Chris In Action

From Mike: The noon tournament is under way, capped at 3,000 entrants. Alternates are clogging the corridors, and spectators are being kept out of the Amazon Room until 2, so it is remarkably peaceful inside, just a soothing chip-riffle drone like crickets. I took some pictures of Chris at Table 62 and then headed back to the media room for (more) danish. His chips looked about par. I'll post updates here, but I'm not going to be hanging over his shoulder...

1 p.m. update: Players started with 3,000 tournament chips. At the end of Level One, 25-50 blinds, Chris has about 2,400. Don't have any hands to give you. Just hanging out listening to Morrissey's Life Is a Pigsty for now...

2 p.m.: Level Two is 50-100, and at 1:50 I walked by and did a surreptitious chip count (1,575), not great news. A few minutes later I walked by and saw a bigger stack, and Chris counted it down to 2,775, so there was a nice pot I missed. Just before the first break I watched him play a BB for a raise, to 400, and get one caller. The flop: 9c Kd Jh. Chris bet 500 and the player called. Turn: 5s. Check/check. River: 5c. Check/check. Chris shows Ah Js; other player mucks. Nice little push heading into the break. Chris just walked in and told me he has 3,900. Two to his left is Brian Tomko, Dewey's son.

3 p.m.: The final table of the Eight-or-Better is getting under way in Thunderdome. Scotty Nguyen and Tony Ma are there, as is Saundra Taylor, whom I interviewed. She likes the hi-lo game because it is "less stress." Amen. Chris has been moved to Table 5 and looks to have about 2,400 chips. Level Three is 100-200. I'm going to Thunderdome...

4 p.m.: Scott has arrived and is waiting to get his media credentials. I walked up to Chris' table just as he was putting in a raise in the cutoff. The big blind reraised all-in, another player called, and Chris instacalled with AA. The enemies had AK and 44, and the board blanked to put Chris up to about 10,000. The next level is 100-200 with a 25 ante. I said to Chris after the hand, "I guess I showed up at the right time, huh?" and he answered, "I was up to 9,000 and was looking for you; I was afraid I'd drop down to 3,000 again before you got back." Well, I was eating an Asian chicken wrap, Chris. You worry about your game (which seems to be strong), and don't worry about me.

5 p.m.: Chris had AJ in the cutoff and made a bunch of limpers fold with his first all-in. Later, against a raise from a guy who had been very active, he called with 6d 8d -- showing he has some gamble in him after all -- and flopped the joint, 579. He checked, then min-raised the villain, who pushed, and beat him into the pot. The villain was sent to the rail with KK. They are playing 150-300, with a 25 ante, and Chris has about 11,000. Of the 3,000 players plus alternates, there are 2,000 left.

6 p.m.: Chris was down to 4,000 at the end of the last level. They are now playing 200-400 with a 50 ante. I wasn't around to see where his chips went. They will pay about 300 places in this; there are probably 1,800 left. Eugene Todd is second in chips in his event, with 300,000, so that excellence I witnessed yesterday hasn't diminished. He is playing great poker. Scott is playing 4-8, and I saw him drag a big pot with QQ when the river Q made him a bigger boat that two opponents.

7 p.m.: They're on a 15-minute break now, and Chris is in shove mode. He has 3,600 chips, with the next level of 300-600 with a 75 ante looming. "No matter what I do, I look down at a four." He got his first walk holding KJ, then stood up to tell me about a couple hands in which he lost races; in one, his AK against a short stack's 33 went unimproved, and in another his JJ was beaten by 55 when the enemy flopped a set. He made an all-in move with AK while I was watching, and collected the blinds and antes. He'll need to double up in short order to get some breathing room. What I need is one of those massages people are getting all over the room. Chris also said he intends to try to satellite into the SHOE if he gets knocked out tonight.

7:30 p.m., dinner break: Chris has 1,450 chips and "hasn't seen a card above a seven." There are about 700 players left (300 will be paid). Dinner break ends in 90 minutes.

Mike at WSOP #6: Hawk Rising

We found out that the Hawk is Frank Henderson, winner of a 1989 WSOP bracelet in PLO with rebuys. He finished second to Johnny Chan in the 1987 championship. I talked to Mr. Henderson during a break in the Stud Eight-or-Better event, where he would finish 14th for about $6,000. He wore a black Binion's jacket with 1987 World Series stitching and an NBC Sports patch over the left breast, black slacks, and shiny black shoes. Silver hair, thick rimless glasses. In a soft Texas drawl, he had a few choice words about Hold Em and his preference for the hi-lo game; checkers vs. chess (my words, not his).

I watched a NLHE table that Eugene Todd "Bro" ran over with deliberation and high skill for about 45 minutes, and gasped when one knucklehead mischaracterized this as a "rush." Look, Bro, when you play 66 and make a strong call against an all-in on the turn with a couple of overs on the board, it's not a rush. When the player flips AJ suited for no pair and the river blanks him, the better man has won: It's not the cards, it's the read.

Back at the El Cortez, I am seated between an inebriated young woman from Utah and a scraggly man in a Vietnam vet cap who has been feuding with her. This is the best poker table on Earth, I am convinced, but I'm still getting my flopped sets rivered by flushes, and this in a game in which second pair is generally the nuts. The structure is great: one $1 blind, $1-3 spread on flop and turn, $1-6 spread on river. Max rake of $2.50. As I head upstairs, another $30 pot is being dragged in by another ace-high. Sigh.

MIKE

Chris' belated Day 1 post

So I typed this whole description of my first day in Vegas last night at midnight, but of course I’m not adjusted to Pacific time yet so I was typing with 3 a.m. eyes, and then I lost my Internet connection with my aircard, so I lost everything. So I’ll keep it brief here since Fasso will be here in 45 minutes to go to breakfast before we head over to the Rio for my event, which by the way, is supposed to be sold out with 3K entrants (just a tad more than the event Scott was comparing it to a few shows back, like 2600 more, but I digress). So, very quickly, yesterday they weren’t spreading satellites so I bought in direct ($1,500) and landed in the main convention center, not the dreaded Big Top with Pee-Wee. Table 62, Seat 6. They said they would spread the satellites a little later but by the time they started (after 7 p.m.) I was too into watching the other 4 or 5 events going on. Anyway, Fasso and I went to the Mirage because he wanted to play the $1-5 Stud game. I said I’ll go and play $1-2 NLHE. We both got on the list and Fasso sat down at the $3-6 HE game while he waited. But he didn’t fare too well. About 20 minutes later they started a new table for the $1-2 game and I bought in for $100 (everyone else bought in for $200 and most of them were talking about the fact that they were playing in my event today I was down about $35 when I looked down at AQo in the BB. UTG+2 raises to $10 and two called before it got to me. So I just smooth called. The flop came A-10-4, two diamonds. I checked to see what this aggressive raiser would do he bet out $25. The other players dropped and I called, trying to make it look like I was defending my blind with a weak ace or a flush draw. The turn brought a blank. I checked again, hoping to check raise but he checked behind me. When another 10 came off I checked to see if he’d try to steal with his weaker ace and he bet just a little less than what I had left, so I pushed it all in and he called with AJ. After that I was sitting pretty and got paid off when someone had AK and I flopped a set of nines on a board of 9-K-2. I won $170 and figured I freeroll into a satellite, but it wasn’t meant to be Fasso didn’t fare too well at stud either, and I’ll leave it at that Back at the Rio I got a bunch of phone numbers and email addresses (including Jen Tilly, Nicky Frangos and Marco Traniello), a couple of interviews and Fasso secured a few interviews as well so it should be a great show when we get back. Some highlights: Men the Master needs to stack two chairs on top of each other just so he can play at the table. After he got knocked out of the $5,000 Short-handed event I saw him playing Chinese Poker with Jeff Lisandro for $100 a point and they were playing 2-7 in the middle. David Levi was playing with them as well. The Grinder, who had his sweet BMW M5 parked in the lot (the license plate said GR1NDER), was chipleader of the $2K NLHE event when I left. During a break I talked to him and followed up from my question at Foxwoods. “Grinder, remember at Foxwoods when you said if Florida upped the limits you’d move back? Well, July 1 you’ll get your wish.” He said sheepishly “Yeah, I heard that.” So I asked him if he was going to move back and he kinda shrugged and said “I think it might be too late for me." I introduced myself to Barry Greenstein and told him what show I was from and he seemed to brighten up. After I thanked him and started to walk away he called me back over to him and said “So how did the show come off? Did you get any good response?” And I told him of course, the Ante Up! Nation loved him and really appreciated his sense of humor and personality. I could tell this made him happy. And by the way, he was playing in two events SIMULTANEOUSLY! Unbelieveable. Remember when Daniel Negreanu won the 2004 WSOP Player of the Year and they gave him that Toyota truck? That was parked right next to Grinder’s BMW. You know your hobby has made it big time when your heroes’ CARS are famous. Lastly, during the events last night the fire alarm went off and not one person moved. It reminded me of the time at Foxwoods during the WPT event when the guy passed out from heat exhaustion and no one moved, even though there was speculation he had a heart attack. I could hear a dealer say “Blinds please!” as they were tending the guy. Unreal. OK, that’s it for now. Wish me luck. Fasso will update you as I play. -- Chris

No luck out of the gate

Hmmm, wander if this is the kind of luck I'm going to have all week.

I get to the airport this morning, and am greeted by the PA barking "This is an overbooked flight. If you're willing to give up your seat, please see the gate agent."

What I heard: "Free money for getting to Vegas late."

I mean, I know my boy Chris is going to survive the first day of his event, so I don't need to get there *right* away to cheer him on. And the $4.95 steak dinner special is offered 24/7, so what do I have to lose?

I raced up to the podium, they were happy to see me, and the gate agent started tying away. While I was waiting, two other people got compensation - and, man, what compensation it was. A $400 travel voucher and a first-class upgrade on their next flight. Ka-ching!

So I sit and wait for my gate agent's screen/slot machine to come up 7-7-7. Instead, he grimly stares at me and shares the news. "I just can't get you to Vegas. I'm sorry, but thanks for offering to give up your seat."

Wow. I'm a loser already and I'm still 3 time zones from Sin City.

But it's not all bad news. I'm in Atlanta right now. I logged on to see if Hartsfield has free Wi-Fi access like the best airport in the world, Tampa International. I knew better. $7.95/day. Ugh. Well, gotta pay it. What else am I going to do? Chat up the screaming kid on my right, or eavesdrop on the way-too-loud cell phone conversation from the girl on my left? No way. So I long on to Boingo, and find out I still have 23 hours of access left from the last time an airport shook me down for Internet access. Ka-ching! So here I am, in a crowded airport, playing $2/$4 stud hi/lo on FullTilt and writing to all of you.  What an odd start to what I'm sure will be an odd trip.

- SCOTT

Vegas, here I come, baby!

My plane takes off in 2 hours exactly! My first real gamble of the trip is a layover in Atlanta (ergh), but as soon as I touch down in Sin City, I'm headed to Ellis Island for the $4.95 sirloin dinner (with a half-off coupon, I'll get out for less than 4 clams), then on to the sportsbook to get some money on the late baseball games and then to the Rio to railbird my man Chris as he plays for a bracelet. Cheer him on, everyone, and I go for my bracelet tomorrow.

Thanks again to the entire Ante Up! Nation for all of your well wishes for Fasso, Chris and I. As I said on the forum, we'll try our poker best to bring home a bracelet, but at the very least, you know we'll bring home some great stories. The next few podcasts should be very good ones. As always, thanks for listening, thanks for reading ... and thanks for playing poker!

- SCOTT

WSOP: Event #44

No Ante Uppers, Ante up guests or Tampa Bay area players cashed in the World Series of Poker's Event #44 (Omaha Hi/Lo, $2,000 buy-in, 534 entrants), though no doubt Ante Up! European contingent was happy to see Marcel "The Flying Dutchman" Luske make the final table. Our toteboard stays the same.

Ante Up WSOP totals
Ante Up Nation!: 4 cashes, 1 bracelet, $290,266 prize money
Ante Up guests: 24 cashes, 0 bracelets, $740,637 prize money
Tampa Bay area players: 31 cashes, 1 bracelet, $475,387 prize money

- SCOTT

Epsiode #107: Don Baruch

MAIN TOPIC

Chris and I got our first up-close look at a World Series of Poker bracelet when Don Baruch, the Hard Rock Tampa regular who schooled Daniel Negreanu to win Event #21. (That's Don above with us, and his nephew, who he brought along to make sure Chris didn't five-finger-discount that latest addition to his jewelry collection). Listen to the show here.

Don entertained us with stories from his Big Event, including why he wore the same shirt, what it was like playing against top pros, how he reacted to commentators' comments and how he celebrated afterward. (Hint: It made me Blue.)

Don also talked about the new Florida laws, what it's like playing at the Hard Rock and he tells us how well he treats his wife (if you thought my Wife Tax was generous, you better believe I'm not letting Laura listen to this week's episode). And you're not going to want to miss his great story involving Phil Ivey, Barry Greenstein and Larry Flynt's jet.

OTHER TOPICS

Vegas, baby: Fasso is half way to broke, Chris just got there and I'll be there in less than 24 hours. Wish us luck, and swing by Binion's at 8 p.m. Tuesday if you're in town and play some cards with us.

Obama has a mean poker face: That's right - presidential candidate Barack Obama is a rounder. And we love this Associated Press quote from a player in his home game: "He wouldn't throw money in the pot just to play out a hand. He had to know he had a darn good chance of winning."

Florida laws: Poker gets a lot better in Florida on Sunday. If you've been under a rock, go through the June archives of this blog for lots of interesting news.

HAND OF THE WEEK

Don stuck around to walk us through a hand everyone who watched his final table is buzzing about.

Three-handed and in the big blind, Don flops top pair and a flush draw with 10s-2s. Don bets out, and Daniel Negreanu raises him on the button. Don says his decision was clear: He needed to push all-in. Daniel had left himself enough chips that he could get away from his hand, and that's what he did, tossing Q-10 - top pair with a much better kicker - into the muck. Don says this hand "was his tournament." Nice play.

- SCOTT

Mike at WSOP #5: The Morning After

In the cold, hot light of morning, I guess I can't complain. I had four hours of the worst cards in memory and made it to the dinner break. Level One, ante 5, with a 5 bring-in and 15-30 limits, I had no hand and no bring-in for the first half-hour. I then completed with an A2/7 and bricked/folded when a guy caught an ace for a two-low board.

Level Two: 5/10/30-60. I have 1,840 chips. In a multiway pot, a player with an open pair of aces checked along, and I managed a rough 8 for a chop. I brought in with 63/3, made two pair on fourth, bricked on 5th, and folded (it must have been a scary board, because this sounds wrong, especially if my notes are correct that the 3s and 6s were live). I reached the break with 1,700, down 15 percent from the starting stack.

Level Three: 10/15/50-100. Got a 245 and brick/folded. I lost 150 after starting with three suited babies; drawing to a rough 8 after fourth, I bricked 5th. At 7:44 p.m., our table broke. This was a golden opportunity wasted, because at least three players had no idea what they were doing. The Binion's tournaments were by far tougher. My new table at WSOP was a bit tougher, but people were giving action, so I still felt I could chip up quickly with some good hands. Not to be. I tried a steal on the bring-in with 23/K of diamonds, he defended, I made kings up to his boat. This was a typical stud hand in which you are given just enough reason to keep calling, and you call yourself out the door. By the middle of Level Three, I was down 50 percent, to 1,000 chips. Played A2/6 two-flush, got heads up, caught a 7 on fourth and won, bringing me to 1,320. This was the first real pot of the tournament, and it came nearly three hours in.

Level Four: 15/25/75-150. I start with 1,225. I am certain that a little rush will safely extend my tournament life, so I am by no means in panic mode yet. They announce that there are 668 players, 64 will be paid, and the first payout is $2,067. At 8:30 Jennifer Harman shows up. She has her iPod, and after folding one hand she calls out to Perry Friedman at the next table to play rock-paper-scissors. There are comments from our table like, "Jennifer, it is an honor to play with you; this is my lifetime dream," and, "Jennifer, I just texted my friend; he wants to know if you'll marry him." Jen deadpans: How old is he, and what does he do for a living? To Jennifer Harman, I said nothing. Then we got into the pot that crippled me. I brought in with 38/3, Harman completed with an Ace, and it was folded back to me. With about 1,100 chips, it cost me an extra 50 to see fourth street and go heads up. I called. But before you say that is a terrible call (I am aware of that), know that Harman had previously completed with a nine -- a nine! She built a big pot and won it with a straight; she had started with 789. So by no means did I think I was drawing dead here, although it was entirely possible she had another ace in there. I hit a low card on fourth and she bricked. She bet; I called. On fifth street she hit an ace; I hit an eight. She of course bet; I leaned forward and looked into her eyes; it was possibly the most intimidating stare I have ever seen, all the more so because it was not put on. It was sweet, sweet death looking back at me. I twiddled my purple 500 chip with my gray 100 chip; that's all I have left. I have two low pair, no real draws to speak of (need runner-runner for a low), and am facing aces, maybe even three. What I should have done is jammed the pot; what I did was fold. Getting knocked out by Jennifer Harman beats getting knocked out by a nobody, and doubling through Jennifer Harman is even better. There were no bad options except the one I took, folding because I figured I was drawing thin. When our table broke, I tapped her on the shoulder and said it was a pleasure playing with her. She thanked me and wished me good luck.

After the dinner break, I started Level Five with 575 chips at the 100-200 level. I completed with Q8/Q on the very first hand, isolated the bring-in, and got all the chips in the middle with the best hand. The woman in the one seat made two small pair on seventh street and I was gone.

I was sitting next to two Bodog girls in the ESPN Thunderdome grandstand when Cosenza called me from the tarmac. One of the girls had just asked me about HORSE, and I was explaining that, yes, there were five different games. You see, in razz, it's the worst hand that wins. Thanks, Chris. You couldn't get a cab?

MIKE

One-Minute Mystery: The Case of the Revelation

We're in a $1/$2 no-limit cash game. From middle position, we raise it to $10 with Ad-10d. The button and big blind come along for the ride, and see a rainbow flop of A-J-9.

Big blind leads out for $20, we smooth call and the button gets out of the way.

The turn is a 5, and the big blind bets out $30, and we call again.

The river is a Queen, and the big blind pushes $100 into the pot.

What do we do?

WSOP: Events #39 & #43

A big shout out to Freddy Deeb for winning the World Series of Poker's Event #39 - the "new Main Event." I wonder if Chris got an invite to the afterparty? And it continues to be a great WSOP for Barry and Joe. No wonder they were the favorites in Bodog's family pool. And Fossilman is having a heckuva run, too.

Event #39, HORSE World Championship, $50,000 entry, 148 entrants
Ante Up guests
7. Barry Greenstein, $259,296
14. Greg "Fossilman" Raymer, $103.008

Event #43, Limit Hold'em, $2,000 entry, 472 entrants
Tampa Bay area players
14. Joe Sebok, $8,161  

Ante Up WSOP totals
Ante Up Nation!: 4 cashes, 1 bracelet, $290,266 prize money
Ante Up guests: 24 cashes, 0 bracelets, $740,637 prize money
Tampa Bay area players: 31 cashes, 1 bracelet, $475,387 prize money

- SCOTT

Mike at WSOP #4: Busted

I stared down Jennifer Harman -- and blinked. Her arrival at my table in the Stud/8 event made my card-dead experience pretty sweet, in retrospect. The headline is that I went out on the first hand of Level 5, just after the dinner break, when I had 575 chips and the antes were 25 with limits of 100-200. Split queens with an 8, in good position to pressure the bring-in, was my best shot. I got it all in and my queens were good till the river, when the villain made two small pair. After some sleep, I'll fill in the details, including my monumental hand against Jen.

MIKE

Hard Rock higher limits confirmed

Just got an official flier from the folks over at Seminole Hard Rock, and the higher limits that had been rumored are true. But pay particular attention to the verbage they use. This isn't a "stick it to the state" plan. Rather, the Hard Rock is using a liberal interpretation of the new state law, which we had discussed on this blog and the show previously. But the whole thing will likely be moot by mid August, the deadline for Gov. Charlie Crist and the Seminoles to agree on a compact that will allow the tribe to offer Class III Las Vegas gaming, including slots, blackjack, roulette and craps. The sky will be the limit on the poker limits the Hard Rock can offer then. If a deal isn't reached, the federal government will give the tribe the go-ahead anyhow. The Tampa Hard Rock just announced a huge expansion. It'll be interesting to see whether the poker room will get bigger when the choice is between a craps table and a poker table instead of a video bingo machine and a poker table. Stay tuned.

Couple of other notes:

• This week's show is posted early. Guest is our very own Tampa Bay and Ante Up WSOP bracelet winner Donald Baruch. I'll post the recap and OMM discussion tomorrow, since we have lots of good stuff on the blog today.
• .... such as my wish list for Tampa Bay poker rooms.
• Chris is off to Vegas tonight; I'll join him and Fasso on Saturday. Hope to see many of you at Binion's poker room on Tuesday at 8 p.m. for the meetup.

- SCOTT

SEMINOLE HARD ROCK TAMPA

Games Offered 24 Hours Daily
7 Card Stud/ Texas Hold’em/ Omaha hi/lo

7 Card Stud Spread Limit Betting
$1.00-$5.00 Minimum buy-in $20.00
Low card forced bet $1.00

Omaha hi/lo Structured Betting
$2 - $4 Small Blind = $1.00 Big Blind = $2.00
Minimum buy-in: $20.00

Limit Texas Hold’em Structured Betting
$2 - $4 Small Blind =$1 Big Blind = $2.00
Minimum buy-in: $20.00
$4 - $8 Small Blind = $2 Big Blind = $4
Minimum buy-in: $40.00
$10 - $20 Small Blind = $5 Big Blind = $10
Minimum buy-in: $100.00
$20 - $40 Small Blind = $10 Big Blind = $20
Minimum buy-in: $200.00

No Limit Texas Hold’em
$1 - $2 Small Blind = $1 Big Blind = $2
Minimum buy-in: $50.00 Maximum buy-in: $300.00
$2- $5 Small Blind = $2 Big Blind = $5
Minimum buy-in: $100.00 Maximum buy-in: $500.00
$10 - $25 Small Blind = $10.00 Big Blind = $25.00
Minimum buy-in: $500.00 Maximum buy-in: no limit
In all NO LIMIT GAMES players entering a game must secure their seat with no more than $100.00.

Rake: 10% with a minimum of $1.00
Maximum of $5.00 on all games

Progressive Jackpot Rules
$1.00 will be collected from every hand that reaches $10.00 to fund the Progressive Jackpot.  70% of all funds will be allocated to the Posted Amount and 30% will be allocated to the Backup amount and updated daily each afternoon. A player with a Royal Flush in spades may be entitled to win the posted amount. Check out the plasma screens for the current Jackpot totals.

Mike at WSOP #3: Maybe I'm the Fish

The Binion's Stud/8 tournament on Day Four was worth every penny of the $100 entry fee. I found out in about two hours that I have no game. To begin at the beginning...

We start with 3,500 chips, half-hour levels. Level One is ante 5/bring-in 10, with 25-50 limits. Early on I tossed split nines. Simple enough. I also chopped a pot with an 86 after starting with A264 and leading out on all streets.

Level Two is ante 10/bring-in 15, and 50-100. I have 3,435 chips. I made a position raise with QQ and the bring-in folded. I limped with split jacks (horrible), then bailed out when my opponent (nearly all these hands quickly resolved into heads up) caught good, including an ace. I had A26, two-flush, completed, was called, caught on fourth and bet, won. I started with a 356, made a three-flush on fourth, bricked fifth and folded.

Level Three: ante 20/bring-in 30, 100-200. I have 3,290. I made a rough eight with a pair of sixes and scooped a pot, then scooped one with split kings. When it was folded to me, with only the bring-in behind, I tried a steal. He defended but I made TT to scoop. The next hand is critical. I played a small pair/small kicker and got scooped holding three small pair at the river. I still had 3,925 chips at the first break, but the small pair/small kicker leak is one that must be immediately plugged. I read Ray Zee on this, so I know that these hands are marginal , so I have no excuse.

My table was, as in the Omaha tournament on Tuesday, pretty tough. I am starting to believe the theory that table draw is crucial to success. In the limit tournaments, the tables break slowly, so you're stuck with the draw for a long time. Without one or two fish at the table, it's tough to run up your chips. Of course the obvious answer to my complaint about tough tables is that I'm the fish. Who else would play small pairs/small kickers? These hands look good and, more dangerously, you can talk yourself into continuing past fourth street if you catch low. So you're heading for, maybe, a rough eight and a small pair -- not where you want to be on the river. And that's if you catch. I played a 336 two-flush, which is crap even if you can limp. If I can't fold these hands at the WSOP today, I will embarrass myself. Another key is the shifting ante/big bet ratio. At 1:10, steals are less important. At 1:6, you must pick spots to steal.

So back to Binion's. We start Level Four (ante 25, bring-in 50, 150-300), and I have 3,925. Again, this is a danger zone in NLHE, but here I'm fine. I lost with KK to two pair and was down to 2,900 when we hit 50-ante, 75/200-400. Now don't get me wrong: I didn't play the split kings in a bad spot (i.e., with an ace behind), and I certainly didn't jam, so my loss wasn't catastrophic, but I still kick myself because the ability to fold big pairs is critical in Stud/8, I believe.

Anyhow, the next level I start with AAA and am rivered out of the tournament by a flush when I don't fill up. Even this hand I played wrong. Because it looked like I was going to be heads up, I limped. I got it all in with the best hand, but I will never limp rolled-up again. This is a lifetime vow. I finished around 264th out of 292 entrants.

Back at the Rio, I played a $125 NLHE satellite. I chipped up a bit with 99 and AK (six callers to my 3X raise, six folders to my pot bet on an A-high flop), and when it was five-handed I doubled up by reraising with JJ against 44. Very next hand I raise 3X with AK suited, am reraised all-in, call, and lose to KK. I played this thing perfect, so I'm not disappointed in the least. It's a crapshoot. So I had no choice but to head to the window and peel off 10 hundreds and enter directly into today's Event #46, Seven Card Stud, High-Low, Eight-or-Better. I will be in the tent at 5 p.m., on Table 99, Seat 7. In a seersucker suit and white loafers.

I looked in on the HORSE and watched Barry Greenstein's table, called by Sarasota's own Sam Minutello. Final table is today at 2 p.m., with Amnon Filippi the big stack. The $2K Omaha/8 had some big-name entrants, so I will dump my notebook here with scattered observations:

• Marcel Luske lost a big pot with AAKK (the hand I went out on at Binion's) and said, "I should play 379Q and scoop." He was singing a song that sounded like "Making Love to Strangers." Nice voice.
• On Table 11, Phil Hellmuth declared, "They write 100 bad things about me a day on the Internet." Phil was reportedly blinded off for the first several hours, then showed up and was able to triple up in short order, while eating a sandwich. Multitasker. On one hand, he said to a player, "You raised with AJT2?" and without missing a beat his opponent countered cockily, "That's a mistake?" Phil talks to himself a lot when he gets rivered.
• All those players who have had gastric bypasses? They're still fat.
• Jim Meehan shows up at a new table with his chips and two $1 bills. Pointing to the cash he says, "Seventy years of working and this is all I've got left." Around Meehan's chair are half-empty cups of coffee and other beverages, and he is sucking on a nicotine inhaler.
• Something in the Amazon Room is making Annie Duke cough. She's not sick, she says, and suspects it is the carpet.
• John Juanda is the most precise player on Earth. His chip stacks are symmetrical, his betting motions slow and sure. Robot. With big chips. Scary.

Five hours till the Big Top.

My Tampa Bay card room wish list

Poker is about to get good in Florida on Sunday. In addition to higher limits, Tampa Bay Downs and Tampa Greyhound Track will reopen rooms. What this means is a tremendous feast of options for Tampa Bay rounders. And where there's competition, the player wins. So with that in mind, I offer my wish list for what I'd like to see at Tampa Bay card rooms:

NO-LIMIT POKER

This will be the go-to game for many players, and I fully expect most tables will be dedicated to it. That's great, but I just hope that limit games will still get a chance to survive and thrive. It looks some rooms are going to spread two no-limit games: a $100 min/max buy-in with bigger blinds and a lower min/max with $1/$2 blinds. That's fine, but with the demand, I'm sure there's also room for a $1/$2 blind $100 min/max to give us tight players some room to play. Some rooms are going to timed rakes for no-limit. I prefer raked pots, since you're only paying it when you win. If you hit a dry spell, the timed rake is going to feel like someone kicking you when you're down. But for rooms that go the timed route, I hope they keep on dealers and players to keep the games moving along.

LIMIT POKER

Sure, the bump to $5 doesn't seem like much ($10 would have been much different), but it's enough to make some games, like stud, not only playable, but fun. Looks like most rooms will offer three flavors:

$5 straight: Initially, this didn't bother me, as I see it as a way to maximize profits against players who don't adjust their game from the old $2 limit. But Fasso's arguments are becoming persuasive, so now I'm suggesting that rooms make it a $1-$5 or $2-$5 spread limit game. The effect will likely be the same, as most players will bet $5 every time, but for those of us who are a bit more skilled, the option to bet a little less can be a poweful weapon. It does sound like, however, that everyone will be dealing stud as a spread limit game, and for that I rejoice. That is going to be a very good game.

$2/$4 structured: Finally we'll get true structured limit poker here. I have no illusions, however, that the no-fold'em hold'em game is dying. But at the very least, we can use the bigger bet on fourth and fifth streets to make those too-loose players make more mistakes than they already do.

$2 straight: Gotta still offer it for those folks on limited bankrolls or who are creatures of habit, but I'm hoping it's limited to one table of hold'em. There's just too many other great games and limits to offer now.

GAMES

Yes, no-limit will consume the rooms, but let's try to persuade players that there's something outside of games that don't have "Texas" in the name or "all in" in the playbook. Derby Lane says it's keeping Double Flop, and Razz is on its list, too. Crazy Pineapple is on the menu at lots of rooms. It can be hard to get these games going and keep them going, I know, so here's an idea: Let people know in advance a day when you'll spread something special. The last Tuesday of the month? That's Crazy Pineapple Day. The first Wednesday of the month? Well, come play Razz. That way, interested folks can plan for it and, who knows, maybe we'll build enough interest that the games can be spread more often.

And please, let's have some tournaments with other games, too. Again, it doesn't have to be every day. Maybe just once a week or even once a month, but with the HORSE tournament becoming the "new Main Event" of the World Series, it sure would be a shame for Tampa Bay area players to not have a live venue to hone those mixed game skills.

TOURNAMENTS

They're about to become much more lucrative. And I like that, though my guess is $45 is still a pretty big outlay for a lot of players, so if the buy-in starts inching higher and higher, players might not come along. So my advice is to not get greedy. Keep some lower buy-in events for the masses, even as you offer some big money events for the rugged rounders. I don't mind if you make those low buy-in events rebuy ones. In fact, I think that's a great compromise. Also, give us some variety in tournaments. Not just in buy-ins, but in the types of games. I'd love to play a Omaha multi or a HORSE event. There's room to be creative with no-limit, too, though. Special events, such as Heads Up or team tournaments, will be very much welcomed.

JACKPOTS

I wish I knew who invented the poker jackpot. I'd reward that "innovation" by strapping him to a board and inviting Jesus Ferguson and Fasso over to show me some "card tricks." And while the dude was trembling at the thought of which of the 52 cards will be the one to split his forehead, I'd strap headphones to him, and put Hilary Duff on an endless loop to calm his nerves. (If you can't tell, I HATE these things). But, yes, since we have so many lottery players masquerading as poker players here, no doubt every room will offer jackpots. Fine. But if you're going to drag a dollar out of every one of my pots, at least give me a fair shot at getting it back. Having to wait until I have Aces full of 10s cracked by quads is NOT it. Skip the "bad beats," and offer "high hand" jackpots. It's hard enough to get quads or a straight flush. Just give me some money when I do, don't make me have to lose with them first. And please, oh please, don't make tournaments eligible. It's bad enough that I have to watch some loser crack my Aces with quad dueces after he called a capped pot on every street just in hopes of winning a jackpot. Let's make sure tournaments maintain some sort of poker sanctity, where every decision is driven by true poker reasons.

PLAYER EXPERIENCE

Rooms are really going to be able to set themselves apart in this category. I'll put up with a lot to play a game I like at a limit I prefer, but rooms that go out of their way to make me feel welcome will succeed in pulling me away from rooms that just offer a good game.

WAIT LISTS: This has always been my biggest complaint about local rooms. It's chaotic and low-tech. And there's no room to, well, wait. I'm happy to hear that more rooms are splitting the live game podium from the tournament podium. That will help, but let's go a step farther. Grab one of those plasma TVs and hook up some wait list software to it. That way I can easily see where I am on the list, and also find out if there's interest in a different game. As rooms expand, please offer me a comfortable place to sit and wait. Or better yet, invest in those beepers restaurants use. That way, I can go watch a race, or hit the snack bar, without fear of missing my name being shouted out.

PLAYERS CLUB CARDS: Tampa Greyhound Track is introducing a card that tracks play. Hallelujah. There is no better way to build loyalty than by issuing a card that tracks a customer's play and rewards them with giveaways, discounts and freebies. I hope others follow suit. And don't stop at tracking my poker play: give me credit for my racing bets and even the food and beer I buy.

DEALER TRAYS: Here's a concept that I love when visiting L.A. or Niagara. Dealers pick their trays up and carry them with them. That way, there's no counting down the trays when a new dealer shows up and, for some reason, it seems like it helps with preventing the annoying constant screams of "Brush!" to get a fill. But if we stick with stationary trays, please, please, keep those brushes moving. I hate seeing the tray always empty and, worse, seats at my table empty when there's a wait list.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

That's my wish list. What's yours? We're lucky that so many of the local poker room managers read this blog, so sound off and give them some ideas on what you'd like to see. All of them I've spoken with deeply care about giving players what they want - they're all players themselves. And best of all, support the local rooms.

- SCOTT

WSOP: Events #40, #41 and #42

The World Series of Poker's $50,000 HORSE Championship (Event #39) is down to the final table, but our  favorite poker author and a couple of local heroes are rolling the toteboard in other events:

Event #40, Mixed No Limit/Limit Hold'em, $1,500 entry, 620 entrants
Ante Up guests
7. Michael Craig, $22,813

 

Event #41, Seniors No Limit Hold'em World Championship, $1,000 entry, 1,882 entrants
Tampa Bay area players
94. Jerry DeNicholas, Tampa, $2,655

Event #42, Omaha Hi/Lo, $1,500 entry, 687 entrants
Tampa Bay area players
11. Andrew Kelsall, Lutz, $9,049 

Ante Up WSOP totals
Ante Up Nation!: 4 cashes, 1 bracelet, $290,266 prize money
Ante Up guests: 21 cashes, 0 bracelets, $370,172 prize money
Tampa Bay area players: 31 cashes, 1 bracelet, $475,387 prize money

- SCOTT

Mike at WSOP #2: Watching the Hawk

Day Three wasn't all that good from an accounting standpoint, but I am pretty happy with my play. Shortly after logging off at the gift shop on a downtown side street (a truly depressing spectacle), I made it back to the tournament room at Binions for the $200 Omaha/8 Limit tournament. I sat down at 2:01, so I missed my first hand, in the small blind. These guys don't mess around. Two means two. There were 280 entrants. We started with 5,000 chips and blinds at 25-50 with 50-100 limits, at half-hour levels. I had read Ray Zee's book on this game at breakfast, so I was ready to play tight and get away from premium hands that flopped weak. I was at a fairly tough table, with a Teddy KGB guy, a loud-mouthed Texan, a player from Sweden, an Asian woman, and a guy who was even tighter than me.

First level I got an AA22 and broke even when another player also held A2. Level two I played AA2J for a raise, missed the flop and folded on the turn. I also earned a chop with AKQ9. When the levels hit 100-200 I had drifted down to 4700 chips. I played A235, but the low busted and I called one bet on the river with a baby flush that was no good. Questionable. Lost about 600 chips there.

With levels at 150-300, I started with 3,850 chips. In NLHE, this would be go-time, but not here. I felt I still had plenty of play. I got my first scoop at this level, a measly walk, and went into 200-400 with 3850. Played A27Q, flopped a nut low draw and Q-high flush draw, but bricked out. Down to 3150. With A3K7, not a great hand obviously (I must have been in late position), I limp/folded to a flop of 22T. Earned a chop with an A2 to bring me to 3950, then drifted down for the next two levels and was left with 3200 when we raced off the green quarter chips.

The dealers here were pretty good, although a few needed help from the table in 3/4-1/4 situations. Anyone who knows this game knows how valuable it is to have experienced players to help run things. One dealer was pitching cards upwards, flashing them, and we called the floor. One time there was a nail-marked card, and we called the floor. We called the floor quite a lot, actually, but it was a friendly table by and large.

At 5:30 p.m., we started play at 400-800. I played an A3 and flopped a nut low draw, was counterfeited on the turn, which was checked, and paid off one bet on the river with an A8 low. This was a pretty bad play, in retrospect. Then I went on a mini-rush. I played 23 and made a wheel, then played A2 and hit the low and trip sixes, and I was over the starting stack for the first time all day, at 6,700. On that last hand I quartered the Texan, holding A2, and missed putting in an extra bet on the river when the 6 fell. Bad.

At 600-1,200, I started with 6,700 and played A257, flopped the nut low draw and had a wrap, raised, but bricked out and was down to 4,000. The next hand I played was my last. I raised pre-flop with AAKK, plus spades, and the Texan check-called a flop of 66Q, two spades. I didn't like the pair, but this was go-time for me. He checked a Jack of spades turn, then put me all-in with a check-raise. I had the flush but he was holding JJ. The ten of spades didn't fall on the river for my Royal, and I was out in about 160th place. They paid 27 or so.

They were running a 4-8 Stud/8 game, so I sat in on that. There was a hawk-nosed, silver-haired gentleman in his 70s in the one seat with a Caesars windbreaker and a gold bracelet on his right wrist. He said little and played with obvious competence. I learned later his name, which I have forgotten, and also learned that the bracelet was from a Stud/8 or Omaha/8 WSOP event in 1987. The man had the look of someone you would never want looking for you, yet he was quiet and respectful and polite -- the quintessential stud player. To get an idea of his appearance, think (or Google, which is thought now) the actor Ian Richardson. His bracelet was beautiful, with a gold mesh band, putting to shame the clunky things they're handing out this year. The game itself didn't go that well for me, and although I left before losing Jennifer Harmon's 30 big bets, I think I should have left sooner. I played proper poker, I believe, but fatigue is a massive rake in this game.

After playing the 1-5 at Mirage and Stud/8 at Binions, I will permit myself the optimistic view that stud, in all its variants, is the past and the future of poker: best game, best people.

Today is Day Four, and I'm about an hour away from Binions' $100 Stud/8 tournament. I will be watching for the Hawk.

MIKE

More info on Derby Lane and One-Eyed Jacks new limits

Dan Denney from Derby Lane e-mailed us all the info on the new limits that will start on Sunday, and I also received an e-mail from One-Eyed Jack's in Sarasota with some info, so I'll pass it all along to the Ante Up! Nation. Tampa Bay Downs has updated its Web site with the information we reported here previously, and it looks like Tampa Greyhound Track's new Web site will launch soon. Still no word on higher limits from Seminole Hard Rock. And remember that Treasure Island Casino Cruz deals live poker on its two cruises every day. And one last note: Be sure to read your Sunday edition of the St. Petersburg Times. Staff Writer Christina Rexrode gives you a first-person look at the Real Deal Poker Academy in St. Petersburg, where you can train to become a dealer.

I'm shooting to publish my "Tampa Bay Card Room Wish List" on Thursday, so stay tuned for that.

-------------------------------------

DERBY LANE

Web site

Texas Holdem

$2 Straight - small blind $1, big blind $2, $20 minimum buy-in
$2-$4 Structured - small blind $1, big blind $2, $40 minimum buy-in
$1 to $5 Spread Limit - small blind $1, big blind $1, $50 minimum buy-in
$5 Straight - small blind $2, big blind $5, $50 minimum buy-in
No-Limit - small blind, $1, big blind $2, $100 minimum/maximum buy-in, add-ons may be increments of $20 and may not allow a player to increase their total chips to over $100

7 Card Stud

$1-$2 Structured - $1 bring-in, $20 minimum buy-in
$1 to $5 Spread Limit - minimum $1 bring-in, $50 minimum buy-in

7 Card Stud Hi-Lo

$1 to $5 Spread Limit - minimum $1 bring-in, $50 minimum buy-in

Omaha Hi-Lo

$2 Straight - small blind $1, big blind $2, $20 minimum buy-in
$2-$4 Structured - small blind $1, big blind $2, $40 minimum buy-in
$5 Straight - small blind $2, big blind $5, $50 minimum buy-in

Double Flop Holdem

$2-$4 Structured - small blind $1, big blind $2, $40 minimum buy-in
$5 Straight - small blind $2, big blind $5, $50 minimum buy-in

Razz, 5 Card Stud, 5 Card Draw with a Joker

$1 to $5 Spread Limit - minimum $1 bring-in, $50 minimum buy-in

Main Tournaments

$60
    120 Players
    3000 Units
    20 Minute Blind Rounds
    No cap on blind increases
    Pays top 10 positions

$60
    150 Players
    3000 Units
    20 Minute Blind Rounds
    No cap on blind increases
    Pays top 15 positions

Turbo Tournaments
$60
    20 -50 Players
    2500 Units
    15 Minute Blind Rounds
    Blinds cap at 5000/10000
    20 players pays top 2 positions
    30 players pays top 3 positions
    40 players pays top 4 positions
    50 players pays top 5 positions

Deep Stack Tournaments
$60
    20 -50 Players
    5000 Units
    20 Minute Blind Rounds
    No cap on blind increases
    20 players pays top 2 positions
    30 players pays top 3 positions
    40 players pays top 4 positions
    50 players pays top 5 positions

Shoot-Out Tournaments
$60
    100 Players
    1000 Units
    20 Minute Blind Rounds
    No cap on blind increases
    Pays one person per table

Single Table Tournaments
$60
    10 Players
    2500 Units
    15 Minute Blind Rounds
    No cap on blind increases
    Pays top 2 positions

$40
    10 Players
    1500 Units
    15 Minute Blind Rounds
    No cap on blind increases
    Pays top 2 positions

Elite Single Table Tournaments
$100
    10 Players
    3000 Units
    20 Minute Blind Rounds
    Blinds cap at 5000/10000
    Pays top 2 positions

Elite Multi-Table Tournaments
$200, $300, $400, $500, $600, $700, $800
    20 -50 Players
    3000 Units
    25 Minute Blind Rounds
    Blinds cap at 5000/10000
    20 players pays top 2 positions
    30 players pays top 3 positions
    40 players pays top 4 positions
    50 players pays top 5 positions

Blind Structure
    25-50
    50-100
    Color up 25 units, 5 minute break
    100-200
    200-400
    5 minute break
    300-600
    400-800
    Color up 100 units, 5 minute break
    500-1000
    1000-2000
    Color up 500 units, 5 minute break
    2000-4000
    3000-6000
    4000-8000
    5 minute break
    5000-10000
    6000-12000
    8000-16000
    10000-20000
    Blinds continue to increase every 20 minutes

---------------------------------------------------------

ONE-EYED JACK'S

Web site

Live action cash games now have a $5 betting limit and allow for games of no-limit hold'em. We will be offering no-limit cash games with a $60 min/max and a $100 min/max. The blinds for these games will be $1-$2 and $2-$3 respectively. Multi table tournaments now allow for bigger buy-ins. Our new hours of operation will be 1pm - 1am.

Here's a link to the tournament sked/details.

- SCOTT

Mike at WSOP #1: An Odor of Verbena (and Fish)

It was nice to get into the South Point Hotel and Casino after five hours of breathing Delta's recycled farts. Day One, Sunday, I merely went to bed.

Day Two, I headed for the Mirage and played a little 3-6 Hold Em while waiting for Stud to open. My last hand, I was dealt AA, flopped a set, then was rivered by a Q that made a guy quads. Bad beat stories are unnecessary after this one, so I'll stop. It was good that he was a short-buying fish and was all-in by the turn. The 1-5 Stud table was great, mainly because it got the mental muscles working for keeping track of out cards and whether a hand was live. I made back most of what I lost at HE, and made a bunch of old friends. Good time.

Then I headed over to the Rio, got credentialed, and walked into the HORSE tournament, not knowing that once a tourney hits 15 tables, reporters can only go in one at a time, as a "pool" accompanied by a WSOP official. I was able to walk around for 10 minutes before being asked to go behind the ropes. I talked to Michael Craig, who was doing very well at the NL/Limit event, and Roxci Rhodes, who was steamed at the way the bubble broke in that tourney. Audio clips forthcoming. (I'm without a computer; this is being done in an Internet station at a gift shop.) Gabe Kaplan wouldn't talk to me when HORSE broke for dinner; he said he needed the full time away, but could talk if he "busted out or something." Fair enough, Kotter, but I was only going to ask one or two questions.

Headed over to Caesars later, but no HORSE, so back to the South Point, where the odor of fish was stifling at the 2-4 table (with a half-kill). I knew I'd just need to wait to flop big and get paid off, and sure enough that happened, but I only eked out a small winning, putting me virtually even for the day (+/- $10). There were too many hands where I just nicked the flop and didn't stick (mistake) and I also should have jammed more. But where once I hated these 2-4 donkfests, I actually like them now, because your strategy is fairly straightforward.

This morning I took $60 out of the Binions 2-4 game and signed up for their $200 Omaha/8 tourney, which starts in 20 minutes. I'll let you know how the "Devil's Game" turns out.

And Verbena? That was the soap flavor in my hotel, and some will recognize the Faulkner reference.

MIKE

WSOP: Event #38

In the World Series of Poker's Event #38, ChicagoJason gets The Nation close to $300K while John Gordon of Largo gets another cash for the local contingent. Congrats!

Event #38, No Limit Hold'em, $1,500 entry, 2,778 entrants
Ante Up Nation!
81. Jason "ChicagoJason" Finn, Chicago, $7,205
Tampa Bay area players
126. John Gordon, Largo, $4,740

Ante Up WSOP totals
Ante Up Nation!: 4 cashes, 1 bracelet, $290,266 prize money
Ante Up guests: 20 cashes, 0 bracelets, $347,359 prize money
Tampa Bay area players: 29 cashes, 1 bracelet, $463,683 prize money

- SCOTT

WSOP: Event #37

Congrats to Ante Upper Jason "ChicagoJason" Finn, who took 81st in the World Series of Poker's Event #38. (We'll update the toteboard with his accomplishment, and that of Largo's John Gordon, once their event ends.) But in the meantime, the Tampa Bay area has its first three-time casher of the year. Thayer "JINXY MONKEY" Rasmussen has earned $18,391 in World Series events this year.

Event #37, Pot Limit Hold'em, $2,000 entry, 599 entrants
Tampa Bay area players
31. Thayer "JINXY MONKEY" Rasmussen, St. Petersburg, $6,541

Ante Up WSOP totals
Ante Up Nation!: 3 cashes, 1 bracelet, $283,061 prize money
Ante Up guests: 20 cashes, 0 bracelets, $347,359 prize money
Tampa Bay area players: 28 cashes, 1 bracelet, $458,943 prize money

- SCOTT

WSOP: Events #35 & #36

No Ante Uppers, guests or Tampa Bay area players cashed in the World Series of Poker's Event #36 (Omaha Hi/Lo World Championship, $5,00o entry, 280 players), but Ante Up guests and Tampa Bay are players brought home dough in Event #35. And stay tuned tomorrow, when we'll post the first 3-timer casher from the Tampa Bay area. And it also sounds like Ante Upper ChicagoJason is making a very nice run in his event. Awesome, and good luck!

Event #35, No Limit Hold'em, $1,500 entry, 2,541 entrants
Tampa Bay area players
90. Greg Warner, Tampa, $5,547
Ante Up guests
96. Joe Sebok, $4,854
102. Clonie Gowen, $4,334

Ante Up WSOP totals
Ante Up Nation!: 3 cashes, 1 bracelet, $283,061 prize money
Ante Up guests: 20 cashes, 0 bracelets, $347,359 prize money
Tampa Bay area players: 27 cashes, 1 bracelet, $446,855 prize money

- SCOTT

WSOP: Events #33 & #34

No Ante Uppers, guests or Tampa Bay area players cashed in the World Series of Poker's Event #33 (Pot Limit Omaha w/Rebuys, $1,500 entry, 293 players) or in Event #34 (Limit Hold'em, $3,000 entry, 296 players), so the toteboard stays the same.

Ante Up WSOP totals
Ante Up Nation!: 3 cashes, 1 bracelet, $283,061 prize money
Ante Up guests: 18 cashes, 0 bracelets, $338,171 prize money
Tampa Bay area players: 26 cashes, 1 bracelet, $441,308 prize money

- SCOTT

WSOP: Events #31 & #32

Lots of moola for Ante Up guests in the World Series of Poker's Events #31 and #32, and the local contingent continues to cash in. Keep an eye out for Ante Upper/Ante Up guest Kenna James, who is still alive in Event #34.

Event #31, Heads Up No Limit Hold'em World Championship, $5,000 entry, 392 entrants
Ante Up guests
9. Paul "Kwickfish" Wasicka, $23,030
41. Joe Sebok, $9,212
Tampa Bay area players
63. Nashaat "Tony" Antonious, Redington Shores, $9,212

Event #32, Seven Card Stud, $2,000 entry, 213 entrants
Ante Up guests
5. Daniel Negreanu, $21,321 

Ante Up WSOP totals
Ante Up Nation!: 3 cashes, 1 bracelet, $283,061 prize money
Ante Up guests: 18 cashes, 0 bracelets, $338,171 prize money
Tampa Bay area players: 26 cashes, 1 bracelet, $441,308 prize money

- SCOTT

Ante Up! Vegas MeetUp

Vegas, baby!!!!

Fasso leaves Sunday night, Chris next Thursday and I'll stagger out there next Saturday. You know we love our listeners, so swing by and play some cards with us at the Vegas MeetUp, which will be at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, July 3 at the poker room at Binion's. Get there a little early, because at 8 p.m. sharp we'll start sweet-talking the management into spreading games only the Ante Up! Nation can love: Razz, HORSE or some other crazy stew of mixed games. If we fail, well, we'll just take the locals money at any games we can get in on.

Gonna make it? Let us know.

- SCOTT

Poker Karma ... do you believe?

Have you ever seen that commercial where a person sees an act of kindness, and that act inspires that person to perform an act of kindness? It ultimately saves a kid's life because he was crossing the street without looking and a woman pulls him back in the nick of time. (I'd like to think this lady would have pulled the kid back even if she hadn't seen the old guy hold open the door for someone 15 minutes earlier, but who knows, maybe she would have let the punk get steamrolled.)

Anyway, this is what we call Karma. Loosely translated: How you treat others is how you hope to be treated. Lately, I've been giving this a lot of thought, in life and in poker. I brought it up on this week's show, and Scott just dismissed it. I can't tell you how many times I have watched jerks at the table (on TV, in the cardrooms and online) spew some vile trash at someone and then that person goes broke or is dealt a bad beat. Maybe it's because the behavior sticks out that we're secretly hoping this donk goes broke and when it happens we remember he was a jerk. Sort of like when you lose with AA it sticks out and you say "I always get my aces cracked," when in actuality you win with them like 88% of the time.

Here's my example: A few nights ago I was playing live Stud/8 and I was playing loose and losing some hands. After a while I reverted to my normal strategy and started winning a few pots here and there, taking a big one from this guy to actually post a profit. He types in the chat box: LOL! Incredible! And so I typed in "I bet you thought I sucked, huh?" and he replied "You do suck, you just got lucky!" So that's when I stepped over the Karma line and started ripping into this guy. Finally I said "We'll see how much I suck when I have all of your money." Well, I proceeded to go on the worst streak of cards ever and ended up losing two-thirds of my stack to this guy. We never spoke again and then he got disconnected. So, I went to a NLHE table and was nice to EVERYONE, typing in NH, nice play, sorry for the suckout, etc. In the end, I won back everything I had lost earlier and quadrupled my bankroll.

Is that Karma? People always talk about the Poker Gods with reverence. Was that them shining on me because I was nice? Or is it all variance? Is life just one big variance?

Something to think about.

-- Chris 

WSOP: Event #30

Bear gets another cash, this time in the World Series of Poker's Event #30, to take the Ante Up guests past the Ante Up Nation! in prize money. (But we still got a bracelet!)

Event #30, No Limit Hold'em Short Handed, $2,500 entry, 847 entrants
Ante Up guests
47. Barry Greenstein, $5,260

Ante Up WSOP totals
Ante Up Nation!: 3 cashes, 1 bracelet, $283,061 prize money
Ante Up guests: 15 cashes, 0 bracelets, $284,608 prize money
Tampa Bay area players: 25 cashes, 1 bracelet, $432,096 prize money

- SCOTT

Episode #106: Mailbag!

MAIN TOPIC

It's like Christmas in June! Chris is off to Conn later this week, so we taped this week's show early (like, WAY early) and decided to go ahead and post it today. Enjoy!

We open up the Ante Up! Mailbag (Chris overbought Ante Up! Forever Stamps). Listen to the show here.

Can you beat the rake at low limit games? (It's tough)

Does the newspaper pay for your tournament buy-ins? (We wish)

How do you adjust your play for freerolls? (Chris tightens up; Scott doesn't roll free)

Are you planning an Ante Up MeetUp at the World Series? (Sure, details to come. But Tuesday, July 3, looks most likely)

What do you do when you hit two pair on the flop? (Bet it. Hard.)

When learning HORSE, do you learn all the games individually, or just jump into HORSE? (Patience, Grasshopper).

What's the best way to build a bankroll if you're nowhere near live games? (Make some friends. Take their money)

Are you ever going to have a live or video podcast? (We're ugly, so probably not a video. A live one is intriguing, though, and possible if we go on-location.)

If you realize 20 minutes later that you were pushed more of the pot than you should have been in a tournament, do you say anything? (Chances are nothing can be done, but if you're working on your Honesty Badge for the Boy Scouts, talk to the tournament director).

Are there any health effects from playing poker regularly? (If you're stressing out, drop down in limits. Poker should be fun).

In what states is it illegal to play online poker? (Check this link).

How do you handle a situation when the dealer/casino makes a mistake? (Respect the chain of command, but if you're ultimately unsatisifed, take your business elsewhere if you can).

What is the rule on when you have to show a hand? (Check this link).

Can a player expose his cards to an opponent in order to get a read? (You're playing with fire in a tournament. Live games are different. And it all depends on where you're playing - and what supervisor you get).

Hypothetically, if everyone goes all-in on the first hand of a SNG, and one player wins, who gets 2nd and 3rd place money? (Man, someone has a lot of time on their hands. We say everyone but the winner splits it.)

OTHER TOPICS

MUSIC/HOLE CARDS: Scott shook up his no-limit tournament routine, piping music into his ears and waiting until it was his turn to look at his cards. He liked both. What do you do?

KARMA: Do you believe in it at the poker table? Yeah, me neither.

HOTLINE: John from Tallahassee calls with another online heartbreaker. We guess for some people, the UIGEA might be a good thing. (Not really).

ONE-MINUTE MYSTERY: Columbo gets a little spooked, and checks it down. Good thing, too, as his opponent was hoping for action with pocket Jacks. Sometimes, making the wrong move is the right move.

HAND OF THE WEEK

Mark from L.A. offers up an Audio HOTW, and yes, Scott found a way to mess it up.

He's playing in a $24 turbo SNG on FullTilt with 1600 in chips. His opponent has 2100 and raises UTG to 350. Mark calls from the BB with 55. It's checked around on a flop of 3d-7d-Qx, and our hero takes a 600 stab at it when the 8d falls on the turn. He's called (gulp) and checks the 7h on the river. His opponent bets 750, an amount that is suspcious to our hero, who calls and rakes in the pot. His opponent was on a busted flush draw with Ad-Kx.

We would have entertained folding preflop, and likely wouldn't have bet on the turn. But that was good reading skills to figure out that the call on the river was justified.

- SCOTT

Last Call for Dead Pool

Scott, Chris and I will be playing in one event each at the WSOP. How many (one-hour) levels will we conquer? Scott and I are playing $1,000 limit events (#46 & 51) and Chris will be playing Event #49, the $1,500 NLHE. Guess the number of levels (playing one hand in a level counts) we will TOTAL and we'll bring back something for the winner. (Also note that the GAMES in Scott's tourney change every half-hour, but that is not a level; only when the LIMITS go up, hourly, does he make a new level.) Send guesses to fasso@sptimes.com by Wednesday, June 27. We already have quite a few. As for our own guesses, let's just say that Chris and Scott are a lot more optimistic than I am. For a tiebreaker, if you like, you can list us in order of bustout, first out listed first.

MIKE

Antigua bets big

Antigua is ticked off about the new U.S. Internet gambling restrictions, and wants $3.4 BILLION a year. That's a lot of big blinds. Here's part of an Associated Press story that just moved:

GENEVA (AP) — The United States should face commercial sanctions worth more than $3.4 billion each year for its failure to comply with a World Trade Organization ruling that its Internet gambling restrictions are illegal, the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda said Wednesday.
Antigua, which won a WTO ruling last year against the U.S. restrictions, is asking the trade body for authorization to target American trademarks and copyrights if the U.S. refuses to alter its legislation.
It said the sanctions would come into effect "shortly," unless the United States requests a WTO arbitration panel on the level and scope of the sanctions.
"While we realize this is a significant step for Antigua and Barbuda to take, we feel we have no other choice in the matter," Antigua's Finance Minister L. Errol Cort said in a statement.
"Until such time as the United States is willing to work with us on achieving a reasonable solution to this trade dispute, we will continue to use every legitimate remedy available to protect the interests of our citizens," he said.
The move by Antigua comes a day after the European Union told the United States it too wanted compensation for the U.S. ban on foreign online gambling sites.
U.S. trade officials were not immediately available for comment.

- SCOTT

The NAA likes us; it really likes us!

You know you've made it big when the Newspaper Association of America runs a couple of photos of you in its trade magazine Fusion. One afternoon Scott and I are recording an episode of Ante Up! when there's a knock at the soundproof door. Someone from Web says the NAA wants photos of us because it's doing a piece on multimedia, etc. So they took some shots. And take a look at who they chose for the cover. LOL! You KNEW they wouldn't put Scott's ugly mug out there because they wanted people to actually READ the article and not be scared off. LOL! Anyway, they get to us about halfway through the article and it just says the Times uses our show to reach a certain demo, etc. But it's always nice to get more exposure.

-- Chris

P.S. I added some more shots to the photo gallery.

WSOP: Events #28 & #29

We've passed the halfway point of the World Series of Poker. A couple more local cashes came in Event #28 (which also saw Phil Hellmuth make the final table and Norm McDonald finish 20th). Ante Up guests end a brief dry spell in Event #29, with yet another local cash. I'm started to get scared to play in local card rooms.

Event #28, No Limit Hold'em, $3,000 entry, 827 entrants
Tampa Bay area players
43. William Burdick, St. Petersburg, $10,728
47. John Racener, Brandon, $9,130

Event #29, Razz, $1,500 entry, 340 entrants
Tampa Bay area players
19. John Gordon, Largo, $4,422
Ante Up guests
22. Jennifer Harman Traniello, $4,422

<