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What's Your Edge

 
David Benefield : Poker Blog
November 13, 2008

The last week has been pretty hectic. The main event final table went down with Peter Eastgate winning the big bucks. Craig unfortunately got 9th, which put a damper on everyone’s week, but overall I’m pretty sure he is happy with how he did. I told myself after he busted that I wouldn’t play poker for a couple weeks, but obviously I got on and busted my UB refund, then lost some more on ftp. Fortunately I did a run hot in a stars 1-2 game and made back like 80k, so that helped out a bit. As far UB goes, the site is still rigged, so I plan on sticking with ftp and stars. Games were superrrrr sick though with all the refunds, so maybe I will try to make a triumphant return.
 
I played some 500-1k yesterday and had a couple very similar very interesting hands..
 
 
Somehow I managed to win them both, it is really fun ‘bluff’ raising the flop, getting called, checking it down, and scooping big pots with A high.
 
I have been training jiu jitsu pretty hard since I have been in vegas, going 5x a week. I have gotten immensely better, and manage to really beat up on the weaker guys. I struggle a lot with the people with more experience, but it is such a technical art that the only way to really overcome that is a ton of practice and drilling techniques. I picked up some of the Gracie Jiu Jitsu dvds, and have been watching those on the side while going through my normal motions of sitting at the computer doing nothing most of the day.
 
Last night my Dad had a layover in LV, so I went to dinner with him Tony, Joe, and Alan. We had a great Del Friscos meal, and even tried out a new wine; it was a 1998 Oakford Vineyards Cabernet. I usually don’t stray too far from the cabs that I really enjoy, but I was pleasantly surprised with this. Anyways, was good to see him, some of the best nights in life are those spent sharing a meal with friends and family, and this one was certainly up there.
 
On a food note, I have been extremely unhealthy for the last month or so. I have gotten a large sonic blast 3 of the last 4 nights, ordered pizza a bunch, and have gone to del friscos 3 times in the last week. I think I could win a del friscos bread+butter and crabcake eating competition vs just about anyone. I am going to try to get back into a health kick, as I generally feel a lot better overall when eating a clean diet.
 
For those that are interested in weight lifting, I just picked up Starting Strength by Rippetoe and Kilgore. Everyone says this is one of the best books to learn how to properly lift, and it hasn’t disappointed. My workouts haven’t really been based on getting super huge and strong, more increasing flexibility and not being a fatass, but in January I am going to get on the SS program and try to bulk up a little bit. Hopefully I will also be coaching baseball around that time, and continuing with my Jiu Jitsu, so I should remain pretty active physically. I haven’t been doing yoga or meditation as much as I would like, but it mainly stems from laziness.
 
 
One of the biggest problems I have is working up the drive to get out and do things like this. I am not really sure why it is, but for some reason I wake up and don’t feel like driving 20 mins to practice Jiu Jitsu, or going somewhere to work out or whatever. I KNOW that as soon as I am done, and even while I am there, I will love it and feel great, but for some reason there is a mental block preventing me from doing it more often. I have been pretty good about it lately, but sometimes I get into phases where I just don’t go for a week, and then feel pretty crappy.
 
Martin did a well on 2p2, and mentioned something about this, and how he tries to think about it like fight club. If Tyler Durden had a gun to my head and told me to go meditate for 30 minutes or else he would kill me, and I will be happier for it, I would do it every time. It seems silly that I can’t just force myself to think this way all the time about everything. So often I will just sit here talking to random ppl on aim and reading 2p2, when I know if I spent even 20 mins outside meditating I would feel better, focus my mind, etc. I am getting better overall about this sort of thing, but am still not where I would like to be. A lot of poker players I know are like this as well, and I think it might be becoming an epidemic with us.
 
Also, does anyone know anything about getting like, wrestling mats installed in a house? I have an extra bedroom upstairs and would like to be able to drill techniques on occasion with people that come over and are interested in working on that kinda thing. Even if I cant get them installed, is there a good site I can order some fold up ones that aren’t piece of crap? I don’t really know a whole lot about all that so if anyone has any thoughts that would be great.
 
-David Benefield

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Nov 13, 08 16:18:11

Here's a link to one that I have in my basement. Its only 10x10. Some people like a bigger mat, but this is fine for jits/grappling. I got mine 6 months ago and it is pretty good quality

http://www.baseballwarehouse.com/product/Action-Athletic/KIT-10X10-DELUXE-MAT-WRESTLINGT-WRESTLING/QM-10DWK/?tracking=g_base

jjdodd27




Nov 13, 08 18:02:24

David,

Try either of these. Second looks better.

http://www.interlockingfloormat.com/wrestling_grappling_mats.htm?gclid=CLqmsMSu85YCFQMCagodNgvaXQ


http://www.greatmats.com/products/martial-arts-mats-judo.php

zeosgjv




Nov 13, 08 18:43:10

Wrestling Mats

Yo Dave!

Just get a user name and make a post on The Underground (mma.tv, internet's #1 MMA forum). You will get more knowledgeable responses than you can handle!

(If you sign up for a Pro account you can search the forum where this question has been asked a milllion times!)Kangaroo

Kangaroo




Nov 13, 08 21:43:17

don't be a puss. It's a waste of time to get gym equpment installed in your house.

Just go to the gym...besides that's where all the broads are anyways.

jkipfer




Nov 14, 08 00:53:21

I've had the Swain mats for over 10 years and swear by them - awesome for both grappling and stand-up. Simply the best!

http://swainmats.com/store/store/comersus_viewItem.asp?idProduct=1

Max Ghezzi




Nov 14, 08 01:58:25

http://www.zebramats.com.au/index1.html

wilneedheart




Nov 14, 08 09:54:40

Wine

"I usually don’t stray too far from the cabs that I really enjoy, but I was pleasantly surprised with this. "

This almost made me cry. You have (for all intensive purposes) unlimited resources and a desire to try a bunch of things in life. Wine is an amazing universe; there are so may cool things out there if you just give them a shot. I encourage you to not only try some different cabs but to stretch out into different varietals. Next time you get steak, try a French Bordeaux (cab-based but typically with more texture...to me the good ones taste like soil and fruit, the bad ones taste "green"), Spanish temparillo-based blend or Italian barollo (knock your socks off rich). I truly don't know crap about wine and am certainly not a wine snob, I just love to drink it. If you get one and don't like it...f it. Chug the bottle and get another one. Or just toss it out. But I promise you'll be impressed more than you'll be disappointed.

Just read this and realized what a toolbox I am but whatever...it's worth it if it turns someone on to the wonders of wine.

StayingWarm




Nov 15, 08 16:39:07

Here are the gracie secrets.... Use them well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8w_q8qEgU88

Panerai111




Nov 16, 08 21:50:17

Swain, zerbra and high school wrestling mats are all good. If you like for skin to remain on the tops of your toes, feet, knees, and elbows DO NOT get the connect martial arts mats. They are awful and cause mat burn in a fierce sort of way.

I would go by a college, high school etc that has a wrestling program and ask if they have any old mats they are not using any more. There is a good change that you may be able to find some cheaply.

Oh yeah. People are naturally lazy. No one is going to be stoked about going to the gym all the time. Just do it and do not think to much.

Your blog actually makes me miss being in the gym and on the mat. Have fun

cottonseed




Nov 16, 08 21:54:05

One other thing. Make sure you clean your mats on a regular basis. Ring worm is fucking gross and not something you want to get on your mats.

cottonseed



253 Views | Comments (10)
November 06, 2008

Today was a great day. I woke up to my phone ringing at about 830am with the Mercedes dealership calling to tell me my car was ready. The valet turned the light switch into the ‘on’ position when I am used to it being on auto, so I left my car lights on all night and the battery died. With that it killed something else. Then when they were changing the oil, they broke off the special AMG oil cap thing, and had to order me a new one, so I was driving a rental car for a week.
 
I went to Jiu Jitsu at 11, and met a 2p2er there at his first class (Dane I think). It was a good class, I managed to only get tapped out once, and tapped out other people 5 times. I felt pretty cool. Also right next to us Forrest Griffin and Amir Sadollah were working out while being filmed. Was pretty neat watching them up close. After class I picked up my car and headed home to check out UB. REFUND DAY!! I got 42k, so I was super happy about that. Luckbox DURRRR managed to rig 251k somehow. He will forever run good.
 
I played a few hours of fallout 3 later, and had a lot of fun with it. I am going pure evil, trying to kill everyone I can that doesn’t seem vital to missions, and just being an epic dick in all of the interactions. I am going to roll another character that is good, and max out all of my charisma stats etc and see how the gameplay changes. I don’t really play video games that much anymore, but this one might be kinda fun and I could see it keeping my attention.
 
From a poker standpoint, I AM OUT OF MY DOWNSWING WOOOHOOOO!! At its worst, I was down 646k from peak online. I was pretty unhappy with that, but high stakes poker seems to have that effect. I might take a break for a little while and make sure I can get into college, then possibly start hitting the tables harder. I played LarsLuzak HU yesterday at 2-4 HA, and it was a pretty fun sesh. I started off own like 140 or so, but ended up on him about 40k or so, and then he quit me. There weren’t that many interesting hands, everything seemed pretty standard.
 
Today I played some 2-4 and 500-1k for a total of 4 minutes and made another 50k or so. I guess I am back on the run hot train, which is certainly a nice train to be on. Hopefully it will continue. Most everyone is getting in town tomorrow for the main event final table, and we are hitting up Del Friscos for a big dinner. On a food note, yesterday I went to naked fish twice, and consumed 24 pieces of toro, along with random smatterings of other sushi.  Of course I went back today for an early dinner. To say I am a sushi fan would be a pretty big understatement.
 
I don’t really even have anything important to say, I just felt really good after tonight and checking my records to see that I am officially back at PEAK. I thought it would take a lot longer, but games have been really good at high stakes lately and I have been game selecting pretty well and playing even better. Luck obviously is on my side as well, so that certainly doesn’t hurt.
 
Oh, I am also caught up on Season 3 of Dexter. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite shows on TV. I usually wait until stuff comes out on DVD to catch up, but On Demand is pretty much the nuts. I also caught up on Californication, which I was worried might not make for an interesting season, but so far I haven’t been disappointed. Perhaps I will start True Blood next, I have heard mixed reviews, but I love vampires so I want to check it out.
 
Another random thought, I picked up SALMON jerky at whole foods this week, and it is REALLY good. I was pretty skeptical looking at it on the shelf, but I figured I would give it a whirl, and it’s actually quite delicious. I also picked up these raw vegan banana ‘bread’ flax bars that are made out of flax seeds, banana, coconut, and dates. They are probably some of the best snack bars I have ever had. There are sooooo many options in the realm of snack bars; I honestly never thought I would find something that I would really like that is also relatively nutritious. I am also a fan of the kasha chewy honey almond flax bars. Nom nom.
 
Not sure what is going to happen in the weeks following the main event final table. I am really nervous, and am super excited to get to sweat it live. I think it is going to be in the Penn and Teller theatre which should be a much better fit than where they film all the other final tables. I am curious though as I have never been inside there if the seating wraps around, or if we will all be staring at the back of a few unlucky soul’s heads until the field is narrowed down a bit. That’s all I got.
Love,
 
-David Benefield

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Nov 6, 08 02:40:06

"and I have been game selecting pretty well and playing even better"

LOL @ you having to game select, how hard can it be. "Avoid phil, pat, and david, and keep what ever danger brother on my right"

P.S True Blood ehhhhhhh, but they started showing boobs so.......

C.R.E.A.M




Nov 6, 08 02:42:44

OH yeah, and have the goods if your guna fuck with durrrrr

C.R.E.A.M




Nov 6, 08 06:59:19

I'm probably being dumb but why are you really nervous about the main event final table?

Ted_Maul6




Nov 6, 08 07:46:16

David,

Is Fallout3 worth buying, is it ineraction with all sorts of people or just a zoombie feast? it seems alot like Will Smith's "I am legend"

SeRvE_VolleY




Nov 6, 08 07:46:41

*interaction

SeRvE_VolleY




Nov 6, 08 09:29:14

Regarding flax seeds, a common mistake is that people read flax seeds and think automatically they're getting the health benefit, fiber, nutrients, oils, etc. But unless they are milled, or ground, your body cannot absorb the nutrional benefits flax seeds have to offer. A whole flax seed = rigged. I know nutrition is important to you, wanted to let you know.

Dubois1212




Nov 6, 08 10:52:21

you should start watching Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia... amazing show trust me.. its on hulu.com for free too

pocrespo




Nov 7, 08 11:07:26

I own a Toyota and if I leave the lights in the "on" position, they will turn off after 2 minutes if you take the key out. The only way to kill the battery is to put the fog lights on and leave.

How did you get out of your downswing?

gocapitals17




Nov 7, 08 13:19:50

too much tuna

I love tuna also. But had to stop eating it because my mercury levels were at 5 ppm!! Which is way too high. I would check your mercury levels if you are eating that much tuna.

loques




Nov 8, 08 16:21:43

congrats on getting out of ur ds

Macdaddy34



395 Views | Comments (10)
November 03, 2008

I just got back from jiu jitsu today, and wow am I out of shape. I haven’t been in over a month, and it really showed. My technique hadn’t gotten any worse, and actually may have gotten slightly better somehow, but I got gassed wayyyy too fast. I guess a month of eating everything in sight coupled with not working out very much will do that to you. While there, I did get the ‘nod’ from Forrest Griffin when he saw me work an arm bar escape, so I felt cool. He is not small.
 
This weekend Haley came into town for Halloween festivities, she seemed like she needed a break from the grind of school. Anyways, we had a great Nobu dinner, and after that we had tickets to the opening of the new Cirque show, Believe, starring Criss Angel. It was.. not very good. I was really expecting it to be super cool. Criss Angel is ‘Magician of the Decade’ and I was expecting some super cool Magic. Unfortunately, there was absolutely no cool never before seen magic tricks. He did some random disappearing stuff behind curtains (seeing how it’s a cirque show and the floor opens up in a million places, not all that), and some ‘levitation’ stuff. I am pretty critical of magic show stuff, and this certainly didn’t change my views.
 
Honestly, the show tried to do too much. Criss tried to be a comedian, which he clearly struggles with. He should have spent more time developing new tricks and techniques. The acrobatic elements one expects to see in a cirque performance were severely lacking as well. The sets and costumes were amazing, but the acrobatics were limited to floor dancing with the random person flying through the air attached to a harness. I think if they tried to make it more like a normal cirque show with some random mysticism magic tricks thrown in for good measure it would have been much more enjoyable. Instead, we got a weak comedy show with entry level magic tricks and cool costumes.
 
We had grand plans of going out to tao after the show, but honestly were just too tired. The show was a buzzkill to be sure, and we ended up going home and passing out early watching a movie. Sunday we got up early and had brunch with a Alan and Craig, then hit up yard house for a few drinks and snacks. Haley’s flight was delayed about 2 hours, so we ended up having a couple more drinks than we planned, and managed to devour one of the delicious brownies (my second favorite dessert on the planet after Serendipity’s Humble Pie).
 
Something weird about Vegas.. ever since I have been in this house, disk drives have stopped working a lot. Joe’s dvd drive on his computer went out, and yesterday the dvd drive on my 360 stopped working. I just picked up Fable 2 and Fallout 3, and was looking forward to a week of gaming leading up to the main event final table. Was planning on taking a nice relaxing week of jiu jitsu and video games, and trying to get back into shape a little bit, but I was very unhappy to go up there last night and have it busto. I went to gamestop today and they said they couldn’t do anything, but I could trade in my 360 elite for 36 dollars! YAY!!! I said no ty out of principle even though it will probably sit in my closet for the next 2 years, and picked up an xbox arcade, since I have the hard drive from the elite. Hopefully today I can get crackin on one of the games, I hear fallout 3 is especially sick.
 
On the poker side of life, I did poker after dark last week, and it went really great, I think we all had a lot of fun. I can’t really divulge any information about it, but check out Taylor’s blog for more info. I have also been playing a little bit of the railheaven games. They have been going pretty well, but I haven’t been able to get into the games as much as I would like. So often the game instafills and then there’s a 12 person waitlist and I can’t get in. You pretty much have to be one of the first at the table to have any chance of sitting. Thankfully they added a couple more tables, and hopefully the action continues in the coming weeks. I feel much more comfortable playing NL for tons of money than PLO, as I feel like I have more control of the outcome.
 
I am getting really amped up for this main event final table next week. I am actually pretty nervous, and feel like I might be a wreck while watching it. I can’t imagine what the guys that are actually playing feel like right now, and it should be super exciting to see what happens.
 
-David Benefield

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Nov 3, 08 16:54:48

You don't even know what desert is until you try the chocolate raspberry wonton and vanilla bean ice cream at Tao.

Rask




Nov 3, 08 19:30:21

obv the best blog on CR.

ornycjv




Nov 3, 08 19:37:20

Blog is pretty sweet as always, best of luck to craigmarq from me imo

JonnyCurry



203 Views | Comments (3)
October 31, 2008

My wonderful PA Nicky sent this too me this morning, and I wanted to share it with you guys; I thought it was quite funny.

Dr. Laura Schlessinger is a radio personality who dispenses advice to people who call in to her radio show. Recently, she said that, as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22 and cannot be condoned under any circumstance.
The following is an open letter to Dr. Laura:
 
Dear Dr. Laura:
 
Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate. I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the other specific laws and how to follow them:
 
When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?
 
I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?
 
I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness - Lev.15 :19- 24. The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.
 
Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?
 
I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?
 
A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination - Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this?
 
Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?
 
Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?
 
I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?
 
My brother has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? - Lev.24:10-16. Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)
 
I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.
 
Your devoted fan,

Katie

PS: I am most interested in the obvious loophole regarding the enslavement of those north of the border.  I have done my best to build a career off of this Biblical teaching.  Please join me in supporting a new initiative based upon God's will.  I also plagiarized this letter from someone far more clever and less time constrained than I. 

-David

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Oct 31, 08 13:13:16

hi david. love the blog.

this particular post interests me. more so for the fact that you seem to find it funny, and probably not for the same reasons that i do. nothing that this person says makes any real sense. she would know this if she actually had any actual knowledge of the bible at all. but i guess that it is more fun for people to make wild accusation and statements without actually having any basis.

the next time you are on 2+2 you should stop by the science, math, and philosophy sections. we play with this kinda stuff all of the time.

again, love the blog, keep it up

jibninjas




Oct 31, 08 13:41:02

lol awesome.

overbet56




Oct 31, 08 15:47:44

yeah its from the West Wing

smudge88821




Oct 31, 08 18:28:01

so good :)

Swooper




Nov 1, 08 00:07:45

"any actual knowledge of the bible at all." uh, you can take it literally, not take it at all, or create your own interpretation. if anyone is choosing c, why follow such dogma to begin with?

jayceekay




Nov 1, 08 11:40:30

:) very funny, excatly how some use bibble to offend people referring into old texts... We are all the same and equal..

Mikodeemus




Nov 1, 08 23:05:11

some clarification

In the King James Version of the Bible, Leviticus 18:22 is translated: "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination (note that even in this translation homosexuality is not forbidden, only acts between two men are addressed)," from the original hebrew: "V'et zachar lo tishkav mishk'vey eeshah toeyvah hee. " This translation is close to capturing the intending meaning of the hebrew verse, but taken out of context it can easily be misconstrued. If Leviticus 18:22 is considered in the context of its surrounding chapters and previous verse, then one might expect that it refers to some forbidden idolatrous activity in a Pagan temple from which the ancient Israelites must separate themselves.<BR><BR>Hopefully this will clear up some things up for people reading the funny letter you quoted.<BR><BR>everyone should go see bill mahers movie Religulous, although i do not agree entirely with his views he makes some very good points about religion.<BR><BR

socialrunner




Nov 2, 08 00:42:03

lmao
thanks for sharing.

GuitarmanUK




Nov 2, 08 07:47:44

This is an almost decade old Internet joke and there is no way of knowing whether it's was actually sent to Dr. Laura or not. At one point in time it was even attributed to being sent to President Bush.

It is true that Dr. Laura used to be an Orthodox Jew but she renounced her faith 5 years ago.

Find out more here: http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/drlaura.asp

Max Ghezzi




Nov 3, 08 01:46:31

Laughed a lot. Watch "Religulous", David...think you'll like it.

knox828




Nov 29, 08 23:27:34

omg AWESOME blog raptor

Kaveros



190 Views | Comments (11)
October 28, 2008

I just wanted to write a quick update on a new situation that has arisen in the lovely Las Vegas. I won’t talk about anything I have done in the last 2 weeks, just this situation. I find it quite entertaining actually, though at the time I was relatively tilted.
 
I am trying to put a pool into my house in LV. There have been some issues getting the paperwork through, the plans OKd by the HOA, etc. You aren’t allowed to start work until all of the paperwork is complete, so I said ok fine whatever we will get it figured out.
 
I get a phone call at 9am this morning (which I usually would ignore, but was awake so picked up the phone) from one of the HOA people (we will call her Jill). She said that she couldn’t get a hold of Joe, and that he was being mean to her and not returning her calls and blah blah blah. Joe is taking care of the pool stuff, since he really wanted one, and I didn’t care enough to actually do the work.
 
I told her I would call him and tell him to get up there and sign the changes or whatever small thing needed to be done. She said ok well, I am looking in your backyard, AND YOU STARTED WORKING ON THE POOL ALREADY ZOMG YOU ARE BREAKING THE RULES WE ARE COMING AVER YOU #@()*%@()#%. I was like umm.. first off, wtf are you talking about, and second off, don’t make ridiculous accusations in that tone, I don’t appreciate it.
 
She was like ZOMG I AM LOOKING IN AND I SEE A WATER FOUNTAIN !@#)(%*@#% YOU ARENT ALLOWED TO START WORK UNTIL THE PLANS ARE FINALIZED. I was like ummm well.. do you mean.. the water fountain that has been in my backyard for the last 4 years? The one they built when they built the house? THAT water fountain? Yea, I would imagine its still there I don’t think I dug it up recently or anything.
 
She gets huffy, and is like ZOMG THE WATER FOUNTAIN IS ON YOU ARE BREAKING THE RULES THE HOA CLEARLY STATES ON PAGE 112 SECTION A PART 3 THAT YOU CANT HAVE THE WATER FOUNTAIN ON UNLESS YOU ARE OUTSIDE!!! I was like well, that’s a retarded rule, I like hearing the sound of it, but I will call joe and tell him to turn it off. (I had to pretend I wasn’t home because if I was home she would make me go up and see her and sign forms. Bad news) She was like YOU SIGNED THE HOA FORMS YOU HAVE TO BREAK THE RULES YOU ARE CAUSING A LOT OF PROBLEMS BLAH BLAH.
 
I was like ‘well, I had to sign the stupid HOA forms to buy the house, and do you really think anyone actually reads 150 pages of bullshit on whether or not u can have the water fountain on, or that the grass has to be 1.468 inches tall at all times? I told you I will call him to turn it off, don’t know what else u want me to do. Sorry to have inconvenienced u such. Immediately she goes YOU ARE BREAKING THE RULES YOU SIGNED THE HOA AGREEMENTS YOU WILL BE FINED @)(*%()#@#%@.
 
So I go, ok well, if I am going to be fined, I would like to know the logical reason for having the water fountain turned off when no1 is outside. I like having my windows open and hearing the sound, it is very soothing (thinking the answer will be water conservation, which I have a rebuttal for. Our water fountain recycles the water! The only water lost is evaporation!). She says ITS IN THE HOA YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW THE RULES @)#%*@()#*%@#%.
 
This is just stubborn, so I persist since I am not happy about being called at 9am and treated like a 3rd grader, then sent to time out. She eventually gets to ‘IF THERE IS A LITTLE KID IN YOUR BACKYARD HE COULD DROWN IN THE WATER!!!’ So I say, if there is a little kid in my backyard and he drowns in my water fall, he deserves to die. She is flabbergasted at this. I next ask her if she is really standing outside my house looking in the backyard. She says yes. I ask her if the gate is open. She says no. I ask her why she thinks a child that would drown in 3 inches of water could scale an 8 foot gate that is locked. She says ITS IN THE HOA YOU HAVE TO TURN THE WATER OFF.
 
I next say, im pretty sure if there is someone looking suspicious in my backyard, snooping around, I have the legal right to shoot him for trespassing, so the water fall should be the least of his worries (I might be off on this, but it seemed like a reasonable thing to say). She lost her mind a little bit in her response, and didn’t really make any sense, but I told her I would be up here on Thursday and would discuss the matter with her further, and sign any paperwork she had for me.
 
I suppose it’s possible she is the president of the HOA and can find some way to get me kicked out if she really wanted to, but that would be utterly ridiculous, and I will spend all of my money on lawyers fighting it. I think its really funny looking back how she has nothing better to do but check up on this, peek into my backyard, and call me in a rant and rave with her crazy nazi agenda. I mean cmon, do you really have nothing better to do?
 
Ok, sorry about all that, I thought it was a relatively entertaining story and wanted to write it up real quick. I was in New York for the last week and a half or so and had a great time. I will write up a big trip report including trips to Masa, Peter Luger’s, and Serendipity’s. Gotta go do yoga then try to win a live donkament now, talk to you guys soon.
 
-David

Read More

Oct 28, 08 13:17:42

LOL TY "Jill"

Nickw1979




Oct 28, 08 13:43:52

classic story. thanks for sharing. what a crazy psycho bitch. must have been that time of the month, or maybe her son just died from scaling an eight foot fence and drowning in a 3 inch water fountain. seriously, what is wrong with people?

tilllttt




Oct 28, 08 14:12:03

Hilarious.

danibusman




Oct 28, 08 14:34:13

haha you can be such a pain in the ass. gl in vego, see ya in fl

Taylor




Oct 28, 08 16:56:34

I'd buy a kiddie pool and set it up. The buy a child mannequin and set him in it face down. Then the next time she goes snooping around your house, she'll have something to look at.

Przytula




Oct 28, 08 17:38:17

ahahha

perunjd




Oct 28, 08 17:38:20

ahahha

perunjd




Oct 28, 08 17:51:05

"So I say, if there is a little kid in my backyard and he drowns in my water fall, he deserves to die."

This is the greatest thing I've ever read. I will put in the paperwork to make you a god.

RodeoBlue




Oct 28, 08 17:59:45

Just to give you a heads up, uou can't shoot some one for trespassing. You can use reasonable force to protect your property, but deadly force is illegal unless it was self defense or w/e.

llama88




Oct 28, 08 18:12:17

gah I wish I could have heard what she had to say after you told her that you think its your right to shoot her if she's snooping on your property.

gordo16




Oct 28, 08 20:14:04

lolol this is awesome....obv she has a bit too much free time on her hands or just really hates you guys for some reason!

ugobrokenow




Oct 28, 08 20:51:54

No, you can't shoot somebody for only trespassing on your property but if you "feared for your life and were convinced that you were facing a violent criminal", you'd be in the legal right to put two in his chest and one in the head.

Nevada's police agencies and district attorneys have both generally exhibited common sense, usually opting against trying to prosecute individuals who use force to protect their lives and property in the face of a potentially imminent threat.

Thankfully, A bill draft request to implement the famous "Castle Doctrine" has been submitted for the 2009 legislative session by Assemblyman Harry Mortenson of Las Vegas, which would add an extra level of protection for those law-abiding homeowners forced into such unfortunate situations.

Now, the Castle Doctrine has some variations, but essentially says that someone attacked in his home can use reasonable force, including deadly force, to protect his or another person's life without any duty to retreat from the attacker.

This clarifies that a homeowner does NOT have a duty to retreat in the face of a robbery or break-in.

Max Ghezzi




Oct 28, 08 22:23:28

Trespassers will be shot imo.

RodeoBlue




Oct 29, 08 02:09:48

maybe in texas you can shoot someone on your property, vegas not so much.

jrenaud




Oct 29, 08 04:13:57

"So I say, if there is a little kid in my backyard and he drowns in my water fall, he deserves to die."

GOLD!

M7778




Oct 29, 08 05:09:14

ZOMG! looooool

carrotallan




Oct 29, 08 11:17:08

Great story. And, for the record, every HOA has at least one "Jill". She obv has too much time on her hands.

drillbill




Oct 29, 08 11:33:10

No...

She really doesn't have anything better to do.

HOA's meet like quarterly, you could try going to one of the meetings. Chances are the developer or a rep from the developer is the President of the HOA, the rest of the votes are usually divvied between the home owners.

In my experience you do have to change your tone a tiny bit when at an HOA meeting, but I totally empathize with this situation... it's mind-numbingly aggrivating.

LJJones




Oct 29, 08 12:31:36

reminds me of the HOA lady in Over the Hedge...

DrSatisfaction




Oct 29, 08 15:49:22

Only in America..

superflugan




Oct 29, 08 19:24:45

ummm in no state can you shoot someone for trespassing lol

hjg24




Oct 30, 08 06:35:08

hahaha

skyfox7




Oct 31, 08 02:22:34

So I say, if there is a little kid in my backyard and he drowns in my water fall, he deserves to die.

LMAO! U should write for Californication.

BogeyDrvr




Nov 1, 08 04:43:23

f.uck, just f.uckin dhoot her already

theRabidDoG




Nov 3, 08 04:27:08

only a government agent could act in such a stupid illogical manner, man i can't wait til people like her are controlling our healthcare... Go government.

Breadfan




Nov 4, 08 03:53:52

whats up with HOA

I can feel your pain on the home owners association people taking their jobs way too seriously. I was swimming at the neighborhood pool of my condos and placed a rock to block the gate which they conveniently changed the locks to without notifying me. The guy flipped out at me and said I cant do that even though my friends were coming right back I just didnt have a key to let them back in and you cant open it from inside or out without one. He then goes off on a tangent about needing a picture of my dog and all this stuff for some unknown reason. They also made me remove an air conditioning unit from out of my room over the summer which made my room unlivably hot and I had to replace my furnace instead because apparently my ac unit which was small was an eyesore. It stuck out 4 inches from my building while others have huge satellite dishes and my thing is an eye sore. uggg this is now a rant as well but HOA's suck! sorry man

tilterstom



190 Views | Comments (26)
October 17, 2008

 

The last week or so has been quite busy. I managed to play a LITTLE bit of poker, gustav was in monkey spew mode one night at 500-1k, snap calling reshoves with T8s for 30x, etc, so I got in a few hundred hands there, but lost a little bit. It is always a little frustrating to get beat by people like that, but that’s poker. If games continue to be good at the nosebleed cap games, I will play when I am in good spirits, but in general, my hours have been cut way way back.
 
I had an interview for a ‘swing coach’ position up at my old high school this week. Basically, there are 7th, 8th, JV, and Varsity teams, and there is a head coach for each. For the JV and Varsity teams, they need TWO coaches to be at every game, and right now I think there are 3 coaches between the JV and Varsity teams, so what I would be doing is making myself available for every game all season, and being able to go back and forth. I am not sure if they need me, but my meetings with the athletic director as well as the headmaster went very well, so assuming the position is needed I don’t see any reason why I wouldn’t get it. This should take up quite a big chunk of time in the spring, and I am really looking forward to it.
 
I had a college meeting with the high school advisor this week as well. I guess I just need someone to point me in the right direction as to what my purpose is right now. In high school, I had someone telling me what to do at every step of the way. Now, I have sort of been working it out by myself, so it was nice to get a little input on what my goals should be for the next month. As soon as I got home, I banged out 8 pages of essays for St. John’s, and felt relatively productive.
 
After that, I went to the TCU vs BYU game with my parents. Going in TCU was ranked 24th, and BYU 9th iirc. TCU absolutely dominated though, and ended up winning 32-7, and ended BYU’s winning streak. Thursday is apparently the night of upsets, though vegas had the frogs as a 1 point favorite. Also in the game, TCU’s extra point kicker missed TWO extra points. That should never really happen, and fortunately they didn’t come back to haunt.
 
In one of my essays yesterday, I was asked to discuss a book that was influential in my life, and discuss one important aspect of it, and I wanted to share.
 
“My favorite part of his book is ‘the drowning model’, which shows two things: a strong motivator can be found in the desire to liberate ourselves from pain, and once that freedom is experienced, the relief felt can be mistaken for happiness. He goes on to say ‘A person whose head is forced under water will suffer discomfort and pain and will struggle to escape. If, at the last moment, his head is released, he will gasp for air and experience a sense of intoxicating relief.’”
 
I discussed this connection with academia and grades, and how students work ridiculously hard to achieve high marks, while at the same time missing out on the actual learning. They are learning merely for the end result, the high letter grade, and are missing out on the enjoyable process. Instead of treating learning like a privilege, they look at it as the lesser of evils, and many never can really enjoy formalized education. This is the way I have always been, and the programs I am looking at in college are aware of this very real problem, and so I am interested to see how their systems work.
 
Tonight I am going to simply fondue with a small group, and probably out for a few drinks afterwards. I am leaving tomorrow morning for NYC for a week, and am going to try to get a feel for the city. After that, I will be in vegas until the November 9 make their run. Probably right before the final table, I am taking a trip to Claremont to check out Pitzer, CMC, and Pomona. After that I am road tripping up to Portland to check out Reed and Evergreen State, and when I return to TX, am road tripping to Santa Fe to check out St. Johns. It is going to be a busy month for me.
 
-David Benefield

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Oct 17, 08 14:25:35

sounds like you got the whole formalized education thing figured out. i was always one of the kids who learned for the higher grade...and yeah i hated college. i think with your experiences tho you'll find it a lot more rewarding and appreciate everything more. best of luck with the apps!

DrSatisfaction




Oct 19, 08 12:10:23

You might like Evergreen. You can pretty much do any project you want and get credit for it. And there are no grades!

ejatesh



115 Views | Comments (2)
October 10, 2008

 

In the last week or so I have spent more time at my old high school than I did some weeks I was actually IN high school (ok slight exaggeration but you get the point). I have been meeting with college advisors, various teachers from my past, baseball coaches, athletic directors, headmasters, etc. I have been making a fair amount of progress on my applications, and am working hard on getting my essays completed. Right now, the schools I am applying to are: Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, Pomona, Occidental, Fordham, Reed, University of Chicago, and St. John’s in Santa Fe. All have the class size I am looking for, and seem to be quite a bit different than the traditional ‘college experience’ which is what I am going for.

 

I talked with the head baseball coach up at my old high school (he was one of the assistants when I was there), and he said he would love to have me on board. I set up a meeting with the athletic director next week to discuss details and see if they can put me on the payroll. Apparently there is a slot open for the JV team, and he told me I would probably be swinging back and forth between the teams helping out, but coaching all the JV games. This would be pretty sweet and I think I would enjoy it a lot. Hopefully it all works out and I get hired.

 

From a poker standpoint, I have been randomly playing some nosebleeds when games have been very good. It has been a little up and down, but I have made a decent bit in the last month or so, and the downswing is turning around, recovered about 400k from bottom 5 weeks ago, so feelin good again.

 

I just finished reading book 2 of the Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin, and I must say I have been very impressed. I have always enjoyed reading fantasy, and this is one of the best series so far; I hear that book 3 is even better, so I can’t wait to get started on it. In other book news, I might try to read Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now, Tommy Angelo highly recommended this too me, and I told him I would read it but have been putting it off for a few months. I figure it’s time to give it a look.

 

A couple nights ago I saw Miracle at St. Anna, the new Spike Lee movie, and thought it was pretty solid. It got pretty miserable reviews, mentioning how it drags on and has a lot of stuff that could have been cut and blah blah, but I really liked it. There were some very funny parts as well as a lot of stuff that pulled on those emotional strings. I thought it was great, and I am just sort of surprised at the reviews.

 

Last night I went with Mario to go play a 2-5 live game. I started my poker career playing in some underground card rooms around town, mostly 1-2 and occasionally 2-5 NL, about a year and a half before I started playing online. I played in these games 4-5 times a week for about a year and a half, and really learned a lot about life and poker from the older guys there.

 

The original club I used to play at got shut down about 6 months ago, and some of the players migrated over to this other place. I ran into a bunch of ppl I knew from way back in the day, and had a lot of fun playing in the game. It was a 2-5 300 max buyin game or 75% of the big stack, so if you came in late you could usually buy in for 1k or whatever. Mario ended up crushing and was up something like 1500, and I THINK I broke about evenish. I was in for around 900-1200, was playing about 70/50 7-9 handed, and managed to lose to Mario with JJ on a JT5 rainbow flop. It was actually a weird hand and I want to talk about it.

 

I raise utg to 20, Mario calls in cutoff, and super mega uber nit with a 170ish stack calls in the bb. I have around 1500, Mario has about the same. Flop comes down JT5 rainbow, and uber nit guy leads out for 30. I decide to just call, and Mario calls as well. Turn is Ks putting 2 spades out, and uber nitty guy bets 60 leaving himself 70. I just call again, and Mario thinks for like 30 seconds, then calls. The river is a 6s, so KJT65 with 3 spades, and uber nitty guy shoves for his last 70, and I think for a while and just call. Mario thinks for like 45 seconds and MIN raises. I laugh, say haha I suck, call, and lose to AQ. Uber nitty guy had KJ.

 

Now, I actually think I played this hand as best I possibly could have, MAYBE folded river, but I think he might squeeze some value out of 2 pair or whatever on occasion. I don’t think, with the uber nitty guy in the hand, I could have put a raise in at any point. I am comfortable with how it went, and I was really happy when Mario flipped up AQ and I was like haha u missed about 1k worth of value.

 

Anyways, we stayed for a few hours, had a few laughs, then came back and put in a couple games of WC3. Back in the day, he used to be pretty sick at WC3, but neither of us had played in a while. I went 18-0 in AT’s with his little brother like 4 years ago when I used to play a bit, and so I guess I used to be ok as well. We ended up getting crushed both games, but I picked up on a lot of mistakes the other team was making, and that made me feel like with some work I could compete like I used to. I play a lot of DOTA which is a custom game based off of WC3, but haven’t played the actual game much at all, so maybe I will work some AT’s in every now and then to mix it up.

 

Yoga and meditation stuff has been going well. I achieved what I thought I never would be able to a few days ago. In a meditative pose I counted 100 breaths without moving, no scratching itches, twitching fingers, nothing. I used to not be able to get to 5 when I first started trying, and I felt pretty good about my accomplishment. It sounds pretty easy, and not that difficult, but it is SOOO easy to let your mind wander, feel a phantom itch, have the urge to swallow, etc. It is VERY tough to remain very still focused on the moment and your breaths. Anyways, I thought it was cool and wanted to share.

 

I leave for NY on the 18th, and after that am headed to LV for a few weeks, and probably to LA/Portland to look at a few schools. Probably wont be playing a ton of poker, gonna have a sick sweat at wsop final table, and am going to focus on getting my affairs in order for school. I hope you all crush this week.

 

-David Benefield

Read More

Oct 10, 08 17:07:16

The Power of Now was a mind-awakening book for me my sophomore year of college. I've read it 3 times since then. You can read it over and over again and get something new out of it. Definitely worth reading.

TigerGomes




Oct 11, 08 02:41:02

I agree, you need to read The Power of Now NOW!!!

foxypham




Oct 11, 08 12:48:39

If you ever wanna practice your WC let me know, I used y play a lot and even went to WCG. Of course level 45+ and all that back in the day...

Gorgi24




Oct 13, 08 11:19:29

The summer after I graduated and before I left for the Army I was an unofficial cross country coach. I ran with the team and travelled to meets. It was a lot of fun and something I would enjoy doing again.

If the baseball goes through for you, I think it would be a great thing to add to your life.
Best of luck as always,
ADam

epdog




Oct 15, 08 15:28:32

I just finished the first book in Ice and Fire. 800 pages with no real ending. At least the next book is only 150 pages longer. Despite the length it's a good read.

DuDot




Oct 16, 08 01:49:32

dude

I had no idea you were a ship it holla balla man..
but you looked more like harry potter in this one..
sick!!
http://www.bankrollboost.com/poker_blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/ship-it-holla-ballas.jpg
What were you thinking?? ha

pocrespo




Oct 16, 08 22:50:33

this may be a stupid question......but since ur name on stars is bebop and ur name on ft was aeron73........where did the name Raptor come from?

TheTyman9




Oct 16, 08 23:42:16

mmm, to the harry potter thing, link is broken, but i assume it is of a HALLOWEEN COSTUME, in which i pull off harry potter to perfection.

as to raptor.. that was my 2p2 name long before i had ftp and stars accounts.

David B




Oct 20, 08 00:52:35

uchicago is very very nice

Shrewww



105 Views | Comments (9)
October 04, 2008

 

The last few days I have been looking into some sort of way to give my time to helping others. I have been thinking about it for a while, and think its something that I have no reason not to do, and could be beneficial to everyone. I looked into the local boys and girls clubs in fort worth, and am going to try to start volunteering there early next year. The application process to even volunteer is actually pretty complicated, but I think it would be a good thing.
 
I also want to donate some money, as well as time, and I was interested in these clubs around town, maybe putting up a new basketball court, or something similar that is needed or could be pretty beneficial to a local organization. I looked into big brother big sister organizations, and I think the main problem for me is that I travel too much. It isn’t really fair to take on someone as a little brother, then randomly be gone for a couple weeks when they could need me. I am trying to find the most beneficial use of my time, and find somewhere that it won’t go wasted.
 
I made a thread in EDF on 2p2 here: http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/79/edf/charity-thread-312702/ , and if anyone has any information they could add that would be fantastic.
 
The last couple days I have been hanging out with friends a lot, and not really pokering. I have been trying to get back on a healthy eating plan, as I sort of got a little out of hand in London. Whenever I eat all of my meals at home, I eat super clean, delicious, healthy food. The problem is when the weekend comes, people want to go out for dinner and drinks, so I obviously join in on the fun. This is ok though, eating is one of my favorite things to do, and I guess its not like I am training for something, I just want a sexy body for vanity purposes.
 
Last night we were supposed to go to this place, Nonna Tata, which is supposed to be the best Italian in Fort Worth. It is a super small place, has 6 tables inside and 6 outside, and often the wait is over 2 hours. The chef is from Milan, and it is her operation and apparently is incredible. We got there later than we planned, around 830, and they weren’t seating anyone else. The list was like 15 people long before us, and they usually stop seating at 930. It was kinda cool a lot of people were camped out waiting, backed up their trucks or suvs or whatever, and were sort of tailgating with wine. Some people even brought their own tables and were trying to get an early jump on the wait list. Anyways, I am going to try this place again sometime during the week when it is less crowded, and I cant wait.
 
We ended up going go another nice Italian place in an older area of Fort Worth, and IT was booked solid. They offered us seating at the bar, but it was kinda crowded and wasn’t what we were looking for. We ended up going to Chiles and I ate a giant bowl of skillet queso and a billion chips. Yes, I am all about being healthy, I passed on the molten chocolate lava cake!
 
After dinner I hung out with haley, her roommate and bf, and one of my old friends from high school who I haven’t seen that often. His dad died about 9 months ago, and he has been going through some tough times. I played baseball growing up with this guy, and we were always good friends. We have a meeting to talk with athletic director from our high school next week to see if we can get jobs assistant coaching the JV team or something. I would love to get back out there on the field, throw BP, hit some popups to the outfielders, whatever. Just getting back into it would be great.
 
Once upon a time I was a very good baseball player, and had plans of playing at TCU. I had a shoulder injury early into my senior year season, and it put me out for about a year. I never really recovered from it mentally, and figured my baseball career was over. I got into poker, and here I am now. Some of the schools I am applying to have D3 sports, including baseball teams that aren’t really all that amazing. I am going to start getting back into shape for baseball, and assuming I get into any of the places I want to go, try to walk on.
 
I played pretty much nonstop from age 5-18, and really loved it.  Since getting into poker, I haven’t picked up a bat unless it was a friendly softball game, and have thrown maybe 6 times in total. My old pitching coach is still doing his thing, and I am going to go see him next week and see if I can get back on some kind of program to get my arm in shape. I have been struggling with finding something to be passionate about and devote my time to, and this just might be what I have been looking for. It is kinda weird, I often think about how my life would be different if I continued in baseball, and just assumed I would never really get a chance to find out. When I go tour the schools I am going to try to set up meetings with the coaches, get a feel for the teams and see if there is a way I could contribute. It might even help in the admissions process, which would be pretty great.
 
Anyways, just wanted to do a quick update, I haven’t really been doing anything super interesting since I got back from London, just been taking it easy and working a little bit on some college stuff. Hopefully I will have some cool updates and developments soon to share with you guys. Later.
 
-David Benefield

Read More

Oct 4, 08 17:43:33

why don't you try giving to world vision or children incorporated or someting like that? there's a charity i'm looking into giving to called half the sky. their site is www.halfthesky.org and they specialize in helping orphans in china.

other than that i try to volunteer for local events. i'm in toronto so the winters are brutal for the homeless and there's this "Out of the Cold" programs for homeless/street youths where they can stay overnight every wednesday at a church. so i'd go help serve dinner, talk to the kids, play basketball with them, etc.

anyways, it's always good to see poker players that are willing to give back. good luck!

DrSatisfaction




Oct 4, 08 20:29:24

Flapjacks ftw

This is nice thread David, but there is one extremely busto element- the lack of any flaxseed pancake recipe!!!!!!!!

I am at the stage where i have given up and will go the extra step and eat the molten chocolate lava cake. Thats right, ill do it.... do you really want that on your already riddled conscience?

X5452




Oct 4, 08 22:59:00

If you're looking to play baseball make sure you get on a summer team and get in contact with a few coaches who will come out and watch you play. This will definetly help in the admissions process if they like you. Also, I don't know what positions you play, but be very open to playing anything you can to get on a team. One issue with college athletics is if you were caught playing cards or betting on any kind of game its a lifetime NCAA ban. That would mean you could never even coach in college later on. They really don't look into these things at smaller schools because they don't care, but I don't know if it would be different with you since you're a more high profile poker player. PM me if you have any questions, I went through the whole injury thing my senior year too which kind of fucked me over, but theres a lot of small schools out there.

bk13842




Oct 5, 08 01:51:27

donorschoose.org imo....that's where I do all my charity type stuff....

ugobrokenow




Oct 5, 08 08:59:20

If u are interested in walking on, do it fast! yr clock is ticking and from what I remember you only have a 5yr window to play from the time u attend yr first college class.

val




Oct 5, 08 13:17:02

What to do???

Hey David

I kinda get the vibe your like me and are looking into the future and what you want to do in the future, like after poker and stuff. What will you be doing in like 10years??? I’ve been asking myself the same thing, and tho I haven’t made any where near as much money as you I have been thinking what I want to do with my life over the next 10+ years. I recently pulled out of uni as I have been kinda forcing my self to continue with a degree to satisfy parents but I knew the course I was doing just wasn’t what I wanted to do and now and over the last month I’ve been wondering what do I want to do??? What will I feel happy doing and have a passion for???

Anyway don’t really know what the point of this comment was but I get the vibe over this and your last few posts that where in a similar boat, well that’s my read:) which is known to be wrong, but would be nice to talk about it with you one day if its right.

tropical100




Oct 6, 08 12:42:03

Lemme know what organization you donate to and I will pitch in a couple hundo.

SixPeppers




Oct 6, 08 19:52:16

Why not just relax and enjoy life instead of being self-righteous and thinking you have to "give back"and preaching about it all the time just because you're a good poker player.

88keyz




Oct 7, 08 05:13:33

baseball

I'm a former D1 (played in ACC) baseball player (RH pitcher) and I can say with a fact that you don't need to worry about them finding out you play poker and tossing you off the team/out of school. That being said you don't want to flaunt it because they might think you are heavily into other forms of gambling and it could become a deterrent.

Even though I play poker for a living now, I still play baseball extensively and went to spring training last year (though I didn't get signed). If you have any questions about things to do to get back in baseball shape (mostly arm related) feel free to shoot me a pm. You obviously know how to eat correctly and keep in shape, but I might be able to help if you have any questions about your arm, pitching, etc.

gl

themightyjim




Oct 12, 08 01:23:31

bigbrother

that would be cool if you became a big brother and taught these orphans how to win NL cash gams LOL

lastsamurai



109 Views | Comments (10)
September 29, 2008

 So i was planning on waiting to write this on the airplane, but i just couldnt resist. Current London time is 5:08 in the AM. I will get to that later.

 

Day 1b of the wsopE went awesome. There were a few updates that were quite accurate, i did some interviews, talked through a few hands, etc. I felt like i ran pretty good, but also played amazing. Was playing super aggressive super solid poker, and couldnt have been happier with my results, finishing 4th in chips for the day. Coming back for day 2 i was ready to attack my table. I was in a great chip position with kongsgaard, a young euro that plays solid higher stakes nl, and he had 80k going into the day. Within first 30 minutes we get 60% of our stacks in i have AA he has AK, flops KK6 and he ships it for like 1/4 pot i obv call gg me. nice start.

 

Over the next 3 levels i cant really recover. Chip stack goes up to 100, down to 50, up to 80, down to 40 when this hand comes up on the greatest table on the planet. Such a tragedy to waste. Anyways, 1 limp, i complete sb T8o, Erik Seidel checks bb. Flop comes J97 rainbow. I check, Seidel bets 2.5k, fold, i call. Turn offsuit Q, i check planning on calling, he checks behind. River comes another Q, i think for a bit and bet 7600. (for record, i had just bluffed 14k on a river vs him when flush draw missed, he rivered top pair with worse flush draw, meh). He thinks for a bit then ships a stack in. I have like 25k or so left at this point, and i go into the tank. It just didnt make sense to me that he had a set, i couldnt imagine him ever checking the turn with that or 2 pair like QJ Q9, so basically i just thought he had complete dogshit, maybe QT or something that hit trips on river, so i called. He had Q9. I really hate his turn check, but i guess it ownd me.

 

I was pretty upset after busting, i walked away from table and forgot my wallet. Camera guy was in my face tracking my every move, so was extra fun having to walk all the back to grab it. Anyways, after leaving, i wanted a banana and a bottle of water, so went to the local Quick-E-Mart down the street. I grabbed a ripe banana and an evian, and proceeded to the cashier. He says 1.40 pounds. I say ok, reach into my pocket and pull out 1.20, thats all the coin i shrug and reach into my back pocket because i THOUGHT i had like 500 pounds in bills. Apparently i was wrong. I look up sheepishly and he says 'YOU CANNOT PAY? YOU CAN HAVE BANANA OR WATER, YOU CHOOOOOSE!!' in a thick Englindian accent. I think mean thoughts while searching my other pockets.

 

I am like welllll do you take credit card? He is like yes its 50p charge. Im like ok great whatever heres my card. (i had just gotten new card and forgot to sign the back, ups). I hand it to him and he looks at it, and looks at me, an is like 'IS THIS YOU??' I am like ummmm ya see that pic? i had longer hair then. He looks at it for another 20 seconds, shows it to his friend, and im like 'Ok look its not a stolen card i didnt rob someone so i could buy a fucking banana' (i am still slightly steamed from busting obv, i just want some damn potassium). He says, 'DO YOU HAVE SOME FORM OF ID??' im like ugh yes, the picture on the card should be adequate, but i whip out my passport and ask him if this is legitimate enough to buy a banana. He says OKKK THANK YOU COME AGAIN and i leave proud of myself for not knocking over the box of nutrigrains teetering on the edge of the shelf.

 

I head back to my room and get on the laptop to see whats goin on, obviously having no intention of playing. I do some railing of a couple good 1-2 plo games, and talk to the railbirds for a while and have a little fun; started feeling slightly better about the day. After an hour or so lady marmelade sits in, so obv i jump a seat. Gonna post some hands now..

 

http://www.pokerhand.org/?3257640

- after losing a couple shortstacks, got it in good finally vs Durrr. Honestly, i have no idea wtf he is thinking, i guess he put me on bare aces and wanted to only lose a little bit of money instead of a lot? Luckily he didnt suck out.

http://www.pokerhand.org/?3257674

- Had this hand vs phil, i almost timed out on the turn because of internet being laggy, but got the raise off. Was a diff size than i normally do because i had to type fast, but whatever. Obv river pairs up, and he ships it. I think its not like, the easiest fold in the world, but one that is pretty standard. Not sure what else i can do there.

http://www.pokerhand.org/?3257678

- I was playing grindmode HU at the time, we were about even, but i think he was down around 80-100k from other tables just monkeying pretty bad getting ownd even worse. I guess his pf play is expert here, because it raped my face off. Putting in 14k with AQ64 is just a powerful skill i need to work on mastering. Anyways, meh, what can ya do.

Now, on our HU table, he says he has 1 last hand to go, and pots button. I have KK54 double suited, and am like 13k deep, so i repot. He calls obv, flop comes down T63 with 2 spades and 1 of my suit, and im like meh so i pot and he ships, i lose to A663. I tilt closed the table when river peeled off so dont have HH. I dont see how u can put in 9x with 60x stacks with A663, put in 70x pf with AQ64, and be up 500k in plo in the last month. There is seriously something i am missing about this game.

 

Anywhooooo, i quit, and am like wtf why did i fking play )(@#*%)(@#*%@#5 i knew i was gonna lose i always lose after bustoing tourney balh a0938509285923 etc. Normal stuff. I ended up losing like 30k, no big deal, just annoying after what had happened earlier. Obviously lady marmelade quit and jumped to other tables whre i was like 8 deep on lists, so i was planning on sweating for a bit, catching up on some emails, then getting to bed early.

 

I decided around this time i wasnt staying in london anymore, and booked my flight back to the states. Fortunately, a first class ticket is only 9k, so went ahead and booked a 1 way. Not. I am a life nit, and found a 1 way for like 460 in the middle seat in the back. At least i got some sleep tonight! My flight is at noon, so have to get up around 830 and be out of here by 9 at the latest, they are nazis about international travel. Something i seem to do a lot after bustoing a big tourney when i had plans to stay longer is tilt book flights. I think of all the forms of tilt this probably isnt a terrible one. I was planning on playing the 5k pound ept london, and 20k pound high roller event, but i dont want to stick around here for another week. 

 

So i am railing Rail Heaven, sweating some super hot 500-1k action talking to phil, and a cool hand comes up..

 

http://www.pokerhand.org/?3258272   -

i am talking with phil on aim, and after flop action, i say..

Raptor (11:16:28 PM): benya has aces
Raptor (11:16:29 PM): hes smart
Raptor (11:16:33 PM): he gonna bet 26k
Raptor (11:16:35 PM): noa gona ship 99

And then viola! It was like magic. I was feeling pretty low about the entire evening, then doing this just made me feel 100x better. I guess it is truly the little things that matter. I thought it was relatively amusing, and made me happy for my overall ability to maintain happiness, seeing that it doesnt at all hinge on monetary gratification. It felt cool just owning that hand, even though i wasnt involved in it in any way. 

 

Shortly thereafter, the fking fire alarm starts going off in my hotel room. It is like 4:20 am at this point (coincidence?) I sit there for a solid 30 seconds thinking it is false alarm and will go off, but it keeps being loud and obnoxious, so i grab the lappy, put my watch on, grab my cash and passport, and head outside. I somehow forgot to bring a jacket, and was wearing flip flops, and it was very very cold outside. I got out in he middle of the pack and for the next 10 minutes or so people kept trickling out. A bunch of poker players were staying at this hotel, and most seemed like they were awake enough, but the older people and girl types were all exhausted. A cute (albeit very tired) looking brunette walked up near me and i said 'I hope the whole fucking hotel burns down', she smiled, and we shared a moment of understanding.

 

After not too much longer the hotel staff came out and said it was a false alarm, someone was smoking in the room (big fking surprise there) and it was safe to return to our rooms. I went back with a new perspective on this moment. Everyone was exhausted looking, and probably had important things to do in the morning. I was already awake, and all i had to do was get on a long flight home, then curl up in my greatly missed tempurpedic. I also will likely watch the premier of heroes, seeing how i was on an airplane when it went off. Very tragic to have missed it i know (tivo better remember it for me). 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1ziQecudK8

 

Anyways, i feel pretty darn good right now for some reason. Writing is very therapeutic, so i am glad i didnt save this for the airplane. Anyways, i have to get up in like 3 hours, so i am going to pop in 30 rock and try to catch a few, hope those of you sticking around in Euroland do well, and the rest of you keep crushin. 

 

 

-David Benefield

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Entry Tags: london wsope busto

Sep 30, 08 00:31:13

Except for a few lowercase i, this is vintage Raptor; perhaps it's all in the mind that Word makes one write better.

tritri




Sep 30, 08 05:39:30

where's the flaxseed pancakes?

Hey David... i was talking with u earlier on the rail of the plo bernada table (thats what i think it was called). I was the one who asked for your flaxseed pancake recipe- you said u were going to put it in your blog (ahem).

Needless to say i am still waiting and these pancakes aren't gettign any healthier.... email me at jfei3908@mail.usyd.edu.au

Thanks

X5452




Sep 30, 08 19:37:57

good entry.

Taylor




Sep 30, 08 22:30:17

oh shit banana pancakes, i completely forgot i was up for like 100 hours, still hvaent slept just got back from london, they are going in next entry for sure sorry!

David B




Oct 1, 08 19:19:51

No worries... mind you, if a photo of that ben and jerry's peanut butter ice cream is included, it will go a long way.

We don't have such ice creamery treats in Aus, and i want to admire its ability to bring you down from your healthy living.

Looking forward to these pancakes!

X5452




Oct 2, 08 09:50:03

David,
We just interviewed Taylor for our new poker show Mediocre Poker Radio. We're based in Washington DC on WJFK FM 16.7. We do the morning show during the week and this poker show on weekends for fun. (Ezra knows about us and digs our morning show). It's pretty basic, we're just average poker nerds but we'd love to interview you and pick your brain a bit. We love your videos and are big fans of your blog. If you are into having a couple guys jock you on the air email us at shipit@mediocrepokerradio.com. Thanks man, Bret

breto42



145 Views | Comments (6)
September 27, 2008

 I really dont have a lot of important things to say today, and i feel like rambling a bit so i am going to just let it flow..

 

Right now i am in london. There have been rather mixed reviews on this city, some people love the atmosphere, the cold wet weather, the girls bundled up, and the meh food. Some dislike it for the reasons previously stated. I have rather mixed feelings about it. I came here with my family when i was probably 13, and the only thing i really remember was the museum of natural history, which was incredible. My plan was to check that out for sure this trip, as well as catch a 'football match' (calling it a soccer game results in an instant stabbing attempt). Unfortunately, i managed to somehow get sick 2 days ago, and have basically been lying in bed trying to get well before the big tourney. 

 

I played the 5k PLO event, and it was pretty meh. I started off great, ran up to 45k in chips in the first level, and dominated Chad Brown's face off a few times, which is always a fun activity. No hands of interest, i basically won 3 small pots for the next 6 hours, then got in with nfd and pair vs nut nut straight with my massive 12x stack to busto. I wasnt really that upset, tourneys in general have a lot of variance, and this wasnt really all that big anyways, so i figured i wouldnt wanna waste my run good on a smaller tourney when there were bigger ones on the horizon!

 

On a side note, my diet has been absolute shit in the last 2 weeks. As some of you know, i am generally a health nazi, and try to eat super clean at all times, no fried food, desserts, candy, white bread, anything processed really. Also, as of 2 weeks ago, in the 4 months previous i had 1 steak, and no other red meat or chicken. (I did go nutso with sushi though, i think i would struggle without my raw fish). Anyways, i got back to TX and immediately got PF changs, some mongolian beef, and some shrimp lo mein. I ate like half of it, then the rest the next day. I felt disgusting, and instantly fell asleep after eating it, but oh so happy during. It is an odd phenomenon that of taste, and the hedonistic attitude we have towards food, wanting the instant gratification KNOWING it will make us feel bad later, knowing that if we ate the steamed mixed veggies and some brown rice we would feel better.

 

I also hadnt had any dairy products for 4 months. When i got back to TX, one of my good friends Rei tore his ACL, so we went to marble slab so he would feel better about himself. I got this delicious peanut butter ice cream with a fresh baked brownie mixed in, and it was probably the most delicious combination imaginable. That night i said i was never eating ice cream again, so for the next 3 days i went back every night just to show myself how little self control i possessed. Yes, i am probably turning into a woman from all the soy milk.

 

Anyways, I think part of the reason i am sickly now is because i have been eating so much shit. Yesterday i had a burger and fries from a free range grass fed burger place, and it was pretty delicious, though i couldnt really taste it because my throat is pretty clogged up. It looked like it would taste delicious, and the mind is a powerful thing, so i tricked myself into THINKING it was delicious. Also, since it was free range grass fed beef, it was healthy right? yeah. I figure for the next 7-10 days i am out here i will attempt to eat slightly healthier, but honestly i dont really care that much right now. Usually when i am not at home i just go nuts with food, and eat like a pound of candy a day and skip the main course and go to dessert, but i guess ill just act like a relatively normal person for the rest of the trip, then try to get back on track when i get home. 

 

I brought the perfect pushup bars with me. They came out with a new version, a TRAVEL version, so obviously i had to get them. I have been dropping down and going to failure any time i get up out of bed to pee or get a new water bottle or whatever. I think it actually is a dece workout, as i am constantly feelin it, even moreso than if i do a gym workout and focus on chest or whatever. Kinda cool, though maybe im just wasting my time. I also brought a yoga mat, and have been doing that every morning.

 

Ok, i lied, i havent done it every morning, i have done it twice, and i think i have been here 5 mornings, so thats not really even that often. I did feel great both times i did it though. My routine usually lasts like 30-45 minutes, and i try to meditate and focus a lot on my breathing since i am not all that flexible. I am still interested in jiu jitsu, and when i get back to LV i will be picking that back up, and the yoga helps with flexibility there, and maintaining calm in bad positions, so i think its probably a good substitute/supplement when i am on the road. 

 

Tomorrow is day 1b or the wsopE main event. I cant tell if i am excited or not to play it. I mean, the EV isnt really all that much compared to what my hourly is online, and if i was trying to make the max amount of money, i wouldnt really leave my computer. There are a lot of benefits though to live tournaments, getting to see the world, interacting with people (mostly degens), and basically a change of pace from the online grind. It is just so different, sitting there getting dealt 20 hands an hour, but i sort of like it sometimes. The main thing i can do is focus on my breathing, and if i start to get bored, count ten full breaths, or as many as i can before i get dealt the next hand. Doing small things like this is a HUGE help for concentration, and keeps me from monkey spewing all my chips out of boredom.

 

Today i was supposed to go see an Arsenal game/match/whatever. I am pretty unhappy that i have to skip it, i suppose i could tough it out and go, have some brews, and scream at the top of my lungs; but that wouldnt really be the most responsible choice in my current state. I keep filling up the trash can with tissues and coughing, and it is pretty disgusting. I havent been sick in like a year, and i was planning on never getting sick again. Unfortunately it seems as though i dont have as much control over that as i thought, so here i lay.

 

I am getting pretty excited about going back to school. I am 100% sure i am going to apply, and assuming i get in i will be starting classes in the fall. I have written a few essays while here, though i dont have microsoft word so just sort of typed them into my email and sent them to myself without any grammar or spelling checks, so they will require a fair bit of editing. The biggest problem i am having is trying to figure out who will write my recommendations. A few schools require a recommendation from a teacher between 10-12th grade, one each from the science/math, as well as history/english. Some do not allow foreign language, which seems fairly strange. The majority of my teachers from high school have either forgotten me or hated me enough to remember me, which isnt exactly conducive to getting recommendations written. The one teacher i really liked that sort of 'got' me was my spanish teacher. Obv.

 

I am honestly not sure what i am going to do about that. I wonder if there is a special cases thing, because i cant honestly be the only person who took like 5 years off. What do people that join the military do? Say they enlist, go train and fight in war or whatever for 4-5 years, then come back and want to go to school? Obviously it is a different situation, but it is still similar enough to draw some comparisons. If i DO need to get those recommendations, i think i can work it out, but it will be a stretch. Also, almost every school has different requirements on that front, as well as different essays, so i might have my work cut out for me. Fortunately i dont really have a problem writing essays, and can sit down and bang out 5k words in a few hours without really knowing what happened, though perhaps the quality could leave a bit to be desired.

 

A few schools also require a WRITING SAMPLE from a research paper in high school, with grade and/or teacher notes. Well, seeing how i havent done one in like 5 years, and threw everything out after i graduated, this is also going to be a stretch. I finished an article on floating (hopefully better than Ray Davis interview) for cardplayer, and submitted it to the editor with a request to look it over with a red pen and mail it back to me. I told him the situation of college apps and he said he would love to help out. Hopefully the school will think this is a cool thing, submitting a published article as opposed to a 5 paragraph crap essay about ancient chinese civilazations, but i guess i am sort of going to hit a home run or get beaned, throw my bat at the pitcher, and get ejected.

 

On my essays, i am not really taking the traditional route of tailoring it like everyone else would, using perfect grammar and boring coma inducing writing style. I am sort of letting it bleed with emotion, truth, and flow, similar to my blog. I figure that my best shot is to swing for the fences, and not take a safe approach. I think most schools will either love me or hate me, most probably hating me, but some loving me enough to give me a chance. I sent my essay to a few people for edits, and got quite a few varying opinions. I am going to go with my first instinct though, and make sure that the writing style stays true to me. Perhaps the snobbish higher ups will reject it, but that will probably be better for my long term HEV.

 

Well, Peter and Max just got to my hotel, and we are going to go to Hummus Bros for some delicious HUMMUS. this is probably my favorite place to eat in London so far, and is a nice clean, healthyish alternative to fried noodles and burger king. I think it actually got some media as being 12th coolest place to eat in london, i feel like i read that somewhere but could be making it up. Anyways i really enjoy it, so am going to go smear it all over my hot pita. Later.

 

-David Benefield

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Sep 27, 08 10:15:15

School

David

Don't sell yourself short on school. You are an AMAZING asset to a school with some vision because of your unique history and skillset. Your best bet is not to downplay your previous record and your poker skills but to use them to your advantage. Schools have plenty of people with high SAT and good GPAs, but they probably don't have many (any) self-made millionaires who have mastered game threory and strategy (ok, taking liberty with this one, but your results say its not far off). Sure, not every school will value it...but I guarantee that one or two of your top choices will.

FWIW #1, I have seen a similar experience. My brother got an undergrad in film and has worked as basically a temp for the last few years but he made it into some of the best business schools in the country because while they had plenty of consultants and accountants to choose from, they only had one filmwriter. Your situation is the same (but you're probably more successful pre-school than my bro).

FWIW #2, I hire employees for a Fortune 50 company and can say that your history and skills would blow my doors off in an interview. Along with Harvard MBAs we've hired people from the army, TeachAmerica/PeaceCorp and college football players, many of whom say the same things..."I don't have the experience you're looking for". Again, there's no one "right' way to do things. Be yourself!!

Keep your confidence up and go for it! I can't wait to see where you get in and how the next chapter of your life goes. Thanks for sharing.

Cheers

StayingWarm

StayingWarm




Sep 27, 08 11:16:21

Not everyone stabs people in London

But to be honest you're not too far off.

r313n71355




Sep 27, 08 11:27:20

what are you studying in school? school is worthless for your situation imo.

gambler2k4




Sep 27, 08 12:20:18

I thought i seemed to like what you had to say before this blog, but now that I know you chose Arsenal as your adopted football team I'm even more of a fan. Go GUNNERS! Hope you are watching us beat Hull as I type

cormacbuzz




Sep 27, 08 12:47:21

Immediately after high shcool I served 6 years in the Navy. I then applied to a local community college and they pretty much let in the entire community. After 2 semesters and a 3.8 GPA I had no problem accepted at Emory Univ and also Univ of Georgia where I ended up going. Also I barely passed high school with a 2.1 GPA. I'm proof that maturity helps with academics. I ended up graduating UGA with a BBA in Finance with a 3.7 GPA. Good luck

jjdodd27




Sep 27, 08 13:08:10

best wishes dude

dude if u sick jsut take some vitamins man, i think school is ggood for u, theres more to life then poker

gimmEgimmEmorE




Sep 27, 08 14:24:09

Editor/Proofreader here if you need me

Hey David,
Love your blog, videos, personality, drive, etc.
Just thought I should let you know that I'm a technical writer and proofreader, and am a certified literary editing and publishing editor.
I'm rooting for you and if I can be of any assistance to you along the way, I'd be happy to help.
If you'd like me to look over your essays or anything, I'd be happy to have a look and help you any way I can.
Rooting for you,
Eric Hammond

bige321786




Sep 27, 08 17:22:06

You guys are fking tard balls.

anyone who thinks a school will look highly of a prof poker player is retarded. The only people who envy poker player are other poker player. everyone else thinks they are degen....big degens

jkipfer




Sep 27, 08 22:50:23

Going to A Community College

I'm not sure how it works out in Vegas but where I'm from (Illinois) you can go to a community college (which have no admission requirements) for a couple years to take all of your basic classes and then transfer to a school after that. I think I remember you said you want to be challeneged by school and I will be honest you will not really be challenged by a community college but it will give you a good way to get back into school and also some time to figure out what you want to study while you are there. Once you get your 2 year degree you would be able to transfer to a lot of schools. Good luck in whatever you decide just thought I'd offer my two cents.

Matt

alpallstar20




Sep 28, 08 14:30:41

Good luck with school. I enjoy your blog posts. If you can't get it, offer to pay them your results from 15 seconds of your work day. That should do it.

epdog




Sep 29, 08 18:23:50

Sushi in London

You need to try Zumas, a great sushi place in London. I went there a few times when I was in there a couple of years ago.

agpoker




Sep 30, 08 14:38:43

the best restaurant in London is Jamie Olivers "Fifteen"

hands down...the guy is known for his super fresh ingredients and great preparation...it is my in my top 2 meals ever...a great story too...check it out...you will not be let down. enjoy the blog...thanks for sharing with us regular people...

massalsa

massalsa




Oct 3, 08 16:30:51

Hey,
What a great post! ...learned so much about you. My boyfriend is a prof poker player. Plays 5/10 and is really good. He's got a GREAT future. Becoming a self made millionaire and having a lot unique experiences puts you in an elite place that many interviewers will get really excited about.
Interview with many so that you don't sell yourself short.
I went back to school to get my undergrad degree when I was 31. I was the top of my class and have gone into medicine.
"Staying Warm" gave you a small sample of the opportunities ahead of you. I don't have time to tell you what I know - but trust me you are in high demand.

BustedDraw




Oct 3, 08 16:36:27

By the way, forgot to tell you, we're really into nutrition too. Soy is a farce. Look it up at Mercola.com.
Three books u might want to check out are: conscious eating, Eat right for your blood type & healing with whole foods.

BustedDraw



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