Tues Evening with the Juice, May 29

Things started slow at the Juice's this Tuesday. Most of the usual suspects were running late to the game. It was probably 9:30 before the table was full and things began to hop. We were doing a round of Holdem and then a round of Omaha. The action always got exciting when it was Omaha time. The Juice (SOP) standard operating procedure almost always had a Straddle with a guaranteed bump pre-flop. I was holding my own as the evening pasted and had managed to build up a chip stack of about 1000 bucks worth when my first notable hand came. I was the Button and had a Kx 9x 4x 4x. The flop was Jx 9x 9x. How nice, I flopped a three 9's. Bill T to my left and I had it all in after the turn hit hard with a Kx. The river was another K and Bill T throws out his hand and annouced Jacks over Kings....he flopped the nuts - Jacks over nines. I said Kings over nines and scoupped a nice pot to give me a stack of around 1600.

The next notable hand that I was involed in came around 2 AM. I had 2x 5x 5x 8x. The Juice jazzed up the pot preflop to about 150 to call. The usual suspects were in the pot - just about everyone! The flop comes Jx 6x 7x. I like my hand and hope I can see the turn. The action is on me so I make a 100 bet and get about six callers. The turn comes a 4x and I have the nut straight. The flop and turn are rainbow. I go all in and get the same six callers. I am praying that the board doesn't pair or a card that destroys my existing nut straight doesn't fall. The river is a miracle Ax. I said double nuts out of excitement as I through out my hand. The Ax was the case A and managed to counter fit all the nut lows and made my 2x 5x good for a scupper of a monster pot well over 5K. I stacked all those chips in front of me without counting them and looked at the Juice and said "CASH ME OUT"!

The only thing better than cashing out for that much with a buy in of 400 was getting home by 2:30 AM, getting laid, sleeping in till 6:30 AM, and then knowing that when I woke up that Rick would still be going at it with Charles and Ellie and by 8:30 AM Rick would have all their chips and not Mine!

Charles' Greatest Hits

Anyone who has played poker with Charles is painfully (literally) aware of his singing, humming and whistling, um, prowess. How many times have you been sitting next to him, and as he was emanating some noise that can only be described as the mating call of the manatee, thought to yourself “Boy, I wish I could listen to this all day long!?” Well, now you can! In a special collaboration, Time/Life Books, K-TEL, the Franklin Mint, Home Shopping Network, the Helen Keller Institute, and William Hung have all come together to bring you Charles’ Greatest Hits!

You get unforgettable standards such as:

Keep Calling With That Crap!
(I Feel Like I’m In) A Room Full of Donkeys
Uh-KAAAY
Where’s Dave?
That Warm Spot in the Water (Isn’t What You Think)

Now, these songs alone would be enough to keep you up night after night. But wait, there’s more! You’ll also receive these timeless classics:

Badonkadonk!
(Why Don’t You Just) Roll Over and Piss on Yourselves!
Nice Suckout, *&%$#!
Ay-Deeeen
Rick is Soooooo Lucky

This selection is not sold in stores, and won’t last for long. It’s only available through this special offer. If you order in the next 30 minutes, we’ll throw in:

Hee-Haw!
(Hey Dealer, I Think I Got) Shorted Again
Cold-Decked to Death!
Get the Monkey! (And Give it to My Opponent)

How much would you pay for an incredible selection like this? In most poker rooms you could expect to get paid several hundred dollars while listening to these one-of-a-kind originals. However, if you act right now, we’ll also throw in an extra bonus track:

Who Wants to Chop? (Duet with The Juice)

Yes, this compilation has it all! This amazing collection would normally sell for close to $2.00. Since Charles has a small family, however (and even most of them reneged on their promise to buy it), we’re forced to sell the overstock for the low, low price of just .99 cents. Satisfaction guaranteed, or we’ll send a second one free! Don’t wait – order yours today!

Disclaimer
Listen at your own risk. May cause temporary bulimia. His humming has been proven to attract alien spacecraft and dogs in heat, while driving away most humans. His singing may cause uncontrollable snickers. His whistling has been known to shatter Pyrex™, and in some cases (including his), cause listeners to become tone-deaf. Not responsible for hearing loss, or for any permanent psychological damage to listener. Though it may sound like it, no farm animals were injured during the recording session.

D'Amato Interviewed in News/Polling Segment

WSOP 2007

With just a few days away from the first cards flying for the WSOP event in Vegas. Several of our close friends are planning their trek to holy land of poker! I would like to challenge all of you guys to carry a laptop with you and PLAN on blogging some of your action. I'll try to keep a running tally of events and finishes for you for our local guys who keep me informed!



Don't wait! Start blogging today! I promise it won't hurt long!

Friday nite poker with JC

It was another one of those nights where you find yourself.... patience, patience, screwed! It happened about a half dozen times last night.... hmmm, this morning. My son went to see the new Pirates last night so I spent some time with my lovely wife and headed down to Cary for the Friday night Omaha 8 Pot Limit game. I must have been high as I called before I got past Crabtree to check the status of the game and I somewhat suspected, there was a full table with a 1/3 table waiting, and I still went down there. I think that it might have been the allure of the 3 players waiting (and therefore, in front of me in the line).... Rick, John M and Ellie. When I got there, I didn't hardly even go in the poker room as Rick and John M were playing a tournament in the foyer on a coffee table... flopping the cards on the top of an upside down phonebook. The bottom of the phonebook was being used as the top of the phonebook had upper right and lower right corners curled up from frequent use. Interesting as I hardly ever use a phonebook anymore with the availability of such good information on the internet. The chip stacks were about even and they decided to call it a tie and play some $5/$10 No Limit hold'em with me and Ellie. Within about an hour we had more action than the O8 game. Pretty soon there were some folks leaving the O8 game and Rick was the first to go... then John and Ellie and I played heads up for about a half hour for John S decided to sell his seat to Ellie. In 3 different hands, I flopped top pair and he would call my bets with bottom pair and either two pair on the turn/river or make trips with his bottom or second pair. Killing me.

When I went in to the poker room to watch a little of the action, I did some quick math and determined that there were only nine players at the table. This is actually a house rule as there are about 4-5 players who really slow down the action. O8 is one of those games where the house rake can really suffer if there are some slow players or "drama" players at the table. Guys who insist on squeezing the life out of their hand before every action and then when they do call, rather than just announce their action, will slowly and deliberately count out their action using their smallest chips. C'mon guys! Move! Chuck has really improved in his handling of the deal and running the game. Every time there's any action, he stacks the chips in stacks of 10 so it is fairly easy to determine what the appropriate pot limit bet is at any given time. If we screw that up, Rick, the math whiz, can tell us within a dollar or two at any given time exactly what is in the pot without even checking the stacks. Scary. So I make a quick plea to stretch the game to 10 players and although everyone at the table was OK with my dead money getting in sooner than later, it took about 15 minutes of convincing Joe to permit me in the game. I try to play pretty quickly and although I am little larger than most, because of the kneeling chair that I use, I really don't take up as much space as some because the chair footprint is much smaller.

Well, back to the story.... patience, patience, screwed. Probably the best example of this was a 3 way hand after the turn with Rick and Big Dave. (Rick is on the other end of the table from me and I am on the Big Dave's immediate left. At any rate, the turn gives me the nut straight with 6, 7, A, 9... the board is 4x, 5x, 10x and 8x. Dave had bet the flop and then a nice bet on the turn. I had my suspicions so I just smooth called. When he made the $300 bet on the river, I had a really good idea that either my nut high was going to get quartered so I only smooth called. Sure enough, Dave turns over almost the same hand with A, 6, 7 (don't remember the 4th card) and Rick gets half the pot with the nut low. Dave and I barely got our final bet back. Nice.... yes.... patience, patience, screwed.

My first big hand of the night was against Big Dave.... the flop was Q, Q, 10 and I was holding Q, 10, X, X. Dave leads out with a $50 bet and I smooth call. I think that everyone folded except Elvie. The turn is an 8 and Dave checks and I bet about $250 more. Elvie folds and Dave smooth calls. I put him on a Queen and was thinking "no paint... no paint" --- yep, King on the river. He pushes all-in... I can't fold, I've only got about $35 remaining and he turns over Q, 9, K, K. He actually had one of his own outs meaning he hit a 2 outer on me.... Nice! I wish I could get that lucky.

As the morning dragged on, it did appear that John M was becoming impatient as he was ratcheting up his aggression and there were a couple of times in multi-handed games where I laid down the best hand that would have either won the high or low outright or at least would have tied. But that's poker.... and if you play well at O8, you will learn patience or you'll be re-buying a lot. So I waited.... and one of biggest hands of the nights was the LAST hand of the night. If I remember correctly, I was the first to act and limped in with Kh, Qh, Qc, Jc.... John raised the action with a pot limit bet. These may be isolation bets at a lot of tables, here it is like chumming the water. So there are 5 of us to the flop with a $125 pot. I remember thinking, c'mon Chuck, hit me... you've wanted to all night. And the flop, Qs, 10h, 10d. Got to love it. And Action John M is to my immediate left. I thought for a very brief moment about betting and I checked and John fired a $100 bet. There was one caller and I raised the action to $250 on top. John re-raised all-in and I immediately called. He asked me if I had a 10 and that made me feel considerably better about him NOT having quad 10s (which would be par for the course and I would remind you of Rick's Law's of Omaha chapter and verse.... Law #7a – If you flop top set and the turn pairs the board, you’re about to lose a big pot to quads. You’ve been waiting patiently all night, you’ve finally got the top boat, and players are actually giving you action! You think you’re “walking the dog,” but trust me, the dog is walking you. That idiot who just called your large flop bet with bottom set is about to take your entire stack. Well, John turned over pocked aces and as it turned out was drawing to only one out and in a truly un-PKR like turn and river, didn't hit it. So I ended up scooping about $1700 pot.

Well, I got home in time to shower and take a little nap and now we're off to the Memorial Day stuff.... and in the spirit of Memorial Day, I would like to say THANK YOU to all the veterans and active duty military who do what they do so that we may enjoy the liberties that we have here in the US. One of my favorite people is a guy named Mike Hefner that I met at the USPC last year in AC. Mike is a true hero and was wounded in a fire fight in the War on Terror and several of his team were killed during that fight. I haven't seen him in a while, but I do think about his sacrifice that he made for my freedoms. Mike, if you are reading this, thanks buddy! And come play poker with us.

Salute!

New Game in Town

I am happy to announce that I will be hosting a new no limit Hold'Em tournament in Cary. The tournament will be a $40+5 freeze-out to start and will take place on Saturdays @ 1PM starting in July. If you need any information please e-mail PokerPigJones@aol.com . I hope to have a cash game of some sort up and running soon too, but have yet to decide what to do about that.

Now That's a Flop!

The Tuesday night game with the Jizz brought out the usual group of hunters, all in search of the elusive perfect flop (Latin: slapmeupsida theheadamus). This is a rare animal, but can sometimes be stumbled upon by even the most neophyte sportsman. Unfortunately for the intrepid hunter, it rarely travels alone. Normally, hiding in the bushes nearby, is the most feared creature of them all, the river (Latin: porkimus yerassimus). And quicker than you can say “velociraptor,” the predator then become prey…

In Omaha 8, it’s fairly rare to get dealt four near-perfect cards. When you do, you’re hoping for that (seemingly) one time in twenty when you actually flop to it. After hours of crap hands and crap flops, it’s exciting to finally get hit upside the head with a flop while holding a premium starting hand. It’s even more exciting when that hand holds up! To actually get a little action with it, well, that’s almost too much for a humble poker player to take in.

I was in the middle of a nice run of cards, and had accumulated a nice little stack, when I look down to find As-Ac-3s-4c. Getting dealt a hand like this normally guarantees one thing: that the flop will come 10d-Jd-Qd. Most of the table calls the usual pre-flop straddle, and I patiently wait for the red, painted flop so I can muck my hand. Imagine my surprise when the flop brings Ah-2s-5s. Sa-weet!

While I’d love to say I got all the chips with three other players and quadrupled up, the truth is that I got a little flop action before everyone folded to a bet after the turn brought a brick. It’s way too dangerous to slow-play anything short of quads in Omaha 8 – one bad card and you’re getting quartered (or worse!). Of course you’re always hoping to rake in a monster pot with a big hand, but as they say, it’s better to win a small pot than lose a big one.

My rush continued through the night and into the morning, allowing me to cash out for almost $8k - a very nice session indeed. Though I obviously won several much larger pots during the night, the hand mentioned above was my favorite. Tonight it’s back to Cary, where I hope the rush continues!

See ya at the tables…
Rick

Canadian University Student Dealt PokerStars 10-BILLIONTH Hand

http://www.casinocitytimes.com/news/article.cfm?contentID=166106

Copied from CasinoCityTimes.com

Canadian university student dealt PokerStars 10-billionth hand
By Ryan McLane
21 May 2007

A 19-year old Canadian woman, trying to get through her first year at Dalhousie University, won the 10-billionth hand dealt at PokerStars, earning $100,000 in a $.01/$.02 No-Limit Texas Hold'em cash-game.

Justine Hall had $12 in her PokerStars account when she won the big hand. She's been playing poker for two years, sticking to recreational limits, and only playing micro-limits on Stars when her class work load allowed.

Hall decided to join more than 100,000 players vying for the milestone prize because a friend had told her about the promotion. She'd seen the advertisements while playing on Stars and joked with her friends about what she'd do with the money, but admits she never really thought she had a chance.

One lucky 8-3 suited made the dreams real.

"With 8c-3c I didn't think I was going to win the $100,000," Hall said. "But when the commentator told the table that everyone was guaranteed at least $10,000, I knew I had to go all-in not matter what."

Amazingly, two players folded pre-flop, leaving Hall with only four competitors for the $100,000. The flop came Ac-Kc-10d. The 9c on the turn proved to be her money card, completing her flush and sending a ton of bonus money her way.

Hall's largest previous cash was $45 in a small Stars tournament. Hall said she knows cash like this doesn't come along too often, prompting her to plan on investing the money in her education, although there might be a little shopping in her future.

"I want this amazing amount of money to benefit me in the next couple of years and in the future as well," Hall said. "I'm going to pay for the rest of my university and either invest the rest of it or buy a house….and of course do a little shopping."

It's been a record-breaking year for PokerStars. Twice in the last three months, the world's largest poker room has hosted the largest poker tournament in history, drawing more than 10,000 players for two different Sunday Million tournaments.

Stars already had a Guinness Book of World Record's entry for having 100,000 players competing at one time, a feat they've matched several times in the last 12-months, including Saturday night during the 10-billionth hand celebration.

The site becomes the first online poker room to deal 10-billion hands, an astonishing feat considering they became the first to break the five-billion-hand plateau last summer.

"It shows the longevity of this company," PokerStars spokesperson Greg "Fossilman" Raymer said. "To deal 10-billion hands without any significant problems is quite an accomplishment. I think it shows everyone that online poker is a lot of fun and is a completely safe environment.

There shouldn't be anyone left who isn't willing to put their trust in these major online sites."

Raymer is a little jealous of Hall, wishing "it had been him." He laughed when asked whether people would believe it wasn't fixed if he won, saying if he had, it would have been completely random, "albeit tough to believe." Given Hall's reasonable outlook on her windfall, Raymer believes she will handle the money well.

"From what I've read, she seems to have a good head on her shoulders," Raymer. "It's good to see that she wants to pay for her education. But as long as you budget properly, a little shopping never hurt anyone."

Copied from CasinoCityTimes.com

http://www.casinocitytimes.com/news/article.cfm?contentID=166106

Greg Raymer for Libertarian Vice President

Copied from www.daretogamble.com

http://www.daretogamble.com/2007/05/greg-raymer-for-libertarian-vice.html

Greg Raymer for Libertarian Vice President

Greg Raymer might run for Vice President on the Libertarian Party ticket in 2008.

That's right. A fellow gambler is getting politically active.

Raymer is said to have a lot in common with Wayne Allyn Root, a sports handicapper and candidate for the Libertarians' presidential nomination. Now, a Root-Raymer ticket appears a likelihood. Greg Raymer has announced he might run for Vice President.

WAYNE ALLYN ROOT

Root, who was a "libertarian" Republican until last year, has left the GOP to become a champion of the individual against government power. He announced his intention to seek the Libertarian nomination for 2008.

Online gambling could be a positive issue for the Libertarians, who hold to the idea that all governments should be out of the private lives of individuals. Libertarians believe that each human being is sovereign over his or her own life, liberty and property.

THE LIBERTARIAN VIEW OF ONLINE GAMBLING

Therefore, Libertarians naturally would support the online gambling industry, which argues the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act is an intrusion into the private lives of citizens. Americans should be able to spend our hard-earned money any way we choose, so long as we aren't hurting someone else by spending it.

Americans should be able to sit in the comforts of our own home and gamble on the internet. When the Federal government writes laws that tell us we cannot do that, it is an intrusion into our homes.

WHY NOT GREG RAYMER?

Politics and poker have a lot in common. Politicians "bluff" at least as often as your average poker player. In theory, a successful poker player should make a successful politician. But let's look at the specifics.

There seems to be two prerequisites to become a Washington politician.One, you need to be a lawyer. Two, you need to be a millionaire. Greg Raymer is both.

Greg Raymer is a former patent attorney. When he won the 2004 World Series of Poker Main Event, he became a multi-millionaire. So he's imminently qualified for the position.

Heck, other noted gamblers have become politically active. Look at Bill Bennett, for instance. If that self-righteous blowhard is considered an authority on politics, why not list to a champion of the World Series of Poker Main Event?

SERIOUSLY, THOUGH

Greg Raymer seems like a really smart guy. What's more, I've heard from friends he's a heckuva nice guy. So Greg Raymer is one step ahead of most lifelong politicians.

I'm hoping Raymer runs for Vice President. Readers can consider this to be an endorsement.

DareToGamble endorses Fossilman for VP.

http://www.daretogamble.com/2007/05/greg-raymer-for-libertarian-vice.html

Copied from www.daretogamble.com

Holla Raleighites

Been awhile since I've been in touch with some of my poker playin fool friends in R-town. Still haven't found a game in Atlanta, not that I've been trying. And I know how much you guys are dying to know how the girl is... so I'll tell ya... I'm swingin single as can be, loving the "alternative lifestyle" that's so well supported in Midtown Atlanta, and want to invite Jarod to "hang" with me anytime!

I have no poker stories, so it's contributing to my jones-ing for some action.

What I want to know is... when's everyone heading to Vegas for the WSOP? There was some talk a few months ago about some room-sharing, and I'm quite interested in making the trip. Who's going? When? Let me know... drop me a line at nathan _remove_this_ @ _remove_this_too_ downetworks.com and we'll work something out.

Until then... May all your cards be dead, and may Dave be the biggest loser of all!

O8 Juice

There were a couple of big hands last night that permitted to check out with a tidy little stack. The first was all about luck.... I had the A, 2, 2, 3 and the board flopped 1 to the low. Elvie leads out (sitting immediately to my left) with a $200 bet and everyone calls. The turn brings a 2nd low card Elvie makes a about a $400 bet all-in and there are 3-4 callers. The river brings in in my nut low and Elvie and chop about a $3600 pot. He flopped bottom set and it actually held up!


The next big hand for me was involved with John M and Rick.... I've got the Ac, 2c, 5s, 6h and there is the usual straddle pre-flop of around $30 or so. The flop brings the As, 3h, 5h and sacre' bleu'... it checked all around. The turn brought the 5c and I really like my little boat. There was no re-raise pre-flop which most this table would have done had they been the proud owner of pocket Aces so I really believe that my boat works for high. I lead out with a $75 bet and John M calls.... it seems as if the Juice made his normal.... "I'm not going to give Charles any of my chips" and folded. LOL. Rick smooth calls. The river brought the 7h and the Juice was talking about the straight flush out there, but I really wasn't worried about that since I had the 6h in my hand. The only hand that I'm a little concerned about may be pocket 7's, but not even I could be that unlucky... I bet $150, John M calls and Rick raises $325. I call and John folds showing a 3's fulls of 5's boat. Rick had the nut low and we chopped.


One of the last hands that I played was with John M. I was in middle position and he raised the $20 straddle to $255. I'm pretty certain that it folded around to me. I think that Rick really wanted to play but he was in no man's land just a couple of seats away from John's $255 raise. When it gets to me, I find Ad, Ah, 2h, 7d.... I like it! So I decide to push really just wanting to take it down right there, but realizing that it would be more likely for us to show up and find that J-Rod had cleaned the poker felt.... wait... that happened. Well, it was still unlikely. I raise all-in and I've got about $1900 or so in front of me. John has another $500-$600 and it folds to him and he cannot wait to call. He turns over Q, Q, 4, 5 double suited. The flop was sweet.... As, 4d, 5h! Sweet! The top set, a live deuce and John almost drawing dead. The turn was a beautiful 3d. The river, a harmless 6. The table talk indicated that I had a let everyone else play, I would have been quartered on the low and someone would have made a higher straight.

My Hand:


The Board:


There were two different hands last night that Rick flopped absolute MONSTERS! I hope that he'll blog them.... in one, he had A, A, 3, 4 and flopped A, 2, 5! Come on, replay it for us!

Back to the "CLEAN" felt! Thanks ... J-Rod!

NBC's Poker After Dark

Poker Superstars - Mike Matusow vs Gus Hansen

The Crap I've Seen....

I was playing in a small tournament on Sunday in Cary and got to see some scary stuff! This one particular hand.... oh, the tournament, $60/$25/$25, you get $3,000 in chips and the re-buys get you an additional $2,000 (anytime your chip count falls below $2,000) and the add-on gets you an additional $5,000 in chips. At any rate, I think we're down to five players and the flop comes Jd, 8d, 7d and there's a raise, a re-raise and an all-in. They turn over their cards.... one guy has Kd and I don't remember the other card, but it wasn't a diamond. The young man to my immediate left had flopped the Queen high flush and with the Qd, 9d and immediately began calling for the 10d. He must have known from experience what was about to happen. The turn brought the Ad and of course the river brought the 10d.... Straight Flush! Whee!

Hand 1:



Hand 2:

as suspected... the 2nd card didn't matter!

The Flop:



The Turn:




The River:


At any rate, you know with that kind of luck floating around that I didn't last long...

Back to the felt!

We Want You to BLOG!

We Want YOU to Blog!

We have a core group of repeat bloggers, but we want YOU to blog.... Why should you blog? There's a lot of great reasons.... entertainment, bragging rights, ridiculing your own play and those.... I-can't-believe-you-called-me-with-that-donkey-plays that not only hit, but when they hit, they raise you..... whoever heard of such a thing! Probably the best reason is that when you listen to the winners of bracelets and major tournaments, most of them speak of being a part of a "think-tank" ... a place or a group of like-minded friends who play poker together and then dissect and analyze the hands. Of course, you would never do this at the poker table.... that would be poor etiquette! But to dissect and analyze for learning purposes is exactly what we are striving to create with this blog. Of course, you will be able to ridicule each other for the obvious "TILT" plays that we all make from time to time. And.... HORNS BLARING.... it's all FREE! Blogging on this site is by invitation only and you are cordially invited to join, blog, poke-fun, ridicule and learn with the group! Some of the best players in the area frequent our site and we want you to be part of it! Just email me at ncpokerblog@gmail.com and I'll forward you the invitation to join us.

It's All About the Redraw!

Another Friday night meant another trip to Cary for our weekly session of $2/5 PL Omaha 8. We had a full table fairly quickly. In fact, a couple players came in after we filled up, chose not to wait, and left to head to another game. Believe me, besides spilling cold beer or dropping pizza on the floor, nothing breaks my heart more than watching money walk out the door. Sadly, my pleas for the tighter players (Tom, Raj, etc.) to get up and go home fell on deaf ears…

Not to worry, I was still surrounded by enough loose players to make the night an enjoyable one. After playing a few hours of mostly solid poker (it is Omaha - you have to gamble a little), I gradually built up a nice little stack of around $2k. Then came the big hand of the night, and one that’s a perfect example of the importance of having a good redraw in this game.

I’m in position and get one of my favorite types of starting hands – two-suited with two sets of connectors, one low and one high. This particular hand I have 2h-4h-10s-Qs, call the usual live straddle along with most of the rest of the table, and we’re off to the flop. The flop is a left hook to the jaw, 8h-9s-Jh, giving me the nuts, the heart redraw, and backdoor spade and low draws. Action is to Elvie, who bets the pot. It folds to Akash, who repots!

My Hand:

The Flop:

To me, I now have to make the key decision of the night – how fast to play my hand. In general, I don’t like committing too many chips until the turn, for a couple reasons. First, a pot-sized flop bet usually isn’t big enough to get drawing hands out (though in this situation, a re-raise from me makes it tough for Elvie to call with just a draw). Second, it’s a lot easier for most players to fold a draw with one card to come than two. Akash has a pretty big stack himself, and I can easily put him on Q-10 as well. I don’t have enough information yet to determine what Elvie has – he could easily be leading out with a set, nut flush draw, or the sucker straight. If so, I want him in the pot. If the turn is ugly, I can still easily get away from my hand relatively cheaply. After taking a few moments, I decide to take a small chance and smooth-call, and hope for a brick on the turn. Elvie calls as well, and there’s a nice pot a-brewing.

I’m trying to use my psychic powers to conjure up a low spade on the turn (an ace would be perfect). Very close – the turn brings a 4s. Though it takes away my low draw, I love this card, as I now have two flush draws to go with my nut straight. It doesn’t take long for the three of us to get all the chips in. Elvie and Akash both turn up Q-10 (wow, three of us flop the nuts!), with Akash having two-pair as well. Neither of them has a low draw or flush draw, so I’m in even better shape than I thought I was. Well, it’s a good thing nobody else has a heart draw, because a sweet little 7h comes on the river, allowing my 4-high flush to scoop a monster pot of over $4k!

The Turn:

The River:

As we’ve all seen too many times, having the nuts on the turn usually means you’re about to lose a lot of money. Omaha is a game of draws, and the only thing better than having a great draw on the turn is having the nuts along with it. Yep, it’s all about the redraw – can it be a coincidence that R-E-D-R-A-W anagrams to R-E-W-A-R-D? I think not!

See ya at the tables…
Rick

Mike Matusow Interview (Dutch Boyd)

NBC National Heads Up Championship - Mike Matusow Vs. Daniel Negreanu

Even I can hit the one outer every now and then!

Unlike John M... who seems to be hitting some monsters recently... I've been catching only a few monsters.... but that's ok, at least last night, I hit a few too. Probably the first big one came within an hour or so of kick-off. We're rotating a round of hold'em and then a round of O8.... $2/$5 No Limit of course. This particular hand was hold'em. I'm in the big blind and there is a $20 straddle and I think just about everyone played, so there's about $120 in the pot pre-flop.

I've got 8h, 9h and decide that I'll string along as well and the flop is 6c, 7h, 10s. It checks to me and I lead out with a $50 bet and get 4 callers. Ooops... I should have bet more. At any rate, the turn is a 5 diamonds and it checks to me and I bet $150 and get no callers. They did a little rabbit-hunting and the river was a harmless Ace of spades. Ellie commented that had he seen the Ace, he would have called.... top 2 pair.

My hand:

The Board:

The Next big hand for me followed shortly thereafter... I'm in late position with Ac, 3c, Js, 9h... not great, but everything is a monster in this game... pre-flop. There's a small straddle and I believe that everyone came into the pot. The flop was As, 3s, 7s and everyone checks.... it seems that some of the guys at this game like to check their flopped-nuts and there was a flush, but no one bet and it checked all the way around. The next card was sweet.... Ad, giving me the 2nd nut boat. It checks to me and I lead out with about a $75 bet and get 3 callers. The river is a 6.... I bet $150 and ended up chopping with someone's crappy low..... Nice!

My Hand:

The Board:

The last big hand of the night for me came later! I had 9c, 3c, 3h, 6h and the flop was Ax, 3x, 4x..... I'm never really excited about flopping the bottom set as so many times when you make a boat.... you lose! There was a potential wheel on the board and Frank lead out with about a $50 bet and there were 4 callers including me. I don't know why I put my money in the pot when I truly believe that I have one out. I guess it is because sometimes.... even I get lucky and hit it! And bang.... the fourth 3 hits the board on the turn. Now the hard part, trying to figure out how to play it to get as many chips in the pot as possible. Frank bets $90 and still 3 callers. The river puts another wheel card on the board and its hard for me to do it, but from first position, I check and Frank bets $200. Ellie immediately pushes all-in and I try to figure out if I can get Frank in. I believed that Frank had a boat and I was thinking that Ellie had a low which meant if I go crazy and raise, there's a chance that it'll be just me and Ellie chopping the smallish pot. Ellie has right at $1,000 and I've got him covered so I just smooth call. Frank puts both of us on the low and calls the $1,000 with 4's full of 3's. Ellie has the nut low and Ellie and I end up chopping a very nice pot.

There were a couple other nice hands played as well including one big pot that Rick and I chopped, but I'll let him tell you about that one.....

Back to the Felt!

Learn from the Pros: Knowing When To Quit

Who Was That Masked Man?!

Thursday night with The Juice (well, for one hand anyway). We had a short table Thursday night, with several people having other things going on. Still, it was a good group of guys, and a fun night overall. The night was strangely quiet, however, with the noticeable absence of Davey Boy. Dave, his wife Jamie, and a couple friends of theirs got a stretch limo and went out on the town (now there’s a scary thought). Midway through the night they stopped in to say hi, and (you know Dave…) the next thing you know, His Juiceness buys in for $400 and sits down to my right.

We’re playing Omaha 8, and I’m dealt Ad-3d-5d-Ks. While not a great hand, of course, it’ll do given the circumstances. With the others waiting, I know Dave’s chips will be in the middle of the table in the blink of an eye, and I’m damned sure going to stake my claim to his $400. Sure enough… raise, re-raise, re-raise, etc, and four of us are all-in preflop. There’s over $1,400 out there, and as usual, nobody turns their cards over until all five community cards have been dealt. God forbid someone should miss an opportunity to slow-roll…

As I’d mentioned in a previous post, Dave has been on this slow-roll kick lately. In other games this move might get your kneecaps broken – in his game it earns you street cred. I personally don’t like doing it, but I will sometimes make an exception for Our Hero (I did try it a few weeks ago against John S, but it just felt kind of weird). I figure whatever Davey gives me, I’ll give it back to him times ten. Well, except for chips, that is. As Willy Wonka would say: “Strike that…reverse it.”

But I digress – back to the hand.

So by the river the board ends up showing A-A-K-10-2, giving me the stone-cold nuts. Dave turns over A-10, and starts gloating more than he did after he lost his virginity to his college wrestling coach. Of course, I let him brag about how “That’s the way you do it!” for a few moments, going so far as to turn up the 3-5, shake my head and moan about my low not getting there. I let him scoop all the chips in front of him, including mine, before slowly turning up my A-K as well.

Sadly, it didn’t quite have the effect I had hoped (I obviously need more practice at this move…). I waited so long and did it so quietly that J-Rod, our intrepid dealer, grabbed my cards and pulled them into the muck with the others before I could even get a word out! Luckily, a couple other players saw my hand, but I spent the next minute or so convincing a shocked Dave that the chips he thought were his, as usual, really belonged to me. We were able to recreate the hands from the muck (and he tapes the game anyway), so it never really became an issue.

And then, like a summer storm, he was gone as quickly as he arrived. A lot of hurricanes will take your car with them when they leave. Dave (God bless him), actually leaves you enough money to buy a new car. Okay, so tonight it was only enough for a ’72 Pinto, but he did only play one hand.

And I heard him exclaim as he rode out of sight…”Piss on you all, it’s a hell of a night!”

See ya at the tables…
Rick

Texas Poker Bill Dead for Now

Copied from the Triangle Poker Journal

Texas Poker Bill Dead for Now

The hopes of Texas poker players to have wider availability of poker in the state giving Hold'em its name came to a temporary halt recently. The proposed Texas State bill, HB 3186, failed to come up for consideration after being slotted toward the end of a full day of other bills.

According to the state legislature's rules, the proposed measure was dropped from further consideration after failing to reach the floor for its second reading before the midnight deadline, after being placed far down on a 23-page calendar including hundreds of matters up for discussion. The bill's fate was typical for a topic receiving lukewarm or newfound legislative support, procedurally throttled by opponents unwilling to consider expanding poker's legality within Texas at the present time.

The bill's sponsor, State Representative Jose Menendez, offered rueful commentary on a Dallas ESPN Radio broadcast last week as it became evident the bill would not make it up for a vote. "I'm very disappointed," said Menendez. "A lot of my colleagues are afraid that this voting for legalizing poker might hurt them in their next election. In particular, my Republican friends are the ones that are afraid of their primary voters." Menendez also emphasized the fact that his bill was intended to create a highly structured, regulatory environment for a pastime solidly supported by Texas residents in several public opinion polls.

Menendez (D-San Antonio) has not yet announced whether he will attempt to reintroduce his poker legislation. Most onlookers feel that no new effort on the Texas poker legislative front is likely to occur for at least the remainder of 2007.

Copied from the Triangle Poker Journal

Learn from the Pros - Exploiting your table image

Sorry, I just like looking at Clonie...

Learn from the Pros - The Art of Bluffing

Rick's Laws of Omaha

Everyone knows Murphy’s Law. Though I’ve seen it worded in several different ways, the basic adage states that “Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.” Most card players, especially those who play Omaha, will tell you that Murphy was an optimist. With the spirit of Edward Murphy in mind, I submit my own Laws of Omaha:

Law #1 - Don’t bet without the nuts.
The phrase should be tattooed into the forearms of all Omaha players as a constant reminder. This law becomes painfully obvious to anyone who has played the game for more than, oh, ten minutes. Luckily for my creditors, it remains the most widely-broken law in the game.

Law #2 - If you flop the nuts, you are about to lose a lot of money.
Boy is this a fact. The chances of two bricks coming are about the same as Jessica Alba and Scarlett Johansson showing up at my door offering to pay me to complete their fantasy threesome. Hang on a sec; I think I hear the doorbell…

Law #3 - If you turn the nuts, you’re probably drawing dead.
Okay, I’m back (damned Mormons!). If you happen to get lucky and hit your card on the turn, you’ll save money in the long run by just tossing your hand directly into the muck.

Law #4 - Don’t even think about bluffing.
Sheriff Buford T. Justice from the great state of Texas might say “Oh, you can think about it, but dooooon’t do it.” I say don’t even think about it. Most Omaha players, by nature, are not capable of laying down a hand. If you bet your busted flush draw, I guarantee someone will call $300 hoping his “live seven” is good for low, and will scoop the high also with his pocket nines.

Law #5 - If you have the nuts on the river, congratulations – you’re about to get quartered.
While this law is most often associated with the nut low, it’s also applicable to boats and straights as well. A good rule of thumb: If you have it, so does someone else.

Law #6 - If you flop a straight or flush, the turn will pair the board.
Every time….every time…

Law #7 - If you flop top set, the turn card will complete a straight, flush, or both.
Every time. The last time I flopped top set and actually had it hold up, Alaska and Hawaii were still territories.

Law #7a – If you flop top set and the turn pairs the board, you’re about to lose a big pot to quads.
You’ve been waiting patiently all night, you’ve finally got the top boat, and players are actually giving you action! You think you’re “walking the dog,” but trust me, the dog is walking you. That idiot who just called your large flop bet with bottom set is about to take your entire stack.

Law #8 – If you flop nut low draw, the turn and river will be face cards.
Guaranteed. You have A-2-3-6 with a flop of 4-5-10, and you make the rookie mistake of liking your hand. Well, my friend, prepare to be confronted with more paint than at a Sherwin-Williams superstore, making you wonder who slipped in the pinochle deck when you weren’t looking.

Law #9 - If you happen to hit your straight or flush card on the turn, there is a 100% chance the board will pair on the river (see Law #3).
In my opinion there is no sicker feeling than, after a night of being sucked out on time and time again, finally hitting a turn card yourself, only to have the #$^%* dealer immediately afterwards turn up someone else’s nut card. As I like to say: “One good turn deserves a river.”

Law #10 - If you flop middle set, you’re drawing to one out.
And if you’ve been paying attention, this is a good thing (see law #7a) – you’re a lock!

Law #11 – If you hold A-2, you will flop two-pair.
This is a certainty. Once the flop comes, your once-promising low hand becomes trash, and your now-crappy high hand has less chance of winning than Pauly Shore at the Oscars.

Law #12 – If you hit your card on the river, you can’t get sucked out on.
While this law universally applies to all poker games, it especially holds true in Omaha. Several times each session I hear a player beg the dealer to “flop him the nuts.” I usually say “Give him his wish, flop him the nuts but river me the nuts!”

By following these basic guidelines, you will soon find yourself getting much more enjoyment out of your Omaha game. To recap, avoid betting whenever possible – you will probably never see those chips again. Fold often, especially to a bet by me (remember, I only bet the nuts and I never bluff…). Lastly, try your best not to have anything until the river; then at least you’ll have a chance to win half the pot….

See ya at the tables…
Rick

O8 - Juice-less night....

Except for one hand.... yep, he came right in bought in for $400 and helped Rick quadruple up.... with a slow roll so slow that it was almost mucked. Yep, just played the one hand and left. Oh well... hopefully Rick will log in and tell you all about that one.

Well, it was one of the worst nights that I've had in a quite a while.... it just seemed like everyone's hand got there and if there was a card that could come that would cost me money, it did! I was quartered about 1/2 dozen times and lost to 4 bigger boats. I flopped only about 3 sets all night and guys with two pair would make better boats. Turned the nut straight twice and had a low get there that quartered me again.... Oh well, maybe we should have a spelling contest!

Oh, I just remembered one MONSTER..... I don't remember how the original betting went, but it was probably $10-$15 straddle with 5 players. I'm in late position with Ah, 2d, 7h, 8d.... not great, but I definitely want to see a flop with it..... The flop 4s, 5c, 10h. It checks to me and I bet about $50 into the $60 pot. There are 4 callers. The turn is 9h .... I bet about $90 and there are 2 callers, Bill and Elvie. The river is another 4... so not my monster hand on the turn has turned into a great big 'ol pile of crap. Flopping nut low draw and turning an open ended straight and the nut flush draw.... and neither get there. Bill leads out with a bet and we all fold.

Well that's poker!

Back to the felt......

A Letter from PPA President Michael Bolcerek

Copied from email to PPA Members sent on May 10, 2007

Dear Fellow PPA Member:

I have wonderful news to report! On Thursday, April 26, Rep. Barney Frank introduced HR 2046, the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act of 2007. HR 2046 will lift the prohibition on playing poker online. Your efforts are making a difference!

Representative Frank is the Chairman of the important House Financial Services Committee. And he understands the injustice that we have suffered. When he introduced the bill, he told reporters that “The existing legislation is an inappropriate interference on the personal freedom of Americans and this interference should be undone”.

But he can’t do this job alone. Now, we need to help Congressman Frank build support for his bill.

You can regain your right to enjoy safe, secure online poker – but only if you stand up for your rights. And PPA is here to help you do just that.

This is a landmark day for freedom. But it is only the first step of the process. Join me in celebrating this milestone – and take action to build support for HR 2046.

Click here or below to make your voice heard in our nation’s Capitol.

Sincerely,
Michael Bolcerek
President
Poker Players Alliance

I apologize that I wasn't able to insert the links for you to click to get to your representatives in Washington, but here it is for your use.

http://activate.pokerplayersalliance.org/start.php?rindex=1


JOIN THE POKER PLAYERS ALLIANCE TODAY!
http://www.pokerplayersalliance.org/

Copied from email to PPA Members sent on May 10, 2007

Full Tilt Commercial

Poker Run? No Chance

Copied from the Triangle Poker Journal

http://www.newsobserver.com/722/story/572243.html

Poker Run? No Chance

By Jim Nesbitt, Staff Writer, News and Observer

For their first big fundraiser in eight years, David Bench and the Cary Crime Stoppers thought they had a sure-fire gimmick: a classic motorcycle poker run.

Instead, they found themselves on the verge of violating the law to raise money to fight crime.

Poker is illegal in North Carolina, as underscored last week by an N.C. Court of Appeals ruling. Even charity games violate the state's broadly worded gambling statutes, although law enforcement officials and district attorneys rarely shut down the action of a legitimate group raising money for a good cause.

Under state law, playing or running any game of chance is a Class 2 misdemeanor, unless there's an exemption, as there is for the N.C. Education Lottery or charity bingo and raffles. Poker isn't exempted; nor is the game's motorcycle derivative, a no-skill game of chance in which bikers pay an entry fee and ride to five locations, drawing a card at each stop.

At the end of the run, the biker with the top poker hand claims the top prize. For the Cary Crime Stoppers event May 19, that would be $250 in cash; the rest of the pot would line the coffers of the nonprofit, which gives cash rewards to people who call in crime tips.

But Cary Crime Stoppers faced a second problem of the public relations variety. In late March, Cary police raided a several-nights-a-week poker game run out of a warehouse, arresting at least 41.

The raid was based on a tip filed with Cary Crime Stoppers, said Bench, a retired Nortel employee who took the helm of the nonprofit in 2004. The mass arrest angered Triangle poker aficionados, who say their favorite card game should be legal because they think it is a contest of skill rather than chance.

And once they learned about Cary Crime Stoppers' poker run, they lit up local poker blogs to complain about the apparent hypocrisy.

"We got bit by our own anti-crime," Bench said. "The poker players in the area kind of got up wagging their fingers at us. If Cary police had not made that raid, we probably would have gotten away with it."

In preparing for the raid, Cary police Capt. Dave Wulff said he discovered the poker run was illegal.

"You have to be concerned about public perception, but you really need to make sure you're doing the right thing," said Wulff, whose wife, Linda, is one of four corporate sponsors of the Crime Stoppers event.

When Cary police contacted his office, Wake County District Attorney Colon Willoughby said, his assistants told police the prosecutor doesn't go after charity poker games or gambling events.

They also passed along a bit of advice.

"On the heels of arresting somebody in a poker raid, it was probably bad public relations," Willoughby said. "That might affect their ability to raise money."

So, Bench said, Cary Crime Stoppers decided to drop the poker run concept.

They'll still hold the charity motorcycle ride May 19. Instead of cards, they'll give each biker raffle tickets at each stop -- then hold a drawing. Charity raffles are a legal exemption of state gambling laws.

That leaves only one small problem, Bench said. About 100 custom-made pins that will be given to riders were ordered before the switch and still bear the words poker run.

http://www.newsobserver.com/722/story/572243.html

Copied from the Triangle Poker Journal

O8 - Short night!

We had a very small crowd at the Juice's last night. As a matter of fact, the first soft night we've had there that I can remember. The fun started when the Juice joined the table and raised pre-flop every hand that he played for the about first 8-10 hands. The one big pot that I was involved in... in the short time that we played let me win the high half... The Juice pumped it up to $30 pre-flop and there were 4 callers, when it gets around to John M, he raised it an additional $100. The Juice calls and I push all-in for another $161. Rick calls, John M pushes all-in with the big stack and everyone calls. Pre-flop, no limit, Omaha high-low and everyone is all-in pre-flop! Whee! I liked my hand, but would have loved to had a deuce with it.... I've got Ac, Ad, Jc, 10s. The flop hits me like a ton of bricks with a couple of high cards and 2 clubs. The turn gives me the nut flush and the river brings in the low. Rick and I chop the main pot!

The game didn't last much longer after that one....

Back to the felt!

Review of Texas Poker Raids and Legislation

Copied from the Triangle Poker Journal

Poker Rooms Raise Concerns

Dallas: Players upset about raids; some locals want halls to stay closed
By JASON TRAHAN / The Dallas Morning News

Poker players grumbling over police raids that shut down a veterans' Texas hold 'em game and other card-playing joints are hoping for relief from a bill that would expand legalized poker rooms.

Police say the April 14 raid on the Audie Murphy Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1837 in Far East Dallas was spurred by neighborhood complaints, which they say are the driving force behind the past year's stepped-up enforcement of illegal poker rooms.

So far this year, vice detectives have cited players or operators at four poker rooms, the same number as all of last year. At least 79 people have received citations for playing or operating games.

In 2006, 147 poker players received Class C misdemeanor gambling tickets, which carry a maximum of a $500 fine. Thirty-five people accused of running the joints were arrested for Class A misdemeanors.

In 2005, police raided only one poker operation.

"The law is on the books," said Deputy Chief Julian Bernal, commander of Dallas' vice and narcotics detectives. "The Police Department doesn't have much choice. What are we going to do, ignore this?"

Bob Hinton, an attorney representing the VFW, said post members busted in the raid "are harmless people trying to do something for a good cause." He said he seriously doubts that residents are in an uproar over illegal poker rooms in Dallas.

Chief Bernal said that in all four cases this year, operators of the games were all taking a cut of the poker pots, known as a "rake," which makes them illegal.

"I'd much rather go after people who are running prostitution and narcotics," he said, adding that he hopes the raids will persuade players to cease breaking the law.

"The more gambling operations I have to contend with, the less resources I have to deal with our higher-priority operations."

Mr. Hinton said his clients "don't take a rake. They are given donations. The rest goes to charity."

Chief Bernal "doesn't have Ross Perot beating down his door demanding that these people stop playing $30-a-night poker," he said. "My heart goes out to Bernal. He's got to say something. But that's bull about concerned citizens."

Shocked by raids

For poker players, the raids can be jarring.

"They busted open a window and came through there," said lawyer Wes Holmes, one of the 23 people cited for playing poker at Jackie's on Forest Lane in November. "I was sitting at the table with two women in their 50s or early 60s. They were bawling, shaking and crying. There were screams. It was a mess."

Unlike most accused players, who plead guilty and pay a fine generally under $500, Mr. Holmes said he has pleaded not guilty because he didn't know the house was taking a rake.

Poker enthusiast Dan Michalski said he can see plenty of things he'd rather see police doing besides writing tickets and arresting his friends for playing poker.

"We're surrounded by drugs and gangs and prostitution" in the Munger Place neighborhood where he lives in Old East Dallas. "There's plenty of gunfire. It would be nice if it stopped."

For the thousands of poker players who regularly log onto his Web site, Pokerati.com, the Dallas raids have been a hot topic for a year. For many, the VFW was a low blow.

"These guys fought for our country," wrote one player who claims to have been at the VFW when it was busted. "The 'V' was the 'Cheers' of places to play poker and will be sadly missed."

VFW members declined to publicly comment on the advice of Mr. Hinton.

But some say their game is not very different from the many well-publicized Texas hold 'em tournaments benefiting charities all over town.

"The issue is that in those games you make a donation to the charity and they give you chips," Chief Bernal said. "You cannot cash your chips in and get anything back – win, lose or draw. The VFW had cash games, and they knew they were illegal."

Tips on the rise

Last year, Dallas vice received 50 complaints about illegal gambling, which also includes tips on eight-liner rooms, Chief Bernal said. That was more than double the number from a year prior.

So far this year, there have been 31 complaints. The department could not say how many of these complaints applied specifically to poker.

Tips are increasing, police say, as the number of poker rooms grows because of the popularity of Texas hold 'em, the card game driving a multibillion-dollar annual industry across the U.S.

In 2006, the four raids conducted by Dallas vice mostly were in northwestern Dallas near Stemmons Freeway, according to police.

The VFW bust on a recent Saturday night was part of this year's first round of raids – which have concentrated on East Dallas.

Forty-seven players at the VFW were cited, as well as a dozen operators. Police seized a dozen poker tables and $6,882 from the post, which is tucked into a shopping center on Lakeland Drive at Ferguson Road between a hair shop and a defunct dollar store.

The night before, vice also hit the AMVETS Post 106 a mile and a half east on Ferguson Road, writing nine gambling tickets and seizing seven tables. Officers confiscated $776. A pool hall a few doors down in the same rundown Oates Plaza shopping center was also cited for running a gambling operation, police said.

It turns out that, while some of the folks inside the AMVETS may have been veterans, the post was not a full-fledged post. Its charter is pending, said officials with the group's state headquarters in Dallas.

Vice had been to the AMVETS location before. In late January, before the veterans logo went up, police seized 22 eight-liner machines and $3,376. Investigators say gambling outfits sometimes purport to be – or actually apply and secure charters to be – affiliates of real organizations in order to appear legitimate.

No one at the AMVETS location could be reached for comment.

'I'm afraid'

While several neighbors said the poker and eight-liner operations at the Oates Plaza shopping center didn't bother them, one longtime resident said she was fed up.

The woman, who didn't want her name used, said the operations attract scofflaws and generally run down the neighborhood.

"It's like a little Las Vegas," she said. "I've had bottles thrown in my yard. I've been here 42 years. I'm afraid. I didn't used to be."

Susan Walker, a community activist who lives near the Audie Murphy VFW, has been involved in efforts to clean up the Ferguson Road corridor.

"I applaud the police department for listening to our reports and doing their job," she said. "Letting illegal gambling halls exist in your back yard invites other types of more serious crime."

But Kaye Bradley, who lives down the street from the AMVETS post, says problems have nothing to do with illegal gambling.

"We have more trouble with the fights at the washateria than with the AMVETS post," she said. "As long as they're not hurting people, who the hell cares."

The raids have forced some players to give up on the North Texas underground scene, consisting of an estimated 200 poker operations, opting instead for legal games in Oklahoma or Louisiana.

The long drives may not be necessary for long if House Bill 3186, which would expand legalized poker rooms, becomes law. Last week, the proposal, sponsored by Rep. Jose Menendez, D-San Antonio, was voted out of committee and was being considered for a vote by the full House.

Lawmakers have through Monday to move the bill forward, said Don Jones, a former reserve deputy and spokesman for Mr. Menendez's office.

He said the bill has faced little active opposition, and some police officers have expressed their support for it – albeit privately.

"We respect the fact that the police organizations can't come forward and support us," he said. "We haven't had any police group come in here and tell us they oppose this, that they love busting these rooms."

Copied from the Triangle Poker Journal

A Saturday Nite Game!

A little unusual for me as I'm normally doing family stuff on the weekends, but as fate would have it, a group of my poker buddies decided to put together a game to watch the big fight! Turned into a rousing $2/$5 No Limit Omaha 8 game....

There were a couple of significant hands for me. In one, I've got As, Ac, 4s, 5s and there's a pre-flop straddle to $29. As usual there are about 7 limpers including me and the Juice (the straddle originator) decides to bump it up. He raises another $150 and when it gets to me there are already 3 callers. I would have preferred to have at least a deuce in my hand, but I do like my hand and much prefer it against one player rather than a table so I push all-in for an additional $614.... the Juice smooth calls. I think he did it just to see my cards. Everyone else folds and he ends up making the low with an A, 2 and we chop the pot.

Shortly thereafter I have Ac, 3d, 5d, 6s and call the pre-flop $11 straddle. The flop was 2d, 4d, 7s. I don't remember who bet first, but it was about a $70 bet and Elvie called and I pushed all-in for another $800 or so and Elvie called. Although the steel-wheel didn't get there, I did scoop with the wheel.

I guess I'm still getting over having everyone on the planet show me the cooler or hitting their one or two outer on me, but I missed a big bet opportunity against Rick. I was in the big blind and called a $15 straddle with Qc, Qd, 3c, 3s. I know, I shouldn't have. But John M is complaining about how few hands I play so I thought that I would give it a shot. At any rate, there about 7 players in and the flop 8d, 8s, 10d. Everyone checks and the turn is sweet..... Qd! I've got the best boat, but there are a couple of hands that can beat me. At any rate, I really like it, but decide to slow play to see if someone else will bet. No bets! It checks all the way around. The river is another 10! Now, although I like my boat, it's now the fourth nut. I lead out with a $100 bet and right behind me, Rick raises $125. If you've been reading my blogs of late, you've seen that just about every monster hand that I've had, Rick has had the cooler. So rather than raise, which was my instinctive play, I just call. He says we probably have the same hand and I let out a groan, realizing that I probably could have raised and he would have called. Oh well, I'm not complaining as at least I did get the pot.

Oh well..... back to the felt!

Durham: Poker Tabletop with 4 PokerCams!

Durham: Poker Tabletop with 4 PokerCams!

This poker tabletop has been customized with four color poker cams, just like you see on all the TV poker shows. Seats eight, so there's room to add four more cams. Output from each cams is a standard video RCA plug to most any video device (VCR, DVD recorder, videocam, quad box video mixer, TIVO, etc.).

$250 negotiable, or will trade for a Sony Ericsson cell phone with MP3 and IR (infrared) capability (any model).

Email gsmart@strategicdevelopment.com. Thanks!

At least I had the discipline to lay it down..

I had an intersting hand on Tuesday at Tommy's in which I laid down the best hand, but I'm still proud of the lay down given the circumstances. I had pocket fives in early poisiton and got to see a 7 way limped pot ($21 in the pot). The flop came K 9 5 rainbow. With little danger on the board I slow played but got no bettors. The turn was a 3 with still no flush draw. "Brent" who was on the big blind to start led out for $20, (Brent likes to inflate pots so pot sized bets were very common for him.) I called and then "Shawn" raises to $75, about half of his stack. Brent immediately goes all-in for $320 total. Wow! This got active in a hurry.

I was certain that one of these guys had to have had a set the way it played out, if not both. So that means that the two hands that could beat me 99 or KK were extremely likely. I didn't think Shawn, who was on the button had KK, but he could've limped with 99. But if he had the goods and Brent didn't, I would come out about even on the hand. Brent however, had displayed in a couple of times playing with him an occasional willingness to limp with AA or KK in unusual positions (a strategy I have seen quite a bit from pot inflators that does make some sense if they're willing to take the risk). If Brent has the goods, I lose all of my money.

So I go into a painfully grinding 5 minute think in which I flash my fives to Tommy and another player. I finally decided to lay my set down. And Shawn turns up 33. Brent then disgustedly showed 53. I then got a big grin on my face and rationalized "Well I knew I was in set v set." However given that I only lost $23 on the hand and that two of the three available sets beat me I believe this to be a great laydown if only because of the discipline involved. I think the fact that I was thinking "trap" as soon as the flop hit might have contributed to this laydown since it was just as easy for others to trap as well.

Later in the night I did have a huge CORRECT laydown against Shawn. I had 8 6 and saw a five-way limped pot. the flop was 8 6 2. I bet $12 and Shawn called. the turn was a 9. I bet out $18, Shawn then popped it up to $78. This seemed like an ecitement bet to me and I didn't think too long before pitching an exposed 8 6 into the muck. Shawn was curteous enough to show his 9 8.