Since the last time I talked about results in my blog, I had a slight downswing and then the last few days another upswing again but overall it's going well.

Friday night I went to Eau Claire, WI, along with several other friends to visit a friend who moved there for work in June. Had a great time going to the Eau Claire Express baseball game. For $25 a piece, we got a grandstand/patio ticket plus all you can eat and all you can drink, which included a very large selection of beers.

This afternoon I went to the annual Uptown Art Festival -- less than a block from my home. I've never been exposed to this before, but wow... Talk about a metric ton of traffic/congestion in this whole Uptown area. In the afternoon I was trying to find my way out of Uptown to go to Canterbury and with all the closed roads, it took me a solid 20 minutes driving around before I got myself out of the area, and then another 30 minutes to Canterbury.

As a reward to myself and my steadily increasing amount of hours I'm putting into poker again, I bought this framed photo (sized 57"x25" including the frame):



The image really doesn't do it justice though -- the clarity and vibrant nature of all the colors is amazing. I've decided if I continue playing a ton and doing well, I'm going to buy another picture by the same photographer (http://www.dougremien.com).

In other news, I haven't talked about sports much lately in this blog (not intentionally -- I'm a huge fan of most major sports), but I am one of the few Twins fans happy with the Luis Castillo trade... I'm not happy we lost him, because yeah, he was a solid leadoff hitter and a good second baseman who could turn a quick double play. However, I truly think trading him will be the sparkplug this team needed, to help push us back into playoff contention (I said this from the beginning... Not just saying it now that we've gained 4 games on the Indians and Tigers).

Additionally, I'm happy about the Wolves trading KG. He's a class act, and one of the best all-around complete players the league has ever seen -- I'm glad that he will finally get a real shot at winning a title so his legacy can be what it's deserved to be.

Finally, and most importantly in the life of a Minnesotan... the 35W bridge collapse. I feel blessed to not know anyone who was a part of that disaster, and likewise feel fortunate that I was not traveling it when it happened. I've used that bridge umpteen times, like most people in this metro area (it's the main passageway to the entire northern suburbs), so it really is a tragedy touching people reaching into the millions. I can already notice substantially increased traffic on the other freeways all around the area, as people are having to use different, substantially longer routes, to get through/around Minneapolis now.


Oh, yeah. I'm trying to gradually learn mixed games. Here are two hands where I did well in 2-7 triple draw.


Bluff (but still maybe the best hand?)

kyungheeda: posts small blind $5
PapaWarbucks: posts big blind $10
*** DEALING HANDS ***
Dealt to PapaWarbucks [Ts 4h 7c Jc 5h]
JIMBUBA is sitting out
sonajero: raises $10 to $20
kyungheeda: folds
PapaWarbucks: calls $10
*** FIRST DRAW ***
PapaWarbucks: discards 2 cards [Ts Jc]
Dealt to PapaWarbucks [4h 7c 5h] [2c 5d]
sonajero: discards 2 cards
PapaWarbucks: checks
sonajero: bets $10
PapaWarbucks: calls $10
*** SECOND DRAW ***
Indesia joins the table at seat #6
PapaWarbucks: discards 1 card [5d]
Dealt to PapaWarbucks [4h 7c 5h 2c] [2s]
sonajero: discards 1 card
PapaWarbucks: bets $20
sonajero: calls $20
*** THIRD DRAW ***
PapaWarbucks: stands pat on [4h 7c 5h 2c 2s]
sonajero: discards 1 card
PapaWarbucks: bets $20
sonajero: folds
PapaWarbucks collected $104 from pot
PapaWarbucks: doesn't show hand


I figured that in my hand I had seen a zillion low cards (especially critical seeing another 2), so since he was still drawing, I could attempt my first ever pat-bluff (well, first ever when trying to play seriously) since it'd be a little less likely he'd make his draw due to me having seen so many low cards.



Don't bluff LHE players!

Indesia: posts small blind $5
kyungheeda: posts big blind $10
*** DEALING HANDS ***
Dealt to PapaWarbucks [2c 6c Th 7d Qc]
PapaWarbucks: raises $10 to $20
sonajero: folds
Indesia: folds
kyungheeda: calls $10
*** FIRST DRAW ***
kyungheeda: discards 2 cards
PapaWarbucks: discards 2 cards [Th Qc]
Dealt to PapaWarbucks [2c 6c 7d] [2d Ah]
kyungheeda: checks
PapaWarbucks: checks
*** SECOND DRAW ***
kyungheeda: discards 2 cards
PapaWarbucks: discards 2 cards [2d Ah]
Dealt to PapaWarbucks [2c 6c 7d] [6s Tc]
kyungheeda: checks
PapaWarbucks: bets $20
kyungheeda: calls $20
*** THIRD DRAW ***
kyungheeda: discards 1 card
PapaWarbucks: discards 1 card [6c]
Dealt to PapaWarbucks [2c 7d 6s Tc] [Ks]
kyungheeda: bets $20
PapaWarbucks: calls $20
*** SHOW DOWN ***
kyungheeda: shows [8s 5d 2s 4d 8h] (Lo: a pair of Eights)
PapaWarbucks: shows [2c Ks 6s 7d Tc] (Lo: K,T,7,6,2)
PapaWarbucks collected $123 from pot


I debated a fold, but figured this would be too good of a spot for him to try to bluff because I wasn't already pat (also he commented after I joined the game, and was aware I was sitting there "trying to learn." So I figured he'd expect I was only going to call if I "made" my draw). I also am not sure if drawing to the ten high low is correct, though I am guessing it is fine because I have position and he's still drawing as well.

I've played some 2-7 live, and have always not liked it because it can be very frustrating at times, though after playing it online for awhile, I am starting to see that it is a pretty cool game. I suspect I will pick it up pretty quickly, since it seems to be surprisingly logical and math based (in my first impressions of the game).