Monday, November 2, 2009 - Joe Sebok
What’s up UB?! Hope that all are doing well and life is nothing but good out there. I have tried to play more and more on the site recently, had a couple of winning small sessions playing the $1-$2 game, and then got my ass kicked pretty good one day as well. I just like sitting around with ya’ll and chatting it up as well, so that has been more my focus with playing on the site so far. Seems I haven’t had enough time to really get serious with the cash game playing much, which explains the small stakes. I’ve played the Sunday $200k as well a few times, but haven’t managed to get anything going there at all. I’ll have to check with Cantu about how he does it. That fool seems to win a UB tournament every other week. Wtf? How is he pulling this off? Big wowzers…
I’m writing from Miami airport, on yet another business trip out of the country. I swear, you would think I was more important with all of these trips I am taking all the time. Haha. One this is sickly for sure: I am racking up mad frequent flyer miles. 
Just flew here from Vegas this morning, where I had just finished up taping my very first episode of “Poker After Dark”…but hopefully not my last. I always think I talk so much more than other poker players that they will want my ass on those shows. We’ll see if this inaugural Seebs episode sparks them to bring me back. I can always hope. My lineup featured Howard Lederer, Ali Nejad, Gabe Kaplan, Mark Gregorich, and Kara Scott and the theme was media-based. Was a total blast. You’ll have to wait for it to air to see who won though.
It’s unbelievable that the WSOP final table is just around the corner, and by corner I mean next weekend. I am sickly excited and am obviously pulling for Phil to work some magic and somehow take down that title. It’s hard for me to see anyone disputing that he is the best that has ever played if he can win that bracelet. I think he will have moved solidly past Chip and Doyle for all around dominance with a win there, and that’s to say nothing of his online game, where he crushes too. The dude is a total machine.
Speaking of the final table, be looking for me to do some commentating on the Bluff show that UB is sponsoring. Should be a blast and I’m excited about it. We’ll also be recording some “PokerRoad Radio” episodes as well, so be looking for those. Basically, it’s going to be a seriously busy weekend in Las Vegas coming up. I’ll also have a pretty big announcement that we are going to be letting out of the bag during next weekend as well, so be paying attention for that.
All of you be good, and I’ll holler at you soon!
peace,
J
Tags: Ali Nejad, bluff, Brandon Cantu, gabe kaplan, Howard Lederer, Kara Scott, Mark Gregorich, Online Poker, Phil Hellmuth, Poker After Dark, Poker Poker Poker, Poker Road Radio, tournaments, ub, Vegas, WSOP
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Monday, March 30, 2009 - Scott Ian
GOD DAMN WOO HOO AND CAN I GET A HELL YEAH!!!
10:45PM Sunday night March 29. At least I think that’s wha time it was. I could be off by a bit as I was excited and freaking out and not paying attention to the minutiae of the moment because after over nine hours of poker (I started at 1:35 PST in the Dime tourney) I won the 200K. GOD DAMN WOO HOO AND CAN I GET A HELL YEAH!!!
Wow, after final tabling the 200K three times, I took it down. It really felt good.
I’ve been working my ass off for a year and winning this on the site that had the faith in me was extra special.
OK, more on this later. Let’s get in the time machine and take it back to Wednesday. Yeah, my time machine is pretty ghetto, it only goes back five days. Wednesday night was the first of what I hope will be a regular home game that I have started with a bunch of friends. It’s taken us forever to get it together and even Wednesday night an 8PM starting time quickly turned into 10PM start time by the time we got set up, counted chips, stopped eating, talking, etc. UB was nice enough to send us a felt so we didn’t look like a bunch of hoboes. Being that it was the first time we were playing and there were a lot of different skill levels, some beginners, some who kind of knew what they were doing, some decent players and some really good players; we decided to play a few nine handed SnG’s, $40 buy-in. I wanted $100 buy-in but the beginner’s union objected. I argued that beginner’s luck would swing in their favor but all they saw was my beard snatching their money like an octopus’ tentacle.
The games were fun, the food was great, the booze was boozy and all of a sudden it was 2AM. I was having fun playing/teaching/getting sucked out on except I was feeling weird. I had been at the studio all day working on the new Anthrax album and I just thought I was tired, but that turned into a full body ache and what felt like a fever. I didn’t want to be the party pooper so I kept playing but by 2AM I was ready to drop. Pearl and I left, and the games continued until early in the morning. When I got home I had the chills and was shivering uncontrollably. I got into bed and passed out instantly only to wake up thirty minutes later as my feet were already running to the bathroom like Fred Flintstone starting his car. I puked what seemed like more than I could’ve physically had in my body, took my temp, fever, and then passed out again. I woke up the next day less pukey but still sick. Doctor says flu. Boo. I never get sick, haven’t been in years. And the flu? Maybe when I was a kid? Anyway, I was on my ass.
I was stressed out because I was supposed to be going to Phoenix the next day (Friday) for my aunt and uncle’s 50th wedding anniversary/ family reunion. It was really important for me to be there. It’s not often that my family gets together and I was looking forward to it. I had already decided to not go to the Poker News Cup in Austria because I wanted to be at my family reunion and now I’m down with the flu and I’m not going to make it. It was really bumming me out, making being sick even worse. I woke up Friday still sick, there was no way I could fly. I spoke to my dad in Phoenix and everyone in my family sent their get-well wishes from the bar at the pool at the Phoenician. Stupid flu!!
So with my travel plans dashed, I spent my time catching up on 24, Lost, South Park, Poker After Dark and everything else in my DVR. I couldn’t even play guitar as just holding the guitar made me tired. By Saturday I was feeling better but definitely not 100%. Maybe 45%. No energy at all. Just walking outside for some air winded me. The flu is worse than a hangover. I woke up Sunday feeling the same, this thing hanging on my neck like impending danger. At least I knew I had the Sunday tourney’s to help pass the time.
I bought into The Dime and was doing OK, but I didn’t feel like I could focus. With my energy so low I wasn’t feeling like myself and I couldn’t put all my strength into my game. I figured when the 200K started I’d just take it easy and be patient and if I bust early I’ll watch some 24 and take a nap.
The best laid plans…
I’m sure there were many pivotal hands over the course of the tourney. Usually I’m good at recalling hands but with my flu brain, it’s all a bit hazy. I do remember a hand where I had QQ UTG, I think blinds were 3-600; I raised 3X, the SB called, and the BB reraised big. I thought about it for a minute and folded. The SB shoved and the BB called. SB also had QQ and the BB had AA! AA held. As my good friend Phil Hellmuth Jr would say, “I can dodge bullets baby.” Actually, I think being sick helped me make the fold there. My normal aggression was definitely tempered by all the meds and lack of energy.
The tourney rolled on and on and all of a sudden it was two tables and then I was 9 out of 11 and then it was the final table. I was on the short side of things for a while, down to 135K with blinds at 10-20K at one point, totally card dead and then I woke up with AA and QQ back to back and was breathing easier with around 350K. At that point it was five handed and I got way more aggressive, stealing blinds, knocked out a guy and I really chipped up. I was delirious. I had never done better than 7th in this tourney so it was already a personal victory for me. When it got down to 3 we looked at one deal. I was in 2nd by only a little and the deal was really good. Basically 1st and 2nd same money with a big drop off for 3rd. We all agreed and then asked to play it out only to be told the tourney would terminate.
I didn’t want that. I wanted to win it and I said I wanted to play it out. One of the other players, Quizzle1 I believe asked if we could at least play a few hands to finish it and the manager said yes. My last hand was KQ and I took it down!
I turned around to Pearl and told her I won and she was freaking out. I was too although I was so physically wrecked. It all caught up and it was hard for me to even write thank you to all the congrats that were coming in let alone jump out the window and go get reallllyyyyyy drunk like I wanted to. I did realize that if it wasn’t for the flu, I would’ve flown to Phoenix and I would’ve been on a plane on Sunday coming home and I wouldn’t have been able to play. Weird. Yay flu!!
Now it’s Monday morning and I’m still recovering. Feeling better but still weak, maybe 70%. Winning definitely helps!! That’s it for now. I gotta eat something I didn’t eat a thing yesterday.
Cheers my friends,
Scott
PS Thank you so much to Phil, Annie, Debo, Wisco,Shawn, Ho and everyone at UB for believing in me.
Tags: 24, Anthrax, Lost, Pearl, Poker After Dark, South Park
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