Busy Saturday, spent sunday recovering.

My Saturday started with a trip to San Bruno to attend a soccer clinic for Referees. I got to listen to Chris Strickland speak and he provided very good insight on how much more involve an Assistant Referee can get to help control the game. It was good because I can reflect back to the days where I would at times, withdraw from supporting the referee when I could get a lot of flack and no protection from the center. And there were times I would get involved and hope the center had my back.

Moral of the story: Centers take care of your ARs and your ARs will take care of you. Especially when they make a call to save your butt.

Then we had Abe Rameriz give us a testing tool on what to do with a certain play. Call a foul, yellow card, red card, no card, no foul. I did okay. There were quite a few disagreements.

After the clinic I went home and prepped for the poker party. Had 13 players. Took first which has me 4/5 games where I have won. The good about that? My bankroll has increased. Bad news is people may not ever want to come back because I tend to win most of my games (the one I did lose, I took 2nd place). At first it was just my friend Rudy complaining. Then another, and then another.
Most people stayed for the loser table and when it was announced that I won I kind of heard groans. Kind of made me wish I broke even or even busted out. There were many times I thought I was going to bust out, though I was confident I was going to the final table. It went down to a final table of 7 and two guys, who are both friends, were on life support.
As it went down to 5, things got interesting. I thought I was dead when I went all in with pocket 6's and ran into pocket Q's But I had more chips. But I got him back when i went for a 3 way all in with doug and Marty. I caught a straight and sent him packing. Then Mark and I did a dance for a while, but then I managed to over come him, and then Marty. Then Jeff, who has been the silent sleeper decides to go heads up with me. He picked the wrong time to say all in because I had pocket kings with a king that hit the flop. Needless to say he was down to change and he decided to concede.

Another good night of poker.

So I was playing last night and had 18 players. I'm starting to get out of my poker slump I was in the last couple of month. Did the cards change? No, but the way I play, I'm back in my own game.

The opening hand was disappointing for me. You see I was on the button and I had pocket 7's. I was debating on doing the all-in or do the raise dance. Well one raised, then the other went all in. When the cards were turned up, the All-in guy had pocket 5's. That pissed me off, then I saw the pocket 9's and I started to feel better knowing I wouldn't have gone in with the best hand. Then the flop came out. A 7 hit the board and I was pissed because I would have had a set. Neither one hit theirs.

Instead of getting mad I just played my game. With a little luck, some good cards, and a lot of patience paid off. When we were down to the money, the chip leader was bullying. I noticed he was going all in far too much. I was SB at the time and decided to call with a K-6. No raise before the flop. A Q-6-3 showed up. Everyone checked. Another 3 showed up. I bet. I was called by the chip lead. Then a 5 showed. I bet. He went all in. I debated it thinking he's been going all-in far too many time. I smelled a bluff and I called. He had a 7-2. He was pissed. Couldn't believe I called that, but I knew he was bluffing so I called..

After a few more rounds it was just him and me. The final hand was I had pocket 8's. I was going to slow play, but he called All-in. I called. He showed pocket 5's. I thought I was going to win the hand but the 5 came out at the turn. That's poker and nothing no matter how good of a starting hand is for sure. I was happy with 2nd.

Never a dull moment in poker

During the US port law drought, I have had to use other means to play. I have discovered Poker Academy through a post at homepokertourney.com. For the most part it has great reviews, but I wasn't willing to spend 120 bucks for it. I did discover they had a standard version which I decided to download a couple weeks back. I'm glad I did.
I did try the Pro version and after dabbling with the two, it turns out I wasn't going to miss the Pro features. So for 19.95 I downloaded and paid for the standard. It has nice bots which has different charactoristics. I have made my homegame simulations based on my games.
If that wasn't enough, they have PA online where you get to play for play money. Now on the surface that would seem boring if you have played with play money, but later graduated for real money accounts. This one is different though. Let me count the ways.

1. You are playing with like minded players who are trying to improve their game. Yes you have your guys who are stupid enough to go all-in with 7-2 unsuited, but they are far few.
2. In the poker sites like PokerStars, Pokerroom, or PartyPoker, you automatically get 1000 of play money. You can refill as much as you want, although PokerStars has improved on this. PA has it that you have to earn PAX (PA money). You can't sit in a ring game or sit n go on the fly? You have to start with the freerolls and earn your PAX that way. Once you earn some, you can play the other games.
3. Just because you can earn money in Freerolls, doesn't mean you can stay in freerolls. That's right folks, they have a cap on your PAX. Once you earn 50 PAX or more, you are kicked out of the freerolls until your balance goes below 50. Are you beginning to understand why I am having so much fun?

Now again it doesn't mean you have WTF moments? Take last night for instance. I was playing in a freeroll (getting close to the 50PAX cap). Out of 21 players I placed 2nd. When it was down to 4 of us, we were a bit looser with our all ins. I did go all in on a low pocket pair. Was called with an A-5. He caught his ace on the flop and I was chasing my card. Still had money to do damage. I went all in and I had an AQ while he had pocket 5's. All I had to do was catch an Ace or Queen. I didn't. Now I was 200 left. Blinds were so high that I was forced all in on a 10-5 unsuited. Caught my 10 with a KK on the board. Managed to triple my winnings. On my next hand I had a Q-8 but I didn't want to go in so I folded. Then the next hand was one for the books. I had the button with 200 and change (they had antes in this game). The 3 other players decided to go ALL-in. Seeing the possibility of at least placing 3rd instead of 4th, I decided to fold. Well the man with the monster chip lead won that hand and I took second with 200 and change.

A Referee with a sailor's mouth

That may be a bit of an exaggeration or is it? In the USA I have been "raised" to believe that the Laws of the Game should be used as a guideline and not as black and white. I was also shown the way the book is flexible and we should be flexible with the book. That works to a point.

There is a story where a referee is being investigated for swearing at his players. Apparently the short story is he told the players to f-off after the game. Now I personally don't condone that action should it be true. However, I have been on plenty of game where the swearing has been at my direction for me to be lient with that player (perhaps a yellow vs a red).

I will be following this story for I am interested in the outcome. If the referee is reprimended for swearing (in morality sense he should be if guilty), then it's going to open a can of worms to the players all over the world. If a player told me to f-off (I'm thinking like I'm doing the amatuers, not youth), I may think twice about being lient and just send him off. I know in youth I have the mind set that if I don't take it from my own kid, I will not take it from someone elses.
I have been guilty as a referee of flirting with swear bomb. Now I haven't said anything like f-off to the player, but I have been guilty of saying, "Knock this sh-t off!" or "This bullsh-t needs to stop." Strong? Yes. Would you hear that from me in a high school match where language is watched closesly among players? No. In a youth game? U19's perhaps once in a great while.
Only once I have been called on it and looking back they were right because they never said it to me first, therefore, what right would I have to say it back.
If the outcome of this hearing makes the referee tighten his language skills, then perhaps, it will force us to tighten the language skills of the players.

Being sick blows chunks

I spent the entire weekend in bed watching monk reruns. Missed the instructor clinic which I feel bad about. If this means I don't teach this year then my wife will enjoy the time off. I recall a certain instuctor who was not at the clinic, but teach none the less.