Long Time No See...

It's been way too long since I've posted last, I can feel all of your pain! It's been a very busy week, both at work and personally, and I feel like I've been off keel sleepwise all week thanks to the changing of the time. Haha not that I've ever had an easy time getting up for work anyways...

Anyways

Last Friday night I headed out to Universal Citywalk with Mitch and couple other buddies to see 300 at the IMAX. We stopped for a few beers and chatted about life for a while (crazy ex-girlfriends, roommates, Vegas, etc.) before we filed into the waiting line. The line was long but moved fast so when the doors to the theater opened it only took minutes to get seated.

There were a few shouts and hollers when the gigantic pre-movie warning came on, but for the most part everyone quieted down for the opening scene. The movie came out with great anticipation and, after the work of art that was Sin City, rightfully so.

The whole movie wasn't shot in the same style as it's prior comic-based counterpart, but certain shots were done with certain artistic elements and all in all the movie was amazing. Admittedly, it was definitely a "manly man's" movie and the majority of the story revolves around the continuing battle between a select few soldiers from the Spartan army and the massive collective army of the Persian Empire. The actors went through rigorous training and body-building for this movie and every Spartan in the movie was ripped beyond God. Combine that with the way the movie was shot and the added effects, and you really feel every hit, kick, and sword slice (and there were many) the movie has to offer.

The lead actor, Gerard Butler, was pretty much the perfect choice for the role of King Leonidas. When he speaks in this movie, you feel it. Every time he shouts it resonates through your entire body.

When the movie was finished if you were a man you felt like walking by and delivering a thundering punch to every concession stand clerk, bellboy, and movie watcher around you. It leaves you with the feeling that you can crush and dominate anything that stands in your path.

In my opinion this was one of the best movies to have been released in the past few years. As for the historical accuracy of the movie, it's not all there; it is a retelling of a retelling and based off of a comic book on top of that, so don't look for it to be accurate. But the way with which the movie was put together and the style that it was filmed made it quickly shoot to #1 movie in my eyes. It's a definite must-see.

On Saturday night I went out with my cousin and her fiancee to celebrate their newly announced engagement. We hit up a new bar in Simi that was converted from a restaurant that used to be in its place, and it was quite alright. We had a good time and it's always fun to hang with family that you're close with, so the night went well.

On Sunday I headed down to Hollywood Park for the first time with my old man. Being as how I'm on a two-month downswing and going through a personal financial mess on top of that, I opted to sit the $3-6 with my dad and just splash around and have some fun. I wasn't looking to win any money in the game, but I wasn't looking to dump a rack either.

The building itself is pretty big. It has high ceilings, a large amount of poker tables, and the usual high limit area sectioned off to the side. They were spreading $2-4 to $8-16 Limit and $1-2 and $2-5NL in the low limit section, and much higher games in the high limit. All in all it's a pretty standard L.A. card room.

They had a free drawing in action when we showed up where they would pick a random player's card and that person would automatically win $300 or could trade in the money for a chance to pick out of 18 other briefcases, all of which had varying cash amounts ranging from .01 to $10,000. It was basically a Deal or No Deal challenge. They called a generic L.A. Mexican "Jose" for the win, and he took the $300. They then asked him what briefcase he would've chosen and they revealed his would've been prize of $5,000.

At this point I got into an argument about why he would've taken the $300 instead of trading for a chance to win more. I won that one.

As for the $3-6 limited hold them game, it was your standard live $3-6 donkfest. The first hand I sat down there was four-way action to a 9 high flop, with a bet and a raise and three players to a turn of an offsuit 10. Two more bets and the same three players saw a J on the river, and two more bets out of three players produced a big ole' Q-8 offsuit FTW. I laughed out loud as the woman (of course) scooped the pot, then I tightened my drawers so I wouldn't shit myself at the horrible play I was about to see for the rest of the session.

I took the 4s next to my old man in the 3s and we had a good time. I was up and down for the most part, playing a lot of hands all with awesome value. I saw some really disgusting plays and witnessed the most ridiculous hands that I've seen in a long time. If I had even kept some of the HHs that I saw at the table they would've been in the trash long before I had a chance to post them. And this wasn't even hands that I was involved in. Actually I was dead even until the dreaded "rack hand".

For those that aren't familiar with the RH, its definition is the last hand you play before leaving the table for that session. Usually you'll have your chips racked and counted, and will be UTG about to leave before your big blind for it to be considered a true RH. On a regular basis my rack hands seem to be AQ-AA, and I'm always forced to raise UTG and play it out.

Today would be no different. With my chips racked and a $5 profit ready to depart, I looked down at AQo . I opened for a raise UTG and got called by the button, the SB, and the BB. This is how the hand played out.

Dealt to Hero [Ac,Qh]
Hero raises $3 to $6
5s folds, 6s folds, 7s folds, Button calls, SB calls, BB calls.

Flop: Qc-2h-4d
SB checks, BB checks, Hero bets $3, Button folds, SB calls, BB calls.

Turn: Qc-2h-4d-7d
SB checks, BB checks, Hero bets $6, SB calls, BB folds.

River: Qc-2h-4d-7d-5s
SB checks, Hero bets $6, SB raises $6 to $12, Hero calls.

Showdown:
SB shows [Qs,5d] and has two pair, Queens and fives.
Hero mucks.

And that was that. I wasn't completely shocked but still irritated. That's how low limit LHE goes though, so whatever. I was actually surprised that I only lost the amount played out in that hand. I flopped two straights for a couple big pots, and had AK hold up twice. That was enough to have me even until the RH and it was a fun time altogether.

After that I went back to Simi and headed home to Santa Barbara and about 9:30. I had to stop in Ventura for some DoD of course, and that was the end of my weekend.

I've been fighting a head cold for the past week and a half, which has led to a desire to do nothing at all, which is part of the reason it took me so long to update. I'll be updating regularly still, so if you're still tuned in then stay tuned!

Until next time.