Wednesday, December 3, 2008 - Vincent
“I remember as it was yesterday the first time I played poker with some of my friends, when we were at the Mall they often spoke on how they loved this game and that they started making tournaments at Arlenne’s house every Sunday, so I was like “Whatever. Let’s chill for a while at her house. How much do you have to pay in order to play? Ok.. Is cool..”.
When they started explaining to me the basics of the game I had absolutely no idea of what was going on exactly, since they were not really good at explaining it, so I just browsed the web with my PSP before the tournament started and used “Poker Rules” as my search tags. By my fortune I found the Ultimate Bet’s web site, I am not sure if it was destiny or coincidence, but the thing is that I find their tutorials really easy to understand and even found some tips from their pro players. After one hour of study before the game I learned what a bluff was, when to use it, when players show weakness, check – raise, etc. At that exact moment I understood that this game was even more complex and difficult than it looks like. I imagined it was just like calling with the best hand and win, but the fact is that I wouldn’t have ever imagined that this game was going to give a complete 900 grades turn around on my life.
As the game progressed I was eliminating players one by one, caught some bluffers, others just lost because they tried to chase a flush or “open” straights (these ones are really famous in here.. Don’t know why).. The thing is that I made my way to the final 2, with the one who was supposed to be the “Champion” of the house and the one that never losses on Sundays, so everyone was like really intrigued and excited since the rookie made its way to the final. I remember how everyone started making bets and arguing on who the game was going to end.. Unfortunately, not on my favor.. So that kinda awaken something inside of me, changed the vibe of the environment and I was completely determined to win that game.. YEAH!
As the game started to end on a horrible non-favorable way for me, I realized and noticed very good plays on his part, he often check-raised, or waited for me to catch something and then based on what he measured I probably got, he re-raised and sometimes forced me to go all in; however, I was very patience and based on his previous play I started playing the same way as his, of course, with a little less of aggressiveness on my part in order to get more chips. Since he knew I was a rookie then he never realized or even crossed his mind the thought that I might have started bluffing on him. Actually, I did it too many times on that game because I knew that on his world I was very tight player.
Before the game ended, I was holding the 82% of the total chips and the blinds were huge, so he started doing desperate moves in order to steal the blinds, which worked for him at the beginning but then I started raising a lot pre-flop and based on my position he just folded and folded, hand after hand, so when he was really short stacked by the time he went all in, I was holding J-9 off suit and the amount to call was only like 20 times the big blind, which was like a really low amount based on the total amount of chips I had at that moment.. When I called “He turned pocket Aces”, one of them was the “Ace of Spades”, so he just started singing “the song” of this card (-I am sure you know the song-) and telling everyone that it was his favorite card, so after all the noises and waves of arrogance, everyone just hold their breath tight, closed their mouths and said to him “LOOK!”. The flop came J-J-9.. He was like no way, this is unreal and after all the complaints then the turn dropped an Ace of hearts, which gave him the highest full house at the moment.
I was really pissed off when that card hit the table that I just walked away and then I was like “Wait! We still got the river, right?” and when the river came gathering rocks and thunders it hit the table with a beautiful and flawless Jack of Spades! From that moment this became my first favorite and higher hand ever attained, of course, for that moment and since it was my first game. It felt so good that I am even unable to describe it with words right now.. I was so completed and a lot of emotions were running at the same time that I did not bother at all about the money I just won. My only thoughts were that I wanted to do this every day and that someday I will master it somehow, Texas Hold’em became the best poker game ever created!
Poker did changed my life and for good! I have met many cool people during the last few years because of this. I even met my co-workers before even becoming an agent on Ultimate Bet by simply playing a Poker Tournament on a random place. Right now that I am a VIP Host I am very glad that I can be near the best VIP Players and have really cool conversations about poker and get tips from them, it is totally amazing and I would love to be one day just as cool and successful in poker as them.
I have learned so much from each one of you, I realized all about hand rankings, checking, betting (which is full of strategic “gambits”, designed to make money with good hands and save money with weaker ones), calling, folding, raising, bluffing and many more high level knowledge.
I wouldn’t have ever tough that being on the VIP Department was going to give me all these satisfactions, fun and even improve my game to upper levels. All this allowed me to understand Poker in a way I would have never imagined it would be. Poker is ART, MATH, MUSIC, RHYTHM, PRECISION and a total LIVE STYLE.
By the way, to all the VIP Players that shared their time and provided me with many useful hints and cool strategies.. Thank you very much! You guys are awesome and this is why your are the best players at our site.. And guess what? It’s working.. I have been visiting for the last months the best casinos in Costa Rica in order to play poker and use everything I learned from you guys and it worked for me as magic. I am having so much fun playing poker right now that I see it as my favorite and best hobby.
I hope you all continue enjoying Poker as much as we do and if you need anything feel free to contact us any time and will strive to do everything possible in order to ensure that you have a great time with us!”
Tags: Poker Poker Poker, Rai$e VIP Team, VIP
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Sunday, November 30, 2008 - Gene Bromberg
Back on November 19th Gary Wise (who writes for ESPN and Wise Hand Poker) interviewed Seth Palansky, the World Series of Poker Communications Director. During the interview Palansky said that two members of the November Nine were asked to appear on The Tonight Show and Ellen, but in both instances the player (it’s not clear if the same player was asked on both shows) declined the offer. It was hoped that delaying the final table would provide those who made the final table with more media attention and increased endorsement opportunities, and when this failed to materialize Palansky put much of the blame on the players:
But one of the reasons why I wanted to come on here with you tonight Gary, was to express a concern I do have for some of the advice and some of the moves poker players are making. Because if you want to mainstream a game, and if you’re trying to get corporate America to buy into what you’re selling, you need Tom Bradys, you need Peyton Mannings, you need Michael Jordans, etc. If we have guys that aren’t willing to take that mantle, or the same ten, twelve guys that you see getting a lot of attention at the Main Event early on: the known names for their antics or whatever the case may be. If people want to leave it just to those dozen, they can’t grow the game. For all the others, they’ve got to take advantage of the opportunities that get presented to them, and it’s unfortunate that in situations where we had a successful pitch and an opportunity for our players to be on that national stage, they chose not to.
Wise then asked Palansky about whether it was reasonable for poker players, who often play because it gives them a freedom they can’t find in other lines of work, to become “ambassadors for a selfish game”. Palansky replied:
You know, I do. And maybe my judgment is clouded based on the position I hold, but I believe they owe it to the brethren of the poker community to take the mantle and try to elevate the game, just as any poker stakeholder is trying to do. I understand some people don’t like the spotlight etc., but there are 54 other tournaments at the WSOP and everything else. I mean, you walk into the door of the Main Event, you know the ESPN cameras are rolling, you know what comes with the territory if you advance very far. And it’s unfortunate that it simply comes down to “I want the money, but I don’t want what else comes along with achieving that success”.
Understandably there’s been a lot of discussion about this. Is it fair to point the finger at the November Nine and blame them for corporate America giving the final table a miss? What exactly do poker players owe the game when they find themselves in the spotlight?
I think we need to look at one key word in the previous sentence–”owe”. It’s hard to say that poker players owe anything when they’re the ones who bring the money to the table. Unlike the NFL and NASCAR (the sports where Palansky and WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack formally worked) poker is funded not by TV revenues and corporate advertising, but by the players themselves. One of the more awe-inspiring aspects of the World Series of Poker is that these massive prize pools are created not by some CEO cutting a check so his logo gets some airtime, but by players who think they have a shot to win more than their fair share of the loot.
Let’s also not forget that Harrah’s takes out a percentage of that prize pool to pay for staging the event. This year Harrah’s took 6% of the prize pool, meaning $4,106,400 of the players’ money went directly into their coffers. Each of the 6,844 players paid Harrah’s $600 for their seat in the Amazon Room, regardless of whether they were there for ten minutes or ten days.
To be sure, it’s expensive (and risky) to stage a huge poker tournament like the World Series of Poker. And Harrah’s has to make a buck on this as well or there won’t be a WSOP going forward. But when it comes down to a question about what poker players owe the game (and, by extention, what they owe Harrah’s) the key point is this–the players ante up first. They’re the ones who put the money in the pot first. They bring their $10,000 to the window, they see Harrah’s take $600 of it off the top…now they want to sit down and play. Once players hand over their money, that’s when their obligation ends. That’s when the word “owe” ceases to hold sway.
Because it’s perfectly reasonable for poker players, when asked to do interviews or go on talk shows or be an “ambassador” for the game, to say “no”. Or to say, “what’s in it for me?” Not for their fellow players, not for the game in general, but for themselves. As I said before, the players have already anted up. They’ve taken the same risk as everyone else, and if they’re asked to take on a task no one else has it’s reasonable to ask what’s in it for them personally. And it’s just as reasonable to say, “No, thanks”.
In the 2+2 thread about the interviews a poster named Victor made much the same point and Gary Wise wrote, “I love that there are constant calls from players for a bigger piece of the pie while this is a prevailing opinon.” Not to belabor the point, but the players are the ones who already bought the ingredients, rolled the dough, and baked the pie. Continuing the pastry metaphor, if Harrah’s wants to the players to help grow the pie (by working to bring more corporate money into the kitty) the company has to step up and make it clear that they’re not going to scarf down the extra slices.
So far Harrah’s hasn’t shared with players any of the money it’s made via it’s deals with ESPN, Milwaukee’s Best Light, Planters, or any other sponsor. More importantly, they haven’t shown any inclination of doing so. And therein lies the problem. When the Tom Brady’s and Peyton Mannings of the world do commercials, they get paid for them. The NFL doesn’t ask Peyton Manning to do all those MasterCard commercials because it’ll help “grow the game”. The NFL owners also share television, gate and other licensing revenue. When a player does something to boost the league revenue, he’s also putting money in his teammates (and his own) pocket. If Harrah’s wants poker players to promote the game and the WSOP, they have prove that they’re willing to spread the wealth.
In a later post I’ll discuss the talk show snubs and some other issues surrounding this topic.
Tags: 2008 world series of poker, 2008 wsop, november nine, Poker Poker Poker, world series final table, world series of poker, WSOP, wsop final table
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Sunday, November 30, 2008 - P0ker H0
Yesterday I had a strong debut at the BCPC. The second hand of the day, I ended up folding bottom set to a guy who flopped an over set. I am very confident in my reads right now. This confidence would prove crucial, as Daniel Negreneau got seated to my direct right. It was comedy seeing him talk everyone at the table, to play the weakest poker ever. Daniel started out limping or min raising every other hand. Within the hour, the entire table was open limping or minraising. I used this to my advantage and pounded out a 60k stack by the end of day 1.
I got a good nights rest last night, and im ready for day 2. Ive been working out lately and I find it really helps me stay energized at the table. When your sitting in a chair for 12 hours its easy to get down on yourself for being lazy. Im starting day 2 with 60k in chips, and I have a lot of room to manuever. Yesterday I had a relaitvely easy table, except for Daniel. Debo34, cunningham, and a couple of other players im here with had a good first day also. Hopefully ill be able to write how good day 2 was to me also. If not, there is always Vancouver.
GL everyone
P0ker H0
Tags: BCPC, P0ker H0, Poker Poker Poker
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Sunday, November 30, 2008 - John Greene
I know, I know. This week’s From The Felt talks about not wearing headphones when you’re playing poker, but there are plenty of other times where they’re perfectly appropriate: waiting in line at the bank, on a long airplane flight, jury duty, etc. Let’s face it: the kind that came free with your iPod or Zune or whatever stink. They’re tinny, they don’t fit properly, and they tend to wear out far too quickly. We’re going to review a few for you and give you an idea of how to spend some of your winnings.
UltimateEars bills themselves as makers of “personal monitors,” or those custom-fit headphones you see guys from Aerosmith and My Chemical Romance wearing on stage. A few years ago, they started making high-end personal headphones for the consumer market. They’re not cheap (starting around $250 retail,) but they sound terrific and have a selection of models designed for specific types of music. I’ve had two pairs and given away three. Everyone that received them as a gift said they were the best-sounding headphones they’ve had. Make sure you use the case that comes with them: it keeps the cable from getting worn out from being wrapped and unwrapped around your iPod. Even if the warranty is great and the cable will be replaced free, you won’t want to be without these bad boys for long. Find out more at www.ultimateears.com
The Good: Sound isolation only helps good sound, broad variety of models, warranty that’s a notch above the rest.
The Bad: People who don’t like in-ear headphones will hate these.
The German company Sennheiser’s been making audio gear since 1945, so they probably know what they’re doing at this point. They’ve got a ton of different types of headphones, going from $30 models that are designed to replace the crappy pack-in sets to $500 HD650 audiophile headphones. I personally really like the HD25s because they’re lightweight and sound good enough to replace most speakers around the house. Perfect for those online poker tournaments that stretch late into the night. You can get more information and look at all their models at www.sennheiserusa.com
The Good: Good bass, lots of highs and midranges. Comfortable to wear for long periods
The Bad: Too bulky for everyday wear.
WESC (stands for WeAretheSuperlativeConspiracy) is a “fashion brand for intellectual slackers” and while I’ve got no idea what these headphones sound like, just look at them! How can you resist? Check out their headphones, photos of celebrities like Jason Lee, and more at www.wesc.com
The
Good: Shiny!
The Bad: Miles Davis may sound like he’s playing into a pillow for all I know.
Tags: Poker Poker Poker, Ultimate Gadgetry
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Sunday, November 23, 2008 - Gene Bromberg
It’s been almost two weeks since poker crowned its new World Champion—it’s Peter Eastgate, for those of you who forgot to emerge from your cave until well after ESPN’s broadcast. There’s been quite a bit of discussion about whether Harrah’s decision to delay the final table for 117 days was a good idea, but by one barometer the delay was a hit—ESPN’s ratings for the final table were up 50% from a year ago.
It’s important to recall that slumping television ratings were one of the big reasons why Harrah’s chose to put the final table on hiatus. The last few years the ratings for poker shows have been going down, down, down, and as with any TV show there’s always the risk of cancellation when the numbers fall. Part of the decline was probably due to some poker fatigue among the viewing public—in addition to expanded WSOP and WPT coverage it seemed like every cable channel developed some contrived and unspeakably awful poker show. Pardon me for refreshing your memory of Celebrity Poker Showdown and Poker Royale: Battle of the Sexes.
But the big problem is that most poker telecasts air months after the tournament is over and the champion crowned. There are a number of media outlets that provide live event coverage and scores of sites and blogs (including this one) that post interviews and updates and photos as well. It is well nigh impossible for poker fans NOT to know who won a tournament before they sit down to watch it on TV. And that kills much of the drama. Sure, you might tune in to see the hole cards of two players involved in a huge (but not decisive) hand, but if you already know who eventually takes it down…why bother watching?
By delaying the final table four months and then broadcasting the action the day after the bracelet was awarded Harrah’s was hoping to preserve much of that drama. Hardcore fans could, if they wished, try to avoid poker news outlets for 48 hours and hopefully keep themselves in the dark. While the general public could check their local listings, find that ESPN was broadcasting a poker tournament with a $9 million first prize, and decide that this was something worth watching.
Broadcasting the final table two days after it was played was a half-measure that ended up a half-success. Yes, the ratings were up. Yes, the Penn & Teller theater (where the final table was held) was packed to the rafters with hundreds of rowdy fans. And much of that excitement came through during the ESPN broadcast, which did a good job of conveying the energy in the room, the drama of the moment, and the personalities of the players. I’m still kicking myself for not going out there to see it in person.
The thing is, ESPN only aired two hours of that compelling coverage. Three, if you include the “pre-game” show that offered features on each of the November Nine. And that’s just not enough time to give viewers a true sense of what went on.. The final table took 274 hands and over 15 hours to play. Only two hours made it to air (far less, actually, when you subtract those pesky commercials). The heads-up battle between Eastgate and Ivan Demidov was a back-and-forth epic that lasted 104 hands. ESPN showed two of them. You’ll hear critics who say that people don’t want to watch 15 hours of players stealing the blinds and antes. My response is that, A) people watch endless hours of golf on TV and therefore must have a high tolerance for long periods of low drama, and B) any activity can be made interesting if presented in a creative and engaging manner. Two of the most popular TV shows feature amateurs singing songs everyone already knows and borderline celebrities performing formal dance routines. ANYTHING can be made appealing to the viewing public, if it’s done with wit, style, and respect for the audience. Well, maybe just two out of three.
The ideal situation would be a live broadcast of the final table (or as live as would be acceptable to the Nevada Gaming Commission), followed perhaps by an edited final-table broadcast that’s similar to what we see today (hole cards, better production values, featurettes, etc). I can’t see how it’s in poker’s long-term interest to expect it’s most ardent fans to AVOID hearing news about the game’s biggest event. Remember, in most sports much of the revenue derives from advertising, advertising that is presented during live broadcasts of the game. Asking fans to avoid watching or hearing about the final table also means that advertisers on poker sites aren’t getting their message to their full target audience during the most important event of the year.
The final table of the Main Event should DRAW people’s eyeballs to what’s happening at the Rio, not force them to shut their eyes so they can enjoy the drama of a truncated recap two days later. Once upon a time (actually it was just 30 years ago) the NBA Finals were broadcast on tape delay. Olympic coverage was embargoed until prime time. Today the idea of not showing major sporting events live is ludicrous. The technology is there for the final table to be live-streamed online, as ESPN360 did with a number of WSOP preliminary events and as many European Poker Tour events are shown. It’s time for poker to stop apologizing for itself and broadcast the game’s most important event in living color.
Tags: 2008 world series of poker, 2008 wsop, espn, espn poker, espn world series of poker, final table, Poker Poker Poker, world series of poker, world series of poker coverage, world series of poker main event, WSOP
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Sunday, November 23, 2008 - smokin_aces
Why do we play Poker? Apart from the enjoyment of the intense mental battles, the adrenaline rushes and the thrill of the chase, we want to win MONEY. There are a million ways to get cold hard cash, but there is an undeniable allure to using our instincts and wit in a battle infiltrated by fate and destiny. We all believe that at different moments in time we’ve got ‘a feeling’ or that we’re tuned in to something no one else has yet noticed. The idea that we can act on these in a manner defined as gambling has a classic appeal that has been around for centuries. This appeal is no more closely mirrored than in Poker’s unlikely sibling, financial investing.
The close relationship of playing Poker versus playing in the stock market has been documented many times. It’s no secret that Poker’s harrowed champions share many attributes of successful investment gurus. The object of this column is to spend time examining some of the qualities, philosophies and techniques of the historic and present day hero figures from both the world of Poker, and the financial investment community. With ‘luck’ and perseverance, we’ll outline some areas we can all stand to improve, in hopes that collectively we’ll increase our returns on both fronts.
Discipline is not specific to either Poker or investing. Most people’s first connotation of the word is negative, and usually involved ‘being disciplined’ as a result of a childhood wrongdoing. In the present context, we’re interested in learning ways to discipline ourselves to remain true to the strategies and theories we’ve selected away from the table, and before the market opens. (It should be noted that we’re making the assumption your Poker/investing style is not a series of aimless, wanton acts with no preconceived game plan, void of reason or logic) This isn’t the place to discuss actual strategies, but we can discuss the importance of remaining consistent with your chosen one. Mathematically speaking, in order to make gains over time, you’ll have to be comfortable with an average rate of return much lower than what most would consider a large profit. Sure there will be times when you make profits in leaps and bounds, but there will also be other times when you lose big. As long as you’ve got the discipline to consistently bet on the odds in your favour while wagering an amount you can lose without busting out for good, chances are good you’ll profit in the long term.
We want to hear stories of how you’ve used an element of discipline either in Poker or as part of an investment strategy, and how it’s benefitted you. As well, if you’ve suffered a loss because you failed to remain disciplined, tell us about that as well.
Tags: investing, Poker Poker Poker, Poker Strategy
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Sunday, November 23, 2008 - smokin_aces
Or at least he was in ’89. Celebrities can sometimes achieve ‘star’ status in a relatively short period of time. Too often their star fizzles out and they become another flash in the pan one hit wonder, destined to strive desperately for at least ‘c’ list exposure. More often than not, just by surviving the Hollywood School of Hard Knocks they’ve turned their name into a minor commodity. Most probably hope their perceived value can be applied to a smaller stage. It probably goes without saying that no celebrity’s goal is to end up as fodder for some tabloid media outlet’s ‘Where Are They Now’ list. We’ll meet them halfway. Our intent here is not to point, jeer and laugh from the cheap seats while recanting some washed up tv icon’s painful descent into obscurity. Instead, we’ll highlight ex-A listers who picked themselves up after years of tequila sucking and infomercial host auditioning, dusted themselves off and got serious about Poker.
In the late 80’s and early 90’s we waited with baited breath each week to watch Winnie, Paul and Kevin stumble through early adolescence. “The Wonder Years” was our endearing glimpse into the coming-of-age struggles and dysfunctions of a post-war patriarchal America. The main character Kevin (played by Fred Savage) was as American as apple pie.
Soon after the show began airing Fred Savage took the teen-zine covers by storm and was recreated in poster form on the closet doors of young girls everywhere. It was only a matter of time until Fred Savage joined the Hollywood glitterati and claimed his throne as another misbehaving, talented Icon. It turned out his career in the limelight would come to a grinding halt after the show ended in 1993. Although he had appeared in some large grossing movies prior to and during the Wonder Years (The Boy Who Could Fly 1986, The Princess Bride 1987, The Wizard 1989) he didn’t continue his rise in Hollywood as a grown up actor.
Thankfully for all his fans (myself included), he survived many obstacles and was able to take supporting roles in numerous small budget productions. In fact, in recent years Fred has re-established himself as a Hollywood mainstay with his role as Mitch Crumb in the successful TV comedy ‘Crumbs’. However, arguably his highest profile public sightings have been rubbing elbows with the Professional Poker set. That’s right, “Kevin Arnold” is now a calculating poker odds maker trying his hand at the Pro Poker circuit. He appeared as a competitor on Bravo’s ‘Celebrity Poker Showdown’ alongside Jennifer Tilly and Brett Butler. He was even subjected to commentary by the ‘beloved’ Poker icon (and UB’s own) Phil Hellmuth. Fred also made a memorable appearance on the first episode of “World Poker Tour – Hollywood Home Game”, going all in against Aisha Tyler to benefit the Childhelp USA charity. As well, he’s been spotted in Vegas many times recently with fat stacks of chips and hordes of hot models frolicking around him. Ok, that last part isn’t true. But just like Kevin Arnold’s obsession with his sultry classmate and neighbour Winnie Cooper, he can wish.
Tags: Celebrities, Poker Poker Poker
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Saturday, November 22, 2008 - smokin_aces
The latest Bad Beat Jackpot winner at Ultimate Bet took home a cool $200437.89! Our winner hearts13 could do a number of things with that fat bag of cash. If it was me, I’d peel a cool Hundred Grand right off the top and put that in the bank. Then I’d drop 10K on a lavish visit to some friends in Thailand and Australia. Now I’m left with $90,000. As a performance/luxury car enthusiast I’m thinking only one thing. If I was going to drop that wad on a car, what is the best car I could buy with $90 K from that Bad Beat Jackpot? So, our mission is to compare two types of cars that come within 2K of the $90,000.
This week’s theme is Luxury Performance Sedans. We’ll choose one American car and one European. Today’s Euro flavour is the Audi A8.
We added a few key upgrades to push it within a mortgage payment of the Bad Beat Jackpot payout. Our build comes to $88, 600.00.
On the other side of the pond we chose the Cadillac STS-V.
Even with all the options we could only max out the cost of the Caddy at $83,375.00 but threw in a 12 speaker Bose sound system, and the ‘Blaster’ flamethrowing theft deterrent. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDrzMGdYWZc These upgrades rounded out the total cost to $89, 700.00. Luckily for the Audi A8, we’re focusing on performance and convenience, and not the ability to deafen children or permanently disfigure would-be carjackers.
It turns out these two models are quite comparable in many respects. Both weigh about the same, with the A8 at 4321 lbs, and the STS-V at 4233 lbs. That’s pretty beefy for a car, but bear in mind these are not compact cars. Although both pack a powerful V8, there are some stark contrasts. The STS-V is catapulted from the line by a 4.4 L Supercharged Northstar V8 with 469 hp and 439 lb-ft of torque. It redlines at 6,700 rpms (a little low) and has a boastful 9.0:1 compression ratio. The A8 is dressed for success as well, albeit with not quite as impressive raw specs. Under the hood the Audi has a 4.1 L Spark Ignition Direct Injection V8 with 350 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque. You can wind the Audi up to 7500 rpm before redline and it has a 12.5:1 compression ratio. As the savvy car enthusiast is already aware, horsepower can be misleading. American car manufacturers are famous for conceptualizing a massive engine and then building cars around it. German automakers are known for developing extremely sophisticated, efficient vehicles capable of effectively distributing power while maximizing handling characteristics, resulting in cars with lower specs outperforming many cars classed higher on paper. The true test has been around for over 50 years. What goes from 0 to 60mph in less time? Here’s where it gets interesting. The STS-V hits 60mph in 4.8 seconds while the Audi dragged it’s ass a bit and took more than a whole second longer at 5.9 seconds. Regarding fuel efficiency, based on the speed test and horsepower rating, the results were not surprising. The Caddy gets an estimated 13 mpg in the city and 19 mpg on the highway. The significantly less thirsty A8 gets 16 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway. Strangely the Audi also has a larger fuel tank than it’s competitor (23.6 gallons vs 17 gallons). So while the Cadillac wins over short distances, in an endurance race consisting of long distance stages, the Audi would reach the finish line sooner, cheaper and with less stops.
The Audi brand is notorious for their almost exclusive inclusion of their all wheel drive ‘Quattro’ package, present on nearly almost every class and model they make. This feature is much less common on American cars, but in this case the STS-V is outfitted with Cadillac’s AWD drive system.
Where the Audi will shine is the handling department. The Cadillac has a front and rear mix of coil spring, independent suspension with front and rear anti-roll bars. The Audi however is complete with Fully Pneumatic air suspension struts in each wheels, with automatic damping characteristics constantly adjusted by sensors. This means the Audi could outperform the Caddy in race like settings with quick switchbacks and hairpin turnarounds. In fact, that would be a very interesting race to watch. The Audi A8 is more nimble, while the Cadillac STS-V is faster.
Although I’m a long time Audi lover, comparing these two amazing machines has made my impression of the new Cadillac STS-V change significantly. It looks as if GM is no longer competing solely with other American luxury vehicles. This car is entering uncharted territory, where a Cadillac is poised to directly compete with the BMW 5 series, and some Mercedes Benz types, along with our subject, the Audi A8. In this contest, if it was a battle of brawn, I would choose the Cadillac STS-V. (and still have a bit of scratch leftover) However, cars are a very personal thing, and for many intangible reasons, my winner is the Audi A8.
With all these things in mind, put yourself in the same position as hearts13 . Consider you’ve just won the Ultimate Bet Bad Beat Jackpot. What would you buy, and why?
Tags: Bad Beat Jackpot, cars, Poker in the Car, Poker Poker Poker
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