Next Step and More

Reader and blogger WSOP Satellite New Site! Very Special offer if you sign up through Iggy so go show some support.

WPBT WSOP Satellite Tournament
Noble Poker
Wednesday, May 11th, 9PM EST
$30 +3
No-Limit
Password: dahammer

What I learned from Iggy today:

"A pig's orgasm lasts 30 minutes"

And you thought it was just a poker blog!! Go check it out yourself.

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What a ROFL read then thought pondering "My God this really happened!" : AlCantHang Florida Keys trip report.

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For me, I'm thinking about the next step in my PLO8 journey. I have finished ITM in 5 of 6 $1 MTT's with one final table and have finished INM in 4 of 6 PLO8 $2.25 SnG's over the last two nights. Now, the money won has been limited due to the stakes I have been playing but I think I now have a grasp of the game and ready to move on to some cash games. I haven't decided if it will be limit or PL cash games yet, leaning towards low stakes PL though just to get a feel for the ring atmosphere before I move up to what my bank roll can handle.

I'm still grinding away at the bonuses from MARCH. All is going well, I have avoided the last couple reloads at Absolute Poker (Bonus Code:AP35) so I can get done what I have. I'm just not a one site guy. Two sites maybe three. There is nothing wrong with AP and I am doing well, just need a change. I just get tired of the same old interface all the time, and since I have some many choices......let’s use them. I have not had trouble finding a fishy enough game at any site so why not have variety.

Adding PLO8 has helped a lot with variety also. One of the issues I have had lately playing full time is that it was always Holdem. Only game I am proficient in. I went to NL for a while which helped but all in all it was still the same game. So soon I will have another avenue to play and can switch from Omaha to Holdem.

Since I brought it up, poker for a living is going well. I am not going to go into any major rambling as to whether it is a good or bad choice here. Just that for me, I am holding up my end of the bargain. Paying my share of bills and still building my roll. Some months it grows a little and some months a lot, that’s the nature of the game. I am enjoying the overall experience and that is what’s important. (Besides the money) I will have to mention one downside....this house husband stuff sucks! Doing cloths, dishes, cleaning, dusting and so on, I mean damn it never ends. I always appreciated what my wife did "behind the scenes" but I now have an even more respect for how she kept it all up!

Bet some of you out there in cubical land with a boss over your shoulder and looming deadlines are sticking your middle finger up at me now. Man, I have pressure too! Kids, clean clothes, trash, should I get dressed, what’s for dinner and wondering if my TPTK is going to hold up. This life is not for the weak at heart, sometimes I need a nap!

OK, as some say up here in the mountains, "Nuff Funnin". Since I haven't left you with any points to ponder lately, try this:

"If quitters never win, and winners never quit, what fool came up with, "Quit while you're ahead"?"

Till Next Time!

Final Table

Well, I did it. In my 5th PLO8 $1 tournament I made it! Final Table! Whats funny is I was as surprised as anyone.

Over 100 started and I was just hanging out in the middle of the pack till just before the first break. I was discusing how a hand with 23 in it would rank as a good starting hand with my "coach" and after a brief explanation of how if it was in LP and had a decent high chance, a limp could be justified, I look down and see 2377 in CO and limp. Flop comes 2 suited with a 7 and 6 people call one bet. The turn was a 7 and now there is no possibility of a low. 4 people call 1 bet. No need to raise now I think, so many people in. The river brought the 4th suit and a pot bet from EP...WOOT! Folded to me and I minimum raise and EP lets it go. That propelled me from the mid 30's up to top 15 with about 60 left.

For the next hour I just held my own and at second break was still in top 20. I was dwindled down and at one point I was 28 of 33 and thinking after a decent start I would end up out of the money. I caught a "sweeper" with A3JQ in the BB with nut low and straight and I was 15th again when the in the money spots began. I caught another big split right before the third break and was 8th with about 22 left.

I won one more decent pot that put my 5th with 13 left. Top 9 in final table. The next thing I know we were hand to hand and the table filled up. FINAL TABLE! I was still 5th and pretty decent stack. Top gal was 2 1/2 times my size but I was feeling comfortable. My demise came with AdQd3s5h in the BB and I four flushed with the low. I called to the end and missed my flush and lost to A2 on the low. With T1700 chips left I was all in soon and finished 7th.

Whether it is 100's of people or 1000's, there is nothing like the feeling of a final table. I always seem to think about Dan Harrington at a final table moment. What an accomplishment for back to back tables in such a huge event.

PLO8 update: I started with $7 I left in my JetSet account. It is currently at $15 and all on PLO8 tournaments and one out of the money and one second in a PLO8 SnG. When I get to $25 I will try the $10 PLO8 tournament.

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On a side note. Been hanging out with some friends from 72os.com via IM the last couple nights and been having a blast! Invaded AP last night for some SnG action. You know whats better than beating AA with the Hilton Sisters? Doing it versus your friend. I raise his BB from EP with QQ. Folded to him and being short stacked goes all in and types bad timing...I call and yep, he flips over AA. My 2 outer hits on flop and I say goodbye. That lit up the chat a little more!




Till Next Time!

Great Weekend!

Congrats to ABVidale for winning the Poker Stars event last night. Again I had obligations so couldn't play but MAYBE the next one for reader and blogger.

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Looking back I didn't really grind as much as I thought I had. I did knock some some hands out at Ultimate Bet for a slightly positive result. I played 4 MTT's and a SnG this weekend. That's a lot of tournaments for me but I was in the mood I guess.

In my quest for PLO8 knowledge I played 2 $1 PLO8 MTT's at JetSet. Over 100 entrants in both and I finished 15th (with my coach) and 22nd (without him). Not to bad, monied in both. Of course monied is a relative term in $1 MTT's but the knowledge is what I am after more than anything right now. I was shortstacked in the first one and actually made a decent recovery with my coach really opening up my eyes to some betting thinking (I messed it up in tournament) and the second one I got, no joke, AA and KK 9 times! Now that is not necessarily a good thing in PLO8. I won with it twice and got knocked out with AAx3 when my low missed and AA no good.

I'm sure these tournaments are pretty loose, I really have nothing to compare it to yet, but for $1 I am getting a ton of hands in. I don't know enough to get extremely mad at being sucked out yet so I reserve the right to change my opinion.

Played a UB SnG for the first time in forever Saturday night. Who taught these guys how to play! I used to be able to fold 1 round and 4 people gone. Not this one. Caught some good cards though and had a steady run for second. Heads up I was out chipped 5-1, hit a couple hands to bring it to 6-4 but that was it.

That was just a warm up for the $1 $2500 guaranteed MTT at UB. Long and short of that is I finished 301 out of 1700. I played for 1 hour and 45 minutes with no less than 1000 chips and no more than 2000 chips. Right before the 2nd break I got a hand and went to 3500 chips. Feeling it was about to turn for me, the wheels fell off and finally went out with an "all in" raise with 44 on the button called by TT in the BB. It was just that kind of tournament.

Last night wound up my MTT berage with the 72os Freeroll Tour at Noble Poker. Finished 16th out of 262. I used up all my good cards early and just faded away into the sunset come crunch time.

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Watched the Heads Up Tournament on NBC Sunday. It was OK. In thirty minutes two brackets get finished and maybe 30 hands aired. Lots of bios though. Got to see 81 year old Henry Owenstein beat Chip Reese, Doyle Brunson lose to Billy Baxter and Todd Brunson lose to Eric Lindren.

Didn't show: Chris Moneymaker, Tom McEvoy, Chris Ferguson, Gus Hansen, Sammy Farha, Barry Greenstein, John Juanda, TJ Cloutier, Scotty Nguyen or Layne Flack. Except the token last hand coverage.

I would have thought the Cyndy Violette vs. Chris Ferguson would warrant some battle of the sexes coverage but no. They did give the impression that Chris creamed her though. Scotty Nguyen vs. Mike Caro would make a good match to air...again no.

My votes for next week:

Bobby Bladwin vs. Evelyn Ng (no poker reason I can think of though)
David Williams vs. Carlos Mortensen
Phil Ivey vs. David Sklansky
Scott Fischman vs. Annie Duke.


Maybe some NBC exec will read this blog and do some fast editing!


Till Next Time!