2006/03/11 - Number 4

+$444

Yes anyone who can count (not me obviously at that time in the morning) realised I am +$444 not +$446

So anyway, I decided to play Saturday night after all.

26 Players and top 6 got paid.
1st $500
2nd $325
3rd $200
4th $125
5th $100
6th $50 - money back.

Not much to report except I insisted we reduce the blind timing to 30 mins instead of 45.

We have been finishing every week between 3am and 4am and I believed that this was too late - especially as most people just take off leaving the host and same few to pack up and leave even later.

For the third week in a row I have had the same guy sitting on my right. He is friendly enough and a nice guy, but he has 2 really annoying habits.

1) He takes 10 minutes to make every decision. He will stare at you as if getting a read (see point two) then put his chips out string betting different sized stacks. At no point does he say "call" or "raise" and if it is a raise, he doesnt announce how much. I spend all night having to count his chips he bets to announce to the table what he has done.

2) He claims to have "studied body language". If he did study it, they obviously didn't have to pass a test at the end or he wouldn't mention it because he has no clue what I or anyone ever has. Most pots he wins are by sucking out or picking up a good flop.

Anyway story goes like this. Pretty disciplined game I played but got rivered a couple of times and was low stacked...for a change! - Alannis Morissette would call this ironic!!!

Anyway pushed all in with AQ or AJ suited and was called by the host with his pocket 4s.

Surprise surprise his flopped set sent me home at a respectable 12.30am, $50 richer and happy to be in bed before 1am.

Once again I forgot my camera but when I remember I will get said executioners to "re-enact" there hands.

I think I will head back to the casino this Wednesday which will be the 15th March.

I am unsure whether I will use the same buy in "for luck" or any of that.

One of my plans was to ignore all superstition and talk of luck yet I strongly believe in the power of the mind. I know that all my life, when I have TRULY believed I would get/achieve something, I have.

The problem is DO I BELIEVE IT?

I have found and used on Staurday a $5 chip from the casino that I picked up in 1993. It was my 21st birthday and by coincidence the 5th anniversary of the casino's opening so they "minted" some special $5 chips. It is colourful and no longer in circulation and everyone I show likes it. It "got me to 5th" on Staurday.

I was planning on using it as my card minder for Wednesday but then started thinking "If the casino sees it can they claim it? I seem to remember someone somewhere saying all chips are casino property and cannot be taken from the premises? It seems odd - there is NO WAY that this chip would have cost them more than 20 cents I reckon... but do I risk losing it?

I used it on Sat night and although I came 5th and didn't win, any placing in a tourney and any plus finish has gotta be pretty good.... Hmm I just realised $5 Chip, 5th Anniversary, Came 5th... Maybe the chip is holding me back?

I have another few disc like things I was considering using including a medal I received from my Junior Footy (Aussie Rules) club for reaching the 125 games milestone. I actually played a year away so technically should have gotten a 150 but I was still very proud and it is the only "trophy" I have kept except for the one I won in under 8s (the first year I played) I dismantled this and just kept the base with the plaque as a paper weight, but I digress....

I think my mind is made up.

I will play on Wednesday again
I will buy in with $215
I will bring my 125 games medal

Wish me luck!

+$496