Short Break

After my win last Monday in the WPTFanSOP O8 tournament and a 2d in the HORSE event Wednesday, I have played absolutely no poker of any kind. It's been a nice break actually.

As to HORSE, I think I played well, but I was very aggressive with my draws at the end with a player who was going to call me no matter what he had. I had been pretty aggressive and he decided he was going to call me down. I should have slowed down. Nothing wrong in principle with someone who wants to "keep you honest," but I personally think you need to have a hand of your own for this strategy to actually work in the long run.

For example, check calling with Ace High after a completion and catching two pair on the end, and check calling after a completion until 6th with a pair of twos with no other draws, only to catch a third two on the river and running down two pair does not seem +EV, but it was limit.

If any of my draws hit or my big hands hold, I win the thing walking and have an early lock on the SOP prize pool. Heck, if I didn't get raised on the flop on the last hand by the underpair to the board that could make me broke (it gave me two pair on the turn and my opponent gets his set), I am doubled up and ready to try to book the win. I ran in to the one play style that could bust me if I bricked and I should have adjusted.

I went away to my in-laws camp in the mountains this weekend. Had a good, relaxing time. I started to read Take Me to the River and it is an AWESOME read so far -- I may have to buy some of Alson's other books.

Also went through the first 5 problems in Harrington 3 and I am surprised that my tourney style is so similar to Harrington's. I really disagree with his refusal to reraise Farha in one of his problems as Negreanu when he flops the nut straight and Farha is obviously betting until he gets it, but that's because I would not want Farha betting his flush draw and getting there, which is what ends up happening. In this case HSP is invaluable, because it reinforced my earlier belief that Farha will bet it until he gets it, and then you'll pay him off because you can't believe he was betting with THAT.

Other than that, having fun learning about the game and not playing for a few days. Feeling refreshed. My plan is to continue my slow BR rebuild, and now that everyone's WSOP push is over, I plan to possibly sat into the USPC or maybe just the big Sunday tourneys.

By the way, before I forget, good luck to Nordberg (Peter Feldman) and Slart (Derek Scott) today in Day 1D. Good luck to all the other DBs still in the thing, including my boy Chris Minery (Mineryc/Inigo Montoya) and some other great people. I'm so impressed, keep up the fight.

Don't Semi-Bluff a Calling Station

don't semi-bluff a calling station
don't semi-bluff a calling station
don't semi-bluff a calling station
don't semi-bluff a calling station
don't semi-bluff a calling station
don't semi-bluff a calling station
don't semi-bluff a calling station
don't semi-bluff a calling station
don't semi-bluff a calling station
don't semi-bluff a calling station
don't semi-bluff a calling station
don't semi-bluff a calling station
don't semi-bluff a calling station
don't semi-bluff a calling station
don't semi-bluff a calling station
don't semi-bluff a calling station

But I Hate Full Tilt!

Man, I am getting almost Nord and Duque-esque in my blog update slowness.....

Truth is I have not had much to say. I have not played too much poker, but I did have a fun Monday that I was too tired to blog.

I try to be a nice guy at the table, and I tend to only razz those people that I think can take it. So sorry to anyone who does not realize that I rarely mean what I say -- if you could see my face you'd know I was joking.

This was the case in our biweekly WPTFanSOP tournament, Limit O8. When I play in a limit tournament, especially given the odd blind schedule of FTP and especially in games where others are not as familiar (like O8), my strategy is to play tight and only good starters, then get progressively more aggressive as the tournament progresses. So, naturally, I folded most of my hands in the first hour of O8. Only to see folks play some of the most atrocious hands, hands that were sometimes not even good high-only hands. So, in my usual spirit of talking like a fiend when playing with my friends I made fun of some of these hands. Sorry Steve, I target you sometimes because you're one of the best people I know and I figure you can take it.

However, I did manage to eke out some chips, and then my table broke and I went on a sick run. Ran myself up to 7K in chips playing aggressive and catching some cards. Made it to the final table, where I faced 1 big stack player who knows how to play every game, 2 or 3 players who had no clue but are good players in other games, 2 solid players with small stacks, and a couple others.

Fortunately I had a good run of cards to go with my aggressiveness (and one good read on a player I had position on), and I managed to get to heads up only slightly outchipped.

Then I went on a maniacal Gavin Smith-esque tear. I raised every time I had the opportunity to do so. Usually I had the cards or a draw to back it up, but even when I did not I raised anyway. This strategy worked out for me because I was playing a smart player who, even if he realized what I was doing, never had a hand to punch back with.

So, I am O8 king for a week or two. Bragging rights for five or ten minutes and some points towards the final prize pool. More importantly, I was happy to see I have a decent feel for a game I don't play that often. Still no expert by any means, but at least I am not studying the board to figure out if I won or why I lost....

The Grind

Actually the current grind is work-related, not poker-related. GG job.

Played very little this week, but I have to say that low-limit PLO is a freaking gold mine. I am having a ball playing it on FTP -- really the only time I have been profitable on that site because I am not token chasing. I have run really well without really gettin gany amazing starters. Just bet your big hands and call small bets with your draws and it's automatic.

I have read that playing mixed games can improve your hold 'em game because it stimulates a good kind of creativity and keeps you focused on reads because board texture can matter so much more. I hope that's right.

Although the PLO has been fun, I must once again criticize FTP. Their structures for limit tournaments are preposterous. Perhaps it is simpler to use the same structure for all, but just because split pot tournaments can last forever does not mean that you should keep the structures for the other games so disgustingly fast. I lost two hands in Razz and was completely shortstacked. That's silly.

I am going to focus on cash games for a bit, I think. I have always known that they are a more solid money winner in the long run, but I enjoy tournaments more because they are suited to my game and because they can be exciting. However, I am not going to improve unless I play more cash games and different situations, so let's get to work. I will still satellite into the big tournaments and play small tourneys now and then, but I think it makes more sense to play cash.

Also, playing cash means I can sit out without consequence. Although we have been spending more time together lately, my wife may get a new job, and so our time together will be more precious. She's been pretty supportive over the past two years, and I don't want her to ever get the impression I would pick poker over her, because I never would.

OK, I hope everyone has a good weekend. I am spending a lot of time at parties and other stuff, so it should be fun.

Law and Poker COLLIDE

Very interesting:

Seven Top Poker Players File Antitrust Lawsuit Against The World Poker Tour

Players Sue to Enjoin WPTE’s Illegal Business Practices and Seek Damages for WPTE’s Wrongful Conduct





Las Vegas, July 19, 2006 -- Today, seven of the world’s top poker players filed an antitrust Complaint against WPT Enterprises, Inc. (“WPTE”) in federal district court in Los Angeles. By this lawsuit, Plaintiffs Chris Ferguson, Andrew Bloch, Annie Duke, Phil Gordon, Joseph Hachem, Howard Lederer, and Greg Raymer seek to enjoin – and seek treble and punitive damages for – WPTE’s continuing violations of federal and state antitrust laws.

WPTE operates the World Poker Tour (“WPT”), a series of televised, high stakes poker tournaments that are run by various casinos located throughout the United States and in parts of Canada and Europe.

The Complaint alleges that WPTE and the casinos have unlawfully conspired to eliminate competition for the services and intellectual property rights of top, high stakes professional poker players. In particular, the Complaint alleges that the casinos have agreed with WPTE that they will not host any non-WPT televised poker tournaments. The Complaint also alleges that WPTE and the casinos have conspired to fix the price and other terms and conditions under which Plaintiffs and other professional poker players are forced to give up their valuable services and intellectual property rights in order to participate in WPT tournaments.

Plaintiff Chris Ferguson stated as follows: “WPTE has stacked the deck against all poker players who wish to compete in its tournaments. They are using our names and images to sell their products without our prior consent and without any compensation. We cannot let these wrongful actions stand. We will prosecute this lawsuit for as long as it takes to change WPTE’s unlawful ways.”

Plaintiff Annie Duke stated that: “We are bringing this action to change the way WPTE treats players. Our goal is not just to win for ourselves, but to set a precedent so that all players can be dealt a fair hand.”

Plaintiffs are represented by the law firm of Dewey Ballantine LLP, whose lead counsel, Jeffrey Kessler, has successfully represented NFL, NBA, and other players in similar antitrust suits. Mr. Kessler stated the following: “It is now well established that the antitrust laws protect professional athletes and other players when agreements are entered into that restrain competition for their services. This is as true for the business of professional poker tournaments as it is for professional football, basketball, and other sports. Professional poker players are entitled to a free market for their services, which will also benefit consumers since the result will be more and higher quality poker tournaments.”

Plaintiff Greg Raymer stated that: “Our success in this lawsuit will benefit all current and future poker players. I am proud to be part of it.”

Plaintiffs are seven of the most widely recognized and successful professional poker players in the world. Plaintiffs Howard Lederer and Phil Gordon, for example, are two poker superstars who have won three WPT tournaments between them. Plaintiff Chris Ferguson, perhaps the most widely recognized poker player in the world, and Plaintiffs Joseph Hachem and Greg Raymer, have each won the World Series of Poker (“WSOP”) Main Event. Plaintiff Annie Duke has also won a WSOP event, and is regarded as the best and most accomplished female professional poker player in the history of poker. Plaintiff Andrew Bloch has two WPT “Final Table” appearances.

I decided it was in my interest as a lawyer and a poker player to attend today's conference call rgearding the suit, which was publicly noticed on numerous websites. I did not identify myself or ask any questions because I did not want to step on the toes of any of the full media members present.

This is a very interesting development I am still mulling over, and may create some serious waves in the poker community.

I do not take issue with the filing of a suit against WPTE over their craptastic releases.

I have two issues right now, and once I read the complaint one may be less pressing.

First, I think any good lawyer should better prepare his clients for a national press conference. Annie Duke sounded like a moron, and bitched about blind structures and TV production values in the context of a major piece of civil litigation. It was stupid and Kessler should never have let her talk.

Second, I practice a bit of antitrust law (less now than previously, but still a significant portion of what I do), and the idea of an antitrust suit does not sit well with me intellectually. Antitrust suits generally center around anticompetitive actions taken in a defined relevant market. At this point, I don't see how the relevant market does not include the WSOP and other televised events, where most of these players have enjoyed enormous success. I don't see how the WPTE's actions, unfair as they are, can be anticompetitive in a relevant market given the wealth of other opportunities.

For example, Andy's recent finish in the HORSE event and everyone else's relatively unfettered success makes it unclear how they are being deprived of the ability to pursue their profession. Certainly they can or can't play WPT events, but there seems to be other avenues a plenty -- many of us complain about there being too much poker on TV, right?

Again, this seems more of an employment/contract issue to me, and it sucks and the WPT should be made to stop. However, under my current thought process, I can't conceive of it as an antitrust case. Admittedly I have not gotten my hands on the complaint yet and certainly the folks at Dewey Ballantine have been doing antitrust far longer than I have.

EDIT:

OK, I have now read the Complaint. First and foremost, they do have interference with contract and other contract-based claims in there, so that alleviates my concern that they weren't focusing on the contract issues. Nice hand folks.

Second, I have pored through the antitrust side, and they define the market in a way that I had not initially considered -- "elite professional poker players". If that definition could hold, I think they could make some headway with this. They also sued WPTE only, although they do refer to the member casinos as "Conspiring Casinos" throughout.

Given the fact that anyone can plunk down $10K and play, I wonder if that definition can hold up. I think a court may be swayed by an antitrust lawyer (and I know who I would hire if I was WPTE, but they may have someone else in mind) for the defense that the proper market is "participants in televised tournaments," which would restrict the antitrust claims considerably. However, I think the release issues still win the day here.

Congrats

Many congratulations to my boy Derek(Slart) who won his ME seat on Sunday.

That makes about 10 people I post with or play with in the ME this year. Pretty awesome. Good luck to everyone!

WSOP Attempt Live Blog

7:11 -- Out 2555th. 10 10 no good against A 10. Of course.

Well, I now know the play is just as atrocious here as it is everywhere else (including my own -- I don't have the game I think I do), and that I can't win a race or even a 70/30 when it counts. Far less satisfying than I hoped.


6:40 -- I survive my first all-in confrontation of many and have 3300 at the break.

Stack: largest 30490, smallest 90, average 5765
Your current position is 2264 out of 3199
Time bank balance is 180 seconds

During current Hold'em session you were dealt 135 hands and saw flop:
- 11 out of 15 times while in big blind (73%)
- 8 out of 15 times while in small blind (53%)
- 14 out of 105 times in other positions (13%)
- a total of 33 out of 135 (24%)
Pots won at showdown - 6 of 10 (60%)
Pots won without showdown - 11

TOO MUCH CALLING


6:30 -- I'm a moron. I CB into the limp-caller, who of course has a weak Ace and can re-pop me. Down to less than starting stack. I am a moron.



6:20 -- kind of boring right now. Everyone has decided to play back now. Steals are at 50%, and still no good cards. I could use a big pair to get some chips flowing my way. 4300.



5:46 -- CRAP. Just got milked in a hand I should not have been in. Again, I need to stop bluffing into idiots who "value bet" and "value call" with Ace high.



5:35 -- 5300 at the break. Still waiting for my first premium hand.

Stack: largest 17770, smallest 115, average 3087
Your current position is 539 out of 5974
Time bank balance is 180 seconds

During current Hold'em session you were dealt 62 hands and saw flop:
- 6 out of 7 times while in big blind (85%)
- 6 out of 7 times while in small blind (85%)
- 9 out of 48 times in other positions (18%)
- a total of 21 out of 62 (33%)
Pots won at showdown - 3 of 5 (60%)
Pots won without showdown - 8

I have one guy on my right who is relatively short but feels it is his civic duty to call with marginal hands on the river "just to see". I would figure Negraneu would have better things to do today, but maybe not.

5:22 -- 5600, had to fold a couple of flops.



5:08 -- 6100, I love my numbers so far.

During current Hold'em session you were dealt 41 hands and saw flop:
- 4 out of 5 times while in big blind (80%)
- 4 out of 4 times while in small blind (100%)
- 6 out of 32 times in other positions (18%)
- a total of 14 out of 41 (34%)
Pots won at showdown - 3 of 4 (75%)
Pots won without showdown - 7




4:57 -- 5700 -- Flush over flush. Thank God he was a LAG so I could call the turn bet.




4:43 -- 3800 -- check the turn with top pair next time -- he's slowplaying you!



4:37 -- already at 4500. Gavin is right when he says you just need to flop the nuts.



4:33 -- TWO HUNDRED THIRTY FOUR SEATS. Up to 3200 already on what I thought was a river bluff but he may have had AK.



4:29 -- I should remember my two rules: 1. I can't win a race. Ever. 2. If shortstacked, my AK will run into AA. Always.

Out of the FTP sat in 35th. 18 pay. GL to all those playing in that one.



4:15 -- whoops, raised and pushed a flush draw on the flop into the guy who already had the flush. Fortunately I double up on the next hand -- 7500.



4:12 -- A4 pushes into my AQ -- 9k+, should be able to coast from here pretty well.



4:07 Two straight pushes over a small raise fail to get called. up to 5300.



4:03 -- PS might hit 7k seats. WOW.



3:54 -- doubled up in sat (Jacks versus AK) -- need two more doubleups to make it in. No overlay in this one either, good job to both sites.



3:45 -- I hate having a good read. In the FTP sat, I call a push from a shortie knowing he's just trying to get the limps and blinds. KQo>A7s. Still have chips, but the blinds are catching up. Push or fold.


3:30 -- Wow. Over 2k seats filled in 24 hours. No overlay here. 1 in 31.5 it is. Impressive how PS manages to get their stuff together and fill up. They may get to 200 seats in the next hour.

Also, my plan has changed slightly. I had a good run at PLO and am in a turbo to the FTP tourney as well. Let's see how we do.

Well, Tomorrow Has to Be Better

Tomorrow's WSOP try has to go better than the rest of my weekend of poker.

Bounced early in Thursday's live tourney, and I wrote about the rest of that night.

Get stuck early in the cash game Friday night and the two winners leave just as I am starting to play great. I make some of my losses back but there's not enough on the table to get it all back.

Then Saturday I lose in the weekly tourney in less than an hour after my set of Jacks are no good against the mighty Ace Deuce Off. Sigh.

Seriously, that was a brutal few days.

My plan is to play the 150 Seat and only the 150 Seat from 4:30 on and live blog it. Not sure how many people read this frequently enough to tune in or who even cares all that much, but I will post here and on DBPoker.

I am a praying man much of the time, but would it be bad to pray about this? I just think it would be neat to get in. What an amazing experience it would be.

OK, that's all. My quest is over, good luck to those still trying to qualify.

Got tilt?

SO ANGRY

First I get it all in in a PLO and get called all in by a donkey with 8 outs and no redraws. Of course he catches.

Then I am in the FTP 20K, and get myself to top 10 in chips with 250 left. I don't even make the bubble because of the following sequence of events:

I get limp-reraised (for 600 more than my raise) with KQ and he catches two pair on me (AK). Brilliant move soldier.

Getting whittled down a bit more, I pick up AJ in position, raise, and CB a raggy flop. The push over the top is less than my flop bet and I am pot-committed, so I call. He rolls over Kings.

Fine by me, but then he has the lack of class to type "ty" into the chat box in that smarmy way people do when they think you screwed up and donated to them (and no, no one had typed "nh" or anything like that, he was just being a jerk). Hey, good hand, way to go, you must be a genuis for smooth-calling in position against a guy who has you outchipped without being drawn out on. But show some class and respect. I was, again, less than charitable to this assbag, and he was too stupid to acknowledge his foolishness.

Then I got back up to 9K, called a push to my raise with AJ suited (getting 3 to 1 on the push), to run into Kings again. Meh. Down to 4k, I push with nines, and someone calls off 75% of his stack with QJo. And thinks he made a brilliant call "with two overs."

Poker players are dumb and I hate most of them. ;)

I guess I don't get it

In case you're under a rock, the House just passed an Internet Gambling prohibition, which if enacted will serve to eliminate or at least severely curtail or eliminate online poker play in the United States.

How stupid are these people? My family has worked for public officials for decades, and I used to hope that at least some of them had a clue. Now I guess I know better, as my Congresswoman (and someone who was at my freaking rehearsal dinner party) voted to suppress my freedoms without a thought.

If this bill acted to regulate and tax Internet gambling, so be it. If this bill actually outlawed all internet gambling, fine by me -- I would disagree, but I understand that cometimes the "majority" rules.

Instead we get a mishmash of special interest pandering and privacy violations that makes the Patriot Act seem like a tame security measure.

Problems from the text of the bill itself, which people apparently have not read. Of course, how can you -- it's very tough to find the actual text of a bill as passed and be sure you're not reading a prior iteration. An open and accessible Congress, eh? Anyhow, my quick review (read Cardplayer for something much more in-depth):

1. The only stated basis for the Act is "Internet gambling is a growing cause of debt collection problems for insured depository institutions and the consumer credit industry." Later on they make vague accusations of possible money laundering. So the bill exists to assist big banks? Why do they need our help? I thought this was a great moral crusade!

2. Wager is defined as "the staking or risking by any person of something of value upon the outcome of a contest of others, a sporting event, or a game subject to chance". Is poker subject to chance? Under this broad-ass definition, probably. Note the odd carve out for "contests":

`(viii) any participation in a fantasy or simulation sports game, an educational game, or a contest, that--

`(I) is not dependent solely on the outcome of any single sporting event or nonparticipant's singular individual performance in any single sporting event;

`(II) has an outcome that reflects the relative knowledge of the participants, or their skill at physical reaction or physical manipulation (but not chance), and, in the case of a fantasy or simulation sports game, has an outcome that is determined predominantly by accumulated statistical results of sporting events, including any nonparticipant's individual performances in such sporting events; and

`(III) offers a prize or award to a participant that is established in advance of the game or contest and is not determined by the number of participants or the amount of any fees paid by those participants.

3. Note that if you had enough money, you could get yourself out of this. Not sure why Harrah's didn't man up, since this will seriously affect their WSOP bottom line, but big swingers like lotteries and horse racing are specifically exempted. The only logical conclusion is that their lobbyists did a good job, as there is little difference I can note between those forms of wagering and others banned by the broad brush of this act.

4. Banks are authorized and in fact required to invade my privacy to determine where my EFTs are going to and coming from, without a warrant or any need for probable cause, and then are required to block my transactions to certain companies, again without warrant or other judicial intervention. Same thing for my ISP. So I can go to any porn site, hate group, or Nambla, but my ISP has the right (and legal duty) to block my access to gambling sites.

5. Violators can be sent to jail for 5 years and/or fined. Again though, seems like this punishes the businesses, not the players themselves.

6. This bill could conceivably result in millions in private sector mandated costs. This may trickle down into bank fees and the like.


Long story short, this is a fairly disgusting example of special interests and moral pandering of the worst political sort. Shame on you, Republicans, for pushing this through amd making it an agenda item. Shame on you, Democrats, for going along. Shame on you, Mr. President, for tacitly accepting this purposeless restriction of freedoms.

Step 1

I won my seat to Sunday's World Series tournament on Stars. At this point, they need to qualify 4,000 more for it not to be an overlay, and then it's still 1 in 32. Blinds are the same as the weekly Million, and I have done pretty well in those when I've played. I hope most of the best players have their seats already, and there won't be too many people playing just for the cash this close to the Series.

Good luck to those still trying to qualify.

I need to play great poker, of course, but I think I can win this thing. I know I can play well enough on Sunday to make it happen.

In fact, I am going to give up part of my poker weekend to make sure I get enough sleep and make it happen.


I played in the WPTFan WSOP tonight and bubbled yet again. So far 5 hours played, two bubbles, no points. Sigh. I got to play with Matt Matros and Nordberg, though, which is always a pleasure. I have fun making fun of Yale of course, and Matt doesn't really know me so he has no idea why.....

I am the King of Free Money Tournaments

Just make it a freeroll and I will dominate, baby....

Nine whole dollars in freeroll PROFIT thus far for doin well in the FTP Fantasy League.

Poker has been uneventful. I can't believe how slowly the FTP bonus clears. It's like a joke. I 2-table 1/2 Razz and work up about five bucks in bonus in two full hours of full table ring play. Ludicrous -- why bother offering a bonus like this? FTP is this close to being a good site, but they can't quite get it. The quick basics FTP misses:

1. Respond to customer needs quickly. Too many stories from friends waiting to hear from CS for forever.
2. Make unregistration possible -- I don't need tourney dollars per se, but at least the option to play the tourney I satellited into a week later.
3. Make the bonus at least feasible to obtain. If you insist on making it this hard, remove the date restriction like Poker Stars.

My wife is leaving town to see her niece Thursday. I will miss her a lot, and I hate when she leaves town. The only upside is I get a poker weekend. Have not decided what I am doing yet, but I do hope to qualify for the Stars 150 seat guarantee and give the WSOP one shot anyway. Of course, I may have to be in Reading Monday morning, so I may be doing it from a hotel room. We'll see.

De Nada

Nothing much going on. Lost a bit playing live Monday, lost a bit playing Razz Tuesday, finished 18th in the Fantasy Poker Freeroll. Yeehaw.