From a recent 2+2 thread; posters' names mercifully excluded:
Time: 09:49 PM
there is a 2k nl game on ftp where the waitlist has 48 players on it, whats the deal here? Ive never seen a huge waitlist like this on ftp.
Time: 09:53 PM
sources say theres a fish at the table
Time: 10:20 PM
pretty sure the main target there got over 10buyins deep at one point too
Time: 10:28 PM
i think the fish left....
Time: 10:32 PM
everyone is just sitting out, this is odd
. . . .
Ya think maybe, just maybe, when the waiting list gets 48 freakin' names deep chasing after a single fish that the use of "buddy" targeting and other techie tools is just a little bit out of whack?
Sunday, February 17, 2008
PokerStars.com Technical Problems Smoothed Out?
It looks like PokerStars had more than one little difficulty in its programming during the last week. I'd mentioned in a post about a week ago that Stars must have had some sort of programming glitch in its software, severe enough to cause the cancellation of several hours worth of SNGs on the site.
Guess what? It happened at least twice more early this past week. On one of the occasions, whatever they were were fixing was severe enough that they chose to cancel an hour's worth of prime-time MTTs as well.
If anything, the constantly changing news banner at the top of the Stars menu page made it clear the fixin' was going on at a rapid pace. During one of the outages, this appeared:
And about a half hour later, that banner was replaced by this one:
Whatever the issue was, it seems to be have been handled at last check. I know one thing, though: I wish I had a nickel for every nickel's rake Stars lost while the site was partially down as they worked on the problem.
*Download PokerStars and join the largest online poker site in the world.
Guess what? It happened at least twice more early this past week. On one of the occasions, whatever they were were fixing was severe enough that they chose to cancel an hour's worth of prime-time MTTs as well.
If anything, the constantly changing news banner at the top of the Stars menu page made it clear the fixin' was going on at a rapid pace. During one of the outages, this appeared:
And about a half hour later, that banner was replaced by this one:
Whatever the issue was, it seems to be have been handled at last check. I know one thing, though: I wish I had a nickel for every nickel's rake Stars lost while the site was partially down as they worked on the problem.
*Download PokerStars and join the largest online poker site in the world.
Oh, Goodie, a Poker Rap!
Actually, it's not as bad as I feared. Whoever did it certainly reads up on News, Views and Gossip on 2+2. (Which is, incidentally, where I found a link to the thing.)
Poker Rap
Good chorus, including the Jerry Yang praying references.
Poker Rap
Good chorus, including the Jerry Yang praying references.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
The Poker Ethos, Part Some More
I was working on copy-editing the first installment of Matt Savage's new "The Other Side of the Felt" column for PokerNews a week or so ago, and noticing the part therein where Matt decided, as a new casino tournament director, that he was going to let some of the more abusive players know that "there was a new sheriff in town." Savage probably had lots to share with some of the players in an era before tournament rules became somewhat more uniform, but he named only three of the players he targeted: Men "The Master" Nguyen, John Bonetti and Sam Grizzle.
(One wonders, of course, what a 60-something Stuey Ungar would have been capable of in terms of dealer abuse, had he lived to the modern day; he once peed on a dealer, a tale unfortunately left out out of the excellent Ungar bio penned by Nolan Dalla and Peter Alson.)
But this post is about Savage's naming of some dealer abusers, most notably Nguyen, who responded to Savage's declaration by stating, "I am Men the Master, I am Men the Master." Now that's funny.
Men the Master, of course, falls into that category of player whose ethics will be questioned roughly forever, with legendary tales of Men's horses and crew rampant in poker lore for about as long as Men himself has been a winning player and went from "Money Machine" to "The Master" for most-noted nickname. Nope, not gonna go into it. You can start at this very current thread at 2+2, and dig on from there, for other and worse-r stories. Old news, all of it. Nguyen won what --- three events? --- at the recent L.A. Poker Classic, but you can see that there's no focus on that in the 2+2 discussion. That's called a career-damaged reputation, where it no longer matters what's true and what isn't. Past a certain point, image rehabilitation becomes pointless, sort of like the thought of asking Pacman Jones to do United Way commercials for the NFL.
(One wonders, of course, what a 60-something Stuey Ungar would have been capable of in terms of dealer abuse, had he lived to the modern day; he once peed on a dealer, a tale unfortunately left out out of the excellent Ungar bio penned by Nolan Dalla and Peter Alson.)
But this post is about Savage's naming of some dealer abusers, most notably Nguyen, who responded to Savage's declaration by stating, "I am Men the Master, I am Men the Master." Now that's funny.
Men the Master, of course, falls into that category of player whose ethics will be questioned roughly forever, with legendary tales of Men's horses and crew rampant in poker lore for about as long as Men himself has been a winning player and went from "Money Machine" to "The Master" for most-noted nickname. Nope, not gonna go into it. You can start at this very current thread at 2+2, and dig on from there, for other and worse-r stories. Old news, all of it. Nguyen won what --- three events? --- at the recent L.A. Poker Classic, but you can see that there's no focus on that in the 2+2 discussion. That's called a career-damaged reputation, where it no longer matters what's true and what isn't. Past a certain point, image rehabilitation becomes pointless, sort of like the thought of asking Pacman Jones to do United Way commercials for the NFL.
The Poker Ethos, Part Whatever...
Was reading with some interest the latest post by Shamu the Killer Poker Blogger, called "The Wrong Focus (Another Cheating Pro)". In this case, Shamus noted the commentary made by Mike Matusow about taking over for a friend very late in a major online event... and, oh yeah, that's cheating. As Shamus related it: "I don’t have it in for Matusow in particular here. I’m just tired of these pros acting as though all of these rules the rest of us take for granted somehow don’t apply to them." Say it again, but louder.
I don't have it in for Matusow in particular, either, though I've had him squarely in my category of "angle shooter" pros since the first time saw I him on TV, making a faked-but-forward move with a handful of chips in an attempt to elicit a tell from his opponent in a big hand. Crap-ass stuff that was, as is the latest. But one can only throw so many darts at such an easy target. It's not like Matusow's the only one, nor is imagining that all poker players are pristine ne'er-do-bads with nothing but the concept of fair play as their foremost thought.
I just get tired of it, y'know? Because it never stops; even as poker gets ever cleaner, it remains a gathering spot for lots of shady types --- young and old, live and online, those new to the game or the veterans of many battles. I'm reminded of something Harlan Ellison once wrote, relaying a quip from Charles Beaumont about success and writing in Hollywood: "It's like climbing a mountain of manure to reach one flower at the peak, only to discover that you've lost your sense of smell when you've made it to the top."
Not that my ambitions have ever been that noble, even if I do try to do right by what I write. One can only kick the shit from the boots, one supposes, and move on.
I don't have it in for Matusow in particular, either, though I've had him squarely in my category of "angle shooter" pros since the first time saw I him on TV, making a faked-but-forward move with a handful of chips in an attempt to elicit a tell from his opponent in a big hand. Crap-ass stuff that was, as is the latest. But one can only throw so many darts at such an easy target. It's not like Matusow's the only one, nor is imagining that all poker players are pristine ne'er-do-bads with nothing but the concept of fair play as their foremost thought.
I just get tired of it, y'know? Because it never stops; even as poker gets ever cleaner, it remains a gathering spot for lots of shady types --- young and old, live and online, those new to the game or the veterans of many battles. I'm reminded of something Harlan Ellison once wrote, relaying a quip from Charles Beaumont about success and writing in Hollywood: "It's like climbing a mountain of manure to reach one flower at the peak, only to discover that you've lost your sense of smell when you've made it to the top."
Not that my ambitions have ever been that noble, even if I do try to do right by what I write. One can only kick the shit from the boots, one supposes, and move on.
Book Review: "Ace on the River"
A confession of sorts, to preface this review: I have eight or ten poker books sitting here unread at the present time, awaiting nothing more than the time for me to examine them. Perhaps that's why the first of a series of reviews to appear here is that of an admittedly oft-reviewed book, Barry Greenstein's Ace on the River. It fit my requirements, you see, being of large type, lots of photos, and not too many pages. In other words, an easy read.
Ace on the River is split into several sections. Part I is "The Poker World," which is followed by "Philosophy" (Part II), "Advanced Play" (Part III), and a short Part IV, "Addenda"... which is sort of redundant, come to think of it. The meat, though, comes early in the book, in the parts on the poker world and philosophy. The whole book is philosophy, in one form or another, and that's what sets it apart from everything else on the bookstore shelf.
Greenstein did a good job in Ace on the River in shattering one personal mythos while helping to build another. His philosophy section often delves into a sharing of personal history -- he was far less rich in early years as a poker player than many other players assumed -- to an acknowledgment and tacit welcoming of the "Robin Hood of Poker" tag that he gained from donating a couple million in tournament winnings to charity in recent years past. Greenstein admits that he wasn't overlooking the tax benefits, of course, but defines it more in terms of being a good citizen and a productive component of society.
Greenstein stays short of being pious and preachy, nor does he name names in the cautionary tales sprinkled liberally throughout Ace, but there's an overriding sense in the book of karma, even if the word itself is seldom used. "Treat the world right," he seems to be saying, "and it'll treat you right in return." Of course, as is the nature of all such efforts, the people most in need of the lessons being shared are the ones least likely to get the bigger message.
A well-told passage from the "Philosophy" section is Chapter 18, "Gambling and Productive Society". Greenstein casts a jaded, hypocritical eye to many widely held "mainstream" beliefs and practices, and wraps up his not favorable take on much of modern society with a telling line: "I have felt a need to justify my role in society."
Another section that resonated with this reader is Chapter 14, "Integrity". If anything, it's a too-brief dismissal of the worst parts of poker society, the angle shooters and erstwhile thieves who prey on the game with no care other than the money. Greenstein wears the white hat here, saying, "I follow a stricter set of guidelines than most of my opponents, even if it costs me money in the short run. It has given me inner peace, and in the long run I have actually profited from it."
Given that so many recent sordid cheating tales regarding poker have erupted in recent months, it's a timely, if eventually empty comment; perhaps that's why the chapter is unduly brief. The poker world needs more honest players and less dishonest ones, but it also needs the honest ones to be more strident in their protestations. While a book such as Ace is no place for naming names, doing good deeds by cleaning up the game is worthwhile, too.
Roughly the second half of the book is made up of live-play examples and relatively simple statistics, and a lot of people will dismiss that section of the book out of hand, given the proliferation of strategy books on the market. That's well and fine; there's no hand nor situation in Ace that you won't also find covered elsewhere. However, the focus here is more on concept than the nuts-'n'-bolts of the strategy itself, and it's told in a way that might make sense for certain readers when other teachings won't. One grows as a player by discovering new ways to think about a situation, and I've picked up a couple of insights from the book. (Won't share. Sorry.)
Maybe I was the last one to buy and read Ace on the River; maybe not. It's still a welcome diversion from most poker-book fare. It's one of those books that's as valuable as you want it to be... no more, no less.
Ace on the River
by Barry Greenstein
Last Knight Publishing Company
Fort Collins, CO
$25.00
Ace on the River is split into several sections. Part I is "The Poker World," which is followed by "Philosophy" (Part II), "Advanced Play" (Part III), and a short Part IV, "Addenda"... which is sort of redundant, come to think of it. The meat, though, comes early in the book, in the parts on the poker world and philosophy. The whole book is philosophy, in one form or another, and that's what sets it apart from everything else on the bookstore shelf. Greenstein did a good job in Ace on the River in shattering one personal mythos while helping to build another. His philosophy section often delves into a sharing of personal history -- he was far less rich in early years as a poker player than many other players assumed -- to an acknowledgment and tacit welcoming of the "Robin Hood of Poker" tag that he gained from donating a couple million in tournament winnings to charity in recent years past. Greenstein admits that he wasn't overlooking the tax benefits, of course, but defines it more in terms of being a good citizen and a productive component of society.
Greenstein stays short of being pious and preachy, nor does he name names in the cautionary tales sprinkled liberally throughout Ace, but there's an overriding sense in the book of karma, even if the word itself is seldom used. "Treat the world right," he seems to be saying, "and it'll treat you right in return." Of course, as is the nature of all such efforts, the people most in need of the lessons being shared are the ones least likely to get the bigger message.
A well-told passage from the "Philosophy" section is Chapter 18, "Gambling and Productive Society". Greenstein casts a jaded, hypocritical eye to many widely held "mainstream" beliefs and practices, and wraps up his not favorable take on much of modern society with a telling line: "I have felt a need to justify my role in society."
Another section that resonated with this reader is Chapter 14, "Integrity". If anything, it's a too-brief dismissal of the worst parts of poker society, the angle shooters and erstwhile thieves who prey on the game with no care other than the money. Greenstein wears the white hat here, saying, "I follow a stricter set of guidelines than most of my opponents, even if it costs me money in the short run. It has given me inner peace, and in the long run I have actually profited from it."
Given that so many recent sordid cheating tales regarding poker have erupted in recent months, it's a timely, if eventually empty comment; perhaps that's why the chapter is unduly brief. The poker world needs more honest players and less dishonest ones, but it also needs the honest ones to be more strident in their protestations. While a book such as Ace is no place for naming names, doing good deeds by cleaning up the game is worthwhile, too.
Roughly the second half of the book is made up of live-play examples and relatively simple statistics, and a lot of people will dismiss that section of the book out of hand, given the proliferation of strategy books on the market. That's well and fine; there's no hand nor situation in Ace that you won't also find covered elsewhere. However, the focus here is more on concept than the nuts-'n'-bolts of the strategy itself, and it's told in a way that might make sense for certain readers when other teachings won't. One grows as a player by discovering new ways to think about a situation, and I've picked up a couple of insights from the book. (Won't share. Sorry.)
Maybe I was the last one to buy and read Ace on the River; maybe not. It's still a welcome diversion from most poker-book fare. It's one of those books that's as valuable as you want it to be... no more, no less.
Ace on the River
by Barry Greenstein
Last Knight Publishing Company
Fort Collins, CO
$25.00
Sunday, February 10, 2008
An SNG-less Sunday at PokerStars
Hoping to sneak into a few SNGs at PokerStars on Sunday? Not much of a chance for that, at least later in the day. Apparently an unintended software snafu occurred, with the result being that Stars cancelled their entire slate of SNGs, at all stakes and across all games, until 2am on Sunday system time.
Here's hoping it's fixed,whatever it was. I'm guessing Stars hopes so, too, since that was likely a large chunk of rake dropped during the SNG downtime on the day.
*Poker Stars has been undergoing upgrades, hopefully the situation is resolved soon as well as they are now offering a beta Poker Star Macintosh Download with real money play now available.
Here's hoping it's fixed,whatever it was. I'm guessing Stars hopes so, too, since that was likely a large chunk of rake dropped during the SNG downtime on the day.
*Poker Stars has been undergoing upgrades, hopefully the situation is resolved soon as well as they are now offering a beta Poker Star Macintosh Download with real money play now available.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Another Chance to Prove That Bloggers Suck at Poker
... or at least that -this- blogger does, in regards to the title.
Got a blog, o fan of poker? If so, you'll be eligible to participate in Bodog's new Poker Blogger Tournament Series, every Tuesday at Bodog. And since I know everyone reading this is also a dedicated Bodog player through their participation in the Wednesday night Kick Ass Poker league at the same site (the password for that one is 'lefty', hint, hint), my advice is this: if you have a blog, then sign up and have some fun.
Anyhow, here's the meat of the press release that Bodog sent out yesterday:
Bodog Introduces Poker Blogger Tournament Series
-------------------
Bodog is proud to host the Bodog Poker Blogger Tournament Series opened to any Online Poker Blogger. Join up and challenge other Poker Bloggers each week in our Bodog Poker Room and live to tell about it. Earn points and work your way up the Tournament Leader Board for a spot in the final tournament for your chance to win a $12,000 World Series of Poker* prize package and be a part of Team Bodog 2008.
How it Works
-------------------
The Bodog Poker Blogger Tournament Series is composed of a series of 18 qualifying tournaments that run weekly beginning Tuesday, February 5th, 2008 to Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008. The top 30% of finishers in each qualifying tournament will earn points based on their finish. These points will be used to rank players over 4 months of qualifying. At the end of the qualifying series, the top 18 players on the Tournament Leader Board will play in the Final Tournament on Tuesday, June 10th, 2008 with the first place finisher winning a $12,000 WSOP* prize package!
Prizes
Weekly Tournaments
Buy-in: $10 + $1
Prize Pool will be distributed as per Bodog's standard multi-table payout table. In addition, the top 5 players each week will also win T$109 to be used to buy-in to the $100,000 Guaranteed Tournament held every Sunday at 4:00 PM ET. The top 5 bubble players each week will win a free buy-in to next week's Weekly Tournament. (T$11 will be credited to these players' Bodog account within 24 hours after the completion of the tournament)
Final Tournament
-------------------
Buy-in: $0 + $0 (must finish in the Top 18 on the TLB to be invited)
Grand Prize: $12,000 WSOP* Prize Package with Team Bodog
2nd place: T$540 to be used to buy-in to (2) World Series or Players Choice Semifinal
3rd place: T$379 to be used to buy-in to (1) World Series or Players Choice Semifinal and (1) $100,000 Guaranteed Tournament
4th: T$270 to be used to buy-in to (1) World Series or Players Choice Semifinal
5th: T$109 to be used to buy-in to (1) $100,000 Guaranteed Tournament
Bodog Blogger Tournament Leader Board
-------------------
The Tournament Leader Board will be available at http://www.bodoglife.com/promotions/poker/blogger-tournament/ throughout the course of the Bodog Poker Blogger Tournament Series. It will provide the point totals for every player that has played in the qualifying tournaments. The top 30% of players in each tournament will receive points according to finish which at the end of the qualifying tournaments will ultimately determine who will move on to the Final Event. The top 18 players on the TLB at the end of the qualifiers will earn their way to the Final Event.
How To Register
-------------------
To register for the Bodog Poker Blogger Tournament Series, poker bloggers must first go to http://www.bodoglife.com/promotions/poker/blogger-tournament/ and sign in with their Bodog account information in the upper right hand corner. Once this is completed, they then must click on "REGISTER NOW" to register themselves into the tournament series. Bloggers will each have to do this once in order to play in the series. Once this is done, they then need to find the "Online Poker Blogger Tournament" in the software and register as they normally would each and every week.
Bodog Blogger Tournament Host Site
-------------------
Bodogbloggertournament.com will host this tournament series and will provide poker bloggers with weekly updates on:
* tournament results for winners and losers
* announcements for special promotions or guest players
* the latest in Bodog Poker Room news and gossip
* tips on how to succeed at Bodog Poker
Got a blog, o fan of poker? If so, you'll be eligible to participate in Bodog's new Poker Blogger Tournament Series, every Tuesday at Bodog. And since I know everyone reading this is also a dedicated Bodog player through their participation in the Wednesday night Kick Ass Poker league at the same site (the password for that one is 'lefty', hint, hint), my advice is this: if you have a blog, then sign up and have some fun.Anyhow, here's the meat of the press release that Bodog sent out yesterday:
Bodog Introduces Poker Blogger Tournament Series
-------------------
Bodog is proud to host the Bodog Poker Blogger Tournament Series opened to any Online Poker Blogger. Join up and challenge other Poker Bloggers each week in our Bodog Poker Room and live to tell about it. Earn points and work your way up the Tournament Leader Board for a spot in the final tournament for your chance to win a $12,000 World Series of Poker* prize package and be a part of Team Bodog 2008.
How it Works
-------------------
The Bodog Poker Blogger Tournament Series is composed of a series of 18 qualifying tournaments that run weekly beginning Tuesday, February 5th, 2008 to Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008. The top 30% of finishers in each qualifying tournament will earn points based on their finish. These points will be used to rank players over 4 months of qualifying. At the end of the qualifying series, the top 18 players on the Tournament Leader Board will play in the Final Tournament on Tuesday, June 10th, 2008 with the first place finisher winning a $12,000 WSOP* prize package!
Prizes
Weekly Tournaments
Buy-in: $10 + $1
Prize Pool will be distributed as per Bodog's standard multi-table payout table. In addition, the top 5 players each week will also win T$109 to be used to buy-in to the $100,000 Guaranteed Tournament held every Sunday at 4:00 PM ET. The top 5 bubble players each week will win a free buy-in to next week's Weekly Tournament. (T$11 will be credited to these players' Bodog account within 24 hours after the completion of the tournament)
Final Tournament
-------------------
Buy-in: $0 + $0 (must finish in the Top 18 on the TLB to be invited)
Grand Prize: $12,000 WSOP* Prize Package with Team Bodog
2nd place: T$540 to be used to buy-in to (2) World Series or Players Choice Semifinal
3rd place: T$379 to be used to buy-in to (1) World Series or Players Choice Semifinal and (1) $100,000 Guaranteed Tournament
4th: T$270 to be used to buy-in to (1) World Series or Players Choice Semifinal
5th: T$109 to be used to buy-in to (1) $100,000 Guaranteed Tournament
Bodog Blogger Tournament Leader Board
-------------------
The Tournament Leader Board will be available at http://www.bodoglife.com/promotions/poker/blogger-tournament/ throughout the course of the Bodog Poker Blogger Tournament Series. It will provide the point totals for every player that has played in the qualifying tournaments. The top 30% of players in each tournament will receive points according to finish which at the end of the qualifying tournaments will ultimately determine who will move on to the Final Event. The top 18 players on the TLB at the end of the qualifiers will earn their way to the Final Event.
How To Register
-------------------
To register for the Bodog Poker Blogger Tournament Series, poker bloggers must first go to http://www.bodoglife.com/promotions/poker/blogger-tournament/ and sign in with their Bodog account information in the upper right hand corner. Once this is completed, they then must click on "REGISTER NOW" to register themselves into the tournament series. Bloggers will each have to do this once in order to play in the series. Once this is done, they then need to find the "Online Poker Blogger Tournament" in the software and register as they normally would each and every week.
Bodog Blogger Tournament Host Site
-------------------
Bodogbloggertournament.com will host this tournament series and will provide poker bloggers with weekly updates on:
* tournament results for winners and losers
* announcements for special promotions or guest players
* the latest in Bodog Poker Room news and gossip
* tips on how to succeed at Bodog Poker
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