Party Poker Blog

"Thank God I read this on Sunday instead of frittering away 8/9 of my workday.
Iggy's been more successful at toppling capitalism than Karl Marx ever was."
Mean Gene

Destroying Workplace Productivity, indeed.

Hells bells, where to begin? I really feel like hopping back on a plane to Vegas, truth be told. I still haven't tried to win a seat to the Big One, after all.

But alas, here I sit. The Grinders Lament. I've been playing more of the 30.60 on Party upon returning home. 15.30 might be a bit easier now with Party opening up 20.40 and unlimited 30.60. Thats my initial take, anyway. I'm seeing alot more limping and more 3-5 handed flops in 15.30 - it's tougher per table selection but game play seems easier. Hell, it's prolly too soon to say fer sure. But I'm completely in online poker/Vegas mode now, sleeping during the day and playing all night.



I also found some bloggers to play with the other evening on Party. Just like old times. I'm happy to report that I've kept my Tazmanian Devil icon in tact. Damnit, I've earned it.

I've got a buncha good poker content to blog. And hell, I may even post a Q&A I received awhile ago. Maybe in a few days...

But anyway, by God, I love getting emails like this:

----

Iggy,

Sounds like Vegas was a blast. I finally gave in and and signed up for Party Poker (bonus code Iggy), while y'all were away.

30 hrs after funding my account, I've tripled my deposit.

Damn.

I should have my head examined for not doing this sooner.

It's like I'm a major leaguer that's gone back to play high school baseball... 'cept, I'm not even that good...

Thanks for the continous shilling - being a market-eer, I know it takes people hearing something an average of 12 times before they take action. I'm slower than the rest, however.

BSN

----

And so there we have it. The last blogger on the Internet who wasn't playing on Party Poker, BSN, has finally seen the light.

Bonus Code Iggy on Party Poker, fer fucks sakes.

K, commence tangential, drunken poker ramblings.

This is freakin' fantastic. Check out the video.
There are others but this is easily the most entertaining.
Mike the Mouth video: "Tournament poker sucks. It's for a bunch of idiots that don't know how to play poker"

I love it. And I'll be damned if I don't agree.

From today's LA Times: "Poker 'Bots' Are Upping the Ante"

The RJ has an article about the court hearing for the bastards who tried to rob Greg Raymer.
Poker champion details heist attempt at Bellagio
Greg Raymer describes confrontation with two men in hotel hall

Here's a great read. Tip of the Guinness to pplayer.
A feature cover story about prop players in LA.
LOYAL TO THE GAME
As newcomers and celebrities bring attention and millions into high-stakes poker, career ‘proposition players’ are doomed to see most of it slip through their fingers

Anyone else listening to Phil Gordon's podcasts about the WSOP?

And our very own Bobby Bracelet (only elite players qualify for the WSOP) is featured in this article from the Grand Haven Tribune:
GH native battles the best at the 'World Series of Poker'

And I enjoyed this candid interview with Greg Raymer over at 2+2.
Worthy read.
30 Questions with Greg Raymer

And while on the WSOP (the best coverage is here: Pauly and his 2005 World Series of Poker Live Blog - here's an interesting list:

--------------

WSOP Winning Hands List

70 - n/a
71 - n/a
72 - n/a
73 - Pearson, As7s [no pair, beat KJ]
74 - n/a
75 - Roberts; 9s9h [beat AK]
76 - Brunson; Ts2s [full house, beat AJ 2 pair]
77 - Brunson; Ts2h [full house, beat 85 2pair]
78 - Baldwin; QdQc [set, beat 99 - also a set]
79 - Fowler; 7s6d [str8, beat AA]
80 - Ungar; 5s4s [wheel; beat A7 2 pair]
81 - Ungar; AhQh [1 pair Q's, beat T9 str8 draw]
82 - Strauss; AhTc [1 pair T's, beat A4]
83 - McEvoy; QhQs [beat KJ]
84 - Keller; TsTh [beat 64]
85 - Smith; 3s3h [beat A3]
86 - Johnston; AsTh [beat A8]
87 - Chan; As9c [beat 44]
88 - Chan; Jc9c [str8, beat Q7 1 pair]
89 - Helmuth; 9s9c
90 - matloubi - 6s6h [beat 44]
91 - Daugherty; KsJs [beat 73]
92 - Dastmalchi; 8h4c [str8 beat J7 2 pair]
93 - Betchel; Jc6h [beat 74]
94 - Hamilton; Ks8h [beat 85 with 1 pair 8's]
95 - Harrington; 8d9d [1 pair 8's, beat A7]
96 - Seed; 8d9d [2 pair, beat K8]
97 - Ungar; Ah4c [wheel, beat A8]
98 - Nguyen; Jd9c [full house]
99 - Furlong; 5c5d [set, beat 66]
00 - Ferguson; As9c [1 pair 9's, beat AQ]
01 - Mortensen; KcQc [st8, beat AA]
02 - Varkonyi; QdTs [made a full house]
03 - Moneymaker; 54 [made a full house]
04 - Raymer; 88 [made a full house]

-------------


Normally I read something like this next rant and shrug, acknowledge the malcontent, and move on. But then I noticed the thread was over 100 comments so I figure it's worthy of posting.

-------

Subject: Don't be part of the scam at the WSOP (A MUST READ)
Author: pokerplayerwithrights

I just left the Rio to pre-register for the 2nd event on friday and
went to the main Cashier to register and pay my entry. First let me say
that I play in about 15 tournaments every year at the WSOP. I have made
3 final tables but have yet to win a bracelet. I live in Las Vegas and
play in many of the NL games in town. I own several businesses, pay my
taxes and have a nice home and family. I have a large amount of
discretionary income to play in these tournaments (no kids) and am not
a stupid person.

When I asked the cashier for the registration form i was given a sheet
that (to my suprise) asked for my date of birth, my home address my
phone number and my E-mail address (along with the normal name etc.) I
did what I always do and only put my name, city, st, and E-mail. I then
handed it to the cashier along with my I.D. so that she could verify
who I was and my Identity for cash reporting If i went over the limits.
She started to write down all of my other info from my drivers license
and i asked her to stop and to get a supervisor. Eric Burton, a cage
supervisor, came over and immediatly started telling me lies. I said
"Why do you need all of my personal information when I am nowhere near
the cash reporting requirments to do so?" He said it was not for cash
reporting but was needed in case the starting time changed for a
tournament and then they could contact me. I said here is my email and
i check it 20 times a day. He then said it was a requirment to play in
the wsop to give all of your personal info. I told him that I would
provide my I.D. any time I made a cash payment of more than 3K to them
and that at that time they could record only what was required for the
cash reporting form but that was not good enough. (The only purpose
someone needs your DOB is for identity theft or to check you for
warrants if they are law enforcement. IMHO)

I live here and I read the paper everyday. On countless occasions I
have seen stories about Valet attendants looking at the address in the
registrations in your cars and selling that info to teams of burglars
who break into your home knowing that you are at a casino. The same
thing with waiters at nice resturants. Not to mention how much that
info is worth to the employees of Harrahs who decide to sell this list
which has all the info needed to steal the identity of the 10's of
thousands who play at the WSOP every year. People who have money.

How easy is it to look in the computer and tell that 2000 players are
in a tournament at noon on friday, and 673 of them are not at their
local home. You get the picture.

I am not a zealot, I have never written a letter like this before. But
this has hit a very big nerve with me and I would hope, with you all. I
hope that this letter gets cut and pasted to every poker player in the
world. I want you to know something...Without us (the players) there
would be no WSOP! I will not bring the money they are making into the
picture because they earn it by bringing so many players together at
the same time for us to try to win monster prizes. This is not the
point. The point is that what they are requiring is very dangerous to
every single one of us. Not just those of us that live here but what
about the burglars, thiefs and rapists who are being sold out of town
info who have a "friend" on the inside with access to our info.

They told me "The information is perfectly safe with us"!
In the last 10 year we have seen the head of the United Way run off
with over $7,000,000.00 and whole teams of casino workers taken down
for selling the information of their patrons.

Last year I spent over $40,000.00 in entry fees for events at the WSOP.
I was planning on doing the circuit next year. I will not pay Harrahs
one more dime of profits until they change this policy where it is safe
for us.

I hope at least enough of you care about this to make a difference.

A very concerned player
I Would post my real name but dont want to be the target of the
"Friend" on the inside.

-------------

This next thread cracked me up.
People are retarded. But you know this, gentle reader.
I submit as evidence:

-----

Can Wilson's software Turbo Texas Hold'em be used as a bot to play online?

I just got a copy of TTH and I cannot figure out how to set this thing
up for internet play. I have read many other posts about users setting
up TTH as a bot online at Party but I cant figure it out. Anyone have
any insight on this or is TTH really not a bot.

---

and this response:

---

You need to get your account activated for bot play. E-mail
support@PartyPoker.com and they will take care of it for you.

Has anyone upgraded to the Platinum Bot Service that Party provides? I
understand for the extra $150/month you are guaranteed to make that back
with the better cards they'll deal your bot. Plus the extra suckouts they
deal your bot. I'm seriously considering going this route.

--------

And everyone else played it straight. Well done and dude was not amused.

This was an interesting thread, as well. I'm not sure if I concur with his assumptions but he makes some salient points.

-------

Reason for poker boom will also be its demise

Poker on TV is THE major factor for the rise and bubble of poker.
Coupled with the lure of unknowns winning millions and the resulting
fame and broadcasting it to millions of people who don't understand the
game has gotten poker to where it is now. They are estimating 5000 at
the MAIN WSOP event this year!

But I think that TV will ultimatly end up also being the demise of
poker back into a retracement. The reason being is that we seem to be
going from google-eyed spectators adrenaline rushed to be the next
unknown to hit it big, to them now some dis-taste for the luck and
beats that are being seen for a majority of todays stars and big
winners. But this, in reality, is tournament poker, where even the
worlds best player is a small favorite above average to win it. And now
it is sinking in.

Witness how there is a NEW phenom every six months or so. Everyone is
talking now about "The Grinder", or Joe Cassidey, etc. But where are
last years super stars? Where is Scott Fischman? Dutch Boyd? Chris
Moneymaker? Sure they are still playing and even cashing, but they have
most definetly regressed towards the mean. How much of those riches
have dwindled?

Also witness the anomosity on RGP to winners and big names. Witness
Gavin Smith admitting he had 3 major suckouts in the WPT this week to
put him in position to win the event and the resulting thread of
bashing.

As more people go broke quiting college or jobs trying to be the next
superstar along with home values not allowing everyone to be paper
rich, added in with the envious witnessing of the suckouts and bad play
that resulted in wins for the lucky on TV, this will lead to a fallout.
I won't make predictions of WHEN, but I do think it is a certain.

Poker once had an explosion before when NL Hold'em was big in the 70's
and made names such as Doyle Brunson and Baldwin only for it to dry up
when the masses got tired of losing. Poker might have died had LIMIT
Hold'em not started to be spread which then put it into a dormant game
until up about 2001. Then NL came back now with the added benefit of
ingenious editing/marketing of TV crews.

So time will tell. In the meantime I am putting on my flame resistant
suit...

Scott N

----------------

Moving along, WPT Champion, Gavin Smith, has a poker blog.

Looks like the new TV sitcom based on Annie Duke starring Lisa Kudrow didn't get picked up. Somehow, I think this was a good thing.

But sadly, Annie got flamed by the resident RGP nut, William (ramashiva) Kuhlman.
I usually ignore everything this pointy head writes, but he's semi-lucid here, so read the bile:

---------

Do you people realize that Annie Duke is all hype and so substance? Do you realize that the trashing of Annie done by Danny a couple of years ago, with some assistance by me, is 100% accurate?

The woman can't play a lick of poker, at least when I played with her. She
has undoubtedly improved since then, thanks to tutelage from her brother,
but I am quite confident that Danny's analysis of her abilities is spot on.

She is not even close to being in the same class with the other players in
that $2,000,000 sit and go she won a while back. Seriously, do you think
winning a one table shootout proves anything?

You have seen some of her classic dumb plays and comments discussed here on
RGP. A few years back, one of many attempts to start a new poker magazine
featured Annie as one of their leading experts. When I saw that, I laughed
so hard, I thought I would have to be taken to the hospital.

Seriously, if you think Annie Duke is a poker expert, or is qualified to
give out advice on anything except how to be a world class bitch, I have
some choice wetlands real estate to sell you. Annie Duke is a classic
sociopath and has the personality of an alligator. Some of you who know her
personally will disagree, telling me how wonderful and nice she is. Yes,
she can be very nice and charming, IF she wants to be your friend for some
reason.

She was very friendly and charming to me when I first met her, until it
became clear to her that I was a major threat to her bullshit image of being
hyper-intelligent and a doctoral student in linguistics. Even though she
knew my name and had had several conversations with me, she later denied
knowing who I was when an acquaintance of mine asked her about me. Annie's
classic act, which she pulled on both Danny and me, is to degrade and insult
you in front of other people, without directly addressing you, but speaking
of you in third person to other people. While you are present and hearing
what she is saying! This is what resonated with me about Danny's posts
about her. His first encounter with her was at a poker table, where she
kept referring to him as "cup man" because at that time he had a habit of
holding a water cup with his teeth.

The occasion where she indulged in this extremely rude behavior with me was
in a $10/20 game at the Horseshoe, where she was playing with this skinny,
pencil-necked friend of hers named Mike. Mike, coincidentally, was
instrumental in later getting me banned from the Mirage.

Anyway, in those days I always wore a trench coat when I played. Annie kept
referring to me as "trench coat man" as she entertained the table with witty
insults of which I was the unwilling target. This went on for many hours,
and she never ONCE spoke to me directly. This is sociopathic behavior.
After I left, an acquaintance of mine asked Mike and Annie who I was. Mike
knew me much better than Annie. Yet they both said they had no idea who I
was.

Besides her various hygienic deficiencies, Annie is easily the rudest, most
obnoxious person I have ever met. Since I have played poker full time for
14 years, and poker players are a generally obnoxious group, that is saying
something.

Based on my personal experience playing with her, as well as anecdotal
evidence and Danny's critique, I would say she is definitely overrated as a
poker player. She is not one of poker's elite. Like I said, it is all
hype. I doubt she is even world class, whatever that means. I seriously
doubt she could beat a tough $10/$20 game in Las Vegas, although I could be
wrong about that.

----------

I'm including the Blogger Vegas Trip Report List here for posterity.
Enjoy.

Discussions have already begun over at Bill's blog about the location for the next one...
Vegas seems easiest but what do I know?

Otis, GRob and CJ - Up for Poker *
Maudie - Poker Perspectives *
Boy Genius - Gambling Blues
Chris Halverson *
Human Head *
Drizz - Nickle and Dimes
Chad - Pokeramarama
BadBlood on Poker
Tao of Poker *
SheVerb Poker *
AlCanHang - Dead Money
Bobby Bracelet - One Too Many
HDouble - Cards Speak *
Poker Grub *
Bill Rini *
Fool and His Money
Marty - JMC Automatic
The Fat Guy
Poker Geek
Mr. Subliminal
Poker Nerd
Chilly
April - This is not a poker blog *
April - Feeding the Addiction
Sideways Poker
Hel1xx - STFU *
Playing Poker & Teaching Science
Sound of a Suckout
John-Paul *
Geek and Proud *
tp's poker talk
Poker in the Weeds
Royal Poker
The Obituarium
My Little Poker Blog
Beer City Poker *
Hella Hold'em *
Res Ipsa Poker
a moment with
Poker Princess
The Tsunami Hitchhiker
Mike's Poker Blog
Nickerblog
Obie's VIP
Felicia
The Big Pirate
Catching the Antichrist
Whiskeytown
Prof
Pokerati
Franklin *

The Poker Geek allowed me to take this photo of his body art:



Added bonus: Female Stormtrooper:



Howard Treesong (Eric Liebeler - one of the very few worthy RGP posters left) has made the final table of the limit hold 'em event at the WSOP. He finished 9th when his Hilton Sisters ran into Rockets.

Anyway - here was his last post. I'll get his next one up ASAP.

--------

Subject: Treesong's WSOP Update

While in the middle of the NLH tournament the night before, Phil Gordon
talked me in to competing in the World Series of Roshambo: a 64-person
field of the finest Roshambo players in the world, all playing for a
winner-take-all $10,000 prize. And for just $200, it seemed like a
fine bargain. In part because Ithe Roshambo event was hanging over my
head (should I randomize by looking at the second hand on my watch or a
dollar bill? Is "vertical paper" allowed?), I made some mistakes in
the NLH and busted out 235th or so, about 95 off the bubble. I made it
through almost 1200 players and got zeroed.

A few observations: first, Dutch Boyd has an extraordinarily calm
presence at the table. He sits for long periods of time in exactly the
same position, hardly moving at all. He sat for a full limit with an
unlit cigarette hanging from his mouth, never speaking. It felt a
little like he was on downers, but I ended up getting in a conversation
with him, and I don't think so. He's clearly a smart guy; as for his
ethics, well, I wasn't around for the PokerSpot debacle, but it's hard
to spin that in a positive way.

Second, there are some absolutely terrible players in these large
fields. In one pot, UTG and UTG +1 limp, so I limp with KdQd. Four
limpers behind me and then the SMALL BLIND FOLDS from a deep stack. I
laugh out loud as the flop comes down 2 2 7.

Just before the dinner break, I blunder. The player two seats to my
right raises the 150-300 blinds by 500 more. Not seeing his raise, I
announce a raise and put in 800 chips. The verbal action is of course
binding, and I'm not only committed to put in 1300, but the SB to my
left knows I intended to open the pot, not to reraise. He instantly
stacks off. The BB and the original raiser muck. I now have to do the
math: I have Ks3s. There are 450 in blinds and 250 in antes for 700.
There's the original raiser's 800 and my 1300 for 2800, plus the
reraiser's 1300 makes 4100; his raise is only 800 more. This is pretty
close to an autocall. Against AA or KK, I'm worse than that, but this
is easy against AKs, AK, or QQ. I call, and he shows AA. Ugh.

Providence, however, works in both directions. The guy whose raise I
didn't see then does just exactly what I did: he fails to see a raise
in front of him, but then himself announces a raise. It takes a minute
for him to figure out the amount of his raise, during which it becomes
clear he doesn't have strength. I'm acting two seats behind him with
88, and I stack off. The original raiser (shortstacked) called, but
the guy two seats to my right is in a bad spot, and he knows it. He
mucks, and my 88 holds up against the original raiser's AJ. Part of
the problem is that the table is directly beneath a loudspeaker, and
it's really hard to hear the raises.

I play for another hour or so, but then a guy from steal position makes
it 1600 into my 6500 stack. I find AK and stack off, trying to get him
to muck or call with AQ or AJ, but he instead called with JJ. No help
for Treesong and a 235 finish.

More on the limit Hold' Em later today. I play again in three hours,
and I need to work out, eat, and buy something nice for Mrs. Treesong.

Teaser: I'll be able to regale you with a conversation with Daniel
Negreanu. I did not, however, see Coleman.

-Howard Treesong

---------

And one last Star Wars reference. No more, I swear.

In India, it's perfectly natural for perfectly straight men to caress each other in public, hold hands while walking down the street and hug relentlessly without fear of being called a homo.

Here in America, we don't have that luxury. And neither does Hayden Christensen.



Link of the Day:
Bridge Over Troubled Neighborhood
The mostly black residents of a neighborhood below Akron's Y Bridge are experiencing another kind of white flight: Suicidal jumpers who land in and around their homes and businesses.