Holiday time….
July 31, 2007
I’m off on my holidays tomorrow, so no more posting for me for a few weeks. I’m off to Florida with the family. So may the poker gods (and devils!) be with you all. Hope ya make plenty of money off the monkeys!!
Feeling old today
July 26, 2007
I won’t be around on Saturday (7/28/07). I am going to attend my 30th High School reunion.
Now, if that doesn’t make you feel old….
It seems like just yesterday I was running around causing trouble, drinking too much (ok, that one hasn’t changed..lol), and feeling imortal.
Aaaaaarrrggghhhhh!!!!
July 24, 2007
I didn’t realise until these last few days that the internet rules my life! Not just poker, but the internet in general. At the weekend, my internet connection started playing up. I had signed up for a game of poker at William Hill - a $10 + $1 head-hunter - 30mins before it was due to start. I walked away from the computer and when I returned, my modems’ LED’s was giving one of those colourful displays that immediately says….. YOU’RE SCREWED!
Yes, I was on the verge of smashing the computer to pieces, even though it wasn’t the comp’s fault! Well I needed to vent my frustrations somewhere! It wasn’t for the fact that the internet had ceased to exist for me, it was the fact that I had just paid $11 in total for a tournament that I couldn’t now play!
Cue the phone calls to my ISP. A lot of help they were with their stupid automated phone lines. Can you believe this…. they suggest looking at their website for updates!!! Either that or call a over-priced technical line for updates! Their problem, and they want me to pay to call a technical helpline that will tell me what I already know!!! Yes, your fricken broadband connection has went tits-up! All I want to know - for free - is when the hell is it going to be fixed!
Eventually, 35mins after the tournament had started, (1 hour after losing said connection) I managed to log back on. Woohoo! My connection was back. But….. my chips had been depleted and I was the shortstack. The next closest player to me had 3 times as many chips. I lasted exactly one hand where my full house, nines over aces was beaten by a rivered aces over threes! Not a happy bunny, I can tell you!
I had also intended to play a headhunter put on by the league at Cake poker….. but my internet crashed yet again. So the comp was switched off, shouted abuse at the wife (trying to blame her for the problems!) and stomped off to bed.
On Monday I had similar ‘intermitant’ problems so basically stayed away from the computer to save my blood pressure hitting the roof. Today (Tuesday), the internet crashed at work. I’m beginning to think I’m cursed!! But at home, everything seems to have settled down (fingers crossed!).
Anyways, to the future……
As of this moment, there is 1 sleep until my birthday, 4 sleeps until my wedding anniversary and 8 sleeps until going on holiday to Florida! Yes, my kids have got me counting the days to events in the number of ’sleeps’ it is to the event!
So basically, I will probably be posted missing for the majority of this week as I’m also intending to play a live game on Friday (a birthday treat of sorts). Hopefully catch up with you all at some point though before heading off on holiday!
Monkey Talk 101
July 20, 2007
For those of us who play Poker with the intent of playing the game correctly and attempt to learn more along the way, the following is a glossary of terms used by the Monkeys at the tables.
Hopefully, this will aid you in determining what is happening at the tables so you can clarify your next course of action.
Just so this post doesn’t get too long, I will break it up into sections. The first section will be about identification. The next will be about communication.
First, let’s define a Monkey. Read more
Is it contagious - the debate continues….
July 18, 2007
Following on from last weeks post I have to say that I’m loving the debate! Great points from everyone and such a conflict of opinions. Just what I was looking for!
As I said in last weeks blog, I’m not saying poker sites are cheating. I just find it quite coincidental that so many people from our little community are going through pratically the exact same sequence of events…. and no, I don’t think its just players from our forum! After reading the comments thus far, and having a wee think about it all, I’ve came to a conclusion. I think it’s all software related!
No, not that the software has a glitch in it. No, not that the software has been tampered with. I think it’s a case of learning how a site works and playing it to your advantage. Up until a year ago Jetset Poker was a popular site. It shut down after the UIGEA bill went through in the US. This site was well known for the river flushes it produced and people would call all-in bets with a flush draw knowing that they would hit their flush more often than not. That was just how the software operated. People cottoned onto this and played to the software’s ‘failings’.
I think the same applies to every site out there. You have to learn how it operates and exploit the failings in the software. Maybe those of us who have suffered the Abs/Vegas suckout phenomenon have lost sight as to how the sites software works, and we are not taking advantage. Have we became a bit pompous, proclaiming that we are poker players, and we shall not play like a monkey; and it’s against our better judgement (as poker players) to chase to the river? Should we not be taking advantage of the ‘flaws’ in the software of all the sites we play? Even if that means changing our mindset as poker players?
I just get the feeling that we are too proud to admit sometimes, that we think we should be aiming to play the perfect poker game all the time online. Yes, we should be striving to become better all-round poker players, but we should not lose sight, and react to the flaws of online poker. I’m not advocating chasing to the river any chance we get, but there is some instances when maybe we should do it. If we know there’s a good chance of sucking out (because we know how the software operates), and it’s not going to cost too much to call, why don’t we take the gamble? It seems others do it and get away with it so why can’t we do the same?
Maybe some of those we refer to as monkeys aren’t as stupid as they seem. Maybe they are opting to gamble on how the software works as opposed to the unadulterated stupidity we often label them with.
A different concept on this topic, I’m sure you will agree. I look forward to reading your thoughts on this.
Playing cards or playing poker?
July 16, 2007
I was thinking about all of the discussion lately regarding bad beats, RNG’s, “fixed” games, etc.
Something came to mind that I would like to throw out there for comments.
Perspective is very important when discussing these things. Read more
