Keeping score with Squaretender

Please take a look at Squaretender.com, a website I help write about baseball scorekeeping.

Since the site launched before Opening Day this season, we've highlighted historic scorecards, unique scorekeeping methods, tablet/phone scorekeeping apps and momentous plays.

We'll continue to update it regularly, and we hope it provides a compelling outlet for baseball fans.

Hope you like it!

Pineapple Maze King

I shattered the previous pineapple maze record today, finishing it in a mere five minutes and regaining my place at the top of the leaderboard.

My run sliced the previous high-mark of 10 minutes in half, and it should last for quite some time. I had slipped to second place after my previous record of 12 minutes set a month ago failed to hold up for long.

It surprised me how easy it was to regain my place as the champion. I'm not a fast runner, but I was able to put down a strong time because I knew the maze so well now that I've been through it six times.

Beating the pineapple maze is a somewhat trivial accomplishment, but it's not much different from winning a poker tournament, race or video game. It's pretty rare to be the best at anything.

After the flop

Postflop play is where a lot of the money is made in poker. Not coincidentally, it isn't easy to learn.

This isn't a post where I'm going to try to write out my thoughts on how to play postflop, because I don't really know how to play postflop. All I do is try to reason through every previous action of my opponents, set a loose hand range and try to make the most of my equity. If I have an edge or pot odds, I'll bet and raise. If not, I'll fold or evaluate my implied odds.

I wish there were a good book on postflop play for no limit hold 'em. But I wonder if there are too many variables to really develop a framework. So much of postflop play seems to occur on a hand-by-hand basis.

Here's what I know:

_ The key to postflop play is establishing accurate hand ranges.

_ Hand reading online is a an important and acquired skill.

_ Playing out of position postflop is extremely difficult for me.

_ If you don't know where you stand, folding isn't a bad option.

_ Preflop betting patterns go a long way toward narrowing opponents' hand ranges.

_ Solid, straightforward poker wins money.

I'd really like to hear comments from anyone who knows a way to improve hand reading skills beyond experience and deductive reason. Any help is appreciated.

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I will attempt to reclaim my rightful place as Pineapple Maze champion today. Wish me luck.

Plotting Vengeance

My reign as Pineapple Maze Champion has come to a quick end.

When Kuro and I visited the pineapple maze at Dole Plantation yesterday, we saw that some dude named Jason Bernard had taken over first place, bumping me down to second. He completed the maze in 10 minutes; my previous record set less than a month ago had been 12 minutes.

This aggression will not stand.

I'll be back at the pineapple maze to regain my throne. It may take several tries, but I will fight hard to set a new record with a single-digit time.

Look out, Jason Bernard.

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During Kuro's Memorial Day visit, I was reminded of a few pieces of classic poker advice he's given me over the years:

You don't need cards: I have this text message saved on my phone, nearly three years after it was sent. It reminds me to try to play the players more than the cards.

Don't push it: There's no reason to play too often or overplay hands.

Cally cally don't fly in Vegas: Calling down is seldom the best line to take in a hand.

Was it ever in doubt?: Of course I win, fish.

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Sometimes I feel like a dense idiot for playing poker when I know I can't bring my best game.

I woke up on Memorial Day imagining all the vacationing drunkards sitting down at the online tables. I thought money would materialize in my lap, even though I was still half asleep and cranky.

How many times do I have to learn that it's better to not play at all than to play poorly? I incorrectly tell myself I can fight through it, but I find that it's difficult to elevate my play to its top form by willpower alone.

Of course I lost money (although there were a couple of coolers). I would have needed a suckout to come out ahead in my tired state.

I'd like to think I'm catching on to this trend of bad results flowing from playing while sleepy, but it's hard to remember not to play when all I want to do is play.

Pineapple Maze Champion!

I set the new record for the fastest time posted in the pineapple maze at Dole Plantation on Oahu!

I completed the maze in 12 minutes, beating the previous best time by a minute. Flags fly forever.

The maze attendant puts my name in the top spot on the all-time leaderboard.

It took me four tries over two years to conquer the maze, which was the "World's Largest Maze" in the 2001 Guinness Book of World Records. This time, victory was mine.

The goal of the maze is to reach each of eight checkpoints hidden throughout the shrubbery. At each of these checkpoints, you have to stencil a figure onto a scorecard to prove you were there. Your card is timestamped at the beginning and end of the maze to verify authenticity.

I knew going in that a top-five time would win me a free poster of the maze, which I wanted to hang in the office. It also came with a claim to fame.

The first two times I tried the maze, I walked and just wanted to complete it. It took me more than an hour each of those times. The third time through, I ran through and was in good shape until one of the checkpoints stumped me for about 20 minutes, putting my final time at about 40 minutes -- far short of what I needed to get my poster.

This time, I took on the maze again with some of my girlfriend's relatives who are vacationing here. I copied a rough map approximating where each of the checkpoints is located, information that's provided before you enter. The map didn't tell me exactly where the checkpoints were, but it would help me if I missed any station so I wouldn't have to backtrack much.

Lane, a 12-year-old in the family visiting us, teamed up with me and we were off, running as fast as we could and taking down the checkpoints in order.

Everything fell into place perfectly. I found the stations quickly and efficiently. Even when I missed one, I realized it immediately and retraced my steps to discover the checkpoint.

After stenciling in the last one, I knew I had a top-five time (I needed to beat 17 minutes). I busted through some of the bushes rather than following the path as I sought an exit as quickly as possible. Out of breath, I crossed the finish line, had my scorecard timestamped and found out I was the winner.

My record and my name will remain on the leaderboard until five people knock me off with faster times -- something I hope never happens.

Layout problem

Can someone please help me figure out why my images aren't appearing correctly?

As you can see in my last post, any time I have more than one image on a line it's being pushed to the next line.

It's pretty annoying, and I don't know why this happens since the page appears properly in Google Reader. I've also checked the page source and the blogger template, but I have no idea.

Anyone have some insight? Thanks!

Roshambo, aka Barack Paper Scissors

This is funny:

USARPS releases Barack Paper Scissors, the game (Use Internet Explorer to play)

"You and your preconditions can go to hell," says Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Los Angeles, CA, March 10, 2008--The USARPS League, the official governing body of Rock, Paper, Scissors in the US, has entered the 2008 Presidential race with the release of a new online game available exclusively on the League web site, www.USARPS.com. The interactive Rock Paper Scissors (RPS) application pits Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama against five opponents on his way to the Oval Office.

Players control the actions of Barack Obama as he competes against President George W. Bush, Senator Hillary Clinton, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (let’s see how his foreign policy holds up…) and of course, Senator John McCain.

...

“No sport in the world is as closely linked to democracy as Rock Paper Scissors,” declared Matti Leshem, Commissioner of the USARPS League. “Every game of RPS is like its own mini election where players assert their freedom by choosing the throw that’s right for them. And there’s never a need for a recount… though it is possible to tie!”

While the name of the game does relate specifically to one of the candidates, the league itself is not committing to an endorsement.

“For us, it’s about finding the best way to promote democracy. Mr. and Mrs. Obama were kind enough to incorporate one of our throws in their son’s name,” added Leshem, “Frankly if ‘John McScissors’ or ‘Papery Clinton’ were running, we could easily have chosen them as the protagonist of the game.”

...

For more information on the game go to www.usarps.com

Here's a tip: Bush always throws rock.

Tagged

Jl514 and Gadzooks64 tagged me. I also did this when I was tagged in May:

A). Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog...
B). Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself...
C). Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs...
D). Let each person know that they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. I've been to 19 MLB stadiums in my quest to see them all. Two of them have since been torn down, and several more new ones are being built, so by my count I have 16 to go.
2. I hate olives.
3. Bacon is life.
4. I was good at video games when I was a kid, but I've totally lost it except for Street Fighter II, Super Mario Bros and Zelda.
5. I changed the blog template because I got sick of that yellow background.
6. I'll never bet against my favorite teams, the Braves and UGA, and I don't like betting on them at all.
7. I've witnessed six executions by injection.

No more tags from me!

It's time to pay the price

OK, so seven random things about me, after being tagged by Scurvy and Glyph:

1. I've held a lot of jobs, including landscaping, Chick-Fil-A supervisor, Longhorn Steaks dishwasher, Macaroni Grill waiter, Toys 'R' Us cash register dude and reporter at 10 newspapers and bureaus.

2. If I hadn't burned my hand on a grill while working at Chick-Fil-A in high school, my life may have taken a very different path. That accident set off a chain reaction including drunkenness from a six-pack of Zima, a road trip to Texas and a need to find a job in college that eventually landed me in Hawaii.

3. I don't feel like I'm exceptionally good at poker, but I've had some success because I'm careful with my bankroll and I learned to stop overplaying high pocket pairs.

4. I've been skydiving twice, and it was awesome.

5. I used to hate Wil Wheaton because Wesley Crusher was such a terrible character on Star Trek. I always laughed when a friend of mine talked about how he needed to have a spoon beamed into his heart. ButWil is alright, even if he played a brown-nosing annoying cadet on TV.

6. I went through a phase when I would only use matches to light cigarettes. Ah, random neurosis.

7. If I had to choose between the Braves and UGA winning a championship, I would pick the Braves.

And now I tag you!:

Kuro
Sham
Surf
Slb
ZAPLAB (Heh -- no chance he'll do this)

"The Children of Hurin"

"The Children of Hurin," which was released last week, is supposedly the last of J.R.R. Tolkien's works to be edited and published by his son Christopher.

Check out the trailer.

It's pretty damn good, but the people who are going to like it the most are those who have read "The Silmarillion."

I liked that it was a standalone narrative of one of Tolkien's core legends. I was disappointed that it ended somewhat abruptly, without even summarizing the Wanderings of Hurin, in which he kills Mim, unintentionally tips off the secret location of Gondolin and sets in motion the fall of Doriath.

OT: A guide to watching "24"

"24" is a fun show, but just about every new season contains repetitive elements from previous episodes.

Here are some plot devices you can be pretty sure to see, whether you're starting to watch the show from the beginning or just picking it up now, at the start of the sixth season. Spoiler warning: this list reveals a lot about the show.

_ When someone says, "We're bringing you to CTU, it's safe there," you can be pretty sure that it's anything but safe there. How times has CTU been the site of murders, explosions and contaminations? A lot of times.

_ There's a mole inside CTU. Maybe more than one. Who is it this season?

_ Jack will get arrested.

_ Jack will make phone calls to the president.

_ Jack will get captured and escape.

_ The president will pardon a terrorist in exchange for his cooperation.

_ There will be a countdown, and Jack will barely beat the ticking clock.

_ The terrorists will use nuclear and biological weapons.

_ The terrorists will take hostages.

_ There will be a car chase.

_ Jack's love interest will either be killed or held hostage.

_ Torture will be used as a first resort ("We have no time!!!")

_ Jack's past will come back to haunt him.

_ Most all of Jack's friends will end up dead.

_ Chloe will disobey orders to help Jack.

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Predictions:

_ Eventually, an umbrella terrorist organization will mess with Jack personally to get revenge. This organization will have something to do with his Season 1 connections to the Balkans and Nina Myers. These terrorists will have a link to Operation Nightfall.

_ The hand virus given to the President Arnold Palmer at the end of Season 2 will never be adequately explained.

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Only two characters from Season 1 have not been killed off and have appeared in every season. They are:

_ Jack Bauer
_ Aaron Pierce

The body count will be high.