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Friday, March 30, 2012

The Good, The Bad, And The Duckly Pokerpalooza

The inaugural session of my pokerpalooza took place at the Duck Blind Thursday evening.

Farmer Harry brought chicken, fried okra, french fries, rolls, and cream gravy. Ray-Ray arrived with donuts in hand, and my daughter made a batch of chocolate chip cookies, so we ate well, if not smart.

Dealer Larry started hot in this dealer's choice, $20 buy-in limit game, winning three of the first four hands and never looked back. He finished the night as the big winner, taking home almost $70 and winning the High Hand Jackpot with kings full of aces. Stamps also had a big night walking away with a little over $40. Ray-Ray and Gentleman Jim both got bruised up, with Jim dropping $23 and Ray Ray $34.

Harry and Glass man lost a little, and I managed a $1.25 profit. WHOOP!

Although it was a lite turnout, I think everyone had a good time. Plus, I didn't have to drive home when the game broke!

Till next time, win the flips.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

The Big 'C'

Cancer.

It affects every person in one way or another.

I watched my father die almost 13 years ago from lung cancer. Trust me, it wasn't a pretty sight.

Today, my mother was diagnosed with the same disease. The doctor took a biopsy last Friday and during the procedure her lung collapsed. They had to insert a chest tube to get her lung re-inflated, and she ended up spending two nights in the hospital.

She has an appointment with an oncologist on Monday at MD Anderson in Houston. I'm sure they will run more tests to see if the cancer has spread. Then a protocol will be planned and treatment will begin.

Today was not a good day.

Cancer sucks.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

MLB Opening Day!

The 2012 MLB season opens Wednesday, with the Mariners and A's facing off in the Tokyodome.  Both teams will be battling it out for third place in the AL West, looking up at the Rangers and Angels by season's end.

If you're on the east coast and want to watch, you'll need to in front of your boob tube around 6am.

I usually don't start betting baseball until around May. That way I can get a feel for which teams are playing well and which pitchers are off to a hot start. Because of an article I read, written by Statmojo, I've decided to start early this season early.

Statmojo states that by betting the underdog in every game in April of last season . . . well, I'll let him tell you.

In April 2011, if you risked one unit on every single MLB dog over 379 games, you would have gone 192-187 and won an astonishing 56.14 units!

 Please note that this particular month of this season was an anomaly. In April 2010 if you bet every dog you would have won 2.52 units. That being said, for blindly taking every dog every day that is still pretty good!
I'm not prepared to blindly bet every dog, but I think I'll try to stick with the mutts for the most part and see if I can take advantage of Stat's +EV observation.

For example, I'm going to pass on the opener with McCarthy opening for Oakland and Hernandez for Seattle. The A's are +$120, but Hernandez is a Cy Young winner and McCarthy had a poor spring, giving up 9 runs in 11+ innings. So taking the A's doesn't look like a good bet to me.

Thursday's game looks better, with Oakland's Colon facing Seattle's Vargas, who had a 12+ ERA this spring. I haven't seen a line yet, but if the A's are the underdogs, I'll be a buyer.

Guess we'll have to wait and see.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                        $0
Current Bankroll           $1,500.00

Action is considered dead unless both listed pitchers start.

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

Good luck!

Sunday, March 25, 2012

J-Dawg's Poker Extravaganza- The End Of An Era

We put J-Dawg's Poker Extravaganza to bed for good last Wednesday. His house sold and he has to be out by the 30th, so the festivities will move to my place until further notice.

I was off to a quick start, winning two of the first three hands and managed to hold on for a slight profit of $6 on the evening. Cell had a wild ride, losing over $30 before rallying late and finishing with a $7 win. Farmer Harry was the big winner on the evening, his chip stack boosted by winning the High Hand Jackpot with quad nines. Ollie the Accountant and Dealer Larry took the biggest hits with both losing almost $20 each. J-Dawg, Stamps, Ray-Ray, and Gentleman Jim all walked away pretty much even.

I'll miss our weekly games at J-Dawg's, mostly because moving the game to my house means more work for me getting everything ready. At least I finished on a winning note :)

                                             *****

We had five runners show for Tin Man's $5 NLHE Tourney on Friday. Tin Man and I decided to chop the prize money when we got down to heads-up play, with me taking the bulk of the money because of my 3-1 chip advantage. Music Man showed up for the first time in quite a while and it was good to see him again. He was excited that one of the jingles he and his band had composed was going to be used on one of Obama's campaign commercials. So, kuddos to the Music Man!

I played loose and aggressive in the $2 cash game. I had some wide swings, but when it was all said and done, I ended with a $1 profit. But, added to my tourney winnings, it was a good night. Big Daddy was the big loser for the night and Philly Phanatic also took it on the chin. Music Man and Tin Man were the big winners, both booking $15 profits. Hopefully Music Man will be back again soon.

Till next time, win the flips.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Breakfast With Ditka

My friend Gary posted "25 Random Things About Me" and challenged other bloggers to do the same. Never one to back down from a challenge, here are my 25. Keep your hands and feet in the car at all times!

1. I have publicly displayed my artwork in a one man show.


2. Thirty-one years ago, I married a redhead with freckles and curves (eat your heart out Gary!)


3. My favorite memory of my Dad was attending Super Bowl XXX with him. Our team won the game. He died three years later. There's not enough money in the world to buy that memory from me.


4.One of my closest friends died two years ago. I knew he was sick and wonder if he might have lived had I been more insistent that he go back to his doctor. This is one of my greatest regrets.


5. I don't like seafood.


6. I once won a "name the record store" contest. The prize was a record a day for a year and I included a logo with my entry. The store name? Soundcastle. They used my logo.


7. A Pina Colada is my favorite adult beverage.


8. One of my bosses became an assistant to Andy Beal, who is best known for playing poker against several top pros in a huge cash game described in "The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King." My boss is mentioned in the book.


9. "Count me in!" is my favorite expression.


10. I fry up the best chicken fried steak in Texas. My burgers ain't bad either.


11. I follow the Texas Rangers, but the Houston Astros are my favorite baseball team. On of my faults is that I am sometimes too loyal. This is an example.


12. I have been an elder in my church for four of the last five years. I'm glad to discuss my theology with you, but only if you ask.


13. Barry Manilow is one of my favorite singers. The only difference between you and me is that I admit it.


14. My favorite fast food restaurant is Subway. I eat there at least once a week.


15. I have thrown two no-hitters. The first one was my first year pitching when I was eight years old. The second one was my last year pitching when I was 19 years old.


16. I once won the Waco city championship. The game? Putt-Putt.


17.I am left handed. My father once said that I was the most left handed person he had ever seen. "You couldn't even pick your nose right handed," he told me. I play Putt-Putt right handed. Go figure.


18. The first football game I remember watching was the "Ice Bowl" between Dallas and Green Bay. I have been a Cowboys fan since that day.


19. I have eaten breakfast with Mike Ditka. I also sat next to Roger Staubach on the Cowboys' team bus that same day. Heady times!


20. I don't get mad very often, but when I do it's something to behold.


21. You can mess with me, but mess with my family and there will be hell to pay. I have references.


22. I have a both a brother and grandfather that died before I was born. I'm poorer for not having known them.


23. I'm a husband to one, dad of two, a brother to two, son to one, nephew to one, first cousin to three, son in law to two, brother in law to two, uncle to seven, and great uncle to three. I love them. Every one.


24. This blog is the first thing I have written since my school days. I only wrote then because I had to.


25. I am currently painting a series of portraits featuring what I consider to be the greatest baseball players of all time. My latest is of Willie Mays. The first was Babe Ruth, which you can view by clicking here.

So there you have it. A quick view into Lucki Duck's life. Scary, huh?

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Matters Of The Heart

I stumbled upon this article discussing what the author considers the real cause of heart disease.

"We physicians with all our training, knowledge and authority often acquire a rather large ego that tends to make it difficult to admit we are wrong. So, here it is. I freely admit to being wrong. As a heart surgeon with 25 years experience, having performed over 5,000 open-heart surgeries, today is my day to right the wrong with medical and scientific fact."


If you're like me and at an age where such things interest you, click here and take a look.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Nine Incher

After the most brutal summer in history around these parts, we have had a mild, yet wet winter. I don't know if our low temperature got into the teens, and January was the second wettest since the weather folks started keeping records.

Last night was an extremely stormy night, with a cold front blowing thru around 9pm. We had a spectacular lightning display, high winds, and hard rain. I was awakened several times during the night by thunder, wind,  and more rain.

I turned on the TV early this morning to see if there was any storm damage or flooding in the area and the sound woke up Ms. Duck.

"How much rain did we get?" she asked.

"Between eight and nine inches, I replied.

"Hmmm, reminds me of you," she said, giving me a wink.

I may have made that last line up : )

Monday, March 19, 2012

NCAA Sweet 16

You may have noticed that the "sports betting" division of Small Potatoes has been inactive since the Super Bowl. Now that one of the year's biggest sporting events is in full swing, you're probably thinking, "I bet Lucki Duck is gonna post some juicy picks for the basketball tournament!"

And you would be wrong.

Neither basketball or hockey (pro or college) interest me very much. I'll watch an occasional game if there's a team I'm interested in. For example, I've watched most of only one NCAA tournament game, and that was the local college (Baylor). Should I be in front of a television while the Bears (or Lady Bears) are playing, I'll probably watch. Otherwise, I'll be tuned into Storage Wars, American Pickers, Pawn Stars, or something similar.

Because my interest in both winter/spring sports is minimal, my knowledge reflects it. So, why throw money at something I know nothing about?

For now, no picks. But baseball season is just around the corner and the sports betting division will come out of its hibernation. Stay tuned, fun times are ahead : )

Sunday, March 18, 2012

GVB Concert

With my mother's 83rd birthday just around the corner, I offered to take her to the Gaither Vocal Band concert, which was last night. She's a big fan of gospel music and was excited about our outing. We had great floor seats, ninth row, and I couldn't help but notice that the crowd was a lot closer to my mother's age than mine.

Security was at a minimum : )

It was a great show that featured a number of exceptional musicians, but there was one in particular that stood out.

If you're a country music fan, you may have heard of Gordon Mote, but I hadn't. He's a studio musician and has played with many well known country acts such as Tricia Yearwood, Brad Paisley, Alan Jackson, etc. Gordon is a keyboard player that happens to be blind, and also plays with many of the current gospel groups. He also has a great sense of humor.

As a member of Sertoma, a community service organization that works with hearing impaired kids, I'm always inspired by anyone who doesn't let their disability slow them down.

Gordon Mote is one of those people.

Even if you're not a gospel music fan, take a moment and listen to Gordon bangin' the ol' piano in the video below. What a talent!

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Buck And A Quarter

My net winnings at J-Dawgs Poker Extravaganza last night.

I didn't make the scene until almost seven and missed out on the fried chicken. Tilt : \

We had nine runners show to pitch a few cards in this $20 buy in, dealer's choice limit game. From left to right on your radio dial were J-Dawg, Farmer Harry, Bobby Dee, Ollie the Accountant, Stamps, Cell, Dealer Larry, Ray Ray, and your humble scribe.

Bobby flopped quad nines early in the evening in a hand of Omaha and the hand held up all night to win the High Hand Jackpot.

J-Dawg cashed for a $22 profit and was the big winner on the night, with Bobby adding $17 to his bankroll. Stamps, Cell, and Dealer Larry all lost $10-15 each, and the rest of us were pretty much even.

It looks like next week will be a true "final table" for J-Dawgs Poker Extravaganza as he has sold his house and has to be out by March 30th. After next week we will say "aloha" and move the festivities to the Duck mansion, so I'll need to rename the game.

Duck Blinds? Duck and the Donks?

Any suggestions?

Till next time, win the flips.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

A Few Pictures From My Vegas Trip

I finally got around to uploading our pictures from last week's Vegas trip. We've gone so many times that we don't take many anymore. Enjoy.

This was the view of the strip from our room at the Green Valley Ranch in Henderson.

Click on picture for full screen goodness.

While playing penny video poker at the Orleans, I hit a progressive for 17,000 pennies!


I called Ms. Duck over to admire my superior poker skills. She started playing the machine next to me and within 3 or 4 minutes, hit this!


41,700 pennies! Look at that silly grin (She might have had a margarita or two or six). She's such a showoff, stealing my thunder like that.

Gotta love all those ducks though : )

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

An Old Friend Returns Home

I received a call yesterday from US Air.

A strange voice on the other end asked, "Mr Duck, are you missing a bag?"

"Why yes, yes I am'" I replied.

"Do you know a John Hanson?" he asked.

"Nope. Never heard of him. Why?"

"Because the airline put his scanned tag on your bag."

"And I would assume that airline, which is American, is the one you work for?" I replied.

"No sir. I'm with US Air in Fayetteville North Carolina," he answered.

"North Carolina? That's a long way from Las Vegas!" I said.

"Yes sir."

"How did it get on your airline?"

"I don't know sir. You might find your answer at the Dallas airport."

"Well, I'm sure glad it turned up!"

"Yes sir, me too. What is your closest airport?" he asked.

"Waco, Texas."

"I'll have to put it on an American flight in order to get it to you."

"Oh crap! That's how it ended up in Fayetteville, 10 days later."

"How about I just send it directly to your address by Federal Express?" That way I know you'll get it."

"You're my hero sir. Thank you!"

So not only did AA lose my bag, they managed to put it on a rival airline. Not to mention they missed their target by 3000 miles.

Dumbasses.

But, I'm happy to have the bag back. I can't wait to see how many air miles it's racked up in the last week and a half!

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Vegas Or Bust Poker Tournament

Although Big Daddy and I were both a little late to the party, we had all 10 players seated at the ob round felt, ready to do battle in the third of sixteen league tournaments.

I had sacrificed a couple of blinds due to my late arrival, but I made it up on my first hand, plus a little, when I rivered a straight and took a few chips from J-Dawg.

After the opening hand I went card dead for quite a while, but managed to pick up a few pots without a battle. The table seemed to be playing tighter in this tourney than in the previous two and we still had eight of the ten players left when the blinds reached $50-100, which is the sixth level.

As the blinds grew, my hands started improving and I was able to win back to back pots with A-9, when everyone folded to my 2.2X BB open raises. With blinds now at $150-300 the extra $900 really helped my stack. I could tell Philly Phanatic, who was seated on my immediate left, was getting suspicious. My next hand was K-K and I raised again, with Philly coming along for the ride this time. I bet a little over half pot after a 9 high flop. Philly slid his entire stack in and after I called tabled A-9. He didn't improve and was crippled. A couple hands later I flopped two pair with my A-5. I checked, and Philly shoved. I turned another ace and Philly was gone in fourth place.

That left J-Dawg, Ollie the Accountant and myself. J-Dawg was short stacked and I had a small lead over Ollie. Figuring Ollie would have to fold all but his premium hands, because he wouldn't want to be eliminiated before J-Dawg, I started attacking his blinds, and by the time I busted J-Dawg, I had a 2-1 chip lead.

With blinds at $500-1000, we traded chips for a few rounds, when I peeked down at pocket eights. I raised to $2,200 and Ollie called. A well connected flop of J-T-8 caused a betting frenzy which ended with all the chips in the middle. Ollie put a 9 and a 10 on their backs, showing middle pair, plus an OESD versus my set of eights. I was ahead, but a seven or Q would sink my battleship.

The turn?

Queen. Damn.

The river? Jack, pairing the board.

Full house! WHEEEE!

Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good : )

So, that's two tourney wins in a row. It's a long way from being over, but it's nice to be off to a good start!

Click here for the updated league standings.

Till next time, win the flips

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Let Me Count The Bites

Since we left our car at the Mirage the night before, Ms. Duck and I hoofed it there from the Venetian, grabbed our horseless carriage, and headed for Planet Ho.

We had a gift card to PF Changs, which is located in the Planet Ho casino, and opted for a couple egg rolls and a bowl of beef and chicken lo mein for lunch. Plus, we were able to watch some of the Baylor men's basketball game on the boob tube while we ate.

We hadn't walked the strip much, so we decided to take a stroll and see the sights. While walking, we stopped in Paris for about an hour and played, then headed back to our car at Planet Ho.

If you've walked the strip, you're aware of the actors that are dressed like famous movie characters. You might see Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Storm Troopers and Darth Vader of Star Wars fame, Woody and Buzz Lightyear, etc. In fact, we saw Mickey and Minnie with their heads removed, sucking down a cold one! I know ol' Walt would appreciate that!

The funniest scene happened on one of the overpass crossovers. As is quite common, this particular crossover had a couple of men that were begging for money. One of them had a reasonably large dog with him, which was his pet. The pooch seemed to be mild mannered until Bert, Ernie, and the Count of Sesame Street fame came strolling along in full costume.

The dog went ballistic! Apparently, he wasn't a fan.

The dog owner was holding on for dear life, trying to keep his dog from having the "Sesame Trio" for dinner. As for Bert, Ernie, and the Count, let's just say they had a spring in their step!

Once we got back to the car, we drove to the Ellis Island Casino, only a couple blocks away, to enjoy their $7.99 steak dinner. For those of you that don't know about the special, for $7.99 you get a 10 ounce sirloin, potato, green beans, salad, and a beer. Good eats! But, it's not on the menu and you have to ask for the steak special.

After dinner, we headed back to the Venetian to pack for our morning flight to Dallas and then on to Waco. We opted for an earlier flight in order for me to make the monthly tournament of our local poker league, scheduled to start at seven.

Our plane left about 30 minutes late from Vegas, but we had a 90 minute layover in Big D, so I wasn't too concerned. We arrived about 15 minutes late, but then our flight to Waco was delayed for 25 minutes. Now I was concerned! Our flight was due to arrive in Waco at six, which gave me just a few minutes to spare. With the delay, we didn't land until 6:30, and then had to get our bag (assuming American hadn't lost it).

I knew I wasn't going to make it in time for the first hand, but as long as I was in my seat before the end of the third blind level, I would be allowed to play. As it turned out, I only missed one round of blinds. To make things even better, my first hand was A-K. I had two limpers in front of me, so I raised it 4x the BB. The Q-T-4 flop missed me. J-Dawg bet $30, which gave me good enough odds to draw to my two overs + gut shot. I called, and the rest of the field folded. A blank on the turn produced a check by J-Dawg, and I did likewise. I binked the river when the J completed my straight. J-Dawg checked and I bet $60, less than 1/2 pot, but didn't get the desired call. But I more than made up for my lost blinds and was in decent shape to make a run at a second consecutive tournament win.

I'll write a post on the rest of the tournament in the next day or two.

All in all, another great trip to Vegas! Time to start planning for the next one : )

Till next time, win the flips.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

"Nothing Beats Alien Beaver"

Ms. Duck and I drove down to the Gambler's General Store and dropped three benjamins for three blackjack felts and a few gaming accessories and then headed to the Cosmopolitan.

We visited the Cosmo on our last trip and liked the property, although I hadn't done too well money wise, but Ms. Duck had been pretty lucky. Also, lightning had suggested the Wicked Spoon buffett there, so we went there for a bite as soon as we arrived.

Boy, was he ever right! What a spread. I had small portions of several entrees, all of which were excellent, including the salted peanut ice cream. It was a little pricey at $22 a head, but I thought it was well worth the cost. Thanks lighting!

My lovely wife settled on a penny video slot machine called "Alien Cows From the Planet Moolah." I sat down next to her at another video slot, but I didn't see the name of the game on the screen, but there were some cartoon animals that looked like beavers. The theme was the same as the cows (aliens) as the beavers were in spaceships. (I promise I was sober when we were playing these machines. Besides. you can't just make this stuff up.)

"Nothing better than alien beaver!" I commented to Ms. Duck, which produced a classic eye roll : )

When I hit some kind of a bonus round, I learned that they were "Wombats from outer space," but I still liked the beaver line.

From the Cosmo we walked over to the Aria and played for a few minutes. I walked by a crowded poker room, but didn't play.

Later we drove to the Mirage and parked. Ms. Duck wanted to walk thru the Forum Shops at Caesars, but I opted to head over to the Flamingo for some poker.

There was a waiting list for the $1-2 NLHE cash game, so I took an immediate seat at the $2-4 limit hold'em table. A game I like to call "bingo poker." I liked the dealers sense of humor.

"Only eight players to see the flop this time."

There was one old codger that stayed pissed off. If he won a hand, the pot wasn't big enough, and if he lost, the opponent always got there on the river. So he said. I thought it was very amusing to see someone take a small wager game like this so seriously. One player did manage to hit a straight flush to the the king for a high hand jackpot (yes, they did shuffle the cards lighting), for a nice payout.

By the time a seat came open at the big kids table, I had enbibed on several adult beverages and thought I might save some money by staying put. By the end of the evenng I had dropped about $40 and hoofed it back to the Venetian.

Unfortunately, our car is still at the Mirage, so we'll have to go there first, then drive over to eat at PF Changs in the Planet Ho casino.

Heading home tomorrow. Our monthly "Vegas Or Bust Poker League" monthly tourney is tomorrow at seven, so I'm hoping we get back in time for me to participate. We're supposed to land in Waco at six, but our luck with American Airlines hasn't been too good this trip : (

Till next time, win the flips.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

There's A Grrouchie In The Housie!

With apologies to Dr. Suess for the headline.

Our trip to Vegas has been fun the last couple of days. We've made several shopping trips as we discover more items that we need. Items that were packed in the suitcase that American lost on Saturday. But, they continue to assure me that they are doing everything possible to locate our bag. Right. I feel better already.

Ms. Duck and I headed over to the Pinball Hall of Fame on Monday morning. I worked at an arcade to help pay for college years ago, so seeing some of the vintage machines again was like visiting an old friend. I couldn't get Ms. Duck to play any of them, but I blew thru $5 worth of quarters in a hurry!

From there we headed over to the Orleans to get a bite to eat and play a little video poker together. I was playing on a Bonus Poker penny progressive machine ($1 a hand) when I hit four aces with a queen kicker on the original deal. It was worth $170, but what was really exciting was that I could toss the Q and draw. If I drew a 2, 3, or 4, the payout jumped to over 800 big ones. The draw? A king.

Ms. Duck joined me and just a couple minutes in was dealt a full house, dueces full of tens. She was ready to take the $7 payout, but I stopped her and told her she should toss the tens and try for quad twos. The payout was $80, but if she hit quads with an A, 3, or 4 kicker, it jumped to over $400. She tossed the tens, and the first card out of the shoot was an ace. That's the kicker she needed. The second card? The fourth lucky duck! (See what I did there?) I knew the ducks wouldn't let me down! Because of her kicker, she won almost $420. Not bad for a penny machine.

A few minutes later, she got four aces with a 9 kicker for $160. Just like me, if she could have hit a 2, 3, or 4 on the draw, the win jumps to over $800. Unfortunately, she drew a Q. To help make up for it, she hit quad sixes a few minutes later for another 50 bucks.

From the Orleans, we headed over to Walgreens at the Venetian to pick up my meds (also lost by AA) and then headed over to Treasure Island to play some cards. I entered a $50 tourney with 18 runners and finished in sixth or seventh when I pushed K-Q from middle position for 5 1/2 BB. I ran into A-K and hit my Q on the river, but my opponent had already paired his ace, so I was drawing dead.

I had been in contact with grrouchie, who had agreed to come meet me and toss a few cards. He was already there when I busted from the tourney. but we had never met, so I didn't know what he looked like and sat down at the table next to his. He came over and introduced himself a few minutes later and I was able to get a table change, with the seat next to grrouchie open, so we had the opportunity to visit for a couple of hours while we were pitching cards.

I have to agree with Rob's take on grrouchie. He's anything but a grouch. A soft spoken, low key guy, we got along famously. The only fault I could find with him was the fact that he's a Steelers fan. Oh well, nobody's perfect!

I kept getting marginal hands for most of the session, K-4, J-5, A-3, etc, and spent most of the time mucking hands. I used my tight image to buy a small pot with 6-7 soooted. I open raised 3 1/2 x the BB and got two callers, both of which I had position on. Both opponents checked a king high flop and folded to my c-bet.

The big hand of the night involved myself, grrouchie, and one other player. I limped with 7h-8h and grrouchie popped it 6 x the BB to $18. When there was a call in front of me, I decided to take a look at the flop, hoping it would hit me hard. I checked the Ah-9h-8x flop and grrouchie c-bet $25, getting another call from the player to his left. This wasn't a surprise, as this particular player was pretty much your classic calling station. With my middle pair plus a flush draw, I thought my best play was to go ahead and shove my $125 stack. I figured I had 12 outs (9 hearts and three eights), so even if I got called, I still had a decent chance. Plus grrouchie might have K-K and just be throwing out a feeler bet. When he called, I knew he had paired his ace, but what I didn't know was that he had pocket rockets, and I only had half as many outs as I thought. The turn and river didn't hit for me and grrouchie collected a nice $300 pot. I always hate to lose big pots, but I'm glad it was to a fellow blogger.

BTW, my birthday is in October grouch :)

Yesterday, we drove out to the M Resort and played for a while and then spent the rest of the day at Planet Ho. I made back most of the $250 I dropped at TI the night before, walking away with a $170 profit in the $1-2 NLHE cash game.

I was the BB on my very first hand. The UTG player raised 5 x the BB to $10 and was 3 bet to $30 by the player to his left. It was folded around to me and I peeked down at A-K. Since I had no reads on the players, I mucked big slick and was rewarded when the UTG player shoved. UTG +1 showed pocket queens and folded, with UTG tabling K-K. Wow, what a start!

I picked up a nice pot when my pocket fours turned into a set on the flop. My opponent didn't show, but I have to assume he had two pair.

A little later, I checked my BB with 8-9 off. A 4-8-9 was just what the doctor ordered! There was a flush draw, so I placed a pot sized bet, hoping to discourage any fishing. Three of us saw another 8 on the turn. WHEEEE! I bet out again and both opponents stayed with me. The flush got there on the river and I value betted, but didn't get any customers, so I guess the other players were on straight draws, for which they paid a high price.

Heading out to the Gambler's General Store today to pick up three blackjack felts for our casino party company. Some of the felts we have are getting a little worn, so it's time for an upgrade. After that we'll probably either head downtown or out to one of the "locals" casinos off the strip. Hopefully, I'll have some big wins to report!

Till next time, win the flips.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

AA Sucks

No, not pocket aces. The airline.

Our plane from DFW to Vegas was grounded. Unfortunately, this happened after we had boarded, so we had to deplane and start over. We finally got to Vegas a couple hours late.

One of our bags did not.

In the bag were my scripts (not good), several shirts, my shaving kit, and all my underwear. So the Duck is going "cammando" on the strip! (TMI?)

A computer at American assured me that "they-were-doing-everything-possible" to find the bag. I don't know what makes me madder, the bag being lost or AA trying to blow sunshine up my skirt.

Anywoo, Ms. Duck and I are checked in at the Venetian for the remainder of the week. We had a good time at the Green Valley Ranch Resort and will make a trip to Walmart today and hit the "Fruit of the Loom" aisle.

I'll report anything that seems interesting this week. Maybe I'll have a story worthy of lightning's "Hooker Week!" After all, I am going cammando : )

Friday, March 2, 2012

Straight Flush Not Good Enough

I've played poker on a regular basis for eight or nine years and have never seen as many big hands as I did last night at J-Dawg's Poker Extravaganza.

Ray-Ray started the festivities early by hitting a straight flush to the ten in the first half hour of play in this $20 buy-in, dealer's choice limit game. We all assumed he had the High Hand Jackpot wrapped up for the evening. But, as Lee Corso likes to say, "Not so fast my friend!"

A short while later, Farmer Harry hit quad tens in a hand of Omaha High, but it wasn't good enough to win the HHJ. Neither was Gentleman Jim's quad fives or Harry's quad fives. J-Dawg rivered a straight flush to the eight in another hand of Omaha, and as he tabled his winning hand said, "It sucks when a straight flush isn't good enough to win the High Hand Jackpot!"

Indeed.

On the very last hand of the night I was UTG and peeked down at Qc-3c-Td-6d and decided to limp, only because it was the last hand. The flop was 7d-8d-9d.

Holy cow, a flopped straight flush!

The turn brought the 5d, so now I had a six card straight flush. I apologized to Ray-Ray as I tabled my hand, which meant he now was splitting the HHJ with moi. For some reason, I was happier about the split than he was. Go figure : )

I still managed to drop $3, even counting half the jackpot I won. Bobby Dee and Farmer Harry were the big winners, with both cashing out with$30+ profits. Ollie the Accountant and Stamps took the biggest hits, with both dropping north of 20 bucks on the evening. J-Dawg lost a little, as did Dealer Larry and Jim.

Tin Man's Tournament is tonight. Hopefully, we'll have a better turnout than we did last week.

Till next time, win the flips.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Countdown To Vegas

As you can see by looking at the countdown clock to the right, my Vegas trip is less than two days away! Ms. Duck and I haven't been since early July, so we're really looking forward to our trip.

We are taking an EARLY flight out of Waco Saturday morning, which will require me to get out of bed around 4:30. Not good! From Waco we catch a connecting flight out of DFW, and should be on the ground in Vegas by 10:30 PST.

After we pick up our rental car, we'll drive over to Green Valley Ranch and spend our first night there. Sunday, we'll check in at the Venetian and stay there through Friday and head back to Wacko.

One issue with our return flight is the timing. We are scheduled to land in Waco at 6pm, and our monthly Vegas Or Bust League Tourney begins at 7. So it'll be tight, and if one of the flights is delayed, I'm screwed.

While in Vegas I'll be looking to play in some of the daily tournaments, so if any of you have suggestions for the best ones, let me know. I'll take a look at the AVP website for a schedule and work from it.

I'll be warming up for the trip by playing in J-Dawg's Poker Extravaganza tonight and Tin Man's $5 NLHE Tourney tomorrow. I'll try to post a report on how they went before I leave for the desert.

 From reading their blogs, it looks like MOJO, VJ, and Hoyazo will all be in Atlantic City this weekend, participating in a WSOP Circuit Tourney, so best of luck to all of you! Bring it home for your fellow bloggers : )

Till next time, win the flips.