Sunday, January 28, 2007
Friday, January 26, 2007
Lucky You - Movie. Are you gonna see it?
I deleted my first post because I hadn't realized this movie hasn't been released. It is due to release on May 4. Are you going to see it?
Will it become the next Rounders?
Charity Poker event at Sundance Film Festival
Reporter Richard Roeper Chicago Sun-Times Columnist talks about attending the Sundance Film Festival and one of his highlights is playing poker in the tournament sponsored by DoylesRoom.com, an on line poker site.
"Last Sunday afternoon, I played in a charity poker tournament in a mansion tucked into the mountains. After watching the Bears manhandle the Saints on the flat-screen TVs, I bluffed Todd Brunson out of a pot. Behind me, a woman survived an all-in with 2007 World Series of Poker runner-up Paul Wasicka, as "That '70s Show" star Danny Masterson looked on. At the next table, Lance Bass was facing off in a hand against WSOP champion Jamie Gold.
Some of the best Sundance moments have nothing to do with the movies. "
The next Texas Hold'em?
After living in Texas where sometimes you see and hear things that make you scratch your head, I am comforted in the fact the same is true in the Midwest. Granted, not as often, but it's nice to see it is everywhere.
I refer to the article "This game is no child's play" published in The Courier News, a member of the Sun-Times News Group (“STNG”)serving 120 communities across Chicago.(www.thesuntimesgroup.com).
In the article the writer refers to a popular game in the midwest called Cornhole as "The next Texas Hold'em". Wow. Have you ever heard of the game Cornhole? Ok, I can tell you I never heard of the game cornhole until a friend of ours started a business to manufacture and sell them on the internet. The game is basically trowing bags full of corn kernels at a board with a hole in it. In Texas they play a game very similar called Washers or sometimes called Texas Horseshoes. You guessed it, they throw big washers across the yard at a board with holes in it. Guess what? I hadn't heard of that game prior to moving to Texas and I'll bet many of you reading probably have never heard of it before.
I am just wondering if "the next Texas Holdem" will ever catch on like the first one. I just can't wait to be able to watch the tournaments on ESPN while I am playing at my next Texas Holdem Game.
Felony poker playing in Washington State might change
If you are playing online poker right now in Washington State, you are committing a Class C Felony. That's on the same level of crime as child pornograpy. Hopefully, HB1243 will change that.
HB1243 was referred to committee in the Washington State Legislature January 15th, 2007. The bill can be read here.
Sponsored by Rep. Chris Strow, the bill would essentially allow you to provide an affirmative defense to procecution if you get busted, when you were playing in your primary residence for your own entertainment. It doesn't prevent you from getting busted in the first place, though.
Representative Strow says, “Most certainly choosing to gamble, or play a game of skill such as poker, should not have been made a crime equivalent to possessing child pornography or threatening the Governor.”
Strow goes on to say in this press release from the Washington State House of Representatives, “While I have requested a hearing on the bill, people need to call and write the chairman of the House Commerce and Labor Committee, Representative Steve Conway, and ask him to schedule a hearing for House Bill 1243,” said Strow. Rep. Conway can be reached at (360) 786-7906 or Conway.steve@leg.wa.gov.
When I lived in Washington, there wasn't any such thing as internet poker. I remember having to drive a good bit to play. I kind of miss that State. It was a great place to live...of course, if I did, I'd probably be a felon now. =)
Skill? Chance? Virgin Poker says let's find out.
http://www.womanpokerplayer.com/news/index.php?/archives/116-Virgin-Poker-issues-challenge-to-prove-that-poker-is-a-game-of-skill.html
I wonder how they prove the person doesn't know how to play.
I wonder how they prove the person doesn't know how to play.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Monday, January 22, 2007
Eight is Enough
When is enough, ENOUGH?
An interesting line of thinking came back to me the other day after having played in a 2/5 NLHE ring game at Potawatami Casino in Milwaukee, Wisconsin a couple of weeks ago. During the course of the game there was a player who played with us and was making sure we knew that he had only been playing for 3 months. 99% of which was online.
First off. When a guy sits down at the table and tells me that - I first think….angle shooter. I guess that’s cause I’ve seen so many of them. But after watching him for a bit, it became rather apparent that his statement was indeed true. He wasn’t acting when he didn’t know it was his turn to act.
He called down some hands with …what?!? 7 high??? Did you see that? He called that guy in seat two who has played 3 hands in 2 hours - AA, KK, and KK - when he went all in! With 7 high?!? Please poker gods!! Give me a hand that I can gut him with!
It never came. I had to sit there in agony as player after player gutted him for his stack. “Players Checks!” The good thing about this tournament….unlimited rebuys!
This guy was paying like a broken slot machine. He’d run out of money and he’d say, “I’ll be back”. $400, $200, $300, $250, $200, $200. He finally said he had to go. He said he wasn't happy that he had lost, but that he learned a lot and was still ahead overall. He said next time, he would bring more money. (Here's my cell phone number....call me when you want to play again.)
After he left, one guy says, “Man, I was feeling bad for the guy. He didn’t know what he was doing. I was hoping he wasn’t going to come back.” Wow. REALLY? I must be missing something.
So after pondering this story, I ask; When is enough, enough?
The question is on so many levels I don’t even know where to begin.
When have you lost enough? (Session, week, month, year?)
When has your opponent contributed enough? (or can he?)
When have you won enough? (session, day, week, month, year? To move up to?)
When have you played enough? (hours, days)
When have you sucked out enough? (can you?)
When have you learned enough? (to move up to the next level?)
Ever really thought about these? I haven’t in a while. I think I need to revisit some of them.
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So I am sitting at Logan International Airport waiting for my departure to Chicago. I've been here all week for business and had planned on getting away a bit early yesterday so I could slide on down and play at Foxwoods. Unfortunately, the combination of getting out of work late, snow fall, a 2.5 hour drive each way to get there, oh and having to ensure I made it to my early morning flight on time was just enough reasons to forego the ride down.
So what does any poker player do when he has a lap top...has an internet connection....is sitting in the boarding area with an hour and a half to kill?
I sit down to play Full Tilt and low and behold I get involved in a hand with a double gutter/flush draw and some guy is lead betting top pair on the flop....with an all-in move in first position. Of course I just have to call his last $34.00. The turn brought my straight and the river brought my flush. I think to myself...sucker...and then I hear a little cheer from behind me. (OK, maybe it was just a groan, but it clearly was in response to the outcome of the hand.) It seems that I had attracted a little crowd who was sweating my play.
Well if you have ever played with me, you will know that I just HATE someone sweating me. Call it superstition; call it insecurity; call it trying to keep my play a mystery; what ever you want to call it...I call it annoying. Not only does it make me feel like my every move is being scrutinized, it also let's people get poker lessons for free.
So what does any poker player do when he has a lap top...has an internet connection....is sitting in the boarding area with an hour and a half to kill?
I sit down to play Full Tilt and low and behold I get involved in a hand with a double gutter/flush draw and some guy is lead betting top pair on the flop....with an all-in move in first position. Of course I just have to call his last $34.00. The turn brought my straight and the river brought my flush. I think to myself...sucker...and then I hear a little cheer from behind me. (OK, maybe it was just a groan, but it clearly was in response to the outcome of the hand.) It seems that I had attracted a little crowd who was sweating my play.
Well if you have ever played with me, you will know that I just HATE someone sweating me. Call it superstition; call it insecurity; call it trying to keep my play a mystery; what ever you want to call it...I call it annoying. Not only does it make me feel like my every move is being scrutinized, it also let's people get poker lessons for free.
The next thing I know, this guy is telling his collegue that he wouldn't have played it that way, that I was a typical internet player who gets rewared for bad play. Huh? I'm not quite sure how I could have played it any differently other than to fold. And if I had done that, I wouldn't have learned how inexperienced you are. You can play with me anytime.......
But now I had to move, because I wasn't giving this guy anymore free lessons. Funny thing is, I kind of think he would not have learned anything from me as it was....since he clearly didn't get the concept of how the game works. Or is it I have a warped sense of how to play...maybe that's it.
Let's check the replay.....
Let's check the replay.....
Saturday, January 20, 2007
News Clip on Jacksonville Poker Game Bust (1/15/07)
Robbery of poker game leads to game being busted.
Friday, January 12, 2007
Why did you raise so much? Donkey.
I was recently playing in a 2/5 NLHE game. The table was fairly tight until we accomodated 11 players when we squeezed in 2 Asian kids who were known to give lots of action. Up until this point in the game, a $25 pot was a large pot. After about 20 mins, the game began to loosen up, and it was becomming the kind of game in which my style of play works best.
One of these players was in early postion and raised preflop to $15. There were 4 callers in front of me and so when the action came to me, I found As9h in my hand and smoothed called. Two more called behind me.
The flop came 10s. 8s. 7s. The initial raiser led bet with $51. Two players reluctantly called and 2 dropped out. Having the A high flush draw and open end straight, I decided to narrow the field as the original better only had another $80 in front of him - so I raised the pot to $250.
The two players behind me quickly dropped and the initial raiser called all in with his $80. The two remaining players in between us each folded, albeit reluctantly. It was now heads up and I was guaranteed to see the next two cards without putting in anymore money.
The player turned over Js7h - having the NUT flush draw and bottom pair. He was currently ahead but by my calculations, I was a favorite to win the hand. Unfortunately, I didn't hit and the younger player more than doubled at my expense.
It was then after the hand was over that an older gentleman immediately in front of me who was in to see the flop said, "Why did you raise so much? Weren't you afraid of getting called?"
I said, "He only had $80 more to call with."
To which he replied, "yeah, so why raise it so much? There were people behind you."
To which I said, "yeah, and they only had $15 committed to the pot."
To which he replied, " not the guys who already called the $51."
To which I replied, "you said behind me, not in front, sir. "
To which he said, "You weren't afraid of them calling?"
To which I just said, "No".
He then went on to mumble something like about being a moron, who didn't know I was beat and was just throwing away money.
Yes, that's it...I was throwing away money. Or could it be that he doesn't understand how to play NLHE? NO, couldn't be that....I must just be a big DONKEY.
What do you think?
One of these players was in early postion and raised preflop to $15. There were 4 callers in front of me and so when the action came to me, I found As9h in my hand and smoothed called. Two more called behind me.
The flop came 10s. 8s. 7s. The initial raiser led bet with $51. Two players reluctantly called and 2 dropped out. Having the A high flush draw and open end straight, I decided to narrow the field as the original better only had another $80 in front of him - so I raised the pot to $250.
The two players behind me quickly dropped and the initial raiser called all in with his $80. The two remaining players in between us each folded, albeit reluctantly. It was now heads up and I was guaranteed to see the next two cards without putting in anymore money.
The player turned over Js7h - having the NUT flush draw and bottom pair. He was currently ahead but by my calculations, I was a favorite to win the hand. Unfortunately, I didn't hit and the younger player more than doubled at my expense.
It was then after the hand was over that an older gentleman immediately in front of me who was in to see the flop said, "Why did you raise so much? Weren't you afraid of getting called?"
I said, "He only had $80 more to call with."
To which he replied, "yeah, so why raise it so much? There were people behind you."
To which I said, "yeah, and they only had $15 committed to the pot."
To which he replied, " not the guys who already called the $51."
To which I replied, "you said behind me, not in front, sir. "
To which he said, "You weren't afraid of them calling?"
To which I just said, "No".
He then went on to mumble something like about being a moron, who didn't know I was beat and was just throwing away money.
Yes, that's it...I was throwing away money. Or could it be that he doesn't understand how to play NLHE? NO, couldn't be that....I must just be a big DONKEY.
What do you think?
Chicago - my kind of town
It's been a while since I've put anything here. I wonder if any of you even come here anymore. No matter. I never really cared who read or didn't read this blog anyways. Although I know of at least on person who would email me regulary to tell me to update. But even he has stopped emailing me as my blog wasn't updated for months. I guess I never wanted this thing to be a chore, but rather an outlet for the creative side of my brain. Not that I was very creative here, but it did allow me to throw some thoughts on paper so to speak.
At any rate, alot of changes have happened in my world since I last posted. I've accepted a transfer within the company I work for and have moved from Texas to Illinois. I will miss Austin for a few reasons, although the one that tops the list is I will miss all of the friends and poker players I have made and played with in my time in that town.
I now reside in the very far northwest suburbs of Chicago. In fact, we are so far out, I sometimes wonder if saying we live in Chicagoland is even accurate. I'm not sure what the official radius of Chicagoland incorporates, but I would have to think we are either outside it or right on the edge.
In my short time here, I believe I already have a fair picture of the poker scene here. There are casinos all over the place, but not all offer live poker. Within about a 2-3 hour drive there must be 8 or 9 casinos, some of them are indian, some are not. Of course the closest one to me doesn't offer live poker...go figure. But within a 2 hour drive there are 2 casinos that do. The shortest drive would be to Potawatimi Casino which is actually in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The only casino in Northern Illinois that has poker is Hollywood Casino in Aurora, but it is a small room of 6 tables and about a two hour drive for me. Probably the best casinos for poker action are in Indiana: Resorts (formerly Harrahs, formerly Showboat) and Majestic Star and Majestic Star II. However, these could be anywhere from 3-4 hour drive for me depending on traffic in and around Chicago.
There is also Rockford Charity Games, which is a traveling casino night for various charities. I've been to several of these and they offer lots of action, both tournament and cash games. This is a great way for charities to raise funds and allow poker players to play poker. They are usually held in the northwest suburbs of Chicago or in and around Rockford. They tend to be the closest organized games for me to go to.
Lastly there are home games. Home games here seem to be a tad different than in Texas, but fundamentally the same. I've been to 4 different locales since I have been here, and all of them leave something to be desired. There are loads more, but I seem to be having a hard time finding any way out here where we live. The closest I have found is about 15 miles from me, which isn't a bad drive at all, but it is on a night that I can't always play.
I haven't found a single home game that has any kind of security. But I guess not enough games here have been robbed to necessitate game runners from instituting it. Besides, if you want security, I guess you can just go to a casino. And there is always the unlikely chance that a home game will get raided too. Of course, I am told no one can remember a home game getting busted here in many years.
Until....
Just this week, a home game was busted in Loves Park, Illinois (west of Chicago outside the city of Rockford). I don't know much about the game or who ran it, I've never played there. Of course "home game" is a bit of a misnomer here as I believe this game was operating on commerical property. Players tell me that the police took all of the poker items - tables, chips, etc. - and all of the cash....including whatever players had in their wallets and pockets at the time of the raid. (I wonder if all of the money actually made it into evidence. ) Some players believe another game turned this game in...eliminating competition. I can't say for sure, I don't really know, so your guess is as good as mine, but it does sound likely. The incident hasn't gained any press but you can be sure it is talked about quite a bit in poker circles.
It seems to me, that we will be reading and hearing about more and more busts as time goes on, since poker has become so popular. I also expect to hear about more robberies as would be robbers find poker games to be an easy target.
At any rate, alot of changes have happened in my world since I last posted. I've accepted a transfer within the company I work for and have moved from Texas to Illinois. I will miss Austin for a few reasons, although the one that tops the list is I will miss all of the friends and poker players I have made and played with in my time in that town.
I now reside in the very far northwest suburbs of Chicago. In fact, we are so far out, I sometimes wonder if saying we live in Chicagoland is even accurate. I'm not sure what the official radius of Chicagoland incorporates, but I would have to think we are either outside it or right on the edge.
In my short time here, I believe I already have a fair picture of the poker scene here. There are casinos all over the place, but not all offer live poker. Within about a 2-3 hour drive there must be 8 or 9 casinos, some of them are indian, some are not. Of course the closest one to me doesn't offer live poker...go figure. But within a 2 hour drive there are 2 casinos that do. The shortest drive would be to Potawatimi Casino which is actually in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The only casino in Northern Illinois that has poker is Hollywood Casino in Aurora, but it is a small room of 6 tables and about a two hour drive for me. Probably the best casinos for poker action are in Indiana: Resorts (formerly Harrahs, formerly Showboat) and Majestic Star and Majestic Star II. However, these could be anywhere from 3-4 hour drive for me depending on traffic in and around Chicago.
There is also Rockford Charity Games, which is a traveling casino night for various charities. I've been to several of these and they offer lots of action, both tournament and cash games. This is a great way for charities to raise funds and allow poker players to play poker. They are usually held in the northwest suburbs of Chicago or in and around Rockford. They tend to be the closest organized games for me to go to.
Lastly there are home games. Home games here seem to be a tad different than in Texas, but fundamentally the same. I've been to 4 different locales since I have been here, and all of them leave something to be desired. There are loads more, but I seem to be having a hard time finding any way out here where we live. The closest I have found is about 15 miles from me, which isn't a bad drive at all, but it is on a night that I can't always play.
I haven't found a single home game that has any kind of security. But I guess not enough games here have been robbed to necessitate game runners from instituting it. Besides, if you want security, I guess you can just go to a casino. And there is always the unlikely chance that a home game will get raided too. Of course, I am told no one can remember a home game getting busted here in many years.
Until....
Just this week, a home game was busted in Loves Park, Illinois (west of Chicago outside the city of Rockford). I don't know much about the game or who ran it, I've never played there. Of course "home game" is a bit of a misnomer here as I believe this game was operating on commerical property. Players tell me that the police took all of the poker items - tables, chips, etc. - and all of the cash....including whatever players had in their wallets and pockets at the time of the raid. (I wonder if all of the money actually made it into evidence. ) Some players believe another game turned this game in...eliminating competition. I can't say for sure, I don't really know, so your guess is as good as mine, but it does sound likely. The incident hasn't gained any press but you can be sure it is talked about quite a bit in poker circles.
It seems to me, that we will be reading and hearing about more and more busts as time goes on, since poker has become so popular. I also expect to hear about more robberies as would be robbers find poker games to be an easy target.
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