i40.com - Poker

Poker Report

jason@i40.com (JasonR) — Wed, 13 Apr 2005 08:54:26 -0400

The seafood restuarant near my house ( "Rudders" ) just started hosting World Tavern Poker Tour events. So last night after my son was safely in bed, and Cheryl was preparing to watch a "House" marathon thanks to tivo, I decided to duck out and play in their 10:00pm tournament.

I am still haunted by my last trip to Rudders, this haunting has nothing to do with poker, or food, and everything to do with the "live music" that particular night. To every musician, aspiring musicain, and guitar hack: Piano man should NOT be played solo on a Guitar. Ever. Period. EVER! Maybe Jimi Hendrix could have pulled it off, but it should be illigal for anyone else to EVER try. Got it? ok..

The 10pm game was small (8 players, including the owners, and a waitress) which was nice since I wanted to be home before midnight. 5000tc to start. Blinds 100/200. I'm to the left of the button to start, and dont play a hand for one entire cycle. (I dont see a face card, let alone two, no pairs, and no suited connectors). I don't make a move because there is a player Who Raises $500 before and after every flop, reguardless of what he has and refuses to fold EVER. He gets up big early, but then everyone at the table figures out his "Strategy", and his stack just drains the rest of the night. I don't recall him ever actualy having a hand.

First notable hand. I'm BB with 85o. I was uncharacteristically distracted, and almost folded the check to me and everyone saw it and reminded me that I all I had to do was check (I was a BIT embarrased).. Flop comes up AA5 . Im first to act, and take a stab at the pot for a 2000tc. Everyone folds back to me. I show my 85 and rake in the pot. The guy to my right (who I've pegged as the only other serious player) cusses. he had an ace and Since I had been playing so tight he got scared off the pot by my 2k. I still don't know what he thought I had. He knew I tried to fold preflop on a 200tc bet. and the hands that would beat him were pocket 5s, or A with a better kicker. It seems like all my big hands were against him.

Several hands go buy, and I decide to take a stab at the pot. Flop comes up QJ9 and Q5. Take a stab. Same guy calls me cold. King comes up. I take another stab All-In. Called. (DOH). I show my Q5, he shows his pocket Q9 for two pair. I figure im drawing dead. when a J comes up (KQJJ9 on the board), Whoa! We split the pot since we both have Qs and Js with a King kicker.

Down to three players, and I'm staring at pocket 7s. I'm middle stack, and I see this as a time to make a move. Raise agressivly pre-flop, and am called by the same guy. Flop comes up 7KQ. I check, he raises, I go over the top with all in.. He stares at me.. then down on the board.. and calls. I double up. He never gets afoothold after that.

I took first place, and was home by 11:30.

[EDIT] I cant beleive I forgot this hand.. K♠3♥ Flop comes up T♠J♥5♠ I take a stab at it, and the SAME guy calls. Turn comes up 7♠. I make a monster stab at it and go all in. He calls and turns over J♠7♦ for two pair. I had 8 Outs (any ♠ ) and hit it on the river. I don't think he saw it coming, cause he reached for MY pot and grinned. I double up on him AGAIN.

Local Poker, Legally.

jason@i40.com (JasonR) — Wed, 26 Jan 2005 15:14:27 -0500

It seems, over the last 12 months, when my life has joyously been filled with Bottles, Diapers, Minivans, and life as a new dad, poker has exploded. Sure I thought I knew this. Just watching every minute of the WSOP on ESPN showed me how many people were into high stakes poker.

I've heard rumblings of poker coming to North Carolina. The Indians want to bring it (Apparently they still need the states permission for anything other than video gambling) to their Harrah's casino in Cherokee There is a group in Durham trying to get Poker legalized as a game of Skill(legal) and not chance(not).

One Monday night in early January, Cheryl and I were out to dinner, and on my way to the men's room I spotted several felt topped tables, and stacks of chips. Apparently I had stumbled onto the first night of a free roll tournament with $100 cash prize to the winner. I finished 4th and had a blast and was re-bitten by the poker bug. The quality of play was almost as good as nickel and dime cash home game, that is to say WAY better than on-line play.

The second night I went I didn't make it to the final table because they changed the format midway through the first round, and put me on tilt*. I could have coasted to it, but didn't see the fun that.

The next Monday night, while Cheryl and I were out to eat at another sports bar I noticed MORE felt topped tables. When I asked about playing the guy laughed at me! "You need to sign up 3-4 days in advance to play were full, 100 players".

Apparently there is a company out of Chapel hill brining poker games to neighborhood sports bars across the state (and NJ, MD, and several other states). World Tavern Poker helps organize free roll tournaments (80-100 people) at sports bars. They educate the staff, sell chips and felt, allow people to register for each tournament on-line, keep track of player points, and even host city wide tournaments (with a national tournament hinted at). A nice little niche business (they get $500 from every participating bar every 6 weeks for the service). and poker does seem to fill up the bars on otherwise slow nights.

Cheryl and I have both signed up, and if we can get a sitter, we are dying to play!

Is all this a good sign? or just another sign that Moneymaker real has killed the sport?

-Jason

*1/2 way through the first round they announced that at 11pm the top
two players from each of the 5 tables would go to the final table, and their chip counts WOULD BE RESET! It was 10:15, I was the chip leader at my table with only two other people left. I could/should have just sat on my hands, and coasted (I had 40% of the chips at the table, no way for the other two chaps to both have pulled in front of me) but kind of pissed that the chip count would be reset, and that they wouldnt be consolidating tables (who wants to play at a short table for 45 minutes with no reward for success)

Poker on TV.

jason@i40.com (JasonR) — Mon, 27 Sep 2004 13:15:28 -0400

I was watching the World Poker Tour last night (catching up thanks to Tivo). Whats up with the 40-second shot clock? Does this really add to the game? and the constant beeping drowns out the entertaining banter. I realize they are trying to make it more TV friendly. but they edit it so heavily anyway, why add the stupid clock? or are they just trying to get out of having to pay the production crew over time?

I also watched some of the San Jose 101. And although I have mixed feelings about the $5000 bounties that were placed on some of the poker stars (I think people are already out to get them, im not sure the extra incentive is fair.) whats up with Moneymaker having a $5000 bounty on him, and Phil Gordon not?

Is all the TV, all the attention, and all the internet armatures good for poker long term? or has the first chapter in the fall of poker already been written. Can the professionals justify entering a $10,000 tournament where they have to beat 2400 loose canon's just to break even? or will they just stay to the high stakes cash games, and leave the tournaments, to the A-9 unsuited all-in pre flop crowd?