Still Sick

I have been fighting some kind of upper respiratory infection for more than a week now and while it hasn't completely kicked my ass it has had me down and out of action for most of the past week. I am actually going to finally see a doctor and get something to get rid of this because I have had it with being sick. I made it all winter with a clean bill of health and now this.
I finally got my new Verizon FIOS service installed last week and have been back in action on the virtual poker tables again. I have been playing single table "sit-n'go" tournaments on PokerStars which are nine player mini tourneys where the top three players cash (50% to 1st, 30% to 2nd and 20% to 3rd place). I won two events back to back and came in third in another with only only one other entry where I busted out early out of the money (even though I went all-in with the best hand).
I enjoy the easy access but miss the face to face action of live play at the casino. I just haven't been feeling very motivated to make the drive to the Borgata lately. Hopefully when I am back to complete health I will be back in the live action, as well.

Bed & Breakfast

I have returned from my Buck's County weekend getaway with Lauren and it was a great trip. We stayed at the Golden Plough Inn, right near New Hope, in Peddler's Village. The room was fantastic, with a first floor living area that included a two person jacuzzi tub facing the fireplace and a high vaulted ceiling with skylights. When you went upstairs their was a king size bed overlooking the living room like a giant loft. Very comfortable with the feel of a warm townhouse more than a hotel room. Since this was a celebration of Lauren's Birthday, I treated her to a "Queen for a Day" package at the spa on Friday. She got an hour and a half facial treatment, a 1 hour massage followed by a manicure and pedicure. She loved it! The girl that did her facial use to work at Bliss Spa in NYC and use to treat Uma Thurman and Sarah-Jessica Parker!
I couldn't resist and ended up getting a treatment, as well!
I strolled around New Hope while I waited for Lauren and then we had an awesome dinner at Earl's Prime, right in Peddler's Village. This place is so upscale it feels a bit out of place in this location. Everything is cooked to order and they have aged steaks, even Kobe beef. Of course everything is a la carte so you can easily go over $200 a person here with drinks. Lauren had the filet mignon and I had a macadamia encrusted sea bass over lobster risotto. I have to put that one down in my top five list. And the desserts were huge. They even had ice cream from the Creamery at PSU! We got that to go!
We did alot of relaxing and sleeping in so it was more like a Bed & Bed since they stopped serving breakfast before we woke up each day.
Anyway, I highly recommend this place and while we were both sorry to miss Ted's bday bash on Friday, we had a great time.

Winter Blahs

I've been a little lazy about scanning my Bahamas pics so that I can post some here, but I will get around to it eventually. I've really only had one memorable poker session since I returned from the islands and it was a brief session at the Borgata where I tripled my buy-in in just under 90 minutes after sitting down at the table, got up and walked out of the casino.
Had a a little sushi with Ted and MoC the other night at Margaret Kuo's in Media followed by a brief visit to the Plum.
In other highlights I am taking Lauren away next weekend to celebrate her bday. We're staying at a B&B near New Hope. Should be very romantic and relaxing!
Other than that, not alot of excitiment to report about. Hope to get back to the tables this Sunday.

Back in the States!

Well, unfortunately I have to announce that I am back in the states. It was quite a shock to the system walking out of baggage claim late Sunday night in flip flops. I lost all feeling in my extremities within minutes and longed to return to the mid-to-high eighty degree temperatures of the Bahamas that I had left earlier that day.
The trip was wonderful with beautiful weather the entire time. The azure waters of the carribean are almost surreal and the pink-hued sunsets each night were unbelievable, as well. We toasted the sunsets each night with champagne from the giant balcony of the Royal Bahamian Suite, an upgrade they provided us with when I mentioned that the condition of the Royal Village Honeymoon Villa was just not up to my standards. We must have consumed at least ten bottles of champagne in our room alone, as I requested our butler bring a pitcher of fresh-squeezed orange juice and a bottle of bubbly each morning with our breakfast, and we would usually polish off another at sunset before heading out to dinner or late night upon returning to our room. We certainly kept them busy restocking the wet bar in the suite, but hey when they say "unlimited" in their marketing brochures they should know that I take them very seriously.
The food was great and we dined in a different restaurant each night except for two evenings. We enjoyed the romantic surf and turf dinner on the pier so much we had to do it one more time so the night before our departure we returned there to dine under the stars with the waves lapping at the beach beneath our feet. One of the benefits of staying in a butler suite was access to this exclusive restaurant.
Turns out we not only had one butler, but actually three butlers working in shifts to accomodate our every request. Those of you who know me understand I can be a little demanding when it comes to good service.
The exclusive offshore island was a great amenity of this resort that we took advantage of on several days. A short ferry ride across the clear water and you could spend the day secluded on a sun-drenched isle with two private beaches and all the comforts of a full-service restaurant, swim-up pool bar and spa treatments. I forgot how much I loved conch and Kalik beer!
Of course it all ended too fast and leaving was difficult, especially knowing the temperature would be dramatically different back home. I managed to get some time in playing blackjack at the Crystal Palace Casino down the road from our resort, and thanks to their generous offer of four free nights should I return to play, I think Lauren and I will be making an extended weekend visit in the near future!
I'm still getting the pics developed and since they are old school 35mm I need to get them scanned to upload here, but will get to it soon.
Anyway, its good to be back regardless of the weather!

Bahamas!

We leave for the Bahamas in just a few days and I am very excited about this trip and not because I just found out that the World Poker Showdown is holding its deep-stack poker tournament that same week at the Crystal Palace Casino, just down the street from our resort and within walking distance! No this trip is destined to be the most romantic vacation I have ever taken, and while I have stayed in hotels with personal butler service, I have never had the opportunity to utilize their services for an entire week and Lauren and I plan to put this one to the test of his limits! We will be staying in the Royal Village Honeymoon Villa which is in a secluded area of the resort and I also intend to put their all-inclusive amenities to the test of their limits, too! I'll be sure to take lots of pics and post an update when we get back.

Happy New Year!

I have been inspired by MoC's barrage of new posts to update my blog and wish everyone a Happy New Year! I'll start from the last post. I returned from Vegas recharged and excited to play after 5 winning sessions and 1 loser at the Bellagio poker tables. I even got a little time in at the Luxor and the Palms casinos, as well. I won a little at Blackjack overall, but lost at craps every time, which is why I usually avoid the game in Atlantic City. Thanksgiving was great with a wonderful family gathering at the Top of the World restaurant at the Stratosphere and a trip Downtown to Fremont Street for a taste of old school Vegas. One of the highlights was watching poker pro Phil Ivey playing some high stakes craps at the Bellagio with six figure bets on each roll of the dice! I've included some more pics below.
I played for a bit in the World Series of Poker Circuit event at Harrah's in early December, but came up short of the money. I haven't played much at all with the holidays upon us, but will be getting back to the felt in the next week or so.
Christmas was great and New Year's Eve was a bit more quiet than years past, but fun just the same (see MoC's blog for pics).
Lauren and I will be heading off to the Bahamas on the 15th of this month. From the moment we are picked up at the airport in our chauffer-driven Rolls Royce we will be experiencing the ultimate in luxury vacationing, including a personal butler at our beck and call 24/7! I'm especially looking forward to that trip!
Well, that about does it as far as updates. Wishing you all the best in 2008!

Vegas Baby!

I just got back from a week in Vegas yesterday and will have a full accounting of the trip shortly. In the meantime, here are a few pics. First is a million dollar pile of bills, then Bellagio at night and finally the canals at the Venetian.

Another Winning Session

I hit the Borgata again yesterday and sat in a $2/5 No Limit game. I observed a few hands before I was dealt in and I knew there were some loose-aggressive players that would build big pots but would also be dangerous as it is hard to put them on hands since they play such a wide range of cards. I was patient and mostly folded for the first 30 minutes. I won one nice pot but was really biding my time and waiting for the big kill I knew I could make with these kinds of players. After raising with a pair of eights and then folding when I was re-raised pre-flop, I looked down at a couple of tens and made it $20 to go. Three players called my bet and we saw the flop. The poker gods were smiling on me as the first three cards appeared on the felt: 10-6-6. I had flopped a full-house, an absolute monster! Knowing how agressive the other players were I slow played and let them do the betting for me. I checked and a player bet out $50, another played called and I just called, as well. The turn was a 2 and I checked agian. The first bettor put out a $150 stack of chips, the second player folded and I re-raised another $235, and was all-in. The other player called and when I turned over my hand he practically threw his cards in the muck. He was drawing dead, the last card was meaningless and the dealer pushed me a pile of nearly $1000 of chips! This was in the first hour of play!. I played for about another hour then racked my chips, cashed in and headed to dinner.
My confidence is high as I prepare to leave for Vegas this weekend!

Back to Borgata

Tuesday was my first day back to the poker room at Borgata since I started dating Lauren and I was anxious to see if I could get my focus back. I decided to play conservative and sat at a $2/$5 No-Limit game that had just started before I got there so there were no big stacks yet. I folded my first hand (King-Ten, under the gun) but did play my next hand which was Ace-Eight suited, in diamonds and I was in the Big Blind. I got an ace on the flop but there were three clubs on the board. I bet out and the player to my left made a minimum re-raise, a weak move here. I called and the turn was a non-club rag. I checked and he checked behind me which confirmed my suspicion he had a single club and was looking to hit his flush. The river was another ace, giving me trips and I checked again to see what he might do. He gave up and checked and I took down the pot. A nice opener for sure.
The very next hand, in the Small Blind, I looked down at pocket fours and the whole table limped in and I limped, as well. The flop came 4-K-T and I was first to act and checked. Another player bet $30 and three others called. I thought about raising but decided to smooth call. The turn card I believed was meaningless and I checked again. This time the first better moved all-in and it was folded to me and I called instantly. He turned over King-Ten for top two pair and I showed him my set of fours and he sighed in disappointment. The river didn't help him and I doubled my buy-in on the second hand! I played for about another hour and then took the money and ran. A $540 profit in an hour and a half, not too shabby. Looks like I have a new lucky charm!

I Hit The Jackpot!

I haven't played poker in a week. Like CNN before me, I have been struck by the love bug. It's like hitting a Royal Flush in Hearts on the river to win a monster pot, to put it in poker parlance. My new girlfriend is amazing and I've never been happier! I'm sure it will have an incredibly positive impact on my game when I do get back to the action this week. We've been out every night for the last 11 nights and having a great time together. Just wanted to shout it from the rooftops!
Here's a pic of her from Halloween. Her name is Lauren:

Like the Sands of The Hour Glass...

Thursday night they imploded the Sands Casino Hotel in Atlantic City. Lots of history in that place and not just for me. Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack actually use to hang out there. I learned how to play craps there and I had my first $10k+ win playing poker there. It was also where I competed in my first major, televised poker tournament ($10,000 buy-in) with one of the toughest professional fields ever assembled at the time in AC (if you had Fox Sports Net at the time you could have witnessed it on Thanksgiving Day back in 2003!. Lucky for me my bro in San Diego taped it for me!). I can even remember skipping school back in 11th grade and taking one of those bus trips down there to play blackjack!
The Sands was a place where you could sit down at a table and they greeted you by name because they actually knew your name. Those days in AC are gone for good now I think.

After a brief fireworks display it all came down in 18 seconds.

The One Pounder

Yesterday afternoon I accepted the challenge thrown down by Dave Guthrie that I couldn't eat in one seating, the 20 oz. monster cheeseburger at Cheeburger Cheeburger. Well, below are the before and after pics and my image now appears on the wall of fame at the route 202 location.

Flagged!

This photo is probably just as blurry as the subjects' memories of yesterday. That is none other than Ted, CNN and CNN's big bro Don standing outside John's Bar & Grille shortly after Ted and CNN were flagged! I have never seen Ted get flagged from any bar (although he came close in downtown Saratoga) let alone John's, but he took it like a true drunken gentleman. His futile attempts to argue a logical case with the bartenders for more shots were quite entertaining to witness, as well.

Punta Cana Photos

While my personal memories of the Punta Cana trip are still a bit hazy, I am relying on the generosity of other, less alcoholically-challenged, travelers who had the forethought to even take a camera with them to submit their photos to me. I did manage to take a few shots with my trusty camera phone and I present them here now for your immediate enjoyment.
The first image is of the Punta Cana International Airport. Even with a thatched roof and mule-driven baggage cars, this facility is 1000% more efficient than Philthadelphia's billion dollar fiasco!
The remaining images are of the beach at the resort, the beautiful pool (I was unable to photograph the swim-up bar due to security issues, mainly my own) and the two talking parrots that would roam the grounds looking for food handouts and behaving in a generally annoying fashion. They'd throw you some false compliment to put you at ease, then go right for your wristwatch! Damn parrots!

Back In the USA

It's good to be back in the US and A and my return from the Carribbean was quite timely as I beat Hurrican Dean's arrival by just a few days.
Punta Cana was alot of fun with great beaches, good food and even better rum. While I didn't get to play any poker on this trip, I did manage to get in a few sessions at the craps table and even some blackjack. My blackjack Basic Strategy was a little rusty, but its like riding a bike and soon I was hitting, splitting and doubling down like a seasoned pro. It was a very small casino with only two blackjack tables, a craps table and a roulette wheel, but it was fun and the only place open until 3 am (other than the disco which was a little cheesy for my tastes).
I am anxious to get back into the action as it has been about two weeks since I played live poker. I plan to get back in the game at Borgata some time this week.

Toga! Toga! Toga!

The road trip to Saratoga this weekend was a successful blend of excessive drinking, swimming, eating and horse betting that exceeded all expectations. Ted and I got a late start Friday on the drive and the trip up was a painful six hours with traffic. Once we got there the margaritas and beer were flowing and Kro's beautiful new pool provided a needed late night cool down. Making the trip up were Goose, Weist and Ray along with their wives, and Ted and I made up the single contingency. CNN and JFTB both backed out at the last minute and were missed by all.
Saturday morning we arose early for breakfast and to get ready for the big day at the track. Wendy and Ray had secured a prime picnic location in the wee hours of the morning while we all slept off our margaritas. We packed up the food and beer (after a few of Goose's bloody marys) and hit the track just before noon, with the first race scheduled for 1 pm. The long shots were having a field day in the early races and it was tough to pick winners, but as the day progressed and the beer intake increased we started to hit some winners, at one point going 4 for 4 with the #5 horse! In the tenth race we had the 29 to 1 longshot across the board and it was the most exciting race of the day. He almost won the race wire to wire, but faded in the final stretch and came in second for a nice payday that more than made up for the earlier disappointments and losses. We left after the tenth race and missed the eleventh race as it was after 6 pm and the sun and beer had taken its toll on us. All we wanted to do was get back to Kro's and jump in the pool.
After some dinner and even more beer I was content with the evening prospect of hanging at Kro's house playing some beer pong and chilling, when the subject of going Down Town was broached. One by one we conceded and before I knew it we were piling into Wendy's car as she had graciously offered to drop us off Down Town. It was after 10 pm as Kro, Goose, Ted, Ray and I (Weist stayed back at the house) made our way into the first bar of the night. By 1 am we had hit four different establishments, including a rowdy college bar with a drinking game table at center stage, a fifth floor rooftop bar and a reggae bar that had sold out of Red Stripe!
We settled in at the fourth stop with a couple dozen hot wings and a couple pitchers of beer. Around 2 am we decided it would be smart to call a cab and head home. The waitress told us she called a cab and we closed our tab and proceeded to wait outside. The town streets were packed with people and we figured it would be a bit of a wait, but after thirty minutes we were really getting impatient and a few of us ventured back inside to wait at the bar. When I strolled back inside I found Ted and Ray with a fresh round of margaritas and Ted was beginning to work his magic on the juke box with a montage of AC/DC & Van Halen selections. I ordered a 'rita myself and settled in at the bar. A few minutes later Kro strolled back in and a few minutes after that Goose finally figured why should he be waiting outside for a cab while we were all inside drinking!? Within minutes we had our full drink on and we were feeling no pain!
At one point it appeared that our cab actually pulled up out front but another drunk person jumped into it before we could get to it or even put down our drinks. By 3 am, and many margaritas later, Kro was getting worried that we might not be able to get another cab, and that fear was confirmed when the bartender tried to call us one but all the cab company phone lines were busy. When the bar employees began turning off the lights and mopping the floor around us we got the picture that they wanted us to leave and we headed out into the street in search of a cab and/or more drinks (after I argued with them for not staying open until the advertised 4 am closing time). At this point Ted made it clear to us all that "we still have a solid hour of drinking ahead of us". We went in search of an open bar to continue the festivities and Kro finally called Weist to come get us when the true impact of a potential hour long walk home sunk in with the rest of us. Weist was happy to oblige which made us want to stay and drink even more, but somehow the voice of reason prevailed, although I did not recognize the voice at the time, and we were soon enroute back to Kro's. All in all it was a great trip Down Town!
I awoke Sunday morning to the wafting aroma of bacon and eggs. My eyes were as red as my sunburned scalp and my head was pounding. Only Goose's patented bloody mary could bring me back from the depths of hangover hell. After breakfast Ted and I said our goodbyes and hit the road for home. The ride home was not nearly as bad at just under four and a half hours and it was good to be back in Media. Of course I can't wait until next year's trip!

Vegas, Baby!

My airfare is booked, my two bedroom, two bath villa is reserved and I am looking forward to my next trip to Vegas! I'll be heading out the week of Thanksgiving (Sunday to Saturday) for some fun in the desert. I want to rent a car to get me around to all the different casinos and poker tournaments that week so I am investigating my options and have it narrowed down to two choices. The Lamborghini Gallardo Spider or the Ferrari Modena Spider. Which do you think is the best choice for me?

Saratoga

This weekend is the start of the races at Saratoga and a group of us are heading up to visit Krotow and his family and of course we will be attending the races on Saturday. This has always been one of my favorite trips (along with the Pocono trip) and I am looking forward to relaxing, drinking and making some money on the ponies! My good friend Street Sense (who won me a bundle at the Derby) will be racing on Saturday, too!

Summer Concerts

The Borgata is not just a gambling mecca, it is also a world class entertainment destination! Check out these upcoming shows and let me know who's interested.

July 31...311 w/ Matisyahu
August 2... The Beastie Boys
August 25... Velvet Revolver

In The Money!

FINALLY! After what seemed like an unbearable dry spell (and no, not what you're thinking) I finally broke the curse and cashed again in a poker tournament! I was at Borgata Thursday with the goal of winning a seat in the the $5k buy-in main event of the Borgata Summer Open through a satellite tourney ( a cheap way to get into the bigger buy-in events). We started with 180 players at 20 tables and the top 17 would get seats with18th place paying the leftover cash. Well, six hours later I was the short stack with exactly 18 players left. Next one out didn't get a seat, but a nice cash consolation prize. I was trying to hang around for one more player to get knocked out as I really wanted to play in the event this weekend: first place in that one should pay more than $600k! I had to make a move and put in all my chips with a marginal hand (6-9) and while I made two pair on the board, my opponent made a better two pair and I was out in 18th. What really sucks is that some of the other players were actually organizing an effort to collect an extra $100 from each player left to allow me to get a full buy-in (along with the cash prize I was guaranteed) but the action happened too fast and I was all-in before they could get agreement from everyone!
Oh well, I played great poker and I guess I really can't be disappointed.
Hopefully I got my mojo back, baby!