We went to Galaxy Cafe tonight. A worker handed Andrew a sticker that said "I *heart* Galaxy Cafe". He was proud to report to me that he had stuck it onto his shirt himself.
Daddy: What does the sticker say?
Andrew: *Looking down at sticker on his shirt, and then up at me smiling* It says "I love you!"
Daddy: No, it says "I love Galaxy Cafe".
Andrew: *Frowns* I hate Galaxy Cafe.
Daddy: Galaxy Cafe is this place we're at right now.
Andrew: *Looks around, then back at me, smiling bigger than ever* Oh! I LOVE Galaxy Cafe!!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Thursday, December 31, 2009
And Also It's What
Grandma and Grandpa B bought the boys a pup tent and sleeping bags for their visit. The first night, we put the boys into their tent to go to sleep. I leaned into the tent and said to the boys "Is this awesome, or what!?"
Grant replied "It's awesome!!"
Andrew then replied "And also, it's what!"
Grant replied "It's awesome!!"
Andrew then replied "And also, it's what!"
Monday, October 5, 2009
Photographic Evidence
Here's photographic evidence of me actually UP at a poker table. Things would only get better, since the guy in the foreground is about to dump all his chips on the table, most of them to me. Along the way, he is also going to knock that coffee over that is sitting behind him.
Anyways, this is what I look like playing poker.
Anyways, this is what I look like playing poker.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
How to Beat LA Limit Hold'em
Limit games in LA have an interesting couple of characteristics...
1) Terrible players
2) Punishing rake
At the Commerce, they drop a dollar for the jackpot when you post, and then $6 at the flop. What this means is that you must be playing a table with large pots in order to overcome the rake. I learned this the hard way. I was actually very lucky to only lose a little last week playing limit hold'em.
So table selection is incredibly important. If the table isn't really loose, with large multiway pots the rule instead of the exception, you have to get up and look for another table.
I think you have to look for hands with good equity in multiway pots, commit to them, worry about relative instead of absolute position (so you can trap people for more bets when appropriate), and then you can overcome the rake.
Of course, this is going to lead to crazy variance, and I experienced that firsthand as well. But otherwise, I don't think you can win.
1) Terrible players
2) Punishing rake
At the Commerce, they drop a dollar for the jackpot when you post, and then $6 at the flop. What this means is that you must be playing a table with large pots in order to overcome the rake. I learned this the hard way. I was actually very lucky to only lose a little last week playing limit hold'em.
So table selection is incredibly important. If the table isn't really loose, with large multiway pots the rule instead of the exception, you have to get up and look for another table.
I think you have to look for hands with good equity in multiway pots, commit to them, worry about relative instead of absolute position (so you can trap people for more bets when appropriate), and then you can overcome the rake.
Of course, this is going to lead to crazy variance, and I experienced that firsthand as well. But otherwise, I don't think you can win.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Gambling Update 3
I gave back all my winnings. I was very patient, but the cards just did not cooperate. At one point, I didn't win a hand of any size for over 4 hours, and all the hands I was in resulted in a suckout. This reminds me why I wasn't in a hurry to go play poker again.
We met with Mike and Silvia for breakfast at the Farmer's Market on Saturday. I had crepes and Orangina. Then we went to dinner with Mike and Silvia Sunday night at Aroma in Silverlake. It was really really good. The best thing was this mushroom appetizer. I can't describe it, but it was amazing.
As we left the restaurant, I realized we were at the corner of Silver Lake and Sunset, right across the street from the Silverlake Lounge. The Silversun Pickups named themselves after the convenience/liquor store that is in the same building as the restaurant we ate at.
We didn't play much poker Sunday... about 90 minutes of 4/8 stud is all I played. I ran a flush into quads. I realized I could still win at stud, but I needed to shake off 15 years of rust. I should have just played stud the whole trip.
All in all, a fun trip. The lack of poker success was offset by getting to see Mike and Silvia.
We met with Mike and Silvia for breakfast at the Farmer's Market on Saturday. I had crepes and Orangina. Then we went to dinner with Mike and Silvia Sunday night at Aroma in Silverlake. It was really really good. The best thing was this mushroom appetizer. I can't describe it, but it was amazing.
As we left the restaurant, I realized we were at the corner of Silver Lake and Sunset, right across the street from the Silverlake Lounge. The Silversun Pickups named themselves after the convenience/liquor store that is in the same building as the restaurant we ate at.
We didn't play much poker Sunday... about 90 minutes of 4/8 stud is all I played. I ran a flush into quads. I realized I could still win at stud, but I needed to shake off 15 years of rust. I should have just played stud the whole trip.
All in all, a fun trip. The lack of poker success was offset by getting to see Mike and Silvia.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Gambline Update 2 (West Pico != East Pico)
We tried to go to this Japanese BBQ place called Gyu Kaku for dinner, but Google Maps has a bad address for it. Somebody accidentally typed in 10925 E. Pico instead of 10925 W. Pico on the BlackBerry Mobile version of Google Maps. The regular Google Maps has it right. The West Pico location is very ritzy.
So Barrett and I make our way to E. Pico. Let me tell you, E. Pico is not a place you want to be. We ended up eating at Denny's instead. I really feel that if the rented Dodge Caliber had decided to stop working at the moment we were cruising E. Pico, you would have never heard from Barrett or me again.
Poker went a lot better today. I started off at 3-6 at the Commerce, and lost about $50. I then moved over to a 4-8 Kill game because the rake at 3-6 is ridiculous... I mean, it's ridiculous at 4-8K, too, but there's really no way to beat the 3-6 game. I immediately suffered a terrible beat, so I was down another $50.
Then I flopped a set of Jacks in a kill pot, and probably made $150 on that one pot. I played very well, I thought, pushing others off hands and winning big pots with marginal holdings. I won $270 at this table total, so I was up $220 for the day, and about $100 for the trip at that point.
Then we went to the Bicycle Casino, which is a lot nicer than Commerce, but not as many games going. I played 8-16 half kill and again started off bad. I was stuck about $200 at one point, and then I went nuts. The big hand that turned things around was QQ vs. AA, and a I flopped a Q. Then we had a total LAG at the table. I failed trying to isolate him one time, and then backed into the nut flush. At one point, he pulled an angle shoot on me, and I screwed up and it cost me $16, but I got it back, because in the space of about 15 minutes, he dropped about $600... about $350 to me. At one point, I was up $500 on this table, but I got beat by a 2-outer in a huge pot on my last hand (78 vs. AA, K77 flop, A turn).
I had a really dry session at Commerce 8-16 half kill, lost $180. Still, up $460 for the day, up $350 for the trip so far.
Barrett has had awful luck. He bought a rally cap at the Bike, but it hasn't worked at all.
So Barrett and I make our way to E. Pico. Let me tell you, E. Pico is not a place you want to be. We ended up eating at Denny's instead. I really feel that if the rented Dodge Caliber had decided to stop working at the moment we were cruising E. Pico, you would have never heard from Barrett or me again.
Poker went a lot better today. I started off at 3-6 at the Commerce, and lost about $50. I then moved over to a 4-8 Kill game because the rake at 3-6 is ridiculous... I mean, it's ridiculous at 4-8K, too, but there's really no way to beat the 3-6 game. I immediately suffered a terrible beat, so I was down another $50.
Then I flopped a set of Jacks in a kill pot, and probably made $150 on that one pot. I played very well, I thought, pushing others off hands and winning big pots with marginal holdings. I won $270 at this table total, so I was up $220 for the day, and about $100 for the trip at that point.
Then we went to the Bicycle Casino, which is a lot nicer than Commerce, but not as many games going. I played 8-16 half kill and again started off bad. I was stuck about $200 at one point, and then I went nuts. The big hand that turned things around was QQ vs. AA, and a I flopped a Q. Then we had a total LAG at the table. I failed trying to isolate him one time, and then backed into the nut flush. At one point, he pulled an angle shoot on me, and I screwed up and it cost me $16, but I got it back, because in the space of about 15 minutes, he dropped about $600... about $350 to me. At one point, I was up $500 on this table, but I got beat by a 2-outer in a huge pot on my last hand (78 vs. AA, K77 flop, A turn).
I had a really dry session at Commerce 8-16 half kill, lost $180. Still, up $460 for the day, up $350 for the trip so far.
Barrett has had awful luck. He bought a rally cap at the Bike, but it hasn't worked at all.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Gambling Update 1
I played 4-8 with a kill at the Commerce Thursday. I wanted to start really low stakes to shake off the rust. We had an interesting table. Everybody hated me because I tend to raise preflop, and everybody else thinks this hurts your chances of winning the JACKPOT! Plus, I refused to show my hand when folks folded to me. I love to be hated at the poker table.
I had a hand where it was capped preflop and I had QQ in mid position. Flop was Q77, and three bets went in. Button had 76. He just called me on the turn, but he raised me on the river when a 6 came. That was a nice pot.
I had another hand where I had 55 and flopped A55, but I guess the Ace scared everybody, and I got no action.
I had KK cracked by 44, and I lost a really big pot with AK when a dude hit a river gutshot.
The real problem is that the rake is pretty high for that play level, so even though I think I played OK, I came out a little down... -14 bets. I'll give 4-8 another shot today, but I'll abort if the other players aren't really bad, and move up to a level that has a lower rake level.
Benihana was consumed and enjoyed. mmmmmmmmm
I had a hand where it was capped preflop and I had QQ in mid position. Flop was Q77, and three bets went in. Button had 76. He just called me on the turn, but he raised me on the river when a 6 came. That was a nice pot.
I had another hand where I had 55 and flopped A55, but I guess the Ace scared everybody, and I got no action.
I had KK cracked by 44, and I lost a really big pot with AK when a dude hit a river gutshot.
The real problem is that the rake is pretty high for that play level, so even though I think I played OK, I came out a little down... -14 bets. I'll give 4-8 another shot today, but I'll abort if the other players aren't really bad, and move up to a level that has a lower rake level.
Benihana was consumed and enjoyed. mmmmmmmmm
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