pokerintensity!!!

The internet is flush with information on poker. To some they seem all the same. It take something unique about a site to pique my interest and spend some time there. Pokerintensity is one of those sites. What makes it different you ask? Well let me tell you.

One of the first things that caught my eye on their menu was the poker room blacklist. I like it when someone can tell me what sites are crooked and that you should stay away from. They list 10 sites to avoid. One site I noticed was not listed was Absolute Poker. Shouldn't they belong on the list as well after the cheating scandal? Maybe they cover it elsewhere.

Sure enough. Click on the online poker rooms tab and there is Absolute on top. I read the review and saw what I was looking for. They quickly mention in the "Bio" of the site that they cannot recommend you play there because of the scandal. Going down the page, pokerintensity looks to have a solid review system in place. It ranges from bonuses to customer support to traffic. It covers all the aspects you are looking for. Plus it appears like some of the information is updated on a frequent basis as the traffic section has been updated this month.

Another item that caught my eye was the section on horse racing. Click on that tab and it takes you to what appears to be a sister site. They also have a list of 6 online casino and the latest news on the industry.

About the only thing they may be missing is a blog, but they make up for it in the articles section. The online poker tips area looks to house a growing list of articles on both poker and blackjack.

Take the time to check out pokerintensity. You just might pick up a nugget or two to strengthen your game.

Bad air beat

My airline has cancelled a bunch of flight to the west coast. Thankfully Las Vegas wasn't one of the cities it will no longer fly directly to. Unfortunately, my December flight is getting messed with. My departure still looks good but the return flight may get diverted through Indianapolis. Even worse, it may be on Northwest Airlines.

I have always flown Midwest Airlines when given a chance. The spacious seats and chocolate chip cookies are nice. It is one of the few times I feel at home in a plane. It saddens me to see they are going to mess up a good thing they had with the Vegas flight schedule.

At least the trip was free. I had enough miles to cover me so I am not out any cash. I just hope I can avoid the bad beat through Indy. I also wish I could see and book the change myself online. Having to call in to speak with someone is a pisser.

So where do we start the over/under on how long it takes me to speak with someone at the airline today?

Heads up!

I settled in to play the RiverChasers heads up tourney tonight. I had grabbed a beer and was ready to enjoy. Kind of a local brew, if you want to consider Madison local. It is Ambergeddon Ale from the Ale Asylum. Pretty tasty.

Why does this label remind me of Blood?

The tournament starts and plops me down at a table. I wait for my opponent. And wait. And wait. Aw crap! I got a bye in the first round. Some of you may be happy to have a bye but I came to play poker, not sit around and wait. TripJax and Baywolfe quickly advance while I try to find something to watch on TV. I settle on CSI (hey I was lazy and didn't feel like channel surfing) and decided maybe to buy some new shirts for work. I notice one thing right away. What is with all the pastel colors? Why can't I get a simple solid navy blue polo shirt? And what kind of color is Apple Butter? Seriously people!

I have wasted about 30 minutes looking at crappy shirts when I realize I could have been watching how others play. Oh well, time to grab another beer. I may be looking at cards soon. Or not. Chippy McStacks and NewinNov have decided to play a marathon game. At this point I have switched from CSI to Last Comic Standing. This Indian guy isn't that funny. Unless you like buggery jokes.

Finally, after waiting 53 minutes, I will be playing some poker. I just hope I don't bust out right away. I am up against DonK_TuckFard. My strategy is simple. Be aggressive. Mix it up. Raise it up without any real rhyme or reason. Stay away from bad boards. Fold when caught in the hopes that I am perceive as being way too aggressive and am just a thief.

The match is somewhat boring. Neither of us is getting too aggressive after the flop. Just when I think I can push him around, he comes punching back. I have a good edge but nothing too significant. It finally comes down to me pushing on a J 10 10 x board. I try to push my opponent off his hand. He takes his time and finally calls with a J underneath. I spike a K on the river for a very sick win. Right call does not get paid.

Next round I draw retired blogger Fishiswa. I like him. A good player and a man smart enough to understand that poker is a game, that family and the real world is much higher priority. I really respect that. I am going to really have to switch gears for this match up. It takes me a number of hands to put this principle into practice.

I am about to get a feel for the flow of this game. I have spewed some chips but can double up to get back even. I find my spot. I call his raise with Q 10. Flop is nice. Q rag rag. I bet the pot. He pushes all in. No way does he have me here. I quickly call. He shows 6 2 off. Yes! Turn is small card, river his gut shot. I am done. What the fuck just happened? Just like that, my game is over. I feel like I have been used. Oh well.

Rooster 2 StB1

Unlike some blogger gatherings, poker seems to be way down on the list of things to do. There are some cards dealt, chips tossed, and pots drug. But that usually occurs after ball games, beer drinking, bullshitting, lesbian bars, and yelling at bicyclers that have been peppered sprayed. It is a time killer, not an event. Trying to run a tournament would get in the way of drinking.

In the case of the Gentile Summit, it is a short handed game. DP’s deck isn’t that big nor is the table so it is basically a 6 handed game going on. Seeing that, I was ready to ramp up my aggression a bit to make some beer money.

It was a good cast of characters at the table at least that I can recall. DP, Rooster, Drizz, Chad and I played on Friday as we waited for people to show up. I think Joe Speaker and the Bracelet got in the mix before we left for dinner. I had a couple hours of beer in me so I can’t quite recall 5 days later. Sue me.

I like sitting down at a table with the Rooster. He is a cagey little Puerto Rican card player. Two places you always want to observe the Rooster. Card table and the bar. You will be entertained and may even learn something. I think I have a grasp for his style of play. Put the emphasis on think. He likes to play aggressively but can change gears on you quickly. That is how I view it. He will push you off pots when he feels he can but he won’t be reckless about it. You have to be careful with the Rooster or he will felt you, leaving your head spinning about how he outplayed you.

I decided to put the Rooster to the test early. I flopped an OESD. My gut told me the Rooster caught a piece of it. I called his bet just to see the turn totally miss me, but it was a nice scare card. I knew I could probably take down the pot with a nice size raise. I popped his bet roughly the size of the pot. He muttered I probably had nothing (I hear that often from him) and folded. My read was right.

StB 1 Rooster 0.

Ok, remember before how I said I think I have a grasp on how the Rooster plays? When I am right it is good, but when I am wrong it is disastrous. I was in the big blind with K 3. I believe the Rooster just limped in allowing me to see the free flop. It came K high, rainbow. I checked and called his bet. The turn was a blank. I checked again. This time he went all in. Huh? I sat back and thought. The Rooster will push you off when he thinks you can. But he will also trap you and take your cash. My gut told me he didn’t have a set. Then I wondered if he had a K. He wouldn’t go all in with just a pair of kings. It seemed like he had a pair of 10s or 9s and was pushing me off the pot. I called with my shitty kicker, exclaiming “I don’t think you have a set or a K.” I was right. He didn’t have a K. He had two. I was felted.

Rooster 2 StB1 (Felting is good for 2!)

Once again the Rooster got the best of me. I was able to make up the majority of my money in the session and then even more against one of DP’s obnoxious drunk friends so all was not lost. Yet someday I will get cage the Rooster and be the felter and not the feltee. No homo.

More on Chicago can be found here.

A1 neat please

$60 bucks to drink the A1 steak sauce? Really Rooster?

It appeared to be about 4 or 5 ounces of the stuff. Rooster didn't say much. He just picked up the glass, chugged it down, and picked up his cash.

The Rooster likes his meat milkshake. No homo.

No matter what the Rooster does, it is always a good time to hang our with him and he is still my favorite Puerto Rican friend.

Little guy doing well

So the wee one has made it to Day 3. Good job Iggy. What, you just need to play 8 more days of poker to make the money?

For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of meeting the little guy, Bobby has a quick recap on the life of Iggy. For me, having the littel guy hug your knee cap is a special thing. No homo.

And on a different note, I just have to post this again. I put it on my other blog but this video had me laughing my ass off again last night.

Best.Porn.Intro.Ever. Don't worry, it is SFW.

You too can Hart NY

Just a couple more hours to vote for All Star Game. Please, click below to vote Milwaukee Brewer Corey Hart to the team.



I was a bit upset this morning when I realized that I had forgotten about the Skillz game again last night. That sucks. Oh well, there may be some chip slinging going on this weekend so I can make up for it.

I may be down at the local Indian casino tomorrow. I haven't been there in probably 3 years. I wonder how much it has changed. Drizz and Chad will be in town en route to Chicago so it seems like a good a time as any to hit the Pot.

ICROW service

I was standing at Summerfest, listening to the music with a cold beer in my hand when my phone went off. It was a text from the Rooster. It was an update on Iggy's stack. As the night would progress I would receive updates on where the wee one stood.

I was not aware I had signed up for Rooster's ICROW service but I sure found it worth having.

Iggy's Chipcount Repeatedly On Wire.

Though the Rooster isn't even in Vegas, he is giving table side updates just like the best of them. Rumor is Tony G is looking to buy him out if Iggy can make Day 3.

Keep up the good work Rooster. I look forward to hearing the updates on Wednesday. Better yet, to knocking some beers back this weekend.

Pokerjunkie

Continuation Betting in Texas Hold'em Poker

An important element of Texas hold’em poker strategy is a play that has come to be known as the continuation bet. It is important for any Texas hold’em poker player to recognize the continuation bet, know when it is being used and understand why it is used.

What is a Continuation Bet in Poker?

A continuation bet is a follow up bet made to represent that a hand that was strong pre-flop remains strong. For example, a player holds pocket queens and raises pre-flop. He is called in two places and the flop comes As 8s 5d. Although he missed the flop, the player may bet out to represent that he was raising with a hand like AK and now holds a pair of aces.

Why Continuation Bet in Poker?

In the hand above, if the player failed to bet, opponents might put the player on a pair and assume he is afraid of the ace. They may now bet whether they have an ace or not, putting the first player in a very difficult position.

Should One Continuation Bet?

The frequency of one’s continuation betting may vary from player to player. A player who continuation bets every time he bets pre-flop may lose credibility. In contrast, a player who checks when he hits his hand and continuation bets whenever he misses will give away his hand to observant players fairly quickly. Good flops to continuation bet are flops with a single ace and non-threatening flops that are unlikely to have hit anyone very hard. Bad flops to continuation bet include ones that are all of a same suit or where players have great incentive to call or raise, such as a Js Ts 9c which features many straight and flush draws.

The thrill is gone

So the WSOP Main Event starts today. Like many others, I used to dream about playing in this event. Winning my way in and taking the chance.

That dream is gone. It isn't even a passing thought anymore.

Kinda like poker. I still play but not with the zeal I used to. Especially during the summer months. There is so much more to do than sit inside playing a game on a computer. I am not knocking those who do it, just saying it isn't for me.

I haven't played much lately. I actually did want to play the Skillz event but forgot about it. That along with Saturdays with Pauly may be the events I hit up the most in the foreseeable future. If the Bodog Blogger Tournament comes back I will hop on that. I should have some cash coming through on Bodog that would finance it all. As long as I don't blow it.

Good luck to all the bloggers that will be playing in the Main Event. Hope your dreams come true. For me, I have to go grab a beer and head down to Summerfest.