on overcalls, calling/betting on the end, folding/betting/raising instead of calling, and sizing up your opponents were excellent reads. If you have a tough time reading this book and want the cliff notes? Hit up the summaries at the end of each chapter and repeat to yourself each outlined verse. Being a low stakes player note a word of caution in not reading between the lines, especially on the several chapters on bluffing. There's several notations through out the book warning the reader to match the level of play to the level of your opponent's thinking. Make sure if you read this book you are taking a special note on his explaination of the three levels of thinking in your opponent before attempting a bluff check-raise on the river. I probably have thrown away more bets then I'd like to admit due to making a play on a pot against someone who needs a crib sheet on how to breathe.

--------------------------------------------------------

Saturday was spent at my friend Bobby's wedding (no, not THAT Bobby). As a truly international affair there were several countries in attendance as his new wife's family was coming from Europe. The matron of honor was a rugby player from England, I think BadBlood would shiver from an arm wrestling contest from her. I watched an older Katherine Hepburn look-a-like order a double Jack and Vermouth and down it in AlCantHang fashion.

Then order a wine with another shot.

Me? Free bar? Yeah, I hit it hard but since I promised the loving wife I would not puke in the car this time I kept the Cap'n Cokes to below double digits. Barely. I was able to drink a bit quickly since the wonderful dinner of Chicken Wild Rice soup (I don't generally eat soup but its damn tasty after too many sugary drinks), a Garden salad with parmesan cheese dressing, and a meaty Prime Rib with skin-on whipped potatoes went the distance and soaked up my alcoholic tendencies. For the guy who normally dines on frozen pizza counting as cuisine... this dinner rocked.

I snuck out of the reception several times to see my Notre Dame pick over Pitt was coming through. And to spy on an Air Force wedding reception. Pretty people? It was like a wave of them coming out as they took pictures in the hallway. It was quite possible that MTV was lurking in the background ready to snap up two or three of these ladies/guys for the next "Road Rules" or "Real World".

--------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday was spent with Little Drizz as I took him on several walks around the park and took him mini-golfing. His version of mini-golf comprises of hitting the ball off the carpet/tee-box then picking up the ball and hitting it in from two inches. On the walks, he still gets scared anytime a golf cart comes down the road (which is better then running out in front of them I suppose). There's something about walking and talking to your kid that's therapeutic and makes you forget about the times he throws his scrambled eggs across the room to let you know he's not eating them this morning. When we purchased the cabin I first thought of the properity value, but now I see its true value in spending time with the wife and little guy without TV, movie, or poker distractions. Plus, friends are right next door to chat into the wee hours of the night about life as newer parents and even a little poker ;)

------------------------------------------------------------

Monday afternoon was spent playing a little poker at InterPoker, doing battle with those crafty European players. I finished down for the session due to some inane beats at PLO8 when I put a manaic on a hand correctly and he managed a runner-runner full house. I'm playing at Interpoker not for the reload bonus, but for the free Super System 2 they're giving after 700 raked hands (not to mention a free hat after 300 hands) in the month of September. Free bonus plus free swag and I'm in bonus whoring heaven. One problem, I'm not playing four games mindlessly anymore, so the clearing of the bonus will take longer then expected. Granted the PLO8 play is pretty straight-forward and the manaics are easy to pick out, but when I add three tables of NLHE it makes it difficult to keep tabs on the tight players and those who are pushing all-in pre-flop for $100 with 66 (this happens WAY too much on this site). Tight is definitely right at this site (I'm a lyrical poet don't you know it?), but I did manage to take a few pots that normally I would not have play at prior to reading Theory of Poker. I'm fast becoming a 2+2 book groupie, is this a bad thing?

----------------------------------------------------------

Sunday night was a party for my friend Rice as he got the call about his national guard troop being sent to Iraq in six months after training in the south. The air was kept light as our whole "group" played some football and prepare for our fantasy football draft later that night.

Much later.

As we were hoping to get home around 8:00pm, it was 11pm when lights were shut off back at the Drizz household. Because everyone didn't have the same lightning fast draft selections as myself (I took between 5 to 10 seconds making my picks... and it probably shows, see below)

QB - Culpepper, David Carr
RB- Rudi Johnson, Fred Taylor, Jerome Bettis, Stephen Jackson
WR - Rod Smith, Darrell Jackson, Donald Driver (I pick a Packer and hate myself for living now)
TE - Jason Whitten
Def - Ravens
K - David Akers

I seem to do well with the worst team, this season will be no exception having only one true fantasy stud (Culpepper) is going to hurt. Hopefully I'll overcome my four game lead with four to go meltdown that I had last year to go from 1st to 3rd because I failed to recognize the playoff teams that were sitting their starters.

Fellow fantasy fans may go ahead and laugh at my picks if you'd like.

Thanks for dropping by, now check out this site for all your fantasy foosballing.

No comments: