Poker and Twitter

I have to tell you I love TWITTER. If you don't know what it is, follow the link and find out. Twitter has changed the way you follow poker, tournament updates, and your favorite pro's. Pro's are now twittering from the table (well, they have to get up, take a step backwards, twitter, then return to the table).

I am currently following these poker pro's:

Jeff Madsen
Annie Duke
WSOP (yes they have their own twitter account which sends out updates)
Shannon Shorr
Vanessa Rousso
Daniel Negreanu
David Williams
PokerRoad.com

Pretty much all poker players twitter now, call me a geek but I guess I just enjoy getting updates directly from the pro's as things happen. Oh and the life a pro poker player, I'm jealous for sure. The pictures they share are just amazing.

Join twitter and follow me @ www.twitter.com/mspokertn and all the other poker players.

PEACE!

Next year my happy ass will be in one of these seats!

Houston we have a problem...

It's call Omaha, Poker that is. My friend Chris calls last Saturday night telling about the cash game I didn't stay to play, and about how fun the game of Omaha is. Sounded interesting, why not try it?

So all week I have been playing $.01/$.02 on PokerStars. I'm having a blast learning. I'm up a huge $.27... Laugh. I can't wait until the next home game, watch out guys!

Last night was event #5 for the home league in which I came in first place. The night started out pretty good, I was playing SUPER tight, mixing up my game. Funny thing is no one noticed, laugh. After about the first hour I announced that I hadn't played any hands yet and how tight I was playing, no one seemed to care. That's OK. Amazingly, in the first 4 or 5 rounds I folder pretty premium hands; AK, KQ, AQ, Pocket 8's and the like. For some reason I just wasn't feeling it.

A few hands that come to mind... after announcing my tight play few hands later I had Ace 4 of diamonds, I believe I raised it pre-flop with one caller, directly on my left. I am pretty sure I was on the button. Flop came two diamonds and a pair on the board. Turn was a blank with the river putting two pair on the board, no other diamonds. I basically had two pair with an Ace kicker. I bet $600, player thinks for awhile and decides to call with A 5 I believe, we split the pot. I was happy with that, I knew if he called me I was either dead in the water or tied, no way I was winning the pot out right.

Another hand a little while later I ended up taking a pretty big pot with an 3 spades for a 4 card flush on the board, I kept betting, caller kept calling, I got lucky on the river.

Finally we are heads up, I have 7-9 (I think, I'm horrible at remembering hands), ended up making a straight to his two pair for a $10K double up putting me in a big chip lead, game ended shortly thereafter.

It was a good game. Everyone played great. Every week is getting harder and harder as we are learning each others style of player. I have to either bluff on this blog as I know some of them read it, or completely mix up my game month to month... I'll do both!!! :)


After 5 games the leader board looks like this:

1st, Robin, 54 Points
2nd, Chris H, 49 Points
3rd, Melissa, 39 Points
4th, Kyle, 36 Points

It's still any one's game, can't wait until next time!!!

PEACE!

2009 WSOP Rundown

7 days until the summer of 2009 WSOP starts on May 27th Event #1 for Casino Employees NL $500 buy in and then the big $40K 4 day event starts next Thursday. I am sure some big name pro will win this one, since no average person can afford it.

I have a friend at work who has already won a Sunday Million this year playing in event #4 on Saturday, May 30th, the only $1000 buy in event. I hope he does well. He is a great tournament player, GO RUSTY!!

I also have another friend at work who has been in a home league and he will be playing in the main event for the first time. Go Alan!!!

A change to this years events, the bracelet ceremony will be held each day at 2pm for the previous nights winner. Prior, if an event ended at 4am they would have the bracelet ceremony right then and there. Now they will have it each day at 2pm. Probably a good idea.

Another huge change is the player tracking based on behavior. According to CardPlayer magazine, WSOP commissioner Jeffery Pollack said "We saw some things we were not proud of last year and we've never tracked this before, so it's a quantum step forward". Penalties ranging from one hand to disqualification will now be assessed based on past warnings verse a 10 minutes sit out. This comes off the heals of Scotty Nguyen's drunk ass during the H.O.R.S.E. event and Phil Hellmuth calling the one guy an idiot 100 times over and over again during the Main Event. I like this rule. I love Scotty Nguyen but man was he out of line last year.

I hope to see a female take at least one bracelet, I know I'm a little bias here but come on, it would be nice. Vanessa Rousso is coming off an EPT High Roller Champion and Runner Up for NBC Heads Up. The other Vanessa (Selbst) did win a bracelet last year but she isn't a good representation of female poker players, if you know what I mean.

Now that twitter is here it's taking over the poker world as pro's twitter after hands, during breaks so updates are coming faster then ever. If you're not twitting now, you have to start. (of course you can follow me on twitter at mspokertn)

I'm always excited about the WSOP and keep track of the events and will post updates and thoughts on bracelet winners over the next 7 weeks.

On a more personal note, tonight is event #5, hope I win. I need to come in 1st or 2nd to keep my 2nd place holding.

PEACE!

Vegas Road Trip

Just returned from four nights in Las Vegas. We stayed at Bill's Gambling Hall. Cheap, great location, small casino with the same previleges as the guest at the Flamingo. Speaking of the Flamingo, from Bill's door to Flamingo's door is just 25 steps away.

I got to play some poker, not at much as I would have liked but still a great time. Monday we arrived around 1pm and so I just went down to Bill's poker room. It's not really a poker room, just three tables, right at front door to the right of the casino and about 10 steps from the Strip. There were about 7 people at the table and the game was $.50/$1.00 No Limit. I have never seen in a casino a No Limit game so cheap. At first this interested me as it's like playing in the home game. Buy-In was $20 min - $200 max so I bought in for $60. Game was CRAZY. Crazy in a bad way because no one would fold pre-flop thus playing all kinds of cards and getting lucky. I played until I lost $40 then left and went over to the Flamingo.

Once at the Flamingo, there was a waiting list for $1/$2 NL so I started out at the $2/$4 Limit game. Game was pretty good and in about an hour I was up $60. My name finally got called for the NL game and I moved.

Once at the NL, the table has four drunk young guys one one end, 2 senior citizens on the other end that couldn't hear anything anyone side, one guy who lived in Vegas and training of the UFC and another modest middle aged guy. I sad in seat 6 right smack in the middle of all the drama.

I sat back and just watched and listened for about the first 30 minutes. I had pocket K's and win a pretty decent pot, I had pocket A's that got cracked by a crack head and I folded AJ with a board that had KQ and a flush draw to a drunk kid who showed A - 10... I would have won that pot but didn't feel like it was the right call.

After that I played a couple more times here or there, had a good time and came away from the poker table up.

The highlight of my trip was on Thursday when we decided to head to Fremont Street. I had not been feeling to good, had some kind of stomach flu but Dana really wanted to go downtown. We headed that way early and after walking around in the heat I had to take a rest. I HATE slots. Never EVER win at any slots. They have new EBAY machines and we seen a penny machine. Penny is my mind of machine. I put $4 in the machine, and one the first spin a total of $2.50 I win BIG for $180. Cash OUT!!!

We were in Vegas from Monday - Friday (left at 7:30am) and being during the week, I would have thought it would have been slow. I have read how no one is going to Vegas anymore due to the economy, completely understand but honestly it seemed VERY busy to me. Streets were packed, caps were full, hotels were sold out. WOW. Good for Vegas.

I guess the next time I go back will be next July when I win our home league and I head to the WSOP. (wishful thinking)

Tomorrow night Erick is having a home game, deep stack, should be a good time.

PEACE!

Great Leaders....

Since this is my blog I can write about what I want. Today will be the first posting on here that is not related to poker but a worthy post nonetheless.

I am sure everyone has at some point either had a great leader or has lead a great team. Coach Jeff Fisher of the TN Titan's is a great leader. Taking rookies year after year and grooming them into being great professional football players. I am sure some poker players would say Doyle Brunson is a great leader, teaching so many how to play poker and be successful.

Why am I talking about all this? Well tomorrow I lose a great leader in my professional life. The CFO of our company has resigned from his position and will be moving on to bigger and better things. I wish him all the luck as I know he will reach every goal he sets before himself. He always had a way of bringing out the best in every person on his team. He has a way of empowering you to think outside the box and be creative. He always trusted your professional opinion and gave you the power and support to reach your own goals, professionally and personally. I have been with this company for six years, all of which this leader has been right there every step of the way. Not sure what next week will feel like without him, it's a scary time.

I am sure another great leader will step into this role but there will only be one great leader... Mr. Edward Morgan.

Best of luck Ed.

4 days until Vegas.

PEACE!

Deep Stack Tournament Update

The good news, I came in first place. Played good poker all night. Played my normal aggressive style of play and mixing it up in between all night long paid off. Final two came down to me and Chris H, who is the leader in our home league. Chris also has an aggressive style of play so it didn't surprise me that we were heads up. When we got heads up, I probably has a 4 to 1 chip lead on him so the play didn't last long, I think the last hand I had A high to win? Nonetheless, I won and took home 3 times the buy-in.

They had a cash game going after that. Dealers choice, not my comfort zone but had fun. They were playing Hold'em, Pineapple, Crazy Pineapple, and Omaha. All I play or really know how to play is Hold'em. It was fun to play the other games, I might have to try Omaha online. I bought in for $20, we were playing $.25/$.50. I was up about $15 when I lost a $20 pot. I was playing to loose, hell I had nothing really to lose at this point, it was all for fun. Ended up leaving the cash game -$9.00 so it's all good.

Thanks Bob for your hospitality and hosting the game. Look forward to the next one.

PEACE!

You can find a redneck about anywhere in the South

We went and played at Cabana Nashville. Wasn't what I expected. I have played a lot of free poker at the local bar and grilles around town and I have come to think very negative of ALL of them. Not sure why I thought Cabana would be different. Maybe because it's more then just a bar and grill. Cabana Nashville is located in the Hillsboro Village near Belmont University. It is elegant but casual all wrapped up in one. Being in the South, this isn't a place you would find the local Redneck to be, thus that's why I figured it would be different.

I WAS WRONG.

I guess Rednecks come in all shapes and sizes, male and female, white, black, red heads, blonds, business suit, tank top and flip flops, high heels and Coach purses. The point being, pull out the "elegant but casual" bar area and flop in it's place the local bowling alley bar and BANG you have it, the typical free Redneck poker game.

Game was supposed to start at 8 but at 8 there were only 4 people there. The 4 in MY GROUP! They waited until more people arrived. It started some time after 8:30. Three tables, maybe 7-8 people at each one. I was seated with two of my friends so at least I had someone of interest to talk to. They were running a special, get $1000 chip if you buy a shot, guess what, everyone (I bought two) bought at least 2 shots if not more. The table also wanted one person to deal the entire time, NOT. Why would anyone want to do this, stupid. We didn't do it, we rotated, as this is normal protocol to me. At one point in the game, this college age donk states "I need my plastic zip lock bag to put my chips in". Like what do you think, your in the WSOP leading into Day 2 and need to count your chips. GET REAL.

Never made it to Bob's, had a family emergency, all is going to be OK there.

Bob is having a deep stack tournament on Saturday which I plan on attending. 10 days to I get to play real poker again.

PEACE!