Musings

I am still shocked and dismayed at the online poker state of affairs.

First off:
While the statement from the AGCC did not mention anything regarding the buyout of Full Tilt Poker by French investment group Groupe Bernard Tapie, it is still believed that GBT will acquire the online poker brand and assets from the US Department of Justice in exchange for one $80 million payment. Upon transfer, the US DOJ will drop all charges and civil complaints against the Full Tilt name. It is still unknown whether or not players will ever be reimbursed for their confiscated accounts, though many are still hopeful that once the takeover is finalized, the new owners will make their best effort to pay back some or all that is owed to the disgruntled US players. HA!

Does this mean I can write $6k off on my taxes as theft?

Online casinos continue to operate in Europe. I dont think its surprising to see them, nor do I see any chance of a Casino Online being shut down.

By the way, my favorite game show of all time is "Happy Family Plan", a Japanese show I saw in Hawaii (thus the translation). There was a roulette expert who could simply through hundreds of hours of practice, get the little ball to drop in green-zero every time. No mechanical assistance, just expert timing. Amazing. Online roulette is probably safer. Roulette Rules

SOPA is an act of Terrorism

Terrorism - "the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes. "

SOPA (in a nutshell) - allow holders of copyright to enact and enforce injunctions against ALL PARTIES involved in a alleged violation. ED: In old school terms, this would have consisted of: The Newspaper, Radio (and TV), Drivers of trucks who distribute the newspapers, Stores than sells the newspaper, Manufacturers of radios, Newspaper editors and publishers, Journalists, Disenchanted youth, and the bloody ROADS that the trucks drive on to distribute the newspapers.

Why?: Because incumbent and long established companies wish to stave off the tide of inevitable change.

Copyright - Created on or after January 1, 1978, life of the author plus 70 years. Except for Disney.

Why would we pass a law that allows record companies to engage in terrorism?

Better Finish

Set myself up great in this weekends MTT by going for the throat when I was ahead instead of playing it safe. Accumulated more chips with the same hands in this way and and was in the top 3 in chip going to the final table. With 8 left though, lost a huge race. Stack of $20k moves in pre-flpo again (3rd time in last 10 hands). Folded to me in the BB with $45k and I look at QQ. Easy call. Villain shows AK and a King takes nearly half my stack. I never really got it going again after that, having to resort to stealing with marginal (and awful) hands to keep ahead of the $1k/$2k/400 blinds. At $5k a round, I was eventually picked off in 6th place, when a QT steal ran into AQ... held by the same villain. But happy with my play, so what can I say?

League night goes awry

Playing in my regular 3 table MTT and starting on time creates a short handed table. I play better short handed and ground my chips up about 50% by the first break. But by now, we are 9 handed and its back to looking for opportunities. I really had a dry spell and with 15 or so players left, was at like $13k. As we fell to 8 and 7 handed and the blinds continue to creep up (putting my M around 15), I started getting more aggressive preflop for antes and blinds. I had a couple of stellar opportunities with People limping when their M is around 10, which makes it great on the button (or in the blind) to put someone to the test. Its especially lucrative when the limper induces a late position call. Now suddenly, they have to put in 10k more to cover a 800-1k limp and when they fold, you pick up $2500 in chips! And of course, you do this with ANY TWO. In my case K5o. But alas, its interesting how the fates play you. I find myself in the exact same position a few rounds later, but this time I have QQ. I take the same time to think as I did with K5o, trying to duplicate my actions. But when I put the chips in, I get the insta-call from the trickster KK. He had suspected larceny, so he limped with KK hoping to induce me to do it again. May I would, maybe not, but with an M of 15 and their being antes+blinds+KK limper+LP Caller = $4200 in chips and me with like $15k, its way too much to pass up with QQ here with 13 players left. Even if he has AK, I am happy moving in with QQ here. But 7 handed, I am not expecting to run QQ into limping KK. Who would really? So, disappointing finish, but happy with the play.

Next week I may have to MISS due to a daughter's birthday, which would set back my efforts to finish in-the-money in both leagues. I am clearly on a slide in league 2 and need a strong finish.