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Monday, June 30, 2014

MLB Picks, June 30th

A couple games on today's docket look good.

$15 @ -150 on LA Angels (Richards) over ChiSox (Noesi)
Richards is 8-2 with a 2.76 ERA this season and is 2-0 with a 1.40 in his last 3 starts. Noesi is 2-5 with a 5.07 ERA this year and is 1-3 with a 5.54 at home. The Angels have won 6 of their last 8 and are 3-0 versus the White Sox this season. Chicago has won 3 straight.
$17 @ -165 on Atlanta (Wood) over NY Mets (Wheeler)
Wood is tough at home, as evidenced with his 2.25 ERA. Wheeler is 3-8 with a 4.45 ERA this year and is 1-2 with a 5,63 in his last 3. The Braves have won 4 straight while the Mets have dropped 4 of 5.
Starting Bankroll              $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                          ($27.50)
Current Bankroll               $1,472.50

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!

Friday, June 27, 2014

MLB Picks, June 27th

One game in the AL East looks promising.

$12 @ -120 on Baltimore (Gausmann) over Tampa Bay (Colome)
Gausmann is 3-0 with a 0.95 ERA in his last three starts. Colome is making his first start, having thrown only 4 innings of relief this season. The Orioles have won 5 of their last 7 and are 7-1 against the Rays this year. Tampa Bay has lost 5 of 8 and 11 of their last 13 games on the highway.
Starting Bankroll              $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                          ($37.50)
Current Bankroll               $1,462.50

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!

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Vegas Trip- Thursday

We began our last full day at Ellis Island, a small casino on Koval, which is a block off of the strip. We discovered the place years ago when we learned of an off-menu $4.99 steak special. For the price you would get an 8 ounce sirloin, potatoes with gravy, green beans, a salad, and a beer (or root beer) that is brewed in their on site microbrewery. Times have changed and the special is now $8.99.

I blame the terrorists.


Ms. Duck had been craving a tall glass of their cold root beer, so we had a couple glasses with our lunch. We then drove out to the outlet mall near the airport, where Ms. Duck purchased some shoes and I found a couple of golf shirts.

 
From there we drove out to the M Resort, which is an upscale resort well off the beaten path. The casino has a nice vibe to it and we always make it a point to visit there each time we're in Vegas.

We settled on a couple video poker machines and started looking for a waitress, when we hear an announcement for a free slot tournament that day. All that was required was collecting 250 player points that day, which is easy to do. I got my two-fiddy and headed over to take my shot. First prize was $2,000. Not bad.

The top score so when I started was a little north of 200K, but I was only able to score 109K. Oh well, it was fun!

After spending most of the afternoon there, we headed back to the strip and decided to play at Ballys. We noticed the long moving sidewalk that brings you in from the strip had been removed. New and better things are coming. I always thought it was a waste of prime space and the Ballys folks must agree.

I was ready for some poker, but had trouble finding the poker room. As was the case at Harrah's they had moved it, but I was able to finally sniff it out.

I had one memorable hand during the session, entering a multi-way limped pot with 5-2 of spades. Five of us saw a J spades- A spades- 3 diamonds flop. The first player bet $15 with everyone folding but me. Now heads-up, I turned my flush when the 4 of spades hit the felt. My opponent threw in $20 and I once again smooth-called. I thought about raising him, but I had a shot at a straight flush ($200 high hand) if the 3 of spades showed on the river and didn't want to miss a chance to draw at it.

Waiting for the dealer to peel the river, all I could do was think "Three of spades, three of spades, three of spades."


I almost jumped out of my chair when the dealer flipped over... the three of spades!

Straight flush! Cha-ching!

There was a $65 tournament cranking up that I had entered, and I almost missed the start of it waiting on my chips. I finally got them, tipped the dealer $30 (is that too much?), and headed over to the tournament tables.

There were 28 in the tourney and we were down to 16 when the short-stacked UTG player shoved for 3BB. I wasn't a lot better off with 7BB and peeked down at pocket kings. I never get K-K without thinking of Rob and his feelings towards the cowboys. Of course I also shoved and was called by the BB who had Q-8 of hearts.


Well, Rob knows how this is gonna go, but I'll bore you with the details. Two hearts on the flop, one on the turn, and the worst hand going in was the best one when the dealing was done.

Pocket kings, the "Grim Reaper."

The $1-2 game was full, so I sat down at a $3-6 limit game. I built my starting stack of $100 up to $180, but I started missing draws and left down $20 when I cashed in my chips.

I did have another shot at a straight flush when I flopped an open ender, but didn't connect.

I headed for a bathroom break during the game and noticed someone at one of the $1-2 tables that had a remarkable resemblance to Grrouchie, but I wasn't positive it was him since he has lost a lot of weight since I had seen him. I immediately started searching for Pittsburgh Steelers references and noticed the vile Steelers tattoo on his arm.


We were able to visit for a few minutes and talked about his young marriage and how excited he is about their expected child. I also offered to recommend someone who could cover up the tattoo with the Blue Star, but for whatever reason, he didn't seem interested.

Some people.

I have gotten used to meeting up with fellow bloggers for a meal of cards when I come to Vegas and that hadn't happened this trip, so it was nice running into a friend.

Ms. Duck had driven the car back to the Vdara hours ago, so I had to hoof it back when I finished at Ballys. By the time my head hit the pillow it was after 4am Texas time, and we had a full travel day ahead of us.

I remember thinking before I went to sleep, "Hope I can sleep on the plane."




MLB Picks, June 26th

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

$30 on Milwaukee (Peralta) [-1.5 @ +105] over Colorado (Friedrich)
Peralta has won his last 4 starts and the Brewers have won 5 of their last 7. Southpaw Friedrich lost his only start and brings a 6.00 ERA to the party. The Rockies have lost 8 of 9. Milwaukee is 14-6 against lefties this season.
Starting Bankroll              $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                          ($68.50)
Current Bankroll               $1,431.50

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!

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Vegas Trip- Wednesday

Due to a work related situation, I had to get up early the day before, so we slept in and got a late start to our day.

Ms. Duck had a coupon for a free appetizer at Diablo's, which is a Tex-Mex restaurant/bar at the Monte Carlo. We have eaten there several times in the past, so we decided to cash in on the appetizer and made the drive to the MC parking garage.


After a quick lunch we drove to Planet Ho, so Ms. Duck could spend some time browsing in the Sephora (make-up) store. I headed to the poker "room" in the casino and was put on a waiting list for $1-2 NLHE. I hung around for 15-20 minutes with no luck and decided there were too many places to play poker in Vegas to have to wait for a seat. So, I made the short walk back to Sephora to pick up Ms. Duck.


From there we walked the strip down to the Cromwell, which I think was the old Bill's Gambling Hall. They have done a nice upgrade to the facade of the building and also the casino floor has a much slicker look than before. We decided to play video poker for a little while and walked away with a small profit. It wasn't much. but with my luck thus far this trip, ANY win is a big win!


Next, we strolled down to the Linq, which is a new shopping/restaurant/bar are that features a huge observation wheel appropriately named the "Big Roller." It takes 30 minutes to make one revolution according to their advertisement, and is a big mamma-jamma.

We also gave the Flamingo some business, and after searching out the poker room at Harrah's (it had moved since I had been there), I sat down for a few hands of $1-2 while Ms. Duck did some shopping. I played two hours and didn't have any memorable hands. I left about $20 in the red and met Ms. Duck at the Venetian. The poker room was humming, but the hour was getting late and I didn't really want to start a long session, so I kept walking. Ms. Duck wanted to walk through the shopping area, so guess what we did?


Ms. Duck's feet were barking, so we decided to head back to the car and call it a day. We stopped at a Subway in the Casino Royale for a quick bite, grabbed the car at Planet Ho, and drove back to the Vdara, another long and fun day in the rear view mirror.

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Vegas Trip- Monday and Tuesday

After a long day of poker on Sunday, I decided to take a break on Monday and chauffeur Ms. Duck.

We had played at the Silverton on a previous trip and enjoyed it. It's a small property, with a huge Bass World store hooked onto it and an impressive aquarium at the edge of the casino. We had some success during our earlier visit, I had even won a poker tournament there.

Aquarium at Silverton

The sportsbook was humming with World Cup action, but I know little about kickball, so I stuck to America's pastime and put a Benjamin on Oakland to beat the Rangers, giving a run and a half. As it turned out, the Rangers hung 14 runs on the A's. I lost internet access (my laptop, not the Vdara) the remainder of the week, so I was unable to research any games and this ended up being my only bet of the trip.

Ms. Duck and I played some video poker and penny slots, while we reduced the Silverton's inventory of tequila and rum. After a couple hours of play we stopped to eat at the buffet. The food wasn't memorable, but it wasn't too bad, and we got a discount for surviving on the planet for over 50 years. A door prize if you will :) Anyway, the meal was $5 each. Not bad.

After a quick walk through Bass World, we hopped in the car and drove downtown, valeting our ride at Main Street Station.

If you never visited MSS, I highly recommend it. It's an older hotel/casino, with beautiful stain-glassed windows and priceless antiques in the lobby area. You can also pee on a big chunk of the Berlin Wall in one of the bathrooms in the casino. There are several urinals mounted on the wall. Interesting.


After playing for a while there, we took the skywalk across thru the Californian, stopping along the way for a scoop or two of some Lappert's ice cream, then walked the block over to Fremont Street.


Fremont was bustling as always, with several characters offering to pose for a picture with you...for a price. Also, the street artists were setting up for the night ahead, but the female "independent contractors" hadn't made the scene yet.

We walked up and down Fremont, playing for a few minutes in a couple places and ended up in the Plaza, where we ran into this.

Horse with lampshade on his head. I guess he's getting his oats in a liquid form :)
We both were getting hungry and had heard how good the Hash House was, so we decided to eat at the one housed inside the Plaza. We had been warned how large the portions are, so we split one meal, which turned out to be a good decision. I don't know many folks who could throw a whole meal down their neck at the Hash House!

We made the short walk back to Main Street Station, picked up our car and called it a night.

We had a 2 for 1 coupon for the buffet at the Aria, so we began Tuesday with a brunch there. The food was decent, but not exceptional, but the desserts were! Oh. My. Goodness.

Buffet at Aria
After filling our tanks, we took the tram to the Monte Carlo. I was ready to play some live poker, and Ms. Duck likes their casino, so it was a perfect choice.

I joined the $2-6 spread limit game while waiting for a seat at the $1-2 table. After an hour or so, they finally opened another NLHE table and I got a seat, walking away from the limit game with a $40 profit.

I had two memorable hands at the $1-2 table.

In the first hand, I raised to $12 from UTG +1 with pocket aces after one limper had entered the pot, and got two callers. The K-T-6 rainbow flop looked harmless, so after the UTG player checked, I bet $25. One player folded, but the UTG called. A harmless 3 fell on the turn, and my $40 bet was check-called. Another 3 on the river brought another check from my opponent. I felt my two pair was good, so I bet another $60, and the villain push all-in. I had around $125 behind and he had me covered. He had played decent poker since we sat down, so I didn't think he was getting cute. It's possible he had a king, and the river had given him two pair and improved his kicker. But my mind kept coming back to pocket sixes. The way he played the hand, it was the only thing he could have that made sense.

A better poker player than I would have had the discipline to fold. It's one of those situations where you know you're beat, you just don't want to believe it. So I called. And he showed me 6-6.

"Rebuy!"

Monte Carlo Poker Room
In the second hand I had J-J and thought of the old adage, "There are two ways to play jacks, and both of them are wrong." I open raised to $10 from middle position and got one caller and then a 3 bet from the BB. He had been playing wild and loose, so I didn't put much stock in his raise and called the extra $12. After the original caller folded, we were heads up and saw an A-J-8 flop. A set! Woo-hoo!

"Wild Thing" bet and I set my trap by smooth calling.

"Gonna get that first buy in back on this hand," I was thinking.

A ten on the turn brought another bet and I again called.

Sucker!

The river wasn't scary, so when Wild Thing bet, I pushed all in for an addition $100.

"I call," he said, showing pocket aces for set over set.

"Son of a bitch!"

"Rebuy!"

I did manage to grind my way back to double my last rebuy, but still left the room $200 lighter.

Ms. Duck had text me earlier that she was picking up dinner at Subway and heading back to our room. Brunch had been a long time ago, so I made the walk to the tram and also headed back.

Another fun (but expensive) day in Sin City.

Till next time, win the flips.


MLB Picks- June 24th


One game on the docket looks interesting.

$40 @ -135 on LA Dodgers (Kershaw) over Kansas City (Duffy)
A battle of southpaws tonight in KC. Kershaw is 3-0 with a 0.86 ERA in his last 3 trips to the bump. Duffy is having a solid season, but has struggled a little bit at home, posting a 1-2 record with a 4.37 ERA. The Dodgers have won 5 of their last 7 while the Royals have dropped 4 of 5.
Starting Bankroll              $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                          ($98.00)
Current Bankroll               $1,402.00

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!

Monday, June 23, 2014

Vegas Trip- WSOP Sunday

Ms. Duck and I packed our bags and checked out of Sam's mid morning. After grabbing a quick bite at the  McDonalds in the casino (breakfast of champions), we made the 15 minute drive to the Rio.

We parked in the garage and made the long trek through the casino, down the hallway, and finally into the Brasillia Room. I found my seat at table 65 and quicker than a cat can lick its butt, the cards were in the air.

Waiting to start.

I won the first hand in which I was involved, raising from middle position with pocket nines. The BB called and made a continuation bet on the K high flop. We both checked the turn, and I bet the river and was called by the villains pair of fives.

I also took down a pot when I c-bet a K-Q-4 flop after raising preflop with A-T. After taking down another pot when I raised with A-J and flopped TPTK, we got our first break after two hours of play. I had grown my $3000 stack to $3400.

I didn't get many playable hands at this very aggressive table over the next two hours, but managed to steal a few blinds and finished with $2900 chips at our second break.

One very interesting hand occurred between three players at my table. The UTG player raised with pocket fives and was called by someone in middle position with K-J. The BB 3-bet and was called by both his opponents. The BB had been aggressive from the git-go, so I think the other two viewed his raise as a squeeze play. As it turned out, he actually had Rob's favorite hand, pocket kings.

The flop was K-J-5, hitting all three players between the eyes. The BB (K-K) checked and the UTG (5-5) bet around 1/3 pot. The K-J called, then the BB pushed all-in.

Pocket fives thought for a couple minutes and called with the rest of his stack and K-J did likewise. Just a huge pot to be so early in the tournament. Pocket fives started cussing a blue streak when he saw he was beaten by set over set, but his attitude improved immensely when he tuned the case 5 for quads.

Wow!


Another interesting sidebar was having Eric Baldwin playing at my table. He was very personable and seemed to enjoy visiting with everyone. Oh yeah, he's a pretty good poker player too!

I walked across the hall during the break to drain my radiator and found myself with Greg Raymer to my left and Steve Dannemann to my right. Where else but Vegas would that happen?








I passed on shaking hands :)

As we began the next level ($100-200 blinds), I knew it was time to start shoving and try to double up. I remained card dead, receiving 5-3 offsuit three consecutive hands at one point, and twice in a row later at this level.

I was UTG +1 when the UTG played open raised. I peeked down at pocket tens and shoved for 12BB. I was called by a very tight player who had me covered and I was afraid it was the end for me. The original raiser folded (what he claimed to be A-K). My opponent flipped over A-J and I was relieved to be in a race.

The race was over quickly when the flop showed 10-10-5. Quads!

I lost a couple hands after that and by the dinner break I was down to $2500.

When we returned from the dinner break, Phil Ivey had been moved to my table and was seated two to my left. So now I'm short-stacked, with one of the top players in the world to my left. Let's just say it wasn't looking good for your hero.


"I'm shoving my first hand blind," said the short-stacked Ivey. "I'm in another tourney and if I don't get some chips quick, I don't have a chance."

And so he shoved. Blind. The player next to him woke up with pocket jacks and called. Ivey paired his deuce on the flop, but couldn't improve his 9-2 monster. And just that quick he was gone.

So, I got to play against Phil Ivey. For one hand.

I've heard that the best strategy for playing against players you consider better than yourself, is to force the superior player to play for big pots, thus reducing his or her advantage. I think this is what Ivey was really thinking when he saw me at his table.

"I've got no chance against the Duckster'" he was thinking. The "other tourney" statement was just a cover.

Yeah, that's the ticket!  :)

A couple hands later it was my turn to shove (although not blind). My K-9 ran into K-J and I wasn't able to hit my three outer.

Felted.

They were having major issues with the tournament clock, but finally got it running again. They were not able to show how many of the 1,600+ players were left, but the number had been frozen at 530 for over an hour. My best guess is that I finished somewhere around 400th, but it just a guess.

The "Red" section at the start of Event 33.

This was my earliest exit of the three WSOP events in which I've played, but I just didn't receive enough hands to stay afloat and you can only steal so many blinds.

Besides the players I've already mentioned, I also noticed Tony Dunst playing. I don't know if I lasted longer than he or Dannemann, but I do know I finished ahead of Ivey and Raymer. I guess that counts for something, no?

I headed back down the hallway towards the casino and was met by Ms. Duck, who joined me for my "walk of shame."

We stopped and played video poker for a little while, consuming a couple adult beverages before driving to the Vdara.

During my 10 hours at the poker table, Ms. Duck had already checked in, unpacked, and gone to the store for supplies. Since it was nearing midnight in Vegas (2am our time), it was nice to have that done and be able to just go to bed.

It had been a long and exciting day and we still had four full days in Vegas ahead of us!

Till next time, win the flips.

*Click on the pictures to enlarge*


 

MLB Picks, June 23rd

One game on tap today that's worth a look.

$20 on Milwaukee (Garza) [-1.5 @ +185] over Washington (Gonzales)
Garza is 1-0 with a 2.61 ERA in his last three starts and is 3-2 with a 2.89 at home this year. Lefties Gonzales is 0-2 with an 11.68 in his last three trips to the bump. The Brewers are 14-5 versus southpaws. Both teams are playing well with the Nationals winning 4 of their last 6 and Milwaukee 6 of 7 and 4 straight.
Starting Bankroll              $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                          ($78.00)
Current Bankroll               $1,422.00

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!

Saturday, June 21, 2014

MLB Picks, June 22nd

Two games on the Sunday menu are worth a peek.

$26 @ -130 on Washington (Roark) over Atlanta (Santana)
Roark is 3-0 with a 1.42 ERA in his last 3 trips to the hill. Santana is 0-2 with a 4.19 in his last 3. The Nats have won 3 of their last 5 and the Braves have dropped 4 of 6.
$40 @ -200 on NY Yankees (Tanaka) over Baltimore (Tillman)
Tanaka is 11-1 with a sub 2 ERA this season and is 3-0, 1.71 in his last three starts. Tillman is 0-2 with a 5.79 in his last 3. Both teams are playing well, with the Yankees winning 4 of 5 and the Orioles 3 of 4.
Starting Bankroll              $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                          ($58.00)
Current Bankroll               $1,442.00

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!

Vegas Trip- Saturday

Ms. Duck and I drove the better part of two hours from Waco to Austin to catch a late afternoon flight to Vegas.

Upon arriving at the airport, we noticed that the parking lots were more crowded than we had seen in the past, but we finally found a spot in the last lot. We unloaded our truck and logged the short distance to one of the pick-up kiosks. The wait was fairly short, as was the ride. Before we left the shuttle, the driver handed us a business card with our kiosk number hand-written on it.

"Great," I thought, "now I don't have to write it down myself."

I only mention this exchange because it comes up again later in the trip.

After checking in with Southwest Airlines, we stripped down to our skivvies for the best part of any flight... the TSA shakedown. Austin is no different than many other airports, with a lot of TSA activity going on and very little (if anything) being accomplished. Your typical government program at its best.

Once the molestation was complete, we boarded the full flight and landed at McCarren two and a half hours later. We grabbed our suitcases in baggage claim, boarded the shuttle bus to the car rental center, and found there was no line at the Alamo counter. Win!

We picked out a Chrysler 200, pitched our bags in the trunk, then headed for the Rio to register for WSOP event 33, which I would be playing the next day. While we were there we walked down to locate my assigned table in the Brasilla Room, then back to the car for the drive to Sam's Town.

It was getting late when we arrived at Sam's and the lady at check-in told us they had a suite still available that they would put us in for the same ($75) price. Suite! Sweet!

(Click on the pictures for full screen goodness)

Looking down at the atrium from our suite.
 The suite at Sam's was okay, with a nice view of the atrium, but the furniture was rough and the rug had several burns. Had I paid full price for the suite, I would have been disappointed.

Same view looking up.
 Once we got our luggage to the room, we headed back down for a quick bite and then called it a day. Sunday was going to be a big day and I wanted a good night's sleep after a long travel day.

Tomorrow: WSOP action!

MLB Picks, June 21st

Three games look good on today's schedule.

$10 on Oakland (Chavez) [-1.5 @ +150] over Boston (de la Rosa)
Chavez is 6-4 with a 2.93 ERA this season. de la Rosa has struggled on the highway, posting a 0-2 record with a 6.35 ERA. The Sox are 2-9 in their last 11 on foreign soil. The A's are on a 4 game winning streak and have won 9 of their last 11 home games.
$11 @ -110 on LA Dodgers (Beckett) over San Diego (Ross)
Beckett has a tidy 2.49 ERA this season and has a no hitter to his credit. Ross is 0-2 with a 5.00 ERA in his last 3 outings. The Dodgers have won 5 of their last 7 and the Padres have won 3 straight.
$10 @ +140 on Philadelphia (Hamels) over St. Louis (Wainwright)
Southpaw Hamels has been lights out in his last three trips to the bump, posting a 1-0 record and a zero ERA. Wainwright is having another solid season, winning 9 of his 12 decisions and carrying a 2.15 ERA. In his last three he is 1-1 with a 4.19. The Phillies have won 5 straight while the Cards have dropped 3 in a row. St. Louis is 8-10 versus lefties this season.
Starting Bankroll              $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                          ($48.00)
Current Bankroll               $1,472.00

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!

Monday, June 16, 2014

WSOP Report to Come

I had a great time at the WSOP Event 33 last night. Unfortunately, I was unable to attain the heights of our own Memphis MOJO.

Ms. Duck and I are heading out for a day of fun in Vegas, so I'll save the long report for later.

As an appetizer, I did get to pitch a few cards with Phil Ivey :)

MLB Picks, June 16th

One game on tap tonight is worth a peek.

$20 on Oakland (Pomeranz) [-1.5 @ +125] over Texas (Lewis)
Pomeranz is having a nice season, posting a 5-3 record with a stellar 1.90 ERA. He's 4-0 this year when he eatin' home cookin'. Lewis has struggled in his last 3 outings, sporting a 0-1 record and a 7.47 ERA. Both teams have won three of their last 4 games.
Starting Bankroll              $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                          ($28.00)
Current Bankroll               $1,472.00

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!

Friday, June 13, 2014

Vegas Bound

Ms Duck and I fly from Austin to Las Vegas tomorrow. I will be competing in Event 33 of the WSOP as part of my prize from winning our local poker league.

Last year I was fortunate enough to cash, so I'm hoping to do so again this year.

I'll update here several times during our trip. We'll stay Saturday night at Sam's Town and then move to the strip and set up camp at the Vdara. We stayed there last summer and liked it, so back we go.

Our Vegas or Bust Poker League has our 2nd of 12 tournaments tonight. As in previous years, the top two finishers win trips to Vegas and an entry into the WSOP. I placed second in our first tourney, so I'm off to a decent start.

Leave a comment if you're going to be in Vegas and maybe we can pitch a few cards.

Till next time, win the flips.

MLB Picks, June 13th

One game on tonight's MLB docket is worth a few sawbucks.

$10 @ +115 on Houston (McHugh) over Tampa Bay (Cobb)
McHugh is 2-0 with a 1.65 ERA in his last three starts. Cobb is 0-3 with a 9.38 in his last three and was rocked for 7 runs in 4+ innings against the Mariners in his last outing. The Astros have won 4 of their last 6 while the Rays have dropped 14 of 16. 5Dimes has the best line.
Starting Bankroll              $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                          ($18.00)
Current Bankroll               $1,482.00

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!

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

MLB Picks, June 11th

My Astros seem to be turning the corner a bit and I have an opportunity to actually pick them to win a game. It's been a long time since I've done that.

$20 on Houston (Keuchel) [-1.5 @ +175]\ over Arizona (McCarthy)
Keuchel is 7-3 with a 2.50 ERA this season and 2-1 with a 1.29 in his last 3 starts. McCarthy is 1-8 with a 5.13 ERA this year and is 0-2 with a 6.75 in his last 3 outings. Both teams have played better of late with the Astros winning 4 of their last 6 and the D-Back 6 of 8.
Starting Bankroll              $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                          ($53.00)
Current Bankroll               $1,447.00

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!

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

MLB Picks, June 10th

There are a couple games that look good on today's menu.

$30 on St. Louis (Wainwright) [-1.5 @ +130] over Tampa Bay (Odorizzi)
Wainwright is 8-3 with a 2.31 ERA this season. Odorizzi is 2-6 with a 5.31 and is 0-2 with a 6.28 in his last 3 outings. The Cardinals have won 3 of their last 5 while the Rays have dropped 13 of 14. 5Dimes has the best line.
$10 on Toronto (Happ) [-1.5 @ +125] over Minnesota (Correia)
Happ is 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA in his last three starts. Correia is 2-7 with a 6.11 this season. The Blue Jays have won 7 of their last 9 and the Twins are 1-4 in their last 5. 5Dimes has the best line.
Starting Bankroll              $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                          ($13.00)
Current Bankroll               $1,487.00

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!

Saturday, June 7, 2014

MLB Picks, June 7th

One game on today's MLB docket is worth a peek.

$20 on Oakland (Gray) [-1.5 @ +115] over Baltimore (Gausman)
Gray is having a stellar season. He has won 6 of his first 7 decisions and sports a 2.45 ERA. Gausman's first start was rough as he gave up 5 runs in 4 innings against the Tigers. The A's have won 6 of their last 7. The Orioles have won 4 of 6, but have dropped their last 2.
Starting Bankroll              $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                          $7.00
Current Bankroll               $1,507.00

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!

Friday, June 6, 2014

Change of Plans

As most of you know, my mother is facing cancer and is due to begin both chemo and radiation later this month. Because I want to be here to help care for her when the treatment starts, Ms. Duck and I have moved our WSOP trip up a couple of weeks.

We had originally planned to go at the end of the month and I was going to play on June 29th. We were going to stay almost two weeks before heading home. Our new plan is to leave on the 14th and return on the 20th. I will play in event 33 on the 15th.

Although it won't be as long as we had hoped, it'll still be nice to get away for a few days.

Let me know if you're going to be in Vegas that week and maybe we can get together.

Till next time, win the flips.

MLB Picks, June 6th

One game on the senior circuit looks worthwhile.

$11 @ -110 on Milwaukee (Lohse) over Pittsburgh (Cumpton)
Lohse is having a great season, posting a 7-1 record with a 2.60 ERA. Cumpton has struggled as evidenced by his 0-2 record and 6.85 ERA. The Brewers have won 5 of 7 against the Pirates this year. 
Starting Bankroll              $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                          $18.00
Current Bankroll               $1,518.00

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!

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

MLB Picks, June 4th

I'm going back to the well with the A's again today.

$13 @ -130 on Oakland (Chavez) over NY Yankees (Nuno)
Chavez is having a nice season as shown by his 4-3 record and 2.78 ERA. Leftie Nuno is 1-2 with a 5.48 this season and has struggled at Yankee Stadium, posting a 0-2 record with a lofty 7.94 ERA. The A's have won 4 straight while the Yankees have lost 3 in a row and 4 of 5. Oakland has fared well against southpaws this season winning 11 of 17.
Starting Bankroll              $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                          $8.00
Current Bankroll               $1,508.00

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!

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Cancer Returns-Update

Mom a few years ago with my sister.
Here's the update on Mom.

She visited with her oncologist this morning and was told her cancer is stage 3.

The plan of attack is both chemo and radiation. She will receive radiation 5 days a week for 5 weeks and that will be combined with chemo 1 day a week for 5 weeks. After the treatment is complete, she will have a petscan done to determine if the cancer is in remission. If she gets too sick during treatment, they will stop the chemo.

Chance of remission is 2-5% with radiation and 30-35% with the chemo/radiation combo. Remission can last up to 2 years if we can get to that point.

We're hoping she will be able to take her treatments in Waco, but that will be determined by the docs here and in Houston.

I'll update when I know more.

Thank you for your prayers and positive energy. Keep 'em coming.

MLB Picks, June 3rd

One game on tap today looks good.

$11 @ -110 on Oakland (Kazmir) over NY Yankees (Kuroda)
Kazmir is 6-2 with a 2.36 ERA this season. Kuroda is 4-3 with a 4.57. At home his ERA is even higher, checking in at 5.60. The A's have won 4 of their last 5 while the Yankees have dropped 3 of 4.
Starting Bankroll              $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                         ($2.00)
Current Bankroll               $1,498.00

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!

Monday, June 2, 2014

Texas Lottery Chronicles- Red Diamond 7's

"Red Diamond 7's is the sixth scratch-off lottery ticket in our series. Our last one produced a $10 winner, so here's hoping we can keep the streak alive!

Red Diamond has a top prize of $100,000. Odds are 3.7-1 against a winner and that includes $5 wins, which is just break-even.


The object of the game is to match your black numbers with the black "winning" numbers or the red numbers with the red "winning" numbers. The red match is better because it double the prize. Should a Red Diamond symbol appear you win all 15 prizes!

Yeah, that'll happen.

Let's scratch off the "winning" numbers and the top row of our numbers and see if we hit anything.


Although we had two shots at the top prize, we whiffed on both.

On to the second line.


Smaller prizes were and still no matches. Disappointing.

Looks like our last line is our only hope. Let's take a look.


Line three is also a whiff, so it looks like our winning streak is over at 1. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

Maybe next time :)

Tickets                       6
Winners                      1
Investment             $30.00
Winnings                  $10.00
Net                        ($20.00)