Happy Towel Day everyone!! I hope you all have your towel with you, cause if you do, you are one hoopy frood, if not, you are most definitely a strag. I for one will be carrying my towel around with me at the tourney tonight, and I’m sure that most of them there will prove to be strags.
So take your towel with you wherever you go today, and when you are at the bar, order yourself a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster and raise it up to one of the greats, Douglas Adams.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
From WWdN to Drunken Lemur
Well last at last nights WWdN tourney my performance was abysmal. Those cards just failed to fall my way, oh well what can you do. Had a good time chatting it up with the infamous AlCantHang, which of course translates to I got drunk doing IM-a-shots. So after both AlCantHang and I busted out and had one more shot to seal it, what is there to do other than play drunken lemur poker on the micro-limit tables and get your buy-in back. I was mildly surprised to see that it only took me 4 hands in two orbits to achieve my goal, and then it was off to bed. Let’s just hope that the cards fall my way tonight at the tourney, it would be nice for a change, haven’t made a final table there yet this month.
PokerStars Blogger Championship #2
I have registered to play in the PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker!
This Online Poker Tournament is a No Limit Texas Holdem event exclusive to Bloggers.
Registration code: 7330476
It was an interesting game last year so I guess it's time to find out if I have actually learned how to play this game!
Monday, May 15, 2006
R.I.P. Crawford
On Friday, we lost a good friend. It is one of those sad stories, just coming out of a dark time for him with a future full of promise. He had just won a seat to the 2006 WSOP and was very excited to be going. His divorce had just been finalized and he was awarded soul custody of his three children. Things were beginning to turn around for him, and then it happened. In the blink of an eye, that person you just talking to yesterday and making some plans with to meet up that weekend and inviting to a private poker game on-line on Tuesday is suddenly and tragically taken from you.
He was a good man and a good friend. He loved his children and would do anything for them. He loved to get together and play some cards and did it well. His Royal Flush in Hearts (from this point forward to be referred to as getting a Crawford) gave him the stack advantage that allowed him to take down WSOP satellite event. Sadly, life decided to throw him the ultimate Bad Beat well before his time. Since he loved his children so we, his fellow card players and friends, will do our best to help them with their future in his memory:
It is with great sorrow that we share this tragic news-
On Friday May 12th
JOHN CRAWFORD
was killed in an automobile accident. John had recently won the WSOP poker event.
John leaves behind 3 young children. In his honor we will be hosting the first
JOHN CRAWFORD MEMORIAL POKER TOURNAMENT
Entrance fee will be $50 with ALL proceeds going into a trust fund for his children.
The winner of the event will be going to
Las Vegas all expenses paid to play in Johns seat.
This tournament will be held at Breise's Brew on Friday June 16th. Complete details will be listed here soon.
John Crawford
1971-2006
Update: The tourney was quite the success. Just under $12,000 was raised and placed into a trust fund for his kids. With some luck, there will be another one next year!
Funeral arrangements are being handled by Congdon & Company Funeral Home
3012 Sheridan Rd, Zion, Ill. 847-746-1234
Visitation is Wednesday May 15, 2006 5pm-8pm
Funeral is Thursday May 16, 2006 10am
Van driver killed in head-on crash with bus
BY ASHOK SELVAMDaily Herald Staff WriterPosted Saturday, May 13, 2006
A 35-year-old electrician died after he drove a utility van head-on into a bus carrying adult passengers with special needs Friday night in Winthrop Harbor.
The accident killed John Crawford, of Winthrop Harbor, Lake County coroner Richard Keller confirmed. The accident happened around 7 p.m. on Rosecrans Road, also known as Route 173, about a block west of North Green Bay Road, Lake County sheriff's office Sgt. Curt Gregory said.
The westbound van crossed the median and struck the eastbound bus, Gregory added. It was raining at the time of the wreck.
Crawford and the other driver were trapped in their vehicles and freed by rescue crews, the Winthrop Harbor Fire Department said. Crawford was driving by himself and died at the scene, while those on the bus suffered non-life-threatening injuries. [Clip]
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Second Table Hell
It’s official; I’m in second table hell! In my past twelve tourneys, I’ve had only two final tables and ten second, two of which I was the bubble boy. It really sucks to get so close so very consistently and then get beat out time after time.
I did have one very sweet and well played pot that night though. I was small blind (50/100) with Kc8c. It got to me with a min raise so I called as did the big blind, total of four in the pot. The flop comes Qc 9d 7c. I checked, BB checked next person made it 300 to go and everyone called. Turn is a 2c so I have my K high flush and I check it. The guy made it 300 to go and I check-raised him to 600 and he called. The river is an Ac and I see that I have the nuts, so I checked again. This time he made it 600 to go and I check-raised him again to 1200 and he instantly went all in. As he got his chips out and started counting them out, I took a quick glance at the board just to make sure there was no straight flush there, then I called him. I only had about 700 more so he got to pull back about 550, then flipped up his 6cTc as he announced his flush. I let out a ‘oohh,’ knowing the pain he was about to feel as I flipped over the nuts.
I stayed one of the upper to upper-mid stacks for most of the night and was a good sized mid stack when we got to two tables. Unfortunately, it seemed like everyone was chasing at this table. Damn near impossible to get people to lay down, but because most of them had four people in the pot, someone would catch and all I could do was watch my stack slowly evaporate to the chasers and the blinds.
My last two hands really sucked. In the BB (1000/2000) I had Jd8d and one caller so far. I made a two BB raise to buy the pot but the BB called, the other folded. I didn’t feel too bad about his call, cause this guy is normally a very good donkey, who once in a pot, will almost never fold and call it all the way down. Flop was J Xd Xd so I bet about ½ the pot and he called. There were two more bricks and I kept betting about ½ the pot and he kept calling, then turned to show AJ to my J8 and missed flush so his A played and took the pot.
The very next hand I was SB and donkey was BB and I looked down to pocket tens. It was folded around to me so I went all in my remaining 3500 after covering the blind. He thought then called and turned an 8s6s. Flop was 5.7.9 In that order. The donkey flopped his straight. The turn was a T, giving him an even higher straight, but at least moving me up to 10 outs, which naturally failed to appear.
After that I went home and decided to de-tilt myself with some Captian and Diet and some nice micro-limit .10 NLHE on Stars. Sat down at the table with $5 and by the time I was nice and tired and ready for bed 28 minutes later after busting out four people, I left with $18.05. Not bad for half and hours worth of work.
I did have one very sweet and well played pot that night though. I was small blind (50/100) with Kc8c. It got to me with a min raise so I called as did the big blind, total of four in the pot. The flop comes Qc 9d 7c. I checked, BB checked next person made it 300 to go and everyone called. Turn is a 2c so I have my K high flush and I check it. The guy made it 300 to go and I check-raised him to 600 and he called. The river is an Ac and I see that I have the nuts, so I checked again. This time he made it 600 to go and I check-raised him again to 1200 and he instantly went all in. As he got his chips out and started counting them out, I took a quick glance at the board just to make sure there was no straight flush there, then I called him. I only had about 700 more so he got to pull back about 550, then flipped up his 6cTc as he announced his flush. I let out a ‘oohh,’ knowing the pain he was about to feel as I flipped over the nuts.
I stayed one of the upper to upper-mid stacks for most of the night and was a good sized mid stack when we got to two tables. Unfortunately, it seemed like everyone was chasing at this table. Damn near impossible to get people to lay down, but because most of them had four people in the pot, someone would catch and all I could do was watch my stack slowly evaporate to the chasers and the blinds.
My last two hands really sucked. In the BB (1000/2000) I had Jd8d and one caller so far. I made a two BB raise to buy the pot but the BB called, the other folded. I didn’t feel too bad about his call, cause this guy is normally a very good donkey, who once in a pot, will almost never fold and call it all the way down. Flop was J Xd Xd so I bet about ½ the pot and he called. There were two more bricks and I kept betting about ½ the pot and he kept calling, then turned to show AJ to my J8 and missed flush so his A played and took the pot.
The very next hand I was SB and donkey was BB and I looked down to pocket tens. It was folded around to me so I went all in my remaining 3500 after covering the blind. He thought then called and turned an 8s6s. Flop was 5.7.9 In that order. The donkey flopped his straight. The turn was a T, giving him an even higher straight, but at least moving me up to 10 outs, which naturally failed to appear.
After that I went home and decided to de-tilt myself with some Captian and Diet and some nice micro-limit .10 NLHE on Stars. Sat down at the table with $5 and by the time I was nice and tired and ready for bed 28 minutes later after busting out four people, I left with $18.05. Not bad for half and hours worth of work.
Monday, March 13, 2006
Three and Thirty Tourney and a Player Alert
Had an interesting time in one of the $3+.30 tourneys on Stars last night. It seemed like if you had pocket T’s or better there was some rule that I missed that said you were required to go all-in preflop. Within my first four hands I was looking at cowboys and made it 80 to go (blinds 10/20). Before I know it, there are two all-ins. I almost called, but my spidie senses were tingling, so I folded. The two still there showed pocket Tens and Hiltons. I nearly kicked myself till Hiltons flopped a set.
I saw pocket 6’s CALL pocket J’s all-in. I saw AKo all-in against KK. I even saw A6o CALL a KK all-in. It was, in several words, un.fucking.real. Later on in the tourney, I saw the big stack at the table (about 3.5X second stack) go all-in with his pocket K’s, Q’s, J’s, only to watch the table fold to him and would almost never pick up more than the blinds.
Perhaps I missed something in that poker 101 class I never took. Would it not have been wiser for him to lead out with somewhere between 5-10 times the big blind (normally I’m a 3-5 person myself but this guy obviously felt the need to move a lot of chips with big pairs) to get rid of all the weak hands and possibly get a caller or two and maybe even manage to pick up a few more chips than just the blinds? I know, I know, that’s just crazy talk.
Of course, maybe they were all onto something, after all, the big stack was still there when I busted out in 181st (of 1932). I should note that at that time, he was no longer the big stack. The new big stack that got moved in just chased people off by betting 4-6 time the big blind, and that seemed to work for him without risking a significant portion of his stack.
Now for something useful. Add the player FoldNow23 to your Find-a-Player list on Stars. On Saturday, after my SnG while I was getting ready to head out for a live game, for some reason I pulled up a $3+.30 re-buy tourney to watch while I got ready. I kid you not when I saw this kid pull at least 12 re-buy’s, probably more, before the blinds broke 25/50, and this was a turbo if memory serves.
My notes on him read as such: All-in with any pocket pair, any paint, any suited, any connectors. I saw him take down only one pot with his big all-in move, but he was quite generous to the rest of the table. I for one would love to see if such behavior carries over into the cash games, or if his generosity is reserved for re-buy tourneys.
I saw pocket 6’s CALL pocket J’s all-in. I saw AKo all-in against KK. I even saw A6o CALL a KK all-in. It was, in several words, un.fucking.real. Later on in the tourney, I saw the big stack at the table (about 3.5X second stack) go all-in with his pocket K’s, Q’s, J’s, only to watch the table fold to him and would almost never pick up more than the blinds.
Perhaps I missed something in that poker 101 class I never took. Would it not have been wiser for him to lead out with somewhere between 5-10 times the big blind (normally I’m a 3-5 person myself but this guy obviously felt the need to move a lot of chips with big pairs) to get rid of all the weak hands and possibly get a caller or two and maybe even manage to pick up a few more chips than just the blinds? I know, I know, that’s just crazy talk.
Of course, maybe they were all onto something, after all, the big stack was still there when I busted out in 181st (of 1932). I should note that at that time, he was no longer the big stack. The new big stack that got moved in just chased people off by betting 4-6 time the big blind, and that seemed to work for him without risking a significant portion of his stack.
Now for something useful. Add the player FoldNow23 to your Find-a-Player list on Stars. On Saturday, after my SnG while I was getting ready to head out for a live game, for some reason I pulled up a $3+.30 re-buy tourney to watch while I got ready. I kid you not when I saw this kid pull at least 12 re-buy’s, probably more, before the blinds broke 25/50, and this was a turbo if memory serves.
My notes on him read as such: All-in with any pocket pair, any paint, any suited, any connectors. I saw him take down only one pot with his big all-in move, but he was quite generous to the rest of the table. I for one would love to see if such behavior carries over into the cash games, or if his generosity is reserved for re-buy tourneys.
Friday, March 10, 2006
There's Always Tomorrow
The past three nights it seems like I just get so damn close, yet still so far away. I’ve found myself on the last two tables every night, but just keep falling shy of that final table. Last night was the worst, I went out in tenth, the bubble boy.
The blinds were T5000/10000 and the BB was mine next hand. I look down at AsKs so I pushed with 19000. The SB called with 9000 all-in, everyone else was a fold. He flipped A2o. Flop comes A95r, turn is 3 and river was a 4. Couldn’t believe it, he caught a small straight on the river.
Next hand I was all-in in the BB. Everyone folded to the SB who called a flipped a 56o. I get up, put on my jacket and look at my cards for the first time, AJo. Flop and turn are bricks and the river was a six. Out I go in tenth place and hear the cry “Final Table!”
The night before I went out in twelfth and before that out in thirteenth. I always got my money in with good cards, KQ, KJ, QJ, AQ etc. but none of them ever held up. Kept losing to pocket 2’s, 3’s, 8’s, or some low connectors that would make bottom pair.
I really need to make a few more tables this month and get my points up. That’s why it sucks so much to be getting so close to the point but just coming up a bit short. Oh well, there’s always tomorrow…
The blinds were T5000/10000 and the BB was mine next hand. I look down at AsKs so I pushed with 19000. The SB called with 9000 all-in, everyone else was a fold. He flipped A2o. Flop comes A95r, turn is 3 and river was a 4. Couldn’t believe it, he caught a small straight on the river.
Next hand I was all-in in the BB. Everyone folded to the SB who called a flipped a 56o. I get up, put on my jacket and look at my cards for the first time, AJo. Flop and turn are bricks and the river was a six. Out I go in tenth place and hear the cry “Final Table!”
The night before I went out in twelfth and before that out in thirteenth. I always got my money in with good cards, KQ, KJ, QJ, AQ etc. but none of them ever held up. Kept losing to pocket 2’s, 3’s, 8’s, or some low connectors that would make bottom pair.
I really need to make a few more tables this month and get my points up. That’s why it sucks so much to be getting so close to the point but just coming up a bit short. Oh well, there’s always tomorrow…
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