Pokerpalooza!

We had 10 runners show for our Tuesday night Pokerpalooza. Stamps brought a nice sized brisket that he had smoked. Add a hamburger bun, pickles, onions, and some barbecue sauce and you have the makings of a pretty good sammich. A few potato chips on the side and chocolate chip cookies for desert completed the menu.

From left to right on your radio dial were Ray-Ray, Stamps, Cell, Sam, J-Dawg, Gentleman Jim, Bobby Dee, Dealer Larry, Farmer Harry and yours truly.

Stamps won the High Hand Jackpot for the third week in a row, this time with quad nines in a hand of Omaha, and finished with a nice $22 profit on the evening. Cell also won over $20 in this $20 buy-in, dealer's choice limit game. Dealer Larry finished with a $16 profit, but I managed to win the most, walking away $47 to the good.

Harry dropped $26, J-Dawg $22, Sam $25, and Jim $16. Ray-Ray lost $14 and Bobby Dee broke even.

I started slow and was down about $6 early in the evening, but then the deck started hitting me in the face. A few draws hit for me and there were several times I made a crying call, only to win the pot. I sniffed out a bluff from Jim, when he represented top pair, but I called him down with second pair and took down a nice pot. It was one of those nights where everything worked. It felt good, as it had been a while since I had won big in the Pokerpalooza game.

Hope it keeps going next week :)

Till next time, win the flips.

MLB Picks, May 31st

Only one game on the schedule today that's worth a peek.

$15 on Boston (Beckett) over Detroit (Schezer) -1 1/2 @ +$145

Beckett is 2-0, with a 1.25 ERA in his last three trips to the bump. Schezer has a 5.67 ERA on the season. The BoSox have won eight of their last 10 at Fenway. The Tigers have lost 9 of their last 14 on the highway.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 174.50
Current Bankroll            $1,674.50

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 your own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, May 30th

Two games on the docket today that look promising.

$10 on Houston (Harrell) over Colorado (Friedrich) @ +$145

Harrell is 2-1, with a 1.93 ERA in his last three starts. Friedrich is 1-1, 6.35 in his last three and has a hefty 14.40 ERA at home this season.

$10 on LA Angels (Santana) over NY Yankees (Nova) -1 1/2 @ +$175

Santana has posted a 2-0 record, with a 2,77 ERA in his last four trips to the hill. Nova is 1-1, 6.38 in his last three. The Angels have won eight straight games.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 194.50
Current Bankroll            $1,694.50

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 your own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, May 29th

Two games on the menu today that are interesting.

$20 on Detroit (Verlander) over Boston (Bard) -1 1/2 @ +$105

Verlander is 2-1, with a tiny 1.13 ERA in his last three outings. Bard is 4-5, 4.69 ERA on the season.

$10 on San Francisco (Vogelsong) over Arizona (Saunders) -1 1/2 @ +$175

Vogelsong is 2-0, with a 1.77 ERA in his last three trips to the bump. Saunders is 1-1, 6.75 in his last three. The Giants are 9-5 against leftys this season.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 197.00
Current Bankroll            $1,697.00

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 your own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, May 28th

One game on the Memorial Day schedule that's worth a look.

$15 on Philadelphia (Hamels) over NY Mets (Niese) -1 1/2 @ +$130

Hamels is 7-1, with a 2.17 ERA this season. Niese is 3-2, 4.29 on the year.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 177.50
Current Bankroll            $1,677.50

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 your own risk.

Good luck!

I Can't Drive 55

Ms. Duck, Sonny Boy, M2, her fiancee' and I all headed to a family reunion yesterday that was located about 45 minutes southwest of Austin.

I dreaded the drive, mainly because the traffic is horrible on a normal day and I figured it would be even worse on a holiday weekend, especially going thru Austin.

I had heard about the new toll road, just opened east of the city and decided to give it a whirl. I have to say, I was impressed. Especially by this sign. . .

Zoom, zoom!

MLB Picks, May 26th

 There are a couple of NL games on the menu today that look interesting.

$15 on Houston (Norris) over LA Dodgers (Billingsley) @+$125

MGM/Mirage had this one listed at +$125 Saturday morning, while almost everyone else has it at +$110, so the MGM book is the place to go on this one. Norris is 4-0, with a tiny 0.69 ERA in his last four starts, including 7 innings of shutout ball against the Cubs his last time out. Billingsley is 0-3, 7.18 ERA in his last six trips to the bump. The Astros have won four straight games.

$20 on Washington (Strausburg) over Atlanta (Minor) -1 1/2 @ +$140

Strausburg is 4-1, with a 2.21 ERA this season and is 2-0, 1.04 when pitching on the road. Minor is 0-3, with a 10.46 ERA in his last five outings and has given up 12 home runs. The Braves have dropped five straight games.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 164.50
Current Bankroll            $1,664.50

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 your own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, May 25th

 Four games on the docket today, all in the NL.

$15 on San Diego (Bass) over NY Mets (Gee) @ +$110

Bass is 1-1, with a 1.83 ERA in his last three starts. Gee is 1-1, 7.13 ERA in his last three and also has a 7.33 ERA when pitching at home this season.

$10 on Miami (Johnson) over San Francisco (Lincecum) -1 1/2 @ +$170

Johnson is back in form, posting a 2-0 record, with a 2.14 ERA in his last three trips to the bump. Lincecum is 0-2, 6.75 ERA in his last three and has an 8.15 ERA when pitching on the highway.

$10 on Atlanta (Hudson) over Washington (Detwiler) -1 1/2 @ +$155

Hudson is 2-1, with a 1.25 ERA in his last three trips to the mound. Detwiler is 0-2, 7.31 in his last three appearances.

$20 on Milwaukee (Gallardo) over Arizona (Kennedy) @ +$115

Gallardo is 1-1, with a 2.50 ERA in his last three outings, and is 7-0 in his last seven starts against the D-Backs. Kennedy is struggling, going 0-3, 7.27 ERA in his last three starts.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 176.50
Current Bankroll            $1,676.50

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 your own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, May 24th

Only one game on today's abbreviate schedule that's worth a peek.

$15 on Detroit (Verlander) over Cleveland (Masterson) -1 1/2 @ +$110

Verlander is 3-0, with a 1.64 ERA in his last three outings. Masterson is 1-3, 5.04 this season.

 Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 191.50
Current Bankroll            $1,691.50

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 your own risk.

Good luck!

Tuesday Night Pokerpalooza

We had eight players last night for our Pokerpalooza at the Duck Blind last night. Bobby Dee brought burgers and chips for the occasion, and M2 baked another cake.

The dog on the cake is a facsimile of our family canine Kramer. He's a terrier/ Heinz 57 mix that my daughter brought home from "Fuzzy Friends," which is our local animal shelter. Kramer had suffered some abuse from his previous owner, so he was very skiddish when we got him, but he's mellowed out well over the past few years and enjoys hanging out by the poker table waiting for a pat on the head or a morsel off the night's menu.

Here's a picture of him on his recent vacation to Bangkok. I think she captures him well with her cake depiction :)

Ollie the Accountant came out on top of the money pile, winning $17 in this $20 buy-in, dealer's choice limit game. Cell was close behind, winning $16, followed by moi with $10. Bobby Dee was the only other runner that finished in the black, posting a small $5 profit.

J-Dawg lost $7, Gentleman Jim $14, with Glass Man getting hit the hardest, dropping $19 on the evening.

Stamps won the High Hand Jackpot with a straight flush to the jack in a hand of Omaha High, but still walked away with a small loss.

                                   *****

It looks like our Friday night game is cancelled again this week, as Tin Man and Lil' Annie Okie are heading for the coast to participate in a fishing tournament.

I did get some good news concerning one of our regular players from the Friday game. You may have noticed (or not) that I haven't mention Bluffin' Bev in quite a while. Bev has diabetes and is also on dialysis due to poor kidney function. Everything came crashing down health wise several months ago and Bev has spent that time shuffling between rehab and ICU as her condition changed.

I had called several times for updates, speaking with both her husband and daughter. Bev was in an Austin rehab facility for a while, then was transferred to a Ft. Worth facility, and finally sent to a facility in Temple, which is about 30 minutes south of Waco. I have been unable to reach Bev's family for the past six weeks. When I called I would get a message that the phone had been disconnected. I was worried and even started checking the obituaries, hoping she wouldn't be listed.

Last Sunday I got a call from Bev! She said she had finally gotten to come home the previous Friday. Was I ever glad to hear from her :) She said that she was unable to walk without the assistance of a walker, and even then just for short distances. She starts a rehab program designed to get her back on her feet this week.

"I'm not able to play poker with you guys yet, but it won't be long!" she told me.

"That's great," I said, "We've missed your money!" And she laughed the great laugh I've missed these past few months.

Isn't it funny that no matter what the situation, poker players can still give each other crap.

If you're reading this Bev (and I know you sometime read my drivel), welcome home! I can't wait to see you seated around the table again.

Till next time, win the flips.

MLB Picks, May 23rd

Lightning complained about my picture from yesterdays post, claiming it didn't have as many "curves" as he's used to seeing. So todays pic is especially "curvy" and dedicated to lightning. You can thank him :)

There are a couple of NL games on the schedule that look promising.

$10 on Miami (Zambrano) over Colorado (White) -1 1/2 @ +$140

Zambrano sports a 1.96 ERA on the season. White is 0-2, with a 6.75 ERA in road games. Miami is 16-5 in their last 21 games. Colorado has lost 15 of 18 and six in a row.

$10 on LA Dodgers (Lilly) over Arizona (Saunders) -1 1/2 @ +$155

Lilly is 5-0, with a 1.79 ERA this season, including 7 innings of shutout ball against St. Louis in his last outing. Saunders is 0-2, 9.42 in his last three trips to the mound. LA has won 6 straight games and 11 of 13. The D-Backs have lost 9 of their last 10 games at home and are 5-10 against southpaws this season.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 211.50
Current Bankroll            $1,711.50
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 your own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, May 22nd

One game on the docket today that's worth a look.

$10 on LA Dodgers (Harang) over Arizona (Cahill) @ +$135

Harang has turned his season around and is 2-0, with a 1.29 ERA the last three times he has toed the rubber. His last outing he threw 7 innings of shutout ball against San Diego. Cahill is 1-4, with a 5.75 ERA in his last five starts and is 0-3, 6.48 at home this season. The Dodgers have won 10 of their last 12 games. The D-Backs have dropped 8 of their last 9 at home.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 198.00
Current Bankroll            $1,698.00
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 your own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, May 21st

 Two games on Monday's schedule that are worth a look.

$10 on Kansas City (Paulino) over NY Yankees (Kuroda) @ +$160

Paulino is 1-1, with a 1.93 ERA on the season and threw 7 innings of shutout ball against Baltimore in his last outing. Kuroda is 1-2, 6.06 ERA in his last three trips to the hill and was shelled for 7 runsin only 5 innings against Toronto his last time out.

$20 on LA Dodgers (Capuano) over Arizona (Corbin) - 1 1/2 @ +$150

Capuano is 5-1, with a 2.34 ERA this season. Corbin is 1-2, 6.06 in his last three starts. The D-Backs are 5-9 versus leftys this year. The Dodgers have won 8 of their last 10 games going into Sunday's game.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 152.00
Current Bankroll            $1,652.00
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 your own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, May 19th

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

$10 on Miami (Sanchez) over Cleveland (Gomez) - 1 1/2 @ +$150

Sanchez is 2-0, with a 1.65 ERA on the road this year and sports a 1.71 ERA in his last three starts. Gomez has struggled at home this season, going 1-2, with a 5.40 ERA.

$10 on San Francisco (Vogelsong) over Oakland (Ross) - 1 1/2 @ +$165

Vogelsong is 1-1, 1.27 ERA in his last three starts. Ross has been hit hard on the highway this season, posting an 8.38 ERA.

$15 on Texas (Holland) over Houston (Harrell) -1 1/2 @ -$110

Holland is 1-0, with a 0.63 ERA in his last three trips to the bump. Harrell is 2-3, 4.40 ERA so far this season.

 Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 160.50
Current Bankroll            $1,660.50
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 your own risk.

Good luck!

Misty Watercolored Memories

May 18th, 1999.

The day you reached your "ultimate age," as the life insurance folks have described it. Thirteen years. Four thousand, seven hundred, forty-nine days, and not one of them that I didn't think of you or see or hear something that reminded me of you.

A picture of my father as a young man in the Air Force. As he put it, "I successfully defended Denver against the Koreans!"

There's a small room of each of our hearts where we store our sorrows and loss. We try to keep that door closed and locked, but suddenly a date or event comes along that causes us to open the door and sift through this room. It brings both smiles and tears. Today is one of those days.

I miss you Dad.

MLB Picks, May 18th

Three games on today's menu that are worth investing a few shekels.

$20 on Chi Cubs (Samardzija) over Chi Sox (Humber) - 1 1/2 @ +$155

Samardzija is 2-0, with a 0.81 ERA at Wrigley this season. In the four games since his perfect game, Humber is 0-2, 9.45.

$20 on Philadelphia (Hamels) over Boston (Bard) - 1 1/2 @ +$155

Hamels is 5-0, with a 1.93 ERA the last six times he has toed the rubber. Bard has a 5.49 ERA on the highway. The Phillies have won 5 of their last 6 home games, while the Sox have dropped 4 of their last 6 on the road.

$10 on Miami (Zambrano) over Cleveland (Masterson) @ +$100

Zambrano is 1-0, with a tiny 0.39 ERA in his last three trips to the bump. Masterson is 1-3, 5.40 on the season.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 139.50
Current Bankroll            $1,639.50
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 your own risk.

Good luck!

Let Them Eat Cake

We had a light turnout for our Pokerpalooza this week, with only seven runners seated around the felt.

Farmer Harry brought pizza from Papa Johns, which varied from his usual pizza vendor, which is Dominos. I think the consensus was for Papa Johns in the future..

The highlight of the evening for me was the cake my daughter baked for our desert, which should give you a hint on how poker went for me. M2 has become somewhat of a pastry chef since the poker game was moved here to the Duck Blind, and as you can see in the picture, this cake is going to be tough to top!

Bobby Dee had a good night for the first time in a while, winning $18 in this $20 buy-in, dealer's choice limit game. Ray-Ray also did well, matching Bobby as top dog for the evening. Stamps won the High Hand Jackpot with quad queens and managed an $11 profit. J-Dawg broke even, with Farmer Harry suffering the biggest loss, dropping a little over $20. Ollie the Accountant lost $15, and I walked away $10 lighter.

                                       *****

Tin Man invited me to play a NLHE tournament along with Lil' Annie Okie and Philly Phanatic at a local bar/pool hall last Saturday.

There were 18 players that started with $500T, with blinds starting at $10-20. Not too bad a structure on the surface, but the blinds doubled every 15 minutes, so you were in shove/fold territory pretty quickly.

Philly was the very first out, with Annie finishing in 14th and Tin Man 11th. I managed to stick around to the $100-200 level and finally got felted in third place when my K-T got run down by J-7.

I learned after I got there that the tournament was part of a league the bar had going, so all I won was 15 points, which would be a decent start if I decided to stick with it, which I won't. But it was a nice change of pace to pitch cards with some new players. Even better than Papa Johns : )

Till next time, win the flips.

MLB Picks, May 17th

Three games on today's schedule that look promising.

$15 on Oakland (McCarthy) over Texas (Harrison) @ +$180

McCarthy is 3-0, with a 1.31 ERA in his last three starts. Harrison is 1-2, 8.27 in his last three. The A's are 7-4 against leftys this season.

$15 on Baltimore (Matusz) vs. Kansas City (Hochevar) OVER 9 @ -$105

Matusz sports a 5.50  ERA on the season. Hochevar is 1-2 with a 10.80 ERA in his last three trips to the bump.

$15 on Milwaukee (Marcum) over Houston (Happ) -1 1/2 @ +$115

Marcum has thrown well lately, going 1-0, with a 1.80 ERA in his last three outings. Happ is 1-2, 7.16 in his last three. Houston has dropped 4 of their last 5 games.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 142.50
Current Bankroll            $1,642.50
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 your own risk.

Good luck!

A Celebration

Grant in 2008

In May of 2008, a friend of mine was involved in a serious traffic accident in Los Angeles. He was/is an aspiring screen writer that specialized in horror films and had a couple of scripts submitted to various studios.

He and his dog Dez had gone jogging at a local park and were driving home when another dog dashed in front of the car. Grant swerved, successfully missing the dog, but lost control and hit a concrete beam. Grant suffered several broken bones, the most serious were a couple of vertebrate in his neck. The paramedics used the jaws of life to remove him from his car and airlifted him to the UCLA Medical Center, where he was placed in ICU to begin his battle of survival.

Dez wasn't as fortunate and died in the crash.

Grant went through numerous surgeries on his broken leg and neck over the next few months. The surgeon's main concern was stabilizing his neck. There had been a large amount of damage to the area, and his spine had been twisted in the crash which had caused paralysis.

Grant in 2011

After a few months it became apparent that Grant would be a quadriplegic and was transported home to Texas, where his parents had remodeled his room to state required standards for someone in his situation.

I visit once or twice a month, bring dinner and watch a movie with him. He's a big fan of horror flixs, but me, not so much. He is always gracious enough to spare me from watching this particular genre'. However, he is also a fan of superhero type movies. Superman, Ironman, Spiderman, Hulk, Captain America, etc, he loves them all, but he is especially fond of the Marvel comic characters, so that it what we usually watch.

Grant is such a huge fan of the cinema and it's just a shame that he's unable to go to a theater to enjoy a movie in its full screen splendor. Oh, he has made numerous trips to a local hospital over the past few years, mainly due to frequent urinary tract infections. It's the only time he's left his room in the four years since the accident. By ambulance, to a hospital.

Until today.

A mutual friend has arranged a medical transport to take Grant to a local movie theater to view "The Avengers." I can't begin to explain how excited he is to be able to go to a theater for the first time in years, so I won't attempt it here. Be assured though, it's a BIG deal :)

He's also invited a few friends to join him for the show. I'm proud to say that I am one of those friends, so I'm taking the afternoon off to join in the fun.

I know the movie will be full of superheros performing heroic acts, but none of them will show more courage or strength than my friend Grant has in the past four years.

I'm sure I'll enjoy the movie, but I know I'll enjoy watching Grant enjoy the show even more.

It will truly be a day of celebration. I can't wait!

MLB Picks, May 16th

Three games on the docket today that a worth a peek.

$10 on LA Dodgers (Capuano) over San Diego (Richard) -1 1/2 @ +$145

Capuano is 5-0, 2.06 ERA this year and is 3-0, 0.44 at home. Richard is 1-5, 5.32 on the season and is 0-3, 5.59 in his last three outings. The Dodgers have won five straight. Capuano is a port sider and the Padres are 2-13 this season against southpaws.

$10 on Seattle (Hernandez) over Cleveland (Jimenez) -1 1/2 @ +$135

Hernandez is 1-1, 1.99 ERA in his last three starts. Jimenez is 1-2, 6.15 in his last three.

$10 on San Francisco (Bumgarner) over St. Louis (Garcia) @ +$100

Bumgarner is 5-2, 2.80 ERA this season and is 3-0, 1.74 at home. Garcia has struggled in his last three starts, going 0-2, 6.27 ERA. The Giats have won three straight games.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 172.50
Current Bankroll            $1,672.50
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 your own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, May 15th

Two AL games that look promising on the menu today.

$20 on Tampa Bay (Price) over Toronto (Alvarez) -1 1/2 @ +$150

Price is 10-2, with a 2.13 ERA in his career versus the Jays. Alvarez has struggled against Tampa, posting a 0-2 record, with a 7.30 ERA in his career. The Rays have won five of the last six games against Toronto.

$20 on Cleveland (Lowe) over Minnesota (Marquis) -1 1/2 @ +$115

Lowe is 5-1, 2.47 this season. Marquis has a 6.62 ERA this year, and it's even higher at home (7.16). The Tribe is 11-6 on the highway while the Twins are 4-12 at home.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 169.50
Current Bankroll            $1,669.50
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 your own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, May 14th

There are four games on the docket today that are worth a look.

$15 on Detroit (Smyly) over Chi Sox (Danks) -1 1/2 @ +$145

Smyly is 1-0, with a 1.59 ERA on the season. Danks is 0-2, 6.86 in his last three outings and is 0-3, 7.32 ERA at home this year.

$10 on Baltimore (Hammel) over NY Yankees (Nova) @ +$105

Hammel is 4-1, witha a 2.09 ERA on the year. Nova has struggled in his last three trips to the bump, sporting a hefty 6.27 ERA.

$10 on Philadelphia (Blanton) over Houston (Harrell) - 1 1/2 @ +$120

Blanton is 2-0, 2.35 in his last three starts. Harrell has not pitched well on the highway this season, posting a 0-2 record, with a 6.23 ERA.

$15 on Kansas City (Chen) vs. Texas (Feldman) OVER 10 @ -$110

Chen has an 8.44 ERA in his last three trips to the mound, and Feldman isn't much better, posting a 5.79 in his last three.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 197.50
Current Bankroll            $1,697.50
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 your own risk.

Good luck!

Vegas Or Bust Poker League Tourney

Friday night was the fifth of 16 tournaments in our Vegas Or Bust Poker League. There are ten of us in the league, with the top two finishers winning an all expenses paid trip to the 2013 WSOP.

The winner of each tourney gets 10 points, with second receiving nine, third, eight, etc. I have gotten off (waiting on a comment here from Gary concerning my word choice) to a fast start, placing third in the inaugural tournament and then running off three consecutive wins. My closest competition going into the tournament were Ollie the Accountant, J-Dawg, Philly Phanatic, and Lil' Annie Okie. The earlier they went out, the better for moi.

Seated at the table from left to right on your radio dial were Annie, Ollie, Tin Man, Philly, Dealer Larry, Bobby Dee, J-Dawg, Stamps, Big Daddy, and your humble scribe.

I won the first hand in which I was involved. I raised a limped pot 3X from the cutoff with A-K soooted and got a call from Dealer Larry. We both whiffed the flop, but I was in position and c-bet, resulting in a fold from Larry.

Unfortunately, I gave it back on the next hand I played when Big Daddy's second pair, ace kicker beat my king kicker. Things got better for me shortly thereafter.

Philly got into a big pot with Ollie early in the tournament and was felted when his top two pair ran into Ollie's full house. Tin Man was toe tagged not much later when his pocket jacks were outdrawn by J-Dawg's A-K.

Annie check called herself into becoming the short-stack, and was forced to go all in with her last $50 as the BB. Stamps and Ollie got into a betting war, so Annie knew she was in trouble even before the river card was dealt. She was right and exited in eighth place.

Bobby Dee was next to go when his K-9 was dominated by Ollie's A-K. Big Daddy had his best tourney to date, amassing a large stack early, but started frittering away by playing second pair to the river too many times and finally busted out in sixth place.

J-Dawg went out in fifth on a bad beat. Blinds were at $300-600, and J-Dawg only had $1,300 in his stack. The action folded to him in the cut off and he pushed with K-7. Stamps folded his SB,  which left me with a $700 call from the BB. I hated to call with my 8-5 offsuit, but the pot odds left me no choice. J-Dawg paired his king on the flop, which left me drawing thin, but runner- runner clubs put four of them on the board. J-Dawg didn't have any clubs, but my 5 was a club and sent J-Dawg packing in fifth place.

I also busted Stamps in fourth and Dealer Larry in third and had a huge chip advantage when Ollie and I got heads up. Ollie pushed his last two BB on the first hand and I peeked down at an ace and called without looking at my kicker, which turned out to be a deuce. Ollie tabled K-9, but didn't improve and I won the league tournament for the fourth consecutive month!

Duck Dynasty indeed!

Through five tourneys I am leading with 30 points, followed by Ollie and J-Dawg with 26 each, with Philly camped in fourth with 25. You can click here for the complete standings.

So far, so good, but there's still a long way to go.

Till next time, win the flips.

MLB Picks, May 11th

There are a couple of NL West games that look like good opportunities.

$10 on San Francisco (Bumgarner) over Arizona (Corbin) - 1 1/2 @ +$130

Bumgarner is 5-0, with a 1.54 ERA in his last five starts. Corbin is 1-1, 7.00 in his last three trips to the mound. The D-Backs have lost five straight games.

$15 on LA Dodgers (Capuano) over Colorado (Moyer) -1 1/2 @ +$135

Capuano is 3-0, with a miniscule 0.44 ERA in his last three starts. Moyer has a 5.63 ERA in his last three, and is coming off a 5 run, 5 inning performance against the Braves. The Rockies have lost 5 of their last 6 games.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 187.25
Current Bankroll            $1,687.25

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 your own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, May 10th

There are a couple of AL games that are worth a peek on an abbreviated schedule.

$20 on Toronto (Alvarez) over Minnesota (Marquis) - 1 1/2 @ +$115

Alvarez is 2-1, with a 1.23 ERA in his last three starts, including a complete game, shutout versus the Angels his last time out. The Jays have won 6 of the last 7 against the Twins. Marquis has a 5.40 ERA on the season and Minnesota has struggled as a team over the last three weeks, posting a dismal 3-13 record.

$10 on Tampa Bay (Price) over NY Yankees (Sabathia) @ +$145

Both starters have thrown well in their last three outings, but Price has been a little better, posting a 3-0 record, and a 1.16 ERA. Sabathia is also 3-0, but his ERA is at 3.00.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 174.25
Current Bankroll            $1,674.25

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 your own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, May 9th

I just don't see anything on today's schedule that provides much of an edge, so I'm going to take a seat on the bench. Hopefully, tomorrow will bring a +EV opportunity.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 174.25
Current Bankroll            $1,674.25

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 your own risk.

Good luck!

Pokerpalooza!

We had a nice turnout last night for our Pokerpalooza, with 10 runners taking a seat at the obround table. Bobby Dee brought some fried chicken (with sides) and M2 (my daughter) baked some "Snickers" brownies for dessert. If you left hungry, it was no one's fault but your own.

This was M2's first attempt at Snickers brownies, and probably wouldn't have happened this time if we didn't have such a big stash of them. You see, Mars Snackfoods has a manufacturing plant here, and they donated 1,500 Snickers candy bars (king size) for our Sertoma Kitefest. We gave out 1,300 of them, and M2 was given the remaining 200 after the event ended, which she brought home. So, we're up to our azz in Snickers bars and looking for ways to dispose of them. I'll probably run them down to our local food bank this weekend.

I won a small pot early in our $20 buy in, dealer's choice limit game, and it was the first of only two I won the entire evening.

Ray-Ray was seated to my left, and he had a break-even night, finishing with a small profit. Cell was the big winner on he night, cashing out for $48, followed by Stamps (Cell's dad) with $42. J-Dawg won $6, Dealer Larry $1, with Bobby Dee, Farmer Harry, and Glass Man each dropping around $5 a piece. Gentleman Jim and myself both left bruised and battered, losing $27 each. Ouch!

Cell also won the High Hand Jackpot with aces full of jacks in a hand of Omaha High. I don't know exactly what was going on with him, but he left the table 5-6 times to field phone calls during our three hour game. Stamps figured it must be "woman problems." I guess we've all been there, right?

                                           *****

Friday will be our fifth of sixteen league tournaments in our Vegas Or Bust Poker League. The top two finishers at the end of the league will win seats to the 2013 WSOP. Right now I'm in first, but there's a long way to go. I expect to post a report on the tourney sometime this weekend.

Till next time, win the flips.

MLB Picks, May 8th

Only one game on the docket today that's worth a peek.

$15 on Tampa Bay (Shields) over NY Yankees (Nova) @ +$105

Shields is 3-0, with a 2.42 ERA on the highway this season and is 5-0 overall. Nova has a 7.64 ERA at Yankee Stadium this year and sports a hefty 6.62 overall.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 189.25
Current Bankroll            $1,689.25

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 your own risk.

Good luck!

Go Fly A Kite!

Lucki Duck's kids selling tee shirts.

Our local Sertoma club had our 6th Annual Kitefest last Saturday near Lake Waco. The Kitefest is our largest annual fundraiser and this year will be no exception. Although the final numbers aren't in, we had another big turnout on the hottest day of the spring. With temperatures hovering in the mid 90s and high humidity, we sold a lot of iced tea (the house wine of the south), soda, and water, which was good for the ol' coffers!

We use the proceeds to provide hearing aids to local children that have a need. Aids are not cheap, and it is common for low income parents to be unable to afford them. That's where we step in. A child that doesn't hear properly is often shunned socially and is certain to fall behind academically, so it's very fulfilling to be in a position to help.

In addition, we also provide scholarships for hearing impaired high school seniors and college students. Our latest program provides audiometers to local schools to test student hearing.

Our local chapter has been around for 10 years and our parent organization, Sertoma International, based in Kansas City, celebrated 100 years of service last month.

Here are a few pictures from this weekend's Kitefest. Click on the picture for full screen goodness.

Kids playing under a giant centipede.

McGruff was there to be sure the clown didn't start any "funny business."

Parachute races!

Budding artists ply their trade.

Face painting!

A family enjoying the sunshine.

Even the smallest kiddos enjoyed flying their kites.

 

 

The local miniature aircraft club provided an airshow.

Another Kitefest has come and gone. Man, am I tired!

MLB Picks, May 7th

There are a couple of games of interest today, one in each league.

$10 on Baltimore (Matusz) over Texas (Harrison) @ +$140

Matusz is 1-1, 2.60 in his last three starts. The Birds have won five in a row and are 3-1 against southpaws this season. Harrison is really struggling right now, posting a 1-2 record, with a hefty 9.56 ERA in his last three trips to the bump. The Rangers have cooled off some after a hot start to the season, going 4-6 in their last 10 games.

$15 on Cincinnati (arroyo) over Milwaukee (Gallardo) @ +$110

Arroyo is throwing the pill pretty well so far this season, and sports a 3.03 ERA. Gallardo is 0-2, 7.20 the last three times he has taken the ball. The Brewers have also lost 7 of their last 10 games.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 182.75
Current Bankroll            $1,682.75

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 your own risk.

Good luck!

The Big 'C'- Update

Mom with her kids.

A good day.

Mom was scheduled to begin her treatment on Monday, but because the CyberKnife machine was on the fritz, she didn't actually start until Thursday. Although she was very frustrated with the delay, she hung in there and completed the prescribed protocol this morning.

After a one month stay in Houston, she comes home tomorrow and is very excited to see her dog and cat (and son).

She'll head back to Houston in six weeks for follow up tests to be sure the tumor has been destroyed.

We'll worry about that later. Today, we celebrate!

MLB Picks, May 4th

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

$10 on Arizona (Miley) over NY Mets (Gee) -1 1/2 @ +$155

Miley has been impressive thus far this season, posting a 3-0 record, with a 1.29 ERA. Gee has struggled at home, going 0-2, with a hefty 7.50 ERA and has a 4.79 in his last three starts. The Mets are 4-7 versus southpaws this season.

$10 on Tampa Bay (Price) over Oakland (Ross) -1 1/2 @ +$105

Price is 3-0, with a 1.71 ERA in his last three trips to the bump. Ross is 1-1, 6.48 on the season and was shelled for 9 runs in 4 innings of work against the Orioles in his last outing. 

$10 on St. Louis (Lohse) over Houston (Harrell) -1 1/2 @ +$105

I hate to bet against my Astros, especially against the hated Redbirds (sorry Mojo and Chad), but the pitching match up strongly favors the Cards. Lohse has been nothing short of spectacular this season, posting a 4-0 record, with a 1.62 ERA. Impressive. Harrell is 0-2, 5.60 the last three times he touched his toe to the rubber and gave up 5 runs in 6 innings in his last outing versus the Reds.

 Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 192.25
Current Bankroll            $1,692.25

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 your own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, May 3rd

One game on the menu today that looks good, as the top two teams in the AL Central (surprised? me too) face off.

$15 Cleveland (Masterson) vs. Chi Sox (Danks) OVER 8 @ -$115

Masterson has a 7.41 ERA in his last three starts and a 12.46 on the highway this season. Danks hasn't fared much better lately, sporting a 6.75 ERA in his last three trips to the bump and gave up seven runs in 5+ innings in his last outing.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 179.50
Current Bankroll            $1,679.50

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 your own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, May 2nd

Can the Astros actually sweep a series? If the pitching goes as expected, it could happen. I believe this is one of the signs of the apocalypse.

$15 on Houston (Rodriguez) over NY Mets (Schwinden)        -1 1/2 @ +$160

Rodriguez is 2-1, with a 1.35 ERA in his last three trips to the bump. In Schwinden's only start this season, he surrendered five earned runs in only four innings versus the Rockies. The Mets are 4-6 against port side throwers this season.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 155.50
Current Bankroll            $1,655.50

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 your own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, May 1st

Three games on the menu today that are worth a peek.

$10 on MY Mets (Niese) over Houston (Happ) -1 1/2 @ +$140

Niese is having a solid year so far, posting a 2-0 record, with a 2.81 ERA. He also has a 1.80 lifetime ERA against the Astros. Happ is 0-1, 4.76 in his last three trips to the bump and sports a 4.88 career ERA versus the Metropolitans. Also, Houston has dropped 13 of their last 19 games.

$20 on Washington (Zimmerman) over Arizona (Cahill) - 1 1/2 @ +$170

Zimmerman is throwing BBs this season, as his 1.67 ERA indicates. His career ERA against the D-Backs is almost as good at 2.03. Cahill, on the other hand, has struggled, going 0-2, 9.00 in his last two starts.

$10 on Tampa Bay (Moore) over Seattle (Noesi) -1 1/2 @ +$110

Noesi has a 1-2 record, with an 8.83 ERA this season, and has a 9.64 lifetime ERA against the Rays. Tampa has won five straight over the Mariners.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 174.50
Current Bankroll            $1,674.50

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 your own risk.

Good luck!