Different Kinds of Records for Event 2

After last week’s numerous records triple draw set some of a different type – fewest players in over a year and biggest drop-off from one tourney to the next. I hold’em players really are chickenshit, except for JD, who showed up and ran over most of the competition. JD doesn’t play triple draw regularly – in fact, he may have never played it, but he brought his hold’em philosophy to the table which he described thus: “if you’re going to draw against me, you’re going to pay for it.”

We still saw a decent number of re-buys and so managed a nice pot. Travis went over an hour without re-buying, and then made up for lost time in level 3 including an all-in dark on his first hand after one re-buy. For his efforts he bubbled in fifth place. Tim came back from near-card-death for the first 90 minutes of play to finish fourth. He got some help on the last hand of the re-buy period when he got into a hand with Candy while holding a one-card draw, and he hit the nuts when she caught a #5.

A sober and on-call Hank made it to the final three with a chip deficit versus the hyper-aggressive JD and the lowball vet Baklava. Bak got off to a slow start but after the first hour of the tourney hit the keg and Heineken was like spinach to Popeye. After JD drew two against Hank’s made 9 and hit, he started heads-up against Bak with a chip lead. Bak first doubled-up, then got all-in with a slight chip lead and a 9. JD paired his six, ending the tourney stunningly early (which happens when you have 11 people).

Although Sean exited relatively early and didn’t collect a single kill, he remains atop the leader board in eliminations with six. In fact, the top three spots didn’t change with Scott in second and Candy in first. JD moved up to tie Alex with this three kills.

Hold’em was so huge that the current Top 8 includes four players who didn’t play in Event 2. Both Baklava and Hank moved into the Top 8 this week with their cashes. Shelley’s sixth place finish was enough to tie her with Hank for the eighth spot.

Next week’s tournament is Omaha (high) at Sean’s house in Deer Run. His e-mail will be in the cc that I send out and if you need directions and aren’t a douche you can e-mail him for them. Start time is 2pm as usual.

I forgot to drop a plug last week for a new on-line effort by one of our players – perfect for the mass of hold’em chumps. The Gainesville Poker League starts January 29 at 9pm on Ultimate Bet.

Record Breaking Tourney Launches Season Three

The opening of the Spring season broke the GPT record with 25 entrants – and that despite only two A3 alums. Hold’em brought a half-dozen newbies and several people we haven’t seen in months. Table One was the Wild West this time although no one approached Keith’s re-buy record. Jason tried, and Cash likely would have broken it but for winning hands with 4-high by catching runner-runner straight and the like. With every player adding-on and 35 re-buys the payout also was a record at more than $500.

The first three exits included a rookie, a vet, and one of the people we haven’t seen in months. The fourth exit was momentous as two-time Hold’em Champion Baklava went out with Jacks against Candy’s aces. Hank followed two spots later and a sizable cash game was on. Although there were $170,000 of chips in play the action went fairly quickly, and the final ten was set with three rookies Joe-C-Bowl, Evan “OC,” and Alex.


Sean sent out two players at once with aces vs. kings vs. queens (and Lee folding jacks as the initial raiser). This served to help build his war chest and his kill-count. Alex then sent Evan out on the bubble in seventh. After knocking out the champ from the previous two seasons, Candy also collected kills at the final table sending Scott out in sixth and Alex out in fifth. Sean then collected the next two scalps with More Dave going out fourth and Lee third.

The heads-up match lasted about 20 minutes despite the mountain of chips in play, and the tourney ended before midnight with Candy taking the title. The cash game then lasted for over three hours.


















The early lead for the Hit Man trophy goes to Sean who busted sixth people. The other early contenders are Candy and Scott each with five kills.

A Poker Crackdown in the UK Too

This is the club I play at in London. I am bad luck - my NY club got raided about 18 months ago and I don't know if it's even still open.

Derek Kelly of Gutshot Club Found Guilty

U.S. tax law has recognized poker as a game of skill since William E. Baxter Jr. vs. the United States. Baxter fought to prevent his winnings from being classified as "unearned income" and taxes at 70%. Incidentally, Baxter may be the best lowball player in history.

The famous story is that the judge offered the prosecutor the change to play Baxter heads-up, the prosecutor declined, and he lost the case. As the article above recounts, that story arose from the judge's ruling which included "I find the government's argument to be ludicrous. I just wish you had some money and could sit down with Mr. Baxter and play some poker."