Back to the gym

It's been a little over a week since my last post which it's not cool. I'll give you a quick recap. I played WCOOP Event #3 and finished a bit better the middle of the pack. I started off well, but I feel like I played a bit tighter than what I should've as the game progressed. I went card dead for a while Nd when I got good playable hands I ran into better hands and a bad beat. I've been breaking even all around which it's better then losing of course and I feel I'm playing just ok.

For some reason I've been busting out of a lot of tourneys with KK, which could make it easy to blame it on the bad beats, but the reality is that it's been more than that. I shouldn't even put myself in a situation when a pair, even one as good as kings, is going to define my whole tournament. I have to have healthier stacks as I move into the latter stages of tournaments.

On a other note I finally went back to the gym, which was waaay overdue. I just came back and I feel like I will be sore tomorrow. But this is a good thing. It's part of finding that balance that I am seeking to continue flowing and continually improving in all aspects of my life. Short entry, but I didn't want to let more time go by without posting.

Best,

-3dgar

Inception: A Review

I am not one to jump on bandwagons, so when the hype about this movie was at its max I simply sat back and waited until I was actually able to walk in to the movie theater as the previews were getting started and still sit in the best spot.

I wanted to see the flick with an open mind and with the least possible expectations. It was fun. I did like it. But there are buts. Taking into consideration that the majority of the settings in the film were dreams I think it fell extremely short as far as visual experiences and places where we could have been taken. Seriously. I remember most of my dreams, and let me tell you they can get pretty freaky sometimes. No, not THAT kind of freaky (most of the time) but a wild out-of-this-word-fantasy-full-of-amazing-characters-and-crazy-settings-which-defy-all-notions-of-reality-as-we-know-it kind of thing. And we didn't get any of that in this movie. Well, just a little. So in that sense I was a bit disappointed. I mean, just to think about the realm of possibilities where this movie could've taken us... ah, forget it. Maybe my expectations are too high. But trust me, it was not because of the movie itself, it was only because I knew where the action takes place.

In any case, the movie is what it is and once I realized that it wasn't going to go where I kind of wanted it to, I took what I was given and was willing to run along with it. But it didn't quite run. It actually sort of stalled. It felt like it was gaining momentum a few times and then it just sort of repeated itself. And then it did it again. And then again. And then... well, you get my point.

I really feel like this movie could have used about 25 less minutes of playtime, particularly in the second half. And yes, I know that it was taking place in a dream, and that sometimes dreams do feel like they go on forever, but when you are catering to an audience you have to shoot for making that lasting forever feeling entertaining and not like the guy in charge of editing was taking two-hour lunches.

But I like Christopher Nolan. He is at least trying to be different and presenting concepts that your regular Janes & Joes don't think about much. I for one think that his best work is yet to come, and this film is another solid step in the making of that grand earth shattering mindfuck that will have everyone talking about it for a really long time.

This week in poker and WCOOP

Last Sunday was a small profit day. I played quite a few tourneys and SnG’s. I didn’t run so hot on the mtt’s but I was able to take a first and a third place in the SnG’s. I didn’t log in many hours hours online due to many other obligations the rest of the week but I did play in two different home games with some good friends. The first one was on Monday with a group of friends that do not play poker on a regular basis. In a way I was kind of explaining certain spots or rulings as they were not completely sure about some points, like a couple of split pots or betting etiquette.

I had a lot of fun and even managed to lose half of my stack by a guy chasing a one-card flush which he made by the river (obv). I lost the rest of my chips when my aces were out flopped by not one but TWO guys playing J-rags on a 5-J-J flop. I was not going to re-load but they convinced me and I ended up being the biggest winner of the night. The downside was that I ended up staying up until 4am when I had to go to work at 9am. Ouch. But it was fun and I enjoyed the company of my friends.

The rest of the week was all daily-grind stuff. I am taking a history class which is turning out to be quite the interesting experience as the teacher is a bit “out there” as far as his personal philosophies is concerned. We have spent the first couple of classes talking about Atlantis, Lemuria and the possibility of life being a product of intelligent design or extraterrestrial beings. I am serious. In any case, I am not a stranger to such “off-beat” subjects it’s just that I have to say that the context in which they are being discussed in this class seems to be a little out of place as the majority of the classmates have a hilariously perpetual wtf face.

The second home game of the week was my regular Friday Night Poker with Ian and the gang. I also ended up with a profit after losing a buy-in. I don’t know what is it with me but often times I find myself coming from behind to end up ahead. I guess what’s important is the result and finishing with positive numbers but I have noticed that this is a pattern that keeps appearing in my life. More on this later.

So I went to bed a bit late last night but I had to wake up early today to go to the office because I had a couple of appointments. I finished around 2pm and went back home. I was planning on playing a couple of satellites for the WCOOP but was too tired to be completely focused, so after an epic Carnitas Tacos meal I opted for a much needed nap. I passed out for about two hours.

When I woke up I logged in and saw a few satellite opportunities. I settled for a $2.20 with re-buys with the intention of playing for full stacks at every opportunity. I waited patiently for good spots and doubled-up in key points during the re-buy craziness. I ended up with an average stack when the re-buy period ended and I didn’t have to re-buy at any point. I did take the opportunity to add-on as I wanted to get max-value in the following levels.

315 players started the tourney and after the first hour of play we were down to about 155. It is worth mentioning that there were 1042 re-buys and 133 add-ons for a total of 14 entries to Event #3 of the WCOOP. People were playing pretty loose and aggressive so the opportunities to steal were very limited as you were almost always going to get a caller or two so hand selections were crucial. The good thing was that I got paid handsomely for my made hands which eventually led me to WIN ONE OF THE ENTRIES!!!

Yes, I am excited.

So I will be playing Event #3 of the WCOOP Sunday September 5. The start time is 2pm PST so I have plenty of time to have a nice brunch with Tania (minus the champagne because it makes me sleepy) before playing and then… it’s on!

Wish me the best.