Well, what a night! For my first night back in over 2 months, it was quite exciting! I have never had such great cards to not make or take down any monster pots. I flopped the top set, Kings, against Elvie and got all our money in on the turn with only two cards to the low.... 4x, 5x for him to call me with nothing but a low draw and hit the 3 on the river to scoop the $600 pot. I flopped a royal flush out of position in Omaha 8 and must have taken down a $40 pot. I flopped quads 3 times and aces full twice and never got to squeeze the monkey once. I flopped broadway and bet big twice only to have Nate call me in one of them (because he thinks that Elvie will give him the proper odds) and pair the board to make his boat -and- his smallish bet (compared to the pot) was a must call. I flopped top set, Kings against the Juice and we got all our money in on the flop with only one card to the low for him to hit runner/runner to get half the pot.... and then, poor-old, un-lucky, never-hits-any-cards, the unluckiest man I know, Rick, take down a $2500 pot against Bill T with 5, 6os. What a load of crap!
Then the Juice leaves early.... that's like going to a topless bar and finding out that there are no women working that night! What's up with that!
Oh, well..... welcome back!
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Is Poker in the Cards for West Virginia Racetracks?
Copied from the Triangle Poker Journal
Triangle Poker Journal™
Subscribe free at www.trianglepokerjournal.com
Is Poker in the Cards for West Virginia Racetracks?
A bill allowing table games like poker and black jack at West Virginia state's 4 dog-and-horse tracks is expected to be introduced today. The bill would allow each tracks' host county to vote on permitting table games, would make the games part of the state's legalized lottery system, and give government a share of the profits.
The 4 racetrack counties are: Jefferson, Kanawha, and to the north: Hancock and Ohio counties.
Racetrack management says it is about survival given their clientele are principally from out of state and that new competition from nearby Pennsylvania will steal their customers.
Northern neighbor Pennsylvania has already authorized up to 61,000 machines at 14 sites and expects to see 30,000 operating by 2008, which is nearly three times the number hosted by the West Virginia tracks. Also 11 casinos are expected to be open by 2009. Three casinos are already operating.
Many opponents argue against gaming on moral grounds and for economic diversification, fearing the track companies will abandon West Virginia when they have expanded into larger population centers.
Other opponents are pushing for a state-wide vote as a tactic to kill the bill, since such a vote has less chance of success.
Some even argue that the racetracks are becoming full-blown casinos, so the state constitution must be amended to permit casinos.
If approved, the bill is expected to require county officials to schedule elections within 90 to 120 days after a racetrack applies. The racetracks are expected to bear the costs of the elections, said John Cavacini, head of the state Racing Association.
Even before introduction, the bill changed several times since drafting began. It is now expected to allow each county to reverse the approval of table games five years after the initial vote. It will also share 24 percent of gross proceeds with the state, twice the initial rate proposed by the Racing Association.
At least three of the racetracks have won allies by investing hundreds of millions of dollars to transform their facilities into tourist destinations.
Mountaineer Racetrack & Gaming Resort in Chester, owned by MTR Gaming Group Inc., features a hotel, high-end restaurants, a spa and a boxing venue.
Nearby Wheeling Island Racetrack & Gaming Center is in the middle of an $8 million expansion, furthering the $70 million of improvements made since 2003.
The Eastern Panhandle's Charles Town Races & Slots parent, Penn National Gaming Inc., is planning to build a new hotel there. It table games are approved, they have pledged that the hotel is just the beginning of a $200 million expansion project.
In the end, the issue whether table games are allowed at West Virginia's four racetracks might come down to who gets to vote on the decision.
Copied from the Triangle Poker Journal
Triangle Poker Journal™
Subscribe free at www.trianglepokerjournal.com
Is Poker in the Cards for West Virginia Racetracks?
A bill allowing table games like poker and black jack at West Virginia state's 4 dog-and-horse tracks is expected to be introduced today. The bill would allow each tracks' host county to vote on permitting table games, would make the games part of the state's legalized lottery system, and give government a share of the profits.
The 4 racetrack counties are: Jefferson, Kanawha, and to the north: Hancock and Ohio counties.
Racetrack management says it is about survival given their clientele are principally from out of state and that new competition from nearby Pennsylvania will steal their customers.
Northern neighbor Pennsylvania has already authorized up to 61,000 machines at 14 sites and expects to see 30,000 operating by 2008, which is nearly three times the number hosted by the West Virginia tracks. Also 11 casinos are expected to be open by 2009. Three casinos are already operating.
Many opponents argue against gaming on moral grounds and for economic diversification, fearing the track companies will abandon West Virginia when they have expanded into larger population centers.
Other opponents are pushing for a state-wide vote as a tactic to kill the bill, since such a vote has less chance of success.
Some even argue that the racetracks are becoming full-blown casinos, so the state constitution must be amended to permit casinos.
If approved, the bill is expected to require county officials to schedule elections within 90 to 120 days after a racetrack applies. The racetracks are expected to bear the costs of the elections, said John Cavacini, head of the state Racing Association.
Even before introduction, the bill changed several times since drafting began. It is now expected to allow each county to reverse the approval of table games five years after the initial vote. It will also share 24 percent of gross proceeds with the state, twice the initial rate proposed by the Racing Association.
At least three of the racetracks have won allies by investing hundreds of millions of dollars to transform their facilities into tourist destinations.
Mountaineer Racetrack & Gaming Resort in Chester, owned by MTR Gaming Group Inc., features a hotel, high-end restaurants, a spa and a boxing venue.
Nearby Wheeling Island Racetrack & Gaming Center is in the middle of an $8 million expansion, furthering the $70 million of improvements made since 2003.
The Eastern Panhandle's Charles Town Races & Slots parent, Penn National Gaming Inc., is planning to build a new hotel there. It table games are approved, they have pledged that the hotel is just the beginning of a $200 million expansion project.
In the end, the issue whether table games are allowed at West Virginia's four racetracks might come down to who gets to vote on the decision.
Copied from the Triangle Poker Journal
Monday, January 29, 2007
A Very Strange Week
Poker is a funny game. Though luck plays a major factor in the short-term, it plays almost no role in the long-term. We’ve all gone through streaks where we play poorly and win money, and also when we make all the right moves at all the wrong times. Some weeks it seems like you hit every draw, and some weeks the other guy does. Normally the money follows along with the luck. You get hit by the deck, you win money. You get cold-decked, you lose money.
This past week was a very strange one for me. Overall, I had some of the worst luck I’ve ever had over the course of the week, yet I had a great week money-wise (almost $7K profit). Go figure. In our Friday Omaha 8 game I was quartered four times, twice with the high and twice with the low. Two of these pots were nice-sized, and the other two were very large. I didn’t quarter anyone.
In the Saturday tournament, I was the victim of a classic cold-deck. I call a raise with A-J, and two of us see a flop of K-J-J. We get all the chips in by the river, and my opponent eventually (yet another slow-roll, but that’s another post…) turns up K-J. That left me with almost no chips, which I threw in the very next hand with 6-6. I was trying to get out the door, but it took five minutes to get the cards turned up, as everyone was trying to separate all the side-pots from the 47 people that were all-in. Sheesh!
Tuesday and Thursday were similar to Friday. Though I caught one or two river cards for smallish pots, I just couldn’t catch a break drawing to any big pots. Most of my good hands got drawn out on, though luckily a couple times they held up in large pots. If you had told me before the week started how the luck would go, I would have thought I’d be doing well to break even.
Yep, poker is a funny game. Like most players, normally I’m happy when I win money. Instead, I went home frustrated after almost every session. Maybe I just need to take a week off from poker and lay on the beach in Aruba. I wonder if there are any casinos there…
See ya at the tables…
Rick
This past week was a very strange one for me. Overall, I had some of the worst luck I’ve ever had over the course of the week, yet I had a great week money-wise (almost $7K profit). Go figure. In our Friday Omaha 8 game I was quartered four times, twice with the high and twice with the low. Two of these pots were nice-sized, and the other two were very large. I didn’t quarter anyone.
In the Saturday tournament, I was the victim of a classic cold-deck. I call a raise with A-J, and two of us see a flop of K-J-J. We get all the chips in by the river, and my opponent eventually (yet another slow-roll, but that’s another post…) turns up K-J. That left me with almost no chips, which I threw in the very next hand with 6-6. I was trying to get out the door, but it took five minutes to get the cards turned up, as everyone was trying to separate all the side-pots from the 47 people that were all-in. Sheesh!
Tuesday and Thursday were similar to Friday. Though I caught one or two river cards for smallish pots, I just couldn’t catch a break drawing to any big pots. Most of my good hands got drawn out on, though luckily a couple times they held up in large pots. If you had told me before the week started how the luck would go, I would have thought I’d be doing well to break even.
Yep, poker is a funny game. Like most players, normally I’m happy when I win money. Instead, I went home frustrated after almost every session. Maybe I just need to take a week off from poker and lay on the beach in Aruba. I wonder if there are any casinos there…
See ya at the tables…
Rick
Charges Against Most "Cabin" Poker Players Dismissed
Copied from the Triangle Poker Journal
Triangle Poker Journal™
Subscribe free at http://www.trianglepokerjournal.com/
Charges Against Most “Cabin” Poker Players Dismissed
Last summer, the Wake County Sheriff’s Department with the assistance of the NC Alcohol Law Enforcement obtained warrants for a well-known poker room known as “The Cabin” on Tarheel Club Road. Deputies seized poker tables, chips, televisions and other equipment and about $40,000, including cash in player’s cars or in their possession.
Vergil Allen Elliott, owner of “The Cabin,” and 14 others were issued Class 2 misdemeanor gambling citations. Elliott has since pled guilty. In December 2006 all the others, listed below, had their charges dismissed, according to an attorney involved with one of the defendants. All money seized from the defendants during the arrest was returned.
Those charged and subsequently cleared were: Susan Fowler Jones, Lee Jonathan Brewer, George Graddy Jackson Jr., Albert Thomas Clayton, John Samuel Blanton IV, Willis Edward Toudel, Ali Ihsan Ibrahim, Leamon Douglas Benson, Dennis Lee Leathers, Leon Thomas Cook, Chance Dynell Butter, Michael Lee Brown, Kevin Cedric Burroughs and Ayca Jones.
Copied from the Triangle Poker Journal
Triangle Poker Journal™
Subscribe free at http://www.trianglepokerjournal.com/
Charges Against Most “Cabin” Poker Players Dismissed
Last summer, the Wake County Sheriff’s Department with the assistance of the NC Alcohol Law Enforcement obtained warrants for a well-known poker room known as “The Cabin” on Tarheel Club Road. Deputies seized poker tables, chips, televisions and other equipment and about $40,000, including cash in player’s cars or in their possession.
Vergil Allen Elliott, owner of “The Cabin,” and 14 others were issued Class 2 misdemeanor gambling citations. Elliott has since pled guilty. In December 2006 all the others, listed below, had their charges dismissed, according to an attorney involved with one of the defendants. All money seized from the defendants during the arrest was returned.
Those charged and subsequently cleared were: Susan Fowler Jones, Lee Jonathan Brewer, George Graddy Jackson Jr., Albert Thomas Clayton, John Samuel Blanton IV, Willis Edward Toudel, Ali Ihsan Ibrahim, Leamon Douglas Benson, Dennis Lee Leathers, Leon Thomas Cook, Chance Dynell Butter, Michael Lee Brown, Kevin Cedric Burroughs and Ayca Jones.
Copied from the Triangle Poker Journal
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Anonymous posted.....
Anonymous posted this as a comment on New Schedule Going Up - Thanks!
I have two quick bad beats for you Charles..
First one: Average chip stacks are 200 (1/3 cash). I have 340, player to my left has 260. I am BB, and UTG decides to straddle 15. The table folds around and finds one limper, a couple more folds and I look down to pocket Kings(KsKc). I make the bet 60 to go(45 more). UTG calls quickly, and limper folds. As the flop is falling, I go all in (I did this for two reasons, to discourage action.. and to show strength). The flop comes, Qd,7h,6h.. UTG again quickly calls and shows 8c6c (only bottom pair). I flip my kings, and the turn comes.. 6s, river is a blank..
Second one: I have been playing extremely tight all night. Again 1/3 cash, and I have 270 with a full table. Action limps to me in the BB again, and I see 9s,7h (4 players to the flop). I check. Flop comes 9h,7c,Kc. I check, and someone shoots what I think is a feeler bet out.. 25 bucks (wild table). I decide to take it down immediately.. 125. Its now heads up, and my opponent goes all in, I call immediately thinking they have either KQ or AK. They flip AK and are drawing slim since someone announces "I folded an Ace". Turn is Qd, river is Qh. Counterfeited.. Par for the course...
I have two quick bad beats for you Charles..
First one: Average chip stacks are 200 (1/3 cash). I have 340, player to my left has 260. I am BB, and UTG decides to straddle 15. The table folds around and finds one limper, a couple more folds and I look down to pocket Kings(KsKc). I make the bet 60 to go(45 more). UTG calls quickly, and limper folds. As the flop is falling, I go all in (I did this for two reasons, to discourage action.. and to show strength). The flop comes, Qd,7h,6h.. UTG again quickly calls and shows 8c6c (only bottom pair). I flip my kings, and the turn comes.. 6s, river is a blank..
Second one: I have been playing extremely tight all night. Again 1/3 cash, and I have 270 with a full table. Action limps to me in the BB again, and I see 9s,7h (4 players to the flop). I check. Flop comes 9h,7c,Kc. I check, and someone shoots what I think is a feeler bet out.. 25 bucks (wild table). I decide to take it down immediately.. 125. Its now heads up, and my opponent goes all in, I call immediately thinking they have either KQ or AK. They flip AK and are drawing slim since someone announces "I folded an Ace". Turn is Qd, river is Qh. Counterfeited.. Par for the course...
Saturday, January 27, 2007
PKR Saturday Poker Tournament
Not great, I went out in sixth place today. I did catch a few good hands early that provided chips to get to the sixth place but by that time, I was very close to the short stack with only $11,000. Not very much when the blinds are $2,000/$4,000. I really think that they go up to fast after the $500/$1,000 blind.
So, just to give you a glimpse of some of my hands today.... I made a standard raise at the $25/$50 blind level when there were 4-5 limpers to $150 and all of them called when I was holding pocket Aces. The flop was Ac, 4d, 5d. I like it... Jason bets $600 and there's one caller. I push all-in with another $2300 or so and Jason calls. He was on a diamond draw and I made a boat with a 4 on the turn.
The next big hand for me came at the $100/$200 level in late position with 8s, 6s.... I limped in and there were no raises and I believe 5 other limpers. The flop was 8, 8, 6.... I like it! It checks all the way around to me and I check hoping somebody catches something! The next card is a 2x. Big Dave leads out with a $600 bet and Gabby, I believe, pushes all-in for another $2,200 or so. I am trying to look concerned. I am! I am trying to figure out what I can do to get Big Dave's chips in the pot. After a few seconds of deliberation, I just call and sure enough. Big Dave goes all-in for another $5,000 or so. I immediately call with the nuts at the time. Dave turns over an 8, 9x and the river is a meaningless Ace.
A couple of other, ONLY AT PKR kind of hands.... I believe the blinds are $400/$800. Ed raises and Carl re-raises and Asbury pushes all-in. Carl and Ed call. The hands are Carl has aces, Ed has kings and Asbury has queens... you know what is going to happen right? Sure enough Asbury turns a queen to scoop the biggest pot of the tournament so far and knock out Ed and Carl, both with better hands than him pre-flop. There's another new guy playing today and he was playing just about any ace all afternoon and kept getting really lucky. He pushed all-in with A, 9os and beat A, J suited when he made a straight using only his 9.... that was huge pot!
At any rate, when I left Rene' had just flopped quads to knock out Asbury and they were down to four. Jeff, Rene', the new guy and Big Dave! Good playing guys.....
See you tomorrow!
So, just to give you a glimpse of some of my hands today.... I made a standard raise at the $25/$50 blind level when there were 4-5 limpers to $150 and all of them called when I was holding pocket Aces. The flop was Ac, 4d, 5d. I like it... Jason bets $600 and there's one caller. I push all-in with another $2300 or so and Jason calls. He was on a diamond draw and I made a boat with a 4 on the turn.
The next big hand for me came at the $100/$200 level in late position with 8s, 6s.... I limped in and there were no raises and I believe 5 other limpers. The flop was 8, 8, 6.... I like it! It checks all the way around to me and I check hoping somebody catches something! The next card is a 2x. Big Dave leads out with a $600 bet and Gabby, I believe, pushes all-in for another $2,200 or so. I am trying to look concerned. I am! I am trying to figure out what I can do to get Big Dave's chips in the pot. After a few seconds of deliberation, I just call and sure enough. Big Dave goes all-in for another $5,000 or so. I immediately call with the nuts at the time. Dave turns over an 8, 9x and the river is a meaningless Ace.
A couple of other, ONLY AT PKR kind of hands.... I believe the blinds are $400/$800. Ed raises and Carl re-raises and Asbury pushes all-in. Carl and Ed call. The hands are Carl has aces, Ed has kings and Asbury has queens... you know what is going to happen right? Sure enough Asbury turns a queen to scoop the biggest pot of the tournament so far and knock out Ed and Carl, both with better hands than him pre-flop. There's another new guy playing today and he was playing just about any ace all afternoon and kept getting really lucky. He pushed all-in with A, 9os and beat A, J suited when he made a straight using only his 9.... that was huge pot!
At any rate, when I left Rene' had just flopped quads to knock out Asbury and they were down to four. Jeff, Rene', the new guy and Big Dave! Good playing guys.....
See you tomorrow!
Friday PKR Omaha Hi or Hi-Lo
It had been a couple of weeks since I had played the Omaha game at PKR so I had forgotten some of the.... hmmm.... what's the word.... suck-outs -AND- how loose some of the players are in the game. I played about the first two hours and stayed up about 100 most of that time and as usual around 10:30 or so, this game really starts to get loose. I made a couple of questionable lay-downs which turned out to be genius at the show-down. LOL. Yep, I laid down 3rd nut low to a big bet only to have someone.... who will remain nameless, only make a call on an over-bet with 5th nut low, take the low. Maybe it was just a really good read.
I did get tangled up in a couple of medium-sized pots which made the difference in my night however.... two of them against Sai. Where we both had the wheel and I wrapped up to get a higher straight and quartered him. There was one other hand against Sai where I quartered him again with the nut low and sweet little spade flush that hit on the river.
The big hand of the night for me was against a new guy, at least for me. Everyone else seemed to know Ed though so apparently he has been playing there pretty regularly in some of the cash games. In this particular hand, I had the As, 9s, 3h 5h and the flop hits with the 2s, 6h, 10s. I'm in early position and Ed has been pretty aggressive so I decided to see if he was going to bet as I had picked up a slight tell when he had a good hand, but he checked behind me. The turn is another low spade, I think the 7. So I lead out with a pot size bet and everyone folds around to Ed who re-pots, I re-pot, he re-pots and before you know it, I am all-in with the nut flush and the nut low. The river in a very un-PKR-like manner was a brick. I think that I had $680 in front of me at the time and he turned over the Ax, 3s, 8s, Jx or something very close to that and unfortunately for Ed, he thought that he had the nut flush but got quartered with my nut low and nut flush.
I did flop a set of queens and turned quads in one hand in very early position and got no action at all. I checked the flop and the turn hoping that someone would catch something, but alas, no action. When I made a pot sized bet on the river, the only caller was Rick who I believe had a small boat.
After all the suck-outs including the monster of the night between Mike D and Joe where Mike D hit a one outer for quads on the river to beat Joe's big boat, I did cash out positive for the night.
I'm heading back today for the 40/40/40 tourney!
Back to the felt!
I did get tangled up in a couple of medium-sized pots which made the difference in my night however.... two of them against Sai. Where we both had the wheel and I wrapped up to get a higher straight and quartered him. There was one other hand against Sai where I quartered him again with the nut low and sweet little spade flush that hit on the river.
The big hand of the night for me was against a new guy, at least for me. Everyone else seemed to know Ed though so apparently he has been playing there pretty regularly in some of the cash games. In this particular hand, I had the As, 9s, 3h 5h and the flop hits with the 2s, 6h, 10s. I'm in early position and Ed has been pretty aggressive so I decided to see if he was going to bet as I had picked up a slight tell when he had a good hand, but he checked behind me. The turn is another low spade, I think the 7. So I lead out with a pot size bet and everyone folds around to Ed who re-pots, I re-pot, he re-pots and before you know it, I am all-in with the nut flush and the nut low. The river in a very un-PKR-like manner was a brick. I think that I had $680 in front of me at the time and he turned over the Ax, 3s, 8s, Jx or something very close to that and unfortunately for Ed, he thought that he had the nut flush but got quartered with my nut low and nut flush.
I did flop a set of queens and turned quads in one hand in very early position and got no action at all. I checked the flop and the turn hoping that someone would catch something, but alas, no action. When I made a pot sized bet on the river, the only caller was Rick who I believe had a small boat.
After all the suck-outs including the monster of the night between Mike D and Joe where Mike D hit a one outer for quads on the river to beat Joe's big boat, I did cash out positive for the night.
I'm heading back today for the 40/40/40 tourney!
Back to the felt!
Friday, January 26, 2007
Thursday at Dave's
Well, it was another wild and wacky one last night. During the first four hours (if my math is correct), I believe I flopped the nut straight 1,426 times in Omaha 8, and 1,426 times the turn either paired the board or brought the third flush card. 569 times I flopped the nut low, and 569 times the case ace came on the turn to counterfeit me. Also, there were 731 hands where I flopped a set or flush draw, and 731 times someone else made the nut straight on the turn.
I love this game.
After a big night Tuesday, it was looking like I was going to give some of it back. Poker is a streaky game though. After my third or fourth rebuy, I finally started to build my stack. Like Tuesday, most of the pots I won were medium-sized, with one or two exceptions. The most notable one was against Eli. I said I wasn’t going to post it, but Dave goaded me into it, so here goes…
NLHE $2/5 – there are several limpers, and when the action gets to me in the small blind, I look down to find Q-Q. I think I raise $35, and get three or four callers. The flop comes Q-6-5 rainbow – woo hoo! I lead out with a $50 bet, Dave calls, and Eli raises to $150 on the button. Though Dave can have anything, I decide to take a small chance and not re-raise. I like the flop so much that I want Dave in as well, and I’m also not quite ready to tip off the strength of my hand just yet. Of course, I’m hoping that Eli has small set that he won’t be able to get away from. I call and Dave calls as well.
The turn brings a 9 (it’s probably too much to ask for Dave to have pocket nines, but you know me…). I check, and when Dave checks I figure he’s pretty much done with the hand. Eli bets something like $125 or $150, and since I’m pretty sure he’s committed at this point, I push in the remainder ($350 maybe?). Dave folds, and Eli asks if I have queens before calling and turning over his small set. Pretty tough to lay down any set, even a small one, in a cash game when there’s no obvious straight or flush out there. My queens hold up, as we both boat up on the river.
As bad as my luck was early on, Eli’s was just as bad. He got cold-decked several times in large pots, and it seemed he got drawn out on most of the other times. As for me, the luck turned around later, when I actually had a few hands hold up (what’s the world coming to?)! What looked to be a losing night ended with me cashing out with over $3K. Unfortunately, I had to play until I had to go to work in order to get those chips, so I’m working on no sleep yet again. I need to sneak out early and get and hour or two sleep before Omaha night at PKR. With any luck I hope to make $1-2K tonight, then go win the tournament again tomorrow. Yes, I know it’s the same plan as every week, but you know what they say; if it ain’t broke…
See ya at the tables…
Rick
I love this game.
After a big night Tuesday, it was looking like I was going to give some of it back. Poker is a streaky game though. After my third or fourth rebuy, I finally started to build my stack. Like Tuesday, most of the pots I won were medium-sized, with one or two exceptions. The most notable one was against Eli. I said I wasn’t going to post it, but Dave goaded me into it, so here goes…
NLHE $2/5 – there are several limpers, and when the action gets to me in the small blind, I look down to find Q-Q. I think I raise $35, and get three or four callers. The flop comes Q-6-5 rainbow – woo hoo! I lead out with a $50 bet, Dave calls, and Eli raises to $150 on the button. Though Dave can have anything, I decide to take a small chance and not re-raise. I like the flop so much that I want Dave in as well, and I’m also not quite ready to tip off the strength of my hand just yet. Of course, I’m hoping that Eli has small set that he won’t be able to get away from. I call and Dave calls as well.
The turn brings a 9 (it’s probably too much to ask for Dave to have pocket nines, but you know me…). I check, and when Dave checks I figure he’s pretty much done with the hand. Eli bets something like $125 or $150, and since I’m pretty sure he’s committed at this point, I push in the remainder ($350 maybe?). Dave folds, and Eli asks if I have queens before calling and turning over his small set. Pretty tough to lay down any set, even a small one, in a cash game when there’s no obvious straight or flush out there. My queens hold up, as we both boat up on the river.
As bad as my luck was early on, Eli’s was just as bad. He got cold-decked several times in large pots, and it seemed he got drawn out on most of the other times. As for me, the luck turned around later, when I actually had a few hands hold up (what’s the world coming to?)! What looked to be a losing night ended with me cashing out with over $3K. Unfortunately, I had to play until I had to go to work in order to get those chips, so I’m working on no sleep yet again. I need to sneak out early and get and hour or two sleep before Omaha night at PKR. With any luck I hope to make $1-2K tonight, then go win the tournament again tomorrow. Yes, I know it’s the same plan as every week, but you know what they say; if it ain’t broke…
See ya at the tables…
Rick
World Poker Open at the Gold Strike Casino in Tunica
Bryan Sumner from Tennessee wins the WPT World Poker Open at the Gold Strike Casino in Tunica, Mississippi and pockets $913,986! Daniel Negreanu finishes second winning over $500K! Also at the final table were Kido Pham and JC Tran.
I understand that Negreanu, Pham and Tran all chartered a private jet to take them to AC for the next WPT event.
I understand that Negreanu, Pham and Tran all chartered a private jet to take them to AC for the next WPT event.
Giant Dome Going Up in Atlantic City
Copied from Triangle Poker Journal
Triangle Poker Journal
Subscribe free at www.trianglepokerjournal.com
90-foot-high domed spa part of $550M. Harrah's project
ATLANTIC CITY — For sheer magnificence, it may fall short of the domes of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and the Capitol in Washington, but it is spectacular in its own right.
90-foot-high domed spa part of $550M. Harrah's project
ATLANTIC CITY — For sheer magnificence, it may fall short of the domes of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and the Capitol in Washington, but it is spectacular in its own right.
There is nothing quite like it in the casino industry. Not even in Las Vegas.
Soaring 90 feet high, the huge glass-enclosed structure should help Harrah's become, well, a more dome-ineering force in the fierce competition with next door neighbor Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa for the high-end gambling market.
“It will be a tropical paradise under a glass dome,” R. Scott Barber, senior vice president and general manager of Harrah's Atlantic City, boasted Tuesday during a media tour of the new building.
This dome and the posh spa housed within it are the aesthetic centerpiece of a $550 million expansion that will transform Harrah's into a more upscale casino hotel reminiscent of the glamorous gaming palaces of Las Vegas.
Copied from Triangle Poker Journal
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Sunday at Benson
Another tournament at Benson can mean only one thing; another bad beat story. Of course, any poker player who’s played more than, oh, once could write a book with all of their tales of woe. For me, I’m not interested so much in the typical criteria (number of outs, etc.), as I am the situation, and what makes a bad beat unique. The beat I took last weekend makes my book because of its distinctiveness.
I was invited to play in a 20-player freeroll, with no rebuys. Each player started with 4,000 chips, so there was 80,000 in play. I think we’re down to eight players, blinds are 800/1,600 and I have 7,200 in front of me. I’m UTG in seat one, and find J-J. At this point I want to try and double up, so I raise to 4,000 (rather than push in), in an attempt to get action. Of course, the chips are going in regardless of the flop.
The action folds around to the small blind, who’s in seat nine and somewhat blinded from me by the dealer. He turns to the guy in the big blind and boldly announces he’s all-in. The big blind folds, I quickly call and turn over my hand, and the guy’s eyes get big as he announces “I didn’t know anyone else was in the hand,” and sheepishly turns over 8-7os. The flop brings 10-9-2, giving him six outs to the straight. The turn pairs the board, leaving him just the four sixes as outs. Of course, by now you know that one of them comes. Turns out he and I had exactly the same amount of chips, so instead of having 20% of the chips in play, I’m out the door and on my way home before he can finish stacking his booty.
You gotta love the luck. The guy isn’t paying attention to the action, is oblivious to the fact that someone has already raised the pot, and just tries to steal the big blind. But as so often happens in this game, he trips over his own dick, lands in a big pile of shit, and gets up smelling like a rose (of course, if you talk to Charles, he'll tell anyone that'll listen that I'm a lucky player...).
I’m off to Dave’s again tonight, where I’m sure I’ll collect enough material for yet another chapter in my ever-growing book. :-)
See ya at the tables…
Rick
I was invited to play in a 20-player freeroll, with no rebuys. Each player started with 4,000 chips, so there was 80,000 in play. I think we’re down to eight players, blinds are 800/1,600 and I have 7,200 in front of me. I’m UTG in seat one, and find J-J. At this point I want to try and double up, so I raise to 4,000 (rather than push in), in an attempt to get action. Of course, the chips are going in regardless of the flop.
The action folds around to the small blind, who’s in seat nine and somewhat blinded from me by the dealer. He turns to the guy in the big blind and boldly announces he’s all-in. The big blind folds, I quickly call and turn over my hand, and the guy’s eyes get big as he announces “I didn’t know anyone else was in the hand,” and sheepishly turns over 8-7os. The flop brings 10-9-2, giving him six outs to the straight. The turn pairs the board, leaving him just the four sixes as outs. Of course, by now you know that one of them comes. Turns out he and I had exactly the same amount of chips, so instead of having 20% of the chips in play, I’m out the door and on my way home before he can finish stacking his booty.
You gotta love the luck. The guy isn’t paying attention to the action, is oblivious to the fact that someone has already raised the pot, and just tries to steal the big blind. But as so often happens in this game, he trips over his own dick, lands in a big pile of shit, and gets up smelling like a rose (of course, if you talk to Charles, he'll tell anyone that'll listen that I'm a lucky player...).
I’m off to Dave’s again tonight, where I’m sure I’ll collect enough material for yet another chapter in my ever-growing book. :-)
See ya at the tables…
Rick
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Tuesday at Dave's
Another Tuesday night, and by now we all know what that means: another opportunity to stuff my pockets with Dave’s cash. And as usual, he did not disappoint. Don’t get me wrong, I want everybody’s money, but for some reason it’s simply more fun taking Dave’s.
My favorite situations occur when Dave is on my left, and I check the nuts to him. Yes, I could bet, and he could raise, and I’d end up basically accomplishing the same goal, but where’s the fun in that? Dave (bless his heart!) was born with some sort of a birth defect (Donkeyitis Pigmentosa, I think it’s called) that precludes him from checking anytime there’s more than, say, $13 in any given pot, regardless of what his cards are.
At any rate, the best part about this play is that if I bet, most people will fold, knowing that I must have a hand. Nobody gives Dave any respect, since he bets every pot, and he’ll usually have half the table call him. This situation came up a couple times last night. Once was in Omaha 8, when I have A-2-2-7, and the flop comes 4-2-2, with two spades. Woo hoo! I’m first to act, and throw out a little bet of $30 or so to get the ball rolling, and Dave raises another $100. I think there are three callers, and I just call when it gets to me. I figure I’m not going to get anyone off the low draw anyway, so I want as many players in as possible. And who knows, if the right cards come, my A-7 might end up winning the low also.
Anyway, the turn brings a K, a great card for me. I glance over at our hero, who is just itching to get his chips in the middle, and who am I to stop him? I check, and he pushes all-in for $800 or so. Elvie calls for less, there’s a fold, and the action is to Bill, who deliberates for a good 4-5 minutes. In the end, despite my best efforts at telepathy (“Call Bill… Call Bill!”), he folds. I call of course, and hope for any card 9 or higher. I get my wish, as a J comes on the river and my monkey rakes a monster pot. I could have made a double-batch of Toll House Cookies™ with all the chocolate chips I scooped – thanks Dave!
Another nice hand came in NLHE, when I get A-A on the button. I raise to $35 when it gets to me, and Dave raises another $100 from the small blind. Eli is on my right, and calls Dave’s raise. Hmmm, how to play, how to play… Here Dave is not the issue, I know he’ll call an all-in bet. In fact, if it was just us, I probably would have just min-raised and allowed him to raise me all-in (I usually like to play with my fish a bit before landing him). Eli is still a pretty loose player, but has tightened up a bit, and is a much better player now than he was a year ago. Still, I don’t want to play aces against two players, and I don’t want to give him any more reason to get involved any further. I decide to push in to try and isolate Dave, and let the chips fall where they may.
Dave immediately calls for his last $500-600 or so, and now Eli has a tough decision to make. Eli and I are the two big stacks. I think he may have me covered at this point, but a loss will cripple him, and he makes the right decision and folds his Kh-2h (hey, don’t laugh, the old Eli would have never laid that down!). Boy, I was sure glad I pushed once I saw the two hearts come on the flop, then the third come on the turn! Luckily, my aces held up against Dave’s jacks, and I drag another nice pot.
As strange as it sounds, the theme for the night was “What could have been.” I laid down a marginal hand pre-flop (where I was on the fence about calling) that would have boated up and scooped a $1,900 pot. Ouch. I got screwed on the river several times to cost me all or part of a handful of big pots. Though I had a big night, I didn’t hit a single river card myself. It’s hard to have a big night playing Omaha without hitting a few river cards, but I did pretty well with the medium-sized pots.
After the sun came up and the pretenders left, John M and I played heads-up for a bit. He spanked me fair and square the last time, but this night (morning) belonged to me. I broke him, and we called it a night. After a couple losing night in a row at Dave’s (what the hell?), it was fun being back playing big-stack poker. I cashed out for over $5,400. Of course, being the greedy bastard I am, I couldn’t help but feel it should have been $8,000-9,000 or so. And to answer your question – no, it never is enough…
See ya at the tables…
Rick
My favorite situations occur when Dave is on my left, and I check the nuts to him. Yes, I could bet, and he could raise, and I’d end up basically accomplishing the same goal, but where’s the fun in that? Dave (bless his heart!) was born with some sort of a birth defect (Donkeyitis Pigmentosa, I think it’s called) that precludes him from checking anytime there’s more than, say, $13 in any given pot, regardless of what his cards are.
At any rate, the best part about this play is that if I bet, most people will fold, knowing that I must have a hand. Nobody gives Dave any respect, since he bets every pot, and he’ll usually have half the table call him. This situation came up a couple times last night. Once was in Omaha 8, when I have A-2-2-7, and the flop comes 4-2-2, with two spades. Woo hoo! I’m first to act, and throw out a little bet of $30 or so to get the ball rolling, and Dave raises another $100. I think there are three callers, and I just call when it gets to me. I figure I’m not going to get anyone off the low draw anyway, so I want as many players in as possible. And who knows, if the right cards come, my A-7 might end up winning the low also.
Anyway, the turn brings a K, a great card for me. I glance over at our hero, who is just itching to get his chips in the middle, and who am I to stop him? I check, and he pushes all-in for $800 or so. Elvie calls for less, there’s a fold, and the action is to Bill, who deliberates for a good 4-5 minutes. In the end, despite my best efforts at telepathy (“Call Bill… Call Bill!”), he folds. I call of course, and hope for any card 9 or higher. I get my wish, as a J comes on the river and my monkey rakes a monster pot. I could have made a double-batch of Toll House Cookies™ with all the chocolate chips I scooped – thanks Dave!
Another nice hand came in NLHE, when I get A-A on the button. I raise to $35 when it gets to me, and Dave raises another $100 from the small blind. Eli is on my right, and calls Dave’s raise. Hmmm, how to play, how to play… Here Dave is not the issue, I know he’ll call an all-in bet. In fact, if it was just us, I probably would have just min-raised and allowed him to raise me all-in (I usually like to play with my fish a bit before landing him). Eli is still a pretty loose player, but has tightened up a bit, and is a much better player now than he was a year ago. Still, I don’t want to play aces against two players, and I don’t want to give him any more reason to get involved any further. I decide to push in to try and isolate Dave, and let the chips fall where they may.
Dave immediately calls for his last $500-600 or so, and now Eli has a tough decision to make. Eli and I are the two big stacks. I think he may have me covered at this point, but a loss will cripple him, and he makes the right decision and folds his Kh-2h (hey, don’t laugh, the old Eli would have never laid that down!). Boy, I was sure glad I pushed once I saw the two hearts come on the flop, then the third come on the turn! Luckily, my aces held up against Dave’s jacks, and I drag another nice pot.
As strange as it sounds, the theme for the night was “What could have been.” I laid down a marginal hand pre-flop (where I was on the fence about calling) that would have boated up and scooped a $1,900 pot. Ouch. I got screwed on the river several times to cost me all or part of a handful of big pots. Though I had a big night, I didn’t hit a single river card myself. It’s hard to have a big night playing Omaha without hitting a few river cards, but I did pretty well with the medium-sized pots.
After the sun came up and the pretenders left, John M and I played heads-up for a bit. He spanked me fair and square the last time, but this night (morning) belonged to me. I broke him, and we called it a night. After a couple losing night in a row at Dave’s (what the hell?), it was fun being back playing big-stack poker. I cashed out for over $5,400. Of course, being the greedy bastard I am, I couldn’t help but feel it should have been $8,000-9,000 or so. And to answer your question – no, it never is enough…
See ya at the tables…
Rick
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
New Schedule Going Up....
POKER SCHEDULE (CURRENT UNTIL FEB 1)
MMC Thursday - 1/3 NLHE 2:00pm, Tournament 40 (no-rebuy) 8:15
MMC Sunday - 2/5 NLHE 7:00pm
MMC Monday - 1/3 NLHE 8:00pm
POKER SCHEDULE (STARTING FEB 1)
MMC Thursday - 1/3 NLHE 2:00pm, Tournament 40 (no-rebuy) 8:15
MMC Saturday - Tournament 100/100 7:15pm & 1/3 NLHE 8:00pm
MMC Sunday - 2/5 NLHE 7:00pm
Let me know if you have any questions!
MMC Thursday - 1/3 NLHE 2:00pm, Tournament 40 (no-rebuy) 8:15
MMC Sunday - 2/5 NLHE 7:00pm
MMC Monday - 1/3 NLHE 8:00pm
POKER SCHEDULE (STARTING FEB 1)
MMC Thursday - 1/3 NLHE 2:00pm, Tournament 40 (no-rebuy) 8:15
MMC Saturday - Tournament 100/100 7:15pm & 1/3 NLHE 8:00pm
MMC Sunday - 2/5 NLHE 7:00pm
Let me know if you have any questions!
Monday, January 22, 2007
A Dream Come True!
A guy walked into the local welfare office, marched
straight up to the counter and said, "Hi. You know, I
just HATE drawing welfare. I'd really rather have a
job."
The social worker behind the counter said, "Your
timing is excellent. We just got a job opening from a
very wealthy old man who wants a chauffeur and
bodyguard for his beautiful 30 year old daughter.
You'll have to drive around in his Mercedes, and he'll
supply all of your clothes. Because of the long hours,
meals will be provided. You'll be expected to escort
the daughter on her overseas holiday trips and you
will have to satisfy her sexual urges.
You'll be provided a two-bedroom apartment above the
garage. The salary is $200,000 a year."
The guy, wide-eyed, said, "You're bullshitting me!"
The social worker said, "Yeah, well...you started it."
straight up to the counter and said, "Hi. You know, I
just HATE drawing welfare. I'd really rather have a
job."
The social worker behind the counter said, "Your
timing is excellent. We just got a job opening from a
very wealthy old man who wants a chauffeur and
bodyguard for his beautiful 30 year old daughter.
You'll have to drive around in his Mercedes, and he'll
supply all of your clothes. Because of the long hours,
meals will be provided. You'll be expected to escort
the daughter on her overseas holiday trips and you
will have to satisfy her sexual urges.
You'll be provided a two-bedroom apartment above the
garage. The salary is $200,000 a year."
The guy, wide-eyed, said, "You're bullshitting me!"
The social worker said, "Yeah, well...you started it."
Hey... where'd he go?
Rick and I made the jaunt over to Benson for the tournament yesterday and always, there was a great group of guys there. We didn't do very well, but its always fun to talk poker with Rick there and back. Especially since I don't get to play as much with him as I used to... at any rate, during one of our conversations he reminded me of something that I probably should have blogged immediately following the US Poker Championship back in September. We were playing in the cash game 2/5 at the Borgata and this older gentleman came to the table and sat down with a huge rack of chips, Rick was sitting closer to him than I was, but it looked like several thousand dollars in chips. He was a short, salt & pepper haired guy with a black-ish handle-bar shaped, moustache. He sort of reminded me of someone who may have been retired military. Very staunch looking, no hair out of place and everything neatly pressed.
At any rate, he sat down and posted his blind in early position. I've got the Ad, 9d and he raises it to $45 and there are a couple of callers and I call. The flop was the Kd, 8d, 4d..... the colonel bets $125 with one caller and I call. The turn was a brick. The colonel bets $250, the other guy folds and I re-raise all-in for another $400 or so and before the action gets back to him, he's out of there like a bullet. He was gone! Chips, cologne, moustache, everything.... gone!
Hey! Where'd he go?
At any rate, he sat down and posted his blind in early position. I've got the Ad, 9d and he raises it to $45 and there are a couple of callers and I call. The flop was the Kd, 8d, 4d..... the colonel bets $125 with one caller and I call. The turn was a brick. The colonel bets $250, the other guy folds and I re-raise all-in for another $400 or so and before the action gets back to him, he's out of there like a bullet. He was gone! Chips, cologne, moustache, everything.... gone!
Hey! Where'd he go?
Sunday, January 21, 2007
PKR Sunday Tournament
This tournament has always fostered a "shoot-em-up" kind of strategy. The original buy-in is 60 and the re-buys/add-ons are only 25 each. So as you would imagine, lots of donkey calls and lots of action!
Game time 2PM.
Game time 2PM.
PKR Saturday Poker Tournament
Another good turn-out at PKR yesterday. Two full tables and I was determined to get back to the winner's circle. At one point, I was down to only 1 big blind bet, but came back and got unlucky against Rick in back to back hands and he ended up taking first and I took second. I still believe that he is the luckiest guy I know. In one hand, he pushed all his chips in against with pocket 9's and ran into pocket Aces and out-drew the Aces. Nice!
The hand that did me in with Rick was Jc, 7c. He was the big blind and I limp. He raises all-in.... pretty easy to do with 5000/10000 blinds and with so few chips it was really going to be whoever ended up getting lucky the last couple of hands. I called and had an A, 6os. The flop Ax, Jx, 6x..... yep, that is Rick's life right there in a nut shell. LOL.
Good playing though!
The hand that did me in with Rick was Jc, 7c. He was the big blind and I limp. He raises all-in.... pretty easy to do with 5000/10000 blinds and with so few chips it was really going to be whoever ended up getting lucky the last couple of hands. I called and had an A, 6os. The flop Ax, Jx, 6x..... yep, that is Rick's life right there in a nut shell. LOL.
Good playing though!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
