Thursday, December 30, 2004

Money for nothing and the chips for free

Yesterday I finally ended up "in the money" in a freeroll. It takes some waiting, since there are so many participants (usually around six to eight thousand).

You need a bit of luck to build a stack but you've also got to keep in mind that when the blinds are high and your stack is low that if you wait for good cards the payoff will be good from the blinds alone.

I was actually in sixth place (out of 914 remaining of the 7880 entrants) for a while, then I had $42000 and had started with $1000. Nearer the end I was up at $111480. Finally out at 41st place, 130 places paid, which gave me approximately $3.4. We-ell, not very good hourly wages since it took four hours but one has a shot at first place or at least the ten first, which pay better.

Altering the playing style as the game progresses is necessary. In the first stages, don't go broke. Then mix it up with tight-aggressive to make sure you rake in something with good hands. Then consolidate with only superior hands and in the end go for coin tosses.

Then today I entered a cheap Sit-n-Go ten-seater and finished second so from the day before yesterday when I had zero currency units in the account where I've never put any of my own money in, I now have $5. Which can be used for more safe playing. I think I've altered my style a bit, not gambling ("Oh, I might as well put in this too") but keeping the chips until I know I'll win.

Oh, oh, oh, the day before yesterday I went and picked up that cheap (Dice, 500 pieces, five colors, aluminum case) poker chip set I talked about. Sweet! And HEAVY. Next Tuesday it's time for the regular homegame, this will be nice.

Saturday, December 04, 2004

Second place is best loser

We had another little homegame No-Limit Texas Hold'em tournament, same gang as last time, but due to circumstances only four could participate so we were done rather quickly.

No good cards for me, and when I got KK on hand the flop came all diamonds, other player bet heavily but I tagged along. There was no flush though, but he had two pair. When it was only me and one other left in the game I had to go all in with a pair of sevens after the flop. He called and had nothing more than A2 on hand. The river was a deuce, haha, the only thing that can stop me now is an ace or a deuce. Yea verily, the river was another deuce and the final standings were the same as last time; same guy winning, me in second place (only the buy-in back this time) and same guy finishing last.

We use the cheap Bicycle poker chips I have, they're really not very nice but will do when you don't have anything else. I found a great deal on a 500 pieces (five colors, a hundred of each) set in an aluminum case. Only 499 of our currency units, other stores take 1000-2000 for it. However, I travelled to the nearest outlet this weekend since I was doing some christmas shopping anyway and they were sold out. "We might get some more next week" but when I called to check they said there were none in this weeks delivery, maybe next week. But then it's all that christmas hoopla so then I can't pick it up. I might get lucky in the days between christmas and New Year's eve. Or I could get a set for christmas. I've let Santa know.

Thursday, December 02, 2004

Snake eyes

At lunch today, I left work to do some christmas shopping and pick up a package (with presents I had mailordered) at the post office.

Can't tell you what I ordered as gifts (no fair peeking!) but for myself I had ordered some dice. And not just any dice, but real casino dice, you know: translucent red acrylic with no round edges, big white dots. And the online order form said that they have actually been used at a Vegas casino and removed from circulation after 8 hours of use. I look closer and at the 4-side on each there's a small indentation and then initials (or two letters) scratched on the surface.

Best of all: The casino was Binion's Horseshoe.

After work I'm now staying here to play some Hold'em online, a $1000 freeroll (1st prize $230) and later there's a $10000 freeroll. I wonder how that will go, because there are thousands of players registered. How many thousands? Well, it says "Max players: 20000" and right now "17289 entrants".

Ouch, just got knocked out of the $1000 freeroll. I had flopped a set (pair of deuces on hand, another deuce came on the flop) and slowplayed it, silly me. I simply didn't see it coming when the remaining opponent went all-in on the river and then shows a straight 2 to 6. Those itty bitty low cards. Why not a proper wheel?

I'll write more tonight when I'm $2300 richer. Buh-bye.

Tuesday, November 30, 2004

Yay yay rawr!

After work today, we had a little "homegame" No-Limit Texas Hold'em tournament. Six participants, two places paid and a good time was had by all.

I was the only one who had much real experience playing and I mostly folded, folded, folded and watched them become committed to a pot and staying in with nothing. However, there were five other players and one cannot affect everything, so I at least came out with my ego intact at second place. We will play more.

By the way, this morning I was at the dentist sooner than I expected, they'd had an appointment cancelled and a spot open so I went there to get the dental work started. Had a deep cavity in one tooth filled (no root canal, phew!), almost an hour's work. Maybe the Novacaine stayed in an gave me a proper poker face?

Then I woke up. I then came home and saw that my discs had come.

Eighties sci-fi synth punk yay yay rawr! The Epoxies must have raided Devo's office or something and stolen purloined all their synthesizer settings. Their CD is the proper length. Eleven tracks, less than half an hour. Possibly they also stopped at an Irish pub after the raid on Devo's office.

Makes me want to get a Prodikeys and start keying.

\m/<^_^>\m/

Yay rawr!

Friday, November 26, 2004

oveD. The Epoxies .Devo

Tipped of by a mention by club owner Jamie Zawinski in a posting at the DNA Lounge homepage, I download and listen+view a song.

Gaddies and lentilmen, I present:

The Epoxies

The Epoxies!

I've always been a huge Devo fan, and this sounds like Devo, except with a female singer. And in the 21st century, or Century of the Fruitbat or what-evah.

Ordered online a little while ago. And the "Complete Truth" Devo DVD (devovid?) while I was at it.

She's (the singer, Roxy Epoxy) cute too. Her and Gwen Stefani, mmmmm...

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

Nuts?

I've made it my "thing" on all the NLHE freerolls I enter to exclaim in the chatbox whenever a four of a kind is shown:

That's a lotta Xs!


(or replace the exclamation mark with three periods...) For example "That's a lotta threes".

Why? A phrase is stuck in my head ever since I saw a movie from, by and starring Steve Oedekerk; Kung Pow: Enter the Fist:

That's a lotta nuts!

Sunday, November 21, 2004

¡Maldito rio!

So I went to my third live tournament full of hope. I brought my green felt table cloth, as last time, and also a toolbox with chips and decks for possible cashgames.

There were 43 entrants, five tables. The No Limit Texas Hold'em tournament starts and at the very first hand (I think, it might've been the first hand I participated in) I'm dealt QK and limp along. The flop comes TJA. Wham-zoom, an ace high straight. Some betting and raising, the turn comes and everybody folds after my betting. Nice to start off on plus.

Man, it's hard to keep a pokerface. And if you might've given something away, to counteract it with a double or triple fake. But I think I handle it well when I look at my cards and see American Airlines, pocket rockets, Alcoholics Anonymous, bullets, AA staring back at me. I raise a bit and (only) one other player calls. Flop, bet. The opponent (whom I have met at two other live tournaments and played against in one, where I folded K9o to his all-in) goes all-in. Hamina hamina hoo, I call! He has more chips than me so this is it. The cards are turned over and he has nothing, no made hand, so he is beat, beat, beat at the moment. He comments that he didn't expect a call but I understand him, this early in the tournament you'll have to play wild and maybe bluff to get anywhere (or out).

But...

The turn comes and gosh, he has a straight draw. If a six comes on the river, he'll have it and win.

Guess what comes at the river?

6


So I'm out at 42nd place of 43. Curseword genitalia intercourse feces.

When two tables are freed up (by the way, The Tournament Director is excellent for tournaments, the two guys running the tournament could manage 43 players including themselves, timekeeping, table balancing, prize money easily without hassle) I start up a cashgame, 6/12 Limit and we are about eight who play for a while. I lose a bit there too, but not because of bad play, just ups and downs. Next time I'll bring change, so you can cash out more easily.

All at the final table get a t-shirt, the three first get a cap (promotional material from a sponsor), the six first get paid.

I pack up my felt, chips, cards and sorrows and walk silently into the night. It was fun but next time, ooh, next time...

Tuesday, November 16, 2004

Bite me

I was at the dentist this morning, for the first time in, oh, fourteen years.

The reason I've never been to the dentist as an adult is that I've never had any problems with my teeth (toothache, teeth falling out, bleeding gum etc) and that it costs money - not covered by Sweden's health service as everything else. Strange in a way, if I get a hole in my head or a tumor I just pay a small patient fee and get it fixed but when it's specifically the teeth, you pay dearly.

But now I'd discovered a cavity in one tooth that I can feel with my tongue and food gets stuck in it, so I made a dentist appointment to have it checked out.

Oh my. There are three or four other fillings that have to be made, plus that big cavity that will probably require a root canal. A few appointments are made for January to have it done. Afterwards, on advice from the dentist, I get a pack of fluoride tablets to suck after meals and will use my electric toothbrush more (it's actually better than a manual toothbrush, it doesn't irritate the gum as much, I believed the opposite).

Well well. "Having a root canal". I think that's a (male?) rite of passage, along other things you have to have done such as:

  • Partaking in a high stakes poker game
  • Get howling drunk on a weekday
  • Drive a vehicle really fast
  • Blow shit up
  • Get stitches
  • Change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. (From Robert Heinlein's "Time Enough for Love")

Sunday, November 14, 2004

Reco'nize!

About a week ago, I discovered that Iggy, a fellow Blogspotter, a notorious pokerblogger, had mentioned my little blog among (thirtyfour) other blogs. Now I see that he has put the link (among a hundred others) in his listing on the right. So, at least someone has found me. The statistics over daily pageviews sometimes soars into the double digits, wow!

Pokerwize, not much. Been in a few NLHE freerolls, best placement 198th of 6000. Or out early. In the no-limit freerolls, it's like in limit poker; you can only afford one mistake at most, or one mistake for every two successes. Things have to happen early, either you go out early on a gamble (riverred or kickered) or you build a stack so you can survive at least a few blinds waiting. It's no fun having $10.000 in chips when the tournament leader has $100.000. But! Things can change fast. The other day I was down to $800 in chips late in the tournament and a few played hands later I was up to $18.000. (Then down again, then out).

I'll probably maybe tentatively enter in a live tournament next Sunday, if there are seats left. I'll know during the week if I'll have other commitments and obligations. The last time was fun, even if I didn't win anything.

If you're running a poker tournament, definitely check the (Windows) software The Tournament Director out.

Saturday, October 30, 2004

Boo!

Raked big yellow maple leaves at mom's house, a really autumny halloweeny look.

Celebrated the birthday at dad's house. One of the gifts I got was an Alessi frame (my sister usually gives me designed Alessi items of the blue plastic variety, which is nice) with a picture of niece Julia in it. The picture was taken today and she was wearing the romper suit with UNCLE'S FAVORITE printed on it that I gave her yesterday. It's an on demand world, so you have to act fast in this digital age! Thank goodness for digital cameras and color printers.

I took pictures with my digital camera and I also recorded some wimpering and hiccuping.

Friday, October 29, 2004

Chip rebuy

I travelled south by train, bus, feet and car to meet up with family to quietly celebrate my birthday. In the town where I switched from train to bus I had a few hours to kill so I wandered around "shopping". Didn't find much, but in a game store (board games, roleplaying games, card games) I found two full shelves with poker equipment. I have already bought five hundred-packs of the cheapest kind - thin interlocking 2-gram plastic chips with the distribution 50 white, 25 blue, 25 red - so I wasn't really looking for more chips, but they had some cheap (a little less than half price of really real casino-style clay chips) thick and heavy plastic chips of the brand "Marion Heavy Diamond Chips" in a transparent plastic rack so I bought a hundred. Could use them for heads-up games and (not unimportant) practicing chip tricks.

Was picked up by my mother and we went to my sister's house where I met my niece Julia for the first time. Nearly two weeks old now. Her father had e-mailed some pictures but they don't really convey the size. Babies are unbelievably tiny!

Sunday, October 24, 2004

Rag River Kicker

Sooo, I was in another live tournament today.

There were more players in this one, 32, some of which I recognized from my first one.

I don't think I played badly, I simply got almost no playable cards. I was eaten by the blinds and cold calls. I only played one or two hands to a showdown (which I lost to better kicker), otherwise it was just fold pre- or post-flop since my hand had nothing, no made hand, no draws. Just one of those days I guess. Out at 21st place. Like many other of the outfrozen ones, I hung around and watched the final table. Ah, so there's where all the good cards, lucky draws and fantastic rivers went!

Went home, saw Sopranos where Tony Blundetto loses a (draw?) poker hand going up with three Jacks against a Full House. Madonn'! That poker is everywhere. Didn't watch WPT because it's on late and like Tony B. I have to get up early for work.

Tuesday, October 19, 2004

It's been a while

That took some time... I've been slugging away at the daily Expekt NLHE $1000 freerolls but they're too crowded. Around six thousand players and only 130 paid, each time. They used to have a lower maximum, three tousand. It's a matter of waiting out the all-in-every-time maniacs and slapping them silly with an AA or KK when they for the eighth time in a row bully the blinds.

But today I finally ended up "in the money" again. 113th place out of 6337 entrants, earning me $1 after nearly three hours of play. Wow! One dollar, for free! This I'll take to a Sit'n'Go table later.

And I'm going to another live tournament this Sunday. I won't have to worry if I go down to the felt (as the lingo is for being short of chips) since I'll be bringing it. The felt. Haha. You can laugh now.

Sunday, October 17, 2004

The uncle from M.A.N.

My sister had a little girl today, named Julia, so I'm now officially an uncle. Later I'll be a godfather and in a few years time probably Santa Claus too.

Sunday, October 10, 2004

Mustek DV5000 review

I've used my Mustek DV5000 multi-function digital camera for a while now and I must say I'm really liking it. Not loving it, but it's really neatykeen.

Pros:
The size: It's truly pocket sized and fits in the palm of your hand. About the size of a pack of cigarettes, only thicker.
Its versatility: It's a video camera, a still camera, a voice recorder and an MP3 player.
The simplicity: I was up and running without reading the manual in a matter of seconds after inserting the batteries. There are nine buttons out of which seven or eight really matter and you'll mostly be using at most four of them. The icons onscreen are intuitive but may take some quick leafing through the manual to make sure what they really mean.
Night Shot and flash: For poor light, you can turn on Night Shot which enhances the picture (both in video and still mode). The flash seems powerful but doesn't reach far. Good for a small to medium room perhaps.

Cons:
Simplicity: There are no advanced functions, for example locking the light or white balance or manually selecting shutter speed. It's all continually adapting.
Screen: The screen only folds straight out, it's not tiltable, that's a feature on the followup DV5500, but this DV5000 is good enough (and better/more functions than the DV4000). The screen is also so small you can't really tell from the preview if it's blurry or not.
Artefacts: There are artefacts sometimes (white, green or red pixels that shouldn't be there) when shooting objects with much detail or when using the digital zoom.
Settings: The settings don't seem to stay until the next session. Each time I have to deselect Info to not get the date stamped onto the picture in still mode. Or Night Shot.

But hey, it's very good value for money. An Instamatic or Super-8 or Walkman all-in-one for the ... (wait for it) ... digital age! Good enough for "amateur" use, versatile and small enough for the "I wish I had a camera with me" moments.

Mustek DV5000 digital camera

Monday, September 27, 2004

Smile, you're on camera!

Yes, I went ahead and ordered that Mustek DV-5000 plus an extra 256 MB memory for it. Maybe time for a videoblog?

Oh, a few things about yesterday's poker performance: I warmed up by watching Rounders, of course. And I recall one mistake I made, I folded my unraised big blind (and it was remarked on by another player but by that time the cards were already in the muck). But it was rags anyway, and then I wasn't tempted to continue playing them.

Sunday, September 26, 2004

Showdown

So I played in my first live poker tournament (No Limit Texas Hold'Em) today. It went quite well, but not well enough.

I can't give a clear recount of all (significant) plays, like Wil Wheaton, beacuse DANG! was I nervous, hands trembling and not wanting to screw up the deal when it was my turn or acting out of turn. But everyone was helpful out of the fifteen of us that showed up, playing at two tables in a basement at an undisclosed location. Just ask first if you're not sure. Beverage and snacks available, real clay chips.

I believe the very first hand I was in on, I won. Got pocket jacks and it became trips on the flop, sweet. And for a very long while, it was either fold since it was rags anyway or play and win. No fancy play or bluffing, just playing the cards. There were those who commented on their play or did all-ins or were boisterous, I just sat there quiet as a rock.

Lo' and behold, I make it to the final table! And that was without re-buys or an add-on, quite a few had to resort to that. Continued solid playing by me, I still remember to protect my cards every time, using the same lucky $5 chip I'd used all day for that.

My stack size is second to last but I'm still alive. In late position, I raise by one Big Blind (300) with K9 offsuit, but was reraised and I fold. All-in with KA Diamonds, no takers.

On the button, stack dwindling, I get A2 offsuit. One all-in from another player, then another one and I tag along with my all-in Ace of Spades, two of Hearts. Sort out the pots, turn the cards over and time for showdown. First all-in has pair of jacks. Second all-in has A2 Diamonds and me with A2 offsuit. Weak hand, but not a bad play. The board gives me and the other guy a pair of deuces but not more, the Jacks take it and I'm out at, based on what me and the other A2 guy (there were only guys there, which was not surprising) started the hand with, sixth place.

Sixth place out of fifteen in my first tournament, not bad. If I may say so myself. I don't feel like I wasted any hands or pots and the Ace I went out with wasn't rags. I will definitely play again. And they were all nice blokes.

Had I ended up "in the money", I had my sight set on getting one of these babies. A Mustek DV-5000 all-digital video camera. From the reviews I've read, it's an OK still camera and reasonable video camera. And it uses only memory (SD or MMC) for storage, not DV, Mini-DV or Hi-8. One strong point about it is also its price, which is about a fifth of other (albeit fancier) tape-less or micro-format digital video cameras like the Panasonic SV-AV100 or the Micro-MV Sony DCR-IP1. And those of you that have read earlier postings in my blog know I'm tight and looking for a good deal.

Heck, I'm this -><- close to clicking the order button. I'll post this, and let you know later what I did. I just got a mail that the pay raises are soon negotiated and they're retroactive.

Sunday, September 19, 2004

Image is everything

In live poker, "they" talk about "table image", they overall style you show to the other players or how they perceive you. I wonder what my table image will be like next weekend when I'll play in a live tournament? If I'm wearing something like I'm wearing today, i.e. goatee, frayed jeans, rough brown patinated leather jacket and the scar on my neck. Or maybe I should wear a suit or suit jacket and white shirt? But should I take the green, black or brown one? The white? Tweed? Or like the majority on WPT and WSOP, go Slobby Casual?

Maybe something like this?

(from the Create your own South Park Character Flash thingy)

And spruce it up with sunglasses and do the hair with Spiky Gel.

Going home, I rent and watch the movie Signs. Purportedly a horror-ish movie, I found it to contain a lot of humor and comedy, in an understated deadpan way. Watch it, if you haven't, and you'll understand. The brilliant director M. Night Shyamalan should consider changing his name though. Checking the cover for his name, I can't recall its exact spelling a few seconds later. Shamayalan? Shalaman? Shalayman? Shayalaman? Yalla yalla, hey man? Mr. Smith?

Friday, September 17, 2004

I raise you one stitch

I was at the clinic today to remove the stitches that have been in for nearly two weeks now. Oh, sweet relief! I've got two words for you: IT CHY.

It turns out there were ten of them, not nine as I'd written earlier. That brings my total to 44.

Blatant attempt to attract attention to my blog:
Kerry and Bush Google Iraq Porn with Linux! Film at eleven.

Sunday, September 12, 2004

Dead animals

More finds at the flea market today, I seem to have a knack for it. Maybe something I've inherited from my mother?

A small wooden chest that I just had to have even though it was kind of ugly, since it had the suits (♠ ♥ ♦ ♣) painted on the lid.

And a black (goatskin) leather jacket that was my size, goes down to the thighs, ain't that nice? Maybe it's been a police or guard jacket, because there's a reflecting stripe along the hemline and on the left upper arm there are stitchmarks from an emblem that's been removed.

I'll have to air it out, because it smells like it's been hanging in a murky damp cellar or attic for some years. I take it home and apply some leather cleaner and leather protection, and it looks rather nice.

Speaking of leather jackets, I picked up my other one this Friday that I'd left at a leatherworker to replace the collar that was starting to fall apart. Now I have two leather jackets that'll last me a lifetime. But, oh, I'd like a long leather coat too (the Matrix look). And a biker jacket.

Let's see, I could wear my lambskin gloves, the goatskin leather jacket plus belt and shoes probably made from cow. Must. Wear. Dead. Animals. Ug. Og. Eek. Ook.

But leather pants is a big no-no.

Friday, September 10, 2004

Ill shopping

Enjoying the time off, but not the itching in the stitches, I go shopping. I've got a hardshell wallet, looking like the ones at Smartcaze, matching my Boblbee backpack, and the bills don't fit in it, so I get a clip. And as Lefty tells you in Donnie Brasco, always put the highest denomination bill on the outside.

Oh, and I find a dirt cheap aluminum briefcase/toolbox. I already have a few (plastic) toolboxes, too many actually, but I've always wanted one of these in aluminum. I decide to use it as my poker box. I got my poker chips yesterday, so those and my playing cards go in it. Kinda like Stevens' case in Shade.

Also, I'm looking for a pinstripe suit or jacket, but don't find one within my price range. I'll be a Godfather in October and I want to look the part. But based on my previous shopping experiences I've described in this blog, all good things come to those who wait, so I'll make a great find later.

Thursday, September 09, 2004

Drugs and nine stitches

Saturday


In preparation for the surgery, it's time for muscle relaxant, mild diuretic and tranquilizer. Yes, I'm talking about going to the pub with a friend and ingesting Guinness and playing games (trivia, puzzles).

Monday


As I've written earlier, I was diagnosed with pleomorphic adenoma (a benign tumor in the neck, salivary gland) and today it was time for surgery to remove it. I rise early Monday morning and take the bus to the hospital, where I wait outside a while before they open. I register, get a room of my own, am told to change into a white smockish number and take these pills please (no red or blue ones to choose between). Painkillers and benzodiazepine.

I get into bed, am wheeled to the operating room and then told to get on the operating table and breathe in this mask please. Things happened so fast I didn't get a chance to deliver the joke I'd been planning all week.

-"Doctor, doctor, will I be able to sing after the surgery?"

-"Well, yes, I don't see why not."

-"Cool, I couldn't sing before."

At least managed to do a similar thing the time a few years ago when I was at the same hospital for minor surgery of the hand to remove some complications from a disagreement with heavy machinery at the factory I worked at.

-"Doctor, doctor, will I be able to play the piano after the surgery?"

-"Well, yes, I don't see why not."

-"Cool, I couldn't before."

Neither could I tell the surgeons to, since they're already there around the face with sharp knives, maybe get a Brad Pitt/George Clooney/Harrison Ford thing going.

Breathe in the mask, fzzzt, lights out. I wake up in the bed I started in, new room, very disoriented and with a tube snaking from my neck, ending in a Jackson-Pratt bulb. I think that's what they're called, based on my pre-surgery research. Not Pratt & Whitney or Briggs & Stratton, because they're engine makers. After some false starts I figure out which limbs are arms and which are legs and the difference between left and right and wave (pathetically?) to attract attention and tell the staff that I'm awake again.

Bed is wheeled back to my room and from the wall clock I can tell that I've probably been out about three hours.

You're told to come to surgery (if it's under full anesthesia) on an empty stomach because you can be nauseous from it, but/so I'm hungry. I joked with a friend the week before about a tumor being a mutation, and what my superpower would be. I suggested To Be Able To Eat As Much As I Like Of Anything Without Getting Fat. But I already have that ability, and the surgical removal of the mutation didn't affect it. Yum, sandwiches.

As an aside, the "What superpower(s) would you recieve after being hit with cosmic energy?" quiz at this link said: "An insatiable appetite and the ability to chew anything. So much for your diet (look for the low-carb concrete)".

Wow. Go figure. But it also said that my sidekick would be: "An elephant that is afraid of the dark".

I get a morphine shot, we'll see what the effects will be... Many years ago I was at another hospital for appendicitis (perforation and peritonitis to boot) and then I got many morphine shots. I could spend the better part of an afternoon trying to figure out what day it was. Yay barbiturates.

Now it's just a matter of waiting, if the amount of fluid draining (the tube in the neck, remember?) decreases, I can go home tomorrow. I have a TV in my room. Yay daytime sitcoms. Full House, That 70s Show, Malcolm in the middle, Nikki AND Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I stay away from talkshows like Dr. Phil and Oprah, because then I'd need heavier drugs. Much heavier drugs.

Bathroom visits and perambulation is a bit hampered by the glucose IV in my left arm but since I can drink and eat it's removed but the needle left in place in case they'd need to put more chemicals in me. Now, for a proper Borg look, the fluid in my neck tubing should be green and the IV thingy with valves should be black and chrome. Clothing should be a biker/Goth crossover.

Nope. Neck = Red pinkish. IV = Pink and baby blue. Clothing = White smock.

Tuesday


Everything is OK, and preparations are underway for going home. I think I scared the bejeebers out of a poor student nurse when I had the IV needle removed. I'm a blood donor, and not squeamish about needles or blood, and was helpful in holding back pieces of tape and putting the bandaid on. Well, she removed the needle under the supervision of another nurse, then they left and I continued packing. Suddenly I feel a wet sensation on my arm and oopsie, I'm bleeding a bit. Like a plug had been pulled. I used the arm too soon, and managed to drip blood on the floor, bed, my pants and elsewhere. I rush to the sink and get a paper towel which is soaked too, but I manage to stop it, then find the button thingy to call a nurse. They come back and I stand there over the sink looking sheepish. "Uhm, it bled through." The poor little student nurse looks scared but both I and the senior nurse are calm and tell her that these things happen, just go get a bigger bandaid and we'll clean this up.

I talk to the doctors that did the surgery. A tumor the size of a hazel nut had been removed, no problems, we'll just remove the neck drain thing and send you home.

I go home, and start spoiling myself. Candy, pizza, more TV, mild Paracetamol painkillers and calling everybody and telling them I'm OK.

Swallowing, yawning, coughing, sneezing and getting up are maneuvers that have to be carefully planned so my neck doesn't explode.

Wednesday


It's sometimes up, sometimes down. I normally don't sleep on my back, but that's the only possible position for a while. Sometimes I can move about freely, sometimes I have to lie down flat or when I move about (went shopping for "food and medicine" (but not guns)) I have to adopt this Fronkensteen monster/Zombie posture where I can't turn my neck but have to rotate my whole torso. Brrraaaaaaiins.

The Show "Las Vegas" was on, the one where Sam is all hyper after handling two craps players for 48 hours straight running on caffeine pills. I can relate to that.

I got two full weeks medical leave but if I feel OK I can probably go back to work next week. We'll se about that after the weekend.

I mainly write about poker in this blog, so why write about this experience? Well, it's my blog, a blog should be personal and I can write about whatever I like. And I can probably work a poker angle into it. I haven't changed the wound dressing yet, so I don't know how many stitches there are in addition to the total of thirtyfour I already have elsewhere, but there will maybe be a slight scar. That can be useful in live (or B & M) poker. "Oh, this? Got it in a fight in Reno with a guy who dealt from the bottom of the deck. Arrr!". I don't know why I sounded like a pirate there.


Friday, September 03, 2004

Poker Portal

How-dee!

Hey, I see that this humble (mostly poker) blog is included (with a blinking "New" next to it) in the monster portal/link collection at Poker Portal in the Poker Blogs/Journals/Diaries section. I have an audience! And because the title is Glued to the seat, i.e. beginning with a G (ain't nuthin' but a G thang, baby) my neighbor is Iggy's Guinness and poker which I mentioned in the previous posting (and he's also a fellow Blogspot user).

I'm honored.

So, please check Poker Portal out, and of course all the other links. Yes, all of them. There are many, but as they state there, "Links will also be checked for their quality. For us it is quality rather than quantity that counts :-)."

Hmm, I'm doubly honored then, because I don't remember asking to be put on that list, so that means someone found this blog and thought it was good enough to add among the others with such names as "Down to the felt", "Drowning at the river" and "Flopped the nuts".

I play (online) poker because I think it's fun. Win some, lose some. I don't do it to make or break a fortune, it's just a hobby. But should I win a lot of $$$ or a seat at a live tournament, I'm not going to complain.

Wednesday, September 01, 2004

In the money, AAAA and Guinness

Finally, after many attempts, I finish "in the money" at an Expekt NL Hold'Em daily multitable freeroll after they changed back from 600 places paid to 130 places paid. Either I'm out early (around 2000th place or lower out of 3000 entrants) because you have to play wildly in the beginning to build up a buffer or I play for 1-2 hours and get eaten by the blinds and finish out of the money.

But today, 79th place of 2999 entrants! Not bad at all. Unfortunately it was a $1000 freeroll with 130 places paid and 79th gave $1.50, but it's free money and I haven't put one cent of my own money into Expekt's poker room. And one day I'll be in the top ten which at least pays in the double digits or in first place which gives around 25% of the prize pool.

And I saw a beautiful play by one player when we were in the money. The flop came AAQ and there were more than two players in the hand. Turn and river also gave good cards, so I and the other players probably thought that it was a matter of Full House winning, the question was whether it would be Aces full or Queens full and/or a split pot. Who's got an Ace? Who's got a Queen? It goes all the way to the showdown and the winning player shows his two pocket Aces... Four of a kind, Aces! On the flop! He played it beautifully, because he didn't just go all-in after the flop, neither did he slowplay or just bet the default amount. Milked 'em for almost all they were worth. Rakes in a $67000 pot, when each player started with $1000 in chips.

My good placement was celebrated with a Guinness Canned Draught, a (for poker players) permitted performance-enhancing substance, as shown by Iggy and his blog. It has a thick, creamy head and a deep black body. The beer, not Iggy or the blog.

It works in a strange way, because you have to ingest it after the fact for maximum effect, not before or during the event. Once again, I'm talking about the beer, not Iggy or his blog.

Wednesday, August 25, 2004

Poker wisdom and bonuses

In live (or so called Brick & Mortar) poker, the money isn't yours until you've left the table.

In online poker, it isn't yours until you've cashed out.

The other week, on Wednesday, I "found" an unclaimed bonus of $25 at one place I frequent. By Thursday I had doubled that to $50 after being In The Money at Sit&Go's and winning a $10 heads-up game. By Friday, well, I was back at $25... But if I hadn't lost the $20 5-seater tournament and/or a $5 ten-seater tournament I would or could have doubled it yet again to $100. Could'a, would'a, should'a. But I don't think I have to point out the Rounders quote. Yes, of course I have it on DVD.

And for no particular reason (or so it seems) I got a $15 bonus at Partypoker (use registration code MARTYPARTY for a $25 sign-up bonus at your first deposit). Great! Because my account there had $4.75 on it which I could use for absolutely nothing. Smallest Sit&Go entry fee was $5, minimum buy-in at cashgames, yes, $5. Now I have a bankroll I can use again. I hope I'll use it wisely.

Monday, August 23, 2004

Com-pyou-tar

Do you want to do cardgame related stuff on your computer? Some tips and hints for using it in writing:

  • In HTML, you can use &spades;, &hearts;, &diams; and &clubs; to get the suits. If your browser supports it, you shold see it here: ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣. However, they are all in black, so do a little more HTML and CSS voodoo-fu to get ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ (Doesn't the Diamonds look a bit off center?)
  • In LaTeX, you get the suits with $\spadesuit$, $\heartsuit$, $\diamondsuit$ and $\clubsuit$. There you would have to do a little voodoo-fu with \usepackage[dvips]{color} and \textcolor{red}{$\heartsuit$} to get it red.
  • In SVG, Scalable Vector Graphics, there's SVG-cards.
  • For Perl, look at CPAN for the module Games::Cards, Games::Cards::Poker and Games::Poker.
  • TrueType Font, the Playing Cards free font cardplay.zip can be used (but JQK faces don't look so hot). The Bermuda Card & Bridge Fonts look better, but cost money.
  • Windows Programming, cards.dll. This contains all of the playing card bitmapped images that games such as Windows Solitare use to display their graphics. N.b., this is (merely) card graphics, not functions to randomize and deal a deck of cards or such. A tutorial for using it in C# can be found here.

Friday, August 13, 2004

Live poker closer to realization

I'm quite an active participant in a swedish website and discussion forum about poker, spelapoker.se, and the guys behind it now say that they're thinking about starting semi-organized tournaments. This is good because? Well, they're based in the neighbouring city, otherwise there's not much live poker around here close by. And I sorta kinda know (of) those guys, having attended the same university about the same time.

And the other day I found green felt, so I can build a poker/card/gaming table. I've also submitted a pre-order for cheap (2 gram) poker chips and for some reason I happen to have a lot of decks (picked one up here and there because they were cheap and suddenly you have one or two decks at work, some at home, one in the bag). One never knows when a challenge might come.
- "I hear yer mighty slick with them cards, mister. Draw!"
-"Uhm, no? But maybe a stud game or Hold'Em?"

And I've bought more tools. A stapling gun (for putting that felt in place) and a jigsaw. But must. Get. Powertools.

Thursday, August 12, 2004

On the bubble in a subsatellite

Silly editing frame managed to wipe out my eloquent writing about my NL Hold'Em tournament play. Writing it again, shorter.

$1 sub-satellite at Expekt, one for each ten players can win seat at $10 satellite, where one out of ten can win seat at $100 final, where one out of ten wins seat at $700 live tournament.

Sixty players, of which I'm one, enter (meaning the six top places go on to the satellite on Sunday), and after an hour, I'm in 3rd place of 26 remaining.

After nearly two hours, I'm at the final table! Shortstacked though, and with only 680 in my stack when the blinds are 300/600, I go all-in with those and my JKo. They don't hold up and I'm out at 8th place. Eighth effing frigging bleeping place when six "get paid". That is called being "on the bubble".

I hung around and chatted a little making a little smiley :-) comment about 8th place and suggesting that two of those remaining could forfeit. Please? One player said that 8th is not as bad as 7th, but... It's still the second most painful place.

Sunday, August 08, 2004

What do you Expekt for free?

About two weeks ago, I installed the client and created an account for playing poker at Expekt. Why, since I already have two other poker accounts elsewhere? Well, they have several freerolls every day. A $200 at 1pm, a $1000 at 5pm and some others you have to have played raked hands to be eligible for.

The 5pm suits me perfectly for taking a shot at immediately after work. And this last week I've been "in the money" a few times. But... It's "600 places paid", if the 3000 players maximum is hit. That means $0.20 (yes, twenty cents) to places 301-600 and increasing very very little.

My winnings this week, if you can call them that:
  • $0.60 for 283rd
  • $1.20 for 167th
  • $1.40 for 110th
  • $1.50 for 82nd

with 3000 players in each. Played in seven freerolls, one was a $200. I haven't, and will probably not, put any of my own money into Expekt.com, freerolls only. I took some of those few dollars and sat at a $1 sit&go twice. One loss and one third place. The 82nd place is probably my best tournament placing with this many entrants. Not very good hourly wages (took a little more than two hours to play) but in the top ten or 1st place, that's where the real free money is. And I enjoy playing poker.

And I was in one $1 multitable just for the heck of it. It was a satellite to Baltic Challenge. One out of ten from that satellite would go on to a feeder, one out of ten from that feeder would go to a final and one out of ten (I think) from the final would go on to a live tournament in Tallinn in Estonia, with boat from Stockholm, hotel and $770 buy-in paid. It would've been cool if I had won a seat in the satellite, but everybody was supertight. 55 entrants, yes fiftyfive, and after an hour 24 were left. I'm out at 21st place after two all-in calls from me didn't hold up.


Saturday, July 24, 2004

Saturday, July 10, 2004

A week of Freeroll Festival poker

Almost a week of poker.

OK, the Ladbrokes Freeroll Festival. 6-seat multitable NL Texas Hold'Em tournaments. Four $1000, 1500 players max, tournaments a day for six days in a row, where the three first in each went to a $26000 final on Sunday. First prize there: Entry into Poker Million 2005 (worth $13000) and $13000 divided between 2nd to 7th place.







Day 1
TournamentPlaceout of
1:2911484
2:DNE
3:3811500
4:6681500

The Freeroll Festival was supposed to be 6-seated multitable, but the first tournament was ten-seated. I had registered to the second tournament just when registration started, and possibly they reset the registrations to fix that error (6 vs 10), so I wasn't in the second tournament.







Day 2
TournamentPlaceout of
1:1851464
2:12971500
3:3581500
4:DNE

Cant play all day.







Day 3
TournamentPlaceout of
1:10941423
2:11891500
3:5171500
4:DNE

I decided to play more wildly (since it's a freeroll anyway) today but that shows in the results. In the second tournament, I bet heavy, but not all-in, with KA hearts in the pocket and was eventually all-in with those, who had become two pair aces and kings. Good, huh? But it was beat by a straight, ace high and I was outta here.

Out during the first hour or so in all tournaments today.







Day 4
TournamentPlaceout of
1:7841372
2:12151500
3:10331500
4:DNE

Today, they had cut down the registration time to just one hour before tournament start instead of as the previous days, two hours before.

As yesterday, play fast. Up and down, maybe too fast sometimes.

In the second game, it was only ten minutes into the tournament and the pot was big.The turn had given me trips seven. I went all-in to scare the remaining player off and WHAMMO, he calls. And he has 57 on hand and the board gives him full house, fives full of sevens. I didn't see those fives, but one has to take one's chances.

Third game, laggy connection and I didn't get on a roll or hit a streak. When the poker client was chugging, staggering and stammering, it was hard to get at "flow" in the play.







Day 5
TournamentPlaceout of
1:2861500
2:3541500
3:4931500
4:DNE

Back to careful rock play. Survived for an hour and a quarter in the first.

In the second one, there was a bit of network hiccup just before the hone hour mark, interrupting my play, but I was short-stacked anyway and my last straw didn't come.








Day 6
TournamentPlaceout of
1:9211500
2:1651500
3:1561500
4:11291500

Methodical play in the second tournament led to the best placements so far, 165th and 156th, both after an hour and 45 minutes. Getting low on chips compared to the others, I went all-in with AK diamonds. Called by one other with T8 hearts, and he draws a full house! Bwaaah, not fair!

Two high placements today. Maybe because I was a bit hung over and tired, so I wasn't susceptible to FPS (Fancy Play Syndrome), more of a grinder.


Well, that was a lot of poker. 156th was my best placement. What worked best was to play carefully, not wildly, but it all ended in the same way in those tournaments where I wasn't knocked out early; an average bankroll eaten up by the blinds and the blinds have reached the level where you have to win if you've followed a hand past the flop. But, if you have chips left and enough players have put chips in and you win the next hand you enter, you could bounce back up.

I think what made me lose was that I was too impatient. Getting into a hand just because it was so-so OK and I hadn't played for a while. Also, I was a bit greedy and didn't back off even though the betting indicated that the opposing player(s) had the nuts. The bad thinking of "Since I've already put chips in, I might as well put in some more." I don't think there's much bluffing past the flop. I never had a large stack, I don't think I ever were above 10000 (started with 1500), at least not for very long, while the big boys had 50000 after an hour. So I could never outmuscle players by betting high with a medium strength hand. Sort of only being able to play the cards, not play the pot or players.

The sweetest, neatest, coolest thing was to outplay people, to be the one making someone run out of chips and leave the tournament. Especially if you trapped someone with ye olde check-raising.

Freerolls are a bit special. In the first hands there are many all-ins, sometimes (most often?) with more than two players. If you stay out, you're safe. If you enter, you could be out or you could double, triple, quadruple, quintuple, sextuple, septuple or octuple your bankroll. From looking at the leaderboard at some tournaments, that has happened. And then you can just sit back for an hour and just wait for aces and/or kings in the hole. But people wouldn't play like that if their own real money was at stake. It's not fun to see someone else early in the tournament with 10-15000 in chips when you're around the 1500 you started with.

Another thing about freerolls and not risking any of their own real money. Some register, and then don't play. Several times there were dead hands (automatically place blind and fold) and if you were lucky, you were in the position to scrape up their money.

Cost: Nothing more than time, and the weather was bad, had nothing better to do, et cetera...

Earnings: Experience, something to blog about.

Monday, July 05, 2004

The party was over early

Curses, foiled again!

The online Partypoker No Limit Texas Hold'Em poker freeroll (multitable tournament) I wrote about in the previous post, well, it didn't go so well.

I had checked in from time to time during the registration period the previous days, and there was about a thousand already registered. All will probably not turn up. Yes, that was true, at my first table, there was about five dead hands, they showed [disconnected] and just automatically posted blinds and folded. My stack grows a little but then I hit the first obstacle on my road to success. I had AK off-suit and play it fairly aggressively but maybe not aggressively enough. When it's time for the river, I have a flush draw and have already committed a lot. It doesn't come and I just have a pair of kings against opponent's, uhm, can't remember. I lost anyway, and my stack is down to 440 of the 1000 I started with. The play was OK, the river was not. But the number of players has dropped too, after ten minutes, a hundred are gone, and after another ten minutes, another hundred.

I'm moved to a new table, some small ups and downs, and then I'm committed to the pot. Don't remember the exact cards, but I had TK hearts in the pocket, and when the river comes a heart, I have flush, king high. I put in the last of my chips (200?), the only hand that can beat it with this board is a flush, ace high. It's called by the remaining player. He has the ace of hearts... I'm out at 1720nd place. But I think I played correctly in those two hands, didn't go past the flop with nothing and made the gambles when the pot was big. My losing hands were very good second best hands, but second best is not good enough in No Limit Texas Hold'em, the Cadillac of poker.

Now, on to the four freerolls at Ladbrokes today and every day this week!

Backpack and table

Big night, or indeed week ahead of me.

First, there's the Partypoker $2500 New Player Freeroll in a few hours, then Ladbrokes Poker has four freerolls a day this whole week, leading up to a final where one can win entry to Poker Million in July 2005. I hope you can be in more than one freeroll, because then I know what I'll be doing the whole week if the weather isn't too good since I'm off from work.

Shuffle up and deal.

In other news, (can't just write about poker, although it's the main theme) I visited the local flea market as I usually do on Sundays. It was extra easy today since it was on the town square just outside my house, usually it's in the park but there's a car show there this weekend. I have made great finds there and today I hit the jackpot. I already have a Boblbee backpack (follow that link, they're really cool). It's the model "People's Delite". They're quite expensive put I got mine used from an online auction site for about a third of the retail price, which is in the range $150-$200. Anyhoo, I saw a Boblbee backpack at the flea market and disinterestedly picked it up and asked what the seller wanted for it, thinking I might see what they go for second hand nowadays. "Femtio kronor", she said. That is Swedish, and means "Fifty crowns" (Swedish crowns, SEK). "Say what!?!?!111?!1 Are you crazy, lady? You could ask for much much much more, like TEN times that", my brain shouted, but my mouth said (after I had swallowed back the "fnrrfppt! gngllgnh!") "Oh, OK, I'll take it".

You see, 50 SEK is like NOTHING. It's six or seven US dollars. Two or three Big Macs. So I gave her the money and took the backpack home extra double quickly. I look closer at it. I think it's the model "Megalopolis". Holy designer backpack, Batman, the accessories aren't even unwrapped! By the look of it, it has never been used. This is my flea market find of the year, decade, century and millennium so far, by far.

Goshdarnit, I look for it on teh Intarweb, I can't even find this color scheme (two-tone blue and green). A rare item?

Oh, another find: Ten issues of a Swedish print of Popular Mechanics from 1969 and 1970 for 20 SEK (that's one or two Big Macs. Why did I buy those, when I work with hi-tech and modern computer science? Because one of them had instructions and drawings for building your own poker table. So there!

Thursday, July 01, 2004

A sip and a cheat

In poker, you just need a chip and a seat to have a chance.

I played some cheap real money tournaments online at Partypoker. In the first one, I was down at rock bottom twice, no chips left and the cards held up. I outplayed two other players, meaning I was the one that won when they went all-in. Then I was even chip leader for a while before busting out at fourth place, and that was close. I had pocket threes and went all-in with the 700 I had left and had one caller. The board comes up Txxxx and unfortunately the caller had TK on hand and so I'm out at 4th, but had survived for a long time.

Then another table where I'm out at 8th, my draws didn't come.

After that, two more consecutive tournament tables where I end up in third place on both. The last one was nice when all the maniacs (pre-flop all-ins with almost anything goodlooking) were gone, we were chatting, enjoying ourselves and also really playing poker, not just depending on random chance hoping to get good flops.

Tuesday, June 22, 2004

Bad medicine, good mojo

So I was at the hospital today to talk with an earnosethroat-doctor and get my diagnosis and treatment plan.

It's a "pleomorph adenoma in the parotis which will require a submandibular exstirpation".

In English: I have a benign tumor in a salivary gland ("spit gland") that they're going to cut out. So in August or September there'll be surgery. Under narcosis and being admitted for one or two days.

For you gamblers, here are some odds that I found. Pleomorph adenoma is rare, about forty incidents per million people. 70-80 percent of salivary gland tumors are in the parotis, and the most common is pleomorph adenoma. Now, 25 percent of salivary gland tumors are malign (but mine isn't) and for those the five-year survival rate is 75 percent.

So, another hospital stay for me. Last time was, what, fourteen years ago, for... (need to catch my breath again) acute inflammatory appendicitis with peritoneal abscesses. Or: ruptured appendix with peritonitis. Gutshot. More stitches, I have thirtyfour subcutaneous so far. Let's see... Twelve in the belly from the appendectomy, sixteen in my right hand after a disagreement with heavy machinery (a whisker and a prayer from chopping off three fingers completely), four more in that hand a few years later after removing a complication from the previous injury and two in the chin from falling while very very drunk and experiencing barbecuical trauma. No half-measures for me, I go full throttle.

*Sigh*, you'd think my medical karma was positive. I've done my bit of treatment, assistance and help, and I'm a blood donor, over the years I've given ten liters or 2.6 U.S. gallons. That's 676 tablespoons or seventeen pints and a half-pint. About four and three eights cubic quatloos.

Monday, June 21, 2004

Gee, mail!

Woo-haa!

Through this very very very nice blog site called Blogger, if you've heard of it(?), I got an offer to join Gmail. (Since it's all Google, all day, all week.)

So, I now have a much coveted Gmail account. It's:
my first name (dot) my last name (at) gmail (dot) com.

Thank you, Google!

(Does the "I've got Gmail, you don't" happy-dance)

Sunday, June 20, 2004

Flea market findings

More great finds at the flea market in the park today:


  • A classic cookbook, the staple goods of Swedish homes - "The chequered cookbook" for 30 crowns (costs 200 new in stores).
  • A cool looking digital watch, stainless steel, black background with large yellowish numbers, 15 crowns.
  • A piggy bank with "Spel-pengar" painted on it, 5 crowns. Spel-pengar (Swedish) means "Gambling money". Ah-ha!
  • Repair tape for vehicle trimmings, 5 crowns. The seat on my moped has been slightly damaged, maybe I can use this.

Finally realistic prices. This flea market is of the kind where you can rent a table and sell whatever you like, and many of the sellers seem to think that "If it's old, it's antique and therefore valuable." or "In stores this costs X currency units, I will ask for 0.8*X."

Come on, it's a flea market, it's for getting rid of things, not making money and doing big business. If you want to ask for high prices, put in a classified ad.

Sunday, June 13, 2004

Outback

I've hit a slump in my pokerplaying, losing some heads-up and tournaments. Always the same reason; the blinds are high and partaking in a hand means committing your whole stack, and if it doesn't hold up, you're out.

And I pulled a back muscle in my sleep. Searing, stabbing, debilitating pain ensues when I have back and arm muscles in certain non-deterministic configurations. I'm talking Gaius Julius Caesar "Hi, Brutus! Greetings, senators! Nyy-AARRRGHH!" pain here.

Monday, June 07, 2004

Stick your head up

I might've found my niche in Hold'Em.

In normal "sit down and play" games, I've not done so well, maybe because I'm reluctant to use a large bankroll. In ten-seat tournaments I've done better since all start out at the same level, but I haven't played often, much or hard enough. In multitable tournament, well, I'm rising through the ranks but I haven't been in a paid position yet.

However, in heads-up play, you're two players sitting down at a separate table with equal stacks, there I've had more wins than losses and I'm on plus money-wize. All games seem to follow the same pattern; Small pots are shuffled back and forth for a while, then when the cards are good you make a play and scoop up a large pot (if you win). The opponent now has "only" half or a third of his original stack and you've broken a psychological barrier. Just wait, wait, wait for good cards and then hit him hard, commit him to the hand and then the opponent's reaction is often "oh, I might as well see this to the end, ALL-IN" and badaboom badabing, you've doubled your money. As I did today. Played a $10 heads-up table, won, and logged out. I think I've found my calling.

Friday, June 04, 2004

Doing well in multitable tournament

Oh yes and oh no.

I enter yet another Hold'Em freeroll tournament, this one with $500 prize money to be split unevenly between the 40 best (out of 979 entrants). And it goes so very well. After showing a full house tens full of kings, I'm in seventh place of 434 remaining players, having played about half an hour. After an hour of play, it's a five minute break and I'm in 39th place of 248. After an hour and a half of play, I'm still in there, 26th place of 121 and players are out from every table almost one every round. The blinds are so high now that for many, a blind is a tenth, an eighth or even larger part of their stack. I'm just waiting for good cards. Having had to call and then fold to all-ins with not good enough cards, I'm in 40th place of 68 remaining. Doing well indeed!

OK, here goes. I get ace and king Clubs. Theirs is not to reason why, theirs but to do and die. I go all-in with 15530 chips and it gets called by the chip leader of the table. The board comes out QJ985 and he had a ten, so I'm out at 64th place (of 979 entrants) after almost two hours of play. I think that's the best placing I've had in a multitable tournament. But not "in the money". (And 40th place only gave $2 anyway...)

Tuesday, June 01, 2004

A moped at breakneck speed

A doctor calls. I had a lump in my throat, almost literally. On the outside, below the jawbone on my right side, I'd noticed a small firm lump under the skin and May 18 I was at a local clinic to have it checked out. The doctor felt it once and said he'd send me on to Pathology for a diagnosis. I was there at the pathology place May 24 where they did a needle biopsy three times and said they'd let me know.

Today the original doctor called and said that it was a benign tumor (Cue Kindergarten Cop quote: "Eehtz nawt a toomah!" Well, it is, but it's not the c-word.) and my case will now be sent on to an ENT specialist. No, not talking perambulatory trees, Ear Nose Throat.


And on a lighter note, my moped was delivered today! A yellow whining bastard I can buzz about on. Bicycled home over lunch to receive it, then back to work and arrange with insurance over teh Intarweb and in the evening I went home, grabbed a sandwich, put on the helmet and pressed the start button. Ahem. Allow me to elaborate. I made and ate a sandwich. I put the helmet on my head. I pressed the start button on the moped. I did not in any way put a helmet on a sandwich and then pressed its start button. Seriously, how can you even think that? You nuts or sumthin'?

(Cue music: "Gitcha mowta rurnen, heedadonna hahwe. Lookin' fo' adVENtcha. And whativva cumsawhe. Yeah mumble and something mumble, ticka hum hum and mumble hum. Ixplawd into spays. Born to be wi-i-ild! Born to be wi-i-ild!") as I zoom along at the breakneck top speed of 50 km/h (about 30 mph).

Sunday, May 30, 2004

From top to bottom

Aww, maaan! Can ya believe it?

Every Sunday in the park here, there is a flea market. I buy a plastic bread basket and a set of measuring blades (a kit with metal blades of varying thickness, from 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm). After that, I go into my office nearby and surf the net, and I also check into an online poker playing site.

I enter a multitable tournament, No Limit Texas Hold'Em, where the buy-in is $5 and playing fee $1. Not many entrants, only 101. Early on, I get 38 on hand as Big Blind and only have to check it. The flop comes 38K, so I have two pair and can go along with it. Someone raised to 200, I call. The turn is a three, I have full house... Someone bets 240, I raise to 720. On the river, I bet 800, one other player calls and I, who started with 1500 now have 4985. This puts me in the top ten, "in the money" (ten first places paid).

Careful play, I don't think I go any further than the flop for a long while, and with 66 players of 101 left, I'm in fifth place stack-wize. Then it suddenly goes downhill. I get AA as pocket cards but instead of playing aggressively, I only raise the minimum default, thinking I can wheedle more out of the cards. The flop comes 86T. One player goes all-in with his 1610 chips and I call that. Turn is a ten (I now have two pair, aces and tens, and feel moderately safe). River is a nine. But! The player who went all-in had a ten in his pocket, giving him three of a kind tens and I'm suddenly in 32nd place of 43. If I had gone all-in or bet a few thousand with those aces, I probably would have scared off that guy and at least raked in the blinds.

More bad plays, and the level of the blinds suddenly leave me with not much at all, and with 38 as big blind I have to go all-in post-flop (which was K38, giving me two pair threes and eights), which I win and I'm still alive. 3A in diamonds, I go all-in with the 600 chips I have and the board comes 7675A, meaning two pair aces and sevens. Still alive, but in last place (39 of 39).

A pair of nines in the pocket, I go all-in with 1440. It is called by two other players. If I get this, I can still have a shot. Nope. My two pair nines and fours lose against queens and fours and I'm out at 31st place.

From top to bottom in thirty minutes play. That's poker!

Saturday, May 29, 2004

I won at WSOP 2004!

A $500 freeroll. Nope, out at 368th place of 1271. Before that, I had warmed up with some Play Money heads-up play. Whooped one guy four times in a row.

But I did win some (real) money on poker today. Or from poker. By poker? With poker? Poker-related winnings, OK?

The place where I play online poker, Ladbrokes Poker also has the usual bookmaking, sports betting and such. You could bet money on who would win World Series of Poker 2004. I bet 100 Swedish crowns yesterday on Greg Raymer winning, which would give the odds 5/2. He was chip leader at the final table. I also bet, for patriotic (fellow Swede and all) and greedy reasons, 100 crowns on Mattias 'PokerMats' Andersson winning. That gave the odds 16/1 since he was short-stacked. Hedging my bets here...

Greg won, giving me 350 crowns, and I had put in 200 in total. +150 SEK.

Tuesday, May 25, 2004

More Hold'Em failures

First I enter a $5 ten-seater tournament where I'm the short-stacked guy for most of the time but I survive at least. Until there are only four players left after an hour's play, and I'm one. I haven't won any big pots, when I do get good cards I mostly only rake in the blinds. I have 1400 in chips and AJ on hand as BB, the blinds are 200/400, the bases are loaded and we're fourth down on the ten yard line (what, me mix sports metaphors?). The flop is 37A which gives me top pair, but the bets make me have to go all-in. It's a make-or-break situation. Oopsie-daisee, the only remaining player shows that he has 77 on hand, giving him three of a kind. I'm beat! But wait, the turn is a jack giving me two pair and the possibility of a full house. But no, the river is a lousy four and I'm out at fourth place, not "in the money".

So, I enter a $2000 freeroll. Ha! On the very first hand I get 78 on hand in middle position and call, as do some others. The flop gives me a pair of eights, which is top pair and also a straight draw and I go along with it. Oh yeah, the turn gives me a straight, nine high but there's heavy betting from another player. I call (or raise, don't remember) and the river gives me straight, ten high. The only remaining other player in this hand goes all-in. Well, one does have to take one's chances. If I win it, I'll already have a good stack from the beginning. If I lose, I'm out early and don't have to trudge along for two-three hours. Call, all-in.

He lays down a flush, spades. I'm out at 1832nd place of 1888 entrants. Goodnight everybody, I'll be here all week. Try the veal. It's veally good.

Monday, May 24, 2004

If you fold it, they will come

I receive a bonus from Ladbrokes Poker and decide to put it to immediate use. First, I partake in a ten-seater $5 tournament table with a $1 table fee. It went so-so, I was not best but not worst. Chip leader for a while, then some Full Houses come crashing down on top of me. Finally out at third place (which paid $10!). Yay! Low hourly wages but better than nothing.

I then enter a $1000 Freeroll which starts out pretty damn well. On the very first hand dealt, I get a pair of nines. The flop gives me three of a kind nines. The river gives me four of a kind nines. Oh yeah. The network had some kind of hiccup but I'm still there, out of 1500 entrants, 1200 remain. After half an hour about 920 players left. But... I'm out at 874th place, having had to go all-in with a draw for straight or flush since the blinds are getting quite high and my stack was getting short.

Oh well, I enter a $10 ten-seater tournament which was "Turbo", meaning the blinds go up every five rounds instead of ten. Out at 8th place after playing KT hearts giving me pair of tens on the flop but nothing else after I have to go all-in against another player. He had a pair of jacks.

Welly-well, more freerolls will come. Some time I will win. Checking my statistics, it seems that I'm good, but not quite good enough.

Wednesday, May 12, 2004

That's not "playing aggressively"

I don't understand some of those playing online poker with "play money". It's an endless cavalcade of all-ins. At the fixed limit tables almost everybody call almost every hand and if you're lucky you're lucky. At the no limit tables, there's always at least one all-in guy that scares away the other players and rakes in the blinds. Until someone calls him on it and takes his play money whereupon he just checks out another batch of it.

And another thing. I see that I'm what Gary Carson and others call a "book player" and that's maybe why I just place well in tournaments but not in a winning position. But some other players seem to also have read books that say "when you have a good hand, play aggressively". The other day, in a tournament where everybody started with 1500, a player with a pair of jacks in pocket (we saw later) went all-in and plonked down about 3000 in one of the earlier rounds in the tournament. Everybody folded. So what did he get? The blinds that were 10/20 and maybe a call or two. If he had played he could have gotten more. That's not playing "aggressively", that's a foaming-at-the-mouth, seeing-red, let's-take-off-and-nuke-the-site-from-orbit-it's-the-only-way-to-be-sure murderous rage.

Monday, May 10, 2004

Blogger.com comments

W00t! The nice guys at Blogger have made a Great Relaunch. One nice new feature is the possibility of comments, yay! It was possible before if you used an external resource but now it's built in. I'll see if it works. Hmm, maybe it's only for new posts, can you add comments to the older posts too?

Oh yes. But you have to go in manually and click in a Yes button for each post. Enabling now, sah!

Thank you.

I wonder, is anyone reading this? If you do, please make a comment. Hello? *thumps microphone* Is this thing on? I said: "Is this thiNG O ~/#SQUEALING FEEDBACK#\~".

Sunday, May 09, 2004

The river gets me every time

I, yes, play in another online Hold'Em tournament. $1 real money entry fee. A thousand players max, but there were only 302 participants. Thirty places paid, from $82 to the winner down to two bucks for the guy in 30th place.

I play extra carefully, evaluating the few turns and rivers I'm in, not just autoplaying. I never go "on tilt". In the middle of the field all of the time until when the one hour break nears. I get to 28th place of 102 remaining with a pair of threes, calling a short-stacked sucker who went all-in. Then I get to 13th place of 94 with a nice flush. After an hour of play, a break for five minutes, then we start again.

I'm chip leader of my table for a while, but it dwindles away when I call some draws that could have gone somewhere. The blinds are getting higher, you see. We're up to Level 9, 300/600 blinds and I have 5710 in chips. 34th out of 57 remaining players. I barely play, but my bankroll shrinks and shrinks with the blinds and calls. I get KJ(clubs) in the pocket and go for it, after the flop I have to go all-in since I have pair of jacks, am shortstacked and I won't do better. And I could have won if one other player hadn't gotten two pair with the nine on the river. Out at 48th place after ninety minutes of play. Drat, dang and fiddlesticks. I coulda bin a contenda!

Friday, May 07, 2004

Flush beaten by straight flush, film at eleven

I get trapped.

Yes, yet another Texas Hold'Em story. I enter another freeroll tournament at Ladbrokes, no entry fee, first prize $125 down to 40th, $2.25. There are 919 entrants and for fifteen minutes I never go further than calling to the flop when it's cheap and I'm in late position. That works well, because there are "only" 675 left already and I still have 1400 out of the 1500 I started with. This because of the stupid eager ones that go all-in pre-flop all the time when they have anything and we wave them goodbye one after one.

The action starts. I get pocket kings, out of which one is a club. This I play, but only raising the default amount suggested by the interface (blind). The flop is all clubs out of which one is an ace. I still hang on, only raising the default. The turn is another club and I have a flush hand with A and K. Good, but I still only raise default. The river is something and... I read an article by James McManus from when he played in WSOP, he also had decided to play carefully and by the book and yet his hands (the ones with fingers on them) seemed to throw the chips in by themselves. Only I and one other player to the right of me were left.

I go all-in you see... That's not something you should do early in a tournament I think, but I didn't think. Much.

What did I do wrong? It was a good hand. A flush with AK in it is unbeatable, no other flush can beat it. There was no outs for full house or four of a kind. But there is one other hand (or two, really) that can beat it. The straight flush!

And what did the other player have? A straight flush, five high, I see when he calls me.

What I should have done was
a) to have looked more carefully at the cards and spotted the outs, seen that it was indeed beatable. But it was a low straight, The Wheel.
b) just raised, not all-in.
Then, if my opponent had
a) called or raised I might have called it and just lost a moderate amount and still survived.
b) gone all in I'd have thought more carefully, probably folded and griped about it.
c) folded , I'd have won a nice pot.

But there I was, afflicted by what Gary Carson calls FPS (Fancy Play Syndrome), "Ha, let's knock this guy out of his shoes and socks!", and knocked out at 627th place without a shot at the $125 first prize or indeed the $2.25 40th prize. I guess I'm the stupid eager one. The opponent's comment: "Bet you felt really safe with that king."

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why they call it gambling.



I then go to a normal No Limit table with blinds 0.25/0.50 and sit down with $10 in real money. With the first hand I play to a showdown, I win (with a pair of tens, the other one was probably bluffing) and now have $23 in real money. The next hand I play to a showdown (and win, with two pair K2, can you believe it?) makes me have $46 in real money. I've more than quadrupled my "bankroll" just by winning two hands. Play where it matters, play only when you can win! I leave the table with $39 (real), a few dollars were eaten up by blinds and calls that didn't go anywhere.

Sunday, May 02, 2004

Omaha is close to Texas

I win! Real! Money!

I enter an online one table tournament poker game, real money ($5 entry). But I was a bit too hasty, I just saw that there was a seat available at a table and jumped it. I'm a bit surprised when I get dealt four cards.

Oops, it's Omaha, not Texas. I should have looked more carefully in all the columns. You'd better learn how to play, and learn fast, pardner!

Google, clickety-click. OK, it's basically the same as Texas Hold'em, but you get dealt four pocket cards instead of two. You can and must only use two of the pocket cards to make a hand.

Same strategy as my other tournament games, survive in the beginning (let the eager ones strike themselves out). And it works, just check or fold, call when you have "the nuts". And I even manage to without too much risk bust one all-in guy out, leaving six players including me. First time I sort of actively outplayed someone in a real tournament, I think. And for a while with four players left, I'm chip leader. This is going much much better than I expected. I feel like Wil (Uncle Willy).

I finish in 3rd place, earning me $10. I lost with three of a kind deuces. That was what my opponent also had, but he had better kickers. And that's why they call it gambling... No too bad for a first-time Omaha player.

Well, that's enough excitement for me. Or is it?

Tomorrow night the NBC documentary "World Poker Tour Battle of Champions" is on (Swedish) cable/satellite TV. I'm so there. Before that, on the same channel, it's the premiere of the drama series "Las Vegas" (with James Caan and Nikki Cox). Vegas, baby!

Nope, it wasn't enough excitement. I enter another 10-player tournament, real money, $5. I just sit there and let the others drop off. Never chase. When someone is short-stacked, they usually go all-in just to get out of the game gracefully. Don't chase even those, thinking "easy money".

In online poker, there are no tells per se. But keep a poker face; don't chat, don't comment. Another player jabbered constantly about the other games he was in on simultaneously, and how well he was doing. Annoying, and he could be bragging or bluffing. Try to avoid using "autoplay" buttons that many poker interfaces have, where you can select bet, call, fold, raise (BB), call/raise any and such beforehand. That looks eager and is a sort of a tell.

Oh, back to the game. Suddenly there are only five left, then four. I am the short-stacked guy and the player before me is stealing blinds, plays aggressively and is chip leader. 7000 to my 900. After a while I only have enough chips left to go all-in and do so. Busted out at fourth place.

I got a confirmation from the bookstore (online of course) that Carson's Complete Book of Hold 'Em Poker that I ordered has been shipped. I'll probably get it tomorrow Monday. Hopefully I'll go from "busting out early" to "slightly above average" (where I'm now, since I end up in the middle of the field in multitable tournaments) to a winner.

Saturday, May 01, 2004

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why they call it gambling

I'm sorry to bother you, but more poker stories...

I enter another little tournament of online NL Texas Hold'em, 132 entrants, 10 places paid, prize pool $660.

We start with 1500 each. I win the very first hand dealt, I rake in 2020 with my four tens. This places me in fifth place. A few won rounds later I, li'l ol' me, am actually in the effing lead! For a while. Quite a few won and lost rounds later I'm still in the top ten when I lose 3000 against an all-in with pair of queens that lost against pair of kings. On one hand I plummet from top ten to bottom ten.

I work my way up the field, I'm in the middle. A player after me goes all-in pre-flop. I have JJ, everybody else folds but I tag along, going all-in too. Pocket cards are turned over, he has AJ! My hand is winning! Flop gives me three of a kind, I'm liking this, I'm still winning this. But as I (figuratively speaking) already am grabbing for the pot, the river gives him a straight and me the 57th place.

But hey, at least I lose with good hands.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why they call it gambling.



Hmm, there's another $1 tournament coming up soon. I enter it.

It starts, with 251 players. I do very well, I'm in the top quarter of the field consistently. I win most hands I play in, and win big by careful raising and betting in some hands where I have straights. Just sit there and watch the eager ones go all-in pre-flop (I dread that phrase) with purdy cards and say bye-bye. Sift out the chaff...

At the one hour break I'm in 7th place of 87 players. Chip leader of the table. Not in on many pots, and then I rake in some medium ones with a straight and some (heh, feeling like a hustler now) raising in a late position where everybody except the blinds have folded or checked, or buying the blinds. In 18th place of 50 remaining.

But, you know the score by now. J6 on hand, I scare away all except one pre-flop. Flop gives me pair of jacks but there's an ace there too. Check to the turn, I before E except after C. The other player goes all-in. Me too. He has an ace in the pocket and I'm out at 46th place. Why, oh why did I chase that hand? It was beatable, and I could have stayed on, just ignore the hundreds I already put into the hand. But, and those of you that have read this and my earlier postings on my poker play can say it in chorus:

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why they call it gambling.


And hey, since in a tournament everybody starts with the same amount and you don't play with "your own money", so to speak, I've overcome my fear of No Limit Hold'em. I used to play some Fixed Limit Real Money, but there you can be scared away with your measly few bucks by the big boys with many chips.

Friday, April 30, 2004

I'm not going to Vegas anytime soon

I enter in another freeroll multitable tournament in No Limit Texas Hold'em. 892 participants out of 1000 maximum, $500 prize money ($125 to the 1st, $2.25 to the 40th).

I did well! Wize from the experiences yesterday, I play more carefully. I've devised some principles for online poker.

  • It's hard to bluff, but it's doable. But only early on, if someone's hanging in there after the flop and you've got nothing, get out. But you can buy the pot. Sometimes.
  • If you want to pay money to see cards (out of curiosity, "what did he have?"), go buy yourself a signed, gold plated, framed deck of cards from the WPT or WSOP merchandize section. Don't care if you've put hundreds of markers in, putting in more won't change the cards you've got.
  • Playing with "play money", something most online casinos have, can be good practice. But only for reading and evaluating cards/hands, not playing the players (playaz?). Some just raise-raise-raise and if you run out of "play money" you can just click to get more.
  • Rounders is a movie, and you're not in it.

Now, on to the tournament.

For a long while, I did well. I was actually in the top quarter for some time. I'm not going to bother you with each play-by-play, just suffice to say that when I won pots, they were usually large. Just let them "buy" the pot with pre-flop all-ins.

I survived for an hour until after the break. The kiss of death was when I got a pair of tens as pocket cards (I'm sure there's some catchy poker lingo for it) and another player before me (Player A) goes all-in with about 7000 markers pre-flop. I think "dahelweit" (Why I suddenly went gaelic, I don't know) and put in my 4000. Another player (Player B) matches that, tags along. Since there are no other players and no more bets possible, all pocket cards are displayed and the flop is shown. Q, ten and something. Heey, I have Three of a kind, tens, while A has just a pair of jacks as pocket cards. B has Q9 as pocket cards. I can win this! Turn, something, I can still win this.

The river is a queen (and that's a good folk song title if I ever heard one). Waitaminute, three queens are better than my three tens, and B rakes in the 22450 pot that would have put me in the top ten for a while. I
finish in 220th place (out of 892).

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why they call it gambling.



I enter another real money $5 tournament, one table, ten players. I finish in 6th place after losing with two pairs JT against three of a kind that went all-in. I had to play that hand, it looked good to me.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why they call it gambling.



The freeroll tournament is still on, after two and a half hours. Not very good hourly wages for those in 30th to 40th place ($2.25)

But that, ladies and gentlemen, et cetera.



I see that one of my opponents from yesterday has won a $10000 seat to WSOP 2004. Flight, accomodation for 8-9 days and $1000 spending money. Vegas, baby!

Tuesday, April 27, 2004

I'm hooked on freeroll tournaments

I happened to get a seat at a Ladbrokes poker tournament tonight, a freeroll tournament in online no limit Texas Hold'em where you don't have to pay but can win real money.

I haven't played much real online poker, mostly only with "play money" and never been in a (freeroll)tournament, so I was happy to just partake in it.

I had prepared. Beverage, candy, cheat sheet (guidelines for when to play and not). I had drawn up a plan. Primary goal was just to survive. Secondary goal to survive a few levels. Tertiary to win money, any money. (1st place gave $1762.50, 130th $7.50)

Thanks for playing... We (all 2500 players in the tournament) start out with $1500 each.

First hand, I get dealt a pair of deuces as hole cards. I said I would play carefully, so I just follow and call all the way to the river and still have the same (could have hoped for a set). On the river betting everybody checks, so that doesn't cost me more but I lose (don't remember to what) and I'm already down $240. How can I possibly play deuces to the end?

Round two. Let's get ready to rrrumble! Dealt Kc, Js. Nice, I'll play these, just call the $20. Hooray, the flop gives me a pair of kings, and there was two spades giving me the possibility of a flush. The players before me fold or check and I bet $100, some follow. The turn, another spade. The players before me fold or check and I bet $100, some follow. The river. Another spade. This is a whole gundang toolshed, but most importantly, I have a f-l-u-s-h.

The only remaining player except me bets a lot (don't remember if he went all-in, or just bet more than I had...) but I have to go all-in. My thinking went "flush is a good hand. I have the jack, the ace and king of spades are on the table together with another spade. He probably also has a flush but the odds are low that he has the queen. I can't NOT play a flush.".

Showdown time... Whammo. He has Full House, aces full of deuces.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why they call it gambling.


I bet against the possibility that the opponent would have a better hand. One can't wait for an unbeatable royal straight flush, the odds for that are so low your money will be eaten up by the blinds.

Pity, I didn't even have time to get a feel for the players, this was the second hand, remember? Hadn't barely had time to sit down at get comfortable or have a closer look at the cards. I was just like, ya'know; "Flush!", "The ace of spades, the ace of spades!" \m/

(Finished 2432nd place out of 2500 players. The best-laid plans of mice and men go oft awry, and leave us naught but grief and pain for promised joy.)

Wednesday, April 07, 2004

Systematic

I receive (whoa, I'm damaged by my training in English, I always have to stop and think the mantra "I before E except after C") the grades from the course Systems Theory.

PASS

Out of the fifteen taking the course: "Pass with distinction" 3, "Pass" 10, "Fail" 2.

I am negentropic.

Oh, and the Web Technologies course is fun. Servlets and JSP are hella cool.

Sunday, March 28, 2004

Have job, got haircut, will travel

I, after not having cut my hair since October last year, succumb to the annoyance of getting hair in my face all the time and drastically decide to take a hair trimmer and mow, bend, fold and mutilate my coiff down to 12 mm all over.

It looks somewhat like this (older picture):
A hunkahunka burnin luv

Friday, March 19, 2004

Combat report

I update.

  • The 3000-word report has been sent in.
  • My highscore in Bubbles is now 297470.

Believe me, those two statements are very disjunct.

Looking forward to the BodyCombat class tomorrow, it will be a special class titled "Master Kick Training". Afterwards the sensei will present me with the sacred green suspenders.

Saturday, March 06, 2004

Wil Wheaton dot net and Bubbles

I wrote some more on the report.

When I wasn't doing that, letting ye olde brain ferment (or fester?) for a while, I
played some poker (Texas Hold'Em) online with play money. For an excellent story on playing, se Wil Wheaton's short story quadrilogy "Lying in Odessa", available
here. Four parts, watch out for the links.

I also played a lot of Bubbles. My highscore so far: 127590. Curse you, Jamie, for pointing this out!

Friday, March 05, 2004

Type type type

I am writing a report, as examination of the course in Systems Theory I'm taking. LATEX rocks. But I'm almost getting carpal tunnel syndrome from typing (have to do 3000 words).

Sometimes I can't find the words because they have all piled up in my mind, all vying for attention.

Saturday, February 28, 2004

Strange online shopping

I am strange. What I have ordered over the Internet and phone or bought today:

  • CD: No Doubt - The Singles
  • DVD: Aliens - Special Edition
  • Book: Neal Stephenson - Quicksilver
  • Books: Tom Clancy - Red Rabbit and Teeth of the Tiger
  • A saw
  • Three boxer shorts
  • About a pound of M&Ms
  • Enough Omega-3 pills to last six months
  • A belt
  • Shaving gel
  • Kind of a telescopic pen with a magnet at the end

I sincerely, truly, deeply hope that I won't be using all of it at the same time. Or rather, that you would think that.

Wednesday, February 25, 2004

A most eligible bachelor

I send in the application for the course "Bachelor thesis in Computer Science" which will run fall and winter 2004. So, I won't be a B. Sc. soon, but it will happen. I think I'll drop the course in eCommerce I'm taking now, I bit of more than I could chew with (more important and for me, relevant) other coursework. I'm only taking it to get the necessary course credits in Economics (for the Bachelor minor).

Monday, February 02, 2004

I *AM* the law!

I break out in song!

I fought the law and I won, I fought the law and I won.

Yes, yeronner, I hereby testify that on the date of February second in the year of 2004 Common Era, I did intentionally and deliberately, compos mentis per se, and de jure, pass the course Introductory Law.

And now over to the other courses I'm taking this semester...

  • eCommerce
  • Information Security
  • Systems Theory

and in March

  • Web Technologies

If I keep this up, come autumn and I'll be Martin Hylerstedt B.Sc. (Computer Science). Like it ain't no thang. Word.