Episode #130: Stud 8

MAIN TOPIC

Fasso joins us to talk about our favorite game - Stud 8 (and to deliver another stirring dramatic reading). Click here to listen to the show. For some really great advice on this great game, we highly suggest you check out Todd Brunson's easy-to-read chapter in Super/System 2 or Ray Zee's book High-Low Split Poker.

But some quick tips from your local experts:

• The goal is to scoop. Make sure your starting hand can do that.
• Start with only strong hands (preferably two-way hands). Bail most times if you don't improve on 4th Street, or you'll get swept into the oh-so-common Stud 8 vortex.
• Jam the pot when you're good.
• Don't always be afraid to call on 7th Street with a marginal high hand, especially if you think your opponent is going low. He/she might not even have a pair.

OTHER TOPICS

Chip Reese, RIP: Truly a sad, and shocking, week for the poker world. Chip was the classiest of class guys. He'll be sorely, sorely missed.

More scandal: FullTilt kicks two players off after one of them sold his account to the other while at the final table of a big event. Bad, bad news. But again - it's online. Be prepared for anything out there, kids.

High Stakes hand: Chris gets amped up over a hand in High Stakes Poker when two players are all-in, but the one with the most money doesn't want to "run it twice," Doyle Brunson pipes up, and then the big stack takes the pot without a turn and river. Odd? Very. But hey, it's a private game. Weird stuff happens, say Fasso and Scott.

E-mails and Hotlines: Our good friends from Down Under let us know that they snicker every time they hear one of us Ugly Americans say "Aussie" when it's actually pronounced "Auzzie" ... Ante Upper Opus is worried about the world now that Chris has been photographed wearing pants ... Ante Upper Jeff tells Chris not to quit online poker, but to play for bigger money. The Ante Up home game thanks Jeff for the suggestion.

Tampa Bay Poker Replay: Chris scores his usual awesome interviews (Sam Minutello, Chip Jett, Gavin Smith (sort of) and Lon McEachern) at One-Eyed Jack's Pros vs. Joes tournament ... the new Silks card room has opened on the 3rd floor of the grandstand at Tampa Bay Downs ... Derby Lane has a holiday tournament this month.

HAND OF THE WEEK

Scott, a lawyer from Texas, submits a big-money pot-limit Omaha Hi/Lo hand that has humbled Chris (his words!).

UTG raises to an allowed $25 in the very loose $2/$5 game at an underground cardroom. Two players call, and our hero calls from the cutoff with Ac-3h-4d-9c. The button and BB come along, too.

The flop: 4c-7d-10c.

BB bets $70 into the $150 pot and two players call before it gets to our hero, who calls with his nut-nut draw. The button, however, pops it pot ($430). The BB calls, the other two players fold, and our hero calls.

The turn: 2c

Bingo for our hero, who pushes all-in after the BB checks. Both remaining players call.

The river: 3c

Are you kidding us? And just to make sure you're not, the BB pushes all-in for a side pot, which the button calls.

The BB has Ad-2d-5c-6c for the wheel and a straight flush, and the button has Ah-5s-7c-7d, also for a wheel. That's right - our hero goes from scoop to poop in one card. Omaha is a brutal, brutal game.

We offer no advice on how our hero could have played better, but do have questions about the BB's play.

Scott, send us your address and we'll send you some of our new swag (Pokers Most Wanted cards from Karina Jett or "Got Tilt?" shirts and FullTilt hats from Sam).

NEXT WEEK'S SHOW

Our annual holiday poker gift guide. If you've seen something cool on the shelves or online, ship us an e-mail.

- SCOTT

Comments

[Nick_G]

Doyle was just needling, I think Farha was being sarcastic. It didn't seem like anyone at the table was really that mad. Or did I see it differently?

[analscott from michigan]

chris are you serious? Talk about a knee jerk reaction to the full tilt cheaters. Only one isp per user? Give me a break. It still does not guarantee that the account holder is the person actually playing it. What do you propose for that scenario? Whats next? retinal eye scan for account log on? Caveat emptor when playing online.

[Chris Cosenza]

Love the retinal eye scan idea!!! Well, you can have more than one ISP, but if you're playing from an ISP that is not registered to the address your account is associated with, then I believe there should be some sort of rigorous security to prove it's you playing. Not sure what that is, but it sure as hell is bogus that guys can log in from anywhere to play.

[Short-Stacked Shamus]

That hand of the week was some crazy shee...ooooot.

[Blazman]

The voice of Colombo is perfect, sounds just like Peter Falk.

[Mike F.]

Yeah, I agree with Blaz.

[Michelle from Tampa]

Jon and I are listening to this Podcast now. My husband and I love you guys! :)

We have just finished reading "Busting Vegas" (the book on which the upcoming Kevin Spacey movie "21" will be based) and thought it was unreal. You guys should have Semyon Dukach on to talk about how his MIT cabal got "busted" and how cheating in any type of poker is never a good idea, kids. Very interesting story and worth checking out. Although I have to add that I cannot STAND blackjack/21.

Anyway, the hubby and I bought five portable poker sets (real inexpensive at Borders) that each include chips, cards, and a How To guide; and sent them with toiletries and other sundries to the troops overseas today. Whatever you feel about the Middle East or politics or whatever, supporting our men and women in uniform is an awesome idea. Link to how you can send care packages is at my name. (Hint: I've heard from several sources, including active military, that card-playing among servicemembers during the long downtimes is HUGE!)

[Erik]

I nearly threw up hearing about that beat.

[Rant2112]

There is almost no point in limiting players to one computer/ISP, etc. This does nothing to prevent 'ghosting'. In this example the Bluff guy could just instant message with Imperium instead and Imperium could still call all the shots. Not allowing the multiple logins is just a minor inconvenience for cheaters. It is a big inconvenience for someone whose computer goes down, etc.

The online rules in general are pretty weird. You can play 2 to a hand a la Wasicka but you can't sell an account deep in a tournament? So, if 'Bluff guy' and 'Imperium' are physically in the same place it is OK for Imperium to sit over 'Bluff guy's shoulder but it isn't OK for 'Bluff guy' to turn over the account and have Imperium actually pressing the buttons? Seems weird to me.

[Rant2112]

Oh, and one more thing . . . Fasso, will you marry me?

[aka_BigAl]

I agree with Nick_G, Farha was being sarcastic. Doyle's comment bought DB (and perhaps anyone else if this occurs again) a cheap out. Pretty nice, and if intentional, VERY smart. As a viewer I wanted to see the $1M hand play out but I respect that it's their money, their game, and their rules. Just glad I'm in the room.

[Chi-Guy]

Great show on Stud 8, guys! My Stud game is better now because of you. The Omaha Split hand of the week was amazing. I've seen stuff like that happen before. I hit a case 10 to make a straight flush once but it was only about $25, not $7000.

Brian

[Aquaman]

Best/Worse hand of the week ever! Brutal river card! You need to send him lots of swag for that had!

[viii_ball]

UPDATE on cheating: Bluff Magazine has released Chris Vaughn as managing editor. And I believe he was the "winner" of a Sunday Millions tourney on Full Tilt, not an FTOPS event as you all reported on your podcast.

As for limiting to one computer, that would be ridiculous. What if you were to get lucky and make the final table of one of these large Sunday tourneys and you had a technical issue. Are you telling me you would give up the chance at $200G's because there are a few bad eggs out there? And as some many others have pointed out, there is no way to enforce the one person to a hand rule online. We just have to accept this is a possibility and deal with it. Does that mean quitting online poker, for some it may. For others we are willing to risk it for the enjoyment we get out of playing online poker.