I'm Back Baby

Wow 18 days without a post!

Despite the Perpetual Traveller's best guesses, my absence wasn't due to:

(1) Taking a shot at and going busto in NL $10,000;
(2) Getting fired for playing poker at work (I wish); or
(3) Being in Vegas

I actually went to Canada for about a week to visit my mother and Grandmother and to help with my Grandfather's affairs. Man it was cold up there! -13F, I nearly froze my balls off! Helped pack up my grandfather's stuff, clothes etc. which we donated to Goodwill. It really drives home that someone is gone when you're going through their life's accumulated possesions deciding what to do with everything.

When I returned I really just didn't much feel like blogging, playing poker or even sports betting. It wasn't my grandfather's death but just a little burnout I guess. I never thought it would happen but I got tired of playing poker and "researching" and sweating sports. I had always read about poker pros or even golf pros needing a "vacation" and used to think "how the hell does one need a vacation from Poker or Golf?" I not claiming to be a pro in either but yeah you CAN get a little tired of playing either.

I also find that February is historically just a shit month for me. I don't know if I have seasonal affective disorder or what, but having grown up in Canada and now even living in the US Northeast (more like mideast) February is just a dreary dreary dreary time of year. It seem like it is dark all the time, fucking cold all the time, there is little going on and you spend all your time in doors with the heat jacked up. You don't have the recent memory of the December Holidays and Spring still seems so far away. Anyway, tomorrow is March 1! Yay! I think the solution to this one is Perpetual Summer. I'm betting the Perpetual Traveller isn't hating Feb in Buenos Aires (except maybe the AC bill).

I found it intersting to view my Blog's stats this a.m. Prior to Feb 10, when I stopped blogging for 2 weeks I was getting about 25-35 visitors a day and the average vist was about 6 mins. Now I'm getting 8 and it's less than a minute. To be expected, but def goes to show that you have to post regularly to keep your readers.

So on my agenda I have several interesting (at least to me) things I want to post about which will be coming soon. I definately want to catch up on reading all my favourite blogs. I actually think this is a reason in and of itself to take a little break away, when you come back you have this to catch up on. Going to get back to poker, with a focus on some live action, as well as trying to satellite into the WSOP and just generally build the roll up. Also excited about March Madness coming up....literally a sports betting junkies dream!

I see we've lost Doyles Room, I wonder how much longer the others will last?

Anyway, next time I plan a hiatus, I'll be sure to let everyone know in advance. I hope everyone continues reading, it's good to be back!

Florida v Kentucky II

Ok 2-1 today. Just missed being 3-0 by one point. Congrats to Purdue for "hanging in there" against Ohio St. Anyhow, here are my 2 last college basketball bets for the evening:

Single #66907705
Basketball - College Lines (Game) Pointspread
(857) Florida -3½ (-105) Sat@9:00p
Competitor: (858) Kentucky
Risk $164.83 to win $156.98

Date placed:
Feb 10, 2007 5:10p 2 Team Teaser #66907544
Basketball - College Lines (Game) Pointspread
(797) Colorado +21 Sat@6:00p
Competitor: (798) Kansas State
(Teased 4.5 points)
Basketball - College Lines (Game) Pointspread
(829) Butler Pick Sat@7:00p
Competitor: (830) Wright State
(Teased 4.5 points)
Risk $30.00 to win $27.27

Edit: Also, one NBA play:

Single #66911094
Basketball - NBA Lines (Game) Pointspread
(706) New Orleans Hornets -8 Sat@8:05p
Competitor: (705) Memphis Grizzlies
Risk $90.00 to win $81.82

Florida v Kentucky

Is there anyone out there who thinks Kentucky has a chance?

I've also laid a small bet on SD State.....Col has lost 4 in a row and SD just upset Airforce. All that and I'm getting points:

Basketball - College Lines (Game) Pointspread
(757) San Diego State +2½ Sat@3:00p
Competitor: (758) Colorado State
Risk $40.00 to win $36.36

A Little Morning Action

Didn't see anything which really grabbed me this morning so I layed a couple of two team teasers essentially teasing CB home favourites:

2 Team Teaser #66852066
Basketball - College Lines (Game) Pointspread
(730) Indiana -2½ Sat@1:00p
Competitor: (729) Illinois
(Teased 5.0 points)
Basketball - College Lines (Game) Pointspread
(746) Wisconsin -7 Sat@2:00p
Competitor: (745) Iowa
(Teased 5.0 points)
Risk $25.00 to win $20.83

Date placed:
Feb 10, 2007 11:59a 2 Team Teaser #66848829
Basketball - College Lines (Game) Pointspread
(718) Georgetown -2 Sat@12:00p
Competitor: (717) Marquette
(Teased 5.0 points)
Basketball - College Lines (Game) Pointspread
(726) Ohio State -8 Sat@12:15p
Competitor: (725) Purdue
(Teased 5.0 points)
Risk $25.00 to win $20.83

Being from DC, I had to take Georgetown. They've been playing really well recently but if I was a betting man I woulda taken Marquette, they could surprise in this one. Anyway go Hoyas. Gotta hit the gym and run some errands today but will be back later with some heavy action on tonight's games lol. Gotta play some poker today too damn it.

Dallas by 21

Well, Dallas crushed Houston by 21pts. Another step in the right direction with the sports betting, I'm 6-1-1 over my last 8 bets. One game I have my eye on tomorrow is Houston at home v. Charlotte. Houston will no doubt want to avenge the loss and Charlotte lost tonight to the lowly Trail Blazers. Nite.

TGIF

What a long boring week. I've decided next week I'll start playing poker at work. More on that later. I was right about the Dallas Houston game. The line has moved to -7.5 so I got a good price. I knew that line would get pounded. Now lets see if Dallas can pull it out.

Dallas Mavs v. Houston Rockets

1-1-1 last night with the teasers. A little unlucky to get the push or would have been another good night. Still eked a tiny profit. 5-1-1 now on two game teasers and 4 winning nights in a row.

Tonight I really like the Mavs. They are prob the best team in the league right now and are 6 1/2 point favs at home. Houston has been playing surprisingly well without Yao but now they have to face a great team on the road. The last team which both Dallas and Houston played was the Grizzlies. Houston won 98-90 and Dall won 113-97. Dallas owns Houston in this series straight up. The question is can they cover the spread? I think that they could win this game by double digits so in my opinion yes. T-Mac might keep Houston in it but in the end I think Dallas will pull away. I'm thinking we could see this line move to -7 or -8 by the end of the day. I've placed $125 on it.

Teaser#3

Here's the last play of the eve:

2 Team Teaser #66725198
Basketball - College Lines (Game) Pointspread
(734) Oregon -9 Thu@8:30p
Competitor: (733) Arizona State
(Teased 5.0 points)
Basketball - College Lines (Game) Pointspread
(742) Cal Santa Barbara -½ Thu@10:00p
Competitor: (741) Cal Irvine
(Teased 5.0 points)
Risk $25.00 to win $20.83

Teaser #2

Here's a 2 game teaser I've placed:

2 Team Teaser #66712046
Basketball - College Lines (Game) Pointspread
(709) Butler -6 Thu@7:00p
Competitor: (710) Cleveland State
(Teased 5.0 points)
Basketball - College Lines (Game) Pointspread
(714) Virginia Commonwealth -2 Thu@7:00p
Competitor: (713) George Mason
(Teased 5.0 points)
Risk $50.00 to win $41.67

These are both 7pm games so I'll see how I make out and then I may place another bet on the later games. Anyhow, I think Butler is going to crush Cleveland by 15+ and VCU is this year's George Mason plus they're at home so I like both these games pretty much straight up but even more so with the 5 points.

Teaser #1

First two game teaser for this evening:

2 Team Teaser #66683110
Basketball - College Lines (Game) Pointspread
(745) Nevada +2 Thu@10:00p
Competitor: (746) Fresno State
(Teased 5.0 points)


Basketball - College Lines (Game) Pointspread
(748) Pacific +5 Thu@10:00p
Competitor: (747) Cal State Fullerton
(Teased 5.0 points)

Risk $50.00 to win $41.67

3 for 3

3 for 3 with the 2 game Teasers the last two nights. Who says they're -EV, lol.

A few more and I might be even for the year. Oh, well it's fun and that's the point right?

Played the 70k Gt'd on Bodog last night except that now it's 50k. Guess the UIEGA is to thank for that. 648 entries so still about an 18k overlay. Next week it will prob be a 30k Gt'd etc...etc...Flamed out around 320th....couldn't get anything going really. I absolutely hate myself for the hand I busted out on. Blinds were 100/200 and I was in MP with 5h5d. Folded to me so I just limp in (I have about 5k), everyone else folds including the SB and the BB checks. Flop comes 9c4c3x. At this point I'm positive I have the best hand. The BB fires out $600. I just call (this is why I hate myself). Turn is another club (Q+c I think)and now thinking that I can represent the flush so I pop it $1500, and BB puts me all-in. I make the call praying he's got some garbage like Ac3x but no he's got Kc8c. Great. Was outplayed, its as simple as that. I was going to push all-in on the flop but his betting on the come confused me. Still, if I was certain I had the best hand I should have raised it right there. If I was wrong and busted out betting so be it, if he made the call when he wasn't getting the right price, and hit his flush so be it, but I hate that I busted out calling. One hand misplayed and I'm gone after patiently playing (and lasting 2+ hours) and maintaining and average stack all night even tho I was card dead. Blah.

Anyhow, thinking of betting the Lakers tonight perhaps. Haven't looked at the college BB games yet which is where I've had some success. Will post again on that later.

BTW, I'm now in the top 2.91% of all ALGOCO members with referrals. I know that many of you haven't signed up. C'mon get in on this thing. Even if you think its all BS what have you got to lose? Do it as a favour to me.

Tonight's Action

After last nights action Ive got the Teaser fever:

Team Teaser #66645629
Basketball - College Lines (Game) Pointspread
(571) Rutgers +20½ Wed@8:00p
Competitor: (572) Marquette
(Teased 5.0 points)
Basketball - College Lines (Game) Pointspread
(592) Southern Illinois -3½ Wed@8:30p
Competitor: (591) Bradley
(Teased 5.0 points)
Risk $50.00 to win $41.67

Date placed:
Feb 07, 2007 7:41p 2 Team Teaser #66645493
Basketball - College Lines (Game) Pointspread
(597) North Carolina +½ Wed@9:00p
Competitor: (598) Duke
(Teased 5.0 points)
Basketball - College Lines (Game) Pointspread
(600) Kansas -5½ Wed@9:00p
Competitor: (599) Kansas State
(Teased 5.0 points)
Risk $50.00 to win $41.67

I hope Duke gets spanked by the way in case you couldn't tell.

Give Me Some Action!

Today is one of those days when I'm sitting at work wondering how I'm going to make it another 30 minutes let alone to the end of the week/month/year. And the sad part is I didn't come in to the office till 11:30am as I had to do some work related stuff in downtown DC. Then I went out for lunch so my grand total of office exposure is about two hours and I'm bored out of my mind. Have read my usual blogs, websites etc (any recommendations would be appreciated) and I'm sitting here wondering, what now? Actually doing some work is one option although not that desireable.

Looking at tonight's games I like NC over Duke -4 and am looking at a few NBA games. I'd love it if this blog got to the stage where there were enough readers and enough interest so that we could discuss games we're all betting, on a daily basis.

I've added one sports betting link to this blog: www.therx.com. A good site with an excellent forum. People discuss sports betting, the best lines etc. One neat feature is that there is this poster named 'bookie buster' who posts daily service plays. These are the picks from the pay for plays services which are all over the net (some good, most bad). I don't know where he gets them but he covers dozens of pay for play services. A good read and a good place to start your game(s) analysis. The daily post is usually up around 6-7pm.

Think I'll play the Bodog 70k again tonight and try to rebuild the Bodog bankroll.

JJOK thanks for the condolences man, and thanks to everybody for reading and stopping by.

Tonight's Action

I see that Steve Nash is out tonight. Even so, Phoenix should easily dispose of Portland. Amare Stoudamire could prob dispatch of Portland by himself - he's a monster. I also like San Diego State at home so I've laid a little teaser bet. I never learn. Here it is:

2 Team Teaser #66569709
Basketball - College Lines (Game) Pointspread
(736) San Diego State +8 Tue@10:00p
Competitor: (735) Air Force
(Teased 5.0 points)
Basketball - NBA Lines (Game) Pointspread
(709) Phoenix Suns +1 Tue@10:05p
Competitor: (710) Portland Trail Blazers
(Teased 5.0 points)
Risk $50.00 to win $41.67

AGLOCO

According to their statistics, I'm currently in the top 13.69% of all members with referrals. If you haven't signed up, get in on this thing and please sign up through me.

For a description of how AGLOCO works see my post linked in the sidebar on the left.

Living Life to the Fullest

Hey everyone. Sorry I haven't posted on here for a couple days. I expereinced a bit of poker burnout so I took the weekend off. Won with the Colts. Was prepared to regail all of you with my poker exploits (how to lose $1900 in 4 hours) when I rec'd a call this a.m and found out my Grandfather had died. He was a pretty amazing guy, WWII veteren, Engineer, Father to 3 kids, my Grandfather. He was 87 and died very quickly from a massive heart attck. He was full of life and completely 'with it' till the end. He always seemed to appreciate life and seemed very content with few regrets. Feeling a little melancholy I began thinking about the brevity of our time on the planet and how we should make the most of it and found this, which I thought I would share:

'You've got to find what you love,' Jobs says


This is the text of the Commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005.

I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.

The first story is about connecting the dots.

I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?

It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course." My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.

And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.

It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:

Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.

None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, its likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.

Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

My second story is about love and loss.

I was lucky — I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation — the Macintosh — a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.

I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me — I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.

I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.

I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.

My third story is about death.

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.

I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.

This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope its the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Thank you all very much.

I appreciated all the "stick with it" comments regarding poker BTW.

The Wheels Just Came off.

-$1900.00

$300 at NL & 1600 at 20/40 Holdem.....more tomorrow, don't want to talk now.

Tonight's Action

Last night wound up down only $40 cause I picked up VA over Duke and Phoenix to cover v. SA for $30 a piece. That VA Duke game was fantastic as any of you who watched it know (provided you're not a Duke fan I guess). I actually thought they were going to pull it out with one second left in typical Duke fashion but it was not to be.

2 for 3 last night and a losing night. That's frustrating. I think I'm done trying to 'weight' my picks unless there is a game which is clearly a situation where the line is off. I think I'll just find 2 or 3 games and bet them equally. Here's tonight's action:

Single #66016791
NBA Player Props (Prop) Total
(LAC vs BOS) - Friday, February 2nd (7:35pm)
Elton Brand (LAC) Total Points and Rebounds in the game
Under 31½ (+110) Fri@7:35p
Risk $30.00 to win $33.00

Date placed:
Feb 02, 2007 6:59p Single #66014675
Basketball - NBA Lines (Game) Pointspread
(716) New Orleans Hornets -1½ Fri@8:05p
Competitor: (715) Minnesota Timberwolves
Risk $30.00 to win $27.27

Date placed:
Feb 02, 2007 6:59p Single #66014673
Basketball - NBA Lines (Game) Pointspread
(708) Boston Celtics +6½ Fri@7:35p
Competitor: (707) Los Angeles Clippers
Risk $30.00 to win $27.27

AGLOCO - Get Paid to Search the Web

AGLOCO - This is a pretty cool idea and it seems to be gaining some serious momentum. Essentially the way AGLOCO works is that you sign up and download this software which adds a viewbar which is an add-on to your browser. Companies pay for text links on this viewbar and when a search is conducted through the viewbar Google pays AGLOCO for the search. AGLOCO then passes some of this $$$ on to you and I. The way to make some real dough with this thing is to have other people sign up under you. Yes it's a pyramid type structure, or some would say scheme, BUT:

(1) It takes all of 30 seconds to sign up;
(2) It's free;
(3) Once you get started there is virtually no work involved;
(4) It's still in BETA (the viewbar is set to be launched in Feb/March) so we're getting in on the ground floor;
(5) 30,000 people have already joined and they are expecting 2M by July;
(6) Why Not? Do you really want to be kicking yourself in July saying I wish I had taken 30 seconds to sign up?

Also consider this....Mozilla Firefox, we all use it right? Ever consider how they make their money? The majority is through Google's adsense program. 52M (that's right, Million) in 2006. This is the exact same concept.

My understanding is that this company used to be called ALL ADVANTAGE and had a similar program several years ago and many people did get paid $$$ for surfing the web. They eventually went belly up when people figured out how to manipulate this using bots to simulate web surfing. ALGOCO has now fixed this glitch and has installed some checks and balances, one being each individual can only receive credit for 5 hours surfing per day.


This is what the viewbar will look like:





I'm not suggesting this is a get rich quick scheme but if it pays for your beer/sports betting/golf/poker habit then that'd be nice, right?

Anyhow I'd ask you take a sec and sign up through me in one of the many links I've inconspicuously placed throughout this blog. In case you missed them, here it is again :)

In terms of this Affiliate stuff my grand revenue for 2007 has been $8.15 from Amazon so I need to get off my ass with some ideas I have for websites etc if I'm going to achieve my 2007 goal of 20k.

Good Things Happen to People who Make Them Happen

I've been meaning to share this for awhile. It's about a guy named Matt. Essentially Matt quit his job so he could travel and came up with a pretty clever little idea, posted on YouTube and became a bit of a sensation. All of a sudden along came Strident Gum and said we'll sponsor you so you can keep doing what you're doing and keep travelling. Anyhow I'll let you guys check it out. It inspired me.

BTW I can't seem to post YouTube videos anymore? Anyone else having the same problem with the 'New' Blogger.

Sharing is Caring - Brandon Lang's 2007 Superbowl 100 Dime Play

I've noticed from Sitemeter that I'm getting alot of hits from Google for people searching for "Brandon Lang & Super Bowl and 100 dimes" or something along those lines. I'm actually landing on Google's first page lol. Lang released his Superbowl Pick today and is charging $75.00 bucks for it. Why people pay for it is beyond me. Don't get me wrong, I haven't lost respect for the guy but he's on a pretty bad NFL skid as of late AND it's available free out there in cyberspace with almost no effort to find:

"Print out my Super Bowl analysis - or copy it an email it to yourself - because if you got it through the purchase of a One-Day Discount Package today, or via a One-Day Cappers Consensus Purchase, you will NOT be able to see it again tomorrow.

100 DIME
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

If your man has 7 1/2 you buy the hook and only lay 7. You NEVER, I repeat, you NEVER get beat by the hook. Only lay 7 and protect yourself. It's like buying insurance. Never get beat by the hook

FINAL SCORE - 31-13

5 FUN PROP BETS
1) Reggie Wayne to score first touchdown
2) Team to punt first - Bears
3) Grossman will throw an intercepiton
4) Field Goal OVER 44 yards
5) Longest TD of game OVER 45 1/2 yards


NOTE:
Let me first start out by saying that this one single game has defined my career. It has made me who I am in this business. You don’t go 14-0-2 with the 16 Super Bowl selections you have been asked to pick unless you understand the difference between this game and any other that these two teams have played all year

You see, what people don’t understand is that this is the easiest game in the world to get on the right side of than any other because of one very big factor…..”match ups.” I have been asked time and time again what my system is, my formula, my magic if you will with picking this winner every time I have been asked to do it my entire life. My answer is always the same.

Of the two teams that are playing, who will be able to create more mismatches to their advantage because it is within these mismatches that the game will be determined. You have to make plays in the Super Bowl. You have to have more players, on both sides of the football , who can make plays and more importantly, make plays under pressure because this game is the most pressure packed game in any sport.

What helps ease this pressure? Studying your opponent for 2 weeks and knowing, 100% they have a weakness that you will exploit. That my friends takes care of the pressure. So without further delay, allow me to give you my analysis of what I truly feel will be my 15th straight Super Bowl winner.


INDY
Allow me to ask everyone a couple of questions right now. Here we go.

If the Bears wouldn’t have had home field advantage in their two playoff games would they be in this game? Seriously, they struggled with the Seahawks and then got a dome team outdoors.

Next, could this Bears team have gone into Baltimore and beaten the Ravens like Indy did? Just pause a minute, close your eyes, and picture Rex Grossman against that Ravens defense. Yeah, pretty ugly.

You see, Indy earned their way here. They held the Chiefs to 0 first downs for 2 ½ quarters. They went into Baltimore and went up and down the field on the number one defense in the NFL.

Now granted, the drives ended in field goals but that still does not take away from the fact they moved the ball at will. That is how good this Indy offense is.

With that being said, this is the Bears worst nightmare come to life. A no huddle, passing team to exploit the biggest weakness they have and that weakness is their pass defense.

I can’t even begin to tell you in watching film of the Bears secondary how many guys were open in the Seattle game as well as the Saints. The only reason why the Saints didn’t convert more was because Drew Brees had his 2nd worst game of the year. The first was the Ravens at home.

In talking to a couple of scouts around the league about this game, they all told me the same thing, if a team has time to throw, you can shredd this Bears secondary.

Folks, allow me to introduce to you the no huddle offense. As I said before, this is going to be the worst nightmare come to life for the Bears because in their 18 games this year, they have not seen an offense as fine tuned as this.

Furthermore, what makes the Colts so hard to defend is the fact they do not outsmart themselves. If they have a mismatch that they can exploit, they will keep going to it time and time again until you stop it.

Now here is the tricky part. Once you stop that leak, Peyton has already sprouted another one on you and before you know it, another problem for you to solve.

Here is the problem facing the Bears. They have their corners on the outside matched up with Wayne on one side and Harrison on the other. Their safeties in the middle of the field have to cheat towards the sideline to give over the top help.

That opens up 2 very important things for Indy. Their rush attack and the Colts ability to work the middle of the field. Peyton will chip away at that until the Bears adjust and when they do, goodnight with Wayne and Harrison on the outside.

Indy is going to force the Bears right from the opening kickoff to pick their poison and when they do, you had better believe the Colts will have an answer.

I was so impressed with the way the Colts moved the ball on the Ravens in Baltimore. It was a clinic and the Bears defense isn’t even in the same league as Baltimore.

People keep talking about this great Bears defense but that is where they are really missing this game. They aren’t great and they can be had, especially on a neutral field, in 75 degree heat by Peyton Manning.

Now I have heard everyone talk about the fact that the Bears will be able to run the football and control the clock because the Colts are the worst run defense in during the regular season.

Well, as you can see, big difference between the regular season and playoffs. Just ask the Chiefs and Ravens, who were shut down.

The Bears run the ball by trying to be big and physical, just like the Ravens and the Chiefs and they will suffer the same fate.

Tony Dungy basically said to both of them, "I will put 8 in the box and make Trent Green and Stever McNair beat me. They couldn't and if two Pro Bowl QB's and a former league MVP couldn't, I don't see how people think Rex Grossman will.

The Bears run the ball by trying to be big and physical, just like the Ravens and the Chiefs and they will suffer the same fate.

That is what is going to happen people. Tony Dungy is smart enough to make this kid beat him in the biggest game of his life. It is not going to happen. Not in in my lifetime.

The only way the Bears cover this game is with a special teams touchdown by Hester. The only way.

If that happens so be it.

My money is on Indy, on the better QB, the better offense, the better coach and flat out the better team.

Congrats to owner Jim Irsay, one of the most sincere and geniune men I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Congrats to Tony Dungy and congrats to Peyton Manning.

Colts are your Super Bowl champions by double digits...31-13"

Nabomb's Commentary:

I'm not sure I agree BTW...I'm leaning towards the Bears plus the points creating a middling opportunity with my futures bet. We'll see.

Winter Snow Advisory In Effect

I have this weather bug on my computer at work and it keeps popping up every 30 minutes warning me of a "winter weather advisory" At first look it appears that the entire eastern seaboard from Norfolk to New York falls under this "advisory." A little more reading and in my area we could expect snow accumulations of "up to one inch" today and perhaps another "inch plus a possibility of freezing rain" overnight. Shitty weather, yes, winter advisory, no. As a former Canuck it always cracks me up how everyone in MD/DC/VA goes into a frenzy at the first sign of the white stuff. My work is even setting up a weather line so that by 6:00 a.m. tomorrow we can check in and see if we have to come to work - here's hoping the answer to that question is "no".

Won my sports bet last night...one step in the right direction towards inching back towards profitability. Here's a play I like tonight in College B-Ball: Oregon +8 v. UCLA. Oregon is 19-2, UCLA 18-2. Oregon won the last match-up and with home court advantage UCLA, who is also playing well, will likely pull it out but 8 is ALOT of points to give in college b-ball against a good team. Laid a hundy on it. Let's hope for back to back winning nights. Looking around for a few other plays but haven't found anything yet.

Played the Bodog 70k last night. 844 entrants, so about a 37k overlay! Was one of the chipleaders with about 10k after the 1st break. I then lost a couple big pots semibluffing with nut flush draws, raising All-In, getting called and not hitting. Down to about 2.8k in chips and worked that back up to 7k by the end of the second break for an average chip stack. The whole tournament I was playing uber aggressive, trying to accumulate chips, and then bully the table(s) I was at. After the second break I was moved to a new table which was good as players weren't familiar with my loose image. 2nd hand as follows (Blinds 100-200): Early poistion player limps, I limp in MP with 78h, SB folds and big blind (chip leader at table just calls). Flop comes J69 rainbow. EP limper raises 1000. This seems suspicious....he has about the same as me in chips (6-7k). I decide that an all-in move here will likely push him off his likley holdings QJ, KJ, A9, A6 or small pair. I push all-in for 7k. Now BB is taking forever....eventually calls and shows 66. I was right about EP, he folded. Turn is a 5 giving me my straight. I win this pot and I've got more than double the average stack. River a J filling him up. Wasn't at all upset....I think I played that well. Busted out 350ish. Sure maybe I could have made it to the money but I'd rather have chips to play with so I can take a shot at winning the thing. I'm going to win one of those 70k soon, I can just feel it.

In cash games I've had 3 losing nights in a row for the first time in a long time. The great thing is that, looking back over my records, my wins are big and my losses small. For example, in Jan winning sessions v losing sessions were about 60/40 on a percentage basis but yet my hourly rate was over +$80. I'm happy with that. On a given night if I lose a buy-in at my upper limit i.e 400 or 6000NL tables, I don't chase but go down a limit or two and try to claw some back and minimize the loss. Tilt has been non existent or at a minimum at least. So far so good. Now if I can multiply Jan by 11 more months it should be a good year lol.