Thursday, March 31, 2005
WSOP Pink Bunny Auction Update - Golden Palace Casino
Not long ago I wrote about my friend Jeremy Enke's pink bunny poker auction. He actually ran the auction 3 times, and the first two times it didn't sell, even though it got a massive amount of exposure. But this time Golden Palace Casino stepped up to the plate and bought the auction. If you missed the earlier post about this, Jeremy has offered to play poker in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in 2005 dressed as a pink bunny with the auction winner's ad across his chest. Since a man in such a costume would look mighty silly and probably attract a lot of attention, this would be a great advertising opportunity.
Jeremy's most recent pink bunny poker auction (the one that sold) saw almost 15,000 visitors, and he received 49 bids before Golden Palace Casino came in at the last minute with a winning bid of $15,100. The auction prior to this one had 18,000 visitors but no bids. I don't have any pertinent statistics for his first auction, because he ended it early I think.
There were some concerns that Harrahs might not allow someone dressed as a pink bunny to play in the WSOP, but Jeremy has a solution for that too--a pink leisure suit. And protesters in front of Harrahs carrying signs saying "Let the bunny play" and "Bunnies play poker too."
This has been one of the more interesting body advertising auctions on eBay, and Jeremy Enke stands to gain an enormous amount of exposure both personally and on the web as a result of this. Hats off to you, Jeremy, and congratulations to both you and to the WSOP.
Jeremy's most recent pink bunny poker auction (the one that sold) saw almost 15,000 visitors, and he received 49 bids before Golden Palace Casino came in at the last minute with a winning bid of $15,100. The auction prior to this one had 18,000 visitors but no bids. I don't have any pertinent statistics for his first auction, because he ended it early I think.
There were some concerns that Harrahs might not allow someone dressed as a pink bunny to play in the WSOP, but Jeremy has a solution for that too--a pink leisure suit. And protesters in front of Harrahs carrying signs saying "Let the bunny play" and "Bunnies play poker too."
This has been one of the more interesting body advertising auctions on eBay, and Jeremy Enke stands to gain an enormous amount of exposure both personally and on the web as a result of this. Hats off to you, Jeremy, and congratulations to both you and to the WSOP.
WSOP Pink Bunny Auction Update - Golden Palace Casino posted by Randy Ray @ Thursday, March 31, 2005 1 comments 
John Vorhaus - Killer Poker Online - Poker Night
I've expressed my admiration for John Vorhaus and his books in writing here before, but I don't know if I've gone into enough detail about how much I've enjoyed his writing. Killer Poker Online and Poker Night are two of the books I keep on the shelf next to the bed to read at night before going to sleep, especially on the nights when I'm not up to the somewhat dry task of re-reading Sklansky's Theory of Poker. I frequent the message boards over at Two plus Two occasionally, and the impression I get from there is that most of them aren't big fans of John Vorhaus. I respectfully disagree.
A lot of poker players at Two plus Two are so intent on being profitable and understanding the mathematics of the game that they've forgotten that the whole purpose of a game is to have fun. John Vorhaus doesn't forget to have fun with it. He also points out that if you forget about having fun, and just start playing well and winning at poker, it becomes more fun as an end result of that process. It's an almost zen kind of thing that he points out in his books, and I think he made that point most clearly in his most recent book, Poker Night which is aimed mostly at players in home games.
Another technique I picked up from Vorhaus that helped my play was his advice on table image. He's a fan of tight, aggressive poker, which is the same advice everyone gives, but he explains it in a way that made sense to me. One complaint a lot of Sklansky fans have is that they have such a tight table image that they never see any action when they do catch a playable hand. John Vorhaus advises that you pretend that you're playing a secret game called "raise", and since you're raising every time you play a hand, confused players will think that you're a loose player even though you're actually tight and aggressive. Poor players, which are the best kind of poker players to play with if you're playing for money, confuse aggression with looseness.
Sometimes when I'm on tilt or thinking about going on tilt, I switch to Vorhaus's "blackjack attack" strategy to get myself back on track to play good tight poker again. The way the blackjack attack works is that you only play starting holdem hands that add up to 20 or 21. Face cards count as 10's. So you'd fold 99's or lower. The only suited connectors you would play would be 10J or above. This is NOT always correct play, but if it helps you tighten up your game and learn patience, then it's worthwhile. If it gets you off tilt, then it's a good move to make too.
John Vorhaus has written, in his estimation, over a million words about poker. That's a lot. You can read some of his writing on poker in the following places:
A lot of poker players at Two plus Two are so intent on being profitable and understanding the mathematics of the game that they've forgotten that the whole purpose of a game is to have fun. John Vorhaus doesn't forget to have fun with it. He also points out that if you forget about having fun, and just start playing well and winning at poker, it becomes more fun as an end result of that process. It's an almost zen kind of thing that he points out in his books, and I think he made that point most clearly in his most recent book, Poker Night which is aimed mostly at players in home games.
Another technique I picked up from Vorhaus that helped my play was his advice on table image. He's a fan of tight, aggressive poker, which is the same advice everyone gives, but he explains it in a way that made sense to me. One complaint a lot of Sklansky fans have is that they have such a tight table image that they never see any action when they do catch a playable hand. John Vorhaus advises that you pretend that you're playing a secret game called "raise", and since you're raising every time you play a hand, confused players will think that you're a loose player even though you're actually tight and aggressive. Poor players, which are the best kind of poker players to play with if you're playing for money, confuse aggression with looseness.
Sometimes when I'm on tilt or thinking about going on tilt, I switch to Vorhaus's "blackjack attack" strategy to get myself back on track to play good tight poker again. The way the blackjack attack works is that you only play starting holdem hands that add up to 20 or 21. Face cards count as 10's. So you'd fold 99's or lower. The only suited connectors you would play would be 10J or above. This is NOT always correct play, but if it helps you tighten up your game and learn patience, then it's worthwhile. If it gets you off tilt, then it's a good move to make too.
John Vorhaus has written, in his estimation, over a million words about poker. That's a lot. You can read some of his writing on poker in the following places:
- John Vorhaus - Vorza's Brain - Poker
- Poker School Online - John Vorhaus Instructor Bio
- JV's Killer Poker Articles
John's also a comic writer and a screenwriter, and if his writing there is as entertaining as his poker writing, then he's probably pretty doggone good at it. Vorhaus also writes for Ultimate Bet, which is my favorite online poker room.
John Vorhaus - Killer Poker Online - Poker Night posted by Randy Ray @ Thursday, March 31, 2005 0 comments
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Cell Phone Poker - Maui Texas Holdem - Mobile Pioneer Inc
You can now play texas holdem on your cell phone thanks to Mobile Pioneer Inc. The game is called Maui Texas Holdem, and it's no limit holdem that you can play on your cell. Their software is available for 30 different kinds of mobile telephones, including Nokia, Samsung, and Sanyo. Maui Texas Hold 'em is a play money game and cannot be played with real money, and it seats up to 8 people at a table. In almost every other respect, the game is almost exactly like online poker.
I've always said that poker for play money was like sex without an orgasm, but if I ever get a cellular phone again, I might give Maui Texas Holdem a try. If you're interested in finding out more, you can visit Mobile Pioneer.
I've always said that poker for play money was like sex without an orgasm, but if I ever get a cellular phone again, I might give Maui Texas Holdem a try. If you're interested in finding out more, you can visit Mobile Pioneer.
Cell Phone Poker - Maui Texas Holdem - Mobile Pioneer Inc posted by Randy Ray @ Wednesday, March 30, 2005 0 comments
Monday, March 28, 2005
More Party Poker Sit and Go's; and a Bankroll Update
I've been playing more sit and go's at Party Poker lately. I'd gotten out of the habit, and had been playing the $25 buy-in no limit tables, but a couple of weeks ago I decided to get back into the SnG habit. I'm apparently pretty good at the $10 and $20 buy in level single table tournaments, because my bankroll at PartyPoker is showing nice improvement. If you'd like to give the SnG's a try, please use one of my bonus codes when signing up at Party: CHIPSBLOG is good for a free $25, and 100CHIPSBLOG is good for a 20% up to $100 bonus. (Forgive the obvious shilling here--we all gotta make a buck, and I'm not a good enough poker player to live on my winnings.)
Party Poker Bankroll: $427.25
I did spend some time playing at FullTilt Poker this weekend, and I had the usual disappointing swings that I see there. They're not a bad room online at all, and their bonus offer is great, but it also requires a LOT of play to get awarded the bonus. Or so it seems to me anyway.
Party Poker Bankroll: $427.25
I did spend some time playing at FullTilt Poker this weekend, and I had the usual disappointing swings that I see there. They're not a bad room online at all, and their bonus offer is great, but it also requires a LOT of play to get awarded the bonus. Or so it seems to me anyway.
More Party Poker Sit and Go's; and a Bankroll Update posted by Randy Ray @ Monday, March 28, 2005 0 comments
Friday, March 25, 2005
Non Poker Site of the Day - Actually, the Best Site in the Universe
The Best Page in the Universe
This site is so good that it needs absolutely no commentary from me. Check it out.
This site is so good that it needs absolutely no commentary from me. Check it out.
Non Poker Site of the Day - Actually, the Best Site in the Universe posted by Randy Ray @ Friday, March 25, 2005 0 comments
FullTiltPoker.com - FullTilt Poker - Full Tilt Poker
FullTilt Poker is the latest poker software I've downloaded and played on, and I have to admit that it's pretty impressive. The first thing you notice when you visit the Full Tilt Poker website is that it's endorsed by all kinds of famous poker players: Clonie Gowen, Erik Seidel, John Juanda, Phil Gordon, Erick Lindgren, Andy Bloch, Chris Ferguson, Phil Ivey, and Howard Lederer. The 2nd thing you notice is that the look and feel of the website is light years ahead of most other online poker rooms out there--it's really a stunning look.
Play Online Poker
Full Tilt Poker also has the single biggest new player signup bonus available online. Deposit up to $600 and you'll get a 100% deposit bonus, so you get a bonus of up to $600. THAT's what I call a signup bonus. You can used the Full Tilt Poker bonus code COWBOYS to get that bonus, or you can just sign up through one of the links on this site and you don't need a bonus code.
Currently FullTiltPoker.com is running a promotion where you can represent the Full Tilt website in the British poker room by winning one of their qualifying tournaments on Sunday nights. You also have the opportunity to win your way into the World Series of Poker through one of their qualifiers, some of which are freerolls, or into Bellagio's 5 star tournament. The online cardroom also features Howard Lederer's Poker Fantasy Camp, and their reload bonuses are almost as generous as their signup bonus. (50% up to $300).
The graphics and the software at Full Tilt Poker are nothing short of fantastic. There are features on Full Tilt that I've never seen on other sites, like being able to choose from 4 different expressions for your avatar to wear at any given time.
I recommend checking out Full Tilt Poker. Click here to visit FullTiltPoker.com.
Play Online Poker
Full Tilt Poker also has the single biggest new player signup bonus available online. Deposit up to $600 and you'll get a 100% deposit bonus, so you get a bonus of up to $600. THAT's what I call a signup bonus. You can used the Full Tilt Poker bonus code COWBOYS to get that bonus, or you can just sign up through one of the links on this site and you don't need a bonus code.
Currently FullTiltPoker.com is running a promotion where you can represent the Full Tilt website in the British poker room by winning one of their qualifying tournaments on Sunday nights. You also have the opportunity to win your way into the World Series of Poker through one of their qualifiers, some of which are freerolls, or into Bellagio's 5 star tournament. The online cardroom also features Howard Lederer's Poker Fantasy Camp, and their reload bonuses are almost as generous as their signup bonus. (50% up to $300).
The graphics and the software at Full Tilt Poker are nothing short of fantastic. There are features on Full Tilt that I've never seen on other sites, like being able to choose from 4 different expressions for your avatar to wear at any given time.
I recommend checking out Full Tilt Poker. Click here to visit FullTiltPoker.com.
FullTiltPoker.com - FullTilt Poker - Full Tilt Poker posted by Randy Ray @ Friday, March 25, 2005 0 comments
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
PartyPoker Bankroll Update
My current bankroll at Party Poker: $382.25
Been playing a lot of SnG's at the $10 + $1 level, and a few at the $20 + $2 level. Haven't been getting many cards, but I've been playing pretty well, although the play at the tables has changed lately. Some of the players are a lot more unpredictable, and I've been surprised at how tight some of the tables have been lately.
Also, here are my current bankrolls at Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker:
Absolute Poker $316.08
Party Poker $382.25
Ultimate Bet $149.38
So I've seen an increase in all my bankrolls since 3/7/2005 when I started tracking. Here were the numbers then:
Absolute Poker $300.68 (up $15.40)
Party Poker $161.75 (up $220.50)
Ultimate Bet $140.38 (up $9)
Total increase in the last two weeks or so: $245.90. Not enough to live on, but not bad to have a hobby that pays for itself.
Been playing a lot of SnG's at the $10 + $1 level, and a few at the $20 + $2 level. Haven't been getting many cards, but I've been playing pretty well, although the play at the tables has changed lately. Some of the players are a lot more unpredictable, and I've been surprised at how tight some of the tables have been lately.
Also, here are my current bankrolls at Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker:
Absolute Poker $316.08
Party Poker $382.25
Ultimate Bet $149.38
So I've seen an increase in all my bankrolls since 3/7/2005 when I started tracking. Here were the numbers then:
Absolute Poker $300.68 (up $15.40)
Party Poker $161.75 (up $220.50)
Ultimate Bet $140.38 (up $9)
Total increase in the last two weeks or so: $245.90. Not enough to live on, but not bad to have a hobby that pays for itself.
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Jennicide - A Big Poker Stars .com Draw
Jennicide is a female poker player who plays mostly at PokerStars. I had never really heard of her until recently, when I was reading in a forum somewhere that she has a huge following of men who watch her play poker at Poker Stars. According to an article I saw on a Womens Poker Club site, she's 20 years old and in 5 months was able to win 5 multitable tournaments. Pretty doggone impressive poker playing right there. (There's no date on that article, so don't quote me on her age, cuz I'm quoting a source that I'm not entirely sure about myself.)
I also saw over at Poker-Babe's site that Jennicide's real name is Jennifer Leigh, and she's been chronicling Jennicide's Poker Stars Caribbean Adventure there. Based on the pictures there, she's certainly a lovely enough young woman. It also looks like Jennicide is at least an occasional poster at the Two Plus Two forums. Anyway, I'm amazed at how celebrities are created in the strangest of places. Who would have thought that a female poker player named Jennifer would become such a phenomenon? Hey--and more power to her.
I also saw over at Poker-Babe's site that Jennicide's real name is Jennifer Leigh, and she's been chronicling Jennicide's Poker Stars Caribbean Adventure there. Based on the pictures there, she's certainly a lovely enough young woman. It also looks like Jennicide is at least an occasional poster at the Two Plus Two forums. Anyway, I'm amazed at how celebrities are created in the strangest of places. Who would have thought that a female poker player named Jennifer would become such a phenomenon? Hey--and more power to her.
World Series of Poker Official Homepage
I was wondering what I might find on the World Series of Poker site, so I surfed on over tonight to check out their official homepage. The first thing I noticed when I visited the site was that Harrah's is definitely working to take advantage of this branding opportunity. My inkling is that "World Series of Poker" gets more searches every day than "Harrahs", but I could certainly be wrong about that. Certainly wouldn't be the first time. The 2nd thing I noticed was that the WSOP logo is one mighty fine logo. Any company would be proud to have a logo that looked that sharp.
The next feature on the World Series of Poker website is the schedule of events and qualifiers. A lot of folks forget that the WSOP is not just about the $10k NL world championship event. Almost all poker games are represented at the World Series, and there are all kinds of qualifiers and sub-qualifiers going on all the time, both online and offline. You can also read about the Tournament of Champions in this section, and there are some great photos of the players and events.
The site also sells merchandise in the WSOP store, and allows you to book your hotel reservations and pre-register for World Series of Poker events. It's a well put together site, easy to navigate and pleasant to look at.
The poker website of the day is the World Series of Poker Official Homepage.
The next feature on the World Series of Poker website is the schedule of events and qualifiers. A lot of folks forget that the WSOP is not just about the $10k NL world championship event. Almost all poker games are represented at the World Series, and there are all kinds of qualifiers and sub-qualifiers going on all the time, both online and offline. You can also read about the Tournament of Champions in this section, and there are some great photos of the players and events.
The site also sells merchandise in the WSOP store, and allows you to book your hotel reservations and pre-register for World Series of Poker events. It's a well put together site, easy to navigate and pleasant to look at.
The poker website of the day is the World Series of Poker Official Homepage.
Monday, March 21, 2005
Janeane Garofalo, Annie Duke, NBC, and "All In" Pilot
A new poker themed comedy pilot (called "All In") for NBC will star Janeane Garofalo as a single mom of three who is a professional poker player. It's loosely based on the life of Annie Duke. I think that Janeane Garofalo is easily one of the most beautiful actresses in Hollywood, as well as one of the most interesting, and this is a show I'll definitely be tuning in for. (Annie Duke's not bad either for that matter.) I don't have any info yet on when the pilot will air, but from what I've read, it's pretty much a done deal that it's going to happen. Imagine that--a sitcom focused on a poker player. Who would have thought?
Janeane Garofalo, Annie Duke, NBC, and "All In" Pilot posted by Randy Ray @ Monday, March 21, 2005 0 comments
Saturday, March 19, 2005
Party Poker Interview - Vikrant Bhargava - PartyGaming
Vikrant Bhargava gave The Guardian the first proper interview regarding the upcoming PartyPoker IPO. Here are some interesting facts from the article:
- Vikrant Bhargava (33 years old) owns 15% of PartyGaming currently.
- Anurag Dikshit (32 years old) owns 40% of PartyGaming.
- Ruth Parasol owns 20% of the company.
- Russ DeLeon, her husband, also owns 20% of the company.
- Party Poker made $350 million in profit last year.
- They're on pace to make between $500 million and $600 million in profit this year.
- During peak hours, there are up to 70,000 players on Party Poker.
- Only 2 years ago, that number was only 2000.
To read the article in its entirety, click here: Vikrant Bhargava Party Poker Interview
Party Poker Interview - Vikrant Bhargava - PartyGaming posted by Randy Ray @ Saturday, March 19, 2005 0 comments
Friday, March 18, 2005
Cassava Enterprises IPO - Pacific Poker - Casino on Net - 888.com IPO
Pacific Poker parent company Cassava Enterprises Ltd. has hired Credit Suisse First Boston to prepare the company for an IPO. Cassava owns Pacific Poker and Casino on Net (888.com), and they're anticipating an initial market cap of about $1.6 billion. The company is owned by Ari and Aharon Shaked and Shai and Ron Ben Yitzhak. It's one of the largest online gambling and online poker companies in the world.
Cassava Enterprises is headquartered in Gibraltar, and does not allow wagers from Israeli gamblers because of potential legal issues in that country. (The laws regarding online gambling there are uncertain.) Between Pacific Poker, and Casino on Net, the company generates an annural profit of between $200 million and $300 million. Cassava was founded 7 years ago when the four owners (Ari and Aharon Shaked and Shai and Ron Ben Yitzhak) bought an online gaming license from Antigua for $100,000.
Casino on Net and Pacific Poker are both powered by Random Logic Software, which is also owned by the four partners.
This news comes soon after the January rumors that Party Gaming will be taking Party Poker public in an IPO . I'll post more info on both IPO's as it becomes available.
Cassava Enterprises is headquartered in Gibraltar, and does not allow wagers from Israeli gamblers because of potential legal issues in that country. (The laws regarding online gambling there are uncertain.) Between Pacific Poker, and Casino on Net, the company generates an annural profit of between $200 million and $300 million. Cassava was founded 7 years ago when the four owners (Ari and Aharon Shaked and Shai and Ron Ben Yitzhak) bought an online gaming license from Antigua for $100,000.
Casino on Net and Pacific Poker are both powered by Random Logic Software, which is also owned by the four partners.
This news comes soon after the January rumors that Party Gaming will be taking Party Poker public in an IPO . I'll post more info on both IPO's as it becomes available.
Cassava Enterprises IPO - Pacific Poker - Casino on Net - 888.com IPO posted by Randy Ray @ Friday, March 18, 2005 0 comments
Thursday, March 17, 2005
Macintosh Poker Online - Mac Compatible Poker Sites
Mac users want to play poker online too! At least that's what one person emailed me when he was asking about his free copy of Super System 2. He's a Macintosh user and said he couldn't use any of the poker rooms that were available with my special offer for that reason, and he wanted to know if there were some other way to get a free copy of the book. So I did some research, and here's what I found out.
IF you have VirtualPC for your Mac, then you should be able to play at Ultimate Bet, which is a rocking good poker room. I've heard that Party Poker MIGHT work on a Macintosh computer, but that it was buggy and unreliable, so I don't recommend it.
If you don't have VirtualPC and don't want to get it, as was the case with my correspondent today, my recommendation is Poker Room. You want to use the "light" version, which runs on java right there in your browser and couldn't be easier. So if you're a Mac user, and you want to get in on the online poker craze, Poker Room is your solution.
IF you have VirtualPC for your Mac, then you should be able to play at Ultimate Bet, which is a rocking good poker room. I've heard that Party Poker MIGHT work on a Macintosh computer, but that it was buggy and unreliable, so I don't recommend it.
If you don't have VirtualPC and don't want to get it, as was the case with my correspondent today, my recommendation is Poker Room. You want to use the "light" version, which runs on java right there in your browser and couldn't be easier. So if you're a Mac user, and you want to get in on the online poker craze, Poker Room is your solution.
Macintosh Poker Online - Mac Compatible Poker Sites posted by Randy Ray @ Thursday, March 17, 2005 0 comments
WPT Enterprises Inc - World Poker Tour
WPT Enterprises is the recently public company who promotes the World Poker Tour. They have three divisions: WPT Studios, which is their television development division, WPT Consumer Products, which is their branded consumer products division (imagine that, considering the name, heh), and WPT Corporate Alliances, which is the division that sponsors corporate events. Lyle Berman is the CEO, and Steven Lipscomb is the President & Director. Other execs include Timothy Cope, Interim CFO and Director, Audrey Kania, Executive VP, and Robyn Moder, Executive VP.
I'm writing about WPT Enterprises because someone on their message board on Yahoo used a link to an article I wrote about the potential Party Poker IPO in one of their posts. Before that, I didn't know that WPT Enterprises was a publicly traded company. I guess they went public last August, and it looks like their stock opened at $8.10/share. As of today, they're selling for $18.30/share. That would have been a nice one to get in on at $8/share.
Anyway, I'm starting to get interested in some of these poker stocks. Maybe there are more public companies centered around poker, and I should put together a portfolio?
Here's some additional corporate data for WPT Enterprises for anyone who might be interested:
WPT Enterprises Inc.
1041 North Formosa Avenue
West Hollywood, CA 90046
(323)850-2888
wpt@worldpokertour.com
http://www.worldpokertour.com
I'm writing about WPT Enterprises because someone on their message board on Yahoo used a link to an article I wrote about the potential Party Poker IPO in one of their posts. Before that, I didn't know that WPT Enterprises was a publicly traded company. I guess they went public last August, and it looks like their stock opened at $8.10/share. As of today, they're selling for $18.30/share. That would have been a nice one to get in on at $8/share.
Anyway, I'm starting to get interested in some of these poker stocks. Maybe there are more public companies centered around poker, and I should put together a portfolio?
Here's some additional corporate data for WPT Enterprises for anyone who might be interested:
WPT Enterprises Inc.
1041 North Formosa Avenue
West Hollywood, CA 90046
(323)850-2888
wpt@worldpokertour.com
http://www.worldpokertour.com
Saturday, March 12, 2005
ESPN - Tilt - Poker Television
ESPN has a new drama is called Tilt, and it's about poker, yes. The show's been on since mid-January, and it's another example of how popular poker has become. I haven't yet actually seen Tilt, but I know that it stars Michael Madsen, who is generally really good in anything he does, even sub-standard movie type stuff, so I'm sure he's good on this show too. ESPN's really making a lot of money on poker, and I'm not sure if they've ever actually launched a traditional drama before or not.
The storyline has something to do with 3 professional gamblers who are trying to team up and take down the reigning king of poker, some colorful character named "The Matador" (played by Michael Madsen). Tilt was created by the same writing team who brought the movie Rounders into the world, Brian Koppelman and David Levien. Apparently the two writers did a bit of research in the "dangerous" world of underground cardrooms. (That's what it says on the official ESPN Tilt website anyway.)
Other cast members besides Michael Madsen include: Eddie Cibrian, Kristin Lehman, Todd Williams, Chris Bauer, Amelia Cooke, and Don McManus.
The season finale of ESPN's Tilt is on this Sunday night. Anyone who's actually watched the whole season and would like to talk about it here is encouraged to post a comment.
The storyline has something to do with 3 professional gamblers who are trying to team up and take down the reigning king of poker, some colorful character named "The Matador" (played by Michael Madsen). Tilt was created by the same writing team who brought the movie Rounders into the world, Brian Koppelman and David Levien. Apparently the two writers did a bit of research in the "dangerous" world of underground cardrooms. (That's what it says on the official ESPN Tilt website anyway.)
Other cast members besides Michael Madsen include: Eddie Cibrian, Kristin Lehman, Todd Williams, Chris Bauer, Amelia Cooke, and Don McManus.
The season finale of ESPN's Tilt is on this Sunday night. Anyone who's actually watched the whole season and would like to talk about it here is encouraged to post a comment.
Today's Sites of the Day - Cardplayer.com
Poker Site of the Day
Cardplayer is THE poker magazine, and their website is just as cool as the magazine. On their website, you can subscribe to Cardplayer magazine, see schedules and and rankings for poker tournaments, including the World Poker Tour and the World Series of Poker. If you need poker rules, or poker calculators, they have that too. And many of their magazine articles are also published on their site.
Non-poker site of the day
Threadwatch.org has a tagline that read "Less Noise, More Signal". It's a constantly updated weblog for webmasters who no longer have the time to wade through all the irrelevant and time-wasting posts on all the webmaster and search engine optimitzation boards. I'm a big fan of Threadwatch, and I have been since the site launched. It's a great approach. Someone should, and probably could, do a Threadwatch type site for a lot of different subjects which are popular topics for forums--poker-threadwatch.org maybe?
Cardplayer is THE poker magazine, and their website is just as cool as the magazine. On their website, you can subscribe to Cardplayer magazine, see schedules and and rankings for poker tournaments, including the World Poker Tour and the World Series of Poker. If you need poker rules, or poker calculators, they have that too. And many of their magazine articles are also published on their site.
Non-poker site of the day
Threadwatch.org has a tagline that read "Less Noise, More Signal". It's a constantly updated weblog for webmasters who no longer have the time to wade through all the irrelevant and time-wasting posts on all the webmaster and search engine optimitzation boards. I'm a big fan of Threadwatch, and I have been since the site launched. It's a great approach. Someone should, and probably could, do a Threadwatch type site for a lot of different subjects which are popular topics for forums--poker-threadwatch.org maybe?
NASCAR's Kenny Wallace Wins Mobil High-Endurance Poker Challenge
Kenny Wallace won the Mobil High-Endurance Poker Challenge this week at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas. He won a total of $50,000, which he is donating to the Autism Society of America. Congratulations to Kenny Wallace, and kudos for donating that money to such a good cause.
NASCAR's Kenny Wallace Wins Mobil High-Endurance Poker Challenge posted by Randy Ray @ Saturday, March 12, 2005 0 comments
Party Poker Bankroll Updated
$279.75
I played in a couple of SnG's at $40 each and didn't catch ANY cards at all. None. I'll play more today and update my bankroll again tonight.
I played in a couple of SnG's at $40 each and didn't catch ANY cards at all. None. I'll play more today and update my bankroll again tonight.
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Bankroll Updated
Played 4 SnG's today. Placed in 3 of them. Bankroll at Party Poker is now $323.75.
Non Poker Site for Today
I'm a fan of a game called Morrowind, which is available both on the X-Box and on the PC. I'm also a big fan of the Stormbringer novels by Michael Moorcock, and even had a character named Elric at one time in the game. There's now a website featuring mods for the game that actually allow you to play Elric of Melnibone in Morrowind, and it's a very cool site indeed. Not at all poker related, but I need some non-poker stuff to keep me grounded in reality. (Which is of course why I posted a link to a fantasy role playing site.)
United Poker Forum - Poker Site of the Day
The United Poker Forum is one of the biggest and best poker forums online right now. As of this writing, they have over 5300 members and over 25,000 posts. (I thought my gambling forum was doing well at 400 members--sheesh.) Their forum sections include topics like: Strategy and Psychology, Money and Bankroll, Odds and Statistics, Tournament Poker, Books, Videos, and Learning Tools, and more. I'm pretty sure that Mike Caro, the mad genius of poker, is somehow involved with the site, based on its heavy presence on Caro's site Poker1.com. Anyway, it's a forum worth checking out.
United Poker Forum - Poker Site of the Day posted by Randy Ray @ Thursday, March 10, 2005 0 comments
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Poker Books and Other Stuff I'm Reading Right Now
Here are the poker books I'm currently reading or skimming or scanning:
Super/System 2 - First impressions are good so far. I understand that the section on no limit is virtually identical to the original, but the rest of the book looks darn good. One interesting distinction that I picked up, and something I hadn't really thought about before, was that I should be working on getting good at multiple games instead of specializing in just one game. (This was in the Steve Zolotow section of the book.) Basically he recommends that people who know several strategies for success are better off than people who only know one. (Foxes and hedgehogs.) Makes sense when you read it.
Pot-Limit and No-Limit Poker by Stewart Reuben and Bob Ciaffone - This one I picked up in Vegas, and it's interesting, although not particularly well written. (Which is okay with me if the content is good and helps me win more money.) I haven't gotten very far, but I did think it was interesting that pot-limit and no-limit poker are much bigger in the UK than here, and that most UK players don't even know how to play limit poker. Amazing. Anyway, I'm not far into it, so I don't have much to report.
And some poker books that I have and that I have read include:
Holdem Poker by David Sklansky
Holdem Poker for Advanced Players by David Sklansky
Play Poker Like the Pros by Phil Hellmuth
The Psychology of Poker by Alan Schoonmaker
Zen and the Art of Poker by Larry Phillips
That's just a sample of some of the books that I really liked. Hell, eventually I might write a review of each of them and post it here.
Super/System 2 - First impressions are good so far. I understand that the section on no limit is virtually identical to the original, but the rest of the book looks darn good. One interesting distinction that I picked up, and something I hadn't really thought about before, was that I should be working on getting good at multiple games instead of specializing in just one game. (This was in the Steve Zolotow section of the book.) Basically he recommends that people who know several strategies for success are better off than people who only know one. (Foxes and hedgehogs.) Makes sense when you read it.
Pot-Limit and No-Limit Poker by Stewart Reuben and Bob Ciaffone - This one I picked up in Vegas, and it's interesting, although not particularly well written. (Which is okay with me if the content is good and helps me win more money.) I haven't gotten very far, but I did think it was interesting that pot-limit and no-limit poker are much bigger in the UK than here, and that most UK players don't even know how to play limit poker. Amazing. Anyway, I'm not far into it, so I don't have much to report.
And some poker books that I have and that I have read include:
Holdem Poker by David Sklansky
Holdem Poker for Advanced Players by David Sklansky
Play Poker Like the Pros by Phil Hellmuth
The Psychology of Poker by Alan Schoonmaker
Zen and the Art of Poker by Larry Phillips
That's just a sample of some of the books that I really liked. Hell, eventually I might write a review of each of them and post it here.
Poker Books and Other Stuff I'm Reading Right Now posted by Randy Ray @ Wednesday, March 09, 2005 0 comments
Rounders Movie Fan Site - Poker Site of the Day
This is actually a really cool site: Rounders Movie Fan Site. The guy's a real fan of the movie, and even has a discussion board with some interesting discussion of the movie. There are also pictures, and apparently there are rumors of a Rounders sequel (Rounders 2, I guess), but there's nothing to confirm that those rumors are true necessarily. Although I'd be happy to watch any movie about poker, even a sequel to Rounders, which was a good movie, but not great. It's hard to get a bad performance out of Matt Damon or Ed Norton, and of course, John Malkovich as Teddy KGB is just plain brilliant, as always.
Rounders Movie Fan Site - Poker Site of the Day posted by Randy Ray @ Wednesday, March 09, 2005 0 comments
Another Party Poker Bankroll Update Today
$297.75
I did play a couple of $20 + $2 SnG's today in addition to several $10 + $1 tourneys. I'm on my way though. Not sure how many tourneys I played today though...I'm not feeling great. Got a respiratory infection and pinkeye, so it's not even easy to type, but I'm going to do so anyway.
I did play a couple of $20 + $2 SnG's today in addition to several $10 + $1 tourneys. I'm on my way though. Not sure how many tourneys I played today though...I'm not feeling great. Got a respiratory infection and pinkeye, so it's not even easy to type, but I'm going to do so anyway.
Another Party Poker Bankroll Update Today posted by Randy Ray @ Wednesday, March 09, 2005 0 comments
Non Poker Website of the Day
Disaster Online
Today's site bills itself as the only comprehensive site devoted to the disaster movie genre on the web. At the time of this writing, they have 284 films posted on their site, in alphabetical order, so they're easy to find. They also have disaster movies organized by genre and a whole section of air disaster movies.
Colby, the site owner, has written reviews and plot summaries for the movies on the site. If you like disaster movies, then check it out.
Today's site bills itself as the only comprehensive site devoted to the disaster movie genre on the web. At the time of this writing, they have 284 films posted on their site, in alphabetical order, so they're easy to find. They also have disaster movies organized by genre and a whole section of air disaster movies.
Colby, the site owner, has written reviews and plot summaries for the movies on the site. If you like disaster movies, then check it out.
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Party Poker Bankroll Update
I played in 4 $10 + $1 buy in SnG's tonight at Party Poker. I took 1st place in 2 of them, 2nd place in 1 of them, and didn't place in the 4th one. 75% ITM% tonight. (If you do decide to sign up for a new account with Party, then be sure to check out my special offer on the Doyle Brunson book.)
PartyPoker Bankroll is now $247.75. When I get the bankroll back up to $300, I'm going to jump back up to the $20 + $2 buy-ins. I think the bankroll recommendation is 15 times the buy in, although I might be wrong about that. I might be 25 times the buy in, I'm not sure. But MY plan is to move back up to the $20 SnG's when I hit $300.
I didn't play at any of the other rooms tonight, although I tried to play at Interpoker. They sent me an email saying that since they hadn't seen any account activity in 3 months, they were going to label my account "dormant" and charge me $2 a month til my funds were drained. So I tried to buy into a $10 + $1 tourney there. (I have $88 in my account at Interpoker right now.) And I tried 2 or 3 times. Every time I tried, I got a text message on my screen that said I didn't have enough funds. I sent them a quick complaint email, so maybe they'll get it straightened out soon for me.
PartyPoker Bankroll is now $247.75. When I get the bankroll back up to $300, I'm going to jump back up to the $20 + $2 buy-ins. I think the bankroll recommendation is 15 times the buy in, although I might be wrong about that. I might be 25 times the buy in, I'm not sure. But MY plan is to move back up to the $20 SnG's when I hit $300.
I didn't play at any of the other rooms tonight, although I tried to play at Interpoker. They sent me an email saying that since they hadn't seen any account activity in 3 months, they were going to label my account "dormant" and charge me $2 a month til my funds were drained. So I tried to buy into a $10 + $1 tourney there. (I have $88 in my account at Interpoker right now.) And I tried 2 or 3 times. Every time I tried, I got a text message on my screen that said I didn't have enough funds. I sent them a quick complaint email, so maybe they'll get it straightened out soon for me.
Phil Hellmuth Win Yesterday (National Heads Up Poker Championship)
I forgot to mention it yesterday, but Phil Hellmuth won the National Heads Up Poker Championship. Great job, Phil--I'm a big fan, no matter how much Iggy or anyone else hates you.
If you want to play poker with Phil Helmuth online, then be sure to sign up for an account with Ultimate Bet.
If you want to play poker with Phil Helmuth online, then be sure to sign up for an account with Ultimate Bet.
Phil Hellmuth Win Yesterday (National Heads Up Poker Championship) posted by Randy Ray @ Tuesday, March 08, 2005 0 comments
Sites of the Day
Poker Site of the Day
Today I'm featuring the most famous and most wonderful poker blog on the planet -- Guinness and Poker by Iggy. This has been one of the most influential and widely read blogs about poker ever, and I've seen Iggy referred to as the poker "blogfather". Deservedly so. Interesting long posts, lots of cool links, and good advice make Iggy's little corner of the web a cool place to be, and I recommend adding it to your list of sites to read. (He actually does really well in the search engine rankings for things like "poker blog" and "party poker", so I'm sure he has a lot more readers than I could even imagine.) Anyway, I wanna be like Iggy.
Non Poker Site of the Day
The Onion - America's Finest News Source is a site that never fails to please and delight. Today's headline about Bush's exit strategy for Iraq (we'll just go through Iran) is pure genius. Whenever I'm stressed out or need a laugh, the Onion is the place where I turn. Always funny--like Letterman on steroids online.
Absolute Poker Increases Bonus to $350 - AbsolutePoker
Absolute Poker announced today that they were increasing the max bonus on their 35% initial deposit bonus from $210 to $350! That's the biggest poker bonus available online, and I highly recommend that you take advantage of it. (I got in when the max bonus was still $210--wonder if they'll offer me the difference if I deposit the difference.) Seriously though, this is a HUGE bonus. Big time dollars. Lots of moolah. Major money.
Take advantage of it, and be sure that when you sign up for AbsolutePoker, you sign up here: AbsolutePoker.com.
I've been playing at Absolute now for several weeks, and I really love the software, and the action has been plenty good. Every Sunday they have a WSOP qualifier that you can enter for $100 + $8, or you can win your way into that Sunday night tournament through a sub-qualifier. This is truly one of the best poker sites online. I loved Ultimate Bet (and still do), and I love Party, but Absolute is definitely the third leg on my poker stool.
Take advantage of it, and be sure that when you sign up for AbsolutePoker, you sign up here: AbsolutePoker.com.
I've been playing at Absolute now for several weeks, and I really love the software, and the action has been plenty good. Every Sunday they have a WSOP qualifier that you can enter for $100 + $8, or you can win your way into that Sunday night tournament through a sub-qualifier. This is truly one of the best poker sites online. I loved Ultimate Bet (and still do), and I love Party, but Absolute is definitely the third leg on my poker stool.
Absolute Poker Increases Bonus to $350 - AbsolutePoker posted by Randy Ray @ Tuesday, March 08, 2005 0 comments
ESPN Poker Club Launches - Free Online Poker Games
On March 2, ESPN launched its own free online poker room called the ESPN Poker Club. They're going to promote this play money poker game at ESPN.com, ESPN Wireless, ESPN books, and ESPN Enterprises. The site is offering ring games and single table and multi table tournament functionality. They do not offer play for real money games, only play for fun versions.
Apparently they signed up over 2500 players within hours of launching. What I wouldn't give to have that many people sign up with my poker links!
Their software platform is powered my Micropower, which is similar to the software powering the most popular online real money poker rooms, but it's unique in ways too. All the usual poker games are available--holdem, omaha, stud, hi-lo versions, etc. The site is also offering tournaments where the winner can win a free seat at the World Series of Poker this year, but they're only giving away 1 seat.
I don't know, but to me, poker without money wagered is kinda like beer without alcohol, coffee without caffeine, or sex without orgasm; it doesn't make much sense.
My suggestion is to get a real money account with Absolute Poker today--there you can play for real money, and you can get up to $350 in bonus money too.
Apparently they signed up over 2500 players within hours of launching. What I wouldn't give to have that many people sign up with my poker links!
Their software platform is powered my Micropower, which is similar to the software powering the most popular online real money poker rooms, but it's unique in ways too. All the usual poker games are available--holdem, omaha, stud, hi-lo versions, etc. The site is also offering tournaments where the winner can win a free seat at the World Series of Poker this year, but they're only giving away 1 seat.
I don't know, but to me, poker without money wagered is kinda like beer without alcohol, coffee without caffeine, or sex without orgasm; it doesn't make much sense.
My suggestion is to get a real money account with Absolute Poker today--there you can play for real money, and you can get up to $350 in bonus money too.
ESPN Poker Club Launches - Free Online Poker Games posted by Randy Ray @ Tuesday, March 08, 2005 0 comments
Monday, March 07, 2005
Kathy Liebert Joins PartyPoker.com as Spokeswoman
Kathy Liebert wins the poker "battle of the sexes" and then goes out and becomes a spokeswoman for PartyPoker.com, the world's largest poker site. This was a GSN show, and she apparently won $100. Tom Leykis was one of the co-hosts of the show, if I heard the commercials correctly on the radio, which should have made for interesting watching, even though I didn't get to see it myself. (Leykis is one of my favorite radio personalities.)
Liebert is signing up as spokeswoman just in time for the Party Poker Million IV, which is going to be a grand cruise that I'm very sorry I'm not attending personally. She'll be playing with about 750 other players on the cruise as part of the World Poker Tour, and we'll be able to see that on tv soon too.
Kathy Liebert was a high powered executive with Dunn and Bradstreet before she decided to leave the business world and enter the world of cards.
All I can say is, good for Kathy!
Liebert is signing up as spokeswoman just in time for the Party Poker Million IV, which is going to be a grand cruise that I'm very sorry I'm not attending personally. She'll be playing with about 750 other players on the cruise as part of the World Poker Tour, and we'll be able to see that on tv soon too.
Kathy Liebert was a high powered executive with Dunn and Bradstreet before she decided to leave the business world and enter the world of cards.
All I can say is, good for Kathy!
Kathy Liebert Joins PartyPoker.com as Spokeswoman posted by Randy Ray @ Monday, March 07, 2005 0 comments
Greg "Fossilman" Raymer Supports North Dakota Poker Bill
There's a bill in North Dakota that will specifically legalize online poker in the state. This coule be a really big deal and a really good thing for online poker players throughout the United States. Today, Greg "Fossilman" Raymer came out in favor of the bill and is lobbying for it. (eCogra is also supporting the bill, although I suspect they have little lobbying power with the North Dakota legislature.
Raymer's the winner of the 2004 WSOP, and a regular poster at the forums at 2+2. Seems like one helluva nice guy, funny glasses and all, and I hope that his support of this bill will make a difference. Raymer spoke at a news conference organized by Rep. Jim Kasper, R-Fargo, who is sponsoring legislation to authorize state licensing and regulation of internet poker sites.
Frank Catania, an attorney and former New Jersey gambling regulator, and Patrick O'Brien, a lawyer in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and former U.S. customs agent, disputed U.S. Justice Department statements that Internet gambling is illegal.
"It's very easy (for the Justice Department) to write a letter, but it's something else to get into court and defend that letter," O'Brien said.
Speaking of which, whatever happened to the idea of a free country anyway? Hell, the American Revolution was paid for with money made by lotteries. Gambling is as American as apple pie and baseball, and nothing is more American than poker.
(The italicized portions of this post were originally in the article; I think I've used little enough of the article, and in proper context, to qualify for fair use.
Raymer's the winner of the 2004 WSOP, and a regular poster at the forums at 2+2. Seems like one helluva nice guy, funny glasses and all, and I hope that his support of this bill will make a difference. Raymer spoke at a news conference organized by Rep. Jim Kasper, R-Fargo, who is sponsoring legislation to authorize state licensing and regulation of internet poker sites.
Frank Catania, an attorney and former New Jersey gambling regulator, and Patrick O'Brien, a lawyer in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and former U.S. customs agent, disputed U.S. Justice Department statements that Internet gambling is illegal.
"It's very easy (for the Justice Department) to write a letter, but it's something else to get into court and defend that letter," O'Brien said.
Speaking of which, whatever happened to the idea of a free country anyway? Hell, the American Revolution was paid for with money made by lotteries. Gambling is as American as apple pie and baseball, and nothing is more American than poker.
(The italicized portions of this post were originally in the article; I think I've used little enough of the article, and in proper context, to qualify for fair use.
Greg "Fossilman" Raymer Supports North Dakota Poker Bill posted by Randy Ray @ Monday, March 07, 2005 0 comments
Poker Bankrolls
Here's the current state of my bankrolls at Party Poker, Absolute Poker, and Ultimate Bet:
Party Poker $161.75
Absolute Poker $300.68
Ultimate Bet $140.38
Total Online Bankroll: $602 (more or less, I added that up in my head after drinking a bit of whiskey.)
Party Poker $161.75
Absolute Poker $300.68
Ultimate Bet $140.38
Total Online Bankroll: $602 (more or less, I added that up in my head after drinking a bit of whiskey.)
Cool Site of the Day (That's not poker related)
Today's non poker related cool site of the day is Things I Hate About My Flatmate. It's a daily journal of things this particular person's flatmate does to piss her off. Absolutely hysterical, and a great concept for a blog. I love blogging, and this is blogging in its purest form, and it's so totally narrow in focus that it's almost too cool to believe. Be sure to hop on over there and check it out. You'll laugh, especially if you've ever had roommate issues. (And some of my former roommates consider me legendary.)
Cool Site of the Day (That's not poker related) posted by Randy Ray @ Monday, March 07, 2005 0 comments
Cool Poker Site of the Day
The cool poker site of the day for today is Play Winning Poker. This is Steve Badger's website, and it is chock full of good poker reading from someone who really knows what the hell he's talking about. (Badger's considered one of, if not THE, best Omaha player in the world.) And not only does he know what he's talking about, but he tells it to you straight. If you don't like brutal honesty, then stay away from Badger, because he's as brutal as he is honest.
One of the things I enjoy about Steve's site is that he doesn't spend a whole lot of time telling you how to play, he spends his time telling you how to think for yourself and how to learn how to play. His contention seems to be, and he's expressed it multiple times, that the correct play is so situational that most beginners' guidelines are about as useful as training wheels once you've already learned how to ride a bike. Hell, anyone who encourages original thinking in this day and age deserves kudos.
Steve Badger is also a pretty literary guy, and he usually includes some clever quotes and stuff to keep things interesting over at his site. I particularly liked the quote from the Chronicles of Amber that he used in one article called "Come Find Out", which I think was also the title of the article. Great stuff, and I'll let you go find it for yourself and read it to see how great it is. He's also a fan of classic movies, and if you do a bit of looking, you can find links to some of his classic movie sites there too.
One of the things I enjoy about Steve's site is that he doesn't spend a whole lot of time telling you how to play, he spends his time telling you how to think for yourself and how to learn how to play. His contention seems to be, and he's expressed it multiple times, that the correct play is so situational that most beginners' guidelines are about as useful as training wheels once you've already learned how to ride a bike. Hell, anyone who encourages original thinking in this day and age deserves kudos.
Steve Badger is also a pretty literary guy, and he usually includes some clever quotes and stuff to keep things interesting over at his site. I particularly liked the quote from the Chronicles of Amber that he used in one article called "Come Find Out", which I think was also the title of the article. Great stuff, and I'll let you go find it for yourself and read it to see how great it is. He's also a fan of classic movies, and if you do a bit of looking, you can find links to some of his classic movie sites there too.
$30 + $3 SnG's at Party Poker
Been playing a bunch of $30 + $3 SnG's at Party Poker. Took 1st place in one, but lost like 4 more immediately afterward, so I scaled back to the $20 + $2 tables. I'm going to add a couple of features to the old poker blog today: a log of my poker games and bankroll, and a poker site of the day for you to check out. There are a helluva lot of poker websites out there, and I've been to damn near all of them, and I'm going to start posting links to the ones I think are the best, along with some of my brilliant commentary.
For that matter, I think I'll add a daily link to a cool site that's NOT about poker every day too.
I'm actually writing this while I'm playing in the $20 + $2, so forgive me if my posts are a little bit disjointed today.
For that matter, I think I'll add a daily link to a cool site that's NOT about poker every day too.
I'm actually writing this while I'm playing in the $20 + $2, so forgive me if my posts are a little bit disjointed today.
Sunday, March 06, 2005
Super System 2 - Doyle Brunson - SuperSystem For FREE
I'm such a big fan of Doyle Brunson and Supersystem 2 that I'm going to give away 99 copies of the book for free when someone signs up for one of my affiliate poker sites with me. The clock's ticking on this offer, because I am ONLY giving away 99 copies. No more, no less. To qualify for your free copy of Super System 2, all you have to do is the following:
Doyle Brunson's Super System 2 for free!! As seen on Choice Gambling and on Gamblers Reviews!
- Sign up for a real money account with one of the online poker rooms in the list below.
- Make a real money deposit of at least $100 at the room.
- Email me with the confirmation from the online poker room that you signed up and deposited.
- Give me time (24 to 48 hours) to confirm with the poker room that you signed up with MY link.
Here's how it works. I get paid a referral fee for anyone I refer to these online poker rooms. I'm willing to give some of that back in the form of a free copy of Brunson's new Super System 2. But I have to confirm that you've actually signed up with me and been credited to my account. Here are a few other terms and conditions:
- If you already have an account at the poker room, you're not eligible to get one of the books.
- If you sign up through someone else's link, or use anyone else's bonus code, then you're not eligible to get one of the books. (In fact, it's not a bad idea to clear out all your cookies before signing up and depositing.)
- The books might take a little while to ship. Please be patient and allow time to deliver. You're going to have my email address and a way to get in touch with me if you have any problems.
Finally, here are the poker rooms you can sign up with. Remember--you have to use MY links and MY bonus codes to receive your free copy of the most heavily anticipated poker book of all time, Super System 2.
- Party Poker (Use bonus code CHIPSBLOG for a $25 bonus, or 100CHIPSBLOG for a bonus of up to $100--it's a 20% deposit bonus.)
- Paradise Poker
- Ultimate Bet
- Absolute Poker
I have 99 copies of Super System 2 to give away and that's it. After they're gone, they're gone for good, and I won't be running this special offer again.
Ultimate Bet - the best online poker software out there, and the online home of Phil Hellmuth and Annie Duke.
Absolute Poker - Home of the biggest 1st time deposit bonus on the internet, and also home to WSOP qualifiers EVERY Sunday night.
Doyle Brunson's Super System 2 for free!! As seen on Choice Gambling and on Gamblers Reviews!
Super System 2 - Doyle Brunson - SuperSystem For FREE posted by Randy Ray @ Sunday, March 06, 2005 3 comments
Online Poker All Weekend Long
I've been playing poker both online and offline all weekend, but mostly online. My wife and kids are in San Antonio for the weekend, which left the entire house to me. So I've done nothing but drink Crown Royal, listen to music, and play, play, and play some more. And I've realized a couple of things about game, both because I've been losing a lot, and losing often, and because I've been reading Iggy's Poker Blog in depth. I'm losing because I'm playing low limits and I'm playing way too loose.
First of all, about reading Iggy's blog: I decided to read his blog in its entirety. Not sure why, but wanted to see how the blogfather of poker did it, and see how he did it from day one. (So I guess I am sure why. Fuzzy thinking=fuzzy writing.) So far I've finished reading all of his posts from 2003, and I'll start reading the rest of it tomorrow or maybe later this afternoon. Maybe I can work my way through reading through a month's worth of posts every night. But I am taking the easy way out--I'm not following any of the links or reading any of the stuff he's referring me to. I figure I can do that after I finish reading the blog.
Thought #2--I'm playing WAY too loose and aggressive for my bankroll. Maybe not too aggressive, but definitely too loose. I'm trying to steal too many pots, and I'm letting way too many people figure out that I'm going to take a stab at every pot in a $25 NL game regardless of the flop or my hole cards if no one bets before I do. Usually when they raise my bet, I fold, unless I've got a good hand. And that's not a pattern that takes most people long to figure out. It's an exciting way to play, and if you're lucky, you can be very profitable short term playing that way, but in the long term, it will tear you up. (It's tore up my poker bankroll, that's for sure.)
I have other subjects to talk about, but I'm going to talk about them in other posts.
First of all, about reading Iggy's blog: I decided to read his blog in its entirety. Not sure why, but wanted to see how the blogfather of poker did it, and see how he did it from day one. (So I guess I am sure why. Fuzzy thinking=fuzzy writing.) So far I've finished reading all of his posts from 2003, and I'll start reading the rest of it tomorrow or maybe later this afternoon. Maybe I can work my way through reading through a month's worth of posts every night. But I am taking the easy way out--I'm not following any of the links or reading any of the stuff he's referring me to. I figure I can do that after I finish reading the blog.
Thought #2--I'm playing WAY too loose and aggressive for my bankroll. Maybe not too aggressive, but definitely too loose. I'm trying to steal too many pots, and I'm letting way too many people figure out that I'm going to take a stab at every pot in a $25 NL game regardless of the flop or my hole cards if no one bets before I do. Usually when they raise my bet, I fold, unless I've got a good hand. And that's not a pattern that takes most people long to figure out. It's an exciting way to play, and if you're lucky, you can be very profitable short term playing that way, but in the long term, it will tear you up. (It's tore up my poker bankroll, that's for sure.)
I have other subjects to talk about, but I'm going to talk about them in other posts.
Saturday, March 05, 2005
CrazyPoker.com - Crazy Poker - Crazy Vegas Poker
Crazy Poker is currently offering a free $10 no deposit required bonus when you sign up for their online poker room software. You can also get an additional 40% bonus on your first deposit of $100, so your total bonus chips available there are $50, which ain't bad on a $100 bonus requirement. Crazy Poker is part of Microgaming's PrimaPoker network, and they've been in business since 1994, making them one of the dinosaurs of the industry. It also makes them very trustworthy and stable. They have WSOP and WPT promotions all the time at their entire network of sites.
Poker games available at Crazy Vegas Poker include omaha, texas holdem, seven card stud, and five card stud. (The Prima Poker network is one of the only online poker rooms I know of who actually offer five card stud, which is one of my favorite games.) I like playing there. They haven't gotten quite as popular as Party, Ultimate, or Absolute, but they're picking up their cardroom gradually, and they're a good place to play.
Click here to visit Crazy Poker now.
CrazyPoker.com - Crazy Poker - Crazy Vegas Poker posted by Randy Ray @ Saturday, March 05, 2005 0 comments
Financial Times Article on PartyPoker IPO
Financial Times Article on PartyPoker IPO
They're estimating that Party Poker might be valued as highly as British Airways! That's some amazing and interesting stuff as far as I'm concerned.
This is one IPO I might actually try to get in on.
They're estimating that Party Poker might be valued as highly as British Airways! That's some amazing and interesting stuff as far as I'm concerned.
This is one IPO I might actually try to get in on.
Absolute Poker About to Deal Its 100 Millionth Hand
Absolute Poker is about to deal its 100 millionth hand, and they're celebrating by offering prizes to players who are online and playing when that 100 millionth hand is dealt.
“100 million hands is truly a phenomenal achievement when you stop to think about it,” said Gian Perroni, Absolute Poker’s Cardroom Manager. “Our players have been extremely loyal. The prize schedule for the day will offer various cash in hand prizes when the 100 millionth hand is dealt, plus prizes leading up to and after the 100 millionth hand. We’ll also be randomly selecting one lucky player to join Team Absolute at the WSOP in Las Vegas.”
Absolute Poker has been around since 2003, and I only recently started playing there. (The bonus money was too good to pass up.) But so far I love the cardroom and I'm enjoying the other players. I think I still prefer the Ultimate Bet software, and Party Poker's still got some of the softest games around, but Absolute Poker really does rock as far as I'm concerned.
“100 million hands is truly a phenomenal achievement when you stop to think about it,” said Gian Perroni, Absolute Poker’s Cardroom Manager. “Our players have been extremely loyal. The prize schedule for the day will offer various cash in hand prizes when the 100 millionth hand is dealt, plus prizes leading up to and after the 100 millionth hand. We’ll also be randomly selecting one lucky player to join Team Absolute at the WSOP in Las Vegas.”
Absolute Poker has been around since 2003, and I only recently started playing there. (The bonus money was too good to pass up.) But so far I love the cardroom and I'm enjoying the other players. I think I still prefer the Ultimate Bet software, and Party Poker's still got some of the softest games around, but Absolute Poker really does rock as far as I'm concerned.
Absolute Poker About to Deal Its 100 Millionth Hand posted by Randy Ray @ Saturday, March 05, 2005 0 comments
UltimateBet's Aruba Classic World Poker Tour Event
I'm thinking about trying to win my way into the Aruba Classic. It's an official World Poker Tour event sponsored by Ultimate Bet. It's a weeklong event starting on September 26, 2005, and ending on October 1, 2005. It's called the Ultimate Poker Classic Tournament, or at least that's the official name for the event. There are continuous single table satellites running at Ultimate Bet right now, and winning one of the single table satellites wins tournament entry chips which can be used to buy your way into the $100 + $9 entry fee Aruba Super Satellite, which is where you get your chance to win your way to Aruba.
They're also having multi table events with buy-ins as low as $3. Some of this stuff is definitely within my meager bankroll these days. Anyway, the prize package is worth over $9000 with these satellites, so they're worth taking a shot at anyway, even though I'd probably be more likely to put $9000 to good use than a trip to Aruba to play poker. (Wait a minute. Aruba. Poker. What the hell would be a better use for $9000 than that? What's gotten into me?)
They're also having multi table events with buy-ins as low as $3. Some of this stuff is definitely within my meager bankroll these days. Anyway, the prize package is worth over $9000 with these satellites, so they're worth taking a shot at anyway, even though I'd probably be more likely to put $9000 to good use than a trip to Aruba to play poker. (Wait a minute. Aruba. Poker. What the hell would be a better use for $9000 than that? What's gotten into me?)
UltimateBet's Aruba Classic World Poker Tour Event posted by Randy Ray @ Saturday, March 05, 2005 0 comments
Ultimate Bet's Tournament Ambassador Wins 4th at Harrah's
Ultimate Bet has a "tournament ambassador" named James Worth, who's also known as "KrazyKanuck" online, and he just won 4th place in the World Series Ciruit at Harrah's in San Diego. Prize money was $158,850. There were over 200 other players in the event, including Chris "Jesus" Ferguson.
From what I've read, the Krazy Kanuck has been playing poker for over ten years but only started playing seriously a couple of years ago, and he sold his successful coffee company to do so. He lives in Toronto, and he finished 2nd to TJ Cloutier in the pot limit event (Festa al Lago Poker Tournament) at the Bellagio in 2003.
Guess there's no need to add him to my buddy list, huh?
From what I've read, the Krazy Kanuck has been playing poker for over ten years but only started playing seriously a couple of years ago, and he sold his successful coffee company to do so. He lives in Toronto, and he finished 2nd to TJ Cloutier in the pot limit event (Festa al Lago Poker Tournament) at the Bellagio in 2003.
Guess there's no need to add him to my buddy list, huh?
Ultimate Bet's Tournament Ambassador Wins 4th at Harrah's posted by Randy Ray @ Saturday, March 05, 2005 0 comments
Friday, March 04, 2005
Poker Tracker Guide
Fellow blogger Iggy has put together an ebook about how to get more use out of the Poker Tracker software. You can find the ebook at Poker Tracker Guide. I haven't read it yet, and don't know how useful it is or isn't, but judging from Iggy's poker blog, it's probably pretty good stuff. Cuz I haven't read too much poker writing by other people the compares with the enormous amount of content he manages to spew forth on a semi regular basis. In fact, he's sort of a hero to me as a poker blogger, especially since he ranks in the top ten on Google for "party poker", which is one of the most impressive and difficult feats imaginable.
Anyway, I'm going to pick up this Poker Tracker Guide ebook and give it a read-through, probably tomorrow, because I'm 90% sure I'm not using Poker Tracker to its fullest potential. In fact, I hardly use it at all, and I need to start. John Vorhaus said one time that to be a serious poker player, you have to keep records of your play. That's it. Once you start keeping books on it, you're automatically upgraded to "serious player".
Anyway, I'm going to pick up this Poker Tracker Guide ebook and give it a read-through, probably tomorrow, because I'm 90% sure I'm not using Poker Tracker to its fullest potential. In fact, I hardly use it at all, and I need to start. John Vorhaus said one time that to be a serious poker player, you have to keep records of your play. That's it. Once you start keeping books on it, you're automatically upgraded to "serious player".
Sherlock Holmes Quotes and Poker
Steve Badger has written a new article full of Sherlock Holmes quotes and how they relate to poker. I've been a fan of Sherlock Holmes since I was a young child, so I thought that this was a particularly good article. The distinction between facts and data is something I hadn't given much thought before, either. Anyway, I recommend running over there and reading that article, and as many other articles by Steve as you can. He's one of the most honest and original voices writing about poker on the web today, and on top of that, he's a really cool guy.
I've always enjoyed dealing with straight shooters, and I don't know too many people who "tell it like it is" like Steve Badger does.
I've always enjoyed dealing with straight shooters, and I don't know too many people who "tell it like it is" like Steve Badger does.
Making Money as a Poker Affiliate
There's a post over at Casino Affiliate Programs about making a living as a poker affiliate. There's some interesting data in that post about what kind of money you can expect to make with certain poker affiliate programs based on how many depositing players you send over. It's a recommended thread if you're interested in doing more than just playing poker online.
Making money as a poker affiliate is a tough gig right now. Poker's popularity has exploded, and the competition for almost any poker-related keyword phrase you can think of is so amazingly competitive that it will blow your mind. But the financial rewards have been well worth it for me so far, and I have no intentions of dropping out of the biz at all yet.
Making money as a poker affiliate is a tough gig right now. Poker's popularity has exploded, and the competition for almost any poker-related keyword phrase you can think of is so amazingly competitive that it will blow your mind. But the financial rewards have been well worth it for me so far, and I have no intentions of dropping out of the biz at all yet.
Pink Bunny Poker Auction
The pink bunny poker auction was the brainchild of an acquaintance of mine named Jeremy who is the author of a book about how to make money as an affiliate of Party Poker called Party Riches. I think this auction was one of the best and most interesting PR type campaigns I've seen. Unless I'm mistaken, the auction itself received over 5000 visitors, and the news article on Yahoo probably got at least as many visitors. All of which was great exposure for Jeremy and his website, and all of which probably cost him very little.
Jeremy has my congratulations. I'm hoping to come up with some clever marketing plan soon, but for now I'm going to spend a little time just updating my blog and trying to get something up here that people want to read. Right now I average 30 or so visitors a day, and I'd sure like to get that number over 50, then 100, then 200, and so on and so on. Heck--maybe I should auction something off on eBay myself.
Also--the Party Riches ebook and the discussion forum over at the website are both rock-solid if you're interested in making money promoting online poker. The only caveat I have is that the online poker industry is INCREDIBLY competitive and hard to monetize right now.
Jeremy has my congratulations. I'm hoping to come up with some clever marketing plan soon, but for now I'm going to spend a little time just updating my blog and trying to get something up here that people want to read. Right now I average 30 or so visitors a day, and I'd sure like to get that number over 50, then 100, then 200, and so on and so on. Heck--maybe I should auction something off on eBay myself.
Also--the Party Riches ebook and the discussion forum over at the website are both rock-solid if you're interested in making money promoting online poker. The only caveat I have is that the online poker industry is INCREDIBLY competitive and hard to monetize right now.
WSOP Qualifier at Absolute Poker
On a brighter note, I did well in the WSOP qualifier last Sunday night at Absolute Poker, placing 10th out of 166 people. Not even close to good enough to win a seat at the series, but I played well, didn't make any major mistakes and only made 1 minor mistake, and overall just felt really good about it. My friend Shane was over for a visit that evening and sat there and watched me play for almost 4 hours while we listened to music on Napster and sang along.
I don't know if I'm going to play in any more WSOP qualifiers at Absolute for a while. My bankroll there is down to less than half what I deposited, and I haven't been running good at Party Poker lately either, especially since they changed the blind structure on the lower buy in no limit tables. I need to start rebuilding my poker bankroll, and I need to do so soon.
But not tonight. I'm still depressed and probably on tilt because of my experience at the Mckinney poker club tonight.
I don't know if I'm going to play in any more WSOP qualifiers at Absolute for a while. My bankroll there is down to less than half what I deposited, and I haven't been running good at Party Poker lately either, especially since they changed the blind structure on the lower buy in no limit tables. I need to start rebuilding my poker bankroll, and I need to do so soon.
But not tonight. I'm still depressed and probably on tilt because of my experience at the Mckinney poker club tonight.
McKinney, Texas Poker
So I played in McKinney, Texas tonight. For those of you who don't know, McKinney is just north of Dallas, about 30 miles. It was a nice big poker room with a really friendly host and a bunch of great friendly people. There was an $80 buy in no limit holdem tournament that I played in and did okay in. (I placed 17th or so out of about 41, so not in the money, but nothing embarassing.)
Then I sat down and bought in for $300 in the cash game. That was the beginning of the end. And the end came quickly tonight. It was $1/$2 pot limit, and I got confused and thought someone had called before me when he'd actually bet the pot. I had AQ suited. So I wound up putting a lot more money in the pot than I'd anticipated. Drove one guy out, but the guy who stayed in re-raised. Then, like a goddamned fool who didn't know what the hell he was doing, I went all-in. Naturally he had a pair of kings. I busted out and slunk away ashamed and depressed.
BUT...the host was such a cool guy that he followed me out to the parking lot, told me how much he enjoyed having me there, and asked me to make sure I came back again soon. I guess I could have tried going to an ATM and getting some more cash, but I was so mad at myself at my bad play that I just couldn't bring myself to play anymore. It also occurred to me that I hadn't updated my blog in a month, and I definitely have something to write about now.
Damn I was embarassed at that bad play when I left. I normally play pretty well too. I'll definitely be heading back out to McKinney to play there again though. All the dealers were lovely, healthy country girls, and sweet as pie. And there were plenty of people there. Probably could have made some money tonight if I hadn't played so damn stupid.
Then I sat down and bought in for $300 in the cash game. That was the beginning of the end. And the end came quickly tonight. It was $1/$2 pot limit, and I got confused and thought someone had called before me when he'd actually bet the pot. I had AQ suited. So I wound up putting a lot more money in the pot than I'd anticipated. Drove one guy out, but the guy who stayed in re-raised. Then, like a goddamned fool who didn't know what the hell he was doing, I went all-in. Naturally he had a pair of kings. I busted out and slunk away ashamed and depressed.
BUT...the host was such a cool guy that he followed me out to the parking lot, told me how much he enjoyed having me there, and asked me to make sure I came back again soon. I guess I could have tried going to an ATM and getting some more cash, but I was so mad at myself at my bad play that I just couldn't bring myself to play anymore. It also occurred to me that I hadn't updated my blog in a month, and I definitely have something to write about now.
Damn I was embarassed at that bad play when I left. I normally play pretty well too. I'll definitely be heading back out to McKinney to play there again though. All the dealers were lovely, healthy country girls, and sweet as pie. And there were plenty of people there. Probably could have made some money tonight if I hadn't played so damn stupid.
