Yappy Dave's Poker/Sports Blog

[LasVegasMichael]

Since I know Yappy isn't home yet, as he was stopping by Lee's tp purchase incidentals for his night of drunkedness, I will be the first to pipe in that we had an enjyable, yet slightly hairpulling, dinner at Osaka (off Strip Japanese restaurant).

My kids (specifically my son) was out of control tonight, trying to showoff to the newcomer at the table.

However, despite the juvenile shenanigans of my son, it was still a rather enjoyable meal. No poker talk at all, which is a nice deparrture from the norm.

If Dave is true to his word, he will not be playing again until Friday evening. I also am taking a short poker break until friday night as well due to family and work related issues.

Good times.

[Yappy Dave]

As if I am not true to my word 100% of the time!!!! I will not be playing poker till Friday, as stated earlier. I should be fresh come Friday.

I do want to challenge LV Mike to a rousing battle of Gamecube MarioKart. Of course I'll win, but it won't be short of a few bad beats (blue shells attacking me when I'm 20 seconds ahead of 2nd place) along the way.

The people that live underneath my apartment just invited me over, so I'll try and be social. I'll certainly have my White Zif in hand while they question me about my tuba playing past.

[LasVegasMichael]

I do want to challenge LV Mike to a rousing battle of Gamecube MarioKart. Of course I'll win...

Of course, you'll win? Oh, its ON now!

Care to make it interesting? A Point a game, heads up? All 16 courses at 150cc or Mirror Mode. Bonus for a clean sweep?

Point value $1 or $5, your choice.

Or, we could just do it for bragging rights, whichever you prefer.

[Yappy Dave]

150 CC, all track mode, only first-party normal controllers allowed. $5/pt. YOU'RE ON!!!

[LasVegasMichael]

IT'S A BET!

$20 bonus for clean sweep? ($100 total if all 16 are won)

[boofer22]

Waaay too modern for me!

If you are ever interested in Mario Karting (SNES,N64,DS Lite, or Gamecube) you let me know.

Also, the following vintage systems are all hooked into my once cool but now obsolete 50" plasma:

Atari Jaguar
NES
SNES
N64
PS2
Gamecube
Sega Genesis
Sega Saturn
Sega Dreamcast

Keep that in mind the next time you are feeling the old school vibe, and come on over!

See you soon.

This sounds like heaven! I want in on this action!

[bLight]

nice =)... I've been playing a little at TI, but mostley at the Venetion latley... however yesterday I went to TI for the 11am and they refelted all the tables with 2 new kinds of felt... one very slick and nice felt... and one rougher and not so nice felt... i like the slick one...

Good to see someones running good. I'm not playing so well latley... been running terrible on about a 5k down swing. Played the 11am and busted out... went and played blackjack and ran $200 up to $1k went back to the poker room and sat down at 1/2 LHE played really well, a 1/3 game opened up, and went and played like a schmuck. I'm leaking like a faucet and can't figure out why.

I'll keep following this blog, i like to read about the locals =)

[StrayBullet]

This is a GREAT read Dave...really love living vicariously through this thread! I love my life but damn it'd be nice to be able to persue playing poker moreso than I am currently. Guess I'll just drop the top and fire up the twin turbos...maybe lighting up a set of 335s will do the trick

[joshuatree78]

I have a friend that was ranked #1 in the world for about a year in Mario Kart on N64. It was some web site that I can't find now. We still break out the game from time to time and he mops the floor with me. I am doing well to win 1 out of 4.

[LasVegasMichael]

I cut my teeth on MK64. Now, I can't even beat 100cc on it.

Gotten so used to the control and handling of the GC version that MK64 makes me pull my hair out now, whereas I used to be pretty good at it (but nowhere near world class).

I only fairly recently got the SNES version, and it is TOUGH, much like the DS version. Once you go analog, it is REALLY HARD to go back to D Pad.

[Yappy Dave]

I enjoy watching the videos of the best MK players in the world.

Also, Mike, I was referring to playing all-cup mode to take care of all the points and goodies in one cup. Or do you not have that mode?

[LasVegasMichael]

Oh, surely you jest.

All Cup, the Parade Kart, Mirror Mode, you name it, its unlocked (except for the ghosts, as I do not play time trials that often).

You are aware that versus (i.e. heads up) means no technical all cup tour, right? The only way to play a true All Cup is to play Grand Prix, which means that aside from you and I, there will be 6 computer Karters.

You set the apple, my friend. I will play you whichever mode you want, whichever setup you want, on the Gamecube, for $5 a course/point.

Obviously, original controllers only and no glitch cheats (those involving Lakitu, etc).

Bring it!

[Yappy Dave]

We were thinking differently, sir. Heads up is better. I was thinking with the 6 computers and how they'd screw me out of victory. Heads up it is. $5/pt. was going to be very exspensive for you if we did the all cup mode, but now it's not so bad. I don't feel bad at this point. As far as a sweep occuring, no scoop money.

A) That won't happen
B) As if you owing me $80 and being internally crushed by my power sliding skills wouldn't be enough
C) You have kids to feed

Peace.

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In other news, I had to sell of some of my stocks today as they hit the death point of either 10% drop from purchase or they're heading towards it. This downturn in the market is not cute and making Yappy unhappy.

My diversified portfolio now includes

FAX - Asian fund kept for dividends

HCP - REIT kept for dividends

NUAN - Voice-recognition software company growing like mad and owns 75% of market share through many acquisitions in past 6 months.

DSX - Dry-bulk Shipping Company quickly growing and pays massive dividends.

MR - Medical supplier based in China but is 80% international.

WCRX - Pharmaceutical company in women's healthcare.

ACM - International Industrial company. It's my newest purchase but is a gamble as it's only been public for 3 months.

[LasVegasMichael]

Were you unable to get in on the Sands IPO a couple years ago? That would probably have you sitting pretty right about now.

[Yappy Dave]

I was a bit young for that one but an extremely close relative of mine got in on it and he and his wife now live on a 70 acre lake. In fact I visit them quite often.

Today I'm off to see the Simpson's movie with a poker playing friend and will head to the tables at TI after that. I should get there around 7ish.

[LasVegasMichael]

7ish! Ouch. I will only get the pleasure of Yappy at the table for less then two hours (I plan on getting there around 4 and leaving by 8:30).

It's all good. Just try not to do too much of an all nighter, as the 3/6 mixed is going tomorrow at 3-4ish, and your presence is expected.

[redright88]

Hey Dave,

I took the plunge into the 5/10 NL game. Since you helped me out in my planning, I thought I would let you know how it went. In a nutshell, I finished down, but I found that I can play at that level, skill-wise. I have a few leaks that I need to work on, but I didn't feel like I was outclassed. The hands that caused me to finish down were just sort of bad situations.

You were right. The game is MUCH tougher than the 2/5NL game. I think I caught a bad table draw (there were two main games and a must-move) but the other table didn't look too much softer. Two regulars were talking about who the biggest earners in the room were and four of the names that they mentioned eventually made their way to the table I was playing on. I also noticed that there were some guys who used to play the 2/5NL game that I do and they just disappeared. I found it odd, because they were among the better players in the room. I found them. They moved up to the 5/10NL game as their base game. This fact was somewhat helpful, because I had some knowledge about their play. It was mainly at the must-move table when I played against them, but it helped.

The players make many fewer mistakes than at 2/5NL. They are a lot more aggressive than 2/5NL players. I noticed that when playing the 2/5NL game money is made by capitalizing on other players' mistakes. In this game that really wasn't the case. Money was made by moving people off of vulnerable hands and picking up pots where no one had much of anything. When huge pots came up, it was because huge hands were colliding with each other (e.g., a flopped flush against a turned boat, Set over set, etc.) This is not always (or even usually) the case at 2/5NL. The players were quite good at disguising the strength. They were much more willing gamble that a death card wouldn't fall off and to wait until the turn to spring a strong made hand. As a result, it was much more difficult to accurately put the better players on a hand on the flop. Bet-sizing was also a lot better.

I had terrible cards for most of the session, which may have been a blessing in disguise. It allowed me to watch a lot more of the game while I was out of hands. I don't feel good about finishing down for the session, but I feel great about the fact that I can play with these guys. However, before I try to think about making this my regular game I need to add to my bankroll at the 2/5NL. I think your advice about having 20 buy-ins in your bankroll to play a give NL game might be a bit conservative for me, since I'm not making a living playing the game, but I think I need to have 15 buy-ins to feel comfortable playing at those stakes. I'm not there yet. I'll definitely be back to the 5/10NL game before the NFL playoffs.

Thanks agian for all of your guidance.

RR88

[Yappy Dave]

RR88: Those were the same findings that I had with the 5/10 game. One of my biggest problems is when I play the TI 1/3 game, I've still got that 5/10 play in me. I am making plays on the turn and river utilyzing scare cards and at the 1/3 game, these guys just don't see that. I'm playing poker and they are playing cards. This may help explain why I make so many moves with oddball hands.

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Last night I went back to TI and on my first hand made a quadruple barrel bluff with 8,5 and got called down by 2nd pair the whole way. Ouch... A little later a guy called on a straight draw with no odds on the flop nor the turn and hit in on the river to take over $200 off me. That was really all the happened and I moved over to the newly created mix game which went on for about 8 hours. I had some really convenient cards at good times and came away a gigantic winner. I netted over $5 in that game, which was my biggest limit game net I've ever had, especially it being a 3/6 game where half the games were split pot.

I was planning on another mixer today, but LV Mike bailed and ruined those hopes and dreams. Thanks Mike!

[LasVegasMichael]

I ruined the hopes and dreams?

The entity that is the Tangerine Mixer at TI is bigger then any one man, much like the Presidency of the United States. The game will live on every day, in each one of us, even if it is not being spread.

Okay, seriously, though, I was just too damn tired!

Though I am recovered a bit now, and the wife is inquiting about where to find a 2-4 Crazy Pineapple game. She WON'T play other games in the normal mix. Might have to convince her to just play straight up 2/4 LHJE< and we might end up at TI tonight or tomorrow at some point.

Don't worry, Yappy, you will have plenty of opportunities to get more blues off me. However I am working on my stud games, so watch out.

[LasVegasMichael]

It is now 7:29 AM, and the wife and I are just getting home from an all nighter at the TI poker room with Yappy playing 2/4 Crazy Pineapple, Blind Man's Bluff and Chinese.

It was an entertaining evening. Yappy is playing in the 7AM tournament as we speak.

See the TI thread for more pointless details.

Good night!