Ghost of Easters Past

Ah, Easter Week. Being the product of a strict Southern Baptist upbringing, Easter Week was filled with a ton of events, most of them having little to do with bunnies or eggs. There was the Good Friday cantata, a full evening's rendition of the Passion. I always enjoyed that show, as it generally included some relatively hip religious cuts and a full band. I occassionally got to wave some palm fronds around.

There was the Easter Sunday sunrise service. Nothing like getting up at 5 a.m. to stand in the spring chill.

And always--ALWAYS--there was the Easter Outfit. Had to have a new church ensemble every spring. I remember a few in the early '80s that were so horribly pastel-ly as to make Cyndi Lauper blush. That I continued with that standard of fashion into my sophormore year of college is NOT THE POINT. The the point is I now recognize the error of my ways.

Obviously, I've strayed from my religious background, what with all the drinking and gambling and pornography...er, monogamous marital relations. I don't mean to get all into a deep religious conversation here. No, only trouble lurks that way. I am thankful for the moral and ethical foundation growing up Christian has given me (not that it's the only way to acquire such a foundation). I can run the table when "The Bible" turns up as a "Jeopardy!" category. And I'm a believer in God, if not a regular practitioner of worship. It's hard to have that kind of faith. It's hard to have that daily belief and adherence to the tenets of Christianity. Especially when you're 14-years-old and a forward girl named Gina touches you in a certain tingly place as she shoves her tongue so far down your throat you think she might block your windpipe.

Um, where was I?

Oh yeah, I was using Easter to re-live an adolescent sexual adventure. And you wonder why I don't go to church any more.

***************************

Tonight I'll continue my quest for online MTT greatness and a slot in the Top 100 tourney players for March in the $20 on Stars at 8:30 PST. As part of my preparation, I've been re-reading Clouitier and McEvoy's "Championship NL Hold 'Em." It really does pay to go back and read this book as often as possible. With the many tourneys I've played lately, a lot of the situations they describe are fresh in my mind, situations which are nearly idential to those I've seen recently. In fact, I faced almost an exact replica of one of their examples just the other night.

I was in MP with pocket tens and made my standard 4x raise (blinds were $50/$100). I got one caller behind me and then a re-raise to $1200 from the button. The BB called the $1200 and the action is on me. What to do? It was still early in the tourney, and my tens aren't gonna be much of a prize in a multi-way pot. Even if I'm ahead right now (no guarantee of that), I'm going to be facing at least two, and maybe all four of the overcards to my pair. So, I folded. All three of them ended up all-in and the pot was $11K. Two had Big Slick, one had AQo. None of them improved. Which doesn't mean I didn't make the right play. Just made it at the wrong time. Still bugged me a little.

Then I read this morning that TJ recommends a fold there. Walked me through a similar hand and said toss it. Unequivocally. Really reinforced what I was thinking, which is nice. You know a book is helping you if you're nodding your head while reading it. I also happen to favor their conversational style over the more pedantic poker authors out there (*cough*Sklansky*cough*).

*********************************

I've created a monster. Or you have. Or the Travel Channel has. Whomever is to blame, the dear and patient wife went two-for-two in the money yesterday in the $5 SnGs. Both thirds, as she seized up and went passive late on. We went through the hand history last night and had a poker theory discussion for a good 20 minutes.

I get the sense she's hooked.

I've been remiss in not mentioning how she's been hanging out over my shoulder during my recent tourney forays. Even proven to be a very good sounding board for certain plays/situations. In fact, the hand I mentioned above, she was on the record for a fold even before I was.

It's really true what they say, behind every mediocre online poker hack, there's a beautiful, smart woman who smells nice.