A New Era...

I predicted a while ago, that Jon's time in poker was "just around the corner." I also stated that we were both "on the cusp" of great things. It is coming together. Since January, both Jon and I have run incredibly well. I don't have bad runs as severe as Jon, but I have been running extremely well as of late. I think this elongated 'good run' also signifies our improved play/abilities. As poker players, it is a well known concept that if you are a learning player, a skilled player, talented and eager, in essence, it all comes down to "a matter of time". This is Jon's time. It is well over due, and far more deserved than ever. As I speak, Jon is on to day 2 tomorrow of the Borgata Deep Stack, he is currently 5th in chips for the players who remain from day 1A. Anything can happen- he may final table, bust with a minimal cash or bust before he cashes, but one thing is for certain, he played his best yesterday and he so deserves to be 5th in chips. Check out the blog: http://borgatapoker.blogspot.com/2009/03/official-day-1a-chip-counts.html. I wish I was down there to root him on, but I will be there on Tuesday, if he makes it to day 3. I have every confidence that he will play phenomenally and whatever happens happens.

Speaking of Jon's coming into his own in poker, he won the 200k on UB last Sun. Sorry it took me a week to post, I have been ill. As Cardplayer described, it was his second 1st of his career. I am so proud of him, my heart is overflowing. If you every have the opportunity to meet Jon, you will come to know him as a sweet, nice, caring person, who just never has a bad word to say about anyone and who would go to the ends of the earth for his friends and family. This is not me speaking as his girfriend (ok, maybe a little =) ), but also as someone who knew Jon long ago, before we started dating, and was told by many third parties, how nice and good he was. I am so happy to see a good hearted, loving, genuinely nice poker player be so successful - especailly when they are my boyfriend.(as you can also tell, I hate when scumbags win, lol).

There are so many exciting things coming up for Jon and I this year. We will be going to Vegas for the WSOP May-July, and we will be flying to Vegas in April to look at properties out there. We are seriously considering the purchase of a condo/townhouse out there, since we plan to travel there several times a year, and perhaps move eventually. We will also be at Foxwoods this week coming up, so I am sure I will have stories/hands from that trip.

Speaking of hands, I have two from the Borgata 50k guaranteed this past Friday (I somehow managed to final table and get 5th place after bobbing and weaving for literally 10 hours). First hand: Blinds are 100 200 with an ante. UTG raises to 700 chips with 6500 behind. I call with pkt 55 in late position with 7500 or so, and button calls. Flop is A 3 5 rainbow. UTG shoves for 6500 (pot is approx. 2500, lmao by the way), I snap, and button folds, he has Aj os, have a nice day sir, nice not to sweat when he is drawing dead on the turn. It is unbelievable how people play, sick isnt it. I then played more aggressively (after cultivating a tight image, if that was worth anything) and built up to 28k. I then got moved to another table, with about 110 people left, started with close to 200. I get to my new table, blinds are 200-400 w 50 ante. After witnessing a few hands, I decide that I am going to play aggressively and raise/fold, no limping. This table is too weak to limp. So after raising and winning a few nice pots at show down, I have about 35k the following hand comes up. 97ss utg +2. I raise to 1150 three players call. 5k about in pot. Flop is A Q 6 with two spades. I check call the button (deep stack player, I think CL at table) 2500 that he bet on the flop. Pot is now 10k. Turn is 6 diam. I want to setthe price of the spade draw, bc I give him any ace here, and I dont believe I will get check raised unless I am drawing dead. So, I bet 5k, he hesitates and calls. River is 5 sp. Now i have flush on a paired board, but bc my hand is so hidden and I beleive I have the best hand, I value bet 7500 (pot is 20k), and also, I can only get raised by a better hand, I cannot check call a big bet and lose. So he tanks. I am convinced my flush must be good. He finally calls. I show my hand and he flips A 10 sp! I almost fell out of my chair in shock. After the hand, apparently it appeared to several players that I had qq for a full house. Dudes, more power to you for giving me that much credit. Considering that I was nearly drawing dead on the flop, I lost the minimum on that hand, lmao. It was a crazy hand. Very rarely do I believe I have the best hand on five cards, and I am incorrect (not being obnoxious, but as you can see from the first hand, how bad players play in the 50k guar at borgata...i mean that tourney is a $340 buy in, a complete shit show). As my dad pointed out, to a majority of those players, the tournament is just a $340 "shot", money they would blow in 10 min at the black jack table or 2 minutes in a slot machine. I made the final table with 2 very good players and the rest were just idiots. One player in particular, Steve B from NJ, who has turned pro, has been a player I have been aquainted with for over 5 years. He has gotten really good. He travels pretty often, and he and I, for the most part stay out of each other's way. He made a sick fold when we were 12 handed. He raised and i shoved JJ, and he folded 10s, sick fold. He was kind of odded into calling, but it was a good portion of his stack, and it turned out to be a sick fold. he knows I am not shoving on him unless i believe I have the best hand, or at least Ak and he is in a tuff spot with 10s there. It was a good lay down. I ended up folding 88 6 handed at the table, to a guy who raised 5 bbs on the button. I was in sb with 8 bbs. My gut was to shove. However, there was no fold equity, my table was so weak so that I could just get chips by open shipping, and finally, the last bunch of times this dude raised more than 4 bbs, he had a monster. I folded and he showed me JJ! Laydown of the day, I swear. If I shipped there, I would've cashed for 1k instead of close to 4k.

Anyway, that's all for now. I still have the hand histories from Tunica saved, I will post soon- I know, the promise that never comes through, but it will, for sure!

Oh, also, if any of my readers want to send me their email (my email is cmrinaldi@hotmail.com), I am going to start sending auto email when I post on the blog, so you will be notified when I post. I also want to get to know people who read this ( I know about 20 people, but there are many of you who tell me at the tables/on facebook that you read my blog, and I would like to get to know you better!).

Good money and peace,

Lucky C and Ace.