Motivation

I haven't been to motivated to play poker lately. Been busy with buttons. Who would have thought?

It seems the last game of poker I played was at a friends house a couple of weeks back. It was poker as much as it was playing cards. Those fun games like Black Mariah, Guts, In between the Sheets and other games where it seems 2 cards are wild and you can buy an extra card with a 4. Games where 5 of a kind would win even though it isn't truly possible to attain such a hand.

I felt a bit guilty going into this game. I knew how the flow of it would be. These junk games are all the same. People throwing in quarters every round hoping they get a wild card and get lucky. These are the games where you get ridiculed if you fold. They are also the games where you can jack the pot up pretty high and keep the suckers throwing their money in.

I guess that is why I felt guilty. I knew the crowd I was playing. I knew they wouldn't fold and they wouldn't complain if I kept betting with a nut hand. I knew there might be some whining at the end when I walked away up $20 on a dime/quarter game.

It amazes me how these so called friendly games are anything but. There was one hand in particular that amazed me. The game was 221. A split game where anyone close to 2 gets half the pot while the person(s) closest to 21 gets the other half. All numerical cards carried that value while face cards were good for 1/2. I recall getting dealt an 8 and a 5. With 13 I stayed in one round to get a card. It was only a quarter so I thought I would take one and fold as needed. I hit the jackpot when I was dealt the case 8. Yeah I was drawing terribly thing but it is a junk game and I had to give some money back. With the cards on the board, you could tell two people were going low and me and another girl where going high. I thought she might have hit 21 as well but her body language gave it all away. She was confident in her betting. I knew right away she had either 20 or 22. Thus I kept raising everyone and betting just a bit more with each card that was dealt. The fifth person in the hand was trying for a 21 but kept getting low cards. She kept tossing money in hoping to get lucky. She didn't realize it was hopeless and all she was doing was handing the cash over to me. She finally got a 9 and folded knowing her 27 wasn't going to win.

Best thing was the two going for a low had no concept of being quartered. My 21 beat the 22 and they both showed 1.5 to tie for the low. It was like taking candy from a baby. Maybe I should organize a game over there before the next UFC PPV...

Dead

Busted out of the Survivor Pool this week. Damn Broncos. My strategy to pick on the weak teams failed. damn.

Oh well. Here is something that is simply too damn funny!

Bashless

I feel out of place today. Empty. Lonely. I should be some where else.

I feel this gravitational pull from the East. Strangely enough, it is like my liver is being yanked from my body towards the coast.

Other committments prevented me from traveling to Philly and Al's Bash. It would have been nice to go- I even considered a last minute flight- but I can't. More important events wait at home.

I can feel like I am attending with a dial-a-shot or two but it won't be the same. sigh

Too loud?

Some fans of Metallica are crying that the new album, Death Magnetic, is too loud. Really? Heavy metal too loud? You don't say!

Track 3, Broken, Beat, and Scarred sounds like a poker tournament to me.

You rise.
You fall.
You’re down, then you rise again.
What don’t kill ya make ya more strong.
Rise, fall, down, rise again
What don’t kill ya make ya more strong.
Rise, fall, down, rise again
What don’t kill ya make ya more strong.

Through black days
Through black nights
Through pitch black insides

Breaking your teeth on the hard life comin’.
Show your scars.
Cutting your feet on the hard earth runnin’.
Show your scars.
Breaking your life, broken, beat and scarred
But we die hard.

One more week of surving.

You have got to love the NFL. The Blogger Survivor Pool was just about over at only week 3. Most people had Buffalo going, including myself. The other had the Giants. Only one person had Seattle going. If it was for late field goals, we would have had a winner. Great stuff!

Survived Week 2

I feel like a semi-genius today. Made a wise move on abandoning my preseason pick of Seattle. Still look atrocious. Next week looks to be back to the schedule with Buffalo at home against Oakland. More than half of the pool has been knocked out after only two weeks. Maybe we can see that cut in half this coming weekend.

I made more money playing poker than I did betting football. Ok, the win was coming in first on a $10 SnG. I took the Patriots yesterday along with the Steelers. The Pats catching points against the Jets was money in the bank. Sure Cassel didn't look that great in the red zone but the Patriots are much better than the Jets. On the other hand the Steelers screwed the bettors by not kicking a field goal at the end to put them up by 7. I wish the Browns would have cracked off a huge play at the end just because Timlin and Co. screwed me.

At least I didn't get screwed as bad as the Chargers and their fans. Wow. At least buy them dinner before you give it up the arse. It was a no Vaseline job in Denver on a terrible non-call. Even worse is having the referee tell you that he botched the call after the game. Ouch!

Surviving and Riverchasing

It took only one week for me to deviate from my schedule of Survivor Football picks. After that abysmal performance by Seattle I cannot take them in good faith this weekend. They were beyond bad. I wouldn't be shocked if the 49ers pulled off the upset. So I am going with the NY Giants this weekend. It is possible that the Rams may become my new pick on team this year. Week 3 will probably see me getting back to the preseason choice list. Of course if I was smart about this I would have taken two entries and played my preseason list straight out.

Played the Riverchasers last night. For the first time in a while I had some fun playing poker. I made the final table going out in 9th (out of 31?). Nothing to brag about but not bad either. I lost interest when we got down to 14. I had to travel earlier in the day and was feeling pretty damn tired. Toss in a couple pints of Maker's Mark and I was just about out. I donked heavily at the end to get tossed out.

I did have a nice rush that got me to that point though. I managed to double up on one hand with K K. I re-raised from late position and saw a flop of K 4 4. I let my opponent bet out and gave a quick min-raise. I proceeded to just call his bet on the turn and then pushed on the river. I was surprised that I got paid off there.

Next hand I get A A and proceed to flop a set. This time I don't get paid as well as the first. Of course that meant I shot my load and had to fold for the next half hour.

A similar rush came later on when I got Q Q and A A back to back. Didn't cash in as well on those though. I chose to re-raise big preflop with them to make it look like I didn't want a call but it appeared they were trying to steal.

Guess I need to find a way to focus more when we get to the end game. Or maybe not play after a day spent in airplanes and drinking whisky.

Just got some tickets to see Metallica in January. The new disc is pretty good. Takes a while to get a feel for it but after one listen it kicks up a notch and you notice the quality of the songs. Personal favorite right is Cyanide. Suicide and Redemption and All Nightmare Long are a close second. Looking forward to the show even though it is months off. 20,000 people chanting DIE is a rush!

Poker Junkie- Intermediate Strategy

Going All-in In Poker Tournament Play - Intermediate Strategy

Moving all-in during tournament play can be an effective move; it is the move that most separates the no-limit variety from its poker relatives. You can make bank while breaking someone's bank, but you can also find yourself on the way to the exit if you've chosen to utilize an all-in play with poor timing or against the wrong competitor. Without a complete immersion in strategy (and the fact that your time is more than likely limited), consider a few of these pointers to help you continue using the all-in play to your benefit when you visit the best online poker site for some tournament play.

Why Risk Your Stack Early?

Early in tournament action, there is really no need to begin moving all-in, but undoubtedly you'll observe someone doing it; hoping to double what they've got, or at the very least, steal some blinds. Making the move pre-flop while still in the early rounds of a tournament may seem a bit silly, and that's because it is. What's the point? You're putting yourself in a dangerous position unless you're sitting on a power pocket, and even if that is the case, who's to say another individual doesn't have something comparable? There are still a lot of cards yet to be seen to get so hasty early on. Along those lines, you may have witnessed that same early, all-in strategy scoop a few chips or eliminate another competitor, but in this regard, let common sense dictate and avoid such play early - especially when the blinds are still of a modest amount. You can build your stack with solid play without risking an embarrassing exit.

Moving right along to the advantageous all-in play; it is going to depend on your opponents. From table to table, as play progresses, you're going to be faced with every scenario imaginable. Often times you might find your play to be an inferior to a seasoned wsop tournament vet that has seemingly targeted you, or is simply pulling from your stack every time you feel like you have something worth playing. If this is the case, you might lure them into a duel when you score a stellar pocket hand. If you've been playing tightly, they'll assume that you've got something, but may be so turned on by the opportunity to eliminate you from play that they'll accept your challenge when you move all-in. With that being said, well timing your play is important; play solid through the flop and see what they're showing you. If you find they utilize a check-raise, and you're supremely confident in what you hold, you may decide to push all-in as opposed to letting them peck away at your stack.

Push to Survive

Another scenario presented to move all-in is when you're fighting for survival. If you've barely got enough to cover the blinds, you know you've got to get busy taking a few risks in playing, or get busy packing. Study the concept of ICM (Independent chip model) to learn more about why pushing is correct.

Often times, when you're late in a tournament, you'll find that the action gets tight; players are often fine with parting with a posted blind in order to preserve their greater good. Approach this play wisely, as opposed to tossing your hands in the air and saying, "What have I got to lose?" As you may hold pocket aces, if you ever find yourself in the position again, you want there to be little deviation from the image you consistently presented.

Survived week 1

The Pittsburgh Steelers went on an easy romp yesterday which meant I survived week one of the blogger survivor pool. But the real story is how bad some teams looked yesterday. Indianapolis, Jacksonville, and San Diego were all upset. I was looking for wins from these teams down the road. Are they not that good or are the Bears and Panthers better than expected? I left the Titans out because that game had to be a fluke.

Worse yet, my pick for next week was to be Seattle. From what I saw they looked atrocious. The fake field goal for a TD was a beautiful play by Buffalo. How do you let a guy just camp out away from the kick? Need to take a good look at what is going on in the Northwest before I go with my preseason picks and stay with Seattle for week two.

SwDP

For once I wasn't doing anything on a Saturday afternoon. I wasn't out mowing the lawn or clearing brush. I wasn't in the middle of a tough drum piece on Rock Band. And I remembered today's event. So it seemed right to get on and at the very least, help pump up the pot.

For the most part it is the same people sitting at the table. Derek, FamilyIce, Wil Wheaton. Wait...Wheaton??? Man I miss the monkey tournaments.

On with the game. PLO as usual. I hope I can do better than I have playing PLO8. I have been killed whenever I have played lately.

Table is tight to start. Lots of limping. I decide to change it by popping it with K K Q 4, ss. Everyone folds. Hmmm...wonder how long this may last.

Cards begin to fall my way. With J J K 8 I limp in. Flop is K high. I try to take advantage of the tight table and bet out. Suddenly Wheaton raises me. 210 more. Ugh! I take a flyer and make the call. I figure he caught a piece but is looking for the flush draw. The Q on the turn doesn't make me feel any better. I check. Lucky for me he checks as well. K on the river gives me trips but I am not sure it is good so I check. Wheaton checks again. I know he missed his draw but apparently he was on a straight draw, not a flush draw.

Next hand I take down a small pot when my hand goes full 9s over aces. Game seems easy! Famous last words there.

I give a ton of chips back to Wheaton. With J J 5 4, I limp in hoping to hit a flop. I do with Q J 5, but there are two spades on the board. Knowing there are a ton of redraws I bet out. Maybe not the best idea here but I feel like playing. Wheaton raises to 540. It is either make or break. I am not a favorite but I go with the gamble anyways. Sure enough he shows both the flush and straight draw. The spade on the turn delivers the blow quickly. Still in with around 1200 but could be in a much healthier condition.

In true tradition the cards go dead on me. That is ok. If I try to play crap I will only end up screwing myself out of the tournament. I see a couple flops here and there but the board ends up getting me in the end so I drop a bit in the standings. Pauly is now on my left and terrorizing the table when he shows up. He must be busy with the Borgata as he comes and goes.

I do manage to chip up above 1500 with a couple of slick hands and by being aggressive with some pocket pairs and betting big on the turn. Sometimes the aggression puts me in big trouble in PLO but today it is working out just fine. At least so far.

Then a funny thing happened. The break came and I was still in it! Half of the starting field of 31 was gone but I managed to survive with 2100.

I don't do much for the next 15 minutes. Fold. Collect small pots. Then I go for it all. With K Q Q 3, ss, I bet pot on a raise with a caller. No one reraises and we see a flop of K J x, two spades. I push my remaining 341 in and both call. My kings are actually ahead. The turn is a rag and the river a spade to give me a huge pot and vault me over 5k. One hand later I take out the remaining short stack and we have ourselves a final table. 5 pay so I still have some work to do.

Cards run against me again. I survive by picking up blinds but am looking to play. I am suppose to be some where at 5 but that isn't going to happen. I could go aggro and bet everything but I don't want to. I want to play my best which sadly isn't what I usually do in these instances.

I begin to turn up the aggression a bit. I feel lucky at one spot that I calmed down. Though I had a straight, it wasn't the nut straight and my gut told me that Bayne had it. He did and I dodge a bullet. But that changes a couple of hands later when I hit a straight but I lose to a big blind special. Damn.

I then raise it up with K Q T 9 ds but find myself up against two re-raises. I fold which ended up being a good thing as I would have ended up with the second flush.

I wasn't really paying too much attention when Pauly and Wil got knocked out. At one point I looked up and saw we were at the money bubble. Bad part is I look to be the bubble boy. I need a good hand to double up on or this will be over for me soon.

I do that with a bit of luck. I get to see a free flop from the blinds. I flop two pair, queens and sixes. I am hoping to push the others out with a pot bet but it backfires when I get raised. Not much to call and I am pot committed so I call fearing I will see I am up against top two pair. Sure enough, I am. But I spike a six on the turn to win. Sweeeeet.

Suddenly I am on a bit of a heater. Flop a boat and take a nice pot down. Make a straight on the river and take a good size pot down. I have gone from being out to 3rd place again. I am also getting more aggressive preflop and trying to see more flops. Once again, it is working.

My heater continues as I rise to the top. I get a good pot off of Bayne when I re-raise from the BB with A A 7 4. Flop is a nice K 5 6. I push hoping he won't call. He thinks and folds. Then I push with an OESD that hits on the turn. The money bubble has burst and now I have a 10k lead over second place. Not sure how that happened!

That huge gap shrinks as Bayne hits his straight and instead of knocking him out, he is right back in it. Soon I find myself raising away as the play gets tighter again. As I do I am still trying to be safe and not totally donk out.

The second break comes. As Boston would sing, It's been such a long time... since I got to a second break. Down to 4 and Bayne has a 2k lead of me. I wish he wasn't such a good Omaha player. I feel like I would have a chance. But I do have one thing that drives me right now. Winning a second Saturdays with Pauly title. I think I get a deck of cards if I win a second one. Then I check the Tao of Poker and realize Bayne has a victory in this already as well. I hope he isn't thinking the same thing I am.

I try to stay aggressive but the results are mixed. I have dropped a couple thousand as I am losing more than I am winning on these pots. I notice I am getting too loose so I need to switch gears and tighten up. Especially after I get lucky with 7 7 4 2 and call a small raise from the BB and flop trip 2s.

I then suffer a brutal suckout. With aces under I raised from the BB when everyone limped. I get one caller. Flop is all rags. I bet enough to put him all in and he calls with top pair and a gutshot. He hits his second pair on the river to deflate me. Ugly. But I get it back on the next hand when I flop a set that become a boat. It was a tilt move but it worked.

It is at this point that live blogging becomes impossible. Bayne is out in 3rd and we are heads up. I can't do both so I am focusing on the game. I can tell you some well timed bluffs are keeping me in the game. I also have noticed a betting pattern that is helping me with those bluffs.

Well, I finished second. ResdentEvil wins and he should have. He is a better PLO player than I and it showed in the end. Congrats!

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

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

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

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

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

Hooray for boobies!

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

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

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

It is about surviving

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

Yep, you read that correctly. Avoiding fantasy football.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Drunken poker

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

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

Tao of Poker Omaha appearance

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

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

Hey! I played some poker!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The fresh bottle of beer curse lives on.

Deadbeats

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tao of Poker Birthday Celebration

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

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

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


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


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

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

If I remember in time...

I make actually play some poker tonight.

Rock Band > Poker

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

So go read the lastest issue of Truckin'.

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

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

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

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

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

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

pokerintensity!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bad air beat

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

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

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

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

Heads up!

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

Why does this label remind me of Blood?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rooster 2 StB1

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

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

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

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

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

StB 1 Rooster 0.

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

Rooster 2 StB1 (Felting is good for 2!)

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

More on Chicago can be found here.

A1 neat please

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

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

The Rooster likes his meat milkshake. No homo.

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

Little guy doing well

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

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

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

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

You too can Hart NY

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



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

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

ICROW service

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

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

Iggy's Chipcount Repeatedly On Wire.

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

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

Pokerjunkie

Continuation Betting in Texas Hold'em Poker

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

What is a Continuation Bet in Poker?

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

Why Continuation Bet in Poker?

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

Should One Continuation Bet?

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

The thrill is gone

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

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

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

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

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

I wanted to like it

Like Pokerpeaker, I was listening to the new Motley Crue album the other day. My expectations weren't high. I was a huge Crue fan years ago. I still listen to the music but I have become too accustomed to the new music not being all that great. Worse yet, they kept putting out anthologies and greatest hits packages, not an entire new album.

I got a copy and put it in my car to give it the once over. I listen to music better when I am driving. Fewer distractions. Road and music. First track is a long intro to the album. Eh. First song is ok. Second song is ok. Third song starts in the same manner. Right away I am thinking this album is a disappointment.

Then it changed. The lyrics jumped out as Vince Neil sang about their early years and the fond memories at the Whisky a Go Go. Next thing I know my head is moving a bit.

Fourth song is the one they released. I didn't think too much of it when I heard it on the radio but coming out of the speakers it sounded different. More powerful. Alive. Crue-ish.

As each song came on, I liked the disc even more. As Peaker said, it rocks.

So where the hell am I going with this and what does it have to do with poker?

This disc had me thinking of a book I had read last month. A book I wasn't sure I would like but one I knew I had to read. I had spent some time listening to this man tell some stories back in December. I actually bought the book in January and let it sit there for 5 months. The man was the genuine article and I hung on every word he had to offer at the lunch table.

The thing was, I didn't think I would like the book. Pauly and Iggy gave it good reviews, but I didn't like the excerpts as I read them on Iggy's blog. They didn't interest me.

That all changed when I began reading the book at the airport on a trip to NYC. I couldn't put it down. On the flight home it was the same story. I was entranced. The story hooked me and I had to find out how it ended.

If you haven't read Johnny Hughes' Texax Poker Wisdom yet, you are missing out on a great read. If you read the parts on Iggy's blog and didn't think you would like it, get the book. Those excerpts when put into context read better. At least for me they did. One of the best books I have read in a long time. Glad I finally got around to reading it after buying it months before.

Just like the Crue, Johnny has a hit that many probably haven't heard. Yet. Try them out. I am willing to bet you will like them.

Why didn't I think of that?

Tao of Poker

Benjo told me a hilarious story about how Bellagio hookers were trying to cash
tournament chips at the cage.
Apparently, a couple of horny and angle-shooting poker players removed $1,000 denomination tournament chips out of play. They used those chips to pay off hookers, who were not very bright and accepted the chips in return for sexual favors. Of course they did not read the fine print on the chips where it said it's not legal tender and only a tournament chip.

Horny Poker Players 1, Dumb Hookers 0.

I bet that would still work this winter. Unless hookers have a newsletter to alert each other of this scam. I am hoping they don't.

Bodog improving

One of the more interesting tournament series over the past couple of months was the Bodog Blogger Tournament. Week after week Bodog kicked in some extra money, making winning extra profitable for those who made the money. Personally I wouldn't know because I wasn't able to play each of the tournaments and I didn't properly adjust to the structure.

Rumor is this tournament may return in a couple of months. Smokee put in some hard work getting it up and running so hopefully he can pull it off again. Next time around I will make sure I get enough money on to cover more than 5 or 6 weeks.

Better yet, Bodog has worked to improve their software. They listened to what their players wanted and responded. The latest version is currently in beta testing but you can download it to view the new features now. Online poker is getting better. I am going to do just that in any attempt to gain a small advantage over the competition.

Pokerspace Crew Cup Competition

No limit Hold’em poker, weekly small buy-ins, countless freerolls, spirited teams, top notch lessons, amazing prizes, and a dash of friendly rivalry. Only at Pokerspace will you find teams competing against each other in poker to win the Pokerspace Crew Cup!

The first to devise the idea of a Poker Crew competition, Pokerspace gives users a chance to form teams of up to 6 members and compete against each other. Users earn points for their teams, and through various tournaments can qualify to enter the Crew Cup Final. In a final tournament for all the qualifiers, the Crew that dominates will win the final prize. The latest competition successfully ended in June, sending six users on a $25,000 trip to Vegas to play in the 2008 WSOP.

With the completion of our first Crew Competition, it’s time to announce the latest Crew Cup contest. Hosted by Card Player Cruises, Carbon Poker, and Pokerspace, it will kick off July 2nd run until September 27th. The Crew Cup Final for qualifiers will take place on October 12th.

The crews will be battling for 6 all expenses paid trips aboard Card Players Cruises’ 7 night Mexican Riviera Cruise. Starting in San Diego, the cruise will visit hotspots like Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta in Mexico and offer several different tours. Possible excursions include dolphin encounters, horseback riding, sport fishing, and city tours. While not only offering your standard cruise trips and amenities, Card Player Cruises features a professional, fully staffed poker room open for the duration of the trip.

Check out www.pokerspace.com for more details, and the chance to win the trip of a lifetime!

the Circles of Poker Blogging Hell- 6

I thought I would be adding the latest circle to Poker Blogging Hell last week when I read a post from someone who claimed to be cheated in the Bodog tournament. It was both the claim and the reaction in the comments that I found amusing. I didn't expect Blinders to jump in with his thoughts on the Bodog tourney. Those two posts told me that the 6th circle of Poker Blogging Hell was real. The gist of this circle could have been added right after the 5th circle but it needed time to prove itself. Sadly, it did.

The 6th circle is inhabited by the cheaters and deceivers. They are out to get theirs by any means necessary.

Please, do not be so naive to think that cheating could not possibly occur in any of the blogger tournaments. I spoke with someone in Vegas about this last week. We both agreed that it would not be a shock if there was some cheating going on. The stakes are higher than most people thought they would be. With the generosity of Bodog and Full Tilt kicking raising the prize pool to such heights, people would do things that had not been anticipated in the past. With chance to win a $12,000 prize package for $11, it was bound to happen. We may think the people in the community would not stoop to lows but the fact is the action in the past BBT is a microcosm of what is happening in the Amazon Room at the Rio right now.

Cheating could easily happen in the blogger tournaments. This concept of “we all know each other and we wouldn’t fuck each other over” is beyond funny. People have already shit on the organizers, the websites, and whined about when they will be receiving prizes. Things have gotten bigger than expected and people will do what they can to get an edge just to massage their own egos. Face it, someone has most likely cheated in one of these tournaments.

Let's start with the backers. There are 2 players who disclosed that a backer had put them in a number of tournaments in the series. I am not saying these guys cheated. I have no proof to say they did, but also, I highly doubt they would have. But the question should be how many others had backers that were not disclosed? Were they playing in the same tournament at the same table? Was their chip dumping going on? How many of these teams were constantly chatting on the IM giving information or squeezing other players? It could have easily happened. With new people joining in these past months there were a number of names people did not recognize at first. We will never know if there were any shenanigans going on. But the possibility for it to happen was ripe.


Having new people come in to play these tournaments is a good thing. If there is a BBT 4, we will see even more new names. But how many of them may be existing bloggers who are setting up a front? A new blog that gives the perception of a totally different person. Playing under a different name is acceptable. It took a long time before most people knew my Full Tilt name. Some even advocate changing names ever so often in order to prevent others from tracking data on your play. I don't see anything wrong with doing so. There are no rules that state everyone needs to know what your screen name is.

Blinders goes off on Hoy for setting up a fake blog to play the Bodonkey. Was it cheating? Actually, yes. He may have not cheated at the table but he and those who were in on the scam, cheated everyone who played. This group conspired to deceive and defaud everyone who played in the tournament. To purposely set up a shell blog to lie and blast away at players and the site that is sponsoring the tournament series is deception. It is unethical and should not be tolerated. Even when confronted, Hoy denied his role until the end. A selfish act like this is a blow to the community that comes together to play cards and enjoy the company of each other. If people want to go that far to perpetrate a lie, what else would they do to cheat the community?

But who am I kidding. This isn't a community anymore. More like a dysfunctional family.

Works for me

I wonder if Al tried this argument with the Germans?

Good job FTrain and Iggy!

Go congratulate FTrain on his nice Razz run at the WSOP. Oh wait, it looks like most of you already have. I thought if there was one game at the WSOP that would be winnable it would be the Razz event. Too bad FTrain came up just a bit short. But look at the bright side. Had he won a bracelet, it would have pulled his arm out of its socket.

Then go congratulate the wee one. Iggy has won his way into the WSOP Main Event. Again, well done sir!

Who knows, maybe I will get lucky and win a SnG this week.

Update: One more! LJ won a seat in the ME as well!

Return of the YIPS

I was playing 3/6 at the Rio. I had pretty much folded every hand I had seen to this point. There wasn't anything good enough to battle with. So when I saw J 10 in the small blind, I decided to call the UTG raise. I decided to take a chance. With two other loose players in EP throwing their money in, I knew I would drag a big pot if I hit.

5 players see the flop. 8 9 x. I like it. I check instead of betting. Betting here is probably a good play but I rather let the original raiser do the work. Maybe I will check raise? Nah. Don't want to scare off action from the EPs. I just call the bet along with the others.

Turn is a 7. Bingo! Board is a beautiful rainbow to boot. I have the nuts. I am beginning to count my money. I check.

As I do, I feel the surge of adrenaline released into my blood stream. My heart starts pounding inside my chest. UTG bets as expected. EP calls and I announce "Raise". Heart is going crazy. An EKG machine would go ballistic if I was hooked up to one. I try to calmly put 12 chips into the pot. As I pull my hand away, I notice the shaking. I get called in 2 spots. The river is dealt and does not pair the board. I have the stone cold nuts now. I bet out and get called in both spots. My straight is good and I do take down a huge pot.

I breathe a sigh of relief. Not so much as in winning the hand, but to try and calm my nerves. I take my time stacking chips as my hands continue to shake.

WTF? I haven't gotten the poker YIPS in a long time. Why now? I talk with EasyCure a bit hoping that talking about my malady it will help but I do need to clean up the mass of white in front of my beer bottle. It takes some time but I am back to normal. I probably should have taken a walk around to work the adrenaline out of my system.

Later I am dealt A A. A new player in MP decided that J 7 off is a good hand to call a raise with. Though he flops two pair, he gets counterfeited on the river and again I take in a nice pot. No sign of the YIPS this time. I would get A A one more time and once again take in a nice pot. No YIPS there either. I would play somewhere between 1-2 hours at this table and win exactly 3 pots. I may have played 5 hands outside of my blinds. Yeah, I was that tight, but it worked.

I can't understand what I began to shake like that, especially during the only limit session I played. During all of the NL games, I flopped some nice hands but never found myself with a burst of energy that had my appendages flopping around like a fish out of water. I was much cooler in the NL games.

What gives? I would really like to know why it doesn't happen to me every time. I guess the only thing I can try to do is use it to my benefit one of these days.

Good plays, bad plays you know I've had my share

Of all the poker I played this past weekend, there are two plays that really stick in my mind. Both were the calls to big bets. You may think both were asinine. I am sure my opponent did on the one I made. But the other was what you hope and pray for when you sit at the table at the IP.

Falstaff and I had sat down at the 1/2 NL game at the IP. There were two young guys on both sides of me. Good players, knew their stuff. Talkative and funny, really enjoying the busty young waitress. I thought they were buddies but they weren't. Apparently they were not because one was Canadian. Who admits to being friends with a Canuck?* Anyways, the Canadian gives it some thought and raises from the 8 seat. Some dude in the 5 seat raises. Canadian thinks about it and raises another 100 on top. At that point everyone on the table knows he has aces. Maybe kings, but it is screaming aces. 5 seat thinks for just a bit and goes all in. I believe it was maybe 30-40 more. Insta call from the Canadian kid.

Now you must be thinking we are looking at A A vs A A, or at the very least A A vs K K, or possibly A A vs Q Q (that would be ugly but people overplay those ladies). Nope, instead the 5 seat shows A K offsuit. A stunned silence comes over the table. The flop is nothing, the turn a rock and the Canadian scoops a nice pot. Eyes blink in amazement that the 5 seat got it all in with A K off. Best yet, the 5 seat reaches into his wallet to rebuy! But then his buddy comes and pulls him away from the table as he wants to leave. I should have tripped the bastard on the way out. He took the biggest fish out of the game.

I played some pretty tight poker over the weekend. It was hard to keep mucking like that when the tables were on the loose side. So I tried to loosen up and made a raise to $15 with K Q off in MP (standard raise was anywhere from 10 to 17. I blame Falstaff for this). I got a call from the 10s who was in the cutoff. Both blinds called as well.. Flop was K 8 3, two hearts. The action was checked to me and I made a continuation bet of $25. The 10s seat called while the blinds dropped out. My thoughts on the 10s were varied. Initially I thought he wasn't that good when he made some aggressive plays early and rebought a couple of times. But then I noticed he was playing some good aggressive poker so he wasn't quite the chump I thought.

The turn brought another 8. I bet my two pair, $50. He smooth called again. Did he have an 8? Was he chasing the flush? River was a heart, a deuce I believe. Crap. Not what I wanted to see. Someone had just crapped in my Cheerios. At this point I checked. 10s now bets $75. Great, he craps twice in my Cheerios. What to do. Part of me wanted to toss those cards into the garbage behind me with all of my beer bottles. I then began to think about what was happening. Was he chasing a flush or did he have trips? I don't think he had the flush. He didn't appear to be one of those guys who would chase hoping to get lucky on the river. Could he have an 8? Not likely. He made a call from the cutoff. The only hand that would make sense then would be 8 8, call and hope you catch your set. Possible. Could he possibly be playing A 8 of hearts? Not likely. I doubt this kid would have called 15 with a suited ace. He was better than that. He could possibly have A K but I believe he would have raised on the turn with such a hand to squeeze out the flush draw.

Finally, I decided to call. All of his actions weren't adding up to me. Sure he could have been slow playing with trip 8s or chased a flush but it wasn't making sense. I figured he had K J and I pushed my chips in. When he asked if I had an 8, I felt good and told him I had the K. He mucked and they slid a nice pot to me. Unfortunately I did not see what he had. I guess he had a pocket pair and thought I was trying to buy the pot myself.

It was a good feeling to put things together and make such a call. We all like to be right. It also feels good when the players around you make comments about it being a sick call, how they would have folded etc. It was a moment that makes one feel good about some of the intricacies learned in this game over the years. Making a tough call like that is just about an equal as making a big bet like that to steal the pot. Just nice to be on the winning side of one of those hands.


*Please no Canadian hate mail. It is a joke. It isn't like I said "who admits to being friends with a Canuck, ay?"

That act don't play around here

The weekend in Vegas was just what I needed to get in a better frame of mind. Meeting up with old friends and meeting new people was what the doctor prescribed.

Not too shocking to say I had some mixed results in poker. Did well playing the NL games at Hooters, the Sahara and the IP. Made some money playing 3/6 limit with CA April at the Rio as well. It helps when the donkeys at the other end of your table don't crack your aces with J 7. The only bad session was one at Bill's Gambling Hall with Falstaff and the tournament at the Sahara where things were going well until I got frisky with J J. Ran that into A A to get knocked straight out.

I think the most interesting session was a late night stop in the Hooters poker room. I had heard a lot of local sharks like to feast on the tourists there. I am sure they were drooling when I sat my drunk ass down at around 2 in the morning. I was able to play pretty tight mainly because my cards were for shit. But then the best thing happened. A drunker player sat down. Their eyes lit up as they hoped for a chance to bust this guy out.

At first it didn't happen. The drunk guy was beating them, catching his draws and quickly chipping up. The guy had little clue on what he was betting at times. At one point, a dealer came to help him stack his chips because he was having problems doing so. She had stacked around 40 whites for the guy when the action came to him. He stared at the stack and declared, "I bet the white ones." I just about spat my beer out when he said it. Unfortunately for me, he would soon bust out.

Just after that happened I got my best hand of the night. I called a raise with 5 5 and promptly hit my set. When my opponent bet out 20, I came back with a min raise which was called. Turn was a blank. I bet out 75. He thought and called. The river was an ace. He checked to me again. I looked at the ace and accidentally said aloud, "I don't like that ace." Honestly, I didn't because it wouldn't have surprised me to see him turn up A A. I looked at the board and thought fuck it, I can crash if he caught the river. It was 3:10 and I was pretty buzzed up. So I slid my remaining 60 in. Apparently my opponent thought it was all an act because he laughed and said "That act don't play around here!" and mucked his cards. I started laughing myself, thinking this guy thought I was acting when the bottom line was I was on the drunken side. Hell, I couldn't act my way out of a paper bag.

Two more players got busted out leaving only 6 of us at the table. It was 3:30 when the thought dawned on me. The 3 locals had busted two ok players and the drunk guy. With the other drunk busting out, their eyes were on my stack. Best play I made was making a move for a rack and cashing in for just over $100.

Isn't there an old saying out there. If you don't spot the drunk at the table, it is you?

Maybe I should put a bounty on my head...

I started laughing when I read that $mokee collected the bounty on his head by winning the tournament. That is going out in style!

Big thanks to Bodog for all the extra money they kicked into the series. I wished I could have played more of these tournaments or at the very least, played better in them. Anyways, my opinion is that all of us should show Bodog some love for all the love they gave us.

Just need to get through one more work day before I become more of a stumbling drunk gambler. I am not sure what I will be doing this weekend. I will play whatever game presents itself whether it be blackjack, pai gow, craps, or even those dreaded slots.

It will be interesting to see how my poker game fares. Usually I will play online for a couple of weeks to get a feel for things but this time around I have not. I don't think it is necessarily a bad thing. It may get me into a frame of mind where I am not over thinking plays. I am hoping that by sticking to the basics it means I have win and have fun.

Otherwise I have most of the Vegas pre-trip ritiuals down. Made a donation to a charity. Hey, if I can go toss some cash around like a drunken monkey for a couple days, I feel the least I can do is give some to people who can put it to good use. Have keys to the house set aside for friend. Bills are paid.

I just need to swing by the bank to pick up some cash. About the only change I may make involved stopping at McDonalds on the way to the airport. Not that I am superstitious but I recall the best results I had in Vegas involved me stopping by McDonalds on the way to the airport for a quick bite. That flight was scheduled at 4 just like this one. I figure some fries on the way can't hurt, can it?

Knock out $mokee and win a prize!

I am disappointed I won't get a chance to knock $mokee out of the Bodog tomorrow. I will either be at the stadium watching the Brewers game or working late. Good luck to everyone, especially for whoever is lucky enough to cash in on the bounty.

The BIGGEST bounty ever in the history of blogger tournaments is on the head of $mokkee, the Bodog blogger tournament host, adding an extra T$270 in value to Tuesday's June 3rd poker blogger tournament! The lucky poker blogger to eliminate $mokkee will be rewarded with a seat in Bodog's WSOP* Semifinal 5 Seat Guaranteed Tournament scheduled for June 8 at 3:15 pm ET. Details at http://www.bodogbloggertournament.com

BREAKING NEWS AT THE BODOG BEAT!
Poker Blogger Tournament Puts Bounty on $mokkee
http://beat.bodoglife.com/poker/poker-blogger-tournament-puts-bounty-on-smokkee-76486.html

Bodog is proud to host the Bodog Poker Blogger Tournament Series where poker bloggers worldwide are gathering each Tuesday in the Bodog Poker Room. One lucky blogger will win a $12,000 WSOP* prize package and be a part of Team Bodog 2008. This tournament is open to poker bloggers from around the globe with a Bodog Member Player Account.

MMA

Not much to talk about from the RC tournament last night. I felt like I did well considering how poorly I have played as of late. No, 28 out of 75 is nothing to be happy about, but I didn't like a total moron. Not totally that is. I did make some loose calls early but then hunkered down to play seriously. It felt like I was pretty card dead a good portion of the time. That may lead to my feeling disappointed by the finish.

I will have to try and get my PokerStars software issue corrected this weekend. I am not sure Pauly's Saturday afternoon game is on for sure- I assume it is though he will be working- but if it is I want to get in. I will have to get on the ball early to ensure I get it fixed on time.

Otherwise it may end up being a MMA weekend. Saturday night's debut of Elite XC on CBS will be interesting. Hell with Kimbo Slice, I want to see Smith and Lawler bang it out. Should be an epic fight. Then on Sunday, Faber vs. Pulver is on. I like Faber. The kid is a monster. Not to take anything away from Little Evil but the only way Faber loses if somehow he hasn't taken this fight seriously, and I highly doubt that. It will be a great fight.

One week...

A week until I break free from the North. Summer has not arrived so the heat of Vegas will feel pretty damn good. I will have to go find all those warm weather clothes. I may have given them away when I was buried under 3 feet of snow a couple of months back.

Looks to be a very loose trip this time around. Not much is planned which is a good thing. I do have to pay off a bet to Falstaff so that is on the schedule. Hell, I can't even remember the name of the damn school that beat the Wisconsin Badgers. Like anyone does.

I can't get too drunk during in the sunlight hours on Friday. I believe I am joining Chilly at the Hoffbrau House for dinner. I can taste the Dunkelweiss already. Plus it is fun to say. Dunkelweiss.

I believe that is what on the books for now. Not sure if I will play in the Binions tourney or any other with a buy in above $100. Not unless I am playing well, which is something I haven't done for a couple of months. Plus the last time I played a tournament at Binions I was dealt shitty cards for 3 hours before going busto. Not something I want to have happen again.

Maybe I can make some coin at the cash tables and do the Miami Don procedure. I wonder what how successful you can be if you put Blood's, procedure in the loop before playing. One comes 'round full circle that way.

If it is a two beer walk from the IP to the MGM, how many beers will it take to walk from Hooter's to the IP. I am thinking that two block difference is at least another beer.

Pstars flopped on me

Pokerstars has stopped working for me. I tried to fire it up to play in Pauly's Saturday tournament but was greeted with an error telling me to download and reinstall. Not a problem I thought. I had time to do so and still register.

Or so I thought. For whatever reason, my security system would not let me open the download. I tried some tricks like changing the extension but those didn't work.

Anyone else have this issue? I am thinking I may have to drop the force field, install, and go full power again. It should be easier though. Any help is greatly appreciated.

If Tuesday was an appearance, then Thursday was a donation

It was ugly last night. I was ugly last night.

The RC game chewed me up and spat me out. I played terrible. Absolutely terrible. Calling down weakly knowing I was beat. Betting out on crappy flops hoping a continuation bet would work just to fold. Not making continuation bets. I feel like I forecasted every play, basically telling people what I had.

Vegas is less than 2 weeks away. I probably should play a bit more to get the rust off but I am not that interested in spending time in front of the pc right now. I need a good home game or to hit up some of the live tournaments that are tossed around the area. Something to get me interested again.

Otherwise it could be a lot of Pai Gow come June. Not that that is a bad thing.

It was an appearance

That is about how I sum up my time in the Skillz event last night. Played for about 50 minutes, made a really stupid call, and finished my beer.

My call was beyond stupid. I was going to make a play for the low, knowing I didn't have the nut low, hoping my opponent had just caught his flush. It should be an easy fold, move onto the next hand and get those chips back. But I hit the call button and felt like a complete jackass for making such a dumb click.

On a brighter note, the Stanley Cup is finally here. Hey Pittsburgh, welcome to Detroit!

Pic from DetroitHockey.Net

Dealer's choice

The weekend at Change 100's living room* (Bong Rec Area) was a good time. A good amount of beer was consumed around the campfire in between sporadic rainfall. The chilly weather did take a toll on Saturday night though making it quite miserable.

On Friday night, the cards were pulled out for some dealer's choice. With more people, a little hold 'em tournament might be organized but with just 5 of us, tossing chips around with whatever game the dealer chose was a better idea. Stakes are only a nickel so one can easily donk around and have some fun.

That is how I usually approach these games. I am going to have some fun, lose a buy in and then go back to the fire and focus on drinking and shooting the shit. The games don't change much when it is dealers choice. You have all probably played them in one form or another but with different names. There is Dimestore (5s and 10s wild), Baseball (3s and 9s wild, buy a card with a 4), Black Mariah (low spade in the hole gets half the pot, if the Q of spades comes out, re-ante and deal again), 5 card draw, deuces wild, Stud, and Guts. It always seems one game stays a bit more popular after a big pot ($6!) and gets played again and again as the players chase to win it all back.

Basic poker skills go out the window in these games. People will chase cards to the end (it is only a nickel or dime to call, pots odds are in your favor) or will play crap from the beginning hoping to catch wild cards. I may be the only one that will fold bad hands at the beginning knowing I need to catch well just to make a winnable hand.

It is the games with wild cards that drive me nuts. Full houses and straight flushes go down in flames to 5 of a kind hands. That always irks me. There is no 5 of a kind. Some will always say there is with wild cards but that is bull.

I feel like I have an advantage in these games, especially in the Stud games. I don't think anyone is counting cards, noticing how many of their suit is out there. I caught two flushes just be counting. Then again I screwed up thinking I caught a straight when I had not. If it wasn't for two nice Black Mariah hands, I would have been out of the game and at the fire early instead of banking a $2.75 win!

Vegas, here I come!

*No, I did not literally spend a weekend in Change's living room. I used her comment from the previous post as I thought it was hilarious. Speaking of which, her latest post on poker movies is excellent. This paragraph says it all:

Poker movies (and scripted TV shows) have failed because every single one
post-Rounders has been poorly written. Plain and simple. They haven't failed to
ignite because the general public doesn't "get" poker or because the writers and
directors involved don't understand poker or because the subject matter isn't
commercial enough. They've failed because their stories and characters weren't
original or compelling. They suffered from one-dimensional characters, cliched
conflicts and cheesy dialogue.

21 days until it begins

21 days.

21 days until Vegas. Or so I have been told. It isn't like I need a vacation as much as I want one. Work has been rough and will only get rougher. Thankfully I have activities scheduled out to alleviate the stress when it builds up.

This weekend I will escape the city to do some camping. The Bong Rec area is my destination. Many beers will be consumed around the fire. Kinda like Vegas. That is my segue to get back on topic.

Looking forward to seeing some old faces this year. A bit disappointed that others won't be around. Looks like Chilly and Easycure will be there. Sadly Derek and Iggy won't. Always good to shoot the shit with Falstaff and catch up with all the crew working at the Series. Yeah, no links here as blogger is not loading properly.

Now I am wondering...who exactly is going the first weekend? For those going the second week, we cannot be held liable if there is a liquor shortage. Buy some vacation insurance to protect yourselves.

Wii Tilt

I haven't played much poker lately. That thing called life has been keeping me busy. Whether it has been work, yard work, home repair, or other engagements, I haven't had much time to play cards as of late. Thus I was looking forward to playing the Skills game last night. The Skills game is by far my favorite event as it satisfies my poker ADD.

Things were good during the first hour. I was up a little at the break but more importantly I was being patient. I may not have been focused as I kept an eye on ebay as I played but I was satisfied with my game.

It was in the second session that I lost it. I began chasing cards, gunning for lows in the Stud 8 portion. Like a bad Razz game, I got had 4 solid to the low just to brick up. Soon, I lost interest and donked my way out in the O8 portion. I was way overmatched by the players at the table that cared more and were playing much better poker than I was.

I think it all started earlier in the day. I have been quite busy at work, something that does not look to end anytime soon. During breaks, I have been looking at picking up a Wii. Though I have had video game addiction in the past, I knew times were different and I wouldn't be staying up to 4 in the morning playing some game.

It would appear the market rate for a Wii is around $310-325 total, including shipping, for a new game console with Wii Sports. That is my target. If I can get one cheaper, great, if not, no big deal. I am not in a rush to get the system. Yet.

It was during the end of an auction that I felt like I was heads up with an unknown opponent. I was winning the auction with a price of $276, a price that was very good. But as the minutes counted down, I had that sinking feeling that some bastard was going to steal this unit from me.

It was as if I had pushed all in with A Q on a loose opponent, knowing he would call me with any Ace rag. I have been there many a time before. Getting all in with A Q against A J, knowing I was going to lose the hand. That a J would hit the board.

The same thing happened on ebay. I refreshed the screen with 5 seconds left to see that J had hit the board. Someone sniped the unit from under me, paying $286. I was slow to react and the auction was over. I went on a TuffFish rampage in my mind, spewing all kinds of cusswords at the person who won the auction. I felt better even though I walked away from the table empty handed.

4 card bingo with Pauly

Actually, that would be 4 card bingo with Change as Pauly was not around.

I felt like Rodney Dangerfield today. No respect for any bets. Raise and 5 people would see a flop. Make a bet and everyone calls. Ugly.

Got knocked out early when I flopped a straight. Money is all in and I need to avoid the flush. Of course, that did not happen.

Guess I go to the bar early to watch hockey.

New game in town

Saw this game hanging in a sex shop in Soho, just pass the church where the lesbian couple that had just been married were taking photos.

I should have bought it as real life is preventing me from playing poker again. Got home just after the Razz game started up. That bit. And because I was gone this weekend, I didn't have time to find a way to fund the Bodog account.

Maybe I can make it to the RiverChasers event.

I have an idea for the bloggers getting together in Vegas next month. With the Binions and Venetian events going on, I was wondering if there was any interest in satellites to these smaller buy in tournaments. Running tournaments with $30 entrance fees can get a couple people entered. Leave any indications of interest in the comments.

Degeneration NYC

It was about 5 am, Sunday morning. GMoney had just crashed. The Rooster had put on some pancrase on the TV after opening a huge bottle of Belgian white beer. Iggy and I started watching the action, trying to figure out the rules (at least I was trying to figure out the rules, Iggy may know them).

As we watch the wrestlers bitch slap each other, I noticed the Rooster was fighting his own fight. He was on the couch, sitting on the edge, wobbling back and forth. He bobbed to the left and then to the right. Like a boxer that had been knocked around the head, he was on dream street. Only it wasn't lefts and rights that did the damage. It was the assortment of beers he had been drinking for the last 12 plus hours that worked him over. He had gone the 12 rounds and was still upright.

I looked and Iggy and nodded towards Rooster. Being the good guys we are, we told the Rooster to get some sleep and we would call it a night. We got him a pillow and blanket, turned off the TV and let him sleep we placed a bet on which way he would fall. Iggy had the right, I had the left. Like a buoy on the water, the Rooster moved back and forth with the flow of the tides. Then suddenly he made a deep move to left. I thought I had a winner. Both Iggy and I are cheering him on to fall, but in very hushed tones. We didn't want to wake him until the bet had been won.

Suddenly he righted himself and kinda opened his eyes. Within seconds they were closed again. The wobbly Rooster was back in the ring and the bet was on. This time though, he started moving forward. As I said, Iggy had the right, I had the left, but what happened if he fell forward, or back? The prop was amended as Iggy had him falling back as I got the forward action. I also agreed to clean up any blood should he bust his head open.

The Rooster hung on for a couple of minutes before he woke up again. He may have sensed something as he grabbed the remote and uttered "Go to bed fuckers!". He turned off the TV and was done.

Official ruling: No contest.

All kidding aside, I would like to thank the Rooster for his hospitality, for giving me a place to crash, showing me some cool bars, and just for being a friend. Thanks man, I had an excellent weekend and an awesome time. Same to Pauly and Derek for showing us the city and for all the shenanigans that went on.