Slowly getting better

I'm getting better at laying down big hands! Even though I might miss out on the occasional pot or two.


Cake Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $10.00 BB (6 handed)


Villain_2 (MP) ($868)

CO ($1082)

Button ($297)

Villain_1 (SB) ($1273.17)

Hero (BB) ($563.50)

UTG ($1328)



Preflop: Hero is BB with J, 4

1 fold, Villain_2 calls $10, 2 folds, Villain_1 calls $5, Hero checks


Flop: ($30) 2, 4, K (3 players)

Villain_1 checks, Hero bets $30, Villain_2 calls $30, Villain_1 calls $30


Turn: ($120) J (3 players)

Villain_1 checks, Hero bets $120, Villain_2 calls $120, Villain_1 raises to $330, Hero folds, Villain_2 raises to $828 (All-In), Villain_1 calls $378


River: ($1656) J (2 players, 1 all-in)


Total pot: $1656


Results in white below:

Villain_1 had J, 4 (full house, Jacks over fours).

Villain_2 had Q, K (two pair, Kings and Jacks).

Outcome: Villain_1 won $1893





And then sometimes, you just gotta throw caution to the wind and forget about your shitty kicker.



Cake Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $10.00 BB (6 handed)


SB ($457)

Villain (BB) ($1290.50)

UTG ($478.50)

MP ($2170.17)

Hero (CO) ($512.50)

Button ($1471.50)



Preflop: Hero is CO with 5, 3

UTG calls $10, 1 fold, Hero calls $10, 1 fold, SB calls $5, Villain checks


Flop: ($40) 3, 4, 3 (4 players)

SB checks, Villain bets $20, 1 fold, Hero raises to $60, 1 fold, Villain raises to $100, Hero calls $40


Turn: ($240) 2 (2 players)

Villain bets $240, Hero raises to $402.50 (All-In), Villain calls $162.50


River: ($1045) 8 (2 players, 1 all-in)


Total pot: $1045 | Rake: $3


Results:

Villain had Q, 4 (two pair, fours and threes).

Hero had 5, 3 (three of a kind, threes).

Outcome: Hero won $1042

Low-stakes omaha tournaments are very entertaining

After spending the tournament letting us all know how the cards were rigged and then busting out at the half hour mark:

snoopbear: BSBSBSBSBSDB\
snoopbear: DAM DEMON THIEF HOUSE

What a...comeback?

Last weekend while I was in Vegas, the Sacramento Kings were playing the Milwaukee Bucks and the over/under was 216 points. I bet $320 on under (medium confidence). I pretty much lost all hope when I saw the score at the end of the first quarter: Kings 36, Bucks 33. The second quarter was above pace also, with the two teams scoring 56 points combined. So after 125 points in the first half, the Kings and Bucks went on an amazing comeback of low scoring, with no team scoring more than 22 points in the last two quarters. Chris did a halftime bet on the under and won that easily. Actually, it was pretty stressful, yet fun, rooting against overtime.

Final score: Bucks 106, Kings 104.

Naruto: Anime Crack

I started watching Naruto when I was home for Thanksgiving, starting from the beginning, since I only watched about two dozen episodes when I was in college before something more pressing came along, like finals or something. It is not a perfect show, but goddamn, it's addicting. Yesterday, I finally managed to get up to date with the series, meaning I watched about 225 episodes, while skipping the filler episodes. That is 75 hours of free time spent in front of my computer watching anime. I'm not sure if that's something to brag about, but I should be finding myself with more free time in the upcoming months.

Nothin' But Net

One of my characteristics that I need to work on is asking for help. Most of the time, I try to figure things out on my own. This is great for developing independence, but doing it too much restricts your growth. I think a little bit of it is stubbornness, but some of it is also embarrassment. It's that fear of asking the dreaded Stupid Question that prevents me from learning as much I as I could.

Well, I am really happy that I asked George for help with basketball. It was a good small step because it is not a big deal for me to be humble about my basketball skills, mostly because I don't have much of it nor do I have the image of being a good basketball player. George helped me work on changing my two-handed shot to the correct way of shooting. I practiced today by myself after work and the difference is amazing. After warming up, I was sinking two, three, four shots in a row. I was also making baseline shots, which I almost never sink when I shot the old way. I always knew that my shot was incorrect, but I learned to make it serviceable and was content with that because I rarely play basketball anyway. I also hold my chopsticks the incorrect way, but since I've learned to get the job done using that method, I never saw a need to change it.

I'll have to practice some more to make this new shooting form second nature, because I know that in the heat of a game, I would just revert to my old habits. I didn't try any shots further than the free throw line because I didn't want to jump with my sprained ankle, but I imagine that I can finally start to shoot three pointers more consistently with the proper form. My uncontested 3 pointer percentage right now must be around 10%, so I definitely can't wait to bring that up.

The Mystery of the Waterfree Urinal

You know how you have a question about something and you tell yourself that you'll look it up when you get home, but end up forgetting to? Well, for once I remembered! I have seen a few places now that use water-free urinals. There is no flushing, and yet it is supposed to still be hygienic. So I finally remembered to google it to prove to myself that this wasn't just a glorified hole in the ground. After reading it, I'm a little amazed that this technology is only starting to catch on. I wonder if it's because so many people in developed countries have a hard time understanding how it's possible to have a water shortage, just like there are many who are skeptical about global warming.

Every rapper's favorite show

And now it's all mine for $89.99. That's like, what, a gram of coke?

A look back at 2008 hip-hop and R&B, Part 2

5 Notable Omissions from the Top 25

1. Whatever You Like - T.I.
One of those rare songs where the clean version is better than the dirty version (other examples include "I Wanna Love You" by Akon feat. Snoop Dogg and Snoop's own song "Sensual Seduction"), this was a serious contender for the list for its ability to worm itself in your head and live for days. However, it is sad that the biggest hit of T.I.'s career doesn't even have any rapping.

2. Lollipop - Lil' Wayne
This was another monster of a single that could not be ignored. Again, this is the biggest song of Lil' Wayne's career and it's not really rap. It just bothers me that there are people out there who think "Whatever You Like" and "Lollipop" are the best that these artists have to offer, when these artists just happen to be two of the best rappers in the game right now.

3. Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) - Beyonce
Sounded too similar to the B'Day album.

4. Low - Flo Rida feat. T-Pain
I actually don't really have any complaints about this song for what it is. It would've probably made a Top 30.

5. Love Lockdown - Kanye West
Don't mistaken surprising for innovative. Don't interpret minimalist as sophisticated. Don't think that emotionless singing is meant to portray numbness. Thank you.


(Click to enlarge. Created by Andrew Kuo.)


5 Winners of 2008 (not in any order)

1. Baby Bash
After making awful radio songs for like five years, Baby Bash had a quietly successful 2008 by taking time off from immaculately grooming his facial hair to put out two songs I actually like: "Don't Stop" and "What Is It".

2. DJ Felli Fel
He's the new DJ Khaled of collaborations. Felli Fel's beats are simplistic and his songs are not even geared towards the same demographic as Khaled, but the quality is consistent even if it's not exceptional. I'm actually not sure if these songs get any airplay outside of Power 106, but I don't switch the station when "Finer Things", "Don't Stop", or "Feel It" come on.

3. Lil' Wayne
"Tha Carter 3" went platinum in a week. Outside of that, he showed up to rap on R&B songs (e.g. Keri Hilson's "Turnin' Me On") and sing on rap songs (e.g. The Game's "My Life"). He even crossed genre bridges with "Let It Rock". Even Kanye West was willing to concede that 2008 was Weezy's year, offering him the American Music Award for Favorite Male Rap Artist that he won. However, I feel that the two years that led to Lil' Wayne's domination of 2008 were even more impressive. Weezy set himself up for success by churning out countless mixtapes, most notably "Dedication 2", "Da Drought 3", and "The Drought is Over 2 (The Carter 3 Sessions)". The fact that he was able to achieve such insane quantity AND quality was mind-boggling and had fans hungry for "Tha Carter 3", more than happy to shell out $9.99 in thanks for all the amazing free music before.

4 & 5. Rihanna and Beyonce
Love 'em or hate 'em, they both have the most number one singles for a female solo artist this decade at 5 apiece.

Rihanna's #1 hits: S.O.S., Umbrella, Take a Bow, Disturbia, Live Your Life
Beyonce's #1 hits: Crazy in Love, Baby Boy, Check On It, Irreplaceable, Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)


5 Losers of 2008 (not in any order)

1. 50 Cent
50 Cent's ego is too big to accept the fact that his star is fading. Embarrassed after losing his sales battle to Kanye West, he goes on to mock Kanye's "Love Lockdown" when the fact is that his own single "Get Up" would go on to fall off radio playlists after a few weeks. An album of Kanye West singing will still out-sell an album of 50 Cent rapping, so Fiddy doesn't have shit on Kanye. Desperately seeking attention, 50 Cent also beefed with Fat Joe, Rick Ross, and T.I. this year. Oh, and don't forget about him calling Weezy a whore for showing up on everyone's tracks. Lil' Wayne brushed it off at the time, but later took some shots at 50 on the song "Louisianimal":

All about a dollar, fuck two quarters
Bitch I’ll pour syrup in that Vitamin Water
I hope you die ugly, and tonight will be gorgeous

2. Rick Ross
He used to be a corrections officer. What the fuck.
























3. The Game
Still can't make any songs without name dropping.

4. David Banner
This worthless motherfucker can't make a damn hit without biting off whatever song is hot at the moment. First he had "Like a Pimp", which came on the heels of 50 Cent's "P.I.M.P." Then there was "Play", which aped "The Whisper Song". In 2008, David Banner jacked a Yung Joc line from "It's Goin' Down" to make "Get Like Me" and rode on the coattails of Weezy's "Lollipop" with "Shawty Says".

5. Soulja Boy Tell 'Em
Haha, he has to add that stupid "Tell 'Em" on his name because "Soulja Boy" was already taken. What about trying to go platinum in a week like Lil' Wayne and ending up only moving 46,000 units? No, no, nothing could top this outrageous interview with the host of BET's "The Black Carpet" Touré:

"
Last week in Atlanta, I got to interview Soulja Boy Tell Em. I found out just how young he really is. He was one of about ten rappers I interviewed in one day for my BET show, The Black Carpet. I decided it'd be fun to give all the rappers part of the Proust questionnaire. I thought it'd be a way to get beyond image and into who they really are. Most of the guys gave good, thoughtful, intelligent, sensitive answers. I asked Juelz Santana, “How would you like to die?” He said, "Loved."

Then came Soulja Boy Tell Em. I asked him, “What historical figure do you most hate?” He was stumped. I said, "Others have said Hitler, bin Laden, the slave masters..." He said, "Oh wait! Hold up! Shout out to the slave masters! Without them we'd still be in Africa."

My jaw, at this point, was on the ground."We wouldn't be here," he continued, having no idea how far in it he'd stepped, "to get this ice and tattoos."
"



Best Latin Hip-Hop Single of 2008

To The Top by Omar Cruz feat. Frankie J





The Yearly Wrap-up by Skillz

What does he do the other 364 days of the year?

A look back at 2008 hip-hop and R&B, Part 1

Ok, I'm a little late with this year's best mainstream singles list, but last year I was too early and ended up missing some jams like Sean Kingston's "Take You There" and Trey Songz' "Can't Help But Wait". I have a feeling that some of the nits out there will raise a debate about what qualifies as a mainstream hip-hop/R&B single. For example, why was a Justin Timberlake song eligible for past lists, but a Leona Lewis song -- arguably just as R&B as JT -- not taken into consideration for this year? Why do some remixes count and not others? Well, here's the rule I use: If I heard the song on a radio station dedicated solely to hip-hop and R&B, then it's valid. Anyway, enough of this, let's get on with the list.


25. Heartless - Kanye West
Kanye went in a new direction with his fourth album "808s and Heartbreak", which polarized his fans by eschewing his clever raps in favor of Auto-Tune singing. I'm pretty sure white people totally ate up "Love Lockdown", but I prefer my lyrics slightly less shitty and thus I prefer the second single "Heartless".

Sorry, this song was not deserving of a spot on this list upon further listening. A better song to replace it would be "My President" by Young Jeezy feat. Nas or "Come Over" by Estelle feat. Sean Paul.

24. So Fly - Slim feat. Yung Joc
No one really knew the names of the members of 112, even at the height of their popularity. But now we all know that it's Slim with that distinctive voice. Yung Joc keeps it cool, Slim keeps it smooth, and that's how you make a song.

23. Put On - Young Jeezy feat. Kanye West
This might have been the song that convinced me that Kanye really was going to release an entire album of Auto-Tune singing.



22. Live Your Life - T.I. feat. Rihanna
Once I got over the sampling of "Numa Numa", I realized this song was pretty good. I worked with this instrumental for a project and got to appreciate all the layers that Just Blaze put into the beat. Rihanna complements the sweeping instrumental and truly gives it an epic feel. It did take some time for the song to grow on me (I thought T.I. and Rihanna's parts did not mesh well together), but I now think it's solid.

21. Can't Believe It - T-Pain feat. Lil' Wayne
With a minimalistic beat, this song relies heavily on vocal melody. It's probably one of T-Pain's best songs and would've been bumped up a few more spots if it had a better Weezy verse. Be sure to check out the remix with Justin Timberlake.




20. Touch My Body - Mariah Carey
I hope we never see Mariah Carey when she gets old, so that this song can always trigger inappropriate fantasies. Mariah Carey remains a tantalizing sex symbol now that we know not to hold our breath for a sex tape. Also, the last breezy piece of inescapable pop to use oddly violent imagery was Sean Kingston's "Take You There" and that song was awesome too! Coincidence? I think not, good sir.

19. Brooklyn Go Hard - Jay-Z feat. Santogold
This is off the soundtrack for "Notorious", which I am excited to see. I can't believe Jay-Z is 38 years old and still making bangers.

18. Day 'n' Nite [Crookers remix] - Kid Cudi
Kid Cudi may be under Kanye's wing, but this song sounds like something Pharrell would do.




17. Love In This Club - Usher feat. Young Jeezy
You gotta love Jeezy's raspy voice, letting you know what's missing in your life: "Have you ever made love to a thug in the club with his ice on?" Usher pounds out another catchy hit, though he does play it a little safe. Either way, the song was so big that "Love In This Club, Part 2" with Beyonce and Lil' Wayne got radio airplay.

16. Move - Q-Tip
Q-Tip and J Dilla team up to craft a lyrical head-nodder that reminds you of the late 90s: a sound more modern than A Tribe Called Quest's best and the time when cats like Mos Def and Talib Kweli were everyone's favorite rappers.

15. Mrs. Officer - Lil' Wayne feat. Bobby Valentino & Kidd Kidd
"Tha Carter 3"'s fourth single is a fun song with a lot more thought put into it than "Lollipop".



14. Damaged - Danity Kane
Move over, Pussycat Dolls. There's a new girl group in town.




13. Spotlight - Jennifer Hudson
Those who were impressed with Jennifer Hudson in "Dreamgirls" have been waiting a while for her to come out with her first radio single. Aside from the great vocals, I like this song because I hope it might inspire some of the countless girls who are in shitty relationships to get out of them. It's 2009; suffering in silence under some misguided sense of loyalty is not cool anymore.

12. Teenage Love Affair - Alicia Keys
Sometimes when I listen to Motown classics, I get sad that there's only a fixed number of songs with that old R&B sound. But then I remember Alicia Keys, who manages to make this list year after year, and I smile knowing that modern R&B can indeed be simple and touching. Young love is one of my favorite song topics and Alicia Keys captures its consuming nature very well.

11. No Air - Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown
At first I didn't like this song because there was already J Holiday's "Suffocate". But because "Suffocate" didn't become a big song like others that get horribly leeched off of (e.g. Lil' Wayne's "Lollipop" before Three 6 Mafia's "Lolli Lolli (Pop That Body)" and T.I.'s "Whatever You Like" before Problem's "Whereva You Like"), I eventually got over it and let my love of male-female duets take over.

10. Green Light - John Legend feat. Andre 3000
What an amazing collaboration. Initially, I was a little disappointed by Andre 3000's verse, but it was really that I set the bar high for 3 Stacks. "So I went hard like Medusa starin' at me..." Come on, that's awesome. And how did he manage to pseudo-rhyme "comet" and "woman"? This song fills dance floors quick, for real.

9. Need U Bad - Jazmine Sullivan
Jazmine Sullivan shows flashes of Lauryn Hill in this yearning ballad and the chorus straight up sends tingles up my spine.



8. Honey - Erykah Badu
"Honey" may not fit in with Erykah Badu's latest album, but that doesn't mean that it isn't a helluva song. Funny how the best way to describe the instrumental is that it's sticky and sweet.



7. Swagga Like Us - T.I. & Jay-Z feat. Kanye West & Lil' Wayne
Four of hip-hop's biggest rappers going hard on a single track? Yeah, I got a boner too. This song is most people's first listen to the denser and wordier flow that T.I. uses on "Paper Trail" thanks to toying with written rhymes.

6. What You Got - Colby O'Donis feat. Akon
Ok, so Colby O'Donis looks like a douche, but if he can make another song as infectious as this one, I don't really care.



5. Superstar [remix] - Lupe Fiasco feat. Young Jeezy, T.I., & Matthew Santos
T.I. fucking killed this shit! The other verses were good too, but damn! Props to Lupe for actually recording a new verse for the remix.


4. A Milli - Lil' Wayne feat. Corey Gunz
Quintessential Wayne: Aggressive, entertaining, random. Has anyone figured out whether the line "what's a goon to a goblin" refers to Plies? Because that would be hilarious!


3. American Boy - Estelle feat. Kanye West
Like "Green Light", this catchy song is a brilliant collaboration. While "Green Light" benefited from Andre 3000's freewheeling style, "American Boy"'s subject matter suits Kanye's image and style. It's an entertaining exercise to think of the worst rapper to guest on this song. Lil' Jon? Pitbull spitting British slang?


2. I Luv Your Girl - The Dream
Is this R&B from the future? A sensual, but muted, backdrop blends well with The Dream's lascivious vocals. The high rating is for the album and radio cut, not the music video version with a clashing Young Jeezy verse. Though The Dream acknowledges the likely inspiration for the song ("Kelly told y'all don't bring 'em in the club", referencing last year's hit "I'm a Flirt"), his version puts the girl in the aggressor role ("She drop it down to the floor / I'm like, "Shawty, you should go" / But she like, "Fuuuck that nigga") and him in the position of being pleasantly surprised. Of course, he's more than willing to take advantage of the situation, but not before leaving you with a burn: "Part of me feel so bad, but ooooh, not that bad"

1. Paper Planes [remix] - M.I.A. feat. Bun B & Rich Boy
Ok, so it's a little cheap to ride alongside M.I.A.'s monster of a song to take this year's top honor, but you have to give it up for Bun B and Rich Boy for actually staying on topic unlike others who only saw this song as a hot beat with gunshots in it (I'm looking at you, Rick Ross!). M.I.A. is sparse but on point with her lyrics, laying them on beefed up music from The Clash's "Straight to Hell" with sing-song swagger. It can even be argued that M.I.A.'s song flips the script on "Straight to Hell" and portrays the backlash from those wronged immigrants. Perhaps "backlash" isn't the right word, as the hustle isn't driven by revenge but the need to escape from oppressive poverty. Bun B easily outshines Rich Boy with one of the best verses of the year. He explains that crime continues to exist because of police ineffectiveness, but implores us to use our heads to come up with a better cure for poverty. Rich Boy's verse may be just a cliche gun-girl metaphor, but he does a fantastic job with it. Sample line: "She look like 22, but she really 45."


You can listen to almost every song on this list in the player below. Support the artists you like by buying their music.

Top 25 Hip-Hop and R&B singles of 2008