They are down to three.   He has a decent chance to win.  I guess we will see what happens.

“I’m the artist formally known as Beck. I have a genius wig. When I put that wig on, then the true genius emerges. I don’t have enough hair to be a genius. I think you have to have hair going everywhere.”

What???  I don’t smoke dope, but whatever this guy is smoking, I want some. 

The United States Poker Championships have released their schedule for this fall.  The event starts on September 14^th, the day after my birthday.  Funny thing is, I was thinking of going to Atlantic City the week after my birthday.  Look at the schedule for the event and you tell me if you can see why I am interested:

Sept. 14, 11:15am, Limit Hold’em, $300 + $40

Sept. 15, 11:15am, Seven Card Stud, $500 + $50

Sept. 16, 11:15am, Seven Card Stud Hi/Low 8 or better, $500 + $50

Sept. 17, 11:15am, Omaha Hi/Low 8 or better, $500 + $50

Sept. 18, 11:15am, 2-Way P/L Hold’em & P/L Omaha, $500 + $50

Sept. 19, 11:15am, H-O-S-E (Hold’em-Omaha H/L-Stud-Stud H/L), $500 + $50

What a fantastic way to open the event.  Also, there is a Stud event on the 22^nd, a PL Omaha 8 event on the 24^th, an Omaha 8 event on Oct 1, a PL Holdem event on Oct 2^nd, ANOTHER Stud event on Oct 6^th and finally another PL Omaha 8 event on October 8^th. 

I so want to go, but I really don’t know if I want to put up the money that all those events would require.  Maybe I will go play the cash games.  That sounds like a plan.  I already know I can get a room for $33 a night in Absecon.  It’s tempting folks. 

I must say that I really respect the USPC for putting out a schedule like this.  I was a little worried that they would get away from mixed games up there, but I guess my apprehension was misplaced. 

In regards to my personal life, most of my time lately has been spent either blogging or job hunting.  (Mostly for writing or blogging jobs)  I hope that somewhere down the line I can pick up a few more contracts and continue working for myself.  Also, I did apply for a Mainframe support job.  It looked like entry level and from the looks of it, not all that difficult.  There aren’t too many mainframe folks in the area.  Actually, I’m not a mainframe person either, but I do have several years IT support experience.  Hopefully that will get me a look. 

Otherwise, not much is going on at the moment.  I think it’s time to go submit myself for a couple more jobs.  Take care all. 

I will say that I was EXTREMELY fortunate to finish in 4th. During a Razz round, I improved from an 8 to a 7 on 6th street. My opponent went all in against me. I was short too, but had him covered by 100 chips. He flips over a 6 and I don’t improve. I am down to literally the ante. 100 chips and the betting levels are 300 and 600 with a 100 ante. I was dealt 4-5-6 and improved to a 7 low in 6 cards. 5 people were in the pot trying to bust me. They all caught high cards mostly and I took the ante pot, which got me to 900 chips. For those that just looked at me like the RCA dog, we were playing 9 handed. Yes, 9 handed in a H.O.R.S.E. tourney.

Anywho, a couple of hands later, I wind up nearly doubling again when I am showing a strong board on 5th and everyone folds. I am able to take another pot a little later in Razz with some strong betting on a draw that forced more people out. At this point I am sitting around 3000 in chips. A nice comeback. Soon after, I end up doubling up in a stud hand where I pushed pocket Kings and end up catching Kings up. My opponent missed about 15 outs for a straight and flush. At this point, I have about 6000 chips and am in good shape.

One thing leads to another and I am at the final table. The event only pays 5 spots, so I still have work to do to make the money. Then, with about 7 players left, what I consider a minor disaster occurs. I am being dealt a Omaha 8 hand. I get and A of hearts, 2 of hearts, a Queen of club, and then the dealer screws up the pitch of the last card and an Ace of diamonds is exposed. I pick it up and try to keep it. The floor is right there and the first thing he says is, “He put it in his hand let him keep it.” Then, someone says what the card was and the guy was like “Are you fine with me knowing you hand?” I say sure. I have AA2Q with one suit. I’m ready to go to war with this hand pre flop. When he asks this, I show the card so that everyone has the same info. The floor then reverses his ruling and tells the dealer to replace my card. I don’t like this. I got a 7 of diamonds as the replacement card. Instead of raising with this hand, I just call the blind. The flop comes Queen of spades, Jack of spades and the 2 of hearts. I end up folding the hand. At this point, I am glaring at the dealer and mumbling about how that the floor made two calls about the hand. The turn card comes the 9 of spades and the river is the 4 of hearts. One of my opponents flips over the K-10 of spades for the STRAIGHT FLUSH. Instantly, I go from “this sucks” to “maybe that wasn’t so bad”. A couple of hands later, I tell the table what I held in that hand and everyone agreed that it was a good thing that the dealer misdealt, or I might have busted out in 7th.

Anyway, the way things turned out, we ended up doing a save and gave the 6th place finisher their money back. I suggested the deal. My reasoning was two-fold. First, if the short stack is still going to get money, then chances are they may take a chance and get busted out. Then, the rest of us get to the money easier. Second, I was about 3rd short stack at the time, and with the blinds the way they were, I could have just as easily finished 6th as 4th, and I wanted something for my 4 hours of play in the event.

The two remaining women in the field busted at the same time in 5th and 6th place and the rest of us were guaranteed at least 4th place money. I was the short stack at that point and was all-in shortly after. My hand didn’t improve and I was done. The funny thing about this H.O.R.S.E. tourney was that I did not rely on Stud 8 or better to carry me through the event. Actually, I only played one Stud 8 hand past third, and I had to fold it on 4th. I just couldn’t get hands. Most of my chips actually were accumulated in Razz of all games. A combination of good hands and bad players added up to chips.

Overall, I was very happy with my play. I definately got luck in some spots, but at the same time, I managed to play a tight-agressive style that allowed me to get to the money. While I didn’t win, it was good to see that I can still do well in a live tourney. The fact that its a limit tourney and H.O.R.S.E. makes it all the sweeter.

Well, tomorrow I have a meeting for the WSOP and then either Friday or Saturday I start covering the events. You can keep an eye over on Pokernews, and also Ill post here which events I am covering. Talk to you soon.

1. What is a low?

   A low is a 5 card hand that contains 5 unique low cards, typically 8 or below.  An example would be 2, 4, 5, 6, 7

2. Are wraps a good thing or a bad thing?

   Wraps are good.  Wrap starting hands are 4 cards that are closely coordinated for straight possibilities, such as J, 10, 7, 8.  A wrap straight draw is  a draw where at least 3 cards can come to give you a straight, such as a  8, 9, 6 flop with the previously mentioned hand. Any Queen, Seven, or Five will give you a straight in this example.

3. How is the size of a bring-in bet usually determined?

   In Stud games, the bring-in bet is usually twice the size of the ante.

4. Do you even know what a bring-in is?

   A bring-in is a forced bet made by the lowest showing up card in Stud and Stud 8 or better.  It is made by the highest up card in Razz.

5. John has a number 1. What does John have?

   John has a 2, 3, 4, 5, 7.

6. What game is John playing in question 5.

   John is playing 2-7 Lowball.

7. A flush beats a full house in what poker game? (This is a casino game, not some odd home game.)

   Mexican Poker.  This is a popular poker variant in California.  In Mexican poker the 7’s, 8’s, and 9’s are stripped out the deck.   As a result, it is much harder to make a flush in Mexican Poker than a Full House.

8. California and Kansas City are forms of what game?

   Lowball.  California lowball is 2-7 lowball and Kansas City Lowball is A-5 lowball.

9. You can make a double bet on an open pair on fourth street in 7 Card Stud 8 or better.

   False.  Only in Stud Hi.

10. Your starting hand in Omaha is a set of 10’s with a 7 kicker with no suits. What is your play?

    Fold.  You have to play 2 cards in your hand and 3 on the board.  Starting with a set in your hand is very bad as you only have one out to improve your PAIR.

11. At what point do antes come into play in most Limit tournaments?

    Unless you are playing Stud based games, there aren’t any ante’s in Limit tournaments.  

12. You are holding Aces full of Kings with a 67 in Razz. Your opponent has a King high straight with an 87. Who wins and why?

    Your opponent wins.  You opponent actually has Jack high where you hold a pair of Aces with a K, 6, 7.

13. You hear 10 people talk about HOE in a casino but there are no prostitutes anywhere. What are they talking about?

    A rotation game consisting of Holdem, Omaha 8 or Better, and Stud 8 or better.  Otherwise, they are likely farmers or construction people.  J

14. In what game is the first raise not truly a raise?

    Any stud based game.  In Stud based games, the first raise is actually a completion of the first bet.  It is even referred to as a completion.

15. You have a wheel, but only get 25% of the pot. What crazy game are you playing and why are you only getting 25% of the pot??

    Omaha 8 or Better.  You have the best low, but someone else has a wheel. 

16. Badugi. Tell me what it is.

    Badugi is a triple draw game where the object is to get 1 card of each suit in your hand.  The lowest 4 card badugi hand wins.  A four card hand consisting of one of each suit is a badugi.

17. What is the best hand in badugi?

    An A, 2, 3, 4 badugi is the best hand. 

18. What is HORSE?

    H.O.R.S.E is a rotation game consisting of 5 variants of poker.  Limit Holdem, Limit Omaha 8 or Better, Limit Razz, Limit Stud, and Limit Stud 8 or Better.

19. You have QJ108, with the Q10 of hearts. You flop Ace of hearts, Jack of hearts and an 8 of clubs. Someone potted and repotted. What do you do?

    You call or even reraise.  This is a Pot Limit Omaha hand with a boatload of outs.  The King of hearts gives you a Royal.  Any heart gives you a flush.  Any non heart King gives you the nut straight.  Any Queen or 10 gives you a full house.  Any 9 gives you a  Queen high straight. 

20. In the game California referred to in question 8, you have a wheel. How good is your hand and why?

    Your hand sucks.  California Lowball is 2 to 7 lowball.  Straights and flushes hurt your hand and Aces are always high.  You have Ace high.  (You do not have a straight because Aces are always high.)  If this was Kansas City Lowball, you have the nuts…literally the nuts.

Scoring Chart

1-5 Correct : You’re a Holdem player only aren’t you

6-10 Correct:  You’re a mixed games novice or maybe a Stud Player

11-15 Correct: Well rounded player but not in obscure games most likely.

15-20 Correct:  General Poker Expert.  Go find your own table.  These are MY fish.