I am going all in!

''Poker is only about pure luck''. ''Poker is nothing but gambling''. ''Poker involves only psychology''. When you think of poker games these clichés immediately come to your mind as all professional players tend to use terms 'luck', 'gambling' and psychology' in tournament reports. However, only few us knows that all three are crucial besides several other factors at the same time. 

I have to say I love poker. I have been playing this wonderful game for over a year now. There are numerous kinds of poker, but I prefer Texas Hold'em where each player is given two cards and 3+1+1 combination of cards on the table means the flop, the basis of the game. Firstly, three cards come, that is called the flop. Then, the fourth card is called the turn, and the last one is the river. Before the three cards come, players can decide whether they call the big blind, raise it or they simply fold the hand because of some reason (reasons vary player to player). 

Poker is not an easy game. While playing you have to pay attention to many things such as movements of other players, motion of their eyes, their behavior when a player raises the blind, whether someone talks oddly and so on.  A poker player must have good senses and reading ability to know when to call, raise or fold depending on the situation. Many people claim mathematics is not involved in the game and they are wrong. Players make complex calculations taking the number of players into consideration as well as the number of folded hands and, most importantly, how many possible outs are there. Let's make it simpler. If you have an 'ace' and a 'jack' of all spades and the three cards are 'seven', 'nine', 'king' with two spades then you are drawing for a flush as you have many outs (the flush means that you have any five cards of the same kind). Then you calculate and decide the following step, because the turn or river card can give you the flush if one of them is of spades. 

Doyle Brunson, the 'Big Papa of poker' says it is necessary to be aggressive. He means that players should call bets even if they are in the worse (or better, who knows) position. I do not agree with him. I am a calm and cautious player who contemplates others and tries to make every effort to read others. I prefer to lay down my hand when I feel something suspicious goes on. Sometimes my instincts tell me that a huge bet is definitely not a bluff which means immediate fold to me.

So poker is about luck, gambling, psychology, observation of other players, complex calculations and inside instincts which all have to work at the same time. Just one bad bluff, only one call that is so risky may ruin the game for you with the loss of your buy-in.

Mistakes and errors

I think a blog entry does not only function as coding my experience on the world, but sharing ideas, too. However, there is one thing that bothers me; my own mistakes and errors in texts written by myself. That may sound strange, but I really feel that it is true.

After having revised my entries at least three times I do find typing and spelling slips or other mistakes of any sort. Then, after the fourth revision, my post are finally published. Sooner or later there come some comments. I always reread my entries before replying to any comment. Then I leave my response. On the other hand, I get also some feedback from a professor. The professor leaves a comment that my texts are full of misspelled words and some improper use of words or phrases.

I revise those texts right away and I am astonished that I spell many words wrongly.  Why on Earth don't I find these mistakes (sometimes these are erronous) after the first read? Am I blind? Not. I am not. I always make every effort to make those entries as good as possible. I revise them many times even after someone leaves a comment.

It is so true that the biggest challange means the identification of my own mistakes. The recognition of mistakes and errors of others is easier. I try to do my best to correct all the issues highlighted by professors, of course.

I have read the whole text twice. I hope that readers will not find many issues in this text. 
Now I publish my entry...

'No, ZTE is impossible, it must be a joke...'

My dad has long been looking for a smartphone with which he is able to surf the wireless internet, watch online videos and take excellent high resolution photos and videos. He wished there had been such a decent phone at solid price. Here that has come!!

He could not wait until Sunday when ZTE Skate smartphone was finally available with various T-mobile subscriptions. Yes, it is ZTE. At first sight he thought it was a joke. ZTE was a Hungarian football team. After having browsed the phone online and looked up its specs the brandname got clarified. It really was ZTE. The company originated from China that fabricated cool phones at an affordable price.

So he bought the phone with significant discount regarding that he had already had a subscription at T-mobile. He came home triumphantly and introduced his new device. I was glad that this gadget made him so happy. He tried all the functions and applications and also downloaded some new ones.

His satisfaction is maximum as the device provides what he really needs. Our technology in 2011 is so developed that a manufacturer can sell excellent phones for 150€. I think prices will get even lower as technology is an ever-developing wheel. 

The city is under threat

It is really confusing and worrisome in 2011 that criminals can easily put a whole city under threat. The downtown shopping-center and many other buildings (the building of the regional department of taxation and the court) were evacuated a couple of days ago when somebody made a menacing phone call that all these official places would be exploded.

The caller demanded the local authorities to release two people who had long been under investigation by the police. Evidently, city dwellers got immadiately frightened. Istantly, everyone thought of friends, family members or colleagues who may have been there either shopping or working.

The local police department started off the investigation right away involving the Hungarian secret service to identify the caller. A few hours later a Ucranian man was said to be arrested as a suspect, but later the police led him off claiming that he was just a witness. The whole city started to worry about the situation.

Yesterday night someone called the police that a different part of city would be exploded. Today at noon, another threating call was made. The letter promised explosion in the shopping-center again.

It is more than worrisome. The police has not spotted anybody as a suspect yet, according to their spokesman. Or do they have somebody in target? Are they just trying to mislead criminals and to authentify their investigation? Probably. We do not know. Neither we know when they will strike again.

'All your things onto the hood, please!'

As the fall break is near its end my friends return to Pécs after having enjoyed some reaxing and sunny autumn days. When Gyula called me to say that he was sitting on the train near Szentlőrinc and told me to visit them at night. I said yes immediately, I had not played poker with them for a long time.

So I got to their flat yesterday night with  a smile on the face that we were going to have a great poker party. I arrived at their flat and we started the game. I got lucky really. I had a huge straight draw (8, 9, J, Q)and I bet on the flop. The turncard (10) was bingo!! I got my straight in the first hand. The time was running and I felt tired so others did. So I came home.

While coming home  I experienced something that took the smile off from my face. Two police officers in a cop car spotted at me with a flashlight and they asked me to get closer to the car. Cops got out of the car and said 'all your things onto the hood, please!'. I felt strange. I thought it would be a usual check at late night but I was somehow bothered by hearing those instructions. I asked them what that was all about. After I put everything onto the hood of the car, one of them said it was the usual check.

Yes. In order to maintain public safety it is necessary to check people randomly on the street by ID and all other things on us. I understood the measure as it was the responsibility of cops to do. They said there were lots of thefts in the previous weeks. After that I now feel a bit better that cops have the right to make you empty your pocket and bag (cops' rights are very restricted in Hungary, unfortunately). At first, it seemed unaccostumed but after having considered the situation twice the smile got back on face.

PC difficulties

I think I am not the only one who faces problems and difficulties when university assignments requiring PC on a daily basis. Since I am not so conversant in PC utilization the issues emerge at every occasion.

I cannot type fast. Well, I should say, I type very slowly. It means the basic problem when writing an essay, thesis, research paper or blog entries here. For some reason even continuous practice does not help me achieve better results in typing. There is an array of texts to write at uni, though. Sometimes I feel really bad about it; and then I realize I should not. This is an ability and not everybody has this gift. It is like language learning; one can memorize analogies of grammar or understand the usage of tenses easier than others.

Also, I am not an advanced Windows user.  So to say, the system permanently surprises me with various pop-up windows showing messages on failures occuring. After having those windows closed the system offers 'help' automatically by driving me to BIOS properties. I never have even the slightest idea what to do there. Furthermore, I cannot return to the desktop.

Anyway, I could continue with difficulties until Microsoft releases Win 9 at least. I have been using Win7 for months now and the system seems more user-friendly that no drive-by occurs. Win Vista and, especially, Win XP bombed my screen with messages like mentioned. 

After all, I am not upset. Computer science is not my world; however, I am able to cope with simple tasks like writing blog entries.

Beer or Wine?

Many of us consume beer when getting involved in a really good conversation with friends just to make those meetings better and 'give great atmosphere' to the company gathered together. Also, we tend to have a cup of excellent wine for a good start. Why is the case as it is?

This question has raised my interest for a long time. I do meet my friends on a regular basis really at least twice or three times a week. These occasions are usually held in the flat of one of our mates from the faculty of law. He really loves these nights when friends are all there to spend a great time together. Okay, but we always start with a kind of drink. At one time with beer and with wine at the other.

I have done a tiny research on the subject. I made observations on drinks we have had considering the whole night. I have found that we start with beer if the occasion is organized for only conversation. Throughout the night we talk about some usual university matters or some personal issues. My research has also showed that the night might begin with a basic question 'white or red?'. Yesss, at this time we open one or more bottles of wines. Since I love cooking some parties are made as 'cooking nights' when I am assigned to be the chef (they say I can cook really well). My point here is that we have a great meal and wines may trigger or intense our hunger if consumed prior to the food.

It is also proven by scientists that wines contain fruit acids and aromas (you have to buy real wine, obviously) which are axcellent sources of make you hungry. On the other hand, beer is a (perfect) drink containing carbon-dioxide, carbohydrates and, consequently,  immense of calories. So to say, beer can make you feel full and no tough meal is desired (of course it is the general conception, but it may vary individually).

Either we started with beer or wine according to the occasion the parties were just perfect.