Saturday, November 7, 2009 - C00LHandNuke
Five years ago when I started to play poker “professionally” I was a bad player in a lot of ways – I played too many hands out of position and played too passively in bad situations. These bad tendencies were carried over from when I played poker primarily for recreation (in other words, the last 20 years of my life). But I was also patient and really good at reading people. This allowed me to take some appropriate risks and make really big laydowns. The net result of my bad habits and natural ability made me a winning player, but just barely.
In the beginning I played live poker exclusively. I had never played a hand of online poker before 2005. Up until this time, I thought the internet was only good for shopping and porn. As I began to take poker more seriously, I studied and improved my game by reading books by Brunson, Sklansky and Harrington. I also began to discuss hands with other players on a regular basis. But my game really began to flourish when I started to play online and could play many more hands per hour. I think this is a really common path for poker evolution.
In the spring of 2005 I decided that I needed some experience with the new breed of online players that I was hearing about and that I would probably be facing at the WSOP. So I deposited $600 on a site and never looked back. I started with sit n goes and was making money pretty easily. Soon my bankroll was built up and I was playing some of the biggest buy in tourneys available.
The rapid pace of on line play really accelerated my learning curve. It was also extremely lucrative compared to the somewhat limited action that was available to me in Reno, NV. I could always count on a game being there, never had to wait in a queue and didn’t have the “hassle” of driving 10 minutes to a casino (yeah, I’m spoiled). It was then that my game really started to mature. I was playing pretty well and making decent money. The highly mathematical nature of online play worked great for me (I have a degree in engineering and a minor in mathematics). But there is always room for improvement. In the last year I’ve been working closely with Annie Duke and her coaching has improved my game by an order of magnitude.
But amidst this continued improvement, I’ve run head long into a really confusing situation: In five years of professional play I’m endanger of recording the first losing live tournament year on my books. I’m not stuck big, but I am stuck. This really bothers me. Sure there have been several moments during the year where if I hadn’t gotten unlucky, I would’ve had a cash big enough to put me in the black: I had over half the chips in play five-handed at a final table only to take 6 bad beats from the same bad player for 5th place, I had set over set at the WSOP Main Event, a two-outer on the turn late on day 2 of the Aruba 5k and several others. But the truth is that in many ways this year, I have de-evolved in some ways as a player.
Basically, I have allowed those people reading skills that made me successful early to get a little rusty. I blame the internet. When playing online, it’s very rare for me to fold Aces or Kings (or any other overpair for that matter) on a flop or turn unless something about the board or betting pattern combined with previous history just screams “you’re beat!”
Also, I think my patience has suffered recently. Again, this may be partly due to the rapid fire, multi tabling experience that I’ve grown accustomed to online. If I bust out of a tourney online, it’s barely a blip on the radar because in all likelihood, I’m in four others already. And if I’m card dead on one table for 100 hands straight, no big deal – I’m probably getting good cards in the 500 hands I’m playing at other tables. Not so in live play. If you bust out in the first level of a tourney, you may not be able to get back into action for a few hours, or even a day. But I think this year I’ve had trouble readjusting to the slower pace of live play. I’ve gotten frustrated and as a result, got my money in bad for my tourney life on too many occassions.
So what’s this all mean to me? Well, I’m focusing on resurrecting my live play skill set. I’ll also continue to use the cyber world to make money and hone my situational skills. And if I do, I’m pretty sure I’ll still end the year in the black. Wish me luck!
Tags: Aces, Bad Beat, coaching, evolution, Kings, online, Poker Poker Poker, Professional
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009 - Vincent
Thankfully, the semester finished some days ago! We had some final exams and projects at College, but we definitely had to crown the first half of this year with some final poker tourneys with classmates and pals. I lost on some of them due to incredibly bad beats at the final table and won some others so I got back what I lost and gained a bit of profit.
It’s been a lot of practice. During this past weekend we also had some parties to welcome Victor since he just got back from Vegas a few days ago, so we had some drinks, BBQ, pizza and lots of food.. Of course, as we always say, a party is not a party without some poker on it; hence, we started a small freeze out Sit and Go that later became a rebuy mini tourney since everyone agreed on allowing rebuys to make the prize pool even bigger. I personally don’t see any problems on giving my pals a second chance if at the end my prize will grow bigger and bigger. But this time our winners were Mark and Kim! Our tourney was taking like forever so they chose to made a Final Table Deal while they were matching each other at the Final Heads Up; consequently, the remaining prize pool for both 2nd and 1st place was split evenly to them.
Anyway, since right now we are on vacation time, I have fixed my schedule so I can go to the beach next week. Beaches around here are just awesome; it is already a must for everyone here to run to the nearest beach as soon as we have a break… no matter how small it is. I have called some Hotels and make some reservations on the ones that offer poker games on their casinos, so everything is settled and properly arranged for me to have loads of fun with my buddies this summer break.
I got to admit it was not as easy to find big poker action at our beaches as I would have thought. Can you imagine that? I mean, just thinking about the whole Aruba Poker Classic concept can give chills to anyone. If you picture this, it should be utopian for any poker player to play his hands with a heaven on earth at a walking distance.
After all, I think this is where the whole concept of our Aruba Poker Classic came from. Take two hours for a nice and relaxing walk around the beach in the morning, rest next to the pool with cool drinks while you plan your perfect poker strategy for the afternoon, hit the sunny poker tables while feeling the ocean’s breeze in your face…Did your strategy work? It doesn’t matter that much now. You have your consolation prize right in front of your eyes.
I see the beach, in this case Aruba, as the perfect balance within the stress and pressure that the poker profession can cause and the energy and relaxation only nature offers. Feeling frustrated? Jump into the water and let the ocean’s wisdom help you to forget about everything and make this experience the best of your life.
Well, I hope you guys enjoy the tables and prepare to make your way to Aruba. I encourage each one of you to make it a reality for yourselves because they have breath-taking beaches, exciting events, parties and most important a really thrilling and huge Poker Tournament waiting for you!
Tags: Aruba, Bad Beat, beach, College, heads-up, island, nature, ocean, tourneys, Vegas
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Tuesday, July 14, 2009 - Customer Service
When the bad beat jackpot is hit at the tables, a new window will pop-up on top of all the other windows letting players know that the Jackpot was hit.
It will include details of all those players who won at the main table.
This is how the Jackpot information wills pop-up once the Bad Beat Jack Pot is hit:
This pop-up will not be displayed on top of the table, but in the middle of the screen.
They can be moved and will have an “X” option on the right upper corner to close it.
Please remember to send us any question or suggestion that you may have to support@ultimatebet.com
Tags: Bad Beat, BBJ, popup, winners
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Saturday, March 28, 2009 - Cardroom
Dominating poker industry news this week was the giant $800k jackpot being hit and congratulations go out to EMILIE14 for taking down $270,843.03!!!At Ultimate bet it pays off to win and sometimes even more to lose! Check out bad beat jackpot information here and hopefully we´ll see you and EMILIE14 (when the novelty of the new Porsche wears off) at the jackpot tables!
The Card Room
Tags: Bad Beat, Jackpot
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Monday, February 16, 2009 - Scott Ian
Hey hey my friends how are ya? It’s Friday the 13th and I’m on my way to London for a few days of R & R. And by R & R I mean drinking and drinking and maybe a little poker as well. I’ve never played in a London casino before. Do I have to wear a tux like James Bond? Is it all posh and formal and they frown upon such uncivilized plays like the check-raise or squeeze play? I kid the Brits. My friend Liv Boeree plays anything but a civil game. She’ll take all your chips so fast that you’ll still be reaching for them after she’s taken your hand as well.
The poker’s been good of late. Had a deep run in the 200K two weeks ago and finished 14th. Last week I was sitting at around 12K over 3 hours in. Blinds were 3-600 I think. Anyway long story short, I get it all in pre with AK vs 67. 67. Flop comes 67A blank, blank and I’m out. I double there and I’m top 30 for sure if not final tabling. 67. Had another genius call my raises every street with AK in a SnG with 58os. I was raising more than enough to get him out and he hung around and caught an 8 on the river. I love when people say the site is rigged for the pro’s.
Ok last one…. In a SnG yesterday blinds are 10-20, I have KK middle position. 2nd to act bets 3X, I raise to 200.he calls. Flop comes J 10 4 I think. He checks, I bet 3/4 pot. He calls. Turn is like a 7, rainbow board and I know my KK is good. He checks again, I bet 3/4 again, he calls. River is a 4, he checks, I bet 1/2 pot and he calls and shows 74. He calls me all the way down with 74 and makes his set on the river. I wasn’t mad because I knew this guy was going to give all these chips away and I wanted to be the guy that got them. The table erupted in the chat box tearing this guy up and he defended his play by saying “look at my stack.” Well I did look and I kept looking as it bled out until he was out. I got some of those chips back but didn’t have the pleasure of knocking him out. Somehow I took 3rd and cashed. Maybe I’m crazy but I don’t get mad at those bad beats. Now I know what kind of player I’m facing and with a little patience I will eat all his chips like a fat kid with Halloween candy, no offense. And I’m just a positive guy!
Next month, March 11 to be precise I’ve got something really cool happening on the site. It’s going to be HUGE and it’s gonna be open to every level of play. I can’t name names or give specifics as I’ve been sworn to secrecy (not an easy task with my big mouth) until we officially announce which I believe will be this week. Keep 8PM EST on March 11 open. You’re gonna want to be on UB.
Cheers,
Scott
Tags: Bad Beat, james bond, Liv Boeree
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Tuesday, February 10, 2009 - ProductMan
The numbers don’t lie. Our Bad Beat Jackpots are gigantic. We’ve already paid out $32 million in cold hard cash since 2007, when what is now the CEREUS Poker Network first turned the tables in your favor! That’s over 15,000 players who have been handsomely rewarded thanks to our mind-blowing promotion. That’s a lot of stories worth telling.
Perhaps you’ve heard this one: Last month QUANTOM47, a 19-year old Canadian kid from a town you’ve probably never heard of, signed up for an UltimateBet account. Nine days later he put Alliston, Ontario on the map when his Quad Queens were quickly quelled by RUSTY_1’s Royal Flush at one of our Bad Beat Jackpot tables. QUANTOM47 snagged $173,693.20 for his loss, RUSTY_1 earned $86,796.30, and 373 other players, who were either seated at the table or at a Bad Beat Jackpot table with the same stakes, split an additional $86,796.60. That’s definitely newsworthy and probably the start of a brilliant poker career, but I’m more curious to see what this kid is going to do with his winnings. This will surely change his life, although we should wait until the ink on his check dries before hounding him.
Every battle-weary poker player has a Bad Beat story tell, but the ones that unfold at our Bad Beat Jackpot tables aren’t tearjerkers, unless you like crying out of jealousy. Whether you suffered a bad beat, won a hand at our bad beat tables, or were seated at a qualifying table, you surely have a story worth sharing. Recount your stories to the world by posting them right into the blog. We want to hear about your experiences at our Bad Beat Jackpot tables. Let us know about your big win and how it changed your game and your life. Brag away and let us bask in your glory!
If you haven’t taken your seat at our tables yet, you can find more information about our Bad Beat Jackpot promotion at:
http://www.ultimatebet.com/poker-promotion/bad-beat-jackpot
You could be next!
Tags: Bad Beat, Bad Beat Jackpot, badbeat payout structure, quantom47
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Saturday, January 31, 2009 - Cardroom
Congratulations go out to QUANTUM47 for taking down $173,693.20 in one of the largest Bad Beat Jackpots in UB history .. a staggering $534,132 at the time it was hit!!! I’m sure we’ll be seeing QUANTUM47 at the jackpot tables again … well in between shopping for Porsches anyway! When not at the jackpot tables try out our new $150k Guaranteed on Wednesdays at 20:30ET. We changed it from $100k Guaranteed to $150k Guaranteed due to its increasing popularity!
Good luck at the tables!
The Card Room
Tags: Bad Beat, guarantee, Jackpot, tournament
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