Yesterday it started - WSOP 2008

Well.. Another year (2008 WSOP) that I'm not going to be in Las Vegas.. You know what? That's ok with me! At least FULLTILTPOKER has the mini series for me to deal with... I have this action to look forward to and that's enough... You see.. living here in POKER DEPRIVED PENNSYLVANIA it's tough. It was like only yesterday (it seems to me) when I was there in Vegas ALL THE TIME with an average stay of 15 days.. Ahhhhh - The good old days... when GAS was cheap and flights out west were 200-300 tops.

I love Las Vegas but having a 4 year old little girl and family means much more to me .. Until she is in SCHOOL - all day. I'm staying home with the family. That, and as many of you know - I made a deal with my wife that we would PAY OFF THE HOUSE before I play in any major buy in games. This might happen NEXT year - maybe. 2010 is a LOCK if I'm still on this earth.

NOW - FOCUS HERE! GOOD STUFF COMING AT YOU IN THESE NEXT FEW LINES.. If you are looking to get a good day in day out play by play of the 2008 series.. I suggest you check out DR PAULY'S TAO OF POKER BLOG NOBODY DOES IT LIKE DR. PAULY. Pauly can get a little rough at times - but if you want the REAL FEEL of poker - you got to do it.(Newbies can thank me later for showing them the TAO OF POKER)

<<<< THIS IS A PHOTO OF DR. PAULY


Me - I'm not sad not being there - I been there done that.. (never won! Hell - never entered a major game) I covered a few series between 1994-1999 and the 2002 - 2004 and 2005. The crowds - the sounds.. I was in the heart of it all - it was awesome! But not this year.. not at this time..

I'll do what I have been doing the last few years - reading DR. PAULY and waiting for ANY poker NUGGETS on the boob tube.

Yeppers! If you are in Vegas in the next month or so - the place to be (for POKER) is at the RIO! It's an ALL SUITE hotel (I have stayed at this property many times!) I give it a 5 STAR rating... EXCEPT for it being SO DARN BIG.. Walking to the pool and back from your room can be a task... But, who the hell is going to the pool right? With all that POKER ACTION... I doubt many rounders will know if it's day or night..

So follow my advice and TAG - Dr. PAULY'S site and check in with him every day for the REAL nuggets of poker news. then come play with me in the mini series.. on FULLTILTPOKER

If you are going or are there ALREADY - GOOD LUCK! Make it happen.

I have some posts coming in the near future about a young lady that is going to play in the MAIN EVENT (SHE won her seat) and I ended up buying 5% of her action and raising another $500 for he - through donations and plan on giving that % to our local Elks Lodge. Elks care, Elks share.


So - that's about it for me today - I got some great screen shots from a game/tourney I won on FULLTILTPOKER - Funny thing was.. I won it sitting in the Elks parking lot after the BAR shut down - I had to pull close up to the building to get the wireless signal... Odd - playing poker in your car.. but hey! I won! (It was a game I really did not even want to play - Someone asked me at the bar to show them HOW TO PLAY POKER ONLINE)... lol

Another player swimming close to the "hook" of online poker. I told her to watch herself.. THE GAME IS FUN and CAN REALLY SUCK YOU IN... Here is another HOOK! Go ahead! JUMP IN! FULLTILTPOKER Sign up today!

Hope everyone is hitting quads today.

livePLAYERpoker GROUP LAUNCH

Well - a few have asked - and here it is..

I will have little to do with the forum - except to answer non-silly questions.. I hope it gives some of us a FORUM to take our game to the next level..

Here is the site - http://livepoker.ning.com/







Give it a look and GET AT IT! Feel free to PUMP and PROMOTE ANYTHING YOU LIKE! BILLIONS OF PLAYERS OUT THERE - Let's all get along...

APCW Perspectives Weekly - May 30th, 2008

I had another WIN last night on FULL TILT

It will take a while for me to get the screen shots up - as it's AWESOME warm and sunny outside and I'm going out to play in the dirt today.

If you want to play on FULLTILTPOKER... with me and get some

free lessons on how do get to the FINAL TABLE and WIN! Just keep coming back and I dunno - ask a few questions maybe (in the comments...

UNTIL I GET BACK - READ THIS LITTLE DIDDY. It's so true that everything is upside down in the country and AROUND the world actually...



Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn't always fair, and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they themselves failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Panadol, sun lotion or a Band-Aid to a student but could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant or wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband, churches became businesses, and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by three stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, Someone Else is to Blame, and I'm A Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.


REMEMBER - Sign up onFULLTILTPOKER... Come see if you get the lucky seat tonight.. I'm "BigTIME loser" if you get there - LOOK OUT FOR ME and say HI!

guerrilla gardening...... I love it!

If you read my blog - you know how much I love to work in my garden... Check out these images between your next poker game.... It's very cool what you can do with a few bucks and a SPADE shovel ... and you thought SPADES were only in poker.


Did YOU plant a garden this year?


http://www.guerrillagardening.org/

My new subscription to CARD PLAYER

If you are like me - you are really into poker... For me however, I made the choice long ago to learn the game at the tables. (trial by fire) LIVE POKER. I spent over 20 years doing so clocking too many hours to figure - I did so in Vegas, Atlantic City, etc.. not to mention some pretty major back room games all over Pennsylvaina...

I'm at a point in my poker life where I feel I know a good number of major moves that many new players do not know - but somehow, I still lack a "few" of the last major tricks that the super pros know.. Ivey, Gus, Sammy,Annie, Jesus and my favorites Eric Seidel, Phil H and Barry Greenstein.. Ted Forest, just to name a few...

(Tips that in my mind the pros ain't looking to share
in any book all that soon) lol It seems some TIPS in poker...you got to figure out on your own. I'm looking for those sorta tips.

So - After all these years and with that said - I decided to give reading a poker magazine a try... CARD PLAYER. It turns out, much of what I'm seeing/reading adds to my feeling that I do in fact have this game figured out for the most part.. but sadly, it gives me new questions to ponder. Sure. With a game like POKER - Style of play will come into effect... I guess I knew this would happen deep down.. Poker to me is like war. One General might take his men up river.. .One might go in a complete other direction of attack.

With poker..I've learned to play many styles.. NO ONE STYLE WORKS for me. I'm open to a move up RIVER or to the woods in poker, depending on the game I'm in and the players I'm playing. I do not chase to the river however..

So today I have this thought that maybe I'll take the BEST ARTICLE from CARD PLAYER - "in my mind anyways" and break it down, ask more questions or tell you if my take on the subject is NOT the same as the writer for the MAGAZINE.. Whooo Hoooooo! (calm down)

I'm not looking to do anything with this than learn and kick new idea's around. I'm not wanting to argue or pick a fight.. If I agree I agree - if not - I'll say so and share why and leave it at that...

SO - This week and in the coming months - look out for my take on things with the stanbackworld.blogspot.com Card Player article of the month blog. I'll also give my take on something dear to my heart - PHOTOGRAPHY. I rate the quality and lighting - etc... THIS IS ONE SUBJECT I KNOW... I've been doing pro photography work for over 23 years..

So - come on back now... ya'hear.. I might even get on this new once a month Card Player REVIEW thing tonight.. WHO KNOWS?

Hope you are hitting major flops this week! Any questions! Just ask.

REMEMBER THOSE WHO HAVE DIED IN OUR NATION'S SERVICE

Veterans, both past and present, were honored for their service over the weekend with several different events.... Here is a story in pictures of one such event held at my local Elks lodge.. A lodge that I'm proud to be a past president and member. Elks #200 Hazleton, Pa. 18201

GO ARMY! MARINES! NAVY! GO AIR FORCE! GO COAST GUARD!































































Yesterday at Elks lodge #200 - I had the privilege as Committee Chairman to organize the "Take a VET to breakfast.." program. Together with a great TEAM of Elks - we served free breakfasts to over 100 vets from all over Pennsylvania. (THANK YOU TO DENISE EISENHART FOR THE GREAT CENTER PIECES!!! FANTASTIC WORK YOU DO!!! IN A SHORT TIME TOO!!!)


One of the young ladies, an army vet herself handed me 11 envelopes with hand written letters thanking me and all the Elks members for putting such a day together.. I had to remind her and the rest of the guys, that we were in fact the lucky ones to serve our VETERANS.. I reminded them that we love them and that it was an honor for the ELKS to serve such ... great AMERICANS.

Here are a few images of the day - A lot of work/time went into putting this day together (Meetings,Speakers,Decorations,VA Hospital Bus,food, food prep, etc.) I'd like to thank my wife and daughter and my awesome committee (friends) that made the HAZLETON ELKS #200 and this Committee Chairman SHINE.. We brought a SPECIAL day (at least a few hours) to our local vets as well as the 20+ that drove over 35 miles from the VA Hospital in a special bus.. with about 11 of the VETERANS being in wheel chairs..

The pictures will explain everything better than I could ever dream of doing....

If you are a VETERAN - THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO FOR THIS COUNTRY.... The B.P.O.E is with you 101% GOD BLESS AMERICA!


Before ending this thread (blog) I would like to say thanks again to my commitee,my close friend Randy Montz (One of the HARDEST WORKING men in all of ELKDOM) plus E.R. Mike Dolan... Mike is a WORKING president of our lodge and is almost always found serving breakfasts.. His wife helps a lot as well. Here, in these photos.. My friend Randy w/Morgan my daughter and then a photo of the DINING ROOM at our LODGE showing E.R. (president) Mike Dolan before the RUSH for breakfast.

















Here is a photo of pilot Captain Scott Gallagher - U.S. Marines, a guest at this event who just returned from Iraq.
















Lastly, I need to thank a a great bunch of men for helping with the SPEAKING portion of this event. Guest Speaker Jim Templeton, a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8253/West Hazleton. Guest speaker Neil "ROCKY" Graziano, Adjutant Paymaster with the Anthracite Detachment - Marine Corps League 428. Guest speaker Bill Hines,commander of the Disabled American Veterans Mountain City Chapter. Also, Marine Corps Captain Scott Gallagher, who recently returned from a four-month detachment in Iraq and Jay Spare, of chapter 3 Disabled American Veterans, both guests. (***NOTE- The picture with me, the large guy in the middle "looking like Johnny Cash..." The men in this photo to my left and right were the speakers) What a great job they did!







Jim Templeton! Thanks again for a JOB WELL DONE! Many people stopped our lodges president and myself to tell us what a fine event this was.. It could not have been done without your help. Thank you sir. PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG TO YOUR TEAM OF SPEAKERS. I hope to work with you again in the coming years, some time down the line.

FYI Everyone! Our next event will be for FLAG DAY on June 22. If you can - please attend and as always - HELP is always needed. :)

***If you would like to know more about the ELKS - contact me - anytime! I'd love to have you helping us help the VETERANS!!! ANYWHERE you live - in the USA! The Elks are near and ready to help.. Next time you are driving around your town - Look out for your local Elks lodge and ask an elk (member) for details..

The CHIMPS game on full tilt

They say.. A picture is worth a thousand words...

I'm rushed and running out the door... After falling to oh - $700 in chips or so... I decided to go for it holding AJ against a ALL IN pos raiser with a stack, one that, sadly won just about every hand he played.. (sad for me)

It lines up with my LUCKY seat idea on FULLTILTPOKER... Come see if you get the lucky seat tonight..

Here is the hand - He had me PRE FLOP- I had him on flop - he sacked me on the RIVER...



Oh well - I hope the CHIMPS fundraiser worked out..

What a day! It's a 25 hour day today....

Thursday is SHOT!

Much to be done... This is one of those days where I'll do more in one day than I do in a week.. Morning, daughter play time and have her ready for pre-school by 12pm

12:30 Order appointment in Studio
1pm-3:30 Studio work
4:30 Appointment with REP for insurance.
6pm - Veterans meeting at ELKS
8pm Elks general meeting

9:30pm - Maybe some FULLTILTPOKER
at the Elks bar.

2am - Get ride home from Elks.. lol (maybe)

Yesterday - I planted some roses and HOPE they take and produce. Day before yesterday I started a POTTED garden.. My neighbor has one with over 50 pots and you have to see the harvest. INSANE! I think it's the POOP - COW!

I have a full schedule of HARD WORK mixed with poker over the Holiday weekend - I'm progressing on my stone walls.. and flower gardens.. (OH! Last week MY pampas grass came in.. I planted it right away and it looks as if it's starting to take...)

I'm beginning to think I only have a few more years to do the MAJOR projects.. at least with me swinging the power and hand tools... I want to get as much done as possible so that in my later years I can just sit around and ENJOY It all...

TIME is moving faster.

YOU MUST CHECK THIS VIDEO OUT! (poker related)

It's that good!

If you read my BLOG - I demand that you watch this video.. Consider it a required assignment to be in my poker world. I can tell before reading ONE page of this book - that it has "it".. ENJOY!

Lets see... HUNDRED DOLLAR BUY IN on FULL TILT

100.00 plus 9.00 FULLTILTPOKER




280 players - 7 players were "poof" gone fast...

Let's see what we can do here... My goal - to win.

21 hands into tourney and I'm moved to a new table...(263) left in action.

28 hands into game (249) left.. I have 4,200 in chips. AVERAGE is.. 3,375

POKER PRO ROY WINSTON IS IN THIS GAME.

In the FIRST IMAGE - I HIT AA - but "NO ACTION" - NO CHIPS FOR ME.. In the 2nd image - I GET PAID.. and in the THIRD IMAGE - YIKES! I'm OUTTA HERE - Look at all that action... I'd lay down KK in many spots like this one..



I got to stay calm - no biggie, long way to go. Hands on this new table are weak at best. 40 hands played and 240 players still going for the 7,000.00 + payday.
At hand 48 I take a stab at action - call small raise with 79 from the small blind.
(Flop gives me BOTTOM pair, it always seems to do this to me - as if to punish me for playing sub par hands) Many other players that I respect - report this same sorta thing online. WHO KNOWS?

Average now is 3800 and I have 3900 - 218 players left in action. Blinds are 20/40.

81 hands in - I'm slipping a bit lower than average but its no biggie.. I have 4, 385.. the average is 4700 - BUT WAITE! Pocket AA! I standard raise and get re-raised.. SWEET! I re-raise him he calls WITH AK suited.. (IMAGE HERE - I GET PAID WITH AA)















Now I sit with - 8,800 with only 90 hands in (165) players left in action - ROY WINSTON HAS 2,670 in chips. I am in 14th place - so far so good. I am starting to play a little more- raise with ?? - lets just say the hands are hands that have potential - I bet no matter what and they are letting me take a good amount of chips.. THIS IS GOOD - NOTE - I'm almost always doing this from super late position..

106 hands or so - and I make a move with A10 - I get CRAZY action after me and I choose to pick another fight. NOTE the CHAT! lol.


















Things start to speed up and blinds are coming up as well - I slip to 30 pos - doing NOTHING but folding poor starting hands... Average 6,000 in chips - I hold 8,320 - ALL is ok. 137 players left. We need to HIT money in this one - I need a good score and cash tonight. 36 players will CASH in this one - but we all know - to get the REAL score - we must place in top 5 or better.

At this point - I feel - that I need to dodge the COOLER that might come - Seems to happen - as it programmed.. We will see. FULLTILTPOKER


134 players left at 115 hands.


At 117 hands blinds are 50/100

my stats this deep Statistics for 121 Hands
Street Saw Saw/Total
Flop 25 21%
Turn 12 10%
River 8 7%
Showdown 5 4%
Street Won Won/Saw Won/Total
Pre-flop 4 3% 3%
Flop 8 32% 7%
Turn 1 8% 1%
River 1 13% 1%
Showdown 4 80% 3%


The hands are BACK to WEAK at BEST - so I'll just lay low and chill

I play a BB hand to a guy that LIMPS with AK (NOTE to my readers - WATCH OT FOR LIMPERS under the gun) A RED FLAG - to see some players make this move... Just be careful if you see a player do this.. Especially later in a tourney.. like this one.



125 Players left. Whooo Hooo! Average is 6829 - I sit with 8640 - but again - game will pick up speed and the BLINDS will pick up.. ADD to it that I'm now at a table with a LARGE stack playing HARD... Lets see if I can HIT him hard - I limp with suited cards and hit a st draw - he checks, I bet and he folds...

OK 60/120 BLINDS 133 hands in...

I smash some chips around and hit little wins hitting trips on turn.. nothing major - I'm just trying to stay in the action - but keeping the action low - I GET OUT - if it's ugly.. period.

Here are stats up to now..

Statistics for 147 Hands
Street Saw Saw/Total
Flop 30 20%
Turn 16 11%
River 11 7%
Showdown 8 5%
Street Won Won/Saw Won/Total
Pre-flop 6 4% 4%
Flop 9 30% 6%
Turn 1 6% 1%
River 1 9% 1%
Showdown 6 75% 4%


Need a hand - and have it hold up - I still must look out for the COOLER hand... The AVERAGE chips is 8,076 - I hold 8,040. 102 players left. I get MOVED to new table. Time to focus now - I need to hit and have the hand HOLD up.

100 to go - 560 seems to be the raise pre flop here.. I take note of that. I hit AK call a raise - then BET out when the board hits Q77 - I bet 2/3rd - player folds - Of course we love this...

Few hands later I hit 66 in the BB but get no action..

164 hands in - I hold 8,120 in chips Average is.. 9230 SIDE NOTE - This sorta thing seems to happen to me later in higher buy in games - As the blinds climb - the action gets nuts when I'm holding poor cards.. I might not have enough games at these higher buy ins to have a real picture of things -- but this is the short term results.. HOPEFULLY we will turn this around - last hand I hold 73 off in BB - 100/200 blinds - it's raised and I must fold..

AS I said - things get ugly - I take a shot from SB - but I play it poor - I hit the turn and check.. HE CRUSHES ME holding JJ - he hits j on river




It gets worse - I get into action holding 2nd on board - Player bets hard - I call - no help - he holds high card - OF COURSE WE BOTH HIT.. ONLINE - players in action ALWAYS hit.. (got to have action)

Man - I need to HIT and HOLD...

2920 - I must breath and relax. 81 left - 3,000 in chips - table is short. Average is 10,000 - So much for keeping up - I need to double or tripple up.



The dreaded hands like 63 - 72...

Add to this - I got to CHOP hands like this - GOD FORBID this guy just let his AJ go when I raise PRE FLOP... It's like they can SEE my hole cards..



















Then.. I hit AQ right before break - I make it 750 to go.. and get called...

k310 off.. He checks I bet 800 - he folds.

Got a few back - 3780 in chips - Still must double up.

nothing changes after break - 24 off, etc.. (chin up!)

Statistics for 195 Hands
Street Saw Saw/Total
Flop 38 19%
Turn 21 11%
River 14 7%
Showdown 10 5%
Street Won Won/Saw Won/Total
Pre-flop 11 6% 6%
Flop 11 29% 6%
Turn 1 5% 1%
River 1 7% 1%
Showdown 6 60% 3%

I can not win a RACE on FULLTILTPOKER
......
I can not win a RACE on FULLTILTPOKER
......
I can not win a RACE on FULLTILTPOKER
......
I can not win a RACE on FULLTILTPOKER
......
I can not win a RACE on FULLTILTPOKER......
I can not win a RACE on FULLTILTPOKER
......
I can not win a RACE on FULLTILTPOKER
......




I feel like the DRIVER guy that BLOWS UP in the final laps of the DAYTONA 500 lately - Every time.. on TILT when it counts for the BIGGER pays..? I love tilt too - I make my move with a higher pocket pair - I lose - THE DOGS always HIT that A on ME...

NOTE - When I call with hands like this guy did however - THIS LATE IN A TOURNEY - I always lose... A 100 buy in tourney and THEY can NOT let go of the AQ or AJ hands...

WTF? What do I have to do - to win one of these bigger buy in games?


ROY WINSTON finished - 115












I FINISH # 69.

Hit a 3rd last night - but got sorta robbed...

I was at the Elks lodge bar to TALK baseball! (and who knows.. maybe have a few) Not that I'm a mega fan of baseball.. It's just that I'm running a trip to PHILLIES - DODGERS on August 22, 2008. I really LOVE live baseball at the ball park and BOY "O" BOY.. our tax dollars built one hell of a park in Philadelphia.

So - I'm going over trip details with Joe.. (he buys me a beer) So easy doing business with Joe while slamming a few cold ones back. We went over the list of people going and it looks like this trip will SELL OUT! Only 16 seats left. Sweet.

I like meetings like this.. In and out. Simple.

Why do I tell you all this? Well.... When I'm running meetings at the Elks - I usually work NOTES from my laptop.. and since last night was no different.. There I was - sitting at the bar AFTER our meeting.. drinking and having a grand old time.

TIME TO PLAY POKER!
CLICK HERE TO PLAY WITH ME!! >>> FULLTILTPOKER

I had a guest (friend from Elks) watching me play - ARNIE BLACK (I don't think I killed his names spelling??) POINT IS.. I'm pretty sure Arnie is getting the ITCH to play some online poker. About 1/3rd of the way into the game - Arnie comes over and watches the action.. Every hand. We talk reasons why I'm calling, folding, raising, re-raising.. etc.

Yeah! I think he's getting HOOKED! lol

Arnie is one FANTASTIC chef... The meals this guy can make melt in your mouth.. HE has a gift.. When he is working the Elks kitchen - I make it over if possible..

So - here are TWO of the SCREEN shots.. Click on them if you WANT TO SEE them bigger... NOTE the final hand - This guy puts it all on the LINE for a DRAW.. and HITS of course.. Me - I'm HOLDING better and FIGURED I WAS TOO based on his play.. BUT POOF - he gets hit by the LUCK TRAIN..

Washingtin State - Fight with ONLINE gaming..

Washington State Gambling Ban Upheld.. The fight continues.
Jtodd over at APCW (see link on left side of my blog) is doing a great job following this story..

We are up to the task. I hope we are anyway! I know I am ready to fight for my right to play.




WANT TO SEE MORE ON THIS TOPIC?

See Local "Washington State" VIDEO news coverage here!

Taking a day to catch up on my duties at the ELKS LODGE

I'm Veterans Chairperson for our E.R. Mike Dolan 2008/09 year.
(E.R. means Exalted Ruler, or President of lodge)

This means I'm again adding too much to my already busy life! (makes the heart pump keeping busy.. ha haaaa! It feels good giving something back to our TROOPS and VETS too)

We have many events and each and every one of them are serious to ALL ELKS.

Here are some of the tasks my crew and I must complete in next year..


May 25 - Take a VET to Breakfast.

June 22, Flag Day (note - Lodges are allowed to run this day as close to June 14 as possible - Our lodge chose June 22 for schedules, etc)
















August - Cookout at the Vets Hospital


October - Pork Dinner (to raise money)















November - Take a VETERAN to DINNER

February - Donate money to VETS hospital in our area.. Put on a show/food for the veterans.

God bless AMERICA and GOD BLESS ALL OUR TROOPS and VETERANS.

If anyone has any questions about being an Elk - Just shoot. I'm a past president myself and I'd love to get you to consider being a member in ANY part of the country. I'll be happy to help. I love the Elks almost as much as I love poker.

The Elks are some of the BEST PEOPLE ON EARTH - B.P.O.E. Elks.

If you live near a local Elks lodge - TAKE a VET to breakfast if you see signs! (VETS always eat FREE on this special day) You will have to pay.. sorry :). Who knows - you might even LOVE it at the Elks and JOIN! The Elks are all about GOD and COUNTRY! USA! If you want to read a little about the history of the Elks (pictures etc)click here.



If you want to see a great link to get your heart pumping again for this great country click here.

And you people reading my blog thought I was only about the poker.... NO no! I'm so much more than poker. Life is all about balance.

Tom Dwyer PER
Hazleton Pa. Elks Lodge #200

P.S. Maybe I'll have FULLTILTPOKER do something in the form of a TOURNEY for us soon and donate it to the Hazleton Elks! Yeah! We need to do that!

P.S.S. If you are an ELK - please sign my guestbook and put your LODGE number in as well... Non Elks are also asked to sign my guestbook.

got cocky in end and well - 2nd place finish

Seems I'm the master of 90 player $10 games - but as to the $24 + games - well - NO GOOD as of yet... low 300's out of 1200+ is best I can get.

I just came in 2nd on a $10 game (90 player)

I took many screen shots - and I'm putting them up as the images tell the story best. In this FIRST SCREEN shot - you will see HOW we want our AA hands to work out... lol I knew I was in the HOT seat when I knocked out so many so early in game...




huh?? How about that one... That will get your POKER heart pumping!

Lets see the next big hand... A GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME WENT BY WITH ME FOLDING.. It did not happen for some time... Check it out.. Next major action at "27 player" to go mark...(Big part of the game - folding)











Ok - pretty cool huh - but, looks like I somehow missed one or two major hands that took me down to just about 13,000 and to tell the truth had me in a weak chip stack for first time in game - I thought FOR HOW GOOD I HAD IT GOING EARLY... Maybe I would be in trouble with the bubble being 10 players.. - I also missed the SCREEN SHOT of a hand that got me a good few chips BACK.. and that put me back in the game - HOWEVER, in this image - 27 to go at the BREAK mark.. I'm back in it... SITTING A. O . K . (funny what a good few hands can do - when you just stay CALM)

**Note the "FTOPS" guy at my table.. SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT THAT MEANS??? (plays 23 hours a day is my guess) If you know - Let me know in my comments.

Ok moving on... Just before the final table I hit AJ and decide to LIMP - run into a RAISE FIGURE IT'S TIME TO GAMBLE..and get it in with my AJ vs 44 - I hit (whoo hooo) and take it down... (NOTE - I never play small pairs like this guy did - and because of the change - I do better and finish higher in tourneys these days ...
















FINAL TABLE TIME - Nice load of chippies... Let's go to work. (GOGGLES ON!!!)
























Now - This is a hand that I liked - I always feel the TRAP is set not by the players as much but by the SYSTEM... So I limp - ONLINE - I use the logic (good or bad) that I want to see something before I go nuts with AK... I used to LIVE AND DIE by THE AK hand in POKER.. NO MORE. In this hand.. I HIT the "A" on flop and BOOM.. I DROP THE HAMMER... I GO NUTS! WAR! BABY! WAR. Note - the guy can not cripple me no matter what anyway.. It was nice to see him not hit the third "J".. It happens so much to me... BUT - here - tonight, it did not, My pair of A's made it happen... How nice. :)




















THIS NEXT ONE IS A GREAT HAND! (from my side of the action)

If you play much poker... YOU GOT TO KNOW that the Player holding the AQ in this hand was a bit pissed at me... I slow roll my KK and hit my "3" of a kind.. AGAIN! I told you I drew the LUCKY SEAT... ***NOTE - the scare cards - CLUBS. This just goes to show HOW the system keeps it exciting.. Makes him feel his AQ is MORE POWER FULL AGAINST MY TRIPS and of course keeps me on edge through the TURN AND RIVER... (sorry - but it's how I feel about ONLINE) ONLINE - it's rare to see players that are IN ACTION on line "not hitting" major DRAW cards with their TOP pair - I think LIVE offers MANY more boring hands.. But that's me - that's my take and I'm sticking with it...

In a NUT SHELL THOUGH.. - THE LUCK TRAIN IS HITTING ME IN THIS GAME... I CAN NOT LOSE IT SEEMS. and guess what! I'm cool with this... I'm so due! NOW ITS TIME TO HIT A BIG SCORE.. TO HELL WITH THIS $10 level BS.





















Ok then... THIS NEXT HAND... **This is MY kind of hand** ("Owning" a player on the turn) I see more of this sorta thing happen live...(Me and other players I talk to anyways.. QUALITY PLAYERS.)




















TIME TO TAKE A HIT... My lucky streak hit a bit of a WALL when... I was hit by a "COOLER" hand. (A COOLER hand is a POKER HAND that does not go all that well..and takes a nice load of chips off a player) A great example of a cooler would be - AA being beat by say 34 clubs.. with the player hitting trip 3's on river. Here MY JJ with so few players is a GREAT HAND.. but not great enough.























OK - Well, I wish you were watching this game - because I feel this player (HEADS UP) was a little scared of me.. HIS only move it seemed was ALL IN - ALL IN.. He was pushing - pushing.. (to be fair - I was pushing too.. lol) and finally in this hand - I thought - He's on a move... Well.. I figured wrong. He had a POCKET PAIR. I was not dead.. but it was not a good flop - turn or river..

I could have picked a better SPOT... It's a mistake that cost me ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS... period. But - I have to go with my gut and I thought he was raising with junk. Who knows.. maybe he was better than I give him credit for.. Actually - that's not fair.. HE WAS A VERY GOOD PLAYER. The weak ones just GIVE UP.

He might come on here and READ ALL THIS and LET US KNOW HIS TAKE on the GAME.. That is... if we are lucky. I invited him.




I'm typing all this VERY LATE - SO there might be a few errors.. I'll check it all tomorrow.. Until then - you have the pictures at least..


















And here it is.. THE FIRST LOSER.. "2nd" place. $140.00 winner. I'll put that in my ROLL for the $24.00 games. Any thoughts or comments - GO AHEAD.. I can take it..