MLB Picks, June 29th

Only one game worth a peek on a busy MLB schedule.

$33 on Cleveland (Jiminez) over ChiSox (Axelrod) -1 1/2 @ +140

Jiminez is 2-0 with a 2.81 ERA in his last 3 outings. Axelrod carries an 8.59 ERA in his last 3. The Tribe has won 4 of their last 6 games and are 5-2 versus the White Sox this season. The Sox have dropped 4 of their last 5.

Starting Bankroll                          $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                                       ($41.50)
Current Bankroll                          $1,458.50

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 you own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, June 28th

There are a couple games today that look interesting. One on the left coast and one on the right.

$27 on LA Dodgers (Capuano) over Philadelphia (Lannan) -1 1/2 @ +150

Capuano is 1-1 with a 1.62 ERA in his last three trips to the bump. Lannan is 0-2 with a 9.26 in his last 3. The Dodgers have won 6 straight and the Phillies are 2-3 in their last 5 games.

$20 on NY Mets (Harvey) over Washington (Detweiler) -1 1/2 @ +135

Harvey is 7-1 with a tidy 2.05 ERA this season. Detweiler is 0-2 with an 8.59 ERA in his last 3 starts. The Mets have won 5 of their last 7 games. The Nats have dropped 3 of 5.

Starting Bankroll                          $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                                       $6.50
Current Bankroll                          $1,506.50

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 you own risk.

Good luck!

Hockey Picks- Season Wrap Up

Congratulations to the Blackhawks on winning their second Stanley Cup in four seasons. What a finish!

Although my first season of picking hockey games was not successful, I was able to figure a few things out as the season wore on and actually showed a nice profit the last couple of months. After bottoming out in mid April with a $423 loss, I was able to recover and finish with a much smaller $86 deficit. Hopefully I'll be able to continue the upward trend when next season rolls around.

Thanks for following along!

Starting Bankroll                                $1,000.00
Profit/Loss                                          ($86.50)
Current Bankroll                                  $913.50

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

Good luck!

MLB Picks, June 27th

For the second straight day it appears the cupboard is bare as far as finding a good game worth wagering a few dollars on. So we sit and watch again today :(

Starting Bankroll                          $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                                       $6.50
Current Bankroll                          $1,506.50

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 you own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, June 26th

Nothing on today's schedule looks good enough to bet. I like the Detroit/LA Angel game, but the Angels have beaten the Tigers 4 straight this season and seem to have their number. I'll wait until tomorrow and hope there are a few profitable games.

Starting Bankroll                          $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                                       $6.50
Current Bankroll                          $1,506.50

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 you own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, June 25th

There are a couple of interesting games on today's menu.

$30 on Pittsburgh (Locke) over Seattle (Saunders) -1 1/2 @ +140

Locke is 6-1 with a 2.01 ERA this season and 1-0 with a 0.46 in his last 3. Saunders is 5-7 with a 4.48 ERA this year. He's been better in his last 3, posting a 1-2 record with a 2.11 ERA. The Pirates are 5-1 in their last 6 and the Mariners have lost 5 of 8.

$20 @ +120 on Toronto (Buerhle) over Tampa Bay (Moore)

Buerhle is 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA in his last 3 starts. Moore is 1-2 with an 8.64 ERA in his last 3. The Jays have won 11 of their last 12. The Rays  have won 4 of their 6. 

Starting Bankroll                          $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                                       ($15.50)
Current Bankroll                          $1,484.50

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 you own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, June 24th

Only one game worth a peek on a short MLB schedule today.

$20 @ +110 on Toronto (Rogers) over Tampa Bay (Hellickson)

Rogers is 2-0 with a 2.04 ERA in his last three trips to the bump. Hellickson is 5-3 with a 5.50 ERA this season. The Jays have won 11 straight and the Rays have lost 8 of their last 12.

Starting Bankroll                          $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                                       $4.50
Current Bankroll                          $1,504.50

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 you own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, June 22nd

A couple games on the docket today that look good.

$50 on Detroit (Scherzer) over Boston (Webster) -1 1/2 @ +110

Scherzer is 10-0 with a 3.08 ERA this season. Webster is 0-1 with an 11.74 ERA in 2 starts this year.

$50 @ +115 on Pittsburgh (Liriano) over LA Angeles (Williams)

Liriano is 5-3 with a 2.44 ERA this season. Williams is 1-0 with a 6.00 in his last 3 outings. 

Starting Bankroll                          $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                                       ($108.00)
Current Bankroll                          $1,392.00

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!

MLB Picks, June 21st

Several games look good on today's schedule.

$30 @ +165 on Houston (Keuchel) over ChiCubs (Garza) 

Keuchel is 3-1 with a 2.49 ERA in his last 4 starts. Garza is 0-1 with a 6.38 ERA in his last 3 outings. The Astros are 6-2 in their last 8 games. The Cubs have lost 4 of 5.

$10 @ +120 on Minnesota (Deduno) over Cleveland (Kazmir)

Deduno is 3-0 with a 2.16 ERA in his last 4 trips to the bump. Kazmir is 0-2 with a 7.98 ERA in his last 3. Both teams are hot, with the Twins winning 4 of their last 5 and the Tribe winning 6 of 8.

$30 on Atlanta (Teheran) over Milwaukee (Peralta) -1 1/2 @ +120

Teheran is 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA in his last 3 starts. Peralta is 4-8 with a 6.08 ERA this season. He's worse at home, posting a 2-5 record with a 7.34 ERA. The Braves have won 4 of their last 7 and the Brewers have dropped 4 of their last 6.

$30 on Cincinnati (Cueto) over Arizona (Miley) -1 1/2 @ +140

Cueto is 4-0 with a 2.08 ERA this year. He's been even better lately, posting a 2-0 record and a 0.86 ERA in his last three trips to the mound. Lefty Miley is 1-5 with a 7.81 ERA in his last 7 starts. The Reds are 15-8 against leftys this season. The D-Backs have lost 4 of their last 6.

Starting Bankroll                          $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                                       ($8.00)
Current Bankroll                          $1,492.00

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!

MLB Picks, June 20th

A couple games look interesting on today's menu.

$20 @ -170 on San Francisco (Gaudin) over Miami (Koehler)

Gaudin is 2-1 with a 2.83 ERA this season. Koehler is 0-3 with a 7.04 ERA in his last 5 starts. The Giants are 23-12 at home and the Marlins are 9-26 in enemy territory.

$20 @ -115 on the UNDER (8 runs) Milwaukee (Gallardo)/Houston (Harrell)

Gallardo has a 2.25 ERA and a 0.85 WHIP in his last 3 starts. Harrell has a 1.74 ERA and a 0.87 ERA in his last 3.

Starting Bankroll                          $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                                       $32.00
Current Bankroll                          $1,532.00

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!

MLB Picks, June 19th

Quite a few games look interesting on today's docket.

$15 on Toronto (Buehrle) over Colorado (Nicasio) -1 1/2 @ +130

Southpaw Buehrle is 2-1 with a 2.18 ERA in his last 5 starts. Nicasio is 0-1 with a 5.96 in his last 4 trips to the bump. Thr Rockies have dropped 5 of their last 7 games and are 10-15 versus leftys this season. The Jays have run off 7 straight wins, surrendering only 12 runs during the streak.

$10 @ +165 on Miami (Fernandez) over Arizona (Cahill)

A nice pitching match up for the Fish, so I'm going with the underdog in this one. Fernandez is 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA and a .90 WHIP in his last 3 starts. Cahill is 0-4 with a 7.31 ERA in his last 5. The Marlins have won 3 of their last 5 games and the Diamomdbacks have dropped 4 of 5.

$15 @ +100 on Oakland (Milone) over Texas (Grimm)

Milone has a 2.18 ERA and a 0.87 WHIP in his last 3 outings. Grimm is 0-2 with an 11.40 ERA and a 2.00 WHIP in his last 3. The A's have won 5 of their last 8 games while the Rangers have lost 7 of 8.

$12 @ -120 on the UNDER (7 runs) San Diego (Stults)/San Fran (Bumgarner)

$12 @ -120 on the UNDER (7.5 runs) ChiSox (Sale)/Minnesota (Correia)

$11.50 @ -115 on the UNDER (7.5 runs) LA Dodgers (Ryu)/NY Yankees (Kuroda)


Starting Bankroll                          $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                                       $51.00
Current Bankroll                          $1,551.00

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!

MLB Picks, June 18th (Updated)

There are three games that I like on today's MLB schedule.

$16 @ -160 on Toronto (Rogers) over Colorado (Francis)

Rogers is 1-0 with a 1.38 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP in his last 3 outings. Francis is 2-4 with a 5.87 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP this season. The Jays have won 6 straight and the Rockies have dropped 4 of their last 6.

$10 on St. Louis (Wainwright) over Cubs (Samardzija) -1 1/2 @ +115

Wainwright is 10-3 with a 2.18 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP this season. He's been even better in his last 3 starts, posting a 3-0 record and a 1.17 ERA. Samardzija is 0-1 with a 5.89 ERA in his last 3 starts. The Cubs have lost 5 of their last 8 games. The Cardinals have won 5 of 8.

$16.50 on Detroit (Verlander) over Baltimore (Britton) -1 1/2 @ -110

Verlander is 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP in his last 3 starts. Lefty Britton lost his only start, surrenduring 6 runs in 6 innings to Seattle. The Tigers score 1/2 a run more per game against leftys than they do right handed pitchers. Both teams are hot, with Detroit winning 7 of 10 and the Orioles 6 of 9.

Starting Bankroll                          $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                                       $67.50
Current Bankroll                          $1,567.50

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 you own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, June 17th

One game worth a look on Monday's schedule.

$15 on Detroit (Scherzer) over Baltimore (Arrieta) -1 1/2 @ +110

Scherzer is 9-0 with a 3.19 ERA and a 0.87 WHIP this season. Arrieta is 1-1 with a 6.63 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP this year. Both teams are hot, with the Tigers winning 7 of their last 10 games and the Orioles 6-2 in their last 8.

Starting Bankroll                          $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                                       $51.00
Current Bankroll                          $1,551.00

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!

MLB Picks, June 16th

One game worth a peek on today's schedule.

$11.50 @ -115 on the UNDER (7 runs) Seattle (Iwakuma) vs. Oakland (Colon)

Iwakuma is 7-1 with a 1.79 ERA this season. In his last 3 he's 2-0 with a 0.00. Colon isn't far behind, posting an 8-2 record with a 2.92 ERA this year. In his last 3 he's 3-0 with a 0.41. The UNDER has covered in the Mariners last 8 games and is 6-1 in the A's last 7.

Starting Bankroll                          $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                                       $62.50
Current Bankroll                          $1,562.50

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 you own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, June 15th

Nothing on today's schedule looks worth betting. I'll wait and see what tomorrow brings.

Starting Bankroll                          $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                                       $62.50
Current Bankroll                          $1,562.50

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 you own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, June 14th

One game worth betting on today's docket.

$27 @ -135 on Detroit (Porcello) over Minnesota (Diamond)

Porcello is 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA and a 0.80 WHIP in his last 3 outings. Diamond is 1-3 with a 7.72 ERA in his last 6 starts and has a high 1.63 WHIP in his last 3. The Tigers are 14-7 versus leftys this season. Detroit has won 5 of their last 7 games. The Twins have lost 5 of 7.

Starting Bankroll                          $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                                       $42.50
Current Bankroll                          $1,542.50

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 you own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, June 13th

One game worth a peek on today's menu.

$12 @ -120 on Cincinnati (Latos) over ChiCubs (Samardzija)

Latos is 6-0 with a 2.87 ERA this season and a 1.86 in his last 3 starts. Samarjdzija is no slouch, posting a 3-7 record, but a respectable 3.18 ERA this year. The Reds have beaten the Cubs in 9 of their last 10 games and have a 12 game winning streak at Wrigley. Cincy is 4-1 in their last 5 games while the Cubs are 2-8 in their last 10.

Starting Bankroll                          $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                                       $54.50
Current Bankroll                          $1,554.50

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 you own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, June 12th

One afternoon game is worth a peek on today's schedule.

$12.50 @ -125 on Cincinnati (Leake) over ChiCubs (Wood)

Leake is 1-1 with a 1.96 ERA in his last 3 starts. Wood is 1-2 with a 4.08 in his last 3, but only gave up 1 run in 6 innings against the Pirates his last start. The Reds have beaten the Cubs in 8 of the last 9 games. The Chicago has dropped 7 of their last 9 games overall.

Starting Bankroll                          $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                                       $44.50
Current Bankroll                          $1,544.50

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 you own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, June 11th

After three days, we finally have a game worth investing a few sawbucks.

$32 @ -160 on Detroit (Scherzer) over Kansas City (Davis)

Scherzer is 8-0 with a 3.24 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP this season. Davis is 3-5 with a 5.66 ERA and a 1.84 WHIP this year. Both teams are hot with the Tigers winning 4 of their last 5 and the Royals on a 6 game winning streak.

Starting Bankroll                          $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                                       $24.50
Current Bankroll                          $1,524.50

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 you own risk.

Good luck!

Home Sweet Home

Ms. Duck and I flew Southwest Airlines out of Austin on Memorial Day for an 11 day stay (our longest to date) in beautiful Las Vegas. The trip started well, as I found a $20 bill on the floor at the airport shortly before we caught our flight.

Winning already!

We had two comped nights at the Orleans, plus a $10 food credit, so we decided to stay there for four nights, which came to a little under $100, including internet and resort fees. The rooms are nice and roomy, with the furnishings a little outdated, but who cares! We thought it was quite a bargain and won't hesitate to stay there again.

From there we moved over to the Green Valley Ranch for the weekend. We found a good weekend rate there ($59 a night), and although the room was smaller than the Orleans, it's a very nice property. My only complaint was the temperature in the casino. It was freezing! I had to walk outside into the 100+ degree weather every hour or so to thaw out. Brrrrr! But, it has a nice poker room and sportsbook, so overall I was very happy playing there.

Sunday was moving day again, so we packed and headed over to Vdara. Well, Ms. Duck did. My WSOP Tournament began at noon, so she dropped me at the Rio and checked in on her own. And unpacked! And washed our dirty clothes from the previous week!

View from our room at Vdara.

Living area in our room at Vdara.

Kichen area in our room at Vdara.

That's right, the room had a washer and dryer. In addition, there was a full kitchen, living room, bedroom and huge bathroom. It was larger than our first apartment. The rate was a little high for my taste ($109 night), but Ms. Duck wanted to spend a few nights on the strip, so that's what we did.

Lucki before WSOP.

Lucki after WSOP1

As mentioned previously, I played event 7 of the WSOP at the Rio and after 14 hours of play, I managed to cash for a little over $2,000. Click here for the details of the tournament. As my head hit the pillow that night, I noticed it was 6 am back in Texas. I should be getting up for work right now, not going to bed!

Hacienda Casino in Boulder City

Ms. Duck and I like to casino hop when we're in town, so we usually end up visiting a lot of properties and this trip was no exception. In addition to stopping by the Hacienda in Boulder City for a late lunch on our way back from Hoover Dam, we also visited the Aquarius and Nugget casinos in Laughlin. In and around Vegas we stopped by the Aria, Excalibur, Luxor, MGM, Monte Carlo, NYNY, Paris, Planet Ho, Treasure Island, Tropicana, Ellis Island, Palms, Rio, Sam's Town, Orleans, Red Rock, Suncoast, and South Point.

Ms. Duck at Hoover Dam.

Lucki Duck at Hoover Dam

There were quite a few properties that we usually visit, but didn't this time, including Bally's, Bellagio, Caesars, Casino Royale, Cosmopolitan, Encore, Harrahs, Mirage, Palazzo, Venetian, Slots-a-Fun, and Wynn.

The WSOP was the reason for the trip, and cashing was certainly the highlight of the trip for me. Having a couple meals with lightning36 and one with Rob were a close second. Although I had met lightning on a previous trip, it was fun to sit and visit with him again. He's an interesting guy with a keen sense of humor and is also delusional about his sexual prowess around the women folk. We met for lunch at Ellis Island, where he ordered the "steak special," which isn't so special anymore.

Later in the week we met again at le' Burger at the Paris Resort. Ms. Duck and Rob joined us for the food and fun. We all had a great time, with lightning and I trading barbs about our sports teams while Rob refereed. Lightning was careful to explain Rob's obsession with breasts to Ms. Duck during the meal, a fact she would mention the next day.

The biggest surprise of the meal was when lightning reached for the check. Wow! It's a move I've never seen him make before. I'm not saying he's tight, but once he called in the "jaws of life" to pry his wallet open, he handed the waitress his BankAmericard.

"Sir, this card is expired," the waitress explained.

"It wasn't last time I bought dinner," lightning said.

"This card company hasn't existed since the '70s sir!"

"Yeah, that sounds about right."

He had a wad of cash on him, but explained it was his poker roll and could not be used for other expenses... like food.

So disciplined.

It looked like things were going to get ugly when he tried to pay with three redbird chips he had left from "losing his ass" at Arizona Charlie's playing poker with Tony, and two books of S&H Green Stamps.

Fortunately the manager was a Chicago Bears fan, so lightning was able to settle the tab by giving up the three redbirds plus an autographed, game used, Jay Cutler pink tutu.

Whew, that was close!

I do appreciate the dinner. I know how hard it must have been for him to give up a piece of sports memorabilia. Thank you sir!

All kidding aside, we had a great time and I was pleased to be able to meet and visit with Rob. After dinner, Ms. Duck drove back to the Vdara to pack for our trip home and Rob, lightning and I headed for the Luxor to pitch a few cards. While there we ran into Bally's dealer and fellow blogger Ron, so the blogging community took four seats at the table, leaving the rest of the pigeons there helpless.

I was the first to leave the table, walking away with a nice $200 profit. Lightning, Rob, and Ron were all up handsomely when I left.

Rob, Ron, and I all play similar TAG styles, but lightning likes to mix it up more than the rest of us. He won a nice hand by cracking aces with 6-7 soooted (my favorite non- premium hand) with a rivered flush.

Friday was our last day, but our flight didn't leave until 8:20 pm, so we had some time to play and drove over to the Orleans for some video poker. From there we headed to the Palms and found a close in parking place in the garage. We took the elevator down to the casino level and when the door opened, there was a woman standing there that was dressed very similar to this.

"Rob would like her!" said Ms. Duck.

Truer words have never been spoken.

From the Palms, we gassed the car and returned it to McCarron, grabbed a bite, and headed for Texas. We pulled into the driveway at 3:30am, weary but contented. It was a great trip!

Home sweet home.

Till next time, win the flips.

MLB Picks, June 8th

Nothing on the MLB docket looks promising enough to bet, so I'll take the day off.

Starting Bankroll                          $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                                       $24.50
Current Bankroll                          $1,524.50

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 you own risk.

Good luck!

Last Day in Vegas

Ms. Duck and I will catch a big aluminum tube with wings and head home later today. We've been in Vegas for 11 days and are ready to get back to our familiar surroundings.

It's been a great trip! Cashing in a WSOP event, having a winning week and a half at both the sportsbooks and poker tables, renewing friendships and making new ones. I'm definitely running good!

We had dinner last night with lighting36 and Rob, at le' Burger at Paris. When we finished, Ms. Duck went back to the hotel to pack as lightning drove me to the Luxor, where we met Rob and pillaged the other runners at the table with our superior blogger poker skills :)

I'll have a full trip report in the next few days.

Viva Las Vegas!

MLB Picks, June 7th

A couple games look beatable on today's MLB schedule.

$15 on Philadelphia (Lee) over Milwaukee (Figaro) -1 1/2 @ +110

Lefty Cliff Lee is 5-0 with a 1.54 ERA in his last 6 trips to the bump. His WHIP is a tiny 0.65 in his last 3 starts. Figaro is getting his second start of the season, bringing a 3.67 ERA to the party. The Phillies have won 5 straight, scoring 32 runs. The Brewers have lost 4 of 5 and are 5-20 versus left handed pitching.

$10 on Colorado (de la Rosa) over San Diego (Volquez) -1 1/2 @ +130

de la Rosa is 5-0 with a 2.17 ERA in his last 6 starts. Volquez is 4-5 with a 5.35 ERA and a hefty 1.51 WHIP this season. The Rockies have won 4 of their last 6 games and are 6-1 against the Padres this season. San Diego has lost 3 of their last 5.

Starting Bankroll                          $1,500.00

Profit/Loss                                       $49.50
Current Bankroll                          $1,549.50

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 you own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, June 6th

Only one game worth a look on today's MLB agenda.

$10 on Oakland (Straily) over White Sox (Quintana) -1 1/2 @ +125

Straily is 2-0 with a 0.95 ERA in his last three trips to the bump. His last outing was against these same White Sox in which he surrendered only 1 run in 6 innings of work. His WHIP in those 3 games is an impressive 0.68. Quintana is 1-2 with a 4.69 ERA in his last 7 starts, including a 5+ inning, 3 run performance against the A's in his last outing. His WHIP in his last 3 games is a hefty 1.42. The A's have won 16 of their last 19 games. The Palehose have dropped 8 of 9 and are coming off a 16 inning loss yesterday, which means their bullpen is not a full strength. 

One of yesterday's picks (Cincinnati/Colorado) was killed because Cueto did not start.

Starting Bankroll                          $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                                       $59.50
Current Bankroll                          $1,559.50

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 you own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, June 5th

Two games worth investing a few dollars on the MLB docket today.

$10 on Cincinnati (Cueto) over Colorado (Garland) -1 1/2 @ +110

Cueto is 3-0 with a tidy 2.17 ERA this season. His WHIP is an impressive 0.75 in his last three starts. Garland is 0-4 with a 7.27 ERA in his last 5 starts and a hefty 2.12 WHIP in his last 3. The Rockies are playing better lately, winning 3 of their last 4, so I'll stay conservative on my bet amount.

$20 on Oakland (Colon) over Milwaukee (Gallardo) -1 1/2 @ +140

Colon is 3-0 with a 0.78 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP in his last 3 outings. Gallardo is 1-4 with a 5.96 ERA in hius last 5 starts. In his last 3 outings his WHIP is 1.60. The A's have won 15 of their last 18 games and the Brewers have lost 15 of 21.

Starting Bankroll                          $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                                       $31.50
Current Bankroll                          $1,531.50

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 you own risk.

Good luck!

WSOP Event 7 Report

Scene at event 7 when Lucki Duck cashed!

Event 7 at the WSOP turned out to be a loooong day for me. Exactly what I was hoping for.

Shortly after being seated I noticed Chris Moneymaker seated at a table across the aisle. Pitching cards with well known players is part of the fun on playing these events. However, no one of note sat down at table 16 during my 14 hours there. That's right, 14 hours without a seat change.

I achieved my first goal of winning a hand on only the second hand of the tourney. I was the BB in an unraised pot and peeked down at Doyle (10-2 off). A deuce on the flop paired me, but all three of us checked it as well as the turn. The river was a 10 and I got a call on my $150 value bet. Nice.

My second goal was to make it to the first break, and I almost didn't make it. I open raised from middle position with T-T and received two calls, both from the blinds. I bet a little over half the pot on a J high flop and got one call putting us heads up. I put my opponent on one of three hands; middle pair, top pair with a bad kicker, or a straight draw. The turn was a harmless low card, so after he checked, I bet 3/4 pot to put some pressure on him. I just didn't think he was very strong, but he did call. The river was an ace and I shipped the remainder of my stack after he checked again. It took a long time, but he finally folded what I'm pretty sure was the best hand and I was still alive and thriving with 4300 chips at the break.

As I was stacking chips and checking my underwear to be sure I hadn't peed myself, Rob from Rob's Vegas and Poker blog tapped me on the shoulder to say hi. We had a brief conversation and then he was off doing his reporting gig for Ante Up magazine. We're hoping to get together for a longer visit before I head back to Texas.

Level 4 included my biggest hand of the tournament. It was the final hand before our second break, and most of the players had already left the table after a raise came from UTG. It was folded around to me in late position, but it was as though I was on the button, because both players acting behind me had already left. I took a peek at my hole cards and found Q-Q. Nice!

I had the raiser covered, with only the BB to act behind me. I decided to isolate and shoved my stack in and was very unhappy to receive calls from both opponents. I figured one of them had me crushed. The BB tabled A-K, but the UTG player had the dreaded pocket rockets.

You can't imagine how pretty the queen on the flop looked! My set held, knocking both players out and leaving me with 12,400 chips.

The next two levels were uneventful, with no cards coming my way. I was involved in two pots, losing both, and left for the dinner break with 9,600 chips. The original 1,837 players had been whittled down to 550, with 198 cashing.

As the blinds increased over the next four levels, the play got very aggressive, but a streak of poor starting hands left me unable to defend my blinds. I was able to steal a few myself, but as the blinds increased, my stack dwindled, and by the last level of the night (level 11), I was down to 12BB including the antes.

Hello push/fold territory.

The room started buzzing as the field reached 199 and the tournament was dealt hand for hand. It didn't last but one hand before someone busted and we all cheered when the tournament director announced, "Congratulation players, you are all in the money!"

Very exciting!

After 14 hours of poker, the tournament director announced that there would only be four more hands and play would end for the day. I was sitting on 13,000 chips and felt confident I would reach my next goal of making it to day 2 of the event.

On of the tournament leaders with around 80,000 was to my right and was attacking the blinds relentlessly. When he did it again to my BB, I looked down at A-K. Yea!... and damn.

Of course I pushed and he had no choice but to call with Q-T.

My busto hand the first and only other time I played in the WSOP a few years ago was Q-T. I was short stacked and open pushed from late position, only to be called by the BB, who was holding A-5. Neither of us improved and I was out of the tournament. Because of that I had promised myself that I would not bust with Q-T again! So when I saw my opponent had that exact hand, I almost knew I was dead.

As the dealer turned over the flop cards, guess what was in the window? Uh-huh, a queen. The good news is that there was also a king!

Wheeeee!

The turn was a blank.

The river? Queen.

And that was the dagger that killed me.

Damn Q-T.

TJ Cloutier calls A-K the "walking back to Houston" hand, because you so often go broke with it. For me though, it will be forever known as the "flying back to Waco" hand.

So, falling two hands short of my goal of making the second day, I at least had the satisfaction of knowing I had gotten my chips in with the best hand.

The final result was a 154th place finish, with a payout of $2,033.

Although I would have liked to have won the flip at the end and continued on, I would be less than honest if I told you I wasn't pretty stoked to have cashed in a WSOP event. If nothing else, it proved that I could leave the comfort of my Small Potatoes Poker world and play with the big boys.

Heading out to meet lightning for lunch and then drive down to Laughlin. Dealer Larry (from our poker league) is visiting there, so Ms. Duck and I are headed down to let him show us around.

Till next time, win the flips.

MLB Picks, June 4th

Nothing looks good on today's MLB schedule, so I'll take a seat on the bench until tomorrow.

Starting Bankroll                          $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                                       $31.50
Current Bankroll                          $1,531.50

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 you own risk.

Good luck!

154th...

Lucki Duck (right) at yesterday's WSOP.

Out of 1,837 players in event 7 of the WSOP.

I cashed for a little north of $2,000...half of which goes to the other members of our Vegas or Bust Poker League.

I got to bed around 4am Vegas time, which means I'm too tired to write a complete post at the moment. But, don't despair, a complete recap is coming soon.

MLB Picks, June 3rd

Only one game worth a look on today's MLB schedule.

$16 @ -105 on San Deigo (Stults) over LA Dodgers (Fife)

Stults is 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA in his last three starts. His whip is 0.76 in those three outings. Fife is getting his second start of the season, bringing a 0-0 record and a 7.71 ERA. The Padres have won 4 of their last 6 games and are 4-2 versus the Dodgers this season. LA has dropped 4 of their last 5.

Starting Bankroll                          $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                                       $47.50
Current Bankroll                          $1,547.50

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 you own risk.

Good luck!

WSOP Today

Got my game face on!

Ms. Duck and I will check out of the Green Valley Ranch Resort and head over to the Rio. I'll put the theme to Rocky on my I-Pod, so by the time we get there I'll be ready to eat nails!

After dropping me off, Ms. Duck will drive to Vdara to get us checked in. Vdara will be our home for the remainder of the trip.

Event 7 begins at noon in the Brasilia Room. I'll be seated in the "Gold" area, table 16, seat 3. If you're in the area, stop by and say hi.

Here are my goals for the tournament;

1- Win a hand
2- Make it to the first break
3- Make it to the dinner break
4- Make it to the second day
5- Make the money!
6- Make the final table
7- Win the tournament

My main goal is to have a good time and enjoy all that goes with playing a WSOP event.

I'll update as able.

Wish me luck!

Till next time, win the flips.

MLB Picks, June 2nd

Three games that are worth putting a few sawbucks on today.

$12 on NY Mets (Harvey) over Miami (Slowey) -1 1/2 @ -115

Harvey is 5-0 with a 1.85 ERA this season. Slowey is 0-2 with a 7.43 ERA in his last three starts. The Mets have won 5 of their last 7 games. The Fish have lost 8 of 10, but won the first two games of this series.

$10 on Philadelphia (Lee) over Milwaukee (Fiers) -1 1/2 @ +130

Lee is 4-0 with a 1.15 ERA in his last 4 trips to the mound. Fiers is 0-2 with a 10.00 ERA in his two starts this season. Neither team is playing well, with the Phillies dropping 5 of 7 and the Brewers 6 of 8. Milwaukee is 5-18 versus left handed starters this year. 

$10 on Arizona (Corbin) over Cubs (Jackson) -1 1/2 @ +120

Corbin is a perfect 8-0 this season, with a stellar 1.71 ERA. Jackson is on the other end of the spectrum, going 1-7 with a 6.11 ERA this year. Both teams are hot, with the D-Backs winning 4 of their last 6 games and the Cubs winning 5 of their last 6. 

Starting Bankroll                          $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                                       $34.50
Current Bankroll                          $1,534.50

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 you own risk.

Good luck!

Green Valley Ranchin'

Green Valley Ranch

After a quick lunch at the Earl of Sandwich at Planet Hollywood, Ms. Duck and I drove to Green Valley Ranch with a couple stops along the way... Walmart and Kohls.

Livin' large in Vegas!

I had a good day at the Sportsbook, but not so much at the poker table.

I was up pretty good before losing two big pots, going busto on the last one and limped away with a $100 bruise to show for it.

The first was Rob's favorite hand (K-K). Two limpers in front of this 1-2 NLHE game, so I popped it to $10. One caller and I saw a J-8-2 rainbow flop. The villain checked and I tossed in a $15 bet, which he called. A 6 on the turn was checked to me again, so I bet $30 more. A harmless 4 on the river was checked, so I made a $45 value bet, hoping to keep in what I thought was an A-J hand. I got the call I wanted, but was shown J-4 for two pair.

Well played sir.

After building my stack back to a respectable level, my final hand of the night was A-A. The kid to my left had enough alcohol in his system that he was raising every hand, trying to give away money. One limper in front of him and sure enough, he raised to $10. I three bet $25, hoping to keep at least one player in (preferably him). One lady called the $25 and the kid also came along. A king high flop had two hearts, so after both players checked, I pushed $65 forward with only the lady at the other end of the table calling. An offsuit 7 on the turn was checked to me again, so I push ed my remaining $70 in, putting her on a flush draw. She called and flipped over T-6 of hearts. Brilliant call preflop don't cha think? As expected, the heart hit on the river and I was outta there and looking for something to eat.

Well played ma'am.

One interesting hand featured an all-in on the turn. When the players tabled their cards. it was quad tens versus a Royal Flush draw. The bad-beat jackpot at the time was a little over $105K, some of which would come to moi if it hit. Obviously, the river was a whif or this paragraph would be at the top, but it was exciting for a moment.

I don't know what our plans are for today (Ms. Duck hasn't told me), but I imagine we'll stay off the strip for the weekend and stick to the outlying casinos.

Till next time, win the flips.

MLB Picks, June 1st

Only one game worth a look on today's agenda.

$21 @ -140 on St. Louis (Wainwright) over San Francisco (Bumgarner)

Wainwright is 7-3 with a 2.47 ERA this season and a 1.12 WHIP in his last 3 outings. Bumgarner is 1-3 with a 5.75 ERA in his last 5 starts. His WHIP in his last 3 trips to the bump is 1.36. The Cardinals have won 7 of their last 9 games and the Giants have lost 3 of 4.

Starting Bankroll                          $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                                       $20.50
Current Bankroll                          $1,520.50

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 you own risk.

Good luck!