WSOP 2005
63You seat draw matters, yes, but I wouldn't say it's everything. For example, you could be Phil Hellmuth, who is only good against good opponents, and you draw a table full of donkeys, and bust out.
The format of a shootout in the WSOP seems to be:
Start with tables of 10, then the winners of each table comprise new tables of 10 until there is only one table of 10 left. This table is the final table, and it continues the same as always. This type of tournament has to be loads easier on the tournament directors because they don't have to keep moving people from table to table to keep the tables even. It's also nice for the players because if they win their table early, it could be hours before their next table starts, so they can go get some rest or some food inbetween.
The format of a shootout in the WSOP seems to be:
Start with tables of 10, then the winners of each table comprise new tables of 10 until there is only one table of 10 left. This table is the final table, and it continues the same as always. This type of tournament has to be loads easier on the tournament directors because they don't have to keep moving people from table to table to keep the tables even. It's also nice for the players because if they win their table early, it could be hours before their next table starts, so they can go get some rest or some food inbetween.
WSOP 2005
64I just finished reading Michael Craig's The Professor, The Banker, and The Suicide King (over the course of a few afternoons at the Borders cafe, 'cause I'm cheap) -- it's about the heads-up $10,000-$20,000/$15,000-$30,000 and eventually $100,000-$200,000 limit hold 'em games the pros played against Texas billionaire Andy Beal between 2001 and 2004.
Good summer reading, and interesting portraits of Greenstein, Lederer, Brunson, Harman, etc., and Beal's strategies were interesting too, the main one being that he wanted to have a game with stakes high enough that the best players around were out of their comfort zone. My favorite detail is that Beal was concerned about giving away too much information with his reaction times to bets, so he had a device planted on his leg that vibrated every eight seconds -- he would take as long as he needed to make a decision on a hand, but he then waited for the buzz before acting on that decision.
Good summer reading, and interesting portraits of Greenstein, Lederer, Brunson, Harman, etc., and Beal's strategies were interesting too, the main one being that he wanted to have a game with stakes high enough that the best players around were out of their comfort zone. My favorite detail is that Beal was concerned about giving away too much information with his reaction times to bets, so he had a device planted on his leg that vibrated every eight seconds -- he would take as long as he needed to make a decision on a hand, but he then waited for the buzz before acting on that decision.
WSOP 2005
66I read The Professor, The Banker, and the Suicide King yesterday at the B&N and I enjoyed it very much. Very interesting look behind the scenes and legendary stories as well.
Thanks for recommending it. I've already been blabbing about it to my friends. Can't wait until it comes out in paperback.
Thanks for recommending it. I've already been blabbing about it to my friends. Can't wait until it comes out in paperback.
WSOP 2005
67Time to catch up on the WSOP 2005:
(F'n PokerPages really f'd up their RSS feeds for their bloggers so it's been very difficult to keep up. I hate RSS politics. Let the bloggers play! If you want to put in adds with the feeds, that's fine, but give us the feeds man. These teasers suck.)
Anyway.
We left of with Event 20: $5000 Pot Limit Hold'em
Winner: Brian Wilson (Fort Meyers, FL) - $370k
Yes, that's a cubs jersey.
Event 21: $2500 Limit Omaha Hi/Lo
Winner: Todd Brunson - $256k (his first bracelet!)
Event 22: $1500 No-Limit Hold'em
Winner: Mark Seif - $600k HIS SECOND WIN THIS YEAR!!!
Greg Raymer took 6th.
Event 23: $5000 Limit 7 Card Stud
Winner: Jan Sorensen - $293k
Event 24: $2500 No-Limit Hold'em
Winner: Farzad Bonyadi - $595k
Event 25: $2500 Pot-Limit Hold'em
Winner: Johnny Chan - $300k - THE FIRST 10 BRACELET WINNER!!!
Johnny was tied with Phil Hellmuth and Doyle Brunson with 9 bracelets each until last night when he won his 10th, the most ever.
Some other "news":
Phil Hellmuth apparantly has the iTunes "Top 100" songs on his iPod as well as some rap that his 10 yr-old son put on there for him and some 80's music.
Doyle Brunson, who drives one of those motorized scooters, has to park really far away from the front door just like everyone else.
They had a roast for John Bonetti.
(I learned this from The Professor, The Banker, and The Suicide King) Howard Lederer had gastric bypass surgery a while ago.
Event 25: The Ladies $1000 No-Limit Hold'em started yesterday. This is the first year that it's gone to a no-limit format.
Event 26: $5000 Pot-Limit Hold'em w/ Rebuys started today.
THE MAIN EVENT STARTS IN 10 DAYS!!!
(F'n PokerPages really f'd up their RSS feeds for their bloggers so it's been very difficult to keep up. I hate RSS politics. Let the bloggers play! If you want to put in adds with the feeds, that's fine, but give us the feeds man. These teasers suck.)
Anyway.
We left of with Event 20: $5000 Pot Limit Hold'em
Winner: Brian Wilson (Fort Meyers, FL) - $370k
Yes, that's a cubs jersey.
Event 21: $2500 Limit Omaha Hi/Lo
Winner: Todd Brunson - $256k (his first bracelet!)
Event 22: $1500 No-Limit Hold'em
Winner: Mark Seif - $600k HIS SECOND WIN THIS YEAR!!!
Greg Raymer took 6th.
Event 23: $5000 Limit 7 Card Stud
Winner: Jan Sorensen - $293k
Event 24: $2500 No-Limit Hold'em
Winner: Farzad Bonyadi - $595k
Event 25: $2500 Pot-Limit Hold'em
Winner: Johnny Chan - $300k - THE FIRST 10 BRACELET WINNER!!!
Johnny was tied with Phil Hellmuth and Doyle Brunson with 9 bracelets each until last night when he won his 10th, the most ever.
Some other "news":
Phil Hellmuth apparantly has the iTunes "Top 100" songs on his iPod as well as some rap that his 10 yr-old son put on there for him and some 80's music.
Doyle Brunson, who drives one of those motorized scooters, has to park really far away from the front door just like everyone else.
They had a roast for John Bonetti.
(I learned this from The Professor, The Banker, and The Suicide King) Howard Lederer had gastric bypass surgery a while ago.
Event 25: The Ladies $1000 No-Limit Hold'em started yesterday. This is the first year that it's gone to a no-limit format.
Event 26: $5000 Pot-Limit Hold'em w/ Rebuys started today.
THE MAIN EVENT STARTS IN 10 DAYS!!!
WSOP 2005
68I was going to start playing online poker on Pokerstars.com next week, but I know nothing about poker or Texas Hold'um other than what hands beat others. What would be a good book or website to get tips or strategies? I still don't understand almost any of the terminology either such as "re-buys" etc....I have been playing Play Money games, but those are a joke and nobody plays like they do on the real games that I sit and watch. Thank you for any advice that you can give me.....
Oh, also...what site do you play on and do you play with real money and how much are you up if I may ask? Thanks
Oh, also...what site do you play on and do you play with real money and how much are you up if I may ask? Thanks
WSOP 2005
69Glueman,
Can I point you over to this other thread over here?
PokerStars is THE site if you want to play in the best no-limit tournaments online. They are famous for their tournaments not only because they are usually huge, but because they have the best tournament software and blind schedules.
As far as their ring games go, I can't speak for their no-limit ring games, but their ring games are moderately tough. I played over there for a while before I knew exactly what I was doing, and I ended up treading water for a long time before I hit a bad streak.
One benefit of their site is that you can play for ridiculously low limits (nanolimits) like $.01-.02.
Like I said, their software is nice and they are very reputable. Check out http://www.bonuswhores.com for the best sign-up and deposit bonuses for PokerStars and every other site. BonusWhores also has a pretty good site review section that I recommend.
I currently play at PokerRoom. I started my online experience playing at pokerroom and I went back on a fluke earlier this year and am trying to leave. I'm trying to leave there not because their site sucks but the game selection there once you get above the $.50-1 games can become pretty thin. Party Poker is a limit players wet dream and I can't wait to move back over there.
That said, a lot of people I know are happy at PokerRoom. Their software is pretty nice, they offer a lot of other games besides hold'em, and it works pretty nicely with some of the other programs like PokerTracker that you'll read about in my guide.
If you're interested in any of the other sites, I've played at Paradise Poker, Ultimate Bet, and Party Poker, so I'd be happy to answer any questions people have about those sites.
You can save a lot of time by going to http://www.bonuswhores.com or http://www.internettexasholdem.com and reading their site reviews though.
YES! I'm up. (It feels so good to say.) But, it can be a lot of work, and can sometimes be frustrating to get your bankroll up to a certain level and then just watch it tumble on a terrible night where nothing goes right, but, "that's poker", as they say.
That's also another reason that I so strongly recommend trying to go for the maximum bonus while you are still working on your game. With a solid, tight, preflop strategy, you can break even pretty easily, and if you're earning your bonus while you're doing so, you are essentially playing for free. Or, if you do well, you'll be getting paid to play. What could be better?
Others will pipe in and say that I'm painting a fairly rosy picture of online poker, and I would have to say that if I didn't know what I know now, I wouldn't probably be doing so. But, you can win. You can have fun while you make money, and you can learn a game that you will be able to play for the rest of your life with practically anyone.
BTW, if you are only interested in tournament play, I think it's going to take a lot of work (there's the pessimistic side - which stems from me not having much success with the tournaments online). Tournaments, from one table Sit & Go's to HUGE multitable tournaments, are some of the most hotly contested games out there because of their popularity and because of the enormous payouts you can get if you actually win one of those suckers.
Well, that should be enough to get your started. Feel free to ask more questions. It's tough to know much about poker right away, but it doesn't take that long to learn a lot either.
Can I point you over to this other thread over here?
PokerStars is THE site if you want to play in the best no-limit tournaments online. They are famous for their tournaments not only because they are usually huge, but because they have the best tournament software and blind schedules.
As far as their ring games go, I can't speak for their no-limit ring games, but their ring games are moderately tough. I played over there for a while before I knew exactly what I was doing, and I ended up treading water for a long time before I hit a bad streak.
One benefit of their site is that you can play for ridiculously low limits (nanolimits) like $.01-.02.
Like I said, their software is nice and they are very reputable. Check out http://www.bonuswhores.com for the best sign-up and deposit bonuses for PokerStars and every other site. BonusWhores also has a pretty good site review section that I recommend.
I currently play at PokerRoom. I started my online experience playing at pokerroom and I went back on a fluke earlier this year and am trying to leave. I'm trying to leave there not because their site sucks but the game selection there once you get above the $.50-1 games can become pretty thin. Party Poker is a limit players wet dream and I can't wait to move back over there.
That said, a lot of people I know are happy at PokerRoom. Their software is pretty nice, they offer a lot of other games besides hold'em, and it works pretty nicely with some of the other programs like PokerTracker that you'll read about in my guide.
If you're interested in any of the other sites, I've played at Paradise Poker, Ultimate Bet, and Party Poker, so I'd be happy to answer any questions people have about those sites.
You can save a lot of time by going to http://www.bonuswhores.com or http://www.internettexasholdem.com and reading their site reviews though.
YES! I'm up. (It feels so good to say.) But, it can be a lot of work, and can sometimes be frustrating to get your bankroll up to a certain level and then just watch it tumble on a terrible night where nothing goes right, but, "that's poker", as they say.
That's also another reason that I so strongly recommend trying to go for the maximum bonus while you are still working on your game. With a solid, tight, preflop strategy, you can break even pretty easily, and if you're earning your bonus while you're doing so, you are essentially playing for free. Or, if you do well, you'll be getting paid to play. What could be better?
Others will pipe in and say that I'm painting a fairly rosy picture of online poker, and I would have to say that if I didn't know what I know now, I wouldn't probably be doing so. But, you can win. You can have fun while you make money, and you can learn a game that you will be able to play for the rest of your life with practically anyone.
BTW, if you are only interested in tournament play, I think it's going to take a lot of work (there's the pessimistic side - which stems from me not having much success with the tournaments online). Tournaments, from one table Sit & Go's to HUGE multitable tournaments, are some of the most hotly contested games out there because of their popularity and because of the enormous payouts you can get if you actually win one of those suckers.
Well, that should be enough to get your started. Feel free to ask more questions. It's tough to know much about poker right away, but it doesn't take that long to learn a lot either.
WSOP 2005
70So, one of the best final tables of the series is set to play later today. It's in the $5000 Pot-Limit Omaha w/ rebuys event. They got special permission from the series to start the final table tonight with 10 people rather than 9 like usual because they don't want to miss it if Phil Hellmuth, who is looking to tie Johnny Chan with 10 bracelets, gets knocked out in 10th. Also, 10th place misses the money. You can only imagine the tantrum that will ensue if Phil goes out 10th.
Here's the final table:
Claude Cohen 110k
Robert Williamson 153k
Allen Cunningham 202k
Davood Mehrmand 125k (Started the day in 45th with 8k)
Surinder Sunar 96k
Phil Ivey 494k
Phil Hellmuth 114k
Eddy Scharf 150k
Richard St Peter 162k
Sigi Stockinger 213k
* Robert Williamson is the best Pot Limit Omaha player in the world going into this final table. The only people who can really catch him as far as money won playing PLO ar Phil Ivey and Surinder Sunar.
* From all the reports, Phil Ivey was on fire last night, taking out players left and right.
* Allen Cunningham has already won one bracelet this year in the $1000 NLHE event.
In other, annoying, news:
Jennifer Tilley won the Ladies $1000 NLHE event. Ugh.
Here's the final table:
Claude Cohen 110k
Robert Williamson 153k
Allen Cunningham 202k
Davood Mehrmand 125k (Started the day in 45th with 8k)
Surinder Sunar 96k
Phil Ivey 494k
Phil Hellmuth 114k
Eddy Scharf 150k
Richard St Peter 162k
Sigi Stockinger 213k
* Robert Williamson is the best Pot Limit Omaha player in the world going into this final table. The only people who can really catch him as far as money won playing PLO ar Phil Ivey and Surinder Sunar.
* From all the reports, Phil Ivey was on fire last night, taking out players left and right.
* Allen Cunningham has already won one bracelet this year in the $1000 NLHE event.
In other, annoying, news:
Jennifer Tilley won the Ladies $1000 NLHE event. Ugh.