$500 Free
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
Poker Pub Sponsors and deals:
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs2.5 License.
2008/11/28
| [+/-] |
Update from the Beerguy |
2008/11/15
2007/05/04
| [+/-] |
Poker tournaments, skins, derbies, other ramblings |
As perhaps a bit of foreshadowing, I'm posturing to make up for the last month or so of non-substantial posts. While I do not offer an appology for the lack of posts, I shall point out that I've got a million of projects running simultaniously, all of which take up a great deal of time. In addition to family responsibilities, along with the additional duties of breathing; when I actually have time to sit down and write, I've just got no gas left in the tank. That being said, today the tank is full and I just might have something to say!
Freeroll weekend
For starters, in case you didn't get the memo, tournaments all weekend long at the grand opening of Pharaoh's Poker Palace. CheckRayz will be there for the festivities, as we have THREE private tournaments scheduled there this weekend, two of which are freerolls. Download Pharaoh's poker palace here.
Nordic Poker
Along the same topic, it's been asked of me several time if I am supporting a poker room that is a skin of poker.com. I'm going to preface this by stating up front, I am a poker.com guy. That out of the way, I obviously support Carbon Poker, as it's an evolution of sorts that is going to be the focal point of the Merge Poker Network. Carbon was created out of the need to mainstream advertising, which was uncovered due to logistical challenges in Australia with respect to branding.
Upon the conclusion of the Aussie Millions, Carbon Poker and Merge Gaming Networks were revealed. Nordic is a skin in the Merge Network. "In theory" networks of this sort are created to help several different marketplaces come together to create 1 pool of players. The benefit is that each of these standalone marketplaces (skins) will combine to help support one another, in that more players will equal more games, bigger tournaments; and thus all parties involved will benefit, because more players more opportunity to play, more game selection, bigger prize pools, and more money all around.
In theory, each skin brings it's own marketplace. When asked if I am promoting Nordic Poker, the answer is "no." I have my marketplace in the Merge Network. I represent the Carbon Brand and/or the dotcom brand. It's neither right, nor ethical for me to utilize the Nordic brand to market a network I'm already marketing. The goal, once again, is to bring new players to market, not to recycle the marketplace. My understanding is that all current players are... or will be barred from having duplicate accounts at Nordic, if they already participate at dotcom or Carbon. And additionally, I will not encourage anyone to get accounts in their wife's or dogs name either. That, again, is unethical and is very used car salesmanish in recommending such a thing (no offense to any honest salesman out there). Disclaimer: There's nothing wrong with Nordic, it's just not my marketplace, and I will not resell my market on a place they already are, period.
TRANSLATED: MArketing Nordic under the premise of "You'll need to use a unique email addy and a unique screen name (unique from poker.com/Carbon) when installing (hoping that solves the prob)" <=== shady - unethical, very AP/V247-like... not doing it, not condoning it and will report when/if discovered.
Now, all that being said, I will be "properly" positioning the Poker.com and Carbon Poker brands by offering a special CheckRayz First time deposit bonus and Reload bonus. THIS is how one would/should properly represent the network. Details of the deposit bonuses, as well as the codes, all will be revealed at the top of next week.
Poker Pub Sponsors and deals:
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Moving on...
Derbies
This is the weekend of Derbys - the Kentucky Derby and the Manchester Derby. Usually, I closely follow the KY Derby, however, partially because I've been extremely busy, and also because this race is so wide open, with little in track records to follow; I have no prediction. Not that I'm a horse picking expert, but I have been a bit fortunate in my predictions, specifically with the Derby - but this year, I don't see anything that gives me a bettors edge in this race. Thus, no predictions, no bets. Greenstein would advise me to sit this one out and rest.
However, one Derby I do know something about is the Manchester Derby. I do not see the UEFA defeat sitting well with United. Look for United to wrap up the Premiership this weekend, and focus on the Double with the FA.
Other Ramblings
I mentioned the Aussie Million a bit earlier in this post. I have to say, I've managed to see very little of it on TV. My friends mention seeing me a few times, and they talk of seeing "that Jimmy kid." I'm waiting (for more free time) to watch it in full. I have so much stored upstairs, that I want to watch the television taping from start to finish so that I can brain dump and reflect all at once.
Finally, I'd like to give a shoutout to one of my partners in crime Matt a.k.a. - "bornsupreme." Look for Matt to have a guest spot right here at the Poker Pub in the near future. He's got lots to say and knows his stuff, and I'm thinking it's time to bring in a guest blogger or two, as well as to attempt to refocus my energy.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Mike
Related Posts
CheckRayz Leaderboard Tour at Poker.com
Freerolls at the Grand Opening of the Palace
2006 Derby Thoughts
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs2.5 License.
2007/04/18
| [+/-] |
CheckRayz Leaderboard, through 2 events |
The CheckRayz leaderboard at Poker.com, after 2 events looks as follows:
Poker Pub Sponsors and deals:
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1. Cardluvr 33.5
2. Shamanalix 30.3
3. vegasjj 26.2
4. bomber44 20
5. deadmonk26 15
6. careybear 14
7. bc5457 13
8. creepykenny 12
9. imjusthere4thebeer 12
10. runroughshod 11
11. yellowrose 10
12. angels2005 6
13. PrinceSheba 5
14. Reelcrazy 4
15. roneil33 3
16. Willplay 1
17. TJMoney08 1
The actual CheckRayz leaderboard is undergoing maintainance. I hope to have it up shortly. Events 3 and 4 are tonight and tomorrow at Poker.com. The passwords for these events are on the CheckRayz tournament schedule and passwords page.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs2.5 License.
2007/03/26
| [+/-] |
Poker.com and Omaha |
Passing time today, I decided to play in a PL Omaha tourney at poker.com. Which, have I mentioned how top notch not only the poker room is, but also the peeps behind poker.com - totally awesome.
While all of them are totally awesome, I'd like to send a special thanks to Liam. Liam stepped up and helped me out in a situation in which I did need help, but he was really under no obligation to assist. He went above and beyond the call of duty, and for that I'm eternally greatful! Thanks Liam!
Poker Pub Sponsors and deals:
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The Poker Writer Poker Blog - Read about all things Poker.
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So, as I was saying, playin a lil pot limit omaha tourney today and it just so happens that the flop hit me hard, yet I still got action. 
Speaking of Poker.com, CheckRayz are having themselves a satellite to the Sunday Guaranteed today at 9pm. Added to the prize pool is one seat to the Sunday Guaranteed. Great tourney, the Sunday Guaranteed is. Stop by if you get a second. The password is on the CheckRayz site, and of course you do have to be a member of CheckRayz to view the password.
Mike
Related Posts
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs2.5 License.
2007/03/24
| [+/-] |
Planet Poker Leaves Poker Universe |
Planet Poker, a pioneering poker room in the online poker universe, has announced intentions to suspend real money operations. Their announcement reads as follows:
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Dear Valued PLANET POKER Affiliate: CheckRayz
After 9 years in business, Planet Poker is ceasing real money operations. Management regrets this decision but the impact of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in the U.S. leaves no reasonable alternative.
During the past several months, Planet Poker explored every reasonable option to continue real money operations. This included working with other cardrooms and ecommerce processors to find solutions to the issues existing in the industry today. Unfortunately, no viable solution was found.
As always, all funds on deposit are safe and secure at Planet Poker.
Real money tables and tournaments will continue at Planet Poker through to 31 March 2007, but effective immediately, players will no longer be able to make a deposit. As an affiliate, players whom you have signed up will continue to earn commission until closure of the real money tables and tournaments on March 31st. The final affiliate payments for March earnings will be posted in the first week of April after which, you will have the same options as the players to either cashout through the normal CASHIER channels, or transfer funds to a participating cardroom.
Players are being advised via email and public announcements in the Cardroom.
Thank you for your support during the past 9 years.
Planet Poker Management
Related Posts
Doyles Room Bailing on U.S.
No More Hollywood
In Need of a new Poker Room?
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs2.5 License.
2007/03/22
| [+/-] |
Is Neteller Ready to Return Our F-ing Money? |
This press release was originally published on neteller's website. The good news is that it "seems" that neteller will be releasing the funds it seized from US Customers within the next seven days, though I cannot help but wonder at what cost will this so called 55 million be properly returned the US customers?
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NETELLER Takes Positive Step Towards Returning US Customers’ Funds
Wednesday, 21 March 2007 – The NETELLER Plc Group (LSE: NLR), the leading global independent online money transfer business, today announced that it has signed agreements with each of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (“USAO”) and Navigant Consulting, Inc. (“Navigant”).
On 8 February 2007, the Group announced that it was in discussions with the USAO to manage an orderly return of funds to US customers and that it was contemplated that a forensic accounting firm would be engaged, at the Group's expense, to assist in this process and to examine the Group's financial position.
The Group is pleased to announce that on 20 March 2007, it signed agreements with the USAO and Navigant which, among other things, outline terms and a timeline under which NETELLER will work toward the orderly distribution of funds to its US customers. Per the agreements, the Group anticipates that within the next 75 days it will announce a plan by which the funds will be distributed to US customers. Navigant will also provide a report to the USAO on the Group’s current financial condition.
“We continue to be committed to returning funds to our US customers and working with the US Attorney’s Office,” said Ron Martin, Group President and CEO. “Progress, while not always visible to the outside observer, has been steady and these agreements mark a milestone in the process.”
NETELLER is continuing to cooperate with the USAO’s investigation, under the advice of its legal advisers and in accordance with court orders in the Isle of Man.
Further updates with relation to the US situation will be made as soon as there are any material developments. In the meantime, US customers should visit updates.neteller.com for more information, including newly updated FAQs that provide additional clarity, where the Group is able, around certain issues currently being raised in a number of public forums. Additionally US Customers can contact NETELLER Customer Service on the web or by phone at 1-888-258-5859.
About the NETELLER Group
Trusted by millions of consumers in over 160 countries to move and manage billions of dollars each year, the NETELLER Group operates the largest independent online money transfer business in the world. The Group specializes in providing innovative and instant payment services where money transfer is difficult or risky due to identity, trust, currency exchange, or distance. Being independent has allowed the Group to support thousands of retailers and merchants in many geographies and across multiple industries.
The Group is quoted on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM market, with a ticker symbol of NLR. NETELLER (UK) Limited is authorised by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) to operate as a regulated e-money issuer. For more information about the Group visit www.netellergroup.com.
Media and Investor Contacts
Citigate Dewe Rogerson
Sarah Gestetner or George Cazenove
Tel: +44 (0) 207 638 9571
More info
Related Posts
Neteller hearing postponed
Neteller Whores to US Government Demands
New Poker Room Anyone?
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs2.5 License.
2007/03/11
| [+/-] |
Poker.com moves to it's own timezone again |
Today's the big day when poker.com takes it's traditional move away from the Eastern Time Zone and goes into what's called Poker.com time. Perhaps more specifically, it could be argued that since Poker.com remains in the GMT-5 Time Zone, that it is always poker.com time, and the Eastern Time Zone simply leaves poker.com time, ousted in favor of the Central Time Zone, who is now GMT-5.
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Not to worry though, us confused Easterners have options... First, you can look at the lobby clock at poker.com, which is in fact prominantly located on the top right side of the lobby. Second, you could simply remember that poker.com is still GMT-5, and WE made the adjustment.
Third, you can have one of those more elaborate setups, such as found in the old fashioned major news rooms and have the times of major places in the world, such as New York, London, Paris, Moscow, Tokyo, Poker.com all have their own clocks on the wall.
No matter how you do it, just remember that Poker.com is still GMT-5, and the Eastern Time Zone is now GMT-4.
Speaking of Poker.com, CheckRayz are holding a private Free Entry Poker Tournament at Poker.com on 3/13/07, which is scheduled to start at 9pm Poker.com Time. The tournament is a free entry poker tournament, however, you do need a password to join the tournament. The password can be found by logging into the CheckRayz website and going to the tournament schedule page, where the CheckRayz Tournament Passwords are all located.
From there, download Poker.com if you've not yet done so (and of course register). You can click the link on the CheckRayz site to download the poker.com poker room. Once you've downloaded poker.com, go to the Private Tab in the lobby, then the satellite tab. You'll see the CheckRayz tournament, simply register by joining the tournament and typing the case sensitive password into the box when prompted.
Mike
Related Posts
Carbon Poker
Blogger Poker Tour
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs2.5 License.
2007/02/20
| [+/-] |
Doyle has exit strategy |
It seems as if Doyle Brunson has put together an "exit strategy" when leaving the US Market. Those who have an account balance at his poker room will have their balance transferred directly to Full Tilt Poker (see below for the email from Doyle's Room).
Poker Pub Sponsors and deals:
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IMPORTANT MESSAGE CONCERNING YOUR ACCOUNT
19 February 2007
Dear DoylesRoom Player,
This email is intended solely for US-based players at DoylesRoom.com. Please ignore this communication if you are based in any other country.
In view of the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (“UIGEA”) and the cessation of operations by Neteller and other payment processors, the management of the Doyle Brunson Poker Network (“DBPN”) has reluctantly decided not to permit online real money play by US-based players. We know this will come as a disappointment to you but we have taken the view that the most prudent course of action at this time to ensure the security of player funds is to conduct an orderly withdrawal from the United States market.
Effective immediately, US online poker players will not be permitted to sign up for real money play or deposit funds into existing accounts. Commencing March 1, 2007, all US play on DoylesRoom.com will be blocked and US players will be able to access only the withdrawals page.
You may withdraw your funds at any time or, should you wish to enjoy uninterrupted play, we are pleased to announce that Full Tilt Poker has agreed to accept direct transfer of your account balance. This will give you the opportunity to earn a signup bonus of up to $600 and use your action point balance on their site (terms and conditions apply, see below). This account transfer option will be simple, immediate, and allow you to take advantage of Full Tilt Poker’s wide range of games and tournaments. The transfer feature is available now.
DBPN assures all its players that their funds are safe but in view of the likely demands on our processing staff in the forthcoming weeks, cashouts may take a little longer than usual to process. We ask that players wishing to withdraw their funds be patient.
DoylesRoom.com will continue to serve non-US players and will increase its focus on Canada, Europe and Asia-Pacific.
We share your disappointment with this news and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience.
Thank You,
The Management
Doyle Brunson Poker Network
Full Tilt Poker is offering a signup bonus of 100% of transferred money up to a maximum of $600. To be eligible for the sign up bonus, players must be making their first deposit on Full Tilt Poker and a minimum balance transfer of $45 is required.
Action Points (“APs”) will be converted to Full Tilt Points (“FTP”) within 7 days of account transfer. Conversion rates as follows:
Doyle’s Club: 4 APs = 1 FTP
VIP: 6 APs = 1 FTP
Other tiers: 12 APs = 1 FTP
Related Posts
Tribecca says goodbye to the US Market
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs2.5 License.
2007/02/18
| [+/-] |
Is "Account sharing" legal...? |
As an online poker community, we have already dealt with the zeejustin ordeal, so that is not something I wish to mention. However, I do wish to pose the question as to whether or not sharing an online poker account is legal and/or ethical. By "sharing an online account," I mean either two people use the same account at different times (may or may not be different locations) OR a player starts a game or a tournament and another player finishes on their behalf (team play).
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According to the terms and conditions at poker.com - "You agree to keep your Account information secret and confidential and to not allow anyone else to use it." --- Apparently, they are “crystal clear” on their position, as seen in the text I have taken the liberty of bolding out. However, while they are clear on what is and is not "legal", they do not necessarily discuss what the punishment specifically would be for said rules violation. However, through the terms and conditions, they reserve the right to cease funds if cheating is discovered.
Bugsy's Club, on the other hand, is clear and specific on both the definition and the enforcement of this account sharing issue. They write:
One Player per Account
"Regarding all League promotions at Bugsy’s Club pleased be informed that all play in leagues is limited to one player per username. If it is found and proved that more than one player is playing under one username, that username will forfeit any and all prize money it wins in any league promotion at Bugsy’s Club and could be banned from Bugsy’s Club. Please respect this and play by the rules."
This stands to be important with Bugsy's Club because:
1. They offer monthly prizes based on league play (i.e. - accumulate x number of league points to gain entry to a special tournament, score high on the Leaderboard for leagues to win prizes within the league).
2. Nearly EVERYTHING on Bugsy's Club falls into some sort of league. This includes the cash tables, as there's competitions based on raked hands.
Why would this matter?
One might be inclined to ask what the big deal is. Why would this matter in the least bit? I propose it matters a great deal. In the instance of Bugsy's Club and the league games, the more you play the more leaderboard points you score. Players are "supposed to" play utilizing their own account. Theoretically, who is at an advantage, the honest player playing his or her own account and playing only when they are not sleeping, working, or doing something else "life-related?" Or is it the "team" of players, who have worked out a "shift schedule" to allow them 24-hour coverage of the poker room?
How about sharing of a player account within tournaments, such as a series of tourneys or satellites of some sort? Should a player who is great at Hold’em be "right," "legal" or "ethical" by sharing playing duties with a player who is skilled in Omaha, for example, when in fact Omaha and Hold'em will be played out in the hypothetical series? Or how about the player who can play his ass off, but has problems finishing? Should one be able to tag the other in?
Surely, when instances such as this occur, people usually have some sort of justification they fabricate as to why "it is ok" in this instance. It may be "well, the person is my (wife, girlfriend, brother, dog, grandmother, room mate, life partner, hero, neighbor, insert person of choice here) thus it should be acceptable. Personally, I do not buy into the "this time it's different" method of excusing behavior. Nor do I fall into the "yea, but you have gotta understand" version of rationalization.
Personally, I prefer fair play... regardless of whether it is online, live, home game, virtual poker room, or casino.
Mike
Related Posts
The Death Switch
Online Poker Commentary
New Poker Room anyone?
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs2.5 License.
2007/01/26
| [+/-] |
Take that, bitches |
WTO Rules against US in internet gambling laws.
Poker Pub Sponsors and deals:
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Blogger Poker Tour Season 3 Starting soon and only at Poker.com!.
The US can still appeal.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs2.5 License.
2006/12/17
| [+/-] |
CheckRayz League at Bugsys Club News... |
This is the last week for our first ever CheckRayz League at Bugsy's Club. There's still time to enter. Tourneys will be played Monday, Weds, and Friday this week. At the end of the week, a league champion will be crowned. First place pays $150, second pays $100, third place pays $50. Click to view the current CheckRayz League Leaderboard. With one week to go, it's still anyone's game.
Poker Pub Sponsors and deals:
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Blogger? Join the Blogger Poker Tour today! From the Blogosphere to the Aussie Millions... BPT - only at Poker.com!. BPT Event 7 (12/16) Omaha Hi/Low, hosted by The Poker Pub Poker Blog
Additionally, the actual CheckRayz Leaderboard Poker Tour race is heating up. Including the three league matches, there's four more for this final half of 2006 tour. Look for a leaderboard shootout announcement to come really soon, as well as a match to determine the 2006 champion. As I said, more on this in the coming days...
Mike
Related Posts
Leaderboard Scoring Explained
CheckRayz plans for the new year
CheckRayz Poker Tournaments
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs2.5 License.
2006/12/15
| [+/-] |
Poker Pubs Last Call at the BPT |
Last call is less than 24 hours away... Only a few bloggers have "secured" their spot in the Grand Final. The remaining spots in the field of 20 are still up for grabs!
Poker Pub Sponsors and deals:
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Blogger? Join the Blogger Poker Tour today! From the Blogosphere to the Aussie Millions... BPT - only at Poker.com!. BPT Event 7 (12/16) Omaha Hi/Low, hosted by The Poker Pub Poker Blog
Here is the password for the BPT Last Call event.
Here's the stipulations attached with collecting the launch bonus for anyone who knocks me out of the tourney... Remember, my host bonus is on the line!
Finally, good luck, and see you tomorrow!
Mike
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs2.5 License.
2006/12/14
| [+/-] |
BPT: Lots of Value Being Left Behind |
Here's the password to the Blogger Poker Tour event this weekend. In making my travels to some of the BPT Blogs, it seems that there may be some disappointed peeps if they launch me this weekend. Remember, there are additional stipulations I've put on the launch bonus. Keep reading to review them.
Poker Pub Sponsors and deals:
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Play free poker at CheckRayz - free entry, cash prizes and money-added buyin poker tournaments. Sign up now!
Blogger? Join the Blogger Poker Tour today! From the Blogosphere to the Aussie Millions... BPT - only at Poker.com!. BPT Event 7 (12/16) Omaha Hi/Low, hosted by The Poker Pub Poker Blog
If the tourney were today, many bloggers would be disqualified from collecting the launch bonus for one or more of the following reasons:
1. One must make a post ABOUT the Blogger Poker Tour between Friday 8 December to 11.59pm on Friday 15 December. Many have not... and Friday at 11.59pm is approaching.
2. The BPT banner must be in proper working order... This means it must be clickable (I click and make it to the BPT page).
3. The BPT must be prominantly displayed on your blog --- meaning, when my large monitor and I arrive on your blog, I must see the working BPT banner without scrolling down.
Then, on the day of the tournament
4. Make 1 more post before midnight.
Make sure it's all in order, don't leave value on the table... I do not mind keeping my host bonus if someone who launches me does not do their homework.
Mike
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs2.5 License.
2006/12/12
| [+/-] |
BPT Event Seven - PokerPub's Last Call! |
This Saturday, 3pm EST (AKA Poker.com time), the Poker Pub Poker Blog is throwing one hell of a party at poker.com, the home of the Blogger Poker Tour.
For starters, if you have a blog and you're a blogger, there's still time to join the blogger poker tour. Why would you, as a blogger who has a blog, want to join... you ask? Simple... Cliffnotes read: $500 freeroll, great poker play, two bloggers are going to the Aussie Millions, more prizes (all totaling $30,000+, as a matter of fact), fun, a strong sense of community, and it just makes sense to play. Tell them imjusthere4thebeer sent ya!
Moving along, I have some news on my Last Call event and a password... so keep reading.
Poker Pub Sponsors and deals:
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Christmas gifts n poker chips only at 5stardeal.
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I'm sad to announce that the original plan of having Last Call be a pot limit omaha hi/lo game has been cancelled. Poker.com made a tough decision and had to roll back the release date of the latest upgrade. Thus, a plo8 game is no longer possible. I know this disappoints some. I find it unfortunate, despite not being an omaha player nor a plo8 player. We will manage though.
In it's place, the Commish and I have decided that we'd go with a deep stacks NL Hold'em tournament. That's right, if this is last call, we're doing it right. 5K in starting chips, normal blinds. The over-under is still 5% of the field going out in round one of the blinds, so do not let the deep stacks fool ya. Deep stacks benefits the technician, so be ready for some great play.
This then brings me to the launch bonus... The change of tourney greatly impacts how the launch bonus affects a player. Originally, the bonus was going to be split amongst everyone who won a piece of the pot. In hi/lo, that would normally be two or more players, unless someone scoops. Now, with moving back to hold'em, it's probably going to be one player winning the launch bonus... unless of course, I run the table from start to finish. By the numbers, I am expecting close to 200 players competing in this final event. If I am close to accurate, then it stands to reason that launching me alone can bring a new player near the top 20. Parlay a strong finish, maybe even a final table, and they're all but guaranteed a top 20 finish to the tour and thus a spot in the grand final.
So recap, launch me - imjusthere4thebeer - score my host points... But wait, before proceeding on, I do in fact have a couple stipulations. I've learned my lesson and do not give away a free lunch... No sir/ma'am. Here's the deal. Launching me makes you eligable for my host points. Upon my launch, I will go to your blog. I need to see two things.
1. You've made a post of some sort (and substance) regarding the Blogger Poker Tour within the past seven days of the event. This means, you've posted at least once about the tour between 12.01am on Friday 8 December to 11.59pm on Friday 15 December.
2. The Blogger Poker Tour banner is both in proper working order (I can click it and get to the BPT page), and displayed so that my oversized monitor and I do not need to scroll down in order to find it. When we send traffic your way, I want them to know you're part of the tour!
Finally, I'll go back to your blog at the end of the day on Saturday (11.59pm EST). By then, you've had to have made a second post on the BPT event. It is at this time that I shall give Shane the OK to issue you my host points. And by this time, you've earned them.
As always, there will be complete coverage of Last Call here at the Poker Pub Poker Blog. And natually, the coverage will be live.
Here are some more Blogger Poker Tour Resources, for your convienance:
1. Unofficial BPT Search Engine code (to add to your blog) - notify me if your site or blog is not yet listed here.
2. BPT Blogroll - I will manually update and scrub this list sometime after event seven (no need to contact) - stay tuned. Feel free to use the code for your websites and blogs.
3. Join the blogger poker tour - tell them imjusthere4thebeer sent you.
4. The official Blogger Poker Tour Forum.
5. Laura posting a photo of her training for Last Call before I even had a chance to request it!
6. The password for Blogger Poker Tour event seven: Poker Pub's Last Call is in fact... lastcall.
Mike
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BeerGuy thinks...
Heard talking on the BPT
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2006/12/11
| [+/-] |
Didn't you say...? What the...? |
Yes, I said live casino report... twice, as a matter of fact... "So, where's the reports, right? I know, you must be a losing player... otherwise, you'd freely report on the games."
Actually, I did go 0 for 2 this past week. However, sad to disappoint, I did not have losing sessions. I had no sessions at all, as a matter of fact. (More after the break).
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This past week - one "bad beat" after another... but wait a minute, I do not believe in bad beats, only bad plays... Fair enough - two "misplayed hands" this week cost me live play.
First, the charity game and soccer night were one in the same. That left Tuesday open for me to do whatever I choose. I naturally chose to make a casino run. For a few weeks now, I've seen this bus leave from a shopping center up the road a bit. So, on Tuesday, I set the alarm, grabbed the bankroll and pushed north to hit the bus.
I board the bus and find out that we're heading to a smaller casino than the one I normally frequent when I play live. No worries though, as they do in fact have a poker room. I get there, only to find out that the card room is empty/closed. Additionally, when I start asking around, it seems that no one working during the day can tell me anything about their card room. It seems that I sit for five hours watching everyone play bingo and that ends my poorly played hand. No worries though, Saturday I am planning to go up too!
Saturday rolls around and the actor and I pack up for a 14 hour session. Our plan was to get there by noon and stay until 4am or we had no opposition, whichever came first. I considered shutting my phone off as soon as I got in the car, as I did not wish for anything to distract or de-rail my mission.
We talk strategy on the way up, passing the time in a productive manner. Five minutes prior to arrival at the casino, I hear this ever so eerie noise. For those who don't know, when my telephone rings, I have the theme song from the movie Halloween, so when I say eerie noise, I mean it.
I look down and mention to the actor that he's calling me. Of course, his house would not be calling unless it was an emergency. Sparing details, there was an "incident" and we had to turn around and head for home. Again, no live play.
I did manage to play at "the host's" house Sunday for a special edition of the "monthly game." We played .05/.10 NL for about 5 hours. We played at a full table, I was in the hole until the last hand, which I dug myself out of. I was at about a 55-60% saw flop rate. Of course, this table did not have the ideal players to implement that strategy, but no matter... I just wanted to have fun, throw some chips around and play... And play I did. I donked around and sucked out on the last hand to recoup nearly all my losses.
Charity game is tonight on the home front. CheckRayz League at Bugsy's Club on the virtual felt. I'm still looking into the answer about how leaderboard points are awarded, so as soon as I have that info, I shall pass it along to all of you.
Have a great day...
Mike
Related Posts
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs2.5 License.
2006/12/08
| [+/-] |
It's Friday... The Mailbag Returns |
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Back by
First up, I have no comment on what's going on "over there" - thanks for asking.
Second, yes, I believe the league at Bugsy's Club will be a continuing thing throughout next year. I'd look for a monthly or quarterly league there, in addition to the leaderboard tour at CheckRayz.
Third, look for the leaderboard rules to be adjusted in 2007.
Fourth, also coming in 2007 --- look for a rakeback offer, and an additional means by which to strengthen our community.
And finally, yes... I am fine. I just have a really full plate right now. Too many irons in the fire. I'll be back playing with you all soon!
Take care and thanks for reading.
Mike
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs2.5 License.
2006/12/07
| [+/-] |
PLO8 stuff and some me stuff... |
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For starters, just to let my CheckRayz'rs know, I've not forgotten ya, I promise. In fact, tomorrow right here on the Poker Pub Poker Blog, we will have a special edition of the Friday Mailbag - back by popular demand.
The biggest question in the minds of most of the CheckRayz'rs is... "Mike, where the hell have you been?" That question, I won't make you wait to tune into... I'll answer it right now, after the break...
Right now, the Beer Guy has many an iron in the fire. In fact, it's safe to assume there are too many irons in the fire. In no particular order, here are some of the many things I have going on:
1. Maintaining CheckRayz, which includes setting up tourneys, finding money, answering email and marketing... among other things. Yes, last three tourneys will be put into the leaderboard DB tonight.
2. Writing for the Poker Pub, which includes uncovering a story or figuring out wtf to write about.
3.
4. Supporting the "Aussie or Bust" mindset, where I'll accept myself being no where other than Melbourne, Australia come mid-January.
5. Working on one of the six books I've started but not come close to being finished (and yes, I am talking about writing a book, not reading --- we all know I
6. Reviving my soccer "career."
7. Running my weekly charity tournaments locally.
8. Raising the twins.
9. Maintaining some sort of personal life.
10. The Blogger Poker Tour.
10. Everything else not mentioned (eat, sleep, etc).
So yes, I'm quite busy... or is it unorganized? "Yes" is the correct answer, busy being unorganized. So in any event, something has to give here. And, I think my decision is to make only cameo appearances on the virtual felt until after the Super Bowl. Safely assume I will be playing event seven and the grand final of the BPT. Also safely assume I'll appear in one or two CheckRayz events between now and the end of the year. Otherwise, unless it's moving me towards Aussie in January, I probably will not be playing in it - that includes the cash games. I will be writing here regularly and focusing on some modifications to the CheckRayz site, but otherwise, I'm done til after the SuperBowl, because I need the time in my schedule to persue other interests at the moment.
More tomorrow on the Friday mailbag. Moving on...
Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo tipses...
As promised, some PLO8 resources.
1. FeliciaLee - Pot Limit Omaha 8 or better resources --- note: I wish felicia would continue to write. I miss her commentary and blogging.
2. O8poker - strategy site.
3. PLO8 key concepts
4. Skinski talks a bit of PLO8
5. BPT Event 7 thread
6. Lauradm getting ready to either discuss her Phil Hellmuth chapter or putting up another picture of herself - coming soon???? (Read: A request from the BeerGuy).
Mike
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs2.5 License.
2006/12/06
| [+/-] |
BPT - Bounty on the BeerGuy... |
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So, I am guessing by now that you've all heard the news. And by news, a bounty has been placed upon my head for the Poker Pub Last Call Omaha Hi/Lo event for the Blogger Poker Tour, which will be held on December 16 at 3pm EST on the virtual felt of Poker.com.
That's right folks, I'm putting it all on the line. The final event of Blogger Poker Tour Season 2, expected to be by far, the richest event to date in terms of leaderboard points, and host bonus... And I'm giving my host bonus away. Keep reading to find out how...
For starters, obviously... in order to collect this launch bonus, you have to first be one of the hi/low'ers to oust me from the tournament. Be careful though, as omaha hi/lo is a game of draws and things do not always end up how they start.
Launching me, though, is the hardest task, but it's not the only task. I've asked for two very specific stipulations to be put in place in order for the launch bonus to be collected. They are as follows:
1. BPT Banner is working and prominently displayed on the ousting blogger's blog. - what I mean by this... is give the banner some exposure... how about when I come to your page, I don't have to scroll down to see it. Or at the very least, if I have to scroll, I can still be reading your most recent blog post and "come across" it. And as for "working"... I mean, if I click it, it will take me to the BPT page.
2. Blogger must have posted "about the blogger poker tour" within the past seven days and again the day of the tournament. - What do I mean by this? I mean, post on your blog... talk about, promote the tour. Give us some omaha strategy. Talk about your experiences, make predictions, talk smack! Blog about the Blogger Poker Tour! Do this the week going into the event AND the day of.
If you've not done so, then I guess you'll not get part of the launch prize.
Additional suggestion... speaking of promotion and exposure... Invite your friends! Not only does that help the tour grow, but it also increases launch bonus because it's a bigger field. Additionally, it helps make your finish in the event more meaningful, because there's more points for you for finishing or final tabling...
And most importantly, it helps to bring more quality people such as yourself to the event. So, spread the word, embrace the tour and launch the Beer Guy at Last Call!
Mike
--- 1 final note, the password will be available on Dec 12, which is the day the poker.com servers upgrade and add the omaha hi/lo game.
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2006/11/26
| [+/-] |
My Way of Selecting a Poker Table... |
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Table selection is an important aspect of one's poker game. I'd give you a magic number I look for when selecting an online table on which to play, but I strongly suspect the majority of my readers do not have Pokertracker - free to try, by the way... So, instead of spitting and spraying numbers, I'll talk in plain English.
There are very specific things I look for when selecting a NL Hold'em table to sit down and make money from. The texture of the table, my seat relative to my "targets" all depend on how I will play once I sit down. Today, I plan to fill you in on the thought process that works for me. Perhaps it may help you as well.
For starters, let's pretend that we know we want to play a NL Texas Hold'em cash game at a given poker site. Additionally, let's assume we are adequately bankrolled to play at said level. Furthermore, we're assuming that we can look at X number of tables ourselves, without pokertracker numbers guiding us, and that the players during this observation period will not get up, switch tables or sign off. Finally, you are actively using a labeling system within the poker software to tag and label players accordingly. My system has a few labels, to keep it simple... we may get into that later.
I know this is not reflecting reality, so to speak, but again, this is meant merely to give you a view on the concepts I use to find my table.
The first thing I do is go down my list to find anyone who I have labeled "that guy." To me, "that guy" is one of those players who are all but begging to give me their money. They're the people who can somehow manage to play AA, KK, AK to negative numbers and don't know why. Their game is extremely transparant. They bluff far too often in the wrong situations. Said another way, these are the extreme donkeys. If I see them logged on and at a table, if I can get a seat with this player, I do so. Thus, my system is thrown out the door.
When I am at the table with "that guy," I try to often isolate this player either preflop or post flop. This indicates I'm pretty much playing against this player and this player alone. Initially, this may prove effective and other players will get out of your way... Until they figure out what you're doing. Most likely by then, "that guy" has handed you most of his money and has run scared.
Anyway, back on track...
I have X number of poker tables open for observation. I am first looking for the absolute softest tables preflop possible. In fact, if no one ever raised, that's the ideal situation for me. I like limpers, and lots of them. This table would be my first choice. Ideally, I also like these tables to not have a high showdown rate - meaning, I prefer that most hands terminate via fold to bets prior to the river.
At this preferred type of table, I am inclined to limp out of position with hands I'd normally play only on the button IF I believe I can both see a cheap flop and outplay post flop. From position, I'm inclined to raise with hands like J-9 suited, or 10-7 not suited, maybe even 5-4 suited, with the intention of stealing, isolating, and/or outplaying post flop. I'm being mindful here of my table image though when I do stuff of this nature and also looking for "where" the call is coming from.
My main goal is to outplay and manipulate pot size here. Big pot, big hand and in position. Small pot, oop, decent hand... I'm playing the mistakes game. I'm willing to make a small mistake in a small pot in order to create and exploit big mistakes in bigger pots. These tables typically feature players who see too many flops. They also tend to go to far with their hands. The best way to exploit is to also see many flops and "allow" them to feel safe in going to far.
The above is the ideal table. Often we do not get our ideal situation. Sure, it would be great for me to get a table of soft players with "that guy" sitting to my immediate right just dying to get on the Christmas Card Mailing List as my single largest donor (money flows from the right to the left, typically), but that's not always going to happen...
What is going to happen though is that you're going to sometimes get one of the "tough guys" who typically multi-table and are not the least bit imaginative, sometimes not because they don't have the mind, but instead because they waste resources concentrating on several tables instead of focusing on one. It should be noted, I'm not knocking multi-tablin... I am suggesting though that many players do it and they have no business even playing on one table, truth be told. They lack understanding of the concept and theories of NL Hold'em, and over time, it shows.
The "tough guy" is going to maintain his 26% preflop raise because he read somewhere he should do that (and thinks this means all the time in all conditions). He will almost religiously make a pot size continuation bet on the flop no matter the cards. When encountering a player of this nature on an ideal poker table (see above), I tend to adjust my buy-in upward. Usually, I start off with about 1/2 the max allowed (NL $100, $50 is normally sufficient for me). I will buy in for the max when the "tough guy" is present.
Here, when he has entered the pot AND I have position on him, I will tend to mix it up, sometimes calling cleanly, intending to raise the flop bet, other times re-raising preflop and either checking or betting the flop... depending. When out of position, I will tend to go into re-raise or fold mode. If I am going to play a bigger pot against this "tough guy," I'm needing to take control of the hand. This requires me to show strength by reraising. He has a wide hand range he'd likely be raising with... remember, he believes it's correct to raise 25% of the time. On a table of this nature, when he's called, he's often an underdog AND KNOWS IT. So, if he knows this, my mere calling has somewhat tipped my hand. Why not make him pay for that knowledge? Reraise it, my friends... take charge. Be sure to make his decision difficult, while keeping your options open (i.e. - do not re-raise for half your stack, which makes folding to a re-reraise impossible... if you go that far, why not push it all-in preflop and eliminate position, simplifying your decision)?
Against the "tough guy" my goal is to isolate and control. Re-raise, position, and simplification of decisions for myself are my primary goals. Against this guy, I'm either going to educate him or he's going to run away to another table, because some idiot (me) re-raised him with AQs when he had 44 and position. He's not going to understand how I could play against him out of position, because he's seen me show down hands such as jack ten under the gun as a winner, so he just "knows" I have no starting hand selection and no concept of position... I must have got lucky. I had to have "known" that he either had a pocket pair or AKs, and either way I was "dominated" but yet I played back at him anyway... (someone get the cat litter out, as he's spit all over the felt and it's soaked).
I avoid completely the players I label as "tricky." This is not a large percentage of the players. These are the players who are really able to mix it up. They always keep you guessing and shift gears based on table conditions, opposition, and texture of the board. These players are surely the top players in the given limit, and while I want to get better and play against good players, I don't wish to do it on the nine-to-five. Save that for the CheckRayz tourneys... When I am trying to grow the bankroll, I don't need "good play" I need donkeys. These tricky players are rarely going to give it up. They understand pot size manipulation and often come out on the winning end with the big pots.
As for the "call stations," I make sure I note their bet button is broke. I tend to do a lot of checking against these guys with medium strength hands, post flop. I tend to value bet more, and I rarely, if ever bluff (don't bluff if you believe it will most often be called).
I am sure I lost track of where I am. Ah yes, my point is/was... have some sort of method of table selection that works for you. Borrow mine in whole, tweak it slightly... do whatever. But, if you're serious about your game, you won't just simply accept a seat at a table just because it's there. Do your homework, know "who" is at the table, know "where" your money is coming from, and "how" you're going to get it. Exchange small mistakes for big mistakes, exploit your oppositions weaknesses to maximize your return.
Mike
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