'Cos you don't have much left

PLO with Rebuys, Event 34
On a flop of , a player in the small blind bet pot, Kevin O'Donnell reraised pot, a late position player called with his remaining chips, and the small blind called as well, also putting in the last of his chips.

The SB showed , O'Donnell showed , and the late position player showed .

The turn was the and the river the . O'Donnell had made runner-runner flush to knock out both players.

"How can you repop there?" asked one of O'Donnell as he got up to leave. "'Cos you don't have much left," came the reply.

He's up to 176,000.

2 Days to Go

I am at that pre-Vegas trip point where I can hardly think of anything else but poker. I actually haven’t had a trip like this ever – on my own where it’s nothing but cards. Even last year during the WSOP Jill was there, and even though she plays the good wife and encourages me to play as much as possible, it’s just not the same. In March it’s much more basketball than poker.

I picked up two books in the last week. I think I have to final table something one day just to pay for all the books I’ve bought over the years. Hansen’s book is a very interesting idea for a poker book – it describes every hand he was in on his way to winning the Aussie Millions – but it’s not as great as the concept. For one thing he’s less than precise in what he was thinking at times (e.g., “I guess I thought that…”). Really the book boils down to be aggressive with position, steal as much as possible, and back-off if you get too much action with junk hands. No one really needs a book to know how Hansen plays and much of it recounts him raising with junk and winning the blinds and antes. There are some monster calls and big hands and I don’t regret getting it, but it could have been better in the hands of another.

Negreanu’s new book finally came out this week and of course I got it the day it was released. I’m playing the 2-7 TDL even in the WSOP this year and the only reason I even play that stupid game is because he wrote the chapter in SS2. If he had written about Crazy Pineapple or Gary’s Asshole I’d probably be looking for those events. Anyway, in the tradition of Super System he got several collaborators on certain subjects (I like Todd Brunson but his chapter on high stakes cash games is more of a curiosity than of practical use, to me anyway).

Negreanu’s section, which is a substantial part of the book, is on his small ball strategy in tournament play. It couldn’t be more different from Hansen’s approach which only proves that poker approaches are like batting stances – to each his own. I think the most groundbreaking thing about it is how weak it looks. It’s basically weak-loose/loose-passive in the majority of situations, and that’s pre-and-post-flop! Everyone knows Daniel raises about 2-1/2x the big blind pre-flop with a broad range of hands, but what surprised me is how passive he suggests playing post-flop.

The rationale in a lot of cases to not taking an aggressive approach on the flop can mostly be summarized as “if you’re behind you’re way behind, and if you’re ahead you’re way ahead.” He prefers to let more cards come off to “gain information” rather than through betting, especially since his hand may improve, and the “information” from flop-betting is flawed. He also prefers to let people way behind bluff off their money or catch-up a little, and risking two outs or five outs to lose doesn’t bother him. A lot of it too comes down to controlling the size of the pot, a key NL concept that he uses to small-ball advantage. I’m definitely going to try this out in some of the deep stack tournaments I’ll be doing next week.

74 gear

Test, and live game tune-up...

Well my first game back to live cash games was a bumpy one down 200 but it was a short-handed game so a lotta fun. I think I played at least half the hands dealt - not a real formula for cash game success but a good way to get back into the flow. It would have been worse had I not hit out with AJ vs. an MIS's AK shove right before the game broke up.

Season 4 TOC Re-cap

First, let it be known the Lee won the Kill Trophy for 2008, and it wasn’t even close. During one of the later tourneys Baklava screwed up the eliminations scoring and cheated Lee of two kills and it was never fixed because it didn’t matter.

Second, congratulations to Lee and Phil. I'm going to update the blog but no one really reads it anymore so I want to mention a few things. In short, after a GPT season that was The Year of the Woman, this year was The Year of the Pinko (which, if you think about it, is not that different). Lee won two of eight events this year and ran over the TOC table. I think he literally was never lsower than starting stack - 100 or so. In his tour de force he knocked out every player except me (Phil took care of that choir).

Hank won his third Player of the Year award in four seasons but Phil had the best average finish among anyone playing more than one tournament (Sweet won his only entry in PLO and More Dave finished third in his only event). Phil came on late to cash in all of the final four events (third in razz, runner-up in 5CD/KCL and PLO, and the champion of HORSE) and finished runner up to Lee in the TOC.

Lee began his ToC triumph with 5500 chips, second behind Hank against a field of seven (Jim couldn’t make the tournament). After I predicted that Tim would be first out and Hank said someone would be out before the end of the first level, Lee took care of the dirty work. Tim had been raising a lot of hands and made a stiff re-raise after Lee called my initial (junk) raise from the blind. Lee flat called and they took a flop of all clubs. Lee let Tim bet and then raised him, and then called his AI. Lee tabled A8c for the nuts and left Tim with runner-runner outs – maybe – which he missed. As usual, Tim was gracious in defeat and a really good sport about being called with a suited ace by a player out-of-position.

And then there were six. The next person to tangle with Lee was Sweet, who got all-in holding kings against Lee’s AKo. Lee had enough chips to survive a showdown, Sweet did not. Sweet looked to be in pretty good shape – until the flop brought three diamonds. As you could guess, Lee’s ace was a diamond and he went from a worse than 2-to-1 dog 43/57 dog. Sweet held the king of diamonds but everyone at the table fully expected Lee to hit at that point, and that’s exactly what happened when at ace came on the turn. Sweet didn’t hit the case on the river and then there were five.

While still in level two Bak raised five-handed and I called with 9s7s looking to get tricky. Lee called out of the blind and checked the flop dark, which was KxQs4x. It was checked around and the turn put another spade on the board. Lee checked and Bak bet 225, I called, and Lee announced raise. Before I could even muck Bak was all-in, which made my insta-fold a nano-insta-fold. Lee’s top-two was pretty predictable at that point, but what did Bak raise to 125 with pre-flop? AKs? How about Ks4s. He flopped top and bottom and turned the second-nut flush draw, but he missed and was out. Then there were four.

This is the last hand I’m going to know anything about because it didn’t end well for me. I was around 2500 chips and called Phil’s UTG raise from the button with pocket-fives. There’s a website with that name so it has to be good. Flop was almost just what I was looking for, J65 with two hearts. Phil checked and I overbet the pot with 600. Phil immediately announced raise, and I had a sick feeling. I wasn’t at all sure I was winning with bottom set then. I said “you better check my stack before you say how much” and just to be sick he bet 1200 when I held 1800 chips. Then I felt really sick. Given how low the blinds were 1800 chips was enough to do battle with, but there was a huge stack at the table and I would be short-stack by a wide margin, and for fuck’s sake I did have a set. Ultimately what got me was the two hearts – I couldn’t shake the notion that he could have a big flush draw like AK or AQ which is actually beating a flopped pair of jacks as the cards lie. I made a crying-all-in which he of course called and he had exactly what it felt like – top set of jacks. There’s only one person in the GPT who hits one-outers and it ain’t me, so then there were three.

I watched some of the three way but my mind was mostly on getting over-setted to go out of the last ToC ever and how I could have gotten away from that hand. Lee and Phil were confident that there would be a liberal on the wall. Either way, with me bubbling Hank is now the only person to cash in all four ToCs, winning two, finishing runner-up to me in year one, and third this year. Heads-up did not take long with Lee’s chip stack.

I almost disabled comments for this post but I did wait several days to write a summary which means I may have messed some things up, so flame away.

Oh, one more thing – I am going to e-mail updates from the WSOP that will get posted directly to this blog. I am playing in Event 40, 2-7 TDL which thankfully has no re-buys this year. I haven’t decided whether to play stud/8 because there are so many deep stack hold’em tournaments going on while I’m there. Last year I took my stakes for things I planned to play. This year, after the Sunday’s tourney I’m just putting my bankroll wherever it leads me with no plan other than Caesar’s mega-stack NLHE on Tuesday.

I’ll see you at heads-up, bitches.

T-8 days

Gee guys, thanks a lot...

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74 on HSP

"Aces up."

Congrats to Hank - 2nd in field of 66 PL 5-Card Draw.

PokerStars Game #17846963342: Tournament #90240700, $10+$1 5 Card Draw Pot Limit - Level XV (2500/5000) - 2008/06/01 - 16:21:59 (ET)
Table '90240700 1' 6-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 2: nuri999 (72754 in chips)
Seat 5: millencolin7 (26246 in chips)
millencolin7: posts small blind 2500
nuri999: posts big blind 5000
*** DEALING HANDS ***
millencolin7: raises 10000 to 15000
nuri999: calls 10000
nuri999: discards 1 card
millencolin7: discards 3 cards
nuri999: bets 15000
millencolin7: calls 11246 and is all-in
Uncalled bet (3754) returned to nuri999
*** SHOW DOWN ***
nuri999: shows [6c 3c 7c 4c Qc] (a flush, Queen high)
millencolin7: shows [Ah As 9h Tc Td] (two pair, Aces and Tens)
millencolin7 said, "damn"
millencolin7 said, "aces up"
nuri999 collected 52492 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 52492 | Rake 0
Seat 2: nuri999 (big blind) showed [6c 3c 7c 4c Qc] and won (52492) with a flush, Queen high
Seat 5: millencolin7 (button) (small blind) showed [Ah As 9h Tc Td] and lost with two pair, Aces and Tens

An Abomination

Other than the use of the term "corporate greed," I completely agree with him.

Poker Tournament Schedule Ruins Integrity: Joe Saumarez-Smith
2008-05-12 00:05 (New York)


Commentary by Joe Saumarez-Smith
May 12 (Bloomberg) -- Organizers of the World Series of
Poker, the game's top competition, have thrown players a curve
ball that threatens the integrity of the multimillion-dollar
tournament.
This year Las Vegas-based Harrah's Entertainment Inc. has
changed the event so that instead of playing over two weeks in
July, those who make the final table of nine players will be
asked to come back and finish during two days in November.
This, the organisers say, will allow the final table to be
shown on Walt Disney Co.'s ESPN and give the broadcaster time to
generate publicity that will maximise the audience. The 12 days
in which the estimated 7,000 players are whittled down to nine
will be broadcast in the weeks before the final, allowing viewers
to get a feel for how the players have progressed to the summit
of the poker world.
Players will benefit, the organizers say, because the
additional coverage and raised profiles surrounding the final
table will mean they can demand more cash from sponsors.
For me, and for many others in the poker community, it is an
extraordinarily stupid decision. It is a plan that ruins the
integrity of the tournament and stinks of corporate greed being
placed above the interests of the game of poker.
Consider the possible implications:
-- Players get coaching. If a rank amateur manages to get
through to the final table, then, if they have any sense, they
will employ a top player to coach them for the next four months.
Even if this means giving away 10 percent of their final table
purse, this will be good value for them.

Coaching

This effectively means that the nine sitting down in
November will have a completely different skill level to the nine
that would have sat down in July. Is this fair to the more
skilful players?
-- Increased likelihood of player collusion. Poker isn't a
team game but it is a game where a group of players can gang up,
to their mutual advantage. It's certainly not impossible that
with four months before the final table that several players
could agree to target other players.
-- If players don't agree to collude, it is far more likely
that they make a deal about dividing up the prize money. Last
year there was $22 million final table prize money, with the
winner getting $8.25 million and the ninth-place finisher
receiving $526,934.

Private Guarantee

Even if you are the most skilful player at the table, you
have to accept there is a fair degree of randomness about who
wins. The structure is so distorted toward a massive first-place
prize that players are almost certain to agree on a deal. For
example, every player could privately be guaranteed $1 million in
winnings and agree to play for the rest.
Deals may be a pragmatic way for players to reduce
randomness but it doesn't do much for the integrity of the
tournament.
-- Previous coverage distorts future play. ESPN will be
broadcasting highlights from the run-up to the final table so
players will be able to find out how their opponents play. Table
image is such a huge part of a player's game and television
simply allows people to see through that image.
All these pitfalls, just to boost ESPN's ratings and
Harrah's sponsorship revenues? It's not even as though either of
those companies add money to the tournament. Competitors are
playing for each other's entry money minus the rapacious 6
percent deduction made by Harrah's for entry and staffing costs.

`Fantastic Idea'

Not everyone agrees with me.
``I'm not sure I buy any of the theories,'' said Seth
Palansky, a spokesman for the World Series of Poker at Harrah's.
``Various theories have the amateurs and professionals both at a
disadvantage. A lot of the theories are conspiracies and not
reality and I would say wait until Nov. 9 to see how it works.''
Rob Tobias, a spokesman for ESPN, said the schedule ``will
add a new element to a very successful and popular event. We look
forward to documenting all of the exciting stories that make the
World Series of Poker Main Event the seminal competition in all
of poker.''
Tom Schneider, who was World Series of Poker player of the
year in 2007, said at the official launch, ``I think it is
fantastic idea, and I can't wait to make a final table like this.
Two years ago, who came in fourth? You probably don't remember.
In this format, everyone who makes the final table will be
remembered. They will get promoted properly and everyone will get
the attention that they deserve.''

Mental Marathon

But 2006 winner Jamie Gold summed up many people's feelings.
``It is supposed to be a mental marathon, and you aren't supposed
to get a break of several months in between,'' he told Card
Player magazine. ``It's making it two separate events instead of
one poker tournament, which I thought was part of the allure and
the great competitive nature of the event.''
For me, poker has clearly benefited from the involvement of
big corporations like Harrah's and ESPN, whose mass marketing has
undoubtedly brought new players into the game. But there are
things you can mess with and things you cannot. This year's
changes have overstepped that line.

(Joe Saumarez-Smith is chief executive officer of Sports
Gaming, a U.K. management consulting firm to the gaming industry.
He also owns European online bingo companies and odds comparison
Web sites. The opinions expressed are his own.)

Lee goes where only Hank has gone

No one else has won two titles in “regulation” season. In Season 1 when we played 20-something tournaments everyone had multiple titles. Last year Tim, Candy, and Bak had two each - and Hank had 3. In Season 2 Hank, Sean, Candy, and Shelley all had 2. But, in an eight game season it's a much tougher feat.

There’s no pic from the last tourney and I have no idea where the one from the previous win is. But, one of these if from a 5CD tourney which is appropriate since the last one was 5CD/KCL, and the other has a slight edit to make it “number one,” baby! (Not my best photoshop work, like Hank with Daniel, but it works.)

Sorry Lee. For some reason when I searched my computer for Lee pics most of what I got was naked pictures of Stacey Lee Coldren and I have no idea who that is, but to be fair, it was a better surprise than finding naked pictures of you.

Lee’s most recent win also vaunts him to first in kills with a commanding lead. HORSE is a tough game in which to gather kills with means PLO is the last real opportunity to make up ground. Hank retains the points lead and with my early exit in Event 6 Lee is the only one with a chance to catch him. Both Hank and Lee have a chance to sweep all three trophies.

The other good news from Lee’s win is the TOC probably will be held at the house with the keg because of the non-champs I have 39 points, Tim has 36, Phil has 24, and Candy has 22.

The interesting part is Tim is the only one who likes PLO and is the odds-on favorite to win Event 7. Of course Candy has a history with HORSE. Which mean if the Palmer’s sweep the last two both Phil and I would likely limp in without wins.

Not to say my goal Saturday isn’t to take Tim out because, by the way, it kinda is. Good luck Tim!

Funny ads for Gutshot

Jim Wins - Another TOC Seat Locked Up

Razz did not disappoint, in terms of being an extremely frustrating game. With eight people, three played extremely loosely early on – it worked out for two people but not for me. Tim was first out and escaped the Turkey trophy temporarily since I forgot to bring it to Hank’s. Bak and I were next followed by early chip leader Lee, Event Four’s Champion. The obvious favorite, Hank, bubbled, just as he had done on-line the day before in a Stars field about eight times larger than ours.

Phil battled back from life support, and the likely first out, all the way back to cashing, and finished third. Jim and Shelley played heads-up for about 30 minutes. Jim pounded her bring-ins with raises. She eventually “went with” a hand, as you often have to do in lowball, and paired low cards twice. The “Ricky Bobby” of the GPT now has two first-outs and one Championship, securing his seat in the Tournament of Champions, which increasingly looks like it will be held at his house!


So far the TOC looks like this: Hank, Baklava, Lee, and Jim. With Hank’s two titles there is one At Large bid available. Of the non-Champions, I lead in points with 38 ahead of Tim with 28, Candy at 19, and Sean at 18 (with just two tournaments).

Hank is well in the lead with 57 points to score his third Player of the Year trophy in four seasons.

"I am Jack's wasted life"

ShipItHolla

Can Anyone ELSE Win Stud/8?

Hank won Stud/8 for the kajillionth time. Season 1 we played everything twice and Hank one once and Bak and I chopped the second late in the season. I think Hank is the only player in the GPT to actually hold the Stud/8 title in four seasons. He overcame a large chip lead by Candy who held sway over the table from the time it was four-handed.

The win put Hank's average finish at 1.33 with two titles and a runner-up. He also overtook the kill lead with 6 after scoring 2 kills. Candy got 2 and I got 2 in the tourney.

Hank's win guarantees that at LEAST one SEAT in the TOC will go to the point-leader with no titles.

Hank is running away with the POTY race with 50 versus Baklava's 29 points in the second spot. Among non-title holders I'm third with 28, Lee is next at 21, and both Candy and Sean have 18.

The TOC Has a Home

With the new system for TOC seats the line-up is wide open and no one is guaranteed to make the cut - which put the location of the TOC into some jeopardy. But fear not - the TOC now has a home.


We had nine players which was a decent turn-out for low-ball - and more than O8 last year. Although Jim Ricky Bobby played fast he could not race out of the tournament before Poor Sean. Sean got nicked early holding #3 against Tim's #2. Shortly after Hank made a crying call against Jim to knock him out and two players were gone before the first hour ended. All the way from Daytona and all Sean got was a feather on the turkey trophy - and a night of partying in Gainesville.

The table combined at seven and I got my first kill of the season knocking out Candy, who was focused on her newly minted HORSE chip from last season. Shelly was next after moving AI over Tim's raised. I then re-raised to shut Tim out of the pot and outdrew Shelley - SHELLEY! Next out was Tim to set up the bubble.

We played four-handed for a while - Bak can add a comment to tell you how he went out because I really don't remember. I may have had something to do with it. Three way Lee was short-stacked and finally moved-in over a Hank raise. I pussed out and threw away a pat-9 and both drew three times before Lee won with a Jack-low vs. Hank's Queen-low - and I missed a chance to knock another player out and cripple the last remaining. Lee battled hard but Hank eventually took him out and collected his second kill of the tourney (and season).

Heads-up lasted forever. We started with almost identical chip stacks and chopped the money, playing for a TOC seat. After building a chip-lead I decided to gamble on a nut-draw with one card to go against a pat-hand and missed. After being crippled I steadily built back up against a series of unplayable hands and we got close to even again. After being whittled down I decided to gamble with a two-card draw to a 65. Hank stood pat and I drew two useless cards. Hank revealed a 7-low as I look my last two cards - and hit the impossible draw - runner-runner 23. Me, Hank, and the Guitar Hero all threw up in our mouths a little bit, but mostly Hank. Lucking out like that made it easier to take getting knicked on the last hand - a 765 vs. a 764 was a more fitting end to a 90-minute heads-up match than drawing two on the end to a pair or something like that.


This is an interesting brain teaser because when I set up the counting problem I get an answer I know can't be right. Assume Hank has a 75 with a 3 and a 4 in his hand. My outs are three-4s, three-3s, and four-2s, but they have to come perfect-perfect. Keep in mind, I don't have 10 outs after drawing that first card because if I catch an out first the rest of those become pair cards and I lose them - see, this is tricky. I think I know the answer but I had to rig it and couldn't set it up as a counting problem. Probably only Bak has a chance of figuring this out but if you do post it.

GPT Event 2 - Sunday November 4, Hank's House, Ace-to-Five Triple Draw

A couple of reminders:

It's at Hank's house. If you need directions reply-to-all and he'll get your e-mail.

If you show up at my house whatever you're playing won't be ace-to-five.

Daylight savings time ends Saturday night. That means 'tis the season of our discontent, and if you don't set your clock back you will be waiting an hour at Hank's house for the tourney to start.

My First Royal -- Ever

... in Stud of all games.

I was playing a HORSE cash game when it happened. Started with K-6-K, and hit four runners to the royal. Crazy. Only 7 more to catch up to Hank...

Transcript for game #12171262122 requested by baklava724
*********** # 1 **************
PokerStars Game #12171262122:
HORSE (7 Card Stud Limit, $1/$2) - 2007/09/20 - 17:55:48 (ET)
Table 'Verbiest II' 8-max Seat #3 is the button
Seat 1: TDandH ($27.70 in chips)
Seat 2: feebe ($39.60 in chips)
Seat 3: Geppetto43 ($48.95 in chips)
Seat 4: oreoc1943 ($33.85 in chips)
Seat 5: PLO_OLP ($49.30 in chips)
Seat 6: baklava724 ($103.05 in chips)
Seat 7: ragmuppet ($27.80 in chips)
Seat 8: mv_drive ($79.20 in chips)

*** SHOW DOWN ***
baklava724: shows [Kd 6s Kc Jd Ad Qd Td] (a Royal Flush)
feebe: mucks hand
baklava724 collected $20.30 from pot
ragmuppet said, "nh"
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $21.30 Rake $1
Seat 1: TDandH folded on the 4th Street
Seat 2: feebe mucked [7c 8c 6d 6c 2c Qh 3c]
Seat 3: Geppetto43 (button) folded on the 4th Street
Seat 4: oreoc1943 folded on the 3rd Street (didn't bet)
Seat 5: PLO_OLP folded on the 3rd Street (didn't bet)
Seat 6: baklava724 showed [Kd 6s Kc Jd Ad Qd Td]
and won ($20.30) with a Royal Flush
Seat 7: ragmuppet folded on the 5th Street
Seat 8: mv_drive folded on the 3rd Street

GPT 2008 Kicks Off - New Season, Same Result...

The 2008 Season of the GPT kicked off with a nice turnout of 15, which comfortably fit on the Main table in the renovated Poker Room and one satellite in the study. It would be easy to credit Bak’s win with his starting table, which included all the newbies, but he came to the Final Table short-stacked and was all-in several times. For those keeping score, this is the GPT’s fourth season, and Bak has won the opening Hold’em tournament three times.



The final table was a familiar affair and save for one hit-out, the cash would have included all top finishers from the last three seasons. Still, the cash table was an all-star line-up of Bak, Hank, Sean, and T-Bone (that’s the alphabetical order as well as the actual finish). On the final hand Hank limped on the button and Bak raised, Hank moved in and was insta-called by Bak - who was holding aces – “Aces! Who get’s Aces heads-up!?!”


Sean continued his killing ways taking out three players in his quest to repeat as GPT Hitman, and he finished in third. Bak’s first place finish was good for five total kills, and Hank continues to knock out the minimum relative to high finishes with one kill in hold’em.

Jim continued his Ricky Bobby approach to poker, and his name now adorns the inaugural Turkey Trophy. The first out in each of the next seven events will have his or her name on a tail feather. Jim already has threatened to take more spaces.

A quick note on the standings – they are updated but need to be edited and I have not done that yet. Right now the points are not reflected on the page but will be updated eventually, it’s just a pain. Again, points will be an issue if Bak wins another event (or someone else wins two).

We do not have a date for the next tournament but it will be at Hank’s house, and it’s not likely to be a flop game. We used to put HE and Omaha together in part to keep newbies coming back, but our more regular crowd and leisurely pace means we can spread the games out. Again, the schedule is still not final but it will include a variety of flop, draw, and stud games.

Poker is More Than Hold’em.

GPT Event 1 - Hold'em

You know you wanna win this...

HE Tune-up

GPT 2008 - Event 1 - Sunday - 1pm

GPT 2008 - Event 1 - Sunday September 30 - 1pm - Bearded Mike's house

No Limit Hold'em - $25 buy-in - No Rebuys

Here is an outline for the season with some notable changes to the GPT format.

• $25 buy-ins, no re-buys
• Starting chip stacks of $3,000 (vs. $2k previously)
• More varied locations - primarily my house but also Hank's
• This season will be known as the 2008 Season, and will stretch to May. There will not be a Fall/Spring.
• There will be eight (8) "Sanctioned" Tournaments - the winner of each tournament will secure a seat in the Tournament of Champions. So, all you Hold'em and Omaha specialists will have a chance to play me and Hank in Dealer's Choice without showing up every week, or necessarily being good at anything else...
• If, as usual, Hank wins more than one event there WILL be alternate seats. The previous POTY point system will be used for both Player of the Year and to determine alternate TOC players if someone wins multiple events. For example, if Baklava wins both Hold'em and Omaha, the player with the highest point total who did not win a Sanctioned Tournament will get a TOC seat. Note, we may add another Sanctioned Tournament if someone wins multiple tournaments during the fall. However, a 9th event would only be a hold'em event (either six-handed or a heads-up tournament).
• We have stretched the season so that the pace is not overwhelming, and everyone has a reasonable chance to play and win a TOC seat, regardless of their schedules/responsibilities.
• Because the season has been lengthened it may include "unsanctioned" events. These will look and play like our normal tournaments, and will count for POTY points, but will not be for TOC seats. We simply have to limit TOC seats to 8, but we don't have to limit how many tournaments we play if the football and basketball seasons allow it.
• This is a tentative list of sanctioned events for the 2008 season, and all but the flop games are subject to change. Note, O/8 is not on the list because last year it was our single worst attended tournament of the year (and Lance doesn't live here anymore). If there is legitimate demand it may be added back.
  o Flop games: NL Hold'em, PL Omaha.
  o Draw games: Limit 2-7 triple draw, PL A-5 triple draw, NL KCL/5-Card Draw rotation.
  o Stud games: Stud, Stud Hi/Lo 8, Razz.

Sunday Sunday Sunday, playaplaya. Shipit. Holla.

Florida Player - Roothlus in Card Player

Online Poker: Interview With Adam 'Roothlus' Levy

"Stupid Americans?" Look in Le Mirror, Frenchie

Royal Flush #7

I am good at hitting royals, it's what I do...

---

Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL.com.

Pros and Cons for Royals

Pro - being on the toilet at the time.

Con - playing in limit.

PokerStars Game #11542335078: Tournament #58559556, $10+$1 Hold'em Limit - Level V (150/300) - 2007/08/17 - 18:55:24 (ET)
Table '58559556 1' 9-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 1: zizijoon (3125 in chips)
Seat 2: F1Fan40 (1930 in chips)
Seat 3: parmen (1775 in chips)
Seat 4: cardpro (3655 in chips)
Seat 8: Knekk (1085 in chips)
Seat 9: millencolin7 (1930 in chips)
Knekk: posts small blind 75
millencolin7: posts big blind 150
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to millencolin7 [Ah Qh]
zizijoon: folds
F1Fan40: folds
parmen: folds
cardpro: raises 150 to 300
Knekk: folds
millencolin7: calls 150
*** FLOP *** [Kh Th 7c]
millencolin7: checks
cardpro: bets 150
millencolin7: calls 150
*** TURN *** [Kh Th 7c] [6s]
millencolin7: checks
cardpro: checks
*** RIVER *** [Kh Th 7c 6s] [Jh]
millencolin7: bets 300
cardpro: folds
millencolin7 collected 975 from pot
millencolin7: shows [Ah Qh] (a Royal Flush)
millencolin7 said, "royal #7"
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 975 | Rake 0
Board [Kh Th 7c 6s Jh]
Seat 1: zizijoon folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: F1Fan40 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: parmen folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: cardpro (button) folded on the River
Seat 8: Knekk (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 9: millencolin7 (big blind) collected (975)

Oh by the way, Hank Won

BNE (Best Name Ever)

Owner Name:

"Not Today"

Winning first hand back from break - 600 chips
Standing on an 85 and getting raised - 2,000 chips
Talking shit to a World Champion - Priceless


*** THIRD DRAW ***
millencolin7: stands pat
FossilMan: discards 1 card
millencolin7: bets 300
FossilMan: raises 300 to 600
millencolin7 said, "hit out?"
millencolin7: calls 300
*** SHOW DOWN ***
FossilMan: shows [8c 5c 2d 6h 4s] (Lo: 8,6,5,4,2)
millencolin7: shows [5d 2h 4d 3d 8h] (Lo: 8,5,4,3,2)
millencolin7 collected 3450 from pot
millencolin7 said, "not today"

Well, He's Less of a Douche Than Jamie Gold

And ironically, he cleared more money even though top prize was down $3.5 mm this year...

I Can Dodge Bullets, Baby - But Not Posts

http://www.rawvegas.tv/watch.php?vID=555ae79aad35a05fa9f17ab0d0ca91

My First WSOP (Part 1 of 2)

The overall summary is 0 for 2 – two events, no cashes. I’m already making plans for next year.

After a week in London I came back to Gainesville for three days before leaving again for Vegas for the WSOP and Cancun the week after. My plan when I went was to play Event 46 Stud/8 with a small Stud/8 at Binion’s the day before ($100 buy-in – since I had actually never played a live Stud/8 tourney outside of the GPT), and the Venetian Deep Stack on Friday. I wound up adding a second WSOP event.


So, I fly 3,000 miles and guess who is at my starting table for Stud/8 – the only other GPT player in the whole thing, Jim. Showing up and seeing him there was a surreal event, but also soothing as you can well imagine. I was in the seven seat and Jim was in the two seat and I had visions of us getting into a four-way hand and chopping the pot between us, taking two donkeys to the river. Sadly, that never happened. I had pondered pitching a small last-longer bet for fun, and by the dinner break I was glad I hadn’t. I finished level 1 with 1,700 chips (down from 2k – all tourneys this year started with chips 2x the buy-in), but was down to 800 by the end of level 2 – about half Jim’s stack.

I met my wife and a friend at Voodoo for a quick bite (and by "quick bite" I mean…). I had one of the huge Witchdoctor drinks because I figured at that point I didn’t need to exactly stay sharp – I’d double up or be out pretty soon when I got back, and probably the latter. The guy in the three seat had been a veritable Jamie Fucking Gold – hit in the face with the deck. After seeing him hit two well-hidden boats and get paid off I made the mistake of getting into a hand with him late in level 2. I had started with a low that developed into a hidden two pair in a three way pot. JFG and another player both looked low so I went to the river, only to find JFG with another hidden boat, and the third player with a busted low. Never get in the way of a player on a rush – no matter how many times I remind myself of this I still do it.

Jamie/Ramer/Matusow

I got back a little before the end of the dinner break and chatted with Jim for a few and smoked a quick cigarillo before they let us back in. We were in an annex in the back of the convention center, not even in the Amazon room – fucking Hold’em. When I came back in Negreanu was at his table two tables away from us reading. I had seen him bothered countless times during the first two hours and of course never approached him because I am not “that guy.” But with a few minutes left before play resumed I politely asked him for an autograph and he said “get fucked, man, I’m working here.” No, not really – he was as gracious as you would imagine. He signed his Razor card, I thanked him trying not to sound like a star-struck Japanese teenage girl, and he said “respect.” I’m so glad he wasn’t a dick because it would have ruined my whole trip.

So goal one was making it to the dinner break which I had done. The next goals were 2) outlast Jim (no offense, Jim), 3) outlast Negreanu, 4) make it to day two, and finally 5) cash. This no doubt appears modest to some. Had I been Hank my list of goals would have looked like this: 1) Win bracelet, 2) tell everyone at the final table if they had named the game after me it would have been called “Stud/9,” 3) get a picture of my balls on the railing of a WSOP table. But, this was my first WSOP and I had my own ideas. (Incidentally, Dan’s goals would have looked like this: 1) get a picture of my balls on the railing of a WSOP table, 2) get a picture with Jennifer Tilly and Shannon Elizabeth…with my balls out).

My first hand back I was dealt rolled-up fours – who’s Jamie Fucking Gold now, ya luckbag? The case 4 was folded right after the bring-in and I feared no one in the hand actually saw it so they wouldn’t factor that in later. I limped – had the 4 been behind me I certainly would have raised because the case 4 would have been noticed for sure then, but I was looking to disguise my hand somewhat, and looking to three-bet it if someone raised – especially Golden Boy (as a further irony, the guy actually resembled Greg Raymer, more in girth than anything else, and in fact when he won his first hand 20 minutes or so into the tourney he raised his arms in the “yes” fashion of Raymer when he won the main event in 2005. In addition, he flashed his belly, ala Mike Matusow – who does this guy NOT remind me of?).

Fortunately I caught low on fourth and fifth and bricked off sixth, further disguising my hand. I never improved from third street, but it was enough to win the high half. On the very next hand I started with A32 and was the bring-in, and once again limped. I made my low on fifth and never caught an ace. I think my high was like a pair of fours and I chopped with the low hand, and was back at 2,100 chips five minutes into level three.

The guy in the four seat was the most insufferable windbag with whom I’ve ever had the displeasure to play poker. Our first dealer was a poor schmuck who had never dealt stud and had been dealing all hold’em – he literally stopped dealing the first hand after two cards and did that a couple more times before getting into the groove. How I pitied that poor man, sitting directly across from the Rules Nazi. Had the guy in the four seat yelled “No Soup for you!” at the dealer I would have been Jack’s complete lack of surprise.

Rules Nazi/Mall Cop

And when I say Rules Nazi I don’t mean substantive things – I mean things like berating the dealer for cutting the cards before pulling the antes in. This is done in ante games to prevent cheating of course and to ensure the pot is right before the deal starts. Last year, with 1k in starting chips, the button anted 5 and no one else anted. This year with twice the chips everyone anted, so that means what? It means the potential cheating was for five fucking dollars – thanks Nazi, for “protecting” the game.

The worst part was the Nazi stopped the game to get the floor over to complain that we were supposed to have more than 10 five-dollar chips to start so it wouldn’t slow down the game with players passing chips and the dealer having to chop 25s for antes. See the irony here? We stopped play so we could talk about ways to speed up the game. There were roughly 78 tables, and everyone had the same stack of chips. This was of course an elaborate power trip and an opportunity for him to announce to everyone that he had been at the rules committee meeting the night before and so-and-so personally told him we would have $100 in fives to start.

And in case anyone missed it, he mentioned it about a half dozen more times. Now, if you’ve ever played stud you know that the nature of the game is the fives (or whatever low ante chips) go from one end of the table to the other – that’s just stud, and of course I gently mentioned this, to no betterment of the situation. Then he chastised the dealer some more for telling him initially that the floor wasn’t going to do anything about it – even though the dealer had called the floor as requested the first time. Besides being a fatuous prick he was just a sad case. I’m convinced that he didn’t pay enough attention to the actual players that he could identify things like which players always raise with an ace in the door, or how often some players complete with a low door card, or who the players are who call third street bets but fold on fourth when they brick, or who will re-raise when they have two low cards up on fourth in a multi-way pot. But, he could describe every dealer we had and what mistakes they make and don’t make.

He actually made the ludicrous statement at one point that he doesn’t play as many tournaments anymore because “of all the bad rulings.” Hey fuckstick, pay attention to the game the way you do the dealers, and spend less time announcing how important you are, and you might have some modicum of success. At that point I couldn’t take it and I told a story loudly to the guy next to me about a friend who is a huge Duke basketball fan, but anytime a crucial call costs them the game he always says “we shouldn’t have allowed the game to get close enough where a call will matter, so I never blame the refs.” It had no effect. The only comeuppance for our Mall Cop was one dealer who announced on the first heads-up hand he dealt that he pulls all the bets into the pot (it’s customary in a split-pot game to leave the bets in front of each player when it’s heads-up since it speeds up the game) because he had lost a job once over someone pulling back a bet, and if anyone didn’t like it that was too bad. YES – I said that’s right Bunkie, take control of the game! The Nazi said not a word.

Jim went out late in level 4. I’m sorry to say I don’t remember the hand but I think he was three-way with a high and lost, probably to JFG. Goal 2 accomplished. As I nursed my short stack during level 5 at 100-200 I kept looking over at Negreanu’s table. I could see he had about 600 and I had about five big bets. I had a hand where I started with wired queens and raised and a new player in the one seat, who had been playing very fast (but had a nice stack) ever since he got to our table re-raised. Another player called and I called. He caught an Ace on fourth and I immediately went away. The winning high hand in that pot was a pair of 8s – doh! I got two queens again a couple of hands later and wound up chopping with the high.

With about four big bets and Negreanu at 400 or 500 (he had no purples left either) I was the bring-in with a deuce up and wired kings, and I brought it in for a raise. My thinking was I really wanted to get the chips in as early as possible and take seven cards. In effect, I was taking the Sklanskyesque approach of pricing myself into the pot. When I thought about it later the other alternative seemed better – limp, hope that it was raised so I could three-bet and isolate. If it wasn’t raised, and the boards came scary I could get away from two little kings. I think folding queens to eights earlier probably had a lot to do with deciding to play it fast. Plus, we had only about 15 minutes left in the level and with the ante at 25 and holding four big bets, which would soon be two big bets, I couldn’t wait forever.

The hand went three way and both boards fortunately for me looked low. In fact, the six seat hit a nine on sixth which looked like a great development for me. It was not. The six seat was a nice old guy – Friday (the next day) was his birthday, and the day his wife was retiring as president of a community college in North Carolina. So, he had enough things going for him, did he really need to hit against me? On sixth I caught my fourth spade and wound up hitting runner-runner for a flush. I was almost proud on the end when I announced “King-high flush” only to hear Six announce “full house.” He had started with a pair of nines and board that looked like a pair of sevens and a busted low draw actually was nines-full. And Negreanu was still in.

Six/Bearded Mike Buster

I took my leave and wished everyone luck except for the Nazi, and wondered over to Negreanu’s table. He was all-in and it looked like he would outlast me by a couple of minutes. The guy next to him obviously had been giving him shit and Negreanu was in his patented chatter mode. He had started with two queens and decided to get it in early (sound familiar). The kid giving him the business revealed his trip-sevens as Negreanu’s last card came down. Everyone knew that a queen had already been folded so he squeezed it out “it’s paint….it’s red….it’s a QUEEN! Yeah, uh, how ya like me now!” I’m not making that part up. He yelled over to someone at another table “hey (something) I just hit a one-outer!” And then he broke into some Lil John – “Yaaaya, Whhhhat. Yaaaya, Whhhhhat.” It was fucking priceless.

And with that I went up to the Voodoo Lounge where our friend had gotten a VIP table and had two bottles of champagne and a huge bottle of Grey Goose (my only concession to Le French, other than Phil). She had been drinking since about 11 am non-stop and was a real trouper to stick around, especially since when I left dinner I said “see you in about 20 minutes.” She left shortly after and for the life of me I don’t know why I didn’t think to call Jason who’s number I had. But, he was probably resting for Event 47 since it was a noon start.

In addition to Jim and Jason I saw Fish and Andrew Dykeman, neither of whom are GPT players but both people I know from cash games in Gainesville. When I saw Andrew he looked to be in a 5/10 NL game with a couple thou in front of him. They ran cash games in the Amazon room as low as 1/2. That’s right – 1/2 cash game players for hold’em got tables in the Amazon room while the Stud/8 players got the tent outside. Fucking hold’em.

I spent so much energy on the Nazi I’m too tired to detail how I wound up in another event but I’ll add that later. The Rio was awesome – a lot of room for the price, although after staying in a shoebox in London for a week any normal room looks like a suite. They gave me $200 off the room with my buy-in card so it was like the tournament cost me $800. Next year I’m going to try to put together a “poker compound” during the WSOP. For any GPT players interested I’m going to get a condo/house, probably for a couple of weeks, and the per-person price will be very reasonable. Just something to keep in mind.

Peace!

GPT at WSOP - Event 22

Congratulations to Jason who not only cashed, but only missed the final table by a few spots!

Heads-Up is Coming in July...

$25 buy-in, double elimination.

You Must Pre-Register for this Tournament. There wil be no registrations allowed the day of.

More details will follow.

Web Site Updated

My 6th Royal Flush - Unreal...

Of course it was in holdem although I never play holdem I am millencolin7 PokerStars Game #9609879452: Hold'em No Limit ($0.25/$0.50) - 2007/04/25 - 23:10:16 (ET)
Table 'Titan II' 9-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: Shylove ($49.25 in chips)
Seat 2: deadriver77 ($28.50 in chips)
Seat 3: A-10Warthog2 ($49.50 in chips)
Seat 4: i got the 6 ($85.20 in chips)
Seat 5: AlZeiMeR ($28.45 in chips)
Seat 6: MrNyNe ($48.75 in chips)
Seat 7: ironglove ($83.10 in chips)
Seat 8: bubba2244 ($24.45 in chips)
Seat 9: millencolin7 ($48.75 in chips)
A-10Warthog2: posts small blind $0.25
i got the 6: posts big blind $0.50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to millencolin7 [Td Jd]
AlZeiMeR: folds
ironglove said, "thank you"
MrNyNe: folds
ironglove: folds
bubba2244: calls $0.50
millencolin7: calls $0.50
Shylove: folds
deadriver77: calls $0.50
A-10Warthog2: folds
i got the 6: checks
*** FLOP *** [Kd 3c 4d]
ironglove said, "GWB should be dealt with"
i got the 6: bets $1.50
bubba2244: calls $1.50
millencolin7: calls $1.50
deadriver77: folds
*** TURN *** [Kd 3c 4d] [Qd]
i got the 6: bets $3.50
ironglove said, "he represents "oilocracy""
bubba2244: calls $3.50
millencolin7: raises $7 to $10.50
i got the 6: calls $7
bubba2244: folds
*** RIVER *** [Kd 3c 4d Qd] [Ad]
i got the 6: checks
ironglove is sitting out
millencolin7: bets $7
i got the 6: calls $7
*** SHOW DOWN ***
millencolin7: shows [Td Jd] (a Royal Flush)
i got the 6: mucks hand
millencolin7 collected $43.10 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $45.25 Rake $2.15
Board [Kd 3c 4d Qd Ad]
Seat 1: Shylove folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: deadriver77 (button) folded on the Flop
Seat 3: A-10Warthog2 (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 4: i got the 6 (big blind) mucked [8d 3d]
Seat 5: AlZeiMeR folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: MrNyNe folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: ironglove folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: bubba2244 folded on the Turn
Seat 9: millencolin7 showed [Td Jd] and won ($43.10) with a Royal Flush

Chinese Restaurant near Mike's house

Is This Still America?!

If a law student can't get naked and spanked, what is this country coming to?