Vivir en 4 ciudades

Diana y yo estamos planeando algo que puriera parecer algo aventurado y la verdad quien sabe si lo lleguemos a realizar. El plan es, vivir en 4 diferentes ciudades el proximo año, para asi tener una idea de cual ciudad nos gustaria establecernos, esto es, pensando en el futuro de nuestros hijos.
Hasta ahora tenemos varias candidatas, parece que 2 son seguras: Chicago y Vancouver/Seattle, teniendo que decidir otras 2, en los foros de 2+2 puse un thread acerca de esto y me dieron muy buena sugerencias

Digamos que algunos de los criterios son:

- We want to live near a big metropolitan area (this is not in the middle of Nebraska)

- We prefer a multi-ethnic city (like Toronto)

- We want a good educational system for the kids

- We prefer a progressive city, but still family oriented (Is that possible?), we have liberal views on general, but we really value a community where family values are important.

- We prefer US cities, but maybe Canada is ok; Europe a distant possibility

- Too hot (temperature) is bad, so 100+ cities (Phoenix?) are not eligible; near water is better (lake, river or sea), near forest is also good

- Not outrageously expensive cost of living cities is better, higher than average is ok

- Plenty of parks and museums please

- Cities not hated by mother Nature

- Cities whose citizens are very respectful of the law

- Professional Sports team is a plus :)


El plan es algo aventurado, pero ojala y lo podamos llevar a cabo, eso es uno de los beneficios de ser un jugador profesional de poker online, que puedes vivir literalmente donde tu prefieras.

One of my biggest leaks: how to play TPNK

Top pair no kicker, I just suck at making decisions with this hand. This was my last hand on the Poker Stars Sunday Million $500+30

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t300 (9 handed)

saw flop|saw showdown

BB (t9125)

UTG (t10250)

UTG+1 (t13975)

MP1 (t11575)

MP2 (t12253)

MP3 (t16997)

CO (t13275)

Button (t12650)

SB (t6875)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 4h, Qh.

2 folds, MP1 calls t300, MP2 calls t300, 3 folds, Hero completes, BB checks.

Flop: (t1200) Qc, 5d, 6c (4 players)

Hero checks, BB checks, MP1 checks, MP2 bets t900, Hero calls t900, BB folds, MP1 folds.

Turn: (t3000) 2h (2 players)

Hero checks, MP2 bets t2100, SB raises to t5675, MP2 calls t3575.

River: (t14350) 7c (2 players)

Final Pot: t14350

Main Pot: t14350 (t14350), between MP2 and Hero. > Pot won by MP2 (t14350).

Results in white below:

Hero has 4h Qh (one pair, queens).

MP2 has Td Qd (one pair, queens).

Outcome: MP2 wins t14350.

My Analysis:

Preflop: Completing the SB was fine with 2 callers

Flop: It is the first puzzle, Do you check-fold any time you flop TPNK on a multiway pot?, if MP1 or MP2 bet, I most probably fold, but since the bet came from the last person to act, my hand may be good, therefore the call; Is a check-raise better? Is leading better?, because of the size of my stack, Is it the check-raise all in better if I'm not folding?, IS the call better and then shove any turn?

Turn: I think it was a total mistake, if I'm going all in, it's better to just lead all in, instead of check raising without any fold equity. He'd probably called anyway.

Meh, I should just fold the flop all the time until I learn how to play TPNK.

I went 0 for 6 this Sunday, I feel a little rusty, but the good thing is I'm playing.

Folding KK preflop: Almost

The hand was from a $20 Re-buy tournament this Saturday on the second hour. blinds were 75-150 I think, MP raised to 399 or something like that (his stack was 30K), I reraise in MP+2 to 1500 with KK, and then the button went all in for 8k, wow, my stack was 12K, back to MP and he went AI instantly for 30K. Yikes (Demontres !!); i took all the time I could, taught button had JJ-QQ or AA, and probably the MP wanted to isolate with something like AK, but the weird first raise may me consider AA. Wow, what to do, I just couldn't fold the KK in a $20 rebuy tournament (even we were on the second hour) and called, MP had AA, button had JJ and that was it, but I almost folded !!!, pretty hard, but sometimes you just have to do it. The only thing for me was AK for MP trying to isolate button thinking I had QQ, but it was just too risky and I had a big stack. What do you think? Do you fold?

AI vs Standard raise with 22 and a short stack

Ahora por fin volví a jugar torneos, jugué el torneo de No Limit de $300 en PS, no llegue al dinero, pero creo que en general jugué bien, el único error, o mejor dicho, la única jugada que pude haber hecho mejor, es con un stack de como $3000 y con blinds 150-300, hice un standard raise a 900 en late position con 22, dejando que el blind llamara, el flop salio JT9 y me tuve que tirar ante la apuesta. Ahí en esa situación, creo que por el tamaño de mi stack, lo mejor era haberse ido All In, no me gustan los pares chicos, pero creo que esa era la mejor jugada en esa situación.

Vacaciones verano 2007: Travelling with family

As a family we travel a lot, we just love it. This time besides Diana, me and the kids, we travelled also with my sister Gabriela and my niece Alejandra.

Este fue el itinerario por ciudades y dias del viaje que realice con mi familia este verano.

Jueves 19 de Julio: Tarde-Noche; manejar El Paso, TX - Junction, TX
Jueves 19 de Julio: Noche; Junction, TX
Viernes 20 de Julio: Tarde-Noche; manejar Junction, TX - Reynosa, TAM, México
Sabado 21 de Julio: Reynosa, TAM, México
Domingo 22 de Julio: Reynosa, TAM, México
Lunes 23 de Julio: Reynosa, TAM, México
Martes 24 de Julio: Reynosa, TAM, México
Miercoles 25 de Julio: Reynosa, TAM, México
Jueves 26 de Julio: Reynosa, TAM, México
Viernes 27 de Julio: Mañana-Tarde; manejar Reynosa, TAM, México - Corpus Christi, TX
Viernes 27 de Julio: Tarde; Mustang Island, TX (Corpus Christi, TX Area)
Viernes 27 de Julio: Noche; Victoria, TX
Sabado 28 de Julio: Mañana-Tarde; manejar Victoria, TX - Houston TX
Sabado 28 de Julio: Tarde-Noche, Houston, TX
Domingo 29 de Julio: Houston, TX
Lunes 30 de Julio: Mañana; Houston, TX
Lunes 30 de Julio: Tarde-Noche; manejar Houston, TX - New Orleans, LA
Lunes 30 de Julio: Noche; mas bien madrugada del Martes, llegada a New orleans
Martes 31 de Julio: Mañana (muy temprano); Vuelo New Orleans, LA - Buffalo, NY
Martes 31 de Julio: Comida; Buffalo, NY
Martes 31 de Julio: Tarde-Noche; Niagara Falls, ON, Canada
Miercoles 1 Agosto: Cumpleaños de Diana !!!!
Miercoles 1 de Agosto: Niagara Falls, ON, Canada
Jueves 2 de Agosto: Mañana; Niagara Falls, ON, Canada
Jueves 2 de Agosto: Tarde; Niagara On the Lake, ON, Canada
Jueves 2 de Agosto: Noche; Toronto, ON, Canada
Viernes 3 de Agosto: Mañana-Tarde; Toronto, ON, Canada
Viernes 3 de Agosto: Noche; Mississauga; ON, Canada (Toronto Area)
Sabado 4 de Agosto: Mañana-Tarde; Toronto, ON, Canada
Sabado 4 de Agosto: Noche; Mississauga, ON, Canada (Toronto Area)
Domingo 5 de Agosto: Mañana-Tarde; Toronto, ON, Canada
Domingo 5 de Agosto: Noche; Mississauga, ON, Canada (Toronto Area)
Lunes 6 de Agosto: Mañana; Toronto, ON, Canada
Lunes 6 de Agosto: Tarde; manejar Toronto, ON, Canada - Niagara Falls, ON, Canada
Lunes 6 de Agosto: Tarde; Niagara Falls, NY
Lunes 6 de Agosto: Noche; Cheektowaga, NY (Buffalo Area)
Martes 7 de Agosto: Mañana; Vuelo Buffalo, NY - Raleigh/Durham, NC
Martes 7 de Agosto: Noche; Cary, NC
Miercoles 8 de Agosto: Mañana; Durham, NC
Miercoles 8 de Agosto: Tarde; Raleigh, NC
Miercoles 8 de Agosto: Tarde-Noche; manejar Raleigh, NC - Cherokee, NC
Miercoles 8 de Agosto: Noche; Cherokee, NC
Jueves 9 de Agosto: Tarde; Smoky Mountains NP, NC
Jueves 9 de Agosto: Noche; Cherokee, NC
Viernes 10 de Agosto: Mañana-Tarde; Blue Ridge Parkway
Viernes 10 de Agosto: Tarde; Asheville, NC
Viernes 10 de Agosto: Noche; manejar Asheville, NC - Columbia, SC
Viernes 10 de Agosto: Noche; Columbia, SC
Sabado 11 de Agosto: Mañana-Tarde; manejar Columbia, SC - Charleston, SC
Sabado 11 de Agosto: Tarde-Noche; Charleston, SC
Domingo 12 de Agosto: Charleston, NC
Lunes 13 de Agosto: Mañana-Tarde; manejar Charleston, SC - Pawleys Island, SC
Lunes 13 de Agosto: Tarde, Pawleys Island, SC
Lunes 13 de Agosto: Tarde-Noche; manejar Pawleys Island - Myrtle beach, SC - Raleigh Durham, NC
Lunes 13 de Agosto: Noche; Morrisville, NC (Raleigh/Durham Area)
Martes 14 de Agosto: Mañana-Tarde; Vuelo Raleigh/Durham, NC - New orleans, LA
Martes 14 de Agosto: Noche; New Orleans, LA
Miercoles 15 de Agosto: Mañana; New Orleans, LA
Miercoles 15 de Agosto: Tarde-Noche; manejar New Orleans, LA - Houston, TX
Miercoles 15 de Agosto: Noche; Houston, TX
Jueves 16 de Agosto: Mañana-Tarde; manejar Houston, TX - Boerne, TX
Jueves 16 de Agosto: Noche; Boerne, TX
Viernes 17 de Agosto: Mañana-Tarde, manejar Boerne, TX - El Paso/Juarez Area

Calling AI preflop with AQ in the WSOP $1500 NL

On this hand I had between 90k and 100k, blinds were 1500-3000, don't remember the ante. A young player with a big stack (around 180k) was moved to my right just a while ago, and as soon as he sat down he tried to control the table with his stack. On my first hand with him, folded to him in the SB, he raises, and I went AI without hesitation in the BB, with AK or a medium pair, don't remember, he folded. There were about 120 players left I think (out of the original 2778), when the hand came up, he was in the CO and made a weird raise to 7600, I had AQ on the button, and was pondering if I called or raised, I decide to go for the raise and make it 22,500; folded to him, and he starts counting his chips, staring at me, I thought he was folding but after a while he declared all in, I think that was his mistake, to take that much time to go all in, if I called I have to call AI of course since he covered me, and I'm never happy to call all ins with AQ, if I folded I still had around 70k, which it was decent, but this time 2 things didn't add up, his raise preflop (for his type of player) and the time he took to go all in, those 2 things told me (or made me think) that he didn't have a big hand, no AA-JJ, not even AK, the better hand he could have for me was a medium pair, but it was possible he was bluffing at all, given his type, the young internet aggressive players of nowadays. I studied him for a while and decided to went with my read and called, he said good call and he flipped QJo, perfect for me to have him in a dominated position, but of course I still had to dodge the board, no bad beat this time and I went to 200k and to be one of the chip leaders at the time.

My 2 most important calls in the WSOP NLH #1500

There were many key hands in that tourney, obviously there should be, if you're going to navigate through 2800 players. 2 of the most important ones were 2 difficult calls I made after analyzing the logic of the plays and my opponents for a while.
I'll try to remember the details as accurate as I can.

With blinds 500-1000-100 I was in the SB with a 43k stack, a lady in her 40's kind of new to the table was in the big blind with around 31k. I had been fairly active on the table. Folded to me in the SB, I saw 32o, of course with such a monster I called and she checked.

Flop came Qh5d2h and I proceeded to bet 2000, she called. Mmmmmm, in my mind she have a flush draw or a pair.

Turn came 7h completing the flush, I decided to represent the flush myself and fired 6000, she called. Now I am done, or am I?

River is the 8h, putting 4 hearts in the board, I kind of remember I have one heart, but I checked, now she went all in 22k instantly, what the fuck?

I checked my cards and effectively I had the 3h, and now I proceeded to analyze the evidence and stare at her once in a while, I was on seat 10 she was at seat 1. For some reason her instant all in bet just didn't add up, and the more I stared at her, the more she looked nervous, but what kind of nervous, maybe Qc6h nervous?, nah, after a while I counted my chip to notice I would have only around 13k if I called and lost and based on my read she didn't want me to call the more time it passed, I said call, she flipped Qc8c for 2 pairs ?? Was she valuebetting?; since I covered her, she excited and I rake a nice pot with my 3 high flush.

Next: My big call preflop with AQ

My last hand in the Main Event

I fought very hard on day 2 with my short stack, and was getting away with it since I had a very good table. I made some good plays without too much of a hand to keep my stack with a size that allowed me to go all in (with a raise or reraise) and still be a threat to the other players. Then the following hand came:

The table has been limpimg a lot, which was very good for me and my stack, this time it was no different, 4 limpers, including Chuck Kelley in the button with a +200k stack; by the way, his game had not impressed me so far, since I saw him making some obvious mistakes and since I had position over him, he was at seat 1, I was on seat 3, I was hoping those chips came my way, but of course I needed to be lucky first and double up, the opportunity came in this hand, after he limped, I found AK in the SB, blinds were 600-1200-200 at the time, so 3600 to start, and with 4 limpers, 4800 more, perfect situation for my 22k stack, of course I went all in, waiting to take the 8400 unless somebody had a real hand, since calling 20k more it would be difficult for all of them but Chuck, and even if he called, I didn't mind to race with AK, but I was not expecting him to call anyway, since he didn't raise the limpers, but maybe he had a small pair and decided I was making too many "moves". Well, he called the 20k more and now the pot had near 50k, I was expecting to see something like 22-66 and race for the chips, but no, the donkey had KTo !!!; I couldn't believe it, but of course I was really happy, couldn't expect a better situation to put all my chips in the center, I was already thinking about my new stack and how to control the table. Well, this is until a ten hit the turn, no help in the river and that was my main event; table feeling sad for me with the usual good game and you played that short stack pretty well, I just smiled, wish everybody luck and exited, beginning the wait for 2008. Incredible, this was my only all in all the tourney, that is, the only one that was called. The round before I was almost called, when again some limpers, I completed in the SB with 53o, flop came 743, I checked and it was checked around (such a nice table), 7 in the turn and I was going to bet some but I better went all in, a guy with a 100k or something stack, thought for a while while asking me if I had the 7 before folding his pair, I wonder which pair it was, 66?, maybe A4?, but of course I was glad he folded. Maybe Chuck saw this and decided to teach me a lesson with his powerful KT, but that's poker and you need to win these "flips" in order to advance. For example, one of the most important hands I had in the $1500 event was a sick call I made with AQ when I had like 90k versus a bully who went AI (after my reraise) with QJ and his 170k stack (and blinds were like 1k-2k !!), but of course that time I won and could use my stack to almost make the final table. Exiting the Main Event is always a sad day, I just can't help it, it's such an experience to us poker players to play in it. I'm pretty sure I'll be there once again in 2008.

The night before Day 2-B

I finished Sunday with a short stack with respect to the field, I have 21,200. Blinds tomorrow Wednesday will be 500-1000-100, I'm short but not desperate. I'll be playing on table 30, looks like I draw a good table since I don't recognize the names, with the exception of the table chip leader Chuck Kelley, who got a 2nd place in a WPT last January.
I feel good and hopefully my plan for tomorrow will work and with some luck, I could make it to day 3.

Dinner break

We're at dinner break at the moment. Play resumes at 8:30 PM PST, I have around 42k chips, we started with 20k. I have a good table and hopefully things continue to go well. I'm at table 35 seat 9.