$40 Socks
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Summer in NYC can be a real bitch. When its 80 degrees outside, its 95 on the subway platforms. Being the clever guy that I am, I came up with a way around waiting for a subway in 95 degree heat while wearing my lawyer-wear. The answer came in the quick change. I go to work in sandals and shorts, usually wearing my dress shirt like I'm some reject from an Abercrombie & Fitch catalogue. By all appearances, I look like a shlub, maybe a messenger, student or mailroom worker. But I'm comfortable.
The thing is, I can be forgetful at times. I left my work shoes in the office last night, and packed work pants and a belt so that I can make the quick change once I hit the office. It isn't that anyone would have a problem with my civies (i.e., civilian clothes). It's just that I have to look the role for my clients, and it doesn't help to look the role for my superiors either.
So, imagine my surprise when I look into my bag and realize that I forgot dress socks. This isn't the first time this has happened. Last time, I had yesteday's worn socks still in my bag, and pulled the ole' inside-out used-socks manuever to hide my sockless shame. This time, however, I was out of luck...sorta. Fortunately, there is a Gap across the street, and off I went in search of cheap dress socks.
The socks at the Gap (in NY, anyway) cost $4. I grabbed one pair and made my way to the counter, when a thought occurred to me. I needed Emergency Socks for any future forgetfulness. Once I reached the sock rack, I couldn't help but notice the "3 for $10" stickers. Done and done. I made my way back to the counter with my three pairs of black socks, but to my dismay, a woman was already there, not 5 minutes after the store openned with enough clothing to keep her 12 member family warm for the winter and back again. As I waited, I noticed a polo shirt, bright aqua blue with yellow stripes. Damn, that'd look good on me. I grabbed it on impulse.
When I got to the register, the discontent employee rang me up: $40. That's some fucking expensive socks.
I can afford it though, after last nights successful play. I started the evening with my 13th (out of 15) 45-person SNG, for the 45 SNG Challenge II. While I have created these Challenges, I rarely money. It works like this: several bloggers, in this case 20, put up a prize pool ($25/pp) and then play 15 45-person SNGs at their own pace over a month. This cycle of the 45SNGC has been ran by Drewspop, and he's doing a great job. Sowbug was nice enough to set up a program so all we have to do is email him the tournament number. When we money, we forward the automatic email received from PokerStars. The results are then displayed at THIS WEBPAGE. If you've gone to that last link, you may've seen HighOnPoker listed in second place (ok, actually third once its update to include Drewspop's recent 2nd place finish).
As I was saying, I played the 13th last night, a $6.50 turbo, and was doing well. I was facing the usual suckouts, including a very early round play when I got my opposition all-in with KT and a TQx board against my pocket Ks. I was ecstatic at first, but the Jack turn and Ace river made it a chop. Even so, I avoided tilt, played well, but went out in 22nd on some hand that I just can't recall. While I was playing the turbo, though, I could feel that it was unlikely that I would money. I think at that point I was down to 500 or so in an early round (I did, eventually, come back before my demise). I decided to enter my 14th tournament, a $10+1 regular 45-person SNG.
I could go through details, but let's get to the chase. I moneyed in 2nd in my 14th attempt. I was giddy, mostly because I was playing like gangbusters, whooping ass left and right. At the final table, I had 45k four-handed, with more chips than all of my competitors combined. I think the only questionable play I made was early, when I called an all-in with TT against a fairly even stack when he pushed after a raise. I read his overzealous bet as weaker than TT and I was right. He had AKo. My TT held up, and while it was a dangerous move for an SNG (and even moreso because of the 45 SNGC) there is some great validity to busting early or going home in these things. Heads-up didn't last long. I was ahead 2:1 against my opponent, but he won two cointosses that would give him the win. Still, a $86 profit isn't bad.
The Mookie was fun too. I actually busted in 8th or 7th, just out of the money to a hand that may or may not be classified as a bad beat. I'd like your opinions on that question. I held KK and raised from 800 to 2400. I was making that same raise left-and-right. This time, Xanthius, the huge chipleader, called in the SB, so I had position. The flop was QQ2. It was checked to me and I bet out 3600. He reraised me back. I pushed all-in. He called...with Q2. So, the money went in when he was ahead, but was it a bad beat, since I was dominating preflop? I'm guessing the answer is no, but I will say that it was a suckout on the flop. I suppose in the end, it was my fault. Laying down KK would not be easy, and I don't think I'd do it more than 1 in 100 times in this situation, but it would have been the right move (results-wise). Eh, what can you do?
So, I had a profit last night, and I may money in the 45 SNGC. Thank fucking god.
Tonight I'll be in New Jersey visiting wifey Kim's friends and their new baby. Yes, they are the first of the crowd. Fortunately, wifey Kim and I are not having kids for another 15 years (and that number NEVER gets lower, even as years pass). Until then, we'll just be watching my parents' cat, Ernie, and thanking the lord (and Mama High) for Ernie's newly trimmed claws. Ah! I guess waking up in the middle of the night to dancing paws on your face is better than waking up to that feeling of 1000 papercuts. Love those cats!
posted by Jordan @ 9:44 AM,
10 Comments:
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At 11:17 AM,
Eric a.k.a. Bone Daddy said...
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Do you change your socks in a phone booth?
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At 11:21 AM,
slb159 said...
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I am not one to classify what is, and what is not, a bad beat. However, if you got all your chips in pf and he called, then that, of course, is a bad beat. Generally, I look at it as, if I get my money in with the best hand (at the time) and end up losing, then it's a bad beat. You didn't have the best hand on the flop, so, I think it's tough luck, not a bad beat.
See you at the tables...hook me up for another 45 turbo sometime. Last one was fun, even though I bubbled. Uggg. -
At 11:25 AM,
Pokerwolf said...
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Rack specials in clothing stores are sucker bets.
Too bad I'm a sucker. -
At 3:34 PM,
said...
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Not a bad beat, but a bad all preflop by X and crappy way to go. Thanks for making it out to play last night. Congrats on the final table in the Mookie and the cash in the 45 SNG.
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At 4:51 PM,
Pseudo_Doctor said...
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yea its kind of in between while i was reading the hand and saw that flop of QQ2 i imeddiately thought that was a great flop for KK since two qq hit not 1. I would have done the same thing and him calling with q2 is just terrible in itself. But a bad beat not really....
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At 5:52 PM,
Dave said...
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Actually you were beat all along and it was your 2 cards + 5 unknown cards vs his 2 cards + the same 5 unknown cards. It doesn't really matter in the end if all 5 down cards get to play. Sometimes the better move would have been to push pre-flop, then those down cards don't normally get to be played at all. But that's all in hind site. Would you have been content to just win the blinds? Probably not, but then again, a huge stack has a lot of flexibility and a standard raise won't scare him away much of the time.
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At 11:17 PM,
Hammer Player a.k.a Hoyazo said...
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These guys are right, Jordan. It's not a bad beat since you were way behind when the money went in. What it is, however, is an almost unbelievable shitty flop for you. Does it really matter though whether it is officially a "bad beat" or not? Either way, you got scrooged by the cards.
And I will second the earlier comment as well -- even with a huge chip lead, that is an absolutely assinine call with Q2. Even the kicker sucks in that hand. I just love it how some guys in tournaments think that a big chip lead actually is an excuse to call with anything. -
At 11:52 PM,
C.L. Russo said...
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I agree with the previous comments regarding the poker.
On to cats. Every god damned night it's the claws with my cat. What's worse, she acts like I'm the one who's done something wrong when I swat her across the room after putting a puncture wound in my leg. -
At 8:57 AM,
Jordan said...
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Yeah, I knew it wasn't a 'bad beat' per se, but people throw that term around, so I thought I'd make you all pin it down. In the end, the usual adage applies: "That's poker!" I don't think I could've played the hand any differently. With KK, you want to get action, and while I suppose I could've slowed down post-flop, the QQ2 flop looks harmless enough.
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At 12:06 PM,
Jordan said...
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Is that what I want, DTB? Or do I want action from Q2? I'd suggest that I want action.
