I had a very enjoyable time this evening at the pub, with the social group freeroll. Lost early in the first tourney to a chaser who kept catching and catching, regardless of what statistics and probability might have to say. Chaser made it to the final table, so lady luck was shining brightly for that one.
Second tourney I make it to final table, and losing patience I go all in against the big stack with A2 os. Big Stack considers, and takes the offer, with KQos.
According to the calculator, I was 57% to win going in. Of course, if I won, biggie was still the biggie, and if I was out, that was one less player to get in bigge's hair.
Good times. I'll try to come back again.
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Monday, June 27, 2005
Pot Odds and Tournament Play
June 25. I was at my third table for the evening, mostly with players I hadn't gotten to know yet. The blinds were starting to speed up to the point where I had enough in my stack for maybe 8 trips around the world. I get a visual that I'm clearly the shorty at the table.
And yet, I'm playing too many hands, hands that the biggies have no problems accelerating. Granted, I'm holding out for class 4 or better, but I'm catching a lot of playables, and going to town with them. It isn't killing me, but I'm not increasing my stack.
On the last hand I'm in, The pre-flop is accelerated, but I stay in. The flop comes, and I'm on an open-ended straight draw with two bigger stacks in the pot, and I pay dearly to see the next card, but I don't catch. They go nuts on the betting, and one of them is all-in.
My choices:
a) Fold to see another hand, with enough chips for maybe 3-4 trips around a 7 player table.
b) Throw in the last of my chips for 8 outs on one card. If I catch, I will be a big stack at the table. (It was confirmed at the showdown that a straight would have won it.)
I think I made the right choice. I went out, and then had a relaxed time at the cash table with some really nice folks. I got to play a lot of hands because we were only five or less at the table at any given moment. There was even one young man who was astonishingly good for his age. Not that I have anything against whippersnappers, but I was boggled by the good judgement he showed. He not only knew when to bet, he also knew when to walk away, which is a much harder thing to learn.
For the record, I will take chips on the table from anybody. Drunks, callings stations, people who don't show good judgment, tilters. No exceptions: If you're at the table offering free money, I consider it a moral obligation to relieve you of your burden!
In the case of the brash young man, we had an interesting situation. He kept throwing all-in bets at the short-handed cash table, and others would take his bet and lose, so he had mutliplied his starting cash by a factor of six. He offered me all-ins twice when I had KK, and his respective A6 and AQ failed to come up with the appropriate board for his victory. I liked his attitude though, win or lose, he was right back in the next hand with the optimism only the very young seem capable of displaying.
Oh - Also for the record, the guy who won the big pot I went out on went on to to position three in the tournament. Nice job Renegade; I'm glad to see my chips went to a worthy cause ;-)
And yet, I'm playing too many hands, hands that the biggies have no problems accelerating. Granted, I'm holding out for class 4 or better, but I'm catching a lot of playables, and going to town with them. It isn't killing me, but I'm not increasing my stack.
On the last hand I'm in, The pre-flop is accelerated, but I stay in. The flop comes, and I'm on an open-ended straight draw with two bigger stacks in the pot, and I pay dearly to see the next card, but I don't catch. They go nuts on the betting, and one of them is all-in.
My choices:
a) Fold to see another hand, with enough chips for maybe 3-4 trips around a 7 player table.
b) Throw in the last of my chips for 8 outs on one card. If I catch, I will be a big stack at the table. (It was confirmed at the showdown that a straight would have won it.)
I think I made the right choice. I went out, and then had a relaxed time at the cash table with some really nice folks. I got to play a lot of hands because we were only five or less at the table at any given moment. There was even one young man who was astonishingly good for his age. Not that I have anything against whippersnappers, but I was boggled by the good judgement he showed. He not only knew when to bet, he also knew when to walk away, which is a much harder thing to learn.
For the record, I will take chips on the table from anybody. Drunks, callings stations, people who don't show good judgment, tilters. No exceptions: If you're at the table offering free money, I consider it a moral obligation to relieve you of your burden!
In the case of the brash young man, we had an interesting situation. He kept throwing all-in bets at the short-handed cash table, and others would take his bet and lose, so he had mutliplied his starting cash by a factor of six. He offered me all-ins twice when I had KK, and his respective A6 and AQ failed to come up with the appropriate board for his victory. I liked his attitude though, win or lose, he was right back in the next hand with the optimism only the very young seem capable of displaying.
Oh - Also for the record, the guy who won the big pot I went out on went on to to position three in the tournament. Nice job Renegade; I'm glad to see my chips went to a worthy cause ;-)
Sunday, June 26, 2005
What's with the Notebook?
It's a live version of the poker tracker software that the on-line kids use. I'm trying to keep track of how many hands I see the flop, turn and river, as well as my overall chip position. How do you improve your game?
It's a good thing I'm not an accountant anymore. My notebook was off by 3000 chips when I did a count at the break. I was probably too excited about finishing a hot hand and didn't write one down.
It's a good thing I'm not an accountant anymore. My notebook was off by 3000 chips when I did a count at the break. I was probably too excited about finishing a hot hand and didn't write one down.
On the Idiot End of the Straight
Limping in with A5, I find I've got an inside draw at the flop, and the bet into me is not huge, so I go for one more card. I catch lucky, and thin the field, but one guy stays. The river brings a six and there's a six high straight on the board, invalidating my claim to best hand, and the opposition goes all in.
He was kind enough to show me what I folded to. Sure enough, he had the seven.
He was kind enough to show me what I folded to. Sure enough, he had the seven.
Frustrating Winning Hand
I'm allowed to limp in with 37os (Okay, it's Sklansky class 9, what's your point?) and I flop a straight to a rainbow board. Naturally, nobody bets, and I know that if I bet, nobody will stay.
Turn - Blank. No bets, and I check again.
River - King! I manage to get one taker on a medium sized bet.
It's a drag when there isn't a possible second-best hand, isn't it?
Turn - Blank. No bets, and I check again.
River - King! I manage to get one taker on a medium sized bet.
It's a drag when there isn't a possible second-best hand, isn't it?
Saturday, June 25, 2005
Vacation Recommendation for Social Group
If any member of the social group makes it to Eastern Europe this summer, I strongly recommend making it to the tables I played at around 4 AM, after you've had a solid nap. You'll find lots of high rollers with cloudy judgement who have been at the table since possibly 8 PM the night before. Drop me a line for the casino name, and if I know you, I'll share the wealth.
If you can keep your head together (see prior post), you may be able to bring home a decent stack. Make sure you start out slow and size everybody up, because there are a few rocks who do this for a living, or a nice supplemental income, and if you tangle with them (see prior post), you may end up in the red for the session.
According to my cardplayer.com analyst, I came out ahead $250 for all my sessions there. (If not for the clouded judgement of the prior post, it would have been $550.) I'm not an especially skilled player, either! The buy in is $250 by the way. I blew most of my winnings on duty free.
i'LL See a bunch of you tonight!
If you can keep your head together (see prior post), you may be able to bring home a decent stack. Make sure you start out slow and size everybody up, because there are a few rocks who do this for a living, or a nice supplemental income, and if you tangle with them (see prior post), you may end up in the red for the session.
According to my cardplayer.com analyst, I came out ahead $250 for all my sessions there. (If not for the clouded judgement of the prior post, it would have been $550.) I'm not an especially skilled player, either! The buy in is $250 by the way. I blew most of my winnings on duty free.
i'LL See a bunch of you tonight!
$300 Pastry Anyone?
I'm back home, and quite happy about it.
My final morning in Budapest, I decided to try my early AM luck at the table again, so I get there at 4:30 AM, and I have to leave for the airport at 5:30 AM. I leave my bags with a porter and do my buy in. There are only three other players, one is almost senselessly agressive, one is a calling station who is still asking newbie questions about how the rules work, and there's a gruff-looking older guy who I can't get a bead on, other than that he is big stacked.
At 5:25 I am up by $150, having taken the calling station all the way to the river, doubling the bet each time with my pair of pocket aces. I'm not sure what the CS was thinking, but maybe he had a small pair or something. He didn't show his cards.
At 5:31 I've neatly stacked my chips to cash out, and I don't cash out immediately, because I've still got one pastry left to enjoy before I go. I am dealt AQ suited-spades, and I'm still a little high mentally from taking all the cash from the CS. The maniac raises to 4BB total, big stack calls, and the CS calls, I am last to act. I call 'POT!' and raise the hand to about 16B, a bet of $80.
Maniac folds. Big Stack calls. Calling Station folds.
Flop. K, blank, blank two diamons on the board.
Big Stack Bets large. If I had been in my right mind, I should have licked my wounds and gotten the hell out, but I had seen so many bluffers that this table, I decide to pay $100 for another card.
Queen! Big stack bets large again. I call, since a pair of queens with an Ace kicker is usually enough to win in this crowd.
Big Stack bets large again to put me all in. I look at the board again. It's a queen of DIAMONDS, so there are now three diamonds on the the board. I think for about a minute, realize that I!m high on playing, and fold.
At that point, I probably should have gone all in just to see what he had, but I would put it at 3 to 1 odds that he had something better than a pair of queens.
IIKTWIKN: When maniac raised and got two callers, there was no reason for me to try to buy the pot, since all three of them clearly liked their hands at least that much. Granted, Maniac raised for no reason a lot, but Big Stack clearly liked his. I could have called the raise, and if I didn't catch the flop, it only cost me 20$. As it was, I only chased out the calling station.
IIKTWIKN: The corollary to 'All-In Fever' is 'Pot Fever'. It is a pure charge of adrenaline to say that word. Beware the expensive shot of adrenaline!
IIKTWIKN: Do the words 'Quite while you're ahead' ring a bell, Frank???
My final morning in Budapest, I decided to try my early AM luck at the table again, so I get there at 4:30 AM, and I have to leave for the airport at 5:30 AM. I leave my bags with a porter and do my buy in. There are only three other players, one is almost senselessly agressive, one is a calling station who is still asking newbie questions about how the rules work, and there's a gruff-looking older guy who I can't get a bead on, other than that he is big stacked.
At 5:25 I am up by $150, having taken the calling station all the way to the river, doubling the bet each time with my pair of pocket aces. I'm not sure what the CS was thinking, but maybe he had a small pair or something. He didn't show his cards.
At 5:31 I've neatly stacked my chips to cash out, and I don't cash out immediately, because I've still got one pastry left to enjoy before I go. I am dealt AQ suited-spades, and I'm still a little high mentally from taking all the cash from the CS. The maniac raises to 4BB total, big stack calls, and the CS calls, I am last to act. I call 'POT!' and raise the hand to about 16B, a bet of $80.
Maniac folds. Big Stack calls. Calling Station folds.
Flop. K, blank, blank two diamons on the board.
Big Stack Bets large. If I had been in my right mind, I should have licked my wounds and gotten the hell out, but I had seen so many bluffers that this table, I decide to pay $100 for another card.
Queen! Big stack bets large again. I call, since a pair of queens with an Ace kicker is usually enough to win in this crowd.
Big Stack bets large again to put me all in. I look at the board again. It's a queen of DIAMONDS, so there are now three diamonds on the the board. I think for about a minute, realize that I!m high on playing, and fold.
At that point, I probably should have gone all in just to see what he had, but I would put it at 3 to 1 odds that he had something better than a pair of queens.
IIKTWIKN: When maniac raised and got two callers, there was no reason for me to try to buy the pot, since all three of them clearly liked their hands at least that much. Granted, Maniac raised for no reason a lot, but Big Stack clearly liked his. I could have called the raise, and if I didn't catch the flop, it only cost me 20$. As it was, I only chased out the calling station.
IIKTWIKN: The corollary to 'All-In Fever' is 'Pot Fever'. It is a pure charge of adrenaline to say that word. Beware the expensive shot of adrenaline!
IIKTWIKN: Do the words 'Quite while you're ahead' ring a bell, Frank???
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Dude I'm tired and Ready to Go Home
Work sucks, but at least I'm getting on a plane at 7:10 AM and getting out of dodge.
I tried for two consecutive nights to get a seat between 10 PM and midnight at the only table in the joint, and nothing doing. This morning I wake up at 4:30, as I've been told they play until 8 in the morning. Good to catch these guys after they've been playing all through the night, as they tend to make some bad judgements, and stick their necks out when they shouldn't. And I was catching cards like crazy during my two hours at the table.
So far I had seen loose-weak, and then tight-agressive, and this morning might be best described as loose-weak pre-flop, and very agressive post-flop. I gave a little action pre-flop (I was down close to 20,000 huf before I caught a rhythm) in order to get a lot of action post-flop. (Honest to god, I left at 6:55 AM with a little more than double my buy in, or a profit of about 52,700 HUF.)
My best hand? Nobody raises me as BB, and when I look 74os crap. The flop? 10, 7, 4! Oh life is good! Theres 6000 HUF in the pot, so I say 'POT!' and everybody scrams except for this guy who loves to bluff way more than he ought to. He simply calls. Turn blank, and I bet 6000 more. Calls. River blank, and I bet another 6000 for good measure. Folds. Smart move sonny boy. There were several other big pots like this, but I think the two pairs of cheese from BB was my fave, even if the other hands had more drama, it turned the tide on my bleeding, and it felt so good to say 'POT' just like it feels good to say 'ALL IN'.
I walked away from one hand, thinking that there was no way that THREE PLAYERS WERE BLUFFING. They were, and I would have rivered the nut flush with only the Ace in my hand (None of these bums were suited, but all of them bet like they were.) Of course, that was when I was down 20,000 huf, and I would have had to go all in to prove they were all bluffing. I'll divide and conquer, thank you very much.
I feel like I owe some shout outs to the people who helped me get better....
Oh yeah - If you're a tilter, or not good in re-buys, please don't consider playing a pot limit ring casino game. It's designed to keep you re-buying long after you're on full tilt. I saw more than a few players doing exactly this.
I tried for two consecutive nights to get a seat between 10 PM and midnight at the only table in the joint, and nothing doing. This morning I wake up at 4:30, as I've been told they play until 8 in the morning. Good to catch these guys after they've been playing all through the night, as they tend to make some bad judgements, and stick their necks out when they shouldn't. And I was catching cards like crazy during my two hours at the table.
So far I had seen loose-weak, and then tight-agressive, and this morning might be best described as loose-weak pre-flop, and very agressive post-flop. I gave a little action pre-flop (I was down close to 20,000 huf before I caught a rhythm) in order to get a lot of action post-flop. (Honest to god, I left at 6:55 AM with a little more than double my buy in, or a profit of about 52,700 HUF.)
My best hand? Nobody raises me as BB, and when I look 74os crap. The flop? 10, 7, 4! Oh life is good! Theres 6000 HUF in the pot, so I say 'POT!' and everybody scrams except for this guy who loves to bluff way more than he ought to. He simply calls. Turn blank, and I bet 6000 more. Calls. River blank, and I bet another 6000 for good measure. Folds. Smart move sonny boy. There were several other big pots like this, but I think the two pairs of cheese from BB was my fave, even if the other hands had more drama, it turned the tide on my bleeding, and it felt so good to say 'POT' just like it feels good to say 'ALL IN'.
I walked away from one hand, thinking that there was no way that THREE PLAYERS WERE BLUFFING. They were, and I would have rivered the nut flush with only the Ace in my hand (None of these bums were suited, but all of them bet like they were.) Of course, that was when I was down 20,000 huf, and I would have had to go all in to prove they were all bluffing. I'll divide and conquer, thank you very much.
I feel like I owe some shout outs to the people who helped me get better....
Oh yeah - If you're a tilter, or not good in re-buys, please don't consider playing a pot limit ring casino game. It's designed to keep you re-buying long after you're on full tilt. I saw more than a few players doing exactly this.
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Cute Urinal Billboard
As you take care of business, you see the add. Its a model, and shes looking in a downward direction with a disappointed look. You notice shes wearing cartoony devil horns, and in her hand shes holding a measuring tape with a very short measurement.
The caption?
A méret
igenis számit!
I had a hunch and asked a colleague. If you see me at a table, I'll tell you the translation if you remember to ask.
Well, I'm on the waiting list at the table, so I'm going to see what kind of trouble I can get into, with only one gruelling day ahead of me.
The caption?
A méret
igenis számit!
I had a hunch and asked a colleague. If you see me at a table, I'll tell you the translation if you remember to ask.
Well, I'm on the waiting list at the table, so I'm going to see what kind of trouble I can get into, with only one gruelling day ahead of me.
P*ssing Contests at the Gaming Table, Budapest
Last night I couldn't resist (I hate killing time in hotel rooms) so I went back to the casino. There was a waiting list (only one table there, open for two months now) so I enjoyed the free food and watched the action.
3 of the 4 sharks were back, and 4 clear fish. One fish in particular seemed to hold a grudge against one young man who had put him on tilt. The old fish kept bluffing astronomical sums in the pot limit game to scare the kid, who kept calling him. Hand after hand, the old man kept losing hundreds of dollars at a throw. It was almost painful to watch, but very informative.
I assume the money meant nothing to the tilting fool. Not my problem.
If you're a big tilter, don't play pot limit cash games!
3 of the 4 sharks were back, and 4 clear fish. One fish in particular seemed to hold a grudge against one young man who had put him on tilt. The old fish kept bluffing astronomical sums in the pot limit game to scare the kid, who kept calling him. Hand after hand, the old man kept losing hundreds of dollars at a throw. It was almost painful to watch, but very informative.
I assume the money meant nothing to the tilting fool. Not my problem.
If you're a big tilter, don't play pot limit cash games!
Frenchie's Kind of Town
Strong recommendation for Frenchie to come check out his ancestral homeland, although he may need to wear a muzzle to keep his jaw from dropping, given the local talent seen almost everywhere.
I literally saw a lovely young thing 'stop traffic' on the way to this internet shop. I was walking up to the cross walk, she was ahead of me, dressed in the usual budapest not-a-supermodel-yet finery and coiffure (sp), and she was certainly worth of attention. She was engaged in conversation with her similarly charming friend, and oblivious to the light, chatting at the curb. They looked up just in time to get the don't walk signal, and the green light for the cars.
I was besides them, waiting for the two cars at the light to go so that I could jay walk. I noticed the forward driver was looking in my direction oblivious to the traffic light until the car behind him honked. In a flash of brilliance, I understood what he had been staring at. Probably Frenchie's third or fourth cousin, if I had to guess by the gene pool.
And this young lady was just one of many, Frenchie!
PS: If you read this in time, be sure to kick some arse in your WSOP event!
I literally saw a lovely young thing 'stop traffic' on the way to this internet shop. I was walking up to the cross walk, she was ahead of me, dressed in the usual budapest not-a-supermodel-yet finery and coiffure (sp), and she was certainly worth of attention. She was engaged in conversation with her similarly charming friend, and oblivious to the light, chatting at the curb. They looked up just in time to get the don't walk signal, and the green light for the cars.
I was besides them, waiting for the two cars at the light to go so that I could jay walk. I noticed the forward driver was looking in my direction oblivious to the traffic light until the car behind him honked. In a flash of brilliance, I understood what he had been staring at. Probably Frenchie's third or fourth cousin, if I had to guess by the gene pool.
And this young lady was just one of many, Frenchie!
PS: If you read this in time, be sure to kick some arse in your WSOP event!
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Back in Black
Just updated my cardplayer.com stats from the last two nights, and I'm officially in the black as a cardplayer, for the first time since April 8th (my first experience and my first win, in the losers tourney). Whoo-hoo!
As Mr. T would aptly say, I pity the fool who doesn't track their stats!
As Mr. T would aptly say, I pity the fool who doesn't track their stats!
Sharks on the Danube River
So I go back to the place that was weak loose, and I see one familiar face, and four locals. I watch one hand, and it's clear that the unfamiliar players are tight, tight tight.
I hit the free snacks/meals (mediocre but the price is right) and chat up one of the guys who followed me there. Turns out he's one of those internet money makers, and all four of them are regulars here.
I join the table, with the same buy/in as the night before of 250. In the first 15 minutes I catch Big Slick and buy a pot, and then big slick suited, and I win a small pot against a very friendly shark, who is clearly sizing me up but not pushing or feeding me too much. For the first 30 minutes I'm up 50 bucks USD. Then I catch the QQ hand in the prior blog, and I'm just a little below break/even.
I spent the next two hours or so paying rent on my seat in the form of cheap blinds. I could see that this pot limit stuff was just as dangerous as a no/limit cash game, and so I was holding out for Sklansky class 1 hands. I didn't see anything better than class four for two hours, so I didn't even try to limp. I missed one set of trips that would have won a pot, and one set of king trips that would have lost me a fortune if I had chased a boat, so I'm very happy with my play.
I picked the sharks brains, there were two especially talkative ones. More later on that.
Back to work....
I hit the free snacks/meals (mediocre but the price is right) and chat up one of the guys who followed me there. Turns out he's one of those internet money makers, and all four of them are regulars here.
I join the table, with the same buy/in as the night before of 250. In the first 15 minutes I catch Big Slick and buy a pot, and then big slick suited, and I win a small pot against a very friendly shark, who is clearly sizing me up but not pushing or feeding me too much. For the first 30 minutes I'm up 50 bucks USD. Then I catch the QQ hand in the prior blog, and I'm just a little below break/even.
I spent the next two hours or so paying rent on my seat in the form of cheap blinds. I could see that this pot limit stuff was just as dangerous as a no/limit cash game, and so I was holding out for Sklansky class 1 hands. I didn't see anything better than class four for two hours, so I didn't even try to limp. I missed one set of trips that would have won a pot, and one set of king trips that would have lost me a fortune if I had chased a boat, so I'm very happy with my play.
I picked the sharks brains, there were two especially talkative ones. More later on that.
Back to work....
How NOT to play this hand (I was wrong, right?)
Ring Game last night
My hand QsQc and I am the button.
Blind is 1000, I raise to 3BB total. Two players stay.
Flop: A,K,J Red
Player 1 bets 3BB, player 2 drops.
Any sensible player would have folded at this point??? This was a sharp operator I was facing, so he presumably already put me on a hand at that point.
I call. Blank.
Player 1 checks, I check. Blank.
Player 1 bets. I fold.
I could have saved 3 BB and broken even for the evening. Such is life.
My hand QsQc and I am the button.
Blind is 1000, I raise to 3BB total. Two players stay.
Flop: A,K,J Red
Player 1 bets 3BB, player 2 drops.
Any sensible player would have folded at this point??? This was a sharp operator I was facing, so he presumably already put me on a hand at that point.
I call. Blank.
Player 1 checks, I check. Blank.
Player 1 bets. I fold.
I could have saved 3 BB and broken even for the evening. Such is life.
Monday, June 20, 2005
Budapest Hold'em Update
I found a different casino, with 2.50/5 dollar blinds, pot limit. I stopped in to check it out, and the friendly folks there talked me into sitting down and giving it a try.
For an initial investment of 250 US (50,000 HUF), I managed to leave with 400 US (79,990) HUF. It would have been more, but I threw a few thousand extra in toward the end to not generate ill will with the regulars.
Nice people. They could best be described as loose-weak. They asked me to come back, and I just may find the time. Their attitude seems to be that they just want to win pots, and don't really keep score about their money position. (Paging Mike Caro???). Well, if that makes 'em feel like high rollers, bless their hearts.
I was friendly and chatty with all of them, and kept things lively. Took down a big pot early when I got the nut flush on the turn and let the one agressive player do the raising. Took down a bunch of small pots after that, and only saw one river that I didn't win, I believe.
I owe this to my social group, I firmly believe, for the practice I've gotten there. Just about any of the decent players in my group could have done the same with the cards I was dealt, and maybe even pumped up the winning pots better.
Back to work....
For an initial investment of 250 US (50,000 HUF), I managed to leave with 400 US (79,990) HUF. It would have been more, but I threw a few thousand extra in toward the end to not generate ill will with the regulars.
Nice people. They could best be described as loose-weak. They asked me to come back, and I just may find the time. Their attitude seems to be that they just want to win pots, and don't really keep score about their money position. (Paging Mike Caro???). Well, if that makes 'em feel like high rollers, bless their hearts.
I was friendly and chatty with all of them, and kept things lively. Took down a big pot early when I got the nut flush on the turn and let the one agressive player do the raising. Took down a bunch of small pots after that, and only saw one river that I didn't win, I believe.
I owe this to my social group, I firmly believe, for the practice I've gotten there. Just about any of the decent players in my group could have done the same with the cards I was dealt, and maybe even pumped up the winning pots better.
Back to work....
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Saturday Update Budapest
Hours Worked
Tuesday -zero. Got to hotel at 5 PM, decent meal and a stroll.
Wed - 10
Thur - 12
Fri - 8 till 8, but I needed about 4 hours to to take care of a family concern that involved a trip to the consulate and then to a DHL office. It is resolved, I think.
Sat - Started at 8 AM. I expect we'll go till 8 PM if I know my boss.
Sun - I'm presuming we'll work no more than 8 hours. Its Sunday after all, right?
Misc
Took a nice stroll up the hill through the medieval city on the hill to the ultra-modern mall (Mammoth) by Moskow Square. Wanted to see star wars in Hungarian, but had to settle for Kung Fu Hustle (Shuffle?) with Hungarian subtitles. It was just as enjoyable without understanding a single word.
Been eating lunch at the same place every day, a mom and pop greasyz spoon called Roma. They prettz much treat me like family there, and the food is good and quick. Itás the high point of my day.
Tuesday -zero. Got to hotel at 5 PM, decent meal and a stroll.
Wed - 10
Thur - 12
Fri - 8 till 8, but I needed about 4 hours to to take care of a family concern that involved a trip to the consulate and then to a DHL office. It is resolved, I think.
Sat - Started at 8 AM. I expect we'll go till 8 PM if I know my boss.
Sun - I'm presuming we'll work no more than 8 hours. Its Sunday after all, right?
Misc
Took a nice stroll up the hill through the medieval city on the hill to the ultra-modern mall (Mammoth) by Moskow Square. Wanted to see star wars in Hungarian, but had to settle for Kung Fu Hustle (Shuffle?) with Hungarian subtitles. It was just as enjoyable without understanding a single word.
Been eating lunch at the same place every day, a mom and pop greasyz spoon called Roma. They prettz much treat me like family there, and the food is good and quick. Itás the high point of my day.
Friday, June 17, 2005
Update from Budapest
No news here. Working my arse off, as expected. 10 hours Thurs, 12 Friday, and Im assuming we'll work the weekend as well. Maybe Ill find time for a nice spa and massage, but I doubt it. Foods good, as is the weather.
Playing lots of DD (Annie Duke endorsed)simulation. Also endorsed by FNJ!
As Medieval Pete says, the trick is to play more hands to get a feel for the game. This does the job at the right price, and if you start winning often at the 10 player hard level, try the 250 player satellite. I haven't gotten higher than 50th after several tries.
And be honest with the simulated money you spend on tournaments. Don't play the simulated WSOP until you've earned the starting cash!
Playing lots of DD (Annie Duke endorsed)simulation. Also endorsed by FNJ!
As Medieval Pete says, the trick is to play more hands to get a feel for the game. This does the job at the right price, and if you start winning often at the 10 player hard level, try the 250 player satellite. I haven't gotten higher than 50th after several tries.
And be honest with the simulated money you spend on tournaments. Don't play the simulated WSOP until you've earned the starting cash!
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Budapest Casino Info
I stopped in a casino yesterday while fighting jet lag, and asked a few questions, just like I did at Niagara Falls.
The place I visited had NLHE as follows:
Blinds: 2000/4000 HUF (about 10/20 USD at this time)
Rake: 2%
Min Buy in: 50,000 HUF (about 250, which would allow you to sit through 8 blinds if you didn't wager prior to that time)
I did the math on the house cut, and I can promise you that these guys have an extra money-making angle. It might be hookers and pimps, it might be house players at the table, it might be expensive drinks, but they are NOT making enough to justify the table without a little extra twist in there. I wouldn't play here, and don't recommend that you do either, even if you're that good.
The place I visited had NLHE as follows:
Blinds: 2000/4000 HUF (about 10/20 USD at this time)
Rake: 2%
Min Buy in: 50,000 HUF (about 250, which would allow you to sit through 8 blinds if you didn't wager prior to that time)
I did the math on the house cut, and I can promise you that these guys have an extra money-making angle. It might be hookers and pimps, it might be house players at the table, it might be expensive drinks, but they are NOT making enough to justify the table without a little extra twist in there. I wouldn't play here, and don't recommend that you do either, even if you're that good.
Monday, June 13, 2005
Hello Cruel World
Getting ready to go on a plane to GMT +1 (six hours ahead) for a very gruelling two weeks of business. This will be where I earn my keep, putting up with jerks for very long hours in very tight, not very well climatized spaces. It'll be a bummer, but I can think of plenty worse.
So, I hope to find some poker adventures there, but it may just be me and the Annie Duke simulator. (Insert your own joke here.) If nothing else, I'm come back that much more dangerous, won't I now.
Best regards, Pallios!
So, I hope to find some poker adventures there, but it may just be me and the Annie Duke simulator. (Insert your own joke here.) If nothing else, I'm come back that much more dangerous, won't I now.
Best regards, Pallios!
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