See..Good Players Can Win!!

Watching and hearing about the successes of my poker pals is always exciting. It shows that good players can be rewarded. Congrats to the following:

1. Sirfwalman continues to win in his MTT games on Titan. He placed 4th tonight in the 1250 for $100. He also made another successful hit and run on the 30/60 yesterday.

2. Aussie Dave finished 3rd in the 1800 guaranteed on UB for $300.

3. Kip was able to work himself to mini step 5 on Party and turn a $5 investment into $200.

4. Scott continues to impress with his ability to turn small sums of money into hundreds within days.


Just waiting for my next major success..

In the meantime, my roll is moving in the right direction. Had to take a break from the continuous and boring low limit grind. Playing lots of variety of games based on whatever I am in the mood for including my new passion for HU matches. I have been having fun with these.

I have decided to track my poker activitiy in terms of profit / loss by game and by site. This will help me to see where I am more successful. In general, I have an idea. But some of the games that I love to play are not as profitable, primarily the MTTs. But I keep thinking that I will hit it big at some point...

Good luck all...

The Poker Gods have choosen Twitch

Congratulations to Twitch who beat me quite easily in 2 HU matches. I wish I could say it was a good match..but I know I played poorly. Twitch played well in both matches. I had trouble reading him that is for sure. And I paid the price for my bad reads. Good luck to you in Round 3 Twitch!

Thanks Poker Gods..I really didn't realize you liked the stuffed animal sacrifices..but I am NOT gonna go there.

I am very disappointed..chocolate here I come...

Heads Up Baby!!!

Sometimes you are HOT and sometimes you are not! Veneno finally got HOT..not that I won any big bucks mind you..but it sure felt gooooooooooood.

I think I found my niche. No Limit Heads Up Baby. That is my new specialty. Since the next round of the HUC is coming, I decided to warm up with a few HU matches. First I played a few blogger buddies, 3 to be exact, and ended up winning 3 out of 4 matches. Since that went so well..I played a couple of strangers and won 2 out of 3 of them. One guys was a total maniac..when all in in 3 of the first 5 hands..I knew he was gonna pay me...just a matter of time. Not too shabby..overall 5 wins and 2 losses and had a great time.

Then I played a SnG on Party with Davee and came in 2nd place. Once I was in the money as the short stack, one of the players kept raising to steal my blinds. So I decided next bb I was all in on anything. I won with T4o. So he types "what"...lol...I reply, "Stop messing with my blinds"..the next hand..I have pocket rockets..min raise..he calls..AA on the flop..QUAD ROCKETS..WOO HOO...I check the flop..he bets..I call..I bet the turn..he raises..I push..unfortunately, he finally got wise and folded..but it took him a few minutes.

All in all..an excellent night of poker..roll moving up gradually..I will still be stuck playing the lower limits for a while..but at least I am heading in the right direction.

My HUC match will be tomorrow at 8 p.m. PST. Can't wait!!!

Lastly, Sirfwalgman has been providing some excellent poker content on his blog...I mean really good stuff..especially liked the following:

"Poker works in weird and mysterious ways. Sort of like women. One day it makes you so happy you can not stand it, and the next day it crushes you like an insect. You can go a week, a month, a year and win like crazy and then all of the sudden you go cold for a week or a month. It is in the nature of the margins Poker players grind out. The good players, the ones who survive and make a living at it, these guys understand that. They take the long term picture. They know that eventually the cosmos will align again and they will start winning."

We have our dry spells, myself included. And I agree that keeping the "long term picture" in mind can help you make it through those periods.

Good luck all....

Oh..add one more HU win against another blogger..to cap the evening off quite nicely..

Beware of the Poison Twitch...

All of the round one contestants for the HUC2 have finished their matches. So round 2 here I come...check out this link for the winners and round 2 players...HeadsUp2Bracket and for a full list of players and links..Heads Up Challenge 2 Blog

I will play Twitch next. He referred to me as the "mighty" Veneno lol. Here is a quote from his blog regarding the subject:

"Since I'm facing the mighty Veneno for the next match up, I'm going to need all the luck I can get. Maybe I'll sacrifice a stuffed animal or two to the poker gods for some additional good luck."

Twitch..please don't hurt the animals on my account..and just so you know..the poker gods don't really go for the stuffed animals. And yes you will definitely need some luck. My poison has been brewing just for you. You seem like a really cool guy and I have enjoyed meeting you and chatting with you..but for HU..it's NO MERCY..Oh and I find it interesting that you are having CMitch sweat you...Doesn't that defeat the purpose? I mean, this is your manhood and pride we are talking about do you really need another guy to help beat a girl?..lol..Either way, I am ready to do battle. Beware of the Poison!!!

He shared with me that he has been playing online for about 2 months and just last night won his very first place in an SnG. This could be bad for me..last thing I wanna do is underestimate him. Twitch you could have waited to tell me you were such a newbie..now you got me excited..lol..

When will my turn come?

I have always thought if I play enough MTTs, sooner or later I would hit it big. I can usually place in the money..but never really made the goooood money. So tonight, I got home at a decent time, had built my roll on Party to $70 and figured I would risk $20 to try to hit it big. Unfortunately, I busted out in 108th place out of 2477 for a prize of $49.50. Sirfwalgman was kind enough to sweat me on this one. He is great at the MTT games and definitely made a difference. In the end, I had less than 10x the blinds so was just gonna pick a hand...my luck was that the guy with AK limped in before me and dominated my A 7 off hand. Here is the final hand:

NL Texas Hold'em Trny:16906727 Level:13 Blinds (750/1500) - Thursday, October 27, Table $40,000 Guaranteed(497247) Table #11 (Real Money)
Seat 2: yosoyveneno ( $9788 )
Seat 10: niki13 ( $17520 )
Blinds (750/1500)
Dealt to yosoyveneno [ As 7c ]
niki13 calls [1500].
yosoyveneno is all-In [9788]
niki13 calls [8288].
** Dealing Flop ** [ Ts, 5d, 6s ]
** Dealing Turn ** [ 9h ]
** Dealing River ** [ Jd ]
niki13 shows [ Kc, Ac ] high card ace.
yosoyveneno shows [ As, 7c ] high card ace.
niki13 wins 21826 chips from the main pot with high card ace with king kicker.
Player yosoyveneno finished in 108 place and received $49.54

Scott McMilla continues to impress and make mountains out of small starting rolls like turning $30 into over $500 in a couple of days. Last night he played in 2 low limit MTTs on Titan and placed 3rd on both. Of course, top 3 was a great disappointment for Scott. Only #1 is satisfying for him. I would be jazzed..2 third places..that is money right?

Sloppier wins at Omaha

Like so many of us Sloppier has been on a dry spell for some time now...not having any luck at the no limit games that he favors. So tonight he tried something different. He played the $1 Omaha tournament on Poker Stars and finished in first place and took a prize of $97.50...SWEET! I was lucky enough to watch him take his victory on the final table. After he tells me, "I've only played omaha five times, and I won 1st in an MTT....unbelievable". Congrats again buddy! Well deserved.

As for the entertainment of the evening, Sirf and Jordan had a HU battle for $20..Sirf took an early lead and kept the pressure on Jordan to win the match. While Scott and I watched and listened during this event..Sirf could not stop laughing and taunting Jordan during the game..his favorite comment being that he "owned" him...

For a Veneno poker update, I still been grinding it out at the low limit holdem on Titan..broke even for the night..but I have a new secret weapon that is promising. More on that subject if it turns out as hoped. I also played in a Dirty Dozen for fun..but busted out early..overplaying an A T off-suit. I was short-stacked and thought I would make a move..didn't work out.

On Party Poker, I been playing the $10 singles now and again. In the wee hours of the morning today..I came in 2nd on one and bubbled on another. Trying to stay within my limits and build up gradually while I wait for the next round of the HUC.

Thanks for stopping by..and good luck to ya..

What a Weekend

First on Friday..I won my HUC and Sirf won his also

Saturday Night..Eagles Concert, Box Seats, Staple Center, AWESOME!!!!!!

Sunday...Railroaded a few of my favorite bloggers during the Poker Stars blogger event..Sirf, Scott, Kipper, Davee, and TrumpJosh. Sirf was playing a good game and ended up getting really screwed and finished 656..see his blog for more details. Scott was really close..at one point he was 2nd in chips and he ended up finishing 14th and won a xbox..Congrats Scott! Davee almost got himself a hat..finished 103 or something like that. Kipper finished 355.

As for me, I came in 2nd on a SnG on party, won $10 doing the low limit grind on Titan, lost on a SnG on UB playing with Jordan and Davee, and lost a Dirty Dozen playing with Sirf.

Lastly Congrats to BigChief who made a nice hit again in a MTT. Glad to hear that his good fortune continues...

Overall..Lots of fun with my Blogger buddies and some good poker...

Best of luck to all of you....

Steeler Josh meets the Poison

After a 2 hour drive home on a Friday night....I rush to the computer to check if Josh is on and ready for our battle. Shortly after I was on, Jordan helped to hook us up and get the battle started.

We were both anxious to see the outcome. It was our first meeting ever. So we didn't know much about each other. I did do some homework reading a few of his recent postings.

It was definitely FATE..as Josh stated ..."Looks like fate brought us together in round 1. Should be a fun time regardless of the outcome!" But Josh was not having the fun...he actually made that comment during our second match..and I replied that our first meeting should have been more sweet. After 61 hands we end the match like this:

steelerjosh is at seat 0 with 745.
yosoyveneno is at seat 1 with 2255.

teelerjosh posts the small blind of 15.
yosoyveneno posts the big blind of 30.

steelerjosh: -- --
yosoyveneno: Qs Ah

Pre-flop:
steelerjosh raises to 60. yosoyveneno re-raises to 180. steelerjosh calls.

Flop (board: 9s Ac 3d):

yosoyveneno bets 360. steelerjosh calls.

Turn (board: 9s Ac 3d Jc):

yosoyveneno bets 1080. steelerjosh goes all-in for 205. yosoyveneno is returned 875 (uncalled).

Tournament all-in showdown -- players show:

steelerjosh shows 5c Ad.
yosoyveneno shows Qs Ah.

River (board: 9s Ac 3d Jc 2d):

(no action in this round)

Showdown:

steelerjosh has 5c Ad 9s Ac Jc: a pair of aces.
yosoyveneno has Qs Ah 9s Ac Jc: a pair of aces.

yosoyveneno wins 1490 with a pair of aces.

Kipper stopped by to railbird and bring me luck. Thanks buddy!!

So thank goodness the only WOMAN in this challenge is still alive and kicking...

Heads Up Challenge 2 has officially begun

The Heads up battle has finally begun! And Jordan is already out. I will face a new opponent SteelerJosh. In the meantime, I tried to warm up playing another 2 HU matches this evening. One versus Jordan and another with Scott. Unfortunately, after over 40 hands on each match...I lost...dang!!

Checkout Heads Up Challenge 2 Blog for matchups.

Let the games begin.........

Heads Up in the Air

I am just jazzed about the HUC 2 coming up. Yes...I will be playing! Looks like the spots are filling up! For details just go to High On Poker blog.

In the meantime, seems like everyone is in the mood for HU games. Myself included. Tonight I played two HU matches with Sirfwalgman. He finally beat me on the first match. It was a good match with over 40 hands. I won the second after 38 hands. He was short stack and I called his low raise preflop with 98 of spades. I hit top pair with the 9 and Sirf caught the middle pair with his A 7 hand. When he pushed, in addition to the pair, I had a straight draw, and he needed chips soo I called. And that was it Boo Yaa...Veneno wins!

Fluxer (DP) a reader from High on Poker finally connected with me..he stayed up till 1:30 am to catch me on the West Coast. We didn't play the HU match yet on FT, but soon. So we played one SnG. Poor guy gets knocked out with QQ on the first hand...ouch! He said thats why he doesn't play the SnGs..guess I would give up too.

While chatting with Fluxer, two bloggers from the HUC 2 PokerTwitch and Davee send an IM. And pretty soon we got a mini blogger chat conference going. So this is definitely cool. Always enjoy meeting new bloggers and chatting it up. Can't wait to get started.

Oh..and on the poker front..I actually been winning a little..tonight I played 2 $10 SnGs on Party. ITM on both, 2nd and 3rd places.

Good luck all...

Sirfwalgman the Poker God of the Evening...

Congratulations Sir!!! Fantastic Job...

It was an exciting evening of poker. Had a good time chatting with Sirf, Gary, and Scott while Sirf played in a Titan Tournament, Gary played in a Party Shootout, and me and Scott played low limit hold'em. Sirf played an excellent game and finished in 3rd place. Let him share the details..he is a much better story teller..Josh joined in when Sirf was at the final table. Josh and I got into a debate on whether Sirf should push the short stack in with his pocket dueces. So by the time Sirf finished, we were still going at it. I was ready for a fight..so...We headed to the 25 NL table on Party...where Josh won in a short period...I went all in with TT against his AK and lost the race. That took care of my fighting urges. So we then went to play an SnG together. When Josh says lets try something new. We end up playing a $10 Stud Hi/Low SnG and wind up 1st and 2nd (very cool). He was the winner. First time for both of us. Long game..way too slow for me...so doubt that will happen again.

And I also ran into Jester, who has been kicking some royal butt on Party. Keep it up buddy. Glad to know you are making the dough!

Jordan Discovers the Antedote

My undefeated NL HU record was crushed tonight by the Mighty Jordan. We played 2 HU matches. He won both. He was not successful in taking me out in less than 10 hands as he predicted however. During the second game I was leading in chips..had K 5 c..the board had 2 clubs and a 5. When he pushed, I just knew that I had him beat at that point..so I called..I was indeed ahead..but he caught his card and that put me in the pressure spot with less chips. He was a very worthy opponent. I would enjoy a rematch. Congrats Jordan! Next time you will need a mic..so I can hear the gloating.

Poison Strikes Twice

I had a very exciting and entertaining weekend of poker. As you may recall, for me the entertainment value is highly important. So, when I had the pleasure of meeting and playing some limit poker with Jordan and Gary, along with Sirfwalgman, it was a real treat. They were kind enough to come down to the "ghetto" poker levels of .25/.50 ..since I have been trying to stay in my limits..I did however play for a small period on the 2/4 table (just for fun) with Jordan..gotta have a little excitement.

All in all, I ended up $35 ahead for the weekend playing limit hold'em. So I am making progress slowly.

Jordan was entertaining to watch at the tables. He likes to make people think he is a tool with his ridiculous comments. I was cracking up!

But the highlight was beating Jordan - High On Poker in a HU match. You can read all about it in his blog where he reveals 10 reasons why he wants to be Veneno. A must read!!

Sirfwalgman admits I am a Godess..lol

So far I am 3/3 on HeadsUp NL challenges...read about my last a victory from Sirf's blog...

Live Poker...

I got a chance to play live tonight at the Pechanga Casino in Temecula. Played $40 no limit. Had fun. Won $30 in my 2 hours of play. Wish I would have gotten more hands could have really cleaned up. Lots of loose players. But it was fun to play live again.

As for my online play..been taking a few days off. Lost $20 yesterday in a short sitting on the limit table..but other than that..nothing worth noting.

Good luck all...

Things You May Not Want to Know about Veneno (Part V)

Here it is...the FINAL 10..enjoy

41. My daughters are the most precious things to me in this world
42. My husband is the love of my life
43. Totally into playing games..Pictionary, Outburst, Charades, Cards, Dominoes, Monopoly, Yatzee, and Clue with the kiddos..and more
44. Thursday night rocks..Favorite TV shows - Alias and Survivor
45. When I was a freshman in high school my boyfriend, a Varsity Basketball Player 6'2" (not relevant to the story..but good interesting info), asked my best friend to go to the prom with him..while we were a couple..the worst part..my best friend said yes. I broke up with him (he cried, I didn't)..he took her to the prom..had a lousy time (hahaha)...what a loser..
46. Love to stay up all night..Hate to get up in the morning
47. Sky Diving - haven't try it yet but would like to one day
48. Yes, I like to give and receive body shots..especially with tequilla, salt & lime
49. I believe little things do make a difference..a smile, a kind word, and listening to what others have to say
50. Love and care for your Family, serve God, be a good Friend..these are the important things..

The end...I finished..Woo hooo..(If you liked this list..send your thanks to Kipper, who talked me into doing it)

Things You May Not Want to Know about Veneno (Part IV)

And the list continues....

31. Favorite flower - Daisy
32. I bought my first car in High School, a VW Rabbit, purchased with money earned working as a waitress at Pizza Hut.
33. The first time I played live poker in a casino was a few years ago at Harrahs in Las Vegas. Also, my very first time playing Hold'em. After that I was hooked. I thought that I would be intimidated. Thinking that only really really good players would engage in poker at a casino. But my assessment was, I can handle this...these players aren't that great...lol
34. One of my favorite treats...getting a pedicure.
35. Lousy at cooking..Not that I mind trying..I am just really bad at it. Unless it comes out of a can or box with instructions..forget it. I can bake cookies, cakes, and pies..using boxed products...lol
36. Moved out from parents home after getting married...thats right..I dated my husband for 7 years..but would not move in with him until we were married. (Again...I didn't want him to discover the cooking problem until the ink was signed..lol)
37. Can't stand cigarette smoke..ugh..but I do like an occassional cigar.
38. I love candles..favorite fragrance Vanilla
39. Love kisses in the Rain
40. First blog I read..Online Poker Thoughts by Sirfwalgman

Hope you are enjoying these...

Good luck everyone!!!

Come back to the Party Zone

Party Poker is sooo my favorite site. Party was my first, so that could be a factor. I seem to always have a soft spot for the first at anything. Plus, I enjoy the enviroment, the Avatars, the chat, and the games. But in order to improve my profits, I have been trying Titan..and yes..made more money on Titan..hate the environment, the Avatars, the chat, and more.

So today, it felt good to go back home to Party. I didn't end up winning, but it was such an enjoyable time just playing poker and having fun. Below are some of the highlights...

First hand on my limit game (I cut out the folds and meaningless crap):

0.50/1 Texas Hold'em Game Table (Limit) - Sun Oct 09 14:26:41 EDT 2005
yosoyveneno posts big blind (0.50)
Dealt to yosoyveneno [ 8d, 8h ]
melissab555 calls (0.50)
tom8321 raises (1) to 1
yosoyveneno raises (1) to 1.50
melissab555 calls (1)
tom8321 calls (0.50)
** Dealing Flop ** : [ Ks, 8c, 8s ]
melissab555 checks.
tom8321 bets (0.50)
yosoyveneno calls (0.50)
melissab555 calls (0.50)
** Dealing Turn ** : [ 3s ]
melissab555 checks.
tom8321 bets (1)
yosoyveneno raises (2) to 2
melissab555 folds.
tom8321 raises (2) to 3
yosoyveneno calls (1)
** Dealing River ** : [ 6h ]
tom8321 bets (1)
yosoyveneno raises (2) to 2
tom8321 calls (1)
** Summary **
Main Pot: $16 | Rake: $0.75
Board: [ Ks 8c 8s 3s 6h ]
tom8321 balance $7.25, lost $7 [ Ts As ] [ a flush, ace high -- As,Ks,Ts,8s,3s ]
yosoyveneno balance $34, bet $7, collected $16, net +$9 [ 8d 8h ] [ four of a kind, eights -- Ks,8d,8h,8c,8s ]

THAT was soo sweet!!!!

Look....fish on Party too....

0.50/1 Texas Hold'em Game Table (Limit) - Sun Oct 09 15:14:32 EDT 2005
Hollywood728 posts small blind (0.25)
StacysMom416 posts big blind (0.50)
Dealt to yosoyveneno [ Ah, As ]
yosoyveneno raises (1) to 1
garybroom calls (1)
** Dealing Flop ** : [ 8s, 5h, 7d ]
yosoyveneno bets (0.50)
garybroom calls (0.50)
** Dealing Turn ** : [ 2c ]
yosoyveneno bets (1)
garybroom raises (2) to 2
yosoyveneno raises (2) to 3
garybroom calls (1)
** Dealing River ** : [ Kc ]
yosoyveneno bets (1)
garybroom calls (1)
** Summary **
Main Pot: $11.25 | Rake: $0.50
Board: [ 8s 5h 7d 2c Kc ]
yosoyveneno balance $36.25, bet $5.50, collected $11.25, net +$5.75 [ Ah As ] [ a pair of aces -- Ah,As,Kc,8s,7d ]
garybroom balance $44.80, lost $5.50 [ 9d 5s ] [ a pair of fives -- Kc,9d,8s,5s,5h ]

Calling stations too....

0.50/1 Texas Hold'em Game Table (Limit) - Sun Oct 09 15:21:00 EDT 2005
yosoyveneno posts small blind (0.25)
garybroom posts big blind (0.50)
Dealt to yosoyveneno [ Qd, 5d ]
ostlie calls (0.50)
yosoyveneno calls (0.25)
garybroom raises (0.50) to 1
ostlie calls (0.50)
yosoyveneno calls (0.50)
** Dealing Flop ** : [ 2d, 6d, 7d ]
yosoyveneno bets (0.50)
garybroom calls (0.50)
ostlie calls (0.50)
** Dealing Turn ** : [ Qs ]
yosoyveneno bets (1)
garybroom calls (1)
ostlie folds.
** Dealing River ** : [ Kd ]
yosoyveneno bets (1)
garybroom raises (2) to 2
yosoyveneno calls (1)
** Summary **
Main Pot: $10 | Rake: $0.50
Board: [ 2d 6d 7d Qs Kd ]
ostlie balance $30.50, lost $1.50 (folded)
yosoyveneno balance $39.50, bet $4.50, collected $10, net +$5.50 [ Qd 5d ] [ a flush, king high -- Kd,Qd,7d,6d,5d ]
garybroom balance $37.55, lost $4.50 [ 4h Kh ] [ a pair of kings -- Kh,Kd,Qs,7d,6d ]

And the best hand can sometimes hold up and win...

0.50/1 Texas Hold'em Game Table (Limit) - Sun Oct 09 16:27:33 EDT 2005
garybroom posts small blind (0.25)
younus018 posts big blind (0.50)
Dealt to yosoyveneno [ Qs, Qd ]
yosoyveneno raises (1) to 1
garybroom raises (1.25) to 1.50
yosoyveneno raises (1) to 2
garybroom calls (0.50)
** Dealing Flop ** : [ Td, 6s, 4s ]
garybroom bets (0.50)
yosoyveneno raises (1) to 1
garybroom calls (0.50)
** Dealing Turn ** : [ 9h ]
garybroom bets (1)
yosoyveneno raises (2) to 2
garybroom calls (1)
** Dealing River ** : [ Ah ]
garybroom checks.
yosoyveneno checks.
** Summary **
Main Pot: $10 | Rake: $0.50
Board: [ Td 6s 4s 9h Ah ]
Awsomosity balance $25, sits out
yosoyveneno balance $30, bet $5, collected $10, net +$5 [ Qs Qd ] [ a pair of queens -- Ah,Qs,Qd,Td,9h ]
garybroom balance $9.93, lost $5 [ 3d 9d ] [ a pair of nines -- Ah,Td,9d,9h,6s ]

On another subject...PokerStars..was very disappointing..apparently, I am not worthy to play in the Blogger Tournament..see email below:

Hello,
I apologize, but after checking your blog, we have found it does not
fit
our tournament guidelines of being two months old.

We plan on making this a yearly event, so if you maintain your blog
regularly, you will be able to play in the event next and the years
that
follow. We plan on making the event even bigger!

Thanks and Good Luck at the tables wherever you play!
Sincerely,
Ryan at PokerStars

For those of you interested in the next 20 things...stay tuned..they will come...

Veneno Wins $$ at Limit Hold'em

Over the last week I have continued with the Limit Challenge playing pretty much according to the schedule with my initial investment of $25. When I say pretty much, I moved into the .25 / .50 a few times when I was suppose to say on the .10 / .20, but it wouldn't be any fun to stay exactly within the guidelines right? So anyway, I was holding my own moving up and down in increments of $5. But it definitely was a grind and I was getting bored.

So tonight with $23 something, I decided to have some fun. SirF was telling about all the fish at his table who were sucking out and I thought...oooohhh..a fishing hole...I could go for that! So with my little wad, I went to the 2 / 4 table..I know..I know..not enough to play..but I just felt like having some fun..and I was willing to risk the $23 bucks. Long story short, I ended up leaving with 137.84! Woo hoo..I think my limit game is coming along quite nicely. Well to be honest..I did get a few very sweet hands..like the one below:



Felt good to make some $$ for a change!!

Oh..and the list continues below:

Things You May Not Want to Know about Veneno (Part III - Third 10)

21. I believe in Jesus Christ and the Bible (should have been closer to the top, but definitely had to be part of the list)
22. Easy going, open, giving, humorous, and friendly...that's me
23. Love to sing
24. Was in a Country Band when I was Nineteen..nothing famous..played for a couple of local dances..but it was pretty cool..see picture below.



Keep in mind that this picture is 20 years old. Sirf already told me I look like a dork.

25. I did attend college, a couple of years at a JC where I took primarily business classes such as Accounting (3 courses), Computer Science, RPG programming, Algebra, Business Law, Business Writing, etc.
26. Professional Jobs Held: IT Director, HR Director, HRIS Manager (those are the interesting/challenging ones)
27. Professional Challenges: Work/Life balance (I tend to be a Workaholic)..so a step down in responsibility has been good for the family.
28. I like people who are intelligent and down to earth (finding that poker players often fit into this category)
29. Relentless Optimist
30. Reason my first boyfriend gave for breaking up with me was "You are the kind of girl that a guy wants to marry not have for a girlfriend." What? I didn't get it. I mean, my idea was to only have a boyfriend that I would consider as a future prospect. But I was young and innocent. Now I get it. Translation: "I want a girlfriend that will give me some action."

Hope you are finding this list interesting and entertaining...20 more to come...

Good luck all...

Things You May Not Want to Know about Veneno (Part II - second 10)

11. Started playing poker at the age of 7 with my grandpa Jackie.
12. I cheat when playing Strip Poker (stash cards, swap cards, whatever it takes)..but those days are long gone...
13. Best Vacation - Houseboat trip on Lake Mead in 2004
14. Believe that honesty is the best policy.
15. I found $900 in a bar on the floor once..had staff announce if someone lost $$ and knew how much and in what increments..then I would return the money, then left my cell number..the person called the next day..and I returned his money.
16. Excellent kisser..nice full lips
17. Love to dance
18. After bowling for over 20 years..I still suck..current average 121
19. Enjoy water activities..esp. swimming, snorkeling, and seadooing
20. Used to love water skiing..now it is torture..even if I can get up (big if..lol)..my back starts hurting after a few minutes

Things You May Not Want to Know about Veneno (Part I - first 10)

Kipper showed me his list of 50(which I totally enjoyed reading)...and suggested that I make one...so here is a start:

1. My first job was a paper girl..yes paper route...on bike..throwing papers on peoples porches.
2. I love rainy days and walks in the rain.
3. Chocoholic!!!
4. My husband is my high school sweetheart...been married for 15 years.
5. In High School was on the Swim Team (I can still do a butterfly stroke..just not very pretty..and not for long), Varsity Tennis Team, and Academic Decathalon.
6. Also in High School, I volunteered to keep score/stats for the Varsity Baseball Team and JV Basketball Team..so that I could travel on the bus with the Team and hang out with the jocks!!!
7. Never graduated from college.
8. Never smoked weed.
9. Favorite drink - Margaritas.
10. Hottest actor...Brad Pitt (sizzling!!!)

Welcome Meek to the Community

I just checked out Meek's blog...pretty humorous..check it out if you have a chance!!

Limit Challenge

I decided to try the Limit Challenge suggested by Jordan .

Only played for one hour so far on Titan, but I am up $10 at this point which is a big improvement over my previous limit play. Also keep in mind that I am starting with $25 playing the low low low limits.

Today, I started off the day winning a $10 Sit n Go on Party. Played another 2 on Titan, one bust and another made 2nd place. But the best part of my day was winning a HU match with one of my blogger pals. Part of the deal was that I would get a picture if I won. I love pictures. So I was very jazzed. Playing poker..winning $$..got a picture = Having lots of fun!!!

Good luck to everyone..see ya at the tables...

Diamond Gal

The Neil Diamond concert was GREAT!! Of course, this was a "business" event where everything was paid for by a business associate of my husband's, so that made it very sweet.

The evening started with dinner at LA Prime, a fine dinning restaurant on the roof of the Bonaventure Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. Our party caught a glimpse of Fernando Vargas getting into his Hummer Limo(not that I had a clue who he was or anything).

As an appetizer, I had some smoked salmon. Others in our party had some shrimp, crab cakes, and some other stuff. I have steak about 1-2 times a year, so this was one of those nights. mmmmmmmmmmmmmm....delicious..I really enjoyed my butterflied filet migon. It was absolutely wonderful. There was white wine and mashed sweet potatoes..the whole dining experience was quite lovely.

Then to the concert, we had BOX seating at the Staples Center. This was a first for me. Oh soooo awesome. There were only 6 people in our party. And we had the whole BOX for ourselves. Lots of room to move around, drinks, and the dessert tray...oh MY!!! I was dancin it up during the whole concert. Really enjoyed myself.

Pot Odds Explained Simply

Before I share the simple illustration, let me say that previously I had asked a few poker players how to calculate odds. And to my surprise, I was not alone in not having a clear understanding of just how to do the math. Scott and Sir came pretty close to helping me understand. In the end, it was the section below from Winning Low Limit Hold'em by Lee Jones that finally enabled me to grasp a clear understanding:

Suppose you have flopped a heart flush draw. That is, you have two hearts in your hand, and two more come on the flop. What are the odds of making your flush on the next card (the turn)? There are a total of 13 hearts in the deck; you have seen four of them, leaving nine more. You have seen a total of five cards (your two plus three in the flop). That leaves 47 unseen cards, of which nine are the hears you want to see. There are 38 cards that do not make your flush and nine that do; the odds are 38:9 "against." You are a 38:9 (slightly worse than 4:1) underdog to make your flush on the turn.

Pot odds are the odds being offered to you by the pot compared to the amount of money you must invest in it. For instance, suppose after the river card is turned up, there is $30 in the pot. Your opponent bets $6. The pot now has $36 in it, and you have to call $6 to see his hand. You are getting pot odds of 6:1. You will also hear the expression "the pot is laying you 6:1" Now your choice is (relatively) easy: if you are no worse than a 6:1 underdog to win the pot, you call the $6; otherwise you fold.

In case that is too much work, you can use the chart below:

And I am one step closer to being ready to tackle limit hold'em again.

As for my poker play yesterday, it was pretty uneventful. I came in 3rd on a $10 sng and lost some money on NL cash, and was 4 out of the $$ on a multi table SnG (stupidly I busted with pocket 4s). The best part of the evening was coming close to scoring in a Party freeroll - 500k qual - I came in 32nd out of 904 (needed to finish in the top 7).

Tonight I get to see Neil Diamond in concert!!!! So, I may actually take a day off from poker...MAY...lol

Good luck to all..and see ya at the tables......