Pics of piccs

When I was in music school, I swore I would own a Schilke piccolo P5-4. This is considered by many to be the best piccolo trumpet made. I had to have one. So when I moved to San Antonio, I started my own trumpet studio and came upon a very nice Yamaha piccolo Bb/A short model shown here...


Yamaha 6810S

Never thought i'd have the P5-4 because A.) they are expensive (around 3k) and B.) they are very hard to get. But they look so cool I had to have one. Who cares if I would hardly ever play it. Right?!? So i kept toiling away on the short model Yamaha until one day the manager of H&H Music told me that he had a friend who was willing to part with a P5-4 for $1800 and that he would let me make payments on it. Suh-wheat!

Schilke P5-4
Needless to say, I hardly ever took the thing out of the case and so I sold it a few years back to one of my students who was majoring in music. You're welcome Manny.

Now i'm getting motivated to play again and I'll stick with my trusty Bach stradivarius #43 lightweight. I also have 2 cornets and another trumpet but the 43 is my primary horn.

I've had some wonderful teachers in the past. I was taught primarily by 2 teachers in trumpet: David McChesney and Randal Adams. McChesney was perhaps one of the most laid back guys i've ever known and I still send him emails from time to time. Good guy. Randy is a very soft spoken guy and is a monster on the horn. Another influential person in music was Gary Sousa. He's another cool cat and it was a priviledge to sit in his ensembles. Sousa was the reason I went to Sam Houston. He was my clinician at an All-State concert and offered me a scholarship. Very good guy.

- steeler

16k Guarantee

I totally forgot about the 200k Guarantee on Fulltiltpoker yesterday. I woke up and decided i'd play some $6 18 seater satellites to win a $26 token. These tokens can be used for bigger satellites into the really big games i.e. the 200k GTD. So i start reading fulltiltforum and didn't notice much activity as far as the 200k goes. So I really didn't feel that much interested in playing. But i did notice that they had a 10.5k and a 16k that was going to be played around the same time and that game might have some overlay*. So i played one of the $6 Satellites and won my token. Nice.

I decided i'd play the 16k GTD. I sat at the fulltiltforum.com table for awhile to play a little poker with my friends when someone mentioned there was a $5 RAZZ tourney about to begin. I decided to play that as well. So when the 16k started I was three tabling Razz, NLHE tourney and NLHE cash game. Nice. I finally decided to push at razz cause i was getting distracted and i wanted to concentrate more on the 16k. I find that i play better when i multi-table so the FTF table wasn't a distraction. I was accumulating chips nicely and then it only took one hand to bust me...

Full Tilt Poker Game #410711599: $16,000 Guarantee (2575666), Table 31 - 250/500 Ante 50 - No Limit Hold'em - 0:22:07 ET - 2006/01/30
Seat 1: corbin801 (10,276)
Seat 2: Hack Hansen (11,440)
Seat 3: Foghorn (15,645)
Seat 4: Fawn_Lebawitz (5,641)
Seat 5: steeler247 (7,470) I have around 15 Big blinds so no need to worry yet.
Seat 6: Etomic (22,062) <-- the villian. he didn't get these chips by being good thats for sure.
Seat 7: MyAng (9,700)
Seat 8: ttubeta (9,925)
Seat 9: K Smoker (9,305)
corbin801 antes 50
Hack Hansen antes 50
Foghorn antes 50
Fawn_Lebawitz antes 50
steeler247 antes 50
Etomic antes 50
MyAng antes 50
ttubeta antes 50
K Smoker antes 50
Fawn_Lebawitz posts the small blind of 250
steeler247 posts the big blind of 500
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to steeler247 [9c 9s] This is a nice BB hand.
Etomic raises to 2,250 This is a funny raise UTG**. He had been raising tons and i wanted to see a flop. I was gonna push on the flop no matter what came.
MyAng folds
ttubeta folds
K Smoker folds
corbin801 folds
Hack Hansen folds
Foghorn folds
Fawn_Lebawitz folds
Hack Hansen: lol
steeler247 calls 1,750 I'm gonna just call. I probably shoulda pushed here. Its one of those areas in poker where i'm not exactly sure how to play this hand. I'm open for suggestions.
*** FLOP *** [5h 2c 4s] Perfect flop for my hand i thought.
steeler247 bets 5,170, and is all in
Etomic calls 5,170
steeler247 shows [9c 9s]
Etomic shows [Ad 3d]
steeler247: wow
*** TURN *** [5h 2c 4s] [Js]
*** RIVER *** [5h 2c 4s Js] [Qc]
steeler247 shows a pair of Nines
Etomic shows a straight, Five high
Etomic wins the pot (15,540) with a straight, Five high
Da 3 fish (Observer): wow
steeler247: nice flop Suckout mother effer.
steeler247 stands up
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 15,540 Rake 0
Board: [5h 2c 4s Js Qc]
Seat 1: corbin801 folded before the Flop
Seat 2: Hack Hansen folded before the Flop
Seat 3: Foghorn (button) folded before the Flop
Seat 4: Fawn_Lebawitz (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 5: steeler247 (big blind) showed [9c 9s] and lost with a pair of Nines
Seat 6: Etomic showed [Ad 3d] and won (15,540) with a straight, Five high
Seat 7: MyAng folded before the Flop
Seat 8: ttubeta folded before the Flop
Seat 9: K Smoker folded before the Flop

I pry played this badly and in hindsight I pry should have pushed. oh well. it ruined a perfectly good day too. With this pot i'm poised to get in the money.

* overlay- FTP guarantees the prize poool to be $10.5k or $16k no matter how many participants are entered. If there are less players then can actually cover the prize pool then there is in essence some free money in the tournament and makes it more valuable.

** UTG - Under the Gun. The first person to act after the blinds. Generally the hardest position to play at the table. Normally an UTG raise gets respect around the table but this guy was playing tons of hands. Most good players would have folded A3 in this position but he was looking to hit the 2% flush/straight on the flop. which the bastid did.

-steeler247

A few things from today

Worked on my taxes today. I have always liked preparing my own tax returns. I take it as a personal challenge to one-up Uncle Sam. Kinda odd only having to worry about my part of the return this year. Oh well. Finished it fairly painlessly. I'm getting a whopping $270 back. And with that...


I bought myself an iPod Nano! I got the 2yr extended warranty and a nice case and the total was $250. Not very user-friendly but i'm working out the quirks.

I had to buy tires today for my truck and those bad boys tain't cheap. 4 Goodyear Eagle LS = $800+. One thing that almost killed me - Lidia is willing to pay for 2 of the tires. OMGWTF! If I would have known that I would have gone with the Michelin's. Damn...

The skating party was kinda cool. Apparently there is a website that will locate the closest skating rink no matter your current locale

http://www.skatecentralonline.com/tx/sc-tx_featuredrinks.htm

Have fun.

I saw someone at the rink that brought back a flood of old memories. When i first met Lidia, i was sort of going out with another girl. This other girl was the classic All-American girl - cheerleader, smart & funny. And very nice looking. But when i saw Lidia for the first time - damn. I still look at Lidia and say damn, but for very different reasons now. So anyway i saw J. at the party and she looked like I remembered her. Wow. She's happily married with 2 beautiful daughters and is the Head Charge Nurse at the hospital where Lidia works. Too funny. We talked for awhile and she met my kids. I never wonder what might have been. I wouldn't have my kids today. No regrets...

While i'm reminiscing with J., Allison takes off her skates and runs out on the floor to chase after Thomas. This really big guy starts to skate backwards and just like that he hits her so hard that she fell back so hard it still has me shaken. I ran out there so fast that i accidently knocked over another kid. When i saw it happen, initially she didn't move for a second and it freaked me out. I have never been so scared for one of my kids safety then at that moment.

-247

Whats on the menu.

Today is my nephew's birthday. Happy B-day A.J. His parents, Delia and Adam, are throwing a party at Skate World. Nice. I was given explicit instructions from Lidia on what time to take the kids and what clothes to put on em. Whatever.

Friday night game sucked. No report. Down $18. Played pry 85% of the flop to "try something out". I am stupid. Stick with what you know steeler - chasing flushes.

I may start looking for a job soon. I'm going insane now without Allison in the house. She's been going to playschool and it has left me lonely. I've been running into bouts of bleh for a few days now and i need something to keep my mind busy, plus finances will need to be replenished very soon. I've been doing tons of reading and some writing and i've even become more interested in playing my trumpet again. I've played it daily for at least 2hrs for the last couple weeks. I've actually started Alex on trumpet lessons and he seems to be interested. This makes me happy. I've given him a very nice King Master Cornet. This baby is nice and i'm not exactly sure i want him taking it to school next year.

Maybe some poker tonight.

-steeler

Today.

It has been a kinda 'bleh' day today. I went to bed late last night due to railbirding willw9 in his 5th place $10 double stack tourney. The damn thing didn't end till near 1:30am my time. Bleh.

Then i had a nice conversation with Lidia on the way to an 80 mile (one way) trip to a Study in Fiction class. By nice i mean not so nice. Bleh.

Then it seems as if every song on the radio was by puff daddy. Bleh.

Then it started sprinkling with tons of traffic as i got closer to Houston. Bleh

Then Lidia calls back to tell me that Allison is going to her grandmother's this weekend. bleh.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

So i get back to Edna and pick up Thomas. He has a Bumblebee! Yeah!

Then i pick up Allison! Yeah!

Then Alex does well in his Art Smarts event! Yeah!

Now i'm making some pork/beef sausage from Prasek's in Hillje, TX. Some good stuff! Yeah!

And tonight i'm gonna kill those fish in The Brother's Game. Yeah!

-vientequatro y seven*

* - spanglish for 247

Four things post...

I blame Hrbek.

Four jobs I’ve had

• Development Coordinator - Artistic Builders, Inc.
• Project Designer - Capco Steel Inc.
• Drafter - Young Architects
• Oil rig designer - Skytop Brewster.

Four movies I can watch over and over

• Old School
• Scent of a Woman
• Godfather I
• Eddie Murphy - Raw

Four places I’ve lived

• Edna, TX
• Huntsville, TX
• San Antonio, TX
• Edna, TX - Part deux

Four TV shows I love

• West Wing
• sportscenter
• The Sopranos
• Curb your Enthusiasm

Four places I’ve vacationed

• Las Vegas, NV
• Corpus Christi, TX
• New Orleans, LA
• San Francisco, CA

Four of my favorite dishes

• Filet at Ruth's Chris Steak House
• Penne Gorgonzola at Johnny Carino's
• Halibut - Charlie Palmers in LV
• Cheeseburger no onions - Triangle Treet, Edna (no link)

Four sites I visit daily

• ESPN.com
• CNN.com
• Fulltiltforum.com
• drudgereport.com

Four places I would rather be right now

• Bellagio - Las Vegas, NV
• Napa Valley, CA
• Asheville, NC
• The Bike

Four bloggers I am tagging

• hrbek
• fornelli
• virge
• huck

Allison Leah: Primadonna

Allison Leah: Age 4

Allison aka Sissy is a true primadonna. She is very prissy and is very girly. She likes dolls and wearing little dresses and she loves her momma's shoes. She loves singing and whenever she's at my house I always have to put on Phantom of the Opera. She thinks she's Christine Daae. She also loves her brothers.

The Good:

"uh huh. you told me de utter day" - when she wants something that i've said no to she has this comment.

"daddy look. hookem" - she flashes me the Hook Em Horn's sign all the time.

"Kristian's the Opera, you're Raul, I'm Christine and momma's Meg". - when she hears the Phantom she begins to assign parts. She says this everytime.

The Bad:

she hasn't said anything bad. yet.

T Ray: Kid on a Mission

Thomas Ray. Age 5.

Thomas was born one month early and hasn't slowed down since. This kid is always on the go. He is a little boy in every sense of the word. Thomas is a very bright child. He has light brown eyes which are very striking and will make him a future lady-killer. He loves his PlayStation. Probably a little too much. He doesn't like girls or seeing boys kiss girls. yuck.

The Bad:

"i'm gonna kick his ass." - overheard a few weeks ago when Thomas and his buddy Sebastian were on the porch playing Gameboy.

"i didn't get a bumblebee" - what Thomas tells me when i pick him up from Kindergarten when he gets in trouble for talking.

The Good:

Daddy: who do you love?
Thomas: Kristian.
Daddy: What about momma or daddy?
Thomas: Just Kristian. Cause he lets me climb on his back.

another good...

"Daddy! Daddy! I got a bumblebee!" - what Thomas tells me when didn't get in trouble for talking.

Things Alex has said...

Kent got me thinking. What are some of the things my kids have said that were funny or odd. I have 3 kids so I've been embarrassed/shocked/surprised x 3.

Kristian Alexander: 11 years old.

One of the nicest and most respectful kid you'll ever know. He is a true big brother and a huge help with Thomas and Allison. He's smart and witty and likes playing video games with Thomas. He also enjoys his new bike. People tell us that he's one of the most respectful kids they've ever met. I agree.

The Embarrassing:

Lidia, Alex and I were at Little Italy's Restaurant in San Antonio one evening when Alex was 5 years old. When we walked in the restaurant, the owner of the restaurant was seating us and asked whether we preferred smoking or non-smoking. I told him non-smoking and Alex repeated what i said. The guy bends down to Alex and asks "you don't smoke?" to which Alex responds "no way. say no to Drugs." He had just finished a big 'Say No to Drugs' show in school and his answer made me proud. The guy then tells him "good job. i'm proud of you" and then Alex says to him "my daddy does drugs!". I said "i do not!" and he said "yes you do! you smoke those big cigarette's". I told the guy he saw me smoking a cigar once and the guy raises his hands and says "i don't judge anyone sir."

He sat us as far to the back of the restaurant as possible.

The Good:

When Alex was 3yrs old or so he and I were both watching TV while lying on my bed. He was laying next to me then turned to me and said for no reason "daddy, you're my daddy" and hugged me. I will never forget that moment.

I like long walks on the beach and small bunnies...

When i was in college the first time, I used to like washing and ironing clothes.

I'll let that simmer awhile.



Ok. I actually didn't mind washing clothes. I remember in school I would buy the most expensive brand of laundry soap and I always had a box of the Clorox Bleach for Colors. However when I got married I cared little for what types of soap we used ( i say we, but i mean Lidia). Its funny when someone else is willing (ok, not so willing) to do the laundry that I soon relinquished all thought to the types of products used to wash my unmentionables. I mean would it have been right for me to demand Tide?

Now that I am back doing my own laundry, I am once again back to buying the good stuff. Now I actually stand in the aisle of Wal-Mart and smell the fabric softeners. I can't just let any dryer sheet soften my clothes. Today I made my decision fairly quickly. I went with the new Bounce Dryer Sheets with Febreze.

I'm gonna make someone a good wife one day.*

i'm pathetic.

* this isn't to insinuate that only women do laundry.

Funny things said at the table:

My Farmers and Brothers game have had some funny quotes and commentaries. Most of em between me and 'Dad'. He's a real tool and hates me. I just dislike him immensely.


Dad: "I'm all in." with 2 pair
247: "i call" with top boat this is an easy call
Dad: "So when i pushed all in you didn't put me on quads?"
247: "If you had quads then I would just have to pay you off. I'm not folding top boat."
Dad: "You keep playing that 'poker-odds' poker and i'm gonna bust you."

another...

247: "i'm all in" ( i have top set)
Dad: "hell, you're on a flush draw and i have the best hand. i call" (flops over 93o for bottom pair)
247: "nice read"

another...

steve: "i'm all in" (flop all in raise with AA with AJ7 board)
Dad: "i call" (has J9o)
247: "what did you think he had Rick (dad)?"
Dad: "hell i knew what he had. knew exactly what he had"
247: "if you knew what he had, then why did you call?"
Dad: "huh?"

yet another...

247: "i call" (had top 2 pair)
Dad: "how the hell do you call that big a raise with just 2 pair"
247: "i had a feeling"
Dad: "yeah, you keep having your feelings. I've been busting people like you for 30 years."
247: "not like me. and can you pass me those others chips. i can't reach them"

wild bill: in every omaha hi/low game preflop (must be spoken very slow and deliberate) "i'ma raise it $3 just in case there's a split pot"

farmers game...

Farmer #1: "i'm all in" (preflop $100 play with KK)
Zabodine, King of Farmers: still collecting his chips from last scoop and without looking at his cards says "eff it. i call"

-steeler

SNL short...

Most have seen this before, but i watch at least once a day. Its too funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch.php?v=zLElfJ9YCh0

2 white guys + Gansta beat = some funny stuff

Here's the lyrics:

Lazy Sunday wake up in the late afternoon
Call Parnell just to see how he's doing
Hello?
What up Parns?
Yo Samberg what's cracking?
You thinking what I'm thinking? (Narnia!) Then it's happening.

But first my hunger pangs are sticking like duct tape.
Just hit up Magnolia and mack on some cupcakes.
No doubt that bakery's got all the bomb frostings.
I love those cupcakes like McAdams loves Gosling.

Two, no six, no twelve, baker's dozen!
I told you that I'm crazy for these cupcakes cousin.
Where's the movie playing?
Upper West Side, dude.
Well, let's hit up Yahoo! Maps to find the dopest route.
I prefer Mapquest. (That's a good one, too.)
Google maps is the best. True that. (Double true!)

68th and Broadway (Step on it sucker!)
What you what to do Chris?
Snack attack mother*****!

The Chronic (What?) Cles of Narnia.
Yes, the Chronic (What?) Cles of Narnia.
We love the Chronic (What?) Cles of Narnia.
Pass that Chronic (What?) Cles of Narnia.

Yo stop at the deli, the theater's overpriced.
You got the backpack? (Gonna pack it up nice.)
Don't want security to get suspicious.
Mr. Pibb and Red Vines equals Crazy Delicious.
Yo reach in my pocket, pull out some dough.
The girl acted like she'd never seen a ten before.
It's all about the Hamiltons baby.
Throw the snacks in the bag and I'm Ghost like Swayze.

Roll up to the theater. Ticket buying what we're handling.
You can call us Aaron Burr from the way we're dropping Hamiltons.
Parked in our seats, movie trivia's the illest.
What Friends alum starred in films with Bruce Willis?
We answered so fast it was scary.
Everyone stared in awe when we screamed Matthew Perry.
Now quiet in the theater or it's gonna get tragic.
We're about to be taken to a dream world of magic.

The Chronic (What?) Cles of Narnia.
Yes, the Chronic (What?) Cles of Narnia.
We love the Chronic (What?) Cles of Narnia.
Pass that Chronic (What?) Cles of Narnia.


-twentyfourseven

Monday Night Farm Report

It's been several months since i've played this game. When i first found out about this game it was a $1/3 NL HE spread with an additional $3/6/12 Limit game. The Limit game is a rotating game of NLHE* and O8b**. The buyin at the time was $100.

So i drive up around 6:40pm and the parking lot was full. I thought i was attending the monthly tournament with the number of cars in the lot. When i walked in, i saw Tommy who runs the game. Tommy is an old friend of mine from High School. I asked if it was tourney night and he said this is the regular crowd now. Wow. When i first started the game in early 2005 there was 1 NL table and 1 Limit table. For the night we had 3 full NL and 1 Limit game. And there were people waiting to play in both. Un-freaking real. I ask Tommy which table I should sit at and he lets me know where the soft game is.

So...

I sit and give the dealer my $100 and I see several people buying in for $200. I'm not gonna sit short stacked so I get another $100. A few people at my table i've played before and I was fairly comfortable with the table. In my opinion it had the right amount of tight vs. loose players and i felt i could make some money if i grind.

I sat sandwiched between 2 internet Party Poker kids. One was wearing his PP shirt and the other had a hat. I found out soon enough that they brought their PP 'craft' to the game. Very first hand one old farmer raised the pot $40. Now i'm thinking what the hell did i get myself into and everyone folds but the PP kid to my right. Flop comes J55 and old man farmer pushed $50 and the kid just calls. The turn was 7 and old man pushes all in and the kid calls. Old guy had KK and kid had A5sooooooted. Nice. Rebuy!

Very next hand PP kid calls a $12 raise preflop with A4 off. Flop comes AK7. Kid bets $40 and another guy reraises $40 more. Kid didn't hesitate and pushes all in. Now the guy that was playing him was pretty tight and was thinking hard. He calls and shows AK and doubles up through the kid. It was like the first $200 pot didn't happen for PP. So as not to draw this out too much, PP kid played the next 5 hands in a row and lost his $200 + $200 more and was out after 10 hands or so. And i didn't get any of it. Also the kid to my left was up to $500+ around 1hr in and cashed out 1 hr later for a $12 profit. Let me win $$ and i'll keep it.

Two big hands for me...

1st Hand

In SB*** i was dealt QQ. Internet kid to my left had left and a very good player named Brock (b_rock72 on FTP) sat in that seat. Brock is the only guy i am worried about at the table. He is a 5/10 NL player and has sat at 25/50 NL a few times on Full Tilt. Most people equate level of blinds to level of play. I think i could sit there too if i had the bankroll but i'm comfortable with the limits i play. So with QQ i had 2 limpers to the pot and i raised $12 more. Brock has a rep at the table of being a good player and most people fold to him because of it. Brock just calls my $12 raise. Flop comes 732 with two hearts. I lead out and bet $20 and he just smooth calls. So now i'm thinking he's on a flush draw. The turn was Q clubs and i make top set. I was scared about the flush draw but i knew Brock could be slow playing a monster and ready to reraise... so i led out and bet $30. This was a smallish bet and i was hoping to induce a reraise. He thinks about it for a few minutes and then pushes all in and i call. He had AA and i sucked out big time. Huge pot for me. Tilted him something fierce and he left our table and went to another. I'm still torn between his play. If it were me i would have pushed the flop with the flush draw possible. But what do i know. I'm a low limit guy.

2nd Hand

Second big hand for me i was dealt AA in the BB. One guy named Clem ( i can't make this stuff up) is one of the tightest guys i've played. He is constantly talking and moving and you would think he likes to play hands but he is a true grinder and plays 4 games a week. He likes to bet big preflop with big hands. By big i mean very big. Well a few people limp to Clem and he raises the pot to $100. It folds to me and i ask him if he was serious about that bet. He says yep. Then I ask him if he was such a good player why is he scared to see a flop with KK. He starts goading me to call and i say i'm not gonna call, i'm gonna reraise all in. He is stumped. I then tell him "are you good enough to fold KK" and he is getting mad. He then tells me he thinks I have JJ and calls and i bust him. For the record he did have KK. Yeah me.

After this i slowed down and won my share of pots but never really mixed it up with anyone. It was a pretty good night for me. Cept for the $200 donkey play i did on Full Tilt before i left.

For the night i cashed $520 for a very nice $320 profit. I left a few bets on the table when i folded the best hand but all in all i felt very good about my play.

* NLHE - No Limit Hold-em. The amount of the bet is not limited to any set amount.
** 08b - Omaha Hi/Lo. Split game where someone can win the high or low hand.
*** SB- Small Blind - Forced bets to generate action.

-247

Brothers Game: The Cast

This past Friday was a banner night for ole steeler. This game is one of the softest games i've played live and I schedule everthing around it just to make this game. The game is no-limit Texas holdem with blinds at .50 & 1.00 and the buy in is $20. I'll post the weekly results as I start to build this blog. We usually have around 7-8 players which include:

steeler247: Tight and aggressive. I am currently on an 18 week run at this game where i have made money. I'm the most consistent player by far at this game and the one with the most talent. No kidding. Money has no value to me at this game and its why I am a force. This took time to overcome and has made me a better player.

Brian aka Big Brother: He originally was a good player in my eyes but now he tries to play way to many hands and gets "sucked out" on with inferior plays. He is usually in the money but he buys in around $80-100 to get in the money. He either loses big or wins big. Not consistent and he has no patience.

John. aka Little Brother: He was aggressive when i first started and i let him push me out of tons of pots, but lately I have seen right through him. Thank you Mike Caro. He works hard for his money in life and at the table so now i can push him around cause the money means something to him.

Bill. aka Wild Bill: 70ish gentleman who is worth several million $$'s. I met him in my Farmers Game and he throws around tons of money. By the end of the night he is in for around $200. Money has no value to him either, but for way different reasons. He is the loosest player at the table and this is good for steeler and steelers offspring.

Steve: One of the original players to the Brothers Game and is very loose/passive player. He will chase hands to the river and understands not the correct way to push people out of pots. Will give me, and others, the correct odds to chase hands. He is usually in the game for $80 a night. Very inconsistent in the money and he is usually a $$ loser.

Rick. aka Dad: Father to the brothers. Very wild and egotistical player. Hates to lose a hand to me and therefore i've made him my bitch when i have a hand. He has paid me off more than once. He is a profitable player, but not for anything crafty. He likes to bully me with big bluffs and once again i have Mike Caro to thank. If we played Heads UP all day, i'd own his soul. But i'd sell or trade on ebay.

Jeremy: Tightest player i've ever been around. Only plays a few hands such as AA, KK, QQ, JJ and AK and will play them to huge preflop bets so as not to see a flop. I like Jeremy but I will crack his skull when we get in a hand. Won't fold big pocket pairs after flop and it makes him another very easy mark. He is only in the game for $20 a night and he is done. I use this to my advantage.

There are a few others that stop in but not as regularly. They are usually in for the initial $20 buy-in and are done.

-steeler

The Cherry is popped...

My first post shall be an introduction. Nothing too personal but enough to keep you wanting for more. (oh God).

Hello. I am 35 years old. As depressing as that sounds for most i'm actually quite ok with my experiences. I go by the name of steeler247 not because i'm a Pittsburgh Steelers fan (which i am now by the way because they are in the SuperBowl) but because I worked in the steel industry for several years for what seemed like 24hrs a day/ 7 days a week.

"if elected, i'll be there 24hrs a week, 7 months out of the year..."
- G Dub

Not a big Dubya fan. You'll catch on to this all too soon.

I recently returned to school after a 10yr layoff thanks to some life altering happenings: The ole wife packed up and took the kids back to Edna from San Antonio. So being as how i wanted to see my kids grow up daily and not just the weekends and every other holiday (damn lawyers), I quit my very prestigious position as Development Coordinator for a company and decided to sell everything, cash in my retirement and move back to Edna to be closer to the kiddos and to get the degree I now so desperately covet. I don't regret a thing. Never do. In fact there are things in life that I wish I would have done differently, but things wouldn't be how they are now and I don't wanna live life through 'what-coulda-beens'. I'm sure thats a country song.

So what do I wanna do with the last 1/2 of my life? I always fancied myself a band director -struggling with knuckle headed kids on the differences between a sousaphone and a tuba... or getting that last bunch of candy sold so the band can take some myopic and pointless trip to Disney World. Yeah, thats what good bandsmen are all about - Mickey. So thats what I want to do: Be a band director and do all the above things. And if i make enough to pay the bills and deposit some of it online for my poker fix than the world is a happy place for steeler.

I also play poker online. I have made tons of friends through poker. Sad as it may sound, but some of em I consider closer friends than the ones I actually see on a daily basis. I don't know if its by design or that i try and live vicariously through them (or i just wanna say that i know smart people) but most are what i consider ubersmart. Kent Hrbek, not his real name, played football and baseball at Yale and now designs websites and has a 2yr old daughter. I speak to him daily and his blog, www.hrbek.blogspot.com is some of the most creative writing i've ever read. Kudo's Kent. I also speak to Deemon daily. This may be her real name. Just kidding Dee. She graduated from MIT in Aerospace Engineering but she doesn't come off as some egghead math genius (like i woulda if i had a degree like that). She lives in LA so I give her some slack. There are others like Topanga and Fornelli and Knighty and Virge and rjs182 that i talk to almost daily. If i didn't mention your name, then you really aren't that good a friend of mine and i only want your money at the poker table. Ok... you are friends but i'm alloted only a certain amount of bandwith...

Misery loves company and there is no greater misery than aspiring to become poker legends. As for what i think a blog is... well that is easy - It is the daily (or weekly) personal musings of someone who so desperately craves attention and affection of his/her peers that they'll put their lives and those they love in a free and open forum for all to witness. It is why i wanted to do a blog so badly in the first place. I read other blogs and some of your lives are pretty pathetic and it makes my life a whole lot better.

I kid. Mostly.

-steeler247