NFL Picks Contest- Week 7 Picks

Here are the picks for the Small Potatoes NFL Picks Contest (Part Duex).

Only three left. Who will win the shirt?

Good luck everyone!

Vegas Vic- San Francisco
Undercover- Philadelphia
lightning36- New England

NFL Picks Contest- Picks Due Tomorrow

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Don't forget that this weeks picks are due by Saturday at midnight (CST). Teams listed below are off the board for you and cannot be picked this week.

Good luck everyone!

Vegas Vic- (GB, Atl, N Eng, Balt, N Orl, Carolina)

Undercover- (N Eng, NY Jets, San Fran, Pitts, Atl, Balt)

lightning36- (Det, Atl, San Fran, Pitts, N Orl, Balt)

This-N-That

Ms. Duck and I celebrated our 31st Anniversary with a nice dinner at a local Italian restaurant. We were both working our way through college when we met. I worked at a gameroom in the local mall and she worked in a kiosk in front of the gameroom. During slow times I would walk over to Ms. Bojangles (a costume jewelry kiosk) and talk with my future wife. She had (and has) a great sense of humor, was (and is) easy on the eyes, and our outlooks on life were similar, so we ended up playing the dating game.

Our first date was to a restaurant/bar called the Handlebar and then on to see "The Muppet Movie." Romantic huh? We hit it off from the start and I feel blessed to report that it has been smooth sailing ever since. Oh, there were the problems all couples have, mainly kids.

We were married eight years before our daughter was born. She was diagnosed with ADD in second grade and was hell on wheels as a teenager. She turns 23 next month and has settled down, currently working towards a BS and Masters in psychology. Her brother has the opposite personality, very low key. He's also in college (undecided major), and has a passion for history, be it art, military, American, or biblical. I think he'll end up heading in that direction, but what his specialization will be is still up in the air. His years as a teenager will end in February, so he has some big decisions coming up.

Our anniversary dinner was the most I've eaten in awhile. I've had blood pressure issues for quite a while, but seemed to have it under control with medication. However, last summer I noticed it was creeping up into an area I wasn't comfortable with. I cut out caffeine and salt, but it still stayed north of the 140/80 level, which is not acceptable to me. I knew I had gained some weight, which was probably the problem, but it was also the hardest to fix. My body seems to be its healthiest (BP, blood glucose, cholesterol, etc.) when my weight is between 165-170 pounds. When I stepped on the scales in early November it read 184. Not good. Two weeks before Thanksgiving is not when you want to start a diet, but start it I did. I'm too old to follow any of the "fad" diets, so I went old school and started counting calories, trying to limit my daily intake to 1,000-1,200. I also increased my jogging frequency. Cutting calories meant cutting back on red meat, any type of fried food, and sweets, not an easy thing to do this time of year. Although the bovine population is safer, the poultry family is in danger, especially turkeys and chickens. I'm happy to report that I've dropped 12 pounds so far, and rewarded myself by consuming some pasta with my sweetie. Although I haven't had any blood work done and can't update my blood sugar or cholesterol levels, I'm happy to report my BP has dropped down to the 120/60 level. Gotta love that :^)

On the job front, business has slowed some in the past few months. I have taken on a large project to try to increase sales by redesigning our company website. We have had a site for years, but it was limited. We had specifications for our products online, "Something to make an engineer happy," I said, but customers were unable to order thru our site. That has been corrected now. The updating process probably would have gone a lot faster if I were more knowledgeable about website design. Due to my limited skill, the update took several months, but has been completed. Click here if you want to take a look. Now we are working on an SEO program to help get our name out.

On the poker front, we will begin our "Vegas Or Bust Poker League" in a couple weeks, with two seats to the WSOP on the line, so I'm looking forward to that. You'll see updates after each monthly tournament.

I think that about wraps up the "goings on" in the heart of Texas. Wishing each one of you a Happy and Healthy 2012!

NFL Picks Contest- Week 6 Results

All three of our remaining contestants lived to play another week in the Small Potatoes NFL Picks Contest (Part Duex).

This weeks picks are due by Saturday at midnight (CST). Teams listed below are off the board for you and cannot be picked this week.

Good luck everyone!

Vegas Vic- (GB, Atl, N Eng, Balt, N Orl, Carolina)

Undercover- (N Eng, NY Jets, San Fran, Pitts, Atl, Balt)

lightning36- (Det, Atl, San Fran, Pitts, N Orl, Balt)

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year!

I hope you enjoy our local Waco boy performing my favorite Christmas hymn.

"O Holy Night"- David Phelps

Be careful on the roads this weekend.

Las Vegas MACCO Bowl Pick

So far this bowl season, exactly zero favorites have covered. Of course that means I'm taking the favorite in tonight's Boise State / Arizona State match-up. Law of Averages, right?

$11 @ 11/10 on Boise St. (-14) over Arizona St.

The Broncos are averaging a little over 43 points a game and their margin of victory is 25 points. They are also 6-0 on the highway this season. The Sun Devils have dropped four straight and are 1-4 on the road. They're also playing for a lame-duck coach tonight.

Starting Bankroll         $2,000.00
Profit/Loss                     $129.00
Current Bankroll          $2,129.00

All picks are for entertainment purposes only with no guarantees implied. Any money wagered is at you own risk.

Good luck!

Straight Flush On The First Hand!

We had nine runners show last night at J-Dawgs for some fried chicken and cards. From left to right on your radio dial were Farmer Harry, Gentleman Jim, Stamps, Ray-Ray, J-Dawg, Bobby Dee, Dealer Larry, Ollie the Accountant, and Lucki Duck.

We got off to a fast start when Ollie rivered a straight flush to the K on the very first hand of the night to wrap up the High Hand Jackpot early. The small blind goes into the HHJ each hand, so we were basically just putting money in Ollie's piggy bank every hand. He didn't seem to mind too much!

My start wasn't nearly as fast as Ollie's, and I found myself down a few dollars early in this $20 buy-in, dealers choice limit game. I had decided to tighten my opening range and muck any hands that missed the flop. And that's exactly what happened thru the first two laps around the table.

Things picked up for me on the third round and I was able to pick up a nice pot when Dealer Larry raised with K-K and I reraised with A-A. We had two callers, but were able to shake them with flop bets. Larry check-called my turn and river bets, with neither of us improving, but my pocket-rockets were good enough.

I rivered a full house the very next hand to win another pot and faster than a cat can lick his azz, I was up about $10 and ended the night with a $17 profit.

Bobby Dee and Ray-Ray led the pack, with both winning a little north of $20. J-Dawg, Gentleman Jim, and Farmer Harry took it on the chin, with Stamps walking away a little bruised up himself.

There's no poker at Tin Man's this week, as everyone is scattered for the Christmas weekend. We should be back to our regular Friday game next week.

Till next time, win the flips!

NFL Picks Contest (Part Duex)- Picks

Here are the picks for the Small Potatoes NFL Picks Contest (Part Duex).

Down to three. Who will bring home the shirt?

Good luck everyone!
Vegas Vic- Carolina
Undercover- Baltimore
lightning36- Baltimore

NFL Picks Contest (Part Duex)- Picks Due Wednesday!

It's almost time for your picks for Week 6 of the Small Potatoes NFL Picks Contest (Part Duex). E mail your pick to nfl.picks@ymail.com.

Last week was a tough one, with all but three players eliminated.

There is a game Thursday, so I need to have your pick in no later than midnight (CST) Wednesday. Be sure to get your pick in on time!

The teams listed next to your name are off the board for you and cannot be picked again.

Good luck everyone!

Vegas Vic- (GB, Atl, N Eng, Balt, N Orl)

Undercover- (N Eng, NY Jets, San Fran, Pitts, Atl)

lightning36- (Det, Atl, San Fran, Pitts, N Orl)

The Pack Is Crap!

It was "Black Sunday" for most of the players in the Small Potatoes NFL Picks Contest (Part Duex).  With the Chiefs upsetting Green Bay, we lost all but three players.

Wow!

Vegas Vic, Undercover, and lightning36 live to fight on. Who will bring home the prize? We'll know soon. Only two weeks left in the regular season, then the playoffs start. That's when things really get interesting!

Good luck!

NFL Picks Contest- Week 5 Picks

Here are the picks for the Small Potatoes NFL Picks Contest (Part Duex).

Looks like the "Pack is Back!"

Good luck everyone!

ohcowboy12go-
Memphis MOJO-  Green Bay
Neophyte- Green Bay
Music City Momma- Green Bay
Vegas Vic-  New Orleans
Two Minute Warning- Green Bay

Undercover- Atlanta
Captain Crunch- Green Bay
bungbert-
lightning36- New Orleans
Grange95- Green Bay
Very Josie- Green Bay

Full Tilt Sell Moving Forward

The Full Tilt saga has moved a little closer to conclusion with Full Tilt agreeing to have its assets transferred to Groupe Bernard Tapie.

From the Subject: Poker website:

This was the next step in the complicated process of transferring Full Tilt assets (by way of the US Department of Justice) to Groupe Bernard Tapie. It follows the November 17th agreement between DOJ and GBT that allows GBT to purchase forfeited FTP assets from the DOJ, likely via the, Asset Forfieture Fund for an agreed-upon price of $80 million.  In return, GBT also agrees to repay or otherwise make whole non-US players, who are owed over $150 million. When the forfeiture of the assets is complete, the DOJ has agreed to dismiss the civil complaints for forfeiture against the FTP companies.  The DOJ would also be responsible for Full Tilt’s liability to US players, which is also estimated to be about $150 million.

Click here for the full story.

NFL Picks Contest (Part Duex)- Picks Due Today!

It's time for your picks for Week 5 of the Small Potatoes NFL Picks Contest (Part Duex). E mail your pick to nfl.picks@ymail.com.

Thru four weeks we haven't lost a player yet. Too bad we're not in Vegas!

There is a game Thursday, so I need to have your pick in no later than midnight (CST) Wednesday.  Be sure to get your pick in on time!

The teams listed next to your name are off the board for you and cannot be picked again.

Good luck everyone!

ohcowboy12go- (Detroit, Cincy, New England, Pittsburgh)
Memphis MOJO- (New England, Cincy, San Fran, NY Jets)
Neophyte- (New England, Pittsburgh, San Fran, NY Jets)
Music City Momma- (Dallas, Pittsburgh, New England, Baltimore)
Vegas Vic- (Green Bay, Atlanta, New England, Baltimore)
Two Minute Warning- (San Francisco, Cincy, New England, Pittsburgh)

Undercover- (New England, NY Jets, San Fran, Pittsburgh)
Captain Crunch- (Dallas, Cincy, New England, Baltimore)
bungbert- (New England, Pittsburgh, San Fran, Baltimore)
lightning36- (Detroit, Atlanta, San Fran, Pittsburgh)
Grange95- (San Fran, Atlanta, New England, Baltimore)
Very Josie- (San Fran, Atlanta, New England, Baltimore)

NFL Picks Contest (Part Duex)- Picks Due Wednesday

It's almost time for your picks for Week 5 of the Small Potatoes NFL Picks Contest (Part Duex). E mail your pick to nfl.picks@ymail.com.

Thru four weeks we haven't lost a player yet. Too bad we're not in Vegas!

There is a game Thursday, so I need to have your pick in no later than midnight (CST) Wednesday.  Be sure to get your pick in on time!

The teams listed next to your name are off the board for you and cannot be picked again.

Good luck everyone!

ohcowboy12go- (Detroit, Cincy, New England, Pittsburgh)
Memphis MOJO- (New England, Cincy, San Fran, NY Jets)
Neophyte- (New England, Pittsburgh, San Fran, NY Jets)
Music City Momma- (Dallas, Pittsburgh, New England, Baltimore)
Vegas Vic- (Green Bay, Atlanta, New England, Baltimore)
Two Minute Warning- (San Francisco, Cincy, New England, Pittsburgh)

Undercover- (New England, NY Jets, San Fran, Pittsburgh)
Captain Crunch- (Dallas, Cincy, New England, Baltimore)
bungbert- (New England, Pittsburgh, San Fran, Baltimore)
lightning36- (Detroit, Atlanta, San Fran, Pittsburgh)
Grange95- (San Fran, Atlanta, New England, Baltimore)
Very Josie- (San Fran, Atlanta, New England, Baltimore)

NFL Picks- December 11th

Three games on the docket today that are worth a look.

$11 @ 11/10 on Denver (-3 1/2) over Chicago

The Broncos have peeled off five wins in a row. Da Beeears have dropped their last two to Oakland and Kansas City. Plus Denver has Tebow. Nuff said. 

$11 @ 11/10 on New England (-8) over Washington

The Pats have won four straight by an average of 19 points per game. The Skins have dropped 7 of 8. 

$11 @ 11/10 on Green Bay (-11) over Oakland

The Pack is 12-0. The Raiders lost to Miami by 20 points last week. 

Starting Bankroll         $2,000.00
Profit/Loss                     $129.00
Current Bankroll         $2,129.00

All picks are for entertainment purposes only with no guarantees implied. Any money wagered is at you own risk.

Good luck!

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

photo courtesy AP

Congratulations to Robert Griffin III and Baylor University for winning the Heisman Trophy. A great accomplisment for a program that hasn't had many of late.

RG3- Heisman Hopeful

The city of Waco is buzzing about one of our own in the running for this years Heisman Trophy. Baylor University's Robert Griffin III (RG3 around these parts) is only the second player in Baylor history to be a finalist.

The local sports talk show asked if RG3 was the best football player in the history of the school. There were a lot of votes for Mike Singletary, who went on to a Hall of Fame career with the Chicago Bears. Who could forget those wild eyes staring down the quarterback? For my money though, RG3 is the best to ever wear the green and gold.

Four games into the season, he had more touchdown passes than incompletions. Think about that for a minute.

In 109 seasons, Baylor had a total of five games in which they gained over 600 yards.

They had six this season!

I think the Heisman is a two man race between Griffin and Andrew Luck of Stanford. Looking at the stats of the two players, Griffin has a slight edge in the passing game, but where he really stands out is in his running game. He runs circles around Luck.

I don't think it would be close if RG3 played for a top football program. Playing in Waco kept him under the radar for much of the season, while Andrew Luck was all the rage for most of the season.

I know who I would rather have on my team!

Good luck Mr. Griffin. I hope you win, you deserve it!

Pai Gow With A Twist

We had seven runners at J-Dawg's Poker Extravaganza Tuesday night, eager to pitch a few cards. After consuming several slices of pizza, we were off and running.

From left to right on your radio dial were Ollie the Accountant, Bobby Dee, Cell, Farmer Harry, J-Dawg, Stamps, and yours truly.

Bobby Dee won the High Hand Jackpot in this $20 buy-in, dealers choice limit game, with quad 9's, netting him a $15 pot. I had a good night, getting more than my share of playable hands. Even better, I was connecting with the board and having my hands hold up. Amazing!

I introduced a new game to the table a few weeks ago and it has turned out to be pretty popular. It's played like Pai Gow, but the twist is that you are playing against each other, not just the dealer.

Each player is dealt two hole cards and have a round of betting. After the first round of betting is completed, the remaining players are dealt three more hole cards, followed by another round of betting. Another hole card, followed by another round of betting, then a final card, followed by the last round of betting.

The remaining players then split their cards into two hands, a two card hand that is played "up front" and a five card hand played behind. One stipulation of Pai Gow is that the five card hand must be of a higher value than the two card hand. After the hand has been split, each player places his hands face down. The two card hands are exposed first, with the highest hand winning half the pot. The five card hands are then laid on their backs with the high hand winning the other half.

It's a lot of fun! Try it at your next game and let me know what you think.

I left with an extra $32 in my pocket. Not bad for a $20 buy-in. I wish my investments would do half as well!

Till next time, win the flips!

NFL Picks Contest (Part Duex)- Week 4 Picks

Here are the picks for the Small Potatoes NFL Picks Contest (Part Duex).

Steelers, Jets, and Ravens seem to be the soup of the day.

Good luck everyone!

ohcowboy12go- Pittsburgh
Memphis MOJO-  NY Jets
Neophyte- NY Jets
Music City Momma- Baltimore
Vegas Vic-  Baltimore
Two Minute Warning- Pittsburgh

Undercover- Pittsburgh
Captain Crunch- Baltimore
bungbert- Baltimore
lightning36- Baltimore
Grange95-  Baltimore
Very Josie- Baltimore

NFL Picks Contest- Picks Due Today!

It's already time for your picks for Week 4 of the Small Potatoes NFL Picks Contest (Part Duex).

Last week was pretty much a cakewalk for everyone, with both the Niners and Pats winning handily.

There is a game Thursday, so I need to have your pick in no later than midnight (CST) Wednesday. There will be no reprieves this week, so be sure to get your pick in today!

The teams listed next to your name are off the board for you and cannot be picked again.

Good luck everyone!

ohcowboy12go- (Detroit, Cincy, New England)
Memphis MOJO- (New England, Cincy, San Fran)
Neophyte- (New England, Pittsburgh, San Fran)
Music City Momma- (Dallas, Pittsburgh, New England)
Vegas Vic- (Green Bay, Atlanta, New England)
Two Minute Warning- (San Francisco, Cincy, New England)

Undercover- (New England, NY Jets, San Fran)
Captain Crunch- (Dallas, Cincy, New England)
bungbert- (New England, Pittsburgh, San Fran)
lightning36- (Detroit, Atlanta, San Fran)
Grange95- (San Fran, Atlanta, New England)
Very Josie- (San Fran, Atlanta, New England)

Vegas Or Bust Poker League

As you may (or not) remember, I won a seat to the 2010 WSOP by winning an online poker league at FloatTheTurn.com. We had six tournaments over a six month period, with 30-35 players per tournament.

It was a lot of fun and I started thinking about hosting a league and inviting the runners I play with at the two home games I attend. Several weeks ago I began asking the players at both games to gauge interest. To make a long story short, I had nine commit to form a poker league!

Last Friday was our first meeting and we formed some guidelines for our league. The general outline is for us to play a monthly tournament for 16 months with a $30 buy-in per tournament. This will result in a $4,800 prize pool. The prize pool will be divided equally between the top two finishers in the league standings. Both winners are then required to enter one tournament in the 2013 WSOP in Las Vegas. Should one of our league winners cash in the WSOP, they will keep 50% of the cash amount (after taxes), with the other 50% shared equally by the other league members.

Sounds fun, huh?

Participants are Bobby Dee, Philly Phanatic, Big Daddy, Ollie the Accountant, Dealer Larry, Stamps, J-Dawg, Tin Man, Lil' Annie Okie, and your humble scribe, Lucki Duck.

If you would like to see the complete list of rules, you can click here.

The name of our league?

"Vegas or Bust" of course!

Week 3 Picks- NFL Picks Contest (Part Duex)

Here are the picks for the Small Potatoes NFL Picks Contest (Part Duex).

Looks like if the Niners or Pats lose, it will be a disaster!

Good luck everyone!

ohcowboy12go- New England
Memphis MOJO- San Francisco
Neophyte- San Francisco
Music City Momma- New England
Vegas Vic- New England
Two Minute Warning- New England

Undercover- San Francisco
Captain Crunch- New England
bungbert- San Francisco
lightning36- San Francisco
Grange95- New England
Very Josie- New England