thejimsheet

No picks.  Taking the day off for bball research.

Ok, so I took a trip with Tom and Rob to Winstar while I was home.   And, as much as I’d like to forget it, I can’t.   But, that doesn’t mean I have to blog about it.

Other than that, tonight was my first live poker in about a month.   Wow.   A fucking month.   That’s dumb.

After my poker meeting, instead of fighting rush hour traffic I stayed downtown.   I walked across to the Nugget and immediately got in a decent 1/2 game.   No real interesting hands.    I played about an hour and left up $5.   Woohoo!!!  Don’t call it a comeback.

Then, I drove down the Boulevard.   Past the crack whores, wedding chapels, and the OG.   I’m not stopping (although I was tempted by a Mad Greek franchise I didn’t know was there).   It’s to the Venetian I go.   My last trip there (a fucking month ago) was not something I like to remember either.   Anyways, get a new player card since I left all them on my nightstand after cleaning out my wallet before vacation, and I sit right down in a 1/2 game.    Only interesting hand is my sb with 42ss.   I toss in the dollar after a few limpers.    Sidenote:  completing the sb is almost all about metagame; it’s rarely correct with trash.   Flop has a 4 and two spades.   I bet 10.   Folds to the CO, who calls.   Button folds, turn completes my flush.   I check, CO checks.   River blanks.   I bet 15, CO calls.   Wheeeeeee.   I leave after only half an hour up $16 and off to find a better game.

Harrah’s is running some cashback promotions in their room.   I haven’t decided yet whether to chase one of them.   I probably won’t.   We’ll see.   Anyways, get another new card and again immediately get into a 1/2 game.   After an orbit, it’s clear this is not an action table.   That’s cool.   I loosen them up.   EP raise to 12 with 46o.   WTF, I get two callers.   c-bet 25, get raised to 75, fold.   Damn.   Down $37.   Later, bet $8 from the sb with nothing on a ragged flop, and get raised to 23 from the same dude.   Nobody plays anything unless I bet, then it’s on.   Ok, whatever.   Down 50.   No problem.   I proceed to lose another 50 a little while later when I flop two pair against a flopped straight (KQ v. JT on a 9KQ board).    Dwindle to about 155 (from original 300) when my hand comes.   I raise in MP with 56o.   New guy (seriously, like new new first hand new) calls, sb (Mr. JT) repops to 17.   Fuck.   New guy indicates he’s going to call, so I have to call.   Sky opens and drops 347 with two hearts on the board.    JT bets 30.   I think for about 7 seconds, and then call.   New guy instashoves.   Now, I’m scared.   I’ve got  the fucking nuts, and am about to play a big pot.   I hope JT calls so there’s even more overlay, but no such luck - he tanks and folds.   I call.   New guy has 68hh for the heart draw with a gutterball.   I have the 5h, but still just better than a coinflip.   It holds!   I don’t play another hand.    Take my $41 profit and leave to get something to eat (I was good and came home) and get to the gym (I was bad and didn’t go).

I note things parenthetically.    A lot.   I always have.   Fuck, I need to work on my writing.

PHI +2 v. POR

LAL +3 @ SAS

ATL -4.5 @ LAC

Duke -11.5 @ GT

Richmond +7.5 @ VT

VCU -9 @ Towson

Cincy -8 v. Rutgers

WVU -13 @ Marshall

SDS -6 @ Wyo.

S. Car.  +4 @ LSU

Vandy -9 v.  UGa.

Wake -4 @ BC

Baylor -1.5 @  TAMU

Tonight was my first night in my class.   For those who don’t know, I’m trying to get back into teaching.  While I was gone for the holidays, I received my teacher’s license (Secondary English) from the state of Nevada.   I can now teach here, but I have some provisions on my license that I have to clear before December 2011.   But, I have to clear them now if I want to “transfer” my license to Texas (there’s no reciprocity between the states, but I’ve been told that if my license is clear I will only have to take a test).  One of those provisions is to take a class on the Methods and Materials for teaching English.    I am taking the graduate course fitting that bill at UNLV (after being told the undergrad course wouldn’t really help me).   And yet, most of the students in the class are younger than the kids I taught when I was teaching.   Anyways, it should be interesting.   We’ll see.

1. UT - I think their record, and their play, have earned them my top spot.   Watch out for the rioting in celebration, Austin.

2.  UF - They’re really good.

3. USC - They’re really good.

4.  OU - They’re really good.

I know that this season provides a good argument for a playoff, but I’m still against it.

5. Utah - I get it.  They went undefeated.   They beat ‘Bama.   But, they’re still not on the level of the top few teams.

6. ‘Bama - It’s a little early, and I don’t really get into preseason rankings, but I expect them to be #3.

7.  Ohio State - They played a really good game in the Fiesta.

8.  Texas Tech - Guns up!

9.  Ol’ Miss - But, Jim, they beat Tech.   Yes, and they also lost four games.

10. Iowa

11. Oregon

12. Georgia

13. Penn State

14. TCU

15. Okie State

16. VT

17. FSU

18. Boise State

19. Cincy

20. Mizzou

21. Nebraska - What?   Who wrote these rankings?
22. Oregon State

23. Cal

24. Rice/Tulsa

25. Ball State

See you next year.   Hopefully, by then, the AP will give me a vote.

MIA -1 @ MIN

Bradley -1.5 @ Ind. St.

I would like to better at writing.   On some level, I thought that this blog would lead to that.   Of course, I’d also like to be in better shape, be better at basketball, be better at pool, and race cars.   And, I think in order to be the poker player I want to be, I should probably forgo everything else (including the internets and televisions).  I think I’ve generally been good at most things I do, although this is also shaped some by sticking away from things I don’t expect to be good at doing.   In any case, after mentioning in my last post that my writing still sucked, I was reading the internets while playing online poker.   I stumbled upon one of my favorite writers (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=shirley_paul&page=Journal-57).   I recently read his book.   It was good.   His name is Paul Shirley.   He played basketball at Iowa State, where my parents and brother went, and the intro to his book was written by another author I like - Chuck Klosterman).   Coincidence that these two and Bill Simmons have all written for espn.com?

Anyways, just thought I’d share Shirley with you.

I got home for the holidays.   I arrived back on December 21 and stayed for two weeks, leaving on January 3.   It’s kinda weird having two “homes”.   The more time I spend here, the more I think of this as being my town, and feeling like this is the place for me.   But, every time I come home, and get to spend time with friends, I realize how much I miss Dallas.   With Heather having moved back, I know I’ll be back for good soon.  So, I know I shouldn’t be that sad when I leave and I also know that I should be making the most of my time here.   More on that in another post soon.   For this one, I’ll concentrate on my time at home.

Highlights:

-Just hangin’ with Heather.
-The Irish winning on Christmas Eve.   Just Hawaii, but it was still nice.
-Wizard’s Xmas night.    Our crew was a little smaller this year, but it’s always one of my best nights of the year.

-The return of the F5, even if it was at Jeff’s house.   I won AND got paid $40 to drink 6 oz. of hot sauce.   Nice.

-Going to the UTA at UNT basketball game.   More time with Heather.   And, as I’ve said too much, a guy I know from the old “hood” is the coach at UTA and it was cool to see him coach in person.

-The ping pong tourney at Joe’s.   Good times, and I actually won a few games.

-The Cotton Bowl at The Franchise.   Tech blew it, but that wasn’t a shock.

-Getting a cool new pair of shoes for Xmas.

-Various lunches with Tom and other friends.

-Lots of walks in the new, old neighborhood.   It had been over five years since we moved out of the condo.   To be back was kinda cool.   I know Heather will want to get another, bigger house when I get back.   But, until we do, I like the condo.

Ok.   Nothing too in depth, because I again procrastinated about writing a post.   And, unfortunately, my writing sucks.   Oh, well.

L’ville -6.5 v. ND

OU -4 v. UT

I am really close to picking the G-Men, but can’t do it.

Also, no bball picks at all today.