Live Poker Again

This weekend, for the first time in about seven years, I played live poker-room poker again.

I don't know when or how the laws changed to allow it, but there are a couple charity organizations operating out of Chicago that offer real cash games and low-level tournaments. The best of these is Chicago Charitable Games. This is where I played.

I was initially quite nervous about returning to real play, but after about an hour I was right back into the groove, thoroughly enjoying the intense, immersing, calculation of it, matched with the outward-facing bored detachment one has to feign. The one big change between when I played years ago and now is that the average age was much lower than me. The players have gotten much younger and I've gotten older. Also you no longer have to squint through a haze of thick smoke to see the table. Yay!

I wouldn't mention the results of my play were they not so notable, but I played two hands worth mentioning.

Hand #1 - Big bad beat gripe. This was midway through a $25 single-table SNG. The blind structure of these was extremely aggressive, and even though I about starting chips, I only had an M near 3 or so, with 7 or 8 players left. Most people are in the same boat. I have 77 late. Someone limps, a small stack goes all in, and it comes to me. I don't have to think long before I push. Two more all-ins behind me. Literally I'm all in for a chance to make 5x my chips, which would be the most of the chips on the table.

Flop comes 4-5-7 rainbow! The last two big stacks involved both go all in. Hands are A-J, 44, 99, my 77, and one got mucked immediately. Yes!

Turn, unfortunately, is a 9, and the worst player at the table scoops almost all the chips at the table. I lost on a 2-outer. If I win the hand, I could take a nap and still be in the money. Sigh.

Hand #3 - $20 MTT, 3000 chips and 50 players start. I have about 6K in chips one hour in, blinds 300-600. I post my BB just as the clock rings for the next blind tier and the break. I don't want to post an 800 blind instead of 600, of course, so I gripe that I'd already posted and demand the hand. Most people had already got up and walked off and had to be called back (angrily) to the table.

I get dealt 2-7 suited. Whee. 2 limpers plus me. Flop is...wait for it...229 rainbow! I check, first limper bets 1000, second limper is all-in 7500!. I happily call and go from 6K to 14K because I demanded the hand.

The bad news is, ultimately, the tournament paid 5 places, and I finished 6th... Oh well, live to fight another day. It was a fun $20.

I'll definitely be back for more live poker on those rare times I can find the time. It was a blast.

Martin Luther King speaks out about the war

Lest we forget a great speech by a great man.


I wish he were alive to speak out against today's war. But I guess it can't be reduced to a 15 second clip, so it wouldn't make the news anyway.

It's weird, (other than the religious part) hearing this is like hearing the voice in my head. I wonder how anyone can hear this and disagree. I wonder how people who claim to idolize this man can piss on all he stood for, day after day after day. I wonder how Bill O'Reilly, Fox News, and swiftboating would marginalize him today.

Christmas 2007

Every Christmas we've been together, Hiroko and I have held a big Christmas-day bash for all our friends to come to our house. This is because we know a large amount of people who for whatever reason don't have family to spend the holiday with. It's always a fine time. This year was particularly special because we have the new house, and Ren is now a member of our family.

Also shortly before Christmas we had a big night out, where we dined at a fondue restaurant and went to Christkindlmarket. Both were a great time. Hiroko in particular had an unexpectedly great time at Christkindlmarket, despite the deeply bitter cold the night we were there.

We look forward to many Christmases like this one, to come.

Here is a set of pictures from Christmas. A couple from Christkindlmarket, and a few from Christmas dinner. They're sparse because this was during the time when Ren went crazy in the presence of the camera.

Mammoth Cave, 2007

On Thanksgiving day, my mom agreed to babysit for us for two days, giving Hiroko and I a chance to get away for a "date" together. We stayed at a bed and breakfast in Louisville the night before, ate at a fancy restaurant, and had a great time at a piano bar.

But the next day was Thanksgiving. I'd spent a couple weeks trying to find something for two unattached young people to do on a day when everything, everywhere, was shut down. We finally settled on Mammoth Cave. To our surprise, it was quite busy. I guess a lot of other people had the same idea. In particular there were a few Asian families who we talked to who agreed that they were off work and, having no holiday to identify with, had nothing better to do.

Hiroko had never been in a cave before, and I haven't been to Mammoth in years. We had a great time. I don't recall which tour we took, but it was a relatively long one through a constructed entrance. Everything was very interesting. If you're in the area, don't miss it.

Here's a photo set.