Dec
14
by Katrina Lim
Celebrated family birthdays all weekend. Started with Mama’s on Friday, G-Dog’s on Saturday, and Jensen’s today! Eating out all weekend makes tummies expand…I am Balloon Girl now. Although we had a nice birthday dinner last night for Jensen at Romeo Cucina in Laguna Beach, today there is a party for him at his school and another family dinner tonight to celebrate all 3 birthdays…again. Mama insists on having her Peking duck tonight and at $12 per quack, the deal is irresistible.
I’m supposed to head to Vega$ tomorrow morning but I just found out Anna is sick and I sure don’t wanna get the flu! Right before Christmas too! Ugh…so, I may just wait it out til New Year’s now. Today the Bellagio 5 Diamond Main Event starts and good luck to all my pals playing!!! Win something. Also, at her insistence, hafta give a shout out to my pal, Marilou Morelli, fer killing Aces full of Kings at HG to win the jackpot! Her quad Kings earned her an extra $20k…a nice surprise. But wow, the full house loser won an extra $60k+ just fer losing. Must be nice. Hmm, and I am still trying to win just $7.00 and that’s hard enough. Adding her $20k jackpot surprise to her $78k 3rd place WSOP Ladies finish this year, Marilou told me she’s made more than $100k in 2009 with her poker hobby. Hmm, sure beats needlepoint bwahahaha!!
Marilou offered to take me to dinner since she has lotsa extra disposable ca$h now cuz she didn’t expect her hobby to be so profitable in the last 6 months. I told her just for saying that, I predict Marilou will go on a really hot streak in 2010 and will start ca$hing a lot more than $100k…just so she can treat me to more meals next year. I win too! Marilou is a great player and 2010 will be her breakthrough year! $100k is just a tiny taste of how much she’s gonna win next year. I told her to get ready and be prepared for the upcoming publicity that comes with winning a lot. I’m sure she will handle it all very well. Most importantly, I’m gonna make sure fer each time she ca$hes, she’s gotta take me to lunch lol. Hmm, sounds good. Thanks, pal!
As fer me, I played in a fun home game satellite Saturday night for the LA Poker Classic. Seven players and I only knew 2 of them. Ended up winning it (Good job, me!) and now I have an entry to one of the $1065 buy-in events in February. Thanks to John and Margie for graciously hosting us. Looking forward to winning lotsa ca$h in February for me and my new team.
Bahamas is still a distant dream. Still playing qualifiers and still getting bad beat after bad beat. Amazing. Making good decisions pre-flop but hands just won’t hold. Still have a coupla weeks left to try. For some, it is more exciting to win a seat before the week of the tourney. For me, I always like to know what I’m doing months in advance so this sucks. Boo.
For those of you also reading Phil’s blog, he is absolutely right. Playing video games absolutely relates and can impact one’s poker game. I’ve been killing zombies so much that I notice my game is more aggressive. I find myself coming over-the-top more often now…especially with my favorite hand, Kobe (2-4)! Bwahahaha!!
I am considered to be a very tight player, so maybe this is good cuz I’m really mixing it up more often now. Yeah, it’s good killing zombies. Yeah, it feels good winning with 2-4. So, I’m gonna keep playing more M rated games cuz although these games can be so twistedly violent and skewed, they undoubtedly give a great adrenaline rush. The rush being a nonstop race to survive your surroundings…just like tournament poker. Wonderful! Bwahahahaha!! Anyway, gonna meet up with my sister soon to help her with Jensen’s birthday party at school. His entire class gets kool birthday cupcakes from Mrs. Beasley’s. Sis ordered gourmet Mocha, Chocolate, and Red Velvet. What happened to the days when yur only choice was Vanilla or nothing? Kids today…so spoiled. I remember when I was in 3rd grade and I wanted a Cabbage Patch Kid so bad fer Christmas and mama could only afford a knockoff Kid…a Lettuce Kid?! Bwahahaha!! But I loved my Lettuce Kid all the same. This Christmas, I really think Jensen will not only get his much anticipated 360, but also a PS3…and he’s only 10 today. Last night alone for his birthday, G-Dog gave him 5 video games! One being Left 4 Dead 2 (he doesn’t even have a 360…yet.) and G-Dog knows he doesn’t have his 360, yet. I guess we are all proud of the kid fer getting straight As this semester. But then again, yur Asian, lil guy! Yur expec ted to get straight As!!! Bwahahaha!! Damn nerd! But he’s a good kid…good ole Boogs!
So Happy Monday y’all! Be good to yurself and each other. Win big and share the wealth this holiday season. It will come back to you 100 fold!
Dec
14
by Chad Holloway
As some of you may know, I write Fantasy Poker articles for Poker Pro Magazine and the European publication, Online Poke Pro. This has been a great experience and has allowed me to contribute to one of poker’s highest quality magazines. Another benefit from this experience is that my editor and fellow University of Wisconsin Alum, Johnny “Quads” Wenzel, informs me of some great opportunities in the poker world. Most recent he told me of an upcoming online tournament they are holding for a great cause, to honor the armed services. Not only that, the winner of the freeroll tournament will win a seat to the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event plus $2,000 for expenses. I’m looking forward to that and to learn more you can always pick-up a copy of Poker Pro Magazine (plus you’ll get to read some of my articles on Fantasy Poker).
In other poker news, I’ve decided to grind it out at some low stakes Sit & Gos here on UnaBomber. I’m usually playing some sort of ring games, but after scrolling through the lobby, I noticed UnaBomber offers some pretty decent Sit & Go options. My plan is to just grind those out for awhile and see how I do. I’m actually having a good time playing the “Double or nothing” tournaments. I’ve decided to avoid Pot Limit Omaha unless it’s the micro stakes, because it seems no matter what I do, I can’t beat that game.
My other poker plans include a trip to New Orleans in February. I’m going to visit some old friends and live it up at Mardi Gras, but I’m looking forward to putting a session or two in at the poker room in Harrah’s. I used to play there almost every day when I lived in NOLA, and I loved it. It’s a great room and it’s right off Bourbon Street. The 2009 WSOP Winter Bayou Poker Challenge is going on right now and I hate to miss it. Just the same, I can sit home all day playing online poker and avoid the 5 degree weather here in Wisconsin.
I’ll also be glued to the internet checking updates on the WPT Doyle Brunson Classic. I know the Unabomber himself will be playing, so I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed. Speaking of Mr. Laak, he seems to be addicted to Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. I can’t say that I blame him. I’m not the video gamer I used to be (thanks to internet poker) but even I can’t put down C.O.D.2. It is by far the best first-person shooter I have ever played and it is so much fun. You might see me on X-Box live playing under “Hollowayism.” If I’m not there check UnaBomber and I’ll probably be playing under the screenname “LuckBox07.”
Nov
24
by Katrina Lim
The Bahamas are calling!
AARRGGHH!! I played another Sunday qualifier fer PCA and finished 6th! I needed to finish in the top 2 to win my way to the Bahamas!!! ARGH!!! Felt janky fer a good hour or so…ugh. Then I played Left For Dead and after a few successful campaigns, was feelin’ good again. Had fun killing all those zombies! OMG, this game rules! And I was playing online with bro, E-Dog, and Eugene so it was even more fun! I’m also Xsporean on XBOX Live!
So last night I played and won another pre-qualifier so I’m in fer cheap fer this Sunday’s PCA qualifier again! Man, I better qualify this Sunday or else! I can already see the beach, cocktails, trashy mags, and FOOD! Never been to Bahamas! Never been to Atlantis! People tell me it’s paradise! I don’t believe them so I need to find out fer myself. And with lil sis already in, it’ll be such a fun trip!!
Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I’m hungry! Will be fun eating and chilling and eating some more. Check out the menu, yo!
Big ass bird (Thanks Uncle Joe!) with mama’s famous Chinese stuffin’!! Her secret ingredient? Shitake mushrooms and chestnuts, yo! And we also gotz green bean casserole, fruit salad, homemade mashers, and even sweet potater casserole! Throw in a pumpkin pie and homemade tiramisu and wash it all down with some pinot noir and sparkling cider and you gotz a couple extra pounds, easy! Oh, but so worth it! Thanksgiving is the only day where we’re supposed to overeat and feel good about it! So I only want to do my part and continue this great American tradition! Hmm, I will hafta check if Kobe is on! A Lakers win will complete my holiday.
Then Black Friday! I love Black Friday cuz who doesn’t like shoppin’ fer cheap?! And it’s also a tradition to wake up at an ungodly hour and support our economy! And fer those newbies that don’t know how to handle the masses, please be extra careful and don’t get hurt! Holy hell! Every damn year some poor shoppers let others walk all over them (literally!). Be safe out there! Hopefully, I can drag my sis to come with me to all these places and we can snag some deals! When else can you get yurself a slow cooker, coffeemaker, toaster, etc. for $3 each??!! Ah, Friday starts the holiday shopping season! December is an expensive month fer me. With birthdays on the 11th, 12th, 14th, and 15th, I am a broke bee-at-ch. Jank. Throw in Christmas, and by the new year, it’s true jankity jank. I am really tempted to pick up another PS3 just to have another blu-ray player in the house to go with the new 50” plasma and it comes with free copies of Batman’s Arkham Asylum and Infamous. These 2 games are right up my alley and I’ll also get a free blu-ray of The Dark Knight. Anyway, gonna make my shoppin’ list later today.
Watched the WSOP final table and ESPN sure made poker look like more of a crapshoot than a game of skill. Would’ve been nice to see Phil win it. And what’s up with Jeff “Grizzly Adams” Schulman?! Yo, I know you can afford a razor! I need to find out from Joe Cada how he knows when Ducks and Tres’ are gonna flop sets! You’re a genius! Congrats!
Playin’ some SNGs today and then meetin’ up with BFF fer lunch at the beach. Then gonna go to her neighbor’s holiday boutique tonight with the gang. Should be fun! Have a winning day everybody!
Nov
23
by Katrina Lim
I’ve switched from poker to more violent games of late. Ha! To celebrate Left For Dead 2 that comes out today, I’ve been playing the original and enjoying the carnage. What a great way to handle tilt too. On a bad run lately? No problem. Just pick up some shotguns and semi-automatics and blast all the zombies that come yur way! Feels great! Monsters ain’t yur thang? Then pick up Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2! Great way to solve tilt. Video games rule! Now and forever!
I played a Ladies Weekend qualifier fer PCA and was 18 fools shy of qualifying. Jank. However, lil sis won so I may just hafta sneak into her luggage. Actually, this may actually be better! While she works at the tables, I may just chill on the beach, cocktail in hand, trashy mag in the other, and enjoy the warm sun in mid-Winter. Hello Bahamas!
We had our family luncheon on Sunday and it was lotsa fun catchin’ up with all the cousins. We had dim sum and dim sum more! Yummy stuff! The Thanksgiving dinner menu is complete and man, we are gonna have some fun! Bro’s gonna bring over all the Rock Band stuff and this will be a first…having real rock stars at my house playing Rock Band!!! Sweet! Can’t wait for Liz and Morgan to show us their rock star skillz and we’re gonna challenge em! And if you haven’t yet, go grab Miss Derringer’s new album, Winter Hill! My cousin rules! I’m also gonna teach em all how to play some poker, so maybe I can make some ca$h off of em too so I can go crazy on Black Friday!! Ha!
I’ve been playing $3/$5 at Commerce and congrats to my friend, Diana Korkis, fer reaching the final table of the $250k Guaranteed of the LA Poker Open this past weekend. Shouldn’t have chopped it though as I know she could’ve taken down all dem foolios! Good job, girl!
Right now, still trying to qualify fer PCA and playing a lotta 360. Also playing some Guarantees on Unabomber Poker today! Come find me! Gonna go get me some Left For Dead 2 later too. Life is good.