I'm not used to spending money

[peterbirks]

... 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....

Comments

Re: You need SP2

[jellymillion.livejournal.com]

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...

Re: You need SP2

[peterbirks.livejournal.com]

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.

Re: You need SP2

[jellymillion.livejournal.com]

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.