Ho Ho Ho Hum...

Tina and I spent our Christmas eve at Qualcomm Stadium with L.T. and the Chargers on MNF.

The Bolts were just too much for the Donkeys in a 23-3 route. L.T. took over the NFL rushing lead and also leads the league in rushing TD's. He's turning out to be one of the greatest ever, climbing up the NFL record books and surpassing another legend almost every week.

The Chargers dominance of the AFC West over the past few years, taking the AFC West Division title 3 of the past 4 yrs is very exciting to watch close up. My first couple years as a season ticket holder (2000/2001) were just painful to watch. Trading possible 1st round draft picks Michael Vick and Eli Manning turned out to be very wise moves.


i had some very good comments in response to my previous post including someone who nailed the other guy's holdings.

this is where i left you:
"We’re down to 3 tables (21 players) with the average stack at over T$30k. I pick up AhJh in EP and raise it up T$8880 (blinds @ 1500/9000). A guy in MP smooth calls, everyone else folds and the flop comes J-high with two spades. I have approx T$43k behind. There’s T$24k in the pot. The guy behind me has me barely covered. I consider my options. If I bet half the pot, I’m committing over T$21k to the middle (including the pf action) leaving me about T$30k left. If he pushes after I bet, I don’t think I can fold."

I either got outplayed or was up against a player who plays QQ surprisingly weak pf late in an MTT. I honestly felt i had the best hand after that flop and pushed all my chips in. I thought if i made even a 1/3rd pot sized bet and folded to aggression, this would be such a weak play. But, i would've still had over the avg chip count with only 21 players left. these are the kind of spots i've had extreme difficulty with. someone picks up a monster behind me and i get stacked. i wouldn't exactly call QQ a monster. but in this situation, he got me to commit my entire stack as a huge dog and i finished in 21st pl of 324 players for a small cash. 'peaker put the guy on QQ and would've folded in my situation. big props to him.

Hope everyone got to spend lots of time with their loved ones and Santa took good care of you. Merry Christmas!

Sticky spot deep in Bodog’s 20k guarantee MTT

Tonight, I saw Bodog's 20k would have a nice overlay and decided to give it a go. The buy-in is $44+4 with 3000 starting chips and they were short 130 players to meet the 20k guarantee ($5700 overlay).

The tournament started with 324 players, a very manageable field for an MTT. I picked up some good starting hands before the 1st break (AA, KK, JJx2). Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a full double up and started the 2nd hr with T$4800 chips.

This hand came up during the 2nd hr. Blinds at 150/300 some guy who’s limped a few times in EP, call’s the BB UTG. it folds around to me and I bump it to 900 pf with ATo on the button. He smooth calls. Flop comes K-T-x rainbow and he checks. I bet out T$1500 into a T$2200 pot. He tanks for quite a while and finally pushes for another T$1500. I really can’t fold here and call. He flips 99 and hits the rail. Strange play.

This gets me to about T$9000 chips and the table chip lead. I start pounding away in LP when folded to me if I have any thing resembling a decent hand, win a few hands and get to the 2nd break with T$12k chips.

During the 3rd hour, the big stacks are pressing the action and shortys got restless. I win a few races and go to the 3rd break with T$18k in chips, well above the average. After the 3rd break, I really start accumulating chips. I win a race with Ad5d vs KTo then, JJ vs A8s. a couple races later and stealing blinds/antes in-between, I have T$52k in chips when this hand comes up.

We’re down to 3 tables (21 players) with the average stack at over T$30k. I pick up AhJh in EP and raise it up T$8880 (blinds @ 1500/9000). A guy in MP smooth calls, everyone else folds and the flop comes J-high with two spades. I have approx T$43k behind. There’s T$24k in the pot. The guy behind me has me barely covered. I consider my options. If I bet half the pot, I’m committing over T$21k to the middle (including the pf action) leaving me about T$30k left. If he pushes after I bet, I don’t think I can fold.

Smooth calling his hand pf in this spot, I put him on a range of AQ-AJ-ATs possibly AK. But, that would be a strange way to play AK pf this late in the game IMO. A reraise pf would be more reasonable. I have a tough time putting him on KK or QQ but, these are also possibilities as well as JJ/TT/99 and lower. He could also have AA. That’s really the only hand I could see him smooth calling me with in position that has me beat with the obv exception of JJ. I couldn’t really believe the case J hit the flop.

What would you do?

(I’ll divulge the results on Tuesday)

shit for blog

As this guy has graciously and subtly pointed out, this blog has turned to shit.

I can’t even disagree. When I was playing a lot of tournaments, I had some finishes and situations I thought were worthy of a blog post. IMO tournament play is 10x more difficult than cash game play. With increasing blind levels, table changes, fluctuating stack sizes, table conditions, etc. you really have to play your best poker when you get deep. Otherwise, you just get run over or find yourself pushing all your chips into a monster and calling it a night.

For the past few months, I’ve been spending the majority of my playing time at the cash tables. I spent some time playing ring games in the past. But, I didn’t really enjoy it. Well, all that had to change. Big tournament scores are just too few and far between.

Low stakes cash games are not that glamorous. The stakes I’m currently at, most players are just playing straight forward ABC poker. You can exploit this to some extent. You can make moves against certain players for small pots and you’ll run across the occasional donk (or two) at a table trying to run bluffs constantly. But, for the most part when you’re facing a big bet you’re beat. So, you just fold and move on. If you go broke, you reload / regroup and continue with your session. There aren’t a lot of interesting situations for me to post about.

re:Bodog

While I was dead set on making it in tournament play, I dropped buy-in after buy-in at Full Tilt with only one decent finish during a 3-month period. I was a losing tournament player. Something I hate accepting even to this day.

I had a couple hundred $$$ sitting in Bodog that I almost forgot about and decided a change of scenery would be good for my psyche. In August I finished 2nd in Bodog’s daily 10k guarantee and never left.

Shortly after that, a marketing rep at Bodog kicked off a weekly Blogger tournament. Bodog had become my new home so, I decided to pimp it hard. Bodog was willing to pump up the prize pool enticing players to give them a try. After some brief discussions with Bodog’s marketing rep, we agreed I would be the tournament “host”.

Many of you have created new accounts and given Bodog a try and I thank you for that. Several of you have said you like the tournament structure and added T$$.

There’s been a lot of complaining about Bodog’s software, payouts, inability to do player to player transfers, etc etc. Bodog has its shortcomings. But, they are trying to improve. They recently launched a new software client. By far, It’s still not the best and misses several basic features such as saving hand histories, live tournament leader boards, etc. Their delivery of cash payouts has improved as well. Here’s a 3rd party opinion about that

Will Bodog be around forever? Who knows. The UIGEA bill passed in 2006 making it difficult for players to deposit to online gaming accounts. Several sites still openly accept U.S. players. Bodog is just one of many. If you’re worried about your money in Bodog, just don’t leave much in there. Same goes for all other sites. Remember when we thought Neteller was safe?

Thanks for stopping by. -smokkee

Dr. J scoops the Aussie Million 18k bloggament

i watched most of the tournament from the get go. play was somewhat tight initially. but, suddenly chips were spewing from all directions. blonkeys can't contain their inner donkey.

this came much to my surprise because so many of these guys busted their ass for months to get into this thing. apparently, if you're disciplined and paying attn to what's going on around you, you can beat the blonkey game.

that's exactly what jeciimd did. he waited for good spots to get his money in.

get ur passport in order dude. you're going to Australia and representin' the blogga faithful in one of the biggest land based tournaments outside of the WSOP, courtesy of Al and his friends at Full Tilt poker.

Congrats and GL to ev1 who nabbed a seat into 2night's BBT2 TOC



jeciimd
jjok
summer_babe
lucko21
XxMagiciaNxX
Loretta8
Huntsvegas
Kajagugu
dnasty13
-o-LuckTruck-o-
jamyhawk
Mike_Maloney
VinNay
SnailTrax
Budohorseman
ricky424
cmitch
RecessRampage
cracknaces
whiskigrl
PirateLawyer
actyper
twoblackaces
emptyman
Astin
Fuel55
Julius_Goat

i'll be railbirding from time to time.

Calling Dr. Love

one of the best things to come along the bloggament tournament circuit is BuddyDank radio. Sean and Buddy do a tremendous job keeping the show moving along and entertaining their listeners whilst announcing every nasty suckout and junk kicking. a big thanks to those guys for coming up with the idea and taking time out of their personal lives to support us every week.

unfortunately, Tina was the victim of a sick kick in the taint. she picked up TT and pushed all in on a T high flop against another player holding AA. a nasty Ace hit the river and she went bustoooo. Tina hasn't played much poker the last six months and hung in there very well.

i donked out 25th after spewing a bunch of chips before the 1st break. after the break i jammed from the button with KsTs into an EP limper and ran into AcQc. i flopped an OESt/FL draw with overs and whiffed half the deck.

Dr. Love took anonymous relationship questions from Buddy's listeners and handled them all extremely well. some were even a bit edgy. i was relaying my own questions to her thru Sean via IM which see saw right through. oh well. Tina was a bit nervous when we got started. but, i don't think anyone noticed. She did a great job representin' the household and got a chance to flex her psychology muscles.

we had 29 runners in this week's edition of the Bodonkey, three (3) shy of the all-time record. but, still a very good turnout. i noticed some of our regulars didn't make it this time around. i guess they got stuck at the mall or shoveling snow.

TanOrpheus took down 1st cashing $116+T$109
JoeRaggs finished 2nd for $69+T$109
Numenor80 was 3rd for $46+$109
Gvn2fly finished 4th for $34+$T109
NumbBono took 5th for $23+T$109
PokahDave, War_Crimes, Buddy, Irongirl and J_Mathewson to 6-10 respectively.

Next Tuesday is Christmas day. since most of you will be suiting up as Ol' Saint Nick, there won't be a Bodonkey tournament. But, we'll be back in business the following Tuesday, January 1st @ 9:05pm ET to bring in the New Year. Maybe we'll even do another BuddyDank show. thanks to all who sooted up this week.

here's a good reason to put off your holiday shopping



Bodonkey tonight @ 9:05pm ET T$600 with added. the missus is planning to make a guest appearance on Buddydank radio.

new start time for the Bodonkey

i've changed the start time for the weekly Bodonkey to 9:05pm ET. it still runs every Tuesday night with T$600 added.

Tina has no school the next couple of week's. So, i was able to convince her to play the tournament and sit in as a guest on BuddyDank radio during next week's Bodonkey (Tue 12/18). Consider it "BuddyDrunk Lite". She may have a couple of wines in her by the start of the tournament.

another record turnout!

for the 3rd straight week we had a record turnout in Tuesday night's Bodonkey with 10 spots paying out. we had thirty-two (32) runners barely surpassing last week's turnout (31). but, still a new record. thanks to all for suiting up and taking the felt this week. i'm very happy with the Bodonkey's continued growth. i appreciate all the pimpage everyone's been doing. please keep it up!

this week's Bodonkey winner was "Badbeatt" cashing $128+T$109
"Catalinfr" took 2nd pl for $76+T$109
PokahDave got 3rd for $51+T$109
"BobbyCruz" finished 4th for $38+T$109
"Goat Rodeo" took 5th for $25+$109
PokerPeakah, NewinNov, 23skidoo, Numenor80 and I finished 6-10 respectively for T$11

this is the 2nd week in a row i bubbled the final table. this time i jammed KQo pf from the button after it was folded to me and SB woke up with AKo. gg


afterwards, i 3-tabled cash games and ran into this rediculous hand

--- DEALING POCKETS
smokkee is dealt [4h,4s]
JJF: calls $1.00
adude321: calls $1.00
make that cake: calls $1.00
smokkee: calls $1.00 (def worth a limp. bad spot to raise IMO)
Jimako10: calls $1.00
toolbar: calls $1.00
CAMPS: calls $0.50
gatorbates: checks

(we goto the flop 8-handed weeee)

--- DEALING FLOP [5c,4c,6c] (flopped bottom set. but, i really hate this board)

CAMPS: checks
gatorbates: checks
JJF: checks
adude321: bets $8.00
make that cake: calls $8.00
smokkee: calls $8.00 (calling to see if i pair the turn otherwise, i'm done with it.)
Jimako10: folds
toolbar: folds
CAMPS: folds
gatorbates: raises $12.00 to $20.00 (bigstack makes a stoopid 2.5x rr)
JJF: folds
adude321: calls $12.00
make that cake: calls $12.00
smokkee: calls $12.00 (obv we all come along)

--- DEALING TURN [6s] (there's my boat. not the nutz. but, i'll take my chances. this is gonna be a monster pot.)

gatorbates: bets $29.50
adude321: calls $29.50
make that cake: calls $29.50
smokkee: goes all in $66.05 ( .. and here we go.)
gatorbates: calls $36.55
adude321: goes all in $28.50
make that cake: goes all in $71.85
gatorbates: calls $35.30
gatorbates: shows [3c,Kc], a Flush (this guy played this so bad)
adude321: shows [6h,5s], a Full House, Sixes full of Fives (gotta luv boat over boat)
make that cake: shows [8c,7c], a Straight Flush, Eight high (even better!)

--- DEALING RIVER [Qc]
gatorbates: shows [3c,Kc], a Flush
make that cake: shows [8c,7c], a Straight Flush, Eight high
smokkee: shows [4h,4s], a Full House, Fours full of Sixes
adude321: shows [6h,5s], a Full House, Sixes full of Fives
make that cake: wins side pot($70.09)
with a Straight Flush, Eight high
make that cake: wins side pot($23.98)
with a Straight Flush, Eight high
make that cake: wins main pot($317.69)
with a Straight Flush, Eight high
adude321: is sitting out
------------------------------

poker is just ghey sometimes.

can we break last week's record turnout?

we've had record turnouts the past two week's with last week's turnout of 31 players being the all time high in attendance.

most of you should be recovered from your weekend bender in Vegahs. those of you who couldn't make it, def have no excuse.

T$600 is added, the structure is good and Bodog girlz roool.


Tournament Details

Date: December 11, 2007
Day of week: Tuesday Nights
Start time: 8:35pm ET
Tournament Name: “Online Poker Blogger Tournament” at Bodog
Entry Password: bodogblogger
Buy-in + fee: $10 + $1
Starting Chips: 3000 (Double Stack)
Payout: Standard Bodog payout structure

Bonuses:
T$109 bonus paid to the top 5 finishers.
T$11 bonus paid to the 5 players that are eliminated prior to payouts.

These bonuses will be awarded within 24hrs of the tournament completion.
T$ = Tournament Credits. These can be used as a buy in to all scheduled tournaments at Bodog and have a ratio to cash of 1:1.
T$ can also be combined with cash to buy in to tournaments.

heading home

we're packing it up and getting ready to head home. there were 110 players in the Venetian Blogger tourney on Saturday. i got thru about half the field then donked off my chips running AcJc into KK then A6o into 88. congrats to Otis and Rooster for getting HU. Rooster took it down for $2500 i believe.

Blinders still can't fold KK pf. he got all his chips in a 3-way pot pf against QQ and AA. Al's AA was no goot when a K hit the flop to save Blinders. he finished 13th i believe.

i played 1/2 nl both nights. each time i bought in for $100 and ran my stack up to $300/$400 only to lose it all getting in some bad situations. some of it was bad play. Saturday night, i kept spewing with 2nd best hand. someone lost with quad 10's and everyone in sitting at a table when it happened won $140. so that was cool.

we both had a great time, met a lotta new people and look forward to next summer's event.

buying in short

this year's Winter Classic couldn't have come at a worse time for us. we've spent so much on recent necessities (wedding, honeymoon, other related hidden expenses) and christmas is right around the corner.

we contemplated for weeks about making the trip. it depended mostly on how the tables treated me, how much $$$ we spent in Maui and if we would receive any nice gifts for the wedding ($$$$).

well, we spent a LOT in Maui. more than i expected really. i've been there twice before and knew it was expensive. but, $9 for a mai tai? $5 for a head of lettuce???...sick.

a few things happened that will allow us to make the trip. family hooked us up ($$$), the tables treated me well and the travel/lodging will be dirt cheap. i had enuf Hilton points to use for one night's stay (Saturday) and it cost a mere $65 to stay Sunday night. we're planning to drive up Saturday morning (less traffic) and come back Monday (dodging Sunday's return traffic). it costs me about a tank of gas ($40) each way.

so, ya we were able to justify the trip. i'll probably be buying in short at the 200max game trying to dubble on the cheap to get a full buy-in then play my standard nit/stack-a-donk game. i'll also be hustling waitresses for free drinks when i'm not takin it in the nutsac.

for those of you who are going, we'll cya there.

last week's record turnout crushed. ten spots paid out!

we had thirty-one (31) players suit up to compete for this week's Bodonkey title, crushing last week's record of twenty-three (23). i was also playing the 30k guarantee on Bodog which starts just before the Bodonkey. the 30k tournament is a $55+5 buy-in and was short almost 100 players for a $5k overlay. i got thru about half the field in the 30k and died with AKsOOted vs 99 all-in pf. AKsOOted was also my demise in the Bodonkey (66>AKs). i even flopped a flush draw but, 66 held up.

BuddyDrunk took down this week's Bodonkey title finishing 1st for $124+T$109
Wonka took 2nd for $74+T$109
gvn2fly finished 3rd for $49+T$109
on_thg was 4th for $37+T$109
Numenor80 took 5th for $25+T$109
SteveA, MiamiDon, Newinnov, Drizztdj and I finished 6th-10th respectively for T$11

i'm very happy with this week's turnout. we're gaining some momentum. ten spots were paid including the top five (5) spots getting cash +T$109. thanks to everyone who registered to play tonight. T$600 is added to this tournament's prize pool every week. don't miss it next Tuesday.

and broadcasting live from Fabulous Las Vegas Wednesday night...

8:35pm ET every Tuesday night with T$600 added...


T$600 is added to the prize pool every week.
$10+1 buy-in, 3000 starting chips.
pw: bodogblogger

we had 23 players last week with the top 8 spots getting paid. there's really no good excuse for not playing in this. go ahead and try to come up with one without sounding like a whiney little bitch.

cash games goot...

i was only able to play half as many hands as past months due to "previous commitments". but, I still did reasonably well. if i didn't have to keep pulling $$$ every month for wedding, honeymoon, stoopid bills,etc. i could easily move up. i'm hoping for a nice tournament score or a monster cash game month so i can RAWK higher limits.



here's a fun hand:

--- DEALING POCKETS
smokkee is dealt [2h,2d] (quack!)
dustinhoppes: calls $1.00
Wem: calls $1.00
Mohomafama: raises $4.00 to $5.00
smokkee: calls $4.00 (quack, quack)
dustinhoppes: calls $4.00

--- DEALING FLOP [Qs,4h,8d]
Mohomafama: checks
smokkee: checks
dustinhoppes: checks

--- DEALING TURN [2s] (quack, quack, quack)
Mohomafama: bets $10.00
smokkee: calls $10.00
dustinhoppes: calls $10.00

--- DEALING RIVER [4c]

Mohomafama: bets $25.00
smokkee: goes all in $175.25 (quackity fuckin' quack bitch!)
dustinhoppes: folds
Mohomafama: goes all in $97.80
$52.45 is not called, return back to smokkee:
Mohomafama: shows [Kh,Kc], Two Pair, Kings and Fours
smokkee: shows [2h,2d], a Full House, Deuces full of Fours
Mohomafama: shows [Kh,Kc], Two Pair, Kings and Fours
Hand 982336618:
smokkee: wins main pot($288.60) (quack!)
with a Full House, Deuces full of Fours
Mohomafama is sitting out

i insisted this song be played at our wedding as we were introduced as ...

"Mr & Mrs" for the very 1st time.