Once again today I was taught that I have lot to learn in poker, although I did make the right read, it's the self-control that is the problem. Playing 25NL, all left from a bonus PartyPoker sent me for aboslutely no reason other than marketing, I pick up AA in the pocket. I'm on the button, with three limpers ahead and the blinds to go (6 handed, BTW). The SB is tricky and plays gapped connectors offsuit and such, and seems to know how to play them. Anyway, I raise to 4BBs, and the button and two early guys call. Flop comes 679, and I immediately fear a gutshot or even flopped straight. I bet $6 into an approx. $5 pot. That one guy calls. Turn is a meaningless K, and at this point I'm really sure he's got me beat, but I just can't get lay down my aces, so I bet $10, he pushes, I'm 100% sure I'm beat but call anyway, and sure enough he had played 8-10 for the straight. I'm not sure of a better way to play aces preflop than just raising like I would, but I need to learn to lay them down when my reads show me I'm beat.

While writing this, I was also playing a $4/180 SNG on Stars. Not far in I get pockets 9's, me and three others see the flop, 552, I bet, one caller, turn is a 10, I check-raise all in, he calls with quad 5s. Another time I should have laid it down. Then again, I didn't see someone calling the preflop raise with 5x for trips, except 55, but quads seem so unlikely. I think if I did an expected value analysis of the hand based on my own assumptions, it wasn't horrible to push there. A better player might be more accurate in the chances of quads there, but I can't totally fault my play. Then again, it was very early in the tourney, why risk all my chips on a non-sure thing? I got a lot to learn.

Here's a nifty article on the fight against malaria. The story makes me think about the pressures on drug companies. They are supposed to maximize shareholder value, make sure their drugs are safe for everyone (or face huge lawsuits if even one person dies out of millions of users), and find new drugs to save lives under increasingly harsh and expensive regulations. In this instance they are being told not to sell a certain very effective malaria drug because the use of it is slowly making the disease resistant, yet if they do stop selling it, shortsighted idiots who already hate drug companies because they don't give away drugs for free will start protesting about how cold and heartless they are. What's a big business supposed to do?

I get bored just jogging around the neighborhood, and like to change it up on weekends by going to parks and such. Mostly I've gone to Piedmont Park and Chastain. Anyone know any good paths, especially in the Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Roswell area?

Comments are working again.

This guy created a pinpoint linkable version of the Federalist Papers, for all us Constitution dorks out there.

I read a lot of it in high school, and with the emergence of my love for politics over the past several years, I bought a copy with intent to read. Never quite happened. Maybe this new site will inspire me. But read the guy's introduction, then read some random stuff about the original meaning of the Constitution.

This is really cool. Found the link on boingboing.net.

I am SO sick of lol in internet chat. For those who don't know, lol is short for laughing out loud, and people say it all the time. I see entire conversations that are like:
person #1 "That was crazy!"
person #2 "Yeah, lol"
person #1 "lol"
person #3 "lol"
person #4 "rotfl"
person #2 "lmao"

rotfl is rolling on the floor laughing, and lmao is laughing my ass off.

If you aren't actually doing those things, laughing out loud, rolling on the floor, or laughing so hard your ass actually starts coming off of your body, don't use these expressions. While they may appeal to your average moron, anyone with a brain immediately discounts you intelligence level.

An amazing demonstration of a remote control airplane. I wonder if cousin Mike can fly like this?

I've been running pretty well in poker lately, winning a couple of touraments outright, and final-tabling several others. I keep taking stabs at cash games, but usually end up wishing I hadn't. Tournaments are just more my thing, I guess. Totally different mindset.

Sorry the blogging has been slow lately. Not much going on, I guess. And I'm seriously taking a break from politics. Just burned out, you know?

I'm searching for an internship for the Fall, and think I might have something lined up. We'll see.