Oh, hey, you can do this every day...?

OK, so I haven’t been the most diligent blogger, but, hey, I’ve been busy. First off, as a card-carrying Republican, I’m disturbed by the hoo-hah regarding gay marriage. Who the hell cares if gay people want to get married? Why is the government involved?

Think about it, why is it any worse (or better) for gay people (or hetero people) to be married versus shacking up? Y’know, marriage is about relationships and commitment, and it’s not like straight people are getting it right. Most figures I’ve seen put the divorce rate for straights at around 50%, which is nothing for anti-gay-marriage types to brag about. Whether or not a couple is shacking up or married, gay or straight, black or white, tall or short, is NOT A GOVERNMENTAL ISSUE. Butt out.

Of course, that cuts both ways. I don’t want to see any laws specifically “guaranteeing” gay rights or black rights or blonde rights or anybody’s rights. The Constitution is fine for that. As long as there aren’t laws that specifically deny any of these rights, we can maintain the Constitution as the ONLY document that addresses rights. Which is how it should be….

Anyway, in poker news, I whored out some money to Empire for a 50% bonus! ($25 on a $50 deposit for playing 125 raked hands). Of course, playing $.50/$1 ring games for 125 hands on Empire is profitable in its own way. I split the hands between Hold ’Em and Omaha and ended up 20BB for three hours work (45BB if you count the bonus). I only play one table at a time, and keep notes on all players (which cards they’ll play/raise in which positions, whether they slowplay, etc.). Granted, people can change their patterns, but most at the low limits seem incapable of such deception. It makes a big difference when you get a good hand if you know the guys behind you will call a preflop raise with 96o or 33, or if you know they’ll always bet when it’s checked to them. I was in the big blind with QTo, flopped 89J rainbow for the nut straight, and KNEW the guy to my left would bet, so I checked. This enabled me to smoothly call and bring in four other fishermen, and when an ace hit the turn, the guy to my left bet and was raised by the guy to my right! I just called, and when a deuce hit the river, I checked, re-raised to $3, and collected over $20 in the pot. Notes pay off.

Omaha takes more patience, but might be more lucrative. I follow some pretty strict guidelines for playing hands, and that pays off handsomely against the hope-and-a-prayer, two-outers at Empire/Party. I won’t play any hand that doesn’t have a pair greater than 9, three connectors higher than 7, or a suited ace. I’m not sure how that jibes with the “experts” or pros, but it pays off well at $.50/$1. So, you keep all your KT77, AQ55, A654 rainbow hands, I won’t play them. I also won’t draw for runner-runner or gutshots, so if I don’t four-flush or two pair my AKxx, I’m out. This may seem draconian and boring, but winning money, even if it’s very very slowly, is exciting to me. I might spend five bucks for three circuits waiting for a hand to hit on the flop, but I guarantee that when it pays off, it’s way more than five bucks.