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So I won $90 in a $2 tourney for finishing in 5th. So ridiculously disappointing. I was in control and blew it when I couldn't lay down KK to an A high flop. No question I should have folded. Weird because I was laying hands like that down the entire way, and just fucked it up when we got to the final table - when it really matters. When moving up in the money actually means something to my bankroll. OOOOOOHHHH WELLL, right? Since I make it to final tables all the time, then no regrets!!! Get 'em next time! (SARCASM)

So I decided to try and see if I could run the money up. WTF, right? At the stakes I play, I'm sitting on a pile of dough. My recent cashout made almost no difference in my bankroll compared to the stakes I play. So I played a $5, lost. A $10, lost, and a $30 HU game and lost when I was all in pre-flop with a hand that was dominated. Oh well.

Been reading Dan Brown's new book lately, so I haven't been playing a lot of poker. Brown's books are always very fast paced, interesting, and easy to sink into. It's a mix of real science and a frantic, significant, fictional story. Funny that during the most suspenseful parts - much like a person shielding their eyes from a horror movie - I find myself reading over the words faster just to get the gist of it. I don't think any of his books will be as good as Da Vinci Code, only because of its subject matter, but this one's REALLY good so far, and I'm about half way through it. I find it interesting that the subject matter of this book is an extension of the the most interesting non-Holy Grail topic of Da Vinci Code.

Reading his books always makes me wonder about how great pieces of artwork from the past "become" great works. A painting, is a painting, right? Paint on canvas. But we give it significance. It's one thing to say that a picture "looks" good. We have photos now that are everywhere that almost universally, people can look at a picture and say it "looks" good. But the truly great pieces of art are held in such reverence, and why? I can't figure it out. I just chalk it up to the fact that I don't know enough about the subject matter, which is probably true to a certain extent.

Shakespeare, Mozart, Da Vinci - we have held on to these works, and hold their works in the highest esteem. Dan Brown would suggest we do this for a reason other than that it "looks good". Anyways, some meta-relfection here - How will the future look at Dan Brown's books?

Obviously, it's not a historical document. It's basically fiction. Will history pass it off as a sign of the times? Or is his work something that will endure, and if it does, for what reason? His books are enormously popular, but popularity does not necessarily mean they will be timeless.

Anyways, I enjoy them.

Nice way to top off the Sunday

Full Tilt Poker Game #15279927255: Daily Dollar (110926523), Table 380 - 300/600 Ante 75 - No Limit Hold'em - 23:03:06 ET - 2009/10/11Seat 1: ander-vichiato (10,447)Seat 2: actzeng (7,320)Seat 3: 2 Hot Coconuts (74,627)Seat 4: BAD BOY BYFIELD (9,270)Seat 5: Byawer (20,776)Seat 6: nzvamp1 (2,640)Seat 7: alfredohys (22,525)Seat 8: okayme2 (11,647)Seat 9: Jassio (42,092)ander-vichiato antes 75actzeng antes 752 Hot Coconuts antes 75BAD BOY BYFIELD antes 75Byawer antes 75nzvamp1 antes 75alfredohys antes 75okayme2 antes 75Jassio antes 75Byawer posts the small blind of 300nzvamp1 posts the big blind of 600The button is in seat #4*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to actzeng [Ah Ad]alfredohys foldsokayme2 raises to 5,400Jassio foldsander-vichiato foldsactzeng raises to 7,245, and is all in2 Hot Coconuts foldsBAD BOY BYFIELD foldsByawer foldsnzvamp1 calls 1,965, and is all inokayme2 calls 1,845actzeng shows [Ah Ad]nzvamp1 shows [Qc Td]okayme2 shows [9h 9c]*** FLOP *** [9s Jc Kd]*** TURN *** [9s Jc Kd] [6c]*** RIVER *** [9s Jc Kd 6c] [8h]actzeng shows a pair of Acesokayme2 shows three of a kind, Ninesokayme2 wins the side pot (9,360) with three of a kind, Ninesnzvamp1 shows a straight, King highnzvamp1 wins the main pot (8,670) with a straight, King high*** SUMMARY ***

Again - No Reaction

Full Tilt Poker Game #15276525872: $2 + $0.25 Sit & Go (112017619), Table 1 - 20/40 - No Limit Hold'em - 20:10:20 ET - 2009/10/11Seat 1: ufajr (1,485)Seat 2: Goldengirl434 (1,455)Seat 3: arnoldstarnold (1,545)Seat 4: actzeng (1,545)Seat 5: tha milkman (2,430)Seat 6: Leo Fitzgerald (1,470)Seat 7: abwil2 (1,455)Seat 8: vexem (985)Seat 9: prettypokerbabe (1,130)prettypokerbabe posts the small blind of 20ufajr posts the big blind of 40The button is in seat #8*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to actzeng [Ac Ad]Goldengirl434 foldsarnoldstarnold foldsactzeng raises to 120tha milkman foldsLeo Fitzgerald foldsabwil2 foldsvexem foldsprettypokerbabe calls 100ufajr folds*** FLOP *** [2s Td 8s]prettypokerbabe bets 160actzeng has 15 seconds left to actactzeng raises to 400prettypokerbabe raises to 1,010, and is all inactzeng calls 610prettypokerbabe shows [Th Qs]actzeng shows [Ac Ad]*** TURN *** [2s Td 8s] [Ts]*** RIVER *** [2s Td 8s Ts] [4c]prettypokerbabe shows three of a kind, Tensactzeng shows two pair, Aces and Tensprettypokerbabe wins the pot (2,300) with three of a kind, Tens

I didn't even flinch

Full Tilt Poker Game #15264983192: $2 + $0.25 Sit & Go (111937901), Table 1 - 20/40 - No Limit Hold'em - 10:11:27 ET - 2009/10/11Seat 1: maydiego (1,910)Seat 2: Mr K Mo (855)Seat 3: tyboter (1,455)Seat 4: palychkazan (1,470)Seat 5: n33lix69 (1,455)Seat 6: ShortNails (1,335)Seat 7: actzeng (1,455)Seat 8: justJB (2,065)Seat 9: Malefoy (1,500)maydiego posts the small blind of 20Mr K Mo posts the big blind of 40The button is in seat #9
*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to actzeng [As Ad]tyboter has 15 seconds left to acttyboter foldspalychkazan foldsn33lix69 foldsShortNails foldsactzeng raises to 120justJB foldsMalefoy foldsmaydiego foldsMr K Mo calls 80
*** FLOP *** [6s Qs 3h]
Mr K Mo has 15 seconds left to act
Mr K Mo bets 260
actzeng raises to 1,335, and is all in
Mr K Mo calls 475, and is all in
ShortNails has been disconnected
actzeng shows [As Ad]
Mr K Mo shows [Qh Kd]
Uncalled bet of 600 returned to actzeng
*** TURN *** [6s Qs 3h] [Tc]
*** RIVER *** [6s Qs 3h Tc] [Kh]
actzeng shows a pair of Aces
Mr K Mo shows two pair, Kings and QueensMr K Mo wins the pot (1,730) with two pair, Kings and Queens

Things have been going badly. They were going well, and then I took a shot at a $5 and bubbled, and took a shot at a $10 and bubbled. Both bustouts were just brutal. I haven't cashed since then. Bubble bubble bubble.

NO....YES....NOOOOOO!!!!!

Full Tilt Poker Game #15234794104: $5 + $0.50 Sit & Go (111714859), Table 1 - 80/160 - No Limit Hold'em - 22:18:05 ET - 2009/10/09Seat 2: iubaman (2,290)Seat 3: actzeng (1,365)Seat 4: Pokerfinestcom (4,165)Seat 9: mscfreak (5,680)iubaman posts the small blind of 80actzeng posts the big blind of 160The button is in seat #9*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to actzeng [Kc As]Pokerfinestcom calls 160mscfreak raises to 720iubaman foldsactzeng raises to 1,365, and is all inPokerfinestcom foldsmscfreak calls 645actzeng shows [Kc As]mscfreak shows [9c Ac]*** FLOP *** [2c 2h 9s]*** TURN *** [2c 2h 9s] [Kd]*** RIVER *** [2c 2h 9s Kd] [9d]actzeng shows two pair, Kings and Ninesmscfreak shows a full house, Nines full of Twosmscfreak wins the pot (2,970) with a full house, Nines full of Twos