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Buenos Noches, Poquer-Red

post from Quest of a Closet Poker Player on 28 June 2006 08:52:00 PM. © Quest of a Closet Poker Player

Current banner in the lead for those wanting to pimp CC's WSOP coverage, compliments of TripJax. The gauntlet is thrown.

Cecilia Mortensen from yesterday's action. Pimpage from Poquer-Red, I'm assuming a site in Spain. In case there are more folks from the country next to Portugal, Juan Carlos Mortensen is cranking away. Currently, he's in the 1s, Devilfish 3s, Jen Harman 5s, and Bill Gazes 10s.

Gavin Smith called recently busted out Phil Gordon to explain some prop bet to the guy out of picture to our right (Gavin's left). I couldn't understand anything Gavin was saying, not the articulation but just what the heck any of it meant.

Erica Schoenberg (thanks Pauly).

Chau being Chau.

Read The Full Article:
http://ccexplore.blogspot.com/2006/06/buenos-noches-poquer-red.html

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A Champion is Knocked Out

post from Quest of a Closet Poker Player on 28 June 2006 07:56:00 PM. © Quest of a Closet Poker Player

A scene most of us only dream of, filling out paperwork to receive a check or cash after a World Series event. For Raymer, he sees it as an outcome based on making the best reads and decisions in the context of each hand and pot. Checking messages while waiting for the next signature, he has to feel good about this year's WSOP. Out in 63rd place.

While Raymer was completing paperwork, Phil Hellmuth was signing anything for anyone and posing for photos, this time with Chris Ferguson. Hellmuth may play the Poker Brat on television, but it's hard to argue that he is extremely approachable and giving outside of the felt. The lobby outside of the tourney area is like you'd find in any Vegas or big convention-type hotel ballrooms. I have yet to see Hellmuth stop in his tracks to greet a fan or grin for a photo.

In the PLHE Event #3, Barry Greenstein busts two players when his A-A takes out K-K and Q-Q.

Barry: "Did you see that brilliant play on my part?"

CC: "Is Joe playing today?"

Barry: "He was..."

CC: "You emailed me for my Relationships and Poker and Children and Poker series."

Barry: "Oh, you're that guy."

Barry Greenstein, author, playing in the biggest games in the world, knows my name. That Guy. How cool is that?

Read The Full Article:
http://ccexplore.blogspot.com/2006/06/champion-is-knocked-out.html

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Glenn Round II

post from FeliciaLee on 28 June 2006 07:19:00 PM. © FeliciaLee

Glenn has got to be the nicest guy in the world (to be married to me, you'd better believe it).

Since he is so worried about my health and playing in the series, he decided he'd just try to win another seat.

Yesterday he played all day, while at times multi-tabling in other games. He got close a couple of times, but no cigar.

Today he did the same. He finally made it past the first tier just now.

What a fantastic guy!

Kind of hurts that no seems to recognize this. I see a billion comments on other blogs when someone wins a big seat, but pretty much nada on Glenn's. It's too bad that the bloggers have to take out the hate they feel for me on him. Some of these people have met him, played against him, sat next to him at restaurants, talked to him, etc. But they hate me so much they can't even be bothered to send a quick IM saying "good job, bro."

And I wonder why I pulled away...

Felicia :)

Read The Full Article:
http://felicialee.blogspot.com/2006/06/glenn-round-ii.html

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Is it Variance or Randomness

post from Quest of a Closet Poker Player on 28 June 2006 06:40:00 PM. © Quest of a Closet Poker Player

Josh Arieh from the ATL, right before I put the CC hex on him as some guy in the 1s kept betting at this pot. So much for my new golf partner...I'll still try and be brave, reaching out to him for a hello and an interview.

What were these two guys doing a year ago? Not sure, but the were $6mil poorer than they were a few weeks later.

Ernest Oliver, III and IV. Vegas residents railbirding a friend from Kansas City.

Hottie with Mansion Poker shirt.

Ever the investigative reporter, I purchase a half-pound hot dog and half-pound cheeseburger. The dog is on the gigantor side, and this view doesn't do it justice. Not to be graphic, well, you fill in the blank on your own. Suffice it to say players don't need to whine about food any more. The burger was worth the $6, and the dog could feed most families of four. It clocks in at $4.

Read The Full Article:
http://ccexplore.blogspot.com/2006/06/is-it-variance-or-randomness.html

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November Sweeps

post from High on Poker on 28 June 2006 06:21:00 PM. © High on Poker

Great news, everybody! Wifey Kim is going to Miami on a speech therapy conference! Of course, it's in November; November 15-19 to be exact. And, in truth, I doubt she'll be learning much about speech therapy, since I don't see many of the seminars taking place at the pool or beach, where wifey Kim will be undoubtedly tanning and gabbing with her friends from work.And poor lil' Jordan, with

Read The Full Article:
http://highonpoker.blogspot.com/2006/06/november-sweeps.html

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Event #3 PLHE

post from Quest of a Closet Poker Player on 28 June 2006 04:38:00 PM. © Quest of a Closet Poker Player

Floor, can you ask these two guys to please shut up? All they do is talk, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Clonie in an outfit borrowed from Pauly's FullTilt swag.

Grinder and Howard in the 9s and 10s respectively.

Table 65 4s, 5s, and 6s

Table 65 8s and 9s. You are a poker junkie if you can name all five of these players starting at Table 65. Also, Mook had a good idea, creating a banner that folks can use to pimp CC's coverage. Submit candidates to cunningham@gmail.com. Winner will receive a framed photo from my WSOP coverage.

Read The Full Article:
http://ccexplore.blogspot.com/2006/06/event-3-plhe.html

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Hanging with Michael Craig

post from Quest of a Closet Poker Player on 28 June 2006 03:54:00 PM. © Quest of a Closet Poker Player

Jennifer Harman and Michael Craig. Michael (I can actually call him that) seems like a terrific guy. I interviewed him last week and met him yesterday. He and Linda Geenen are big buddies, and I'm now at least known by him (maybe fast becoming aquaintances or pals). He set up with me in the media room here this morning, in the back corner away from everything. I'm watching his laptop and bag while he's snuck away to play a single table satellite. He showed me the new Maxim with a sixteen page advertorial section from FullTilt, including a few Clonie shots, as well as profiles of the FullTilt team. It's easy to warm up to him as he's a bundle of chatty nervous energy, not a guy bouncing off the walls like his buddy Matusow but someone always thinking of a dozen things.

Lynette Chan had been cranking along early in the day when I shot this photo of her. It was nice to meet her after interviewing her. I saw in the afternoon when she was moved to Clonie's table, short stacked. No one runs up to me and tells me they've busted out, but the sign is unmistakable. Let me check on Phil Ivey; hey, someone's in his seat. Where did Lynette go? I wonder if Isabelle is going to push through after cashing, hey where did she go? With Lynette, there was a burly fellow in her seat, then after dinner I see her at a cash game trying to play traffic cop between the floor and unruly player.

Let me point you to some great sources for what's going on here. Otis from PokerStars via G-Vegas and BadBlood's game works his tail off keeping track of Stars players as well as general info. We left around the same time this morning, 2:30 or 3:00. He's the salt of the Earth.

Pauly doesn't need my pimpage here, but I would never ever ever ever not check his blog constantly during a tourney. I won't break his aura of degeneracy here; OK, I will. He's basically a medium teddy bear from Build-a-Bear.

Justin at PokerPages works as tirelessly as Otis out here. I gave him the Isabelle hand after I'd approached the CardPlayer neophytes, who looked at me like I was speaking Greek. He's hopping around updating working on PokerPages updates, which I've always read regularly during tourneys.

I'm heading to walk the floor of the Event #3 $1.5k PLHE event. I played pot limit once at the Gutshot in London, but I never exactly understood what I could bet, so I don't know if I would do very well in this tourney. eMail me at cunningham@gmail.com or leave comments if you need anything or having any encouragement, and thanks for stopping by.

Read The Full Article:
http://ccexplore.blogspot.com/2006/06/hanging-with-michael-craig.html

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Bring Out the Pimp

Look, over there. Three new clicky things to for you to enjoy on the sidebar. Yes, I'm an html idiot and they don't line up, but it sorta looks like my sidebar is drunk, which is appropriate.

Poker Stars offered to make me an affiliate recently and I had to oblige for all the ~~free t-shirts~~ joy they've given me over the years. If one person signs up using that link from this blog, I'll eat my own poo. So basically, I'm giving them free advertising. I don't mind.

Pauly, of course, needs no introduction and I'm really looking forward to his subversive WSOP coverage. Methinks the suits bet on the wrong pony and are gonna catch a bucket full of the type of stinging commentary the Good Doctor is known for. I'm starting to get a little pissed with all the hot poker chicks he's meeting, however, and not a single mention of him slipping them my number.

Otis is also in The Room, kicking his usual standard of ass. No Hooker Bar stories from Otis (at least not in print), but plenty of human interest, emotion and scene-setting, areas in which he is the superior of most everyone I know.

Read 'em. Learn 'em. Live 'em.

Read The Full Article:
http://obituarium.blogspot.com/2006/06/bring-out-pimp.html

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Hand Of The Day - Bet The River (Cont.)

Here's my thinking through the course of the hand:

Paradise Poker

Limit Holdem Ring game

Limit: $3/$6

10 players

Pre-flop: (10 players) Hero is UTG+1 with [K? K?]

1 folds, Hero raises, 6 folds, SB calls, BB calls

Flop: [T? T? 3?] (6SB, 3 players)

SB checks, BB checks, Hero bets, SB raises, BB folds, Hero calls

Comments: When I was check-raised here on the flop, I felt that the SB had a pocket pair of some sort or semi-bluffing a big suited ace (e.g., A? J?). Most players would wait until the turn if they had a Ten in this spot to show their true colors.

Given what I believe are his likely holding, I wanted to wait an pop him on the turn, as long as a "safe" card fell (non-heart or an Ace). If that happens, I am going to be getting more money into the pot from him when I am a much bigger mathematical favorite with only one card to come at that point.

Turn: [2?] (5BB, 2 players)

SB bets, Hero raises, SB calls

Comments: The SB betting out again and just calling my raise narrows his range of hands down to most likely a flush draw at this point. By him not reraising, I now know that he does not have a ten in his hand.

Also, most players would fold an underpair to this board after being raised here, so I feel confident he does not have a hand like 77/88/99. He could have JJ or QQ, but many players would reraise preflop with them. I am almost certainly looking at a flush draw.

River: [7?] (9BB, 3 players)

SB checks, Hero ???

Well, a possible flush draw has hit. Since he most likely has a flush draw here, I am going to have to check behind. I do not want to bet here because the pot is large enough that I am going to have to pay him off if he check-raises me.

It ended up that he had [A? Q?] and did make a flush. On the surface, it may seem like wimpy poker not to bet the river here with a big overpair. But by narrowing down his possible hands, I am able to save 2 bets by not betting the river.

Sometimes winning is saving bets here and there...

Read The Full Article:
http://countingmyouts.blogspot.com/2006/06/hand-of-day-bet-river-cont.html

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Hookers and Vegas (Part One)

Okay, so here are some more happenings after Glenn won the 10k seat on Saturday night, and we drove up to Vegas on Sunday morning.

I think we rolled into the Wynn at about noon. I looked around for the mixed game, but there was only an interest list. I am batting about 0:829 with informal, 2+2 get-togethers. Mostly they are younger, newer guys, aged 21-26, who think some old broad is going to ruin their good time, donking it up at Wynn and trying to pick up hookers.

The more formal get-togethers are a shoo-in. They can't duck me ;)

Since we had about six hours before the moderator dinners at Mirage, we decided to play a little bit at Wynn. I sat in the O8 game, Glenn got into a couple of LHE games. It was kind of dead and we only ended up staying an hour or so.

We headed over to Bellagio after Glenn called up and found out there was a Stud game going and three names on the list. By the time we made it to the room, I was fifth on the list. Although we got up to six, none of the old dudes would play "short handed," lol.

While sitting around, I talked some with my friend Jean Gaspard, and went through some scenarios about how to fix the dilemma with the WSOP seat. I also talked to Mr. Subliminal, and we joked around about bloggers taking things so seriously that they really thought he was living in a shelter, and totally believed he lost $439,922.18. Right down to the pennies. We tried to come up with some shtick about how we left Bellagio together and had sex in his cardboard box, or in the shelter, or something.

We finally got the Stud game going, and I started off doing pretty well. I did lose with unimproved queens one hand, when my opponent made a second pair (eight & deuces), but then I won a huge pot with rolled aces.

Some players get so unlucky with rolled hands. I hear lots of stories, and Glenn has showed me so many hands online where he lost being rolled up.

I am extremely fortunate that I almost never lose with a rolled up hand. This helps me in two ways. First off, I never get a case of the MUBS, so I continually pound rolled up hands when I have many opponents drawing against me. I definitely make the most of my rolled up hands which win. Pots are typically big, because I don't chicken out when I see a four-flush against me. I just know I'm going to fill and that is that ;)

At any rate, on this hand I was extremely fortunate because the opponent next to me had the case ace as his doorcard. So I had the advantage of disbelief working for me. Also, I had been raising quite a bit with high doorcards and stealing many pots. I was involved in almost 50% of the hands thus far. We had started out a little shorthanded, plus I found myself with a lot of royal doorcards in last position when no one had opened. So between legitimate hands and stealing hands, I was in tons of pots. My opponents probably saw me as a young, cocky, WPT female wannabe who was running over the table. Although I am almost 40, to the elderly Stud players, I probably look the same age as the 20-somethings!

Okay, so I had two unbelieving opponents when I was rolled up. And I just kept pounding. One guy made his flush on sixth, but the pot was so huge that I just kept right on going.

On fourth, he tried to play the semi-bluff "raise a scary board for a free card next round" trick, but I simply kept raising him. I believe he had a jack doorcard, then caught the ten of the same suit on fourth. I saw him look down at his board, look at my board, look down again. I could almost read his mind, thinking that he had such a tough looking board, that maybe he could fool me into thinking he had a straight flush draw. Welp, all I can say is, a four card hand is not a made poker hand, so until you shove that straight flush up my azz, I'm going to keep raising!

Luckily, there was a victim caught in the middle of all of this, who kept passively overcalling everything. I'd make it one, he'd cold call, JTs guy would make it two, I'd make it three, passive guy would overcall.

Passive guy overcalled all the way to the river, then folded for one more bet! Oy, maybe Stud isn't dead after all!

Almost an $800 pot. Nice.

The game went a little dead after that, and Glenn and I decided to leave. He wasn't very happy in his game, either, and said all of the live ones went bust and took a hike.

We met at the cashiers. Glenn told the guy to give me the money. The guy asked me, "Wow, who are you to get all of the money he brings up?"

I said, "Isn't it obvious? I'm a hooker! Of course, I'm the ugliest hooker Bellagio has ever seen, but oh, well, he paid for it!"

That got everyone laughing, and one guy said, "Sadly enough, you're NOT the ugliest hooker I've seen here!"

And so, we departed for Mirage, where I had the 2+2 dinner of a lifetime.

More to come...

Felicia :)

Read The Full Article:
http://felicialee.blogspot.com/2006/06/hookers-and-vegas-part-one.html