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Keeping Things in Their Proper Perspective


Recently I went to Las Vegas to play in my first WSOP Circuit Events. My family took the trip with me, so I had to spend some quality time with them and I wasn�t able to play any satellites.

Already at four and three my twin girls think they own Vegas. Every where we go, people are always asking us if they are quads, because they are only 14 months apart and all have a similar look.

They pose for pictures several times a day with not only the poker players I run into, but with tourists from all over the world who are in Las Vegas on vacation. The girls put their arms on each others shoulder and give out a big "Cheese" for everyone and anyone with a camera. They truly are adorable and are the lights of my life.

They are the reason behind my article today. They are the reason I am proud to be a father of seven. They are the reason I get up every morning and have the motivation and desire to succeed in my daily activities. Whether it�s at my job, or if I am going to the Golf course or if I am hitting the felt today. I have been blessed by the birth of these girls and they have made me a better person because of them coming into my life.

I was playing very smart and I was really focused in my first ever Circuit Event. Although it was a second chance event with a buy in of two hundred dollars, I was thrilled to be playing at Caesars in a tournament that had several professional players and a WPT champion participating.

The tournament started with about 200 players. Within the first hour 90 of those players had busted out and I was actually up to 6400 chips after starting with only 1500. I made a couple of good reads on some of the players at my table and when ever I had a showdown with a player I was always ahead and ended up winning the hand. I used those showdowns to make a couple of bluffs and by the time we were down to 50 players I had close to 28k in chips.

It was an above average stack. During the break, I walked around looking at the other tables to see some of the other stacks. I have always done this at tournaments for some unknown reason.

Right after the break I was in seat 7 and had won about 1400 from the player in seat 5. I had pocket 10's and he had pocket 9's as we both checked the jack on the river.

The very next hand I am the big blind and I look down at KK. Seat 5 on the button raises to 3600 when the blinds were at 1200. I decided to see where I was at as seat 6 folded. I tossed in a third of my stack 7200 chips.

Seat 5 just called my raise and the flop of J-4-8 rainbow hit the table. Seat 5 immediately went all in. Well I knew he didn�t have jacks because he would of checked raised me. I put him on AJ or pocket 10's. I called his all in and he turned over Queens. I felt good, but nervous. Then seat 6 told me he folded Q-10 of diamonds and I felt a sense of relief come over me until the river hit a queen and left me with 2 chips.

I was very upset with the poker gods. I had played so well and I know its poker but I have been hit so hard on the river lately it made me almost sick to my stomach.

I went back to the hotel and was telling my wife what had happened to vent some. I called a couple of friends to talk with them about it, but as you all know poker players do not want to hear bad beat stories. But I needed to get it off my chest. Maybe because this was Caesars and my first Circuit event, I don�t know, but I was truly bothered by that river card more so then ever.

Well as we arrived home late Friday night I sat down to unwind and watched the evening news. There was a breaking news story out of Mission Viejo California on the 5 freeway. A family of 5 had just been rear ended by a semi truck and all perished in the accident. A mother, father a 6 or 7 year old boy and a set of 3-year-old twin girls.

I just leaned back in my chair and called my girls over. I put them all on my lap and gave them big hugs and kisses. I had a huge lump in my throat and it was partly due to my sadness for the family who died, but it was also for the guilt I felt about complaining that my Kings got beat on the river.

Where in the world was my Perspective on life. They were right here sitting on my lap! Never again will I feel like I did after losing. I have so much to be thankful for and I let a game make me forget about what is really important in life.

We take so many things for granted day in and day out. I cannot imagine how life would be if a tragedy such as this was to happen in my life. I have lost both of my parents, a godmother who raised a foster brother and me. Several Aunts, Uncles and the only Grandparent I ever knew.

I have been to way too many funerals for my friends and peers and I am sure with the line of work I am in I will unfortunately have to attend more in the future.

I have been given the authority by the State of California to serve and protect. I thought I could save the world when I took my job like my heroes of my childhood did every Saturday morning when I watched them on television.

Being able to put on a uniform and at a split seconds decision have the authority to take someone�s life is a huge responsibility. Only the good Lord has the ability too be able to do that.

PERSPECTIVE, so my Kings got busted on the river. I will never let the game of poker or any other game get in the way what is really important in life.

I have been to so many tragic scenes in my twenty years of being a Deputy, however this hit home and it has changed me as a person as well as a poker player.

Take care and please be safe.

Scott Diamond AKA The Deputy

Source: http://www.wisehandpoker.com/articles/index.php?article=Keeping-Things-in-Their-Proper-Perspective.html

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PokerStars.net LAPT San Jose Final Table: Ryan Fee Hauls in Costa Rican Riches

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 08:02:00 -0800
In a fast-paced conclusion to the second annual PokerStars.net Latin America Poker Tour stop in San Jose, Costa Rica, Ryan Fee went wire-to-wire on the final table to claim the title and the $285,773 top prize. The 20-year-old...

Compensation Resumes in UltimateBet Scandal as Legal Agreement Reached

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 23:53:00 -0800
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission released a summary statement on Wednesday confirming a legal settlement reached earlier this week between Excapsa, the group holding original ownership of the UltimateBet online poker site...


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You Have To Lose To Win


GOAT - �What the hell is Goat talking about? You have to lose to win?? Sounds like Goat has been munching on too much grass.�

You gotta lose to win. You have to risk chips, in the right situations, to win chips. Sometimes you will lose more chips than if you would have just folded when you didn�t hit the flop and someone bets before you. What are these plays then?

I guess my best answer is it depends on what you personally like to play aggressively. I don�t know that answer, I�m just a rook myself, but I want to learn how to play better.

Let�s say you�re a fan of Ah 10c (as I am in certain situations). 10 handed game online at Partypoker and you are 2 from the button. Not great position, but pretty good. UTG folds, 2nd folds, 3rd calls and 4th raises to you�. What do you do here? Lot�s of people would fold it and save in essence 1 big bet, or call 1 big bet to see how the old flop falls. If you�re comfortable folding here, go ahead and fold no problem. But if you would just like to call it, Instead, try risking 2 big bets for some �pot ownership� type displays. Raise it, make it 3-bets to go. Now if you are in a loose table, you could likely have 2 more callers behind you� or just as likely they could all fold. I would count on the Big Blind calling w/ a drawing hand, so watchout for him if he just calls to the river and there is a possible draw completed.

Anyway, right there you raise it and you find out where you stand. If you get a re-raise, someone probably has high pockets or A/Ks. Your raise puts you at a potential advantageous position after the flop. In more flops than not, you miss, right? So do I. Sometimes I hit great though. Regardless, you�ve just put yourself in the position to win the pot after the flop. Let�s say that the big blind calls along with 1st and 4th seats.

Flop: 4s 8s Qd

Ok, so that pretty much sucked. You�ve a 2 outer for a straight, it�s rainbow, board.
First position checks.
Seat 4 bets out into you.

Now I�d ask myself 2 questions. First, Is this guy for real or is he trying to take it from me? That depends on how he has been playing. I recommend taking notes (partypoker features a �notes� section available, USE IT). Poker is a game about feel� if this guy is a �Mouse� More or less if this guy never bets unless he has hit top pair, I�d probably fold right there� or the more likely story would that this guy is with 2nd pair or a draw.

So, what do you do here? Again, it�s feel, maybe raise it up. If the Bigblind didn�t hit something he will fold and my guess is first position will have the check/fold button already pressed. When it gets back around to 4th position, he could likely fold it right there giving you the pot as well. Not too bad, you just took down a nice little pot, and a little pot is always nice.

So you go ahead and raise, saying �No sir, you�re 9�s and your drawing hand are weak. My A/Q is much more powerful�.

The big blind folds his spade draw.

So now it�s up to 4th position to act. If he was totally bluffing he folds, if he was on a decent draw he folds or calls, if he has a strong hand he raises. If he raises you there, he�s probably got ladies with a high kicker. He�s re-raised you twice, I would in most situations fold unless I got a read on the player, then I try to go with it. Remember, this is about learning, if you don�t lose some chips you won�t win some.

Let�s assume for further discussion�s sake, that he calls your bet to see the turn

Turn: 5s

Current board: 4s 8s Qd 5h

Ok, if he was on a draw that card didn�t help. In a lot of the online passive (lower limit games, where rooks like me dwell) you will get a check here. Why? Because you�ve represented that you�ve got this hand, you�ve raised twice. He didn�t hit his draw he checks. He might even have a pair of 8�s and is leary of you having a Q, you�ve certainly represented that you have a strong hand. He might even a have a pair of jacks or lower in the pocket. If he checks to you, a bet is certainly in order. You are giving yourself the opportunity to win the pot right there. What if you checked it and an 8 comes on the river? What if you check it and an K comes up, did he just hit his K/8? Risk some chips to win some chips I think. Bet it and see. Again, you have the opportunity to win the entire pot for 1 bet right here. Lot�s of people will call in the lower limit games on the river because of �pot odds�. Try and win it there.

Well, this dude just won�t go away. No respect for you whatsoever. Quite likely on the old flush draw. He calls your bet again, deciding see the river.

Ok, so now it�s river time. You are still in the advantage here at this point. Regardless of how the river turns out, you get the last move.

River: 5d

Final board 4s 8s Qd 5h 5d

So, you�ve got a pair of 5�s with an A kicker. My guess is I�m up against a stronger pair, but he doesn�t know it. He�s got 8�s with a K or maybe a J. He checks to you and now its up to you. For one more bet you have a chance to win this pot right here, and it�s a pretty sizeable pot. On the other hand, will this guy really fold with the pot this size? You�ve played the hand aggressive so far, you�ve gotta bet it again at the river. Again, give yourself the chance to win it. A check leaves it up to the cards and I would have to think that I�m probably beat. So bet it again. Again, putting yourself in position to win. My guess is unless he has just been smooth calling you all along he will either call or fold. More times than not he will call. Yeah, but you only need to win a few of those pots to make it worth your wile to try it on occasion. Lose some, win some. My experience has shown me that by making aggressive plays similar to this is that I win the pots before we reach river. If I�m aggressive pre-flop and right after flop then when I make my bet/raise on the turn that I�ll win lots of pots right there.

Well, that�s all from this rook. Just play your game to learn what works for you, if this is the most idiotic advice you�ve read, well� at least you�re reading.

Source: http://www.kickasspoker.com/poker-strategy/articles/you-have-to-lose-to-win.htm

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2008 PokerStars WCOOP Kicks Off 33-event Slate Today

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:54:00 -0700
The seventh annual edition of PokerStars' World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) begins today with the first two events of a busy 33-tourney schedule, running through September 22nd. $30 million in prize money is guaranteed over...


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BOOK REVIEW - BROKE: A POKER NOVEL


By Gary Wise

Getting a look inside the mind of a professional poker player should prove a valuable resource to any aspirant. Author Brandon Adams is such a player; a high stakes online pro who�s managed to make final tables in both the WPT and WSOP Circuit. Broke, while not technically about him, is a novella drawn from his experience.

I say novella because the length of the book is 96 large print, small-sized pages. This is a one-day read, and as such probably isn�t worth the $10 asking price for the paper version. For half that though, one can retrieve the text online. For that price, Broke is a worthwhile investment as both educational and entertaining text.

Adams left me wanting more. His first person protagonist makes the same rounds as its author, traveling to major events at major casinos, winning or losing huge amounts in seconds online, experiencing the ups and downs that are part of the pro poker territory�even losing $3,200 on a phone call-induced misclick. We�ve all made that mistake at one point, but Adams� narrative allows us to feel the adrenal implosion of making it at the highest stakes. There�s more, but I don�t want to ruin the surprises.

For a first attempt, �Broke�s author shows a lot of promise. He writes from what he knows and weaves a precautionary tale in the process that paints no pictures about his profession. Parents, if your kids are playing poker professionally, get them to read this; the $5 will probably save them a lot more money down the road. If nothing else, it will show them where they�re going.

I�d go on, but this review would then be longer than the book. Brandon, make it longer next time. I wanted more.

Source: http://www.wisehandpoker.com/articles/index.php?article=book-broke-poker-novel.html

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Matthew Hilger is generally recognized as one of the best authors on the subject of internet poker. He and some of the most knowledgeable players and writers in the poker industry have joined to contribute columns on every aspect of poker. Contributors range from Tournament Pros like the Hendon Mob� to Internet Poker Pros from the Internet Texas Holdem community. Beyond Texas Holdem Strategy, this section covers Omaha, Backgammon, Sit 'n Go tournaments, multitable tournaments, cash games, poker psychology, mind sets and general revelry.

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WSOP Main Event Will Last Four Months


WSOP, 2008-05-01, by Ozone
The lucky nine players who reach the final table in the 2008 WSOP Main Event will have to wait four grueling months before playing the final table. WSOP officials announced that play will be suspended when nine players remain. On November 9th, they will resume play after a 117 day hiatus. ESPN will air a two-hour special covering the final table on November 11th. ESPN will also air a special on November 4th that documents what the nine players have done since the tournament was paused. If something happens to a finalist that precludes them from November participation, their chip stack will be blinded off. This schedule change has sparked a heated debate in the poker world. Critics point out the potential for collusion, coaching, and ample time to study opponents on film. However, the rule change also gives players more time to negotaite sponsorship deals.

Source: http://www.pokertips.org/news/articles/3049.php

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2008 WSOP Event #19 $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha: Vanessa Selbst Triumphs

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:33:00 -0700
At the end of each day of Event #19's play, Vanessa Selbst had the most chips. This would include the final day, when she ended up with them all in winning the $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha bracelet and $227,933. This was Selbst's fourth...


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