It's been a minute

 

A lot has happened since I last updated this blog and I fully understand that few people will ever read it again, but hey, it's fun to have posts to look back on. Here's a rundown of the last few years:

👉 I became a grandfather to an amazing little girl named Scarlette.

👉 I took a yearlong sabbatical, bought a sailboat with a plan to sail the Caribbean for a year.

👉 I left the coast of Florida on July 4th 2016 and returned to The States July 4th 2017.

👉 I spent a couple months tending bar in a Mexican cantina on the island of St. Croix. 

👉 I had my entire hip replaced. An old football/wrestling injury turned to arthritis. 

👉 I became a grandfather again to a great little boy named Vinny.

👉 I retired from my teaching job after 27 1/2 years in Indiana in December of 2018.

👉 I moved to Hawaii and started teaching at a Honolulu middle school in January of 2019.

👉 I bought a condo on the west end of Waikiki.

That about brings things up to date. I have a lot of stories to tell and I'll try to share a few. Maybe someone will even read them!

Every Journey Begins With That First Step

Mark Twain said, "Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

Three hundred sixty-five days sailing throughout the Caribbean. That's the plan. I will be setting sail on July 16, 2016 and pulling into port July 16, 2017. 

You can follow my journey at: www.MrReedatsea.com

 

A sweet new place to visit

There's just no way around it; A week-long break in October is fantastic. Three years. Three different countries. Three amazing fall breaks.

My trip to the Dominican Republic was amazing. The weather was great, the food was tasty, the resort grounds were spotless, and the beach was one of the best I've visited. I can't say a single bad thing about my trip!

Two recommendations: I highly recommend the Grand Bahia Principe Punta Cana as a place to stay and if you go there, call the Don Lucas cigar people for the factory tour. It was another high point of the trip

Poker players: The Hard Rock casino has a poker room with, as you can guess, a lot of tourists playing. It's easy money for a sold player.

Something new

It's time to try a new country. I love to travel and being a professional educator allows me the time to do just that. Fall break is coming and with a week off in October I've decided to fly to the Dominican Republic. I'm always up for a new adventure!

The third nuts...

What do you do when you're first to act and you flop the third nuts? This hand came up on my last night in Las Vegas:

In the small blind I call a small raise with A2 of clubs; One of those hit it or get out hands. The flop falls an amazing 345 (rainbow). THE NUTS! goes off in my head, but then I realize I'm losing my stack to 67 which is easily a hand that would call a small raise. I can't fall to the monster under the bed syndrome, but I check the flop knowing that the young raiser will bet out.

He does: check, check, bet $15, call, call: Now there is about $60 in the pot.

The turn is a harmless king but I need to see where I am. I bet out $50, just under the size of the pot. Call, call...

At this point I'm thinking that if I had 26, 67, or a naked 6 (66?), given the texture of the board, I would have only called there as well. There is no flush possibility.

The river is a queen and I'm left with the third nuts and a pot of +/-$210. I have both players covered but with two callers am I ahead here? Check.

Player two pushes all-in for about $90. Player three tanks for a good two minutes then CALLS all-in for about $80... At least with his call the math is right for my call, even though I don't think I can win. It's a cooler, right?

I call and say, "I guess it's a cooler. You have 56, right? I have a wheel."

 I don't know how you play, but if I call or get called in a big pot I just turn my cards over and state what I have. No game playing. No slow rolling. No showmanship. Just here's what I have. This is one of the fun parts of the game: The other players' reactions.

Player two looked at me and said, "No. Ace King." Really? Player three mucked his cards. A set? A draw? I'll never know. Player two however called a bet on a board with three small straight cards holding two over cards and then got unlucky and hit his king. As I stacked chips he said he pushed because I check the river, thinking I was just betting on a small card on the turn.

I bet $50 into a $60 pot with only a 3,4, or 5?? That's a two pair bet at least, right?

It's hard to understand how others play. I thought both must be on some type of draw or at least two pair or a set, but top pair (on the turn) top kicker only? I never guessed that.

How would you have played this hand?

Gotta Love Summer

Where did the summer go?

 Five great concerts, trips to Cancun with my sister and Vegas for poker, two straight flushes, and a great tan. Who could ask for more? I'm thinking the Dominican Republic for fall break...

The dreaded pocket Kings

There are some things that are almost beyond comprehension in poker and this one can be added to the list:

I am dealt two black kings on the button with a $15 raise in front of me so I re-raise to $40. The small blind deliberates and raises to $140. It folds to me and I go all-in for another $150 on top of the $140. He tanks for awhile and I say, "Let me help you," and TURN MY CARDS OVER.

"I have too much money in there," he said as he call and flips over two queens.

Yes. Queen on the river.

What are you going to do except rebuy?

Nice hand, sir...

Lady Antebellum and slow playing top two

The concert season got off to a stellar start with Lady Antebellum at Klipsch Music Center. The outdoor center previously known as Deer Creek and then Verizon is consistently in the top ten outdoor music venues in the country and just a great place for live music.

At one point the performers moved to a small stage near the sound board to do a set and ended up within spitting distance of my seat! Not that I would actually spit on them. That would be rude. It gave a real up close experience however!

One concert down and four to go!

In poker news, I'm building the sockroll for the my August 3rd trip to Vegas and had another winning session at the local VFW booking a solid $257 win. At no point in the evening was I down, but hovered just above my original buy in for the first 90 minutes when this hand occurred:

I look down at AQh on the button and raise to $12 after four limpers, a standard raise for the table which will get any range of callers. This time however I got only one. The flop was A8x and checked to me. I bet out $16 expecting to take it down right then, but was raised to $37.

I've read that poker players decide what they are going to do in the first five seconds after presented with a decision and I usually feel I do just that. I don't take a long time to act in general but lately have been telling myself to think things through just a little longer.

The only four hands I'm afraid of are AA, AK, A8, and 88 and only A8 felt right for the situation. I finally decided to push. I counted out the raise and announced, "I'm all-in."

I've decided that the best feeling a poker player can ever have is when you say you are all in and don't immediately hear the villain call. The longer he's in the tank the better you feel because you're already way ahead or your bluff has a good chance of not being called.

He tanked for a reasonable amount of time, said "I didn't put you on an ace," and then called with his suited A4. Not a bad calling hand PRE flop, but all in?

Nice hand, sir.

The games can be soft or action-packed at the VFW and Friday was a pretty soft game. Most st the table were laughing and having a good time. I folded a lot more preflop this week as I've been trying to focus on only playing in good position and it really paid off. I had a solid table image and slowly kept chipping up.

One player tried to get creative slow playing top two pair and it checked around on a board of  AKx. If he had made any bet at all I would have folded my late position QJ. The 10 on the turn though gave me the mortal nuts and I won a very nice pot.

His response was, "I always get drawn out on!"

I didn't tap the glass...

Running it twice

Situation one:
I flipped ove my hand and said, "I have the nuts, do you want to run it twice?" Villain said, "Of course!" He made his flush on the first run and and broadway held up on the second turn and river. That's when the fun began.

The dealer told us to pull our stacks back and Villain started asking why, stating that he had the nuts. Apparently he honestly didn't understand what "running it twice" meant. The best part about playing at the local American Legion is that the regulars may be a bit predictable in their play, but they are knowledgeable about the game.

Villain was in seat nine and I was in seat one so I didn't even have to look at him. I just leaned back in my chair and let the table handle it. They spent five minutes explaining what happened, but very time one said, "He had the nuts," Villain would counter with, "No. Look. I have the nuts," as he matched his A8s to the cards on the table.

Finally one nice old guy said, "His heart was in the right place when he offered to run it twice."

At long last the dealer chopped the pot.

Situation two:
LAG Asian gentleman (who always shows up late to play on Friday nights after his restaurant closes), makes a big bet with rags to push player A out, then offers to chop the pot with the all-in player B. Player B declines and wins with 10 10 to a board conatining an Ace. Player A was PISSED as he folded had an ace. I thought it might come to blows.

Another fun night at the American Legion. Also profitable thanks to the regulars enforcing the rules of cash play.

Fun In The Sun

I'm certain I've said it before, but there are few places that are as fun to get away to for a sun-soaked spring break as Cozumel. The weather was beautiful, the water warm and inviting, and the company was fantastic. If you ever go there, rent a car from the unfortunately-named Isis rental company, and tour the island in an old VW Beatle convertible. SO much fun!

Summer plans

It's that time of year again where teachers prepare for spring break and start making plans for the upcoming summer, and plan I am!

1. Spring break: Heading back to Cozumel for a little R&R at the all-inclusive Hotel Cozumel and Resort, which boasts the largest swimming pool on the island.

2. Cancun in June: My oldest little sister hasn't had a vacation in 13-14 years as she has a child with special needs. Therefore, my youngest little sister is coming to town to watch her boys so we can take off for a week in Cancun.

3. Let's not forget the summer concerts! I have Kid Rock tickets in hand and look forward to a Jimmy Buffett concert announcement any day now.

4. Air fare sale: Allegiant Air has ventured into the Indianapolis market and with their arrival have announced some amazing sales. As a result I have a trip booked to Las Vegas for the first week in August, the week before starting back to school. $256 round trip AND non-stop. Not a bad way to end the summer.

5. New concert added! Lady Antebellum in May :-)

6.

Hey. It's a once in a lifetime thing. Especially Keith Richards lifetime. So I bought tickets!

7. The list is getting longer as summer approaches:

How can I miss James Taylor live?

8. I guess it's going to be a musical season. I just added Zac Brown to the list:

More summer updates to come!

2014 Things to remember

My annual things to remember post, in no particular order:
1. First trip to Mexico all alone. Stayed at the Hotel Cozumel and Resort. A very relaxing trip.
2. Second trip to Mexico. Stayed at the El Cid. A great choice!
3. Another fantastic trip to Hawaii where my sister and I hiked the Kalalau trail on Kauai.
4. Brief encounter with a stalker.
5. Got on a heater in Vegas! Two tournament wins and +$1000 on the cash table all within a 24 hour period.
6. My first Thanksgiving at my son's house.
7. All new furnishings in my home.
8. A wrestling trip to Oklahoma City.
9. An inpromptu Christmas trip to Daytona Beach.
10. Starting a new chapter.

Calculations

As poker players, math is soemthing we should embrace, right? I ran my math for the year so far and found that I am making a respectable $76 per session playing no limit Hold Em. I can live with that.

The Fall Break

I'm a big fan of traveling to Mexico for sun and relaxation and with my school's new calendar I have an entire week in October to do just that. I tried out a new all-inclusive resort on the island of Cozumel this time and highly recommend it. The El Cid is a little smaller than some resorts, but features wonderful service, good food, and crystal clear water only steps away.

OTP Nation

While I was in Hawaii this summer RIMPAC, a gathering of navies from all over the Pacific, was going on at Pearl Harbor and in the news every day. One news anchor used a phrase that I immediately claimed as the name of my band in the event I choose to start one.

Therefore, I am officially claiming the name "Outta Town Pimps" and all the marketing rights thereof.

It's official. I'm the new leader of OTP Nation.

It's an idea worth tens of dollars!

The measure of a man

 

The Kalalau Trail on the island of Kauai is listed in the top ten most dangerous hikes in the United States. This information in retrospect should be something one finds out more than one day before one begins such a hike. Hey, I was a little behind in my research. Sorry!

Wrestlers have a saying: "Water is for the weak." I came to find out however that water is also for the severely dehydrated and failing to keep adequately hydrated during the most grueling physical activity I have ever attempted leads to excruciating leg cramps, dizziness, and near total exhaustion.

But I digress...

When you strike out on the Kalalau trail you lose cell coverage in the parking lot of the trail head and immediately begin to climb. Kalalau hosts12 miles of exhausting trails that feature multiple treks from sea level to above 800 feet in very short periods of horizontal distance. The result being that all of your thigh muscles are engaged for extraordinary periods of time, to the point in fact that they begin to quiver with each and every step.

Then you reach Crawler's Ridge.

Crawlers Ridge is the part of the trail that turns some people back. It's a mile of VERY steep downhill. The path is volcanic and might as well be made of small ball bearings because you literally slide with every step. Also, the gail force winds pound you every step of the way. The trail is less than a foot wide in places with nothing to stop your fall from a misstep except the rocks 600 feet below.

Good times.

When every step brings pain, some people just sit down and quit. On Kalalau however there is no quitting. You HAVE to go on. Quitting just simply not an option. With each step I swallowed the pain and told myself there was no other alternative. I had to just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

We made it to the trail end beach and waterfall and set up camp, fighting cramping quads all the time. One day of rest later we were back on the trail, lesson learned. Even proper hydration however cannot stop the constant stress on your thigh muscles. The last two miles again were fraught with pain and exhausted, quivering muscles.

An experience like this really can't be properly conveyed with words. It becomes a true measure of how tough you are and how much pain you can endure. I know I was literally pushed PASSED my physical limits and still kept moving.

A challenge like Kalalau gives you insight into your true metal...

I'm just not a nice guy.

"I guess I'm just a nice guy I guess because I'm going to call."

That's a direct quote from the player on my right at Friday night poker sponsored by the American Legion. I've written about this game previously here and here. His opponent called two small bets and then led out when the FOURTH diamond hit the board. He called with his two pair which were NOT the top two incidently. He went on to say that he knew he was beat but that he called anyway.

Later he bet out on the river on a board that contained two tens and little else and was upset that his 10 6 full house did not get paid off. When ask why he would play 10 6 as first to act he said it was only for $2.

This is the same guy who was critisizing his opponent's play and giving advice on the best way to play hand after hand. He was predicatble at best, a calling station at worst, and obviously a losing player and yet he gave advice non-stop.

When he ask me directly, I agreed with him every step of the way. We never want the poor players to improve, right?

The player to my left was an older lady. I re-raised to $25 with KK and she called. I bet $50 into a flop of J, 3, 6 rainbow and she called. The board paired 6 and i pushed all-in for another $95 and actually told her that she should fold if she didn't pair the 6. She called with a straight draw and missed one of her 8 outs.

She went on to talk about how she was pot committed and that she'll call down any two cards and that's why she was hard to play against. I actually told her I would have called there as well but I'm was laughing to myself. I found her very predictable and again, a losing player.

Maybe I'm just not a very nice guy. I don't want to give ONE DIME when I know I'm beat and I don't throw money away chasing a pipe dream draw.

I'll let the losing players be nice!

It was one of those days... (a trip report)

A life lesson from the movie The Hangover: "You never walk away from the table when you're on a heater." 

As poker players, we've all said it at one time or another, "It was one of those days."

How was it said though? Is it said with enthusiasm and excitement or is it said softly while shaking your head side to side? In my case the sentence was followed by an exclaimation point rather than three dots.

Lesson learned. I stayed at the table and played my heater, and that's exactly what it was, a HEATER. It was a 24 hour period playing poker unlike any other I have experienced. In that time frame I chopped top three, then top two in consecutive tournaments, and then won a little more than $1000 at the cash table.

To me, poker is all about numbers and patterns. There are the ever present numbers; the math of the game. And then there are the patterns of the other players. When do they bet? When do they fold? When do they bluff? CAN they be bluffed? All the things that happen at the table fall into a pattern for me. Conversly, I try to NOT let myself fall into those predictable patterns, but at the same time try to make it seem as if I AM playing those same patterns.

Tuesday morning I landed in Las Vegas and knowing I couldn't check into my room until later that day, had the taxi drop me at The Orleans to play a little Omaha 8/b, one of my favorite games. I splashed around in a game I don't get to play very often, probably played too many pots because of my desire to play, and left down a few red chips.

I checked into my room at the Luxor, a place I have never stayed before, and went downstairs and immediately got a seat. Then the cards started to hit me in the face!

It began benighly. I was dealtt pocket kings and made the standard raise to $11 and got two callers. The flop was unconnected small cards so I bet the pot and got one caller. Another small card I bet, was raised, reraised thinking I'd been cold decked, and doubled through QQ. Ouch for him. Yay for me. Two other times I had QQ over JJ and 10 10 over 99 and all were winners

You know how you're scared of the guy that's on a roll? For once I was the guy people were scared of! When I raised and missed the flop they all folded to my continuation bets. When I raised with my semi-bluffs, they all folded. I was the table captain with the big hands I hit and the way I controlled the betting.

It was one of those days!

Sidebar: I really enjoyed the Luxor poker room. They had some fun promotions in the morning where they gave a raffle ticket with every pot won and drew a number for $100 every hour (yes, I won one), and also hade out $100-$500 for quads and better hands. (I never got quads!)

Spring Break anyone?

Another spring break and another trip or two. I'm flying solo this year so I thought I'd try out a new spot, the Hotel Cozumel and Resort. Trip Advisor gives it good rating but I'll will wait and see. There's sand, ocean, and sun. That'll do!

I had the trip booked and then I found out I had US Air points that were about to expire, so I used them for a flight to Las Vegas. Three days of playing poker sounds like a good way to spend the SECOND week of spring break this year! As a bonus, my brother will be joining me.

Hello 10 8

I was out with friends last Friday and didn’t think I’d play at the American Legion, but decided to stop in at about 10 for an hour or so of play. Most players seem to buy one bag of $50 in chips but I generally buy in for $100. This night I just bought the one bag because I was just going to splash a few pots and then head home.

I sat down in the three seat right behind the button and look down at 10 8 off-suit and toss in two white chips when it looks like this is a limping table. A suited 10 and 8 is one of my favorite hands to play but I only called here because of all the limpers. Then the big bling tosses in $4 more to sweeten the pot. Several callers later I’m priced in.

No big deal. I’m just here for a beer and a little poker fun.

The flop is 10 8 3 rainbow. The big blind bets $9 and gets two callers ahead of me. I then raise to $31, about three-quarters of the pot, and almost my entire stack! I get one caller. The turn is a deuce and I toss in my last chips thinking maybe I’ll go home early and get called by 10 3 suited.

Yes. He called a raise with 10 3.

I played exactly one hand and my $50 buy in is already up to $133. HELLO!

I played for another hour and left up $173, bringing the American Legion total for the year at just under $500.