Wise Hand Poker

We are just 7 days away from the greatest show on earth, The 2008 WSOP!! I am already making plans to be in Vegas on Tuesday morning June 2nd. I am hoping to play a satellite and be able to get into the 1k NL event with re buys that afternoon.

I do not want to spend my Poker bank roll at this years WSOP so I have to manage my money. I use it for rooms and food also and I keep a detailed log of all my expenses.

I have made more than I have spent this year because I had some success at the LAPC satellites and in March I had a lot of success in several cash games, so I am still in the black for the year.

While at home the past few weeks I played on line at Full Tilt for a bit. Let me just say I deleted FT from my computer and will not be playing on line for awhile. I didn't play cash games, mainly 45 and 54 person SNG's and a few 33.00 SNG's. I busted out 7th 4 times in 8 events and the top 6 get paid. I am not going into detail but I got chat banned for holding down a keyboard key and letting it run for about a minute after taking an unbelievable 2 beats in a row to lose all my chips.

After being banned I do not think I won a hand for 3 tournaments and when my QQ got beat by a K9 when the flop was 3-5-9 rainbow. He bet 1200 into a 1000 pot I went all in for 6k more and he called, a 9 hit the river for him. I hit the delete button as this happens way to often . It almost takes the fun out of playing Poker, so it will be just brick and mortar casinos for me from now on.

I had to get up at 2;00 am this morning because it is the start of Memorial week around the country. Cities everywhere are paying tribute to those Law Enforcement Officers who have died in the past year. My department has a run that starts at Headquarters and every Station participates. My units portion was from Compton Station to Century Station and we actually have a torch that we pass on to the next stations runners. On Wednesday at our Academy we will have a ceremony honoring those who are no longer with us by putting a bronze plaque with their names on it on a Memorial Wall built out of granite at our Academy.It is actually a heart wrenching event to go.

I just read my good friend Bryan Devonshire who writes at Pokerpages.com will no longer be writing for them. He posted his last article today and I am trying to call him and find out why.

Bryan has had a great year and he is the one instrumental in getting me to write Poker Articles along with Justin West. Hopefully he will be putting his words in a major magazine soon.

Go to ESPN Poker and read Gary Wise's article as he is in Costa Rica networking and hanging out with the "Shark" Humberto Brenes. Good Stuff..

Until next week....Take care and Be safe!!!

I have told you before in my blogs about some of the beats I have taken. I don't complain, I just tell you the way the hand played out.

I took 3 weeks off because of the last three tournaments prior to Sunday nights I took some terrible beats. AA vs 77 and lose and AA vs JJ and lose and K-10 flop 2 pair and lose to runner runner spade for a flush. These events hurt because they were 300.00 buy ins and although I had won a satellite in 2 of them, the third I paid for out of my bank roll.

Sunday Night I told you how my opponent hit an 8 on the turn after HE went all in with A-8 vs my A-K on a Q-4-A flop. I had 19,000 chips above average at the time and even though this was only a 30.00 multi rebuy event, my competiveness is still as great as a 3 or 4 hundred dollar event. Someone told me this is the new poker generation. Make terrible calls out of position and catch a 2 outer when you have the rest of the deck in your favor.

Last Night I had my Tens cracked by 99 when the river put out a Kd for yet another flush. I had this guy all the way and he still called bets of 500, 1500, and 2200, leaving me with only 600 chips. The guy new he was beat,but he continued to call my bets. It again took runner runner diamonds for him to win with his 9d. Now I know everyone keeps saying ,"You want players like this in these big pots against you, or at your table" Ok maybe so, but continually they keep hitting miracles and I am out the door and it is becoming a little annoying.

I knew the task was going to be a tough one last night, when 824 people entered this $60.00 Event. I was just playing to keep sharp, but I it turned out to make me frustrated and had me scratching my head on what I can do.

I know I need to play through this and I am hoping the field at the WSOP is not going to play like the others have recently. If they do, hopefully the luck comes to my corner and I can have a profitable WSOP.

I will find out On Tuesday June 3rd as I will be at the Rio that morning. Until then, i am going to be spending time with the family and working some overtime to build up my vacation time.

Sorry for the whine today, but I needed to vent...Thanks...Take Care and Be Safe.

Sunday evening the Bicycle Casino started a week long Deep Stack tournament with affordable buy ins. They start at only 30.00. Denny Williams,the tournament director at the Bike told me they are trying to attract new players to the Casino with these inexpensive buy-ins.

He sure was correct as on Sunday there were 804 people who stood in line for almost 2 hours to register and play. I was not there,but I heard there were about 150 others who were turned away. If you were lucky enough to survive the field and win this event, it paid $6,400.00 for a 30.00 buy in.

It is attracting the newcomers to tournament Poker. Last night I played the 30.00 multiple rebuy event, 461 entrants and everyone got 3,000 in starting chips and you could rebuy during the first three 30 minute levels.

I immediately tripled up within the first 15 minutes with 99 when two very aggressive players hit one of the cards on the flop. 7-5-2. I checked the flop as they both did and when the turn was a 3 I bet the pot,300 chips and they both moved all in. I called them after about 3 minutes of thinking and one guy had A-5 and the other had A-7. My nines held up and I was off to building my stack up to 19,000 by the break.

After the break I have AK on the button when the blinds are 200-100 with a 25 ante. 5 limpers and I raise to 1200 chips and get 2 callers. The flop Q-4-A and I am first to act and put in 5,000, a pot size bet. One guy folds and the other goes ALL IN. Now this guy was raising every pot and his favorite words are all in. I called him and he turned over A-8. You know what hits the turn Right? 8d, and he had me covered and I was done for the night.

Tonight is a 60.00 buy in with no rebuys and 6,000 in starting chips with a 20,000 guaranteed prize pool.

These are low buy ins and I have not played for about 3 weeks. The WSOP is around the corner and I am playing a few of these to keep sharp. I will play tonight and then take the rest of the week off from playing as I have to start checking all my camping and boating gear as we get ready for our vacation.

Hope all is well with you, Take Care and Be Safe.