"HEY BRO, YOU KNOW I'M NEXT" --- YES...THIS REALLY HAPPENED TO ME!!

Webster's Dictionary defines Petty as:

"Having little or importance or significance"

I truly believe in the saying "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff" If you do, you'll go insane trying to satisfy your ego. I had an incident over the weekend and truly defines the word, "PETTY" and a gentlemen who obvious sweats the small stuff....

Just had a lovely dinner with my wife and daughter and decided to have a little McDonalds for dessert. Before I get my messages flooded with "Aren't you on P90x?? What's going on??" The dessert for my daughter and wife, I didn't have any of it..Not even a bite...lol.

The drive through at McDonalds has two lanes (Not sure why)...so I ordered a shake and sundae, pulled behind a car about to pay when I heard this voice to my left"

"Hey Bro, You know I'm next!"

I looked to my left and saw this gentlemen in a white truck sticking his head out and waving his arms in the air...Again, he repeated,"

"Hey Bro, You know I'm next"...This time he was a little more demonstrative in his voice and hands...

At first I was shocked, was this guy really pissed off cause he think I cut in front of him at a MCDONALDS!!!! I could see his wife and kids just staring at their father yelling at me cause he thinks I cut in front of him.

"Sorry dude, wasn't aware." I said.

Then this guy barked back," Hey Bro, just want to make sure you know that I was next"

My shocked turned to irritation and little anger," Hey man, if you're really want to go first..I'm not gonna sit here and argue with about MCDONALDS!!" 

Again this guy's voice rose,"I'm not arguing, bro. Just wanted to make sure you know that I'm next"

At this point was pretty angry, I couldn't believe I was agruing with his asshole about who's going to get their McDonalds first!! With my daughter and wife with me, I wanted to diffuse the situation as quickly as possible..So backed up the car.

"Okay dude," I said as I backed my car, "There you go...you can get you're McDonalds first" 

I started laughing, which I don't think the guy appreciated, but I didn't give a shit..didn't want to get into a pissing contest with this asshole...Anyway he pulled in front of me, and I could hear him cursing at me...I could see his wife trying to calm him down, but this guy obviously had issues cause he was still steaming...

But dammit, he got his MCDONALDS FIRST!!!!! GOOOOOD FOR HIM!!!!!!

My wife and I got a good laugh out of it...You just go to do that when you run into situations like that...Just bite your lip and laugh....I did...I'm sure that asshole's big Mac's tasted a little bitter thinking about that guy who cut in front of him AT MCDONALDS!!!!

And that my friends is what we call....PETTY!!!

BOUNCING BACK AFTER A BAD SESSION (Mirage and Planet Hollywood)

It's alot easier to notice when your playing badly and losing than playing good and winning...When you're playing bad and losing....you see alot of the image above..Lots of FELT and not ENOUGH CHIPS or none at all..

My Friday session at the Mirage was a disaster from the very start...I opened a new game and lost $200 without completing an orbit. Not sure why I lost, all I know I played badly...REALLY BADLY!!! Here's how I lost the majority of my chips...I limped after 2 limpers with 6-2 offsuit...MISTAKE #1....Blinds check..Flop comes 4-3-2...So I flop a pair and gutshot straight draw. Big blind lets for $15...One caller...I also call...Everyone else folds....3 to the turn which brings a 3. Both opponents checks to me...I fire $30..MISTAKE #2...Big blind check raise all in for another $95....Third player folds..Its ups to me. I ask for a count...Of course, I should have mucked my hand long ago...but I had my stupid-hat home...I was just being a donk sitting there as I shoved the $95 needed for the call in the middle...MISTAKE #3 (Not the obscure Culture Club song...lol)...I don't get the miracle river card...My opponent turns over a 5-6 for a nut straight and just like that I'm down $200....

So I spend the rest of the session trying to catch up....which was working out as I settled down, played solid poker and after a couple of hours, I was only stuck $75....Then disaster struck again.....I limp on the button behind another limper with 7-4 clubs...Four to the flop which comes Q Q 9 two clubs...Checked to me..I bet $10...Folded to the limper (A middle-aged, who was just pissed she lost a huge pot as soon as she sat down)...who calls...Turn is a 3....The lady meekly bets out $10...This was an odd bet...In situations like this, in my experience..someone who check-calls a flop bet then leads the turn small is a sign of weakness...maybe she had a flush draw...I decided to see if my read was right...I cut-off $50 chips and put in a raise, hoping she had a flush draw and shrivel to the pressure..LOL!! She hesitated...then reached for a big stack of chips and raised another $125....OOPS!!!! I asked if she filled up (Slang for full house), knowing all along I was going to fold...The lady nodded...I said, "Nice hand" and quietly mucked my 7-high flush draw...She flips over Q-9 for a flopped boat.. 

After that hand I decided, enough was enough...I cashed out down $200, licked my wounds, but still had money to fight another day...which turned out to be this past Monday....

Took an Early Out from work and walked next door for a session at Planet Hollywood...Planet Hollywood used to be one of my favorite poker rooms until Ceasars Entertainment took it over...Even though it's a separate poker room it's run the same way as Ballys, so sometimes some of the Ballys' regular players play at Planet Hollywood and vice versa. So I cut my playing time there significantly, because of my personal preference of  not "Playing with the customers" Today was different as my laziness to drive to another poker room made my decision to play at PH easier..

Before I sat down, I decided to tighten up my game after taking a beaten a few days before at Mirage. Not so much my post flop play, but I wanted to tighten up my preflop and stop playing junk hands that'll get me in trouble like 6-2 or 7-4...Post flop, I was still gonna play aggressively, but I wanted to better starting hand to fight my battles.

I opened a new game and instantly knew half of the table didn't have a fucking clue how to play...They were fumbling and mumbling their cards, their chips, their seats...lol!! They didn't know how to bet, acted out of turn...shitty amateur stuff!! Also they all bought in for the minimum....I decided the best way to approach this table is strictly A-B-C...no fancy plays...just get the hands...Bet them if I had...I wasn't going to stick a dime in the pot if I wasn't ahead, plus I would make them pay dearly for draws...

The plan worked to perfection...In two hours...despite the table having no chips, i manage to squeak a nice win! A welcome site after my disaster at the Mirage....Here's the most notable hand I played:

3 Limpers...I'm in the Big blind with 6-2 Suited..I check my option...Flop comes 8 6 6...Checked to me..I bet $10....Folded to one of the total amateurs at the table...who calls...Everyone else folds...turn is a 9...I bet $15...my opponent nearly string-raises me to $30...I call...River is a 2...I bet 50...he calls...I win with a full house...he had 10-7 for a straight...

The hand seems inconsequential, but it shows how to approach a hand against a player who doesn't seems to know what's going on!! When you play amateurs..you NEVER NEVER NEVER pull fancy moves against them, because unlike good players, players like this don't understand why you're making a "fancy" move..They look at their cards and the board..that's it!!! 

It felt good to have a bounce-back session at Planet Hollywood after playing awful at Mirage. I believe the Mirage session was an aberration, not indicative of how I truly play poker...On the other hand...I'm not an A-B-C type player as I was in Planet Hollywood..as I like to play a lot of hands and play post flop...but sometimes you have to adjust your game according to the table, the chips, and more importantly..your mindset....

INSERT COINS -- Personal Review

Last Friday, my wife and I had a double date with some friends and headed to downtown Vegas (Old Strip) for a night on the town....After dinner at Hash House A Go Go -- That place where they serve an abnormally amount of food that is better off sharing...we headed to a bar called INSERT COINS across from Fitzgeralds:

IINSERT COINS LAS VEGAS is one of the most unique bars in Las Vegas, which is saying something for a city that littered with outstanding bars/nightlife spots. The bar itself is a 10 Flat-Screen TVS where you can have a drink while playing X360/PS3 Games. They also seating areas where (for $30 worth of drinks), you can play all sorts of videos games while drinking the night away. It's definitely something different than the usually meat-markets bars typically are.  But the center attraction is the video games encompassing the entire floor, but not just any games...it's "old school" video games from the 80's like Pac Man, Donkey Kong, and Galaga along with obscure games like TRON, Joust, and Tapper!! Here's a pic of my one my favorites:

When I was kid I spent any quarter I earned on this...I mean, how insane of a concept is Burgertime..Your a chef, armed with a salt/pepper shaker...running up and down ladders trying to make a complete hamburger, at the same time, avoiding creepy and evil looking Mr. Hotdog, Mr. Pickle, and Mr. Eggs!!

The only downsides to this place is some of joysticks don't work so I wasted a few coins on Mortal Kombat II and Galaga, and the drinks were a little pricey ($5 for beer, $3 for fancy water) but the good points outweigh the bad points. If you're looking to do something different in the Vegas experience I highly recommend trying this place out..

INSERT COINS LAS VEGAS has a nostalgia feel for 30-something year old guy like me..it's takes me back to my youth at the time when everything was simple. As soon as you get off school, everyone rides their bikes, walk to their favorite arcade hangout, share a slice of pizza while wasting their afternoons on video games...then we do it all over the next day.

My wife and our friends definately had a awesome time playing "Old School" Video games and reliving our youth. So if you find yourself in Downtown Las Vegas, I highly recommend giving INSERT COINS LAS VEGAS a try.

JUST SHUT UP ALREADY -- My Weekend of Poker

It's been two weeks since I played poker...been a combination of not having enough free time and just not feeling it. One of the best attributes I've had as a gambler is I don't force my to gamble if I'm not feeling it, when I'm not motivated I usually don't play well...

On Friday, I felt strongly about playing poker...so I decided to get back to the grind...So here's my weekend..

FRIDAY -- FEB 10 2012 (CAESARS PALACE)

I hate playing at Caesars Palace...let me repeat again..I HATE PLAYING AT CAESARS PALACE! The room had a cold blooded warehouse feel to it...The players are typically uptight and never seemed to be having fun...A typical Caesars Palace poker room night is 10 tables with absolutely no table talk...all you hear is chips clattering and the occasional profanity.

My wife (who LOVES the room..I don't know why) was playing a tournament, so I decided to sweat my wife while I played 1-3 No Limit...I sat down with $300, and immediately noticed two middle-eastern men raising and straddling pots. The best thing about these type of aggressive games is you win can huge pots quickly because these type of players are "Action" Players willing to shove chips in the pot...the downside is the variances are insane...you can lose two buy-ins quickly or win just as much in the same amount of time

I won a couple of small pots right away and was able to build my stack to around $370 when this hand came up:

Button Straddle, and I'm in the Small Blind with AK...Since there was a pre-flop raise every hand, I decided to just call and if one of the aggressive players raises, I would come over the top. Of Course, if a Solid Player raises (and we had a couple at my table), I re-evaluate to see how the action develops before I make my decision...BB calls...another limper...then one of the solid players raises to $25..Middle eastern Gentlemen with $500 calls...folded around to me...I look over at the solid player's stack and see he has around $140 behind. Having AK out of position is a dicey situation post- flop. If rags flop, I don't know what to do with two players acting after me, with on being an aggressive player who has me covered. I decided to re-raise to $125. I did for two reasons: 1) to get the short stack to make a decisions for all his chips. 2) to try and get the aggressive player big stack out of my pot. The solid player goes all in...The middle eastern gentleman tanks for a minute, then folds his hand...The board runs out J-high, I show my AK...My opponent taps the felt and says, "AK is good" and shows AQ...The middle eastern gentleman smiles, "Nice hand...I had Pocket Jacks" His neighbor confirmed it...As I rake a nice pot, I give out a welcome sigh of relief that I was able to the best hand out of the pot...


FRIDAY NIGHT -- FEB 10, 2012 (ALIANTE STATION)

After my wife and I spend the night at Santa Fe Station, it was 10PM I was itching to play poker, but didn't want to drive to the Strip, so I decided to play at my local casino..ALIANTE STATION!! This is my absolute favorite casino in Vegas..it's beautiful, it has a wonderful atmosphere, and most importantly, it's two blocks from my house...

I had a roller coaster session...I was up right away...then lost around $200 when a gentleman goes all in on a flush draw..I call with an overpair...of course, he gets his flush...I was able to get my money back but it took 3 hours...and ended up with a 10 dollar profit...Hey, I'll take it!! A win is a win!!! LOL...but I wanted to bring something up that happened..

It has to do with his FUCKING PRICK........

I typically don't get mad at players who complain about hands, but if you want to get me on immediate tilt...Trash the Dealers...That's exactly what this fucking asshole did for about an hour...I'm very sensitive about players trashing dealers especially if they've done nothing wrong...Players like this asshole have nothing better to do than to say the worst things about dealers..Among other things this fucking jerkoff said:

1) I don't know about these dealers, I fold my hand on the line and they can't stretch to get my cards?? But when if I tip them here, they'll leave their seats to grab it..that's just pure laziness!

After awhile, I said, "You don't like dealers do ya?

He responded, "They don't work hard enough"

At this point I was really upset, but kept my composure, "I guess you're not inviting them to your next birthday part, huh?"

He didn't respond...

But what I really wanted to scream was "JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

It was late and didn't want to cause a scene, but I hate it when players disrespect poker dealers thinking that our job is "easy". I want to give these assholes a deck of cards and have them deal to a table full of jerks who blame you when you lose a hand...

SUNDAY (BALLYS)

As many of you know I'm a poker dealer at Ballys...I went to work on Sunday and took an E.O (Early out) and wanted to play poker...I was too lazy to drive to a poker room, so I decided to play at Ballys.

I generally have a personal rule that I try not to play in the same room I deal...In my opinion, it's a conflict of interest...I don't like playing with "my" customers. I don't like playing against them, who help me pay my bills (By Tipping), and then taking their money...It fall under the moniker, "Don't bite the hand that feeds you." 

Today was unusual as none of our regulars were playing, so I bend my own personal rule and play...Plus I we had a hard time starting the game, so I wanted to help out to at least get the game going..help the room.  

How did session go?? One word: INCREDIBLE!!!!

I won nearly $400 bucks playing Straight forward poker...it always helps that I was getting premium hands almost every other hand....AA, KK, QQ, AK, AQ...Not only that...whenever i got these premium hands, my opponents had just enough to call me down...even calling when i made huge bets...It was one of those sessions where a Monkey could have made money with the cards I was getting (Not that I call myself a monkey...)

So I had a profitable 3 day-poker session...I'm telling ya, I've been running hot the past month and half. More importantly, I feel I'm playing incredible poker and feel I'm in a zone. I'm hoping I can sustain this a long time or least play well enough where when i do run into a bad session I can minimize my losses!!

Right now, Poker has been fun!! I'm enjoying every minute of it....

Could Have Been RICH!!!! -- Via Apple Inc!

See that Symbol....

I bought several shares of Apple last summer for around $340/Share...Today Apple Inc closed at $468/Share. Today I watched his interesting video:

Really?? Can Apple be worth $1,000/Share one day?? Pretty hard to comprehend how fast and how entrenched how society is with all Apple products. Everybody has an iPod, Everyone has an iPhone, Everyone probably owns something Apple related.

...I'm very happy with the progress of this stock..I wished I could have bought it years ago when it was cheap. 

I was talking to a co-worker today about how incredible The Apple Stock has soared and we talked about how much the stock was worth on the day I got hired, so I decided to do dig deep into this....

I was hired at Ballys' on May 5, 2005...

ON MAY 3, 2005, APPLE STOCK CLOSED AT: $36.21

Yes you READ IT RIGHT:

$36.21

Just think about that for a moment...If you just bought 100 shares of Apple at that price...you'd have over $46,000!! That's just in six years! 

IF you bought 1000 shares...you'd have near a half a million dollars!!! 

What could have been if I believed in this company just six years ago....but then again if I bought stock in this company 10-15 years ago..I could have gotten it at pennies on the dollar...Talk about compound interest at work.

It seems to be the ceiling for Apple has no boundries and whatever this company releases will be an instant cash cow, so it seems reasonable that even though Apple shares are high, it still could be undervalued and it probably a good idea to buy more stock in this company....

I know I'm looking too..

I also know there is a hidden goldmine out there..A stock that's worth around $5-$7/share today that will be explode like Apple....The hard part is trying to find it...it's there somewhere....where could it be??

P90X -- DAYS 5 & 6

P90X -- Week 1 Completed!

The hard part is over! When you get back into a routine, the hardest part is the adjustment back. I've had to wake up early..get the blood flowing quickly, get the oxygen running...

I haven't had trouble with the diet part...lots of protein, minimum carbs...lots of fruits and vegetables.

DAY 5: LEGS AND BACK

This is probably the easiest workout...easiest is probably the wrong word to use, because it's still a tough workout, but I've always had strong legs...especially my calves...Although the toughest move is on this workout..it's called the Chair Salutations..it looks like this:

It's more of a Yoga move (Which it is in the Yoga X) workout...You have to stay in this position for 30 seconds at a time...by the 20th sec...you can feel your legs burning like heck!! 

DAY 6: KENPO X

Kenpo X is a form of karate derived from Japan!! The moves are very similar to the Tae Bo moves. I actually bought the Tae Bo workouts 10 years ago and I must say....it did work, but it just got boring after a while..I really love the Kenpo workout better because there is much more variety in moves..lots of different variation of kicks and punches...It's also a great way to end your P90x week...nothing like a little cardio to get the heart pumping.... I LOVE IT!!

1 week down...12 weeks to go!! Keeping the momentum!!!

On a totally different subject...I got destroyed betting the Superbowl..yup I had a big bet on the New England Patriots!! Can't believe the Patriots receivers forgot how to catch a football!! Oh well...guess that's why they call it gambling.

P90X -- Days 3 and 4

Day 3 -- Shoulders and Back

I get up at 4:30AM for my workout. There's only one drawback to working out so early in the morning. It's the fact that its EARLY IN THE MORNING!!!! It takes me about 10 minutes to wipe the sleep from my eyes and to get the oxygen flowing through my body..then time flies by. I decided to workout in the morning because I have so much to do from 7:30AM to 10:00 AM (When I go to work), working out at 4:30 is the only time where I can do the workout uninterrupted. P90x workouts are an hour long, and I like to get into a rhythm. When I workout at night, I found too many interruptions mainly my daughter wanting to play...

Since I haven't workout in a while, I decided to go really slow with 8-10 reps of 20LBs weights..There's no sense in trying to be a macho man and lift beyond what my body is capable of. Losing weight is not a sprint, it's a marathon. If you take your time to do everything properly, the results will come (As it as in my past P90x sessions)

Day 4 -- Yoga

Yoga Yoga Yoga!!!!!

You're pretty much stretching and twisting your body for an hour and a half...it sounds easy, but I'm gonna tell you it's the HARDEST Routine in the ENTIRE P90x system!! But I feel Yoga may be the more important cause it's helped with my balance, flexibility, and when you're focused it does calm your mind...I LOVE IT!!!

MY DIET

I've pretty much stuck to the high-protein/Low Carb foods...lots of egg white omelets, a protein drink, protein bars, Fish, Chicken, lots of fruits and lots of vegetables...There are times when I feel hungry, but I'm able to curb my hunger by popping a handful of almonds. I've pretty much kept my calorie count at below 2000....

I think my body is still getting used to eating right, because I've been eating crap food for so long. It's a process..just go to continue with the program and the results will follow:

I started the program weighing 228LB (gaining 19 pounds since I last focused on the program)...Right now I was 220.4 LBs. This happened during my first P90x session a year and a half ago..it'll level off as I go through the program..I'm happy losing 1-3 LBS a week..if I do, I'll be on the road to a new body..