Sunday, May 31, 2009

Full Tilt Fantasy Challenge -Events #2-#3

These were my picks for the 40k high rollers events (wsop#2) and I had to let them ride for the $1500 Limit PLO8 event (wsop #3) because of Internet connectivity issues all day Wednesday thru Saturday afternoon. Fortunately, I had gotten my first picks in before my modem conked out.

As you can see below, I took a mix of hot Internet players and seasoned pros. One thing I don't think is possible is write-in candidates. I just looked for Greg Raymer on the pick list as he has final tabled the 40k event to see if anyone had him. Don't think Team Pokerstars' Fossilman made the FTP powers that be radar. Team Full Tilt and red pros heavily make up the pick list. ******EDIT Greg Raymer found on list!!!!

What makes it hard is you actually have no idea if your picks are playing. Unless they tweet about it. And they then have to make deep runs in donkament size fields. For example, I didn't pick Eric Seidel for the 40k, because he announced on twitter that he wouldn't be playing till next week. I also no one pro is going to Hawaii this week so he's been dry docked. Obviously ZeeJustin (Bonomo) didn't play the Limit PLO8 tourney as he was deep in the 4Ok, but I was able to scrap him in time for event #3 (the stimulus special tourney) when my Internet service returned.



A Player Justin Bonomo $0
A Player Chris Moorman $0
A Player Allen Cunningham $0
A Player Kenny Tran $0
A Player Erick Lindgren $0
B Player Shannon Shorr $0
B Player Daniel Negreanu $0
B Player Tim "Tmay420" West $0
B Player Jeff Madsen $0
B Player Mike Matusow $0
C Player Vivek Rajkumar $0
C Player John Juanda $0
C Player Jimmy "Gobboboy" Fricke $0
C Player Michael Binger $0
C Player Jon "PearlJammed" Turner $0
Total: $0

I look totally brilliant taking Team Bodog's Justin Bonomo, as one of my A-listers. He was playing extremely well heading into the WSOP with a WSOP Circuit win. He's currently playing the final table of the event with 5 left. On the flip side, I don't believe Kenny Tran even showed to play. I also should have taken a harder look at Isaac Haxson as hes hot right now and should be a bracelet contender sometime during the series (think/hope hes on the list for future consideration)

Knowing my luck I win a FT baseball cap, which I already have but there are other fabulous prizes and swag including winners freerolls and top scorers will play for a world series 2010 seat. The games have begun!!

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Anticipation...........2009 WSOP

The media, photographers and poker players are all rolling into Las Vegas. I followed BJ Nemeth (@BJNemeth on twitter) and his cute doggy Rhapsody on their road trip from Atlanta to Las Vegas via twitter. BJ also posted some great shots of his journey. I can't remember if it was BJ who snapped my photo when I played the Ladies event. I remember Dr Pauly coming over to advise me of the two pros at my table (one I knew the other I did not as she was Swedish) and I remember CC coming over with a photographer to snap my picture for the article Carmen did on me for PokerWorks. I'm just not sure if it was BJ.

Dr Pauly will be splitting his time between Phish tour and the WSOP. He has an all-star line-up tapped to pinch hit for the days he's on tour. He posted pictures on his blog with the faces blotted out. I've identified 5 correctly including one person I hoped would contribute and is. I still have two to go. One I got only because I obviously have spent too much time reading poker blogs over the last 5 years or so and because I have a freaky memory. Not sure if he will introduce them before the start of the series or as they contribute. I spill no secrets as to the identities of these pinch hitters, I'm Italian remember and we have a code of silence, besides that's Dr P's job to do.

Wicked Chops will be covering the series in only the way they can, including their Girls on the Rail series and perhaps a return of the Ginger of the Day? I'm going to copy and paste from a recent WC post the outlets covering the series and add a few they missed and embellish on a few. I've italicized the WC original post so as not to bring the wrath of the Entities down on my head. Follow the Entities @wickedchops.

WSOP.com: Get chip counts and full tourney reporting. For a link to the full schedule of events go here.

You can follow Jeffrey Pollack (the commish of the wsop) on twitter @JeffreyPollack and wsop live updates @wsopliveupdates and the wsop @wsop.

BluffMagazine.com: Stepped up their online reporting efforts the past year or so, lots of timely and relevant news. Bluff Magazine will be live streaming the final tables of 12 events that will not be televised. You can follow Bluff on twitter @bluffmagazine.

PokerListings.com: Solid coverage, often with a funny take. This is a Canadian site I often forget about but have recently been spending more time at. Hopefully, I'll get Matt to invite me to the next PL Run good challenge!! Follow them on twitter @_pokerlistings_.

Tao of Poker: Dr. Pauly is the hardest working man in poker, and is a staple and fixture of WSOP reporting. The entities are on point there. Dr Pauly is to poker and music coverage what Warren Haynes is to Rock and Roll. Oh and he's got a book coming out too. Follow him on twitter at @taopauly.

Pokerati.com: Good scoops and perspective, tons of updates. Follow them on twitter @Pokerati. Pokerati's Dan Michalski & Dr Pauly team up on the Tao of Pokerati podcasts. The archived podcasts can be found here.

PokerRoad.com: More pro perspective than you'll find anywhere else, plus the awesome Poker Beat and other shows. Joe Sebok, Barry Greenstein, Amanda Leatherman, Scott Huff, John "Shecky" Caldwell, Jimmy Fricke have big things in store for this WSOP. Follow on twitter @pokerroad or join the twibe by clicking here.

ESPN.com: Aside from keeping track of the Fantasy Draft (oh crap that's today), the Poker Edge podcast are worth the price of admission (which is free, but whatever) alone. ESPN360.com will be live streaming twelve final tables not covered by Bluff. Unfortunately my ISP (the evil empire Time Warner) does not allow me ESPN360 access. This year ESPN TV coverage will only be broadcasting 4 events with coverage commencing July 28th. The same number of hours are planned but only the 40k high rollers event, the 10k buy-in Main Event, the Ante Up for Africa Charity tourney and the WSOP Tournament of Champions will be shown live. HORSE/Omaha/Limit events and god forbid Razz don't make for good TV.

Poker Stars Blog: Otis keeps this a great source of news for the site that most of you probably won your WSOP entries from. As of this mornings count, 922 qualifers have qualified thru pokerstars (not counting the multiple packages won by the dudes who are always in that Step 6 you want to play). Typically the Pokerstars blog covers Pokerstars qualifiers.

RawVegas.tv: Wicked Chops is behind Raw Vegas TV: Between our new episodes of The TOKE (our fave from last year below, the Girls of the GLE), plus Daniel Negreanu vlogs (and many, many more pros this year, more on that later), a great video source of WSOP action.

PokerNews.com Not sure who the 2009 line-up includes but my guess is the usual poker bloggers's such as Shamus, Change100, Mean Gene, Haley, and F-Train as well as the other PokerNews staffers. Follow on twitter @pokernews.

Full Tilt's Poker From the Rail: The new kid on the block. AlCantHang's new bill paying gig. Hopefully, the coverage Al has planned here will be similar to the Pokerstars Blog. You'll get a perspective on the Full Tilt qualifiers (251 as of this morning). Al just landed in Vegas a little lighter as he chopped off his hair.

Saturday, May 09, 2009

Annie Duke FTW!!



I haven't been a religious follower of the show but have kept up on it. If you read my archived post where I commented on the first episode, I stated, Jesse James, Brande, and Annie impressed me the most in that very first episode, other then Joan Rivers who I assumed would be the person to beat. Pretty good call by me, as all of the above mentioned players made the final four.

Love her or hate her Annie has proven herself as a formidable opponent or as Tyra Banks would say... FIERCE. I have been impressed with her work ethic. Joan on the other hand lost any respect I had for her and comes across as a total harpie. She has enraged every poker player with her "your kind, your people" remarks. Kind of reminds me when a police officer in Worcester MA told me they didn't want my people (meaning deadheads) around. Lets see if Annie can uber-TILT Joan tomorrow night during the finale.

Doyle Brunson (@texdolly) doesnt mince words about his feelings for Joan Rivers:

Joan Rivers has a concussion. She was getting a drink and the toilet seat fell on her head.

I'll quit tweeting about Joan Rivers when she apoligizes to the poker world

Happy Mothers Day Annie & I hope you found a dress to wear for the finale. Show Joan how heads-up is played!!

I want to see Dave at Jones Beach!!



I am alive just been busy with household maintenance and spring cleaning. The ADhD part of me only has time to tweet in 140 characters or less.

I must say Dave is looking rather hot. I see a big void whenever I see the band's picture without the great LeRoi Moore (RIP).

I love the New York Post. Even though it tends to lean right and Obama bash every chance the editors get. I just find it a guilty pleasure. Its kind of like a tabloid newspaper.