Omaha Explained

What you do is get four cards. Doesn't matter much what they are because nobody really looks at them anyway. Next, they put three cards on the board. It doesn't matter what they are because nobody really pays any attention to the flop either. Then one more card for the turn and another one for the river. Same betting scenario as before. Doesn't really matter much what they are, except, for a few of the players that may have "cheated" and looked at their hole cards. These players may now fold if they have absolutely no outs. (Mostly bad sports.) Now, at the showdown, everybody turns over their cards and helps the dealer figure out who has the best hand. You MUST play two cards out of your hand so this usually takes a while and the winning hand is usually found out after a little bit of searching by all of the players and a partially confused dealer. The dealer now pushes the pot to the wrong player and everybody yells at him and he smiles glibly and says, "Oh yeah, sorry" and then sends it in the right direction. Then, after all of that excitement dies down, everybody lets out a collective sigh of relief and gets ready to wind up and do it all over again. Fun game.

Boat vs Boat

"Juicy" Diaries (and the Difference Between Men & Women...)

Jamie's Diary:

Tonight I thought Dave was acting weird. We had made plans to meet at a bar to have a drink. I was shopping with my friends all day long, so I thought he was upset at the fact that I was a little bit late, but he made no comment. Conversation wasn't flowing so I suggested that we go somewhere quiet so we could talk. He agreed but he kept quiet and absent. I asked him what was wrong; he said nothing. I asked him if it was my fault that he was upset. He said it had nothing to do with me and not to worry. On the way home I told Dave that I loved him, he simply smiled and kept driving. I can't explain his behavior. I don't know why he didn't say "I love you too." When we got home I felt as if I had lost him, as if he wanted nothing to do with me anymore. He just sat there and watched TV. He seemed distant and absent. Finally, I decided to go to bed. About 10 minutes later Dave came to bed, and to my surprise he responded to my caress and we made love, but I still felt that he was distracted and his thoughts were somewhere else. He fell asleep - I cried. I don't know what to do. I'm almost sure that his thoughts are with someone else. My life is a disaster!

Dave's Diary:

I lost $4,200 playing poker today, but at least I got laid.

HIGH STAKES POKER -Double Straddle- Elezra vs. Farha

HIGH STAKES POKER - What is an Action Player?

Like I needed to check this out to know.... LOL. I see them every week!

The Juice Re-Incarnate!

HIGH STAKES POKER Daniel Negreanu

All In!!

That phrase was said at least once every 3 hands. That is no, and I mean no exaggeration. I witness the sickest NL game in history last night/ this morning and there are far too many hands to go through. I played great. I mean I was so focused, patient and on my game like never before....but I still got busted. The game was the loosest that it has ever been with some massive stacks for a 1/2 game. I mean massive. The average pot was $400-$600 and the smallest pot for the entire 9 hours I was there was $80 with about 5th or 6th pot was at least a thousand dollars...for a freaking 1/2 game! The sharks come from all over to play just because of one player, HG. I think he just read Super System where Brunson talks about putting pressure on other players and bullying them around. He took that advice to heart. If he had any pair or any runner runner draw, he went all in. The worst part is that he hit a streak where he won just about everyone on the river. His stack was absolutely massive. If he had a pair verses someone's two pair, either he would pair his hole card or the board would pair giving him a miracle higher two pair. My big hand against him was extremely sick. I had played great. I mean I was at the top of my game. I had worked my way up to $800 over the first couple of hours after buying in for $200 so I was feeling good. The standard raise was up to $20 preflop on every hand for HG and there was a few players in so I was in a good spot to call with 8h 4h. The flop came Jd 4d 4c. Perfect! I led out betting $60 and Frank raised $100 when, like clockwork, HG said ALL IN! He by far had us both covered and I insta-called. Frank thought about it for a little bit which was great since he didn't have Js full so I figured he had the flush draw. Frank finally folds and HG turns of 4s 2d....$20 preflop with 42 offsuite, typical HG style. The turn comes a 9d which gives him a flush draw and what comes on the river..... 7d. How much bad luck can I have? The worst part is that he should no class about winning the pot and just how lucky his was. Losing is one thing but losing to someone who acts like they played the hand great and "deserved" the win is useless to me. They worst part is that he ended up losing it all back and much, much more before we had to cut the game off at 6:30 this morning. I rebought in but with such a small chip stake vs the massive stacks around the table, it was a wasted effort and HG ended up putting the final nail in my night when I hit a Q on the flop for top pair vs his 5 for a bottom pair, I'm all in and he catches a 3 to give him two on the river. Just sickening. Oh well. I wanted to play against him tonight b/c he is so horrible and such a luckbox. I'm just pissed that he donked it off to the two tightest players at the table who do not give any action what so ever unless they have locks on the hand.

I played great, put myself in the right spots where I a huge favorite each time but I just was lucky enough to win. Maybe next week will be better. Next year has great potential and I am really looking forward to wiping the slate clean and starting over.

Hope everyone has a good Christmas!

Getting ready to play again...

I've been reading alot of Mike Caro's articles and books lately and although I think there are far better strategy books out there, his thoughts and ideas about the psychology behind when and why you should be playing has really helped me lately. Right now, I think I have perspective on everything and I really have some lofty goals and guidelines for next year. This year started off horrible, and I mean horrible, but the second half of the year has shown great progress but lackluster results. It's not going to be easy but I have implemented new guidelines to my online and live play such as a set number of hands before moving up, keeping notes, controlling emotions, limited time playing, limiting number of tables online, only playing when focused, reviewing each session to learn from mistakes and find improvement. All of these points are ones that the top players do and why not learn from them. In others words, I'm planning on doing the opposite of what I do right now!

Believe it or not, one of my biggest goals is to take a shot at the Raleigh game I read so much about, although I know that I must really focus improving my NLO8 game b/c you guys will crush me right now b/c it would be scared money playing. But its a reasonable and achievable goal none the less. I can hear you smacking your lips right now saying "Come on up here. It's no big deal. Have a sit next to me. Would you like something to drink?" And then a few hours later, "It was nice meeting you. Sorry about that tough beat your just took. Look forward to seeing you next week though." I can even hear the comments after I've left broke, "Man, that guy sucks! Nice guy but what was he thinking calling down with that trash? I really hope he comes back next week, I sure could use another flat screen TV."

Oh well, it all starts over again tomorrow night. I haven't played at the game in a month now and I'm really looking forward to it. The game is running thin and tight which should be great for me. Guess you'll find out on Friday.....

What will $7 billion by you?

An entire city it appears. This project by MGM is simply amazing.

http://www.citycenter.com/default.aspx

High Stakes Poker Jamie Gold Explains HIS play!

Very nice....

It was the COOLER night for me in Cary....

Well, for the second time in 30 days, I lost a tub of cash with the 2nd nut.... And, a couple of times, slow-played the nuts into better nuts! I guess I'm just not trainable....

The Dangers of Flirting

A couple was invited to a swanky masked, fancy dress Halloween party. The wife got a terrible headache! She told her husband to go to the party alone. He, being a devoted husband, protested, but she argued and said she was going to take some aspirin and go to bed and there was no need for his good time to be spoiled by not going. So he took his costume and away he went. The wife, after sleeping soundly for about an hour, awoke without pain and as it was still early, decided to go to the party.

Since her husband didn't know what her costume was, she thought she would have some fun by watching her husband to see how he acted when she was not with him. So she joined the party and soon spotted her husband in his costume, cavorting around on the dance floor, dancing with every hot woman he could and copping a little feel here and a little kiss there.

His wife went up to him and being a rather seductive babe herself, he left his new partner high and dry and devoted his time to her. She let him go as far as he wished, naturally, since he was her husband. After more drinks he finally whispered a little proposition in her ear and she agreed. So off they went to one of the cars and had passionate intercourse in the backseat. Just before unmasking at midnight, she slipped away and went home, put the costume away, and was sitting up reading when her husband came in.

She asked what kind of time he had.

"Oh, the same old thing. You know I never have a good time when you're not there." Then she asked, "Did you dance much?"

He replied, "I'll tell you, I never even danced once. When I got there, I met Pete, Bill Brown and some other guys, so we went into the spare room and played poker all evening."

"You must have looked really silly wearing that costume playing poker all night!" she said with unashamed sarcasm.

To which the husband replied, "Actually, I gave my costume to your Dad, apparently he had the time of his life!"

Famous Poker Quotes...

"My old pappy always used to say, there is no more deeply satisfying religious experience... than cheatin' on a cheater. "

Mel Gibson as Maverick from the movie Maverick

Vegas Trip!

Vegas during the week in December is about as dead as Vegas can get. Until the fight crowd got in on Thursday, the strip was pretty dead. However that didn't mean there wasn't some interesting pots.

The first night we decided to get pretty hammered at the Flamingo playing 1/2 NL hold'em. I discovered that my playing ability comes in waves as I drink. The first few drinks I'm fine, then as I get my buzz on I play really stupid and bad, then as I'm pretty tanked I actually start to play very, very good. The only hand i actually remember from that session was a $650 dollar pot when I got it all in with the nut flush vs the second nuts and coolered a young man from LA.

Wednesday we were off to the Venetian to play in their 8PM tournament. For a $190 fee (including employee's bonus add-on and $50 instant rebuy) you got T4500, 30 minute levels and the ideal blind progression starting at 25/50. I generally stay away from the low-buy in tournaments in vegas as most of them are crapshoots with no deepstack play whatsoever, but this tournament was very nice! A great table draw and excellent format favoring skill wasn't enough for me to survive much past the first break, however.

My arch nemesis, a local low-level semi-pro named Jake gave me the first of three beats very early on. I had built my chipstack to about T6500 a few minutes into the game when he opened the pot all-in for about 3200 chips. I looked down at TT and make the call. He tables 88 and I'm way ahead, but the flop of 8 7 3 doubles him up and puts me on the short stack.

I steal a few blinds, won a nice pot when I flopped the nut strait and I'm back to about 7000 coming back from the first break. During the break, we walked a few feet over to watch Allen Cunningham defeat David Singer in the Las Vegas Open final table occurring right next to the Poker Room. A few hands after break, Jake once again opens the pot all-in with around 5500 chips and I push instantly with KK. He tables 99 and I'm in position to have a great chip lead over the table with this pot. The flop of QQT and another T on the turn looked to send Jake packing, but a 9 on the river kills me and puts me with right around 2500 chips with the blinds at 200/400/25. Under the gun, I push all in with AQ and Jake is in there once again with 99 and it holds up. I lost three pots the entire tournament to the same guy...what a bummer!

Thursday night came and I sat down at probably the juiciest 1/2 table in the history of 1/2 NL hold'em. A rich maniac from LA was raising every pot to 26 preflop, and the ensuing action put around 5-6k on the table approaching midnight. Mr. LA obviously had a disdain for money but he managed to build a stack of around 1K even though he was stuck a little more than that. I ended up cashing out for 800 feeling like I won the minimum at the table considering how much action was going on. Only two hands come to mind, one I won and one I lost. Early on, I flop full house with 33 on a 3 5 5 8 J board and my all-in on the river was called by a novice with J 3. He insta-called and tabled his cards, counted out his chips and announced that he had 85 dollars more and looked to me expecting me to match his stack and give him the pot. He seemed rather confused when I told him i flopped the full house and he was drawing dead on the turn. He continued to be bewildered when the dealer shipped his chips and the $400 dollar pot my way and I still think he left the table not knowing why he lost.

The second hand was probably the poorest hand I've played in quite a while. The maniac raised it to $26 UTG+1 without looked at his cards (most people didn't notice this fact). A weak/tight player called from middle position and i called with ATo looking to flop an ace and trap him for his stack, knowing the maniac was going to push some chips in the pot regardless of what happened. The flop was wonderful....A J 8. He bets 60, middle position calls and I call. The turn is a Q and he makes it around 140. The middle position player calls and then I chicken out. I was completely convinced that the middle position player was in completely love with his hand and I was 100% sure he had me beat. I end up folding on the turn knowing MP was going all the way. The river is a 2 and the maniac pushes all in, MP instacalls and tables Q7 off for just middle pair and its good! he wins a pot over 800 dollars as the maniac had him covered, but at that point i had the maniac covered so I would have nearly tripled up had I not made a bad read. I was sure MP loved his hand and indeed he did, he knew he was good against the maniac and pretty much ignored my presence in the hand all together. I overestimated how much value he would put on me smooth calling both bets in position, so basically i played the hand like a chump and it cost me over a grand! I get some of my chips back from that guy after the maniac left down nearly 1.5K and cash out for a decent $650 profit on my $200 investment, but what could have been!

Some notes: The Luxor is a new favorite of mine to play, only a 4 dollar drop max on every pot and every hour they give away $150 to the highest hand of the hour. That's a pretty decent +EV boost. The Flamingo has gone to a $5/$1 drop now for a max $6 rake on pots which is pretty ridiculous IMHO for 1/2. It seems to me like the low-limit preferences may be shifting as some poker rooms are making pretty stupid decisions in order to boost revenue. Some new hot places to play with good action, decent comps and low rake are Hooters and Luxor to go with some traditional hot spots like the Venetian ($2+/hour comp makes it one of the highest comps on the strip) and Planet Hollywood. Harrah's properties are starting to fall behind.

See you at the tables!

08 Pot Limit in Cary Tonight!

I'm heading down there now.... chum in the water!

Triangle Poker Journal Site Temporarily Down!

I apologize for the temporary issues and we'll have the site back up and running within the next couple of days.

Bugatti Veyron

World's fastest car and best deal (Volkswagen purportedly doesn't make any profit off of the $1.4 million price tag, the CEO just wanted to prove that it could be done and to advance the technology for the other car brands). To relate it to poker: when one of you win the WSOP next year, here goes something to spend your money on. You could, in theory, make it from Raleigh to Atlantic City in 2 hours!

Drew Carey Video on Poker Raids

Recently, Dallas police staged a paramilitary-style raid on a poker game at a Veterans of Foreign Wars Post. Here's a video from Reason.tv hosted by Drew Carey that looks into the raid and the subsequent closure of the post.

"Poker is about as American as baseball and apple pie," Carey says in the Reason.tv video. "It was born here in America. Mark Twain loved it. He's a great American. Until recently, Supreme Court justices had a monthly game. They're great Americans. You'd think playing poker in a VFW hall would be about as American as anything you could do."

"This story highlights the hypocrisy that surrounds gambling in this country," said Nick Gillespie, editor of Reason.tv. "States will gladly take your hard-earned money if you want to play the government's lottery. But if you sit down with some veterans to play Texas hold 'em you may end up with cops, in full riot gear, busting down your door. No one gets hurt when consenting adults sit down for a game of cards. And there's no reason for the government to get involved."

The busted poker players have a court date on December 5, 2007.

Here’s the video link.

The Biggest Pot in HSP History...oh wait...nevermind...

Running it twice...

This has become under a lot of scrutiny recently over at 2+2 because of HSP and playing some monster pots and the players negotiate deals and run it multiple times. I personally think its foolish.... to not run it twice in coin flip situations and when you're in preflop. I play at a few games around town and it's all dependant upon the feel of the game. At my usual spot its really unheard of because most of those guys have plenty of money and they really don't care. Plus, they can only, and I mean ONLY see the money IF they win but never really consider what if they loose. Then they whine about being a favorite to win but still lose. Last time I checked unless you have the check mark next to your name with 100% at the bottom of the screen, it's never a guarantee. Now at a couple other games I play and deal at, its pretty standard to give the option to run it twice even when you're a huge favorite. Example, last week I was dealing the game and one guy made a move with 83o. Given the situation is was a great play b/c of his stack vs the other player's stack and table image, blah blah blah. However he ran against Ks. 9 out of 10 times that would have been a great play but he got caught. They ended up running it twice b/c that would have been the sickest beat of the night and no need to just let dumbass luck prevail. Scott won both hands so the world is right as we know it. But other then that odd hand, its usually standard with bottom set vs top two pair, flush draw vs pairs/sets/straights and so on.

The biggest advantage of running it twice or even making other deals is that it keeps the game running longer and skill plays more of role during the session rather than dumb luck. Trust me, I'm the unluckiest player out there even thought I put my money in good a lot (not all) of the time. Now some would counter saying that it creates a soft game and its easy for collusion to take place. It might. But guess what, the tougher the game the more collusion takes place and sometimes its not as easy to spot. In a game that more hands are shown up, the easy it is to spot who might be playing soft on one player or so on and who might work together. Take that knowledge to the tough games and you'll notice that they take it easy on each other there and you can have an edge on the table. And its like anything else, if you don't like it, then find somewhere else to play or shut up and deal with it.

Simpsons Mastercard Commercial

High Stakes Poker Season 3 Episode 10

Juicy Nite of Omaha 8

What a night! Big hands, big pots, big mouths, big drama, big arguments and big exits.... well, there you go.... Just another night with the Juice! You see, although the Juice isn't always right... he is always the Juice! And most of us wouldn't have it any other way....

I had a couple of big hands... the biggest one, of course, against the Juice when there was a straddle to $30 with about 5 callers and the Juice... pump, pump, pumps it up to another $100 and gets 3-4 callers. I'm on the button with Ah, As, Kh, 5c..... I know, I should have raised it but I was actually hoping that others would play. The flop was beautiful! Ac, 6h, 9h.... so do you think I liked the flop? I've got top set and nut flush draw! The Juice moves all in for about $2000 or so and everyone folds to me. I can't hardly wait to get my chips in the middle when the Juice says, "Do you want me to show you a set of Aces?" I said "Yep, I can do that... how about the nut flush draw too?" So we turn them over.... I don't remember all of his cards, but he had Ax, 6x, 2x.... and I think the other card was an 8. As the cards were exposed, he was almost drawing dead. Or maybe he was "free-rolling" I can't be sure, but of course Mike the Mechanic throws runner-runner low and he gets half the pot with a live deuce! Nice!

Oh well.... should we talk about the drama? Nope, I'll let them blog the drama!

Let the suck outs begin! See you tonight in Cary!

Reminder: Texas Hold 'Em Charity Event Saturday at Tyler's

The tournament will be held this Saturday, December 1st at Tyler's at American Tobacco Campus We ask that you arrive at Tyler's around 10:30 am.

This should be a great time. First flop scheduled for 10:50am. If you're really good (and lucky), expect to play about 3.5 hours. If you're bad and unlucky, college hoops and football will be on the big screens at noon!

If you have not turned your pledges in, please bring them Saturday. Make checks payable to Triangle Community Foundation.

The Top 10 Fundraisers game will take place once all players eligible for that game are eliminated. Top 10 Fundraisers will be announced after all pledges have been counted.

There are still a few spots open. If you know any other players, please encourage them to register, raise some money for these causes, and come out to play cards!

Thanks again to everyone! I look forward to seeing you Saturday.
Chris Rosati
Red Thermometer
(919) 491-5381
https://webmailcluster.perfora.net/xml/deref?link=http%3A%2F%2Fapp.bronto.com%2Fpublic%2F%3Fq%3Dlink%26fn%3DKey%26id%3Dbbvolyruoaduoxkjsxvbeaaptrfabhh%26link%3Dbgxvblijhtbbygwzskgzbvauepunbob

O8 Cary Friday @ 7

Ye Olde Pot Limit Omaha 8 in Cary this Friday @ 7PM... See you there!

AA vs KK...strange hand

Sick hand from HSP

Weekend Poker

Well it was an eventful weekend of poker for me.... It started Friday evening as I was on my way to play in Cary only to find out on the way that due to the holidays, the game was cancelled. I received a call about 9:30 or so from John M that they were playing O8 Pot Limit and I was invited. So after the Canes comeback on Fox Sports I was off to Cary. If I remember correctly I was all-in 3 times in the first four hands..... It was a fun, but painful night as 4 different times I lost with second nut high and my low didn't earn me any of the pot. There were two particularly painful hands. Once I flopped Kings full of queens only to play it perfectly only to find out that one of my opponents flopped quad queens! Whee! The other big hand was against John M when I turned second nut flush and he turned nut flush ----- how do you say "bye-bye to about $900 in one hand?" But again, it was fun, clean, well-run and a great group of guys....


The good news is that Saturday with the Juice helped me recoup my losses from Friday night. There were a couple of big hands ---- early on against Bill T ---- who is one of the nicest guys you'll meet, but he even whispers loud. I am constantly asking him to use his inside voice! LOL. Well, the hand.... I've got Ad, 2d, 7s, 7s ---- the flop 3x, 4x, 7x (yep, it was what my inner voice was calling for.... the pot was straddled pre-flop and raised pre-flop so when I get smacked in the face with this monster there is about $200 or so in the pot already. I lead out with a bet hoping there are a couple of guys who are playing some kind of low and sure enough I get 3 callers including Bill T.... the turn is a suited 8 so I bet about $200 or so and everyone folds except Bill T. The river was the magic ---- another 4. I immediately push all-in and Bill T calls and I scoop the pot. Sweet!


The other hand was Elli's last hand of the night ----- I've got Ax, 2x, 4x, 6x and the flop comes 6, 6, 4 - Elli leads out with a $90 bet and everyone folds to me so I just call... The turn is an 5 and Elli pushed all-in for about $800 or so. I immediately call and turn over the nut/nut ---- He's got a 6 and higher cards which means he could hit a better boat, but it doesn't and he throws all his chips down to my end of the table....


Oh, one more hand... I've got 3s, 4d, 5d, 6s and the flop was Ad, 2d, and everything else was kind of a blur.... I lead out with a pot sized bet and Rick smooth calls along with a couple others.... The turn "horns blaring" 3d giving me the steel wheel... I lead out with about $125 and everyone folds....


Oh... one more... we just played a hand which had 2 fives on the board. I've got 5x, 5x, 9x, 10x and fold pre-flop to a re-raise. The flop is 5x, 8x, Jx and Rick leads out with about a $100 bet and gets two callers.... the turn, the case 5... Quads! Damn it Jim! And of course, Rick goes all-in on the river with one caller and no low! Fortunately, Michael got to see my cards so that my heartbreak could be verified.... I probably would have folded on the flop with the bottom set to Rick's big raise anyway, but you never know.... I'm normally in the donkey mode! One thing for certain, had I seen the turn I would have scooped a big pot ---- probably about $4K if I was in too.


Oh well.... Let the suck outs begin!

It Must Have Been the Juice!

Well, I was killing time earlier tonight and decided I would see what was happening with ONLINE poker so I logged into PokerStars as I still had a little money left from where SuperPlaya loaded me up a while back. I didn't have much so I searched out a low-blind no limit table of Omaha 8. It was fun for a while, but I soon grew bored with it. As the Juice so eloquently described in his recent blog, how you gonna keep 'em down on the farm after they've seen gay... and I really mean... gay Paris! In no time, I had flopped the nuts and pushed all my chips in the middle only to be called by a player who had two cards to the low when the flop came 7x, 8x, Jx. I had 9d, 10d, Ks, As. The turn was a Queen and the river was a Jack.... I lost to an opponent who flopped top pair and runner-runner boat! Whee!

Let the suck outs begin!

High Stakes Poker

We finally found it!

Something that Bill T can do FAST! L-E-A-V-E when he is up after catching big cards for about 3 hours straight! Yep, ye olde syrup-ie himself, the very guy that it would take an hour and a half to watch 60 minutes.... tore out of there last night like it was on fire! So now we know that he can move fast, we just need to apply that knowledge to the game when it's his turn.

But having said that, he played great last night! He made some lay downs at the right time and utilized the big stack to push others around. It was fun to watch!

Nice going Bill.... oh... CLOCK!

Let the suck outs begin!

Action at the "JUICES"

I have not been to a lot of games in the last year other than Vegas and My Game, but I will tell you like it is! I really can't imagine a "Juicier" game. Let's start will Bill T, he brings a blank check to the game- that's all that needs to be said. Eli, will call anyone, anytime, with any hand, what more could you ask for? Elvie, has had a little break from the game, but when at the table - read- Eli's description and multiply it by five!! Lets Talk about Big Dave for a second, He comes with a positive attitude, buys in for no less than ten times, gets sucked out for all his chips by Charles, who we all know is trying to play like Dean, TIGHT & only plays to make this months mortgage and hooker payments! Then you have Tom, I believe he has lost his mind since he has joined the game! I only say this because he will make the call on Rick, who we all know just bought a medium sized Island off the coast of Mexico with the Tuesday nights winnings! When we mention the player know as "Rick" we must face our darkest fears, a poker player at Juice's game who knows how to actually read his hand & place a bet that didn't come from the book of AssinizationRetardation. This is a book that the above mentioned players live by. We also have the Author of the book playing at the game as well, "The Juice"!!! I have lived by that book in my poker room and I will die by the Almighty words of wisdom that I have engraved in every F'N page, ALL-In!! The other players are deanverytight charlesreallytight chadsupertight ronironmiketysontight! Lets find some more guys like "us"...

The Juice

Saturday Juice & O8 NL

Smallish crowd with the Juice last night/this morning.... Rick, the Juice, Bill T (who says he read last weeks blog and is out for payback), Elli and Dean.

I played fairly tight most of the night and did get Nut/Nut one time.... came close a second time and left up for the night. It seemed to me to be the night that Elli wanted to buy Rick a car. He moved against Rick twice in the first two hours and Rick scooped both pots. And they were nice pots... one was around $1800-$2000 and the other well over $1,000.

The food last night was the best that it has been in a while... the Juice is a helluva cook. We had 2-inch-plus steaks with all sorts of sides! It was excellent!

The big hand for me for the night came against Rick and the Juice.... I had As, 4s, 2c, 6h and after calling a pre-flop straddle. Flopped the nut flush draw and the the nut low.... made the nut low on the turn and made the nut flush on the river.... From early position I had to bet and since the turn was bet by Rick at about $75 or so, I thought that $150 each would be the right bet on the river. Both called, no one raised and I scooped....

Let the suck outs begin!

Triangle Charity Poker Classic December 1st at Tyler's

The tournament will be held Saturday December 1st at Tyler's at American Tobacco Campus (play-in games canceled). We ask that you arrive at Tyler's by 10:30 am.

This should be a great time. College hoops and football will be on the big screens at noon. First flop scheduled for 10:50am.

The Top 10 Fundraisers game will take place once all players eligible for that game are eliminated. As of November 14th, all players who have raised over $175 are in this game. But we have word that several more players will be turning in over $200 in pledges. Top 10 Fundraisers will be announced at the Main Event December 1st..

If you have not turned your pledges in, please bring them to the game on December 1st. Make checks payable to Triangle Community Foundation.

There are still a few spots open for the expanded Main Event. If you know any other players, please encourage them to register, raise some money for these causes, and come out to play cards!

Thanks again to everyone! I look forward to seeing some of you in the Top 10 game, and all of you in the Main Event!

Chris Rosati Red Thermometer(919) 491-5381
www.redthermometer.com

So what's the best game out there?

Hold'em is starting to fade a little and Omaha is making a nice run (both regular omaha and omaha 8 or better) but what about the other great games that are out there. Stud high bores me but stud h/l 8 is a great action game and so many players make some of the absolute worst calls that it is a virtual money pit for good players (hence we i have switched over to this game online and doing great at it over at pokerstars). Then there's 2-7 Triple Draw which I have said many times to me is the best game out there today when you play pot limit. Razz is one of my favorite games head's up but is extremely slow at a full table. Of course you can't forget Badugi or Magoogan(sp) as most people I play with refer to it as where unsuited A234 is the nuts.

There are some great games out there but its becoming hard to find good games with people that want to play them. I think that as more people get tired of Hold'em and get busted at playing Omaha they will switch back to some of the traditional poker games and dealer's choice will become popular again soon. I guess it all goes in cycles and now that ESPN showed the HORSE championship last this year, that will peak some interest of more players wanting to return to the basics. We'll just have to wait and see. But for now, let's just keep playing never fold'em hold'em!

Tuesday Juice...

Well, it certainly didn't start off like the previous week with the Juice when in the very first hand there were 5 of us all-in pre-flop! Nice.... that will be hard to beat!

There were a couple of very nice hands for me. One of them, definitely the first time anything like this ever happened. We're playing $5/10/$15/$20 All-IN Omaha 8 No Limit... ok, not every time, but definitely once in a while.... it's $5/$10 O8 No Limit. I've got Qx, Qx, 10x. 10x. The flop.... 10x, 7x, 2x. I bet $85 at about a $120 pot. The Juice calls and so does Rick and Elli. The turn.... Qx! Wow! Nice! I flopped top set and turned top set! How often does that happen. I get so excited I push all-in and everyone folds. The river would have just forced a chopped pot between me and Rick. He always gives me crap about chasing crappy low draws and he laid down an un-counterfeit-able low draw.... thank you sir... it did not go un-noticed nor un-appreciated!

The other big hand came against Bill T and Big Dave... I've got the As, 2s, Jc, Jd. The flop is Jh, 10d, 6s. They check to me and I bet $50 into about a $50 pot (I know, I know, the Juice was away from the table... smallish pot). There are several callers including Bill T and Big Dave. The turn is the Kh. I bet $65 and Bill T raises it to $100 (I know, I know, you can't raise it to $100... you've got to make it $130, but it is his first night out in weeks!) He corrects the raise and Big Dave and I both call.... The river is a magical Qc... turning my top set from the flop into the nut straight. I push all-in and after approximately an hour or so, for some reason I think that Bill T has folded. He mumbles something about being ahead and I turn over my set of Jacks stating that I was ahead the entire time. He thinks that all I have is a set, corrects me, that he hasn't folded and calls my all-in bet with his 9x, Qx straight. I've got him covered with about $1600 in front of me. He only has about $1400 and I scoop all his chips from the side pot and Big Dave and I chop the main pot! Sweet! He will probably never truly recover.... LOL.

Let the suck outs begin!

Important Update for Triangle Charity Poker Classic

ALL PLAYERS NOW HAVE A SEAT AT THE MAIN EVENT! We are simply going to expand the December 1st tournament to include more players. So ALL PLAYERS (including Durham) now have a seat on December 1st!

Bad news - We are doing this because we are short on players for the Raleigh locations. Less players means less money for the charities, so....

WE ARE EXTENDING THE REGISTRATION AND FUNDRAISING PERIOD! All pledges must be received by November 21st.

Good news! The pledges that have come in so far have been GREAT! Remember that the Top 10 Fundraisers will be playing in a game prior to the larger tournament on December 1st.

There are still a few spots open for the expanded Main Event. If you know any other players, please encourage them to register, raise some money for these causes, and come out to play cards!

Thanks again to everyone! I look forward to seeing some of you in the Top 10 game, and all of you in the Main Event!

Poker with John & Big Dave

Well, I finally made the journey to Apex to play $2/$5 No Limit with John and Big Dave tonight. Finding it was no problem and once I arrived I found it to be just as I expected.... great environment and well run. Big Dave was dealing and the only problem that I had was every time he would give me a pair, he would either give someone else a bigger pair -or- let them flop a set. Nice! I am certain that that is something he picked up over at the Juice's. I wasn't able to play late as the family was coming back into town from a hockey trip for the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes playing a small tournament in Atlanta. I've got to go and pick them up in a matter of minutes.

There were only two hands of interest... once when I had an big pair and the board flopped a straight possibility. Akash called a pre-flop raise and then bet $150 at the river into about a $70 pot when there was a straight on the board. He turned over his bluff as he was playing the board too. The other hand was against a guy that bet into an 7x, 8s, Js. I would have probably just smooth called with my 9d, 10d hoping to get other callers, but the people between me and the better folded and the people behind me mucked out of turn so there was really no reason to risk a flush draw getting there. I re-raised his $20 bet an additional $60. He said that he was showing me respect and turned over his top pair and a straight draw. I wanted to be kind as well so I showed him that I had flopped the nut straight. Big Dave, I guess, trying to humor him ran the cards out and he would have made a flush on the river with the four spades on the board and the one in his hand.

So, again... nice place, good guys, good food, a fair rake so I'll definitely be back!

Let the suck outs begin!

Killing Sends Tremors Through City's Illegal Poker Scene

Copied from www.nytimes.com/
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/11/nyregion/11poker.html

Killing Sends Tremors Through City’s Illegal Poker Scene
by Thomas J. Lueck

For years, they have operated in the shadows of Manhattan. With names like Straddle, the Fairview, Playstation and the New York Players Club, they are remarkably well organized, but nonetheless illegal: poker clubs that attract thousands of players at all hours of the day and night.

The players run the gamut, from cabdrivers to retired accountants, with a remarkably large contingent of young, well-paid professionals — people who consider themselves law-abiding citizens and play only for the love of the calculated bluff or the well-played wager.
Their numbers have grown swiftly as poker has vaulted into the spotlight of American pop culture. Texas Hold ’Em tournaments compete for prime-time TV viewers, and the image of the dimly lighted, vaguely sinister poker game has claimed a favored spot in movies. (In a current thriller, “Michael Clayton,” George Clooney first appears on the screen as an emotionally taut player in a back-room poker club in Chinatown.)

In reality, Manhattan’s players are part of a secretive network of “members,” who can join games only after being vouched for by others. Once they are in, they make their way to small, unremarkable office buildings, passing security guards hired solely to protect the club, and enter a clean, well-lighted world of civilized, even businesslike gamesmanship, according to several players who were interviewed. Most agreed to speak only if their names were not disclosed because they did not want to attract the attention of the police.

“I have never seen anything like a criminal element,” said one, a 29-year-old producer for one of Manhattan’s best known broadcasting companies who has been a regular in the poker clubs for five years. “It more closely resembles a retirement home bridge party.”

But that was hardly the atmosphere at 11 p.m. on Nov. 2, when armed robbers in masks forced their way into a crowded club called the City Limit that had been operating for less than two weeks in a seventh-floor office, above a gym, a graphics business and a real estate office, in an unadorned building at 28th Street and Fifth Avenue. One player, Frank DeSena, a former math professor from New Jersey who was a familiar and well-liked presence on the poker club scene, was killed by an intruder’s shotgun.

There have been no arrests in the case, and the police have declined to confirm published reports that the robbers pointed a gun at the head of a security guard to gain entry, and accidentally fired the shot that killed Mr. DeSena.

The killing led to an obvious conclusion — that armed criminals knew the location of at least one supposedly secret club — and sent tremors through the closed circle of Manhattan players and club operators.

“A week ago, there were two or three rooms operating in Manhattan, but now there are zero,” said Steven McLoughlin, a poker aficionado who moderates a poker discussion at twoplustwo.com and closely follows the Manhattan club scene. “You don’t know what can happen.”

A former employee of Playstation, which was one of the largest of the Manhattan clubs until it was closed in a police raid in 2005, said the killing of Mr. DeSena was “the kind of thing we always feared the most. People are really shaken, and this may make them think differently” about going to the clubs.

Nevertheless, it has attracted broad interest in a semisecret world that seems filled with contrasts: responsible adults slipping into clandestine locations like spies in the night, poker stakes of hundreds or thousands of dollars routinely won and lost in an atmosphere of warm conviviality, over pizza, and even milk and cookies, according to the players.

Of course, the profile offered by those who were interviewed in recent days may not fit all underground poker games in the city. High-stakes games in which some players cannot afford to lose, and could be threatened with physical violence if they do not make good on their losses, have historically been part of the gambling underworld and are unlikely to have faded completely from the scene. But the players interviewed said that the Manhattan clubs they frequented for years adhered to an almost universal set of rules: no liquor or drugs are allowed, no bets are accepted on credit, and no one is allowed to play without passing muster among fellow players and being granted membership, sometimes with a fee.

“There are regulars who probably spend too much time in these places, and that is sad to see,” said the broadcast producer. In his five years of experience, he said, there were about five clubs operating in Manhattan at any given time, and he had played at a total of 10, in commercial buildings on the Upper West Side, Midtown, Chelsea, the Flatiron District, the East Village and the West Village.

“But the overwhelming majority are not compulsive gamblers,” he said. “They do this as a way of blowing off steam, and that is healthier than sitting in front of the TV.”

Under state law, the operators and employees of the clubs can be arrested, but not the players. The law makes it illegal to “advance or profit from illegal gambling,” even if the operators do not take a cut of the winnings. They can be guilty simply by providing rented space as a poker club.

Police crackdowns have been periodic in New York City and across the region. On Wednesday night, officers shut down poker parlors in seven towns in Suffolk County, and seized more than $10,000 in cash.

On May 27, 2005, police officers in Manhattan shut down two clubs: Playstation, at 4-6 West 14th Street, and the New York Players Club, at 200 West 72nd Street. Each of the clubs had more than 100 players in attendance when the police arrived, and 39 employees, including dealers, waiters and security guards, were arrested.

But the police acknowledged at the time that they found no weapons, alcohol or drugs in the two clubs. At the New York Players Club, customers were offered valet parking. At Playstation, club waiters were serving Oreo and Chips Ahoy! cookies. The police said both clubs were incorporated businesses that followed fire codes.

The former employee of Playstation had worked at the club for three years, was covered by employee health insurance, paid taxes and was entitled to unemployment compensation after the club closed.

The people interviewed for this article would not say who sponsors and operates the Manhattan clubs, but insisted that there was no hint of involvement by organized crime. They said operators tended to be devoted poker players themselves, who rented office space and opened their clubs largely out of a love of the game and their friendships with other players.

In most cases, players said, they pay the operators based on the time they spend at a table. Few, if any, of the operators claim a portion of the poker winnings. “You sit at the table and every half-hour, or maybe every hour, a bell goes off meaning that everybody has to pay their rent,” said the producer. A typical charge, he said, was $8 an hour.

Despite the enthusiasm of players and their vigorous defense of the clubs, they said it remained to be seen how much of a chill would result from the recent killing. They said the sense of outrage among many players was heightened because Mr. DeSena, 55, was a popular player on the poker circuit.

“Frank was a poster child for the type of person they try to attract,” Mr. McLoughlin said. “He was a sweetheart of a man who always wanted to say hello to everybody, always wanted to shake everybody’s hand.”

“He was a skilled player, and when he lost a hand, he would simply smile,” Mr. McLoughlin said.

The former employee of Playstation said the episode seemed certain to keep players away for some time to come: “Maybe two years from now people will forget about it and come back. But I’m not a gambler myself, and who knows, maybe they’ll be back sooner than that.”


http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/11/nyregion/11poker.html
Copied from www.nytimes.com/

Laliberté Vs Doyle Brunson

JOIN THE PPASA:

Poker Players Against Superplayer Alliance

This announcement is neither about bad beats nor great hands, but rather, it is an effort to work towards improving the overall health of the game of poker. The PPASA is intended to be the prescription for the fungus that calls himself “superplayer.”

Often inciting confrontation and prone to unpleasantness, this unsightly individual has been reported to have recently run players away from local games by engaging in both verbal and physical altercations with players and dealers. This week, one of the most docile players in a local game struck him with a pair of random playing cards after being antagonized to the point of infuriation.

On an occasion in July, a player I will refer to as Kash was assaulted by superplayer at the Sushi joint. The argument started when Kash asked to see superplayer’s cards after having called a bet on the river in a game of hold’em. Apparently, superplayer was unaware of his obligation to expose his cards in this situation, despite professing to play “87 tables at a time” on the internet.

Just two weeks ago, not a hand had been dealt before he was at it again. This time, Slick E, the fastest dealer in town, didn’t even make it through the chip buying process. Superplayer had put three hundred’s on the table while requesting to buy in for two hundred forty six dollars and thirty five cents, as he is want to do. Basically what happens from here on out is Slick E informs him that he cannot accommodate his request and superplayer threatens to pull a knife.

Apparently there would be a part two the next week as we saw the end of Slick E brought about by our local yeast infection. Slick E was snapping the cards like a whip but apparently that wasn’t fast enough for superplayer, who claimed to have seen his card get exposed. Calling out his own card to be a four of spades, he then proceeded to flip it over, revealing a card of a completely different denomination and suit…jackass. Pathetically refusing to accept his embarrassing mistake, he went flailing around the table flipping other peoples cards over in an irritating attempt to catch his one outer. Slick E, always doing what’s right, decided to call superplayer a variety of expletives and storm out.

Superplayer’s behavior crosses the boundaries set by both etiquette and ethics and is frankly often worthy of criminal culpability. The Poker Players Against Superplayer Alliance vows to exert our collective influence on local poker organizers in an effort to rid the triangle poker community of his general douchebaggery.

Additionally, we will advocate for local poker players to refer to him with a more accurately descriptive moniker. It has occurred to most of us that he is not, in fact, “super” at all, but rather a far more pedestrian variety of player. Any one of the following nicknames would be more appropriate:

Mediocreplayer
Hemorrhoid of Poker
Gayerplayer

Help improve the state of the game and join the PPASA!

PETER GRIFFIN OUTFARTS MICHAEL MOORE

I actually caught the original episode on TV tonight! It is still hilarious!

To Speak or Not To Speak....

THAT is the ethical question.....

Yep, at least once a week it happens! And if I played more, I'm sure I'd see it more often. I'm in a hand, heads up or close to it. I've acted and the action moves to someone else at the table. And then, someone not in the hand, starts to rattle off their interpretation of the action. Either what they believe that I would make such a move with or what hands available would be a good call. Not always do they make the right interpretation, and in fact, most of the time, they're wrong, but I have made my play against the remaining people in the hand based on the way that I would expect for them to react.... either with a call or a fold. The last thing that I need is some jack-legged, penis-impaired commentator putting their spin on the hand that COULD change my competitors normal reaction and thus screw up my play. Sorry, that sort of got out of hand there.... I know we've all gotten a little loose with it, especially those of us who play in the Juice's pool because rules don't apply there that do apply at practically every other game on the planet. But we all put it up with it because in most cases it is the Juice and there are no trees in his world... at least that he didn't plant or permit to live.

In most instances, I think the comments are made without really thinking about the consequences for the other people in the hand. I don't think they are made to hurt or provoke the player making the play - I think it is done just to keep some conversation going at the table, but a lot of times, these pots are of consequence and all of us just want one player to a hand. Again, I'm fine with table conversation, I just don't think that anyone that is NOT in the hand should be making any comments good, bad, right, wrong or indifferent that might impact someone else's action.

The other night I called a guy on it when I had a made a big re-raise at the Juice and the chatty observer was taunting the Juice to make the call or something to that effect... I know he wasn't doing it to cost me money, but it could have worked out that way. He cited the prodding by the Juice in pre-flop Omaha 8 when the Juice is trying to get the entire table to straddle all the way around the table so that essentially everyone is all-in.... pre-flop.... blind! While there are some similarities as the Juice is pleading with each player in turn to put in a blind raise, it is different because it is blind and pre-flop so there really isn't much of a strategy other than do it and hope to hit the flop and then make some crazy over-bet to isolate to one or two players. Not a very good strategy as in most instances you'll miss and some maniac playing Jx, 9x, 7x, 5x rainbow will flop quad nines. The other difference is that the Juice is still IN that hand while chatty-Kathy's prodding came at a time when I had raised, everyone else had folded to the Juice and our commentator was already out of the hand! No big deal other than it's just not correct poker etiquette.

It happened the previous Friday in Cary when Elli raised after the flop when the flop was 9x, 5x, 5x. Everyone folded to me and I was holding Quad-Fives. Normally, in most hands, you might want a call, but unfortunately I really didn't have a low draw so I would have been more than happy to take the pot as it was at the time so I potted it. He called and by the time the turn card hit, he was putting all of his chips in the pot on what was a pretty poor low draw and yeppirs... he got there! Nice!

I know that Tom has felt it as well... he began a blog a while back called "Thrown Down the Well" and if I remember correctly, it was a slightly different circumstance, but close. I believe if you're in a cash game and a guy goes all in and there are two callers, if they say something like "do you want to check it down?" or anything even remotely close to that, well, I probably shouldn't say what I truly feel, but it's just wrong! Oh, you can think about it, but don't you do it!

The other thing that is pretty annoying are the guys who once the hand is over MUST announce what they think your cards are in an effort to show what a masterful reader of players and cards they are! Yep, at best, they'll connect with my actual cards about once or twice a night. I just smile and say "how'd you know?"

At any rate, I thought that I would throw it up on the board and see if anyone else had any comments on this child's game practice. I don't believe that it is actually in violation of any poker rules other than perhaps the "one player to a hand rule" but it is ALWAYS in violation of good poker etiquette.

So... to speak or not to speak? In a word, STFU!

And Let the Suck Outs Begin!

Randy Jones Levels Patrice Bergeron

I know its not poker, but its definitely gambling....

NYC: Poker Player Shot, $100,000 Missing

NYC: Poker Player Shot, $100,000 Missing
by George Smart


NYC: November 4, 2007 -- Detectives hunted yesterday for a trio of brazen robbers who killed a New Jersey man in a Flatiron poker room during a $100,000-plus heist that went down like a scene from a Hollywood flick and left seasoned gamblers cowering for their lives, cops said.

Frank Desena, 55, of Wayne, was playing at an underground club on the seventh floor of an office building at 251 Fifth Ave., at around 11:15 p.m. Friday when three black-clad, ski-masked robbers invaded and killed him by accident, said witnesses.

The robbers - who displayed a flair for drama by calling each other "One," "Two" and "Three" - "walked in and screamed, 'Everyone get down on the f- - -ing floor!' " a player recounted.

The hoods ordered the players to put their cash on the tables and lie on the floor. They also beat the room's cashier to make sure he handed over all the house's money, said witnesses.

Suddenly, one of the robbers dropped his sawed-off shotgun. As he picked it up from the floor, the gun fired, mortally wounding Desena in the torso, two witnesses said.

"Everybody in the room is a bunch of hard-asses," said a player. "So everyone was pretty calm until the guy got shot."

After the shooting, the robbers gathered up their cash and fled. A police source estimated the haul at over $100,000.

Desena died just before midnight at St. Vincent's Hospital. A Queens native, he had master's degrees in business, computer science and philosophy, and worked nine years as an economic forecaster for AT&T. He's survived by a wife and daughter.

The poker room, which one patron said had about 12 tables, opened within the past 10 days. Its operators had at least one other club called Straddle, that was shut down by police several months ago after a robbery, said customers.

Poker was all that went on at the club - its owners didn't even allow alcohol, said a female gambler who was disappointed to find the place shuttered yesterday. "It's a totally friendly atmosphere," she said. "Everybody knows each other. It's like your freaking book clubs."

High Stakes Poker - Season 4 Ep10 (5/5)

High Stakes Poker - Season 4 Ep10 (4/5)

High Stakes Poker - Season 4 Ep10 (3/5)

High Stakes Poker - Season 4 Ep10 (2/5)

High Stakes Poker - Season 4 Ep10 (1/5)

No Game Tonight in Cary!

He told us... if there weren't enough players by 8PM, we wouldn't wait beyond 8, we'd just try it again next week. There were only a handful of players there before 8 tonight so we packed it in and will hopefully have enough to play next week.

I like it this way. Call and let him know you're running late, be there or no game! I like it!

Let the suck outs.... wait for a day or two!

I told you so....

I transferred some money over to Greene this past weekend, only 20 bucks but he's been whining forever about wanting to play online and I kept telling him that he really doesn't b/c its much harder to win at the small stakes since there are some really great players there that don't have a bankroll or like me have no bankroll management skills what-so-ever and the suckouts are just as commonplace as him lighting up a cigarette at his game on Friday nights. So I'm sitting at Panera today trying to do some work and eat and play some online during a late lunch when my phone rings.

Greene: "I need you to transfer me some more money!
Me: "WTF?"
Greene; "I'm broke"
Me: "WTF?"
Greene; "It's harder then what I thought it would be"
Me: "LOL"
Greene; "Just transfer me some more money and I'll pay you back Friday"
Me: "ROFLMAO"

Oh well, let's see how long this transfer last...

Learn the Poker Rules - www.pokerlistings.com

Learn the Poker Rules
When you’ve found the perfect poker chips and poker table tops for your home game, you should focus on the rules for different poker games. Everything will go smoother if you know what to do in tricky situations.

It’s easiest to use the official poker rules, but you can also make a few changes that will suit your game.

From Shinola to Shite

It was one of those nights last night at O8 No Limit where the Juice was betting all the come and they were all getting there.... He was so proud of himself too. He was quite cute.

Dean-o has been on a quite a roll lately too.... it certainly seems like most of his draws were getting there.

I had two big draw hands on the night, one got there, one didn't. The first one was against SuperPlaya and Tom. I flopped top set when the board came Kx, 9x, 6x. I put a bet out of about $65 or so and Shirkie, Tom and a couple other called. The turn brought in a second diamond and another low card. I figured it was time to run out the low draws so I bet $150 on the turn and SuperPlaya moved all-in for another $75 or so. Everyone folded to Tom and he smooth called so I pushed all-in and Tom called. SuperPlaya was posturing trying to get Tom to fold stating that he and I would make a deal if everyone folded. Somehow I just didn't feel like making a deal. I guess sometimes I can be hard-headed and then those other times, I'm sleeping. At any rate, with Tom in the hand, there was no chance of a deal. The river paired the board with another 9 and I scooped my biggest pot of the night. Close to $2K. I think it was actually $2400 before the rake... LOL.

The next monster hand that I flopped I was holding Ah, 2h, 2s, 4s when the flop came 4d, 7h, 8h. What a monster! Nut low and the nut flush re-draw. Rick checked and I bet about $100 or so into the $300ish pre-flop pot. Ron and Rick smooth called. I believe the turn was a harmless paint card and I bet another $150. Ron pushed all-in for another $100 or so and Rick and I both called. The river was a 3x and Rick quartered me and Ron with the second nut straight... Nice! I think that I was quartered about 6 times last night. How I managed to leave UP for the night, I have no idea.... oh yeah, Kings full of nines.... I remember!

Let the suck outs begin!

Poker Roundtable: Strategic Slow Playing

Not Slow Rolling....

Dirty Sexy Money

Keep the pot under $500 Million so that no one gets hurt....

Q of hearts...again? nh

It was nice to be playing live again last night. I swore off this game until the first of the year but I have been hearing about how sick the action has been and decided to come out of retirement. I finished even for the night which after being down to $12 was a great comeback. I went all in with 22 and won a three way pot and then a few hands later all in with AK and grinded my way back up to $240. Not bad since I was never really up any during the entire night. I made some great bluffs but was called down with some very...very weak hands. It would be different if they were making great calls but most of it was just people not wanting to fold weak hands. After the first few failed bluffs, I just went to playing locks against the donks and would get paid off everytime. The only problem was that I kept getting sucked out on the river soooo many times. But hey, I finished about even it and it was good to get out of the house.

Now about the Q of hearts. She was everywhere by the end of the night. I mean, that tramp was getting used more to screw everyone at the table than one of those Bunny Ranch girls on tv last night... The biggest hands of the night was when the board showed KhJhTsAhTh and Wildman had As full only to get crushed by Coach's straight flush. Then about an hour later, Coach has the Qh again to make quads on the river vs Billy's Q's full of A's. Talk about being on the right side of dumbluck. In both hands the river gave Coach the nuts and luckily for him, the other players had really solid hands that bet into him.

Hopefully I put together a nice session tonight at the Friday Night Luckbox & Suckout game where guys play the worst poker of anywhere in NC....I love it!!!!

Sidenote: We played NL HE the entire night which was fine but if the dealer is going to beg for tips then he should be dealing more than 10 hands an hour!!!!! The TVs are there for the players who are giving you waaaaaaaayyyyyy too much money in the first place b/c you're friends. Guess that's what I get sitting at the JV table and not the Varsity table where the game runs alot smoother.

Triangle Charity Poker Classic Reminder

For those of you who have registered, thank you again for registering to play and for supporting these charities:

John Avery Boys & Girls Club
Durham Animal Protection Society
Duke Children's Hospital & Health Center
Komen for the Cure - NC Triangle
The Triangle Community Foundation's Community Grantmaking Program

Remember that the Top 10 Fundraisers are invited to the Main Event and will be invited to play in a pre-Main Event game the week of November 26th. The winner of that game will present their charity with a check for an estimated $1000.

We are still looking for players, so please spread the word: http://app.bronto.com/public/?q=link&fn=Key&id=braluejbsxdaqyjjdkqjoppucyddbpp&link=bsfpijidhaxrxvbutbmpirlbguxgbfk. Play-in events begin November 9th. Thanks again!


Charles E. Richards
Triangle Poker Journal
PO Box 31102
Raleigh, NC 27622
(919) 796-5082

Gambling Bills Before Congress

Three Internet gambling bills, pending in House committees, propose:

•The Skill Game Protection Act (H.R. 2610), sponsored by Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.), would distinguish "games where success is predominantly determined by the skill of the players involved" — including poker, backgammon, bridge, chess and mahjong — from games of chance. Games of skill would not violate federal restrictions against "bets or wagers" online. The bill also would prohibit anyone under the age of 18 from playing any games for money online.

•The Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act of 2007 (H.R. 2046), proposed by Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), would allow federal licensed online companies to accept wagers. The bill also would prohibit Internet gambling on professional sports.

•The Internet Gambling Regulation and Tax Enforcement Act of 2007 (H.R. 2607), proposed by Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.), would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to regulate Internet gambling.

http://thomas.loc.gov/

Saturday Juice & O8 NL

There were only a couple of outstanding hands for me last night.... other than the one that Rick quartered me in. The P"rick"....

The first came a couple of hours in. I had been trying to play premium hands and just wasn't catching any cards at all so when I find As, 2s, 5h, 6h on "my" straddle, I gently raise the $30 re-straddle by Elli another $50 or so. I guess the poker gods felt they owed me on because after getting 4-5 callers, the flop was rainbow 2x, 3x, 4x. Ye Olde Double-Nuts! Since I was UTG I decided to see if anyone else caught anything and check the first round and everyone checks. The turn is a harmless Queen so I decided to bump her up a little and bet $100 and Tom and one other person calls. The river is ANOTHER Queen and I push all-in and Tom calls. Tom flopped the wheel as well and I quartered him.

The next one came really late against the Juice. He makes it $60 to go on the flop and I've got Ah, 2s, Kh, 5h. I had many similar hands like this all night and almost never caught any kind of flop. At any rate, the flop is a similar one from last week.... 7h, 7x, 7x and it checks all the way around. The turn is the 6h and I bet a little and Dave pushes all in for about $2,000 or so and I immediately call. I just couldn't put him on any hand that scared me.... the river was a brick and I scooped the pot with nut-no-pair, AK. Sweet!

I lost a little but it was fun anyway. Unless of course, you ignore the complete lack of it!

Let the suck outs begin!

West Virginia Starts Live Poker Today!

Two Rooms Bring 57 Tables to State

By the end of the day, two poker rooms will have opened up in West Virginia, and the rooms were approved by the residents in the counties where the casinos resides.

Mountaineer Racetrack in Chester opens its 37-table River Poker Room at 4 p.m. ET today, and Wheeling Island opened its 20-table room this morning. Both rooms will be open 24 hours a day and will spread games found in most casinos: Limit games starts as low as $2-$4, and no-limit starts as low as $1-$2 with $50 minimum buy-ins ($200 max).

The rooms will also run daily tournaments, but the schedules have not been finalized yet.

The poker rooms are the first stage in expanding the gaming at the tracks, where, for years, only wagering on the dogs or the ponies and playing slot machines was offered. Soon, the casinos will be getting blackjack, roulette, and craps, as well.

Voters in the two counties where the casinos are located voted to approve the gaming expansion this summer. Voters in Jefferson County voted to not allow table gaming at the Charles Town casino in southern West Virginia.

IRS Announces Poker Withholding Plans

IRS Announces Poker Withholding Plans
by George Smart


Casinos and other sponsors of poker tournaments next year will be required to report most winnings and winners to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, the agency announced Friday.


The new requirement, which goes into effect March 4, 2008, was contained in guidance released Sept. 4 by the Treasury Department and the IRS.


The guidance is designed to clear up confusion about the tax reporting rules that apply to poker tournaments. In recent years, some casinos and players have been confused over whether poker tournament sponsors who hold the money for participants in a poker tournament are required to report the winnings to the IRS and withhold tax on the winnings.


For tournaments completed during 2007 and before March 4, 2008, casinos and other sponsors of poker tournaments will not be required to report the winnings to the IRS or withhold tax on the winnings. But beginning March 4, 2008, the IRS will require all tournament sponsors to report tournament winnings of more than $5,000, usually on an IRS Form W-2G.


Tournament sponsors who comply with this reporting requirement will not need to withhold federal income tax at the end of a tournament. If any tournament sponsor does not report the tournament winnings, the IRS will enforce the reporting requirement and also require the sponsor to pay any tax that should have been withheld from the winner. The withholding amount is normally 25 percent of any amounts that should have been reported.


So that tournament sponsors can comply with this requirement, tournament winners must provide their taxpayer identification number, usually a social security number, to the tournament sponsor.


If a winner fails to provide this identification number, the tournament sponsor must withhold federal income tax at the rate of 28 percent.


All winners, by law, must report all their winnings on their federal income tax returns. This rule applies regardless of the amount and regardless of whether the winner receives a Form W-2G or any other reporting form.

Online poker cheating blamed on employee

AbsolutePoker.com says ‘geek’ hacked system to prove it could be done

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21381022/

Georgia Poker Bust HomeOwner Interview

Vanity Plates

I hadn't really noticed before, but I find it interesting that almost everyone in our poker group has vanity plates. I guess your plate says a lot about you, both at and away from the table. Here are a few of ours...

Eli:

Bill:

Chad:

Elvie:

Rick:

John M:

John S:

Dave:

Charles:

Dean:

Legality of Poker Tournaments to be Tested in Pennsylvania

Legality of Poker Tournaments to Be Tested in Pennsylvania
by George Smart

Is poker a game of skill or a game of chance? That question is about to be played out in the courts of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. This unlikely location could set a precedent due to the actions of a local attorney who claims that poker is a game of skill, and therefore not considered gambling under the State Constitution. The preliminary punches in this battle have landed, and so far it seems to be an evenly matched debate.


The saga began earlier in the year with the arrest of Larry Burns, a local attorney from Westmoreland County. The reason for the arrest, which included simultaneous raids on Burns' home and a local poker game, was because Burns was organizing a number of poker tournaments for profit.


The allegations have never been disputed. In fact, Burns openly admits to organizing the events, which he maintains are perfectly legal under the Pennsylvania State Constitution. Burns' defense is simple - the law does not define poker as a game of chance, and therefore it is not gambling. Organizing a tournament centered around a game of skill, even if done for profit, is perfectly legal in Pennsylvania.


While the Burns case is not yet "officially" under way, the opening debates have now began, with both sides scoring some important victories for their case. Although both sides score victories in the preliminary rulings by Richard McCormick, Jr., many argue that the 63-year-old Burns came out ahead of the prosecution in this early round.


The major victory for the prosecution, headed up by District Attorney John Peck, came in the form of the courts holding more than $11,000 in cash that was seized at the poker game, along with tournament records and other documents. Burns had petitioned the court to have these items returned, but for the time being they will remain in the evidence locker.

'Nuff Said

Britney has nothing on Charles!

Spears Charged with Brit and Run
Posted Sep 21st 2007 11:59PM by TMZ StaffFiled under: Celebrity Justice, Britney Spears

Britney Spears has been charged with one count of hit and run causing property damage and one count of driving without a valid California license. Both charges are misdemeanors, each carrying a maximum of 6 months in jail...

Tuesday Juice.....

It was a bizarre night with the Juice Tuesday night, partially because for about the first hour or two, there wasn't any Juice. Yep, the group started arriving around 8pm or so. We started playing around 8:30 and it was probably after 10pm before the Juice came down stairs. And even with Elli there, it was a quiet crowd and NO action. The biggest hand that happened before the Juice came downstairs was me doubling up Rick. The flop was Qx, Jx, 6(I think) and it checks to me. I've got pocket Jacks and make about a $60 bet and Rick raises it to $125. Well he only has about $200 more so I just put him all in and he turns over pocket Queens and rivers the case Queen for quads..... nice!


A couple of big hands later, I'm the big blind and it's late enough that the action is starting to get a little out of control. The Juice straddled the $5/$10 blinds to $30 and Elli straddled it to $60. I believe that Rick called, Chad called and I pushed all in for about $400 or so. Not that I thought that it was great, but I thought that it was probably good against Dave and maybe Elli.... my hand was a paltry Jc, Jd, 9s, 8s. Dave called and Elli called. The flop was 7d, 7h, 7s giving me a boat... sevens full of Jacks. A couple of the guys had told me they laid down a Jack or two so that meant the boat that I had probably wouldn't improve. It turned out it was way good and both Elli and the Juice began calling for low cards. The turn was a 6s and the river was the 10s giving the me the 10-high straight flush and no low got there..... scooper!


About 20 minutes later, after Dave had out-played me in a hand, I believe that we were in about the same sequence and I peer down to find A, A, 5, 6 double-suited. I smooth call and the Juice pumps it up to about $100 more and Elli called, Rick called and I believe that Chad called too. When it gets to me, I like my hand, but I only want to play it against 1 or 2 players, not Pharaoh's army. So now the pot has about $500-$600 in it so I push all in for about $1100 more. The Juice immediately folds... p#$%y. Elli struggles with it but makes the call and so does Rick. The flop was Q, 8, 8 and Elli pushed all in for about $3000 more. Rick made a crying fold thinking that Elli had a hand. It turns out that all Elli had was A, Q and no eight. Rick was pissed. And poor p#$&%y Dave.... he would have flopped Queens full! LOL. LMAO. Had Rick stayed in he would have made broadway and scooped the pot, but thanks to Elli's quick thinking (thank you very much), my two pair, Aces up, scooped one of the largest pots of the nights, about $3700 or so.


I stayed a little while longer, but I do have a day job, so I checked out with a tidy profit and left a table full of whiners behind. Especially the Juice!


Let the suck outs begin!

Man Killed During Poker Game in Florida

Copied from WFTV

http://www.wftv.com/news/14348754/detail.html?taf=orlc

Man Killed During Poker Game in Florida

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- New Smyrna Beach police are desperately trying to find two masked men responsible for a fatal home invasion at a house known for gambling. Police said 62-year-old David Michael Turner was killed overnight when two masked men stormed into the house on Mill Run Drive and demanded money during a poker game.

SLIDESHOW: http://www.wftv.com/slideshow/news/14350716/detail.html

Investigators are still trying to figure out if the man killed inside the home was targeted or if it was random. He doesn't live there; he's from Port Orange.

Some in this neighborhood don't think it was random. They say everyone knows the homeowner hosts card games several nights a week and the players bring a lot of cash.

Residents in a New Smyrna Beach neighborhood woke up Tuesday morning concerned about what happened inside a home in the 500-block of Mill Run Drive.
"This is a quiet neighborhood. Nothing ever happens around here. Just a tragedy," said neighbor John Kates.

Police said, around 9:30 Monday night, about eight people were playing poker at the home when two masked men stormed in and demanded their money. An argument started and the suspects fired several shots. One of them hit 62-year-old Dennis Michael Turner, who drove over from Port Orange to play poker.

Investigators don't know if the masked men were after Turner or the homeowner.

"I knew something was going to happen over there eventually," an unidentified neighbor said.

Neighbors said the homeowner is a frequent gambler and card player. He even has cards painted on his driveway. Neighbors said he normally had people over throughout the week for games and a few months ago he told them someone broke in and got away with a lot of money and valuables.

"They got him for $30,000, some guns and gold he had in the house, but he wasn't home at the time," Kates said.

Investigators said it's possible the homeowner could face charges, depending on how high the stakes were during Monday night's poker game.

"In Florida, you can have penny ante game up to $10 per hand and it's perfectly legal, so we're not sure how much they were gambling dollar-wise, but we're looking into that also," said Sgt. Michael Brouillette, New Smyrna Beach Police.

While investigators are looking into the gambling, they said their top priority is tracking down the two masked men.

http://www.wftv.com/news/14348754/detail.html?taf=orlc

Copied from WFTV