2008/12/15

WBCOOP - '08

Online Poker

I have registered to play in the PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker!

This PokerStars tournament is a No Limit Texas Hold’em event exclusive to Bloggers.

Registration code: 787951








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type the rest here



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2008/12/05

Offtopic - Walk Down Memory Lane or "I speak Scottish"

It's safe to say that I've lived a full life thus far. I've had the opportunity to see different parts of the world, I've done the college gig, the family thing, and have been occupationally diverse. Several times over, I've encountered great change in my life. When encountering or enacting such changes, I historically choose to never look back and live without regret...

Despite being busier now than I've ever been, I have spent the past year reflecting on my life. One of my goals was to take some time to look back, to reflect on my life - perhaps to learn from my past, maybe even to take a moment to enjoy it even. What good is experience if you don't look back upon it?

That being said, one of my goals is to reconnect with some of the people who are significant to my "past lives." I bumped into one of those people online this past week and want to share a story that has me absolutely rolling...





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From 1992 to 1996 I was enlisted in the Navy. From Jan - June 1994, my squadron was attached to the USS Saratoga. We spent the majority of our time floating outside of Bosnia. Because it was the decommissioning cruise for the "Sloppy Sara," there were several ports-of-call that we "should" have hit - Haifa, Turkey, Greece, Spain, Italy... Circumstances in Bosnia, however, cancelled the majority of our liberty.

We did, however, manage to make it to Spain - Palma, Spain more specifically, which is where the Beer Guy turned 21 (for the first time).

After spending the majority of the day on the beach, enjoying tasty beverages from the Daiquiri Palace, the boys n I set out for a night on the town. While out and about, we came upon a store that sold football jerseys. I picked up an FC Porto jersey, and my buddy Jason selects a Scottish national team jersey. Drunk as all hell, sun burnt - the rest of the guys abandon Jason and I.

Jason and I of course, are not your run of the mill sailors... It was no secret as to why he and I were named numbers one and two in the old Great Northwest Chapter of the Brewster Club. When we were out, we were out for the duration. None of this going home early shit, even if we were blistery, sunburned, feverish and incoherently drunk... No biggie, we pushed on to the club. We arrive at this club, though my memory betrays me as I do not know which club it was, and immediately we begin chatting it up with two young, attractive British ladies.

Bright young ladies they were, they quickly pick up that I'm American. They proceed to complain about all the dirty American Sailors that are carrying on, acting like a bunch of asses, being ridiculously drunk and what not. They move to end the conversation when the light bulb goes on...

Ever so quick on my feet, I inform them that we (Jason and I) are not in the Navy. In fact, Jason isn't even American! No, not at all... He was my foreign exchange student from Scotland (glad he bought the football jersey), and that we were travelling around Europe together in celebration of our respective 21st birthdays.

These chics were so not having it when they thought we were in the Navy, but now that we're not... We're students vacationing and having fun, just like them - we were in! They're buying us drinks, we buy them drinks, great drunken conversation - laughing. Everyone's buying the story. In fact, everyone's so sold that Jason himself not only believes he's from Scotland, but he also somehow was touched by God's hand and can now speak Scottish!

He reminded me of the Scottish answer to pro wrestling's Tito Santana, who would give interviews in English and then break off into Spanish. Jason would gab away, and then say something in "Scottish."

Things are going real well at this point, until Jason turns a bit green. I had a deal brokered with one of the girls that we'd all go back to where she was staying and continue the festivities when Jason blurts out, "Mike - I'm going to be sick, we have to go back to the boat - I think I'm going to die."

He makes it to the bathroom before letting loose projectile style. No amount of drunken smooth talking got me out of that one. The girls knew they were tricked - tricked into talking to the drunken sailors they swore they wouldn't be caught dead talking to...

Jason and I did in fact manage to stumble back to the ship in one piece. And though it was frustrating not sealing the deal with the ladies, it was a most entertaining 21st birthday - so entertaining that I've turned 21 every year on my birthday since then...

Mike





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2008/12/02

Some things never change...

For any of you who wonder if the BeerGuy still has an obsession with "the hammer," here's your answer... The guy was steaming before that hand, due to another player playing at him. I decided to join in and call station my way to raking in the pot...






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PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $2.00 BB (8 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com



BB ($203.80)

UTG ($284.65)

UTG+1 ($200)

Tiltboy (MP1) ($149)

MP2 ($224)

CO ($200.50)

Hero (Button) ($193)

SB ($203)



Preflop: Hero is Button with 2, 7

2 folds, Tiltboy raises to $6, 2 folds, Hero calls $6, 2 folds



Flop: ($15) 8, 9, 10 (2 players)

Tiltboy bets $8, Hero calls $8



Turn: ($31) 2 (2 players)

Tiltboy bets $16, Hero calls $16



River: ($63) 5 (2 players)

Tiltboy bets $40, Hero calls $40



Total pot: $143



Results:

Hero had 2, 7 (one pair, twos).

Tiltboy had A, J (high card, Ace).

Outcome:



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2008/11/28

Update from the Beerguy

I've been mostly away from the online poker scene for quite some time now. Several reasons kept me away - anything from playing live more, spending time with the family, not wanting to tie up the live bankroll, letting the Rayz site go...

This past week, however, I had the itch to play. I found that I missed playing online. It's relaxing, enjoyable (at least when one is runnin well). I forgot how nice it is to have Pokertracker workin with ya.

To curb the itch, I put some dough on Stars and played for a spell. Among the various games, I managed to stumble upon the Second Annual Turkey Cup, hosted by Dr. Pauly.

I got to see a lot of friends and acquaintances that I've not seen or heard from in far too long... More specifically, John - it was a pleasure donking ALL my chips off to ya! I did manage an 8th place finish, despite my donkey-ness...

I also had a great time listening to the commentary and coverage from BDR - thanks for the shoutout, by the way...

So I guess I'm sayin - I'll be around...

Mike





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2008/11/15

Online Poker Scene - Industry Reacts to Passage of UIGEA Regulations

Online Poker Scene - Industry Reacts to Passage of UIGEA Regulations

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2008/11/13

No guarantees

Nope - it's surely not your imagination (speaking to the whole 1 reader left in the blogosphere). I'm actually posting something - so it seems. Actually, among other things - I'm not guaranteeing a regular post, an update... or anything. It is what it is around here, I guess...




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In any event, this comes in no particular order... but may answer the "where the hell have you beens, what the hell have you been doings, and the what nexteses..."

Where have you been?

Well, anyone following the online blog or who has been in the know on my screennames sure the hell know I've not been busy updating the blog or playing online.

Nor have I been touring the world, for that matter.

So I guess that begs the question "where have you been?" --- ah, what a great question that is...

What the hell have you been doing?

in bullet points (without the bullets)

building a relationship

raising the kids

building a franchise

busting my ass

playing cards

What's next?

Who the hell knows...? Maybe come back to visit and find out...?




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2008/01/28

Cash out and Boycott Absolute Poker

I'm the first to admit that I've not been 100% on top of the recent occurances in the online poker community. I do, however, manage to catch up in my reading. One of the things that has popped up is the total mess of a so called poker site known as Absolute Poker.

As you may or may not know, Absolute Poker (AP for short, considering I'm increasingly lazy and won't be bothered typing out their formal name) was acquired by Ultimate Bet (UB).

Prior to this acquisition, AP began opening skins (i.e. Vegas 24/7). It was around this time where I pulled my money from the AP realm. Not because they skinned themselves, however... It was in fact because I no longer felt comfortable with the integrity of the poker room.





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I was playing a private tournament, talking to one player... and another player responded. In fact, it seemed to me that this regularly occured. Almost as if the same person could be in the same tournament under two seperate accounts.

I emailed AP support and did not get a response in which satisfied me. As a result, I pulled my money and deleted their software from my computer. I'm not one to complain about the way things run or how a given place conducts business. If I do not agree with how things run or how someone conducts business, I simply do not give them my business. To do otherwise is hypocritical, among other things.

I was convinced their was cheating in their poker room. I presented what I believed to be hand history evidence and the corresponding chat log to support my belief. AP simply blew me off. They did not thank me for my concern, they failed to address my complaint. They left me less than satisfied. As a result, I no longer play there. No more Beer Money for AP from this kid.

Fast forward some time. An unknown player goes deep and wins the AP $100K. A player requests hand history of the tournament to go over a hand that was played. Instead of getting said hand history, he is given the entire tourney hand history, which includes email addresses, account numbers, ip addresses and observers for EVERY HAND in the tournament! What the...?

Long story short, this is far from an oops. This is a ginormous breach of integrity here! How does a support person at AP come accross this? Furthermore, how does a player get ahold of this file? Additionally, can just any player access said info at will?

It turns out, the player in question has ties to AP. It appears to me as if AP has either embraced or enabled cheating of this sort and is choosing to do little, if anything about it.

Had I not boycotted AP some time ago, I'd have done so a million times over right now.

Mike





More detailed info on the AP Scandal

http://loukrieger.blogspot.com/


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