Thursday, June 29, 2006
Busto!
Busted in 5 hands. Tried to run Q5s through black Aces and AJo through AK. I got $3008 for 64th place. IGTTBN(I go to the bar now).
Stayin' Alive
I made the money in my first WSOP tourney this year! There are 70 players left in the $1500 Pot Limit tourney and I’m in 32nd place with 24,000 chips. 24K is about average but blinds are starting at 1K/2K so I’ll need to find a hand or make a move pretty early. The payouts are very top-heavy so it makes sense to gamble for some chips. If I go out on the first hand today I win $3,008, 19th place gets $9,777, 9th wins $33,845, 2nd takes $180,508, and the winner will get $345,984. Today might take a while but I feel good and I’ll try to get lucky. Carl got knocked out of the $1500 NL tourney yesterday with one of the nastiest beats you’ll ever see. I might quit poker if it happened to me. He has a blog here where you can waste more time.
Brad “Otis” Willis is a guy I met last year at the EPT events and he keeps a blog for Poker Stars here. I’m not reppin’ Stars in this tourney but he still might throw in an occasional update for me.
Pauly has been running updates and if he pulls himself away from the hooker bar, he might have some news. His updates are written in his own style and, trust me, his style rocks.
For something a little more formal, check out CardPlayer. They’ll let you know when I bust. I’m heading downstairs for some breakfast. Let’s get lucky, ONE TIME!
Brad “Otis” Willis is a guy I met last year at the EPT events and he keeps a blog for Poker Stars here. I’m not reppin’ Stars in this tourney but he still might throw in an occasional update for me.
Pauly has been running updates and if he pulls himself away from the hooker bar, he might have some news. His updates are written in his own style and, trust me, his style rocks.
For something a little more formal, check out CardPlayer. They’ll let you know when I bust. I’m heading downstairs for some breakfast. Let’s get lucky, ONE TIME!
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Vegas
Vegas is fun.
My flight was delayed a bit last night and I ended up arriving around 1:30 AM. By the time I got to the Rio to sign up for the first tournament, it was already sold out. Boooooooo. They got 2200 entrants and 500 alternates, amazing! They’re down to 122 players left and obviously Carl’s still alive. He doesn’t have a ton of chips but it looks like the field is full of medium sized stacks and that should be good for his steals and resteals. Hopefully he finds a hand when they make a stand.
My first event will be the $1500 pot-limit event tomorrow. I wandered around the poker room today and really wanted to play poker for the first time in a while. It’s a good feeling and I can’t wait to splash some chips tomorrow. Today, I played a single table $525 Sit n’ Go. The tourney is played 10 handed and the winner gets 5K in tourney dollars and $120 cash. That means that the juice is only $13! The play was horrible but I busted in 7th, making a pretty terrible play to go out. The first hand after blinds went up to 100/200, I’m in the big blind with 1450 left after posting. It folds to Moneymaker on the button and he raises to 700 total. It’s a bigger raise than normal and it’s pretty obvious that he’s calling a push. The SB folds and I look down at 88. It’s a clear stop and go but I figured that he’d see through it and I may as well just get it in. Pretty dumb and way too hasty. He calls with QsJs and the board comes A74(Q)(J). Before I pushed I knew a stop and go was the right play and I’m glad the board smacked me in the face. If I just call then push on the flop, he has to call 950 more to win 2450. He’s getting better than 2.5-1 but it’s had to call there with QJ. C’est la vie but it’s frustrating when you know the right play and you still botch it. Let’s hope I play better tomorrow.
My flight was delayed a bit last night and I ended up arriving around 1:30 AM. By the time I got to the Rio to sign up for the first tournament, it was already sold out. Boooooooo. They got 2200 entrants and 500 alternates, amazing! They’re down to 122 players left and obviously Carl’s still alive. He doesn’t have a ton of chips but it looks like the field is full of medium sized stacks and that should be good for his steals and resteals. Hopefully he finds a hand when they make a stand.
My first event will be the $1500 pot-limit event tomorrow. I wandered around the poker room today and really wanted to play poker for the first time in a while. It’s a good feeling and I can’t wait to splash some chips tomorrow. Today, I played a single table $525 Sit n’ Go. The tourney is played 10 handed and the winner gets 5K in tourney dollars and $120 cash. That means that the juice is only $13! The play was horrible but I busted in 7th, making a pretty terrible play to go out. The first hand after blinds went up to 100/200, I’m in the big blind with 1450 left after posting. It folds to Moneymaker on the button and he raises to 700 total. It’s a bigger raise than normal and it’s pretty obvious that he’s calling a push. The SB folds and I look down at 88. It’s a clear stop and go but I figured that he’d see through it and I may as well just get it in. Pretty dumb and way too hasty. He calls with QsJs and the board comes A74(Q)(J). Before I pushed I knew a stop and go was the right play and I’m glad the board smacked me in the face. If I just call then push on the flop, he has to call 950 more to win 2450. He’s getting better than 2.5-1 but it’s had to call there with QJ. C’est la vie but it’s frustrating when you know the right play and you still botch it. Let’s hope I play better tomorrow.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Go Nats!
I´m in Munich at my friend Jan´s place. We´re heading to an American bar to watch the two huge games. Please, Landon, get selfish. Put the effing biscuit in the effing basket. Also, today will be the last day that I ever root for Italy.
Last 5 Albums I´ve Listened to on the Train:
1. Stevie Wonder - Song Review: Greatest Hits Disk 1
2. Pearl Jam - Vs.
3. Taking Back Sunday - Tell All Your Friends
4. Craig David - The Story Goes...
5. Bob Dylan - The Essential Bob Dylan Disk 1
I fly home tomorrow and I´m very excited. I´ve had a great time here but I miss home. I´m also getting extremely amped for the WSOP. I´ll be there for most of the 6 weeks, coming back to Seattle July 1-4 and going to Justin´s wedding sometime around July 15-18. I´ve spent a ton of money over the last 3 months so I don´t think I´m going to play as many events as I want to unless I have some early success. It´ll be nice to meet up with all my friends in the poker world.
To all of you in Seattle: I´m coming home! Put on your drinking shoes!
Last 5 Albums I´ve Listened to on the Train:
1. Stevie Wonder - Song Review: Greatest Hits Disk 1
2. Pearl Jam - Vs.
3. Taking Back Sunday - Tell All Your Friends
4. Craig David - The Story Goes...
5. Bob Dylan - The Essential Bob Dylan Disk 1
I fly home tomorrow and I´m very excited. I´ve had a great time here but I miss home. I´m also getting extremely amped for the WSOP. I´ll be there for most of the 6 weeks, coming back to Seattle July 1-4 and going to Justin´s wedding sometime around July 15-18. I´ve spent a ton of money over the last 3 months so I don´t think I´m going to play as many events as I want to unless I have some early success. It´ll be nice to meet up with all my friends in the poker world.
To all of you in Seattle: I´m coming home! Put on your drinking shoes!
Monday, June 19, 2006
Pictures!
Thanks for all the nice comments about the last post. Comments are what make blogging worthwhile. Carl once told me something along the lines of, "I like when you post pictures, they make the blog better." Translation: Your writing sucks, let the pictures tell the story for you. Here are some pictures from the trip so far:
Munich Fanfest
Empty train station at 6 AM
This was the morning that I arrived in Berlin without a hotel. I was delirious and took a bunch of random pictures. I kinda like this one and the clock proves that I was there at 6 AM.
Big ad in the train station
Fountain in Berlin
Berlin Fanfest
I couldn't get many good pictures here since I went so late at night but believe me, the Brazilians were loco.
Cologne Fanfest
Cologne's fanfest was awesome but they closed it for the 2 late games because the noise was too much for the church. Crazy church-goers. Don't they know it's the World Cup?
The Dom from the East
View of Cologne from the top of the Dom
I actually made it to the top of the South Spire. It actually wasn't that bad. I was out of breath and my heart was racing wildly but I never once felt like I was going to puke or collapse. Woo-hoo!
Jason, in front of a meter of beer
The beer glasses look small but believe me, the meter gets the job done.
Karaoke IN A MCDONALDS!!!!
Possibly the highlight of the trip(almost as cool as the game). During the day, since we thought we were going to watch the US-Italy game on TV, Jason and his friends drove to Landstuhl to get some bags of ice for mixed drinks. For some reason, Europeans don't believe in ice. Jason realizes halfway that I can't get on base since I'm not carrying my passport so they leave me at a McDonald's while they go buy the provisions. I walk into the McDonald's and hear "Ironic" by Alanis Morrissette being sung with a slight German accent. I investigate and find a full Karaoke Bar attached to the McDonald's. It appears that you can get a happy meal AND belt out some Karaoke at the same time! They even had a smoke machine and a disco ball. I was floored and was so excited that I could barely talk but I still managed to snap a few pictures.
The streets of Kaiserslautern
Me and Jason, sweating after running to the stadium
Opening Kickoff!
Me, Jason, Monique(The ticket provider) and Justin
Hard core guys sitting in front of us
Gooch and Eddie Johnson salute the fans
I seriously can't begin to describe the game. It was just too cool.
Tomorrow I leave Jason's place and head back to Berlin to meet up with my friends Sasha and Rob. They arrived on the 17th and they're staying through the Final, leaving on the 10th. I'd like to stay longer but the WSOP beckons and I'll have to watch the later rounds back in the USA. I do have conditional tickets for the US for the quarterfinals and beyond so IF we beat Ghana AND Italy beats Czech AND we beat Brazil in the round of 16 then I'm going to fly back here. Gooooooooooo Nats!
Munich Fanfest
Empty train station at 6 AM
This was the morning that I arrived in Berlin without a hotel. I was delirious and took a bunch of random pictures. I kinda like this one and the clock proves that I was there at 6 AM.
Big ad in the train station
Fountain in Berlin
Berlin Fanfest
I couldn't get many good pictures here since I went so late at night but believe me, the Brazilians were loco.
Cologne Fanfest
Cologne's fanfest was awesome but they closed it for the 2 late games because the noise was too much for the church. Crazy church-goers. Don't they know it's the World Cup?
The Dom from the East
View of Cologne from the top of the Dom
I actually made it to the top of the South Spire. It actually wasn't that bad. I was out of breath and my heart was racing wildly but I never once felt like I was going to puke or collapse. Woo-hoo!
Jason, in front of a meter of beer
The beer glasses look small but believe me, the meter gets the job done.
Karaoke IN A MCDONALDS!!!!
Possibly the highlight of the trip(almost as cool as the game). During the day, since we thought we were going to watch the US-Italy game on TV, Jason and his friends drove to Landstuhl to get some bags of ice for mixed drinks. For some reason, Europeans don't believe in ice. Jason realizes halfway that I can't get on base since I'm not carrying my passport so they leave me at a McDonald's while they go buy the provisions. I walk into the McDonald's and hear "Ironic" by Alanis Morrissette being sung with a slight German accent. I investigate and find a full Karaoke Bar attached to the McDonald's. It appears that you can get a happy meal AND belt out some Karaoke at the same time! They even had a smoke machine and a disco ball. I was floored and was so excited that I could barely talk but I still managed to snap a few pictures.
The streets of Kaiserslautern
Me and Jason, sweating after running to the stadium
Opening Kickoff!
Me, Jason, Monique(The ticket provider) and Justin
Hard core guys sitting in front of us
Gooch and Eddie Johnson salute the fans
I seriously can't begin to describe the game. It was just too cool.
Tomorrow I leave Jason's place and head back to Berlin to meet up with my friends Sasha and Rob. They arrived on the 17th and they're staying through the Final, leaving on the 10th. I'd like to stay longer but the WSOP beckons and I'll have to watch the later rounds back in the USA. I do have conditional tickets for the US for the quarterfinals and beyond so IF we beat Ghana AND Italy beats Czech AND we beat Brazil in the round of 16 then I'm going to fly back here. Gooooooooooo Nats!
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Why I Love Sports
I left Cologne yesterday and took a 4 hour train ride to Kaiserslauten. On the trian, I listened to my Ipod and read a travel book on Berlin. I thought about soccer and poker and baseball. My train pulled in to Kaiserslautern around 8:30 PM. I took a taxi to Jason's house and had to wait about 5 minutes before he pulled into the driveway. I came out to meet him and said, "Long time no see! Ready to kick it?" He replied with, "Yeah, let's do it. Today was crazy: Something happened in Iraq and we had 19 patients on the floor today. I'm worn out and need to get some beers."
Suddenly soccer, poker and baseball seemed like dumb things to think about. Jason works as a nurse at an Army hospital in Lanstuhl and treats soldiers that were evacuated from Iraq due to injuries suffered in the war. While he's here in Germany, I'm galavanting around the world, obsessed with sports, and all the while doing nothing of any real significance. It was a very sobering thought and I started to feel indifferent about the US-Italy match. Who cares? It's just a freaking game.
We hit the bars and I tried to express my thoughts to Jason. He rebuffs me and says that he's just doing his job. If he could, he'd be doing what I'm doing. That's why I love soldiers. The "I'm just doing my job" line is so ridiculously humble. "Yeah, I'm just saving lives while putting my own in extreme danger. No biggie."
Fast forward to today, around 3 PM. We're hungover in the streets of Kaiserslautern, among thousands of soccer fans chanting back and forth. The Italians outnumbered the Americans but we still had a good showing, mostly because of the heavy military influence here. I'd say that about half of those wearing red, white and blue had some affiliation to the many Army and Air Force bases nearby. I saw the face paint and I heard them cheering and I started to understand why sports matter. They weren't thinking about the war or the long days ahead of them. They were focused on a soccer match and for the time being it was all that mattered. I saw the excitement in Jason's eyes and I began to get fired up.
At 8:45 PM, Jason gets a phone call from two people in his squad. They have 2 extra tickets and want to know if we'd like to go to the game. Uh, yeah? We're about a mile from the stadium and sprint the whole way to meet them. I was full of sausage and potatoes but I ran faster than I have in a long time. We make it into the stadium as the National Anthem is ending and the players take the field. The atmosphere is surreal, I can't even begin to describe it, but the emotions of the 3 soldiers I was with struck me more than anything. All I could think about was the war and their jobs and how great it was that they were given this break from the "real world".
Everyone already knows how the game ended. The Nats played their hearts out and earned an incredible tie despite playing 9 on 10 for the entire second half. It was by far the greatest sporting event that I've ever been to and I've been to a lot of them. The Super Bowl this year, The NFC Championship game, Game 3 of the 2004 World Series; none of them come close to what I experienced today. I had tears in my eyes for the last 15 minutes of the game, watching these true American heroes root for our National team to hold off the Italians. It took everything I had to hold back from bursting into tears as we left the stadium chanting "U-S-A! U-S-A!" with the thousands of other fans and soldiers and Americans. It was definitely one of the greatest feelings of my life.
We beat Italy. We didn't win the game but anyone who watched that game knows we beat their ass. Supposedly, there are no moral victories in sports; Only the results matter. But, if you try to tell me that, try to tell Jason that, try to tell the thousands of Italians who left with hung heads, you'll get a very different answer. We beat Italy and for tonight, for Jason and the groups of soldiers on the streets, it was the most important thing in their lives.
That is why I love sports. Sports have an incredible ability to take our minds off of the stresses of everyday life. Sure, most games aren't as extreme as the World Cup and most stresses aren't as difficult as war, but the moral remains. Tomorrow, when Jason and his friends go back to work they'll be back in the war, but the memories of today will stay with them and make things a little easier. That's why the games matter and that's why I love sports.
Suddenly soccer, poker and baseball seemed like dumb things to think about. Jason works as a nurse at an Army hospital in Lanstuhl and treats soldiers that were evacuated from Iraq due to injuries suffered in the war. While he's here in Germany, I'm galavanting around the world, obsessed with sports, and all the while doing nothing of any real significance. It was a very sobering thought and I started to feel indifferent about the US-Italy match. Who cares? It's just a freaking game.
We hit the bars and I tried to express my thoughts to Jason. He rebuffs me and says that he's just doing his job. If he could, he'd be doing what I'm doing. That's why I love soldiers. The "I'm just doing my job" line is so ridiculously humble. "Yeah, I'm just saving lives while putting my own in extreme danger. No biggie."
Fast forward to today, around 3 PM. We're hungover in the streets of Kaiserslautern, among thousands of soccer fans chanting back and forth. The Italians outnumbered the Americans but we still had a good showing, mostly because of the heavy military influence here. I'd say that about half of those wearing red, white and blue had some affiliation to the many Army and Air Force bases nearby. I saw the face paint and I heard them cheering and I started to understand why sports matter. They weren't thinking about the war or the long days ahead of them. They were focused on a soccer match and for the time being it was all that mattered. I saw the excitement in Jason's eyes and I began to get fired up.
At 8:45 PM, Jason gets a phone call from two people in his squad. They have 2 extra tickets and want to know if we'd like to go to the game. Uh, yeah? We're about a mile from the stadium and sprint the whole way to meet them. I was full of sausage and potatoes but I ran faster than I have in a long time. We make it into the stadium as the National Anthem is ending and the players take the field. The atmosphere is surreal, I can't even begin to describe it, but the emotions of the 3 soldiers I was with struck me more than anything. All I could think about was the war and their jobs and how great it was that they were given this break from the "real world".
Everyone already knows how the game ended. The Nats played their hearts out and earned an incredible tie despite playing 9 on 10 for the entire second half. It was by far the greatest sporting event that I've ever been to and I've been to a lot of them. The Super Bowl this year, The NFC Championship game, Game 3 of the 2004 World Series; none of them come close to what I experienced today. I had tears in my eyes for the last 15 minutes of the game, watching these true American heroes root for our National team to hold off the Italians. It took everything I had to hold back from bursting into tears as we left the stadium chanting "U-S-A! U-S-A!" with the thousands of other fans and soldiers and Americans. It was definitely one of the greatest feelings of my life.
We beat Italy. We didn't win the game but anyone who watched that game knows we beat their ass. Supposedly, there are no moral victories in sports; Only the results matter. But, if you try to tell me that, try to tell Jason that, try to tell the thousands of Italians who left with hung heads, you'll get a very different answer. We beat Italy and for tonight, for Jason and the groups of soldiers on the streets, it was the most important thing in their lives.
That is why I love sports. Sports have an incredible ability to take our minds off of the stresses of everyday life. Sure, most games aren't as extreme as the World Cup and most stresses aren't as difficult as war, but the moral remains. Tomorrow, when Jason and his friends go back to work they'll be back in the war, but the memories of today will stay with them and make things a little easier. That's why the games matter and that's why I love sports.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Going to Cologne
I´m leaving Berlin today and heading to the beautiful city of Cologne. Berlin has been wonderful and I got to see two fun games at the Fan Fest. The Brazil-Croatia and Germany-Poland games were both great for different reasons. Brazil and Croatia both played quick, skillful soccer and I enjoyed watching it. There were so many yellow jerseys I could barely stand it. There were a ton of Germans running around in yellow jerseys and they made me want to root even harder for Croatia. I´m pretty sure that most of them don´t have noble, "I love how they play" reasons for rooting for Brazil, they just want to root for a winner. I think Croatia could do big things in the World Cup and it looks like Japan may go winless. The Poland-Germany game was one of the most physical games I´ve ever seen this early but Poland really needed the game. There was a heavy police presence during the Brazil game but it probably tripled for the Germany game. Apparently there were 500 people arrested in Dortmund, the site of the game. You could cut the tension with a knife at the Fan Fest in Berlin but I didn´t see any threats of violence. There were just too many Germans for the Poles to try anything. I was sad after the US lost to Czech but words can´t describe the look on the Poles' faces after Germany scored that late goal. I think they had much bigger hopes for this World Cup and now they´re done. I might get that same feeling on Saturday night but I don´t have it yet! Go Nats!
Yesterday morning I took the "that looks cool, I´m going to go look at it" approach to sightseeing. I ignored all historical importance or cultural relevance and instead focused solely on aesthetic beauty. I saw some beautiful churches, museums and monuments before I finally broke down and bought a guide book. This is probably the worst prepared I´ve ever been for a long trip but I´ve had a lot of fun flying by the seat of my pants.
Cologne is the only city that I´d really experienced before this trip and I´m looking forward to going back. Cologne is the home of the best Dönor I´ve ever had, the coolest cathedral I´ve ever seen, and a cool Irish bar where I´ll enjoy watching tonights games. Tomorrow morning I´m going to wake up and attempt to climb to the top of one of the Dom´s spires. Wish me luck!
Friday and Saturday I´ll be in Kaiserslauten preparing for the big US-Italy game on Saturday night. My brother´s friend, well my friend too, Jason Perez lives in Kaiserslauten so I´ll be staying with him over the weekend. There´s a good chance that I´ll be able to post some pictures from his place so keep your fingers crossed. Danka.
Yesterday morning I took the "that looks cool, I´m going to go look at it" approach to sightseeing. I ignored all historical importance or cultural relevance and instead focused solely on aesthetic beauty. I saw some beautiful churches, museums and monuments before I finally broke down and bought a guide book. This is probably the worst prepared I´ve ever been for a long trip but I´ve had a lot of fun flying by the seat of my pants.
Cologne is the only city that I´d really experienced before this trip and I´m looking forward to going back. Cologne is the home of the best Dönor I´ve ever had, the coolest cathedral I´ve ever seen, and a cool Irish bar where I´ll enjoy watching tonights games. Tomorrow morning I´m going to wake up and attempt to climb to the top of one of the Dom´s spires. Wish me luck!
Friday and Saturday I´ll be in Kaiserslauten preparing for the big US-Italy game on Saturday night. My brother´s friend, well my friend too, Jason Perez lives in Kaiserslauten so I´ll be staying with him over the weekend. There´s a good chance that I´ll be able to post some pictures from his place so keep your fingers crossed. Danka.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Berlin
I´m at an Internet cafe in Berlin, patiently waiting for 11 AM to arrive so I can check in at my hostel. The overnight train was awesome and I got some good sleeping done. I wandered around the city from 5:30 until 8 AM then I found this cafe, my home for the next hour or so.
I got a good comment from Carl in the last blog. Obviously we wanted a tie, I don´t know where my brain was. I´ll blame the jet lag, heat exhaustion and general stupidity. It´s moot now anyway because Italy was a big winnah and we look pretty screwed. BUT, guess what! This morning, as my train pulled into Berlin at 5 AM, the sun did indeed rise and life goes on. I´ll be at the Fan Fest tonight appreciating Brazil´s play but still rooting for them to lose. I guess I could/should root for them because they play such a pretty game but everyone and their mom knows that they´re going to win anyway and there´s no fun in rooting for the best of the best. I also like Croatia´s jerseys so gooooooo Croatia! Every team that I root for loses anyway. I´ll be wearing my Japan jersey today since my US jersey smells horrible. You know you smell really bad when you gross yourself out.
Anyway, a shower in a few hours will feel nice and the atmosphere tonight should be a lot of fun. Brazil supporters are everywhere and their drums are entrancing. I´ll get pictures up as soon as I find a computer with a USB port. Go Nats! Go M´s!
I got a good comment from Carl in the last blog. Obviously we wanted a tie, I don´t know where my brain was. I´ll blame the jet lag, heat exhaustion and general stupidity. It´s moot now anyway because Italy was a big winnah and we look pretty screwed. BUT, guess what! This morning, as my train pulled into Berlin at 5 AM, the sun did indeed rise and life goes on. I´ll be at the Fan Fest tonight appreciating Brazil´s play but still rooting for them to lose. I guess I could/should root for them because they play such a pretty game but everyone and their mom knows that they´re going to win anyway and there´s no fun in rooting for the best of the best. I also like Croatia´s jerseys so gooooooo Croatia! Every team that I root for loses anyway. I´ll be wearing my Japan jersey today since my US jersey smells horrible. You know you smell really bad when you gross yourself out.
Anyway, a shower in a few hours will feel nice and the atmosphere tonight should be a lot of fun. Brazil supporters are everywhere and their drums are entrancing. I´ll get pictures up as soon as I find a computer with a USB port. Go Nats! Go M´s!
Monday, June 12, 2006
Yuuuuck
The atmosphere was awesome, here in Gelsenkirchen. At the Fan Fest, I´d say that the Americans outnumbered the Czech by 25% or so but the Czech were pretty loud due to their great chants. All we could muster was the old U-S-A!, U-S-A! while they had sweet songs: simple, loud and catchy. It was pretty clear that this was going to be either one of my favorite sports memories or one of the most painful.
When Czech got that early goal I felt confident. It was a simple letdown and we´d definitely rebound stronger. When Reyna´s shot hit the left post I felt even better. It was only a matter of time before we equalized, despite losing every ball in the air and despite Beasley´s obvious discomfort. Even after they scored the second goal I had faith. The Czechs in the crowd were getting rowdy but one goal would shut them up and give us the momentum we´d need to salvage a tie. I´ll admit, once it hit the 70th minute I started to panic, and once Czech scored their third goal I gave up all hope. There are few things more painful than losing a game like this in that type of atmosphere. The only thing worse would have been paying a scalper 600 Euros for a ticket to the debacle. I kept telling him all I´d pay was 100 Euro but he only came down to 400. Still way too much and it would have made this feeling even worse, if that´s possible.
The thing that frustrated me the most about the game (disclaimer: I think Arena is awesome and I don´t really know much about soccer) is the fact that we continued to make 40 yard passes downfield even though their defenders and midfielders were winning every single ball. I don´t think we touched a single one of those. I don´t know how to come back from 2-0 against a good team but having Eddie Lewis futily lob balls into the 18 definitely isn´t the way to do it. I know they started playing small ball toward the end but I think they should have been working it on the ground for the entire game.
All we need to do now is win 2 straight against Italy and Ghana. Easy, right?
I´m catching a train to Berlin at 11:10 tonight and I´ll get there around 5 AM. I think I´ll sleep in the train station then get breakfast and basically waste time until my hostel is available. But the important thing is that I do have a hostel for two nights.
I´m off to watch the Italy game. I think I want Italy to win so that they´ll be more relaxed this weekend. I don´t think they´re happy seeing a desperate US team and I don´t want to see a desperate Italian side. Until they´re eliminated, GO NATS!
When Czech got that early goal I felt confident. It was a simple letdown and we´d definitely rebound stronger. When Reyna´s shot hit the left post I felt even better. It was only a matter of time before we equalized, despite losing every ball in the air and despite Beasley´s obvious discomfort. Even after they scored the second goal I had faith. The Czechs in the crowd were getting rowdy but one goal would shut them up and give us the momentum we´d need to salvage a tie. I´ll admit, once it hit the 70th minute I started to panic, and once Czech scored their third goal I gave up all hope. There are few things more painful than losing a game like this in that type of atmosphere. The only thing worse would have been paying a scalper 600 Euros for a ticket to the debacle. I kept telling him all I´d pay was 100 Euro but he only came down to 400. Still way too much and it would have made this feeling even worse, if that´s possible.
The thing that frustrated me the most about the game (disclaimer: I think Arena is awesome and I don´t really know much about soccer) is the fact that we continued to make 40 yard passes downfield even though their defenders and midfielders were winning every single ball. I don´t think we touched a single one of those. I don´t know how to come back from 2-0 against a good team but having Eddie Lewis futily lob balls into the 18 definitely isn´t the way to do it. I know they started playing small ball toward the end but I think they should have been working it on the ground for the entire game.
All we need to do now is win 2 straight against Italy and Ghana. Easy, right?
I´m catching a train to Berlin at 11:10 tonight and I´ll get there around 5 AM. I think I´ll sleep in the train station then get breakfast and basically waste time until my hostel is available. But the important thing is that I do have a hostel for two nights.
I´m off to watch the Italy game. I think I want Italy to win so that they´ll be more relaxed this weekend. I don´t think they´re happy seeing a desperate US team and I don´t want to see a desperate Italian side. Until they´re eliminated, GO NATS!
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Homeless
Well, I´m homeless in Gelsenkirchen tonight. I guess that´s what happens when you wait until the last minute to book and everything costs 600 Euros. There´s a train to Berlin at 2:10 AM and I´ll probably catch that puppy. I arrive in Berlin at 7:30 in the morning and I´ll probably be able to find accomodations there.
I bought a 10-day railpass yesterday for 190 Euro. I can ride all day on any 10 days over the next month. I was just going to buy tickets as needed but the Munich-Gelsenkirchen ticket cost 115 Euro alone. I could have bought a 5-day train pass for 130 Euro but I didn´t want to skip trips just because I ran out of days.
In less than 12 hours, we´ll know if the US is sitting pretty or in desperation mode. A win against the Czech Republic would be huuuuuuuge. GO NATS!
How bout those M´s? They just swept the Angels in Anaheim and now travel to Oakland. We´ve always always always struggled in Oakland but the M´s are playing great baseball and will try to inch closer to .500. I can´t believe we´re only 4 games back! Hooray mediocrity!
I need to go catch my train. Go Nats. One time.
I bought a 10-day railpass yesterday for 190 Euro. I can ride all day on any 10 days over the next month. I was just going to buy tickets as needed but the Munich-Gelsenkirchen ticket cost 115 Euro alone. I could have bought a 5-day train pass for 130 Euro but I didn´t want to skip trips just because I ran out of days.
In less than 12 hours, we´ll know if the US is sitting pretty or in desperation mode. A win against the Czech Republic would be huuuuuuuge. GO NATS!
How bout those M´s? They just swept the Angels in Anaheim and now travel to Oakland. We´ve always always always struggled in Oakland but the M´s are playing great baseball and will try to inch closer to .500. I can´t believe we´re only 4 games back! Hooray mediocrity!
I need to go catch my train. Go Nats. One time.
München
I'm in Munich! Sadly, my luggage is not. I haven't checked a bag in ages and British Airways was kind enough to remind me why. The bag will be delivered to me tonight so it isn't a huge deal but it's still a hassle. And if the bag isn't delivered tonight it will become a big deal.
Enough of this Internet crap, I'm off to find a bar.
Enough of this Internet crap, I'm off to find a bar.
Friday, June 09, 2006
WORLD CUP
I know I'm bad at updating. I've been wicked busy and blogging has taken a back seat to life. I'm staying at my mom's house in Seattle and she has dial-up which makes logging on incredibly painful. Here's a quick recap of the past week:
Friday: I drive for about 4 hours from KC to St Louis for a Cubs-Cardinals game. The game is sold out except for single tickets in an $88 section. I suck it up and pay the ghastly sum. The game is great and the stadium is beautiful but I had to leave at the end of the 9th inning with the score tied at 4-4. I think the Cubs ended up winning in the 14th. I get back to Kansas City at 2 AM and get to bed around 3:30.
Saturday: I wake up at 9 AM and drive 9 hours from KC to Denver. Watch the Marlins beat the Rockies 13-0 and head to the bars. Get to bed around 2 AM.
Sunday: Wake up at 8:30 AM and drive for 11.5 hours to Vegas. There are long stretches through boring desert but there are also some really pretty stretches. Some cool rock formations in Utah, some cool canyons in Arizona and a gorgeous drive through the Rockies along the Colorado River. I get to Vegas at 7 PM and hit up an all-you-can-eat sushi bar before my flight home to Seattle. Sushi is good.
Monday: Arrive in Seattle at 1 AM. Wake up around 10 AM and meet my friends Chhouk and Kenny for lunch at Pnom Phen Noodle House. Noodles are good. I buy a new shirt and tie, get a haircut and head to my business school interview. The interview went really well but the odds are definitely against me getting in. The interview was for placement on a space-available waiting list and usually there isn't any space available. I'd say I'm a 4-1 dog to get in. You hate getting your money in with an underpair. After the interview I drive to Kirkland to pick up my friend Dave then head to Renton to pick up my friend, Matt. We pick up Renee from work and head to Kangaroo and Kiwi near Greenlake for cheap wings. Wings are good. After playing a few games of darts we head back to my mom's house for Scene It: Sports. I win both games and take the losers home.
Tuesday: I wake up early and go on an 8-mile hike with my mom. Hike is a little misleading because it was a simple stroll through Alki and West Seattle but it got my heart racing and blood flowing so I'm going to call it a hike. After the hike I drive up to Edmonds to pick up Renee's brother, pick up Davis from work and meet Dave downtown. We head to Larry's BBQ and eat ribs. Ribs are good. After dinner we head to Safeco Field and watch the Mariners beat the Twins 4-2. The game was great and I was pleasantly surprised to see the M's play such good ball.
Wednesday: Mow the lawn and pick up my friend Erica from the airport. Go eat dinner at our favorite Sczechuan place in the International district then drive down to Vancouver, WA to visit my grandma. Watch the Mariners game at my grandma's place and cheer as Carl Everett hits an 11th inning walk-off dong.
Thursday: Wake up around 9:30 and hang out with my grandma. Head to Thai Lotus with my mom, grandma, and 3 of her friends. Eat Thai food with 0 stars. No spice isn't very good. Drive back to Seattle and eat dinner at Wild Ginger with my mom and Renee. The food was incredible but it came out late. We had to pound our wine and head to Benaroya Hall for an awesome string performance. It was chamber music in a small venue and it was good.
Today I'm at my friend Mark's house for the World Cup openers. Mark is Brazilian and his whole family is going nuts here. I thought the first game was entertaining and had a few spectacular goals.
I board a plane for Germany tomorrow and I couldn't be more excited. I'm going to try to be a good Asian tourist and take a lot of pictures but I might just be too caught up in the moment. Sorry in advance if that happens. I know it sucks reading this drivel without visual aid.
Here's where I'll be and when I'll be there:
June 11th: Arrive in Munich at 4:05 PM
June 12th: Train to Gelsenkirchen: USA v. Czech Rep. @ 6 PM
June 13th: Train to Berlin: Brazil v. Croatia @ 9PM
June 14th: Hang out in Berlin
June 15th: Berlin: Sweden v. Paraguay @ 9 PM
June 16th: Train to Stuttgart: Holland v. Ivory Coast @ 6 PM
June 17th: Train to Kaiserslauten: Italy v. USA @ 9 PM
June 18th: Train to Munich: Brazil v. Australia @ 6 PM
June 19th: Hang out in Munich
June 20th: Train to Berlin: Ecuador v. Germany @ 4 PM
June 21st: Hang out in Berlin
June 22nd: Train to Nuremberg: Ghana v. USA @ 4 PM
Train to Munich night of the 22nd
June 23rd: flight home @ 9:15 AM
I guess it's a pretty short trip but watching those games with the masses should be loads of fun. I have no game tickets but I think it'll be just as much fun to party outside. If there's anyone in Germany reading the blog (it seems silly making that statement but I got a comment from a guy in Dirk's hometown) please write me an email at brandon.schaefer@gmail.com and meet me for a beer. Go Nats!
Friday: I drive for about 4 hours from KC to St Louis for a Cubs-Cardinals game. The game is sold out except for single tickets in an $88 section. I suck it up and pay the ghastly sum. The game is great and the stadium is beautiful but I had to leave at the end of the 9th inning with the score tied at 4-4. I think the Cubs ended up winning in the 14th. I get back to Kansas City at 2 AM and get to bed around 3:30.
Saturday: I wake up at 9 AM and drive 9 hours from KC to Denver. Watch the Marlins beat the Rockies 13-0 and head to the bars. Get to bed around 2 AM.
Sunday: Wake up at 8:30 AM and drive for 11.5 hours to Vegas. There are long stretches through boring desert but there are also some really pretty stretches. Some cool rock formations in Utah, some cool canyons in Arizona and a gorgeous drive through the Rockies along the Colorado River. I get to Vegas at 7 PM and hit up an all-you-can-eat sushi bar before my flight home to Seattle. Sushi is good.
Monday: Arrive in Seattle at 1 AM. Wake up around 10 AM and meet my friends Chhouk and Kenny for lunch at Pnom Phen Noodle House. Noodles are good. I buy a new shirt and tie, get a haircut and head to my business school interview. The interview went really well but the odds are definitely against me getting in. The interview was for placement on a space-available waiting list and usually there isn't any space available. I'd say I'm a 4-1 dog to get in. You hate getting your money in with an underpair. After the interview I drive to Kirkland to pick up my friend Dave then head to Renton to pick up my friend, Matt. We pick up Renee from work and head to Kangaroo and Kiwi near Greenlake for cheap wings. Wings are good. After playing a few games of darts we head back to my mom's house for Scene It: Sports. I win both games and take the losers home.
Tuesday: I wake up early and go on an 8-mile hike with my mom. Hike is a little misleading because it was a simple stroll through Alki and West Seattle but it got my heart racing and blood flowing so I'm going to call it a hike. After the hike I drive up to Edmonds to pick up Renee's brother, pick up Davis from work and meet Dave downtown. We head to Larry's BBQ and eat ribs. Ribs are good. After dinner we head to Safeco Field and watch the Mariners beat the Twins 4-2. The game was great and I was pleasantly surprised to see the M's play such good ball.
Wednesday: Mow the lawn and pick up my friend Erica from the airport. Go eat dinner at our favorite Sczechuan place in the International district then drive down to Vancouver, WA to visit my grandma. Watch the Mariners game at my grandma's place and cheer as Carl Everett hits an 11th inning walk-off dong.
Thursday: Wake up around 9:30 and hang out with my grandma. Head to Thai Lotus with my mom, grandma, and 3 of her friends. Eat Thai food with 0 stars. No spice isn't very good. Drive back to Seattle and eat dinner at Wild Ginger with my mom and Renee. The food was incredible but it came out late. We had to pound our wine and head to Benaroya Hall for an awesome string performance. It was chamber music in a small venue and it was good.
Today I'm at my friend Mark's house for the World Cup openers. Mark is Brazilian and his whole family is going nuts here. I thought the first game was entertaining and had a few spectacular goals.
I board a plane for Germany tomorrow and I couldn't be more excited. I'm going to try to be a good Asian tourist and take a lot of pictures but I might just be too caught up in the moment. Sorry in advance if that happens. I know it sucks reading this drivel without visual aid.
Here's where I'll be and when I'll be there:
June 11th: Arrive in Munich at 4:05 PM
June 12th: Train to Gelsenkirchen: USA v. Czech Rep. @ 6 PM
June 13th: Train to Berlin: Brazil v. Croatia @ 9PM
June 14th: Hang out in Berlin
June 15th: Berlin: Sweden v. Paraguay @ 9 PM
June 16th: Train to Stuttgart: Holland v. Ivory Coast @ 6 PM
June 17th: Train to Kaiserslauten: Italy v. USA @ 9 PM
June 18th: Train to Munich: Brazil v. Australia @ 6 PM
June 19th: Hang out in Munich
June 20th: Train to Berlin: Ecuador v. Germany @ 4 PM
June 21st: Hang out in Berlin
June 22nd: Train to Nuremberg: Ghana v. USA @ 4 PM
Train to Munich night of the 22nd
June 23rd: flight home @ 9:15 AM
I guess it's a pretty short trip but watching those games with the masses should be loads of fun. I have no game tickets but I think it'll be just as much fun to party outside. If there's anyone in Germany reading the blog (it seems silly making that statement but I got a comment from a guy in Dirk's hometown) please write me an email at brandon.schaefer@gmail.com and meet me for a beer. Go Nats!
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Dirk is God
I had another lazy day today. I woke up around 1 PM and surfed the Internet for a while before showering around 3 PM. After the shower I went looking for Menorah Hospital, which is where my mom was born. I found Menorah but it was a very new looking building and definitely wasn't around in 1922 1954 when she was born. I figured it was just a new building but Jimmy informed me that it's an enirely different location, as of 1996. The old Menorah Hospital is now a Baptist Research Center. Strange. I might try to find it tomorrow before heading to St. Louis.
Jimmy got off of work around 5:30 and we went to a place called Jack Stack Barbeque for dinner with his friend Salwa. Surprisingly, there are some attractive women in medical school. Here's a picture of the three of us at dinner:
Salwa, Jimmy and Moi
I had a lot of food but it was nothing comared to Jimmy's dish. They're called Crown Prime Beef Ribs and they're damn impressive. Jimmy let me have one and they taste better than they look. Here they are:
Jimmy's Crown Prime Beef Ribs. Impressive.
I really wish that I had measured my BMI and cholesterol level before going on this trip. My body fat % has to have doubled and my cholesterol has probably tripled. The next 2 months of Germany and WSOP don't look very promising on the health side of things. We all make sacrifices.
After dinner, Jimmy and I came home to watch the basketball game. We were about 45 minutes late but he had the game Tivoed so we got to fast forward through commercials and almost caught up to live play by the end. All I can say is VIVA LA DIRK! He finally rid us of the hated Spurs and he's powering his team toward Finals glory. What a performance. Jimmy's neighbors probably hate me for running around his apartment like a wild banshee but I couldn't contain myself after some of those 3-balls Dirk nailed. The last one, to put him over 50 points, marked the end of my sanity. I instantly leapt to my feet, started howling like a babboon and sprinted back and forth through Jimmy's apartment until I was out of breath. As we covered before, I run out of breath pretty quickly, but I still made a decent amount of noise. Bottom line: I hope to meet some people in Germany who resemble this:
The Man
After the game, Jimmy went to bed and I watched some TV and played around with my fantasy baseball team. I need saves desperately so I picked up Jorge Julio. Gulp. I also fired up a $20/180 man sit and go and tried to focus on where exactly I was leaking chips. I soon realized that people in lower limits never fold and making people fold is what I do best. I never have a hand, I just rely on folds. When people are calling stations, I lose. I'm going to work on my ABC game and I think my results will improve.
OK, that's all. I don't know why there was so many people clamoring for blog entries because I find my daily activities boring as hell. I'll leave you with one final picture from the Vegas weekend:
Vegas
I still can't believe how cheap that Korean hooker was that we bought on the strip. She said she was 18 so I think we're ok, legally.
Jimmy got off of work around 5:30 and we went to a place called Jack Stack Barbeque for dinner with his friend Salwa. Surprisingly, there are some attractive women in medical school. Here's a picture of the three of us at dinner:
Salwa, Jimmy and Moi
I had a lot of food but it was nothing comared to Jimmy's dish. They're called Crown Prime Beef Ribs and they're damn impressive. Jimmy let me have one and they taste better than they look. Here they are:
Jimmy's Crown Prime Beef Ribs. Impressive.
I really wish that I had measured my BMI and cholesterol level before going on this trip. My body fat % has to have doubled and my cholesterol has probably tripled. The next 2 months of Germany and WSOP don't look very promising on the health side of things. We all make sacrifices.
After dinner, Jimmy and I came home to watch the basketball game. We were about 45 minutes late but he had the game Tivoed so we got to fast forward through commercials and almost caught up to live play by the end. All I can say is VIVA LA DIRK! He finally rid us of the hated Spurs and he's powering his team toward Finals glory. What a performance. Jimmy's neighbors probably hate me for running around his apartment like a wild banshee but I couldn't contain myself after some of those 3-balls Dirk nailed. The last one, to put him over 50 points, marked the end of my sanity. I instantly leapt to my feet, started howling like a babboon and sprinted back and forth through Jimmy's apartment until I was out of breath. As we covered before, I run out of breath pretty quickly, but I still made a decent amount of noise. Bottom line: I hope to meet some people in Germany who resemble this:
The Man
After the game, Jimmy went to bed and I watched some TV and played around with my fantasy baseball team. I need saves desperately so I picked up Jorge Julio. Gulp. I also fired up a $20/180 man sit and go and tried to focus on where exactly I was leaking chips. I soon realized that people in lower limits never fold and making people fold is what I do best. I never have a hand, I just rely on folds. When people are calling stations, I lose. I'm going to work on my ABC game and I think my results will improve.
OK, that's all. I don't know why there was so many people clamoring for blog entries because I find my daily activities boring as hell. I'll leave you with one final picture from the Vegas weekend:
Vegas
I still can't believe how cheap that Korean hooker was that we bought on the strip. She said she was 18 so I think we're ok, legally.
Why am I so Dumb
So…I wake up today at noon and get on the road at 2 PM, headed for St. Louis. It’s about 4 hours to St Louis so I have plenty of time to make it before the 7 PM start. Jimmy calls me at 2:30 and informs me that the game is in the 7th inning and it started at noon. UGH. So, I turn around and head back to his place. Now I have a bit of driving to do this weekend but it looks possible. Here’s the schedule:Tomorrow: Day off for the Cardinals. I go visit the hospital where my mom was born and try to find the park where my grandma used to take her when she was little. Jimmy gets off of work at 6 PM and we get some bomb ass BBQ and watch the Mavs take a 3-2 series lead.
Friday: Drive to St. Louis. The game is at 7 PM. I triple-checked. The game will end around 10 PM and I will drive back here. I will get here at 2 AM and go to sleep.
Saturday: I will wake up at 9 AM and drive to Denver. It’s about 8 hours away so I’ll get there at 5 PM but I’ll gain an hour so it’ll be 4 PM. Actually, I may leave around 10 AM. It’ll still give me one hour of leeway for traffic, coke-snorting, etc. before the game starts at 6 PM Denver time. I triple-checked. After the game I will hang out with my friend Mike and possibly my friend Frank. I will stay sober and prepare for….
Sunday: Drive to Vegas. It’s about 10 hours away at my flight is at 10:25 PM. I guess I should get to my friend’s house by 8 PM so I can park the car and give him time to get me to the airport by 9:30ish. I guess I’ll leave Denver around 10 AM. I arrive in Seattle at 12:51 AM, guess I should call someone about picking me up!
I have an interview with the UW business school on Monday. Here’s the official word: “Thank you for your recent application to the University of Washington MBA Program. After an initial review of your application, we would like to extend an invitation for you to participate in an Admission Interview.” I got an email of rejection from the UW Evening MBA program but I didn’t want that anyway. I guess they reserve the evening MBA spots for people who work full-time. As an unemployed bum, I don’t qualify. The interview obviously isn’t as good as an acceptance but I’m happy that I get the chance to talk to the Director of Admissions and convince her that I should get into the school. If everyone could cross their fingers for me at on Monday at 3 PM that would be great.
I’m tired. I’m going to bed. Go Mavs. Go Mariners. GO NATS!
Whoops, that reminds me. I’ve been meaning to link up my friend Matt’s soccer blog for a while now. It’s been tremendously educational for me and I think it’s perfect for the sports fan who is trying to get into soccer. One thing Matt told me tonight is that even if we make it through our tough ass group in 2nd place, we face the winner of Brazil’s group in the round of 16. Ugh. I guess we just need to win our group! GO NATS!!!!
Friday: Drive to St. Louis. The game is at 7 PM. I triple-checked. The game will end around 10 PM and I will drive back here. I will get here at 2 AM and go to sleep.
Saturday: I will wake up at 9 AM and drive to Denver. It’s about 8 hours away so I’ll get there at 5 PM but I’ll gain an hour so it’ll be 4 PM. Actually, I may leave around 10 AM. It’ll still give me one hour of leeway for traffic, coke-snorting, etc. before the game starts at 6 PM Denver time. I triple-checked. After the game I will hang out with my friend Mike and possibly my friend Frank. I will stay sober and prepare for….
Sunday: Drive to Vegas. It’s about 10 hours away at my flight is at 10:25 PM. I guess I should get to my friend’s house by 8 PM so I can park the car and give him time to get me to the airport by 9:30ish. I guess I’ll leave Denver around 10 AM. I arrive in Seattle at 12:51 AM, guess I should call someone about picking me up!
I have an interview with the UW business school on Monday. Here’s the official word: “Thank you for your recent application to the University of Washington MBA Program. After an initial review of your application, we would like to extend an invitation for you to participate in an Admission Interview.” I got an email of rejection from the UW Evening MBA program but I didn’t want that anyway. I guess they reserve the evening MBA spots for people who work full-time. As an unemployed bum, I don’t qualify. The interview obviously isn’t as good as an acceptance but I’m happy that I get the chance to talk to the Director of Admissions and convince her that I should get into the school. If everyone could cross their fingers for me at on Monday at 3 PM that would be great.
I’m tired. I’m going to bed. Go Mavs. Go Mariners. GO NATS!
Whoops, that reminds me. I’ve been meaning to link up my friend Matt’s soccer blog for a while now. It’s been tremendously educational for me and I think it’s perfect for the sports fan who is trying to get into soccer. One thing Matt told me tonight is that even if we make it through our tough ass group in 2nd place, we face the winner of Brazil’s group in the round of 16. Ugh. I guess we just need to win our group! GO NATS!!!!
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