Long Time No Post

Alright, long time no post. Sorry to any and all dissatisfied visiters to this humble little blog for having not posted much at all this month. I won't go into detail about my reasons for not posting lately, or bother listing a bunch of excuses. Rather, I'll simply sincerely apologize for my lack of attention here lately and vow to do my best to post more often going forward. Hoping that'll suffice...

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Mine was decent, I suppose. Pretty standard really. Early dinner with the fam, and cocktails with friends later in the evening. Good times. It was great to have a four day weekend away from work, as I've been feeling a bit on 'life tilt' lately. The small time off to relax was much needed. Again, I'll spare the personal details, I've just been goin' through some tough personal shit lately, both professionallyand socially, and it's been difficult concentrating on much of anything lately.

On to the poker front... I've had some real poor results online for a few weeks now, losing pretty consistently at my petty stakes MTTs and SnGs. Fortunately I've been doing pretty damn well live! A good friend of mine down South in the Olympia area has been hosting a weekly Saturday night poker game that's proven to be very +EV. I've made it down a few times over the last month or two and have consistently dominated. Each evening has consisted of two to four little $10 to $50 buy in tournaments of just six to ten people. But the players are just complete fish, and the dead money in attendance is ample. It would be nearly impossible to come up with anything resembling a strategy post from the home game, as the play is just horrendous, and there's not much logic or rationale that seems to go into opponents' decisions. It's just been super easy to dominate each game I've been in... I'm afraid I'll be un-invited soon!

At first I was real hesitant about enjoying the game. I was well aware of the idiotic play ahead of time, and was just unsure of the best method(s) of taking advantage of it. I was afraid the donkey calling stations and moronically loose pre-flop play would result in too many suckouts to make the game fun for me. But boy was I wrong! It's proven incredibly easy to separate the fools from their chips at this thing. The game is a player's dream, I swear. I almost have started feeling guilty for dominating... almost. It just boggles my mind why some of the same people keep showing up when they effectively have zero chance of winning. I know, it's just a petty stakes home game that's all meant just for fun, I just find it funny to witness such blatant ignorance of anything resembling strategy.

Anyway, I'll be sure and start posting much more often from here on out. Maybe I'll even delve a little into my personal goings on that have had me feeling so defeated lately. Or, maybe not, I don't know. I'd at least like to tell Mrs. Chako there's good reason I haven't tried to hit on her au pair lately, (and assure her that I'll be back to trying to finangle an introduction very soon. :-)

Hope everyone is doing well! I really wish I was sharing in the excitement of meeting up in Vegas in under two weeks, but, unfortunately this year's December blogger gathering just isn't in the cards for me!

'Til next time...

~RaisingCayne

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...

...Who's the biggest blogging donkey of them ALL???

Why, it's me of course!!! It's appears obvious after looking at Al's updated Leaderboard, which clearly illustrates that I am the weakest link! I'm now the sole owner of most BBT2 events played without even making the points! That's right, a complete "0 for..." thus far. I suck!!! The poor trend continued in the Riverchasers event earlier.

So now I know what it must feel like to be the kid on the short bus that even the other "special" students make fun of! I've always thought that being the best of all the bloggers is sort of like being the hottest girl at fat camp. But, what's this mean about the one who owns the bottom of the blogger standings?! (I probably shouldn't have asked that.)

I hope the powers that be in this BBT2 thing would consider giving away a Gigli award of sorts when it's all said and done. I'd like to think my dead money donations into this thing aren't all for nothing! Hmmm... what could the prize be?

Anyway, while I'm discussing BAD poker play, now is probably a perfect time to introduce my donkey of a roommate, Joshua, to the poker blogging community. Joshua has played a few blogger events, and goes by joshuacarlsen on FullTilt. Although he's still adamant blogging is pretty ghey, he was was conned into creating his own. (I told him it was the only way we would let him play at the Seattle blogger home game Matt is in the works of arranging. More on that later, I'm sure.) Joshua's new blog is http://lategreatjc.blogspot.com/ . You may want to bookmark it for future use in logging harsh complaints about his wicked suckouts.

'Til next time... Good luck all!!!
~RaisingCayne

Tagged!!!???

Alright, Astin tagged me last week. So...

A) Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog...
B) Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself...
C) Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs...
D) Let each person know that they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

A) Done, above.

B) Okay, but this is gonna be difficult after just revealing ten other things in a recent post...
1. I love to dance! I've got a whole repertoire of moves, (all stolen from NFL touchdown celebrations.) Don't assume wrong though, I'm not any good or anything. I'm a funky white guy with no rhythm, but I enjoy myself.
2. I hate television news! I won't rant about it, but I just can't stand watching news on television, save The Daily Show of course... John Stewart rocks.
3. I grew up in a tiny town. My graduating class in High School was 104 people, and was the largest in the town's history. Never had the ambition to live in a similar rural setting, as I've found myself more comfortable in bigger cities.
4. Left-handed people make me uncomfortable. I just find southpaws odd. I'm an athletic guy, yet when I do anything with my left hand I look like I'm having an epileptic fit. I used to be a decent pitcher in baseball, yet throwin' with my left arm I could be mistaken for a 9 year old girl. So anyone that can use that side of their body with any semblance of capably just makes me shake my head. Don't get me started on the ambidextrous!
5. The first women I ever slept with is now a lesbian. Probably not a fact I really need to advertise, but whatever. I was way too young, she robbed my virginity out from under me... I like to think I wasn't the cause.
6. I don't believe in much. I've always thought that blind faith was a scary scary thing. (Not the band, but the action... I like Clapton.) I'm an atheist, and I don't believe in ghosts, the supernatural, special powers, spirits, psychics, gods, demons, magic, etc... I get a kick out of hearing that there's people out there that actually enjoy that horrible show Ghost Hunters on SciFi. I find it ridiculous myself.
7. A popstar tried to sleep with my girlfriend in college once. Taboo from the Black Eyed Peas totally came on to my girl, right in front of me. It was hilarious. It was right after a show they did at my Alma Mater... back before the band was big, pre-Fergie. Personally, I couldn't believe she didn't leave me for him.

Well, that's that I suppose.

C) I respectfully refuse to tag others, and exercise my right not to conform.

D) No, and you can't make me.

----

On the poker front... I've had a moderate week at the low levels, taking 1st place in a $5+.50 90-seat deepstack tourney for $112.50... and cashing in a bunch of $5.50 18-seaters, (albeit they payout the top 4, and I haven't had a lot of firsts.) Played the MATH Monday night, with the new 6seat structure. But did absolutely nothing, and was in the first 20 out. I felt completely owned by both Surflexus and PirateLawyer at my first table. And was pretty crippled in one of the first ten hands. Never got anything going. Hopefully I'll fare better in the Mookie that starts momentarily, and the Riverchasers event tomorrow evening! 'Til next time, good luck all...
~RaisingCayne

Friday!!!

Again, a long while between posts. I suppose I haven't had too much to say of late. Well, no, that's never true... I guess I don't have any excuse...

On the poker front: I feel I've been playing like a complete donkey so far in the BBT2 events, (as illustrated by the leaderboard!) Haven't even came close to doing anything in these events yet. Donked my way out of the Riverchasers last night as a JackAce! (Yes, I've been playing THAT bad!) But it's not as if I'm even considering the possibility of stopping, as I'm sure I'll continue to donate for the remaining weeks of the contest. I'm dead money! Congrats to Lucko and friends, and everyone else winning in the events thus far! I'm green with envy! Maybe I'll have to try this write-your-way-into-the-TOC thing, (sorry for some reason I can't link to it from work,) as winning a TOC seat via a poker win seems like a longshot for me now... not that I've got a chance to win with the fiction either, but I digress.

While I've been feeling uncomfortable thus far in the BBT2 events, my other MTT play has been consistently decent, albeit without the corresponding positive results. I keep making it deep in small buy-in tourneys, and getting my chips in good at crunch time, but haven't had a final table to show for it in a long time! It's getting frustrating!

And while I'm busy complaining, I've got a bone to pick with online poker... (and possibly specifically Full Tilt)...
...Last night I'm in a $10+1 90-seat Deepstack SnG tourney... 22 remaining, 18 pay out... holding AA in EP with a nice stack I raise it up... folds around to the button who goes all-in with a tiny stack... the small blind (with a HUGE stack) goes into the tank before just calling... BB folds... and comes to me where I'm given the choice to call a tiny amount more or fold... ONLY!???? WTF??? Why wasn't I given the chance to re-pop and get the SB to fold!???? So I reluctantly just call... flop comes 963 paint... SB min-bets into dry pot, I re-pop... he jams... I make a DONKEY call of my whole stack just to see his set of 9s, and I'm out short of the cash!
I do NOT need to be told how dumb my all in call was on the flop... but I sure am curious as to ANY thoughts why I wasn't given the chance to re-re-raise pre???!!! I host home games all the time, and never limit the amount of re-raising allowed to less than 4 or 5 times. WTF? This was just a raise, a re-raise all-in, and a call... why wasn't I given the option to raise again?!!! Made me go to bed tilted last night! Poker is rigged.

Onto personal news: I went to an awesome Halloween party last weekend! I was in the reverend-with-a-woody costume, (a pastor's penis is funny.) Had an absolute blast getting hammered with old friends. I usually host a wild costume party at my place every Halloween, but this year I had a good friend of mine on house arrest, and he requested the responsibility of hosting at his place given the dilemma. It was a great time! Lots of fun, lots of sexy costumes, lots of drugs & alcohol... Good times were had by all.

And onto even more personal news, (and I'm going to apologize in advance for my purposeful vagueness, as the following ambiguities are all intentional...), I think I damn near fell in love last weekend! Haven't felt anything like this in years, and can't stop thinking about this one gal. I can't go into ANY details, as the whole thing is very "90210," but I thought I'd at least mention where my head's been at lately.

I'm a very content single man, and have been happy enough being single the last few years, never imagining that I'd be happier with another's constant companionship. I've often even found myself questioning others' apparent perpetual search for a partner, as it confuses the hell out of me how anyone would ever choose to be with someone just 'cause they believe it beats the alternative. But, as content as I have been with being single, I know I'd be a thousand times happier with this person in my life. I'm completely smitten! I can't get her out of my head. She's incredibly beautiful, smart, funny, cool, witty, fun,... I could write a novel on how she amazes me. So, I better stop here before I do.

Before anyone asks, there is NO future with her... it's an unfortunate impossibility... I've gotta just get over her. (Long story, please pardon the lack of details.) But as sad as I am coming to grips with the fact that her and I will never be together, I could still never hold any regrets! The passionate feelings I've had over the last week, are worth ANY amount of heartache. Let me explain a little... ever since my college sweetheart left me over five years ago, (07/30/02, but who's counting,) I have never imagined feeling so much passion for another person again. That has ALL changed after the last week! In fact, I even ran into the ex at the party Saturday... and didn't feel a thing! It's like a weight has been lifted! A relationship epiphany of sorts. It's been nice.

Anyway... Onto another subject... (as that was GHEY) ... Since I've received a few recent inquiries about it, I have to post the news that unfortunately I will NOT be attending the Winter Poker Blogger Gathering in Vegas in December this year! :-( I would've LOVED to attend, but didn't have the means to justify the trip. I'm throwing a five-day Vegas bachelor party for my best friend in March (14th-18th) and just couldn't find it financially feasible to go down there twice in four months. Embarrassing as it is to admit, I just couldn't afford it! :-( Hopefully next time.

This is turning into quite the lengthy post, but I'm not quite done ranting yet. ...

So my Mom's in town visiting from San Diego, (to get away from the wildfires for one.) And my roommate Joshua, was supposed to be out of town on business all week, but his trip got cancelled at the last minute. So... I'm sleeping on an airbed in my living room, while Ma has my room... and I'm carpooling with Joshua everyday so she could use my car. ... And my car fucking breaks down on her yesterday! I leave work at 2 yesterday to come to her aid. I pick her up, take her home, and limp my car to my mechanic's. And after 24 hours at the shop he still can't figure out what's going on even after the fucking diagnostic!? I've got an '02 Nissan Sentra SE-R V-Spec Edition, with a lot of custom work done to it, and the throttle isn't responding. Stupid funky cars don't have a throttle cable or something simple, but a whole electronic throttle assembly thingamajig. It appears evident the whole stupid unit needs replaced, rather than one little part. I'm expecting a call from the shop any minute with a HUGE estimate for repair costs.! CapitalOne here I come...

That's enough random rambling for one Friday afternoon I suppose! I notice I was tagged by Astin with this meme thing... I'll get to it this weekend. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!
~RaisingCayne