Don't spit on my mind

We are the people,

we are the masses you are for

We give the power and our desire must be your law

Don´t think I´m standing here all alone, one of a kind

Don´t think because you´re still there

Means that we are all blind

Don´t spit on my mind

-Helloween

Now that my anger is gone, I have stepped back and read what others (more informed) have to say. The amount of money that is being lost by fellow bloggers is amazing and quite sad. I didn't have any big affiliate deals. I was never that motivated. I just have the ads.


I did cash out of a few sites, sites that I had planned to cash out of anyway. My money still sits at Stars (where I am trying to clear a bonus) and Full Tilt. I will clean up and consolidate, something I should have done already.


I have seen some comments that I consider amazingly stupid. Pointing the finger of blame at Frist is certainly right. I don't blame the people who voted for the bill. I blame Frist for not allowing Congress to vote on the gaming bill's merits.


For some people to cry that it is yet another civil liberty being taken away is ridiculous. Face it, the Patriot Act hasn't hurt you. The government hasn't been listening in on your phone calls. They are not tracing what you are doing on the internet. 9-11 was not an inside job. Yes, to say this is part of the war on terror is ridiculous on the senators who made that claim. But to claim it is just another thing this administration is doing to take away your rights is equally stupid. Now is not the time to push your own political agenda.



So what do we do now? Sit around and mope? Of course not! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? No! I say you grab a bottle of your favorite adult beverage, take a swig, and do something about it.


For crying out loud, if you haven't joined the Poker Players Alliance by now, what are you waiting for? They are leading the fight for us. Take the time to give something back. Each time they rally the troops urging us to call our "leaders", do so. And vote next month.


We can make our voice be heard. Sometimes it just takes a little longer than we like.


But don't let them spit on your mind.

Money, money, money

Don't let Pauly fool you. He is a capitalist. He took advantage of the situation yesterday. Yes, our government may have screwed us, but it isn't the end of the world.

Here is a good article on how the stocks were affected and how you may be able to profit. Now, it focuses pretty much on what can be bought easily on American exchanges. Sorry, no Party, Empire, or 888 stock is covered in depth.

I still own some shares of Cryptologic and watched all profits disappear yesterday. However, I have traded it in the past. If there is any talk of earmarking poker out of this bill, this stock could easily move right back up.

But the analyst also comments on how poker isn't much different than buying stocks. Well thought out.

Omaha Hi/Low interest

I probably should not have been playing the WPBT POY match last night. I wasn't into the game. My body was hurting from the alcohol pour into it on Saturday. And the couple I had during the Dallas Cowboys game.

So, add in a lot of bad cards, not bad plays, and I am surprised I made 8th place. Ok, so there were only 18 runners, but it was a final table damnit!

I also must admit one thing. I didn't hear about the gaming bill going through until this morning. I don't have much to say on it. People who have followed it a lot closer than I did can do the talking.

But I do have one thought. I feel let down by my government. Whether you agree with anything the administration does or not, whether you are a passionate liberal or conservative, it doesn't matter.

What matters is that the many are hurt by trying to protect the feeble. It is not my fault that people have a gambling problem. If they cannot protect themselves are their own demons, then they deserve to suffer. Don't punish me.

I go out and enjoy my fair share of alcohol. Some may say I drink their share too. But I don't have a drinking problem. I know when to stop. I know when to give my keys to friends and let them drive me home. I own up to my personal responsibility.

If others can't, then that is their problem. To claim that gambling is a "moral threat" is asinine. It is not online crack cocaine. The government cannot protect people from their own idiocy, but that is what they want to do.

Regulation was a better answer. I can't believe the Europeans are actually doing something smarter than the Americans.

Reads

I was a bit frustrated when I left the poker table at Borgata. I had made a poor lay down to Pauly. Folded at the river after I told him exactly he had. My read was right, but I didn't act on it. It was actually the culmination of a number of times I hadn't gone with my gut instinct.

Pauly had raised from EP. With J 10s, I called either in the cutoff or the button. I liked my position and that there were going to be at least 4 people in this pot. If I hit, I take down a big one. Flop came 5 2 2, with 2 spades. Nice. Pauly bet out again, and I believe I raised. He either capped or just called, I am not sure. Turn was a 5, no spade. Pauly bet out again. I just called. River was a 5, putting a full house on the board. Pauly quickly bet again. Hmm. I stopped to think. I missed my flush, but did Pauly have a pair? I thought about it and actually said to him, "I think you have A K."

I then mucked my hand. Yes, a terrible lay down with what was in the pot. Pauly showed me the A K of hearts. That tilted me. Not only because I should have called 6 more bucks with the odds I was getting, but mainly because I didn't go with my read.

Too many times I haven't trust my gut instinct. Losing that pot to Pauly also reminded me of the last hand I played in Vegas in June. A hand that haunted me for the last couple of months.

It was either 1/2 NL at Ballys. I was in the BB and looked down to see A A. EP raised it to 10, the standard at the table. It folded around to me and I made it $25. He called. Flop was K Q x. I bet out $50. He made it $100. I stopped. My head was screaming that he had K K. I thought if he didn't have the Kings, then it was Q Q. I went into the tank. How could I lay the aces down? The more I thought about it, the more I was certain he flopped a set. But then I started to think that maybe he just had A K because he hadn't re-raised the flop. He was an older guy and wasn't trying to make moves so far. I ignored my instincts and pushed all in. He gave me a look of shock and asked if I had pushed. I immediately knew I was screwed. He turned over the Kings and I was done. Turn and river didn't hit my miracle outs and I had dropped a huge pot.

I went for a walk at that point, feeling a bit sick. It wasn't the money. It was that I hadn't trusted my instincts. One of the best things about watching some top pros like Phil Hellmuth or Daniel Negreanu on TV is when they call out exactly what their opponent has. They are able to take all this data on how the hand was played out, think of why someone would make the bet they did, and compute out their next play. I had been close in these two instances. In both, I made the wrong bet. Each one cost me.

Is learning to trust your reads the hardest thing to do? If so, at what price?

I dabbled in some $100 NL on PokerStars last night. Was up just $30 in 30 minutes before I had to stop. Last hand I played was of interest to me. Person had just sat down and posted the buck. UTG, I am dealt J J. I raise to $5. It folds to the poster and he goes all in for $60. WTF? The SB calls with just $5 behind. I tossed the Jacks because I had no idea what this guy was capable of. I was thinking he sat down, got a pair or maybe A K, A Q and wanted to double up early by bullying. My gut told me that I had the better hand, but I wasn't willing to take the chance against someone who just showed up. Turns out he had A Ks. Short stack had K Q. Board ended up being Q high. I would have taken down a nice pot.

Would anyone have called that with J J?

Maybe if I was trusting my reads, I would have.

AC

I can't really say that I saw Atlantic City. I saw the buildings. Didn't see the boardwalk. But I saw Borgata poker room. That was good enough for an intro to a gambling city on the Atlantic Ocean for me.

As I have said (whined?) about lately, I haven't been running well. I didn't really want to sit down to a 3/6 table, but I had no choice. There wasn't a 6/12 going and I didn't feel like no limit. Since BG and Falstaff had seats, I figured I could at least shoot the shit with these guys if the game was that bad.

And the game was bad. Lots of old people sitting at the table, probably used to playing a somewhat friendly game without raises. If the cards were suited, connected, or had paint, they were going to play them. J 2 suited? Sure, toss in two bets to see a flop. Raise with your A 7 off? Of course!

Thus, I knew I would have to play a tad looser in some positions and maybe not raise as much preflop. Any raise wasn't going to thin the field. They were going to toss their chips in and see that flop no matter what.

Best thing was, if they had any piece of it- and I do mean any piece- they were going to see the river. Many times they were showing 3rd or 4th pair. One lady even called down with her pocket 2s- and won!

That lady was easy to read. If she bet, she had two pair or better. She was willing to cap that flop with the nuts. But she would either just check or call the turn and river unless it was the mortal nuts. I kept an eye on her and never re-raised her unless I had trips or better. And never bet when the board showed a flush possibility.

The other old farts at the table were pretty passive. Saw A A get cracked by 3 3 when the river came a trey. Saw my own A K get knocked on an A high flop that gave my opponent two pair with her whatever suited.

But the hand that was most interesting was the one that got the floor called. Pauly tells the objective side here at the bottom of the post. With pocket A K, I raised the Rooster's bet. Don't recall exactly how many called to see a flop of K 8 8. I believed I re-raised the Rooster once again and one other clown either called or raised. Rooster dumped. I think I bet the turn (blank) and was raised. I sat there thinking what hand could he have with an 8 in it to call two raises preflop? A 8? Not likely. 8 9 or 7 8? Insane. So I check the river and called his bet. The guy shows 8 4 off.

I was shocked. I usually don't say anything but this time I couldn't help myself. I asked how he could call two raises preflop with that hand. He said something, I said something and suddenly the floor was being called. Now, I know I didn't raise my voice, or call him an idiot or fucktard or make any threatening comment to him. Nor did I hear any threatening comment from him. He did call me a sore loser though, something that Derek would keep calling me all weekend.

Beyond giving Pauly a pot for free (a story to be told at a different time) I only played a tad longer before getting some food and doing my best TJ Cloutier impersonation and giving all my winnings back by playing blackjack.

Borgata

Players at the Borgata poker room

'Nuff said!

Just when you think you are back on your feet...

...some donkey knocks you back down.

That is how I felt yesterday. In anticipation of heading out to Atlantic City and Bashing at the Boathouse, I figured I should play some poker. Not quite sure what I wanted, a SnG sounded like the best idea. A ring game would have been better preparation for AC but I wanted to play something that gave me a limited downside with a decent reward at the end. Plus, a way to get back to where I started on this online world.

I was the victor is the $10 SnG. Yep, went back to my roots and played the ten dollar table. It was a much needed boost. I played my game, made good decisions with my reads, and applied pressure on my feeble playing foes en route to victory. It was a needed boost of confidence.

That would mean little in the WWdN. I ran into a donkey that kicked me in the ass and sent me out in 50th. Such is life.

I was thinking of putting down what I planned to do going forward. Last year I kept track of what I was doing and set some goals. This year, I haven't done that. It makes sense to do so. Others offer that advice constantly. I hesitate because I haven't followed up on anything I have said I would do.

I noticed how I bounce around from game to game. Ring games to SnGs to MTTs to Omaha, Razz, or NLHE. I would like to say I will play just SnGs but I go on a little run and stop when I start going on the downside. Same thing with ring games. Start out well and hit a bad run and stop.

Maybe I have poker ADD. Maybe I wasn't having any fun. Maybe I wasn't playing well. Maybe I don't have the skills I thought I had.

With the colder months coming up, it looks like questions will be answered. I do know that I wasn't playing much lately because I didn't feel the need or desire to. In the summer months, there are many other things to do than sit in front of the pc and play cards. With fall and winter, it is easier to get a 12 pack and play a long MTT. Any which way, we will see what happens.

For now, I am just looking to seeing some friends, drinking some beer, and playing some cards. See some of you at the Boathouse!

One other thought. Did Norman Chad actually make sense last night during the WSOP? He was ragging on Gold for making comments that could affect the decisions that others could make. With players still to act, he was announcing he would call any raises or make moves. Some of the comments weren't bad, others were disrespectful and condescending, but some could influence whether someone should put their stack at risk in a late position. I think Chad had some good points last night.

Ew! I can't believe I just typed that last sentence.

What is there was a WPBT POY event...

and I wasn't invited??? They trying to keep the man down?!?!?

Reality is that I didn't know about it. I had been pretty busy last week and didn't have a chance to read many blogs. My own fault if I was taken over in the race.

Congrats to BadBlood on his victory!

If you haven't done so already, check out Biggestron for the schedule. Don't be a donkey like me.

Also, please check out my new sponsor, BonusKey. Bonuses are meant to be won! Go do so today!

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Stealing- and I am not talking about the blinds

I was kind of amused the other day to find out someone was stealing my posts from this blog and posting them on their own site. I was amused because I couldn't believe someone would take any content of mine. Anyone who reads this knows I am not a writer. I just like to relate stories or thoughts to friends. Instead of sending emails explaining some games to friends, I created a poker blog so I wouldn't bore other people over at my other blog, While Drinking, I...

So I was amused at first. But then I viewed the other blog and thought about it. They had a number of posts on their site, in full. Thus, anyone who would read my entries there, would not need to click through to my site. They are trying to get hits for their advertisers. My advertisers would be screwed. That I didn't care for. So I sent them an email asking them to stop stealing my posts.

The answer I received was rather incredulous. They said they would stop, but they then blamed me for having the settings on my blog wrong. WTF? They claimed because of the syndication feed setup, they were allowed to post it. Wrong! You did not seek my permission to do so. Thus, you cannot just take whatever you want and repost it. Everything on the internet is not free for you to take and do what you want with it. Do you really think you can take an article off of say ESPN's site or CNN and put it up in its entirety without them telling you to stop?

They also tried to make it sound like they were doing me a favor by increasing my traffic- which it wasn't. As I already said, you have the posts up in full. Why would anyone need to click through?

It came down to the advertising to me. I don't blog to make money. But if someone would like to pay me to run an ad, I will do so. I owe it to my advertisers to make sure they are getting the views from this site, not someone who they haven't paid.

It also was about people trying to make money by using other people's work (or in this case, monkey typing). If you let one person get away with it, others will try to as well.

Thanks to Chilly for pointing them out to me.

Played the Poker Savvy freeroll last night. Doubled up early for a lead and donked it all away. Only 21 people were in. I finished 14. I just don't take the freerolls seriously for some reason.

WWdN again

The WWdN started with 60 runners last night. I got off to a good start for once when the cards came my way. A A got me a 1/3 of a stack. Later I would double through with Q Q.

About 40 minutes in, I had my first table change. I had a total of 3600 at the time. The 1st hand I get after the move is A Ko. Nice! I love getting a chance to grab the first pot after a table change. I come in for a raise and get called by Biggestron. I use my stack to apply some pressure to him. If he wants to play, it will cost him the rest of his chips. He utters a profanity and folds. Next hand is A A and I double up when I get called preflop. On a Q 10 x flop, I make a bet and get raised. I highly doubt he called with Q 10 so I push and get called with 9 9.

A Ks shows up a hand later and I go for the knockout of Big by re-raising his bet all in. He has A Q and flops the Q. He basically gets his chips back with some interest. It was nice of him to let me borrow his chips for awhile.

At the first break I was either second or third around 6000. Not too bad. I get visits with A K and A Q again just as Big is in the BB. Each time I raise it up just so I can see him cussing at me in the chat. I hope there are no kids aren't in the room.

I steal some blinds with mediocre hands to keep me in the top 3. My medium pairs are beginning to see some ugly flops though. At a time where I would like to loosen up to steal some more, I feel like I should be tightening up instead. Last thing I want to do is try to make a move with the K 2 or J 2 that I keep seeing. At least I am still able to steal Big's BB.

I take down a nice pot when I am able to defend my BB with A 10. A 10 high flop looks beautiful. So I go for a check raise. And it works nicely for me. I am then able to steal on a short stack to move a tad higher.

I break the 10k mark a couple hands later, defending the BB with A 10 once again and limping with 2 2 to see a flop of J J 9. I bet the pot on my short stack opponents to keep the pressure on.
But my roll wouldn't last. With A Q in the BB, I just called a raise from the cutoff. The flop was K high. I bet it out hoping to take it down right there. But it was called. So on the turn I bet it out again. But this time I was raised. Shit! Had to fold there. Down to 6k. Time to work it up again without being too hasty. That has been my downfall in the past.

Able to steal with A 5. Even with CJ on my right blathering on about the bEagles. I may have to turn the chat off. He is a bit insane in thinking Stallworth is a better WR than Owens. Sad how bitter he is. Stallworth should have better numbers than Owens this year because of the way the bEagles run their pass situated offense. But if Owens continues as he is, he will make the Pro Bowl and Stallworth won't. No one fears Stallworth. Just a matter of time before teams make the adjustment and he gets shut down. Seriously, he had one game against the Texans. The Texans!

At the second break, I am sitting at 5275 and in 8th place.

But I last only two hands after that. With A Js under the gun, I push. I didn't really want to see a flop but I was called by the big stack. He turns over Q Q. I guess if I had made just a normal raise, it would have been re-raised anyways. There is a J on the flop but nothing on the turn or river to improve me and I am done in 15th.

I sat wondering a bit what was happening at the end. I haven't gone deep in the WWdN in a long time, but this time around, it seemed like everyone was short stacked. Only 4 or 5 players had more than 10x the BB. Seems like the blinds had escalated quickly. But in reality, it probably means I haven't gone deep in a long time.

Hard to march...

...when you are getting a busy signal?

Anyone else having troubles getting through on the 800 number? In a strange way, I guess that is highly encouraging that a lot of people are calling.


Dear PPA Member:
Your urgent action is needed! On September 12th the Poker Players Alliance with the support of leading poker blogs and forums, PocketFives.com, Wicked Chops Poker and others are organizing a “Phone March” on Capitol Hill. From 9:00 AM Eastern Time, until 5:30 PM Eastern Time on Tuesday, September 12th, we are asking all PPA members and anyone interested in defending poker to call this toll free number, 800-289-1136 and be patched through to one of your two U.S. Senators in Washington D.C. When you call the 800 number you will hear a recording from fellow PPA member Greg “Fossilman” Raymer and then you will be prompted to enter your five digit zip code so you can be directed, free of charge, to your Senator’s office.
Note: The 800 number will only be active between 9:00 AM EST and 5:30 PM EST on Tuesday September 12.
Key points you should make:
* I am voter in your state.
* I strongly oppose any legislation that would prohibit online poker, and urge the Senator to vote against such legislation.
* Poker is a skill game enjoyed by 70 Million Americans.
* The Senator should seek to regulate online poker much like the government regulates other forms of gaming, like lotteries.
* Prohibitions don’t work. Any legislation that tries to ban online poker will only drive those players underground.
* Again, I urge the Senator to oppose any attempts to prohibit me from playing the great American game of poker on the Internet.
The threat to poker is real. Please forward this information to everyone you know who cares about poker and an American’s freedom to use the Internet. We need everyone possible to make their voice heard on September 12th!
Sincerely,
Michael Bolcerek
President
Poker Players Alliance

Will keep on trying. Call after you stop in and vote today!

Hiatus

I have been on a hiatus from the tables lately. I did play some tournaments on Friday but didn't go anywhere. But it has been 3 days since I have logged in for some time at the virtual felt.

I haven't been interested. I have been busy with other items. I may play the WWdN tonight, I may not. There is a Poker Savvy freeroll on Wednesday that I will probably hit up. It all depends on whether I feel like playing.

With the bad run recently, I know my heart hasn't been in it. A series of bad sessions/beats can do that I guess. I don't see the reason for trying to play when my head isn't totally in the game.

What I have been doing lately is playing the old Monopoly game I found. To an extent, the AI players in the game are just like some of the morons that play poker. They offer too much money when attempting trades, outbid the value of properties when they go to auction, and never have enough cash on hand to get through a section of the board. The game still isn't a walk but it isn't tough either.

But it just may get me back in the poker mood when I tire of it.

Road to recovery?

Played Mookie's charity event last night. It was good to see 66 people show up to raise some money for Tanner Evers. Just another good cause to raise some money for.

Though it started slow for me, I made the final table. In fact, I ended up in 2nd place. Just couldn't beat 8 8 twice for victory. But I was quite satisfied with how I played. Maybe I am on the road to recovery.

I seemed to be moved quite a bit in the tourney. I even survived a gauntlet of poker by being seated to the right of 3 pros all in a row. At my first table change, I was put to the left of Andy Bloch. Not where you want to be. Yeah, it may be exciting to have the man who came in second at the HORSE event next to you, but it is also can be intimidating. Thank God this was just on the Internet and not live. He was playing somewhat tight so he wasn't stealing my blinds. Just when he got into a position to run the table, I was moved again.

There on my right was pro actress/poker player Maudie. I was still feeling the sting of her cowboys whipping my Hiltons at the Bash Charity event. She chipped up a bit and bullied me before she took a hit. I was able to eliminate her a bit later with pocket 10s.

I was soon moved again and found the 3rd pro to my right- AlCantHang, drinking professional. What is he doing with chips? He is an Omaha guy. Wait, another Omaha guy, Drizz, has chips too. Are we playing Hold Em? I played nice with Al. Hey, I don't want to get on the bad side of the Bash chairman. I need to get my drink on later this month in a serious way.

Aside from playing with those pros, I also did a great job of taking out the people who weren't online. Like when I crushed Joe Speaker's A 6 with my Q Q. He didn't see that coming.

But overall, I felt like I played my game. Was quite patient early on, found some spots to get chips and then played hard when I had something. Of course, I did get lucky once. My first break was calling the all-in re-raise with A K and flopping the K. That was a much needed double in the second session. Later, I would crack A A with 9 9. That basically got me to the final table.

There were spots at the final table where I felt I really controlled things. I did have a chip lead with 3 left, and I believe a slight advantage when I was heads up with NewinNov. He played a good heads up game. I would like to comment on that more but it would sound like I was making excuses. I liked how I played until the end where I made a bad call. I had my outs but just didn't hit them. Congrats again NewinNov.

Aside from the good finish, it was nice to feel like I knew what I was doing again. That I was making some good reads, making some good moves, pushing players off pots. The cards weren't necessarily coming my way (had A A once, and K K twice during the entire event), but I played with what I was dealt. Didn't make any huge mistakes and was patient. And that felt good.

It is a good first step to getting some confidence back.

Putting your image in ESPN's hands

For anyone who followed the WSOP this past summer via the blogs of Pauly, Otis, CJ, Wil and the PokerStars team, or the Pokerblog crew, you heard about what asses the crew from ESPN could be. You read about how they acted like they owned the place, like they were the story. In the past years, you saw on TV how they could make bad players seems great, and great players bad. Hell, they made Dutch Boyd out to be a great guy who doesn't owe people a lot of money.

Thus, as I watched the latest episode of the '96 main event, I sat there, wondering what the hell Dmitri Nobles was doing there. It was some of the most reckless poker I had seen on TV. He was giving chips away like he didn't care. He was in the process of blowing a nice lead with what appeared to be stupid play.

Or was it? Was this ESPN at work? Hard to tell. If you read the report from Pokerstars on that day, it just says he was up and down and then went on a sick run. Funny thing is they do cover a hand that was shown on TV. The German kid Danzer was the victim of Noble's suckout when he called with a pair of 7s (???) vs. Danzer's K K and hit an A for two pair on the turn. In a classic moment when the hand is over, he jumps up and yells "CJ!". Yep, the Luckbox is right behind him. No wonder Nobles hit his A for the win. CJ must have been giving him good mojo.

There is a reason why you should fear the Luckbox. And now, you must fear anyone he is sweating as well.

My lucky charm?

When you are in a slump, you will try anything to change your luck and regain your senses and skills. Get a new rabbit's foot. Shine up a lucky penny. Get a troll doll. Knowing the Bash Charity tournament was tonight, I needed some libations to make it through the night. I saw exactly what I needed when I walked in the door. This could be my slump buster.
This may give me the advantage I need to get over the hump. Let's see how it works. If my lucky charms don't work, I may take a sabbatical. See you at Full Tilt Poker!

I figured I would play extra aggressive to start out. Maybe that could get out of my slump that way. Twice I would raise it up with A 10 off and take down a pot with a continuation bet. Except for having two blinds folded to me, I wouldn't take down another pot for a while.

I then get the Hammer and play it. UTG limps. I raise to 165 (from 40). He calls. Flop comes J 10 Q. Not good. I fire and he calls. Turn is a little diamond. I fire and he calls. River is the K of diamonds. I am screwed and check see he had called with 9 7 of diamonds. Calling the bets after the flop I understand, but preflop?

I am shorstacked and on tilt. My lucky charm is not working. But I get lucky and double up with... A 10! I get tempted to try and run the Hammer again when it shows up but decide not to. The guy on my left is extremely loose and playing any two cards and hitting. Can't wait to double through on him again.

Sidenote: I wonder if anyone realizes I am doing this live. I could be giving some info away. Not like it would matter with how I have been running.

I get just a tad more chips at BG's expense when my K Q held up on a scary board. I thought I was going to lose to a flush or straight.

I soon get A 10 again. Seeing how this is the one hand that works for me, I potted it. I probably shouldn't have since the loose dude on my right had limped in and I know he is calling. Flop comes 7 7 8. Not bad, but suddenly he bets out. WTF? Not the way he had been playing. I quickly fold and cuss a bit. I would love a table change. Next time, I don't pot it.

I then have the Hilton Sisters show at my door. Maudie had raised in early position. Loose boy called and I pushed all in. When Maudie instantly called, I knew I was in trouble. When the Kings were shown, I sighed and then fell back in the chair when a K showed in the door. Oh well. That's the way it goes.

I keep on givin'

I will be playing tonight in the Gavin Smith Charity Satellite. I already told you yesterday I am dead money so you have one less person to worry about. If you are one of the lucky 8, you may be at the first table with me and I may just donk off my chips to you in a most ignominious fashion. Even if you are not going to the Bash, you can still play. Hell, if you win, you can give me the seat and I can look like a fool in front of some pros. That must be good for a laugh or ten. The money you donate will still go to some good causes. So head over to Full Tilt and sign up already!

Banner courtesy of TripJax. Can't say I am a huge Clonie fan but she does look smokin' in the picture.

Speakin' of words with dropped off "g"s and apostrophes, go read Dr. Pauly's latest edition of Truckin'. Always some good readin' there.

I need a slump buster

If there is anything such as a poker slump buster, please let me know.

It has been a while since I have had a significant winning session. Or a meaningful tournament payday. And over the last 2 months I have dropped 20% of the bankroll.

It has been frustrating. Draws don't hit for you, but the other guy hangs on to the river to fill the gutshot straight or 10 high flush. Your K K runs into A A or they have Q Q and flop the two outer. When the hand does stand up, the pot is small. You know, nothing works in your favor the way it was over the last couple of months when you were booking steady, profitable winning sessions.

I sat there thinking about it in the WWdN last night (gone in like 30 something, not even lasting the first session). I felt like I wasn't getting any hands. But was it that I wasn't getting any hands, or was I playing too timid? Was I not pushing edges that I used to? Was I just way too tight? Was it bad play beating me or was my play bad?

I have read others go through slumps before. I guess it was only a matter of time before the same would happen to me.

Poker got in the way of my drinking- well kinda of

It was a slow night. The Brewers game was not on TV so I knew my time at the bar would not be what I had hoped for. The Eagles/Steelers game was boring. I thought the best result for the night was to hit the Full Tilt guarantee toureny at 9. I could get a good buzz on, hit the liquor store for some reinforcement to the beer in my fridge (which was low at 3) and still hit the tourney with plenty of time to spare.

Yep. The best of plans mislaid.

As I was hoping to get a za to go before stopping at the liquor store, someone buys me another beer. At first I shrugged it off, but considering who it was, I knew it would be disrespectul to deny them. So I had another.

I would then keep looking at my watch seeing if I could down another 32 ounces of beer and still hit the tournament. No, I did down all 32 ounces. Only 20. I really wanted to play.

But then I started talking to the bartender's parents. Great people. But they were killing my time. I was polite. I didn't rush them, but as soon as I saw my out, I took it.

Got home just in time. Yes!

Didn't too much at first. Got a bit bold by raising UTG with A Js. Made a call to a raise with 2 2 that did not hit. But got it back by calling the min-raise with K 10 in the small blind. The K high flop was good enough to take down the pot when my opponent showed the Hiltons. Min raise with the Hiltons and a short stack? You deserve to go home!

I fold a bit more which is good because I can tap what little I have. The Leinie Sunset Wheat tastes great. But as I get back, I get my first table change. I feel like I just got relegated to the kiddie table. These people are tight!

So I figure to steal a bit. That is when I notice Aquaverse at the table. I then see SLB is chatting too. I add in some comments about bloggers and Hoy just to get their attention. Hey, if I don't get cards, I can have some fun.

Then I get A A and raise it 4xs from EP. No action. Damn. Next hand I get 10 10 and make the same move. A short stack makes the call with crap. A nice 10 on the flop makes me happy for a bit, but then I notice the spades and his 7. Bastard better not hit. He doesn't and I am happy.
Back to trying to tilt Aquaverse if I can.

I try to steal some pots with varied luck. Aqua gets busted when he moved all in with A K vs A 10. Some dude called his all in bet with A 10. Ouch when the 10 hits the flop. Ugly.

I could kill for some pizza right now. But I will forge ahead and drink my beer and wait for the break. If I can add to my stack, that would be nice. Instead I make a loose call with K Q on a raise. Though I have overcards, I don't feel it worthwhile to call the continuation bet.

Though aggresso boy is making attractive to call his raises, I just can't with Q 10s. I hate that hand. Call it the Varkoni factor.

I make a decent move with TPshitty kicker when I decide to re-raise an EP bet. Something told me he wasn't strong. Good pot comes my way. I then change my avatar to the 'angry' mode. I wonder if that actually influences people on your mood. As much as I want to think people are not that gullible, I know that I am most likely wrong.

Sidenote that means nothing: I wonder if Pauly has Smokey Mountain Rain on his Ipod.

At the break, I am sitting at with 2520 in chips. Not quite where I would like to be but hey, I am still in it. Actually, I am thinking about why my cleaning lady took the bottle out of the case and threw those away, but not the case they were in. That and the sadness that I have only one beer left. At the first break, I sit at 284 out of 482. Just about 10k behind the leader.

There is only one stack that is twice the size of the table average when we start the second round. I look to steal as many pots as I can here. Unfortunately, the runners to my right may be thinking the same way. This could get confrontational quickly.

And it does. Well, kind of. I am sitting in the BB with J J. Yep, those pussies that are Jacks. There is a raise from the cutoff that is called by the button. SB folds. How much to push those jokers out? I think pot, but that doesn't seem right. I pop it to 1800 (from 420) and they fold. I am glad they cannot hear me exhale as loudly as I do. I doubt those Jacks hold up well on a flop.

Then I have a total brain fart. With A Qs, I make a pot raise. I then get re-raised. I decided to move all in. I don't know. It was a totally moronic play. I see the K K and there is no A. I am pretty much screwed. Nice job dumbfuck!

J J in the BB doubles me up. Is there hope? Still pissed I made a totally dumb move.

But a round later I would go out in 390. I am quite pissed that I fucked this one up. I had the intention to play the long haul and made an idiotic move. Ugh! WTF was I thinking?

Beer and/or Poker

Been busy over the last couple of days. Anyone care to guess what I was doing? I was being a civic minded person. Yes, helping the community.

I am proud to say I have done my part in Forbes naming Milwaukee as America's Drunkest City. I shed a tear as I type this.

Unfortunately, the beer couldn't help my game last night. The play at Absolute is quite maddening at times. Including my own. I should be doing better than I am there. I think I have finally adjusted my play in order to reap the rewards.

There are two things I have noticed lately that boggle my mind. First is the preflop raiser who will never fold. Last night, I defended my blinds with A 8. Flop came all clubs. I have no clubs. I checked and called the bet. I figured my opponent didn't have clubs either. When another club hit the board on turn, I took a chance to take the pot and bet it out. He just called. On the river I fired again with nothing and he called, showing 10 10. No club. There are two overcards on the board and a flush possibility and he calls it on down. Yeah, I know it is my fault to try and bluff, but to call down when the likelihood you are beat is high?

The other play that is interesting is the aggressive blind stealing that occurs. 95% of the time if it is folded to the cut-off or button, they will raise. If one of the blinds call, they will bet out. they will continue to play the hand aggressively, trying to push you out. In most cases, they have nothing. I watched one guy raise with (according to hand history) 3d 2d. He continued the bet on the flop, even re-raising. Same on the turn. Same on the river. Absolutely nothing. There were 3 hearts on the board on the turn and he kept firing away. That takes some balls.

After watching this, I have altered my game. I am willing to call these players down to the river when I have overcards or even second pair. It may be -EV in the long run if they ever figure out that I will defend my blinds, but after tagging certain players, it should be profitable in the short haul.

Hit the iron while it is hot

Those PStars HORSE games are so juicy right now. I feel like taking a day off of work to play.

Do most of these people even know what they are doing? Like others, I do not claim to be an expert card player. I am competent in these games. But when I see people showing 3 face cards in Razz and calling down, hoping to fill their 8 or 9, I have to chuckle.

Whenever I did play poker this weekend, I found myself playing some hold em and Omaha 8 on Absolute, with the PokerStars HORSE game in the background. Even when I got stuck, I knew that is would just be a matter of time before I would take down some good size pots to not only get even, but ahead.

All of the games, stud is probably my weak spot. I am overly tight and usually passive. Until I get a monster and then I bet like crazy. I should be easy to read. Funny though how I made most of my money in the stud rounds. That should tell you how poorly these games are being played.

Hit the iron while it is hot people.

THE best poker site

I received an interesting magazine in the mail the other day. The Insiders Betting Digest. It was the Pro and College football edition. It featured updates on all 32 teams as well as some predictions on their order of finish. Interestingly enough, they do not go on to make playoff or Super Bowl predictions.

But the mag wasn't all football. No. They offered features such as Selecting the Right Sportsbook, Football Betting 101 (Learn how to win!), T.O. in the Big D, and Internet Poker: Tip to help you win online and the Top Ranked Poker Site.

Yes, the Top Ranked Poker Site.

You are probably racking your brain just wondering what the TOP RANKED poker site just might be. Could it be PokerStars? Full Tilt Poker? Paradise? PokerRoom?

No! It is City Poker!!! Yes, the TOP RANKED poker site- beating out all the rest- is City Poker. The article even says it was VOTED #1!!!

What, you have never heard of City Poker??? Neither have I. I would love to know who voted it #1, beside the owners of the site and the sportsbook that owns them- BetUS.com.

And all this time I have been wasting my time at Full Tilt or PokerStars. I mean, I could have been playing at the place VOTED #1!!!

Time off

I had taken a couple days off away from the virtual felt. The pain of losing a hand to Q 9 off on Sunday where the guy called 2 bets preflop left a bad taste in my mouth. With appointments on Monday and Tuesday, being away had to help.

I jumped back to the 5/10 game on Absolute. Pretty fishy, though the game may be too loose for my taste (see Q 9 off). Patience pays off here. Play your best hands hard and you will get paid. Chasing rarely pays off. In just under half an hour, I walked away up 3 bb. Would have played longer but it froze up on me.

The Omaha game is still fun. I waffle between chasing and reading my opponents. For example, last night I had two pair and folded to the turn bet. I knew one of the guys was chasing a low. But I felt my two pair wasn't going to hold up. Of course I would have filled up on the river, which also gave the flush. Sure enough, one guy had a bad low, while the other was chasing the flush. Later, I would make a call where I had the second nut low. Should have known better.

I would also be curious to know if other players view me as the fish at the table. My play probably looks erratic to most seasoned players.

Overall, I have been losing playing Omaha 8, but it isn't much. I am not concerned about that though. I am still in learning mode and do not expect to be walking over a table. There are times I make some great reads and lay down a hand. Other times I get very impatient and play hands I shouldn't. But I am still enjoying the game. Just need to find my groove and truly settle in.

Still need to get some good reading as well. Won some points on Full Tilt for participating in their WSOP fantasy poker game. I was disappointed that the books they offered didn't include an Omaha strategy book. Do any sites offer an Omaha book in their rewards program? Same thing over at PokerShare. I had a bunch of points there from earlier in the year to use (or lose) in their rewards program and couldn't find an Omaha strategy book there either. I had to settle for One of a Kind and Barry Greenstein's book. Yeah, poor me, I know.

As for Full Tilt, I don't know whether to get Phil Gordon's Little Blue Book or wait until I amass more points for something else. Phil's little Green Book has been very informative and entertaining. Just like the DVD. If you don't own any of them, you are missing out on some good reading/viewing.

You can't play with napkins

But you can play with Good n Plenty candies and sugar packets!
I look forward to defending the Good n Plenty championship next month.

After seeing the video on Iggy's site, I had to check out more. I need to get back to watching High Stakes poker on GSN, if not for the fighting between Matusow and Negreanu. Looks like highly entertaining stuff.

Didn't play much poker this weekend. I played a Full Tilt guarantee on Friday, making it to 7 places out of the money (370 runners). I didn't deserve to make the money as I played a short stack as bad as you possibly could. Fold, fold, fold, fold. I was quite disappointed with how I curled up into a ball and rolled on the floor. Never again.

Call it what you want

Call it variance. Or bad luck. Call it what you want, but I felt it the last two days.

People calling to the river with overcards and hitting their 3 outer. Flopping the nut straight just to have the board pair up on the river for a boat. Junk hands cracking my kings.

The last two days were brutal.

I reviewed how I played and found some bad moves on my part. Like trying to bet someone out of a pot when I should have known he wasn't going to fold. Chasing some draws. But overall I don't think my play was terrible. Just ran into some players who were luckier than I.

It sure takes the wind out of your sails to have back to back session take a bite out of your funds at a site. Guess I will take a day off and regroup and review again.

Chipping up

I didn't play that much poker this weekend. When I did though, I made it worth the while. It was close to a perfect weekend.

Made just a bit of money playing Omaha, made some more playing limit Hold Em, went 2 for 3 on the Full Tilt Peep SnGs, and came close to winning a spot in the FTOPS main event. The one with the $500 entry.

I came in 3rd in that tournament. First and second received entries (only 18 runners, one reason why I jumped into this). I got $34 for my $75 entry. I did use a token earned by climbing the ladder so in reality my $6 turned into $34.

I intend to play more of those qualifying events. However, the next time I won't make a stupid call. I finished 3rd because I called an all in with A 5. My opponent was pushing again and again. Whenever he was called, he had a crap hand. Problem was those crap hands kept hitting. Thus when he pushed for the umpteenth time, I expected to see Q 7 off again. Close but it was A Q off. I know it was a bad call on a bad read. I could have held off for a longer time but I also wanted a beer.

As always, go read Pauly at the Tao of Poker. Some of the best reporting from the WSOP that you will find. The boys at PokerStars are kicking ass too. And don't forget the PokerBlog crew.

Fugly

I continued my quest for Omaha understanding tonight. Over the course of this journey, there has been one thing that has amazed me- how people do not read the board and figure out what their opponents have. Many times I have folded hands because I could place my opponent on a superior hand (not always the correct move I learned at showdown). It seemed many people do not read the board to see the straight possibilities or full houses that seem obvious from the betting pattern.

Well tonight, I was one of those people. I played like total shit. Twice I paid off a guy who had a wheel on the flop or turn. Twice I failed to see the A high straight. I also paid off full houses.

In other words, I played like a total donkey. An Omatard if you will.

It was one of those night where I could be double suited and see one of the other two suits flop. It sucks to not only play poorly, but to not hit any of your draws. I think the smartest thing I did was leave the table.

I took a hit on the bankroll, but not in the enthusiasm. Just another step in learning a new game. I look forward to trying again tomorrow.

That little Blue Book

I received my free copy of Phil Gordon's Little Blue Book in the mail yesterday. I look forward to reading it. Thanks again to Phil for allowing us bloggers to sign up for a free copy.

I have considered getting the Little Green Book before and after reading the blue one, will know for sure.

Still hacking away at 2/4 O8. Results have been mixed. Win some, lose some, but I am winning a bit more than losing. So far it has been a fun, learning experience. As it should be, I usually have more questions once I finish a session.

One thing I have noticed is some players playing Omaha Hi hands pretty strong. I can see how they could limp in in late position with a hand like that but they are usually raising from an early position with them. Is it a half bluff, trying to indicate a hand like AA2x? Or is it a smart thing to do?

I will have to figure that one out. But in due time. I know that I can't jump too far ahead after playing maybe 500 hands.

Weird how playing good poker can make you feel better. Went deep in two tournaments, a Full Tilt WSOP freeroll and a qualifier to the 200k guarantee. Made a whole $3.75. And feel really good about it.

I haven't done well in tournaments lately, usually going out very early. It felt good to play hard and tough for a couple of hours. Even though the monetary payout was basically nil, I felt good about my game.

Things were going good in the qualifier. I was the leader about 2 hours in. My good hands were holding up and my betting was respected. Still haven't found a cure for being card dead, but that didn't hurt me that bad. There were two hands that killed me. One being a bluff gone bad and the other a good bet by my opponent.

I had completed from the SB with J 8. Board came 9 10 x, two hearts. I bet it out and was called. Turn was a blank. It checked around. River was the 7 of hearts. I bet out a third of the pot and was raised. I thought about re-raising all in. Something told me he just had an 8, maybe A 8. But I didn't want to take a risk here and mucked. My opponent then showed J 8! I was a tad pissed there.

Later I would push with A J just to be called by the chip leader with K Q. A J kills me again when the Q flops. Ugh!

Played quite a bit of Omaha 8 this weekend as well. It is nice to have a game of hold em going with Omaha in the back. If I hadn't gone on tilt in one session and dropped the whole buy in, I would have had a good record for the weekend. As it is, I was down about $50 but made it up playing HE.

Omaha is testing my brain more. I am probably playing a very basic strategy and could expand some starting hands. That should come in due time. It seems a lot of people have trouble reading the board and figuring out what their opponents are playing. There were many times were I had a good low but not the nut, and knew right away what others had. The betting patterns are good reads. If someone was raising preflop, it was a guarantee they had AA2x. If they suddenly bet out, they had made the nut low. After watching this, I would even pop a bet in there to bluff people out. Not much but on occasion.

I understand the pain of being quartered and the joy of doing the quartering. In one session that was pretty much every pot that I won. It was 3/4 each time.

Of course scooping is great. I love the slight pause at the end of the hand, just before the player hits the MUCK button, that you feel the entire pot coming your way. I think I scared my cat a number of times yelling out SCOOP!

Thanks Buffalo for the reading links. They have been helpful.

Make money last night? Absolutely!

After receiving 5691 emails from Absolute Poker about their $750 bonus, I finally decided to make a deposit there and work in earnest on improving my game. I figured if I made some bonus money as I played, it would be a nice add on/buffer against any losses. After I made the deposit, I looked through the bonus rules and realized it highly doubtful I will complete the bonus. After playing about an hour and a half, I had earned only 75 points. Later I would play about 45 minutes of O8 and earn another 30. At that pace, I would need 75 days to clear the entire bonus. That ain't gonna happen. Thankfully they pay out in $10 payments per 100 raked hands so I can earn a good portion of it.

I played 5/10 for just over 90 minutes. Ended up $105. Not too shabby. I was card dead for the first 40 minutes and migrated down as I saw flops mainly from the blinds. But then I caught some cards and had some fishes calling me down. Always a nice feeling to have people raising you when you have flopped a set and they have only top pair.

As I played hold em, I signed up for a Stud freeroll for shits and giggles. Got bored about 2 hours into it and donked my chips off. I got what I wanted to out of it. Some Stud experience. I didn't feel the need to put another couple hours in to win a buck or two.

But as I played Stud, I got bored with the monkey play and opened up some 2/4 O8. Drizz had recommended it and was dead on. Very loose play. All you need to do is play the nuts hard. It was an easy way to collect those bonus points as well. I ended up $33 for playing about 40 minutes. Not too bad for a guy that is still learning.

I believe I really need to get the Ray Zee book that Al and Felicia recommend for playing Stud/Omaha games. In the meantime, I will be scrouging the net for any strategy I can find. Anyone have any good sites for me to read? Beside 2+2.

The big one starts today at the WSOP. If for some reason you have not been reading Pauly or the gang at PokerBlog, you are missing out on some good stuff. Chips counts are boring. Get the real stories from the Amazon Ballroom. And less I forget, the PokerStars blog has been great as well. Otis and Wil are providing some great stories on their players. I wish I had stopped in the suite earlier this month. I would have if I had known they had the Battleship set up going.

Tournament at the Bourbon Street Casino?

I was watching Daniel Negreanu's video blog this morning and couldn't help but chuckle. He was talking about the WPT lawsuit and rambling on about how the players are wrong and it is a case they cannot win.

One item he pointed out was how the WPT had signed up the MGM resorts to only allow WPT televised events happen at their casinos. Nothing wrong with that, it is a business deal. DN then goes on to say it isn't a big deal because any place can have their own tournaments for these players to play at. The Barbary Coast could host a tournament. Bourbon Street could hold a tournament.

Bourbon Street? Where amongst the rubble? The place has been torn down. But hey, their website is still alive!

Guess Daniel doesn't go where the little people go.

I have seen a number of comments on blogs that held the same opinion. They wished that Phil Hellmuth would have lost just so they could have seen him cry. It is amazing how many people do not like this guy simply because of his confidence (read by many as arrogance) and success. Who hasn't blown up when hit by a bad beat after a bad play from an opponent?

I met Phil a year or two ago. Seemed like a really nice guy. His peers enjoy his company as well. People want to think he is the same guy at the table as in real person and hate him for it. I just wonder why. C'mon people, he was one of the first to donate to For Peyton. Have many other big name pros?

In the end, like him or not, you need to respect his playing ability. Or you can stew in your own jealousy. If you could make the kind of cash he is by the way he is acting, you probably would.

Man, do I stink

My game is in the toilet. A new low. I have no idea how to play this game.

I didn't even last 30 minutes in the WWdN last night. Actually, it wasn't even 25.

I stink.

I have been very impatient, made bad calls, used poor judgement. I know I can right the ship, but it will take a bit of time. With it being summer, that is one thing I don't have right now. Why stay inside when the weather is beautiful outside? I rather be on my bike taking a ride than wondering if I can steal someone's blinds. When the time comes, I will get my house back in order. But the crap play I showed last night still bothers me.

So what does one do when their NL game is in the dumps? Go for the real kick in the balls and play some heads up Razz! That is therapy when you are running bad. Of course, I lost the heads up match. At least I made both the buy ins back later playing some limit.

I was quite pleased to see Hellmuth won his 10th bracelet. No matter how much you may dislike how the guy acts, you must admit he is a damn good player. He continues to do well at the WSOP this year. I wouldn't be shocked if he cashed in the big one as well.

In the meantime, go check out the guys at Blind Bet.

The hand you dread

This is not a bad beat story. I don't want people demanding I owe them a buck.

It is a story of dread. Everyone has been there. You raise. Get re-raised, and push or call the push. Your opponent has just enough to eliminate or cripple you.

You wait in anticipation for the second it takes for the site to show the cards.

Your initial reaction is "Yes!" as you see you are ahead. You have your opponent dominated.

Then your eyes focus on his cards. Your brain screams two words.

You're screwed!

You have been here time and time again. This one hand always beats you, no matter what. There is nothing you can do but cry inside as they hit their 3-outer on the flop, or the board fills in the 4 card flush or straight. You could cuss up a storm but don't. Instead you sigh and wonder why it happens all the time.

For me, it is A J. Many times I have made a move with A Q vs A J. The J always hits. Always. It is the one hand I dread seeing in my opponents paws. A J has sent me to the rail time and time again.

What is the hand you dread seeing in front of your opponent?

Blah weekend of poker

I actually played some poker this weekend. Didn't win much, didn't lose much. Was pretty much even for the weekend.

I went back to my roots and started playing SnGs again. Whenever I am running rough on the MTT side, it works for me to go back to the beginning and iron things out. I especially thought it would help me with the Ipod tourney but it didn't. I was out early when my flopped straight rain into a full house on the turn. I figure he had trips Qs at best. Oh well. At least Dnasty used my chips to win the thing. Well done sir!

Also played a number of Omaha SnGs as well. Though I am still learning the nuances of the game, the plays I see people making are quite horrible. Calling down with two pair, high pair, calling the pot size bet with 4 outs. I really need to get some reading material on Omaha. I can see how the money can be made playing this game.

I watched part of the Aussie Millions (finally). Wow, there are some bad players on there. How did these guys get on TV? They should be embarrassed. Especially that Minas kid. He is looking like total donkey on the show. Ivey must think he is in heaven.

As the WSOP churns along, I think the biggest surprise to me is the performance of Phil Hellmuth. He is doing everything but winning a bracelet now. Two final tables, multiple cashes. He is playing well for someone who didn't seem to play much at all lately. Would be nice to see him win #10.

Mac Online Poker

My game has been in the toilet for the last month or so. I really need something to get me out of the funk. Hey, a freeroll may just be the trick! Well, I guess that depends on the level of donkness that goes on. Still hope I can pull myself out of the gutter and play well once again.

I feel slighted, but...

Go check out For Peyton.com
it is for a good cause. Someone better bid high, damn it!

Bobby Bracelet has added some more items to the auction. I am still holding out, waiting for the opportunity for the Mike Matusow jersey. Still waiting for Spaceman to work some magic.

One item that I see offered has me intrigued but insulted. Howard Lederer's WSOB and Karaoke Championship. No, I don't feel like belting out some Barry Manilow while I am smashed. It is the WSOB part. That would be the World Series of Beer. How can they hold such an event without ME being there???

I'll get over it. Somehow. But I do feel slighted. That is an event I could win.

But go and check out the stuff they have to offer. Feel free to toss some money around.

Bad play but I was still a winner

I donked off my chips in a most donkey-like fashion in the WWdN tonight. Went chasing on a flush with two Qs on the board. Didn't think he had a queen, but of course he did. Hee Haw!

I would soon be out in 33rd position minutes later. Why bother to even show up eh?

Cuz you can still be a winner!

Got a prop bet with Iggy on whether Bobby Bracelet would stop watching the porn and come play poker. Time was until the top of the hour- 20 minutes. Bob's junk was too important that junk hands and I was 20 bones richer.

See, you can donk off your chips and still come out $9 ahead on the night.

Stop them in their tracks

Last night, I found myself sitting at the bar of the local watering hole, watching the Mansion Poker Pro/Am tournament. I think it was John Gale who just hit quad 7s, when a guy who was playing volleyball walks up to the bar to get some beer. I have no idea who he is. He notices I am watching the poker game.

Volleyball guy: "Want to hear about the bad beat I took last night?"
Me: "Sure, but you will have to give me a dollar."
VG: "What?"
Me: "Yeah, you need to give me a dollar if I have to listen to your bad beat story. It's a rule."
VG: "Uh, no." And he walks away.

That is how you save yourself from some unknown twit babbling on about a bad beat story. Enforce the rules.

What tournaments?

I played pretty poorly in the tournament in Vegas. All I have to show for it is a gaudy Ballys shirt. That sucks.

I felt my poker play was dead on during the trip. But I made one really bad bet against Otis, and one stupid all in move when I knew what my opponent had flopped a set of kings to beat my pocket aces. It may be good therapy to go over those later.

Still had a great time though. Met up with some great friends from the past and met new people.

The Ballys tournament was a joke. They had over 1100 people signed up and switched to a shootout on the first day and a half with a final regular tournament for the winners. The grumpy old bitch felt it was a great idea to call my huge bet with A 9o. When the flop came A K 9 and she bet out, I knew she had two pair and I should have folded. Instead I pushed in anger. A couple hands later I was done and walking over to the Bellagio to play some limit.

But now it is back to the real world of online poker. I may have some other stories to tell but only after I clear them with my lawyer.

Go read Pauly if for some reason you are not. He took some of us to an awesome little Italian place at the Forum shops where I had a chicken parm that was killer. The gelato wasn't bad either.

Liver training

With Vegas coming up, Summerfest has been a great way to train the liver. Lord know I will be imbibing a bit while in Sin City so I felt the need to put my liver into training in hopes in doesn't get shocked by what hits it. Then again, it has held up in the past so it should be fine this weekend.

Which leads me to point out the finer points for anyone hitting a live WPBT event for the first time.

First, drink on your own pace. There are a number of professional drinkers in the field here. It is not your mission to keep up with anyone. By no means should you feel like you need to. Drink at you own pace. Never feel like you need to keep up with anyone.

Second, if someone is doing shots or drinking their booze neat, don't try to copy or match them if that is not what you do. You are in Vegas to have a good time and meet people, not to keep up with someone to prove a point. Drink in moderation.

Finally, if you are tired and want to call it a day, do so. There is no embarrassment in calling it a night when you are done. You will most likely be better off the next day when you are refreshed and taking some good coin off a tourist at the poker tables.

Simply put, be smart in Vegas to have a good time.

Rough tournament time

The limit games were good. The O8 not too bad. But the tournaments were rough. I think they left a bruise. I am going to try so hard to write this up without making it a series of bad beats. I don't want to owe a bunch of people a buck.

DADI was not kind to me. I started on the loose side until DuggleBogey slapped me back. I dumped a third of my stack and tightened up. But then the board turned on me. I would have good hands but the board would show possible straights and flushes to easily beat my set or two pair, forcing me to fold. It was quite frustrating.

But not as when Fishy McDonk hit his 6 to complete the straight to basically put me down and out. It happens. It sucks, but it happens. If my hand held up, I would be pumped up to get back in the running. Instead I was out 2 hands later when J J ran into A K and Sox Lover ended with quads to rub it in and me out of the DADI.

As the DADI was going on, I was also playing a tournament over on Full Contact Poker. $10 buy in with $2500 added in. First place was over $1000 with 30 places paying (lowest at $56) and just 183 runners. I was cruising along, sitting in the top 15 at the end of the first break. Things were going well. My big hands held up, I hit some draws and played a nice tight aggressive game. Well, tight except for dropping the Hammer on them once.

I was quite card dead in the second hour. I picked up some blinds here and there but had nothing to truly push back with. Thus when UTG popped it, I was more than happy to re-raise with the Hiltons in the BB. He insta-called with......9 9? A 9 hit right away and I went from the top to the bottom quickly. I didn't mind the beat that much. It was the insta-call that got me. Basically a "I don't give a fuck anymore" kind of call.

I treaded some more water with my small stack, picking up some blinds, looking to double up. I went out when a big stack called my all in with the powerhouse 10 4o. My 7s were quickly crushed by the doorcard. I don't fault the big stack for calling. He could eliminate someone that looked to be stealing from the button. It only cost him 700 more. Just an ugly way to go.

Maybe Omaha is the secret

I officially nominate that Omaha Hi/Lo be the next online game for the WPBT POY events.

I had some fun with it last night. I think it helped distract me from my losing streak on the FTP token tournies. I realized I was being too aggressive early on in those games. I would pound pots with the best hand just to be sucked out on. It looked like I was continuing to steal and people would call me. They would hit their two outer and I was done in 5 hands. Kinda like seeing the clown raise with 5 5 and then call an all in bet from A Koff. Amazing play from both guys. Well done sirs!

While I had waited for the token tourney to begin, I opend up a low limit Omaha hi/lo game to kill some time. Thing was, I totally enjoyed it. By no means am I a great Omaha player but I think I have the basics down and understand some of the strategies. The number of people calling down with just a pair of aces was mind boggling. I will be doing that more often.

I should have been playing some Omaha when the PokerSavvy freeroll started. I was treading water just fine until I raised it up with J 10 suited. I get called in two spots. Flop is Q high, all diamonds. I continue bet and get called in one spot. Turn is J, giving me trips. I bet the pot. River is a diamond. I call to see what the guy has. Q 8 off, with a diamond. Man, I hate freerolls. Yeah, calling on the end wasn't a bright idea but some joker playing crap cards and catching will always tick you off.

Maybe Drizz and Al are onto something with those 4 card games.

MATH problem

You have heard it all before. To play tournaments effectively, you need to have focus, keep your mind in the game, blah, blah, blah. Such a simple thing to do.

So why was I playing the Monday at the Hoy last night? Probably because it looks like a fun tourney. Hell, it is.

But I got bored after 50 minutes. Part card dead, part brain dead. I was tired from the night before and could use the sleep. I thought about waiting a week since I have a shitload of time off coming up. But the donkey in me was signing in with one minute to go before the cards were zipping across the screen.

It looked like a great decision when I doubled up early on trips 10s. My J kicker was good enough to bust someone in the first couple of hands. I treaded water for the remaining round until I went on a rampage at the end. In a hand Pauly would be proud of, I busted Iakaris's (or is that Ikari's?) A A with the Hilton Sisters. The beautiful Q on the end shocked the table. Next hand, I dropped Kat when the knaves, J J, held up against her 10s. There was even a third J to hit the river.

I popped up to 3rd at the first break. But that would be it. Miami Don was on my right and was beginning to annoy me with his steals. It was becoming too routine. Whether he had a hand or not each time, I do not know. I sure didn't have anything to raise back with. So why did I suddenly decided to put an end to his thievery with Q 5o? I dunno. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I only bumped it a min-raise though. I then raised his flop bet on a board of 7 7 6, two hearts. The raise was the only chance I would have to win this hand. It sent him into the tank for a bit before he raised it back all in with A Qd. Nice call. In retrospect, I wonder if I could have played this hand better- beside folding to begin with. I tried to act like I flopped two pair. Maybe if I had just called the raise preflop it would have been a better sell. It was a tough call to make and he didn't let me get away with it. Nice job Don.

Hopefully my mind will be in it next time. That or I will be drunk enough.

Razz double stacks????

Let the insanity begin!

I was one that suggested that Razz be the next event in the WPBT POY series. I didn't think we would go double stacks but hey, it ain't that crazy. Well...yes it is.

I figured the best way to take on such an insane event was to get properly lubricated by going out drinking at Hooters at 1pm. That would give me 7 hours to get into the proper frame of mind to play such a maddening game like Razz. Think about it. You can have a kick ass Razz hand go to crap quite fast. It will set you into a rampage fast. Like tossing a match onto a bale of hay. You can go ballistic when your beautiful hand goes bad. It is worse than having your aces cracked.

I played rather loose to begin. I figured I could use the big stack to my advantage. As long as I didn't get too stupid. Yeah, I got stupid at time, but played a LAG style quite well. It really helped to hit a wheel midway through the first round to show a nice suckout for a sweet pot. Beyond that, I kept up the aggressive style and was sitting in the top 4 at the end of the first period.

I was rather disappointed that there were only 17 people playing. A pitiful showing. It may be summer and all with family activities but I thought more runners would be there. Maybe it was too close to the Summer Classic. Oh well. Not in my hands.

I should point out that this game is influenced by the Lakefront Brewery and their magnificent Cherry Lager. If you live in the Midwest and have a fine Lakefront Cherry Lager available at your liquor store, I highly recommend you try this excellent beer. Might good.

I kept things going well in the second period. Until the cards decided to stick it right up my ass. Nice starting hand paired up or got smacked around by face cards. It happened again and again. Or so it seemed. Man, this game of Razz can get brutal.

I believe Al understood that point when I laid a wicked beat on him. I hope I am still invited to the Bash after that one. I had the best hand after the first 3 card but I paired up and it looked bad. But then I hit a runner runner to make a 6 while he paired up with a lot of face cards. Really fugly. I mean F.U.G.L.Y.

I played a good hand a bit later against lifesagrind. I made a bad raise initially with a 6. I didn't mean too but I hit the wrong button. I then caught some cards. Of course it didn't hurt that he paired up. But with the way the cards came, I was forced to call him down. I would love to claim that I had a solid read that he had paired up again, but I cannot do that. I had an inkling but I got lucky. Still I dragged a pot that helped me out.

Got myself to the final table after playing out the Razz version of the Hammer. After that it was a bit of give and take. Lucko, the man chasing me in the WPBT POY standings was leading the way. Damn, he is tenacious. I will have to do my very best to hold him off if I intend to take this bad boy home. Change 100 is at the final table as well as Statikling and Absinthe. This is going to be brutal.

I still try to continue my aggressive game, but to little avail. I get brutalized by face cards or pairs. Man, do I hate this game!!! I then realize I need to reel in my aggressive tactics or I am going to bust out soon. No later said than I try to run a bluff into Lucko. I guess if you scream at your monitor for your opponent to fold that it may not work every time no matter how loud you yell.

I was then in a bad spot. Time to get conservative or kick it up a notch? Well, Razz will tell you. You have little choice in the matter. But if you want to play the game of Razz, you need to be aggressive when the cards are right. I just hope the cards are right.

I kept up my aggressive nature and bubbled in 4th. Part of me is disappointed. I feel I should have made some cash here but the competition was really good. I walked away wondering if I did myself more harm than good. When noticing the situation I was in, I didn't adjust properly. I got my money in with the best hand, but in Razz, that will change quickly. Maybe I shouldn't be so hard on myself. 4th place is still good.

Damn good heading into the Summer Classic. I look forward to meeting everyone.

Two long weeks

It is two weeks away. Vegas. Land of gambooling and booze.

I figure by this time, I should be checking in to the Castle, tossing the bags aside and heading down to the casino. And right out the door.

My first stop will be the new Hooters Casino. It is a must see for me. I figure I can get some wings for lunch, check out the mini poker room, and have a beer. Or five. Any other early birds want to join me for lunch?

From there, I will probably make my way up the strip to the Bellagio. Hopefully I can get dealt a couple hands from Linda before she is on leave.

Otherwise I plan to go with the flow. I have 6 days in Sin City. Hopefully 3 of them are filled with tourney poker. I am looking forward to the Paris Poker tournament on Monday the 10th. I just hope the structure is screwed up. Seeing that it is scheduled for two days, I figure it must be a decent set up.

Other things to accomplish while in Vegas:

• donk it up at a Pai Gow table with some bloggers. I have been playing Pai Gow for many years but yet to get some play in with a table of drunken bloggers.
• buy Pauly, Jason and Otis a drink at the hooker bar during one of their breaks. These guys work hard to keep us informed. I figure the least I can do is buy them a beer to help ease the work load.
• meet up with some friends, make newer friends.
• win the WPBT Summer Classic. I have done well in the tournies so far. I would hate to have this been a terrible showing.
• maybe get a Good & Plenty Desert Championship game going?

Two long weeks away. I feel like I am already in vacation mode.

Shouldn't have played but I have my Vegas bounty coming

I shouldn't have been playing poker last night. I was playing like the Milwaukee Brewers were in their game against the Detroit Tigers. I was getting kicked around. I wasn't focused on the game and it showed.

The WWdN-Wheatonless version had some promise. Then it started. CJ was at the starting table and announced if you knocked him out, you got naming rights for next week. With that in mind, I thought I was ready. I have a good feel for the way CJ plays. Or at least I think I do. I sure didn't show it as he schooled me in a hand. I had raised up in early position with A Ks. He called in one of the blinds I believe. Flop came 3 3 5. My gut was that he had two pair or a boat. I made the continuation bet and called his raise. Before the turn card hit, I knew I should be folding. But I tossed more chips out before folding on the river. Ugly. I know better than to tangle with a crafty player like CJ like that.

It wasn't much longer before I was done. I stole some pots to get back to the starting point but gave half away in another debacle of a hand. Soon, I would try to run the Hammer through a flop of A K Q. Nothing wrong with going out in a blaze of glory.

I then messed up a peep SnG. But I did place third in a cash SnG. My mind just wasn't in these games at the end. I should have won a token but went out in 6th. I need to work on my end game.

Biggestron has set up the next WPBT POY event for this Sunday. Deep Stack Razz??? Deep stacks on a Sunday night is brutal. This game will surely drive people insane. Thank the Lord Vegas is right around the corner.

Speaking of which, I have ordered my bounty for the Vegas trip. Should have it by next week. I am quite proud to award this to someone should I be knocked out. Something so nice I will be happy to keep it when I take the thing down.

PStars blogger freeroll

Coming into the PokerStars blogger freeroll, I was afraid I would get knocked out by some grandma who has a gardening blog. It was open to anyone with a blog, not poker blogs. I made an early mistake by underestimating the competition to begin with. There were some good players even though it was an easy table to start. Quite tight.

I chipped up quickly until I got disconnected. Crap! That totally took my momentum away. 10 minutes later I was back on.

I quickly got back into the fray by playing the first hand I got, A Q. But that runs into A A and I lose most of my stack when the case A hits the turn. But on the next hand I double up with 10 10 vs 9 9. Still below the starting stack though.

I double up just before the first break when my 9 9 holds on to beat A K. Back to where I started. Now I need to double up just to get back into a position to make a move. I am currently in 754 place with 1497 left. How pathetic.

I then get moved to a table with Dugglebogey but that only lasted a couple of hands and I get moved to another table that had just 2 live players. I am able to chip up there over 2k, but still need to double through someone.

Soon I am moved again and again, finally settling on a table with Bill Rini. I don't get much to play though. When I get something did get a decent hand, 7 7, I had to fold to a big re-raise. But soon enough I would get some snowmen, 8 8 and double through to over 3k. Still way below an average stack of 8600.

You know, folding your way through a poker event is no fun. The string of crap cards just keep coming. I finally get the 8s again. But this time I run into A A. The A on the turn seals it and I am done in 420th place.

Man, did I play badly today. Got nothing going once I was disconnected and got no where close to seeing a player with a bounty on their head.

FTP 17k

Played in the Full Tilt 17k last night. With 832 runners, I finished 23rd, earning a meager payout of $72. Notables in the event included the WSOP bound Hoyazo (the third person out???), Easycure, and Joe Speaker.

I haven't played an FT guarantee event in quite a while. The 17k starts at 9 locally. If I get deep into the event (like we all plan to), I know that I will not much sleep, maybe 4-5 hours. Thus I usually avoid it. But after having dinner with some friends and having a couple of Mickey's Big Mouths surging through the system, I figured to hell with work, it is just a Friday. I can sleep in.

I have nothing big to report here in terms of play. I more than tripled up in the first hour but playing tight aggressive. I made some good reads on people chasing flush draws, knowing my pair of jacks would be good. Thanks for the pot size bluff at the end there! The only thing that prevent me from entering the first break with 9k in chips was the short stack hitting his 2 outer.

In the next two sessions, I stole where I could. I felt very card dead. I was never short stacked and folded quite a bit. If I did get something playable (like a small pocket pair or two paint), it would generally be raised ahead of me, leaving me with no option but to fold. It didn't matter because I wouldn't have won those pots anyways.

Once we got into the money, I was moved to a table that had the chip leader. This guy may very well be the biggest LAG I have ever seen. He used his chip stack well. He played pretty much every hand. It it was connected, suited, had an ace, or two face, he played it. Always with a min raise when it came to him. Always. If he caught any piece of the flop, he was going to showdown. He rarely folded. Small pocket pair? Sure, call the all in bet. Doesn't matter if has have 2 2, he wants to play. His chip stack bounced up and down like a yo yo.

But for the most part, it was always growing. He was constantly putting pressure on the players. If someone else raised, he would min-raise right back. The worst part, is he was having the flops hit him silly. Raise with 10 2 soooted. Flop two pair. 9 5 soooted, flop trips. Pair of 3s up against Big Slick? Don't worry, it would hold up. Each and every time. It was amazing and disgusting to see. He didn't suck out. He just had the flops hit him very well.

I went out when I pushed with A 9o from the big blind and ran into his 6 6. I could have waited another round (M of 4.5) but was getting tired and felt my A 9 was potentially the best hand there with what he had previously shown. It felt good to get deep in a big tournament again, though I had planned to be up until 2 in the morning and taking down more than a grand.

Turn of the cards

Some nights there is little you can do to win. The cards just do not treat you right and you are knocked out of a tourney before you know it. In your mind, you replay the game and realize that except for maybe making a different bet to possibly drive out an opponent or keep them in the hand, there was nothing else you could have done.

That is how I felt after the WWdN last night. Two hands took me out. I believe I played them well. In one case, my opponent made a bad call and then hit the two outer on the river. In the other, I flopped trips, but my opponent had flopped a full house.

It was the trips hand that ticked me off. With the Hammer, I dutifully raised and the called the re-raise. Maybe I should have pushed pre-flop? No. I like to drop the Hammer as much as the next blogger, but I do not want to go down in flames with it. Wait, in this case, I did. The flop came 7 7 K. A Hammer flop! I check-raised my opponent here. He even commented that I have the hammer and proceeds to re-raise with A K.

This ticked me off because it defied all logic. He knew he was behind and elected to put more into the pot. Even still, with a flop like that, what am I most likely to be check-raising with? A set or a boat. The boat doesn't make sense since raising with K 7 is ridiculous. He had to be looking at a split pot at best hoping I had A K as well. Would I re-raise with something like K Q or K J? No. That is foolish. So it pissed me off that he makes a bad play and got rewarded.

That knocked me down for a bit. I fought may way back up until I got knocked out with the trips against the boat. MP decided to limp with Q Q instead of raising. They deserved to lose that hand instead of knocking me out.

It was quite disheartening as I felt I was playing a good game. I started aggressively by confusing Wheaton when I flopped a straight. He had check-raised me on the flop. I expected more on the turn and chose to confuse him by betting out on the turn instead of slow playing. It worked as he had to take some time to lay the hand down. It felt good to have him thinking I was bluffing at it. I had chipped up nicely until they did a table change on me and I ran into the bad play.

Now I will have to wait another week to see if the flavor of this tournament has really changed. I thought there was some really weak playing going on. That surprised me as I find the competition of the WWdN to be pretty good. It ain't a donkfest but there was a hint of it yesterday.

Til then it is back to frustration as I plow money into the peep sex token tournies, in my vain attempt to collect a bunch of those that I really do not know what I will use for.

The $10 freeroll

Just like a crack addict, I can't stop playing the token SnGs (or peep games as some like to call them) on Full Tilt. I have been running so bad in them lately, usually getting sucked out on early or at the second table. To say it has been frustrating is an understatement.

Yesterday, I did finally earn a token again. It was nothing I did as much as knowing the chip leader would donk himself off. Going into the second table I was last all the while. I would push with any strong hand hoping to just double up. Once I did, I sat back and picked spots where I could steal the blinds. The donkey on my left was calling down a lot of hands with third pair, so I knew it was just a matter of time until he busted out, leaving me with one of the 4 tokens.

It was just as that was finishing up that I signed up for a $10 multi at FTP. This had to be the strangest buy in tourney I have ever played. Granted, the entry was not huge, but people were acting like it was a freeroll. Early on, no raises were respected as 6 players would see a flop, even if the raise was 5xs the blinds. K 9 off? Sure I will call the raise to 175. I have A 3 off? Yeah, I will call the reraise and see if I can get lucky. It was just amazing how people were playing. 60 players were gone in the first 15 minutes. More than half by the first break. It felt like a freeroll.

Of course I went out in the 80s when the Hiltons ran into A A. I knew he had either K K, AA, or A K when he bet 4xs the blinds UTG. But being short stacked, I felt I had little choice and had to hope he had A K at best.

Maybe I will do better in the WWdN tonight.

I may be changing my mind on the Paris tournament. After speaking with a friend of mine this weekend, I have begun to look into whether I can change my plane ticket and if I can get a couple more days off of work. I think it would be a great experience to play a big, live MTT. I am used to playing with around 100 people, in games that last around 5 hours. This is set for two days. Part of me was thinking that it was an opportunity that I really needed to consider. After speaking with my friend, that part is taking over. Hopefully I can make it happen. The cast to change the plane ticket is minimal, and according to the card I received, entry and the room are free.

Freeroll at Paris, Las Vegas?

I received an interesting piece of mail yesterday. An invitation to play in the Paris Invitational at Paris, Las Vegas. The tournament runs from July 9-12. The card said I had a free entry and it included 4 nights stay at Paris. Prizes are paid for the final table starting at $250 and going to $7500 for second place. First get $5000 and a seat in the main event at the WSOP.

I can't help but wonder why I received this. I think maybe everyone that is playing in the WPBT Summer Classic received one as it is the same company. Or maybe they heard about my mad skills on the WPBT POY circuit.

Did anyone else receive an invite? If so, will you be playing?

Unfortunately I will be unable to take advantage of the opportunity. I will be departing from Sin City that Sunday night and am unable to extend my vacation. C'est la vie.