A friend I played poker with took his own life a little more than a month ago...and I really haven't been the same since.

I've had quite a few close calls in MTTs with Holdem Rebuys, 6-max, HA, and MANY PLO tourneys but have never been able to close out...I had one sick beat where a player called a half pot bet out of position with nothing but a gutshot straight draw when I flopped top two really late in a rebuy and binked it on the turn...I just really haven't had the heart to take this kind of variance.

I will be back up and blogging and grinding in no time but until then GL guys!

{CRYOUTUBE v=IFCY1RIZ-WA}

So I have decided to end the day early and only play 5 hours today. I needed to write a blog entry, get to bed early, and FTP software was lagging and not showing the cards. It has been fun riding the MASSIVE swings from super turbos lol.

I cannot express how annoying it is to have taken this bet right as Full Tilt decided to epically fail at launching their new software. FT Shortcuts immediately became useless and Poker Shortcuts cannot do anything with SNGs, which is all I used FT shortcuts for in the first place. All this on top of all the bugs the FT client now has.

Now to be fair, I did receive a full refund from Windyhill Technology, the makers of Full Tilt Shortcuts. As well as Full Tilt giving out 5 days of Iron Man status as well as another month to clear the midyear bonus, not that I need it with my volume, so it's not like I'm just getting fucked lol. But it does make the 1k prop bet semi hard.

Today, I experienced my first real software malfunction causing serious problems while playing since Full Tilt updated on the 9th. I did not play for the first 4 days of the update because all of the reported problems on 2+2 so I probably would have already if I did. I took screen shots and emailed a report to Full Tilt to try and help best to fix it.

Here is one of them...



as you can clearly tell the cards aren't visible. The only way I could know what I had was to mouse over my name and wait to see in the box that pops up.

You can imagine how hard this is to do when this happens out of the blue after 4 hours, while playing more than 12 tables at a time without FT Shortcuts! I didn't even have a time bank because they were super turbos!!!

Once I folded it would then show my first card only and it would stay visible for the rest of the hand lol. Also once I got heads up the other player would limp in, I'd have trash and check. We would "see" a flop except I couldn't see it lol!

So as far as the bet goes I did exactly 50 hours officially. I probably did another hour or two but only full hour intervals count. This is right on pace although I am not too happy about that as the last week on August 2nd is a very good friend of mines 21st birthday. I will need at least 48 hours away from poker to handle his twenty first. Lets just say he is Irish haha

That being said I am getting to bed early to wake up and grind 15 hours on Sunday and get ahead!

Do Work, Peace.

I have decided to put a youtube music video at the top of every blog so you have something to listen to with reading!

Since my last blog I've played a lot of Super Turbos, live fuck around tournaments, and started up 6-max cash online since my new computer. I have been playing live with a great group of guys, the usual drinking and cards routine and I feel like I have been put in sooo many tough spots with them. All standard very tough/coolerish type spots and not crazy play.

One spot I wanted to make a crying fold with TPTK in a 4-bet pot deep on a KJ4 board but I just couldn't believe his breathing could be sooo calm with such a huge hand in a big pot. I make the call he shows JJ and ships it. Turns out he was on about 6 Vikatin and was essentially melted to his seat...lol owned.



On the 4th of July I had a whole list of things to do...various parties etc. It turns out the guy who was supposed to pick me and my girlfriend up gave us the run around for 2 hours and then didn't even show up after we both rushed to get ready! By the time we figured out we didn't have a ride we were both drunk and decided to watch some of Season 1 of True Blood. I LOVE THIS SHOW! If you haven't watched it, don't judge it because the commercials look SO lame in comparison to how the show really is. It is on HBO so obviously they can't put almost anything on.

But ya we were both drinking Red Bull and Vodka, which tastes like candy btw, and got drunk quickly. Redbull 4-packs are now only 8.4 floz each! That is almost 30% less and still cost $2 a piece! There goes $17 dollars for mixers!

Anyway late night, laying in my bed, my dog got up and sat by my door. This means he has to go outside so I got up, went downstairs, unlocked the door and opened the front door to let him out. For one reason or another I happened to be completely naked and as I opened the door a man was standing there. He handed me my newspaper, slowly turned awkwardly, stopped and stood for a second turned completely around...then finally walked back to his car. lololololol the timing was so perfect and I was drunk enough to not give a fuck at all and just enjoy the awkwardness. I'm not really sure why he was so close to my door and he actually gave me the day befores paper as well that I hadn't even gone outside and seen yet. Either way it should be great next time I'm outside at night and he shows up to deliver the newspaper! ;)



So I have been grinding out $3-$7 super turbos (I am a bankroll nit and won't play a super turbo unless I have 200+ buyins on that site. I have been playing good, running average, and crushing the bubble. It is just so great when you get a nit on the bubble in these things, you can basically guarantee a top 2 finish every time if you abuse it correctly! Here is the graph I have from the small sample that I have been able to datamine as a couple of updates in FTP took off saving HH's so I did not get them all. If you want my complete graph, only a hundred or so more you can sharkscope me, billcraven419.




So finally I got my HUD up and running once I got ftp to save HH's in the right directory, and I decided to hit up some 25NL. I proceeded to run about as bad as you can over 500 hands. Dropped almost 4 buyins in that amount of time with the most frustrating session I've had in a while. AA once...folded around to me in the BB, limped 99 from sb blind vs blind against an aggressive player I flop top set on a dry board (he insta folded to a min bet), and a lot of 77-TT pps that ran into pps one higher than mine. I did a halfway decent job at the beginning of losing the minimum and noticed a few tilt calls...one may be shown here so once I noticed I obviously stopped.

Here are the big losers...lol I'd put a big winner but there weren't any!

1) Obviously a gross cooler. I normally don't flat with KK pre but I liked being in position and three betting his UTG open from UTG+1 is very strong and might fold out a lot of hands I dominate. He had AA.

Seat 1: Kushington ($26.85)
Seat 2: kvo535 ($25.49) -
Seat 3: kirillius ($25.10) -
Seat 4: Maglet ($25) -
Seat 5: Paddymctaff ($59.48)
Seat 6: Hero ($28.29)


PRE-FLOP:

kirillius posts small blind $0.10
Maglet posts BIG blind $0.25
Dealt To: Hero


RAISE Paddymctaff ($0.85)
CALL Hero ($0.85)
FOLD Kushington
CALL kvo535 ($0.85)
FOLD kirillius
FOLD Maglet


FLOP:

Pot: $2.9


BET Paddymctaff ($1.50)
RAISE Hero ($3.75)
FOLD kvo535
RAISE Paddymctaff ($10)
CALL Hero ($6.25)


TURN:

Pot: $22.9


BET Paddymctaff ($20)
CALL Hero ($17.44)
UNCALLED Paddymctaff ($2.56)


RIVER:

Pot: $57.78




2) Here I make a hero call as his line looks sooo much like a missed draw. He had quad 5s lol.


Seat 1: Hero ($26.94)
Seat 2: clownytwo ($16.52)
Seat 3: fluoro ($10.07) -
Seat 4: JohnWillis ($11.10) -
Seat 5: SmirnovEV ($25) -
Seat 6: stopper35 ($67.26)


PRE-FLOP:

JohnWillis posts small blind $0.10
SmirnovEV posts BIG blind $0.25
Dealt To: Hero


FOLD stopper35
RAISE Hero ($0.75)
FOLD clownytwo
CALL fluoro ($0.75)
FOLD JohnWillis
FOLD SmirnovEV


FLOP:

Pot: $1.85


CHECK Hero
BET fluoro ($0.25)
RAISE Hero ($2.50)
CALL fluoro ($2.25)


TURN:

Pot: $6.85


CHECK Hero
BET fluoro ($1.50)
CALL Hero ($1.50)


RIVER:

Pot: $9.85


CHECK Hero
BET fluoro ($5.32)
CALL Hero ($5.32)


3) Here I raise a weak lead in a multiway pot on the flop. On the turn I bet/call off my flush draw + over trying to fold out JJ/AT, I had previously checked behind a draw against this villain so I thought this line would seem very strong. He had 9h7h for a turned pair that he decided to get it in with on the turn.

Seat 1: RorschachTest ($110.53)
Seat 2: Hero ($25)
Seat 3: birdmAAn88 ($52.91) -
Seat 4: Moreira007 ($23.55) -
Seat 5: dunne1jj ($28.15) -
Seat 6: realdeal27 ($27.72)


PRE-FLOP:

Moreira007 posts small blind $0.10
dunne1jj posts BIG blind $0.25
Dealt To: Hero


RAISE realdeal27 ($0.75)
CALL RorschachTest ($0.75)
CALL Hero ($0.75)
FOLD birdmAAn88
CALL Moreira007 ($0.65)
CALL dunne1jj ($0.50)


FLOP:

Pot: $3.75


CHECK Moreira007
CHECK dunne1jj
BET realdeal27 ($1.50)
FOLD RorschachTest
RAISE Hero ($4.25)
FOLD Moreira007
FOLD dunne1jj
CALL realdeal27 ($2.75)


TURN:

Pot: $12.25


CHECK realdeal27
BET Hero ($8.25)
RAISE realdeal27 ($22.72)
CALL Hero ($11.75)
UNCALLED realdeal27 ($2.72)


RIVER:

Pot: $52.25


4) Here I put the BB on a weakish ten with timing tells. My plan was to bomb the turn and river to get him off it but I turned top pair. I value towned the turn and river just to have him show me JTo. Frustrating...


Seat 1: SERG27 ($4.65)
Seat 2: AEKK ($28.32)
Seat 3: Abroadessay ($21.72)
Seat 4: swats41 ($34.15) -
Seat 5: Hero ($26.68) -
Seat 6: prohibo ($27.82) -


PRE-FLOP:

Hero posts small blind $0.10
prohibo posts BIG blind $0.25
Dealt To: Hero


FOLD SERG27
FOLD AEKK
FOLD Abroadessay
FOLD swats41
CALL Hero ($0.15)
CHECK prohibo


FLOP:

Pot: $0.5


BET Hero ($0.25)
RAISE prohibo ($1.25)
RAISE Hero ($3.25)
CALL prohibo ($2)


TURN:

Pot: $7


BET Hero ($3.75)
CALL prohibo ($3.75)


RIVER:

Pot: $14.5


BET Hero ($7.75)
CALL prohibo ($7.75)


5) Here I have been very active and decide to call the three bet in position. I raised the turn to try and control the amount bet out on the river. I kind of like turning my hand into a bluff on the river, but with his weak bets I kind of thought I could be good. He shows JJ and ships it.


Seat 2: AEKK ($27.83) -
Seat 3: Abroadessay ($20.40) -
Seat 4: swats41 ($24.17) -
Seat 5: Hero ($35.98)
Seat 6: prohibo ($28.36)


PRE-FLOP:

Abroadessay posts small blind $0.10
swats41 posts BIG blind $0.25
Dealt To: Hero


RAISE Hero ($0.85)
FOLD prohibo
FOLD AEKK
FOLD Abroadessay
RAISE swats41 ($2.45)
CALL Hero ($1.60)


FLOP:

Pot: $5


BET swats41 ($2)
CALL Hero ($2)


TURN:

Pot: $9


BET swats41 ($2.25)
RAISE Hero ($6.75)
CALL swats41 ($4.50)


RIVER:

Pot: $22.5


CHECK swats41
CHECK Hero



Well I took Sunday off to recover after not eating almost anything at all on July 4th. It's really tough for me to keep up with eating sometimes as I really don't ever get hungry unless it is clearly effecting me physically. And that really isn't getting hungry like a normal person, the grumbling that normal people get, I don't. I just understand the necessity of consumption and make consious decisions to eat. I know that sounds very weird but you have to understand I have Celiac disease and am latose intolerant so I don't get to eat like normal people in any way. The only time I overwhelmingly love what I am eating is when I have the munchies...speaking of which I have to go eat!

Good day and Good luck! Heres a sick old rap music video!

So I have been kind of depressed lately. Being in so much pain 24 hours a day, 7 days a week wears on your utility (happiness), especially after 2 weeks of it! The worst is how it feels to ask someone to open a heavy or stuck door, reach something, or help me. Grabing and holding anything over 5lbs hurts, and literally putting popcorn in the microwave that is above my head is painful. It makes me feel less than others which bothers me sooo much.

I always prided myself in using logic at all times but I find myself "toughing it out" aka hurting myself because I for some reason feel inadequate as a person not being able to do simple things in public. Literally laying with my girlfriend is EXTREMELY PAINFUL, and she even once jokingly hit me in the chest pretty hard. The whole next day I was miserable because of it. I know it is an honest mistake and don't want to make anyone feel bad so I "tough it out". Well after 2 weeks of "toughing it out" I am drained, and I'm not even halfway through how long it takes!

I would take a prescription to deal with the pain but pain killers fuck me up and the only thing the doctor would prescribe me is Oxycodone, which...sadly, at one time in my life I had a serious problem with and I have sworn off heavy pain killers without absolute necessity because of it. Also I needed to grind out my Iron Man for FTP everyday for 10 days in a row so I needed to be consious.

I think I am just going to listen to Michael Buble & play internet poker for a couple of days straight to try and clear my head.

So it is officially July and FTP has incorrect information on their promotions page as usual. It shows no mention of prior months qualified for, has an incorrect amount of Iron medals, and has no mention of my mid year bonus. I figure this will be fixed within a day or two, I just hope I don't have to email support, because it sucks for Full Tilt.




So last night I spent the whole night watching the 50K HORSE Final Table. You could send them emails and they selected some to say and at 2:10AM I got them to say "Bill Craven from CardRunners says, hey guys great job commentating, love the quality of your side talk! Also your knowledge of Razz and various games is impressive, many players seem to forget poker isn't Texas Hold'em!" I rep CardRunners real hard hahaha

So I am still in horrible pain from my ribs. It is constant and never goes away and I still have about another 2 weeks of pain...FML

I ended up finishing this month up for Iron Man which is great since I didn't have a computer for 2 whole weeks! I am 6 months into Iron Man for FTP and will be keeping that going for a while. I really won't be playing much online at all, only enough for Iron Man on FTP and thats it. It is tough to stay concentrated when your in so much pain.

Well now for my 2nd half of the year goals!

1) Continue with FTP's Iron Man promotion and qualifying at least for silver every month. Also to play as much on Sundays as possible!

2) Play a lot of juicy live cash games and crush them! Also to leave if the games aren't good as it really hurts to sit and play poker at a poker table with broken ribs!

3) Stay healthy, continue working out regularly building muscle, go out to eat less, and to stay relatively safe.

4) Keep all social/family relationships healthy and not isolate myself like other internet grinders. Don't want to become the next Captain Zeebo!

5) Continue to update my blog regularly, between 1-3 times a week.

6) Get out and tan, safely, before the summer is over so I'm not opaque in the winter lol. Make sure you wear sunscreen when tanning as scientists now say there is no such thing as "healthy" sun rays.

7) Starting in September I want to start an intense cardio workout until I turn 21 in April to be in optimal shape for the 2010 WSOP and long days playing live.

50K HORSE EVENT LIVE STREAM - http://channelsurfing.net/watch-world-series-of-poker-us.html


Well guys thats it for now. I should be buying Holdem Manager in July finally so I'll be playing internet cash games again and I'll keep you updated!