Party Poker Blog

Phil Helmuth Party Poker Blog

"Whether he likes it or not, a man's character is stripped bare at the poker table; if the other players read him better than he does, he has only himself to blame. Unless he is both able and prepared to see himself as others do, flaws and all, he will be a loser in cards, as in life."
Anthony Holden

Blogger went down again tonight. Lost my original post. VERY angry. I really need to grab a poker domain name.

Be prepared for a long, Guinness-fueled poker rant.

Thank you for reading. Err, all ten of you. As BoyGenius pointed out, my readership has increased exponentially. BG made another fine poker related post, showing that he is on the path to profitability, by quickly learning the adage 'tight is right.'

Damn, Empire Poker is treating me well. I'm still riding an upswing that began prior to Thanksgiving. I've read many posts and even been asked if I think the games are getting tighter on Party/Empire. Hell, no! I see 22,000 players right now - if you are on a tight table get the hell off it. Table hop!

I popped $47 last night in a very late, drunken 3.6 session. Up this evening, too, and was happy about it until I was berated on the phone tonight for playing such "low-limits" by a local online poker pro friend who I assist when he experiences computer problems. He has zero fear of being cheated at the upper limits, unlike me. Of course, he's shifted most of his game to strictly $100 SNG's so he's correct, there ain't much to fear in those. But anyway, he cleared 6k last month but is down 2k this month. He really has an amazing attitude and emotional control for someone 15 years younger than me. Someday I'll write a long post about this guy - it's like he lives in NeverNeverLand.

But there is a major difference between my friend and I. As I told him, I don't *need* to play for a living. Online poker for me is an excellent way to gain experience, to recognize board patterns instantly, to practice hand odds - pot odds, and make some easy money. For him, he _has_ to. He doesn't know anything _but_ poker. Cards have been his entire life. He sure is in the right place at the right time, though, eh?

Alrighty then - time for poker links!

I'd have to say PokerWorks is my favorite poker 'blog' site, if only because it's been around so long and is so consistently interesting. Linda is a veteran high-limit dealer at the Bellagio and tells it like it is. If you haven't been there, you owe it to yourself to go through all the archives. Latest post, from the high-roller game with Sam Farha, DevilFish and Minh:

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Devil Fish thought and thought about what he wanted to do while Sam goaded him, trying to talk him into calling. He finally folded.

On the Flop, Minh ended up all-in for roughly $60,000 more. The Flop was K-7-2 with two Diamonds.

The chips were still in front of them, I sat with deck in hand, waiting while they talked...argued would be a little more like it. Minh wanted to know if Sam wanted to make a deal. Sam asked, "What do you have?"
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Great review of Pacific Poker from Mister Decker. Go read his full report.

Cards Speak once again has an excellent post - this time on Abdul Jalib's starting hand concepts. Abdul is right up there with Sklansky, imho. I love Abdul, especially his theory of sucking out. We miss him on RGP. Hell, I miss everyone on RGP - anyone worth a damn has left.

Found a neglected poker blog called the Poker Penguin which desperately needs to be updated. Also, he should start playing on a site that PokerTracker supports. Like PartyPoker. And for the love of God, use the Party Poker bonus code IGGY when signing up for Party! :)

PartyPoker > PokerStars

Related 2+2 post:

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no wonder nobody plays ring games at pokerstars
only came back to try and get in the 200 millionth hand. 1/2 blinds NL everybody has a 200+ stack we go two complete orbit and only see one flop. A $6 raise buys the blinds all the time. I raised UTG+1 $2 with KK and it gets folded around. I've raised $100 UTG at party and have gotten called in 3 places.

Average pot was $45 before I sat down which was huge here, at party I see like 7+ tables average 85+. I love the 2 table sit n go's here and the tourneys but ring games need some juiced cards. Never thought I'd be avocating juiced cards but that place just made no money the 20 min I sat there.
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Good God, that seems draconian.

I'd like to drink a Guinness with this guy. He needs to write more on poker and less on the political polarization of America, damnit, even though that's a subject near and dear to my heart. Anyone with a domain name of The Fat Guy deserves to be read. He has a link on the right side of his blog to his poker related posts - check it out.

Here's a Pittsburgh poker player who finally wised up and moved from Stars to Party. He's thinking about starting a poker only blog - cmon, do it, Gene!

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Well, I was told the playing was easier on PartyPoker, and so far that's been borne out.
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I'm shocked! Party is easier?

I'm reluctantly linking to CaveButter because he had the unmitigated gall to call my blog "a decent poker blog." Decent? Why not just tell the truth and use the phrase "sub-par?" CaveButter needs to get off Planet and Paradise. Paradise Poker is sooooo 1997. But he did link to Little Green Footballs, one of my favorite political sites.

Damnit, I started this blog to write about my online play and thinking about strategic poker concepts. Yet all I do now is link all over the damn place. And that takes a lot more time than pounding a few Guinness's and pontificating on poker strategy. It's cutting into my damn playing time - hope you guys appreciate it.

So I will leave you now with my favorite type of poker message board post. The "online poker is rigged" or any derivative post on said topic.

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In time, it will be proven that each and every one of these sites have
cheated people out of their money to gain maximum rake.

Anyone that has played 50 hours of live poker can see that cards come
out differently online. I am a software developer and have played poker
all my life. Online poker is rigged, end of story. It is so obvious
that it shouldn't even be up for debate.

The shills will argue, of course. But then again, they are paid to
argue. The jockey club often argues that horse racing is clean, yet it
is clear to everyone that it is completely corrupt from top to bottom.
This is a sport that has been running for over 200 years. I suggest
online poker is the same. The sites that I have played at most and
where rigging is obvious are as follows:

Pokerstars
Ladbrokes
True Poker
Bugsys Club
Poker Daddy
Party Poker

It is a real shame because there is no reason, apart from greed, that
these sites need to be corrupt.

Evidence, what evidence do I have? None ! I can't be bothered anymore.
I have kept hand histories. I have been beat in 29 out of 30
tournaments where I have been anything from even money to 1/140
favourite to win the hand. I have had these runs on numerous
occassions. Statistically this is possible, realistically it is
impossible. If I posted these hand histories here do you honestly think
that anyone would take serious notice?

Just play for real money on any of these sites for an extended period.
See what happens when you win a certain amount of money. I can
personally guarantee that you WILL be the victim of some of the most
outrageous beats imaginable.

It is not all doom and gloom. Things will get better through time but
none of the above sites will be involved. They will be long since
abandoned.

I may even start my own site at some point, where the source code is
open for all to see, so that everyone knows that nothing underhand is
going on.

Until then, good luck at the tables. You will need it.
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Perfect response to the "no-evidence" post:

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Call up Dutch Boyd, he is looking for some partners.
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Link of the day:
Jesus Inspirational Sports Statues
I have one of these on my desk at work. You know you want one.