Chicken Butt

They call me kitten

Friday's poker game was fun, but kind of long. It was a big group of twelve, all at one table. We almost split into two tables, but I was against it simple because I don't see most of these guys very often anymore. It would have been better poker if we had. It took hours for anyone to go out. People were buying in three and four times after busting out. It was crazy.

I played pretty well, but made some bone-head plays. I came in fifth place. Not too shabby considering the table and how retched I played last month.

I missed going to yoga Friday night though, it's such a great way to start out the weekend. I let go of so much stress there. I'll miss yoga this Friday too because I'm going to a conference in Milwaukee this weekend.

I sorted through all the crap that has built up in my living room and re-arranged the furniture. I love it. I even hung the picture that's been sitting on my mantle shelf for about a year. I took the coffee table out, it's just a crap collector. Now when I walk into my condo it feels so clean and homey. (I manage to look right into the living room and ignore the piles of crap in the dining room and kitchen.  Selective vision is good sometimes.)

All in

I'm playing poker tonight. I haven't played for at least a month. When I realized this morning that it was Friday and I would not be doing yoga I felt sad. Last Friday I was wishing I could skip yoga and just go home. Today I wish I had yoga to look forward to.

I hope I play well. I would have to be really lucky to make it into the money, but I want to stick around later than 9:30. I played horribly last time, I had trouble even paying attention to my cards. If I get beat, but played it well it doesn't bug me, but if I make mistakes and miss opportunities it tortures me.

The guys have gotten really rowdy. I got bored and switched to yoga. They got bored and turned up the volume. Almost everyone has nicknames now. My brother-in-law, The Vice, tells me they call me Stretch now. It is going to be a big crowd tonight. We're playing on a new table in a freshly finished basement. The guy who taught me Donkey Ball-licker is supposed to be there, maybe I'll learn something new.

Wish me luck.

Woo hoo!

I finished in the money! I haven't finished in the money for so long I can't even remember when I last did. I'd say at least a couple months. Yes, I got third. Yes, if I'd agreed to a split three ways 10 minutes earlier I would have won more. But I went down honorably.

We were all pretty even in stacks, but I was lead at the time. We had been playing with just the three of us for over two hours. Fourth place busted out about midnight. I was dealer so I bet first. I raised three times the big blind(3K). Chip raised all in. Terry folded and I called. We flipped up our cards. I had AKo and Chip had JJ. The flop gave me the nut straight and Chip a set, I was ahead. The turn put a third heart on the board, giving me a flush draw. The river was a heart that paired the board (I don't remember what it was) giving me an Ace high flush but giving Chip a full house. It was an excellent hand. Too bad it crippled me and put Chip in the lead. I had less than two thousand left. I went all in the next hand and lost the rest to Terry. Ten minutes later Terry took it all.

It was so much fun. I played really well tonight and had some awesome luck. I also learned a new name for a hand that brought me many chips. 3J = CBL (Camel Ball Licker, If you look at it from the side the J is licking the 3.) It's a stretch and dumb, but the hand brought me lots of enjoyment for the rest of the night. I bluffed with it several times and showed people what I'd done.

There was a guy who I'd met at one other game, Dave Martino. He wrote a book on card games called This isn't your Granddaddy's Card Game Book. I just ordered it. This guy is really good at guessing what's coming. He sat to my left and we had a lot of fun talking. He's the one who taught us the new hand name. He was once in a casino's mug book for counting cards at Black Jack. He is lightning fast at math and pretty good at putting people on hands even though he's only played with us a few times. Next time I want to be on his left though. He raised me off of too many hands I limped in with.

I guess all this could be summed up by saying I haven't had that much playing in a long time and even if I hadn't finished in the money, this is the sort of night that keeps me hooked on the game.

And I totally forgot to bring my camera. Shit!