Off to defend our nation...

on the golf course.

Blog at ya next week with some pics, and more.

Y'all be good!

The countdown is on....

July 5th is gonna be a great day. Why? Well, on July 6th, I begin my vacation. I will travel to see family at our Reunion on the 7th, and on the 8th, it is off to Vegas.

I can not wait. I have done some re-examining of how I do things, and I think I need to find a way to take more time off during the year. Mind you, I love me some extended vacation, and a week in Vegas will help unravel the miles of knots in my shoulders and neck, but maybe I need to step back some and take an extra day here or there. I don't know. I love doing what I do, but, truth be told, if I had the roll to do it, I'd be grinding it out at the table. Stud, Hold 'Em, Omaha, whatever. Just grab me a seat, gimme some checks, and let's go.

Poker has been a little thin lately, and it likely will stay that way until Vegas. We don't have another league event until we all get back from the trip--there are 8 of us (I think) from the league going out west, so it will be a fun time. Some of us have spouses going as well, which will make the vacation that much more enjoyable. I am working through Thursday of this week, and then through Thursday of next week. Busy too, with the NBA draft and US Women's Open going on in our coverage area--I am up to my ass in alligators these days. You like that one? Been saying it for a while, and as far as I know, that's an original. I dunno. I'm rambling.

Vacation on the horizon....OH! And it's CANUSA weekend. Majorly pumped to avenge the 32 shot beating the Canucks put on us in the spring. Big turnout for this one--players coming in from San Diego, New Orleans, Colorado, Toronto, Houston....gonna be big, but most of all, it will be good to see some old friends. One guy is coming in for his first tourney in like 5 years. I used to be his defense partner on our hockey team before I moved out of Raleigh.

Damn, one more story....sorry to keep babbling. My friends at Chiptalk.net have engaged in a battle lately over the sale of WSoP replica chips. There is a guy based in Europe who came up with replica chips of the ones being used at the Series right now. They look very much like the originals with some exceptions:
1-the materials used to make the chips are different. The originals are clay, the replicas are ceramic
2-the design on the outer edge (not the edgespots)--often referred to as the "mold", was different. The originals use a Paulson top hat & cane design....the replicas were also a tophat, but it faced a different direction, as did the cane with it.
3-the wording on the chips was different from the wording of the Series chips.

All of those things factored in, you might ask, what is the harm? Well, someone alerted Harrah's to this, and Harrah's told the chip seller in Europe to cease and desist making the chips, which he has.

Personally, I think it's a shame that someone (believed to be a member of the Chiptalk.net community), would rat out a person trying to bring these very cool looking chips to the home market. I do understand copyright laws, and the like, but c'mon. No one at Harrah's was being hurt by this, the designers of the chips have more than likely already been compensated for their work. Again, who is getting hurt?

Personally, I am hoping for a big Vegas trip, so I can contact my buddy to have him make me some banging chips for the league....that, of course, I will hang onto....

Hopefully, one more post before vacation. Speaking of the blog, I have added some new links to the side for you to check out--namely Shane "Shaniac" Schleger and Paul Wasicka's sites. Schleger is posting his blog stuff (for the WSoP) on Pokerwire--just click the jump on his page to get there.

Good luck and good cards,
~M

That was a crazy game of poker....

No lie. Saw more craziness than we have seen in a league event, ever. First off, I made the final table (nothing crazy about that, thank you very much), but got knocked out in 8th place when this hand came up:

Blinds are 100-200, 25 ante. I'm one ahead of the cut off with AdKh. I raise to 1000 (and have like 4K behind it). Cut off shoves all in. All fold to me--I call, knowing I am behind to a pair of somethings. Cut-off (a.k.a the Villain) shows 8d8h
Flop: 7-10-x the 7 & 10 are hearts

Turn: 9h

River: 6h

I make a King hi flush, while the Villain goes runner-runner straight flush.

Now don't get the idea that I am calling this a bad beat, because I am not. I never once had the lead in the hand, and when the 6 fell on the river, I was ready to scoop the pot. The dealer then halted me and noted the straight flush had me clipped. The chips were so warm too...I could feel the heat coming off of them and then, the cold gripped me as I had to let them go...ok, a bit dramatic, but still, it was a rollercoaster of thoughts in like 2 seconds...."FLUSH!! GIMME THAT POT" to...."He hit what? Dayyyyyuummmmmmm" NH, sir. Best part about the hand was the dealer then saying, "that's gonna make some good blog material." You were correct, sir.

Getting to the FT, I played pretty darn well, but was kicking myself for an early laydown. I raised in early position with QQ, got called by the BB. Flop is all clubs with a King hi....BB pushed all-in.

My thoughts: He flat called my raise pre-flop, and then the board comes all suited, with a K. He either has AK (unlikely) or any King (KJ perhaps--more likely), and just outflopped me. I knew he didn't have a flush, because if he did, he would have let me bet first at it. I mucked my QQ face up, and he showed me 8-9 off suit, hitting a pair of 8's. He bet at it, made me think and got me to lay down the better hand. Well played, B-Dub.

My stack actually dwindled from 3K to start down to about 1900, but I won a double up when I hit trip 4's, against QQ. I then doubled the player who doubled me about 9 hands later when her 88 beat my 55 (she actually made a set on the flop to really crush me). We kept tangling all night, until I finally had the best of it preflop. She went all in under the gun with 2h2d, I had 55 in late position, called her all in (weak call I know), and someone at the table said, "she'll hit a deuce...watch..." and before the flop rolled out, I replied, "as long as there is a 5 with it, that's fine..."

Flop: 2-5-7

Very Negreanu-like spooky call of the cards. Another 7 hit the board, filling my boat, and eliminating her.

I ran my chip count to 9200 when we condensed to 2 tables, winning a 3 way pot with 2 all-ins, when my KcQc caught a Q against a KhJd and Ah7h. I never really got any traction after that, and admittedly got a little too froggy, splashing around in pots I really should not have. That's one of the biggest leaks in my game. I try to be too cute sometimes, when I should just remember to stay within my own game. It is something I have to work on, no doubt.

As for the FT, "they were suited," and "I got a gutshot straight draw and a flush draw" were a couple of sayings I don't think anyone else wants to hear for a while. Pug ended up winning, as he.....how to say this....dug his way to victory. I think he knows he was digging--many times digging a grave for himself, but in big pots, he dug out of holes to scoop. He was all in on a straight draw with a suited 46, against a non-suited 86, also a straight draw. Pug had 2 hearts ...1 hit the flop (5-7h-X). All the chips went in AFTER the flop, incidentally....the turn was a 9h (filling the 86 straight), river Qh, giving Pug the heart flush. And it got worse from there....I saw it, and lived it. One time was enough. Sorry bloggers, I just don't have the heart, or stomach to go through it all again.

The Vegas trip gang will be convening this weekend for a nice cookout get-together, and then maybe a small card game--nothing big stakes wise, just a fun night so the wives can meet each other, and the Vegas "veterans" (I think I may be the only "veteran") can talk about where we can play poker while out in Sin City. Should be a fun night, especially since I already have 11 beers at the guys place!

~M

EDITOR'S NOTE--I mistakenly typed a J instead of a 7 in the straight flush hand. The board was 7-10-x-9-6, thus making the straight flush. I apologize for the error.

Do I have any friends at all?

OK, I know I do, but the ones I call friends & play poker with are some needling folk.

Which is good.

Trust me, this blog post is intended for smiles, and is not a cry for help (or any sort of cry for that matter), but DAMMIT VITO, 3-5 OFFSUIT????

LOL

Here's the hand: Blinds 50-100, I'm in nearly position (1 off the gun) with QQ. I raise it to 400. All fold to the Big Villain who flat calls from the BB, the 300 more.

Flop: 2-4-7, 2 clubs

Villain checks, I bet, he calls.

Turn: 6 (3rd club on board), Villain checks, I bet, he raises, I call.

River: Q spades.

Both check. If a 4th club had hit, I would have bet it. Instead I show my set after he rolls over the 3-5 for the turned straight.

I don't know that I played the hand poorly. Raised preflop, bet the flop, etc. Did I need to push harder preflop? It's that goofy line of the game--having the big hand, and wanting to get paid off for it. In this case, I would have been paid off, had BV not hit the perfect flop for his hand.

And he thought I was gonna call him a donkey. I'm not. He made his play, and it hit.

Burro.

That felt good.

Anyway, season 3 begins this Saturday, and we have a new points structure going into place this season. Should make things interesting, since we are only paying points to the top 15 players in the event, and the meaningful points are at the top. I am looking forward to it, no matter the points as I enjoy my time with the league members. They really are a great group, and a lot of fun to hang out with.

So much so, that a good chunk of the league is heading out the Vegas in July. League players (and spouses) in Sin City for about a week.

I hope there is enough Advil in Vegas--we're all gonna need it.

~M

It took long enough...

...but one of those nasty sick beats came back and bit me at the worst possible time. In the TOC. More on the hand in a minute.

TOC Saturday was a blast. 17 players filled the seats in the satellite tourney. Brent (who, going forward, will now be referred to as the "B-Dub Express"), ended up winning it, after posting all sorts of smack talk at our league site leading up to the event. He backed it up, with a sick rush of cards to claim entry into the TOC. He played well, got out of the way when things were sticky, and swung the hammer when he needed to. It was really amazing to watch. Well done.

In the TOC, well, it was just weird. I have never been witness to something like that ever. I know I have gone on rushes when the deck seemed to slap me between the eyes for a while--say a blind level or 2. Never have I seen the deck just crush a player (in a positive way) as I saw in the TOC. I have to give credit to Korrie for being on the receiving end of the deck whipping. She caught every card she needed to when she needed to. Whether it was the hand she was dealt (one instance, player in mid position raises all in with AQ, she's in BB with KK--auto call there--plus she had a huge stack at the time), or whether she made a call with a semi-marginal hand (yes, I am referring to a beat she put on me--and it's my blog so deal with it!!! ;) ), the deck just seemed to bail her out at the right time. Some say, "that's poker."

Here's my bail out hand story:
I'm in late position, round 1 (blinds 25-25). All fold to me in the cutoff. I have 10-10. I raise 100 making it 125 total. There is 50 in the middle with the blinds. She is in he SB and calls the 100.

Flop:

J-8-X rainbow.

I bet out 100, she calls.

Turn:

10 (makes my set)

I bet 200, she raises me another 400 (or 500, I forget). I flat call thinking she may have 2 pair.

River:

blank (no clue what it was).

We both check, she rolls over Q9 off suit--made straight on the turn.

Yes, I was steamed. Yes, I was in disbelief. Yes, I got up from the table. I did some other things too, which won't be repeated here. Luckily, our starting stacks were T4000, so I didn't get crippled, just bloodied a little.

I dragged a few smallish pots after that, Korrie outflopped me later when her Q7 suited made trip 7's on the flop--I limped with AJ off, and should have raised, so I take the heat for playing that hand poorly.

Couple levels later, I'm in late position with QJ offsuit. Again, all fold to me, I raise it up 300 (level is 50-100), only the BB calls.

Flop:

A-K-10, 2 spades in there.

BB leads for 1300. I have 2700 left, with a flopped Broadway straight. Of course, my stack goes into the middle. BB autocalls, and I KNOW I have the lead. At best he hit trips, at worst, he has 2 pair or a flush draw. He had AK suited (clubs).

Nice. I have the made hand with 2 cards to come--he has 4 wins in the deck, and hits one of them on the river (a K) to give him the house, K's over A's.

Poof. Game over.

Nothing to do there, except shake his hand and leave the room. I told him later I would have done the same thing, and I would have. That hand, the chips were going in and I was either doubled up, or done. Same for him. He either busts me on a re-draw, or is crippled.

Season 3 starts in 2 weeks, and we have revamped the points structure to put more emphasis on winning, and high finishes. We will only pay out points to the top 15 finishers. We'll see how it all plays out, but I think it should do the trick to identify the best season had by a player. Of course, any system will have its faults. As a league, we just continue to evolve, and hope to make things good for the entire group.

Some highlights from the day:
Larry showed up in a tux rather than in one of his technicolor shirts. Nice look, sir!

Joe G. played us a tune written about the league--some of the funniest stuff I've heard in a while.

Our beloved EC member emeritus conjured up entrance music during the table draw--some fitting, others....well, BV knows what I am talking about.

The line of the day belonged to Jason C., who said, after pushing all-in to a small pot in the satellite, getting no callers, and revealing his pocket Queens after winning the hand: "I slow played Queens for 17 years, and it cost me $480,000." No, he's not a pro, he was referring to his divorce!

A great time spent with great folks, and I am excited to get season 3 underway.

Good luck and good cards,

~M

It's the most wonderful time of the year....

June 1, 2007.

It is a beautiful day in my neighborhood, and even better because of what today is.

No, it's not just the first day of June.

No, it's not just the first day after my hell month at work.

No, it's not just the day before our league Tournament of Champions.

What is it, you ask?

Opening day of the 2007 World Series of Poker.

ESPN will have event coverage beginning on July 10th, but if you are like me, and want to know who is doing what in which event, click this link and save it.

On tap today:
$5000 Mixed Hold 'Em World Championship Event
$500 Casino Employees Event

I am not going to update my blog daily with what events are on tap, but suffice to say, this is the time of year that gets my heart pumping. We are also at t-minus 38 days until Vegas.

Sing it with me....."It's the most wonderful time of the year......"

Good luck and good cards,
~M