Sunday, May 24, 2020

Notes From All Over -- Nothing About The Bakken -- The Memorial Weekend Sunday Edition -- May 24, 2020

Poker: a most enjoyable day yesterday. In the background, for about six hours, uninterrupted for the most part, I suppose -- the televising / re-run of the 2019 World Series of Poker. Absolutely mesmerizing. The 2020 WSOP, originally scheduled for late May, 2020, has now been postponed to a later, yet-to-be-decided, date in the fall of 2020.
Reading: Scottish Enlightenment, 18th century.

NASCAR: link here.
  • all you need to know: Fox, green flag 5:28 p.m. CT; tonight, Sunday;
    • weather: thunderstorms just before the race; thunderstorm during the race; 51% chance;
  • more than you need to know:
    • Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
    • one of five night races, NASCAR's modified schedule for 2020
    • earliest start time of the five night races because it's the longest
    • four stages rather than the usual three stages
    • each stage: 100 laps; 1.5-mile oval, long-lap race
  • and there's more
    • a second Cup Series points race at Charlotte on Wednesday, May 27, 2020
    • the "replacement" race for the canceled June 14, 2020, Sonoma, CA, race; 
    • 7:00 p.m. CT; only 312 miles in length; 208 laps
  • realignment background here;
  • it appears that Chase Elliott and Kyle Busch are on speaking terms following "that wreck"; the wreck occurred Wednesday, May 20, 2020, at Darlington; tonight's race at Charlotte -- we'll see if anything comes of Chase Elliott / Kyle Busch
    • it's been my impression, the field, in general, has been very, very "polite" as NASCAR returns to racing
    • if so, I would say that is very, very "smart" of the racers; fans aren't looking for controversy or chaos at this point; they are looking for good, clean races;
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WSOP -- 2019

Final Table: nine players --
  • US: 4
  • Canada: 1
  • Britain: 1
  • Germany: 1
  • Italy: 1
  • US-based Serbian: 1
Final Table: nine players --
  • one frosh: $0 at any previous WSOP event -- Kevin Maahs, US; finished 5th, $2.2 million
  • three sophomores: each had won cash at one previous WSOP event ($12,415; $3,276; and, $927)
  • Most experienced: the Italian, Dario Sammartino, with 38 previous cash wins at WSOP events; total WSOP earnings going into 2019 WSOP tournament: $3.5 million
  • none of the nine had ever won a WSOP bracelet
  • ultimate winner: Hossein Ensan, one previous cash win at a WSOP event, $3,267)
Marchington: legal spat; 21 years old; with 35 players left, he led the field; finished 7th, $1.5 million

Note: the top nine prizes --
  • not much separation for the bottom, 5th through 9th places
  • between 4th and 3rd, a jump from $3 million to $4 million
  • between 3rd and 2nd, a jump from $4 million to $6 million
  • from 2nd to 1st, a jump from $6 million to $10 million
  • this encourages aggressive play in the first few rounds; not much to lose between fifth place and ninth place, and a great deal to win if one can finish in the top four
Observations and comments:
  • a dust-up at the table before the Final Table, between Sammartino, the Italian, and the casino dealer, suggested a poor loser, and someone who lost his concentration; and, most incredibly, acted as if he did not understand the basic rules of poker (actions, not words, rule the day)
  • Sammartino went on to recover, and finish 2nd in the tournament; mostly by playing very, very, very conservatively letting others knock each other off in a circular firing squad, leaving him alone, head-to-head with the eventual winner, Hossein Ensan;
  • Hossein Ensan: lucky, lucky, lucky. An Iranian via Germany; I've never seen anyone get so many incredible downcards; flops; and/or river cards -- it was truly incredible
  • once Ensan had his huge chip lead going to the final table (of nine), there was little chance of anyone beating him; Sammartino came close but only by pretty much staying out of the game until the end, when he was head-to-head with Ensan;
  • in addition to being plain lucky, Ensan was formidable; using his chip advantage to intimidate and ultimately literally destroy his opponents; many seemed to appear not to know what just happened;
  • perhaps most endearing: Timothy Su; Boston; software engineer, and classical musician; plays the oboe as well as other instruments; resume suggests least likely to be playing poker;
  • Kevin Maahs: perhaps my favorite personality; link here;
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Steaks
KC Cattle Company

All Waygu beef is sold out:


Wow, almost everything is sold out.

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Amazon
I need more journals and more pens. 

I can go to Walmart, fight the mask-wearing crowds, today, or simply order off Amazon and everything will be at my doorstep tomorrow.  

All I know for sure: I'm not going to Walmart today.

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Sunday Morning Waffles

2 comments:

  1. An oldie but...baddie:

    https://www.artberman.com/2017/02/28/the-beginning-of-the-end-for-the-bakken-shale-play/

    (Art Berman predicting further decline from when Bakken had dropped to 0.9+ MM bopd, after a price crash, and bad winter. But then we went up to 1.5+, later.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you.

      You know, for me, there are at least two issues here: what the Bakken is capable of producing -- I used to use the word "unfettered." What the Bakken could produce if unfettered: demand exceeded supply; more than adequate takeaway capacity; minimal interference from regulatory agencies; etc. Early on, it was estimated the Bakken would (could?) produce 2.2 million bopd.

      Of course that didn't happen and may never happen, but it's not because operators in the Bakken are not capable of producing that much, but rather other issues impact Bakken production.

      It was my impression that Berman was talking as a geologist; if so, he was completely wrong on the Bakken. If he was predicting the Saudi Surge and COVID-19 back in 2017, he was spot on. LOL.

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