Since it's the end of NWP...

Since OBV the site will immediately be shut down and Micon and Druff will be parirahs in the poker community after Marty's (not crazy ranting at all) email is opened tomorrow morning, I wanted to say a few things....

I LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

I will miss you all. If you are ever in Idaho, look me up.

If anyone else wants to post a farewell message, please do so. This is our last night together. Let's show the love.

Why I hate your College Football Team

As college football season approaches, the BCS debate is picking up steam again. It is a very heated discussion around my house. I am a Boise State fan and my fiancé is a Big 10 BCS snob. The biggest fights in the course of our relationship have usually revolved around the validity of the college football rankings. Some people may think fighting about sports is lame, but we are very passionate about our teams. Deal. I would like a little outside input regarding my view on the discrimination against non-BCS teams in the rankings. Before everyone gets defensive I’d like you really read what I have to say. I think you might find my points valid.

No matter how many big games BSU wins, we are always considered a weaker team because of our lack of strength of schedule. The WAC is just not a conference you can brag about being part of. We know that. The only way we can fix that problem is to stack our non-conference schedule with ranked BCS teams. Do we want to do that? Yes! Can we do it? No. Why not? BCS teams won’t play us.

I understand why teams like Florida, Penn State …. etc. won’t touch us. There is no benefit to playing BSU. If they beat us, it won’t propel them in the rankings because we are non-BCS. If we beat them, their season is over before it has even begun. You don’t lose to a non-BCS team and survive the season with any real success in the rankings. We are well aware of this and we understand. Its not fair, but we get it. What we have a problem with is the same teams that refuse to play us won’t rank us higher because of our weak schedule. How can you justify ranking yourself above a team you won’t play? How do you know if you are really better?

This is a common debate at home because John always insists that no matter how good BSU is, Penn State would beat them. I personally have no clue how a team whose biggest conference rival is Ohio and who fills its pre-season schedule with Little Sisters of the Poor High school, has any business complaining about another schools strength of schedule …. but I guess we are all a little blind when it comes to our team loyalties. If he wants to debate strength of schedule he could at least use an SEC team as an example.

Next year we will be playing Virginia tech which is a big deal to us. Its rare we get a BCS team that isn’t from the Northwest. Although we appreciate the opportunity to play them I think all of Idaho collectively rolled its eyes when the coach said that they would never come play BSU in Boise because “Its too far away to transport our equipment.” We know we rarely lose at home and few teams want to face that kind of record with the slight chance they might lose. We are OK with that. Just say playing on the blue field is not a chance you want to take. No more lame excuses.

Here is my question for all of you: How do BCS schools justify saying they are better than non-BCS teams, if they refuse to play them?


P.S. If there were a playoff system, this wouldn't be a problem.

my one and only poker related post

In the past I have been called out a few times for not contributing any actual poker content. The main reason I stay out of most poker discussions is because I know that my amateur approach and point of view aren’t worth much to those here that play for a living. I prefer to just sit back, read and learn.

Over the last three years my playing has greatly declined. Due to the lack of a casino anywhere near Boise and the difficulties of getting money on and off poker sites, I started to lose interest. Although I still played in regular homes games with friends and made regular trips to Vegas, I stopped playing online completely. Since I only play for recreation, I stopped once it became more work than fun.

I recently decided to start playing online again and have not been thrilled with the result. Online I mainly like to play STTs or medium sized tournaments (NLH or Stud). Since I have been out of the game for so long I at first thought I was just really rusty. But after a few weeks I am starting to realize that the style of tournaments has changed a lot in the past few years. It seems the same guys that I use to laugh at for playing like complete donks, are now dominating the tables. I am not sure if I have just ran into a lot them lately and it is not the norm, but I am finding more and more players that toss huge bets out on the table and chase nothing hands hoping to either scare everyone else off or catch cards. This normally wouldn’t bother me, but when they do it every single hand its ridiculous. I played a STT the other night were I couldn’t see a flop with out calling 10x bb.

Now, I recognize that it IS a strategy that apparently works for some. I am not denying that, but for me it has taken all the fun and skill out of poker. Its turned tournaments into nothing but card catching contests. I know I could change my style of play to accommodate them, but I am just too plain stubborn and don’t want to. I don’t respect it and I don’t want to change because of it. This may be an issue that only really affects lower limits, like what I play. I hope so because I would hate to see this become the norm amongst career players.

My opinion would probably be very different if I played for a living. But as a strictly recreational player I find online nlh to be a joke. I do want to start playing more again so I have decided to buckle down and actually learn lh. I admittedly have sucked at it in the past, so any and all advice is welcome.

So …. next time some one wants to comment on how I never post poker content you might want to remember this whiny, self indulgent, bad beat bitchfest of a post/blog. My staying out of poker discussions may not be such a bad thing.

i am getting married!

I just got engaged this morning.

Since me and my fiance met playing online poker, we will obv be registered at the NWP store.

I know .....



but I am happy and I just wanted to share it with you all.

Hugs and Kisses,

Cindy

played my first 18 holes of golf today

and i loved it. i sucked but i enjoyed it. in the past i only played in scrambles for work outings and i think i spent more time following the drink cart than playing actual golf. i was pretty intimidated at first but was feeling good by the back nine.

i know ...





but i am just happy right now. i lost my golf virginity and it feels good.