Right now the second Durrrr Challenge is in full stream. Jungleman12, Daniel Cates stepped up to the Challenge and to the escrow. Unfortunately for Dwan, the player he goaded into playing is having the upper hand in the contes. But how did it get started. We have a couple of online chats thats give some insight of what got the candle lit. This time it will be straight Texas Hold'em poker with Pot Limit Omaha being forsaken.
Just as he did with Antonius (in the first still yet to be completed challenge) Dwan is offering up 3 to 1 action. Challengers must contribute 500k in escrow, while Durrrr puts up 1.5 million. The two will play 50,000 hands of No Limit Hold’Em or Pot Limit Omaha (which Cates has indicated he'll pass on) with blinds of 200/400 at at least four tables at one time. All profits in heads up play and kept, obviously, and the winner after 50k of hands gets all the money is escrow.
Currently, the first challenge has Tom Dwan up over 2 million dollars with more than 80% of the Challenge finished. It’s taken over a year and a half to play. Dwan has gone on the record as saying he’s up for playing more challenges at the same time.
The origin of the second challenge began with this conversation:
durrrr: y dont u take challenge
durrrr: since u never lose to me
jungleman12: i will prob
jungleman12: maybe
jungleman12: isnt bt next or something?
durrrr: i can do 2 at once
durrrr: ship ivey 500k n we will work out details
durrrr: get my aim from someone
jungleman12: ok
durrrr: i wanna crank out at least 2 of em before london if poss
jungleman12: ill talk to you over aim before doing it
durrrr: we could obv play in like 2 weeks
jungleman12: k
durrrr: kk gg
Dan Cates, didn't need too much persuading. Despite getting his start playing $0.25/$0.50 heads up cash games Cates has come a long way quickly, now he's playing the $200/$400 blinds of the Durrrr Challenge. Cates is super aggressive and obviously incredibly skilled. He already has students willing to pay him one to two thousand an hour.
The next conversation that preceded the challenge again involved Dwan pressing Cates to take it.
durrrr: did u send ivey $$ yet?
jungleman12: not yet
jungleman12: ill send now
jungleman12: how soon is soon?
durrrr: read ur phone…
jungleman12: ah i see
durrrr: few days at most
durrrr: did u send yet?
jungleman12: yeah
jungleman12: sent
durrrr: then i can start talking &&%%
durrrr: since we’re booked
jungleman12: ?
durrrr: and say that its cute u think u’ll ever have an edge =)
jungleman12: lol
jungleman12: you never seemed like the type
durrrr: never wanna scare off the fish =)
durrrr: but if they escrow….
durrrr: haha ok
durrrr: lmk if u wanna play if not we’ll start in a few days
durrrr: gl n stuff
jungleman12: u2
Wow, Dwan came out firing. This smacktalk hinted at a big things to come. For the most part the chatbox in the challenge which is almost 12 per cent completed has been a let down for people craving a verbal war as well as a raising war. For those thinking this was the antithesis of the Antonius challenge... and it started that way... the inactivity has to leave them disappointed.
The two fired off a couple of lengthy session, albeit without smack, but have since gone on a hiatus with travel much to blame.
Durrrr expressed an interest in wrapping things up before the before the World Series of Poker Europe tournament in London but it's been stalled for a couple of weeks. That's not necessarily a bad thing for Durrrr as he's started in a hole and might need some time to regroup.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Durrrr
Durrrr-dur-Durr-durr-Durrrrrrrrr. The sound of that collective exhaling are the biggest and richest poker players in the world sighing in relief. Tom "Durrrr" Dwan finished in second place at a final table at the World Series of Poker. In perhaps, the most heavily sweated final table ever with far more action on the side than in the event... eclipsing even the prop bet madness of Phil Ivey's final table at last years Main Event, Tom Dwan came in second. Tom Dwan played the casino to the other top players in the world betting against him and the casino almost won.
Phil Ivey is rumored to be on the hook for 9 million dollars if Dwan wins a bracelet this year. That's right 9 million dollars, that's more sweat then he gets playing craps or any other high stakes casino games. Durrrr set the odds at around 3 to 1, 3.25 to 1 that he'd win a bracelet and many of the high stakes regulars took him up on it. Given that it's estimated he would have won more that day than any other day in his career, and it's rumored the sidebets would total almost 15 million (bigger than any Main Event payday), the biggest action was around the table and not on it.
Afterall, the kid's niche is No Limit Hold'em and Pot Limit Omaha, and his biggest successes are in cash games, and most of them are online not live. Those are the two varieties of poker most commonly played and at this years World Series ensured huge fields for both types of events. So perhaps, the big game players recognized a good opportunity when they saw it. Afterall Durrrr would have to navigate through massive fields, countless coin flips, and still win.
The fact that he would stretch himself thin just playing all the events to give himself a chance to win the bracelet would only make his live "Durrrr" challenge all the more harder as time went on. Phil Ivey last year made some bracelet bets and then promptly won two and had a shot at the third, but Ivey's wheelhouse is not that of a standard player. He plays every game well.
Thus, for Ivey he'd have a great chance at any type of poker. He honed his game playing stud in Atlantic city when he was underage, and already had a slew of bracelets and tournament wins in live poker, so Ivey's bet made more sense.
Tom Dwan, is never one to back down from a challenge, or to fire in a bet when the odds seem long for him to win. The kid has incredible self-belief and seeing how Ivey's prop bet fueled him last year, Dwan decided to seek the same motivation to make him relevant in the tournament scene.
This is a guy, after all, who made the Durrrr Challenge, just to get action, and everybody laughed at him laying three to one odds--he's currently beating up on Patrik Antonius and seems all but a lock to win the challenge. So what if some of the poker tournaments he'd be playing in would be relative new games. Dwan's all about instant excellence and surpassing expectations and limitations. His whole career has been about ostentatious self-belief and a quiet fire to win every pot possible.
As a relative nobody, except to online poker insiders, Dwan chastised Phil Hellmuth and challenged him to a duel upon making his debut to the televised poker wold, and hasn't stop challenging the establishment since. So what if Dwan might not have won his first bracelet, and his inexperience in closing out a poker tournament might bite him in the ass through the rest of the world series, but Dwan has a way of doing the unexpected, so much so, that it's almost expected these days.
Eventually, his action will dry up. Many players after last year said they'd stop betting against Phil Ivey doing anything when it comes to poker. If Dwan wins a bracelet this year, Phil Ivey might start saying he'll stop betting against Durrrr doing anything.
Phil Ivey is rumored to be on the hook for 9 million dollars if Dwan wins a bracelet this year. That's right 9 million dollars, that's more sweat then he gets playing craps or any other high stakes casino games. Durrrr set the odds at around 3 to 1, 3.25 to 1 that he'd win a bracelet and many of the high stakes regulars took him up on it. Given that it's estimated he would have won more that day than any other day in his career, and it's rumored the sidebets would total almost 15 million (bigger than any Main Event payday), the biggest action was around the table and not on it.
Afterall, the kid's niche is No Limit Hold'em and Pot Limit Omaha, and his biggest successes are in cash games, and most of them are online not live. Those are the two varieties of poker most commonly played and at this years World Series ensured huge fields for both types of events. So perhaps, the big game players recognized a good opportunity when they saw it. Afterall Durrrr would have to navigate through massive fields, countless coin flips, and still win.
The fact that he would stretch himself thin just playing all the events to give himself a chance to win the bracelet would only make his live "Durrrr" challenge all the more harder as time went on. Phil Ivey last year made some bracelet bets and then promptly won two and had a shot at the third, but Ivey's wheelhouse is not that of a standard player. He plays every game well.
Thus, for Ivey he'd have a great chance at any type of poker. He honed his game playing stud in Atlantic city when he was underage, and already had a slew of bracelets and tournament wins in live poker, so Ivey's bet made more sense.
Tom Dwan, is never one to back down from a challenge, or to fire in a bet when the odds seem long for him to win. The kid has incredible self-belief and seeing how Ivey's prop bet fueled him last year, Dwan decided to seek the same motivation to make him relevant in the tournament scene.
This is a guy, after all, who made the Durrrr Challenge, just to get action, and everybody laughed at him laying three to one odds--he's currently beating up on Patrik Antonius and seems all but a lock to win the challenge. So what if some of the poker tournaments he'd be playing in would be relative new games. Dwan's all about instant excellence and surpassing expectations and limitations. His whole career has been about ostentatious self-belief and a quiet fire to win every pot possible.
As a relative nobody, except to online poker insiders, Dwan chastised Phil Hellmuth and challenged him to a duel upon making his debut to the televised poker wold, and hasn't stop challenging the establishment since. So what if Dwan might not have won his first bracelet, and his inexperience in closing out a poker tournament might bite him in the ass through the rest of the world series, but Dwan has a way of doing the unexpected, so much so, that it's almost expected these days.
Eventually, his action will dry up. Many players after last year said they'd stop betting against Phil Ivey doing anything when it comes to poker. If Dwan wins a bracelet this year, Phil Ivey might start saying he'll stop betting against Durrrr doing anything.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
High Stakes Poker Season 6, Episode 7
Part one of high stakes below. You cast of players online poker greats; online online omaha poker experts Tom Dwan, Phil Ivey, and Patrik Antonius. Lex Veldhuis, Barry Greenstein, Daniel Negreanu, Andrew Robl and a helping of every man Dennis Phillips.
There were no monster pots High Stakes Poker pots at play here but the players last week who got roughed up a bit, Patrik Antonius (ran his aces into Phil Ivey's kings), Lex Veldhuis who mixed it up with a mistimed bluff vs. Andrew Robl, were perhaps licking their wounds. Negreanu and Phillips got sliced and diced for value by Tom Dwan who kept improving on the river.
They entered the show with these stacks: Dwan over 700k. Antonius over 600k, Ivey 450k, Negreanu 320k, Rob 241k, Greenstein 117k. Nursing the little stacks under 100k were Phillips just at 99k and Veldhuis a smidge under 80k.
An early big hand was Daniel Negreanu vs. Andrew Robl. Negreanu had 33, Robl A3. The flop came out QQ3. They checked the flop. A deuce on the turn elicted a bet out of Negreanu, Robl called. A six hit the river and Negreanu regretted checking hoping to induce a bet, because the bet didn't come.
A big hand here again involved Andrew Robl. Barry Greenstein raised with KQ of clubs, Robl reraised it with Ak. Barry called. Flop came queen high and Barry checked. Robl bet and Barry called. Robl found some heart and led out 44k. Greenstein shoved and Robl had to fold. As Kaplan noted Greenstein could only fear AA, KK, JJ, and if Greenstein. Kaplan later compared Robl to Marlon Brando on the Waterfront.
Dennis Phillips eemed the most frustrated as his stack quickly dwindled. Like sand through fingers. Dennis came out with a raise of K7 suited. Tom Dwan with the same suit came over the top and bumped it with 102 suited. Phil Ivey probably recognizing Dwan's move considered raising for a moment but didn't. Instead he called with pocket threes. Flop came out 7 high giving Dennis the best hand.
Ivey checked, Dennis checked, and Dwan fired. Ivey went away. Dennis shoved and Dwan folded. He got ridiculed a bit for waiting for a K7. Greenstein was having the most fun with the fomer truck driver.
It took until almost the end of the show for the real hand to happen. Ivey led out with K10. Robl called with Ace of Spades, Queen of hearts. Patrik Antonius came over the top with a big raise. Everybody scattered until the action returned to Robl. Robl shoved, and Patrik insta-called. That wasn't so good for Robl. They ran it twice and Patrik Antonius won them both.
In general it was a pretty tepid show. Even Dwan got suckered into not value betting the river. Daniel Negreanu induced some eyerolls when he twice checked his best hand hoping to induce a bet instead of betting it. Dwan turned the screw on one suggesting Negreanu could have won a big pot.
In the last segment it got worse for Negreanu. Dwan repopped Negreanu's meager J8 raise. The flop came AJA. Negreanu was happy about that Jack. He shouldn't have been. Dwan bet the flop. Negreanu called. When a King hit the turn Dwan made the nuts with Ak in the hole. He put out a 1/3rd bet. Daniel came over the top for another 80k.
After some hollywooding Dwan called. Negreanu caught a break on the river as Dwan checked and Negeanu had to check behind.
There were no monster pots High Stakes Poker pots at play here but the players last week who got roughed up a bit, Patrik Antonius (ran his aces into Phil Ivey's kings), Lex Veldhuis who mixed it up with a mistimed bluff vs. Andrew Robl, were perhaps licking their wounds. Negreanu and Phillips got sliced and diced for value by Tom Dwan who kept improving on the river.
They entered the show with these stacks: Dwan over 700k. Antonius over 600k, Ivey 450k, Negreanu 320k, Rob 241k, Greenstein 117k. Nursing the little stacks under 100k were Phillips just at 99k and Veldhuis a smidge under 80k.
An early big hand was Daniel Negreanu vs. Andrew Robl. Negreanu had 33, Robl A3. The flop came out QQ3. They checked the flop. A deuce on the turn elicted a bet out of Negreanu, Robl called. A six hit the river and Negreanu regretted checking hoping to induce a bet, because the bet didn't come.
A big hand here again involved Andrew Robl. Barry Greenstein raised with KQ of clubs, Robl reraised it with Ak. Barry called. Flop came queen high and Barry checked. Robl bet and Barry called. Robl found some heart and led out 44k. Greenstein shoved and Robl had to fold. As Kaplan noted Greenstein could only fear AA, KK, JJ, and if Greenstein. Kaplan later compared Robl to Marlon Brando on the Waterfront.
Dennis Phillips eemed the most frustrated as his stack quickly dwindled. Like sand through fingers. Dennis came out with a raise of K7 suited. Tom Dwan with the same suit came over the top and bumped it with 102 suited. Phil Ivey probably recognizing Dwan's move considered raising for a moment but didn't. Instead he called with pocket threes. Flop came out 7 high giving Dennis the best hand.
Ivey checked, Dennis checked, and Dwan fired. Ivey went away. Dennis shoved and Dwan folded. He got ridiculed a bit for waiting for a K7. Greenstein was having the most fun with the fomer truck driver.
It took until almost the end of the show for the real hand to happen. Ivey led out with K10. Robl called with Ace of Spades, Queen of hearts. Patrik Antonius came over the top with a big raise. Everybody scattered until the action returned to Robl. Robl shoved, and Patrik insta-called. That wasn't so good for Robl. They ran it twice and Patrik Antonius won them both.
In general it was a pretty tepid show. Even Dwan got suckered into not value betting the river. Daniel Negreanu induced some eyerolls when he twice checked his best hand hoping to induce a bet instead of betting it. Dwan turned the screw on one suggesting Negreanu could have won a big pot.
In the last segment it got worse for Negreanu. Dwan repopped Negreanu's meager J8 raise. The flop came AJA. Negreanu was happy about that Jack. He shouldn't have been. Dwan bet the flop. Negreanu called. When a King hit the turn Dwan made the nuts with Ak in the hole. He put out a 1/3rd bet. Daniel came over the top for another 80k.
After some hollywooding Dwan called. Negreanu caught a break on the river as Dwan checked and Negeanu had to check behind.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
High Stakes Poker Season 6 Episode 1
High Stakes Poker on the Game Show Network is back. The first episode all portions below had some interesting No Limit Texas Hold 'Em action. There was about half live players and half online poker players. One familiar live poker player who likes to play online poker was in everybody's cross hairs, took the ribbing well, then picked up after losing one buy-in. Watch below find out who... All in all the online players, acquitted themselves well as many of them have already transitioned into simply being "poker players" by virtue of logging so many hours in live games too. More comments to follow the videos.
Now, having watched the videos you know who it was. Phil Hellmuth ran brutally bad all day almost as bad as when he decides to play poker online (or so he says). Running a king high flush into an ace high flush (but losing the minimum) was just one of the many hands he got coolered on. You could tell the frustration and the tilt started early as he naively folded to a bet and raise when he held AQ. Dario Mineiri raised with nothing, Tom Dwan reraised with little more (QJ) and Phil Hellmuth laid down AQ.
The flop brought three hearts and Dwan won the pot when he rivered a heart. His Jack of hearts played. Phil, of course, laid down the Queen of hearts. This pot seemed to simmer with him and it led to some bad decisions... it also showed the casual poker player that even some of the greatest live tournament poker players are susceptible to Tilt and other can make mistakes mere mortals make.
The new season of High Stakes Poker featured a booth with just Gabe Kaplan and no AJ Benza. This dynamic didn't really work. There was no straight man to Kaplan's jokes and half there humor when they fell flat was the reaction to them falling flat... now they are just flat. The new show featured sideline reporter Kara Scott who has a had a couple of deep World Series of Poker Main Event runs on her resume doing interviews with the players.
Her enthusiasm as a poker player was evident and its clear she'll ask the questions not as in the dark eye-candy but as someone with a knowledge base wide enough to engage the players. As American Reality shows have learned having a moderator or host with a British accent ups the "intellect" and sophistication even it's artificial.
Scott is not artificial and she just happens to be English so it was a good choice. As far as eye-candy goes there are certainly better hostesses out there for that (she's moving toward "poker room" hot and away from simply "hot" these days) so for once it appears the producers chose a beautiful woman based on her merits rather than her beauty.
In the action, Phil Ivey was the big winner. He had a chance to be an even bigger winner when he picked up Queens and Phil Hellmuth had AJ. Phil raised with AJ and Ivey moved all-in. Hellmuth stewed forever than mucked saying nice bluff. Ivey tossed his cards into the middle despite online poker phenom Tom Dwan trying to entice a show of the cards with a 2k chip.
Dwan said "I'll give you 2k if your hand was better than Jacks." Ivey smiled and refused. Afterward he said, "If you offered 5k I would have showed you my aces." Hellmuth seemed to smoulder in the background.
To twist the screw even more the best poker player in the world (Ivey) mucked his next hand as soon as he got it, saying "This is the same hand I had last time," implying he had bluffed Hellmuth with rags. The table got a big kicked out of it and steam almost came out of Hellmuth's ears.
Sure enough later he got adventurous with the type of hand he never plays and he flopped an straight draw and flush draw. He moved in on Phil Ivey on the turn. Ivey held a bigger flush draw and the King that had hit the turn paired his high card. He had to call.
With that the Poker Brat Phil Hellmuth picked up and then gave Scott a very even keeled interview. No telling when it was filmed, but if it was just after the session credit to Hellmuth. He ran really bad on the day and had the good sense to get out of there before too tilted and too coolered translated into too many lost buy-ins.
Now, having watched the videos you know who it was. Phil Hellmuth ran brutally bad all day almost as bad as when he decides to play poker online (or so he says). Running a king high flush into an ace high flush (but losing the minimum) was just one of the many hands he got coolered on. You could tell the frustration and the tilt started early as he naively folded to a bet and raise when he held AQ. Dario Mineiri raised with nothing, Tom Dwan reraised with little more (QJ) and Phil Hellmuth laid down AQ.
The flop brought three hearts and Dwan won the pot when he rivered a heart. His Jack of hearts played. Phil, of course, laid down the Queen of hearts. This pot seemed to simmer with him and it led to some bad decisions... it also showed the casual poker player that even some of the greatest live tournament poker players are susceptible to Tilt and other can make mistakes mere mortals make.
The new season of High Stakes Poker featured a booth with just Gabe Kaplan and no AJ Benza. This dynamic didn't really work. There was no straight man to Kaplan's jokes and half there humor when they fell flat was the reaction to them falling flat... now they are just flat. The new show featured sideline reporter Kara Scott who has a had a couple of deep World Series of Poker Main Event runs on her resume doing interviews with the players.
Her enthusiasm as a poker player was evident and its clear she'll ask the questions not as in the dark eye-candy but as someone with a knowledge base wide enough to engage the players. As American Reality shows have learned having a moderator or host with a British accent ups the "intellect" and sophistication even it's artificial.
Scott is not artificial and she just happens to be English so it was a good choice. As far as eye-candy goes there are certainly better hostesses out there for that (she's moving toward "poker room" hot and away from simply "hot" these days) so for once it appears the producers chose a beautiful woman based on her merits rather than her beauty.
In the action, Phil Ivey was the big winner. He had a chance to be an even bigger winner when he picked up Queens and Phil Hellmuth had AJ. Phil raised with AJ and Ivey moved all-in. Hellmuth stewed forever than mucked saying nice bluff. Ivey tossed his cards into the middle despite online poker phenom Tom Dwan trying to entice a show of the cards with a 2k chip.
Dwan said "I'll give you 2k if your hand was better than Jacks." Ivey smiled and refused. Afterward he said, "If you offered 5k I would have showed you my aces." Hellmuth seemed to smoulder in the background.
To twist the screw even more the best poker player in the world (Ivey) mucked his next hand as soon as he got it, saying "This is the same hand I had last time," implying he had bluffed Hellmuth with rags. The table got a big kicked out of it and steam almost came out of Hellmuth's ears.
Sure enough later he got adventurous with the type of hand he never plays and he flopped an straight draw and flush draw. He moved in on Phil Ivey on the turn. Ivey held a bigger flush draw and the King that had hit the turn paired his high card. He had to call.
With that the Poker Brat Phil Hellmuth picked up and then gave Scott a very even keeled interview. No telling when it was filmed, but if it was just after the session credit to Hellmuth. He ran really bad on the day and had the good sense to get out of there before too tilted and too coolered translated into too many lost buy-ins.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Poker News from Around the world
Lots of bits and pieces from the wide world of poker. Let's start with one of online poker's biggest stars and best players...
Anette Obrestad aka Anette15 aka The Huntress? Heard of her? You know who she is... The girl who played a poker tournament without looking at her hole cards and won. The girl that never deposited money online and built her bankroll to millions by starting off in freerolls and working her way up from micro stakes.
The online poker superstar that just turned 21 and will now be kicking butt in the World Series of Poker and decimating the ancient 22 and 23 year olds that used to dominate. Yeah, she's good. Well, she just won a Pot Limit Omaha tournament. Yeah, the girl is not only one of the world's best online No Limit Texas Hold 'Em players apparently she's well rounded and better than you at Pot Limit Omaha too.
Anette Obrestad is the queen of the new age of poker player, the online poker player that we profile here at Online Poker Player. She's good. She's also been on Poker After Dark recently holding her own. If that show was on say six years ago, not only would she have been 15 (Anette15) and presumably starting to learn poker but likely the next player would have been getting a lot more invites than he's currently gotten.
Speaking of online poker, if not for it, TJ Cloutier may not have found himself in a position where he needed to sell one of his World Series of Poker bracelets. Some would say the toll of a craps habit may have more to do with his financial distress than the new breed of players but poker hasn't gotten any easier and many of the old guard have quietly disappeared into the shadows. No longer are they crushing tournaments with strategies that are at best outdated and at worst predictable and obvious.
The poker boom was a boon to many, but after a few years of trying to wade through enormous fields, those players that couldn't adapt or find a sponsor, soon found their bankrolls drying up. TJ's a great guy and a terrific storyteller about poker but the fact he is putting his bracelet up for sale shows you how quickly poker can turn on even its best players.
Cloutier's bracelet is 14 karat gold. It's from his 2005 $5,000 No Limit Hold 'Em championship. Cloutier had to beat 466 players to win the totem, apparently bidders have to beat none, because nobody has placed a bid on Cloutier's memento yet.
Speaking of old school vs. new, Jeff Madsen the youngster who was recently crowned World Series of Poker player of the year is mixing it up with Doyle Brunson in regard to politics. Brunson is a guy who has no qualms adapting to new technologies and started the recent hubub by posting an Obama joke on twitter. Something along the lines of "The Dems keep telling us to give the President time. I'm all for it, how's 10 to 20."
Madsen took the bait and went after Doyle's politics a little bit. Whippersnappers never learn. Doyle informed the kid that he too used to be in favor of handouts but now he's all for people earning their own money. A few followers threw the racist card at Doyle and he protested. Good little controversy though.
Normally the online poker player would rather support the online poker player but in this fight it's hard to pick who is the live player and who is the online player. Both have bigger successes playing live but both are tied to online sites. Since Doyle has his own site we'll call him the online guy despite being the old-school of the two.
Anette Obrestad aka Anette15 aka The Huntress? Heard of her? You know who she is... The girl who played a poker tournament without looking at her hole cards and won. The girl that never deposited money online and built her bankroll to millions by starting off in freerolls and working her way up from micro stakes.
The online poker superstar that just turned 21 and will now be kicking butt in the World Series of Poker and decimating the ancient 22 and 23 year olds that used to dominate. Yeah, she's good. Well, she just won a Pot Limit Omaha tournament. Yeah, the girl is not only one of the world's best online No Limit Texas Hold 'Em players apparently she's well rounded and better than you at Pot Limit Omaha too.
Anette Obrestad is the queen of the new age of poker player, the online poker player that we profile here at Online Poker Player. She's good. She's also been on Poker After Dark recently holding her own. If that show was on say six years ago, not only would she have been 15 (Anette15) and presumably starting to learn poker but likely the next player would have been getting a lot more invites than he's currently gotten.
Speaking of online poker, if not for it, TJ Cloutier may not have found himself in a position where he needed to sell one of his World Series of Poker bracelets. Some would say the toll of a craps habit may have more to do with his financial distress than the new breed of players but poker hasn't gotten any easier and many of the old guard have quietly disappeared into the shadows. No longer are they crushing tournaments with strategies that are at best outdated and at worst predictable and obvious.
The poker boom was a boon to many, but after a few years of trying to wade through enormous fields, those players that couldn't adapt or find a sponsor, soon found their bankrolls drying up. TJ's a great guy and a terrific storyteller about poker but the fact he is putting his bracelet up for sale shows you how quickly poker can turn on even its best players.
Cloutier's bracelet is 14 karat gold. It's from his 2005 $5,000 No Limit Hold 'Em championship. Cloutier had to beat 466 players to win the totem, apparently bidders have to beat none, because nobody has placed a bid on Cloutier's memento yet.
Speaking of old school vs. new, Jeff Madsen the youngster who was recently crowned World Series of Poker player of the year is mixing it up with Doyle Brunson in regard to politics. Brunson is a guy who has no qualms adapting to new technologies and started the recent hubub by posting an Obama joke on twitter. Something along the lines of "The Dems keep telling us to give the President time. I'm all for it, how's 10 to 20."
Madsen took the bait and went after Doyle's politics a little bit. Whippersnappers never learn. Doyle informed the kid that he too used to be in favor of handouts but now he's all for people earning their own money. A few followers threw the racist card at Doyle and he protested. Good little controversy though.
Normally the online poker player would rather support the online poker player but in this fight it's hard to pick who is the live player and who is the online player. Both have bigger successes playing live but both are tied to online sites. Since Doyle has his own site we'll call him the online guy despite being the old-school of the two.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Poker Predictions and Resolutions for the New Year
Predictions:
World Series of Poker:
The Main Event will break a record for most Day 1D players. The World Series will not turn away any players this year but find themselves having to play 11 handed in some areas. Phil Hellmuth's entourage will be bigger.
No player will match Jeffrey Lisandro's three bracelet's in one series. In fact, only one player will win two. Phil Ivey will suffer a similar hangover as player of the year from two years ago Eric Lindgren did this year.
Doyle Brunson will not make a final table or a day two.
A woman will win a bracelet and make it to the Main Event final table.
An internet pro will go from waking up to play poker online, to waking up as the best online poker player in the world AND the best live player in the world by virtue of winning the main event. He will be young, cocky, and a tad geeky. Joe Cada won't have to worry about sharing the endorsement dollars. The young gun will be well more well known than Cada by the Pocket Fives crew but unknown to the rest of the world and Norman Chad.
Bax and Sheets will back another final table player.
Chris Moneymaker will make a final table and contend for a bracelet.
Johnny Chan will also go deep in a NL Hold 'Em Event but not win another bracelet.
Phil wins! Phil wins! Phil Hellmuth will win another bracelet and add to his impressive ITM finishes.
One of the many 1k stimulus tournaments (the first one in all likelihood) will set a record for participants if they decide not to cap the total.
A name pro will make the Main Event final table. The entire poker world will be behind him and he'll go out softly just like Phil Ivey this year.
POKER WORLD IN GENERAL
U.I.E.G.A. will be repealed, overturned, nullified, and rendered moot. Hey, no reason not be optimistic.
After the repeal a major European poker site will become a major player in the United States market. Players will time their sleeping patterns to play online poker in the softest games from around the world.
Middling players will continue to flock to Asia to play in softer games and cheaper living expenses.
Rounders2 will get off the ground. It will focus on online poker and Mike McD will have become a Phil Ivey type character that is well rounded in all games, live and online.
Two major poker magazines will merge.
A player will win two major Sunday tournaments at the same time on one Sunday. The Internet will crack in half.
Another major cheating scandal will be uncovered. Rather than online superusers it will be a team of live players who have started to play together after the economy hurt their bottom line. It will also involve floor and dealers as periphery assistants.
Major poker rooms in Las Vegas will close.
Somebody will consider a round the clock poker channel.
An upstart will win the NBC heads up championship. It won't be Tom Dwan but it will be a youngster like Jonathan Little.
More and more young players will give up the game.
Poker training sites will merge.
Greg Raymer will contemplate running for office. His Pokerstars job will keep him playing poker.
Daniel Negreanu and Eric Lindgren will win their team prop bet this year as both have successful World Series.
Phil Ivey will lose an unheard of amount of money playing craps. It will make the national news.
A current major sports star, a Michael Phelps sized star, maybe Phelps himself will go deep in a major tournament.
World Series of Poker:
The Main Event will break a record for most Day 1D players. The World Series will not turn away any players this year but find themselves having to play 11 handed in some areas. Phil Hellmuth's entourage will be bigger.
No player will match Jeffrey Lisandro's three bracelet's in one series. In fact, only one player will win two. Phil Ivey will suffer a similar hangover as player of the year from two years ago Eric Lindgren did this year.
Doyle Brunson will not make a final table or a day two.
A woman will win a bracelet and make it to the Main Event final table.
An internet pro will go from waking up to play poker online, to waking up as the best online poker player in the world AND the best live player in the world by virtue of winning the main event. He will be young, cocky, and a tad geeky. Joe Cada won't have to worry about sharing the endorsement dollars. The young gun will be well more well known than Cada by the Pocket Fives crew but unknown to the rest of the world and Norman Chad.
Bax and Sheets will back another final table player.
Chris Moneymaker will make a final table and contend for a bracelet.
Johnny Chan will also go deep in a NL Hold 'Em Event but not win another bracelet.
Phil wins! Phil wins! Phil Hellmuth will win another bracelet and add to his impressive ITM finishes.
One of the many 1k stimulus tournaments (the first one in all likelihood) will set a record for participants if they decide not to cap the total.
A name pro will make the Main Event final table. The entire poker world will be behind him and he'll go out softly just like Phil Ivey this year.
POKER WORLD IN GENERAL
U.I.E.G.A. will be repealed, overturned, nullified, and rendered moot. Hey, no reason not be optimistic.
After the repeal a major European poker site will become a major player in the United States market. Players will time their sleeping patterns to play online poker in the softest games from around the world.
Middling players will continue to flock to Asia to play in softer games and cheaper living expenses.
Rounders2 will get off the ground. It will focus on online poker and Mike McD will have become a Phil Ivey type character that is well rounded in all games, live and online.
Two major poker magazines will merge.
A player will win two major Sunday tournaments at the same time on one Sunday. The Internet will crack in half.
Another major cheating scandal will be uncovered. Rather than online superusers it will be a team of live players who have started to play together after the economy hurt their bottom line. It will also involve floor and dealers as periphery assistants.
Major poker rooms in Las Vegas will close.
Somebody will consider a round the clock poker channel.
An upstart will win the NBC heads up championship. It won't be Tom Dwan but it will be a youngster like Jonathan Little.
More and more young players will give up the game.
Poker training sites will merge.
Greg Raymer will contemplate running for office. His Pokerstars job will keep him playing poker.
Daniel Negreanu and Eric Lindgren will win their team prop bet this year as both have successful World Series.
Phil Ivey will lose an unheard of amount of money playing craps. It will make the national news.
A current major sports star, a Michael Phelps sized star, maybe Phelps himself will go deep in a major tournament.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Manage your tournament poker structure with an App
Recently decided to invest in a mac. Was worried about where to play, and as you know, and as I've written about in the past there is one online poker site, bwin, that takes care of us. In fact, it's always taken care of us. Frankly we mac users are a little cooler than pc users, or at least that's what Mac's advertising is selling.
So when I want to play poker on a mac, I'm obviously heading over to bwin's poker platform. What do I do when I'm playing live. Well, usually I use my phone to set an alarm to configure blinds and antes for a small tournament when I play at my boys house. Now, there's an app for that.
Bwin is again, on the bleeding edge and technology savvy freaks will enjoy their iPhones even more. Got an iPhone? Well, now when somebody is complaining about a blinds and antes structure you'll be the man, large and in charge. Now the tournament director is in your pants. (Get your mind out of the gutter)
The app, like all apps for the iPhone, is available in the Apple’s iTunes App Store. iTunes, is like a superstore. This is a far better App than your Peppermint Patty wallpaper. Search for Tournament Clock. Is it hard to use you may ask? And that's fine, I'll answer that...
No, the interface is just the opposite, it's dang near intuitive (as though it can guess what you are thinking--course that would be weird because then it would be aware you are thinking--iPhone's aren't that sophisticated... yet). Let's just say it is simple and easy to use.
Features include a toggle that allows you to adjust your home tournament's blind structure and level time limits. Or just jump right in using the “Quick Mode.” This is a blessing for all of us, who have difficulty setting our phones remembering which level is next or figuring out what the average chip stack is.
There is a wide latitude of things you can do with this intuitive, excuse me simple and easy to use interface. You'll be humming along in no time, probably right after you load it and it can't be any simpler to use. Us mac users and iphone owners can attest to how easy apple makes their computing and bwin has matched that simple sophistication. The best feature is being able to expand on the tournament organization and manipulate the variable controls.
You can go as far as creating profiles of the players, yeah, your friends. Put their pictures up there and what seat they are in, and then boot them when the bust out. Obviously, bwin is capable of putting together a solid product, with over 20 million customers who bet on sports, play poker, blackjack, roulette, and play casino games they are an industry leader. They've already diversified by streaming audio and video of events you can bet on, now they are taking their online poker knowledge to your live tournament game.
So when I want to play poker on a mac, I'm obviously heading over to bwin's poker platform. What do I do when I'm playing live. Well, usually I use my phone to set an alarm to configure blinds and antes for a small tournament when I play at my boys house. Now, there's an app for that.
Bwin is again, on the bleeding edge and technology savvy freaks will enjoy their iPhones even more. Got an iPhone? Well, now when somebody is complaining about a blinds and antes structure you'll be the man, large and in charge. Now the tournament director is in your pants. (Get your mind out of the gutter)
The app, like all apps for the iPhone, is available in the Apple’s iTunes App Store. iTunes, is like a superstore. This is a far better App than your Peppermint Patty wallpaper. Search for Tournament Clock. Is it hard to use you may ask? And that's fine, I'll answer that...
No, the interface is just the opposite, it's dang near intuitive (as though it can guess what you are thinking--course that would be weird because then it would be aware you are thinking--iPhone's aren't that sophisticated... yet). Let's just say it is simple and easy to use.
Features include a toggle that allows you to adjust your home tournament's blind structure and level time limits. Or just jump right in using the “Quick Mode.” This is a blessing for all of us, who have difficulty setting our phones remembering which level is next or figuring out what the average chip stack is.
There is a wide latitude of things you can do with this intuitive, excuse me simple and easy to use interface. You'll be humming along in no time, probably right after you load it and it can't be any simpler to use. Us mac users and iphone owners can attest to how easy apple makes their computing and bwin has matched that simple sophistication. The best feature is being able to expand on the tournament organization and manipulate the variable controls.
You can go as far as creating profiles of the players, yeah, your friends. Put their pictures up there and what seat they are in, and then boot them when the bust out. Obviously, bwin is capable of putting together a solid product, with over 20 million customers who bet on sports, play poker, blackjack, roulette, and play casino games they are an industry leader. They've already diversified by streaming audio and video of events you can bet on, now they are taking their online poker knowledge to your live tournament game.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
High Stakes Poker New Season
There is no better poker show than High Stakes Poker. You can see many of last years episodes and my reviews deep in this blog. So, you know how excited I've been for details of the sixth season of High Stakes Poker to be released. Now they are here. There is you usual variety of online poker players and live poker players and some new dynamics at play.
The first is a bit of the female touch. The new co-host is Kara Scott, who takes over for AJ Benza. Benza tipped us off of his depature in his blog "Benza Neat" and specualtion varied about who the new female would be. Vanessa Ruosso, Annie Duke, Vanessa Selbst? No Kara Scott, the pretty lady who went deep in back to back Main Events and won Norman Chad's heart on ESPN. She'll act like a field reporter co-opting the Poker After Dark format. Odd because the Poker After Dark format should have copied the High Stakes Poker format.
One is the best show on TV. The other is video Ambien. Poker After Dark is the Ambien if you haven't picked up on the fact you out cold before the opening credits every night. Scott's duties report from the High Stakes Poker suite, interviewing poker players about poker strategy, big hands and the table dynamics. We do no think she'll be interviewing the cocktail waitresses or the dealers.
There will be a minimum cash buy-in of $200,000.
A partial list of the players who are expected to compete this season (subject to change) includes:
Patrik Antonius
David Benyamine
Doyle Brunson
Tom Dwan
Eli Elezra
Antonio Esfandiari
Sammy George
Barry Greenstein
Phil Hellmuth
Andreas Hoivold
Phil Ivey
Mike Matusow
Allan Meltzer
Daniel Negreanu
Dennis Phillips
Lex Veldhuis
Yevgeniy Timoshenko
The first is a bit of the female touch. The new co-host is Kara Scott, who takes over for AJ Benza. Benza tipped us off of his depature in his blog "Benza Neat" and specualtion varied about who the new female would be. Vanessa Ruosso, Annie Duke, Vanessa Selbst? No Kara Scott, the pretty lady who went deep in back to back Main Events and won Norman Chad's heart on ESPN. She'll act like a field reporter co-opting the Poker After Dark format. Odd because the Poker After Dark format should have copied the High Stakes Poker format.
One is the best show on TV. The other is video Ambien. Poker After Dark is the Ambien if you haven't picked up on the fact you out cold before the opening credits every night. Scott's duties report from the High Stakes Poker suite, interviewing poker players about poker strategy, big hands and the table dynamics. We do no think she'll be interviewing the cocktail waitresses or the dealers.
There will be a minimum cash buy-in of $200,000.
A partial list of the players who are expected to compete this season (subject to change) includes:
Patrik Antonius
David Benyamine
Doyle Brunson
Tom Dwan
Eli Elezra
Antonio Esfandiari
Sammy George
Barry Greenstein
Phil Hellmuth
Andreas Hoivold
Phil Ivey
Mike Matusow
Allan Meltzer
Daniel Negreanu
Dennis Phillips
Lex Veldhuis
Yevgeniy Timoshenko
Friday, October 2, 2009
News and Views
Pokerpages has gone bye-bye! Or at least it will shortly. The venerable poker tournament site is closing its doors at the end of October. Can't say I hadn't heard of such a rumor but now the cat is out of the bag so to speak.
Also, out of the bag is Cardplayer's first family the Shulmans can play some poker themselves. Editing all those strategy articles every month must have helped out as Barry and Jeff are on the precipe of accomplishing something no other poker family has done. That's win two main events.
Yes, Jeff Shulman is a November Niner and has a great chance to take down the WSOP Main Event title. His father, Barry, just won the World Series of Poker-Europe Main Event. He's a main event bracelet winner (even if you have put the European equivalent of an asterisk after it--which may be an asterisk, or it may be a short man from Gaul who beats up Romans). Doyle Brunson has done that but his son hasn't. Barry Greenstein hasn't done it and neither has his son Joe Seebok.
Also, of note was the fact that two November Niners, the french guy and the English guy, made the final table in London as well. That's crazy. The two old hobbyists already accomplished a final table this year as well. When you run good you run great.
There is some chatter that the operators of Pitbull poker tried to flee Costa Rica in the middle of the night.
Did we mention Seebok? He just signed with Ultimate Bet. At one point, there was a fear they'd be fleeing in the middle of the night too. Seebok seems to think they'll soon be on the up and up too. Hmmm. Didn't he and Greenstein say they thought Russ Hamilton was telling the truth when he spoke to them. Hmmm.
Alright, speaking of rigged, Rigged in Riga is going on still. That's a great promotion offering a chance to see Latvia.
Also, out of the bag is Cardplayer's first family the Shulmans can play some poker themselves. Editing all those strategy articles every month must have helped out as Barry and Jeff are on the precipe of accomplishing something no other poker family has done. That's win two main events.
Yes, Jeff Shulman is a November Niner and has a great chance to take down the WSOP Main Event title. His father, Barry, just won the World Series of Poker-Europe Main Event. He's a main event bracelet winner (even if you have put the European equivalent of an asterisk after it--which may be an asterisk, or it may be a short man from Gaul who beats up Romans). Doyle Brunson has done that but his son hasn't. Barry Greenstein hasn't done it and neither has his son Joe Seebok.
Also, of note was the fact that two November Niners, the french guy and the English guy, made the final table in London as well. That's crazy. The two old hobbyists already accomplished a final table this year as well. When you run good you run great.
There is some chatter that the operators of Pitbull poker tried to flee Costa Rica in the middle of the night.
Did we mention Seebok? He just signed with Ultimate Bet. At one point, there was a fear they'd be fleeing in the middle of the night too. Seebok seems to think they'll soon be on the up and up too. Hmmm. Didn't he and Greenstein say they thought Russ Hamilton was telling the truth when he spoke to them. Hmmm.
Alright, speaking of rigged, Rigged in Riga is going on still. That's a great promotion offering a chance to see Latvia.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Fun Video
Ran into this customizable video this past weekend. It's a fun way to poke fun at your friends. Especially if one of your friends is a combustible force of nature who has a tendency to get into trouble. You don't know any of those do you?
http://www.pnnbc.com/
Here's how it works poker fans. Upload a photo of your friend, submit it to the website and then send him a link asking him if he got into trouble recently. Then see if he falls for it.
Some more poker pranks:
At the World Series, borrow Doyle Brunson's scooter and do wheelies down the aisles.
If you can spare the coin, buy an iPod load it up with crap music and figure out a way to trade it with your favorite pro without him knowing. If you can follow him into the bathroom, ask him to hold your iPod while you pee and say you will return the favor. Perfect candidate for this Phil Hellmuth.
On day two of a tournament, after getting permission from the dealer to play a prank, get back early, switch your small chip bag with the player with most chips on the table and just wait for his reaction.
When not in a hand after you've already folded shove all-in. Do only at a table with a sense of humor, especially a dealer with one.
http://www.pnnbc.com/
Here's how it works poker fans. Upload a photo of your friend, submit it to the website and then send him a link asking him if he got into trouble recently. Then see if he falls for it.
Some more poker pranks:
At the World Series, borrow Doyle Brunson's scooter and do wheelies down the aisles.
If you can spare the coin, buy an iPod load it up with crap music and figure out a way to trade it with your favorite pro without him knowing. If you can follow him into the bathroom, ask him to hold your iPod while you pee and say you will return the favor. Perfect candidate for this Phil Hellmuth.
On day two of a tournament, after getting permission from the dealer to play a prank, get back early, switch your small chip bag with the player with most chips on the table and just wait for his reaction.
When not in a hand after you've already folded shove all-in. Do only at a table with a sense of humor, especially a dealer with one.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Durrrr Challenge Returns...
Yes, the much ballyhooed and initially much railbirded challenge that kind of fizzled away has returned. I'm a Mac, Patrik Antonious and I'm a PC, Tom Dwan have turned their online battle back on.
We don't know if Patrik is actually playing his poker on a mac, but he could if he played on bwin, and of the stereotypes he's definitely the cooler more hipster of the two. Dwan is kind of IBM of the online world.
To review: durrrr offered anybody in the world heads up action in PLO or NL Hold’Em. His challenge had many suitors but Patrik Antonius was the first in line. Dwan offered odds to anybody (but Phil Galfon) of 3 to 1 that he was favored over 50,000 hands. If he lost, the winner would get what he won plus 1.5 million. If he won, he’d keep what he won plus 500k.
For mac lovers, the good news is the durrrr Challenge is back and Patrik is having some success. When it schreeched to a halt Dwan upped his lead to over 700k. Some time has passed since then. In fact, the rest of the World Series of Poker came and went.
However, Dwan and Antonius aren't afraid of playing each other. In fact, it's been suggested they've been playing all along. They've just been playing in front of fewer railbirds in live play at Bobby’s Room in the Bellagio, Las Vegas. The latest edition of the challenge had quite a different result then the previous one. Antonius was wounded when Dwan reclaimed the lead and built on it. But this go round Antonius was the big winner. The 700k separation became just over 334k after it was all said and done.
The two have played almost 22,ooo hands. With 28,000 hands to play and the challenge 8 months old it doesn’t look like resolution will come any time soon. Maybe by next World Series? We can hope.
-Durrrr has won 11,620 of the hands.
-The big Swede won 9,751 of the hand
(Durrrr wins more often)
-Durrrr has been winning on average $2,529.15 per winning hand
-Patrik has been winning on average $2,979.38 per winning hand
(Patrik wins more pots)
-Patrik won the largest pot ($477,555.50)
-PCs outsell Macs
-PCs outsell Macs
-Macs swear they are better machines
-PCs are more susceptible to viruses
-Macs get more chicks
To close to tell who will win this race... Stay tuned.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Read is Right in Live Play Foray... Decision is Wrong
I raised in middle late position with a suited ace. He called on the button. I hadn’t played many hands and he had played a good amount. He had twice the chips of me. The flop came king high with two of my suit. I put out a small blocking bet that he seemed willing to call because of the price.
I couldn’t put him on the king here. I’d expect him to defend his hand a little bit. Second pair was an 8 but I couldn’t really give him an 8. If he had two 8s in the hole (a set) doesn’t he repop a little bit here for fear of the flush draw and/or wanting to extract a little value in the hand. In his situation I will at times give the guy a card with such a hand and reevaluate if the flush hits, but hope it doesn’t and extract another bet out of him, so I couldn’t rule out him doing the same thing to me.
The turn didn’t give me a flush but paired my weaker kicker. I decided to bet out a little bit bigger here, and he flatted again. Which is a little offputting. I didn’t think my image at that table was of a two barrel bluffer. So I have to give him something. I don’t think he’s got a weaker flush draw but he might. I can’t give him top pair either.
The river is brick city, not either of my two bad kickers, any of my three aces, or any of my suit (12 outs?). I decide to check and hope that he ends the hand with a check behind me. Then he throws out a strange bet. He overbets bigger than the pot.
Now, I can’t beat top pair, I can’t beat second pair, and I can’t beat many pocket pairs, but the bet is not a value bet. Clearly he doesn’t want a call. Unfortunately, it’s enough of my stack that I don’t think I can shove over the top and have him capitulate.
Then it is clear as day to me. The man has pocket 10s. He had a strong enough hand to call a small bet post flop, I tied him to the pot a little bit that his call on the turn is half-float, half-bluff buster. Probably a fold if I third barreled, but maybe not. Now, his river bet is trying to get a king with a crappy kicker to fold, or perhaps JJ. Or the old, I don’t know where I’m at, let me bet a lot and hope I win (typical of these donkaments). I don’t give him Jacks or queens because I think he pushes back probably preflop and maybe post flop. Nines make sense too but for some reason I see 10s in my head.
I tell/ask “You got 10s”. That got a reaction. In fact, it was enough of a reaction it was possible he was faking it. Ha-ha. Damn. I stew. Okay, he would fake to indicate a stronger hand than he had. So that mean’s he’s weaker than 1010? All that he would do that with was maybe A8 (which I don’t think he calls the turn with) to try and get 9s out of the hand. Or he’s got that flush draw (which is hard to give him because I hold the same draw).
The bet was so big and other than 10s I had to include a variety of flush possibilities as his hands. The reaction threw me and I reluctantly called. He sheepishly turned over his 10s thinking he was bested. Ouch. I mucked.
Terrible, terrible call by me. It was for way too much of my stack. I should have trusted my read and given myself more credit when I called his hand. I could have gotten away from the hand and had plenty of chips to play with (my normal tournament strategy unless I have a strong read). Then the guy, really turned the screw and said he would have folded to a shove (even though I had so little left that the pot would be offering him 5 or 6 to 1).
I guess he ‘s thinking he can’t call there if he thinks I’m shoving knowing his hand. Oh well, I thought that was an interesting hand. Ironic too, because my biggest criticism of Daniel Negreanu is he calls out his opponent’s hand and still calls with a loser. Me too, apparently.
Obviously, after that hand I searched out the roulette table, as I often do. I play online roulette frequently but there is a difference from when I play roulette online and when I play live. Online roulette is a nice little action rush and then I move on to everything else I'm doing that day. Live sometimes can be too much of a get-even charge. Good thing I got even. No chance, I'll think the ball landed on red and it really landed on black. Sometimes I really like roulette.
I couldn’t put him on the king here. I’d expect him to defend his hand a little bit. Second pair was an 8 but I couldn’t really give him an 8. If he had two 8s in the hole (a set) doesn’t he repop a little bit here for fear of the flush draw and/or wanting to extract a little value in the hand. In his situation I will at times give the guy a card with such a hand and reevaluate if the flush hits, but hope it doesn’t and extract another bet out of him, so I couldn’t rule out him doing the same thing to me.
The turn didn’t give me a flush but paired my weaker kicker. I decided to bet out a little bit bigger here, and he flatted again. Which is a little offputting. I didn’t think my image at that table was of a two barrel bluffer. So I have to give him something. I don’t think he’s got a weaker flush draw but he might. I can’t give him top pair either.
The river is brick city, not either of my two bad kickers, any of my three aces, or any of my suit (12 outs?). I decide to check and hope that he ends the hand with a check behind me. Then he throws out a strange bet. He overbets bigger than the pot.
Now, I can’t beat top pair, I can’t beat second pair, and I can’t beat many pocket pairs, but the bet is not a value bet. Clearly he doesn’t want a call. Unfortunately, it’s enough of my stack that I don’t think I can shove over the top and have him capitulate.
Then it is clear as day to me. The man has pocket 10s. He had a strong enough hand to call a small bet post flop, I tied him to the pot a little bit that his call on the turn is half-float, half-bluff buster. Probably a fold if I third barreled, but maybe not. Now, his river bet is trying to get a king with a crappy kicker to fold, or perhaps JJ. Or the old, I don’t know where I’m at, let me bet a lot and hope I win (typical of these donkaments). I don’t give him Jacks or queens because I think he pushes back probably preflop and maybe post flop. Nines make sense too but for some reason I see 10s in my head.
I tell/ask “You got 10s”. That got a reaction. In fact, it was enough of a reaction it was possible he was faking it. Ha-ha. Damn. I stew. Okay, he would fake to indicate a stronger hand than he had. So that mean’s he’s weaker than 1010? All that he would do that with was maybe A8 (which I don’t think he calls the turn with) to try and get 9s out of the hand. Or he’s got that flush draw (which is hard to give him because I hold the same draw).
The bet was so big and other than 10s I had to include a variety of flush possibilities as his hands. The reaction threw me and I reluctantly called. He sheepishly turned over his 10s thinking he was bested. Ouch. I mucked.
Terrible, terrible call by me. It was for way too much of my stack. I should have trusted my read and given myself more credit when I called his hand. I could have gotten away from the hand and had plenty of chips to play with (my normal tournament strategy unless I have a strong read). Then the guy, really turned the screw and said he would have folded to a shove (even though I had so little left that the pot would be offering him 5 or 6 to 1).
I guess he ‘s thinking he can’t call there if he thinks I’m shoving knowing his hand. Oh well, I thought that was an interesting hand. Ironic too, because my biggest criticism of Daniel Negreanu is he calls out his opponent’s hand and still calls with a loser. Me too, apparently.
Obviously, after that hand I searched out the roulette table, as I often do. I play online roulette frequently but there is a difference from when I play roulette online and when I play live. Online roulette is a nice little action rush and then I move on to everything else I'm doing that day. Live sometimes can be too much of a get-even charge. Good thing I got even. No chance, I'll think the ball landed on red and it really landed on black. Sometimes I really like roulette.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Gus Hansen's Downswing.
Can you say Tilt? Can you say the woes of variance? Puggy Pearson has a great quote (found here with others):
“The real things to know is that folks will stand to lose more than they will to win. That’s the most important percentage there is. I mean, if they lose, they’re willin’ to lose everything. If they win, they’re usually satisfied to win enough to pay for dinner and a show. The best gamblers know that.”
Sounds like Gus Hansen is dealing with just one of those swings. The high stakes pro who just earlier this year was crushing the games is discovering just how painful variance can be. Tom Dwan was able to regroup and regather after some brutal soul searching. Can Gus Hansen do the same? It's ironic that just this week Daniel Negreanu when discussing the Poker Hall of Fame talked about Dwan's credentials.
Negreanu mentioned being a great young player winning everything and then struggling to become a young player who couldn't win anything. He said Dwan still has to endure that, pull himself up by bootstraps and rebuild himself as a player. Maybe Negreanu wasn't following the trials and tribulations of Durrrrr who went on a streak almost as bad as Hansen's. And Dwan seemed to rise from the ashes.
The question is can Hansen. Perhaps no other player has struggled so quickly and for so much as Gus Hansen. Right now he is down 5 million. Like the gambler in Pearson's quote how far will Hansen let this downswing take him? Until he loses it all? Will he be satisfied with winning anything?
Poker is a brutal game even for the pros that play the highest stakes. David Benyamine was recently noted for his downswings and now he's back winning again. Hansen has a couple of role models, who like himself, had the talent to survive their rough patches and hand on. We hope Hansen can do the same.
“The real things to know is that folks will stand to lose more than they will to win. That’s the most important percentage there is. I mean, if they lose, they’re willin’ to lose everything. If they win, they’re usually satisfied to win enough to pay for dinner and a show. The best gamblers know that.”
Sounds like Gus Hansen is dealing with just one of those swings. The high stakes pro who just earlier this year was crushing the games is discovering just how painful variance can be. Tom Dwan was able to regroup and regather after some brutal soul searching. Can Gus Hansen do the same? It's ironic that just this week Daniel Negreanu when discussing the Poker Hall of Fame talked about Dwan's credentials.
Negreanu mentioned being a great young player winning everything and then struggling to become a young player who couldn't win anything. He said Dwan still has to endure that, pull himself up by bootstraps and rebuild himself as a player. Maybe Negreanu wasn't following the trials and tribulations of Durrrrr who went on a streak almost as bad as Hansen's. And Dwan seemed to rise from the ashes.
The question is can Hansen. Perhaps no other player has struggled so quickly and for so much as Gus Hansen. Right now he is down 5 million. Like the gambler in Pearson's quote how far will Hansen let this downswing take him? Until he loses it all? Will he be satisfied with winning anything?
Poker is a brutal game even for the pros that play the highest stakes. David Benyamine was recently noted for his downswings and now he's back winning again. Hansen has a couple of role models, who like himself, had the talent to survive their rough patches and hand on. We hope Hansen can do the same.
Friday, August 7, 2009
ChampionChip From Sunday
The ChampionChip contest at bwin poker had another stellar field. Over 1300 players logged on to play for the prize pool. As usual it was an appetizing desert that awaited the final table. A ChampionChip cookie if you will. Don't know if the winner celebrated Indy 500 still with a glass of milk, but I'd have to imagine I would. ChampionChip cookies aren't easy to make.
Step one make it past 1297 players into the final table. The oven is blazing but once you can get to the final table the sweet aroma of the ChampionChip wafts into your nostrils and your mouth waters. USD4ME entered as the chip leader doing the most salivating. He had 627k in chips in seat 6.
On either side of him, Bummmr_ in 5 with almost 400k in chips and MOUSTAFA74 in 7 with a little over 311k in chips. Second place in chips was maverikk21 with 530k all the way over in seat 1. ELFoff in seat 4 with 423k was the next biggest. Seat 8's MOUUUUUU was the shorty with 81k. He wasn't the only one looking a long way up as bulrik had 129k (seat 2), Tigerlillybaby 274k (seat 9) and weedooo just short of 300k(seat 10).
If the final table was the oven part of baking the cookies, the final five was the cooling off part. If you think you can taste the ChampionChip cookie while it's in the oven, when you can get to the final 5 it's all you can do to stop yourself from getting too crazy trying to get it. Taste it? You are practically digesting it.
In seat 1 maverikk21 accumalated 671k but lost his hold on second place. In seat 5: Bummmr_ basically maintained with a little over 350k, while the chipleader increased his large stack and held on to his lead as USD4ME moved up to almost 1 million in chips. Seat 7's MOUSTAFA74 was nipping at his heels with 783k. Finally weedooo in seat 10 chipped up just a bit to 451k.
The chipleader did get a little crazy with the cookies cooling as USD4ME busted in third place. he would soothe himself with 20k. MOUSTAFA74 and USD4Me both flopped the top pair . Only problem for USD4ME was he was outkicked.
In heads up play the cookies are ready to eat. There just a plate in the middle and it's going to go to the eater of the player who takes it first. MOUSTAFA74 had quite the head start with over 2 million in chips and weedooo's 543k couldn't make up the difference.
The ChampionChip went to MOUSTAFA74 and we don't know if he downed a glass of milk with his $48k or not. weedooo had to make do with 31k. While we don't know if any of the players were playing on mac, we do know they could have been as bwin is mac friendly.
Step one make it past 1297 players into the final table. The oven is blazing but once you can get to the final table the sweet aroma of the ChampionChip wafts into your nostrils and your mouth waters. USD4ME entered as the chip leader doing the most salivating. He had 627k in chips in seat 6.
On either side of him, Bummmr_ in 5 with almost 400k in chips and MOUSTAFA74 in 7 with a little over 311k in chips. Second place in chips was maverikk21 with 530k all the way over in seat 1. ELFoff in seat 4 with 423k was the next biggest. Seat 8's MOUUUUUU was the shorty with 81k. He wasn't the only one looking a long way up as bulrik had 129k (seat 2), Tigerlillybaby 274k (seat 9) and weedooo just short of 300k(seat 10).
If the final table was the oven part of baking the cookies, the final five was the cooling off part. If you think you can taste the ChampionChip cookie while it's in the oven, when you can get to the final 5 it's all you can do to stop yourself from getting too crazy trying to get it. Taste it? You are practically digesting it.
In seat 1 maverikk21 accumalated 671k but lost his hold on second place. In seat 5: Bummmr_ basically maintained with a little over 350k, while the chipleader increased his large stack and held on to his lead as USD4ME moved up to almost 1 million in chips. Seat 7's MOUSTAFA74 was nipping at his heels with 783k. Finally weedooo in seat 10 chipped up just a bit to 451k.
The chipleader did get a little crazy with the cookies cooling as USD4ME busted in third place. he would soothe himself with 20k. MOUSTAFA74 and USD4Me both flopped the top pair . Only problem for USD4ME was he was outkicked.
In heads up play the cookies are ready to eat. There just a plate in the middle and it's going to go to the eater of the player who takes it first. MOUSTAFA74 had quite the head start with over 2 million in chips and weedooo's 543k couldn't make up the difference.
The ChampionChip went to MOUSTAFA74 and we don't know if he downed a glass of milk with his $48k or not. weedooo had to make do with 31k. While we don't know if any of the players were playing on mac, we do know they could have been as bwin is mac friendly.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
WPT for sale?
I'll get you part two of that Pokernews series, soon as I youtube it. In the meantime a little news brief. It looks like one of my favorite sites is thinking about joining the fray and expanding the brand a little bit. Every few weeks there is a new suitor for the WPT, but this one looks like it has legs. Bwin, the popular European online casino, to buy?
What I read places WPT CEO Steven Lipscomb in Gibraltar. That's an English piece of land at the southern tip of Spain. Yeah, it's weird but anyway that's kind of Europe's Costa Rica for casino online sites and that is close to all kinds of European players.
Soon, as the U.I.E.G.A. gets put down you're going to find out a lot about these European sites as the market will be full with competition. Which is a great thing. Anybody wanting to play online casino will have some regulated options. One site in particular might come in a little more well known than others and that's bwin if they buy the WPT.
The WPT story is an interesting business legacy. At first their stock IPO'd at $8 a share. They, though some Brits dispute it, were the first to offer pockt cams, and poker on TV suddenly became worth watching. The travel channel had a new show, that had little to do with traveling, though they gave some lip service to it early on, and the WPT took off.
Well, imitation being flattery and all, isn't entirely true, because soon the poker shows flooded the dial. The WPT was just one of many and ratings suffered, so did the stock price. Also, the WPT perhaps managed itself a little carelessly as a circuit and forgot about the bottom line.
Recently it was reported that Lipscomb had cleverly secured a piece of any sale made this year. So, buyers might know the clock is running out and their is a motivated seller. Bwin, isn't afraid of taking risks, offering a play casino online, and is probably one of a few playing chicken. The two organizations are old friends with Bwin doing online satellites for the WPT Venice stop.
It would be great for bwin to inject some life into the flailing WPT. Let's hope so.
What I read places WPT CEO Steven Lipscomb in Gibraltar. That's an English piece of land at the southern tip of Spain. Yeah, it's weird but anyway that's kind of Europe's Costa Rica for casino online sites and that is close to all kinds of European players.
Soon, as the U.I.E.G.A. gets put down you're going to find out a lot about these European sites as the market will be full with competition. Which is a great thing. Anybody wanting to play online casino will have some regulated options. One site in particular might come in a little more well known than others and that's bwin if they buy the WPT.
The WPT story is an interesting business legacy. At first their stock IPO'd at $8 a share. They, though some Brits dispute it, were the first to offer pockt cams, and poker on TV suddenly became worth watching. The travel channel had a new show, that had little to do with traveling, though they gave some lip service to it early on, and the WPT took off.
Well, imitation being flattery and all, isn't entirely true, because soon the poker shows flooded the dial. The WPT was just one of many and ratings suffered, so did the stock price. Also, the WPT perhaps managed itself a little carelessly as a circuit and forgot about the bottom line.
Recently it was reported that Lipscomb had cleverly secured a piece of any sale made this year. So, buyers might know the clock is running out and their is a motivated seller. Bwin, isn't afraid of taking risks, offering a play casino online, and is probably one of a few playing chicken. The two organizations are old friends with Bwin doing online satellites for the WPT Venice stop.
It would be great for bwin to inject some life into the flailing WPT. Let's hope so.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Part III
The Moneymaker effect is profiled in Pokernews third installment of the history of the World Series of Poker. Mike Sexton and Gavin Smith recognize the moneymaker effect even if the term still feels foreign to Chris himself.
Chris's story, is a fairy tale that couldn't have been scripted. Playing heads up against the ultra-smooth Sammy Farha, the picture of a regal professional gambler, a shark in a nice suit, and Chris is anything but intimidated. He knocked off Phil Ivey on his way to the final table and his run basically ignited the poker boom in the United States.
Maybe Joe Hachem in Australia can empathize a little bit, but Chris' story is a global one. He's as much a Cinderella as any underdog in sports and certainly the biggest in World Series of Poker history. To his credit despite his success he seems to be a first class guy even with the burden of expectations weighted on his shoulders.
His journey from everyman to The Man, is mirrored by the explosion of a niche game into a global past time. A qualifier through a poker website, online poker has Chris to thank for billions of dollars earned. The top youngsters in the game all cite Moneymaker as one of their influences in picking up the game, and online qualifiers represent everybody's dream. His poker school was the main event and his bluff on Farha has gone down as one of the biggest of all time.
Doyle Brunson delivers some insight that might be a little surprising, same with Amarillo Slim, who outright admits he "resents" what poker has become in particular the online game. Brunson who padded his wallet in side games laments only their disappearance as the tournaments have taken over the game.
It's a far cry from a gambling conference that the World Series got its start as. Even though Phil Hellmuth closes talking about the game like it's still a reunion, these days it's anything but, rather the game has become unbridled growth.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!
The WSOP this year has had a celebrity element to it. Not the Matt Damon/Ed Norton photo op appearance after the release of Rounders (your DVD probably has that covered) but a saturation and merging of celebrity with a fondness for poker and the pseudo-celebrities that poker players are. The bad thing is, both are beating the other at their own games.
Phil Hellmuth has defined making a spectacle of himself. His entrance was more over the top than any before it. Remember when a Hellmuth late main event entrance was when he'd awkwardly climb over some ropes at Binions and squeeze into a seat at that dump. Now, he's regaled as Caesar with an entourage bigger then the bubble at some WSOP circuit events this year.
Meanwhile, the celebrities are dipping their toes into the Main Event pool, yet, nobody cares, there is no extra media attention. Maybe if they won it, but so far the media coverage is mostly the poker media, and I include Andrew Feldman of ESPN.com as poker media. George Costanza is going deep in the Main Event? Didn't see that on CNN or on the cover of the magazines by the counter at the grocery store.
So, besides the fun of it, why are celebrities participating if they aren't making a spectacle of it. For most of them, whether they won't to admit it or not, it's all about getting into the next tabloid. Remember when Spiderman tried to play in abstract anonymity (okay, I'll grant him that by not using his real name) yet everybody could tell Peter Parker was in the field. Was that because he took poker seriously?
Now, the yahoos who we didn't watch on Bravo's Celebrity Poker are going deep in the Main Event. What happened to Jason Alexander he went from being astounded his pocket aces got cracked (like that never happens) one year, to sitting on a mammoth chip stack for part of this year.
The awful dreck that is "I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!" which tried to capitalize on the ratings of Celebrity Apprentice, which were attributable to Annie Duke's war of words and wills with Joan Rivers, sent multiple players to the Main Event. Torrie Wilson, John Salley, Lou Diamond Phillips, were obscure before NBC decided to low budget another reality TV show, and their performances at the Main Event seems to bump their celebrity quotients just as minorly as sharing a camp with two Baldwins, three Pratts, and super model that steals granola bars in Costa Rica.
Okay, the b list stars and the stars of poker, who at best are b-list themselves, treat each other with reverence and both groups feel like somebody when recognized by somebody equally as mediocre in public stature. Notice when the big stars play it's like they hide from the camera.
There are several top online pros that nobody knows who they are. Maybe it isn't super users in covert mode but big time A list stars like Clooney and Pitt who don't want the Q rating to go down by being associated with poker. Wonder if they sit around at home and play mac poker. Are they tethered to an online feed like all those 18 and 20 year old future stars in their parents basements. Maybe Lou Diamond Phillips who is on the money bubble right now was right there with them. Perhaps he can play himself in Oceans 111 if he wins the main event.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Poker Island Promotion
Therre is a an old question if you could have any two items on a deserted island what would they be?
Some poker players could probably manage with a solar laptop with internet connection and unlimited food. If the island wasn't entirely deserted it might even be a paradise on earth.
Now, some poker players are trying out that answer. Luckily for them, the island isn't deserted, they have an internet connection, and they have all the food they can eat. Plus, accommodations aren't a Gilligan's Island style hut it's a luxury villa. Then throw in cards, chips, and live opponents and you have to wonder why anyone would ever leave this paradise.
One of my favorite promotions in online poker, the bwin Poker Island is happening right now and players are getting that type of an experience of a lifetime. This isn't an episode of Gilligan's Island, where everybody wonders why the Professor can't just build a boat if he can build a coconut radio and bamboo TV, any Professor on this island will be more Howard Lederer than comic straight man.
Poker island sounds like dream but it is a reality. What's at stake for these poker players? Just an oportunity to win a huge prize package to next year’s Aussie millions. Even better as Melbourne, the host of the Aussie Millions, is another paradise on the other side of the world. Can you imagine if they had a perverse sense of humor and offered a prize package to Tunica, Mississippi? The cliche the journey is better than the destination would never have been truer.
On Poker Island players from around the world will be playing in around the clock poker games. If it sounds like a made for TV special, it kind of is, Survivor meets the World Series of Poker. All the drama will take place June 15th to July 14th on poker island.
No need to take a three hour tour under the incapable hand of a skipper to crash in the island. No, all it takes to get to this poker island is to win a couple of online poker tournaments. The best part is the first step in the ladder can be won for free. Doesn't matter the size of your bankroll as freerolls give anybody with a bwin account an opportunity to win.
Unfortunately, this years qualifers are over, (www.bwin.com/pokerisland) completed June 23rd, but now all the winners are on the ilsand settling who will be this year’s king of the island and Aussie Millions prize package champion. Each week a weekly champion is crowned and qualifies for the grand final. The grand final takes place July 14th and pits each of the weekly champions verse one another. The champion of the grand final wins a VIP Package for the “Aussie Millions 2010” poker tournament in Australia worth $25,000. To get a better idea of what's going on at poker’s paradise island visit www.pokerisland.tv right now.
Some poker players could probably manage with a solar laptop with internet connection and unlimited food. If the island wasn't entirely deserted it might even be a paradise on earth.
Now, some poker players are trying out that answer. Luckily for them, the island isn't deserted, they have an internet connection, and they have all the food they can eat. Plus, accommodations aren't a Gilligan's Island style hut it's a luxury villa. Then throw in cards, chips, and live opponents and you have to wonder why anyone would ever leave this paradise.
One of my favorite promotions in online poker, the bwin Poker Island is happening right now and players are getting that type of an experience of a lifetime. This isn't an episode of Gilligan's Island, where everybody wonders why the Professor can't just build a boat if he can build a coconut radio and bamboo TV, any Professor on this island will be more Howard Lederer than comic straight man.
Poker island sounds like dream but it is a reality. What's at stake for these poker players? Just an oportunity to win a huge prize package to next year’s Aussie millions. Even better as Melbourne, the host of the Aussie Millions, is another paradise on the other side of the world. Can you imagine if they had a perverse sense of humor and offered a prize package to Tunica, Mississippi? The cliche the journey is better than the destination would never have been truer.
On Poker Island players from around the world will be playing in around the clock poker games. If it sounds like a made for TV special, it kind of is, Survivor meets the World Series of Poker. All the drama will take place June 15th to July 14th on poker island.
No need to take a three hour tour under the incapable hand of a skipper to crash in the island. No, all it takes to get to this poker island is to win a couple of online poker tournaments. The best part is the first step in the ladder can be won for free. Doesn't matter the size of your bankroll as freerolls give anybody with a bwin account an opportunity to win.
Unfortunately, this years qualifers are over, (www.bwin.com/pokerisland) completed June 23rd, but now all the winners are on the ilsand settling who will be this year’s king of the island and Aussie Millions prize package champion. Each week a weekly champion is crowned and qualifies for the grand final. The grand final takes place July 14th and pits each of the weekly champions verse one another. The champion of the grand final wins a VIP Package for the “Aussie Millions 2010” poker tournament in Australia worth $25,000. To get a better idea of what's going on at poker’s paradise island visit www.pokerisland.tv right now.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
New Poker Interface
Bwin's online poker site just released an upgraded poker software with a ton of new features. They are significant upgrades which make the interface easier to use and navigate and are already earning rave reviews.
They include:
Tables and functions you can resize - Now you can conviently multi-table with tables the size of your interest. Playing different buy-ins when you play online poker? Make the bigger buy-ins bigger size do you can make decision easier in regards to your bankroll.
You can also control three separate fields of table information. Chat, the virtual table, and promotions each have resizable fields of their own, so you can set up your table exactly as you like it.
The Lobbies have more table and tournament information - No longer do you have to go to each specific table when you want to play online poker to find out the table information. You can browse all the tables at once from the main lobby. Compare one to another and make your best game selection.
Also, there are filters on the poker lobbies that you can preset to your liking. In the respective tournament lobbies their are excellent up to the moment bits about ranking, add on and rebuy information, real time table information, all in one place.
As always there is a Mac Version - We've touted bwin's Downloadable Mac client in the past, and the new Mac online poker version has everything the window's version does so even Apple heads can sit down and play poker online.
The playing experience has already been topnotch at bwin but these new features will make it even easier. Some of them are exactly what players have been asking for, but most go one step beyond. Definitely some cool, user friendly upgrades, and tweaks in all the right places.
They include:
Tables and functions you can resize - Now you can conviently multi-table with tables the size of your interest. Playing different buy-ins when you play online poker? Make the bigger buy-ins bigger size do you can make decision easier in regards to your bankroll.
You can also control three separate fields of table information. Chat, the virtual table, and promotions each have resizable fields of their own, so you can set up your table exactly as you like it.
The Lobbies have more table and tournament information - No longer do you have to go to each specific table when you want to play online poker to find out the table information. You can browse all the tables at once from the main lobby. Compare one to another and make your best game selection.
Also, there are filters on the poker lobbies that you can preset to your liking. In the respective tournament lobbies their are excellent up to the moment bits about ranking, add on and rebuy information, real time table information, all in one place.
As always there is a Mac Version - We've touted bwin's Downloadable Mac client in the past, and the new Mac online poker version has everything the window's version does so even Apple heads can sit down and play poker online.
The playing experience has already been topnotch at bwin but these new features will make it even easier. Some of them are exactly what players have been asking for, but most go one step beyond. Definitely some cool, user friendly upgrades, and tweaks in all the right places.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
PokerNews Video about the history of the WSOP
Pokernews does an excellent story on the history of the World Series of Poker's origin. Although, there is still an air of mystery or a gloss of history over many of the early events the birth of how people first began to play poker tournaments. The first aspect that's weird is they never mention the name of the man that used to host the gambling convention that preceeded the WSOP. Doyle said they (the Binions) asked if they could steal the idea and the "man" in Reno said they could. He was done with hosting it. I guess technically you could say the WSOP is older than 40 years old OR if you just measure it based on the history of hosting poker tournaments less than 40 years old.
The next year, they played poker for three days and voted the best overall player. Depending on which source you listen to it was either a unanimous vote for Johnny Moss, or a unanimous vote (of Moss being the second best player with each voter voting themselves best player). Amarillo Slim and Doyle Brunson almost make it sound like at the time, Moss was a bit of a fish, and the title of best player was granted just to keep Moss coming back. Doyle gives the man credit where is due saying Moss was the best No Limit player he's ever seen, but if you read between the lines Moss wasn't the same player at the beginning of the WSOP. Interesting.
Another aspect of the history that is still not 100% clear is the tentative acceptance that Amarillo Slim was the first to suggest the freeze out poker tournament. Ironically, because he's most whistful about the old times, and the state of the game he played a huge role in creating. Without freezeouts or tournaments there is no Moneymaker explosion, no poker explosion, and no giant WSOP in the sprawling RIO convention center.
This is an enjoyable video, even if I've covered most of its contents in the body of this text. It gives a better insight to the forgotten history of this game. Now poker is fueled by online poker tournaments. In fact, most of the Main Event and THE World Championship of poker is created by online poker tournament satellite winners. In fact, the easiest way for World Series hopefuls to get there is to play poker tournament online.
Surely, the future episodes of this series will cover the transition from live players to online players. And the changing dynamics of the game of poker.
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