Ricin Poker
Friday, February 29, 2008
In the news...
...Ricin Poker, not to be confused with Rizen Poker.
That is all.
posted by TripJax @ 12:49 PM,
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Quick Hits
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Two items that are getting all kinds of news lately...
First, the BBThree is on like fonkey kong! As close to complete details as you can get so far are here. Obviously Sir Al CAN Hang and we should all thank him for it accordingly. I'm already signed up for the first installment, The Big Game. I loves me some Big Game Action.
Second, Full Tilt has updated their software with some cool options. I'll just point you to where I first read it at Mookie's blog. Of the items listed, I love the T$ and that satellites no longer have to turn into pointless push fests once you are a winner.
One of the other updates is you can no longer chat when a player is all-in and there is still action remaining. I believe this means we will see an increase in The Hoy and Reverse Hoy plays (for those that don't know what those are, read this strategy post I wrote a while back). Those players that frequent the same MTT's as I - whether private blonkament or regular tourney - will know I'm a pretty big fan of using both actions. Expect to see both plays whipped out even more during BBThree!
There is one exception, however, that I thought about last night in The Mookie. With these knew Knockout Tournaments, Hoying someone can cost you a knockout bounty if you don't watch out. On the other hand, Reverse Hoying someone can keep another player from receiving a bounty if they are not watching the action and don't notice that you kept 1 chip back. It might make for an interesting expirement to always Reverse Hoy when you are going to get your chips in, just to see what your opponent does.
Last night was an interesting game for me at The Mookie. Things were going my way early and I knew if I didn't cash big, it would ultimately be a let down. Things started off quick when I picked up AA probably within the first couple of orbits. I did something I rarely do early in a tournament and limped in late position with them. Three of us went to the flop. I knew this action could be costly, but I went into the tourney wanting to switch up my play as things have been stagnant for me lately. Sitting idly by early just hasn't been cutting it lately, so I was looking for a change.
So I limped AA early and the flop came down KXX, all same suit, with one of my aces being that suit (can't remember what suit at the moment, but I'm thinking clubs). I either bet or called a bet and Schaubs over bet by pushing all-in. It was an extreme action and it caught me off guard at first. I took a second to think about it and knew there was NO WAY he could think I have AA and I truly felt like he had AK. He ended up having a set and I turned an Ace and rivered the nut flush, sending him packing. Given my thoughts on the hand, I like my play since I put him on a King and, even if I'm wrong, I have some back door options to save me. Not sure what others who saw the hand think, but it made for some interesting action. Schaubs questioned why I didn't fold, but I don't think he really wants a fold there, he just was frustrated that he was up against a hand that could take him out. Thoughts?
The only other hand of note came at the final table, when I was looking to get some good chips to make a run for first. I don't think I had limped a monster since that AA hand mentioned above, but I woke up with KK in early to mid position. I decide to limp as the action had been pretty heavy with raises, potential steals & resteals. I knew I could get paid if the right person raised me or pushed. I'll leave the rest of this story to Wawfuls:
I actually only won one hand while behind tonight. It was against TripJax.
We just made the money and he limped Kings.. I jammed sixes into him and four flushed his ass pretty much out of the game.
That hand took me from potential 1st or 2nd in chips to basically last place. Not long after I was toast in 8th place. In the money, but for bread crumbs. I also lost a pretty huge hand earlier at the final two tables when I felt LJ was stealing (or restealing, can't remember) and stuffed my chips in with AK. She called with QQ and won the race. Either of those hands come through and I'm probably looking at a top 3 finish. Lets just say I'm licking my chops for The Big Game.
Until next time, may the felt be with you .
posted by TripJax @ 2:37 PM,
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LeMookie & LeCheese
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
I had a friend drop by last night around 9pm, so I ended up missing The Bodonkey. Probably for the best as I was passed out on the couch by 11pm. I'll be playing The Mookie tonight and I hope to see you there. I've also been invited by Rake Brain to play in the LeCheese Challenge - Battle Of The Bloggers (no relation to the BBT by the way), which is being held tonight on Full Tilt. Here are details ripped straight from the source, over at le blog de LeCheese...
On Wednesday, a unique tournament will take place at Full Tilt Poker. Myself, and a few of Internet’s best poker authors, are going to play a two table sit’n’go and determine who the best poker blogger is … best at playing poker that is. Not writing.
The tournament is sponsored by RakeBrain.com and has the slightly narcissistic name LeCheese Challenge. We’ll play a mixture of Texas Hold’em and Omaha, both in pot-limit format, with stacks a bit deeper than normal. That combination requires a lot of poker skills and it’ll be impossible to go all in all the time. Instead, we have to see flops! Something certain poker players don’t like.
I really look forward to this – $500 to the winner and $100 to the player who knocks me out, if anyone manages to accomplish that.
Participating poker bloggers so far:
John - BadBlood
Drizztdj - Nickle and Dimes
Byron - Biggestron Writes
Scott - Doubleas
Dave - PokerKingBlog
Jason - TripJax
John - SeattleJohnPoker
Jeff - DonkeyPuncher
MrSubliminal - MrSubliminal
Carmen - CarmenCity
Two of the most prominent RakeBrain players will also participate in LeCheese Challenge: JJProdigys Gran and td8507.
Fellow poker bloggers; those are the players we’ve got to take down to stand a chance. I know they play quite a lot of poker – maybe more than all of us combined.
Until next time, may the felt be with you .
posted by TripJax @ 9:09 AM,
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Bonus Code IGGY On Party Poker, Damnit!
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
It was only a few years ago when her brother was sporting a Party Poker hat in this post. Guess it runs in the family as this is what I came home to the other night...
Yeah, the little one is an IGGY fan.
Until next time, may the felt be with you .
posted by TripJax @ 9:26 AM,
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What Direction Do They Say Poker Bloggers Marry?!
In case you've missed the last 4 years of TripJax.com, I'm pretty proud of being a husband and Dad. My wife, ChickJax, has dedicated the last 7 years to our 2 children and family. She's been Incredimom. A few weeks ago she was offered a modeling job. It was something she had done prior to the family, but not for many years. It feels weird being proud of someone looking goot, but fuck it...
Rooster, this one is for you...
Until next time, may the felt be with you .
posted by TripJax @ 12:10 AM,
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Big Pot Go Bye-Bye
Monday, February 25, 2008
A buddy of mine called me around lunch time this past Friday asking if I would be interested in playing at a cash game a mutual friend was hosting. By mutual friend I mean a casual acquaintance we both know through poker. This host and I used to deal at the same game back when I first started playing poker. As the game progressed and the limits grew, I eventually became uncomfortable with the chances the game would get busted, so I quit playing and dealing all together. Though I missed the unbelievable action as well as the guaranteed money from dealing, I sleep much better at night. This guy on the other hand, saw the money to be made by running the game instead of simply dealing. It wasn't long before he had started a game in his neck of the woods.
After discussing with ChickJax if we had plans - she's still sick and the kids were away for the weekend, so I knew she'd just be sleeping on the couch all night - I got the green light on some pokery action. By 7:30 pm we were tossing some cards. It was indeed a rare cash game opportunity for me. The game was 5/10 NL with an orbit of Omaha Hi tossed in after every two orbits of Hold'em. This was the largest stakes I have ever played, but I felt very comfortable at the table. There was no max buy-in that I recall, however I don't remember anyone buying in for more than $1000. The average buy-in was $500 with the smallest buy-in I can recall being $200.
I don't remember too much about specifics of hands, though I do recall there were some big ones. My buddy was stacked with his KK vs. AA on the 5th hand of the night. The guy who stacked him was on fire the whole time I was there and, by the time I was leaving, had close to $3000 in front. My buddy eventually recovered, finishing the night up nearly $600. I, on the other hand, had a yo-yo night. At my peak, I was up nearly $600, however I eventually busted after some tough hands.
I did lose the biggest pot of my life, which ultimately set the tone for how things were going to go for me on the night. The pot was just under $1,400. It was a tough pot to see shipped elsewhere, but I sucked it up and moved on rather quickly. In fact, I didn't even realize the size of the pot until I was reflecting on the night on the drive home. As bad as it feels to lose a pot that size, it feels pretty damn good to realize my emotions stayed in check and I just moved on to the next hand. I've got a ways to go with my cash game, but Friday night was a step in the right direction.
After the game, I heard about a $50 tournament every Wednesday that I just might have to play whenever possible. It is a tournament I used to play a few years back when it was a $20 buy-in and apparently they've just recently started back. I'm thinking maybe every other week I may have to get there. I can't miss the Mookie every week ya know!
Until next time, may the felt be with you .
posted by TripJax @ 11:26 AM,
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Trade Rumors Confirmed: Jack Gets Lost, Fox Bets House
Friday, February 22, 2008
In a landmark trade set to shake up nighttime television, ABC has dealt Jack Shepard, star of their hit show Lost, to Fox's highly acclaimed House, for Gregory House and a cast member to be named later.The monumental trade came as a surprise to many fans who were already reeling from a frustrating writers strike that put production of both shows on ice for weeks. Though surprising to fans, FOX Chairman & CEO, Rupert Murdoch, sited the trade as, "an exciting change of pace."
"It's no secret that Gregory House has been on the disabled list from Day 1 of production," Murdoch said. "After much consideration, we decided it was the right move to make a trade for a younger, healthier and more vibrant Jack Shepard." Further explaining his reasoning, Murdoch added, "I believe this move shores up some loose ends just before the trade deadline, allowing us to focus on bringing home a truckload of Golden Globes and any other awards we can get our hands on. Neither Gregory House or his cane were available for comment.
The little known Cast Member Trade Deadline Murdoch mentioned nearly expired on February 21, 2008, before executives for both networks initiated a conference call with the Network Television Association (NTA) only 30 minutes prior to the 12:00 am deadline.Anne Sweeney, Co-Chair of Disney Media Networks and ABC Television, noted similar enthusiasm regarding the unexpected swap. When asked about concerns of Gregory House's status on the disabled list, Sweeney said, "We're not concerned about lists and canes or any other issues of the sort. We made this trade as we feel House is a much better doctor and can bring a new vision to the medical needs of the Lost characters currently stranded on the island. If you haven't noticed, those guys are struggling out there without a medical genius." Sweeney concluded, "Jack's a good doctor, but we've got Gregory in the house now."
As for the cast member to be named later, though there is plenty of rumor and speculation among the media and blogs, details have yet to emerge as to which House character will make the move to Lost. During a taped phone interview, blogger extraordinaire and Lost addict, JuliusGoat noted, "Lost has enough characters to keep up with as it is, but if I had my choice, I'd pick Dr. Cate Milton [Mira Sorvino], 'cause she's one hot number." Goat added, "I don't even think she's a full-time House cast member yet, which might be why she'll be named later. I'm not a stalker or anything, but if neither show wants her, I've prepared my extra bedroom in the basement specifically for her."
Completion of the epic trade is dependent upon successful physicals by all cast members involved. Some proponents of the trade worry it will ultimately be rejected by the NTA since House is a whack job who can barely walk and Jack is a closet alcoholic, hopped up on the same meds he prescribes.
posted by TripJax @ 2:54 PM,
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Satellite Challenges
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Those who have read TripJax.com over the years know I don't shy away from projects and challenges when it comes to poker. I've started many a self imposed challenge in the past, but unfortunately I almost never finish them. It's not that I'm lazy or lack drive, it's just that poker is a hobby and life typically ends up getting in the way of my plans on the felt. I've had challenges that I was running red hot on that I ultimately didn't finish, simply because something else came up. If my play had a more set structure, I think things would be different, but these days I basically just play the blonkaments and a few other tourneys here and there.
The last time I was truly excited about a challenge I created for myself was when Mansion Poker was running the nightly 100/100 ($100 buy-in, 100k Guarantee). That tourney always seemed to have overlay and was very soft (just ask Chad), so I was really excited about the prospects of running that one for as long as possible. I even had a couple of deals with backers to cover a portion of the costs, but unfortunately Mansion pulled out of the U.S. right around that time. I felt bad 'cause some of the money from my backers was stuck in Neteller, but thankfully I was eventually able to get that back to them. I ended up playing two of the tourneys before they shut me down. As for that challenge, the UIGEA really took the wind out of my sails, taking away a tournament I was excited about as well as the ability to transfer easily to and fro.
I felt the need to write the above, since I plan to start another challenge that I hope I can keep at this time. It's really less of a challenge and more of an overall plan for my upcoming play. There are two things I really want to try and do in the near future.
- I really want to try and play more of the bigger weekly and monthly guarantee tourneys on Full Tilt and PokerStars. I know, I know, I should just go ahead and drive a nail directly in my head and save myself the stress.
- I want to try and build my bankroll using satellites into the bigger buy-in tourneys.
This is something I've thought about for a while and have started to see others utilize in their daily gaming. I love the idea of the satellite challenge that Full Tilt has incorporated into their FTOPs and big guarantee tournaments. In essence, once you win your buy-in to a large guarantee tournament, any subsequent satellite wins into that particular tournament puts the buy-in directly into your account.
What I love about this is not only do satellites tend to be donkfests, where people make entirely wrong moves in certain situations, but you also don't have to play down to a winner. If the satellite pays 1-100 a seat, then you can finish up the tourney quicker than normal. Granted the bubble tends to be tighter than an fleas asshole in big satellites, but it is still better than having to make a run for a final table.
I also love the idea of building a bankroll with consistancy and having a direct plan, instead of what I currently do which is log on and just play whatever is next up on the list that I think looks good.
So if you've made it this far and have done, or are doing, something similar, let me know the deal. Some of the things I'm interested in...
- What major tournament are you satelliting into?
- What satellite is the best option for the tourney (offers the most seats and best chance)?
- What are the differences in the opportunities on Full Tilt vs. Pokerstars (or another site)?
- Are there tournaments that don't have actual satellite challenges that you can still use to incorporate this type of strategy? I know Stars has some form of points or cash system, but I just don't know enough details about it.
I would prefer to stick to the guarantee tournaments that are in the $100 - $300 range as my current bankroll can probably support satellites of those tourneys better than anything else. However, if a great satellite towards a bigger buy-in guarantee tournament ($300 - $500) is available and requires $26 or $75 tokens for the satellite, I could just do a ton of up front work loading up on those first.
So let me know what you think. I'm very interested to know more about what PokerStars offers since I haven't played there in a while, but I also want to get a better idea of what others are doing at Full Tilt as well.
Giddy up.
posted by TripJax @ 11:36 AM,
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Hard-Boiled Poker
Friday, February 15, 2008
This may be one of the best poker blogs you're not reading. If that's the case, give his blog a spin...
Until next time, may the felt be with you.
Labels: Blogger Spotlight
posted by TripJax @ 3:15 PM,
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Deck The House
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
I completely missed The Hoy on Monday after pumping it up in my previous post. ChickJax has been sick lately and I was trying to not be selfish and put all my focus into the computer and poker. After getting dinner finished up and the kids off to bed, I spent some time hanging with ChickJax before trying to quickly sign up for the tourney. As I went to click the register button, it vanished. I missed the registration by mere seconds. I did manage to play The Bodonkey last night, but flamed out pretty early in, I think, 41st place. Not a good start to my WSOP seat I must say. I guess there is always next week. Looks like I'm going to miss The Mookie two weeks in a row as I have a work function tonight. I hate missing The Mook blogdamnit.
As it turns out a deck of cards will not be my focus for the next few weeks anyway. I've been planning to build a deck in our backyard for years now and I'm finally going to bite the bullet and go for it. Right now I'm trying to figure out if it would be best to go it on my own or just contract it out to professionals. I have some very handy friends who have all agreed to help so I'm thinking I'll go that route, but I also wanted to ask my dear readers opinion here. What should I do???
Has anyone out there built a deck themselves recently and have any stories to tell? Good, bad or indifferent. Any thoughts or suggestions for how and where I should start. I'm not looking for anything huge or extravagent. Maybe just a 15 X 15 that starts at our back door and has railings and steps down to our yard.
Help me people.
Until next time, may the deck be with me.
posted by TripJax @ 2:56 PM,
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Mondays At The Hizzoy
Monday, February 11, 2008
I'm ready to defend. Who's with me?
And don't forget about Tuesday Nights With Bodonkey. They're giving away a WSOP Main Event seat to a blogger people!
Until next time, may the felt be with you .
posted by TripJax @ 9:41 AM,
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Oh Boy, Sleep, That's Where I'm A Viking!
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
I've found a pretty significant problem with my game, but I'm really not sure if I want it fixed. It's less about my actual play (though some of you may disagree) and more about the environment in which I play. These days I find myself getting very drowsy while playing and either losing all desire to continue or vamping up to super-aggro-donk to either wake me up or send me to the pillow.On nights that I play poker, it goes something like this. I get home from work, get dinner ready for the fam, play with the kids for a while, get them off to la la land, then settle in on the comfy couch with the laptop on my...erm...lap. Our living room is cozy as hell 'cause ChickJax likes to keep the thermostat pretty warm during the winter and there are always soft blankets to grab hold of. At this point I'm just now coming down from the long day and hitting the couch is a major relief. This is the root of the problem.
After a long day and a belly full of food the couch is like heaven. It draws me in and dares me to take a nap. A nap that leads right into bedtime. Trying to play poker in these conditions can sometimes be difficult. However, I do it because it really works best for me. The reason it works is pretty simple. I refuse to spend hours on end playing poker holed up in a basement or room where I'm secluded and away from ChickJax and the kids. I'm not saying there is any problem with others doing this, but it just doesn't work for me. I am well aware that playing poker with other things going on may not be very good for my game, but I'm willing to accept that. I am not a professional player who depends on the money I make from poker.
This game is my hobby, a game which I enjoy to play, and I will always do my best to keep that in perspective. I like that I can be playing poker, look up to see how UNC is doing on the tube or have a discussion with ChickJax about anything and everything. I like that KidJax can ask me something about dinosaurs or LilJax can show me her babydoll while I check raise some fonk. Is it the best scenario to elevate my game? Hell no. Does it work for me? Hell yes (except for the falling asleep part).
I guess the other option would be to put myself in the dining room with a less comfy set-up so I'm less likely to fall asleep, but is this really what I want? I spend all day at a desk and the last thing I want to do is sit at a dining room table or desk for another 5 hours.
So there it is. I realize my current set-up is NOT ideal for playing top notch poker, but I'm willing to accept that. Thankfully, there is a point where, if I start to run well, the blood starts flowing and I perk up rather easily. Nothing like taking the chiplead in a tournament to really jazz you up. From there I have no problems. For instance, in The Hoy the other night, I was struggling early, barely playing any hands and I found myself starting to doze off. However, once we got down to 3 tables I started to get my senses back. Before it was said and done, I was having a problem falling asleep. That always happens to me when I win a tournament.
As for my set-up, just know that if I'm sitting out or blind out of a tournament, there is a good chance I'm passed out, drooling on the couch. Enjoy my money you wankers.
Before I go, of the 2 people that actually read this far, who can tell me where I got the title for this post?
Until next time, may the felt be with you.
posted by TripJax @ 11:11 AM,
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BoDog Poker Blogger Tournament
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
You have approximately 1 hour to get registered for this tournament. It took me less than 5 minutes to make a deposit, register for the series, then register for the tournament tonight. Good luck...
posted by TripJax @ 8:00 PM,
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I DOUBLE U I N
Just took down The Hoy for $288, which is pretty cool. I gotta say I love 6-max poker. Always have, always will. I don't normally call out that I'm going to win certain things 'cause it always seems to be a set up to FAIL, but I did say I was going to win at least one Hoy this year in this post. Glad I got my first one out of the way early.I barely played any hands early, got a key suckout, AK vs AJ with a Jack on the river, then never looked back. I did take a hit when down to 4 players (with 4 paying), but used my aggressive play to get some action with some big hands to get me back in it. I had a great time playing poker and I feel like this is what I needed to get me going back into the game again. I played a 90 player SNG on Sunday and was headed for a nice score until an untimely suck out (are they ever timely?) sent me to the rail in 6th place. Still, it felt good to reach a final table and make some money after being away from the game (mentally) for a while.
Gonna try and get some money onto Bodog by tomorrow in order to play the new Blogger Series they have going on. I need to pimp that, but for now it is late and I'm tired.
Before I go, I have to mention the song I was jamming to when we got down to 4 players left. I just kept it on repeat and let it be my motivation song. The title is I Win and it's by Starflyer59. Definitely a great song to play poker to - and the motivation to the weird ass title of this post. If you are reading from an RSS feed, you will probably need to click through in order to listen to the song at the end of this post. Giddy up.
Until next time, may the felt be with you .
posted by TripJax @ 1:09 AM,
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Thievery Loves Company
Friday, February 01, 2008
Last night someone broke into my home, drank an inordinate amount of my beer, abused my instant messaging system (sorry Oh Captain, Surflexus and Kajagoogle), misplayed (read: overplayed) my online poker bankroll (yeah that's a $16 profit biatches) and thought about having sex with my wife before passing out with nary a feel copped.
Any person who furnishes information which leads to the capture of this fiend will receive my deepest gratitude - and $5 transferred to their Full Tilt account*.
And for the record, I reiterate.
*Subject to never actually happen.
posted by TripJax @ 9:26 AM,
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