BLOW UP ALL THE SELF CHECKOUT THINGYS!! -- THEY'RE EVIL!!!!

Few things in life gets me steaming, tilting, pissed, or angry, but this damn thing does:

Yes, the SELF CHECKOUT KIOSK, seen in every grocery store, every Wal Mart, every Target, even every Home Depot in American (Question about that...what if you just want to buy a sheet of wood, do you use the self checkout line??"

I guess the purpose of these damn things, theoretically, is to make checking out of your favorite store quicker, efficiently, and smoothly. I'm gonna tell you from personal experience...IT DOESN'T DO ANY OF THESE THINGS!! In fact, I think these evils things (probably from Satan himself), takes longer and are sublimatlly  designed to piss people off..

First of all, you walk up to one of these things, and nothing seems to scan right away. I find myself swiping the same frozen pizza 4 or 5 times before it registers the price...Then, if you don't bag it right away...it won't let you continue to scan your other groceries until it's bag..C'mon I just placed my crate of bottled water back in my cart...WHY DO I HAVE TO BAG IT?? WAIT A MINUTE, I CAN'T BAG IT...IT'S A CRATE OF BOTTLED WATER!!!

Okay, then I'm buying a bunch of apples. Again, I have to scavenger through the many different types of apples: Washington, Japanese, Green, Fiji, Red...WTF....I just want to buy apples without worrying if I pressed the right pictures (and yes, I do the difference between a Japanese and Fiji Apple..of at least I think I do), then I'm worrying about if I'm paying too much....Damn....can I just get a picture of a red, ripe apple and be done with it??

Sometimes, I have just have 3 items, but of course, the 1st item won't scan for the 10th times, so I press the "CALL ATTENDANT" and of course, you waiting another 3 or 4 minutes for the attendant you help you because their busy helping the other 2 people who CAN'T SCAN their READY-MADE CHOCOLATE CAKE!! If you want to see 3 angry, annoyed, and irritated people at once, just watch when 3 people looking clueless in front of their Self Checkout Machines, trying to get the attention of the "ATTENDANT" 

Alright, that's enough ranting about these things! My solution: let's take all these self Checkout thingys, pile them up, pour gasoline, and BURN THEM ALL!! 

BURN THEM ALL, I SAY!!!!!

I HAVE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS....WHAT A ____!!!

I absolutely believe that there's more good than bad in people....

In the industry I work in, you see a lot of bad in the people. Most of the time, I believe people who get angry at the poker table are not showing the true barometer of character they really are. One-outers, bad calls by their opponents, and horrible river cards leads to "out of character" reaction like snapping at the player or worst, at their dealer. I usually shrug it off and give them the benefit of the doubt and in most cases, you ultimately see the good in people....

But sometimes, you meet someone who's just a bad person...and you can tell...

So, I'm dealing the typical $1-$2 game, full of tourists, locals, funny-loving people who don't care whether they win or lose. But there was this one guy who brought a lot of tension to the table...Forget the fact, he was playing and raising every-hand, and losing every hand....dumping about $1,000 bucks in the 30 minutes I dealt, but it was the way he interacted with the players that showed he had a deep character flaw. Here's some examples:

After losing yet another gigantic pot, he pulled out his load of hundreds, peeled off yet another buy in and said to everyone at the table, "I have millions and millions, so this doesn't mean anything." First of all, when you tell people, unsolicited, that you have money, if shows the true character of a man. I believe it shows insecurities because you're trying to make yourself look good, but making others look bad...Not a charater train that I, or any sane person really wants.

Again, after losing another pot, whenever someone tries to make small talk, he's responses was always, "I don't care what you think! You hear me, I don't care what you think" I just hate it when people put up their nose at you like your high-and mighty....

I felt very uncomfortable dealing to his guy because I had absolutely no respect for this person as a man, and you could feel the absolutely uneasiness hovering over the table

But on the flip slide, like I said, he dumped a lot of money in this game, so no one wanted to leave which leaves me with this saying...

 That folks, in a nutshell, is how it works....

PREPARING MYSELF

I love poker....

I love everything about poker

I think poker is the greatest game ever invented....

So why have I only played poker 3 times in the past 4 months?? (2 Tournaments at Ballys, one of which I won, and 1 cash-game session at Venetian)

Last Spring/Summer, I played a lot of cash game poker....and did very well..almost to the point where my confidence was matching my results...I was sky high...then came the World Series of Poker, and I was working 40 hours a week. Yes, I was happy with the busy time, but it got to the point where I would spend 8 hours a day in the casino that on my days off, I didn't want to step foot in a casino. I got burnt out from being around poker all day, all week, and month long.

The main reason I stayed away from playing poker was my wife wasn't working for a few months, so I didn't feel justified to spend our extra money on poker when my wife wasn't working. It became the responsibility of a father and provider to put my family before my personal interests...Yes, I was dissappointed that I couldn't play as much poker as I wanted, but I knew I had to be responsible..Of course with the holidays, we had to save every penny so my family could have a great Christmas...I put a lot of stress on myself to make sure my family was provided and thankfully our Christmas was one of the best ever.

However.....

.....,.getting back into poker was always in the back of my mind....While I was dealing I kept my mind "Poker Sharp" I continue to play hands in my mind as if I was in the hand myself...I continue to take theory and strategies with different people.

Poker is something I'm pretty damn good at..yes..I do pat myself in the back....So I'm preparing myself to get back into playing more poker....I've re-read lot of my poker books. I especially concentrated on my favorite cash game book:



As I'm dealing now, the concepts and theories have been embedded in my mind. Whenever a player makes a particular play, I try to understand what they're trying to do...I see my mind getting stronger and stronger...but I know I need to play live hands...

So preparing myself to get back into the grind is where I'm at....Look out when I'm ready to attack to tables, cause I've been ready...

2013 -- WHAT DO I TRULY WANT???

2013 -- What I hope to accomplish...

I'm not big on New Years Resolutions because I don't follow through on the majority of them...so I've decided to list the things I want to do..and if I do, I do...and if I don't, I don't (Read that several times quickly)

1) I'd like to lose more weight

2) Play more cash game poker

3) Play more tournament poker

4) La Di da La Di Da La Di Da, etc, Etc.....Etc

...Of Course we want to to accomplish things in our lives, but I truly have one NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS and I've made in a conscious effort early in the year to do one thing:

                                                   DEEP BREATHS

I'm not talking about taking deep breaths before your angry and want to control it. I'm talking about taking deep breaths and surveying my life and how extremely lucky I am to have the life I live now. I live in the greatest city in the world. Each day, I pretty much do whatever I want, when I want, but still have the ability to pulls the reins back. To be a good father, to be a good husband, to be a good person...I think taking deep breaks severals times a day, knowing there's nothing on a particular day and changed the fact that I have a pretty damn good life....

My feeling is if I continue to take deep breaths everyday, the other stuff (Material, goals, health, life) will take care of itself...

So here's to 2013 and a great year!!!!!

NEW YEAR...NEW BLOG

I know it's a been nearly 4 months since I updated my blog. It wasn't the fact that I didn't want to write my blog, I really didn't have time to sit in front of my computer and convey my thoughts...Well, it's a new year, and hopefully, I'll be updating this blog more.....

Once again, this blog will be about my random thoughts about life, poker, family, and just about anything that peeks my interest....

So if your still interested, I'll do my best to enlighten and entertain my readers....

LADIES LIPS CHAMPIONSHIPS: INTERVIEW WITH TONYA BALTAZAR (MY WIFE)

On July 1, 388 Ladies competed in the 2012 LADIES LIPS CHAMPIONSHIP! After nearly 24 straight hours of play, Tonya Baltazar (My wife) went got through a tough final table including professional poker player, Karina Jett, and got heads up with Tamara Cruz of Arizona...After tough heads up battle, Tonya came up short to finish in 2nd place...I took some time to interview my wife about battling through a VERY tough field:

Q: What was your initial strategy going into this tournament??

   

My strategy in an all women poker tournament is very different than when I play an open event with men.  I find women are harder to bluff.  I always maximize the value of my good hands and flops that I hit because women will tend to call you down if they hit any part of the board.    

Q: Was there a hand or hands you played that indicated that you were in for a long run??

I just moved to a table and I had about 35,000 chips, I just played the blinds and then on the button I had J 10os everyone folded to me so I made a standard 3 times raise, the lady in the SB reraises me but only doubles my initial raise so I call.  The flop was  A K Q, I flopped the nut straight, lady in SB bets out so I go ALL-IN and she instant calls me and she turns over pocket 5’s and I double up.  I’m not even done stacking my chips and a lady UTG raises, everyone folds to me and I look down at  pocket Aces so I announce ALL-IN and she instantly calls me with pocket Queens and I double up again.  A few hands later, I get A J hearts and this lady raised and I call, and I think the BB called too, the flop is K 10 Q, BB checks the initial raises makes a continuation bet and I announce ALL-IN BB folds and she instant calls and she has K 10 for two pair and I take her out.  I went from 35,000  chips to over 200,000 at that one table.  

Q: You had a mountain of chips with two tables left, but lost a big pot to eventual winner, Tamara Cruz, how did you overcome when you got to the final table:

Well I am a Short Stack Ninja Specialist, I know how to play a short stack well. 

Q: Talk about your double up against Karina Jett early at the final table.

Well I have played with Karina before and have taken a WSOP boot camp that she taught with Annie Duke, so I know her style of play and what her hand ranges would be.  She was one of the chip leaders going into the final table , but she did double me up twice, which was nice. 

Q: I know there were issues with the tournament playing out the tournament in one day, I heard not just yourself but other players had an issue with it, please explain your stand on this issue?

 Yes, it was complete craziness, they changed a lot of things this year with the Lips Championship than the years before.  It was the Golden Nugget’s decision to make it a 1 day event this year even though in the past years it was a 2 day event, and this year was the biggest turnout that Lips had a record of 388 women.  It definitely should have been a 2 day event. 

Q: Fatigue played a major part in not just you but your opponent, how did you maintain your compusure in the end?

I drank a lot of starbucks coffee! 

Q: Finishing 2nd is a great accomplishment, can you put into perspective how important this tournament was for you??

First of all, I have played the Lips Championship for the last straight 5 years and was always close to the money or bubble girl, so to actually get this far and finish 2^nd was just one of the greatest accomplishments that I had in poker besides my two cashes in the World Series of Poker in 2010 and 2011.  

Q: How was your support able to get through this tough tournaments such as your friends and family??

I truly have the most amazing husband who not only taught me this great game, but always supports me and encourages me to be a better player, he is my ROCK!  I also have the most amazing friends that I have met because of poker, who will be long life friends, and who are always my cheerleaders not only in poker, but in life!  Poker is just not a game to play for money, but it’s a great way to bond and have fun with the people you love.   I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful husband, kids and friends who support my passion for poker. 

Q: What poker goals do you have left to accomplish??

  

My next goal is to play in the Main Event at the World Series of Poker and to make it the final table, but if I cash in the Main Event, I will be just as happy…I will be working on that goal this coming year in my 10K league. 

Thank you for the interview.....

MORNING POKER AT PLANET HOLLYWOOD: A NON FICTION STORY: PART III

I glance at my watch and see it's 6:15 AM....I then look at my stack. I'm still surviving but my stack is dwidling...Frustration starts to set in....I sit on the end of my seat, wondering when my big pot will come...

"Patience"....that's what all the books say, but are the books running as badly as me...probably not...

Around me, the tables at Planet Hollywood are breaking. The room is down to two games, many of the monster stacks are leaving the room, most satisfied with their profit...The only ones left are the people who are stuck, losing such as myself..Most are tossing in their chips trying to hit that miracle card to get them unstuck. I, on the other hand, have kept my discipline...it's "one long session" I've heard many poker players have said...don't think of the short term...think long term.

I start to feel anxious....I take a sip of my water and see a raise in my front of me...I look down and see Pocket Queens...The raise was $12...I decide to reraise to $30....Everyone folds to a pleasant looking Asian gentleman who calls...we take the flop heads up...

Before the dealer, the Asian guy and I share an awkward glance....as if we've battled in hands before although this was the first hand (that I recall) that we were involved in...Two titans in card sword fight, pecking at each other, until we get the knockout shot. The dealer puts out the flop, his thumb slowly seperating the three cards until it's lined up ever so neatly on the middle of the felt...

I read the board....J 10 4 rainbow...I gaze at the board as if I'm taking a quiz, surgically piecing the puzzle of this flop..Did it hit my opponent....What range is he calling my re-raise? Does his range fit this board.

The pleasant Asian gentleman gently taps his index finger on the felt....I quickly cut out 10 $5 chips and fire them into pot. Suddenly, the pleasant Asian gentleman roars, "ALL IN"!! The quick change in personally startles me a bit. We exchange another awkward glance...dammit, this is fine mess I gotten myself into.

Sitting in seat 1, I leaned forward to get a look at my opponent, who's seating in seat 10....he is stoic...Sitting still as a statue. I try to get some information from him....I point to the Jack and 10 sitting motionless on the table, asking him, "Did you flop this or that" Of course I'm thinking did he flop a set of 10's or Jacks. I look at his two cards sitting in front of him and wonder if he had a pair matching any of these cards on the board.

But I have an over pair....After what seemed like an eternity, I turn over my pocket Queens for the entire table to see, but I wanted only one person to see...the pleasant Asian gentleman, wanting to get a read of what kind of hand he's holding. Unfortunately, the pleasant Asian gentleman gave me no indication of what he's holding. I could feel the saliva forming like a powerful wave zooming from the Pacific Ocean....the hammer was coming down and I have nothing to stop...Finally I flick my Pocket Queens into the muck, The pleasant Asian Gentleman slowly slips his hand to the dealer and collects the pot..

At this point, I admit defeat...I quickly grab the remaining chips and cash out....As step onto the Las Vegas Strip, I let the warm Vegas air collapsed on my face...I shake my head and walk back to my car....

Dammit, that wasn't very fun. But always....there is another day...I will live to fight another day....

THE END....