Saturday, July 28, 2007

Champs Today!

My company is holding a charity event at this location today around noon, and then leading into another freeroll wvent where we try to break the record of number of players ever in one location.. (save TOC's) at any event.... the record I believe is 186 players, so we will see if that happens...

I have a poker friend who acutally lives at the course this is being held at and he is also having a party afterwards where I'm sure there will be plenty of cash games... He also has a fireworks display scheduled... I told him to collect $15 at the door from everyone so that he will be able to pay the fine that the cops give him once he starts sending them off... :)

Al will be there, and we will be discussing the online tour, making plans for future events, the second half of the year prize pool, and scheduling the freeroll...

I'll post back with details later on tomorrow...

Thursday, July 26, 2007

MTT's and cashing percentages




I read a blog, forget who's but it was about cashing percentages and what is a good one. The suggestions was that a 22% cashing ratio was not a good one because of the probability that most of those cashes were early money cashes, and that 13% was probably a better number because you would be getting more wins, hence more profit than being at 22%...




Not really explained all that well in the above statement, but I got it... My MTT play lately has been good, and I have cashed alot, and at least have made every final table in the tourny's that I have played in the last few weeks... SNG MTT's at least.. (18-45 persons)...




I have won several but for the most part have have had some no cashes or early cashes...




So I decided to become a little more aggressive.. stealing a lot, and re-stealing even more...




When it works, it puts me in a situation to win more, and has been successful... Lets just say I see the value in pushing a little harder and taking down more wins than just cahses, which is great for the bank roll.....




I was in the BBT freeroll last night, but couldn't play because Iwas working, and by a stroke of luck, FT crashed... so maybe I get a chance to pllay again if they "redo" it...




Tonight is the Riverchasers Tournament.... log on and play if you get the chance.. usually a pretty good field and just an overall fun time! See you there!






Where: Full Tilt
When: 21:00 est
Buy-in: $10+$1
psswd: riverchasers

Sunday, July 22, 2007

family reunion and an impromptu poker tournament

Saturday I ventured up to broadheadsville in northern PA for a family reunion. Very fun time to meet some family members we rarely get to see with lots of kids and a bunch of folks in the same predictament (lots of kids). This one was especially cool because we just lost an uncle who was dear to everyone, and GG... our grandmother of 97 years, both within the last 3 months.

So we're having fun, eating, DRINKING (woot!), and watching the kids have fun in the pool, when someone asks me about the Vegas trip... As I spoke about poker, and the experience, and my company, a few decide it would be cool to have a tournament.

One uncle, who is particularly competitive, and old (70's) starts spewing about how us "kids" couldn't possibly compete against the old guys. I smile and think this oughta be fun.

When it comes to competitiveness, I am no slouch. In fact, its one of my wifes pet peeves about me (which will come out in a different post later on... has to do with therapy :) )

Anyway we get into the tourny, about 16 of us, for a very small amount of money, so much so that I personally put up the prize pool, as we needed players and some didn't know how to play much, and didn't want to put up any money. so I decided that it would be cool to put up $200 for first place (winner takes all) and just have fun.

It was kinda like Kats friday donkament in the beginning, save the rebuys...

Let me just cut to the chase here... Uncle and me get down to heads up. He was bloating the whole tournament when he put out some players (who had no idea how to play) and how he was going to just run over everyone...

Now, I personally put up the prize pool, and I guess the assumption was that the winner would at least poney some up to the host who spent a lot of time preparing, and money on food and stuff... and it was alot.

We get heads up and he is just catching like crazy. I take some pots off of him, to his dismay, and outplayed him on one hand where he actually caught top two, and folded to my jam with 4 to a straight. he was being an ass so I showed him my cards... Now believe me when I tell you I wasn't being confrontational, just being a wise ass more or less, but with a hint of sarcasm, and even humor...

I ran into a few of his made hands with bluffs, and lost a race or two to make us just about even. Thats when it happened... I get K's.. I raise to his limp, and he looks at me and says, I don't believe you... He min raises my raise, and I jam... He calls with A 10... A on the flop and the tourny is over... We all kind of laugh and congratulate, and he starts ripping me.. Like I'm a joke, and I'm wasting my time playing this game, and blah blah blah... I look at him and say, nice call with a weak Ace while your dominated... the non players are laughing and not knowing any better think he is right... any Ace has to be good... I say someting about how he had to hit a three outer to beat me, to which I got , "whats an outer?"

Then he says.. "where's my money bitch?"

Bitch?

now this guy is retired, rich, and old... and he's calling me a bitch...

So I says... Hey!, 50 cent.... Here's your money.... and I take a roll of 20's over to him and reach out with my hand... as he goes to grab it, I drop it on the grass. I then say, make sure Aunt Sue gets her piece...he looks at me and says, "I was right, you are a bitch", to which my reply was "and you're a c%nt"...

I know, I know, not the most appropriate word I could come up with but it was in the heat of the moment and I was pissed at his lack of maturity and well, lets just say we were both wrong.. But I was pissed...

Kinda like the time I called a guy in a wheel chair at the Borgata Christopher Reeves because he got about $600 of my money when he called an all in with 10 8 of clubs against my set of Queens on the flop... He CALLED 400 more on a ten high flush draw in a cash game, not to mention the $40 raise on the flop wth 10 8... Thats another story for another time, maybe tomorrow, but its a good one...

I felt bad about the situation and we shook hands and apologized to each other before we left, and had a laugh about it, but it shook me up a bit that this guy would behave that way... Good Times!

Friday, July 20, 2007

kids and poker

I've written about this before, but watching kids (4 of them while the wife is away on a trip to see her brother's family) and playing online poker just doesn't mix... I try, I really do, but its almost impossible, even at 11pm, to try and keep them in bed and happy, while their mother is not in attendance and they know it... Its almost like a pass to mess with Dad...

See, Dad doesn't like infants.. in general. Now, of course I love my son.. more than anything in the world, but I'm the type that needs immediate feedback, and crying doesn't do it for me. I need intellectual back and forth that an infant just can't give, and I have no time for that...

So when they all go down nice and smooth, and I have done what I think is my parently duty, such as reading books, tooth brushing instructions, and over all "before bed" hygiene, I expect a little in return... like going to sleep, and being left alone to feed my poker habit, reading a book, cleaning up, or even just sleeping myself...

Last night was a clear example that in my kids eyes, when Mom isn't here, its a license to "f" with dad... and for the most part I take it pretty well. I don't take anything out on them, although my wife does get a piece of it, but when she wasn't there to take it, I was lost in a very deep hole without knowing what to do... or how to vent

So when I finally got them all on my side, and down for the night, I took it out on the poker tables... I knew I was probably going to donk off a pile of my bankroll, and figured it would be a good price for some therapy. But I got lucky. Extremely lucky.

I got into a $10 45 MTT. and I pushed just about everyhand. If someone raised preflop, I rr behind them. Didn't matter what cards I held... I just decided to bully right out of the gates... and bullying with the 1500 starting stack can't really be described as bullying. As I witnessed first hand.

I knew I would be called by even marginal hands. The first three times I did this (the first three hands mind you) It was folded to my aggression... Only one of those hands was worth the raise to a standard raise (AK). But everyone folded.

Then, I get 8d9d... UTG min raises 3 callers, and I go to 450... UTG calls and everyone else folds... The flop comes 7d 10d Ad... MIRACLE!

He checks, I bet half the pot, and he shoves... holding A 4o... Funny stuff to me. He min raises utg with A4o and calls a 10x raise with it, and then shoves a sooted flop with a naked A and no suit...

From there it was crazy... I picked up a pile of monster hands, all which were folded to or held good when I was called. I held the chip lead all the way to the final table... fell to three in chips, and then back to the Lead with about 4 of us left...

I haven't figured out how to copy the table images yet, or to copy and paste the hand histories... I will though and will start to post them here as well with my successes and failures... I think they are a good learning tool, and just a cool thing to do...

I won the tournament when HU with even stacks, my opponent limped with AA, to which I checked Kc 3h... The flop came 2 3 4 all clubs. I checked, he checked (???)... the turn came the K giving me two pair and the 2cnd flush draw... I let out pot, (2,000) he jammed (24,000), and I called... They hold up and I win...

It was fun playing that way, but definatley losing poker .. I was lucky to have some pretty tight players... I was stealing pots with hands that I didn't need to, and with to many players in them... One was 4 callers to a min raise, I was holding 8 5o (midway thru the tourny) with a huge stack... I shoved it all in, and all folded. even a super shorty, which I just don't get... If he was willing to call a raise with those cards, he should've been jamming them pre, instead of call/ folding to an aggressor...

It was some good therapy though!

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Pop goes the weasel...

Congrats to DON for winning the Bounty on my head, and to this guy for busting Al... both have been contacted and are aware of their prize collection logistics...

I love the mookie... absolute awesome time. I played pretty much uneventfully for the first hour or so taking down some pots with c-bets after my prefloop raises getting up to about 3900 in chips... then nothing... made some moves to no avail, having to fold on reraises (steals :) ) and then finally getting so short in 22cnd place with KJ... hadn't played a hand for about an hour so I jammed to the utg caller.. (don)... everyone folded, Don said GL, to which I replied "Oh Man" and he turned up 99... I hit air and was gone with the exclamation of Don hitting his set on the riv...

The dookie was fun as well and I managed to double up a few times, only to half fall asleep while playing and being invited to a $1/$2 cash game (razz) by Al Hoy and others...

Dumbest quote of the night... FUEL was playing and talking about a land deal him and his wife were contemplating.. he quoted the space and said it was for a teardown and rebuild and how much per square foot... a rail bird said "thats 1.5 mil!" "you rich fuel?" no, he plans to steal it dumbass!

I multi talbed two $10 18 person tournies while playing all three other rooms.. I managed to win the first one, and I forget how I did in the other because I was falling asleep... I think I won, not sure :)

Al tried texting me to see if I was still alive... I responded by saying yes, I think.... I'll have to check stats though this morning to see if I dreamed the cash, or if it actually happend...

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Mookie Tonight!



Play in the Mookie tonight! Bounty on myself and THIS guy... RPT hat from me, bottle of SOCO for Al... (no substitutions as that would be completely unethical!)

10pm est... buy-in $10 + $1... passwrd: vegas1

and then there is the Dookie at 11:30 I think... check out MOOKS site for details on that one.. also a lot of fun! See you there!

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Cee gar's!

I missed the MATH last night because one of the crew decided that 3 books wasn't enough to put her asleep. I usually preregister for this but got caught up in a meeting yesterday afternoon, and never had the chance until I got home.. which was late, and went right into bedtime mode.

So I decided to have a smoke in the porch with a neighbor. It was fun to sit back and just relax for once without the glow of an LCD display shining back at me. Although after a while I got right back into it.

I had a few boxes of Cigars given to me from the TINDERBOX since they sponsor my company, and I am putting together a deal with them and Layne Flack, and a couple of other pros to have their own signature series lines. Layne sent me an email saying he was moving, so I can only hope that the samples I sent him reach his new address.

This should be a really cool deal for him and the others, and I hope it takes off...

I watched Bonehet play in the 28k and he was doing well when I went to bed... 8k in chips and already in the money. I played an 18 MTT, won that and thought, ok, time to go to sleep. Of course I saw the Phils were playing (I mean losing) the Dodgers so I watched the rest of that debacle, and then, headed off to sleep.

I will def be playing the MOOKIE tomorrow night... Never Miss the Mookie!

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Blogger Donkament

I was made aware of this tourny several weeks ago, and probably already new about it by reading several blogs over the last couple of months. I had cancelled the reglar friday night HQ game, which I am getting a lot of shit for because the locals need their fix...

anywho, I jumped into Kats Friday night Blogament which is a $1 entry, unlimited rebuys, and an add on. there were 17 of us, and I got there 1 hand late...

Hoy was at my table and I jokingly asked him what the rules where... As I typed the question I watched the first three players shove all-in... asked and answered. Hoy wrote someting about donking off and getting some good therapy in the process...

Right before the first break I was at 40k n chips.. there were about 60 rebuys, and everybody added on. I think this was mandatory (at least fair!) so I obliged, even though you only got 1500 in chips and I had twice the amount than second place... (Love it!!)

I have to say I laughed the whole way through the first hour... almost uncontrolablly as I watched the best hand after best hand lose... In a three way pot I called all in with Jh8h against AK A8 Aq and I think 10 10 only to river the flush...

Then fishiwa sternly suggests that I should be calling every hand because of my stack size.. so I oblige.. with 6 3o... flop comes A 5 4... he shoves the flop, I call and turn a deuce... NUTS!!!

Which he didn't seem to like all that good.... and attempted to place a prop bet that I wouldn't cash... (he wishes someone took the action!)

Well, it seemed that all my suckout powers were awarded to me pre break... as I shove a raise against ? who held TPTK to my OESD and 4 to a flush which didn't get there... then my QQ lost to AK, and I was relegated to 3rd in chips with 4 left... My AQ got outdrawn by AJ and I was busto...

I've never had more fun playing a tournament, and Hoy was right in saying that it is theraputic.. man did I have fun, and I suggest everyone try this one out at least once!

17 players = 60 rebuys!!! absolute Gold!

Saturday, July 14, 2007

WSOP II

So the next morning I play in the Tournament at the Trop again with griff... I'm relegated to the rail shortly after the first break, and decide to head over to the MGM where Dennis is playing a limit game again... I sit down at the 2/5 table and proceed to just get crushed...

I don't normally like to play a lot of hands in the first hour so that I can get a feel for the table. The max buy-in was $500, which I did, and there were at least 3 people sitting there with over 2k in chips. One guy had less than 200 less when this happened...

I'm in the BB with K 8o.. 4 limp to me and I check... Flop is A 8 K... I let out first to act for 20, and the next guy raises me to 60. Now, breaking my own rules, I decide that he has an Ace and decide to get him off of his hand right there. I watched this guy lose about 2/3's of his stack with second pair so I'm fairly sure he will call. So I jack it to $150 which ultimately puts the rest of him in if he calls, which he does, and shows A 3... River hits the 3 and I'm down just about 300.

Another shorty raise to 20 with 22... I call with AJ soooted.... I hit the J on a junk flop, move him all in, he CALLS, and he spikes the two outer on the turn... so sick...

So I decide that table just isn't working out for me, and head back to the room to get ready for the Allin Party. the party was fantastic... I had a meeting with Rod from Allin energy drink, johhny chan, who is backing it, Layne flack about a cigar deal, Beth Fischman about some other things, and Jason from poker wire.

Dennis had a great time meeting all of the pros and hanging out just drinking and getting advice from these guys for his first day in the Main event... you can see pictures here...

http://www.riverchasers.com/PhotoGallery/tabid/510/Default.aspx

Tex Barch and his wife were also at our table and having a great time with Griff and V. they decided to head over to Tryst at the Wynn with those guys and have some fun. I was relegated to the NLOP guys for yet another meeting, and then went back to the room, all the while receiving a pile of texts from Griff and V about how much fun they were having, how Ivey was on his way, and if I wanted to join them at the hard rock...

The next morning was check out and getting Dennis to the Rio to start his expedition into the world of Poker Greatness... Griff and V headed straight for the airport, and I changed my flight for a red eye so that I could be with Dennis most of the day.

I ran into several people while I was there outside waiting for breaks to check on Dennis... Dr. Pauly was really cool, meeting him again and having him check on Dennis for me. I ran into Lucko and Sprstoner at break, as both were doing well in the earlier parts, and I also ran into a fellow Riverchaser who I spent the rest of the day with, eating, drinking and playing pool at the tilted kilt...

Dennis was sitting at the table with Hal Lubarsky, a blind guy who ESPN had cameras on all day. D was doing well most of the day getting up to as high as 40k in chips. when I left for the airport, he was hovering around 37k. My flight was delayed and he called me to tell me he had busted right before the day had ended...

Unlucky for him, he caught a set of aces from the bb only to be called down and rivered by a pocket pair on the riv to boat him... then his KK got cracked, and then his 10 10 shove was called by the big stack at the table holding AJ... His dreams, and mine were ended when the J hit.

I got on my flight, and slept the whole way home... It was a fantastic trip and I look forward to next year when we put many more into the main event... It truly is the opportunity of a life time for free rollers who would other wise just want to pocket the 10k.

Dennis was very appreciative, and represented the tour well. Good show young man! Good show!

Friday, July 13, 2007

Vegas Baby! and the WSOP trip

Ok, so as promised here is the rundown for the trip to the WSOP...

Ou flight took off late Thursday night, getting into Vegas around say 9pm (pst). After checking in, we head over to the RIO to get Dennis registered for the Main Event. It is now probably around 11pm and the line is 4hours long to register (as I was told by the attentdant)

We decide to register the next day instead of waiting around and head over to Caesars to play. Caesars is absolutely jammed up b/c of some celebrity poke thing going on, so we sit down at a 3/6 table.. I take the Kill pot table for more action, Griff is with me, Dennis is at a non-kill table, and V somehow gets to a N/L table? The list was like 12 deep for N/L... God I wish I had tits!

Everyone does extremely well at their table... except me. I was doubled up and just took three sick beats in a row to take me back to square.. I cashed out when we left for $199. -$1 of my buy-in

The next couple of days were filled with Poker Lifestyle show. This is the consumer trade show at the WSOP where poker related companies show their wears... Now, unlike previous years, On-line poker sites were not allowed. So much for Bodogs three story display with a bedroom and half naked chics to have a pillow fight with! (last year! True story!)

This year were some new companies, and categories added to the show. For one, Taylor Made, Calloway, and Nike golf all had large displays. Very cool seeing them there.

I went around the room seeing all the people I had to see with Griff in tow, while Veronica and Dennis went and took in the sights. Allin Energy drink had a booth and they gave us passes to their VIP party for Sunday night. We did our business and then off we went for some drinks and poker. Griff didn't make poker because of the drinks and he and V went clubbing with Zim. A friend from back east who moved to Vegas earlier in the year... Very cool individual I might add

Dennis and I headed back to Caesars and played for a while before calling it a night. The next morning, Dennis and I played the 11 am $60 tourny at the Trop (where we were staying). I ended up winning it (woot!) and meeting the rest of them at the pool afterwards.

Back to the show for another meeting and then over to a taco place on Flamingo that was reco'd by Brendan and his wife from Allin Magazine... Then a short walk to the palms where we all played 1/2 N/L for the rest of the night. I wasn't a big fan of the tables at the Palms. It is a beautiful place, with pretty tables, but between the bumper and the felt is a marble well where you keep your chips... its pretty but not conducive for playing with your chips. They fly all over, but I got used to it quickly.

I did very well in the first hour. I tripled up, partly from this hand... I am in seat one, and UTG. The dealer starts to deal the chips when a guy approached the table with his chips in a rack. The dealer asks him if he wants to be dealt in and he nods his head. I look down and see AA. It was a very slow table with lots of limpers, so utg, I let out $7. Fold to the guy, still standing up and stacking his chips on the table out of his rack. He calls, as does another 2 players.

The flop comes 2 4 5r... I let out $20, and Mr. still standing says $40. folds to me, and I rejack to $100. He looks at me, and mutters, "welcome to the table". He calls. Now he has about $50 left, and I say, before the turn is dealt, "what do you have? A 3? Well, I'm not folding now"... and let out his remaining chips... He calls the all in, and turns up A 5 (TPTK). I almost chuckle as the river comes another A, and he says "Aces up", and I show the AA.

He turns around and walks away... :)

Then Griff comes over and says, I have an NBA player sitting at my table... I go over to see and there is an empty seat, so I take it. The player is Ron Artest, who says that he watches poker like 24 hours a day, and wanted to try it, and that this was his first attempt at live play.

i must say that despite his past aggressions, he was absolutely the nicest guy I ever met. He called everysingle hand, regardless of the bet, and folded every single hand to a bet on any turn or river. I don't think I ever saw him show a hand. He stuck around for about another hour or so, and then took off shaking the hand of everyone at the table... Very cool dude! I ended up about $1200 on the night

I will post the rest of the story tomorrow as this post has gotten a little long in the tooth. Overall it was a very cool trip with the best part of the story to come...

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Vegas Trip - Mookie - Bloggers

I just got back from the WSOP where we entered last years champion into the main event... I will post about that later...

But for now I am ranting....

If I ever see or hear another goddamn friggin donk ass punk little fucking blogger talk about anyones fucking game again...
nothing but friggin total idiots out there...

all I have seen is nothing but manipulation of stories about hand histories to make it look like they know what they are doing...

Guy wants to call a big preflop bet with 77, then decides to call off more when player behind jams all in committing more than half of his own stack.... What could you possibly think you beat? and the moron will probably post about how , "OH, I put him on a steal.. or a bigAce"
explain away you fucking tards!!! explain away...


Then another idiot puts all of his chips in against a raise and a reraise with K 10...

against my AK of course he catches every fucking 10 in the deck...

done for now... I will post about the vegas trip tomorrow