Master of my domain

I thought I was going to take down the RakeBrain LeCheese Challenge right when I was dealt the first hand. 7 2o. The Hammer had come to town. I was UTG and can only pot it. BB calls. On the K high flop, I pot again and get called. Now I know I am in trouble. Hammer no good. Especially when an A hits the turn. Now I am screwed. But I fire the second bullet anyways. I get raised. Time to fold. If the pot gets pushed my way, I know I win it all. But instead I am shortstacked and fighting my way back for the next hour.

The worst part was the slew of shit cards I got during the Omaha rounds. Absolute crap. I would have been able to slog away if it was O8, but these cards were just crap for the high only game. That made it frustrating. It is like playing HORSE. You see some people just fold the Razz rounds because they don't know how to play. I find it somewhat embarassing to sit back and fold thinking of how it just makes me look like some schmuck who can't play. Add in an aggro big stack and it just pissed me off.

Thanks to RakeBrain for the invite. I did have fun and would participate given another opportunity. Congrats to Blood and Mook for earning some cash.

I found myself waking up yesterday being double teamed by a cold and a hangover. With many vacation days to burn, I figured I would sleep in and play some poker when I felt better. Part of me wanted to find a good tournament and hopefully pull out a sick day win ala Jordan. There wasn't anything big ready to start on Full Tilt so I took advantage of the double points promotion and played some PLO8. I also hopped into the little $3 90 man SnG with knockouts for shits and giggles.

The PLO8 was kind to me. I made some good money to help get me out of my hole. I still have a ways to go but I am more comfortable with how I am running and my style of play. I am slowly learning about aggression in this game. How to pick spots to slam the pot and when to hold off. How not to bluff too much. And how to maximize the nuts. After a month I can say that I have really enjoyed playing the game. I think it may help me out in other aspects of poker, mainly because it is helping my patience.

As I mentioned, I hopped into the small buying SnG. I had done this a week ago and had some fun collecting bounties. Funny, I had the same result this time around. 3rd place with 4 bounties collected. It is amusing how bad the play is. I got A A 3 times and felted each player in the process. Each time they would reraise me all in preflop with mid pairs. I hardly played any hands but they never noticed how tight I was playing. My favorite though was the UTG clown who limped and then re-raised all in with A 4. I thought about 4 seconds before calling with 7 7. I knew he didn't have a a big pair and the basically that way too many jokers think they can limp and reraise big with shit believing players will think they have A A.

I may take it easy today and get ready for a day of PLO8 in the morning with a run at PLO in Pauly's tournament in the afternoon. Anything that can prevent me from shoveling more snow is a good thing.

If I hadn't chased with a pair,

I might have been the pimpdaddy of the HOE last night. Instead I finished 4th.

At least that was much better than my result in the Bodog Blogger tourney. For whatever reason I cannot get any traction in that tournament. I have not been able to slow down in the first hour and a half and thus donk off chips. The pace of the tournament seems so painfully slow. Not sure why that is. It must be my lack of patience.

I had a great chance to double up early in the Bodog when I raised with A J and promptly flopped a straight. I wanted to milk it for all I could so I made a continuation bet and just called the raise. I check raised the turn and then cringed when I saw an A hit the board. My mind was telling me my opponent had K J and that damn A was going to be a split pot.

From there I slid down and ended up pushing with 10s. I get the quick call from yestbay who shows A K and promptly flops an A. I hadn't been winning races so it wasn't a surprise to not win this one.

I was hoping that wouldn't carry over to the HOE event. Things got off to a slow start for me but I found my niche in the Stud H/L early. I managed to chip up nicely and spend a good amount of time in the top 5. But I got a bit greedy in the latter stages trying to collect some bounties in O8 portion. I quickly slid from top 5 to bottom 5. Still amazing how crappy everyone plays O8. Twice I had better hands get beat from people aggressively playing high hands preflop with no chance at a low. And when they go into awfukkit mode, you know they are going to win the damn hand.

No Mook for me tonight. If I remember, I will be playing in the RakeBrain LeCheese Challenge after work. I believe it is scheduled for 5pm CST if I read it correctly. I hope to squeeze it in before heading out to the bar to make an easy $50 bar tab.

The next big poker scandal

Iggy had been lamenting on how the Absolute poker cheating scandal had basically been ignored in the poker community. I wouldn't say it hadn't been ignored as much as anyone with a brain decided not to play there a long time ago.

So to make sure something of this nature doesn't happen again, I am going to blow the lid off the latest scandal I have seen. After doing some scant detective work, I have put 1 and 1 together and solved the mystery.

What mystery you ask?

Otis is leaving G-Vegas as announced at Up for Poker and Rapid Eye Reality. Now you may be thinking that I am still drunk from the weekend and that I don't know jack shit about anything. Well, that may be true, but I like many of you would wonder why anyone voluntarily moves to Canada?

Exactly. No one does.

So I did some searching and figured it out. It all goes to this post by BadBlood. After a good run he has a bankroll again. At the same time Otis is leaving the country.

Coincidence? I think not! After thinking and drinking on this one I have put forth the scenario. It all started innocently on Monday as they met for the ritual pregame drink. Maybe Blood had one dirty martini too many or Otis's mimosa was stronger than Falstaff recommends. But words were exchanged- in good natured fun, not hostility- to the effect that Blood was going to bust someone and Otis replied he wasn't running good enough to bust anyone. That hell, if he busted Otis, Otis would leave town. Kinda like an old fashioned wrestling extravaganza where the loser must leave town but being how this is the year 2008 and everything is bigger and better in the USA, they made it a loser leaves country match.

And so it happened. Blood even drops us a hint on what happened.

It's been a while. In a blog filled with bad beats and a 2007 poker year filled
with losing results, last night felt like the Golden Era of G-Vegas poker for
me.

He knew Otis would have to go. Otis being a man of his word, broke the news to his family, switched to WordPress in an attempt to hide any shame and will be leaving the country.

There is more behind this scandal. That I am sure of. But I am at work and sober so the investigating will have to wait.

Turning it around

The weekend was better than the week. Made up for some of the losses incurred earlier, but not all. But I am seeing the light.

One key was getting deep in Pauly's PLO tournament. I didn't donk myself out early this time around. I didn't make the final table or any money but was happy with the way I played. I believe I got tossed out at 11 or 12. I was content because I didn't make any really stupid plays.

That carried over to the PLO8 tables where I ground out some small profits on both Saturday and Sunday. Discipline was high and I found myself being cautious about both my starting hand selection as well as chasing with hands that would just win the low. The down side was folding some hands when I knew my opponent was not strong on the high hand and that I could have taken them down. In due time, that will change.

It wasn't all peaches and cream though. The frustrating part of the weekend was not winning more. I saw a lot of strange plays going on. Poor timed bluffs. People chasing when they didn't have the nut low. People not realizing their pocket aces weren't any good on the flops. It was a thing of beauty to see happening. I just couldn't get enough hands that would allow me to profit at these donkeys' expenses.

I did play some hold em as well. A cheap 90 seater with knockouts. Ended 3rd with 4 bounties collected. I didn't make any stupid moves and cruised through the tournament without ever being in jeopardy. Until we got to the bubble. A suckout on the river made it a bit difficult. I raised from EP with A J. The SB called. With a 7 high flop and two hearts, I pushed. Instinct told me I was ahead and he maybe would call with the flush draw. Instead he calls with Q 10, no hearts. WTF? The Q on the river had me cussing a storm. I only hoped I would have a chance to get my chips back.

In fact, I knew I would get the opportunity. The quality of play was so pathetic. The dope on my right was raising with absolute crap. I let him steal my BB when he went all in the first time. But with only 5 BB total, there was no way I was folding K 10. Sure enough, he turned over 7 3 and I double through. This continued to the final table where any two face cards was an autocall to a push. I ended up going on in 3rd when my A 10 got rivered by A 6.

So the weekend ended with some success. Here's to keeping it going. I figure it can't be as bad as last week was.

Stud H/L, Razz, its all the same the way I play

Stud H/L
1st hand of RC, straight flush to the 8
miss low
make low
fold fold fold
Evy35 is talking about her game. How she is good at sucking. I don't think she means cards anymore.
I forgot that people will not fold in this game. Kings below are no good no matter how much you bet.
People will call down with 2 pair as well.

KORD is about to start. I recall winning one of these a couple months ago.
First hand I play there is bad. My 8 is no good as he keeps calling with his pair of deuces and K showing. Yeah, I should have stopped all the betting. I make up a hand or two later and get those chips back.

Catch a wheel in the RC game to take down a nice pot. Two people called me down there.

Must make sure I don't mix the Razz and Stud game up. I just about raised with Aces below but realized that was the Razz game. Don't need to make that mistake. It would be costly.

Somehow I win a pot with just a pair of 7s. Columbo couldn't catch his low.

I have been drawned out on twice in the Stud game. Beginning to piss me off.

Once again, someone can't fold and my two pair loses to a higher two pair. It is annoying when others just call down. They have little faith in their hand to bet out or raise. Can't let that annoy me too much.

I feel a bit bad now because now I sucked out on someone else. I did have a straight and flush draw but so happened to pair up an ace on 7th to win. For once a card fell my way again.

Rolled aces no good. Figures.

Caught my second straight flush of the night, this time Queen high.

KORD is over. I had A 2 3 to start, caught a 7 and then bricked out the last 3 cards. WTF?

I fold a lot now. My hands are very bad so I can't play anything without going all out. I get a chance and double up. A couple hands later I take out a short stack and have some life. But I need to get quite a bit more in chips to have any chance. I am 11k out of first. That is the nice way of saying I am sitting 10 out of the remaining 13.

It sucks to catch a wheel but split a pot when your opponent has a boat.

I then cripple myself by chasing a flush. It don't hit and I am on life support.

And it is over. Toss the dirt on top of me and let me rest in peace.

Another dreadful session

I let my dreadful PLO8 session flow into the Blogger Skillz event. About the only thing I did right yesterday was make it into the second round of the PokerStars Heads Up freeroll. Of course I won't be able to participate in the tournament on Saturday so the other 5000 players won't have my chips to drool over.

I am taking a day off from the games. I need it. Instead I will head out to the bar to earn the world's easiest $50 bar tab.

I had another dream about poker last night. This time I was a chip. No wonder my back hurt this morning.

3 buy and goodbye

Last night was one I want to forget. Everything went wrong. I lost 3 buyins playing PLO8. One to a guy getting 5 to 1 to see a card that could either pair the board or hit his flush, one to a guy who had to hit one card (he called me pot bets all the way down), and one where I misread the board and donated the rest of my chips.

Very ugly. Very disheartening.

Hopefully I can turn things around tonight.

I had a weird dream last night. I was working for a cable news network. I had been doing research for them and for whatever reason, they decided they would put me on the air during the World Series of Poker. They wouldn't tell me what I would be talking about, but kept saying to be ready. The studio for the show was in a department store, which was connected to a casino. I recall being nervous and walking around the place quite a bit, usually to the front of the store to the poker room which had only 1 table running.

At one point I was standing by a makeup counter talking to Dan Patrick. He was giving me some pointers on how to handle the segment in which I would speak. As he did, a very smug Keith Olbermann walked over to try and intimidate me. Patrick tried to get him to back off, but ever the asshole, Olbermann persisted. He tried to impress me with his knowledge by showing me the table of names he had gathered. I looked at the list and didn't recognize any well known poker players. I started rattling off names that were on his paper and asking who they were. Olbermann lists off their accomplishments which was all second or third places. All the names on his list were people that didn't win tournaments. When I pointed that out, he mentioned that they still mattered. Patrick started laughing when I told Olby "No wonder you suck. You follow losers, I follow winners." and walked away.

I proceeded to the front of the store to the casino just to hear my name get called back. I walked back to the counter and realized I had absolutely nothing. Still not knowing what I was going to talk about, I begged Dan Patrick to help me and we started listing the past 10 winners. A producer or assistant then walked up to put a microphone on me and asked if I was ready. I lied and said yes. She asked if I knew what to do. I replied that I would keep my answers short and succinct, that I would avoid rambling. She gave me a blank look and told me that is how it used to be done, that now I would need to talk as much as I can to fill up the air time.

She walked away and I took a deep breath. I either fainted or woke up.

Hi Lo weekend

I didn't play a single hand of hold em this weekend. Except for a little Razz on Friday night with Peaker, I played nothing but PLO8 at the .25/.50 and .50/1.00 levels. Oh, I did play in the Saturdays with Pauly. The tournament was a total abortion.

I did ok in the PLO8 games. I am not up by much since I began tracking my results. For the most part they are going as I expect. A nice win here or there balanced by a big loss. Lots of small gains and losses spread in between. One thing I probably should track is how long each session is. Currently they last about an hour and a half. I quit either when I am losing focus/interest, or if I drop a big pot by either a suckout or a stupid call by me. Sadly, there have been too many of the latter.

I have read that playing successful PLO8 takes a lot of discipline and patience, something I have been lacking as of late. This is part of the reason to spend many hours on this game. I beleive I can redevelop this skill set and bring to other aspects of my play. I recognize myself as a recreational player. I have no ideas of grandeur and at this time don't see myself playing a lot of satellites to major events. That may change somewhere down the line but for now I realize I am better off enjoying the games and continuing to learn.

I have noticed one hole in my play. I have problems laying down a hand that is the nut low, knowing I have no chance at the high and am likely to be quartered. This destroyed a session I had on Saturday. I had a nice gain evaporate as I got quartered in 3 straight hands. I have read you cannot be profitable is you play for half of the pot. It is really beginning to sink in. This is one discipline I hope I can acquire. So far I have learned to lay off a number of A 2 hands that have very little chance of winning a high, especially from EP. If I can fold on the river with a nut low that screams I am getting quartered, then I know my skull isn't as thick as I thought.

No adjustment

I came to realize how I went from top 5 to out in the first 15 minutes of the second hour of the RiverChasers game. I didn't make the needed adjustment.

The table was pretty damn tight in the first hour. I was catching some cards (A A three times) and hitting some good flops. I thought I would get all of Riggstad's chips when I flopped a set of 8s but that didn't happen. Apparently he wasn't drunk enough. Damn soberish players!

But with the blinds up in the second session, everyone got a bit more aggressive. It was like they caught up to me. Where I could make moves with 7 7 or 8 8 in the first hour, they were playing back against me in the second. When I faced reraises on 3 hands in 10 minutes, I felt myself going on tilt. My mind was blown. I had no focus and certainly no patience to play a tournament at that point. I knew I was behind when I called Waffles push. I knew barring any lucky two outer, I was done.

But I was happy. I wasn't kidding when I got knocked out and typed into the chat "ah...tilt is over". It was a bit of a relief.

Sometimes it takes players a while to notice the hole in their game. Whether they can plug them quickly or not depends on that person. My hole is quite simple. I don't have the patience for playing tournaments right now. I find it hard to sit down and play cards for 3-4 hours. It became evident last week while playing Stud. I could have sat aside to make the money but I was bored after playing 3 hours. I didn't care anymore. It sounds like a copout but it is the truth. I have been losing interest in the second and third hour of these tournaments lately. Too many outside distractions in the real world. Real life is affecting my game. Thankfully it is nothing serious.

On the other hand, I have been enjoying PLO8. I have read up a bit to strengthen my game as well as taken some advice from others (thanks Drizz!). For me, the challenge of playing good PLO8 is a higher priority than tournaments right now. At least HE tournaments. I wouldn't mind seeing a good HORSE game start up.

When I have to wait for a PLO8 seat to open, I have wandered over to the Razz tables. Been enjoying F-Train's stories of late. Glad to see him blogging about poker again. I liked his concept of winning token's to get into a FTOPs event. I thought of following in those footsteps until I realize it would be a waste of time and money considering how I have ADD in these as of late.

The Razz game has been good to me. I love running a good semi bluff in this game. Where you have a weak made hand- an 8 or even a 9- but you can tell it is good from not only what your opponent is showing, but how they have just limped and then called down every bet, blatantly showing that they are chasing. Yesterday I made a final bet with a 9 6. I knew I was good. I expected my opponent to fold as they were showing J 9 8 but was happy to see the call and collect the extra bet.

I think this weekend will see me playing both of these games. I have to get my cards in before we get hit with another 10 inches of snow on Sunday. Can we fast forward to summer already?

Tracking

After playing quite a bit of PLO8 this weekend, I finally decided to keep track of my totals to see how good/bad I am actually doing. Having mixed in a bunch of SnGs around the game, I realized just watching my bankroll wasn't going to explain my actual results. My bankroll may have dipped but I also have some tokens stacking up that would translate into a higher BR.

I am mainly playing .25/.50. I have played some .50/1.00 but feel more comfortable at the lower level. Likewise, playing .10/.25 seems like too low and is a waste of time. I will usually have 2 tables going, with a SnG possibly in the background.

I had a hunch on how these PLO8 sessions were going. It felt like I was having a bunch of small win/loss session with larger win/loss sessions in between. Now that I am tracking, I know the truth.

I think yesterday's play is typical. I had one table where things were great. I finished up after an hour to the tune of $25. But on the other table, I was down $36. That was the result of one hand that I don't believe I played wrong. If anything, the best play was to avoid playing the hand at all.

I saw a flop from the BB with 3 6 7 x that was double suited. It was a min raise that had two other callers. My thinking was to see a flop. If it hit me, I can take down a nice sized pot. Well, the flop did hit me. It came 5 8 9, giving me a straight, but with two spades. I didn't want a spade draw to go after it so I bet pot. I was called by only the intial raiser. The turn was a J of clubs. Not a good card but I highly doubted someone was playing Q 10 at this spot. I proceeded to bet about 3/4 of the pot. I was promptly called. Hmm.... The river was an 8. I tried to think about what the could have been calling down with. I figured it was either a good low that didn't hit or maybe they had A A and were being stubborn. I was certain they missed their low but checked as I wanted more time to put them on a hand. They then proceeded to bet just under half the pot. This confused me a bit. Were they now trying to scare me away? Or was this a value.

I noticed my hand move the mouse over the MAX tab on the bet area. I was about to click it and mash the bet button when my brain screamed one more time, IT IS A VALUE BET. Problem was, I couldn't put him on a hand. How did that 8 hit him?

I ended up calling. I just couldn't fold at this point. He turned over a hand showing 9 9. He rivered his full house.

Can anyone fold here? I played the hand through my head and tried to understand how this person had played it. They flopped a set and saw there was a possible flush and low hand. On the turn, the J doesn't help either flush or low. The 8 on the river makes it high only. Did my betting look like I was chasing one or the other? I don't think so, except for the river check. Any bet there would have lost me more money.

I guess I have to chalk this one up to just a bad card and that I am lucky I didn't lose more on this hand. As always, any thought from you PLO8 guys is appreciated.

Saturday

The Saturday with Pauly tournament felt like a repeat of last week. Did well early, chased and went out in the middle of the pack. Damn deja vu.

Congrats to the Rooster for taking it down. He wouldn't have been in it if I had not floated him the entry fee. I wonder how much my taste of that victory will be.

Played quite a bit of PLO8 and HORSE this weekend. Except for one horrendous session in the morning, results were pretty good. Still need to develop that sense for when to push hard on the turn and river. PLO8 is fun, but can be frustrating when you leave some bets on the table.

Thinking during the Stud tournament

25 runners. That is it? WTF?

Happy with play. Didn't get stupid early. Helped that cards hit me right and people called down when they should have known they were beat.

Leader at first break with just over 6k. Still 21 people in the game.

But then I got off of my game plan and got loose. Maybe it was the beer. No, I can't blame the beer. Had to tighten up again. Or at least not be stupid and chase draws.

You know, playing 2 PLO8 tables while in a Stud tournament gives you little time to take a break to pee.

Hey, there are two big breasted women going at it in the wrestling ring! Those push up bras must be under some strain. Can't stop watching.

Too many tight players on top of leaderboard. Maybe I can take advantage of that later. If I still alive later.

Interesting hand against morrdt. The first two up cards for both of us were aces. Guess when I paired up my 8s I was golden. Some aggressive play against him has worked out very well for me. I don't think he can put me on any hand.

I flop the second nut flush on the PLO8 table. I bet pot and get called by one player. I check the turn, thinking he may have the nut flush, though he could be playing the low. Is that wrong? I feel it is. Should I be calling the $18 bet, knowing I will basically be calling a river bet as well?

The on_thg schools me in a Stud hand. Ugh! Moments later, he would do it again.

I got some chips back but then made a really bad play. Tried to bluff. Really dumb. That hurt

Still trying to learn how to play some tough spots in PLO8. Had the wheel. Board is 2 3 5 7 10. Opponent bets half pot on the river. Having been quartered a lot lately, I just call instead of jamming, thinking he has at least A 4 6. Drizz basically tells me to grow some stones.

Quad 9s!!! DQB baby! But I don't get paid. I know I played it wrong by betting out on 5th.

Take down a nice pot by slowing playing 3 of a kind. Hey, I might get this game down yet.

Down to 9. Top 4 pay out. I am sitting at 3. I may have to quit the Omaha games to focus on winning the Stud tourney. It makes it a bit easier knowing I will book a tidy profit. Hope I just didn't jinx myself. Time to click the "auto blinds" button to off.

I find myself tangling with another big stack. Schlepp looks to be a very good Stud player. Just got lucky and drew out on him. Don't think I want to tangle with him until I absolutely need to.

Second break and I am once again on top with just over 15k and approximately a 4k lead. This is far from over. I know I am lucky to be here. Just need to make sure I don't do anything really dumb. In that thought, I closed out the Omaha games up $40. Not great, but a win is a win.

Hey, 3 straight bring ins!!! Thanks Stud Gods!!! I won 2, one uncontested.

Final table! I have the lead by about 5k. Shorty is at 5400. I believe it is Bam Bam's girl Pebbles. Still trying not to be stupid though the chance to steal is so high. I hope that is not my downfall tonight.

Cards have sucked since we got to the final table. Don't think it is necessarily a bad thing. I need to stay patient. That won't be easy.

Took out a104l9 with my K K underneath. Got two pair when the 5s hit to beat his 10s and flush draw that did not hit.

Getting shit for cards again. Not necessarily a bad thing. Down to 5. My opponents are saving me from trying to play any draws by being very aggressive on the door card.

Just lot a pot when Schlepp had 4 clubs showing. Pretty even game right now. High stack at 21k, low at 11k.

It feels like I fold the next 50 hands before playing again. Get a pair of kings that becomes two pair on 4th. Easy to keep betting and get called down.

Things are still very even. Will be a while before we get past this money bubble.

Crap! Have 3 cards to make my flush and brick on out. Must stay patient. Hard when the crap train continues.

For the last half hour, nothing has really happened. This is getting very boring. Retarded. I would rather sleep that make 20 bucks. But still, I feel like making some money.

After saying I must prevent myself from doing anything stupid, I do something stupid. Then Schlepp draws out on me again.

Someday I will have the patience to try and win one of these things.

I should be selling T-shirts

I spent yesterday digging out from 20 inches of snow here in Milwaukee. Then today I see Iggy has opened comments up.

Hell hath frozen over!

I wonder if I can sell enough "I commented on Guinness & Poker and all I got was a Bonus Code=Iggy" shirts to get to Vegas?

Snow tilt

I was on some serious snow tilt last night. The news reports were calling for 14-18 inches of snow beginning Tuesday and finishing Wednesday afternoon. It was already snowing pretty good when I got home around 4:30. With such ominous weather blowing around outside, I found it quite hard to concentrate.

I got in about 2 hours of PLO8 at the .25/.50 tables but had little focus. First, I got quartered twice when I had a nut high and low draws but only caught part, just to have an opponent catch two pair on the river. From there, I got timid. I began to think about a hand from the other day where I flopped the boat but lost when my opponent called each potted bet and hit on the river for a better full house.

From there, I kept looking outside at the snow, wondering why it wasn't piling up as they said. It made me decide to skip both the Bodog blogger and Skillz games. Last thing I wanted to do was be up late or playing crappily, just to get up early to shovel 6 inches of snow. Of course, I realized my mistake about 10 minutes into the Skillz game. The right play would have been to play the tournaments, shovel before going to sleep and having less to shovel in the morning. There was maybe an inch, two tops to clean up so far today.

Now I sit at work watching the snow blow about. There were whiteout conditions as I got off the freeway. Next time I say to hell with the weather.

Bonus hunting

I have been playing a lot of PLO8 lately. The main impetus was a combination of collecting the bonus offered by Full Tilt and to get ready for Saturdays with Pauly. Of course I didn't realize that Pauly's game of PLO, so my gunning for the low hand screwed me at first.

I feel I have a decent grasp on the game. I understand the concepts of what starting hands are good and am now getting a feel for other hands (mainly high only) that I can possibly see a cheap flop on. But I know I am missing some bets because I am playing too cautious or tossing money away because I am chasing a low with no chance at a high.

My worst enemy once again is myself. I need to exercise patience with this game. I understand what Drizz is saying when he talks about folding a lot and then trying to get paid when he has the nuts. Same with Al and his peddling talk. There are times when I am calling bets in hands I have little business being in. When focused, I am done well. But it is those times where I am chasing that kills me.

Listen to Axl. Just a little patience.

I also wonder if I am missing some bets. When having the nut low, is it wise to bet pot when the flush possibility is out there as well? Am I overestimating my opponent's hands, thinking they may have the nut low and the high meaning I am about to get quartered or do I get in every penny that I can and hope for the best?

I also may be folding when I should realize that my opponent only has a low. That part of poker instinct is beginning to click in PLO8. Especially when the bets are small, it seems to be a good idea to make the call and take that chance.

In the end, I am enjoying it. It is a nice break from hold em. I just need to keep my poker ADD from getting me off of Omaha and onto something else. Until I clear the bonus that is.

A Saturday messed up

The Saturday with Pauly tournament was fun. I wished I hadn't screwed the pooch like I did in it. Hopefully next time, Change 100 won't be on my left. She seemed to take every chip I gathered right away from me.

Things started poorly. I thought we were playing PLO8, not PLO. Thus I lucked into winning my first pot. But in a strange way, it was a good thing. It helped me focus on playing Omaha and how tight the table was. It was like every time I hit the bet button, the FOLD button on everyone else's screen overtook the CALL button. I bet, they fold. It helped me amass chips easily.

But then Change sucked out on me. That was the first setback. Then I may a terrible call to her bet. And from there I was screwed. I pushed all in and was called by the BB for just 130 and got knocked out by the river. So it goes.

I am disappointed with my play. I was doing pretty well at the beginning just to mess it up with aggressiveness that I didn't need to have at the end. I have to learn to be like the damn grasshoppa when playing Omaha.

What I plan to do tomorrow

I hope I don't forget.

Game? Where did I put that?

I don't quite know where my game is. That is, if I have any kind of game.

My interest in playing poker is not like it was 2 years ago. I enjoy the game and the challenges presented, but my heart isn't fully in it at the moment. It seems I get kind of bored and unfocused about an hour in. I then employ a go for broke mentality. I usually end up broke. Then I reign it in and try to make something happen. That something is usually going to bed.

A couple years ago it wasn't the case. I could slog my way through the field and make some money. Sometimes I would go deep enough to make a good score. Now, I feel my best is a bubble. The best I have done of late has been a couple 3rds. Not bad but they are far and few between.

That was the tale last night. I made a very bad play in the Bodog to go out midway. Technically two bad plays as I didn't re-raise enough (though I am sure it wouldn't have made this donkey fold) and then making a call knowing I was beat instead of fighting back with a short stack.

Did better in the Skillz game. Final table and out in 9th when 5 5 got beat by J 10s. What hurt was trying to steal with J 10s the hand just prior and not catching a thing on the flop. It was good to see the Spaceman again though. Wish he would write more often.

The night wasn't a total loss as I didn't scoop up a token in the free for all. That took about 10 minutes longer than it should have as some dipshits didn't understand the concept of hand-for-hand and kept delaying the tournament.

If I ignore the $40 lost playing PLO8, I break even. I think I will ignore it.

I see the Rooster is begging for attention again. Because he is a good guy, I say everyone should go see that cock lover. Yep, he loves the cock. He has pictures of cock right there on his blog. Some say he is an expert on the cock. Been playing with cock all his life. Even at the table, his little cock ends up on the felt. So click on through to the Rooster and tell him I say hi!

Now here is a good idea

Via Karol at I Had Outs:

Charles Nesson Calls for Presidential Candidates to Play Poker in Colbert Report Appearance

"Quintessential American Game" Reveals Strategic Thinking Ability and other
Life Skills Says Harvard Professor

NEW YORK, Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Harvard Law School Professor Charles
Nesson made a special appearance as a guest on COMEDY CENTRAL's The Colbert
Report last night to talk about the virtues of poker as a teaching tool,
call for legalizing poker games online, and to propose hosting a poker game
for presidential candidates to test their skill and strategic acumen.
Professor Nesson's appearance can be seen in rebroadcast on COMEDY CENTRAL
today at 8:30 PM EST.

During the interview with Stephen Colbert, Charles Nesson, founder and
President of the Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society (GPSTS) said, "I
want to make poker a legitimate thing for teaching strategy ... Poker is a
marvelous game for seeing what a situation looks like from the other side."

"But why not play with your buddies around the table?" Colbert asked.

"Online is like a school and it is right there for you and it is an
easier way to master the mathematics of it," Nesson said, as to why
Americans should have the right to play online poker.

"I have made it my mission to make poker legitimate as a teaching tool
and a learning tool," Nesson continued.

The interview concluded with Nesson proposing that Colbert team-up with
Nesson by inviting the presidential candidates to play poker to show their
strategic skills in front of a camera. Colbert endorsed Nesson's proposal
saying, "That would be nice ... I can just see Hillary with the sunglasses
with the little snake eyes on them."

Elaborating on the idea, Professor Charles Nesson said, "Poker is a
quintessentially American game that draws on the best traditions in our
culture, mixing individualism and sociability, and placing a premium on
smarts," Nesson said. "Poker is more than just a fun game; it has real
educational possibilities. It is one of the best tools we have to teach
negotiation, risk assessment, strategic thinking and other essential life
skills," Nesson continued.

"This is an exciting opportunity for the public to see how poker
provides important insights into a candidates' personality more effectively
than any debate."

More information on the tournament series can be found at
http://www.gpsts.org.

About GPSTS

Founded by Harvard Law Professor Charles Nesson, the Global Poker
Strategic Thinking Society views pokers as a game of skill that can be used
as a teaching tool at all levels of academia and in secondary education.
The concept is to use poker to teach basic life skills, strategic thinking,
geopolitical analysis, risk assessment, and money management. The goal is
to create an open online curriculum centered on poker that will draw the
brightest minds together, both within and outside of the conventional
university setting, to promote open education and Internet democracy.

About Charles Nesson

Charles Nesson is the William F. Weld Professor of Law, Harvard Law
School and Founder and Co-Director of the Berkman Center for Internet &
Society. He is joined on the GPSTS board by Stanford Law School Professor
Lawrence Lessig, who is the author of Code and Other Laws of Cyberspace and
a previous Berkman Professor of Law.

SOURCE The Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society

Win lose and draw

I had some fun playing poker last night. Some success, some failure, some razzing.

The evening started with two mistakes. I thought I had signed up for a 2 table turbo token game. Instead it was regular levels. Not something I couldn't handle, or so I thought as I bubbled the tokens and got a small payout. I had been doing well all game but went totally card dead at the end. Literally got nothing or could not battle the large stacks. They were content to play every hand.

Just before the token game started, I tried to sign up for a regular one table NL SnG. Found one and got in. Then sat slack jawed when I was dealt 4 cards. I look up and see PLO8. Great! Just tossed this buy-in away. Instead of donking my way through, I tightened up and played very conservatively. Until I noticed how timid everyone was. I kicked it up a gear and started taking down uncontested pots. I chipped up nicely and cruised into the money. Soon it would be heads up,with me just behind by about 1000. I made a terrible read on a river bet and lost a chunk. I then proceeded to get overly aggressive with bottom two pair, potting it to get me all in on the flop. My opponent called showing top two pair. I cursed the screen and was ready to raise the white flap until I hit my two outer on the river. I was suddenly back in the game.

It got uglier for my opponent. On the next hand, I flopped a full house. The board ended up giving me exactly what I needed to ensure my opponent would get felted by making both flush and straight possibilities available with no low. Cha-ching and the PLO8 1st prize is mine.

I tried to continue the luck into Razz- a game of luck- but that didn't go as well. I played loose at first and then tightened up. Got a number of good starting hands that continually bricked me up on 5 and 6. I then slid into awfukkit mode and gave the rest of my stack to Zeem.

I did have some fun with resident Razz expect Waffles. He criticized my play of the very first hand. I brought in with a K. Behind it I had A 2. It folded around to Zeem on my right who completed. Being on the first level and two good cards, I was going to play. I made my hand on 6, with an 8 or 9 (not something I was too keen on but it was early). With the way Zeem kept betting and with what he was showing, I put him on a bully bluff. I wasn't that far off as he claims he made it on 7.

But Waffles went off. He said playing a K doorcard was stupid, that I would have to wait until 6 to possibly make a hand. A couple hands later, he would do something similar. With a 6 showing, he got a K on 4th and bet out against a stronger Zeem, who had a 9 showing. He claimed it was a good move because he had the better draw. K vs 9 is better? It seemed to be the same principle. He would have to make his hand on 6. Is there that much of a difference between the K in the door or on 4th? I don't think so.

I would argue that I have more shots to catch up. I can either catch cards or have my opponent brick. If neither happens, I can fold. If my opponent is fixed on the K, they may try to bully me with any 7 or 8 that hits me. It also may give the table a soft image. That I will play any hand with just two good cards to start. Hey, it may not be the optimal play, but I don't think it is such a bad play especially with it being the start of the tournament.

So I found it amusing that Waffles would rip on me for playing the K, but would play it on 4 and claim he made a better play. They are both equally donktastic or not bad. At the very least, there is an element of hypocrisy on Waffles part. And by the way, on his hand he had A 6 behind. Not as good as I did.

I don't claim to be a great Razz player. I like the game and think I can hang with most people. You just won't hear me criticizing other people's play. You have no idea what someone may be trying to accomplish, especially early in a tournament.

Fitting song

It has been a hellacious day at work. I need to relax, drink, and sling some chips.

As I sit here listening to my MP3 player, I read over at Hoy's that the RiverChasers game is Razz. Then Megadeth's In My Darkest Hour came on. Seems fitting for the day I have had and the night that will be. I wonder how sober I will be.

How not to win a tournament

I was playing both the Bodog blogger game and the Skillz game last night. Nothing much to report on either. Instant Tragedy played his J J well against me and I was eliminated somewhere in the low 20s or high teens. I played an ok game with what cards I received. I was able to ratchet up the aggression at the right times. Except for the end. Sure I probably shouldn't have been raising up with Q 10s and then pushing on a 10 high board with no draws, but I don't think anyone could put him on a higher pair from the BB like that. I like how IT played it. When he bet out, I thought he had a mid pair or strong A behind. I didn't expect a higher pocket pair.

I was disappointed with the O8 game. I was playing well for the first 2 sessions. At least well for a Omatard. Yeah, I had my share of suckouts, but I also calmed down my aggression in the right spots. I have learned the pain of being quartered and didn't need to be a masochist.

The problem I had with my play was simple. I got impatient. I was sitting in the top 5 for most of the second session. It seemed like anytime I was dealt a pair of Kings, I would flop a set and it would not just hold up, it would hold for a monster pot. It really helped that people would keep chasing their lows, even if it wasn't the nut low. I am so glad many people did not read BWOP basics of Omaha 8 post. They rather fling those chips like monkeys fling poo.

But as I said, I got impatient. I went card dead and then tried to make things happen. The table was seeming tight so I got aggressive with marginal hands. Not bad, but not that strong. Problem was I was running into one particular donkey that was not going to fold and must have sat on a horseshoe. He was playing some crappy cards but hitting flops. When I dropped a nice pot to him because of that, I went on semi tilt with a small stack and then was out in 12th. Had I stayed patient, I could have made the money.

Because it is true

Worst poker player.

Maybe there should be an award for stupidest person in a casino. That would got to the clown Brandon who started that rant on Brandi, but that was ever stupider to go on tape and do an interview. You probably have already seen this over on Iggy's post, but the wee one likes to receive any and all linkage. So not only did you admit to being a dumbass in a forum, you now decide that video showing your face. Is that so people can walk by you in the casino and say "Hey, that is the dumbass who dumped his girl and then left her alone in his house for 3 days. And he was shocked that she stole everything." They should have your face show up on the Simpsons just so Nelson can laugh at you.

Knowing she was a skank, you deserve to be taken to the cleaners. Furthermore, you know where she is and you don't have the sack to go get your money back.

Beer > Poker

I didn't end up playing any HORSE yesterday. I decided to join my friends and watch the Packers game instead. Maybe I should have stayed home. But give me an excuse to go drink for 8 hours and watch football and I will be there.

I played some on Saturday with the intention of getting into the game yesterday. I got two bad beats in hold em tournaments having my K K beat by A Q with the nice four flush. In a different tourney, some assclown reraised my reraised A A with 9 9. He went on to runner runner the straight.

But I did place 11th in a HORSE tournament to recoup most of the day's losses. I had figured I could use that momentum to do well in last night's event. But beer called.

I am looking forward to the Bodonkey tournament on Tuesday. Right now I am glad I didn't throw all that cash on the Packers yesterday.

Just missed it

I ran into some issue with the computer yesterday that prevented me from play the RiverChasers games last night. I believe I need to do something to clean up the pc but have no clue what. It is getting slower and bogging down if I have a couple programs going. And it isn't all porn viewing. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

So after missing the RC game by a minute, I decided to play some triple draw. For some reason, I figured I would go to Ultimate Bet and donk around the fifty some bucks I have there. One thing I should have realized right away. The TD table was A-5, not 2-7. That really changed everything. I folded a couple good hands because I was use to 2-7. Then I missed a bet when I just checked with the nut wheel. It was tiny stakes so I didn't miss much. The .25-.50 game was the only one going.

I quickly got off of UB and went back to Stars where I played the game I am more accustomed to. A couple 2/4 games were going and I jumped in. Things were rather rocky. I would go on short runs and do well and then get knocked around when my 1 card draws would not hit on any street. It was kinda compounded by the fact there were two players willing to call down with 9s and even bluff when holding face cards. The table was juicy until it became heads up and I didn't want a piece of that so I went to the other table.

It started well there as I hit the nuts on my first hand, first draw. But then the roller coaster ride began again and I went up and down. It looked good when a player from the previous table joined in. He was terrible and was going to keep drawing no matter what. But then he went on a tear and soon when from 50 to over 200. It seemed he was going to keep catching cards no matter what. That had me change my tactics a bit and slow down when I got involved. In then end, I was up a couple bucks for the night but had a good time.

Seeing how it is suppose to be damn cold this weekend, I may try to get some tokens for Don's big game on Sunday. I may be skipping the bar and football this weekend.

I found out today the real story of the Cowboys loss last Sunday. Why Tony, why?

Hindsight is 20/20

Hindsight is 20/20. So was my finish in the Bodonkey and the Blogger Skillz. I managed to finish 20th in both. That also meant I went away with nothing. No cash. No tourney dollars. Just a bunch of GG StB. And that don't buy the entry into the next tournament.

It was a case of chasing in Razz when I knew I shouldn't have been chasing. But after having won pots with a J, 10 and 9, I couldn't help but feel a lot of my 8s were good. And they were. I still have yet to figure out why jjok called me down with a Q. I bluffed the river with my J because his up cards where total crap and it was blatant that I was trying to suck out. To bet with the J is much different than calling with a Q.

Over at the hold em game, I wasn't familiar with a lot of the players at my table. I made some loose plays and tried to tighten up later. Jordan took me out easily when I tried to make a play from the SB. I hoped he had a small pair and might fold after he limped from EP. Instead his A J held up.

Best thing though was I had a good time in both tournies. Can't wait to do it again.

Two fer

I am hoping to get into both blogger events tonight. A little Razz on Full Tilt is the easy part. If I can get some cash into Bodog, I will be playing the Bodonkey event as well. I noticed Bodog has a new "e check" option. Will give that a go and see if I am a winner!

Ok, I am done with PLO

Enough PLO for me for now. In other words, I ran poorly in the Riverchasers game last night. However, I did realize some weaknesses in my game that I can correct. And I learned that if the only reason you are playing poker is because it is something to do while you finish your cocktail, you may have a gambling problem.

I was talking with some friends at the bar last night about Vegas. I could feel the fire light up and the urge to go again burn inside. I then became disappointed. I had received an offer from the IP for some free nights, drinks, food, etc. But the deal also came with a free Imperial Palace jacket. If I recall, it wasn't some cheap satin jacket like they giveaway downtown. I believe it was like the old high school letterman's jacket.

I got home and tried to find the flyer I had received but had no luck. The more I think about it, the more I want that jacket. Only for one reason. That thing screams BOUNTY at the next WPBT gathering in summer.

No skillz

I don't know exactly what to say about my play in the Pot Limit Omaha round of the Blogger Skillz challenge. I didn't play poorly but I also didn't play well. In the end, I finished 29 of 82. Problem was, I really didn't have a chance to win.

The level of play itself was interesting. My guess is most of these people have never learned to play Omaha. I have put some time in it and by no means think I am good at it, even though i did win a blogger Omaha tourney. I mean, there was a lot of bets that left me scratching my head. Bets made with second pair, no draw and numerous players left to act. People calling down with pocket aces and no draw. Stuff that I found strange for an Omaha game. And I again, I am by no means a good Omaha player so maybe people think that is the way to play, but I find that bluffing in Omaha usually leads to you watching Omaha.

Bayne was my nemesis last night. He took two good pots off of me. One time he flopped a straight and slow played it. The other time he had a massive draw. I had Kings with a flush draw, but something told me I was behind. Yep, he had an opened ended straight draw and the nut flush draw. It wasn't the spot I want to put all my chips in. Thankfully I let my gut rule my mind on those hands and survived a bit longer.

I was able to double up at the expense of EasyCure. Flopped two pair and decided to take a gamble with it. Thankfully he didn't catch his flush and his aces weren't good enough.

I made a bit of a donkish play at the end. With QQ single suited, I tried to steal the blinds. Big Pirate or Pirate Lawyer, I can't keep up with those scurvy folks, caught KK. Flop of 8 high had me betting out. When he raised I had only two choices. Push or fold. I thought it over and decided to push. My read was he was on a draw. If he had A A or K K behind, well, I was screwed. Uh huh. I was screwed and found myself walking the plank.

Even Steven

A funny thing happened playing poker this weekend. In 3 different sessions, playing 2 different games, I ended up basically even. It may have been about a buck profit, but for practical purposes, I played about 6 hours and didn't really win or lose. Just spent some time having a good time playing poker.

The scary thing was all 3 sessions followed the same pattern. I played terribly and was down quickly. The first session should have been profitable. Playing .5/1 NLHE on Full Tilt, I was down $50 right away when I bet into a turned straight and thought I could bully the pot my way. No such luck. But I bought back in and played better. Soon I was up $45. But I gave it all back on the last hand I played. With a limper UTG, I raised it in the cutoff with 9 9 to5. The BB called as did the limper. Flop gave me my set, 9 2 3, rainbow. I bet again (just under pot) and they both called. Turn was a 6. Suddenly UTG bet out, all in for just over $30. That surprised me. Would he have limped and called a raise with 4 5? I didn't think it made any sense to do that. I raised him back, forgetting about the other guy in the pot. As soon as I did, I realized I probably had screwed up. I should have just called to try and keep the other guy in. The BB folded and sure enough, this guy showed 4 5. I was back to even.

Yesterday, I sat down and played the same level while watching football. Big mistake. I was soon down and again, playing like crap. I did find a way to get back to even again. I got lucky when I hit a straight on the river. I had raised in MP with K Q. Only the button called me. The flop was J 10 x. I made a half pot continuation bet and was called. I checked the river and called his paltry $5 bet. I knew I was behind but felt his bet was way too small and didn't show too much strength; that a K or Q would be just as good as the 9 or A. An A hit the river. Sweet. I decided to check it back to him and make it look like I didn't hit anything. For once, this worked for me. He bet out $10 allowing me to pop him right back. He insta-called with A 10. Just like that, I was just about even again.

The last spot was in Triple Draw. Playing 2/4 on Stars. Started out by dropping half my buy in in the first 10 hands. I was playing way too loose. So I tightened up and watched for a bit. I was able to get a good read on the other 4 players. Of course making the nuts and second nuts with 2 people betting into your helps to cover the loss. That got me above even but I donked that profit away. I stopped in time to eat and catch American Gladiators.

The end result was that I enjoyed playing the game again. Next time I just need to not put myself into a hole. It might be even more enjoyable to win some money next time.

Spiral

Mike Matusow has his meltdowns. I have my spirals into destruction.

I blew a comfortable lead in the RiverChasers tournament last night. Was sitting in 1st with 15 people left. I could have sat back, got into the money and then done my best to win. Instead, I went from first to worst in a couple of hands.

The sad part is I have done this many times. It is only now that I have begun to realize it. Maybe it is a false sense of invincibility. Last night it was a case of thinking someone was simply trying to bluff me off a pot that led me to think my second pair was good. Or that even my third pair with a straight draw was good. Stupid things like thinking I was playing so well that the cards were going to hit. Odds be damned, but I think I can hit my 4 outer!

I had played pretty well last night. I played some very loose poker early before tightening up and getting serious. I read some players well and pounced on those when I sense weakness. I was having a good time jockeying with Waffles for the top spot, taunting him when I would pass him and vowing to move by him again when I would drop back down. But it would all come spriraling down to a point of mass destruction and a 14th place finish.

It was the first time in a while that I was mad at my end play. It was the last thing I thought about before falling asleep and the first thing crossing my mind in the morning. I know I am better than what I played last night. That is what bothers me. It was two hands that I played like a total donkey that have me a bit upset.

Maybe now I have realized what the problem is and can move on. I won't know until the next time.

Razz frustration

Is there anything worse than sitting at a Razz table catching bricks as your opponents play the game like Stud? Watching pot after pot get pushed to the other guy who has a clue about the game as you keep getting face cards? Then when you get a nice low going, you brick out to that other guy. Man do I hate that game.

Head wasn't in the game

I probably shouldn't have played the RiverChasers last night. I signed up at the last minute, not really enthusiastic about playing. I paid off a hand where I knew I was beat. My gut told me the J on the river gave him two pair, but I tossed in the chips anyways.

I played rather uninspiringly. Is that a word? It is now.

I have done this too many times lately. Played without caring about the outcome. Or played knowing that I wasn't into the game. Yesterday it was the same old thing. I was more interested in ditching the cold I had than playing poker. My thoughts were on the shots I would be drinking instead of playing poker and drinking. See what happens when you head isn't into the game?

I did the two shots shortly after busting out. Very poor read. The Maker's hit the spot though. I felt great this morning. So great I did a shot just because I wanted to.

I may play some this weekend. The concept of the Blogger Skillz game intrigues me a bit. I just may have to show up on Tuesday for that.

Booze and poker cures a cold

I felt rather crappy yesterday. Woke up with a sore throat and was sneezing. Could feel the body begin to ache and tire as the day went on. As I left work, I could feel the cold moving into my sinuses.

I know the cure for a cold. It is quite simple. Do 2 shots before going to bed. Do 1 shot as soon as you wake up. It has to be the first thing you do. Do 2 shots before going to bed on that second day. On day 3, you will feel much better.

It is day 2. The shot this morning was the rough one. Maker's Mark will warm you up and make your stomach do a summersault.

Before I do my 2 shots tonight, I figure I will get in the RiverChasers tourney, assuming there is one. Otherwise I may donk around some low limit PLO or NLHE. I know the whisky will kill the cold. But can it help me kill at the tables?

Truer words have never been spoken

Nothing Comes Between Me And My Beer.

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Free money and me don't mix well

I was cruising through the free roll last night. Well, that and the bottle of Korbel. Brandy that is, not champagne. I am not the mimosa drinker.

It was down to 13 or so and I was just behind lucko. I felt like I was in the zone. I was in the top 10 of the Riverchasers tourney as well. Then I got a bit ahead of myself. Played a hand too hard and was basically done in both tournaments within minutes.

Suck and resuck and I go home. That blew. I overplayed A 10s against 10 10 . Got lucky when I outflopped him but the case 10 comes on the turn and I get crippled. Close to the same thing in the RC game where I overplayed A 6s. Yeah, drunk poker doesn't always pay off, but it irritates me that I played well until the end once again.

I made up for it playing some NL though so it wasn't a total loss.

Congrats to jeciimd and lucko on their wins.

Online return not good

Played some limit last night to no success. Things started good as I took down some nice pots just to see them go floating away. Getting aces cracked twice by K 10 and J 10 when someone catches second pair on the river is frustrating. It got me a bit tilty which didn't help much later on watching people play any connectors and hit.

After Vegas I have been interested in playing more. More live play that is. But I cannot get myself to go down to the Pot to play. Not yet, even though they have been running radio spots about their new expanded poker room for the last year. I guess what I need is a good home game.

Anyone got one in the Milwaukee area?

Being the end of year, things are slow at work. I need some stuff to read. Looks like I will start the day here, Tacky Christmas Yards. Sad to see how Halloween has influenced the Christmas season in trashy yards.

Fishing with the sharks

I have probably said this way too many times about how I don't consider myself to be a good cash game NL player. I am still in the learning stages. I can make some money in Las Vegas playing against other tourists but have to make sure I don't get myself in way over my head. I have blown trip winning on one hand when I couldn't fold aces knowing my opponent had outflopped me.


I managed to avoid those pitfalls this year. I guess is has been the result of listening to what others are saying about the games and then not trying to get too stupid when my butt is in a chair.


I played a lot of NL poker (that I can remember at least) with a lot of different bloggers the first couple of days. Pauly, Falstaff, Change100, VinNay, and Johnny Hughes. I was good as long as the table was never more than 3 of these players sitting. That was the plan. If the level of player got too great at the table, either play tight or walk. Again, avoid doing anything stupid. If the game was manageable, stay. Table selection was the key to making money.


Somehow though I found myself sitting with the sharks on Sunday night after the football games ended. It started out simple enough. Smokkee was in the 10 seat buying in short. I bought in for $200 and ScottMc was down in the 2 seat. Not a problem. Avoid these guys and I am good. Well soon Miami Don would be next to me and The Fat Guy would be sitting down two to my left. Add in Bacon Bikini Mary and later Zeem and I wondered what the hell was happening. I think I saw Miami Don staring at my chips and counting them as his own a couple of times.

I held my own. Played tighter than normal and tried to watch how these guys play. It seemed like a big fight for the money that was in the 3 and 4 seat. I managed to fight back from my early losses to be down just $17 by the time I left. But add in the Megabeat jackpot payout and I was ahead. Not too shabby from a guy still learning. Next time though, I find myself an easier table.

Mistakes and bad reads

It is a full week since I took off for Vegas. After spending some time reading some trip reports, I began to wonder if I was actually there. I say this because there is some time I cannot account for. Like Thursday. I left Caesars after busting out of the tournament. I went back to the IP. I believe I went to the bar (sounds like a natural act). But I am not sure. I remember throwing some craps and then later trying to find where everyone went. Somewhere in there is 3 hours that I do not recall. One thing I do recall is Maudie asking why her butt was vibrating.

Same with Friday. I remember getting something to eat at BK at O'Sheas. I came back and donked it up with Falstaff, thg, and the Bracelet at the 2/4 table before moving to the new 1/2 NL game. Played there for a couple hours and then.... next thing I know I was getting into a cab to go to the MGM. Though possible, I doubt I was in the IP poker room playing for 7 hours.

Somewhere in there, I lost two afternoons. Interesting.

The cash games were good to me last weekend. Not fantastic but good. Had a mix of winning and losing sessions but the loss was only $100 and that was after being stuck $300. It happened in a 3 way pot. I opened for $10 in EP with K K. Cowboy on my left smooth calls. Aggro boy in MP raises to $35. I lick my chops thinking I am getting his last $100. I raise to $100 even after it folds around to me. But then the Cowboy on my left pushes. Aggro boy calls. I said something like "I guess I have to call" and pushed my chips in. Cowboy had A A, Aggro boy had 9 9 and rivered a 9 to take down the main pot.

Later I would realize my mistake. I was focusing on Aggro Boy. I knew I had him beat. What I didn't do was take the time to think about what Cowboy could be holding. With about $200 behind, I thought I had to call because of how much was already in. Had I taken time to think about Cowboy's move, I may have folded. Doubt it as I quickly thought of this as one of those online moves that someone makes with 10 10, but I might have folded if I had thought it through.

On Sunday night, I lost a good pot simply because I totally didn't go with the read and the tell. I had gotten frisky and opened the betting with A 8s in EP. The table was tight and I was pretty sure the old Cowboy in the 10 seat would call and fold the flop like he continually had. Flop was all low cards and I made a bet. I believe he raised me. I called his turn bet thinking I would get him on the river. River paired up my 8. I called his bet thinking he was grasping at air, but saw his 6 5 offsuit had flopped a straight.

I totally misplayed that hand. Not only because I called down with a pair of 8s, but I totally ignored his read. Maudie mentioned in right after the hand. I had seen it before as well. He only bet when he had something and his left hand would shake in anticipation of betting or calling. Had I paid attention and gone with it, I would have saved myself some money. In the end I posted a small lost $17 from that session.

But toss in gains of $143 and $186 and it made up for those two bad plays.

Playing them blind

No, that is not a typo. The title should not be "Playing them blinds". What do you think this is, a strategy post?

I am talking about playing blind. Not looking at your cards, firing those chips out there, and playing the person and their hand. And the amazing results you can have.

See, it is easy when you find the right table. The right table is a 2/4 limit game at the IP that has a couple bloggers at it. One of those has to be an action junkie, the other a good player who wants to have some fun. The rest of the table needs to be those serious tourist players who are going to play any ace, any connectors and any suited cards. Those are the ones you are going to tilt.

An amazing thing is going to happen when you play blind. First, no one is going to believe you when you tell them you haven't looked at your cards. They simply are going to buy it right away. Second, they will get mad and think you are an idiot because you kept betting without looking at your cards. Third, they suddenly think you have absolutely nothing later on even though you have looked at your cards.

There is a legend in the annals of the WPBT December Classic trip. A hand that Iggy played from the rail as he smoked a cigarette. He kept telling the dealer he wanted to bet or raise against a kid. The dealer complied and put his chips in. The kid ended up folding to Iggy's river bet. That is the beauty of playing blind. In these low limit games, you can play the player hard and not worry about your cards.

I ran this gambit against on_thg and Bobby Bracelet with mixed results. I did get thg to fold a hand with my river bet (sorry Mike, had to say it), but the Bracelet got lucky on me though his lower lip was quivering at the end and he didn't have the grapefruits to make the final raise.

See, it all starts with the live straddle. Place them 4 gray chips out and have some fun. Auto raise when 6 people call to see a flop. Bet the flop. Most of these tourists haven't even noticed that you haven't looked at your cards. They think you have a strong hand. If that flop is ragged, at least 4 of those 6 will fold. Bet the turn and river as soon as the card is being turned. Shows strength and sets up the tilt. When they fold the river, turn over the cards one by one and tell them you had to see what you had. Give a look of disbelief when they admit you had them beat. In most cases, ace high will be good.

Or if you are up against the former 863rd greatest player in the world, go for the staredown. I had a lot of fun with Bob in this hand. But on this hand, his poker fu was greater than mine.

I had the live straddle on. I am sitting in the 7 seat with Bob in the 10 on Friday morning. Bob raises me. I raise back blindly and we see a flop. Flop is........I don't know. No clue. I am not looking at the cards on the board. I am in a mortal stare down with Bob. He who blinks first is losing this pot. I bet out. He raises. Call. As the dealer begins to turn the turn card (hey, I can see movement out of my peripheral vision) I bet out. Bob stares back and raises. I call. River card comes and my four grays are out there as I bet out quickly. But this time Bob pauses and takes the time to look at his cards. I think I have him as he just calls. Bob turns over two pair. This could be tough. I look at Bob again and the take a gander on what the board is showing. I look at my cards and turn the first one. An ace, giving me a pair. I either need a an ace or something else to pair the board to take it down. A five doesn't cut it and Bob takes down a good pot.

When he just called, I thought I had him. Close but no cigar.

Next time you are in Vegas and looking for something to do in the morning, go play the 2/4 game. You will have a blast straddling and playing blind. Besides, if you somehow lose that hand, you should be able to make it back on those donkeys that are playing so tight at this game.

Figured it out

I have finally figured out the meaning behind the Las Vegas marketing campaign. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas because you can drink so much that you just don't remember what happened in Vegas.

No, there were no blackouts. No wheelchair rides back to the hotel. No puking. Or falling down.

Close, but no cigar.

Friday was one long session of poker and beer. It started around 10 am. It ended with a trip to Hooters for dinner and then trying to remember how to walk. Around 11 I finished eating some wings, got up to head to the casino and stumbled a bit. It was like I walked into a wall. Suddenly I felt blotto.

So I did what anyone would do. I went back to the hotel to sleep. I went and sat down in front of a slot machine and finished my 24 ounce mug of beer. After playing a slot machine for a while, I decided to try that walking thing again.

Still a problem.

Play some more games and try after 15 minutes. Hey, I think I can make it to the door. Soon I was in a cab and heading back up the strip.

I don't quite know what happened. Sure I drank alot but I didn't feel bad until after I got down to eating the wings. That might have been it. Tossing food into a stomach full of beer may be a bad idea.

Maybe I will have more later. If I can remember. Right now I need to get back to reality. The start of this latest trip was a rocky one. I had spent Wednesday just trying to survive work. Got out of there and went to shovel the snow at my mother's house. Got there to discover I had lost a glove. Probably fell out of my bag somewhere at work. Once I was done, I had to rush to the vet for cat food. Got there just before they closed. Went home and shoveled again. All the while noticing that the street hadn't been cleaned well because of the car that had been parked there. That meant all of that snow would end up in my driveway. Yep, a couple hours later I would be back outside shoveling.

But it gets worse. I was going to do some dishes before I left but couldn't because the trap on the kitchen sink decided it was a good time to develop a leak. Not a big deal but I didn't feel like running out to the store to get a new trap. So that had to wait (got it done today!).

Got up and headed to the airport on Thursday. Everything went well until the plane got in the air. I pulled out my DVD player and noticed that one of my ear buds had lost the little cover on it. I had to watch the movie with just one. Same with listening to the MP3 player.

To top it off, the cab driver decided the best way to get to the IP was via the strip. Asshat!

Thankfully it got better after that. As long as I forget the sessions at the craps table that is.

The poker tables were much kinder. I had two bad hands but managed to fight my way back and get majorly unstuck both times. Maybe I will review those hands later this week.

Also, before I had to get on the plane, the Megabeats jackpot was hit at the Paris. That meant everyone sitting at the IP was going to win as well. Getting handed $140 just before leaving cuz my ass was in a poker seat is my idea of a good beat!

A trip down under

Thanks to the guys at Full Tilt Poker for giving us a chance to win a trip to the Aussie Millions. I hope everyone enjoys my tale.

I stood at the rail and let out a big sigh. Though I was a bit disappointed, I was also extremely happy. It was just over 3 years ago that I had downloaded Full Tilt Poker and won $100 in their Beta Freeroll tournaments. Now, here I was making the money in the Aussie Millions. Sure it was only $24k for 72nd place, not the $1.75 million first prize. But I made it through 2 full days of poker in my first major poker tournament. Not bad for a trip that was won on Full Tilt.

****
I knew things would be unique about the trip from the beginning. Having arrived in LAX, I was able to navigate my way to the correct gate in no time. I passed some of the Full Tilt guys along the way. Since we had time, I decided to get a beer to relax myself for the flight. It didn’t seem like to much of a surprise to run into Gavin Smith in the bar. I had met him at Al’s Bash at the Boathouse in 2006 and he was a good guy. As I mentioned meeting him before at the Bash, a big smile came across his face and he began saying what a great time it was. Hey, he was preaching to the choir as I am a veteran of Al’s parties. We kept on talking and before we knew it, the plane was boarding. We finished our beers and parted ways.

As I waited at the gate to get on the plane, I ran into Hoy and Lucko. Hoy won his way to Australia in the 25 seat giveaway while Lucko won the Battle of the Bloggers Tournament of Champions. Hanging with these guys over the next couple of days was great, especially when I was able to get some advice about playing such a big tournament. The advice they gave me helped settle me down and focus. Thanks again guys.

I mentioned that this trip would be unique. It started at the airport. The airline lost my luggage. Somehow they made a mistake and my clothes were headed off to Kuala Lumpur. Great! I may be stuck wearing the same underwear for the next week. Do they have Target stores in Australia?

But that wouldn’t be the end of it. Because I had to argue with the airline, I missed the limo rides to the casino that FTP had provided. The FTP assured me they would send a car back but I told them I could cab it. I just wanted to get settled in and take a shower.

Things seemed better as the cab soon pulled up in front of the Crown Casino. I paid the driver and stepped out of the car. As I did, I made sure not to smash my finger in the door like Dr. Pauly had. By doing so, I forgot my travel bag in the cab and didn’t realize it until after he started driving away. I panicked for a second until I saw he had to stop at a light. I then sprinted down the roadway after him, waving my hands like a lunatic. Just before the light turned green, I was able to slam my hand into the trunk and get his attention. He got out of the car and looked rather agitated for me hitting his car. I quickly told him my bag was in the back seat. He apologized, handed me the bag, and told me to get back in as he would drive me back that way. Nice guy. Hope the rest of these people are as well.

Next thing I knew, I was waking up wondering where the heck I was. Apparently I had checked in, found my room and crashed. It was now 3 in the afternoon and I hadn’t a clue what was going on. I showered and went down to the casino to see what was happening. Along the way, I kept hoping my luck would change. I figured the worst had to be behind me.

Nuh uh. Things would be rough as I played some limit poker just to ease into the scene. Nothing went right. I couldn’t win a hand to save my life. You name the suckout, it happened. How I walked away with just a small loss, I don’t know. Tried some blackjack and had the same result. It seemed a night in the sportsbook was the best solution. If I can’t win at the tables, maybe some Australian basketball would help. Well, many beers and bets later, I was still down. Maybe tomorrow would be better.

The next morning I woke up feeling much better. I had an itinerary for the day’s events waiting for me. A trip to the zoo, eh? What the heck, let’s check it out. As the bus headed to the zoo, I got to know some other qualifiers. Bill from Missouri was a good guy as was Mike from Seattle. We kinda wandered around the zoo together. Some interesting native species were seen. All was good until I was attacked by a rampaging kangaroo. Seriously. We were walking down a path when we heard some commotion from behind. Just as I turned around, I saw a kangaroo coming right at me. Bill and Mike moved just before it was on top of us. I froze. And caught a nice jab to the jaw and went down. Kinda like this except without the boxing ring:

More videos from the "Contagious" channel at Heavy.com

I was stunned. I was sitting on my butt wondering if what happened had just happened. I got knocked out by a kangaroo? Wow. Can this get any worse? I guess it could because I didn’t soil my only pair of drawers. I would later choose to spend the golf outing in the club house at the bar. I had heard there were kangaroos on the course and I wasn't going to take any chances.

Back at the casino, I finally had some good luck winning $460 at the NL tables. Maybe I had some ‘roo luck going for me now. What I thought was bad luck was actually good. Hopefully things would continue

And they did. I won’t bore you with the details but I was up a nice sum for the trip. I gave the credit to my 5 day old underwear and the kangaroo punch. Thus, I had a good feeling going into the main event of the Aussie Millions. I had done well in the Full Tilt tournament the day before, just missing out on a final table. But I did get a bounty for knocking out Mike the Mouth Matusow. With the Hammer nonetheless! Setting him on major tilt is something I won’t ever forget.

I was playing in the first flight. I liked it as I was on a bit of a roll. Only problem was that I was quite nervous and I think it showed. Though I got lucky by having no big name pros at my table, the players there did notice how tight I was playing. For the first 3 hours it seemed like all I did was fold or play from the blinds. The one time I did raise, a couple of the guys joked about how I must have had a monster. Guess the K K showed in my eyes. Thus during the break, I called up the Hoy for some advice on how to calm down. He kept it simple. Relax and play. Act like you have been there before.

I did better after the break. I loosened up to take advantage of my new table image. It worked well. No one wanted to mix up with me at first. But then they began to doubt what I was playing. Thankfully they started calling and re-raising me when I had some big hands. A K suited twice got me some good pots. Catching a set with Q Q busted a short stack’s K K and I was just over double my starting stack with a couple hours left in the day. To make it to the second day was a nice accomplishment I thought.

Thankfully, I didn’t screw up and go broke. On the second to last hand of the day, I made a raise from MP with J J and got called by the button and BB. Uh oh. The button was a sneaky kid from Florida. He loved to play a lot of suited connectors no matter what the raise was. It worked well for him as he had over 40k in front of him. The BB was a rock. The flop came 9 10 3, two clubs. BB checked. I made a continuation bet of 2/3 the pot. Just the kid called. The turn was a rough one. J of clubs. Sure I had a set but now the flush and straight possibilities were there. I bet out ¾ of the pot this time. The kid thought and sneered “all in!”.

My stomach sank. How do I fold top set here? How do I call when I could easily be way behind? Moments ago I was just happy to be making the second day and now I was on the brink of destruction. I must have thought about it for 10 minutes. The table was quite patient with me taking so much time. Finally, I folded those knaves face up. I heard a “wow!” from the rock followed by a “huh?”. The kid showed A 5. A total bluff. Suddenly I was back below the starting stack of 10k and was feeling miserable. I folded the next two orbits, just happy to make it to the next day.

On the second day one flight, I spent some time watching Hoy and Lucko. I tried to study how they acted and reacted to the various bets, hoping to pick up some tips. When I got tired of standing, I would spend some time back in the sportsbook or playing a bit of limit. I wanted to keep my mind on poker but not have it immersed. I think I found a nice balance.

When it was turn to play on Day 2, I was ready. My new friends Bill and Mike had both been knocked out but were there to follow my play. It helped. I started out by being a bit too aggressive. I was getting froggy with A J and A 10, friendly or aggravating hands for bloggers depending on who you talk to. They worked well for me early as I scooped a couple decent pots to double up. I got a bit ahead of myself later with A J when I pushed on an OESD and was called down by bottom two pair.

That would be the only setback on Day 2. I changed gears to a conservative mode and it paid off when I went on a mini rush with Q Q, then K K, and then A K. I guess my opponents kept thinking I was playing any big Ace. I took advantage of a tight table after a change and began my process all over again. At the end of Day 2 I was solid in the middle of the pack, but more importantly, brimming with confidence. I felt like I could actually get lucky and take this tournament down.

But it was not to be. I sludged my way through the field and felt relieve when the call when out that the bubble had burst. I was happy that I was going to take some money home but had to make sure I didn't get stupid.

One strange that occurred during the tournament was that I wasn't at the same table as any of the top pros. That changed on Day 3. I found myself seated two spots to the right of Andy Bloch. As if that is bad enough, he had a monster stack and appeared to be controlling the table. I decided I wasn't going to tangle with him unless I had a monster hand.

I avoided Bloch for hours but didn't really collect any chips. I could steal the blinds here and there but Bloch kept coming over the top and forcing me to fold. I guess it is much easier when you don't play against the best.

Then I would find A K suited on the button. I figured I would pounce on Bloch and make it look like a steal. I raised it up 3xs the blinds to make it look like another steal. I was waiting for him to re-steal but he just called. Huh? No re-raise? What was he up to? The flop seemed great for me. A K 10, two of my suit. Top two pair with the nut flush draw. I decided to take it easy and bet half the pot when Bloch checked to me. He smooth called the bet. Uh...ok. The turn was a harmless 7. Nothing had changed for me. Bloch checked and I checked behind. Maybe he was chasing the flush draw as well. River was a final blank. But now Bloch bet out. My initial reaction was simple. He was going to bully me out of the pot. I wasn't going to allow that and quickly announced "All in!".

*****
I stood by the rail and let out a big sigh. I was out. Hadn't taken the time to fully think about what my opponent might have. I was right about one thing. He was on a flush draw. Only problem was he had flopped a straight. If the turn or river had been a diamond, I would have doubled up and still been going. Instead I was out.

But I still had a smile on my face. It amazes me how this blog has opened up so many opportunities to meet some great people around this world. The number of new friends made from playing this game of poker has been stupendous. Quality people and quality memories that will last forever. Thanks again to the fine people at Full Tilt Poker for bringing a beer city guy to the land down under.

Good time to get out of here

I spent 30 minutes shoveling the 6 inches of snow this morning. By the time I was done, there was another 1/4 inch minimal on what I had cleaned up.

The 20 minute drive to work took 50 minutes.

And my electric razor quit on me this morning. I have an old one somewhere. Hopefully I can find it.

I need to hit the bank, the vet, and shovel some more snow before I can get home to shovel today's accumulation.

They say that there is more snow on the way.

Good time for me to get out of here and go drink and gamble and drink and meet up with new friends while I drink. I cannot really put into words what it is I like about Vegas. It is the one place I really don't have a care in the world. A nice place of escape.

In roughly 24 hours, I will be enjoying a beer at the airport. The weather better cooperate and not screw up my flights. I needs to get my gamble on.

Block off your calendar

Do yourself a favor right now and go block off the last hour or two of your last work day before Vegas. Stop thinking about the Bodonkey tournament on Bodog tonight. Go to Outlook or whatever calendar they use at work and mark your last hours as "busy". The last thing you want is some douchebag seeing you can attend an end of day meeting. You don't need to have a reason to block it off. If someone asks why you are busy tell them research.

Got it done? Good.

You can read all the details on the Bodog touney over at BadBloods. I am too busy to list it all out here again.

I am busy doing research.

Low expectations

At work, not Las Vegas.

Seriously. My employer cannot expect much to be accomplished over the next 3 days. I am here physically, not mentally. Too busy brushing up on when to double down, how many units is the correct bet on the craps table, and when to keep two pair together at the Pai gow table.

I did play some poker this weekend. A little limit as well as some no limit and triple draw to shake the rust off for live play. Ok, so there won't be any live TD but I had fun. Did good in the NL winning half a buyin in just 30 minutes. Played limit for an hour and lost 2 big bets at 3/6. All came down to the last hand where I went chasing with a gutshot straight. Pot was over $120 so I had to.

Made the final financial maneuvers this morning and will hit the bank tomorrow. I can then sit like a zombie at work on Wednesday. Will be wheels down by 10:30 and at the luxury that is the IP by 11. From there, I may go down to Hooters for a bite or may just go across to Caesars to hook up with Blood. Or I may hit the Pai Gow tables at the IP. Any which way, you know I will have a beer in my hand.

Commence the longest 3 days in the universe.....now!

Vegas with "strangers"

Whenever I am heading off to Vegas, I always get asked the question, "Who are you going with?" Twice a year my response is, "No one. Going out to meet up with some people I know." There may be some pressing and I tell them how it is a group of friends I know from playing poker. I get an confused look and the topic is dropped. I go off and meet the people I know as well as make new friends. I always have a good time.

Mainly because you get to know people like Otis. Most of you have read about his gift to Dr. Chako. It is people like Dr. Chako and Otis that make these trips worth it. I have known Otis a couple years and played some poker with the Doc last December. I don't think he remembers the drunk guy who kept raising his pots at the HORSE game, but that doesn't matter.

Dr. Chako is off serving our country. Otis' gift makes his time away from his family just a bit more bearable. Now, you don't have to go and buy a guitar and send one yourself. But you can do something. Chako had mentioned a charity called Operation Happy Note. Their mission is to get musical instruments to deployed service men and women. Take the time to donate some of that advertisement money you are collecting and make someone happy with the gift of music. Not only will you feel better, it is good karma for Vegas. Besides, I am sure Al will buy you a shot if you do. I know I will.

Candy store

In just over a week I will be watching the elevator doors open up and be greeted with the warms sounds of a casino. The noise of the slot machines, the cry of victory from the craps table, and the thunderous bellow of PAI GOW!!!

I am often asked what games I play in Vegas. It would seem to be an easy question but for me it isn't. I play just about them all. Blackjack, craps, pai gow poker, limit hold em, no limit hold em, HORSE, slot machines, video poker, 3 card poker, even crazy 4 poker. About the only thing I do not play is roulette. Or that giant wheel or any of its derivatives.

I think I have casino ADD. I will play whatever fits my need. Years ago it used to be blackjack. Then it was craps. Then it was pai gow. For the most part it is now poker. But I always find myself looking for something different. Something to entertain me.

That is what gambling is for me. Entertainment. Everyone would like to win. I do too, but I don't necessarily mind losing money if I am having a good time. It doesn't matter what the game is, if the table is fun and energetic- and the waitress makes sure to come by often- I can walk away down but not in the dumps. To me it is paying for entertainment.

I have no clue what might take up the majority of my time next week. I know I will get pai gow and poker in there. There will be some craps of course. But what will the first game I play be?

I have no idea. But is puts a smile on my face to know I will have many choices and some cool people to be around. Just let me run loose in that candy store.

Week off?

Poker this weekend consisted of playing a drunken SnG and a tired tournament that was basically a SnG. Made money in one and got bored in the other. Guess I should have been drinking last night.

I may take a break from the BBT2 this week. The MATH doesn't work well for me because of the start time and it being on a Monday. I usually sleep like crap on Sunday nights and fall asleep around 10. Any good run in the MATH would have me feeling like shit at work the next day. I may play the Mookie on Wednesday. Yeah it is the same start time but I usually have a couple beers in me and can handle being groggy on a Thursday much better than a Tuesday.

I won't be around for the RiverChasers game. Big football game going on. It sucks the NFL and the cable companies couldn't cut a deal. The Cowboys game this week should be a good one. With the Cowboys favored by 6.5, I cannot wait to see that Miami Don says bet the house on the Packers.

Another thing I have been wondering lately. Why is every tournament a double stack? I know people want more bang for their buck, but it may be killing this series. It seems there is a lot of complaining going on about the skill levels of the players. Someone catches a bad beat and begings to harangue the person for what they consider a bad play. Nevermind that the supposed bad play could have been an incorrect read, a faulty button click, or a "aw fuck it, I don't feel like playing anymore" move. Why someone feels the need to keep going off in the chat box, following a person from table to table to bitch and moan is beyond me.

Is it possible that it is because of the double stacks? With extra chips, people can play a bit looser and try to get lucky on the flop. They can lose half their stack and feel like they are starting a regular tournament. Sometimes that is how I play. I will take some early chances knowing I can get those chips back later. With smaller beginning stacks, it could take that gamble factor down a notch.

Just a thought.