Katie Über Alles

WPBT!

2009-12-10T07:26:16-05:00

Well, I'm sitting in the airport waiting to get on my flight out to Vegas for the WPBT. I missed check in on my actual flight by 5 minutes, but ended up getting rebooked on a direct flight which is fine with me. I was just chatting with @bmorebilly and he said: "Don't use up all your run good at the airport!" Yeah, I hope I don't!

But I am treating this trip like a vacation and not a work trip, so I'm hoping to have fun no matter how I'm running at the tables.

I've been a poker blogger forever, but just met up with Al at the Borgata Winter Open this past January. From there I met people during the Series like CK, Jen, and Dan. I'm looking forward to meeting people like April and Maigrey, who I've talked to on twitter for the better part of a year, for the first time.

And, well, my parents read this blog so I'll keep the rest out of here and on my twitter feed, but I'm slightly nervous that I might not be able to hang with the likes of Al for 5 days. 24 hours? Yes, no problem. 5 days.... wow. Wish me luck. LOL

Sets are a good hand, right?

2009-12-01T22:20:06-05:00

The last time I was set over setted in either direction was in May at Harrahs. I had a higher set over the guy to my immediate left. An orbit later, I had middle set to Travis' top set and lost the biggest pot I'd ever lost until a few weeks ago. I could've folded that hand. I almost did.

I haven't seen either side of set over set since then until my birthday last week. I had a set of aces and a set of jacks run down by open ended draws. The coup de grace was having a set of 8s vs a set of 9s on a 9-high flop shortly thereafter. I left with my tail between my legs.

Today has been terrible for me and sets. Flopped a set of kings earlier and doubled. Then I lost some of that profit when I flopped a set of 7s and got flushed. Shortly thereafter, I flopped a set of 9s on a flushy straighty board and bailed when they both got there on the turn and the betting got really heavy. Turns out I was against a flush and another guy who hit the straight. Got away from that one for $30.

Now I'm at the Borgata. Flopped the nut flush against the second nut flush and doubled, only to ship all the profit when I was on the losing side of set over set again on an A96 flop (6s vs 9s).

Sometimes poker is so brutal.

One of my favorite quotes

2009-11-24T13:47:56-05:00

Time to share it again:

"The most important things are the hardest to say. They are the things you get ashamed of, because words diminish them -- words shrink things that seemed limitless when they were in your head to no more than living size when they're brought out. But it's more than that, isn't it? The most important things lie too close to wherever your secret heart is buried, like landmarks to a treasure your enemies would love to steal away. And you may make revelations that cost you dearly only to have people look at you in a funny way, not understanding what you've said at all, or why you thought it was so important that you almost cried while you were saying it. That's the worst, I think. When the secret stays locked within not for want of a teller but for want of an understanding ear." - Stephen King

Degenerate Dating Drama

2009-11-09T12:12:49-05:00

Wanted. Someone who gets (or at least can put up with) the life of a poker grinder, but doesn't have a gambling problem.

In the past week two separate people have asked me when I'm going to start dating, and it's devolved into a conversation about my life and relationships.

Post-divorce and post....whatever-the-hell-that-was, I've done a lot of thinking about this. It's some thinking I probably should have done two years ago...or more like ten years ago. I've realized a few pitfalls I've fallen into in the past and I'm determined not to fall in again. It's been good.

Most people are really shocked to discover I'm actually a shy person around people I don't know that well. I suffer from really bad social anxiety in new situations.

Needless to say, I've never been one to date a ton. I got married when I was 22 (divorced at 29). A friend has been trying to get me to do the online dating thing, but I don't know how ready I am to jump into something like that. Scary.

On top of this, a new problem has recently arisen. The life of the single, female, degenerate. Most guys I meet are poker players. Hell, most people I meet these days are poker players. I'm not *trying* to date a poker player...(comes with its own issues). But...I don't know that I have other venues for meeting people. I'm pretty busy between poker (i.e. work) and school. I'm on a crazy schedule where I sleep most of the daylight hours away. Meeting people while playing poker is like...hanging out with coworkers. :p

Alternatively, most non-poker playing guys I know think it's AWESOME when they first meet me that I play poker to help with the bills. They want to hear all about the WSOP events I've played in. This fascination usually lasts only until they figure out that the life of a poker player is not like the bling blang blaow video, or whatever their idea is of professional poker playing. Seriously, I think they all think it's me just hanging out rolling in money and having fun. Like I'm Phil Ivey or something. Anyone who's done low/mid stakes grinding knows that's not it AT ALL.

So after about a week or so, the FASCINATION with my lifestyle wears off and they get really fed up wondering why I'm always in AC (it's like going to the office, definitely not a 24 hour party), why I am never free on weekends (best time to make money), why I'm always asleep during the day... They get jealous of what they THINK my lifestyle is. Not to mention the complete and total difference in the way we view money (Yes, it's OK to get $300 in with 21 outs, but that doesn't mean I want to spend an extra $.50 on gas! It's DIFFERENT.) I don't know if I'm ever going to be able to find someone who understands this lifestyle that isn't a poker player, let alone someone who can put up with it. And poker isn't something I'm giving up anytime soon, though I would love to start dating again.

It's lonely out here for a girl poker player.

So yeah... Wanted. Someone who gets the life of a poker grinder, but doesn't have a gambling problem. Someone who gets that I will be in AC working a lot of the time. Someone who understands why I go on tilt from time to time. Someone who gets the difference between getting it all in with an OESFD and lighting money on fire on material shit. On the other hand, someone who wants to watch movies, cuddle on the couch, and rock out to music with me, too. I promise I can talk about things other than poker (I'm actually quite well-rounded)...but it's always gonna be a big part of my life.

I just saw this hand go down

2009-11-07T05:45:43-05:00

At pink O8. AAA6 calls all kinds of bets on flop and turn. O...M...G.