First off, thanks to Haley’s post, I had come across this last night and was able to digest the news and give it some additional thought.

News broke that the “great” (eyes now rolling) state of Washington has enacted laws banning “interaction with any device or terminal involving…any game of chance including…poker or other cards.” Of course, this goes on to say that there is no governing body to enforce this law, nor does it address how they plan to monitor one’s online endeavors. Furthermore, the sponsors of the bill are well known to have taken several campaign contributions from several of the brick and mortar casinos located within the state of Washington on reservation land.

Additional reports cite that the federal government has starting moving on the bogus Internet Gambling Prohibition Act, sponsored by the idiot rep from Virginia Bob Goodlatte. The judiciary sub-committee voted on Wednesday to endorse the act. Next stop is the entire judiciary committee, who I might remind that there was a survey conducted on whether or not the people believed online gambling should be outlawed.

This Internet Gambling Prohibition Act is not a good thing at all…

For starters, (listen up Washington)… Poker is an American Pastime. People from all walks of life, from members of congress, to chief justices justices, to the “common American” have played poker. Poker is not a “bad thing.” We “permit” it in casinos. Yet, we try to make it “bad” by throwing the gut wrenching “I-word” in front of it, referring to it as “internet poker” and suddenly, its saturated with negative bias. Gotta love the art of spin.

Poker is not a game of chance, it is a game of skill. Poker players must grasp the concept of money management, strategy, psychology, and math. By way of comparison, the state run lottery is not as demanding (yet, the act wishes to establish and maintain the legallity of playing the state run lottery online, go figure).

Next, these tools are walking all over our individual freedoms, as in order to enforce this hostile act, they will need to increase the level of surveillance of our private affairs without having sufficient cause. As Americans, is this not an infringement of our personal freedoms and civil liberties?

This “act” requires our financial institutions (the banks we trust with our money) to babysit us. Its requiring “Joe Banker” to monitor our activities, review our checks and debit card transactions to ensure we’re not “gambling online.” With this act’s approval, the government will be telling us how we are permitted to use the money in which we’ve earned. This is sending a clear message that we may not play poker in our homes, but instead, we should get out there, spend the money on the inflated gasoline, drive to the casino where the rules all change… we can go there and play, but not in the comfort of our own home.

Additionally, Rep. Idiot of VA wishes to force the internet service providers to remove gambling related links upon court order. Said another way, they’re moving to censor us – blocking access to content they do not “approve of.” This would be the same thing we “shamed” China for doing. Our citizens, last I checked, have a right to the free flow of information via the newspapers and internet.

Finally, this legislation is hypocritical at best. Online poker is illegal under the act, yet betting on horse racing, playing the state run lottery, and fantasy football leagues played for money are permitted. It should be noted, by the way that this is nearly the EXACT SAME BILL that the evil Jack Abramoff was pushing for. We all remember Jack, don’t we? He was the guy making all kinds of “illegal donations” to politician trying desperately to get a bill passed for his “client,” who ironically was… a company called eLottery. His goal was not to legalize online gambling… it was in fact to try to gain special legal protections for his client and online lotteries. Go figure, the people now fighting his battle are attempting to confuse the population into believing that passing these laws will show Jack that we won’t be corrupted. Last I checked, you “show” someone something of this nature by not passing the similar bill that he was trying to bribe a brotha into passing?

I encourage each and every person who comes across this entry of mine to do the following:

1. Write or call your local or state representative and alert him/her of your position on this matter.

2. Write or call your congressman.

3. Send a letter to the editor of your newspaper.

4. Join the Poker Players Alliance and help us fight to keep poker legal.

No mailbag tonight, as I wish to just focus on this issue.

Blogger Poker Tour Event #4 Update

The Beer Guy has played host in events such as the “Beer Football Club Drunken Derby,” which pitted both of the previously split squads against one another. Also, I’ve hosted the Beer F.C. Keg stand Invitational (self explanatory title there, I suspect). I’ve made appearances and/or helped organize things at the local “Celebrity Beer Pong Tournament” not too long ago, made a cameo appearance at a local Pub Poker event or two, not to mention brought my favorite arch-villain, SuperDonk, cheering him on to victory in the Pub’s $500 freeroll. Essentially, I am somehow finding myself involved in all things Beer, providing they’re fun and time well spent. That being said, it was only natural that yours truly… the Beer Guy, accept the offer from Poker.com to host the Blogger Poker Tour’s “We’re Just Here 4 the Beer” party/tour stop.

Here are the details:

We’re throwin’ a kegger this weekend at Poker.com – The Beer Guy has been tapped to host the fourth event of the blogger poker tour. This tournament, “We’re Just Here 4 the Beer” is slated to be a short handed (six seater) event. This is going to be a fun event. $500 freeroll in the prize pool, plus 4 seats in the Blogger Poker Tour Grand Finals are on the line this Saturday! All bloggers are invited to play, and can register by following the below instructions:

1. Download the Poker.com software here if you do not yet have the software and an account,
2. Sign up at the Blogger Poker Tour site, at which time you’ll need to add their link to your blog,
3. Use the password: yourshout for this tournament,
4. Show up and play on Saturday April 29th at 15.30GMT-5 (4.30pm EDT for us east coasters).

While you’re registering for this event, you might also want to refer a friend or two who has a blog and is a blogger to join in. The Blogger Poker Tour, via the BPT Grand Finals are sending one blogger to the WSOP. Don’t miss out!

Breaking news on the BPT event, hosted by the Beer Guy: This just in, Kris from Poker.com has placed a bounty on the head of your drunken host and hero… He is obviously familiar with the beer guy’s lack of social consideration as host of his frequent CheckRayz events – known to take down his own hosted tournaments. The bounty will be an entry into Poker.com’s Sunday 10K guaranteed. Despite the bounty, the Beer Guy (screen name imjusthere4thebeer) still vows to drop the hammer at least once in this event and welcomes with open arms the bounty along with all the bounty hunters.

This is going to be a great event. Thanks to Poker.com & the Blogger Poker Tour for both considering me as the host and placing the bounty on my head. I believe this tournament will be a lot of fun and showcase some serious skill. I embrace the opportunity to host and promote this event and the tour with open arms.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled reading:

How the Beer Guy got his Start playing online

There’s been a lot of talk recently in our community regarding playing online, freerolling/playing for cash, taking “the next step” and what not. I decided, instead of commenting directly on the topic, which I am prepared to do, but holding back for the time being… I’d prefer to explain how it is I got interested in online poker, how I started out, how my “game” progressed, and what I did to get there, written of course in the traditional third person:

In the beginning, the Beer Guy had no skills what-so-ever. He got his start playing at PokerStars in tournaments. He was a depositor from day one, never made it to the play chips. His first deposit was $50, wanting to just play the game and figuring he was smart enough to “figure out what the hell he was doing” from day 1. The fitty was a small price to pay. Somewhere in his first three tournaments at Stars, he got damn lucky. He was playing in one of the guaranteed tournaments, (can’t recall which, as this wasn’t “written” in the history books, he was a nobody to the online poker world during this time frame), and managed to slide his way into the money. He had no concept of endgame tactics or proper play. In fact, he’d not even heard of Sklansky, only knew of “that Moneymaker guy” (believed he had to be a great player, as a matter of fact). Dan Harrington was that “one old guy with the hat and flat bill.” The unibomber was the insane genius guy who wrote that one manifesto. Jesus was a biblical person, not a poker player. Truth be told, the Beer Guy never watched poker on the tele. He knew it was on TV. He knew peeps raved about it. But, at this point, he never watched a hand played on TV. For that reason, when seeking advice on how to play, he went to what he believed to be the best source of advice, the Chris Moneymaker/Pokerstars website.

Recalling this fabled first tournament, the Beer Guy had no concept of endgame play, followed Moneymaker’s “keys to success” and got really lucky. When approaching the final two tables, despite significant pot odds (what the hell were they?) he was knocked off a a hand in which he called UTG holding K3s with over half his stack. The board missed him, (though no ace hitting the board), he checked, other player pushed allin (beer guy had him covered) but folded. 1 hand later, and in the unraised big blind, holding the 10-7 offsuit, the flop comes j-9-A. Beer guy checks and makes the call hitting an eight on the turn and an eight on the river, trying to figure out for days how he lost that hand when he had a straight… quite honestly, there had been a few hands that were hard to comprehend, where his substandard kickers were counterfeited as well. Anyways, he took down a nice payout in this tournament with his donk-like play and felt like a pokah genius.

He’d rack up a few more tournament cashes at pokerstars with his grossly unorganized game, more than quadrupling his initial deposit of $fitty, though he finished out of the money far more than in the money, usually busting out in the first three rounds of the tournament, unless it was a rebuy. However, one weekend of WSOP qualifiers and gross disregard for tournament selection would wipe his winnings out singlehandedly. This brought him back to reality. He did a little online research and came across two significant things. The first was this Sklanksy character seemed to be the expert on poker play. Second, the Shark Poker Tour seemed to be a place where tight aggressive players (whatever the hell that was) played. So, the Beer Guy signed up with the SPT and bought the hold’em bible, “Hold em for Advanced Players” by David Sklanksy, et al. He read through that book, really not understanding what the hell this guy was talking about at first and would watch the Shark events from the rail. He wasn’t doing a lot of playing.

Then, the Beer Guy came across this site, Poker.com, which was a new site and had a bunch of freerolls, that “seemed” worthwhile to both enter and try out some of these concepts that Sklansky discussed. In exactly one day, the Beer Guy placed second in one of the $200 rolls there and got a nice payout. At the same time, he got quite bored playing the freerolls, seeing peeps go allin on the first hand five deep, and decided that freerolls were not his cup of tea. He additionally got some bux playing the AP $50 freeroll with 2000 peeps, amassed a huge chip lead calling down a preflop raise, cracking aces with four peeps allin with his King nine suited, nailing down a set of nines on the flop. He doubled up a few times more, sat out the rest of the way because quarter drafts were starting, and he’d probably do better “coasting.” He took down roughly $2.35 which nearly paid for his first fifteen minutes of quarter drafts that night.

With the boredom of freerolls, the drunken one began playing sit n go’s at poker.com, starting out first with the $5 tables, then moving up the ranks as both his bankroll began to grow and his knowledge of the game. He began to see the light and now knew that one unibomber played poker and had nothing to do with a manifesto of any sort. Jesus was a poker icon, Harrington was a great tournament player, Brunson had a signature hand, Moneymaker was a lucky bastard who lacked skill, Sklansky was the guy who named concepts and made them easier to understand, and large freerolls sucked. Eventually, the Beer Guy purchased Ed Miller, et al’s Small Stakes Hold’em book, read this and moved to the cash tables of Poker.com to play for the “big money” (read: .10/.25 no limit). He did relatively well for himself on these tables, figuring out that he needed to have standards with starting hands, he needed to not be calling allins unless he had better than the obvious board, and that large freerolls that anyone could join sucked. He did, however, make some regular appearances in the larger freerolls which one needed to “qualify” for at poker.com. He additionally diversified himself by occasionally playing the cash tables of AP. He continued to watch the Sharks in their tournaments play their games, but still failed to join a single tournament.

Then, just as any good third person documentary would have it… tragedy struck. Something changed… a ruleset of some sort in the Beer Guy’s firewall, that blocked him from accessing the poker.com software. This had been the Beer Man’s steady stream of income supplement, the poker.com .10/.25 cent tables were. He knew not what to do… Couldn’t hit the “fish” as he knew them fresh off the freeroll wins. He couldn’t even play in the larger rolls there that were looking better and better the more he tried and failed to access their server. The poker.com staff spent nearly all day trying to help the drunk one get back onto the server (read: top notch highly dedicated support staff + beer guy being “computer dumb” still equals no success). Additionally, as fate would have it, the Beer Guy gets an email from the Shark to his entire army announcing several things, of which is a rakeback program at Caribbean Sun and also hinting to the beginning/birth of the shark forum. Beer Guy takes this as a sign, and emails the Shark asking if he has a new room to recommend. The two exchange info and the Beer Guy begins playing at the Sun. Additionally (fast forwarding just a bit here, the Beer Guy sees a post in the forum discussing an opportunity to get onboard with the business end of this online poker thing). Summary: Beer has technicalal issues with favorite poker room of his, emails sharky, sharky hooks a brotha up with a new poker room, a sweet rakeback deal, and they begin to “talk shop” on what would become CheckRayz).

Beer’s first month at the Sun wasn’t too bad. He had just busted out at AP on the micro stakes no limit tables, and was en route to doing so on his Sun account. By “not too bad” we’re meaning that for a new site and increasing stakes slightly, still having money in the account without reloading “wasn’t too bad.” He discussed what was going on with his game, and Sharky made two suggestions that changed the Beer Man’s game completely. He first suggested downloading pokertracker, blindly paying $55 to get the activated version – DONE. He also suggested blindly having faith and moving to the limit tables – DONE. One should fairly note, it is very rare that the beer guy does anything on blind faith. Usually, its show me now and I’ll do it later – a drunken skeptic by nature, the beer guy is. So off to the limit tables, with pokertracker in tow, combined with the “ideal stats cheatsheet.” It was during this timeframe that the Beer Guy purchased the Harrington series of books and began reading.

Additionally, the Beer Guy finally began dragging his drunken donk arse into the Shark events, now confident he could swim with the sharks with a better working knowledge of how this poker game worked. While playing the events, and participating in the forum, in addition to reading his books, looking at his statistics and tweaking his game, and some other reading (shark’s and other’s poker blogs), he saw what he failed to see before. The Shark events were a great place to learn the game and evolve one’s game. Sitting out of these shark events – SPECIFICALLY THE BUYINS probably stunted his poker game evolution by about 1 year, perhaps even more.

(switching to first person commentary): Fast forwarding to today, I can honestly say that it takes an nothing short of an act of God to catch me in a “non private” freeroll. I flat out refuse to play a large field freeroll. No one has a dime invested, thus nothing to lose. Time means nothing to them, whereas time, not money, is often quoted as being the most valued commodity in my life (though one should note that it takes some money to conquer the “problem” of time). The biggest thing that the Shark buyins gave me was in fact time. I went a month or so of religious playing before cashing in one of them, however, the experience I accumulated by playing in these games gave me the experience I’d not have obtained playing a year, perhaps even two of poker the way I was used to. Was I intimidated when I first “took the leaps” of faith that I took, playing the shark events, taking sharky’s word when he said I won’t regret buying PT and playing limit, buying into the shark games? You bet your ass I was. However, I fully recognize that successful people consistently take themselves out of their comfort zone to strive for success in achieving a goal. My goal was to become a better poker player. If that was the case, I needed to read books written by poker players, I needed to begin thinking like a poker player, and finally, I needed to get myself into events with “poker players.” The best place for me to do this was in the Shark buyins.

Moving along here, we now have more than just the shark buyins to help evolve our game. We now have more than the Shark blog to read and discuss strategy. The tools we now have at our disposal are as follows:

First, we have the Poker Pub Blog, which if you’re still with me here, you’d know that this blog is in fact the Poker Pub. Quite often I talk beginner poker strategy. I bring to the table ideas one can utilize RIGHT NOW to improve their game and solidify their play. This blog, combined with the Shark’s blog and in addition to the blogs that he and I take time to list down the left of our blogs are in fact poker blogs worth reading. All the blogs I advertise are ones in which I read regularly. I take my linkage very seriously. I do not ask for a link in return. These are people who for one reason or another, I enjoy/gain value of some sort from reading. I suggest reading some, if not all of them regularly, in addition to your regular poker pub readings.

Second, we have the Shark Network Forum. This is where the minds of the Shark Network get together and discuss any and all aspects of our collective games. I suggest not only reading there, but posting regularly. Have a hand or a bad beat you wish to discuss? Post it, as I assure you that you’ll get constructive play by play commentary from many a playa. Be active in the community, as we have a lot to offer and you do too! Read my past discussions both in the forum and on the blog regarding endgame strategy, starting hand selection, and other topics strategery oriented, which I will soon have links for so that you may read them in order and have a convenient way to go through them.

Third, we have shark event via both the Shark Poker Tour and Online Shark; and we have the CheckRayz poker tour events. It seems like one of us has a tourney of sorts every day. I highly suggest playing every event you’re able to participate in, both freeroll AND buyin. Use the buyins to experience poker the way it should be played. Get on the poker tables with the “killas.” Ask questions while playing. Make it a point to meet the Clayshooters, the sharkys, the beerguys, the gary812′s, the texasdans, the cardluvrs, the Bob’s (BC5457), the royalty (Prince Sheba) and all the regular knowledgeable friendly peeps of the respective tours. Get to know everyone. Don’t be afraid to ask me or any of them why they played a hand the way they did, either at the table or in the forum or via instant messenger. Learn from their play, and take what you’ve learned and incorporate it to a style that makes sense and you’re comfortable with. Take these learned skillsets and participate in the private freerolls we put together. Let these events reinforce your newly learned skills and table vision. Then bring it home and come back to the buyins… learning, implementing and applying along the way continuously. Dedication, an open mind, and “on the job training” are the quickest path to success in this game.

Fourth, step out there and play the cash games. I started out playing .10/.25 tables and killin the game, once I made the jump to playing ring. If ring games aren’t your style, take on the $5 or $10 sit n gos. Small field to fight through there. These games will help you improve, as you can further reinforce your skills obtained via checkrayz/shark events to kill the competition. Move up the ladder as your skills develop and bankroll supports it. As I said, I started playing .10/.25 ring, now I’m playing $2/4 and $3/$6, and open to moving up from there even. When I play sit n go’s, I’m not buying in for less than $25, unless I’m keeping someone else company from one of our tours. And while you’re at it, please download the poker rooms from one of the links present here on the poker pub blog, the shark blog, the shark forum, the rayz and/or shark sites, or via our regular poker tour newsletters. This helps us continue to bring you free poker tournaments and money added buy-in poker tournaments.

When playing multi table poker tournaments, I avoid freerolls open to the general public at all costs. I mentioned this before, and I will mention this again, I gain nothing, in terms of value by playing these events. Fields are too big, play is too donk, and I’m wasting my time, as I have only my MVC (most valuable commodity) invested… my time. No one has money invested here, and the overall play reflects that. Why bother, I ask? I cannot come up with one legitimate reason, so I avoid em… nuff said. I am selective about the public buyins I play. I look for money added overlays, giving me a bigger prize pool with a lesser field in terms of number of people entered to fight through. I got out of the habit of posting tournaments I am watching, considering entering, but promise I will get back into that habit.

Finally, read read read… read your poker books. I’ve listed several times my favorites. I always have a book on poker strategy that I am reading/rereading. Ask me what I’m reading now… or what I’m reading next. Take measures to improve your game!

The bottom line is this… We have several resources available to everyone who enjoys playing poker. If you’re serious about your game, don’t do just the minimum “on the bus” effort in playing only freerolls. Read the blogs, participate in the forums, do play the freerolls we put together, but also hop into the buyins looking to learn something. Buy or borrow the books we discuss. Step out there play for cash, perhaps even download pokertracker. Just like in society, become a valuable, participating, productive member of your community. Embrace the resources we have to offer, and give back to your group. Learn a little, then teach someone else as your knowledge grows. Understand what you’re doing and why you’re doing it, ask questions, think it over, reflect, reinforce. Learn, practice, participate, wash, rince, repeat… Help us help you to get the most out of our events and resources. Do play our freerolls, but also play in our cash games as well, as they are the best place to learn your “trade.”

CheckRayz rewards tournament is slated for tonight, at River Belle Poker. Mailbag is tommorrow on the pub. Stay tuned.

Mike

Blogger Poker Tour at Poker.com

Anyone looking to their left can see I have signed on as an active participant at poker.com in the Blogger Poker Tour. The tour is underwritten by poker.com, which also is the home to all of the tour events (shout out and thanks to poker.com for taking on such an endeavor). A second shout out to my online poker mentor and business partner Sharky for playing host to the event last week. One of our own took down the event with “authorita,” I might add (read: congrats!).

I love the idea of having a tour where bloggers may come together and play some sound poker while having their eye on the prize (WSOP seat). I further love the fact that this event is somewhat exclusive, in that one must currently be or strive to become a blogger in order to participate. When rattling off my next statement, I am saying right up front that my statement is not one of an elitist. I welcome newcomers, people new to the blogging community… even bloggers who blog on something other than poker. I recognize that one of the many purposes of having a tour of this nature is to encourage blogging in general and that the rules should allow for people to stumble across the tour and think to themselves, “you know, I’ve been meaning to start a blog for quite some time. This gives me more of a reason to do so now!”

However, I do absolutely despise those who create a blog just to gain access to the free, somewhat exclusive event. I’m not going to rant on how one should conduct themselves within the scope of their own blog. But to me, two posts, ironically entered right around the time that one registers for the tour, coupled with the fact that they’ve perhaps had a blogger profile active for a year or so, more than likely because they wanted to comment on someone else’s blog that does not allow anonymous entries; in my opinion does not a blog make. A mother is not guilty of “being” a mother simply on the premise that she gave birth to a child, just like a father is not necessarily a father simply because he participated in the conception. Sure, the named parties are the parents, but doing little to actually parent.

Taken one step further, just because someone has a blog, does not mean they are, in turn a blogger. I’d like to see more “bloggers” involved in the tour and less “blog owners.” The good people behind the Blogger Poker Tour are beginning to take measures to weed out the contenders from the pretenders, effort which I for one sincerely appreciate. Would these pretenders be as courteous to their community if something along the lines of what happened to me last week happened to them? I had penciled in time to participate in the Shark hosted beach party tour stop of the Blogger Poker Tour. I had penciled this time in knowing I had family functions all day long. However, I knew that I’d be able to make time to play from start to finish, assuming it started when I thought it did.

As fate would have it, the change from standard to daylight time occurred, and wouldn’t you know that due to this, I would not be able to give it my all – assuming i ran well and played to conclusion. For this reason, I decided that I’d pull out of the tournament because I could not “give it my all.” To me, pulling out was a better solution than playing for an hour, knocking some peeps out, then having to go and being faced with either “donating” (read: chip dump), or sit out and hope to coast into the money. My choice was true to myself, my game, and the community, and I chose to unregister. My family time had to supersede my poker time… and rightfully so.

Further clarification: I have no problem with anyone being on a strict time schedule. I know of one person who was crunched for time, played hard, and then work pulled him away. He is not the person I am referring to. In fact, I’m referring to no one specifically. He knew he’d have time to play a majority of the event, and stood chance of the event actually finishing before having to leave for work. To me, he made a great choice in playing. With the event being held 1 hour later than what I thought, I’d have got in maybe twenty-thirty minutes of play before I had to start making some “command decisions.” Rather than chance that, I opted out of the event. Both of which were, in my opinion, “correct” decisions. How many people out of those who have set up blogs for the sole purpose of playing yet another free tournament would have even given any of that even the slightest thought? My guess is none. Not a one. They’d “play” from the “sitting out” position and never have even the slightest of regrets… because after all, they’re bloggers for God’s sake! Its their “right” to sit out! …Not in my eyes…

It disrespects the tour, it disrespects the host of the tour event, and it certainly disrespects the players involved. I applaud the peeps behind the Blogger Poker Tour for stepping up and working to weed out these bad seeds, and encourage the players… the real bloggers involved to help them in the weeding out process. Together perhaps we can all work to keep it somewhat real. CheckRayz Buyins of late… I’m not the only one who has noticed this. But, there’s not a “good” seat in the house anymore in these CheckRayz buyins. By “good seat” I mean a seat where there’s a donk or two at your table (read: “dead money”), let alone in the poker tournament. Even the freeroll poker tournaments feature a very tough field. This is EXACTLY what I was shooting for when Sharky and I set out on our CheckRayz endeavor. We envisioned smaller events, which in turn result in a “tougher” field. And by golly, we got exactly what we were aiming for! What pleases me the most, is that our membership is growing both smartly and nicely.

The new players who are coming onboard are catching on quick. I like to hope, in part that its due to the combined efforts of Shark and myself to stress strategy in our discussions both in the blogosphere and on the Shark Forum. Personally, I prefer a tough poker table, especially in our private events. And I LOVE the fact that it seems that everyone who plays actively seeks to improve their game. That being said, thanks to each and every one of you who continue to make CheckRayz and the leaderboard poker tour what it is.

Monthly Live Game Tomorrow…

Tomorrow is the ever so famous “monthly game” for the Beer guy and all his poker playing friends. Rumour has it that Poker Pub legend SuperDonk will be making a promotional appearance at the local Circle K having a pregame autograph/meet n greet session. Circle K is, in case we’re keeping score, the official provider of the Beer Guy’s coffee and obnoxious chewing gum prior to the “monthly game.” My performance at the monthly game, in terms of results (read: cashing) have not been in line with my expectations. More often than not, I’ve been either the “bubble boy” or the first one out once the money hits. I’m making a bold prediction for this month, something I’ve never done, and calling my home run ball… I’m putting everyone on notice and saying “I will win this event this month.” I know, bold statement, considering I’ve not factored in the chance of getting cold cards, or “bad beats” placed upon me. Oh, but I have… Bad beats and cold decks are something every poker player must deal with and work through. Its how one responds to said bad beats and cold cards that defines a winner. Taking that into consideration, I am vowing to overcome any cold cards and/or bad beats to emerge victorious. Failure… is not an option (read: it is very possible that I make a similar post next month, just prior to the “monthly game,” however nothing is going to deter me or turn into an excuse if I do not win). I’m giving it my all and plan to win. Nuff said.

Final thoughts…

Finally, I wish to reiterate my thanks to everyone who has made CheckRayz what it is. Additional shout out and thanks to those who take time to read my “drunken ramblings” here at the Poker Pub, and to those who take the time to comment. Here’s to you! (tippin my mug in your honor). Mike

After six years, he finally achieved “enlightenment” (understanding). He was then known as the Buddha, meaning “one who is awake”). In summary, (this part I am looking up) “he realized that everything is subject to change and that suffering and discontentment are the result of attachment to circumstances and things which, by their nature, are impermanent…”

I’ll stop there, as that part ties into my daily thought. But first, let me clarify… In case anyone is wondering, I’m not renouncing my position as either the Chairman of Beer FC, the President of CheckRayz, nor am I surrendering my position on top of the CheckRayz Leaderboard. I am, however, renouncing the effect tilt has on my life and specifically in my poker game.

Many a peep have written on the topics of tilt, tilt management, zen and poker, etc. In fact, I was reading a post on the Psychology of Poker entitled “Learn to think like a fish.” First of all, I regard Felicia as by far the best writer and most valuable poker blogger I’ve come across in terms of keeping me interested in her work, checking for updates, and relating to her postings. Her writing style is friendly to both the seasoned vet at the poker table and the newbie. I highly advise anyone within shouting distance to visit her blog, bookmark it, commit to reading her blog daily. And no, she is not aware that I’m posting this, its not a paid endorsement either. In fact, she and I have never spoken, I don’t believe she’s ever read me or is aware I read her blog. I will, however, be sending her a thank you letter today detailing how she has impacted both my poker game and my mindset.

Her “Learn to think like a fish” entry really hit home across the board, however 1 paragraph really nailed me between the eyes (more specifically, 1 sentence). She writes “But at this point if you are truly angry and upset, you are the one with the problem, not the fish” - Felicia’s Poker Blog.

I was stunned when I read that, my body going into shock. At that very moment, EVERY bad beat story still bouncing around in my brain, haunting me came to the surface. I was overwhelmed with emotion, irritation. Said another way, my ass was ever-so-chapped. As a side note, I’m not sure how the “recall” of others can be, but one of my historical problems has been my “recall” of “emotionally heightened” events. Ten years later, when the situation warrants and my memory is triggered, I can recall, with damn near exact details, the events that were emotionally significant in my life as if they just occurred. This has always been a double-edged sword, as it comes with both the good and the bad side of said events. So of course, when beat after beat are playing in my head simultaneously, I’m feeling like a beat dog… And boy am I mad!!! Everything from one outers on the river to “SuperDonk” and his totally moronic plays all polluting the surface of my mind at once, almost as if a trash barge capsized and the “junk” is all washing up on the ocean shores.

As I’m cleaning up the once beautiful, now polluted ocean shore, it looks so overwhelming… so polluting, so… yuck. In sifting through the “junk” in my efforts to clean my once beautiful beach, I realize that its not all the same. It is not all “junk,” but instead mixed into the useless, smelly rotting trash is also things that can, and should be recycled. I’m coming across empty beer cans, old aluminum siding, milk jugs, and (insert recyclable of choice here), in addition to the standard trash one might find should he or she come across the scene of a trash infested beachfront thanks to the capsized trash barge. Gosh, whoever loaded this barge really didn’t do a good job of separating the garbage from the recyclables, did they? What pigs!

If I am going to clean this now polluted beach, I probably should begin sorting the recyclables from the garbage. This is my mind… my beach, so I guess that’s where I should start. I should take that which needs to be thrown away and put it in one pile, and that which can be re-used or recycled in another pile. In the interest of continuing this analogy, I finally get the majority of the “trash” separated and hence the beach is clean.

“What the hell Beer Dude? You still drunk from last night?” Haha, you’d think so, wouldn’t ya?

Nope… “No drunky drunky” here. For starters, I don’t drink when in the house and/or around the kids, and second, do ya think I’d admit or realize the above if I was drunk? OK, I’ll give ya that the mental picture of the polluted beach is not necessarily something “the normal mind” comes up with. But really, I’ve never… not one day have I claimed to have a normal, average, or ordinary mind. When I “allow” myself to, I often see things that are not nearly as clear to the untrained eye as they are to me. And with Felicia’s indirect and unknowing help, I realized that these “bad beats” that were haunting me were one of two things:

1. Trash, or
2. Recyclables
(washed up onto the beach).

Said another way, they were:

1. My own damn fault, or
2. Exactly what I wanted!

OK, I’ll bite, how do you figure most of the bad beats are either your own fault or exactly what you want? You’re one sick dude if you really want to be sucked out by runner runner deuce vs your aces when the idiot in the BB couldn’t bring himself to lay down a weak ass pocket pair like that!

Don’t take me so literally here… And really, don’t look at it how it “appears,” as taking things at simply face value is both entirely too easy and often not totally accurate. The mindless, the undisciplined, those who let emotion lead the way, and those who are too connected in “the moment” can easily get caught up in the actual beat. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going “holier than thou” on anyone. I’m not preaching… Instead, I’m trying to share my ounce of wisdom with those who seek it… as well as to write to later on remind myself that this is the “correct” posture to take next time “SuperDonk” sucks out on me.

Let’s replay a hand or two that I’d have previously mindlessly considered either trash or bad beats and been pissed about to see if I’m correct.

Hand 1 (playing Limit):

I’m on the button, utg limps, I raise… wanting 1 to two opponents to play ball with. The small blind calls, BB folds, and utg calls cleanly, giving me what I want… Raised pot, two players in addition to myself.

—– FLOP —– [3s Ah Qd] – giving me a set of aces.
SB throws out a bet, both UTG and myself call. My intentions are to not arise suspician that I’ve hit a hand, and hoping that someone has hit ace small.
—– TURN —– [3s Ah Qd][9h]
Shit, a flush… But that’s ok… I have outs and options, and I’m probably wanting to push at least one player out here, and/or take down the pot if I can, but I’m not TOO worried about the flush. SB bets out, UTG calls, I bump it, and both peeps mindlessly call.
—– RIVER —– [3s Ah Qd 9h][6h]
This has to be the worst card that could hit… or at least among the worst, both players check to me. I figure there’s a great chance that I can get one of the two to fold if I bet and can’t let the tool holding the 2 of hearts win the pot uncontested, so I bet. Both these idiots call.

—– SHOW DOWN —–I have [Ac As] (Three of a kind, Aces, Queen high)
Small blind had two pair on the turn (Q-9), but no hearts
UTG had… get this [3h 8h]

Oh yea, tilt in da house. Think about it though. I make the raise preflop and what do I want? I want two players who will call with weak hands, lesser hands. I’d prefer to isolate, but I’d gladly take one semi-legit caller who actually pushed money in the pot of his own free will, and a person who feels pot committed when he throws in a blind, be it small or big. Additionally, if you told me “Mike, I’m giving you pocket aces, you’re going to get two callers, one having Q9suited to clubs, and the other holding 3-8suited to hearts before the hand began…” and then told me, “If this is not acceptable to you, I’ll never deal you pocket aces again…” I’d take this match up as many times as I could on each and every day ending in Y. I’m 65% favorite preflop. Would I take 65% before the flop? Hell yea I would!

Hand 2: The infamous hand that transformed mild mannered “that guy” into the hero and tool “SuperDonk.” (tourney play, middle of live “monthly game”).

UTG min raises, with an M of about 16. Action folds to me, sporting an M 15 or so. I’m sitting in the small blind and I reraise to six times the blinds, thinking this will be enough to either be heads up or steal the pot. “Superdonk” calls cleanly in the BB, giving UTG sufficient odds to also make the call. Superdonk’s M was closer to 20 at this point.

Flop brings an ace, jack two. I check, wanting to see what those behind me are going to do. Superdonk bets about 20% of the pot. UTG calls, and action is to me. I’m irritated at this point and can’t let go of my queens, so I reraise, pushing allin as no one has shown strength, and each of the two players could be holding anything from ace small to king jack. Bottom line, I’m knowing I had the best hand preflop, and the betting did nothing to convince me that I don’t have it now. AK-A10 would have justified a reraise, as would jacks utg. “Superdonk” calls and UTG folds. “Superdonk” turns over A3o to my queens. His hand holds and he ousts me from tourney play. UTG reveals he had sevens and was convinced post flop he was beat. 20% was ok to continue, but he wasn’t continuing with the allin bet.

I was pissed, and went on and on about this for a month and change. Once again, if I was asked if I was willing to put my tourney life on the line with my queens and would be against A3o and 77, would I do it at this stage of the game, I’d do it every time. Once again, I want lesser hands to call me. However, I think I’d have pushed allin with the UTG caller in this situation if I had the opportunity to do over, as opposed to just putting in a strong raise.

So really, I got what I want, though I did misplay… but really, I got what I wanted.

Let me bottom line this, as I could go on and on and on all day long here. Everything we do in a given hand is for a reason. We throw hands away that we do not want. Sometimes we get caught up in the “so I was in the small blind and I was suited, so I figured what the hell.” These are the trash hands, hands that we use, should learn from (don’t fall in lust with a hand just because you’re in the blinds) and then throw away. These are hands that are to serve its use, its purpose, teach a lesson, and then never again played in that way. Hands that were a result, in full of my mistake, no one elses.

And then there are hands that I’d take every day. Hands that I make a move (raise to get two-three handed). I get exactly what I want out of the raise, and unfortunately go belly up. When I raise, I WANT LESSER HANDS TO CALL ME INCORRECTLY. If I get hands weaker than I to call me, and they suck out, I still want this. I still want them to call, and would even more so want them to play ball with me if I had the benefit of seeing their cards beforehand. These are the peeps who are gonna pay a brotha over the long term. Identify these people, learn who they are. Tag them, put them in the recycle bin. Don’t get mad when they suck out… and they will suck out on ya. Don’t force them to play better against you. Don’t let the beat, as costly as it may have just been, cause you to play worse, especially against them.

Keep your head in the game. Strive for poker zen. Let the beat that just happened enlighten you. Learn from it, embrace it, play right on through it. Make adjustments as necessary and appropriate, but do not let this throw you on tilt.

Have a good weekend everyone. May your game bring you exactly what you want.

Prohibition of Alcohol

Prohibition of alcohol in the United States lasted from roughly 1920-1933. Prohibition was brought to you by the US Government via the 18th amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Prior to the 18th amendment, several states had drafted and implemented legislation prohibiting and banning use of alcohol within their states.

During WWI, paranoia began settling in, as many of the “concerned groups” (read: lobbyist for the “anti-saloon league) urged our government to look into several breweries, citing they were owned by “alien enemies” (read: “All germans are enemies and aliens, even Americans with German ancestry,” according to this mindset). President Wilson signed an order allowing for a partial prohibition on Grain Alcohol in early 1918, to conserve it for supporting the war effort. This posture was declared and defended as a measure of war. Of course, anyone who disagreed was unpatriotic (read: distillers, saloon owners were OBVIOUSLY unpatriotic, as they were against measures that negatively impacted their bottom line).

You know what “they” say…

Some of the things that “they” say… or said, regarding alcohol, and encouraging prohibition.

Salvation Army General Evangeline Booth:”Drink has drained more blood, Hung more crepe, Sold more houses, Plunged more people into bankruptcy, Armed more villains, Slain more children, Snapped more wedding rings, Defiled more innocence, Blinded more eyes, Twisted more limbs, Dethroned more reason, Wrecked more manhood, Dishonored more womanhood, Broken more hearts, Blasted more lives, Driven more to suicide, and dug more graves than any other poisoned scourge that ever swept its death-dealing waves across the world. (Seldes, 1960, p. 106).

evangelist Billy Sunday:

“The rein of tears is over. The slums will soon be only a memory. We will turn our prisons into factories and our jails into storehouses and comcribs” (Asbury, 1968, pp. 144-145).

From “helping the war” to “moral guardianship

When straight up prohibition came about (the evil step-child of this “war act”), the 18th amendment banned the manufacturing of and sale of “intoxicating liquors,” stopping short of possession, consumption, and transportation. Keep in mind, this only impacted liquor (the “hard stuff”) and didn’t yet focus on beer. Of course, our congress and their infinite wisdom decided to include beer and wine, as they pulled a Meriam Webster and “defined” “intoxicating liquors” to include any beverages containing more than .5% alcohol. Soon beer, wine, whiskey, gin, et al were no longer permitted to be “legally sold.” This thing was snowballing.

As this “big bastard” was “growing legs,” some “states were banning the sale of flasks, shakers, and other random “things” used to make drinks and/or consume alcohol. The original Congressional appropriation for enforcement was $5 million.” A few years later, this number too snowballed, whereas “the government estimated enforcement would cost $300 million.” (source: digitalhistory.uh.edu).

During this prohibition period, which started as a means to support war, and digressed into a moral battle, many a bootlegger and rum runner, speakeasy, and backyard “moonshiners” were created. “In 1927, there were twice the number of illegal speakeasies as there were legal bards before prohibition.” (source: digitalhistory.uh.edu). Organized crime was on the rise during this timeframe, as one can see, and was clearly profiting from said prohibition, when in fact the “evolution” of this “moral legislation” was meant to reduce crime.

Bring on the Repeal of Prohibition

In 1933, the 21st Amendment to the constitution was ratified, repealing prohibition and the 18th amendment. Reputable, tax paying, law abiding establishments were replaced by “criminal” organizations, who were now well to do fully thanks to our nanny state. And of course, our government saw the tax revenues as a great way to help fight the depression this country was in. So, of course, repealing and regulating was the OBVIOUS way to go.

The 21st amendment contained two important statements.

1. “The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.” — making it once again “legal” to consume, manufature, sell, and transport alcohol.

2. “The transportation or importation into any State, Territory, or Possession of the United States for delivery or use therein of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.”

Number two transferred power to regulate to the states, where it rightfully belonged, in my ever so humble opinion. The feds, of course, retained the rights to tax the hell out of it as it saw fit (no surprise here, but I won’t complain).

How the hell does this relate to poker, specifically online poker?

“How does the ramblings on prohibition and alcohol relate to online poker,” you ask? “You claim this is a poker blog, but yet, looking at your blogger name (imjusthere4thebeer) are you simply looking to talk “shop” as it relates to one of your hobbies?” There indeed is a huge parallel between the alcohol prohibiting writings above and the state of online poker today, as seen from a poker playing American’s point of view.

Well, for starters, if you recall… prohibition of alcohol was spawned from both “concerned citizens” (the anti-saloon league, among others…) and “efforts to support the war” (WWI). It later “evolved” from supporting the war to “we don’t want to give the “enemy” any profit (German breweries) and went from a potentially legitimate concern to a morally dictating political ploy (banning alcohol will reduce crime, reinforce family values, eliminate a good portion of corruption in our society, insert bullshit reasoning here, etc).

We have a similar “bullshit movement” being mustered up in the house of representatives right now regarding online poker. H.R. 4411 is trying to make a push to prohibit online gambling. Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R- VA) has pushed forth with the “”Internet Gambling Prohibition Act.” In the senate, distinguished morons Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) and Mark Pryor (R-Ark.) are also pushing forth with a similar move. In a shocking move, a Democrat from Mass. comes forth and says what it perhaps the first thing a Mass. Rep has EVER said that makes sense on national/international policy, when the senior Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, Massachusetts Democrat Barney Frank, came out against the House legislation saying “Adults are entitled to do with their money what they want to do,” according to the Reuters news service.

First “these people” are saying that internet gambling plagues our society, citing it serves as a venue for laundering money, supports terrorism, and could be run out of the back of the van in some third world country, therefore it must be stopped! So, obviously this is a “war issue,” right guys? Then they go on to say that internet gambling is too easy for our nation’s young to get into, its not regulated, credit card debt massing into the tens of thousands of dollars can be run up (underagers are legally entitled to credit cards?), risks bankrupting our society (you mean we cannot run up debt like the government does?), and that “the only people who win are the casinos and bookmakers,” (you should know, controlling the lottery and all).

Strangely enough, this bill aims to outlaw our citizen’s rights to gamble online, yet it still allows us to gamble in places such as Vegas, Reno, Atlantic City, the riverboats, reservations, slot parlors, via the lottery, at racetracks, and via fantasy games.

Help me understand this, I’m kinda confused… gambling through technology (the internet) is wrong… brick and mortar poker rooms, however is ok. How is this now? Oh yes, it must be because the casino operators have gone through an extensive background check… right? Oh wait a minute, can they not go through background checks for online poker rooms as well? hmmm… that can’t be it. Could it be… that one can illegally fund other “things” through the online portal, but cannot happen live and in color? I guess they don’t have high stakes heads up games capable of shifting money from one person to another in brick and mortar casinos. My bad, what was I thinking.

Is it because the “real” casinos have guards at all entrances dilligantly checking identifications both visually and through those thurrr technological card readers, which mind you are indeed connected to some sort of central databases, aren’t they? Hmmm… that can’t be it, as I am required to produce some sort of identification online as well in order to establish my identity and right to collect. Is it because “no one ever wins?” Geez… Chris Moneymaker didn’t go from screen name to household name via pokerstars and the WSOP (thanks to the coverage from ESPN)? Doyle Brunson didn’t make his millions playing poker for a living? Wow, what a reality check.

Could it be… that the government is once again using “wartime efforts” to pass moral policy on the citizens of the United States? We could be on to something here… We’ve heard the propaganda regarding money laundering, funding terrorism, underagers, blah blah blah. The reality is, however, that the group of idiots proposing this bill are really trying to tell us how we can and cannot spend our money. Its crystal clear to me that this is a state issue, not a federal issue.

If my state wishes to tell me that I cannot gamble online, it may be their right. If the feds wish to regulate it and tax it, that may be their right. The feds, however, may not rightfully tell me that I cannot four table in my boxers in the comfort of my own home. While Al Gore may have “taken the initiative in inventing the internet,” the WTO has ruled that the US Government does not govern the internet. They lack the legal basis to enact a prohibition on me from gambling online. If they cannot legally prevent me from traveling to Atlantic City, or the card room across the state line, they cannot prevent me legally from playing online. If they block me from accessing gambling related sites, they’re not only violating the right to free press, they’re also no better than China, who regulates what kind of political information can be accessed by their citizens (how’s that for propaganda, Bob… you support this prohibition, you’re as communist as China).

If they attempt to outlaw online gambling, they’re forcing their population “underground” to play in poker rooms which will be certain to be run by organized criminal outfits, rigged, and unbeatable – speakeasies of the 21st century, perhaps?

Here’s an idea for my closing. How about taking measures to regulate it? Run background checks on the online casino operators, assist in having a system in place to ensure that underagers aren’t getting involved here. Audit the books to ensure the card rooms are fair to all. Tax them, tax us even. Do the right thing and embrace that which is. Put the choice to the states, to the people. Don’t make the mistake of recreating the Prohibition Era of the 21st century.

The first pot I got involved with, I had AKo UTG. So of course, I know that I’d like to raise with this hand preflop (4th or 5th hand played, blinds 10/20 all stacks around 1500). But nervous as all hell, and telling myself to correctly raise, I make “the right decision” and limp. Randers, sitting to my right, also limps, Qdog completes in the small, and Bill checks on the big. 4 deep on the six seater and we see floppage of 6-K-10, with the king and ten suited to my ace of hearts. Blinds check to me, I open with a bet of T-50, just over half the pot. Randers raises me an additional 90, making it T-140. Action folds to me, and I bump it up to T-300. Randers calls. Pot contains 680 tourney bux and the turn brings a 5 of hearts, putting the flush on the board. Nerves of rubber at this point, I incorrectly check. I’m not going to get a read if I don’t bet and I’m sending Randers a blank check to bluff into me, so of course I check, go figure. Randers fires off a 480 bet to me, which I can’t bring myself to call. I fold, he shows KQo, neither of which were hearted and takes down the pot.

This of course, discourages me… and I begin questioning my every move or lack of move. Blinds begin increasing, causing my stack to be shorter and shorter. Blinds at 25/50, I’m sitting with 395 chips and knowing damn well I need to make a move. Nerves calmed a bit, and I’m ready to play ball. Few hands into it, I’m dealt 9′s in the SB. Obie shoots out a raise to 250 and action folds around to me. This is a good opportunity to make my move, I figure, as a coin toss is fine with me in the red zone. Though, it should be noted, I’d prefer to be the opener in this matter. I raise him to allin. He makes the easy call, flips over tens to my nines. Obie’s nines hold up and its nh and gg… I bounced out in 16th place (out of 20).

As I had said over and over, I was very nervous pregame, and my nerves got the best of me while playing, specifically early on. I now know what to expect and can say I played in a very tough game, one in which I’d never previously experienced. Nerves aside, I know where I stand and what I need to do to improve. That being said, I’m not saying I can “win”… but surely, a focused beer guy can compete. I do plan on participating in another one of Tanya’s thirty planned private WSOP Satellite events, should she have an opening and choose to have me back. The price of tuition can be steep, but I’m committed to continuing my evlolution as a poker playa and will do what it takes.

Unfortunately… or fortunately (however you look at it) Sharky held his 15K Guaranteed Satellite freeroll via his sharp looking Online Shark poker site at Titan Poker. I say unfortunately only because I had something to prove in that tourney and was soooooooo on a mission. Sharky might have the “toothless (plus one) aggression” but the Beer Guy was straight up “Ruthless Aggression” in this tourney, mowing down damn near anyone in his way. From hour one break on, I was either on the “lead lap” or dictating the pace, sitting first in chip stack. Final table comes around, which was certainly a tough, tight, smart and aggressive final table from a field of 581. The field is down to the final four, with three seats up for grabs. I’m sitting second in chip count (M over 20), both the third and fourth stacks were in the Orange zone. Chip leader, to my left calls cleanly, button (shortest stack) folds. SB completes and I check it, holding 7-8 suited to hearts. Flop comes 9-6-K, with the nine and six both being hearts. The only way this flop is more perfect is if the king was either hearted, or was a 5 or ten of hearts. Although, a perfect flop rarely gives one any action.

Short stack fires off an all-in bet at me. Quickly crunching the numbers, any heart is an out (9 unseen), additionally any ten or five is an out as well (3 each, careful to not double count ten and five of hearts). So, I’m sitting on 15 outs most likely. Its possible though that he has a draw to the flush, but I’m willing to take this chance. Rough math tells me I’m in a freeroll situation, with odds of hitting being at about 54% with two cards to come (.85:1 against). I make the call, SB turns over a set of nines. I can’t hit the broad side of not just the barn… but any barn for that matter, as none of my 15 cards hit the board, thus I am shot down.

Short stacked, I make a respectable push, just exiting the red zone. I misplayed a SB-BB special though, even asking for the right to rewind to pre-flop, which was politely declined. Few hands later, I check the BB, and push allin on the turn on a semi-bluff when no one was showing any real interest in staking claims to the pot. However, I ran into top pair and yer drunken hero was sent home all alone after last call. Great tourney, no less and some phenomenal final table work by all.

News and commentary tomorrow… enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Tonight, CheckRayz will be putting on their first ever Heads-up poker challenge at Celeb Poker. We did try this once before, however an oversight on my part prevented the heads up tourney from being such (it was configured incorrectly and I never caught it). So, tonight’s event should be exciting. $50 added to the prize pool with a $5+.50 entry and leaderboard points on the line. First hands are dealt at 9pm EST.

With that out of the way, we move on to “off-topic Thursday,” which is going to only be semi-off topic as we’re gonna talk politics and poker.

Politics and Poker

Before I even get into this, which I can see myself being very long winded about, I’d like to call to arms all of my readers, and fellow poker players to arms immediately. There’s a ridiculous bill being pushed through congress trying to outlaw online poker play. That being said, sign up with Poker Player’s Alliance today and stand up against this ridiculous bill trying to be forced upon us.

In mid February of this year, Congressman Bob Goodlatte, the idiot representative from Virginia, introduced legislation, which if passed, may ban online poker play.

The idiot representative from Virginia, in his proposal, groups poker in with other “games of chance.” As we all know, poker is a game of skill… the state lottery – game of chance, poker – game of skill. We all know he won’t propose banning the lottery, which is nothing more than chance. Go figure, keep the games of chance with worse odds that line the pockets of government, while banning that which requires skill.

To you, Mr. idiot representative from Virginia and anyone else mindlessly following, I say this to thee:

1. Gambling, like horse racing, slot machines, lotteries, prostitution (see Nevada), abortion, and gay marriage is a STATE ISSUE, not a federal issue. If our citizens of the United States are permitted to go to Atlantic City, Las Vegas, Reno, and to Riverboat Casinos, casinos located on Indian Reservations, or the local dog/horse track just across the state borders to play the slots (once again, game of chance — no skill involved), it is obvious that this is a state issue, not a federal issue.

2. Are you concerned with minors having access to gambling? Or people running up credit card bills? Spend your time and efforts to help support positive parenting and debt management, pal.

3. Is this a way for you to infringe upon our constitutionally given right to free speech by banning online gaming? We were all up on China’s jock when they were “forcing” their citizens to not be “allowed” to view and access certain things on the world wide web. Are you next planning to seek restrictions of the natural growth of the internet? Planning on sticking a virtual flagpole somewhere in cyberspace claiming it as your own? What then? Ban anyone’s site or content who speaks out against your narrow minded views on the world? Hell, why not go one step further and ban anyone who “might” vote against the idiot representative from Virginia when you next run for re-election? That would be a great idea, wouldn’t it, Bob?

4. I have a better idea. Why not work to regulate it? Do you remember US History 101 from your more youthful college days? Sure ya do. Think about Prohibition? You do remember hearing about prohibition, don’t you? I’m not quite sure, but wasn’t this the amendment to the constitution that banned the manufacturing, sale, and transport of alcohol? Didn’t this make “moonshining,” and “bootlegging” the fashionable thing to do until the amendment was repealed? Did this prohibition of alcohol not also ensure that the quality of alcohol was not regulated? And also, did this not push the money, and business to the hands of organized criminal organizations who could freely put out an inferior product to its client base who were clearly there, without giving uncle sam a slice of the pie? Rumor has it that Papa Joe made his millions due to this hostile federal act, later paving the way for Ted to drive off the bridge and leave his mistress for dead.

I recall seeing the sixty minutes episode a while back where the former Party Gaming CEO called out for the United State’s assistance in regulating online gaming, to help ensure that fly by night organizations will not be cheating the world out of their bankroll. He is an expert in the field, but surely… just like you, he’s in this for his own good, protecting his own self interests, right? I mean he couldn’t POSSIBLY be speaking as an expert when he is so obviously tied to the industry now could he be?

5. Is it because online gaming could be “rigged?” Or because people could “cheat?” Don’t people “count cards” in the b&m casinos too? Isn’t there a chance that two people sitting at a table could work out a system to communicate in the “real world” as well? Remember here… we’re looking for consistency, which you are receiving very low scores in. I suggest you click on that word to first see what it means. Pay careful attention to definitions 3a and 3b.

6. Could it be that you’re really looking to help ensure that brick and mortar casinos keep the money flowing both to them and to you? If that is not the case, Mr idiot rep from Virginia, you’d be looking to ban all types of games of chance, which would include those held on “real property” and in cyberspace. Face it, this is at best a state issue with federal oversight required. Tax it, regulate it, don’t even think about banning it. Nuff said…

Mike

*** Feel free to link to and/or comment on this post as you see fit. The above are my thoughts and my thoughts alone. I welcome commentary on all sides of this issue and will respond to each and every one, as appropriate. Republishing of the above editorial without my written permission is forbidden.

SB-BB – level 2 (blinds 2-4)

I’m in the small blind, stack of about 450 (we start with 410 in chips), Big blind has about 300 chips and has got involved in several hands early on. I’d previously been involved in 1 or two hands, and am known as a tight aggressive monster. My raises are generally well respected, unless against “that guy” or in obvious steal positions.

The cards are folded around to me. I peak down into the hole and see bullets staring at me. Now, the SB-BB is a scenario where I’ve been known to make a steal play early on. So, I make an odd raise after fumbling with my chips, making it ten (2.5x’as BB). He senses steal and raises another twenty. I suspiciously make it $100. He calls cleanly. We go to the flop, which comes J-9 (clubs) – 6 (hearts). At this point, I’m worried about a flush draw and a set, though not necessarily “too” worried about it. I like the idea of him thinking I’m going for a steal here, going into this flop. If he has a set, I’m redraw, if he’s on a flush draw, he’s got several outs. So, having him covered and a high M, even if I lose this hand, I put the decision on him and push allin. I’d be content with a steal here. He ponders and makes a quick decision to call. He turns over queen-ten of clubs.

Oh no… I think I’d rather be up against… well, just about anything else. 6 outs to the straight, 8 to the flush (one of my aces was clubbed), of which two are a straight flush. 14 outs and two cards to go with me presently in the lead. Turn and river are thankfully irrelevant. GG, he’s out. I dodged a bullet there, though it would have not been crippling.

Button goes around, and to me (blinds are now 5-10), I receive QQ. I make a 6x raise, with hopes of getting heads up with someone. I get my wish, as the hostess of the evening (SB), a generally tight player comes over top of me, making it 120. BB folds, as does the lone limper. I ponder this for a moment, putting her immediately on a PP of some sort, or Ak (suited or not), POSSIBLY AQs or AJs, though less likely. I need to narrow my range of hands a bit further, so I reraise to 360. I know this move, if successful would cripple her, so she really has no choice but to fold or go allin. If she folds, she held 22-88 or AQs, AJs (10 possible hands she’d make an initial move into me, and folding to my subsequent move). I give it about a 40% probability of getting the fold in my head. If she moves allin, she holds 99-AA (likely not QQ). She’d also possibly do this with AK, so I have to consider that as well, and would be about equally likely to fold it as she’d be to push allin. So of the hands that she’d come over top, two have me as the dog the queens – least likely of the scenarios tie, barring a disastrous four to the flush which I wont even think of, and I’m favored with 3 hands (JJ-1010-99). So, I’m quite comfortable here with her coming over the top (knowing I’d be slightly favored in the majority of the hands she’d move this way in), yet more comfortable with my 40% chance of her folding to me. If I drop this hand, I’m back to about 500 chips, which is an M of 33 for now, 16 when the blinds go up, so I can certainly spin the wheel here.

She ponders the decision and pushes allin. I call with little hesitations. Her cowboys hold up and she takes down the pot (she goes on to take second place, by the way).

Game is rather uneventful, besides the fact of her mowing down another person named Mike (while I was the dealer) who also held QQ. She chips up and is leading the table when we go into the “monstrous” blind level. We jump from 10-20 to 25-50 with a $5 ante. At this point, even the big stack is beginning to stress over the blinds, as this is a huge jump to absorb (note: this jump has been my only area of criticism of the tourney… ever). The tourneys here are run extremely professional, well organized, and nothing but love from all ends. This jump though gets me every time…

With an M of four, I’m having to gather chips with a quickness. First hand in, I’m on the button, dealt garbage and fold (six peeps at the table now, 12 remain in the tourney). Second hand, I have ace small suited. UTG min raise (100). I push allin, hoping to get a fold, and knowing this player can indeed lay down a small pair or ace big to my raise. He ponders and does.

Next hand, UTG raises allin, I fold, as does everyone else. Blinds pass me, uneventful. Cutoff, I’m dealt J10s. M’s back to 4-5, so I once again utilize the first in viggorish and push Allin. Oops, forgot to check the BB’s stack. His M is under one and has to call. It folds to him, he calls, turning over J7. I dominate and hold up.

Blinds hit me, which are now 50-100, ten ante, I’m back into the critical level. Pocket tens, in the hole and a limper UTG. I call, my tens hold up to his 6′s. Cutoff gives me A10s. Allin I go. He defends his blinds, turning over KQ of the same suit. Flop and turn miss, river comes a Q. Back to square one. I go out with KJ vs. QJ, as the flop hits him hard. Nice hand, GG. Your hero eliminated sixth.

All in all, I played a solid game with no complaints on any beats I took. Reading and studying continually with my Harrington on Holdem Vol 2 book helps a great deal. Especially short stacked play.

More tomorrow, specifically in regards to the upcoming block of poker tourneys with CheckRayz.

I entered the game on the button and was organizing my stack (started at 2/4, as the 3/6 table was full). I folded my first few hands, as they mostly contained 2′s in them (i.e. 2-9 off suit, 2-7s, 2-5o, etc.). Additionally, I wanted to see how the table was going to actually play, since I’ve not played live casino limit before (i usually play no-limit on the rare occasion I make a “run”). The average hand was 7-8 deep, unraised preflop. My chippies get in order, and I’m dealt AQs UTG. Of course, I raise, bumping it to $4. These two guys on the far end of the table, who we’ll refer to as “Stadler” and Waldorf (they reminded me of the old geezers in the balcony on the Muppet Show) look at each other as the action “pauses.” “Stadler” looks at me and asks me, “why are you raising? We’ve not had a raise here in the two hours we’ve been sitting here.” I smiled, and responded politely that I’ll gladly make up for lost time. Play continues around to “Waldorf” who says (to either “Stadlor” or to himself, not sure which), “I see what he’s doing. He comes here thinking he can buy it. I don’t think he realizes that the reason I play limit is so that I CAN’T be bluffed out of pots.” He re-raises, we end up capped seven deep. Flop (A-5-7) cap, turn cap (2), river (K comes) cap. My AQ loses out to K2 — shit you not. Despite my showing the AQ down, with top pair mind ya, he tells the entire table, “I told ya this bum was trying to steal. He’s not gonna steal shit from me.”

I’m thinking “this old guy has no clue what he’s against.” And when I left the table at the end of the evening, he still had no clue. My best hand preflop held up exactly once on that table. I got lucky occasionally, with lesser hands, however, my KK got cracked to two pair (Q-3), my 10-10 got cracked by Jack six off suit (played UTG). AK busted, AQ busted, split pot after flopping a straight. It was a long night. I do, however, plan to get back there to play tomorrow, as my parents are going up, and I’ll bum a ride off of them.

Tomorrow, expect to see an announcement regarding CheckRayz and freeroll poker tourney blogging as well as an update on our upcoming tourneys.

Fired up the Ultimate buddy this evening, looking to see if sharky was on tonight, as he has some heads up action on the schedule. Didn’t find sharky yet, however, there sits the Mouth on a $50/100 NL table all by his lonesome. No, I did not sit with him. However, a few others did. Some dude with the SN No job raised him up, mouth raised to allin, nojob calls… JJ v. Mike’s AK. $10G gone, mike reloads. One of the randoms at the table talks about wanting to be a millionaire like “you guys.” Mouth responds with “play nojob for a bit, you’ll be one easily, callin with J’s prayin for a flip.” Someone else on the table is a pro as well, sn LFISGD. Not sure who it is though. Phil’s sitting at a triple draw table as we speak. Gus Hanson’s logged on but not seated. Big night at UB, it seems.

As I sit here goin through the mailbag, I am talking with CheckRayz player Vanessa, also from my home town. She mowed down her competition in a multitable sit n go. Way to Go V!!!

From the mailbag…

Themis from Greece asks,

Any chance of getting tourneys going to accomidate both the American and European rayz’rs?

Great question, Themis. My weekend events will be at such a time that will accomidate all timezones. By the way, liking the rayz’rs name… Thanx

“SuperDonk” from PA asks,

Is A3 playable to your 6x raise with 1 caller utg, me in the bb and you in the SB?

I say emphatically NO. Unless you’re wanting your right eye to match the left. Nuff said.

“Blondie” in Ontario asks:

Dear Beer Guy,
Being a single parent, what do you look for in a woman?

Did I say I was looking? Ha… Actually, Face of an angel, mind of the devil, and one who’s attorney advises her to sign MY version of the pre-nup… Manditory that she plays poker, understands there’s beer to drink, places to go and peeps to see. Must understand the game of football (both american and english). Other than that, I’m not really asking much… Answer your question?

Jon writes,

You really think your Steelers are gonna get their fifth this Sunday? (he goes on to tell me how crazy I am).

No Jon, I don’t think, I know… 31-24 Steelers. Good luck in the draft, your cowboys still ain’t there.

Closing Thoughts

Lots of good poker goin on tonight. Watchin’ Mattasow for a few hours, coaching Vanessa to victory on a sit n go, playing another sit n go with her (we finished 1 and 2 – 27 entries). Shark Poker Tour/Checkrayz standout reelcrazy burstin the bubble on AP $4K guaranteed. Another sng with clay and carey. Poker talk with the gang. It doesn’t get much better than that folks…

And I am outie…

Mike