"Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt."
--------- Abraham Lincoln
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thanks to TJ (FTP_Pirate)
Thank you for making the trip up to Raleigh this week and having lunch with me. It was great meeting you and getting the name and blog associated with a real person!
It was a lot of fun to compare notes on our games from two different parts of the state! Your's seems to have just as many maniacs as our's does!
Thanks and keep on blogging....
It was a lot of fun to compare notes on our games from two different parts of the state! Your's seems to have just as many maniacs as our's does!
Thanks and keep on blogging....
Wild & Loose Play w/the Juice.....
I'd rather be lucky than good.... hey.... and I got my wish! Nice! One of the hands that I always try to guard against "setting up" is the hand where I flop a straight and making some huge overbet where there's a guy with the nut low -AND- the high flush or nut flush redraw. The old "free rolling" .... it definitely happens and Ron was free rolling on me in this hand....
My hand:
My hand:
As is normally the case, especially late and especially when Ron is in, the Juice straddles for $30 and when it gets back to him he raises it $40 and gets 3 callers in this order, Bill T, Ron D and me. Oh... I announced that I was giving him a loose call.
However, the flop....
I guess I could have hoped for a better flop, but how likely is that.... I did get one wish though, when I checked, the Juice bets $150 and everyone smooth calls. In this particular instance, I decided to let one more card come off to make sure that the flush didn't hit. And to my surprise, the turn was somewhat friendly. Although it was a low card and meant that someone was going to get part of the pot, it still left me with the top part and since no one re-raised I felt pretty certain that I had the higher straight!
The turn:
Now, there are some instances where I am not quite certain what the Juice will do, but in this particular instance... I was hoping that he did it. Sure enough... before I can check, he bets $300. Bill T pushes all in with about $385. Ron D calls for less and I immediately push all in trying to get more of the Juice's chips into the middle. He folds and I have no idea what he had, but I am sure I would have loved to have seen it.
Now, there are some instances where I am not quite certain what the Juice will do, but in this particular instance... I was hoping that he did it. Sure enough... before I can check, he bets $300. Bill T pushes all in with about $385. Ron D calls for less and I immediately push all in trying to get more of the Juice's chips into the middle. He folds and I have no idea what he had, but I am sure I would have loved to have seen it.
At any rate, with all the chips in the middle, I turn over and I am on the only with the high straight, but the hand that I was afraid of was out there... the Ace and Deuce of clubs and Ron D was holding it. Fortunately for me the river was harmless enough.....
Ron D's hand (or the part that mattered):
Ron D and Bill T were quartered with the nut low and my straight improved to 2nd nut flush and half the pot for high.
Alrighty... let the suck outs begin!
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Pet Peeves.... poor etiquette!
There are several pet peeves that I have in poker. I am certain that we'll probably have to endure it for quite a while yet as many "new comers" to the game are learning the game. I am blogging this as I want some help in "officiating." I don't like being the only one who calls foul when someone makes an obvious misstep in playing the game. I am hoping that this blog will create much conversation about the topic, I'll then post the list in the margin so that it shows up for several weeks, months... years and new-comers to the site may read and learn. So I'll start the list and hope that you'll comment and bring other needed topics to the list so that we can all learn together.
1) Acting out of turn - I believe that we have some of the world's worst players relative to this one. I know that it is difficult. Some people may have folded, but if you just raised the $25 pot to $100 and the guy sitting to your immediate left goes all-in for another $2000 or so.... give it a second or two for the 8-9 players between you and him to act before you announce your call. I promise, it won't hurt long and you just might get some more action! You never know.
2) Announcing what "you" believe a person's cards are at the end of the hand BEFORE they turn them up. This is a most annoying habit. If you happen to call out the correct cards and someone else called or folded based on what they thought the cards were, it seems to me that all you have done is validate their play and therefore make them feel more confident in their actions. I understand trying to figure out other player's hands, but blurting them out at the end of the hand is elementary at best and produces no good results. It helps others at the table to begin to think strategically. In most instances, no good can come from that in the long run except in the Juice's case where it will likely cause blood veins to burst. And although him dying would be good, it would leave the table short-handed.
3) Slow rolling. Boy, this one has gotten out of hand too. Rather than it being viewed as elementary and poor form, it practically gets accolades and high fives at the Juice's game. But then again, he's a prick. In most professional games, if there is a called bet after the river, the person who bet and was called should as soon as is practical turn up his cards and then the cards should be turned up or mucked from that person clock-wise around the table. There have been a couple of instances where I have "accidentally" slow-rolled when it was late, I was tired and I just missed seeing that I had a hand until it was late, but in every instance, it was accidental. I would NEVER slow roll on purpose. I think it is childish, unprofessional and rude to the other players but funny as hell when done properly.
4) Splashing the pot - throwing your chips. OK, why do I even need to say it. We have been playing cards a long time now and you still do it. Try this - before it gets to you, begin thinking about what you plan to do. When its your turn, announce your action, if its a bet, announce the bet and then in an organized manner quickly stack your chips in front of your cards. Was that difficult? I don't think so. I promise it won't hurt long and it'll speed up play. It may even permit us to get in the one hand that might get you the chips back that you just splashed the pot with while you were drawing dead. Try it... nothing but good can come from it!
5) Standing up. I sit at the table just as long as everyone else and my back bothers me some too, but during the hand when you are one of the guys forcing the action.... sit your ass down. And if you stand up and lift your cards with you, I think the dealer should warn you the first time and the next time it happens, muck your cards. I have seen it happen more than once when someone bet at the table not knowing that someone might be in the hand because they were standing up with their cards in their hands. I remember Rick bet one night and didn't know that Ron was in the hand and as soon as he found out that Ron had cards, he just mucked his hand. He was not happy. The point is... during the hand, if you're in the hand.... sit down.
6) Card throwing. How childish is that! It's like the Johnny Tyler quote from Tombstone, "I swear, it's like I'm playin' cards with my brother's kids or somethin'. You nerve-wrackin' sons-a-bitches." Again, the dealer should take control and warn them the first time and ask them to leave if they do it again.
7) Revealing details about cards in the muck. I was originally going to call this 'talking about your cards, once you've mucked' but after this past Saturday night with the Juice, I had to re-title it. You see, in our game, as in many local poker rooms, in order to speed up play, it is a common habit to play with 2 decks. One, that's being used in the current hand, and a 2nd deck that may be shuffled by "the button" so that as soon as this hand is over, the deck will be ready and the new hand may begin. Well, the Juice found an entirely new level of aggravation for me et al. Let me describe this to you... there's an active hand being played and I don't remember all the players who were in the hand and who wasn't. I do know some.... I know that the Juice wasn't in, I wasn't in but Keith was.... Michael flipped up the river card and piled up the muck and the remaining deck and passed it to the Juice since he would be the button on the next hand for him to begin to organize the cards for the shuffle. It's a common practice, it happens all the time. The Juice stands the cards on their edges with the business side facing the table of players. I say, "careful, they're still playing, those cards are live" and point to the cards. He proceeds to put the cards down "face-up" and spread them across the table where everyone can see practically all the cards that are not in the player's hands or already up on the board. The first card that pops out to me is a 9 and this is an important card since there's already 2 nines face up on the board. As it turns out, Keith had top boat with Kings full of nines and with the threat of quads out of the picture, free to bet. You still have to bet the big boat, but it's nice to know that quads aren't possible. I'm not sure how it ended as I immediately cashed out and went home early. They were discussing the poor decision by the Juice as I left, but I am certain that it was just one of many for the night.
Part II of this pet peeve is also about revealing your cards while the game is still being played either by verbalization (the Juice) or by attempting to hold "the winning hand" so that you can show everyone the monster that you laid down. Who cares? We've all done it and we all just want to get to the next hand. So please do not tell or hold your cards, when you fold, just fold and let's move on. We don't care that you folded a 9 and the flop was the other three 9's. We don't care that you folded to a raise with the 10s/6s and the flop was 7s, 8s, 9s ---- we just don't care. Fold and let's move on. If you must verbalize those plays, do it here where we do care!
Do you have some pet peeves involving poor etiquette? I'd like to hear about it.... and this is the proper forum for it.
Let the suck outs begin!
1) Acting out of turn - I believe that we have some of the world's worst players relative to this one. I know that it is difficult. Some people may have folded, but if you just raised the $25 pot to $100 and the guy sitting to your immediate left goes all-in for another $2000 or so.... give it a second or two for the 8-9 players between you and him to act before you announce your call. I promise, it won't hurt long and you just might get some more action! You never know.
2) Announcing what "you" believe a person's cards are at the end of the hand BEFORE they turn them up. This is a most annoying habit. If you happen to call out the correct cards and someone else called or folded based on what they thought the cards were, it seems to me that all you have done is validate their play and therefore make them feel more confident in their actions. I understand trying to figure out other player's hands, but blurting them out at the end of the hand is elementary at best and produces no good results. It helps others at the table to begin to think strategically. In most instances, no good can come from that in the long run except in the Juice's case where it will likely cause blood veins to burst. And although him dying would be good, it would leave the table short-handed.
3) Slow rolling. Boy, this one has gotten out of hand too. Rather than it being viewed as elementary and poor form, it practically gets accolades and high fives at the Juice's game. But then again, he's a prick. In most professional games, if there is a called bet after the river, the person who bet and was called should as soon as is practical turn up his cards and then the cards should be turned up or mucked from that person clock-wise around the table. There have been a couple of instances where I have "accidentally" slow-rolled when it was late, I was tired and I just missed seeing that I had a hand until it was late, but in every instance, it was accidental. I would NEVER slow roll on purpose. I think it is childish, unprofessional and rude to the other players but funny as hell when done properly.
4) Splashing the pot - throwing your chips. OK, why do I even need to say it. We have been playing cards a long time now and you still do it. Try this - before it gets to you, begin thinking about what you plan to do. When its your turn, announce your action, if its a bet, announce the bet and then in an organized manner quickly stack your chips in front of your cards. Was that difficult? I don't think so. I promise it won't hurt long and it'll speed up play. It may even permit us to get in the one hand that might get you the chips back that you just splashed the pot with while you were drawing dead. Try it... nothing but good can come from it!
5) Standing up. I sit at the table just as long as everyone else and my back bothers me some too, but during the hand when you are one of the guys forcing the action.... sit your ass down. And if you stand up and lift your cards with you, I think the dealer should warn you the first time and the next time it happens, muck your cards. I have seen it happen more than once when someone bet at the table not knowing that someone might be in the hand because they were standing up with their cards in their hands. I remember Rick bet one night and didn't know that Ron was in the hand and as soon as he found out that Ron had cards, he just mucked his hand. He was not happy. The point is... during the hand, if you're in the hand.... sit down.
6) Card throwing. How childish is that! It's like the Johnny Tyler quote from Tombstone, "I swear, it's like I'm playin' cards with my brother's kids or somethin'. You nerve-wrackin' sons-a-bitches." Again, the dealer should take control and warn them the first time and ask them to leave if they do it again.
7) Revealing details about cards in the muck. I was originally going to call this 'talking about your cards, once you've mucked' but after this past Saturday night with the Juice, I had to re-title it. You see, in our game, as in many local poker rooms, in order to speed up play, it is a common habit to play with 2 decks. One, that's being used in the current hand, and a 2nd deck that may be shuffled by "the button" so that as soon as this hand is over, the deck will be ready and the new hand may begin. Well, the Juice found an entirely new level of aggravation for me et al. Let me describe this to you... there's an active hand being played and I don't remember all the players who were in the hand and who wasn't. I do know some.... I know that the Juice wasn't in, I wasn't in but Keith was.... Michael flipped up the river card and piled up the muck and the remaining deck and passed it to the Juice since he would be the button on the next hand for him to begin to organize the cards for the shuffle. It's a common practice, it happens all the time. The Juice stands the cards on their edges with the business side facing the table of players. I say, "careful, they're still playing, those cards are live" and point to the cards. He proceeds to put the cards down "face-up" and spread them across the table where everyone can see practically all the cards that are not in the player's hands or already up on the board. The first card that pops out to me is a 9 and this is an important card since there's already 2 nines face up on the board. As it turns out, Keith had top boat with Kings full of nines and with the threat of quads out of the picture, free to bet. You still have to bet the big boat, but it's nice to know that quads aren't possible. I'm not sure how it ended as I immediately cashed out and went home early. They were discussing the poor decision by the Juice as I left, but I am certain that it was just one of many for the night.
Part II of this pet peeve is also about revealing your cards while the game is still being played either by verbalization (the Juice) or by attempting to hold "the winning hand" so that you can show everyone the monster that you laid down. Who cares? We've all done it and we all just want to get to the next hand. So please do not tell or hold your cards, when you fold, just fold and let's move on. We don't care that you folded a 9 and the flop was the other three 9's. We don't care that you folded to a raise with the 10s/6s and the flop was 7s, 8s, 9s ---- we just don't care. Fold and let's move on. If you must verbalize those plays, do it here where we do care!
Do you have some pet peeves involving poor etiquette? I'd like to hear about it.... and this is the proper forum for it.
Let the suck outs begin!
Hold'em for Hunger - Chapel Hill, April 20, 2008
Media Contact
Graham Boone
980-521-3455
gaboone@email.unc.edu
Hold ‘Em For Hunger, April 20, 2008, Chapel Hill, NC
Hold ‘Em For Hunger (HEFH) is the United States largest charity poker tournament and it is set to break all of its own records during the 2008 event. Over 1,000 players will pack the Eddie Smith Field House on the campus of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill on April 20th to try their hand at winning this prestigious event.
Graham Boone
980-521-3455
gaboone@email.unc.edu
Hold ‘Em For Hunger, April 20, 2008, Chapel Hill, NC
Hold ‘Em For Hunger (HEFH) is the United States largest charity poker tournament and it is set to break all of its own records during the 2008 event. Over 1,000 players will pack the Eddie Smith Field House on the campus of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill on April 20th to try their hand at winning this prestigious event.
Beginning in 2005, HEFH has quickly climbed the ladder from successful to legendary. Last year’s tournament saw a capacity crowd in the Great Hall of 510 players as the winner took home a 52” DLP HDTV worth almost $3,000 and 39 other players took home a collective purse of over $8,000 in prizes.
This year will prove to be the most historic event in HEFH history with prizes ranging from a $3,000 custom SYM Jet Euro Scooter to an all-expense paid European vacation valued at $6,000! Many more amazing prizes will be given out as poker players enjoy competition, a BBQ lunch, sponsorship gala, entertainment, and much more in their efforts to alleviate extreme poverty with the UNC Chapter of Nourish International!
Online registration, for all major credit cards, is now available on www.holdemforhunger.org and campus ticket sales will begin at Nourish International’s Hunger Lunch on April 2nd for only $25! So, pack your darkest sunglasses, practice your best poker face, and get ready for this monumental event in Nourish International history!
About Nourish International
Nourish International was founded in 2003 by Sindhura Citineni as the UNC student group "Hunger Lunch." Incorporated as a 501 (c) 3 non profit in 2006, Nourish has since grown into a national non-profit with chapters at Duke, N.C. State, Ohio State, the Michigan, St. Louis, Minnesota, and UNC at Chapel Hill. Last summer, Nourish sent 24 students to partner projects with communities in Tanzania, Guatemala and Uganda. In 2008, Nourish placed 3rd in the Facebook Giving Challenge and won the North Carolina Peace Prize for excellence in cross-cultural solutions and sustainable development.
For more information, please visit http://www.nourishinternational.org/
Nourish International was founded in 2003 by Sindhura Citineni as the UNC student group "Hunger Lunch." Incorporated as a 501 (c) 3 non profit in 2006, Nourish has since grown into a national non-profit with chapters at Duke, N.C. State, Ohio State, the Michigan, St. Louis, Minnesota, and UNC at Chapel Hill. Last summer, Nourish sent 24 students to partner projects with communities in Tanzania, Guatemala and Uganda. In 2008, Nourish placed 3rd in the Facebook Giving Challenge and won the North Carolina Peace Prize for excellence in cross-cultural solutions and sustainable development.
For more information, please visit http://www.nourishinternational.org/
Monday, February 25, 2008
RAKE
All good comments.... but I think the "TWO" most important things about the rake is:
1) FAIR - I don't believe that under most circumstances should a rake ever exceed 10% up to a maximum of $10 per hand. If you take more than that, in my opinion, you're going to kill your own game because you're going to pull out more than the average player is willing to bring to the game. There may be some exceptions to this rule due to location, facilities, food, other services provided, but they are the exception and I don't believe that I've been fortunate enough to be invited to such a game to date. Probably due to my personality disorder.
2) VISIBLE - The only game that I've been to in the area that, in my opinion, was doing it right was the game that Matt held off Chapel Hill Road that was busted, in that, the dealers accumulated what would be the rake in a side area from the pot until the hand was over and then and only then would they pull those chips into the house tray. That is a thing of beauty! No one has to wonder what or how much anyone pulled from the pot because it is done at the end of the hand and where anyone with any questions can see what is raked. What a concept!
I attend a game where there's always a question as to how much and when the rake is being extracted and all it would take is for that little side area accumulation of the chips for what will be the rake and after the hand is over, put it in the tray. I think that everyone at the table would be fine with the rake at this particular game being a little higher than the average due to the facilities, the food, the action, but the fact that no one ever really knows how much or when a rake is being pulled always creates confusion and in some cases hostility. Again, the personality disorder.
Oh well.... there's my 10% worth (not to exceed $10)....
Let the suck outs begin!
1) FAIR - I don't believe that under most circumstances should a rake ever exceed 10% up to a maximum of $10 per hand. If you take more than that, in my opinion, you're going to kill your own game because you're going to pull out more than the average player is willing to bring to the game. There may be some exceptions to this rule due to location, facilities, food, other services provided, but they are the exception and I don't believe that I've been fortunate enough to be invited to such a game to date. Probably due to my personality disorder.
2) VISIBLE - The only game that I've been to in the area that, in my opinion, was doing it right was the game that Matt held off Chapel Hill Road that was busted, in that, the dealers accumulated what would be the rake in a side area from the pot until the hand was over and then and only then would they pull those chips into the house tray. That is a thing of beauty! No one has to wonder what or how much anyone pulled from the pot because it is done at the end of the hand and where anyone with any questions can see what is raked. What a concept!
I attend a game where there's always a question as to how much and when the rake is being extracted and all it would take is for that little side area accumulation of the chips for what will be the rake and after the hand is over, put it in the tray. I think that everyone at the table would be fine with the rake at this particular game being a little higher than the average due to the facilities, the food, the action, but the fact that no one ever really knows how much or when a rake is being pulled always creates confusion and in some cases hostility. Again, the personality disorder.
Oh well.... there's my 10% worth (not to exceed $10)....
Let the suck outs begin!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
A losing bet....The Rake
Where to start on this topic that Charles has brought up. I've tried writing a response a few times but this is such a heated issue that its hard to stay on topic and somewhat short. The are a few problems with the rake. It penalizes action players (the more pots they play in and win/lose the more the house makes), its takes money out of the game (just stick around one night when the game is over with and see for yourself....you'll be extremely pissed off), and if the house doesn't offer certain perks in return (food, tv, safety, ect...) then most good players will end up getting mad b/c long term the house is the only one making money and the game will end. The question shouldn't be if the house takes a rake but what is a fair rake. 5% with a cap (5-10x BB max) is fair to me. The house will still make plenty of easy money and the game will not end as early. Don;t get me wrong, you're still losing money even with a cap but its like they're not sticking in as deep in you. However, if there is no cap on the rake then there is no way to make money long term. And if you are that good/lucky, guess what, you've been screwed out of loads of money that you earned. Think about it, if you're playing a normal $1/$2 game with a "friendly" 5% rake, $1/$20 is being removed from every pot with a "reasonable" cap of $20 once the pot hits $400 which means that on the conservative side of things the house is removing on average $2/hand (that's only a $40 pot which is nothing) and you should be playing at least 20 hands an hour which means that over $50/hr is being taken off the table that no player will have any chance of winning. Throw in a few capped pots, let's say on the tightest of nights with a table full of nits with only 2 big pots/hour bringing the total to around $100/hr raked and play for a short session of only 5 hours and that $500 on the conservative side gone! Now play once a week and there goes $25,000 that you will NEVER have a chance of winning. Talk about -EV. In all honesty, that number is nothing compared to the game I am a regular at. Gone! The rake = prison rape around here. Now some games have smaller rakes but don't offer near amount of perks (food, tvs, all night play, safety, etc...) which should also be considered.
Now online its different (and I may be wrong but I'm pretty certain this was the set up last time I checked), the rake is on average 5% but depending on which level and how many players are at the table depends on the cap. FullTilt screws the micro-limit players taking up to $3 max rake for a .05/.10NL game where max buy-in is $10 and has the same $3 cap for a $100/$200 NL game depending on how many players are in the pot. PokerStars works about the same give or take. However, and this is crucial, online most sites offer RakeBacks which is key to any player putting in a decent amount of hands. PokerStars does not offer RB but they offer more value for their frequent player points (FPPs). I was screwed for the longest time on FullTilt since I didn't have RB on my original account but have since changed that and it is making a huge difference. Already getting back a few hundred this month for the numbers of hands I've put in and won and the real serious players earn far more that I ever could right now. So if you're going to play online, please make sure you're set up through a rake back site and also if you do, please email me so that I can send you my info and I can get credit for bringing you to the site....then I can be like the house and make money while putting nothing at risk...sweet!
When it's all said and done with, players will always hate the rape....errr, rake and the house will always complain that it's not nearly enough enough to cover everything for the risk that they are taking offering the game. The key is to look for profitable places to play that offer value for the money that YOU are putting at risk. In it's simplest form the rake is the amount of money you are willing to pay someone else to allow you to risk your money that you were able to win but receive no compensation for anything that you lose. The house always wins in the end.
Now online its different (and I may be wrong but I'm pretty certain this was the set up last time I checked), the rake is on average 5% but depending on which level and how many players are at the table depends on the cap. FullTilt screws the micro-limit players taking up to $3 max rake for a .05/.10NL game where max buy-in is $10 and has the same $3 cap for a $100/$200 NL game depending on how many players are in the pot. PokerStars works about the same give or take. However, and this is crucial, online most sites offer RakeBacks which is key to any player putting in a decent amount of hands. PokerStars does not offer RB but they offer more value for their frequent player points (FPPs). I was screwed for the longest time on FullTilt since I didn't have RB on my original account but have since changed that and it is making a huge difference. Already getting back a few hundred this month for the numbers of hands I've put in and won and the real serious players earn far more that I ever could right now. So if you're going to play online, please make sure you're set up through a rake back site and also if you do, please email me so that I can send you my info and I can get credit for bringing you to the site....then I can be like the house and make money while putting nothing at risk...sweet!
When it's all said and done with, players will always hate the rape....errr, rake and the house will always complain that it's not nearly enough enough to cover everything for the risk that they are taking offering the game. The key is to look for profitable places to play that offer value for the money that YOU are putting at risk. In it's simplest form the rake is the amount of money you are willing to pay someone else to allow you to risk your money that you were able to win but receive no compensation for anything that you lose. The house always wins in the end.
What is a RAKE? (note... ra"K"e... not ra"P"e)
For our readers who do not play online or visit one of the few local poker rooms, "the rake" isn't a garden tool. It is the house "take"... if you've been playing online, it is easily viewable typically at the top of the screen by the dealer and almost always is a fairly simple math routine based on the "called" bets.
I spent several hours over the past few days or so cruising the Internet and some of my poker books trying to find some details on "THE RAKE" --- Here are some of the excerpts, definitions, explanations that I've found.
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_poker_terms
I found it very interesting that their definition included "juice" .... (lol)
rake
See rake (poker). Also "juice", "vig", "vigorish".
Rake (poker)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The rake is the scaled commission fee taken by a casino operating a poker game. It is generally 5-10% of the pot in each poker hand, up to a predetermined maximum amount, but not only can this percentage be anything, there are other non-percentage ways for a casino to take the rake, plus other means for a casino to earn revenue from players (e.g. serving meals). Poker is a player versus player game and the house does not wager against its players (unlike blackjack or roulette) so this fee is the principal mechanism to generate revenues.
It is primarily levied by an establishment which supplies the necessary services for the game to take place. In online poker it covers the various costs of operation such as support, software and personnel. In traditional brick and mortar casinos it is also used to cover the costs involved with providing a dealer for the game and the physical building in which the game takes place.
To win when playing in poker games where the house takes a cut, a player must not only beat opponents, but also the financial drain of the rake.
Mechanism
Three predominant types of rake are applied depending upon the format of poker game being played.
During ring games the percentage rake is taken by the dealer based on the amount of money being wagered by the players. In a live casino, the dealer manually removes chips from the pot while the hand is being played and sets them aside to be dropped into a secure box after completion of the hand. Online, the rake is taken automatically by the game software. Some software shows the rake amount next to a graphical representation of the dealer and takes it incrementally between the rounds of betting, whereas other software programs wait until the entire hand is over and then takes it from the pot total before giving the rest to the winner of the hand.
The second type of rake is "time collection", or "table charge", where each player pays a set fee for playing in a ring game, typically every half hour, but another method could be a monthly subscription fee at an online site.
The third type of rake is an entrance fee taken when entering a poker tournament.
Some online poker websites have done away with the rake altogether. These "rake free" poker rooms generate revenue by increasing traffic to the company's other profitable businesses, such as sports betting.
The Poker Forum.Com
http://www.thepokerforum.com/rakeandtime.htm
From an article by Dave In Call titled "The Effects of the Rake or Time Charge on your Bottom Line", he states that there are several things to consider when trying to determine to play in a given game. They are: 1) the cost and hos it is collected from the players, 2) the players and how much of a favorite to beat them that you are, 3) the action at the table and average pot size in relation to the charge and how it is collected.
The last sentence in this article reads, "Understanding how the house charges the players to be in the game and its effect on your bottom line is one more aspect of poker that you must understand in order to become a winner. "
The bottom line is that some form of rake will always be used by casino's and poker rooms set up to make profit from those that play. The magic comes from that rake being a fair charge that doesn't drain the game such that it is practically impossible for more than 1-2 players to win per sitting.
I hope that we will hear a lot of comments on this blog.
Let the suck outs begin!
I spent several hours over the past few days or so cruising the Internet and some of my poker books trying to find some details on "THE RAKE" --- Here are some of the excerpts, definitions, explanations that I've found.
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_poker_terms
I found it very interesting that their definition included "juice" .... (lol)
rake
See rake (poker). Also "juice", "vig", "vigorish".
Rake (poker)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The rake is the scaled commission fee taken by a casino operating a poker game. It is generally 5-10% of the pot in each poker hand, up to a predetermined maximum amount, but not only can this percentage be anything, there are other non-percentage ways for a casino to take the rake, plus other means for a casino to earn revenue from players (e.g. serving meals). Poker is a player versus player game and the house does not wager against its players (unlike blackjack or roulette) so this fee is the principal mechanism to generate revenues.
It is primarily levied by an establishment which supplies the necessary services for the game to take place. In online poker it covers the various costs of operation such as support, software and personnel. In traditional brick and mortar casinos it is also used to cover the costs involved with providing a dealer for the game and the physical building in which the game takes place.
To win when playing in poker games where the house takes a cut, a player must not only beat opponents, but also the financial drain of the rake.
Mechanism
Three predominant types of rake are applied depending upon the format of poker game being played.
During ring games the percentage rake is taken by the dealer based on the amount of money being wagered by the players. In a live casino, the dealer manually removes chips from the pot while the hand is being played and sets them aside to be dropped into a secure box after completion of the hand. Online, the rake is taken automatically by the game software. Some software shows the rake amount next to a graphical representation of the dealer and takes it incrementally between the rounds of betting, whereas other software programs wait until the entire hand is over and then takes it from the pot total before giving the rest to the winner of the hand.
The second type of rake is "time collection", or "table charge", where each player pays a set fee for playing in a ring game, typically every half hour, but another method could be a monthly subscription fee at an online site.
The third type of rake is an entrance fee taken when entering a poker tournament.
Some online poker websites have done away with the rake altogether. These "rake free" poker rooms generate revenue by increasing traffic to the company's other profitable businesses, such as sports betting.
The Poker Forum.Com
http://www.thepokerforum.com/rakeandtime.htm
From an article by Dave In Call titled "The Effects of the Rake or Time Charge on your Bottom Line", he states that there are several things to consider when trying to determine to play in a given game. They are: 1) the cost and hos it is collected from the players, 2) the players and how much of a favorite to beat them that you are, 3) the action at the table and average pot size in relation to the charge and how it is collected.
The last sentence in this article reads, "Understanding how the house charges the players to be in the game and its effect on your bottom line is one more aspect of poker that you must understand in order to become a winner. "
The bottom line is that some form of rake will always be used by casino's and poker rooms set up to make profit from those that play. The magic comes from that rake being a fair charge that doesn't drain the game such that it is practically impossible for more than 1-2 players to win per sitting.
I hope that we will hear a lot of comments on this blog.
Let the suck outs begin!
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Omaha 8 Pot Limit in Cary
I must say I sort of felt like Rick or Elli last night as I flopped or turn some monsters.... there were a couple of soft plays where I lost the pots, but it was a pretty good night for me in terms of catching cards. O8 is one of those games where you do need to get some cards since your opponents all have 4 cards each the likelihood of pulling off a bluff is minimal. It can be done and I have done it, but it must be executed under the correct circumstances and against the right players. But to give you an idea..... I flopped quads three times, turned a straight flush once and rivered the double-nuts twice in about a 3.5 hour stretch. You'd better walk out a winner with those kinds of cards. Unbelievably my biggest pot was early on against Rick and Mike D....
I've got 2, 3, 4, 5 on the button. Rick is the big blind and pumps it up another $30 when it gets back to him. Mike D calls and I call. The flop is A, 2, 10 with 2 spades. Rick bets the pot and Mike D calls and I call. The turn is a 4x and Rick pushes all-in, Mike D calls and I push all-in and Mike D calls. My wheel holds up to scoop the pot.
I also flopped quads after Ron had raised pre-flop and when he bet a paltry $20 on the turn, I min-raised him and he folded. There were 2 other significant hands.... in the first I held: Ac, 3h, 4h, 5c. The flop was 2h, 5h, 7s.... there was a pre-flop straddle and I bet the pot on the flop. Everyone called and the turn was the 6h... giving me the nut low and a straight flush. Mike D bet $25, Joe called and I raised to $75 hoping that he had the Ace flush and maybe a decent low. Mike D folded and Joe called. The river was a blank and I bet and Joe folded.
The other hand was against Rahj... he was the big blind and raised it $30. I really felt like I owed him one from an earlier hand so when there were 4-5 callers I called with 2c, 3h, 8h, 8c..... the flop: 8x, 8x, A... oh boy did I hope that he was raising pre-flop with pocket Aces. I lead out with a $50 bet and everyone folded. Oh baby... I was hoping that he thought that I had an 8 or a low draw and that he would come over the top. I also didn't want to let someones low draw get there unless they were committed to it and willing to pay.
Oh well... let the suck outs begin!
I've got 2, 3, 4, 5 on the button. Rick is the big blind and pumps it up another $30 when it gets back to him. Mike D calls and I call. The flop is A, 2, 10 with 2 spades. Rick bets the pot and Mike D calls and I call. The turn is a 4x and Rick pushes all-in, Mike D calls and I push all-in and Mike D calls. My wheel holds up to scoop the pot.
I also flopped quads after Ron had raised pre-flop and when he bet a paltry $20 on the turn, I min-raised him and he folded. There were 2 other significant hands.... in the first I held: Ac, 3h, 4h, 5c. The flop was 2h, 5h, 7s.... there was a pre-flop straddle and I bet the pot on the flop. Everyone called and the turn was the 6h... giving me the nut low and a straight flush. Mike D bet $25, Joe called and I raised to $75 hoping that he had the Ace flush and maybe a decent low. Mike D folded and Joe called. The river was a blank and I bet and Joe folded.
The other hand was against Rahj... he was the big blind and raised it $30. I really felt like I owed him one from an earlier hand so when there were 4-5 callers I called with 2c, 3h, 8h, 8c..... the flop: 8x, 8x, A... oh boy did I hope that he was raising pre-flop with pocket Aces. I lead out with a $50 bet and everyone folded. Oh baby... I was hoping that he thought that I had an 8 or a low draw and that he would come over the top. I also didn't want to let someones low draw get there unless they were committed to it and willing to pay.
Oh well... let the suck outs begin!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Slow Play = Quick Pain Part II
Hard to believe that this hand happened the same night... I guess this just proves that Rick is right again.... I ain't trainable. As is often the case, flopping bottom set in Omaha 8 No Limit is death. Not many times however do you convert that set to quads on the turn to lose to a straight flush on the river. It may be difficult for some, but dammit, I can do it!
The problem again was early position. I have always hated early position especially when you are trying to maximize the amount of chips that you are able to collect on any given hand. Being out of position is probably one of the worst hurdles to overcome. In this hand, I did make a mistake and I believe that it happened on the turn. Here is the setup. We're playing $2/$5 Pot Limit Omaha 8. There are about 8 of us at the table in Cary and it has been a rather calm night compared to how they usually run.
I'm the small blind and Ron is the big blind. My hand is not anything to get excited about but with limpers all around, it is easy for me complete the blind to see the flop as I am relatively certain that Ron will not raise. If it does, it is an easy hand to get away from.
My hand:
I'm not certain of Ron's other two cards. It seems that when you have a stroke at the poker table, it is possible for you to lose some short-term memory. That most certainly is what happened here.
Ron's hand:
I would like to say that he had the Ace of clubs and maybe a low wheel card. That is easy for me to put him on as he will typically not play any hand that doesn't have either 2 Aces in it or at least a suited Ace with 2-3 wheel cards in it.
I don't believe there was any straddle on this particular hand and no raise pre-flop so we're probably looking at a $40 pot. Here comes the flop:
As is normally the case, I will make a bet when I flop a set just to see who else is out there and alert. I don't completely recall, but I am fairly certain that I bet the pot. As Rick has taught me many times, he will normally flop the top set when I flop the bottom set so I really do this just to build the pot for Rick... it's something that the Juice and I feel strongly about. Ron calls which immediately sends up the radar... maybe a better set, maybe the nut low draw with a flush draw. But definitely a hand. And Joe calls. And there may have been 1-2 more calls... again... the stroke.
I can't describe how pretty the turn card was....
And here's the problem. Early position. If I bet, everyone goes away. If I check, if I am lucky enough to have just made someone a boat when my quad-7 hit the board. I will probably get paid. So.... I check. And of course, it checks all the way around.
Then the river:
I can't be too concerned about the straight flush as I bet the flop when the two straight flush cards hit the board. Ron most certainly would not have called if that the only draw that he had so he must have had a low draw with it. As fate would have it, I didn't have many more chips and there were still a couple of people behind me so rather than raise it, Ron just checked hoping that others would call. No one did....
As I was in first position and I am the perfect picture of not slow-rolling, I announced .... I've got the 2nd nut. And after a minute or two in order to build suspense, Ron turns over the straight flush and says something like, "I've got the first nut."
It certainly wasn't a surprise to me when he called my bet on the river. I fully expected him to have it when he called. But the slow-roll wasn't necessary. He may not have done it on purpose, he may just be slow in general. Perhaps....
At any rate, it is almost eerie that both these slow-plays were thwarted by Jacks and both involved a flop with the 7 & the 8. Too spooky to comprehend?
Let the suck outs begin!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Church Poker Approved by South Carolina Senate
Church Poker Approved by South Carolina Senate
by PokerPages.com Mon, Feb 18th, 2008 @ 12:00am
The South Carolina USA state Senate approved legislation last Thursday allowing churches and other nonprofit groups to raise money by hosting poker and other casino games, exempting them from South Carolina's 200-year-old law that prohibits dice and card games.
So under the bill, it would still not be legal to get together with friends for a night of poker, but you could play Texas Hold 'em, five-card draw, or seven-card stud at church, as the bill specifically mentions these forms of poker can be used to raise money for charity.
"If it raises money for a charitable cause, then I don't have a problem with it at all," said Sen. Paul Campbell, R-Goose Creek, who serves on the subcommittee that gave the bill a favorable report Thursday. Campbell said none of the members spoke against the proposal.
The law that currently bans the games is rarely enforced, but, according to an article in The Post and Courier, it has stopped plans for several charitable gambling events in the Charleston area in recent years.
NOT EVERYONE IS READY TO SHUFFLE UP
Despite poker's popularity, not all church staff would jump at the chance to host a poker fund-raising event, even if it were legal.
"I am totally against it. That is not the biblical way of providing for a ministry," the Rev. Stephen Singleton, pastor of Emanuel AME Church on Calhoun Street in Charleston was quoted as saying in The Post and Courier.
"Under no circumstances do I have a problem with the church soliciting funds, but when we go to games of chance, we become a casino," Singleton added.
Additionally, Pastor Leonard Griffin of Morris Street Baptist Church in Charleston said, "I saw the news, and it shocked me to think that games of chance would be allowed at the church. That's not something we endorse."
The bill is set for further discussion during the next full Judiciary Committee meeting, which is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 26
by PokerPages.com Mon, Feb 18th, 2008 @ 12:00am
The South Carolina USA state Senate approved legislation last Thursday allowing churches and other nonprofit groups to raise money by hosting poker and other casino games, exempting them from South Carolina's 200-year-old law that prohibits dice and card games.
So under the bill, it would still not be legal to get together with friends for a night of poker, but you could play Texas Hold 'em, five-card draw, or seven-card stud at church, as the bill specifically mentions these forms of poker can be used to raise money for charity.
"If it raises money for a charitable cause, then I don't have a problem with it at all," said Sen. Paul Campbell, R-Goose Creek, who serves on the subcommittee that gave the bill a favorable report Thursday. Campbell said none of the members spoke against the proposal.
The law that currently bans the games is rarely enforced, but, according to an article in The Post and Courier, it has stopped plans for several charitable gambling events in the Charleston area in recent years.
NOT EVERYONE IS READY TO SHUFFLE UP
Despite poker's popularity, not all church staff would jump at the chance to host a poker fund-raising event, even if it were legal.
"I am totally against it. That is not the biblical way of providing for a ministry," the Rev. Stephen Singleton, pastor of Emanuel AME Church on Calhoun Street in Charleston was quoted as saying in The Post and Courier.
"Under no circumstances do I have a problem with the church soliciting funds, but when we go to games of chance, we become a casino," Singleton added.
Additionally, Pastor Leonard Griffin of Morris Street Baptist Church in Charleston said, "I saw the news, and it shocked me to think that games of chance would be allowed at the church. That's not something we endorse."
The bill is set for further discussion during the next full Judiciary Committee meeting, which is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 26
Slow Play = Quick Pain
I've actually blogged about this point several times on here. When do you determine it is wise to "slow play" your monster in order to let someone "catch up?" Opinions vary, but I think that you have to determine how much of a monster, YOUR monster, really is. If I had known Mike D's hand on the flop in the example that I am about to give you, I would make the same play over and over again as I have him drawing to only 5 outs. Plus I've got a decent low and even if he were to get lucky and hit his 5 outer, I've still got re-draws to half the pot. In most instances, I'm more worried about him having and betting a low draw which means that now we're only increasing the rake on what is very likely to be a split pot. Enough prelim's... here's how it happened.
We have a surly bunch of characters including the ab-normal regulars at our Friday night Cary game of $2/$5 Omaha 8 Pot Limit. It's been a game that I have had marginal success with as Omaha 8 is definitely a "draws" game. I've heard Rick say many times that to flop the nuts in this game is the "kiss of death" and likely to cost you your entire chip stack. He is right again.....
My hand:
The flop:
Wow! What a flop.... I'm in early position, small blind actually and as I catch of the glimpse of the big blind, he is rallying his chips as if to make a bet. I decide to let him, unfortunately Theron (sp.) loses his nerve or at least decided against it. It checks all the way to the big blind and thank goodness, Mike D decides to bet the pot. Now the 2nd dilemma.... re-raise and try to take down the small pot or at least isolate and bet out the draws. But no, greed sets in as I remember that Theron was wanting to bet on the flop.... who knows, maybe he'll isolate. So I just smooth call and Theron folds. Strap yourselves in... here comes the turn.
The turn:
Fortunately, Mike D didn't have many chips and I believe that his pot bet put him all-in and I immediately call and get the bad news. Yep, he bet the flop drawing to only five outs and found all that he needed was one. Now my only hope to get at least half the pot is any 2, 3, 5 or 6 any suit.... and you guessed it, the river:
And Mike D doubles up through me....
We have a surly bunch of characters including the ab-normal regulars at our Friday night Cary game of $2/$5 Omaha 8 Pot Limit. It's been a game that I have had marginal success with as Omaha 8 is definitely a "draws" game. I've heard Rick say many times that to flop the nuts in this game is the "kiss of death" and likely to cost you your entire chip stack. He is right again.....
My hand:
Mike D's hand:
The flop:
Wow! What a flop.... I'm in early position, small blind actually and as I catch of the glimpse of the big blind, he is rallying his chips as if to make a bet. I decide to let him, unfortunately Theron (sp.) loses his nerve or at least decided against it. It checks all the way to the big blind and thank goodness, Mike D decides to bet the pot. Now the 2nd dilemma.... re-raise and try to take down the small pot or at least isolate and bet out the draws. But no, greed sets in as I remember that Theron was wanting to bet on the flop.... who knows, maybe he'll isolate. So I just smooth call and Theron folds. Strap yourselves in... here comes the turn.
The turn:
Fortunately, Mike D didn't have many chips and I believe that his pot bet put him all-in and I immediately call and get the bad news. Yep, he bet the flop drawing to only five outs and found all that he needed was one. Now my only hope to get at least half the pot is any 2, 3, 5 or 6 any suit.... and you guessed it, the river:
And Mike D doubles up through me....
Let the suck outs begin!
Ducks Unlimited Texas Hold'em Charity Poker Tournament
TEXAS HOLD’EM CHARITY POKER TOURNAMENT
You are cordially invited to the
40/42 Ducks Unlimited Texas Hold’em
Charity Poker Tournament
Saturday, April 26th
I-40/NC-42 (Cleveland School Area)
****** Donation to Ducks Unlimited is $100 ******
(There will also be a $100 Ladies-only table)
The event includes:
A catered meal
A seat in the tournament
A one-year membership to Ducks Unlimited
A one-year subscription to the DU magazine
Doors open at 5:00PM
Professional dealers will start the tournament at 6:00PM
In addition to the poker tournament, there will be a silent auction, raffles, and games.
Space is limited to the first 100 tickets sold!
You are cordially invited to the
40/42 Ducks Unlimited Texas Hold’em
Charity Poker Tournament
Saturday, April 26th
I-40/NC-42 (Cleveland School Area)
****** Donation to Ducks Unlimited is $100 ******
(There will also be a $100 Ladies-only table)
The event includes:
A catered meal
A seat in the tournament
A one-year membership to Ducks Unlimited
A one-year subscription to the DU magazine
Doors open at 5:00PM
Professional dealers will start the tournament at 6:00PM
In addition to the poker tournament, there will be a silent auction, raffles, and games.
Space is limited to the first 100 tickets sold!
For TICKET INFORMATION, please contact
David at dhwall@gmail.com or 919.673.3303
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
David at dhwall@gmail.com or 919.673.3303
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
Sunday, February 17, 2008
A Re-run of AA vs KK - Greenstein vs Farha
"I'm the only gambler on this table I guess...." Boy, if I had a nickel for everytime I said that.... the Juice is on chip preserve.
Hopper's Analysis is Correct.....
In a recent comment on Your thoughts..... Hopper notes that the hand analysis that he and FTP had just completed relative to a hand played by FTP was the first "real analysis" in a while on our site where a hand was really broken down, disected and analyzed. And I absolutely agree.... I liked the comment. But for those of you who have seen ME play, you would not want me doing hand analysis.... it would be like putting the Juice in charge of Black History Month. Lots of opinion, but not much content.
At any rate, thanks to Hopper for beginning to blog and this is a sincere request from me for those of you who are reading regularly to begin to contribute. I'm certain that we all can learn from each other's experiences at the table. The only thing that I ask is that if you are going to be critical of someone's play, please have the intestinal fortitude to log in to do it. These hit & run slams by anonymous are below the belt and typically all wrong. As a matter of fact, any hostile anonymous quotes will be deleted going forward.
We want to hear your thoughts about the game and I look forward to some of you guys who have been regular readers beginning to contribute to the site. We need you!
Let the suck outs begin!
At any rate, thanks to Hopper for beginning to blog and this is a sincere request from me for those of you who are reading regularly to begin to contribute. I'm certain that we all can learn from each other's experiences at the table. The only thing that I ask is that if you are going to be critical of someone's play, please have the intestinal fortitude to log in to do it. These hit & run slams by anonymous are below the belt and typically all wrong. As a matter of fact, any hostile anonymous quotes will be deleted going forward.
We want to hear your thoughts about the game and I look forward to some of you guys who have been regular readers beginning to contribute to the site. We need you!
Let the suck outs begin!
Saturday, February 16, 2008
St. Baldrick's Foundation Fundraiser for childhood cancer research!
Here we “glow” again.
This year’s motto:
We'll shave our hair away;
Please do what you can to pay;
So our children can keep cancer at bay.
It is that time of year again where a select few brave souls shed their beautiful locks for a good cause. As we did last year, the company where I am employed, ITXchange is participating in the St. Baldrick's Foundation drive as we support one of our core values. What is St. Baldrick’s some of you newer folks ask? Here is a brief overview for your information:
St. Baldrick's began as a casual conversation between friends and has exploded into the world's biggest volunteer-driven fundraising program for childhood cancer in just eight years!
St. Baldrick's is the world's largest volunteer-driven fundraising event for childhood cancer research. Thousands of volunteers shave their heads in solidarity of children with cancer, while requesting donations of support from friends and family. Events have taken place in 18 countries and 46 US states, raising over $34 million, and shaving more than 46,000 heads!
This year’s motto:
We'll shave our hair away;
Please do what you can to pay;
So our children can keep cancer at bay.
It is that time of year again where a select few brave souls shed their beautiful locks for a good cause. As we did last year, the company where I am employed, ITXchange is participating in the St. Baldrick's Foundation drive as we support one of our core values. What is St. Baldrick’s some of you newer folks ask? Here is a brief overview for your information:
St. Baldrick's began as a casual conversation between friends and has exploded into the world's biggest volunteer-driven fundraising program for childhood cancer in just eight years!
St. Baldrick's is the world's largest volunteer-driven fundraising event for childhood cancer research. Thousands of volunteers shave their heads in solidarity of children with cancer, while requesting donations of support from friends and family. Events have taken place in 18 countries and 46 US states, raising over $34 million, and shaving more than 46,000 heads!
The 2008 season is expected to be another fantastic year for raising funds to fight childhood cancer by shaving heads. This is the 9th year of St. Baldrick's events, and the 4th year of existence for the independent St. Baldrick's Foundation.In 2007, St. Baldrick's events were hosted in 46 U.S. states, in addition to Argentina, Australia, Bermuda, Hong Kong, Ireland, Kuwait, Northern Ireland, Switzerland and the United Kingdom and more events are signing up daily as the movement continues to spread. Shavees and volunteers can participate in honor or in memory of kids who have fought, or are fighting, cancer. These children and teens give a face and a story to the cause, inspiring all to go the extra mile (or inch, in terms of hair!) in raising funds and awareness.Since the first event in 2000, St. Baldrick's volunteers have raised over $34 million for life-saving research and 2008 promises even more exciting progress. Every child, teen, and family deserves our very best effort to cure childhood cancer, and that's just what they'll get from the St. Baldrick's community!
The ITXchange contingent contributed over $12,000 dollars last year and is looking to increase that to $20,000 this year. It can not be met without your help and generous donations. IT Xchange has again pledged to match our donation up to $5000 with every one keeping their eyebrows.
To donate, click on the link below, then click on “donate for this team” on the right hand side of the page and use your credit card. The donations are tax deductible.
I am the manager of the local ITX team as I believe that most of you are aware that I already have a shaved head.... but you may make your contributions to me in person if you prefer.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Hold'em for Hunger - Chapel Hill
When:
April 20, 2008
Registration/Check-In: 11:00-11:45am
First Hand Dealt: 12:00pm NOON
Where: Eddie Smith Field House (Indoor Track Facility)at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (See Directions)
How: Buy your ticket early!
You can do so either online or in the pit the two weeks prior to the tournament! Early birds might catch a free iPod Shuffle since any advanced ticket purchase automatically enters you into a drawing for one of those babies. If you don't get a ticket early, you can get one as the door on the day of the tournament (as long we don't sell out).
Details here: http://nourishinternational.org/hefh08/info.html
April 20, 2008
Registration/Check-In: 11:00-11:45am
First Hand Dealt: 12:00pm NOON
Where: Eddie Smith Field House (Indoor Track Facility)at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (See Directions)
How: Buy your ticket early!
You can do so either online or in the pit the two weeks prior to the tournament! Early birds might catch a free iPod Shuffle since any advanced ticket purchase automatically enters you into a drawing for one of those babies. If you don't get a ticket early, you can get one as the door on the day of the tournament (as long we don't sell out).
Details here: http://nourishinternational.org/hefh08/info.html
Stressful Night
Well I just got busted out of the FTOPS Razz tourney and I'm just extremly dissappointed with myself. I played great the entire time except for 4 hands and the last one was the biggest dissappointment of them all. Its after 3:00 am and I've been up for 16 hours so I guess I'm making an excue for my stupidity. I thought my hand read 76432 and I had locks on a massive pot that would have put me back into the top 10 in chips but the action was going so fast that when I made the last bet of $10k I realized that I had 75442 which made me a 97 vs his 8. Such a let down after being chip leader or top 10 for most of the night. Ended up busting out in 25 th place put really felt like anything less then a final table was underachiving. Oh well, ended up with an $1,100 cash after a $40 satelitte buy-in so not bad but first paid out over $41k, 2nd $27k and 3rd $18k and I was right there in the running for it. There is still some more events to play. The Stud even is tomorrow and I think I will try to learn how to play that tomorrow (I greatly overvalue my hands and need to work on that), the PLO rebuy is also Sat which will be wild but I might go in with only one buy-in and try to get lucky and build up a stack, then the big $2,500 buy in NLHE two day event starts Sat with deep stacks and extended blind levels to allow for some real playing time with 1st taking home at least $368k so that's worth a shot to satellite into. Then the short handed NLHE event is Sat night and the Main Event is Sunday with a payout of at least $350k. So the next few days will be filled with satellites trying to get in cheap and hope for a monster, life changing payout.
Still can not believe I donked away those chips....I will be better rested next event and more focused.
Still can not believe I donked away those chips....I will be better rested next event and more focused.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Your thoughts....
I feel like I played this hand right but right now I'm not too sure. I was a 55/45 favorite preflop and on the flop when my money went in. I'm glad the guy called b/c he was drawing to only 4 cards to improve his hand and boatup for the nuts when I had backdoor straight draws on the flop and of course any diamond gives me the flush. I just don't understand his call with no redraws in that spot. I'm just pissed off right now but I would like to know hat you guys think.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?2102138
http://www.pokerhand.org/?2102138
A Short Night of Juice
Well, it was a rather unusual night with the Juice this week.... we had our table of usual suspects until..... the Juice announces around 11 or so that he's cashing out. No one could believe it.... I heard the murmurings around the table, "what poker room owner puts on gay porn and then leaves?"
It didn't take long for the table to completely dry up.... I think that Ronnie was the first to go. Then Rick.... I couldn't believe it either. Rick is the one guy who is always the first one there and the last one to leave! Then Superplaya or Dean-O... I think Dean first. That pretty much left me, Bill T, Ron and Keith.
We struggled with the game for about 30-40 minutes and we were out of there before midnight. There were no monster hands at least whilst I was there.... The closest I came to it was bluffing Keith out of a hand on the river when he turned two pair and made a small bet at the pot. When the river brought in a flush, I bet, he folded. Whee.....
Let the suck outs begin!
It didn't take long for the table to completely dry up.... I think that Ronnie was the first to go. Then Rick.... I couldn't believe it either. Rick is the one guy who is always the first one there and the last one to leave! Then Superplaya or Dean-O... I think Dean first. That pretty much left me, Bill T, Ron and Keith.
We struggled with the game for about 30-40 minutes and we were out of there before midnight. There were no monster hands at least whilst I was there.... The closest I came to it was bluffing Keith out of a hand on the river when he turned two pair and made a small bet at the pot. When the river brought in a flush, I bet, he folded. Whee.....
Let the suck outs begin!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Almost here!
Tomorrow is a very special day. I have been looking forward to it all year and its finally here!!!! That's right everyone, tomorrow is FTOPS Razz Tournament!!! Oh yea there's also Valentine's Day but does that really matter to me? Appearently not..... Anyway, I've put in about 14k hands so far this year but lately been concentrating more on my NL 6 max ring game on FT which has been steadily improving over the past 2 weeks. I plan on focusing back on Razz all day today and tomorrow until the tournament tomorrow night. It will be interesting on what the field is like. I wouldn't think that there would be very many non razz players there but then again, during my 14k of hands, I played with over 1,700 different players in total but of that number, only 33 players have put in more then 100 hands against me and only 10 that have put in 200 hands or more so as you can see, there is only a very select group that plays Razz at the 2/4 and lower limits with any consistancy. So it should be filled with mainly players who have little experience with Razz and think that its a simple enough of a game that anyone can win. I mean really, the worst hand wins right? How much theory and stratagy can be involved in such a stupid game.....lmao!!!! As Ted Forrest said "Razz is the purest form of poker becuase good players will win money and bad players will lose the money. It's a beautiful, beautiful form of poker."
Good Deal in AC
$69 -- Atlantic City Resort w/FREE Breakfast & Show Tickets*
Atlantic City, NJ
Travel dates: Sunday-Wednesday through April 30
By Andrew Bradick
Travelzoo Staff
One of Atlantic City's top casino resorts, the Tropicana is offering a $69 per night deal on accommodations and entertainment for midweek (Sunday-Wednesday) stays through April 30. With all of the extras that the Tropicana is throwing in, you're getting a package worth $160.
The $69 offer includes:
Through Feb. 27: Two tickets to "How Sweet It Is," featuring Human Nature ($50 value)
March 16-31: Two tickets to "42nd Street" ($50 value)
FREE breakfast for 2 ($40 value)
Coupon book with food & drink discounts
Note: There are no show tickets available for stays Feb. 28 - March 15
Blackout Dates: Feb. 10, 14, 17-19, 24; April 21-23, 29-30
Book by Feb. 20.
Click here to book online or call the Tropicana at 800-345-8767 and mention rate code TZOO23.
For more information on "42nd Street," click here, or for information on "How Sweet It Is," click here.
About the Resort: Located on Atlantic City's boardwalk, 4 blocks from the Convention Center, the Tropicana has over 2100 guest rooms and a 24-hour, 150,000-square-foot casino. With the recent addition of The Quarter, the Tropicana now offers 22 restaurants, 34 stores for shopping and 14 venues for live entertainment, including The Comedy Stop and an IMAX theater.
Atlantic City, NJ
Travel dates: Sunday-Wednesday through April 30
By Andrew Bradick
Travelzoo Staff
One of Atlantic City's top casino resorts, the Tropicana is offering a $69 per night deal on accommodations and entertainment for midweek (Sunday-Wednesday) stays through April 30. With all of the extras that the Tropicana is throwing in, you're getting a package worth $160.
The $69 offer includes:
Through Feb. 27: Two tickets to "How Sweet It Is," featuring Human Nature ($50 value)
March 16-31: Two tickets to "42nd Street" ($50 value)
FREE breakfast for 2 ($40 value)
Coupon book with food & drink discounts
Note: There are no show tickets available for stays Feb. 28 - March 15
Blackout Dates: Feb. 10, 14, 17-19, 24; April 21-23, 29-30
Book by Feb. 20.
Click here to book online or call the Tropicana at 800-345-8767 and mention rate code TZOO23.
For more information on "42nd Street," click here, or for information on "How Sweet It Is," click here.
About the Resort: Located on Atlantic City's boardwalk, 4 blocks from the Convention Center, the Tropicana has over 2100 guest rooms and a 24-hour, 150,000-square-foot casino. With the recent addition of The Quarter, the Tropicana now offers 22 restaurants, 34 stores for shopping and 14 venues for live entertainment, including The Comedy Stop and an IMAX theater.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
The Grand
Everything I've read and seen so far is that this is going to be funny and a great movie. It was all, or just about all, done improve with no script. Comes out March 31st.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Don't Play the Game if you Can't take the Pain!!
The last few blogs about The Juice, have been pretty tough to read let alone be the one to take the bone hard in the ass on the river from Charles, Dean, & Rick! My dad always said if you are going to play with girls, then you may as well beat those pussies. I took that to heart so when I sit down with the few who have their skirts on this Tuesday night; get ready for the royal of all royal pork chops!!! I think that when Dean slowed rolled the royal flush on me that was the kiss of death and He along with all you other homos will pay the price for the river beating I have been taking!!! Piss on all of you who rivered me, from Bart and his one outer quad fives to Ricks runner, runner Aces full - Suck my asspipe and get ready to rumble!!!
P.S. Lets all take down Ron (SCROOGE) the tight, cheap, boring, cheap, irritating, CHEAP, one buy in Mother F#@*r!!!! FYI if a restaurant waiter gets on great service 20% after the Dinner & Dancing then should the dealer get at least .00025% of the winnings if you win? Lets see, buy-in for $300, cash out for$3,600.00 - tip $5!!!!! Did I mention CHEAP.
P.S.S. Charles, I don't want to hear about the rake ever again after the $3,000.00 "Come on guys just one more round...Please"... FU ALL
The Juice
Omaha 8 No Limit @ the Juice
Boy, I was getting slammed over and over and over again Saturday night and Sunday morning with the river card from hell.... I mentioned in an earlier blog that I must have been quartered 10 times. And in many of those cases, I was the quarter'er until the river and then I got quartered. I should probably be thankful though as the majority of those happened early in the evening so I had time and patience to make it back up.
My biggest hand of the night came against the Juice as most folks in North Raleigh were rolling over Sunday morning at least thinking about going out to get their newspaper. I had slowly and painfully built my stack back up to about $2800 and took two big hits from Rick and the Juice that knocked me back down around $1800 when this hand unfolded. I was definitely at the all or nothing point, but wanted to hang my fortune on what could be a huge hand. And then... this hand.
The game is Omaha 8 No Limit $5/$10 blinds and I'm in the big blind when I find this:
My Hand
We have basically run everyone else off.... I think that Big Dave was the first casualty somewhere around 3:00am. Then SuperPlaya, then Ronnie, then Keith.... Bill T never showed up. Then Ron made, I think, the correct fold pre-flop when he would have made a boat and thinking that he gave up a huge pot, cashed out. The truth is that had Ron been in that hand, the pot would not have been that big... at least with any of my chips. Oh well.... back to the last hand of the night.
Feeling froggy.... I raise it $100 and everyone calls... there's only four of us at this point, me, the Juice, Rick and Dean-O. I like the flop but it could have been better....
The Flop
Dean checks.... I check.... the Juice bets $400. Rick considers and then folds. Dean folds. Although I may be behind there's a good chance that my Ace/King is ahead AND that the Juice is on a worst flush draw than I have so I decide to see if another card to the low comes off so I just smooth call.
The turn:
I really like this card as it means that any card that doesn't pair the board 8 or under gives me at least half the pot. Any spade that doesn't pair the board gives me the nut flush and the nut low. Still wanting to make certain that I get my chips in good, I check. The Juice bets $500 and I beat him in the pot with my chips.
The river:
I take just a moment as this is the first time tonight that my draws had actually gotten there.... I have $700 left and push it in.... I don't remember exactly what his cards were as he threw them across the table, but I do remember that he had a King high flush.... It turns out that I was ahead the entire time with the Ace/King. But the nut flush just made it a little sweeter. As he matched up my stacks to pay me off, it totaled what would be my biggest pot of the night. Right at $3500 or so and a tidy little $3000 after the normal rake.
Welcome to the Juice.... Let the suck outs begin!
My biggest hand of the night came against the Juice as most folks in North Raleigh were rolling over Sunday morning at least thinking about going out to get their newspaper. I had slowly and painfully built my stack back up to about $2800 and took two big hits from Rick and the Juice that knocked me back down around $1800 when this hand unfolded. I was definitely at the all or nothing point, but wanted to hang my fortune on what could be a huge hand. And then... this hand.
The game is Omaha 8 No Limit $5/$10 blinds and I'm in the big blind when I find this:
My Hand
We have basically run everyone else off.... I think that Big Dave was the first casualty somewhere around 3:00am. Then SuperPlaya, then Ronnie, then Keith.... Bill T never showed up. Then Ron made, I think, the correct fold pre-flop when he would have made a boat and thinking that he gave up a huge pot, cashed out. The truth is that had Ron been in that hand, the pot would not have been that big... at least with any of my chips. Oh well.... back to the last hand of the night.
Feeling froggy.... I raise it $100 and everyone calls... there's only four of us at this point, me, the Juice, Rick and Dean-O. I like the flop but it could have been better....
The Flop
Dean checks.... I check.... the Juice bets $400. Rick considers and then folds. Dean folds. Although I may be behind there's a good chance that my Ace/King is ahead AND that the Juice is on a worst flush draw than I have so I decide to see if another card to the low comes off so I just smooth call.
The turn:
I really like this card as it means that any card that doesn't pair the board 8 or under gives me at least half the pot. Any spade that doesn't pair the board gives me the nut flush and the nut low. Still wanting to make certain that I get my chips in good, I check. The Juice bets $500 and I beat him in the pot with my chips.
The river:
I take just a moment as this is the first time tonight that my draws had actually gotten there.... I have $700 left and push it in.... I don't remember exactly what his cards were as he threw them across the table, but I do remember that he had a King high flush.... It turns out that I was ahead the entire time with the Ace/King. But the nut flush just made it a little sweeter. As he matched up my stacks to pay me off, it totaled what would be my biggest pot of the night. Right at $3500 or so and a tidy little $3000 after the normal rake.
Welcome to the Juice.... Let the suck outs begin!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Traveling to WSOP?
I have received several emails wanting to try to put together a group of locals attending some of the events at this WSOP in Vegas in July. Please let me know by way of emails & comments to this blog if there are others interested in such an effort.
I would be interested in even putting something together for some of the Circuit events or a WPT event. There's a Circuit event in AC coming up in early March.
Playing poker legally? What a concept!
I would be interested in even putting something together for some of the Circuit events or a WPT event. There's a Circuit event in AC coming up in early March.
Playing poker legally? What a concept!
One of those nights...
and unfortunately for me... it started early! I'll bet I was quartered 10 times last night! And in about 70% of the cases, I was the quarterer prior to the river and then "SLAM" right up the ole kiester. LOL. But I did get some payback and fortunately it was near the end. I got as much satisfaction of just costing the Juice money as I did out of winning. The first time that my cockles were warmed came when the Juice bets into Rick and Rick raises all in giving the Juice the "ok, how bad shape am I in?" The board had just paired 8's and the Juice says... oh, you're horrible shape and turns over what appeared to me to be 2 pair Queens and fours which were just hammered by the board pairing eights. But to his defense, he did say.... "I've got a boat!" and began to scoop the pot as a meaningless river comes. Even though I'm not in the hand, I feel it to be civic duty to straighten this crap out... so I say "hold on!" and Rick's trip eights with an Ace scoops about $1300 pot..... Nice! I had fun with that for the next hour or so....
The Flop
The next big hand was between Rick and the Juice too.... I may have to show you this one graphically.... (the suits will probably be incorrect, but the are not that important here anyway).
Rick's hand
The Juice
The Flop
The Turn & the River
Both hands flop monsters, anyone will assume when the Juice raises pre-flop that he has a big pair of some sort and the flop gives you trip 3's that you are most likely in great shape and have him drawing to a 2 outer. So when the Juice pushes all-in, you can't wait to get your chips in the pot.... especially if you have the nut low re-draw. When the Ace comes on the turn, you're there... you're free rolling for at least half the pot based on the way the cards lie. And then, the dagger in the Juice's heart.... another Ace, giving Rick Aces full of threes and the nut low! Whee! And welcome to the game that we love to play.... Omaha 8 No Limit or in the biblical terminology... "Shall we gather at the River?"
I've got to tell you about the last hand of the night, but I'll wait to do that till later as I've got some things to deal with today. I am hoping that Dean-O will log in and tell you about the hand of the century that he hit ... also against the Juice in the whee hours of the morning.
Alrighty, let the suck outs begin!
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