Rai$e Loyalty Club
Saturday, February 21, 2009 - C00LHandNuke
When the dust settled after the preliminary four tables, there were twenty-one contestants left on the show. Now it was up to Phil and Annie to draft nine players each for their team. Standing there for the draft in front of the cameras and bright lights was pretty intense. Plus, I was having flashbacks to last season when a number of contestants were called by name, jumped for joy, and then later found out that they were in the group being cut. Did it make good TV? Yes. Was it cruel? Maybe. Did it have me on edge? Definitely. So I stood there keen to spot any “Survivor” twists that might be coming.
Starting off the draft, one player was singled out as having played the best in the prelims. This player received all kinds of gushing comments, but neither Phil nor Annie said the player’s name for a while. I’m sure each of the contestants, myself included, was hoping deep inside that they would be that player. But because “being the best” wasn’t really my strategy for round one, I knew it wasn’t me. Finally, Annie Duke revealed the identity of this player with her first pick – Darryl.
Phil made his first pick next. I really wasn’t expecting Phil to pick me high in the draft for one reason. The day before the prelims started PokerH0 came to me with an odd proposition: basically he wanted me to be a sleeper agent for Team Hellmuth. He proposed that I play “mediocre” or even outright bad so that Annie wouldn’t draft me. Meanwhile, Phil could draft me lower and use his upper picks to take players from Annie’s top tier. Because he had played with me a lot before, H0 said that I would be a near lock to make Phil’s final three. Very sneaky. It also gives you an idea of just how bad these two coaching teams wanted to win. Annie and I had never played together live or online, but Shawn Rice and I had several hours together during a WPT event and knew each other a little from online. Because Rice knew me, I doubted whether the plan would work and I told H0 that I just couldn’t go out on national TV and intentionally make myself look like a donkey (looking like a donkey unintentionally was still a very viable option of course!). In any event, Phil chose “ShipItMuppet,” a long-time UB grinder as his top pick.
When Shaundle and Jason were the number two picks for Annie and Phil respectively, I can honestly say I was getting nervous. Unless I went to Phil’s team, I figured I needed a reasonably high draft pick to make the final table. For her third pick, Annie started off by saying she was going with a player who she thought was probably an “unrecognized talent” and that it was very close between this pick and Shaundle. To me, this sounded like the Darryl build up all over again. And I was mentally prepared not to hear my name. So, when she picked me third I was pretty friggin’ psyched. You can see my excitement on the show. It was such a relief to go in the top three because I now felt like the spot on the final table was mine to lose. But as the first semifinal match would show, I had no reason to feel so safe.
The structure for the semifinals was the same as the prelims – 10k in chips, one player from each team would be eliminated and the table winner had immunity. On top of that, we were playing for team points that would affect starting stacks at the final table. The final table starting stack was going to be 100k. But whichever team won the semis would get 10k off the losing teams stack (so the starting stacks would be 90k vs 110k). This was huge. And just to make it more cutthroat, each semifinal table winner would also get $1000 cash.
The first semi table was full of surprises. Annie’s team consisted of Darryl, Niago and Patrick. Darryl lost a race early to Muppet. Patrick played great poker but couldn’t outlast Niago, who won the table. So the first shocker of the show came when Annie was faced with the decision of whether to cut Darryl (who probably was the most experienced player at the table with the most lifetime winnings) or Patrick (who played a solid error-free table). I think in Annie’s mind, fairness ultimately won out and Darryl was cut. This was both good news and bad news for me. First, it effectively meant I moved up to the number two spot on Team Duke. Second, the Niago-Patrick one-two finish staked us to a healthy point lead. The bad part was that it showed me just how easy it would be to take a “bad beat” here and be off the show.
The second semi table was a disaster for Team Duke. My teammates were the first three busted. Now it was Team Duke that faced the huge point deficit going into the third and last semifinal table. Specifically, we needed to bust two of Phil’s players in 6th and 5th or else Team Hellmuth was guaranteed the chip lead on the final table. Even if we busted two of Phil’s players first, Team Hellmuth would still get the chip lead if his remaining player won the table. The table lineup was like this:
Seat 1 – Me (Team Duke)
Seat 2 – David (Team Hellmuth) – a very talented and successful on-line cash player. Perhaps his most impressive claim to fame is being a lifetime winner in heads up cash games against Tom “drrrrr” Dwan.
Seat 3 – SassyTexan (Team Duke) – Tight, aggressive and solid. Sassy was at my prelim table and when Annie gave me my choice for a table mate, Sassy was my first pick. I knew her solid play would keep the two of us from getting mixed up in any needless confrontations.
Seat 4 – Brad (Team Hellmuth) – my first impression was that he could be pretty wild.
Seat 5 – Jon (Team Duke) – probably the most inexperienced player in the field. Like Brad, I expected him to be unpredictable.
Seat 6 – Jason (Team Hellmuth) – another talented young on-line phenom. Jason is routinely ranked in the top 100 for on-line multi-table tournaments. He would be aggressive and the most dangerous. Fortunately, I would have position on him.
The first hand of the table really affected my strategy for the whole tournament. Brad raised from the button, Jon min raised from the blind and Brad put in a fourth bet that was just barely above a min raise. Jon called. The flop came down three baby cards with two diamonds. Jon check folded to a half-pot cbet from Brad. From the outside, it looked like Jon had a weak ace, maybe AJ to A8, that missed and Brad probably had a reasonable overpair or a big ace. As it turns out, Jon had the AQ of diamonds and Brad had tens. I probably wouldn’t have thought about the hand again, but I got called into the coach’s booth before the button orbited the table again.
The hand before I got summoned to the booth, I flopped bottom two pair in a multi-way pot between Jason, myself and Brad. Jason had top pair (queen) with a weak kicker and we went to war on the turn. Jason made three queens on the river and checked to me. Being counterfeited on the river, I knew the only way to win was to bet. Jason made the easy call and I tabled my “busted monster” and read the hand out loud as “queens and eights.” I congratulated Jason on his nice suckout and he got defensive, insisting that his queen on the flop was ahead of my eights. He missed the fact that I had flopped two pair. This started a lot of sarcasm and ball busting from me. I had just asked Jason if a pair of queens beats two pair in his home game when I was summoned to the coach’s booth.
In the coach’s booth Annie asked me to go back to the table and talk about a hand from the prelims where Jason got all in with two over cards and a flush draw versus a pair. She wasn’t allowed to tell me what cards other players had during the semi table. But as we had only played a few hands, only one of which had significant action. I was able to deduce that Jon had a hand like AK or AQ of diamonds on the first hand. This revelation was edited out of the show as aired. But knowing this fact changed my approach to the game. Jon had clearly made a huge error. Barring a brain fart by Sassy or myself, Jon would probably be Annie’s choice for elimination. Combine this with the elimination of Darryl in the first match and the performance of Team Duke’s players on the second table and I figured that my spot on the final table was nearly assured. This pushed my strategy back toward the style I employed during the preliminaries, but Annie also told me to take some more risks because Phil’s players were “playing scared.”
Throughout the semifinal table I never held a pair – not even deuces. Nevertheless, I cultivated a tight image, won a lot of pots with well timed bluffs and reraises and only had to show down two more hands during the whole match.
The first elimination of the match came when Jason raised from early position. I held KQ in the cutoff. Normally I would consider playing here, but David was on my left (on the button) and had checked his hole cards already. When he checked them, his posture changed ever so slightly. He leaned forward a bit, which I interpreted as he had a hand. I didn’t want to get caught between two of Phil’s players in a situation where I might be dominated so I bowed out. As it turns out, David’s suited Ace-Ten caught top pair, but got busted by Jason’s top two pair.
The big hand that made the show for me was when Jon opened in early position with KK five-handed and I had AK in the blind. I had a stack size of about 15 big blinds. This is a good size stack to reraise with. With that in mind, had this been a regular online SNG, I would have moved all in 100% of the time. And after sitting there for over an hour without a pair, AK looked like the nuts to me. But two things made me go with a different line. The first was my read on Jon. As soon as he checked his hole cards his demeanor changed. On the show that aired you can see his head rolling around on his shoulders like a Stevie Wonder bobble head doll. He was suddenly very relaxed and excited, but trying to hide it. Everything pointed to him having a HUGE hand. Based on my read, he had QQ at a minimum. The second thing that made a reraise my less favored move was that, this being team play, I didn’t want to bust Jon at this point, or worse, get busted by him. I couldn’t be sure that he would fold 99 in this spot.
Taking all that into account, I almost folded preflop. And based solely on my read, had Phil and Annie NOT been watching my hole cards, I probably would have folded. Ultimately I decided that the problem with folding was that if my read was wrong, I would have played AK like a total rube and Annie might cut me based solely on this play. Also, I felt like there was little chance of Jon bluffing me on the flop if he had a hand like AJ or AQ and if an ace hit, I could just open-shove – thereby letting him know that I’ve got a real hand. As it turned out, I blanked the flop and checked folded to Jon’s all-in bet.
But this hand also highlights two of my strategies for any poker game, particularly hold ‘em. The first is when to look at your hole cards. There are a lot of theories out there. Some very good players like Chris Ferguson suggest waiting until it is your turn to act. I used to do this, but think it is probably not the best plan. By waiting until the action is on you to look at your cards, you not only slow down the game, but you also ensure that almost everyone is looking at you when you do check your cards. That’s bad. Most players give up tells (1) when they first look at their cards (2) when they make a bet and (3) when they face action from an opponent. You can’t avoid all eyes being on you when you bet. And if you are heads up, your opponent, if she’s good, will certainly be watching you in the third scenario. So why draw attention to yourself in the one scenario you control: when you look at your hole cards for the first time?
Therefore, one of the things I like to do is look at my hole cards when no one is looking at me. Even when I’m under the gun I usually look at my first card before my second even arrives because players are usually watching the dealer pitch cards to them instead. Just knowing the rank of my first card under the gun vastly narrows my probable plays. Preferably, I look at my cards while the action is at the opposite end of the table. If timed right, I only miss one player checking his cards while I check mine. All things being equal, I’ll try to time my peek with the tightest player at the table. If he raises, I don’t need any tells. I know he has a hand. Besides hiding inadvertent tells from opponents, this has the added benefit of allowing me to prepare myself for how I want to act when the action is on me.
I will often recheck my hole cards when the action comes to me. But I will never show genuine surprise or excitement when I look down at AA or KK. The reason is I checked my cards earlier and I’ve been preparing myself for several seconds for how I want to look when I check the second time. So now I can try to give a false tell if I want to.
Case in point, on the show when I had the AK, the action was on me but I was staring at Jason for some time while I thought about what line to take. Once I knew I was going to call, I pretended to ask the dealer if the action was on me. Then I acted sheepish, like I just realized the table had been waiting on me, checked my hole cards (for a second time) and nonchalantly called Jon’s raise. If you watch the show closely, you can pick up on it.
The second strategy this hand highlights is that you have to constantly reevaluate your options. When I first saw I had AK, no one had acted yet. Like I said, given my drought of hands and my stack size, I was hoping someone would raise just so I could autoshove. When Jon raised, I had to reevaluate based on my read. And even after that, I had to reevaluate the whole scenario based on the team aspect of the game. After each evaluation, my plan changed. I went from shove, to fold, to call.
Ultimately, Brad went out 5th. Jason would later lose a heads up battle with Jon when Jon’s AQ sucked out on Jason’s AK all in preflop. The end result was a final table where each player would start with 100k in chips. Without giving too much away, the final table was crazy. There was some great poker. Some amusing hi jinks. And some bold bluffs that really blew up. So be sure to tune in!
Tags: bestdamnpokershow, players, poker media, Poker Poker Poker, Poker Strategy, VIP
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Wednesday, February 18, 2009 - Victor
One of the most interesting things about my job is having the time to hear you and to be in tune with you. Here at VIP, there’s nothing more rewarding than being your trustful friend.
I play the bass guitar on my spare time; I’ve been doing this for over 10 years and the discipline that I have achieved by being a musician gives me the chance to compare it with the VIP Hosting services that we provide.
As you all may know, music is an art expression whose medium is sound organized in time. When associating it with the VIP Hosting Services it divides in 4 different basic sections:
- Pitch: This gives us the melody and harmony in which we provide our assistance to you.
- Rhythm: This basically determines the speed and articulation in which we act for you.
- Dynamics: This gives the intensity on how we handle your interests.
- Timbre: Our tone of service, always willing to listen to you.
We are the VIP Band here, creating your music everyday to provide you with comfort and friendship; we definitely want you to enjoy it as much as we do.
Jimi Hendrix once said:
“Music doesn’t lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music”
And that’s it; our compromise with you will always be based on principles of honesty and high standards of service. We are always open to create good tunes with you!!!
Tags: host, loyalty, poker and music, RAI$E, tune, VIP
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Saturday, February 7, 2009 - JMURJEFF
My experience at the Superbowl was definitely a good one. Ultimate bet contacted me about the promotion to get the tickets right before Christmas time and I traded in points to obtain the tickets. The tickets were to be either picked up in Tampa or delivered to your hotel during the week of the Superbowl.
Ultimate bet makes sure they keep in touch with you to let you know what is going on. They sent me a jacket, a hat, and a shirt as well as for the guest who I brought along. On the day before the Superbowl we went to pick up our tickets from Tony Luisi who was definitely a nice guy. The pick up location was on the same street as the stadium so it was very easy to get to. Also when we got there Tony gave me and my guest a bag with Superbowl memorabilia as well a pass for parking. The parking pass for no additional cost is good because stadium parking is $50. I also ordered the NFL on location party from Ultimate bet through points redemption. So I was able to pick up the tickets for those as well at that time. On the day of the Superbowl I was offered a drink by Tony and a manager from Ultimate bet, however my guest really wanted to go to the NFL experience right away so I had to turn down the request. Although it was definitly a good gesture and maybe another time I would definitly take them up on this offer. Right outside the stadium there is a lot to see from football beginnings to present times. The NFL on location was definitly the place to eat because the open bar with the food was worth it. Cause if you were hungry at the stadium you would be paying $10 a beer and $9 a cheeseburger. When we went to the stadium it was awesome because our seats were on the 50 yard line 23 seats up from the field. So I was able to see everything during the game and it was definitly an experience. It definitly is much better to be at the stadium cause you can see all kinds of things you don’t normally see. Like how the recievers run their routes and the sidelines. The half time show was awesome because whenever Bruce Springsteen plays you know it has to be good. Everyone was standing up during the 4th quarter because of how crazy the game got. The majority of the fans may have been for Pittsburgh but towards the end I don’t think anyone really cared who won because both teams were putting on such a great show.
After the game we got to go back to the NFL on location to eat more food. So that party is something I recommend cause it is better to enter the stadium and leave on a full stomach.. Also because traffic is crazy in the beginning so you might want to wait a while before leaving. Overall this was a great experience and if you can take advantage of this offer then I recommend it! Cause how many times will you get the go to the Superbowl?
Tags: Icon, loyalty, NFL, players, points, Promotions, RAI$E, Super Bowl, VIP, vip host
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Tuesday, February 3, 2009 - Miss C
Hello Everyone,
This is my first post, how exciting! I will be letting you know what is coming up and where we are going. If your you lucky to be particpating you may see your name or pic in my blog!
The first land based tournament that we will be participating in is the PokerNews Alpine Cup, being held in the beautiful mountains of Austria. The package is worth 8K and is awesome…accommodation at the Hotel Alpine Palace, transfers by VIP shuttle and return by helicopter to Salzburg (btw this is the town that Motzart was born in), sauna packages, ski passes and even a PARTY.
Satellite are running for this event at ultimatebet.com as we speak. Satellites start from $10 feeding into the $530 qualifier. I know quite a few of our online Pros want to get to this event so you never know who you might see there or online trying to get there. When our Pros travel with us, our Pros become your Pros, you will have the chance to meet them, have dinner and drinks and even get some pre tournament advice.
Here at UltimateBet we have got some new merchandise that I am preparing especially for Austria. We are in the process of getting some funky beenies and scarves produced. These will be on the Raise store very shortly so even if you don’t get a set in Austria you can buy your own at Raise.
I am hearing rumblings now that the WSOP 2009 have released their dates and we have started rumbling too. Very soon I will be able to let you know what UltimateBet and the team are going to do at the WSOP and we are all very excited about this.
Good Luck with the satellites and I hope to see you in Salzburg, Austria for the PokerNews Alpine Cup.
Cheers,
Miss C
Tags: Austria, pokernews alpine cup, pros, ultimatebet, WSOP
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Saturday, December 27, 2008 - Scorpian126
A poker story…
When I was 20 years old I started playing Poker because of my father’s influence, I used to watch him play and that is how my interest for Poker began. My dad used to be a good card player. I used to work in a Plant for 5 years and one day when Christmas came I saw my father play and I thought “I am going to play poker, I need some extra money”. I learned on this game that when you can afford to save money, that is playing poker. In poker you are waiting for decent cards to play, a good advice is to be patient and wait for some players to step out and then you play your hand.
That night I started playing Poker and I never asked my dad how to play, we never talked about me playing, and I just sat there and the first hand I played was AQ suited and I was playing Limit, which is my favorite game, I had $200 invested and I made a nut flush but a buddy of mine was playing as well… I bet, and he raises me, and I thought “I’m sure he has a Full House!” and he ended up winning the hand! So I am sitting there with $70 and I am waiting for good cards to come to me and the end of the night I got my $200 back plus $50!
The day after that my father asked me if I wanted to go again with them. They used to play on Friday and Saturday night. We played from 6-12mn, and that was the closing time for this place where we were located and the Poker game had to stop, so at that moment I won $500 more and I just enjoyed it so much and I was doing just fine, so, in 2 months I paid everything I owed and I bought a really nice car. A month later a quit my job and started playing from 5-6 nights a week.
Later on I had some personal situations I needed to deal with first and I stopped playing Poker for quite some time, maybe a year. After a while I began playing again and the first hand was a KJ suited, 3 other people were in and I folded. Why? Well, another player raised the maximum and he was a good player (or so I noticed during the time we were sitting at the table), but guess what? I folded. A friend of mine asked me: “Why did you not play with that hand?” And I said: “I don’t know this people but I can tell he is a good player and it’s better if you start knowing your opponents and taking mental notes on them. At the end I would have never won the hand, the winner had 3 Kings, so my “feeling” did not betray me and I ended up winning $100, so it was ok.
After some time, I moved to online poker, I wanted to see what they had to offer, so I began playing online on Poker Stars and I only invested like $300, then a buddy of mine told me about UB on 2005, and told me that this site was very good so I started playing here, and I could definitely confirm that this is not only a good poker site, it is the best one for me in the Poker Industry. I met many good players back then and I realized that placing notes on the players is very important at the moment you sit at a table with them, just like on live events, but with technical tools.
Then RAI$E was launched, I enjoyed it very much and still do, even when I was already happy by playing here. One of the things I like the most about the new Loyalty Program are the UB Auctions. I am currently one of the highest bidders there and I love the competition by bidding away and one of the best things I have done by using the UB Auctions is that I got all my family Christmas presents! They were so happy about it and I certainly was I as well, come on! Using your Ultimate Points at the UB Auctions is the best way to go! RAI$E also came with the VIP Service that has always been very good and helpful with any needs I may have. I have my own personal VIP Host, and I can say that things have been easier since I tried this new benefit. I definitely love and recommend to play at UB to all players, this is where the real deal is at! They care…
Tags: poker players, Rai$e Loyalty Club, Rai$e VIP Team
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Wednesday, December 24, 2008 - Sydney
As a VIP host on daily basis you have the opportunity to be in contact with some of the best online poker players in the entire net. Every now and then some have enough time to speak about poker, all the hoops and loops about it, and make you feel as if you’ve been soaked on poker techniques and lingo to the point in which you feel that digesting so much information is close to impossible. I am a poker player and enjoy the game tremendously and to be able to have such an experience is just amazing and unlike no other.
One day I had the chance to speak to a very nice lady via phone line. I was amazed to find out she is an outstanding poker player and found it as an inspiration. I just couldn’t let go the chance to ask her about her experience in the poker world as a woman, not only online but in the real live games. I ought to admit it is quite intimidating for someone as myself to walk into a casino, head for my place in the poker table and come to realize the only girl in the tournament is me, after I said this her words resembled those of The Duchess – “Poker is one of the few sports where a woman can compete on a totally equal footing with a man”. Not long after our conversation was over.
All through the night I felt intrigued, thrilled and excited. I wanted to get out of the office right away and head back to the poker table, take my seat and pay more attention to my opponents for a moment set aside all the odds and just see all the psychology involved in every aspect of poker, look in more detail to those little things most of us poker amateurs pass by.
As days went by the same question was asked to any VIP who would lend me a small portion of their precious time. I analyzed their answers and tried to understand why gender for some people plays a potential role, in the game technique of a poker player, and even sometimes in the outcome of the game. The opinion of everyone varied, one player told me –“When I have to face a woman on a live game I feel intimidated, as if I am being dissected and every blink, twitch and drop of sweat are studied and analyzed” meanwhile another stated –“I feel nothing, I think women shouldn’t feel intimidated to play against us men. In a poker table we’re all the same and that makes no difference”.
After exposing myself to all sorts of opinions I decided to do some online research and read about whom I like to call The Queens of Poker. Find out about their rankings, earnings and personal experiences before and after every event they played in. I came across names like Barbara Enright (who is the first women in the Poker Hall of Fame), Jennifer Tilly, Cyndy Violette, Jennifer Harman, Tiffany Michelle, Nani Dollison and my personal favorite Annie Duke. It was so reassuring and encouraging to find out that most of them got very nervous and shaky before a game and how they managed to get a hold of their nerves on the poker table and overcome several of the best players all around the world and even reaching the top and proudly be called some of the best poker players which have ever been around.
Enjoying a sense of encouragement after reading for hours and listening to many opinions for days I reached the conclusion that it makes a difference only if you want it to. It comes down to your personal opinion of yourself, your game and how confident you are. To all those girls and boys out there who want to give a shot at poker, I’d say do it! It is exciting and an opportunity not to only meet amazing people but to learn more about one another as human beings and how things in our minds work.
Tags: Rai$e Loyalty Club, Rai$e VIP Team, VIP
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Wednesday, December 17, 2008 - Luciana
I would like to kick off by saluting all of you shoppers out there! Even though I’m quite sure that I must have shared some words with a couple of you regarding your order inquiries, let me introduce myself. My name is Luciana and I’m one of the agents in charge of the Ultimate Point Store. I have been working at the Store Department for some time now and I must say it has been quite an experience!
First, it was a little bit crazy: I had to learn all the chores and procedures in a fast, and most importantly, efficient manner. There was no time to stop and think about it, nooo way: it was basically learning while doing since there are always lots of e-mails that need to be responded and customers anxious on receiving their newly acquired possessions. Well, what can I say? I just started absorbing all the information that I could like a sponge, and it was just a matter of time before I found myself being able to help all of you guys on resolving any issues you might have regarding your orders; and let me tell you one thing… there is absolutely nothing as gratifying as receiving an email from a customer stating that he has received his package and that he is happy and enjoying it. That makes it all worthwhile.
Sometimes, I must admit, it has been hard since, as customer service agents, we will always strive to do the best we can to try to help you all; however, we sometimes find ourselves with our hands tied… and that’s the worst feeling ever! Nonetheless, there’s nothing to worry about, you can rest assured that there will always be someone here fighting in all possible ways in order to ensure that your package reaches its destination…sooner or sooner, because, yeap, there’s no later accepted here!
I have also learned a lot more about the Poker culture and the importance and value that all of you, our loyal customers, give to our exclusive branded merchandise. I have learned how wearing an Ultimate Bet T-shirt not only says to the world “I play with them”, but it is also a sign of belonging to a big family. Not only that, but wearing this merchandise will confirm you in front of everybody else -in any part of the world- as a person that not only believes in us as a company, but most importantly believes in himself, and in the way that Poker can get to be everything you want and more if you find yourself in a place like the one we have to offer, which is simply the best.
Tags: Rai$e Loyalty Club, Rai$e VIP Team, VIP
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