peterbirks | I'm not used to spending money

... I'm just used to winning (and losing) it. The actual spending part seems to have passed me by this year. Well, until this morning, when I splashed out on a new suit, my new monitor arrived (except that it's bloody big, so I'll leave that until tomorrow before I take it home) and I cracked and bought Windows XP.

I actually went into PC World with the intention of buying it, but I couldn't bring myself to pay out £180. Hell, I could have bought top-notch base unit (with Windows XP, and a TV Tuner), for £500. So I came back to the office and ordered it from Checknow software for £116. Unfortunately it comes with Service Pack 2. I think I shall uninstall all the Norton SystemWorks stuff before installing XP. With luck, that will get rid of most of the problems I have been suffering.

On Saturday I had two experiences of Party just disappearing from the screen, even though the program was still running. Needless to say, the second time I had KK with a K on board on one table (and I had a set of 8s out against me) while on the other I had just bet out an Ace-eight on the turn (board A 7 J 5) from the small blind (checked round three players on flop) and had been raised by a player who thought I was on a steal. Just about to three-bet, when, empty screen.

I only had one disconnect-protect left, so I was folded out on this one, while the three Ks just won me $60. So, I reckon that crash cost me in the region of $80. Bleah.

I'm going back to an office design company on Friday for a quote on a new modular desk system and chair, although I fear I may faint at the cost. But it really does look so cool, with the monitors running along on tracks built into a screen behind the narrow-footprint L-shaped desk. But I think that this would be one purchase that I wouldn't regret.

Oh well, it's a holiday in the US, so I guess that I should rush home to try to fleece the occasional bank holiday punter....

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I don't know if it counts as hot or not, but I finished 2/189 for $756 in a limit O8 $20+2 tournament on Stars last Friday. So on the first, I'm around about my usual monthly profit. Which was nice.
Then managed 7/27 at Full Tilt on Saturday (no cash obviously) in my first attempt at Razz, a result with which I was well-pleased. At that level ($20+2 again) it seemed pretty straightforward to assess from betting patterns whether the other player had the hand they were representing. Or I just got lucky. I'll go back to that particular well sometime to see...

Cool. You would almost certainly stuff me at O8 and (possibly) at Razz, although I have a pretty good record at that game the few times that I have played it. Then again, I consider seventh out of 27 to be worst than 27th... Win rates, and all that.

7/27 - the position was less important than the 2 hours practice I got. Being (massive) chip leader for a good proportion of that was fun too. What will be interesting is the next time I go to that particular well, when I find out how much was beginner's luck and how much I actually learnt. I may do a little research (a dangerous thing in all probability). I suspect that - at the lower levels at least - Razz is mostly about reads. I rather suspect your reads would be better than mine. Face-to-face would be no contest - I haven't played a serious live hand for about 16 years.

I'm rather fond of O8 just now, and there seems to be a little momentum online. I'm starting to spot others making the same Hold'em-inspired moves that I was making a couple of months ago. Which is nice. Getting a read on the level of the opposition towards the mid-levels is holding me back - there are plays that work against the more experienced players that are suicide against the novice. Aggressive pot-sized semi-bluffs can compensate a little, which is why I still intend to steer clear of limit ring games.

I'm not used to spending money

Re: You need SP2

Re: You need SP2

Re: You need SP2