Adventures From the NH Seacoast to the Jersey Shore

Started the day off today be sleeping a lot later than normal…I must be still trying to adjust to the time change.  Today is the start of getting re-focused on many things.  First on the list…my health.  The Mrs. has been on me for sometime now in regards to losing some lbs.  I have packed it on over the past eight months and need to shed the winter coat.  I have not been too self conscious about it; but recently I have had a number of casual acquaintances comment on my increase in girth.  I am not discounting my wife’s concerns; but I guess having people comment on something that you would never expect them to comment on is a little bit of a wake up call.

As of this am, I am at 219.  Expect weekly updates; and if any of you other late 30-somethings out there feel the need to do the same; be sure to check in every Monday and leave comments on your progress.   My goal is 185-190, it probably should be lower but we are not going to get to crazy now.  My two weapons of mass destruction for this task (I refuse to call it a diet) are (1) getting into some sort of regular exercise plan (at least 3 days a week) and (2) elimintate all snacking during the day and foods that are questionable at best.   After this week, we’ll start adding new items to focus on to the plate.

Politics

Are you into Internet Radio?  Are you interested in squashing corporate America’s desire to squeeze money out of those smart enough to squeeze it out of them.  If so there seems to be a movement to squash Internet Radio by raising royalty rates to those broadcasting over the Internet.  http://www.savenetradio.org   There is a movement to send the following to your local congressman.  I guess it says it all.

I do not support The Copyright Royalty Board’s (CRB) March 2nd decision to substantially increase royalty rates. Not only will it impact my choices, but the Recording Industry Association of America’s (RIAA) manipulation of these rates, and the CRB’s indifference will hurt working artists, damage small record labels and force law abiding small webcasters, already paying a large portion of their revenue per month in royalties, out of business. This decision will also damage hundreds of small businesses providing goods and services to working artists, small record labels and small webcasters.

I respectfully ask that you evaluate the CRB decision and do whatever is necessary to establish a reasonable royalty rate for all the parties involved.

It is 9:15am and there is not a sound coming from anywhere within the house.  Quite amazing for a Saturday morning, but the rush of mayhem getting kids dressed, dogs fed and breakfast made prior to venturing out into the New Hampshire tundra (it feels like it today) all happened just as I got up and my wife is piloting the dog sled today.   Not quite sure how I got out of the majority of take-the-kids-to-birthday-party-duty (there are three today) but I am not going to ask questions.   I have been tasked to drop my son off at 1pm…and as long as I do not screw that up I’m good.

Big poker tournament tomorrow afternoon.  Last weekend was a very good weekend for me.  Agreed to 3-way chop (I hate chopping and I’ll surely write about this in the near future) a tournament on Friday night for $950 and I also managed to take down 4 out of 4 $150/shorthanded sit-n-gos for $4-500 a piece.  I say 4 out of 4 because I really have not been playing the sit-n-gos for a long time as I have focused on my tournament play.  I enjoy the challenge of the 50-120 runner tournaments and I believe it is the best practice for cashing in the larger tournaments that I have been playing in.  One of the managers at the Poker Room @ Seabrook Greyhound Park had been on me to play the sit-n-gos.  I finally listened…thanks Les!

In preparation for tomorrow I will surely be playing in a number of sit-n-gos today.  During this time I will also have to make sure that my i-pod is loaded with the Gregorian chant of my ” poker rules” so they are firmly implanted in my brain.  Rules are important, they keep you out of trouble.  Sure, most rules were made to be broken; but I will argue those rules were made to only control or regulate the behavior of those below those making the rules.  Let’s call these rules of man.  The rules I’m talking about is the kinda of stuff that holds atoms together.

Ok let’s start with our first “atomic rules”

1. Never ask a woman if she is pregnant
2. Never go into a woman’s purse

If I have to explain rule number one you should just go and suck on the business end of a shotgun..because you are destined for the same result in the future.  Rule number two has no explanation…just don’t do it!  Don’t ask why!  Just sleep at night knowing that if you obey rule #2 you will save your self from certain physical or mental anguish that you are not equipped to handle.

Ok…now the atomic poker rules.  If you are in a 20+ runner tournament these rules will not necessairly get you to the final table…but they will most certainly ensure your exit from the tournament is later than your donkey DNA predisposed you to when you registered.

1. When sitting with a large number of chips, do not get into a hand with a chip stack equal in size as your own
2. If you are in a blind and left in the hand with the other blind pre-flop, there is no shame in checking or laying the hand down

Rule #1 should be simple.  Unless you are holding the stone cold nuts, only bad things are going to happen when you get mixed up in a hand with someone as many chips as you.  There are many more hands to play.  Make an initial stab at the pot but leave yourself outs to go away.  Losing this type of hand will only cripple you and ensure that you do not have to worry about rule #1 for a very long time.  Rule #2 is not so simple or many individuals.  Some poker players will “protect” their blinds at any cost.  When you are in a hand with the other blind pre-flop why risk chips.  Even if you are holding AA,KK the flop can crucify you.  Wait until after the flop to commit chips and even then you may want to think about doing so.  Remember…you are a poker player, Murphy’s law is against you and the guy to your right is in his 1st tournament…you are destined to lose. 

Last month I ignored poker rules #1 and #2 at the same time.   On a board of all rags (2 of which were paired) I made a big laydown after the river card hit; but I was crippled beyond recognition.  The true mother of all laydowns would have been to lay my small blind QQ down after the flop to my big blind opponent’s KK.