Episode #155: Poker music

MAIN TOPIC
St. Pete Times pop music critic Sean Daly, who also co-hosts the Stuck in the '80s podcast, rocks our studio to talk about the best music to play for your home game and the best tunes to fire up your iPod with at the tournament table. Click here to listen to the show.

OTHER TOPICS
We're TV stars: If you missed our appearance on TV this week, here's your chance to catch it.

AIPS: Congrats again to rascony for winning the wild, wild rebuy event. Remember, razz is next!

WSOP: The World Series of Poker gets started on Friday with a $10,000 World Championship event (pot-limit hold'em). An eco-friendly poker table will be on display this year, and we wonder aloud about the quality of dealers in Vegas for the next couple of months with a bouquet of other tournament series in town at the same time.

Hotline: PokerGeek says Ante Up helped him through recent tornadoes in Minnesota (glad to hear everyone is alright), and Sharkey gets his aces cracked.

Tampa Bay Poker Replay: The bad beat jackpot at the Seminole Hard Rock casino in Tampa is north of $400K, and One-Eyed Jack's in Sarasota is launching new WSOP guarantee tournaments.

One Minute Mystery: Columbo gets cold feet and checks his A-7 down. Good thing. His opponent had played 9-9 - poorly.

HAND OF THE WEEK
Nicholas from Australia sends us a stud8 hand where he starts with buried aces and a 6 door card. He caps the action on 3rd Street, pairs his 6 on Fourth but can't chase anyone away.

It's bricks around on Fifth, and it's bet, call, call. But on Sixth, the original frisky bettor pairs his door card (7) and the action gets capped. On 7th, everyone slows down, which is good for our hero, who loses the high half of the pot to Aces and sevens. Ouch.

NEXT WEEK'S SHOW
TBA

- SCOTT

Episode #151: World Series of Poker preview

MAIN TOPIC

Responding to the day's big story, we called an audible and devoted this show to a look-ahead to the upcoming World Series of Poker, which begins May 30, and the announcement that the final table of the Main Event will be delayed 117 days to build anticipation. We summarize a media conference call led by WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack, and also include a recording of that entire call at the end of the show. Click here to listen to the show.

OTHER TOPICS

Sweden doesn't mess around: Two guys who lacked the proper permits to host a poker tournament in Sweden have six to eight months to reflect on that mistake - in a Swedish jail.

Hotline: Listener BitGuru calls in with a buffet of comments, including a question about whether the Mirage keeps those dollars they collect from the Texas Hold'em Plus redraws. Nope - they go straight into the pot.

Tampa Bay Poker Replay: I ventured out to Lucky's at Tampa Greyhound Track, and was surprised to find not one limit game going at all, and that you can buy into the $1/$2 no-limit for as little as $20. If you're in a charitable mood, help out the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hernando County in a $100 tournament on May 18. For details, call (727) 233-1018.

HAND OF THE WEEK

A new listener Trey writes in with a hand from Ante Up!'s official game - razz.

He starts perfect - 2/3 underneath, with an Ace up. He completes, gets raised and reraises. We like it so far.

On Fourth Street, he picks up a 7 and keeps the pressure on. A Q/6 and a 3/8 come along.

On Fifth Street, the bricks start falling. He gets a J, keeps the pressure on, but can't shake the Q/6/4 or 3/8/K.

On Sixth Street, it's a mixed bag. He gets a 9, but the 3/8/K/5 is stubborn.

The river improves him to an 8 low, and he's lucky he's not raised by his opponent, who takes down the pot with a 7-5.

NEXT WEEK'S SHOW

We're beginning to sound a little like Jimmy Kimmel ("... our apologies to Matt Damon") each week as we delay yet again our Dissection of a HORSE Tournament show. We'll try again next week.

- SCOTT

A bad move that turned out well, for once

We had our monthly home game at Snuffy's on Saturday (Remember, Mr. Long was busy in Vegas getting propositioned by a hooker.) and it was a very frustrating session for me. For the first 3 hours or so I never made a hand and when I made a move someone would raise me. I only went to the end in Stud/8 once (scooped that hand at least), only got to the end in Razz once (lost when my 8 was beat by a near-perfect 6-4) and I never stood pat or took a final draw in 2-7 Triple Draw or Badugi. Did I say it was frustrating? So, being down $141, the following hand came up (I had $59 left.)

The game was "Capped No Limit Hold 'Em" (the cap is $50 with $1-$1 blinds). In the "BB" I was dealt 6♠ 9♠. The UTG limped and the UTG+1 made it $3. Two callers, including Fasso in the SB, came along. So I said to myself "I'm stuck a bunch and getting the right price" so I called. The UTG limper folded. With $13 in the pot the flop came Q♠ 4♠ 2♥, and the rags may have been different but it's not important here. Fasso checked and so did I since the guy who raised is notorious for c-betting and I wanted to get in a check-raise. Like clockwork the UTG bet $8. One person folded and then Fasso RAISED to $20. What?!? Now, usually Fasso isn't a check-raise kinda guy. He hates it when people do it to him so he usually doesn't do it. Because of this fact I put him on a queen or MAYBE a small set. I felt if I just called the initial raiser might have the right odds to call as well, and I wanted him out in case he had top pair or another flush draw, plus Fasso could just have a pair as well. So I capped it! The raiser folded (he later said he had a queen) and left just me and Fasso, who thought long and hard about it. Then he said it was a no-brainer (which was funny in itself) and finally called. He turned over A♠ K♠. D'OH!!!!!!

How could I put him on that hand, and at the same time, how could I NOT put him on that hand? What a shocker! First, he didn't reraise preflop, which was odd when he had a limper, a raiser, a caller and one person left to act behind him. So I didn't think he had THAT big of a hand. But then again, he did EXACTLY what I planned on doing after the flop, a check-raise with a flush draw. So how could I not think he had a higher flush draw than me? I think it was the oddity of his check-raise because he NEVER does it. So to me it looked like he was thinking the same thing I was about the initial raiser, that he c-bets after every one of his preflop raises. So I felt Fasso was thinking his QJ was good. If he had a hand like that, I felt like I might be able to move him off his hand because he was being a nit and protecting his profit for the final 2 hours. Plus, since I was in the blinds with him I could have ANYTHING there, such as 2-4 or 2-2 or 4-4 or even Q-4.

Anyway, I said "nice call" and turned over my crappy 6-9. I had six outs and the most beautiful 9♣ came on the turn. Then the board paired and I took down a $121 pot. I actually let out a yell when I saw the 9 because I was so frustrated with my play and cards that I really didn't want to go broke and go home. I later apologized to Fasso, and he was very gracious and said it didn't bother him. The best part of the hand was that I got the queen to fold, because if he does something crazy there like call with just top pair he takes the whole thing!

OK, let the thrashing begin. I played this terribly right?

-- Chris

Poker, poker and, oh yeah, more poker

As you can tell by the title of this post there were a lot of poker happenings over the weekend for me. But first I'd like to direct you to the poll I created on the right-hand side of the blog. Who will win the race between Fasso and me? Vote for your winner now! And let me just say I've been taking this very seriously and have run three of the past four days (and I mowed my ever-growing plush St. Augustine lawn with a push mower on the day I didn't run!) so be aware of these facts before you vote!

Now for some poker talk: Friday night I returned to Gambit's home game for the first time in like three months and had another one of those up-and-down sessions. I was down to $9 from my original $40 buy-in but rallied to post a $9 profit for the night. Funny thing is only the losing hands stick out in my mind. I won a lot of small pots to grind my way back to profitability, but here are two hands that made the difference between me winning a ton and just barely making a profit.

The first hand came early (and I had already won a decent pot so I was up about $10) in limit hold 'em. We play $.50-$1 blinds, $1-$2 betting rounds, so it's not exactly The Big Game, but it can add up. So I'm dealt A♦ 8♦ on the button and there were two limpers ahead of me. So I called and saw a 5-handed flop of: A♥ 9♦ 2♦. A guy in early position bet and it got folded to me. I raised because I want to build a pot if I hit and I know he's not going anywhere. He just called. At this point I put him on a naked ace, which I know he'll take to the end. We get heads up when the turn brought the 8♣. Okay, I have two pair plus a redraw to the nut flush. He bet at me again (do we have the same hand?), so I raised; he three-bet and I capped it. I'm thinking he may have the same hand, a bare ace or a set. But would a set really just call with the diamonds out there and my willingness to raise? Anyway, the river was a blank and he checked. Normally I'd take this for weakness, but in this case I was overcome with this feeling that I was beat so I checked behind and he turned over A♠ 9♥ for top two. SICK! So there went all of my earlier profit and then some.

I spent the next 4-5 hours grinding my way back and then had about a $15 profit when this hand came up: It was NLHE (which is sort of a misnomer because we play it with $.25-$.25 blinds and a $20 cap. It should be called CHE, as in Cap Hold 'Em, but I digress). So someone in middle position raised to around $1 and I called in position with K♠ J♦ (my signature hand for this game!). However, Gambit called behind me so he had position on me. The flop came J♦ 9♠ 4♦. The first raiser made a standard continuation bet of like $1.50 and I raised to $4. That's when Gambit thought it over and made it $8 to go. The first guy folded and I started to think about how Gambit plays. I dismissed a flush draw because he usually has the goods with this type of move. And then I remembered our Ante Up! home game a while back when, in a raised pot, he got it all-in with J10 vs. Scott "my K-10 must be good here" Long on a jack-high flop. So, with that info fresh in my head I capped it. Gambit thought it over for a few seconds and called with QQ. D'oh!!!! There goes my profit again!!! He slow-played QQ into a multiway pot and got the perfect flop. Wow! Very nice. Ballsy, but nice.

Ultimately I had a few big hands in 5-card draw and NLHE to claw my way back. And for the first time Badugi was called in our game, and I did really well in that, which, as it turns out, played a HUGE role during my SATURDAY poker adventure in Orlando with Kenna James, WPT Boot Camp co-founder Steve Berman and Joyzey's Nick Brancato. But I'll post about that tomorrow. I need to save my posts because Scott is in Vegas and I'm holding down the Ante Up! fort.

-- Chris

P.S. Don't forget to vote in the poll at the right! 

Episode #147: Joe Navarro returns

MAIN TOPIC

Ex-FBI agent Joe Navarro, our favorite expert on nonverbal communication, swings by the studio again to dish on some more tells you should look for at the poker table (hint: look at the thumbs). He has a new book, What Every Body Is Saying, and is still heavy on the poker academy circuit. Click here to hear the show.

OTHER TOPICS

Chris gets a gift: Annie Duke's book has made it to the Dollar Tree!

Chris gets a scoop: So, have you heard about the high-stakes poker player who has been using high-priced call girls? You'll never believe who it was.

Chris gets a lawyer: Well, not yet, but he and other members of the Poker Players Alliance can now get legal advice on poker laws in their hometowns through the PPA's Litigation Support Network.

Chris goes to Washington: Well, again, not yet, but if he had, he would have heard testimony on Capitol Hill this week about how the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act is a bear to enforce. Ante Upper Short-Stacked Shamus covered the hearings, and he also has a new podcast.

Chris gets a bracelet: Okay, now I'm really stretching the fantasy. But if he wants a bracelet, Harrah's says cash buy-ins to the World Series of Poker this year of $3,000 or more will have to come with a Social Security or Tax ID number. Also, the Golden Nugget plans a monthlong tournament during the World Series, and check out David Matthews' blog Gambling in Space for some good reviews of Vegas card rooms.

Hotline: StatikKling is relieved to learn that our Omaha analogy was to a stool, not, um, stool. And John from Texas wants to know how people fit all those multitabling tables on their computer screen.

Tampa Bay Poker Replay: The Florida Senate has passed a bill allowing quarter horse racing, which could lead to several new Florida poker rooms if the House and governor go along with it. One-Eyed Jack's is now running Daily Doubles, and help out the students at St. Petersburg Catholic High School by playing in their $200 charity tournament.

One Minute Mystery: Columbo makes the call with his rivered wheel on a board that has flush possibilities, and is rewarded for his bravery as his opponent had just two pair.

HAND OF THE WEEK

Alan (aka BigAl) sends us a hand from a $2/$5 no-limit cash game from Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls.

An early position player, new to the table and believed to be tight aggressive, bumps it to $20, and Alan calls with Js-Jc. The loose button calls as well.

The flop: 3h-Ks-6c.

The raiser bets out $30, Alan calls and the button folds.

The turn: Ac.

Check-check.

The river: Ah

Raiser bets $30 into the $127 pot, Alan calls and takes down the pot against pocket 9s.

NEXT WEEK'S SHOW

Dissecting a HORSE tournament. A member of the Ante Up Nation sent us the strategy he uses to attack HORSE tournaments, and we'll share ours. Send us yours, too.

- SCOTT

My return to the home game

After a month of recovery from surgery (and then a week of work) I finally got to play some poker with the guys as Scott's home game resumed, and it was great to be back.

I lost almost half my buy-in after about 30 minutes (missed draws, TPTK vs. overpair). I stopped the bleeding for a while but then I kept making the second-best hand and was growing very frustrated. I had the guys laughing pretty hard when I dropped a few "Unbelievables!" and the occasional "Unreal!" But my ensuing expletives really got them rolling on the floor, and that's when I realized I was minus-$63, down from $100 at noon to $37 by 2:30 p.m. That's also when I knew they'd think I was on tilt, which I wasn't. I like to vent my frustration when I play, but it doesn't always make me play less than optimally. At this point I remember thinking that I was just glad to be there after what I went through and that I was determined to have a winning session. So I bought another $60 in chips and buckled down.

I went on a rush that got me almost back to even when the following hands came up, and they're partly the reason I'm posting. The game was Juarez (pronounced War-ehz). Not familiar with it? It's a hybrid of Omaha/8 and Double Flop Hold 'Em. We were taught this game by a dealer at Binions during our Ante Up! Meetup in Vegas last summer.

Everyone gets five cards and, like Omaha, you MUST play two from your hand. But here's the twist: There are two boards, four cards on top, four on the bottom, and then only one river card is dealt and it's used with both boards. There's just one high hand and one low hand overall, and you must play each board individually without combining cards. So here's an example and I won't use suits to keep it simpler:

Your hand: A-3-Q-Q-J
Top Board: 2-4-7-9
Bottom Board: Q-5-9-4
Community River: 4

You've made the nut low (A3 makes a wheel on the top board and there's no low on the bottom board to compete with it) and you've made the nut high, your queens full on the bottom can't be beat on either board. Now, there's just one overall high and one overall low, so you would scoop. If someone had the case nines in their hand they'd have a boat on both boards but neither is strong enough to beat your boat, so you win the lone high. Still confused? Sorry. Maybe we'll do a show on it someday.

So here's the first hand:

I have K♣ K♥ J♥ 10♠ 9♦. It's not a fantastic hand in that I can't scoop if there's a low, and in Juarez there's almost always a low because there are two boards. But I was in a blind and got to see the flops for free. The bottom board was inconsequential but did make a low. The top board came K-4-8 rainbow (or something similar). I flopped top set, and like I said the other board didn't have a pair or an ace so I had the nut high at the moment. I bet and I got a few callers. The turn was another 8 on my board so now I have the nut boat. I bet and again got like two callers. The community river card was an 8 as well. I made a mistake here and bet out. I got raised and then there was a call. So I knew someone had the nut low, but I was hoping the raiser had the low as he's apt to bet out when he has the nut low in split games. So I just called and said: "You have the 8?" And of course he did. One-outer. Cost me a bundle. I didn't know his other cards, so it's hard for me to criticize, but I hope he had something like a wrap or a low draw on the other board to stick around to catch the 700-1 shot to beat my high. I think I said "Sick!" at that point, which made everyone chuckle again. But I was cool because I was about even at that point and knew if I continued playing my game I'd be a winner by the end of the session.

One rotation later this hand came up, and again it's still Juarez:

I'm dealt A♣ 2♣ A♦ K♦ 3♥ on the button. This is a MONSTER hand in Juarez. I have two nut-flushes covered plus the nut low and a backup in case I'm counterfeited. So a few players limped and I raised. Why did I raise? Well, Scott mentioned it on Friday's show: You raise to thin the field or to build a pot. I did it to accomplish both of these tasks, and it worked. I got the blinds to fold and the limpers called. Then I got dream flops, and I may not have the exact cards right but it won't matter: 4♣ 7♣ 10♥ came on one board and I flopped a set of aces on the other board. That board never paired, however. Anyway, it got checked to me so I bet and got called in a couple of spots. The turn was the 5♣ giving me the nut low-flush-high hand on both boards and a chance at a steel wheel (A-5 straight flush). I can't remember if someone bet out or if it got checked to me again but the betting was heavy. The river was a blank so I had both nuts, or so it seemed. I said "I got the nut low and the nut high flush, both on this board." I thought I was scooping a huge pot and that's when Steve said "You have the nut flush? I have the nut flush." And he turned over the 6♣ 8♣. It could've been some other combination but he made a straight flush to beat my ace-high flush. I took the low and split it. Another one-outer cost me again essentially because if any other club comes I have the nuts, but that one club cost me half the pot. My set of aces on the other board likely would've been good for high even if no club came.

This beat was easier to take because (1) I still won half the pot, unlike the other hand and (2) I was just grateful it wasn't NLHE. But these two hands were brutal and could've set me off completely. Instead I just stayed the course and continued to play good poker. Ultimately I won $60 on the session, which isn't too bad considering my start and those brutal beats. There were some other beats and second-best hands that cost me pots as well (plus I had AA in the BB once when it got folded around to the SB and we were on automatic-chop mode all day) so it could've been an incredible session, but I'll take it regardless.

This is the type of session I'm most proud of because of a few reasons: In the old days I would've just donked off my whole stack and left. Or, I might've re-bought and continued to spiral down to an inevitable losing session. But I was able to vent, make the guys laugh, have fun and still turn a negative start into a positive session, and all of this while suffering some pretty horrendous beats.

I may not be a pro, but at least I'm still getting better.

Are there any sessions you're proud of? How did you do over the weekend?

-- Chris

The perfect poker playlist

I believe I've mentioned this on the blog before, but I'm always intrigued by the music that people play at their home games. When we got to Scott's house he always has that crappy Deep Tracks on his digital cable. I want to pull my hair out sometimes, and I think that's part of his master plan. But when I had people over to my house to play I made a special mix that included everything from Van Morrison to O.A.R. And then someone at the game liked the mix so much I gave them the disc. With that said, I found this site that lets you make a playlist and embed it on here. Feel free to copy this list or make your own. I used the instrumental to Ante Up by M.O.P. because I didn't want the lyrics to offend anyone, but of course I didn't realize some of the other songs would have the same sort of lyrics and now it's posted, so too late. If you get easily offended don't listen to songs 3-5.

What would be on your list?

-- Chris

Episode #143: Martha Frankel, author of Hats & Eyeglasses

MAIN TOPIC

Writer Martha Frankel joins us to discuss her new book, Hats and Eyeglasses: A Family Love Affair With Gambling. Martha comes from a New York family in which card games were a big part of growing up. She learned a lot from watching her father and his pals, and later from a cousin and a Wednesday night game with the "guys." After putting her poker skills to work in the card rooms of Atlantic City and L.A. to make some serious money, the Internet came along and the wheels came off. Martha explains her addiction to online poker and how she kicked it but still plays live for enjoyment. And she's a big 7-card stud fan, so that makes her a champ in our book. Click here to listen to the show (we're trying to resolve a problem with the RSS feed and iTunes).

OTHER TOPICS

The Invalid: Cosenza calls in from his sickbed, giving a rare dramatic reading. Plus, he's angry about something. Is anyone surprised? And he helps me evaluate a couple of NL hands that I played passively, i.e., poorly.

Call for Interns: Card Player is accepting applications for reporter-interns at the WSOP. Deadline is March 15. Info is here.

Full Tilt: A clarification from Scott, but please don't ask him to say "clarification."

Really Big Shews: Send questions on taxes and SNG strategy to poker@tampabay.com. We've got some experts coming up: tax guy Russ Fox for Show #144 and Steve Heston, author of the latest Kill Phil book, for Show #145.

Hotline: We claim another convert to the Church of Razz.

Tampa Bay Poker Replay: Thanks to Nordic and Blaz for submitting a new theme for this segment. Sharp! On the local tournament scene, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino has a $600,000 Poker Extravaganza scheduled for April 25-27, with a $1,000+$100 buy-in and lots of satellites. There's a link to their poker calendar here. And friend of Ante Up! Sam Minutello is running his Pros vs. Joes II tournament this weekend, with the likes of the Jetts, The Grinder and Chris Bell. One-Eyed Jacks has a Web site here.

One-Minute Mystery: Columbo decides his Royal Flush draw is good enough to shove with, and his opponent slinks away like a little lamb.

HAND OF THE WEEK

What is worse than getting quartered in Omaha 8? Getting "16.66 percented." Our friend Aquaman knows. He plays Ad 2h 2c Th in a low-limit ring game, flops a flush, makes a nut low, and still ends up underwater. The moral? That hand isn't all that.

NEXT WEEK'S SHOW

Tax expert Russ Fox.

MIKE

Episode #141: Poker Moment of Truth

Fox

MAIN TOPIC

Fox's newest game show, The Moment of Truth, inspired us to dig deep into our poker souls and expose our darkest card-playing secrets - while trying to bluff each other. Fasso is the host for this revealing look. Click here to listen to the show.

OTHER TOPICS

He flopped quads! Fasso, famous for saying he's never flopped quads IN HIS LIFE, does so not once, but twice in one week. And neither time was online, you conspiracy theorists!

AIPS recap: Well, not so much, since we had to tape in advance of the big event. But if you're reading this post, then you know who won because you read the previous post, right?

Scott's Rant o' the Week: Folks, wash your hands when you're in a dirty poker room. Your mom never showed you how? This Times file photo gives you a clue. (You'll also be happy to learn that most restrooms stock free soap.)

Annette, we want you ... to be on our show. But it hasn't been easy to book the European teen phenom Annette Obrestad.

SpadeClub launches: CardPlayer gets into the monthly membership poker site business. Just imagine the competition we'll have if the federal government decides to regulate online poker.

Hotline: SickBrain submits some musical possibilities, and Chicago Jason has some fun with Fasso and a former guest.

Tampa Bay Poker Replay: Scott says the small difference between a $2/$4 Omaha 8 game and a $3/$5 Omaha 8 game can be significant here in Tampa Bay, Land of Everyone to the Flop.

One Minute Mystery: We decide to fold, and are relieved when our opponent turns over his pocket rockets. Dodged that one.

HAND OF THE WEEK

Ross from Indiana is fond of Stud 8, but is working on his Stud game in order to round out his HORSE abilities (you're a winner already, Ross). He submits this stud hand for our analysis:

He starts out rolled up with Queens, with two Aces on board. He slow plays on 3rd Street, and doesn't need to get frisky as it's completed, raised and reraised by other players.

On 4th Street, he continues the ruse, just calling the single bet.

On 5th Street, danger lurks its ugly head. A pair of 9s with an Ace bets out, and our hero raises. A player with three to a flush sticks around, and we're reraised and then cap it.

On 6th Street, our hero boats up, and he drives the action. He's raised by the now-fourth diamond, and reraised by the 9s, and Ross caps it.

On 7th, Ross quads his queens, raises and caps it after it's reraised.

And then heartbreak: He loses to a steel wheel.

NEXT WEEK'S SHOW

TBD.

- SCOTT

Episode #140: Poker Night Food

Times photo

MAIN TOPIC

Times food editor Janet Keeler joins us to offer some tips on how we can bag those stale old chips and bland pretzels at our home poker games and feature tastier fare for the fish who swim in our pond. Click here to listen to the show.

Some highlights: Nothing wet or sticky (think finger sandwiches), stuff that can be eaten in a bite or two, a good variety (not just junk food), salt slows you down (not good for marathon games) and bring out the grub in stages (great for marathon games). Ante Upper David (aces88ss) offers this tip: players in his game must give $10 to the host, who's responsible for putting out a killer spread (think ribs, salmon, smoked turkey, deer, pheasant - even heart of bear!).

Two recipes from Janet's kitchen:

Smoky Bacon Wraps
1 pound sliced bacon
1 (16 ounce) package miniature smoked sausage links
1 cup packed brown sugar

Cut each bacon strip in half widthwise. Wrap one piece of bacon around each sausage.

Place in a foil-lined 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until bacon is crisp and sausage is heated through.

Source. www.allrecipes.com

Fumbo (Faux-Gumbo)2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 cups cooked chicken , cut into bite-sized pieces
1-2 cup cooked white rice
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes

6 cups chicken broth
1 green pepper , diced
1 red pepper , diced
1 medium onion , diced
3 garlic cloves , minced
2 stalks celery , diced
1 potato , diced (yukon gold or red)
to taste cayenne pepper
to taste salt & pepper , to taste
1 tablespoon sugar

Saute onion, peppers and celery for 3 minutes.  Add garlic and sautee 1 more minute.  Pour in diced tomatoes, chicken broth and potatoes. Stir, bring to a low boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes.

Add chicken, rice, cayenne pepper (the amount you use depends on your family's tolerance for spicy food - I usually give about 4 dashes), salt & pepper and sugar.  Let cook for another 20-30 minutes to bring flavors together.

Serves 6.

OTHER TOPICS

O.J.'s poker game delayed: The Naked Gun star was supposed to host a poker game on a January night ... until he was hauled off to Vegas by a former bailbondsman. Here's the Associated Press image from Jail, the TV show that reported it.

Best damn ... Poker Show on TV? That's what this Phill Hellmuth vs. Annie Duke reality poker show claims to be. Chris isn't buying it, Scott isn't watching it.

Big money in membership sites: PurePlay is offering a $10,000 tournament.

AIPS reminder: It's Thursday night on FullTilt. Click here for details.

Hotline: We get a call from Middle America about how much luck is involved in poker. Short term? Lots. Long term? Not so much.

Tampa Bay Poker Replay: Poker room receipts are were up 54 percent in December. The new stakes are attracting players!

HAND OF THE WEEK
Russ (Vindice) submits a hand from a recent No-Limit Hold'em CHIMPS event.

Stakes are 200/400 with a 50 ante.

UTG calls, and Russ calls with Kd-Qc. Two callers, plus the BB, so five to the flop.

The flop: Js-Jh-Ks.

It's checked around to our hero, who bets 1200. Folded around to the UTG, who calls.

The turn: 7d.

Checked around.

The river: 2c.

UTG bets 3000, our hero pushes for 4709 and loses to a boat (pocket Kings).

Our advice: The two Jacks on the flop were scary, and there wasn't a reason to push the final 1709 in on the end.

Better luck next time Russ. Send us your address for some swag.

NEXT WEEK'S SHOW

It's a good one: Fasso joins us to moderate our own version of The Moment of Truth. The show has already been taped, in anticipation of Chris' surgery. He'll be out for up to a month. Fasso will fill in, and wish our good buddy a speedy recovery.

- SCOTT

A tale of two hands

Last night was our home game at Fasso's. All night I was up a little or right around even. I hadn't had a losing session in the Ante Up! games in a LONG time, and Fasso and I had been talking about that fact this week. So, of course, I was bound to walk away with less than I started this time around, right?

It's amazing how two hands can change a session so drastically. It was the end of the night, the final 30 minutes, and we had two "dealer's choice" games left. Frank called Deuce-to-7 and early on in the big blind I picked up 2-3-5-x-x. Fasso raised UTG and we had two callers so I called. I drew 6-7. Stood pat, bet out and got two callers. Second draw I stood pat, Fasso took two and Frank took one. I bet out, Fasso folded and Frank raised me. I three-bet it and he just called. So when he called I felt good because if he had a wheel he would've capped it. We both stood pat and for some reason I thought against betting and checked, and he checked behind me so I was positive I had the best hand. He turned over 76432. I was pipped for a pretty large pot. So that brought me back to even on the night.

The other hand came in the final game of the night. I called NLHE. It was the first time this game had been called at Fasso's in two weeks. About five hands in Fasso raised 3X UTG. We were 5-handed at this point and the blinds were $.50-$1 with a $30 cap. It folded around to me in the BB and I looked down at JJ. I reraised to $12 and he instantly said "Cap it!!!!" So, he re-reraised me to $30. I had to call since I already had $12 in there and I had a feeling I was up against AK. I called and he turned over AQ. The flop was safe for me (it had a king and nothing else) but he turned a queen and that was all she wrote. I ended the night down $30.

The Deuce-to-7 hand sucked, but there was no other way for me to play it so that's just the way it goes. But the NLHE hand has me second-guessing (Isn't that always the way in NLHE?). Should I have just called there and led out on the flop? Hindsight says yes because I know his cards, etc., but then again I might've been afraid of the king and checked. I could've gotten away from it for just $3 if I only called his raise. Oh well. I hate hindsight. Then again, I didn't like the way Fasso played it either. He committed $27 more dollars on AQ. I know he was frustrated at that point, and that led to me calling, but to put all your money in on AQ in a cash game is pretty weak. Sorry, Fasso, but it's true. This wasn't a $5 heads-up Chimps tournament. 8-)

Still, playing for four hours and only losing a little isn't too bad considering I took over $100 out of that game last week.

-- Chris

Episode #139: Sen. Alfonse D'Amato of the PPA

MAIN TOPIC

Former U.S. Sen. Alfonse D'Amato joins us to chat one year after taking over at his new gig: chairman of the Poker Players Alliance, a grass-roots lobbying group that works to promote poker-friendly legislation.

We asked the senator about the PPA's agenda, how the federal government really works, poker sentiment at the federal level, the presidential candidates, 2+2 Forum's criticism of the PPA and much more. Click here to listen to the show.

Associated Press

OTHER TOPICS

Mourn the passing of ... Chris' blue and green shirt, that pretty much was his Ante Up! uniform, his work uniform, and - rumors say - his wedding tuxedo. He's been hitting the potato chips hard lately, went to reach for a Pizza-flavored Pringle and split the shirt. The best part? Someone stole it out of this trash can. (Was it Blazman?) Some people are really sick. And so is the person who stole the shirt (unless it WAS Blazman. He's cool).

Home game report: When you get as old as we are, strange things happen when you decide to have a home game that stretches past midnight on a school night. How much does it hurt when you misread your hand? Ugh. Kids, when you get tired, just walk away. Chris did a new chip trick: He made his shirt disappear.

Stimulate the poker economy: Congress is sending us each $600 - even more if you have ankle-biters around the house. Are you spending your rebate on poker? Yeah, we know you are. Maybe Chris' BFF Freddy Deeb will buy Chris a new shirt.

Macau gets hold'em: The craze finally makes it to the Chinese gambling mecca in a live-game form. Four tables are planned initially. Might want to get your name on the wait list ASAP.

Brunson blogs: I highly recommend taking at look at Doyle Brunson's blog. It's a bittersweet mix of personal torment and great poker stories.

Hotline: The FullTilt RCG gives us another ring. You just have to feel bad for it.

Tampa Bay Poker Replay: The Hard Rock is introducing NASCAR collector chips and is advertising a $77,777 bad beat jackpot for hold'em ($7,777 for cool kids like us who prefer Omaha or stud). Over at The Silks at Tampa Bay Downs, compete in the Tampa Bay Poker Challenge for your share of $100,000 in cash. Plus, new non-hold'em tournaments once a month and tableside massages!

One Minute Mystery: We decide to slow down on the scary turn, and then check down the river which proves to be a mistake. Our opponent takes the pot with 9-9. Next week's mystery? Did Amarillo Slim Dumpster Dive for Chris' shirt?

HAND OF THE WEEK

We pick apart a no-limit hold'em cash game hand that Chris previously posted on this blog - a post that drew more than 60 comments. (You guys really should quit indulging him). Turns out, Chris gets felted by 9d-6d - a most unlikely holding. While there's probably not a lot Chris could have done to avoid his fate, I said I would have checked the flop with the intention to check-raise. Same result, different path.

NEXT WEEK'S SHOW

Fasso returns to moderate our own version of The Moment of Truth, Fox's new game show where it pays to tell the truth. Who can outbluff the other more - Chris or me? E-mail your suggested questions to Mike.

And on Episode #140, we'll welcome Times food editor Janet Keeler to the show to suggest some better food than those stale chips and pretzels that all of us serve at our home games. E-mail your suggested questions to us.

- SCOTT

Lance's home game recap

Last night we played in Fasso's home game, or as I like to call it: Gambit's Home Game South, because the table and chips were Gambit's and he was there as well. It was the first time we played at Fasso's in about two years. It's the location of his infamous blowup the last time we played there. I had bluffed him off his pocket kings with my pocket 10s when a board flopped with an ace. After that we referred to him as Lance when we talked about the incident on the show to protect his identity. So much for that.

It was good to get back to Lance's place. But whenever we play our home game, I never know if I should post because we might want to talk about it on the show. Plus, this is Scott and Fasso's blog, too, so they may have something they want to say, etc. But just in case the cat has their tongue, I'll mention last night's boxscore.

First, some of the funnier lines from the evening, and I may be paraphrasing:

After a hand when Fasso missed a value bet:
Steve: I always bet my hands strongly so you could've gotten another bet out of me.
Fasso: I'll file that away for future use.
Chris: Yeah, but Fasso's in his 40s so there's a good chance he'll forget it anyway.

After Scott bled a bunch of chips making very loose calls with just overcards during a limit hold 'em session.
Chris: You know they say you have to have a healthy disregard for money to successfully play poker ... So Scott's gonna live a long healthy life!

With the Duke-UNC game on behind us, Frank, a Dookie grad, was just a little eager:
Frank: We will be No. 2 tomorrow. (2 minutes later) We're gonna be No. 2 tomorrow. (a minute later) With this win we'll be No. 2 tomorrow. (20 seconds later) This is a fight for No. 2 in the country and we're gonna be no worse than No. 2.
Chris: Frank, if you say they're going to be No. 2 one more time I'm going to smack you. It's only friggin February, and you're already No. 2 anyway! Would you shut the hell up?!
Scott: I think Duke will be No. 2 tomorrow if they win.
Chris: Shut up, Scott.

In Razz, Fasso and I get involved in a hand and this is on 6th street:
Chris: I got you.
Fasso: I have a hand.
Chris: Good, so do I. Call, fold or raise.
Fasso: I'm thinking we might have another Binions moment here.
It turns out he was right. He made a better 7-6 than me, just like at Binions, but I think Mike would say I finally was gracious, right Mike? Nice hand, buddy.

Last hand of the night, and it's Crazy Pineapple:
Chris: I'm gonna have to pay you off Mike, I have a flush.
Fasso: You have a flush, but I have THE flush.
He turns over the nuts and that hand makes him positive on the evening.

As for the game, I had a nice session, getting ahead by about $50 early, then falling back to about even and then turning it on again for a nice $106 profit. And we never called No Limit. Gambit had a nice night, and he had my number. Seemed like every pot I was in with him I lost, and he even beat my queen with a one-card pull of the deck for a king to win the extra dollar. Wow!

There was one hand I was particuliarly proud of in Stud/8, and it has to do with perception and a scary board. I was dealt (A♦,3♥) 3♦ and I was the bring-in. This hand had possibilities, though I might be tempted to fold if I wasn't the bring-in and there were a lot of low cards out. But my ace kicker was higher than any card showing. So I just brought it in for $.50. Steve and Fasso called and then Gambit completed to $2 with something like a 6 showing. Frank folded and I had to call. Steve (10 showing) and Fasso (J♠) also came along.

On fourth street I picked up a 7♦, which made my hand pretty powerful as far as draws go, but I still really only had a pair of threes. Gambit picked up another baby (a 4 I think) and Steve looked to have missed with something like a 6. Fasso pick up an 8♥, nothing scary. Everyone checked to Gambit, who bet $2. We all called.

On 5th I got a 9♥, which did nothing for me. Gambit picked up an A♠, Steve paired his 6, I think, and Fasso paired his 8, but neither pairs were door cards so I didn't think they had trips. Again it was checked to Gambit, who bet $4. I called with my draws and so did Steve and Fasso.

Now it gets interesting. I got the 9♦ on 6th street. So I had two nines showing, 4 diamonds and an ace in the hole. But my low was busted. I didn't think I'd win the low even if I caught good anyway because Gambit again hit a low card, like a deuce, and the spades were starting to add up on his board. I knew if I checked then Steve and Fasso would follow suit just like they had done on the previous streets, checking to the low. So I checked my hand and it got around to Gambit, who bet like clockwork. At this point I sprung into action and raised to $8. Steve thought it over, and he was having a very frustrating night, making the second-best hand a LOT, so I took advantage of that. My raise finally got him out, but he let out a very big sigh of disgust. Fasso thought and then put out $4. I said, "I made it $8." He pulled back his bet (it's a friendly game and we let others do that all night when it was clear they were confused) and said, "Oh, I thought I had bet out first and was just calling $4 more." Then he thought forever and Gambit, thinking Fasso had folded, reraised out of turn. This almost brought out "Lance," but Fasso kept cool and said he didn't act yet. By Gambit doing that it really rattled Fasso and made him think. Gambit was physically upset by his blunder, and it tipped his hand. Fasso knew he ultimately would have to likely call 3-4 big bets now instead of just two. That's when he started to think my nines were trips and Gambit had a locked low, so he finally folded. Gambit reraised and I just called.

I filled up on the river with a 3 and Gambit just had his low as we split a nice pot. When I showed my hand Steve said he folded 10s-up and Fasso said he folded Kings-up but he feared I had trips and would need to fill up to win. Now, if you think about it, if I hadn't forced out Fasso I might've gotten more money out of him because I filled up (I was ahead of him in the dealing sequence so it wasn't disturbed) and when Gambit bet I would've made it $8 (or I would have bet out first, got Fasso to call and then Gambit would raise and I would reraise). Who knows what would've happened after that, and Fasso would have missed on 7th. The other side of that coin is, if I just called on 6th, Steve and Fasso both would've stayed in and THEN either one of them could've filled up and beaten my boat. So it works both ways, but it was nice to know I made TWO better hands lay down because of my two-betting with those scary nines showing. This play doesn't work in microlimit online poker, so don't try it.

Would you have played it that way? What if you were in Fasso's shoes with Kings-up there?

-- Chris

Heads-up session and a floater who sank

I really don't know what possessed me to do this (Blazman put a spell on me?) but Saturday night (actually Sunday morning) I decided to play No Limit Hold 'Em heads up at a cash table. I have to admit I've played heads up very successfully before, but almost exclusively in a SNG format, not for cash. My success EASILY comes from playing heads up with my wife, Jeanne, who's a very good NLHE tournament player. She makes me think about different plays and adjusting every time we play. If you can find someone at home to play heads up with I strongly recommend it.

I intended to join a short-handed table but couldn't find one open to my liking, so I thought "I want to see as many hands as possible and play as quickly as the game would allow since it's 2 a.m." So then I figured what better way to do that than to play heads up?

I found someone alone at a $.25-$.50 table so I joined with $50. We played maybe 10 hands before he scooted with a $3 profit. It was pretty uneventful, but not as uneventful as my next opponent, who left after four hands and a $1 profit. After about 15 hands I was down nearly $5 and had no one sitting across from me. I thought: "Stay and fight you hit-and-run wussies!" Then I saw a guy with $78 waiting for an opponent. It was at the same limit so I bought in for the max, $50, and had an inkling he'd be aggressive. Why? He was up $28 and sitting there waiting for another victim instead of being content to leave with his profit and start anew somewhere else. To me that screamed aggressive player.

From the get-go I was passive, limping on the button and just calling his raises when I had position and a decent starting hand. For about 15 minutes the only winner in this contest was Full Tilt, however. Then the first big hand came up. On the button I had 7-7 and raised to $1.50, which I thought he would respect since I hadn't really raised much at all. That's when he reraised to $6. Now, in my earlier days when I thought I knew how to play poker I would've just shoved there and taken my chances. But now that I'm older and wiser (well, you know what I mean) I decided to just smooth-call his re-raise. This way I could get away from a scary board for just the minimum.

Flop: 9-7-2 rainbow. Wow! He bet $9 instantly. I actually took this as weakness. There was no thought process AT ALL it seemed. If it looks like a c-bet and smells like a c-bet and feels like a c-bet, it's probably a c-bet. But as I was about to slowplay my slot machine a thought popped into my head: "What if he really did respect my raise and reraised with a monster like KK?" I could double through right now if that's the case. So I decided to bet into him. The great Doyle Brunson often professes to bet your sets, especially into a raiser, so I minraised him, hoping he had something and would take this minraise as another passive move on my part, like with A-9. He called.

The turn brought a rag, and since I'm writing at work I can't check the hand history to see what it was. I think it was a 4, but it put two clubs on the board. At this point he shoved! I have to admit I didn't even think for a second what he could have here. I instacalled because there's no way I'm getting away from a set of sevens, especially with the size of that pot in a cash game. Before I tell you what he had I'd like for you to guess. Go ahead, guess. I'll wait.

Does he have AA? 99? Air? Flush draw?

He held AQo and was drawing dead on the river. I doubled through him and then about 10 hands later or so I felted him with QQ. I flopped another set when he had A9 on a board of AQ7.

But if I replay the 77 vs. AQ hand from the beginning you can see his action adds up, even on the turn. If I'm in his shoes with a hand like AQ I'd consider reraising preflop. I also would consider just calling and seeing a flop since I'm out of position. But he reraised and got a call. Now, when he misses the flop I can see him betting out. He told me preflop he had a big hand by his reraise, especially reraising someone who was a rock till that point. When I minraised, however, I think he has to seriously consider getting away from this hand. But I think Mr. Aggressive planned on stealing this from me all along. In his mind he was "floating," which can be a very powerful tool if you have confidence in your reading ability. If you don't know what floating is, it's when you call a bet with the intention of stealing the pot on a later street if you sense weakness. David Williams (picture by Getty Images), wrote a nice piece on this here. The problem though was my opponenet was "floating" out of position. To properly execute "The Float" you need to know your opponent is weak and can't bet the turn. Then you pounce with a bet. In this case he just panicked, shoved and hoped I only had a marginal hand and believed he actually had an overpair and therefore couldn't call.

I've been using the floating play more lately with some decent success, and if you can do it with outs that's even better. I used the float once last week on Stars with KQ when the board came A-10-x. I called his bet in position intending to steal on the turn, and a jack peeled off. JACKPOT!

Anyway, I'm not sure I'll continue to play heads up, but it was great to make a $65 profit in less than an hour. And remember, don't float out of position.

-- Chris

Episode #138: Mailbag!

MAIN TOPIC

Yes, we know we promised Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, but the new chairman of the Poker Players Alliance had to postpone again, this time to stump for Sen. John McCain. We're reskedded for next week. (So keep those questions coming!)

So we present our latest installment of everyone's favorite ace in the hole: Mailbag!

Click here to listen to the show, where you'll hear our answers to questions that delve into adjusting to table changes, restealing, mixed games at home, the differences between tournament play and live play, online etiquette, tournament satellites, variance, the Chimps series, bingo and much, much more.

OTHER TOPICS

Windy City: I recap my fab time in Chicago, and we share some clips from the Ante Up! MeetUp, courtesy of Chicago Mike. Thanks Mike!

Pot odds: Raise your hand if you're surprised that we had an error or two on last week's attempt at pot odds redemption? We try to set the record straight.

It's all about timing: I endured a run of bad timing last night at Derby Lane, but the only timing that counts is the last.

QuickDraw freerolls: Doyle's Room is offering these new tournaments. They're freerolls, but you can rebuy for a juiceless $1. Scott's intrigued, Chris is yawning.

WPT news: The World Poker Tour is now offering Cash Game camps, and our very own Ante Up! superstar Lee Childs is among the faculty. Also, ClubWPT kicks off. It's a membership site where you can play poker and blackjack tournaments for prizes.

Hotline: Mike from California says last week's One Minute Mystery is a common play in online SNGs and Charlie from New York says razz is illegal in New Jersey! True? We'll find out.

Tampa Bay Poker Replay: Why is it so hard to find a live stud tournament that's dealt and structured properly? We review Fasso's debacle at the Hard Rock.

HAND OF THE WEEK

The wait is over for Justin "Irish_Fan_34." We finally break down his hand from a .25/.50 Stud8 table on FullTilt.

He starts with (5d-3s) 6c, raises the bring-in's complete and gets three callers.

On 4th Street, he picks up the 8c, raises and gets reraised by 2c-8s.

On 5th Street, he improves with the Ah, and check/calls. We'd raise here to drive out a player going high so we can get heads-up with the remaining player, who is going low.

On 6th Street, he pairs his 6 with the 6d, bets out, gets raised and reraises. We'd rather have gotten to 7th as cheaply as possible.

On 7th Street, he miffs with a Js, but it's checked down and our hero scoops with his pair of 6s and 8-6 low.

Whew. Nice outcome, but a dangerous path to get there.

Justin, send us your address and we'll ship out some swag.

- SCOTT

Episode #137: Pot Odds Redux

MAIN TOPIC

You asked for it, we cried, but we gave it to you. We tried our best to improve upon our previous infamous "pot odds" show. How'd we do? Click here to listen to the show.

To calculate pot odds, first figure the ratio of the money you need to bet to the money that's in the pot. if there's $30 in the pot, and the bet is $3, that's 10-1. Next, figure out how many "outs" - cards that will help your hand - exist, and divide the number of unseen cards by that number. Let's say you've flopped four to the nut flush. Nine remaining cards complete your flush. There are 47 cards, divided by nine is 4.22-1.

Generally speaking, if the first number (10-1, in this case) is larger than the second number (4.22-1, here), then you call. If it's lower, you fold.

We also briefly touch on "implied odds," which is when you can factor in future bets you expect to win if your hand improves.

There are a gazillion good resources on the Web, but we suggest you find a pot odds chart and study it. Just having a basic idea of whether a call, or fold, is the right move will improve your game immensely.

OTHER TOPICS

Just shut up! No, not you. (Well, yes you if you're as whiny as the guy on Scott's left this week). Seriously folks, no one wants to hear bad beat stories or constant crying at the poker table. Grow up.

Chicago is our kind of town: Thanks again to the Chicago Poker Club for keeping us atop their podcast rankings, and come by the Billy Goat on Sunday to rib Scott for not always talking clearly into the mic.

Show!, no you show! No, you show! A playground confrontation between Phil Hellmuth and Jean-Robert Bellande took place on Poker After Dark this week, and listen in to get the real scoop on who was right from Sam Minutello.

Be Chris' social network friend! Chris has joined the new Poker Players Social Network, kinda like a Facebook or MySpace for poker players. It's pretty new, but is picking up steam quickly, all by word of mouth.

What's on your Poker Bucket List? Let us know.

Poker pitchmen on wheels: Online gambling site 888.com has joined up with cabbies in London to promote its site. When you climb into a cab, a cabbie might try to get you to talk about poker. If you do, then he might try to convince you to play on 888.com. Hey, what else are you going to do on the average 16-minute cab ride in London?!?

Hotline: Ross from Indiana calls, suggesting that we use our "card dead" periods to pay attention to action and try to steal in optimal situations. We agree.

One Minute Mystery: Columbo makes what he says is a reckless call, and it works out as his opponent was making a move with 2-2.

HAND OF THE WEEK

To demonstrate our proficiency in pot odds (pause for laughter), we break down a hand from the Ante Up! Home Game where Chris tiptoed on the border of correct odds to win a no-limit hold'em hand.

It's a six-handed table, with blinds of .50/1 and a 50-unit cap. UTG+1 raises to 3, and Chris calls on the but-ton with Ad-Kd, as does the SB.

The flop: 3s-8d-4d.

The SB checks, the original raiser bets 6. Chris figures he's getting 2.7-1 on his money, and his odds of improving are 3.1-1. He makes the borderline call, and the SB check-raises to 15. The original raiser folds, and now Chris is getting 4.1-1 to call, and his new odds are 5.875-1, since he has to assume some of his previous "outs" are no longer good with a player showing strength. That's not enough to call, but Chris reasons he has enough implied odds to make the call profitable.

The turn: 10c.

SB bets 12, which gives Chris 5.3-1 on his money. When considering the cap, Chris makes the call, hits his flush on the river and extracts a value bet out of the SB, who had 3-3.

NEXT WEEK'S SHOW

Former Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, now chairman of the Poker Players Alliance, calls in to field our questions on what the PPA is up to these days and to give us an update on the legislative climate for poker. Have a question for the senator? Post it here.

- SCOTT

Which game is more frustrating?

A lot of you may not play these games on a regular basis, and because of that, you may be smarter than you think. People often talk of Razz as the most frustrating poker game, but I have a new contender: Deuce-to-7 Triple Draw Lowball.

We had our monthly home game on Saturday and the Ante Up! Brass had a nice showing, each of us (me, Scott and Fasso) winning a nice chunk of change and being the only ones positive for the session. But during this session I discovered just how frustrating Deuce-to-7 can be. I have to admit, I've been playing this game a lot on Stars and have never had a losing session. I owe all of my success in this game to Daniel Negreanu's chapter in Super System 2, which I read very often. I try to play as optimally as possible, utilizing position to the fullest extent, checking when I'm behind, betting when I'm ahead, good starting hand selection, etc. But, when playing optimally, the losses still can really add up when you don't make your draws. No fewer than six times on Saturday I was dealt three or four to a wheel (a wheel in 2-to-7 is 2-3-4-5-7) or three or four to a 7 low (a 6 is not a wheel card but is still ok). And I NEVER made even a 9, much less an 8 or 7. The one pot I won in this game (and we played it twice in the rotation during the day) I actually was heads-up and had to bluff when I paired my 7 on the final draw. Turned out I was bluffing with the best hand as he had a pair of 8s. But to not even make an 8 or 9 all day? Wow. As a matter of fact, the best hand I made all day was a K on the final draw and, of course, I folded it to a bet.

Having a 6 in your hand is a very slippery slope because you can make straights, which count against you. So I always treaded lightly with a 6 in my hand, and of course I made back-to-back straights on consecutive draws in one HUGE pot and had to fold on the river.

Here's a brief look at the hands:
Dealt                     1st Draw           2nd Draw             3rd Draw
2-3-4-5-K                   K                         6                           6
A-2-4-5-6                   3                         2                           6
2-2-3-5-7                   7                         K                           7 (I won)
2-4-5-6-J                   6                         2                           3
2-3-5-A-A (in BB)       A3                       KQ                         folded
2-4-5-10-J (in BB)      KJ                        J9                          folded

These aren't bad beats, just a painful reminder of how frustrating this game can be and, dare I say, MORE frustrating than Razz? Take the third hand listed for instance. I was on the button and raised to take control of the hand. I got two callers and they threw away 2 each. At this point I have four 6s, four 4s and probably four 8s to likely make the best hand. That's 12 outs three times!!! An 8-7 might not be the best hand but I'll take my chances with guys drawing two. They threw away two and I paired my seven, which makes me wonder what they were drawing to anyway since I had now thrown away and drew two wheel cards (and that only increases the value of my hand). What makes this game more frustrating than Razz is I can't see any other cards, just my own. As Razz progresses you can see your outs dwindling before your eyes. In Triple Draw you can't tell which ones are out (except for the ones you throw away). I know Razz can be frustrating when you brick three times or make three pair, but in a game like Triple Draw where your actions are almost automatic, to still not make one legitimate hand is tough to take!

Thankfully I made a nice C-note on the day by winning at the other games, such as double-flop hold em, limit hold 'em and a huge hand in NLHE (nut flush vs. a set). The difference between winning and losing on this day really was about hand selection, minimizing losses and maximizing the winning hands.

-- Chris

Episode #134: New Year's Resolutions

MAIN TOPIC

It's that time of the year - when Chris and I commit to improve our lives through poker ... and then see how long it is before we fail. Click here to listen to the show.

We spice things up this year by including some very good resolutions shared by our listeners, as well as a few from pros, courtesy of CardPlayer magazine. But here are ours:

CHRIS

1. To play in a non-hold'em live tournament with a buy-in of at least $50.

2. To win an AIPS banana and make a serious run at AIPS Player of the Year.

3. To play more live and less online.

4. To bluff more.

5. To play more tournaments.

SCOTT

1. To not feel that he HAS to buy-in directly to a major tournament.

2. To get better at no-limit cash games.

3. To commit to hosting a home game once a month.

4. To blog about all WPT and WSOP Circuit tournaments.

5. To keep having fun playing poker.

OTHER TOPICS

Poker After Dark: Dream Week on PAD provides us a lot of material, from the freeroll winner's play to a wrenching Scotty Nguyen story.

A tip from Fergie: Chris Ferguson takes a stab at a frequent Ante Upper question: How do you handle it when you're running bad? Read his whole answer at FullTilt.

Scott's $1 menu: Scott rants about the Hard Rock dropping a buck rake on every hand, even if there's no action, and then Scott and Chris argue about a ruling at Tampa Bay Downs when Scott didn't hear that the bet had been made $5 straight, mucked his hand, but had to keep the dollar he called with in the pot.

Housekeeping: New photos have been added to the Ante Up! Gallery, and the first AIPS event is open for registration.

Hotline: Ante Upper Jeff calls in, wondering when you should play a guarantee tournament. Divide the buy-in from the guarantee, and that'll determine the number of entrants needed before the overlay evaporates. Ultimately, it's up to you to decide whether it's worth taking the risk for the reward of the overlay.

Tampa Bay Poker Replay: One-Eyed Jack's second Pros and Joes tournament is unofficially slated for March, with lots of new poker stars slated to attend.

One-Minute Mystery: Columbo is on hiatus. He'll return shortly.

HAND OF THE WEEK

It's a gem from the Ante Up! Home Game, during the $1/$1 pot-limit hold'em ($30 cap) rotation.

Scott opens for pot ($4) UTG with K-10 off. Chris rightfully ridicules him for playing such a weak holding from early position, but Scott says he was hoping his complete absence from the pot-limit rotations would garner respect, plus he was sitting on a deep stack.

It's folded to Gambit on the button, who calls with J-10 off. The blinds fold, and we're heads-up to the flop with $10 in the pot.

The flop: Js-9s-2x.

Scott makes a pot-sized ($10) continuation bet. Chris suggests a smaller bet. Gambit reraises cap and Scott calls, saying, "OK, I'll gamble with you."

Cards are turned up, and after an extended period of stunned silence, the laughter ensues.

Scott doesn't improve, and Gambit takes down a nice pot. Scott said he figured Gambit for a 50 percent bluff, and if he was wrong, there was no holding that didn't