Meandering Thoughts

The tragedy in Connecticut obviously touched all of us, especially as parents of young children.  Scary, senseless, crazy, and every adjective used to describe it by better wordsmiths than me.  In the aftermath, I went to facebook to put out a little note from our GCP page conveying the heartbreak Gene and I both share as parents of young children. Before I could there staring me in the face was a message from Ruby Tuesdays in my feed.  I joined some sort of March Madness basketball pool Ruby Tuesdays ran and had to hit like on their facebook page to enter and every once in a blue moon I get some sort of update.  I think I might have eaten there once.  Anyway, they chose to comment on the situation and it left a bitter taste in my mouth.

The first sentence extended their condolences and was the kind of message I was preparing to put out.  The second sentence repeated their name and the message.  On the whole nothing wrong with that.  Then I realized why I was made uneasy.  The post reeked a little bit of opportunism and sounded a bit like an advertisement.  I know I'm being a little anal here but I have to question the motivation of some of these social media responses.

Immediately, that kind of post gets thousands of likes, in wrestling that's known as a cheap pop.  You praise the town your show is in and everybody cheers.  Who can dislike the sentiment that our hearts are broken with what's in Connecticut   I realize that saying it is obviously done from a good place.  However, when you repeat "your brand" as you would in a radio ad or any other ad you have to question the intentions.  It's not quite profiteering but it is some sort of distant relative.

Why do I care what Ruby Tuesdays thinks of the tragedy for one.  Nobody is going to be for it, and two why do I need to see Ruby Tuesdays two or three times with it.  After it settled in a bit, and I realized why it made me uncomfortable I thought about replying in their feed, but my feeling was a sublte point and I didn't want to be attacked for seemingly discouraging the expression of emotions we all feel.  So I didn't.  Then, I decided not to post anything on GCP's page.

If it was in our region, obviously I think considering our readership, as a company it'd be our place to say something.  Especially as players might some how be involved and joining the chorus of support could only be a good thing.  Since it wasn't local, I think as an individual expressing my sadness was more appropriate than doing so under the GCP banner.

I'm not trying to pick on Ruby Tuesdays, as I'm sure they weren't the only company to do that, and in truth very easily the message likely came from a good place, and the person writing the post wasn't trying to do anything but extend a genuine condolence.  Just felt off and exploitive--whether intentional or not I'll never know.

**Poker.  Went to the Beau Rivage 15k guarantee as it's likely I won't play anything until the Million Dollar Heater in January.  I have to say I played two or three hands rather poorly and was lucky to make some of my buy-in back in a short cash session.  Couldn't believe I'd waste three hours of driving time to and from the coast away and take time away from my family to play bad.  But I did.  Probably, a good thing as I was feeling fairly confident after the Bayou Classic.  Overconfidence and trying to be too smart in poker usually leads to bad things for me.  Rather do it in a weekly tournament than at the Heater.

My mistakes:

-I didn't cbet a hand I should have and let a guy turn a set.  Compounding my mistake, I ignored my standard rules for weeklies when he check raised me on the turn and called him there and on the river.  I didn't tab the guy for a "weekly" player so I called a little lighter.  Most "weaker" weekly players are only reraising or check raising with big hands and sometimes even two pair should be a fold.  Obviously no rule is so harsh that I always follow it and can be exploited but that's a pretty good one all things being equal.

Well, he was check-raising with a set and I should have given him more credit after his aggression.  The fact that he's capable of making a move is regardless a little bit in that specific spot.  Playing into my initial mistake, was there was a wide open player from Harrahs, New Orleans, Mike, on the button who I thought would do my betting for me on the checked flop but he checked behind.  The mistake is not betting my hand in these fast structures especially as I had been fairly active to that point.  No need to slow down.  As Mike pointed out likely he calls me on the flop and folds to me on the turn or river and the other guy isn't in it to hit his set.

-I reraised a solid player from New Orleans when it was checked down to the river and I hit my flush.  Basically, the only hand I could beat was if he turned a straight or had a smaller flush.  He repopped me and I called.  His second nuts, queen high flush, beat my jack high flush.  Should have just called the river bet and not reopened the action as he's likely got a flush there most of the time.  Probably should find a fold to his re-re-raise too (see above).

-Later in a cash game, I called off a short stack's river shove for $51 when he the board read AKQQJ when based on the action likely he had a ten.  Maybe a full house--far less likely based on the action, and a flush draw on the board and his position. Regardless, I should have folded as at best I was chopping and I could have let the pot go.  Probably he's rarely bluffing in that spot.

Happy Holidays to Everybody:

I'm won't be playing much at all except for maybe cash until the Heater.  Looking forward to a fun holdiay season and hope everybody gets to spend some extra time with their families and enjoy things a little more as we all have that terrible reminder how precious every moment is with our kids and family.

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