It Doesn't Feel Like The Holidays

It doesn't feel like the holiday season to me.

I couldn't exactly put my finger on it. There are so many things that make this not-like the holiday season for me. I'm back in Hawaii, it's currently 76 degrees and sunny, and I'm about to go down to the pool for a swim.

This is all normal for the holiday season, but it doesn't feel like Christmas to me. It hasn't, ever since I managed to get back here. The Holidays are, supposedly, time you spend with friends and family. It's about togetherness. For some reason, though, I'm not feeling the togetherness like I used to.

I have work to do, more than I usually have during the break, and more pressing work than I normally have. I have to write a show without a piano, without any sort of musical instrument around. It's pretty nerve wracking, but I hope I'll be okay. I also have to finish editing my resume and CV and start sending them out to more jobs. It's difficult to be here with somebody breathing down my neck about it every minute of every hour of every day. It's okay, though. Only 4 more weeks until I get to go back...

Some Poker Hands

Last night, we played a short cash game of No Limit Texas Hold 'Em. Here was the layout:

Seat 1: Me
Seat 2
Seat 3: Two different players at different times
Seat 4: Someone there, then empty
Seat 5
Seat 6
Seat 7

So, for the most part it was a 6 handed game, since Seat 4 busted. The big winner was Seat 2, with Seat 6 managing to break even after a very large amount of bad beats that put him 3 buyins in the hole. Overall, very impressive. There are a few hands in particular that I'd like to discuss before going back to my last Sociology paper of the semester.

Hand #1 - The 7/2 Game
Me: 7/2 offsuit on the big blind

Action:
Calls around back to the big blind
Seat 1 raises to .45
Seat 2 calls
Seat 3 calls
Seat 4 calls
Folds around to Seat 1. Four handed to the flop.
Flop: Q, 10, 3
Seat 1 bets 70
Seat 2 folds
Seat 3 calls
Seat 4 calls
Turn: x
Checks around
River: x
Seat 1 all-in
Seat 3 folds
Seat 4 folds

Bluff with 7/2 offsuit earning me an extra 60 cents in that pot.

Hand #2: River Suck-Out
Seat 1 has A-Q spades
Seat 6 has the button
Calls around to Seat 5
Seat 5 raises to .35
Seat 6 calls
Seat 7 folds
Seat 1 re-raises to .70
Folds around to Seat 5
Seat 5 calls
Seat 6 calls
Flop: Ac-Qc-Jh
Seat 1 checks
Seat 5 bets .55
Seat 6 calls
Seat 1 raises to 1.20
Seat 5 calls
Seat 6 folds
Turn: 4d
Seat 1 bets 3.00
Seat 5 calls, all-in
Seat 5 reveals Ah-10d
River: Kd
Seat 5 wins the pot with a Straight to the Ace

I got beat on the river, but the funniest part was as soon as I saw his hand, I just said, "King'll save him" and then the dealer popped off the King of diamonds. I couldn't be upset about that hand, though. I knew that he had a bad Ace. I was kind of hoping I was wrong and he had A-J, but I guess you have to lose money to make money? I lost almost 4 dollars on that hand, taking me down to about 5.60 in chips. I got whittled away until the very last hand where I was under the small blind with a stack of 5.00 remaining after my blind was posted. This hand was played after seat 4 had left.

Seat 7 has the button
Seat 1: 5h-5d
Seat 3 calls
Seat 5 raises to 45
Seat 6 folds
Seat 7 calls
Seat 1 pushes all-in for a total of 5.05
Seat 5 calls
Seat 7 calls
Cards are flipped
Seat 5 has Kc-Qs
Seat 7 has Kh-Qd
Flop: 6-3-3
Turn: 2
River: A
Seat 1 wins

I tripled up on one very, very lucky all-in. I don't expect to be so lucky next time. I still couldn't believe I got called. Twice. I really thought I was dead.

After I knock out this paper, I think I'll post my impressions of some video games that I have played through the semester.