Harrier's Blog - Mixed Games & Mixed Drinks

Poker has not been kind to me this week, unfortunately. I can only take satisfaction in putting the chips in well, like in the 3-way pot in tonight's Badugi, where I got a strong predraw 8-Badugi in, but had one opponent draw a 6. Meanwhile, outdrawn trips still spell my doom in Five Card Draw, where four out of the last five games finished in 3rd place, right on the bubble.

The weekend is now here after a pretty exhausting week of late shifts... but I need to go to another away game yet again. Our opponents are the Bad Homburg Sentinels, who were our first opponent this season. We narrowly lost that one 28-31 at home, the match winning touchdown was scored in the last minute of the game, I believe. Better luck this time?

It's tough to tell. I expect this game will be anybody's once again. I didn't see my team mates at practice this week, because I was at work during that time, but if they will be playing like they did last week, they should be able to take home the victory again.

As for my pre-match prediction, I guess I'll just give my boys the edge. I say Dragons win, 35-28.

At least Bad Homburg isn't too far away, should be a one hour drive or so. And then I definitely need a break, I'm tired of being on the road all the time.

Another really close loss for the Dragons. In what seemed like a carbon copy of our home game against the Sentinels, we took a good lead at half time, allowed them to catch up a little during the second half, and then had them score the winning touchdown within the last minute. Actually, we got really close to turning it around in the very last second, when a long and well executed Hail Mary pass made its way into the Sentinels end zone, but our receiver only managed to barely reach it without holding on to it. It was another all-around excellent performance from our quarterback, with many running yards and some clever audibles from him.

I myself didn't get any playing time once again... and it's starting to get quite annoying. Why do they keep dragging me to the games if I don't get to play? Why did I discuss this plan of only inviting me when I'm needed if I just end up coming to every game anyway? Why do I even bother showing up? I don't know, but this is certainly going to be my last season, as I planned. It's not the lack of playing time per se that's bothering me, it's that I need to keep showing up without any good reason and spend entire Saturdays at those games. I work hard, and I have better things to do in my sparse free time.

Our next opponent should be considerably weaker, and it is going to be a home game. It should be a great opportunity to give me some reps on the field. If not, I think it's appropriate to end my career two months early.

My condolences

Originally posted by VorpalF2F
My condolences

For both the close loss and another day spent on pointless traveling, I assume. Thank you.

I finally had a day off for real today. I didn't play a lot of poker, but instead mostly spent it on preparing new spreadsheets, experimenting with some summer drinks, and especially doing loads of online shopping. It cost me a pretty penny, but I managed to find a lot of new sporting equipment that should be a fine purchase for both my (extended) family and my good friend Primrose, who may get to use it in one of our upcoming Troll Challenges this summer. Looking forward to it, hopefully the items will turn out like I expected. I was quite happy with the kitchen appliances I bought in the previous months, so the research I put into them paid off.

Next week will be a little crazy again, with various kinds of sports practice and even a job interview coming up, as well as another game on Saturday evening. Also early work shifts, of course. The following weeks should be a little easier - at least I hope so. There won't be a lot of time for poker for now, but other days will come.

Another month has passed already... it would be stats time, and I should have plenty of stuff to show. Maybe I will get to it some time on the weekend.

Work is crazy, and so is the heat. I was glad to find a $7.50 8-Game MTT running today and had a good start, but then lost a bunch of chips because my laptop turned itself off after apparently overheating. Apart from the losses from being blinded out, I lost all focus by the time I finally returned. This is not a pleasant way to lose.

I expect most of this summer will be pretty crazy one way or another. Sometimes the best you can do is damage control, but maybe we can get some surprises going too. We did have some good results this month, but more on that in another post.

Harrier's Covidyssey

I know I tend to write some TL;DR posts at times, but this story has everything: A sleep-deprived squirrel, an epic battle against bureaucracy, takeout pasta - and maybe even a positive ending? Read on to find out...

It all started on Wednesday morning when I arrived at work and everyone had to take their weekly Covid tests, those rapid tests where you have to poke around your nostrils. It just so happened that one of our new forklift drivers tested positive at home that day, and he had been working with us the previous two days, so our supervisor was extra careful. I didn't sleep a lot the nights before and was super tired. I kept closely eyeing my test, wondering if that little shade in the middle could be my ticket straight back to bed, but then decided that wishing won't make it so and got going.

As I was waiting near the gate to pick up some pallets, I then heard my supervisor shout out my name. She said that I might be Covid-positive based on my test, so I need to get back in there, take another test to make sure, and then put on a mask and stay put until we know what's up. I took another glance at the test I took before, and found that it looked just like it did when I last gazed at it: Just a little shade there, most likely because I got a little liberal with the liquid again - the excess stuff must have stopped where the line for the positive result was supposed to be. My re-test was negative, so it was decided to let me work - with my mask on - and take another test the following day.

On Thursday, we decided to skip the test anyway when I pointed out that I was feeling fine. Then Friday morning came, and I just felt like death getting out of bed... I was so tired that I knocked over my double shot of espresso on my kitchen table - which was right next to my precious laptop, which luckily only got a small bit on the casing before I pulled it away. Some manuals on the table were ruined, though, and of course I had some cleaning up to do while still half asleep. In that state, work was no picnic, but I tried to pull through, until I took my second bathroom trip at work (eating that slightly expired microwave food I found in a back corner of my fridge the evening before may not have been such a good idea). I felt so tired and groggy that I thought I should maybe take another test after all, if we have some left.

I took one and got back to work when it came back negative, feeling slightly foolish for even taking one, just because I was feeling exhausted and had some nasty bathroom trips. Then my supervisor came back to me again, sending me to the nearest testing center, because there was another "almost visible" shady line that was open to interpretation. I had another look and didn't think much of it, but a co-worker who had Covid himself a few weeks ago agreed, saying that it looked just like his roommate's test when he started coming down with it. So I put the address into my GPS and took the 7 minute drive to that center, it was just about break time anyway.

Arriving there, the lady at the counter said that they can't help me, I would have to drive to my home town (about 15 minutes away) to take a proper PCR test. Appointments there are usually made online, but of course I don't own a smartphone, and the ladies at the center couldn't help with the appointment either. I suggested calling the center there, but they said that also wouldn't help getting an appointment, it needs to follow that online process. I decided to drive those 7 minutes back to work to tell them the news instead of just calling, figuring that they could help me make an appointment online on their PCs.

Their opinion was that I don't need that PCR test at all - just take another one of those rapid tests there, they should have some more accurate ones. So it's back to that center, another 7 minutes, and now well past the break already. I told them I'm back, and after waiting for another test taker in front of me, I was told that they can not let me take a rapid test if there is a suspicion of me being positive, PCR tests are the only option now, and they are not available there. I pointed out that it is not confirmed at all yet that I'm positive, but they insisted that every tiny visible bit means that the test reacted, and I should therefore be treated as Covid-positive when in doubt.

All right, I called at work. All we need is another rapid test to make sure I'm fine, but if that center refuses to let me take one, I need to find another one. After some poking around, I was sent to some makeshift testing center at a supermarket in a nearby town, about a 10 minute drive away. I finally got there, and made sure not to mention that I took a test before with a suspicion of it being positive, just saying that I needed a quick test for work. No problem - I just need to scan that QR-code on the wall to register. I pointed out that I don't own a smartphone or any other scanning device. Bummer, because their system had been overhauled the other day and QR-codes are now the only way to get access to a test there...

It was getting really ridiculous, but I called at work again. After having exhausted just about every test center in the vicinity, we decided that I might as well drive back to my home town (now about a 25 minute drive from where I was) to take that PCR test. We had wasted so much time on all of this that it was hardly worth it to drive all the way back to work in case of a negative result, so we agreed that I can take the rest of the day off either way and this test was only to determine whether I can return next Monday.

I got there, filled out a quick form to get a test without any appointments, and had to take one of those rapid tests to see whether or not the PCR test is required in my case. I waited outside for the result, and one of the ladies at the center came back outside to me within a few minutes. I was definitely Covid-positive, so we might as well get started with the PCR test already. All right, fine, looks like a week off for me. I asked if I could see my test, just to compare it to how it looked compared to the one I took at work, and I was told that it was already discarded. "Wait, what was your name again?" the other lady then asked. "Oh, no, that wasn't your test, yours isn't ready yet, terribly sorry about that, please wait outside again"...

So I waited outside again for about half an hour, because plenty of other people arrived in the meantime, and I was finally approached with my results: The test was negative - this whole Covidyssey was for naught... ♠_ugly: ♠_ugly: ♠_ugly:

I came all this way for THIS? Well, not quite, because I decided that I might as well pick up some takeout pasta nearby now that I'm at it. As it was Fishy Friday, I got some spaghetti di mare:

I would have said that this was a positive outcome after all... but honestly, those spaghetti were a bit disappointing. I think I'll have some tagliatelle with salmon next time.

But guess what? There actually were some Covid-positive people around my final test center, including that one person whose test originally got mixed up with mine. Wouldn't it be the peak of irony if I got infected over there now? Maybe there will be an even crazier sequel then... ♠_ugly:

Wow!
Just wow!
My daughter works at a glass manufacturer's warehouse, and had frequent tests, but they haven't had to do that in ages.
We can go into any pharmacy and get a kit with 5 rapid tests in it.
One per person per ?? (it used to be one per month, but I just checked and that isn't mentioned at all — in fact it says anyone can get one any time)
I got mine a while back, but haven't had any symptoms ever.

Also I can go into a pharmacy or lab and get a PCR test — but there is a charge for those.

Well, one of the first things I did when I got home after all of this was to get a few hours of sleep. Otherwise, I surely would have been in a pseudo-Covid zombie mode for the rest of the day.

Poker was a mixed bag today, but at least there was a final table at Badugi, finishing 4th. Also, I discovered that this one bitcoin site now offers OFC/P heads-up tables at the lowest stakes, rather than just at the second lowest as it used to be. I got a game and a good run going today, I hope that there will be some traffic in the future because I'd like to keep playing them. I also hope that the other crypto site will follow suit and add heads-up tables too, considering that I even contacted them about it.

I plan to get more in-depth with poker this weekend, I still got some sleep to catch up on. Also, I'll have another game tomorrow evening, this time at home against the Wiesbaden Phantoms.

Real quick, the Phantoms are 0-4 so far after four games. I also remember playing against them three years ago in our catastrophic 2019 season which shortly had us relegated to the regional level. Even back then, they weren't all that good, though it was enough to win against us then. Our team definitely improved a lot since then, I doubt the Phantoms improved at the same rate, and their results suggest the same. I predict a big win, and some playing time for me too - now would be the perfect time.

My pre-match prediction: Dragons win by a blowout, anything else is unacceptable. I say 45-7.

Originally posted by Harrier88
My pre-match prediction: Dragons win by a blowout, anything else is unacceptable. I say 45-7.

Best of luck!

Dragons win, but no one cares. It has been a very destructive weekend at the tables. It's what happens if you practically force yourself to play and keep playing, because you don't have any time on any other day.

Stats will be coming up soon. Not all of them are as bad, luckily.

Let's start with the MTTs. First thing's first, Badugi has been going very well last month. This in no small part thanks to those after work sessions I introduced, which at least in the first week went brilliantly. We made $172.81 in June.

Overall this year, we are sitting at around $440 in profit, at a very respectable ROI of 145.16%. It's just too bad we didn't get a lot of traffic in until last month.

8-Game is more of a mixed bag. We made a slight loss this month, and we continue on an overall downwards trend.

In the overall stats, which include a few afternoon games not accounted for in the graphs above, we are now at $46.87 in profit, at a modest ROI of 20.92%.

Overall, we are now around $430 in profit in the MTTs - actually less than the $440 from Badugi, which is the game that carries us at the moment. The overall ROI is still quite good at 69.06%.

As for those 8-Game MTTs, keep in mind that unlike most other formats, they take several different tournaments into account, and things might be going a lot better in one than in the others. I have prepared an extra spreadsheet for them, though it doesn't come with any fancy graphics yet.

The results so far:

$1.10 MTTs
The standard ones that run shortly after 10 PM CET, which I could play alongside Badugi but usually skip, because the prize pool tends to be pointlessly small.

Games: 11
Profit: -$2.97
ROI: -15.88%
Average Profit: -$0.27

$7.50 MTTs
Starting shortly past 6 PM CET, I like to add those occasionally if I have time. Problem is that they are not always running, they sometimes fall short of the minimum entries required.

Games: 8
Profit: $37.94
ROI: 63.23%
Average Profit: $4.74

$5.50 MTTs
Sadly not running anymore, as they would have been a great option for the grind, both in terms of buy-in and time slot. They have been replaced by the much more impractical Mini Octopus some time in March.

Games: 9
Profit: $77.19
ROI: 155.94%
Average Profit: $8.58

The Mini Octopus ($5.50 on weekdays, $11 on weekends)
I don't like this one. Partially because it has a ridiculously long late reg, partially because it replaced the much better $5.50 MTTs described above. I still decided to play it every now and then. Stats include one attempt at the Weekend Special (it was accidental, I believe), but no satellites

Games: 6
Profit: -$16.62
ROI: -43.17%
Average Profit: -$2.77

My takeaway is that 8-Game has potential, but it needs to improve. Stats might look okay overall, but that's mostly due to those $5.50 games that aren't running anymore, and some short term success in the $7.50s, which can be undone very quickly. If I can get rid of some mistakes, I may be able to get something going in this format, but it can just as easily go downhill. Badugi, meanwhile, carries the day, it performs above expectations so far. Things wouldn't look too bright without that format this year, so let's hope it continues that well, and that other formats will improve too.

Those were the mixed games MTTs, which leave some room for optimism. Now to Five Card Draw...

The main games in there are still the SNGs, which had a short and promising upward trend, but then continued freefalling again, like they did after the peak at the end of February.

We have now hit a new post-February record low of $69.85, and are now going at a marginal ROI of 14.93%, despite the excellent results in the beginning of the year.

The finishing positions now include an annoyingly high amount of 3rd place finishes, which is the bubble. It may look nice that close to two third of games finish in the top half, but it won't help in the slightest - the top two places are the ones that count!

The progression graph once again shows how the top two spots had to yield as time went on.

I have added a few occasional FL cash games now again too, and they are still not going very well, but here they are:

Note that the "profit by table" graph includes some games from July, which are not included in the other charts.

Overall, it now looks like this:

It should also be noted that I introduced some NL cash games recently. I don't have any charts for them yet because the small amount of games didn't justify it, and probably won't in the future either, because I'm already looking at a loss of $13.10 after six NL25 sessions over three days. I don't intend to wait until that loss goes into the three figures, so it's probably best to drop those games.

Statistics for FL cash games and overall 5CD (not including MTTs):

Where do we go from here?

Despite the overall decent results, this year has been marked by many failures already. There are the crushingly bad results in OFC, which did not get any better in my last few attempts. There are the catastrophic mahjong losses, which caused me to look away from that game entirely. Then, there were the very disappointing Five Card Draw results starting in March, which make a once quite profitable format look like a candidate for the chopping block.

Badugi has earned a spot on the grind, though the late regs after work will probably lead to some volatile results. 8-Game is the format which I believe has the most potential, partially because it offers a decent line-up of tournaments, including some higher stakes ones. Courchevel has been disappointing so far in the few games I had been playing, I'd chalk that one up as another failure. I once saw potential in Five Card Draw, where I would have liked to re-introduce some MTTs as well, but not if my results in the SNGs and cash games are that poor. It also irks me a bit that I do so terribly in the NL cash games, even though you'd think I'd have a good shot in them if I keep finishing in the top half of the SNGs and often just lose there because I get unlucky in a high blinds situation. Then again, I'm pretty crap at cash games in general, it's a mental thing.

For now, Badugi will have to keep carrying it, as those will be the only games I can barely squeeze in after work. Maybe there will be a few side games, but as I painfully found out this weekend, sometimes less is more. 8-Game deserves some attention - and some time I don't have. Other than that, I don't have too many ideas.

Should Five Card Draw stay? I suppose it deserves another chance, maybe as a filler, at least, but after four poor months in a row, my patience is starting to run a little thin. Seems to me like my previous wins were in large part the results of good variance, rather than my current losses being the results of poor variance.

Who cares about the results — I just love the pretty graphs!

Heads-up Battle

Another good run in Badugi tonight. It lasted all the way until the heads-up phase, where I entered with a large chip deficit, but soon took the lead. After that, we both traded chip leads back and forth, and both got each other within striking distance of busting out. I threw in a bunch of bluffs and snows, and I'm sure my opponent did too, based on their betting behavior. In the end, though, it wasn't meant to be...

2nd place for $38.21 including bounties is all we got this time. A good result for sure, but it's obviously disappointing to come this close to the big score, only to come up just short.

Congratulations to D.KAZAK11, very well played!

Nice result!

Wow, finally a "proper" weekend, with nowhere to go. It has been over a month since I was able to spend a Saturday at home, no wonder I've been feeling a little stressed out.

Even the grindette stopped by for a visit, which really eliminates the need for any longer vacations. One day with her is worth about one week of rest spent alone.

Badugi is still cruising, even though we bricked some tournaments during the week. There was a 3rd place finish on Friday evening and a 5th place finish last night. I've been adding some $1.10 8-Game MTTs for practice purposes, and while there have been some promising runs, the results aren't there yet. I'm currently reading up on Razz and Stud, and may even try some dedicated tournaments soon.

Next week will have early work shifts again, so no time for Badugi in the evening until the weekend. My goal is to crack the $3K mark in my bankroll by the end of this Summer, ideally the end of August already (some like to consider the start of September to be the beginning of Fall anyway, I prefer to use the autumnal equinox on September 23, which also happens to be my birthday). If things continue like they are going now, it should be quite doable, we are currently about $150 away.

Thank you very much, Harrier! Nice to see that I could build you up. ♠_thumbsup:

Originally posted by Primrose6789
Nice to see that I could build you up. ♠_thumbsup:

Another crazy week, no poker at all so far. I suppose we should at least have another mixed drink, then. Well, I don't really have any new cocktails to show right now, so how does an Oreo milkshake sound to you? To Primrose, it sounds banhauser, but then again, she never had one.

For this, I put about 140 ml / half a cup of milk and about the same amount of vanilla ice cream (two scoops?) into the mixing cup of my new blender, together with half a tablespoon of chocolate syrup and four Oreo cookies.

That's all there is to it - time to blend.

This is what it looked like straight out of the blender:

I also crushed an additional Oreo cookie...

...and added it as a little garnish on top.

...also another full Oreo cookie.

It was quite tasty! I heard there is also a "blondie" version, which uses those Golden Oreos (the ones without chocolate) and caramel syrup instead of chocolate syrup.