For whatever reasons, I've moved up (a little) in SnG buy-ins recently. I'm playing either the $20 or $30 HORSE or NLHE SnGs at Full Tilt, or the $25 Turbos at PokerStars. And I've stayed consistently profitable, if not WINNING the tournaments. Steady cashes are the norm. Actually, 3rd place in a $30 is more profitable than 1st place in a $10, so I'm doing OK. Tight-weak play is seemingly rewarded since people are actually paying attention. After a couple of circuits of folding my blinds to raises from one LAG (and building a table image), I raised 3x in MP with 78 sooted, and took back some blinds. That pretty much convinced me that my table image was set, and I played to it, stealing blinds at opportune moments, pretty much with any two cards. I ended up taking third after my AQs lost to ATo when I played it right preflop, but lost to a ten-high flop.

I'm on the low end of the HORSE variance right now, losing to the Pot Odds fairy on 7th street. I get the money in with the best hand, but my opponents are getting pot odds to call, and hitting the river on me. Not sure if that constitutes a "leak" or not. After all, my money seems to be getting in at the right times, the cards just aren't cooperating. For example, in Razz, the bad guy is raising on 4th street, pretty clearly drawing to a wheel. He gets a face card, while I make my 8-6 on fifth. I bet, he calls. He gets another face on sixth, I pair my board. He bets, I raise, He calls. He bets the river (which doesn't help me), I just call. He flips a wheel with three cards hidden. Did I do something wrong here? I clearly had the best hand on 5th and 6th. While he was drawing to his wheel, I was drawing to a six. In chat, he said he figured that he was drawing for 5-6-7-8 to beat me. Well, yeah, but I was also still getting cards, and even if he got a seven, I could still outdraw him. So did I misplay it? Did he? Did we both play it right, and the cards jus happened to favor him this time? I'm still working things like that out in Razz.

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My son will likely make his Jr. 80’s pitching debut today. For those of you who are out of the Little League loop, Jr. 80’s are 13-14 year olds that play on an almost-full-size diamond (80-foot basepaths), a huge adjustment for the kids from Majors (60-foot). In actuality, Trevor should still be in Majors; his 13th birthday is in June, the age cutoff date is April 30. But Trevor already played two years in Majors and wanted to move up in competition. Now he’s gonna be pitching against some high school students. I only hope he doesn’t get hit by a line drive.

He’s got a decent sinking fastball, an inconsistent cut fastball, and a slurve that doesn’t break enough to get whiffs, but might get some pop-ups. I doubt he’ll strike anyone out; his main task will be to NOT walk anyone. I’ve been working him on throwing a weighted nine-ounce baseball (3x regulation weight) to build up his arm strength and it’s worked so far to add some hop to his fastball. If he pitches today, it’ll likely be in a mop-up role since we’re playing the worst team in the league, and the coach is trying out guys to be a spot pitcher for later in the year. We’ve had so many rain-outs that we’re stacking up games and doubleheaders at the end of the year, and arms are at a premium.

Frankly, I’m not even sure I want him to pitch, but once the coach approached me about having Trevor help ease the load on the staff, I couldn’t decline. The boy just doesn’t seem to have the killer instinct necessary to pitch. Now he might surprise the hell out of me (and my wife) by showing unexpected grit and toughness, or he might collapse like Rick Ankiel or Steve Blass. Or he might be somewhere in the middle. Best case? He pitches two innings, maybe gives up a run or two, but doesn’t walk anyone. Worst case? He walks the entire lineup and cries on the mound. I’ll be a wreck.