10.31.2008

Heartland of America Update

Hi. So day 2 started with 18 players remaining in the event. I came into to the day with about 60k with the blinds at 1/2k. Table lineup:

1. IHD....Indiana hick donk who wanted to be my friend.
2. LA
3. HSTD....Hat Shades Tat Dude
4. WAG...Wild Asian Guy
5. Brian Brunner...a local legend in Indianapolis
6. AFWN....Adam Friedman's Worst Nightmare
7. Adam Friedman and his super whiny voice (I'm sure you may remember him from his WSOP exit a few years ago on ESPN)
8. AWD...Average White Dude
9. Donk

Play started at 1/2k and of course I drew the 2 seat and the big blind to start off play. Sweet, I'll fold immediately to Adam Friedman's raise from late position with my 92. He proceeds to let the table know he's a nit etc...continues to talk and talk and talk to absolutely nobody. The dude seriously put me on tilt with his annoying voice. 2:18pm, a mere 18 minutes into play, I ask the dealer to call for cocktails. The dealer was smoking hot by the way. She chats up LA and wants to have beers. Score another one for the good guys. Couple Heinekens show up and I create a pseudo cocktail table out of the tourney directors chair. I know I'm in for the long haul today. Friedman talks to himself some more.

Adam Friedman talks some more and we lose 3 players fairly quickly to get down to 15. I didn't have any support at all for the first level, but I knew I could pick on the 1 seat whenever it was blind vs blind. He blew chunks. Not too much happening as I'm down to 41k as we go to 1.5/3k. I still feel ok though. Sure enough, Friedman opened for I think 6.6k, the button and small blind call. I'm in the big blind and make up my mind I'm shipping it in before I even look. In fact, I only looked at one card the 7 of hearts. I look at sexy dealer and let her know I'm playing for my tourney life. Predictably everyone mucks (Friedman talks some nonsense) and I increase my stack by over 20k to like 62k. Weee, we don't even show down our junk. I never even looked at the second card. Next orbit I raise 88 and 1010 on consecutive hands to 8k and have to muck with the action behind me. I nearly got it in with the 1010 but mucked to see AA. Score another one for the good guys. Down to 46k. Folded to small blind who makes it 9k to go. I sit back, take a sip or two of Heineken, give the guy a quick look and look down at 83. I'm all in for 45k and change. He immediately folds A6 diamonds. That worked well back to 55k. Lose a few more players and we're down to 12. More Heinekens delivered. Ok things are looking up.

Raise a couple hands and take them down to get up to about 75k. Friedman proceeds to bust blind vs blind 99 vs his AQ. God, peace and quiet at our table for once. Down to 11 and on final table bubble. I pick up AK soooted in the big blind and there's a raise and call before it gets to me. I repop to take down another 18k or so. Guy busts at other table and at 10 we combine to one table. I enter final table at 88k and feel very good considering I haven't picked up AA or KK the entire tournament while only looking down at QQ once. The blinds are only 2k/4k so I have plenty of play.

Final table was a fucking disaster for me. Muck the first several hands to see how things are going to play out at this table. Then I pick up, AJ clubs in mid/late position and raise it up. Folded to the chip leader who proceeds to make really huge reraise with handful of orange chips. Shit, my cards go flying into the muck. I fold a bit more and then all hell breaks lose. UTG raises it up, late position donk repops. I look down at QQ on the button and have him covered by a measly 17k. Keep in mind QQ, looked like AA to me and the stone cold. I still think for about a minute. Sure enough, I decide to get it in with the QQ and he obv rolls in with AK. Ugg, win a f'n race just once. Flop is great for us, turn good too. River fucking A. I let out a groan and count down my stack to 17k. The very next hand the big stack opens for 12k and I look down at KK. Score, first time all tourney. I put in the last 17k and both the big blind and original raiser call. Flop is 762, looks harmless enough to me. Turn is an 8, and the small blind fires for 20k...FUCK, I know I'm dead. Sure enough, he flips over 66 for a set. I finish 10th. GG life and GG liver. I proceed to need to get wasted.

I text my friend from LA who happened to be in Chicago visiting her fam and friends. Tell her I wanna get wasted, we plan to meet up in the city with a few of her friends. New Castle and shots of nonsense follow. As that place shuts down, a few of us end up at this bar called Exit. I was not familiar with this place at all. The downstairs seemed fairly normal, people drinking and such with a few Halloween customes mixed in. Well, apparently my friend was interested in having some fun at my expense. We walk upstairs and that's the dominatrix area I guess. Before I know it, I'm chained up to the fence. I got whipped and shocked all over my back and ass. The worst part is, there's photo evidence of it floating around. Once again GG life! Who knew things were actually more normal in LA? I'm outta the heartland.

-LA Mike

10.30.2008

Welcome to America's Heartland!

Hi. I'm LA Mike, some of you loyal readers probably have heard of the legendary name. Some of you probably are saying, "Screw this idiot, where's JDN at?" Well, he's a worldly traveler but that doesn't include the Heartland baby! LA Mike gets sent to do correspondence from the "not so desired tourney stops."

Anyway, I'm in the $2.1k NL Circuit event from Hammond. I flew in from LA, just for this big internship with pokerwtf.com. This could turn into the next google or youtube ya know? Now remember, I left LAX and it was 88 degrees outside. I land in the NWA 757 and realize it's f'n snowing outside. WTF? It's 36 degrees in the Heartland of America!

I make it to the casino early enough to jump into a $250 STT for the $2100 event. Weee, play is horrible LA chops it up with HU. BTW, also chopped up the $100 7-way last longer. Oops, now LA is getting in on the cheap. LA proceeds to cage, signs all his right away and buys in. I tell lady as she's counting my money that I'd like to vote for the local guy Obama...she peers up at me with this completely baffled look on her face. I say, "ya, I'd like to go ahead and vote now too". She's not overly amused I don't think after realizing I was just goofing on her.

I get my seat and boy o boy what a lineup. My abbreviations may slightly differ from JDN's so I'll try to explain.

1. LA
2. CWSD...Chick with squatters disease, every decision she had this pained looked on her face like she was pinching off a giant load. She stunk like cig smoke too. Ugg LA pissed.
3. RD...random donk
4. SODWDMF....Super Old Donk Who Didn't Miss Flop
5. Tatoo guy with backward hat...later I find out he's Kevin Saul's buddy.
6. TAG
7. DWOPEH....Dumbass Who Overplays Every Hand
8. SSOD....Super Super Old Dude
9. OGHS...Old Guy Hawaiian Shirt

Start with 15k chips, LA plays pretty solid first 2 levels up to 25k...score one for the good guys!

Table ends up breaking and LA wanders around for awhile looking for his new seat. LA finds beer lady...score! Two Heinekens please, weeee.....

I find new table, I am card dead for like 6 hours just stealing and occasionally restealing to stay afloat and build to about 30k at dinner break. Good enough, buffet time.

LA chats it up with Tourney Director extradonaire Chris Spears...he proceeds to introduce LA Mike to the local Hammond crowd over the PA...wow, instant respect for LA from the locals. I think to myself, mamas gonna be proud...I've finally made it!

Anyway, a few other things I want to discuss but I made it to the final 18 and into the money after a brutal money bubble. Play starts back up at 2pm CDT today with 18 left, I have about 60k at 1k/2k. I'll be looking to put it in quickly.

Oh one other thing, the damn boat confiscated my computer on my way in, apparently too much porn or some shit. WTF? More to come...sorry for the wait.

-LA Mike

10.25.2008

Caesars Classic $1000 heads up

I've never played a live heads up tourney before but I'm master of the $13.75 heads up token sngs on FTP.

On the drive in I was behind Cantu's car and his personalized license plate read CMYAGNT. That made me giggle. And when I remembered that his agent is Matt Palmer, I giggled some more.

The tournament started late as they waited for it fill up. Of course I had to take a last longer with Gsmith.

They were playing two matches per table and John Phan was in the other match at my table. It didn't take long for John to call for cocktails and order me a Bloody Mary.

My opponent introduced himself as Sam. He kinds looked Eric Mizrachi and he wore an ensemble of Ed Hardy gear. Lots of bedazzling going on.

The first big hand we got involved in came just 3 hands in. I held T6 in the big blind and he limped in. The flop came 4 T 8. He check raised my bet of 300 to 700. I called. The turn was a 7 and he bet out 800. I call. The river is another 8. He bets out 1250. Fucker. I call. He shows 89. Bahhhhh.

During the next few hands he mentions something about Chino (David Rheem) so I ask him if he's from Florida. He says "originally". I fucking knew it! He's one of those guys!

So I call him down in a couple hands with middle pair and lose most of my chips. He also proceeds to fold preflop to all my pairs. 6 of them to be exact. Queens, jacks, nines, eights, sevens, sixes and jacks again.

Ok well... It's taken me most of my stack to figure out that he does not play like those cats from Florida. He's much tighter but that early hand really threw me off.

He gets me down to 2500 before he moves all in from the small blind. I look down at AQ. I call and he shows A8. I double to 5k. Coolio. Back in it.

A few hands later in look down at AK in the small blind and raise to 1200. He moves all in and I call with 4600 left. He shows A8 again and I double to over 9k.

With the blinds at 200/400 I make it 1200 to go from the small blind. Or so I think. Sam looks at the dealer and says "What's that?"

There's only 700 there. I threw out a 500 chip instead of a 1000. So I have to complete to 800. Shit. Blew that one.

Sam moves all in. Ok weird. Seems like he's protecting his hand. I tell him I was trying to raise to 1200.

I read him for a big ace or a medium to small pair. It still seems weird that he would push if he had a weaker hand. He's got to have something. Right? Bollocks. I fold my deuces face up.

He shows an ace. Damn! He did have a weak ace. Still in don't know if I should have stuck it in. Two overs is still a race.

A couple of hands later he slow plays jacks and on a nine high flop and I lose some more chips. The blinds to up to 300/600 and I have 4600.

I ship it on three staight small blinds. I have AT, J9 and Jc9c. He folds a red king on the first two hands and finally calls with K8 on the third hand. The flop is Q high and the turn brings a T. So I can win with a 8, 9, J, or a K. River is an ace and I'm done.

ballsack.

JDN

10.23.2008

Caesars Classic $500 Omahahahaha Hi Lo

The last time I played an Omaha tournament was at the world series and I'm pretty sure I was the first person out. I wish I could say that the reason i played so bad was because I was odrunk or high but it really came down retardation.

I hope to correct the flaw in my Omaha game today. The problem, today at least is that I am high. I woke up this morning with a faucet for a nose and I was forced to take some allergy meds.

The secret phrase for today is, "Play tight motherfucker!"

Table 58 seat 8

Table draw:

Seat 1: a cowboy
Seat 2: random Asian guy
Seat 3: my accountant, I shit you not. His name is James something
Seat 4: rowg
Seat 5: rowg
Seat 6: empty
Seat 7: rowg
Seat 8: jdn
Seat 9: rowg

All the interesting people seem to be at the other end of the table.

Seat 7 is pretty horrid. He's playing any 4 cards and slow playing his made hands while betting the draws

The older guys in seats 4 and 5 couldn't wait 50 minutes to the break and had to leave to table to take a wizz. I would bet, that with the average age of this tournament at somewhere near 55, that we're going to be seeing a lot of potty breaks. It's like a faux seniors event.

Oh sweet Jesus! Allen "The Chainsaw" Kessler just sat down in seat 7. Here comes the bad beat story.

It takes all of 3 minutes for Allen to tell everyone how he busted out of the Bellagio, QQ vs AA, big deal. Then he goes on a tirade about the structure of the tourney. He walks around to each table looking for someone that he knows so that he can complain to them.

He tells Barry Schulman that he should write about it on Cardplayer.

The dealer is telling seat 7 about how his marriage fell apart after his son died in a motorcycle accident. Aiyeah! As if Omaha wasn't depressing enough Mr. "penis vein in nose" dealer man.

Made the break!! Yes! And I made 100. 5100 at break. Next level is 200/400. Holy shit. Allen was right. This does suck.

I haven't been writing any hands down cause... frankley it's damn boring.

So I lose 1100 in the first hand back from break with AAKQ. See? Boring.

My accountant is out to get me. He reraises my KK95 with AQ47 and flops an ace and the nut flush draw. I'm thinking of looking for a new accountant.

Get knocked down to 1400 when I flop a wrap on a Q 4 5 board with A346 against the Asian and my accountant. I make a low on the river but it's second best. Def looking for a new accountant. And probably a new Asian too.

The Chainsaw just called Jack Effel to complain about the structure.

I double up to 2k with 245J vs AQT9 on a A 4 T 2 4 board. Yeah boy! I got 2k. Which is kinda sad when you think about it.

I actually bluff with A466 on a 9 7 8 Q K board with my tournament life on the line, and win! Up to 4600.

My accountant busted, his job is safe, and he's replaced by a guy by 3 times his size. He looks like a garage pail kid wearing headphones. Leaky Liz? Atom Bomb? Flabby Abby? That's all I got.

I'm a rollercoaster. At my lowest I was at 1400. At my peak 6k. Then I had to double up the chainsaw when I flopped 2 pair vs his flush draw.

3100 at 2nd break. Next level is 600/1200. Fuck balls.

Yeah that didn't last long. I got it all in with two pair against a gut shot and he gets there. So poor.

Hey look! The 7pm tournament is starting! Let's get it on!

Caesars 7pm $200

Yeah well, might as well play it.

The first person I recognize at my table is the skinny white hat guy. AKA douche bag. And he's eating again. Pretty sure he only gets food at the poker table.

Table 11 seat 1

Table draw!

Seat 1:
jdn
Seat 2: heavily tattoo'd german chick. Interesting...
Seat 3: rowg
Seat 4: rywg
Seat 5: skinny white hat guy (douche bag)
Seat 6: rywg
Seat 7: rowg
Seat 8: rowg
Seat 9: empty

Heh. Well I double the white hat douche bag with 99 vs TT. He folded the best hand the hand before so I thought he would he on minor tilt which he was but I was just a step behind.

And now I'm out. 4 5 6 flop with A6 vs 99. GG.

Cocktails!

JDN

10.21.2008

Sometimes I get bored UPDATE!

... all I can say is, "Well played, FTP. Well played."


Hello, JDN.

Thanks for your email. Your case has been escalated to me and I'll do all I can to explain our position on this matter.

While we understand your frustration over Mr. Ivey's alleged theft of your iPod (or uSheep, as we prefer to call them due to the blind fawning loyalty of their users), obviously we cannot pass judgment until we are allowed access to the security cameras at the Casino at the Empire. Even more obviously, the casino's management will never allow us that access. And more obviouser still, Mr. Ivey will more than likely deny any wrongdoing.

As a result, our most obviousest conclusion is to assume that your story is a fabrication, and therefore we consider this matter closed.

What troubles us more than your spurious accusations, however, is the blatant racial musical profiling you have used to make some conclusions about Mr. Ivey's taste in music. There is no place for such bigotry in poker, Jason, or any where else, for that matter. We know many Caucasians that enjoy the pounding beats of that hippity-hop music, and we are also aware of many people of color who enjoy the twangin' sounds of today's country music (otherwise known as "crappy pop with a steel guitar").

Further, we were very disheartened to see you your thinly-veiled disdain for the great Barry Manilow, who we consider to be a musical demigod. Shame on you, Jason. May you never fall in love at the Copa.

On a positive note, we do appreciate you explaining the mysteries of "position" to us as it relates to the game of poker. It's not often that one of our players teaches us something about poker, but on those rare occasions we give credit where credit is due.

As for your request for compensation, our policy precludes us from submitting to this form of blackmail, because, as you know, if we give in then the terrorists win. However, we may be able to grant your request for a personal avatar; we have attached a couple of prototypes for you to review. Please let us know if either is acceptable.

We trust you understand our position, JDN, and wish you the best of luck at the tables.

Sincerely,

Mike
Full Tilt Poker Support

PS: My eight year old daughter tells me that the Jonas Brothers are the greatest thing since Hannah Montana. And I don't know who *she* is either, before you ask.


jdnavatar1.jpg

jdnavatar2.jpg



This is a recent email that I sent to Full Tilt support about Phil Ivey's actions during the WSOPE. Hopefully they'll send a response back.

Hello FTP support peeps,

I recently played in the WSOPSE Horse tournament in London and was fortunate, or unfortunate depending on how you look at it, enough to have Mr. Philip Ivey to my left, that means he has position on me, for about 8 hours. Now it wasn't enough that he is the luckiest person in poker, and quite good looking too (no I'm not gay), but he also decided to steal my ipod.

How rude!

Actually, he asked me to look through his ipod, which turns out to be stolen too, to find something for him to listen to. I asked him what he liked and he said, "What do you think?"

"Barry Manilow?" I responded.

I thumbed through the artists list and was amazed to find among others, Clay Aiken, The Jonas Brothers (Who the F are they?), and I shit you not, Vanilla Ice. Now I know that this is not Phil's ipod because I've seen Phil pal around with Irv Gotti of Murder Inc fame. That mofo is gansta! And so are his rap projects.

"Phil," I said. "This pretty white." I guessed that this ipod must have had to belonged to Paul Phillips (you probably don't know who that is, but if you look up his account, he has a personal avatar) at some point. I know that Phil and Paul were pals at one point and that Paul even named his first born Ivey. Can you say bromance?

I pulled out my ipod and dialed him up some Black Milk. I pressed play and hand it to him to listen too. Then the table broke. Phil said, "I'm going to borrow this." Then he walked off to his new table. That was the last I saw of my lovely ipod.

I was then moved to John Juanda's right (that means he has position on me) and to my right was Max Pescatori (that means I have position on him). At this point I'm pretty sure that Full Tilt has it out for me. A few hands later was busted out of the tournament during Stud 8 by Mr Juanda and Doyle "Tex Dolly" Brunson.

So not only did one of your Team Full Tilt members bust me out of the tournament, one of them stole my ipod. Its quite a statement about the people you have representing your site. Whats next? Paul Wasicka robs me at gun point?

So at this point I'm prepared to ask for reparations. (Don't worry, I'll be emailing Doyle's Room to inform them of the shady play of their #1 endorsee.)

For my pain, suffering and loss of ipod I would like you to send me a brand new ipod and a 24" computer monitor. Would also like to have a personal avatar. Who can make that happen? Please forward this onto that person.

I look forward to your positive response,
JDN

Caesars classic $500 (not a repost)

This tournament is a great one to play because it's on Sunday and you don't have to deal with all the Internet nerds and their check raising asses. So far my table is full of older middle aged men.

I was hoping they'd get 500 today but I forgot about the football effect. Looks to be around 400.

I swear I just saw Hurley from Lost walking around.

Table 61 seat 8

Table draw!

Seat 1:
rwg
Seat 2: rwg
Seat 3: rwg who has no concept of pot size or blinds
Seat 4: the French terminator. Looks French but talks like a SoCal skater. With the beavis and butthead laugh to boot!
Seat 5: rwg, a Ginger. Keep away!
Seat 6: empty
Seat 7: random younger Asian guy
Seat 8: jdn
Seat 9: not sure what happend with seat 9. They picked up the stack but I guess they can still put someone in it. So it's deemed undecided.
Seat 10: aggro rwg (oops he's out)

Hey there's cowboy Kenna James. Last time I saw him he had underwear on his head.

5575 at the end of the first level. I actually hit a set for the first time 20 hours of play. Yay!

The ginger raises to 300 and I can with 99. Four of us see the flop and we all check to the river on a board of A A T Q 9. The slow guy in seat 2 bets out 1k and it's folded to me. Hmmm. Do I shove or call?

I know he's "challenged" so I min raise to 2k and he opens his hand. Good read on my part. Eventually he calls and shows QJ. Ship it.

Two hands later I look down at AJ and I merely call behind a limper. A new strategy for me. Two others call, including the slow guy and the flop falls A J J. Check around! I'm not sure how I'm going to get anything else outta this hand. The turn is a J. Definitely not getting any more chips out of this hand, until... the slow bets 300. He's got a jack folks. I call as everyone else folds. The river it is a blank and short bus guy actually checks to me. I ponder for a moment and wonder how much he will call. I bet 550 and he calls. Snap! He's got J3.

Table break!

Table 47 seat 10

Table redraw!
Seat 1: random old lady
Seat 2: old dude with a creepy hulk hogan handlebar mustache
Seat 3: rwg
Seat 4: rwg
Seat 5: rwg, a chubby
Seat 6: rwg, a cowboy
Seat 7: rywg
Seat 8: rwg
Seat 9: skinny white hat guy who I always see playing sats and begging for money next to Eskimo.
Seat 10: jdn

Well, level 2 was a rollercoaster. Up to 9k then down to 4k. Think I'm at 6k now. At least I made the break.

Level turned into a horrible version of level two. Up and down, up and down. The I get 3500 all in on the flop of Jd Tc 5c with KQ against the old lady's JT and the Cowboys Ac 5c. Somehow I don't get there and the old lady's two pair holds up. WTF?

Fuck this shit I'm going to Chipolte.

I see a couple of bums get arrested at the Chipolte/Panda Express and I cheer up as all is right with the world.

Next up, Omaha hi/lo on Wednesday.

JDN

10.18.2008

Caesars Classic $500

The last time I played a tournament here I won it. Of course that was in April and the only tournament I've cashed since then was the barge main event. Hopefully lightening can strike twice.

Table 26 seat 5


Hey look at that! Same table and seat that I had when I won the tournament.

Good or bad omen? I dunno. Remains to be seen.

I fold every hand in the first level and never see a flop. So poor.

20 minutes into the 2nd level it's folded to me and I raise too 300 with queens. The Asian lady to my left calls as does the old man with the big blind in seat 10.

The flop comes 6s 7h 9h. The Geezer checks. I bet 600 into a 1000 pot. Lady folds and Gramps calls. The turn is the 6d. The Geriatric checks and I bet 1100. He moves all in. Huh?

I've already seen him play a few horrible hands so I can put him on anything from A9, TT, JJ or even a flush draw. All hands that I can beat.

So I call. He and his disgusting balding old man white ponytail show the monster 8c 6c.

Fucking moron.

GG
JDN

pwned by old dude

10.01.2008

Superbad

There's this hilarious photoshop thread running on 2+2 about what poker players would be doing if it weren't for poker. If you've never seen it, check it out here. You might lose a day of your life, but its totally worth it.

Anyhoo, I was catching up with the latest updates and I found this one posted by Pavlik.



He gets an A for creativity and F for technical skills. Use the crop tool mofo!

I showed it to the Gavin yesterday and his only response was, "I wish I had hair like that."

JDN