Just Poker Talk

I spent most of the night clearing my deposit bonus at Doyle’s Room. Once I reached 20,000 Action Points, I was expecting $100 to be credited to my account right away. Unfortunately that did not happen. I proceeded to reload the cashier tab fifty times, but nothing changed. I chatted with the poker hosts, but received no affirmation that I was guaranteed my deposit bonus. The poker hosts have a way of pretending to be helpful, but never really saying anything that can incriminate them in the future. After I ask a question they will pause for a minute or two and then they will try their best to evade a direct answer to my question.

I’m still in the process of making sure I cleared my bonus, so I don’t have time to write up a post tonight. Instead I present this short film titled Four of a Kind. This will probably one of those films that you’ll either hate or like. For me I enjoyed it for what it was. The production value is low but pretty good for a low budget film. I’m also fan of absurdism, so the poor acting didn’t bother me.

short film, poker, four of a kind, absurdism

I woke up this afternoon and read on here.

At first I found it strange and even humorous in a sinister way. But then I read that this happened over a decade ago in Pakistan. That information made the news more real, more believable because I couldn’t fathom this happening now. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that this incident was very real, even in these times.

For me, when I think of the early nineties, I am reminded of VHS tapes, walkmans, brick-sized cellphones, MC Hammer, and 90 mhz Pentium computers. The nostalgia of the time is humorous to me, but when I think back to my life in the nineties, at least what I remember of it, the nineties becomes less of a joke. And I think this is because no matter how many new advancements the world takes, people are still people in the end, and this story about a Pakistani guy losing his daughter in a poker game is about human nature, something that has remained basically unchanged. Throughout history, instances of selling children as sex slaves and slaves has been prevalent and still goes on today. Although this incident is not quite the same, it still strikes me as horrible that someone could wager their own child.

Lately I’ve been reading the Brother’s Karamazov, so I keep thinking about the about the story and relating it to everything. There is a part about the suffering of children and whether they should or not. Unfortunately I do not remember the section where Dostoevsky writes about this, so I cannot detail his character’s arguments on the subject. Instead I’ll just leave off with a question. Should children suffer?

poker, losing daughter in a poker game, nineties nostalgia

When I heard Doyle’s Room was leaving the US market come March 1, 2007, my biggest concern was my deposit bonus. Back in the summer of 2005, I deposited 200 dollars to receive a 100 dollar bonus, of which required me to earn 20,000 Action Points. Lucky for me the bonus never expires and I was able to chip away, playing sporadically over the last year and a half, at least until last week.

On February 20, 2007, I sat at 12,000 AP and my plan was to earn 1000 AP by playing 3-5 hours a day, or however many hours was necessary. In order to accumulate AP at a faster rate, I decided to play two tables at a time, one at 50NL and another at 20NL. Low limit grinders would have no problem clearing the bonus within this time frame, however I am not that type of player.

I always considered myself a recreational player, the same way some people call themselves recreational smokers. This is what I tell non-poker players when the topic of conversation becomes poker. Somehow I believe this answer separates me from the degenerate gamblers and the grinders, that I have control, that I have responsibility. But in reality none of those characteristics describe me.

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This is a heads up for people that play at Party Poker. Beware of any emails that ask you to sign into your account through an email link

From LaunchPoker.com

Phishing is the term used when scam artists try to get a consumer’s personal information in order to steal money from them, and now it appears that phishers have decided to go after online poker players. Members of online poker room Party Poker have been receiving emails about gaming regulations and asked to log on to their Party Poker account via a link in the email in order to learn how it will impact them. The information is instead sent to the phishers, who collect the user names and passwords. The fraudulent email is up on the Websense Security Labs website, who first made the announcement about this scheme.

The scheme is clever because it takes advantage of the post-UIGEA poker landscape. With what happened to Neteller and the policy changes at many poker rooms, people will be more susceptible to believing the emails. For example Doyle’s Room recently sent out emails informing its customers that they were leaving the US market.

The phishers’ choice to attack Party Poker members, however, is an interesting one, since Party Poker left the US market right after the UIGEA was passed. A change in gaming regulations would make more sense at Poker Stars or Full Tilt Poker. Both sites have a sizable user base and are still open to US customers. The emails would be more effective due to the very real fear among US poker players that the sites could shut its doors to them at any moment. In relation to poker, this phishing scheme would be called a bad bluff.

phishing scheme. Party Poker, UIGEA

I became a Niners fan in 1999, the year Steve Young took a concussion to the head. At some point in the second quarter Young dropped back for a throw and got blindsided by Cardinals DB Aeneas Williams. This hit ended his season and his career. Though it was possible for Young to make a comeback the following season, he risked death if he took another blow to the head and decided not to chance it. The game was televised on Monday Night Football, so the moment remains vivid, one of my few lasting memories of Young’s career, and I suspect that is the case for many fans across the country.

National television appearances for the Niners was a staple back in the nineties, and I counted the number of appearances to gauge the popularity and importance of my favorite team. For example the Niners were televised on Monday night three times that year, and that number was tied with the Cowboys, Dolphins, Packers, Vikings, Broncos, and Jets. Airtime on ESPN also acted as the consensus opinion for fans across America, at least that was my belief. The more airtime NFL Live and SportsCenter devoted to the Niners, the more proud I was of my team, even when the news focused on Young’s status and future rather than the Niners’ disappointing season.

Even though Young’s final game ended with him sprawled on the field and unconscious, his humiliation and fall from greatness was short lived. Sports fans only had to endure newspaper articles, talk radio, and SportsCenter coverage about Young’s concussion for one season.

Compare the end of Young’s career to Jerry Rice’s. I had stopped following Rice after he signed with the Raiders, but through SportsCenter I still heard about his exploits. In those years he went from being the first option to a fringe player that teams no longer valued. Greatness on the field wanes, no matter how many records were broken or Super Bowl rings were won. All that is the past.

Watching Doyle Brunson play poker has become painful. To me he is the past his prime athlete that loves the game too much to quit. I feel embarrassed for him when he gets knocked out on television, especially the WSOP. He always smiles nervously at this point, and then tips his cowboy hat to the crowd. Everyone applauds him and some people scream his name, “DOYLE!” as he makes his exit. This act is both condescending and desirable. On one hand, Brunson is getting applauded for losing and not even finishing in the money, while on the other, if no one acknowledges him, that can send the message that no one cares, that no one appreciate what he means to poker.

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Bill Fillmaff, chimp, humor, poker

This is a quick tip, but it is a helpful one to keep in mind. Doyle Brunson in Super System wrote a great piece of advice on rushes. I read the book two years ago and this is the one piece of advice that has stuck with me.

Brunson said that a player needs to play hands in order to get on a rush. This makes sense. If a player is seeing less than 20% percent of the hands, this curtails their chances to win hands, just on account that they’re not giving themselves a chance to win. Although every hand that a player doesn’t play they are not losing money, it is also true that every hand that a player doesn’t play they are not winning money.

This is not a suggestion that a player should change their style of play from tight aggressive to loose aggressive. This is a suggestion that if the cards are going well on any given night that lowering one’s starting hand requirements is warranted to capitalize on possible rush opportunities.

This mindset also has the added benefit of giving the player a positive mindset and confidence, even if it is false. This in turn leads to a stronger table image, more action, and more luck.

The beginning and end of a rush is difficult to discern, or maybe once a player recognizes it, the rush will be over. These are not things to worry about, even though they are real concerns. The reason why a player should not worry is because of two things.

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Now that Neteller no longer accepts US customers, depositing money into on-line poker rooms has become difficult but not impossible. There are alternatives out there, just not very attractive ones. Pokernews.com has a good article detailing deposit and withdrawal methods at the US-friendly poker sites. The article covers Bodog, Poker Stars, Ultimate Bet, Full Tilt, Poker.com, and Absolute Poker. Each site offers different alternatives, though none can rival Neteller in terms of cost, reliability, and ease. To read the article click here.

Neteller, deposit for US poker rooms, Bodog, Poker Stars, Full Tilt, Ultimate Bet

A check raise is when a player checks their hand and waits for an opponent to bet so they can raise them. This strategy is employed for many reasons and circumstances. Position, amount of players in the hand, opponents, and stage of the hand should all be taken into account when considering an opponent’s check raise or employing your own.

I plan to keep this article as basic as possible, since there are many nuances that can be better understood through experience rather than in writing.

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Gambling911.com is reporting that Doyle’s Room will leave the US market.

This comes as a surprise to me after how adamant Doyle’s Room has been about staying in the US market since the passing of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act. I chatted with the hosts on numerous occasions and have been told that they planned to stay, stating that the bill did not explicitly make on-line poker illegal.

I emailed upper management a few days ago and am still waiting to hear from them. Their silence supports this press release that Doyle’s Room is indeed leaving the US market, or at least management’s indecision on the situation. If Doyle’s Room were staying they would have responded by now.

Gambling911.com writes:

A press release arrived at the desk of Gambling911.com just prior to noon from two different parties. Representatives from Doyle’s Room, however, quickly advised that a decision to leave the US market had not yet been finalized.

By mid afternoon, the initial press release was declared “official” by Doyles Room representatives. The company will no longer be accepting US customers from hereon in.

And this is what a host at Doyle’s Room poker told me when I asked if it was true that Doyle’s Room would be leaving the US market:

As a result of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act. (UIGEA) DBPN has reluctantly decided not to permit online real money play by USA- based Customers. This is a BIG disappointment to everyone.

Doyle’s Room, Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act, poker news

Poker After Dark joins the saturated arena of televised poker in hopes of cashing in on the popularity of poker. The series offers much of the tried and true elements that have made the WPT and WSOP popular, but also adds a few wrinkles to the formula, which will appeal to hardcore poker fans.

Each week six top poker pros play a winner take all tournament with a buy-in of $20,000. Coverage is spread over five one hour episodes aired Monday through Friday at two a.m. A recap episode is aired on Saturday at one a.m.

Poker After Dark revolves around the premise that the viewer is drawn to the lives of professional poker players, since all of the show’s commentary is generated by table banter among the poker pros. There are no color commentators except for the occasional voice over comment that tells the viewer who won a hand or gives clarification on the banter.

The voice overs come off as more intrusive than informative. The randomness and sparseness of the comments make them feel out of place, and it doesn’t help that the commentator’s voice lacks personality and sounds both stiff and rushed. The banter feels relaxed and unforced, and there is enough of it that the voice over comments are unnecessary.

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CountingMyOuts.com is reporting that Tribeca, Ipoker Network, and Tain will merge by the end of the month. The major implication of the merger is that US players will no not be accepted on the new network. Doyle’s Room, which has been adamant about their desire to continue accepting US players, will be most affected. It is rumored that Doyle’s Room will join the Dobrosoft network. If this is true, Doyle’s Room will actually be joining Digital Gaming Network (DGN) since they acquired Dobrosoft in December 2006. Joining a new network entails some problems, such as the quality of the network, new software, and the transition of player accounts.

Aside from those problems, Doyle’s Room faces potential problems with their US customers. It does not appear that Doyle’s Room will have a new network lined up by the time of the merger. The big question is what will happen between the time of the merger and the time Doyle’s Room joins a US friendly network. US customers face the possibility of being barred from Doyle’s Room if they move to the Ipoker network during this transition period. This scenario could result in a mass exodus of US customers to competing sites. The alternative is not much better. Doyle’s Room could operate without a network and take a significant hit in traffic to avoid a temporary ban of US poker players. The problem is that a further spike in players (both US and non-US) could result if Doyle’s Room remained in flux for too long. The best solution for Doyle’s Room is to join DGN despite the small size of the network and less user friendly software.

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When I was digging up information on Shana Hiatt yesterday, I found that she is now the host of Poker After Dark. This is a new poker show produced by NBC and airs Monday through Friday at two a.m. and at one a.m. on Saturday. I plan to post a full review of the show on Monday. Until now, enjoy the first episode of Poker After Dark.

Poker After Dark, Gus Hansen, Phil Hellmuth, Annie Duke, Huck Seed, Shawn Sheikhan, Steve Zolotow

Today I stumbled upon an article by Daniel Negreanu at Pokerdog.org, and, since Negreanu is one of my favorite players, I read the article with much interest and a willingness to learn. The topic was aggression, a skill that is very important to master in poker.

Poker commentators on television, poker books, and my poker buddies all preach aggression aggression aggression. I’ve always felt that it was bad advice. Like anything, extremes can lead to trouble. Granted constant aggression is better than passivity. Aggression brings fear to your opponent, either forces them into a difficult decision or forces them to stay away from you. The problem is that eventually someone will hit the nuts and let the aggressive player bet themselves into a hole.

Negreanu talks about when to be aggressive and when to play with more caution. Selective aggression. Smart aggression. It all comes down to reading the player and the situation. One way, Negreanu suggests, to practice reading players is by playing blind (without looking at your cards) when you’re on the button. This forces you to play your opponent rather than your cards. If he checks the flop and shows weakness, then you bet, no matter what your pocket cards are.

To read Negreanu’s article, “Passing on Aggressive Play”, click here.

Daniel Negreanu, poker, aggression, poker tips

Two of my favorite poker players are Gus Hansen and Daniel Negreanu. They play the aggressive and loose style that I wish I could be successful playing. Their style of play is exciting both for the player and the people watching. But at the same time playing like them requires a lot of skill, instinct, and guts. It’s easy to get enamored with this style of play and want to emulate them.

When I first started playing poker I played loose and aggressive mainly because I didn’t know better. I had never heard of Gus Hansen and Daniel Negreanu. The only poker player I had actually heard of was Johnny Chan, and I only knew him from watching Rounders one night, so it wasn’t like I learned anything about Johnny Chan the poker player, how he played the game, his style and strategy, or why he kept a rotting orange on the table. I just knew that he was a great player. And I only knew that because Mike McDermott (Matt Damon) said so, and I believed him. The way Mike constantly watches footage of Johnny Chan winning the 1988 WSOP and talks about him with reverence seemed real and sincere, even in a fictional poker drama. And maybe that made it more believable, that it wasn’t real.

I feel the same way about Gus Hansen and Daniel Negreanu. I look forward to watching them on television and analyzing their play, observing everything from post flop play to body language. There’s something to be learned from them. When they make an amazing play I can’t help but ask myself what makes them so good?

Daniel Negreanu, Gus Hansen, High Stakes Poker, Johnny Chan, Rounders