Decisions

I don’t play the horses often but when I do I trust in Mark Belling’s picks. That has not paid off much until recently. The decision? What kind of bets to pursue?

I have never lost everything following our local talk show host’s advice. But I am certain I was behind, though I have not kept a record as I have with my poker investments. But the last time I followed Mr. Belling’s advice I did well.

What was my new strategy? When he has several long shots, let us say three horses with 15-1 odds and higher as potential winners, I bet across the board on each. $5 across the board would be a $15 bet; $5 to win, $5 to place, $5 to show.

My 15-1 horse win gave me a return of over $100 (a payoff on each of the three bets), which I received gladly. A show would have been a gain of a dollar or two on that wager; approximately $17. So you can imagine a 20-1 or 30-1 horse can bring you a return if they finish in the top three. And if more than one horse pays out…

I thought of making an exacta box, with my 15-1 and the favorite, but decided not to. A bad decision.

In my poker play I must re-evaluate my decisions. My past records showed that in tournament play with 30 participants or more I definitely came out ahead over time.

My limit cash game attempts have not paid off. I was coming out ahead two of three outings for a while then hit a bad streak. I am not playing cash games often at all now.

The casino has not offered weekly tournaments for years. The WSOP and three tours of the Mid-States Poker Tour come through annually.

In hind sight I can surmise that committing to tournament play only would have been a better decision for me, even with the buy-ins on the tours are generally higher.

I did participate in the latest WSOP here in Milwaukee. I won two satellites on the first day but then lost in the main tournaments.

One loss was just a bad push.

In the other, a pot limit Omaha game, most of my chips were committed before the second King came up on the turn. I had a Broadway straight draw and flush draw previous. After the second King came, giving me three, the chances were good that my opponent had made a full house, which he did; Aces Full of Kings. I had a good chance for a full house myself on the river so committed the rest of my chips, not knowing that only another King could save me.

I played in two nightly tournaments after the first day. In one nightly tournament I was near, so close, to the bubble when my Ace, Jack lost to an Ace, 9. A 9 came on the river.

In another nightly I was all in against two, one with fewer chips than myself. I had pocket Kings. The big stack had pocket Jacks. Queen, 7, 8 on the flop. Then a 9. Then a 10. Straight to the Jack.

I did well, though some may say I should not have pushed with an Ace, Jack under the gun. There were six at the table and the small blind had a monster stack.

I found that their were many top rated poker players at the WSOP from all over the place.

With our winnings from free slot play (sometimes my wife puts a bit of cash into the one armed bandit), my recent track winnings and certainly with all the casino points I have earned and enjoyed at the casino’s restaurants, I am ahead, in the black, in regards to our casino outings.

So I need only watch my poker returns and losses to judge my success or failure in casino activities. The next Mid-States here in Milwaukee starts the end of March.

Not having capitalized at the WSOP another decision has been made for me. Some work on the house I was contemplating having a contractor do, I will be doing myself.