I found myself firing up Full Tilt this past weekend. Just after I signed in my poker ADD struck and I found myself signing up for a SnG as well as two LO8 limit tables. I was wondering why after being on hiatus for a couple of weeks I would come back and break my first rule of poker.

Don't play ring games after a night of drinking.

It is a rule I tell myself again and again. It is never a good idea to sit down and play cards after you have been drinking for 6 hours. You can sit down and begin drinking or play tournaments but you should never play a ring game. The urge to reload while thinking "That don *hic* key got luggy, luddy, lubby, er, lucky" is too strong for me to fight. Thus, I dropped more playing Omaha than I did finishing first in the SnG.

I find it interesting (only to myself) that I watched some of the 2008 WSOP Main Event last night. I even taped the next episode. Who knows, this game may draw me back in before December comes along.

And now for something completely different...
At lunch today, they had vegetable chili on the soup bar. Next to the soup bar was a pan of polish sausage. Is it wrong to cut up a sausage and add to the meat-free chili or is it expected?

Hooray for boobies!

There is a good reason I won't be heading out to Philly for Al's annual Bash this year. I made a commitment to join my friend Janet at the lakefront on Sunday, September 28 for the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure. Yep, I will forgo a weekend of debauchery with some boobs to help save some boobs.

And you can help as well. Please click through to Janet's page and make a donation. Janet beat breast cancer and now she is helping others in the fight to defeat the disease. All donations are greatly appreciated.

Think of it as good karma that will bring you some luck at the tables.

It is about surviving

I am looking forward to the upcoming NFL season. My beloved Dallas Cowboys are in a position to make a serious run to the Super Bowl. That alone will do wonders for one’s football morale. But I am also looking forward to betting the week’s games and avoiding fantasy football.

Yep, you read that correctly. Avoiding fantasy football.

The league I have played in for the past couple of years folded. It wasn’t very competitive and it shrunk each of the last 3 seasons. After easily cruising through the season with one loss last year I got dumped in the playoffs in the first week because my starters were on the bench as the first playoff game was in week 16, not in 14 or 15 which would have made a huge difference for me.

So with that bitter taste still in my mouth, I decided to avoid fantasy football altogether and put my focus on betting the games. That and Miami Don’s Survivor Football. For those not aware of what survivor football is, a quick tutorial. Pick 1 winner each week. Sounds simple, huh? Only catch is once you pick a team, you cannot use them again for the rest of the season.

Survivor Football is a unique competition in itself with some strategies that can be applied. Do you take the favorites early? Do you sandbag them until later? Do you focus on powerful teams or the weak ones?

My strategy is to hold off on some big favorites until a couple weeks into the season. I believe that even though they may play some strong football early, they will get better as the season goes on. Plus it is nice to have a bullet in the chamber when it gets down to the nitty gritty between you and a handful of players. I look to hold off on the Cowboys, Patriots, and Chargers until a least a month out.

I also like to pick on the weak teams. You would have done well last year picking whoever played the Dolphins. It was like taking candy from a baby. Kansas City looks to be bad this year. Very bad. And those Dolphins won’t be much better than last year. Better but only a couple games better. Toss in the Raiders and you should be able to get through the first month. This year is a bit more difficult for some of these teams because they are playing tweeners.

It is those tweener teams that can you into pickles. The Vikings have a running game but no QB and a defense that should be better. Can you trust them? What about New Orleans? The Saint were great two years ago but stunk it up last year. Will they bounce back? Same with the Panthers. The Packers have injuries and an unproven QB. Dare you take them in week 1?

To make things interesting I decided to post my picks for the entire season. I plan to use them each week barring any major injuries or other surprises. I am not locking myself in. If a team is better/worse than expected, I will make a change.

Week 1- Pittsburgh over Houston
Week 2- Seattle over San Fran
Week 3- Buffalo over Oakland
Week 4- Denver over K.C.
Week 5- San Diego over Miami
Week 6- Dallas over Arizona
Week 7- Indy over Green Bay
Week 8- New England over St. Louis
Week 9- Minnesota over Houston
Week 10- Jacksonville over Detroit
Week 11- New Orleans over K.C.
Week 12- New York Giants over Arizona
Week 13- Oakland over K.C.
Week 14- Washington over Baltimore
Week 15- Philly over Cleveland
Week 16- Green Bay over Chicago
Week 17- Houston over Chicago

There you have it. 17 weeks of meaningless prognostication. So I didn't feel like working. Sue me.

Drunken poker

I played some drunken poker this past weekend. A couple of $10 SnGs that saw me exiting in 6th and 7th place. In one I tried to bluff someone off a pot and went down in flames while in the other I couldn't hit either my flush or straight draw and a flopped set of deuces sent me to the sideline.

I didn't totally tilt and fire up another one. Instead I directed my drunk butt to the couch and promptly fell asleep. I was quite please to wake up and not see a message saying I finished an unknown tournament in 8th place.

Tao of Poker Omaha appearance

I showed up and played about 30 minutes of Pauly's Omaha tourney on Saturday. Threw a couple of bucks into the kitty for someone else to enjoy. I never had a chance. I was playing Rock Band before the tourament started and was busy spending time trying to get a part of the song right. The beginning of Gimme Shelter was giving me fits on the guitar and it was driving me nuts. I was determined to get the licks down and the poker game was more of an annoyance than anything.

So with top pair and a gut shot straight draw I pushed all in against the made straight. Ouch. At least I got the song down.

Hey! I played some poker!

It was probably because I went to the bar right from work that I got home and played the Riverchasers tournament tonight. With an ample supply of beer in my belly providing the fuel I needed to get through the night I turned my eyes to the monitor and hoped for the best.

Early on I dumped some chips to NewinNov. With AJo I raised from EP. Never good when you get 4 callers. To make it worse, the flop was A Q Q. I probably screwed it up right away by not making some kind of continuation bet. I checked and called it down to the river where I folded to the all in bet. I felt bad after that hand knowing I played it very poorly.

Though I lost about 500 or 600 on that hand I was despondent. I had faith I could make it back. A couple of hands later I check my 6 6 from the BB. A flop of A 2 7 didn't have me worried. Nor did the pot size bet from UTG. I recalled a hand BadBlood talked about and called that bet. The 6 on the turn was a pretty sight to behold. I checked and called the bet again. On the river I tried to go the well once to many times as it was checked down.

Back to even I focused on my beer as the bad hands came along and kept me on the sideline. Can't help but notice how there is no chat at this table. I feel like I am playing funeral poker. Blinds come and go and and I tread water. To make it interesting I am beginning to make bets to see if I can control the table. Limp with 2 2 and make a half pot bet on a flop of K Q 6. 3 people fold and I take a small pot. I could get used to this.

With K 10 I make the raise from UTG. Flop is 10 high. Only the BB had called and is suddenly betting out. The flop is uncoordinated and I wonder why he betting out. I call to give me some time to think. The turn is nothing. Again, the BB bets out the pot. Something doesn't seem right. My brain says to watch out for the set but my gut tells me to go all in, that he doesn't have a set. Plus my gut says it wants another beer and we can watch football and drink if we bust out. Of course I listen to my gut and push. I am happy with the fold. My brain reminds me of how I always drink and play poker.

One thing I am trying not to do tonight is play "fancy poker". I don't want to be tricky and slow play everything. I catch two pair from the blinds and start betting out. I have no intention of being sly tonight.

I dump some chips with a re-raise and Q Q from the BB. Of course I run into K K and am back to my starting stack. A A and A K would get some of the chips back. I then twitch a bit when I am dealt Q Q. I raise UTG and get one caller. On a flop with J high, the blinds bet into me. This again? I make a pot size raise and feel leery when I am called. I have just 600 behind and have no choice but to put them in the pot on the turn. I don't have the chance to bet as once again I am bet into. I am surprised to see my opponent has K J. Just like that I am up to 6000 at the first break. Speaking of breaks, this give me time to get another beer.

I play just one hand in the first 15 minutes after the break taking in an OK pot. A Q pays off when a Q hits the turn. A Q pays off again from the BB when 3 others try to limp in.

I continue to fold until I see a flop with AJs from the BB. Flop misses me so I fold. And fold and fold. I am getting bored now. Now I know why I am not a big fan of deep stacks.

Nines get me an uncontested pot. So does Big Slick. At this point I take a glance and notice there are only 10 runners remaining. Sounds good but we started with only 24. Still in the top 50% of the field! Whoo hooo! Then I realize the "small" stack is at 3100 so it will still take a long time to even start the final table.

So much for no fancy play. I go with a min raise with A A from the SB and get the call. I make a small bet on the flop and get raised. I push all in just in case he was willing to chase a flush. He folds instead.

I get rambunctious again and raise with A 7s on a smaller stack. He pushed all in from the BB. I make the call figuring what the heck. Instinct tells me I am ahead. Sure enough, he shows K Q. But the Q on the flop puts me behind. The board fills up with diamonds to give him a flush adding insult to injury.

I drop a nice pot when I raise with A 10 and get called by the short stack with 8 2s. An 8 on the flop is followed by a 2 on the turn and I go on tilt. I call a bet putting me all in on the next hand with A Q. I am up against K K. The Q on the flop is encouraging but that is all she wrote. Done in 9th.

The fresh bottle of beer curse lives on.

Deadbeats

I fired up Full Tilt last night to see what Skillz game was on the agenda. At about 45 minutes before the start of the tournament only 3 players had signed up. I wondered why such a small turnout until I saw the game. Limit Hold Em. Ugh! Double stack to boot. I rather get my wisdom teeth pulled that play a limit tournament for a couple of hours. Congrats to those who did play and whoever may have won.

I stumbled across this article in the local paper today. Poker player ordered to pay up. Apparently some baby's daddy in Vegas hasn't paid any child support for the last couple of years. Now a court is forcing him to do so.

The line in the article that cracked me up was this one:

Boyle said the best result for the boy and his mother would be if Obst still
remained employed. A felony conviction would make it harder for him to get a
job, she said.

Remain employed? He is a poker player, not someone with a 9 to 5 job. He can blow all of his cash in one night and not have anything left to pay his support.

I wonder if the player had a lawyer argue bankroll considerations in his defense.

Tao of Poker Birthday Celebration

I got a quick taste of what the blogger games were about early on in the Tao of Poker 5th Birthday tournament. Got a table with Byron and GCox. The chatter started quickly ranging from cards to baseball and beyond. Not quite sure who the other were. I figured they were readers that looked for a cheap payday. So 519 sit down to take a cheap shot at the Borgata Open.

My strategy- if I truly had one- was to take it easy for the first hour. Find some cards and play them hard. Don't worry about going for chips early. Thus I folded quite bit early.

First decent hand I saw was a pair of 6s. Saw a flop on a 3xs raise and missed the flop. Next time I would raise UTG with KQs. Sure I said I was going to play it tight but I do like that KQs. Flop came J high so I decided the continuation bet was the best move and bet 190 into the 245 pot. It was good and I was basically back to even.


After that I am moved to a new table. I don't recognize any of the names. Furthermore no one seems to be sociable as my HOWDY to the table goes unnoticed. Screw em! I fold a couple of hands as I wonder why someone has a picture of asparagus as their icon. Upon further inspection I realize it is not asparagus but actually says Phish in long green letters. I decide to still think of it as asparagus.


I spend the next 15 minutes looking for music on the web as my cards have looked pretty bad. I then get in a bad spot. It folds to the button. He min raises to 100. I have J J in the small blind. I make it 300. BB folds and the button calls. Flop is 9 high with two hearts. I bet 2/3 of the pot. He calls. Turn is an A. I hate that card. I check but decide to call the small bet of 200. River is a rag. I check again and he bets 300. Pot is 2400. I feel I have to call because of pot odds and hope he had a mid pair and was trying to bluff. I make the crying call to see his AQs of hearts. Ugh!

I am basically hosed with the short stack now. With KQo I push and get called by KQo? Ok! I then call the raise with 8 8 in the BB. 4 people are in the pot. If I am lucky I get back in the game. I am not as I am up against K K and 9 Ts??? Out in 329. At least I had fun.

If I remember in time...

I make actually play some poker tonight.

Rock Band > Poker

I haven't played any poker in a while. Life is too busy for me to sit down in front of a pc and sling virtual cards. Instead I am busy sitting down in front of the TV bashing drums playing Rock Band.

So go read the lastest issue of Truckin'.

August 2008, Vol. 7, Issue 8
Welcome back to another summer issue of Truckin'.

1. Even More Existentialist Conversations with Strippers by Paul McGuire
On the third day of Prozac? That pretty much summed up my visit to the afternoon shift. The stripper was drunk, sedated on happy pills, sloppy, and slurring her speech like Albert Finney at happy hour... More

2. Explaining Amphetamines With Words by Sean A. Lovelace
See the thing is an injection is a lot like a bullet from a gun, or words of anger, or like kisses—you can't get it back. And that Valium was working, working its way through his body, his veins, slowing things down, slowing, his pulse, his already pretty-fucking-slow pulse, and then he was, he was, well, he was dead... More

3. Black Hole Sun By Betty Underground
I couldn't get her face out of my head. Blank and full of jealousy. Not directed at me, but me as part of the female species. As a representative of the sex that threatened her the most... More

4. Separate From Things We Didn't Want A Part Of by Philip D. Brown
My friend fell asleep but the girl didn't and though it was dark I could see her watching me. She didn't look capable of sleep or even rest so I told her that I could help. She told me that needles were out of the question because they were an invasion she wasn't willing to accept... More

5. Capistrano By Brad Willis
If the doctor says I'm living, he obviously is lying or seriously misguided. If he tells me I'm living, I'm going to laugh and tell him he better get busy dying for me, because somebody fucking has to... More

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.