Ladies and Gentlemen: The New Year is upon us, just wanted to remind you all not to do anything “stupid” here is a video to remind you what will happen to you if you do something stupid.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
Omaha Hi/Lo Strategies by Perry Friedman
The big difference between big-bet (Pot-Limit or No-Limit) Omaha Hi/Lo and Limit Omaha Hi/Lo is that the former plays much more like Omaha High. Low hands become much less valuable because of how often they get quartered.
If you get quartered in Limit games, you may not lose too much of your overall chip stack because the action is capped on every street. In Pot-Limit games, however, getting quartered can be much more expensive because you may have had to call big bets on both the turn and river before the hand ended. Losing half your stack in this situation could be your best-case scenario – and getting completely felted if your hand is counterfeited on the river is a real possibility.
Because the high end of the pot is often more valuable in big-bet games, I recommend looking for hands that play well both ways or for hands like J-J-T-9 that just play high. Hands that are going to scoop or get ¾ of the pot are true monsters. While scooping is the best-case scenario in Omaha Hi/Lo, it’s much more important to lock up the high portion of the hand in Pot-Limit games because of how expensive playing for the low can be.
While something like a naked A-2 can be a very strong PLO hand before the flop, I see a lot of people get in trouble with this hand on later streets when they feel committed to put their chips in the middle in hope of hitting their low. Without any potential for hitting the high, these players are putting themselves in situations where they can easily go broke.
In PLO, the best A-2 hands are either suited or have good connectors like 3-4 or 5-6 that will give you straight draws. If you flop something like 4-5-9 with a hand like A-2-3-6, any Ace, 2, 3 or 6 gives you a straight, as well as the nut low. However, even if you have the A-2-3-6 on a flop of Q-9-5, you have to fold if someone else makes a big bet as it’s likely they’ve already made their high hand. Putting your chips in the pot in hope of chopping is not a worthwhile play.
Pot-Limit and No-Limit Omaha Hi/Lo are all about the nuts. If you’re not holding them, you should be looking to draw to them. If you can’t do that, you shouldn’t commit your chips to a hand – especially when your best result may only be winning half the pot. If you’re in a hand and are just playing for the low, my advice is to muck your cards and wait for a more profitable situation.
Isildur1 Wants His Money Back Full Tilt
Not long ago, Brian Townsend got his red pro status at Full Tilt removed after that the poker site found out that he had been using a non-allowed poker program to collect hand history against Isildur1. Townsend had also shared the information he had collected using this program with Brian Hastings and Cole South. However, neither of them got any kind of penalty from Full Tilt poker. This made Isildur1 really upset, and now he wants his money back, or at least some of it according to what he said in a recent interview.
"I do feel like I deserve to get something back. I feel that Hastings had a big edge over me due to the hand history database. They were able to dissect the exact way I was playing because they analyzed the hands so precisely, and it was impossible for me to adjust, as I had no idea they were doing it.
Even though this information is not out there, since they admitted to sharing hand histories, how can I be sure that all three of them did not have input on the hands while we were playing?"
Isildur1 about the future and if he will continue playing at Full Tilt poker after the scandal.
"Well, honestly I am going to stay quiet for a while now. I am planning on putting in the request to Full Tilt to look into this further, and until I hear back, I don't plan on playing much poker on the site."
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Tony G Comments On The Isildur1 Scandal
After this, Brian Townsend wrote in his blog that he was the sole one to break Full Tilt's terms & conditions and that Hastings and South had nothing to do with it. Brian Townsend probably thought that he would get some peace and quite after writing this. Unfortunately, for him, this "scandal" has now been taken to another level as many other pros now have started giving their opinions and thoughts on the Brian Townsend scandal. One of these pros are Tony G.
"The world of poker is a very complex structure built around players, the online poker sites and casinos that provide the games, the limits and games played, rake, backers, and a lot more, and in the end, trying to provide the best game possible that helps everyone. The entire situation with Townsend, Hastings, and Cole involving their combined knowledge and play against Ilsuldur1 leaves a bad smell in the air for everyone, especially for Full Tilt since Townsend is one of their Red Pros. As a player, I would like to see Townsend be more committed to giving his attention to doing what being a Red Pro demands at Full Tilt."
Tony G continues....
"The bad part of it all is that there appears to be no answer to help Isildur1. A Red Pro getting a penalty doesn't change the matter of his poker losses and the fact that he was at a disadvantage with all of it. I believe he can come back because he is a young kid and lots of talent. It has to be a huge learning tool for him. Let's all hope that with each step we take in the poker world, we leave a clean footprint and the game improves for all of us."
Monday, December 21, 2009
Isildur1 Was Cheated By Full Tilt Red Pro
This is not the first time Brian Townsend has been breaking the rules at Full Tilt poker. Back in August 2008, Townsend got his red pro status removed for 6 months after that Full Tilt found out that he had been using multiple accounts playing cash games. After this, he apologized in his blog. It will be interesting to see what he writes this time. It will also be interesting to hear what Isildur1 has to say about all this.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Ken And I Did Not Do It…
A scene straight out of the Old West went down this morning outside Palace Station Casino in Las Vegas. Pointing a semi-auto shotgun at a Garda armored car service guard a robber demanded he drop the four bags just picked up at Palace Station. Realizing his disadvantage the armed guard quickly responded, the crook scooped up the bags and fled to a waiting auto which roared out of the parking and disappeared on the conveniently located I-15 expressway.
It was initially reported that the thieves got away with $1 million in cash; but, the figure was later revised to a more modest $36,000 in cash and a bunch of canceled checks. The gun-toting suspect was described as a white male and his get away car was thought to be a gold colored compact Chrysler model.
Police are investigating a car fire in the parking garage that may have been set by additional suspects to draw the attention of Palace Station's security officers. Video tapes of the crime are being gathered and expected to reveal more details of the crime.
Life Is Not Good For Vegas Hotels
This is a scary time to be running a Las Vegas hotel-casino.
The 90-plus percent occupancy rate of just a couple years ago is a distant memory, as hotel-casinos are now closing hundreds of rooms or even towers.
Already announced is the indefinite closure of the Binion's hotel.
Now comes Sahara, stating that they will close two towers over the holidays, with no reopen date set. It's conceivable the towers could remain closed until business picks up.
Recently Vdara (at CityCenter) opened at a claimed 80 percent occupancy. At over 1400 rooms, that appeared to be good business and a sign of hope for tourism. But Vdara actually only made 400 of those rooms available. Not that difficult to have an 80 percent occupancy on 400, when over 1400, occupancy would be less than 30 percent
Sky Poker New TV Program
Merge Ahead?
Online poker company PartyGaming may be merging with online gaming group bwin. Both groups are based out of Europe and operate online poker rooms as well as other online gaming sites. PartyGaming Chief Executive Officer Jim Ryan is attempting to broker a deal to merge the two companies. While PartyGaming focuses primarily on poker and casino, bwin is known most for sports betting, so a merger between the two would result in a very powerful online poker and online gaming institution. The merger could boost the PartyGaming reputation as well, which has seen some blemishes as its poker site, Party Poker, has dropped in profitability in recent years.
Tony Korfman Chokes Another Poker Player
California Online Poker Hearing Scheduled
The Three Ps To Playing a Maniac
You’ve settled into your chair at your favorite poker room or online and are ready to play some world-class, A-game poker. After a short time, however, a player comes to the table who starts to get, for lack of a better term, “crazy.” Pumping up pots with straddle bets, raises from out of position, and other action-garnering devices, the maniac asserts his table presence. To make matters worse, he is winning from players you were taking the chips from with your A-game.
I have seen many players go on tilt from playing against such maniacs and it is easy to see how they fall into that hole. The mindset of some players becomes “I’m going to get that sucker” rather than playing excellent poker and using the game to get the chips. There are three P’s that a player has to learn to be able to prevent from becoming one who spews chips to the maniac.
Position
The first way to have some power over the maniac at the table is to have position. If, for most of the hands, you can have the advantage of having him act before you, you can at the minimum gauge his actions and, when he either shows or goes to showdown, get an idea of the cards he is playing. If he is a true maniac, he is winning with some less than desirable hands, while occasionally showing down a monster.
Having this positional advantage will make it possible, if you have acquired a solid table image, to 3bet and, on some occasions, force him to leave the hand. Be mindful, though, that the maniac player is one who doesn’t fold something unless it is complete junk; you have to be prepared to play your hand, no matter how bad, if you get called on your 3bet bluff.
If you are out of position, you options are limited. You can wait until you have one of the few plays in position to decide to attack but, once again, you are probably going to head to the river. Thus, you are going to have to execute the second of the three P’s.
Power
There are two ways to use power to defeat the table maniac. The first, through a dominance of chips, is pretty easy to execute. Sometimes, the table maniac is there for the quick hit and run, to get a good score, or to make enough to get into a tournament. By having a larger chip stack than the maniac, you can thwart his indiscriminate play by coming over the top of him. After a few timely re-raises - remember, you can’t go overboard or you will just encourage him - the maniac will realize that when you’re in a hand, it is probably best that he doesn’t engage you.
The second method, and the one that most players will try to use to combat the maniac, is through the power of the cards. If a maniac is coming with questionable offerings, coming back at them with strong hole cards - and, yes, making some hands - will either slow him down or eliminate him from the table quickly. Strong hole cards, in this case, are big pocket pairs, A-K, or A-Q.
If you hit your set on the flop or make top pair, then let the maniac drive the car to the turn. If nothing comes there to change your dominant situation, spring upon the maniac with a re-raise and see if he is willing to give you even more of his chips. If he continues on, the opportunity to cripple and/or crush the maniac is yours.
Of course, to get the power cards, you have to execute the final part of the three P’s plan.
Patience
Perhaps this is the most important of the three P’s because you don’t want to become like the maniac himself. If you begin to enter more hands, play loosely, and show weak offerings, then you have set yourself up to be targeted as the maniac. A full exercise of poker skills is necessary to remain patient at the table and let a situation set itself up.
You must have the patience to wait for a strong starting hand to take on the maniac and you must be patient and wait for the time when you are in position. As you see, without the patience factor, the three P’s becomes ineffective.
Some Final Thoughts
Battling a maniac at the poker table can be exhausting work not only for your bankroll, but also for your mentality. It is critical that you don’t fall into the trap of trying to be the one who busts the maniac from the game because this will tremendously affect your play and could cause a significant financial loss. You must stay inside your strengths to be able to engage the maniac fully when the situation is in your favor.
And, finally, who said you have to break the maniac? By not falling into this mental trap of trying to be the table sheriff, you are able to take advantage of the other players at the table who are dropping the level of their game in response to the maniac’s plays. Through a proper usage of the three P’s, you should be able to get the chips from all of your opponents and not jut the maniac.
Six $1,000 WSOP Events
Without further adieu, here is the schedule of events for the 2010 WSOP. All times are local:
Fri, May 28th at 12:00pm
Event #1: Casino Employees No Limit Hold'em
$500 buy-in
Fri, May 28th at 5:00pm
Event #2: The Player's Championship
$50,000 buy-in
Sat, May 29th at 12:00pm
Event #3: No Limit Hold'em
$1,000 buy-in
Sun, May 30th at 5:00pm
Event #4: Omaha High-Low Split-8 or Better
$1,500 buy-in
Mon, May 31st at 12:00pm
Event #5: No Limit Hold'em
$1,500 buy-in
Tue, Jun 1st at 12:00pm
Event #6: No Limit Hold'em Shootout (2,000 players max)
$5,000 buy-in
Tue, Jun 1st at 5:00pm
Event #7: 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball (Limit)
$2,500 buy-in
Wed, Jun 2nd at 12:00pm
Event #8: No Limit Hold’em
$1,500 buy-in
Thu, Jun 3rd at 12:00pm
Event #9: Pot Limit Hold'em
$1,500 buy-in
Thu, Jun 3rd at 5:00pm
Event #10: Seven Card Stud Championship
$10,000 buy-in
Fri, Jun 4th at 11:00am
Event #11: No Limit Hold'em
$1,500 buy-in
Fri, Jun 4th at 11:00am
Event #12: Limit Hold’em
$1,500 buy-in
Sat, Jun 5th at 11:00am
Event #13: No Limit Hold’em
$1,000 buy-in
Sat, Jun 5th at 5:00pm
Event #14: 2-7 Draw Lowball (No Limit)
$1,500 buy-in
Sun, Jun 6th at 5:00pm
Event #15: Seven Card Stud High-Low Split-8 or Better Championship
$10,000 buy-in
Mon, Jun 7th at 12:00pm
Event #16: No Limit Hold’em Six-Handed
$1,500 buy-in
Tue, Jun 8th at 12:00pm
Event #17: No Limit Hold'em
$5,000 buy-in
Wed, Jun 9th at 12:00pm
Event #18: Limit Hold'em
$2,000 buy-in
Wed, Jun 9th at 5:00pm
Event #19: 2-7 Draw Lowball Championship (No Limit)
$10,000 buy-in
Thu, Jun 10th at 12:00pm
Event #20: Pot Limit Omaha
$1,500 buy-in
Thu, Jun 10th at 5:00pm
Event #21: Seven Card Stud
$1,500 buy-in
Fri, Jun 11th at 12:00pm
Event #22: Ladies No Limit Hold’em Championship
$1,000 buy-in
Fri, Jun 11th at 5:00pm
Event #23: Limit Hold'em Six-Handed
$2,500 buy-in
Sat, Jun 12th at 12:00pm
Event #24: No Limit Hold’em
$1,000 buy-in
Sat, Jun 12th at 5:00pm
Event #25: Omaha High-Low Split-8 or Better Championship
$10,000 buy-in
Mon, Jun 14th at 12:00pm
Event #26: No Limit Hold'em Six-Handed
$2,500 buy-in
Mon, Jun 14th at 5:00pm
Event #27: Seven Card Stud High-Low-8 or Better
$1,500 buy-in
Tue, Jun 15th at 12:00pm
Event #28: Pot Limit Omaha
$2,500 buy-in
Tue, Jun 15th at 5:00pm
Event #29: Limit Hold'em Championship
$10,000 buy-in
Wed, Jun 16th at 12:00pm
Event #30: No Limit Hold’em
$1,500 buy-in
Wed, Jun 16th at 5:00pm
Event #31: HORSE
$1,500 buy-in
Thu, Jun 17th at 12:00pm
Event #32: No Limit Hold'em Six-Handed
$5,000 buy-in
Thu, Jun 17th at 5:00pm
Event #33: Pot Limit Hold'em/Omaha
$2,500 buy-in
Fri, Jun 18th at 12:00pm
Event #34: Seniors No Limit Hold’em Championship
$1,000 buy-in
Fri, Jun 18th at 5:00pm
Event #35: Heads-Up No Limit Hold'em Championship (256 player max)
$10,000 buy-in
Sat, Jun 19th at 12:00pm
Event #36: No Limit Hold’em
$1,000 buy-in
Sat, Jun 19th at 5:00pm
Event #37: HORSE
$3,000 buy-in
Sun, Jun 20th at 5:00pm
Event #38: Pot Limit Hold'em Championship
$10,000 buy-in
Mon, Jun 21st at 12:00pm
Event #39: No Limit Hold'em Shootout (2,000 player max)
$1,500 buy-in
Mon, Jun 21st at 5:00pm
Event #40: Seven Card Razz
$2,500 buy-in
Tue, Jun 22nd at 12:00pm
Event #41: Pot Limit Omaha High-Low Split-8 or Better
$1,500 buy-in
Wed, Jun 23rd at 12:00pm
Event #42: No Limit Hold’em
$1,500 buy-in
Wed, Jun 23rd at 5:00pm
Event #43: HORSE Championship
$10,000 buy-in
Thu, Jun 24th at 12:00pm
Event #44: Mixed Hold'em (Limit/No Limit)
$2,500 buy-in
Fri, Jun 25th at 12:00pm
Event #45: No Limit Hold’em
$1,500 buy-in
Fri, Jun 25th at 5:00pm
Event #46: Pot Limit Omaha High-Low Split-8 or Better
$5,000 buy-in
Sat, Jun 26th at 12:00pm
Event #47: No Limit Hold’em
$1,000 buy-in
Sat, Jun 26th at 5:00pm
Event #48: Mixed Event
$2,500 buy-in
Mon, Jun 28th at 12:00pm
Event #49: No Limit Hold'em
$1,500 buy-in
Mon, Jun 28th at 5:00pm
Event #50: Pot Limit Omaha
$5,000 buy-in
Tue, Jun 29th at 12:00pm
Event #51: Triple Chance No Limit Hold’em
$3,000 buy-in
Wed, Jun 30th at 12:00pm
Event #52: No Limit Hold’em Six-Handed
$25,000 buy-in
Wed, Jun 30th at 5:00pm
Event #53: Limit Hold’em Shootout
$1,500 buy-in
Thu, Jul 1st at 12:00pm
Event #54: No Limit Hold’em
$1,000 buy-in
Thu, Jul 1st at 5:00pm
Event #55: Pot Limit Omaha Championship
$10,000 buy-in
Fri, Jul 2nd at 5:00pm
Event #56: No Limit Hold’em
$2,500 buy-in
Sat, Jul 3rd at 2:00pm
Ante Up For Africa Poker Tournament
$5,000 buy-in
2010 WSOP Main Event:
July 5th: Day 1A
July 6th: Day 1B
July 7th: Day 1C
July 8th: Day 1D
July 9th: Day 2A
July 10th: Day 2B
July 11th: Media Event
July 12th: Day 3
July 13th: Day 4
July 14th: Day 5
July 15th: Day 6
July 16th: Day 7
July 17th: Day 8
November 6th to 9th: Final Table
Friday, December 11, 2009
You Think You Have A Bad Beat Story
When his sister finally came to town and rescued Mr. Wanatabe from himself he had gone through almost 127 million dollars. Apparently, he still has millions but not nearly as many. He's paid close to $112 million to Harrah's, but, has now decided to renege on the remaining $14.7 million in markers. The law here in Las Vegas considers unpaid markers to be the same as a bad check and if you don't pay you might be spending a few years in Nevada in a comped small room far away from the bright lights of the strip. In Mr. Watanabe's case the stay could drag out to 28 years.
In his defense, Mr. Wanatabe filed a civil suit in Clark County District that seeks to place some of the responsibility for his record setting loss on Harrah's. He is claiming he was supplied with alcohol, drugs, and encouraged to gamble in a drunken state for hours on end. Unfortunately for Mr. Watanabe, this line of reasoning hasn't worked well with Nevada juries. After all, the casino didn't make you drink the booze. His trial on the criminal charges is set for Summer 2010.
Read a detailed account of Mr. Watanabe's bad beat story according to Alexandra Berzon for the Wall Street Journal.
Next time you're in Las Vegas thinking about to go on tilt because some soccermom commandeered a case deuce to beat your quads!...just remember Mr. Watanabe's Vegas story.
BetClic Signs Isabelle Mercier
Mercier will act as a consultant for the site, which is a part of the Mangas Gaming group, and will be involved with developing a strategy for BetClic Poker.
“I am delighted to be working with BetClic and the Mangas group,” Mercier said.
“I am super impressed by the energy and ambition of this young company which is really going places. As with poker I’ve always made decisions based on both analysis and instinct, and this project has a great feel to it. I know it will be really exciting.”
Mercier brings years of experience from the poker industry, where she originally started as a poker room manager at the Aviation Club de France.
She was also a successful player and her big break came in 2004 when she won the WPT Ladies Night Out II event. Since then she has won over $1 million on the tournament circuit including a final table in the 2006 WSOP where she finished fifth for $175,404.
“We are proud to welcome Isabelle to our team as an ambassador and advisor,” said BetClic managing director Nicolas Béraud. “She will give us new vision and excitement in this fast growing sector.”
Although Mercier will be a consultant for the company she will also continue to play poker, joining the rest of the sporting ambassadors at BetClic including footballers Marcel Desailly, Deco, Arrigo Sacchi, Mateusz Borek and Stefan Effenberg.
BetClic was created in 2005 and has grown from a start-up to a major player in the online gaming world. The company operates across 15 countries with over 1.5 million customers.
Although the site is known primarily for sports betting it has started to push its poker offering. BetClic also recently acquired Bet-At-Home and Expekt, both of which offer online poker rooms.
Mercier was rumored to have joined BetClic back in September, but she denied the claims at the time.
Million Dollar Challenge Poker Show Is A Joke
THE POKER DONKEYS PODCAST IS BACK!
That's right its that time of year again when we do a new show! This weekend go ahead an re-subscribe to the poker donkeys podcast on Itunes and I promise you'll get an early Christmas Gift. The wonderful tones of Ken and Slade burning a never ending hole in your ears! The Poker Donkeys! We're back, we're bad and we're fat! Check us out on Talkshoe.com and Itunes!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Bursting the SNG Bubble
Let’s say that you’re short-stacked with just five or six big blinds. How you play your hand in this situation depends less on your cards and more on your position and the size of the other short stacks at the table. For example, you’re in the small blind and the hand is folded around to you. If the big blind doesn’t have you covered by very much, it’s time to jam. This play makes it really hard for him to call because he’s risking his tournament in a very tenuous spot. You put him in a position where he’s the one who has to call you, and that’s a big advantage.
Now let’s change things up a little. Say you’re sitting on about eight big bets on the button and the chip leader is in the big blind. If the action is folded to you in this situation, you can be much more selective about the hands you play. You still have plenty of chips to work with before the blinds come back around, which means you can afford to try and pick your spots. Personally, I’d fold hands worse than Q-10 here, but I’d probably play KJ, KQ, any Ace, and all pocket pairs.
If you’re sitting on just four or five big blinds in this same situation, you’ll have to open up your game a little and play more hands. You’ve got to take some chances here and get your chips in, even if you may be no better than 50-50. Waiting isn’t an option because the blinds will eat you alive if you let them.
If you’re playing a medium-size stack, you have more room to play, but still have to be careful about when – and from where – you put your chips in the middle. Making a standard 3x or 4x raise with 15 or 16 blinds can still be risky because there’s a good chance a bigger stack will re-raise and try to force you all-in before the flop. You really can’t afford to make that call without a premium hand like Aces or Kings.
You definitely don’t want to call with something like AK or AQ because you’re just a coin-flip against any pair and are dominated by pocket Aces or Kings. Folding here is a smarter move, especially if there’s a short stack left to play behind you who is likely to call with a much wider range of hands and give you a better shot of making the money.
Of course, nothing is more comforting than having the big stack when you’re sitting on the bubble. As the chip leader, you can practice selective aggression and apply pressure to the smaller stacks. You especially want to focus on the players in second and third place, as they aren’t going to want to put their chips at unnecessary risk.
Because the shorter stacks are going to try to double up through you, you need to be careful about making loose calls just because you think you can afford them. For example, let’s say the small stack raises 5x the big blind from the button and the small blind folds. You’re in the big blind and it’s only four more bets for you to call, which means your odds are slightly less than 2-1. While calling here may in fact be the right decision, it’s not automatic as far as I’m concerned.
I recommend taking a few seconds to really think through the situation, even if you’re holding a pretty strong hand like A-8 or up, KQ, KJ, or any pocket pair. Think about your opponent and how he’s been playing. If he raises every time he’s in that spot, widen your calling range. But if he’s a particularly good Sit & Go player or playing tight, he may not play many hands and you shouldn’t call as frequently.
More often than not when I’m the big stack in this situation, I’m not just flat calling here. Instead, I’m moving all-in. This is particularly effective because it puts all of the other players at the table to a tough decision. Again, the players in second and third aren’t likely to get involved without huge hands, which lets me isolate the smaller stack.
In the end, winning a SNG is about using whatever edge you’ve got. When you’re down to the final four, take advantage of position and play your stack aggressively. Know when to back off and when to go for it. You’ll still be at the table – and in the money – when the bubble bursts.
Bodog is Adding Money to Tournaments
Old Ladies Booked for Poker Playing
Binion's Still Sending Free Hotel Offers
Just how sudden and surprising was the announcement that Binion's would close their hotel tower and all 365 rooms Dec. 14?
So much so, that not even casino marketing knew.
I just received in the mail a postcard that says, "This winter brings magic to Binion's."
On the other side: "Magic is in the brisk winter air and we invite you to stay at Binion's for a season of enchantment."
We are then invited to stay 2 free nights at Binion's through Jan. 31, 2010.
Seems like this winter, we'll more need a warm bundle of blankets than magic to stay at a hotel that no longer exists...
Binion's To Close Hotel Rooms
All 365 rooms of Binion's Gambling Hall will be shuttered as of Dec. 14.
Along with the hotel closure, 100 workers will be laid off, keno will be shut down, and the coffee shop will be closed.
The remaining part of the casino will remain open, including the poker room and steakhouse.
Binion's opened in 1951 and was purchased last year by TLC Enterprises, owners of Four Queens. No word whether the Four Queens' 690 rooms will be affected.
Golden Nugget, located across the street from Binion's, opened a 500-room tower last Monday at a cost of $150 million. It was the first new hotel rooms in downtown Las Vegas in 20 years.
We popped by Binion's last night and not only was the casino pretty much empty, there were 0 poker tables running. A sad sign of the times, particularly since we enjoyed staying at the hotel which felt more like little apartments than hotel rooms.
Clothing Brand KSINO Signs Female Poker Players
“To say that I am thrilled to have Lacey and Leo as brand ambassadors is an understatement,” said Alex That, President of KSINO. “They are two very beautiful women who are also very talented poker players. They turn heads at the tables 
“I really love being part of the KSINO family,” Jones said about her new role with the company. “It’s about more than just great looking clothes; it’s a fun lifestyle. It’s my lifestyle.”
“I’m excited about being a part of KSINO,” said Margets. “I feel like I identify with the brand and can now sit down at a poker table and compete in style… I love it! KSINO is not only a clothing line. They are creating and redefining the game… It’s a whole new lifestyle!”
The KSINO clothing brand was created by Anthony Tuozzo to provide premium designer apparel to the multi-billion dollar gaming industry. The brand’s styles include graphic t-shirts, hoodies, button-downs, jackets, and accessories. KSINO clothing is now available at D.Fine at the Bellagio, The Men’s Store at the Mirage, and at KSINO.com.
On November 24th, KSINO entered into a merchandise distribution agreement with HeadsUp Entertainment International Inc., operators of the Canadian Poker Tour and Canadian Poker Player Magazine. KSINO apparel will be marketed throughout Canada in Canadian Poker Player Magazine, on all upcoming Canadian Poker Tour television broadcasts, and into the websites, social communities, and player databases from coast to coast.
Greed no longer just good, it's legal in 'Wall Street 2'
It'd be comic, if we didn't know deep down inside that Uncle Oliver is possibly right.
Stone has just finished filming Wall Street 2 and took some time off to speak to students at American University in Washington, who can actually take a course called "Oliver Stone's America." (If that means getting to watch Charlie Sheen movies for credit, sign us up.)
"The individual Gekko would no longer exist in this new Wall Street," Stone said, referring to Oscar-winning role played by Michael Douglas in 1987. "The big players now are major banks and hedge funds ... the money's too big."
In the just-completed sequel, Stone said, "greed is now legal." (Whoa. It's too close to Christmas for that sort of perspective.)
According to the Associated Press, Stone also blasted the mainstream media (who doesn't?), the defense industry, the war in Afghanistan and President Barack Obama.
FIVE MORE LINES ABOUT GREED IN 'WALL STREET':
5. "There's no nobility in poverty."
4. "When you've had money and lost it, it can be much worse than never having had it at all."
3. "What's worth doing is worth doing for money."
2. "It's all about bucks, kid. The rest is conversation."
1. "The main thing about money, Bud, is that it makes you do things you don't want to do."
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Celebrity Burglar arrest made in Las Vegas
A member of the "Burglar Bunch" was tracked to the Las Vegas home of Rachel Lee.
The Burglar Bunch is a group of young burglars - most in their late teens - who target young celebrities to the tune of $3 million. Lee is 18 years old.
Found inside her home was $20,000 in cash, a pair of actress Rachel Bilson's jeans, a hat of Lindsay Lohan, and partially nude photos of Paris Hilton.
Additional celebrity victims include Megan Fox, Orlando Bloom, Ashley Tisdale, Brian Austin Green, and Audrina Partridge.
Planet Hollywood offers 10 nights for $599
Purchase the Phanatic Pass for $599, and you'll get 10 nights, but those nights do not have to be consecutive or used all at once You can use any number of them anytime between now and March 15, 2010.
Even better, there are no blackout dates, so you can book for weekends such as New Year's Eve and the Super Bowl. Try finding a room on the Las Vegas Strip for less than $200, not to mention $60 that the average rate comes to. By New Year's, PH's across-the-street-neighbor CityCenter will be open, competing for the same customers.
The Phanatic Pass also comes with one free bottle of liquor of your choice.
The hotel-casino is counting on the upfront payment but also that you probably won't actually use all 10 nights.
Planet Hollywood's debt of $870 million was paid down by Harrah's, and it's rumored that Harrah's is interested in taking over the property, which is right next to Harrah's-owned casinos Bally's and Paris.
Dejà Vu: Stripper Truck
Dejà Vu gentlemen's club in Las Vegas decided to remain a good neighbor and park the Stripper Mobile. Instead of cruising up and down the Las Vegas strip the see-through truck now sits in front of the club on Industrial Blvd behind the Trump Tower. Instead of one of their voluptuous dancers hanging onto the pole we found a skeleton wearing a bikini (maybe it was a very skinny dancer).
All of the attention surrounding this marketing ploy has the County Commission debating the removal of the sign trucks that plow the strip nightly with their promises of hot babes delivered direct to your hotel room. We liked the truck with the live pole dancer and we hate the sign trucks that create traffic jams and block the views of the billion dollar resorts.
Fontainebleau on auction
Want to buy a multi-billion-dollar casino for cheap?
Keep in mind you will most likely need to spend another couple billion in order to finish building.
The casino on the auction block is the $3 billion, 4,000-room Fontainebleau, and the first bid was placed by Penn National Gaming, which has been trying for years to enter the Las Vegas market. Two years ago, Penn made a failed bid for Harrah's.
Penn offered $50 million with a promise to fork out another $1.46 billion to see it through. Already $2 billion has been spent on the bankrupt project.
The deadline for bids is Jan. 15, 2010.
Assuming that Penn gets the bid, construction wouldn't begin until the following year.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
See The Flood
Here are some photos of the water that has been on the rise around the basement I live in. All pictures are of the road that I live on. Now you can see I live in the middle of nowhere.
Here is the road that is starting to go under its blow us, we are still safe.
Here is a photo of our field being flooded by all the rain we have been having still about a mile or so from the house. See the tree line there should no water at all. Were you see water there should not be water. 
Another photo of the field. 
The next two pictures are of the road that is above the house and if it starts to go under we have to move out. You can see how close the water is to the edge of the road. 
Just a photo of the other side of the road to just show all of you more water… :-) All that is usually dry, not flooded like that.
Laptop Is Up And Running
My part for my laptop came in today. After a few hours I got it to work… YEA I’m back up and running. Need to get back in the grove of playing some poker its been long…
Monday, November 9, 2009
I’m In Poker News Shutdown For WSOP
I’m not visiting any poker news sites, no twitters, no ESPN, no Face Book and no poker or poker podcasts. I do not want to be spoiled for the main event of WSOP. I know that they played down to the finial two this weekend but I do not want to know anything, I’m waiting to watch it on ESPN. I still have 11 hours of WSOP to watch on my DVR before Tuesday and if I do not finish by then my shutdown stays in effect. Other news my laptop is dead, on Saturday night was getting ready (you can tell I’m from the south) to write Big Joker back on Skype and the laptop turned it self off and that was it… I hope all you “Poker Degenerates” are doing you best to bust them donkeys.
Friday, November 6, 2009
The Poker Star: Episode 6 - Endurance
Don’t miss this shocking episode which sees two contestants eliminated from the competition.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Bicycle Guardians Playing Cards
Looking for the classic poker playing cards? How about Bicycle? Bicycle delivers classic playing cards and memorable experiences that players can trust based on its longstanding tradition of producing quality, fun and family-friendly products that bring people together. Shuffle up and deal!
Full Tilt Poker Releases New Software - Run It Twice
Online poker room Full Tilt has released two new features in its latest software update - Run It Twice and Cashout Tournaments.
The Run It Twice feature allows ring game players the option of seeing two outcomes for one hand, providing both players consent to it. The feature can be enabled when one or both of the remaining two players are all in: the remaining community cards are dealt twice, meaning the winner of each of the two outcomes wins half of the prize pool.
Friday, October 30, 2009
New Poker Donkeys Podcast
EPISODE53 - Announcements and More Announcements
The greatest version of Poker Face ever.....
[CONTENT WARNING] Poker Donkeys Podcast features harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Listener discretion is advised.
Visit the Poker Donkeys Blog @ http://pokerdonkeysblog.blogspot.com
Visit the Unofficial Poker Donkeys Blog @ http://pokerjackass.blogspot.com/
Please send us your comments to: PokerDonkeys@gmail.com
Leave us a voice message @ 206-337-0379
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Gareth Witty http://www.garethwitty.co.uk
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Thursday, October 29, 2009
The Poker Star - Episode 5 - Recall
This week the contestant's must recall a series of events they witnessed including a car accident.
Running Bad
In 1964, Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart tried to define what may or may not be considered obscene under US law. In the end, he determined that no definition existed, but that when it comes to obscenity, "I know it when I see it."
The same holds true when you're talking about running badly at the poker table. You may not be able to identify what's going wrong, but you know its happening. As far as I'm concerned, there's no single definition or criteria for "running bad" because it means something different to everyone. For some players, it's posting 10 or 12 losing sessions in a row. For others, it's losing a dozen coin-flips during a single session. "Running badly" depends on the individual and on the metrics they're using to judge their performance.
Whatever the definition is, the fact remains that everyone runs bad at one time or another. What separates successful players from those who go bust is how they handle themselves and their bankrolls when their cards go dead. For me, running bad doesn't mean having a few losing nights or taking a few bad beats over the course of a session. That's variance and it's an inevitable part of the game. In my mind, running bad is something bigger that happens over the long term.
If you're not sure whether you're really running bad or not, start by stepping back and analyzing your results over a statistically significant timeframe. If you see a consistent pattern of losing sessions over a matter of weeks or months, then it's likely that you're having some real problems with your game. The key to getting back on track is figure out what's actually going wrong.
For many players, running badly is a vicious circle; they suffer a few losing sessions and begin to tilt, which leads them to alter their playing styles in order to change things up. Soon, they do actually start playing badly, which leads to more losing sessions, and a continuation of their downward spiral. They lose because they're running badly and they're running badly because they're losing.
If you look at your game and believe that you're actually playing well but are just getting unlucky, then maybe you are. Aces get cracked by lower pairs. Sets get beaten by flushes, and hands get drowned on the river more often than you might think. My advice in these situations is to walk away from the game for a while. Take a break, regroup, and come back when you're mentally refreshed and are ready to start playing again. Don't, however, begin changing your game to compensate for bad luck. Focus on the fundamentals, look for good starting hands, and try to play the most solid poker you can. In time, your luck will change.
Whatever you do, however, don't try to step up in levels in order to try and recoup your losses. I've seen many players go bust at times like these because they're too focused on trying to rebuild their bankrolls by gambling rather than by playing smart poker and moving down to play at a lower level. Think about it; if you've been losing, chances are that you're playing on a smaller bankroll than normal, which means that you'll be risking a higher percentage of your remaining funds by playing at higher stakes. With a smaller cushion behind you and more of your bankroll at risk, it doesn't take long for things to go from bad to worse and for you to lose everything you had left.
On the other hand, by moving down a level or two, you'll be risking less in the short term while you try to rebuild your bankroll. Sure, the pots you win may not be as big as those you win at higher levels, but weighed against the odds of going broke, it's a trade-off I'm willing to make. What's more, by moving down, I may only have to play at a lower level for a month or two to recover my losses whereas if I go broke after moving up, it could take me a year or more until I've recovered. That's a pretty persuasive argument if you really value your time.
While I can't tell you whether you're really running badly or not, I can tell you that your mental state does impact your game. If you're feeling good, chances are you'll play well and, if you're not, chances are you won't. Rough patches are part of the game and learning how to handle short-term adversity without losing your confidence or your bankroll will make you a better player in the long run.
Your A Bot No Your Bot I Sue You Full Tilt
The suit was filed in California by poker player Lary Kennedy, whose account at Full Tilt was closed a couple years ago because they claimed Kennedy used a bot herself, which is against the terms and conditions for the online poker site.
Kennedy's account was locked along with over $80,000 confiscated.
Kennedy, who goes by the name sillysal in poker forums, had the 2+2 community up in arms over her case, until they found out that she also multi-accounted -- playing under a different name on the same site simultaneously. That's also a Full Tilt no-no. She used the accounts "pokergirl_z" and "greggo777."
The story even made its rounds to TMZ.com, stating in their normal exaggerated way that "poker legends [are] sued for robot fraud."
Kennedy's website shows videos of her playing to prove she isn't a bot, photos of her with poker pros (including those affiliated with Full Tilt), threads from poker forums about the situation, and the complaint.
We're skeptical about how far this lawsuit will go, what with a sample of its 13 pages stating "a skilled player would start on-line jihads against the successful player."
But if it does go to trial, it will be interesting to find out some of the inner workings of Full Tilt.
Watch And Learn Online Video Poker Tips For FREE
These video poker tips are for beginner poker players who want to elevate their game to an intermediate level. The strategies are designed to give new players a fighting chance against skilled players who use these strategies often.
Evelyn Ng and Team Bodog narrate short video clips explaining basic poker strategy tips. The videos are five minutes long or less, and each one covers a common topic that every player should learn about.
There are videos on cash games vs. tournaments and poker hand rankings as well as the rules of Texas Holdem and table position. Future videos from Justin Bonomo and David Williams are also a work in progress.
Most video poker tools are in the form of a DVD and come with a hefty price tag. Why pay hard-earned money for this information when you can get it online for free from experienced poker professionals?
Learn how to play poker the smart way, for free and online at Bodog Poker.
New Poker Game I Do Not Know About This
Robbed And Pepper Sprayed
In the city of Cleveland a home poker game was hit by robbers. The masked men walked away with $11,000 from the poker game. The men were also armed with assault rifles, entering the apartment where the home poker game was taking place and robbing the players. The poker players were told to take off their pants and pass over the wallets. The wallets and all the poker money on the table were taken and the players were sprayed with pepper spray as the robbers took off. The poker game, which had been organized and advertised online, is considered legal as long as the house doesn’t take a cut.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Introduction to Seven Card Stud
In Seven Card Stud, each player (a maximum of eight at a table) must put up an ante before they are dealt two down cards and one up card, also called the “door card.” Play begins with the player with the lowest door card, who is required to pay the “bring-in”, which is another ante of sorts. Play proceeds to the left, which each player deciding whether they want to call (also called “completing” the bet), raise, or fold.
There is then another card dealt to each player, face up, followed by another betting round. The player who starts the action is now the one who has the highest ranking up cards. Three more rounds of cards and bets follow, with the seventh and final card being the only other one aside from the initial two hole cards to be dealt face down. If there is more than one person remaining in the hand after the final betting round, the player with the best five-card hand, pieced together from the seven total cards, wins.
Each betting round is typically referred to as a “street”, numbered by how many cards each player has. For example, the first betting round, the one where all the players have two down cards and one up card, is third street.
In some ways, the game is similar to Texas Hold’em. Each player gets hole cards, there are cards dealt face up, there are multiple betting rounds, and each player must use five out of the seven cards to make a hand. However, that is essentially where the similarities end. Let’s look at some of the key differences.
Extra Betting Round
In Hold’em, there are four betting rounds: pre-flop, flop, turn, and river. In Stud, there are five: third through seventh streets. That extra betting round gets tricky because not only is it another opportunity to put yet more money in the pot, but also seventh street is the third face down card, resulting in more hidden cards in Stud than in Hold’em.
No Community Cards
Yes, there are face up cards in Seven Card Stud, but they are not shared by the players (except in the rare instances when the deck runs short on cards) and are therefore not community cards. Each player’s hand is unique. It is extremely rare for two players to split a pot in Stud. In Seven Card Stud High-Low, pots are frequently split by definition, but in Stud High, it almost never happens.
More Information
In Hold’em, you only know your own cards and three to five community cards to determine outs and probabilities. In Seven Card Stud, you not only know your cards, but also everybody else’s up cards. Think about it: If four opponents are still in the hand when fifth street is dealt, that’s 12 cards in addition to your five that you know are in play. In that sense, it’s easier to make a more accurate calculation of your outs in Stud than in Hold’em.
However, once seventh street rolls around, you have less information about your opponent’s specific holdings than you do in Hold’em since three of their cards are face down instead of just two. Obviously, if you were observant, you will remember the other players’ folded up cards and will thus have an idea of what your opponent doesn’t have in the hole.
Random Position
Because the face up cards determine who acts first, there is no way to know what positional advantage you will have before each hand. During the hand, things will become a little more predictable, but the first player to act can still change on every street. The player to your left will always be on your left and the player to your right will always be on your right, but you won’t know who acts when until each round is dealt.
No Avoiding It
In Seven Card Stud, you cannot avoid putting money into the pot because you must contribute an ante every hand. Everyone has something at stake every time. This makes the game a fantastic one for earning bonuses at online poker rooms, which require you to contribute money to the pot in order to get credit for a raked hand.
These were just a few tidbits to teach you a little something about Seven Card Stud. If you are new to the game, try it out at some low-stakes tables. I suspect you may like it.
Not Poker But I Watch Poker On Hulu
Oh Internet, say it ain’t so!
Hulu - my utopia of free TV online - may soon become another run-of-the-buck paid subscription site (see header image)! (Sigh) It was only a matter of time, really…
Broadcasting & Cable brings us this chilling news, which supposedly originated from the mouth of News Corp. Deputy Chairman Chase Carey, who said during the Onscreen Media Summit that:
“It’s time to start getting paid for broadcast content online…I think a free model is a very difficult way to capture the value of our content. I think what we need to do is deliver that content to consumers in a way where they will appreciate the value. Hulu concurs with that, it needs to evolve to have a meaningful subscription model as part of its business.”
Aw heck, we all knew this day was coming when we’d hear those words spoken about our beloved Hulu - doesn’t it always happen that way with our favorite sites?
However… In my vast Internet experience our favorite sites stop being “our favorite sites” pretty soon after they start asking for membership fees. I know that more than a few of you out there have woken up one day to find your favorite online pop-in spot suddenly requiring you provide them a credit card number, sending you back to the search engine nexus typing in the words “free, streaming…”
…Aaaand I suspect that tradition won’t be changing for the small pool of TV shows and movies that Hulu currently offers. Despite all those clever commercials with celebrities posing as aliens using Hulu to mush our brains, there’s still enough solid cerebral material left in this guy’s skull to determine that Hulu would need to expand its range of content much, much, wider for me to consider buying into the service. I’m talking:
- More popular cable series (even some premium channel shows for “platinum” members who pay extra).
- Every network primetime show of the current season.
- More GOOD movies (Better picks of old films; same-day and direct-to-video releases (at discounted cost); premium channel releases for platinum members).
- Same-day airings of primetime TV shows (with ads, if necessary).
- Bigger TV show archives (for when I go on an Arrested Development or It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia binge).
- Exclusive “first looks” for movie trailers and making of featurettes.
- Music videos and Popular news clips added to the lineup.
- Embed and sharing capabilities on all shows/movies (at least clips).
- Everything in HD.
Now THAT - combined with Hulu’s great interface - would be a service I would pay for.
While I agree with Carey in the sense that it’s time for companies to have a fair shot at pursuing profits in the online market, I do think said companies are still floating archaic ideas about how to convert their “digital dimes” into digital-dollars.
The Internet has always been based on one fundamental principle: Accomplish a lot with little effort. So, if I can have access to a bunch of movies and shows I watch; get sneak peeks on the hottest music videos or movie trailers; keep up with reports on the latest news clips everyone is talking about; spend my rainy weekends marathoning through old favorites; see everything in crisp HD and share it all with my friends… Why not fork out a reasonable fee to accomplish all that?
Try selling me Hulu as it stands now, and I’m going to tell you the names of all the TV network sites where you can watch the same shows for free (hint: just throw a “.com” behind the name of your favorite network) - or maybe the names of sites that will stream old movie favorites, legally, for free. Basically, I’m going to tell you that I really don’t need Hulu all that much after all…
What about you - is Hulu something you’d pay to keep? Or does the notion of shelling out for it make you say “Thanks but no thanks!”
Thursday, October 22, 2009
The Poker Star Episode 4 - Composure
Competing in teams this week contestants must maintain their composure as the person who looses their cool will earn a seat at the elimination.
The Poker Star Episode 3 - Bluffing
The contestants think they know all about bluffing, but can they bluff their way through a job interview with human lie detector Steven Van Aperen?
The Poker Star - Episode 2 - Focus
The contestants arrive at the Melbourne Aquarium for their second challenge that requires them to “maintain their focus”.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
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