Poker Challenge, 50 Outs and Golf

T minus one day and counting! I begin my Limit Challenge tomorrow on Poker Stars. I am starting with $25 and play the .25/.50 Limit tables. If I am able to build my bankroll to $50 then I move up a level. My ultimate goal is to move up into levels that I have never played or even thought of playing. If I bust my $25 then the challenge is over. If I move up a level and then lose my bankroll up to a certain amount, then I move back down to the previous level and start over at the lower level. If I lose my bankroll prior to getting to the next level then I will have to take a good look at my poker skills and evaluate where I am at this point of the game.

The challenge is designed to make me play at levels that I have not played at before. If I take a set amount of money that is just for the challenge and I know that it will not be the end of the world if I bust out then I will play at levels that have intimidated me in the past. This is designed to move me out of my comfort level and, hopefully, help me develop my game as I play at the higher stakes. It should be a learning experience in two ways,

1. My poker playing skills should develop and get better
2. My emotional state at playing higher levels and with better players should develop and get to the point where I am comfortable at the higher levels

I am going to begin at a single table and play really, really tight. I will playing only Sklansky’s top 3 level hands. I will be watching my position, my opponents, etc. I should have a pretty good idea of how things are going within a week. I just have to remember to be patient, very, very patient. Tight Aggressive is my new two word phrase. I need to be a TAG! I will try to put daily updates or, at the very least, every other day updates, on here. Wish me luck!
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On another note, my Blog friend Jan from 50 Outs busted out at the WSOP. He was on a very good roll when he lost the majority of his chips to a questionable play by his opponent. Jan had pocket Kings and was a 56% to 44% favorite to win when his opponent went against pot odds to go all in on a flush draw and rivered a spade to take 2/3rds of Jan’s chips. After that he took more chances than he normally wouldn't have only to have the Poker Gods slap him down and say, “Not today!” when a single flop didn’t go his way. He lasted well into the day on Day 1B but was unable to close it out. Here’s hoping he cleans up on the side games.

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On the golf front I have had a couple of pretty good rounds the last two times out and, I can honestly say, they should have been even better. About one week ago my putter was on fire and it help get me a nice little 86. I was able to save par with a couple of miracle putts and even garnered two birdies, one on each nine, to help my score. Last time out my putter abandoned me for the front nine but came back in time to help me shoot an 84. I should have been even lower on both rounds but I miss a chip here or get a 3 putt there to cost me at least two and, often times, as many as 4 strokes per round from doing dumb things. Granted, I am better now than I use to be but there is so much room for improvement. My biggest contribution to shooting higher scores is penalty strokes. I will take as many as 3 penalty strokes per 18 holes. That is a terribly high number and, usually, I can not recover from them to garner a par or even a bogey but they instead lead to double bogeys. I need to cut down my penalty strokes and pay more attention to details when chipping and putting and this should get me shooting into the low 80’s.

How about Corey Pavin winning this week-end? It gives hope to everyone that can’t hit a golf ball 300 yards. There is still a lot to be said for ball striking, short game play, and putting to take down a tournament. Corey Pavin has 15 wins on the PGA Tour to put him up with such notable players as Ernie Els, Davis Love and Fred Couples. And this from someone that doesn’t stand over 5’ 8” tall but plays a mean game of golf. I hope he goes on to win another tournament this year and makes it on the Ryder Cup team. Let’s pair Tiger Woods with Corey Pavin for alternate shot.

Pamela Poker, WSOP, and PokerSavvy

Could this be a sign that the Apocalpyse is upon us? Pamela Anderson starting a poker room, Pamela Poker and she got married to Kid Rock this week-end. That has broken many a man’s heart. So it seems that Pammy Sue is tempering the heart break by opening a poker room where you can “Poker” Pammy every day. At least Jennifer Tilly will have some competition in the “assets” department now that Pammy Sue is playing poker. I saw Jennifer Tilly on Bravo’s Celebrity Poker Showdown and she was just busting out all over in a nice red dress. Now we need a heads up battle between Pammy Sue and Jennifer. That would be something to see.

What does she see in those Rockers anyway? Tommy Lee and now Kid Rock? Must be something we can’t see, although if you watched the video you could see all of Tommy and there was a lot to see there. I wonder if Kid Rock is feeling inadequate?

Little known fact is that Pammy has more Playboy covers than anyone and she even states, "Playboy mansion is a great place for kids?" Gotta love her.

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Some big names already out in World Series of Poker including Phil Helmuth Jr. and Doyle Brunson. My last longer bet is on Greg Raymer. Jan and Katja from 50 Outs are still in the thick of it with Katja surviving the first day and now she can rest up before she plays again early this week. Dr. Pauly has a nice picture of Katja on his blog. Jan is going to be the main blogger for German PokerStars Blog.

You have one more day to go to PokerSavvy and sign up for the Mansion Poker deal. You get 900 Savvy points (equal to $90) for playing just $50 play at Mansion. Easiest money you can ever make. Deposit $50, play $50 and get equivalent to $90 dollars. How easy is that. I cleared it in a day and Mansion has so many fish that I am making money at the site. Games are really limited but if you like No Limit Holdem, it is the place to raise your bank roll. Sign up now!! Don’t be a fool.

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I Finish 18th in MTT and Tiger Kicks Butt!

I finished 18th in the MTT on Absolute. I blogged it and will put write up in tomorrow or the next day.

Tiger Woods kicked Butt at the British Open and won his 11th Major tournament. He is 11 for 11 when leading in a major going into the final round. Sergio Garcia choked and showed he couldn't handle the pressure.

USA! USA! USA! United States Floyd Landis' wins the Tour De France. That is 8 American victories in the last 8 years.

Historical Ten Seat No Limit Holdem

Ten Seat No Limit Holdem Table

I have listed 10 people who are famous throughout history that I would like to Play No-Limit Holdem with. Each brings unique strengths to the game based on what they have done in their lives. I hope you enjoy this and I will do this again throughout the year.

Abe Lincoln – Good player, very honest, doesn’t bluff at all. Likes to change decks a lot when things aren’t going his way.

George Armstrong Custer – Reckless, very loose, plays every hand. Goes all in with nothing against unbeatable odds.

Albert Einstein – Solid Player, calculates odds quickly and accurately. Believes in Mind over Matter.

John Kennedy – Loose/aggressive. Not afraid to go all in and is willing to bluff. Likes to chit-chat with everyone and shake hands. Keeps one eye on his cards and one on the cocktail waitress.

George Washington – Good player. Conservative but will attempt daring moves at times. Presence can be intimidating. Honest to a fault, won’t bluff at all.

Marilyn Monroe – appears to not be very bright but has a couple of assets that are very distracting. Will get people to fold for no reason. Somewhat of a misfit.

Jack Nicklaus – good, solid player. Stays within his game, doesn’t take unnecessary chances. Comes through in the clutch. Rises to major challenges and has incredible win rate.

William “Wild Bill” Hickock – dashing player. Aggressive to the point of reckless. Always wants to change game to Five Card Draw. Likes to sit with back to the wall and won’t play hands with Aces and Eights.

Paul Newman – Nice man, with a real poker face, almost as if he is acting when playing cards. Will try to hustle you and likes the color of your money. Can sting you with cards that aren’t quite what they appear.

Wolverine Fan – tight/aggressive. Somewhat awestruck with competition .

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Countdown to Limit Challenge and Blogging End of MTT

T minus 6 days and counting until my Texas Holdem Limit Challenge begins. I am gearing up for it and looking forward to forcing myself to go into unchartered territory. I have been preparing for the challenge for about two months now. I have read and reread Small Stakes Hold’em: Winning With Expert Play. I am in the process of working out the test hands and should be done with that by Sunday of this week-end. I have to decide on several things.

First of all, which site should I do this on? My original plan was to do it on Poker Stars but now am considering Titan Poker as the site to play at. I think I will start on Poker Stars as I had planned but reserve the right to change to Titan for any reason.

Should I multitable? I think I will start out on just one table so that I can give it my sole attention and maximize my chances for playing to the best of my ability. By playing on one table I will be able to get better reads on others at the table. The calling stations, the loose cannons, etc. If I think I am getting bored and that I am not paying it the attention I should, then I might as well open a second table so that I will pay more attention to what I am doing as there should be a little more action. The most I will ever multitable is just two tables.

Should I put a limit on my losses for that day? Yes, I think I will limit my losses to the amount of my buy-in or less so that I don’t keep reloading and the next thing I know I have used up the entire bank account in one lousy session of badbeats and tilted hands.

Should I put a limit on the amount I win before I cease playing for that day? I think I will develop a formula that as long as I am winning I will continue to play but if I have several losing hands and I see my winnings start to dwindle down, then I will stop playing for that day. For instance, if I win $10 dollars in the first half hour to an hour of playing and then I start to see that amount drop down because of blinds or some hands that don’t pan out for whatever reason, then I think I will stop for that day while I still am showing a profit.

I think that I will be able to do all right as long as I stay patient, don’t play too many hands, don’t chase too many draws, etc. I would like to be tight/aggressive and will work on making that my persona.

Blogging Absolute Micro-Limit Holdem MTT
Late stages of $2 MTT on Absolute. 300 plus start and are going on 3rd hour of play.

1:00 AM Dealt 3/7 Off suit - Fold. I split pot in an earlier hand when my Ace/Queen was matched by another Ace/Queen.

1:01 AM Dealt Q/2 - Fold
1:02 AM Dealt Ace/10 - Raise it 4Xs the B/B and I Win the blinds

I'm dealt Pocket Nines, I limp in only to get called by two all ins, I fold. A Set of Sixes beats Ace/Jack. Jack comes out on the flop, but the six came up on the turn for the set and a huge stack of chips. One less player.

I am at $7210 dollars, 26th place out of 27 players. Down to 3 tables. Blinds are $100/$500

1:06 AM Dealt 4/2 off - Fold

I'm dealt Pocket deuces and I fold to a preflop raise of 3 Xs big blind. Two other go all in against the raiser and he makes a set with pocket sevens and takes out one guy and short stacks another. Good laydown by me, LOL, with my pocket deuces.

I'm dealt Pocket Rockets in the BB and I go all in. I'm called by one player who shows J/K. He gets his two pair when J/K come on the flop but the 3rd card is a 5 and another 5 comes on the turn to pair the board and my Ace/Five beats his Jack/King and I win!!

Dealt J/9 fold

1:11AM $13,470, Blinds $1200/$600 w/ $100 blinds, I am 18th out of 19 players

Dealt 5/2 - fold
Dealt 9/Jack off - Fold

Big Stack at $69,500

1:13AM - Ace/5 folded to preflop raise, in BB. Raiser shows Pocket Queens after he gets one caller and raises the flop. Queens hold up. Good laydown.

Dealt Q/2 in SB, folded

Dealt 5/King of Hearts on Button. Fold - showdown between two others, pocket 10s loses to trip queens.

1:19AM - 4/2 off - fold - Still 19 players left.
Dealt 7/Queen off - Fold

Dealt 10/King offsuit in BB -limp in, flop is A/4/9, call with $3200 and take pot
Dealt 7/queen offsuit - flop is 7/3/2/2/k, I win against pair of 3s

1:30AM I'm dealt Q/K spades - raise to $4800 (4 times the BB) one caller. Flop is rag/Queen/rag with two spades. I have flush draw and Top Pair. I push all in and am called and he shows Pocket Kings. No spade on turn or river and I am out in 18th place.

$2 MTT, 18th place out of 337 players, $6.65 in winnings, and one heck of a lot of fun playing.

Moving Day at British Open and in MTT

Saturday on the PGA Tour is commonly known as moving day as a lot of players move up and down the leaderboard. Well, Tiger let a lot of players back into the Open as he failed to move forward by much. Only one under today which opens the door for at least 8 players with a legitimate chance at winning. I'd hate to bet against Tiger as he is exceptional when he is leading on the final day of a tournament. He is almost undefeated. I think it would be neat to have a playoff with as many as 4 or 5 players.

You have to wonder what happened to Tiger today. He should be at least 3 under on the par fives alone. Add another birdie on a par 4 and maybe one or two bogies and he should be at around 15 under par instead of 13. I would like to see Sergio Garcia win a major or maybe another rematch of Tiger vs. Chris Dimarco would be exciting. I like the playoff system at the British Open. They play 4 extra holes and then after that it is sudden death.

Poker was a roller coaster ride. I lost at Mansion for the first time in quite a while. I think my mind wasn't into it as I was not very patient and throw in a couple of bummer beats, like Pocket Kings getting beat by Pocket Jacks when he rivers his set, and you have a losing session. Had one hand where I made trips with Kings but the 3rd King gave my opponent a full house and that is how you get a losing session.

At Absolute I am doing pretty good in a low buy in MTT. I'm in the money but trying to get deep. I won one race where my Ace/King rivered a King to beat Pocket 10's. He was bummed but I had outs. Once I won that hand and had built my stack up it has just been raise and collect the blinds until my Ace/Jack ran into Pocket Kings and I lost half my stack. I am slowly building it back up but blinds are getting troublesome. I need to double up here soon to have a chance of reaching final table.

39 left out of 385. I am better than 90% of them, on this day, anyway.

Two Classics Occurring at the Same Time

Claret Jug and World Series
of Poker Bracelet

The British Open and the World Series of Poker are both occurring at the same time (or close to it). The world's best golfers are playing for the honor of hoisting the Claret Jug while at the same time the world's best Poker Players are playing for the honor of wearing the Gold Bracelet. Pretty neat that both are occurring in such close proximity in two separate parts of the world. Who wouldn't want to own either or both of these trophies? Woudn't it be something if a golfer or a poker player were able to win both? I could see that happening as both competitions take the same type of person and dedication. The golfer and the poker player are cut from the same cloth. Both are hard working, above average intelligence, committed to excellence. John Daley already has hoisted the Claret Jug and, if we are to believe his recent book, he has quite an addiction to gambling. And how about the Phil Mickelson rumors about his gambing foibles in Las Vegas? I could see John Daly winning a gold bracelet. He already says he has lost $50 million dollars gambling so what is a few thousand to play in the WSOP?

Warning - Hand History to Follow

The following is a hand I played on Poker Stars. I think it is a good example of two players playing the hand correctly with the outcome being................

PokerStars Game #5597918202: Hold'em Limit ($0.10/$0.20) Table 'Mirphak' 10-max Seat #8 is the button
Seat 1: Player 1 ($3.65 in chips)
Seat 2: Villian ($3.80 in chips)
Seat 3: Player 3 ($3.55 in chips)
Seat 4: Player 4 ($5.85 in chips)
Seat 5: Hero ($4.65 in chips)
Seat 6: Player 6 ($2.75 in chips)
Seat 7: Player 7 ($3.55 in chips)
Seat 8: Player 8 ($6.30 in chips)

Player 1 : posts small blind $0.05
Villian: posts big blind $0.10

*** HOLE CARDS ***

Dealt to Hero [Td Kc]
Hero: calls $0.10 I'm in early position but this is an OK hand to play. I'm willing to call a raise with this hand

Villian: checks Big Blind checks which is normal. Good play at this point.

*** FLOP *** [Qh Js 2s]

Villian: checks

Hero: bets $0.10 I have an open ended straight draw.

Villian: calls $0.10 Nothing unusual here.

*** TURN *** [Qh Js 2s] [Ac]

Villian: checks

Hero: bets $0.20 This completes my Straight. Not too worried about flush at this point.

Villian: raises $0.20 to $0.40

Hero: raises $0.20 to $0.60

Villian: raises $0.20 to $0.80

Betting is capped Now I am wondering what he could have. High Pair w/ ace now or a set? Still not worried about the flush as I have made it expensive if he is willing to try for it.

Hero: calls $0.20

*** RIVER *** [Qh Js 2s Ac] [Jc]

Villian: bets $0.20
Hero: calls $0.20 Jack worries me a touch but I have to bet this hand. No possible flush.

*** SHOW DOWN ***

Villian: shows [Ah As] (a full house, Aces full of Jacks)
Hero: shows [Td Kc] (a straight, Ten to Ace) The final jack did me in and made his hand.

Villian collected $2.35 from pot

*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $2.45 | Rake $0.10
Board [Qh Js 2s Ac Jc]

Seat 2: Villian (big blind) showed [Ah As] and won ($2.35) with a full house, Aces full of Jacks
Seat 5: Hero showed [Td Kc] and lost with a straight, Ten to Ace

I can't fault my play here as there was no indication that the Villian had pocket aces. He played his hand correctly to get maximum amount of money out of it. With just two of us, his limping ws probably a good play because if he raises he figures I may fold. Again, just calling on the flop was a good play by him for the same reason, if he raises I may fold and nothing indicates to him that he is behind. The turn is where he makes his set and he is feeling pretty good about his hand. I make my straight and I am feeling very, very good about my hand. The jack on river does me in as it makes his full house. Any other card at that point (other than an Ace) and I have won this pot.

I can't fault my play. That's just poker but it does hurt.

CC's Not Gone, He's Just Moved

CC's not gone, he's just moved to Pokerworks. You can still see his great photos and read his write ups of the WSOP. We just need some new pictures of the more interesting figures that play in the WSOP.

Presidential Decree, "Get DoubleAs Book on Poker!"

President George Bush declares, "Buy Pressure Poker by Scott Gallant."

House Votes Yes On Internet Gambling Ban

The bill would eliminate many forms of Internet gambling and target middlemen such as Internet service providers, banks, and credit card companies that process payments and send money to the offshore Web sites.

You can read the rest of the story here. I cannot tell you how upset this makes me. I think a lot of this comes down to the Fat Cats in Washington aren't taxing gambling so aren't making any money off it. They see billions of dollars escaping the country and want to get their cut. Then they can put pork back into their communities and say, "See what I did for you now go out and reelect me."

Mark my words, if they can tax it they will legalize it.

I think any decision to making online gambling illegal will be countered by a
lawsuit that will take several years to get to the Supreme Court level to be
decided. I think we have at least five more years of internet gambling before
we really have to be concerned.
For the first time in my entire 51 years of life I will be writing my congress person about this. How can they even think to regulate gambling and let the pornography industry flourish online? Do they think we are stupid? I’m sure they get millions of dollars in taxes from Porn. Freedom of speech – bullshit. Pornography wrecks people’s lives a lot more than gambling ever could. I am so mad I could spit.

Poker Savvy

That being said, go to Poker Savvy and sign up to play at Mansion Poker and Titan Poker and any other site they advertise. You can get Poker Savvy points that you can exchange for some really neat stuff or even for money. If you are not using Poker Savvy when you sign up at a poker room you are losing money.

PokerSavvy is back and a Golf Update

PokerSavvy is back. They were just having a little trouble yesterday but are good to go now.

Bloggers are posting update of Las Vegas trip. Click on my links for DoubleAs and others to start gettting an update on what was going on in Las Vegas during the WPBT.

Golf Update! I haven't played a competitive round since July 5th as my partner, Terry1, is on vacation. July 5th was a good round that should have been better. I managed to shoot an 82 after really blowing the first hole, a 7 on an easy par 5, and 43 strokes on the front nine and a double bogey on the 18th hole. I put together a nice run of pars and a birdie to go into the 18th hole shooting just one stroke over par. I screwed up on 18, taking a 6 on an easy par 4 to finish the back nine in 39 strokes for an 82. Respectable but if I could take back the first and last holes I would have shot my best round ever. Par on those two easy holes gives me a round of 78 and even a bogey on those two holes gives me an 80. Oh well, something to shoot for next time out with Terry1 which will be on Monday, the 17th.

I have been using the last week to work on my game. I am working on every aspect of it from the Driver to the Putter. The one area that is slow to come around is my chipping. I can chip 4 and 5 balls from the same area and be anywhere from right next to the hole to 10 feet long or 10 feet short. Not consistant at all. I will continue to work and work on that part in hopes that once I get it down, I can really lower my scores. The other thing I am really working on is my mid irons, 4, 5, and 6 irons. I tend to try to overhit them and end up pushing or pulling them big time. If I take a nice easy swing I get good results but we all know how hard that is to do in golf. I may come up short with an easy swing but at least I am in play and right in front of the green which gives me a chance for par or possibly a miracle birdie.

What's Up with Poker Savvy

Can't get to Poker Savvy web site. They have some awesome rewards for Poker Room Downloads. Expecting a big one for Mansion Poker but can't get response from them via e-mail or can't get to website.

CC Continues to Explore the WSOP

CC Explores WSOP

If you want to read and view everything there is about the World Series of Poker, CC is your man. His pictures are wonderful and his text on the events are superb. You can't go wrong reading this site to keep up on what is going on at the Rio.

Questions

These are taken from American Express ad in Vanity Fair Magazine.

• childhood ambition.......................To be a professional football player
• fondest memory...........................Proposing to my wife
• soundtrack ...................................Jimmy Buffet music
• retreat..........................................."Man" room in my house
• wildest dream..............................Play in World Series of Poker
• proudest moment........................Birth of my daughters
• biggest challenge..........................being a father
• alarm clock...................................don't use one
• perfect day...................................on a Carribean beach with my wife
• first job.........................................Fry Cook in a bakery
• Indulgence...................................golf
• last purchase...............................Roundup grass and weed killer
• favorite movie.............................The Godfather
• Inspiration...................................My dad
• my life..........................................decide what to be when I grow up
• my poker room...........................Poker Stars

4 Aces Beats...................almost anything

One of my better hands. I have finished in 4 MTTs on Poker
Stars in a row. They are microlimit and I haven't won much
money but I am finishing in the money so that's got to be worth
something. I am very close to making the final table and
making some nice coin but have been beaten by lesser hands in
the late going.

I have been doing better in the .10/.20 Limit games and should be
ready for the challenge starting August 1. I still have a proclivity to
donk off a lot of my chips but am doing a bit better. I still need more
discipline and better after flop play.

Belated Happy Birthday America!

230 Years ago a band of rebels helped create the greatest
Nation on Earth, The United States ofAmerica!!

Postponing Limit Challenge

I am postponing my Limit Challenge for a couple of weeks and maybe until August 1st. I am not ready yet as I have read Miller and Sklansky once and am in second time through now. If I am going to do this challenge, I want to be prepared the best I can so I can win it and not bust out and have to start over. So far my .10/.20 games are not anything to write home about. I can't believe what these people play and win with. On one game tonight I saw a guy play 5/k, 4/6, and 7/J all offsuit and win every hand with trip Kings, and two straights. One was against me after raising preflop and playing aggressive. He just called my bets and got his straight on the river. I know you want to play this guy a lot as he can't continue to win with those cards but it is soooooo frustrating to have a good hand and play it correctly only to lose. None of my cards hit on the flop. The hands I won were with aggressive play after the flop.

If I can't beat the lower limit games, how am I going to win my challenge. I have to play smart, play less hands and stay aggressive. I think I am doing a couple of those things but still am playing too many hands.

Read, read, and reread and practice, practice, practice until I get better. I'll keep you posted.