I successfully bluffed 3 other players out of a pot in the world of bonus limit 40/80 texas holdem for one bet on the river in a ginormous pot.
Wayne limps in early position with J9, I raise button-2 with KhJd, Helen 3-bets the button with what I think is AQ, SB folds, Chris in the BB eats 2 with AK, Wayne eats 2, I call.
Flop comes QhTd5h. Checked to Helen who bets, both call, I c/r, Helen 3-bets, both call, I cap, everyone calls. Turn is a blank like 2c. Checked to Helen who bets, all call.
River is 3h. Checked to me, I bet, everyone insta-folds, I show the bluff and put Helen on tilt for the rest of the night.
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Friday, January 23, 2015
Returning from our commerical break ...
Wow. It's been a while since I have made an update. I have a reasonable excuse. I am after all in law school. But a little Friday morning insomnia, gives me a little quiet time around the house.
I am officially half way through law school, with 3 semesters in the books, and 3 semesters to go. But there's a few more gates you need to get through before one can be a practicing attorney here in California. Here's my checklist:
1) Take the LSAT. Check.
2) Graduate Law School. In Progress
3) Pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE). Plan on taking in November of 2015
4) Submit everything for California's Moral Character application (due in November of 2015 as well).
5) Pass the California Bar. Scheduled to take in July 2016.
6) Pass the U.S. P.T.O Patent Bar examination. Unclear when exactly I'll be taking this. I might try and squeeze it in this summer, while I am working at the firm that I will be a summer associate at. But I need to talk with them and see what they want me do.
As far as law school is going, I am in a pretty good groove. Last semester was my best semester ever in law school grades-wise. I received A+, A+, A, A, while working for law review cite-checking articles and spending an inordinate amount of time on my law review comment, which I turned in on Wednesday to my adviser for final approval and to the law review's student publication board.
This semester I have a huge hodge-podge of classes. And a ton of additional writing to do. I need to write another paper (much smaller in length at least) for my patent law policy class. I am planning on doing moot court which means an appellate brief I will have to draft and practice oral arguments for, and a legal memo for the clinic I am interning for. But, the lifeblood of lawyers is writing, so the more writing I do, the better. And then I have 3 substantive classes on top of that, another Constitutional Law class, Tax, and Patent Prosecution. It's going to be a busy semester.
Life wise, things are going well. My kids are growing up too fast. I think all parents say that. But really, I think it is a reflection of parents who understand the ephemeralness of childhood, and their own nostalgia. While having children is not for everyone, I can say without a doubt, that being a father is the most rewarding thing I have done with my life.
I officially turn 40 this year. Big number, I suppose. I don't really see the significance, however. It's just a way of marking the time of how long you have been on this planet. More importantly, I think, is to ask yourself, in the time that I have been here, have I made the world a better place in whatever way I am capable? As citizens of the planet earth, I do believe that we all have a responsibility to try and leave the world in a little better state than what we inherited.
On the birthday note, I have a trip to Las Vegas with my wife, her sister, and my brother-in-law planned to coincide with spring break. Super excited for that. It's been a while since the wife and I have had a weekend away from the kids. Lots of things planned for that trip already.
Poker wise, meh. My schedule last semester allowed me to play most Fridays, and I have pretty much been playing the 40/80 just then. I did get up to Commerce one time, when my brother-in-law from Minnesota and his family visited Southern California. Nothing new, and I booked a loss there. I did not have a winning year in 2014. First time in a long time. One of the things I stopped doing in 2014 for whatever reason, was tracking all of my session results. I plan on reviving that habit in 2015, even though it is unclear how much I will get to play this year.
Since the President gave the State of the Union Address a few days ago, I figure it would be okay if I gave a State of Poker Address from my perspective. Poker, at least mid to high-stakes live limit poker is a dying game. Outside a few areas of the country that are limit poker meccas, everyone has jumped on the no-limit bandwagon. In my neck of the woods, the no-limit landscape has evolved to where the aspiring no-limit player has a ladder structure in which to grow a bankroll and move up in limits. At Oceans they spread 1/2, 2/2, 2/3, 5/5, 5/10, 10/20 and 20/40 no limit regularly. The bigger no-limit games outside of 20/40 tend to go on scheduled days, I think Tuesday or Wednesday, and Friday. While in the limit world, outside of the Friday 40/80 game, you might find two 8/16 games running and possibly a 4/8 game as well. That's it. There's no longer a reasonable structure for one to move up. And given the recent rake increase, and the overall general improvement of the players (but most of them are still horribly bad, there's just not the prevalence of the 90/5 loose-passive fish, like there used to be) makes turning a regular profit that much harder. Eventually, there will come a time, where the game will simply be unbeatable due to the rake, and those of us who like to play, will need to consider the actual cost and opportunity cost of playing, and make a decision if we view playing poker as entertainment or an investment.
I am officially half way through law school, with 3 semesters in the books, and 3 semesters to go. But there's a few more gates you need to get through before one can be a practicing attorney here in California. Here's my checklist:
1) Take the LSAT. Check.
2) Graduate Law School. In Progress
3) Pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE). Plan on taking in November of 2015
4) Submit everything for California's Moral Character application (due in November of 2015 as well).
5) Pass the California Bar. Scheduled to take in July 2016.
6) Pass the U.S. P.T.O Patent Bar examination. Unclear when exactly I'll be taking this. I might try and squeeze it in this summer, while I am working at the firm that I will be a summer associate at. But I need to talk with them and see what they want me do.
As far as law school is going, I am in a pretty good groove. Last semester was my best semester ever in law school grades-wise. I received A+, A+, A, A, while working for law review cite-checking articles and spending an inordinate amount of time on my law review comment, which I turned in on Wednesday to my adviser for final approval and to the law review's student publication board.
This semester I have a huge hodge-podge of classes. And a ton of additional writing to do. I need to write another paper (much smaller in length at least) for my patent law policy class. I am planning on doing moot court which means an appellate brief I will have to draft and practice oral arguments for, and a legal memo for the clinic I am interning for. But, the lifeblood of lawyers is writing, so the more writing I do, the better. And then I have 3 substantive classes on top of that, another Constitutional Law class, Tax, and Patent Prosecution. It's going to be a busy semester.
Life wise, things are going well. My kids are growing up too fast. I think all parents say that. But really, I think it is a reflection of parents who understand the ephemeralness of childhood, and their own nostalgia. While having children is not for everyone, I can say without a doubt, that being a father is the most rewarding thing I have done with my life.
I officially turn 40 this year. Big number, I suppose. I don't really see the significance, however. It's just a way of marking the time of how long you have been on this planet. More importantly, I think, is to ask yourself, in the time that I have been here, have I made the world a better place in whatever way I am capable? As citizens of the planet earth, I do believe that we all have a responsibility to try and leave the world in a little better state than what we inherited.
On the birthday note, I have a trip to Las Vegas with my wife, her sister, and my brother-in-law planned to coincide with spring break. Super excited for that. It's been a while since the wife and I have had a weekend away from the kids. Lots of things planned for that trip already.
Poker wise, meh. My schedule last semester allowed me to play most Fridays, and I have pretty much been playing the 40/80 just then. I did get up to Commerce one time, when my brother-in-law from Minnesota and his family visited Southern California. Nothing new, and I booked a loss there. I did not have a winning year in 2014. First time in a long time. One of the things I stopped doing in 2014 for whatever reason, was tracking all of my session results. I plan on reviving that habit in 2015, even though it is unclear how much I will get to play this year.
Since the President gave the State of the Union Address a few days ago, I figure it would be okay if I gave a State of Poker Address from my perspective. Poker, at least mid to high-stakes live limit poker is a dying game. Outside a few areas of the country that are limit poker meccas, everyone has jumped on the no-limit bandwagon. In my neck of the woods, the no-limit landscape has evolved to where the aspiring no-limit player has a ladder structure in which to grow a bankroll and move up in limits. At Oceans they spread 1/2, 2/2, 2/3, 5/5, 5/10, 10/20 and 20/40 no limit regularly. The bigger no-limit games outside of 20/40 tend to go on scheduled days, I think Tuesday or Wednesday, and Friday. While in the limit world, outside of the Friday 40/80 game, you might find two 8/16 games running and possibly a 4/8 game as well. That's it. There's no longer a reasonable structure for one to move up. And given the recent rake increase, and the overall general improvement of the players (but most of them are still horribly bad, there's just not the prevalence of the 90/5 loose-passive fish, like there used to be) makes turning a regular profit that much harder. Eventually, there will come a time, where the game will simply be unbeatable due to the rake, and those of us who like to play, will need to consider the actual cost and opportunity cost of playing, and make a decision if we view playing poker as entertainment or an investment.
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