Person Of Interest
Monday, October 30, 2006
On Saturday I went to a Halloween party that was being held at a building deep in the woods. The host always does it up right and makes the whole place rather creepy. This year I decided to take a similar direction and make my outfit creepy. I was not, however, scary or creepy in the typical Halloween sense. Instead I went in another direction.The party started at 8pm and I got clearance from the host to come early and hang posters throughout the building. The picture to the left is the poster I put up all over the place. I then went back to my house and put on my outfit which consisted of a dirty collar shirt, tight corduroy pants, greasy hair, a mustache (I shaved everything but a scummy mustache) and scumbag sunglasses.
It wasn't so much that I had a costume on, but once I put on the above items, I became the scumbag dude. Having the posters already up at the party at least got a small buzz from those already there since they didn't know if it was the real deal or if it was a prank. The building is normally a Police and Fire Fighters Club so it wouldn't be too outlandish to have that type of poster up.
We finally rolled up to the party around 10pm and almost immediately people started giving the quizzical look. "Is that the dude from the poster?" All I can say is it was an absolute blast playing a Person Of Interest. It was like having a free pass to talk sleazy to any and everyone. My typical introduction went something like this...
"Hey Sweet Cheeks...have you met my momma's basement? I got the whole 1500 square feet to myself...and it's totally heated."
Thankfully, almost everyone there thought it was funny and played along with my shenanigans. The posters definitely helped my cause and the costume would not have been the same without them. All in all it was a capital experience.
It's about time to pimp some blogger tourneys, which I have not done in a while. I haven't played the Hoy in a while due to bankroll issues, but I might try and play tonight if things work out. Monday's are often bad for me as well which is another reason I haven't made it in a while.
Mondays:
I also haven't played the WWdN in a while.
Tuesdays:
And who could forget my favorite weekly blogger tourney.
Wednesdays:
I don't know if I've ever played this one, but I might have to soon.
Thursdays:
One of my favorite ideas is the newly created "Big Game" which is apparently going to be every two weeks. I made the final table in the first one, but not sure if I'll be able to play this next one. I gotta get working on another token.
And of course, I can't forget the DADI of them all. This one is $26 so be sure and get your token now. I've heard the hosts of this tourney are pretty cool, though one of them is apparently a Person Of Interest. Yikes! Fight The Power, people, and play DADI X.
Random Weekdays Once Per Month:
Sundays:
There are also WPBT events on Sundays and you can check out Byron's site at http://biggestron.com for details on those tourneys. I've missed those lately, but I think I may still be in the Top 100. I'll have to check that out soon.
So that is it for now.
Laterz
posted by TripJax @ 12:19 PM,
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Payback, Thy Name is Jack
Monday, October 23, 2006
Alternate title for this post...I Am Jack's Inflamed Sense Of Retribution.
Sometimes you catch a break in a tourney and end up winning the damn thing. Just look at my last post for a good example. Still, other times you catch a break in a tourney and then your break goes broke. What the hell am I talking about eh?
I played the Big Game last night and I was really feeling good about my game. We were relatively deep in the tourney when I pick up JJ. I don't recall exact details, but I believe the BB was 600 and Gracie popped it to around 1800. I pushed for around 6k and she insta called and showed QQ. I figured I was toast, but a J on the flop kept me alive and sent Gracie packing. I actually had more chips than her so I wouldn't have been out, but I would have been in serious trouble with barely any chips left if I had lost that hand. I felt really bad about the beat I put on Gracie, but knew that I had a job to do and quickly got back into focus mode.
At the last break, I was the chip leader with around 14.5k. On the heels of the Mookie win earlier in the week, I just felt like my game was on. Unfortunately, after the break, I would quickly give up my chip lead and find myself on the rail not long after. With around 6k and the blinds getting huge, I woke up with AK and pushed after cracknaces bet around1800 (I think). He seemed to be fed up with being pushed off his raises and decided to make the call with KJ. Unfortunately, the same Jack that saved me against Gracie knifed me on the river on that last hand. Das pokah
At the moment when I was knocked out, I was really bummed about how things went down. I felt like if I could take that hand I would at least get into the money. We were at the final table and only 3 spots away from the money and that would have given me a mid size stack with 2 or 3 other players having less chips than me. As it were, I was sent packing in 8th place with 5 places paying. It only took about 30 seconds before I had to remind myself that had I not nailed that Jack against Gracie I would have been asleep instead of at the final table.
I can't wait for the next Big Game and a chance at some good dough. See you then!
posted by TripJax @ 11:17 AM,
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The Mookie: TripDeux
Thursday, October 19, 2006
On Monday I was down in the dumps about my poker game. I have not had a bankroll in months and had just wasted $50 at Full Tilt trying to win a $75 token for the Big Game. A mix of bad play, bad luck, and just not having my head in the game sent my tiny roll to the donks. At that point I was resigned to the fact I would not play in the Big Game and just need to take a break from online poker and get my head straight.Then on Tuesday I got a much needed boost from Jordan at HighOnPoker. He had some advertising *play money* that was due to me and sent it to my Full Tilt account. For a split second I thought about cashing it out, but I decided I would try and give the token sng's another try. From that moment until today I have not lost a game I have played, culminating in my winning the Mookie last night. It was my second win at the Mookie, hence my ubergeigh title of this post. I also ended up winning a $75 for the Big Game token as well and have already signed up for it. Pimpage for that is below.
It's a damn good feeling after being in the dumps on Monday.
One of the worst things in poker is being sucked out on in a tourney and then finding out that the person that sucked out on you ended up winning the damn thing. Last night I feel like I played a very good game save for one donk move, which ultimately resulted in the beginning of my run to winning the damn thing. It also put Marxst in the postion I just mentioned above.
I don't remember the pre-flop betting exactly, but I believe I was in the BB with A8 and Marxst1 min-raised me. Now before I go further, please take a moment to read the post I wrote back in August. Don't worry, it's a short post and I'll wait right here. Okay, with that duly noted, lets get back to the hand. I held A8 and the flop came down A 7 7. I believe I put a bet out and was raised, but I don't recall exactly. I do know that I pushed all-in and Marxst1 seemed to make the crying call only to find he was ahead with A T. I was yelling for a face card so we could split when the 8 fell on the river giving me the hand.
There are so many reasons why I don't like my play here, but in the moment I did what I did and got lucky. I jokingly told Marxst I was "channeling my inner Marxst," which was probably a low blow considering he was most likely mini-steaming. It was a tough hand Marxst, but I was very glad to win it. I respect his play and always hate to put bad beats on others, but it is part of the game. That doesn't make it right, but it is what it is. Ultimately, without that hand I don't win last night.
The rest of the tourney was sort of a blur until the final table which seemed to last FOREVER! I played a very patient game and only played one big hand early on. I was 2nd in chips with about 20k and had QQ. Huntsvegas pushed his last 9 or 10k in and I called. He had AcKc and hit his flush on the river.
I knew at this point if I could take hits like that and still be in it then I just needed to play my game, continue to build my stack, and then I could probably win it. When we got down to 3 players I knew if I could get heads-up I was going to win. It was not that I didn't think the other two were playing a good game, it's just I like my heads-up game lately. I've been playing a ton of heads-up SNG's these last few years and I have really worked on a style that seems to work.
Those still around last night to see us heads-up saw a pretty drawn out match. Lots of limping and small pot action. No matter who I'm playing I always feel like I have a chance to win, regardless of chipstacks. That's the beauty of heads-up. Even on a smaller stack, with just a few double-ups you can take over the match. I think I played a selective aggression game and found the right spots to battle. On at least two occasions I could have easily gone broke, but just played a little bit laid back and did not try to push the action when I did not have the ultimate goods. When I lost those two hands (of which I don't recall exact details) and still had chips to battle with, I knew I was going to take it down.
Damn, I hope all that doesn't sound like I'm patting myself on the back. I just had a good feeling once we were down to the final two tables and from then on I never looked back. It was a fun game and I was lucky to make it all the way.
I've got to throw a big thank you out to Mookie for consistently offering the best blogger tourney around. Check out his blog post from last night to see the live blogging action.
Edit: A big thanks to DNasty and Poker Peaker for railing the final table and keeping me alert via chat. Very cool of you guys, especially since it was nearing 2am.
Okay, enough of that drivel. Two things need to be pimped here posthaste:
First...
Second...
You have to click the DADI X banner and see the the larger version. Jordan did a capital job on that one. We at DADI headquarters are taking guidance from MiamiDon with the new buy-in structure. His "Big Game" idea where you can use a token is just a hawesome idea and I'm really glad he is offering it. We decided to make DADI X a $26 buy-in since it seems to be rather easy to get the $26 tokens. We hope all will agree and make an effort to get a token (or just directly buy-in). We tried to make it far enough out that there would be plenty of time to get a token. I should have the tourney up in the private section by the end of this week.
That will have to do it for today (and probably this week).
Laterz
posted by TripJax @ 10:40 AM,
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Opportunity?
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
There's been plenty of talk about how the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) sucks. Yep, it does. Some folks agree, but they take a step back, think about it, and find opportunity. This bill affords those with an innate sense of opportunity a chance to capitalize on a bad situation.
In this post, I'm not going to go into details on where I think there is money to be made, but instead I want to address a situation I know many are concerned about...the plummeting registration numbers expected at the major tournaments now that 3rd party registrations will no longer be accepted. In other words, you can't win a satellite on a poker site and then let the poker site handle the registration process for you.
For now, I'm going to focus on the 2007 WSOP, though these ideas could be adjusted for other major tournaments such as WPT events. I will also focus on the two online poker sites I believe could capitalize on this situation, Full Tilt and PokerStars.
The 2006 WSOP was gravy for online poker sites. Satellite winners to the main event were huge and the marketing and advertising opportunities were abound. PokerStars alone sent more satellite winners to the 2006 main event than there were total entrants in 2003. This bill changes everything. According to a recent article by PokerNews.com:
A large majority of the 8,773 players who participated in the 2006 Main Event qualified in this manner, and in combination with the passing of the UIGEA and several sites' withdrawal from the U.S. market, all but ensures that the WSOP will have significantly smaller participation numbers in 2007. Phil Gordon, one of the celebrity endorsers for Full Tilt Poker, suggested that the change will eliminate perhaps 75% of the Main Event entrants, predicting that 2,200 players might be a reasonable expectation for 2007.
Recently, Pot Committed did a great job in her blog post detailing how this change could alter the tournament circuit dramatically. While I think things will probably never be the same, it is times like these where poker sites must get to work.
In essence, the thought process is, if Joe Average plays a satellite to a large tourney, but gets straight cash put into his account instead of the 3rd party registration, then he will just keep the cash and forego the tourney. This is a huge obstacle to overcome and I agree that many, many people will just take the money and run. What now?
Take Full Tilt for example. Let's assume a player wins a satellite to the main event worth $12,000 ($10,000 for the buy-in and $2,000 for expenses). Full Tilt could release the $2,000 directly to the satellite winners Full Tilt account to prepare for travel expenses. The remainder of the $10,000 would be held until the player arrives in Vegas. At this point a Full Tilt representative could give the funds to the satellite winner.
At this point, you have to wonder what is going to keep the player from booking a flight back home immediately or donking off the $10,000 at the cash game tables? I say incentives, baby, incentives.
First off, Full Tilt should offer any satellite winner to the main event either A) a complimentary seat to any $1500 WSoP event for that year, or B) $1,000 (10% of the buy-in) credited to their Full Tilt account. These options would only be available to players who register for the main event and agree to wear Full Tilt gear throughout both tourneys (if they choose the complimentary $1500 seat).
Now I can already feel the blank stares towards the computer screens from folks wondering why in the hell Full Tilt would pony up $1000 or $1500 per person to get them to play at the WSoP main event. And I say that is some damn fine advertising they will have going on. In a time where plummeting registrations are expected, a poker site could emerge as the knight in shining armor.
Imagine 3200 sign-ups for the main event where 1200 of them are from Full Tilt satellite winners. Sure Full Tilt will pay out $1.2mm - $1.8mm, but that will be some of the best advertising around. Not only will there be a buzz about what they accomplished (much like Stars had with the 2000+ sign-ups in 2006), but their brand name will be ALL OVER the main event as well as another event if the players choose the complimentary ticket option.
Now I'm sure there are logistics issues that I'm probably not thinking enough about, but that is not what I'm trying to do here. I'm just trying to think of some ideas that might work, such that others can put them into place. I could be way off on if it is feasible and if a site would be willing to pony up that amount. However, imagine the publicity that this could bring. I don't know what there budget is, but I see a lot of commercials going on so I figure they could probably fit it in.
Moving on, it doesn't need to stop there.
Full Tilt could also offer distinct avatars to those individuals who will play in the tourneys. For instance, they could have an avatar that looks like a trophy with something like, "Team Full Tilt 2007 WSOP Qualifier" inscribed on the front. Anyone who satellites into the main event could use that avatar indefinitely. Imagine playing at Full Tilt and having that trophy as your avatar. PokerStars could do something similar, but it would just be smaller since their avatars are smaller. Maybe they could use a button instead.
There are many other incentives sites could offer such as freerolls, free swag, personal profiles, tourney backing, etc...
I guess what I'm getting at is the larger poker sites could become a beacon for the tourney circuit. Sure it might be a loss leader due to the costs, but I believe it could be a huge benefit in the long run. Sites like Full Tilt and PokerStars are probably starting to see an influx in U.S. players who were banished by sites like Party Poker. FT and Stars have already "saved the day" for many players by announcing they are here to stay. Now might be the time to announce an answer to the 3rd party registration conundrum.
With the above post, I'm not saying I have the answer. I'm just saying there is an answer and I hope we get to see it soon. I have never played a large field, high buy-in tournament, but I damn sure want to some day.
Things may never be the same, but that doesn't mean we quit. I say...
...Lets Light This Candle.
posted by TripJax @ 2:17 PM,
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I'll Tell You What I Want, What I Really Really Want
Thursday, October 12, 2006
There are some questions in life that are just too difficult to answer. I can't tell you why Richard Simmons is a celebrity or how Mambo No. 5 was ever a number one hit song. Every once in a while, however, someone pops a question that I can answer instantly.Take the Good Doctor, for instance. He recently asked the question, "If you could be a Spice Girl, which one would you be and why?" As for who, I confidently anoint Baby Spice as my Spice Girl of choice. As for why, simply put, she has capital knockers.
Singing careers rarely last long and fortune is often fleeting, but phenomenal boobies make the world go 'round. Men and women alike stare in bewilderment at a bodacious set of ta-ta's. Women wish they had them and men wish they had them in their hands. It's just a simple fact of life.
Sure, I could be Baby Spice for the fortune and fame, but the fun bags would be my bread and butter. No plans for the night? No problem. I'd have two hands and two juggs to keep me busy. Hot date tonight? Hawesome. Let the boobies begin the beguiling.
I'm a simple guy with a simple answer. I'll be Baby Spice and I won't think twice.
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boobies.
posted by TripJax @ 9:29 PM,
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An Open Letter To Full Tilt Poker
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Full Tilt,
I love you guys. I really do. Not only do you seem to look out for us poker bloggers, but you also employ a few of our poker blogger brethren. And lest I forget the recent stance you took in response to the online gambling bill. That is quite cool of you. In return for all this coolness, I'm going to do my best to play most of my poker with you, and promote your games to anyone willing to listen.
All the above noted, I have a favor to ask. And this isn't even one of those griping favors. It's just a friendly favor from a current client. See the thing is, I love those token tourneys you offer. You know the ones where you can easily satellite into bigger token tourneys or larger buy-in MTT's. Those things are the shizzy.
Here's where the favor comes in. I loves me some 6 max SNG action and I see that you have a $6 + $.60 buy-in Tier One token tourney where 1st gets a $26 token and second gets $10 cash. However, I'm bummed that you don't also have a 6 max SNG Tier Two with a $24 +$2 buy-in. Here is my idea for another Tier Two option and my thoughts why:
Option 1
Type: Tier Two SNG
Players: 6-max
Blinds: 6 minutes
Buy-in: $24 + $2 (via token or straight buy-in)
1st Place: $75 Token
2nd Place: $26 Token
3rd Place: $26 Token
4th Place: $17
5th & 6th: Group Hug
OR
Option 2
Type: Tier Two SNG
Players: 6-max
Blinds: 6 minutes
Buy-in: $24 + $2 (via token or straight buy-in)
1st Place: $75 Token
2nd Place: $43
3rd Place: $26
4th - 6th: Group Hug
Okay, so the group hug thing is just me being a dumbass, but the rest seems to be legit if my numbers don't fail me.
For option 1...
Here is where things get pretty cool, both for your customers and you, Mr. Full Tilt. Notice that 4 out of the 6 players make a token or get some money back. 1st place is extremely happy as he/she accomplished their goal of getting a $75 token. 2nd and 3rd place get their buy-in back, including rake, and live to see another day. At this point they can go at it again at Tier Two or head on over to a $26 MTT. 4th place is bummed, but gets a little consolation prize of $17 for their efforts. 5th and 6th place console each other and cry themselves to sleep at night.
Notice something cool about the above Option 1 scenario? The 2nd and 3rd place finishers are paid back exactly what they used to enter the SNG, therefore in a round about way, you have just guaranteed yourself more rake without looking like a bad guy. Hell your players will be happy that you are offering a SNG where half the players either win the big token or win another chance to try for it.
Now if you are concerned about players bitching about constantly being stuck in Tier Two Token SNG purgatory (because they keep finishing in 2nd or 3rd place) you could just as easily make the payouts for 2nd and 3rd $26 cash. Chances are they are still going to have a go at the Tier Two SNG again or at the very least buy-in to a $26 MTT.
For Option 2...
It's a little more simplified. You pay half the players on a decreasing scale based on their finish. The only one to get a token is 1st place and 2nd and 3rd get cash. This might be the easier option.
What do you (and my readers) think?
Lets Light This Candle.
posted by TripJax @ 5:48 PM,
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Benevolent Patience and Kind Understanding
Sunday, October 08, 2006
At the very least, this online gambling bill has prompted me to clean up my poker clients. The number of poker sites I had on my computer was starting to get out of hand. So far, based on their decision to close my account, I have cashed out and removed Party Poker and Titan Poker. It actually felt nice to remove them. While they are definitely fish bowls, and there is money to be made there, I never enjoyed using either software.
Tonight I went onto Hollywood Poker to see if it was time to dump them as well, but I never saw anything noting I was no longer welcome. I only had $.30 on the site, but had enough points to trade them in for a ticket to a SNG. I made the exchange and headed to sign into the SNG. I figured if I made money I could try and build it up some. If I lost I could remove their software even though they have not given me the boot. I never really liked their software either and have no plans of depositing, so it would be no big deal to me.
When I tried to register for the SNG I was denied noting there was a systems error. I thought this might be the first sign that I was no longer welcome, but I decided to check with support. That's when the following exchange occurred. Anyone want to wager that this dude was foreign???
--------------------------
Please wait while we find an agent to assist you... You have been connected to Alan.
Alan: Hi Trip Jax! How may I help you?
Trip Jax: Hello. I am trying to register for a Bonner SNG with my ticket and it is not letting me.
Alan: it's a know issue i presume. I'm sorry sir for the inconvenience caused. We really do
Alan: restoration is under progress and there's a "runtime error" in one of our main servers
Alan: the downtime started just about 51 mins ago
Alan: the new adaptation of the remaining working servers are taking over but it'sll be slow
Alan: table game is totally down.. and i guess you knew about it already and just give it a cusion of time in 1-2 hours... thanks :)
Trip Jax: ok
Alan: we'll need it all the benevolent patience and the kind undestanding from our valued players
Trip Jax: not a problem...thanks....i'll try back again later
Alan: you should sir.. thanks a lot
Alan: have a great day
Alan: bye
--------------------------
Benevolent patience and kind understanding eh?! I like it. It pretty much sums up what we online poker players must have while all this online gambling crap comes to light.
Moving on, Derek's most recent post was a great follow-up to all the Bash write-ups. If you get a chance, check it out. I got a kick out of the quote from me that I don't remember saying. It sounds like something I would say though...
Tripjax said, "I love my son. He's the coolest white dude I know."
With that, this post must end. Laterz all.
posted by TripJax @ 9:30 PM,
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Resplendent
Thursday, October 05, 2006
I could offer a lengthy diatribe about the online gaming situation, but right now it feels like a waste of time. I'll get there at some point, but right now it is not Frist on my list of things to do. Instead, I will follow-up on my last post, which found TripWife and I heading out for our 7 year anniversary get-a-way. Let us begin.
We made it to the Pisgah Inn, a quaint little Inn on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina, at around 2pm on Monday. The Inn was nestled in the mountains, barely noticeable from the parkway.
After we were settled in our room we took a few pictures from our private balcony.
We then headed out to a nearby waterfall, which was awesome. During the hike to the waterfall, TripWife stumbled a couple of times and had a few branches smack her in the face. Her comment to me at that point was, "I'm too prissy to be out here!" I got a chuckle out of that one. We snapped this picture before heading out.
The next morning we missed the sunrise, but did manage to capture the cool valley fog hovering below our balcony.
We did more site seeing.
And we even caught a glimpse of an Al Qaeda member at the local K-Mart.
All in all it was an excellent trip. I get the feeling we'll be going back to that area again soon. It is right near where I proposed to TripWife so there are many memories in those mountains.
A big thank you to everyone who has commented lately. I appreciate it and I know TripWife appreciates seeing everyone wish us well in the last post.
posted by TripJax @ 11:20 AM,
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Happy Anniversary TripWife
Monday, October 02, 2006
Tomorrow is my 7 year wedding anniversary. I can't think of a single other person on earth I would rather spend my days with. I've heard of the "marrying up" term and that is pretty much me in a nutshell. I lucked up when TripWife entered my TripLife and I've been one happy camper ever since.Along the way we've managed to build a great family that makes waking up each day that much easier.
This morning we head out for an Inn on the Blue Ridge Parkway...sans kids. Yep, that same family I was just extolling is getting the boot for a few days. TripWife and I have not been out of town on our own in quite a while so this is much needed. After taking two trips on my own in September - both poker and blogging related - I knew if I didn't plan something for our annivesary it would be, how you say, not so good.
Have a great week all. I know I will. I'll be back posting probably at the end of the week. In the meantime...lets light this candle.
posted by TripJax @ 7:48 AM,
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