Finally, the Fall 2006 Edition

We had a disappointing turnout for Hold’em – 18. Still, it was good for a $450 total payout, 28 points for first place, and four Shooting Stars chips for Hank, Tim, Pablo, and Sean. On a flop of K, 4, 7 Sean got his money in with a pair of kings, but Scott hit runner-runner straight and drew first blood on a Star. Two shooting went head-to-head next when Hank put Tim all-in, and Tim announced “I have to call we’re racing” and flipped over 8s. Hank had jacks, and collected Tim’s chip. Pablo was the next falling star when he was cold-decked with wired kings against Phil’s aces. Finally, Hank went in as a short stack at the final table with AT and was called by Jim’s enormous stack and his pair stood up.

Shelly was first out and got the Herradura shot when she went all-in with a king high flush against chip leader and habitual better Jim, who held the nut flush. Jason “I Only Play Hold’em” came fresh from the Canadian WPT event and bubbled. Brandon went out fifth. Scott donked off much of his stack when he called Bearded Mike’s AI with aces holding KQ, and finished only with a pair of kings. A few hands later he went AI with 6s and was insta-called by jacks and finished fourth in only his second appearance of the year.

Phil made a cute-raise with 98 from the button and Jim called, and the flop came KJ6. Jim checked, Phil moved all-in, and Jim insta-called with a set of sixes. At the start of heads-up, Bearded Mike had a 3-to-2 chip lead which quickly turned. Jim bluffed BM off of a set with a pair of 9s and took the chip lead. After another seesaw, Jim moved in on a king high flop with two spades, and Bearded Mike called with QJ of spades and missed. In the final hand both players limped and the flop came 234 with two diamonds. Bet, raise, AI, call – Jim held 62 for a pair and a gut-shot, and Bearded Mike held 34 for two pair, which held up.

After knocking Pablo out, Phil caught up in points to tie him for fourth. Jim’s second-place moved him up to fifth. Brando’s cash puts him at sixth on the year, and Baklava and Sean are tied for the last spot. Bearded Mike’s win moved him up to third, and Hank and Tim held on to their first and second-place spots.





Next tournament is next Sunday – deuce-to-seven triple draw.

Razzmatazz Pictures

Jaso finishes 2nd in his first tournament with us....He will probably show up again....

Tim* wins his 1st chip (See the movie 61* for explanation of *)

This picture explains why I feel the way I do today......Nice work GPT...

Timmy Chops With a Rookie

We had 15 for Razz which is probably a record - both for Razz and for a weeknight. We had plenty of beer and Hank got tanked, and went out early for him, just making the final table.

Tim was desparate for a chip to put next to Candy's, and chopped with Jaso the rookie despite a big chip lead. I wish I could give more details, but I was playing a separate game since Chris is a hit-out artist and busted me - mostly in a hand when I wasn't even at at the table, but that's another story.

If you know more about how things went late, comments are enabled, so post them yourself.

I don't know the next tournament, or if I'm ever playing in the GPT again, so be patient.

From the producer of Scary Movie 4

No really, and Airplane and The Naked Gun.

Awesome.

Nice fold me

Glad i folded on the turn....

74...Always play it

Yet another reason to always play 74 offsuit....

Oh and yes, I am millencolin7, the chipleader at the table ....

Finally – Hank Wins Season’s First Limit Event

Despite being the POTY points leader, Hank had yet to score a Champion’s Chip this season. That changed last night when he got his drink on and donked his way through five levels without moving many chips. The starting field of 12 didn’t lose a player until the fifth level, and it took three hours to lose two players. The tables consolidated at eight, and as the picture below demonstrates, Hank got serious.

Sean added to his recent championship with a cash. Keith pulled out of his no-limit tailspin to take third place and score some real points. The heads-up battle between Hank and Pablo lasted over an hour, with limits finally frozen at 1000/2000. With only 24,000 chips in play, a lot of chips moved. Pablo was down to less than 2,000 at one point and battled back to about 8,500. Hank (claims he) was free-rolling several times again Pablo with half the pot won and a draw to a scoop, but Pablo consistently avoided disaster. Finally, Hank hit a monster draw when he rivered a 5 for a wheel.

There is no game this weekend. Send an e-mail to gainesvillepokertour@yahoo.com if you are interested in a cash game Saturday night – please identify yourself in the e-mail. Event 7 – Razz – will be next week at Hank’s house.

Come to Stud/8 or We'll Shoot This Dog

KCL - Tens Wins

We had a nice turnout for KCL but it sucks because I didn’t win. Thirteen tied for lowest turnout, but it still pretty healthy. Baklava and Tim built nice stacks coming into the final table. POY points leader Hank was an early departure, although not before Keith made it two tournaments, two first-outs.

Chris worked a short-stack but finished on the bubble, just behind Pablo, who scored his second cash of the season. With three left, hold’em champ Baklava had the chip lead and an edge over Tim (one cash, two bubbles) and Sean. Tim made plans to place his Championship chip next to Candy’s on the mantle, but Sean knocked Tim out and a long see-saw battle ensured with blinds still at 500/1000.

Sean’s 98 came up short against Baklava’s 97 and Baklava took the chip lead. The momentum shifted when Sean bet after the draw and Baklava made a crying call with “show me a ten.” Sean did no oblige, and showed down a 97 to edge Bak’s 98. On the final hand, Sean threw paint and drew to a ten, and Baklava three two to his 345. Sean paired his ten, but Bak hit cards on either side of his three to give him a straight, and Sean took the title with a pair of tens.


Stud/8 is this Thursday at Hank’s house at 7 p.m. Since this is a limit event, there are no rebuys. If you expect to be late, send someone with your money and you can get a seat and be blinded off until you get there. You can’t come late.

P.S. Hank will be drinking.

The Quality Of Players

Congrats Sean....I am posting this in serious tone although I know that it is hard to take me very seriously....This season point wise is tight and many of the top 8 were not in it last year...I feel that the quality of the players in our league has improved an unbelievable amount....This is why I love poker and not just holdem....too truly master the game, you must master all of them....Any schmuck can win holdem once, but to be good at all of them shows that you can play any game with anyone....give action to get action....We have had 5 events and no one has won more then one tournament....and I have won zero....I am excited to finish out this season and although I talk a mad amount of crap, I feel that this season is up for grabs by anyone at this point...I also am glad to see that the lowest number of people that have shown up to a tournament is 13...Thats unreal....Congrats to all and thanks for making it hard as hell to win one this year....Although I hate not winning, I would much rather win against a field that is as good as ours then win multiple tournaments against wanks that dont know how to play....

Hank

Famous Steal Attempts in 74 History

"Thought you might appreciate this (matt didn't). Was short-stacked, hadn't played a hand in forever and tried to steal the blinds and was called by AKo."

For the record, if you try to steal with 74 and get called by AK, you can just write "AK" - the offsuit part is superfluous. You have 7-high!

Great job Dog!

No Draw for Shelley "The Heat"

For the second week in a row we had a lucky number 13 for a tourney. Five card draw is always Hank’s tournament to lose as he’s the only GPT member who plays it online for money. Event 4 start predictably, with Hank crushing. Once again, Table 2 was the action table, which seems to happen no matter what the line-up. Table 1 had only three re-buys, making a move to table 2 practically a death sentence, although JD managed to survive the move and wind up at the final table, and on the edge of cashing.


Hank and Tim amassed huge chip stacks coming into the final table. After dispensing with some smaller stacks, the final eight was whittled down to five. JD survived a couple of all-ins but was finally forced to push with an AK draw and ran into Tim’s aces in the big blind. The previous perennial Bubble Boy knocked JD out after he failed to improve. Coming into the final four, Bearded Mike was short-stacked, and Shelley “The Heat” was slightly behind Hank and Tim.

Bearded Mike searched for a hand to move in with, and finally picked up aces facing a raise from Hank. After moving all-in he failed to improved, and Hank knocked him out with a dealt two-pair. Of course, he did so in his normal sportsmanlike fashion. Three-way, Hank was the chip leader and Shelley had a slight edge on Tim. And then time practically stopped. The three played for an hour before the blinds were frozen at 1000/2000, and Tim was whittled down to 10,000 and eventually forced to move in. He was knocked out by The Heat.

Heads-up didn’t last all that long. After Hank and Shelley got all-in before the draw, Shelley turned over a dealt straight and said “do what you want.” Seeing a five in Shelley’s hand, Hank broke his (monster) pair, and drew live to three hearts. The first card off was the fourth heart. The final card was the 3c and The Heat took down the title and the coveted GPT Champion’s Chip. And a few bucks.

With four tournaments in the bag, Hank has once again separated himself from the field with 71 points. GPT rookie JD is in second place with 58 points. Tim’s first cash of the season lifted him to third with 48 points. After that the race gets tight. Event 1 winner Baklava missed Omaha and was busted by Hank’s massive stack early in level four after he showed up five minutes before the end of the rebuy period. Nine points separate 10th place from Baklava’s fourth place spot.

Event 5, Kansas City Lowball, will be Sunday October 1 at 2pm.

Special bonus for website readers – post a comment that flames Hank, and post your name/nickname, and the House will pick-up the vig Sunday. Yeah, it’s only a dollar, but flaming Hank is fun too, so it’s win-win.

Cardplayer Profile

Cardplayer review of poker in Gainesville

The question is how someone could do a profile on poker here and not interview Hank? Or at least someone else who plays poker "like it's his job," or who played in the Series.

She's not in our games, why?

Me Beating Hank in Omaha

JD Takes Event 3 (Omaha)

The Rookie Run continued this weekend as JD added a first-place to Sean's earlier second-place finish. With a relatively small field the final table started after three exits. After the 10th place departure the field narrowed quickly. This week's Cash Couple were Pablo and Gracie, but once again the woman outlasted the man, with Pablo taking fourth. Hank "Here is my Plan" went out third and the HU battle was JD vs. Gracie, with JD taking the title.

And if you look closely you'll see the only instance of JD smiling...



Hank still has no chip for the season, but his goal of cashing in every tourney is in tact.

The season race is still tight. Baklava falls to third after missing this week. Pablo moves to fourth just ahead of Tim and Phil. Three players are tied for the eighth and final TOC spot - Gracy, Jim, and SeanSP. And finally, I'm going to make a tourney one day soon - maybe Five Card Draw. Look for the guy with the T-shirt that says "Bearded Mike is a bitch and not even in the Top 8."

Thanks again to Sean for hosting - I heard it was a great location with a full side game shortly after the final table began.

Omaha This Weekend - Here Is My Plan

Just so everyone knows, I plan on winning the Omaha tournament....Its not even close to my best game, but its fate....

I Want Candy...To Beat Hank

And she did, along with everyone else in Event Two (Ace-to-Five Triple Draw). The first couple to break up at the table was Pablo (Long Shot) and Robin (Gracie), followed by Timmy and Candy, and finally Hank and Bearded Mike.



















After getting down to five players the pace dragged on, hindered in part by a 15 minute visit from a sheriff's deputy (unrelated to the game - really...). Timmy busted out on the bubble to get to the four cash finishes. After riding about 8,000 chips all the way from the end of the re-buy period, Bearded Mike finally went out went his 7 came up just short to Candy’s wheal – which she held from the deal.

Candy started the end of the re-buy period with a big chip lead, but fluctuated widely after that. By the time it got down to three she had the chip lead once again. Hank gambled with her with a big draw, but came up short and busted out in third. Phil started heads-up with a big chip deficit, and didn’t wait long to stick it in. And lose. Candy won the top prize and the coveted Champions Chip, which Timmy swears he’s not letting her display.

Baklava finished well enough to maintain the top spot after two tourneys, although he still left mad (he went out after two consecutive beats, the second one administered by Hank “I’m not going for fourth” who decided to gamble with an inferior draw). Hank made his way into second. Beyond that it’s a pretty tight race with two new players tied at 28 points and in the Top 8.

Candy won "Hank's chip" - which he coveted a great deal. Also Tim swore he would not let her display it.


The next tournament will be Omaha on Saturday at 2pm, and will be hosted at one of our new GPT locales – Sean’s place. Directions will be in the forthcoming e-mail.

Baklava Takes Event 1...Again

This was Baklava after Event 1 in the Spring:




















This is Baklava after Event 1 in the Fall:


GPT "Rookie" Sean SP took 2nd.



The start of the Fall season saw several new faces and a lot of returning ones. Of course, we all mourned the loss of T-Bone, who has moved farther south. His bold bluffs and copious eyebrows will be missed.


TOC player Keith K-Dogg shattered the re-buy record on Sunday with a stunning 14 re-buys. With his add-on, he would have just doubled his money by winning the whole thing. Instead, he was the first person out after the re-buy session expired (one player withdrew before that point). If memory serves, that’s the same fate that befell the previous record-holder. The top five finishers, who took home a combined $440, collectively bought if for the same $85 as K-Dogg.


Several new players did well yesterday with Sean SP and his wife Julie making the last six. The final table included three new players and seven returners. Lee was the first off the final table, followed shortly by Phil Frenchie. Next out was Tim Blue Steel and then LongShot Pablo.

Julie went out of the bubble after battling with the short-stack for much of the final table. Big Jim was the first out in the money and scored 19 points for the day. After bobbing and weaving for about two hours, Hank SPF 60 went out next, followed by JD. On a flop of TTJ Baklava and Sean got all-in, with Baklava holding a better kicker and Sean drawing for three outs.

You want Mike to put it where?


Shelley "The Heat"


Frenchie Phil


And finally, in a surprise to no one:

74 Bitches

______________________________
______________________________

Featured Keg

Just tapped today...

GPT Fall 2006 Kicks Off This Sunday - 2pm

Hold'em this Sunday, $10 buy-in with $5 re-buys for the first three levels at 1000 or less, and one $5 add-on (30 minute levels). Same structure for the TOC and points as last season.

A few other things:

1) If you haven't played with us the rumors are true: free beer at my house (if you are of age).

2) I am on driveway 3.0 - my car can't be on it so neither can yours this week. We cannot repeat the HU hold'em fiasco when had the whole cul-de sac filled with cars because my next door neighbor is former Special Forces, and the next time Hank left my house late at night (no comments from the peanut gallery) my neighbor almost shot him (if you don't believe me just ask him. Hank, not the neighbor, who may shoot you).

If you can carpool awesome (you're staying for the cash game when you bust anyway, douche). If not, please park at the END of my street (12th lane). There is a nice grassy spot at the end of the street with nothing but signs (all of which hopefully survive this season).

3) As Hank's follow-up email indicated, we need to confirm emails. If you are new, or returning and haven't done it yet, send an email to gainesvillepokertour@yahoo.com with your name, nickname, and cell # (cell # optional). In the future we won't be using blast e-mails but rather our 2006 list. If you've already done this no need to repeat it (in fact, please don't) - Hank insisted on the blast this time. In the future your effort will be rewarded.

4) I'm not sure where "3" hold'em events came from rather than 2 but we'll see. The Player's Committee continues to shape the schedule. But it will be easier to make more tourneys if you didn't like weekday events.

5) Phil is the only Frenchman I ever liked, and he drinks bourbon, so we need a different DD.

Blicka blicka.

Another Gator - Tunica

This guy took a bad beat from Hoyt at the TOC but made it to the final table at the Tunica Circuit event (and finished 6th). Then he cashed in three WSOP events including 15th in Omaha/8.

Brandon Adams

- two degrees from UF, author of a poker novel, and graduate student in finance.

Tourney Watch - Who is that with Daniel?

WSOP Watch (4)

Jason's Gainesville Sun article:
Gambling Gator makes poker series

WSOP Watch (3)

Brent finished 168th and collected $47k pure profit. And it should be some nice publicity. Better even than All-In Condoms...

WSOP Watch (2)

Another G-ville player has gone deep. He's not in our group (too re-otch, be-otch) but is from Nich's game (who cashed at 816th) and Doug's game. He co-wrote a movie called All In and as part of that got a free roll in the tourney. He called over to Doug's last night after making the money.

The movie, FWIW, it still looking for a distributor. Odds are when we finally get to see it it will be much better than Michael Madsen's last poker project because it was actually written by someone who knows the game. "Tilt" - I've never seen a show other than that one that peaked with the title.

BMPE - Best Movie Promotion Ever. Wonder if this was Brent's idea.

PPT Round 1

If you didn’t watch it yet then don’t read. Some issues:

The clock sucks and has no place in real tournament poker. These are professionals for fuck’s sake.

Hit-out Harrington – who’d a thunk it?

The commentators suck. I never thought I’d miss Vince Van Patten. I love Mark Seif in tournaments when he’s running over tables, but he was horrendous. I think they didn’t get enough tape and kept looking comments like “every professional wants to be the first to win a PPT tournament.” Really, Mark? Then why the fuck do you have a mic in your hand, genius? One hand a few weeks ago they just called comically wrong. I don’t remember the specifics but basically the underdog flopped a monster draw and they started talking about how happy the (pre-flop) favorite was with his hand. You could look at the percentages or the players’ faces and know exactly the opposite was true. Yeesh, Vince we hardly knew ye.

Two of the final three players were “famous” faces from the very first season of the WPT. They’re also people you haven’t seen much of since – I’ve thought of both of them as basically “semi-pros.” I was surprised, but overall the final table was a pretty good line-up (what a shocker given the field).

What the fuck is it with all-in fests late? I’ve seen this in the WSOP Circuits they’re running on ESPN – like Gavin Smith pushing a small pair like they’re aces (against kings no less). Why would a professional with an advantage strive so hard to get all their chips in pre-flop? Tonight (a spoiler) heads-up with blinds of 15,000/30,000 and 3,000 antes, Bigler limped in with A8o (why he didn’t raise is another question) and Juanda pushed in for almost 700,000 with a pair of 3s. Seriously? With 15 seconds left on the clock Bigler called. Juanda had just ass-hatted Bigler the hand before when Bigler didn’t follow up a turn raise with a river bet and Juanda nicked his 5s with 7s. That hand gave him a slight chip lead – around 130,000. Why push with 3s there?

Interestingly the flop came with three spades and both players had one, so Bigler went to about a 53% favorite. Luckily he didn’t hit, although Juanda would have deserved it for such a douche play.

Scenes from a Poker Table

After Hachem said something to Kido Pham (the scariest-looking Vietnamese dude ever) about looking at him - Kido’s response:

“You know what I’m thinking? That you’re another fluke like Chris Moneymaker.”

Awesome.